The UNWTO Asia-Pacific Newsletter 41st Issue, sponsored by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, was produced in collaboration with the Kyung Hee University in Korea which is one of the UNWTO Affiliate Members.

In the 41st Edition, current tourism related activities of UNWTO, news from our Member States, destination report of Samoa, Bangladesh and Myanmar, and other issues have been featured. The AP Newsletter is available at our website.

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PRESS RELEASE

CHINA NATIONAL TOURISM ADMINISTRATION

04 JAN 2016

Witnessing the Development of Tourism under Concerted Efforts

     —At the Moment of Releasing 2015 Top 10 News of Chinese Tourism Industry

“Taking fast but steady steps to come over mountains and hills.” The just-concluded Central Economic Working Conference proposed to upgrade and transform tourism so as to let tourism play a positive role in driving investment, consumption, export and thus economic development. At this inspiring moment, CNTA Information Office now releases the long-awaited “2015 Top 10 News of Chinese Tourism Industry”.

The top 10 news are all major events covered by media home and abroad, and have propelled the tourism reform forward. Thus they are representative and innovative, receiving much attention of the whole society. By releasing the top 10 news, we are summarizing this year’s work, encouraging better development in the future, and promoting the in-depth understanding of the tourism industry and concerted efforts to develop tourism.

It is noteworthy that these top 10 news were selected with collective wisdom. Since late November, CNTA Information Office have invited major media at central level and from the industry to summarize major events within the tourism sector, and thus selected 30 candidate news, among which, 10 were pinned down as “2015 Top 10 News of Chinese Tourism Industry” by a committee formed by senior tourism journalists, scholars of journalism colleges and experts in tourism industry.

Together with the TOP 10 News of Chinese Tourism Industry, CNTA has also released the 2015 Top 10 Personalities in Chinese Tourism Industry and the 2015 Top 10 News of World Tourism Industry.

Li Jinzao, Chairman of China National Tourism Administration, stated ¨World tourism had a positive overall landscape in 2015, and we are getting ready for the even brighter 2016 right ahead.¨ in his message – Promoting Tourism with Global Perspective. (Please click here to see the message).

It is believed that under the leadership of CPC Central Committee and the State Council and the support of whole society, Chinese tourism can overcome hardships and achieve further progress with our concerted efforts.

Top Ten News of Chinese Tourism Industry in 2015 

1. Acting in line with the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, launching a nationwide revolution of tourist toilet

2. China’s Travel & Tourism Sector Contributes over 10% of GDP and 10% of Total Employment

3. President Xi Jinping attended the China-Japan Friendly Exchange Conference and delivered an important speech during the visit of a 3,000-member Japanese tourism delegation in China

4. “China Tourism Year” was held successfully in ROK with President Xi Jinping and President Park Geun-hye sending letters of congratulation, and Premier Li Keqiang and Speaker of the National Assembly of the ROK Chung Ui-hwa attending the closing ceremony

5. On July 28, the Several Opinions on Further Promoting Tourism Investment and Consumption was adopted by the Executive Meeting of the State Council presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, in which the tourism investment promotional plan was clearly put forward for the first time

6. Carrying out the One Belt and One Road initiative, holding the Year of Silk Road Tourism

7. “Tourism+” Action Plan was issued to foster new driving force for economic development

8. Record of indecent tourist behaviors was established to enhance regulation on tourism civility

9. Life-tenure of 5A scenic spots was abolished to activate the dynamic management mechanism for scenic spots

10. Tourism has become a major method of poverty alleviation as rural tourism lifted tens of millions of people out of poverty

Further information on the top 10 news can be found at here.

Top Ten Personalities in Chinese Tourism Industry in 2015

Gao Qiuling, Tourist, Hubei

Hu Dayi, Tourist, Beijing

Li Lingyu, Tour Guide, Ningxia

Liu Menggang, Tour Guide, Guangxi

Liu Yi, General Manager, Beijing Tourism Group (BTG)

Lin Shaoqing, Chairman, Fujian Renwoyou Technology Development Co., Ltd.

Shi Xin,Tourism Volunteer, Shenzhen

Su Zhigang, Chairman, Chimelong Group Co., Ltd

Wang Ping, President, China Chamber of Tourism

Ye Hongmin, Party Secretary, Langsi Zhuangyuan Village, Xiuning County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province

The CV of each personality can be found by clicking the name.

Further information on this news realease is available at the CNTA’s official website http://en.cnta.gov.cn/. 

UNWTO and PATA are happy to present the 3rd edition of the Tourism Updates. As with the two preceding editions the main objectives of these bi-monthly tourism updates are identified as follows:

• To synthesize and summarize the impact of external factors on the travel and tourism sector, specifically in the Asia-Pacific region.
• To highlight the major external factors impacting tourism trends in Asia and the Pacific region such as IT impact, important social media, political issues and the like.
• To analyze the key changing tourism trends associated with the external factors mentioned above.
• To raise awareness of the post-2015 Development Agenda which includes the new 17-point set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from attaining gender equality to growing urbanization and promoting inclusive society that have a potentially huge impact on tourism.
• Tourism related/specific SDGs

It is noteworthy that the United Nations declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

Tourism in Asia and the Pacific has been growing above the average of the global trends and is fast increasing its share of the market which is estimated to reach 30% in 2030 from the current 23%. However, economic and financial stability of the world market is a prerequisite for tourism growth and this factor is dealt with in detail in this 3^rd edition as outlined by the UNCTAD conference held in Geneva on the 6^th October 2015. Other subjects having a bearing on Asia Pacific tourism that will catch the eye of tourism stakeholders include youth employment, the role of women in peace and security, sustainable energy tracking process in the region, transport projects bridging South Asia and Southeast Asia as advocated by the Asian Development Bank, amongst others.

UNWTO wishes its readers a Merry X’Mas and a Happy New Year! 

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UNWTO / PATA Tourism Updates Issue 3

The UNWTO Asia-Pacific Newsletter 40th Issue, sponsored by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, was produced in collaboration with the Kyung Hee University in Korea which is one of the UNWTO Affiliate Members.

In the 40th Edition, current tourism related activities of UNWTO, news from our Member States, destination report and other issues have been featured. The AP Newsletter is available at our website. 

Link:

/newsletters

Her Excellency the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, graced the occasion of the conference organized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism of Bangladesh in collaboration with United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on “Developing Sustainable and Inclusive Buddhist Heritage and Pilgrimage Circuit in South Asia’s Buddhist Heartland” that was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in Dhaka on 27-28 October 2015 where Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General, UNWTO, was the chief guest.

Mr. Rashed Khan Menon, Honourable Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism of Bangladesh also honoured the event with his presence and presentation in which he stressed that Bangladesh for the first time had been included in the tourism circuit of Buddhist sites of India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Ministers and delegates from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Afghanistan attended the conference along with high level government and private sector stakeholders from India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, China, Korea, and Japan.

While seeking support from multi-lateral development partners for policy reform and infrastructure and capacity building initiatives the conference concluded on a positive note of recommendations for a comprehensive regional Buddhist circuit road map. Dr. Taleb Rifai, thanking the Bangladesh government for their interest and support in organizing this unique conference stressed that one should not neglect the domestic tourism component since the benefits of tourism must also be enjoyed by the people of the country themselves as much as by the foreign visitors. The conference ended with the Chair’s Summary by Mr. Akhtaruz Zaman Khan Kabir, Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh Tourism Board adopting a set of recommendations.

After the closing ceremony, a press conference was held at the conference venue for the local and international media at which UNWTO Secretary General Mr. Taleb Rifai, Hon. Minister for tourism of Bangladesh Mr. Rashed Khan Menon, Member of Parliament, Mr. Xu Jing, Director, Asia Pacific Regional Programme of UNWTO, Mr. Akhataruz Zaman Khan Kabir, Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh Tourism Board and UNWTO consultant, Mr. Ludwig G Rieder, were present.

Besides the conference on 27th October and the technical tour of the 28th October which gave the delegates a glimpse of the vast Buddhist heritage of Bangladesh as well as the Sundarbans mangrove forest, UNESCO World Heritage site, UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai visited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and handed over an open letter on travel and tourism in recognition of Bangladesh's efforts to boost and diversify its tourism capacity thereby creating socioeconomic growth and employment.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgMVhr3rTRPIFf8i8EXeMLALS_MeBlH-m

The above workshop is an integral part of a research study that analyses the potential for river-based tourism in the Mekong region, co-sponsored by UNWTO and ASEAN with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) lending their support.

The study is a sequel to the “UNWTO Report: Initial Situation Analysis on River-based Tourism in ASEAN Countries” that was undertaken by UNWTO and ASEAN in 2014, and the findings of which were presented at the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Myanmar in January 2015.

Viet Nam as the coordinator of both ventures had the honour to host the Mekong river-based tourism development workshop in Dan Nang which was attended by ASEAN member representatives, National Tourism Administrations and Organizations and tourism sector stakeholders. The countries covered in the present study include Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Mr. Harry Hwang, Deputy Director, Regional Programme for Asia and the Pacific represented UNWTO while Mr. Ha Van Sieu, Deputy Chairman of Viet Nam National Tourism Administration addressed the workshop on behalf of the hosts. Mr. Peter Semone, UNWTO consultant, outlined the key findings of his field trips and research with the final report to be presented at the ATF in the Philippines in January 2016.

Product development with a strategic action plan allied to marketing constitutes the major component of the present report though sufficient emphasis has also been given to a cohesive policy and integrated plan for the whole Mekong area covering the countries under study. In this respect 41 ports and landings along the river have been identified for infrastructure development including additional amenities such as visitor information centres, medical facilities, public toilets, fuelling stations and restaurants with international food safety and hygiene standards. Air and ground transportation by way of access, and accommodation both formal and informal are other sectors that supplement the various products.

The study also outlines 7 specific products with branded names that the public and private sectors could exploit as special marketable items. These are independent of the numerous tour packages that are already available in the market. Another special feature that appeals to the Western market but with potential for regional extension is the soft adventure component including cycling, trekking, canoeing/kayak and nature based products such as fishing and bird watching. All these go a long way to complement the rich cultural heritage of the Mekong which makes community based tourism products an attraction to both international and domestic visitors.

UNWTO deeply appreciates the role of Viet Nam as a host of the above workshop and is hopeful that the outcome of the Mekong river- based product development study will pave the way for greater investment in this lucrative market that will ultimately pave the way to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.  

The China International Tourism Forum which was co-organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) was held on 13 November on the occasion of China International Travel Mart (CITM) 2015 in Kunming, China.  The main objective of this event was to rally international support for the acceleration of the recovery process of Nepal’s tourism industry in the wake of the destruction caused by the recent earthquake.

The key highlights of the event were a series of actions which China intends to take as a continuation of its post-earthquake support of the recovery process of Nepal. These include the visit of about 100 Chinese tour operators to Nepal by the end of 2016 in order to have firsthand experience of its local tourism products. In addition to this, China will provide facilities to restructure and reinvigorate the Nepalese tourism industry, and offer training programmes to some 100 Nepalese tourism personnel in the next two years. Also, CNTA will provide Nepal with 2 free exhibition booths in CITM in the next three years to facilitate the tourism promotion of Nepal in China.

These measures  will not only help the revival of Nepalese tourism but will also go a long way in building a bridge of goodwill between the two countries to foster political, social, cultural and economic relations in the future.

With over two hundred tour operators, media and international participants present, the forum became an ideal platform to transmit the most updated messages about Nepal’s tourism infrastructure rebuilding efforts and to draw the world’s attention to the country’s dire need for continued support. These messages emerged from UNWTO’s fact-finding mission which was carried out prior to the Forum in order to assess the extent of the damage caused by the earthquake and to formulate a comprehensive and up-to-date situational analysis of the impact of the earthquake on the tourism industry of Nepal.

Brunei’s Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, graced the seminar on the “Contribution of Islamic Culture and its Impact on the Asian Tourism Market” that was jointly organized by UNWTO and Brunei Darussalam, in Bandar Seri  Begawan  on the 16th – 17th of November 2015.

Brunei’s recent decision to upgrade tourism to ministerial status on par with its primary resource of oil and gas is ample proof of the importance given to the sector by the Government.  Therefore, the presentation of the initial findings of the UNWTO study on the contribution of Islamic culture and its impact on the Asian tourism market in the form of an executive summary, which formed the basis of the seminar, is of special significance. The study included an overall assessment of the historical evolution, and the cultural and economic contribution of the Islamic tourism market in the region. In addition the study carries country monographs with incisive information and data on the potential of Islamic tourism of destinations in Asia and the Pacific ranging from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The seminar was centred around  presentations and discussions with distinguished speakers and panelists on issues such as The potential of the emerging market for Islamic Tourism, Building bridges between Muslim and non-Muslim populations to promote a culture of peace, stability and understanding, and Policy recommendations/Marketing of Islamic Tourism Products.

The seminar was the first of its kind organized by UNWTO on this thematic subject and Brunei as the host had shown early interest in holding this event. As the Honourable Minister concluded, Islamic values are to be at the core of Brunei’s tourism drive.

Over 100 delegates and participants from the region and from Brunei included public and private sector officials and stakeholders.

The outcome of the seminar will no doubt pave the way for greater co-operation and understanding of the Islamic tourism market.  It is hoped that this is a stepping stone for further research and analysis of the role and contribution of Islamic culture and its impact on the tourism market on a regional, intra-regional and global scale.

UNWTO wishes to extend its sincere thanks to China Chamber of Tourism (CCT) for their sponsorship and contribution to the Study and the Seminar.