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Rifai joins adventure travel association
The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) has roped in Taleb Rifai, former secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) as a special advisor. Rifai, a two-term secretary-general of UNWTO, has extensive experience in developing and leading sustainable tourism models. He will now turn his hand to supporting adventure travel through ATTA, a global association, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. “Rifai has served the global travel community for decades at the highest level and, during that time, exhibited incredible leadership, thoughtfulness, and care. We couldn’t be more thrilled that he chose to lend his incredible vision to the ATTA,” said Shannon Stowell, CEO of ATTA. Rifai served as secretary-general for the UNWTO from January 2010 through December 2017. His focus in the position was on the travel and tourism industry’s contributions and responsibilities in a rapidly growing and changing the global environment. As a special advisor to ATTA, Rifai will provide guidance and vision to ATTA’s work, starting with the MENA region around the momentum created by three years of AdventureNEXT in Jordan. “Adventure tourism is not just simply exercise. You can do that at a gym. Adventure tourism is to be totally engulfed by your surroundings, and adventure has no age limits. At 70, I am still ready for an adventure. It is truly the future of tourism,” said Rifai.
Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre inaugurated in Jordan
Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) referred to as the Taleb Rifai Centre has been launched in Jordan. It will operate under the leadership of professor Salam Almahadin, president of the university. Bartlett arrived earlier, accompanied by Kenya minister of tourism, Najib Balala. They were greeted in Amman by Jordan minister of tourism, Nayef Himiedi Al-Fayez. Minister Al-Fayez of Jordan, said: “We welcome the inception of the Taleb Rifai Centre here at the Middle East University. We trust that this initiative will play a key role in delivering resilience, robustness and agility to the tourism industry which is one of the most important sectors in the Jordanian economy through its 13 per cent contribution to GDP.” The Jordan facility is the sixth such satellite centre to launch, followings the GTRCMC debut in Jamaica. Earlier this month, the GTRCMC successfully launched the Global Tourism Resilience Day during an event at Expo 2020 in Dubai. The move was part of a multi-tier, international campaign to build resilience in the global travel industry through expansion of the Global Tourism Resilience & Disaster Management Centres. A book on tourism resilience was also released, outlining best practice. The GTRCMC model works in partnership with an outstanding institution of higher learning, namely a well-situated university with departments covering management, research, innovation, civics, policy creation and international development.
World Tourism Network Invites You to Bali The Journey of the Heart
eTurboNews: The World Tourism Network global summit TIME 2023 will be taken place in Bali from September 29 to October 1. In preparation, WTN partnered with Tourism Webinar organizer and host of Bali’s “The Journey of the Heart, International Symposium with Expert Panel.” In further partnership with the Bali Tourism Board, the Bali Tourism Polytechnic, the Indonesia Public Relation Agency, the Association of the Indonesian Tours & Travel Agencies, UNWTO, and PATA, the World Tourism Network Chairman Juergen Steinmetz will join a high-level panel of experts. WTN vice chair Dr. Taleb Rifai, who was the former UNWTO Secretary-General, will attend the panel, together with Mr. Tjok Bagus Pemayun, head of the Bali Tourism Biard, Mr. Putu Winatra, Head of ASITA Bali, Mr. Peter Semone, Chairman of PATA will be participating under the creator and director of Tourism Webinar, Dr. Reza Soltani. Tourism Social Psychologist Dr. Birgit Trauer, a WTN member from Australia, will moderate the panel on June 2,08.00 am Central European Time. WTN members and eTN Readers are invited to participate and can register on tourismwebinar.com SubscribePrintEmailTwitterFacebookLinkedInTelegramWhatsAppVKMessengerSMSRedditFlipboardPinterestTumblrXingBufferHacker NewsLineMixPocketYummly alert("URL Copied"));'>Copy Read more: World Tourism Network Invites You to Bali The Journey of the Heart Copyright: eTurboNews is Travel Industry News - Travel & Tourism Story Telling Exposed
High TIMES for SMEs in World Tourism: Minister Rings Bali Gong
by: Dmytro Makarov | copyright: eTurboNews - Travel Industry News - World Travel News His Excellency Sandiaga Uno, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economies for the Republic of Indonesia, traveled from Jakarta to Bali today to be the keynote speaker for the pre-launch of TIME 2023 at the Harris Riverview Hotel in Kuta. A year ago, eTurboNews named him the most social minister in the world. Today, an excited audience greeted this popular leader who pledged his support for the World Tourism Network. The minister said: “Today, I received my 4th COVID shot and felt a bit ‘under the weather.’ SMEs matter, and I didn’t want you to be disappointed. Therefore, I am ringing the gong for the prelaunch of TIME 2023, the upcoming first global summit for the World Tourism Network in Bali.” The minister was also the first to register at the time2023.com website to attend the first World Tourism Network Summit in Bali from September 29 to October 1, 2023. The power of the gong and Balinese dances affects both mind and body in a profound way. With the power of the Balinese gong and after an exotic performance by Balinese dancers, His Excellency the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy for the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. H. Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, and the World Tourism Network Indonesia Chapter Chairwoman, Mudi Astuti, signed the MOU to allow Bali, Indonesia, to be the host of this first WTN global summit and think tank. Signing of the MOU between the Minister of Tourism and WTN Juergen Steinmetz, Chairman of the World Tourism Network, and WTN President Dr. Peter Tarlow attended virtually from the United States and echoed their excitement, thanking the Hon. Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, the Bali Tourism Board, the Indonesia Healthcare Corporation, and the WTN team in Bali under the direction of WTN Chapter Chairwoman Mudi Astut for their ambition and hard work. Dr. Taleb Rifai, former UNWTO Secretary-General, who is a WTN patron, joined the TIME2023 launch from his home in Jordan on Zoom and explained the World Tourism Network’s role in keeping networking and communication up in the world of tourism during COVID. WTN Chairman Juergen Steinmetz related greetings by Alain St. Ange, WTN Vice President for International Affairs, who was in Ghana at the time. St.Ange was the former Minister of Tourism for Seychelles. Chairman Steinmetz said there could not have been a better venue than the “Islands of the Gods” – Bali. He remembered when he worked in Indonesia when his company represented this country’s tourism product in the United States in 2000. “This event will be a milestone for the World Tourism Network. Founded as a think tank for rebuilding travel in March 2020 in Berlin, Germany, World Tourism Network grew to a sizable global network organization with members in 129 countries. With such a dedicated global team of like-minded tourism professionals, we’re ready to keep our discussion up after COVID and play our important role in supporting SMEs in the world tourism industry around the globe. Steinmetz specifically mentioned WTN Vice President Rudi Herrmann in Malaysia for building the Sustainable Travel & Tourism Linkedin Group by the World Tourism Network with currently 7758 members. Herrmann, who is German, is a also a devoted Muslim and started the first “Sustainable” Muslim Tourism Linkedin Group by the World Tourism Network. Just launched, it already has 499 members. Here is what you need to know about TIME 2023 TIME 2023 is scheduled from September 29 to October 1 at the Rennaissance Uluwatu Resort & Spa in Bali. WTN is all about Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The focus of the summit, therefore, will be on SMEs. Buyers will meet sellers, and sellers will meet buyers. TIME2023 will be a networking event with a focus to generate business for inbound and outbound tourism. Indonesia is an important outbound tourism source country, as well a long time top destination for world travelers. Mudi Astuti, Chairwoman WTN Indonesia Time 2023 will facilitate a big fam trip for well-vetted selling travel trade participants that want to explore Bali. Bali hotels, resorts, attractions, airlines, and other stakeholders are invited to join WTN and host qualified participants after the summit. Time2023 will also be an opportunity for bloggers, writers, and media invited to come together and explore new niches. Juergen Steinmetz, Chairman WTN and Publisher eTurboNews Besides ongoing networking and doing business among friends, there are four pillars of think tank discussions. TIME 2023 IS FOUR EVENTS IN ONE The Spa Lady Windi Yang from Taiwan and Vice President of SKAL International Taipei pledged her cooperation with the Asian Aera Regional SKAL Congress in Bali June 1-3. WTN Chairman Steinmetz, who is a SKAL member himself, welcomed collaboration with SKAL International, an organization that is dedicated to doing business among friends. TIME FOR RESILIENCE AND INVESTMENTS The Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica and co-founder of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, is also the minister behind the official Tourism Resilience Day. This day was just made official by the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Bartlett will be attending the TIME 2023 summit. The opening of a Bali Tourism Resilience Center is expected to be launched during TIME 2023. Ibrahim Ayoub, the founder of the International Tourism Investment Conference, said from London: “We are thrilled to be part of the WTN Summit in Bali. ITIC’s mission is to facilitate FDI in destinations, and we are committed to working towards enabling investment in bankable projects in Indonesia, Asia, and Oceania regions. TIME FOR MEDICAL HEALTH Dr. Mira Dyah Wahyuni, Mars, the President and Director of Indonesia Healthcare Corporation, announced the importance Bali is expected to become in the field of Medical Tourism. The Bali International Hospital, under the leadership of Dr. Taufik Jamaan, will open as a Mayo Clinic on the island. Health and Medical Tourism will be an important discussion point at TIME2023, with destinations from around the globe invited to join the think tank. TIME FOR CULTURAL TOURISM REGIONS Smaller cultural tourism regions are often overlooked in the big picture. Still, they contribute enormously to the tourism well-being of so many in their area, and they often stand as essential attractions for niche markets and mainstream travel opportunities. WTN will be inviting mayors from cultural cities and other leaders from the cultural tourism world from around the world to participate in this upcoming TIME 2023 think tank. TIME TO GIVE CLIMATE CHANGE A VOICE Renowned Professor Geoffrey Lipman spoke about his plans to bring a team of expert speakers to Bali for TIME 2023. He expects to introduce new developments and discuss the commitment to be net zero carbon by 2050, with his focus being on small islands. Professor Lipman is the co-author of a 2014 study on transitioning to a green economy in his case study on Bali. He is Chairman of the International Climate Change Coalition, President of Malta-based SUNx, and was the first CEO of WTTC and the Assistant Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization. Besides the Hon. Minister Uno’s keynote address, speakers at the prelaunch included Trisno Hugroho, Executive Director of Bank Indonesia, and the Hon. Muhammad Neil El Himam, the Deputy Minister of Digital Economy and Creative Product at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy for the Republic of Indonesia. A proud Chairman of the Bali Tourism Board, Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana, with the CEO of the Bali CEB, Levie Lantu, invited the world of tourism to Bali for TIME 2023 and shared developments. For more information pm on TIME 2023 and registration, visit time2023.com About World Tourism Network (WTN) World Tourism Network (WTN) is the long-overdue voice of small- and medium-sized travel and tourism businesses worldwide. By uniting efforts, it brings to the forefront the needs and aspirations of small- and medium-sized companies and their stakeholders. World Tourism Network emerged out of a rebuilding.travel discussion. The rebuilding.travel discussion started on March 5, 2020, on the sidelines of ITB Berlin. ITB was canceled, but rebuilding.travel launched at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin and was structured into a new organization – World Tourism Network. SMEs in Tourism matter for WTN! By bringing together private and public sector members on regional and global platforms, WTN advocates for its members and provides them a voice at major tourism meetings. WTN provides opportunities and essential networking for its members in 129 countries. More information on membership and activities: www.wtn.travel High TIMES for SMEs in World Tourism: Minister Rings Bali Gong">Click here to read the FULL Article. More news on eTurboNews - Travel Industry News - World Travel News
Safeguarding tourism in Africa and the Caribbean
Edmund Bartlett, Founder & Co-Chair, Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) has signed a letter of intent with Bournemouth University’s Richard Gordon MBE, Head of the Department of Disaster & Crisis Management and Professor Lee Miles. The two centres will share academic and practical projects development and implementation, as well as data sharing and analytics, focussing on safeguarding tourism in Africa and the Caribbean. They also aim to foster public private partnerships in tourism resilience. Co-founded in 2018 by Bartlett and former secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Taleb Rifai, the GTRCMC, headquartered in Jamaica, was the was established to address disruptions and crises in tourism. The centre is based at the University of the West Indies, and is the first academic resource centre dedicated to addressing crises and resilience for the travel industry in the Caribbean. The body assists destinations in preparedness, management, and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally. Since its inception, several Satellite Centres have been launched in Kenya, Canada, Jordan and Bulgaria. Others are in the process of inscription in Costa Rica, Nigeria, Spain, Greece and Ghana.
Tourism for a brighter future! Key industry figures to address in-person ATM event
Prominent tourism figures will be participating in-person at the opening session of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Global Stage 2021 – ‘Tourism for a brighter future’ which is being held on Sunday 16 May 2021, at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). The line-up includes foremost speakers, such as Helal Saeed Al Marri, director general of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dr. Taleb Rifai, former secretary-general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Scott Livermore, chief economist at Oxford Economics Middle East and Thoyyib Mohamed, managing director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). Moderated by CNN, the session will examine the critical factors that will deliver a strong, fast-paced and sustainable recovery in travel and tourism and the pivotal role that the sector will play in the UAE’s overall economic growth. Other topics that will be discussed include, knowledge and cultural exchange, technological innovation and international collaboration. Also high on the agenda is the Gulf-Israeli ties session which will discuss the vast travel and tourism opportunities presented by bilateral agreements between the Gulf and Israel. The four-day conference will address a broad range of topics, from travel and health, as well as dedicated forums on China, Saudi Arabia and India, plus a dedicated hotel summit, looking at the changing roles of hotels and the changing hospitality landscape. The Saudi Arabia Tourism Summit will discuss the Vision 2030 strategy’s positive repercussions, the ambitious megaprojects and how the country is setting new global industry benchmarks. Danielle Curtis, exhibition director in ME at ATM said: “The general theme of this year’s show is ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism’ and the opening session will get the show, off to a positive, practical and optimistic start. Running in parallel with the Global Stage is the four-day Travel Forward Theatre at ATM, which through world-class technology experts and renowned industry figures, will provide industry-leading insights about the latest technologies and trends that will undoubtedly shape the future of travel and tourism.” Also, for the first time, a new hybrid format will mean a virtual ATM running a week later to complement and reach a wider audience than ever before. ATM Virtual, which made its debut earlier this year after ATM 2020 was postponed, proved to be a resounding success attracting 12,000 online attendees from 140 countries.
All that you need to know about Jamaica’s traveller protection programme
Jamaica Cares is a ground-breaking traveller protection and emergency services programme set to launch next month. It will provide visitors access to first-of-its kind traveller protection and emergency medical and crisis response services for events up to and including natural disasters. The traveller protection and services programme is a partnership coordinated and administered by the Global Tourism Resilience Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), with support from the Global Travel and Tourism Resilience Council, Global Rescue, and leading international and national insurance companies. For USD 40, the programme provides visitors access to compulsory traveller protection and emergency medical services, including case management, transport logistics, field rescue, evacuation and repatriation for medical emergencies, including COVID-19, and other crises up to and including natural disasters; international health coverage up to USD 100,000 for visitors traveling to and from Jamaica; on-island health coverage up to USD 50,000. The programme sets the gold standard for tourism by combining Global Rescue’s industry leading emergency services with domestic and international travel medical insurance. Visitors will have the peace of mind to travel again knowing their health, wellbeing and finances are protected. “Jamaica Cares is a comprehensive, mandatory program that delivers traveller protection from the time they leave home until returning. It is a revolutionary and ground-breaking initiative authored and driven by the GTRCMC that will safeguard and protect the Jamaican tourist product and citizens of Jamaica,” said Edmund Bartlett, co-chairman and founder of GTRCMC. “Travellers want to know they are better prepared in the event of a medical emergency or a natural disaster and agents and operators will see the Jamaica Cares programme as the gold-standard to restore traveller confidence and rebuild bookings,” said Dr, Taleb Rifai, co-chair in GTRCMC.
Sighting the opportunity for travel in the COVID crisis
The annual 40th World Travel Mart (WTM) was held in London from 09-11 November 2020, speaking at WTM Virtual, Taleb Rifai, Chairman, International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC) and Former Secretary-General, UNWTO, discusses travel revival and how governments should work with the private sector to build the industry back. The Chinese, they say, have the same word for crisis and opportunity. Taking a leaf from this, Taleb Rifai, Chairman, ITIC and Former Secretary-General, UNWTO, says, there is an opportunity coming out of the Covid-19 crisis. On Day 1 of WTM Virtual, Rifai goes on to say, “One of the opportunities is that the new world we're embarking on is going to be a better word and like all other times, tourism will come and bounce back. But it will bounce back in a new way, it will be a completely different setup and governments have a great responsibility now.” Following a lack of a unified approach to health protocols and rapid testing, Rifai acknowledges that the private sector is under tremendous pressure and calls for governments to think out of the box. “Unfortunately, international and regional organisations are due to become irrelevant now, you don't hear their voices. It's all boiled down to each government on its own. Now governments have that responsibility to rebuild the international system, it’s going to be rebuilt from the bottom up. And it's going to be a better building, a more fair and equitable building.” Calling governments to act right now, he says, the first priority is to keep businesses alive by pumping in money or getting some work for the businesses to do. Secondly, governments need to focus on regional and domestic tourism. And only then, comes step number three, which is international tourism. Domestic tourism – the key Stressing on domestic tourism, Rifai says, “Let's not forget that in Europe, 75% of the traffic is domestic to start with. It’s the developing countries that depend so much on foreign and international tourism. This dependency has to ease somehow. While we know that unlike international tourism, domestic tourism doesn't bring in hard currency and doesn't fix the balance of trade, but it does keep businesses alive and shops alive. This is what is important.” As the private sector in developing countries is yet to consider domestic tourism as value, Rifai suggests that to popularise domestic tourism, governments need to speak to the private sector in a different way. “They need to be approached in a different way to think outside of the box, packages have to be made different.” How safety and insurance are linked Marking safety as an essential precondition for travel, Rifai points out that to get tourism going again travellers need to feel safe. Equating safety with being insured, he says that to instil this feeling of safety among travellers, insurance is very essential. Citing the example of Jamaica Cares, an end-to-end travel insurance plan providing visitors to Jamaica with emergency medical and crisis response services via a public-private partnership, Rifai hopes other countries too would follow a similar model, as he says, “Now when you travel to a place, the unknowns are more than the knowns.” Opportunity offered by digital nomads Turning the focus towards digital nomads, Rifai calls this one of the opportunities that have come out of this crisis. “There are young people that can travel and work from anywhere around the world. You can provide homes to these people, which would require cooperation from the private sector. It means that people would have to come for the long term, and long-term stay is very important. It would also counter the issue of quarantine that still some countries are insisting on.” He also points out that unlike tourists, since digital nomads would be coming in for longer periods, they would need a different type of visa to come into the country. So, initiatives such as reducing the visa fees and taxes would make the destination more attractive.
Reopening Travel in Europe? Tom Jenkins, CEO of ETOA will let you know today
Europe and North America are in the middle of a second spike when it comes to the Coronavirus. Economies are being destroyed, people’s livelihoods have been trashed, and the travel and tourism industry is in dire straits. Tom Jenkins is the CEO of the European Tour Operator Association (ETOA) and one of the most outspoken personalities on the globe when it comes to travel, tourism, and the economy in Europe and how it all fits together with North America, Asia, Africa, and other tourism destinations. Rebuilding.travel is a free and independent platform with tourism leaders in 118 countries discussing COVID-19. Tom Jenkins will be giving his insights tomorrow. Jenkins will be part of an upcoming rebuilding.travel Q&A at 7 pm London time on Tuesday with other tourism leaders including Dr. Taleb Rifai, former UNWTO Secretary General. Dr. Peter Tarlow of Safer Tourism will host this important discussion along with Juergen Steinmetz, publisher of eTurboNews. eTN readers are invited to join and register here. Tourism-dependent economies are opening up their countries, regions, and beaches well aware this will also invite another wave of COVID-19-infected people to spread the virus. Scary numbers in daily infections are seen in countries like the United States, the UK, and Spain. More moderate numbers are being seen in Germany, a country that also had opened up its economy. In the United States, numbers are up and are staying up. When it comes to people dying from the virus, daily death rates are high but stable in the US. Not much progress has been made in general, except for island states like Hawaii and Guam. The trend in daily deaths remains low and relatively stable in the UK and in Germany. In Spain, the numbers of people dying from the virus are by far lower compared to the peak in March/April, but there has been a slight increase recently. Most people now agree the virus is here to stay. With more than 4,000 people dying in the world just yesterday, how many infections are acceptable? More important, how many deaths are acceptable and could be considered as collateral damage? The good news is from a medical standpoint, far less people in relation to infections are dying, but the bad news is a second peak with higher infections and less dying brings uncertainty to leaders in countries around the world. For the travel and tourism industry, times remain uncertain. CEO Tom Jenkins of ETOA is one of the most informed and outspoken personalities in the European visitor industry. Click here to register. Here are the current trends : Click here to register. - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News
ATM Virtual: 45% of Chinese are willing to travel overseas
With the spread of coronavirus under control and domestic leisure travel growing, Middle East travel professionals are now looking to China to initiate international tourism. A joint survey conducted by the Ivy Alliance Tourism Consulting, China Comfort Travel Group, and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), was discussed by a panel of experts during the three-day ATM Virtual event. The Virtual ATM China Tourism Forum, took an in-depth look at the potential of the Chinese outbound leisure market post Covid-19’s closed borders and what overseas destinations and attractions can do to reassure and convince Chinese tourists, that their destination is safe to visit. Danielle Curtis, exhibition director of Middle East in Arabian Travel Market (ATM) said: “In China we are already witnessing the green-shoots of recovery and many industry experts are looking to China to kickstart international tourism.” Taleb Rifai, chairman of International Institute of Peace for Tourism and former secretary general of the UNWTO said: “After 9/11, people had to get used to security restrictions such as removing their shoes and belts, no liquids, now that is a way of life. People are now afraid to travel, but things will change, new protocols will be introduced and the quicker that happens the more trust and confidence will be communicated, bringing travellers back.” Nearly half of those questioned in the survey said they preferred group tours but given the coronavirus outbreak, many Chinese would now travel, in smaller groups catering for better social distancing.
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