SEYCHELLES CHOSEN AS ICTP LAUNCH VENUE
The International Council of Tourism Partners will be formally launched, with now nearly 180 members from over 40 countries, at the tropical island paradise of the Seychelles on July 07th.
The formation announcement was made at last years World Tourism Market when the Seychelles were a founder member alongside Rwanda. La Reunion, Oman, Grenada, North Shore / Hawaii and Richmond / Virginia and Johannesburg Tourism.
The phenomenal growth of ICTP, under President Professor Geoffrey Lipman and Chairman Thomas Juergen Steinmetz of the eTN Group, is evidence that ICTP was and is needed as a now formal alliance of tourism destinations committed to green practice and sustainability.
The ICTP General meeting will be flanked by the RETOSA Board of Directors meeting on one side of the calendar and the much awaited Routes Africa meeting due for July 08th to 10th, for which record registrations have been pouring in, all drawn no doubt by the appeal of the Seychelles as THE destination in the Indian Ocean.
Said Thomas Steinmetz in a press release just received here: I am pleased to announce that with the support of our executive members and the Minister of Tourism & Culture of the Seychelles, our inaugural launch meeting will take place along with a combined Executive and Academy Board meeting in the Seychelles on July 7. We’re inviting all government and private industry stakeholders to join us in the Seychelles on July 7 for this important event, when we will be setting the future role of our fast-evolving organization. ICTP will be announcing hotel, media, and airline sponsors for these two events shortly.
When that announcement becomes available, be sure to read all about it here, including the draft agenda for the meeting, and prepare to travel to Seychelles, Another World.
ICTP is a new grassroot travel and tourism coalition of global destinations committed to quality service and green growth. The ICTP logo represents the strength in collaboration (the block) of many small communities (the lines) committed to sustainable oceans (blue) and land (green).
ICTP engages communities and their stakeholders to share quality and green opportunities including tools and resources, access to funding, education, and marketing support. ICTP advocates sustainable aviation growth, streamlined travel formalities, and fair coherent taxation.
ICTP supports the UN Millennium Development Goals, the UN World Tourism Organization’s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, and a range of programs that underpin them. The ICTP alliance is represented in Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA; Brussels, Belgium; Bali, Indonesia; and Victoria, Seychelles. ICTP membership is available to qualified destinations free of charge. Academy membership features a prestigious and selected group of destinations.
Members of destinations currently include Anguilla; Aruba; China, Croatia; Grenada; Maharashtra, India; Flores & Manggarai Baratkab County, Indonesia; Iran; La Reunion (French Indian Ocean); Malaysia; Malawi; Nicaragua; Northern Mariana Islands, US Pacific Island Territory; Pakistan; Palestine; Rwanda; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Johannesburg, Kruger Park & Sandton, South Africa; Sri Lanka; Oman; Tajikistan; Tanzania; Yemen; Zimbabwe; and from the US: California; Georgia; North Shore, Oahu Hawaii; Bangor, Maine; St. Louis, Missouri; San Juan County & Moab, Utah; Richmond & Fairfax, Virginia.
Partner associations include: African Bureau of Conventions; African Chamber of Commerce Dallas/Fort Worth; Africa Travel Association; Alliance for training and research in the field of social and solidarity tourism (ISTO/OITS); Cultural and Environment Conservation Society; DC-Cam (Cambodia); Hawaii Tourism Association; International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT); International Organization of Electronic Tourism Industry (IOETI); Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence, Zambia; Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade, China, Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH); Sustainable Travel International (STI); The Region Initiative, Pakistan; University of Florida: Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute; University of Hawaii and vzw Reis-en Opleidingscentrum, Gent, Belgium.
Visit www.tourismpartners.org for more information on the goals and objectives of ICTP, how to join, how to support and how to promote them.
