Minister: Sri Lanka needs security audit to build confidence among tourists
Sri Lanka’s State Minister Harsha de Silva announced that the country is planning an independent security audit to build confidence among tourists. According to the Minister, the measure was necessary after extremists linked to Islamic State bombed churches and hotels on Easter Sunday.
“After conducting an independent security audit, embassies and tourist boards of foreign countries will encourage tourism,” he told parliament.
“Spending millions on advertising is worthless if we cannot be responsible for tourist safety.”
De Silva said it would be worse if assurances were given too quickly and another incident took place.
Tourism officials have said 37 nations have issued travel advisories cautioning citizens.
Security authorities have said rapid progress is being made with most of the extremists directly linked to the bombings having been killed or arrested, many safe houses closed, while more action is being taken.
Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals had plunged 60 percent in the first week of March, but officials are planning a recovery campaign.
Chairman of Sri Lanka’s Tourism Promotions Bureau Kishu Gomez said an international agency with experience in working with tourism-linked disasters will be hire to carry out a short and medium term campaign.
Though major travel companies have stopped selling Sri Lanka independent travelers are coming, officials said.
For more information on the SaferTourism program by eTN Corporation and Dr. Peter Tarlow, visit visit safertourism.com. Dr. Tarlow is a world-renowned expert in the field of tourism security and safety, working for over 2 decades with hotels, tourism-oriented cities and countries, and both public and private security officers and police in the field of tourism security.
Jamaica Minister Hon. Bartlett: Tourism success held up by dedicated workers
The housing conditions of hotel workers is of particular concern to me. In fact, a recent survey indicated that over 88% of the workers in the sector cannot even access National Housing Trust (NHT) housing solutions. Subsequently, we have searched long and hard for a formula that can provide affordable housing for our workers and we are proud of the policy shift that the Prime Minister has announced with regards to the NHT menu of benefits which will see:
- An increase in Loan Limit
- Reduced Interest Rates on NHT mortgages
- Intergenerational mortgages
- And Increase in Construction Loan Limit for NHT lots
In 2009, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) along with the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) earmarked, $1 billion, for upgrading housing solutions for tourism workers. Among the things that were done was the acquisition of 250 acres of land by the TEF which was handed over to HAJ towards a Brownfield development and a Greenfield housing project in the Grange Pen area of St. James. This program has now been restarted.
Recently we broke ground for the Resort Squatter Settlements Upgrade Project – Grange Pen, Brownfield, St. James. The HAJ will oversee the infrastructural upgrade for the regularization of 535 households in the Grange Pen community.
In addition the HAJ signed with a Chinese developer, Henen Construction, to build 754 units in the Rhyne Park area at a price point ranging from J$7.9 million to J$18 million for 1-3 bedroom units which will allow the ordinary average worker to afford housing. Ground is to be broken this month for this development. The Greenfield development for Grange Pen is in the tender process and will see an additional 1000 units which will make a total of 1700 units available at the lowest possible price points for tourism workers.
This is the model we will replicate across the tourism belt to be followed by Whitehall in Negril next year.
Our tourism workers deserve to live in clean, orderly, structured and safe communities with appropriate infrastructure. We will go beyond the call of duty to make this a norm across the island.
Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme
Another critical prong in improving the welfare of our tourism workers is the establishment of the long awaited pension scheme. For too long, too many of our tourism workers have retired with no social safety net.
The Tourism Workers Pension Bill has been tabled and on May 21 will be debated. This brings us one step closer to having the first comprehensive pension plan for all tourism workers. This will make Jamaica a world leader in providing tourism worker social security.
The pension plan is a defined contributory plan supported by legislation and will require mandatory contributions by workers and employers. The plan will cover all workers ages 18-59 years in the tourism sector, whether permanent, contract or self-employed. Benefits will be payable at age 65 years or older.
Initially for the first two years the contribution will be 3% of gross salary to be matched by the employer and 5% thereafter. My Ministry, is providing $1 billion to seed the fund so that immediate benefit can accrue to qualified pensioners who have met the vested period of five years. These Pensioners will receive a minimum pension of J$200,000 per year.
This Pension Plan embraces everyone in the sector, whether he or she be red cap, front desk manager, craft trader, housekeeper, rafts men or any other category of worker in the industry including those who are self-employed. This represents inarguably the biggest human capital development related game changer in the tourism sector in Jamaica’s history.
Closing
My Ministry, driven by data and global trends, is finding the tools and programs to re-imagine tourism. This re-imagining has become even more critical given rapid global changes in the industry and beyond. We recognize that if we are to continue our successes and remain top of mind, our tourism workers must be at the forefront of this re-imagining. We are therefore committed to ensuring they are given the necessary tools to not just do well but thrive.
African Tourism Board Friends of the Media Network now in 28 countries
Africa is a hot travel and tourism focus for the press. The African Tourism Board friends of the ATB media club now has more than 90 journalists and publications as members in 27 countries.
Today Olivia Greenway of Greenway Media joined the African Tourism Board and says: ” I’m a London-based travel journalist, established since 2008. I would like to write more about Africa and need support that is more easily accessible to do so. So far I have written about and visited South Africa (where I used to live), Kenya, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Swaziland, Rwanda, and Mozambique.
I write for the Daily Telegraph, Metro and Daily Mail newspapers as well as for monthly magazines, trade outlets, and in-flight.
My work can be seen on my website and I’m quite active on Twitter. (@oliviagreenway)
Juergen Steinmetz, chairman of the U.S. based African Tourism Board Marketing Corporation says: “We’re building a global network of journalists in our friends of the media club. We see the press as stakeholders and as a valuable source of experience and knowledge. We rely on such influencers to help build a global vision for Africa.
Therefore we not only welcome journalists to join us as an observer but invite them to become a member and part of our organization for just $25 a year. Our model is not to generate revenue on membership fees, but we think even a token of a fee shows commitment. We need committed members and partners, and our members are committed to each other to build a better and united African Tourism industry.”
Current ATB friends of the media are in
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- Egypt
- Finland
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- India
- Indonesia
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Mexico
- Kenya
- Nigeria
- Philippines
- Portugal
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Tunisia
- UAE
- Uganda
- UK
- USA
- Zimbabwe
Founded in 2018, the African Tourism Board is an association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from, and within the African region. For more information and how to join, visit africantourismboard.com.
Safer Tourism in St.Lucia: Dr. Peter Tarlow feels a sense of sophistication
Safety in tourism is key to a successful destination. Destinations like Saint Lucia in the Caribbean know this and stakeholders reached out eTN affiliate safertourism.com to conduct an initial audit on the safety and security situation of the countries travel and tourism industry. Safertourism.com is a joint partnership between the eTN Corporation and Tourism and More under the leadership of Dr. Peter Tarlow.Dr. Peter Tarlow is considered a leading expert in tourism security. He arrived in Saint Lucia yesterday to explore and evaluate how safe Saint Lucia is for visitors.Saint Lucis is considered a safe destination by the U.S. State Department, Canada, and European Countries, but Muggings have occurred in areas frequented by tourist and petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, occurs and increases with the approach of annual festivities, such as:
- the jazz festival in May
- carnival celebrations in July
- the winter holiday season.
Saint Lucia is an Eastern Caribbean island nation with a pair of dramatically tapered mountains, the Pitons, on its west coast. Its coast is home to volcanic beaches, reef-diving sites, luxury resorts, and fishing villages. Trails in the interior rainforest lead to waterfalls like the 15m-high Toraille, which pours over a cliff into a garden. The capital, Castries, is a popular cruise port.
Dr. Tarlow reports from St. Lucia: “Today was our first real day in St Lucia. There is no doubt that this a beautiful island. It is a land filled with tropical forests, carpeted with fields of flowers, covered with mountains that seem to hug the sea, and at the same time touch the sky. The landscaper reminds an observer of a mixture of the Brazilian jungles set in the context of the lushness of Hawaii. Many of the coastal coves are filled with magnificent yachts, and the landscape is dotted with millionaires’ homes. I would call our hotel a place of “elegant quiet”. Unlike so many of the Caribbean’s vac
ation centers, there is an understated sense of sophistication here, a place of chirping birds set against a background of white tablecloths, a land of classical music and jazzToday I visited several hotels, beaches, and marinas. I was struck by the warmth of the smiles coupled with tourism officials’ willingness to be both honest and transparent. As in any new country trying to find its way in the world, there are political disagreements, the reality that socialized medicine simply bankrupts a nation, and in the end, it is the poor who pay the price, and the realization that fatherless families produce unhappy people. These issues are of course not unique to St. Lucia; they are universal. However St Lucia is small, everyone seems to know everyone else, and thus big problems seem even bigger here.Despite these universal problems, St Lucia has great tourism potential. Its weather is as warm as its people, its landscapes sweep into the shimmering sea, its scenery alternates between that of desert-like to that of a lush rain forest, and its cuisine mixes the best of the Caribbean. The goal then will be to transform its challenges into universal blessings for both its visitors and citizens. No easy task, but a worthwhile battle to fight.Happy Mother’s Day from St. Lucia. Tomorrow I continue my listening tour.
Deputy UNWTO Secretary General ready to quit? Jaime Alberto Cabal Sanclemente may resign
Jaime Alberto Cabal Sanclemente of Colombia may have enough serving as the deputy secretary General for the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). He started his job only in June 2018.
There will be an official and an un-official version when the former Colombian Ambassador to Austria and candidate for the UNWTO Secretary-General will say goodbye as the Deputy leader of the UN- Tourism Agency. According to sources he accepted a job in the private industry.
According to UNWTO sources, the resignation took place and will be announced shortly. The unofficial reason is based on the unhealthy atmosphere at the UNWTO Madrid headquarter under the regime of current Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili from Georgia.
African Tourism Board on EDU – Tourism: A united global approach
EDU-tourism is the best vehicle for Africa, to integrate our expertise and change the normal programs within nations. These were the words yesterday by Cuthbert Ncube, vice president of the African Tourism Board.
The sub-Sahara region is endowed with abundant tourism resource that could save as the basis for education in tourism. We need as Africa to build, cement and appreciate the regional capacity we need for the long term success of edu-tourism.
The South African Deputy Minister of Tourism Elizabeth Thabethe reiterated that policies should be revised to incorporate edu-tourism programmes in school curriculum from primary to tertiary levels, becoming compulsory in every institution. We need to approach education in Tourism as an alternative strategy for the mass tourism development efforts in the sub-region.
The Deputy Minister of Tourism applauded 17-year-old, Vanessa Rooi, who stood out as an outstanding student at Elandspoort secondary school with her great achievements. Vanessa Rooi is currently the school president and the Tshwane district region. Her inspiration is to study Audiology the following year.This was the inspiration from a young African lady.
The minister said: “Therefore we need a coordinated and synchronised approach to edu- tourism, to realize the social and economic potential.”
The ATB Vice President Cuthbert Ncube echoed that Africa is endowed with a massive abundant tourism resource that could sustain and enhance the foundation of edu-tourism Africa needs to fast-forward the implementation of edu-tourism in sub-Saharan Africa We have so much to pollinate to create offsprings for the next generations
The African Tourism Board is strongly advocating a united global approach in dealing with Tourism in its dimensional forms.
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister charges CHICOS to encourage investment in experiences
Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says for the Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference and Operations Summit (CHICOS) to be truly relevant to the region it must look beyond investments in accommodation and encourage investment in experiential marketing arrangements that will keep the Caribbean competitive and cutting edge at all times.
Minister Bartlett pointed out that while 15,000 rooms are to be constructed in the next five years, “the essence of tourism for the Caribbean is not about building more rooms, it is about building the capacity of the region to absorb the demand that tourism brings.”
“This capacity resides in our ability to invest more in the experiences that are consumed by the visitor because those experiences tend to be local and these local experiences are owned by the people of the region. It is that ownership of the indigenous experiences that allows for the retention of the dollar in our space,” he noted.
The Tourism Minister was giving the main address at the CHICOS press launch yesterday (May 7) at the Terra Nova Hotel, Kingston. The conference, considered a must-attend annual event for anyone interested in tourism and hospitality in the Caribbean, will be held from November 14-15 at Secrets Resorts in Montego Bay.
Pointing out that people travel to fulfil their passions, Minister Bartlett noted that 88% of the world travels for food experiences and 42% of travelers’ total expenditure is on food while 67% of the world travels for shopping experiences. Health and wellness, sport and entertainment and knowledge were some of the other passion points that motivate people to travel.
“So I want to encourage you in planning the conference to pitch the supply side – what the tourist consumes when they get to the destination. Hotel rooms and accommodation are only the places where visitors sleep. The tourist does not travel to sleep. So sleeping is not the issue; the issue is experiences,” Minister Bartlett said, noting that this was how the Ministry was able to increase the tourism dollar retention from 30% to 40.8% in the last three and a half years.
In his address, State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agricultural, Hon. Floyd Green said that while the tourism sector continues to show rapid annual growth, there have also been deliberate and prioritized key initiatives to facilitate local and foreign direct investments to drive growth of the Jamaican economy, including the tourism sector.
One of these initiatives is the National Investment Policy (NIP), which once finalized will act as a comprehensive policy framework to guide the development, administration and monitoring of the investment community. The other initiatives are implementation of the National Business Portal (NBP), an online platform that will house the Business-to-Government (B2G) online interface for all Government entities involved in the investment or business facilitation process as well as a drive to achieve a Top 10 rank in the 2021 Doing Business Report (DBR).
The two-day conference will bring together some 300 regional and international delegates, including governmental representatives, developers, bankers, tourism officials, hotel industry leaders, to explore possibilities for hospitality development in Jamaica and in the wider Caribbean.
Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) is a planning partner for the conference along with AM Resorts, HVS Global Hospitality Services and Apple Leisure Group. Sponsors include the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Tourism Enhancement Fund.
Investing in Tourism Sustainability Conference: Dr. Taleb Rifai Chair
The inaugural Investing in Tourism Sustainability Conference will open in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria Ma 30-31. It will focus on investment in tourism in Bulgaria and Southeast Europe.
The Tourism Sustainability Conference will serve as a Tourism Investment platform bringing together Policy Makers, Tourism Ministers, Project Owners, Investors, and the tourism and hospitality business sectors from Bulgaria, Southeast European countries and global tourism stakeholders.
The event will be hosted by the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria in partnership with ITIC and InvesTourismwhich is under the Chairmanship of Dr. Taleb Rifai the Former Secretary-General of the UNWTO
It will contribute to shaping the future of travel and tourism by opening new business opportunities through innovative moves. This event will be focused on tourism development and investment in Bulgaria and Southeast European countries while addressing the issues and challenges faced by the region.
The inaugural of this Conference in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria will attract over 400 public and private sector leaders interested in investment and development of the travel and tourism sector as a prime engine for future economic growth and as a model that can promote self-employment among the local communities in both Bulgaria and Southeast European destinations.
As pointed out by Hon. Nikolina Angelkova, Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria: “Tourism in this region of Europe is growing rapidly with over 120 million tourists in 2018 and total tourism receipts of USD 118.8 billion which accounted for around 11.7% of total GDP for the Southeast Europe countries. Bulgaria alone attracted over 9.2 million tourists and total tourism receipts was USD7.6 billion last year. Moreover, the enormous development potentials lying untapped within Southeast Europe represents a grand avenue for new investment opportunities within travel and tourism acting as prime engine of future economic growth and as a model of development that can promote self-employment among the local community in both Bulgaria and the Southeast European destinations.”
The conference will also be a forum for participants to discuss opportunities of mutual interest and initiate potential partnerships and alliances in investments in sustainable tourism developments up to projects’ fruition.
The conference has garnered high interest in the region and internationally and has attracted the participation of regional and Mediterranean Tourism Ministers namely:
- Mr. Gari Capelli, Minister of Tourism of Croatia
- Mrs. Elena Kountoura, Minister of Tourism of Greece
- Mr. Rasim Ljajić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications of Serbia
- Mrs. Majd Shweikeh, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Jordan
- Mr. Kreshnik Bekteshi, Minister of Economy Republic of North Macedonia
- Mr. Haitham Mattar, CEO Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority
- Mrs. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Tourism of Egypt
- Mr. Konrad Mizzi, Minister of Tourism of Malta
This demonstrates the high level of commitment and involvement of the respective Governments and Policy Makers to develop the tourism industry as the Key engine of growth of the economy in this region.
The other main guests will feature Her Royal Highness Princess Dana Firas who is also the President of the Board of Directors of the Petra National Trust and a UNESCO Goodwill ambassador, Dr. Taleb Rifai, Former Secretary-General of UNWTO. The Conference will also a line-up of high-caliber speakers and delegates such as Tourism Leaders, International Hotel Brands, Tourism Project Owners (SEE) having new projects to showcase, Investors, Investment Banks, Private Equity Firms to network and making new partnerships.
The event will be moderated by Rajan Datar, an award-winning broadcaster and presenter of the BBC.
The Partners of the events are the Ministry of Tourism of Bulgaria, ITIC, InvesTourism and Helena Resort.
South Africa Tourism Ministry and African Tourism Board Officials meet and agree with SA President Cyril Ramaphosa
African Tourism Board Vice President Cuthbert Ncube today at Indaba in Durban met with the Honorable Deputy Minister of Tourism for the Republic of South Africa, Elizabeth Thabethe; Her Excellency Ms. Lulu Marry Theresa Xingwana, the South African Ambassador to Ghana, Vice President Pamella Matondo of Women in Business & Tourism Africa; and Ms. Eunice Ogbugo, the President of Women in Business & Tourism Africa.
They threw their weight behind a more cohesive approach within the Tourism sector, as this is the only industry that breaks the barriers by its economic factors.
Deputy Minister of Tourism Thabethe previously served as the Deputy Minister of Small Business Development. She was born on September 26, 1959 and has been a Member of Parliament since 1994. She completed a Certificate in Economics from the University of South Africa (UNISA) and completed her Advanced Diploma in Economics from the University of the Western Cape (UWC). She was a Co-coordinator of the East Rand Women’s League RTT structure; a member of the ANC National Parliamentary Caucus, Gauteng Provincial Whip; and a House Whip from 1996 to 2004. She chaired the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs and Tourism between 2004 and June 2005 but was also a Member of the Committees on Labour and Trade and Industry.
All agreed that tourism plays an important roll on local, national, and international levels, although it shouldn’t form the core element of a community’s economy, but it should be better suited to play a supplementary role to help diversify community economic activities.
They further agreed tourism has become a source of income generation for many communities seeking ways to improve their livelihoods.
The Deputy Minister pointed out that tourism and its impacts is a multidimensional phenomenon that encompasses economic, social, cultural, sports, ecological, environmental, and political forces.
The sense of community plays an important role in fostering communities and may enhance long-term sustainability as a broad basis for Tourism development planning.
The Deputy Minister’s sentiments were echoed by the ambassador, who said that Africa should echo with one voice as a united force and in particular in bringing their synergies together and breaking the barriers of segmentation.
The Deputy Minister has vast experience both in the public and private sectors.
Unrelated, but sharing the basic concept and theme of the African Tourism Board as a one destination Africa, the idea of such a United Africa was also mentioned by the President of the Republic of South Africa His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa in his closing remarks for Indaba in which he emphasized the need of bringing Africa’s jewels in one basket and packaging them. He said Africa has the most majestic scenery from the ancient Sahara desert, to the mountain highlands, to the Savan grasslands, to the southern continent where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic in a confluence of beautiful water activity, and to the 135 World Heritage sites in Africa.
The President emphasized the need to embrace Education Tourism and Health Tourism as well as Religious Tourism as a basis for people to build their travel around.
The President said, “Tourism is a new gold ready to be explored in Africa. Tourism is an industry that has tremendous potential for further growth and job creation.”
The African Tourism Board is planning to follow up with the Deputy Minister shortly to explore her support of ATB.
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister will deliver remarks at launch of Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference and Operation Summit
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett will deliver remarks at the launch of the Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit (CHICOS).
The event brings together nearly 300 regional and international investors and operators, as well as the region’s leading decision makers.
Attendees network and discuss the region’s markets and possibilities, while analyzing the most important trends that can impact their investment decisions.
The 2019 staging will take place in Montego Bay, Jamaica from November 14 – 15.
WHAT: Launch of the Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference and Operations Summit
WHEN: Tuesday, May 07, 2019 beginning at 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: The Pavilion, Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel, 17 Waterloo Rd, Kingston