For the past few days, we have continued our meetings in Acapulco during the Tianguis Turistico travel mart, where many of the destinations and suppliers are currently meeting, earthquakes notwithstanding.

I spent several hours in Mexico City airport, where everyone was wearing the standard blue mask that was issued free to all that wanted one. All over Mexico, tremendous efforts are being made to contain the flu and eradicate the situation, and the U.S. and Canada are doing the same.

I received an email from Roger Dow, the President of the U.S. Travel Association, and I’d like to reiterate some of his wise words here:

Dear Travel Colleagues:

As I’m sure you are aware, the swine flu situation is today’s lead story in every paper, the morning news shows and on every radio station. The possibility of travel restrictions is already being talked about by U.S. officials and the EU and a few other countries are already discouraging travel to Mexico and the United States. The U.S. Travel Association will take a lead role in addressing this challenge.

Just a few short years ago, the SARS and avian flu pandemics created an “infodemic” with media hysteria threatening air travel, lodging and meetings. We have learned important lessons from those challenges and must apply them in an effective, coordinated manner to this situation. While we in no way want to minimize the seriousness of the threat, it is important that our industry be vigilant about news activity and aggressively report the facts as the situation develops. As we reminded people during previous health scares, it’s important to “be prepared, but not panicked.”

I personally recall the time when SARS was a huge issue in Toronto, and how it stifled tourism needlessly for a number of years after.

President Barack Obama has reacted with similar words:
President Obama said on Monday that the growing number of cases of swine flu in the United States and abroad was “not a cause for alarm,” but he sought to assure Americans that the government was taking precautions to prepare for the prospect of a global health pandemic.
“We are closely monitoring the emerging cases of swine flu in the United States,” Mr. Obama said, speaking at the National Academy of Sciences. “This is obviously the cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert, but it’s not a cause for alarm.”

I was sent another statement that indicated that, to put things in perspective, around 4000 people die of the flu annually in the U.S. Also, The World Health organization maintains that Mexico “is not susceptible to establish a quarantine. In fact, there is no restriction to visit our territory from any latitude in the world. Mexico has been a model to manage the information in these types of situations.” “This is not an epidemic and preventive measures are being taken to reduce the risk of contagion.” (From the Mexico Secretary of Health.)

It is my sincere wish that we will always remember the sense of adventure that attracts us to travel the world, and that we will not be reactive when various issues like this one present themselves. The world is changing and there is one reason or another to avoid travel to many places, if we choose to look at it that way.

* We advise against all but essential travel to Guinea. President Lansana
Conte died on December 22, 2008. On December 23, state radio announced that
the military was taking power and that the Constitution, National Assembly,
and all government institutions had been dissolved. The military has banned
any gatherings of large groups and prohibited demonstrations. You should
keep away from any groups that may gather at short notice. Road travel into
and out of Conakry at Kilometer 36 has been stopped. This means road travel
between Conakry and Freetown, for example, is not possible. The situation
is currently calm but remains highly volatile.

* If you are currently in Guinea you should monitor local press reports, take
sensible precautions for your safety, and exercise extreme caution including
in all areas near military camps. A mutiny by part of the army in May and
police strike in June both resulted in disturbances causing deaths. You
should avoid all demonstrations and political rallies. Violent crowds can
emerge at short notice and disrupt traffic flows.

On a very different level the largely non-violent occupation of Bangkok's international airport by Thai anti-government protesters propelled an essentially internal political protest movement into a global issue because its actions closed one of the world's busiest airports.

The most glaring difference between violent terrorists and violent criminals is that terrorists seek publicity and attention while criminals may not be averse to publicity for their acts they certainly do all they can to avoid identifying themselves.

Targeting international tourists and tourism is an absolute guarantee that publicity will be widespread and pervasive. In recent years we have seen that the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings, kidnapping and murder of tourists in Yemen, Philippines, bombings of hotels in Spain, Jordan, Islamabad, Jakarta, Egyptian Sinai and other places have give the perpetrators and their sponsor organizations billions of dollars worth of undeserved publicity.

At times, the media's coverage of terrorist acts even gives comfort to the terrorist groups. This week the BBC's coverage of the murder of almost 200 people in Mumbai by Islamists sunk to a new septic low when it continually referred to the perpetrators of these murders as "militants." For the information of the sensitive new age guys and girls of the BBC and ABC, a militant is a person or a group who express very strong views on a particular cause or subject and is prepared to fight for this cause but not necessarily by violent means. A militant is not a mass murderer. Many trade unions have their militants but they do not indiscriminately murder people. Every time the BBC and its copycat media organizations refer to terrorists as militants they actually provide justification to indiscriminate murder and desecrate the memory and the deaths of their victims

The events of the last week have brought to the fore the vexed issue of tourism security. After 9/11, IATA (International Air Transport Association) and global airport authorities significantly enhanced security on airlines and airports and been despite the closure of Bangkok's international airport and the inconvenience it has caused to travelers, at no stage were the lives of travelers in Bangkok in mortal danger. The Thai demonstrators were indeed real "militants" but not murderers. The BBC, ABC, CNN and SBS may wish to note that distinction. The actions of the Thai demonstrators internationalized their cause by targeting tourism and their actions, right or wrong, their actions have hit the Thai government where its hurts most because in Thailand tourism is a significant part of the national GDP.

The Mumbai attack on the Taj Mahal Hotel and Oberoi and similar recent attacks against hotels by Islamonazis in Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia and Jordan (among others) has emphasized the need to significantly upgrade both active and passive security in hotels, especially in the growing number of countries which are most susceptible to targeting by Islamist groups. Many of these attacks have taken place in the Islamic world and it is notable that the majority of victims in most of these attacks have actually been Muslims. It is clear that hotels in these countries especially, but high profile hotels everywhere now require ready contact and access to rapidly mobilized government anti-terrorist forces or need to train their security staff in counter-terrorist tactics. Regrettably, the days when just anyone can freely wander through major hotels without some form of screening must be numbered otherwise the fanatics of this world will continue to treat major hotels as a soft target which guarantees them publicity and a ready made killing field.

In the warped worldview of the Islamonazi, a Muslim who dies in the course of attacks against "the infidel" becomes a martyr with a passport to paradise, cold comfort to the families of the bereaved. The saddest part of many of the recent attacks is that the overwhelming majority of decent Muslims who do not subscribe to the fanatical credo of the Islamonazi become the victim of fear, suspicion and sometimes discrimination because many non-Muslims have begun to falsely associate all Muslims with the views of the fanatical fringe.

If anyone questions my use of the term Islamonazi then consider this. The Nazis of the Third Reich believed in the extermination of all people (not only Jews) who were anathema to their concept of Aryan racial purity and sought to legitimize it. The fanatical elements of Islam believe in the extermination of all groups (including Muslims) who do not subscribe to their version of Islam. There is no difference between the two concepts and, in the wake of the Mumbai massacre; it's about time that "politically correct" imbeciles in the media called a terrorist a terrorist.

This authorization may be obtained online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a free Internet application administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through a U.S. government web site: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html?_flowExecutionKey=_cC255C380-1F0B-E53D-599F-D70F437AB113_kE5B935A5-FAF9-F004-EE1C-78FA0513C9DA .

VWP travelers should be aware that unauthorized third-parties have established web sites, which charge visitors seeking to travel to the United States under the VWP for information about ESTA and for submitting ESTA applications to DHS on behalf of the traveler. These businesses and web sites are not endorsed by, associated with, or affiliated in any way with DHS or the US government.

Again, the US government does not charge a fee to obtain information about, apply for, or obtain a travel authorization through the ESTA web site. Use of a private service to apply for travel authorization via ESTA will not expedite the granting of approval.

The ESTA application web site is available in 16 languages and includes a help section that provides additional information for VWP travelers to guide them through the application process. Additional information about ESTA may be found at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/ .

ASTA Communications Email: PR@asta.org

With sustained 120km/h winds, the second hurricane of the season was about 265km southeast of the Texas border town of Brownsville, the US National Hurricane Center said on today.

The storm was moving northwest at 16km/h, in its latest update at 2100 GMT (0700 AEST Wednesday).

National Hurricane Center director Bill Read warned that the hurricane was expected to make landfall “in the early morning hours” of tomorrow (from around midnight Wednesday, AEST).

“They’ll have adverse weather from now on in,” Read said on CNN.

“It’s not going to be a picnic on Padre Island,” he added, referring to the long, narrow barrier island along the Texas coast that is dotted with resorts.

A category one storm is the lowest rating in the five level Saffir-Simpson scale, but the center predicted 150mm to 250mm of rain over south Texas and northeast Mexico in the coming days.

Isolated areas were expected to see as many as 380 mm of rain along with massive waves and flooding at the point of impact, the NHC said.

“Coastal storm surge flooding of four to six feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) above normal tide levels along with large and dangerous battering waves can be expected near and to the north of where the center makes landfall.”

The hurricane led to the evacuation of more than 23,000 people from coastal areas in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, Governor Eugenio Hernandez said.

The US Navy ordered more than 100 aircraft moved inland from air stations along the Texas coast.

Some, but not all, oil drilling companies evacuated personnel from their offshore rigs as companies waited to see where the storm would make landfall, the Houston Chronicle reported.

World oil prices have crept up slightly, on fears that the storm could disrupt oil or gas production in the Gulf of Mexico.

US energy major ExxonMobil has started evacuating “non-essential” personnel from some offshore oil production facilities expected to be in Dolly’s path, but the company said there had been limited impact on production thus far.

Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell have also moved non-essential staff from their operations in the western part of the Gulf of Mexico.

“The first storm in always gets the adrenaline pumping, and it helps bring everybody into the mindset for hurricane season,” said BP spokesman Tom Mueller, quoted by the Houston Chronicle.

BP has not evacuated workers nor halted production in the Gulf, the report said.

Around one quarter of US domestic crude production and 15 percent of natural gas output comes from the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Minerals Management Service.

Texas Governor Rick Perry activated 1,200 National Guard troops and other emergency crews in advance of the storm, US media reported.

theage.com.au/etn

Sales people working in resorts often persuade people to pay large upfront fees to join clubs that promise cheap holidays in the future. Once the fee has been handed over, however, all they are offered is a booking service with little in the way of money-off on hotels or apartments. In short, the holiday clubs do not deliver what has been promised.

Sometimes the sales people try to sweeten their pitch with cashback deals and special one-day offers, both of which are often bogus.

The European Commission, which investigates markets, is looking at regulating the holiday-club industry. It would like to see a ban on upfront payments and an automatic 14-day cooling-off period.

The OFT’s head of consumer protection, Mike Haley, said that bona fide holiday clubs already had consumer safeguards in place. “They will generally give a cooling-off period so you can think about whether you want to make a sizeable investment,” he said.

“And everything they promise you will be in the contract.”

He added: “Bogus holiday clubs won’t give you any of those rights, won’t respect you as a consumer and will try to make you sign up on the day.”

independent.co.uk

SITA indicates that mishandled baggage transfer is the number one cause for lost luggage, followed by failure to load the baggage, ticketing errors, and passengers mistakenly switching bags. Given the possibility for lost baggage, you should consider travel insurance to help cover some of these unforeseen costs.

Baggage and personal effects insurance may provide reimbursements for lost or damaged luggage and personal items. In the case of delayed baggage, it may also compensate you for some of the costs of purchasing necessary toiletries and clothing. Travel insurance may also help cover the replacement costs of passports, driver’s licences, birth certificates or travel visas in the event any one of these is lost or stolen.

In addition to travel insurance, here are few tips to help avoid baggage problems:

. Tag your baggage with colourful tags, labels or straps for easy spotting.

. Label your baggage with your name and contact information. For security reasons, include your business address instead of your home address.

. Remember to include labels on both the outside and inside of your luggage. That way if your external tag is removed, you still have the inside tag.

. Pack important items such as medication, eye glasses and laptops in carry on luggage.

. Report missing luggage immediately to the airline. Keep a list of what you packed in your baggage to facilitate the claims process.

Next time you’re making travel arrangements, ask for RBC Insurance Company of Canada. You can also get a quote online at www.rbcroyalbank.com/travel, call 1-800-565-3129 or visit your local RBC branch.

-News Canada

. Prepare your vehicle with a winter maintenance check-up

Check your battery, belts and hoses, radiator, oil, lights, brakes, exhaust system, heater/defroster, wipers and ignition system.

. Store a winter car kit in your vehicle

The kit should include: a shovel, compass, road flares, extra warm clothing and footwear, first aid kit and blanket, emergency food pack, booster cables, matches, fire extinguisher, extra fuel line antifreeze, road maps and flashlight.

. Be winter ready before every ride

Always have sufficient windshield washer fluid. Keep your gas tank at least half full all winter and check air pressure in your tires often, as it decreases in colder weather.

. Consider using winter tires

Winter tires significantly improve driving safety by providing better traction and handling through snow, slush and on ice.

. Remove snow and ice from all windows, lights, mirrors, hood and roof

Store a windshield scraper and small broom for easy ice and snow removal. Ensure the interior of the windows are fog-free for better visibility.

. Drive according to current road and weather conditions

Slow down and avoid passing vehicles in poor weather conditions. Keep a safe distance between vehicles and avoid braking suddenly in slippery conditions.

. Travel with a cell phone

In case of an emergency, pull over to a safe spot to call for assistance or let a passenger call for you.

For more information, visit www.rbcinsurance.com/online or call 1-800-ROYAL-26.

-News Canada

According to Raul Marrufo, Director of the Cozumel Tourism Promotion Board, the island is fully prepared for the storm. “The safety of the local community and tourists visiting the destination is our utmost priority,” says Maruffo. “We were able to evacuate the majority of tourists from the island with the help of our air partners including Air Canada, Delta, American Airlines and Continental Airlines, who arranged flights just to bring travelers back home.”

Current updates from the island as of 6:00 p.m. Central Time:

- The Cozumel airport officially closed today (Aug. 20) at 6:00 p.m. CDT.

- All passenger ferry services between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen ceased operation at 6:00 p.m. CDT on Sunday, Aug. 19.

- Cruise ships scheduled to visit Cozumel have been re-routed, with the last cruise ship arriving to the island on Saturday, Aug 18. Cruise ships will continue to be re-routed over the next few days, and are expected to return on Thursday, Aug. 23, pending conditions from the storm.

- The majority of tourists have been evacuated from Cozumel, with 350 domestic and international travelers remaining on the island.

- Several hotel properties, including the Cozumel Palace, Iberostar Cozumel Hotel, Occidental Grand and Occidental Allegro Cozumel, have evacuated their guests to sister properties located on Mexico’s mainland.

- Travelers remaining in Cozumel will be staying at hotels that have been officially designated as safety shelters and are equipped with necessary supplies for the storm.

For more information contact YPartnership:

Noel Perkins, YPartnership Public Relations, 407-838-1797 or noel.perkins@ypartnership.com
Jeanette Chin, YPartnership Public Relations, 917-538-3266 or jeantte.chin@ypartnership.com

The group modelled the impact of an evolving pandemic in the Asia Pacific region, replicating the roles of government departments, the tourism industry, international bodies and other stakeholders, including tourists themselves. It followed a similar exercise held in Paris in March, which focused on Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

In opening the event, the Secretary-General of the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Sapta Nirwandar, and the Executive Chairman of the Indonesian National Coordination Committee on Avian Flu, Bayu Khrisnamurti, stressed the value of international cooperation and its help in increasing the integration of Tourism issues in national coordination programmes.

With an estimated 10 million people travelling abroad at any given time and many more within their own countries, UNWTO keeps a close watch on health risks generally and AHI specifically. While there has been no change in the level of AHI alerts issued by the World Health Organization, the Tourism sector is already taking action to be fully aware of the potential dangers and to prepare effectively.
The simulation helped to identify possible gaps in response systems and to understand the pressures and dynamics in a real-world situation.

It underscored the need for:
• good planning,
• clear communications,
• a fully prepared and trained work force, and
• unambiguous procedures for customer and workplace safety.

UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General Geoffrey Lipman said “The Avian Flu threat does not diminish and like other sectors of the economy Tourism needs to strengthen its defences. Every time we hold an awareness-building exercise of this nature we increase preparedness and strengthen our coordination mechanisms. It is particularly important for integrating the widespreaduse of our response portal www.sos.travel as a robust component of the global response system”.
After conducting its next simulation exercise in Mexico from 19-20 September 2007 for the Americas, UNWTO will have trained together with governments and international agencies around the world. This will provide a solid base for intensified national simulations in 2008.

Media Contact
For further information please contact:
UNWTO Press and Communications Department
T: (34) 91-567-8193 / (34) 91-567-8194 / F: (34) 91-567-8218
comm@unwto.org – www.unwto.org