Category Archives: Travel With Literature

Oct 21 2010
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The Caribbean, Travel With Literature

Carnival’s senior cruise director criticized for his “old ears”

Weird Stuff

John Heald

John Heald’s Blog

I am used to guest thinking I am much older than I really am. Usually they say 55 and I know that’s because of either my grey hair, my droopy eyes that have celebrity-sized massive Chaelersache bags underneath them or all of the above. I also am aware that being on TV makes you look older and often when I talk to a guest close up they remark “Y’all look much younger in real life.”

As I said, I am used to this but on Saturday while standing at the coffee shop a guest asked me how old I was. I told them I was 45 and her reply of “Nooooo” was very disconcerting. So being nice I asked her what it was that made me look older than she thought. I expected the hair etc etc ……but oh no…..she told me it was my ears.

I stood there open mouthed and stuttered “Myymymy ears?” The lady told me that it was my ears that was compromising my age and being a polite chap I laughed, stirred my crapafrapacino and minced back to my cabin and all the way there I couldn’t think about anything else except my sodding ears.

You think there’s bigger stuff for me to worry about……. my job, how much Heidi is going to spend on new carpet for the living room and whether or not I will ever own an Aston Martin. But all I could think about was my ears….and I couldn’t wait to get back to my cabin and look at them in the mirror. And when I did I couldn’t believe it because she was right, my ears look saggy, stretched and wrinkly, resembling a retired circus elephant’s scrotum. How the hell did this happen. I have never had them pierced so they haven’t been carrying a ton of gold from them yet they were………right in front of me………old man’s ears.

That really pissed me off and I doubt that had I not been on a ship sailing out of California that no guest would ever had mentioned I had ugly old ears.

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Aug 19 2010
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Inspirational, Poetry & Prose, Travel With Literature

As long as the Sun

By Govia

In the end there
Is nothing but
Those thoughts
My friend

Shadows that
Dance
And no one
Sees but you.

Gifts of God
That ask for Life
That is yours
To give

To occupy space
With the gravity
Of feelings earned.

No one can deter greatness!
No one should deter you!

No one can deter
Thoughts that come from
The incubator
Of the unconquerable mind
And sit on a page.

This life will end
And so too yours,
But words live on,
Words live
As long as the sun.

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May 05 2010
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Travel With Literature, World

Capetonians will not play good hosts to human traffickers

Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold

Within 36 days of hosting of FIFA World Cup 2010, Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold has made it clear that the city will not tolerate those who participate in human trafficking. In a hard-hitting statement, Du Toit-Helmbold said this week: “Our message is very clear; we welcome visitors from all over the world, but you will not be welcome if you exploit our women and children.”

She said the protection of women and children, through tourism, was essential, and that statistics suggest that within 20 minutes, you can order fast food from any restaurant – and a child less than six years of age. “It’s a global problem,” said Du Toit-Helmbold, “And it’s a problem that often goes hand in hand with developing societies.”

“When people travel with the intention to exploit women and children, it becomes a matter of interest for tourism… We cannot turn a blind eye and just focus on the pretty postcard pictures. There is a dark underbelly in tourism whether we like it or not, and that underbelly needs to be exposed and proactively dealt with,” Du Toit-Helmbold said.

“If we don’t do this, we can’t call ourselves a responsible industry. So, under the auspices of responsible tourism, we also tackle things like sex tourism, child sex tourism, the exploitation of women and human trafficking.”

Du Toit-Helmbold is part of an international task team looking at the protection of women and children through tourism. She says Cape Town Tourism will be a co-signatory to the Code against Human Trafficking, which is currently being developed. Her organization is also putting together a responsible visitors’ code, offering people some guidelines around how to be responsible visitors to South Africa.

“We can all talk a good game, but it’s really about developing some practical tools to empower the industry and to empower visitors to Cape Town. “Our message is plain and simple; if you are going to make yourself guilty of irresponsible behavior, you are not welcome.”

Cape Town Tourism is a member of Fair Trade in Tourism SA (FTTSA) and has worked together with this body on an anti-trafficking initiative. Fair Trade in Tourism SA is South Africa’s leading responsible tourism non-governmental organization (NGO) and is launching a new project to institutionalize the Tourism Child Protection Code of Conduct (“the Code”) in South Africa, in partnership with the United Nations’ Children’s Fund (Unicef) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) and in collaboration with South African tourism stakeholders, including Cape Town Tourism.

The NGO hopes to welcome at least 10 leading industry players as Code signatories by June 2010. “FTTSA believes that protecting children at risk is a critical element of ‘2010 readiness,’ and we look forward to supporting tourism enterprises of all shapes and sizes to implement the Code,” said FTTSA executive director, Jennifer Seif.

Seif added that during the FIFA event, a national campaign to protect children will be ongoing, including messages – specifically designed to help prevent and report child sexual exploitation and other forms of child abuse – targeting tourists.

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May 03 2010
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Travel With Literature, World

Jordan’s tourism headed for a landmark year in 2010

The excavated remains of the site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus in 'Bethany beyond the Jordan' / Photo by David Bjorgen

The first quarter of 2010 heralded good news for Jordan’s tourism sector in what could be another landmark year. Statistics by the ministry of tourism and antiquities and the by the Central Bank of Jordan show across-the-board increases in both visitor numbers, as well as tourism receipts.

The ministry of tourism said overnight tourist numbers have jumped 33.4 percent during the first quarter to 883,450 people from a total of 662,075 in the same period of 2009. Same-day visitors were up 17.6 percent to 651,325 people from 553,929 in 2009. The ministry said overall numbers in the first quarter totaled 1,534,802 visitors compared to 1,216,004 in the same period of 2009 and representing a jump of 26.2 percent.

With the exception of African visitors whose numbers have declined by 5 percent, all other regions have witnessed increasing numbers particularly from Europe. American visitors increased by 8.7 percent, Asia-Pacific nationals by 27 percent, South Asians by 29.4 percent, Arabs by 20.8 percent, and Europeans by 35.5 percent.

Figures by the Central Bank of Jordan show that tourism receipts in the first quarter went up by 39.7 percent to 503 million Jordanian Dinar (US$701 million) from 360 million (US$501 million) in the same period of 2009 – a increase of US$200 million.

Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) managing director Nayef H. al-Fayez expressed great pleasure at the figures and said, “They have given Jordan’s tourism industry a very good reason to keep smiling.”

Mr. al-Fayez said, “While we look forward to a landmark season, we are confident that interest in Jordan as a unique and diversified international destination is increasing across the world.” He added that JTB’s participation in recent exhibitions and road shows, “Has given us a distinctive look at the increased confidence visitors have in Jordan both as a country and as destination for a trip of a lifetime.”

Wadi Rum / Photo by David Bjorgen

Jordan’s numerous touristic sites have reported increased visitor activity during 2010’s first quarter compared with the same period of 2009. Petra, the Kingdom’s jewel in the crown, saw an almost 50 percent increase in visitors. However, the biggest attraction was Mount Nebo with an 88 percent increase, followed by Madaba’s map with a 72 percent increase. Visitor numbers went up 32.5 percent in Jerash, 47.4 percent in Kerak, 41.2 percent in Ajloun, 45.1 percent in Um-Qais, 40.3 percent in Wadi Rum, and 24.3 percent in the Baptism Site.

Baptism Site officials have said that this is the biggest single increase in visitor numbers since the site was officially opened in 2002. They said April 2010 alone has seen more than 20,100 visitors and pilgrims indicating a growing appetite for the location, as well as for religious tourism as a main component of Jordan’s diverse tourism product.

Tourism officials said a very good season in 2010 will mean that Jordan’s tourism industry is on track and in the right direction, particularly after avoiding the impact of the global economic crisis, which started in 2008.

Jordan has fared quite well in 2009 despite the difficult times witnessed by the global tourism industry, which included both the global financial crisis, as well as the H1N1 virus pandemic. Tourism revenues remained almost unchanged at JD2.064 billion (around US$3 billion) compared with 2.089 in 2008, while overnight visitor numbers increased by 1.6 percent in 2008.

Al-Fayez said for a small country like Jordan, maintaining 2008 figures was a great achievement. “Now we can focus on making 2010 another exceptional year,” he concluded.

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Apr 28 2010
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Announcements, Travel With Literature

Malaysia to host International Summit on Tourism Safety and Security

A Malaysian making Murtabak, a type of pancake filled with eggs, small chunks of meat and onions / By LOKE SENG HON

An International Summit on Tourism Safety & Security is scheduled in Malaysia from June 14-17, 2010. The theme of the Summit is, “Improving Tourism Through Improved Safety & Security Measures.”

The event will bring together organizations of governments, the tourism private sector, and security organizations of the world for the purpose of disseminating information on how these parties can work together to instill conference in tourists who travel globally, and boost the tourism industry.

Among other things, the Summit organizers indicate that participants to the Summit will learn how to:

• Design security programs to increase awareness level among tourists
• Create strategies to protect assets, property and personnel
• Develop partnership with Government agencies to prevent crime
• Develop and implement Tourism security plan to ensure safety of people and properties
• Respond to crisis and disaster and handling disaster tactfully
• Identify and respond to possible terror threats
• Maximize efforts to ensure healthy and safe environment for the sector
• Use the police force to attract and create interest in a country
• Use the latest technologies to improve safety & security by better monitoring and effective management

The two-day conference will start off with a general session on tourism safety and security and will then break into three tracks – government’s track, a professional & practitioner’s track, and a technology & learning track. This will be followed by three focused workshops on related areas. The exhibitions will also showcase different organizations and products which support the efforts towards better tourism for all.

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Apr 22 2010
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Announcements, Travel With Literature

The Seychelles Islands campaign to attract tourists that visit Africa

The Seychelles is launching a new mini-campaign under the banner of ‘Affordable Seychelles’ that entices visitors to African wildlife destinations to then savor the best five selling points of the Seychelles Islands.

Seychelles’ Best Five are a ‘tour de force’ of all that is special about the islands: the diversity of the granite and coral islands, the many world-ranking beaches found throughout the archipelago, the sapphire seas, the year-round climate that has earned it the epithet of ‘ land of perpetual summer and the ethnic diversity and harmony of the people.

“These attributes are as much a part and parcel of the Seychelles Experience as the Big Five are to African wildlife reserves,” states Alain St Ange, the Seychelles Director of Tourism Marketing, “and they are free to one and all – an intrinsic part of our tourism landscape for all to enjoy.”

Apart from raising the profile of the islands’ magnificent natural attributes, the thrust of the campaign twins Seychelles with major African wildlife destinations with offers of a twin-hub vacation that will take visitors from the ‘Big Five’ of the African continent to the ‘Best Five’ of the Seychelles Islands – an ideal combination of experiences that is both magical, affordable – and unforgettable.

The new mini-campaign which is due to be rolled out at the forthcoming ATM Dubai Trade Fair and also at Indaba in South Africa is set to be featured in a wide range of media publications and outlets before it is used in the Seychelles Promotional Campaigns in Tanzania, Kenya & Uganda at the end of May.

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Apr 22 2010
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The Caribbean, Travel With Literature

Expert sees Caribbean Resort Development flat to recovering

Robert MacLellan

With less than two weeks to go before the annual Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference in San Juan, it may still seem optimistic to believe that the Caribbean resort development scene has already bottomed out and is now in recovery mode, but that is the belief of Robert MacLellan who has a long and specialist track record in the region. MacLellan is Managing Director of MacLellan & Associates, the largest Caribbean based hospitality consultancy.

In explaining the reasons for his view, MacLellan said, “While much of our work in 2009 consisted of appraisals on stalled projects, expert witness assignments involving project legal disputes and advising banks on exit strategies for distressed projects, 2010 has turned the corner and the majority of our assignments are now development consultancy oriented.” While he would not divulge confidential details, he confirmed that the company was currently working on six resort projects and that he expected the majority of these to break ground this year. According to MacLellan, two of the projects are located on Dominican Republic’s North Coast, two in the Grenadines, one in Dominica and one in Anguilla – some will be operated under management contract by international boutique brands.

Cap Juluca - Anguilla

MacLellan compared the impact on the Caribbean of the recent world-wide recession to the region’s challenges in the aftermath of the 9/11 disaster and said, “We had to modify the business models for mixed use resort development in 2001 to ensure that projects could proceed then and we have made similar changes now to allow projects to progress. Marketing and construction phasing is now more sensitive, real estate marketing must reach a wider range of potential target countries in a cost effective manner and project financing requires higher levels of both equity and debt than structures employed during the boom years.”

Commenting on present difficulties, MacLellan stated that many of the semi completed but distressed projects in the Caribbean could be mired in legal disputes for periods of up to five years, based on past history in the region, and that real estate sales on these projects were obviously blighted in those circumstances until the courts ruled on all outstanding matters. He also highlighted challenges in producing accurate valuations in current market conditions, saying, “Appraisals of existing properties and development sites across the Caribbean have always been challenging, given the shortage of accurate deal data for comparable transactions, but today specialist expertise in the hospitality industry and in depth regional knowledge is an absolute prerequisite to even commence the exercise with hopes of a meaningful result.”

He went on to say that in order to cope with the increased workload MacLellan & Associates has expanded the consultancy team to fourteen persons and now includes a project finance expert, a specialist hospitality industry lawyer and a marina consultant.

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Apr 18 2010
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Travel With Literature

World Tourism Organization applauds EU commitment to tourism agenda

Recent developments in the European Union (EU) acknowledging tourism’s significance to Europe’s socio-economic growth were welcomed by UNWTO secretary-general, Taleb Rifai, speaking at the European Tourism Stakeholders Conference (Madrid, Spain, April 14-15, 2010). The importance of tourism in today’s global and national agendas is still an ongoing challenge. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) welcomes that tourism’s proven contribution to economic growth, job creation, and sustainable development is gaining increasing political recognition.

Held in the framework of the Spanish Presidency of the EU, the Conference Towards a Socially Responsible European Tourism Model debated how to best develop a more competitive, sustainable, and socially responsible European tourism sector in the light of recent economic and institutional developments within the EU.

“This conference takes place at an historical moment,” said Mr. Rifai. “With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU has for the first time the competence to carry out actions to support, coordinate, and supplement the actions of the member states in the area of tourism.”

With tourism higher on the agenda of the European institutions, Spain has made the promotion of a European model of socially responsible tourism one of the priorities of its six-month Presidency of the EU. This move was applauded by Mr. Rifai who underscored the difficulties of mainstreaming an industry still as fragmented as tourism, and commended EU efforts in this respect, “The EU has become an example to the world by recognizing tourism’s critical role in generating growth and jobs.”

Tourism is a key sector of the European economy and currently generates directly and indirectly more than 10 percent of the EU’s GDP and around 12 percent of all jobs. Against this background, the institutional changes resulting from the Lisbon Treaty represent a unique opportunity for a renewed and consolidated EU tourism policy framework.

“As proven by the recent crisis, global challenges require global solutions and increased cooperation. With this new framework, the European tourism sector will be better prepared to face current and future challenges and UNWTO stands ready to work closely with the EU to make of tourism a key contributor to achieving the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth,” concluded Mr. Rifai.

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Apr 08 2010
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Announcements, Travel With Literature

Saudis find important Archeological discoveries at its Eastern province

Dr. Ali Ghabban, vice president of SCTA

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) announced the discovery of important antiquities in Darain town, Tarot Island, at the eastern province. The findings revealed that the discoveries lie on three layers of settlements indicating three different civilizations.

Dr. Ali Ghabban, vice president of SCTA for Antiquities and Museums, following his visit to Darain stated: “The site represents a residential area, which three civilizations were settled dating back to 2500 years. The first period represents the pre-Islamic era, second period immediately before Islam, and third period represents the early Islamic era.” Dr. Ghabban had inspected the site and briefed on the discovered antiquities in order to specify possible time for handing over the land to its owner after the identifications of the archaeological finds on the site.

Saudi Arabia

In a press statement, Dr. Ghabban stated that the Eastern Province PTO will announce the initial findings, based on the gathered material and discoveries on the site and said, “The research team which unearthed the site got amazing results during a brief period. It was designated as a residential area. They found human skeletons trapped near the palace of Abdul-Wahhab Faihani. Next was the discovery of coins of early Islamic ages, which are yet to be addressed and when done, might give a greater dimension of the region. Well-preserved kitchen sets with complete cooking paraphernalia of the early Islamic times were found with as much as doused-out cinders and fire ashes.

“The kingdom’s eastern province has the most important archaeological sites, which are full of monuments and historic buildings wherever you go and throughout the ages. We hope to take advantage of these findings for tourism and economic development with positive implications on the region.”

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Mar 28 2010
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Travel With Literature

US Travel signs MOU with World Travel and Tourism Council

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the US Travel Association (US Travel) have signed a memorandum of understanding, formally agreeing to share resources and to work closely together to promote the industry’s interests.

“With so many issues affecting both WTTC and US Travel,” said Roger Dow, the US association’s President and CEO, “I am pleased that our two organizations, which share several of the same travel industry leaders as members, will work more co-operatively in sharing communications and research, as well as engaging more closely on future emergency preparedness issues to minimize the impact of future crises on Travel and Tourism.

“We also look forward to working with WTTC on sustainability issues and other environmental concerns related to our industry,” Dow added. “Our similar missions to increase Travel and Tourism, and promote awareness of industry-related issues, make this a natural move for our two organizations.”

In order to achieve these objectives, the two organizations will support each other’s research, advocacy, communications and co-operative efforts.

“In addition to exchanging Travel and Tourism market data and information on marketing, e-commerce, emergency preparedness and sustainability,” said Jean-Claude Baumgarten, WTTC President and CEO. “We will co-operate on developing a strategic plan to identify mutually agreeable industry advocacy platform positions. And we plan to expand channels for the exchange of WTTC and US Travel tourism studies and research,” Baumgarten noted.

The two organizations will also collaborate on mutually agreed meetings and events that will be held in the USA, or which are relevant to the US Travel and Tourism marketplace.

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