PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2ND MEETING OF THE COMCEC … · Proceedings of the 2nd Meeting of the Tourism Working Group 2 1. Opening Session In line with the tradition of the Organization

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COMCEC COORDINATION OFFICE

October 2013

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2ND MEETING OF THE COMCEC TOURISM WORKING GROUP

Standing Committeefor Economic and Commercial Cooperationof the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC)

Tourism Product Development and Marketing StrategiesIn the COMCEC Member Countries

PROCEEDINGS

OF THE 2ND MEETING OF THE COMCEC TOURISM WORKING GROUP

ON

“TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING STRATEGIES

IN THE COMCEC REGION”

(October 3rd, 2013, Ankara, Turkey)

COMCEC COORDINATION OFFICE

October 2013

Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC)

For further information please contact: Ms. Aylin SENOL GUN Expert Mr. Mustafa Adil SAYAR Expert COMCEC Coordination Office Necatibey Caddesi No: 110/A 06100 Yücetepe Ankara/TURKEY Phone : 90 312 294 57 10 Fax : 90 312 294 57 77 Web : www.comcec.org e-mail : [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

http://www.comcec.org/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................... 1

1. Opening Session ......................................................................................................................................................... 2

2. The COMCEC Tourism Outlook ............................................................................................................................. 3

3. Tourism Product Development and Marketing Strategies in the COMCEC Region ........................... 5

3.1. Presentation: Tourism Product Development in the COMCEC Region ....................................................... 5

3.2. Presentation: Marketing Strategies in the COMCEC Region ......................................................................... 10

4. Member State Presentations .............................................................................................................................. 13

4.1. IRAN ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 13

4.2. MALAYSIA ............................................................................................................................................................................ 13

4.3. OMAN ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

4.4. PALESTINE .......................................................................................................................................................................... 16

4.5. SAUDI ARABIA ................................................................................................................................................................... 17

4.6. TUNISIA ................................................................................................................................................................................ 18

4.7. TURKEY ................................................................................................................................................................................ 19

5. Private Sector Perspective on Tourism Product Development and Marketing .............................. 20

6. Utilizing the COMCEC Project Funding ........................................................................................................... 22

7. Closing Remarks ..................................................................................................................................................... 23

Annex 1: Agenda of the Meeting ................................................................................................................................. 25

Annex 2: Program of the Meeting .............................................................................................................................. 26

Annex 3: List of Participants ........................................................................................................................................ 29

Proceedings of the 2nd Meeting of the Tourism Working Group

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Introduction

The 2nd Meeting of the COMCEC Tourism Working Group was held on October 3rd, 2013 in Ankara, Turkey with the theme of “Tourism Product Development and Marketing Strategies in the COMCEC Region.”

The Meeting was attended by the representatives of 11 Member States, which have notified their focal points for the Tourism Working Group namely, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey. The representatives of the COMCEC Coordination Office, SESRIC and Islamic Center for Development of Trade (ICDT) attended the Meeting. The representatives from private sector have also attended the Meeting.1

At the outset, the representative of the COMCEC Coordination Office presented the “COMCEC Tourism Outlook 2013.” The participants were informed of the major issues regarding tourism sector development in the light of international tourism trends and insights on the current status of tourism in the member countries.

The Meeting considered the tourism product development and marketing strategies in the COMCEC region through focusing on the Analytical Study titled “Tourism Product Development and Marketing Strategies in the COMCEC Region” commissioned by the COMCEC Coordination Office specifically for the Meeting with a view to enriching the discussions.

The Representatives of the Member States have shared their experiences, achievements and challenges in tourism product development and marketing strategies in their respective countries. The perspective of the private sector on tourism product development and marketing was also reflected to the discussions. The participants had the chance to elaborate on the ways and means of enhancing cooperation in tourism product development and marketing strategies among the Member Countries.

The presentations and deliberations made during the meeting highlighted that tourism product development and marketing require effective collaboration among different stakeholders. It was highlighted that because of its competitive nature, effective marketing requires utilization of the full range of tools available including among others PR activities, e-marketing, social media, etc. Some recommendations have been made for enhancing cooperation among the COMCEC Member Countries in the field of product development and marketing. These are, among others, introducing award programmes, conducting joint exhibitions, developing joint tourism products, organizing exchange programs for experts and developing joint data base for tourism products among the Member Countries.

Lastly, the COMCEC Coordination Office presented the new COMCEC Project Funding Mechanism, namely Project Cycle Management (PCM) introduced by the COMCEC Strategy, and made a demonstration regarding the project application process.

1 The list of participants is attached as Annex 3.


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1. Opening Session

In line with the tradition of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Meeting started with the recitation from the Holy Quran. At the outset, Mr. M. Metin EKER, Director General of the COMCEC Coordination Office briefed the participants on the Working Group Mechanism, which is one of the main instruments introduced by the COMCEC Strategy adopted by the 4th Extraordinary Session of the Summit Conference held in 2012. Mr. EKER stressed that the Strategy aims to make the COMCEC a platform for producing and disseminating knowledge as well as sharing experiences and approximating policies among the Member Countries. In this respect, the Working Group Meetings, which are held twice a year in Ankara in each cooperation area, bring the qualified experts of the Member Countries together to produce knowledge, share experience and best practices and develop a common understanding in respective cooperation areas.

Mr. EKER highlighted that the second operational instrument initiated by the COMCEC Strategy is the Project Cycle Management (PCM) which enables the Member States to propose multilateral projects in the cooperation areas defined by the Strategy. Mr. EKER pointed out that this mechanism will give a momentum to Member States’ participation in the cooperation efforts. The Member Countries’ relevant institutions/ministries/public agencies will be able to submit project proposals to the COMCEC Coordination Office, which would serve to the objectives of the COMCEC Strategy and development of intellectual and human capacity of the Member Countries. Mr. EKER also underlined that the call for project proposals has been made in the early September 2013 and the Member Countries are expected to submit their project proposals. Lastly, Mr. EKER expressed his wishes for successful deliberations.

In accordance with the traditions of the OIC, as Head of Delegation of the host country, Mr. İnanç ÖZÇAKMAK, Inspector at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey was elected as the Chairman of the Meeting.

Mr. İnanç ÖZÇAKMAK welcomed the all participants to the 2nd Meeting of the Tourism Working Group and expressed his thanks for electing him as the Chairman. He emphasized the importance of tourism sector for the member countries in terms of its economic and socio-cultural impacts. Moreover, he underscored that tourism sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world. The business volume of the tourism sector equals or even surpasses that of oil exports, food products or automobile industry. Therefore, tourism has become one of the major players in international commerce and represents one of the main income sources in many developing countries.


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2. The COMCEC Tourism Outlook

Ms. Aslı TAŞMAZ DADAKOĞLU, Expert of the COMCEC Coordination Office, has presented some of the key developments of tourism sector in the world and in the COMCEC Region. In her presentation, Ms. DADAKOĞLU focused on the importance of tourism sector for development and provided an overview of tourism sector in the world and in the COMCEC Region.

With regards to tourism, she stated that tourism has experienced continued expansion and diversification, and become one of the most rapidly developing industries in the world. In her presentation, she shared some figures developed by UNWTO to reveal that a strong tourism sector could contribute in many ways to development and the economy. She also demonstrated the new tourism trends and stated that the weight of emerging economies in the international tourism market is increasing and the next two decades will be of sustained growth for the tourism sector. She also stated that importance should be given by the COMCEC Member Countries to these trends for tourism product development.

Ms. DADAKOĞLU also shared some of the figures of tourist arrivals and tourism receipts in the world. She said that international tourist arrivals increased from 678 to 1.035 millions in the period of 2000-2012. It is expounded that the growth of international tourist arrivals and tourism receipts in emerging economies are greater than advanced economies for the years 2000-2012 and there is a tendency of increase in Asia-Pacific Region and decrease in Europe and America. She stated that the growth of tourist arrivals in emerging economies was 4,3 % in 2012, however, this growth was 3,8% in advanced economies.

In her presentation, she provided a picture about what happened in the first half of 2013 in international tourist arrivals. She pointed out that international tourist arrivals reached to nearly 500 million in the said period and expectations about this growth would continue in the second half of the year.

Furthermore, Ms. DADAKOĞLU elaborated on the tourism sector in the Member States. Regarding to tourist arrivals, the COMCEC Member States performed above the world averages for the period 2005-2011. She presented that the COMCEC Member Countries constituted 14-16% of international tourist arrivals, and 12-14 % of tourism receipts in the period 2005-2011. It was highlighted that there was a tendency to increase in the share of COMCEC Member Countries in both tourist arrivals and tourism receipts.

It was also stated that Turkey and Malaysia were ranked 6th and 10th, respectively among the top 10 world tourist destinations. Regarding the tourism receipts, she demonstrated that tourism receipts were concentrated in a few member countries. In terms of tourism receipt per visitor, Lebanon was the first country among the Member States in 2012. Ms. DADAKOĞLU also shared some of the figures for intra-OIC tourism results in the Member States. Within the sub-groups of the OIC, with regards to the tourist arrivals, OIC-MENA can be seen as the best performing OIC sub-region. Similarly, tourism receipts of the OIC-MENA exceeded the OIC Asia sub-region.

Moreover, Ms. DADAKOĞLU shared the results of “The Travel & Tourism (T&T) Competitiveness Index 2013” published by World Economic Forum. She stated that there are four COMCEC members in the first 50 countries and United Arab Emirates had the highest rank


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among the COMCEC Members. She also informed the participants that the report analyzed 40 countries among 57 COMCEC member states and added that half of these COMCEC Members ranked as 100th and over. She made a comparison between the member countries through three sub-indexes (i.e. T&T regulatory framework; T&T business environment and infrastructure; and T&T human, cultural, and natural resources). According to this comparison, she stated that while the United Arab Emirates was very strong in T&T business environment and infrastructure, Malaysia and Turkey are better in T&T human, cultural, and natural resources.

Underlining the great potential in tourism sector among the Member States, Ms. DADAKOĞLU mentioned the following challenges affecting tourism performance in the COMCEC Region:

Sustainable tourism development strategies and plans Physical planning of tourism destinations Technical know-how and weak promotional activity Insufficient tourism-related infrastructures Insufficient tourism investments Lack of consistent tourism strategies and policies Lack of tourism safety Lack of tourism diversification

She concluded her presentation by stating that with a view to overcoming “lack of tourism diversification” challenge, the COMCEC Member Countries should give importance to the development and enhancement of new tourism products. She added that product development in tourism would improve the profitability of tourism businesses by increasing the number of products available for tourists, as well as the number of visits, length of stay and spending by individual visitors.

Following the presentation, the participants raised their questions and comments. Some of them are given below.

Question: From the COMCEC Tourism Outlook, we understand that the old school of 3S (Sea-Sun-Sand) System has been changed to 3E (Excitement- Education- Entertainment).What does Malaysia think about this change?

Answer: The participant from Malaysia highlighted that transition from 3S to 3E has been happening few years back. We do not just want to sell 3S but also 3E in our product development and promotion. Homestay Program, which was presented during the 1st Meeting of the Tourism Working Group, is basically a 3E. We have been doing Homestay Programs for almost ten years now. 3E is very successful and contribute much to the economy, tourist arrivals and tourism revenues.

Question: Do we have tourism statistics between COMCEC Countries? For example, how many Omanis visited Turkey and how many Turks visited Oman? How can we increase the number of visitors between the COMCEC countries?


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Answer: Ms. DADAKOĞLU stated that we have data showing the tourism movement across COMCEC countries. Regarding how we can increase the number of visitors, actually, it is a fair question. It is one of the reasons COMCEC Strategy bring together the relevant experts from the Member Countries to discuss those types of questions such as “What should we do to increase tourism arrivals?” and “How should we do?” It is possible to say that we can use tourism products and marketing strategies in our countries to increase tourist mobility among our countries. Moreover, representative of the ICDT informed the participants that ICDT organizes tourism fairs in every two years in one of the COMCEC Member Countries. The first one was held in İstanbul in 2005. The following fairs were planned to be held in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt but they could not be held. After a long delay, the 2nd Tourism Fair will be held on 23-26 April 2014 in Tunisia.

Question: From the presentation, we see that 2013 (first half) is a very successful year for Saudi Arabia. Would Saudi delegate like to comment on the reasons behind this success?

Answers: The participant from Saudi Arabia stated that in the last five years, we worked a lot to develop many projects, make several studies about the tourist and what the tourist are looking for in Saudi Arabia. We develop many products for the tourists in different parts of the Kingdom.

3. Tourism Product Development and Marketing Strategies in the COMCEC Region

3.1. Presentation: Tourism Product Development in the COMCEC Region

Mr. Peter MAC NULTY, Managing Director of Tourism Development International, made a presentation on tourism product development covering key definitions, characteristics, influences and determinants, issues and COMCEC Member Countries’ approaches. The presentation constituted the first part of the Analytical Study on “Tourism Product Development and Marketing Strategies in the COMCEC Member Countries” commissioned by the COMCEC Coordination Office specifically for the 2nd Meeting of the Tourism Working Group.

As the first part of outlining the framework for tourism product development, Mr. MAC NULTY explained that a tourism product comprised a series three responses from the tourists: experiential, emotional and physical. Taking the need to maximize visitor satisfaction, tourism product development was defined as: “the process by which the resources of a destination are shaped to meet the requirements of international and domestic customers”.

The complexity of tourism was demonstrated through Figure 1 showing the myriad of sectors, agencies and suppliers directly involved in the process. He added that there were also many suppliers to tourism organizations who participate indirectly in the tourism sector. These indirect suppliers can provide agricultural and fishery products, construction services, furniture and equipment supplies, handicrafts, engineering and other forms of maintenance, wholesale and retail operations, printing and stationery supplies, oil stations etc. Maximizing


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the opportunities for local provision of these products and services was a primary goal of value chain analysis, identifying what were termed as backward linkages. The aim was that the growth of the tourism sector should lead to the growth of the industries that supply inputs to it.

Figure 1. – Tourism Value Chain (Entities Directly Involved)

Mr. MAC NULTY mentioned the four categories that have a continuing influence on tourism. These were economic, technological, political and demographic factors. He stated that in addition to these, other factors such as growing environmental awareness, and both globalization and localization, also determined the shape and scale of tourism demand.

He explained the three primary stages necessary for destination authorities in establishing a framework for tourism product development. First, the appropriate institutional structures that plan, manage and market the destination; second, a system of coordination and integration between governments agencies and the private sector; and, third, planning procedures that provide guidance, encourage innovation and stimulate investment.

A series of nine principles and procedures, shown in Figure 2, to be followed in creating the most sustainable tourism product developments were outlined, starting with market research into tourist patterns and trends, the “matching” of product developments to the patterns identified through the research, the creation of areas within the destination appropriate for tourism product development, and full consultation with all relevant stakeholders.

Source: UNWTO

Travel Organisation and Booking

Transpor-tation

Accommo-dation

Food and Beverage

Handicrafts

Tourism Assets in

Destinations

Leisure, Excursions and Tours

Support Services

In origin

In transit destina-

tions

Car Rental

Hotels

Bars and Restaurants

Handcraft Shops

Cultural assets: Archaeology, communities,

ethnics, museums, tourism

attractions, intangible cultural

assets (music, legends etc., festivals etc.

Shows

Information Centres

Bus Co/ Informal

Buses

Apartments

Night Clubs

Craft Men Tourist Guides

Organisations

Grocery Shops and Retail

Outlets

Taxi Companies

Guesthouses

Handicraft Workshops

Independent Tourist Guides

Laundry

Internet

Travel Agent

River Ferry

Youth Hostels

Itinerant Food Shops

Transport Guides and

Escorts

Security and Bank Services

Call Centre

Airline Com-

panies

Tour Operators and Wholesalers

Informal Transpor-

tation

Kiosks

Food Souvenirs

Natural assets: lakes, rivers, reefs,

and mountains, forests, species of

flora and fauna etc.

Tourism Packages

Wellness and Spas

Internet Cafes

From origin to destination

In destination

Waste

Construc-tion

materials

Energy

Water

Educa-tion

Commu-nications

Public Security &

Health

Infrastructure Support

Value Chain Phases

Planning Development Operations


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Consideration of the possible development of flagship attractions, the creation of clusters of attractions, geographic or thematic touring circuits, and events/festivals were all identified as possible ways to boost tourism product development. The importance of preparation of a product portfolio and investment plan to assist prospective investors was seen as essential, as was the creation of a well-trained and educated workforce for the tourism sector. Finally, it was stated that no destination could prosper without a well-designed and well-executed marketing and promotional campaign.

Figure 2. Principles and Procedures of Tourism Product Development

Activity Purpose

Market Research

Understand profile, characteristics, tasks and trends of markets and

segments

Market: Product

Matching

Identify products and services to be developed in line with market

requirements

Tourism/Product

Development Areas

Identify areas within the overall destination appropriate for specific

types of product development

Stakeholder

Consultation and

Collaboration

Ensure the opinions and aspirations of all relevant stakeholders – local,

national, international – are canvassed and taken due account of in the

tourism product development plans prepared

Flagships/Hubs

Identify outstanding features within one or more tourism/product

development areas where major products can be developed to

constitute ‘hubs’ to attract tourists

Clusters, Circuits

and Events

Create the ‘spokes’ fed through the ‘hubs’ by bundling together a range

of attractions and activities, creating tourism routes, and organizing

festivals and events

Product Portfolio

and Investment Plan

Formulate the various tourism product development opportunities into

a cohesive and integrated development plan, and prepare and

disseminate a product investment portfolio for prospective investors

Human Resource

Development

Create vocational training and managerial educational programmes that

produce the level and caliber of personnel needed by the planned

tourism product developments

Marketing and

Promotion

Feature the tourism product developments in the positioning of

individual tourism development areas as part of the overall destination

branding.

Source: Handbook on Tourism Product Development. UNWTO & ETC. 2011

Mr. MAC NULTY informed the participants of results of the Survey undertaken for the Analytical Study. The Survey indicated that COMCEC Member Countries placed strong emphasis on sustainable and responsible development, caring equally for their natural and socio-cultural resources. They were keen to broaden the range of tourism products and experiences offered and, by so doing, attract tourists from a greater number of source markets. Countries with major tourism sectors looked to broaden their tourist seasons and spread tourism developments around their destinations increasing the numbers of tourism centers in the country. They placed high priority on innovation and authenticity in their tourism product developments. Countries in the early stages of tourism development focused on small scale


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developments with an emphasis on community involvement. All countries engaged in full stakeholder consultation and recognize the importance of attracting investment.

The ten broad tourism product categories that the various COMCEC Member Countries seeking to develop were: nature/eco-tourism, cultural heritage, community-based/rural tourism, sports and outdoor activities, urban/city tourism, business and MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions), medical, health and wellness, events and festivals, cruise and inland waterways, and beach and marine.

Mr. MAC NULTY informed the participants that the COMCEC Member Countries faced a series of challenges to the growth of their tourism sectors. Many of the difficulties stemmed from a lack of government support for new tourism product development. Many countries have limited technical know-how to plan, manage and operate their tourism sectors, with the result that tourism strategies and plans could be inconsistent. They were hampered by shortages of funds for tourism-related infrastructures, product investment and marketing and promotional campaigns. The prevailing Western consumer perceptions that travel to a number of countries in the COMCEC region were negative because of border formalities and safety-related problems.

Mr. MAC NULTY outlined the factors needed for successful tourism development planning and emphasized the implications for destinations arising from current and emerging changes in the patterns of tourist demand. A broader range of tourism products and experiences were needed to cater for market segments and niches identified through market research, at the two extremes of high end/up market and local community offering tourists direct access to the destination’s natural and cultural heritage.

The key lessons from the 19 case studies included in the Analytical Study identified the importance of creating awareness, stakeholder support and collaboration, technical expertise, regulatory management, cross-administration cooperation, commitment to implementation, maintaining the momentum of plans through active investment programmes, and the role of outside agencies in supporting development.

Drawing on the principles and procedures outlined, and conclusions from the Survey and case studies for the Study, a series of recommendations were outlined for the COMCEC Member Countries stressing the importance of effective institutional structures for tourism, comprehensive and integrated planning systems, and clear tourism product development and marketing strategies, implemented through a range of funding sources, the creation of appropriate infrastructure and tourism products, the facilitation of tourist movements into the country, and the adoption of modern marketing techniques. Separate recommendations were made for COMCEC Member Countries with large/rapidly developing tourism sectors, and for the least developed countries.

Following the presentation, the participants raised their questions and comments. Some of them are given below.

Questions/Comments: As Turkey, we observe that participating in international organizations’ contest, a kind of awarding system for tourism products is quite effective way to encourage each other, or learn from each other’s experiences or share the best-practices with


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each other. For example, European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) Project for EU attracted the attention of local authorities and they are keen to join this contest. Award is used in their national promotion campaigns. It could be a kind of small suggestion for the COMCEC Countries to develop an awarding system.

Answer: Your suggestion regarding awarding program is a good one. There are three potential benefits of this type of awarding program. First, people work hard for developing projects in government side in collaboration with private sector and it is recognition of their efforts. Secondly, it is an effective way for raising awareness of tourism. Thirdly, in the COMCEC context, this type of programs may raise the profile of COMCEC. Thus, it is a win-win proposal.

Question: If one of the COMCEC countries has lands to be given for investments to the private sector, there are two ways to give it. First way is to tender it and then get their ideas, feasibility study and leave the rest to the private sector. Second way is that government tenders it with the idea of project. Which way is better and why?

Answer: In terms of resources, if the land is important for example in terms of environment, a model enabling the long term ownership of land retained with the government is better. This can be made through public-private lease arrangements. It may be less important in urban areas. Actually, there are number ways to tender the land. However, it is very much depending on the individual circumstances of not only the country but also the particular area investment takes place, whether it is a developed area or not.

Question: Sometimes, there is a joint zone which is common between two or three countries. This zone has the same characteristics, good potentiality for making a single individual product. It can be mountains, river or a land. Is it possible to give some facilitation for the COMCEC Member Countries to have some joint tourism products? For example Silk Road project has many countries engaged. If we have a new common brand or tourism product with the cooperation of two or three countries, can it be more effective?

Secondly, we can organize exhibitions to introduce new COMCEC tourism products. At OIC level, there are already some awarding mechanisms such as “Best Tourism City of OIC”, “OIC Seal of Excellence of Handicrafts”, maybe we can have a similar award mechanism for the new tourism products of the COMCEC Countries.

Answer: Your last suggestion can be worked within the overall awarding program already suggested. There can be different categories under this program. Single initiative on the cross-border basis is a very good one. There are many different successful examples all around the world.

Comment: As we see from the presentation, the COMCEC Member Countries have different levels of tourism development. We can manage this issue through establishing reverse linkage between the developed countries and the less developed ones in tourism sector. We need information exchange among our countries and need to establish online web-site on tourism. It is not possible to develop our tourism sector without information.


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Comment: In order to develop new tourism products in the Member Countries, we should go by several steps. First, we need to create a joint database, web-portal for the Member Countries. Secondly, we can organize joint festivals. For example, we can organize “OIC Folklore Festival” in every year in one of the Member Countries as a new tourism product. Thirdly, we can use cultural route projects. There are old cities in most of the Member Countries and we can develop a new tourism product based on these cities. As COMCEC Member Countries, we can participate in international fairs with a joint product.

3.2. Presentation: Marketing Strategies in the COMCEC Region

Mr. Robert CLEVERDON, Director, International Projects of Tourism Development International, presented the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the market strategy component of the Analytical Study entitled “Tourism Product Development and Marketing Strategies in the COMCEC Member Countries.”

At the outset, he stressed the necessity for tourism destinations to understand what prospective visitors’ perceptions were of the destination. Since for the great majority who have not previously visited the destination, it was a mental concept, influenced by many factors such as source country travel distributors, the media (i.e. print, television and the internet), and the word-of-mouth experiences of family, friends and acquaintances who have been to the destination.

Mr. CLEVERDON explained the characteristics of tourism sector which have implications for destination marketing i.e. fragmentation of supply, interdependence and complementarity of tourism product offerings, rigidity of supply, fixed in time and space, the intangibility of the tourist product (expectation-experience-memory), high price elasticity of demand, seasonality, the fact that other tourists were part of the tourist product, and the importance of travel intermediaries.

Mr. CLEVERDON stressed that it was vital that products should be in line with demand trends. The destination marketer should therefore be closely involved in the design of the destination’s products. He added that a destination’s tourism marketing strategy was a component of the overall development strategy, and a vital part of the implementation of the plan.

He stated that no destination operated in a vacuum. For understanding the prevailing and emerging patterns and characteristics of tourism demand, it was essential that destinations assess themselves against their competitor destinations, through a place audit and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis that was regularly updated. He expressed that different strategies were appropriate if the destination was found to be superior, similar, or inferior to main competitors.

He explained that the process of market segmentation was essential in developing a plan to put the marketing strategy into action, through:

The organization of knowledge of customer groups and selecting those whose needs were best able to be supplied with their products.


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Dividing the total market into subgroups, or segments, for marketing management purposes.

Mr. CLEVERDON stated that the purpose of market segmentation was to facilitate more cost-effective marketing through the design, promotion and delivery of purpose-designed products, aimed at satisfying the identified needs of the target groups. The various methods of segmenting travel and tourism markets were explained, with a focus on lifestyle segmentation as a means of identifying the types of tourists – market segments – on which a destination might most profitably concentrate.

Mr. CLEVERDON informed the participants that the marketing mix – comprising the four components of product (or customer value), promotion (or communications), place (or convenience of access) and price (cost) – was the means of implementing the marketing strategy. Each of the four components has to be in synchronization with each other; none can act effectively in isolation.

Mr. CLEVERDON stressed that one of the important conclusions arising from the Analytical Study was the value of domestic tourism which has acted as the foundation for all long-established tourism destinations around the world. He cited the words of the UNEP workshop on Marketing Sustainable Tourism Products which counseled that over-ambitious new tourism projects with limited resources to attract “hard-to-reach” international tourists should be deferred in favour of promoting to the domestic market, and the extension of current products.

He shared the outcomes of the Survey conducted for the Study with the participants. The Survey indicated that the COMCEC Member Countries were actively seeking to diversify their tourism markets with increased focus on China, the Middle East/Gulf States, India and other Asian markets, and within Africa for Africa region members. The focus of the COMCEC tourism destination marketing activities was moving from advertising and other “above-the-line” campaigns to “below-the-line” activity such as public relations and social media. Three examples were cited of e-marketing based on customized and relevant information gathered from multiple sources i.e. Indonesia, Jordan, Sierra Leone.

Of the challenges facing COMCEC Member Countries identified in Mr. MAC NULTY’s earlier presentation, those with greatest relevance to destination marketing were: inadequate market knowledge (which necessitates greater investment in market research and exchange of information between COMCEC countries), and market image and perception (which requires strategic image management founded on the principles of being valid, believable, consistently used by all destination interests, appealing and distinctive).

The case studies confirmed the critical importance of market research and a detailed databank as a prerequisite to the process of market-product matching. The need was for a flexible and dynamic approach to destination marketing embracing modern technological developments, using the full range of audio-visual methods, and third party endorsement. Mr. CLEVERDON stressed that e-marketing was a tool of growing importance and effectiveness. He added that e-marketing brought the destination to the target customer through sound and sight, it was instant, it facilitated targeting, and it represented relatively good value-for-money.


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Mr. CLEVERDON stressed that marketing was essential to realize a destination’s potential but he sounded a note of caution that it could be a bottomless pit unless precisely targeted and selective. It required public-private collaboration and partnership to be fully successful. This was one of the three recommendations he outlined for the COMCEC Member Countries, the others being the twin needs of increasing internal awareness about the socio-economic merits of tourism, and creating a cadre of tourism professionals in tourism administrations.

He concluded by posing a series of questions for each COMCEC Member Country to consider:

What is the process at national level? What are the marketing strategies currently being pursued? What forms of collaboration exist between the public and private sectors? How is the coordination & cohesion of central and provincial tourism marketing

strategy and planning achieved? What are the successes and pitfalls? What are the reasons for these – areas for consolidation or change? In which direction is the country’s tourism marketing strategy headed?

Following the presentations, the participants raised their questions and expressed their comments. Some of them are given below.

Question: We understand from your presentation that if we have superior competitor, we have to defend our ground, protect our position and avoid over-popularity. If we have a peer competitor, we need to intensify competition or coopetition. If we have a weak competitor, we need to establish new positioning. What is the relationship between superior competitor and avoiding over popularity?

Answer: If you become over popular, the place becomes overcrowded; you are more likely to get customer dissatisfaction. Because everybody thinks that it is the best place to go. So you have to establish a balance. It is related to carrying capacity. You need to judge on the environmental grounds and social-cultural impact as well as the tourist satisfaction.

Question: Should we prepare the Marketing Strategy before the Master Tourism Strategy or apart of it? Or should we develop it after we finalize the Master Tourism Strategy?

Answer: You need to understand what is happening in the marketplace. Otherwise, you run the risk in your Master Plan of developing products without a market. You need to have strong information about the market trends and the developments you can take advantage of. Then you can prepare Your Master Plan and then the Marketing Strategy to better communicate to the market.


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4. Member State Presentations

4.1. IRAN

On behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mr. Mohammad GHASEMI, Director of Market Study and Development Group in the Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization made a presentation. In his presentation, Mr. GHASEMI shared his country’s experience on tourism product development and marketing, particularly focusing on the case Study of Matin Abad Tourism Desert Camp.

Mr. GHASEMI informed the participants that Matin Abad Tourism Desert Camp, located 6 km away from the Tehran-Isfahan highway, was one of the main attractions of Central Iran. The Camp has been founded specifically to offer different services and activities at a single but consistent complex to domestic as well as international tourists. Mr. GHASEMI stated that it could be regarded as an integrated package, an integrated tourism product. He mentioned some of the services provided by the Camp such as trekking, bike riding, camel riding, raising ostrich, star gazing, rally, organic farm, traditional restaurant, and traditional accommodation in caravanserais or tents.

Mr. GHASEMI shared some pictures of the camp with the participants. Solar thermal energy supplied 70% of the total energy in the camp area. Moreover, most of the foods, vegetables came from the organic farm located in the Camp. He stated that for this reasons, this camp could be regarded as an eco-camp.

A special logo was designed for this tourism product and was used in the items used for serving needs such as dishes, cups, etc.

Mr. GHASEMI explained that the most important reason behind its success was that the founder of the Camp was one of the most important tour operators of Iran. He created a new destination and put this tourism product into a tour package. In the holidays, the rate of occupation was 100% including not only domestic tourists but also international tourists. Mr. GHASEMI concluded his presentation by stating that rather than being a seasonal tourism product, this Camp has been working all year long.

4.2. MALAYSIA

Ms. YUHAINI YUSOFF, Director, Islamic Tourism Centre in the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Malaysia presented her country’s experiences regarding tourism product development and marketing strategies.

In her presentation, Ms. YUSOFF first briefly informed the participants about the general characteristics of Malaysia including its total land, population, climate, etc. She stated that in terms of tourism, the vision was to make Malaysia as the primary tourist destination and the mission was to attract more tourists to stay longer and spend more time in Malaysia.


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Ms. YUSOFF continued her presentation with some figures regarding the tourism performance of Malaysia in the world. In 2012, Malaysia was ranked the 10th in terms of tourist arrivals (25 million tourists); 13th in tourism revenues (USD19.7 billion). Tourism contribution to the GDP was 6.5 % and tourism sector was the 2nd largest foreign earner after manufacturing. She also stated that Malaysia was rated as the Top Muslim Friendly holiday destination for three consecutive years (2010, 2011, 2012).

Ms. YUSOFF briefed the participants the several brandings that Malaysia has used since the early 1960s. She stated that since 1999, Malaysia has been using the brand of “Malaysia Truly Asia” which was still a very successful branding.

In terms of the tourism products, she mentioned several tourism products of Malaysia including Muslim friendly tourism products, niche products, eco-tourism, homestay programs, voluntourism programs. Besides these products, new innovative products have also been developed such as contemporary art, shoe festivals, parks and gardens.

Regarding Muslim friendly products, Ms. YUSOFF stated that being aware of the growing importance of Muslim market segment, Malaysia was developing new tourism products and packages targeting the Muslim market. She gave some brief information regarding the Muslim market. In 2012, the Muslim tourists’ expenditure was USD 130 Billion and by 2020, Muslim tourists’ expenditure is expected to be USD 192 billion representing 13.4% of global tourism expenditure. Non-Muslim countries, such as Australia, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan tried to attract Muslim tourists. She underlined that since it would be a growing market, the COMCEC member countries should pay due regard to Muslim market and try to target the Muslim tourists.

Regarding the marketing strategies of Malaysia, Malaysia produced collaterals like brochures, video, posters, and souvenirs. Ms. YUSOFF stated that Malaysia has 44 tourism offices throughout the globe, basically in charge of marketing and promotion. Another marketing strategy of Malaysia was segmentation of markets. She stated that Malaysia has shopping tourism targeted certain markets such as China; eco tourism, sports tourism and Muslim friendly tourism targeted different markets. Moreover, development of tour packages was another strategy of Malaysia. They developed packages related to education tourism, medical tourism, etc. Malaysia has used advertising exercise in all types of media. They advertise locally for consistent demand, regionally for short and medium term haul and across the continents for long haul. Another marketing strategy Ms. YUSOFF mentioned was that Malaysia also engaged in hard selling by participating in roadshows and international exhibitions such as ITB, Arabian Travel Mart, WTM, etc. Malaysia also developed special campaigns such as “Visit Malaysia Year” which was started in 1990. “Visit Malaysia Year 2014” was the fourth one and it was regarded as a national mission. Whole country engaged in this initiative including private sector and other government agencies.

Ms. YUSOFF concluded her presentation mentioning the targets of Malaysian Tourism Transformation Plan. She stated that by the year 2020, Malaysia aims at achieving 36 million tourists, USD54 billion receipts and longer stay with higher yield tourists. A video on “Visit Malaysia Year 2014” was shown at the end of the presentation.


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Question: Though Malaysia is ranked in top 10 of tourist arrivals, with regards to tourism receipts, it is not in top 10? What is the reason behind that? Do you have any future plans to pull up Malaysia in top 10 lists in terms of tourism receipts?

Answer: It is related to the length of stay. Sometimes people do not stay long in the country. Our target is to increase the length of stay so we can generate more income. We develop events and activities to encourage tourists to stay longer and spend more. Some markets/countries use double-prizing for the domestic tourists. In Malaysia, we do not just focus on international tourists but also domestic tourists. We believe that if we are too dependent on international tourists, when there are unfortunate events, it is not easy to recover. We experienced it during bird flu in 2002. Thus, we must maintain the price for the domestic tourists to travel. We do not only promote to international tourists but also to domestic tourists. Moreover, our neighboring countries largely contribute to the Malaysian tourism.

Question: What is your marketing strategy or target market for medical tourism? Do you work with the private sector and how?

Answer: We do work with association of hospitals and medical centers in Malaysia. The medical centers that are operated by the private sector actively promote medical tourism throughout the country as well as internationally.

4.3. OMAN

Mr. SAID AL-BATTASHI, Desk Officer, Foreign Offices Department, Ministry of Tourism of Sultanate of Oman made a presentation reflecting his country’s experience on the tourism product development and marketing strategies. His presentation consists of two parts. First, he informed the participants about the tourism attractions of Oman through sharing some pictures of mountains, deserts, beaches, valleys, water springs, caves etc. He mentioned some tourism activities of Oman including among others camel riding, off-roading, cycling, dolphin watching, scuba diving, boating, climbing, trekking, camping, turtle watching, etc.

In the second part of his presentation, Mr. AL-BATTASHI informed the participants about the marketing strategy of Oman. He stated that since the Priority Action Plan for Tourism in 2000 and the Ministry of the Tourisms formation in 2004, a number of strategic marketing plans have been launched with the last being in June 2008.

Mr. AL-BATTASHI continued his presentation by sharing his country’s tourism vision which was to make Oman globally renowned as the most exciting tourism destination in the Middle East for authentic and un spoilt natural and cultural experiences by 2020. He stated that the Oman brand would be highly valued and recognized throughout the world and the growth in tourism receipts would consistently outstrip global and regional performance. Tourism would be a major contributor to the Oman economy.

Based on the 2020 Vision, Mr. AL-BATTASHI pointed out that Ministry of Tourism’s marketing goals for the period 2008-2012 were increasing Oman’s brand equity; achieving significant market growth; improving market yield and leading the industry to play a leadership role in mobilizing public and private sector marketing resources behind a single coordinated marketing strategy.


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The Marketing Strategy of Oman focused on:

Brand building and capacity enhancement Integrated promotion campaign International promotion Advertising and tactical promotions Exhibitions Road show Media and public relations MICE tourism

Lastly, Mr. AL-BATTASHI informed the participants about the future strategy of Oman regarding tourism product development and marketing. He stated that Ministry of Tourism was in the process of preparing an Oman Tourism Strategy to cover at least the next 20 years. Tourism product development and marketing strategy would be included in that process.

4.4. PALESTINE

Mr. Atiyeh KHATEEB, Director General of Planning from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of the State of Palestine made a presentation on tourism promotion and marketing mechanisms in Palestine.

In his presentation, Mr. KHATEEB informed the participants regarding the current state of tourism marketing in Palestine. He stated that two significant religious tourism destinations, namely the Church of Nativity and Al-Aqsa Mosque, attracted about 80% of the total tourist arrivals in Palestine. He also added that most of the tourist arrivals preferred to stay in the Israeli side after visiting Palestine. However, he added that Palestine had a strategy for tourism product development with a view to producing alternative types of tourism other than pilgrimage tourism.

He informed the participants that for tourism marketing and promotion, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities have participated in a number of international tourism fairs. He stated that these fairs gave them a good opportunity to build relationship with other tourism organizations and agencies, as well as build a true image of Palestine and Palestinians and promote Palestine in the political arena.

Mr. KHATEEB continued his presentation by giving brief information about the activities made by the Ministry for the tourism marketing. The Ministry produced a range of promotional and informative materials for the Palestinian tourism marketing such as brochures, maps, posters, souvenirs. A webpage has already been developed. In addition, press conferences in the trade shows in target countries and promotional tours have been organized by the Ministry and tour operators, international media agencies like magazines, publishing companies were also invited to these activities.

Mr. KHATEEB concluded his presentation by stating that the Ministry with its small budget (approximately about USD6 million) could not efficiently use the international media.


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Comment: The tourism sector in Palestine has also a potential for natural and cultural tourism apart from the religious tourism. The strategy of tourism product development of Palestine may also focus on these fields of tourism. The private sector in Palestine should be aware of the importance of marketing in order to change the negative perception of the Country. Regarding the budget problem, the Ministry can benefit from the new COMCEC Project Funding Mechanism.

Answer: The problem of the private sector is related to their perception. The religious tourism is an easy type of tourism. The Ministry has been trying to convince them to develop new tourism products. Unfortunately, as they are specialized in the pilgrimage tourism, they have not interested in other fields of tourism.

Question: As the public institution, do you have any policy or strategy in order to raise their awareness of the private sector for marketing?

Answer: Yes sure, we have a strategy with three goals and about fifteen policies. One of these policies is to develop Palestinian Tourism Board which includes more than half of the private sector. This Board will deal with marketing and developing new tourism products.

4.5. SAUDI ARABIA

Mr. Abdullah AL-MARSHAD, Director General of Tourism Program and Products, from the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities made a presentation regarding the various tourism products of Saudi Arabia.

He informed the participants that with the climatical, cultural, environmental diversity and various heritage and entertainment attractions, Saudi Arabia has a great potential for the tourism sector. The Country had also advanced infrastructure in terms of modern transportation and communication systems.

Concerning the tourism services, Mr. AL-MARSHAD pointed out that in Saudi Arabia many hotels and furnished apartments served for the accommodation of tourists. The Country had also many tourism destinations. Mr. AL-MARSHAD stressed that in the Kingdom, about 60 festivals and events are held in every year and regarding the marketing tools, several conferences and trade shows, e-marketing, road shows, press trips, call centers, campaigns are arranged.

Mr. AL-MARSHAD also gave a detailed information about the festivals in Saudi Arabia. He stated that as an original and vital field of tourism in the Country, the festival tourism has developed especially since 2007. The number of tourism events has increased from 20 in 2005 to 61 in 2012. This improvement contributed to the number of visitors. In 2012, the number of visitors was about 12 million, whereas in 2005 this number was 875 thousand. He underlined that the aim of the Country was to create locally developed and professionally organized festivals by using the best practices in the world. Therefore, he underscored that developing local competency and expertise is very important for creating sustainable tourism events.


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Moreover, Mr. AL-MARSHAD finalized his presentation by informing the participants about some examples of these festivals which were supported by the Event Support Program. One of the most important festivals in the Country was Okaz Cultural Heritage Festival, which is a major national event in Saudi Arabia. There were also agricultural festivals based on the unique local products such as olive, honey, dates, rose and fish. With this type of tourism, over 70 million tourists visited these festivals between 2007 and 2012. The Commission for Tourism and Antiquities’ next strategy regarding the festival tourism for 2013-2018 period would be to grow and consolidate this sector through know-how, marketing, media and financial support.

Questions: What kind of supports do you provide to the private sector under the Event Support Program and what kind of products do you focus on?

Answer: We support the private sector through technical marketing, finance and media. Regarding the tourism products, we start to focus on different type of products such as the ecotourism, sports and adventures, entertainment and heritage tourism because the tourists coming to Mecca and Medina are only Muslims and we try to open our tourism sector to the world.

4.6. TUNISIA

Mr. Ahmet KALBOUSI, Expert of the National Tourism Office of Tunisia, made a presentation on behalf of Tunisia. Firstly, Mr. KALBOUSI gave brief information regarding the Tunisian National Tourism Office (TNTO). He stated that the TNTO was a public establishment under the Ministry of Tourism’s tutoring with a non-administrative aspect having the civil personality and the financial autonomy. The main purpose of the TNTO was to implement the State Strategy in Tourism Sector, which aimed to develop the tourism sector, regulate and control the tourist activities, promote the tourism products and ensure the tourism training.

Secondly, Mr. KALBOUSI informed the participants about the importance of tourism sector in Tunisian Economy. The sector contributed to 7% to the GDP of the Country and it represented 5.2% of the exports of goods and services. Also, the tourism sector created employment directly or indirectly for 400 thousand people, which represented 12% of the active population. Despite the impacts of the world economic and financial crisis, Tunisia recorded during 2010 the same performances as 2009. However, because of the political instability, the tourism sector has been negatively affected in recent years. In order to overcome this challenge and to boost the touristic activity, TNTO has taken multiple measures which were:

Substantial increase of budget for the promotional operations of great importance Subsidy of air transport for the first time in order to maintain flights for the tourism

destinations. Supporting the tour operators featuring Tunisia to stimulate the sales.

Mr. KALBOUSI also gave detailed information about the potential of tourism sector in Tunisia. He expressed that with its geographical proximity to Europe, various natural resources and hospitality as a cultural act, tourism sector of Tunisia had a great image to attract international


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tourists. The sector also provided numerous tourism products such as beach, sport, health and cultural tourism, as well as tourism of congress and ecotourism. Having 1.300 Km of coastline, the beach tourism was the most important product of Tunisian tourism thanks to beautiful beaches and a modern hotel infrastructure. Moreover, in terms of the health tourism, Tunisia was the 2nd thalassotherapy destination in the world with 49 centers of thalassotherapy spread over the different touristic regions. Furthermore, as the country of Carthage and the homeland of Hannibal, the cultural tourism in Tunisia had a great potential with the destinations historically vital, included seven sites classified by UNESCO as human heritage.

Mr. KALBOUSI concluded his presentation by giving brief information about the plan of action for the future of the tourism sector in Tunisia for the next years which would be based on the following 4 axes:

Reinforcement of attractiveness of Tunisia Creation of the value and increase of touristic income Reducing the seasonality and multiplication of opportunities Conquest of new markets and new segments of clients

Comment: You mentioned that the average length of stay of tourists is approximately 4,7 days. I think it is because of the package tours and mass tourism.

Answer: Yes, the tourists visiting Tunisia stay long time. In my opinion, we should also focus on the short stay. Since Tunisia is close to Europe geographically, we have a potential to increase the number of short-stay tourists.

4.7. TURKEY

Ms. Arzu Emel YILDIZ, Controller of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism made a presentation on behalf of Turkey. After giving brief information on the developments in the tourism sector in Turkey, Ms. YILDIZ informed the participants about the objectives of Turkish tourism sector for 2023. She pointed out that these objectives include; being among the 5 top countries in the world, increasing expenditure per visitor, and spreading tourism into 12 months to countrywide by diversifying tourism products and focusing on other tourism products such as MICE, golf, health and shopping.

In her presentation, Ms. YILDIZ focused on 3 tourism products successfully developed by Turkey, namely MICE tourism, golf tourism and shopping tourism.

Regarding the MICE tourism, she briefed the participants on the MICE tourism activities in İstanbul. She stated that in order to improve the MICE tourism in İstanbul, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism organized meetings with related public-private institutions. Aftermath, a professional coordination office called İstanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau (İCVB) was founded. Moreover, with a view to attracting the international conventions, high-tech accommodation facilities and congress centers were constructed in Istanbul. For marketing, the Ministry started worldwide promotional activities including joint advertising with İCVB to


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increase the attractiveness of the destination. As a result, many summits and congresses were successfully held in İstanbul.

Regarding the golf tourism, Ms. YILDIZ gave information about Antalya, which has become an important destination of golf tourism. She stated that the Ministry prepared a master plan to create an efficient infrastructure for building golf facilities. Also, the Ministry worked with professional international institutions to prepare training programmes for the staff of the golf facilities. In Belek, 21 golf courses were designed by worldwide known golf course designers. For branding Antalya as a golf destination, some worldwide promotional activities focusing on golf tourism was launched and many golf celebrities were hosted in Antalya. As a result, the golf tourism activities increased 31 times between 1995 and 2012. Moreover, according to the Golf Travel Insides Report 2013 Turkey was the 4th most popular golf travel destination and Belek was chosen as “The Best Golf Destination in Europe 2008” by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators.

Ms. YILDIZ also presented the shopping tourism in İstanbul which was called Shopping Fest. She expressed that the Ministry planned the festival process in coordination with public and private sector actors and in cooperation with shops, shopping centers, malls and worldwide brands for providing flexible shopping hours, discounts, prepaid cards in İstanbul. Also, the Ministry worked with professional PR agencies to organize open-air carnivals, concerts, parties, fashion shows and exhibitions. The Ministry also used many worldwide promotional activities such as outdoor advertisements, magazines, social media, editorials, in order to increase the attractiveness of the Festival. As a result, the Shopping Fests held in 2011 and 2012 contributed to increase shopping activities and number of tourists visiting İstanbul as well as raised the tourism receipts in comparison with the previous years.

5. Private Sector Perspective on Tourism Product Development and Marketing

With a view to reflecting the private sector perspective on tourism product development and marketing, Ms. Canan ALİABET, Vice President of Karnak International Travel & Tourism presented her company’s achievements during the last decade due to its product choices and marketing strategies.

Ms. ALİABET informed the participants that Karnak story started 28 years ago as a family company but today it was an international formation with a team of 130 people. Ms. ALİABET underlined that one of the most distinctive features of Karnak was using the product development and marketing strategies in the right way. She stated that product development and marketing strategies were the integral parts of one whole and Karnak gathered all studies under one umbrella connected in parallel. She elaborated these two subjects (product development and marketing strategies) with some samples of Karnak style. Regarding the product development, she stated that in a classic and common perception, hotels and resorts form the main products of a travel agent. The significant difference Karnak brought forth was choosing the most suitable hotels or resorts


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for the clients where they can establish exclusive deals. Through the advantages of these deals in the hard competition, her company was able to:

avoid unfair competition secure stability for rates and mark-up strategies push the hotels to compete with better and qualified services rather than their pricing

policy. spend maximum effort to provide maximum capacity . expand options for locations and concepts of the hotels. As Karnak increased the

varieties of products, the number of clients also increased. Accordingly, their loyalty to company continue because it would always have at least one new option for their holidays.

Ms. ALİABET expressed that because of the rapid changes in clients profile and their travel needs in recent years, companies have to act quickly to renew themselves with different products. In this framework, Karnak’s venture team took on the duty to find new ideas/products such as:

cruise holidays Golf tourism Ski - winter holidays Adventure and discovery holidays Holidays for sportive events and contests Gourmet and gastronomy tourism Culture – art – festival holidays Meeting - Incentive – Congress – Exhibition (MICE) Tourism History and archeology tourism Health – Esthetics – Thermal – Spa – Wellness tourism 3rd age tourism Shopping tourism

Ms. ALİABET stated that her company has invested and developed a serious operation plan for most of the above mentioned holiday options with a new slogan: VIVA LA DIFFERENCE. She informed the participants some of these products. For example, regarding MICE tourism, she stated that with a view to meeting the demand for MICE Tourism in Turkey especially in İstanbul, they have built a new department, improved their experiences and know-how with specialist staff and hence, they hosted many successful events. In terms of medical tourism, as a company, they started by presenting operations about eyes. Then cooperation with dental clinics was started. She added that today Karnak was dealing with three hospitals for all kinds of diseases and acting as a bridge between the patients and hospitals. She continued her presentation with her company’s promoting and marketing samples which she regarded as the main clues of its success. She underlined that besides internet and virtual media tools which were the most preferred ways of marketing, they did not totally put the traditional ways aside. Good relations and human touch are the basis of their good reputation. She mentioned several marketing strategies such as brochures, exhibitions, workshops, etc. One of the most striking examples she mentioned was related to TV series. In 2008, when


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Turkish TV series have become phenomenon in Arab countries, her company decided to hire the mansion where the series were shot to give the guests the same atmosphere. In a very short time, they prepared the mansion with the same decoration of TV series with the sponsorship of same furniture companies and formed a “life style museum”. It was a very interesting idea to use this mansion as a promoting, advertising and marketing tool for Istanbul. At the end, with the increased tourism movement, the hotels, restaurants, malls, travel agencies and the whole Istanbul have benefited. Question: Mr. Nulty mentioned that sustainable tourism strategy should be government-led, community-based and private sector-involved. Can the example mentioned in the presentation of Ms. ALİABET be a good example of sustainability? Organization was planned by Karnak, supported by Ministry of Tourism and Culture and organization of travel agencies. Answer: Yes, it can be regarded a good example of sustainability. For the sustainability in terms of tourism development, the starting point is the organization. Crosscutting approaches whereby the agencies of government work together with private sector as well as the community sides are necessary. There are good examples of cooperation among public, private and community sides such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand. They established structures enabling cross stakeholder collaboration. Comment: The COMCEC encourages the private sector involvement in tourism activities. Private sector involvement is one of the output areas defined by the COMCEC Strategy. In 2011, the OIC/COMCEC Private Sector Tourism Forum was established with a view to providing an enabling environment for the private sector representatives of the member countries to discuss potential cooperation areas and identify common issues in the field of tourism. This Forum will also serve as a regular communication channel for them to share their experience and knowledge. Forum convened its first meeting in 2012. The 2nd Meeting of the Forum will be held on 16-17 December 2013, in İstanbul with the theme of “Effective Marketing Strategies for Promoting Tourism Destinations in the COMCEC Region.” All the participants are invited to the said Meeting and requested to encourage their private sector representatives to participate in this important event.

6. Utilizing the COMCEC Project Funding

The last presentation was made by Mr. Deniz GÖLE, an expert from the COMCEC Coordination Office (CCO). His presentation was about the new Project Cycle Management (PCM) mechanism introduced by the COMCEC Strategy.

The presentation consisted of nine sections. In the first section, the definition of the term PCM was elaborated so that the audience would have a better understanding regarding the project funding process of the COMCEC.

After underlining the qualifications of the COMCEC PCM which were “simple and clearly defined procedures and financial framework”, potential project owners were identified. It was emphasized that relevant ministries and other public institutions of the Member Countries and


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the OIC Institutions operating in the field of economic and commercial cooperation could submit projects.

The presentation continued with the clarification of “Project Selection Criteria” namely, compliance with Strategy’s Principles, targeting strategic objectives of the Strategy, focusing on output areas and pursuing multilateral cooperation among the COMCEC Member Countries.

In the third and fourth sections, nature of the projects (Technical Cooperation and Capacity Building) and several eligible activities were explained. Some eligible activities were deemed as research, analytical studies, guides, roadmaps, study visits, conferences, workshops etc.

During the presentation, three key actors and their responsibilities under the PCM were identified; Project Owner (Project Submission and Implementation); the CCO (Program Management) and the Intermediary Bank (Project Monitoring and Financing). Moreover, steps and roles of these key actors throughout the project application process were defined.

Mr. GÖLE continued his presentation with the timeline which has already started on September the 2nd, 2013. Regarding the details on project implementation and financing procedures, Mr. GÖLE clarified that Project Owners must submit invoices to the Intermediary Bank (the Bank) in order to claim payment during project implementation.

Monitoring of projects was another issue explained in the presentation. Mr. GÖLE presented that the Bank would be mainly responsible for financial and technical monitoring of projects while the CCO would oversee the overall implementation of the PCM. In the presentation, reporting procedures of project activities were also explained.

With respect to the financial framework, Mr. GÖLE emphasized that the funds are grant in nature and would be provided by the Turkish Government for the 2013-2015 period. From the illustration of the indicative grant limits and co-finance rates for the COMCEC projects, it was seen that Member Countries could submit a project with a budget up to USD 250.000 with the condition that they have to cover at least ten percent of project total budget (cash or in kind). This amount would be USD 100.000 and at least twenty five percent should be covered by the project owner if it would be an OIC Institution.

The presentation was concluded with an online demonstration of the project fiche and application process. The participants were reminded that the deadline for the online application is November 1st, 2013.

7. Closing Remarks

The Meeting ended with closing remarks of Mr. İnanç ÖZÇAKMAK, Chairman of the Meeting and Mr. Metin EKER, Director General of the COMCEC Coordination Office.

In his remarks, Mr. ÖZÇAKMAK thanked all the participants for their valuable contributions and the COMCEC Coordination Office for the excellent organization. He summarized what was discussed throughout the Meeting briefly. He stressed the importance of two innovations


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provided by the COMCEC Strategy. The Tourism Working Group meeting was the first one which provided the Member Countries the chance of identifying the common obstacles and exploring cooperation opportunities in tourism sector. The Project Cycle Management was another opportunity for the Member Countries as well as the OIC Institutions to take concrete steps to overcome the obstacles and realize tourism projects.

Mr. Metin EKER thanked all the participants for their precious attendance and valuable contributions. He informed the participants that the next (3rd) Meeting of the Tourism Working Group would be held in March 2014 with the theme of “Enabling Tourism Investment Climate in the COMCEC Region” prioritized by the Members of the Tourism Working Group. Mr. EKER invited all the participants to the said Meeting. He pointed out that an analytical study on the theme of the Meeting and a Tourism Outlook will be prepared for the next Meeting. He added that the COMCEC Coordination Office will publish the proceedings of this Meeting. He underlined that the observations, comments and critiques of the participants on the documents prepared specifically for the Tourism Working Group Meetings would be mostly welcomed in order to improve their quality.

Mr. EKER also added that Project Cycle Management (PCM) was designed to make cooperation ideas discussed during the meeting into concrete action in tourism sector. He reminded that PCM was a very direct way of involving the Member Countries. He called upon the Member Countries as well as the relevant OIC Institutions to develop their ideas about cooperation at a multilateral level and demonstrate their solidarity with the other Member Countries via using the PCM mechanism.

Before concluding his remarks, Mr. EKER thanked again all the participants and wished them a safe trip back home.

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Annex 1: Agenda of the Meeting

2ND MEETING OF THE COMCEC TOURISM WORKING GROUP

“Tourism Product Development and Marketing Strategies in the COMCEC Region”

(October 3rd, 2013, Ankara)

DRAFT AGENDA

Opening Remarks

1. The COMCEC Tourism Outlook

2. Tourism Product Development and Marketing Strategies in the COMCEC Region

3. Member State Presentations

4. Private Sector Perspective on Tourism Product Development and Marketing

5. Utilizing the COMCEC Project Funding Closing Remarks


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Annex 2: Program of the Meeting

DRAFT PROGRAMME OF THE 2ND MEETING OF THE COMCEC TOURISM WORKING GROUP

“Tourism Product Development and Marketing Strategies in the COMCEC Region”

(October 3rd, 2013, Ankara, Crowne Plaza Hotel)

08.30-09.00 Registration

09.00-09.15 Opening Remarks

09.15-10.00 The COMCEC Tourism Outlook

- Presentation: Ms. Aslı TAŞMAZ DADAKOĞLU

Expert

COMCEC Coordination Office

10.00-11.00 Tourism Product Development in the COMCEC Region

- Presentation: Peter MAC NULTY

Managing Director

Tourism Development International (TDI)

Questions for Discussion:

Are there any policies/programs or strategies implemented in

your country for developing new tourism products?

What are the types of tourism products developed in your

country? What are the key factors for their success?


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How do you evaluate the role of government agencies in

tourism product development? What is the situation in your

country?

11.00-11.15 Coffee Break

11.15-12.30

Marketing Strategies in the COMCEC Region

- Presentation: Robert CLEVERDON

Director-International Projects

Tourism Development International (TDI)


Does your country have any specific/special marketing

strategies for the tourism products? How does your country ensure involvement of relevant

stakeholders in tourism product development and marketing?

12.30-14.00 Lunch

14.00-16.00 Member State Presentations


Does your country have a specific strategy, plan or program for

developing tourism products?

What are your country experiences in tourism product

development and marketing?

How do you evaluate the impacts of new tourism products

developed in your country on tourism development in general?

16.00-16.15 Coffee Break

16.15-17.00 Private Sector Perspective on Tourism Product Development and Marketing

- Presentation: Canan ALİABET

Vice President

Karnak International Travel & Tourism


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17.00-17.45 The Way Forward: Utilizing the New COMCEC Project Cycle

Management

- Presentation: Mr. Deniz GÖLE

Expert

COMCEC Coordination Office

17.45-18.00 Closing Remarks


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Annex 3: List of Participants

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS OF 2nd MEETING OF THE COMCEC TOURISM WORKING GROUP

(October 3rd, 2013, Ankara) A. INVITED STATES REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN - Ms. MALEYKA HUSEYNOVA Chief Counsellor, Ministry of Culture and Tourism ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN - Mr. MOHAMMAD GHASEMI Director of Market Study and Development Group, International Tourism Development Bureau, Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organisation REPUBLIC OF IRAQ - Mr. HAITHAM MOHAMMED AL-MALIKI Official, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities - Mr. RAAD JAMEL Official, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities KYRGYZ REPUBLIC - Ms. ELVIRA KOENALIEVA Attache of the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in Ankara LIBYA - Mr. MOHAMED ETORKI Member of Tourism Promotion, Ministry of Tourism - Mr. MOHAMED MARWAN Member of International Cooperation Affairs Department, Ministry of Tourism


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MALAYSIA - Mr. SAIDI BUNDAN Division Director, Industry Development Division, Tourism Malaysia - Ms. YUHAINI YUSOFF Director, Industry Development, Islamic Tourism Centre Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia - Mr. BAHRUDDIN SULAIMAN Director, Malaysia Promotion Board, İstanbul SULTANATE OF OMAN - Mr. ALI AL-KUHABURI

Adviser, Financial & Managerial Development Affairs, Ministry of Tourism

- Mr. SAID AL-BATTASHI Marketing, Ministry of Tourism

STATE OF PALESTINE - Mr. ATIYEH KHATEEB General Director, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA - Mr. ABDULLAH AL-MARSHAD

Director General of Tourism Program and Products, Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities

REPUBLIC OF TUNISIA

- Mr. AHMET KALBOUSI

Expert, National Office of Tunisian Tourism - Mr. ANIS HAJRI

Counselor, Embassy of Tunisia in Ankara


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REPUBLIC OF TURKEY

- Mr. KORHAN KÜNGERÜ Head of Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

- Mr. İNANÇ ÖZÇAKMAK Inspector, Ministry of Culture and Tourism

- Mr. FERHAT ÖZKAN Director, Ministry of Culture and Tourism

- Ms. FİLİZ KÖSE Chief Controller, Ministry of Culture and Tourism

- Ms. ARZU EMEL YILDIZ Controller, Ministry of Culture and Tourism

- Ms. PINAR BİLGİN Expert, Ministry of Culture and Tourism

- Mr. ERKUT ATALAR Expert, Ministry of Culture and Tourism

- Mr. BAHADIR KARA Expert, Ministry of Culture and Tourism

- Ms. İLKNUR ATASOY Expert, Ministry of Culture and Tourism

GUEST - Ms. CANAN ALIABET

Vice President, Private Sector-Karnak Travel - Mr. SERDAR ALIABET

President, Private Sector-Karnak Travel - Mr. PETER MAC NULTY

Managing Director, Tourism Development International - Mr. ROBERT CLEVERDON

Director-International Projects, Tourism Development International


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B. INVITED INSTITUTIONS ISLAMIC CENTRE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE (ICDT) - Mr. MAMADOU BOCAR SALL

Head of Department, Studies and Training STATISTICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTER FOR ISLAMIC COUNTRIES (SESRIC) - Mr. UMUT ÜNAL Researcher C. COMCEC COORDINATION OFFICE - Mr. METİN EKER

Director General, Head of COMCEC Coordination Office - Mr. MUSTAFA TEKİN

Head of Department

- Mr. SELÇUK KOÇ Head of Department

- Ms. HÜLYA ÖRS Expert - Ms. AYLİN ŞENOL GÜN

Expert, Drafting - Ms. ASLI TAŞMAZ DADAKOĞLU

Expert, Drafting

- Mr. DENİZ GÖLE Expert, Drafting - Ms. ÖZLEM AŞIK

Expert, Drafting

- Mr. MUSTAFA ADİL SAYAR Assistant Expert, Drafting

- Mr. AHMET OKUR Assistant Expert, Drafting


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- Mr. MEHMET AKİF ALANBAY Assistant Expert, Drafting

- Mr. MEHMET FİDAN Assistant Expert, Drafting - Mr. OKAN POLAT Assistant Expert, Protocol Relations

- Mr. AYKUT YILMAZ Assistant Expert, Drafting

- Mr. HASAN YENİGÜL Assistant Expert, Drafting - Ms. MÜKERREM ÖZKILIÇ Coordinator of Registration Office

- Ms. GÜL SAYIN Coordinator of Documentation Center - Mr. KEMAL ARSLAN

Coordinator of Meeting Rooms

- Mr. ERCAN İBİK Coordinator of Transportation

- Ms. Z. LEYLA AŞK Social Program

- Mr. EMRE KEYİFLİ Photographer

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PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2ND MEETING OF THE COMCEC … · Proceedings of the 2nd Meeting of the Tourism Working Group 2 1. Opening Session In line with the tradition of the Organization