24 Mar, 2012
Forbidden No More: Disabled Chinese Youth Transform Forbidden City into City for All
Beijing – A small group of disabled young people in China have made history by using social media to make parts of the ancient Forbidden City of Beijing accessible to people with disabilities for the first time. Congcong Guo is a member of Young Voices China, a global advocacy campaign hosted by Leonard Cheshire Disability: […]
more…23 Mar, 2012
New York City an “Epicenter of Systemic Racial Profiling” – South Asian Groups Report
New York, March 22, 2012 – The last ten years have been needlessly difficult for South Asians living in New York. South Asians, and in particular, Sikhs and Muslims, have faced ten years of profiling, ten years of negative encounters with law enforcement and immigration officers. These encounters have left deep scars. Here is how […]
more…22 Mar, 2012
Verizon Report: “Hacktivism” Surged in 2011, Personal Data a “Jackpot”
NEW YORK March 22, 2012, /PRNewswire/– The “Verizon 2012 Data Breach Investigations Report” reveals a dramatic rise of “hacktivism” — cyberhacking to advance political and social objectives. In 2011, 58 percent of data stolen was attributed to hacktivism, according to the annual report released today from Verizon. The new trend contrasts sharply with the data-breach […]
more…21 Mar, 2012
Australians Beam as Asian Demand Makes Their Mines Boom
CANBERRA: The Australian government has passed two separate laws designed to better spread the benefits the country’s mining boom and give 3.4 million pensioners an increase in their income support payments to help meet their cost of living. The cumulative effect of both should help make more Australians richer and spend more money on travelling. […]
more…20 Mar, 2012
Cambodian Railways Project Takes One More Step to Complete “Missing Link”
The Cambodian Railway Project took one more step forward on 16 March with a call for procurement of 1,900 tons of additional rails which will be used to complete the last missing links in preparation for completion of the project by September 2013. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and its development partners are providing over […]
more…19 Mar, 2012
EU Wants China To Start Carbon-Trading Scheme, With Aviation Included
19 March 2012 – The European Union has hinted that it hopes to avoid levying its controversial carbon-emissions tax on flights from China, if Beijing introduces its own carbon-trading scheme to cover aviation. However, the debate is set to continue after China responded by saying that it will take time to set up its own […]
more…19 Mar, 2012
Global UN Executives Face Air-Travel Curbs As Austerity Takes Hold
UN Headquarters, New York – United Nations officials worldwide, who spend an estimated US$73 million annually on air travel, are facing drastic cutbacks in their access to first- and business-class air travel as well as their ability to use frequent flier miles for personal travel. The cutbacks, which run the entire gamut from increased use […]
more…15 Mar, 2012
First-Ever TEDxWallStreet to Focus on “Redefining Success” in a Challenging World
NEW YORK, March 15, 2012 — (BUSINESS WIRE) — The soul-searching sweeping through the global financial community in the wake of the “Why I Left Goldman Sachs” commentary in the New York Times has heightened the topicality of the first-ever TEDxWallStreet, a not-for-profit event, on March 30: “Redefining Success,” within the Wall Street community and […]
more…12 Mar, 2012
ADB Debars Consultants For Inflating Travel Expenses, Flouting Integrity Rules
Consultants concocting airline documents to justify false expense claims is one of numerous integrity violations reported by the Asian Development Bank in an internal investigation report made public on March 12.
more…10 Mar, 2012
Anti-Sexual Harrassment in the Workplace Manual Launched in Indonesia
JAKARTA (ILO / APINDO), 8 March 2012: The International Labour Organization and the Indonesian Employers’ Association (Apindo) marked 8 March, International Women’s Day, by launching a guideline manual to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. The guideline manual to prevent and manage sexual harassment at the enterprise level was jointly launched at FX Lifestyle X’nter […]
more…10 Mar, 2012
Attn: Young People, Chance to Tell the World How Jobs Crisis is Impacting You
08 March 2012, GENEVA (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a video contest for young people (from 18 to 29 years) to show how the global jobs crisis is affecting them, their friends, families and communities. Three winners will be invited to Geneva (all expenses paid) to attend the ILO Youth […]
more…9 Mar, 2012
U.S. Islamic Civil Rights Group Urges Lawmakers to End Racial, Religious Profiling
WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/8/2012 – Representatives of the largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization in the United States fanned out across the U.S. Congress this past week to press legislators for an end to racial and religious profiling by U.S. security agencies. According to a brief by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), “Since September […]
more…7 Mar, 2012
Western Lifestyles Contributing to “Global Health Disaster” – UN Report
GENEVA (6 March 2012) – “Our food systems create sick people,” the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter, warned today. “One in seven people globally are undernourished, but many more suffer from the ‘hidden hunger’ of micronutrient deficiency, while 1.3 billion are overweight or obese.” “Faced with this nutritional […]
more…6 Mar, 2012
European NGOs Sift Through Tourism “Label Jungle” to Verify Trust, Transparency
A group of European NGOs specialising in the travel & tourism industry have closely scrutinised 20 labels being used worldwide as symbols of certification for sustainability and environmental responsibility. The objective was to help travellers and the travel trade make better informed decisions by differentiating “between what is reliable and what is dubious.” Appropriately entitled, […]
more…5 Mar, 2012
One Settlement at a Time, Who is Really Trying to Wipe Whom Off the Map?
One of the claims being made to justify Israel’s demand for a blank cheque to attack Iran is that the Islamic Republic poses an “existential threat” to the Jewish state in view of its supposed statements about wanting to “wipe Israel off the map.” This lie has been repeated so often that it has become […]
more…5 Mar, 2012
Never Forget: Egyptian ex-Nuclear Body Chief Exposes “Treachery & Deception” Behind Iraq War
The sabre rattling over an attack on Iran, now in full swing, is following the identical game-plan that was mounted before the 2003 attack on Iraq, according to a tell-all book by Dr Mohamed ElBaradei, the former director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The key question facing the world now is whether it will […]
more…4 Mar, 2012
Attack on Iran: Israel Seeks “Opportunity”, Indian Editor Sees “Insanity”
Editor’s Comment: The two columns reprinted in this dispatch go right to the heart of the political divide between Israel and much of the rest of the world over an attack on Iran. One is by the director of Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, the other by one of India’s most prominent editors. When […]
more…2 Mar, 2012
AIPAC Supports War on Iran, U.S. Jews Don’t
I don’t have much time, and I need your help. In just a few days, thousands of AIPAC (American-Israel Public Affairs Committee) supporters will gather in Washington DC for their annual policy conference billed as “three of the most important days affecting Israel’s future.” President Obama, Newt Gingrich, Prime Minister Netanyahu and most members of […]
more…27 Feb, 2012
Rabbi Seeks Funds for Ad Campaign Opposing “Crazy” Plan to Attack Iran
A Jewish rabbi who heads an anti-war group based in Berkeley, California, has launched an appeal for US$100,000 to fund an ad campaign in mainstream U.S. papers opposing what he refers to as the “crazy plan” to attack Iran. Calling especially for backing by “the peace-oriented majority of Americans who don’t support another war,” Rabbi […]
more…27 Feb, 2012
ILO Toolkit on Poverty Reduction Through Tourism Available Free
GENEVA – The International Labour Organisation has released a comprehensive training toolkit designed to promote decent work in the tourism industry and contribute to poverty reduction via the promotion of jobs in rural areas. Designed as training course, the toolkit is aimed at assisting developing and least developed countries to create a sustainable tourism industry […]
more…24 Feb, 2012
Chinese Housewives Spent More in 2011, Mostly on Travel & Investment
BEIJING – Chinese housewives, who traditionally hold the purse strings, spent more last year, with most of the increase going into trips and investments in stocks and real estate, a report has found. In 2011, more than 60 percent of the average household income went into consumption, six percentage points more than in 2010. Another […]
more…22 Feb, 2012
Chinese Online Travel Giant Ctrip Revenue Soars 21% in 2011
SHANGHAI, Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (Nasdaq: CTRP), a leading travel service provider of hotel accommodations, airline tickets, packaged tours and corporate travel management in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and the full year ended December 31, 2011. Highlights for the Fourth Quarter of 2011 Net […]
more…22 Feb, 2012
Android Now the Most Targeted Mobile Platform by Cyber-criminals
SAN JOSE, Calif. and BEIJING, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — A new report from NQ Mobile Inc., (NYSE: NQ), a leading global provider of consumer-centric mobile Internet services focusing on security and productivity, indicates that from 2010 to 2011, Android officially overtook Symbian as the most targeted mobile platform in the world by cyber criminals. […]
more…22 Feb, 2012
UNCTAD’s Lone-Voice Early Warnings Ignored At First, But Proven Right Today
Geneva, 21 February 2012 – Experts marking the 30th anniversary of one of the world’s more influential economic annuals said Monday that themes long sounded in UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Report retain current prominence – particularly those citing the questionable wisdom of unbridled free markets. Other prominent themes concerned the persistence of trade imbalances, the […]
more…21 Feb, 2012
Australia Proposes First Regulatory Package to Curb Problem Gambling
The Australian Government on 17 February released the draft National Gambling Reform Bills 2012 which will deliver long-lasting reforms to help the five million Australians affected by problem gambling. This is the first time the Commonwealth has taken national action to help problem gamblers and their families. The package is designed to “deliver the most […]
more…16 Feb, 2012
Israel’s Leaders Are The Real Liars — Times of India Commentator
15 February 2012 – In Oliver Stone’s JFK, Kevin Costner, playing an attorney who wants to dig out the truth behind President Kennedy’s assassination, meets X, a former CIA operative, to know who really pulled the trigger on JFK. ‘X’ chuckles and says, “The real question isn’t “Why?”… The “how” is just “scenery” for the suckers…, […]
more…15 Feb, 2012
Financial Markets A “Systemic Threat” To Global Economic Stability – UNCTAD Chief
Bangkok – Dr Supachai Panitchapakdi is not very well-known to most people in travel & tourism, except perhaps to my readers in Thailand. The 65-year-old former Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister was closely involved in rebuilding the devastated Thai economy in the wake of 1997 currency attack by the Jewish market speculator George […]
more…13 Feb, 2012
What’s Cooking? New Study on Food Trends Can Boost Culinary Tourism
What and how we eat today might look quite baffling to anyone who’s missed the past decade: buying gluten-free treats from a food truck, for instance, or “Foodspotting” an order of locally sourced, heirloom vegetables. Yet at the same time we’re reconnecting with our past, looking to eat more communally and celebrating regional food traditions, […]
more…11 Feb, 2012
Islamophobia is America’s Real Enemy
The hysterical campaign to stigmatise US Muslims poses a far greater threat than radicalisation to America’s civic union. Daisy Khan is executive director and co-founder of the American Society for Muslim Advancement and co-founder of the Cordoba Initiative 9 February 2012 — A report released this week has at last confirmed what we Muslim Americans […]
more…10 Feb, 2012
India-ASEAN Links Grow: Myanmar A New “Bridge”, Bangkok A New Hub
BANGKOK – The Look East Policy of India and the Look India Policy of ASEAN will combine the 600 million population of ASEAN and the 1.2 billion population of India into a multi-dimensional cooperative network. Two important developments to watch are the emergence of Myanmar as a bridgehead between South Asia and Southeast Asia, and […]
more…10 Feb, 2012
Australia Invites Comments on “Asian Century” Issues Paper
Canberra, February 9 2012 (Australian Ministry of Trade Press Release) – Australian Trade Minister Craig Emerson on February 10 will meet peak business and industry associations to canvass their views on the ‘Australia in the Asian Century’ White Paper. The meeting will include high-level representatives from the agriculture, mining, services and manufacturing sectors. “An important […]
more…8 Feb, 2012
Australian Inbound-Outbound Movements: 10-Year Analysis
CANBERRA – Figures on international movements through Australian border crossings over the last 10 years show some remarkable changes. Short-term visitor arrivals from Japan, once the blue-eyed boy of Asia-Pacific tourism, have fallen from 673,600 in 2001 to 332,600 in 2011 with a commensurate fall in market share from 13.9% to 5.7%. By contrast, short-term […]
more…8 Feb, 2012
China Again Blasts EU: Cannot Act As Sole Toll Bearer of the Skies
Full Text of Commentary reprinted in the official Chinese publication People’s Daily Online Beijing – China has taken a tough stance against the EU charges on carbon emissions from flights in and out of the EU by forbidding domestic airlines from taking part in the carbon-emissions system on Monday. According to the Civil Aviation Administration […]
more…7 Feb, 2012
Asia, Emerging Markets Led Air Travel Surge in 2011: World Airports Report
Montreal, 3 February 2012 (Airports Council International) – The international traveller is leading the global growth curve in passenger traffic since the stock of international passengers has risen by almost 7 percent year over year in December 2011. Overall passenger traffic posted gains of 5 percent for both the month of December and the entire […]
more…6 Feb, 2012
China Hits Back, Bans Airlines From Paying EU Carbon Tax
BEIJING, 6 February 2012, (Xinhua News Agency) – China’s airlines are not allowed to pay a charge on carbon emissions imposed by the Europe Union (EU), and neither to hike freights nor to add other fees accordingly without government permission, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said Monday. The CAAC said in a statement […]
more…4 Feb, 2012
New Report Out: European Tourism 2011 – Trends & Prospects
Brussels, 30 January 2012. (www.visiteurope.com) – Although 2011 will prove to have been a record year for travel to Europe, the latest report by the European Travel Commission says that the Eurozone economic crisis is set to have a significant impact in 2012. According to Leslie Vella, Chairman, ETC Market Intelligence Group, “Last year will […]
more…1 Feb, 2012
Feb 4: US Activist Groups Invite World to Join Protests Against Attack on Iran
Source: International Action Center A broad spectrum of U.S.-based anti-war organizations, including the IAC, agreed on a Jan. 17 conference call to hold coordinated protests across the country on Saturday, Feb. 4. The demands will be: “No war, no sanctions, no intervention, no assassinations against Iran.” The ad-hoc group that took part in the call […]
more…31 Jan, 2012
Thai Professor Alerts Travel Industry to Impact of Attack on Iran
BANGKOK – A prominent Thai economics professor has alerted the Thai tourism industry to the impact of an Israeli attack on Iran, including high oil prices and the dangers of a wider conflict. Addressing the joint annual meeting of the Thai Hotels Association and Association of Thai Travel Agents on Jan 30, Assoc.Prof. Somchai Pakapaswiwat […]
more…30 Jan, 2012
Former Thai Tourism Chief Says Industry Has “Lost Focus,” Needs New Roadmap
(First in a multi-part series of dispatches on the Thai tourism industry 25 years after Visit Thailand Year) BANGKOK: 25 years after the historic 1987 Visit Thailand Year, a number of industry veterans are voicing concern about the state of the industry and its future directions. With the number of arrivals skyrocketing, and future growth […]
more…27 Jan, 2012
Financial Short-Termism Obstructs Sustainable Change in Business: Experts
Nairobi/ Paris, 26 January 2012 – Financial short-termism represents a critical barrier to businesses’ transition to sustainability, according to a new poll. The latest wave of The Sustainability Survey – GlobeScan and SustainAbility’s regular survey of attitudes across businesses, NGOs, academia and government – reveals that a very large majority (88%) of the 642 experts […]
more…25 Jan, 2012
Labour Leaders Demand Jobs, Growth And Equity In Davos
25 January 2012 (ITUC, WEF media releases): The international union movement has put its case for the reform of capitalism at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week with five principles for dealing with current economic challenges. Addressing political and business chiefs, trade union leaders from Indonesia, USA and the UK and the international […]
more…24 Jan, 2012
Western Economic Crisis Has Cost 27 Million Jobs, And It’s Not Over Yet
The global economic crisis increased the number of total unemployed by 27 million, raising to 1.1 billion people the number of people out of work, most of them young people, women and those already poor, according to a blistering report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), a United Nations agency. Mincing no words, the report […]
more…23 Jan, 2012
World Economic Forum: Most Global Experts Fear Looming Geopolitical Disruption
Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 23 January 2012 (World Economic Forum media release) – Fear among international experts of a major geopolitical disruption over the next 12 months has risen significantly to 54%, just as confidence in the state of global cooperation has dropped, according to the World Economic Forum’s third Global Confidence Index. The bleak outlook at […]
more…20 Jan, 2012
Post-floods Thai Tourism Surged 46% in Dec 2011, Arrivals Hit Record 19 mln
BANGKOK: After slumping in October and November 2011 due to the flooding crisis, visitor arrivals to Thailand rebounded by 46.2% in December 2011. The odds-defying surge allowed Thailand to end the year with a record 19.09 million arrivals, up 19.8% over 2010.
more…19 Jan, 2012
India’s “People Power” Diaspora Now A Major Agent Of Change
JAIPUR, Rajasthan: When the Q&A began after one of the plenary sessions at the overseas Indian diaspora caucus on January 9, the first person to raise her voice was Dr Rashmi Dickinson, a former Hampstead, UK-based cardiologist. After narrating a brief story about her career in the UK, she said she had decided that it […]
more…16 Jan, 2012
World Economic Forum Lists 50 Biggest Global Risks, Cites “Seeds of Dystopia”
The 7th Global Risks report issued by the World Economic Forum last week could be a watershed in the history of such reports. Alongside a listing of 50 of the most pressing risks facing the world, the report for the first time mentions the word “dystopia”, defined by the Oxford dictionary as “the opposite of […]
more…15 Jan, 2012
Professor Lists 10 Reasons Why The U.S. Is No Longer The Land Of The Free
In the decade since Sept. 11, 2001, the United States has comprehensively reduced civil liberties in the name of an expanded security state, and is now in the same “troubling company” as Russia, China, Cuba, Iran and other countries it criticises, according to Jonathan Turley, the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington […]
more…10 Jan, 2012
India Again Presses The Point, Cites High Economic Cost of Gulf Conflict
Jaipur, January 9 – For the second day running, India reiterated its concern for the safety and welfare of its six million strong diaspora in the Gulf, this time couching it in terms of their importance to the national economy. Addressing representatives of the Indian diaspora in the Gulf attending the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), […]
more…8 Jan, 2012
India Warns Against Gulf Conflict, But Prepares for Another Evacuation Operation
JAIPUR, Jan 8, 2012: Voicing concerns about the safety of millions of Indian migrant workers and citizens in the Gulf, Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today sent a strong warning signal to the various countries against triggering yet another conflict there, but said that an evacuation plan has been prepared for implementation “should the […]
more…5 Jan, 2012
25 Years After “1987 Visit Thailand Year”, New Tourism Era Set to Dawn?
BANGKOK – Recent announcements by the Thai travel & tourism industry indicate that a long-overdue mindset-change is under way in the future approach to development and sustainability. After spending 25 years since 1987 Visit Thailand Year (VTY) doing heavy-duty marketing, the Thai tourism industry is poised to enter a new era by rebalancing its management […]
more…5 Jan, 2012
The Only English-language Books Ever Written About Historic 1987 Visit Thailand Year
Way back in 1987, Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil was the only industry journalist to realise the long-term significance of Visit Thailand Year, and how the momentous event would forever change both the country and the industry. To help this foresight benefit future generations, he chronicled the historic tourism extravaganza in two books […]
more…21 Dec, 2011
A Must-Read Book For The Travel & Tourism Industry in 2012, U.S. Election Year
Editor’s Note: 2012 will be an election year in the United States and a critical year for the world at large. The travel & tourism industry will be significantly affected by the many geopolitical and economic events and developments sure to unfold next year. In an era of shifting global balance of power, it is […]
more…21 Dec, 2011
Muslim Religious Leaders Sue U.S. Airline Over Removal from Flight
Attorneys from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and United Firm of Carolina Law (UFC Law) have filed a lawsuit against Delta Air Lines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines for removing two Islamic religious leaders, or imams, from a flight from Memphis, Tennessee, to Charlotte, N.C., in May 2011 after the pilot refused to fly with […]
more…17 Dec, 2011
Standing Ovation For Palestinian Leader As Flag Is Raised At UNESCO
PARIS, December 13 (UNESCO Media release) – The Palestinian flag was raised at UNESCO’s Headquarters on December 13 to mark the admission of Palestine to the Organization. The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, UNESCO’s Director-General Irina Bokova, the President of the General Conference Katalin Bogyay, the Chairperson of the UNESCO Executive Board Alissandra […]
more…16 Dec, 2011
World Economic Forum Report Cites Danger of “Widespread Public Mistrust”
The rich man’s club known as the World Economic Forum has finally awoken to the unpredictable, unstable and insecure world its own elitist members have helped create. A report entitled “Outlook on the Global Agenda 2012” released on 12 December 2011 talks about the “rollback of globalisation,” the possibility of more civil and social unrest, […]
more…12 Dec, 2011
Lessons in Leadership from the World’s Last Great Head of State
Everything, they say in Thailand, amounts to destiny. It was perhaps destiny that Thailand marked two events on Dec 5 – the start of clean-up campaigns after one of the worst natural disasters in Thai history and the auspicious 84th birthday of King Bhumibhol Adulyadej, the world’s longest reigning monarch, who more than four decades […]
more…8 Dec, 2011
Another Gulf Conflict “Just a Matter of Time” – Chinese Media Comment
When chief executives of international travel organisations and the airline industry decide to stop fretting and fuming over the UK Air Passenger Duty, they may wish to heed a warning from an official Chinese newspaper that an Israel-US-European attack on Iran is “just a matter of time.” A commentary published in the publication “People’s Daily” […]
more…6 Dec, 2011
How to Prevent Travel & Tourism From Falling Victim to Global Crises
BANGKOK – An exclusive report produced by Travel Impact Newswire has identified a significant disconnect between the development agendas being pursued by global leaders and the travel/tourism industry. Unless and until this disconnect is narrowed, or plugged entirely, travel & tourism will continue falling victim to the repeated global crises, the report warns.
more…28 Nov, 2011
Indian Travel Agents Plan Life After IATA Accreditation Status
MACAU — The Indian head of an aviation consultancy has called on Indian travel agents to move beyond talking about change and focus instead on the challenge of change. That comment set the scene for a boisterous discussion amongst members of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) about preparing for life after the “unending […]
more…22 Nov, 2011
Media Coverage of the Thai Floods: Here We Go Again
It did not take long for the floods in Thailand to reignite the déjà vu debate over media reporting of the crisis. While the raging waters have washed out a huge swathe of territory across Bangkok and a number of Thailand’s economically vital central provinces, the rest of the country, including the key tourism centres […]
more…22 Nov, 2011
Trades Union Decry “Inhuman Working Conditions” Behind Gulf Miracle
The awarding of the 2022 World Cup football extravaganza to Qatar has allowed the global trades union movement to jack up pressure on the Gulf states to safeguard the rights of the hundreds of thousands of migrant labourers who endure “inhuman working conditions” in building the gleaming new hotels, convention centres and airports. A report, […]
more…20 Nov, 2011
Aviation, Eco-taxes Needed To Force Shift to A Green Economy, UNEP report
At the Nov 7-10 World Travel Market in London, travel industry leaders took a strong stand against a carbon emissions tax facing the aviation industry. Although their argument focussed on the impact this would have on air-fares and the aviation sector, a flagship UN report on the state of the global environment issued on Nov […]
more…16 Nov, 2011
Global Experts Poll: Crisis of Confidence in Global Economy Continues
The confidence deficit continues worldwide with international experts remaining pessimistic about the state of the global economy and global governance over the next year, according to the results of the World Economic Forum’s second quarterly Global Confidence Index.
more…16 Nov, 2011
Verbatim: The Best Press Release Ever Written
The most creative Press release I’ve ever read in my 31 years of covering travel & tourism.
more…16 Nov, 2011
Palestinian Freedom Riders Forced Off Bus that Serves Jewish-only Settlements
All the Freedom Riders did to warrant arrest was to take a bus from one place in the Occupied Territory to another, using public transportation. While Israelis are allowed to come and go as they wish in the Occupied Territory—even to settle in it in contradiction to international law— Palestinians’ movement in their own land is severely restricted, even criminalized.
more…15 Nov, 2011
“Innovation No Longer Prerogative Of High-Income Countries” – WIPO Report
In a foreword to the Report, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry notes that “innovation growth is no longer the prerogative of high-income countries alone; the technological gap between richer and poorer countries is narrowing.
more…14 Nov, 2011
Three Travel Editors Unite In Opposing Attack On Iran
Europe is no longer what it once was. Times are hard, debt is soaring, people worry about their jobs. There is palpable worry about what the future will bring. Can the travel & tourism industry afford yet another crisis: An attack on Iran?
more…13 Nov, 2011
Spirituality To Be Asia’s Best Wellness Tourism Asset – Research Report
LONDON: Spiritual & Holistic products and services are set to be the most important assets and demand components of the health and wellness sector in the Far East and South East Asia by 2020, according to a research report distributed at the World Travel Market 2011 here last week.
more…10 Nov, 2011
Japanese Outbound Up 9%, Inbound Still In Slump – JNTO
Japanese outbound travel is growing again with total departures of 1,792,000, in August 2011, up 9.1% over August 2010, and 1,645,000 in September 2011, up 6.7% over September 2010. However, inbound arrivals still remain in a slump, due to continuing fears over the radiation fallout from the 11 March 2011 tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster.
more…10 Nov, 2011
Facebook “Drying Up” Face-To-Face Contact – Social Media Study
Face-to-face conversation is “rapidly drying up” as a growing number of people fall into “the habit of switching off whilst checking Facebook in mid-conversation,” according to a survey of 500 users aged 13-25 conducted by a Manchester-based independent social media agency.
more…9 Nov, 2011
Europe Visa Process “Worse Than Tax Audit” – Indian Tour Operator
The executive director of one of India’s major tour operators has blasted the UK and European visa application process as being “worse than an IRS audit” and said they would have to find ways of simplifying the process and clearing out its inconsistencies if they wished to attract Indian visitors.
more…8 Nov, 2011
Visit To Egypt Is A Vote For Peace & Democracy – Tourism Minister
Egypt again broke new ground in the annals of travel & tourism history by publicly asserting the linkage between tourism, politics and global geopolitics. At yet another lively Press conference on the opening day of the World Travel Market, Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry El-Nour stressed, “Tourism and politics are interdependent, especially in Egypt at this […]
more…7 Nov, 2011
More Crises Loom As G20 Summit Lets Financial Terrorists Walk
The travel & tourism industry has only itself to blame for becoming a victim of the global economic crisis. Its constant boasting about its size and resilience makes it an easy target for the taxman. At the same time, industry leaders are seldom heard taking a more principled stance, such as questioning the huge costs of Western military adventures and the so-called “war on terror.”
more…31 Oct, 2011
Journey of a Lifetime: In The Footsteps of the Buddha
In a world of ceaseless turmoil, the pursuit of peace and security is becoming a global human objective, triggering a surge in religious tourism. India, home to four world religions and philosophies, is capitalising on this trend big time, especially the Buddhist circuit. With thousands of devotees flocking in from around the world, major improvements are being made in facilities and services to cater to them.
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
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…11 Oct, 2011
Special Report: Travel & Tourism In The New World Order
How will the emerging new world order impact the global travel & tourism industry? Today, the world is tightly inter-connected but clearly split into three power blocs — one rising, one declining and one comprised of countries caught in the middle. In the years ahead, the inter- and intra-bloc conflicts will have a critical impact […]
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…1 Oct, 2011
American Awakening Cometh: US Steelworkers Support the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Protest Movement
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Leo W. Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers (USW), North America‘s largest industrial union with 1.2 million active and retired members, today issued the following statement in support of the Occupy Wall Street protest movement:
more…29 Sep, 2011
Palestinian Trade Union Chief: Exceptional Opportunities for Tourism
28 September 2011: The Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) says that a free Palestine will thrive economically when it is rid of the Israeli occupation, and tourism will play a major role.
more…29 Sep, 2011
Palestinian Call to Action: Celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem
The following announcement has been issued by the Palestine Justice Network to support the pursuit of an independent Palestine, free of the Israeli occupation.
more…29 Sep, 2011
Ecotourism Can Play Vital Role In Maintaining Healthy Forests
27 September, 2011, Rome (UN Food & Agriculture Organisation) – The continuing boom in ecotourism has the potential to save endangered forests or destroy them, depending on how effectively tourism expansion is managed, an international partnership for forest conservation and improvement cautioned today.
more…27 Sep, 2011
World Tourism Day Essay: Visit Palestine, Support Peace
The outpouring of global support for an independent Palestinian state has opened a huge window of opportunity for the global travel & tourism industry to join the effort and help end one of the world’s longest and most controversial conflicts. One way would be to make every effort to visit Palestine and end the offensive, […]
more…23 Sep, 2011
UN Palestine Debate: Turkey Seeks Sanctions on Israel, Australia Fears a “Further Intifada”
The Palestinian issue retained centre stage on Sept 22, the second day of the 66th UN General Assembly session. Turkey ratcheted up pressure on Israel by calling for sanctions against the Jewish state over its continued occupation of Palestine. At the same time, Australia expressed fears of “a further intifada” if the conflict is not […]
more…22 Sep, 2011
Palestine Now at the Core of Global Geopolitics: Travel & Tourism Should Pay Close Heed
The outcome of the 66th UN General Assembly, which began in New York on 21st September, will have a huge impact on global events in the second decade of the 21st century. The travel & tourism industry will not be immune to these events.
more…21 Sep, 2011
Tourism To Be Vital Lifeline for a Future Palestine
The Palestinian people, who are expected to formally launch their bid for independence and statehood at the United Nations this Friday, see tourism as a major pillar of their future plans for economic development, jobs and income.
more…19 Sep, 2011
Next Generation of Corporate Leaders Lacks Critical Thinking Skills – Study
This dispatch contains summaries to and clickable links to the following research reports, surveys and studies:
(+) Major Study Reveals Next Generation of Corporate Leaders Lacks Critical Thinking Skills to Successfully Take the Helm
(+) What’s on the Business Horizon for the Next Five Years? Fletcher/CSI Asked the Opinion of 34,000 Business People
(+) Generation X: Overlooked and Hugely Important finds New Study from the Center for Work-Life Policy
(+) Abroad101 Unveils 1st Annual Study Abroad Rankings
(+) Young Americans and Social Security: 66% Think Money is Safer under Their Pillow than with the Federal Government
(+) Global Spa Summit Research Finds Potentially Explosive, $106 Billion Wellness Tourism Market Held Back by Conceptual Confusion and Weak Promotional Models
(+) JWT Explores Trends in Social Good
15 Sep, 2011
Facebook or Fakebook? ITU Report Urges “Caution” On User Numbers
A landmark report issued by the Geneva-based International Telecommunication Union (ITU) today says that Facebook’s claims of having millions of users “should be treated with caution” because little is known about how those statistics are compiled or what they actually represent.
more…15 Sep, 2011
A Decade Since 9/11, Travel & Tourism Loses Sight of “Root Causes” of Terrorism
A decade after 9/11, the travel & tourism industry has lost sight of the “root causes” of terrorism. The costs and the price it is paying will rise even higher as geopolitical conflicts rage, the United States loses sight of its own core values and its global leadership ebbs.
more…8 Sep, 2011
A Decade Since 9/11: Compendium of Commentaries to Help “Awaken” Travel & Tourism
This dispatch contains a compendium of commentaries and analysis that challenge conventional wisdom and offer alternative perspectives on the aftermath of 9/11. A brief excerpt is reproduced, with links to the full story.
more…5 Sep, 2011
PATA Seeks “Clean Slate” Before New CEO Announcement
Bangkok — Heavy-duty restructuring is under way at the Pacific Asia Travel Association as it prepares to “start off with a clean slate” before the announcement of a new CEO at the annual PATA Travel Mart in New Delhi this week.
more…29 Aug, 2011
More American Awakening: Exposing the Islamophobic “network of hate”
An investigative report by the Centre of American Progress has exposed the individuals and institutions cited by the Norwegian terrorist suspect Anders Behring Breivik in his manifesto. The report shows how they are funded, the “lies and myths” they have spread and how they have influenced the U.S. policy agenda to justify the “war on […]
more…27 Aug, 2011
State of the United States: Pew Report Shows Why “American Awakening” Is Overdue
Mired in wars, economic crises, budget deficits and the heavyweight responsibilities of global leadership, the American public is losing faith and trust in its political leaders, government and business corporations, according to the latest opinion poll survey results released by Pew Research Centre.
more…
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