Rwanda First Member From East Africa
International Council of Tourism Partners welcomes Rwanda as destination member
ICTP (International Council of Tourism Partners) is proud to announce that the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) is the latest destination to become a member of ICTP.
John Gara, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board said: "We are pleased to become a member of ICTP. Rwanda has enormous tourism potential and attractive destinations that are relatively unknown. The ICTP platform is an opportunity for the Rwanda Development Board to showcase these tremendous tourism pleasures and conservation initiatives to the world through the joint marketing and media programs of member countries.”
ICTP President Geoffrey Lipman said: “It's a great honor to have Rwanda join our dynamic group of quality travel destinations committed to green growth, because they are already widely recognized as a global tourism champion. Africa is increasingly a serious player on the world tourism stage with its magnificent scenery, unique wildlife, and fascinating cultures. We are looking forward to working with Rwanda to make sure they stay high on the list of most sought-after destinations."
Juergen T. Steinmetz, ICTP Chairman, said: "We're very pleased to welcome Rwanda to our list of founding members, and our first member from East Africa. The Rwanda Development Board has shown true leadership in its work. I have been following the development of tourism in Rwanda over the years, and I'm impressed with the activities, involvements, and contributions the destination has been making. Rwanda has been conducting itself as a responsible member of the global tourism industry, and is a very special destination with a great future.”
The International Council of Tourism Partners is a global alliance of responsible destination cooperation and marketing in tourism. The Seychelles, La Reunion, Johannesburg, and Zimbabwe are among the founding members in Africa.
Mr. Steinmetz added: "When ICTP has their official launch ceremony during the World Travel Market (WTM) in London next month, we expect to have a global list of founding destination members that will be joining us. Grenada took the lead in the Caribbean just a couple of weeks ago, and our network now spans as far as Saipan in the Pacific Ocean. Anyone joining us before the World Travel Market on November 8 will be considered a founding member of our global alliance."
ICTP recently attended The Leisure Travel Show in Moscow, TTG Intercontri in Rimini, Routes in Berlin, and is currently represented in Singapore at ITB.
ABOUT ICTP
ICTP (International Council of Tourism Partners) is a force for socially-responsible and green travel and 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. Members include countries, regions, and cities. Current members include Seychelles, La Reunion, Johannesburg, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Oman, Grenada, Hawaii, and Saipan.
ICTP alliance members benefit from joint marketing and branding opportunities in primary and secondary markets, which are ideal for small- to medium-sized destinations that may not have the resources for developing and implementing projects independently. ICTP provides its members with the tools to help them market their destination, including help with finding new revenue streams and funding support, and providing special services from similarly committed suppliers, thereby helping destinations to engage employees and stakeholders to help market the destination.
For more information, go to: www.tourismpartners.org .
Comments
IT is a great news to me, that Rwanda has joined ICTP. On behalf of eTN readers in Tanzania, I would like to congratulate the Republic of Rwanda on this initiative, which, I hope will spearhead tourism development in the East African region.
As a new member of the East African Community, Rwanda is playing a big role on development of tourism, which, I hope will add more value to the EAC bloc as a single tourist destination. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda and the Thousands Hills will attest my argument that, Rwanda is a Unique Destination in EAC region.
Apolinary Tairo
eTN Staff Writer, Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA
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