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Italian exhibition group launches key words for the 2020 tourism industry

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Active food and wine tourism, the quality of life, the search for beauty and creativity: the combination of ingredients on which tourists increasingly base their choice of vacation will be at the center of the 2019 expo showcase of TTG Experience, SIA Hospitality Design e SUN Beach&Outdoor Style, the three leading expos dedicated to the tourism chain – respectively focused on vacations, the hospitality sector and that of outdoors and beaches – organized by Italian Exhibition Group, being held from Wednesday 9th to Friday 11th October 2019 at Rimini Expo Centre.


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The tourist flow scene confirms positive signs from Italy: in the first eleven months of 2018, with 208.5 million nights’ stay by foreign tourists in accommodation facilities (+1.8%), Italy is in second place in Europe, ahead of France (134.7 nights, +5.7%) and behind Spain (287.8 million, -1.6%). In this context, the three expos, with an unequalled offer for the expo sector, will respond precisely to the tourist trade’s requirements.

TTG Travel Experience

The 56th edition of TTG, is a national and international reference point for the Italian offer for tourists and Italian tourism abroad. The most important B2B tourist expo and the one most attended by tourism professionals will host 130 destinations, in a layout divided into three areas – The World, Global Village and Italy – conceived to highlight all the latest in vacation products.

TTG Travel Experience 2019, with two special projects, will intercept the trends that increasingly influence tourists’ choice of destination: the interest in wine and food and that for active vacations.

223 million euros were spent in 2017 by foreign visitors to Italy on food and wine, 70% more than spending in 2013. With the Eatxperience project at TTG Travel Experience 2019, an entire hall will be dedicated to food and wine tourism with a format conceived precisely for trade members: food service in hotels is also among the opportunities to include in travel proposals.

On the other hand, with a high visual impact, the special Be Active project will feature proposals, opportunities and trends for vacations in Italy, where in 2016 18.6% of the tourists indicated sport as the motivation for their vacation.

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SIA Hospitality Design

The expo that is a national reference point for the hospitality sector, SIA Hospitality Design, at its 68th edition, boosts its format linked with design and Italian-made products, addressing three issues that are particularly topical for the hospitality sector: Design (design for hospitality will not only be the first focus of SIA, but also the leitmotif of the entire expo); Water: (bathrooms, wellness and swimming pools, as well as services, technology, products, cosmetics and wellness treatment); Taste (the most important food service moments for accommodation facilities: breakfasts and aperitifs). Each project will have a dedicated arena involving professionals, an exhibition and expo areas.

Sun Beach & Outdoor Style

For decades, the b2b expo that is a reference point for the outdoor, beach facility and campsite worlds, SUN Beach&Outdoor Style, at its 37th edition, has focused on two macro sectors: the beach facility world and the campsite and village show world.

Contests are confirmed, in collaboration with Mondo Balneare, Best Beach Bar, Best Design Beach and Best Italian Beach, to award prizes respectively to the best beach facilities from the point of view of food & beverage, architecture and tradition. All the new products and services on the start-up front will be featured at SUNNext, the space dedicated to innovation, in collaboration with Mondo Balneare and CNA Emila-Romagna.

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Saudi tourism sector worth over $70 billion in 2019

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Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism sector is expected to contribute $70.9 billion (SAR 263.1 billion) in total to the country’s GDP in 2019, according to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council, as exhibitors prepare to showcase what the Kingdom has to offer at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which is being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 April – 1 May 2019.

According to data from ATM’s research partner Colliers, international arrivals to Saudi Arabia are expected to increase 5.6% per year from 17.7 million in 2018 to 23.3 million in 2023. Religious tourism is expected to remain the bedrock of the sector over the next decade, with a goal of attracting 30 million pilgrims to the Kingdom by 2030, an increase of 11 million from the 19 million Hajj and Umrah pilgrims that visited the country in 2017.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “At ATM, we are witnessing this growth first hand with the total number of delegates arriving from Saudi Arabia increasing 42% between 2017 and 2018, while 33% of delegates, exhibitors and attendees were interested in doing business with the Kingdom.

“More relaxed access to visas, through online portals such as the ‘Sharek’ and the growth of the Umrah plus market – combining religious and leisure travel – are expected to be key drivers in the growth of international tourism in the Kingdom.”

Vision 2030 has set aside $64 billion to invest in culture, leisure and entertainment projects over the next decade, which will significantly add to the attractiveness of the country as a touristic destination, according to a recent report from real estate firm Savills.

The first phase of the Red Sea project, which is estimated to grow the kingdom’s GDP by US$5.86 billion (SAR22 billion) and will consist of an airport, marinas, up to 3,000 hotel rooms and various recreational activities, is expected to complete during 2022.

Additionally, last year Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced the development of Amaala, a new ultra-luxury tourism megaproject which is earmarked for completion in 2028. The development will add 2,500 hotel rooms – further boosting the accommodation offering for both domestic and international visitors alike.

“Saudi Arabia will see a vast expansion of its hotel and resort inventory during 2019, with over 9,000 keys of three, four and five-star international supply expected to enter the market despite major cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah experiencing an overall drop in ADR during 2018.

“While, this new supply will place additional competitive pressure on hotels performance across the country, the projected growth in visitor numbers in both the domestic and international markets is expected to boost occupancy levels throughout 2019,” added Curtis.

Looking ahead to ATM 2019, Saudi exhibitors, who will highlight what the Kingdom has to offer and the exciting developments in the pipeline, include The Red Sea Development Company, Saudia – Saudi Arabian Airlines, Makarem Hotels, AlfaOne Concierge – and of course the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage who will have a major presence too.

A focused seminar titled ‘Why Tourism is Saudi’s new ‘White Oil’ will take place on the Global Stage on Monday 29th April between 14.50 – 15:50.  The session will discuss Saudi Arabia’s tourism potential as the Kingdom undergoes a period of rapid economic diversification and forges ahead with its Vision 2030 blueprint.

The upbeat tourism forecast is also being driven, by domestic tourism with the number of local tourist trips inside Saudi Arabia exceeding 47 million in 2018. The latest research from Colliers forecasts this figure to increase 8% per year to 70.5 million by 2023.

“Plans are already afoot in Saudi, to achieve the projected increase in domestic visitors, with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 blueprint forecast to double the number of UNESCO heritage sites and increase household spending on cultural and entertainment activities inside the country from 2.9% to 6%.

“Meanwhile, the Quality of Life Vision Realisation Programme (VRP) and the General Entertainment Authority are both working to create new attractions and recreational activities within the country,” added Curtis.

ATM, considered by industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector, welcomed over 39,000 people to its 2018 event, showcasing the largest exhibition in the history of the show, with hotels comprising 20% of the floor area.

Brand new for this year’s show will be the launch of Arabian Travel Week, an umbrella brand comprising four co-located shows including ATM 2019, ILTM Arabia, CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa – a new route development forum and new consumer-led event ATM Holiday Shopper. Arabian Travel Week will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 27 April – 1 May 2019.

For more news about ATM, please visit: https://arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com/media-centre/Press-Releases/.

About Arabian Travel Market (ATM)

Arabian Travel Market is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2018 attracted almost 40,000 industry professionals, with representation from 141 countries over the four days. The 25th edition of ATM showcased over 2,500 exhibiting companies across 12 halls at Dubai World Trade Centre.  Arabian Travel Market 2019 will take place in Dubai from Sunday, 28th April to Wednesday, 1st May 2019. To find out more, please visit: www.arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: NATHALIE VISELE, Director, Shamal Communications, Arjaan Office Tower, Dubai Media City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tel: +971 4 365 2711 | Mobile: +971 50 457 6525, E-mail: nathalie.visele@shamalcomms.com , Website: www.shamalcomms.com

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UNWTO Convenes Cities in Lisbon to Cooperate on a Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Tourism Agenda

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The first UNWTO Mayors Forum for Sustainable Urban Tourism, co-organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Ministry of Economy of Portugal and the Lisbon Municipality concluded Friday in Lisbon, Portugal. The event gathered Mayors and high-level city representatives from around the world, UN agencies and the private sector, to design a shared leadership aimed at ensuring that tourism helps creating cities for all.

Under the theme ‘Cities for all: building cities for citizens and visitors’, the forum explored issues and solutions for developing and managing tourism in cities in a way that promotes economic growth, social inclusion and environmental sustainability.

In a time of intense debate over the growing number of tourists and the livability and sustainability of cities, the forum exchanged ideas and good practices on urban tourism and destination management, discussed innovative tools and public policies on urban tourism at the national and local levels and way of promoting the integration of tourism into wider national and local urban development agenda.

“The income generated from tourism contributes significantly to the socio-economic and cultural development of many cities and its surroundings. Yet, the growth of urban tourism also creates important challenges in terms of the use of natural resources, socio-cultural impact, pressure on infrastructure, mobility, congestion management and relationship with host communities. Tourism policies should thus be designed as integrated urban policies that promote a well-balanced city economically, socially and environmentally” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili opening the event.

The Portuguese Minister of Economy, Pedro Siza Vieira, acknowledged that “tourism is a major driver for the Portuguese economy. Portugal welcomes this first Mayors Forum as an international stage for discussing the challenges that urban tourism faces and how local communities can benefit the most from tourism. The Lisbon Declaration is a firm commitment from all participants so that tourism contributes materially to the Sustainable Development Goals”.

The Portuguese Secretary of State for Tourism, Ana Mendes Godinho, added that “social sustainability in tourism is one of the main priorities in our 2027 Tourism Strategy. We launched a Sustainability Program for the development of projects by the civil society that involve local populations and tourists so that tourism leaves value in the territories”.

The Mayor of Lisbon, Fernando Medina, said “The growth of tourism has important and positive economic impacts. Yet for managing such growth, ensuring sustainability and safeguarding the quality of life of Lisbon’s citizens requires more investment in infrastructure. In Lisbon, we are implementing measures such as increasing transport capacity and investment in urban infrastructure catering for residents and tourists.”

Issues discussed include big data and innovative solutions, new business models, creative cities and events, infrastructure, resources and planning, local community engagement and empowerment and how to ensure the full inclusion of tourism in the wider urban agenda.

Participating in the Forum were Gustavo Santos of Argentina, Secretary of State for Tourism of Argentina, Ana Mendes Godinho, Secretary of State for Tourism of Portugal, Isabel Oliver, the Secretary of State for Tourism of Spain, Mayors and Vice Mayors of 16 cities around the world (Barcelona, Bruges, Brussels, Dubrovnik, Helsinki, Lisbon, Madrid, Moscow, Nur-Sultan, Paris, Porto, Prague, Punta del Este, Tbilisi, Sao Paulo and Seoul), UNES>CO, UN Habitat, the World Bank, the European Committee of the Regions as well as Amadeus, Airbnb, CLIA, Expedia, Mastercard and Unidigital.

The Forum adopted the Lisbon Declaration on Sustainable Urban Tourism, in which participants reinforced their commitment to align urban tourism policies with the United Nations New Urban Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, namely Goal 11 – ‘Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’.

The Lisbon Declaration on Sustainable Urban Tourism will be presented at the twenty-third session of the General Assembly of UNWTO, to be held this September in St. Petersburg, Russia.

During the event, UNWTO Secretary-General and the Mayor Bakhyt Sultanov of Nursultan (Kazakhstan) signed an agreement for the hosting of the 8th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism, to be held on 9 to 12 October 2019.

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Guyana Tourism together with SUNx to bring Climate Change education

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Guyana which has been named the #1 “Best of Ecotourism” destination and one of the world’s Top 10 Sustainable Destinations at this week’s ITB Berlin is teaming up with SUNx to bring Climate Change education into its Travel & Tourism sector.

Guyana’s ITB Award reflects its authentic Green Tourism, its holistic approach to sustainable destination management, and integration into the quality of life for all its citizens.

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“Being recognized as a leading sustainable destination is a great honour and it’s very timely, with the potential the government to advance development, modernize the economy, and positively transform the lives of all citizens” stated Brian T. Mullis, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority. “ The Green State Agenda gives a tremendous lead and we will do all we can to strengthen inter-ministerial and multi-stakeholder collaboration to maximize the positive socio-economic and conservation outcomes from tourism.”

As an immediate step Mullis announced an SDG17 Partnership between the Guyana Tourism Authority and the SUNx Program – a legacy program for Maurice Strong, the father of Sustainable Development – to kickstart its “Plan For Our Kids” in Guyana.

Professor Geoffrey Lipman, co-founder of SUNx noted its lifetime learning system for Climate Friendly Travel ~ measured: green: 2050 proof.  SUNx plans to use it to create 100,000 STRONG Climate Champions by 2030, across all UN States to support transformation to the New Climate Economy. “We will enrol a top Guyanese Student, as a beach head for the program in the country and  work with the stakeholders in the sector to boost membership in  the years ahead. Our strategic vision is for the sector to conform to Paris Climate Targets by 2030 and we believe that the “Plan For Our Kids” will make a big difference”.

The Strong Universal Network SUNx is a program of the EU-based, not for profit Green Growth and Travelism Institute, and a legacy to the late Maurice Strong – Sustainable Development Pioneer.  Its goal is to promote Climate Friendly Travel with good & bad effects measured and managed coherently: with Green Growth at the core and, 2050-proof in line with the Paris Accords, and the W.E.F. 4th Industrial Revolution.
www.thesunprogram.com/

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) is a semiautonomous governmental organisation responsible for developing and promoting sustainable tourism in Guyana through collaboration with sister agencies and the tourism private sector in order to maximise local socio-economic and conservation outcomes and improve the visitors’ experience.  GTA is focused on Guyana becoming recognised locally and internationally as a premier destination for protecting its natural and cultural heritage, providing authentic experiences, and maximizing local economic benefits. For more information, visit www.guyanatourism.com



Jamaica Tourism Security team appointed

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Visitor surety is a top priority for Jamaica Tourism. Dr. Andrew Spencer, Executive Director of the Tourism Product Development Company Ltd. (TPDCo) appointed Dr. Peter Tarlow, Partner of certified.travel, as the head of the new National Jamaica Tourism Security team. TPDCo is the organization charged with the responsibility for Destination Assurance under the directive by its Honorable Minister, Edmund Bartlett, MP.

This follows a number of meetings between Dr. Tarlow and the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica Minister of Tourism, with Jamaica Minister of National Security, the Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, and senior members of the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) and its agencies.

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Certified.travel is a joint subsidiary of the eTN Corporation and Tourism & More. Dr. Tarlow is a leading industry professional with specific expertise in such areas as:

  • The impact of crime and terrorism on the tourism industry
  • Event and tourism risk management
  • Tourism and economic development
  • Development of response models for security threats
  • Tourism police and private security personnel and the development of TOPPs units
  • Reputational repair or enhancement as needed

Visitor surety means for Jamaica:

  • The providing of a safe and secure environment for the Jamaica’s visitors and for those who work in its visitor industry
  • Protection of the its tourism sites and infrastructure
  • Perceptions of Jamaica including how these perceptions impact its reputation
  • The protection of the nation’s economy vis-à-vis its tourism industry

TPDCo’s destination assurance initiatives and strategies are geared towards the following:

  1. Jamaica National Development Plan, specifically, Jamaica’s 2030 Vision goal; The Jamaican society is secure, cohesive and just
  2. Ministry of Tourism Strategic Business Plan Ensuring the safety, security, and sustainability of the natural and built environments
  3. MOT Tourism Pillar of Growth; New Partnerships

Dr. Peter Tarlow pointed out: “Tourism is the world’s leading peaceful industry and a major economic development tool. The tourism industry is also security (crime and terrorism) sensitive, and a lack of tourism surety has a major impact on tourism and event-oriented economies. Additionally, when public officials are tourism-sensitive, they offer the general public better service, economic opportunities, and an improved standard of living.

“The hospitality industry’s number one job is to protect its guests, and visitors demand safety and security by well-trained professionals. If the tourism industry fails in this regard, all else becomes irrelevant.

“Real security involves training, education, investments in software and the understanding that security is not a simplistic discipline or a passing phase. Tourism security personnel need continual training and must be flexible enough to adjust their procedure to a constantly-changing environment. One of the propositions to note is that as customer service increases, so does tourism security, and a better tourism product has the potential to increase national productivity, quality of life, and economic wellbeing. Security plus service and value for money will become the basis for 21st century tourism success!”

eTN Corporation President Juergen Steinmetz said: “We are excited to work with Jamaica Tourism on this important project. Adding Dr. Peter Tarlow to our portfolio of services and in forming certified.travel as a joined partnership is a game changer for the eTN Corporation, eTurboNews, and TravelMarketingNetwork.”

Unfortunately, within the last few months, Jamaica has had to deal with several incidents that have challenged the perception of its security in relation to visitation safety. These incidents have impacted the perception of Jamaica’s tourism product both locally and globally.

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, said: “We must safeguard the key aspects of destination assurance such as security, safety, and seamlessness of our tourism product. Dr. Peter Tarlow and the team will help us take a step in the right direction and provide insight in legislation that may be implemented to make the industry safer, as well as help us develop a new program on how to better relate and interact with international guests. His visit comes at a crucial point in the development of our product.”

More information on the eTN Travel & Tourism Security Program : www.certified.travel