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Meet Doris Wörfel, CEO of the African Tourism Board

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The African Tourism Board recently put is winning team of veteran travel and tourism leaders together. Leading ATB as their CEO is Doris Wörfel. Originally from Bavaria, Germany Doris studied psychology, sports, arts, and politics – everything needed to move African Tourism Board forward.

Doris Wörfel is a long-time resident of Pretoria, South Africa and an African by heart She fell in love with the continent and wants to give back.


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She stated:

It is a great pleasure for me to announce the launch of the African Tourism Board and its marketing company, African Tourism and Convention. Africa has long been waiting for an institution that connects the public sector with the private sector to facilitate, advance and promote tourism growth and development on a Continental level.

African Tourism Board was soft-launched in April 2019 at WTM Africa in Cape Town, and since then has been restructured by a new strategic framework:

ATB is an Africa-based company to benefit Africa and its people and is perfectly positioned to provide the strategic platform for any topics of common interest relating to the tourism sector.

The aim of the African Tourism Board is not only to further grow and sell well-known and established tourism destinations, but also to benefit the many underdeveloped regions with the highest tourism potential.

Strategic partnerships between private sectors are the key for ATB to sustainable growth and development in the African tourism sector to improve the livelihood of African people by job creation.

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A unique tool adds more value to ATB: To productively promote Africa to the Global Source Markets, the African Tourism Board is affiliated with the marketing orientated company, “African Tourism and Convention Marketing” to implement events, programs and projects related to promoting tourism on the Continent.

Join us on the journey to become this unique, extraordinary, and fascinating Continent ONE Tourism Destination of Choice in the World! I am looking forward to welcoming you on Board!

More information on African Tourism Board: www.africantourismboard.com 

MEDIA CONTACT: TravelMarketingNetwork, 954 Lexington Ave. #1037, New York, NY 10021 USA, PH: (+1) 718-374-6816, marketing@travelmarketingnetwork.com   

African Tourism Board applauds President Kenyatta of Kenya for co-chairing the Global Resilience and Crisis Management Center

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The President of the Republic of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta has accepted Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett’s invitation to be honorary co-chair representing Africa) on the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCM).

Cuthbert Ncube, chairman of the African Tourism Board issued the following statement:

” We want to congratulate the Honourable President of the Republic of Kenya His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta for his new role as the Honourary Co-Chair.

ATB applauds and acknowledges His Excellence for his efforts in implementing a well-coordinated and synchronized approach in sustainable Tourism in Kenya, his involvement with GTRCM will bring much-needed expertise and knowledge within the Global Community.”

The Hon. Minister of Tourism for Jamaica  Edmund Bartlett is a founding member of the African Tourism Board.

President Kenyatta joined the esteemed ranks of Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, former president of Malta, as GTRCM honorary co-chairs.

The African Tourism Board believes tourism is a catalyst for unity, peace, growth, prosperity, job creation for the People of Africa.

More information: www.africantourismboard.com 

MEDIA CONTACT: TravelMarketingNetwork, 954 Lexington Ave. #1037, New York, NY 10021 USA, PH: (+1) 718-374-6816, marketing@travelmarketingnetwork.com   

Potential Global Economic Downturn and Sargassum real threats to Tourism, says Bartlett

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Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has indicated that Jamaica is taking note that the potential global economic downturn and sargassum phenomena are real threats to the tourism industry.

“We recall the recession of 2008 that impacted economies globally and recognize the need to strategize in light of data and trends. Despite this global recession, Jamaica’s tourism grew by an average 3.5% and we will need to learn from those lessons,” said Minister Bartlett.

There is general concern that the global economy may be on the verge of a slight downturn and possible recession. There is also concern regarding sargassum, which is a type of seaweed that can negatively impact tourist destinations when washed up on shore. 

Minister Bartlett said, “The possibility of a global economic downturn can have a devastating impact on not only Jamaica’s tourism but the region’s tourism. Coupled with this potential threat is now the impending influx of sargassum on our shores. What this means is that we must act decisively and swiftly to collaborate on the best way forward to get ahead of these threats.” 

Minister Bartlett was speaking at a meeting with members of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) today at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, to discuss the threat of sargassum on the island’s tourism. The meeting included senior officials from the Ministry and its agencies, key hotel stakeholders and President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourist Association.

“This meeting with our hotel partners is critical as we seek ways to develop economic resilience. These threats have the potential to negatively impact our livelihoods given the fact that the Caribbean is so heavily dependent on tourism.

Potential Global Economic Downturn and Sargassum real threats to Tourism, says Bartlett
Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (C), at the start of the meeting with key hotel stakeholders at the JHTA to discuss the threat of sargassum on the island’s tourism. Joining Minister Bartlett (L-R) are, President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Omar Robinson, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Mrs. Jennifer Griffith, Executive Director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund, Dr. Carey Wallace and Director of Projects at the Tourism Enhancement Fund, Johan Rampair.

Last year, the Caribbean welcomed 29.9 million visitors and contributed 40% of the region’s GDP but if we do not act, we could see our growth in arrivals and earnings go down,” added Minister Bartlett.  

Minister Bartlett also used the opportunity to have partners from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) make a presentation on their suggested strategy to cut off the sargassum prior to it reaching our shores and to get feedback from hoteliers.

President of the JHTA, Omar Robinson also highlighted the need to urgently identify solutions to “mitigate against any potential fallout this could have on our tourism product.” 

Minister Bartlett added that as it relates to sargassum, “The Global Tourism and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCM) is leading the charge to collaborate and conduct research to come up with workable solutions. Earlier this week, the GTRCM also met with the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, to explore future collaboration regarding research on the sargassum challenges faced by the Caribbean towards identifying solutions.”

Minister Bartlett, through the GTRCM, recently spearheaded a regional sargassum forum which included mechanical engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Precision Engineering Research Group; and noted researchers from the University of the West Indies, Mona and the GTRCM. 

On October 9 and 10 of this year, the GTRCM will host a second summit with leading researchers geared towards climatic disruptions with a focus on sargassum.                     

Media Contact:                                                                                                      

Corporate Communications Division

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard       

Kingston 5

Tel: (876) 920-4926-30

Fax: (876) 906 1729

Second shortlist unveiled for WTM International Travel & Tourism Awards 2019

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The second line-up of shortlisted candidates for the International Travel & Tourism Awards (ITTAs), presented by WTM, is revealed today (Thursday 15 August).

More than 90 nominations have been shortlisted for the prestigious awards scheme, now in their second year, as the Awards will celebrate the very best of travel and tourism on a global scale. The ITTAs recognise the outstanding successes of destinations, tourist boards, private sector companies and individuals.

The winners will be announced to an audience of more than 500 leading industry figures – including Heads of Tourism and Government Ministers – during a prestigious awards ceremony at Magazine London. The brand new event space, which is located just a stone’s throw away from WTM London venue, ExCeL offers a super modern experience with outstanding views of the City.

The ITTAs, presented by WTM and supported by the UNWTO, welcomed a selection of distinguished judges to assess the first tranche of categories, and the contenders have today been unveiled.

Expert judges were drawn from top industry organisations including, WTTC, International Airline Group (IAG), Adobe, Earth Changers, London & Partners, Euromonitor International, public relations body PRCA and the Global Wellness Institute.

The Best Destination category, introduced for 2019, saw an overwhelming response with more than 20 entries, so to enable the judges to compare the entries fairly, this category is now split into Country, City and Region, creating three separate categories.

Nicole Smart, International Travel & Tourism Awards Organiser, said: “We are amazed to see even more shortlisted entries for 2019, compared to the inaugural event last year. I feel this alone shows huge support from the industry.
“We have been delighted with both the volume and quality of the entries, with contenders entering from across the globe – from destinations as diverse as St.Kitts, Jordan, Kerala and Wales – and they demonstrate how tourism is playing a vital role in the economies of different cities and regions.

“Our judges have been greatly impressed by the exceptional quality of entries, and those who are on the shortlist know they have reached a very high standard – they will be among the best in the world.

The second categories to have shortlists unveiled are listed below, with the first wave announced last month (Thursday 25 July).

Best National Tourism Board Campaign

o Azerbaijan: Take Another Look by Azerbaijan Tourism Board
o Incredible India by CNBC
o Revitalising Tobago Tourism by Gravity Global
o The St. Kitts Shout Out by Rooster PR
o Feel Slovenia, Experience Croatia by Slovenian Tourist Board and Croatian National Tourist Board
o #GetNZontheMap by Tourism New Zealand

Best in Adventure

o Rubondo Island Camp, Rubondo Island National Park, Lake Victoria, Tanzania by Asilia Africa
o Alice in 7 Wonderlands by DEC BBDO
o Explore launches short break: Discover Chernobyl by Explore
o Intrepid Travel Women’s Expeditions by Intrepid Travel
o Guyana as a Leading Sustainable Adventure Destination by LOTUS
o Creating The Closest Thing To Flying by Rooster PR
o Alpe-Adria-Trail by Slovenian Tourist Board
o Jordan Trail by The Jordan Trail Association
o Getting off the beaten track in Northern Thailand, by The Tuk Tuk Club

Best Digital Campaign in Tourism

o Join me in Jamaica by Brighter Group, a Finn Partners Company
o TBC Asia 2018 by Cinnamon Hotel Management Ltd
o Destination Abu Dhabi 2018 by Department of Culture and Tourism
o VisitBritain – #GreatBritishSurprise by Digital Visitor
o Wanderers – powered by G Adventures by G Adventures
o Discover Your South Africa by Ginger Juice
o #keyframe19: Plenty of influencers – and no ads, please by Hamburg Marketing GmbH
o iClick Interactive x Palazzo Versace Hotel: Expanding Brand Presence in Digital China by iClick Interactive Asia Limited
o Kerala Blog Express 5 by Kerala Tourism
o Tourism and Events Queensland – #GoForGold with the Queensland Games by MDSG
o Serbia Moments by National Tourism Organisation of Serbia
o MTV in Western Australia by SLC Representation

Best in Luxury

o Santorini Luxury Cruises – The experience of a lifetime! by Caldera Yachting
o The Art of Celebration by CNBC
o Carpe Diem Exclusive Boutique Santorini by PR MEDIACO
o Alpe-Adria-Golf by Slovenian Tourist Board

Best PR Campaign

o Malta Tourism Authority: Valletta 2018 by Brighter Group, a Finn Partners Company
o We’ve Come a Long Way by Jago and Tourism NI
o #CoverTheProgress by KETCHUM INC
o First World Bee Day PR Campaign by Slovenian Tourist Board
o Lost Skills campaign by Travelopia: The Moorings | Sunsail

Best Digital Influencer Campaign

o #LoveAntiguaBarbuda 2018 by Brighter Group, a Finn Partners Company
o Archipelago Guide For An Accidental Traveller by Citynomadi Ltd
o Abu Dhabi Destination Campaign by Department of Culture and Tourism
o Sailing in the British Virgin Islands with The Moorings and Simon Shaw by Travelopia: The Moorings | Sunsail
o Nassau Paradise Island & Find Us Lost by VERB Interactive

Best Destination Campaign – Country

o Azerbaijan: Take Another Look by Azerbaijan Tourism Board
o Buzz4trips by Buzz4trips
o Incredible !ndia 2.0 by CNN International Commercial
o Revitalising Tobago Tourism by Gravity Global
o #CoverTheProgress by KETCHUM INC
o Destination Campaign | No spoilers. See it live. by Loosers s.r.o.
o Wales Reimagined: Reviving Post Industrial Landscapes with Adventure Tourism by Smorgasbord
o South African Tourism – Discover Your South Africa by The Brighter Group

Best in Responsible Tourism

o Green Motion Environmental Strategy by Green Motion International
o Turizem Bohinj – Creating Sustainable Destination Model by AM+A Marketing & Media Relations

International Travel & Tourism Awards (ITTAs), presented by WTM London, celebrate the success of national, regional and city tourist boards and recognise outstanding private sector companies and individuals. Now in their second year, the awards will showcase the best in class of the global travel & tourism industry at the new venue, Magazine London on Tuesday 5 November 2019. https://awards.wtm.com/

About World Travel Market

World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises seven leading B2B events across four continents, generating more than $7 billion of industry deals. The events are:

WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. About 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating about £3.4 billion in travel industry contracts. http://london.wtm.com/.

Next event: Monday 4 – Wednesday 6 November 2019 – London #IdeasArriveHere

Media Contact:

Nicole Smart

E: nicole.smart@reedexpo.co.uk

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7032/ M: +44 (0)79 1955 5510

Julia Newbound – WTM Portfolio PR Executive

E: julia.newbound@reedexpo.co.uk

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7056 / M: +44 (0)7775 036 858

3900 Youth Empowered by TEF Summer Internship Program in 6 Years

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In the past 6 years, some 3,900 youth have benefitted from the Jamaica Tourism Enhancement Fund’s (TEF) Summer Internship Program (SIP), which introduces participants (between 16-25 years) to the world of work and assists them with gaining professional experience.  

This year’s internship program gave some 649 high school and tertiary students the opportunity to intern in tourism and non-tourism fields at 90 private and public sector entities across the island. In addition, TEF collaborated with Jamaica Association for the Deaf to place 10 hearing impaired students.

Speaking to a packed house at the program’s closing ceremony, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett told the interns that their postings would have given them a “very practical and hands on appreciation  of the many moving parts that must come together seamlessly to create the tourism experience that we sell to the world.”  The ceremony took place today at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston.

Noting that some interns may have wondered in the process how significant their jobs were to tourism, Minister Bartlett explained the five pillars essential to tourism growth (new products, new markets, new investments, development of human capital and new partnerships) and the importance of partnerships  that bring the many moving parts of tourism together.

Nearly 4000 Jamaican Youth Empowered by Tourism Enhancement Fund Internship
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Jennifer Griffith (left) presents Shaniel Brown with a Top Perfomer Award in the Tourism Enhancement Fund’s (TEF) Summer Internship Program (SIP). Shaniel, who interned at the Shortwood Branch of the National Parish Library, also won a Customer Service Gold Award. The occasion was the SIP closing ceremony, which took place today at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston. This year TEF collaborated with the Jamaica Association for the Deaf to place 10 hearing impaired students at various private sector and government entities.

“You may wonder why you went to a paramedical facility to work. Because we are involved in creating three key S’s that are important to those five pillars – safety, security and seamlessness. So, to enable safety and have an understanding of safety you now have to go where the providers of safety reside. And it’s not just the police but the hospitals,” said the Tourism Minister, noting that health security is a critical part of the Destination Assurance that makes Jamaica a place where people want to go to.

“So we need trauma centers and we need proper clinics, trained nurses that can respond quickly and the best doctors. We also need the best equipment for medical care.  So you see just within the sphere of medicine – another moving part – how we are securing the safety of our visitors,” Minister Bartlett continued.

He pointed out that the providers of security and the creation of a seamless system through connectivity were equally important to tourism’s proper functioning and success.

“These are what cause tourism to happen and so therefore when we do these summer internship programmes it is to expose you to these areas that are not in the hotels where traditionally you see tourism. We deliberately didn’t post you at hotels for that purpose  so you understand how broad, how extensive, how inclusive tourism is; how deep and wide the value chain of tourism is; and how when you train in all these various disciplines you are really preparing yourself to give service,” he said.

He noted that the focus of SIP is customer service and service excellence, which is part of the broader policy of the Ministry of Tourism concerning human capital development and as part of professionalizing the tourism sector through the Ministry’s educational arm, the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation.

This year, interns were taken through formal training in customer service, business and office etiquette and leadership development with special focus on Guest Service Gold Tourism for which they will be certified. This certificate course was offered in partnership with the American Hotel and Lodging Educational institute (AHLEI).

Media Contact:

Corporate Communications

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: (876) 920-4926-30

Fax: (876) 906 1729