CHINA, Mumbai and Palestine are the three finalists for the 2009 New Frontiers Awards, Reed Travel Exhibitions, organisers of ATM 2009 announced recently.
The award recognises destinations that have made an outstanding contribution to tourism development in the face of adversity. Industry experts and professionals including global travel and tourism associations chose the finalists from a list which included the USA for its efforts in dealing with Hurricane Ike and the Midwestern Floods; Myanmar, for its reaction to Cyclone Nargis; Yemen for the devastating 2008 floods; Tajikistan, for a devastating cold wave and locust infection and Egypt for the Cairo landslides.
“It has been incredibly difficult to select just three destinations from the original 10 as all have made great strides when the odds appeared stacked against them. However, the top three finalists should be noted for their incredible spirit and determination,” said Mark Walsh, group exhibitions director, Reed Travel Exhibitions.
The spirit of the Chinese who hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics just three months after the Sichuan earthquake - which claimed nearly 70,000 lives, left 18,000 missing and destroyed the homes of 10 million people - also warranted a place in the top three. Mumbai also made the shortlist due to its exceptional resilience and positive contribution to tourism development in the aftermath of November 2008’s terrorist attacks. Despite the horrors endured across the city, the defiant response to terror ensured that Mumbai emerged triumphant with businesses remarkably operating as usual within a matter of days.
The series of strategic steps taken by India’s Tourism Ministry to boost the city’s tourism industry also ensured that the impact of the attacks was not as great as was originally feared – a fact evidenced by the 5.6 per cent annual growth of foreign tourist arrivals in 2008. Palestine completed the trio of nominees for its unwavering determination in protecting cultural heritage and generating sustainable tourism initiatives despite the continuing political unrest that has affected the state for so long. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony at ATM’s annual exhibitors’ party on May 5 at The Address, Burj Dubai. The winning destination will be rewarded with $10,000 worth of free exhibition space at ATM 2010.
