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Expression of interests launched for new carrying-capacity studies for La Digue, Mahe and Praslin

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The Seychelles Ministry for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine have recently launched 2 expression of interests for carrying capacity studies to be undertaken on La Digue as well as Mahe and Praslin. The aim of the studies is to determine the current status of the islands and the acceptable amount of tourism development that can occur while still remaining sustainable, and assist the government in taking informed decisions on all future tourism development projects.

The Carrying-Capacity Study for La Digue dates back to 2013 and the results have led to the policy directive of setting a moratorium on the development of tourism accommodation establishments to 5 rooms per developer. This moratorium is supposed to be valid for a period of five years and the time has come to commission a new Carrying-Capacity Study.

Moreover, in 2018 the President announced that La Digue would be a model of sustainability as part of the National Vision 2033.  An eco-tourism strategy specific to the island for the next 15 years has been developed and the Carrying-Capacity Study on La Digue will aim to align with the established vision and provide recommendations to policy makers pertaining to future development on the island in view of assuring its sustainable development.

As for Mahe and Praslin, the Carrying-Capacity Study was commissioned in 2016 and set to be reviewed in 2020.  The results of the Carrying-Capacity Study has led to a number of policy directives and a set moratorium on the number of rooms that can be developed per promoter which is 20 rooms for Northern Mahe and 24 rooms per promoter for  the rest of Mahe and Praslin.

The carrying-capacity analysis will determine the ability of the ecosystem of La Digue, Mahe and Praslin and the various segments thereof to withstand all impacts of additional tourism development activities. The studies will apply the perspectives of Physical carrying capacity, Ecological carrying capacity, Social carrying capacity and Economic carrying capacity in order to develop a balanced overall assessment.

Consultants interested to undertake the study have to submit their expression of interest to the Department of Tourism by Friday, April 26, 2019 by 1500 hours. Results of the two carrying capacity studies will determine whether or not to maintain the moratorium currently in place on La Digue, Mahe and Praslin.

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UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism to analyze sector’s potential

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The countdown begins for the 5th World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism to be held on 2 and 3 May in Donostia-San Sebastián, organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Basque Culinary Center (BCC). International experts will analyze and discuss the influence and capacity of gastronomy tourism to create employment and promote entrepreneurship and how to increase its potential in the future. Registration to attend the forum is still open here.

Stimulating employment

The Forum will explore how the most favorable frameworks can be created in order to stimulate job creation and entrepreneurship throughout the gastronomy tourism value chain. In addition, the speakers will try to identify the most relevant skills for this type of tourism, which should foster synergies among emerging companies, promote the inclusion of disadvantaged groups and take full account of digitalization. The event will bring together speakers and experts from all regions of the world, as well as internationally renowned Basque chefs such as Elena Arzak, who is a UNWTO Ambassador for Responsible Tourism and joint head chef of the restaurant Arzak, and Andoni Luis Aduriz.
In addition, the event will host the presentation of the UNWTO/BCC Guidelines for the Development of Gastronomy Tourism.

Sessions and startups

The forum will open with a high-level panel with ministers and secretaries of state from countries that have included gastronomy tourism as part of their strategies, such as Cyprus, Slovenia or Spain, among others. Under the theme, “Public policies as key ingredients to promote gastronomy tourism”, the participants will discuss the necessary political framework for the development of gastronomy tourism as well as its capacity to create jobs and promote entrepreneurship.

In addition to shedding light on the competencies needed to meet the demands of gastronomy tourists, the sessions will encourage the creation of environments that stimulate entrepreneurship, that connect emerging companies and better integrate disadvantaged groups in the labour market. Issues related to local communities or to under-represented groups, such as women, youth and persons with disabilities, will also be discussed. In addition, topics such as the digitalization of the sector will also be analyzed in order to identify the new opportunities they offer to companies. In addition, the latest advances in the creation of the necessary framework to stimulate entrepreneurship will be presented, connecting the different ecosystems with the startups that are part of the value chain of gastronomy tourism.

In this context, the five finalist startups of the First Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition, organized by the UNWTO and the BCC, will present the most innovative projects in line with the UNWTO’s strategy and the contribution of gastronomy tourism to the sustainable development goals.

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UNWTO: Balearic Islands first tourism destination developed under 2030 Agenda

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Deploying new resources and actions for the progressive adaptation of the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca and Formentera) to the objectives of the 2030 Agenda, is one of the main objectives of the agreement signed between the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the IMPULSA BALEARS Foundation. Its aim is to jumpstart the process of the strategic reformulation of tourism in order to make an effective contribution to sustainable development.

The planning and execution of new projects focused on local sustainability taking into account the tourism production and consumption patterns of the Balearic Islands, close relations with regional actors, harnessing public-private synergies, and the generation of strategic knowledge on the part of the foundation, are among the key features of this cooperation with the UNWTO, as the United Nations agency responsible for promoting tourism as a vehicle for sustainable development.

The establishment of circular economy guidelines in the hotel sector of the Islands and the identification of best practices already being implemented in this regard are among the first initiatives of the agreement. The objectives are to establish a specific approach to the relationship between hotel activity and its surrounding environment, to obtain intelligence that facilitates decision-making in the implementation of responsible consumption and production measures in line with the 2030 Agenda, and to lay down a strategic framework to activate the network of companies in the sector and other stakeholders.

The memorandum of understanding, signed by UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, and the President of IMPULSA BALEARS, Carmen Planas, will be in force until 31 December 2021.

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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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SKAL Bangkok president talks happiness

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Assumption University’s Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management organised a special speaker’s series to Celebrate the International Day of Happiness

Assumption University’s Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management marked the United Nation International Day of Happiness with a special speaker’s session, 20 March, 2019 at Assumption University’s Suvarnabhumi campus. A lively panel discussion was held, focusing on Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness, led by Bangkok’s Skal  President Andrew Wood and Assumption University Alumni  and Skalleague Pichai Visutriratana. Bhutanese students studying at Assumption University shared their thoughts regarding sustainable tourism development in the kingdom of Bhutan.

The event was organized by Tourism Policy students and Dr Scott Michael Smith from Assumption University’s Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management and Skal Bangkok’s Director of Young Skal. The “International Day of Happiness” recognises happiness as the basic human goal and calls upon government and associated agencies to make policies towards improving peoples’ general well-being. The UN also acknowledges that social, environmental and economic well-being is mandatory for global happiness.

Bhutanese student Mr. Thrizong Dawa Gyaltshen provided a historical context of Gross Domestic Happiness of Bhutan. In Bhutan, they calculate GNH using indicators such as sustainable development, environmental protection, effective government, social justice and the preservation of traditions. Student leader, Ms. Anna Purna Sharwma, shares the importance of ‘mindfulness’ as a key to happiness and suggests meditation as being an important part of her daily routine.

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1st Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition: Who made the list?

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The 1st Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition recognizes the contribution of startups in the development of a more competitive and sustainable gastronomy tourism sector that works towards achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and its 17 SDGs.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Basque Culinary Center (BCC), with the support of PromPeru have announced the finalists of the 1st Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition, which recognize disruptive, inspirational projects having made an invaluable contribution to innovation in gastronomy tourism.

Over 300 initiatives were submitted from over 84 countries. Finalists were selected from Japan, Spain, Israel, Italy and the Czech Republic, ranging from new technologies, community-based tourism development projects, software initiatives and innovation-driven agricultural sustainability projects; all contributing to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The five selected startups will present their pitches to investors, gastronomy tourism experts and sector stakeholders within the framework of the 5th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism (San Sebastian, Spain) on 3 May 2019 where the winner will be selected by a jury.

The winning startup will be invited to take part in the Culinary Action accelerator programme during the second semester of 2019, where it will benefit from the mentoring and advice of the network of experts of BCC Innovation, a workspace in LABe’s Digital Gastronomy Lab project incubator, and a grant of up to 5,000 euros to cover the cost of accommodation and travel during this period.  All finalists will also be invited to present at the Ibero-American Gastronomy Fair (Miami, USA, 9-11 May 2019).

List of Finalists (in alphabetical order):

  1. ARB (Italy)

ARB provides farms, institutions, organisations and associations with technical assistance and support for multifunctional agriculture, diversification of agricultural activities, and innovation projects in agriculture.

  1. ARTHYLEN (Spain)

ARTHYLEN combines deep-learning and augmented reality technologies to facilitate the recognition of fresh products exposed in supermarkets, restaurants or warehouses in real time for hotels and restaurants.

  1. BITEMOJO (Israel)

Bitemojo is an award-winning innovative mobile app that offers a self-guided culinary experience via smartphone.

  1. DINIFY (Czech Republic)

Dinify offers a multilingual menu platform in which restaurants can publish and manage menus in multiple languages in order for travelers to read and order from restaurant menus in their native languages, no matter where they are and what their languages are.

  1. GINKAN (Japan)

GINKAN (SynchroLife) is the world’s first social restaurant review app with artificial intelligence based restaurant recommendations and cryptocurrency token rewards.

List of Semi- Finalists (in alphabetical order):

  1. BOTBOT (Singapore)
  2. CLOUDSALE (Lebanon)
  3. COOKLY (Thailand)
  4. CULTIVIUM (Mauritius)
  5. DINEER (Brazil)
  6. ECOMMUNIA PLANET(Spain)
  7. ESCAPPY TRAVEL (Colombia)
  8. FOLLOW THE FOLK (Spain)
  9. GET UP AND GO COLOMBIA (Colombia)
  10. KIMEGASTROBOT (Spain)
  11. LIMAFOODANDBOAT(Peru)
  12. LINGVO&FOOD (France)
  13. PLANT ON DEMAND  (Spain)
  14. POLOGASTRONOMICO (Portugal)
  15. TERTULIA ALGARVIA (Portugal)

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Climate Resilience Program for Travel & Tourism announced at WTTC Global Summit

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Speaking today at the WTTC Global Summit in Seville, Professor Geoffrey Lipman, SUNx Co-founder and President of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP), a travel and tourism coalition of global destinations committed to quality service and green growth, announced the launch of a Lifetime Learning program to support the Tourism sector as it transforms to Climate Friendly Travel. He said:

“Deep down, most people know, Travel & Tourism must respond to the eXistential challenge of Climate Change, must fully align with the Paris Agreement targets, and must play a leading role in the Green New Deal paradigm shift. Our sector is a central part of the human activity – social, economic and environmental: its influence and impact are growing: its role in development is fundamental. Mobility is a part of our DNA.”

SUNx – a legacy program for Maurice Strong, the father of sustainable development – has crafted the start of a response. “Plan For Our Kids” will create 100,000 STRONG Climate Champions in all UN States by 2030.”

Alongside Professor Lipman were program partners Robin Ingle CEO of leading Canadian-based global travel risk management and travel insurance provider Ingle International Inc., and Hamish Keith, CEO of South Asia Travel specialist EXO Travel Group.

Working with Ingle International as its first global sponsor and EXO Foundation as the first regional sponsor, SUNx want to help prepare the next generation of decision makers, as well as help companies and communities connect with them.

Just 50 STRONG Climate Champions in each State, every year for the next decade will see a global movement of 100,000 by 2030. They will be from the Greta Thunberg generation. They will have the same vision, commitment and tenacity.  They will help to build the thinking; drive the behaviour, identify innovations and influence the fundamental government and industry actions needed to deliver Climate Friendly Travel.

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India stakeholders focus on sustainable development of Heritage Tourism

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PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) organized the 8th India Heritage Tourism Conclave with the theme “Sustainable Tourism Management at World Heritage Sites” on March 27, 2019 at WelcomHotel The Savoy, Mussoorie. The program was supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

Inaugurating the Conclave, Dr. Sanjeev Chopra (IAS), Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, said: “A country as diverse as India is symbolized by the plurality of its culture and heritage. Heritage tourism in India is a real treasure as there are numerous cultural, historical and natural resources. There are immense possibilities of heritage tourism in India. This type of event can prove to be a milestone for increasing the tourism business of the country.”

H.E. Chung Kwang Tien, Ambassador, Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India; H.E. Fleming Duarte, Ambassador, Embassy of Paraguay; H.E. Dato Hidayat Abdul Hamid, High Commissioner, High Commission of Malaysia; H.E. Eleonora Dimitrova, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria; and H.E. Jagdishwar Goburdhun, High Commissioner-Designate, Mauritius High Commission were also present at the program and shared the heritage tourism potential of their respective countries.

PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its Knowledge Partner- Auctus Advisors have jointly released a Knowledge Report ‘Sustainable Heritage Tourism in India’. The report gives a holistic view on heritage tourism across the world and in the country. The report says that while growth in Indian tourism needs to be aggressively taken up, the sustainability dimension of tourism also needs to be viewed with equal importance.

Radha Bhatia, Chairperson – Tourism Committee, PHDCCI, said that the ancient past of India has ensured that the present and subsequent generations have abundant of historical and cultural inheritance to be proud of. “The restoration efforts to safeguard valuable heritage assets at government’s end in association with various agencies and organizations are visible at places of historic significance but there are so many places which still stand apart and require immediate attention. Preserving India’s cultural heritage for the enrichment and education of present and future generations is crucial,” she said.

Kishore Kumar Kaya, Co-Chairman – Tourism Committee, PHDCCI welcomed all the dignitaries and expressed his desire to host more such programmes in future at WelcomHotel The Savoy, Mussoorie.

Ruskin Bond, Leading Indian Author; Bill Aitken, Travel Writer and Dinraj Pratap Singh, Owner, Kasmanda Palace were felicitated during the program.

While setting the theme of the Conclave, Rajan Sehgal, Co-Chairman – Tourism Committee, PHDCCI, said, “India’s World Heritage Tourism Sites have an added advantage for attracting international tourists. Nearly 85% of all visitors to India visit one or the other heritage sites of the country in their course of the vacation. Tourism in India has shown a phenomenal growth in the past decade and is expected to emerge as the most important revenue earner for India in the years to come.”

Panel Discussion on ‘Creating a Sustainable Ecosystem for promotion of Heritage Tourism’ had Vinod Zutshi (IAS Retd.), Former Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India as the moderator and witnessed Bhavna Saxena (IPS), Special Commissioner, Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board; Pronab Sarkar, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators; Dr. Lokesh Ohri, Convenor – Dehradun Chapter, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage; Anil Bhandari, Chairman, A B Smart Concepts; Ganesh Saili, Indian Author; Kulmeet Makkar, CEO, Producers Guild of India; Virendra Kalra, Chairman – Uttarakhand Chapter, PHDCCI; Sandeep Sahni, President, Hotels & Restaurants Association of Uttarakhand; Sumit Kumar Agarwal, Secretary General, Tribal India Chamber of Trade Agriculture and Commerce; and Manish Chheda, Managing Director, Auctus Advisors.

Heritage tourism in India with 37 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and numerous other natural sites has immense potential that need repeat visits to cover all of them. The challenges are very demanding keeping in mind conservation and environmental protection. ‘Adopt a Heritage Scheme’ by Ministry of Tourism and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is one of the best practices to showcase our monuments and drive sustainable growth.

The panelists highlighted that the need of the hour is to have a clear vision and a well-defined execution plan with the goal of sustainable development that provides conservation and growth, clean air, water, energy and heritage at large. Technology, documentation, capacity building and regulation are the way to go for sustainable development of heritage tourism.

A Heritage Walk was also organized during the program for all the delegates to enjoy the heritage of Mussoorie not only as past, but as a living tradition.

Yogesh Srivastav, Principal Director, PHDCCI, said that PHDCCI is committed to create such meaningful platforms to do its bit in enabling all the parameters of the tourism industry to grow and flourish further. The Conclave was attended by over 150 delegates.

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Seychelles recognized as world’s Most Beautiful Island at GQ Travel Awards Russia

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Destination Seychelles was cited as “The Most Beautiful Island” in the world after walking away with the title at the GQ Travel Awards, a ceremony that took place on March 15, 2019, at the Metropol Hotel, in Moscow, Russia.

The GQ Travel Awards ceremony recognizes the leading companies, hotels, and destinations from the elite travel industry. The winners in the 17 different categories including Seychelles were chosen by GQ readers who voted online on the magazine’s website.

The island destination was presented with the award during a ceremony attended by some 250 prominent guests including industry professionals, representatives of host countries, Russian celebrities, and famous travelers, and was followed by a gala dinner.

Ms. Diana Sarkisyan, PR & Marketing representative from the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) for the Russian and CIS region, accepted the award on behalf of Seychelles.

Seychelles remains a high-end destination, popular among Russian visitors for its sandy white beaches, warm turquoise waters, and diverse unique flora and fauna. Various beaches such as Anse Lazio on Praslin have been seen as being among some of the most beautiful in the world.

The island nation is one of the world’s leading actors when it comes to sustainable tourism and sustainable development, a concept to which the Russian visitors are very responsive.

Speaking about the latest recognition received by the destination at the GQ Travel Awards, Mrs. Sherin Francis, STB Chief Executive, mentioned that it is an honor for the destination to have been voted by the readers of GQ magazine.

“It is such a privilege to feature as the most beautiful island; as a destination, we are conscious of our inestimable resources, and we strive to demarcate ourselves by our uniqueness, and it is rewarding to see that our efforts have not gone unnoticed,” said Mrs. Francis.

The STB Chief Executive further stated that the achievement is the result of hard work and congratulated the various partners for their constant support towards building the destination’s reputation.

GQ is a men’s magazine offering analytics and current reports of international quality with the latest men’s fashion and style news. It is the number one magazine for male visitors of luxury department stores.

GQ’s regular authors are the best of the best in their industry, from both Russia and abroad, and has a close access to celebrities unlike any other Russian magazine in its niche. It is an unrivaled guidance and companion for a successful man.

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