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By Tsegaye Tadesse ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia hopes to boost tourism earnings 15 percent to $200 million this year, the government said on Wednesday. "Tourist flow into Ethiopia has shown a marked improvement over the last five years," said Solomon Ali, head of public relations at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. "That is due to publicity campaigns aimed at changing the country's image from the stereotypical picture of famine and war to a nation of ancient history and culture." Solomon said Ethiopia hopes to attract 400,000 tourists this year, up from 340,000 in 2007 when it earned $170 million. The country hopes to trade on its reputation as the cradle of humankind, and the government has invested heavily in hotels, airports and other infrastructure to lure visitors. Much of the focus has been on historic sites in the north, which include the obelisks at Axum -- reputed to be the home of the Biblical Queen of Sheba -- the stunning rock-hewn churches o...

The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority has awarded 58 grants worth more than $3.1 million to nonprofits, museums and governments. The recipients’ projects support economic development through heritage tourism, which the National Trust for Historic Preservation defines as travel to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present. The grants went to projects in 11 certified heritage areas. They are follows: Anacostia Trails in Prince George’s County.; Four River in Anne Arundel County; Baltimore City; Canal Place in Allegany County; Heart of Chesapeake Country in Dorchester County; Heart of Civil War in Carroll, Frederick and Washington counties; Lower Eastern Shore; Lower Susquehanna; Montgomery County; Southern Maryland; Stories of the Chesapeake; and Multi-Heritage. The authority was formed in 1996 as part of the Maryland Department of Planning to revitalize communities through heritage tourism and small business develop...

Hiroyuki Ishida and Yuko Ohiro / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers The following excerpts are taken from The Yomiuri Shimbun's Educational Renaissance series. This is the second of a three-part sub-series focusing on opportunities for foreign students in Japan: On a Saturday morning during the last semester, 17 students taking the "sightseeing business projects" course at Rikkyo University's tourism department in Niiza, Saitama Prefecture, were discussing the airline industry. As they spoke, they posted many sticky notes on the wall--on which were written phrases such as "increasing fuel costs" and "high-end customers." The students were divided into three groups, one of which was led by Chu Yanan, 23, from China. His group discussed what kind of changes the industry would face if women became more active throughout society. He was one of eight foreign students--nearly half of the class--from China, South Korea and Vietnam. "You should explore wha...

Good­-looking women can be a country’s greatest attraction and biggest problem – at the same time. This seems to be the case in Ukraine, which is becoming a prime European destination for sex tourists. Eight skimpily clad female college students held placards reading “Ukraine is Not a Bordello” in many languages on Kyiv’s Independence Square on July 30. They were protesting the advent of increasingly more sex tourists coming to the country. The 50­person, awareness­raising show – complete with male ballet dancers acting as pimps in flashy suits – caught the public’s eye and brought the issue to the forefront. “This is insulting to us [women] and it harms the country’s image since we’re increasingly becoming a country of destination for tourists whose sole purpose is to have sex with our women,” said Anna Hutsol, the leader of FEMEN, a loose­knit women’s movement of mostly female students who organized the provocative demonstration. “We take this issue very seriously. We are pushing for...

"Manana van a estar," Colonia says in her singsong Andean Spanish, meaning "tomorrow they'll be done." She points at the three giant green squashes slowly cooking in her domed mud oven. Their skins are beginning to crack, letting out sweet bursts of aroma into the cold mountain air. As travel to the Andean nation booms, here in the bucolic highland village of Vicos, an increasing number of intrepid travelers, eager to get away from the tour bus circuit of Peru's top tourist destinations are participating in so-called community-based tourism. Travelers pay to stay in villagers' homes, eat what they eat, live as they live, learning about their customs firsthand. "One noteworthy trend we have noticed in the past three to four years is that the American traveler has become more interested in 'doing' rather than merely 'seeing' historic sites or looking out of a motor coach," Robert Whitley, president of the United States Tour Operat...

The Federal Government has welcomed the National Audit Office's report into problems with Tourism Australia. The Audit Office found that Tourism Australia does not systematically evaluate the effectiveness of its projects and is risking its reputation because of board members having conflicts of interest. Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson says in March this year the Government demanded that Tourism Australia maintain the highest standards of corporate governance. He says Tourism Australia has accepted the Audit Office's three recommendations aimed at avoiding conflicts of interest and better managing its projects.

By Tsegaye Tadesse ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia hopes to boost tourism earnings 15 percent to $200 million this year, the government said on Wednesday. "Tourist flow into Ethiopia has shown a marked improvement over the last five years," said Solomon Ali, head of public relations at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. "That is due to publicity campaigns aimed at changing the country's image from the stereotypical picture of famine and war to a nation of ancient history and culture." Solomon said Ethiopia hopes to attract 400,000 tourists this year, up from 340,000 in 2007 when it earned $170 million. The country hopes to trade on its reputation as the cradle of humankind, and the government has invested heavily in hotels, airports and other infrastructure to lure visitors. Much of the focus has been on historic sites in the north, which include the obelisks at Axum -- reputed to be the home of the Biblical Queen of Sheba -- the stunning rock-hewn churches o...

Tourism spending increased 7.4 percent statewide to $17.1 billion last year, according to Gov. Mike Easley's ofice. Guilford County ranked third in the state, with $1.1 billion in tourism spending, according to the N.C. Commerce Department's Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development. That's an increase of 5.7 percent from 2006. Forsyth County brought in about $599 million, up 7.6 percent from the year before. "Our very important state tourism industry continues to grow, even as the national economy is struggling," Easley said. "Tourism is a key economic driver, particularly for several of our rural and urban counties, and plays a critical role in adding new jobs to our economy and supports our other economic development efforts." International travelers accounted for $607 million in tourism spending last year, a 13.2 percent jump from the year before. Tourism accounted for more than 13,000 jobs in Guilford County and another 6,000 in Forsyth. Else...

In the Business Telegraph of July 28, the chief executive of the Tourist Board, Alan Clarke, says that “our golf tourism product and conferencing sector requires significant investment to meet the demands of both holiday and business visitors”. Why is it then, well over a year after the Assembly got going again, that such prestige golf-based schemes as Runkerry and Galgorm Castle are still lost in the black hole of the planning system, many years after they entered it? Declan O’loan SDLP MLA for North Antrim

The "ultimate export industry" has to be better recognised by government as an employer when manufacturing and other industries are losing ground, new tourism industry boss Tim Cossar says. Two overriding success stories existed in New Zealand: the agriculture-based dairy story and the people-based tourism story, he said yesterday. Cossar, just a few weeks into the job as chief executive, and master of ceremonies at the annual Tourism Industry Association (TIA) conference in Christchurch, said the group was preparing an election manifesto to take tourism to the new government, whether it be Labour or National. "We've got a hell of a lot of work to do in terms of taking this industry forward. We've got to advocate and lobby a hell of a lot harder if we actually want to be successful." South Island tourism operators were last night recognised for their excellence at a function at the Christchurch Convention Centre. TIA award winners included Skydive Lake Wanak...

Tourism spending increased 7.4 percent statewide to $17.1 billion last year, according to Gov. Mike Easley's ofice. Guilford County ranked third in the state, with $1.1 billion in tourism spending, according to the N.C. Commerce Department's Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development. That's an increase of 5.7 percent from 2006. Forsyth County brought in about $599 million, up 7.6 percent from the year before. "Our very important state tourism industry continues to grow, even as the national economy is struggling," Easley said. "Tourism is a key economic driver, particularly for several of our rural and urban counties, and plays a critical role in adding new jobs to our economy and supports our other economic development efforts." International travelers accounted for $607 million in tourism spending last year, a 13.2 percent jump from the year before. Tourism accounted for more than 13,000 jobs in Guilford County and another 6,000 in Forsyth. Else...

DINDIGUL: Thadiyankudisai on lower Kodaikanal hills will become the first site in the district for an endogenous tourism project that envisages development through tourism under United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Preliminary work has commenced to develop infrastructure at this village. A village committee, comprising 10 members from self-help groups in Kamanur, Mangalamkombu, Kottakombu, Pattaalakadu and Kodalangadu villages around Thadiyankudisai has been constituted. The UNDP India has sanctioned Rs.1 lakh to implement solid waste management at Kamanur. Handing over the cheque to the village committee here on Tuesday, Collector R. Vasuki said this amount will be used in coordination with the village committee. Endogenous tourism would mainly focus on culture and crafts of a selected area and create livelihood opportunities for local people through ecologically sustainable projects. It would also harness traditional skills of rural artisans and rope in women, youth and disad...

Statesman News Service KOLKATA, Aug. 5: West Bengal's share of the country's international tourism was only around 3.5% in 2007 said Mr Shilabhadra Banerjee, secretary of the ministry of tourism of the Government of India, at the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today. Despite having a portion of the Himalayan mountains, picturesque beaches and diverse wildlife, West Bengal's tourism is lagging because of poor infrastructure, he said. Transport links are inadequate and the services that exist are frequently disrupted by strikes and public meetings often leaving tourists stranded. Another problem is branding ~ West Bengal simply isn't doing enough of it. By contrast several other Indian states have successfully branded themselves internationally such as Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and most notably Kerala. The minister announced that in order to help West Bengal pursue a similar strategy, the Union ministry of tourism will fund marketing and branding exerci...

MORE than two years ago, I wrote to your newspaper on the problems at the LCCT where there were not enough chairs, not enough restaurants and the food prices were not cheap and did not reflect the idea of the LCCT. Two years on, there is no change. Actually, it’s getting worse. Getting on and off the bus to and from the LCCT requires a great effort if you are an elderly person or a female as the driver or attendant does not help you load and unload your luggage. Recently, I witnessed a few people who were almost sandwiched between two buses while taking out their luggage. There is also no proper signage of where to board these buses. At the holding room, there is only one small restaurant/cafe/kiosk (call it whatever you want). Although AirAsia is well-known for its low prices, it is similarly known for delays. Therefore, a bigger restaurant or food court should be there to cater for the hungry and tired passengers affected by these delays. At the international arrival hall, I noticed ...

TEHRAN -- A photo exhibition by Alireza Amri-Kazemi on the theme of Iran’s geo-tourism attractions will be launched today at the Niavaran Cultural Center. About 100 photos selected from among those taken of Iran’s geological phenomena will be on display during the exhibition, which will continue through August 11. A member of the Executive Committee of the 26th Iranian symposium on Geosciences with an 18-year career in taking nature photos, Amri-Kazemi has held several internal exhibitions. He has participated in photo exhibits in several other countries and photographed five short documentaries on Iranian geo-tourism to date. Iran has an abundance of fascinating geological locations and approximately 80 percent of these natural wonders have been identified and filmed. The sand pyramid and the hottest place in the Lut Desert, the highest conical peak in the world at Damavand, Iran’s highest lake at Sabalan, and the Ali Sadr Cave in Hamedan Province are just a few examples of Iranian ge...

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii's hotel industry expects occupancy rates to continue declining as the island tourism slump continues. The state's hotels were 69% full in June, down 7 percentage points from the same time last year. The industry consulting group Hospitality Advisers released the report. This release comes several days after the state reported a 14% decrease in visitors traveling to Hawaii in June. GOLF BLOG: Kauai course offers deep discounts Senior Vice President for Starwood Hotels and Resorts in Hawaii Keith Vieira says "every indication shows it's getting worse." He says hotels are trying to come up with incentives for visitors. Those could include asking for a federal waiver of landing fees or asking the state to temporarily eliminate the hotel room tax or general excise tax.

The number of overseas visitors to Australia has plateaued in the past 12 months, new figures show. But the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) says there's been strong long-term growth in tourism over the past decade. The ABS reported 472,200 short-term visitor arrivals in June, up 0.5 per cent on June 2007 and 0.1 per cent on May 2008. The highest percentage increase for the 12 months to June was recorded by India (25.4 per cent), while Japanese visitor numbers dipped 21.4 per cent. NSW was the intended state of stay for 39 per cent of all short-term visitors over the year, followed by Queensland (27 per cent), Victoria (18 per cent), Western Australia (10 per cent), South Australia (three per cent) and the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania (each one per cent). In an analysis of visitor figures over the past decade, the ABS said that despite the SARS outbreak, the Iraq war and global terrorism fears overseas visitor numbers had risen from 4.2 mil...

The New Zealand government is putting an extra $US 2 million to help implement a new national tourism plan.The Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor announced the extra funding at a tourism industry conference in Christchurch.He says the plan identifies four top priority areas: the environment, offshore marketing, tourism research and workforce issues.The New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 is a joint government-private sector plan that sets out the priorities and targets for the country's tourism industry over the next seven years.

KOLKATA: The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corp expects substantial increase in its revenue and profit in the current financial year. “Just four years back MPTDC's total revenue was Rs 12 cr and now we are expecting to double our profit in 2008-09 from Rs six cr in 2007-08,'' said Mr G S Chahal, Executive Director, MPTDC. Last year M P tourism had earned a revenue of Rs 43 cr. Heritage and wildlife tourism had contributed a major portion to the bottomline. In its initiative to promote tourism in the state, the government has invited expression of interest from private p arties for converting havelis into heritage hotels and around 40 of them were already shortlisted for the purpose. Asked if any new circuit was being introduced, he said that MPTDC was currently strengthening the existing circuits and all its properties were being renovated. Two new properties were being introduced at Burhanpur and Neemuch, he said adding, adventure and eco-tourism were the new areas wh...

CHATRUDEE THEPARAT Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee says he will take one month to complete a study on a tourism stimulus package that could include a waiver of 7% value-added tax for tour operators catering to foreign visitors during the high season. Dr Surapong said the packages would cover short-, medium- and long-term plans to stimulate tourism activities. He said it would be part of a broader series of measures the government plans to implement over the next two months. The finance minister met last week with Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kohsurat and tourism business executives to discuss how to boost the market at a time when rising oil prices are deterring some travellers, particularly from long-haul markets. Apichart Sankary, the president to the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said a VAT waiver would definitely give a boost to the industry, as foreign agents were now closing reservations for the high season that starts in September. sourse : http:...

German tourism BERLIN, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Some German hotels and restaurants risk going out of business due to higher energy prices, which are pushing up their cost base and making customers more frugal, a survey by the DIHK chambers of industry and commerce showed. The survey of some 100 tourism sector firms, conducted over the past week, showed people were increasingly staying at home rather than going away for breaks. DIHK surveyed tourism sector firms including hotels, restaurants and holiday parks. "The energy price rise is proving life threatening for large sections of the tourism sector," DIHK Managing Director Martin Wansleben told Reuters in remarks released on Sunday. In Germany, unlike countries with a bigger tourism industry, the sector is heavily reliant on domestic demand. Rather than driving away for a weekend break, Germans are increasingly staying at home. "Due to the high price of petrol, oil and gas, guests have less money for holidays and free time,...

German tourism BERLIN, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Some German hotels and restaurants risk going out of business due to higher energy prices, which are pushing up their cost base and making customers more frugal, a survey by the DIHK chambers of industry and commerce showed. The survey of some 100 tourism sector firms, conducted over the past week, showed people were increasingly staying at home rather than going away for breaks. DIHK surveyed tourism sector firms including hotels, restaurants and holiday parks. "The energy price rise is proving life threatening for large sections of the tourism sector," DIHK Managing Director Martin Wansleben told Reuters in remarks released on Sunday. In Germany, unlike countries with a bigger tourism industry, the sector is heavily reliant on domestic demand. Rather than driving away for a weekend break, Germans are increasingly staying at home. "Due to the high price of petrol, oil and gas, guests have less money for holidays and free time,...

Tourism operators call for $7m help BY JOHN THISTLETONBUSINESS EDITOR 4/08/2008 12:00:00 AM Tourism operators are calling for a $7 million promotion boost for Canberra to counter the effects of rising fuel prices and interest rates. The ACT accommodation sector says the National Gallery of Australia's recent Monet to Turner exhibition shielded Canberra from an impending downturn in visitor numbers. The ACT Government's Ministerial Advisory Council has applied for a $3 million injection of funding for strategic marketing and research. The head of the council, David Marshall, said Canberra had to compete with the likes of Queensland, which had received an extra $4million to help the industry respond to airlines' reduction of services to the Sunshine State. ''With rising interest rates, people are cautious: they will not make impulse decisions to travel to Canberra,'' Mr Marshall said. The Australia Hotels Association's ACT general manager, Steven Fanner, ...