Welcome
 Once again, we have an edition packed full of essential reading for the destination professional, including information about a great new tourism futures report, Traveller Tribes, available for download; news of a link-up between Tourism New Zealand and Google Earth; and an interview with one of Europe's top destination managers, Frank Magee, Chief Executive of Dublin Tourism, and President of European Cities Marketing. And there's much, much more besides. Dip in and see.
You all understand the impact, and potential, of new technology on your work and how important it is to keep up-to-date with the latest developments. So we're pleased to include, in this issue, highlights of the presentations from the recent UNCTAD conference on e-tourism for growth.
My colleagues and I spend a lot of time on Destination World, gathering and reporting on initiatives and issues that we think are of value to destination professionals worldwide. Consequently it's of great interest and importance to us to know what you think about Destination World and to receive your views on how it might be improved. Do please write to me and let me know. And, equally important, send me ideas, information, articles, news items that you would like to see published in DW - but remember, the items must be of international interest and relevance. That's what we are about!
Very best wishes to friends and colleagues worldwide.
Roger Carter
Managing Editor
 |
e-Tourism for Growth A recent conference on the potential for e-tourism brought together technology and tourism experts from around the world to discuss ways of matching market efficiency and social inclusion. If you missed it, don't worry... all the highlights are here for you...
|
 |
Interview with Frank Magee: After a major restructuring in recent years, tourism in Dublin is on the rise, with visitor figures exceeding the targets set. We asked Frank Magee, Chief Executive of Dublin Tourism, to share the secrets of his success...
|
 |
Free Lunch? There's no such thing, concludes hospitality specialist, and regular Destination World contributor, John R Hendrie, as he takes a look at some of the best ways to differentiate your destination in a crowded marketplace and get the most out of your marketing budget.
|
Research and Reports - What's New?
 A new global report from Amadeus offers insights into the future shape of the airline sector and identifies ways in which airlines can respond to the seismic shifts that are impacting on the sector today. Future Traveller Tribes 2020 brings together major trends in consumer behaviour, geo-economics / politics and technology, to help organisations understand which will be the most dominant and interesting groups of travellers in the next 10-15 years.
The report can be downloaded in PDF format free of charge (registration required) from the Amadeus website.
* * *
The ICCA Congress Bid Manual 2011 is now available, with a revised rotation schedule and decision timeline for bid proposals for future congresses. Copies are available from Mieke van Loenen at the International Congress and Convention Association ( ICCA).
* * *
Advertisers are clamouring to engage people on social networking sites in the hope of generating viral brand awareness and affinity. But who are the biggest users of these sites and how influential are they over their peers?
A new report, Social Networking Sites: Defining Advertising Opportunities in a Competitive Landscape, by Jupiter Research highlights the obstacles that marketers need to overcome when planning an advertising campaign and offers suggestions for how they can capitalise on social networking behaviour.
The report can be ordered online at a cost of US$1,500. The cost includes a thirty minute conversation with the report's author.
* * *
Although most consumers look for ease-of-use in their favourite sites, they diverge when it comes to their preference for other elements of a site experience. A new report from Forrester Research explains the differences between males and females across five generations and offers suggestions for tailoring consumers' online experiences.
The report, What Women and Men Want - Online Preferences Of Female And Male Consumers Across Generations, is available online at a cost of US$279.
* * *
 The latest newsletter of the ETC's (European Travel Commission) Market Intelligence Group, Research Highlights, contains information on the organisation's latest initiatives, best practice and upcoming publications.
* * *
India will be Asia's fastest growing market for online travel retail by 2010, according to new research by global market analyst Euromonitor International. Other markets topping the table include Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia and China, as online travel retail takes off in Asia.
* * *
According to PhoCusWright, the European travel market is marching relentlessly online, following in the footsteps of the U.S. travel market. But while the pace may be similar, the methods are very different.
The new European Online Travel Overview from PhoCusWright contains information on the European market (including total and online gross bookings by sector and channel, online direct by segment, and pan-European online travel agencies market share) as well as local market coverage for U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
The report can be bought online at a cost of US$2,250. Five individual country reports (UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) are also available.
* * *
A new publication by travel technology specialists, Ellion, offers realistic, practical techniques which can be applied by travel organisations of any size to harness and benefit from the internet's new networking phase.
The report provides a definition of Web 2.0, explains the value that can be gained from social media, blogging and user-generated content (UGC) and how these features can be integrated into an existing website.
Copies are available free of charge from the Ellion website.
* * *
 New research into online travel trends by young professionals has been published by EyeforTravel.
The survey takes a snap shot of young professionals purchasing leisure travel, uncovering key trends, providing a strategic analysis, and helping the industry to understand a key segment of the travel market which characteristically has a disposable income and a drive to travel. Copies of the report can be bought at a cost of £195.
Destination Brand Watch
London Unlimited, the UK capital's international marketing and promotions agency, has been working to refresh the city's brand in the lead up to the London 2012 Games. Once finalised, Visit London, the official visitor organisation, will take over the task of interpreting and implementing the refreshed brand.
A tourism strategy is being developed in tandem with the new brand, following consultation with more than 200 private and public sector organisations. The strategy, which will cover the run-up to 2012 and the legacy beyond, will be published this summer. Between 50% and 75% of the economic benefits of hosting the games are expected to go to the tourism sector, and early projections suggest a value of between £1.4 billion and £2 billion.
* * *
 Thousands of people are choosing not to visit the US because they believe that foreigners are unwelcome, according to the Discover America Partnership ( DAP). As a consequence, the US economy is missing out on US$16.4 billion in new expenditure, 189,000 new jobs and US$2.6 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues.
DAP's groundbreaking US$300 million plan, A Blueprint to Discover America, presents a strategy for welcoming international travellers back to North American shores. A key element of the proposal to fix the country's travel crisis includes changing perceptions through co-ordinated communications.
* * *
Strong brands can live forever, but most grow old and die. That's the message from author Colin Bates, founder of BuildingBrands in his latest book, How to Build Your Total Brand.
The book lays out the process for successfully managing a brand and suggests that there are five signs that indicate if your brand is aging. It's available for online purchase at a cost of US$49.50.
* * *
Tourism Australia's newly revamped website has been developed in collaboration with the country's eight state and territory tourism bodies, connecting consumers directly to approximately 23,000 tourism products across Australia and over 13,000 international operators, across 28 countries.
Dates for Your Diary
Some key events for tourism destination professionals taking place within the next few weeks:
Tourism Success Stories and Shooting Stars is the theme for this year's World Tourism Organization ( UNWTO) conference which will be held in Kuala Lumpur from the 4th - 6th June.
The conference aims to uncover the secrets of tourism's leaders, learning from those destinations and related organisations which have been conspicuously successful in tourism planning, development and marketing.
* * *
Search Engine Strategies Toronto will cover topics such as RSS, blogs, podcasts, marketing to women online, plus the worst SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) don'ts, myths and scams. The event will be held from June 12th - 13th.
* * *
The 21st International Travel Expo Hong Kong will take place from the 14th - 17th June with around six hundred and fifty international exhibitors from over fifty countries.
* * *
Destination Online is the theme of this year's TRAVELtech, which will be held in Sydney, Australia, on the 28th August. TRAVELtech was founded in 1999 and is known for featuring industry leaders, provocative themes and relevant content.
And some events later on in the year...
A conference on Researching Destination Management, Policy and Planning: Linking culture, heritage and tourism, will be held in Latvia on 24th - 25th September. The aim of the event is to bring together researchers who share interests in destination policy, planning and management in relation to culture, heritage and tourism.
* * *
The PhoCusWright conference, Braving the Long Tail, will be held on 12th - 15th November in Orlando, Florida, and aims to debate many of the key issues facing the travel and tourism industry today.
* * *
The 46th ICCA Congress and Exhibition will be taking place in Thailand at the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH) from 27 - 31 October 2007.
* * *
 Staged annually in London, UK, the World Travel Market is a business to business exhibition, providing an opportunity for the whole global travel trade industry to meet, network, negotiate, conduct business and stay abreast with the latest developments in the travel industry. This year's event takes place from the 12th - 15th November.
Conference Highlights
Don't forget, we've included many of the presentations from the recent UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) conference on e-Tourism for Growth: Matching Market Efficiency and Social Inclusion in this issue of Destination World. Click to view a list of the presentations and download.
* * *
 In her presentation Natural and Human Resources: Our Future at Stake, Tourism Vancouver's Sandra Louie, described the organisation's innovative Green Flight Initiative. She was speaking at a scene-setting session ahead of a PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) board of directors' meeting, and challenged delegates to adopt a similar scheme. A copy of her presentation is available to PATA members.
* * *
Representatives from Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft and PhoCusWright were featured speakers at the HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International) 8th Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference last month.
Featuring a 'state of the internet marketing landscape', the programme included industry experts and internet marketing specialists presenting an aggregation of trends from multiple research reports as well as a panel on travel search and a session on a consumer behaviour study.
* * *
International specialists from politics, business and the academic world came together earlier this month to discuss the key issues currently shaping European tourism and those issues likely to affect its future development.
For more information on the European Tourism Industry Conference, contact the organisers, the German National Tourist Board ( GNTB).
|
International News
SE Asia:
New destination for Chinese
A new study by market information specialists, TNS, suggests that destinations including Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia look set to gain from the fallout of Hong Kong's recent scandals involving the sale of counterfeit goods to mainland Chinese travellers. Tourism industry organisations and travel companies in Hong Kong fear the scandals will result in a drop of up to 30% in the numbers of group tourist arrivals to the territory.
The study, which probed the travel preferences of mainland Chinese holidaymakers from across the country, found that while Hong Kong was named by 74% as the most likely destination for travel over the coming 12 months, substantial numbers are set to venture further afield.
Training:
Tourism security courses
Two courses in tourism security are available from Tourism and More. Safety and Security for Tourism Destinations: Achieving a Safe and Secure Tourism Environment is available via the George Washington University.
This course is designed to help tourism professionals understand the importance of safety and security within a destination, as well as provide them with the tools needed to create a secure environment for both visitors and residents. Participation is via web-based distance learning. For more information, contact GWU.
Plus details of a new course, Tourism Confronts Terrorism: What You Need to Know to Maintain a Viable Industry in the Face of Terrorism, are now available.
Lisbon:
First city TSA launches
Earlier this month, the World Travel and Tourism Council ( WTTC) launched the preliminary findings of the first city-based Simulated Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) project. The purpose of the TSA was to fully identify the value of travel and tourism to the economy and jobs market.
Using a combination of macro-economic research and forecasts, regional accounting data, information and contributions from local organisations, the WTTC and research partner, Oxford Economics, have produced a comprehensive report covering all aspects of tourism demand, plus policy recommendations.
MICE Industry:
USA and Vienna are top
The USA, Germany and the UK are the top three countries in the ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) international meetings rankings.
For the first time ever, a Latin American country is represented in the top ten list of countries, with Brazil reaching seventh place. As in 2005, Vienna tops the charts as the most popular city, with Paris jumping four places to number two at the cost of Singapore, Barcelona and Berlin. Prague, which is eighth, and Copenhagen and Lisbon, which share ninth place, are all newcomers in the top ten.
The full ICCA statistics report for 2006 will be released early next month, with the statistics report covering 1997-2006 published early July.
Asia Pacific:
Leads airport hub growth
The Asia Pacific region will be a leader in worldwide airport hub growth over the next 20 years, according to PATA, the Pacific Asia Travel Association. The organisation's review of existing hubs and an analysis of scheduled daily flights suggest a huge potential for expansion.
Risk Management:
Free resources available
Risk management training resources have been developed by the APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism (AICST), in partnership with PATA and the World Tourism Organization ( UNWTO).
The aim of the resource pack is to empower destinations and businesses to better prepare for crises. The material includes three training programmes with PowerPoint presentations, instructor's guides and participant's workbooks) and a guide to managing crises in tourism. The pack is available in English, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese.
PATA President and CEO Mr Peter de Jong said: 'PATA is proud to be involved in this APEC initiative and hope our members take full advantage of these unique resources that are both world class and complimentary.'
e-Business News
Google Earth:
Partners NZ in tourism first
Tourism New Zealand has linked up with Google Earth in a unique online mapping project.
Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps, terrain and 3D buildings to provide in-depth, easily accessible geographic information. Now, Tourism New Zealand has provided additional information to create a new layer on Google Earth. This will include illustrations of visitor centres, points of interest (towns) and 'bubbles' (scenic highlights), as well as providing links to more extensive information.
Google has partnered with other organisations to develop layers for its popular Google Earth product, however, this is the first time it has worked with a tourism authority in this way. Google Earth has had 200 million unique users since it launched in June 2005.
Web Mapping:
Manitoba launches new tool
A web mapping service, which enables online visitors to click on map locations and open windows describing specific travel packages and locations, has been launched on Manitoba's website.
Built with Flash technology, the system allows viewers to zoom in and out without waiting for maps to reload. Future development is likely to include video postings, maps by tourism sector and mobile-optimised content that will work with phone browsers.
Linda Whitfield, Vice President of Marketing Services, commented: 'Viewers can see exactly where the package operators are located and how close they are to other attractions they might also want to visit. The system will really be an asset for visitors planning their travel routes.'
Web Mapping:
A-Z maps move online
Visit London has announced the launch London Explorer, a new web service for the capital's visitors based on the familiar Collins A-Z map layout.
Acting as an online concierge, London Explorer navigates the map by postcode, attraction or underground station, allowing users to view all nearby services, such as restaurants, bars and hotels, rather than the more traditional category search. A further click reveals individual opening hours, admission prices, what's on and booking information. Already 40,000 London attractions and services have been included.
ICT in Tourism:
UNWTO tackles e-security
UNWTO has signed a collaboration agreement with data management and e-security specialists, Indusa Global, to help deliver secure, safe, quality ICT experiences.
It will involve close collaboration with Wisekey, another UNWTO / Microsoft partner in the field of eTD (electronic tourism for development), in projects such as SAFE (Security and Facilitation Enhancement), WOA (Windows on Africa), the Emergency Response System, and YouTourist.net, the social network for responsible travellers.
UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General Geoffrey Lipman said: 'The focus will be on border crossings, particularly e-visa, ensuring that the world's poorest countries will be able to participate in this kind of programme. It enhances UNWTO's commitment to create a secure travel environment for all tourists.'
|
