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May 07, 2014
UNWTO African Members States, gathered
on the occasion of the 56th Meeting of
the UNWTO Commission for Africa,
highlighted the need to have better
coordination between tourism and air
transport policies to fully explore the
tourism sector’s capacity to deliver on
growth and development in the continent.
The meeting also discussed the on-going
poaching crisis in Africa and its
negative impact on tourism (April 28-30,
2014, Luanda, Angola).
Over the last decade, international
tourist arrivals to Africa have
repeatedly outgrown results in other
regions. By 2030, Africa’s international
tourist numbers could grow from its
current 56 million to 134 million and a
rising number of African countries have
embraced tourism as a priority for their
development.
Against this backdrop, participants at
the UNWTO Commission for Africa Meeting
and the corresponding Seminar on
‘Tourism and Air Connectivity in Africa’
discussed how to overcome existing
barriers to advance Africa’s tourism,
including travel facilitation, air
connectivity and infrastructure
development.
“Tourism accounts for 7% of all exports
in Africa and 58% of its service exports
and is one of the most important sectors
for the economies of the continent”,
said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.
“Yet to fully realize the potential
tourism has in promoting growth and
development in Africa, it is imperative
to work towards a better alignment of
tourism and air transport policies in
the region”, he added.
The lack of consideration of tourism
benefits and coordination between the
tourism and aviation sectors, producing
suboptimal air transport and tourism
policies, infrastructure limitation,
unsuitable taxation and restrictive visa
policies, were identified as the main
factors hampering the development of
both tourism and air transport in
Africa.
The Seminar laid the groundwork for the
first UNWTO & International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) Tourism and
Transport Ministerial Conference for
Africa (October 14-15, 2014, Mahé,
Seychelles).
Source: UNWTO
January 25, 2014
( Forimmediaterelease.net)
Mr. Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of
the UNWTO (UN World Tourism Organization)
said, as he addressed the 5th edition of
INVEST TOUR, the tourism investment and
business forum for Africa that was again
held in Madrid as part of FITUR 2014, that
for the first time, the UNWTO and ICAO are
joining together to organize a meeting for
African ministers of tourism and also for
ministers of transport to sit together and
to look at air transport with tourism in
mind.
The Secretary General of the UNWTO said that
this meeting of tourism and transport
ministers will and should help align civil
aviation and tourism. Mr. Rifai went on to
say that tours must be facilitated if it is
to be developed and consolidated.
It is now a few months already since
Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles
Minister responsible for Tourism and
Culture, had been working with the UNWTO and
with ICAO to bring this historic meeting to
Seychelles. “This public announcement
today was indeed welcome. We are a small
country sitting in the middle of an ocean
that remains dependent on tourism for our
survival. Air transport continues,
therefore, to be a vital ingredient for our
successful tourism industry," Minister
St.Ange said to the press after the
announcement that the joint UNWTO ICAO
meeting for tourism and transport ministers
from Africa will be held in Seychelles.
Elsia Grandcourt, the Director for Africa at
the UNWTO, also addressed the INVEST TOUR
Conference and again reiterated the two big
tourism meetings of 2014. Mrs. Grandcourt
said: “I am pleased to inform you that the
issue of air transport will be taken to the
Regional Seminar to be held in April in
Angola on the occasion of the 56th meeting
of the UNWTO Commission for Africa, which in
turn is one of the preparatory activities
for the mint UNWTO and ICAO African Tourism
and Transport Ministerial Conference, to be
held in Seychelles later this year. An
increased coordination between tourism and
air transport policies is central to tourism
development in general, bur even more in
Africa where access is still a major barrier
to growth. We trust this plan of activities
will help us advance this objective," the
Director for Africa at the UNWTO said.
Discussions that followed spoke on the need
for aligning civil aviation and tourism for
the success of the tourism industry. “Tourism
must be facilitated," was the clear message
echoed.
Andre Muntane, Head of Network
Planning&Distribution for Air Europa, and
Miquel Alimbaou, the Regional Marketing
Manager for Turkish Airlines, also addressed
the air access issue for the INVEST TOUR
panel that followed on air connectivity and
visa facilitation as key factors for
Africa`s tourism development.
Mr. Muntane used an example where a country
kept a new airline from taking passengers on
its stop only because of a power struggle
between government Ministries in that
country as the airline suffered with a loss
of income, and the economy of the country
and its tourism industry suffered. The Air
Europa representative spoke about
liberalization and deregulation policies to
ensure freedom rights and to foster
competition instead of protecting national
airlines which often results with negative
effects on the country`s tourism industry. “Deregulation
brings movement and growth," Mr. Muntane
said.
On his part, Miquel Alimbaou of Turkish
Airlines said that competition for airlines
stimulates the market and grows traffic. “Competition
is good and keeps the airlines up to date,"
Mr. Alimbaou said.
PHOTO: Mr. Taleb Rifai, the Secretary
General of the UNWTO, addressing Invest Tour
2014 in Madrid with Mrs. Elsia Grandcourt,
the Director for Africa at the UNWTO looking
on. MEDIA CONTACT: seychellesupdatednews@googlemail.com
MINISTERS MASEBO AND
MZEMBI WIN AWARDS
For organising the best UNWTO world congress
ever with attendance from over 120 countries
despite sanctions against Zimbabwe the Ministers
of Tourism from Zambia Hon. Sylvia Masebo and
Walther Mzembi of Zimbabwe will be honoured with
The prestigious African Legend Award for 2013.
Mrs Anita Baptist of Nitaconsult Ghana a world
class Travel consultant will receive the Balafon
Award of excellence along with Movie maker Amaka
igwe of Nigeria. She is credited with
introducing destination promotion into nollywood
movies through the training of movie makers on
the Tourism impact of movies. Nollywood have
been credited for the increase in arrivals to
Nigeria as Africans now perceive Nigerians in a
differrent light because of the popularity of
the movies.
In 2008 the organizers of Akwaaba Travel
market decided to introduce Africa
travel Awards to honor Africans who have
thrived and pioneered different Areas of
Travel and Tourism. During
the 4th AKWAABA TRAVEL MARKET the only
international expo in West Africa, the
best of travels and tourism were
recognized at the Travel Awards dinner
on the 25th of October 2008. ATQ
magazine had organized Travellers Award
for Airlines and Hotels in Nigeria since
1996 and in 2007 presented its first set
of West Africa Travel Awards now
christened BALAFON AWARDS .
Africa Travel award has been on every
year at Akwaaba since 2008 but it has
always been selective.eg the African
Legend awards were given to first female
pilots, past heads of states and
pioneers in Africa. past recipients of
the Award includes former President of
Gambia Sir Dawda Jawara, Dr Danny
Jordaan, the CEO of South Africa world
Cup LOC, Capt Irene Mutungi, the first
lady Airline Captain in Africa, Capt
Desta Zeru the first African to captain
a B787 and a host of other pioneers in
Africa. The event had seen the former
President of Nigeria, General Olusegun
Obasanjo, former Secretary General of
Commonwealth, Sir Emeka Anyaoku and
Chief Alex Ekwueme former Vice President
of Nigeria as Guests. The Ministers Of
Tourism from different African
Countries, State Governors in Nigeria
Executive secretary of ATA Eddie Bergman
have all graced the Awards.
UNWTO AND FITUR TO CO-HOST THE
2013 UNWTO AWARDS
eGlobal - Sept.9, 2013
The 2013 UNWTO Awards ceremony, the flagship awards
of the global tourism sector, will be jointly
hosted, for the first time, by UNWTO and the Madrid
International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR).
The UNWTO Awards recognize and showcase innovative
and sustainable tourism initiatives and influential
individuals of the tourism sector.
“This is the first time ever for FITUR, a UNWTO
Affiliate Member and a leading trade fair, to
co-host the Awards. This agreement showcases FITUR´s
support to tourism innovation and sustainability as
well as its commitment to the long standing
partnership with UNWTO,” said UNWTO
Secretary-General in signing the co-hosting
agreement with Luis Eduardo Cortes, Chief Executive
Officer of the Trade Fair Institution of Madrid (IFEMA),
of which FITUR is a key fair. “We are particularly
happy as this means the Awards Ceremony will take
place in Madrid, the host city of UNWTO,” he added.
The Chief Executive Officer of IFEMA, Luis Eduardo
Cortes, stressed the importance to create “spaces
for collaboration in the current environment, as the
one announced today, and to make an effective
contribution to the new challenges facing the global
tourism sector. FITUR is honored to expand the
framework of cooperation with the main reference in
world tourism, sharing UNWTO’s goals which are key
to the progress of the sector. Hence our commitment
to leverage the Awards through this fair, which
every year brings together more than 200,000 tourism
professionals.”
Since its inception in 2003, UNWTO has acknowledged
the contribution of eight distinguished scholars as
well as more than forty institutions – public,
private or NGOs – for their innovative tourism
initiatives. The contribution of the awardees is in
line with UNWTO´s policies, priorities and program
of work, including the Global Code of Ethics for
Tourism and the principles and standards set in the
United Nations´ Millennium Development Goals.
The call for nominations for the 2013 UNWTO Awards
is open until October 1, 2013. The UNWTO Awards are
awarded in categories for individuals and for
specific tourism activities.
Two categories of awards for individuals:
a. The UNWTO Ulysses Prize for Excellence in the
Creation and Dissemination of Knowledge
b. The UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement
Four categories of Awards for specific tourism
initiatives:
a. UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Public
Policy and Governance
b. UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Enterprises
c. UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in
Non-Governmental Organizations
d. UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Research
and Technology
The 2013
Awards ceremony will take place on
January 22, 2014 during
the Madrid International Fair FITUR, followed by the
UNWTO Knowledge Network Symposium (January 23) that
will highlight best theories and practices showcased
by the awardees of the different categories.
HOSPITALITY BODY HAILS UNWTO
INDABA
2 SEPTEMBER 2013
The Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe last
week expressed satisfaction about the brisk
business recorded during the United Nations
World Tourism Organisation General Assembly as
hotels in Victoria Falls recording above 90
percent occupancy. Zimbabwe and Zambia won the
bid to co-host the biennial global tourism event
in Victoria Falls and Livingstone ahead of rich
nations like Jordan and Russia that had also
submitted their bids.
The 20th session of the general assembly saw the
highest number of participants in the history of
the UNWTO with 121 of the 154 member states
attending together with 145 other countries, 750
delegates, 900 participants from the media and
private sector and 49 ministers.
HAZ president Mr Tich Hwingwiri commended the
Government for hosting such a big event, which
saw the resort town and the country at large
benefiting.
Mr Hwingwiri said it was a good period for
everyone mainly in the hospitality industry.
"The event went on very well and all the hotels
as well as lodges around Victoria Falls
benefited during the course of the congress," he
said.
"Hotels were hovering above 90 percent occupancy
and all the lodges also recorded brisk business.
Some residents also benefited as they turned
their homes into boarding houses," he added.
He said the end of the general assembly did not
mean business would fall as it had reached its
peak season.
"Here in Victoria Falls we are already in our
traditionally peak season, the season normally
starts from June to December. So our normal
business is actually on the climax, that is our
position at the moment," he added.
Meanwhile, co-hosting of the general assembly by
Zimbabwe and Zambia has been described as a
success not only for the two countries, but for
the continent and the world at large.
New Ziana
UN WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION MEETING
Zimbabwe and Zambia to co-host World Tourism Organization
General Assembly
May 03, 2013
It has been confirmed by the UNWTO that Zimbabwe and
Zambia will co-host the 20th session of the General
Assembly of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
from August 24-29 this year in their tourist resort
towns of Victoria Falls and Livingstone. The two
countries won the bid to host the General Assembly at a
World Travel Organization (WTO) meeting held in South
Korea. This will only be the second time that Africa
will have hosted the WTO General Assembly, after Senegal
in 2005. It will, however, be the first time of hosting
for the SADC and COMESA regions, to which both
neighboring countries belong.
Mr. Mwencha, the AU Commission's Deputy Chairperson, and
Mr. Erastus Mwencha at the African Union headquarters,
said as he met Zambia's Deputy Minister of Tourism and
Arts, Mr. David Phiri, on April 29 that the UNWTO summit
is being held in the name of Africa and that this is a
great tribute to the African continent.
“When South Africa hosted the football World Cup in
2010, it was in the name of Africa, and everyone was
proud of that. We will also be proud when Zimbabwe and
Zambia successfully host the World Tourism Summit later
this year,” said Mr. Mwencha. He encouraged the two
countries to find commonality with the African Union in
branding the summit as a truly African event.
Both Zimbabwe and Zambia see tourism as a key sector
that will help to create jobs and grow their economies.
As such, the summit is an important event for the two
countries as well as for the African continent.
It was this message that got Alain St.Ange, the
Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture,
to speak out in support of the rallying call for Africa
to use this UNWTO Summit to mark the continent’s
commitment to tourism.
“I have personally been discussing with my colleagues
from South Africa for example, as I have done with other
ministers for us to work with Mr. Taleb Rifai of the
UNWTO and with Geoffrey Lipman of the ICTP
[International Coalition of Tourism Partners] to
increase focus on tourism of Africa. The time has
arrived for Africa to work at its highest level under
the African Union to help reposition the tourism
industry of Africa. This concept is one deemed
acceptable to both the UNWTO and the ICTP, and it may be
the ideal avenue to follow if Africa wants to work with
Africa to increase the percentage of tourists to
Africa,” the Seychelles Minister said to questions about
the coming UNWTO Summit.
The Seychelles Minister said in Korea when he proposed
that the UNWTO General Assembly moves to Africa, that
Africa must know Africa and must work with Africa if
Africa is to succeed as a continent. Seychelles is one
country that has presented its candidacy for the coming
election for the Executive Committee of the UNWTO.
Seychelles is a founding member of the International
Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .
JUST SAY NO TO UNETHICAL GOODS AND
SERVICES
UN GROUPS SHED LIGHT ON HOW
TOURISTS CAN REDUCE TRAFFICKING
April 07, 2013
In the presence of the UN Secretary-General, Ban
Ki-moon, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and
the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
today agreed to launch a new public awareness
campaign, calling on tourists to help reduce demand
for illicit goods and services linked to
transnational organized crime.
Preparations for the campaign were set in motion
during the Spring Meeting of the Chief Executive
Board of the United Nations in Madrid. A Cooperation
Agreement was signed between UNWTO Secretary General
Taleb Rifai, and UNODC Executive Director Yury
Fedotov in the presence of United Nations Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon.
The joint campaign, to be launched later this year,
aims to raise awareness among international tourists
about the types of illicit goods and services to
which they are often exposed during their travels
and which directly or indirectly fund organized
crime groups. Travelers can play a key role in
reducing demand for these products through ethical
consumer choices. The campaign will encourage
tourists to make informed decisions and help reduce
demand for trafficking in persons, cultural
artifacts, wildlife, fauna and flora such as ivory
products, as well as counterfeit goods, and illicit
drugs.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon commended this
innovative joint initiative between the two partner
UN agencies: “The illegal trade in goods and
services often funds unscrupulous people involved in
human trafficking, the illicit ivory trade, and
other areas that cause immense suffering and
destruction. Well-informed tourists can make a real
difference in turning the tide against these
criminal acts.”
Organized criminal networks generate money wherever
there is demand, and travelers are often exposed to
objects which are illicitly sold. With more than 1
billion tourists now crossing international borders
each year, there is a growing opportunity to call on
tourists to act and reduce demand for these illicit
products which in many cases are providing a funding
source for organized crime. The campaign drives the
message that while some products may seem harmless,
the demand created and their sale can, in fact, have
devastating effects on the lives of innocent people,
on wildlife, or on cultural property. The billions
of dollars generated through such trade also fund
criminal groups who use this money to branch out
into other illicit and unethical lines of business.
“Although the infrastructure of tourism – from
accommodation establishments to transportation
networks – can be misused by traffickers to
victimize the vulnerable, tourism has the potential
and is firmly committed to reclaim this same
infrastructure and use it in the fight against
trafficking,” said UNWTO’s Secretary General Taleb
Rifai. “Through coordinated efforts, we can ensure
that awareness travels – that tourism authorities,
travel companies, and tourists - join us on this
fight,” he added.
According to the Executive Director of UNODC, Yury
Fedotov: “This new awareness-raising campaign will
help build awareness about organized crime and the
devastating effect it has on people and communities
worldwide. Tourists are often exposed to the
traffickers of human beings and unethical products.
By making informed choices, tourists can help sever
the financial arteries that fuel these forms of
illicit trade.”
The campaign will seek to engage the tourism
industry including hotel chains, travel agencies,
and airlines to lend support in raising awareness
among tourists and help contribute to limiting these
illicit markets.
The initiative supplements UNWTO’s Global Code of
Ethics for Tourism. The Code calls upon tourists to
behave in a responsible and respectful manner
towards the visited destination, urging them not to
commit any criminal acts and to refrain from all
trafficking in illicit drugs, arms, antiques,
protected species, products, and substances that are
dangerous or prohibited by national regulations.
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The
World Tourism Outlook and WTO Tourism Code
of Ethics
With
the intention of protecting the earth's
natural environment and cultural heritage
from the non-stop growth of international
tourism, world leaders approved a Global
Code of Ethics for Tourism during a summit
meeting in Santiago. The code, developed
by the World Tourism Organization (WTO),
sets out a 10-point blueprint for
safeguarding the resources upon which
tourism depends and for ensuring that more
of the skyrocketing profits from tourism
benefit residents of tourism
destinations.
"With
international tourism forecast to nearly
triple in volume in the first 20 years of
the next century, we felt that the Code of
Ethics was needed to ensure the
sustainability of our industry," said WTO
Secretary-General Francesco
Frangialli.
 Photo:
Watch for our story featuring
Globe
and
environmental concerns for Canada's remote
areas (above) including the Arctic
tundra.
The
Global Code of Ethics for Tourism includes
nine articles outlining the 'rules of the
game` for destinations, governments, tour
operators, developers, travel agents,
workers and travellers themselves. The
tenth article involves the redress of
grievances through the creation of a World
Committee on Tourism Ethics. For example,
travellers are required to learn about the
customs, health hazards and security risks
of countries they are preparing to visit
before departure, while destinations and
tourism professionals are held responsible
for repatriating tourists in the case of
the bankruptcy of a travel service
provider.
Investors
and public authorities are required to
carry out environmental impact studies
before beginning tourism development
projects and to involve local residents.
Other articles involve the rights of
workers in the tourism industry and the
freedom of movement of people across
national boundaries. The code was
developed after extensive consultation
with governments, trade associations,
labour unions, private sector companies
and non-governmental organizations. It
marks the first time that a document of
this type will have a mechanism for
enforcement, which will be based on
conciliation through the World
Committee
on Tourism Ethics.
The five-day WTO General Assembly, held in
Santiago from September 27 to October 1,
attracted some 800 delegates from 110
nations around the world-including 60
ministers or secretaries of state for
tourism. Other items on the agenda
included a day-long session on Tourism
& Cyberspace and the release of a new
study published by the WTO Business
Council Marketing Tourism Destinations in
the Information Age.
"Internet
is the perfect medium for public-private
cooperation in tourism and it is
revolutionizing all aspects of the tourism
sector," said Business Council CEO Jose
Luis Zoreda. Delegates also endorsed a new
system for accurately measuring the
economic impact of tourism activity called
the Tourism Satellite Account and urged
member nations to begin implementing the
system as a way of raising awareness about
the vital role of tourism in their
national economies.
"The
meetings surpassed our expectations, both
in the quantity of high-level participants
and the quality of the topics debated-all
of them relevant to preparing our tourism
sector for the next millennium," said
Cesar Gomez, director of Chile's national
tourism service SERNATUR, which hosted the
General Assembly. Swaziland and Hong Kong
(China) were approved as new members of
the organization.
Tourism
for peace
In a first of its kind decision, Japan and
South Korea agreed to jointly host WTO's
next General Assembly in the cities of
Osaka and Seoul in 2001-just one year
before the two countries are to jointly
host the World Cup football championships.
"More than anything else we will try to
translate the theme of 'peace through
tourism' into practice through the joint
hosting of the General Assembly," said
South Korea's Vice Minister for Tourism
and Culture Soon-Kyu Kim, adding that he
hoped the international meeting would
focus world attention on reunification of
the divided Korean peninsula. WTO has
received bids from Croatia and Nigeria to
host the General Assembly of
2003.
In
addition, Germany was chosen to host World
Tourism Day festivities on September 27
next year in conjunction with the
Universal Expo in Hanover under the theme
of Technology and Nature: Two Challenges
for Tourism at the Dawn of the 21st
Century. Iran will host World Tourism Day
celebrations in 2001 with the theme of
Tourism: A Tool for Peace and Dialogue
among Civilizations in association with
UNESCO's declaration of 2001 as the 'Year
of Dialogue'.
For
further information contact:
Deborah
Luhrman
Tel. (34) 91-567-8100
Fax (34) 91-567-8218
Email:
dluhrman@world-tourism.org
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