Neologist term “Travelism” recognizes then this relationship. Travelism wants then to take a holistic view of the travel and tourism value chain at strategic, policy and operational levels.
Present at the Mekong Tourism Forum, Professor Geoffrey Lipman, President of the International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP), told delegates from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar that while the projections showed that they will remain one of the fastest-growing regions for tourists in the world for some time to come, they should put in place strong green growth strategies now to get lasting benefits.
He said that green growth does not mean instantaneous change to a low-carbon, resource-efficient, inclusionary-development pattern, but a progressive shift from the traditional “grow first, ask questions later” mindset.
He added that the dynamics of growth and the global public interest in the case of Myanmar, are an additional factor that make capacity management a major issue and sustainability a key starting point for policy.
Lipman said that the book he planned to launch at the Rio+20 Earth Summit next week, “Green Growth and Travelism – Letters from Leaders,” contained useful policy guidance on transformation from some of the most important decision-makers inside and outside the sector. Travelism is in fact merging both terms of travel and tourism. Both are distinctive, although intimately linked to each other.
Tourism, of course, always involves travel but travel is not necessarily done for tourism reasons. Neologist term “Travelism” recognizes then this relationship. Travelism wants then to take a holistic view of the travel and tourism value chain at strategic, policy and operational levels. According to travelism is then more able than ‘tourism’ to capture the full extent of the travel value chain, the full direct economic and social impact of the activity, or its catalytic indirect effect on related activities, like infrastructure or communications.
In Chiang Rai, Geoffrey Lipman declared that ICTP – whose mission is to promote green growth and quality with destinations – is committed to working with Pacific Asia Travel Mart (PATA) and the Mekong Tourism Organization to bring its messages to the region, particularly into education and training systems.
Finally, Mr. Lipman recalled the exchange with Aung San Suu Kyi at the recent World Economic Forum meeting in Bangkok and stressed the importance of specifically incorporating gender equality into this agenda.
The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) is a new grassroots travel and tourism coalition of global destinations committed to quality service and green growth. ICTP engages communities and their stakeholders to share quality and green opportunities including tools and resources, access to funding, education, and marketing support. ICTP advocates sustainable aviation growth, streamlined travel formalities, and fair coherent taxation. ICTP supports the UN Millennium Development Goals, the UN World Tourism Organization’s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, and a range of programs that underpin them.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
