The UNWTO Building Capacity Workshop in Lithuania on “Current Trends in Tourism eMarketing” organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), its UNWTO.Themis Foundation and the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Lithuania was inaugurated today 13th November by Hon. Mr. Saulius Grinkevičius, Major of Kèdainiai; Prof. Dr. Renaldas Čiužas, Head of Tourism Policy Division of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Lithuania; Mr. Peter Janech, UNWTO Programme Officer; Lidija Bajaruniene, representative of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Lithuania; and Sònia Figueras UNWTO.Capacity Programme Manager. Also present at the ceremony was Mr. Dimitrios Buhalis (UK), facilitator of the workshop.

 

The rise of the Internet and expansion of new technologies has transformed the tourism sector in unprecedented ways. This presents immense opportunities yet also great challenges for the public and private tourism sector that need to keep pace in a constantly changing and competitive environment.

 

With this in mind, this workshop has been designed to allow participants to gain a better understanding of market analysis, segmentation, targeting techniques and travel behaviour in the global market. Also, they will be provided with examples of best practices, tools and skills to be able to implement the acquired knowledge in their work.

 

A theoretical-practical methodology will be followed which includes presentations, discussions, debates, Q&A sessions, group work and practical activities.

 

PR No.: PR 17120

Community engagement, communication, congestion management, adequate planning and product diversification were highlighted as key aspects in dealing with ‘overtourism’.

Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), said opening the Summit: “growth is not the enemy; numbers are not the enemy; the key is to manage the growth sustainably, responsibly and intelligently and use the power of growth to our advantage”.

“We cannot continue to build five-star hotels in three-star communities. Jobs and charity are not enough – we need to diversify visitors’ activities, reduce seasonality and raise awareness of less busy destinations” he added.

Participants agreed on the need to build awareness among communities of the benefits of the sector, improve the use of big data to measure and manage the impact of tourists and tourist flows, and promote the development of tourism experiences that engage and benefit communities directly.

The emergence of new platform tourism services, or the so called sharing-economy, was discussed at length, with participants recognizing that they will continue to expand and need to be understood and managed by destinations on a case-by-case basis.

Speakers in the Summit included:

• H.E. Mr. Mauricio Ventura Aragón, Minister of Tourism, Costa Rica
• H.E. Ms. Elena Kountoura, Minister of Tourism, Greece
• Mr. Ryoichi Matsuyama, President, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
• H.E. Mr. Mohamed Sajid, Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy, Morocco
• H.E. Mr. Enrique de la Madrid, Secretary of Tourism, Mexico
• H.E. Mr. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), United Arab Emirates
• H.E. Mr. John Glen, Minister of Arts Heritage and Tourism, United Kingdom   
• Mr. Istvan Ujhelyi, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, European Parliament
• Ms. Gloria Guevara, President and CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
• Mr. Patrick Robinson, Head of Policy for EMEA, Airbnb
• Ms. Inge Huijbrechts, Vice-President, Responsible Business, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
• Ms. Kate Gibson, Vice-President, Global Corporate Responsibility, Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG)
• Mr. Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Chairman, Silversea Cruises

Relevant links:

Photos

Video 

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 / rgomez@unwto.org

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@UNWTO.org

PR No.: 17116

The 11^th edition of the UNWTO/WTM Ministers’ Summit to be held on 7 November under the title ‘Overtourism: growth is not the enemy; it is how we manage it,’ will address issues such as congestion management, the measurement of the impacts of tourism or the role of the private sector in promoting tourism as an effective tool to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

As stated by UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai “Growth is not the enemy. Growing numbers are not the enemy. Growth is the eternal story of mankind. Tourism growth can and should lead to economic prosperity, jobs and resources to fund environmental protection and cultural preservation, as well as community development and progress needs, which would otherwise not be available.”

The Summit will be moderated by CNN International’s Max Foster. Confirmed speakers include:

• H.E. Mr. Mauricio Ventura Aragón, Minister of Tourism, Costa Rica
• H.E. Ms. Elena Kountoura, Minister of Tourism, Greece
• Mr. Ryoichi Matsuyama, President, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
• H.E. Mr. Enrique de la Madrid, Secretary of Tourism, Mexico 
• H.E. Mr. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), United Arab Emirates
• H.E. Mr. John Glen, Minister of Arts Heritage and Tourism, United Kingdom    
• Mr. Istvan Ujhelyi, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, European Parliament
• Ms. Gloria Guevara, President and CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
• Mr. Patrick Robinson, Head of Policy for EMEA, Airbnb
• Ms. Inge Huijbrechts, Vice President Responsible Business, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
• Ms. Kate Gibson, Vice President, Global Corporate Responsibility, Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG)
• Mr. Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Chairman, Silversea Cruises

Additional information:

Website of the event

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 / rgomez@unwto.org

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@UNWTO.org

PR No.: PR 17115

Three weeks after being launched, the Travellers´ Competition closed with 2,400 submissions. All eligible entries received were judged based on creativity and originality, adherence to theme and digital engagement and social influence of participants.

Four years ago, Katie and her husband quit their comfortable 9-to-5 jobs and set off on an adventure that hasn’t yet ended. From backpacking in South America to trekking to Everest Base Camp to living as expats in Asia, they´ve been privileged to experience many cultures around the world.

“During our wanderings, I’ve learned that tourism is a powerful thing.” Katie said in her submission. She also added “There are ways – both big and small – that every traveler can lessen the footprint they leave. My passion is educating others and myself about how we can travel more sustainably.”

Katie will be embarking on the 24^th of November on a journey across the world that will be supported by Explore WorldWide, an adventure travel group offering a wide range of activities and experiences with a commitment to responsible travel and a pinch of Explore spirit

Katie will be visiting sustainable tourism projects in Colombia, Germany, Mexico, the United Arab Emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah and the Léman region in Switzerland, all partners of the initiative.

Together with her life and travel partner, she manages the website, ‘Two Wandering Soles’, focused on ethical travel for people on all budgets. With 35,000+ monthly visitors and a growing following on social media, Katie would make a fantastic representative of a “responsible traveler” that people from all walks of life can relate to.

The jury of the competition comprised Sandra Carvao, Chief of Communications and Publications at UNWTO, Sofia Panayiotaki, Founder and CEO, PR MEDIACO and John Tefler, Interim Managing Director at Explore Worldwide.

Additional information:

About the competition

About Katie and Two Wandering Soles

Travel.Enjoy.Respect Campaign

International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 / rgomez@unwto.org

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@UNWTO.org