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/