The 11th UNWTO Asia/Pacific Executive Training Programme on Tourism Policy and Strategy was held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from 20-23 March 2017.  The Programme marked the first UNWTO event in the Pacific Islands subregion, and its theme “Sustainable Tourism for Development” was aligned with the celebrations of the 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.  This programme has been sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea since 2006, and provides a unique platform for senior-level officials to come together and discuss pertinent issues related to policy, strategy and development of tourism in the Asia Pacific Region.

During the first day, the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority and UNWTO Regional Programme for Asia and the Pacific co-organized a UNWTO National Forum on Sustainable Tourism for Development where over 160 local tourism stakeholders from private and public sectors gathered to discuss tourism development throughout Papua New Guinea as a tool to create new employment opportunities, poverty reduction, and as a contributor to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, congratulated the host government of PNG for their commitment and management of this event and noted the tremendous potential of Papua New Guinea in the international tourism market “You are a blank canvas to the world with opportunity to fill as colorful, beautiful and wonderful image of PNG” he noted and underlined “¨PNG must do everything it can to promote itself in a positive light for next year´s APEC Summit.”

Papua New Guinea Minister of Finance, Hon. James Marape, MP also shared his remarks during the opening ceremony and welcomed local participants, delegates and organizers, “We will definitely shift our focus away from mining and oil, and bring more attention into this (tourism) sector, which in our view can hold the economy. Come back to us five years from now and you will see what this country will be.” He continued by conveying Papua New Guinea’s commitment to the development of a sustainable tourism sector where all residents can benefit equally. 

The one-day Forum culminated in the bilateral minutes of tourism cooperation between PNG Minister of Tourism, Hon. Tobias Kulang and UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai, in which both sides acknowledged the importance of tourism development for Papua New Guinea as a sustainable, alternative economic sector for its people, and committed to collaboratively work on a national tourism strategy for the next 12 years.

Over the following two days, 21 delegates representing 16 countries from the Asia Pacific Region participated in the Executive Training Programme to discuss sustainable tourism development. Each delegate had the opportunity to share best practices and case studies from their respective countries on sustainable tourism. Furthermore, through a series of lectures, group discussion and debates facilitated by UNWTO Anchor Consultant, Dr. Ong Hong Peng and Adjunct Professor, Steve Noakes.  The delegates examined resource efficiency, safeguarding natural and cultural heritage.  Special attention was given to the impacts of climate change and the ways in which tourism in Asia and the Pacific can contribute to the SDGs through inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development employment and poverty reduction.

Please refer to the event’s website for additional information, technical note, and technical presentations by experts and UNWTO delegates.

Contacts

Ms. Jeongmi LEE

UNWTO Regional Programme for Asia and the Pacific

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 94 / jlee@unwto.org 

PR No.: PR 17037

Raising awareness on the relevance of the tourism sector in the reduction of poverty and promoting knowledge sharing on best practices constitute the major objectives of the Workshop for Poverty Reduction and Tourism Development held in Guangdong. The event takes place in a highly relevant momentum as 2017 is celebrated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, a global campaign lead by UNWTO.

"Guangdong, one of the top economic hubs in China, is one of the best examples of what is happening in China in terms of the links between development and tourism and therefore it is a perfect location to conduct this event" said UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai.

“We sincerely appreciate the agreement with UNWTO that includes a number of initiatives in the field of sustainable tourism and wildlife conservation, which are very much in line with our philosophy ‘Wherever Chimelong goes, the happiness follows’ as our CEO, Su Zhigang highlights,” said Chen Wancheng, President of Guangdong Chimelong Group.

Accounting for 6.3% of GDP, tourism is one of the most important sectors in Guangdong. The province receives more than 300 million domestic tourists annually and around 35 million international tourists.

The workshop included case studies from the UNWTO ST-EP Project Great Himalaya Trail Development Programme, the UNWTO Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories and from activities conducted by Chimelong in the Guangdong Province. Representatives of Provincial Tourist Authorities and Provincial Tourism Organizations, in particular from the Guangdong Province, stakeholders from the private sector and Chinese NGOs attended the event. 

Additional information:

Portal of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development

Photos 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 17031

“Japan will continue to promote tourism and stress its great potential in people to people understanding as well as its important role in rural area development”, said Prime Minister Abe.

On the occasion, Mr. Rifai presented Prime Minister Abe with the Open Letter on Travel and Tourism, an initiative jointly led by UNWTO and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) to advocate tourism and its role to the development of nations. 

Mr Rifai congratulated Prime Minister Abe on the impressive development of the tourism sector since he took office in 2013 and highlighted the potential that tourism has to bring development to all the areas of Japan. In 2016, Japan received 24 million international tourists, an increase of 22% as compared to 2015. Japan set as a target to increase the number of foreign tourists to 40 million by 2020, and to 60 million by 2030.

“Japan is showing a clear leadership in tourism development by placing tourism high in its socio-economic agenda. We thank Prime Minister Abe for its vision and leadership and look forward to continuing working with Japan to achieve its set target of 40 million international tourists by 2020”, said Mr Rifai.  

David Scowsill, President & CEO, WTTC, said: “Japan is a country which has long recognized the power of our sector to drive economic growth. Travel & Tourism contributes 7.4% to the country’s GDP and generates over 4.5 million jobs, or 6.9% of total employment in the country. Japan ranks 4th in the world for Travel & Tourism GDP. We encourage the government to continue its great efforts to stimulate Japan’s Travel & Tourism sector, focusing on creating products to attract new markets and continuing to invest in infrastructure to absorb future demand in the country.”

Mr Rifai also met the Governor of Yamagata Prefecture, Mieko Yoshimura, to announce the forthcoming UNWTO Conference on Tourism and Snow-Related Activities, to be held in February 2018. The event is aimed at supporting the recovery of the Tohoku region (Northern) from the 2011 earthquake. It is also part of the efforts of UNWTO to support Japan in diversifying its tourism offer to less known tourism areas.

The visit was also an occasion to inaugurate the Tokyo Liaison Office of the UNWTO Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific（RSOAP）based in Nara in the presence of the 17 UNWTO Affiliate Members of Japan and 200 key tourism leaders and stakeholders. The office will provide supplementary support to the activities being carried out from the Nara-based office.

Besides his encounter with Prime Minister Abe, Mr Rifai held meetings with Mr. Yoshihiro Nikai, Secretary-General of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Mr. Keiichi Ishii, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Mr. Nobuo Kishi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Mr. Akihiko Tamura, Commissioner of Japan Tourism Agency (MLIT), all of whom expressed their support to the tourism sector and the work of UNWTO.

On the occasion, UNWTO Secretary-General also addressed the research commission for the establishment of a tourism oriented nation of the LDP and met with the representatives of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), the Japan Travel and Tourism Association (JTTA), JTB Corp., TOYO University, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Gurunavi Inc. and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

JICA and UNWTO recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed to contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through tourism with a particular focus in assisting developing countries to reduce poverty through tourism as well as to improve public policies and business practices.

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

IFT organises training and education programmes in collaboration with UNWTO via the newly established Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training of IFT. These courses would seek to enhance the human capital of the Asia Pacific tourism sector and promote sustainable tourism in the region. The Centre would also provide training to officials and industry representatives from the local industry as well as Portuguese-speaking countries, contributing to the Government’s goal of building Macao into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, and a Commercial and Trade Cooperation Service Platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (“One Centre, One Platform” initiative).

Representatives of tourism-related bodies from Asia-Pacific countries and regions attend the course – “Tourism Capacity Building for Government and Public Officials” – organised by the Institute, in partnership with UNWTO from 14-21 November. Participants in the course include: 2 representatives from the Macao Government Tourism Office, 2 representatives from the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), including the Representative of East-Timor in Forum Macao, and  17 participants come from Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Mainland China. This is the second time IFT partnered with UNWTO to offer such type of professional training course.

Overseas participants attending professional training courses at IFT would be able to learn new, tourism-related, management strategies and practices, as well as gain valuable insights from observing Macao’s tourism industry. It is hoped the knowledge acquired during the courses could be useful for overseas participants in the development of the tourism and hospitality industries in their respective countries and regions. In addition, representatives from Macao – and from elsewhere – could benefit from the experience-sharing process when meeting the other participants on this particular course, and on future courses.

The Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) was established in 1995, and offers the most extensive range of tourism and hospitality-related bachelor degree programmes in Macao. Annually, approximately 20,000 participants attend its vocational and professional training courses. IFT collaborates with 101 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and has strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations worldwide that provide internship opportunities to IFT students. IFT was the first institution to be accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, and now has 8 bachelor degree programmes with this certification. Currently, the Institute has the greatest number of bachelor degree programmes certified under that system of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and has twice won the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from PATA.

Link to the IFT Press Release: Here

Contacts:

Institute for Tourism Studies

Tel: (853) 28561252

Fax: (853) 28519058

www.ift.edu.mo

On November 14 the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Dr. Tam Chon Weng, and his delegation toured the new Taipa Campus of the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT). The delegation – accompanied by IFT President, Dr. Fanny Vong, IFT Vice-President Ms. Florence Ian, and the Director of the IFT Tourism and Hotel School, Ms. Diamantina Coimbra – visited the teaching facilities at the Forward Building and the student accommodation at the East Asia Hall.

Dr. Vong explained to Dr. Tam and his delegation the numerous adaptations and facility upgrades completed by IFT at the Taipa Campus since October 2015, when the Macao SAR Government granted the Institute use of the site. She added that the new campus had become fully operational at the beginning of academic year 2016/17: students from some of the IFT bachelor degree and diploma programmes were now having classes there. In addition, Dr. Vong mentioned that student accommodation at the East Asia Hall – for IFT’s international and exchange students – was already in use. Dr. Vong noted it featured many student leisure facilities and areas for student extracurricular activities, the aim being to enrich college life.

During the coming two years, IFT plans to continue the adaptation and renovation works at the Taipa Campus. The programme of works, designed in such a way as to avoid disrupting academic activities at the campus, includes conversion of the building previously used as staff quarters by the University of Macau – when the University was based on the site – into a new IFT training hotel. This facility will provide fresh opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience of the tourism industry.

During the visit, Dr. Tam acknowledged the good job done by IFT in renovating the facilities at its new campus. He noted that the Institute had been able to put the site into use quickly, thereby improving IFT’s overall teaching and learning environment.

Dr. Tam also recognised IFT’s efforts in enhancing its international position in the field of tourism education, and in enlarging the network linking the Institute to universities and tourism organisations around the world. The Secretary praised the deepening of IFT’s collaboration with several high-profile international bodies, including: the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). Dr. Tam additionally noted that IFT had been increasing the number of overseas organisations with which it has partnerships in order to facilitate international exchange courses.

The Secretary said the Macao Government would support the Institute to organise training and education programmes in collaboration with UNWTO via the newly established Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training, under IFT. These courses would seek to enhance the human capital of the Asia Pacific tourism sector and promote sustainable tourism in the region. He added that the Centre would also provide training to officials and industry representatives from Portuguese-speaking countries, contributing to the Government’s goal of building Macao into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, and a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (“One Centre, One Platform” initiative).

During the visit to IFT’s Taipa Campus, Dr. Tam and his delegation met representatives of tourism-related bodies from Asia-Pacific countries and regions that were attending a professional training programme at IFT. The course – “Tourism Capacity Building for Government and Public Officials” – has been organised by the Institute, in partnership with UNWTO.

Participants in the course include: 2 representatives from the Macao Government Tourism Office; and 2 representatives from the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), including the Representative of East-Timor in Forum Macao. The remaining 17 participants come from: Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Mainland China. This is the second time IFT has partnered with UNWTO to offer such type of professional training course.

During his exchanges with the course participants and lecturers, Dr. Tam said he anticipated that overseas participants attending professional training courses at IFT would be able to learn new, tourism-related, management strategies and practices, as well as gain valuable insights from observing Macao’s tourism industry. He hoped the knowledge acquired during the courses could be useful for overseas participants in the development of the tourism and hospitality industries in their respective countries and regions. In addition, representatives from Macao – and from elsewhere – could benefit from the experience-sharing process when meeting the other participants on this particular course, and on future courses, Dr. Tam added.

The Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) was established in 1995, and offers the most extensive range of tourism and hospitality-related bachelor degree programmes in Macao. Annually, approximately 20,000 participants attend its vocational and professional training courses. IFT collaborates with 101 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and has strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations worldwide that provide internship opportunities to IFT students. IFT was the first institution to be accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, and now has 8 bachelor degree programmes with this certification. Currently, the Institute has the greatest number of bachelor degree programmes certified under that system of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and has twice won the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from PATA.

Link to the IFT Press Release: Here

Contacts:

Institute for Tourism Studies

Tel: (853) 28561252

Fax: (853) 28519058

www.ift.edu.mo