Travelism!!

 

I've never really understood what Geoffrey Lipman actually does, apart from swan around the world delivering speeches, but I do like his idea of 'Travelism'..!


Travelism is merging both terms of travel and tourism. Both are distinctive, although intimately linked to each other.  Tourism, of course, always involves travel but travel is not necessarily done for tourism reasons. Neologist term “Travelism” recognizes then this relationship. Travelism takes a holistic view of the travel and tourism value chain at strategic, policy and operational levels. Travelism is more able than ‘tourism’ to capture the full extent of the travel value chain, the full direct economic and social impact of the activity, or its catalytic indirect effect on related activities, like infrastructure or communications.


Geoffrey Lipman was at the Mekong Tourism Forum, where he told delegates from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar that while the projections showed that they will remain one of the fastest-growing regions for tourists in the world for some time to come, they should put in place strong green growth strategies now to get lasting benefits.

He said that green growth does not mean instantaneous change to a low-carbon, resource-efficient, inclusionary-development pattern, but a progressive shift from the traditional “grow first, ask questions later” mindset.  He added that the dynamics of growth and the global public interest in the case of Myanmar, are an additional factor that make capacity management a major issue and sustainability a key starting point for policy.

His book, “Green Growth and Travelism – Letters from Leaders,” contains useful policy guidance on transformation from some of the most important decision-makers inside and outside the sector. 
In Chiang Rai, Geoffrey Lipman declared that ICTP – whose mission is to promote green growth and quality with destinations – is committed to working with Pacific Asia Travel Mart (PATA) and the Mekong Tourism Organization to bring its messages to the region, particularly into education and training systems.

What is the ICTP?  The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) is a travel and tourism coalition of global destinations committed to quality service and green growth. ICTP engages communities and their stakeholders to share quality and green opportunities including tools and resources, access to funding, education, and marketing support. ICTP advocates sustainable aviation growth, streamlined travel formalities, and fair coherent taxation. ICTP 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.