May 2020

M&TatW e-Magazine MICE & TOURISM around the World the global monthly online magazine since 1997 vol. 23, issue 5, May 2020

The Amazing Technicoloured ‘Rainbow Mountain’ Of Peru An Interview with… Mrs. Irene Giannakopoulos The Mature Tourist Market! ©AEL photographer

Message from

Caroline-Artemis Welcome to the May edition of MICE & TOURISM around the World e-magazine.

During this pandemic crisis, across the world, many countries are using the symbol of a rainbow as a sign of hope, peace and thanks.

In this issue of the e-magazine we offer our own rainbow of hope, offered by nature in the form of Peru’s Rainbow Mountain. Enjoy reading about this stunningly beautiful natural phenomenon.

As our lives begin to show small signs of returning to ‘normal’ life; the tourism and MICE industry will have to adapt and change to get back on its feet.

However, as so many governments and organisations have said, ‘we are all in this together’ and together we can achieve great things, even with new methods, ideas, and emphasis. Human beings have, thoughout existence, endured great challenges and have over comes many obstacles.

I hope you enjoy reading the May edition!

Stay safe and well!

Caroline-Artemis Laspas co-founder & editor

Sponsored by

BML International-UK www.bmlinternational.co.uk

MICE & TOURISM around the World e-Magazine Volume 23, Issue 5, May 2020 edition – Online since 1997

Contents 7-11 The Amazing Technicoloured ‘Rainbow Mountain’ of Peru

11-15 Tourism News 12 WTTC 50% Increase in Jobs at Risk in Travel and Tourism 17-20 Airships Lost Before their Time

21-24 An Interview with…Mrs. Irene Giannakopoulos, Amorgos Tourism Film Festival 25-27 Lake Titicaca, Birthplace of the Incas 29-32 M.I.C.E News 31 Greater Bogota Convention Bureau “ 2020 Will be a Year of Sowing for the M.I.C.E Industry” 33-36 Thouria, a Long Lost Greek City 38-42 The Mature Tourist Market!

Cover photo: Bushy Park, London, UK ©AEL photographer

THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOURED ‘RAINBOW MOUNTAIN’ OF PERU

by Caroline-Artemis Laspas

In 2015, these Peruvian mountains were covered in snow hiding a stunningly beautiful secret! As the snow began to melt (probably due to climate change) their secret was revealed!

Located in the Peruvian Andes, a 3 hour drive from the city of Cusco followed by a 5km hike, you arrive at the naturally formed Rainbow Mountain. It is also known as ‘Vinicunca’ meaning ‘coloured mountain’ in Peru’s native tongue Quechua.

One look at any photographs of the mountain landscape and you could easily think it has been digitally altered, but these colourful mountains are as bright and as colourful as the pictures show.

Not surprisingly, since the discovery, the mountain has become a top tourist attraction 2nd only to Machu Picchu, due to its natural, multi-coloured beauty.

Getting up to the mountain means travelling to a height of 5,200m above sea level; that’s an altitude of more than half of Mount Everest!

That also means altitude sickness and the reason you are only allowed to stay at the summit for 10-20 minutes. At such a high elevation, the weather can also change instantly, so you must travel with a range of clothing and equipment for sudden changes in climate conditions.

Due to the mountain’s location as part of a volcanic chain that runs along the edges of the South American and Nazca tectonic plates, it is rich in rare minerals.

The rainbow stripes are naturally created by the sediment of these different minerals.

The red layers indicate iron oxide rust, while the orange and yellow suggest iron sulphide. The turquoise comes from chlorite, which, though often turns sediments shades of green, interacts with the yellow to form a brilliant turquoise blue.

Obviously the ‘wow’ of seeing this creation of nature is worth the effort in getting there, but indeed the

‘getting there’ is also filled with treats along the way from seeing Llamas, horses and alpacas roaming wild on the trek as well as passing by local communities still living in traditional ways, who now also help tourists discover the mountain.

Since tourism to the region has dramatically increased, many locals have moved back to the area and have begun working as guides.

Indeed, you need a guide to get you to the site and as an added bonus, you experience an insight into the local culture too.

If the hike to get to the mountain is too much, you can take the trip on horseback, which can be hired from a local guide either from the start of the hike or at any point along the way!

Laguna Sibinacocha - Peru

This is clearly one of nature’s many jewels which have helped develop the local region through tourism and is on many travellers bucket list when travelling through South America!

Tourism News Europe, Americas, Asia & Africa

WTTC50% INCREASE IN JOBS AT RISK IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM Following recent research from World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) 1million jobs are being lost every day in the travel and tourism sector.

Globally that represents up to 75 million jobs at immediate risk.

In addition, the travel and tourism GDP loss to the world economy could be up to UK£1.69 trillion in 2020.

Asia-Pacific is expected to be most heavily impacted with up to 49 million jobs at risk throughout the region, representing a loss of nearly UK£642 billion to travel and tourism GDP. In Europe, up to 10 million jobs in the sector are at risk, totalling a loss of almost UK£443 billion.

The Americas (United States, Canada, Brazil and Mexico) are expected to lose up to UK£458 billion combined, with nearly 7million jobs in the sector at risk. Other countries expected to be hit hard are France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Indonesia, India and the UK. Germany is expected to be the most affected country in Europe, with almost 1.6 million jobs at risk, followed by Russia with 1.1 million in potential job losses. Italy and Spain follow, both projected to lose up to 1million jobs in the sector.

The region seeing the least impact from the COVID19 outbreak is the Middle East. However, it still faces job losses of 1.8 million and a GDP loss of up to UK£52 billion to the regional economy.

Travel and tourism contributes 10.4% of global GDP and directly generates 1 in 10 of the world’s jobs. For 8 successive years it has also outpaced the growth of the global economy.

CHINA ALREADY HAS MORE HOTEL RESERVATIONS As parts of the world continue to find some sort of normality, China is well on its way to normality. China's hotel industry has seen an increase in bookings and reservations as of 30 March.

Between 30 March and 6 April 2020 hotel bookings saw a 24% increase week-to-week, especially in provinces such as Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou.

Transportation within China has also witnessed a trend similar to that of hotels with the highest number of business and first-class travellers in January, a decrease in February and a 46% increase in March.

MALAYSIA PLANS TO REVIVE ITS TOURISM INDUSTRY Malaysian Tourism is to start an international promotion from September, with a focus mainly on internal recovery.

Efforts will also be made to strengthen the 'Malaysia Truly Asia' brand of nearly two decades. Malaysian Tourism would also a im to build a stronger brand within the international community for Malaysia as a preferred destination.

UNITED KINGDOM TO APPLY 14 DAYS QUARANTINE FOR ANY TRAVELLERS ENTERING THE COUNTRY

The UK government has urged the population not to book summer vacations abroad because of the uncertainty over the pandemic.

The statement was criticised by ABTA, the British association of travel agencies which is struggling to keep tourism afloat in the country.

Plans are to request all arrivals by air, sea and rail will be told they must self-isolate for 14 days. They will be asked for the address where they intend to spend the 2 weeks. The authorities would conduct a range of random spot checks to try to ensure that travellers remain at the location they registered.

UP TO 96% OF GLOBAL DESTINATIONS IMPOSE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS From the beginning of April 2020, 96% of world destinations introduced travel restrictions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Research by World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) shows approx. 90 destinations have closed all or part of their borders to tourists, while another 44 are closed to certain tourists depending on the country of origin.

While the opening up of boarders has been a goal of the UNWTO in recent years, the situation is now that borders are definitely closed.

Almost all global destinations have imposed travel restrictions since January 2020, including comprehensive bans on all travel in a bid to contain the pandemic.

In Africa, Asia and the Pacific and the Middle East, all destinations have adopted coronavirus-related restrictions since January 2020.

In the Americas, 92% of destinations have adopted similar measures; while in Europe 93% impose restrictions.

There are 4 key types of restrictions: - Total or partial closure of the borders to tourists.

- Destination specific travel restrictions (ie: passengers who have transited or have been in a certain country cannot enter).

- The total or partial suspension of flights.

- Different measures, including quarantine or self-isolation requirements, medical certificates, invalidation or suspension of visa issuance, etc.

Since 6 April 2020 no destination has lifted a travel restriction introduced in the context of Covid-19.

GREECE PLANNING TO INTRODUCE NEW RULES FOR TOURISTS FOR SUMMER 2020 Tourism accounts for 20% of the economy in Greece.

With lockdown being lifted and a return to some sort of normality, Greece is to set out new rules for hotels, beaches and pools for tourists amid the coronavirus crisis. The new regulations could include temperature checks and blood tests from passengers. However such restrictions could means no flights if, for example, you can only fly with 10 people on a plane to be deemed safe!

The Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation estimates that the country's tourism industry will make just 30% of what it made in 2019 due to the pandemic, which will have a knock-on effect for the economy.

Any holidaymakers this year are likely to be those who can drive to Greece i.e. coming from eastern and central Europe if air links continue to be suspended.

A study by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels found that 65% of hoteliers say they are ‘likely’ to go bankrupt, with 18.3% saying it was ‘most likely’.

While there are hopes the tourism industry could start again by July, many companies and tour operators are already struggling or have closed for good.

THE ECONOMY PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC CRISIS These days a lot has been said and discussed via ’social media’, about the global economy. One caught our eye which we wanted to share with you.

It is not far from the truth for many of our economies.

It is a calm day in a small town in Europe and the streets are quiet. Times are tough, everybody is in debt and everyone is living on credit.

A man visiting the area drives through the town, stops at the B&B/Hotel and lays £/$/€/¥/100 on the counter saying he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs to pick one for the night.

As soon as he walks upstairs, the B&B/Hotel owner grabs the money and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.

The butcher takes the £100 and runs down the street to retire his debt to the pig farmer.

The pig farmer takes the £/$/€/¥/100 and heads off to pay his bill to his supplier.

The supplier takes the £/$/€/¥100 and runs to pay his debt to the local prostitute, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer her ‘services’ on credit.

The prostitute rushes to the B&B/Hotel B&B and pays off her room bill to the owner.

The owner then places the £/$/€/¥/100 back on the counter so the visitor will not suspect anything.

At that moment, the man comes down the stairs, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, picks up the £/$/€/¥/100 and leaves.

No one produced anything. No one earned anything.......

However, the whole town is now out of debt and now looks to the future with a lot more optimism.

That is how an Economic Stimulus Package works...

ARGENTINA SUGGESTS VIRTUAL VISIT With the #viajadesdetucasa idea, the National Institute for Tourism Promotion ‘INPROTUR’ renews its digital strategy and proposes that world travellers to imagine a visit to Argentina.

‘Today we invite you to travel’; That is the first message of the activation as a challenge for users to cheer up and dream of the next adventure.

The sequence of images travel to different parts of the country, with experiences that seduce and aim to immerse viewers on the screen, to finally achieve the literal feeling of being there. The version can be viewed in Spanish, English and Portuguese.

Experience online the 5,000kms of the country from north to south, the wonderful Iguazú Falls, a passionate Tango dance, glacier walks, living nature, the fever of soccer, an immense and mysterious Patagonia, a colourful North and traditional, roast, empanadas and wine.

With #viajadesdetucasa Argentina wants to give all the power to travellers so that they can imagine their next trip today.

GUATEMALA WORKS WITH THE PRIVATE TOURISM SECTOR The Guatemalan Tourism Institute, is looking for support and help rescue the tourism economy, which has been severely affected by the pandemic.

Meetings between public and private sector members have taken place to plan to support the sector's economy.

Tourism is one of the biggest generators for the economy for the country, generating nearly 180,000 sources of direct employment and up to 460,000 indirect jobs.

JERUSALEM TOURS CANCELLED UNTIL DECEMBER The pandemic has severely affected the tourism industry in the Israeli city of Jerusalem with no tours allowed now until December 2020. The Israeli government have put in place total lockdown leaving streets totally deserted.

As one of the world top tourism destinations Jerusalem received approximately 5 million tourists in 2018 and 2020 was expected to be a year for tourism arrivals.

www.bmlinternational.co.uk

by Dimitri Laspas

As a child in the summer months, I would often look up into the sky and see what appeared to be a huge airship with ‘Goodyear’, clearly visible on the side of the slow, silent ship as it floated by.

Airships seem to have been making a comeback recently in several films and programmes as the chosen form of futuristic travel.

But as we know they have been around for a while, albeit unsuccessfully to date.

Maybe now, in light of the search for cleaner greener travel, the time for Zeppelins to fill the skies once more is becoming a reality and not science fiction.

As aviation faces new challenges, already in production with new technology at its forefront is the huge ‘Airlander’ that hopes st to be the 1 airship to fly to the North Pole since 1928! On-board will be tourists wanting a luxury experience rather than that of explorers.

Success comes with competition and the Airlander is to have that in the form of the vast new airship shaped like a blue whale, the LCA60T, measuring 150m long (the length of an A380) and a 12-storey building high. More on that later….

When you simply mention the word ‘airship’, one immediately thinks of the crash of the Hindenburg in 1937 ending the brief era of the commercial airship travel.

The Airlander has been developed by Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) based in the UK The airship was initially developed for the US military, but when the programme was cancelled, the airship was adapted for civilian use.

New design and technology means the Airlander is the only full-size hybrid airship that has ever flown, compared to the hundreds of regular airships but it can fly faster and carry more than any previous airship. It offers passengers full height windows on each side and a glass floor! It also needs no mooring mast or ground crew like traditional models.

With climate change and the growing flight-shaming movement picking up pace, now may be the perfect time for airship revival as a serious form of travel. HAV’s research shows that people would be willing to travel for longer, pay a bit more but know they have travelled by generating fewer emissions.

Already gaining support for producing a fraction of the pollution of a conventional aircraft, the UK government and industry has invested over UK£1 million to reduce its pollution to zero by developing an electric propulsion system for the airship.

www.bmlinternational.co.uk

Interest is not only for the Airlander, there is interest from companies wishing to use the Airlander for heavy lifting. So, a larger Airlander 50 is in progress to meet their needs.

Again there is competition for larger craft with the Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works in California, USA. In 2015, their hybrid airship programme launched the LMH-1 which is similar in size and shape to the Airlander however it is still only in the early development stages of a prototype.

Airships can be very versatile and have numerous uses ranging from humanitarian relief to natural resource extraction to heavy cargo operations.

Back to the LCA60T; a multi-nation project between France, China and Canada, Flying Whales was set up in Paris and already has strong investment including a 25% from the China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co Ltd (Caiga) which is eager to pursue new technologies.

The strategy of Flying Whales is also looking at things with a different view; after raising initial funding across the 3 nations, it has partnered with one company to develop the systems required to mass-produce the ships; with another, to develop a 30m-high automated ‘air-dock’ to minimise the infrastructure the airships need on the ground. And finally, it has already signed a MOU a leading operator of international airports to build 150 airship bases worldwide.

Big scale is not the only ambition of Flying Whales.

It has begun to develop its own hybrid airship called Manta, which will be much smaller than HAV’s and Lockheed’s designs.

The aim is to have a fleet of 50 airships able to carry supplies and equipment too heavy for drones.

With the downfall of regional airlines like Flybe recently, maybe the golden era of airships has finally come and to fill the gap and cover the shorter distances from city to city across countries.

There are plenty of positives to developing and encouraging Airship flights as a normal alternative: • Travelling by airship will be totally different travel experience.

• You can sit in lounge on sofas, look out of huge windows • By flying at lower altitude, the cabin is unpressurised meaning you can open the windows for fresh air!

• You can sit at a dining table for dinner and sleep in a real bed overnight.

• A lower flying height means the views are like that of a flying bird; you can really take in the sights rather than racing through the skies.

• Airships can land on any flat surface, including ice, water and sand, so you can tr avel anywhere without complicated connections and transfers.

• Finally, by using low carbon technology airships are very eco-friendly • It does not require much infrastructure therefore it doesn’t damage the flora and fauna at its destination.

Airships were the Concorde of their day – unfortunately they didn’t last, but with new cutting edge technology and new materials the heyday of sailing through the skies is on the return!

www.destinycfu.com

Visit Greece Milos island, Cyclades, Greece

An Interview with…

Mrs. Irene Giannakopoulos This month we head to the beautiful Greek island of Amorgos, where later this year it will host the 11th edition of the Amorgos Tourism Film Festival.

Here we talk to the President of the Festival, Mrs. Irene Giannakopoulos about the island and the festival.

The festival was launched in 2010 by the Cultural Association of Amorgos Women. How did they decide that the film industry should be a focus of the islands cultural offering?

The participants of the Yperia Convention of Culture & Tourism, which had been taking place for 7 years, suggested that the island would be an amazing place for a film festival and the success of “The Big Blue” film had already shown how popular the island could be.

The island of Amorgos is a stunning location for a film festival. Can you tell us about what makes the island so special compared to other Greek islands.

During the week of the duration of the Amorgos Film Festival, the participants (producers, directors, etc.) have the chance to explore the island and discover its beauties and alive traditions, its ancient and byzantine sites, its unique flora and beautiful landscape. Each of these factors provides unique inspiration for the creation of new films and productions.

This year is the 11th anniversary edition, what can we expect from the event this year?

Up to 2019, the Festival was taking place during the International Convention on Culture and Tourism “Yperia”, where two events were held parallel.

This year the Amorgos Tourism Film Festival is merged with the Convention. The event will be held from 11th November to 14th November 2020 at Aegialis Hotel & Spa where talks, workshops and a master class will take place on the thematises of Tourism Marketing and Filmmaking.

www.amorgosfilmfestival.com

This year’s World Tourism Day (27th September) will see the Greek National Awards for Tourism Films take place in Athens.

Can you tell us a bit more about this?

On the 27th of September 2020, at the World Tourism Day, the Amorgos Tourism Film Festival will present the National Awards on Tourism Films in Athens. It is going to be a one day event in which all winners films from the National Competition will be screened and awarded.

We prepare a programme that will include morning talks, afternoon screenings of the awarded films and closing with the award ceremony.

How many entries to the Film Festival do you receive from around the World? How do you judge them?

The average number we receive every year is about 250 to 300 tourism film entries from all around the world and they are evaluated by an independent and prestigious International Jury Team.

The President of the Jury Team is Mr. Ioannis Melitopoulos who is also the Art Director of the Festival.

Since its humble beginnings, how has the event grown over the years? Are there any parallel events taking place this year, as in previous editions, like sculpture, ceramic, painting exhibitions?

Every year since the Festival started, we have been organising parallel events, and the same will happen this year.

We shall present sculpture, painting and mosaic icon exhibitions.

The participants of the event have been receiving special experiences, with visits and exploration of the entire island, getting to know all customs and traditions, meeting local people, visiting ancient and byzantine monuments, tasting the amazing Amorgos gastronomy and being inspired to create short films on Amorgos, based on the experiences they get.

Byzantine Monastery of Chozoviotissa

www.bmlinternational.co.uk

After Luc Beson’s film ‘The Big Blue’ was filmed on the island, how did the islands tourism industry change? What kind of tourism is attracted to this Cycladic Island today?

After “The Big Blue” was released, an explosion of tourism took place on the island of Amorgos. The locations of filming below the Byzantine Monastery of Chozoviotissa and the small chapel of Agia Anna on the beach below, as well as the shipwreck on the southern part of Amorgos attracted so many people from around the world and, to this day, visitors of the island come after 30 years since the film’s production, considering it one of their dreams to visit Amorgos. The island attracts highly educated people, artists, divers and sea lovers.

Finally, what three things should anyone coming to Amorgos make sure they see, experience or try (what is it famous for gastronomically speaking!).

Anyone who visits Amorgos should see the 1000 year old Monastery of Chozoviotissa, nested 300 meters above the sea level in a rough rock, and the Monastery of St. George Valsamitis, the location of ancient water oracle. They should experience local music and dancing, and they should try the famous local dish “patatato”, the sweets “pasteli” and “xerotigano” and the local liquor “psimeni raki”.

Amorgos Tourism Film Festival is open for film entries for National and International Competitions up to 20th of June 2020.

Films can be submitted to the Festival website https://amorgosfilmfestival.com/film-entry-form/

LAKE TITICACA Birthplace of the Incas

by Dimitri Laspas

Lake Chucuito, Bolivia

Stretching through the Andes Mountains of both Bolivia and Peru, the protected site that is Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world and the largest lake in South America by volume of water.

Titicaca is one of only a few ancient lakes on earth, thought to be over a million years old. This makes it an iconic destination.

This is a big lake; at high altitude, with floating islands and ancient cultures. It is one of Peru’s leading tourist attract ions and is totally unique.

Lake Titicaca, lies at 3,810m above sea level in the Andes Mountains of South America, astride the border between Peru to the west and Bolivia to the east. Titicaca is the second largest lake of South America (after Maracaibo). It covers some 3,200 sq.m (8,300sq.km) and extends in a northwest-to-southeast direction for a distance of 120 miles (190km). It is 50 miles (80km) across at its widest point.

The Tiquina, strait

A narrow strait, Tiquina, separates the lake into two bodies of water. The smaller, in the southeast, is called Lake Huiñaymarca in Bolivia and Lake Pequeño in Peru; the larger, in the northwest, is called Lake Chucuito in Bolivia and Lake Grande in Peru.

The lake averages between 140-180m in depth. More than 25 rivers empty their waters into Titicaca. It offers 41 islands, some of them densely populated; the largest, Titicaca Island lies just off the tip of the Copacabana Peninsula in Bolivia.

Local communities believe that the lakes shape in the form of a puma hunting a rabbit gave the lake its name ’Titicaca’, which comes from the word “Titi Khar’ka” meaning Rock of the Puma in the local indigenous Aymara.

Archeological finds at Pukara, Sillustani, Cutimbo (Peruvian side) and Tiwanaku and the Isla del Sol (Bolivian side) are evidence of the existence of 3 civilisations prior to the Incas; Pukara, Tiwanaku, Colla Lupaka.

Archeological siteSillustani, Peru

Ruins found at the bottom of the late in 2000 are testament to the previous existence of one of the oldest civilisations known in the Americas. On Titicaca Island ruins of a temple mark the place where the founders of the Incas dynasty; a Quechuan people of Peru, established an empire.

The Aymara people living on the shores of the lake still practice ancient methods of agriculture. The highest cultivated plot in the world was found near Titicaca, a field of barley growing at a height of 4,700m above sea level. Although the grain never ripens at such high altitude, the stalks are food for llamas and alpacas.

The descendants of an ancient people, the Uru, still live on manmade floating mats of dried reeds (like papyrus that grows at the edge of the lake). From the totora, the Uru among others make their famous ‘balsas’; boats made from bundles of dried reeds tied together that look like papyrus boats from ancient Egyptian monuments.

In 1862 the first steamer sailed on the lake. It was made in England and carried in pieces by mules up to the lake. Today many boats of various sizes and purposes sail the great lake with regular crossings from Puno, on the Peruvian shore, to the small Bolivian port of Guaqui. Needless to say fishing and tourism are key industries for the local economy.

41 islands are scattered across the lake, some densely populated, others with ancient ruins. The majority of them are inhabited, the largest of which is the Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) on the Bolivian side. On this one island alone you will find over 18 0 ancient Incan ruins. The Isla de la Luna and Suriki are also Bolivian. While Amantani and Taquile belong to Peru.

Lake Titicaca offers a unique ecology with over 530 aquatic species found in the lake, as well as many species of water birds.

Endangered species can also be found here including the enormous Titicaca water frog and the Titicaca grebe. Approximately 90% of the fish found in the basin are endemic species not found anywhere else in the world.

Lake Titicaca is a stunning and inspiring place; windswept at high altitude, yet serene, sacred, and steeped in a rich cultural past that lives on today.

It is not surprising that the beauty of Lake Titicaca is one of South America’s most fascinating destinations.

M.I.C.E News

Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions

SHOW & EVENTS CHANGE OF DATES

• •

Seoul International Tourism Industry Fair 2020 (SITIF), Seoul, Korea - New dates: 9-12 November 2020 Meeting Show – London, UK - New Dates: 19-20 October 2020

3 TO 5 AUGUST 2020 Despite the challenges of coming together physically this year, we’re committed to keeping vital industry conversations, interactions and engagements alive. Keep these dates saved in your calendar and let’s meet virtually from wherever you are in the world!

Stay Tuned For New 2020 Virtual Programme and Highlights By June The event is staying true to its value proposition of delivering business, learning and networking opportunities between international and Chinese suppliers, buyers and industry professionals at large. Meetings, peer-sharing, and collaboration are more vital than ever before in leading this industry on its road to recovery. Details on how you can be a part of doing this virtually will be released by June.

Physical event in Shanghai, China deferred to 24 to 26 March 2021 Be sure to save the dates. We’re looking forward to welcoming you back to our physical IT&CM China and CTW China event experience in 2021. Nothing can beat the professional camaraderie and much anticipated interaction of coming together in-person after this year-long social hiatus.

IT&CM ASIA - NO CHANGE TO DATES – 22-24 September 2020 – Bangkok, Thailand.

LATEST SURVEY REVEALS UK EVENTS INDUSTRY EYES SEPTEMBER 2020 AS ROAD TO RECOVERY The UK Events Industry believes that September 2020 is expected to be the most significant month when it comes to post COVID-19 recovery, as it forecasts a rise in both enquiry and booking levels, according to a new survey.

The Business Events Sentiment Survey, created by specialist PR and brand communications agency Davies Tanner, in partnership with the Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP), received responses from 556 business events professionals across the UK. The survey was created to assist venues, hotels, destinations and other key sector suppliers in planning recovery activity post the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the survey, 38% of respondents stated September 2020 as the primary month when they expect to see both enquiries and bookings begin to increase, though some believe this will happen sooner, with 12% indicating July as the beginning of the recovery period. A further 10% believe this will be August, with 13% indicating this will begin in October.

In terms of industry-wide recovery, respondents believe that the impact of COVID-19 on the business events industry will be longer lasting. 50% of respondents believe that the industry as a whole will not return to any form of normality for at least 12 months, with only 27% believing that this could be achieved within 9 - 12 months.

The Business Events Sentiment survey provides a snapshot of sentiment across the UK business events industry, and was completed by buyers (corporate planners, associations and agencies), venues and suppliers between 6th – 14th April, prior to the further lockdown measures introduced on April 16th.

www.miceandtourismaroundtheworld.com

GREATER BOGOTA CONVENTION BUREAU “2020 WILL BE A YEAR OF SOWING FOR THE MICE INDUSTRY” The current health situation has disrupted the tourism sector as well as the MICE industry, since its nature involves the meeting of people.

The Greater Bogota Convention Bureau, which is the entity that promotes and positions Colombia’s capital city as a MICE destination, presents its st 1 trimester report and the results are both positive and encouraging for the events industry in Bogota.

As a part of its commercial strategy in 2020, the GBCB identified 112 event opportunities, presented 18 bids, and confirmed 12 events for Bogota.

Among these 12, 3 events took place from January to March 2020, before the Colombian government declared lockdown. “In fact, within the first 3 months of the year we welcomed 19 international clients from Europe, United States and Latin America, who we accompanied on 7 site visits where we featured the city’s attractive offer to carry out their events in the coming years”, declared Liliana Orbegozo, Executive Director.

The Greater Bogota Convention Bureau has 95 members who operate in different economic sectors and contribute to the events industry. In the context of the crisis set forth by the COVID-19 emergency, the Bureau conducted a survey to measure the impact on its members. Among the 42 responses, the results showed 533 cancelled events, while 347 were postponed. These represent more than USD$12.5 million in losses.

“Faced with this situation, we decided to support our members by providing the option to freeze membership fees for 2 months. Likewise, we developed a communication strategy to keep them informed on the latest aid and benefit programmes for the industry, offered by the local and national government.

The strategy included an effort to strengthen their online channels, enhancing their visibility through our social media,” said Liliana Orbegozo, Executive Director of the GBCB. The GBCB has worked hand-in-hand with the District Institute of Tourism (IDT) in order to contribute to the recovery strategy for the tourism industry in the city, from the Bogota Tourism Council for Covid-19, the IDT’s initiative focused on aiding the recovery of the MICE industry. According to the IDT, once the emergency is over, the city would have a negative economic impact of more than UK£41.6 million for the meetings and entertainment industry.

The Executive Director, Liliana Orbegozo, offers reassurance to the industry, while also honouring the difficult times ahead.

“The Greater Bogota Convention Bureau has always looked towards the future, targeting high-impact events for the next few years. As long as we continue doing so, the MICE tourism industry in Bogota will continue growing and developing.”

The Greater Bogota Convention Bureau will continue to play a fundamental part in the industry’s recovery, keeping in mind that the estimated time of reactivation for international tourism is between the end of the year and the beginning of 2021. Within the first trimester’s report there are 9 events won for Bogota, which will take place starting in 2021 and will bring more than 19,000 foreign participants to the city, and 22 events to be confirmed, which are expected to bring more than 27,000 foreign visitors to the city. Considering this, the Bureau will contribute to mitigate the economic impact of the current situation between 2021 and 2027.

According to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), each foreign participant has an average daily expenditure of 466 dollars. “If we multiply that amount by the number of participants and the number of days of each event, we will have an important economic impact for the city in the next few years”, added Orbegozo.

Historically, tourism has proven to be a key driver of international economic recovery, given that it triggers economic and social development for destinations. “For this reason, we must continue sowing and working towards the future, to build an industry that has demonstrated resilience and unity in the face of adversity,” concluded Liliana.

EMITT 2021, ISTANBUL, TURKEY Stand bookings are now open for EMITT 2021, the No.1 exhibition in the Eurasia region serving the tourism and travel industry.

With 842 exhibitors and over 40,000 professionals and travel lovers, from 103 countries, EMITT reaffirmed its position as a must-attend event for the industry.

EMITT 2021 is set to be held from 10 – 13 February and it promises even more opportunities to get your brand or destination out there.

KOREA’S CHUNGNAM PROVINCE TO RECEIVE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER Plans are underway for a new convention centre in Korea, the 1st for the country’s South Chungcheong Province (Chungnam-do) region.

The international convention centre is set to be built near the CheonanAsan KTX Station in the city of Cheonan, with an expected completion date of 2023.

Located directly south of Gyeonggi Province, Chungnam Province is an emerging hub of transportation, logistics and economy. The region’s key industries include display, steel, petrochemical and automobile industries, making it an attractive convention destination for related industries. Cheonan boasts easy access to nearby regions, including direct access to Seoul via KTX train in under 40 minutes.

The need to establish a convention centre in the region has been raised steadily in the past, as there are currently no large -scale convention and exhibition facilities in the province.

The new convention centre will offer exhibition facilities (9000m2) and conference facilities (4768m2) across a total of 5 floors. Inside the convention centre will be one large convention hall, 3 mid-sized conference halls, and 5 small meeting rooms. Additional facilities will include exhibition halls, public relations centres, venture-education facilities, and restaurants. The province intends to finalise the plans in the coming months and will select a winning design through a competition in the second half of the year.

With the establishment of the new convention centre, Chungnam-do expects economic benefits and regional image enhancement by attracting large-scale international events. The province is planning to attract both local and international exhibition projects and looks forward to increased job opportunities for the local community as well.

“We will foster the convention centre as a B2B (business-to-business transaction) specialized industrial support centre that links exhibitions, conferences, and investments,” said Jeong Byeong-rak, director of the Chungnam-do Future Industry Bureau. “We anticipate the construction will bring new vitality to the overall regional economy.”

ASIA PACIFIC VISITOR NUMBERS LIKELY TO REDUCE BY 32% IN 2020, BUT RETURN IN 2021 Under the newly updated forecasts from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the most likely scenario for international visitor arrivals into and across Asia Pacific in 2020 is that visitor numbers are likely to reduce by 32% year-on-year. Taking into account the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of arrivals is now expected to reduce to fewer than 500 million this year.

That effectively takes visitor volume back to levels last seen in 2012.

At this stage, growth is expected to resume in 2021, returning to forecast levels by 2023. Much of course depends on how quickly and completely the COVID-19 pandemic is contained and controlled.

A more optimistic scenario suggests arrivals still falling in 2020 but by 16% year-on-year while a pessimistic narrative predicts a reduction of approximately 44%.

The impacts are expected to be most severe in Asia, especially Northeast Asia, which is now predicted to lose almost 51% of i ts visitor volume between 2019 and 2020 (most likely scenario), followed by South Asia with a reduction of 31%, and then Southeast Asia with a 22% drop in visitor arrivals. West Asia is projected to lose almost 6% in visitor arrivals, followed by the Pacific with a projected contraction of 18%, and the Americas with a loss of a little under 12%.

Recovery rates relative to 2019 are expected to occur in most destination regions/sub-regions in 2020, however, Northeast Asia is likely to take a little longer and exceed the 2019 volume of arrivals in 2022.

The same is essentially true for visitor receipts as well as they are expected to drop by 27% between 2019 and 2020 under the most likely scenario, reducing to UK£475 billion, significantly below the original 2020 forecast of UK£649 billion.

Asia is expected to lose more than UK£136 billion (-36%), with Northeast Asia predicted to lose more than UK£98.4 billion (-48%) under this most likely scenario, followed by South Asia with a UK£11 billion loss (-33%) and Southeast Asia with a UK£27.7 billion shortfall (-20%). The Americas is projected to lose more than UK£28 billion (-13%) and the Pacific UK£14.4 billion (-18%).

Here, recovery at the annual level is expected to return more quickly across most regions/sub-regions, with perhaps the Pacific taking a little longer to return to 2019 levels.

THOURIA A LONG LOST GREEK CITY

by Caroline-Artemis Laspas

Lost & Found!

The ancient Greek city of Thouria is coming to life as more and more of the ancient city is excavated in continued archaeological digs leading to a better understanding of this Greek city.

The ancient Greek city of Thouria, located in the southern Peloponnese, is located 10kms away from the city of Kalamata.

The 1st references to Thouria can be found in Homer’s works, (8th century). The name of the city means brave and impetuous.

Ancient Thouria was the most important city of West Messenia and the 2nd most important, after the foundation of Ancient Messene.

It was a region under Spartan rule for almost 400 years, yet the ancient Greek city of Thouria, was able to manage and thrive by itself despite being under the shadow of Sparta. Its peak came during the classical period of ancient Greece.

First excavations in 2007 revealed an ancient wall. Over the years, further discoveries have highlighted a temple and an ‘asclepion’ an ancient healing centre, which had not been recorded in any ancient or modern source.

For over a decade, archaeologists have continued excavating the site. In 2016 an exciting discovery of the remains of a theatre made

of white limestone, estimated to date to the early Hellenistic period (323 – 31BC) was found, as well as several rows of stone seats.

Amazingly, around the stage were 3 parallel grooves suggesting the stage was movable.

The presence of such a construction in Thouria would indicate the importance of the city as theatres were a mandatory feature of any notable city across Ancient Greece. Also discovered was part of an orchestra pit and well-preserved stone figurines, as well as a large rectangular stone duct to drain rainwater.

Archaeological works continue to this day where archaeological students from around the world come to help excavations and learn more about ancient Greek culture and this special Peloponnesian town of Thouria.

THE MATURE TOURIST MARKET! ‘silver tourism’

by Dimitri Laspas

Across Europe and indeed the world, the 50+ generation is growing. The demographics of Europe however are in particular clear; the population is ageing. This therefore means there is an ever larger market for ‘silver tourism’.

Socio-demographic changes in Europe present a major challenge as well as offering huge opportunities. The mature traveller market is, on average; better educated, more affluent and has greater expectations than the generation before them and forms a large and influential market sector. The tourism industry can expect to face a change in demand, needs and opportunities as the population continues to age.

SILVER TOURISM MARKET IN FIGURES: - 12 % of the world population will be over 65 by 2030.

- 1 billion people in the world will be over 65 by 2030.

- The life expectancy to be reached by 2030 is 72 years old.

Globally, more over 65’s are travelling than ever before. They are booking their holidays themelves and travelling to new places.

For the past decade Europe has been the most visited region of the world. However Europe's share of world tourism is on a steady downward trend, mainly due to the diversification of world tourism, the emergence of other economic centres, and the advent of new tourism destinations, especially in Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East regions.

What is important is the size of the ‘senior’ market and its implications for the tourism and travel industry. There is already a substantial flow of retired people from the North European countries to Southern Europe during the winter months, many to 2nd homes they own or for long rentals through the winter months.

More British people aged 65 and over are travelling around the world than ever before. During the past 20 years (1998 – 2018), the figure jumped from just over 990,000 to nearly 1,336,000 – a rise of 35%, more than the increase in the over 65 population during this time (30%). In 2018, UK mature travellers outnumbered younger holidaymakers by around 100,000, with just over 4.54 million (almost 60%) of them booking their time abroad independently.

Looking across Europe, silver tourists differ in their destination choices with tourists from Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, tending to spend their holidays in their own country. More than 95% of holidays taken by Greeks are in Greece itself, and the equiv alent for Spain at around 90%, (this is due to these countries providing tourists with all they require within their own country) while northern European tourists tend to travel abroad.

Senior tourism in China is also seeing huge growth. Due to an ageing population and increasing standards of living, travel is among Chinese seniors desire both to travel and discover China and the rest of the world.

Younger generations of Chinese seniors are more and more educated and independent as well as wealthier. They also increasingly tend to choose tourism packages specifically designed for seniors.

CHINESE SILVER TOURISM IN FIGURES - 241 million senior citizens (aged over 60) in China in 2018.

- 130 million outbound trips of Chinese people in 2017.

- 7% is the annual growth rate of outbound trips of Chinese citizens between 2016 and 2017.

Mature age travellers already make up a of the travel market. Following the recent crisis, this age group were considered vulnerable group of society and requested to stay in their homes.

Once group more, group

large part pandemic the most therefore

these restrictions are lifted, it is this age of travellers who are going to wish to travel plus and most importantly; they are the age who will have the money to travel!

With so many companies going out of business and in turn so much unemployment, the working age groups will not have the money to travel as before; at least for the foreseeable future.

Asia is adapting and catering well for the mature traveller and is building on its products and services to expand this sector. In addition, South America also has huge potential for attracting this mature age group, however a lack of flights from Europe are restricting progress.

The majority of mature travellers prefer to have ‘experiences’ instead of owning even more possessions. Unless they have real medical ailments, many are ready for anything and want adventure!

They demand and expect quality in all aspects of their travel. Many also have more free time and are more flexible with their time, thereby contributing to a longer tourism season as they can travel during ‘off-peak’ periods. They also tend to stay longer as they may not have any work commitments to return to compared to younger tourist age groups.

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It is estimated that by 2050 the number of people over 60 will more than double to make up 22% of the world’s population. The tourist industry needs to recognise the relevant trends and allow for them in good time. The tour ist industry is, more than almost any other industry, linked to its social and natural contexts, specifically the ageing of society. This will result in far reachi ng changes, particularly on the demand side. At a global level, the world’s population contin ues to grow; this growth will be primarily in developing countries, but by contrast, in the industrialised nations the demographic shift is taking a different form. The de cline in the birth rate and simultaneous increase in life expectancy is leading to a clear change in the age structure.

In recent years, (excluding the health pandemic of 2020), due to the change in the economic climate, the amount of leisure time has been affected. For the 55+ age group longer working hours and multiple jobs has limited the amount of leisure time available.

There is a growing divide between ‘money’ and ‘time’.

As a result, a clear structural change is emerging: a growing division of the population into two groups; people with high incomes or wealth and little leisure time on the one hand; and people with little money and a relatively large amount of leisure time on the other hand.

The change in the number of vacation days also offers an opportunity for greater domestic tourism. As fewer days are available for additional holidays, people tend to pick destinations closer to home. The time and money available for annual holidays is consumed by the main foreign vacation and therefore closer destinations are the option for second and third trips.

One reason that senior citizens will remain the primary source of growth for tourism in the foreseeable future is that much of this market segment is still currently financially secure; they still have substantial purchasing power resources available for tourism. After retirement, the time available also increases substantially. Senior citizens appreciate travel as a way to keep physically and mentally fit and participate in social life.

To keep a hold of this desirable market, many countries of Europe and the world need to reconsider their marketing approach as well as their services to accommodate this mature traveller. At present, only a few countries in Europe are able to cover this fast growing market trend.

Tourists aged 65 or over accounted for nearly 1 in 4 tourism nights for private purposes by EU residents in 2018, while people aged 55+ accounted for 41%. More than half of European residents aged 65+ (51%) did not participate in tourism in 2018, compared with 32% of people aged 15-64.

As far as holiday preferences are concerned, the over 50’s are increasingly moving away from the clichés associated with traditional travel by senior citizens. While beach holidays exceed any other type of vacation in Europe, city tours, cruises and excursions have experienced a significant boost among the over 55’s, as have more wellbeing and spa vacations.

Age comes to us all - by successfully catering for it now we can all benefit from it later on, when it’s our turn!