Warm greetings from the FTTSA Team and welcome to the August edition of the FTTSA Newsflash!

FTTSA hosts CBI workshops
FTTSA, in collaboration with the Center for Promotion of Imports (CBI), hosted two workshops in August on the new Export Coaching Programme (ECP) offered by the CBI to tourism businesses from developing countries. The CBI is an agency of the Netherlands ' government and is committed to trade-led economic growth and the reduction of poverty in developing countries.

The aim of the workshops was to introduce the ECP which aims to improve knowledge and practical skills to “export” tourism products effectively to European markets and to establish contacts in a systematic and successful way with the European travel trade. The attendees consisted of FTTSA-certified businesses and tourism businesses that have been endorsed by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti).

FTTSA would like to extend a big “thank you” to the dti for sponsoring the CBI workshop in Pretoria on 13 August 2009. FTTSA would also like to thank Spier for their generous contributions to the Cape Town CBI workshop on 18 August 2009. To find out more about CBI and the ECP Programme, please visit CBI .

FTTSA re-elected as a member of the Council for TBCSA
FTTSA Executive Director Jennifer Seif was re-elected as a member of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) On 5 August 2009. She has been serving as a council member since 2006. The TBCSA is the voice of the tourism business sector and aims to engage with all stakeholders in developing macro strategies that create an enabling environment for tourism development. FTTSA continues to play an advocacy role in the tourism industry. FTTSA's research shows that tourism stakeholders continue to perceive FTTSA as a credible, expert organisation that is helping to promote responsible tourism through technical assistance and knowledge sharing. Please visit the TBCSA website to find out more.

FTTSA bids farewell
FTTSA bids farewell to Blake and Britta Durtsche who were assisting FTTSA with its monitoring and evaluation program, marketing and case study development. They were at FTTSA for a four-week voluntary consulting engagement organised through the Kellogg Corps program. Kellogg Corps is a student-run club at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston , Illinois , USA . The programme pairs recently graduated MBA students with international NGOs for three- to six-week consulting projects. For more information on the Kellogg Corps program visit Kellogg School of Management . FTTSA would like to thank them for their hard work and valuable contributions.

New faces at FTTSA
FTTSA re-welcomes Katarina Mancama. She recently joined the FTTSA team as Project Manager (Research & Development) and will be heading up a number of research projects in fields such as responsible tourism, voluntourism and Fair Trade and certification. Katarina holds a BA in International Hotel & Tourism Management from the University of Bournemouth as well as an MSc in Responsible Tourism Management from the University of Greenwich . She has over 10 years of experience in various fields of the tourism industry, including previously serving as a Marketing Advisor for FTTSA.

FTTSA also welcomes Martina Knittel
Martina is from Germany and currently studying Sociology and African ethnology at the University of Freiburg . She will be working for FTTSA as part of a one-year scholarship program called “Young Leaders for Sustainability”. She has gained experience in sustainable tourism and corporate responsibility through an internship at Kuoni, a major Tour Operator in Switzerland . Martina will work as a Research Intern for three months and will focus on guidelines and supply chain management of Fair Trade Tourism Packages.

Minister of Tourism launches Brand Messaging Book for Tourism
The South African Minister of Tourism , Marthinus van Schalkwyk , has launched a Brand Messaging Book for Tourism which will enable everyone who communicates about South Africa to share positive messages about our country as a tourism destination.

The Minister said that the publication is both inspirational and practical and will give communicators the tools they need to become confident brand ambassadors for South Africa .

“Destination South Africa is a vast, diverse, captivating and enthralling place. The destination services an industry that has become a vital component of the national economy. Our country is a player in an exceptionally competitive global industry where travelers are determined to experience new, different, engaging, exciting and rewarding places and people,” the Minister said.

Didi Moyle , Chief Operating Officer and acting Chief Executive Officer at South African Tourism (SAT), said, “The realities of our various core markets necessitate cohesion in marketing, at the very root, but vitally important, at messaging level”.

The brand book also helps to manage the negative perceptions and realities that are pervasive about the destination. It arms people with practical messaging for when they are, for example, confronted with difficult questions about safety and security, malaria and visa issues for visitors. To get a copy of the limited brand messaging book, please email itspossible@southafrica.net .

National Events
Destinations Expo 2009, Cape Town International Convention Centre, 22-25 October 2009
The Destinations Expo is a platform to market destinations, accommodation, recreation, holiday and travel products to local travelers. The expo welcomes exhibitors from all nine provinces in South Africa as well as from neighboring countries, world destinations and surrounding Indian Ocean islands.

Destinations 2009 offers businesses the opportunity to meet travelers and holiday makers face-to-face, drive sales, build brand awareness and talk to the market. The show is marketed to consumers, business travelers and the industry in general. Space is limited, so interested parties are encouraged to book space now. For more information, please contact Chris or Elmarie at +27 (0) 21 855 4750 or visit Destination Expo.

8 th Annual National Tourism Conference, Emperors Palace , Gauteng , 30 October 2009
The Department of Tourism will be hosting the 8 th Annual National Tourism Conference with this year's theme “Building a Service Excellence and Accessible Tourism Culture and Partnerships in Tourism for 2010 and beyond.”

The conference programme includes:

• Lessons Learnt from 2009 Confederations Cup
• Outcomes of the Discovery Phase
• Gearing for the 2010 World Cup
• Provision of Accessible Tourism for all Travelers
• And many more

Guests of honor include, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Tourism; Tokozile Xasa, Deputy Minister of Tourism; Nomvula Mokonyane, Premier of Gauteng; Ntombi Mekgwe , Mayor of Ekurhuleni and several other high profile international and local speakers on service excellence. The Department of Tourism is expecting Tourism Industry Players (Decision Makers), Organs of State, Organised Labour, Communities, Civil Society and Media to all be in attendance.

For more information please contact Glenda Esemang on +27 (0)12 310-3946 e-mail gesemang@deat.gov.za or Nthabeleng Chokoe on +27 (0) 310-3987 e-mail nchokoe@deat.gov.za

Hospitality Investment Conference Africa (HICA), Sandton, Johannesburg , 4-6 November 2009
HICA provides a platform for members of the hospitality industry to discuss current global trends and showcase what the African continent has on offer for multinationals. The focus of this year's conference will be on how responsible tourism can help create better areas for people to live in and visit. With its close ties to sustainable and green tourism, responsible tourism focuses on generating greater economic benefits for local people and enhancing host communities while minimising the negative economic, environmental and social impacts of tourism. Visit the HICA website for more information about the 2009 conference.

International Events

JATA World Tourism Congress & Travel Fair, Tokyo Big Sight, East Hall, Tokyo , 17-20 September 2009
The JATA World Tourism Congress & Travel Fair is the Asia 's largest Travel Fair and is expected to attract over 100,000 people at the 2009 event. JATA World Tourism Congress & Travel Fair is comprised of two separate but complementary events. JATA World Tourism Congress is a marketing conference centered around a particular theme relevant to today's travel and tourism professionals with this year's theme being “Asia Tourism, NOW!”. JATA World Travel Fair is both a trade fair featuring a dedicated day for exhibitors to meet one-on-one with the Japanese travel trade and a consumer travel show where destinations and suppliers can showcase their travel offerings and appeal directly to potential Japanese travelers. For more information about the event, visit the JATA World Tourism Congress & Travel Fair website .

World Travel Market, ExCel London , 9-12 November 2009
The World Travel Market is an annual event which is a must attend four-day business to business event. This event showcases a diverse range of destinations and industry sectors to UK and International travel professionals. It is a unique opportunity for the whole global travel trade to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business under one roof. By attending World Travel Market, participants efficiently, effectively and productively gain immediate competitive advantage for their business and stay abreast with the latest developments in the travel industry. For more information please visit World Travel Market website.

Travel Trade Workshop (TTW), Monteux , Switzerland , 4-5 November 2009
The Travel Trade Workshop (TTW) is Switzerland 's largest travel show and a popular item on the international travel calendar. FTTSA will be attending to promote FTTSA-certified tourism businesses and responsible tourism. The South African Pavilion will be sponsored by Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO), South African Tourism (SAT) and the South African Embassy in Switzerland . SIPPO helps small and medium-sized companies in emerging markets and markets in transition to gain access to Swiss and EU markets and is carried out by Osec Business Network Switzerland since 2008.

For more information please visit the Travel Trade Workshop website.

Resources

Online network for Non-Profit Organisations, NGOConnect Africa
NGOConnect Africa was established and sponsored by Microsoft Corp. The aim of NGOConnect Africa is to help make the work done by non-profit organisations and their partners easier and more effective through the better use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs).

NGOConnect Africa's web site provides a social workspace where NGOs and the people or organisations that support them can meet, discuss ideas and challenges, join communities and share valuable resources to achieve their respective goals. To further engage with FTTSA and other NGO's through the NGOConnect Africa platform, please visit www.ngoconnectafrica.org

Announcements

The 2009/10 Welcome Award
The Welcome Awards recognises those tourism businesses, operations and individuals that not only act as excellent hosts, but also raise the levels of customer service and provide authentic South African experiences. In addition to the Welcome Award, South African Tourism (SAT) has established the Consumer Award, which is targeted at consumers to nominate establishments that have given them a great tourism experience.

The Welcome Awards and Consumer Award are hosted by SAT in partnership with the First National Bank (FNB), Association of South African Travel Agents (ASATA), Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA), Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TBCSA), Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) and the National Department of Tourism (NDT). The closing date is 30 November 2009. To make your nomination and to check the list of criteria please visit the Welcome Awards website.

Call for entries for 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is inviting tourism companies and organisations from around the world that can demonstrate best practice in sustainable tourism development to submit their applications for the 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, now in their sixth year under WTTC's stewardship, is aimed at recognising best practice in sustainable tourism within the Travel & Tourism industry worldwide. FTTSA was named as a finalist in the prestigious Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2008 (Investor in People category ). The deadline for applications is Wednesday, 2 December 2009 .

For more information please contact Susann Kruegel, Manager, e-Strategy and Tourism for Tomorrow Awards World Travel & Tourism Council at +44 (0) 20 7481 8007 or send email to Susann.kruegel@wttc.org or visit the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards website.

Call for Papers - Journal of Educational Travel
The Educational Travel Foundation, a non-profit organization focusing on tourism education and development in the world's least-developed countries (LDCs), announces the launch of the Journal of Educational Travel (JET).  JET is a new peer-review journal that encourages the publication of original research within the realm of travel and tourism education and development in LDCs. Papers are invited from academics, graduate students, and those actively researching in relevant fields. Topics of research for potential manuscripts include, but are not limited to: culture, sustainable development, education, ethnicity, gender, health, leisure, political economy, social policy, urban issues, and tourism studies.  

A primary goal for JET is to be an accessible source of authoritative information that provides both theoretical and practical insights to practitioners and scholars.  For more information about the deadline and submissions please contact the Editor of JET, William G. Feighery, PhD, at mail@edutf.org . Author guidelines and further details can be found on the JET website.

Did you know?
•  Despite the economic downturn, consumers around the world are more actively looking for Fairtrade products. This is according to a recent survey carried out in 15 countries by leading research organization GlobeScan. In 2008, consumers spent an estimated 2.9 billion Euros on Fairtrade products globally. Fairtrade sales grew by at least 50% in seven countries, including Australia and New Zealand (72%), Canada (67%), Finland (57%), Germany (50%), Norway (73%), and Sweden (75%). For more information about the growth of the Fairtrade market and the GlobeScan study, click here.