Category: Latest Travel News

Bangkok (Thailand) – April 30, 2019 (travelindex.com) – The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is achieving record results from its recent CLMV Road Show 2019 that generated nearly 70 new leads, valued at about THB 400 million (approximately US$ 12.5 million) in revenue, on business events originating from Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam between January and March this year.

Mrs. Nichapa Yoswee, TCEB’s Senior Vice President – Business, said: “Leads from the Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam road show events have exceeded our expectations in terms of leads and now the real work begins converting those leads into business.

“We are pleased to see results from our “Fly and Meet Double Bonus – Redefined” and “ASEAN+6 Visitor Privilege” campaigns. The response from CLMV countries has been very gratifying and gives us something to build on,” she added.

In total meeting and incentive (MI) leads from Cambodia totalled 13 groups with 1,681 participants from the beverage, pharmaceutical, insurance and direct selling industries, with an estimated revenue of THB 122 million. MI leads from Myanmar totalled six groups with 580 participants from medical and agricultural industries, valued at about THB 42 million in revenue. From Vietnam, MI leads totalled 28 groups with 2,810 participants from the pharmaceutical, medical, banking and media sectors, valued at an estimated THB 203 million in revenue.

“Fly and Meet Double Bonus – Redefined” campaign in partnership with Bangkok Airways provides ease of travel, convenience and excellent return-on-investment. The benefits include financial support, fast-track immigration service at Suvarnabhumi airport, cultural performances, meet-and-greet services, one free air ticket of every 30 tickets purchased, pre-assign group seating, priority boarding and extra baggage allowances.

To qualify, each group must comprise at least 30 persons, fly to Thailand on Bangkok Airways, stay for at least two nights, or hold an event at a venue recognised by the Thailand MICE Venue Standard (TMVS) or a registered hotel. Application is open now until 31 August 2019, with travel completed by 30 September 2019.

For exhibition (E), leads from Myanmar totalled seven groups, each with at least 10 trade visitors, with an estimated THB 5.46 million in revenue. They are signed up for business negotiations at international exhibitions organised in Thailand, in the medical and pharmaceutical, food processing and packaging, retails, logistics, sport and tourism industries. From Vietnam, leads totalled 15 groups with 250 participants for food and agriculture, construction, infrastructure, health and wellness, retails, lifestyle and automotive trade exhibitions, with an estimated revenue of THB 20 million.

The “ASEAN+6 Visitor Privilege” campaign targets Business Mission Organisers (BMO) including Chambers of Commerce, federations, trade associations, industrial publications and non-profit organisations seeking to enhance their member’s business opportunities through trade shows. Members of these organisations will connect with the enterprises that enable their success in this lucrative segment by engaging in quality business meetings at Thailand’s trade shows with the aid of TCEB subsidies and accommodation.

To qualify delegations must have at least 10 persons hailing from the ASEAN+6 countries of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia and Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. They must commit to three meetings per person, or a total of thirty meetings across the group.

About TCEB
The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has been the country’s official government agency supporting, promoting and developing global and regional business events (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions – MICE) in Thailand since 2004. As a strategic partner and sanctioned liaison, TCEB co-creates successful solutions with companies and organizations to realise MICE events of every scale and type.

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – April 29, 2019 (travelindex.com) – The launch of the “One Seychelles” Political Party was held on Friday the 26th April and Alain St.Ange, the island’s former Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine was elected to lead the party as they prepare for the coming elections. St.Ange is joined by former Minister Peter Sinon who held the Fisheries portfolio after returning to Seychelles from the African Development Bank.

The following were elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the ‘One Seychelles’ party:
PRESIDENT: Alain St.Ange
SECRETARY GENERAL: Peter Sinon
TREASURER: Vincent Padayachy
DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL: Claude Bonte
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Bernard Port Louis, Sandra Boniface, Herve Anthony, Edouard Anacoura, Justin Francois, Brian Soumery, Ian Delorie, Allan Ah-Thion, Marinette Tamatave, Brondy Hertel, Dorina Vidot, Jean Barra, Jean-Claude Denis, Michou Delorie-Walsh, Antoine Puren, Emmanuel de Stefani, Dean Padayachi & Benjamin Port Louis.

After the election of Office Bearers of the new political party Alain St.Ange and Peter Sinon, the President and Secretary General of the “One Seychelles” political party took to the podium to address the full house of interested Seychellois present with numbers far surpassing all their expectations.

Peter Sinon, the Secretary General of “One Seychelles” explained the Party’s Manifesto and spoke at length on unity for Seychelles and safeguarding the islands.

When Alain St.Ange, the President off the “One Seychelles” political party took to the podium he started by saying that the 26th April 2019 would remain a historical day in Seychelles Politics with the launch of the “One Seychelles” party. Alain St.Ange went on to welcome the leaders of the “Lalyans Seselwa” Party of Patrick Pillay who were present to show solidarity in the opposition. He also thanked everyone present who had come forward from the red or green political camps.

“Today everyone present we have visited you at home, or we have interacted with you for the creation of a new Seychelles. This move will not please everyone especially those who believe they have a monopoly on ideas and on what is needed for the people of Seychelles. This cannot be an attitude for anyone who believes in democracy and what a democratic society stands for. They should buy a Monopoly Board Game and play it at home someone on Praslin said.

We have named this new political party ‘One Seychelles’ because it is to push the point that we all have only one Seychelles, and the time has come to do away with the ‘with us and not with us’ policy that has been destroying our country. This policy is worst today than ever before and resulting with so many capable Seychellois not being able to do their bit to keep Seychelles on the road of success and in so doing earn a decent living for themselves and their family. With One Seychelles we shall have One People, One Nation and a proud Seychellois Culture. As we move forward and prepare for elections we shall dedicate energy, time and resources to our 5 Point Action Plan to revive Seychelles, and these are:

1. Fight the with us and not with us strategy in the country that has never been as bad as it is today.

2. Narrow the gap in the two groups of The Haves and The Have Not and push for no one to be living below the poverty line. Today anyone earning below R. 7500 per month is deemed, according to official reports, to be living in poverty. This includes our old age pensioners and home carers. Salary Bands of the Government Salary Scale will need to be revised to do away with the two or three lower bands to ensure a more acceptable salary is earned by those in the lower cadres. To achieve this the frills offered to the Executive and his Government and to the Members of the Legislative. Frills such as end of year bonus and end of term gratuity will need to be discontinued as these payments also help increase the gap difference between the haves and the have not.

3. Reduce Cost of Living.

4. Kick start business community – reduce bureaucracy, reduce Income Tax & VAT payable.

5. Respect Seychellois and its Civil Service and push for a culture where the country Seychelles is respected. This will put an end to separation of our islands for the benefit of foreign military powers.

These five point plan will help revive our economy, it will help create jobs for our people and it will enable our people to meet their basic needs. It is jobs that will transform the lives of our people from that of existing difficulties and from that of want for a better life. Jobs will provide for greater comfort and wellbeing. This is the future we see after having discussed it with you all” said Alain St.Ange as he delivered his first address as Leader of the One Seychelles party before ending with saying “A good staff will always have their employment contract renewed.

The People of Seychelles are the ones who are the employers of both the Executive and Legislative Branches of Government, and if Members of these two Branches of Government have done a good job and delivered on the aspirations and expectations of the people who elected them to office, they can be assured off the renewal of their contract, but if they were disappointment to their employers they will be swept away and new employees put in their places”.

Hamburg (Germany) – April 29, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Hamburg has won the bid to host the 2022 conference of the International Society for Hydrocephalus and Cerebrospinal Fluid Disorders (ISHCSF). In September 2022, about 500 specialists will travel to Germany’s second largest city to attend the ISHCSF annual meeting.

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Nele Aumann, head of the HCB’s Conventions Division, explains: “Our successful bid for the ISHCSF once again demonstrates Hamburg’s strong position in the area of medical congresses. We work closely with our dedicated healthcare cluster to ensure medical congresses can tap into the city’s diverse scientific landscape. We highly value this excellent cooperation with the city’s heathcare professionals as their expertise and support considerably increases Hamburg’s chances of winning a tender. Time and again, our local network here in Hamburg has proven to be the most solid foundation to build on.”

The ISHCSF conference is aimed at advancing research into hydrocephalus – a condition in which an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up within the brain.

“Demographic change has led to a rapid increase in age-related hydrocephalus. In Hamburg alone, there are currently more than 20,000 individuals affected by this condition,” says Prof. Uwe Kehler, president of the 2022 congress and senior consultant of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Hamburg-based Asklepios Hospital in the district of Altona.

Hamburg’s winning bid for the International Society for Hydrocephalus and Cerebrospinal Fluid Disorders (ISHCSF) comes hot on the heels of recent successful bids to host the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) and the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and confirms the city’s international reputation as a healthcare location.

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One out of seven employees working in Hamburg is active in the healthcare sector and over the past decade, the gross value added by Hamburg’s healthcare sector is more than 9.6 billion euro.

Hamburg’s healthcare cluster is managed by Gesundheitswirtschaft Hamburg, a subsidiary of the City of Hamburg and the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and brings together the expertise of stakeholders from the healthcare sector, such as companies, universities, research and training institutions, hospitals, care providers, physicians, insurance funds and insurance companies, as well as professional chambers, associations and interest groups.

Bangkok (Thailand) – April 26, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Culineur, School of Culinary Arts and Entrepreneurship introduces special meeting packages at one of Bangkok’s most strategic locations starting from THB 850.

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Conveniently located on the 5th floor of Emporium Department Store, one of the largest and most stylish lifestyle malls in central Bangkok, Culineur is the leading school in Thailand that provides a comprehensive educational curriculum specialising in the culinary arts, critical thinking, business management, and entrepreneurship, offering a broad range of fun and insightful short courses, as well as diploma programmes, developed in collaboration with Lausanne Hospitality Consulting (LHC), a division of the world-famous Swiss hospitality school, École Hôtelière de Lausanne.

“Culineur is well-equipped with comprehensive range of modern learning materials and facilities, four state-of-the-art classrooms, a beverage tasting room, six large demonstration kitchens as well as four food and beverage outlets: Garnish – a full service a la carte restaurant offering west coast healthy/light cuisine, Flavours – a grab-and-go concept restaurant, Glaze – a bakery and pastry shop and Glaze Cafe, an artisan coffee shop. These have not only made the school a perfect career jumpstart for aspiring chefs and entrepreneurs, but the school is also ideal for companies that are looking for the unique and creative place to conduct a meeting, staff training, customer workshop, or team building,” said Antony Osborne, managing director of Culineur.

For Bangkok’s most respected dining guide and the best restaurants visit Top25Restaurants.com by Travelindex and the trusted Restaurant Rating Index.

Customers can choose to host their next event at one of our four outlets. The meeting package starts from THB850 per person, while additional lunch, or dinner can also be added starting from THB 690.

Basel (Switzerland) – April 25, 2019 (travelindex.com) – The LVMH Group has confirmed its participation for Baselworld 2020 within the current framework for its Bvlgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith brands. For 2021 and the following years, Baselworld is collaborating with the Group and its brands on new presentation concepts and formats.

“We are delighted to be cooperating with LVMH and the Bvlgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith brands again in 2020 and jointly shaping the future of Baselworld,” says Michel Loris-Melikoff, Managing Director of Baselworld. Baselworld will support each LVMH brand in the design of innovative exhibition formats for their presence in 2021 and beyond. The purpose of these new formats is to let each house express its creativity and provide an outstanding brand immersion.

“This is a creative and completely open process with no constraints or thought restrictions, that we are tackling together,” says Michel Loris-Melikoff. “Our concept for the Experience Platform is precisely that: enabling brands to flexibly present themselves to their various target audiences”.

“A common decision was reached today, together with Bvlgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith, to confirm our presence in Baselworld in 2020. We support Michel Loris-Melikoff and his team in their project to redefine and renew the concept of this major event for the Swiss watch industry,” says Stéphane Bianchi, CEO of the LVMH Watchmaking Division and CEO of TAG Heuer. “Our discussions and the changes that will be implemented will allow us to reassess our future involvement after the next edition.”

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – April 24, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Tourism in Seychelles is currently being discussed throughout the islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. Expectations have grown as more and more Seychellois have invested heavily in this industry that has become the pillar of the island’s economy. My era as the Minister responsible for Seychelles Tourism has been recognised as very successful years.

The need to now continue the growth is essential because many Seychellois have invested their life savings in this industry, as they believed it would be the springboard for greater successes. The Seychellois workforce also depend directly or indirectly on tourism as the industry to provide for them and their families. The only way this can happen is to see continued growth of the industry the Seychelles economy so depends on. Seychelles needs to remove barriers and obstacles that are seen as challenges for the industry and refrain from being overconfident and start pricing it out of the market. These would be mistakes that could really cost the People of Seychelles as a whole.

Respect breeds a better society as Reunion Island spells it out

Respect will bring a more united world as respect brings the freedom everyone wishes for. Respect brings harmony and the spirit of togetherness. Words in Reunion Island echoed by Faouzia Aboubacar Ben Vitry, the Muslim Vice President of the island’s Regional Council caught the eye of so many as she wished everyone Happy Easter.

Mrs Faouzia Aboubacar Ben Vitry said:
“Yesterday was the Chinese New Year and new Tamil Day, today is Easter, tomorrow will we shall see Eid … etc. That’s the face of my multicultural island that I love passionately!

May joy slip into your hearts from the first moments of the morning of Easter and continue throughout the year!

Sudan & Kenya needs Africa to be by their side

The situation that Sudan and Kenya are facing, needs Africa as a whole to understand their dilemma and to be by their side. The Government change in Sudan now needs to move to reconstruction phase and enable their tourism industry players to rally to put the economy on the road of consolidation. The USPs (Unique Selling Points) of Sudan are real sought after assets. Their pyramids are some of the biggest in the world and their underwater world in Sudan’s Red Sea remains a real gem. Members of the tourism industry are writing looking for assistance and the African Tourism Board remains committed to be by their side.

For Kenya, it remains the duty of Africa to stand with Minister Najib Balala, the CS for Tourism and with the Government of Kenya in the recent kidnapping of Doctors and Bomb Threats. Tourism is a success story in Kenya and they need, more than ever, their fellow friends and neighbours to spread their successes and to work with them to help counteract the effects of troubles they face from bandits from across their borders. Kenya’s wildlife is as much an asset for Kenya as it is for Africa and is another key USP. Today, the African Tourism Board confirms that they stand with Minister Balala, the Kenyan Government and People of Kenya and will work with them as and when called upon.

Lucerne (Switzerland) – April 25, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Adventure Travel Technologies (“Adventure”) today announced it has been selected by World Tourism Forum Lucerne as a finalist for the upcoming Start-Up Innovation Camp 2019 to be held in early May in Lucerne, Switzerland. Adventure is one of three finalists placed in the category of Destination. Its founder Ken Lau, is scheduled to take part in a pitching competition on the first day of the event.  Other categories are Hospitality, Impact, Mobility and Transaction.

Ken Lau, founder and CEO of Adventoro said, “We are honored to be chosen as a finalist to take part in the Start-Up Innovation Camp event in Lucerne. Having an opportunity to present Adventoro on an international stage means a lot to us as a young start-up. Moreover, we cannot wait for the new experience when we get a chance to meet industry leaders, influencers, experts, investors and many other industry players under one roof.”

Adventoro was established in late 2016 with a focus to help travellers to discover adventure activities in Malaysia. Since then it has grown the number of destinations on its platform to over 1200. Aside from Malaysia, it now offers adventure activities and destinations located in Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Company plans to include destinations in Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines by year end.

“Southeast Asia has plenty of activities to offer to adventure seekers. Since we started, response has been very encouraging from people around the world. Just in 2018 alone, our young start-up managed to rake in MYR1.2 million or USD300k in total sales. We are working harder to achieve more this year,” Ken explained.

Travel industry is fast growing including in the Southeast Asia region.

“We’ve seen many up-and-coming travel start-ups both in Malaysia and overseas. Being the only start-up chosen from Malaysia to be at World Tourism Forum Lucerne this year, is a privilege. This is a great opportunity for us to tell Adventoro story to the world when we get to Lucerne next month.”

About Adventoro
Adventoro is a new online platform that helps thrill-seekers and travelers from anywhere in the world to easily discover and book adventure-based tours and activities in Malaysia. It curates hundreds of bucket-list worthy trips and experiences which are offered through attractive packages located in various destinations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Users of Adventoro platform can also engage with Adventoro Concierge Service to inquire more about trips they are interested in.

Adventoro is owned by Adventoro Travel Technologies Sdn. Bhd. It is headquartered in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

Hagatna, Guam (Micronesia) – April 24, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Flori-Anne dela Cruz, youth representative to the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) Board of Directors, is today named as the 2019 PATA Face of the Future. This is the most prestigious honour open to young tourism professionals in the Asia Pacific region.

Dr Mario Hardy, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) said, “On behalf of PATA, I would like to congratulate Flori-Anne on winning the 2019 PATA Face of the Future award. Her commitment to the responsible development of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region and her views on how travel and tourism can contribute to a more sustainable and socially responsible industry will be a welcome asset to the 2019/2020 PATA Executive Board.”

As the 2019 PATA Face of the Future, Flori-Anne will be one of the debaters at the UNWTO/PATA Leaders Debate during the PATA Annual Summit 2019 from May 9-12 in Cebu, Philippines. She will also be invited to join the 2019/2020 PATA Executive Board as a non-voting member and observer.

“To be recognised with the prestigious PATA Face of the Future award is truly an honor. I will be forever humbled by this recognition. Today’s society has access to numerous opportunities with just a click of a button. With this, we should utilise technological innovations to lead an ambitious and proactive role in shifting the tourism industry to become more sustainable, accessible, and culturally sensitive,” said Flori-Anne. “Through collaborative efforts, we need to seek out ways on how we can accomplish this vision in the most effective and resourceful manner. I look forward to an exciting and interesting venture with PATA and other industry stakeholders in seeking out these ways.”

Flori-Anne was recently appointed by the newly elected Honourable Governor of Guam, Lourdes Leon Guerrero, as the youth representative appointed to the GVB Board of Directors. She is currently employed as a marketing specialist at ASC Trust, the largest provider of retirement plan management services in Micronesia.

Her aspirations for the future of travel and tourism can be expressed by the acronym GUAM (Going Green, Understanding Cultures, Appreciating Diversity, and Making Travel Accessible for All). These visions can best be achieved through the concerted efforts of not just all travel and tourism stakeholders but in collaboration with other industries. Furthermore, cultural awareness of the traveller and a shift in the visitor mindset is needed for better understanding and appreciation of the diversity and uniqueness of each destination. Her quest for sustainable tourism fits perfectly with the expectation of what an ideal destination and industry should aspire to become. Flori-Anne has shown willingness to not only step up and take recognition to this need, but also to become part of the solution at a very young age.

Flori-Anne graduated this past December with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Marketing and International Tourism and Hospitality Management from University of Guam. Prior to that, she received her Associate degree in Travel and Tourism Management in Guam Community College.

About PATA
Founded in 1951, PATA is a not-for-profit membership association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its more than 800 member organisations, including 95 government, state and city tourism bodies, 20 international airlines and airports, 102 hospitality organisations and 70 educational institutions, as well as over a hundred young tourism professional (YTP) members across the world. The PATA network also embraces the grassroots activism the PATA Chapters and Student Chapters, who organise numerous travel industry training programmes and business development events across the world. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 35 local PATA Chapters worldwide, while hundreds of students are members of the 22 PATA Student Chapters globally. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has official offices or representation in Beijing and London.

Bangkok (Thailand) – April 24, 2019 (travelindex.com) –The upcoming 60th anniversary of both Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai Airways International, the two founding pillars of Thai tourism, in 2020 will be a good opportunity for some serious reflection on the past, present and future of what is now the kingdom’s leading job-creating industry.

In Thai and Asian culture, the auspicious completion of the 5th cycle of life marks a “Coming of Age”. But it is also a time for “soul-searching” on how to manage the realities of “ageing”.

On Friday, June 14, 2019, for the first time, a unique Forum will be organised at the Arnoma Grand Bangkok, to reflect on how Thai travel & tourism reached the current lofty heights and the challenges it faces.  The Forum will take place from 9.30 hrs. to 16.30 hrs.

According to forum organiser and chief presenter Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor of Travel Impact Newswire, Thailand is the Greatest Story in Global Tourism HiSTORY. However, Thai tourism is now an “ageing industry” in search of ways to reinvent and reposition itself in an era of intense competition and mind-boggling change.

Mr. Muqbil, who has been reporting on Thai tourism since 1981, will be sharing his unmatched archives of reports, studies and notes on Thai tourism, how it has grown and overcome many global, regional and local crises.

Says Mr. Muqbil, “Over the next many months, dozens of seminars, forums and conferences will be held to assess the state of play. Many will be “official”, sponsored events with the usual congratulatory back-thumping. My forum will be more realistic, honest and balanced.”

The Forum, to be conducted in English, is an independent, non-sponsored event designed to ensure maximum freedom of independent discussion. It is perfectly targeted at the emerging generation of young Thai tourism leaders, expatriate travel & tourism executives (especially those newly arrived in Thailand), investors, diplomats, civil society activists, UN and other multilateral agency representatives, marketing consultants, and Chambers of Commerce members.

New emerging destinations in Asia and Africa, especially states, provinces and cities, will find it a good opportunity to learn from the successes and failures of the Thai tourism experience.

As the forum is meant for serious connoisseurs and students of Thai tourism history, attendance is being capped at 25. Please drop Imtiaz Muqbil an email to get further details on costs and other arrangements.

Contact: Imtiaz Muqbil, 02 2551480, 02 2537590. Email: imtiaz@travel-impact-newswire.com

Madrid (Spain) – April 23, 2019 (travelindex.com) –The countdown begins for the 5th World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism to be held on 2 and 3 May in Donostia-San Sebastián, organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Basque Culinary Center (BCC). International experts will analyse and discuss the influence and capacity of gastronomy tourism to create employment and promote entrepreneurship and how to increase its potential in the future. Registration to attend the forum is still open here.

Stimulating employment
The Forum will explore how the most favourable frameworks can be created in order to stimulate job creation and entrepreneurship throughout the gastronomy tourism value chain. In addition, the speakers will try to identify the most relevant skills for this type of tourism, which should foster synergies among emerging companies, promote the inclusion of disadvantaged groups and take full account of digitalization. The event will bring together speakers and experts from all regions of the world, as well as internationally renowned Basque chefs such as Elena Arzak, who is a UNWTO Ambassador for Responsible Tourism and joint head chef of the restaurant Arzak, and Andoni Luis Aduriz.

In addition, the event will host the presentation of the UNWTO/BCC Guidelines for the Development of Gastronomy Tourism.

Sessions and startups
The forum will open with a high-level panel with ministers and secretaries of state from countries that have included gastronomy tourism as part of their strategies, such as Cyprus, Slovenia or Spain, among others. Under the theme, “Public policies as key ingredients to promote gastronomy tourism”, the participants will discuss the necessary political framework for the development of gastronomy tourism as well as its capacity to create jobs and promote entrepreneurship.

In addition to shedding light on the competencies needed to meet the demands of gastronomy tourists, the sessions will encourage the creation of environments that stimulate entrepreneurship, that connect emerging companies and better integrate disadvantaged groups in the labor market. Issues related to local communities or to under-represented groups, such as women, youth and persons with disabilities, will also be discussed. In addition, topics such as the digitalization of the sector will also be analysed in order to identify the new opportunities they offer to companies. In addition, the latest advances in the creation of the necessary framework to stimulate entrepreneurship will be presented, connecting the different ecosystems with the startups that are part of the value chain of gastronomy tourism.

In this context, the five finalist startups of the First Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition, organized by the UNWTO and the BCC, will present the most innovative projects in line with the UNWTO’s strategy and the contribution of gastronomy tourism to the sustainable development goals.