22 Feb, 2012
Hotel Booking Channel Study: Hotel Websites, Third Party Sites Ranked Highest
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the market research and consultancy firm HawkPartners, LLC released results from its 2012 Hotel Channel Usage Study, based on survey data from over 1,200 business and leisure travelers, which provides insight into how hotel marketing executives can most effectively reach specific customer segments. The proliferation of marketing [...]
more…22 Feb, 2012
Flood Warning in Europe As Danube Thaws Rapidly
GENEVA, 21 February 2012 – The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNISDR, today said the European Flood Alert System could soon be put to its greatest test since widespread flooding ten years ago led to its creation by the European Commission. The UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, said [...]
more…21 Feb, 2012
European Court: Insolvent Tour Firms Must Refund Clients, Even If Fraud is Involved
Luxembourg, 16 February 2012 — The European Court of Justice has ruled that the protection of travellers against the risk of insolvency on the part of the package travel organiser also applies where the insolvency is attributable to the organiser’s fraudulent conduct. It is the obligation of the travel organiser to hold sufficient security to [...]
more…21 Feb, 2012
World Conf on Women & Sport calls for More Women in Leadership Roles
(PRWEB) February 20, 2012 — Participants in the 5th IOC World Conference on Women and Sport called on sports leaders to take a more proactive role in advancing the cause of women in and through sport as the event came to a close in Los Angeles, California, on Feb 19. The three-day conference, whose theme [...]
more…20 Feb, 2012
Australia Seeks Public Comment on Future of Great Barrier Reef
18 February 2012 – One of the world’s most treasured icons – the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area – will undergo a joint assessment to ensure future development along Queensland’s coastline is well-planned and its unique values are protected. The Bligh and Gillard Governments with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) have [...]
more…20 Feb, 2012
Millions of Dollars in Australian Tourism Grants To Generate “Innovative Ideas”
17 Feb 2012 – Tourism businesses across Australia can apply for grants of up to $100,000 to develop and refresh their products as the 2012 round of the T-QUAL Grants – Tourism Quality Projects program opens today. T-QUAL Grants – is designed to spur private investment in tourism experiences, from eco-cabins and farm stays to [...]
more…18 Feb, 2012
The Nightmare of Terror-Related Blacklisting (And Its Impact on Travel)
JURIST Guest Columnist Maureen Duffy of the University of Calgary Faculty of Law says that the use of “blacklists” as a tool for counter-terrorism efforts does not increase public safety, and instead may result in a form of legal punishment based on a subject’s associations alone…
more…18 Feb, 2012
UNCTAD Conf Gives Boost to Global Trade in Organic Products
Nuremberg, 17 February 2012 – The European Union (EU) and the United States signed a landmark “organic-equivalency” agreement here following a conference on opening markets to organic products. And an Asian group of government officials and representatives of organic farmers and marketers adopted an Asian Regional Organic Standard that should greatly expand trade in such [...]
more…13 Feb, 2012
As Thai Tourism Rebounds, An Old Crisis Lurks in the Shadows
BANGKOK – As Thailand’s tourism industry gets set to soar again, a regional meeting on the global AIDS pandemic organised here last week has refocussed attention on a rarely-discussed subject: the extent to which Thailand’s nightlife and entertainment industry contributes to the global spread of HIV/AIDS. Although the Thai tourism industry robustly touts its contribution [...]
more…10 Feb, 2012
Thailand To Start Dredging Canals to Avert Future Flooding
Bangkok, Feb 8 — The Thai government has agreed to an integration of responsibility for dredging canals in and around Bangkok between the city government and nine ministries in order to improve the capacity of water management in Bangkok areas, according to a Cabinet announcement. A newly-established umbrella grouping, the Strategic Committee for Water Resources [...]
more…7 Feb, 2012
Distribution Specialist Demands Protection for Passengers Against Airline Insolvency
DREIEICH, Germany Feb 2, 2012 (Business Wire)–Hahn Air is demanding the introduction of a protection mechanism for passengers against airline insolvency. In future, only airlines with comprehensive insurance coverage should be allowed to sell through travel agencies in Europe. “Furthermore, travel agencies have to face unnecessary risks due to the outdated programming of global distribution [...]
more…5 Feb, 2012
Europe Needs 1.5 Trillion Euros To Upgrade Transport Networks by 2030; Bonds, User Charges Coming
Text of speech (as prepared for delivery) by Siim Kallas, Vice-President and European Commissioner for Transport on “Transport Financing: The Way Ahead” at the European Policy Centre Brussels, 2 February 2012 Europe needs to invest heavily in transport infrastructure before 2050 to remain competitive. At the moment, Europe is going through difficult economic times. There [...]
more…5 Feb, 2012
EU Moves to Upgrade Cruise Ship Safety
Brussels, 03 February 2012 (European Commission Media release) – Vice-President Siim Kallas, European Commissioner for Transport today was briefed by the board of the European Cruise Council about cruise ship safety. Mr Kallas announced that the Commission strongly supports a passenger ship safety review at IMO (International Maritime Organisation) to ensure that European citizens can [...]
more…3 Feb, 2012
Joint Statement Demands End to NY Cops Surveillance of Mosques
Washington, DC (American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee) www.adc.org – February 2, 2012 — Recent reports indicate that the New York Police Department (NYPD) has been conducting covert surveillance of mosques in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The targeted mosques, highlighted in the secret NYPD document dated May 15, 2006 released by the Associated Press earlier today, [...]
more…3 Feb, 2012
ASEAN Tourism Country Reports & Presentations 2011
The following reports on the tourism situation of 9 of the 10 ASEAN countries were presented at the ASEAN Tourism Forum meetings in Manado in January 2012. They have been made public in order to promote a better understanding of official ASEAN tourism policies, strategies, directions and trends, build the ASEAN tourism brand image and [...]
more…1 Feb, 2012
India Issues 12,761 Visas on Arrival in 2011, New Zealanders Head List
New Delhi, Jan 31, 2012 (Press Information Bureau) – During December 2011, a total of 1640 Visa on Arrival (VoAs) were issued to foreign tourists, up from 1,382 in November. The breakdown was as follows: New Zealand (473), Japan (265), Indonesia (247), Phillippines (173), Singapore (194), Finland (246), Cambodia ( 7), Vietnam (18), Luxemburg (8) [...]
more…1 Feb, 2012
India Embarks on Massive Railway Stations Upgrade Project
New Delhi, Feb 1, 2012 (Press Information Bureau) – The Ministry of Railways has moved to set up a separate corporate unit to upgrade and improve the country’s thousands of railway stations. In what was described as a “path-breaking initiative,” the Ministry signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle [...]
more…1 Feb, 2012
Global Weather Body Launches Data Exchange System to Reduce Risks, Costs
Geneva, 31 January 2012 (WMO), A new international information system to improve and expand the current exchange of weather, climate and water data – and cut the costs involved – has become operational. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Information System will make it easier to find and use meteorological observations and products and to share [...]
more…29 Jan, 2012
Thailand to Host Conference on Battling Alcohol Abuse
Bangkok – The Thai tourism industry’s efforts to promote more niche-market visitors is set to take a step forward when the Global Alcohol Policy Conference convenes jere between 13-15 February 2012. Jointly organized by the Ministry of Public Health, the World Health Organization, the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, the [...]
more…29 Jan, 2012
India, Brazil, South Africa Issue Davos Declaration, Urge More South-South Ties
Davos, 28 January 2012 (Press Information Bureau, India) — Ministers Anand Sharma of India, Antonio Patriota of Brazil and Rob Davies of South Africa, had a meeting of the IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) Trade Ministers forum on the sidelines of the 42nd meeting of the World Economic Forum, on January 27, 2012 in Davos, to review [...]
more…29 Jan, 2012
UN Marks Holocaust Day; Criticises Israeli Demolition of Palestinian Homes
The following five Press Releases were published back to back by the UN News Centre last week. Well worth thinking about. (Click on each link to go to the story) Jan 23: New Online Tool Featuring Video Testimonies Of Holocaust Survivors Debuts At UN Jan 25: Raising Awareness Of Holocaust Essential To Prevent Acts Of [...]
more…27 Jan, 2012
Europe Hotel Room-Nights Hit 1.6 billion in 2011, up 3.8%
Brussels, (January 26, 2012) – In 2011, the number of nights spent in hotels and similar establishments1 in the EU27 reached a peak of 1.6 billion nights, up by 3.8% compared with 2010. The evolution of the number of nights spent in hotels in the EU27 showed alternating phases of growth and decline over the [...]
more…27 Jan, 2012
More Than Half of “Happiness Country” Bhutanese Are Not Happy
26-01-2012, The Gross National Happiness index based on results of the GNH 2010 survey shows that 41 per cent of Bhutanese can be classified as happy, while 59 per cent are “not-yet happy”, according to an analytical presentation available on the GNH website. The categorising was determined by a sufficiency threshold and a happiness threshold. [...]
more…25 Jan, 2012
Half of Real Estate Investment Concentrated in 30 Cities — JLL Report
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – As world leaders gather to address global challenges at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, a new report by Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE: JLL) reveals that more than half of all global real estate investment resides in 30 cities. A quarter of the total investment is [...]
more…25 Jan, 2012
Jewish Casino Baron Behind Anti-Muslim Films Being Shown to NY Cops
NEW YORK, N.Y., 1/24/12, (CAIR Media Release) — The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today called on the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to offer a concrete plan to help counter the misinformation about Islam and Muslims provided to almost 1,500 officers through the screening of “The Third Jihad,” [...]
more…25 Jan, 2012
US Public Now Focussed on Poor Economy But Still Backs “Tough Stand” on Iran
Washington DC., Jan 23, 2012 (Pew Research Centre Media Release) – As the 2012 State of the Union approaches, the public continues to give the highest priority to economic issues. Fully 86% say that strengthening the economy should be a top priority for the president and Congress this year, and 82% rate improving the job [...]
more…25 Jan, 2012
STR Global Releases World Hotel Performance Results 2011
Hotels in Venice, Abu Dhabi, Santiago and Asian cities such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Singapore were among the big winners of 2011, according to hotel occupancy and revenue data compiled by STR Global and released on January 24. The performance of Bangkok was a surprise inclusion. Cities worldwide showed the impact of both [...]
more…24 Jan, 2012
World Economic Forum 2012 Gives Youth A Chance to Speak Out
Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 24 January 2012 (WEF Press release) – A new worldwide essay competition will tap into the ideas and energy of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Shapers Community in order to tackle the growing youth unemployment crisis. The Global Shapers, a worldwide network of people aged between 20 and 30 who have demonstrated [...]
more…19 Jan, 2012
Kerala: From Wage-Earning To Entrepreneurial Society
Excerpts from speech by Mr Oommen Chandy, Chief Minister of Kerala, at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2012, Jaipur, on 9 January 2012. As all of us know, globalization is an irreversible phenomenon. It has increased the mutual dependence of countries. While this has led to a greater sharing of economic growth, it has also resulted [...]
more…19 Jan, 2012
Rajasthan: State Ministers, Govt Officers, Have To Disclose Property Holdings
Excerpts from speech by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at the 10th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2012, Jaipur.
more…19 Jan, 2012
Transparency Has Drawn More Investors to Road Projects
Excerpts from speech by Dr. C.P. Joshi, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2012, Jaipur.
more…19 Jan, 2012
India’s Brain Drain Has Now Become A Brain Gain
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s Keynote Address at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2012 at Jaipur, Topic: “Inclusive Growth: Two Decades of Economic Liberalisation.”
more…13 Jan, 2012
Airports Making More Money From Non-Aeronautical Sources
Montreal, 12 January 2012 – Airports Council International (ACI) World Director General Angela Gittens has announced the release of the Airport Economics Survey 2011. Gittens stated, “As background on the financial results in 2010, as always, it is important to consider the traffic trends during the reporting period. Powered by a strong rebound in the [...]
more…8 Jan, 2012
India Taps Diaspora To Build Links With the Caribbean
JAIPUR, January 8, 2012: Prime Minister Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago was the Chief Guest at the annual caucus of the overseas Indian diaspora, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2012, which opened here this morning. Wearing a resplendent Indian sari, the first female Indian-origin leader outside of India hailed the contribution of Indian-origin culture [...]
more…8 Jan, 2012
Global Trade Stats Show U.S. Down, Developing Countries Up
Geneva – The UN Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) has released its Handbook of Statistics 2011, a wide-ranging survey of numerical information on international trade flows, commodity prices, migrant remittances, maritime transport, and the economic performances of developing countries. As transport and tourism usually follow in the footsteps of trade flows, this handbook is [...]
more…7 Jan, 2012
Public Safety: Aviation Remains Well Ahead of Road Transport
Thailand ended the New Year long holiday with a road casualty count of 335 deaths and 3,375 injured. Compare this carnage over a mere seven days to only 707 fatalities in all of 2010 in the scheduled commercial air transport sector worldwide. The comparison shows that while road transport remains one of the least safe [...]
more…7 Jan, 2012
Four New Airports Ready in Afghanistan, Tourists Now Sought
The Asian Development Bank has announced the completion of four airports in Afghanistan that are expected to play a major role in the economic development of the landlocked country. The airports involved a funding of US$35.3 million of which US$ $29.1 million was in the form of an ADB loan.
more…14 Nov, 2011
Tourism Needs Sharper Human Rights Focus – UK NGO
The issue of human rights in the travel & tourism industry hit the public spotlight for the first time at the World Travel Market 2011. Panelists at a seminar were briefed on a new report issued by the UK-based tourism watchdog group Tourism Concern calling on the industry to start incorporating human rights into their [...]
more…31 Oct, 2011
After The Floods: Will Thai Tourism Now Ponder the “Karma” Factor?
The devastating floods is the latest in a series of almost back-to-back crises that have struck the Thai travel & tourism industry over the last 10 years. As a Buddhist country, Thailand knows all too well the deeper meaning of cause-and-effect. Is it time for travel & tourism to indulge in some self-introspection and identify the root causes of this ceaseless suffering?
more…25 Oct, 2011
Transparency Is A Good MICE-Catcher, Says Indian Dental Association Secretary
Singapore: The Secretary of an Indian dental association says that transparency is a critical factor in both earning membership trust as well as in winning bids for international conventions.
more…20 Oct, 2011
Buses, Coaches “Beat Cars, Planes for Greening Travel & Tourism”
Kortrijk (Oct 20, 2011) – About 200 European transport and travel political and business leaders have met here for the 7th European Bus and Coach Forum to discuss best policies and operational practices to further green the travel and tourism chain. They say that buses and coaches offer the “best transport solution” for ensuring the [...]
more…20 Oct, 2011
ITB Asia Edges PATA Mart As Region’s Leading Trade Show
SINGAPORE: When the ITB Asia opened on Oct 19, the largest delegation of sellers was from Indonesia and the largest delegation of buyers from India. Business was in full swing on the trade floor and the various side-events packed to capacity. Europe may be facing a huge debt crisis, the US economy is in dire [...]
more…18 Oct, 2011
New Era Dawns – East Tells West: Put Your House In Order
The Bangkok-based UN Economic & Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific convened a high-level consultation amongst the region’s ministers, central bank governors and senior policymakers between 11-12 October to formulate an Asia-Pacific perspective for the G20 Summit to be held in Cannes, France on 3 and 4 November 2011. The meeting reflected a growing [...]
more…17 Oct, 2011
Transparency & Accountability: UNWTO Raises Industry Standards to New Level
The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) ended its 19th biennial General Assembly in Seoul last week by setting new standards of transparency and accountability for the global travel industry as well as its many membership-based associations, both public and private.
more…14 Oct, 2011
Gateway to Krakatau – A New ASEAN Destination Takes Flight
Bandar Lampung, Indonesia’s gateway city to the famous Krakatau volcano, hosted its first international tourism event during October 12-14. Inaugurated with a colourful, pulsating ceremony of spectacular music and dance that even surprised the country’s tourism marketing director, the Tourism Indonesia Mart & Expo (TIME) has helped the city of just under one million people [...]
more…12 Oct, 2011
The Asia-Pacific Statistical Yearbook 2011 Released – Download FREE!
Bangkok, Oct 12, 2011 (UN ESCAP Strategic Communications and Advocacy Section) – Asia and the Pacific is undergoing major demographic transformation, according to United Nations statistical data released here today. “At some point this month, October 2011, a child will be born and the world’s population will have reached seven billion. There is a good [...]
more…12 Oct, 2011
US Cabin Crew Union Backs Occupy Wall Street Movement, Blasts “Corporate Greed”
WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) International President Veda Shook issued the following statement after AFA leadership applauded the Occupy Wall Street movement: “As the world’s largest Flight Attendant union, we stand beside our sisters and brothers who are participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement in cities across [...]
more…6 Oct, 2011
Global Trade Unions Seek End To Garbage-In, Garbage-Out Economic Policies
If world leaders really wish to stop the repeated cycle of economic and financial crises and create a new agenda for change, they need to start listening less to the people at the top and more to those at the bottom, according to global trades unions.
more…2 Oct, 2011
Heathrow Losing Asian Flight Links To Paris, Frankfurt, Research Shows
London’s Heathrow airport is losing is European hub status to Frankfurt and Paris will need to boost connections with cities in Asia and numerous other “emerging market” cities if it hopes to narrow the gap, according to an economic research paper published on September 30.
more…1 Oct, 2011
Global Youth Campaign to Make Rio+20 a Green Economy Hit
Bandung, 1 October 2011 (UN Environment Programme) – While some UN conferences can become over-preoccupied with commas and square brackets, young people from across the globe today underlined their singular and committed preoccupation–action to save and fast track a future for planet Earth.
more…
