Pollution blamed for drop in Beijing touris

BEIJING (AFP) – The number of tourists visiting China's capital fell by more than 14 percent in the first half of this year compared to 2012, state media reported Saturday, with air pollution blamed for the decline.

The total number of tourists arriving in Beijing during the first half of 2013 dropped 14.3 percent compared to the same period last year, the state-run China Daily reported, citing official statistics.

It is the first time China's capital has seen a decline in inbound tourists over the first six months of a year since 2008, the report said, adding that the total number of tourist visits during the period was 2.14 million.

"Frequent air pollution" contributed to the decline in tourists, along with a weak global economy, the paper quoted Lu Yong, the director of the Beijing Commission of Tourism Development, as saying.

The decline came despite a new policy allowing travellers from 45 countries to stop in Beijing for 72 hours visa-free, which was introduced in January.

Beijing regularly sees hazardous air pollution, and levels of particulate matter rose to almost 40 times World Health Organization (WHO) limits during a heavy bout of smog in January which attracted worldwide attention.

Original post @ http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/03/pollution-blamed-for-drop-in-beijing-tourism/

Tourism picks up in Greece, but without the Greeks

ATHENS, Attica: Foreign tourists are finding their way back to Greece’s islands and ancient ruins, offering a rare boost to an economy contracting for the sixth year running.

Arrivals are on the up again after dismal 2012 figures but domestic tourism is at a standstill and Greece’s second-tier destinations are more deserted than ever.

The Association of Greek tourism enterprises (SETE) this month announced a 10 percent rise in foreign arrivals at airports for the first half of 2013.

The Bank of Greece in turn announced that in the year running up to May 2013, tourism revenue had soared 38.5 percent and foreign arrivals 24 percent. It also said that tourism revenue grew 15 percent between January and May.

Head of SETE Andreas Andreadis said that improved political stability compared to 2012, a drop in prices caused by the economic crisis as well as the cancellation of holidays to Turkey and Tunisia all contributed to the recovery.

“The winter of 2012 and all the protests held in the country (against austerity measures) had caused a great drop in summer bookings. All the uncertainty with the back-to-back elections in May and June did not help either,” he told AFP.

If the upward trend continues through the crucial months of July and August, the number of foreign visitors is expected to pass the 17 million mark in 2013, after dipping under 16 million last year.

Much is at stake, as tourism makes up 17 percent of Greece’s GDP, in a country where unemployment is close to 27 percent. But an investigation by the financial crimes unit SDOE confirmed it would take more than revived tourist enthusiasm to replenish state coffers.

It found that about half of the one million hotels, restaurants and beaches inspected over the past year were dodging tax. In the highly popular islands of Rhodes and Santorini, three quarters of the businesses inspected were fined. Germans, Britons, Russians and French make up the majority of tourists visiting Greece.

Santorini has recently also seen an increase in bookings from Chinese, Japanese and Korean visitors, according to Panagiotis Bletsis, head of the island’s tourism office.

The popular island known for its breathtaking views registered the highest increase in foreign tourist arrivals for June with 27.5 percent.

“The most popular destinations are the ones benefitting the most from this rise, such as Mykonos, Rhodes, the Cycladic islands,” Andreadis said.

Other destinations, traditionally frequented mostly by Greeks, have a hard time making ends meet, he said. “Small hotels and room rentals that are not advertised face difficulties,” he said.

In the seaside town of Xylokastro in the Peloponnese, a two-hour drive from Athens, Margarita Theodossiou said she had never experienced such a difficult start to the summer season.

“We are just left feeling tired,” she said, explaining she can barely cover the running costs of her small hotel, Villa Margarita.

According to a survey carried out by the country’s consumer institute, 73 percent of Greeks will not go on holiday this summer, up from 69 percent last year.

The only affordable option for many Greeks was the popular practice of camping in the wild but the government has just doubled the fine for free campers. -- AFP Read more: Tourism picks up in Greece, but without the Greeks - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/tourism-picks-up-in-greece-but-without-the-greeks-1.328145#ixzz2aJarhnK5

Tourists, spending on the upswing in Arizona

Source: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/tourists-spending-on-the-upswing-in-arizona/article_0d8765d1-ad25-545f-912f-04c0678b1e4b.html

PHOENIX - Although the tourism sector of Tucson's economy continues to struggle, there are strong indicators that visitors - and visitor spending - are up statewide.

New figures from the Arizona Office of Tourism show more than 38.1 million people from elsewhere spent at least one night in Arizona and spent a cumulative $19.3 billion last year.

That $53 million a day in spending makes 2012 Arizona's best tourism year in more than a decade, at least in constant dollars. Even considering inflation, the report by Dean Runyan Associates said total tourism spending was still 2.5 percent above 2011.

While numbers compiled by several Southern Arizona agencies for the first quarter of 2013 show traditional measures of tourist activity here - hotels bookings and bed taxes, airport arrivals and head counts at tourist attractions - were down slightly or flat compared to the year before, the Runyan report looked a much broader range of spending statewide.

Food at restaurants, $3.6 billion, and at grocery stores, at $900 million, took the biggest bite out of tourist pocketbooks. Another $3.7 billion went to transportation, mostly gasoline and rental cars.

Retail sales, from hats to protect visitors from the sun to souvenirs like the "Arizona snowman" - essentially a hat, carrot nose and lumps of coal floating in a globe of water - accounted for $2.5 billion, with hotels and other accommodations coming in at $2.6 billion.

Still, there are some signs that, even beyond Pima County, the industry is not quite on track to full recovery.

Bookings at the Phoenix Convention Center, the largest in the state, are still lagging.

And the 161,300 tourism jobs is an increase over 2011 but still about 7,200 fewer than the record set in 2006, before the economy tanked.

State Tourism Director Sherry Henry said much of the reason is that travel-related industries are still waiting to feel a bit more comfortable that the worst has passed.

"During the really tough times, what they tried to do is what everybody did: doing more with less," she said. But with some positive signs, she expects that should encourage employers to start hiring again.

"Eventually these numbers are all going to level out," she said.

Time helps, Henry said, noting that surveys show awareness of SB 1070, which she said also impacted tourism to some degree, has seemed to fade.

Of the 38.1 million people who spent at least one night visiting in Arizona in 2012 - a 1.4 percent increase from the prior year - the new report shows the largest percentage came from Mexico. Mexicans made up two-thirds of those coming here, whether for pleasure, shopping or business.

Canadians are far behind at 15 percent. But from a pure financial standpoint, they are far better for the Arizona economy.

According to the report, more than half the money spent on tourism comes from Canadians. But much of that may be simply a function of time: Many of them stay for weeks or months.

By contrast, statewide spending by Mexicans accounts for less than 20 percent of total tourism dollars, with the balance from everywhere else.

On the domestic front, while Arizonans are known for flocking to the West Coast, there is evidence this is not entirely a one-sided relationship. California produced the largest number of Arizona overnight visitors, followed by Texas, Nevada, New Mexico and Illinois.

Total travel spending in Arizona

(billions of dollars)

1998 - $11.8

1999 - $12.7

2000 - $13.7

2001 - $13.2

2002 - $13.2

2003 - $14.1

2004 - $15.2

2005 - $16.8

2006 - $17.8

2007 - $18.1

2008 - $18.0

2009 - $16.4

2010 - $17.5

2011 - $18.5

2012 (preliminary) $19.3

Source: Dean Runyan Associates through Arizona Office of Tourism

St. Andrews hopes for big boost in sports tourism

SANFORD – When Bill Underwood looks at the number of tourists who visit Maine and New Hampshire each year, he sees an untapped source of revenue for Sanford.

The former mill town in the heart of York County misses much of the lucrative tourist traffic that passes to its east and west, but Underwood and a local businessman have an idea that they hope will change that: a unique year-round theme park, possibly with a "Maine outdoor adventure" theme.

"It would be something different that doesn't exist," he said.

Underwood, a Springvale resident who worked in the tour and travel industry and now serves on a local economic restructuring committee, is leading the theme park project along with H. Allen Mapes.

"This seemed like the kind of industry we should be taking advantage of," Underwood said. "We can attract new development, whether it's a traditional theme park or a series of attractions."

Underwood and Mapes have raised nearly all of the $35,000 they need to bring two consultants to Sanford to do a preliminary feasibility study.

The City Council contributed $5,000 toward the study; the rest of the money has come primarily from donations from the business community.

The amusement park consultants are tentatively scheduled to be in Sanford at the end of July for a tour that will include a fly-over in a helicopter to view potential sites for a theme park, Underwood said. He expects the report on the consultants' findings to be ready a month later.

Sanford, built along the Mousam River, endured the closure of its mills in the 1950s and the decline of its industrial base in the 1980s and 1990s.

"When we lost our textile mills, we took a terrible hit. We lost 3,000 jobs overnight," Mapes said. "I don't think we've ever recovered from that terrible blow. It's been a long, hard battle."

Sanford had high hopes a decade ago that a casino might bring visitors and spark the local economy, but that plan was rejected by voters statewide.

The theme park isn't intended to compete with other attractions in the region, Underwood said. "For instance, Saco has outdoor water parks and York has a zoo and a kids' amusement park. We wouldn't want to duplicate that and draw people away from those parks."

Underwood and Mapes said Sanford's attraction could include an indoor water park that operates year-round, something the area lacks.

City Manager Steven Buck said he and other city officials are interested to see "what potential Sanford has to create a tourism destination."

"This could be part of the diversification of Sanford's economy," he said, creating the "base that Sanford needs in order to take part in the tourism industry."

Sanford officials have been focused in recent years on stimulating the local economy and courting new development.

At the beginning of this year, Sanford became a city, a designation that officials say better reflects its stature as Maine's seventh-largest community. It also introduced a new motto, "Sanford Maine: Explore. Create. Grow."

Underwood said a theme park would add tax revenue and boost other businesses in the city. It would also provide needed jobs, he said.

Sanford's proximity to southern Maine and New Hampshire is advantageous, Underwood said, citing the proposal in 2003 to build a $650 million casino in south Sanford.

"There's a reason why the developer picked this area. It's not a secret this would be a prime location for some kind of tourist attraction project," he said.

Underwood, who has many ideas for the theme park, said the theme could evolve based on the findings of the consultants. For now, he envisions a park with a theme that capitalizes on what Maine – and Sanford – has to offer.

He sees the possibilities as nearly endless: there might be camping, cabins or tree houses, outdoor activities or an indoor water park.

While the theme park is still in the idea phase, Underwood and Mapes said it has been generating interest around town.

"I'm saying a prayer (this will happen). We need to improve the economy of Sanford," Mapes said. "The people, I hope, will come from miles around."

Gillian Graham can be contacted at 791-6315 or at:

ggraham@pressherald.com

Twitter: grahamgillian

Original post at http://www.kjonline.com/news/weaky-leady-or-secondry-story-gets-a-headliny_2013-07-06.html

Poorism tourism: A highly unethical new trend in travel?

Those seeking a chance to see how the other half live, can now pay to go on special tours of the poorest neighbourhoods in the world. "Poorism" is the latest trend in tourism that invites people to find authenticity in a destination by looking at its most impoverished areas. Some examples of the tours include a trip to the Bronx, Brazil's Favelas, the townships of South Africa and New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward. While this type of tourism strives for authenticity, some are coming out and saying it is unethical and exploitative voyeurism.

The book Slum Tourism: Poverty, Power & Ethics details the booming trend of poorism and how people's search for new experiences is behind this new craze in travel that takes them to the poorest parts of the world. "As we get more and more connected...there's always going to be people who want to figure out something new that hasn't been done before and at the moment slums are still a new form of tourism," its co-editor, Ko Koens, told Q guest host Gill Deacon.

But with the boom of this tourism comes a spate of criticism. As one of the critics of poorism, Koens says "it's a very extreme form of tourism and the main problem really is that you are really visiting people's living space and people's homes. In some tours, people just enter local people's homes. And that really makes it very personal and it makes it very difficult to do it in a respectful way. If you talk about people without people really knowing about it then it becomes hard to really be on an ethical tour." The way the tours are run becomes especially questionable when the tours are led with no interaction with the people and when none of the profits are put back into the community.

But as problematic as these tours are, Koens says there are ways to run them ethically. "It's not all tours to impoverished areas that are misrepresenting the area that they're visiting, several slum tours have won prizes for their responsible and sustainable tourism because they actually try to improve the local situations and they try to paint a different picture and show people that it's actually an area where people live." And while some people are motivated to slums via their quest for something exotic, there are still people who go because of ethical reasons and who want to see the whole context of a country they love.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/

Australia's tourism set to top predictions

Tourism Australia says the country's tourism industry is on track to be worth $115 billion by 2020
.

AUSTRALIA'S tourism industry is on track to be worth $115 billion by 2020, $18 billion more than predicted, the nation's tourism board says.

The nation has seen growth in both international and domestic tourists in the past three years despite the high Australian dollar. The industry was worth $69 billion in 2010 and was predicted to grow to $97 billion within a decade.

However, the industry will surpass this prediction and is set to hit $115 billion, Tourism Australia boss Andrew McEvoy says. The organisation set a goal for the industry to be worth between $115 billion and $140 billion by 2020.

"The good news is that after three good years we're on track to get to the bottom end of that," he told reporters at the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) in Sydney on Friday.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Australia ranks 42nd for international tourist arrivals.

"But we're number eight in the world for tourism receipts, that's spend by visitors in our country," Mr McEvoy said.

"We are in many ways a boutique destination that will never win in volume but can win for yield."

Last year 6.1 million international tourists flocked to Australia, up five per cent on the previous year.

The number of Chinese visitors accounted for about a third of the growth, with 626,000 Chinese heading Down Under last year compared to 542,000 in 2011.

By 2020 the Chinese tourism market is predicted to be worth $7.4 billion to $9 billion to the Australian economy.

More than 1300 delegates from 500 Australian tourism operations and 700 international tourism wholesalers will attend the ATE from April 26-30.

Original post @ http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/australias-tourism-set-to-top-predictions/story-e6frfku9-1226630268612

Tourism earned P47.2 billion in Q1

ABOUT 1.2 million foreign visitors arrived in the Philippines in the first three months of 2013, increasing by 4.5 percent the figures registered during the same period last year.

Tourists visiting the Philippines also increased their average expenditure from $84 per night in 2010 to $93 per night now or $960 for the whole stay of an average tourist in the country, Tourism Undersecretary Daniel Corpuz said on Tuesday.

The cumulative revenue from the foreign tourist arrivals amounted to $1.15 billion, or P47.2 billion at the current exchange rate, from January to March this year. In 2011 the estimated total revenue from foreign tourist arrivals was P100 billion for the entire year.

In its campaign to boost tourism, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said it will seek to improve tourist infrastructure and facilities such as roads and hotels; develop human resources and local governance in tourist areas to make these attractive to visitors; and aggressively expand tourist markets and local products that are attractive to visitors.

While the country’s white-sand beaches and resorts have been big attractions to foreign tourists, Corpuz said the Philippines has more to offer, aside from “sand, sea and sun tourism.”

The DOT is also developing the country as model site for tourist conventions and meetings, a diving and marine sports mecca and a center for English-language studies, especially for students from China, South Korea and Japan who wish to learn English.

Corpuz also said the Philippines is also being developed as a retirement haven, as well as a center for wellness and medical tourism.

“The country is well on its way to achieving its 5-million tourist-arrival target for 2013,” he added.

The department failed to reach its 4.6-percent annual tourist target last year; it recorded only 4.2 million foreign tourist arrivals. In 2014 Corpuz said, the department is targeting 10 million foreign arrivals.

Original post @ http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/news/top-news/12510-tourism-earned-p47-2-billion-in-q1

Tourism sector needs ‘more links, direct flights, lower landing fees’

RATHER than keep tourism efforts within each nation, members of the Asian Council of Tourism hope to convince stakeholders that they need to establish other links to boost tourism.

During the group’s breakout session at the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) conference last week in the Radisson Blu Hotel, session chairman George Abraham said the industry needs to study the possibility of linking with other countries to get a spillover effect.

He cited as an example his own country Singapore, which takes advantage of its proximity to Malaysia and Indonesia to offer more experiences to tourists.

Stewart Forbes, executive director of the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry, hopes the CACCI will help encourage the operation of low-cost carriers (LCCs) and take up market access issues with government.

He noted that on his flight from Malaysia to Cebu, the flight was not full and he worries that if it continues to be as empty as it was, the airline might eventually cancel the route.

He hopes CACCI can lobby for lower landing fees for LCCs and other measures to encourage more routes linking smaller destinations.

Sergei Solokhnenko, who represented the Philippine Pelagos Tours and Travel, which caters only to Russian tourists, said the lack of direct flights can be frustrating for Russian tourists. Most of them barely speak English and in coming to the Philippines, they have to change flights at airports in Hong Kong or Korea, sometimes waiting for as long as 10 hours.

He believes more Russian tourists would come if they have direct flights.

For speaker Robert Lim Joseph, chairman emeritus of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas) in the Philippines, the Aquino government has done well for tourism by making it a priority and getting the Department of Public Works and Highways to support it by shelling out P10 to P20 billion in infrastructure projects.

Though the budget allocation for tourism is still small, he pointed out that it has increased to P2.5 billion, allowing them P500 million for promotion and advertising.

Joseph admitted this amount is “peanuts” compared to what other countries shell out for advertising and promotions, but said they are carefully planning where to place advertisements and attending global tourism conferences to promote the country.

Even without direct flights from Europe to the country, there has still been an increase in tourists from Europe and the Middle East, he reported.

Joseph also cited efforts to promote the Philippines as a MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) destination, and a health and wellness destination, saying the country now has hospitals with the equipment to treat different conditions and these are accredited by international insurance providers.

Original post @ http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/2013/03/21/tourism-sector-needs-more-links-direct-flights-lower-landing-fees-273979

Kenya climbs in world tourism ranking

An increase in Government spend and a strong focus on environmental sustainability have seen tourism industry rise to the eighth position in sub-Saharan Africa, an indication that the sector is back on the pre-2008 growth curve.

This is according to a recent report by the World Economic Forum, Travel and Tourism Competitiveness 2013, which ranks 140 tourism destinations along industry and regulatory benchmarks that are considered to affect a competitive tourism sector.

In this year’s report, published under the theme “Reducing Barriers to Economic Growth and Job Creation,” Kenya climbed up seven slots in the worldwide index from 103 in 2011 to position 96.

According to the report, Kenya’s impressive performance has been as a result of efforts by various stakeholders like the Government, marketing agencies and tour operators to promote the country as a favourable tourist destination both abroad and locally.

“Kenya is ranked 14th for its natural resources, with its three World Heritage natural sites and its rich diversity of fauna,” reads the report in part.

“Tourism is a recognised priority within the country ranked 23rd on this pillar, with high Government spending on the sector and effective destination marketing campaigns.”

In addition to this, efforts by various governmental institutions like the Kenya Tourism Board and the Kenya Wildlife Service to promote domestic tourism seem to be bearing fruit stimulated by a growing middle class that provides a ready market for tourism and travel products.

A strong focus on environmental sustainability results in a rank of 21st position worldwide, which is particularly important for Kenya given the sector’s dependence on the natural environment.

In addition to this, the country is considered to have a favourable tourism infrastructure that makes it stand out as a preferred tourist destination among sub-Saharan African countries.

Kenya is placed sixth regionally in terms of available hotel rooms, an indication that the heavy investment in the hotel industry across the country over the past four years is starting to yield results.

The report findings come at a time when Kenya seeks to position itself strategically as a regional centre for tourism, banking on its heritage and leisure resources.

This high ranking is despite a struggle by tour operators to shake the ghosts of the 2007/2008 post-election violence that led to the worst year for the country’s tourism industry.

The image of the country as a tourism destination suffered greatly following skirmishes in several parts of the country that led to various countries in Europe and North America issuing travel bans advising their citizens to avoid travel to Kenya.

Drop in numbers

Tourist arrivals dipped by almost 40 per cent, while revenues plunged by more than 54 per cent in the first quarter of 2008 to stand at Sh8.08 billion, down from Sh17.8 billion in 2007.

The next two years saw the Government and tourism stakeholders embark on a charm offensive to convince source markets in Europe and America that Kenya remains an ideal destination in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The period that followed the 2007 elections was one of the hardest that we have ever been through as an industry,” reckons Mr James Karanja, managing director of African Savannah Tours, a local touring agency based in Nairobi.

“We had to let go a sizable number of our drivers and support staff because there were no tourists coming in and without the money it was difficult to pay salaries regularly and the situation was the same in most tour companies and hotels.”

Original post @ http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000079385&pageNo=2&story_title=Kenya-Kenya-climbs-in-world-tourism-ranking

Jordan tourism industry gathers momentum

Petra remains a top tourist attraction in Jordan.

AMMAN – The Arabian Travel Market (ATM) road show arrived in Jordan capital Sunday to conduct an educational seminar at a time when the government’s impetus is driving Jordan’s ambitious tourism development plans.

The Hashemite Kingdom is plowing ahead with its 25-year master plan for sector development and government figures report a 15.3 percent increase in 2012 tourism receipts on 2011 figures, adding $3.47 billion to the economy.

According to Jordan’s Central Bank, the increase in tourist revenues was due to the pickup of inbound tourism numbers, with an increase in visitors noted from Iraq, Libya and the US in particular.

Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels’ EMEA Q3 2012 Quarterly Newsletter reported that hotels in Jordan achieved the best trading results in the Middle East, primarily due to an 18.1 percent increase in occupancy. Amman was the best performing city in the Middle East & Africa region for the same period, with 30.4 percent RevPAR growth.

The Jordan Tourism Board will lead a host of high-profile participants to Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2013 which takes place at the Dubai World Trade Centre on May 6-9, such as Amlak Hotels & Tourism Investment and first time exhibitor Belle Vue Hotels. Commenting on the on the renewed optimism and confidence in Jordan, Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, said: “Jordan currently has a pipeline of around 3,858 hotel rooms, with 2014 set to be a banner year for openings, with a number of high profile hospitality names making their market debut, and the country is definitely on the cusp of a tourism revival,”

Leisure demand, thanks to the country’s rich cultural heritage, remains the key tourism driver and one of the key elements of the Kingdom’s tourism master plan is development in and around the Dead Sea and Aqaba with a number of hotels set to open in 2014/15, including the Westin Aqaba Harbor Resort & Spa, Starwood’s Luxury Collection Al Manara Hotel and the JW Marriott Aqaba Hotel & Spa, along with the headline grabbing $1.5 billion Red Sea Astrarium - a Star Trek-themed amusement park.

“The current annual capacity of 3.5 million passengers at Queen Alia International airport, will be superseded by expansion plans to accommodate up to nine million passengers per year with the imminent launch of the new $750 million terminal, and a second phase taking that to 12 million in the coming years,” added Walsh.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, the total number of visitors to the country fell by 7.3 percent in 2012, to 6,314,250, compared to 6,812,426 in 2011, however 4,162,367 overnight tourists were recorded in 2012, up a healthy 5.1 percent from 3,959,643 in 2011. The number of visitors heading to Jordan’s key archaeological sites also dropped, although Petra Archaeological Park reported a 15 percent increase in December 2012 visitors against the previous year. — SG

For the original post visit: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130211152714

Tourism looking up in Myrtle Beach area

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Tourism throughout South Carolina and along the Grand Strand improved last year compared to 2011 despite a still wobbly economy, and officials expect that momentum to continue this year.

Low gas prices, new air service such as Southwest in Charleston and Greenville and the PGA Tour Championship on Kiawah Island helped South Carolina tourism perform better in 2012 than 2011, said Duane Parrish, director of the S.C. Parks, Recreation and Tourism department, the state’s main tourism promoter.

“Those things have combined to help us out quite a bit,” Parrish said. “Pretty strong given the shaky national economy.”

Statewide, revenue per available room -- a key gauge of the industry known as Rev PAR -- jumped 6.8 percent, in line with the national average and better than the South Atlantic region, Parrish said. Admissions tax revenue, collected at golf courses, attractions and other places that charge admission, increased 2.6 percent statewide last year, he said.

The health of the state’s $15 billion tourism industry will be a topic Parrish will discuss next week during the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Travel at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. More than 400 tourism leaders from across the state will attend the three-day conference, which kicks off Monday. Gov. Nikki Haley is expected to attend a luncheon Wednesday where awards will be handed out to top attractions and others.

Tourism has been a bright spot amid the ongoing economic sluggishness, and statistics show 2012 continued the trend.

Along the Grand Strand, lodging occupancy increased slightly, and tourists paid more for a place to stay. Average occupancy at hotels, condo-tels and campsites ticked up 0.9 points to 52 percent, and the average daily rate for that segment increased by $3.12, according to Taylor Damonte at Coastal Carolina University, which tracks the local tourism industry. Average occupancy at vacation rental properties ticked up 0.7 points, and the average daily rate increased for those properties by $5.51.

“We are seeing some pretty healthy numbers,” Damonte said.

But it will take some time before demand catches up with the oversupply of rooms, which would usher in more significant growth, he said.

“We are still in an overbuilt market and will continue to be for the next two to four years,” Damonte said.

Tourism promoters expect the industry to grow by about the same percentages this year, though some economists and others are concerned about the potential affect from the increase in payroll tax withholdings that leaves every worker taking home fewer dollars.

Damonte said the Grand Strand typically does well when travelers are watching their dollars because it’s a drive destination and affordable when they get here.

“When the economy is tough, we tend to do better,” Damonte said. “You can still get in your minivan in Maryland or New Jersey and get here in a day with the family.”

The ongoing lagging economy doesn’t worry Parrish, who said the state’s tourism industry has done well even amid the down times.

“You could have said that for the last two years, so I think we can do it again,” Parrish said.

Low gas prices last year helped South Carolina, where 80 percent of the visitors drive to get here, Parrish said. Nationally, gas prices hit another record high in 2012 -- $3.60 a gallon, up from the previous high of $3.51 in 2011, according to AAA -- but they tapered off after the start of 2012 and didn’t get as high as some had feared.

This year, gas prices are expected to drop for the first time in four years. The average price of a gallon of gas is expected to fall 5 percent to $3.44, according to the U.S. Energy Department.

Golf will get an extra advertising push this year, which could give a needed boost to the Grand Strand. The state’s tourism agency will pump more into promoting golf, aiming to feed off the spotlight that was on South Carolina last year when it hosted the PGA Tour Championship in Kiawah Island. About 23 percent of PRT’s overall marketing budget, up from 20 percent, will be spent on golf this year, Parrish said.

“The awareness of golf in the state is at an all-time high,” he said.

The number of paid rounds played on the Grand Strand was down about 0.73 percent in 2012, according to marketing group Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. Loss of air service to key markets on Myrtle Beach-based Direct Air, which abruptly stopped flying and filed for bankruptcy in March, combined with fewer discretionary dollars for golfers to spend has kept the rounds from growing, officials have said.

PRT, which has its first new advertising agency in 30 years, also plans to focus on promoting rural and niche markets. That shouldn’t take away from the Grand Strand, which still gets promotional dollars through PRT’s 2-for-1 program, Parrish said. Myrtle Beach got $6 million through that program last year, he said.

“The coast will always be the biggest mover of dollars,” Parrish said.

For the Grand Strand, Damonte expects about the same as last year: Lodging occupancy up slightly, combined with higher rates.

“We are still improving,” he said. “We are going in the right direction.”

For the original post visit:http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/01/28/3818062/tourism-looking-up-in-myrtle-beach.html

Kenya Tourism Board Celebratory Luncheon

The Kenya Tourism Board recently held a luncheon at Laico Regency to celebrate their victory after bagging the Best Tourism Board in Africa award presented during the World Travel Awards (WTA) in India.

It was no mean feat for the board as they edged out South Africa which has been holding the award for the last four years. KTB Managing Director, Muriithi Ndegwa, said that the award has boosted the image of the country and placed it in the limelight as a tourist destination.

"Over the last two years, KTB has been receiving impressive results following the successful implementation of product and market diversification strategy, adoption of new promotion strategies, increased advertising campaigns and partnerships with major tour operators worldwide coupled with collaborative engagement with the private sectors," he said.

In attendance were KTB chairman Kitili Mbathi, Eco-Tourism chairman Andrew Muigai and Kenya Hotel Keepers and Caterers Association chief executive Mike Macharia.

For the original post visit: http://allafrica.com/stories/201301020053.html