MTM - SEM 1 Tourism Organization PDF

Chapter 8 : Tourism Organizations Why Tourism Organizations? As tourism has great social, cultural, economic and environmental impact on the image of a country, many tourism organisations are set up on different levels. Some of them are bring together national tourist organizations or other servic...

Chapter 8 : Tourism Organizations Why Tourism Organizations? As tourism has great social, cultural, economic and environmental impact on the image of a country, many tourism organisations are set up on different levels. Some of them are bring together national tourist organizations or other service providers directly connected with tourism – airlines, hoteliers, travel agents, etc. World Organisations: World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) is the most widely recognised and the leading international organisation in travel and tourism today. It is a specialised agency of the United Nations. It serves as a global forum for tourism policy and a practical source of tourism know-how. International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations and is concerned with the development of international civil aviation, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is an association of airlines concerned with the development and regulation of the air transportation industry. Regional International Organizations: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a mix governmental and non-governmental bodies that work together to promote tourism industry professionalism in the Asia and Pacific area. European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) this is a regional organisation with a specialised interest in tourism and concerned with co-operation and co-ordination of European airlines. www.ecac-ceac.orgEuropean Travel Commission is a strategic alliance that provides for the collaboration between thirty-three European national tourism organisations. National Organizations: Government involvement in tourism relates to areas such as income generation, image of a country, economic stability, protection of natural resources, national security, public health and employment. Some examples of national organizations include Singapore Tourism Board, Tourism Malaysia, British Tourism Board etc. Functions of Tourism Organizations: They generally include—research; information and promotion within the country; overseas promotional activities; international relations; development of tourist areas; overall tourism policy and promotion; supporting key tourism interests in a time of financial crisis. Some Prominent Tourism Organizations: United Nations World Tourism Organization or UNWTO: The UNWTO is particularly devoted to promoting tourism in developing countries and has vowed to accomplish some of the UN's Millennium Development Goals. The UNWTO reminds travellers to be informed and tolerant in order to truly understand different cultures. Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA): This was formed to develop the Pacific region as a place for holidays. It promotes tourism in South East Asia, including India. Its activities are mainly in the United States, which supplies a lot of the world's tourist traffic. European Travel Commission (ETC): The ETC was founded to help European nations cooperate in increasing tourism within Europe, to exchange information on tourism and its marketing, to undertake research and promotion activities Indian Ocean Tourism Organization or IOTO: This organization seeks to encourage tourism in the Indian Ocean region. It markets the Indian Ocean region as a unique destination, helps members cooperate and coordinate policies, promotes better transport services between members, encourages better services and helps reduce travel barriers. International Air Transport Association (IATA): IATA is an organization of almost all international air carriers. IATA tries to standardize tickets, baggage checks, accounting procedures; it is also involved in industry support, environmental issues, consumer issues, regulation and legal monitoring. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO): ICAO is an organization of governments joined to promote safety and efficiency in civil aviation worldwide. It formulates and implements standards and practices, laws concerning civil aviation, navigation plans etc. International tourism organisation: International Tourism Organisation AG (ITO) is a company of experts which provide advice in the fields of tourism strategy and master planning, development and investment strategy, marketing programs for the tourism and leisure industries Tourism Promotion Boards in Prominent Countries: The British tourism Office represented by VISITBRITAIN: It was formed out of a merger between the British Tourist Authority and the English Tourism Council, and is a non-departmental public body responsible to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Tourism Department of Dubai: DTCM is the principal authority for planning and supervising the development of the tourism sector in the emirate. Its teams are therefore organised to allow its customers – travel trade, investors, visitors (business and leisure) and other government agencies - to interact with it efficiently to transact information and business. Singapore Tourism Board: STPB actively promotes the development of infrastructure, including the building of hotels and tourist attractions such as the Jurong Bird Park and Sentosa which is now a popular resort island for both tourists and local visitors. The board also markets the city as a convention venue and organises events to attract visitors. The United States Travel and Tourism advisory Board: The United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (Board) serves as the advisory body to the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the travel and tourism industry in the United States. South African National Department of Tourism The South African National Department of Tourism is responsible for the development of the tourism sector and promotion of south Africa as a tourist destination locally and internationally. Tourism Malaysia: Tourism Malaysia is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia. It aims to market Malaysia as a premier destination of excellence in the region. Its vision is to make the tourism industry a prime contributor to the socio-economic development of the nation. Tourism promotion Organizations in India: The Ministry of Tourism India: The Ministry of Tourism functions as the nodal agency for the development of tourism in the country. It plays a crucial role in coordinating and supplementing the efforts of the State/Union Territory Governments, catalyzing private investment, strengthening promotional and marketing efforts and in providing trained manpower. Its main activities include determination of policies for tourism development, incentives, external assistance, manpower development , marketing and investment facilitation. It prepares guidelines and standards for tourism. It deals with international bodies, bilateral agreements, external assistance and foreign technical collaboration. It actively works for tourist facilitation, field publicity, tourism marketing, hospitality programmes and organizes conventions and conferences for tourism. Indian Association of Tour Operators – IATO: This association IATO is another body representing the tourism industry in India. It accepts membership from tourism bodies in other nations, and specializes in developing international linkages in India's travel industry. It has several committees which work on different aspects of tourism, and publishes information relevant to the industry. IATO interacts closely with the Government on all critical Issues affecting the Tourism Industry in India with the highest priority to Tourism facilitation. It interacts closely with all Government Ministries / Departments, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Diplomatic Missions etc. It acts as the common medium between the Decision Makers and the industry, and presents the complete perspective to both sides, synergising their common agenda of Tourism facilitation. All IATO members observe the highest standards of professional ethics and offer personalized service to their clients India Tourism Development Corporation or ITDC: India Tourism Development Corporation is one of the largest Hospitality companies in India. The company has various divisions to cater to different needs of tourists. The divisions are Ashok Travels & Tours, Ashok Group of Hotels, Ashok International Trade Division, Ashok Creativity, Ashok Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Management and Ashok Consultancy. Maharashtra Tourism development Corporation or MTDC: Maharashtra Tourism offers adventure lovers, over 45 adventures to choose from across its length and breadth. It has over 550 forts to visit including over 20 Sea Forts, 720 km of coastline, the incredible vistas of its western ghats that has superb wildlife and camping possibilities. From water to land to aero, there is a host of adventures to choose from in Maharashtra. MTDC actively promotes various touristic and historic sites in Maharashtra. Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation: This Corporation is the agency of Government of Jammu and Kashmir entrusted with managing government hotels and catering establishments. It was set up in 1970 and now has accommodation capacity of 2200 beds per day.The Corporation runs 37 restaurants across the state. Kerala Tourist Development Corporation or KTDC: The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) is a public sector undertaking that conducts and regulates the tourism activities of the Indian state of Kerala. The KTDC is headquartered at Thiruvanathapuram and has offices across all the districts of Kerala. The agency also operates hotels, resorts, and tourist rest houses in key locations in the state. Its official slogan is "Official host to God's own country." KTDC actively promotes the Ayurvedic massage and treatment, a specialty of Kerala. Main objectives of KTDC are: To promote Kerala as a leading tourist destination; To identify key tourist destinations within Kerala and promote it outside; to provide auxiliary support in developing key tourist destinations; to provide highest quality hospitality services to tourists; to act as one-source destination for various information regarding tourist destinations and other related information. and to ensure higher returns to government, through financial and social viable projects, and thereby provide employment In summary, Governments have tended to become involved in tourism because it helps improve the balance of payments, encourages regional development and diversification of the economy, increases revenue, improves income levels and creates employment. The following are some of the most important responsibilities of the government departments or boards in tourism: