• WTM – Winners announced for the inaugural International Travel & Tourism Awards

    WTM – Winners announced for the inaugural International Travel & Tourism Awards

    TravelBizNews —

    London :The lucky fourteen winners of the first International Travel and Tourism Awards, presented by WTM London, have been revealed here  at a glittering awards ceremony .

    The award winners were honoured in front of an audience of more than 500 senior industry professionals at the Grade I-listed Tobacco Dock, near WTM London’s ExCeL venue.

    Judged by an independent panel of experts from around the world, the 14 awards showcase the best in class of the global travel and tourism industry.

    Nick Pilbeam, Divisional Director at WTM London’s parent company, Reed Exhibitions led the judging panel alongside UNWTO’s Director of Communications, Marcelo Risi.

    ITTA’s Co-Founders Paul Nelson and Charlotte Alderslade highlighted on the awards.

    The winners are:

    Best National Tourism Board / DMO Campaign

    Sponsored by National Geographic

    Gold: Turismo do Centro de Portugal – To Visit and To Stay is To Help!

    This campaign helped the tourism industry recover following serious fires that affected the Central Region in 2017.

    Silver: Visit Faroe Islands – Faroes Islands Translate

    Highly Commended: Visit Estonia, Zavod BBDO and BBDO Berlin – The Estonian Stress Buster

    Most Innovative Use of Technology within a Destination

    Gold: South African Tourism and Drive South Africa – Google Trekker South Africa

    This enables nature-lovers to explore South Africa’s national parks and nature reserves on Google Street View, thanks to help from more than 200 South African volunteers.

    Silver: Hong Kong uCloudlink Network Technology Ltd – Global Pocket WiFi

    Highly Commended: Kyiv City Tourist and Information Centre – Kyiv City Guide

    Highly Commended: Walks and City Connect – Walk On Walk Off – Flexible Tour Pass

    Best Tourism Marketing Agency

    Gold: made Tourism Marketing on behalf of Littlestar Services – MAMMA MIA! The Musical – Tourism Marketing Campaign Jan 2016 – Dec 2017

    The production generated approximately £15 million in a two-year period and 65% was attributed to made’s tourism marketing activity.

    Silver: Inova Hospitality Management – The Unique Inova Approach

    Highly Commended: AM+A Marketing and Media Relations – Supporting Slovenia Tourism Board’s World Bee Day: Introducing Api Tourism to the World

    Highly Commended: Brighter Group, A Finn Partners Company – ExtraJordanary – Reinvigorating Tourism to Jordan

    Best Regional / City Campaign

    Sponsored by World Tourism Cities Federation

    Gold: VisitFlanders – The Mud Soldier

    One hundred years after the First World War Battle of Passchendaele, this mud and sand sculpture in London’s Trafalgar Square was worn away by water in four days, resulting in huge exposure on traditional and social media.

    Silver: Marketing Manchester – Come Together Campaign

    Highly Commended: DEC BBDO on behalf of Canary Islands Tourism – After-Rain Ads

    Highly Commended: Tourism Toronto – The Views Are Different Here Campaign

    Best PR Campaign

    Gold: DEC BBDO on behalf of Canary Islands Tourism – #StopBlueMonday

    This campaign encouraged people to make their own positive poster to share via social media – increasing UK winter tourists by 19.8% and attracting £76.4 million of new revenue.

    Silver: Visit Orlando – Orlando’s BIG Thank You

    Highly Commended: Visit Faroe Islands and Atlantic Airways – Faroes Islands Translate

    Highly Commended: The Puerto Rico Tourism Company and Ketchum – From “Come Back” to Comeback: How Puerto Rico Tourism Defied Two Hurricanes and Major Misconceptions

    Best Digital Campaign in Tourism

    Sponsored by Ink

    Gold: DEC BBDO on behalf of Canary Islands Tourism – The 7 Islands That Became 47

    This Canary Islands Tourism campaign re-positioned the image of the destination from being seven sun-and-sea islands to 47 different islands every day.

    Silver: AirAsia Malaysia and WE ARE KIX – Adventure Live

    Highly Commended: Visit Faroe Islands and Atlantic Airways – Faroe Islands Translate

    Best Digital Influencer in the Industry

    Sponsored by Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism

    Gold: Viajar Verde – Sustainable Tourism Blog

    Ana Duék’s blog and website, Viajar Verde, has become recognised as the main website and reference on responsible tourism in Brazil.

    Silver: Vagabrothers Productions Ltd – Vagabrothers

    Best in Wellness Tourism

    Gold: Slovenian Tourist Board – Healthy Waters

    This spa and wellness campaign substantially improved the profile of Slovenian resorts on a national and international scale.

    Best in Responsible Tourism

    Sponsored by Rovia

    Gold: Kerala Tourism – Kerala

    This scheme enables tourists to experience rural lifestyles, and 20 new Village Life Experience Packages will be introduced across 14 districts in the state of Kerala over the coming year.

    Silver: Cinnamon Hotels Management Ltd – The Cinnamon Elephant Project

    Silver: Yayasan Karang Lestari Pemuteran Bali (Coral Reef Restoration Foundation) – Coral Reef Revival

    Best in Adventure

    Gold: Experience Jordan – The Jordan Bike Trail

    This 700km epic trail allows cyclists to experience the best of Jordan and created fresh opportunities in the 54 villages along the route.

    Silver: G Adventures – Adventure With Purpose

    Highly Commended: The Tuk Tuk Club – Putting the ‘Adventure’ Back into Adventure Travel in Northern Thailand

    Best Food Destination

    Gold: Food NI Ltd – Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink 2016

    This initiative, delivered on a budget of £230,000, repositioned how food and drink in Northern Ireland is perceived and generated £41 million-worth of positive PR.

    Silver: Gipuzkoa Provincial Council – TXOTX!

    Best in LGBT

    Gold: Geotourist and AARP – GLBT History Tour of Denver, USA

    This project raised the profile of Denver being a GLBT city and brought people of all creeds, backgrounds and ages together.

    Silver: Israel Tourist Office – Leading LGBT Destination

    Best in Luxury

    Gold: Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority and Hills Balfour – Taylor Morris & Mauritius Luxury campaign

    This campaign targeted the affluent millennial market, and has had a direct impact on the increase in visitor figures to Mauritius.

    Silver: Caldera Yachting – Santorini Luxury Cruises – The Experience of a Lifetime

    Outstanding Contribution

    Air Canada

    Source : WTM London , Nov. 7, 2018

     

     

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      This year marks the year of the Snake, a symbol of wisdom, intuition, and transformation — themes that reflect the everchanging travel landscape. While some choose to celebrate at home, others have taken the opportunity to create memories in destinations far and near. With travel back in full swing, Trip.com Group has unveiled its latest LNY trends for 2025, showcasing how travellers are prioritising longer stays, meaningful experiences and unconventional destinations this year.

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      FITUR tourism exhibition

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      The United Nations Tourism (UN Tourism) announced Tuesday that 2024 saw international tourism fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, with 1.4 billion international travelers recorded. The organization forecasts further growth of 3-5 percent for 2025.

      Spain, a leading global tourism destination, recently reported a record-breaking 94 million visitors in 2024, underscoring the sector’s resilience and strength.

      Brazil takes center stage as the invited nation at this year’s FITUR. The exhibition also features 10 specialist areas, including cruises, sports tourism, film tourism, and language-learning tourism, reflecting the growing diversity of travel trends.

      The Asia-Pacific region has reached 87 percent of its pre-pandemic tourist numbers, according to the UN Tourism. China has a strong presence at FITUR, with companies such as Enjoy China, Fantastica China, The Chinese Office of Tourism in Spain, and Focus China showcasing their offerings over the coming days. – Xinhua ,Jan. 22 ,2025

      France holds off Spain

      as world’s tourist favourite

      Olympic host France retained its spot as the world’s top tourist destination in 2024 with 100 million visitors, holding off stiff competition from countries including Spain.

      As world tourism returned to pre-pandemic levels with 1.4 billion people taking a trip abroad, according to the UN, both France and Spain announced record visitor numbers.

      Spain said last week that a record 94 million foreign tourists flocked to the Iberian nation in 2024, a 10 percent increase from the previous year.

      France, which hosted the Olympic Games in July – September 2024, welcomed two more million visitors in 2024, an increase of two percent compared with 2023.

      But although France had more visitors, they spent less than those in Spain — 71 billion euros ($74-billion) compared with 126 billion euros in Spain.

      France’s takings from international tourists rose by a total of 12 percent year-on-year, driven largely by Belgian, English, German, Swiss and US citizens, the tourism ministry said in a statement.

      Despite the return of customers from Asia, the number of Chinese visitors to France remained 60 percent lower than before the pandemic.Thirty percent fewer Japanese visited the country than in 2019.

      Good snowfall in late 2024 meanwhile drove a rebound for the end-of-year holidays as snow sports lovers flocked to the French ski slopes.

      “The outlook for the first quarter of 2025 is very good, with visitor numbers on the rise,” the ministry statement added.- enca.com ,22 January 2025

      Nepal hikes Everest climbing fee

      KATHMANDU – Nepal has sharply increased Everest climbing permit fees and introduced a slew of measures aimed at controlling garbage pollution and preventing accidents on the planet’s tallest peak.

      Under the revised rules, every two climbers must hire a guide to climb any mountain over 8,000 metres, including Everest.Under the revised mountaineering regulations, the royalty fee for foreigners climbing Everest from the normal south route in the spring season (March-May) has been raised to $15,000 from the current $11,000 per person.

      The autumn season (September-November) climbing fee has increased from $5,500 to $7,500. At the same time, the permit cost per individual for the winter (December-February) and monsoon (June-August) seasons has risen from $2,750 to $3,750.The new rates will take effect on September 1, 2025.

      The last royalty fee revision was made on January 1, 2015, when the government switched from a group-based system to a uniform fee of $11,000 per climber for the spring season from the normal route.

      For Nepali climbers, the royalty fee for the normal route during the spring climbing season has doubled from Rs75,000 to Rs150,000.Climbing permits, previously valid for 75 days, will now be limited to 55 days. The reduced validity is aimed at streamlining climbing activities.

      As per the amended rules, from the upcoming spring season, Everest climbers will be required to bring their poop back to base camp for proper disposal. Climbers must carry biodegradable bags to collect waste in the upper reaches.

      Base camps typically have designated toilet tents with barrels to collect human waste during expeditions. However, in higher camps, only a few agencies provide similar facilities, while others rely on pits. Very few climbers use biodegradable bags to transport waste from the summit.

      The government has also hiked the insurance coverage for high-altitude workers.Insurance coverage for high-altitude guides has gone up to Rs2 million ($14,400) from Rs1.5 million ($10,800), and for base camp workers, it has been raised to Rs1.5 million ($10,800) from Rs800,000 ($5,760).

      According to the Himalayan Database, which records all expeditions and deaths in the Himalayas, more than 200 people died on the Nepal side of Everest between 1953, when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa first scaled the peak, and 2022.

      Nearly 8,900 people have summited the world’s highest peak from Nepal’s side since 1953.- Kathmandu Post , January 22, 2025

      Bangkok named the world’s

      second-best city by Time Out

      The ranking, based on surveys of city dwellers worldwide, highlights culture, food, affordability and overall happiness as key factors in making a city truly great.

      Climbing from 24th place last year to an impressive second place, Bangkok is celebrated for its rich cultural heritage, dynamic food scene, and vibrant lifestyle.

      The city’s affordability is a major plus, with 84% of residents agreeing that dining out, grabbing a coffee, or catching a movie is accessible to all. Additionally, 86% of locals rated Bangkok’s food as “good” or “excellent”.

      One urban expert described Bangkok as “a city of contrasts”, where the scent of sizzling street food fills the air, Michelin-starred restaurants thrive, and the majestic Chao Phraya River flows past luxury hotels.

      The city’s temples such as Wat Arun and the Grand Palace stand as timeless cultural icons, while modern parks like Benjakitti Park provide much-needed green spaces.

      Beyond affordability, the city exudes happiness and warmth. The famous Thai hospitality, vibrant night markets, and world-class nightlife districts like Thonglor and Ekkamai offer endless excitement.

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      Bangkok’s diverse culinary scene is another highlight, from the bustling Chatuchak Market to the legendary street food in Yaowarat (Chinatown).

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      The No 1 city this year is Cape Town, South Africa, known for its breathtaking landscapes and cultural vibrancy. Following Bangkok in third place is New York City, while Melbourne, London and New Orleans round out the top six. Mexico City, Porto, Shanghai and Copenhagen complete the top 10.

      Thailand’s rising global status is further reflected in Chiang Mai, which secured the 28th spot, adding to the country’s reputation as a must-visit destination.

      With its blend of tradition and modernity, Bangkok is more than just a tourist hotspot – it’s a city where people genuinely love to live. Whether you’re exploring hidden street-food gems, temple-hopping, or dancing the night away, Bangkok remains a city of endless possibilities. -The Nation ,January 20, 2025

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