UNWTO/Chimelong Activities
Wildlife tourism has been a major concern for the World Tourism Organization traditionally.
UNWTO/Chimelong Activities in Africa
CHIMELONG TOURISM DEVELOPMENT FORUM
Guangzhou, China, 16-17 October 2019, Chimelong International Conference Centre
Quick summary
Chimelong celebrated the current and future achievements of the UNWTO/Chimelong Initiative, on the occasion of the Chimelong Tourism Development Forum which took place on 16 & 17 October 2019, in collaboration with UNWTO. The event also honored the 20th Anniversary of the return of Macau to the People’s Republic of China, the 30th Anniversary of the foundation of Chimelong and the development successes of the Greater Bay Area.
Since its inception in 2017, the activities of the UNWTO/Chimelong Initiative directly benefitted eight African UNWTO Member States and seven Asia-Pacific UNWTO Member States, for a total of 375 participants.
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9th TOURISM INVESTMENT AND BUSINESS FORUM FOR AFRICA 2018
18 January 2018, Madrid, Spain
Quick summary
The UNWTO/Chimelong Initiative being the supporter of major activities advocating wildlife conservation and sustainable tourism in Africa, this 9th edition of INVESTOUR aimed to pay tribute to the initiative's invaluable contribution in the region.
This year's Round Table Sessions were focused on "Brand Africa: Fostering tourism development and investment opportunities" and "Biodiversity as a driver for sustainable tourism: The importance of effective community involvement".
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8th TOURISM INVESTMENT AND BUSINESS FORUM FOR AFRICA 2017
19 January 2017, Madrid, Spain
Quick summary
Chimelong supported the hosting of the 8th Tourism Investment and Business Forum for Africa in Madrid, which brought over 20 African Ministers of Tourism and international private tourism stakeholders together to discuss tourism related topics, with an emphasis on sustainable tourism.
As 2017 was celebrated worldwide as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, sustainable practices were at the core of the round tables' themes of “Technology and the design of new tourism products” and “Skills development, youth and women´s employment in tourism” and the B2B Meeting sessions between African tourism project leaders and potential international partners.
UNWTO/CHIMELONG CAPACITY BUILDING ON TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA
Gabon: 20-22 June 2017
Benin-Niger:11-13 July 2017
Guinea: 14-16 November 2017
Democratic Republic of Congo: 21-23 November 2017
Regional Seminar: Democratic Republic of Congo:3 - 6 April 2018
Type of Activity Training Programmes & Regional Seminar
Quick summary
The project developped training programmes aiming at awareness raising among local people of the importance of biodiversity conservation in the destination area and how to address environmental issues while undertaking tourism activities. The training also motivates the local communities and tourism employees to act as champions of biodiversity conservation and environmental protection in the region, which will help ensure sustained income generation locally as a result of tourism activities.
The final regional seminar (3 - 6 April 2018) served to summarize the itinerary training workshops conducted throughout 2017. As a result, more than 120 people were trained last year to give them the skills to design and implement local champion initiatives in their respective countries, which they showcased during the seminar.
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SUSTAINABLE TOURISM & CONSERVATION OF GREAT APES IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
November 2017 - February 2019
Type of Activity: Technical assistance / Capacity Building, Seminars & Training Programme
Quick summary
The overall objective of the project is to enhance and create synergies between the conservation of great apes and the development of sustainable forms of tourism in protected areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The project activities aim at investing in capacity building and equipment provision for the conservation of great apes and working with communities to raise awareness on the importance of biodiversity conservation and explore opportunities to develop sustainable forms of tourism in and around habitats of great apes.
The project is being implemented in collaboration with the African Wildlife Foundation.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT, WILDLIFE CONSERVATION & SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN ZIMBABWE
February 2018 - February 2020
Project extended until June 2021 due to COVID-19
Type of Activity Technical assistance / Capacity Building, Seminars & Training Programme
Quick summary
The overall objective of the project is to enhance and create synergies between wildlfie conservation, tourism development and sustainable livelihoods in protected areas in Zimbabwe. The project activities aim at 1) investing in wildlife conservation and game viewing facilities to avoid human-wildlife conflicts and improve visitor experiences, 2) working with communities to explore opportunities to gain additional income from nature tourism and 3) raise awareness on the importance of biodiversity conservation in tourist destinations.
The project is being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality of Zimbabwe.
UNWTO/Chimelong Activities in Asia and the Pacific
UNWTO/CHIMELONG WORKSHOP FOR POVERTY REDUCTION & TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN GUANGDONG
24 - 25 March 2017, Guangzhou, China
Type of Activity Technical Workshop
Quick summary
The workshop was jointly organized by UNWTO and Chimelong and in collaboration with the Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province and the Guangdong Foundation for Poverty Alleviation. The event was the perfect opportunity to raise awareness on the relevance of the tourism sector in the reduction of poverty, to achieve an enhanced level of understanding on the needs of different stakeholders of the Guangdong Province and to promote knowledge sharing on best practices amongst tourism stakeholders.
UNWTO/CHIMELONG CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS ON WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN BANGLADESH
11 January 2018 - Dhakka, Bangladesh
Type of Activity Capacity Building Workshop
Quick summary
Following the success of the organisation of the 29th CSA-CAP Joint Commission Meetings held in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Tourism Board implemented a capacity building workshop for public officials on wildlife conservation and sustainable tourism with the sponsorship of the UNWTO/Chimelong Initiative. Given Bangladesh’s wildlife diversity and well-known natural heritage, it was the perfect location to organise the workshop which aims at exchanging knowledge and discussing opportunities and challenges in wildlife tourism, addressing important issues on policy making and identifying important management implications and recommendations in the field of sustainable development and wildlife conservation.
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UNWTO REGIONAL SEMINAR ON TOURISM, CLIMATE CHANGE, BIODIVERISTY & SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
18 - 20 June 2018 - Nadi, Fiji
Type of Activity Technical Seminar
Quick summary
Under the framework of the Capacity Building Workshops for Public Officials on Wildlife Conservation and Sustainable Tourism in Asia and the Pacific, a UNWTO Regional Seminar for public officials was organised in Nadi (Fiji) during the 30th Joint Meeting for the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and for the UNWTO Commission for South Asia.
The workshop was established under the scope of a Technical Seminar which addressed the themes of climate change, biodiversity and sustainable tourism development. The main aim was to exchange knowledge and discuss opportunities and challenges in climate change and biodiversity protection addressing important issues on policy making and identifying important management implications and recommendations in the field of sustainable development through climate change and biodiversity protection.
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UNWTO/CHIMELONG SUB-REGIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP ON SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND BIODIVERISTY PROTECTION FOR MEKONG SUB-REGION MEMBER STATES
19-21 February 2019 - Pakse, Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic
Type of Activity Capacity Building Workshop
Quick summary
The UNWTO/Chimelong Sub-regional Capacity Building Workshop on Sustainable Tourism and Biodiversity Conservation for the Mekong Subregion Member States was held on 19-21 February 2019 in Pakse, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao DPR). The event aimed to motivate local tourism employees and communities to act as champions of biodiversity conservation and environmental protection along the Mekong, which will help ensure sustained income generation for the local people as a result of tourism activities. A total of 34 participants (local and international) attended the workshop.
UNWTO/CHIMELONG REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF WILDLIFE TOURISM IN ASIA & THE PACIFIC : GOOD PRACTICES & IMPLICATIONS
January 2019 - July 2019
Type of Activity Research
Quick summary
In the light of the growing international concern regarding wildlife conservation and its often misguided use in many wildlife tourism activities, there is an urgent need to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable practices in that sector, especially in Asia and the Pacific where scarce research has been conducted.
By providing a compilation of good practices and implications of the region, the report highlights the positive impacts of implementing sustainable policies within the wildlife tourism sector (through testimonies including key resources needed, challenges encountered and relevant pieces of advice) and thus encourage tourism stakeholders from various backgrounds (private and public sectors) to carry out the same changes.
UNWTO/CHIMELONG PhD SCHOLARHSIP FOR TOURISM PROJECT REPORTS ON SUSTAINABLE TOURISM & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
12 months Scholarship - June 2019 - May 2020
Project extension until December 2020 due to COVID-19
Type of Activity Technical Cooperation Project and Mission
Quick summary
The PhD Scholarship for Tourism is a key component of the UNWTO/Chimelong Initiative which aims to sponsor four PhD students from two universities located in Asia and the Pacific region to produce four project reports, related to the themes of sustainable tourism and wildlife conservation in Asia and the Pacific.
Awarded universities: Sun Yat- Sen University and City University of Macau
Project Reports publication - December 2020
More information will be available soon
UNWTO/Chimelong Activities Media related
MEDIA FIELD MISSON TO MAJOR INITIATIVES TACKLING WILDLIFE PROTECTION
Congo-Brazaville, 17 July 2017 - Republic of Congo Kasane, Botswana 6 December 2017
Quick summary
This Project aims at increasing awareness and enhancing the capacities of global media to report on wildlife protection as an essential component of tourism. The training addressed the impact of wildlife tourism in the African continent, the different journalistic angles of the topic and the relevance of story-telling in reporting. Challenges such as access to information related to wildlife management, media capacities to cover technical aspects of this theme and the need to improve relations and exchanges with relevant authorities were mentioned by most of the participants.
One addtional Media field mission is to be implemented.
Participants:
Congo-Brazaville : 20 African journalists from various media of Congo-Brazzaville
Kasane: international journalists from different media channels (e.g. BBC, Lonely Planet, Xinhua News Agency, El Pais, Radio France International, Botswana Guardian, etc.)
TRAINING WORKSHOP ON MEDIA RELATIONS TO NATIONAL TOURISM ADMINISTRATIONS & NATIONAL TOURISM ORGANISATIONS
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo 4 April 2018
Guangzhou, China, 17 October 2019
Quick summary
On the occasion of the Regional Seminar on Tourism Development and Biodiversity Protection (3-6 April 2018) and the Chimelong Tourism Development Forum (17 October 2019), the delegates also participated in a training workshop on communications and media relations under the topic of communicating the link between wildlife and sustainable tourism. Public officers from the invited countries analyzed the potential of wildlife in the promotion of their destinations and revised the strategic communications methodologies and practices that can facilitate their work.
Participants:
- Kinshasa: 80 from Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Niger
- Guangzhou: 40 from Benin, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
One additional training is due to be implemented.
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MEDIA AWARD INITIATIVE ON WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND TOURISM
Launching of the Media Award: 18 January 2018
Type of Activity Event
Quick summary
A Media Award Ceremony will be organized by the UNWTO in collaboration with Chimelong to grant awards to international journalists who contributed to promote and encourage media coverage on wildlife conservation and tourism.
The UNWTO/Chimelong Media Award on Wildlife Conservation and Tourism was launched durign the INVESTOUR of 2019.
SPONSORSHIP OF THE 2017 INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Openning Ceremony - Madrid, Spain - 19 January 2017
Closing Ceremony - Geneva, Switzerland - 19 December 2017
Type of Activity Celebration of all year round conferences, workshops and other related events on the theme of sustainabel tourism for development
Quick summary
The United Nations designated 2017 as the International Year for Sustainable Tourism for Development (IYSTD). As one of the Official Sponsors, Chimelong had the unique opportunity to raise awareness for the contribution of sustainable tourism for development among public and private sector decision-makers, while mobilizing all stakeholders to work together in making tourism a catalyst for positive change.
Through the contributions of its sponsors, UNWTO:
- organised 14 Official events throughout the year,
- produced two Flagship Publications : "Sustainable Tourism for Development Report" and "Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals: Journey to 2030"
- created an awareness raising campaign, "Travel, Enjoy, Respect", to promote sustainable tourism among travelers and offer tips on how to be a responsible traveler (based on UNWTO Global Code of Ethics in Tourism).
- launched a Traveler's Competition during World Tourism Day (27 September 2017)