On Feb. 19, 2016, the French Embassy in South Korea hosted a reception for the launching of a club dedicated to sports, on the occasion of the visit of Mr. Patrick KANNER, French Minister of Urban affairs, Youth and Sports, to South Korea. ​

Catherine Germier-Hamel, Founder & CEO of Millennium Destinations attended the launching event as a member of the French business community in Seoul involved in tourism development and promotion, including sport and mountain tourism. She had the opportunity to introduce Millennium Hikers, an initiative aimed at developing international cross-cultural hikes as sustainable tourism products. The Millennium Hikes Pilot Project in France and South Korea will be presented on March 3rd 2016 at the 9th World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism in Andorra, co-organized by the World Tourism Organization and the Government of Andorra. 

Minister Kanner's one-day visit was aimed at fostering bilateral cooperation between France and South Korea in the field of sports, particularly within the framework of the 2018 Winter Olympics hosted in PyeongChang. Accompanied with a delegation of French companies and organizations (Compagnie des Alpes, Cluster Montagne, GL Events, etc.), Mr. Kanner had meetings with the President of PyeongChang Organizing Committee Cho Yang-ho, local authorities of Gangwon province and the Mayor of Pyeongchang Shim Jae-gook. 
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In the evening, President Kanner attended the reception hosted by the French embassy for the launching of the "Club Sport", in presence of French representatives of the sport community in Korea (companies, training centers, etc.), as well as Korean sport-related personalities, businessmen and sportsmen. 

The main goals of the Club Sport are:

• To identify business opportunities for French companies involved in sport, while pooling the market intelligence and prospection efforts of the embassy services, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and companies; 
• To promote the French know-how and offering on the South Korean market ; 
• To build a network connecting Korean decision-makers and French companies through events (networking, conferences...)
• During big events: to be integrated into the overall branding strategy of France.

This visits falls within the framework of the 2015-2016 France-Korea Year celebrating the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relationships between both countries.

In Nov. 3-4, 2015, President of the French Republic François Hollande had paid a State visit to President of the Republic of South Korea Park Geun-hye, during which they both adopted an Action Plan for bilateral partnership, focused on the following major issues:  dialogue on international and global issues; diversification of economic relations; cooperation on defense and security; strengthening university partnerships, student mobility and cooperation in the field of professional training; exchanges between cities and regions. 

 The Organizing Team of the 2016 Seoul Smart Tourism Forum convened its inaugural meeting on Feb. 17, 2016 in Seoul, South Korea. 

Participants of the meeting included Catherine GERMIER-HAMEL, Founder and CEO of Millennium Destinations, Hélionne MIN, CEO of MD Planet, and Sunmi SEO, Founder and CEO of PlayPlanet, as representatives of the main event organizers, and Yunbae KIM form PlayPlanet. Journalists, power bloggers and media professionals were also present.

Mr. Moez KACEM, Tourism Consultant and Chief Editor of Tourism View Magazine in Tunisia, is also part of the organizing team.  

The 2016 SSTF is planned to take place on June 21 and 22, 2016, with the support of several global and local organizations such as the World Association for Education and Training in Hospitality and Tourism - AMFORHT.

The 2016 SSTF has been designed to offer a unique and creative venue for sharing knowledge, expertise and good practices in the field of smart tourism, throughout the world and particularly in South Korea. 

Through its varied programme of conferences, workshops, meetings and many other activities offered during two days, the 2016 SSTF intends to provide the participants with various opportunities to expand their networks and to promote their brand images and projects, products and/or services.

Focused on creativity and talent development, the 2016 SSTF is also aimed at fostering cooperation initiatives and partnerships around tourism education and innovation. 

Do not hesitate to contact us to know more about registration, participation as speaker, sponsor or exhibitor, application for the 2016 SSTF Awards (category destinations, business or academia) etc. 


The 2016 SSTF website will be released soon! 

The World Association for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Training (AMFORHT) hosted its annual Regional conference in Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 22, 2016, under the theme "Development of competences for hospitality industry in the university environment". 
This one-day event took place at the Hotel Business and Tourism Institute of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (Moscow).
Mrs Svetlana DIKHTYAR, Director of the Hotel Business and Tourism Institute, and AMFORHT Vice-president for Russia and Eastern Europe Region, welcomed hundred of AMFORHT members, representatives of the Russian University as well as heads of regional tourist offices, major tour operators, consulting companies, representatives of Russian Universities, including Roman SKORYY, Deputy of the Federal Agency for Tourism in Russia, Vitaliy Volynets,  Vice-Rector for International Relations and Practice of Kyiv University of Tourism, Economics and Law, and AMFORHT Delegate for Ukraine & Vice-president of universities. 
In a friendly and interactive atmosphere, participants gave their feedback and shared their experiences on educational process and efficiency of Hospitality Industry. 
AMFORHT President Philippe FRANCOIS praised the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, where students from more than 150 countries have received higher education for 56 years, for its role in promoting international cooperation in the field of education. 
During the conference, students of the Institute have presented projects on stage, such as a master class on business etiquette, the "High level service" project and a concept of « 7 restaurants », later developed during workshops.
Participants concluded that creativity and innovation can be instrumental in helping students to become effective in a rapidly changing environment within the hospitality industry.

About AMFORHT
Created 46 years ago at the instigation of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the AMFORHT now gathers more than 800 Members, sympathizers and partners from 57 countries, with a common purpose: to work together to foster the training and professional blooming of people who «shape» the tourism industry worldwide.
General Delegate Hélène VERDET [email protected]
MD Planet is AMFORHT member.