International Special Events Society (ISES)

 An organization providing education, certification, information, resources and networking to its members who are profes- sional event managers and those who provide products and services to them.
[www.ises.com]

International Shipping Federation (ISF)

 Founded 1909 as a body representing the inter- ests of European shipowners as employers, scope extended 1919 to become a worldwide organization concerned with all matters relat- ing to the employment and safety of merchant seamen.
[www.marisec.org]

International Road Transport Union (IRU)

International sectoral organization founded 1947, present name adopted 1948. Aims to study questions in road transport, promote unification and simplification of regulations and practices; coordinate and support efforts made in different countries to develop transport of passengers and goods by road. Members are national organizations, vehicle manufacturers and international associ- ations.
[www.iru.org]

International Ho-Re-Ca

 International sectoral federation founded 1949 to bring together national organizations of hotel, restaurant and café proprietors in order to develop services in public interest.
[www.horeca.be]

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

World-wide federa- tion founded 1947, of national standards bodies (ISO member countries) responsible for the preparation of International Standards, which include, i.a., the country and currency codes.
[www.iso.ch]

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

 Inter-governmental organization established 1947 as a UN specialized agency to encourage  international monetary cooperation and in particular to maintain exchange rate stability, assist countries with balance of payments difficulties, facilitate multilateral payments between countries and remove foreign exchange and foreign trade restrictions. It also provides recommendations for reporting travel receipts and payments as a basis for travel estimates in the balance of payments.

[www.imf.org]

International Maritime Organization (IMO)

Inter-governmental organization established as a UN specialized agency 1948, present name adopted 1982, to provide machinery for cooperation among govern- ments on technical matters affecting interna- tional merchant shipping, with special responsibility for safety of life at sea and efficient navigation, prevention of pollution by ships and other craft.
[www.imo.org]

International Labour Organisation (ILO)

Inter-governmental organization established as a UN specialized agency, which aims to improve working and living conditions, the spread of social security and the maintenance of social justice. ILO formulates international policies and programmes, creates labour standards and offers technical assistance to developing countries in education, training and research, including travel, tourism and hospitality.
[www.ilo.org]

International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA)

International sectoral organization founded 1946, replacing the International Hotelmen’s Association and the International Hotel Alliance. Aims to act as the international organization of the hotel and restaurant industry and generally perform the functions of a trade association at international level. Members include national associations; hotel and restaurant chains and establish- ments; industry service and supply firms.
[www.ihra.com]

International Forum of Travel and Tourism Advocates (IFTTA)

Individual  membership organization of travel attorneys and travel executives founded 1983 to promote international cooperation on legal issues as they relate to travel and tourism.
[www.tay.ac.uk/iftta]

International Flight Catering Association (IFCA)

 Worldwide trade association estab- lished 1980 representing catering departments and subsidiaries of airlines, independent in- flight caterers, and suppliers.
[www.ifcanet.com]

International Festival and Events Asso- ciation (IFEA)

 An organization providing information, education and resources to its members who are festival and event managers and those who provide products and services to them.
[www.ifea.com]

International Federation of Tour Operators (IFTO)

Voluntary international organization formed 1970 to represent national associations of tour operators.

International Federation of Camping and Caravanning

 International organization formed 1932, to link camping clubs and associ- ations, collect and exchange information, and facilitate cooperation between members.
[www.ficc.be]

International Development Association (IDA)

International Exhibitions Bureau Inter- governmental organization set up 1928 by International Convention to supervise the application of the Convention, which regulates the frequency of international exhibitions and establishes the guarantees and facilities the organizing country is required to offer to exhibitors.
[www.bie-paris.org]

International Council of Museums (ICOM)

 Voluntary association of individuals and institutions in more than 100 countries formed 1946 to further international coopera- tion among museums and to advance museum interests.
[ww.icom.org]

International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)

International organi- zation founded 1965, to further the conserva- tion, protection, rehabilitation and enhancement of monuments, buildings and sites; to bring together individuals and bodies involved in conservation; to exchange infor- mation and promote interest in and protection of cultural heritage; has separate national committees in more than 100 countries.

[www.international.icomos.org]

International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)

International organiza- tion founded 1964 to contribute to the devel- opment of all types of international meetings. It disseminates market information, initiates and organizes training, and facilitates the rendering of professional services by its members. Multinational Meetings Information Services BV is a related research organization of the Association.
[www.icca.nl]

nternational Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

Inter-governmental organization established 1947 as a specialized agency of the United Nations. Aims to develop the principles and techniques of international air navigation and foster the planning and development of international air transport. Major concerns are technical standards, practices and procedures, new technology and technical assistance to members.
[www.icao.int]

International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)

Founded 1921 as International Shipping Conference, present name adopted 1948. Aims to promote internationally the interests of national associations of shipowners and opera- tors and exchange of information on all aspects of shipping.
[www.marisec.org]

International Bureau of Social Tourism (BITS)

 Founded in 1963, the Bureau aims to promote the development of social tourism, coordinate the activities of members, and inform members on economic, social and cultural aspects of social tourism. Membership consists of governmental and national associations.
[www.bits-int.org]

International Bureau for Youth Tourism and Exchanges

International federal organi- zation founded 1961 to create conditions for, and to foster the development of youth tourism and exchanges.

International Automobile Federation (FIA)

 International organization founded 1904, which aims to develop and organize motor touring, assist motorists, organize and promote motor sport, study problems related to motor vehicles and protect the interests of their users. Members are national automobile associations and clubs.
[www.fia.com]

International Association of Tour Managers (IATM)

 Membership organization of individual tour managers, operators of trans- port, accommodation and other travel industry services worldwide. It promotes standards of competence and professionalism of its members, social contact and exchange of ideas between them, and represents them to the general public.

[www.iatm.org]

International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism (AIEST)

International body founded 1951 to promote scientific activ- ity on the part of its members and to support the activity of centres of tourism research and education.
[www.aiest.org]

International Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaux (IACVB)

International body founded 1914, present name adopted 1974. Aims to provide a forum for exchange of information and to promote professional practices; conducts research into the economic impact of conventions and of visitors on host communities. Members are city convention bureaux, mainly in North America.
[www.iacvb.org]

International Association of Congress Centres

International organization founded 1958 to bring together conference centres meeting certain criteria, to study the administration and technical problems of international conferences, to promote a common commercial policy, and to coordinate various aspects of conferences.

[www.aipc.org]

International Air Transport Association (IATA)

 Voluntary international organization of scheduled airlines founded 1945 to promote safe, regular and economical air travel and provide means for collaboration among inter- national carriers. All members are involved in trade association (non-tariff) activities, while participation in the coordination of interna- tional fares and rates is optional. An important aspect of the Association’s work is accredita- tion of agents to allow them to sell scheduled airline tickets at published rates.

[www.iata.org]

Inter-American Travel Congresses (ITC) Inter-governmental organization

founded 1939 as a specialist body of the Organization of American States (OAS) to aid and promote the development of tourism, meetings and conferences in the Americas.
[www.oas.org/tourism/tr_inte.htm]

Inter-American Hotel Association (IAHA)

Regional sectoral organization  founded 1941 with membership of national  associations and individuals in the Americas

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

A regional development bank estab- lished 1959 to contribute to accelerating the process of economic and social development of the developing countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. The Bank provides finance for projects within the region both on commer- cial terms and as soft loans, for member states as well as private enterprise, and also technical assistance and advice, and has regional as well as non-regional membership.
[www.iadb.org]

Institute of Air Transport (IAT)

International organization founded 1954, following from the French national association set up 1944, which studies economic, technical and policy aspects of air transport, as well as other means of transport, and tourism.
[www.ita-paris.com]

Federation of Nordic Travel Agents’ Associations

 Regional sectoral federation of  national associations in the five Nordiccountries.

Federation of International Youth Travel Organizations (FIYTO)

International feder- ation founded 1951 to promote educational, cultural and social travel among young people,  assist the development of youth travel organi-  zations, and further their interests with respect  to other international organizations.
[www.fiyto.org]

Federation of ASEAN Travel Agents (FATA)

Regional sectoral organization of tour operators and travel agents in ASEAN countries.

European Union of Tourist Officers (EUTO)

Regional organization of national associations and individuals established 1975 to promote the exchange of experience and coordination, development and cooperation in matters relating to ‘the profession’.
[www.euto.org]

European Union (EU)

Established by the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty) in 1993, the Union seeks to promote further European integration. The Treaty has three main elements, called ‘the pillars’: the European Community (EC), foreign policy and interior policy. The EC is the main part of the European Union; technically foreign policy and interior policy are not part of the Community but part of the Union. Travel, tourism and hospitality are major activities in the Community, receivingincreasing attention from its institutions.
[www.europa.eu.int]

European Travel Commission (ETC)

 egional body set up 1948 to promote travel to the European area represented by members, particularly from the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and Latin America; to foster interna- tional tourism cooperation in Europe; to facil- itate exchange of information; to undertake or commission research. Members are National Tourism Organizations in some 30 European countries (2000).
[www.etc-europe-travel.org]

European Tourism Action Group (ETAG)

An international body founded in 1981 by the European Travel Commission as a technical liaison group with the aims of exchanging information and developing joint action between different sectors of European tourism.
[www.etag-euro.org]

European Investment Bank (EIB)

A non- profit bank based in Luxembourg set up under the Treaty of Rome in 1958 to finance capital projects in the European Economic Community (EEC) through long-term loans to private companies and public institutions, which further the aims of the Community.

[www.eib.org]

European Fund

Term used in connection with three main European Union institutions of interest in the context of travel, tourism and hospitality: European Development Fund (EDF) to provide aid under the Lomé Convention and the Cotonou Agreement; European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to make grants and loans for the development of less developed regions of the Union; European Social Fund (ESF) to assist the redeployment of workers who become unemployed, particu- larly by the creation and policies of the Community. Also relevant is the European Agricultural Guarantee and Guidance Fund, which has contributed, i.a., to the development of farm and rural tourism.

European Free Trade Association (EFTA)

Established in 1960, EFTA aimed to bring about free trade in industrial goods and to contribute to the liberalization and expansion of world trade. Now it serves as the structure through which the four remaining members (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) participate in the European Economic Area (EEA) together ith the 15 members of the European Union.
[www.efta.int]

European Federation of Conference Towns (EFCT)

Regional organization founded1964 to bring together European towns acting as venues for conferences; facilitate exchange of information and publication of studies; collab- orate with institutions and organizations concerned with organization of conferences; promote Europe as a whole and individual member towns as conference destinations.
[www.fiec.org]

European Economic Community (EEC)

Regional group created by the Treaty of Rome (1957) with the primary aims of free movement of goods, services, capital and people between member countries. Initial membership of six (France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) was extended by the accession of the UK, Ireland and Denmark in 1973, Greece in 1981, Portugal and Spain in 1986. In 1987 amendments to the Treaty of Rome came into effect in the Single European Act aimed to complete the Single European Market by the end of 1992. The Maastricht Treaty (1991) covers political and monetary union and adds new areas of formalized cooperation. It also changed the EEC formally to EC (European Community).

European Community (EC)

Designation used for a number of years for the three insti- tutions regarded in practice as a single entity and supervised by a single Commission since 1967: European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) created 1951, European Economic Community (EEC) and European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), created by two separate treaties 1957. This was formally recognized under the Maastricht Treaty, which changed the EEC to EC with effect from 1 November 1993. EC membership was extended by the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden to a total of 15 states on 1 January 1995. See also European Union (EU).

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Regional inter- governmental financial institution set up 1990 to assist the emerging democracies of Central and Eastern Europe in their transition towards market economies. The Bank provides technical assistance, training and investment, and its emphasis on promoting the private sector offers important scope for tourism development.
[www.ebrd.com]

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Regional inter-govern- mental organization established 1975 to promote economic, social and cultural coopera- tion and development with particular focus on agriculture and industry but it pursues also such tourism-related objectives as the abolition of obstacles to free movement of people and the development of a regional transport system.
[www.ecowas.int]

Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)

Regional inter- governmental organization established 1981 to promote cooperation and development in economic, social, cultural, scientific and techni- cal activities. Specific objectives include, i.a., elimination of obstacles to free movement of people and travel and tourism promotion.
[www.eccas.int]

Council of Europe (CE)

Regional inter- governmental organization founded 1949 to achieve greater unity among its members with a view to safeguarding their European heritage and facilitating their economic and social progress.
[www.coe.int]

Conference of Regions of North West Europe (CRONWE)

Regional body founded 1955 to coordinate studies and action with a view to planned development, including that of tourism, in the area which covers the Benelux countries, the western part of Germany, the north and north-west regions of France, and parts of south-east England. Members are individuals, government officials and institutions in the six countries.

Confederation of National Hotel and Restaurant Associations in the European Community (HOTREC)

Regional sectoral grouping founded 1982 to link employers’ hotel, restaurant and catering organizations, promote cooperation, coordinate action and make representations on their behalf to EC institutions.
[www.hotrec.org]

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

Voluntary association of sovereign states established at the time of collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991. Following the acces- sion of Georgia in 1993, all the former Soviet republics except the three Baltic States, are now members (total 12). CIS acts as a coordinating mechanism for foreign, defence and economic policies and is a forum for addressing problems which have arisen from the break-up of the USSR. The 12 countries are also referred to collectively as the Newly Independent States (NIS).
[www.cis.minsk.by]

Commonwealth

Voluntary association of independent countries, which succeeded the British Commonwealth of Nations (title discarded 1951), which in turn has grown out of the British Empire, to promote cooperation between them and to advance their common interests. There are 54 members who between them include one-third of the world’s population (as of 2000). The Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC), an integral part of the Commonwealth Secretariat, provides technical assistance to developing countries of the Commonwealth, with a significant involve- ment in tourism-related activities.

[www.thecommonwealth.org]

Colombo Plan

The Colombo Plan for Co-opera- tive Economic and Social Development in Asia andnthe Pacific, initially agreed in 1950 to promoteninterest and support for such development andnkeep under review economic and socialnprogress and the flow of development assis-ntance in the region. Member countries includenthe USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealandnand Japan, as well as developing countries in Asia and the Pacific.
[www.colombo-plan.org]

Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)

Regional inter-governmental organization established 1989 by merger of two existing organizations. Its main aims are increasing tourism flows to member states, creating greater awareness and understanding of tourism, developing skills and professionalism, and providing a tourism information system.The Caribbean represents the world’s most tourism-dependent region.
[www.caribtourism.com]

Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA)

Regional sectoral organization founded 1959 tonact as a trade association of the Caribbean hotel industry.
[www.caribbeanhotels.org]

Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)

Also known as Caribank, a regional develop- ment bank established 1970, to contribute to the economic growth and development of the member countries of the Caribbean and to promote economic cooperation and integration among members. Involvement includesregional integration projects in transport, loans to governments for tourism infrastructure and loans to hotel operators.
[www.caribank.org]

CAB International (CABI) Inter-govern- mental organization

providing an international information service, which acts as a clearing house for the collection, collation and dissemi-nation of information, under the control of an executive council comprising representatives of the countries which contribute to its funds. CABI Publishing produces a growing number of books on travel, tourism and hospitality and also Leisure, Recreation and Tourism Abstracts,which provides a comprehensive listing of books and articles on tourism.

[www.cabi.org]

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Regionalinter-governmentalorganization established 1967 to accelerate theeconomic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region, as well as promotecollaboration and mutual assistance, includingtourism-related activities. The ASEAN regionincludes some of the world’s fastest-growingeconomies, as well as tourism destinations.
[www.aseansec.org]

Asian Development Fund (ADF)

An affil-iate organization of the Asian DevelopmentBank (ADB) established to make soft loans tothe poorest countries in the region. A signifi-cant proportion of loans has accrued to trans-port and other tourism-related projects.
[www.adb.org]

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Regional development bank established 1966to foster economic growth and co-operation inAsia and the Pacific, with regional and non-regional membership.
[www.adb.org]

Asia Travel Marketing Association (ATMA)

Regional organization founded 1966,present name adopted 1999, to stimulatetourist traffic to East Asia by combining effortsof member organizations in promotional activ-ities and by enhancing reception services andtourist facilities. Membership consists ofgovernment members representing NationalTourism Organizations; carrier, hotel andagent associations in member countries; carri-ers providing services to, from and withinthose countries.
[www.asiatravel.org]

ASEAN Tourism Information Centre (ATIC)

Regional inter-governmental organi-zation established 1988 to publicize the touristattractions and investment potential inASEAN countries.
[www.atic.org.ro]

ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA)

Regional association of SouthEast Asian countries to promote cooperationand assistance in furthering and protecting theinterests of members, as well as standards offacilities and services for travellers andtourists and the development of tourism intoand within the region. Members are nationalairlines, hotel associations and travel agentassociations.

[www.aseanta.org]

Alliance Internationale de Tourisme (AIT)

International Touring Alliance (ITA)Worldwide organization founded 1898, presentname adopted 1919, to represent motoringorganizations and touring clubs, study anddisseminate information, and render adviceand assistance on touring and motoring.
[www.aitgwa.ch]

Airports Council International (ACI)

Sectoral organization created 1991 to succeed three existing bodies concerned with airport operations and combine their functions. Its membership includes several hundred airports and airport authorities in more than 100 countries and territories worldwide.
[www.airports.org]

Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD)

Regional inter-governmental organization established 1973 toparticipate in the financing of economic andsocial development projects in the Arab States.A significant proportion of the loans have beenmade to transport and other projects ofrelevance to travel and tourism
.[www.arabfund.org]

African Development Fund (ADF)

An affiliate organization of theAfrican Development Bank (ADB) established with an open membership 1972 to make loans to African member states at low rates of interest. Substantial loans have been made for projects in the transport sector with direct impact on tourism.
[www.afdb.org]

ANTOR Acronym

ommonly denoting a
body of National Tourism Organization
representatives in a particular city or country
as, e.g., Assembly of National Tourist Office
Representatives in New York or Association of
National Tourist Office Representatives in Great
Britain.

African Development Bank (ADB)

Regional development bank established 1964
to contribute to the economic development and
social progress of independent African
countries. Since 1982 membership has been
also open to non-African states.
[www.afdb.org]

Andean Group

Regional inter-governmental
organization of several South American
countries established 1969 to accelerate the
harmonious development of the member states
through economic and social integration,
including cooperation in transport, adoption of
a common passport, and tourism promotion.
[www.communidadandina.org]

Africa Travel Association (ATA)

Regional organization founded 1975 to promote and foster public interest in and the growth and
development of travel and tourism to Africa.
Members are government ministries of
tourism, National Tourism Organizations,
industry and allied firms and institutions.
[www.africa.ata.org]