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Korean Air abandons teens in South Korea

March 27, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Two unaccompanied teenage minors, ages 15 and 16, were left stranded in South Korea after being booted from their flight from Seoul to the Philippines before takeoff.

The sons of Rakesh and Prajakta Patel had gone to visit their grandfather in a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, and were on the return journey to Manila, where their father is working a temporary job. They were making the transatlantic trip on their own.

The return trip began with a 14-hour Delta flight from Georgia to Seoul, South Korea. This first leg of the journey went fine, but their travel plans took a turn for the worse when the boys attempted to board a second flight from Seoul to Manila with Delta partner Korean Air as a result of one of the boys having a deadly peanut allergy.

Prajakta Patel, the mother of the teens, had informed Delta of her older son’s severe peanut allergy ahead of their big trip, so the brothers were shocked when a gate agent told them that peanuts would be served in the high skies. The boy’s allergy is so severe that even airborne particulates from peanuts could be extremely dangerous.

 

After explaining the situation, the teens were allegedly told that they could either take the flight or exit the aircraft and miss the trip. Though the Patel’s sons chose to board the plane, they were soon booted off.

“The gate agent came on the plane and told my sons to get off,” Mrs. Patel said. “One of my kids was shaking — they’re alone in a different country. Where were they supposed to go?” Mrs. Prajakta claimed that the gate agent even pulled on her son’s shirt “to encourage him to move” off of the aircraft.

Confused, the teens found themselves back in the gate area and told flight officials that they were willing to sit in the back of the plane with the brother with nut allergies wearing a mask. Despite their offer to compromise, a gate staffer reportedly told the boys that were not allowed to get back on the plane that was now “closed.”

Shaken, the boys called their parents, who tried to help them get to Manila without success. The mother spoke with a Delta representative who told her the boys could fly on a different carrier, however, not knowing other airlines’ nut policies, it was decided to fly the boys back to Atlanta, Georgia, on Delta.

Mrs. Patel is pushing for more than just an apology with the hopes that airlines will improve their employee education policies on nut allergies. She has filed a complaint with Delta and Korean Airlines and is reportedly seeking a refund.

Delta and Korean Air issued the following statements regarding the matter: “We’re sorry for this family’s ordeal, particularly during what is already a difficult time for them. Delta and our partner Korean Air are communicating with the family and examining the processes surrounding this incident; we will use our findings in our work to create a consistent experience for customers flying Delta and our partner airlines.”

A spokesperson for Korean Air, too, offered similar sentiments: “Korean Air is aware that peanut and food allergies are an industry issue and no airline can guarantee a food allergy-free environment. But we are reviewing ways to deal with this issue in a safe and feasible way. We totally understand the risks faced by passengers with nut and food allergies and will certainly try to accommodate them better in the future.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

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New Delhi welcomes new Qatar Visa Center

March 27, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

At the new Qatar Visa Center in New Delhi, India, work visa applicants for the State of Qatar will be able to sign on work contracts digitally, enroll their biometrics, and undergo mandatory medical test all under one-roof. This will save time and make it hassle free for applicants.

Mandated by the Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar, Qatar Visa Center was inaugurated by His Excellency Mr. Mohammed Khater Al Khater, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of India in New Delhi. The opening ceremony was attended by Major Abdullah Khalifa Al Mohannadi, Director of Department of Visa Support Services, Ministry of Interior of the State of Qatar.

The move to get work visa applicants to complete the most essential and critical part of their visa processes in the country of origin (India in this case) is aimed at guaranteeing prospective employees their rights in a manner consistent with the best international standards.

The visa center is in sync with international standards guaranteeing greater transparency, traceability and improved anti-fraud measures and security screening mechanisms for the visa applicants. The center will operate between 08:30 am to 04:30 pm from Monday to Friday.

As part of the visa application process, the employer in Qatar will ensure all necessary procedures and make the visa payments on behalf of the applicant. The applicants will only need to book an appointment online and visit the Qatar Visa Center fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled time on a given day. Once at the center and after the identity of the visa applicant is verified and the list of required documents are checked a token gets issued. Once the token is being referred to, the respective visa applicant will be explained the contract terms and can thereby digitally sign the work contract. Biometric enrollment and the mandatory medical tests will be done at the center. Upon completion of the processes at the visa center, the visa applicant then can choose to track the status of his application online or through their employer in the State of Qatar.

On this occasion, the Ambassador of the State of Qatar in India, His Excellency Mr. Mohammed Khater Al Khater, stressed that the State of Qatar, under the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, has witnessed a speedy growth and development over the past years and the Indian community in the State of Qatar has contributed significantly in the development process. His Excellency further stressed upon the keenness of the State of Qatar to protect the rights of the expatriates and facilitate their work procedures while recognizing the contribution of the Indian community. He added that in order to provide better facilities for the Indian community and further strengthening the distinguished relations between the two friendly countries, it has been decided to choose India as one of the most important countries to open the “Qatar Visas Center” in seven different cities of India including New Delhi, it is certain that, a large number of Indian expatriates, travelling to the State of Qatar for work and tourism will benefit through these centers, which will facilitate smooth and hassle-free recruitment process and ensure speedy completion of procedures to obtain the visas and residence permits for the State of Qatar.

His Excellency added that the opening of Qatar visa centers in India comes with celebration of the year 2019 as Qatar-India year of Culture. He also expressed thanks and appreciation to the officials in Ministry of External Affairs, Republic of India, for their continued support to achieve this step goal, and noted that this step reflects Qatar’s keenness to ensure the protection and safety of expatriates, as the Qatar Visa Centres in India will enable the completion of recruitment procedures through one channel easily within a shorter period of time.

“As part of Qatar’s willingness to facilitate the work process and protect the rights of expatriates, Qatar Visa Centers will be opened in a number of countries which include India,” said Major Abdullah Khalifa Al Mohannadi, Director of Visa Support Services Dept at the Ministry of the Interior, Doha, Qatar. “Medical examinations, biometric data enrollment and the signing process of employment contracts will be done through the Qatar Visa Centers in the expatriate country of origin at the 7 Indian centers including the one in New Delhi. All of this, reflects the extent and depth of Qatar’s endeavors to ensure the protection and safety of expatriates under a simplified and effective recruitment regime upheld and facilitated by the visa center,” he added.

Suhail Shaikh. Business Head, said: “We are honored to launch the first Qatar Visa Center in India in New Delhi on behalf of Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. We take great pride in being able to provide transparent, standardized and streamlined visa services for Indians seeking work visas through a simple process managed by our capable colleagues.”

Six other visa centers in Mumbai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Chennai and Kolkata will be operational shortly.

Qatar Visa Center maintains robust multi-lingual information services for the benefit of visa applicants across multiple touch points. Information on appointment scheduling, requirements and steps at the visa center can be found in English, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Bengali, Tamil and Malayalam through a dedicated website, call center helpline (+91 44 6133 1333) and walk-in at the reception.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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 Iranians open homes to travelers stranded by floods

March 27, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

As dramatic videos of deadly floods leaving behind destroyed vehicles and other damage circulate on Iranian social media networks, ordinary Iranians are doing what they can to help the affected citizens, including travelers whose Nowruz holidays have been unexpectedly disrupted. While criticizing the government for its inadequate response to the deadly flooding that has ravaged the country, ordinary Iranians are engaging in spontaneous relief efforts for the stranded and the displaced.

A 10-minute flash flood in the city of Shiraz, perhaps the most popular tourist destination in the country’s south, killed at least 18 and injured scores more on March 25. Many of the victims are said to have been visitors. Now, locals in the birthplace of classical Iranian literature are inviting panicked holidaymakers to their homes, offering unconditional stay and food. “All services will be offered for free until the harsh weather dies down,” one placard held by a volunteer in Shiraz read. Some even offer free body repairs for cars damaged in the downpours. Several local hotels and restaurants have joined the spontaneous campaign, dubbed “My Guest.”

Similar public initiatives are underway to deliver badly needed assistance to those hardest hit in the northern provinces of Golestan and Mazandaran. The aid is flowing in the form of cash donations as well as basic supplies collected from communities across Iran, including those still recovering from a devastating 2017 earthquake in the country’s west.

The government of President Hassan Rouhani has been under immense pressure for its perceived failure to handle the disaster. The president himself is under fire for staying away from the flood-hit areas. Seven days following the heavy rains, he has now traveled to the northern areas to oversee the relief operations. The government has already promised 7.1 trillion rials ($169 million) in compensation to affected households.

The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has also established a strong presence. The force’s commander, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, was seen visiting inundated neighborhoods in the country’s north half-submerged in floodwaters. While both the government and the IRGC have stepped in, some Iranians are interpreting the promises of more relief as publicity stunts meant to burnish their status and rooted in political rivalry between moderates and hard-liners.

An initial investigation into the deadly disaster in Shiraz has now pointed to negligence as the main cause of the deaths. According to a report by a crisis management team, one of the old watercourses in the city had been blocked by local authorities, probably for urban planning purposes, leading to the destructive overflow.

Meanwhile, the governor of Fars province noted that warnings had been issued two weeks before the disaster. But some social media users argue that all roads leading to the site of the flash floods should have been blocked. “How where you unable to block people but managed to fully cordon off the tomb of Cyprus the Great on his commemoration day?” one person tweeted. Every year, Iranian nationalists organize the Cyrus Day ceremony on Oct. 29 to remember the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. But in recent years the plans have been hindered by a security clampdown by the Islamic Republic, which deems such activities pro-monarchist.

Coverage of the massive flooding included more from Iran’s ancient history. The iconic Persepolis monument, 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of Shiraz, reportedly remained unscathed amid the flooding. According to local officials, underground canals built by ancient Persians to avert flooding protected the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The news prompted praise from many Iranians, who drew comparisons between the current government’s handling of such crises with that of their forefathers.

Yet despite the trauma, the floods have not produced only sad news. Pictures went viral of a smiling young couple who had planned their wedding in Golestan province for March 28. They decided to hold the ceremony earlier. Instead of a grand hall, the bride and the groom wed before the other displaced in a temporary accommodation center.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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Gambling is big business in tourism

March 26, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The gambling industry, which happens to be a really big one worldwide, is one of the most popular in terms of tourism. That’s why casino tourism is such a big thing these days.

Many countries have been developing big casinos in various regions within their bounds in order to get more tourists to come in. Obviously, a more robust tourism environment is good for the economy as it brings in not only more money but also more recognition and possible investors.

Here is a look at the impact casinos have on tourism and how they help with the overall economy of a country.

Evidence of a Correlation Between Casino and Tourism

Just by taking a look at the biggest casinos around the world, we can actually observe how tourism is boosted by casinos in some countries. These countries include the USA, Macau, and Australia. Just to give you an idea, Las Vegas, Nevada alone was able to bring in over 40 million tourists in 2016. And that’s not very surprising simply because Las Vegas is THE place to go if you want to make a lot of casino money and have fun. Sure, the tourist attractions and the beautiful nightlights also attract the tourists. However, it’s the overall gambling experience and ambiance that really bring them in.

A strong competitor of Las Vegas is none other than Macau, which is a region in China’s territory that was made into one of the world’s biggest gambling hubs. Macau became such a giant in the gambling industry that they were even able to overtake Las Vegas in gambling receipts back in 2010. Just like in Vegas, Macau also focused their efforts on providing the high spending clients with VIP services. This included golden member privileges, private gambling rooms, amazing amenities, and more. This allowed them to bring in so many rich tourists in 2013. The high rollers eventually made up 66% of the overall casino profit that year. Of course, this sudden increase was stopped short in 2014 by the anti-corruption crackdown from Xi Jinping’s government. Eventually, Macau was able to stabilize because the casinos also targeted the mass market instead of just high rollers.

Even though the Macau casinos were able to hold their ground, a number of Chinese gamblers were not satisfied. This is why they went over to Australia instead. Because of Australia’s huge casino developments, around 1 million of these Chinese gamblers switched out to Australia. In fact, casinos became one of Australia’s biggest attractions rivaling even Vegas and Macau alike with 10 million visitors in recent years.

And it’s not only these big countries who have seen surges in their tourism sectors because of casinos. Other smaller countries such as Singapore, Philippines, Monaco, and Cambodia all have boasted of strong revenues from tourists who visit those countries to play in casinos. The growth of the gambling industry in these countries already can give us an idea of how much of an impact casinos have on a country’s tourism.

How Casino Tourism Impacts Other Industries

The great thing about casino tourism is that it can bring in a large number of people from various countries and concentrate them in one location. Since there are a lot of people around casinos, other industries can also benefit from that. The hospitality industry is one such that really benefits from casino tourism. Where there is a casino, there would usually be hotels, resorts, and restaurants. That is why partnerships between hotels, casinos, and restaurants are very common.

Not only hotels and restaurants would flourish, but even other tourist attractions around the area as well. Local restaurants would receive a flock of foreign visitors who came from the casinos. These foreigners would then get a chance to try the local cuisines. This further contributes to the country’s tourism.

In a sense, casino tourism also encourages diversity. This is exactly what happened after Macau’s corruption crackdown. The Chinese government decided to diversify Macau to make it more than just another big time gambling hub like the big Venice canal lookalike.

We can also see such an example in Singapore– one of their biggest casinos, Resortsworld, is located in Sentosa near other tourist attractions by the Sentosa bay. Due to that, a lot of gamblers have also been visiting the tourist spots in the area. Finally, Manila has also been enjoying strong tourism due to the presence of their casinos concentrated in one area.

With that, we can see that location is key if a country would want to make their casino tourism venture successful. By strategic location and immense marketing, casinos can directly impact tourism and also impact other industries and the economy at large.

The Presence of Overseas Workers

The presence of a more diverse crowd also comes the presence of more overseas workers. Let’s take the Australian casinos for example. Because of the influx of Chinese high rollers flocking into their casinos, the demand for Mandarin speaking dealers also increased. What some casinos do is that they employ staff who either speak Mandarin or staff that come from Mandarin speaking countries like Taiwan. This allows the Chinese high rollers to feel more at home in the casino, thus encouraging them to bring in more Chinese gamblers to play.

Impact on Across Border Markets

We all know that there are some countries that make gambling illegal. Of course, this doesn’t deter the citizens of the country who want to gamble. What they would do is that they would either travel to the country nearest to them that legalizes gambling or search for a list of PayPal online casinos wherein they can internationally transact and gamble. By giving something the locals of a country want that their own home country cannot provide, you will be opening up new markets for opportunity by making that “want” accessible.

In Conclusion

All of these points will show that there is definitely a relationship between casinos and overall tourism. Through this discussion, we can definitely say that the casino industry can have a big positive impact on the overall tourism situation of an economy. Of course, there is the problem of an economy relying too much on the gambling industry for attracting tourists.

That is why many countries are also diversifying their tourist attractions and putting various tourist spots near casinos. This will give the foreign gamblers a reason to explore a bit and see the sights. This will encourage them to want to go back to the country even more if they already get sick of the casino. This was actually a problem with Macau since Macau didn’t really have much to brag about except their casino. That is why a lot of the former customers fled to Australia after the crackdown. However, the Chinese government decided that they wanted to diversify in order to attract other markets aside from the high rollers. That is one of the ways that lead to Macau’s stabilization.

While casinos can surely boost tourism, it shouldn’t be the sole reason for a country’s tourism growth. It should be one of the reasons supplemented by other attractions that can make tourists want to keep on coming back.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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Any WOW Air reservation may not materialize: Airline has major problems

March 25, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

“Bummer that WOW Air is potentially going under – had a very flawless experience with them. But does this mean fewer tourists in Iceland?”, a disappointed passenger posted to twitter.

Icelandic tourism professionals did not yet comment on the hopeless sounding situation of Wow Air.  The airline was founded by an Icelandic entrepreneur, Skúli Mogensen. It first flew to Paris on 31 May 2012 and later that year took over an existing airline, Iceland Express.

WOW Air based in Iceland is fighting for survival. On Sunday evening rival IcelandAir, the potential rescuer announced  that Icelandair Group has decided that its possible involvement in WOW air’s operations, as announced on 20 March 2019, will not materialize. Therefore, all discussions between the parties have been canceled.

Today Indigo Partners Will Not be Investing in WOW Air According to a recent statement made by the company, Indigo will not be negotiating further with WOW Air and instead will be opening talks with Icelandair Group.

The 9:30am flight from London Gatwick to Reykjavik in Iceland was canceled this morning at short notice, with more flights canceled later in the day according to its website.

Wow Air then issued its own statement saying: A majority of WOW air Bond Holders and other creditors of WOW air are in advance discussions with the aim of reaching an agreement on a voluntary restructuring including an agreement of converting current debt into equity and fund the company towards long term sustainability. Further information will be given tomorrow.

Within hours, Wow Air started canceling flights – including the early morning trip from Reykjavik to Gatwick, due to leave at 6.20am on Monday. The return leg to the Icelandic capital, due to leave Gatwick at 9.30am, was also grounded.

Wow Air has also canceled trips from Reykjavik to Chicago and Pittsburgh on Monday, with links to Brussels and Barcelona grounded on Tuesday.

 

Travel News | eTurboNews

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Jet Airways leader gives in to pressure to quit

March 25, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

In a major, although not unexpected development, Jet Airways founder and chairman, Naresh Goyal, and his wife, Anita, have resigned from the board.

The pioneer aviation leader, who founded the full-service airline 25 years ago, has been under pressure to quit. Etihad has a 24 percent stake in the airline, and its one director is also quitting, this writer learned.

The airline has to ground scores of its planes for non-payment of lease money. Goyal has written a letter to 22,000 Jet staff members saying that this is a new chapter, and not the end of the road.

The future course of Jet Airways will be decided by the lenders, led by State Bank of India, and an amount of Rs 1500 crores may be invested now to solve issues for the moment. The government is also expected to play an important role, as it is keen to see that the line is revived and not grounded at a time when aviation in India is growing.

Ajay Singh, SpiceJet chief, has called for policy changes to see that the aviation sector in the country grows.

It is important to keep the large network of routes of Jet Airways in order, so that in the future, the flight routes can be served again.

The next few weeks and months will be watched with keen interest in India and abroad, as things shape up, depending on several factors.

The country is also going to soon hold elections, and the outcome may also have an impact on the aviation scene.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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Aloha is not “Aloooooha”: Stop visitors from offending Hawaiians

March 24, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Do not say ALOHA or better ALOOOOOHA when visiting Hawaii.

“Those of you particularly in the tourist industry and in entertainment, stop saying “ALOOOOOOOHA”.  There is no such word and as the Hawaiian Queen said herself, they have stolen the country, and now they want to redo our language. Stop it. Just stop, It’s Aloha, not Alooooooha.”, said Adam Keawe Manalo- Camp, a native Hawaiian resident on Oahu.

Hawaii visitors and the travel and tourism industry together with the entertainment world is making Hawaiians very angry. Hawaiians think the largest industry in the State of Hawaii misusing the word “Alooooha” is disrespecting them and their rich ancient culture.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority should better educate stakeholders and visitors on cultural concerns native Hawaiian people raise. HTA must put an increased effort in on managing tourism and not just look at increasing arrival numbers. Increasing arrival numbers may not be a good indicator for a healthy tourism industry anymore.

With mass tourism and thousands of visitors arriving and leaving the US Pacific State every single day, it appears a boiling point is on the horizon. There may be is an urgent and immediate need to keep this industry safe and profitable. The largest industry in the State of Hawaii is seen as a business of invasion and disrespect by many.

Are you planning to travel to Hawaii? Are you operating a tourist attraction in the “Aloha State?” Overtourism comes with great concerns, and a massive number of people on Waikiki’s sidewalks, restaurants, hotels, and shopping malls, and beaches are a good indication there is a limit to tourism.  Has this limit been reached? Native Hawaiians are even more concerned. They are worried the travel and tourism industry is overwriting their rich Hawaiian Culture. For them shouting out “Alooooha” is a good indication.

A recent discussion on the eTurboNews Publishers Facebook points out such concerns.

Derek Hiapo told eTN: “To use the HAWAIIAN word “ALOHA” I need to make something VERY CLEAR!!  HAWAIIANS AND THE USE OF OUR LANGUAGE have been taken over by people who have NEVER known the true meaning of the word. For us kanaka maoli, we have had EVERYTHING stolen from us by people who are intent on raping us of EVERYTHING WE HAVE!!! The meaning of aloha cannot be lived or practiced, when what people have learned about the word “aloha” was taught to them at the usual tourist luau with someone onstage screaming the word and giving some halfwitted story about what that word means.

THERE’S WAY MORE MEANING TO THE WORD ALOHA AND THE PRACTICE OF LIVING ALOHA!!! You ask where is the aloha?? Being chased off of, and away from, it’s native homeland!! Where is the aloha?? In the bank accounts and pockets of all who’ve come to Hawaii to make their money at the cost of us kanaka maoli!! Where is the aloha?? In the twisted history being taught to the world that says that Hawaii was “saved” by America and not being told the TRUTH behind the theft of our internationally recognized sovereign kingdom. People want us to show ALOHA, but all we’ve been shown is disrespect, poverty, death, and the bastardization of our culture for the benefit of the illegal foreign occupier.”

Adam added this story:

“A long time ago, there lived a Hawaiian family. They worked the land for generations. Then one day there appeared a stranger. He was a haole guy (caucasion guy) who got lost and stumbled upon the Hawaiian family.

They told him where to go back but they invited him to stay with them as he seemed to have a cold. He lived with them for a week and they took care of his needs. He eventually left.
Then soon afterward, the family got sick and only the mother was left. The man returned and brought his Japanese friend. They stayed in the Hawaiian family’s house. The Hawaiian mother took care of them as she was still in mourning. The haole guy and the Japanese guy decided that it would be great if others could experience her hospitality and “the culture”.

They devised plans and started a tour business. When the Hawaiian woman began to complain as she now was being forced to work under them in her own land, they asked her, “Where was your Aloha Spirit? Don’t be such an angry Kanaka” She then began to be quiet. Then more of her time and food was being given to the strangers. She then complained again.

This time the haole guy said “Okay let’s be fair and democratic about this. Let’s vote. ” The haole and Japanese guys voted to keep the Hawaiian woman as their employee while taking over her family’s lands. And that, in a nutshell, is what is happening in Hawai’i.”

Aloha is not only a magical word for Hawaii but was stolen further by destinations like Hainan, China. The Chinese destination is fully banking and integrating on the magic this word had for many and is further offending native people in Hawaii.

The overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii began on January 17, 1893, with a coup d’état against Queen Liliʻuokalani on the island of Oahu by subjects of the Kingdom of Hawaii, United States citizens, and foreign residents residing in Honolulu.

Read what the Queen said in 1907:

The Hawaiian Queen comment on the word ALOOOOHA

Wikipedia posted: Liliʻuokalani was born on September 2, 1838, in Honolulu, on the island of Oʻahu. While her natural parents were Analea Keohokālole and Caesar Kapaʻakea, she was hānai (informally adopted) at birth by Abner Pākī and Laura Kōnia and raised with their daughter Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Baptized as a Christian and educated at the Royal School, she and her siblings and cousins were proclaimed eligible for the throne by King Kamehameha III. She was married to American-born John Owen Dominis, who later became the Governor of Oʻahu. The couple had no biological children but adopted several. After the accession of her brother David Kalākaua to the throne in 1874, she and her siblings were given Western style titles of Prince and Princess. In 1877, after her younger brother Leleiohoku II’s death, she was proclaimed as heir apparent to the throne. During the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, she represented her brother as an official envoy to the United Kingdom.

Liliʻuokalani ascended to the throne on January 29, 1891, nine days after her brother’s death. During her reign, she attempted to draft a new constitution which would restore the power of the monarchy and the voting rights of the economically disenfranchised. Threatened by her attempts to abrogate the Bayonet Constitution, pro-American elements in Hawaiʻi overthrew the monarchy on January 17, 1893. The overthrow was bolstered by the landing of US Marines under John L. Stevens to protect American interests, which rendered the monarchy unable to protect itself.

The coup d’état established the Republic of Hawaiʻi, but the ultimate goal was the annexation of the islands to the United States, which was temporarily blocked by President Grover Cleveland. After an unsuccessful uprising to restore the monarchy, the oligarchical government placed the former queen under house arrest at the ʻIolani Palace. On January 24, 1895, Liliʻuokalani was forced to abdicate the Hawaiian throne, officially ending the deposed monarchy. Attempts were made to restore the monarchy and oppose annexation, but with the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, the United States annexed Hawaiʻi. Living out the remainder of her later life as a private citizen, Liliʻuokalani died at her residence, Washington Place, in Honolulu on November 11, 1917.

It appears the problem of overtourism and local culture is not unique to Hawaii.
Barcelona also thinks Tourism is an invasion, but ETOA doesn’t want tourists to go home yet 

Travel News | eTurboNews

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Alitalia airline: The ongoing medley

March 20, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The journey of Gianfranco Battisti, CEO of Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane (FS), to the United States would have borne its first fruits in the definition of the new company for Alitalia, but so far nothing is definite.

Delta Airlines, in fact, should officially join the new Alitalia, but with an initial share of only 10%. The commitment signed with the managing director of FS doubles over the next four years to satisfy the industrial plan still being defined.

The managing director of Delta, Ed Bastian, would, therefore, have confirmed the interest for a percentage of shares similar to those already held in Air France-KLM, even if now FS will have to increase its participation up to 40%.

The US carrier, in fact, will guarantee its gradual investment to the point of controlling 20% as long as the new company makes profits, a scheme that follows the operation that Delta has already successfully experienced with Aeroméxico (from 19 to 49% in the past few years.)

According to the Italian press, the Battisti-Bastian confrontation would have focused on the shares of the new team, its shareholders, and governance, while the definition of the industrial aspects of the plan will need more time. As a result, a further postponement of the presentation of the Alitalia business plan is expected to be scheduled for next March 31.

easyJet’s second thought

In a peremptory tone through a press release, easyJet definitively closes the door on a possible entry into Alitalia. “Following the conversations with FS and Delta Air Lines for the creation of a consortium that evaluated the options for future Alitalia operations, easyJet decided to withdraw. However, the airline told the Adnkronos agency of its intentions to confirm its commitment to Italy and to continue to invest in the three airports of Milan, Naples, and Venice as done in recent years, adding routes and capabilities.”

The NewCo scheme

In the new Alitalia, therefore, 50% would be controlled by FS and Delta and another 15% would be due to MEF (the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finances) through the conversion of a bridge loan. It remains to be clarified how the remaining 35% would be divided. According to the newspaper Il Messaggero, in fact, Battisti would have obtained from the Treasury the availability of Fincantieri to cover 10-15%, while an additional 20% would remain to be covered (there are talks again of CDP – Italian National Promotional Institution) or Poste ( the state mail company) through some subsidiary companies. The new Alitalia could start with a capital requirement of around 1 billion euros.

While waiting for its future to be defined, Alitalia states to have recorded a 2.7% increase in passenger numbers on intercontinental routes compared to the same month of the previous year. And passenger revenue traffic is up by 1.2% on long-haul flights compared to the same period in 2018.

February cargo revenue, as stated by Alitalia, also increased by 4.9%. The results obtained on intercontinental routes have contributed to overall revenues, allowing Alitalia to record for the fifteenth consecutive month, growth in total passenger traffic turnover.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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Sexually assaulted by hotel staff? TripAdvisor tells woman leave a review

March 19, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

TripAdvisor is the largest travel site in the world, with 456 million people visiting the site every month to search for accommodation and other hospitality sites ranked according user reviews.

Two women alleged they were raped by staff employed by businesses currently promoted on TripAdvisor and said the company is failing its “duty to public safety” in the way it handles such complaints. They said they fear others are at risk without information about prior alleged incidents being made visible on the business page. These hotels are continuing to be promoted on TripAdvisor.

One woman said she was raped by a tour guide whose business was being promoted on the TripAdvisor. After contacting the hotel where he worked and reporting him to the police, she wanted to warn other tourists.

TripAdvisor’s response was to tell her to leave a first person review detailing her sexual assault on the website.

“I was in disbelief. Am I seriously being asked to recall the humiliating details of my own sexual assault? Was this global company pushing me to relive my trauma on their forum for everyone to see and comment, or worse of all for the perpetrator who is still out there, to respond to me, troll me?,” she said. “It left me feeling shattered, hopeless and alone.”

TripAdvisor told her that they do not remove a business from their site if a staff member was accused of sexual assault or rape, even temporarily to conduct an internal review. The company then shared 5 links with her of reviews detailing sexual assault and rape, allegedly committed by staff at different hotels, as examples of how she might write her own review.

In one review that TripAdvisor shared with her in an email dated November 2018, an 18-year-old woman said she had her drink spiked and was raped at a resort in Jamaica. She claimed the hotel hired lawyers to mount a case against her, even after undergoing a rape test at a local hospital.

The resort currently has a 4.5-star rating out of 5. There is no flag on the hotel’s TripAdvisor page to suggest any such attack has ever occurred. The only way to know would be to scroll through and read more than 5,000 reviews.

TripAdvisor ranks hotels based on the star rating given by users, but individual reviews are presented chronologically on listing page for the hotel. A review which detailed allegations of sexual assault could easily be overtaken by more recent reviews and be harder to find.

There are 40 examples of reviews describing sexual assault, rape, and groping committed by staff members of highly-rated hotels and other travel businesses on TripAdvisor. In only 14 of those cases, the hotel or travel business – such as tour guides – had replied to the review, with just one review indicating whether disciplinary action had been taken against the staff member in question.

TripAdvisor left this woman’s review as pending, because she did not write it as a first person account and it remains unpublished. She told the company she did not want to publish “first hand experiences” in fear of being contacted and identified by people whose attention she did not want to attract, including the alleged perpetrator. TripAdvisor suggested she created a burner account under an anonymous name to leave the review.

TripAdvisor has previously attempted to grapple with complaints of sexual assault. In November 2017, it said it would add a warning tags to hotels where “health, discrimination, and safety” issues have been reported – but would not explicitly say what the business has been flagged for. The decision came after the company deleted a review detailing a rape case in a hotel in Mexico because the language used breached its guidelines.

The amount of time a badge remains on a business listing is determined on a case-by-case basis, but the company uses a period of 3 months as a guideline for re-evaluation. TripAdvisor said there are currently 4 flags up on business listing pages. None of the flagged hotels or travel businesses have any warning on the business page of prior allegations made about staff.

Complainants believe a red flag on a business for 3 months to evaluate the ongoing safety of the listing is not enough, especially when little to no action is taken against the alleged attackers still employed at hotels and businesses.

Another woman, Christine, 44, from Toronto, Canada, alleged she was raped in a hotel in the Caribbean while on holiday with her family. She said the process of leaving the complaint of sexual assault as a review was futile as reviews were routinely “buried” by other reviews, making it difficult for users to find.

She added that the reviews detailing sexual assault attacks should not be lumped alongside other 1-star reviews complaining about “bed sheets.”

“They definitely should have a different kind of review system, for these types of incidences so they’re not buried in with everyone’s reviews about you know, the quality of the towels or the sheets. Especially if it’s a safety issue, particularly for women.”

Christine decided to go public with her story because, she says, “TripAdvisor has a major platform and really they have a duty for public safety, because it is a big problem. I’m not overstating it when I say it’s widespread.

“Many women contacted me and said this has happened to them, too, by a different staff member at another hotel. And we need to be aware of it.”

TripAdvisor said while the company was unsure if the reviews complaining of rape would have an impact on a business, it believed reviews were “very helpful” to travelers to inform them about where to stay or visit.

TripAdvisor added it had a team of hundreds of people working on content moderation focused on “maintaining the integrity” of the site, and that thousands of reviews on the website described health and safety issues, including sexual assault and other crimes.

The company said it took into account a number of issues before giving a business a flag, including whether a staff member of a business listed was implicated in the review complaint. The company adds a flag to listings where there are media reports of the issue or when a first-hand review is not “readily accessible.”

It said its notifications are not confirmation of the events but were there to “encourage consumers to do additional research outside of TripAdvisor” of the safety of the businesses. However, the company claimed most businesses that had received a flag had taken steps to address the issue that caused the media coverage.

In a statement to the Guardian, TripAdvisor said: “It is terrible that some travelers endure serious issues such as assault or rape, and we hope our platform can be used by them to help warn and protect others. It is important that reviewers follow our publishing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of our reviews, and when these reviews are not readily available and news reports exist that detail recent and pervasive health and safety matters, TripAdvisor’s notification process helps alert travelers about potential issues at a location.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

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