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

February 27, 2019 by forimmediaterelease.net -

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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 4^th 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.

Thai tourism organisations step up war on plastic

January 21, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Bangkok, 21 January 2019 – The Thai Hotels Association (THA) is joining the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in its ongoing effort aimed at reducing the use of plastic.

Various campaigns will encourage hotels, both THA members and independent Thai hotels, to reduce single use plastic plus motivate tour companies, travel agencies and online travel agencies to support participating hotels that are part of this project.

TAT Governor Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn said: “We look forward to working closely with the THA on this important project. Thai hotels can play an important role both in raising awareness among their guests and reducing plastic waste in daily hotel operations.”

Mr. Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, TAT Deputy Governor for Digital Research and Development (3rd from left); Mrs. Srisuda Wanapinyosak, TAT Deputy Governor of International Marketing – Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas (4th from left); Ms. Supawan Tanomkieatipume, THA President; Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor (center); Mrs. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, THA Vice President and Chairperson of THA Environment Committee (5th from right); Mr. Charun Ohnmee, TAT Deputy Governor for Policy and Planning (4th from right); and representatives of THA hotel members.

Ms. Supawan Tanomkieatipume, THA President; Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor; and Mrs. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, THA Vice President and Chairperson of THA Environment Committee

The joint effort will invoke 12 preliminary guidelines for participating hotels to follow:

Reduce plastic packaging used for bathroom amenities.
Reduce the use of plastic bags in hotel rooms (laundry or trash bin).
Use local products made with biodegradable packaging materials.
Reduce plastic water bottles; use reusable containers instead, especially for meetings and seminars.
No plastic straws.
Self-service corner for coffee/tea breaks during meetings and seminars.
Reduce single use plastic food or drink containers.
Separate trash bins on beach areas adjacent to hotels.
Create a sustainable ‘no plastic’ rate card for meetings and weddings customers.
Separate waste at the hotel.
Organise all departments within the hotel to reduce plastic.
Encourage guests, customers, clients and partners to join the ‘anti-plastic revolution’.

TAT will support all participating hotels at their participation in trade shows; such as, the ITB, TTM, WTM, etc. Green friendly operators will also meet core criteria TAT uses to invite and support sellers to join trade shows and road shows.

This joint effort between TAT and THA marks the first step under TAT’s collaboration initiative with various stakeholders in July last year.

Other public and private sector partners joining in TAT’s reducing tourism-related waste initiative include the THA, the Expedia Group, Tourism Council of Thailand, Siam Piwat Retail and Development Company, Chao Phraya River tourism-related businesses including ICONSIAM, Nonthaburi Municipality, plus other local communities in Bangkok.

All pledge to raise environmental awareness while encouraging other tourism-related businesses to support their initiative.

Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand

Thailand Tourism Festival 2019 promotes environmentally-friendly travel

January 10, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Bangkok, 10 January 2019 – Excitement is building for this year’s Thailand Tourism Festival 2019 (TTF 2019), which aims to inspire Thais, expatriates and visiting tourists alike to travel around Thailand in an environmentally-friendly and sustainable way.

The event takes place from 23 to 27 January in Bangkok’s Lumphini Park with five ‘tourism villages’ representing the regions of Thailand plus two additional zones.

Highlights of the Thailand Tourism Festival 2019 were unveiled at today’s press conference, presided over by TAT Governor Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn (center, yellow jacket)

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn said each zone of the ‘tourism village’ comes with its own theme or stage for activities and performances.

“Under the theme of environmentally-minded tourism, the Thailand Tourism Festival 2019 promotes green travel with the objective of presenting inspirational and attractive tourism products and services to stimulate more travel bookings to both major and emerging destinations.

“It also encourages visitors and Thai nationals to boldly step out and travel beyond traditional destinations and experience Thailand from a new perspective and point of view.”

The different zones on offer at the TTF 2019 include:

Central Region Zone – presents the heritage of old Siam through a traditional Thai house and the former rural way of life back in the days through demonstrations; such as, traditional garland making.

Northern Zone – showcases the beautiful handwoven cotton and silk textiles the region is famous for, presenting the intricate patterns. The zone reflects the artistic nature of the people of the North plus a range of contemporary arts inspired by the region.

Southern Zone – presenting new perspectives of the South that boldly goes beyond the beaches and islands including the secondary cities; such as, Surat Thani and Phatthalung, the hidden gems in major cities like Phuket’s Peranakan and arts in the three southernmost provinces.

Northeastern (Isan) Zone – brings Thailand’s more vibrant cuisine to life. Food is one major inspiration for travelling to this region, linking it with traditional festivals and cultural values while promoting its three main tourism clusters: North Isan, Central Isan and South Isan.

Eastern Zone – presenting new perspectives of the East under a ‘more fun’ concept through replicas of landmarks most synonymous with the region in combination with three dedicated corners for 3D photography backdrops reflecting the region’s identity.

Perhaps most importantly, there is also a ‘Reduce-Reuse-Recycle’ waste initiative zone to help raise awareness and promote responsible sustainable tourism through various activities, games and more.

TAT Studio – provides daily live broadcasts of the TTF 2019 in all formats: news reports, special scoops, interviews plus activities and performances. It comprises a live digital TV studio, a 1672 traveller companion information centre, an ‘Or Sor Tho’ magazine section, and virtual reality games and lucky draws.

For more information, call the TAT Contact Centre on 1672.

*Today’s press conference also showcased some of the products and services to be on offer at the Thailand Tourism Festival 2019.

A ‘Reduce-Reuse-Recycle’ waste initiative zone