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11 Sep, 2017

Why the monolingual British need multilingual migrants in hospitality and tourism

By David Tarsh London — Since the UK voted to leave the EU, cries to “take back control of our borders” have come thick and fast from the Brexit hard-liners. The EU migrants most in the firing line include those working in the hospitality industry. Research commissioned by the British Hospitality Association (BHA) revealed that […]

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19 Jun, 2017

A Darkened Age – The Rule of Law in Protecting Morality and Humanity

JURIST Guest Columnist, David M. Crane, of Syracuse University School of Law discusses the importance of the rule of law in restoring the ideals of humanity and morality on a global scale… There is a growling of a discontent, an unrest, just below the surface, festering ready to erupt into a boil of frustration. The […]

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6 Jun, 2017

Will the U.S. Neocons’ Long War Ever End? by Nicolas J S Davies

America’s Long War or Global War on Terror has taken some ugly turns as the West’s continued war-making in the Muslim world leads to new terrorism against Western targets, with no end in sight, explains Nicolas J S Davies. Source: www.tikkun.org/nextgen/will-the-neo-cons-long-war-ever-end June 5, 2017 – The recent news from Kabul (in Afghanistan), from Manchester and […]

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21 Feb, 2014

Malaysian Airports Offering Airline Incentives for Flights to Emerging Destinations

Tan Sri Bashir, Managing Director, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad

Kuching – In the Hollywood movie, The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks, the comfort and beauty of JFK International Airport is not enough to satisfy the Krakozhian traveler Viktor Navorski who needs to get into New York city to fulfill his mission. Airports are ultimately only the gateway and not the destination. Kuching is preparing to […]

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21 Feb, 2014

Routes Asia 2014: Boosting air links the first step towards reimaging Kuching

Dato’ Rashid Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Sarawak Tourism Board

The reimaging of Kuching as a destination was part of the 5 Year Tourism Industry Transformation Program which began in 2010 with one thought in mind – to improve the visitor experience in a very niche market that is to position Sarawak as a home of adventure with elements of culture and nature. Sarawak, which […]

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15 Nov, 2013

Thai Princess: GDP Growth No Longer Sufficient to Determine Economic Success

Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol

Full text of the Keynote Opening Address by Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, Ambassador of Thailand and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Vienna, on the topic: “Investing in the rule of law, crime prevention and criminal justice for the post-2015 United Nations development agenda”. The Bangkok Dialogue on the Rule of Law, Siam Kempinski […]

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8 Oct, 2013

Indian Ambassador Anil Wadhwa: Remember Gandhi’s Warnings of the Seven Sins

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Remarks by Indian Ambassador to Thailand Anil Wadhwa on the occasion of the 144th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, on 2 October 2013 at Thai-Bharat Cultural Lodge, Bangkok President of Thai-Bharat Cultural Lodge Professor Srisurang Poolthupya, Dr. Dhanet Charoenmuang, Advisor of the Minister of Education, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, 1.        I […]

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15 Sep, 2013

Prof Mazin Qumsiyeh: “We live in an age of universal deceit”

Prof Mazin Qumsiyeh

We just concluded a conference in Warsaw, Poland on Arab Revolts, two years later. Speakers included people from Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Russia, France, US and more including Zionists and orientalists (list with biographies here http://www.geremek.pl/index.php?id=408&lang=en). It was a very good discussion anyway. The following is the full text of my talk. […]

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7 Sep, 2013

In Statement at G20, India Cites Root Causes of Global Financial Instability

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Prime Minister’s Office, 05-September, 2013 – Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s address at the St. Petersburg G-20 Summit offered a comprehensive wrap-up of the root causes of global financial instability, and identified the key actions that need to be taken to fix it. The full text of his comments, reproduced below, offer some unique […]

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1 Aug, 2013

Spiffy (and Safe) Ways for a Single Female To Enjoy Bangkok

Punam Mohandas

BANGKOK – About the one thing you’ve gotta keep uppermost in mind as a single lady traveller through Thailand is the all-important S. Huh? Tsk, tsk, sunscreen of course, what were you whackos thinking?! There is actually this kindred spirit among the backpackers, where we pass on sunscreen tubes like a baton in a relay […]

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23 Jul, 2013

Controversy’s Child: Why I Fast During Ramadan – By Punam Mohandas

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My name is Punam, and I am not a Muslim. Paraphrasing Shahrukh’s Khan’s popular film dialogue: “My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist,” it’s that time of year again when I am impelled to give this somewhat long-winded introduction for myself. But, I digress. We are in the holy month of Ramadan. […]

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10 Jul, 2012

Financial Crises and The Future of Global and Asian Banking: Strategy for Known-Unknown

Bank of Thailand Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul

Speech at Sasin Bangkok Forum 2012 Plenary Session , July 9, 2012 Theme: “Strategy for Known-Unknown”. The critical success factors are 3 Cs: Coordination of regulators, Commitment forged by Inclusiveness, and Communal responsibility to restore market mechanism as a pillar of governance and financial discipline. Good morning. It is an honor to join all of […]

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28 May, 2012

Chinese, Thais Lead Gold Rush for Myanmar’s Energy, Natural Resources

Dr.Kan Zaw, Deputy Minister for National Planning & Economic Development

Edited excerpts of speech delivered on 21 May 2012 at the 68th Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Bangkok, Thailand. In Myanmar, the new government was formed on 30th March 2011 in accord with the new administrative mechanism so Union government and State and Region governments were also […]

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25 May, 2012

Asia-Pacific Speaks: “G20 Has Made Little Progress in Strengthening Global Growth”

Dr Noeleen Heyzer

Opening Statement Delivered by Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and ESCAP Executive Secretary at the 3rd High Level Consultation on the G20 Cannes Summit, organised during the 68th Session of the ESCAP Commission, Bangkok, Thailand, on 23 May 2012 In October last year, representatives of 28 ESCAP member States convened here in Bangkok, at […]

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22 May, 2012

The “Nakba” Continues – So Does The “White Intifada”

Ranjan Solomon

Indeed, the Nakba continues – So does the resistance! Palestinians and their supporters peacefully demonstrated in the Palestinian territories, and around the world on May 15 to mark the anniversary of the Nakba. (Nakba is the Arabic word which means ‘disaster’). To the Palestinians, the founding of the State of Israel on May 15, 1948 […]

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10 Apr, 2012

BRICS Pose Challenge to U.S.-Dominated Global Architecture

RAMESH THAKUR, The Japan Times

CANBERRA, April 10, 2012— From a turn of phrase by Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs in 2001, a grouping was born in 2009. BRICS (Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa) make up two-fifths of the world’s population, one-fifth of world gross domestic product and one-seventh of world trade. Yet, they account for two-thirds of […]

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4 Apr, 2012

Imtiaz Muqbil’s Opening Remarks, Int’l Luxury Travel Mart, Cannes, Dec 4, 2006

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Bon Apres Midi, Namaskar and Sawasdee Khrap. Thanks to Strategic Vision and Reed Travel Exhibitions for the invitation to moderate at this panel discussion. We have four eminent panellists, Raymond Bickson, Michael Hobson, Elena Vetrova and Mimma Viglezio, with a broad range of experience in attracting the luxury clientele from the key markets of Russia, […]

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3 Apr, 2012

America’s Double Standards in the War on Terror

David Frakt, Associate Professor, Barry University School of Law

Source: David Frakt, Double Standards in the War on Terror, JURIST – Forum, Apr. 2, 2012 Over the last decade, the US has developed a very interesting double standard when it comes to the killing of American citizens. During the Bush administration, we developed the rule of “we can kill you, but you can’t kill […]

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30 Mar, 2012

Imtiaz Muqbil’s Speech at the First UNWTO Conference on Tourism, Religions and Dialogue of Cultures

The following is the full text of the talk by Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor, Travel Impact Newswire at the International Conference on Tourism, Religions and Dialogue of Cultures in Córdoba, Spain, on 31 October 2007. It was entitled: Beware the “Other Global Warming” ============== Buenos Dias, Good Morning, Shalom, Namaskar, Sawasdee Khrap and As-Salaam O […]

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23 Mar, 2012

As Thai-India Transport, Trade & Industry Links Grow, So Will the MICE Sector

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Keynote Address By M.R. Pongsvas Svasti, Minister of Industry, at the India-Thai Business Association, 29 February 2012 Topic: “Industrial Policy: Road to a Better Future” [Editor’s Note: The following speech clearly outlines the huge potential for increased trade and transport contacts between Thailand and India, which over time will also benefit the two geographically intermediate […]

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16 Mar, 2012

What Would Christ Do At An (Israeli) Checkpoint?

by Mazin Qumsiyeh, Ph.D. www.qumsiyeh.org

OCCUPIED PALESTINE – Israel has been paranoid about people finding out the truth of what it is doing. In an example of this, 55 Harvard students were expelled from Al-Walaja earlier this week (see 1 below). On several occasions when we took delegations to visit Al-Walaja we were harassed. This included the times when I […]

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16 Mar, 2012

Road Transport Penalties, Bureaucracy Drag Down Global Economies

MR. HAYDAR ÖZKAN, INTERNATIONAL ROAD TRANSPORT UNION.

Adapted from a statement delivered at the UN Economic & Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Ministerial Conference on Transport, Bangkok, 15 March 2012

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14 Mar, 2012

China Tell West Its “Old Routines” Have Failed in Syria

By Ding Gang (People's Daily Overseas Edition)

March 14, 2012, Edited and translated by People’s Daily Online China’s diplomacy is very active recently to explore the solution to the Syria issue. After Ambassador Li Huaxin, representative of the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, visited Syria, Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Ming began to visit Saudi Arabia, Egypt and France. Some foreign media named […]

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14 Mar, 2012

Six Major Problems Facing China’s “Real Economy”

By Dong Wei (China Youth Daily)

March 14, 2012 — Edited and translated by People’s Daily Online “Wuhan Iron and Steel Company veers off business focus to pig farming because it is more profitable than steel production. It shows that China’s real economy is facing serious internal problems, in addition to external problems such as sluggish demand and snobbish banking practices,” […]

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7 Mar, 2012

Replacing the Devastation of Greed-is-Good with Wisdom of Sufficiency Economy

Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General, UNCTAD

“Sufficiency Economy and the Direction of Sustainable Development” Speech delivered at the opening of the International Conference on the Sufficiency Economy, Bangkok, Thailand, 16 February 2012.

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1 Mar, 2012

Europe Needs Another Reformation – WTO Director General

PASCAL LAMY, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy’s speech at the Bruegel Institute in Brussels on 29 February 2012

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1 Mar, 2012

The Tourism Industry’s “Last Chance To Do The Right Thing”

Max Haberstroh, International Consultant on Sustainable Tourism, www.maxhaberstroh.de

Ever since the 90s of the past century, we have missed two outstanding opportunities to make a better world: first, during 1989-91, as the Iron Curtain fell, the Soviet Union broke up and communism lost its ground and myth; second, after Nine-Eleven 2001, when terrorists attacked New York and Washington. What we did ? – […]

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28 Feb, 2012

U.S. No-Fly List Used as Extrajudicial Punishment for Muslims

Munia Jabbar and Gadeir Abbas

What if you left the United States for a short trip abroad, but when you tried to come home to your job, family and life in America, your government would not let you on the plane? What if, when you asked when you could fly home, you were told “never”? [Munia Jabbar (mjabbar@cair.com) and Gadeir […]

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27 Feb, 2012

India-European Union Free Trade Agreement – The Pitfalls

Ranjan Solomon

The Manmohan Singh government seems bent upon selling out Indian interests so as to satisfy the minority elite to whom liberalization will provide them access to further unparalleled luxuries, and economic access all at the cost of the nearly 800 million who will not be left lagging behind but will suffer huger proportions of deprivation […]

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18 Feb, 2012

Airports Training Challenges: No Longer Just About Operating an Airport

Kevin Caron, Airports Council International

The aviation industry appears to be on the path to recovery and the upturn in fortunes means that despite the tough economic times airports should once again start preparing for traffic growth and the extra demands that this will bring. And with money tight, an airport’s ability to meet that service delivery challenge will be […]

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17 Feb, 2012

Will US Ever Accept The Truth?

Wang Yusheng (China Daily)

Beijing,  2012-02-16. — It is a matter of routine for the media in the United States to carry articles written by top US scholars at the end of a year and the beginning of the next, expressing concern over the country’s prospects. In one such article, “The end of the American era”, Stephen M. Walt, […]

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8 Feb, 2012

Why Universities Should “Beware the Seductive Attractions of Money Power”

Ramesh Thakur

Reporting on the management changes at Research in Motion, Tim Weber, business editor, BBC, wrote that the co-chief executive officers’ departure was ‘long overdue.’ The once-dominant company had ‘thrown it all away… in an orgy of poor executive decisions, lacklustre innovation, unkept promises in delivering new product and — the greatest sin of all — […]

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1 Feb, 2012

Whither Diversity? ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan on Tourism, Culture & Heritage

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Continuing a series of dispatches on the Thai travel & tourism industry 25 years after 1987 Visit Thailand Year. Click on the image below to access the full text of the speech

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23 Jan, 2012

Chinese Researcher: Beware Of US Game Over Iran

By Mei Xinyu (China Daily)

The author is a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, affiliated to the Ministry of Commerce. Published in China Daily, 2012-01-20 — The United States is expediting its efforts to persuade its allies like Japan and the Republic of Korea to reduce their oil imports from Iran. Even the European […]

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28 Nov, 2011

Airlines Forget Agents’ Role In Their Success – Indian Travel Agent

P.Sampath Kumar, National General Secretary, TAFI

Long gone are the days when Agents valued “IATA Accreditation” which had some meaning, respect and value. Today being an IATA Accredited Agent has just become a symbol of torture unending.

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24 Nov, 2011

A Day To Be Consigned To The History Books

Nanda Krairiksh and Moni Pizani

Violence against women and girls is still one of the world’s most widespread human rights violations. It affects women of all ages, races, cultures, and social backgrounds and it happens everywhere: at home and at work, on the streets and in schools, in times of peace and during and after conflict.

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4 Oct, 2011

Another 9/11 That Changed the World — But In a Non-Violent Way

Mrs Nagma Malik, Charge d'Affaires, Indian Embassy, Bangkok

On the 11th of September 1906, a young lawyer, dissatisfied with the idea of mere passive resistance, unveiled the concept of ‘Satyagraha’ in Johannesburg, South Africa. The young Gandhi described satyagraha as ‘a force which is born of truth and love of non-violence”. For him, it was the end of a quest for a moral equivalent of war.

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28 Sep, 2011

Working People Feel Betrayed

Sharan Burrow, Secretary-General, International Trade Union Congress. Comments to G20 Labour Ministers - 27th Sept 2011, Paris

The world is in the grip of the 2nd wave of the financial crisis and despite the promises of London and Pittsburgh the jobs and the income of working people are even more vulnerable. Likewise SME’s are more vulnerable and yet there is no coordinated will to act.

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10 Sep, 2011

Time to “Come to Grips With Some Irrefutable Truths”

Prof Chandra Muzaffar

How do we overcome, or at least reduce, the negative impact of the 9-11 episode? Both the centres of power in the West and certain elements in the Muslim world should be prepared to come to grips with some irrefutable truths.

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10 Sep, 2011

Honoring 9/11 by Upholding Freedom

Farhana Khera, President & Executive Director, Muslim Advocates

We are at a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, a moment that will define our generation as one that upheld our values, or succumbed to fear. Now, more than ever, we need all Americans to come together, united against hate and fear, and to stand up for freedom.

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10 Sep, 2011

The Day “America” Changed for the World

Jim Dator

The difference between the way the American media and the media of all the rest of the world portray these events is stunning. If it weren’t for overseas trips, online news, and personal correspondence via the internet, many of us would never be able to understand what is going on if all we had was American news and publications to guide us.

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10 Sep, 2011

An American-Palestinian Reflection on 9/11

Prof Mazin Qumsiyeh, Ph.D.

On this sad anniversary, there are a lot of “what if” scenarios being discussed and healthy reflections around the world. For example, what if the US and Israel obeyed international law? What if we did not illegally invade and occupy Iraq and Afghanistan? What if Israel was forced to comply with UN resolutions on withdrawal from illegally occupied areas and forced to allow the ethnically-cleansed Palestinians to return to their homes and lands? In short what if we did not send the message that might makes right but rather that rights make things right?

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9 Aug, 2011

Five Ways to Strengthen Asia-Pacific Economies

N.R. Narayana Murthy, Chairman, Infosys Ltd, India

One result of the financial, economic and debt crises in Europe and the United States will be an increase in inter-regional linkages within the Asia-Pacific and intra-regional linkages between the developing countries. One of India’s leading businessmen, Mr. N.R. Narayana Murthy, Chairman, Infosys Limited, outlines five ways to leverage this huge opportunity.

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25 Jul, 2011

America In Trouble In The Middle East

James Zogby

The results of this latest poll of Arab opinion demonstrates how precarious the position of the United States is in the Middle East and how important it has become for American policy makers to pay attention to what Arabs are saying.

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1 Jul, 2011

American Awakening Grows: A 4th of July Message from Rabbi Michael Lerner

Rabbi Michael Lerner

Faced with July 4th celebrations that are focused on militarism, ultra-nationalism, and “bombs bursting in air,” many American families who do not share those values turn July 4th into another summer holiday focused on picnics, sports, and fireworks, while doing their best to avoid the dominant rhetoric and bombast. This year that kind of celebration is particularly difficult when many of us are in mourning as we watch our government commit to keep fighting the trillion dollar a year war in Afghanistan while cutting social programs for the poor, the elderly, schools, environment, and other pressing human needs.

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27 Jun, 2011

ICANN gTLD: The New Frontiers of Global Cyber Name Identity Branding

Naseem Javed

What are the immediate and future threats to the current name identity? What are the options for a partial or a full name change? Under what global rules or ‘the laws of corporate naming’ will they find the perfect solution that is best for their wider customer base, international marketing goals, and equally passable under the new ICANN policies?

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23 Jun, 2011

Measuring Hotel Management’s Performance In Ways That Count

David McMillan

The day has come to take the clamps off the Uniform System of Accounts for Hotels and really measure performance based on what is controllable and what is not.

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15 Jun, 2011

The Thrill of Learning a New Language — Sign Language

Niranjan Khatri

During the process of hiring people with a hearing/speech impairment, we conducted basic sign language classes for our associates to break the communication barrier. I now see abled people talking to each other using sign language and when I ask them why, they say ‘Why waste your breath, Sir’.

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13 Jun, 2011

Tourism and Energy – in the Sign of the Sun

Max Haberstroh

Tourism may lead to “prosperity and peace”, as UNWTO says. Nonetheless, there is a more gloomy side of tourism. In his book ‘The Final Call’, Leo Hickman wonders who would really pay for the collateral damage caused by tourism.

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19 May, 2011

Ernst & Young Releases “Tracking Global Trends” Report

Source: Ernst & Young

In 2010, the global financial system remained fragile, but economies around the world began moving toward recovery. Some — especially those in emerging markets — hardly broke stride, continuing their rapid growth. The Ernst & Young management consultancy report, Tracking Global Trends, looks at six broad, long-term developments that are shaping our world: Emerging markets […]

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10 May, 2011

Top Ten Trends in The Global Hotel Business

David McMillan

David McMillan, former CEO of the International Hotel & Restaurant Association, debuts as the first guest columnist of Travel Impact Newswire, with this anti-mainstream listing of top-ten trends in the global hotel business. More guest columnists are very welcome.

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