Global Tourism Issues

In light of the tragic cruise disaster on the Costa Concordia, January 13, 2012, travel agents are asked to assure clients of the safety and advantages of cruising, as opposed to other vacations, or for those first time cruisers who may choose not to go at all.

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake experienced October 24, 2011 in Turkey, is expected to have minor impact on tourism. The epicenter is located over 1500 miles from Istanbul. This region of the earthquake is not often visited by tourists. However, vacationers in Bodrum, on the Aegean coast, felt the earthquake with rumbling and a visual crack in a...

Rio de Janeiro has been honored with hosting both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. Since the announcements of the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, more travelers from the U.S. have shown interest in travel to Brazil, according to some travel surveys.

United Airlines and Continental Airlines have been in the midst of merging the two airlines into one brand name, United Continental Holdings, beginning in 2010. For travel agents, this means watching for updates, notifying passengers about schedule changes and flight updates, and working through the technical side of air and vacation package...

Ancillary fees, or all those extra fees added to airline travel, are creating havoc in the travel community. These fees are making travel costs uncertain and nearly impossible to compare actual costs of airfare in advance of travel. This creates problems for travel agents, travel management companies, and travelers themselves.

The global tourism community is watching and calculating the impact of the recent earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear reactor issues that have devastated parts of Japan, and how it will affect the rest of the world. Besides extending well wishes for the people of Japan, many countries wonder how it will affect trade, tourism, and other financial...

The last Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Reauthorization expired in 2007, though extensions have been renewed several times. The Senate has passed their version of the new bill, and the House will vote this week, after ongoing deliberations of the bill. Both the House and Senate will have two months to combine a version that all can live...

Ecotourism is a travel concept than can be confusing and difficult to figure out. The Encarta Dictionary definition is “a form of tourism that strives to minimize ecological or other damage to areas visited for their natural or cultural interest.” Some travel packages claim to provide ecotourism, or eco-friendly vacations, but are they really?...

TSA requirements and advisements for travel professionals to advise airline travelers including rules for carry-on luggage, redress numbers and how to get one. TSA travel warnings,advisements, and new screening technology for passengers are reviewed.

Imagine if every airline used a separate reservation system to distribute flight information, instead of the familiar global distribution systems (GDS) in place now. Individuals and travel professionals would have to compare flight costs on every reservation page or call each airline separately. This would make the price comparison procedure a...

Weather issues may cause delays and flight interruptions this week prior to Christmas. Travelers are already stranded at airports like London Heathrow, plagued by ice and snow Sunday, December 19 as they wait to be accommodated on other flights. Reaching their holiday destinations has become a chore for many traveling this week.

An overiew of the Travel Promotion Act gives the facts and figures for the new bill passed by President Obama, what this means for foreign visitors to the United States, and what impact this will have on Americans. There is a difference of opinion on how this will impact both groups and opposing views on whether the bill is even necessary.

Global Tourism Issues covers travel news and awareness around the world, including information travelers need to tour the world safely, while having fun and relaxation on vacation, or getting the job done while traveling for business.

The 11th Global Travel & Tourism Summit will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on 17-19 May 2011.

Yes, there are hurricanes every year in the Caribbean. Yes, these big storms sometimes hit land and disrupt vacations. No, you should not let hurricanes prevent you from taking a Caribbean trip, even during the height of hurricane season!

Travel warnings are regularly issued by the State Department in the US, for countries which are considered too dangerous for American citizens to travel to.