Ghana: World Tourism Day Launched

Ama Achiaa Amankwah
Accra

This year's World Tourism Day will be celebrated at Kpando-Toko in the Volta Region under the theme "Tourism, Responding to the Challenges of Climate Change."

Activities to mark the day which falls on September 27, 2008 include tree planting exercises, a durbar of the chiefs and launch of a green school project that will encourage schools to adopt the practise of greening their environment.

The project which will be on pilot basis for schools in the Volta Region will be monitored for a year after which deserving schools will be awarded.

A major national sensitization seminar will also be held on September 23, 2008, aimed at whipping enthusiasm in the public.

Speaking at the launch, Deputy Minister for Tourism, Mr. Kofi Osei Ameyaw, said the theme flowed from the negative effects of global warming and how best to deal with the challenge.

He noted that the tourism sector contributes immensely to the social and economic development of the country and that Ghana is emerging as a fast tourism destination, where people come to enjoy her peace, good governance and stability.

According to him, tourism activities contributes about four to six percent to green house emissions and stated the urgent need for government and all and sundry to join in the crusade by developing and implementing strategies to fight climate change.

"We need to create awareness, mitigate green house emission and encourage use of renewable energy sources, recycling and conservation of water resources."

He called on the media to partner the sector ministry in the crusade to sensitize the public to develop positive attitudes towards the environment.

Mr. Ameyaw announced that Ghana has been chosen to host the UN World Tourism Day next year. The recognition given to Ghana, he said is a strong signal that the tourism industry is developing into a national player.

Reacting to concerns about the sanitation crisis currently facing Ghana vis-à-vis tourism development, he stressed that the problem of sanitation is not exclusive to the tourism sector.

He said it is incumbent on all to fight it and deduced that the rapid increase in population and urban migration are major determinants to the problem.

He disclosed that plans are afoot to initiate a Coastal Management Authority to keep the various beaches and sites clean.

New Zealand: Tourism spend queried

4:00AM Monday September 01, 2008
By Tamsyn Parker

Tourism operators are questioning why the Government's marketing arm is spending more on a campaign to target British tourists when it won't put money towards the world's largest tourism trade fair.

Tourism New Zealand recently announced it would spend an extra $2 million on top of the $5.3 million it already spends this year to try and maintain visitor numbers from the UK - New Zealand's second largest tourism market.

But the move has upset the New Zealand German Business Association which this year reached into its own pocket to help New Zealand tourism businesses market themselves and New Zealand at ITB in Germany after Tourism New Zealand pulled out of the trade fair.

Chief executive Monique Surges said Tourism New Zealand's ITB decision had been extremely disappointing and the extra spending in the UK was rubbing salt in raw wounds.

Surges helped New Zealand businesses to maintain a presence at ITB this year although her main role at the association is to help facilitate trade between Germany and New Zealand.

"I can understand them wanting to pull out if there was not much interest but we had visitors 10 deep," she said.

Stuart Neels, head of inbound tour operator ATS Pacific New Zealand - one of the companies which paid to help keep the stall going, said it was difficult to gauge what impact pulling out of the show would have on the number of tourists coming here.

But Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton said it had pulled out of the trade fair because it didn't believe it was value for money.

"We have looked at a number of fairs around the world and have decided they are just basically glorified social occasions."

Instead the money was being used to directly target consumers. He said Tourism New Zealand had committed to going to London's World Trade Mart after talking to the industry as part of a compromise for pulling out of ITB.

Germany is New Zealand's seventh largest market with around 60,000 tourists coming each year.

Opportunities in Malaysian Tourism Industry (2007-2009)

a new market research report

The Malaysian tourism industry continues to grow rapidly, thanks to increasing promotional activities, growing MICE industry and rising level of personal disposable income that are fuelling growth into the country’s tourism industry. Also, being a preferred medical tourism destination and politically stable, the country has become a more profitable tourism industry.

The report provides an in-depth analysis of the present andfuture prospects of the Malaysian tourism industry. It focuses on different tourism parameters, like inbound & outbound tourism, expenditure by inbound & outbound tourists, accommodation & transportation facilities and medical tourism. The report will help clients to evaluate the opportunities and factors critical to the success of tourism industry in Malaysia.

Key Findings

Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia are important sources of visitors for Malaysia. Beyond ASEAN, tourist arrivals from China and India will remain an important influence throughout the forecast period (2008-2012) as the majority of Chinese tend to weigh their spending towards consumer purchases as opposed to luxury hotel accommodation.
The promotion of Education Tourism will continue to be expanded to expedite the development of Malaysia as a preferred destination for international students. The projected foreign exchange earnings from this potential source of growth are estimated at RM 900 Million by 2010.
It is expected that expenditure by international tourists in Malaysia will increase at a CAGR of 6.63% during the forecasted period.
Increasing disposable income in Malaysia will open the opportunities for both outbound and domestic tourism. It is expected that per head disposable income in the country will increase at a CAGR of 5.06% during 2008-2012.
It is expected that MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions) industry will be one of the major contributors to the Malaysian tourism industry.

Key Issues & Facts Analyzed

How is the ASEAN tourism industry performing?
What is the position of Malaysian tourism industry in the ASEAN tourism industry?
What are the emerging trends in the tourism sector in Malaysia?
What is the future outlook of the tourism industry?
What are the Key driving forces for the Malaysian tourism industry?
What opportunities exist for the industry?
What are the challenges for the industry?
How is the market affected by other factors prevailing in the economy?

Research Methodology Used

Information Sources
Information has been sourced from books, newspapers, trade journals, and white papers, industry portals, government agencies, trade associations, monitoring industry news and developments, and through access to more than 3000 paid databases.

Analysis Method
The analysis methods include ratio analysis, historical trend analysis, linear regression analysis using software tools, judgmental forecasting, and cause and effect analysis.

www.companiesandmarkets.com/Summary-Market-Report/Opportunities-