Mediterranean travel and tourism has been hard hit in recent years. Not only has it shared in global industry pressures,…
Mediterranean travel and tourism has been hard hit in recent years. Not only has it shared in global industry pressures, it has also faced its own problems ranging from a lack of innovation in its product to overcapacity. The industry also has to respond to fresh challenges and opportunities brought about by the Internet. The Mediterranean is the world’s most visited destination and vital to the lifeblood of the global industry’s future. Mediterranean tourism needs to deal now with these new realities if it is to remain pre-eminent in world tourism.
For the first time, the Mediterranean travel trade and national tourism authorities have an opportunity to pool experiences and collaborate on seeking win-win situations for all players in the region, from low-cost airlines to dynamic package providers. The 1st Mediterranean World Travel Conference, held in Malta late this November, is a unique initiative focusing on practical ways to generate a sustainable future for the industry in the region.
The conference is organised jointly by leading tourism research and consultancy firm, IPK International – The World Travel Monitor Company, and the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), the Islands’ national tourism body. The initiative comes at a watershed in the industry’s history. The sector is undergoing a profound structural change which only occurs every 30 years or more. Leveraging on IPK’s wealth of experience as a provider of professional research on the industry, the Med’World conference aims to help tourism stakeholders identify the trends, plan for the future and exploit new opportunities.
Keynote speakers from both public and private sector tourism entities are to address issues of Marketing, Risk Management, the Product, Trends, and Logistics. The event is of partic ular relevance to entities such as airlines, hotel
chains, tour operators, travel agencies and city, region and state tourism organisations.
Med’World is conscious of the need to include all regions in the initiative. While diversity is part of the Mediterranean’s attraction, it may in the past have hampered regional collaboration within the travel industry. The conference aims to overcome the traditional lack of dialogue among stakeholders from both the north and south rims of the Mediterranean and incoming operators.
This 1st Med’World conference is intended to develop into an annual forum to act as a platform for structural change in the region’s tourism sector. For further information on both the Med’World initiative and this 1st Mediterranean World Travel Conference, please see www.medworld.visitmalta.com.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
