worldtourismjournal

China Leads World Tourism Recovery

2009-11-15T22:23:00.001-08:00

November 16, 2009

The World Travel & Tourism Council has pointed out in its annual report that since tourism is a key factor for global economic growth during the financial crisis, China's tourism industry has now become the leader in tourism recovery and growth.
Adrian Cooper, the managing director of WTTC's research partner Oxford Economics, said at a press conference that the world's tourism economy would probably fall by 5.5% in 2009 but the market will revive with the recovery of the economy in 2010.

Cooper said that over the next ten years, China is expected to be the fastest growing economy in the world. Its domestic and international tourism are both increasing. It will accelerate the development of world tourism economy and occupy a leading position in the world tourism market.

It is also learned that Beijing will host the Tenth Global Travel & Tourism Summit in May 2010 organized by WTTC.

The role of film in national identity

2009-11-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

By Anita Mendiratta | Nov 14, 2009
eturbonews

Between the period of October 05th and 08th 2009 government leaders from within the Travel & Tourism (T&T) world united in Astana, Kazakhstan for the 18th Annual General Assembly of the UNWTO. Over a thousand members of the Tourism community, including Ministers of the over 155 member countries in 7 regions, along with over 400 Affiliate members – the ‘A List’ of Tourism at government level - gathered for annual deliberations, as well as the confirmation of Mr Taleb Rifai as the new Secretary General. United in a quest to increase the profile and understanding of the T&T sector as a major force for social and economic development worldwide, in a year where the global economic crisis and H1N1 pandemic have taken a direct hit at the sector, leaders of global T&T traveled to Astana committed to impact, unity and contribution.

Kazakhstan proved to be a wonderful host nation for the UNWTO’s Annual General Assembly. A relatively new nation on the world map, Kazakhstan’s streets reflect an energy of dramatic change, grand vision and modern ambition. Astana is a baby city waiting for the world. Its exceptional city planning structure and unique architecture makes it very clear – Kazakhstan is on the world stage as a strong, serious, shiny new player!

STAR POWER
Unfortunately, prior to arriving to Kazakhstan most participants did not have a spontaneous mental image of the country or city to seed anticipation of arrival. More often than not, however, mention of imminent travel to Kazakhstan prompted an immediate, inescapable response from family, friends and associates: “BORAT”!

All these years on, despite time, media and destination campaigning, it is the movie BORAT and its infamous lead character who defines the identity of this nation. He and his antics have embedded in Kazakhstan a tainted sense of the place and its people – who they are, what they look like, how they think, how they live their lives. While understood to be a movie and therefore dosed with a high degree of exaggeration for entertainment purposes, people around the world exposed to even simply the trailer of the movie, or the flurry of PR generated by the film, hold direct associations between the name of the nation and the very original, to some audiences very funny, and most often very offensive character Borat. Such a shame.
BORAT is an exceptional example of the power of film in building destination awareness. And the importance of managing the impact on destination identity.

MAKING IT IN THE MOVIES
Over the past decade the film industry has become a highly sought after vehicle for destination development. National and regional tourism authorities are investing more and more time, money and energy into courting film studios to come to their country and cities to shoot; opening up the landscapes, street systems and communities to film crews. High levels of information and incentives are put forward to persuade studios to set up camp.

The featuring of a destination in a film can be through a number of formats including, inter alia,:
1) The destination as a generic filming environment, as occurred in films such as THE LORD OF THE RINGS. The nation’s magnificent natural, blank canvas enabled the creators of the film to bring a fictitious trilogy to life in a nation which only through film promotion was revealed to be New Zealand.
2) A city/country-identifiable location for films seeking unique locations with the cachet of iconic imagery. ANGELS AND DEMONS, for example, turned Vatican City into a fabulous backdrop for a story which, much through its movie recreation, generated understanding and interest in the home of a global religion. Bollywood has started employing this approach, turning iconic international cities such as Cape Town into a backdrop for its increasingly globally appreciated Indian films.
3) Creating a character out of the location of the film, as was done with SEX AND THE CITY the movie (and the television series, of course) – a production which overtly defines NYC to be the ‘5th lady’,
and the grand prix,
4) Incorporating the destination as a part of the film’s name and storyline, as occurred, for example, with the epic production of AUSTRALIA – effectively a 2 1⁄2 hour product placement for the destination and its magnificent Outback. Similarly, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA provided audiences with a wonderful expose of Spain’s attraction-rich city on the Mediterranean coastline.

BENEFITS OF THE BIG SCREEN
There are a number of clear benefits which come from offering a destination for filming. In addition to exposure, there are the often unseen gains to the destination. These include:
• Income: money brought to the destination through the local purchase of materials, supplies, accommodation, internal travel, vehicle and prop hire, etc.;
• Investment: funds injected into the destination for building of sets and supporting infrastructure needed by the film, and which often remain in the destination after the film crews have left;
• Employment: job creation for locals in the areas of set creation, support services, catering, and other production-related elements, as well as inclusion as extras;
Created for CNN's TASK Group by Anita Mendiratta © all rights reserved PAGE 4
COMPASS – Insights into Tourism Branding
• Skills development: training given to locals to assist with the various aspects of production, skills which remain with local employees long after the film’s creators have departed;
• Media: feature of the destination in pre-publicity, features on the film including ‘the making of’ programmes,
• Awareness: the very real exposure which the destination receives which not only educates viewers around the destination and its scope of natural, cultural, social and emotional offerings, but entices travelers to visit to experience it all for themselves. Film can be an exceptional fuel for T&T sector growth, development and competitiveness.
All of the above are strong motivations and justifications for a destination rolling out the red carpet to the international film industry.

THE RISKS TO IMAGE
There are, however, very real risks involved with destination appearances in films. These risks come as a result of the destination not recognising and/or owning the result of the destination awareness created by the film.

The issue is this: awareness does not mean positive image.

Creation of a film in and/or about a destination requires conscious, pro-active, comprehensive destination image management on the part of the destination, especially its Tourism sector. Giving credit where it is due, BORAT was very valuable to Kazakhstan to put the nation on the mind-map of people of the world. But once people learnt of it and had an initial sense of the people, the spark needed to be fueled from there by the nation’s leaders of national image and identity. As a result of only a low level of reactive destination marketing, the image of BORAT rubbed off quickly and deeply onto Kazakhstan. And is not unlike a tattoo on the nation’s image.

India faced the risk of a similar situation with the unexpected, magical success of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. There was significant concern that the image of the slums would create over-riding assumptions about the identity on India. This did not happen; however, as destination India has for the past 5+ years managed its national image and identity development incredibly. It was therefore possible to position the film’s story, success, and subsequent benefits to the nation within the greater national identity – a colour of the prism, not the material of the crystal.

There is no question that the film industry can be one of the greatest blessings for a destination to be able to establish traveller:

• awareness,
• appeal,
• affinity, and
• travel booking action.

Like all tourism sector development initiatives critical to building the destination’s Brand, infrastructure, experience delivery and future strength, the role of film needs to be an active part of the destination’s Growth and Development Strategy.

When it comes to destinations becoming stars in the film industry, the bottom line can be rich and enriching, as long as all aspects of impact are taken into account.

$8.8 billion ‘tourism hub’ planned at Saemangeum, Korea

2009-11-15T08:39:00.000-08:00

November 16, 2009
Korea plans to spend 10.2 trillion won ($8.8 billion) by 2020 to develop a “world-class tourism industry hub” on a vast reclaimed tidal flat south of the capital, the government said yesterday.

Approved by the free economic zone committee made up of representatives from the government and private sector, the plan calls for building a city for cultural, recreational and tourism businesses in the Saeman- geum region located 280 kilometers (174 miles) south of Seoul, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said.

The ministry said the new city would cover 24.4 square kilometers of land (6,029 acres), with two international schools, as well as theaters, museums and a 72-hole golf course. It will also have modern health care facilities and residences keyed to attract foreign investors.

Once built, the new city could house 120,000 residents.

“In effect, the city will become a center for tourism and recreational business that want to target the Northeast Asian markets,” an official said.

Seoul will spend 46 billion won next year to lay the foundation for the new city. The Saemangeum project began in 1991 with state expenditure to date totaling over 2.4 trillion won. The region covers 401 square kilometers with plans underway to transform the tidal flats into agricultural, industrial and tourism centers.

The FEZ committee, meanwhile, said that it has given final approval to set up a local campus of the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.

The university is to start accepting students in March 2010 for its campus being built at the Busan-Jinhae FEZ on the southeastern tip of the country.

The school will offer courses in the engineering, biotech and machinery processing fields. FAU ranked seventh among Germany’s 300 universities and is one of the largest schools in the Bavarian region. It is currently engaged in joint research and development with companies such as Siemens AG and Bayer Group. Yonhap

Win a holiday in Istanbul

2009-11-14T21:15:00.000-08:00

Enter our travel-writing competition to win a long weekend in Turkey

The Observer, Sunday 15 November 2009 Article historyWhat was your best travel experience in 2009? We want you to tell us about your holiday highs and lows from the past year – whether it was a glorious weekend in the Lake District, a life-changing trek across Namibia or a disastrous family trip to the seaside. Did you follow the 2009 trends – staycationing, escaping the eurozone, couch-surfing, cool camping and so on? How did you get on? This is your chance to turn travel writer: the best entries will be published in a special issue of Escape, later this year – and win a long weekend for two in Istanbul.

How to enter: email a piece of between 300 and 700 words to escape.competition@observer.co.uk or send it to Escape Competition, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9GU. Entries must arrive by Monday 7 December and you should focus on one trip or experience. A selection of the best entries will be published in Escape. These will be put into a hat, and a winner drawn at random.

The prize: A three-night trip for two to the 2010 Capital of Culture, Istanbul, courtesy of Hotels.com (hotels.com) and Turkish Airlines (thy.com), with bed-and-breakfast accommodation for two at the majestic five-star Mövenpick Istanbul Hotel and two return flights from London. The hotel is a perfect base to explore this beautiful historic city – see the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, shop in the Grand Bazaar, enjoy a traditional Turkish bath and experience the huge range of special events being staged to mark the Capital of Culture year (see istanbul2010.org). The prize must be taken before 31 August 2010; it does not include spending money, meals other than breakfast or ground transportation, and it's your responsibility to have a valid passport and arrange travel insurance. Further terms and conditions apply. For full details see observer.guardian.co.uk.

Terms and Conditions:

Prize: A three-night break in Istanbul staying at the five star Mövenpick Istanbul Hotel for two people (breakfast included) and return flights for two people from a London airport to Istanbul airport (ground transport not included).

1. The closing date is 7 December.

2. The competition is open to residents of the UK and Northern Ireland (excluding employees of The Observer, Turkish Airlines and Expedia, Inc).

3. Applicants must be aged 18 or over.

4. Only one entry per person is permitted.

5. Hotel accommodation will be provided for two people for three nights in a superior room at the Mövenpick Istanbul Hotel (five star rating, breakfast included). Usual booking terms and conditions apply and blackouts apply.

6. Any incidental expenses incurred at the hotel (meals other than breakfast, mini bar, laundry, spa, phone calls, internet access) will be the responsibility of the prize winner and their companion.

7. Validity of the prize cannot be extended.

8. Flights are provided by Turkish Airlines and will be provided from a London airport to Istanbul. Both the winner and their companion must travel at the same time on the same flight. Flights are subject to availability.

9. Prize winner and companion are liable for any tax liability accruing as a result of winning this competition.

10. The prize must be booked and taken by 31 August 2010.

11. The prize winner will be responsible for obtaining where necessary, valid passports and visas and appropriate vaccinations and inoculations. It is strongly recommended that travellers take out adequate travel insurance.

12. The Promoter and Prize providers cannot be responsible for unforeseen cancellations of flights or bookings.

13. Prize is non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

14. It is the responsibility of the prize winner to be present at the appointed times and places. Winners not present for any reason or who arrive late at any stage will forfeit their prize.

15. Any person suspected of cheating, acting dishonestly or fraudulently in the opinion of the promoter will be excluded from the promotion.

16. There is no cash alternative and prizes are non-transferable.

17. No correspondence will be entered into.

18. Promoter: The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9GU.

Mexico Plans Big Gulf Tourism Center Near Texas

2009-11-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

Mexico announces plan for big Gulf tourism center near Texas border
MEXICO CITY November 14, 2009 (AP)
Mexico is planning a big new tourism center near the U.S. border along the Gulf of Mexico.

The Fonatur agency that also created Cancun says its new Costa Lora development should eventually have 20,000 rooms for guests and create 115,000 jobs. It's based in the municipality of Soto la Marina, roughly 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Brownsville, Texas.

The name honors the Atlantic Ridley tortoise, known as Tortuga Lora in Spanish. Plans call for preserving habitat for the endangered animal.

Officials who announced the project Thursday say it is aimed at tourists from Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana.

Some $4 billion in private investment is supposed to go into the 20 square-mile (5,334-hectare) area.

Can a New U.S. Tourism Board Woo Visitors?

2009-11-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

By David Kaufman
Virtually every country in the world, large and small, has an official tourism department to woo visitors to its shores. Tiny Tunisia has 24 tourism offices in 19 countries across the globe. South Africa has 10 offices on four continents. America has none, relying instead on the private sector to attract tourists. "Airlines, tour operators, hotels — they've had the responsibility of promoting America," says Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst at Forrester Research in San Francisco. "The government has stayed away from these kinds of initiatives and as a result, we've lost out on travelers."

Indeed, while annual international travel has increased, from 124 million global travelers in 2000 to 173 million last year, annual visits by foreigners to the United States have ticked down, from 26 million in 2000 to 25.3 million in 2008. The absolute drop-off seems small, until you consider that it has cost the country an estimated $27 billion in lost tax revenue over the past decade. With unemployment levels now topping 10% in the U.S., the economic benefits of foreign travel have never been more urgent, yet visitors have never been scarcer. "We're welcoming fewer and fewer visitors every year," laments Geoff Freeman, senior vice president of public affairs at U.S Travel, the nation's leading travel industry advocacy group.

Helping keep travelers at bay are tighter visa restrictions, tougher entry procedures at immigration desks and a general increase in anti-American sentiment in the wake of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We took foreign travelers for granted and erroneously assumed they would just keep on coming," says Harteveldt.

Washington-watchers expect the TPA to pass the Senate by the end of the year. Once enacted, it will create two new entities — the Office of Travel Promotion and the Corporation for Travel Promotion — to help foreign visitors actually get into the country. The offices will serve as resources for both individual travelers and the travel industry, explaining visa regulations and entry requirements, offering destination data and sponsoring marketing campaigns. Most importantly, by promoting the entire nation — rather than a specific airline or destination — TPA supporters say the bill could entice up to 1.6 million additional tourists to visit America each year. That translates to an estimated $4 billion in economic benefits, potentially resulting in some 40,000 new jobs.

"The new law is fundamentally about creating jobs and encouraging economic activity," explains Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), the bill's main sponsor and a leading member of the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. "It will also help put a better public face on the nation," Dorgan adds. "While other countries are working hard to woo travelers, we seem to be sending a message that we don't want them here."

The TPA would have a budget of up to $200 million, funded by contributions from the private sector (hotels and airlines, for instance) and a new $10 fee that would be paid by any entering foreign visitor who does not require an entry visa. The latter element has proven controversial — especially to the mostly European travelers who would have to contend with those extra costs. Ambassador John Bruton, head of the European Commission delegation to the United States, called the potential levy "discriminatory" in a September statement, and warned that it could become "a step backward in our joint endeavor toward transatlantic mobility."

Although the fee will likely be "hidden" within airfares, Harteveldt is concerned that it could ultimately work against TPA initiatives and "come back to haunt us." But Senator Dorgan counters that $10 is far lower than similar fees — ranging from Ireland's $14 entry tax to the U.K.'s whopping $100 — paid by Americans when they travel abroad. And with a mere 35 countries that would be required to pay the fee, fewer than 30% of foreign travelers will be affected.

It's been more than a decade since the U.S. Government first attempted to form an official tourism office. In 1996, under President Bill Clinton, the U.S. National Tourism Organization was launched, only to be abandoned three years later due to inadequate Congressional funding — as were subsequent efforts in 2001 and 2003. But as the 2009 Travel Promotion Act makes its way through Congress, it appears to have garnered enough support to be passed into law — and funded into action. U.S. Travel's Freeman concedes it will probably be another year before the Office of Travel Promotion is fully up and running. But he is confident that Washington will recognize the benefit of increased foreign travel to the nation's fiscal recovery. "This is the low-hanging fruit to fixing the economy," Freeman says. "It's about as obvious a solution as you can imagine — and we think Secretary Clinton and President Obama clearly recognize this."

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1939344,00.html?xid=rss-topstories#ixzz0WrgkBDCv

Lebanon tourism up 43% in 2009

2009-11-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

(AFP)

BEIRUT — More than 1.5 million tourists visited Lebanon in the first 10 months of 2009, or 43 percent more than the same year-earlier period, the tourism ministry said on Saturday.

"This number marks a 42.7 percent increase for the same period from 2008 and an 84 percent increase from 2007," a ministry statement said.

A record one million tourists landed in the tiny Mediterranean country in July alone, the ministry said.

The ministry has said Lebanon hopes to have hosted two million tourists by the end of 2009, a figure roughly equivalent to half the country's population.

Most visitors are Lebanese expatriates and tourists from the oil-rich Gulf, but the tiny Mediterranean country has also gained popularity as a holiday destination among Europeans.

Tourism in Lebanon had taken a beating in recent years after a string of assassinations that began with a Beirut bombing that killed former premier Rafiq Hariri in February 2005.

In 2006, Israel and Lebanon's Shiite militia Hezbollah fought a devastating summer war and the following year the army battled with Al-Qaeda-inspired Islamists in a Palestinian refugee camp.

However, tourism made a dramatic recovery in 2008 with the arrival of 1.3 million visitors to the country once dubbed the "Switzerland of the Middle East."

Incredible India adjudged World’s Best Destination Marketing Campaign

2009-11-14T04:43:00.000-08:00

by Arun Prabhudesai ·
in Travel Thursday, travel

India is not known for its Marketing prowess, be it anything. Yes, we deliver quality products, but we not able to package and market them well -And that’s the reason why I am very happy with this particular award.

The Incredible India Campaign launched in 2002 has always stood out as one of the better ones that India has executed. However, World Travel Awards adjudging it as World’s Best Destination Marketing Campaign is really something that we should be proud about !

Incredible India campaign is different in many ways – Even their website stands apart from hundreds of drab Government Websites that we are so used to seeing. Although quite slow to load, the Homepage itself depicts what India stands for – Diversity, culture and colorful are portrayed in a way they should !

Couple of years back, when I happened to see a Incredible India Hoarding on New York Street Bus Stop – And let me tell you – not one person passing by would have missed that one.

The campaign is not only good, but it also has given great results. For past few Years India has been ranking amongst the top Destinations on travelers mind. I am sure the Incredible India campaign has a lot to do with that.

The World Travel Awards – one of the most respected ones, have also rated India as the Leading Travel Destination in Asia

Here are some of the other awards given by WTA:

Asia’s Leading Hotel – Trident Gurgaon, India
Asia’s Leading Resort – Taj Lake Palace, India
Asia’s Leading Spa Resort – The Oberoi Wildflower Hall, India
Asia’s Leading Themed Resort – Orange County Coorg Resort, India
Asia’s Leading Tourist Board – Incredible India
India’s Leading Business Hotel – The Leela Palace Kempinski Bangalore
India’s Leading Conference Hotel – Taj Palace Hotel New Delhi
India’s Leading Green Hotel – The Claridges, Surajkund
India’s Leading Hotel – Trident Gurgaon
India’s Leading Luxury Hotel – The Claridges, New Delhi
India’s Leading New Business Hotel – Crowne Plaza Today Gurgaon
India’s Leading Resort – Kumarakom Lake Resort
India’s Leading Spa Resort – The Oberoi Wildflower Hall
India’s Leading Wildlife Resort – Orange County Kabini Resort

Israel, All-time record in incoming tourism

2009-11-13T23:16:00.000-08:00

All-time record in incoming tourism

330,000 tourists visited Israel last month; 2.3 million since beginning of year. Minister of toursim: 'Increase due to focused marketing, positioning of Israel as Holy Land, with Jerusalem as its capital'

Ynet Published: 11.14.09, 08:09 / Israel Travel

October saw an all-time record high in incoming tourism, with some 330,000 tourists visiting Israel during that month alone, according to data reported by the Ministry of Education on Thursday.

The numbers reflect an increase of 9% from October 2008.

From the beginning of the year 2.3 million tourists visited Israel – same as the total number of tourists during 2007, and just a 12% decrease from the same period last year.

Tourism minister: Our product is flawed / Danny Sadeh

In exclusive interview to Yedioth Ahronoth, Minister Misezhnikov vows to better tourism situation in Israel, but says Israel does not know how to market itself, offers bad service
Full story

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), October saw an increase of 6% in the number of tourists who visited Israel and stayed for a minimum of one night, compared with October of 2008.

An increase was also recorded in the number of day visits (20%) as well as cruises, which reached a total of 23,500, doubling last year's numbers.

"These numbers are as a result of focused marketing, analysis of the target market and investment in proper infrastructure for continuous global marketing, based on the positioning of Israel as the holy land, and Jerusalem as its capital," said Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov (Yisrael Beiteinu), who is currently visiting South America.

In an interview with Yedioth Ahronot, Misezhnikov said, "our product is flawed", referring to the tourism industry in Israel.

"Unfortunately, we do not know how to market tourism," said the minister ahead of a tourism convention in Herzliya, adding that there are many reforms he plans on implementing during his term in office, among them bringing a million additional tourists to Israel in the next three years.

Decrease in Israelis traveling abroad

Meanwhile, figures also indicate that between January and October of 2009, a decrease of 6% was reported in the number of Israelis traveling abroad, compared with 2008.

Those who did travel outside the country, did so mainly by air (85%), with some 3 million exits (5% decrease from last year), while 416 thousand exits were recorded by land (11% decrease) and 115 thousand departures by sea (increase of 5%).

During January and may of 2009, a decrease of 12% in the number of exits was recorded, compared with last year's figures. The sharp decrease was probably due to the global financial crisis, as well as Operation Cast Lead, which took place in the first half of January.

Mexico border city groups call for UN peacekeepers

2009-11-13T11:47:00.000-08:00

Mexico border city groups call for UN peacekeepers

Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

By Mark Stevenson AP| Nov 12, 2009

MEXICO CITY – Business groups in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez said Wednesday they are calling for United Nations peacekeepers to quell the drug-related violence that has given their city one of the highest homicide rates in the world.

Groups representing maquiladora assembly plants, retailers and other businesses said they will submit a request to the Mexican government and the Inter American Human Rights Commission to ask the U.N. to send help.

"This is a proposal ... for international forces to come here to help out the domestic (security) forces," said Daniel Murguia, president of the Ciudad Juarez chapter of the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism. "There is a lot of extortions and robberies of businesses. Many businesses are closing."

The government has sent more than 5,000 soldiers to the city across the border from El Paso, Texas, but killings, extortions and kidnappings continue.

Ciudad Juarez has had 1,986 homicides through mid-October this year — averaging seven a day in the city of 1.5 million people.

"We have seen the U.N. peacekeepers enter other countries that have a lot fewer problems than we have," Murguia said.

The groups appeared to be motivated by a sense of desperation and deep disappointment with the government's efforts to control crime in the city.

Soledad Maynez, president of the Ciudad Juarez Association of Maquiladoras, said the joint police-army operation to quell killings and crime have yielded no results.

Maynez said business and civic groups want U.N. peacekeepers or advisers in Ciudad Juarez.

"What we are asking for with the blue helmets (U.N. peacekeepers) is that we know they are the army of peace, so we could use not only the strategies they have developed in other countries ... but they also have technology," Maynez said.

Mexican troops have both helped train new local police recruits and taken on some patrolling tasks in the city.

But a turf battle between rival drug gangs has not yielded, and extortionists and thieves — some probably related to the drug cartels — have taken advantage of the situation to target businesses. Maynez said thousands of shops, stores and other firms have closed or moved out of the city because of the situation.

Maynez said the United States could also contribute to the solution, adding that the U.S. might be forced to in its own interests.

"We know that sooner or later, the violence will spill over into our sister city of El Paso, Texas," he said.

Commonwealth Games to showcase India:

2009-11-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

New Delhi, Nov 12
Commonwealth Games 2010 has given an opportunity to showcase India as a unique and hospitable tourism destination, Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said Thursday.

"Commonwealth Games have given an opportunity for showcasing India as a unique and hospitable tourism destination. It is expected that a large number of tourists would visit the country next year bringing back the buoyancy in the sector," she said, addressing a summit on "Tourism: Tackling the Global Crisis" in London.

Around 80 tourism ministers from across the world are addressing the summit, organised by the United Nations's World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) - a specialised agency of the United Nations and the leading international organisation in the field of tourism. It serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how.

Selja said her ministry has been working towards developing adequate accommodation, sprucing up the tourism infrastructure and enhancing the quality of hospitality related services to make the visit a truly pleasurable and enriching experience for visitors during and after CWG-2010.

The goodwill generated through the successful organisation of this mega-sporting event would enable a sustainable growth of tourism sector, the minister said.

The Commonwealth Games, scheduled from Oct 3 to 14 next year, are expected to attract over 100,000 visitors to India.

Selja also pointed out how the global economic slowdown had a "cascading effect on the tourism sector and has adversely affected tourism world over".

The tourism minister said India has taken several initiatives to meet the challenges posed by the global meltdown challenges.

India has introduced "Visit India Year - 2009" in close partnership with airlines, hotels and tour operators to attract visitors to India from different countries for a repeat visit.

She said they have also launched advertising campaigns and roadshows in key markets.

"India is also making conscious efforts to develop emerging short and medium haul markets," she added.

The minister said they have launched "heliport tourism" to connect remote areas that are not accessible and to promote them through helicopter rides, as well as "wellness tourism" and "caravan tourism".

Caravan tourism, which is a very popular concept abroad, will also be popularised in India and involves the use of a specially-equipped vehicle deployed on a tourist circuit and connecting it by road.

Italy’s Minister proposes more casinos to boost tourism

2009-11-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

Business Nov 12, 2009 Italy could get an extra 10-15 luxury casinos if Tourism Minister Vittoria Brambilla’s plans go ahead, her spokeswoman said on Thursday.

The casinos, which would be in five-star hotels, are part of a 19-point plan by Brambilla to boost tourism in Italy, especially in the less-developed and crime-hit south, she said.

The plan still needs full government approval. “The aim is to develop (the sector) and put the south in the same condition as the north, where there are already four casinos. The minister supports a policy of tourism to reactivate the south,” the spokeswoman said.

“The idea is to put casinos in five-star hotels. But the text of the proposal is still under examination,” she said, adding the plan was unlikely to be finalised at Friday’s cabinet meeting.

The plan includes reopening casinos formerly operated in the Sicilian city of Taormina and in San Pellegrino Terme near the northern city of Bergamo, she said.

In the north of Italy there are municipal-controlled casinos in Venice, at San Remo, near the French border, at Campione near Como at the Swiss border, and in San Vincent in the Val D’Aosta region.

On Wednesday, the Agipro news agency which specialises on gaming, said the five-star hotels hosting casinos would have to be approved by local municipalities.

One of Italy’s largest hotel chains, Alpitour (EXOR.MI), is not currently planning to open casinos at its five-star hotels, an Alpitour spokeswoman said. “We have a different philosophy,” she said.

Alpitour, which is owned by the Agnelli family holding company Exor, recently opened a hotel in a converted convent in Rome. In the first nine months, casino bets in Itay were 347 million euros, with Venice the busiest of the four, with 126 million euros, Agipro said earlier this month.

Cyprus tourism drop worsens in October

2009-11-12T14:07:00.001-08:00

(AFP)

NICOSIA — The pace of the year-on-year decline in tourist arrivals in Cyprus accelerated to 14 percent last month from 9.6 percent in September, official figures showed on Thursday.

The number of holidaymakers jetting in to the Mediterranean island sank to 230,431 in October from 267,866 a year earlier, hit by a hefty 29.6 percent reverse in arrivals from Russia and a 19.1 percent dip from Britain -- the island's biggest holiday market.

The blow was slightly softened by a 21.9 percent spike in tourists from Greece.

For the ten months to October, Cyprus tourist arrivals have dived 11.1 percent, overshooting the government's forecast of a 10 percent drop for the whole of 2009.

From January to October inclusive visitor numbers to the sunbaked Republic of Cyprus fell to 1.98 million from 2.23 million in the same period last year.

Bookings for next summer are down 20 percent, according to estimates.

To help ease the crisis, the government last week approved a 65 million euro tourism support package including loan guarantees for hotels and airport fee waivers.

A large majority of the island's tourists come from recession-hit European Union countries and Russia.

A fall in tourism revenue and arrivals has been instrumental in the Cyprus economy going into decline for the first time in three decades.

The country is technically in recession after GDP shrank by 0.6 percent in the first quarter and 0.5 percent in the second.

The government hopes tourism will receive a lift from the new state-of-the-art Larnaca airport, opened this month, but tour operators have complained about high charges for using the new facility.

Tourism contributes around 12 percent to the island's GDP.

WRC Rally Turkey moves to Istanbul

2009-11-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

The Rally of Turkey had always been based in Kemer in the holiday region of Antalya in the south-west of the country, although the original world championship candidate event ran out of Izmir for the first two years. But the organisers of the event are determined to secure their position on the calendar with a move to the world’s fifth largest city. Istanbul, which is at the other side of the country to Kemer, has a population of more than 12 million people.

The event will be completely new, running on all-new gravel stages which will be seen in the WRC for the first time next year.

The World Rally Championship’s promoter Simon Long says he is delighted with the relocation of the rally to the world’s only city to straddle two continents (Europe and Asia).

Long said: “We applaud the decisions the Rally of Turkey organisers have made. Mumtaz [Tahincioglu, chairman of Turkish Automobile and Motorsports Federation] organises a very good rally from both a sporting and commercial aspect. He knows what we want as the global promoter and we’re very happy with what he’s talking about in Istanbul.”

Next year is already a big year for Istanbul, as it takes on the mantle of European City of Culture, and the WRC round is certain to add to that colour and atmosphere in April.

“The organisers have recognised that an event in Istanbul will really capture the imagination. We will have the service park in Europe and the stages in Asia - how fantastic is that! It’s this kind of ambition that we want to see from the WRC events.”

Major rallies are nothing new to Istanbul, the nation’s first international event ran out of the capital in 1972.
Turkey first ran a round of the World Rally Championship in 2003, having spent the previous two seasons building up to the full WRC round. The country has only missed one season - 2007 - since it was included on the calendar four years earlier.

In 2008, WRC was covered by 188 countries via 228 broadcasters, with a total audience of over 633 million plus 12 million visitors to wrc.com. 2009 will see a total of 12 rallies staged across the world in Ireland, Norway, Cyprus, Portugal, Argentina, Italy, Greece, Poland, Finland, Australia, Spain and Great Britain. For more information please visit www.wrc.com.

English developers to invest US$5B in Dominican SW tourism city

2009-11-11T21:39:00.000-08:00

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Zoom Picture London. - Tourism minister Francisco Javier Garcia announced Wednesday that English developers plan to invest around US$5 billion in Pedernales (southwest), in an ambitious tourism project on an area of around 70 million meters, which in his view will transform the country’s entire South region.

“We had a meeting with a group of English investors, which has evaluated the entire Caribbean region to realize important investments, and they‘ve told us of their decision to build a tourism city in Pedernales province at a cost of more than five billion dollars,” he said.

Garcia said aside from that investment, the English industrialists, who’ll travel to Dominican Republic in the next few weeks to announce the investment and present it to resident Leonel Fernandez, will also build an airport as part of the project. “This is an extremely important investment for the country’s South region and is very important because when we met we asked them if it was only a project’s concept and if they had secured the funding, but they are connected to companies and financial institutions and have obtained this project’s complete financing.”

“It is a great complex, it’s a tourism city that is going to completely transform, not only the province but the entire South, which includes the part of the Barahona, Bahoruco and Independencia region,” he said adding that the investors will build an international airport capable of landing wide cabin planes.

China - Outbound Tourism Continues to Outpace Inbound Tourism

2009-11-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

Favorable government policies and improving economic conditions are expected to give impetus to the outbound tourism market in China.

(EMAILWIRE.COM, November 11, 2009 ) New Delhi, India - RNCOS in its new research report “China Tourism Industry Forecast to 2012” has said that outbound tourism in China has been witnessing phenomenal growth for last few years and is way ahead in comparison to inbound tourist arrivals. The total number of outbound travelers grew by close to 12% CAGR during 2004-2008 to touch the statistics of 45 Million visitors in 2008. Sustained economic growth, rising number of affluent people in total population and other parameters have been identified by our research as prime factors that transformed the outbound tourism industry in China.

We have found that domestic and inbound segments of the tourism industry have registered positive growth and the number of tourists in both the segments has risen at consistent rate. Our analysis includes the impact of recent economic turmoil and changing behavior of traveler on the performance of tourism industry.

Our study gives brief overview of the top most destinations for Chinese traveler in international market and analyzes them at the regional and country level. We also talk about purpose and expenditure made by Chinese visitors in foreign countries to help corporates operating in the tourism market to align their business strategies according to ongoing and future market trends.

The report also covers emerging trends in the tourism industry like medical tourism, MICE tourism, online travel services and liberal view of the government on Approved Destination Status (ADS) scheme. For the Chinese outbound travel market, ADS scheme is more important than any other parameters and it forms the desired platform for expansion of outbound travel services.

“China Tourism Industry Forecast to 2012” contains extensive research, statistical data and segment level analysis of the tourism industry. We have also focused on the hotel industry separately, with an objective of giving relevant information like revenue of hotel industry, number of star-rated hotels and number of rooms. Details provided in the report will help consultants, industry analysts and vendors to get in-depth knowledge about the current, past and future performance of the industry.

The report forecast is based on the correlation between past market trends, statistical analysis and industry drivers and gives a direction to clients in which the industry is likely to move.

Dubai tourism too expensive say UK agents

2009-11-11T03:51:00.000-08:00

ArabianMoney.Net
British travel agencies have warned that Dubai risks losing out to other major destinations like Las Vegas because its room rates and restaurant charges are too high.

Alpha Tours CEO Gassan Aridi told Gulf News: ‘We need to adjust rates to the ground realities’. And Terry Fisher CEO of Gold Medal Travel Group said: ‘We find Las Vegas a cheaper destination than Dubai as its hotel industry has lowered rates to allow better and more attractive prices.’

Global competition
Travel trade attendees at the World Travel Market in London this week spoke of increasing global competition in the year ahead with a reduced number of tourists and business travelers now expecting to pay less for hotels and ancillary services.

However, the World Travel and Tourism Council’s latest report said that the contribution of travel and tourism will stay stable at 20 per cent of the UAE’s GDP for 2010. That said the UAE will be introducing a lot of new capacity in terms of hotels and aircraft in 2010 and that might have been expected to result in a higher percentage contribution.

But what this increased capacity may well prevent is an actual decline in revenues from travel and tourism next year. For across the Middle East travel and tourism is forecast to fall by eight per cent by the United Nations Tourism Organization.

Perhaps the delays in the delivery of some of the aircraft ordered during the boom years are therefore not such a bad thing.

Yesterday the president of Emirates Tim Clark said a delay in the delivery of A380s next year will put back the reintroduction of the aircraft on the Dubai to New York route by at least six months. That might be helpful as the demand on this sector has naturally been impacted by the global financial crisis.

Growing fleet
However, Mr. Clark noted that the airline would still take delivery of 22 aircraft worth $3 billion within its financial year and have 15 A380s flying by the end of 2010 compared with plans for 20 to be operational.

In the first half of its financial year Emirates reported a 13 per cent fall in revenues to $5.4 billion despite a 22 per cent increase in available seat kilometers. Profits rose thanks to a hiring freeze and lower fuel costs.

These cost reductions may not be repeated leading to a squeeze on profits if revenues continue to fall as capacity increases. It is a problem likely to be felt across the board in UAE tourism and travel in 2010 if the warnings from the WTM prove accurate

World tourism body sees recovery next year

2009-11-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

(AFP)
MADRID — The global tourism sector will post a "moderate recovery" in 2010 after slumping this year due to the recession, with Asia set for the strongest rebound, the UN World Tourism Organisation said Tuesday.

"International tourist arrivals are likely to witness a moderate recovery next year, with growth at one to three percent," the Madrid-based body said in its latest bulletin.

"Asia will show the strongest rebound, while Europe and the Americas will probably take longer to recover."

It based its outlook for next year on the improvement in international tourism figures recorded in recent months and the better-than-expected economic indicators in some key source markets.

For 2009, the inter-governmental body predicted a five percent decline in international tourism arrivals.

During the first eight months of the year it estimates international tourism arrivals worldwide dropped by around seven percent over the previous year to a total of 600 million arrivals.

But arrivals in the two high-season months of July and August declined by three percent compared with a decrease of eight percent in the first half of the year, and the available data for September point to a continuation of this upward trend.

The UN tourism body's secretary general, Taleb Rifai, said "seldom in recorded tourism history has the industry had to contend with so many different issues at the same time.

"Throughout this year, the world?s tourism industry was faced with a large number of challenges, led by the global economic crisis, the credit crunch and rising unemployment, not to mention the influenza pandemic," he said in a statement.

"However, the negative trend that emerged during the second half of 2008 and intensified in 2009 is starting to show signs of receding," he added.

International tourism arrivals rose 1.9 percent in 2008 over the previous year to 922 million, according to the UN body.

Greece Sets Agenda on Elgin Marbles

2009-11-10T08:58:00.001-08:00

Greece Sets Agenda on Elgin Marbles, Alternative Tourism and Cultural Festivals

Text by Maria Paravantes for Southeast European Times*

10 November 2009 | New Greek Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos announced late last month that the ministry has a slew of projects in the works, such as combating theft and the illicit trade of antiquities, bringing home the Parthenon Marbles, and promoting cultural programmes like the annual Athens Festival and Thessaloniki Film Festival.

Addressing parliament for the first time, Geroulanos said the country needs to tap into its cultural resources.

"There's not much money in culture," he said, "but there is plenty to be gained."

He spoke primarily of utilising Greek history, contemporary art, culture and traditions -- including the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on the eating patterns of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea -- as well as the country's natural beauty to promote alternative forms of tourism.

Geroulanos said he would continue in the footsteps of the late, and much-loved, socialist Culture Minister Melina Mercouri, whose vision was to see the Parthenon Marbles returned by the British Museum, where they are currently housed. There was a special gallery built in the Acropolis Museum, inaugurated last June, to display the monuments.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the Acropolis Museum on November 4.

Geroulanos also invited film industry professionals to suggest ways to improve the annual International Thessaloniki Film Festival, which serves as a springboard for emerging film makers from Southeastern Europe. The 50-year-old competitive festival, this year under the title "Why Cinema Now?", takes place between November 13 and 22 in the port city of Thessaloniki and is a leading film event in the Balkan region.

Geroulanos also made mention of the 54-year-old Athens (and Epidauros) Festival, which annually features international music, theatre and dance events. The festival has suffered in the last several years from organisational setbacks -- the latest of which was when theatre unions threatened to cancel the event last May.

"Serious efforts are being made," the minister said, "but we must find ways to further promote the festival as it is held during Athens' tourist season."

He failed however to refer to the National Opera, which is in debt.

*This text is courtesy of the Southeast European Times (SET), a web site sponsored by the US Department of Defense in support of UN Resolution 1244, designed to provide an international audience with a portal to a broad range of information about Southeastern Europe. It highlights movement toward greater regional stability and steps governments take toward integration into European institutions. SET also focuses on developments that hinder both terrorist activity and support for terrorism in the region.

Las Vegas bets on City Center project

2009-11-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

By Bob Retzlaff, travel editor of the Post-Bulletin.

Despite the city's significant downturn in tourism, Las Vegas is hoping for a rebound in visitors with the soon-to-open CityCenter, the eye-catching city-within-a-city that is the most expensive privately-financed project in U.S. history.

The enormous project on the Las Vegas Strip, essentially a city by itself with its curvilinear steel and glass towers, is situated between two other lavish properties, the Bellagio and New York, New York. Its cost, estimated at $8.5 billion, dwarfs anything ever built by private investors. The complex consists of seven towers that include a casino, four hotels, luxury apartments, huge shopping areas, unique restaurants, a fire station and an on-site power station.

CityCenter's opening -- several venues will open in December -- comes in the midst of Las Vegas' most significant visitor slump in years. Once considered recession-proof because of the popularity of casino gambling, high-end shopping and glittering nightlife, Las Vegas' tourism has fallen two years in a row. Something like that hasn't occurred very often there.

In 2007, the peak year for tourism, there were 39.2 million visitors. Last year, 37.5 million visitors came to Las Vegas while this year the city may barely break 35 million visits, analysts say. With the downturn comes empty hotel rooms and slumping casino revenue that has been sliding like the visitor count. Casino revenues, in fact, are at levels not seen since 1984.

But the opening of CityCenter and the media blitz that is sure to occur could change the outlook. At least that's what many Vegas-watchers are saying -- a 5-percent boost to tourism is hoped for -- and what the city's convention and visitors bureau is anticipating.

CityCenter is hoping to open the door "to the world's most spectacular offering in one singular setting and will be a landmark destination to introduce a new generation of Las Vegas resort experiences," publicists say.

The complex's president, Bobby Baldwin, told the press recently that "CityCenter bridges the vitality of Las Vegas with the experiences travelers seek when they visit great cities around the world, whether London, Hong Kong or San Francisco: spectacular architecture, culturally significant art, great public spaces, sophisticated hotels, unique restaurants and incredible amenities."

Driving unusual interest in CityCenter's opening is the lavish entertainment production of "Elvis Lives" -- a permanent offering from Cirque du Soleil which celebrates the life and music of Elvis Presley.

CityCenter itself has received three Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certifications from the U .S. Green Building Council. Especially cited are the Aria Resort's hotel tower, Aria resort's convention center and theater and the Vdara Hotel.

In addition to helping tourism in Las Vegas, CityCenter's opening also is a boost to employment -- some 12,000 workers are being hired to staff the new facility -- the largest single employment opportunity in the United States. The city's current unemployment rate is about 12.5 percent.

CityCenter venues

Here is a rundown of some of the major venues included in CityCenter, a joint project between the MGM Grand and Dubai World. The first opening will be Dec. 1 and some others will open later in December as well into 2010.

• Vdara Hotel, opens Dec. 1. Soaring 57 stories, the hotel will host 1,499 suites, ranging from approximately 500 to 1,650 square feet. Each features a gourmet kitchen and many include a washer and dryer. Some of the most stunning art in the world will be on display, publicists say.

• Crystals Retail and Entertainment District, opens Dec. 1. The facility will house more than 500,000 square feet of retail and design with some of the world's most well-known luxury retailers opening their first locations in Las Vegas.

• Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, opens Dec. 4. The 47-story, non-gaming hotel and residence will feature accommodations, dining, a spa and bring the service of the renowned Mandarin Oriental hotel group to Las Vegas for the first time.

• Aria Resort & Casino, opens Dec. 16. Containing 4,004 guest rooms, the resort was designed by the world-renowned firm of Pelli Clark Pelli. Its theater of 1,840 seats will feature a permanent production involving the visionary team at Cirque du Soleil and the musical legacy of Elvis Presley. Its guest rooms are said to feature the most technologically advanced guest rooms in the country. Room rates range from $179 to $700. Its casino offers 150,000 square feet of gambling.

• Veer Towers, no opening date. The project consists of two 37-story glass towers inclined at five-degree angles and each tower will house approximately 335 condominium residences ranging from 500 to nearly 3,300-square feet.

Kenya tourism boost as 266 French jet in

2009-11-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

Tourism boost as 266 French jet in

By NATION CorrespondentPosted Monday, November 9 2009 at 19:46

The tourism industry got a further boost on Monday when a French plane arrived in the country for the first time with 266 tourists.

The XL Airways plane at first landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi in the morning, where 118 tourists alighted. It then proceeded to Moi International Airport in Mombasa with 148 visitors.

Last week, some airlines from Belgium and Holland also landed in Mombasa for the first time with more than 500 tourists.

According to Kenya Aerotech Limited station manager Mureithi Riitho, the entry of XL Airways raises to two the number of charter flights from France.

Corsair was the other French airline offering charter flights to Mombasa once per week.

Mr Riitho attributed the increase in the number of charter flights from France to vigorous marketing campaigns by the Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) in the European country.

“The number of charter flights from France has increased from one to two following the entry of XL Airways into the Kenyan airspace,” said Mr Riitho.

On the rise

“KTB marketing efforts in France are bearing fruits as more French tourists are visiting our country for holidays,” he added.

Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers Coast branch chairman Titus Kangangi said hotel bookings were on the rise.

The China Guide Leads China Tourism Trends with its No Shopping Tours

2009-11-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

November 9, 2009
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BEIJING, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Tourism in China is rooted strongly in the belief that travelers should be taken to tourist factory shops where they will drop lots of cash on overpriced goods. The "factory" is a small workshop showing how goods such as jade, silk or cloisonne are produced, followed by a warehouse-sized shop of expensive fixed price goods. The guide and tour company get a large commission on how much tourists spend. Travelers are looking for companies who will provide tours and transportation to China destinations without this hassle, and The China Guide (http://www.TheChinaGuide.com ) is providing the right solution. The China Guide has a strict No Shopping Policy as this practice compromises the traveler's experience and the integrity of the relationship between guest and guide.

Often not listed on itineraries, factory shopping stops are an unexpected detour which take time out of seeing the actual sights and cause tours to have a rushed feeling. Generally, the guide is obligated by the tour company to take guests there, so if tourists refuse to go, it causes friction. Companies can receive money just for bringing guests to factories, even if they do not buy anything.

If tours offer an especially low price, they will undoubtedly have shopping stops to make up for the costs. Many tour companies in China lure clients with low prices and then expect them to spend hundreds of dollars in tourist shops making up the difference with commission earnings. Both travel agencies and guides profit from these stops. A natural rift in trust can develop between the guide and clients, as it's the guide's priority to get tourists to spend money on souvenirs, not to show them China's sights and culture.

Peter Danford, Managing Director of The China Guide explains, "With our No Shopping Tour policy, our guides are paid a fair wage, and we charge our guests accordingly. So we don't need our guests to buy souvenirs in factories that are ripping them off. Our guides are able to form a friendship with our guests and do whatever suits them. We don't rush people and they are free to spend as much time as they want at the Great Wall or other sights."

CIO, CTO & Developer Resources
The China Guide will still take guests shopping if they wish, but to non-commission local markets where purchases are a fraction of the price. An English-speaking guide will help travelers find and bargain for desired items at a fair price. See here for a Beijing Shopping Tour: http://www.chinatourbuilder.com/tour/itinerary_out.php?id=407

The No Shopping Policy applies to all of The China Guide's tours. China travelers can design and customize tours without having the shopping hassle to worry about. Individuals, families or groups can map their route and pick their top destinations or select from one of The China Guide's multi-city itineraries including their famous Sleep on the Wall tour. Popular tours this winter season include trips to the Harbin Ice & Snow Festival. Information, photos and itineraries can be found here: http://www.TheChinaGuide.com/harbin

The China Guide

The China Guide, http://www.TheChinaGuide.com , is a Beijing based travel agency, American owned and operated. Their service is only in China, keeping their knowledge and tours up-to-date on what is best and most exciting for their clients, including their famous Sleep on the Wall Tour. The China guide provides quality and flexibility to meet client's expectations of travel. They offer Western comforts during their tours and avoid unnecessary factory shopping stops that are not reflective of the true experience of China.

SOURCE The China Guide

Published November 9, 2009
Copyright © 2009 SYS-CON Media, Inc. — All Rights Reserved.
Syndicated stories and blog feeds, all rights reserved by the author.

Recovery of Kenya’s Tourism Industry Gaining Steam

2009-11-09T08:18:00.001-08:00

2009-11-09

Kenya’s tourism industry is staging a comeback as tourist arrival increase well ahead of expectations. According to Charles Kasinga of Kenya.com – one of East Africa’s leading tour operators, the recovery is lead by visitor from Kenya’s lead source markets.

Kenya’s tourism industry is staging a comeback as tourist arrival increase well ahead of expectations. According to Charles Kasinga of Kenya.com – one of East Africa’s leading tour operators, the recovery is lead by visitor from Kenya’s lead source markets.

The United Kingdom, USA and Germany have all recorded impressive increases including Italy and France. Combined these markets represent over 50 percent of all international arrivals into Kenya.

Charles Kasinga attributes the rebound to aggressive measures taken by the KTB, the Ministry of Tourism and and dynamic tourism industry that have succeeded in luring visitors back following post election violence at the beginning of 2008. Key among these measures were deeply discounted packages as well as dramatically reduced entry visa fees.

The newly appointed Kenya Tourism Board Managing Director Mr. Robert Mureithi Ndegwa announced consolidated tourist arrivals by sea and air through September 2009 stood at 687,664 - up 38.6% from the period in 2008.

Most tourist arrived through Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport – airport code - NBO, which in the month of July alone recorded 83,972 arrivals. All factors remaining constant it’s expected international tourism arrivals will close out at 930,000 for 2009 almost 200,000 more than arrived in 2008.

Kenya.com is one of East Africa’s leading tour operators specializing in private customized safari programs to Kenya and Tanzania. For more information on tours to fine Kenya and Tanzania Wildlife sanctuaries visit www.Kenya.com.

Tourism Slowly Returns to Iraq

2009-11-09T08:14:00.000-08:00

Iraq Dusts Off Its Religious and Archaeological Sites to Lure Tourists
By GLORIA RIVIERA in LONDON and MAZIN FAIQ in BAGHDAD
Nov. 9, 2009

Envision yourself standing on the edge of the first settlement known to man, or taking a stroll through an ancient city that may hold the secrets to the cradle of civilization. Interested in sharing tea or shisha with locals while discussing current events?

An Iraqi police commando observes as US tourist Jo Rawlins takes pictures of the ruins of the Castle of Persian King Xerxes at Salman Pak south of Baghdad in this March 21, 2009 file photo.
(ALI YUSSEF/AFP/Getty Images)If any of the above sound good, your next holiday album could be filled with pictures of... Iraq.

After nearly seven years of war, Iraq is not the first country that comes to mind as a top 10 travel destination. The seemingly never-ending news of horrendous bombings has been more than enough to keep most people away.

But now, with relative calm returning in much of the country, tourism is back. At least one travel comp nay is hoping that the next time travel is a topic at the dinner table, someone you know could very well be extolling the virtues of a fascinating vacation that started in Baghdad.

Related
History Stalls Rome's Metro Line Tower of London Beefeaters Suspended for BullyingIraq Lawmakers Can't Agree on Election Law _ AgainGeoff Hann is the director of Hinterland Travel, an adventure travel company that is currently running the only guided tours of Iraq. He ran his first tour there in 1974, and his itineraries are full of the religious and historically significant sites that made Iraq a top tourism destination for hundreds of years.

Hann is hopeful Iraq will become a destination along the lines of other formerly war-torn countries like Croatia and Cambodia that now see steady tourism.

From the hanging gardens of Babylon to Basra, once regarded as the Venice of the East, visitors can now move around Iraq and see many sites for the first time.

But for Hann, what is equally important is how much his clients gain from meeting local Iraqis.

"They come back with a changed view. They see the reality behind the news," he said. "They write about it, they read about it, they talk to people about it. That [positive] word of mouth enhances the country."

But the country is not without its challenges in welcoming tourists back. Many of the most historically important sites have been neglected for years, and refurbishment costs are hard to meet. Religious and archaeological sites across the country were abandoned or, worse, looted from 1990 onward.

"We received the tourism sector as a destroyed sector," says Abd Al-Zahra Al-Talqani, the media director for the Iraq Tourism Ministry.

Iraq Tourism Needs Influx of Money
For the first time in over a decade a team of tourism officials from Iraq will attend this year's World Travel Market Exhibition in London to promote the country.

Iraq Tourism Minister Qahtan Al-Jibouri has conducted field surveys in each province in the country to determine what needs must be met before tourism can flourish. Key to attaining those goals is attracting an influx of cash.

"Iraq is widely open to foreign investment," said Mr. Al Taqani. "We want to activate the tourism sector." To do that Iraq needs to find foreign companies willing to invest in hotel refurbishment, tourism training, transportation and more.

The good news for those who want an Iraqi stamp in their passports is that Iraq is better positioned to attract investment now than it has been in years. and if history is any gauge, Iraq has a bright future.

"There is clearly a trend of travel destinations impacted by war," said Paul Nelson, from World Travel Market. "Iraq has as good a chance as Cambodia, Vietnam and Croatia, which is really almost the hottest destination in Europe."

Just 15 years ago Croatia was a war torn country entirely inhospitable to tourism.

"Because of the newness, because of the change in government and the style of business, it will take time to get things running smoothly," says Hann. "But there is a tremendous amount of business there, and people need to earn money. They don't want to be given money, they want to earn money."

Even the most experienced adventure travelers are curious to know what to expect. Hann says his clients, mostly "independent minded" people from all over the world, can become frustrated by the security restraints placed on them. Iraq is not a place he recommends traveling alone or without a carefully planned itinerary. But with patience and an adaptable attitude, the trip can be fantastic, he said.

"Sometimes I have shouting matches with drivers who insist on going a certain way," Hann said. "I say, 'No, we don't go there because it is too dangerous for us.' Or, if you go to a place and it is locked up, you may have to bang on the door to get them to open it. These are just basic difficulties."

This fall, for the first time since the war began, Hann was able to take his group to the ancient city of Eridu, a Sumerian settlement that is historically known to be the first in the world. In the past it has been too dangerous to travel there.

"Finally we made it this time, no problem," he said. "I couldn't believe it."

Hinterland Travel is currently taking reservations for a nine and 17-day Iraq tours in March and April 2010. Prices start at approximately $3,745 not including international flights and visas.

Sex and Tourism in Cuba and the Dominican Republic

2009-11-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

Amalia Cabezas’s Economies of Desire: Sex and Tourism in Cuba and the Dominican Republic (2009), is based on ten years of research and claims to be the first ethnographic study to examine the erotic underpinnings of transnational tourism.
The review states that “it offers startling insights into the commingling of sex, intimacy, and market forces in Cuba and the Dominican Republic, two nations where tourism has had widespread effects. In her multi-layered analyses, Amalia Cabezas reconceptualizes our understandings of informal economies (particularly ‘affective economies’), ‘sex workers,’ and ‘sexual tourism,’ and she helps us appreciate how money, sex and love are intertwined within the structure of globalizing capitalism.” Patricia Zavella, professor of Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of California-Santa Cruz says that “Economies of Desire is very well written and compelling, drawing us into two historical contexts and illustrating women’s agency as they negotiate the economic, political, and social constraints. Cabezas’ many years of field research provide nuance to her analysis, and her critique of the feminist discourse about human rights is completely on target.”
Amalia Cabezas is assistant professor of Women’s Studies at the University of California-Riverside. Her research interests include sex tourism, women’s human rights, health, women’s labor, and the politics of gender. She is also co-editor of The Wages of Empire: Neoliberal Policies, Repression and Women’s Poverty (with Ellen Reese and Marguertite Waller).
For review and purchasing information, see http://www.amazon.com/Economies-Desire-Tourism-Dominican-Republic/dp/1592137504

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Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Amalia Cabezas, Caribbean ecopnomy, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Sex tourism, sexuality, women’s human rights
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