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Project Hope Travel launched

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The birth of “A New World Tourism” was launched today with supporters in 26 countries. The New Tourism initiative is s called Project Hope Travel. www.projecthope.travel

Hashtag #projecthopetravel was established to share ideas, initiatives for tomorrow’s tourism. This is a public-private partnership to prepare for a new reality of the travel and tourism industry after COVID-19.

“There is a lot of love, passion and hope for tourism. Tourism the way we know it will be history, but if we play our cards well, it will emerge even better and more beautiful”, said Juergen Steinmetz, CEO of the Travel News Group. He is also a founding member of this group.

Now is the time for everyone in this industry to take a seat on a virtual table and share ideas, projects and initiatives. Tourism is an industry of peace, and the chance for tourism to show this has never been better.
Project Hope Travel provides this platform.

Why Iranians and Americans are friends beyond conflicts
Juergen Steinmetz speaking at the Islamic Hall of the People in Teheran in 2008. Sitting next to him is Louis D’Amore founder and president of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism

Najib Balala, secretary of tourism Kenya, Louis D’Amore, founder of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism, Deepak Joshi, former CEO Nepal Tourism Board, Pascal Viroleau, CEO of the Vanilla Island Tourism Organization, Ambassador Dho Young-shim from South Korea, or Minister Edmund Bartlett from Jamaica are only some of the people who had the idea and helped to established Project Hope Travel.

Kenyan President confirmed as Tourism Resilience Center Honorary Co-Chair
Hon. Najib Balala (left), Kenya’s Minister of Tourism and Wildlife, gives his Government’s endorsement of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCM) hosted by the Ministry of Tourism at the offices of the Jamaica Tourist Board, New Kingston. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett

Current tourism leaders get a chance to share their ideas with those running and operating the industry. A new set of future movers and shakers is about to emerge to make tourism a more responsible, more beautiful and more profitable industry.

Zachary-Rabinor-and-Gloria-Guevara
Gloria-Guevara

Today the World Travel and Tourism Council will announce its “Together in Travel”  Campaign. Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC told her members:  “Dreaming is part of our zest for life and our new campaign encourages thoughts of the brighter days ahead. Travel & Tourism is a critical sector to the global economy, accounting for one in four of all new jobs worldwide and contributing 10.3% to GDP. Our sector touches everyone. It builds communities, reduces poverty in the world and improves the social impact of everyday lives. Yet we are uniquely exposed at this time due to Covid-19.

Last Week “From Bahamas with Love” video was introduced. Abu Dhabi, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, and many others had released their own beautiful virtual and video campaigns. Project Hope Travel is bringing all these initiatives under one roof.

The Hon. Moses Vilikati. member of this group and the Minister of Tourism for Eswatini proudly presented a video message from this beautiful African Kingdom.

How will tomorrow’s tourism look like?

Project Hope Travel was launched to shape tomorrow’s tourism and help industry members to find resources and assist with a tough reality.

Bringing some of the brightest minds in the global world of tourism together, putting them on one virtual table, and adding smart and dedicated people from all sectors and positions in the industry will create new synergy and. This is what Project Hope Travel wants to assist with.

Project Hope Travel

Project Hope Travel was an initiative that emerged at a board meeting by the COVID-19 task force meeting of the  African Tourism Board

African Tourism Board President: African tourism is one
Alain St.Ange, President of the African Tourism Board

Co-Chair Alain St. Ange, former minister of tourism from Seychelles summarized it: “Hope for Africa and for the World at large is today so needed. But just hoping will not make a difference by itself. This is why I am thankful that a group of dedicated tourism professionals has joined together to not only initiate Project Hope Travel, but to also make time to steer it for the benefit of everyone in the world.

TalebLouis
Taleb Rifai & Louis D’Amore

Chairman Dr. Taleb Rifai, who was also the UNWTO Secretary-General reminded: “We all came out of Africa.
In today’s world, I would like to believe that, the transformative power of travel and tourism, when well managed and utilized, is a cornerstone in establishing world peace and in turn a better world, for people and planet. Protecting our cultural and natural heritage, Empowering local communities. Breaking down stereotypes enabling us to experience, enjoy and celebrate the beauty of our rich cultural diversity. These are indeed some of tourism’s contributions to MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

Project Hope Travel already has the support of tourism ministers, top-level executives, and travel professionals working in all levels of the industry. At launch Project, Hope Travel has supporters in 26 countries and 5 continents. WTTC and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Center are among those on the virtual table.

Birth of “A New World Tourism”: Project Hope Travel
Cuthbert Ncube and Hon Najib Balala

ATB Chairman Cuthbert Ncube said: “As Africa is speaking with a united voice in curbing the scourge of the pandemic, this is an encouraging endeavor in a crisis that has driven the west and the east to shift their priorities. Together we will succeed and become stronger. Project Hope Travel is Africa’s contribution to the world of tourism.”

There is no charge to join the discussion and share initiatives. Everyone ready to participate is welcome.

More information on www.projecthope.travel 

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Project Hope Travel

Global Tourism Industry Mourns the Loss of Peter Wong

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Tourism Icon Peter Wong died on 11 March 2019, at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam, HongKong.

Peter Wong was Executive Chairman of the China Chamber of Tourism, Vice Chairman of the Global Tourism Economy Forum, and Chairman of several private sector companies including M.K. Corporation Ltd., Culture Resources Development Co Ltd, Silk Road Hotel Management Co Ltd, and Silk Road Travel Management Ltd. Since 1993, he participated as a member of the United Nations multi-agencies Silk Road Project.

Peter was politically active serving on the National People’s Congress as a representative from Hong Kong from 1993 until his death.  Peter Wong was a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and a recipient of the Young Industrialist Award of Hong Kong.

During the UNWTO 22nd General Assembly in Chengdu, China, Peter said: “Tourism is increasingly an important economic pillar for all countries and beyond this, we are now moving into an era of universal values which our industry is in the forefront of championing – like poverty alleviation and environmental protection; and we are an industry that more than any other is dedicated to propagating a message of peace and harmony.”

The founder of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism(IIPT)  Louis D’Amore told eTurboNews: “Peter’s passing was much too soon and will be felt throughout the industry. He continually spoke of the ’PHD‘ role of tourism – a role of Peace, Harmony and Development. And so his philosophy and concept of tourism were totally consistent with the philosophy and goals of IIPT.

Together with Peter as Executive Chairman of the China Chamber of Tourism, we launched the IIPT Global Peace Parks project with the dedication of Sun River National Park, Pu’er China as an IIPT International Peace Park (see photo left and below). We will certainly miss Peter’s collaboration on future projects.”

Peter traveled to Beijing on 2 March 2019 to attend the annual meeting of the NPC, only to return to Hong Kong two days later to treat an illness.

Travel News | eTurboNews

IIPT India Announces the Winners of the 4th Celebrating Her awards at ITB Berlin

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For the fourth consecutive year ITB Berlin will play host to the International Institute for Peace – India’s (IIPT India) Global Awards for Empowered Women in Tourism – “Celebrating Her.”

The IIPTI Global Awards, “Celebrating Her” are intended to acknowledge and felicitate exceptional women in the fields of travel, tourism and hospitality; individuals with a clarity of vision and mission who understand and believe that tourism, perhaps the biggest industry in the world, could become the first global peace industry and who have committed themselves to fostering the tourism business as a vehicle for peace.

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Five exceptional women from the world of tourism will be felicitated at the 4th edition of the Awards for their achievements and for their contribution to promoting tourism as a vehicle for peace and understanding.

The Awards will be held from 1400 to 1500 at the Palais am Funkturm (Hall 19) on the ITB fairgrounds on Thu 07 March and will be followed by a networking reception from 1500 to 1530.

Key speakers at the awards include Dr. Taleb Rifai, former Secretary General of UNWTO (2010 – 2017), H.E. Eliza Reid, First Lady of Iceland, The Hon. Marie-Christine Stephenson, Minister of Tourism and Creative Industries, Haiti and others.

The Celebrating Her award winners for 2019 are:

H.E. Rania al Mashat – Minister of Tourism for Egypt for Tourism Policy and Leadership

Helen Marano – Founder & President, Maranao Perspectives for Building Global Alliances that promote Tourism as a Force for Good

Mechtild Maurer – General Director, ECPAT Germany for promoting Socially Responsible Tourism

Jane Madden – Managing Partner, Global Sustainability & Social Impact, FINN Partners for Sustainability and promoting Corporate Social Responsibility

Hon. Elena Kountoura – Minister of Tourism for Greece for Tourism Strategy and Resilience

Commenting on the Awards, Ajay Prakash, President of IIPT India says, “Each one of our winners this year is a champion; these ladies have reached the top of their chosen paths in tourism and are an inspiration. The Awards are being held on the eve of International Women’s Day but our champions need to be felicitated every day of the year.

Gender equality, which is a critical part of the United Nations SDGs, is intrinsic to IIPT’s global aims and objectives and integral to fostering peace. Through the Awards we’re aiming to create a network of powerful women across the world who would serve as role models and mentors while they represent IIPT as our Global Ambassadors of Peace.”

Dr. Talib Rifai, former Secretary General of UNWTOP and Chair of IIPT’s International Advisory Board says, “Celebrating Her is a timely initiative. Travel and tourism has become today’s grand human activity, greatly affecting the life and livelihood of people and communities and in turn, Peace and Sustainable Development all over the world.

Leaders in travel and tourism should be the first to recognize that we cannot anymore go about life, progress, development and building peace without HER and without reintegrating half of the human community in advancing towards our goals. It is, therefore, only natural that IIPT India, the country that is standing up bravely to achieving our goals, picks up the issue on behalf of all of us – To state clearly that, CELEBRATING HER IS CELEBRATING US”

Rika Jean-Francois, CSR Commissioner for ITB Berlin – co-presenters of the Awards, said “ ITB is extremely delighted to have partnered with IIPT India to give out these important awards. There are so many amazing women in the tourism industry who are doing an excellent job, committed to improving conditions, who are often never seen, never officially recognized. We are proud to foster change.”

Founded in 1986 by Louis D’Amore, IIPT is built on two very simple but powerful premises: That tourism, perhaps the biggest industry in the world, can become the first global Peace Industry and that every tourist is potentially an Ambassador of Peace. Through global summits, conferences, workshops, awards, the global Peace Parks initiative, consultations with governments and the UNWTO and a regular newsletter, IIPT has worked conscientiously over the last 30 plus years to make peace an integral part of the tourism ecosphere.

IIPT India is non-profit registered with the Indian Registrar of Companies.