Tuesday, May 31, 2011

First global tourism destination alliance launched

The IIPT Peace Through Tourism conference in Zambia was the venue for the pre-launch for the International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) first global travel and tourism destination alliance.
The CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Alain St.Ange and chairman of the International Council of Tourism Partners eTN Publisher Juergen Thomas Steinmetz used Lusaka, Zambia IIPT conference "Meeting the Challenges of Climate Change to Tourism" to make a pre-launch announcement for the new International Council of Tourism Partners destination alliance.
ICTP members will actively support national Green Growth strategies and Carbon Targets and: they will be identified as committed to sustainable Travel & Tourism.
They will receive on line Sustainability Support from greenearth.travel and marketing support by a world class team of marketing professionals.
Greenearth will help them understand the issues and opportunities in Green Growth – economic / climate / social / environment linkages and balance.
Through the Live the Deal program they will be able to understand in simple terms, their governments’ carbon reduction targets as well as best global techniques and technologies for their own programs. It will also provide a source of information and guidance for employees.
ICTP alliance members will benefit from joint marketing and branding opportunities in primary and secondary markets. It may be ideal for smaller to medium size destinations whenever one destination is not able to do it alone. It will include trade shows, road shows, telephone and virtual meetings with tourism stake holders, joint media outreach on a global scale.
The global travel alliance is:
• Ideal for small to medium size destination
• A joint marketing effort. When one destination is unable to do it alone (i.e. provide representation at trade shows, organize/present electronic and virtual conferences, public relations, publicity, advertising and sales promotions projects), the synergy of the alliance will enable even the smallest destination to have representation
• Joint media outreach through the organization of media conferences in primary and secondary markets
• Strategic alliances for public – private partnership development
• Shared market research projects
• Development of a domestic /international Smart Card reward system for trade professionals and leisure travelers
Board of Directors
The alliance initial board members include Geoffrey Lipman, director of Greenearth, former assistance secretary General for the UNWTO, and first president of the WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council)
Feisol Hashim, owner of the Alam Hotel Group in Indonesia and former head of ASEAN Tourism, and former member of the PATA industry board. Feisol is also the Hon. Consul for Malaysia in Bali, Indonesia.
Alain St.Ange: Head of the Seychelles Tourism Board and pioneer of the world famous Seychelles Carnival.
Juergen Thomas Steinmetz: Publisher of eTurboNews, member of the UNWTO Task Group against exploitation of children through tourism, member of the
US Department of Commerce Export Council, member of the PATA industry board.
Besides the Seychelles and Zimbabwe additional founding members in various parts of the world are interested to join as founding members before the official launch at the World Travel Market in London in November. They include cities, regions and countries on all continents. Their goal is to increase business for alliance member destinations.
The International Institute for Peace Through Tourism and the Africa Travel Association pledged their willingness to cooperate with this new alliance.
The secretariat will be operated in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, Brussels, Belgium and Victoria, Seychelles. A new web portal will be introduced before the World Travel Market.