International Forum on Tourism Marketing Plays Vital Role for State Development   10 October 2009 Dr. David Beirman   Kuching, 10 October 2009 - The upcoming International Forum on Tourism Marketing (IFTM) aims at opening possibilities to hospitality and tourism industry players, local and international. The organiser Mr. Ali Kasa, Managing Director of the Egnatia Group of Companies has appointed UCSI University Sarawak’s event management team as its Supporting Event Partner providing logistics and support to the event and to provide real life training assignments for its Campus’ hospitality and event management students. Gracie Geikie, Associate Dean of the university’s Faculty of Hospitality and Management, in an interview stated that “IFTM is a great platform to disseminate latest trends and developments in the tourism industry by respected and renown tourism gurus in their respective fields.” She also mentioned the event’s relation to the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE). “Tourism is one of the 10 industry drivers for SCORE. With the development of SCORE in the central region I foresee the need for several developments in the hospitality & tourism sectors namely hotels, resort, food & beverage outlets, transportation, homestay and rural tourism packages, tribal and cultural events and festivals and adventure tourism programs and packages. I also see tremendous potential in the MICE business with the development of SCORE.” Speakers from New Zealand, India, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and USA will present views and papers in several areas of tourism and tourism developments. One prominent speaker is David Beirman, National Secretary of the Eastern Mediterranean Tourism Association (EMTA). Dr. Beirman is a tourism destination master planning, crisis and recovery marketing specialist. He is the author of the book ‘Restoring Tourism Destinations in Crisis - A Strategic Marketing Approach’, published 2003 in the USA, UK and Australia. This book is widely regarded all over the world as an authoritative work in this genre. Dr Beirman has also contributed chapters to four subsequent books dealing with tourism crisis and recovery issues and his work in this field has been published in many tourism academic journals including Journal of Vacation Marketing, Cornell Quarterly and Revue Espaces (France). Other than that, he is a regular contributor to E-Turbo News, E-Travel Blackboard, Travel Mole, and travel industry E-publications which reach 500,000 travel professionals globally. Dr Beirman has over 28 years hands-on experience of the travel industry and has been involved in crisis and post-crisis tourism recovery projects for the governments of Israel, the Philippines, Kenya, Australia, Fiji and Trinidad and Tobago. Beirman specialises in developing strategic and contingency marketing plans for destination marketing organisations and associated government and private sector stakeholders to manage crisis events and expedite market recovery. In Australia he was a board member 1999-2006 of the Association of National Tourist Office Representatives and is the founder and first chairman of the Eastern Mediterranean Tourism Association, an industry body which promotes and markets 15 Eastern Mediterranean Tourism destinations to the travel industry and travelling public. He is currently EMTA‘s National Secretary. More information can be found on the event’s website http://www.tourism-summit.com. "Without prejudice to the rights of UCSI the information herein is correct at the time of printing and UCSI reserves the right to make amendments without prior notice." Last Updated: 19 November 2009

Press Contact Details Cheryl Melia binti Michael Martin Course Counselor Email: cherylmelia@ucsi.edu.my Telephone: +6082 - 455 255 extension 7033