ICTP to hold General Meeting in Seychelles
Hawaii:The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) is launching its first Executive and Academy Board Meeting and Members General Meeting on July 7 in Seychelles.
The event will be hosted by the Hon. Alain St.Ange, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Republic of the Seychelles, and Vice President of ICTP.The Seychelles is a founding member of the International Council of Tourism Partners.
The Executive Board members are: Juergen Thomas Steinmetz, eTurboNews, Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA, Chairman;Professor Geoffrey Lipman, Green Growth 2050, Brussels, Belgium, President; Feisol Hashim, Alam Resorts, Bali, Indonesia, Vice Chairman; Hon. Alain St. Ange, Minister of Culture& Tourism, Victoria, Seychelles, Vice President; andLouis D’Amore, President and Founder, International Institute for Peace Through Tourism.
Likewise ICTP Academy Board members are: Sybil Ford, Cause Me to Travel, Bayonne, New Hampshire, USA; Elsia Grandcourt, Seychelles Tourism Board, Victoria, Seychelles; Bryon Henderson, Travel Registry Management Company, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA; Karkoga Kaeseke, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, Harare, Zimbabwe; Rica Rwigamba, Rwanda Development Board, Kigali, Rwanda; Mohammad Ali Bin Said, Sultanate Oman Ministry of Tourism, Muscat, Oman; Simon Stiell: Grenada Board of Tourism, St.George, Grenada; Elly Stovollova, Pacific Island Club, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands (USA Pacific Territory); Laura Vercueil, Johannesburg Tourism Company, Johannesburg, South Africa and Pascal Viroleau, Ile de La Reunion Tourisme, La Reunion (French Indian Ocean Territory)
President of ICTP urges Mekong region to instill green growth now
Meanwhile , Professor Geoffrey Lipman, President of the International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP), told delegates from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar that while the projections showed that they will remain one of the fastest-growing regions for tourists in the world for some time to come, they should put in place strong green growth strategies now to get lasting benefits.
He said that green growth does not mean instantaneous change to a low-carbon, resource-efficient, inclusionary-development pattern, but a progressive shift from the traditional “grow first, ask questions later” mindset.
He added that the dynamics of growth and the global public interest in the case of Myanmar, are an additional factor that make capacity management a major issue and sustainability a key starting point for policy.
Lipman said that the book he planned to launch at the Rio+20 Earth Summit next week, “Green Growth and Travelism – Letters from Leaders,” contained useful policy guidance on transformation from some of the most important decision-makers inside and outside the sector.
He said that ICTP – whose mission is to promote green growth and quality with destinations – is committed to working with Pacific Asia Travel Mart (PATA) and the Mekong Tourism Organization to bring its messages to the region, particularly into education and training systems.
