• ICTP continues global expansion at landmark Seychelles event

    July 9, 2012
    ICTP continues global expansion at landmark Seychelles event

    Seychelles – The inaugural general meeting of the International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) was held on July 7 in the Seychelles and in conjunction with meetings of Routes Africa, the Vanilla Islands Association, and RETOSA. ICTP reviewed its past year’s growth, as well as plans for the year ahead, and signed partnership agreements with participants from the other

    Hosted by Hon.Alain St. Ange, Minister of Tourism and Culture of the Seychelles, the International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) announced a series of initiatives to advance its mission of promoting green growth and quality.

    St.Ange said: “ICTP fills a vital gap in the global travel and tourism framework, with its membership for destinations and its engagement of people directly. In the end, tourism is about people – the benefits it brings in terms of jobs and improved lifestyles; the positive impacts on communities that it brings if sustainably planned and managed; the interaction of its customers, hosts, and staff.” He pledged to help increase the exposure of the organization’s principles and policies in the African region generally and the Vanilla Islands specifically, announcing the establishment of a new regional base in Seychelles.

    Juergen Thomas Steinmetz, Chairman of ICTP said that the organization had been growing every day since it had introduced a new inclusionary membership strategy at World Travel Market last year, with an emphasis on promoting win-win partnerships among members and new forms of electronic collaboration. He said: “With 67 destinations, 18 partner associations; 11 educational institutions; and private tourism stakeholders, including hotels and tour operators, we now have a growing critical mass of destinations, associations, individuals, and media from every continent and major travel and tourism market. The most gratifying factor is that so many industry organizations are joining the partnership in order to creatively support green growth and quality.”

    He also thanked IIPT President and Founder Louis D’Amore, and Felix Chaila, CEO of the Zambia Tourism Board, to allow the initial soft launch of ICTP during the IIPT summit in Lusaka. Steinmetz went on to thank attending Elisa Grandcourt , CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, for her tireless effort. He thanked attending Pascal Viroleux of the La Reunion Tourism Board for his vision and support as a founding member. Steinmetz introduced current Academy members and their input to form this alliance. Academy members currently include tourism boards representing Johannesburg, South Africa, Rwanda, Richmond Virginia USA, Grenada, as well as private organizations: Travel Registry Management (.travel) and Simpleview, an award-winning CRM, CMS, and SEM solution website.

    ICTP agreed on a number of initiatives, while confirming its overall focus on green growth and quality and its specific programs to support sustainable aviation growth, streamlined border flows, and fair coherent taxes.The alliance consolidated its structure for membership, partnership, and advisors, with open access to the organization, and affirmed its commitment to work with and support other industry and government travel and tourism bodies. In this context, it congratulated WTTC, UNWTO, IATA, and WEF on the recent G20 communique on increasing jobs through increased streamlined travel and pledged its help in advancing this program.

    ICTP also established a special focus on developing electronic-based educational and training modules based on green growth and quality for integration with school, university, and vocational systems. It identified entertainment, sports, culture, and food as special areas of interest and expansion in the years ahead. This included the appointment of platinum record singer, Alston Koch, as an Advisor with a special focus in this area.

    The ICTP alliance also commended the valuable work of its partner, the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) in encouraging peace through tourism, and appointed IIPT’s Founder and President, Louis D’Amore, as an Advisor with a special focus in this area.

    ICTP also agreed to consolidate its interest in carnivals and similar high-profile events with an engagement program to be released at the Seychelles Carnival in 2013. The alliance decided to lend its support to the development of the Natural Step Sustainability Program and appointed Jan Peter Bergkvist as an Advisor with a special focus in this area.

    Similarly,the 7th Routes Africa opened  in the Kempinski Resort Hotel in the Seychelles, with a high-level Strategy Forum that dealt with the key issues in African aviation including: Liberalization vs. Competition, the Global Outlook for Africa, and finding ways to unlock the opportunities and challenges in the region.

    Alain St.Ange, Minister of Tourism and Culture for Seychelles and host of Routes Africa 2012, was joined by Didier Robert, President of La Reunion; Martinus Van Schalkwyk, Minister of the Republic of South Africa; and Cramer Ball, CEO of Air Seychelles, to call for greater air links for the whole of Africa.

    • Connecting you with the world of travel and tourism

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      This summit offers a unique platform to forge connections and build bridges between Africa and the Americas, create strategic cross-regional partnerships, foster South-South cooperation projects, all for the benefit of the tourism sector of the two regions

      Welcoming around 200 high-level participants among them 14 Ministers, representing 27 countries (15 from the Americas and 12 from Africa), UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “This summit offers a unique platform to forge connections and build bridges between Africa and the Americas, create strategic cross-regional partnerships, foster South-South cooperation projects, all for the benefit of the tourism sector of the two regions.”  – 3 Oct 2024 ( UN Tourism )

      UNWTO becomes “UN Tourism” 

      The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) enters a new era  with a new name and brand: UN Tourism. With this new brand, the Organization reaffirms its status as the United Nations specialized agency for tourism and the global leader of tourism for development, driving social and economic change to ensure that “people and planet” are always center stage.

      UN Tourism: Transforming tourism for a better worldTo achieve this goal, UN Tourism engaged the services of Interbrand, the leading global branding agency. Interbrand successfully translated the Organization’s renewed vision for tourism into a new visual identity and brand narrative.

      This involved renaming the Organization, transitioning from UNWTO to UN Tourism. At the same time, a new brand narrative was meticulously crafted, one that seamlessly aligns with UN Tourism’s central mission and priorities. This narrative pivots around three main messages: the UN as a global altruistic organization, the notion of connecting humans around the world, and the concept of proactivity and movement.

      Enhancing the well-being of individuals, safeguarding the natural environment, stimulating economic advancement, and fostering international harmony are key goals that are the fundamental essence of UN Tourism

      By moving away from acronyms, UN Tourism adopts a more approachable stance and capitalizes on its strengths: the “UN”, signifying authority, and tourism, a simple and relatable concept for all. This change has been endorsed by the Organization’s membership, highlighting its united support for the profound transformation and reinvention of UN Tourism in recent years, as it has become more agile, visible, and ever closer to its Member States, partners and the sector as a whole.

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      TAT launches

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      China’s resort island receives

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      Last year, Hainan experienced rapid development in cruise tourism. Cruises to the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea saw 400 trips, up 277.8 percent year on year, and received 149,400 domestic tourists, up 405.33 percent.

      This year, Hainan aims to receive 99 million tourists and its tourism revenue is expected to reach 207 billion yuan. The province aims to receive more than 1 million inbound tourists in 2024.

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      The number of domestic travellers, meanwhile, stood at 108 million, up 6 per cent compared to the set target. Tourism activities generated about VNĐ678 trillion (US$27.85 billion) in revenue, 4.3 per cent higher than the yearly plan.

      Despite substantial recovery in 2023, the Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) said the domestic tourism recovery will still face challenges in the year ahead. This is particularly true in the context of the unpredictable global developments stemming from economic uncertainties, regional conflicts and climate change.

      Việt Nam’s socio-economic conditions remain stable; the economy continues to grow and inflation has been kept in check. But the persistent threat of disease and natural disasters are likely to create uncertainty affecting production, business activities and the daily lives of citizens.

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      Global Medical Tourism market 

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      Furthermore, integrating digital health technologies, including telemedicine, virtual consultations, and electronic health records, can enhance the accessibility and coordination of medical tourism services. Digital platforms can streamline pre-travel consultations, post-treatment follow-ups, and information exchange between healthcare providers and patients. Introducing new and advanced medical treatments, therapies, and procedures can attract medical tourists seeking cutting-edge healthcare solutions. Countries and healthcare providers that stay at the forefront of medical innovation can position themselves as leaders in the industry.

      In addition, customized and personalized medical tourism packages catering to individual patient’s unique needs and preferences present an opportunity for service providers. Tailoring experiences that include cultural activities, recovery retreats, and concierge services can set providers apart in a competitive market.

      Besides, wellness tourism, including genetic testing and personalized health assessments, is gaining traction. Medical tourism destinations can offer specialized wellness packages, including genetic evaluations and preventive health screenings, to attract individuals interested in proactive healthcare.

      FACTS —

      Tourism helps in:

      👉Reducing poverty

      👉Reducing Inequalities

      👉Promoting gender equality

      👉Fostering decent work and economic growth

      World Tourism Day 2021: ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’

      In 2019, Travel & Tourism’s direct, indirect and induced impact accounted for:
      -US$8.9 trillion contribution to the world’s GDP
      -10.3% of global GDP
      -330 million jobs, 1 in 10 jobs around the world
      -US$1.7 trillion visitor exports (6.8% of total exports,
      28.3% of global services exports)
      -US$948 billion capital investment (4.3% of total
      investment)