Creating a Quality Tourism Experience in Hawaii was on center stage at the 2018 International Mayor’s Forum on Tourism (IMFT)-Zhengzhou, China. The conference was held by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and the People’s Government of Henan Province in collaboration with World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). This global event concluded in Zhengzhou, Henan Province yesterday.

Under the theme of “City Tourism Innovation in an Era of Sharing Economy”, IMFT 2018 brought together knowledge and experience from mayors of worldwide tourism cities, as well as experts of international organizations, through a variety of activities, including “Belt and Road” Tourism Cities Summit, Symposium, International Tourism Cities Exhibition & Show, to explore what role tourism can play significantly in pushing sustainable urban development.

The keynote speaker was Mayor Kirk Caldwell from Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

Highlighting the importance of tourism to Hawai‘i’s economy, Mayor Kirk Caldwell delivered the keynote address on Monday, May 28 at the 2018 Mayor’s Forum on Tourism in Zhengzhou City, China.

In his presentation on Creating a Quality Tourism Experience in Hawaii, Mayor Caldwell highlighted the many aspects of Hawai‘i that make it a top world tourist destination, including its beauty, cleanliness and safety, as well as its unique Hawaiian culture and Aloha Spirit. He stated that developing quality tourism goes hand in hand with upgrading infrastructure and creating a unique visitor experiences that incorporate all that is special about Hawai‘i, including its rich multi-cultural heritage and its Hawaiian roots that are manifested in people’s daily lives. Mayor Caldwell also pointed to the desire of all of Hawai‘i’s people to share the Aloha Spirit with the world.

The mayor also took the opportunity to point to the recent volcanic activity on the Island of Hawai‘i (Big Island), noting that while it has severely affected residents in the activity area, the rest of the Hawaiian islands, including the majority of Hawai‘i Island itself, remain unaffected. Mayor Caldwell concluded his remarks by noting that quality must always be balanced with quantity. He said while tourism destinations may want to increase the number of visitors for economic and other reasons, the quality of the visitor experience and the needs and desires of local people must always be considered.

Mayor Caldwell attended the 2018 Mayor’s Forum on Tourism in Henan Province at the invitation of the China National Tourism Administration, the United Nations World Tourism Organization, and the People’s Government of Henan Province. The theme of the forum was “City Tourism Innovation in an Era of Sharing Economy.”

Mayor Caldwell is due back on O‘ahu on the morning of May 30. Managing Director Roy K. Amemiya Jr. is serving as Acting Mayor while Mayor Caldwell is away.

The IMFT has been successfully held in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, which made it a grand event in international tourism communities with prospective and globally cooperative meaning and a high-end dialogue platform for tourism communities and cities in the world. The IMFT has been playing an important role in enhancing the development of global travel and tourism and also obtained high appraisal from the international tourism circles and cities.

As an important part of global tourism, China has achieved significant gains in tourism development under the leadership of the Chinese government and is becoming the strategic mainstay industry of the national economy. China has become the third-largest international inbound destination and the top tourist source country with the largest global domestic tourism market. China’s tourism progress is related to industrialization, socialization, internationalization and modernization. Henan, as the host province of IMFT, is a major tourist source region, destination and distribution center in central China, known for its economic strength and abundant cultural and tourism resources. It is an important node province in China’s development initiative of “One Belt and One Road”, which has a great bearing on not only China but also on the rest of the world.

Speaking at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council in San Sebastian, Spain, today, WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara indicated her support for new UNWTO Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili and highlighted the importance of public private partnership in the Travel & Tourism sector.

Travel & Tourism, which already accounts for 10.4% of GDP and 313 million jobs around the world, is set to grow significantly over the coming years. International arrivals will reach 1.8 billion by 2030 according to UNWTO forecasts and IATA estimates a near doubling of air passengers from 4 billion to 7.8 billion a year over a similar timeframe.

Ms. Guevara said, “Travel & Tourism is set to grow by 4% a year over the next ten years. It is in all our interests to maximize the opportunities of this growth. WTTC Members are clear that we should focus on three priority areas in order to achieve this. First, security and travel facilitation is fundamental – without people travelling safely and securely there is no tourism. Second, crisis preparedness and management – ensuring our destinations, companies and communities are resilient. Third, sustainable growth – planning for growth to ensure tourism benefits all, taking action on climate change, providing inclusive and sustainable jobs, and making sure we are socially responsible. Technological innovation and the digital agenda will be critical delivering a sustainable future for our sector.

I am delighted that these priorities as identified by the CEOs who make up WTTC’s membership are in alignment with those announced today by the new Secretary General of UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili. I am looking forward to working closely with the new Secretary General and his team over the coming years. The spirit of public private partnership is alive and well between our two organisations and together we will make sure that our sector continues to thrive, and create jobs across every country in the world.”

The city of San Sebastian, Spain hosted the 108th meeting of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) from 23-25 May. During the meeting, Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili obtained the support of this key governing body for the priorities that will set up the work of the organization for the coming years. Likewise, the Council supported the new structure of the UNWTO, its renewed institutional image and the designated management team for the implementation of the agreed programme of work.

Under Secretary-General Pololikashvili, who took office in January 2018, UNWTO will focus on five pillars for the period 2018-2019: innovation and the digital transformation; investments and entrepreneurship; education and employment; safe, secure and seamless travel; and social, cultural and environmental sustainability.

In order to address new tourism challenges and trends and improve the business environment for the sector, the Organization will pay special attention to scaling up innovation and digitalization in the sector. This will lead to the creation of new job and business opportunities, an increase of investments in tourism, and enhanced competitiveness and sustainability for the sector.

The Secretary-General also presented the Organization’s new leadership structure, put in place to increase efficiency in achieving UNWTO’s goals of adding value to members, increasing membership and serving the tourism sector as a whole.

“This is a time of renewal for our organization. Listening closely to the opinions and needs of all our members and partners is key”, Pololikashvili stated during the opening ceremony.

The Minister of Energy, Tourism and the Digital Agenda of Spain, Álvaro Nadal, praised the renewed impetus of the UNWTO under the leadership of Zurab Pololikashvili and highlighted tourism as “one of the most relevant international sectors, not only as an economic activity, but as an extraordinary vehicle for us to understand and get to know each other, something that only tourism can achieve”.

The Minister of Tourism of Argentina and President of the Executive Council, Gustavo Santos, affirmed that “we need to position tourism politically as a fundamental activity of the economy”.

The 109th, 110th and 111th sessions of the UNWTO Executive Council will take place in Bahrain, Azerbaijan and Russia, respectively.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today invited transport ministers attending the annual International Transport Forum in Leipzig, Germany, to partner with the tourism sector to implement biometrics to make travel more efficient and secure.

Speaking to the Open Ministerial Meeting, Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO said “Travel & Tourism generates 10.4% of the world’s GDP and creates 313 million jobs. Transport – aviation, maritime, road and rail – is fundamental to our sector’s success. IATA is forecasting a rise from 4 billion annual passengers now to 7.8 billion over the next ten years, UNWTO estimates global international arrivals to rise from 1.3 to 1.8 billion by 2030. This growth poses a challenge not only to infrastructure capacity but also how to ensure these travellers can be processed efficiently and securely.”

“In order for us to achieve this growth and create jobs, we need to work together to find solutions which increase capacity, enhance customer experience and ensure security. Technology is the key and biometrics is a solution which is already being used around the world. I invite ministers of transport to partner with us to speed up the adoption of biometrics, and together we can ensure that more jobs are created.”

The newly-elected President of Costa Rica, Mr. Carlos Alvarado Quesada, has chosen María Amalia Revelo Raventós as the country’s new Tourism Minister, replacing Mauricio Ventura as head of the department.

María Amalia Revelo holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the prestigious INCAE Business School and a bachelor’s degree in Statistics from the University of Costa Rica. She boasts over 40 years’ experience in the country’s tourism sector, where she has held a number of positions of high responsibility in both the public and private sectors. She was also Deputy Manager and Marketing Director at the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT), where she developed and implemented key marketing strategies to promote the tourism industry in Costa Rica.

Among her priorities as Tourism Minister are the promotion of medium-sized and small companies; the development of new local destinations and products, with a special focus on culture and gastronomy; and the strengthening of the joint work between the public and private sectors. Sustainability will be a cross axis in all her actions in the Ministry. In addition, she will also work on the positioning of Costa Rica as an attractive destination for the MICE industry (now that the country’s new Convention Centre is open) and on attracting new flight routes to the country.

Just before the appointment, María Amalia Revelo held the position of Commercial Director and Advisor at Aeris Holding, where she was in charge of developing new flight routes and attracting airlines to Juan Santamaría International Airport (San José) and Daniel Oduber Quirós Aiport (Liberia).

The new Tourism Minister has also taken an active part in trade unions and organizations within the private sector of Costa Rica. She was a member of the boards of directors at the National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur), Site Chapter Costa Rica, the Association of Professionals in Tourism (ACOPROT) and the Meetings and Incentives Association.

María Amalia Revelo has received some important awards throughout her career in the Costa Rican tourism sector, including EXPOTUR’s “Best Promoter” in 1987 and “Pioneering Woman in Tourism” in 2007.

Revelo’s experience and career has generated great expectation and confidence within the Costa Rican tourism sector. “We are very pleased with María Amalia’s appointment. We know how hard she works, so we are truly confident that her vast experience in the industry will greatly contribute to further develop and improve tourism in the country,” said Sary Valverde, President of the National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur).

The new Seychelles Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Didier Dogley, moved into his new office at Botanical House on Friday, May 4, 2018. Formerly the minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, he was assigned the new portfolio in a Cabinet reshuffle announced by President Danny Faure on April 26.

Minister Dogley has welcomed his appointment as the new minister responsible for tourism, adding that it provides him with an excellent opportunity to shift his efforts, from taking care of the bedrock of Seychelles tourism — the natural environment — to ensuring that discerning visitors get to discover and experience the true qualities of the Seychelles islands as a world-class destination. “In a world where unspoiled natural landscapes and seascapes are becoming a rare asset, Seychelles still offers a wide array of unique sites with breathtaking beauty and exceptional experiences,” he said.

“My vision is to use my knowledge and experience in environmental stewardship, coupled with a strong partnership with the trade, to ensure that Seychelles becomes a model for sustainable tourism to the world, enriched by the Creole culture and the hospitality of our people,” the minister added.

Didier Dogley was first appointed Minister in February 2015 and assigned the Environment, Energy, and Climate Change portfolio. He had previously held high-level positions in that same ministry including the post of Director General, Principal Secretary, and Special Advisor.

Minister Dogley holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Architecture, from the Erfurt University of Applied Science in Germany and a Masters Degree in Landscape Management from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. He also holds a diploma in Management from the Seychelles Institute of Management.

Minister Didier Dogley is married with three children.