New US administration must translate words into action, Cuba tells UN
Posted September 30, 2009 , comments closed- Caribbean cannot base tourism on US embargo against Cuba
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By
eTN Staff Writer |
Sep 30, 2009
Cuba’s Foreign Minister told the General Assembly yesterday that it is still waiting for the global optimism generated by the new United States administration to be translated into action, calling for an end to the decades-long embargo against the Caribbean nation.
With the election of President Barack Obama in the US, “It seemed that a period of extreme aggressiveness, unilateralism, and arrogance in the foreign policy in that country had come to an end, and the infamous legacy of the George W. Bush regime had been sunk in repudiation,” Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla said at the Assembly’s annual high-level debate.
In spite of Mr. Obama’s calls for change and dialogue, “Time goes by and the speech does not seem to be supported by concrete facts,” the Cuban official said. “His speech does not coincide with reality.”
The current US authorities have displayed “uncertainty” in overcoming the “political and ideological trends” propagated by the previous administration, he noted.
“The detention and torture center in the Guantanamo Naval Base – which usurps part of the Cuban territory – has not been shut down,” Mr. Rodríguez Parrilla said. “The occupation troops in Iraq have not withdrawn. The war in Afghanistan is expanding and is threatening other states.”
In April, the US announced it was going to “abolish some of the most brutal actions taken by the George W. Bush administration” preventing contact between Cubans living in the US and their relatives in Cuba. “These measures are a positive step, but they are extremely limited and insufficient,” the foreign minister stressed.
Most importantly, the economic, commercial, and financial blockade against Cuba is still in place, he pointed out.
“Should there be a true desire to move towards change, the US government could authorize the export of Cuban goods and services to the United States and vice versa.
“Further, Mr. Obama could allow US citizens to travel to Cuba, the only country in the world they cannot visit,” Mr. Rodríguez Parrillo emphasized.
“The US blockade against Cuba is an act of unilateral aggression that should be unilaterally terminated,” he said, expressing his country’s willingness to normalize relations with the US.
Getting off the beaten path in the Falkland Islands
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By
eTN Staff Writer |
Sep 30, 2009
With autumn fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to start planning your adventure to the Falkland Islands, located 400 miles off the southeastern tip of South America. The latest edition of Footprint’s, the infamous South American Handbook, is hot off the press, providing an essential resource for anyone heading to the Falklands - packed full of advice on how to get off the beaten track.
The Falkland Islands are a must for intrepid travelers passionate about wildlife, wilderness, and discovery. Whether you’re interested in walking, wildlife, photography, or history, you’ll find everything you need in this new handbook: comprehensive listings for hotels, B&Bs and restaurants, activities, events listings, plus photography and handy maps. Author, Ben Box, parts with his wisdom and first-hand experience of the destination with suggestions of where to go and what to do.
One thing’s for sure, the Falkland Islands are full of surprises, and here are the top five experiences not to miss off any Falklands itinerary - the “must-sees,” as well as some of the more unusual experiences:
See the Penguins at Volunteer Point
Home to the world’s most accessible colony of nesting king penguins, join a guided 4WD excursion to the turquoise waters and white sandy beaches of Volunteer Point. At just over a 2.5 hours’ drive from the capital, Stanley, visitors are guaranteed to see gentoo and Magellanic penguins, while sea lions and dolphins can often be seen in this wildlife sanctuary.
Island Hopping, Falklands-style
Traveling in a Falkland Islands Government Air Service 9-seater Britten Norman Islander aircraft is the way to take in this stunning archipelago. Where else would your pilot also be the postman and your lodge host doubled up as your airport baggage handler?! Flights operate to major settlements and islands including Sea Lion, Bleaker, Saunders, Pebble, and Carcass Islands; each has a diversity of flora, fauna, and natural beauty to discover.
Revisit Falklands History
Take a guided or self-guided historic walk around the capital, Stanley, to unveil a maritime history that spans back to the seventeenth century. The Falkland Islands Museum in Stanley shows a fascinating insight into the islands’ past. A battlefield tour of Goose Green or Mount Tumbledown, led by local people with expert knowledge, will evoke memories of the 1982 conflict.
Boat Trip to West Point Island
Experience vast numbers of black-browed albatross, rockhopper penguins, and superb cliff scenery on an excursion to this island off the most north-westerly point of West Falkland. During the hour-long boat journey, dolphins will keep you entertained and on arrival you can explore the picturesque settlement.
Explore Camp
Camp is the local term for everything outside Stanley, derived from the Spanish for countryside, el campo. A camp visit is a must for anyone wanting to experience the real Falklands – from working sheep farms to spectacular beaches bursting with plant life and wildlife, including elephant seals, sea lions, and penguins.
For further information on the Falklands Islands plus a downloadable taster guide, please visit www.falklandislands.com.
Seoul: Nukes are nukes, tourism is tourism
Posted , comments closed- North Korea to restart tourism by South Korean citizens
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Sep 30, 2009
A senior government official said Tuesday that North Korea’s nuclear programs and tours to Mt. Geumgang in the North ― the latter of which have been halted since last July ― are separate matters, indicating that South Korea has no intent to link the two.
His remark was construed as Seoul’s intention to soften its stance toward Pyongyang.
In a breakfast meeting with journalists at a restaurant in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, Vice Unification Minister Hong Yang-ho said that resumption of tours to Mt. Geumgang was not something to be discussed together with security issues.
Hundreds of South Koreans have gathered at the Mt. Geumgang resort for the second round of reunions of displaced families between the two Koreas.
“If we link the tourism to the nuclear program, there will be no areas that South and North Korea can work together on,” Hong said.
Previously, Seoul made it clear that it would be willing to move inter-Korean cooperation forward only when Pyongyang took steps toward denuclearization.
Hong reiterated that prerequisites for the resumption of the joint Mt. Geumgang tourism project include an apology for the killing of a South Korean tourist by a North Korean soldier, laying out tighter safety measures for tourists and guaranteeing that there will be no such incident again in the future.
“South Korea has consistently expressed its willingness to resume the tourism when the above conditions are met. Therefore, I think now is the time for the North to respond to our call,” he said.
Seoul banned tours to the scenic mountain on the North’s East Coast after a female South Korean tourist was shot dead at Mt. Geumgang.
Text2Fly - African Mobiles "speak English" to Check Flight Schedules
Posted September 29, 2009 , comments closed) Text2Fly is a new way of searching for flight schedules by sending a text message that appears to be an English language sentence. The airline schedules arrive in a few seconds.
Leading commentators have predicted that Africa will be a hot bed of mobile innovation. A new mobile service that lets you check Nigerian flight schedules using plain old Sms proves just that.
Sms is a difficult medium for an application that would normally require lists of cities and other prompts to guide the user. But Text2Fly makes it easy by letting users enter what appears to be an English language sentence for example, “From lagos to abuja on thurdsay at 3pm”.
It doesn’t get much simpler than that.
Timi Agama, the founder and CEO says “Text2Fly is so simple even your mother can use it. And your flight schedules arrive on your phone in seconds.”
This approach to delivering an application by Sms is patented and brand new. In theory it can be applied to searching for train times in London or bus schedules in New York.
Nigeria is the largest economy in West Africa and, with over 5 million domestic seats sold annually, has the most vibrant aviation sector.
However the “simple” task of finding flight schedules in Nigeria is much more difficult than it needs to be. Some people send their driver to get flight schedules from the airline ticketing office, but in a busy city like Lagos a short trip can take an hour in each direction. Others look in newspapers, but the papers only show the current day’s flights while Text2Fly lets you search a week ahead. Besides, not all papers carry the Nigerian flight schedules. A further option is to search online, but then you have to go to the web site of every single airline in a country where Internet access is very slow.
Text2Fly is like having a travel agent in your pocket. So to have a little less hassle when you travel, visit text2fly.com.ng to find out more.
Text2Fly is a product of Anthill Digital Limited, a Nigerian provider of innovative web-based solutions.
UNWTO: Support tourism, support your economy
Posted September 24, 2009 , comments closed- Greening the global economy through sustainable tourism
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By
eTN Staff Writer |
Sep 24, 2009
As world leaders meet to discuss a sustainable way out of the current economic crisis, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has issued a reminder claiming that many governments and decision makers still have some way to go before they recognize tourism as a sector that can be a relevant factor of the economic recovery.
Raising the profile of tourism in both the political and public perception is a critical element in increasing awareness of the sector’s economic potential as an efficient provider of employment and the way forward to the “Green Economy,” UNWTO said yesterday.
According to UNWTO, close to one billion international tourist arrivals per year generate millions of jobs. Travel and tourism is one of the few sectors that cuts across the economy mobilizing employment, investment and sustainable development opportunities for emerging economies.
“We are weathering the storm,” said UNWTO assistant secretary general Geoffrey Lipman. According to him, the global economic downturn has taken its toll on international tourism.
However, he also said that the industry is resisting the worst that the deterioration of the marketplace is delivering. Lipman said: “We will come back, stronger than we have been before, different than we have been as a sector, and those people who are understanding how to do this with us collectively, they will do it better.”