Indian Ocean Tourism Organisation
Vision and Mission
Statement
Accepting and respecting that every
country in the Indian Ocean Region has its own unique tourism product, image,
strategies and structure, there clearly are tourism issues of common interest
and mutual benefit within the Indian Ocean Region.
The vision for the region is that every country around the Indian Ocean
Rim will optimise its tourism potential in a sustainable manner for the benefit
of all of its peoples.
To this end, IOTO's Mission
is:
To Enhance Regional Co-operation and
Understanding Through Sustainable Tourism
How
IOTO fits into the overall tourism picture
The
approach of IOTO will be to complement and add value to the strategies and
activities of public and private sector tourism organisations around the Indian
Ocean Rim by:
- positively positioning and marketing the Indian Ocean Region
as a unique tourism destination area
- facilitating co-operation and co-ordination among IOTO
destinations and members
- promoting the expansion of appropriate transportation
services and facilities to and within the Indian Ocean Region
- liaising on behalf of its members with governments and
authorities towards reducing barriers to travel
- encouraging improved service standards and the quality of the
visitor experience throughout the destination area
- encouraging all members to support sound environmental
tourism practices for the long-term benefit of their communities
- facilitating information dissemination and skills interchange
throughout the region
IOTO has also adopted
the
Principles for Coastal Zone Management
. It is intended that these guide the national
planning process and tourism development around this tourism destination
area.
What are the advantages of IOTO
Membership?
- Sharing in the benefits of tourism growth that result from
improved co-operation and understanding among the countries of the Indian
Ocean Region.
- Benefiting from umbrella marketing influence and
opportunities.
- Access to IOTO database and other marketing
intelligence.
- Direct access and networking opportunities through IOTO to
other member destinations.
- Combined strength in addressing issues of common interest and
mutual benefit.
- Co-operation in addressing individual members' key
constraints and interests that are of regional relevance.
- Promotion of standard service and quality throughout the
region.
- Collective participation in globally recognised environmental
programmes.
Membership in
IOTO
It is believed by the founders that IOTO
should not seek to be all things to all people and thus, should only seek
membership from those entities which the Organisation can confidently offer and
deliver membership benefits to. Initially, IOTO seeks members from governments,
tourism organisations, carriers, major hotel and resort groups, major tour
operators and industry entities from the 25 IOTO core
countries.
IOTO Core Countries
AUSTRALIA |
BANGLADESH |
CHRISTMAS ISLAND |
COMOROS |
COCOS ISLAND |
INDONESIA |
INDIA |
MADAGASCAR |
KENYA |
MALDIVES |
MALAYSIA |
MOZAMBIQUE |
MAURITIUS |
OMAN |
MYANMAR |
REUNION |
PAKISTAN |
SINGAPORE |
SEYCHELLES |
SOUTH AFRICA |
SOMALIA |
TANZANIA |
SRI LANKA |
YEMEN |
THAILAND |
IOTO to focus on CZM
Priority
Responding to requests from a number
of its smaller and less-developed members and as an initial joint project under
its Strategic Alliance with the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), the Indian
Ocean Tourism Organisation (IOTO) will focus on the Coastal Zone Management
issue commencing this year.
Identified as a common
priority in all of IOTO's 25 core country members, the CZM issue is one that has
been attracting an increasing amount of community and tourism industry
attention.
"The synergy that binds IOTO?s core
membership is that their shores touch, or are surrounded by, the Indian Ocean,"
said new IOTO Chairman, Tunku Iskandar, of Malaysia. "With this collective link
and in the reality that the majority now have established beach resort areas, it
is appropriate that IOTO take an active umbrella role in addressing this
priority on its members' behalf," he added.
According
to the IOTO Chairman, the Organisation's Coastal Zone Management Initiative will
be driven by veteran world-class conservation and tourism planning specialist,
Robertson E. Collins of Singapore. Mr Collins, who is Chairman of the IOTO
Board's Projects Committee, has had many years of experience in related fields
with such international bodies as ICOMOS.
During his
recent visit to Seychelles for the IOTO Board Meeting, Mr Collins established
links with that destination's foremost CZM specialist - who is in the process of
establishing a CZM facility in Mozambique in East Africa, jointly funded by the
World Bank and the Swedish Development Agency.
"Established CZM resources in Africa, in the Indian Ocean islands such as
Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka and in Western Australia, plus the
involvement of major entities like the World Bank, offer IOTO the prime
opportunity to take a leadership and management role. The significance of CZM
for the Indian Ocean Region's tourism industry is major - and with WTO's
support, IOTO intends to begin co-ordinating the existing and potential
resources during 1997," said Tunku Iskandar.
"It is
IOTO's intention to focus attention on an issue that has direct and major impact
on both this industry and on the coastal communities in which tourism operates.
In taking a leadership role, IOTO will be pursuing one of its key foundation
objectives as it delivers another programme of relevance and of benefit to IOTO
members around the Indian Ocean," IOTO Chairman, Tunku Iskandar,
stated.
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Information Source
Prepared by ...
Indian Ocean Tourism Organisation
6th Floor, 16 St. George's Terrace, Perth, Western
Australia 6000, Australia
Telephone +61 9 220
1896 Facsimile +61 9 220
1810
Web URL
http://www.cowan.edu.au/ioto/