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Archive for April, 2011

27 Apr, 2011

WikiLeaks Cables Expose Indian Visa Fraud Tactics

From falsifying documents and setting up fake websites to pretending to be “religious leaders”, Indians are resorting to a variety of tactics in the hope of getting a U.S. visa, according to cables from US diplomatic missions in India published on the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.

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25 Apr, 2011

1.2 Billion Global Muslims Urged: “Travel to Learn from History”

Kuala Lumpur: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has called on the world’s 1.2 billion Muslims to travel through the Islamic world and beyond not just to sightsee but to learn from the successes and failures of the Islamic civilisations through the ages.

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21 Apr, 2011

F&B, Front Office Managers Lead Surge In Indian Hotel Salaries

NEW DELHI — Food & beverage directors at first class and luxury hotels in India have seen their salaries surge 43% between 2007/8 and 2010/11. In the mid-scale and budget hotels, front office managers have led the pack with 75% pay-scale increases in the same period.

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19 Apr, 2011

China Strikes Back, Issues Tit-For-Tat Report on Human Rights in U.S.

BEIJING: One major reason for holding the PATA 60th anniversary conference in China was in recognition of the emergence of the world’s most populous country as a critical player on the global tourism stage. But that is only scratching the surface of the real change taking place.

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18 Apr, 2011

More Change Awaits Hotels In Managing Chinese Travel, Online Bookings

Two newly-published studies show how the hotel sector’s products and services will need to cater to the growing legions of Chinese travellers, even as they face the ongoing challenge of managing their distribution systems. These stories, and more in this dispatch..

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12 Apr, 2011

An Era Ends as Curtain Falls on PATA 60th Anniversary Bash in Beijing

BEIJING: As the PATA 60th anniversary conference ended on April 12, it could well mark the end of an era in the annals of travel & tourism. An agenda for change in PATA has been approved, and positive signs are emerging, but given cost and organisational pressures, the conference is unlikely to be held again […]

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9 Apr, 2011

Energetic Show of PATA “People Power” at Chapters Colloquium

BEIJING: The passion and power of the people of PATA were on full display at the April 8 PATA Chapters Colloquium, the first event of the 60th anniversary conference of the Asia Pacific region’s leading travel association.

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7 Apr, 2011

Breathing Life into PATA in Beijing — New Strategy to Show the Way

BEIJING — Interim PATA CEO Bill Calderwood is to unveil a strategy designed to pull the Pacific Asia Travel Association out of a years-long nosedive. To be made public at the PATA 60th anniversary conference here on April 10, the strategy is expected to be critical to the survival of what was once one of […]

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7 Apr, 2011

Smithsonian Journeys Lists Top 10 Destinations, Most Popular Vacation Packages

Smithsonian Journeys, the Smithsonian Institution’s travel program, offers new opportunities for travelers to fulfill their lifetime “must-see” destinations. This, and several other great stories in this dispatch.

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5 Apr, 2011

Demographic Shifts Changing the “Face” of the World

India’s population has crossed 1.2 billion. Hispanics in the US are on the rise. Expatriate numbers in the UAE are growing far faster than the locals. China’s population is ageing by the millions. These shifts will lead to significant social, economic and geopolitical changes in future, and require commensurate shifts in the way travel & […]

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3 Apr, 2011

Elderly, Immigrants Vital to Europe’s Future, 2010 Demography Report Shows

Europe’s population is getting older, fertility has begun to rise again, life expectancy is up and the EU continues to attract more immigrants. These demographic changes will have a significant impact on the way the travel & tourism industry markets itself in Europe as well as the way it develops its products and services to […]

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1 Apr, 2011

Why Mothers and Mothers-in-Law Get Taken on Family Holidays

A compilation of eight interesting reports circulated by PR Newswire / PR Web last week. Also in this dispatch: Long-Holiday Bonanza Awaits Brits in April; Study Examines Impact of New Media on Eating Habits; New Insights on Best Practices in Mobile Apps for Events; Nanjing-Wuhan High-speed Rail Out-competes Airlines, Routes Cancelled; and more….

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