The joint conference of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) that was incidentally celebrating its Golden Jubilee this year, on “Tourism: a Catalyst for Development Peace and Reconciliation”  held in Passikudah, 11 – 14 July, Sri Lanka, attracted a capacity turnout of over 150 participants comprising 70 international delegates from 26 countries. Passikudah was chosen as the venue of the conference as it was a seaside resort that had experienced the ravages of war and conflict and was now being gradually integrated into mainstream tourism along with Trincomalee and Jaffna in the North as part of the peace and reconciliation process of the national unity government of Sri Lanka, elected to office in 2015.

The conference was confined to 4 major sessions that included the following themes:

1)       The contribution of tourism development to peace and reconciliation: the close link between tourism, peace and reconciliation as inter-dependent components in their overall political, economic and socio-cultural dimensions.

2)       Local community involvement and “peace sensitive tourism”: the role of local communities in not only provision of goods and services (accommodation sector, tour guides, and catering establishments) but also in decision making to facilitate peace and reconciliation.

3)       Public private partnerships and peace tourism: the importance of public private partnerships especially SMEs, in conflict areas that lack the infrastructure and the means to develop tourism.

4)       Marketing and rebranding of post-conflict destinations: the promotion and branding of destinations in the aftermath of conflict through the international media and particularly the social media.

  

The welcome remarks to the Conference were made by Mr. Janaka Sugathadasa, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs, Sri Lanka. The keynote speech was delivered by HRH Dana Firas, Chair, Petra National Trust, Jordan, on the role of local community interaction in sustainable tourism development. Hon. Mr. John Amaratunga, Minister of Tourism Development, Christian Religious Affairs and Lands, Sri Lanka, outlined the progress of tourism in Sri Lanka and its significance to the peace and reconciliation process in assimilating the North and the East to the economic and social development of the country while Mr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General, UNWTO, welcomed the spirit of unity and dignity that was visible throughout Sri Lanka and emphasized the role of tolerance and understanding as an integral part of tourism development. Mr. Nazeer Ahamed, Chief Minister, Eastern Provincial Council, Sri Lanka, gave a broad outline of the development programme of the region and the future of tourism in this context.

   

The conference also witnessed the signing ceremony of the private sector commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for tourism where 5 Sri Lankan companies were duly recognized for their efforts in promoting responsible and sustainable tourism development.

Mr. Paddy Withane, Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and Mr. Xu Jing, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO delivered the closing remarks. 

A technical tour to Trincomalee, Jaffna and its environs, on the 13th and 14th July, enabled the delegates to get a first-hand view of the two main cities that were now accessible to tourists after more than two decades of being on the fringe of tourism.

A press meeting on the 15th July in Colombo gave the opportunity to the local media to hear from the Honourable Minister, the Secretary-General and HRH Princess Dana Firas on the outcome of the Conference on “Tourism: a Catalyst for Development, Peace and Reconciliation”. 

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Opening Speech by Secretary General of UNWTO

Keynote Address by HRH Princess Dana Firas

1. P.S.M. Charles

2. Jens Thraenhart

3. Hiran Cooray

4. Anita Mendirrata

5. Liu Yi

6. Vinya Ariyaratne

7. Hiroshi Sawabe

8. Peter Wong

9. Sarah Mathews

10. Malik Fernando

11. Sonali Chatterjee

PR No.: 16055

Community engagement and empowerment, capacity building and training, and public/private sector partnerships are key factors in advancing a culture of peace through tourism in post-conflict societies. Participants recalled the importance of placing tourism at the heart of the peace and reconciliation agenda, to ensure the sector can deliver on its capacity to generate development and social inclusion.    

“Tourism is a vehicle for trust and goodwill. Cultural understanding can change attitudes and build peace. Tourism’s role in peace building is also  enacted through its contribution to poverty alleviation, cultural preservation and environmental conservation,” said President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena in a message to the Conference.

“For most of the last thirty years, this place has been a warzone. Today, Passikudah is an example of how people affected by conflict have picked up the pieces and rebuilt their lives. We would not be meeting here if it were not for peace,” said the Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs and Lands of Sri Lanka, John Amaratunga. “We will work to provide an example to the world on how to rise from the ashes of conflict to become a leading tourism destination,” he added.

“We face a deficit of tolerance. Tourism brings people together; it opens our minds and hearts”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai, opening the Conference. “Yet to gain peace we need to give people opportunities for a better future; we need to create jobs and bring them hope,” he added.

“The Petra National Trust conducted a number of informal surveys that suggest that when tourism is poorly managed, societal tensions persist, local communities’ connection to their heritage weakens, responsible practices around tourism sites suffer, and local culture and values erode,” said HRH Princess Dana Firas, Chair of the Petra National Trust, Jordan, in her keynote address.

The Conference focused on four main topics: the contribution of tourism development to peace, local community involvement and ‘peace sensitive tourism’, public/private partnerships, and marketing in post-conflict destinations.

“This was an historical event in an area once torn apart by war. We trust that tourism development in Sri Lanka will bring more opportunities to the people and particularly the youth of the country,” said Paddy Withana, Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism, closing the event by recalling that the conference welcomed perspectives on how that can be done in full respect of communities and traditions from across the country.

On the occasion, five Sri Lankan companies – Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC, Lanka Hotels & Travels PVT Ltd, Laugfs Leisure Limited, Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort and Theme Resorts & Spas Pvt Ltd. - signed the Private Sector Commitment to the UNWTO Code of Ethics for Tourism, pledging to upload and promote the values of the Code. The signing ceremony was witnessed by UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai, the Sri Lankan Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs and Lands of Sri Lanka, John Amaratunga, and Hiran Cooray, Member of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics.
 

Additional information:

The conference website

Tourism and Peace book

Photo album of the conference

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218  

On behalf of the international tourism community, UNWTO conveys its heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends of the victims.

"It was with great sorrow that we learned about this tragic news. We express our sincerest condolences to the families and friends of the victims at this difficult moment” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. "This is not an attack on Bangladesh but is once again an attack on our way of life, an attack on freedom", he added.

 

Indonesia’s visa-free policy

 

The government of the Republic of Indonesia has granted visa-free facility for 169 countries, special administration regions, or particular entities as regulated by the Presidential Regulation Number 21/2016 dated 2 March 2016 on Visa-Free.

The visa-free facility is valid for maximum stay of 30 (thirty) days, non-extendable, and non-convertible to any other stay permit. This visa-free facility has no restriction on the number of visits in a year.

To obtain this visa-free facility, visitors can enter and exit from 124 immigration check points throughout Indonesia.

The above measure is in keeping with the travel facilitation study of UNWTO in 2013 which showed that visa simplification would increase international arrivals in a country by 20 to 25%.

Indonesia ranked 30^th in the world received 10.4 million international arrivals in 2015 a 10.3% increase over the previous year.

The visa-free facility will no doubt boost Indonesia’s growing tourism sector.

*Visa-free countries and list of immigration check points attached.

The Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) has been organising a 7-day professional training programme from 14 to 20 June for the officials from APSARA National Authority and heritage tour guides of Cambodia. This is IFT’s first-ever training programme specially designed for Cambodia and the first bilateral cooperation project after signing the Memorandum of Understanding between the Macao SAR Government and the Ministry of Tourism, the Kingdom of Cambodia.

There are 4 tourism-related officials and 20 heritage tour guides to participate in the training programme which is themed the Capacity Building of Tour Guides for International Visitors at Ankor World Heritage Site, Cambodia. The programme will strengthen the professional capacity of the Cambodian heritage tour guides through lectures, workshops and visits to the world heritage sites of the Historic Centre of Macao. During their stay in Macao, the participants were received by Dr. Tam Chon Weng, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture.

The participants were received by Dr. Tam Chon Weng, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture

The training programme is lectured by IFT Academic Coordinator of Heritage Management and Tourism Business Management bachelor degree programmes Dr. Sharif Shams Imon, Visiting Professor Dr. John Ap, Assistant Professor Dr. Cora Wong, as well as Dr. Ong Chin Ee, Lecturer, Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore. The scholars share their expertise with the participants and have discussions together on varies topics, including the importance of quality visitor services at heritage sites, understanding international tourism and tourists, providing quality visitor experience through guiding, presenting a world heritage site to visitors, working with host communities, management of visitors at a heritage site and developing strategies for quality visitor experience at Angor Wat. At the end of the training, the participants are divided into small groups for presentations as conclusions.   

Group photo of President of IFT, teachers and participants of the training programme

On 30 May 2016, the Macao SAR Government and the Ministry of Tourism, the Kingdom of Cambodia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in promoting sustainable tourism development through enhancing human capital and establishing collaborations in tourism education and training between Macao and Cambodia. Earlier on October 12, 2015, Macao SAR Government and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Macao. The objective was to enhance cooperation between the two parties in improving the quality of human capital and increasing the competitiveness of tourism destinations (particularly in the Asia Pacific Region) in order to achieve sustainable tourism development. The Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training, soon to be set up by IFT, is tasked with the responsibility to organise training and education programmes, and other projects in collaboration with UNWTO, to achieve the objectives set out in the Memorandum. This training programme for Cambodian tourism officials and heritage tour guides is the first training cooperation organised in collaboration with UNWTO.

Established in 1995, the Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) offers the most extensive selection of tourism and hospitality related bachelor degree programmes in Macao, and about twenty thousand participants attend its vocational and professional training courses annually. IFT collaborates with 97 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and builds strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations to offer internship opportunities to its students. Being the first institution accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, IFT has now 7 bachelor degree programmes with the Certification. Currently, the Institute has the most number of bachelor degree programmes certified under the System of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and won twice the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

Contacts:

Institute for Tourism Studies

Tel: (853) 28561252

Fax: (853) 28519058

www.ift.edu.mo

PR No.: 16046

The 28^th Joint Commission’s meeting discussed UNWTO’s Programme of Work for Asia and the Pacific, the link between tourism and security, and the ethical approach of the sector. The Conference was the first of its kind organized by UNWTO to highlight the linkage between new technology and tourism in the Asia-Pacific region in order to examine the current emerging technologies that are of primary relevance to the tourism sector. 

As summarised by Akihiko Tamura, Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan at the Opening: “Our work embraces not only tourism, but also transportation and infrastructure policies that require the latest advanced technologies. Finding out how to raise travelers’ satisfaction levels through various experiences and activities during their travels is a challenging but crucial task for us.”

To this, the UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai added that “Two major revolutions have marked the last decades: the travel revolution, which has positioned tourism as a fundamental element of our lives, and the boom of new technologies that have changed the game for many sectors including tourism. In both revolutions, nations from Asia and the Pacific have emerged as leaders.”

As estimated by UNWTO, 2030 will witness 1.8 billion international tourists travelling around the world. Of those, 535 million international travelers will visit Asia and the Pacific – a figure which almost doubles the current number of inbound travel to the region. In this framework of continuous growth, innovations brought to the tourism field by technological advances were identified during the Conference as opportunities to enhance the sector.

In this regard, UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai underlined that the priority areas of the Organization such as making travel safer and more seamless through processes such as the e-visa, improving the quality and competitiveness of destinations and businesses, can be materialized in a better manner through innovation and technology.

Additional topics such as the use of ICTs within the tourism sector, consumer trends and new business models were also debated in the sessions. Mario Hardy, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), highlighted the new innovations that are changing the travel industry including crowdsourcing, the sharing economy, 3D printing and wearables, among others.

On the future impact of new technologies in the tourism sector, Yuri Furusawa, Vice-Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency, mentioned that “Technological progress is enabling people to travel more easily, and we now live in an era in which, each year, 1.2 billion people enjoy overseas trips. Travel encourages direct human and cultural exchange, creating a basis for people to learn more about the importance of each other’s cultures and lives, and to live in harmony. Technology has made an immeasurable contribution to such developments.”

Additional information:

- Website of the Conference

- Photo gallery of the event

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

On 30 May 2016, Dr. Alexis Tam, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macao SAR Government and Mr. Tith Chantha, Secretary of State of Tourism of the Kingdom of Cambodia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding during the visit to Cambodia with Macao’s delegation, to cooperate in promoting sustainable tourism development through enhancing human capital and establishing collaborations in tourism education and training between Macao and Cambodia. The ceremony was witnessed by Mr. Edmund Ho, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Dr. Alexis Tam, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macao SAR Government and Mr. Tith Chantha, Secretary of State of Tourism of the Kingdom of Cambodia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding

Earlier on October 12, 2015, Macao SAR Government and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Macao. The objective was to enhance cooperation between the two parties in improving the quality of human capital and increasing the competitiveness of tourism destinations (particularly in the Asia Pacific Region) in order to achieve sustainable tourism development. The Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training, soon to be set up by the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), Macao is tasked with the responsibility to organise training and education programmes, and other projects in collaboration with UNWTO, to achieve the objectives set out in the Memorandum.

Mr. Edmund Ho, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism of the Kingdom of Cambodia witnessed the signing of the MOU and took a group photo with representatives of the signing parties

After the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with Cambodia, a group of 20 Cambodian heritage tour guides and 4 officials from APSARA National Authority of Cambodia will come to IFT to attend a 7-day training programme from 14 to 20 June, offered in collaboration with UNWTO, on the topic of capacity building of tour guides for international visitors at Angkor World Heritage site, Cambodia. The training programme includes lectures, visit to the world heritage sites of the Historic Centre of Macao, and workshops, with the aim to strengthen the professional capacity of the Cambodian heritage tour guides.

IFT President Dr. Fanny Vong with 4 officials from APSARA National Authority of Cambodia

Established in 1995, the Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) offers the most extensive selection of tourism and hospitality related bachelor degree programmes in Macao, and about twenty thousand participants attend its vocational and professional training courses annually. IFT collaborates with 97 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and builds strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations to offer internship opportunities to its students. Being the first institution accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, IFT has now 7 bachelor degree programmes with the Certification. Currently, the Institute has the most number of bachelor degree programmes certified under the System of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and won twice the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). 

Contacts:

Institute for Tourism Studies

Tel: (853) 28561252

Fax: (853) 28519058

www.ift.edu.mo

In order to provide diversified training opportunities for industry professionals and enhance management quality of the local service industry, Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) and Cornell University School of Hotel Administration co-orgainsed an Executive Development Programme on “Leadership and Motivation” on 26 and 27 May.  

The course addressed the real-world complexities faced by front-line leaders and their teams. During the course, participants gained insights about their personal leadership style and developed skills that promoted effective teamwork that had a lasting effect in their workplaces. The programme attracted 21 professionals of local hotels and mega resorts.

Two representatives from tourism authorities of Sri Lanka and the Philippines, nominated by UNWTO, attended the programme. “This was a very effective and useful programme for us,” said Mr. Mihira Liyanaarachchi, Director of Domestic Tourism and Community Relations of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. The other representative was Mr. Roberto Alabado, Regional Director of the Philippines’ Department of Tourism – Region XI. Their participation was the result of the MOU signed between Macao SAR and UNWTO in October 2015, in which both parties expressed their commitment to work together to enhance the quality of human capital for sustainable tourism development.

IFT had the honour of inviting Prof. J. Bruce Tracey from faculty of the School of Hotel Administration to give the lecture. In addition to Cornell, he has taught in a variety of degree programmes in Finland, Singapore, France and Switzerland. He has also facilitated numerous executive education courses throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.  Focusing on human resources strategy and management, Prof. Tracey’s research has examined a wide range of strategic and operational-level HR topics including the impact of training initiatives on individual and firm performance, employee turnover, employment law and leadership.

Group photo of IFT President, course leader and the participants

Through the programme, participants gain insights and skills to effectively leverage talent and organisational resources that are necessary for achieving long-term success.

IFT is always striving to enhance its teaching and research so as to contribute to the industry and the society. By organising seminars and workshops, IFT constantly shares with the industry the most updated information and research findings about the future development of Macao’s tourism industry and ways to enhance it.

Established in 1995, the Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) offers the most extensive selection of tourism and hospitality related bachelor degree programmes in Macao, and about twenty thousand participants attend its vocational and professional training courses annually. IFT collaborates with 97 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and builds strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations to offer internship opportunities to its students. Being the first institution accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, IFT has now 7 bachelor degree programmes with the Certification. Currently, the Institute has the most number of bachelor degree programmes certified under the System of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and won twice the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

Contacts:

Institute for Tourism Studies

Tel: (853) 28561252

Fax: (853) 28519058

www.ift.edu.mo