scanning newspapers, airwaves and e-waves for econews. International: The World Tourism Organisation hopes to be recognised as a specialised agency of the UN following an Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC) resolution in late July. The move would require a transformation as WTO membership currently includes powerful private sector tourism groups. According to the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM), there have been recent outbreaks of diseases such as schistosomiasis in people who have rafted down the rivers in Ethiopia, and histoplasmosis (a fungal infection) in groups who have gone into caves in Nicaragua and called for greater preparation of tourists for their destination. GTZ plans to organise a mini trade fair / conference on sustainable tourism "FORUM INTERNATIONAL 2003", between 31-Jan / 2 Feb 2003 hosted again by the Reisepavillon Travel Exhibition in Hanover. For more details: http://www.gtz.de/tourismus British Airways has cancelled a third of its transatlantic flights for September 11, 2002 as bookings are lower. The International Ecotourism Society has just issued "The International Ecolodge Guidelines". Topics discuss site selection and analysis, finance, monitoring, holistic and participatory design, innovative sustainable technologies, architecture, operations, marketing and interpretation. Details at: http://www.ecotourism.org/membooks/default.asp The International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) invites hotels and restaurants around the world to apply for its 2002 "Environmental Award" which recognizes outstanding examples of best environmental practice from both corporate and independent establishments. The award, in its 12th year focuses on 'Energy and Indoor Air Quality in Hotels & Restaurants'. Deadline for submissions is September 1. For an application form visit http://www.ih-ra.com/award The United Nations conference on HIV/AIDS in Barcelona has ended with a lot of rhetoric but very little action No new funds to fight the epidemic were committed while during the five-day conference an estimated forty thousand people died of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa alone. The battle between Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. for Britain's P&O Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean, appears to be leaning towards Carnival's way. Carnival will also to pay $450 million to $650 million for the a new 2,974-passenger vessel, more than three football fields in length. Orbitz, a website set up by airlines to sell tickets through the web, announced it still loses money at a rate of $8.9 million in the first quarter, on sales of $32.2 million. Africa & M.East Bahrain will soon complete an eco-tourism strategy according to a local official. The Buabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in Ghana, home to the endangered Mona monkey is being promoted as a major tourist attraction. Alaska's only woodland caribou herd, the Chisana Caribou Herd is on the brink of extinction due to a combination of severe winters followed by a major drought and wolf attacks within a protected area. In Brazil a $1.4 billion radar System for the Vigilance of the Amazon (SIVAM), a radar network designed to monitor and catch wood, diamond and drug smugglers was formally activated. The new President of Costa Rica, Pacheco announced during a ceremony the need to fight for native species and halt plant "Nazism". The ceremony however was the inauguration of a Japanese & World Bank sponsored program to promote commercial tree plantations (Gmelina & Teak). The project aims to plant 500,000 hectares of those two Asian trees. Details at www.wrm.org.uy So far this year, US wildfires have burned almost 4,000,000 acres, already twice the annual average. 379,287 acres have burned in Colorado alone. The Sequoia National Forest fire has so far consumed 67,500 hectares.
Asia & Pacific A cargo ship, collided against the Great Barrier Reef leaving a 50 meter gap in the reef according to Park authorities. The area is one of the busiest lanes for shipping and such accidents occur every few months. Wildfires have ravaged more than 1 million hectares of forests in Russia since the beginning of the fire-prone season this year. China succeeds in breeding two endangered Malabar Pied Hornbills at Nanning Zoo in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China. The Pacific Ecotourism Conference organising committee is calling for registration to the four-day meet in Kota Kinabalu on Oct 3-6.2003. For more information http://www.mattasabah.com/apeco/program.asp An "International Ecotourism Standard' is being developed by the Australian NEAP team and is to be licensed to Green Globe 21 as the basis of an Ecotourism Certification Program. The draft is at http://www.ecotourism.org.au/ies The Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet will spend US$10 billion over eight years to turn their area into a world-class tourist destination by marketing themselves as mythical "Shangri-la". Shanghai, plans to outdo London's Eye by 65 metres by adding a giant Ferris wheel to its skyline by 2005. According to the Tax Free World Association (TFWA), by 2020 China will be the top international tourism destination attracting 130 million visitors a year, while also 100 million mainland Chinese will travel overseas. In Rarotonga, Cook Islands a tool kit on ecotourism has been launched aiming to help Pacific islanders manage and develop ecotourism in conservation areas, by the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). Queensland Ecotourism Plan 2002 - 2007: Comment and submissions from government, industry and community stakeholders in ecotourism are now being sought on this document, in particular the details of the Section 3 Action Plans. The Action Plans have been designed to provide the necessary direction for the ongoing sustainable development of ecotourism in Queensland. The document can be found at http://www.tq.com.au/ecotourism/qep/index.asp Deadline: 30 August 2002
WWF announced it will continue the fight for an Iceland national park despite Alcoa and Iceland government decision to proceed with controversial smelter and hydropower development in Eastern Iceland. A Roman who for years made his living from fishing coins thrown mostly by tourists out of the Trevi Fountain, slashed his stomach in protest after authorities barred him. He was making about € 500 a day. The Natural Park of Guadiana, home to the last Portuguese population of the endangered Iberian lynx, in Southern Portugal has been ravaged by a large forest fire over the last few days. Autuhorities suspect arson. Forest fires represent an extremely serious environmental issue in the whole Mediterranean region, where every year more than 600,000 - 800,000 hectares of forests are destroyed by fires, an area the size of Crete or Corsica. WWF's Mediterranean Programme Office, maintains that fires in 95% of the cases are due to arson, related to land speculation. Greece's Athens 2004 Olympic organising committee has pledged that the 2004 Olympic Games will be " environmentally friendly". The anticipated completion of a computerised sorting plant in western Athens, will enable the sorting and recycling of about one third of Athens' 4,500-ton daily refuse production. EasyJet bought rivals Go to create Europe's largest low-cost airline. UK Tourism Minister, Dr Kim Howells announced a major new e-tourism impact study looking at how well British tourism businesses are using information computer technology (ICT). This study will be the most comprehensive study ever undertaken in this area. It is expected to complete in the Autumn. in 2001, 16 % of UK travellers purchased a holiday service on the Internet in the UK while 31 % used the Internet to find information for booking a tourism product. Details: www.ukonlineforbusiness.gov.uk/tourism Meanwhile June saw the worst occupancy levels in London for almost 10 years.
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