UNWTO is proud to support the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh’s decision to form the ‘Bangladesh Tourism Board’ (BTB) as the acting ‘National Tourism Organization’ (NTO) of Bangladesh. The Board will play the leading role of promoting and marketing Bangladesh Tourism domestically and internationally. BTB will also be engaged in formulating tourism plans and policies for the development of tourism, along with attracting foreign investment in the tourism sector. Mr. Alim Uddin Ahmed will be taking on the challenge of the BTB’s first ever CEO.
The formation of the BTB is yet another positive step for the Bangladesh tourism industry in 2011, after launching the campaign, “Bangladesh Tourism Year 2011” earlier this year. Through such positive actions and increased awareness of the potential of tourism within the country, the Bangladesh tourism industry is set for a promising future.
PR No.: PR11039
Tourism has played a major role in the economic recovery of the Chinese province of Sichuan in the three years following the 2008 earthquake. Its vital contribution to local growth and employment was recognized by all attending the recent Sichuan International Cultural and Tourism Festival (Chengdu, Sichuan, 18-22 April).
“Sichuan’s rich natural and cultural heritage makes it one of the most popular tourism destinations in China,” said UNWTO Executive Director, Zoltan Somogyi, addressing the event. “The devastating earthquake of 2008 impacted hard on the sector, but thanks to the work of the Chinese Government, surrounding provinces and international assistance, tourism has been a strong driver of the economic recovery in the province”.
The Festival, co-organized by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government, highlighted how tourism has been essential in the reconstruction of the province. Some villages were left as they were following the earthquake and now serve as memorials for domestic and international visitors, while other villages previously dependent on agriculture have embraced tourism as a sustainable option for economic growth, job creation and development. Sichuan province received 271 million visits in 2010, a 24% increase over 2009, and 188.6 billion yuan in tourism receipts, a 28% increase over 2009.
Since 2008, UNWTO has been supporting Sichuan to maximize tourism’s contribution to the post-earthquake recovery. UNWTO and the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) held a joint conference on the Revitalization of Tourism and Confronting Crisis in the province capital of Chengdu in 2008. The conference allowed countries which had suffered similar disasters to exchange experiences, ideas and best practices in crisis management.
The 2011 Sichuan International Cultural and Tourism Festivalwas attended by participants from over 60 countries and regions from all five continents and included technical visits to the worst hit areas within Sichuan and an international forum on Post-earthquake Tourism Recovery, Reconstruction, Development and Revitalization.
Contacts:
Principal Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
UNWTO Communications Programme
Tel: +34 91-567-8100
Fax: +34 91 567 8210
UN Tourism Chief Enthralled by Sigiriya
UNWTO Secretary General Dr. Taleb Rifai was in Sri Lanka earlier this year to attend the 23rd Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for South Asia and the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific which was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 24-26 March 2011. Rifai made time to visit one of Sri Lanka’s most publicized attractions - the UNESCO designated World Heritage site of ‘Sigiriya’.
On climbing the rock, Dr. Rifai exclaimed “This a spiritual experience”. He went on to add, “The powerful imagery of the rock and the physical challenge of climbing to the top where one can feel the soul of Sri Lanka, is a truly powerful spiritual experience - monuments, history, gardens, galleries, serenity and nature can all be seen at Sigiriya. It is definitely a jewel and the heart of Sri Lanka. Time stops there and you have the chance to reflect.”
Dr. Rifai concluded “Sigiriya with its unique history, is on par with other historic monuments and is a must see treasure in anyone’s lifetime”.
UNWTO Meetings - Added Luster
UNWTO, in choosing Sri Lanka and the Colombo Hilton, as the venue to host the 23rd Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for South Asia and the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific, the august body, paid tribute to destination Sri Lanka and added luster to Sri Lanka Tourism’s Refreshingly Sri Lanka promotion campaign, where March celebrations focused on the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector.
The annual sessions were held in conjunction with the UNWTO Conference on ‘Mainstreaming Tourism in the Media’, which focused on tourism’s role in countering adverse publicity and in image building of a country in socio-politically challenging times. The attendance and participation by a number of key tourism experts and senior journalists from both local and international media added an impetus for Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions, who had much experience in marketing the destination during a long and challenging time. It was an opportunity to present the destination in the current calm, stress free, visitor friendly environment, where now the whole of the country from Dondra in the deep South to Point Pedro the northern most tip of Sri Lanka is accessible by all.
The speakers at the forum on ‘Mainstreaming Tourism in the Media’ were eminent international media personalities - Marcelo Risi, Dr. Victor Wee, Alejandro Ossa, Susan Warren, Simon Calder and Zoltan Somogyi with UNWTO Secretary General Dr. Taleb Refai in the chair.
It was a great opportunity for Sri Lanka Tourism to showcase two of its newest value additions to the visitor experience - ‘The Viceroy Express’ steam engine train, and the Jetliner Cruise - while Sri Lankan dances and fashion parades added colour and glamour to the evening functions. Sri Lanka’s nature, culture, and adventure tourism offer was invitingly available for those who wanted to mix business with pleasure.
Media Rapture over True Picture
Journalists and others, representing media in Sri Lanka for the UNWTO sessions, took off and away from Colombo to experience the ancient ruins of Anuradhapura, the Dambulla cave temple, and Sigiriya. From witnessing glories of the past the group went on to get a touch and feel of today, in visiting Nuwara Eliya - the tea plantations and the factories.
Visiting the Yala National Park, media representatives encountered elephants in the wild, a giant tusker, peacocks, wild boar, deer, crocodiles, and a variety of birds. They were also delighted by the prized privilege of spotting the rare big cat - a leopard. On the coastal route, Stilt fishing in Tangalle was captured on camera, along with the joy of the sun, sea and sand experience, and finally boarding a sea plane from Galle bound to Colombo, with a birds eye view of the South and the West. The crew left with pictures and memories of serendipity that is Sri Lanka.
The 11-member UNWTO media crew came from some of the world’s leading travel and leisure magazines and TV channels - BBC-UK, Conde Nast Traveller, Siete Leguas, La Republica and the Daily Mail.
For more information on upcoming events and themes throughout the year in Sri Lanka, please visit www.srilanka.travel.
Material taken from "Sri Lanka Calling", Volume 3, Number 6. Accessed Online.
PR No.: PR11034
Current situation for travel and transport to and from Japan
The United Nations organizations (WHO, IAEA, UNWTO, WMO, IMO, ICAO, ILO) closely monitoring the effects of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant remain confident that radiation levels do not present health or transportation safety hazards to passengers and crew.
On 18 March, based on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES)*, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry assessed the safety significance rating of the accident at the plant as Level 5. On 12 April, this assessment was revised to Level 7 following information obtained from estimations of the amount of radioactive material discharged to the atmosphere.
Radiation monitoring around airports and seaports in Japan continues to confirm that levels remain well within safe limits from a health perspective. In addition, monitoring of passengers, crew and cargo from Japan carried out to date in other countries, in accordance with their national policy, does not suggest any health or safety risk. Therefore, screening of radiation for health and safety purposes is currently considered unnecessary at airports and seaports around the world.
For updates, travelers visiting Japan by air are advised to consult a dedicated website established by the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau: http://www.mlit.go.jp/koku/flyjapan_en/
Further information covering all aspects of the response of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, as well as information regarding the radiation dose in Tokyo Bay and at sea in the region can be found on the following websites:
http://www.mlit.go.jp/page/kanbo01_hy_001411.html
http://www.mlit.go.jp/kowan/kowan_fr1_000041.html
http://www.mlit.go.jp/en/maritime/maritime_fr1_000007.html
The UN agencies involved in the monitoring process are the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Maritime Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the World Tourism Organization and the International Labour Organization.
*Information concerning travel and transport to and from Japan by air or sea is not dependent on the INES rating.
Further information concerning health aspects is available on the website of the World Health Organization: www.who.int
ICAO Newsroom: http://www2.icao.int/en/newsroom/default.aspx
UNWTO Contacts:
Principal Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
UNWTO Communications Programme
Tel: +34 91-567-8100
Fax: +34 91-567-8218
On March 28, a statement from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) was sent to UNWTO by its President Tadatoshi Mamiya expressing their sincere respect and appreciation to the International Tourism Community who has been involved with the relief and recovery efforts given to Japan that was affected by the tsunami last March 11, 2011. This was concluded by a promise of cooperation from both sides to be working together in the near future to re-establish Japan as a popular destination for everyone again.
Meanwhile, a Special Resolution was adopted at the 23rd Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for South Asia and the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and Pacific held in Colombo, Sri Lanka last week to express the deepest sympathies and condolences of the UNWTO Member States in the region to the Japanese people as well as the national and local governments.
News from JNTO:
We are grateful for the warm support and thoughts from many people after the historic earthquake in Japan on March 11. While painstaking rescue and recovery efforts continue in the severely struck Tohoku region, the capital city Tokyo has been recovering from a strong shock, and the western Japan is unharmed. Both Narita and Haneda airports have been reopened, although public transportation in and around Tokyo has been recovered only partially. Some events have been canceled under the current situation, and we strongly recommend reconfirmation of the event schedule. Other popular destinations such as Kyoto, Osaka, Sapporo, Kanazawa and Hiroshima, didn’t receive any impact from the earthquake.
Tohoku Region: Tohoku is the hardest hit region. With no recovery of public transportation systems and continuous aftershocks, it is extremely difficult to travel to this region. Due to the nuclear power plant accident after the earthquake, it is strongly advised to refrain from traveling to Fukushima as well as to follow the updates.
Tokyo and Surrounding Areas: Despite the brief recovery of the public transportation networks, periodical blackouts have been imposed for power conservation, causing train delays and cancellation. Some hotels and other businesses shorten the business hours, and it is recommended to refer their updates in advance. This region may also experience some aftershocks.
Other Regions: Hokkaido, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu are unharmed, and tourism facilities and transportation service are operated as usual.
For visitors currently traveling in Japan, the Tokyo Headquarters of Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) provides around-the-clock information service at the Tourist Information Center (TIC):
TIC in Tokyo
Phone: +81-(0)3-3201-3331
Service in English, Chinese and Korean
The 24-hour service is available for the duration of current crisis
Please note that due to the intensive recovery effort, travel information is updated frequently. Please refer to multiple sources for latest information.
On the 21st of February 2011, the Secretary General Taleb Rifai welcomed Ambassadors and representatives from UNWTO Asia-Pacific Member States in Madrid to an interactive discussion on world tourism issues and UNWTO’s programme of activities in the Asia-Pacific region.
The success of these meetings, which have been held consecutively for the past seven years, lie in the relevance of the discussions to contemporary international affairs and their correlation with the performance of the tourism industry.
The Secretary General briefed the Ambassadors on current world trends, highlighting the strong presence of Asia in the post-economic crisis climate. They were further apprised of the prospects in the region for the year ahead, with a predicted growth rate of 7-9%.
Mr Xu Jing, Director of the Regional Programme for Asia and the Pacific, spotlighted significant developments and activities in the region. He emphasised the benefits of recent South-South cooperation activities and other regional initiatives. Capacity building workshops, setting up observatories and sustainability indicators were some of such initiatives which proved to be extremely beneficial for the Asia-Pacific region.
The meeting was an excellent opportunity for the Ambassadors and representatives to exchange notes of mutual interest with the Secretary General. Topics of particular interest included travel advisories, excessive taxation relating to tourism, and visa facilitation, among others. It was also an occasion for the Ambassadors to share notes on events and developments which they were anticipating in the coming year. 2011 is sure to be an eventful year for the Asia-Pacific region, with the 23rd Joint Commission Meeting to be held in Sri Lanka in March, the UNWTO General Assembly in the Republic of Korea in October, the International Cricket World cup co-hosted by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India, and three countries launching their Tourism Year in 2011, namely Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.
