Hospitality - travel - Tourism

Nigeria to sign visa-free pact with 8 countries The minister of foreign Affairs Mr Geoffrey Onyeama yesterday said the federal government is planning to sign visa-free pacts with a bloc of eight African countries to promote economic partnership. The minister did not disclose the countries but expressed concern that trade among African countries had been very low. He said the new initiative would ease movement of people and goods across the continent and equally boost intra African trade. "What we are trying to do at the ministry is try to promote visa-free movement of business people...we want to start with about eight countries. And we believe that if we can achieve that within a year, then other countries may want to join". He said. Tags: Daily Trust

Tourism Tourism is basically travelling to another destination for the purposes of recreation, leisure, or business. A person who travels to a destination and stays outside of where they usually live for more than 24 hours but less than one year is recognized as a tourist by the World Tourism Organization. The type of tourism depends on the reason for travel. Travel can be to destinations that are domestic or international . Domestic tourism involves residents travelling only within their country. Inbound and Outbound tourism both describe types of international tourism . Inbound tourism involves non-residents travelling within a country. Outbound tourism , involves residents travelling within another country. There are also many other types of tourism that fall under a “niche” or specialty travel category. This category of travel has evolved in recent years, and describes the various reasons why people travel for recreation, business or leisu

Reasons why restaurant business fails 1. Location, Location, Location Just like when homeowners are searching for the perfect home and location, you need to follow suit when selecting your retail space. I’d even say you can’t be too picky when it comes to this make-or-break decision. Because if you don’t look at a prospective location from all angles, especially a patron’s viewpoint, you’re liable to wind up with one or more of the following problems: Poor visibility Insufficient parking Limited foot traffic           2. People Problems I’ve always said, “My business is people.” And when I counsel restauranteurs, I encourage them to embrace this same mantra. Your team – your people – represent you on the front lines. If you’re having “people problems,” it could be due to a whole slew of reasons: Ineffective hiring – Hourly vs salary ratio. Being consistently understaffed. Lack of focus on proper training – i.e. operations, customer service, leadership. Unclear wor

Air Canada Rouge launches Toronto-Gatwick service Air Canada has launched a new non-stop service between Toronto and London-Gatwick. The new service will operate daily with an Air Canada rouge Boeing 767-300ER. “London-Heathrow is already Air Canada’s largest international gateway with flights to eight Canadian cities, so we are pleased to expand to London-Gatwick in time for the summer, when millions of vacationers are travelling between Canada and the UK. “With this new route, we become the only Canadian carrier serving the two largest airports in the London metropolitan region, which further solidifies our already market-leading position as the airline operating the most seats between Canada and UK,” said Benjamin Smith, president, passenger airlines, Air Canada. Flights will be operated with an Air Canada rouge Boeing 767-300ER, featuring premium and economy cabins.  The service commenced with six weekly flights going to daily service throughout the summer from

Tourism New Zealand welcomes record visitor figures Value and volume in the tourism sector continues to rise with new data sets showing yet more international visitors to New Zealand came this April than last and each of those visitors is spending more while there. Tourism New Zealand chief executive Kevin Bowler said the results are evidence that the organisation is making a real difference for the industry, as it focuses its efforts on increasing value. International Travel and Migration data, released today by Statistics New Zealand, shows total visitor arrivals for the year ending April up 10.6 per cent and holiday arrivals up 15.5 per cent. In addition, the ministry of business, Innovation and Employment’s International Visitor Survey shows total international spend up 25 per cent for the year ending March pushing total spend to over $10 billion for the first time. Bowler explained: “To see this level of growth in off-peak arrivals is exceptionally good news for the i

                         Experience The Beauty Of Thailand Tours Around Thailand Bang Pa-in, Ayutthaya Wat Phra Sisanphet, Ayutthaya Bangkok , the capital of Thailand, is a metropolis where one can find both old and new, East and West, traditional and fashionable, blended together in a harmonious way. Samut Prakan (29 km) has countless tourist attractions such as historical sites, old markets and indigenous lifestyles along the canals. The largest crocodile farm in the world is situated here. Samut Songkhram (63 km) highlights King Rama II Memorial Park and Amphawa Floating Market. Those who love to experience the local lifestyles have many choices of homestay programmes to choose

Why It Pays to Book With a Travel Agent Booking a trip often proves to be an extremely stressful, grueling undertaking. You can spend hours online searching for deals on flights and hotels, bouncing from one website to another in pursuit of the perfect price. This kind of process is often headache-inducing: Approximately 20 percent of more than 2,000 travelers worldwide said it took them more than five hours to search and book travel online, according to a recent survey by the I.B.M. Institute for Business Value . To avoid the hassle, some consumers are turning to travel agents. After suffering for years, the travel-agent industry is now experiencing substantial growth. Nearly 1 in 3 leisure agencies is hiring, according to PhoCusWright, a travel research firm. And the American Society of Travel Agents reports that 57 percent of independent agents saw an increase in business in 2011. Faced with countless choices for flights, hotels, car rental, and tours, some consumers are dumpin

What a guest expects from a hotel Not matter how much hotels innovate, there are still some "basic" requirements that all properties should meet to make their experiences both welcoming and comforting to guests. Hoteliers and hotel employees: Pay close attention to ensure your hotel can deliver on these expectations. 1. Cleanliness: This is an absolute must. Hotels, whether we're talking about a Red Roof Inn or a Bulgari resort, need to uphold the highest cleanliness standards, offering clean public spaces, bathrooms, bedrooms, and amenities. While it's an important initiative, recycling must not give way to a lack of hygiene. 2. Adequate safety/security: For many, a hotel functions as a home away from home. With that comes a hefty expectation for the most diligent safety and security measures. Many hotels now focus on providing personalized safety and security measures for different guest profiles such as women, children, and the elderly. Technology plays an inc

                                             FOCUS ON BAYELSA STATE CULTURE AND TOURISM                   " The Pride Of The Nation"                                 Bayelsa is a state in southern Nigeria in the core Niger Delta region, between Delta State and Rivers State . Its capital is Yenagoa . The four main languages spoken are Izon, Nembe, Epie-Atissa, and Ogbia . Like the rest of Nigeria, English is the official language. The state was formed in 1996 from part of Rivers State and is thus one of the newest states of the Nigerian federation THE THREE MAJOR CULTURAL FESTIVALS IN BAYELSA The rich cultural heritage of Bayelsa State is expressed by variety of her festivals through which the people recreate their past and reposition their culture to the present. Virtually every community in Bayelsa State has their own unique of celebrating their cultural feast. Some of the notable ones are; LAKE EFI FISHING FESTIVAL This is a major festival that take

Travelling to the USA Citizens of countries covered by the Visa Waiver Programme (such as the UK) are able to travel to the USA without a visa providing they hold a valid Electronic System Travel Authorisation (ESTA) and meet the requirements of the programme. As of 1 April 2016, if you're travelling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, you will also need to have a valid e-Passport along with your ESTA. e-Passports include an integrated computer chip capable of storing biographic and biometric information, such as the digital photograph of the holder. You can identify an e-Passport by the 'chip' symbol on its front cover. ESTA You can apply for an ESTA online and should receive approval straight away, although we recommend applying at least 72 hours before your departure. An ESTA is valid for multiple journeys for up to two years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner. Learn more about your Visa Waiver Program and ESTA Apply for an EST

Unruly smoker forces Vancouver-bound Lufthansa flight to divert to Hamburg 'He tried to light up a smoke ... he apparently tried to open the back door at 38,000 feet'       This man was removed from a Lufthansa flight bound for Vancouver after passengers say he tried to force open a door. (Dan Iosh) A Vancouver-bound Lufthansa flight was forced to divert from Munich to Hamburg after a passenger's erratic behavior threatened safety, according to a fellow passenger. Lufthansa officials confirmed that flight LH476 was diverted to Hamburg where the passenger was removed. Hamburg police confirmed that a rescue crew, including a doctor, met the man and diagnosed him with a mental disorder. He was taken to a local psychiatric facility. There is no active police investigation into the incident.  'Once we got in the air he got more and more agitated and he tried to light up a cigarette' - Dan Iosh, fellow passenger "It was reported that there w