South Eastern Europe (SEE) Regional Tourism Portal: Concept Overview September 23, 2008

1. South Eastern Europe (SEE) Regional Tourism Portal: Concept Overview September 23, 2008 Presentation at the Regional Competitiveness Initiative (RCI) Regional Tourism Workshop 2008 Siika Zhivkova, SRA International, ICT@USAID Deputy Program Manager

2. Overview Agenda • Overview of the South Eastern Europe (SEE) Regional Tourism Portal Concept: • Goal, Targeted Audience, Objectives • Functions • Stakeholders • Implementation Pre-requisites & Approach • Questions / Participant Feedback

3. SEE Regional Tourism Portal: Goal, Targeted Audience, Objectives • Goal: TOOL for . . . • Information sharing • Linking regional partners • Promoting cross-border tourism products, routes, and sales in SEE • Illustrative Targeted Audience & Relevant Portal Objective: • Consumers (individuals, groups, business travelers, diasporas) • Mainly Informational – to present tourism opportunities in the region; assist the consumer to find a destination, make reservation, and pay for services if feasible • Tourism-related organizations and companies • Informational, Promotional, Educational, Business-related (e.g. opportunities for exchanging offers) • Public administrations and local authorities • Informational (e.g. exchanging information on ongoing projects from both the sector and the institutions) • USAID Missions, Projects, Donor Organizations • Informational (e.g. sharing information on sponsored tourism-related projects) • National Portals • Informational, Promotional, Business-related – to support, promote, and enhance sales of national tourism portals

4. SEE Regional Tourism Portal: Information-Related Functions INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO: • Linking national portals and/or tourism websites of the member countries and organizations • Examples: • Albania - http://www.albaniantourism.com/; • Bosnia and Herzegovina - http://www.bhtourism.ba/eng/; • Kosovo - http://kosovotourism.tripod.com/; • Macedonia - http://www.exploringmacedonia.com/; • Montenegro - http://www.visit-mha.org/, www.cstimontenegro.org, http://montenegro-adventures.com/; • Serbia - http://www.serbia.travel/, http://www.serbia-tourism.org/index_e.php

5. SEE Regional Tourism Portal: Information-Related Functions INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO: • Providing links to tourism- and business-related websites and documents • E.g. World Economic Forum’s Tourism Report ’08 (www.weforum.org) • Sharing information on USAID and other donors’ and organizations’ projects in SEE • Presenting • Regional best practices • B2B and B2C opportunities and activities • Providing information by tourism sectors and categories • E.g. rural, eco-tourism, cuisine and wine, cultural • Providing information on: • Cross-border tourism projects, routes, etc. • Regional and national transportation, visa procedures, exchange rates • National and regional “Authentic Quality Mark” standards • Regional and international initiatives, events (e.g. trade fairs) • Viable regional business opportunities • National and regional tourism policy

6. SEE Regional Tourism Portal: Promotion-Related Functions INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO: • Promotion and awareness of: • Cross-border tourism products, routes, sales • Tourism attractions for each country through links to national portals • Design and promotion of tours in more than one country • Promotion, brand, and sales of the Quality Mark to small accommodations • Presenting promotional brochures, videos, campaigns • Regional best practices • B2B and B2C opportunities and activities • Common marketing campaign

7. SEE Regional Tourism Portal: Services INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO: • Consumer Services • Availability of SEE map and travel guide • Reference to real-time online booking systems on the partnering portals & websites • Promoting importance of customers’ feedback on the QM certified accommodations and other aspects of the brand • Services to Portal Members • Providing: • Information on workforce skills, education, training • Opportunity for/access to online training • Information on and access to certification opportunities and processes in the tourism sector • Exchanging ideas and best practices • Organizing study tours and tourism-related workshops in the region • Creating and maintaining online regional tourism discussion groups (e.g. regional logistical issues, itineraries, evens, joint marketing, partnership, cooperation opportunities in the areas of promotion and education/training) • Initiating and maintaining active online regional dialogue on cross-border tourism opportunities • Linking national B&B networks regionally • Providing/linking pool of consultants and assessors for the regional QM

8. SEE Regional Tourism Portal: General Functions & Sections INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO: • Presenting the Portal in various languages • Including standard portal/web site sections such as: • About the Portal • Contact Us • Customer Feedback • Partners and Donors • News and Events • Other standard portal/websites sections • Providing links to standard tourism-related websites, e.g. • Weather • World Clock – Time Zones • Countries’ Calling Codes • Currency Converters • Travel Warnings • Foreign Embassies’ contact information

9. SEE Regional Tourism Portal: Stakeholders INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO: • Tourism-related organizations and companies • Including countries of non-USAID presence or non-sponsored by USAID projects, if they meet participating, to-be-defined requirements • Government tourism-related institutions • USAID/W, Missions, Projects • Donors and organizations in the region (e.g. SNV Balkans, GTZ Program, EBRD)

10. SEE Regional Tourism Portal: Proposed Implementation Approach • Present and discuss portal goal, targeted audience, objectives, and functions. • Discuss and agree on roles and responsibilities of the Portal’s members; Portal’s ownership. • Agree and commit to expected contributions from the participating countries/members during the potential Portal implementation and after the Portal launch. • Finalize and sign-off on functional requirements, implementation phases, and proceeding with creation and implementation of SEE Regional Tourism Portal. • Create Sustainability Action Plan (including short- and long-term goals and related content: business model; membership policy and fees; responsibilities; income resources; ownership; Portal updates and upgrades, etc.) • Create and Implement Portal • Perform/complete the Needs Assessment of the participating countries/members and define General Technical Requirements and/or other documentation needed for the RFP process. • Execute an RFP process; select regional implementer(s). • Design, develop, and deploy the Portal using a phased approach and modular structure. • Coordinate with participating members and USAID- and other donors-sponsored projects on entering data for the Portal. • Prepare and conduct promotional campaign for the Portal. • Assess and develop SEE Regional Tourism Portal Lessons Learned.

11. SEE Regional Tourism Portal: Discussion • To be continued …

12. SEE Regional Tourism Portal: Discussion Points – Targeted Audience • Does the proposed targeted audience fully cover your vision on the potential Portal customers? • Are there any missing Portal customers? • Is there any listed audience that exceeds the reality? • Do you have an initial list of audience segments that will benefit from the Portal? • Tourism-related organizations and companies? • Public administrations and local authorities? • USAID/Missions and Projects? • Donor Organizations? • National Portals?

13. SEE Regional Tourism Portal: Discussion Points – Objectives • Are there any missing objective(s) in addition to the ones currently envisioned? • Informational • Promotional • Educational • Business-related

14. Proposed SEE Regional Tourism Portal: Discussion Points – Functions • Are there any functions and/or services that are not currently included in the Draft Outline and that you would like to be added? • Are there any functions and/or services that do not seem to be relevant and/or realistic for the region? • What do you think about having online sales, respectively online payment services on the Portal? • Are there any existing online payment-related country policies/laws (e.g. e-signature, e-payment)? • Do you know about any existing or potential restrictions for online payment concerning the SEE region? • Do you have an initial list (examples) of: • Tourism- and business-related websites and documents that can be linked to the Portal? • Best practices in the region? • Tourism sectors and categories to be presented on the Portal? • Online training; certification opportunities and processes? • Topics for online regional tourism discussion group(s)? • Do you have information on any resources that can be used with regard to the: • National and regional tourism policy • Visa procedures, customs regime, cross borders, exchange rate • Advisory on the political, social, and security status in the country/region • Transportation at national and regional levels

15. Proposed SEE Regional Tourism Portal: Discussion Points – Participation and Sustainability • How do you see the roles and responsibilities of the Portal’s members? • What is your vision on the expected contributions from the participating countries/members: • During the Portal implementation? • After the Portal launch? • How do you see the ownership of the Portal? • Who can take ownership responsibilities of the Portal – e.g. a regional tourism committee selected in 1-year, 2-year, etc. term • Any other approach? • Pro’s and Con’s? • What are the crucial criteria for the Portal’s sustainability?

16. Proposed SEE Regional Tourism Portal: Discussion Points – Participation and Sustainability • What are your thoughts on a Sustainability Action Plan? Includes: • Short- and long-term goals and related content • Business model • Membership policy and fees • Responsibilities • Income resources • Ownership • Portal updates and upgrades • With regard to the sustainability and based on your experience, What is your vision on the expected contributions from the participating countries/members: • Are you interested in becoming a member of the Portal? If so, please provide: • Organization name and point of contact information • Your interests regarding the Portal’s objectives and functions • Expectations of benefits for your organization / company / project • How you see your participation – e.g. during the Portal launch and post-implementation • When you would be able to join the Portal - - from the start as one of the first members or at a later stage?

17. Questions? • CONTACT INFORMATION Siika Zhivkova SRA International ICT@USAID Deputy Program Manager Phone: 1-703-284-6063 siika_zhivkova@sra.com szhivkova@usaid.gov