The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) is pleased to announce its newest chapter in Maryland/D.C….
The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) is pleased to announce its newest chapter in Maryland/D.C. The International Council of Tourism Partner`s new Maryland/D.C.Chapter Leader is Wendy-Jo Johnson, a native of New Jersey. She attended the University of Maryland in College Park, MD, and graduated with a BS Degree in Journalism. She has over 20 years of experience in the recording and entertainment business providing sales, marketing and promotions for artists.
She has worked for Atlantic Records in New York and PolyGram Records in the Washington, DC area. In addition, she also has over 3 years of experience in Federal Government meeting and conference planning. She is currently a temporary employee at National Public Radio in Washington, DC. Wendy-Jo is currently the President of the Mid Atlantic Chapter of the Africa Travel Association where she is responsible for the promotion of tourism and travel to the continent of Africa. Her African travels include: Egypt, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Nigeria, Guinea, Morocco and Cameroon. Other travels include: Spain, Italy, Jamaica, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and the Cayman Islands. Wendy is also the President and Founder of Pyramid Event Management, Inc. where she plans and organizes meetings, conferences and special events.
Wendy-Jo Johnson is the driving force behind Age of Awareness, Inc. (AOA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation established to assist African and African American children. This outreach program is designed to educate students about their ancestral history and to guide them academically and professionally. AOA`s main goal is to foster African American leadership and mentors through culture and education. AOA recognizes the value of individual differences and strives for a society that is diverse, highly educated, well rounded, responsible and dedicated. Age of Awareness encourages the exchange of knowledge between African American and African students. Students become familiar with various cultures and lifestyles. The organization is assisting the children, schools and orphans on the continent of Africa. AOA recently returned from Ethiopia and Kenya where the organization visited students and orphans and delivered school supplies, clothes and personal items. AOA is currently planning to raise funds to send about 15 teachers to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia next summer to teach students on general topics as well as health, personal hygiene and fitness. They are holding their major fundraiser on Saturday, June 25, 2005 at the Heritage Room, 12010 Woodmore Road, Mitchellville, MD from 7-11pm.
I am excited to have the opportunity to head up the Maryland/DC ICTP chapter. What I love doing most is promoting the continent of Africa, its people and their culture. If you have never been to Africa, you need to go to Africa.
ICTP Chairman Thomas Steinmetz said, Chapters are important to the ICTP community. Working with the local chapters will enable ICTP to share knowledge, expertise, best practices and experiences with local tourism professionals. Over the next 12 months, ICTP will be establishing a number of chapters globally.
The aim of ICTP local chapters are:
- To make a difference and show the significance of tourism in today`s world economy.
- Business networking (B2B exchange)
- To communicate instantaneously with the global trade in times of crises and other challenges
- To meet, discuss, and implement tangible programs to meet industry challenges
- To help facilitate responsible tourism
- To connect with others who share the aforementioned motives.
The International Council of Tourism Partners now fully supports the UN`s Millennium Development Goals, the World Tourism Organization`s global code of ethics. 15% of all ICTP membership fees are donated to the UN`s HIV/AIDS program.
ICTP President Geoffrey Lipman said, America is the birthplace of corporate social responsibility and we are enthusiastic about our strengthened chapter structure being a platform for grassroots initiatives around our Tourism Against Poverty campaign.
The International Council of Tourism Partners encourages:
- Poverty reduction & the Fight against HIV/AIDS.
- Fair tourism trade.
- Public/private partnerships for development.
- Enhanced security and travel facilitation.
- Sustainable tourism – ecological, social, economic.
- Tourism education & training.
- Tourism as an instrument for peace & reconciliation.
- Disaster relief initiatives.
- CTP provides a web-based platform for the industry to showcase socially responsible tourism strategy and a constant connection to decision makers at the highest level.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
