Ski resort owners are increasingly coming to terms with the risk global warming poses to their weather-dependent industry. Many are now turning to wind power as an alternative source of energy. In the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, temperatures are expected to climb five or six degrees by the end of the 21st century. […]
When Beijing won the bid to host the Olympics, officials promised “clean” Games, both in terms of corruption and the environment. While the city has met a number of its goals, many argue Beijing still has a ways to go. Just recently, China’s Communist Party ousted its vice mayor of Olympics construction, Liu Zhihua, for […]
Each year in Vietnam, nearly 3,300 tons of illegal live wildlife and animal products are shipped in and out of the country. Although trading exotic wildlife is technically illegal, the practice persists because demand and profitability remain high. A new report by the Wildlife Conservation Society says that the trade is a $6 billion-dollar-a-year industry […]
Microsoft Corporation and the United Nations have partnered to create an online infrustructure they say will improve tourism in Africa. The idea is that increased promotion, centralized information, and connectivity will lead to a more efficient tourism sector and increased visitation, ultimately contributing to the attainment of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. In addition […]
As dissatisfaction grows with recent election results, protests have given way to violence in some Mexican cities; many say the conflicts will escalate, further endangering the country’s citizens, businesses, and tourism industry. After a tight loss in the July 2nd presidential election to National Action Party candidate, Felipe Calderon, and the partial vote recount still […]
On July 1st, The Qinghai-Tibet Railway made its first passenger trip from Xining, the capital of northwest China’s Qinghai Province, to Lhasa in Tibet. Called the “sky train,” the 4.2 billion dollar railway was built by the Chinese government to “promote stability” and boost tourism. Construction for the project started four years ago. Now complete, […]
Following the May 27th 6.2 magnitude earthquake in the Bantul region of Indonesia and further disruptions in tourism after the volcanic eruptions of Mt. Merapi, the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism formed the Java Media-Crisis Center. Under the patronage of the Ministry’s leader, Mr. Jero Wacik, the information center pools the resources of public […]
Recently, considerable attention has been paid to tourism’s affect on particular travel destinations. One site under scrutiny is Machu Picchu, an ancient Inca city in Peru’s Andes Mountains. Geological research, controversial development projects, and actions by preservation groups have caused the world to turn an increasingly watchful eye on this historical landmark. A recent Newsweek […]
Amnesty International (AI) recently called on the European Union (EU) to step up pressure on Japan to abolish the death penalty at an April 24th Japan-EU Summit Meeting. The London-based human rights organization released the statement the same day it issued its annual report on the death penalty. http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do?id=ENGIOR610112006 While, according to the report, the […]
