International Council of Tourism Partners launches inaugural conference in Seychelles

The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) is an alliance of destinations, associations, and stakeholders in the tourism industries with members in more than 40 countries. The original launching of the ICTP alliance was at the World Travel Market in London with the Seychelles; La Reunion; Johannesburg; Rwanda; Grenada; Oman; North Shore, Oahu; and Richmond, Virginia as founding members. Since that time, ICTP has grown aggressively to 178 members in more than 40 countries. Among ICTP’s members and supporters are tourism boards, ministries of tourism, associations, private stakeholders in the tourism industry, universities, and journalists.

ICTP Executive Board members include representatives from all academy and founding member organizations of the International Council of Tourism Partners. It includes Professor Geoffrey Lipman, President of ICTP; HE Alain St. Ange, Minister of Tourism & Culture, Seychelles; Feisol Hashim, ASEAN; Juergen T. Steinmetz, Publisher of eTN; and Louis D’Amore, Founder and president of the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT).

Juergen Steinmetz, Chairman of ICTP, announced the council’s first inaugural launch conference since its inception will take place in the Seychelles on July 7, 2012. Alongside the ICTP General Meeting in Seychelles, the Routes Africa 2012 conference will be taking place from July 8-10, which has the full support and endorsement of the Airlines Association of Southern Africa, as well as the RETOSA Board Meeting from July 6-13. From these two tourism and aviation meetings, ICTP will work to obtain a hotel and airline affiliate, as well as a sponsor partner.

“I am pleased to announce that with the support of our executive members and the Minister of Tourism & Culture of the Seychelles, our inaugural launch conference will take place along with a combined Executive and Academy Board meeting in the Seychelles on July 7. We’re inviting all government and private industry stakeholders to join us in the Seychelles on July 7 for this important event, when we will be setting the future role of our fast-evolving organization. ICTP will be announcing hotel, media, and airline sponsors for these two events shortly.

More information and updates will also be available on the ICTP website at: http://tourismpartners.org/Default.aspx?pageId=1072184&eventId=493153&EventViewMode=EventDetails .

ABOUT ICTP

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. The ICTP logo represents the strength in collaboration (the block) of many small communities (the lines) committed to sustainable oceans (blue) and land (green).

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. The ICTP alliance is represented in Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA; Brussels, Belgium; Bali, Indonesia; and Victoria, Seychelles. ICTP membership is available to qualified destinations free of charge. Academy membership features a prestigious and selected group of destinations.

Members of destinations currently include Anguilla; Aruba; China; Croatia; Grenada; Maharashtra, India; Flores & Manggarai Baratkab County, Indonesia; Iran; La Reunion (French Indian Ocean); Malaysia; Malawi; Nicaragua; Northern Mariana Islands, US Pacific Island Territory; Pakistan; Palestine; Rwanda; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Johannesburg, Kruger Park & Sandton, South Africa; Sri Lanka; Oman; Tajikistan; Tanzania; Yemen; Zimbabwe; and from the US: California; Georgia; North Shore, Hawaii; Bangor, Maine; St. Louis, Missouri; San Juan County & Moab, Utah; Richmond & Fairfax, Virginia.

Partner associations include: African Bureau of Conventions; African Chamber of Commerce Dallas/Fort Worth; Africa Travel Association; Alliance for training and research in the field of social and solidarity tourism (ISTO/OITS); Cultural and Environment Conservation Society; DC-Cam (Cambodia); Hawaii Tourism Association; International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT); International Organization of Electronic Tourism Industry (IOETI); Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence, Zambia; Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade, China, Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH); Sustainable Travel International (STI); The Region Initiative, Pakistan; University of Florida: Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute; University of Hawaii; and vzw Reis-en Opleidingscentrum, Gent, Belgium.

For more information, go to: www.tourismpartners.org .