UNWTO and WTTC present Open Letter to Malta Prime Minister
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) presented the Open Letter on Travel and Tourism to the Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat. The Open Letter outlines tourism’s value as one of the world’s largest generators of jobs and a powerful driver of socio-economic growth and sustainable development. To date, the Open Letter has been received by 89 Heads of State and Government.
UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai congratulated Malta on its good tourism results and thanked the Prime Minister for placing tourism high in the agenda of the European Union during its current presidency. “Malta is playing a critical role in ensuring that tourism is recognized for the value it has for the economy and employment in the EU,” said Mr Rifai.
The Prime Minister expressed his full support to the sector as a key economic activity for Malta, one of the main drivers of economic growth, creation of quality jobs and overall improvement of Malta’s social fabrics. He said that the Maltese Government has for the last years adopted a new tourism strategy and that a firm commitment to sustainable development is currently high on the agenda. Dr. Muscat reaffirmed that tourism is much more than climate, cultural activities and historical sites, more even than new niches such as diving tourism, conferences and events, wedding tourism, cruise and luxury accommodation. “It is actually one of those areas through which we believe that wealth percolates to all sections of society in a direct manner,” said the Prime Minister.
David Scowsill, President and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council, said: “Travel and tourism contributed 2,425.5 million euros (2,706.1 million USD) to Malta’s GDP, which is 26.7% of the country’s total GDP, and supported 27.8% of total employment in the country. Our sector is a stimulator of economic growth and a creator of jobs. We commend the Maltese government for its commitment to travel and tourism, and its continuous efforts to drive growth while preserving the assets the beautiful island has to offer.”
Rifai also met the President of Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, who during the meeting reiterated her belief that the tourism sector has the ability to build peace to create prosperity.
Both meetings were held coinciding with a UNWTO Masterclass on ‘Attracting Chinese Tourism to the Mediterranean Countries’ and an event on ‘Enhancing Europe’s Tourism Competitiveness through New Products’ organized in the framework of the Maltese Presidency of the EU.
On the occasion, UNWTO welcomed six Maltese companies to sign the Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism: Air Malta, Federation of Associations of Travel and Tourism Agents (FATTA); Gozo Tourism Association; Malta Hotels and Restaurants Associations (MHRA); Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry; and Valletta Cruise Port. By adhering to the Code, signatories commit to implementing and promoting its principles in their business strategies and operations. To date, 514 companies and associations from 68 countries have joined this Commitment.
GVB Receives President’s “E” Award – First tourism office ever to receive the highest export award in the U.S.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017 – Tumon, Guam, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross presented the Guam Visitors Bureau with the President’s “E” Award for Export Service at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., May 22. The President’s “E” Award is the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports.
“The Guam Visitors Bureau has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion. The “E” Awards Committee was very impressed with GVB’s Tourism 2020 strategic plan development and engagement, which resulted in exceptional year-over-year growth in tourism to Guam. The organization’s innovative and broad-reaching program to capture larger segments of the Chinese tourism market was also particularly notable. GVB’s achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs,” said Secretary Ross in his congratulatory letter to the company announcing its selection as an award recipient.
“The hard workers at GVB are humble, but this really comes at no surprise. It only makes sense that Guam’s tourism officials get national recognition because these folks are at the top of their game in this country. Despite the very rapid increase in the number and quality of tourist destinations in this area, Guam’s market share has sustained and in most cases has even grown. We offer a resort destination that is growing as a second-to-none choice for travelers from a diversifying geographic field. This isn’t a coincidence. This is the result of smart strategy, cooperative development, and an industry of workers who set the standard for quality and service,” said Guam Governor Eddie Calvo.
Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo was present at the awards ceremony and joined GVB Vice President Antonio Muña, Jr. and GVB Director of Global Marketing Pilar Laguaña to receive the award.
“I commend the Guam Visitors Bureau on receiving the President’s “E” Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce,” said Congresswoman Bordallo. “This is the nation’s highest honor recognizing organizations which contribute significantly in the effort to increase U.S. exports. This award is a reflection of GVB’s success in marketing Guam as a world class international destination and the growth in our tourism industry in recent years. I am proud of the success GVB has made to strengthen our visitor industry and attract visitors from new countries to visit and invest in Guam. This is the first time an organization from Guam has received this award, and I congratulate GVB’s management and staff on this accomplishment. I look forward to continue working with them to promote Guam and our vibrant culture to visitors and markets around the world.”
In total, Secretary Ross honored 32 U.S. companies and organizations from across the country with the President’s “E” Award for their role in strengthening the U.S. economy by sharing American ingenuity outside of our borders.
“It is an honor to be the first tourism organization in the United States that received this prestigious award and contribute to the export expansion program of the United States of America. We are proud to represent Guam and accept this award on behalf of our local community and the thousands of people that are working hard in Guam’s number one industry,” said GVB President and CEO Nathan Denight. “As we continue to welcome over 1.5 million visitors annually and evolve as a world class destination, this milestone is a reminder that tourism works to promote our Chamorro culture to the world and better the quality of life for all those that call Guam home.”
U.S. exports totaled $2.21 trillion in 2016, accounting for nearly 12 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. Exports supported an estimated 11.5 million jobs nationwide in 2015, according to the most recent statistics from the International Trade Administration.
Question to you? UNWTO Election – is there a problem?
Will the controversy about the recent nomination of Zurab Polokashvili for Secretary General put UNWTO into Chaos? This is one of the questions we are asking YOU, our readers today.
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CLICK HERE if you believe there is no problem with the reconfirmation of Zurab Polokashvili at the UNWTO General Assembly.
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CLICK HERE if you believe there will be a problem with the reconfirmation of Zurab Polokashvili at the UNWTO General Assembly.
UNWTO nominee Zurab Pololikashvili is not attending the ongoing Regional Commission for the Americas of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) this week. As a matter of fact, and unlike other candidates, Mr.Pololikashvili hardly attended any UNWTO event before and after his election, but he did attend and invite selected delegates to a May 10 football game Atletico Madrid against Real Madrid at the Vicentent Calderon Stadium.
The game was on May 10, 2017 during the Executive Council meeting for UNWTO in Madrid (May 10-12) at the nearby Melia Castilla Hotel. The highlight of the Executive Council meeting was the election of a new candidate to replace Taleb Rifai as the Secretary General in 2018. Executive Council members were the one representing not only their own country but were entrusted to represent a group of five countries to vote for a candidate. Executive council members could be compared to what is known as “Super Candidates” at US elections. This is a responsibility not only for national interests.
Mr.Pololikashvili was one out of the 5 remaining candidates for this post during the voting process.
Of course becoming friends with voting delegates had to be the top priority for any candidate and Mr. Polokasvili who is now the nominee knew this. He also knew attending a football game with someone is a great tool to make friends and to bond. Therefore Zurab handpicked voting executive members that were critical for him to make them feel obligated and impress them with giving them football tickets that are almost impossible to get – all during the ongoing Executive Council conference.
One of the people he invited and who was truly impressed, was Kenya’s Minister of Tourism Hon. Najib Balala. He proudly showcased his attendance and his photos to his Facebook friends.
Watch the slideshow below and see how the Kenyan minister enjoys the game together with other African candidates treated to the game by Georgia and representing executive council countries. See how Hon Najib Balala is showing off his ticket he received from the Georgian candidate. Georgia needed this push from Africa because members of the African Union presented their “African candidate” almost a year ago. This candidate was not Zurab, but the Hon. Walter Mzembi from Zimbabwe.
Ticket issued to the delegate from Kenya
There was the controversy in regards to the African Union Member Country Seychelles withdrawing their own candidate Alain St.Ange last minute and their pledge to vote for Walter Mzembi. There was the “emotional speech” Alain St. Ange was allowed to give at the beginning of the voting process, even though he was no longer a candidate. This speech most certainly influenced some candidates.
There was the rejection of the Cameroon candidate 8 years ago who wanted to speak at the executive council meeting when his country withdrew him last minute and he was not allowed to. There was no time to debate for voters after candidates made their presentation. It seems procedures and rules were interpreted at will – and this caused anger and confusion.
This is only one out of many incidents in a series of bizarre events leading to the election of the Georgian Candidate nominee as the choice of the current executive council. There is a lot more to come and eTN will be reporting about it in due time.
Taleb Rifai is not a person known to enjoy conflicts. He has built his leadership on friendship and trust. It’s almost certain he is not very happy with the current situation but has been showing his unconditional support for the Georgian nominee so far.
Mr. Zurab may be receiving private tourism lessons or consulting by David Scowsill, outgoing president and CEO of WTTC. This information was given to eTN by multiple sources. eTN reached out to WTTC and Mr. Scowsill but was unable to receive a confirmation or denial.
Mr. Rifai may feel UNWTO would jump into chaos if Zurab was not confirmed by the upcoming General Assembly. Rifai may feel UNWTO would jump into chaos if he was unable to lead through this process.
Mr. Rifai dropped a bombshell on May 10, 2016 when he had appointed Marcio Favilla at the Executive Council Meeting in Malaga, Spain.
This “deputy” may no longer be qualified to lead the organization through a possible crisis after Mr. Rifai is scheduled to resign the end of this year. Mr. Favilla had also put his name up as a candidate to become Secretary General and now has a clear conflict of interest.
According to eTN insiders attending the ongoing UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas conference, many countries had discusd the upcoming re-confirmation hearing in China and voiced their concern openly and privately.
The question remains. What will be bigger chaos?
A) Sorting out a process to confirm a new secretary-general absent of any defined procedures as mentioned in our article discussing the “unlikely scenario.”
OR B) having a Secretary General in charge of UNWTO for the next four years who is full of controversy and hasn’t demonstrated his qualification, communication skills, and interest. Most executive council members may have not had any idea about the circumstances involved when they casted their vote.
Let us not forget: We’re playing with hundred thousands of jobs and our largest industry in the world – tourism. There is still time to establish a procedure for the organization to move forward of there was the “unlikely” scenario.
We would like to hear from you. You don’t have to give us your name, affiliation or contact information.
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CLICK HERE
if you believe there is no problem with the reconfirmation of Zurab Polokashvili at the UNWTO General Assembly. -
CLICK HERE
if you believe there will be a problem with the reconfirmation of Zurab Polokashvili at the UNWTO General Assembly.
ICTP President Lipman writes to his new friend Ivanka Trump about women Curators and SUN Centers
Ivanka Trump is the “first daughter” in the United States of America. Her father, US President Donald Trump has been a controversial figure when it comes to climate change and tourism.
Geoffrey Lipman can be considered a senior celebrity in the travel and tourism world. Lipman is president of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) and co-founder of SUN. ICTP is a Haleiwa, Hawaii-based association of tourism destinations and stakeholders with members in more than 100 countries.
Brussels based Professor Lipman has a unique proposal to the first daughter and pledged to have SUN Centers manned only by women Curators and learners.
He wrote in his open letter to Ivanka Trump today:
Dear Ivanka
I want to start by “walking back” my last few months of Facebook comments on the style, morality, and substance of your father and his strategies. I misspoke.
I am writing because I see that on your recent trip to Saudi Arabia you managed to secure a donation of some 100 million dollars for your new fund for women entrepreneurs.
Also, I read (admittedly in liberal media) that another of your pet projects is climate change – and that you may be able to influence US policy on this (which would be great – go for it).
I have a small project that falls neatly into the sweet spot between your heartfelt interests and was wondering if there was scope for collaboration.
SUNx the Strong Universal Network wants to help Travelism (Travel & Tourism) destinations and all their stakeholders become more climate resilient through what we call Impact-Travel – measured, green and 2050 focused. If we could help move the sector progressively to a green growth, low-carbon, socially inclusive trajectory it would make a huge difference to the overall global shift.
With like-minded colleagues, we have created a robust plan to put learning centres in every country over the next decade, connected in the cloud and sharing innovations and response techniques between communities. Many of the solutions exist and others will flow from concentration on. the SDG and Climate targets (where I know you will be able to help your Dad reach the right answer for humanity)
We have a proof of concept center launching in the last quarter of this year in Belgium’s National Park in the Province of Limburg. Our work is self-financed to date and now we are about to look for Impact Investors who share our vision and belief in positive action to beat extreme climate change. Frankly, we need 2 million dollars to operationalize and my thoughts immediately turned to you.
What if we ensure SUNx Centres are manned (you know what I mean) only by women Curators and learners. Could you see your way to investing 2 million of the Saudi Arabian contribution with us? We have a payback schedule over 10 years and a return of 5% per annum.
Please let me know what you think – your new friend
Geoffrey Lipman
PATA Youth Symposium explores millennials and the future of tourism
BANGKOK, May 23, 2017 – The PATA Youth Symposium held on Thursday, May 18, 2017 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, welcomed 130 students, alumni and lecturers from various institutions from Sri Lanka, Australia and Macao SAR to discuss the next generation’s role in the future of travel and tourism.
The event, hosted generously by the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management (SLITHM) and supported by the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau on the first day of the PATA Annual Summit, was organised under the theme ‘No Barriers: Millennials and the Future of Tourism’.
In his opening address PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy stated, “The travel and tourism industry is a fun and exciting industry. Once you’ve joined you may never want to leave. It is about getting to know the unique cultures of various destinations, and I appreciate all the students who have joined us here to share their insights and thoughts on the future of the travel and tourism industry.”
Mr Hiran Cooray, Chairman of Jetwing Hotels, shared his experience of when he attended his first PATA event in Bali in 1991, noting, “By listening to many experience speakers, I started to think and absorb different ideas. For the younger generation, I encourage you to listen to experienced travel professionals. Some ideas might not make any sense to you now but it will make a lot of sense when you start working in the industry. We have the responsibility to look after our environment and our nature. If you don’t do that, nature will fight back. Remember the key messages shared with you and apply them every day as you take on more responsibilities for our industry and our environment.”
Mr Sunil Dissanayake, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management (SLITHM) said, “Millennials are looking for interesting and challenging work experience. The tourism and hospitality sector offers great opportunity for millennials in different roles”.
The programme was moderated and developed with guidance from Dr. Chris Bottrill, Chairman of the PATA Human Capital Development (HCD) Committee and Dean, Faculty of Global and Community Studies at Capilano University. Dr. Bottrill thanked the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management (SLITHM) and the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau for hosting and supporting the event. He also encouraged every student to actively participate in the discussions.
“We had a wonderful time with students from Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management and six other universities and colleges at the PATA Youth Symposium discussing millennials and the future of tourism. In our discussions, students noted the value of caring for the environment and their communities, embracing technology, providing healthy and organic foods, achieving gender equality, and the importance of embracing multiculturalism in our industry. We were very impressed with the insight that students showed toward the future of tourism and what their role in it will be.”
Mr Andrew Chan, Founder and CEO, ACI HR Solutions, Singapore, delivered the opening plenary talk on ‘Talent and Recruitment in the Tourism Industry – The future for Gen Y and Millennials’. He said, “A shortage of specialist skills in every Asian country is currently the greatest single challenge facing human resource departments. By 2020, millennials will form 50 percent of the global workforce. Up to 80 percent of the current workforce in some travel companies in Asia are millennials. Forty nine percent of millennials chose current travel industry job for the good opportunities in their career progression, making it the most important job selection factor. For millennials, development and work/life balance are more important than financial rewards.”
Ms Aleandre Kwan, Philanthropies Asia Programme Manager, Microsoft, Singapore talked about the ‘Corporate Commitment to Future Generations’. “More than 50 percent of today’s jobs require some technology skills, and experts say that this will increase to 77 percent in less than a decade. Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more.”
Mr Faeez Fadhlillah, CEO of Tripfez and the PATA Face of the Future 2017, talked about ‘Youth Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century’. He said that millennials were the first digitally native generation and tend to be active on social media. “Authenticity, values engagement, social validation, social acknowledgement are important to them.”
All participants shared their views in round-table discussions on the following topics:
Key responses from students to the question: What is important to the future Generation of Tourism Professionals?
1. Value of caring for the environment and their communities
2. Provide healthy and organic foods
3. Achieving gender equality, and the importance of embracing multiculturalism in our industry
Key responses from students to the question: How will Millennials and the next Generation Change the Future of Tourism?
1. Awareness of current situations and trends
2. Embrace the technology which can help you market products and services
3. Protect the environment
PATA Young Tourism Professional Ambassador, Ms JC Wong, informed the audience about PATA’s Young Tourism Professional programme and activities and the Association’s YTP student category membership.
The participants enjoyed fascinating cultural performances as part of the programme.
Photos from the event can be viewed here.
The PATA Human Capital Development Committee has organised successful educational events at various institutions including UCSI University Sarawak Campus (April 2010), Institute for Tourism Studies(September 2010), Beijing International Studies University (April 2011), Taylor’s University, Kuala Lumpur (April 2012), Lyceum of the Philippines University, Manila (September 2012), Thammasat University, Bangkok (April 2013), Chengdu Polytechnic, Huayuan Campus, China (September 2013), Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai Campus, China, (May 2014), Royal University of Phnom Penh (September 2014), Sichuan Tourism School, Chengdu, (April 2015), Christ University, Bangalore (September 2015), University of Guam, USA (May 2016) and President University (September 2016)
For further information, please view the programme here or email [email protected].
UNWTO: “Unlikely situation” according to Taleb Rifai on Georgia’s nominee Zurab Pololikashvili for Secretary General?
El Salvador and Honduras will be the host countries for the 61st meeting of the Regional Commission for the Americas of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) this week.
On May 30-31 agenda 12 on the agenda will be the preparation for the upcoming 22nd session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization General Assembly at the Intercontinental City Hotel in Chengdu, China. The General Assembly will meet September 11-16, 2017.
At the recently concluded UNWTO Executive Council meeting in Madrid, the Council voted to nominate Ambassador Zurab Pololikashvili from Georgia as the next UNWTO Secretary General. This nomination has to be confirmed by the General Assembly in Chengdu with a two-third majority by all attending UNWTO member countries.
In the past, this was routinely done with an open vote, but Ambassadors Pololikashvili nomination is not without controversy.
Earlier today the current Secretary General Dr.Taleb Rifai told eTurboNews what he thinks: “We have no reason to believe that the General Assembly (GA) will not confirm the selected nominee. As has always been the case in the past, the candidate nominated by the Executive Council, we believe will be confirmed by the GA. In the “unlikely situation”, that would not be the case, then it is the responsibility of the GA, as the UNWTO supreme organ, to decide on next steps.”
eTurboNews received a lot of feedback suggesting the confirmation will not be without a fight this time. Such feedback includes allegations of unethical deal cuttings by foreign ministries or heads of states with Georgia unrelated to travel and tourism and in exchange for votes. It includes possible upcoming law suites against executive council decisions and procedures. It includes the allegation of unfair access and bribery.
Bribery is perhaps the most well-known form of corruption. In many countries, companies can now be prosecuted for bribery offenses like offering government officials free tickets to events.
Receiving bribes in exchange for votes has been a sad fact not only in governments but also at global organizations including FIFA.
On May 10, 2017 Atletico Madrid won 2:1 against Real Madrid at the Champions League Semi-Final Football Game at Vicente Calderon Stadium Madrid. May 10, 2017 was also the first day members of the UNWTO executive council were meeting at the Melia Castilla Hotel in Madrid. The hottest issue for the council earlier this month was the election of a new secretary-general. The day of the election was May 12, the last day of the executive council meeting.
The Georgian Candidate Zurab Pololikashvili is a member of Real Madrid and according to his CV he was CEO of FC Dinamo Tbilisi for 10 years, from 2001-2011. Dinamo Tbilisi is the leading professional football team in Georgia.
Without any doubts, Ambassador Pololikashvil loves football and knows how the spirit of bonding through sports could get him closer to people he needed to impress. A study in 2007 by the University of Alberta in Edmonton finds sports is fuel for friendship. Ambassador Pololikasvil needed to get executive members on “his team of friends.”
As a member of the Real Madrid football team, Ambassador Pololikashvil was able to do the impossible. He secured a block of tickets for this popular sold out football game.
Who would he want to share such tickets with? Naturally, you share tickets with your family, co-workers, close friends or with those that are important to you and you want to become friends with.
Who was important for Ambassador Pololikashvi on May 10? Voting members of the Executive Council would have most likely been on the top of such a list.
According to an inside source in the diplomatic community in Madrid, Georgian embassy officials in Madrid got to work and invited selected UNWTO executive council members that could join their Ambassador candidate Pololikashvi for the Real Madrid football game on May 10.
A block of tickets was delivered last minute by Georgian officials to embassies in Madrid. It went to embassies representing countries that were critical for the Georgian candidate to secure votes from. It went to embassies of countries that were members of the UNWTO executive committee.
How can the acceptance of such tickets given by Georgian Ambassador Pololikashvi be interpreted?
It happened during an ongoing UN meeting. It happened when stakes were high on who would be elected as the next leader of the tourism world?
It happened when 4 other candidates were campaigning and explaining their agenda on how to make world tourism better.
Was the football game just a night out with friends? One needs to look who these “friends” were – and this is for an article in the near future.
The chair of the executive council in Madrid was the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, Abulfas Garaye. There are two burning questions?
1) Did executive council members disclose to the chair prior to voting they had received tickets or an invitation to the football game by the Georgian Candidate or the Georgian Embassy regardless if this invitation was accepted or not?
2) Did executive council members or anyone involved in the voting process disclosed prior to voting that they knew about others attending the game or others having received tickets or an invitation from Georgia?
If yes, shouldn’t Abulfas Garaye not have moved forward with the vote or at least cautioned voters?
eTurboNews asked the same questions to Executive Council members and candidates and has some surprising answers to share with readers in the near future. eTurboNews also asked this question to the Georgian nominee. There was no response.
According to legal experts in several executive council countries disclosing of such an activity would have been an obligation and a legal requirement.
Taking all of it in consideration and just in case – shouldn’t the 61st meeting of the Regional Commission for the Americas of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) prepare the General Assembly for the “unlikely situation”?
At this time UNWTO rules only say the General Assembly would decide on next steps in case of rejection. Such steps are not defined and could create last minute confusion and chaos if the “unlikely situation” becomes reality.
The 106th and 107th sessions of the UNWTO Executive Council will also take place in September 2017 in Chengdu, China within the framework of the 22nd UNWTO General Assembly. The 106th session will elect a new Executive Council before the start of the General Assembly. After the conclusion of the General Assembly, the newly elected Executive Council will meet for the 107th session in Chengdu.
What about putting a mechanism in place on how a new election for a Secretary General could move forward in case of a GA assembly rejecting a nominee? Shouldn’t this be a discussion point at the Regional Commission for the Americas this week?
Joint Statement by the Caribbean Tourism Organization and International Union for Conservation of Nature on International Day for Biological Diversity
As the world comes together in recognition of the plethora of organisms and species that inhabit planet earth, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is pleased to join with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in celebration of International Day for Biological Diversity 2017.
This year, under the theme “Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism” the CTO is particularly pleased that the global community continues to pay serious attention to the significance of tourism as a driving force for sustainable development.
CTO is acutely aware that the Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world, but it is not often recognised that there is a direct correlation between our region’s biological diversity and the scale of our tourism activity. Without question, Caribbean tourism products utilize the natural environment for myriad value propositions, and so whether one chooses to engage in whale-watching in Dominica, birdwatching in Trinidad and Tobago, snorkelling in the Cayman Islands or hiking in St. Kitts and Nevis, the biodiversity found in the Caribbean appeals to a wide range of visitors, and creates lasting observational and experiential memories for them to treasure.
In fact, the theme “Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism” heralds a growing partnership between IUCN and the CTO, with one such output represented through IUCN’s sponsorship of the Biodiversity Conservation Award within CTO’s 2017 Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Awards.
We are remarkably blessed in the Caribbean with un-spoilt natural environments that not only lead to an enviable quality of life for our people, but the development of tourism as an economic pillar that allows us to share our rich habitat with the rest of mankind. It is therefore critical that we recognise and form partnerships with the champions that actively work to maintain balance with our sensitive biological treasures.
CTO and IUCN are pleased to collaborate to raise awareness and promote action towards the important contribution of sustainable tourism to economic growth and to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Our actions matter, and CTO and IUCN are pleased to work together to ensure that the Caribbean remains mindful of both our environmental blessings and our responsibilities not just for present enjoyment, but for the benefit of future generations.
On the International Day for Biological Diversity UNWTO announces a training on tourism and biodiversity in West and Central Africa
The Convention on Biological Diversity of the United Nations has chosen ‘Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism’ as the theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity, celebrated today 22 May 2017. On this occasion, UNWTO is launching a capacity building programme on sustainable tourism and biodiversity protection, to be implemented in West and Central Africa.
The programme will build on previous tourism and biodiversity seminars that UNWTO successfully delivered in The Gambia, Ghana, and Tanzania and will address biodiversity conservation and environmental protection, taking into account the importance of this topic to safeguard future opportunities for local people to generate income from sustainable tourism development.
The seminars to be held staring June 2017 will focus on building capacities of tourism stakeholders and on maintaining and improving the quality of the tourism product to enhance client satisfaction in the following countries: Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea (Conakry), and Niger.
Primary beneficiaries of the capacity building programme are tourism employees and small entrepreneurs at the grass root level who will be encouraged to act as champions for biodiversity conversation and environmental protection in their enterprises and communities.
The contribution of tourism to conservation is increasingly recognized by the international community. The Cancun Declaration on Mainstreaming the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity for Wellbeing was released on the occasion of COP 13, (the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity) held in Mexico last December. The Declaration recalls that “tourism is an excellent vehicle to use in spreading environmental awareness worldwide, not to mention the livelihood support it provides for communities living in and around reserves and natural areas” and recognises that tourism can be an enabling agent of change.
Through these training seminars, UNWTO continues its long-standing work in strengthening capacities of tourism stakeholders in gaining a better understanding of the relationship between tourism and environmental protection, developing tourism products based on the unique biodiversity in a destination and using tourism development as an incentive to invest in biodiversity conservation and environmental protection.
Will Zurab Pololikasvil from Georgia lead UNWTO? May be not…
Champagne for Georgia – not so fast. There may not be a new UNWTO Secretary-General as of 2018. What if the full membership of the UNWTO General Assembly in Chengdu, China 11-16. September 2017 won’t confirm Zurab Pololikasvil from Georgia as their new leader? Why? There may be plenty of reasons. Stay tuned….
The last Executive Council at their meeting earlier this Month in Madrid voted for Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili from Georgia to be nominated as the new secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization starting in 2018. This nomination needs to be confirmed by the upcoming General Assembly before he could be appointed to the highest post in world tourism.
Not allowed to be in the executive council room during the election debate the Georgia Candidate Zurab Pololikasvili surrounded by his embassy staff was observed in talking to someone on SKYPE, WHAT’s UP or FACEBOOK while in the hotel lobby. Obviously, he was connected to someone attending the election he was not allowed to be part of as a candidate. Is this enough to be unqualified? UNWTO did not want to respond to eTN’s question.
He was observed giving feedback or instructions to the person he was connected to on his mobile phone. Mr. Pololikasvili was constantly on the phone and his conversation ended with everyone from his staff applauding and within no time campaign started flowing.
This is a list of all executive members that had a vote in the Secretary General Election:
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Angola Azerbaijan Bahamas Bulgaria China Costa Rica1 Croatia Democratic Republic of the Congo Ecuador Egypt France Germany Ghana India Iran (Islamic Republic of) Italy Japan |
(2017) (2017) (2017) (2017) (2019) (2017) (2017) (2019) (2017) (2017) (2019) (2017) (2019) (2017) (2017) (2019) (2019) |
Kenya Mexico Morocco Mozambique Peru Portugal Republic of Korea Saudi Arabia Serbia Seychelles Slovakia South Africa Spain Thailand Tunisia Zambia |
(2019) (2019) (2019) (2019) (2017) (2019) (2019) (2019) (2017) (2017) (2019) (2017) (Permanent Member) (2019) (2017) (2019) |
Following the recommendation of the 105th UNWTO Executive Council meeting in Madrid, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili nomination needs 2/3 of all member countries attending the upcoming General Assembly to agree for Georgia to lead the UN Agency as of 2018.
In the past, confirming a nominee was not a big challenge, except for a near tied score for the third term of Francesco Francalli in 2005 at the UNWTO General Assembly in Senegal, after Spain raised objections.
It’s not only SKPE, but allegations of fraud, payoffs, and unethical if not illegal manipulation outside of the tourism world may cost Georgia the reconfirmation at the upcoming General Assembly in China.
More on this will be shared with readers over time.
What would happen? There is no clear rule in place. According to verbal statements related to eTN as coming from Taleb Rifai, the current secretary-general, the General Assembly may refer the election back to the new Executive Council.
Many of the current Executive Council country members will be replaced by the end of 2017. (see table)
There will be new countries voting in a 2018 executive council. This new Executive Council meeting could take place early in 2018 and may be followed by an extraordinary General Assembly.Taleb Rifai could stay on or appoint a deputy to lead affairs after his resignation.
UNWTO Rules of Procedure (click)
Is this a likely scenario? This author thinks so. Why? Stay tuned….
Impact-Travel Company Triip.me signs UNWTO’s Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
Sri Lanka, 20 MAY, 2017 – Triip.me signed the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism in a signing ceremony today in Sri Lanka. Triip is the first Singaporean company to do so.
Formulated in 2011, The Commitment has been signed by 513 companies and associations as of May 2017. Its main objective is a promise by signatories to focus on issues such as human rights, social inclusion, gender equality, accessibility, and the protection of vulnerable groups and host communities in the course of their daily business.
“For Triip, this is both an honor and a serious commitment. Solving the issues outlined by the Code of Ethics for Tourism is why we exist. From day one our business model has created barrier-less access to the global tourism economy, creating thousands of jobs for local guides around the world as a result. Since then, we’ve broadened our impact scope to include working with hotels and other travel providers, leveraging cooperation to further sustainability, cultural and environmental protection, and also protect against the standardisation of destinations,” said Hai Ho, co-founder of Triip.
Founded in 2014, Triip is an impact-travel company dedicated to bringing together local experts and global travelers to create authentic local experiences. As a sharing economy platform, Triip enables passionate locals to become Triip Creators, i.e., create their own private tours to share their passion with travelers, earn money and make new friends – while also offering travelers one-of-a-kind local cultural experiences with real people. The whole process is facilitated by their website and mobile apps. Currently, there are 6,000 local experts in 650+ cities in over 100 countries around the word using Triip, and about 70% are women from low-income countries. By autumn this year, Triip will launch an integration with Booking.com to also offer hotel bookings through the platform alongside the private local tours, thus giving traditional lodging in 227 countries access to authentic, indie tour experiences for the first time ever. Further, a significant percentage of each hotel booking will be automatically given to pre-selected local and global impact partners.
Triip is also extending its impact mission to other business leaders through its CEO/Founder Type-A Retreats in Bhutan.
“As the world’s only carbon negative country, Bhutan is renowned for its practical emphasis on sustainability and happiness,” said Ha Lam, co-founder of Triip “Therefore Triip is exposing as many businesses leaders as possible to this unique country, so that they, too, can more practically build a more sustainable and happy world through their ventures.”
With this new mission as well as its expansion to 700 cities in 2017, Triip hopes to build a network of 1000 Impact hotels within the next two years.