“We hope that the participants will benefit from this conference in the light of upcoming events such as the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010 and the Commonwealth Games in India that year, and the Olympic Games in London in 2012” - Mr Abdul Rahman Shaari, Director-General of the Commonwealth Tourism Centre
Malaysia to host first Commonwealth Conference on Sport Tourism
27 February 2008
Sabah chosen as venue for three-day event to identify strategies and challenges
The first Commonwealth Conference on Sport Tourism will be held in Sabah, Malaysia, from 13 to 15 May 2008. The event, organised by the Commonwealth Tourism Centre (CTC), is targeted at bringing together sports professionals, international travel and tour operators and tourism boards in the Commonwealth to identify and create new approaches on developing sustainable sport tourism. This includes the examining of marketing trends, investment strategies, enhancing events management, sport infrastructure, promoting public and private sector sponsorship.
“We hope that the participants will benefit from this conference in the light of upcoming events such as the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010 and the Commonwealth Games in India that year, and the Olympic Games in London in 2012,” said Mr Abdul Rahman Shaari, Director-General of the CTC, which is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Speaking to Commonwealth News in London on 27 February 2008 during a visit to the UK, Mr Abdul Rahman said the conference, which bears the theme ‘Sport Tourism and Sustainability: Inter-relationships, Impacts and Issues’ will focus on the economic benefits, impacts and challenges. The CTC hopes to attract more than 400 conference delegates.
“Tourism can contribute to revenue generation in a big way if countries can capitalise on the potential of this industry. The CTC aims to promote intra-Commonwealth tourism among our 53-member countries, and we are looking at both competitive and recreational sport tourism such as jungle trekking, mountain climbing, white water rafting, scuba diving and golfing,” stated Mr Abdul Rahman.
“Every country is unique in what it has to offer to visitors. The Commonwealth, which is culturally diverse and geographically vast, can be marketed to potential visitors by promoting its special features. The challenge lies in attracting travellers to far flung and lesser known or less explored destinations.”
Mr Abdul Rahman pointed out that Malaysia’s tourism industry has benefited from the spin-offs of international meetings, conventions, exhibitions and incentive travel. The country hosted the 1998 Commonwealth Games and hosts annual international sport events such as the Petronas Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix, the Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon, Le Tour de Langkawi and the Penang Bridge Marathon.
The CTC conference is supported by Tourism Malaysia, Sabah Tourism Board and Bournemouth University, UK.
IT IS SUBMITTED THAT THE COMMONWEALTH IS BEING HOSTING THE COMMOPNWEALTH CONFERENCES ON TOURISM WHICH MOST USEFUL FOR ALL COUNTRIES IN THESE CRITICAL DAYS.
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