2018 EU-China Tourism Year: The World Bridge Tourism conference
In one of the last actions before the official kick-off of the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year, a conference and B2B matchmaking event are taking place in London on 2-3 November.
The World Bridge Tourism conference was brought together by the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute and will engage with two headline discussions: new service trends for the changing demands of travellers to Europe and innovation and cooperation for China-Europe tourism.
Conference speakers include:
- Antonio Cenini, Task Force for the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year, European Commission
- Concetta Caravello, Chief External Relations, Welcome Chinese
- Tom Jenkins, CEO, ETOA – European tourism association
- Mikko Turtiainen, Vice President Global Sales, Finnair
- Tony Ong, Vice President and General Manager of Overseas Business Department, Hua Yuan International Travel Co. Ltd.
- Laurens van den Oever, CMO, ForwardKeys
- Di (Gordon) Shen, Account Manager, Qyer
- Jean-Marie Wodon, CEO, Zapptax
- Philip Dodd, CEO, Made in China
- Charles Bonaparte, Chairman, European Federation of Napoleonic Cities
- Zhenye (Luis) Lu, CEO, Go with Tommy
Amongst the anticipated five hundred conference delegates, one hundred represent Chinese tour operators who have been in Europe for the week hosted by national tourist boards on a series of familiarisation trips. Support from Welcome Chinese, Kairos and Finnair have also been indispensable in bringing this project to fruition.
Following the conference, a China market B2B matchmaking is currently taking place at the Intercontinental London the O2 on Friday 3 November, alongside ETOA’s Global European Marketplace. The World Bridge Tourism workshop will match one hundred Chinese tour operators with European tourism suppliers.
ETOA CEO, Tom Jenkins said: ‘China is an international tourism source market different from any other, both in terms of potential, structure and interest. The World Bridge Tourism project, aimed at supporting European SMEs in learning more about the Chinese market, also provides real business opportunities to all involved.’
The EU-funded project, World Bridge Tourism, lays the ground for a programme of B2B actions for the tourism industry during 2018; Partnerships in European Tourism, to be delivered by a consortium formed of ETOA – European tourism association, the European Travel Commission and ECTAA.
IIPT to honor “Global Ambassadors of Peace Through Tourism” at WTM London
The International Institute for Peace Through Tourism has chosen 6 outstanding people from the world of travel and tourism to honour as the “Global Ambassadors of Peace Through Tourism” at the World Travel Market, London including Fiona Jeffery OBE, founder, and chairman of Just A Drop.
The event will be held on Monday 06 November at Platinum Suites 3 & 4 from 2.45 to 4.00 pm. and is open to all registered delegates at WTM.
The theme is “Tourism – A Catalyst for Peace” and Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General UNWTO, is the Chief Guest and Keynote speaker. The event will be hosted by Anita Mendiratta, Founder & President CACHET Consulting.
Supported by “Incredible India” and the UNWTO, the Awards are sponsored by Cox & Kings. The “Ambassadors of Peace” awards are being held for the first time at WTM London by IIPT and seek to build on the success of the “Celebrating Her” awards for Empowered Women in Tourism that IIPT India has been conducting at ITB Berlin since 2016.
Fiona Jeffery OBE says, “I’m genuinely honoured to be considered a Global Ambassador of Peace through Tourism, but I think it simply reflects the power of tourism and the paths we walk and how each of us can make a contribution to our industry that perhaps creates a lasting impact and if nothing else hopefully influences how we progress as an industry in the future. The International Institute of Peace for Tourism has trodden a challenging path for the last 30 years and has created meaningful legacies all over the world. I’m delighted to be considered worthy of such an honor.”
Speaking on the rationale of the Awards, Ajay Prakash, Founder President of IIPT India says, “Each one of our Ambassadors for Peace 2017 is an exceptional person who have had an illustrious career in tourism and each one of them embodies the founding principles of IIPT. Tourism and Peace are inextricably linked; such a large industry has the power to shape the world and it is time to focus this power and harness the collective financial, political and moral resources of the travel & tourism industry to make it count. But for this to happen, the concept of tourism as a vehicle for peace has to be integrated into the very core business philosophy of every stakeholder – tourism companies, host destinations, tourists and all service providers. And because tourism is such a people-centric activity it’s important to recognise and felicitate people who have devoted their energies to champion sustainable tourism practices that go beyond the commercial interest and embrace the higher paradigm of tourism – to nurture and save the planet and its people, tapping into the collective resources and social reach of the travel and tourism industry.”
Founded in 1986 by Louis D’Amore, IIPT is built on two very simple but powerful premises: That tourism, perhaps the biggest industry in the world, can become the first global Peace Industry and that every tourist is potentially an Ambassador of Peace. Through global summits, conferences, the global Peace Parks initiative, consultations with governments and the UNWTO and a regular monthly newsletter, IIPT has worked conscientiously over the last 30 to make peace an integral part of the tourism ecosphere.
The IIPT Global Ambassadors of Peace Through Tourism 2017 are:
HRH Princess Dana Firas of Jordan – Chairperson of the Petra National Trust & UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
Fiona Jeffery – Founder, Just a Drop Foundation
Anita Mendiratta – Managing Director CACHET Consulting, Tourism author & thought leader
Costas Christ – CEO, Beyond Green Travel and Senior Advisor for Sustainable Tourism, National Geographic
Geoffrey Lipman – Director Green Growth & Travelism Institute & Co-Founder SunX Foundation
David Scowsill – CEO EON Reality & Immed. Past President & CEO, WTTC
In addition, IIPT will confer the Lifetime Award on Dr.Taleb Rifai, Secretary General UNWTO as a “Global Man of PeaceThrough Tourism.”
Louis D’Amore, Founder President of IIPT adds, “IIPT is privileged and grateful to pay tribute to Dr.TalebRifai for his global leadership these past eight years. We have been most honored to have Dr.Rifai grace the stage at IIPT World Travel Market events as our featured keynote speaker over the past several years and to have his unwavering support for IIPT initiatives in our mission to make the travel and tourism industry the world’s first global peace industry. We look forward to a continuing relationship with him in the years ahead as we join hands in efforts to promote the transformative role of tourism in ‘making the world a better place.’”
As the UN Year of Sustainable Development through Tourism draws to a close, there is a growing realisation that the work is far from complete. The geopolitical world situation is very alarming in many parts; the threat of imminent climate change is a real and present danger and the burgeoning tourist numbers could pose a serious ecological threat, especially in eco sensitive zones, if not managed correctly. At the same time, the peace accord between the FARC rebels and the Colombian government – after 50 years of civil strife, the increased access to clean water and sanitation for many poor communities and the commitment to the Paris Accord on climate change by all signatories – barring one – are positive developments and reason for hope.
Commenting on the awards, Peter Kerkar Group CEO of Cox & Kings, says “Cox & Kings is extremely proud to be sponsoring the ‘Global Ambassadors of Peace Through Tourism’ Awards and honouring those individuals who have devoted time and energy to promoting goodwill through travel. It is vital that we encourage peaceful cultural exchange and recognise those who have used tourism to facilitate philanthropic activities. These ideals are no better represented than by the IIPT and our ‘Global Man of Peace,’ Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the UNWTO.”
IIPT plans to make the “Ambassadors of Peace Through Tourism” awards an annual feature at WTM London.
2017 UNWTO/WTM Ministers’ Summit: 60 Tourism Ministers gather to discuss ‘overtourism’
Ministers of Tourism from 60 countries and leaders from private sector companies and associations will summon next week at the Ministers Summit organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel Market in London to discuss the challenges of sustainable tourism.
The 11th edition of the UNWTO/WTM Ministers’ Summit to be held on 7 November under the title ‘Overtourism: growth is not the enemy; it is how we manage it,’ will address issues such as congestion management, the measurement of the impacts of tourism or the role of the private sector in promoting tourism as an effective tool to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As stated by UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai “Growth is not the enemy. Growing numbers are not the enemy. Growth is the eternal story of mankind. Tourism growth can and should lead to economic prosperity, jobs and resources to fund environmental protection and cultural preservation, as well as community development and progress needs, which would otherwise not be available.”
The Summit will be moderated by CNN International’s Max Foster. Confirmed speakers include:
– H.E. Mr. Mauricio Ventura Aragón, Minister of Tourism, Costa Rica
– H.E. Ms. Elena Kountoura, Minister of Tourism, Greece
– Mr. Ryoichi Matsuyama, President, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
– H.E. Mr. Enrique de la Madrid, Secretary of Tourism, Mexico
– H.E. Mr. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), United Arab Emirates
– H.E. Mr. John Glen, Minister of Arts Heritage and Tourism, United Kingdom
– Mr. Istvan Ujhelyi, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, European Parliament
– Ms. Gloria Guevara, President and CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
– Mr. Patrick Robinson, Head of Policy for EMEA, Airbnb
– Ms. Inge Huijbrechts, Vice President Responsible Business, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
– Ms. Kate Gibson, Vice President,Global Corporate Responsibility, Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG)
– Mr. Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Chairman, Silversea Cruises
Message by Hugh Riley Secretary General, CTO on the observance of Caribbean Tourism Month November, 2017
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, 1 Nov 2017. This year can be described as a tale of two situations for Caribbean tourism. During the first half of this year the region performed at new record pace, welcoming 16.6 million international tourist arrivals at a healthy growth rate of 5.2 per cent, when compared to the same period last year.
However, hurricanes Irma and Maria have dented this growth, with the revised forecast for 2017 now at one to two per cent, down from 2.5 to 3.5 per cent.
The economic impact of the storms is significant. The Caribbean Development Bank predicts that every one per cent reduction in tourist arrivals (based on 2015 travel data) will cost US$137 million in lost revenue.
No doubt, the hurricanes have presented us with some major challenges, but we are determined to rebuild better and more sustainably.
In the meantime, while the affected countries are at various stages on the road back to normality, it is also important to note that over 75 per cent of the region was unscathed by the storms. In this context, we encourage you to keep visiting the Caribbean, as this is the best way to help the region.
During Caribbean Tourism Month we will focus on adventure, in keeping with the Year of Adventure. Mindful of the impact of the storms, there are still countless travel adventures to be had this month and for the remainder of the year.
We look forward to hearing of the various events and activities planned for the month, and with your permission, we will share your information and images.
The month also provides an opportunity to reiterate the message that we are open for business and we do have an exciting product to offer.
Yes, some challenges remain and those are being addressed, but let’s also emphasize the superb experiences we can offer to guests right now and help them and their companions have a Caribbean adventure to remember.
Together, let’s keep the right focus on this important industry and reaffirm the value of One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean.