To utilize the power of networking to promote and enhance international business opportunities between members.
To mentor and assist young people in the industry.
To speak out for peace and cultural understanding worldwide.
To support charitable causes that offer care and protection to women and children.
WOMEN IN TOURISM INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE LIMITED ~ Linking Tourism Professionals Globally ~
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK Anne Isaacson, President, WITIA Greetings WITIA Colleagues,
Having just reached the Winter Solstice here in Australia, I am reminded that we are already half way through the year. For those in the northern hemisphere, you are about to embark on your summer holiday season which I hope will be a very profitable one for all WITIA members. The southern hemisphere is in the middle of winter with our next peak season still six months away, so we are experiencing a quieter time requiring some clever marketing campaigns and initiatives. This presents opportunities as so many from this part of the world are looking for warm sunny holidays!
The beginning of the year heralded a worldwide economic meltdown, presenting numerous challenges for the travel and tourism industry. Many businesses have had to make some hard choices to adapt to present conditions, and most have had to realign their economic forecasts, but signs from different countries indicate there are some “green shoots of recovery,” as President Obama said recently. We hope these “green shoots” will hearten you as it does us, inspiring you to a new confidence in the future. Truly we feel that better times are on the horizon.
One way of helping each another to survive these difficult times is to learn about “new” destinations or products, and what better way to do this than via the WITIA network. If you have colleagues or friends whose businesses are unique or offer a point of difference, even (or especially) if they are in a different region, country or continent from you, encourage them to join WITIA and tell us about themselves! They will be named as a new member in WITIA WORKS! and can choose to have their businesses featured in WITIA NETWORKS!, perhaps offering special rates or Educationals for fellow members. Both of these publications go out to over 2500 tourism professionals around the globe. Everyone benefits from being acquainted with new and fresh opportunities, and sometimes the planting of a seed (the germ of an idea!) can lead to a very prosperous harvest. Read more>>>
With the Beijing Educational & AGM just 4 months away, this is a gentle reminder that you must complete your registration by 15 July in order to take advantage of Early Bird savings. Save USD $100 if you fill out and pay for your registration by this date – don’t wait! Complete details on the itinerary as well as registration and payment information can be found at www.witia.org under the Events tab on the Menu bar.
The post tour along the Silk Road to the very west of China and the post tour of Xian, the Yangtze and Shanghai are proving to be very popular options. Details for registration for these tours are on the web site at www.witia.org. Join like-minded members and friends on one of these amazing adventures following the Educational.
GREAT WALL OF CHINA AT MUTIANYU
Just as the Eiffel Tower is the ‘shorthand’ symbol for Paris and France, the Great Wall is the majestic and universally known emblem of China, a lure for even the most blasé of tourists. Extending west over 6400 km (4000 miles) from Shanhaiguan, a seaport on China’s east coast, to deep within Xinjiang province along the Silk Road, the Great Wall traverses mountains, plateaus and deserts as it roughly skirts the southern border of Inner Mongolia. While it is a myth that the wall is visible from space, it is nonetheless the world’s largest structure, a feat of engineering that is even more astonishing when seen up close. It was constructed as a defensive barrier by at least a million slaves and prisoners of war beginning in the 7th century B.C.E., and built and rebuilt numerous times over a millennium with local materials so its composition changes as the wall journeys westward. Read more>>> MEMBER PROFILE: MONIKA OLDENBURG, Nadi, Fiji.
“Do not settle down without first seeing the Sydney Opera House!” So said Monika Oldenburg’s father, a travel addict in his youth, and this advice inspired Monika to go forth and see the world. Born in the north German city of Kiel, one of Germany’s main seaports on the Baltic, Monika would come to set her focus far beyond her native shores - outbound, across the oceans to tropical latitudes, and what better way to get there than through employment in tourism.
Monika and her older brother Stephan were brought up by parents in the construction business. She had two childhood dreams: to see the Sydney Opera House and to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. Starting when she was still a business student in Kiel and going into her early twenties, she began to make her dreams a reality by making full use of the generous German vacation policy. She writes, “My love for travel and new adventure took me to various destinations around the world and gave me first-hand experience in other cultures and ways of life.” ..... Read more>>
MEMBERSHIP ACQUISITION CAMPAIGN ENDS This campaign has been in effect since October 2008 but you still have until 30 June 2009 to participate! Congratulations and big thanks to the members listed below who have been successful in encouraging new members to join our Alliance. Every new member they have recruited will give them an entry in the draw to win a free registration for the Beijing Educational from 8 - 13 October 2009. This draw will be held in the presence of WITIA members on Friday, 3 July at the Women in Tourism Gold Coast breakfast meeting at Bond University, Robina, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. If the winning member is unable to accept the free registration to the Educational, they will receive the alternate prize of a beautiful hand woven silk tapestry (as pictured above). Read more>>
Deadline has been extended for Submitting a Proposal for the 2010 Annual General Meeting/Educational The WITIA Board has extended its invitation to submit proposals for the venue for the 2010 event until 30 September 2009. Although several submissions have already been received, the Board would welcome additional submissions. The itinerary should be five days in length, and occur between July and November 2010.
The following current newsletter issues are available:
GREAT WALL OF CHINA AT MUTIANYU 
“Do not settle down without first seeing the Sydney Opera House!” So said Monika Oldenburg’s father, a travel addict in his youth, and this advice inspired Monika to go forth and see the world. Born in the north German city of Kiel, one of Germany’s main seaports on the Baltic, Monika would come to set her focus far beyond her native shores - outbound, across the oceans to tropical latitudes, and what better way to get there than through employment in tourism. 
