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#1 ·
Asians to challenge German tourism record - study

LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Japanese and Chinese travellers are set to challenge the dominance of the Germans over the next 15 years for the title of world's most prolific globe-trotters, according to a survey on Friday.

Research company MINTEL said Japan and China will generate around four times as many outbound trips in 2020 as they did last year, making them number two and three respectively behind Germany.

MINTEL's Richard Cope said both countries would be driven by growth in their business and leisure markets.

"With 10 years of little or no growth, the Japanese economy is picking up -- that means more business trips and more tourism," he told Reuters.

As for the Chinese market, pent up demand coupled with more opportunity was "creating a travelling class."

In both markets, the business traveller was likely to continue to make short regional trips while tourists head further afield.

Overall, the number of trips taken abroad from the world's top 15 travelling nations will double by 2020 to 836.6 million from 433.3 million, the survey predicted.

Cope said travellers were unlikely to be deterred by terrorism or natural disasters.

"Whilst national economies and security fears will cause some would-be travellers to stay at home, or sway their choice of destination, for a considerable proportion, a holiday or a business trip abroad has become part of day-to-day life and is no longer regarded as a luxury," he said.

Back in 2003, Germans ousted Americans as the most travelled nationality.

Last year, Germans alone accounted for over 86.6 million trips abroad, with Britons in second place (65.3 million) and Americans trailing in third (58.3 million).

Cope said the foreign travel market in the United States has stagnated primarily because of the weakness of the dollar.

According to MINTEL, the other top travelling nations are: France, Russia, Italy, Netherlands, Canada, South Korea, Sweden, Belgium, Hong Kong and Australia.
 
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#735 ·
Abu Dhabi delays opening dates for Louvre, Guggenheim museums
Sat, Oct 29, 2011
Excerpt

DUBAI (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi government-owned Tourism Development and Investment Co (TDIC) said on Saturday it was postponing the opening of three museums, in a fresh delay for one of the largest cultural projects in the Middle East.

The company gave no new date for opening the Abu Dhabi branches of the Guggenheim and the Louvre museums and the Zayed National Museum, originally scheduled between 2013 and 2014.

The announcement came less than a week after the company said it had canceled a tender related to the construction of the 450,000 sq foot Guggenheim museum, designed by architect Frank Gehry and expected to be the largest in the world.

"Due to the immense magnitude of the work associated with the development of such consequential projects, the company has decided to extend the delivery dates," the company said in a statement.

*******************************

The Guggenheim and Louvre museums are planned for the Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, which is a $27 billion art and culture project.

($1 = 3.673 UAE Dirhams)
 
#736 ·
Wow, Cape Town is really cooking at the moment. The momentum from the World Cup is continuing, Tripadvisor says Cape Town is the number one travel destination in the world, the Telegraph just listed it second best, and now the city has been named the World Design Capital!


Cape Town awarded design gong
31st October 2011


CAPE Town has beaten the other shortlisted finalists, Dublin (Ireland) and Bilbao (Spain), in being awarded the title of World Design Capital 2014 at the International Design Alliance (IDA) Congress.

South African Tourism Australasia country manager Lalie Ngozi said*Cape Town's status as World Design Capital 2014 is a major boost for South Africa's credentials as a major international lifestyle destination and a big boost for the country's tourism industry.

"This is wonderful news for Cape Town and our country's entire tourism industry and South African Tourism congratulates everyone involved with the Mother City's successful World Design Capital 2014 bid," Ms Ngozi said.

The prestigious World Design Capital award is made every other year by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) to a city that is dedicated to using design for social, cultural and economic development.

The Mother City is the first African city to be given the honour, joining former World Design Capitals Torino, Italy (2008), Seoul, South Korea (2010) and Helsinki, Finland (2012).

...through our involvement this year with events such as Design Indaba in Cape Town, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, the Joy of Jazz and Macufe Festivals, the Joburg Art Fair, the Joburg, Cape Town and Africa Fashion Weeks and the Designing South Africa project, we have made a concerted attempt with our cities and provinces to position South Africa as a major international lifestyle destination.

"Cape Town specifically already has a world-renowned reputation as an amazing city to visit amongst Australian travellers, not only because of its acclaimed natural beauty, but because it is home to creative, inspired people who are building an innovative future," Ms Ngozi said.

Previous award winners have seen increased visitor numbers following their awarding of the title, with Torino reporting higher visitor numbers in their title year than in the year the city hosted the Winter Olympics in 2006.

"From our consumer research we know that travellers want to engage with South Africa's design, art, fashion and music offering when they visit our country and we're responding to that demand. This award gives us all a considerable boost and even more compelling reasons to entice visitors to our exciting destination," Ms Ngozi said.

The World Design Capital title is awarded well in advance, allowing winning cities sufficient time to plan, develop and promote a year-long programme of World Design Capital-themed events for their designated year and also the opportunity of two years of pre-publicity to showcase its design and creativity.

Cape Town officials are looking to use the title to celebrate the role design has played in taking a previously divided city and transforming it into a more integrated one and to address the issues of growing urbanisation.
 
#737 ·
Liverpool FC agrees deal with Turkish Tourism

Liverpool Football Club has announced a new two-year partnership with Turkish Tourism.

The deal, the first of its kind in the UK for the tourism body, includes advertising rights and other benefits.

The club’s managing director Ian Ayre said: “Turkey is a great country and we all have fantastic memories of our European Cup win in Istanbul in 2005.

“Through this partnership the club can provide Turkish Tourism with significant brand visibility and access to our supporter base to help raise awareness of their tourism opportunities.”

Tolga Tuyluoglu, director of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office in London, said: “I am delighted that Turkey will be an official partner to such a historic club. I am sure that all Liverpool fans will have positive associations with Turkey already, following their dramatic Champions League win in Istanbul back in 2005. We hope to build on this to create a dynamic partnership.

“The city of Liverpool is known for its music and culture; its world-class galleries, museums and landmarks, which of course provides a body of shared values for us to work with. Over one quarter of those taking package-holidays to Turkey do so from the North West of England so this area is very important to Turkey. Of course, the fact that Liverpool FC plays in red and white is a bonus too!”

The deal was unveiled at the World Travel Market in London.









 
#738 ·
Summary Box: Egypt tourism slipped in 2011
Associated Press
Thu, Jan 19, 2012

VANISHING VISITORS: Revenues from Egypt's vital tourism sector plunged about 30 percent last year, dragged down by the unrest following the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak. The shortfall has forced the country to turn to the International Monetary Fund to bridge a burgeoning budget deficit.

NERVOUS ON THE NILE: The decline in revenues caused by near-daily protests and strikes underscores the challenges as its military rulers and the interim government plot a course toward handing over power to an elected civilian administration. The number of tourists who came to Egypt in 2011 dropped to 9.8 million from 14.7 million in 2010.

IMF ON BOARD: The tourism drop has led the country to turn again to the IMF after having rejected an earlier loan offer. Earlier in the week an IMF delegation visited the country and a formal request for a $3.2 billion support package was issued.
 
#739 ·
Japan sets ambitious tourism target
AFP
Fri, Feb 17, 2012

Japan has set itself the ambitious target of attracting 18 million visitors a year to its shores by 2016 as it bids to shake off the impact of the natural disasters of 2011.

A record 8.61 million tourists visited Japan in 2010, attracted by a strong campaign to raise the nation's profile as a vacation destination. Tourism authorities were hoping to build on that success in 2011 and had set a target of 10 million foreign visitors a year.

That target became impossible to achieve after the massive earthquake of March 11, which triggered a tsunami that devastated stretches of the coast of northeast Japan and crippled the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant.

The total number of overseas visitors for the year slumped to 6.22 million. A year later, however, the crisis has abated and Japan wants to put itself back on the tourism map.

The Japanese government is expected to approve a plan that will be put into action from April that will increase the amount of information available to foreign visitors and particularly target tourists from China, South Korea and other nearby Asian nations.

As well as trying to attract tourists for short trips and repeat visitors, the government wants to increase the number of people visiting destinations that are off the beaten track for tourists.

The aim is to have tourists spend Y30 trillion (€292.8 million) a year, Y18 trillion (€175.7 million) of which will be by Japanese holidaymakers on overnight stays, Y6.5 trillion (€63.4 million) by Japanese day-trippers and some Y3 trillion (€29.3 million) by foreign tourists.

The Japan National Tourism Organisation has been promoting the message that virtually all of Japan is completely safe and that food and water supplies pose no danger to visitors a year after the disasters struck.

The agency has seen tourist numbers recover in areas such as Hokkaido, Okinawa, Kansai and Kyushu, although the recovery in Tokyo has been less strong, officials said.

Tourism accounts for only 2 percent of Japan's GDP, but the government hopes to increase that figure substantially in the years ahead.
 
#740 ·
Iraq town seeks shift from 'terrorism' to tourism
AFP
24 February 2012

Suspected of being a biological weapons site under Saddam Hussein and later an Al-Qaeda stronghold, an Iraqi town wants to return to its previous status as a centre for archaeology and tourism.

Madain, a town of some 7,000 inhabitants, was founded by the Parthian King Mithridates I more than 2,000 years ago.

It now lies between the two main highways linking the capital with southern Iraq, as do historical sites such as the Arch of Ctesiphon and the tomb of Salman Pak -- one of the companions of the Prophet Mohammed.

"We want to restore life to this place and make it one of the beautiful places for tourism," said Abdelhadi Hassan, director of antiquities in the town, 30 kilometres (18 miles) south of Baghdad.

He said that both Iraqis and foreigners used to visit the gardens and parks in the town.

"Because of negligence the gardens and parks disappeared," he said. Maintenance work was stopped "because of the wars of the former regime."

Postcards from the 1970s show luxuriant gardens and arbours, but today there is little foliage because the irrigation pipes were destroyed and the trees were cut down for firewood by inhabitants during the 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran war.

And the museum was looted in 2003 following the US-led invasion that overthrew Saddam Hussein, who was later executed.

A yellow brick palace, built by Shapur I (241-272 AD) of the Persian Sassanid dynasty, features the Arch of Ctesiphon, which at 37 metres (122 feet) tall and 48 metres (158 feet) deep, is the largest in the world.

About two kilometres (1.2 miles) away lies the tomb of Salman Pak ("The Pure" in Persian).

According to tradition, Salman Pak was originally Zoroastrian but converted to Christianity, and was later sold into slavery to a Jewish family in Medina in present-day Saudi Arabia, before converting to Islam.

Though it once was a centre for tourism and still features historical sites, Madain has had a notorious reputation in recent decades.

In 1986, according to the UN, the Iraqi biological weapons programme was developed in the area, and during the 2003 invasion, American forces said they captured Egyptians and Sudanese in a "terrorist training camp" in the town.

Al-Qaeda in 2005 made the town its stronghold, manufacturing car bombs and other explosive devices, while its fighters attacked the police and US forces, and constructed "dungeons" in the orchards in the area to detain victims kidnapped from the nearby highways.

Former Iraqi intelligence chief General Mohammed Shahwani dubbed it a "guerrilla hideout."

"This region was a site of armed conflict, but now that is all over," Hassan said.

But the military and police still patrol both on foot and in armoured vehicles between the Sunni and Shiite neighbourhoods, as the wounds from the conflict between the two communities are far from healed.

The Shiites cannot forget the terrible years from 2005 to 2008 during which insurgents carried out murders, abductions and attacks on their places of worship.

Abu Ali al-Shimmari, a 56-year-old restaurant owner, is still traumatised because of one day in 2005 when three armed men told him: "You have three days to leave, or we will kill you."

So he and his family left the town until 2008, by which time the security situation had improved.

Both Sunnis and Shiites want to see Madain become a tourist destination once again.

"I really want us to return to the old days," Shimmari said.

Adnan Khideir, a 42-year-old retired Sunni official, agreed: "The state must rebuild the town, especially now that the security situation is better."

He said he wants the gardens and public parks to be restored and an old hotel to be renovated.

But for now, the palace and the Arch of Ctesiphon remain a desolate place guarded by security forces.

The site has not even been registered as a UNESCO world heritage site, nor has such a request been made, an official from the international organisation said.
 
#741 ·
Travel Picks: Top 10 destinations for spring
9 March 2012

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Spring is just around the corner for the northern hemisphere and as the winter weather lifts, northerners might consider getting a jump on the summer holiday crush by taking a trip to the more popular places well before the heavy June-September tourist season. Online travel adviser Travel Ticker (www.travel-ticker.com) offers its top 10 spring destinations. Reuters has not endorsed this list:

1. China

Average temperatures during spring vary depending on the region, but from a purely weather standpoint, this is one of the best times of the year to visit China. Add on the fact that there are fewer crowds and stellar deals to be found during spring, and a visit to the Far East sounds even better. Business and leisure travel picks up in April, so consumers should try to visit in March for the lowest prices and shorter lines.

2. Ecuador

Travelers wanting a more exotic trip should head south to Ecuador. All of the many regions in this South American country boast savings during this time of the year, and this is truly a part of the world that has something for everyone. Travelers can visit the famous Galapagos Islands, relax on pristine beaches, explore the wonders of the Amazonian rain forest or take in views of the majestic Andes mountain range. Rain may linger in some areas, but that helps keep both tourist levels and prices low. Consumers can beat the peak season rates that start in May by visiting just a month or so early.

3. Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is one of the easiest island paradises to get to from the U.S., so travelers should take advantage this spring. In one small chunk of land, travelers can experience an active city life, pristine beaches, rainforests, art, history, and nightlife galore. Since Puerto Rico hasn't yet become top-of-mind for sun seekers, prices continue to remain low and all-inclusive deals are abundant.

4. Barcelona

Spring is the perfect time to visit Barcelona, when the beautiful weather enhances the experience at historic buildings, cobblestone roads, seaside vistas and vibrant cultural centerpoints. The current economic situation in Spain is helping to drive prices down, so the country is offering some amazing deals to attract more travel business. 2012 is a great year to enjoy traditional Spanish Tapas, visit the fantasy-like structures designed by Gaudí and lounge on beautiful beaches, all at an affordable price.

5. Argentina

Anyone who is looking for a coastal European experience should consider Argentina as a great alternative because it has an incredibly rich history and many ties to Spain. From its stunning scenery, vibrant cities, and exciting culture to world-renowned wineries, it's a destination that always pleases. It's also a pretty great value as over the past couple years LAN Airlines has steadily increased flights to the area, resulting in some fantastic air sales. Prices to Argentina tend to soar around the holidays, so travelers should plan a trip to Argentina in May or June to miss the crowds.

6. Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau is ideal for some springtime fun-in-the-sun. Travelers generally can't go wrong with the many islands that sprinkle this amazing region, but the Bahamas is a sure bet, where turquoise waters and white sand beaches await. With its many all-inclusive resorts competing for tourism appeal, the Bahamas tends be a deal destination year-around.

7. Riviera Maya, Mexico

Even though spring time tends to be a peak season for the Riviera Maya, travelers should still think of it as a value destination. Known for its luxe all-inclusive resorts, this tropical paradise is a place where it's easy to get your meals, drinks, entertainment and activities all included in one price. This Mexican destination is home to several miles of serene beaches with crystal clear waters. To avoid the spring break crowds, consumers should travel mid-April and into May for great deals without sacrificing the beautiful weather during this season.

8. Italy

Italy's sweet spot is April and May, which makes it a must-consider destination during the spring. Italy's weather is best during these months and since it's just before the summer peak season, travelers can find great values on airfare and hotels. Additionally, the crowds (which some cities like Venice are infamous for) are much smaller. Easy access means that a true local experience, whether you're sitting at a café with a cappuccino or strolling the tiny streets window shopping, is easily accessible.

9. England

With the Olympics around the corner, April and May are ideal to visit England - especially London - right before the crowds and prices spike. With the abundance of new hotel rooms opening in England's top destination, deals should be easy to find right before and after the games. The weather is also best during spring, which is particularly good if you're looking to visit England's world-famous countryside. Although rainfall happens all year long in this area of the world, it tends to drop during this season, giving tourists a fantastic opportunity to view England in all its glory.

10. France

France is another country that has something for every kind of traveler, blending rich history with delicious food and breathtaking scenery. Following the same trends as Italy and England, deals tend to be pretty good during spring because it's just before the peak season. When visiting the capital city of Paris during this time of year, travelers will not only be mesmerized by walks along the Seine River, or by taking in views of the city from the top of the Eiffel Tower, but they will also get to enjoy the city with plenty of sun and perfect temperatures. But travelers shouldn't stop there, the picturesque Loire Valley or the ritzy South of France are just a quick train ride away and are truly stunning during the months of April and May.
 
#743 ·
SAD DAY today in thailand

Phuket News - Car bomb caused deadly Hat Yai hotel blast
http://www.thephuketnews.com/news-national-car-bomb-caused-deadly-hat-yai-hotel-blast-29517.php
The Phuket News - Sunday, 1st Apr 2012 10:40

A deadly fire at a hotel in southern Thailand was caused by a car bomb planted by suspected insurgents, the national police chief said in remarks televised on Sunday.
The fire killed three people, including a Malaysian tourist, and injured hundreds of others, according to a revised toll given by the provincial governor.

It came on the same day as deadly bomb blasts killed 10 people elsewhere in the region.

"Yes it was a car bomb and it's related to the incident (bombs) in Yala and I believe that it was the work of the same group. The vehicle used was a Honda," national police chief General Priewpan Damapong said.

The death toll was revised downwards after two people believed to be dead were resuscitated, Songkhla provincial governor Grisada Boorach said.

A total of 416 people were injured, mostly suffering from smoke inhalation, and 140 were still in hospital, he said.

The hotel attack came as two bombs in the southern town of Yala killed 10 people and wounded 117.

Colonel Pramote Promin, spokesman for the southern army region, said 29 people were still in hospital.

The blasts hit minutes apart in the centre of Yala around midday as families were out shopping, in the most deadly attack in recent years in the Muslim-majority south of mainly Buddhist Thailand.

A complex insurgency, without clearly stated aims, has plagued Thailand's far south since 2004, claiming thousands of lives, both Buddhist and Muslim, with near-daily bomb or gun attacks.


Hat Yai 'was car bomb'
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/286876/deadly-hat-yai-fire-sabotage
Published: April 1-2012 at 07:00 AM
A car bomb is believed to have caused the fire that killed five people at a Hat Yai hotel and sent more than 300 to hospital on Saturday.

It was fairly clear that the blast was caused by a car bomb, according to evidence found at the scene, said Surin Weerasook, a mechanic (professional level) with the Region 12 Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, who led an inspection team to examine the cause of the explosion.

Four men and one woman died in the fire, Songkhla Governor Grisada Boorach told AFP. He said 336 people were injured, of whom 28 were in hospital.

The fire broke out just after a series of blasts in the commercial heart of Yala killed 10 people and injured more than 100, on one of the deaadliest days of the protracted southern insurgency.

Mr Surin said explosives had been hidden in a car parked on the underground parking floor, B2 of the 33-storey Lee Gardens in Songkhla province’s business and shopping hub.

The force of the blast tore the car to pieces and debris penetared the hotel's first floor located three floors above.

About 10 cars parked on B4 were also heavily damaged.

Mr Surin’s assumption coincided with TV news footage showing that explosives ordnance disposal (EOD) police had collected objects believed to be explosive devices at the scene.

Charred remains of five human bodies, one of them a woman, were found on separate underground floors of the hotel. Between 300 and 400 people were injured, mostly suffering rom smoke inhalation, burns and injuries from broken glass and falling debris, Mr Prai said.

Songkhla Provincial Administration Organisation president Udon Uthit Choochart told Thai PBS television shortly before 6pm that emergency fire and rescue teams had used cranes to evacuate all people stranded on upper floors between seventh and 33th stories, which house the hotel rooms.

Heavy black smoke was seen billowing out of the underground floors and clouding the sky. Authorities earlier tried to use ventilation fans to clear heat and smoke to help stranded guests flee the hotel but failed due to excessive smoke.
 
#744 · (Edited)
Robbery stalking travelers in Vietnam
http://newspaper-vietblues.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/robbery-stalking-travelers.html
VietNamNet Bridge – At the meeting with HCM City’s authorities last week, Deputy Chair of Amcham Christopher C.Twomey advised the local authorities to take necessary measures to prevent robbery, or Vietnam will lose a reputation as a safe destination.

Robbers lurking everywhere
According to the HCM City Police, traveler property robbery cases have been taking place in different situations. On March 3, on the cross road of Pham Ngu Lao – Nguyen Thi Nghia streets in district 1 in HCM City, Anna Julia Urban, a German traveler, was walking on streets when two men, riding a motorbike, pressed against her and snatcher her bag. Luckily, the policemen who were on the duties, discovered the robbery, captured the robbers and gave the property back to the woman.

Most recently, at the road junction of Dong Khoi – Mac Thi Buoi in District 1 of HCM City, Kanda Michiyo, a Japanese traveler was walking when two young men on a motorbike tried to snatch her bag. They unsuccessfully snatched the bag, but the woman fell into the road and was heavily injured.
Many travelers were robbed, even when they were sitting at shops or restaurants. On March 4, Toru Yamada, a Japanese traveler, was sitting at an Internet shop at No 38 Ton That Tung, when his bag with many valuable properties inside was snatched.
On February 10, when Shuichi Kitahara, also a Japanese traveler, was eating pho at a restaurant, a man came closer, snatched and ran. Local residents chased the robber and got back the bag, but the perpetrator escaped.
One month ago, Liu Rui Zeng and Yuan Mei Xia, Chinese travelers also had their handbag snatched when they were walking on Tran Quy Road in District 11.
The areas, where most of travelers had their properties robbed, are Ben Thanh market, the area around the War Remnants Museum or in front of the city’s Post Office.
Le Hoai Nhon, a worker of the traveler protection team, called “the green shirt team”, related that several days ago, he and his colleagues chased and caught a robber, who snatched a gold bracelet. The victim, a Thai traveler, said that she came to HCM City for the first time.
Nguyen Minh Tuan, another member of the “green shirt team”, said that robbery cases have made Japanese travelers become more vigilant. “They do not want to see anyone come close to them. I once tried to help them find ways, but they refused my help,” he said.
“I always advise travelers not to ware gold bracelets,” he said. “One time, I advised a woman to do that, but she did not listen to my advice, and she witnessed the bracelet robbed just some minutes later”.
According to “green shirts”, robbers regularly snatch properties of travelers when they try to cross the roads and they have to pay attention to avoid traffic accidents.
Robbery spoiling national image
Pham Xuan Anh, Director of a travel firm, specializing in serving cruise travelers, said that more robbery cases have happened recently. Especially, robberies taking place right at the center of HCM City, where there are many people, because robbers think that travelers lack vigilance there.
Therefore, tour guides always have to advise travelers to be careful when visiting excursion places. They should walk on the pavement instead of streets, keep cameras tightly and leave bracelets and valuable properties at hotels.
Many travelers have complained about the robbery with foreign travel firms, the partner companies of Vietnamese travel firms. They have also written on tourism forums about their feelings after the trips. “Vietnam is a wonderful destination. However, in Vietnam, I was, for the first time, robbed near Rex Hotel. Therefore, I do not dare to bring valuable properties with me,” a foreigner wrote on Tripadvisor.

--
 
#745 ·
Austerity hits Italy's crumbling cultural heritage
AFP
Mon, Apr 9, 2012

After slashing arts budgets and with its most famous monuments badly in need of repair, Italy's government is increasingly looking to private investors to help it preserve a priceless cultural heritage.

The biggest initiative so far, however, is faltering after billionaire Diego Della Valle said he might pull his 25 million euros ($33 million) to restore the Colosseum following union protests and investigations into the project.

Fragments of the 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre -- now at the centre of a busy road junction and blackened with pollution -- have begun falling down and the restoration project's start date of March is looking increasingly unlikely.

Meanwhile, at the archaeological site of Pompeii near Naples, which has also been hit by a series of alarming collapses in recent months, the long-mooted prospect of bringing in private investors is still a distant prospect.

The government has promised to unblock 105 million euros ($138 million) in funding from the European Union for a four-year maintenance plan and to increase the number of archaeologists at the site from just one person employed there currently.

"Italy's entire heritage needs attention," the National Association of Italian Archaeologists said in a recent appeal for greater resources.

Italy is not alone in its struggle to preserve its ruins.

In a move that left many Greeks and scholars aghast, Greece's culture ministry said it would open up some of the debt-stricken country's most-cherished archaeological sites, including the Acropolis, to advertising firms, movie companies and other ventures. The money generated would be spent on upkeep and monitoring of the sites.

Greek archaeologists are also finding it hard to get funding for licensed digs while antiquity smuggling is on the rise.

Italy is the fourth biggest tourism destination in the world after France, the United States and Spain, and is rightly proud of its cultural heritage -- enriched by centuries of history from the Roman era to the Renaissance to the Baroque.

But its low growth and debt mountain of 1.9 trillion euros ($2.5 trillion) has spooked international investors and forced the government to implement three austerity budgets in under a year in a bid to rein in public finances.

Italy currently allocates just 0.21 percent of its gross domestic product to culture and the 1.8 billion euros ($2.4 billion) are often only good for patching up its many monuments, leaving little space for funding the living arts.

The internationally renowned La Scala opera house and Piccolo Teatro in Milan were forced to accept a cut of 17 million euros ($22.4 million) last year.

And a special fund that subsidises Italian theatres had a budget of 231 million euros ($304 million) in 2011 -- 50 percent less than the previous year.

Cinema has also been badly affected, with an association of cinema and television workers this month saying the situation was "grave".

Italian documentary maker Gustav Hofer said he had been forced to go abroad to look for financing. "There are just crumbs in Italy," he said.

Camillo Esposito, the head of a small production company, agreed: "It's hard to find financing and distribute a film that isn't commercial."

Author and professor Umberto Eco, a leading voice in the arts, recently wrote a scathing open letter to the government.

"Something isn't working," he wrote. "We haven't learnt how to make money from our national culture."
 
#746 ·
Morocco hopeful tourism to resist EU crisis
Apr 18, 2012

RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco expects its 2012 tourism receipts to at least match last year's as it relies on a growing focus on eastern European and Middle Eastern markets to mitigate any decline in tourist arrivals from the euro zone, the tourism minister said.

Tourism has been the main pillar of economic growth plans for the past decade. It is now Morocco's biggest source of foreign currency -- key to keeping the country's fragile balance of payments afloat -- and at once the second-biggest employer and contributor to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In an interview with Reuters, Lahcen Haddad said Morocco's tourism development ambitions would fly higher if its flag carrier strikes a partnership with a major airline, probably from the Gulf Arab region, although no deal is on the agenda.

The fortunes of the sector have taken centre-stage after bad weather hurt agriculture, the biggest sector in the economy, forcing the government to slash as low as 3 percent its growth projections for 2012, well below the 5.5 percent annual growth it says is needed to boost jobs.

While he did not dismiss the likelihood of a decline in tourist arrivals in 2012, Haddad said the impact will not be felt at the level of receipts.

"Last year, both tourist arrivals and the number of night stays declined (compared to 2010) yet receipts rose by about 4 percent. It measures the degree of receipts' resilience," Haddad said.

"2012 will be a tough year but there won't be a major drop in receipts. We may close 2012 (with receipts) at the same level we had in 2011 or with a minor increase," he said, noting that the state's 2012 budget was based on a 2-3 percent rise in receipts.

Receipts stood at 58.7 billion dirhams in 2011, a year that saw the country's current account deficit rise to 6.5 percent of the $97 billion gross domestic product (GDP). Tourism accounts for 10 percent of GDP and directly employs 400,000.

A third of tourists visiting Morocco come from France, followed by Spain, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and Benelux countries.

"Seventy percent of tourist arrivals in Morocco travel independently and the majority of them stay at five-star hotels," Haddad said.

"I don't think receipts from the main European markets will decline (in 2012) because there is a segment of tourists who have not been affected by the crisis in the euro zone, the high-end market.

Morocco is focusing more of its tourism promotion on Russia, Poland, the Czech and Slovak republics, Haddad said.

"These are emerging markets where the purchase power is improving and where more and more citizens can afford to travel abroad," he said.

Since 2010, flag carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has been adding more direct flights linking Morocco to Russia and Poland.

"We have to start charter flights from Bratislava, Prague, Warsaw and St Petersburg," said Haddad, without fixing a timeframe.

Rabat is also seeking more tourist arrivals from Scandinavian countries. "It used to be a big market for us, we are now trying to reconquer it".

Moroccan authorities are also in talks with Gulf Arab airlines establish direct flights to Moroccan airports other than Casablanca, such as Marrakesh and Agadir.

"We need an important fleet (of aircraft). RAM can't do it alone, so we will need to rely on other airlines," he said, referring to Morocco's aim to almost treble tourism receipts by 2020.

On Tuesday, a senior RAM official told Reuters it is seeking a larger strategic partner to regain profitability and stand up to increased competition from low-cost carriers.

"I don't think we should privatise RAM but we may always find ways to partner it with a major operator, maybe from the Gulf (Arab region)," said Haddad, who as tourism minister, is a member of RAM's board.
 
#747 ·
Tourism sector eyes travelers from emerging nations

Agence France-Presse
6:21 pm | Thursday, April 19th, 2012


TOKYO—The global tourism industry, hit by natural disasters and economic turmoil, is eyeing potential travelers from emerging nations in hope that their growing middle and upper classes could spur growth.

Delegates converged on disaster-struck Japan this week for the sector’s major annual conference and were in an upbeat mood, encouraged by the prospect of the so-called BRICS nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

“Our industry will grow despite all the crises of the last years,” Michael Frenzel, head of German tourism giant TUI, said at the World Travel and Tourism Council summit in Tokyo, which wraps up Thursday.

While the tourism sector still grew 4.4 percent last year with about one billion international trips recorded by the World Tourism Organization, the industry has faced a series of obstacles in recent years.

The global economic turmoil, the recent Arab Spring democracy protests shaking much of the Middle East, and the Icelandic volcano eruption in 2010 have all taken a toll on the travel sector.

Tourism growth has generally been below the 5.0 percent seen in the mid-part of the decade. In 2008 the sector increased by 2.1 percent and in 2009 decreased by 3.8 percent, jumping again in 2010 by 6.5 percent.

To counter softening demand among tourists from North America and Europe, southern China’s beach hotspot Hainan is turning its focus to domestic tourism.

“Europeans have reduced their travel abroad… they are now traveling inbound on short distances,” said Lu Zhiyuan, assistant governor of Hainan province.

“(So) we put a counter-measure in place by developing domestic tourism… In China the growth is still steady.”

Mark Harms, chairman and chief executive of London-based Global Leisure Partners, called China’s growing middle class a “huge opportunity.”

“The good news is we still have growth in the BRICS and N-11,” he said, referring to the Next Eleven group comprising Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Turkey, South Korea and Vietnam.

The travel industry was worth a whopping $6.3 billion last year, about 9.0 percent of world gross domestic product, and accounted for almost one job in 12 globally, according to industry figures.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/33929/tourism-sector-eyes-travelers-from-emerging-nations
 
#748 ·
Eight dark tourism sites around the world

Pere Lachaise CemeteryParis
Paris's largest cemetery is home t o luminaries including Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Frederic Chopin, Molière, Marcel Proust and Jim Morrison, attracting visitors from all over the world.

Ground Zero New York
Millions of visitors make the pilgrimage to the site where the World Trade Center stood before its destruction on September 11, 2001. The site is now home to the 9/11 Memorial, with a museum set to open later this year.

World War One Battlefields Ypres, Belgium
The area around Ypres saw some of the fiercest fighting of WWI. The town is now home to the Menin Gate, commemorating soldiers who have no grave, and the In Flanders Fields Museum -- thousands visit every year.

Auschwitz-Birkenau Oswiecim, Poland
The remaining parts of this World War Two concentration camp are preserved in memory of the 1.1 million people who died here. It's now a major tourist attraction, with visitors from around the world, with a museum, guided tours and the largest art collection of its kind in the world.

Old Melbourne Gaol Melbourne, Australia
Old Melbourne Gaol is one of Melbourne's most popular tourist attractions thanks to its dark past -- it was the place of execution for 135 prisoners, including Ned Kelly.

Titanic Museum Belfast, Ireland
Opened this year to coincide with the centenary of the Titanic disaster, the Titanic Belfast Museum is located on the slipways where RMS Titanic was built and tells the story from her construction to her end, at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

Choeung EkPhnom Penh, Cambodia
The best known of Cambodia's 'Killing Fields,' Choeung Ek stands as a grisly reminder of the horrors inflicted by the Khmer Rouge, bones and teeth still littered across the site.

Hiroshima Peace Museum Hiroshima, Japan
Over one million people every year visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which displays the belongings of those killed by the atomic bomb dropped there in 1945. It's divided into sections telling the story of Hiroshima until the bomb, and the damage inflicted by it.
http://ph.she.yahoo.com/eight-dark-tourism-sites-around-world-143814255.html
 
#750 ·
#749 ·
Number of global tourists to top 1 billion this year
Agence France-Presse 4:34 am
Thursday, May 17th, 2012


MEXICO CITY—The number of people vacationing abroad this year is expected to top a billion for the first time, the head of the global tourism authority said.

The forecast is higher than expected and presents an opportunity for governments to create jobs in difficult economic times, added Taleb Rifai, secretary general of the World Tourism Organization.

“We will see more than a billion tourists this year, that’s virtually a seventh of the world population,” Rifai told a two-day meeting in Mexico of tourism ministers from the Group of 20 major economies. “It’s a first in history.”

Statistics for the first quarter of 2012 showed a 5.8 percent increase in the flow of tourists compared to the same period in 2011, Rifai said late Tuesday. That’s higher than a previously anticipated increase of about 3 to 4 percent over the course of the entire year, he added.

In 2011, the Spain-based World Tourism Organization recorded 980 million international tourists, a 4 percent increase compared to 2010.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/37143/number-of-global-tourists-to-top-1-billion-this-year
 
#752 ·
Greek 2012 tourism income seen dropping up to 15 percent
June 6, 2012

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek tourism revenues may plunge by up to 15 percent this year, hurt by political uncertainty that has rekindled fears that the country may leave the euro amid a deepening debt crisis, an industry official said on Wednesday.

"We will see a considerable drop in tourism income," Andreas Andreadis, the head of Greece's tourism enterprises association (SETE) told Reuters. "A negative number, something like 10-15 percent."

In 2011, revenues rose by 10 percent to 10.5 billion euros. About 1.5 million more tourists visited the country last year, largely due to lower fares and political uprisings in rival holiday destinations Egypt and Tunisia, bringing the total number of visitors to a record high of 16.5 million.

Accounting for about 15 percent of output and one in five jobs, tourism is vital for Greece's economy. The latest estimates have dashed hopes that the country's ancient monuments and sun-drenched islands will be able to pull it out of the debt crisis.
 
#753 ·
Italy Tourism

From Sperlonga to Chieti : Matera to showcase the town of Southern
Thousand contacts, but also much interest from around the world on areas of south-central Italy. Twenty foreign buyers, from the United States, Canada, India, Brazil, Germany, Spain, Denmark and Hungary in Matera have met 40 traders of the South Centre, on the occasion of the third edition of the agri-food and tourism promotion project "South Italy and Agrofood Tourism'' (SIAFT), dedicated to the holiday.
Tourism also Sperlonga, representing the province of Latina. A buyer of two has already stated its willingness to engage in a greater connection with the tourist pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea. "It 'been a learning experience for me - Todaro said Pino, a member of Sperlonga Tourism and director of a well-known four-star hotel in town - because they put us on par with the major tour operators in the world. We tested our potential, presenting, for example, an innovative project such as dell'Archeobus. I can honestly say that everyone was amazed at how united under the brand of Sperlonga: history, sea, but also the mountains, lakes, food and wine. And then there's Tourism Sperlonga, a winning reality. "
"To be best represented throughout Italy - explained Francesco Faiola, deputy mayor of Sperlonga - is an opportunity that not everyone has. As an administrator I feel I must thank all the members of the Consortium that are always available to make new experiences and grow tourism comparing with excellence. " "And I'm so proud to have members - concludes Leo La Rocca, president of Tourism Sperlonga - because, being more than 100 at this Consortium is right that everyone can export our city in the world."
This year's event, sponsored by Unioncamere, involving 10 chambers of commerce sectors in the promotion of wine, oil, food and beverage, and tourism. This is a project with a strong impact, increased significantly over time, as demonstrated by a few significant issues related to the participating companies (50 from the beginning to almost 200 in 2012) and the number of buyers involved. Hence the aim to investigate and verify the field content of the bids, which in October will become one of the attractions of the International Tourism Fair "TTG Rimini''.
 
#754 ·
Notre Dame with 13.6 mn visitors tops Eiffel Tower
July 3, 2012, 5:08 am

PARIS (AFP) - Thirteen Paris landmarks attracted more than one million visitors last year but the Notre Dame Cathedral was top choice and far ahead of the emblematic Eiffel Tower, the city's tourism office said on Monday.

The Gothic cathedral on a little islet on the River Seine drew 13.6 million tourists, followed by Sacre Coeur -- a basilica perched on a hill in Montmartre overlooking the city -- which attracted 10.5 million.

Nearly nine million went to the Louvre and the numbers at one of the world's largest museums increased 5.6 percent year-on-year, while the Eiffel Tower got 7.1 million visitors, also a 5.6 percent increase.

The Pompidou Centre, a museum designed in the style of high-tech architecture by famed Italian architect Renzo Piano, was visited by 3.6 million people.

The Musee d'Orsay, housing an impressive collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings in a converted railway station, attracted 3.1 million.

"Visiting museums and monuments constitutes the main motivation for visiting Paris (65 percent)," said the office in a statement.

"With 72.6 million visitors, the numbers going to the 64 Parisian cultural sites surveyed increased by more than 2.5 percent" year-on-year, it said.
"Americans and Britons comprised the largest number of visitors" to museums, it said, stressing that the numbers of Brazilians, Russians and Chinese had risen substantially.
 
#755 ·
Don't destroy beach tourism, Egypt's new leader told
Wed, Jul 18, 2012

AIN SUKHNA, Egypt (Reuters) - The beanbag chair decorated with pharaonic-era rulers that Waleed displays has found another use since passing business at this Egyptian Red Sea resort slowed to a trickle.

As five hours go by in the sticky afternoon heat without a customer, he stretches out on the bag himself and dozes off.

It's been 17 months since a popular uprising unseated President Hosni Mubarak and tipped Egypt's tourism industry into crisis.

Many in the industry fear it will never fully recover if the new Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi, bans the skimpy swimwear and alcoholic drinks that are standard items on beach holidays for many foreign tourists.

"My business has shrunk by at least 70 percent in the past year," said Waleed, who asked to be identified by his first name only.

"Egypt lives on tourism. I think Mursi wants to Islamize tourism in the long run, but for the next few years he won't do anything because people need to eat."

Comments from Mursi, sworn in on June 30 after an interim period of army rule, and from Brotherhood officials suggest Waleed may be right.

The Brotherhood's 81-page "Nahda" (Renaissance) program does not mention beach tourism - which brings in the most tourist dollars by far - and officials in the movement have said they have other priorities for now.

But one hint of disapproval can be found in Nahda's promise to encourage alternatives - cultural, ecological and medical tourism, and desert excursions.

Pushed to clarify his position on bikinis and alcohol, Mursi refused to give a clear answer in a recent interview with al-Mehwar TV channel. He said tourism specialists must be consulted on all draft laws and described the issue as "very marginal, very superficial and affecting a very limited number of places".

Vigorous denials from Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood allies have failed to allay broader fears among more liberally-minded Egyptians of a concerted attack on civic and personal freedoms in the name of religion.

PILLAR OF THE ECONOMY

Industry professionals say beach holidays make up as much as 80 percent of Egyptian tourism, a sector that became vital during the Mubarak era, when a chain of resorts were built from Sinai further south down the Red Sea coast.

Once the choice of ancient history enthusiasts and those who could afford luxurious cruises down the Nile, Egypt is now a serious rival to countries like Spain and Turkey as a sunny getaway for millions of cost-conscious Europeans.

Some 12 to 15 percent of Egypt's workforce attends to the needs of foreign visitors, directly or indirectly. Tourism accounts for 11 percent of gross domestic product and a quarter of foreign exchange earnings, economist Samir Makary said.

It has offered work for a fast-growing population that stagnating manufacturing sectors were unable to absorb. Many labor-intensive industries are tied to tourism such as construction, food distribution and carpet-weaving.

Last year's uprising, coupled with a global recession that also dampened travel demand, illustrates the dangers of relying on such a volatile industry.

Focused on Egypt's big northern cities, the street revolt barely creased a beach towel in the secure, isolated Red Sea resorts, yet foreigners cancelled holidays there anyway.

That helped push foreign reserves at Egypt's central bank from $36 billion before the uprising in January 2011 to about $15.53 billion last month, representing less than three months of imports, a level seen by economists as hazardous.

Tourism professionals appear confident that Mursi will avoid adding to their problems.

"They will allow tourism to operate normally until there are economic alternatives - and there never will be," said Karim Mohsen of the Egyptian Travel Agents Association.

"Ban bikinis and alcohol and live with the guilt of at least 4.5 million people out of work in Egypt... People will take to the streets."

TENTATIVE RECOVERY

After slumping in 2011, the number of visitors to Egypt in the first five months of this year was still down 26 percent from 2010, at 4.4 million. Tourism revenues were down 24 percent from 2010 at $3.6 billion, according to official figures.

In April, at the height of the spring tourist season, the world's biggest tour operator TUI Travel said demand for holidays in Egypt was improving, with resorts recovering faster than Cairo, the hotbed of the uprising, which remained weak.

Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour told reporters on Tuesday he expects the country will have received more than 12 million tourists by the end of 2012, a 23 percent rise over the previous year.

For a country that foreigners were deserting during the height of the revolt against Mubarak, the comeback suggests an enduring appeal that could ensure growth - politics permitting.

"I am confident that tourism will be business as usual in the coming years," said Ahmed Seddik, a Cairo-based travel consultant and tour guide. "Tourism is one of the pillars of the Egyptian economy. Mursi will simply not take chances with it."

Makary, the economist, said he expected tourism to recover in the short term, but its future health would depend on the government.

The biggest danger to tourism was not in the threat of an Islamist crackdown but political instability that shows little sign of abating, travel executives said.

Each move towards a political settlement between the Brotherhood and the military has ended in failure.

Most recently Mursi has challenged the generals by reversing their decision to dissolve the Islamist-led parliament.

"Short- to medium-term tourism investments are negatively affected by the general political instability, but long-term investments have halted completely," said Mohsen of the travel agents association.

Civil disturbances by Egyptians frustrated by the pace of political change and made worse by ineffectual security have hit Egypt's image as a safe place to visit.

Waleed said eruptions of violence and strikes had blocked roads to the coastal cities and scared off tourists. A stadium riot that killed 74 soccer fans in the city of Port Said on February 1 sparked further violence in Cairo.

U.S.-based Crystal Cruises dropped Egypt from its itinerary this year, and said sales of its cruise plummeted following the stadium riots. The Pyramids of Giza were a staple of its cruises for years.

"There are a lot of marketing dollars spent promoting the original program," said Mimi Weisband, Crystal Cruises Public Relations Vice President. "Travel agents and our guests, from the U.S. and internationally, were telling us they were concerned and nervous about the safety of travel in Cairo."

Instability means any recovery in Egyptian tourism will be fragile at best. Tourism officials and industry executives say it is hardly the moment for political and social experiments.

"No political force, political party, president or government working in a democratic, responsible framework, and therefore accountable to public opinion ... could follow policies that harm tourism in Egypt," said Abdel Nour, the tourism minister.

Industry executive Mohsen pointed to Egypt's more austere neighbor across the Red Sea as a cautionary tale.

"Saudi Arabia has the best virgin beaches, with soft sands. They have plenty of airports and good roads," Mohsen said. "But not a single tourist goes except for the Muslim pilgrimage."
 
#756 ·
Sun and sea lure English learners to the Philippines

In the Philippines, English language courses come with poolside classrooms, field trips to the beach, and instructors doubling as tour guides.

English is widely spoken in the former American colony, and language proficiency schools have mushroomed across the country, catering to an expanding market of Asian and European students looking to combine English learning with tropical tourism
.

French student Laura Samzun will soon be taking a test to enter university in the United Kingdom, and is under pressure to perfect her English. She chose to take classes in the Philippines due to lower costs.

"It's less expensive to go to Philippines, to come back in France, and to pay school (here) than to stay in France," Samzun said.

Fresh from a backpacking trip to Indonesia, she kicked-started her courses in June at the Cebu Pacific International Language School on the sunny island of Cebu in the central Philippines.

"I really wanted to see Asia, to travel. So I can travel and study by the same time. It's a good thing," the 22-year-old Toulouse native said.

In four months of English proficiency courses, Chinese nurse Flora Wang said she has progressed from near-zero comprehension to carrying a conversation with ease.

"Actually really getting better. When I came here, I can't speak and understand anything. But, four months. During the four months, I improved a lot," said the 25-year old Beijing native who plans to move to the U.S. to study health care.

CPILS accommodates around 450 students per course period, from South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and European countries like France and Russia.

Park Yoon Jae, a university student from Seoul, wants to land a job back home in a multi-national company, where speaking English is a primary requirement.

"Especially these days, (in) Korea, we have to speak English very well. Because almost all company want to, very high levels English skills," Park said.

The intensive English course work in CPILS runs an average of four months, in which students can take up to seven hours of lessons each day. A one-month course can cost around $1,000 USD a month, including accommodation and food.

In Cebu, the beach is just a half-hour ride from the city, and schools arrange island-hopping trips or diving lessons on weekends.

The Philippines aims to hit 4.5 million international tourist arrivals this year, a fraction compared to neighbouringThailand or Malaysia.

But English learning-tourism is unique to the Philippines, and Tourism Department Assistant Secretary Benito Bengzon said the sector can grow by 10 to 15 percent among Asians, and up to 25 percent among Europeans.
http://www.interaksyon.com/business/37689/sun-and-sea-lure-english-learners-to-the-philippines


Boracay named 2012 World's Best Island
 
#757 ·
Ikea eyes billion-euro move into hotels

"We've been searching for property across Europe for a while and we'll announce in a few weeks where we'll open our own hotel," Svenska Dagbladet quoted as saying Harald Mueller, the Ikea group executive in charge of the project.

The daily said Ikea plans to open "at least 100 hotels" in Germany, Belgium, Britain, the Netherlands and the Baltic states.

Construction of the hotels will be funded from revenues from the Ikea brand, which the company recently valued at 9 billion euros, but will not bear the company logo and be operated by a hotel management company.

The hotels will also not be filled with furniture from Ikea, which specialises in inexpensive furnishings that consumers assemble themselves.

Mueller said Ikea aims to open inexpensive and practical hotels in central locations.
http://travel.xin.msn.com/destinations/world/hotels/afp/article.aspx?cp-documentid=250620096
 
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