I'm delighted to introduce two new contributors to this edition of Destination World... Anita Mendiratta, strategic advisor to CNN International's TASK (Tourism Advertising Solutions and Knowledge) Group, shares her thoughts on creating a romantic experience for travellers in her article, The Romance of the Brand; and MICE industry specialist, Tony Rogers, takes a look at how the sector can regain strength after what has been a particularly challenging year.

Also in this issue, you'll find video coverage of the recent Overseas Development Institute event on ways in which tourism can lead to poverty reduction; presentations from two key events which examine how destinations can benefit from staging major events; and some tips for developing health and wellness tourism in your destination.

I hope you enjoy this issue!

Roger Carter
Managing Editor

If you have been forwarded this e-newsletter and would like to subscribe, click here. To unsubscribe, or to change your e-mail preferences, or to view our privacy policy, please use the links at the bottom of this page.

Conferences and Meetings: Where Are We Now? The UK conference and meetings market has suffered its share of difficulties over the past year or so. Tony Rogers investigates the causes and suggests ways in which the sector can reinvent itself.

Health and Wellness Tourism: The greying of populations in many parts of the world has created multiple new tourism health, wellness and recovery opportunities. Regular Destination World contributor, Dr Peter Tarlow, offers some advice on how your destination can benefit.

The Romance of the Brand: A staple descriptor in the destination marketing vocabulary, but what is the key to creating a romantic experience for travellers? Anita Mendiratta, strategic advisor to CNN International, offers some suggestions.

According to industry analysts PhoCusWright, the US, Europe and Asia Pacific (APAC) regions represent 85 percent of the total global travel market and the vast majority of the global online leisure and unmanaged business travel market. However, there are many variations between and within these large regional markets and these differences are the subject of a new study, Global Online Travel Overview: Comparing Three Major Regions. The study presents key trends and themes for the growth of online travel worldwide and can be bought online at a cost of USD 300.

* * *

For the European travel and tourism industry, 2009 was undoubtedly a year to forget... however, the outlook for 2010 is looking increasingly more positive. That's the message in a recent report from the European Travel Commission (ETC). European Tourism 2009 - Trends and Prospects (Q4) can be downloaded free of charge from the ETC website.

* * *

A new report from Forrester.com suggests that, although online sales will remain below those estimated in 2008, the number of US leisure travel bookers will grow by around 3 percent over the next five years, while online leisure and unmanaged travel sales will grow 7 percent. These findings are published in US Online Leisure Travel Forecast, 2009 to 2014: The Plateau is in Sight.

* * *

A free guide - The Impacts of Climate Change on Australian Tourism Destinations: Developing Adaptation and Response Strategies - has been published by STCRC, the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre. The guide can be downloaded from the STCRC website.

* * *

One in four people in the UK are looking to reduce spending on their holidays by as much as 50 percent this year, according to new research by eDigitalResearch. The latest e-Customer Service Index (eCSI) survey conducted by IMRG and eDigitalResearch also reveals that 48 percent of people are more likely to shop online to capture the best deals and save money. Registration is required to view survey results online.

* * *

Spending by tourists in developing countries is almost three times the level of official development assistance. But, to date, assessments of the poverty impact of this major business sector have been largely unsatisfactory and the big question remains... how can tourism drive poverty reduction?

A new book, by Jonathan Mitchell and Caroline Ashley - Tourism and Poverty Reduction: Pathways to Prosperity examines the poverty-reducing impacts of tourism across a range of developing countries. The book can be bought online from the Earthscan website.

* * *

How Australians choose holiday destinations and travel experiences is the subject of a new report by the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre. A PDF version can be downloaded free of charge from the STCRC website.

* * *

A new range of sustainable tourism reports from TravelMole have just been published:

• Sustainable Tourism Report GBP 250 covering a year of major global developments in perspective
• Sustainable Tourism Ministers' Guide GBP 100 covering 2009/2010
• Sustainable Tourism Marketing Guide GBP 100
• Tourism and Carbon Market Guide GBP 100 - understand, leverage and monetise sustainable initiatives.

* * *

A new report recently released by the China Internet Network Information Center reveals that online travel booking in 2009 increased 77.9 percent, a growth rate that exceeds online shopping (45.9 percent), online banking (62.3 percent) and e-mail (29 percent). The report can be downloaded free of charge from the CINIC website (PDF, 2.8mb).

* * *

An increasing dilemma for hotel businesses is how to build more properties without causing damage to the environment. A new publication from the Conservation International and the IBLF aims to address this challenge. Sustainable Hotel Siting, Design and Construction can be bought online from the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) website at a cost of GBP 100. Discounts are available for multiple copies.

How can tourism lead to poverty reduction? That question was the focus of an ODI (Overseas Development Institute) seminar which took place in London, UK, earlier this month. Video coverage of the event is now available online, along with downloadable copies of the presentations. Speakers included Caroline Ashley and Jonathan Mitchell, authors of a recently published book, Tourism and Poverty Reduction: Pathways to Prosperity (see also the Research and Reports section).

* * *

South Africa, as host of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, provided the ideal stage for the UNWTO/South Africa inaugural Summit on Tourism, Sport, and Mega Events that took place last month. The summit, attended by some 450 delegates from 35 countries, provided a first-of-its-kind platform for best practice and knowledge sharing towards mega-events excellence. The summit newsletter and many of the presentations are now available online.

* * *

How destinations can harness the economic benefits of hosting major events was the focus of a recent seminar run by national tourism office, VisitBritain. Approximately 200 tourism leaders who represent the industry across Britain attended the 2012 Olympic Games Tourism seminar.

Chairman of VisitBritain, Christopher Rodrigues, stressed the need for the industry to pull together and help lay the foundations for the commercial opportunities the Olympic Games bring, as well as to begin serious preparations for welcoming the world to Britain. Speech notes and presentations from the seminar are available online.

* * *

If you missed the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart that took place in Nepal last month, don't worry... many of the presentations are now available online from the PATA website.

The conference brought together public and private sectors to address the urgent issues facing the industry. Speakers included Darrell Wade, founder of Intrepid Travel and Dr Arzu Rana Deuba of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Some key events for tourism destination professionals taking place over the next few months:

Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld 2010 is a key event for anyone interested in developing and selling cruise packages. The event will take place in Florida, USA, from the 14th to 17th April.

* * *

A new monthly webinar series from the Destination Marketing Association (DMAI) has launched. The next online event is a discussion on Insights on DMO Corporate Social Responsibility led by Jonathan Greenblatt. The webinar takes place on the 28th April at 2pm EDT.

* * *

Three upcoming events from EyeForTravel are the Sales Force Management in Travel and Hospitality Event which will be held in Germany from the 20th to 21st April and the Travel Distribution Summit Asia 2010 which will take place in Singapore, Malaysia, on the 28th and 29th April.

The EyeForTravel Travel Distribution Summit Europe 2010 will be held in London, UK, on the 17th and 18th June, and will focus on the theme of Plan Your Route for the Recovery.

* * *

TRAVDEX - a PhoCusWright Trade Show, takes place in Georgia, USA, from the 5th to 7th May. Each year, buyers and sellers of travel technology attend TRAVDEX to view new innovations, negotiate deals and build relationships.

* * *

INDABA is one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar and showcases the widest variety of Southern Africa's best tourism products. This year's show takes place in Durban, South Africa, from the 8th to 11th May.

* * *

Barbados is the venue for the 11th Caribbean Tourism Organization Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-11) which is scheduled for the 9th to 12th May. The theme of this year's conference is Keeping the Right Balance: Creating Opportunities Through a World Class Sustainable Tourism Product.

* * *

Africa Travel Association's 35th Annual World Congress will take place in Gambia from the 17th to 20th May and aims to bring together travel, tourism, transport and hospitality experts and professionals from around the world to discuss topics such as tourism growth markets, travel trends, airline access and investment opportunities, etc.

* * *

The theme of this year's World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Travel and Tourism Summit is the World's Leading Industry - Reaching New Frontiers. The summit will take place in Beijing, China, from the 25th to 27th May.

Last month, VisitScotland launched a new sustainable tourism programme to help businesses understand how sustainable practices can improve their bottom line and, in turn, make Scotland the most sustainable destination in Europe by 2015. TravelMole.tv was on hand at the launch of the programme to interview Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Development, John Swinney.

* * *

Social media for brands has gone beyond the test and learn phase, according to Bruce Poon Tip, CEO and founder of Gap Adventures, a firm which caters to the adventure-craving traveller. The interview with Bruce Poon Tip was published in TravelMole last month.

* * *

The online travel industry still has quite a few intriguing puzzles to solve, including how to predict user preferences and integrate social search, according to Tim Hughes, vice president at Orbitz Worldwide, HotelClub. Read more of Tim's interview on the EyeForTravel website.

* * *

Alain St. Ange, Director of Marketing with the Seychelles Tourist Board, was interviewed recently by eTurboNews and presents his predictions for the year ahead.

Tourism, Sport and Mega Events:

Last month's UNWTO International Summit on Tourism, Sport and Mega Events brought together 450 delegates, including industry leaders and tourism ministers from 35 countries, to explore the impact of major sports and cultural events on tourism.

The summit took place at a critical time as 2010 is set to be a year of exceptional sport and cultural events around the world such as the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the Commonwealth Games in India.

UNWTO has been actively advocating to position sport and mega-events in national tourism development strategies and to maximise their potential as drivers of growth and development.

Among the key aspects that UNWTO has highlighted are the growing numbers and effects of mega-events at both global and regional levels; the economic and social benefits for host nations; and the massive multimedia opportunities for nation branding and promotion.

'Sports, mega-events and business tourism are the sleeping giants of our tourism market which hold huge potential and which we will exploit further to grow our industry,' stressed the Minister of Tourism of South Africa, Marthinus van Schalkwyk.

However, the staging of major events is not without risk, Van Schalkwyk cautioned: 'As we all know, the cost can far outweigh the benefits. These costs can range from empty stadia and displaced tourists to angry locals questioning the rationale behind investing in broadcasting centres instead of education or health care facilities and massive debt left behind after the crowds of spectators have returned home. Despite all of the excitement attached to sports tourism and mega-events, they most certainly are not risk-free.'

One of the main outcomes of the summit was the recognition of the need to continue working to understand better the impacts of mega-events in tourism. Proposals include issues such as greening guidelines for mega events, a knowledge repository on the management of mega-sporting events, and a rethinking of the way the costs and benefits of these events are evaluated.

'There is a clear need to continue working to understand better the impacts of mega-events in tourism and share such knowledge in order to help destinations bidding and managing mega events in a more competitive manner. UNWTO can play a pivotal role in this,' commented Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary General.

You can download many of the key presentations from the summit in our Conference Highlights section above.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
CONFERENCE NEWS
E-BUSINESS NEWS
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
INTERVIEWS
RESEARCH AND REPORTS
Asia Pacific visitor stats
Global tourism forecasts
African tourism unites
Industry to help Haiti
Tourism stimulus ideas
Quality assurance scheme
US Travel Promotion Act
TripAdvisor links with SA
Digital tools for Australia
Online sales growth
iPhone itinerary app
Social media v travel agents

Asia Pacific:
Much improved visitor stats

Preliminary figures released earlier this month by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) indicate that the numbers of international visitors to the region fell by an estimated three percent year-on-year in 2009, a much improved result given that the rate of decline was six percent for the first half of the year.

Kris Lim, Director of PATA's Strategic Intelligence Centre, said, 'We ended the year on a positive note with international visitor arrivals to Asia Pacific shores growing by four percent year-on-year in December. This is by far the largest monthly growth in 2009. It has been an extremely challenging year but not the worst on record in growth terms. We are better placed now than six months ago as the economic climate continues to improve.'

Global Tourism:
Subdued growth forecast

The global travel and tourism economy GDP declined by 4.8 percent in 2009 and this caused the loss of almost 5 million jobs, according to figures just released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

All regions experienced significant contractions in visitor arrivals, spending and travel and tourism economy GDP, and travel and tourism investment declined by over 12 percent. Only residents' spending on domestic trips increased and that was by a mere 0.7 percent in real terms. However, the industry still employed over 235 million people across the world - 8.2 percent of all employment - and generated 9.4 percent of world GDP.

'Despite recent encouraging short-term indicators of tourism activity, the recovery in world travel and tourism is expected to be muted,' WTTC President, Jean-Claude Baumgarten, warned. 'Overall, the travel and tourism economy is forecast to grow by 4.4 percent per annum in real terms between 2010 and 2020 which indicates that the industry will grow in importance as one of the world's highest priority sectors.'

African Tourism:
New marketing body

A new body, the African Tourism Promotion Initiative, was launched earlier this year at the International Tourism Trade Fair, FITUR 2010. The new organisation, which has appointed Segun Runsewe of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation as president, aims to build synergy, develop relationships, and support members internationally at exhibitions.

Haiti Recovery:
Tourism rebuild begins

UNWTO, the World Tourism Organization is leading the drive to rebuild the tourism industry in Haiti after the country was hit by a massive earthquake earlier this year.

UNWTO met with the tourism associations from the region last month to debate the best approach to providing support for the country which relies heavily on the income generated by tourism. The plans will draw on the model created for the Jamaican Tourism Master Plan.

Australian Tourism:
Stimulus campaigns

Tourism Australia has announced a range of tourism recovery campaigns in leisure and business travel as part of the industry's return to growth in 2010 and beyond.

TA's new MD, Andrew McEvoy, said the campaigns would take advantage of new opportunities in key markets. 'Last year Australia was one of the best performers in the international tourism market, despite the difficult economic conditions in our source markets and swine flu. Over the coming months we look forward to delivering 62 additional tourism marketing projects with 20 partners in 13 markets,' he said.

The campaigns will be funded with AUD 9 million announced by the Australian Government last year and matched by industry contributions, to deliver a total package of around AUD 20 million.

Quality Assurance:
Namibia follows Scotland

Tourism chiefs from Namibia visited Scotland earlier this year to gets some tips on improving the quality of tourism offered in their own country.

They came to find out about VisitScotland's Quality Assurance Scheme before introducing the same scheme in Namibia later this year. The scheme assesses the standard of accommodation, visitor attractions and places to eat in Scotland, and awards star gradings accordingly, in order to assure the visitor an experience of quality. Namibia's tourism bosses are keen for all properties to be graded in time for the 2010 World Cup.

USA Tourism:
Travel Promotion Act

A tax-free stimulus, expected to create 40,000 jobs and boost inbound travel to the USA, was launched earlier this month with the signing of the Travel Promotion Act. The initiative is the country's first-ever national travel promotion and marketing programme and aims to counteract the trend in falling visitor numbers.

The US welcomed 2.4 million fewer overseas visitors in 2009 than in 2000, and the failure to simply keep pace with the growth in international long-haul travel since 2000 has cost the US economy an estimated USD 509 billion in total spending and USD 32 billion in direct tax receipts, according to the US Travel Association.

Oxford Economics estimates that a successful national promotion will yield USD 4 billion in new spending annually and generate USD 321 million in new tax revenue each year. The Congressional Budget Office reported that the Act would reduce the federal deficit by USD 425 million over ten years. The initiative will be funded by a contribution of USD 100 million from the private sector and a USD 10 fee on foreign travellers.

South Africa:
Links up with TripAdvisor

South African Tourism has signed a creative partnership deal with TripAdvisor, taking advantage of the travel community's content to promote South Africa as a diverse and exciting tourist destination for 2010.

The TripAdvisor campaign, a six figure deal, has been developed to educate travellers about the range of experiences on offer. As the country prepares itself to be the focus of this year's World Cup, SA Tourism is keen to promote itself as a destination that has far more on offer than just football.

Roshene Singh, Chief Marketing Officer at SA Tourism comments, 'We know that the majority of our target segments use the online environment for researching and gathering information about holiday destinations, so we believe that this partnership with TripAdvisor will further complement our strategy to market South Africa globally.'

Tourism Australia:
New digital tools

Tourism Australia has launched an innovative new International Video Portal which will provide up-to-date news and market insights. The weekly video updates will feature reports from Tourism Australia's regional managers in Europe, the Americas, New Zealand, North Asia, South East Asia and Japan.

Following the success of the Come Walkabout and Australia the Movie interactive features, TA has also developed a new digital tool for the industry to feature on their websites and inspire online visitors. The new Discover Australia tool is free and contains content, imagery and video footage based on various themes.

Online Sales:
Double-digit growth

Despite entering a more mature phase in its evolution, online retail in both the US and Western Europe remains poised for a robust period of double-digit growth over the next five years, according to two new forecasts by Forrester Research. US online retail will grow at a 10 percent compound annual growth rate to reach nearly USD 249 billion by 2014. Within the largest European Union nations growth of 11 percent CAGR is expected, hitting EUR 114 billion by 2014.

iPhone:
Real-time itinerary app

A new iPhone app has been developed which can provide real-time travel itinerary information. TripTracker, by Pageonce, is so far the only app that provides users with the ability to get flight and hotel information pushed to their smartphone. Users need to enter their account information once to access current and future itineraries, live flight tracking, weather reports and directions.

Social Media:
Preferred over agencies

Online reviews are now more influential than travel agents and brochures, according to new research by Total Media. The Social Travel Report claims that the availability of social media is encouraging more people to book direct, based on the advice of other travellers. Nearly 70 percent use the internet to book holidays, with just 23 percent using the phone and 8 percent going to an agent.