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Developing safety and security for children during travel

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Safety and security are always a concern of the travel industry, no matter who the traveler might be. A major issue when dealing with children is their safety and security. In the case of young travelers, the situation becomes even more difficult and emotional. There are many reasons for this heightened need for safety and security.  Among these are:

1)   Children are perceived to be more vulnerable

2)    Most people tend to be highly protective of children

3)    The legal ramifications of injury to a child may be even more severe

4)    Children evoke emotional reactions, and these emotions may crowd out rational thinking

Child safety and security tends to become the responsibility of three groupings:

1)   The child or young adult

2)   The parent of guardian of the child

3)   The host institution

The following is a partial list of precautions that all of us need to take when dealing with the child segment of the travel market. To help provide a safer ambiance for family vacations, consider some of the following.

Just as in the case of marketing efforts, tourism security efforts need to segment the market into at least four age brackets. Some suggested brackets might be: (1) new borns-2 years, (2) 3-7 years, (3) 7-12 years, and (4) teenagers until the legal age of 18. The essential issue is to realize that while both a 17 year old and a 2 year old are legally both minors, from a safety, security, and sociological standard, they operate in a very different ways and require very different guidelines. To help maintain these various groups safe and sound Tourism Tidbits offers the following suggestions. It should be noted that these are only a few suggestions of the many that are needed, and final decisions should be made by an onsite professional.

– Keep video cameras going. In case a child is lost (or Heaven forbid kidnapped), a video camera may be an excellent tool in locating the child.

– In places where adults and children mix, consider the use of ID bracelets being offered at the time of ticket purchase. You can use the ID bracelet either as a check-in/check-out device or give them away as a souvenir. In either case, should the child be lost, the security agent will have a name and phone number to call.  It is a good idea to place both the local and home number on the bracelet.

– In areas that have special young people’s sections, make sure that it is only children who enter. Adults should not be allowed into a children’s section. If an adult is needed there in case of an emergency, he/she should only be allowed to enter accompanied by a trained security agent.

– Develop policies on older children or unaccompanied minors. Younger children may be less of a problem than older children (12-17 years of age). These are guests who are legally still minors but can often do a great deal of damage or may demand that they be treated as adults even though such treatment is against the law. Make sure that all personnel are familiar with your business regarding minors’ safety and behavior of and with minors. Employees need to know:

–      policies and laws that specifically deal with people under the legal age of maturity

–      how to handle an angry or non-compliant minor

–      how to handle someone who may be making a scene

–      -when to actively intervene or call for additional help

–      how to check IDs without offense – a person’s ID is checked and questioned as to the whereabouts of his/her parents

In the hour before closing, it is very important to make sure that unsupervised young people are accounted for. In cases where the young person falsely believes that he/she is grown-up, ask for both a driver’s license and a social security number.

– Be aware of child abandonment/abuse. A form of child abuse is abandonment of a child. Train personnel to be on the lookout for all forms of child abuse. For example, if an adult is hanging around other people’s children asking for that person’s ID, turn security cameras on the person and attempt to get the license number of the vehicle being driven. The more information you have, the easier it will be for the police to act should there be a problem. Do not assume that a child abuser will return the next day. It may be weeks or months, or never, until that person returns.

– Develop cooperative information centers. Work with local police departments, hotel associations, and other attractions so that information can be passed between security departments rapidly and easily.  Remember people judge a locale on just one negative incident. When something goes wrong in one place, it can affect the entire local tourism community.

– Be careful of safety concerns.  Do a safety analysis; look for and correct such things as: glass doors against which inadvertently a child may run into, issues of food safety, or balconies over which a child may climb and jump.

Dr. Peter Tarlow is part of the Safer Travel Program by eTN. More information
www.safertravel.com 

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Grange Pen to get a J$960 million infrastructural upgrade

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The Jamaica Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) is investing a little under $J1 billion for the Resort Squatter Settlements Upgrade Project for the community of Grange Pen in St. James.

The Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) will oversee the infrastructural upgrade for the regularization of 535 households in the community. This is equivalent to approximately 8000 square feet per lot.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for the project on March 29, Tourism Minister and Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Edmund Bartlett said the project was started in 2010 as part of the then Government’s mission to provide housing solutions for workers in the tourism industry through the TEF.

“We are going to be building a level of development that you have never seen before in this parish…We have proposals for participants, RFPs [request for proposals]out for public-private participation for us to build those houses for the people – primarily workers of the tourism industry,” said the Minister.

The general scope of works, which will take place over a 24-month period, includes: road scribing and paving, draining infrastructure, construction of a sewage treatment plant, water supply connection to the National Water Commission, electricity distribution, and land titling.

A highway will also be created from Grange Pen through Barrett Hall to Greenwood, signaling the next phase of the development for the area. The Minister also shared that upon completion, the community of Grange Pen will be renamed.

In his first ever public address as Minister of Economic Growth and Job Creation, with responsibility for housing, Senator the Hon. Pearnel Charles Junior added that, “it is perhaps everyone’s dream to own their own home…It is my responsibility now to be the one to ensure that I drive the processes of accountability to make sure that we are providing the housing that is necessary to all communities across this country.”

He also stated that it is the Government’s goal to provide for low to middle income earners by “giving them improved access to mortgages, so that they can be able to go through the financing that is required to access the housing that will be provided across communities.”

The Tourism Minister also announced that a major development is in the works for Lilliput which will have significant economic benefits for the people in Montego Bay.

“We have concluded much discussions, the purchase of the land has been completed in phase 1 and phase 2 is also being completed with the Rolling’s family. We will have close to 4000 additional rooms which will require a level of service from the people in this area.

The way forward for us is an integrated, involved and inclusive tourism where the hotel developments and the communities are going to be one in the same,” said Minister Bartlett.

Chairman of the HAJ Norman Brown and Councillor Anthony Murray from the St James Municipal Corporation welcomed the development project in Grange Pen as in important initiative which will drastically transform the community.

As part of efforts to improve the look and feel of the product, the Ministry of Tourism, through the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has so far invested J$6 billion in Montego Bay and its environs. The work carried out by the TEF includes road rehabilitation, drain cleaning and housing solutions.

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Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai participates in Can Collection Day

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The Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai has been making great strides in cutting down its carbon footprint by implementing the best environmental practices. The hotel joined the ‘Can Collection Day’ organised by Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) to raise awareness about waste reduction and need for recycling to create a sustainable environment on February 28, 2019 that took place simultaneously across the seven Emirates.

Mr. Simon Moore, General Manager of Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai, said: “The protection of environment is one of our key priorities, and taking part in the clean-up initiative such as the ‘Can Collection Day’ provides us a great opportunity to implement our strategy into action and make the community a better place to live in. At the Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai, we are committing to reinforce awareness about preserving our environment through active participation in local campaigns.”

Established in 1991, the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) is a professional group devoted to protecting the environment through the means of education, action programmes and community involvement. The “Can Collection Campaign” was the first awareness and action-oriented program initiated by EEG in September 1997 that gained tremendous support from the government and private sectors and local communities in UAE.

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Brunei Travel: Ready to be stoned to death? How will WTTC and UNWTO respond?

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Brunei is becoming a deadly place to visit starting April 3, specially if you are member of the LGBT Community.

Next week the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) will have their annual summit in Seville, Spain. Tourism leaders from around the globe will meet and listen to keynote speaker U.S. President Obama. Will President Obama, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, or WTTC CEO Gloria Guevara say something on what is developing in Brunei?

No country in the world so far issued travel warnings against Brunei. U.S. authorities have a level 2 travel advisories against Germany or the Bahamas but find travel for Americans perfectly safe when a new law threatens citizens and visitors, including children to be subject to death by stoning for same-sex sexual acts and amputation for robbery. Such a law will come into effect in Brunei Darussalam on April 3.

Brunei is a tiny nation on the island of Borneo, in 2 distinct sections surrounded by Malaysia and the South China Sea. It’s known for its beaches and biodiverse rainforest, much of it protected within reserves. The capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, is home to the opulent Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah mosque and its 29 golden domes. The capital’s massive Istana Nurul Iman palace is the residence of Brunei’s ruling sultan

“Pending provisions in Brunei’s Penal Code would allow stoning and amputation as punishments – including for children, to name only their most heinous aspects,” said Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Brunei Researcher at Amnesty International.

“Brunei must immediately halt its plans to implement these vicious punishments and revise its Penal Code in compliance with its human rights obligations. The international community must urgently condemn Brunei’s move to put these cruel penalties into practice.”

These punishments are provided for in newly-implemented sections of the Brunei Darussalam Syariah Penal Code that are due to come into force on 3 April 2019, according to a discreet notice on the Attorney General’s website.

“To legalize such cruel and inhuman penalties is appalling of itself. Some of the potential ‘offences’ should not even be deemed crimes at all, including consensual sex between adults of the same gender,” said Rachel Chhoa-Howard. “These abusive provisions received widespread condemnation when plans were first discussed five years ago.”

Amnesty expressed grave concerns over the Penal Code when the code’s first phase was implemented in April 2014.

“Brunei’s Penal Code is a deeply flawed piece of legislation containing a range of provisions that violate human rights,” said Rachel Chhoa-Howard. “As well as imposing cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments, it blatantly restricts the rights to freedom of expression, religion, and belief, and codifies discrimination against women and girls.”

Stoning and a hunt to kill members of the LGBT community is not an isolated problem in Brunei alone. Brunei is joining countries like Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia or Tanzania.

Background

Brunei Darussalam has signed but not yet ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and has rejected all recommendations to this effect in its human rights review at the UN in 2014.

Under international human rights law, corporal punishment in all its forms, such as stoning, amputation or whipping, constitutes torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, which is prohibited in all circumstances.

Acts of torture and other ill-treatment are absolutely proscribed in the main international human rights instruments, most of which Brunei has not signed or ratified. In addition, this prohibition is also recognized as a peremptory rule of customary international law, meaning that every state is bound by it even if they are not a party to a relevant human rights treaty. All acts of torture constitute crimes under international law.

While Brunei retains the death penalty in law, it is abolitionist in practice. One new death sentence was imposed in 2017, for a drug-related offense.

Just a few years ago the Sultan of Brunei told UNWTO Secretary-General and WTTC CEO: “We will do our best to support tourism. Tourism is of strategic importance for Brunei and based on two principal resources: the country’s pristine rainforest in the heart of Borneo, and its spiritual and cultural heritage. Environmental protection and conservation must, therefore, lie at the heart of any tourism development, the Sultan had stressed.

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Major tourism attraction to be developed around birthplace of Jimmy Cliff

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has indicated plans to fully develop the community of Somerton in St. James, where cultural icon Jimmy Cliff was born, as a major tourism attraction.

“The town of Somerton holds the rich cultural history of some of the most celebrated Jamaicans such as former Prime Minister PJ Patterson, former Governor General Sir Howard Cooke’s family, Lennie Little-White, renowned film maker, Ms. Violet Neilson former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Bishop Herro Blair.

Perhaps the most celebrated of all is Grammy award winning singer Jimmy Cliff who still lives in Somerton and even filmed some of his greatest work here. We are excited about this history that has helped to fashion the community and can be positioned and leveraged as a major tourism attraction and generate economic growth,” said Minister Bartlett.

Minister Bartlett made the announcement at the official ground breaking for the Somerton to Fording road rehabilitation project yesterday [March 28, 2019]. The project will see restoration work on the roadway from fording to the Somerton square which will be named the Jimmy Cliff highway. The general scope of work will include road signage, construction of drains and asphaltic concrete repairs and overlay.

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (2nd Right) and Dr the Hon James “Jimmy Cliff” Chambers (C) today participated in the official ground breaking ceremony for the Somerton to Fording road rehabilitation project. Joining in the moment are (from L-R) Bishop Reverend Dr. Herro Blair, His Worship the Mayor, Councillor Homer Davis, Dr. Carey Wallace, Executive Director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund, Mrs. Jennifer Griffith, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Mr. Lennie Little-White and the Hon Godfrey Dyer, Chairman of the Tourism Enhancement Fund.

“The community needs to now be repositioned, it needs to be reimagined and today represents the start of that reimagining. We are going to doing as series of infrastructure work aimed at preserving the rich cultural history.

We are going to develop a Jimmy Cliff museum and restore the waterfall where Jimmy Cliff frequented. So the aim is to create Somerton as an important tourist attraction around Jimmy Cliff and that will bring pilgrims and fans from all over the world who have been inspired by his accomplishments.”

The community of Somerton in St. James is located eleven miles from Montego Bay, and is known for having birthed and raised a long list of distinguished Jamaicans. The most noted is Dr. the Hon James Chambers, known professionally as Jimmy Cliff. He is a ska and reggae musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. Cliff is one of only two living musicians to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honor that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences.

“I am a son of the soil and I will always be. My house remains in Somerton because this is where I want to be so I welcome these developments and thank everyone who will be a part of it,” said the world renowned singer and actor, Dr. the Hon James ‘Jimmy Cliff’ Chambers.

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United: Top-ranked LGBTQ airline

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United Airlines today announced that for the eighth consecutive year, it has received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation.

“United is proud to receive this recognition as it speaks to our focus on building a more inclusive and caring workplace and customer experience,” said Human Resources and Labor Relations Executive Vice President Kate Gebo. “We believe that advocating for inclusion is at the heart of connecting people and uniting the world, and United is determined to continue working with organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign to help champion LGBTQ inclusion.”

“The top-scoring companies on this year’s CEI are not only establishing policies that affirm and include employees here in the United States, they are applying these policies to their global operations and impacting millions of people beyond our shores,” said HRC President Chad Griffin.

The 2019 CEI evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. United’s efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results in a 100 percent score and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.

United has worked with the Human Rights Campaign on its training initiatives including teaching employees about preferred pronouns and the persistence of gender norms and other steps to make United an inclusive space for both customers and employees. The airline’s latest efforts include developing comprehensive training modules and exercises to continue employee education on how to be a better ally in both the workplace and to customers. Over the past year, United has also opened more LGBTQ Business Resource Groups across the country, reaching more employees.

This recognition follows the airline’s recent announcement that United became the first U.S. airline to offer non-binary gender options throughout all booking channels in addition to providing the option to select the title “Mx.” during booking and in a MileagePlus customer profile. United customers and employees have the option to identify themselves as M(male), F(female), U(undisclosed) or X(unspecified), corresponding with what is indicated on their passports or identification.

Alongside partner organizations, customers and employees, United will continue working to build the world’s most inclusive airline. For more information on United’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, click here.

Every customer. Every flight. Every day.

In 2019, United is focusing more than ever on its commitment to its customers, looking at every aspect of its business to ensure that the carrier keeps customers’ best interests at the heart of its service. In addition to today’s announcement, United recently released a re-imagined version of the most downloaded app in the airline industry and made DIRECTV free for every passenger on 211 aircraft, offering more than 100 channels on seat back monitors on more than 30,000 seats. The multimillion-dollar investment in improving inflight entertainment options will benefit the more than 29 million people expected to fly United’s DIRECTV-enabled planes this year.

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Crime is out of control and rampant in Waikiki: Let’s make it unwelcoming for homeless

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The perception is that crime is out of control and rampant in Waikiki. We want to make Waikiki unwelcome and uncomfortable for homeless people.

Crime is not out of control, according to Susan Ballard, Chief Honolulu Police Department.”Waikiki is a safe location for visitors and residents.”

However, the police chief together with Jerry Dolak, president of the Hawaii Hotel Visitors Industry Security Association wants to make sure Waikiki is an unwelcoming and uncomfortable place for the homeless to hang out.

Today the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association Security Conference at the Hawaii Prince Hotel in Honolulu brought security experts and leaders of the Waikiki hotel business together.

“Our Competitive edge is safety and security. One incident can change this,” said Mufi Hannemann, Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association, President & CEO.

The Honolulu Police Department is training officers in communication, conflict resolution, and re-de-escalation. Crisis intervention training (CIT) of the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) officers is to identify individuals in crisis or living with mental disabilities, like many within the homeless community.

The HPD emphasizes building relationships with the community and businesses. They encourage officers to get out of their cars and talk to the community and businesses to facilitate open communication and relationships, this can reduce crimes.

There are groups, not gangs in Waikiki. There is no organized crime, however, there are delinquent juvenile groups from other parts of Oahu.

Most of the discussion this morning was about the homeless problem. Lack of mental health care, the attractiveness to receive handouts the State of Hawaii doesn’t have but most homeless people on the Island of Oahu love is in Waikiki. Tourists do not want to see them, but many feel sorry, but businesses see them as a pest.

Bob Finley, chair of the Waikiki Neighborhood Board felt the hotels are trespassing  “them” and now “they” are on our doorstep at residential condominiums buildings.

Police officers explained how a homeless person could effectively have trespassed, so HPT could arrest such a violator. A member of the audience suggested for the courts to trespass any homeless convicted of such a crime to be no longer allowed in Waikiki altogether. This would slowly clean and isolate the 2-mile long tourist center from those that have no home to go home to.

Justin Philipps, the Homeless Outreach Manager of the Institute for Human Services explained the success of a program to provide transportation for homeless people to leave the State. He explained the homeless person has to pay half of the airline ticket, and we provide the other half.

Jessica Lani Rich, president, Visitor Aloha Society documented two cases where homeless with mental conditions attack tourists, in one case almost killed a visitor who came to attend a wedding and instead ended up in a hospital and is now disabled for the rest of her life.

“Tourism is everyone’s business in this State, even if you don’t live in Waikiki or work directly in this business.”, said Juergen Steinmetz, a long time resident of Hawaii and CEO of the eTN Corporation. “Chasing homeless people from one street to another, not forcing seriously mentally ill people to get treatment is putting our economy and our visitors at risk.

“The State has to find the money needed to help a homeless person and provide a chance to enter society. Tourism stakeholders must push legislators to provide the money and methods to help resolve this issue once and for all. The tourist industry should use its power and profits to push the State to act effectively. Someone has to take ownership of the problem, and it cannot be only well-meaning charities, churches, and other nonprofit organizations.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions: A paragon of wellness and vitality

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The ancient art and science of Ayurveda was developed thousands of years ago in the Indian Subcontinent and is believed to be one of the world’s oldest and most effective healing systems. Ayurveda is rooted in the belief that health and wellness depend on a harmonious balance of body, mind and soul and today this age-old practice has gained popularity across the world for the impact that it has on overall wellbeing. Whether you’re looking to cure or ease a long-standing ailment or nagging discomfort, Ayurveda uses a mix of therapies featuring natural minerals, metals and herbal blends to get to the root cause of your health issues, helping you to find relief, new-found energy and vitality from within.  Whether you’re balancing the demands of a fast-paced life, a challenging career or multiple responsibilities, you can now opt to embark on a journey of wellness at Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions, where you can experience a diverse range of healing solutions first-hand, in a peaceful and soothing setting.

Revitalizing treatments for many ailments: Over the centuries, Ayurvedic medicine has adopted therapies and solutions for an endless range of conditions. It has been used to help a variety of illnesses and ailments ranging from digestive problems, to hair loss, to gastric issues, mental stress, weight related issues, skin problems and insomnia and even arthritis. The powerful release of toxins from the body that Ayurveda facilitates helps to restore the body’s internal balance and provides relief, a boost in immunity and energy and promotes overall health and well-being.

Tailor-made treatments and therapies: Ayurveda does not follow a “one size fits all” approach, and at Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions, each treatment is carefully curated to heal, rejuvenate and restore an individual based on their unique requirements. Some of the most popular treatments provided at the hotel include the Panchakarma programme, which is 10-30 days long and is carefully personalized to one’s specific health needs. The primary focus of the programme is to purify and detox the body using five different therapy options. For a shorter, intense programme Purva Karma provides a variety of treatments that use a wide range of natural oils and herbal pastes to ease stress and anxiety and revitalize the skin and body.

The hotel also offers natural wellness and full-board programmes for guests who seek deeper and more intense healing therapies over longer periods of time. Whether you’re pressed for time and just have a few days to spend, or you have an entire month that you can dedicate to a holistic getaway, each treatment can be designed around your specific needs.

Additional benefits that promote holistic well-being: In addition to its broad portfolio of traditional Ayurvedic treatments and therapies, Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions also offers guests the opportunity to take part in a variety of complementary activities. Ease your mind with yoga and meditation between treatments or participate in a music therapy or aquatic exercise session to give your senses a gentle boost.

A hotel that’s fully geared for wellness: Located a short drive away from the airport, Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions is a tranquil hideaway that tunes out the hubbub of city life. Stepping in through the doors of this getaway, you will be transported to a truly picturesque and tranquil setting that is rich in nature and filled with soothing spaces. Inspired by the warmth and rustic charm of a Sri Lankan village and drawing further inspiration from nature and the ancient heritage of Ayurveda itself, the hotel has been designed to serve as the ultimate getaway that offers peace, serenity, a calm base and the ultimate location to embark on your holistic holiday.

Home to the island’s top doctors and therapists: Each and every treatment at the hotel is carried out by the finest team of Ayurveda experts comprising twelve professional therapists, under the purview of four experienced doctors, each of whom hold a Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery (B.A.M.S.) degree. Prior to each therapy or treatment process, one of the resident doctors will conduct a careful assessment of your current health and find any issues and concerns that need to be addressed. Your doctor will carefully look at your vatha, pitha and kapha – the three doshas (life forces) that are believed to be a part of every human being. Factoring in these findings with the duration of your stay, customized therapies and sessions will be mapped out to detoxify your entire body and mind and improve your health and wellness.

 

Mastering the art of an age-old healing tradition: Commenting on Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions and the unique wellness experience that it offers, Dr. Dinesh Edirisinghe – Head of Ayurveda, Jetwing stated: “Ayurveda, which means ‘life-knowledge’ in Sanskrit, is a collection of ancient healing practices that is believed to have been passed down from deities to sages, and then to humans. These therapies are an integral part of Sri Lanka’s cultural and medicinal heritage, and for most, it is still the first choice of treatment for many ailments and illnesses. At Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions, we employ these age-old healing traditions which have been perfected for centuries, to fight disease and promote wellness and good health. Our team of trained specialists are experts at identifying and treating underlying health conditions and restoring the optimal balance of mind, body and spirit.”

Family owned and in the tourism industry for the past 46 years, Jetwing Hotels has surpassed expectation at every aspect. Building on their foundation of being passionate, as well as the experience of true, traditional Sri Lankan hospitality, constantly pioneering discoveries captures the essence of the brand. Such a strong statement and direction have enabled Jetwing Hotels to imagine, create and manage marvels and masterpieces, where distinctive design and elegant comfort complement each other and the environment. In line with the Jetwing Hotels Sustainable Strategy, across all properties sustainable and responsible practices are given precedence with resource efficiency, community upliftment and education, and awareness being some of our key focus areas.

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About the African Tourism Board: Top important according to an African American Tourism Expert

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Drew Barrett, a Chicago based African American tourism expert and consultant, thinks the newly founded African Tourism Board(ATB) is very important and potentially valuable to the nations of Sub-Saharan Africa.

ATB will celebrate its official launch on April 11 during the World Travel Market in Cape Town and has moved to a world of attention. ( www.

The nations of Sub-Saharan Africa are very hungry for and in need of growth of their inbound international tourism business. Most, however, have a steep learning curve, over which they must overcome to achieve any measurable incremental results. Most are steeped in best practices of a bygone error of global tourism marketing if they are doing anything at all. Most are not.

Nations like Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa have significant global brand equity for leisure tourism. Others like Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana and again South Africa; are a compelling destination for business tourism. Yet on the extreme opposite end of the attractiveness spectrum others, due to conflict and a total lack of internal security are not in the running.

All nations of Sub-Saharan Africa with any viable tourism product are seeking to up their game, but have to reconcile a penchant, if not add to investing, and in many cases, mis-investing in energy, data +telecommunicationss, and transportation infrastructure to achieve modern global standards. They are missing there real opportunity.

The most readily available economic growth engine for all nations of Sub-Saharan Africa is their adventure, art, community, cultural, ecological (flora + fauna) and handicraft tourism products; in which they should invest in both development and marketing. The immense profit potential of such well planned and implemented investments, will return profits; which will pay for everything else.

I have two Sub-Saharan African nations, Kenya and South Africa, digress from World Class Tourism Marketers, not having a clue as to what to do; because they forsake a focus on their indigenous roots, attempting to promote being global business meeting and conference destinations; a playing field on which they cannot compete, for so many reasons.

I have just last week, submitted a comprehensive, preliminary strategic tactical concept proposal to a Northwestern Sub Saharan nation. I had developed similar proposals for three other nations. In each case, I have been working with someone who has strong connections to government decision makers; but not with any preconceived disposition toward action. In the most recent case, my contact is a division of the Ministry of Tourism.

Nigeria, a few years ago, invested in the development of a Culture and Music festival which it could market globally. The problem with some post colonial nations is, they are addicted to seeking the help of postcolonial consultant intermediaries of European and North American multinationals, for expertise. The problem is those consultants do not have the expertise necessary to enable the success of such an undertaking.

The consensus is to invest in building grand hotels, great roads, and transportation; and tourists will come. Wrong, they just end up with choking foreign debt and no tourist.

Again, the African Tourism Board, can be the way forward for the Nations of Sub Saharan Africa to be able to monetize their most readily available natural resource, as previously stated.

African Tourism Board brings to those nations both internal and external subject matter experts, professional practitioners, industry resources and massive implementation capabilities; in a unified platform which can teach the leadership of the nations of Sub Saharan Africa how to successfully market their destinations and tourism assets, to the billions of ready, willing and able international tourist.

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