As the year unfolds, we document the news of challenges facing the travel and tourism industry... airline recovery from the closure of European air space following Iceland's volcanic eruption; the rebuilding of confidence in destinations hit by political unrest, such as Thailand and Greece; and the long-term impact of the economic downturn.

In this issue we welcome expert contributions from tourism recovery specialists, Dr David Beirman and Dr Peter Tarlow, and from Anita Mendiratta, strategic advisor to CNN International's TASK (Tourism Advertising Solutions and Knowledge) Group, all of whom offer invaluable insight into the strategies and solutions needed.

Roger Carter
Managing Editor

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Tourism Recovery from Political Instability: The reputations of Thailand and Greece, two significant tourism destinations, have suffered recently and both countries must begin to rebuild confidence. Crisis recovery specialist, David Beirman, urges a strategic approach.

Tourism is Export: The recent Icelandic volcanic eruption that closed down much of the world's transportation system serves as a reminder of tourism's economic importance. Peter Tarlow suggests that tourism is perhaps one of the world's premier export products.

Credit Crisis... Beyond the Numbers: 2009 became the year of the Credit Crisis. Anita Mendiratta, strategic advisor to CNN International's TASK Group, examines the new business models required to generate secure, sustainable results within the T&T sector.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has published the second 2010 issue of the World Tourism Barometer which is available in English, French and Spanish. This edition features an interview with Haydée Kuret de Rainieri, President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Dominican Republic who provides an analysis of the major challenges for the sector in her country.

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Travelport, global distribution system providers, has published the findings of an online survey that highlights business and leisure travel trends across 12 countries, including the People's Republic of China (PRC).

'The survey also showed that PRC leisure travellers were champions at thinking ahead and trip planning with more than 40 percent booking accommodation, insurance, airport transfers, event tickets and attractions all in one go,' said Jeff Clarke, CEO and President, Travelport Limited and board member of the WTTC.

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A new guide to best practice for the management, development and marketing of sustainable regional tourism destinations has been published by STCRC, the Australian Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre. The publication can be downloaded in PDF format from the STCRC website.

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The European Travel Commission (ETC) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have published a new Report on Demographic Change and Tourism. The report has been developed to enable the industry to achieve a better understanding of current and future demographic changes and their impact on tourism. The report can be ordered online.

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A new edition of The European Cities Marketing Benchmarking Report, formerly known as the European Cities Visitors Report, has just been published. The publication includes the latest figures about the performance of European Cities in 2009 and illustrates the main trends in city tourism between 2004 and 2009 from 101 European cities. The report is available in PDF format at a cost of EUR 990 (or EUR 590 for ECM / ETC members).

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Three new publications have been released from PhoCusWright:

• Social Media in Travel: Reviews and Sentiment
• Social Media in Travel: Traffic and Activity

These reports can be bought online (USD 695 and USD 995).

Consumer spending endured tremendous strain in 2009 and travel suffered along with most large industries but how different is the consumer travel outlook in 2010? Which travellers dropped out in 2009 and which segments represent the greatest opportunity? How do individual attitudes and opinions shape what and where consumers book? Find out more in the PhoCusWright Consumer Travel Report which can be bought online (USD 1,695).

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PATA and Travelmedia have launched a DVD-based interactive introduction to travel and tourism 'Travel and Tourism: Opening Doors for Your Future' for schools, teachers, HR departments and career counsellors. The DVD, which will be updated annually, is available from the PATA website at a cost of USD 750.

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Europe is experiencing a recovery in travel from its low points last year; however, this recovery is unlike past rebounds. Early data for this year show mixed results, with nearly as many countries posting visitor declines as increases although industry data for aviation, lodging, and expectations indicate an upward, though modest, path to recovery. Find out more about the latest research by downloading a copy of the free European Tourism in 2010 - Trends and Prospects (Q2) published by the European Travel Commission.

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The total value of tourism to the UK is set to rise by more than 60 percent to GBP 188 billion over the next decade, according to an independent report commissioned by VisitBritain. The reports suggests that the favourable exchange rate and the lure of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games should ensure the sector grows at an above-average 3.5 percent per annum between now and 2020. The report is available on the VisitBritain website.

Tourism Australia has launched the next stage of its new global tourism campaign - There's Nothing like Australia. The new campaign uses digital, print and broadcast media to show what is unique and iconic about Australia and provides reasons why others should visit.

At the heart of the campaign is a new online interactive map of Australia, featuring almost 30,000 images and stories submitted by the Australian people. Potential travellers will be able to access this information to research and plan their trip to Australia using the latest interactive digital media technology at australia.com and nothinglikeaustralia.com.

Supporting the website is a suite of adaptable digital, print and broadcast advertising materials that give the travel trade the ability to consistently sell Australia's tourism experiences internationally with the 'There's Nothing Like Australia' message.

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PATA, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, is renewing the call for a Thailand tourism recovery campaign that seeks to rebuild international consumer confidence.

PATA CEO, Greg Duffell, commented: 'We believe that we must rebuild international confidence in Thailand as a destination that already offers tremendous value. We prefer to see an image building campaign, rather than a strategy based on product discounting. Until tour operators have the confidence to send their clients to Thailand, and tourists / business travellers feel confident that they will enjoy an uninterrupted trip, price cutting alone will not bring back the numbers.'

The World Tourism Organization has also pledged support. UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, said: 'Drawing on the experience gained from the UNWTO Tourism Resilience Committee, valuable lessons and strategies used by other member states to confront similar crisis situations will be shared.'

In the meantime, the Thai government has begun to implement recovery measures including a financial scheme for tourism entrepreneurs and small businesses affected by the unrest, exemption from the tourist visa fee for foreigners and a landing and parking fee discount for airports.

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

Now in its 12th year, the Search Engine Strategies (SES) 2010 Conference and Expo provides workshops and debates on key topics such as search marketing (including SEO, PPC management and social media), keyword research, mobile engagement, link building, online video, site optimisation and usability. The event takes place from the 16th to 20th August in San Francisco, USA.

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An online Consumer Technology conference from travel analysts, PhoCusWright will be held on the 18th August.

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The India Travel Mart will be held from the 26th to 28th August in Delhi, India.

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The Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC) is North America's largest conference focusing on sustainability in travel and tourism. The conference takes place in Oregon, USA, from the 8th to 10th September and will bring together 500+ business leaders, tourism professionals and community stakeholders.

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Journeys of Expression VIII : Celebrating through times of crisis: prospects and potentials for tourism, festivals and cultural events is an event that aims to bring together international academic researchers in the field of tourism and festival studies with policy makers and practitioners in the festivals and cultural events sector. The event will be held on the 11th and 12th September in Denmark.

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The PATA Travel Mart 2010 runs from the 14th to 17th September in Macau SAR and is a must-attend event for anyone interested in the Asia Pacific travel industry. The Travel Mart provides a programme of seminars on topics such as prospects for Asia Pacific tourism and HR issues for the industry.

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The China Travel Distribution Summit 2010 will bring together some of the world's most influential travel industry leaders to discuss core issues affecting travel. The summit takes place in Beijing on September 15th and 16th.

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A masterclass in sustainable tourism will be held on the 17th September in London, UK, in conjunction with the Innovation for Sustainable Development Center. For booking information, contact Valere Tjolle.

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Routes 2010: The 16th World Route Development Forum takes place in Canada from the 19th to 21st September and offers a meeting place for the world's route development industry.

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The first European Ecotourism Conference (EETC) will focus on Balancing Sustainability and Profitability and be held in Estonia from the 26th to 30th September. Visit the EETC website for programme and booking details.

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Tourism and biodiversity is the theme of this year's World Tourism Day, organised by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and officially hosted by China on the 27th September. The theme has been chosen in order to raise public awareness of the importance of biodiversity to tourism.

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The Adventure Travel Trade Association is staging the 2010 Adventure Travel World Summit in Scotland, UK, from the 4th to 7th October.

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The EyeForTravel Online Marketing and Social Media Strategies for Travel Summit Europe 2010 will take place on the 5th and 6th October in Prague, Czech Republic. The event will examine key strategies for engaging customers in the new media landscape and share insightful case studies, best practices and ideas.

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The 4th International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations, to be held in Oman from the 10th to 12th October, will explore issues such as tangible and intangible heritage, responsible tourism marketing, and tourism in a finite world.

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The four-day International Summit on Medical Travel, Wellness and Retirement will take place in the Philippines from the 12th to 15th October. The event includes plenary sessions in industry perspectives, opportunities and risks, global opportunities in the retirement industry and the future of the medical tourism and healthcare travel industry.

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Now in its 12th year, the EyeForTravel Travel Distribution Summit North America provides an opportunity for the North American online travel industry to network, share industry knowledge and learn profitable new strategies. The summit takes place in Illinois, USA, on the 13th and 14th October.

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Ecotourism Australia will be staging the organisation's 18th annual conference, the Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference, from the 25th to 27th October in Queensland. The conference aims to bring together sectors that have a direct and indirect role in delivering sustainable tourism and ecotourism to examine and debate emerging opportunities and issues, review current best practices and collectively take a forward perspective.

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There's still time to catch the Shanghai Expo in China which continues until the 31st October. The event is the first world exposition to take place in a developing country and provides a platform for economic, scientific, technological and cultural exchange.

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Staged annually in London, UK, the World Travel Market is a business to business event presenting a diverse range of destinations and industry sectors to travel professionals. This year's event takes place from the 8th to 11th November.

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The PhoCusWright Conference, scheduled for the 16th to 18th November in Arizona, USA, aims to discover, confront and capitalise on the latest trends and opportunities in travel.

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...and a look ahead to events in 2011:

FITUR 2011 will be the 31st edition of this leading travel show which, each year, attracts industry professionals from over 170 countries to share their knowledge, initiatives and techniques. This year's event will take place from the 19th to 23rd January in Madrid, Spain.

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The 2nd International Place Branding Conference, taking place in Bogota, Colombia, from the 20th to 22nd January, will follow a theme of Branding Cities: The Search for Place Identity. Delegates will have the opportunity to follow a technical tour of interesting sites in the city demonstrating a range of relevant issues.

If you're interested in knowing more about the issues and factors affecting Asia's fast growing online travel industry, download the audio content and slides from the EyeForTravel Online Marketing Strategies for Travel conference which took place last month. Registration required.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
DESTINATION BRANDWATCH
E-BUSINESS NEWS
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
INTERVIEWS
RESEARCH AND REPORTS
Tourism recovery confirmed
Top meetings destinations
Tourism for Tomorrow awards
NZ i-SITE network success
Sustainable tourism website
Australia campaign success
New Australia mobile app
Social media v search engines
India - visits up to travel sites
DMO ads shift to online

International Tourism:
Recovery is confirmed

International tourist arrivals grew by 7 percent in the first four months of 2010 according to the latest issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. The 3 percent increase registered in April marks the seventh month of growth in international tourist arrivals after 14 consecutive months of negative results.

This growth confirms the recovery trend beginning in the last quarter of 2009 and comes despite the challenging conditions of recent months. While April's results were affected by the week-long closure of European airspace, globally the pace of recovery is faster than initially expected, driven largely by emerging markets. For the full year 2010, UNWTO forecasts international tourist arrivals to grow by 3 to 4 percent.

Growth, however, varied between world regions in the first four months of this year. Asia and the Pacific (+12 percent) shows strong growth for the period, Africa (+7 percent) is at the global trend, the Americas (+6 percent) are just below, while Europe (+0.3 percent) reports the poorest result.

Commenting on new trends such as late booking, increasing use of the internet and travelling for shorter periods of time, Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary General, said: 'It's illusionary to assume that we can go back to business as usual. We need to know consumers better, master technology and integrate it more and more into the management of destinations and companies.'

MICE Industry:
Most popular destinations

The USA and Germany are the most popular destinations for meetings and conventions, according to the latest worldwide rankings which have just been released by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). Spain remains in third place, with Italy moving up from 6th to 4th place and the United Kingdom remaining in 5th position. China and Austria (which shares 10th place with The Netherlands) are both newcomers in the top 10.

This year, ICCA researchers identified 8,294 events which took place in 2009, 800 events more than were identified last year and a reflection of the strength of the meetings market despite the economic downturn.

Sustainable Tourism:
WTTC award winners 2010

The four winners of the World Travel and Tourism Council's 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards have been announced. Emirates Hotels and Resorts, Whale Watch Kaikoura, Accor and the Botswana Tourism Board, were crowned the winners for their successful work in advancing sustainable tourism best practices in different parts of the world.

The four categories of the awards are designed to show how destinations can guide their tourism development according to sustainable tourism principles, to recognise best practices and to show how tourism, carefully planned and managed, can make a positive contribution to poverty alleviation, local economic development, and cultural heritage preservation while providing an excellent overall guest experience.

New Zealand:
Success of i-SITE network

Travellers who use New Zealand's i-SITE Visitor Information Centre Network are doing more and spending more while on holiday, according to new research by Tourism New Zealand.

'We found that almost 90 per cent of international visitors who used an i-SITE Visitor Centre paid for a service such as accommodation, transport, or sightseeing activities directly as a result of their visit,' said David Wilks, i-SITE Executive Manager.

i-SITE Centres in New Zealand welcome around 900,000 international visitors through their doors each year. The Ministry of Tourism's international visitor survey shows these visitors spend around 45 percent more than those who do not use an i-SITE Centre.

Sustainable Tourism:
Best practice gateway launched

A green hotel directory, an Earth Guest programme by one of the biggest hospitality chains in the world, and an initiative to reduce building on China's famous Mount Huangshan are all showcased on a new website launched recently by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

The Best Practice Gateway features more than 20 case studies from around the world to help illustrate the travel and tourism industry's leading role in sustainability.

Australia:
Tourism campaign success

Australians have proven their enthusiasm for promoting their country by uploading nearly 30,000 stories and images to Tourism Australia's new global campaign website making it one of the country's most successful consumer-generated promotions ever.

Tourism Australia Managing Director, Andrew McEvoy said: 'Our initial expectations based on previous national promotions was around 10,000 to 15,000 entries but those expectations were exceeded with 30,000 images and stories telling the world why there's nothing like Australia for a holiday. The response really demonstrates the value of social networking to gather authentic travel stories and powerful word of mouth endorsement. This adds to the more than 400,000 global fans of the Tourism Australia Facebook page and the more than 6,500 followers on Twitter.' The entries are now being used in an online map which is searchable by experience type, location, and 1,000 keywords.

Mobile Apps:
Tourism Australia initiative

Now there's an easier way to plan a trip around Australia, thanks to Tourism Australia's first iPhone application. The Walkabout Planner is an itinerary planning tool featuring suggested journeys throughout Australia. The visitor can navigate through the journeys to see highlights, images and suggested activities, or search a range of destinations and experiences for trip ideas. The app is based on the online version of the Walkabout Planner enhanced with a map-based tourism product listing from the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) database that allows location based searching.

Social Media:
More traffic than search engines

Social networks now receive more UK internet visits than search engines, according to industry analysts, Experian Hitwise. Facebook accounts for 55 percent of all UK social networking visits, almost three times as many as the next most popular social network, YouTube. Twitter, one of the fastest growing and most talked about websites of the last two years, is now the third most popular social network in the UK, putting it ahead of former favourites such as Bebo and MySpace.

India:
Surge in visits to travel sites

Online analysts, comScore, have revealed that the number of internet users in India visiting travel sites has grown by 50 percent to more than 14 million over the last year, as a growing number turn to the convenience of the web in search of travel deals and accommodation.

Will Hodgman, comScore executive vice president for the Asia-Pacific region, said: 'Travel sites now attract more than one-third of India's total internet population. In the current economic climate, consumers are being more cost-conscious when making travel arrangements. With half of all visitors to the category frequenting two or more travel sites during the month, it's clear that consumers are taking the time to diligently compare prices prior to completing their transactions. In this competitive environment, online travel agents and suppliers face the challenge of building and maintaining consumer loyalty.'

DMO Advertising:
Shift to online spending

Expedia Media has released insights from a new study on destination marketing organisation (DMO) advertising trends revealing that DMOs are significantly shifting ad dollars online and away from offline media, with some DMOs saying that online now accounts for more than 50 percent of the organisation's total advertising budget. The study suggests that the shift of DMO marketing dollars to online media has occurred largely because of budget cuts and increasing pressure to measure results.

Managing a country brand... is it possible? That's the subject of a new interview with Simon Anholt, independent policy advisor, author and creator of the Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index. In the interview with Business Travel Radio, Simon talks about country rankings and offers advice on what countries can do to make themselves more relevant, not more famous. (16 mins, MP3.)

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EyeForTravel recently interviewed Doug Miller, Global VP, Media Solutions at Expedia about the last-click model, the social media versus travel booking and planning channels debate. Read excerpts from this interview.

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What does the mobile revolution mean for the travel industry? Read an interview with Robert Hamilton, Google Project Manager, about the scale and pace of advances in mobile.