Marketing Regional Tourism Products : Good practice Approaches Jim Ayorekire - UNECA SRO-EA Richard Makopondo - Technical University of Kenya REGIONAL TOURISM MEETING FOR EASTERN AFRICA Kigali, Rwanda 1st - 3rd June 2016

How do other regional organisations market their tourism products? What strategies do they employ? What are their key success factors – learning points? What can IGAD adopt/learn - recommendations

Tourism Marketing Communicating the value and appeal of a destination to potential customers

Regional Tourism Marketing in IGAD? No joint marketing of IGAD as a destination Fragmented/competiting tourism products Individual country marketing – at varying levels International market focus (traditional markets) – less on domestic and regional markets IGAD STMP highlights gaps and proposes strategies

Good (Best) Practices & Learning Experiences

East African Community Market as a single tourist destination Participate in international fairs as a bloc – since 2006 Single Visa – Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda National IDs as travel documents Single currency – in plan Challenge: All member state participation

RETOSA – responsible for joint marketing Southern African Development Community – SADC Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa - RETOSA RETOSA – responsible for joint marketing Brand and communication strategy UNI-VISA single visa system – in process Challenge: unequal member states benefit

European Union - EU Single destination marketing - European Travel commission (ETC) – Non for profit making organisation/private sector Transnational products – cultural routes, cycling (EuroVelo) River Rhine (1,320 km’s) Schengen single visa system European Destination of Excellence (EDEN) (selection, support & promotion of little-known, emerging tourism destination) Challenge: Security Vs borderless Europe (609 m arrivals - 2015)

Association of Caribbean States - ACS Single destination marketing by Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Key role by Caribbean Travel Association (CTA) -Private sector Equitable contribution to joint marketing - countries contribute based on tourism arrivals formula Challenge: Natural disasters Life needs the Caribbean

Association of South East Asian Nations - ASEAN Single destination marketing Visit ASEAN campaign ASEAN-ASEAN strategy Visa exemption for nationals Sub-regional marketing and branding – Equator Asia ecotourism marketing

ASEAN Tourist arrivals Source: ASEAN Tourism Marketing Strategy 2012-2015

Success Factors Regional marketing framework – institutional - RETOSA, CTO, ETC - Marketing working group Regional tourism product development Marketing strategy –harmonise strategies, joint planning E-marketing strategies – regional tourism web portals

Success factors contd…… Balance between competition and cooperation – stakeholder engagement Marketing financing mechanism – equitable arrivals based system – Caribbean, ASEAN tourism fund Build on national marketing structures/initiatives

Lessons/ IGAD adoption Tourism marketing institutional structure – Tourism council – working group Marketing strategy – countries unique stories maintained and integrated E-Marketing - IGAD online tourism web portal Country marketing support and guidance mechanism Develop transnational tourism products to market

Transnational/regional tourism products in IGAD

Lessons/ IGAD adoption contd…….. Intra Vs Inter regional marketing – ASEAN lessons Niche marketing – ecotourism, sports tourism, agro tourism?? Easing travel – single visa, visa on arrival, visa exemption Marketing financing - private-public partnership approach Research and Development

‘’Only by working in cooperation and by building bridges will tourism community be able to capitalize on strong potential of the sector’’ UNWTO secretary General – Taleb Rifai May 2016 – UNWTO commission for Europe meeting

Thank you for the kind attention Jim Ayorekire Tourism Lecturer/Researcher/Consultant ayorekire@gmail.com