Accra, 30.09.2009: Tourism’s role in preserving diversity and fostering international understanding were at the centre of this year’s World Tourism Day Think Tank debates around the 2009 theme „Tourism – Celebrating Diversity“. The Think Tank was the climax of the official World Tourism Day celebrations held in Accra, Ghana, and brought together leading international experts, tourism policy makers and specialized media. The Think Tank was chaired by Hon. Mrs. Juliana Azumah Mensah (M.P.), Minister of Tourism of Ghana and Mr. Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General ad interim.

The Think Tank revolved around three sessions, Diversity, Globalization and Tourism, Cultural and Environmental Diversity and Tourism and Tourism Strengthening Ties between Nations. Participants at the Think Tank focused on the role of tourism in preserving and maintaining diversity, as well as encouraging international cooperation, all in the context of accelerating economic and cultural globalization.

Against this background, the conclusions stressed the need to protect diversity as an economic asset and stimulus for tourism entrepreneurship, as well as a building block of international understanding, in an increasingly globalized world. One of the main challenges identified by the Think Tank was to maximize the benefits from international tourism and tourism related investment for local communities and ensuring that revenues are reinvested into fostering decent work and widening sustainable development efforts.

In the face of Globalization and Diversity, individual countries are increasingly faced with a media reality which only allows for only a few minutes to promote traditional cultures. Tourism communication can support destinations’ positioning in a sustainable way, going beyond short-term approaches which are mainly limited to advertisement campaigns. In addition, the media has an important role to play as an education source to transmit best practices.

Cultural and ethnical diversity are building blocks for international understanding. As a people-to-people activity, tourism is an educating force, promoting understanding and appreciation and is therefore an engine in advancing international understanding.

Looking forward, the 2009 World Tourism Think Tank underscored the need for the industry to come together to implement an efficient climate change response and engage in the shift to the Green Economy. As such, UNWTO’s Roadmap for Recovery – to be unveiled and discussed at the upcoming UNWTO General Assembly in Astana, Kazakhstan – comes at the right time both for the positioning of tourism as a industry which creates jobs and provides the basis for sustainable development, as well as playing a key role in the transformation to the Green Economy. The Roadmap will undoubtedly contribute to the challenges of positioning travel and tourism on the global political agenda.

London, 24.09.2009: Travel industry research authority, PhoCusWright Inc., reports that travel web sites are performing well in the midst of the broader travel industry downturn. PhoCusWright's Online Traffic and Conversion Report, a new study conducted in partnership with Compete Inc., shows that monthly traffic and conversion is up in almost all travel categories in the second quarter of 2009, compared to the same quarter of previous years.

Despite the downturn, transactional web sites (i.e., suppliers and online travel agencies) showed strong growth in June monthly visitors year-over-year, with cruise lines up 19% and hotel chains up 13%. Online travel agencies (OTAs) also showed slight increases in hotel and car rental visitor volume in the first half of 2009 compared to 2008 and 2007. The only category to show a decline in traffic from 2008 through 2009 was the OTA air category which is down 15%. This is not reflective of weak performance however, as OTA air conversion has increased significantly over the same time period.

London, 17.09.2009:

An annual trends report published by leading travel companies in Great Britain reveals considerable optimism from travellers considering holiday plans for 2010. The report includes the results of an independent online survey completed by almost 1,000 people which found that despite the current economic climate, an overwhelming 80% of the population said they expected to take a 2010 holiday and similar numbers said the recession will not lead them to change their holiday plans.

Around half the people surveyed are planning to spend the same as this year and an encouraging 24% are counting on spending more.

Package and all-inclusive holidays: Of those people who said the recession had changed their holiday plans this year, around 6% said they had considered package holidays this year so as to offer extra security in the case of an airline collapse – a figure that more than doubles to 13% for 2010. The proportion of people saying they would consider booking all-inclusive holidays jumps from 10% to 16% for next year.

Bargain hunting: A large proportion of holidaymakers (46%) said they would use the recession to book five-star hotels at three or four star prices. Travellers may be going further afield next year as well – more than 23% said they will look to buy a longer flight for the same price as one nearer to home. Another sizable group – 18% – said they would snap up offers on flight upgrades from airlines keen to fill premium seats.

Green tourism: Despite recessionary pressures, the study also revealed that the environment and sustainability are now mainstream concerns. Six out of ten people say they would be more likely to book with a company which showed greener business practices such as employing local people, sourcing local produce and using hotels that don’t waste energy.

Swine flu: Travellers now seem used to the issue of swine flu. The travel trends report confirmed that six out of ten people expect their holiday plans to be unchanged next year in the event of a pandemic, and only one in ten said they may change their plans.

Avaza, 22.05.09: Turkmen president invites state leaders of Turkey to inauguration of Avaza tourist zone. On 21 May, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received the Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Taner Yildiz. „Turkmenistan regards Turkey as one of its leading partners. We will be happy to see the state leaders of the fraternal country participating in the inauguration of the first health resorts of the national tourist zone Avaza,“ Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said, noting that Turkish companies were contracted to build the resort infrastructure in the Caspian Sea coast. (Taken from turkmenistan.ru)

11.03.09 In opening this year's ITB Travel Trade Show (11-15 March, Berlin), Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General ad interim, underscored that „tourism means trade, jobs, development, cultural sustainability, peace and the fulfilment of human aspirations. If ever there was a time to get this message out loud and clear, it is now, as we meet at a time of overriding global uncertainty, but also of immense possibilities“, Mr. Rifai said.

„Attractions, resorts, a city or a region are gaining relevance as deciding factors for travel, rather than a country, implying the decentralization of branding and marketing. …The recent trends and changes in the global tourism marketplace and the challenging situation for tourism destinations require new policies and strategies as well as effective structures.“ UNWTO, September 2008, UNWTOPR02808

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