|
|
IIPT
LEADS FAM TRIP TO OMAN AND QATAR
|
IIPT
was honored to lead a Fam Trip to Oman and Qatar in January graciously
hosted by the Oman Ministry of Tourism together with Qatar Airways.
Organized in partnership with the American Society of Travel Agents
(ASTA), the fam trip brought industry leaders and media persons to
these two new exciting destinations with the aim of promoting increased
travel from North America.
Fam Trip participants with our hosts: Oman
Ministry of Tourism: Salim Bin AdeyAl-Mamari, Director General, Tourism
Promotion; and members of Qatar's Executive team: Ali Abdul Khaliq
Ibrahim, Regional Manager – Arabian Peninsula; Theresa Xavier,
District Sales Manager; R. Bharathan, Area Manager – Oman; Omar
Mohd Salem Mater, Airport Services Manager.
 
Grand Mosque –
Oman
Muscat Festival
Qatar
highlights included a city tour of Doha; the Equestrian Club with
its exquisite Arabian horses; Fruit and Vegetable Market; the Corniche
and Dhow Harbour; Old Market; and Falcon Shops. A safari into the
desert with a memorable roller coaster ride over the sand dunes
followed by a traditional barbeque dinner rounded out our stay in Qatar.
 
Old Market – Doha
Desert Safari – Qatar
We
were honored to be hosted by the Executive Team of Qatar Airways and
the Oman Ministry of Tourism for a memorable luncheon at one of the
Gulf’s foremost restaurants following a presentation of Qatar
Airway’s bold expansion plans that include a new airport and
rapid fleet expansion with state of the art aircraft.
We also experienced the warmth and generous hospitality of several
hotels during our trip: Shangri La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort &
Spa, The Grand Hyatt, Golden Tulip, and Chedi in Oman; the Doha
Marriott, Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton and Grand Regency in Qatar.
Most of all, we were impressed with the warm, genuine friendliness and
hospitality of the people of Oman and Qatar such as we experienced when
we stopped at a local bee keeper where we were invited to have tea and
honey with the owner – a descendant of several generations of
beekeepers at this very site.
We anticipate the fam trip will result in generating tours and
travelers to both Oman and Qatar as well as the 1st IIPT Gulf Regional
Conference in 2009.
|
 
Doha
Skyline
Sunset following Mountain Safari –
Oman |
The Fam
Trip was organized and facilitated by IIPT Board Member Don King,
President, King’s Travel with coordinating assistance from Karen
Hoffman, Senior Vice President, Bradford Group; and Kathy Sudeikis,
Immediate Past President, ASTA and President, All About Travel. Other
participants in the fam trip included Lynne King; Thomas Steinmetz,
Publisher, eTurbo News; Phil Otterson, President, American Tourism
Society and Executive Vice-President, Tauck World Discovery Tours; and
Louis D’Amore, IIPT Founder and President.
A warm welcome from staff of the Doha Marriott with General Manager Saeid Heidari, center and
Director of Operations, John Louie on the far right.
We particularly commend Oman for its strategic approach to tourism based on sharing their rich cultural heritage. |
|
Back
to Top
|
|
 |
|
1st IIPT International Community Tourism Retreat
June 20 – 24 2008
“Tourism
Entrepreneurship –Sustaining and Transforming Communities”
|
|
The
1st IIPT International Community Tourism Retreat will be held from
June 20-24, 2008 in Kingston,
Jamaica at the
Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in
association with the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association (JHTA), the
Ministry of Tourism, the Jamaica Tourist Board, and Countrystyle Community Tourism
Network.
Theme for the Retreat is “Tourism Entrepreneurship – Sustaining and Transforming Communities.”
Participants will include Communities, Community Based Organizations,
Non-Government Organizations, Public Sector, Private Sector, special
interest organizations, educational groups and international community
tour operators and travel agents.
The Retreat will also include a Trade Show, special community tours and the hosting of delegates in communities.
IIPT Caribbean President & Co-coordinator of the IIPT Community Tourism Network, Diana McIntyre-Pike said, “this
Community Tourism Retreat will sensitize everyone to the business of
community tourism and give us an opportunity to present Jamaica’s
two year community tourism entrepreneurship programme, the Ministry of
Tourism’s Spruce up Programme to community representatives here
and internationally and allow them to interact with established
community tourism entrepreneurs.”
Community
Tourism encourages the visitor to discover the appeal of indigenous attributes
within a community, along with their local resources and talents. Through
visitor-community interaction, respective cultures are explored, ideas and
information are exchanged and new friends are made. Community Tourism fosters
opportunities at the community level for local people to participate more fully
in the tourism industry. These opportunities range from establishing bed and
breakfast accommodation in a rural home to creating income-generating
commercial tourism opportunities for an entire village.
Individuals or
communities who wish to be involved in the IIPT Community Tourism Retreat and
potential sponsors may contact : IIPT Community Tourism Secretariat : consec@cct-jamaica.com
Danielle Cunningham Retreat Co-ordinator, Tel.: 876-371-1490.
Back
to Top
|
|
COUNTRYSTYLE Community Tourism Network
Selected by
Islands Magazine for Inaugural Blue List |
IIPT Caribbean partner,
Countrystyle Community Tourism Network has been selected by Islands
Magazine as one of the organizations to be featured in their inaugural
Blue List.
The letter from Ty Sawyer, Editorial Director of “ISLANDS
Magazine” notifying Countrystyle of this prestigious recognition,
stated:
“Congratulations!
The Staff, contributors and our expert panel of advisors here at
ISLANDS looked to the four corners of the earth to find the best
examples of responsible tourism for our inaugural Blue List.
Countrystlye included because you have exceeded all expectations in
this arena, and you impact your world in an ongoing, sustainable and
positive manner. We are honoured to include you in this important list,
and you should be proud of the achievement. It sets you apart with your
vision and influence as both a local ambassador for all that makes this
planet unique and singular and as a true citizen of the globe.
Please accept this certificate of your notable achievement.”
|
Best regards,
Ty Sawyer
Editorial Director ISLANDS Magazine
The Blue List is featured in Islands Magazine December issue. |
|
Countrystyle was formed to be a catalyst for sustainable community
tourism development in Jamaica and the Caribbean, through the marketing
of community experiences and attractions to the world; targeting
specifically the nature-culture-adventure traveler and other special
interests markets. Countrystyle Community Tours targets travelers who
desire an authentic, diverse and meaningful experience in the
destination, through a new level of relationship with the people.
Back
to Top |
|
IIPT Again Proud Sponsor of TheTRADEShow
|
IIPT is proud to again be a sponsor of THETRADESHOW
2008 (Travel Retailing and Destination Expo) being held at the Orange
County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida, September 7-9, 2008.
THETRADESHOW
2008 again provides a major opportunity for IIPT collaboration with
ASTA and its partners in promoting travel throughout the world as a
vital force for international understanding and peace.
Clearly, the
mission of IIPT in “Building a Culture of Peace through
Tourism” has never been more important. The participation of IIPT
and its members in THETRADESHOW
2008 will encourage other attendees to spread the word throughout the
world that “Every traveler is potentially an Ambassador for
Peace.” It is only through travel and people-to-people encounters
that we can come to realize the full significance of our
inter-connectedness and common future in an ever shrinking
“Global Village.”
THETRADESHOW has
more exhibitors, more consumers and more business opportunities than
any other North American event. In just three days, it is possible to
connect with thousands of travel sellers and suppliers from every
segment of the industry — all in one convenient location.
 
THETRADESHOW,
held last year in Las Vegas, brought together more than 5,200 persons
from every segment of the industry. For three days, 3,836 attendees
gathered at the Las Vegas Convention Center for one-on-one business
appointments, travel seminars and exhibits. THETRADESHOW
reported 2,405 travel buyers and 1,240 exhibitors having attended, as
well as 413 exhibiting companies (58 percent of which were new to THETRADESHOW), 1,417 consumers and 191 media, non-exhibiting suppliers and guests.
While the THETRADESHOW
offered agents the chance to meet and network with suppliers, it also
offered suppliers an opportunity to present their products to agents in
new and unique ways, such as The Presentation Pavilions, which hosted
nearly 2,380 people over three days; educational classroom sessions,
which were attended by more than 2,800 people (235 percent more people
than last year) and product seminars, which were attended by more than
933 people, up by 155 percent from last year.
For more information on THETRADESHOW, call 1.866.870.9333 or visit www.THETRADESHOW.org
Back
to Top
|
|
Show Your Support with One Earth
One Family
IIPT Plaques and Gift Cards
| Created exclusively for
IIPT, both items display the IIPT Credo
of the Peaceful Traveler and Art Piece by R. Padre
Johnson. The Credo of the Peaceful Traveler puts forth an ethical travel
philosophy for travelers to abide by. The IIPT Credo of the
Peaceful Traveler was the inspiration of a very special person at the
IIPT First Global Conference: Tourism - A Vital Force for Peace,
Vancouver 1988. We have respected the author's request to remain
annonymous. The IIPT Credo has since spread across the travel and
tourism industry worldwide. |
|
The One Earth One Family art piece by
R. Padre Johnson provides a view of our incredible earth from outer
space, surrounded by the open faces of 25 children and adults from
different cultures. Each portrait represents an important visual
statement about the unique and interesting facial difference in each
individual, the culture and ethnicity each represents, and the
limitless threads of common humanity that draws all citizens of our
planet more closely together as one inter-dependent family.
These
items will remind all who see or receive them of what a privilege it is
to travel freely throughout the world and the opportunity they have as
they travel to be ambassadors of international understanding, good will
and peace. These items will be admired and appreciated by everyone who
sees them in your office, place of business or home.
Costs are
$200 (US) plus shipping for an Acrylic Plaque, and $15 (US) plus
shipping for a Gift Card pack of 10 Cards and Envelopes. To
order online or by fax/mail, please visit our website.
|
About
IIPT
The
International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) is a not for
profit organization dedicated to fostering travel and tourism
initiatives that contribute to international understanding and
cooperation, an improved quality of environment, the preservation of
heritage, and poverty reduction; and through these initiatives, helping
to bring about a peaceful and sustainable world. It is
founded on a vision of the world’s largest industry, travel
and tourism – becoming the world’s first global
peace industry; and the belief that every traveler is potentially an
“Ambassador for Peace.”
For more information:
IIPT Website:
www.iipt.org
Tel: (802) 253-2658
Fax: (802) 253-2645
Email: info@iipt.org
Back
to Top
|
Back to Newsletters
|
