The PATA AT&RTCM 2012 will be held in the historic town of Paro in the south west of Bhutan. Paro boasts of numerous sacred sites and historical buildings that would pique the interest of adventure travellers. It is also home to the Paro Valley, recognised to be one of the most beautiful places in Bhutan.

Come and join us in Bhutan for another memorable PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart.

The 21st China Wedding Expo formally moves to its new venue at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center (formerly the Shanghai World Expo Theme Pavilion) and will be held from the 15th to the 18th of February, 2012. All exhibitors will now be located together under one roof, in an area covering 80,000 square meters, providing one-stop purchase and negotiation services to more than 150,000 professional buyers and visitors and eliminating the hassle and inconvenience of having to transit between three disparate exhibition buildings under the prior set up.

The exhibition organizer has located the exhibitors across the center’s five exhibition halls based on each exhibitor’s specialization and area of expertise, making it convenient and easy for visitors to find and interact with the exhibits that interest them. Hall 1 will be the locale for exhibitors of photo albums and frames, photographic equipment, post output devices and consumables, along with displays of photos taken professionals in the field. Hall 2 is for the display of wedding dresses and other outfits for special occasions. Hall 3 is allocated to display of photo ensembles shot by professional photographers and the availability of franchising opportunities, backgrounds and props, furniture and stage sets, shop window design, marketing training and e-marketing. Hall 4 will be where one can find equipment for children’s photography, wedding goods, accessories and cosmetics. Hall 5 will contain displays of wedding dresses and outfits for special occasions, equipment for children’s photography as well as photo albums and frames.

Number of photo album and frame exhibitors sets a new record

China’s top photo album and frame makers will be in Hall 1 on the first floor of the centre. The hall is the largest one in the center and also the largest indoor astylar exhibition hall in Asia. After a relatively quiet period, the wedding industry’s photo albums and frames sector is set to take off. Covering an exhibition area of 20,000 square meters, the 200 enthusiastic exhibitors showing their wares represents a new milestone for the exhibition. The popular photo album category includes European, modern, romantic and cartoon styles. Made from green materials, photo albums nowadays are fashionable and stylish.

The world’s top bridal dress makers eye the Chinese market

Hall 2 on the first floor at the center is reserved for the showcasing of wedding dresses. The cutting-edge and advanced hardware and software facilities in the center has lifted the application of technology at the exhibition to a new level and attracted many renowned wedding photography equipment makers from both within and outside of China, with several top-flight international brands in attendance. A combination of passion and creativity, French brand Pronuptia’s elegant and hand-tailored wedding dresses are sure to attract wide attention among visitors and establish a strong reputation in the Chinese market. FAMORY, one of the top 10 bridal and evening dress brands in the world and the only in its field to receive recognition as one of “China’s Top Brands” as well as a “China Famous Export Brand”, is exhibiting for the first time. FAMORY’s founder Cai Minqiang has been praised as the “father of modern bridal and evening dress design” by the international bridal and evening dress community. The company’s design team is the largest in the world and the firm’s designs are considered as the template for the sector, with its mainstream styles setting the trends that are followed by the international brands. With the sector focusing on China for the next phase of its development and the increasing interest in the Chinese market by brands from all over the world, the company is expected to drive the development of the sector across the country.

An impressive array of cosmetics on display

The exhibition area for cosmetics, accessories and wedding products will be located in the southern part of the lower level in Hall 4. ZFC, a leading cosmetics brand, will showcase its most compelling lines of cosmetics and hold a press conference on February 16th themed “The riddle of colors around the world — health, color and the future” in the Conference Room No. 1 on the lower level of the center. The press conference is part of a series of fun and interesting events, including a talk entitled “Business study tour in Japan”, covering both fashion and beauty topics. The event will also look at predictions for the future of the cosmetics industry in China.

Children’s photography enters new phase of development

The children’s photography exhibits will be located in the northern part of the lower level of Hall 4. With more and more young parents hoping to record their children’s every milestone in image form, the children’s portrait market has grown extensively and the industry chain for children’s photography is reaching a state of maturity. With strong demand for exhibition space and the participation of numerous famous brands, the number of exhibitors has jumped 17 per cent from last year’s. Yoyobaby, a leading children’s photography brand with a worldwide footprint, has exhibited every year since the advent of the annual exhibition. The brand, owned by Szforever Inc., one of China’s top ten outstanding wedding photography studios, has been called out the only one of China’s top ten children’s photography studios in Shenzhen. Combining its excellent management experience with both original and popular photo shooting techniques, the brand has become a benchmark for the child photography sector worldwide and is seen as the firm to lead the sector into its next stage of development.

Technology and innovation drive the wedding photography sector

The theme photography exhibition area on the second floor of Hall 3 will continue its focus on traditional wedding photography, while showcasing new technologies that allow the instant production of photo samples in a move to make it substantially easier to close the sale during the first encounter with the potential client. An entire array of breakthrough developments in technology for wedding and portrait photography sectors that is sure to dislodge the competition, especially in the newly developing field of onsite shoots at destination weddings, will be on display. Other exhibits will showcase several large live scenery and high profit outdoor location products satisfying growing market demand that can no longer be met by existing products. This year’s exhibition has attracted international wedding photography brands as well as many of China’s recently established photography studios, taking the quality of exhibits to a higher level, while attaching more importance to the quality of services and cost management. These new participants to the exhibition will go a long way in advancing the scale, dynamics and personalization of theme photography complemented by technical assistance services, so as to boost the solid development of the industry.

Many events with a common theme giving added meaning to the exhibition

Many other informative and interesting events will be concurrently held. The 7th China’s Top Ten Portrait Photography Works Exhibition will be on exhibit on the second level at the southern end of the centre. These unique and colorful works represent the best in portrait photography. In addition, exhibitors plan to hold technology communication meetings and courses covering new product releases, how to use Weibo micro-blogs as a marketing tool and sideline businesses to add to the bottom line of a photography studio, as ways to cater to every aspect of the development trends across the sector.

An annual event and the first “whale count” of its kind, the Great Whale Count has been conducted by Pacific Whale Foundation along Maui’s shorelines for twenty years. More than 100 people volunteer to help conduct the count each year, with many participants coming from the Mainland or neighbor islands. The Great Whale Count gathers data in a systematic way about whales that can be seen within three miles of ten established shoreline observation points stretching from Kapalua to Makena, with an additional site located at Ho’okipa.

No special skills are needed to volunteer. Pacific Whale Foundation’s research team will provide the training and data recording forms. Counters are asked to bring a pair of binoculars, a lawn chair, hat, sunglasses and drinking water.

“Working under our Chief Scientist, Dr. Daniela Maldini, Pacific Whale Foundation’s research team compiled the data from past Great Whale Counts to submit the results for publication to a peer-reviewed scientific journal,” comments Greg Kaufman, President and Founder of Pacific Whale Foundation. “We are excited to continue the count with some new enhancements to add to this very useful data set about whale sightings from Maui’s shorelines.”

“The Great Whale Count provides a snapshot look at the number of whales off the coast of Maui at the peak time when the whales are present,” notes Kaufman. “Because we have conducted this count in a systematic way for two decades, we are able to compare findings from one year to another, and to correlate the findings with other studies of whale density and population off Maui.”

The counters also record the whale behaviors that are observed, numbers of pods sighted, whether there are calves in the pod, and the direction and swimming speed of the pods.

Counters are assembled from 8:00 am to 11:30, with the actual counting taking place from 8:30 am to 11:30 am. During that time, they learn about whale research methods, whale biology and recent scientific findings about whales. “Our volunteers also discover the surprising number of whales that can be seen from shore, if you simply spend the time looking,” says Kaufman.

To volunteer for the Great Maui Whale Count, please contact Michelle Vienkgone atmichelleviengkone@pacificwhale.org. Please include your name, daytime or cell phone number, the number of people in your group, their ages, and where you will be staying on Maui, so that the research team can assign you to the most convenient counting location. Pacific Whale Foundation’s research team will contact you with information about your assignment.

“Pacific Whale Foundation organized the first whale count in Hawai’i in 1991,” comments Kaufman. “When the Sanctuary was being established, they asked us to share our methodology and data recording protocol with them, so they could establish Ocean Counts on Oahu, Kauai, Hawaii Island and Kahoolawe. Pacific Whale Foundation continues to run the Great Whale Count on Maui.”

The data from the 2012 Great Whale Count supplements data gathered during Pacific Whale Foundation’s other Hawaii whale research studies, including a theodolite station at Papawai Point Lookout from February 1 to April 15 to record vessel-whale interactions. This effort will tie into a larger research project conducted by Pacific Whale Foundation to analyze and mitigate the potential for vessel-whale collisions along Maui’s coastline.

Pacific Whale Foundation’s naturalists and captains also gather data about cetaceans encountered during all of Pacific Whale Foundation’s whalewatches and ocean ecotours. The data is uploaded with the Whale and Dolphin Tracker software developed by Pacific Whale Foundation in 2010, and is transmitted to the foundation’s research labs and also displayed in real time on Pacific Whale Foundation’s website at www.pacificwhale.org.

Pacific Whale Foundation’s research team will also be working from a small boat at sea starting in mid-February to gather photoidentification and distribution data on odontocetes (toothed whales and dolphins) off the coasts of Maui and Lana’i. The study will also include research on interactions and associations between humpback whales and odontocetes.

Pacific Whale Foundation also conducts studies of humpback whales in Ecuador, Tonga and along the east coast of Australia, and studies of blue whales off the coast of Chile.

The Great Whale Count is coordinated by Pacific Whale Foundation and is part of the Maui Whale Festival.

Source: eTurboNews

Of the travelers surveyed, 54 percent said they have canceled a lodging reservation because they found better amenities at a different property.

Top 5 Most Important Amenities to US Travelers

(Scale: Somewhat Important – Extremely Important)

The following chart shows the Top 5 most important amenities according to US travelers who most often book hotels.

Additionally, respondents representing hotels gauged how important these same amenities are to travelers. Their answers are displayed below:

Most Important Hotel Amenities

Travelers Who Most Often Book Hotels
Hotel Owners /Managers

1.
Wi-Fi Internet Access
85%
99%

2.
Breakfast Included with Booking
78%
79%

3.
Guest Loyalty Points
72%
55%

4.
Restaurant
71%
70%

5.
Shuttle Service to Local Attractions/Airport
66%
41%

Top 5 Least Important Amenities to US Travelers

(Scale: Not At All Important – Not Very Important)

The following chart shows the Top 5 least important amenities according to U.S. travelers who most often book hotels when they travel. Additionally, respondents representing hotels gauged how important these same amenities are to travelers. Their answers are displayed below:

Least Important Hotel Amenities

Travelers Who Most Often Book Hotels
Hotel Owners /Managers

1.
Turndown Service
87%
83%

2.
Pets Allowed
85%
38%

3.
Spa
79%
75%

4.
Tours/Excursions/Activities
76%
65%

5.
Room Service
72%
49%

Does it Pay to Have Wi-Fi Internet Access?

88% of travelers expect Wi-Fi Internet access to be free of charge in all lodging types

41% of travelers have never paid for Wi-Fi Internet access

65% said they have used free Wi-Fi Internet in an accommodation’s lobby or common areas to avoid paying for in-room access

According to the survey, 93 percent of accommodations report offering some form of free Wi-Fi Internet access to their guests.

“While accommodations generally appear to be in sync with most traveler amenity preferences, our first-ever 360 degree survey reveals that there are a number of opportunities for lodging businesses to shift the focus from some services to others to capture travelers’ attention,” said Christine Petersen, president of TripAdvisor for Business. “For example, offering complimentary or discounted tickets, recommendations or even a shuttle service to local attractions or a nearby airport may help tip the balance in a property’s favor, especially when you consider that more than half of travelers say they’ve canceled a reservation because they found better amenities elsewhere.”

To make the important decision, Gram appointed an independent judging panel, formed of representatives from Caterer & Hotelkeeper Magazine, the Considerate Hoteliers Association and the Institute of Hospitality, who were all impressed with the high standard of entries. The panel chose Radisson Blu Edinburgh as overall winner because of the focus the team at the hotel in Edinburgh city centre has placed, on putting sustainability at the top of their agenda for the hotel. The hotel walks away from the competition with a Gram refrigerator from the Energy Technology List.

Lisa Jenkins, products and suppliers editor at Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, commented: “This hotel had an obvious passion for the environment with many systems in place. I particularly liked the fact that they were reducing the use of chemicals. They had also reduced the number of beverage deliveries and I think this will become much more of a key target for many businesses in 2012.”

John Firrell, director of the Considerate Hoteliers Association and fellow judge added: “The winners have shown consistency and persistency in their intent, staff colleagues willingly embrace the hotel’s green credentials and despite the economic outlook the hotel is prepared to press home their sustainable initiatives. Well done!”

The competition goes hand in hand with the publication of the hotel edition of the Gram Green Paper which takes all of the insight, findings and results from the landmark 2010 issue of Gram’s Green Paper, and draws conclusions and results that are specifically relevant to the hotel sectors.

Steve Valentine, Regional Chief Engineer of Radisson Blu Edinburgh commented on their win: “We are delighted to receive this prize as we have always taken pride in our green programme and which for many in the hotel is second nature. This prize will be welcomed by our kitchen team and will certainly not look out of place in our newly refurbished kitchen in early 2012.”

Source: eTurbo News

This most important B2B event has a total of 1,400 registered TRAVEX delegates from across the ASEAN region and the world congregating at the Golden Kawanua Exhibition Hall. ASEAN sellers form 920 of these delegates, with 390 international buyers from 51 countries and 103 media representatives from 36 countries completing the delegates list.

While official TRAVEX days are from January 13-15, 2012, preparations and preliminary activities have been ongoing since Monday, January 10.

The Pre-TRAVEX networking activities kicked off on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, with the first of the full-day complimentary pre-show city tours around Manado, organized by the host committee, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia. These tours give TRAVEX delegates the opportunity to experience the destination through its architecture, culture, and famous sights, ably brought to life by local guides. The city tours continue today, Thursday, January 12, 2012, followed by other agenda items, including the ATF Friendly Golf Game and ATF 2012 Opening Ceremony and ASEANTA Award Presentation in the evening. In addition to the networking activities, there will also be the ASEAN Tourism Ministers Press Conference and the Signing of an MOU on ASEAN-India Tourism Cooperation scheduled to be held at Novotel Manado Convention Centre.

These pre-show city tours and post-show tours to destinations within the country are excellent platforms for Indonesia, as the host country, to showcase up-and-coming destinations to the industry, allowing them to experience the full scale of its tourism infrastructure, hospitality, and other tourist highlights.

Besides being famous for its stunning dives at Bunaken, Manado offers trekking through rainforests to meet the tiny tarsiers at the Tangkoko-Batuangus reserve, magnificent mountains capes, and yummy culinary presentations.

Highlights during TRAVEX business days include: on-site business appointment scheduling sessions between sellers and buyers, exhibition and TRAVEX appointment sessions, media briefings by all ten ASEAN NTOs, and the ASEAN Tourism Conference on “ASEAN Goes Green” featuring industry leaders. There will also be 6 other hosted luncheons, dinners, and late-night functions brought by sponsors such as the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, the Philippine’s Department of Tourism, Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization, the Tourism Authority of Thailand: Pattaya Office, Sutanraja Hotel Convention & Recreation, Malaysia Tourism, and the Cultural Office of Manado City Government.

During the stellar opening ceremony, delegates can look forward to an extravaganza of cultural performances, mouthwatering cuisine, and Manado hospitality. “Indonesia has much to offer through its culture, music, dance, and costumes. Arts like puppetry and mask dances are some of the unique ways that Indonesia tells its stories. We are thrilled to be giving ATF delegates a glimpse into this beautiful country,” said Ms. Anastasia Chris Miastuti, Deputy Director International of Promotion for ASEAN – Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Indonesia.

Meanwhile, ASEAN as a single destination with its branding “Southeast Asia – Feel the Warmth” introduced for the first time at ATF Manado.

“Today, the branding is officially used for the first time,” said Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangestu, Chair of this year’s ATF, on Wednesday,  January 11, 2012. Preparations towards ASEAN as a single destination are showing significant development, added Minister Pangestu. One of the matters that still needs attention and prompt solution is the Free Visa policy among ASEAN nations, which still left confirmations pending from Indonesia, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) is a cooperative regional effort to promote all countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region as one tourist destination. ATF TRAVEX is the longest-running annual ASEAN leisure travel trade event, showcasing the largest contingent of ASEAN sellers. This annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 ASEAN member nations: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

For more information and program updates on ATF 2012, visit www.atfindonesia.com . For the agenda and outcome of sessions in the full ASEAN governments meetings at ATF 2012, please click: http://www.parekraf.go.id/ .

Hong Kong, with relatively high income and living costs and a population fond of traveling abroad, offers excellent potential as a market for WMT.

In 2007/08, health expenditure in Hong Kong funded by out-of-pocket payments by households rose by 8.92 percent to HK$27.5 billion, and individually-purchased private health insurance rose by 12 percent to HK$4.7 billion. For WMT Market News Update, go to:www.itehk.com/ITEHK/index.php?module=press&lang=en&menuID=main&topLevel=130&subLevel=20&year=2011&month=11&pageSize=30&submit2_x=29&submit2_y=10&task=show&page=1&itemNo=2.

The comprehensive ITE&MICE, which in 2011 was visited in the two trade days by 11,820 visitors with 73 percent from Hong Kong and 17 percent from mainland China, and in the two public days 69,320 visitors with 72 percent preferring to travel in FIT and 5 percent tailor-made groups, is the ideal platform for promoting WMT.

Scattering in the last expo were some 50 exhibitors that included hospitals, healthcare groups, clinics, spas and hot spring facilities, hotels and resorts, etc. There was a Taiwan pavilion specifically for WMT, while several NTOs from Asia and Europe also highlighted and included WMT in their pavilions or official stands. A seminar on WMT for trade with speakers from pavilions of Taiwan and Thailand drew 140 pre-registrations.

ITE&MICE draws some 800 visitors from trade and mass media from Hong Kong, China (mainland), and abroad, and there is also extensive pre-show publicity. Therefore, WMT exhibitors can enjoy publicity beyond the fairground – before, during, and after the expo.

Organized by TKS Exhibition Services Ltd., ITE&MICE is supported by the China National Tourism Administration, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, Macau Government Tourist Office, trade associations of travel agents, and event industries from Hong Kong and in the region. Official Air, Cathay Pacific and Dragonair, sponsor the hosted buyer program of ITE&MICE.

For further info including a past exhibitor list and market news, please visit the official website of www.itehk.com . For inquiries about exhibiting and visiting, please send an email totravel@tkshk.com or contact the organizer, TKS, at (852) 3155 0600.

MEDIA CONTACT: TKS Exhibition Services Ltd., Room 601, Stanhope House, 734 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, Tel: (852) 3155 0600, Fax: (852) 3520 1500, Email: travel@tkshk.com

Jeffery’s award of the OBE is for her services to the travel and tourism industry during her 26 years at WTM, the leading global event for the travel industry.
She joined the marketing department of Reed Exhibitions in 1986 and became Group Marketing Manager in 1988, before being promoted to Marketing Director in 1991.

In 1992, Jeffery helped launch Arabian Travel Market before becoming WTM Exhibition Director and then assumed the same role for British Travel Trade Fair in 1996.

In 2000, she was appointed WTM Managing Director before assuming her current role of WTM Chairman in 2008.

Throughout her time in the industry, Jeffery has championed responsible travel, creating an international environmental initiative in 1996 before launching World Responsible Tourism Day in 2007.

The 2011 New Year’s Honors list was chosen based on the UK’s Prime Minister David Cameroon Big Society initiative, which is focused on people making a real difference to communities through volunteering, fundraising, social action, and philanthropy.

In 1998, Jeffery launched travel industry water aid charity, Just a Drop, which aims to reduce child mortality caused by unsafe water. The charity has undertaken more than 92 water aid projects and helped more than 1.5 million children and their families in 29countries.

“I was genuinely stunned, but it’s a great honor, and I’ve received lots of wonderful emails and texts over the last week,” Jeffery said. “The best thing is being able to share it with so many colleagues both at Reed Exhibitions and within the travel industry who have all played their part over the last 26 years in making World Travel Market what it is today, and also the many people who have also latterly helped support and grow Just a Drop.

“The joy others have taken for the award has been particularly nice to see and [has] given me the greatest of pleasure. My sincere thanks go to colleagues and those in the industry who have worked with and supported me over the years.”

Fiona is a trustee of the charity The Travel Foundation and she received the Shine Woman of the Year Award in 2008.

PHOTO: Fiona Jeffery, Chairman, World Travel Market / Image via wtmlondon.com

MEDIA CONTACT: Nicole Collett, Press and PR Executive World Travel Market, Tel: +44 (0) 20 8910 7836, Fax: +44 (0) 20 8334 0624, Web: www.wtmlondon.com

Green Globe CEO Mr. Guido Bauer said: “This is an interesting and exciting new partnership for Green Globe Certification. For some time we have been looking for a new partner with experience from the travel and tourism supply chain. At the same time we have also needed a partner to cover the important tourism regions of Turkey.

“OrganicEra offers qualifications in both fields, and we look forward to working with Ms. Nur Begen and her team in delivering sustainability certification across Turkey.”

OrganicEra is a supplier of high-quality textile products such as towels, bathrobes, and bed linen, made of both organic and conventional cotton. OrganicEra also supplies 100 percent organic clothing like T-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, underwear, and sleepwear, even kids toys. All OrganicEra organic products are made with pride in Turkey from the finest quality cotton certified by Control Union, a Dutch certification organization.

OrganicEra CEO Ms. Nur Begen said: “As OrganicEra, we have been in the organic textiles business for the last five years and have noticed the shift in public awareness toward ecological and organic items. We are currently the one and only brand in Turkey which sells a certified range of organic towels, bathrobes, and bed linen. This year we will also be launching a new line exclusive to hotels and include certified hotel amenities as well.

“Many people are aware of Turkey’s world-renowned tourism industry and we believe that the hotels will be very interested in becoming certified Green Globe. Together with my partner, who has nine years’ experience in the hospitality industry, we are very proud to be able to create awareness and publicity, which will encourage hotels to move towards sustainable management and become more conscious about their impact on the environment.”

ABOUT ORGANICERA

OrganicEra supplies private-labeled products manufactured in Turkey by Control Union certified suppliers. OrganicEra presents all of its customers with detailed market research on their requested goods and follows up all the processes from the receipt of the order until the final inspections. In the OrganicEra product range, only Control Union /IMO certified organic cotton is used without any harmful chemicals. For example, gentle hydrogen peroxide is used for whitening, and low-impact dyes are used for colors, so there is no toxic waste from the manufacturing process.

Contact: Nur Begen (M.SC), Perpa, A Blok, 11. Kat, 1475, Okmeydani
Istanbul, Turkey, 34180, Phone + 90 (212) 221 07 08, + 90 (541) 431 24 13, Fax + 90 (212) 221 67 57, Email: nur@organicera.com , Web: www.organicera.com

ABOUT GREEN GLOBE CERTIFICATION

Green Globe Certification is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally-accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe Certification is based in California, USA, and is represented in over 83 countries. For information, visit www.greenglobe.com .

MEDIA CONTACT: Green Globe Certification, Phone: +1-310-337-3000, Fax: +1-310-626-9982, Email: pr@greenglobe.com , Web: www.greenglobe.com

“We will do our best to support tourism,” said His Majesty the Sultan upon receiving the Open Letter from UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General, Taleb Rifai. Tourism is of strategic importance for Brunei, His Majesty said, and is based on two principal resources: the country’s pristine rainforest in the heart of Borneo, and its spiritual and cultural heritage. Environmental protection and conservation must, therefore, lie at the heart of any tourism development, he stressed.

“By accepting the Open Letter, Brunei has become part of an increasingly important group of world leaders advocating for tourism as a means of economic growth and development including in Asia: China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Republic of Korea,” said Mr Rifai.

The first UNWTO Secretary General to visit Brunei, Mr. Rifai praised the country’s tourism strategy based on the two pillars of nature and culture. “The strength of Brunei tourism lies in its uniqueness,” said Mr Rifai, applauding the country for focusing on its own unique assets, “In this way, Brunei is carving its own model of responsible tourism, which will no doubt serve as an example to the rest of the world.”

David Scowsill, President&CEO of the World Travel&Tourism Council (WTTC) said: “Signing the Open Letter reiterates Brunei’s commitment to tourism, and demonstrates the country’s leadership role in the travel and tourism industry. This underlines that Brunei truly understands the impact on job creation and the positive economic impact that travel and tourism brings to global GDP. Travel and tourism made a contribution of 5.8 percent of GDP in 2011 to the Brunei economy and supported 14,000 jobs, 6.9 percent of total employment.”

Mr. Rifai also met with Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Hon Pehin Dato Yahya, who identified tourism as key to the economic diversification of Brunei. UNWTO has committed to work closely with the Ministry over the coming years, including in the implementation of Brunei’s tourism master plan, the exchange of experiences with other destinations in coastal and eco-tourism development ,and capacity building.

MEDIA CONTACT: Anja Eckervogt, Media Relations Manager, Phone: +44 (0) 2074816484, Email:anja.eckervogt@wttc.org