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Jamaica to host first ever global Tourism Innovation Resilience and Crisis Management Summit in 2020

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Jamaica Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that Jamaica will be hosting an international conference on Tourism Innovation Resilience and Crisis Management next year in Montego Bay.

The Minister made the announcement today during the 64th meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Regional Commission for the Americas (CAM), in Guatemala, where Jamaica was also recently elected as the chair for the biennium 2019-2021.


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“We were able to have the support of the entire Commission and of course the Secretary General of the UNWTO [Zurab Pololikashvili], to host the first ever Global Tourism Innovation Resilience and Crisis Management Summit, to be held next year in Montego Bay. Jamaica will also host the 2020 meeting of the Americas,” said the Minister.

He continued by sharing that, “this effort back to back will position Jamaica, not only as the central global reference for innovation, resilience and crisis management but also will be the focus of entire Americas in terms of the deliberations of CAM.”

In 2017 Jamaica hosted the first ever Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Government of Jamaica, the World Bank Group and the Inter-American Development Bank, aimed to set a new collaborative framework for tourism moving towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

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Earlier this year, Jamaica also hosted the first ever conference on Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs).

“We have been on this mission for a while – and are leading the path for global resilience. We have hosted successful global conferences, and of course, Jamaica provided the only and first ever, Global Centre on Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management. All these are very important Global achievements for tourism in Jamaica and emphasises thought leadership we are giving to the world of tourism,” said the Minister.

The Regional Commissions meet once a year to allow Member States to maintain ‎contact with each other and with the UNWTO Secretariat between sessions of the bi-annual General ‎Assembly. 

While in Guatemala, the Minister and his delegation will also participate in the International Seminar on Destination Management, which is taking place under the theme ‘New Challenges, New Solutions.’

The Seminar will discuss current challenges and opportunities facing destination management at national and local levels, including the changing role of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) and the development of smart destinations.

The Minister is accompanied by Miss Kerry Chambers, Senior Director, Policy and Monitoring who will provide technical support. The team will return to the island on May 18, 2019.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Corporate Communications Division

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: (876) 920-4926-30

Fax: (876) 906 1729

Jamaica Global Resilience Centre to open in October

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre is scheduled to open by the first week in October at a newly refurbished J$27 million facility housed at the University of the West Indies, Mona.

“We have our first conference scheduled for the first week in October of this year, so we would like to bring the Board members from all over the world to come and to see the Centre functional and operational, whilst we are hosting the event,” said Minister Bartlett.

The overall goal of the Centre will be to assess (research/monitor), plan-for, forecast, mitigate, and manage risks related to tourism resilience and crisis management. This will be achieved through five objectives – Research and Development, Advocacy and Communication, Programme/Project Design and Management, as well as Training and Capacity Building.

It will specifically be tasked with creating, producing and generating toolkits, guidelines and policies to assist with preparatory and recovery efforts of tourism stakeholders affected by climatic, pandemic, cyber-crime and cyber-terrorism related disruptions.

Speaking yesterday at a site visit of the facility, the Minister said, “We are grateful to the University for allowing us the use of the space and more so to enable us to make it the kind of facility that we can be happy to welcome the world to participate here in great things and other kinds of cerebral activities. This partnership will give Jamaica, the Caribbean and the world a new opportunity to understand global disruptions.”

The Centre is focusing on four key deliverables that at this time. One is the establishment of an academic journal, which will be a compendium of scholarly publications, on various elements of the five segments of disruptions. The editorial board has been established, headed by Professor Lee Miles of Bournemouth University, with the assistance of George Washington University.

The other deliverables include: a compendium of best practices/ a blueprint for resilience; a resilience barometer to measure the resilience in countries and provide benchmarks to guide countries; and to establish an academic chair at the University of West Indies for innovation and resilience.

 “UWI will completely refurbish the Centre, which will include a well-appointed conference room, which will enable us to have the video conference technology needed to have virtual meetings to connect a number of board members who operate in different parts of the world.  It will include an office for the chairman and two other offices for deputy directors as well as the executive director, who I am very pleased to share is Prof Lloyd Waller from the UWI.

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre will be staffed by local, regional and internationally recognized experts and professionals, in the fields of:  climate management, project management, tourism management, tourism risk management, tourism crisis management, communication management, tourism marketing and branding as well as monitoring and evaluation.

It will also provide research fellowship opportunities for individuals seeking to either expand their knowledge or, gain experience in tourism resilience and crisis management, through postdoctoral research, and internships for undergraduate and graduate students in fields of study related to tourism resilience and crisis management.

“We know that the presence of the first ever Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre at the Mona campus is going to begin a whole new process of engagement in the Caribbean, in terms of global tourism activities here. We see this as a big part of the thought leadership and role that the Caribbean is now playing in global tourism.

“We are excited about the future of tourism, the opportunities for more research, the greater appreciation of how to manage disruptions and how to identify and track these disruptions. Then, the most important factor is the recovery process,” said the Minister. 

For more information, contact:

Corporate Communications

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: (876) 920-4926-30

Fax: (876) 906 1729

Unique forum on Thailand, The Greatest Story in Global Tourism HiSTORY

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The upcoming 60th anniversary of both Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai Airways International, the two founding pillars of Thai tourism, in 2020 will be a good opportunity for some serious reflection on the past, present and future of what is now the kingdom’s leading job-creating industry.

In Thai and Asian culture, the auspicious completion of the 5th cycle of life marks a “Coming of Age”. But it is also a time for “soul-searching” on how to manage the realities of “ageing”.

On June 14, 2019, for the first time, a unique Forum will be organised at the Arnoma Grand Bangkok, to reflect on how Thai travel & tourism reached the current lofty heights and the challenges it faces.

According to forum organiser and chief presenter Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor of Travel Impact Newswire, Thailand is the Greatest Story in Global Tourism HiSTORY. However, Thai tourism is now an “ageing industry” in search of ways to reinvent and reposition itself in an era of intense competition and mind-boggling change.

Mr Muqbil, who has been reporting on Thai tourism since 1981, will be sharing his unmatched archives of reports, studies and notes on Thai tourism, how it has grown and overcome many global, regional and local crises.

Says Mr Muqbil, “Over the next many months, dozens of seminars, forums and conferences will be held to assess the state of play. Many will be “official”, sponsored events with the usual congratulatory back-thumping. My forum will be more realistic, honest and balanced.”

The Forum, to be conducted in English, is an independent, non-sponsored event designed to ensure maximum freedom of independent discussion. It is perfectly targeted at the emerging generation of young Thai tourism leaders, expatriate travel & tourism executives (especially those newly arrived in Thailand), investors, diplomats, civil society activists, UN and other multilateral agency representatives, marketing consultants, and Chambers of Commerce members.

New emerging destinations in Asia and Africa, especially states, provinces and cities, will find it a good opportunity to learn from the successes and failures of the Thai tourism experience.

As the forum is meant for serious connoisseurs and students of Thai tourism history, attendance is being capped at 25. Please drop Imtiaz Muqbil an email <imtiaz@travel-impact-newswire.com> or call +662 2551480, +662 2537590 for further details on costs and other arrangements.

Further details:

http://premierthailand.com/110factors/
June 14, 2019: First Forum on The Greatest Story in Global Tourism HiSTORY

Puerto Rico Tourism: Out with the old, in with the new

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“Since our inception last July, we hit the ground running to accelerate the tourism economy,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico. “This brand campaign follows a strong publicity effort that set up Puerto Rico as the top place to visit in 2019 and a recently revamped website, DiscoverPuertoRico.com.

“The creative highlights our two strongest assets – our culture and our people – and will help us strengthen traveler’s familiarity with what makes our Island one-of-a-kind.”  The campaign officially launches today across digital channels via digital banners, social, pre-roll and a follow-up TV spot that will launch in coming weeks in key markets. Additional marketing support is expected throughout the rest of 2019, to attract visitors to the Island during the summer travel season.”

Discover Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico’s newly-established Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), announced today the rollout of Puerto Rico’s brand campaign called “Have We Met Yet?” which draws inspiration from Puerto Rico’s cultural and natural offerings and at its essence, focuses on the hospitable and welcoming nature of its people. By posing the question “Have We Met Yet?” the creative re-introduces the Island to the world and brings to life the exotic yet familiar essence of Puerto Rico. As the U.S. mainland’s “neighbor to the south,” the new campaign showcases through Puerto Rico’s iconic doors how the Island welcomes visitors with open arms.

Following extensive research that showed that Puerto Rico’s brand identity was neutral in the minds of travelers, this new campaign is this next phase of Discover Puerto Rico’s brand repositioning process, enabling the Island to fully capitalize on its rich tourism product offerings and emerge as a leading Caribbean destination. The creative repositions the island as that neighbor that one dreams of – with the festive flair, the ocean view, the incredible art collection, the delicious food. Puerto Rico is the neighbor you’ll laugh with, celebrate with, and maybe even fall in love with.

“Puerto Rico’s people, its rich culture and unparalleled natural offerings, combined with the fact that it’s a U.S. territory and easily accessible, were key factors that led to this creative. We’re excited to debut this brand campaign as it opens the door, literally, to endless possibilities that showcase the spirit of the Puerto Rican people and everything the Island has to offer,” said Leah Chandler, CMO of Discover Puerto Rico.

Travelers exposed to the new brand campaign will be immediately drawn by the colorful vibrant doors and stunning imagery found throughout the Island. The creative highlights many aspects that make Puerto Rico a unique destination—ranging from its people, its cuisine, its festive spirit, its natural attractions, and much more.

“The campaign invites travelers to visit Puerto Rico and meet us, the neighbor that you can’t live without,” said Chandler. “Puerto Rico was named the #1 Place to Visit in 2019 by the New York Times and has topped over 20 other notable lists of places to visit this year,” she added. “We want to send a message to all travelers that this is THE year to visit Puerto Rico. The entire island is eager to welcome them.”

The creative was ideated and produced by Beautiful Destinations, with support from local production crews who traveled throughout the Island to capture the beautiful scenery, thousands of colorful doors, and welcoming faces of the Puerto Rican people.

To view the “Have We Met Yet?” creative online, visit YouTube.com/DiscoverPuertoRico and be on the lookout for additional campaign creative coming soon.

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African Tourism Board Safety and Travel Security Expert Statement on TOPP

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African Tourism Board Safety and Security expert Dr. Peter Tarlow reminded all ATB members, security incidents around the world once again underline the need for African nations to promote and provide the best tourism security possible.

African Tourism Board President Alain St. Ange mentioned that after recent security challenges in Kenya, it remains the duty of Africa to stand with Kenya’s Minister Najib Balala, the CS for Tourism and with the Government of Kenya after the recent kidnapping of Doctors and Bomb Threats.

“Tourism is a success story in Kenya and they need, more than ever, their fellow friends and neighbors to spread this successes story,” the ATB president added.

Dr. Tarlow explained: “The best way for the African tourism industry to aid countries not only Sudan and Kenya as they face new tourism security challenge is by helping each nation in Africa to create a well funded and organized tourism security unit.

Each tourism security unit of TOPPs (tourism-oriented policing and protection services) will be experts not only in security but also safety and seek to protect a nation’s visitors along with its reputation and economies.

These units, be they composed of public or private security agents or private-private partnership, will help to assure tourists from around the world that travel to Africa is safe and secure.

They will be major players in promoting African tourism and when security mishaps occur they will aid their local tourism industry in a demonstration to the world that these are the exceptions and not the norm.

It is important to remember where that security is an essential element in tourism.  It is our moral duty and good business to work with both local governments and international organizations to assure travelers that Africa will receive them with open arms and a loving heart.

“Today, the African Tourism Board confirms that they stand with Africa ans specially now with Minister Balala the Kenyan Government and People of Kenya and will work with them as and when called upon”, concluded St.Ange.

Reference:
www.africantourismboard.com

www.safertourism.com 

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