world tourism news


Roger


Dow, president of the US Travel Association, said: “According to NTTO data, international travel was down by between 4-6% in 2017 but this wasn’t making sense when we were speaking to our US partners, who were often saying their visitor numbers were flat for the year, or even up.”


Pic caption for here please...


Dow explained that inbound


foreign citizens “were being counted as returning US citizens,” and predicted the problem would be rectified within the next six months. Separately, the US has admitted that it is falling behind competitors in terms of attracting long-haul visitors. New figures show the country’s share of the global long-haul market shrank between 2015 and 2017, the first fall after more than a decade of consistent growth. During this period, the US share slipped from 13.6% of global total to 11.9%, costing the country $32.2 billion in lost revenue.


The fall means the US share of global long-haul travel is now behind that of China, France and Germany. The USTA has begun work with


the Trump administration and Visit US Coalition, a conglomerate of trade groups launched in January, to reverse the decline in market share.


Swaziland marketing reflects change of name


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waziland is to be marketed under its new name, eSwatini, to reflect its change of identity,


with a revamped tourism website and promotional literature due in the coming months.


During celebrations in April marking 50 years of independence from British rule, the country was renamed eSwatini, meaning “place of the Swati people”. Swaziland had been its colonial name but, unlike other African countries in this position, the destination did not update its identity when it became self-governing. In a speech outlining the change, King Mswati III said: “As we are aware, the name Swaziland was inherited from the British. If we are to give true


meaning to our independence, the time has come to give our country a name of its people. It must be said that this process is long overdue.” Tourism attractions in the kingdom – which is the smallest country in the Southern Hemisphere – include safari, white water rafting and cultural experiences. “Those of us responsible for


promoting the country’s tourism will be adopting eSwatini from now on,” said a tourist board spokesperson, who added: “It will take time for those changes to be implemented across all platforms, so please bear with us while that happens.”


The new mobile-friendly website will be at thekingdomofeswatini.com


Zimbabwe safari experience


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company specialising in Zimbabwe. Mavros Safaris is an offshoot of the luxury Patrick Mavros brand and has plans to help bring tourists back to Zimbabwe following the resignation of former president Robert Mugabe in November.


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Alexander Mavros – one of the four sons of Patrick Mavros, founder of the silverware business – said Mavros Safaris would be the leading specialist for the country.


The company has a UK office plus an experienced on-the-ground team in Zimbabwe. “We grew up in Zimbabwe and have an intimate knowledge of the best spots, and we anticipate the UK market will be a very important one for us,” Mavros said.


n upmarket African silverware and jewellery brand has launched a safari tour


“Tourism fell off a cliff and as a family we now have a huge opportunity and real purpose – to send people to the country and help


conserve the experiences and the national parks, which make up 13% of the country. We want anyone’s help to do that,” he said. Among the experiences the company offers are stays in private homes, riverboat safaris and cultural retreats. Luxury accommodation including Matetsi Victoria Falls and Singita Pamushana Lodge are in its portfolio.


summer 2018 wtm insights 7


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