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How Emirates is supporting and preserving biodiversity

April 22, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Taking its environmental responsibilities seriously and championing wildlife conservation across different corners of the planet, the Emirates Group is playing its part to support and preserve biodiversity.

The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley in Australia both illustrate the Group’s long-standing focus on protecting fragile ecosystems and support for sustainable tourism in very different parts of the world.  Both conservation reserves protect valuable ecosystems and at the same time provide unique and sustainable experiences for visitors from around the world.

The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

The Emirates Group funds the operations of the 225 square kilometre Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR), an inland desert habitat that has been protected by government mandate since 2003. This is the largest piece of land that Dubai has dedicated to a single project and aims to preserve Dubai’s unique desert environment for future generations. The DDCR plays an important role in ecological research, actively collaborating with both local and international universities. The findings and results of the research studies help to enhance knowledge of the desert ecosystem, gather scientific data around rare and endangered desert species, monitor its balance and preserve its natural environment.

The reserve is also a focal point for conservation programmes aimed at restoring populations of some of the UAE’s wildlife, such as the Arabian gazelle, sand gazelle and Arabian oryx. Since their reintroduction into the DDCR, the antelope species have thrived, and their populations have significantly increased, triggering the process of looking into relocating some oryx and gazelle species to other protected areas within the region. Over 250 endangered Macqueen’s bustard (houbara) were also released this year with 25 of them fitted with tracking devices to monitor their movement and breeding progress.

In 2018, the DDCR was visited by more than 285,000 tourists, through Arabian Adventures, various Emirates partner tour operators, and the Al Maha Desert Resort. The DDCR offers low-impact desert experiences in addition to desert clean-up activities in coordination with Arabian Adventures. During 2018 the DDCR was accepted as a candidate for the IUCN Green List for Protected and Conserved Areas, a global standard for the world’s most effectively managed Protected Areas.

Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley

Emirates has been supporting the protection of Australia’s extraordinary wildlife and plant life for over 10 years, through the conservation-based Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley in New South Wales. The property was the first luxury resort in the world to receive an internationally-recognised carbon neutral certification from New Zealand based CarboNZero, undergoing a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions assessment. Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley also conducts regular research to identify opportunities and challenges for endangered species conservation. Efforts have also been underway to help restore vital vegetation and tree planting activities, which have helped to re-establish habitats for vital bird populations, essential for their long term survival.

Emirates and Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley jointly funded the development of the WomSAT app and website in collaboration the University of Western Sydney to help researchers identify opportunities for wombat conservation. Wombats are threatened by sarcoptic mange, an unpleasant and often fatal skin disease that afflicts Australia’s largest burrow builder. The tool is used to record wombat sightings and track population health to help treat wombats afflicted by sarcoptic mange. Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley is also spearheading a number of other conservation projects, such as the Wolgan River Restoration Project, an ongoing weed management programme, and supporting research projects with Western Sydney University.

United for Wildlife and The Buenos Aires Declaration

Since 2015, Emirates has continued its strong support for actions to stem the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products, which is having devastating consequences for endangered animals and the environment in many parts of the world. In 2018, the Emirates Group also signed the Buenos Aires Declaration on Travel and Tourism and Illegal Wildlife Trade, an effort led by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) to reach a billion travellers with messages to fight the illegal wildlife trade and work with communities to develop sustainable tourism that provides livelihoods and protects wildlife. The WTTC and World Wildlife Fund are developing guidelines to eliminate illegal wildlife trafficking from the travel and tourism supply chains.

The Emirates Group has also adopted a zero-tolerance policy to wildlife trafficking and has set up training for its employees to identify and look out for warning signs of smuggled wildlife products during cargo transportation and screening. Emirates will not carry banned species, hunting trophies or any products associated with illegal wildlife activities.

Using its brand power to raise awareness around the illegal trafficking of endangered wildlife, Emirates emblazoned four of its A380s with special wildlife decals. Since then the aircraft have flown millions of kilometres across 48 cities in 29 countries on close to 6,000 flights taking this important message around the world and spurring conversation around wildlife preservation.

dnata Wildlife Conservation and Nature

dnata recently signed an MOU with the University of Pretoria in South Africa to support their research and rehabilitation projects. Under dnata4good, the partnership aims to safeguard wildlife and the environment by strengthening and enhancing research, veterinary training and awareness, increasing involvement through volunteer opportunities and ensuring needed measures are taken to care for injured animals and rehabilitate them to go back into the wild. The initiative will be partially driven by employee participation to protect fragile biodiversity in South Africa and to maintain balanced ecosystems.

Give a Ghaf

Emirates Group employees living in Meydan Heights (UAE) will be taking part in a Ghaf Tree planting event on 27 April in partnership with Goumbook. The event aims to raise awareness about the importance of conserving the living desert, with a specific focus on the Ghaf tree. The Ghaf is a drought tolerant, evergreen tree which can withstand harsh desert environments, and can be used for greening purposes whilst saving water.

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Boat Charter Policy private stakeholder consultative meeting

April 18, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

A consultative meeting with private sector stakeholders to discuss the revision of the tourism Boat Charter Policy was held on the 5th April 2019 at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles (ICCS).

The Meeting was chaired by the Principal Secretary for Tourism Mrs. Anne Lafortune and in attendance was the Director for Policy, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Mrs. Bernice Senaratne, Director for Standards and Monitoring, Mr. Louis Desnousse, relevant government agencies and boat charter operators.

The aim of the consultation meeting was to present and discuss the proposed amended Boat charter policy which dates back to 2008 in order to collect the views and recommendations of the private sector, mainly boat charter operators who will need to abide by this policy.

During the meeting, it was unanimously agreed that Boat Charter businesses should be reserved to Seychellois including all assets.  The operators highlighted that by not allowing leasing of capital assets from foreigners, the charter businesses will remain free from foreign involvements. The Principal Secretary also assured the meeting that all 300 registered Boat Charter businesses are fully owned by Seychellois as per the Tourism Department’s records.

One of the main concerns raised by the Boat Charter Operators during the meeting was regarding the availability of qualified and skilled labour. According to the operators, graduates who qualify under ‘My first Job scheme’ do not have the required skills and training for the job. The Assistant Director of the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA), Captain Wilton Ernesta also present during the meeting explained that the Academy provides the necessary training for maritime based operations and as of this year they have adopted a new strategy to recruit and produce quality students as opposed to quantity by the year 2020.

The boat charter policy comprised of 11 policy statements which include ownership and investment in the charter business, Fleet size, Qualifications required, Conditions of Licence, Standards to be maintained, Environmental actions, Preservation of the Environment, Operators subjected to Integration policy , Information to be submitted to the relevant Authorities, Non-compliance and Emergency and Evacuation procedures.

The main recommendations submitted by the operators in the meeting were regarding the preservation of the environment statement, whereby they emphasized on the need for better infrastructure and facilities to support this policy. The example of introducing a black water pump out system for the disposal of waste was given in view that currently waste is being disposed in the sea. They will be unable to implement the policy requirements without the proper infrastructure in place. It was also recommended that a Boat charter association should be set up to facilitate dialogue and support the operators and the different activities of this sector.

The Tourism department will be taking into consideration all comments and issues raised during the meeting. The proposed draft will be amended and presented to the stakeholders in a follow up validation workshop.

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U.S. Travel welcomes Bernhardt DOI confirmation

April 15, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

U.S. Travel President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement on the Senate confirmation of David Bernhardt as secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI):

“The travel industry welcomes the Senate’s confirmation of David Bernhardt as secretary of the Department of the Interior.

“As an experienced leader of the agency, Secretary Bernhardt has a deep appreciation for why national parks are often called ‘America’s best idea,’ and we applaud his recent support of the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. We look forward to working with the secretary to advance the preservation of our public lands and to continue our collaboration with DOI to establish a dedicated source of funding to tackle the $12 billion deferred maintenance backlog in the parks.

“In 2018, 318 million visitors spent billions in gateway communities, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. Communities across the country rely on well-maintained parks and robust visitation, and it is critically important that our parks are equipped to handle the millions of visitors who come to enjoy America’s parks.

“U.S. Travel is grateful for all the Department of the Interior does to support and protect our public lands, and we look forward to a continuation of the travel industry’s positive relationship with the agency under Secretary Bernhardt’s leadership.”

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U.S. Travel honors its 2019 Travel Champions

April 10, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The U.S. Travel Association on Wednesday announced the recipients of the sixth annual Distinguished Travel Champion Award: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Sen. Rob Portman (D-OH), Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC) and Acting Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Manisha Singh
Each is being honored for his or her exceptional leadership in advancing and protecting policies that strengthen travel to and within the United States.

U.S. Travel will present the awards today at U.S. Travel’s Destination Capitol Hill—the travel and tourism industry’s premier legislative fly-in event dedicated to educating policymakers about the power of travel and showcasing the industry as one of America’s most vital economic sectors.

“We always say that travel is neither a red or blue issue,” said U.S. Travel President and CEO Roger Dow. “This year’s Distinguished Travel Champions have a deep understanding of travel’s contributions to the American economy, and have consistently reached across the aisle to advance sensible policies that grow travel, enhance security and trade, and keep our economy moving.

“Our winners’ dedication to securing Brand USA’s long-term reauthorization, overhauling America’s infrastructure systems, preserving our national parks, rebranding and expanding the Visa Waiver Program, and upholding our nation’s Open Skies aviation agreements strengthen travel’s role as job creator and economic engine.”

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)

Since entering Congress just two years ago, Cortez Masto has quickly become an advocate for the travel industry and a top congressional champion of Brand USA. Her tireless work and dedication to ensuring the reauthorization of Brand USA, a program crucial to the United States’ travel promotion and planning, is invaluable.

Said Cortez Masto: “I’m honored to receive the 2019 Distinguished Travel Champion Award. I say it all the time, Nevada is the gold standard for tourism and hospitality. We draw tourists to the Las Vegas Valley and from the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe to the scenic peaks of the Ruby Mountains. I’m so proud to support our $60 billion tourism economy and the jobs it supports in Nevada. As Senator, I’ll continue to fight for policies like Brand USA and those to increase efficient travel that strengthen our tourism industry for years to come.”

Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR)

DeFazio’s commitment to overhauling infrastructure systems within our country is crucial to increasing connectivity and facilitating travel growth across America. He has also undertaken laudable efforts to end the practice of diverting “9/11” security fees to other programs unrelated to air travel security.

DeFazio’s dedication to his home state’s $11.8 billion travel and tourism industry is commendable, as is his work to ensure local travel leaders have a voice in the state’s transportation planning.

Said DeFazio: “I am proud to be this year’s recipient of the U.S. Travel Association’s Distinguished Travel Champion Award. Travel and tourism promote economic prosperity, create jobs, and strengthen our national security through improved international relations. As Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am working hard to modernize our nation’s airports, increase federal investment in infrastructure, and ensure we remain on the cutting edge of innovation as it relates to transportation. All of these improvements will help encourage increased travel and tourism.”

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH):

Portman’s leadership on national parks issues, as well as many other important fiscal issues facing the country, is vital to the preservation of our public lands and the continued growth of the American economy.

Portman led efforts to pass the Restore Our Parks Act and to establish a dedicated source of funding for the $12 billion deferred maintenance backlog that will help ensure the viability of our parks for generations to come. Our national parks are some of the biggest draws for domestic and international travelers, and countless “gateway” communities across the country rely on well-maintained parks and robust visitation.

“It is an honor to receive the U.S. Travel Association’s 2019 Distinguished Travel Champion Award,” said Portman. “If we want our national parks to be here for generations of travelers to come we must address the nearly $12 billion backlog in long-delayed maintenance projects at the National Park Service. I’ve seen this maintenance backlog firsthand at national park sites in Ohio, and it underscores why we must pass my bipartisan Restore Our Parks Act to ensure that that the National Park Service has the resources to continue preserving American treasures. I look forward to working to get this legislation across the finish line.”

Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC):

Rice’s co-sponsorship of the JOLT Act and commitment to strengthening and expanding the Visa Waiver Program is crucial to enhancing U.S. security and economic competitiveness.

Rice’s efforts to support towns and cities in his district devastated by Hurricane Florence, including tourism-dependent communities such as Myrtle Beach, have been critical.

“I am honored to receive the U.S. Travel Association’s 2019 Distinguished Travel Champion Award,” said Rice. “I will continue to advocate for policies that will support American jobs, strengthen national security, and grow South Carolina’s tourism economy.”

Acting Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Manisha Singh:

Singh has undertaken crucial efforts to uphold our country’s vital Open Skies aviation agreements, increase financial transparency and protect the interests of all U.S. aviation stakeholders. She has worked hard to elevate the travel industry as an essential export and economic driver.

Said Singh: “I’m honored to receive U.S. Travel’s 2019 Distinguished Travel Champion Award. The U.S. State Department is pleased to support the U.S. travel industry and American jobs by negotiating and helping to enforce Open Skies aviation agreements that bring flights, travel, and business to the United States from around the world.”

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SKAL Bangkok president talks happiness

April 4, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Assumption University’s Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management organised a special speaker’s series to Celebrate the International Day of Happiness

Assumption University’s Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management marked the United Nation International Day of Happiness with a special speaker’s session, 20 March, 2019 at Assumption University’s Suvarnabhumi campus. A lively panel discussion was held, focusing on Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness, led by Bangkok’s Skal  President Andrew Wood and Assumption University Alumni  and Skalleague Pichai Visutriratana. Bhutanese students studying at Assumption University shared their thoughts regarding sustainable tourism development in the kingdom of Bhutan.

The event was organized by Tourism Policy students and Dr Scott Michael Smith from Assumption University’s Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management and Skal Bangkok’s Director of Young Skal. The “International Day of Happiness” recognises happiness as the basic human goal and calls upon government and associated agencies to make policies towards improving peoples’ general well-being. The UN also acknowledges that social, environmental and economic well-being is mandatory for global happiness.

Bhutanese student Mr. Thrizong Dawa Gyaltshen provided a historical context of Gross Domestic Happiness of Bhutan. In Bhutan, they calculate GNH using indicators such as sustainable development, environmental protection, effective government, social justice and the preservation of traditions. Student leader, Ms. Anna Purna Sharwma, shares the importance of ‘mindfulness’ as a key to happiness and suggests meditation as being an important part of her daily routine.

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African Tourism Board Launch: Climate Friendly Travel initiative “Partnerships for Change” to be revealed

March 28, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The African Tourism Board Launch at the World Travel Market in Cape Town on April 11 will be the place Brussels based Professor Geoffrey Lipman will reveal his Climate Friendly Travel initiative.

Professor Geoffrey Lipman was the first president of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) from 1989 to 1999. WTTC revealed earlier this month that African Tourism is booming. It is important for Professor Lipman to launch his new global initiative in Africa.

A soft launch of his new initiative will be explained at the upcoming WTTC’s Summit in Seville, Spain next week.

Lipman shared the logo to promote his new program today with eTurboNews

Lipman explained the logo will pick up the Greta Thunberg message for the Travel & Tourism sector. Lipman added the logo will be the symbol of Climate Friendly Travel measured to manage: Green to Grow: 2050 Proof to Innovate.

It shows the late Maurice Strong, the father of sustainable development and the inspiration for his plan to put 100,000 STRONG Climate Champions across all UN States by 2030, to help in the essential transformation to the New Climate Economy.

Professor Lipman noted the symbol for SDG 17 “Partnerships for Change”, saying that the only future is a shared one, with the public sector, private sector and civil society joining the existential war on climate change together. This will go country by country: community by community.

Lipman also revealed that SUNx will be unveiling an icon project at the African Tourism Board launch on April 11, that will help to support a global scale climate resilience initiative, that links rainforest preservation, biodiversity conservation and sme entrepreneurship, with the latent potential of African Travel & Tourism.

More information on the African Tourism Board and the launch event on April 11 can be seen at www.africantourismboard.com 

More information on the SunProgram: thesunprogram.com

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Reimagining tourism for the future

March 22, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

In the last decade or so, tourism has positioned itself as a critical variable in the development planning space and the development discourse globally. Today businesses, governments, international organizations as well as NGOs have established, or are establishing programs, initiatives and programs to facilitate tourism for development. Academic institutions have also been introducing, organizing or reorganizing ‘tourism’ as an important element of their curriculum. The University of the West Indies is no exception. Through its many courses, centers and institutes, the UWI has been preparing our Caribbean nationals for the expanding opportunities and benefits being presented by the growth of the tourism sector. But we have much more to do.

Tourism and Development

According to the UNTWO, WTTC, CTO, PATA and several other regional and global institutions, tourism has been recognized as that force, which accelerates human development, social and economic inclusiveness, increased entrepreneurship and self-employment, the generation of decent work, environmental sustainability and also support regional integration.

Indeed, the contribution of tourism to both national and regional development continues to be enormous and I dare say unmatched. Firstly, tourism is linked to the notion of a sustainable economy in several ways. The economic indicators show that Caribbean is the most-tourism dependent in the world, tourism is the main economic sector in 16 out of 28 Caribbean states and the total contribution of tourism to employment in the Caribbean is estimated at 2.4 million jobs according to the World Travel and Tourism Annual Report for 2018. In Jamaica tourism employs one in every four persons.

Beyond direct employment tourism and hospitality there are vast indirect opportunities for supplying inputs to tourism enterprises catering to the visitor experience in areas such as accommodations, food and beverage, cultural and creative arts, entertainment and recreation, agriculture, manufacturing, banking and finance and foreign exchange.

Tourism is also linked to the preservation of heritage and culture through the concept of experiential tourism. Most tourists travel to have authentic experiences that require that they partake in activities and consume and acquire products/goods that are indigenous to the countries they travel. Tourism thus helps to preserve natural and cultural resources while generating revenues and incomes for local populations.

To unlock the potential of tourism to contribute to inclusive growth and development our main focus at the Ministry of Tourism is to find innovate ways to reduce economic leakage in the tourism sector and to improve retention. This mandate is already being executed through our Linkages Network which has been coordinating policies and strategies designed to strengthen linkages with other sectors of the economy particularly the agricultural and manufacturing sector, strengthen the benefits derived from the industry by local residents and communities and promote broader participation by nationals.

We however recognize that the competitiveness 0f the Caribbean destinations will significantly rely on how well we prepare our people for the emerging opportunities. If Caribbean destinations are to remain globally-competitive and increase their share of the global tourist market, we must find ways to unlock new sources of competitiveness and comparative advantage.

Traditionally the tourism sector has enjoyed one of the highest rates of labor mobility of any segment of the economy. However, many of the opportunities taken up by our citizens are those that require low skill and offer limited prospect for economic mobility. This fact is largely attributable to the fact that the majority of the tourism-related jobs are deemed to require low to medium-level technical skills. The global tourism market is however becoming increasingly differentiated and segmented. Consequently, the continued growth of Travel & Tourism in the region will depend on the right people with the right skills being available to meet this demand for additional human capital. And we at the MOT have been working to create a paradigm shift in the local tourism space which will see our citizens accessing more substantive jobs and I will discuss this some more in a minute.

Many trends are impacting the skills needed to perform competently in tourism-related jobs such as digitalization and virtualization, the need for sustainable behaviors & practices, the growth of non-traditional segments, the changing demographics of international travelers (more youthful, more specific), changing lifestyles and consumer demands and the need for data-driven policies. Technology has had a significant impact on tourism-related employment as well as supporting and changing how services are delivered. While technology has downgraded certain skills in the tourism sector it has upgraded other skills, particularly in the areas of marketing, information and communication. Caribbean destinations must recognize the differing preferences of a new generation of younger travelers and the growing importance of online services and marketing, especially through mobile internet. The future of tourism lies in the manipulation and exploitation of ICT capabilities such as big data, big data analytics, machine learning, blockchain technologies, the Internet of Things, robotics etc. We thus need to urgently capitalize on the opportunities for high-skilled employment that are being generated in the ICT-related fields in tourism.

The growth of non-traditional markets in Europe, Asia and Central America will require increased focus on cultural studies and the development of competencies in various foreign languages. The increased focus on data-driven policies to better understand the emerging needs of markets, to analyze trends and to predict future patterns means that tourism development strategy must increasingly emphasize research-based skills. The evolving tourism market will require modern managerial skills that can drive performance improvements in the sector by raising productivity through better staff planning and scheduling, employing new technology and improving employee motivation, thereby reducing staff turnover. Most importantly , we must equip our citizens with the competitive business management and marketing skills that are required to operate successful tourism enterprises in this globalized era.

In the current dispensation, the hospitality sector has to contend with negative perceptions of low wages and the lack of career opportunities beyond entry-level jobs. Studies have found that many university students have a peripheral view of tourism. There is oftentimes scarce information and misconceptions about the skills required as well as the opportunities for career development. National governments must take a lead in developing a long-term workforce development strategy. Ideally, such a strategy would be developed within the broader context of improving the industry’s competitiveness and sustainability, since the increasing demand for skilled labor will continue to present a major challenge in all countries. It is highly recommended that strategies and their implementation should be carried out with the private and education sectors and embrace agreed-upon commitments from the industry.

A robust institutional framework is needed to determine the education and training policies and programs that will support a more attractive labor market and business environment in tourism which will allow the industry to maintain a sufficient and highly-qualified workforce and hence support the enhancement of productivity in the industry. My view is that while formal qualifications are not always required in tourism, their existence, and a widely available opportunity to obtain qualifications and competency development in tourism may contribute to raising the prestige of the occupation and the sector in general.

A study by the WTTC revealed that Travel & Tourism’s human capital challenges are significantly higher than those faced in other sectors with most countries in study projecting to face a talent ‘deficit’ or ‘shortage’ in Travel & Tourism over the next ten years. Talent development will also prevent many high-skilled positions from being filled by migrant workers. Both public and private sector are thus encouraged to act now to address the anticipated talent shortage.

Given the robust nature of UWI’s tourism portfolio which was recently expanded with the recent launch of the region’s first Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, here at UWI, changes in the tourism space, new instruction technologies, the ever diversifying nature of tourism, it is time for the UWI to reimagine its tourism portfolio and consolidate its programs, courses, institutes, centers, etc. under one roof here in one of the Caribbean’s mecca of tourism (Montego Bay) with the establishment of a school or a faculty of Tourism.

Indeed, UWIs global recognition as a powerful intellectual institution will position the UWI to make an even more substantive contribution to the development of the region through such a Faculty or School. Certainly, this effort would have my support, and, although I cannot speak for my Caribbean counterparts, I am more than certain it would also have the support of the government of the region. More specifically, in keeping with the mandate of the administration that I am apart of, I reiterate my commitment to promoting a sustainable tourism product that advances the well-being of local communities and that incorporates more local talent in the delivery of tourism services.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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