Wonders full Safaris in Tanzania

Tanzania is out and away one amongst the foremost exciting countries in geographical area from a touristic purpose of read, having abundant to supply to people who area unit wild on distinctive scenery and spectacular life. Many folks select African nation safaris as their vacation package and area unit affected by the unspoiled geographic area that this country should supply, also as by the high concentration of life found in African nation. From major national parks to varied reserves, the country is occupied by numerous herds of gnu particularly within the renowned Serengeti Park, wherever the savannah and therefore the vast populations of buffalo and elephants area unit exciting. A campaign in African nation will definitely be a once in an exceedingly period of time expertise, thus if you’re craving for a special kind of vacation this year, then you must positively take this country into serious thought. You’ll get to witness an incredible diversity of flora associate degreed fauna and skill and journey like in no alternative place.

A campaign in African nation can mesmerize you not solely through the variety of life, like giraffes, elephants, lions and plenty of additional, however additionally through the assortment of vegetation and bird life. The majority, once they believe African nation safaris, they assume lions and elephants and enormous plains, and however few understand that the country is additionally famous for its unimaginable sort of ecology. In fact African nation hosts quite thirty five species of huge, four-legged mammals; however has over one thousand species of birds. There area unit several things to ascertain whereas on a vacation in African nation, from the higher than mentioned Serengeti Park and therefore the Ngorongoro Crater to Lake Manyara and therefore the authentic Nilotic language Village. If you wish to form positive you do not miss out on something, and then you must higher check up on African nation tours which will last up to eight days, or perhaps additional, and take you to the foremost vital and spectacular sights. Remember your camera and your binoculars and obtainable to be surprised by each unimaginable scenery and life. it’s additionally an honest plan to require sun lotion with you, as African nation includes a highly regarded weather, though quite unpredictable.

Tanzania accustomed be associate degree unknown country to several and its touristic potential has been hardly met, however as additional and additional individuals began craving for additional distinctive vacation destinations, relinquishing the normal exotic islands or cultural capitals, this country has become additional and additional common. As a result, there area unit currently several tour operators that organize African nation safaris, thus tourists have many decisions once it involves choosing a tour, reckoning on what it’s that you simply wish to ascertain and skill, the time you’ve got on your hands and, of course, your budget, you must be ready to realize a campaign in African nation that suits your needs. As wonderful intrinsically a vacation would be, you mustn’t proceed such a tour unprepared, thus before you begin packing your baggage, make certain you are doing a bit analysis on the country, the visa needs, the vaccination required and alternative such vital problems.

Wonders full Safaris in Tanzania

Going on trips with Exciting Ideas

Going on journeys and seeing the globe represents a hobby for many individuals. There square measure several people out there that square measure merely crazy with traveling and can’t keep still. If you’re a part of this cluster, then you’ll realize it quiet to scan a trifle concerning this subject moreover, for those audacious travelers out there, the ideas found in what follows can sure as shooting be a true treat. The foremost fascinating half concerning traveling experiences generally is that you simply get the simplest of every culture. Though some may not believe it, the key to an excellent trip is to find a culture, a world that’s all totally different from yours. Therefore, here some ideas of journeys which will build your day and can get you pondering all prospects.

You might have detected of the wonder of the ocean. Well, all the items of data you have got detected concerning this place square measure true. The ocean is actually spectacular you’ll get pleasure from it from varied components of the globe; however the fact is that not several journeys will compare with the extremely famed island holidays. This dry land incorporates a population of just about 1,000,000 individuals. Do not be fooled by its size. Island could be a little, however incorporates a nice range of attractions, unbelievable white beaches with soft sands, waters of an out of this world blue, palm trees at each flip, wonderful sunsets, all square measure looking ahead to you in island fortunately for you, you’ll expertise such a visit just by collaborating with knowledgeable traveling agency.

The employees operating there’ll beware of all details and every one you have got to try to to is bear in mind to require your garment and sun cream with you. Another nice choice for tourists WHO love adventures is Tanzania. This country is the image of Africa. If you have got ever stopped to imagine however lovely Africa would look, then rest assure that a visit to Tanzania will sure as shooting type things out. If you ought to need additional convincing, grasp that there square measure couples WHO opt to have a Tanzania honeymoon. You’ll press on safaris, turning into accustomed to a world that has not been destroyed by human beings. See however wild animals sleep in their natural setting. All this and additional expect the audacious traveler.

These 2 locations square measure nice ideas for a distinct reasonably trip. If you wish to strive one thing new, to expertise a brand new facet to your hobby, then you might want to consider one of the above mentioned options, as you merely cannot lose. Either way, you have solely to gain. there’s just one condition you ought to rigorously think about which is locating a traveling agency able to offer you with real offers and packages that answer to your every and each request. Therefore, if you wish to form the simplest of what’s out there, if you wish to urge to understand a number of the foremost hidden places within the world, then opt for a traveling expertise that’s one among a sort which presents a story to inform in itself.

Going on trips with Exciting Ideas

Utah Desert is the Exciting Travel Destinations

Heading to the desert could be a looking for Pine Tree State, because the sun begins to come however the times are still crammed with snow I begins to crave the texture of erinaceous rock beneath my fingers and also the smell of recent sage. This wish for land that’s each clean and busy with life has been with Pine Tree State perpetually, however till I met the desert I didn’t understand what it absolutely was.

A misplaced feeling for somebody growing up on the jap seaside I perpetually associated my unrest with the blank trees of Gregorian calendar month and March. I translated this as anger at their plainness; however might I do know I used to be desire one thing that I had ne’er legendary.

Then when my first long winter within the southwest mountains of Colorado, a devotee invited Pine Tree State to travel for a hike during a nearby canon in March. we have a tendency to were but associate hour from the 5 feet of snow that stood around our homes however in Sand canon I had presently tied my jacket around my waist and was rental the sun heat my forearms.

On that day in this canon I understood what I had been probing for. And then, as if I had perpetually legendary it I perpetually wanted the desert. Each day off I’d obtain new spots wherever I might style and bit the desert.

The desert of the Southwest isn’t a sandy one; this is often not the Sahara Desert or Gobi. Our desert could be a dry place however not while not life. It’s crammed with bush and sage, mice and coyotes and far a lot of. It’s a busy place crammed with life. However it’s still an area of extremes. Whereas it should be near ninety within the mid-day sun it will drop to below physical change within the dark.

The animals, plants and folks World Health Organization build it their home have spent thousands of years learning to adapt and live along not like the leveling of recent European country the Southwest couldn’t be tamed, instead people who selected to measure there had to be told to measure with what the land gave them.

I will perpetually be a guest within the desert my want for its seasonal. because the Vernal Equinox approaches I will feel it grow in my bones however once the bottom thaws my focus shifts and also the desert solely looks a pleasant memory, an area i used to be as a toured visiting however not seeing.

Then deep within the summer months once the desert is simply too hot on behalf of me I recollect it once more, if I didn’t visit that year, my desire returns in my dreams. however I dream of the desert of March not August so I place the requirement aside rental it grow till the subsequent winter once it’ll blossom in Pine Tree State earlier as if to convey Pine Tree State time to set up higher, to induce my body out into the desert ‘or else’.

If you wish to style the desert I counsel progressing to Mormon State, to Moab and also the encompassing space. Arches Park could be a smart start line, it’s somewhat sterile with paved roads and guard rails in some places however the views of the naturally fashioned arch are stunning try and catch Delicate Arch at sunset or by a full-of-the-moon and walk one among the primitive trails.

For an extended, less inhabited trip I’d counsel the slot canyons of the jap fringe of the San Rafael Swell. Here you’ll be able to camp on BLM close to the doorway to at least one of some completely different canyons. You’ll be able to pay the day, typically alone, within the canyons among the erinaceous rock walls and looking out on the layers of color that structure the reefs on top of. These canyons vary in kind, therefore me are winding sandy ways that reach all the method through the Swell whereas others have sections so slender that you simply will bit each walls and drops that have you ever scrambling over cliffs 5 or six feet high each has its own beauty not like another’s.

Remember the desert could be a harsh place you-ought to bring water in with you and since it’s hot and dry you must be drinking lots of it. At a similar time, flooding could be a threat within the canyons. Ensure you recognize what the weather goes to be before you enter the canon, flash floods do occur and once they do there’s no place for you to travel. Do not be afraid off however take care in canyon country.

Utah Desert is the Exciting Travel Destinations

World Most Papular Dive Destinations

See exotic underwater life at these stunning locations

There are a unit several nice reasons to breathing machine dive, however the one that almost all captures people’s imagination is marine life. From schools of tropical fish to sharks, tropical seas house a formidable chunk of Earth’s life that almost all people only ever see on the invention channel. Still, as a diver, I firmly believe that swimming with a college of fish or sharing a manta ray’s surroundings for many minutes is concerning over recreation.

Seeing the ocean animals in their natural surroundings makes them appear additional real and price protective than any TV program might at every of those 5 unimaginable destinations, divers can get up close and interact with some of the planet’s most powerful and beautiful animals. The action is simply below the surface at several of those sites, so even novice divers can participate.

 Palau - There are a whole host of good reasons to dive in Palau, a small island nation within the South Pacific. The islands are famous as a wreck diving site since 1969, once Jacques adventurer came to Palau’s Chuuk lagune in 1969 to film the part of Japan’s Pacific fleet, most of that done for their throughout warfare II. The wrecks have since been colonized by a range of marine life that features corals, rays, turtles, and over two hundred species of fish.

Above all, Palau is understood for it’s sharks, with some a hundred thirty vulnerable species inhabiting the islands. to safeguard the islands’ scheme, Palau’s government in 2009 named the country’s waters a ‘shark sanctuary’, prohibition all industrial shark harvest home. Divers are likely to run into grey reef sharks, whitetails, and different species patrolling each wrecks and wall sites like Blue Corner.

The Great Barrier Reef - whereas most Americans would be in a bad way to seek out Palau on a map, even non-divers understand the good coral reef. Running nearly 1500 miles down the jap coast of Australia, the good coral reef is that the largest reef within the world and is claimed to be visible from house. to travel with its size, the good coral reef has associate virtually unfathomably giant assortment of ocean life. Besides moray eel eels, wrasse, and different common coral-dwellers, rarer creatures like big clams and ocean snakes abound.

Visiting smart coral reef by automotive may be a good different for those that are not willing to conceive to a live aboard: the GBR is maybe the world’s most road trip-friendly reef, and lots of individuals value more highly to town-hop down the coast, doing their diving by day boat. From Cairns on the reef’s northern finish, different will catch a ship resolute Hamilton Reef, a favorite spot for marine mammals like dolphins and Minke whales. Moving south, Townsville is that the base for visits to the SS Yongala, a 1911 wreck-turned-reef that currently sports turtles, giant ocean snakes, and different super-sized animals. Gladstone, set additional south, is that the association purpose for boats to Heron Island, aforesaid to own a number of the simplest diving on the GBR.

Galapagos Islands - identified for uplifting Darwin’s theory of evolution, Ecuador’s island area unit currently a UN agency World Heritage web site and a reserve for one in every of the world’s largest populations of endemic life. With the waters round the islands protected, the native fish have little or no worry of humans, and lots of can even approach different. Sea lions, turtles, and manta rays area unit everyplace, and sea star, ocean cucumbers, and island crabs appear to hide the sand in some spots. Sharks hammerheads area unit common however not dangerous. Diving in island is difficult, and very just for old different.

The islands area unit uncommon for the tropics in this most of the diving is on volcanic drop-offs rather than coral reefs, therefore dive sites area unit deep and really exposed to ocean currents. Because of the Antarctic Peruvian current, which passes by the islands, the water is outstandingly cold for the equator; a 7mm wetsuit is customary gear. If you are coming up with on attending to island, confine mind that every one guests, whether or not Ecuadorian or foreign, want associate INGALA transit card to go to the islands; the cardboard prices $10 for foreigners and should be purchased before attending to island. Guests even have to pay a park fee $100 for foreigners upon arrival within the islands.

Cocos Island, Costa Rica - Costa Rica is known as associate eco-tourism destination and few places within the country area unit higher for it than Cocos Island, a rainforest-covered spot of land 340 miles off Costa Rica’s Pacific shore. Accessible solely by live aboard, Cocos is one in every of the most important unpeeled islands outside of the Arctic: the sole resident’s area unit a bunch of concerning thirty park rangers whereas guests will land for day hikes and different activities, they need to be off the island by crepuscule.

Cocos is associate oceanic island, therefore guests will expect to ascertain associate eclectic mixture of animals, as well as octopuses, hawksbill turtles, tuna, and hammerhead and white tip sharks. The island is very notable for whale sharks, most frequently clear-sighted in deep, off-shore sites like Dirty Rock, a 100-yard-wide underwater channel northwest of the island. As in island, the diving in Cocos is mostly on the deep facet and in robust; therefore it is not for beginners. With ocean kayaking and whale-watching close, different should not have a tough time keeping themselves occupied throughout surface intervals.

The Red Sea – Europeans are diving the Red Sea for many years, however it’s solely been within the past few years that yank different have begun to affix them. The 1,200-mile-long sliver of water has a formidable style of habitats out there for different to go to, from coral reefs within the south to deep walls and wrecks within the north. The Egyptian town of Sharm El-Sheik has become the bottom for Red Sea diving; from there, guests will board a live aboard or take day visits to coastal sites.

The extra-saline Red Sea’s marine life is far like that found within the ocean, with many endemic species just like the blue-cheek flying robin thrown sure smart live. There is a unit countless sponge and coral species, dolphins, sharks, and tropical fish like altheas and clownfish. At 1,200 miles long, there is lots of Red Sea to explore, and different might even want multiple days to exhaust the probabilities at monumental offshore sites like Daedal us Reef.

World Most Papular Dive Destinations

2014 Top Adventure Travel Destinations

As dawn breaks over the savanna, your guide signals a stop. Through the trees ahead, you see the outline of something very big ambling through the underbrush. When the elephant—a 10-foot-tall, 12,000-pound bull—finally steps into the clearing and looks your way, your heart races, and for a moment, you remember how small you are. Then the giant continues on its way, and you on yours.

Welcome to a walking safari in Zambia, where your boots stand in for a Land Rover and all that separates you from rhinos, giraffes, lions, and hippos are the thin walls of a canvas tent. Sound rough? Then consider that, at day’s end, hot showers, ice-cold drinks, and feather beds await you in a luxurious mobile camp.

This is just one of the trips we’ve chosen for 2014, and it’s indicative of the qualities we believe make for good adventure travel: extraordinary experiences that challenge you without, well, depriving you.

That means a hike through Slovenia’s rugged Julian Alps that’s punctuated with stops to sip local Cabernets and nibble Bohinj cheese. Or a gear-grinding mountain bike journey through Italy’s mountains that pauses for a soak in 2,000-year-old Roman baths.

To find these hiking, walking, and biking trips, we tapped the expertise of more than 100 of the world’s top operators. In addition to sharing up-and-coming destinations, they filled us in on the state of adventure travel today. The world is a smaller place, with easier access to remote destinations; the business of adventure tourism is helping conserve endangered flora, fauna, and in some cases, local culture; and new standards of luxury mean that you can enjoy posh amenities from Morocco’s desert oases to the ice fields of southern Patagonia.

“For me,” says Wild Frontiers owner Jonny Bealby, “adventure travel is a trip that takes you out of your own comfortable world and puts you in a place that will surprise you, amaze you, educate you, perhaps even scare you, and ultimately provide an experience through which you will have grown as a person.”

You might eat your way through Shanghai’s bustling food markets and its most renowned chefs’ private kitchens, or head to the world’s last intact Buddhist kingdom—Bhutan—in search of the elusive snow leopard.

A little intimidating? Perhaps. Life changing? You betcha.

2014 Top Adventure Travel Destinations

USA Most Beautiful Gardens

Deep in the Bronx, there’s a place where the incessant hum of New York City disappears. A river flows along the edge of an old-growth forest, where songbirds serenade in the canopy of massive maples, oaks, and chestnuts that have stood unmoved since the American Revolution.

Sound like an urban myth? This place does exist, cloistered within the New York Botanical Garden. The allure of this 250-acre tract is undeniable, but for Brian Sullivan, the institution’s vice president of landscape, outdoor collections, and gardens, its beauty is more than skin deep.

“We want to connect people with plants,” Sullivan says. “Public gardens are uniquely poised to be an advocate for the plant kingdom.”

America’s most beautiful gardens share this ability to deepen visitors’ understanding and appreciation of the natural world.

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix reveals the diversity of wildlife adapted to its harsh, arid climate, from a Technicolor array of Mexican poppies and desert lupine to otherworldly stands of cactus. Hawaii’s lush Limahuli Garden and Preserve protects endangered native flowers like the delicate, scarlet-hued hibiscus, as well as rare varieties of plants (taro, sweet potato) vital to early Hawaiians.

And at institutions like Chicago Botanic Garden and Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, vast collections of bonsai and orchids delight visitors, while researchers make advances in the fields of plant science and conservation.

Still, it’s the innate beauty of these gardens that keeps people coming back season after season—for in any great garden, true discovery requires patience.

“There are so many layers, you don’t see it all right away,” Sullivan says. “A garden reveals itself when you’re ready.”

USA Most Beautiful Gardens

Maharashtra want to put “Pune” on International Tourism map

To establish Pune as a tourism hub, the geographical region business enterprise Development Corporation (MTDC) has planned a special edition of its quarterly magazine “Maharashtra Unlimited” on the town that may be circulated in numerous countries to draw in foreign tourists.

“The special edition of geographical region Unlimited would have numerous vital destinations from the town alongside the exclusive characteristics of the town culture. There would be articles and photograph optionslightness the attention-grabbing aspects of life within the town,” same Narayan Gurav, Regional Manager, MTDC, in a very communication to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

Copies of the special issue would even be given to the PMC for distribution. a complete of fourteen,000 copies of the problem would be created offered to the civic body at value but the particular terms. The civic administration, whereas seeking the permission of the commission to pay Rs three 100000 as advance to the MTDC for the initiative, same there was a requirement to plug Pune as a tourism destination.

“The development of business enterprise trade within the town would offer a chance for economic process and additionally guarantee employment generation,” same Municipal Commissioner Vikas Deshmukh. “The town incorporates an edifice trade, a design faculty, a travel trade, the knowledge technology sector and academic institutes and these would additionally contribute towards promoting the town as a tourism destination,” he said, adding that the success of business enterprise trade would have a decent impact on sticking out the town world over.

Deshmukh added: “A ton of things are there within the town to draw in tourists, and golf shot them along in a very brochure or a magazine that’s distributed everywhere would catch the attention of foreigners.”

The city has its historical importance and there are places that highlight the contribution created by the town before and when Independence. The PMC has been absorbing comes for conservation of the historical structures and planned many to market business enterprise. The Heritage Walk initiative helps tourists perceive the city’s history and culture by paying visit to the heritage structures.

For the town to be called a tourism destination, the PMC has additionally joined the cluster of cities promoting business enterprise and participate within the annual gathering to know and share the initiatives of varied cities of the planet operating towards attracting tourists.

Maharashtra want to put “Pune” on International Tourism map

'Uncontrolled dolphin tourism is a big problem for Chilika Lake'

Shekar Dattatri is a well-known wildlife and conservation filmmaker based in Chennai. His award-winning documentary, Chilika — The Jewel of Odisha, talks about the dying lake which was later restored to life by the Chilika Development Authority. In an email interview, he talks about the importance of conservation and much more.

Why Chilika Lake? What were the reasons for a documentary on this lake?

The impetus for making the film came from the government of Odisha’s Chilika Development Authority (CDA), which was keen to have a well-researched, high quality film that would showcase the biodiversity of the lake and highlight its conservation. The fact that this was once a dying lake that was restored to life was a further motivating factor, as I believe that it’s very important to also document conservation success stories.

What can be done to protect the biodiversity of Chilika Lake? 

I think the most serious problem facing Chilika is over-fishing. In any exploited ecosystem, it is important to have catch limits and open and closed exploitation seasons to safeguard biodiversity. Right now, fishing goes on without limits throughout the year.

In your documentary, boat propellers are shown to disturb the endangered dolphins in the lake. According to you what will be the best solution to protect the dolphins and to ensure the livelihood of the villagers around Chilika Lake? 

One of the big problems in Chilika is the uncontrolled growth of dolphin tourism. This has led to a competitive spirit among tourist boat operators and many of them chase and harass the dolphins to satisfy their clients. In many other countries, tourism of this sort is carefully monitored, with strict regulations on how close boats can approach marine mammals. It is imperative that such limits are imposed to make dolphin tourism sustainable.

What collective initiative do you suggest to conserve the environment?

Even seemingly benign tourism in wild habitats can have severe negative impacts when thousands or tens of thousands of people visit such places. Those who make wildlife tourism a habit should be sensitive to this problem and try to give something back to nature, such as contributing to conservation NGO or taking up initiatives that will help safeguard our vanishing wilderness.

Did you face any difficulties while making or shooting this film? If yes, then what were they? Please specify. 

Making an ecosystem film is always challenging because it’s hard to keep an audience engaged and interested in a film about a place. This is especially so when there are no ‘dangerous’ species involved. Apart from this, shooting in Chilika posed quite a few practical problems. Most of the ‘action’ is limited to the winter months, when thousands of migratory waterfowl arrive. And getting close to the birds isn’t easy in most parts of the lake. To make matters worse, the light was hazy most of the time, making it quite difficult to get great looking footage. The only mammals that could be filmed were Irrawaddy dolphins, but they are quite shy and show very little of themselves outside the water. Filming them underwater wasn’t an option because of the turbidity of the water. So every day in Chilika was a quest to find something interesting and film it successfully!

The audience for documentaries is limited but the message is universal and valuable. How do you feel can a documentary reach out to more people? 

The best way of propagating documentaries these days is online, where they can have a permanent presence and be seen by anyone from any corner of the world.

What role have film festivals played in your life so far? Are they necessary?

Most documentary films makers work quietly on their own, and film festivals are a great opportunity to interact with other filmmakers and see their work. Sometimes, film festivals can also be a place where one can market one’s films and meet executives and producers from television channels. Major wildlife film festivals such as Wildscreen in the UK were very important in the days when I was producing films for international television channels.

What films/documentaries have been the most inspiring or influential to you and why? 

Wildlife documentaries by veterans of yesteryear, such as Alan Root, Jen and Des Bartlett and Dieter Plage were extremely inspiring when I first started making films nearly three decades ago. They were well researched, painstakingly shot and incredibly captivating. I’m still blown away by the quality of those early films.

Would you like to make a full-length feature film someday? 

Every year, I try to make films that are shorter! Full-length features are not my forte.

Can social media play a role in promoting documentaries or short films? 

Yes, social media can play a role, but there are so many people promoting so many things out there that things can also get lost in all the white noise!

'Uncontrolled dolphin tourism is a big problem for Chilika Lake'

Kenya: KTB to Spend Sh200 Million in Tourism Recovery Plan

Nairobi — The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is set to spend Sh200 million in the sector’s recovery plan amidst travel advisories from key markets among them the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and France.

The plans include a global online reputation management campaign where they will push negative press past the second page in search engines and replace them with positive press for six months.

KTB Managing Director Muriithi Ndegwa says the campaign will be run by a UK firm at a cost of Sh10 million.

“We have already awarded the tender to a UK firm called National Review. This is aimed at increasing visibility and consistently maintain positive destination presence in the global market.

Ndegwa said that the campaign will be implemented in markets that include the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, India, Nigeria, Ghana, Germany, France, Belgium, Russia and Spain.

Others include China, Japan, Brazil and the Netherlands among others.

The board also plans to engage mainstream consumer media and select trade media in an experiential trip to equip them with stories to tell their readers.

The broad is also planning to leverage on Kenya’s sportsmen and women who will appeal to the markets through their influences.

“We are also planning to increase domestic tourism’s contribution to bridge the gap in low seasons as a sustainable source for tourism through running campaigns that encourage Kenyans to travel,” he said.

Ndegwa said that they are considering partnering with low cost carriers, buses and Kenya Wildlife Service Community lodges and coastal hotels in sales promotions in a bid to make domestic tourism more affordable.

In 2013, the total number of hotel bed nights occupied was about 6.5 million. Out of this 2.6 million was occupied by Kenyan residents.

“We cannot ignore the international market, they have 47 percent of our revenue. The top five markets include UK, USA, Italy Germany and India in that order,” he said.

He said since the travel advisories, some tour companies have stopped selling the Mombasa destination.

“We are going to reassure these markets that the country is safe; terrorism is not a peculiarly Kenyan phenomenon,” he said.

Earlier Tourism Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie said that they are targeting at least one million Chinese tourists to visit Kenya every year.

Kandie said the push is however meant to add Kenya’s tourist arrivals and not substitute visits from the traditional source markets of the West.

The move also comes as tourism stakeholders urge the government to intervene as the ongoing travel advisories will hurt the tourism industry having lost Sh5 billion so far following cancellations that have been made between now and October 2014.

Kenya: KTB to Spend Sh200 Million in Tourism Recovery Plan

Domestic tourism on the rise

CRITICAL COMPONENT: Tourism contributed a staggering SR75 billion to the Kingdom’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), accounting for nearly three percent of the total.

There was a massive increase in the number of tourist trips made within the Kingdom in 2013 thanks to the extensive revamp given to the country’s tourism infrastructure.

According to the Tourism Information and Research Center (MAS), the statistical arm of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), the number of domestic tourism trips rose from 19 million in 2012 to 23.8 million in 2013, an increase of 4.8 million.

Domestic tourism has pushed up local tourist spending to SR28 billion, said MAS.

An SCTA official on Wednesday said that spending on accommodation accounts for more than 25 percent of tourism spending, followed by shopping, food, beverages and restaurants, which came third, transport, and entertainment and recreation, which ranked fifth.

“There were more than 203,000 Saudis working in the tourism sector in 2013, accounting for more than 27 percent of the total number of Saudis employed in permanent work,” he said. “Tourism is a main creator of jobs and a huge economy booster.”
“There are currently more than 1.1 million people employed in this lucrative sector and the number of Saudis employed in tourism and hospitality is expected to exceed the 1.7 million mark by 2020,” said the official.

A report released by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) lauded the tourism sector’s ability to provide a record number of permanent and seasonal jobs, as well as create employment in sub-sectors.

A recently released report by MAS also revealed that tourism contributed a staggering SR75 billion to the Kingdom’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), accounting for nearly three percent of the total.

According to the report, there was a 64-percent hotel occupancy rate and a more than 58 percent occupancy rate for furnished apartments in 2012.

There are more than 3,710 tourist accommodation facilities, around a third of which are hotels. 
There are almost 300,000 hotels rooms and 87,000 furnished apartments in the Kingdom, said the report.
Around 77 percent of hotel investments in the Kingdom are based in Makkah and Madinah.

Domestic tourism on the rise

Tourism Department Gets Rs 50 Crore Booster Shot

Tourism Minister P Rajavelu (second from L) and other officials releasing a calendar ahead of the summer tourism events in Puducherry on Thursday

PUDUCHERRY: : The Ministry of Tourism has released Rs 50 crore for implementing four tourism projects in the UT, said P Rajavelu, Minister for Tourism, at a press conference here on Thursday.

The development of Arikamedu, the ancient Roman trading centre, as a tourist destination; development of the Ossudu lake; lighting of heritage monuments and heritage buildings, and development of a recreational park; and a garden and tourist amenities around Yanam tower will be taken up with the funding.

The funds were released by the Tourism Minister after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave in principle approval for tourism projects at an estimated cost of `125 crore during his visit to the Union Territory.

The Tourism Department has sent proposals for eight more projects at an estimated cost of `50.41 crore to the Ministry of Tourism to get Central assistance, said Secretary Tourism  WVR

Murthy.

A detailed project report is being prepared to avail Central assistance of `47 crore for five projects — Ecobeach projects (`25 crore) at Kalapet, Dubrenyapet, Chinna Veerampatinam, Nallavadu and Manapet; development of heritage area, pilgrim facilities and tourist facilities at Thirukameswararar temple Villianur (`5 crore); extension of beach promenade and developing view points (`6 crore) and development of places in and around Bharathi park (`5 crore).

The Department of Science, Technology and Environment has to get a project prepared by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) for establishing an oceanarium in Puducherry, he said. Steps will also be taken for revival of flights. A discussion with flight operators will be convened for talks on the operation of flights. The agenda will be establishing a refuelling station for aviation fuel at Puducherry, said Murthy.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Department is organising Entertainment and Shopping Expo from May 23 to June 15 at New Port Ground, Uppalam to promote tourism in the Union Territory.

Stating this at a press conference, Minister for Welfare and Tourism P Rajavelu a total of 100 stalls would provide entertainments like snow game, children’s games, amusement games and video games. There will be a food court at the expo and several cultural programmes have been lined up for all the 24 days, he said.

The government will spend `10 lakh to host the festival. An empanelled event management will organise the festivities. An entry fee of `10 for adults and `5 for children will be charged.

Further, the department has drawn up a calendar of attractive events from May 2014 to December 2014, and has earmarked `3 crore for the purpose.

This includes food festival, kite festival, Puducherry Dance Festival, Tour de Pondy (Cycleathan), film festival, art, design, Fashion Week, National Art and Craft Festival, painting exhibition, antique exhibition, Pondy marathon, record break event, Puducherry classical music fest, Word Tourism Day Celebration, festival of lights, crackers fest, wine festival, treasure hunt, petanque tournament, music and band fest, Puducherry Carnival, beach festival, Puducherry Shopping Festival, magic show, theatre festival, adventure sports festival, sand sculpture festival, festival of colours, masquerade and New Year celebration, the Minister said.

Tourism Department Gets Rs 50 Crore Booster Shot

Govt postpones 15% tourism VAT

GOVERNMENT has postponed the introduction of the 15% Value Added Tax (VAT) levy on tourism operators to January 2015 following an outcry over the new measures which threatened the growth of the sector, Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Walter Mzembi has said.

Business Reporter

Tourism operators had complained that besides rendering Zimbabwe an expensive destination, the new tax regime would disadvantage international buyers and travellers who had already booked to come to the country.

“It means we have given industry a one-year reprieve from November last year. It is universal practice. The operators, going forward, must convince us that they can do much more with another dispensation than they have been doing to date,” Mzembi said.

The cash-strapped government last year proposed introducing the levy in the National Budget in a bid to tap into the revenues of the tourism sector which has slowly been recovering since the inception of the inclusive government in 2009.

Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa made the proposal in the 2014 National Budget presented in December last year.

“It’s a question of cost-benefit now. What I would hope going forward is that we don’t tax the people upon entry into the country,” he said.

Mzembi said there was need to weigh this against passenger taxes and other issues that may serve as a disincentive to arrivals.

He said heavy taxation would only make the country uncompetitive.

Mzembi called for a national conversation in future with stakeholders and authorities involved in collecting taxes from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe and those manning entry points, among others.

“At entry, do they stimulate inbound travel or they discourage arrivals? We would rather tax them when they are inside the product,” he said.

Tourism operators had earlier this year warned that the VAT which government had levied on the sector late last year would result in more foreign visitors cancelling international bookings to Zimbabwe.

The tourism industry’s contribution to the economy is expected to grow to 15% by 2015.

Government introduced VAT in 2003, but the tourism sector was exempted from tax payments as it was duly recognised as an exporter.

Experts argued that reintroduction of the levy would be regressive following gains made in the tourism sector over the years.

Govt postpones 15% tourism VAT

Saudi Arabia: Massive increase in domestic tourism

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – There was a massive increase in the number of tourist trips made within the Kingdom in 2013 thanks to the extensive revamp given to the country’s tourism infrastructure.

According to the Tourism Information and Research Center (MAS), the statistical arm of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), the number of domestic tourism trips rose from 19 million in 2012 to 23.8 million in 2013, an increase of 4.8 million.

Domestic tourism has pushed up local tourist spending to SR28 billion, said MAS.

An SCTA official on Wednesday said that spending on accommodation accounts for more than 25 percent of tourism spending, followed by shopping, food, beverages and restaurants, which came third, transport, and entertainment and recreation, which ranked fifth.

“There were more than 203,000 Saudis working in the tourism sector in 2013, accounting for more than 27 percent of the total number of Saudis employed in permanent work,” he said. “Tourism is a main creator of jobs and a huge economy booster.”

“There are currently more than 1.1 million people employed in this lucrative sector and the number of Saudis employed in tourism and hospitality is expected to exceed the 1.7 million mark by 2020,” said the official.

A report released by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) lauded the tourism sector’s ability to provide a record number of permanent and seasonal jobs, as well as create employment in sub-sectors.

A recently released report by MAS also revealed that tourism contributed a staggering SR75 billion to the Kingdom’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), accounting for nearly three percent of the total.

According to the report, there was a 64-percent hotel occupancy rate and a more than 58 percent occupancy rate for furnished apartments in 2012.

There are more than 3,710 tourist accommodation facilities, around a third of which are hotels.

There are almost 300,000 hotels rooms and 87,000 furnished apartments in the Kingdom, said the report.

Around 77 percent of hotel investments in the Kingdom are based in Makkah and Madinah.

Source: arabnews.com

Saudi Arabia: Massive increase in domestic tourism

European tourist visits to Iran up 240%

The entry of European tourists to Iran has risen 240 percent between April 9 and May 10 compared to the same period last year, Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization Director Masoud Soltanifar said on Saturday.

European tourists in Isfahan

Most of the 4- and 5-star hotels in the cities of Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd, and Kashan have been fully reserved by European tourists for the next six months, the IRNA news agency quoted Soltanifar as saying.

Iran may be set to return to the top of “must-visit” lists for 2014, the Financial Times said in a report in January.

Its attractions have never been in doubt — from ski resorts to beaches, stunning Islamic architecture, ancient archaeological sites, and superb food.

Now, tour operators are hoping the thawing of political relations with the west following the election of Hassan Rouhani as president will give travelers the reassurance they need to return.

Rouhani’s administration has announced plans to ease visa requirements to increase visitor numbers and increase annual income from tourism from $2 billion today to $10 billion.

On Thursday, May 15, Iranian Intelligence Minister Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Mahmoud Alavi said that development of the tourism industry should be taken seriously, since it can be one of the cornerstones of the “resistance economy” proposed by the Supreme Leader.

“Serious attention should be paid to the issue of tourism, and as one of the pillars of the resistance economy… it can be a matter of special attention,” Alavi told a meeting of people active in the tourism industry.

He went on to say that tourism is one of the many apparatuses for familiarizing the world with “our revolution”, a reference to the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

“Our view and the direction in the Ministry of Intelligence is to remove problems and hurdles for the promotion of tourism,” he added.

European tourist visits to Iran up 240%

“Philippines to jump from ‘Pussycat’ to trillion dollar ‘tiger’ economy”

A recent headline in The Philippine Star newspaper read:

“Philippines to jump from ‘Pussycat’ to trillion dollar ‘tiger’ economy”

The lead in read: “The Philippines is set to become a trillion-dollar tiger economy by 2030 with its capacity to post long-term economic growth, Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist for global information company IHS said.”

Biswas’ analysis comes ahead of the World Economic Forum in Manila, which will take place from May 21 to 23.

The Philippines as a whole has been outperforming its Asean neighbors with growth rates in excess of 7%. However, that must be tempered with recent disasters such as the typhoon that hit Tacloban last year just to the east of here. Nonetheless The Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu, the Philippines’ second largest city, is a great example of how a hotel can mimic the economy.

What do Lady Radisson, Flying Chef, and Dilmah Tea all have in common?

In short they are all new initiatives undertaken by The RadissonBlu Hotel. Under a newly-arrived general manager, new ideas to promote a hotel are par for the course, but in this case they go further than mere innovation. I would call it thinking outside the box.

On a recent trip to Cebu I was able to sit down with Nishan Silva, the new general manager, and find out how the hotel was performing within the present economic climate.

Primarily a business hotel in the Philippines’ second largest city, Nishan explained the hotel sees growth in the area of meetings and conventions. In fact, when I was there, a major medical conference had just begun.

Now to the explanation of Lady Radisson, Dilamh Tea, and Flying Chef.

Nishan wants to take the hotel into the community and is doing it in ways no one had previously thought about. With Flying Chef, the hotel will lend its expertise to cooking your dinner at home. Providing that the home is within the city and you shop for your ingredients, the hotel chef under the supervision of executive chef Dominc Cyr, will travel out with a team and prepare and cook dinner for you and your friends in your own kitchen… The idea is simple yet unique and can extend the Radisson Blu Brand into your home and create a buzz – particularly if the dinner is a success.

Nishan, hailing from Sri Lanka, has perchance, chosen tea over coffee to create that perfect setting in the lobby… Why not coffee? According to Nishan, “tea is becoming more and more appreciated and savored around the world, and I wanted to bring a touch of Sri Lanka to my hotel and create a tea room where all can relax and sip, yes, my country’s Teas-Dilmah.”

If that wasn’t enough, Lady Radisson, an exclusive all-encompassing ladies club, will reach out to the ladies in the community and offer an alternative to the masculine world of men’s clubs.

The economic barometer in the Philippines is steady and rising, and Cebu is no exception, with a new airport being planned for the Mactan Island side and tourism most certainly on the rise. Facing adversity head-on is what the country and Cebu do best.

It is perhaps no accident that Manila was chosen to host the World Economic Forum this month. Stay tuned for more positive news on the Philippines.

“Philippines to jump from ‘Pussycat’ to trillion dollar ‘tiger’ economy”

Russian Direct Investment Fund Plans $800M Tourism Fund With China's CIC

Kirill Dmitriyev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

A joint venture between the Russian Direct Investment Fund, or RDIF, and China Investment Corporation, or CIC, plans to raise an $800 million fund to invest in infrastructure for senior living centers and to tap rising Sino-Russia tourism, a top executive at the Russian state-backed fund said Monday.

The move is the latest in a series of partnerships and funds developed by RDIF, a $10 billion sovereign wealth fund set up in 2011 to attract strategic investors who have steered clear of Russia due to concerns over rampant graft and the rule of law.

RDIF will hold a stake in the fund through Russia-China Investment Fund, or RCIF, a private equity firm established with China’s sovereign wealth fund CIC in 2012, RDIF chief executive Kirill Dmitriyev said in an interview.

“We will hold a controlling stake, but will raise the rest of the fund from international partners,” Dmitriyev said ahead of Tuesday’s signing ceremony in Shanghai for a series of Sino-Russian deals.

President Vladimir Putin arrives in Shanghai on Tuesday on a two-day visit, where he is expected to sign a number of other deals.

China is the second most popular destination for Russian tourists. In 2012, 3.3 million Chinese tourists visited Russia, a three times increase on 2007, Dmitriyev added.

RCIF is a $2 billion private equity fund and nearly half of that has been invested so far, Dmitriyev said. Seventy percent of the fund is earmarked to be invested in Russia.

FDI into Russia reached a record $94 billion in 2013, an 83 percent increase on 2012. Russia ranked third globally behind the U.S. and China on FDI volumes, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Dmitriyev said the RDIF’s investors have expressed concerns over Western-led sanctions against Russia and their economic and political impact.

“All investors and business people we talk to are against sanctions. We oppose them because we believe the best solution to the situation in the Ukraine is to encourage peaceful dialogue,” said Dmitriyev.

In April, RDIF signed a memorandum of understanding with Bahraini sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat prompting the U.S. to issue a statement stating its disapproval.

Russian Direct Investment Fund Plans $800M Tourism Fund With China's CIC

Haiti - Tourism : Signature of a new agreement with FONATUR (Mexico)

Thursday in Port-au-Prince, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industry (MTIC) and the National Fund for Tourism Development of Mexico [Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo (Fonatur)], the organization responsible for planning and development of sustainable tourism projects in Mexico, signed a memorandum of understanding which follows the basic agreement signed on July 4, 2012, between the tourism authorities of the two countrieshttp://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-6062-haiti-tourism-signature-of-an-agreement-between-mexico-and-haiti.html Recall that the objective of this basic agreement was to develop and strengthen cooperation in the field of tourism between the two parties through Fonatur.

This new agreement should promote the exchange of experiences in the development of tourism infrastructure projects. The provisions of this Convention will be implemented on the basis of equality, mutual benefit, respect for national laws and international commitments made by either of the parties.

To achieve the objectives set out in the two agreements, the signatories agree to hold various activities of Cooperation under Article III of the Basic Agreement, including: exchange of experience and information of common interest for the tourism sector, such as the transfer of information, training visits and technical advice in the development of tourism infrastructure projects, among others.

In this regard, the first areas of collaboration of this new agreement will cover the Tourism Development Plan for the South Coast. Stéphanie Balmir Villedrouin, the Minister of Tourism took advantage of the visit of the Director General of Fonatur, Hector Martin Gomez Barraza, to present him the Master Plan for the South Coast, developed with the help of a Mexican consultation. http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9243-haiti-tourism-tourism-development-plan-of-the-south-coast-of-haiti.html

Haiti - Tourism : Signature of a new agreement with FONATUR (Mexico)

Florida: 700-Percent Increase in Taxpayer-Funded Tourism Promotion … for Job Creation?

As Florida stands ready to dole out US$74 million to promote Sunshine State tourism, many around the state are wondering if it’s a wise use of public resources.

One thing’s for sure. Visit Florida, the state’s official marketing organization, will see a windfall.

Sure is! MT @lisacimages: Isn’t Florida so beautiful? #LoveFLpic.twitter.com/MYhATSZqNk

— VISIT FLORIDA (@VISITFLORIDA) May 12, 2014

But Roman Estomas isn’t impressed at all.

He ferries tourists between Miami International Airport and Coral Gables’ Hyatt Hotel, among others.

“We are the ones whose lives are on the line when a criminal rides in our car, or when we burn up from the heat … but we are the last one on the totem pole in this town,” Estomas said.

The record-setting tourism budget approved by state lawmakers is a 700-percent increase over the 2007-2008 budgets, when the state earmarked a paltry $13.5 million to promote the Sunshine State. It’s still less than the $100 million Governor Rick Scott (R) wanted.

Florida Watchdog attempted to obtain a breakdown on how the cash will be spent, but officials figures weren’t immediately available..

However, Visit Florida’s website says $5 million is earmarked for the construction of a medical tourism sector, and $1.3 million will go to promote the Sunshine State to veterans and active-duty military.

Another $19 million will be used to target western states, and $16.6 million will go toward hooking new travelers through global marketing, according to reports published by PalmBeachPost.com.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

Florida’s governor justified the spending, saying the money will translate into jobs.

“Every 85 visitors to Florida equals one job in our state — and it is clear that more visitors to the Sunshine State means more jobs for Florida families,” Scott said.

FloridaTaxWatch, a fiscally conservative government watchdog group, agrees with the plan. The private nonprofit crunched the numbers and its data suggests 100 million tourists would create 121,298 jobs, half directly in the tourism sector and the other half in support of industries like retail and construction.

But Mark Soskin, a professor of economics at Orlando’s University of Central Florida, said that while tourism leads to lots of jobs, they are not well paid. Florida Watchdog tried to contact Soskin, but he didn’t return requests for further comment.

However according to the estimates Soskin gave to the Orlando Weekly, of 324 counties nationwide with more than 75,000 workers, Florida is home to the three with the lowest median incomes (Marion, Pasco, and Lake,) and four others (Volusia, Manatee, Escambia, and Polk) are in the bottom 25.

Water Is Wet, and Florida Is Sunny

Many are questioning if the money is well spent. Some say tourists will come to the state to vacation without the costly sales pitch. They may be right. It doesn’t take an advanced degree in meteorology to know that Florida has great weather and long stretches of sparkling beaches. So do taxpayers really need to spend $74 million to get that point across?

Soskin, a critic of the state’s reliance on tourism, says not really.

“There are no tourism industries that last,” he told to Orlando Weekly. “There is a life cycle for destinations. They come and they go. We have to look beyond that point: Is it something that gets us there? It can’t be what we are.”

Delivering Outcomes, Not Just Promises

Budget proposals have yet to specify where exactly all the money will be spent, and whether any of it will go toward tangible things like remodeling facilities, infrastructure, security, and airport personnel, rather than just window dressing.

Some worry that throwing millions into slick advertisements won’t shorten long lines at airport customs desks or lower sales-tax and hotel-tax rates. Others worry roads and schools are taking a back seat to the tourism economy.

In addition to the budget money they will receive, Visit Florida already manages the hefty “hotel tax,” a tax that rakes in another $650 million and is earmarked toward marketing.

Orlando Weekly pointed out that Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell first raised the issue in March 2001, back when he was on the county-government beat. Maxwell looked at Las Vegas, where he found officials using $65 million of its tourist taxes every year on schools and roads.

In other states, hotel taxes support other entities, not just tourism promotion.

New Orleans, for example, uses hotel taxes for education. Chicago and Seattle spend those tax dollars on infrastructure and other public works projects.

In 2009, the Miami-Dade County Commission asked the state for its permission to use some of the money coming from the bed tax to hire extra police to patrol the tourist district. The request was turned down.

Florida: 700-Percent Increase in Taxpayer-Funded Tourism Promotion … for Job Creation?

SpiceJet ups frequency on top three tourism spots from Delhi

MUMBAI: Taking a leaf out of the Railways’ summer specials, budget carrier SpiceJet will operate special flights from Delhi to country’s top three tourist hotspots – Srinagar, Goa and Bagdogra – to meet the increased traffic demand during the peak holiday season.

As a part of this policy, the Gurgaon-based carrier has now increased the frequency on the Delhi-Srinagar route to five flights a day from four at present, from June 3. 

Services on the Delhi-Goa and Delhi-Bagdogra, which apart from being a gateway to the Northeast is a tourist destination as well, have also been increased to three flights per day from June 3, it said. 

Stating that the airline is increasing flights on these routes especially to accommodate more demands for summer vacations, SpiceJet chief commercial officer Kaneswaran Avili said these additional flights will be operated only till June 30, when the summer vacations period ends. 

“These routes are tourist destinations and are high in demand during the summer vacations. To cater to the demand this season, we have increased more seats on these routes and hope people will enjoy their vacations with easy flying options,” Avili said in a statement. 

The airline is also offering an introductory all inclusive fare of Rs 4,999 on the Delhi-Goa and Delhi-Bagdogra routes and Rs 5,999 on Delhi-Srinagar route, the airline said.

It can be noted that the cash-strapped airline has offered six discount sales since January but still could not report profit in the March quarter. 

Yesterday, the Kalanidhi Maran-run airline reported a near doubling of its loss at Rs 321.5 crore for the three months to March, up from Rs 185.7 crore a year ago, on increased fuel cost and rupee fall, apart from the ongoing slowdown and softening demand. 

Total income from operations during the January-March quarter rose 8.4 per cent to Rs 1,589.61 crore during the reporting period.

For the full financial year, SpiceJet’s loss was at Rs 1,003.24 crore as against Rs 191.07 crore in FY13, even though income rose 11.51 per cent to Rs 6,356.11 crore. 

SpiceJet ups frequency on top three tourism spots from Delhi

Brazil fights sex tourism, child prostitution ahead of 2014 Fifa World Cup

As night falls, Adriana de Morais patrols the clubs and bars of Natal, one of Brazil’s World Cup host cities, looking for underage prostitutes and trying to get them off the streets. As she and her team weave between revellers in this tropical city known for its nightlife, their black polo shirts, emblazoned with the emblem of the local child protection unit, stand out amid the tight mini-skirts and colorful clothing of the crowds.

An estimated 600,000 foreigners are about to descend on Brazil for the World Cup, which opens June 12, and the authorities worry the influx will bring an increase in sex tourism and child prostitution. “It’s a singular event that brings many people from outside, and we really worry about sexual tourism,” Morais told AFP. No official statistics on underage prostitutes exist in Brazil.

The only figure available comes from the government’s anonymous child-abuse hotline, which received 124,000 calls in 2013 — 26 percent of them for sexual violence against children. Most of the calls came from the northeast, a poor region where turquoise waters and idyllic beaches are a major tourist draw.

Leftist President Dilma Rousseff’s government has launched a campaign over the past few years against domestic violence, the sexual exploitation of minors and human trafficking — recently the main theme of a popular TV soap opera, “Salve Jorge.”

The country has a code of conduct for taxi drivers and hotel receptionists, a bid to crack down on child prostitution in the places where it is most visible. Officials are also plastering public spaces with awareness-raising messages. “Every tourist who arrives in Brazil will know that the exploitation of children and juveniles is a crime. He’ll see it in airplanes, airports, bus and train stations and hotels,” said the head of child protection at the tourism ministry, Adelino Neto.

“A major event increases the risk factors for minors. We have an increase in tourists and alcohol consumption at a time when children are on vacation from school,” said Tatiana Akabane from the organization Childhood, which is working to help Brazil learn from the experiences of the previous two World Cup hosts, South Africa and Germany.

Prostitution is legal in Brazil for over-18s, but the government is also keen to discourage sex tourism. It has sought to control the national image and combat sexual overtones in foreign products and advertisements. In February, it managed to force Germany’s Adidas to recall a line of Tshirts with a football and a woman in a bikini that said “Looking to score — Brazil,” and another that said “I love Brazil” with a heart drawn to look like a thong-clad woman’s inverted behind.

“Brazil is happy to welcome tourists who arrive for the World Cup but also ready to combat sexual tourism,” President Rousseff wrote on Twitter. But sex workers say they have a right to profit from the tournament.

“If there are going to be tourists and everyone’s going to make money — hotels, airlines, businesses — why shouldn’t prostitutes earn money from it too?” asks Roberto Chateaubriand of Davida, an organization that fights for sex workers’ rights.

“We also oppose the exploitation of minors, but the government has put everything in the same basket — the sexual exploitation of minors, human trafficking and adult prostitution,” he told AFP.

Brazil fights sex tourism, child prostitution ahead of 2014 Fifa World Cup

Visiting Thailand? What Martial Law means for tourists

It’s Tuesday morning, 9:30 am in the “Land of Smiles.” Tourists in Thailand are enjoying their breakfast and are getting ready for sightseeing tours, the beach, the Sky Train, shopping, for a walk around town, a taxi ride, transportation to the airport – all of this is a daily routine, and this routine is not expected to change for tourists visiting the Kingdom of Thailand.

It seems to be a regular Tuesday morning, but the morning discussion has changed overnight with the implementation of Martial Law in Thailand. Tourists are worried a little. They’re watching CNN, BBC, DW TV, RT, and other international news channels during their breakfast and wondering what this has to do with them.

What does it mean for tourists? Will Thailand be a safe country to visit?

None of the questions had been answered on official tourism websites. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is still reporting about upcoming festivals, and the daily situation report does not mention Martial Law yet.

Most likely it means absolutely nothing for tourists. If anything, the streets in Bangkok will be safer and the traffic flow better.

Thailand will be a lot of fun as always. The tourism places will be open and operating normally, chefs at Thailand’s excellent restaurants are already preparing lunch and dinner, and the SkyTrain in Bangkok is operating like always. Starbucks is busy, and shopping centers around Thailand are opening in the next 30 minutes and offering bargains for tourists as always. The latest movies can be watched in Thailand’s movie theaters.

Nightlife on Silom Road in Bangkok will be active tonight. You can still get one of the best Thai or Foot massage in the world in Thailand. Also Thailand’s female and male sex workers expect business as always.

Tourists not only in Bangkok, but also in Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai or elsewhere will have another beautiful day in the land of the smiles. At the end of the day tourists may ask: What Marshall Law?

The US-Dollar traded almost 33 Thai Baht today – tourists may want to get ready for a bargain.

The airports are operating normally, and it’s a busy Tuesday morning at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International airport. Thai immigration officers are processing tourists and business visitors from all corners of the world, and taxi drivers are ready to take them to their hotels.

Domestic flights, trains, busses – all are operating normally.

What does Martial Law mean legally?

Martial law gives military officers the power to:

- Take action against war or riots

- Use arms to suppress unrest

- Search, confiscate, or occupy any premises or vehicles

- Censor information

- Block, search, and control postal services

- Activate the military court to judge on crimes within the area under Martial Law

- Mobilize civilians to help the military

- Procure resources such as vehicles or logistical materials to support military operations

- Prohibit public gatherings, publications, broadcasting, transport, communication, travel, the movement of people or any action that the Defense Ministry deems necessary

- Enforce curfews

- Destroy, remove, or adjust any premise or location for the purpose of military operations

- Arrest and detain suspects for a maximum of seven days

- People are not entitled to any compensation for damage incurred during such military operations

- Martial law can only be ended with a Royal Decree

This is a domestic issue. Tourists had never been the target of this conflict and even in times of protests that reported some violence, tourists were never hurt.

Martial Law is expected to have the army take control over the situation. Tourism is one of the pillars of the Thai economy, and no matter on what side someone is, tourists are greeted with a smile and are protected.

Welcome to Thailand – enjoy the Thailand style of tourism.

Visiting Thailand? What Martial Law means for tourists

Saudi Arabia removes travel advisory for Lebanon

Authorities in Saudi Arabia have brought hope to the Lebanese tourism industry after lifting a long-standing travel advisory against trips to the country.

Travel advisories warning of a high threat of abductions had been in place since 2012, effectively putting a halt on tourism from the Gulf region to Lebanon.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE renewed their advisories earlier in 2014 after a period of extended insecurity, however the government has successfully restored order to a number of areas along the Syrian border, and in the city of Tripoli in the north of Lebanon.

Since Saudi Arabia lifted the advisory on 2 May, Saudi nationals have tentatively started to make reservations once again, but Lebanese tourism stakeholders expect a long road to recovery.

Speaking to the Daily Star newspaper, Kasper Wigen, marketing and communications manager at Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace, said; “The demand is very scarce for the time being, and in my opinion, the country needs time to recover.

“Even if we assume that they lifted the travel advisory, we won’t see increased bookings on the first day. It is not something we would see in the first day but it is kind of a process, and it needs time.”

He added that the Lebanese market needed to prepare for the return of Saudi tourists to the country.

Saudi Arabia removes travel advisory for Lebanon

2014 FIFA World Cup Travel Advisory to Fans Going to Brazil

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is calling all fans travelling to Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup to heed The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade travel advisory.

“With less than a month until the FIFA World Cup kicks off, I urge all Australians planning to travel to Brazil to read the Smartraveller bulletin issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This World Cup bulletin provides fans with information on ticketing, visas, transport and accommodation, safety and security, in-country emergency contacts, travel health, and helpful match day reminders. The bulletin should be read in conjunction with the travel advice for Brazil,” Bishop said in a statement.

“I also strongly advise all Australians travelling to the World Cup to register their travel and contact details with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and to take out comprehensive travel insurance,” she added.

As for the Socceroos, she wished them good luck with their final preparations.

Overall, Brazil was given an advisory rating by DFAT of “Exercise a high degree of caution.”

Essentially all travelers to Brazil for the FIFA World Cup are advised of the following:

• We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Brazil because of the high levels of serious and violent crime, particularly in major cities.


• Pay close attention to your personal security at all times and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.


• Large-scale protests occurred in many cities throughout Brazil in 2013. Demonstrations can occur at any time and can turn violent with little or no warning. We recommend Australians avoid all demonstrations and protests and monitor local media for information about expected demonstrations.


• The incidence of violent crime, including muggings, armed robbery, kidnappings and sexual assault, is significant.

The Socceroos will play at Cuiaba (13 June), the capital state of Mato Grasso located close to the border of Bolivia. It has humid and dry climate.

The team will also be playing in Porto Alegre (18 June) with subtropical and winter climate.

Lastly, it will play at Curitiba (23 June), 550 km south of Rio de Janeiro, with cool and can-drop-to-zero climate.

DFAT advised for fans to be aware that they have to travel long distances between match venues, considering that Brazil is a large country. It is highly recommended to take air travel when moving from one match location to another, specifically for the 2,100 km distance between Cuiaba and Porto Alegre to attend the first and second matches.

Fans should have the following guidance during the match days:

• Traffic congestion and transport disruptions are anticipated throughout the World Cup. Allow plenty of time to get to matches.

• There will be exclusion zones around stadiums. Ticket holders should prepare to walk up to 5 kms from transport drop off points.

• You and your bag may be subject to a search before you are allowed entry to a stadium. No food or drink will be permitted into the stadiums. Allow extra time to clear security checks and follow the instructions of local authorities.

• FIFA has advised that ticket holders who are intoxicated will be refused entry into matches.

2014 FIFA World Cup Travel Advisory to Fans Going to Brazil

FOREIGN TOURISM IN VENEZUELA INCREASES DUE TO CRUISES

Between January and April of this year, the arrival of international tourists on cruise ships recorded a growth of 91.56 percent compared to the same time in 2013.

In accordance with a study done by the Ministry of Popular Power for Tourism (Mintur) and the Administrative Service of Migration and Immigration Identification (Saime), 30,533 tourists were recorded at the International Port of La Guaira, in the state of Vargas.

The tool was applied to a group of 690 cruise ship passengers that arrived at the port between January 7th and April 30th, and they completed the itinerary that tourism operators offered at the Vargas pier.

In its way, Colombia continues to remain the largest sender of tourists to Venezuela with 47.14%, followed by Argentina (8.84%), and Brazil (8.44%). Likewise, the study reveals that 79 percent of those interviewed would like to return and more than 50 percent considered Venezuela as “a safe tourist destination.”

Likewise, 40.46% of international visitors thought that “the main reason that they chose Venezuela was because of its tourist attractions” and 26.01% “because of tourist agency recommendations.”

In this sense, the survey revealed that 47.65 percent would like to visit Margarita Island. The second most preferred destination is the Los Roques Archipelago with 14.77 percent, and afterward, the Canaima National Park with 13.42 percent.

In addition, the historic part of Caracas with 44.32 percent, the beaches of Vargas (19.59 percent), the Los Próceres promenade (18.56 percent), and Waraira Repano Park with 17.53 percent, are among the most visited tourist destinations by travelers during their stay in Venezuela.

Lastly, the Venezuelan Mintur pointed out that “the tourism survey given to passengers on cruise ships, done in the maritime port of La Guaira, gave important and positive results, showing that the policies applied in the last year by the national government to encourage tourism as one of the main driving forces behind the economic development of the country have been effective.”

FOREIGN TOURISM IN VENEZUELA INCREASES DUE TO CRUISES

AEC will boost medical tourism

BANGKOK: Thailand’s health authorities say more Cambodians will use Thailand’s hospitals services once the ASEAN Economic Community begins in late 2015.

Ministry of Public Health made the comments, last week at a seminar on health services, attended by medical staff working in provinces bordering Cambodia. The conclusion suggested there would be a boom in Cambodians seeking medical services in Thailand. They would cross the border at overland checkpoints and check-in the larger hospitals operating out of provincial capitals.

Officials suggested that AEC would prompt a growth in medical tourism from Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar once the new era of free trade kicks in December 2015.

The borders are already open for residents in neighbouring countries to visit Thailand for medical services, but most of them are wealthy and head for private hospitals in the Thai capital.

But the seminar concluded there were business opportunities for private hospitals in provinces bordering Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. Government hospitals are not encouraged to go into the lucrative regional medical tourism business as they are already overcrowded looking after citizens seeking medical care.

According to Public Health Minister,  Pradit Sinthawanarong, 370 medical staff from Surin, Buriram, Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani provinces and 400 medical representatives from Cambodia participated in the meeting where they listened to the Public Health Department’s policy on AEC and medical practice.

Thai hospitals situated near the Thai-Cambodian border would need to achieve high standards of safety, medical technology and service if they wished to serve medical tourists from Cambodia.

There are currently 152 hospitals in Thailand that have met the requirements that would allow them to serve the market. However, many of them are already overcrowded dealing with local cases and are not geared to treating foreigners. Language is the main drawback for hospitals when dealing with medical tourists from Cambodia.

Last year, there were over 2 million medical tourists who sought treatment in Thailand.

Meanwhile, Malaysia is already promoting its medical services in Cambodia competing head-on with Thailand’s top hospitals.

Cambodia Association of Travel Agents president, Ang Kim Eang, said earlier that Malaysia was becoming a popular tourism destination for Cambodians. The nearest tourism office is in Bangkok, but promotions in Cambodia are conducted directly by the Malaysia Tourism head office in Kuala Lumpur.

Actually, about 50,000 Cambodians visit Malaysia annually and some of them go for a medical check-up, he said.

“Now, the Malaysian government sees the need to promote this travel segment, I definitely think more people will go there for medical treatment as it competitive with prices in Singapore and Thailand.”

Malaysian hospital fees are 25% below the United States, although Thailand is slightly lower at 30% off the same benchmark, Singapore 35% and India 20%, according to Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council.

AEC will boost medical tourism

Cambodia’s tourism short of staff

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism says the country’s tourism sector is growing at an unsustainable rate that will cause a massive shortfall in skilled tourism-related labour.

The ministry’s statistics department director, Kong Sopheareak, told local media that as tourist arrivals increase substantially every year, the challenge is to find labour to work in tourism.

“The tourism industry is facing a lack of skilled workers, especially cooks, housekeepers and tour guides,” he said.

Cambodia Hotel Association president, Luu Meng, was quoted as saying that Siem Reap, the main tourist destination is critically short of staff.

“Our members in Siem Reap are serving more guests and there are more hotels now…but we lack managers, cooks and front office staff.”

Cambodia Restaurant Association president, Hak Lina, agreed that the country lacks skilled workers and there are not enough training institutions to resolve the shortage.

Cooks and housekeepers are included in 32 positions in six labour divisions that will have the freedom to work in any of the ASEAN Economic Community countries next year.

The six labour divisions breakdown as follows: four in hotel services including front office, housekeeping, food production and food and beverage services; two in travel services comprising of travel agencies and tour operators.

Unfortunately the freedom to work in any of the ASEAN nations could cause further problems for Cambodia, as it might lose skilled tourism and hotel staff, seeking higher paid jobs in other ASEAN nations.

Hotels in Cambodia will be able to recruit outside the country for any of the jobs stated in the AEC agreement, but it will put additional strain on hotel payrolls as foreigners will expect a higher pay scale than offered to local staff.

Last year, Cambodia attracted 4,210,165 visits increasing 17.5% from 3,584,307 visits in 2012. Just over 2 million overland trips came from neighbouring Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.

Cambodia’s tourism short of staff

Shanghai: Tourism spending down

Authorities in Shanghai said tourist spending in the city dropped eight percent from the previous year to 296.8 billion yuan, or roughly US$47.5 billion, partly due to the government’s drive against over-spending by officials.

According to the Shanghai Municipal Statistic Bureau, while total domestic tourist spending in the city fell in 2013, the number of domestic tourists visiting Shanghai increased 3.6 percent.

Shanghai: Tourism spending down

NZ tourism operators face rising foreign competition

Tourist Industry Association chairman Grant Lilly

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – New Zealand tourism operators face increased competition from other countries for their slice of the $1.6 trillion of spending by international travelers.

Other countries, notably Australia and the United States, are investing heavily in promoting themselves to the world. And while the number of tourists coming here has recovered since the global financial crisis, the average amount each visitor spends has fallen over the past decade, which has been worrying tourism chiefs.

Tourist Industry Association chairman Grant Lilly said New Zealand operators could not be complacent because of the growing competition. The bar keeps on going up, others are getting smarter at doing things differently.

Tourist operators gather in Auckland this week for the annual Trenz trade show to market their businesses to travel buyers, hundreds of them from overseas.

The gathering comes amid a flurry of forecasts about potential growth in tourist numbers and spending. Both the association and Auckland Airport have predicted foreign tourists will spend billions of dollars more in the next decade and Aucklands tourism body Ateed is to release its new targets today.

Auckland Airports Ambition 2025 report released on Friday set out a range of predictions for 18 inbound markets which could result in $19.1 billion in extra spending by visitors in the next decade. Airport chief executive Adrian Littlewood said competition for foreign visitors was strong, with many nations targeting them.

United Nations figures show spending among more than one billion international travellers grew by 5 percent last year.

Lilly said the high NZ dollar also remained a challenge. Like most export industries weve learned to live with that, you just have to start changing your value versus volume mix and target markets.

He said the Australian market had not been hit even though their dollar had fallen sharply against the kiwi.

They were travelling long haul but thats come off for them. New Zealand in relative terms is closer and more affordable for a short break and so the Australian market is working well.

Another issue facing the industry was doubt over the infrastructure, particularly convention centres and the extension of cruise ship facilities.

Lilly said the tourist industry was still waiting for decisions on convention centres in Queenstown and Christchurch.

Tourism ran hot over summer. International visitor arrivals were up by 5 percent to nearly 2.8 million in the year to March, and the previous month saw the highest one-year growth rate in a decade, at 7.3 percent.

Selling NZ:

*One thousand-plus tourist operators and delegates will be at Trenz industry trade show this week.

*More than 260 international travel buyers will attend.

*Business worth tens of millions of dollars is expected to be done.

NZ tourism operators face rising foreign competition