PR No.: PR15053

UNWTO is deeply saddened and shocked by the attack in Bangkok, Thailand. On the behalf of the global tourism community, UNWTO offers its heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims and reiterates its full support to the people and the Government of Thailand.

“These are direct attacks on the livelihood of the Thai people and their economy which is strongly linked with tourism. We stand by the Government and the people of Thailand in supporting its tourism sector as a vital pillar of the wellbeing of Thai people”,  said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

“Terrorism is a global threat impacting our societies, taking the lives of innocent people around the world and aiming to destroy our economies and our way of life. Thailand has a long tradition of being a hospitable and welcoming country and we fully believe it will continue to be so”, he added.

Contacts:

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

Uluru is a major draw card for international and domestic visitors to Australia and the Northern Territory. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of Australia’s most recognised symbols, nationally and internationally, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board of Management is calling for Expressions of Interest for new and engaging visitor experiences and/or commercial activities that complement existing operations and conserve the park's world heritage listed values.

Watch the video and full official press release below:

PRESS RELEASE

Uluru EOI

9 July 2015

Ever had a big idea for a tourism business at Uluru? Now is your chance to make that idea a reality.

The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board of Management is calling for Expressions of Interest for fresh, exciting and engaging visitor experiences and/or commercial activities that complement existing operations and conserve park's world heritage listed values.

At Uluru, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment Bob Baldwin and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park’s Board of Management chairperson Sammy Wilson today announced a call for culturally appropriate and environmentally sensitive business and investment ideas in the park.

“The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park’s Board of Management put out this call today to encourage investment in their business – one of our most beloved, world-renowned tourism destinations,” Mr Baldwin said.
 
“The Board is made up of a majority of traditional owners of this very special place. I applaud them for their vision. By making this call they intend to increase the visitor experiences on offer, increasing visitor numbers and enhancing people’s understanding of their country and culture, while boosting job and training opportunities for their own community.
 
“Additional revenue will also be reinvested in the park to protect it for future Australians to enjoy and help us protect the World Heritage listed Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
 
“I’m very pleased this call is going out in NAIDOC Week – when we come together to celebrate and commemorate the contribution of all first Australians. With this year’s theme that we all stand on sacred ground, I’m pleased to be standing with the Board on this sacred ground to support their work.
 
“This is a great opportunity for the park, for the community, for visitors, for Australian tourism and for the Red Centre region, the heart of the Northern Territory.”
 
Board chairperson Sammy Wilson said the traditional owners wanted people with good ideas to come and talk together.
 
“This is a beautiful place to bring strong ideas where we can work together, look towards the future and create something to be proud of,” Mr Wilson said.

Minister for Trade and Investment, with responsibility for tourism, Andrew Robb, said Uluru and the Red Centre presented exciting investment opportunities for the tourism industry, given the area is one of Australia’s most iconic destinations.
 
“100 million Chinese went on an international holiday last year, and this is set to double to some 200 million by 2020.  With targeted investment in the right kind of high-quality infrastructure, Australia is perfectly positioned to capture a growing share of this lucrative market,” Mr Robb said.
 
“The Board is looking for fresh, exciting and engaging experiences and commercial activities to complement the existing products on offer. They want experiences that are welcoming and engaging, that help achieve social and economic benefits for the park’s traditional owners.”
 
Mr Robb said the initiative will complement the work being undertaken by the government as part of the Northern Australia White Paper, with a major investment forum to be held in Darwin later this year, to attract investors and expose them to investor-ready projects in the north.
 
“The tourism opportunities for Australia are immense, but they won’t fall into our laps; I certainly encourage businesses and investors to put forward exciting high-quality ideas to the Board, to help secure the future potential of this truly magnificent national icon,” Mr Robb said.

Expressions of Interest open today and you have until 30 September 2015 to apply.
 
Go to the website eoi.uluru.gov.au to apply or email ulurueoi@environment.com.au.

PR No.: 15050

In a recent meeting with Chinese tourism authorities, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, welcomed China’s continued recognition of tourism as an effective development tool as well as its special focus on rural tourism. “Tourism is well positioned to contribute to rural development as it is a labour-intensive sector providing a wide range of job and entrepreneurship opportunities in areas where other economic activities are often limited or in decay. Furthermore, tourism provides these opportunities locally, helping to curb rural migration”, said Mr. Rifai.

Data from Chinese tourism authorities show that between 2011 and 2014, more than 10 million people, or 10% of the poverty-stricken population, were lifted out of poverty through tourism. In view of this impact, Chinese authorities are launching, within China’s 13th Five-Year Plan Period, a nationwide tourism development plan to lift 17% of the country’s impoverished population out of poverty by 2020.

CNTA and the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development of China expect that by 2020, three million rural tourism businesses will be receiving two billion annual visitors, lifting two million of China’s rural population out of poverty every year. The total income generated is estimated to reach over one trillion RMB Yuan benefiting 50 million rural residents.

Despite its wide-reaching socio-economic impacts, and having been identified by half of the world´s Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as a priority instrument for poverty reduction, tourism still receives limited attention as a tool for development. Against this backdrop, UNWTO recently called for higher financing for tourism in development in tourism on the occasion of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development:

 “2015 is the year for action. As we move forward to adopt a new sustainable development agenda, we have a unique opportunity to raise the level of assistance in tourism to further harness its vast potential for stimulating green growth and inclusive development worldwide, particularly for the countries most in need”, urged Mr. Rifai.

Maximizing tourism’s contribution to poverty reduction is one of UNWTO priorities and main areas of work. In addition, the UNWTO Sustainable Tourism - Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) Initiative supports tourism activities that specifically deliver development and create jobs for people living on less than a dollar a day.

Useful links:

UNWTO Regional Programme for Asia and the Pacific

UNWTO Technical Cooperation and Services Programme

Sustainable Tourism - Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) 

Press release: UNWTO calls for higher financing for tourism in development cooperation

Download and share: Tourism - Driving Trade, Fostering Development and Connecting People

Contact:

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218

PRESS RELEASE

Korea Tourism Organization

28 July 2015

Korean Tourism Industry on the Rebound

as PM Declares MERS All-Clear

Post-MERS 100-day Tourism Recovery Plan

The Korean outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has been officially declared over, according to South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn. The announcement was made on July 28^th, 23 days after the last suspected case, with no new cases reported.

The statement comes amidst a flurry of increased activity for Korea’s tourism and business events sector; with 3,000 employees from the Chinese health product company He He Kang Yuan departing from Tianjin on July 27^th for a six-day cruise trip to Seoul and Incheon.

With inbound travel returning to normal, the Korea Tourism Organization launched its 100-day Tourism Recovery Special Promotion Campaign, aimed at revitalizing the industry and attracting international visitors back to the country, thereby entirely making up for the tourism demand prior to the outbreak.

Under the campaign, the KTO focuses on promoting Korea’s distinctive touristic appeal to the global community by inviting foreign media and key industry decision makers to participate in sponsored programs in the nation’s main tourism destinations. The programs explore popular interests such as Korean cuisine, major local attractions, and hallyu (Korean Wave)-related contents.

During the first week of August, 1,000 Japanese tourists will be visiting Korea through special tour packages offered by the KTO. The tour packages offer two courses—one that covers major historical attractions of the Baekje Kingdom (which includes Korea’s newest UNESCO World Heritage site), and the other takes travelers to top hallyu (Korean Wave) attractions around the peninsula.

Rhee, Jaesung, Executive Vice President of International Tourism at the Korea Tourism Organization stated “the special tours we have organized, along with our other campaigns in the following months, all aim to show the world the many merits of tourism in Korea, and to ensure travelers that it is perfectly safe to visit Korea.”

Updated information is available via the KTO’s official tourism website VisitKorea at www.visitkorea.or.kr. For further inquiries, please email to joanne9@knto.or.kr.

PRESS RELEASE

Korea Tourism Organization

14 July 2015

Korea Begins Post-MERS 100-day Tourism Recovery Plan

Tourism Sector Recovers as KTO Invites the World Back to S. Korea

Korea’s tourism industry is steadily recovering, as the total number of people diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome(MERS) remains unchanged for the ninth consecutive day. With inbound travel to the country returning to normal, the Korea Tourism Organization has launched its 100-day Tourism Recovery Plan, aimed at revitalizing the industry and attracting international visitors back to the country, thereby normalizing the tourism demand enjoyed by Korea prior to the outbreak.

Under the plan, the KTO will focus on promoting Korea’s distinctive touristic appeal to the global community by inviting foreign media and key industry decision makers through sponsored programs. This includes a tour of Seoul from July 15-18 for major Chinese travel companies, journalists, and bloggers, promotional roadshows in Asia, and more.

From mid-July onwards, the KTO will also promote the safety of traveling to and within Korea, as well as Korean cuisine, major local attractions, and hallyu (Korean Wave)-related content through media channels such as CNN, and in major feeder markets for countries, such as China, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, and the US.

KTO Vice President for International Marketing, Mr. Jaesung Rhee said, “The Korea Tourism Organization will mobilize all of its capabilities and means to make the Post-MERS 100-day Plan the shot in the arm the country needs to get back on track.” Mr. Rhee added that the plan aimed to capitalize on traditional holiday periods in neighboring  countries, such as the three-day “Obon Festival” and “Silver Week” held in Japan during August and September respectively, and China’s Golden Week holiday period in early October.
 

The MERS outbreak significantly impacted the Korean economy in June, with the nation’s largest feeder markets, namely China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, accounting for the biggest drop in inbound travel to Korea. 

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) consistently maintained that it “does not recommend travel or trade restrictions with regard to this event”, and most countries did not issue any travel warnings.

Likewise, Korea’s international business sector was largely unaffected by the outbreak, with no major global conferences scheduled for 2015 canceled, including the June International Council of Nurses (ICN) 2015 Conference, which saw strong attendance at the height of the MERS scare. In addition, global destination management company Pacific World’s June destination index revealed that South Korea remained Asia’s number one destination for business events enquiries.

Updated information on the MERS outbreak is available via the KTO’s official tourism site VisitKorea at www.visitkorea.or.kr. For any direct queries, please email to joanne9@knto.or.kr.

July 01, 2015 

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism

PRESS RELEASE

The Visa exemption launched by the Government of Vietnam in June 2015 is a critical tool for promoting travel to Vietnam by permitting citizens from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and Belarus to visit Vietnam without obtaining a visitor visa. As of 1 July 2015, visitors travelling to Vietnam with passports issued by those five Western European countries and Belarus will no longer need a visa to visit for stays up to 15 days.

Europe in general, and the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy in particular, are some of the most important markets for Vietnam tourism with visitor numbers increasing significantly in recent years. In 2014, Europe generated nearly 1.2 million arrivals to Vietnam, in which visitors from the above five countries to Vietnam reached more than 635,000 visits.

Over the past number of years Vietnam has emerged as a world class destination that delivers an unrivalled visitor experience, from natural wonders and cultural offerings to adventure tours and beautiful beaches with some of the leading resorts in the world. This story book of unique experiences intertwined with history, extraordinary cuisine to vibrant young cities mixed with century old landmarks. Vietnam and its people have much to offer to the European market from product diversity, authenticity, and originality mixed with different emotions. Vietnam continues to offer the visitor a tradition of service built on an outstanding cultural heritage coupled with an unmatched friendliness and sophistication. The tourism sector was rewarded with several world class accolades over the recent time, some of these include:

-   Vietnam was named by the Telegraph (UK) “one among 20 destinations for 2014”, “among top 10 countries” by Wanderlust Travel Awards 2015, and “3^rd out of the top 10 most attractive destinations for travelling in the world in 2015” by America´s Forbes magazine;

-   Ha Long Bay was rated by BBC Earth as “2^nd among the 15 most amazing Landscapes and rock formations”,

-   Hanoi was named 4^th Travelers Choice Destination in the world by Trip Advisor;

-   Hoi An ranks “4^th among the 10 world famous cannals” by Touropia and selected as “among the top 10 city destinations” by Wanderlust Travel Award 2015;

-   The Huffington Post listed Son Doong Cave among “top 10 trips to take in your lifetime”;

-   The Telegraph rated Mekong river cruise as “among five of the best river cruises in Asia for 2015”.

In 2015, beside popular destinations for international tourist such as the capital city of Hanoi, Sa Pa, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Binh Thuan, Ho Chi Minh City, a variety of new destinations and services were launched, promisingly appealing to visitors from Europe, including the world-wide famous Son Doong cave exploration tour, visiting Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, experiencing the Natural >World Heritage Ha Long Bay by seaplane, exploring the tranquil Mekong delta and experiencing the peaceful tropical paradise of Phu Quoc Island with its warm turquoise waters in the Gulf of Thailand.

The changes to visa policy also comes in an opportune time for visitors wishing to fly to Vietnam on a new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and Airbus 380, with the new high-tech plane coming into service on direct flights from Paris (Charles de Gaulle), London (Heathrow), and Germany (Frankfurt) with Vietnam airlines, and this is the first non-stop Dreamliner route between south-east Asia and Europe.

The relaxation of visa for five Western European countries and Belarus is a good first step to increasing visitor numbers to Vietnam. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) in close collaboration with key partners including airlines and the travel trade plan to roll out an extensive programme of promotional activities to target visitors from the 5 key markets.

Vietnam aims to build on the success of 2014 which was one of the best years for tourism from Europe with visitor numbers increasing by 15%. Building on that success and sustaining growth in the future is at the heart of VNAT´s plans. The administration will continue to target prospective European visitors with distinctive value experiences, events, and special packages tailored to their interests and designed to encourage more potential holiday markers to travel now.

VNAT is also planning to launch a groundbreaking e-marketing campaign targeting visitors from several key target markets, including Northern Europe and the countries participating in the newly expanded visa waiver program.

These online marketing campaigns will be conducted in partnership with the private industry and Is aimed at generating broader awareness about traveling to Vietnam and harnessing the growing power of social media to more effectively reach key target markets.

VNAT´s e-marketing campaign will also be coupled with other marketing strategies, including print and broadcast advertising, as well as trades shows and targeted exhibitions in key source markets. VNAT will continue to work with key stakeholders and agencies including Vietnam Embassies and Vietnam connections overseas.