Οι φώτο μιλάνε απο μόνες τους

Τις δύο παραπάνω φωτογραφίες τις μετέφερε το πάντα εμπεριστατωμένο http://www.traveldailynews.gr . Είναι από το διεθνές συνέδριο επενδυτών για τον Τουρισμό ITB Berlin Convention. Η μεν Τουρκία διαφημίζει και πουλάει Αιγαίο ενώ τα Σκόπια θάλασσα και Μακεδονία. Και η Ελλάδα φυσικά απούσα...

European Mixed-Use Resort Development in 2009

By Philip Bacon

How to create a lasting mixed use resort that meets the needs of tomorrow? Who are the customers and investors of tomorrow? What are the trends in legal structures? Do you have the Right Stuff for a successful mixed use resort development?

For many, mixed-use resort development simply involves the addition of residential units to a standard resort concept as part of a sometimes rather dubious way to finance the whole development. Off-plan sales are the key, coupled with a branded hotel and promises of rental guarantees for several years.

It may have started with golf, a notoriously difficult way to make money, but not quite so bad if you can build a good course and some equally attractive real estate for those Baby Boomers we all hear about so often.

Hotel operators, especially at the top end of the market, found that their customers rather liked the idea of owning property where they could also enjoy the benefits of hotel-style service and even the chance to earn some rental income.

The idea of premium branding was created (some leading exponents being Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Trump) and a marriage was made between the Condo Hotel model (by no means a new idea) and the world of exclusive private residences (which again have always existed, or at least for the last several centuries).

Something else that hasn’t changed are the rules of the real estate business but we will repeat them for those who might have forgotten temporarily in the madness of the pre-crunch years:

Location – Location – Location (oh, and sensible debt/equity ratios help too)

In Europe, this represents a significant challenge for those who have not been sitting on an undeveloped prime land bank for the last ten years, and even if you have, things have just got much harder than you ever expected.

So, what should we look out for in 2009?

It is certainly not difficult to predict that there will be a slowing down of new projects and a delay in the opening/completion of some that are already underway. This much is easy, and, some might say, not so bad, all things considered. Successful mixed-use resort development is a long term thing and it pays to take your time to get it right, provided you have the patience and the pocket depth to wait for your returns over the medium to long term.

But will mixed-use resorts lose their lustre as real estate finance (both development and personal) becomes increasingly difficult to find?

As long as the planners are in charge of our destinies, then perhaps mixed-use is here to stay and we should embrace it as the future of tourism-based development whether urban, beach, rural or anything else.

The reality for many is that the planners will often only allow residential development on the understanding that the project includes a decent chunk of transient accommodation to create “life” and, perhaps more mundanely, jobs.

As part of managing development risk, there will be a move away from off-plan and we will see the radical departure of handing over keys to a finished unit.

The economic upheaval will create some real market opportunities as the combination of a down-turn in spending and banking pressure may create some forced sellers of assets that you would not normally expect to come to market.

Don’t discount fractional interests and other shared ownership models. In many ways you could argue that their time has come at last in Europe, through a combination of increased exposure and the impact of tightened belts and lower levels of disposable income. However, don’t under-estimate the fundamentals of something that is not sold with a pure real estate pitch. Everybody understands capital appreciation of real estate, but making it cheaper by splitting it into smaller pieces doesn’t make it easier to sell, it makes it much more difficult. And what’s more, shared ownership models will not necessarily fix a poorly-conceived project. The Second EU Timeshare

Directive has recently been published - will this be the opportunity for timeshare to become main stream in Europe?

Who will be buying in 2009? I talked to JP Miramont, Executive VP of resort real estate specialists Playground.

“Value needs to exceed price more than ever in today’s market. Many projects around the globe have lost sight of that in recent years. 2009 needs to be about innovation and understanding the buyer, and demanding deeper consumer insight at the earlier planning stages of the development process. Affordability will be a driving issue for many, and prices won’t be the only factor; consumers are more concerned about total cost of ownership, available cash flow and access to credit. Demand for primary residential housing and mixed-use development will be fuelled by the need for well-located properties close to jobs and retail, energy efficient design will become more of a priority, and long-term planning will be more front-of-mind for the consumer. Golf courses and spas are no longer differentiating factors; focus needs to be on integrating the resort components to allow for varying degrees of consumer affluence, while still maintaining an authentic and exclusive experience. ”

Mixed-used resorts should adapt their product to three target markets:

The investors: a lot of logic, ROI, a true alternative to money in the bank. The future” relocators”: those buying in the prospects of their future retirement; but beware this is not a retirement home they want.

The UHNWIs: They are looking for a toy; it is like buying a new car. Each component needs to be branded (restaurants, furniture, bathroom appliances, etc.). Key words – iconic, limited supply, customization.

One of the vital platforms of successful mixed-use development is an integrated legal structure that provides balanced sharing of rights and obligations between all key stakeholders. What are the issues for 2009?

According to Eric Gummers, Partner in Howard Kennedy and head of their Hotel & Leisure Group,

“There will be a great deal more “clubbing”, i.e. JVs, shareholder agreements, cross-holdings, mezzanine debt.

Stakeholders will have to deal more than ever with solutions for when one of the components in the mix starts to under-perform. If the hospitality piece is the anchor, what will happen if standards fall or the operator changes? How will the parties resolve potential conflicts surrounding rights of access and management of overlapping interests?

We may also see some issues surrounding sinking funds that do not meet the needs of resort maintenance and the meeting of brand standards.

There will inevitably be instances of part-sold developments where the responsibility for maintaining common areas will cause conflicts between individual owners and developers (assuming they are still around).

Contracts will have to deal adequately with subordination and security issues on financing and what happens when hotel management agreements terminate/are terminated.

And we should not forget the differing expectations of long term and short term guests/residents. Perhaps there may even be a few broken promises when it finally comes to delivering the 24 hour concierge service or the Range Rover at the airport.”

So, is there a recipe for success, even when times are tough? I believe there is.

You will need the Right Stuff

* Place (not just any place, a place with a story to be told)

* Land (with the right views and preferably not at a prohibitive cost)

* Scale (in line with proper market depth analysis)

* Phasing (without undue disruption of the resort experience)

* Authentic experiences (this is what people buy, not suites or square metres)

* Business Model Mix (balance risk with reward, build in a fall back position)

* Marketing strategy (as always, know your customer today and your customer of tomorrow)

* Legal structure (be conscious of over-lapping interests of all stakeholders)

* Financing structure (adequate equity and debt structured in line with business model risk)

* Operators (choose your brands carefully, all have both strengths and weaknesses)

Economic downturn to create new winners and losers in travel

By Professor Dimitrios Buhalis

(Forimmediaterelease.net) Internet bookings will surge. Demand for online virtual meetings will gather pace. Domestic travel will stay stable or grow, as will demand for low-cost flights. Destinations adjacent to big travel markets will do not so bad. Long-haul travel will fall sharply. And the most pain will be felt in the business travel and MICE sectors.Those were the predictions for 2009 unveiled by IPK International’s CEO Mr. Rolf Freitag, in an ITB World Travel Trends Update on March 11 at the ITB Convention in Berlin.

Based on 500,000 travel interviews in 58 countries around the world, IPK delivered a wide-ranging forecast. In the predictions, IPK suggested that 2009 will see travel declines in most markets, with 2010 neutral and small growth likely in 2011 and 2012. Mr. Freitag said, “We’re in a full global economic crisis, not a small recession. Consumer greed of the last few years has turned into consumer fear.”IPK’s travel interviews suggest that 40 percent of Europeans will change their travel plans due to the economic crisis.

Some 66 percent of Europeans and 60 percent of Asians plan to change. Mr. Freitag said this change would mean they are likely to switch to domestic travel, travel for shorter periods of time, choose cheaper destinations, or spend less while on holiday.European and North American markets will be more adversely affected compared to other regions of the world. IPK predicts that China, India, and all of Latin America will record GDP and travel demand growth, even in 2009. However, those growth figures will be smaller than the precedents set over the last 10 years.

Mr. Freitag pointed out that over 50 percent of global travel demand emanates from Europe. Within Europe, in 2008, the Russians, Dutch, and Poles recorded much higher than average travel rates. However, the strong devaluation of the Russian rouble and Polish zloty suggest that such strong performances are unlikely to be repeated in 2009. While Turkey, USA, Austria, and UK all received strong growth in arrivals numbers from European travelers in 2008, IPK predicts they are unlikely to do so again this year.In households that earn more than 20,000 Euro a year, travel will remain a high priority, according to IPK. However, households earning less than 20,000 Euro are much more likely to adjust travel plans towards cheaper and/or domestic trips. M

r. Freitag pointed out that travelers are increasingly using the Internet, not just to find information, but to book and pay for holidays. The Internet as a travel tool will continue to grow in 2009.To help them face the economic downturn, which is likely to go on longer than previously predicted, Mr. Freitag said companies should reduce costs, go on a price cutting offensive, enter into partnerships with the public sector, communicate new attractions more aggressively and intensify e-marketing and e-sales initiatives.Companies with good asset security can take advantage of low interest rates to borrow money and invest for the upturn, which will eventually come, he said.

Πηγή: http://buhalis.blogspot.com/

The Economic Crisis Hits International Tourism

by Ulrike Bauernfeind — 02/19/2009

UNWTO World Tourism BarometerUNWTO World Tourism Barometer2008 will clearly go into the history books as a year of turbulence and contrasts. In the 12 months since UNWTO published its January 2008 edition of the World Tourism Barometer, including forecasts for the year ahead, the growth in international tourist arrivals has slowed drastically worldwide, under the influence of an extremely volatile and unfavourable global economy - due to factors such as the credit crunch, the widening financial crisis, commodity and oil price rises, and massive exchange rate fluctuations. All this has, inevitably, undermined both business and consumer confidence, contributing in turn to the current global recession.

The global economic downturn showed a negative impact on international tourist arrivals. Already in the second half of 2008 there was a decrease of 1% in international tourist arrivals when compared to the previous year. Europe and Asia performed worst in the second half of 2008 with a drop of -3% respectively.

When looking at the year 2008 as a whole only Europe showed a decline. All other regions had a positive performance due to the first half of the year. The performance of the Middle East was particularly good with an increase of 11% in tourist arrivals.

The forecast for 2009 is not very promising and international tourist arrivals are expected to stagnate or to develop slightly negative.
For more information please see the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.(http://www.unwto.org/facts/eng/barometer.htm)
The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer is a regular publication of the Market Intelligence and Promotion Department of UNWTO aimed at monitoring the short-term evolution of tourism and providing the sector with relevant and timely information.

Πηγή: http://www.modul.ac.at/

2nd ENAT International Congress:"Trends and Prospects for Accessible Tourism"

2nd ENAT International Congress:"Trends and Prospects for Accessible Tourism

Date: 30 September and 1 October 2009

Location: Austria Center Vienna Bruno-Kreisky-Platz 1A-1220 Wien

Call for Papers/Workshop Proposals - 4 February 2009 -General Information:

The purpose of the ENAT International Congress is to provide a live platform and a showcase for the latest and most innovative contributions to Accessible Tourism for All from Europe and around the world. This year, the Austria Center Vienna will be the place to meet and engage with the community of tourism providers, practitioners, decision-makers, public authorities, educators, professional and consumer/user organisations who make up ENAT.Non-members are also welcome. The combination of depth and variety of presentations which characterised the highly successful 1st ENAT International Congress in 2007 will be continued, with invited keynote speakers, peer-reviewed papers, thematic workshops and exhibits.

The main theme of this year's Congress is:

Looking to the future! - highlighting new trends and developments, weighing new challenges and prospects, exploring opportunities, and stimulating new efforts in accessible tourism for all.Plenary Sessions on themes of major interest will involve invited presenters and expert panellists.General Sessions on a range of topics will follow the format of presentations and discussion with the audience.Workshops will allow one or more speakers to make an introduction to the topic, which is then discussed by the participants. A rapporteur will report the conclusions and/or recommendations in the plenary session.

The topics for the Open Call for the General Sessions are:

GS1. Networking - Sharing knowledge and stimulating innovation in accessible tourism

GS2. Expectations and possibilities in standardisation and regulation for thefurther development of accessible tourism

GS3. Involvement of and cooperation with stakeholders in accessible tourism for all

Presentations for the General Sessions should be about 20 minutes.

The topics for the open call for the Workshops are:

WS1. ICTs and www developments

WS2. Tourism and Markets: Research and Development

WS3. Vocational Education and Training

WS4. Accessible Tourism in Central and eastern Europe

WS5. Accessible destinations and offerings: Destination Management, Access Guides, Tourist Information Services, etc.

Workshop presentations should be about 10 to 15 minutes, each workshop session will last 60 minutes

Submit your paper using OpenOfficeWriter or MS-Word. The filename should start with "GS" or "WS" and the number of the selected topic. Send the file as an e-mail attachment to http://www.enatcongress2009.info/en/doc/papers@enatcongress2009.info .

The Programme Committee reserves the right to assess the abstracts and decide whether they will be accepted.

Full papers and/or slide presentations will be published online by ENAT and the national organising committee, IBFT, Austria.

Deadline:

Submission of abstracts for papers and Workshops: Friday 3 April

Notification to authors of acceptance/rejection of abstract: Friday 8 May.

Submission of Full Paper or Workshop Plan by authors: Friday 2 September

Questions and Comments to info@enatcongress2009.info

Contact: Angelika Laburda IBFT/co ÖHTBHumboldtplatz 6A 1100 WienAustria http://www.enatcongress2009.info/en/doc/papers@enatcongress2009.info

Και η Ελλάδα πάλι απούσα…

Αυτό το Μάρτιο λαμβάνουν μέρος στη Γερμανία δύο από τα σημαντικότερα forum που αφορούν τις επενδύσεις στον τουρισμό το Hotel Investment Forum 9-11 Μαρτίου και το ΙΤΒ Berlin Convention 11-14 Μαρτίου με το σύνολο των μεγαλύτερων επενδυτών στο χώρο του τουρισμού να συμμετέχουν. Με μεγάλη μου έκπληξη παρατήρησα ότι και στα δύο forum θα λάβουν μέρος μεγάλες παρουσιάσεις της Τουρκίας ως προορισμό για τουριστικές επενδύσεις μεγάλης κλίμακας (Is Turkey The Hottest Hotel Investment Market In Europe? Και Turkey Forum: Investment in Tourism Destinations in Times of the Financial Crisis αντίστοιχα) στο δεύτερο συμμετέχει ως μεγάλος χορηγός. H έκπληξη μου βέβαια δεν είναι για τις συμμετοχές της Τουρκίας αλλά για την Ελλάδα η οποία για άλλη μια φορά θα είναι ο μεγάλος απών στα δύο αυτά forum που απευθύνονται σε επενδυτές. Ενώ νομίζαμε ότι ο Ελληνικός Τουρισμός χρειαζόταν επειγόντως γιατρό ο νέος Υπουργός αναλαμβάνει το ρόλο του οδοντίατρου για να του βγάλει και τα δόντια ακολουθώντας τη πολιτική του προκατόχου για δημόσιες σχέσεις σε προσωπικό και μόνο επίπεδο.

Επιστημονικό σεμινάριο του Moutinho στην Ελλάδα

Ένας απο τους σημαντικότερους καθηγητές του Marketing ο Luiz Moutinho από το Πανεπιστήμιο Glaskow της Σκωτίας θα είναι ο κύριος προσκεκλημένος της Ελληνικής Ακαδημίας Marketing στις 13-15 Μαρτίου στην Αθήνα. Η Ελληνική Ακαδημία Marketing διοργανώνει επιστημονικό σεμινάριο για υποψήφιους διδάκτορες και ερευνητές με θέμα τις επιχειρησιακές ερευνητικές μεθόδους. Στο επιστημονικό σεμινάριο θα συμμετέχει επίσης και ο καθηγητής Graeme D. Hutcheson του Πανεπιστημίου του Manchester.

Ο καθ. Moutinho έχει σημαντικό ερευνητικό έργο στo Στρατηγικό Σχεδιασμό- Marketing για τον τουρισμό αλλά και τη συμπεριφορά των τουριστών και των καταναλωτών. Ενδεικτικά μερικά μόνο από τα βιβλία του καθ.Moutinho είναι:

• Strategic Management in Tourism (2000). Published by CABI
• Strategic Planning Systems in Hospitality and Tourism, co-authored with Paul Phillips(CABI 1998)
• Tourism Marketing and Management Handbook (1995) Student Edition, co-edit with Stephen F Witt. Published by Prentice-Hall International
• Tourism Marketing and Management Handbook, (1994) second edition, co-edited with Stephen F. Witt. Published by Prentice-Hall International
• Tourism Marketing and Management Handbook (1989), co-edited with Stephen F.Witt. Published by Prentice-Hall International

Το σεμινάριο θα λάβει μέρος στο χώρο της ATExcelixi Training & Conference Centre – Member of the ATEbank Group Ελ. Βενιζέλου και Ρωμηλιάς 154, Καστρί. Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες mba03013@aegean.gr και ο αριθμός θα των συμμετεχόντων θα είναι περιορισμένος.