Welcome to Cambodia: World Tourism Day (WTD) 2012

World Tourism Day (WTD) 2012

World Tourism Day (WTD) 2012 is being held under the theme Tourism & Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development. Official celebrations will take place in Maspalomas, Spain (Sept 27).

This year’s theme aims to highlight tourism’s role in a brighter energy future; a future in which the world’s entire population has access to modern, efficient and affordable energy services.

Tourism, one of the world’s largest economic sectors, has already taken important steps towards this future – improving energy efficiency and increasingly using renewable energy technologies in its operations. These steps are creating jobs, lifting people out of poverty and helping to protect the planet.

Be part of World Tourism Day 2012! Take part in the photo competition, go to online energy school, let us know how you will be celebrating and keep checking back for more information on WTD activities and celebrations.

Tourism & Sustainable Energy: gearing up for World Tourism Day 2012
PR No.: PR12042,Madrid,27 Jun 12

Launching the World Tourism Day 2012 (27 September) campaign, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, has called on all tourism stakeholders to “play their part in reaching the United Nations goal of achieving sustainable energy for all by 2030”.

World Tourism Day (WTD) 2012 will be celebrated under the theme ‘Tourism & Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development’, inviting everyone involved in tourism – from governments to businesses and tourists themselves – to learn more about the sustainable energy initiatives in place in the tourism sector, debate what more should be done and advance the use of sustainable energy in tourism.

“Tourism is leading the way in some of the world’s most innovative sustainable energy initiatives,” says Mr. Rifai in his official WTD message. “Energy efficient upgrades to aircraft, the shift to renewable fuel for aviation and cruise liners, energy technology solutions in hotels, as well as countless other initiatives are placing tourism at the forefront of the clean energy transformation.”

These initiatives are crucial for sustainable development, continues Mr. Rifai, helping to cut tourism’s carbon emissions, enabling businesses to grow and create jobs, and bringing modern and affordable energy services to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities – goals in line with the 2012 UN International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.

The Secretary-General’s message is part of the WTD 2012 campaign, which also includes the annual WTD photo competition, the upcoming Twitter competition and access to resources on the relationship between tourism and energy. This year, UNWTO is also inviting everyone to visit the ‘online energy school’, as part of Hotel Energy Solutions, a UNWTO-initiated project designed to help hoteliers cut their carbon emissions and costs. The launch of the WTD campaign comes one week after governments, the private sector, civil society and other groups meeting at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) committed US$ 323 billion to achieving sustainable energy for all by 2030.

Official WTD celebrations will take place on 27 September in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain, and include a Think Tank on the 2012 theme with the participation of top experts and policy makers in the field of tourism and energy. The Think Tank will be one of hundreds of events taking place around the world in celebration of WTD.

About World Tourism Day

World Tourism Day (WTD) is held annually on 27 September.

Its purpose is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. The event seeks to address global challenges outlined in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to highlight the contribution the tourism sector can make in reaching these goals.

Source: UNWTO

Read more...

If you like this post, please subscribe below,thanks!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Welcome to Cambodia: International Traval Expo, Hong Kong (ITE) 2012 on 14th-17th June, at Hong Kong, China

International Traval Expo, Hong Kong (ITE) 2012 on 14th-17th June, at Hong Kong, China

Substantial and continuing expansions by past exhibitors, and new exhibitors enable ITE & MICE expanding from 2 halls in 2004 to 5 halls since 2008. With nearly 80% of exhibitors and 26% of buyers / trade visitors from outside Hong Kong, ITE & MICE gains wide recognition as effective platform for international travel trade to cover the fast growing Asian markets.

ITE & MICE integrates successfully leisure and MICE travel, highlights themes like cruise and wellness, and maintains separate trade days and public days. Our exhibitors can have access, each in good numbers, to the travel trade, corporations, the event industry, trade and public media, and also quality public visitors who more and more select traveling in FIT.

Regional trade & corporate visitors – 26% from mainland China & Asia;
International exhibitors – 30 plus pavilions by tourism boards from different continents; 80% exhibitors from outside Hong Kong;

Well attended by both trade & public media from Asia;

Public days drew quality visitors – over 80% travel in FIT / tailor made groups;

Extensive supports by tourism authorities & trade associations in Asia;

Free assistance to stage seminars and in publicity;

Mainland China & Hong Kong are respectively Asia’s first and fourth source markets.

ITE & ITE MICE are among the few travel fairs in Asia offering two full professional days for trade and corporate visitors. Also, a unique arrangement of holding leisure and MICE travel concurrently for synergy since 2005 resulted in the number of corporate visitors grew by times. ITE & MICE are supported by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (TIC) and Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO). Official Air, Cathay and Dragonair sponsor our hosted buyer program. Supports also come from event industry associations and international chambers of commerce in Hong Kong and neighbouring cities, and travel agent associations in different parts of Asia.

Source: TopChinaTravel

Read more...

If you like this post, please subscribe below,thanks!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Welcome to Cambodia: Cambodia eyes family-tree tourism

Cambodia eyes family-tree tourism

Under the scorching sun, an English tourist wearing a pair of loose trousers and wet T-shirt plants a seedling in the fertile soil of Koh Trong, a small island in the middle of the Mekong River opposite Kratie provincial town.

While his dirty hands were covering the root of the sapling with black soil, 32-year-old Sam Roberts said with a broad smile: “I’ve never planted a tree with my own hands before. This is the first time in my entire life.”

Roberts found out about the tree-planting campaign throught the tourist information centre in the town, while following his itinerary to view the province’s symbol: the endangered Irawaddy dolphins. “I learned that we can help the local community raise money by planting trees. It was a memorable trip and my name will always remain next to the tree, perhaps it will grow quite tall when I visit next.”

Roberts was one of a few dozen tourists participating in the “one tourist, one tree” campaign launched by the Ministry of Tourism after a Green Tourism Meeting in Siem Reap two weeks ago. The nationwide campaign has since been advertised on TV and travel websites, encouraging tourists to help revive forests while enjoying their vacations.

The campaign also aims to encourage tourists to revisit Cambodia, and to bring family members and friends with them to see the growth of the tree they planted. More than 4,000 trees have been planted by local and international tourists since the campaign’s launch on Koh Trong.

Ron Pheara, Kratie’s tourism department director, puts its success down to close co-operation among tourist venues and businesses, NGOs and community residents.

“We’ve been working with the Koh Trong tourism community to gather small trees for tourists who love the environment. To participate in the campaign, they pay US$5 for a seedling, small shovel and a piece of land to plant their own tree or a ‘family tree’, as well as a wooden name plaque to put next to their seedling. After they plant it, people from the community will taking care of the tree. They will receive a photo of the growing progress of their tree with their name bearing on the wooden plaque by email in three or six months.”

Ron Pheara believes that the campaign attracts groups and families who are likely to return, resulting in more income flowing into the local community. Residents living near the newly planted trees also receive a fee from the tourists to take care of the trees. Farmer Chun Samean said helping tourists plant trees not only provides him with more income to run his farm, but also brings a more festive spirit to the island.

“It’s an easy and happy job. I just bring seedlings and the wooden plaque to them and they plant by themselves. I also received some money as a gift from them when they ask me to take care of their trees while they’re away,” he said.

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation has said that responsible tourism is becoming increasingly popular. Thirty four per cent of tourists would choose to stay in the environmentally-friendly hotel even they cost more than other accomondations, and 55 per cent would carry their booking via travel agents that help benefit local communities and the environment, according to the organisation.

During the Green Tourism Meeting, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said that the ministry is encouraging responsible tourism and local businesses to use resources that can mitigate negative impacts on culture and the environment.

“The ‘one tourist, one tree’ campaign will help protect the environment, and reduce climate change, global warming and other natural disasters,” he said. “It also can promote Cambodia as a green tourism destination. If one tourist plants a tree, he or she might bring the whole family and friends for the next visit, which will boost the number of tourists coming to Cambodia.”

The campaign’s success hinges on collaboration among all those who have a stake in the industry, he said. “This campaign is not only being implemented in Kratie and Siem Reap provinces. Tourists can plant trees everywhere they go. The campaign is not only targetting international tourists. Cambodian people who love environment can also plant trees at the destinations they visit,” the minister said.

His ministry is working with a host of governmental agencies to raise the profile of the campaign on National Tree day on July 9 in Seam Reap province with a public tree-planting event.

Source: Phnompenhpost,Posted on 22 June 2012

Read more...

If you like this post, please subscribe below,thanks!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner