Archive for May, 2017
27 May, 2017
European Commission simplifies rules for public investment in ports, airports, culture and the outermost regions
Brussels, 17 May 2017, European Commission – Press release – The European Commission has approved today new state aid rules that exempt certain public support measures for ports, airports, culture and the outermost regions from prior Commission scrutiny. The objective is to facilitate public investment for job creation and growth whilst preserving competition. Commissioner Margrethe […]
more…27 May, 2017
Report: More European sites meet excellent bathing water quality standards than ever before
Brussels, 23 May 2017, European Commission – Press release – More than 85% of bathing water sites monitored across Europe in 2016 met the most stringent ‘excellent’ quality standards — meaning they were mostly free from pollutants harmful to human health and the environment, according to the annual bathing water quality report published today. Over […]
more…27 May, 2017
Clash of Generations: A Politically Incorrect Analysis of the PATA Summit 2017
Colombo — Of the many facets of internal and external change impacting the Pacific Asia Travel Association, the most important is the demographic transition from the ageing old guard to the young generation of millennials. The significantly different issues and challenges facing both were on full display during the PATA Annual Summit (PAS) May 18-21. […]
more…21 May, 2017
Chinese visitors flock to Philippines after bilateral ties are reset
Beijing (People’s Daily Online) May 19, 2017 – The number of Chinese people applying for visas to travel to the Philippine recently shot up by 200 percent, as the Chinese government canceled all travel alerts for citizens going to the country, according to Philippine news site Inquirer.net on May 18. With a booming tourism industry […]
more…21 May, 2017
China tourism investment to top 1.5 trillion yuan in 2017
BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) — China’s tourism investment is expected to maintain rapid growth in 2017 as ongoing consumption upgrades will keep the sector on the fast track. The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) Friday said tourism will remain a magnet for private capital, predicting direct investment will jump more than 20 percent from last […]
more…21 May, 2017
U.S. Families Will Spend Average of 1/3rd of Their Summer Staring at a Screen
CHICAGO-May 18, 2017 -(BUSINESS WIRE)–With warmer weather finally arriving in most parts of the country and the school year winding down to a close, Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) (www.groupon.com) asked 1,000 U.S. parents how much time their families plan to spend on their electronic devices this summer––and the results were staggering. The average American family will […]
more…20 May, 2017
Amid ‘alarming rise’ in obesity, UN study finds one in three European adolescents overweight
United Nations, (UN News Centre), 17 May 2017 – Citing eating habits, physical activity and sedentary behaviours, the United Nations health agency launched a new publication today at the European Congress on Obesity in Portugal which revealed a rising number of obese adolescents in many countries across Europe. “Despite sustained efforts to tackle childhood obesity, […]
more…20 May, 2017
Big data can have a ‘big impact’ on achievement of Global Goals, UN says on IT Day
United Nations, (UN News Centre), 17 May 2017 – Mastering and measuring ‘big data’ – to map poverty from space or use mobile phones to track food security – could boost evidence-based decision-making at local and global levels and drive the implementation of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations telecommunications agency said […]
more…20 May, 2017
Societal Impact of Pain Costs the EU up to 441 Billion Euros Annually
BRUSSELS & VALETTA, Malta–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 19, 2017 – Pain causes a problem for individuals as well as a challenge for healthcare systems, economies and society: each year, approximately one in five Europeans or 20 percent of the adult population in Europe are affected by chronic pain. This includes 153 million people suffering migraine or other […]
more…20 May, 2017
“The Olive Tree”: New Publication launched to help Travel & Tourism meet UN Sustainable Development Goals
Colombo — A pioneering publication designed to help the travel & tourism industry put its shoulder to the wheel of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been launched at the PATA Annual Summit here in the Sri Lankan capital this week. Although discussion of the SDGs is taking up a lot of time and […]
more…18 May, 2017
PATA pushes transparency agenda, goes public with finances
Colombo – The Pacific Asia Travel Association advanced its transparency agenda at its annual summit this week by publishing its first annual report in decades, including a detailed report on its financial status. In a move that will pressure other global and regional travel industry to follow suit, PATA CEO Mario Hardy circulated the annual […]
more…18 May, 2017
Global Trade Unions Call for G20 Commitment to Fair Globalisation
Brussels, 17 May 2017 (INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION OnLine): The G20 Summit in July must finally agree on conditions for fair globalisation, according to the international trade union movement. This was the central message in the statement of Labour-20 trade union centres handed to German Chancellor and G20 President Angela Merkel at a meeting in […]
more…17 May, 2017
International Poll by World Union Body Shows Global Governance Failure on Jobs
Brussels, 15 May 2017 (ITUC OnLine): The annual global poll commissioned by the 181 million-member International Trade Union Confederation shows that globalisation is failing people. The poll shows that 73 percent of people are worried about losing their jobs and 80 percent say the minimum wage is not enough to live on. Half the population […]
more…15 May, 2017
FREE Download: UN report assesses ‘huge benefits’ and challenges of green energy revolution
United Nations, (UN News Centre) 12 May 2017 – The latest United Nations report on energy-efficiency technologies shows that low-carbon technologies apparently aid clean air, save water and cut land use, and could reduce 25 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and 17 million tonnes of particulates a year. “We are on the right track. […]
more…15 May, 2017
Taiwan’s Startup Wogogo Launches Tour Guide Platform
TAIPEI, Taiwan–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 12, 2017 – Taiwanese travel startup Wogogo has recently launched a tour guide platform, aiming to coordinate with local tourist guides to develop tours for travelers and serving them in a nice and simple way with exclusive and professional experiences, the company said on 12 May. Wogogo COO Muse Fang said the […]
more…15 May, 2017
20 years after moving to Asia, a chance for PATA to reclaim its former glory
Bangkok – The PATA Annual Summit to be held 18-22 May in Sri Lanka offers a golden chance for the regional travel organisation to capitalise on a number of converging opportunities and regain the leadership status dating back to 1998, when it moved the HQ from San Francisco to Bangkok. The Summit takes place against […]
more…12 May, 2017
European Union Ready to Build Cooperative New World Order, Its Top Diplomat Tells UN Security Council
United Nations, (UN meetings coverage record) 09 May 2017 – Describing the European Union as an indispensable partner of the United Nations, the bloc’s senior-most diplomat told the Security Council today that it was ready to move beyond the current international uncertainty and join the Organization in building a more cooperative world order. “The European […]
more…12 May, 2017
Volvo Group Innovation Summit May 16 to Focus on Transport in Smart Cities of the Future
GÖTEBORG, Sweden, May 9, 2017, (PRNewswire) – With a focus on ‘Smart cities – infrastructure and transport of the future’, Volvo Group will host its inaugural Innovation Summit in London on May 16, 2017. Moderated by Richard Westcott, the BBC’s transport correspondent, the event will gather leading people from government, major transport systems, industry bodies […]
more…12 May, 2017
Sixth UNWTO Int’l Conference on Tourism Statistics in Manila, June 21-24
Madrid, 11 May 2017 (UNWTO media release) — On the occasion of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017, the Government of the Philippines and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) are organizing the 6th International Conference on Tourism Statistics to be held in Manila from 21 to 24 June 2017 with the primary […]
more…12 May, 2017
US-Bangla Airlines starts four-weekly flights to Bangkok
Bangkok – US-Bangla airlines, a rapidly rising private airline operating out of Bangladesh, has started four weekly flights to Bangkok. To be operated by a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with a 156 (Y) and 8 (J) seat configuration, the full-service flights are expected to go a long way towards boosting Bangladeshi tourism to Thailand. However, the […]
more…11 May, 2017
Time for a new tourism roadmap: Imtiaz Muqbil to speak on ASEAN, Islamic Tourism and Sustainability topics
Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor of Travel Impact Newswire, will be speaking on a diverse range of subjects at a number of regional travel industry events in May and June. Travel & tourism is entering a new era. The “operating environment” is no longer the same as it was at the turn of the millennium. Clearly, […]
more…10 May, 2017
As World Economic Forum meets in Cambodia, ASEAN MPs say human rights as important as economic growth
PHNOM PENH, 10 May 2017 (Press Release from ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights) – As senior decision-makers and stakeholders from the economic sector gather in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for the World Economic Forum on ASEAN starting today, regional parliamentarians urged participants, as well as all Southeast Asian leaders, to ensure that human rights concerns are […]
more…10 May, 2017
Travel website shows Muslims dumping U.S. for Asia, Europe, Africa
By Irfan Ahmed, CEO & Editor in Chief, Irhal Inc. [Irhal is an Arabic/English travel website and app aimed at the world’s 100 million Muslim travelers. It has 90+ city guides with information on tourist attractions, shopping and hotels. It also lists Halal restaurants, mosque locations and prayer timings for each city. 85% of Irhal’s […]
more…10 May, 2017
FREE Download: New CAIR Report Shows 57% Spike in Anti-Muslim Incidents in U.S.
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/9/2017) — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which claims to be the U.S.’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today released a report showing a 57 percent increase in anti-Muslim incidents in 2016 over the previous year. This spike in anti-Muslim incidents was accompanied by a 44 percent increase in anti-Muslim […]
more…10 May, 2017
Australia unveils $20 billion investment in nationwide rail upgrade
Canberra, 09 May 2017 – Joint release by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport and the Minister for Urban Infrastructure — The Turnbull-Joyce Government is delivering a $20 billion investment in rail that will cut congestion in cities, grow the regions and create thousands of new jobs. This long-term investment in passenger and freight rail will […]
more…9 May, 2017
‘Save Lives: Slow Down’: UN health agency launches Global Road Safety Week
United Nations, (UN News Centre) 5 May 2017 – Spotlighting the relationship between speeding and traffic fatalities – speeding contributes to one in three traffic deaths – the UN health agency, ahead of Global Road Safety Week, is urging countries to take measures to curb dangerous driving behaviour. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), […]
more…9 May, 2017
Time to find ‘magic formula’ for peaceful coexistence, says UNESCO chief
United Nations, (UN News Centre) 6 May 2017 – It is time to find that “magic formula” that will encourage people to live together in peace, the head of the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) urged earlier today at the end of a UN-backed conference on intercultural dialogue in Baku, Azerbaijan. In […]
more…9 May, 2017
Worsening food insecurity forcing more people to migrate, finds new UN report
United Nations, (UN News Centre) 5 May 2017 – Highlighting the complex link between food insecurity and migration – where increase in one forces the other to rise and then spirals back to push the former even higher – the United Nations food relief agency has urged greater investments in food security and livelihoods at […]
more…5 May, 2017
Exclusive Resinar 4 July: Promoting Thailand as a Muslim-Friendly Destination
Bangkok – Travel & tourism to Thailand began with the Americans. Then came the Europeans, followed by the Japanese and Koreans. It is now the era of Chinese, Russians and Indians. The next wave will be the ASEAN countries and the Islamic world. Each source market has its own unique traits and characteristics. For the […]
more…4 May, 2017
Ex-beauty queen, Buddhist economics deployed to confront OTA oligopoly
Bangkok – A former Canadian-Russian beauty queen, a Dutch convert to Buddhism, a hotelier driven by a passion to put justice back into the travel booking system and a high-powered techie have teamed up to create a portal that will give the “oligopoly” of giant online travel agents a run for the money. Set for […]
more…2 May, 2017
The US$5 million WTTC Summit: Did Thailand get money’s worth?
Bangkok – The Royal Thai Government forked out 135 million baht (about US$4 million) in official sponsorship funds to support the WTTC summit. This does not include additional sponsorship funds from other Thai travel industry organisations and the private sector, which would have totalled at least another US$1 million. Millionaire CEOs of some of the […]
more…2 May, 2017
WTTC summit shines spotlight on “The Two Global Warmings”
Bangkok – Held under the lofty theme of “Transforming our World”, the 17th annual summit of the World Travel & Tourism Council was designed to focus on “Travel & Tourism’s power to transform economies, places and lives in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. If the two lead factors “Transforming our World” are […]
more…