Better known for its work protecting world monuments and natural wonders such as the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal of India and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), at a recent meeting in Nairobi, Kenya added gastronomy, for the first time, to a list of the world’s intangible heritage. The list is a bid to protect cultural diversity and foster a sense of community. It is designed to preserve the world’s art forms and traditions considered under threat from globalization and was started in 2003 to recognize elements of living heritage , such as language.

So, what’s special about a lunch in France? President Nicolas Sarkozy summed up the views of his countrymen when he said French cuisine is the best in the world. But, his culinary chauvinism has evoked “tut-tuts” from gourmets in Italy and Spain and many other places where people think they eat pretty well, except in England whose contribution to world gastronomy, the French think, is limited to fish and chips or shepherd’s pie and Yorkshire pudding !

Lost in the din of self-congratulations in France was the fact that UNESCO also honored traditional Mexican cuisine and the loosely defined Mediterranean diet consisting of olive oil, cereals, fruit and vegetables.

One of the reasons for the inclusion of the “gastronomic meal of the French”, according to UNESCO experts, was that it is a “social custom aimed at celebrating the most important moments in the lives of individuals and groups”. The listing is the result of a long campaign by a group of leading chefs who fear French cuisine is under threat from modern life and the global food industry. Their submission to UNESCO centered mostly around the lunch ritual itself; how wines are paired with dishes, how the table is dressed and the precise placing of glasses and cutlery. The UN body acknowledged the French flair for orchestrating the perfect cascade of mealtime pleasures: from the aperitif to the appetizer, on to the main course, salad, cheese, dessert and perhaps fruit with appropriate wine bringing out the best in each dish. It was that ageless choreography that UNESCO singled out as worth preserving for the good of the human race.

The President of the University of Paris-Sorbonne, who led the effort to win UNESCO recognition, explained the reasoning: “This exists in a lot of other countries. But we have a certain form of gastronomy, with the marriage of food and wine, the succession of dishes, the way of setting the table, of talking about it that are specifically French”.

Other cultural elements that vied for UNESCO recognition included 47 nominations from 29 countries. Among them were Chinese acupuncture, a hopping procession in Luxembourg and Turkey’s Kirkpinar festival of men wrestling in cooking oil. Traditions such as Mongolian folk dancing, the Argentinean tango and Croatian lace-making now rank alongside the Acropolis in Athens and the Sigiriya fortress in Sri Lanka.

– Lakshman Ratnapala
BATW International Consultant 

Asia is, once again leading the recovery, showing outstanding resilience, although in comparison, recovery was lagging in parts of Europe and the Americas.  The Asian region which was caught quite early by the economic crisis was also the first to show signs of recovery.  Compared with the pre-crisis year of 2008, Asia gained an extra 10 million international tourist arrivals last year (2010), with most destinations registering double-digit growth rates, many such as Sri Lanka even above 20 percent.

These results reinforce the message that tourism is one of the most dynamic economic sectors and a key driver in creating much needed growth and employment. Accordingly, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) is calling upon governments, and multilateral forums such as the G-20, to place tourism higher in their agendas as the sector can contribute to common objectives of sustaining recovery, regaining jobs and promoting sustainable development.  WTO’s Secretary-General Taleh Rifai warns that “in spite of tourism’s proven contribution to the economy, there has been an increased temptation among governments to introduce and increase taxation on travel, particularly on air transport”.  Rifai claims these impediments seriously effect tourism’s capacity to generate jobs and stimulate growth, through export earnings that are crucial to a stable economic recovery.

The WTO’s panel of tourism experts say “the two-speed economy in which we currently live, and which will last for the foreseeable future, favors emerging destinations, which will quickly gain market share of international tourism arrivals”.  Emerging destinations will continue to lead growth, taking advantage of a far-from-exhausted demand from neighboring countries.

International tourism receipts show a similar trend to that of arrivals, but growing at a somewhat more moderate pace.  This gap may be explained by persisting price competition, shorter stays by tourists in destinations and larger volumes of arrivals in “value for money destinations”.

International tourism expenditure has also rebounded, led by emerging economies such as Brazil, China and Russia posting the strongest growth among the major spenders.  Expenditure among the advanced economies has generally been restrained, but there has been a modest growth from the USA, Italy, Germany and France, as well as a return in spending by the Japanese on outbound tourism.

In domestic tourism, a shift in power has already occurred, mostly thanks to the large domestic markets of China, India and Brazil.

KEY  TRENDS

• Over the past six decades, tourism has experienced continued expansion and diversification to become one of the largest and fastest growing economic sectors in the world.  Many new destinations have emerged alongside the traditional ones of Europe and North America.

• In spite of occasional shocks, international tourist arrivals have shown virtually uninterrupted growth from 25 million in 1950 to 277 million in 1980, to 438 million in 1990, to 683 million in 2000, to 919 million in 2008.

• Under the impact of the worldwide financial crisis and following economic recession, international tourist arrivals declined by 4.2 % to 880 million in 2009.

• International tourism receipts reached US$ 852 billion in 2009, corresponding to a decrease in real terms of 5.7 %  on 2008.

• The dismal results of 2009 followed four years of strong, above-trend growth.  Including 2009, average annual growth since 2000 has been 3%.

• Growth returned to international tourism in the last quarter of 2009 after 14 months of decline.

• As growth has been particularly fast in the world’s emerging regions, the share in international tourist arrivals received by emerging and developing countries has steadily risen, from 32% in 1990 to 47% in 2009.

• By 2020 international arrivals are expected to reach 1.6 billion.

– Lakshman Ratnapala
BATW International Consultant

The hippie, counter-culture youth movement, developed in the United States in the early 1960s and spread around the world along with its fundamental ethos — harmony with nature, communal living, artistic experimentation and the use of recreational drugs. San Francisco was at the heart of the earliest hippie movements. The intersection of Haight and Ashbury Streets was its epicenter, still an off-beat location favored by tourists and locals alike. College students intrigued by the psychedelic music scene left school and followed their favorite bands, living communally in inexpensive Victorian apartments around Haight and Ashbury that soon boasted a hippie commune of 15,000 young Americans. 1967 marked the “Summer of Love”. The song “if you are going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair” inspired thousands of youth from all over the world to travel to San Francisco, with flowers in their hair, earning the name “Flower Children”.

The Time magazine of July 7, 1967 described the hippie code : “Do your own thing, wherever you have to do it and whenever you want. Drop out. Leave society as you have known it. Leave it utterly. Blow the minds of every straight person you can reach. Turn them on, if not to drugs, then to beauty, love, honesty, fun.”

An estimated 100,000 people traveled to San Francisco in the summer of 1967. The media followed and public attention on hippie culture fueled a moral panic among the staid citizenry.

Some hippies left San Francisco to discover new places and new communes. One of them, “Eight Finger” Eddie went to Goa in India, wearing next to nothing, carrying earthen pipes on waistbands for smoking hashish. The locals in Anjuna Beach in Goa were shocked to see Eddie. But he loved them, and they fell in love with him and his half naked buddies who came with him.

In the 1960s when Eddie and his buddies arrived, Anjuna Beach had a few huts with nobody around. Some people let him stay in their huts for free. He cooked for everyone. Eddie sometimes ran a soup kitchen for hippies. He started the Anjuna flea market where hippies could hang out and barter goods. People gave things away. It was like a party. Today that market is a hub of commerce. Goa is a top destination for new age tourists — nearly two and half million each year. Five-star hotels line the beaches. Throbbing night life and lush restaurants add to the scene, which has made Goa one of the wealthiest States in India.

Goa owes much of its success to Eddie and other hippies like him who created the buzz that brought Western tourists. But with success and riches, the new Goanese society shunned the hippies of old. Goa has moved on.

On October 18, Eddie, wearing a floral shirt and cheap slippers, died of a heart attack at age 85 in Anjuna’s hospital. The local newspaper paid tribute calling him “a guiding light for travelers who made Anjuna the last station of the hippie trail”.

— Lakshman Ratnapala
BATW International Consultant

“As government plays an increasingly active role in our business, it’s critical that our employees play a more active role in governance” says Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association.  “Our industry must become a force in all elements of the political process, not just when times are tough or when we need something from policymakers.  Our 10 million employees can be tremendous allies to those who recognize the power of travel to create jobs, fund essential services and stimulate local economies”.

Under the brand of its newly formed “Power of Travel Coalition“, the U.S.T.A has asked more than 150 election candidates to submit answers to three questions chosen by travel industry employees.  The candidates’ responses in writing or by video will be posted on the Coalition’s Virtual Travel Town Hall webpage , prior to the elections, in November.

This initiative provides Congressional election candidates with the opportunity to support one in nine American workers in an industry that is 2.5 times the auto industry and a top ten employer in nearly every U.S. State. U.S. Travel is partnering with major hotel chains, attractions, convention and visitor bureaus, travel related associations and others to ensure the most significant electoral participation in the travel industry’s history.

The effort comes on the heels of more than 400,000 lost travel industry jobs since 2008 and one of the most active periods for the travel industry in Washington, including public policies related to the BP oil spill, the discouragement of corporate meetings and events, the H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak and enactment of the Travel Promotion Act, the first-ever program to market the United States abroad.

Meanwhile, following the new Travel Promotion Act becoming law in March, the U.S. has begun collecting a $10 fee from select international visitors to fund up to 50 percent of America’s promotional activities.

According to Oxford Economics, the inability of the U.S. to simply keep pace with average growth in international long-haul travel over the past decade has cost the economy an estimated $509 billion in total spending and 441,000 American jobs.  In addition, the country forfeited an estimated $32 billion in direct tax receipts over the same period.  The average overseas visitor spends in excess of $4,000 when they visit the United States. Oxford Economics estimates that a well-executed promotion program will attract 1.6 million new international visitors to the U.S. annually and create $4 billion in new spending each year.

– Lakshman Ratnapala
BATW International Consultant

The first ingredient of change, he noted, is the internet, which has changed the way we communicate. Seventy-five percent of households in the major source markets of the West have internet access, and 94 percent of modern travelers use the internet to access information on where to travel, where to live, where to work and where to establish a business. The second ingredient is specialization. People in the major source markets are exposed to 1,200 marketing messages of one kind or another every day. This has created a situation where most advertising is ineffective because people tend to filter out everything not directly appealing to them. The third ingredient of change is the demographics of travel. The baby boom generation (1946-1964) even now accounts for 80 percent of all travel spending. They seek a different kind of interactive and experiential tourism, different from the older, more traditional tourism focused on simply visiting and seeing places of interest. Then there are the “eco boomers or millennials” (1977-2007) who are also basically “experientialists”.

The core attributes of both groups are 1) their independence combined with high expectations, 2) they demand specifics, not generalities in tour itineraries, 3) they seek experiences, not just places to visit and 4) they seek information from third-party reviews, including via mechanisms such as videos. Eighty-five percent of them decide where to go before they budget the trip.

The bottom line and the big question for tourism destinations and products is: “What do you have that these travelers cannot get elsewhere?” Whatever it is that you have, you need to hang on to that which is special. In other words, you need to “brand” that specialty of yours.

Branding means placing a stamp of authenticity on what you want to be known for and what sets you apart from everyone else. Branding is important for tourism destination and product development — which is what you need to do to “own” the brand, and also for marketing, i.e., how to tell the world about your product and cement your ownership of it.

In attempting to “brand” a destination or product, there are ten things one needs to do to win, Roger Brooks pointed out. They are :

• Remember a brand is a perception — what people think of you, not what you say, who you are. Sometimes there may be a negative perception requiring a “repositioning” or “rebranding” effort. A brand is also a promise that you will deliver on the perception you have created.
• The name or product or place must be synonymous with the brand.
• Logos and slogans are not brands. They are just marketing messages used to support the brand. The slogan is simply an exclamation point on your key marketing message.
• Jettison the generic. Don’t try to be all things to all people. Promote the primary lure. Find your niche and emphasize that. The narrower the focus, the stronger the success. Something for everyone will result in mediocrity.
• Success revolves around experiences, based on activities, not things to look at. Location is always second to activity. Evoke emotion : “Wow! I want to do that”.
• Separate your primary lure from the diversionary or “complimentary” activities. The primary lure is what sets you apart from others and makes it worth the trip.
• Successful efforts are built on product and not marketing. Product development never ends. Never rest on your laurels. The product does not have to be expensive.
• Don’t use focus groups. Branding cannot be done by public consent. Build the brand on feasibility, not just local sentiment. Remember the seven phases of a public project — Enthusiasm, Planning, Disillusion, Fear and Panic, Search for the guilty, Punishment of the innocent, Praise and honors for the non-participants.
• Never “roll out” a brand. The brand is “earned”, good or bad.
• Politics is the killer of any specialization effort. There are three killers of any branding effort — local politics, lack of champions and lack of money. Branding by committee “for the people” kills good concepts. That is why there are no statues of committees in public places; only statues of brave leaders.

– Lakshman Ratnapala
BATW International Correspondent

As the very nature of the travel and meeting business changes dramatically, one of  the world’s favorite tourism destinations, San Francisco, is embracing change and re-engineering its marketing process to ensure it remains in front of the competition. Celebrating its centenary, the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB) has launched a Centennial Project,  incorporating a new strategic business plan, the largest research effort in the bureau’s history, a fresh branding of the destination, technology planning and continual reevaluation of sales.

More than six months in the making, the Centennial Project will help the bureau to “communicate in a way that will turn lookers into bookers and fans into evangelists” according to SFCVB Chair and General Manager of the St. Regis Hotel, Toni Knorr, who introduced a new purpose statement, “Lead the Way”, at the 1,000-plate 100th-anniversary luncheon on July 6, 2010.

Outlining the belief that rapid and permanent change is happening and all organizations in the travel industry better be prepared to embrace that change and adapt to it or risk becoming irrelevant, SFCVB President & CEO, Joe D’Alessandro promised “Change is coming and we will embrace it.”  According to D’Alessandro, change also means getting involved in politics — something that most destination promotional agencies stay away from. But the SFCVB CEO had no qualms about  urging the travel industry to get involved, not only in local community services, but also in the political process as well.  “We have to do a better job of educating citizens and officials about the importance of San Francisco’s number one industry — tourism,” he said.

D’Alessandro lashed out against moves to raise hotel taxes, already considered high, by another 2% to help reduce the city budget deficit. He said such a move would make the destination non-competitive, result in fewer visitors and kill more than 2,000 jobs. “The best way to ensure the tax base grows,” he said, “is to ensure the economy grows.  The fastest way to do that is to build the tourism industry, not hurt it.  We can’t afford to kill the goose that lays the golden egg”.  He threatened that if hotel taxes are raised, the SFCVB  and partners in the Hotel Council and the Chamber of Commerce will fight it.

He urged support for the “Civil Sidewalks” ballot initiative which seeks to make sitting or sleeping on the sidewalks a punishable offense, saying that “we must make sure that the streets are clean, safe and welcoming for residents and visitors alike.  We have to ensure that people behave well on our sidewalks”. He argued this is not about intolerance or taking people’s rights away, not about civil rights but about civility.   “We will no longer tolerate aggressive, bad behavior on the sidewalks,” he said.

In other words, the city marketing agency is  ready to take risks and disrupt the status quo in order to make sure the destination lives up to its brand. The SFCVB, which markets San Francisco, is one of largest tourism promotion agencies in the USA. Tourism is San Francisco’s largest industry, generating about $8.0 billion annually for the local economy.

– Lakshman Ratnapala
BATW International Advisor

Beteta told the California Travel Industry Association (CalTIA) 2010 Conference in San Francisco on June 8 that overall travel to California is expected to grow at a modest rate of 3 percent this year, with more “inspired growth” of 4 percent next year.  In the near term, international arrivals will outpace the rebound in domestic visitors.  From an 8 percent decline in 2009, international travel is expected to grow to 4 percent in 2010 and 6 percent in 2011 while domestic visitors are expected to grow 3 and 4 percent respectively.  Visitor expenditures are expected to rise faster than visits to California, aided by both relative strength in overnight visitor numbers and increasing travel-related prices.

California  Tourism  Outlook At a Glance:

2010

3 % growth in visitors

Domestic + 3 %

International + 4 %

5 % growth in visitor spending

Domestic + 5 %

International + 7 %

2011

4 % additional growth in visitors

9 % additional growth in spending

Throughout the previous year, 2009, CTTC focused on achieving the best possible return on investment.  ROI is measured for each program — for example, brand advertising success is measured by incremental visitation and spending numbers.  The 2010-11 operational plan is about moving forward to recover visitors and visitor spending from the decline of the previous year.  CTTC has analyzed the current situation and is well positioned to take advantage of several opportunities that have emerged, such as advances in digital media and technology and the booming economies of certain emerging international markets.

On the international front, the playing field has shifted quite a bit.  In 2009 only Australia and South America showed growth in arrivals in California, while others such as Japan and South Korea were hit very hard.  And, while only moderate growth in GDP is expected for most major markets, both China and India are expected to grow 9.1 % in 2011.  At the same time, foreign currencies across the globe have gained purchasing power against the dollar, making the U.S. an attractive travel destination for long-haul markets.

In 2010/11, the CTTC’s Marketing Mantra will be “preserve and innovate”.  It will maintain core successes, protecting the proven foundation that has been carefully crafted over the years to drive significant economic impact/ROI, and also stimulate progress through innovation to create more meaningful and ongoing ways to connect with and engage consumers in the California brand experience.  The two key brand pillars are the California attitude, combined with the value proposition of “abundance” — that California has the most (and best) of everything, so that visitors will get more for their money from a California vacation.

The next year ushers in a new era in the rapidly changing world of media, from television watching habits (use of DVRs and on-demand) to social and digital media (the new iPad, Twitter, mobile applications).  Connecting with today’s consumers is much different from previous times.  It is critical to make a connection on an emotional level to avoid getting lost in the maze of media options.

– Lakshman Ratnapala
BATW International Consultant

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I recall a former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Solomon Bandaranaike, expounding his vision of the world in an address to the United Nations in New York as one “in a period of transition”.  He said we were then between two worlds — one in the throes of death and the other struggling to be born.

Though not quite in the same league as the Bandaranaike world vision, those words seem apt to describe today’s state of tourism, international and national, both emerging from periods of conflict — economic and social — and both energetically trying to create a brighter new world.

At this half way mark of the year, 2010 promises to be a year of transformation against the backdrop of both an upturn in international tourism and overall economic indicators. Industry forecasts are for a return to growth in tourist arrivals, after the drop of 4% last year.  The World Tourism Organization (WTO) now thinks the 2010 growth will be between 3% and 4%.  The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) predicts an increase of 2.7% each year to 2012 for international travel to Asia Pacific destinations.  South Asia is forecast to grow the fastest at an average of 4.9% per annum over the next three years to 2012, followed by Southeast Asia at 4.8%

One significant aspect of the international forecasts by both WTO and PATA is that the overall growth rates for global and regional tourism will remain very much lower from historical levels for the next few years.  This in turn, heralds the need for tourism-based businesses to continue to find profits in cost containment rather than in volume growth.  PATA predicts growth to be very uneven at a number of levels, especially at the individual country of origin-to-destination levels.

INTERNATIONAL  TOURISM  FORECAST

2009                FORECAST 2010

WORLD                                                         – 4 %                + 3 %  to +  4 %

Asia – Pacific                                               – 2 %                + 5 % to  + 7 %

Middle East                                                 – 6 %                + 5 %  to  + 9 %

Americas                                                      – 5 %                + 2 %  to  + 4 %

Europe                                                          – 6 %                + 1 %  to  +  3 %

Africa                                                           + 5 %               + 4 %  to  +  7 %

________________________________________________________________

As 2010 develops into a year of transformation, analysts see several upside opportunities :

*    Business and consumer confidence has picked up.

*    Interest rates and inflation remain low.

*    A slump is generally followed by a rebound due to pent-up demand.

*     Scope for revival in source markets

– Lakshman Ratnapala
BATW International Consultant

Culinary traditions are important elements of culture and history.  Cuisine and the technology of its production show how people cope with food sources, vegetation, climate and the numerous other aspects of their environment.  As tourism and heritage conservation become important to community pride and to their livelihood, culinary history becomes a point of reference to social planning and well being.

The Philippines with its 7,000 islands of tropical beauty is one of the best kept culinary secrets in the world of tourism.  Now, the Department of Tourism is taking the story of its multifaceted culinary heritage to the world.  Philippine culinary vignettes and period recipes from as far back as the 1500s are presented  in a coffee table publication titled The Governor-General’s Kitchen.  Complementing the publication comes a package of 13  ”Kulinarya Food Trips” offered by the Philippine travel industry.

“The Governor-General lives like a king, and his grand receptions are the glory of Manila,” wrote an American journalist, in a preview of Philippine life during the Spanish and American colonial occupations when 112 Spaniards and 11 American governors-general ruled over the islands from 1569 onward.  For close to 400 years, the governor-general’s table represented the epitome of Western cuisine and culture on the archipelago.  It was the inspiration for countless recipes and a social etiquette that evolved singular to the hospitable, festival-loving Philippine people.

The Governor-General’s Kitchen shares stories of how insular cooks with nothing but simple clay stoves and pots produced everything from galantines forced with locally grown capers to pináis — boiled banana-leaf pillows filled with delicately flavored banak fish.  Having learned to distill spirits, the island-rum became world famous.  As the beehive oven found its following, native bakers turned out feathery hojaldres cookies and towering croquembouche sometimes filled with pineapple and cream.  How the people of the Philippines transformed tropical ingredients into delicious meals and splendid edible fancies is a tribute to culinary creativity.  The Governor General’s Kitchen attempts to show how it all happened over the centuries.

Showcased in the banquet of 13 “Kulinarya Food Trips” marketed by the Philippines travel industry are an array of distinctive regional dishes created with local ingredients with their very special flavors.  They also reflect the influence of the various foreign cultures that impacted the Philippines for half a millennium.

For instance, the Ilocondia Culinary Tour introduces the visitor to cooking that is as exclusive as the region’s heritage churches and historic villages.  The Pampanga Kulinarya Tour takes one to the “Food Capital of the Philippines”, the center for desserts and pastries.  Bicol Kulinarya is a chili hot tour of the Bicol region where hot chili peppers rule the dinner table.  The Iloilo Kulinarya traces the roots of southern culinary specialties with visits to ancestral houses.  Other culinary tours transport the visitor to exotic places such as  Cebu, “Queen City of the South” famous for mangoes, and Davao City, home to the “heavenly” durian fruit.  Finally there is a tour of Bohol’s  ”Chocolate Hills”, which regrettably cannot be eaten.  Instead one has to go for peanut kisses!

– Lakshman Ratnapala
BATW International Consultant

The good news is that President Obama has at last signed the Travel Promotion Act into law. With that the United Stated is equipping itself to compete in the international travel market by promoting diverse attractions under a collective national brand, as so many other countries are doing. It is a historic victory for which the U.S. travel industry has fought for so long.

The Travel Promotion Act establishes a public-private partnership to promote the U.S. and to communicate U.S. security and entry policies. According to analysis by Oxford Economics, the bill is estimated to drive $4 billion in new consumer spending annually, provide $321 million in new federal tax revenue each year and create 400,000 jobs nationwide. Overseas visitors spend an average of over $4,000 when they visit the U.S.

The TPA is funded through a matching program featuring up to $100 million in private-sector contributions and a $10 fee on foreign travelers who do not pay $131 for a visa to enter the United States. The fee is to be collected once every two years in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security’s electronic system for travel authorization.

Now for the bad news. The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFVCB) released its annual estimate of the economic impact of the tourism industry in the city, reporting that last year (2009) San Francisco saw a drop in both visitor numbers and expenditures. The negative results had a spill-over effect throughout the Bay Area as tourist destinations all around the bay and beyond depend much on excursions originating in San Francisco.

Total number of visitors to San Francisco in 2009 was 15.4 million, a decrease of 5.8 percent, and visitor expenditures amounted to $7.8 billion, a drop of 7.8 percent from the previous year. The data was not unexpected, given the state of the global economy, but it is especially disturbing in the light of the importance of tourism to the economic health of San Francisco and the Bay Area.

The tourism industry generated over $426 million in taxes for the city of San Francisco, down 19.2 percent from 2008. The industry supported 66,837 jobs in 2009 with an annual payroll of $1.8 billion. There was an average of 125,407 visitors in San Francisco each day, last year. They spent $21.5 million daily, on average.

Now, to help boost hotel business, the SFCVB is casting a wider net for meetings and conventions. Also, this summer, for the third year in a row, the Bureau is orchestrating a cooperative campaign with several major cultural venues to promote San Francisco’s “embarrassment of riches” in art exhibitions, targeting “cultural travelers” in prime feeder markets to the city. This month (April, 2010) SFCVB will be launching a new campaign aimed at gay and lesbian (LGBT) travelers, a key market segment for San Francisco, considered to be the #2 overall destination in America for LGBT travelers.

– Lakshman Ratnapala
BATW International Consultant