CHARTS at World Travel Market 2014

 

6 - 9 November 2014, London

 

According to approved work plan, project CHARTS was presented at World Travel Market 2014 from 3 – 6 November 2014 in exhibition centre ExCel in London, by CHARTS Coordination and Management Unit (MCU), project Lead partner South Pelion Municipality (Greece) and project partners Pafos Regional Board of Tourism (Cyprus) and European Cultural Tourism Network (Belgium).

 

With particular role on promotion of project through tourism exhibition and support of project partner Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO), project has exhibition stand next to the Reception of Greece country during all four days.

Particular attention of CHARTS was focused on the WTM World Responsible Tourism Day and The World Responsible Tourism Awards, as project proudly official supported this day and activity by having special logo of it to use. 

 

According to official data of World Travel Market 2014 (WTM), the leading global event for the travel industry, experienced an impressive 4% increase in attendees with the event. In this year, WTM had 98,426 visits and 51,965 delegates.  Event welcomed almost 52,000 senior industry delegates. WTM 2014 hosted more than 100 conferences and events with a total attendance of 17,036.

CHARTS at ITB Berlin

 

5 - 9 March 2014, Berlin, Germany

  

Project Partnership actively participated at ITB Berlin 2014 in exhibition centre Messe Berlin at Greek National Tourism Organisation stand together with project partners Pafos Regional Board of Tourism (Cyprus), Vidzeme Tourism Association (Latvia) and Veneto Region (Italy).

 

During these days project Partnership promoted CHARTS, importance of culture and heritage for tourism sustainability, disseminated achievements and results of project so far to the relevant stakeholders and policy makers. In this time, the Award was promoted in the different way to wider audience - by pitching during free networking event on the small stage which was broadcasted in live social network Twitter.

Particular attention of the Partnership was focused on the presentation of European Silk Road Venetian Routes – project VeRoTour which was organized by UNWTO and Veneto Region.


A total of 10,147 exhibitors from 189 countries displayed their products and services to 170,000 visitors, who included 114,000 trade visitors. Due high level of media attention to exhibition, project had opportunity to introduce representatives of media with INTERREG IVC Programme, CHARTS project and Award contest for tourism destinations.
Around 5,700 accredited journalists from 81 countries and some 300 bloggers from 25 countries reported on events at ITB Berlin.

CHARTS at BIT 2014 - the International Tourism Exchange

 

13 - 15 February, Milano

 

Project CHARTS was presented at BIT 2014 from 13 - 15 February 2014 in Milano, Italy, by project partners Veneto Region and ECTN - European Cultural Tourism Network in order to disseminate project results and outputs so far and promote CHARTS Award 2014 contest for destinations across Europe.

This year the fair had an innovative formula with pre-scheduled appointments agenda with meetings held at the exhibitors' and sellers' stand. 

The Exhibition recorded a high participation registering more than 100 participating countries, 30.400 private travellers, 1.000 companies, 700 international buyers and 53.600 professionals operators. 

Thanks to the participation at this significant event for the tourist field, the Veneto Region had the occasion to disseminate the project result and CHARTS Award to a wide public, represented both by professional operators and the general public interested in tourism. In this sense we recorded a great interest from both these categories sharing with them different point of views and considerations. Thus the Project partnership established significant contacts with operators and people working with the best practices promoted by the projects (i.e. territorial skills, accessible tourism and cycling for tourists) sharing ideas and innovative proposals.

Participation at BIT 2014 was a successful output for the project and actively contributed to disseminate its results and meet other significant destinations and initiatives in order to promote the project and its results to the widest audience as well as to establish relationships with other organizations and destinations.

The attendance at BIT 2014 was also significant in order to know the trends and preparation activities in view of Expo 2015 in Milan and to share views related to innovative subjects of the tourist field, such as: IT tools applied to the tourist sector, responsible and accessible tourism.

 

 

CHARTS at BALTTOUR 2014

 

7 – 9 February 2014, Riga Latvia

 

Project Partner Vidzeme Tourism Association (VTA) presented CHARTS at the 21th International Travel Trade Fair “Balttour 2014” at Kipsala International Exhibition Centre. VTA introduced visitors and stakeholders with results and outputs of project and CHARTS Award contest for destinations in Europe.

 

The three-day event was filled with joy of discovering new routes in Latvia and worldwide and enticing prices. The best chefs, craftsmen, grown-up and kid dancers, singers and musicians made for a very special atmosphere.

 

Vidzeme called to draw strength from ancestral experiences and beautiful nature – the ancient places of worship as the common identity of the Baltic Sea coastline, routes to the places of worship in Vidzeme Upland, northern part of Vidzeme, Estonia and Sweden, and a website with information about more than 400 ancient natural sanctuaries. Intriguing offers were presented by one of the project partner - Vecpiebalga municipality and the county’s latest cycling guide that encouraged travelling in Vidzeme.

 

The fair was attended by 27,100 people, which is 15% more than last year, and five thousand of them were tourism professionals and invited guests. The whole exhibition presented 450 stands and 700 travel businesses from 38 countries.

CHARTS at World Travel Market 2013

 

4 – 7 November 2013, London

 

According to approved work plan, project CHARTS was presented at World Travel Market 2013 from 4 – 7 November 2013 in exhibition centre ExCel in London, UK, by CHARTS Coordination and Management Unit (MCU) and project partner Pafos Regional Board of Tourism, Cyprus, who leads project Component 2: Communication and Dissemination having specific skills, competence and experience at international exhibitions.

With particular role on promotion of project through tourism exhibition and support of project partner Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO), project has exhibition stand next to the Reception of Greece country during all four days.

 

Participation at WTM with stand was such a great opportunity to get INTERREG IVC project CHARTS project in the front of other destinations having face-to-face meetings in order to make awareness about project and promote its results to the widest audience in tourism industry in one place as well as establish networks with other relevant organisations for collaboration in future for tourism development.

 

Between 41 organisations from Europe, CHARTS project proudly official supported WTM World Responsible Tourism Day and attended The World Responsible Tourism Awards ceremony.

The reason of supporting officially WTM Responsible Tourism Day was due strong synergies with CHARTS project – ‘Responsible Tourism’ is one of the topic of good practice in project engaged with host communities. Project thematic workshop on this topic was held in the European Capital of Culture Sibiu 2007, Romania on March, 2013.

A well, three out of five key issues in the Responsible tourism programme of WTM: climate change, accessible tourism and volunteering by having good practices on these topics. Project organised Thematic Workshops on ‘climate change’ on September 2012 in North Wales, UK, on ‘accessibility to heritage’ on November 2012 in Tullamore, Ireland and ‘volunteering’ was covered on March 2013 in Sibiu, Romania.

After Award ceremony, project launched CHARTS Award 2014 contest for tourism destinations across Europe for Cultural Tourism development and promotion which is open to all tourism destinations across Europe.

 

Project Partnership was benefited with new established contacts in the Responsible Tourism field. Established contacts with representatives of Responsible Tourism field gives to possible newcomers in project give some contribution in the final Closing Conference of CHARTS where will be presented results of these good practices.

Additionally, prestigious Responsible Tourism Awards ceremony gave some ideas how to organise CHARTS Award 2014 ceremony at Closing Conference.

23 - 24 November 2012

South Pelion at International Tourism exhibition PHILOXENIA 2012 in Thessaloniki, Greece