Antecedentes
The Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) (originally known as the Tumen River Area Development Programme –TRADP), is an intergovernmental cooperation mechanism in Northeast Asia, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with a membership of four countries: People’s Republic of China (PRC), Republic of Korea (ROK), Mongolia and Russian Federation. The mandate of the GTI geographically covers so-called the Greater Tumen Region (GTR) which includes China’s three Northeast provinces (Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning) and Inner Mongolia, Mongolia’s eastern provinces/aimags (Dornod, Khentii, Sukhbaatar), eastern sea rim of the ROK (Gangwon, Geyongsangbuk, Busan and Ulsan) and the Primorsky Territory of Russia.
Since its creation, the GTI has remained a unique intergovernmental platform for economic cooperation, fostering peace, stability and sustainable development in Northeast Asia. It is playing a significant role in expanding policy dialogue and strengthening a business-friendly environment in the region, therefore contributing to the improvement of living standards through development of infrastructure and promotion of trade and investment.
The region’s position is within four different countries with completely different cultural, political, and historical backgrounds. This could enable the GTR to develop an exclusive multi-destination tourism sector. The region’s concentration of tangible and intangible natural and cultural resources has potential for combination into a viable multi-destination tourism product. However, due to lack of information, tourism infrastructure, and intraregional cooperation the industry has not been developed to its full potential. If barriers to development can be eliminated in the area, the GTR can become an attractive and viable travel destination for a diverse range of tourists from both the GTI countries, and abroad.
In the past few decades, the number of international visitors to the whole of Northeast Asia region has grown and the power of tourism as a viable means of sustainable development has been proven. The GTI member countries have proclaimed tourism “an important tool to combat poverty and provide sustainable livelihoods”. However, tourism development in the area, although fraught with possibility, has been hindered by the lack of regional cooperation and collaborative development. Currently there are few multi-destination tourism routes which take advantage of the GTR’s proximity to the four major countries of China, Russia, ROK, and Mongolia.
To combat this lack of development, at the 8th meeting of the GTI Consultative Commission (CC) (Sept. 2005), the GTI member countries agreed on “encouraging a broad range of product development initiatives, especially multi-destination programme” as one of tourism strategic objectives. The Multi-Destination Tourism (MDT) project was also a sub project endorsed at the 9th meeting of the GTI CC (Nov. 2007) as a “Capacity Building on GTI Tourism at Regional level.” With the commencement of the 2nd meeting of GTI Tourism Board (Sept, 2009), Tourism Board members approved the implementation of the MDT Project and GTI Tourism Guide with the intention to provide GTI tourism information and raise attractiveness of the GTI region to foreign and regional visitors. At the 3rd meeting of the GTI Tourism Board (May, 2010), member countries pledged to step up involvement in the region through the MDT project, and the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the project was approved at the 4th meeting of the GTI Tourism Board in August 2011.
Deberes y responsabilidades
Objectives of the Consulting Services are:
- To develop itineraries for the MDT routes in the GTR;
- To identify obstacles of each MDT route in the region;
- To develop viable and relevant solutions to major obstacles;
- To improve cooperative mechanism among the GTI neighboring countries’ central, local tourism, authorities and tourism agencies to facilitate MDT routes and cross-border tourism flows;
- To establish a GTI Tourism Database;
- To forecast tourist flow of the GTR and MDT routes;
- To further promote of tourism in GTR through a FAM (Familiarization) Tour (led by consultant and attended by media, travel journalists, authorities, experts, operators, and agents).
Duties and Responsibilities:
The MDT Consultant is expected to undertake following responsibilities under the supervision of the Director of GTI Secretariat, and in close consultation with the GTI Secretariat, member governments and UNDP China. The Consultant is responsible for assessing current and potential MDT Routes in GTR, such as but not limited to China-Russia-DPRK tourism route, Northeast Asia Cruise Route, and Tea Road, as well as developing solutions for identified obstacles. The Consultant shall:
- Identify the most viable MDT routes with detailed itineraries and cost assessment, which are to be formulated in consultation with GTI Tourism Board members, relevant authorities, and travel agencies;
- Summarize the current or potential situation of identified MDT routes;
- Analyze and provide solutions for major hurdles for development of MDT routes in the region with recommended action plan, and estimate financial, technical and other requirements needed to actualize the solutions identified;
- Establish a GTI Tourism Database which reflects tourist flow and composition, as well as tourism facilities, products, attractions, travel cost, time cost and travel agencies of Northeast Asia (NEA), and the GTR and MDT routes in particular;
- Forecast future tourist flow of the NEA, and the GTR and MDT routes in particular;
- Contact all relevant GTI tourism authorities, travel agencies and arrange a tourism workshop to discuss key issues of the MDT project to build understanding and partnership among all tourism players in order to facilitate successful development of proposed tourism routes;
- Prepare a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in cooperation with regional and local tourism authorities related to multi-destination tours, and circulate the MOU as well as the Interim Assessment Report and the interim FAM Tour Plan to participants 2 weeks before the workshop at the latest;
- Show signs of further progress made on continuing the work of the draft MOU, and coordinate all relevant parties to finalize the MOU at the workshop;
- Present Interim Assessment Report and FAM Tour Plan, and finalize these two documents according to feedback and comments from the Tourism Board members at the workshop;
- Attend the 5th GTI Tourism Board Meeting to coordinate Tourism Board members to sign the MOU, approve the Assessment report and the FAM Tour Plan;
- Plan, implement, and direct the final FAM tour. Duties include fixing details including participant list, transportation, accommodation, attractions visited, shooting of the promotion video, and budget and financial source;
- Plan and organize Advertisement Campaigns. Advertise FAM Tour promotion materials for the participants and media in advance. Advertisement campaigns should be in consultation with relevant local provinces and tourism agencies.
- Prepare a Final Report after the FAM tour;
- Perform other duties as required by the supervisor.
Time Input and Deliverables:
The Consultant works from his/her home office and is expected to make the field trips needed to gather the up-to-date information on the state of each MDT route, and organize the MDT workshop and the FAM Tour.
Expected deliverables:
- An assessment Report of MDT Routes containing (i) a survey to collect relevant information; (ii) identified potential MDT routes in GTR or NEA with detailed itineraries and cost assessment; (iii) current or potential situations of both demand and supply sides of each route including tourist flow and composition, cost assessment, tourism facilities, cross-border procedures, travel security mechanism, tourism attractions and products, travel agencies and practitioner capacity, as well as existing obstacles, development plans and prospects for development, etc.; (iv) a GTI Tourism Database with a well-organized structure and content which reflects tourist flow and composition, as well as tourism facilities, products, attractions, travel cost, time cost and travel agencies of NEA, and the GTR and MDT routes in particular; (v) tourism market demand and supply analysis and forecasting of tourist flow of the NEA, and the GTR and MDT routes in particular; (vi) analysis and solutions for major bottlenecks for implementing and further promoting each route, and estimates of financial, technical and other requirements needed to actualize the solutions identified; (vii) overall evaluation, as well as suggested action plan including project proposals and timeframe to coordinate with relevant parties to implement and promote potential MDT routes;
- An MOU containing mutual understanding and agreement between central, local governments, travel agencies and international organizations on the GTI MDT project, especially on key issues such as travel security mechanism, visa facilitation, cross-border procedure, joint promotion, and each party’s commitment;
- A FAM Tour Plan containing (i) final FAM Tour itinerary; (ii) organization plan of the advertisement campaigns in each country; (iii) organization plan of the final FAM Tour with fixing details of transportation, accommodation and attractions visited; (iv) budget and financial source; (v) participant list which include media, travel journalists, authorities, experts, operators, and agents; as well as (vi) promotion package which includes slogan, logo or mascot, brochure, and promotion video (which should be shot during the FAM tour and finalized with the final report mentioned below) for the Multi-Destination Tourism;
- A Final Report containing (i) Final Assessment Report updated according to the outcomes of the FAM Tour; (ii) signed MOU; and (iii) FAM report which include implementation process, results, and the final promotion package.
Tentative Work Schedule:
| Activities Desk Review and Preparation of the Survey | Working Days 4 days | Timeline (estimated) February, 2012 |
| Reviewed by GTI Secretariat | -- | February, 2012 |
| Email and Phone Call Survey, and Preliminary Assessment Report, MOU, FAM Tour Plan ,( and sending invitation letters to all relevant parties for the GTI Tourism workshop) | 15 days | March, 2012 |
| Reviewed by GTI Secretariat | -- | March, 2012 |
| Circulating Preliminary Assessment Report, MOU, FAM Tour Plan to MDT workshop participants | -- | March, 2012 |
| FAM Field Trip and Interview Survey | 12 days | April, 2012 |
| Interim Assessment Report and MOU, FAM Tour Plan (and circulating to participants of the GTI Tourism Workshop) | 5 days | May, 2012 |
| Reviewed by GTI Secretariat | -- | May, 2012 |
| Organizing and Participating in GTI Tourism Workshop (to finalize Assessment Report, MOU, and FAM Tour Plan) | 3 days | May, 2012 |
| Participation in the 5th GTI Tourism Board Meeting (to adopt Assessment Report, MOU, and FAM Tour Plan) | 1 day | June, 2012 |
| Advertise Campaigns and FAM Tour | 6 days | June, 2012 |
| Submit Draft Final Report | 3 days | June, 2012 |
| Reviewed by GTI Tourism Board and Secretariat | -- | June, 2012 |
| Revision and submit the Final Report | 1 day | June, 2012 |
| Working Days in Total | 50 days | |
Competencias
- At least 10 years of extensive working experiences in the tourism field, especially in international tourism planning and development;
- Prior experience in tourism visa facilitation, tourism promotion, and tourism market analysis will be a plus;
- Good knowledge of NEA region as well as its tourism development and attractions.
Habilidades y experiencia requeridas
- An advanced degree in Tourism, Regional Studies, Economics or other relevant field from a recognized university;
- Excellent English writing and communication skills is a necessity;
- Proficiency in GTI regional languages (Chinese, Korean, Mongolian, and Russian) is an asset.