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News and Events
News and views from ITB
Debbie Hindle and I will be at ITB this year. We'll be blogging and tweeting (@bgbcomms) from the show so watch this space for news and views.
Responsible tourism in Sri Lanka
On 10th December we're hosting an evening discussion on responsible tourism in Sri Lanka arranged by Harold Goodwin Please contact RSVP@bgb.co.uk if you'd like to join us.
As Sri Lanka's sees the end of its 37 year conflict the tourism industry is set to prosper, not only in the areas already developed but also in the newly opened up North and East coasts where there has been no investment for the past two to three decades. The relative lack of development and gentle island pace of Sri Lanka have added to its charm and character and have made Sri Lanka the perfect destination for those looking for a an affordable, varied and stimulating holiday.
This could all be about to change as euphoria sets in and investors from around the world fly into Sri Lanka purchasing vast amounts of land for tourism development and the President of Sri Lanka calls for a target of 2.5 million tourists by 2016 - growth of 456% from an average 450,000 arrivals per year. These are testing times for the tourism sector in Sri Lanka. There are many challenges to be faced. We all need to take responsibility in this critical growth phase to ensure development and growth occurs in a sustainable and responsible manner. We invite you to play a role in this challenging time for Sri Lanka and come and discuss the options for Responsible Tourism in Sri Lanka.
About speaker Libby Southwell
Australian born Libby Southwell is the founding director of adlibconsulting, an organization that offers consulting services to the tourism industry within Sri Lanka & Asia focusing on corporate & brand strategy, strategic marketing services and responsible tourism practices. Libby has been involved in marketing, advertising, business development and strategic planning for more than 15 years. For the past seven years she has been developing businesses in up market tourism in Sri Lanka focusing on preserving the heritage of Sri Lanka as well as positioning Sri Lanka as a key destination for up market travellers globally.
Libby is a passionate traveller and a strong advocate for responsible & sustainable tourism involving all stakeholders in the industry. She is currently studying her Masters in Responsible Tourism with the International Centre of Responsible Tourism at Leeds Met, UK and is an executive board member of the Responsible Tourism Partnership in Sri Lanka.
Post the devastating 2004 Tsunami Libby assisted setting up the charity AdoptSriLanka www.adoptsrilanka.com raising more than US$5 million and focusing on re building livelihoods along the south coast of Sri Lanka. In 2007 she was the founding Festival Director of the one of the world's leading Literary Festivals www.galleliteraryfestival.com . She is the author of the best selling travel autobiography 'Monsoon Rains & Icicle Drops". After seven years of living in Sri Lanka Libby is on a mission to ensure that Sri Lanka becomes one of Asia's leading Responsible Tourism destinations.
Upcoming events
We hold regular events for clients and friends of bgb. If you're not on our invite list and you'd like to be please just drop us a note to rsvp@bgb.co.uk telling us which event you're interested in and and we'll also make sure you hear about future sessions. Upcoming events in 2009 include:
bgb at Best of British & Ireland Show
Debbie Hindle, bgb managing director, will be one of the panelists on sustainability at this year's Best of Britain & Ireland Travel Trade Forum. She'll be joining a panel of prominent sustainable journalists on Friday 27 March at midday to discuss whether green issues are marginalised or considered mainstream by British media. To register for the event visit www.britainandirelandevent.co.uk/registration, email info@bobevents.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1883 333 195.
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