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?