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
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