Welcome
 I'm
delighted to welcome you to another edition of Destination World,
packed with news, views and industry updates.
Don't forget, if you have any research or presentation material that
would be of interest to readers, then please get in touch.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Roger Carter
Managing Editor
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Dealing
with Festival Security: Part Two
Security specialist, Dr Peter Tarlow, highlights the importance of
worst-case scenario planning, good communication and timely evaluation,
in part two of our special report on festival safety and security.
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Research
and Reports - What's New?
Sabre
Travel Network has partnered
with travel industry research specialists, PhoCusWright,
to develop a free white paper - Best
Practices in Travel Business Intelligence.
The document is based on two years of research and interviews with
corporate travel managers and buyers, as well as detailed reviews of
travel data management systems from travel management companies, GDS
providers and third-party developers.
*
* *
Border tourism may sound a little less than glamorous for those
destinations used to targeting mainly long-haul international markets
but it nevertheless represents an extremely valuable segment on a
regional scale.
 PATA,
the Pacific Asia Travel Association, has produced a 13 page report on
the subject of border tourism which it has published in its bi-monthly
newsletter, Issues
and Trends. The newsletter is
available to subscribers
only.
*
* *
Although 'green' travel is being aggressively marketed as a win-win
solution for the Third World, the environment, the tourist, and the
travel industry, the reality is far more complex, as author Martha
Honey reveals in an updated version of Ecotourism
and Sustainable Development,
published by Island
Press.
*
* *
For developing regions of the world that wish to compete as
eco-friendly destinations, key traveller preferences and patterns of
consumption can provide a strong indication of the status of a
particular destination in tourists' estimation.
Using Tourist
Travel Habits and Preferences to Assess Strategic Destination
Positioning: The
Case of Costa Rica is a new
publication by Cornell
University which examines the
travel habits and attitudes of a group of US tourists to Costa Rica.
*
* *
 Addressing
Training and Development
Issues in European Tourism Management
is a new research publication from VocMat,
Vocational Management Training for the European Tourism Industry, which
reports on the results of a pilot programme of training for middle and
senior managers in both public and private sector tourism
organisations.
*
* *
Some recent
reports from PhoCusWright:
The NEXTgen
Traveler study, a joint
publication with Ypartnership,
reveals the preferences and habits of next generation web users.
In particular, the survey probes consumers' travel behaviours,
intentions, aspirations and budget and provides a thorough view of the
next generation traveller across all aspects of the travel value chain.
The report can be bought online for USD 2,750.
*
* *
Search,
Shop, Buy: Inside the Tangled Web of Online Travel
is a new report from PhoCusWright, available for purchase online (PDF
format only) at a cost of USD 500. The report examines the new entrants
to the online travel space and the range of tools that are now
available to enhance the search and shopping process.
*
* *
PhoCusWright is seeking participating companies to help invest in and
shape research for a special report on key trends and opportunities in
mobile travel. The research methodology will include in-depth
interviews with suppliers, aggregators, online travel companies, GDSs,
technology providers, and corporate travel organisations. For more
information, visit the PhoCusWright
website.
*
* *
PhoCusWright is also seeking participating companies to invest in and
shape a new report on the role and impact of DMOs in travel. Visit the
PhoCusWright website for more information on Destination Marketing
Organizations: Understanding the Role and Impact of Destinations.
Important
Research Opportunity: Last Chance to Take Part
Help Develop
Sustainable Tourism Tools
ICT applications are playing an increasingly important part in managing
the impacts of tourism, in particular in the field of sustainability.
Destination World is supporting a research project led by Alisha Ali,
one of a new breed of young researchers, who is conducting cutting-edge
research into the uses and applications of ICT in sustainable tourism
development. The results of her work will be of practical value to DMOs
by helping to translate the theory of sustainable tourism into a
workable reality for their destinations.
Alisha is a PhD student at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, and
needs your help in order to progress this vital research project. It is
important for her to obtain the views of tourism managers on the
potential uses of ICT for sustainable tourism development so please
take part in her survey
no later than October 10th 2008.
Further information can be found at www.qmu.ac.uk/alisha
or by contacting
Alisha.
Dates
for Your Diary
Some key
events for tourism destination professionals taking place over the next
few weeks:
 There's
just time to get to this year's Travel
Distribution Summit North
America 2008 which takes place in Las Vegas, USA, on the 1st and 2nd
October. The summit offers three executive conferences and provides the
opportunity to meet marketing, technology, pricing and distribution
representatives from throughout the travel industry.
*
* *
INWETEX-CIS
Travel Market 2008 will take
place in Saint Petersburg, Russia, from the 1st to 3rd October. CIS
Travel Market has been designed to offer a variety of tourism products
and services from the region and around the world.
*
* *
The rapid growth of world tourism over the past two decades has
generated unprecedented investment. The World Tourism
Investment Summit tackles the
question of where, when and with whom to invest in this prolific
generator of new wealth. The event takes place in South Korea from the
6th to 9th October.
*
* *
A double bill of MICE and business travel trade shows takes place next
month. The 16th Incentive
Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia
( IT&CMA)
and 11th Corporate Travel
World Asia-Pacific 2008
trade and exhibition and conference will be held in Thailand from the
7th to 9th October.
*
* *
Tourism and
the Environment – Realities, Politics and Perspectives
is the subject of an UNWTO
event in Tunisia from the 9th to
11th October.
*
* *
 The 1st
Annual Tourism and Air Service Development Summit
( TAASS)
is organised by the World Route Development Forum ( Routes)
and supported by the Pacific Asia Travel Association ( PATA).
The summit takes place in Malaysia from the 12th to 14th October.
*
* *
Social Media
Strategies in Travel and Online
Marketing Strategies in Travel
are the two conference themes on offer at next month's EyeForTravel
Sales and Marketing in Travel
Europe Summit 2008. The event
will be held in Germany from 14th to 15th October.
*
* *
The second annual Responsible
Travel and Tourism Forum ( RTTF)
is set for 14th and 15th October in Ontario, Canada. RTTF is an
industry-led forum that brings travel and tourism professionals
together to learn and discuss a wide range of issues relating to
responsible business practices.
*
* *
Discovery
08 is the UK's award-winning
product education and networking event for international meeting and
incentive planners. It takes place in Manchester and Liverpool, UK, on
the 19th to 21st October.
*
* *
Delegates from more than 30 countries will be taking part in the 1st
IIPT European Conference on Peace through Tourism
which is being organised in partnership with the World Tourism
Organization ( UNWTO)
and the United Nations Environment Program ( UNEP).
The conference, which will be held in the Netherlands from the 21st to
24th October, is in support of the UN Decade of Peace and Non-Violence
for the Children of the World and the UN Millennium Development Goals.
*
* *
Web in Travel
2008 ( WIT)
aims to explore and tackle the idea of transformation in the travel
industry - what is needed for transformation to happen? What are the
obstacles to transformation? What are the good ideas? What are the new
technologies? The event will take place in Singapore from the 21st to
22nd October.
*
* *
 ITB
Asia, the trade show for the
Asian travel market, will be held in Singapore from the 22nd to 24th
October. Opening New
Doors, Discovering New Opportunities
is the theme of this event which will provide delegates with an
opportunity to hear about industry trends and network with
colleagues and industry leaders.
*
* *
Vancouver, Canada, is the host for the Ecotourism
and Sustainable Tourism Conference 2008
( ESTC)
which will be held from the 27th to 29th October. ESTC is the
International Ecotourism Society's third conference and will bring
together more than 500 experts, industry leaders and community
stakeholders.
*
* *
Travel
Distribution Japan 2008 aims to
focus on the current challenges facing the Japanese travel industry,
such as globalisation, market deregulation, low economic growth, etc.
The event takes place in Japan from the 29th to 30th October.
*
* *
Applying
Tourism Research - Moving from Research to Strategy
is the theme of the PATA
Tourism Strategy Forum 2008.
This key event, which is scheduled for the 30th October to 1st November
in China (PRC), will focus on discussion and presentation of best
practice in research and its application in the development and
execution of strategy.
*
* *
Don't miss the World Travel Market
2008 which will take place in
London from the 10th to 13th November. WTM provides a unique
opportunity for the global travel trade to meet, network, negotiate and
conduct business under one roof.
*
* *
A UNWTO
Workshop on
Developing Tourism Statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA)
Project will be held in the
Philippines from the 16th to 18th November.
*
* *
The PhoCusWright
Conference brings together
travel, tourism and hospitality representatives to engage, debate and
define the latest developments in global travel commerce. The
conference takes place in California, USA, on the 17th to 20th
November.
*
* *
Two more EyeForTravel events will be taking place in November. The Travel
Distribution Central and Eastern Europe 2008
will be held in Prague, Czech Republic, from the 19th to 20th and the Travel
Distribution Summit India 2008
will be held in Mumbai from the 26th to 27th.
Interview
TravelTalkRADIO
Interview with PATA's Peter de Jong
Peter de Jong, President and CEO of PATA,
the Pacific Asia Travel Association, joins TravelTalkRADIO's
Sandy Dhuyvetter to discuss the rapid growth in Asia Pacific travel and
the challenges of achieving environmental and human capital
sustainability.
The interview
is available as a downloadable MP3 file.
Conference
News
ETC
/ UNWTO Seminar on e-Marketing
The new joint Handbook on
E-marketing for Tourism Destinations
was presented at a recent seminar in Budapest.
 The
event, organised by the World Tourism
Organization ( UNWTO)
and the European Travel Commission ( ETC),
attracted nearly 100 participants from 20 countries to debate a wide
range of strategic and practical issues related to the challenges of
e-marketing for tourism destinations. These issues included latest
trends, social networking, visitors' information services, mobile
marketing and e-commerce.
The seminar, which referenced case studies from several countries, was
lead by Peter Varlow and Karin Nijhuis, the authors of the handbook,
Associates of TEAM Tourism
Consulting, a UNWTO Affiliate
Member.
ETC/UNWTO Handbook on E-marketing for Tourism Destinations will be
available soon in UNWTO's e-library.
For more information contact UNWTO.
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International
News
Travel
Trends:
Mega-forces identified
PATA
President and CEO, Peter de Jong, has identified four 'mega forces'
which are reshaping demand for travel services. He discussed these
trends in the context of four pressing challenges for the travel and
tourism industry at the Destination Marketing Association International
( DMAI)
94th Annual Convention in Las Vegas last month.
These include the impact of emerging technology on how travellers plan,
book, and share information on travel experiences; shifting social
values and their impact on what people seek from travel; the vigilante
spirit of the better-informed consumer; and demographic
transformation.
Peter de Jong's discussion
notes are available online.
Green
Tourism:
San Francisco leads green movement
San Francisco is aiming to be at the forefront of the green movement,
with hybrid taxis, a ban on plastic bags, a solar-panelled convention
centre and scores of hotels, restaurants attractions and tours living
up to the challenge. Now, the San Francisco Convention and Visitors
Bureau ( SFCVB)
has developed a new
section on its website to show
visitors, meeting planners and businesses how to play their part.
'San Francisco is on the cutting edge of the environmental movement,
it's really part of the city's personality. Our new web pages provide
resources and information for everyone who wants to learn about what
they can do to join this worldwide effort,' says Joe D'Alessandro,
SFCVB president and CEO.
The site contains ideas on planet-friendly businesses and activities,
information on the city's commitment to reducing everyone's carbon
footprint, pages for visitors on how to 'Green Your Trip' and a 'Green
Your Meeting' section provides information for meeting and conference
planners.
Turkey:
Tourism spend increases
The Turkish
Tourism Ministry is aiming to
raise more than USD 300 million in partnership with private businesses
in order to strengthen its tourism product and reach new markets,
according to Turkish magazine, the Ekonomist.
The target is to attract 25 million tourists and USD 25 billion in
tourism revenue this year and to increase this to 60 million visitors
and USD 50 billion by 2012. As well as an extensive advertising
campaign, the ministry also aims to expand the destination's tourism
season to a full 12 months.
Macau:
Visitors increase by nearly 50 percent
More than 1.5 million international tourists, mainly from East and
Southeast Asian countries, have visited Macau in the first six months
of 2008, representing a growth of 46.5 percent over the same period
last year.
In particular, statistics showed rapid growth of visitor arrivals from
Indonesia and Vietnam with Indonesian visitor arrival figures now more
than 77,000 (an increase of 69.2 percent) and Vietnam's figures
totalling nearly 32,000 visitors (a 67.25 percent growth rate).
e-Business
News
Lonely
Planet:
Partners Expedia
Travel information company, Lonely
Planet,
has joined forces with two leading accommodation reservation companies,
Expedia
and Hostelworld.com,
to deliver a unique accommodation booking service.
The new service provides travellers with tens of thousands of author
reviews and recommendations written by Lonely Planet's 360 authors
around the world. 'Combining the vast number of Lonely
Planet's author accommodation reviews with the depth of inventory
provided by Expedia and Hostelworld is a real win for our
travellers. They get advice, great pricing and wide
availability in one easy to use website,' explains Lonely Planet
representative, Troy Suda.
Virtual
Tourism:
3D website development
The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors' Bureau (PCVB) is developing a
3D interactive model of the city to enhance its online meeting and
tourism planning experience. Virtual Philadelphia is being created by GeoSim Systems
and uses technology that combines satellite, aerial photography and
street-level digital photography, calibrated to global positioning
co-ordinates.
The programme, which is due to launch soon, will allow web users the
ability to walk, drive or even fly through the (virtual) streets of
Philadelphia. In the meantime, previews of the beta system are
available on the PCVB
website
USA:
First promotional site launched
DiscoverAmerica.com,
the United States' first-ever official travel and tourism website, has
been launched with language-specific sites in the leading international
travel markets.
DiscoverAmerica.com is the result of a partnership between the US Department of
Commerce and the Travel Industry
Association ( TIA).
The six websites took about 16 months to research, develop and build.
The websites target consumers in the five countries that account for 75
percent of all inbound travel to the US: Canada (English- and
French-speaking), Mexico, the United Kingdom, Japan and
Germany. Interactive content for all 50 states, the five
territories, dozens of cities and attractions, and official entry
information from US government sources is presented in the native
languages of each market.
TIA plans to grow DiscoverAmerica.com in coming months, adding more
cities and attraction information, as well as adding websites for
markets such as China, France and South Korea.
Europe:
Launch of City Cards website
Thirty-four European cities are now represented on the newly launched European
City Cards website. The site
provides visitors with interesting tips on places to visit and details
of the special offers that are available, as well as enabling them to
buy their cards online. European City Cards is a service developed by European
Cities Marketing.
Destination
Brand Watch
CTC:
Tourism brand toolkit
A new tourism
brand toolkit has been developed
by the Canadian Tourism Commission ( CTC).
The toolkit details the look, voice, values and mission of the brand
and includes a colour palette inspired by Canada's people and
landscapes, ready-to-use graphics and photos, and brand guidelines to
make it easy for business partners to align their marketing materials
with the brand.
A CTC representative commented: 'Created collaboratively by the CTC and
its industry partners, the Canada tourism brand has been designed to
take travellers on a journey where they can mingle with the locals,
uncover exotic landscapes, stumble upon extraordinary cultural
encounters that move spirit, mind and body.'
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