Arabian Travel Market New Frontiers Award 2013 shortlist announced 28.03.2013: Photo caption (L-R): New Frontiers Award 2012 - Mr Daisuke Matsunaga, Japanese Consul

Photo caption (L-R): New Frontiers Award 2012 - Mr Daisuke Matsunaga, Japanese Consul-General in Dubai receiving his award from Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions and Mr. Carlos Salas, Trade Commissioner, Embassy of Chile (New Frontiers Award 2011 recipient) in United Arab Emirates.



New York State, Philippines and Pakistan nominated for outstanding contribution to tourism development in the face of overwhelming adversity; previous award recipients invited to join roundtable discussion under the theme ‘repair, rebuild, recover’


Arabian Travel Market, the leading travel and tourism exhibition in the Middle East, has announced the names of the three global destinations nominated for this year’s New Frontiers Award, the results of which will be revealed at a special roundtable session featuring award recipients from the previous seven ceremonies.


The three destinations shortlisted for 2013 are New York State, the Philippines and Pakistan, each of which suffered from the aftermath of the devastation wreaked by natural catastrophes in the last 12 months.


“This year’s awards coincide with our 20th anniversary celebrations and it is a poignant moment for the industry as a whole, to reflect on the devastation that natural disasters can wreak on human life, habitat and infrastructure, irrespective of their international status,” said Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions.


Launched in 2005 by Arabian Travel Market, The New Frontiers Award was created to recognise outstanding contributions to tourism development in the face of overwhelming adversity, supporting the chosen destination by donating exhibition space at the event to the value of US$10,000.


Now in its eighth year, the one-of-a-kind roundtable session will include previous award recipients, including Phuket, Thailand, which was devastated by the 2006 tsunami, and last year’s recipient, Japan.


“Participants will have a chance to share their experiences once again and report on how, in the intervening years, their respective tourism destinations have – quite literally - picked up the pieces and gone on to rebuild and recover,” remarked Walsh.


“However it’s not just a question of physical recovery. Tourism strategies need to be re-evaluated and revised marketing plans put in place to reposition a destination and to create confidence amongst its target markets,” he added.


The New Frontiers Award is a vital element of Arabian Travel Market’s commitment to support the global tourism industry, and provides a platform to drive awareness and assist destinations in the recovery process through participation at the show.


The 2013 nominees have all had to repair, rebuild and recover, with efforts ongoing in some destinations.


New York State, USA - Hurricane Sandy. In late October 2012, Hurricane Sandy spread a trail of destruction across the Eastern Seaboard of the US, leaving businesses and homes in New York State – and its tourism heart, Manhattan – without vital resources and inflicting billions of dollars of cumulative damage on the local economy.


Philippines – typhoon. At the end of 2012, Typhoon Bopha caused substantial loss of life and hit the tourism economy hard when it ripped across the country, devastating large tracts of land and communities on the southern island of Mindanao, and sweeping across the popular tourist island of Palawan.


Pakistan – floods. September floods, prompted by heavy monsoon rains, affected over five million people and the economy, with damage extending across the country from Southern Punjab and Northern Sindh to North-Eastern Balochistan. Over half a million acres of crops were lost as well as lifestock, critically affecting food supplies.


For more information on The New Frontiers Award, please go to www.arabiantravelmarket.com


ARABIAN TRAVEL MARKET
About Reed Travel Exhibitions


Arabian Travel Market is organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), the world’s leading provider of exhibitions in the travel and tourism industry. Its wide-ranging portfolio of events around the globe covers leisure travel, luxury travel, business travel and the meetings and incentives industry.


Reed Travel Exhibitions also organises Abu-Dhabi based global meetings and incentive exhibition, GIBTM which takes place from 25-27 March 2013.  In 2011 RTE 13 events were the catalyst for £2,807 million worth of travel and tourism business deals. 


The 13 events are; World Travel Market (WTM), Arabian Travel Market (ATM), International French Travel Market (IFTM), La Cumbre, International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), International Luxury Travel Market Asia (ILTMA), Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) (owned by Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau), Global Exhibition for Incentive, Business Travel, and Meetings (EIBTM), Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (GIBTM), Americas Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (AIBTM), China Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (CIBTM) and Business Travel Market.


2012 saw the launch of these exciting new events with The Spa & Wellness Summit taking place in Austria Tyrol (10-12 September), ILTM Americas launching in Mayakoba, Mexico (1-3 October).  Furthermore, April 2013 will see RTE launch ILTM Japan in Tokyo(11 -13 March), ILTM Africa taking place in Cape Town (8-9 April), World Travel Market Latin America in São Paulo, Brazil (23-25 April) and the newest addition to the Meetings and Incentives Portfolio, IBTM India launching in Mumbai (12-14 September).


In 2011 RTE’s 13 events were the catalyst for £2,807 million worth of travel and tourism business deals.

RTE is a business unit of Reed Exhibitions. In 2011, six million participants attended RE’s 500 events in 39 countries covering 44 industry sectors from aerospace and aviation to beauty and cosmetics to sports and recreation.


Reed Exhibitions is owned by Reed Elsevier, the world’s leading provider of professional information and online workflow solutions.

 

About Reed Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organizer, with over 500 events in 39 countries. In 2011 Reed brought together six million active event participants from around the world, generating billions of dollars in business.

Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organized by 33 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 44 industry sectors with trade and consumer events and is part of the Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world-leading publisher and information provider and a FTSE 100 company. www.reedexpo.com

     

Josse Dulkam Shamal Marketing Communications Dubai also photo