Podcasts about tourism authority

Greg and Ed discuss the massive influx of Russians (and some Ukrainians) into Thailand, particularly the island of Phuket. Numerous stories have been written in the last year about the unusually high number of long-stay tourists and expats who appear to be escaping the conflict in Europe, some even calling the trend an ‘invasion'. No doubt the sunny climes, pleasant smiles, and great food of Thailand provide a tempting alternative for those who have the means to make the journey.  Ed begins by noting that the Tourism Authority of Thailand seems to be welcoming the growth in tourism that the wave from Russia represents. Concerns over rebuilding after COVID are largely over - Phuket in particular is largely swamped and certainly the economic benefits are welcome after the several years of privation due to the pandemic. But are there downsides? A recent article notes that the average cost of condos in Phuket has doubled in recent years and that in turn has affected the rental market. Simply put, if you are planning a trip to Phuket these days, expect a significantly more expensive venture than in years past. Another problem according to the news is Russians building their own self-sustaining communities. While understandable, some have turned to work that violates Thai laws restricting certain professions to Thai citizens, such as working as tour guides and real estate agents. Greg notes that fast changes such as this are very likely to draw a response from the government, which appears to be forthcoming given the amount of press the issue is receiving. At the very least, Greg points out at least one listener of the podcast who had previously been planning a trip to Phuket but who has now reconsidered. Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.

“The White Lotus is huge. It's a very scenery-driven show, and there are compelling stories behind that. It creates an aura.” As The White Lotus season 3 prepares to air, how is Thailand using various aspects of soft power to reposition itself as a tourism destination? This week's show comes from Gary's other podcast, High-Yield Tourism, on which he and Dr Jens Thraenhart speak to global thought leaders about how tourism strategy and development are changing in the post-Covid era. In this episode, Chattan Kunjara, Former Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, discusses how Thailand is promoting the 5Fs - food, fight (May Thai), fashion, film and festivals - in tourism as part of its national branding. Khun Chattan takes us behind the scenes of Thailand's reopening strategy and how, in his words, "Covid changed everything for Thai tourism." He also provides fascinating insights about the inner travel and tourism workings of South East Asia's most-visited nation.

Listen in to find out more about the Bermuda Tourism Authority with CEO Tracy Berkeley and COO Erin Wright as they explore the business of tourism, offering insights on industry trends, growth strategies, and the future of travel.   Tracy Berkeley, CDME, became the first female CEO of the Bermuda Tourism Authority in March 2023. With over 20 years of experience, she has held key leadership roles in various industries, including insurance, hospitality and healthcare. Tracy is known for her strategic thinking, collaborative leadership, and commitment to community service. She has played a pivotal role in shaping the BTA and is dedicated to fostering Bermuda's growth as a premier destination. Tracy is a proud mother of three.   Erin Wright serves as the Chief Operations Officer for the Bermuda Tourism Authority, responsible for operations, finance, and research & business intelligence for the organisation. At the BTA, Wright and her team manage the organisation's day-to-day operations and provide insights and intelligence to shape the island's tourism strategy and measure its success. Prior to joining the BTA in 2014, Wright worked for the Bermuda Hotel Association and Bermuda Tourism Board. Her career has included extensive experience in tourism, research, technology, operations, privacy, and marketing.   Sponsor – BTA https://www.gotobermuda.com/bta

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the ancient city of Petra in Jordan welcomes several hundred thousand tourists each year. It dates back to 300 BC and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. For centuries, Bedouins have inhabited its caves, but many have recently been forced to leave and relocate to government housing. Some families have chosen to remain, although they could be expelled at any moment. It's becoming increasingly difficult for them to make a living through tourism, their main source of income. Our Jordan correspondent went to meet them.

Daniel Nāhoʻopiʻi, Interim CEO at the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, suggests solutions for overtourism to specific sites, tells us about a highly unique approach to inviting visitors to participate in volunteer programs, and discusses Hawai'i's sustainable future.

Tourism is big money for many tribes and individual entrepreneurs. But it also has the potential to diminish people's quality of life. Residents in Juneau, Alaska are considering a limit on the dozens of cruise ships that unload thousands of visitors there every summer. Among other things, critics say the steady stream of outsiders detracts from what they enjoy about living there. Some tribes have closed off tourist attractions altogether. We'll find out about “overtourism” and ways to avoid it. GUESTS Sherry Rupert (Paiute and Washoe), CEO of American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) Joe Nelson (Tlingit), chair of Sealaska Corporation and co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Cory Mann (citizen of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska), business owner in Juneau, Alaska Ilihia Gionson (Native Hawaiian), public affairs officer for the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority

Tourism is big money for many tribes and individual entrepreneurs. But it also has the potential to diminish people's quality of life. Residents in Juneau, Alaska are considering a limit on the dozens of cruise ships that unload thousands of visitors there every summer. Among other things, critics say the steady stream of outsiders detracts from what they enjoy about living there. Some tribes have closed off tourist attractions altogether. We'll find out about “overtourism” and ways to avoid it. GUESTS Sherry Rupert (Paiute and Washoe), CEO of American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) Joe Nelson (Tlingit), chair of Sealaska Corporation and co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Cory Mann (citizen of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska), business owner in Juneau, Alaska Ilihia Gionson (Native Hawaiian), public affairs officer for the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority

Recognized as a leader in the tourism sector for more than 25 years, Petra Roach is the guiding force behind Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA), assuming the role of CEO in 2021. Under her leadership, Petra is proud to share the beauty, history and culture of Grenada as well as its sister islands Carraicou and Petite Martinique. Since joining GTA, she has successfully lead the destination through the pandemic recovery process and leans into innovation and powerful relationships to continue making Grenada one if not the top Caribbean country for tourists visiting from all around the world. Listen and Connect: Website Facebook Instagram Related Article From Cuisine Noir  Caribbean Spice Island of Grenada Launches Global Culinary Conversations    

My guest on this episode is Healani Sonoda-Pale, a Kanaka Maoli Human Rights advocate for Self-Determination and a Water Protector who has been organizing at the intersection of the indigenous struggle for liberation and environmental protection in Hawai'i. She is a member of the Red Hill Community Representation Initiative and the spokesperson of the Ka Lahui Hawaii Political Action Committee. Healani was born and raised on the island of O'ahu where she resides with her family.Show Notes:The Beauty of the Pandemic Shutdown in Hawai'iThe Fallout of the Lahaina Fires in West MauiNo ControlsManufacturing the AuthenticReopening for Tourism in the Midst of CatastropheLocal Schism: Those in Favour and Those AgainstThe Tourism at the Heart of the Housing CrisisKa Lahui Hawai'i Political Action CommitteeThe Water Crisis in OahuDecolonizing Tourism is an OxymoronSolidarity with Kanaka MaoliHomework:Healani Sonoda-Pale InstagramKa Lahui Hawai'i | TwitterOahu Water Protectors | Red Hill Community Representation InitiativeTranscript:Chris: [00:00:00] In the first season of the podcast I spoke to Hokulani Aikau and Vernadette Gonzalez about the attempts to decolonize tourism in the Hawaiian islands. And following that Kaleo Patterson. Who offered a deeper historical and cultural background into the ongoing us occupation of Hawaii. The military industrial tourism complex, and some of the traditional forms of hospitality that Hawaiians have engaged in. Since then, and especially because of the wildfires that spread through west Maui this past summer. Listeners have asked again and again, to return to the islands, to host the voices of those. They're now struggling with another catastrophe. Who are offering resilience and resistance. In the face of these enduring consequences. And as such, I welcome.Healani Sonoda-Pale to the pod. Thank you for joining me today, Healani.Healani: It's my pleasure to be joining this podcast and to help [00:01:00] spread the message about tourism in Hawai'i. Chris: Healani, could you do us the favor of elaborating a bit on where you're speaking from today and how the world looks like for you?Healani: Okay. So I'm a Kanaka Maoli woman, born and raised in Hawai'i on the island of O'ahu. I have been in the Hawaiian movement for liberation and self determination for nearly 30 years. I am a student of Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask, and I am on the front lines of many, many issues. The issues that we face today are, many of them are a consequence of tourism.The desecration of cultural sites. The degradation of our beautiful beaches pollution, traffic, overcrowding, the high cost of living in Hawai'i, the extremely high cost of housing in Hawai'i. These are all because of tourism. This is happening to Hawai'i. [00:02:00] As a result, direct result of the tourist industry, which Hawaii relies on.And in Hawaii, we have two businesses. We have the military industrial complex and the tourist industry. Those are the two worst industries to rely on, number one. And they are the most exploitive and extractive industries to have. They do not enhance our way of life here on, on these islands in Hawaii.They do the opposite. They have brought many of us to the brink where we are now, most of us living paycheck to paycheck. The average cost of a house in Hawaii is a million dollars.I believe Honolulu is the number one or at least the top three most expensive cities in the United States to live in. So tourism is a plague in Hawaii. It is a plague upon this place and it has caused us to [00:03:00] struggle on a daily basis, not just financially and not just socially, mentally as well. Having to deal with tourists on a daily basis in Hawaii is frustrating, so that's kind of like the space I'm coming from. I am involved with the water issue, protecting our water, which is now something that is a huge issue. I'm very much involved in the Red Hill issue. I'm involved with protecting Iwi Kūpuna, which is our traditional Hawaiian burials. I'm involved with the repatriation of our land. Again, another big issue. It never ends because the, the economic, social pressure to take and take and take until there's nothing left is relentless. So that's the space we're coming from. So you talked about COVID, right? You started this podcast in the beginning of COVID and COVID was an eye opener for a lot of people in Hawai'i. When COVID happened, [00:04:00] the state of Hawai'i shut down and tourists weren't allowed here during our shutdown.I believe it was like a year and a half. It was beautiful. Even though we were living in the middle of a pandemic, our beaches were empty. There were no lines at the stores. There was no traffic. Even the air we breathed seemed cleaner. The water we swam in, in the ocean, didn't have this sliminess on it, from tourists with suntan lotion swimming in it all day, right?So the fish came back. Even the plants and the land was happy. I mean, it was a beautiful time. Even though it was sad because we were living through a pandemic, it was a beautiful time for us as Kanaka because we got to see Hawai'i without tourists. And that really opened the eyes for people who usually are not as [00:05:00] critical of tourism, as many of us have been so more people in Hawaii started saying, especially Kanaka Mali, well, how do we move forward without tourism?But when the state opened up again, tourism came back and it came back with a vengeance.When you look at what was happening on social media and, you know, what people were posting and across all the islands, we saw some frustration. We saw people posting about interactions they were having with tourists at sacred sites and beaches. People were more aware that tourists were there after COVID because we were able to enjoy our beaches, enjoy our islands without them.And then when they came back, it was not only dangerous because we live 2, 000 miles away from the nearest continent. So, they were bringing in the COVID. I mean, from the time of [00:06:00] Captain Cook, tourists, visitors, explorers, missionaries, they have been bringing in diseases when, when Captain Coke arrived in 1778. We didn't have any immunity to these diseases, and so now, I think for a lot of residents here in Hawai'i, our eyes have been opened on what we have to give up for tourism.We have to sacrifice not only our beautiful island life, but a way forward that doesn't include commodifying who we are as a people, our culture, everything. The state's been talking about diversifying the industry here in Hawai'i, right? They wanted to look into agriculture was one. They've never seriously taken that up. And they always fall back on tourism.Chris: And why do you think that is? Because it's just so easy.Healani: Because they've invested. It's a multi billion dollar business. There's hotels. Waikiki [00:07:00] is loaded with hotels. It's business interests. It's those that have been in control of the tourist industry, wanting to keep control of that and wanting to keep their financial interests protected and keep going.So that is, that has been a problem. And of course we have strong lobbyists here in Hawai'i for the tourist industry. It is an industry that is supported by taxpayer dollars. It's one of the few industries we give millions of dollars of our money. It's a private industry supported by taxpayer dollars.So it's a private industry that we support that exploits not just our resources, our culture, but they have really degraded our way of life here. They've made everything so expensive that most of our people, most of the indigenous people of Hawai'i have moved away because they can't afford to live here.Chris: And you know, I'm curious [00:08:00] in this regard, to what extent do you think that this Government money and government decisions played a part in these wildfires that passed through West Maui in August, you know, like reading and researching for this interview and seeing what's been shared online and social media, the term management and mismanagement continues to arise in and among social movement activists.And I'm curious to what extent you think that either government action or inaction or the tourism industry had a part to play in what happened this past summer.Healani: The Lahaina Fires. was so tragic and the tragedy continues months after. The suicide rates are on the rise in Lahaina. Families are still displaced, thousands of them. They were just [00:09:00] a few days ago, I had posted about it. They were just given again, eviction letters. The last time I was in Maui was there.The first set of eviction letters that went out. So they're being housed in hotels, 7,00-8,000 of them; families that have lost everything, in hotels. And now they're being told to leave to make way for tourism, to make way for tourists. That's the enormity of the pressure that tourists, tourism brings with it. The pressure to a piece and to serve and to put tourism first.Just going back to my childhood in school. We were basically brainwashed into thinking we need tourism. Without tourism, we wouldn't have jobs. There would be no money, you know? So it's been kind of ingrained in us. And that's why I think COVID was super important because it was an eye opener for a lot of us.Because they saw really [00:10:00] what was possible, a world without tourism. And so the pressure to support, to push tourism, to... "they always say, we want to support small businesses," but it's really not about small businesses. It's about those huge, multinational corporations that have invested millions.into this industry and have supported and lobbied for their industry, for the tourist industry. That's what it's really about, to a point where they really don't care about the people, the residents of Lahaina. They're literally traumatizing these families again and pushing them around to make room for an industry that we all pay to support.And the Lahaina fires is a result of corporations, land grabbing by corporations of [00:11:00] tourism gone wild, literally. The whole culture of Hawaii is about making sure tourism is going to be okay in the future. We're one big resort. That's what we are.Hawaii is one big resort. Everything is catered for tourists first. It's always tourists first, residents last. And kanaka maoli not even considered, like we're not even in the equation, except when they want us to dance hula, and when they want us to chant, and when they want us to teach tourists how to make leis. So the whole Lahaina situation is very complicated.Tragic, and it continues to be tragic. Over a hundred people died in those fires. And Lahaina is like a real big hub for tourists, and has been. It's like the Waikiki of Maui. So having that burned down, I think, was a big loss for the tourist industry on Maui. [00:12:00] So they are trying every which way to bring that back. In fact, today they're going to unveil the strategic plan for the next few years for Maui, which again, is just a slap in the face. It's insulting to the people of Lahaina. They're actually having it in West Maui. It's insulting to the people of Lahaina to have now a discussion about how to move forward with tourism while they're still displaced. There's thousands of families that don't know where they're going to be next month.There are thousands more that don't have access to clean water, don't have jobs, that have multiple families living in their homes and they're going to have a big presentation on tourism today. That's what we have to deal with.There is a mythology that's been built around the tourist industry that basically tells us, you know, [00:13:00] we need tourism. We need tourism. For some reason, we won't be able to survive without tourism. So that's the culture of Hawaii. And that's what I've grown up in. One of the things that is concerning about tourism is the fact that there's never been an environmental assessment or environmental impact study done on the effects tourism has on Hawaii .There are no controls. There's no control of how many people will be allowed in, how many people will be allowed at a certain beach, how many people will be allowed to swim and hike up to a sacred pond.There's nothing like that. It's like a free for all here in Hawaii when it comes to tourism.With tourism comes a thriving sex trade. So we have a number of brothels that, of course, are illegal, here in O'ahu. And a real epidemic with a [00:14:00] high number of missing and murdered Native Hawaiian women and girls. Hmm. This is the average characteristics of a victim of a missing girl is 15 years old native Hawaiian.And that's you know, that's the reality here in in Hawaii. So tourism is one of those industries that has a lot of low paying jobs. People have to work two to three, sometimes four jobs to survive here in Hawaii because Hawaii has the highest cost of living and one of the highest in the United States and it's really a struggle to make a living off of the tourist industry.Once tourism gets a foothold in your community, then it's very difficult to get tourism out. And right now, I'm in the midst of a struggle with keeping tourism out of East Maui.[00:15:00] They're expanding tourism into rural areas because they want to make these real authentic experiences for tourists.And they want to provide cultural experiences for tourists now. And the last couple years, the Hawaii Tourism Authority has done something called destination management, which is where they give money to non profits to host tourists in these real authentic settings, where they get to work in the taro patch or they get real cultural experience hiking or storytelling or something like that and in exchange these non profits get paid.The reality of this Destination Management Program that they always give Hawaiian names to -Aloha Aina, Kahu Aina -the reality of these programs [00:16:00] is that they're actually community bribes.Residents are less tolerant of tourism these days, especially post COVID. And so these programs, like the Destination Management Programs that they're now doing, and have been doing for a couple years are community bribes that help residents swallow the bitter pill of tourism. And that is pretty much how this whole thing kind of plays out.Whatever financial benefits we get out of tourism, they're short lived and they aren't sustainable. And in fact, they threaten a sustainable and livable future for residents here, especially Kanaka Maoli.Chris: Do you see any parallels between the quote return of tourism following the COVID-19 lockdowns and later after the fires? Was anything learned by the inundation of [00:17:00] COVID carrying tourists?Healani: Yeah, so I see parallels between what's happening with tourism post COVID and what's happening with tourism post-Lahaina fires. And what's very clear with the government here, the local government has made very clear is that tourism, no matter the cost, in terms of our health and safety, comes first.And that has been shown over and over. While, when they opened up tourism, the COVID numbers went up. And because, of course, people are bringing COVID in. And that put the numbers of people in the emergency rooms and in our hospitals that went way up. We don't have the capacity and we still don't have the capacity to serve thousands and thousands of residents and tourists at the same time.In terms [00:18:00] of medical health care. And so we, you know, we're in a really tight spot for that, you know. So we were really struggling because our hospital and our medical system was overrun.We had sick tourists and we had sick residents. And when you look at the numbers, it was the Native Hawaiians and the Pacific Islanders who were not just catching COVID more, but also dying from COVID more often than others. And with Lahaina, same thing. Instead of waiting, holding off on reopening Lahaina and Maui for tourists, they opened it up super early.In fact, they opened it up a month ago, for tourism. They opened up line up for tourism and families are still suffering. Families don't know what's going to happen next month, where they're going to be living next week. There's [00:19:00] thousands of displaced families still in Lahaina, yet the pressure to open up to tourism is so immense that they did it anyway. So what happened with COVID and the Lahaina fires is that they really show that what they're prioritizing.They're not prioritizing the health and safety of, of the residents, let alone Kanaka Maoli residents. They're prioritizing business interest.Chris: Mm. Hmm. Really just showing the true face, the true nature of the industry. Right. And then not in any way surprising why locals, both residents and Kanaka Maoli would be so upset and so angry, not just with the industry, but with tourists as well when they arrive having no understanding of this. Right. And so my next question kind of centers around locals there, workers, especially. And in this particular article, It says that, "as tourists returned to the [00:20:00] island, displaced residents are still in need of long-term solutions for their future, most notably in terms of long-term affordable housing. Currently. Quote, "a coalition of 28 community groups have staged what's being called a 'fish-in' on Kaanapali beach to help raise awareness of the ongoing impacts of the Malai wildfires. Wearing bright red and yellow shirts, the protesters have pledged to fish along kind of poly beach. An area usually crowded with sunbathers in swimmers, around the clock 24 7, in order to bring awareness to these issues. And so in terms of strategy and solidarity, How have local people and organizations responded in the context of these last few months.Healani: Yeah. Many locals work in tourism. So a lot of people in Hawaii felt that the reopening was too fast, too early. There were other ways they could have dealt with. They always use the term 'affordable housing,' they always use that to [00:21:00] develop. Here they use small businesses to justify prioritizing tourism. So, their whole justification for opening up to tourism early, in Lahaina, was to support small businesses. But there are other solutions. We all know that. They give billions of dollars to Israel and to Ukraine for a war that has nothing to do with us, to other countries who are doing whatever they want with it. But when it comes to this whole issue of tourism and the displaced families, they could have supported these families and for at least a year supported these small businesses like they did during the pandemic, but they chose not to.There's other solutions they could've used, but for them, opening it up was more important than making sure families were okay.So, there is a split between some residents who feel they need tourism and some [00:22:00] who don't. And it's usually, again, business owners who rely on tourists for their livelihood. And like I said before, any kind of benefit we get from tourism is really short lived and the effects of tourism, not just on our environment, but on our society and on our economic system is more detrimental than beneficial.I'll give you an example tourism fuels people from other places wanting to buy a second home here. Tourists come to Hawaii, they see how beautiful it is, they love the beaches, of course. We have like really good weather on a daily basis. So when they come here to visit, they wanna buy a second home here.⌘ Chris Christou ⌘ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Right now we have a housing crisis in Hawaii, and the reason for this housing crisis is because we have [00:23:00] tens of thousands of empty homes. In fact, we could put all the houseless people that are in Hawaii right now into these empty homes. And we would still have thousands of homes left over. And that is one of the reasons why number one, we have one of the, like the highest housing costs. The average house right now sells for a million dollars.It could literally be a shack on a piece of land. It'll sell for a million dollars in Hawaii. It's because of the demand for housing here in Hawaii. And it's because of the fact that a lot of the housing that we do have are usually second homes. And lots of times they use it for short term housing rentals as well. And I just want to clarify the numbers for the short term housing rentals. There's about 30, 000 residential housing units that are being rented to tourists, instead of residents, instead of locals, instead [00:24:00] of Kanaka Maoli, so that's part of the problem here. We don't have a housing shortage.We have a shortage of housing rentals or landlords that want to rent to residents.So, what we gain from tourism doesn't even come close to what we are losing from tourism, from the tourist industry.Chris: Uh, Wow. . It's just a. It's incredible. How so much of this, this desire to vacation, escape, have fun, rest, make money "passive income" lead so much to the detriment of neighbors, of what might otherwise be neighbors in our midst. And I know that, I think I've read the other day that there's this group Lahaina Strong, that was asking for government intervention. Is that right? Healani: Yeah. So they've asked. Yeah, that's a, that's a good point. [00:25:00] Lahaina Strong, one of the lead groups in Lahaina, have asked for the mayor and the governor to intervene and to ask short term housing rental owners to provide long term housing solutions for those, the displaced families. And that hasn't happened yet.It's been months. It's been September, October, November, over three months. And these families, their future is still up in the air. They don't even have reliable housing. So again, it just tells you what the priorities of the state is. Honestly, I don't think they're going to get what they want.Chris: Thank you, Healani and for being a witness to all this and proceeding accordingly. I'd like to, if I can ask you a little bit more about your political work. If I'm not mistaken you're a spokesperson for Ka Lahui Hawai'i Political Action Committee. Could you explain a little bit about [00:26:00] this organization? What the name means, how it was formed its principles, goals, and actions, perhaps. Healani: Okay, so yes, I am the spokesperson for Ka Lahui Hawai'i, and I am part of the Komike Kalai'aina Political Action Committee, which is a national committee of Ka Lahui Hawai'i, which means the Hawaiian Nation.We are a native initiative for self determination and self governance. We were formed in 1987 by Kanaka Maoli, Indigenous Peoples of Hawaii, as a response to the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, and as a way forward for our people to seek out justice and to create our own way forward by creating our own nation.I have been with Kalahui Hawaii since 1993. And I [00:27:00] joined after watching Dr. Haulani-Kay Trask do her speech on the grounds of Iolani Palace, where she proclaimed that we are not American. And that was an eye opener to me. And I joined Ka Lahui and I transferred to the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, became her student. A lot of the work that we've done has been nation building. We are a nation in exile, literally. We take stances on issues a lot of times. And the issues we've been doing has been from water issues to intellectual property rights, to land rights, to tourism. The issues we cover is literally anything that affects us as a, as a people and as a nation. So we cover a wide [00:28:00] spread of issues. Most recently it's been the water issue that we've been really focused on. And when you look at the water issue, again, you see the disparity there. We are in a water crisis on the island of Oahu. We are encouraged to practice conservation measures. However, the tourist industry, hotels with pools and fountains and large golf courses, which have to be watered daily, are not being told the same thing. They are the exception. They continue to waste water while on O ahu are concerned about the future.Of our children and grandchildren because we're not sure if number one, there will be clean water and number two, if there is clean water, there'll be enough clean water for everyone in the future, but the hotels in the tourist industry, they don't care. They have swimming pools and[00:29:00] golf courses.Tourists are not told to come here and conserve water. You know, in fact, they waste water in the tourist industry and you can see it. Are you seeing how they waste it? It's pretty visual and obvious. So Ka Lahui Hawaii has been active On the front lines with Mauna Kea issue, and we have treaties with other Native American nations. We've gone to the U. N., our past Keaāina, our governor, Merilani Trask helped to draft UNDRIP, which is the U. N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which is one of the most important documents that have come out from the U. N. for Indigenous Peoples and has reasserted all of our rights to self determination.There's about 400 million indigenous peoples around the world, and UNDRIP [00:30:00] is important to every single one of us.Chris: Well, thank you for, for that and the work that you do with Ka Lahui, Healani. I'll make sure that the requisite websites and links are up on the homework section and the end of tourism podcasts for our listeners. Now, in my interview withHokulani Aikau and Vernadette Gonzalez, they spoke of various projects within the tourism sector, undertaken by indigenous Hawaiians to uncover and share with tourists or visitors, the histories of the people and place so often ignored by the industry. Now in order to do this, to educate, many people work within the confines of the structures and the systems we already have, that is to decolonize tourism, for example. Now if we weren't limited by those current structures and systems. How would you personally want to proceed hosting the other, the foreigner? How would you want them [00:31:00] to proceed towards you and your people? How might you imagine such relationship to unfold? Healani: Yeah. Yeah. Decolonize tourism. That's an oxymoron. I don't believe in decolonizing tourism. The nature of tourism, it's like colonization. The nature of tourism is to exploit, is to extract everything it can from a place and from a people and it commodifies, things that to us are spiritual, to us are sacred, tourism commodifies it all. To decolonize something that was not created from indigenous peoples is impossible.We can decolonize our world. But we cannot decolonize systems of [00:32:00] oppression because they're set up to oppress us. And so that is, I don't know what to say. It's like I said before. You know, they keep changing the name, you know, Hawai'i Tourism Authority even though they have leadership that is Kanaka and they're trying to be culturally sensitive and they are doing, you know, destination management practices kind of thing and working with nonprofits and cultural groups.It's still tourism. It's still a business that wants to benefit from our land, from our water, from our culture, from our people. And when we talk about decolonization, when we talk about working against systems of oppression, it's really about us rebuilding our own systems that counter their systems.So it's all systemic, right? It's like a system of power that benefits one group [00:33:00] over the other. It stems from colonization, which is a system of power that is working against us. So to counter that, we have to create our own systems. We actually have to reconnect and recreate our old systems. So Franz Fanon talks about this. When colonization happens, what they do is they compartmentalize our world.So, you know, where we see the world as living, as where we see ourselves as part of nature, and part of this living system where there's balance. We give and take from the land. We take care of the land, the land takes care of us. In our cosmogonic genealogies as Kanaka, it tells us basically our universal perspective on all life, which is basically we are related to all the animals and plants and to the islands itself, because what it does is it recites the birth of every [00:34:00] living thing in Hawaii that was here during the time we were here, before Captain Cook arrived, but it connects us to this world and it tells us our place in it. And when colonization came, what they did was they ripped our world apart.And they separated us from nature. They separated us from our ancient beliefs. They separated us even from our belief in ourself. And many Native people, I'm sure can relate to this, but it's like living in two worlds. We live in a Hawaiian world, and we live in the Western world. We act a certain way in the Western world because of the way it's organized. And in our world, it's different. So, it's important to understand that we cannot infiltrate a system. Without the system infiltrating us. We're going to change before the system changes because these systems have been in place [00:35:00] for centuries.So I don't even want to answer the question about hosting foreigners or others because that's not even something that's on my radar. I don't imagine tourism in my future or in the future of our Lāhui, or in the future of our people. Kalahui, Hawai'i has taken stances against tourists and tourism. It's not worth what we have to give up to host foreigners. And I could go on for hours with stories of our people, putting themselves at risk, saving tourists in the ocean, and not even getting a word of thanks. Having tourists pee on our sacred sites, having tourists throw rubbish on our beaches. It never ends. So I think it's cute that they want to decolonize tourism. It's a multi billion dollar business. You cannot decolonize tourism unless you take [00:36:00] the aspect of capitalism out of it. It's like decolonizing money. How are you going to do that? It's like you need to build systems where you can sustain yourself and your people outside of these capitalist and outside of these corporate systems of power. Healani: Yeah, so what I would want to say to those who want to stand in solidarity with Kanaka Maoli, with the Native people of Hawai'i, I would say stay home. Help us spread the message that we do not want or need visitors to come to our islands. As the Native people of Hawai'i we're building our own food systems, we're bartering. We're trying to move forward as a people away from these other systems, away from tourism, away and out from under military occupation.It's a struggle that we're in. I think for those that are listening, it's important for you to[00:37:00] spread the word about the struggle that Native Hawaiians are going through in our own homeland and our struggle for liberation and to support us in whatever way you can. So I think it's important to support us from afar, I would say.And if you're here anyway, like if you end up coming anyway, then support. Don't just come here. Give back. Help out a Hawaiian organization. Help out a Hawaiian on the street. 40 percent of all houseless in Hawaii are Indigenous Hawaiians. And we only make up 20 percent of the population in our own homeland. 50 percent of the population in Hawaii's prisons and jails are Hawaiians.We have low educational attainment. We die from diseases that other people usually don't die from. We have probably the highest suicide rates in Hawaii. High infant mortality rates. So this isn't our paradise. But we have to make it a paradise for tourists. And that's something we can't continue to do.The reality of the [00:38:00] situation is that it's destroying our future right now. And you look at what happened to Lahaina, and that's all because of unsustainable development, high cost of living, corporations running amok, diverting the rivers, water being diverted to hotels and golf courses, instead of letting water just flow freely from the ocean, from the mountains to the sea.So that's what we're dealing with, and if you are thinking about coming to Hawaii, please, please think again and just support a Hawaiian organization in their struggle to reclaim what we lost. We did something around tourism. It's a survey that we gave to tourists who are here anyway, right? So that is our pledge for tourists if they are gonna come here. And we've had it out for a few years. We've tried to get like the airlines to push it out and stuff like that to raise awareness. Now they're doing more of that, which is good. [00:39:00] And I appreciate that. But ultimately, we don't want people to come here.Healani: That would be the end goal because Hawai'ians are displaced on our own land.This is our mutual aid that we set up to help families of Red Hill who still don't have clean drinking water, which is nuts. And this is two years after, right? So if they want to help with that, we appreciate that. Chris: I'll make sure that our listeners have all of those available to them when the episode launches.Healani: Because we're basically providing services to the residents, but Yeah, that's pretty much it. I can't believe people think they can decolonize tourism. It's freaking nuts.Chris: Yeah. I keep coming back to this notion that, you know, [00:40:00] part of colonization of our minds and the wars against us tend to stem from a war against the imagination and a war against us being able to imagine other worlds and just things completely differently. And I also think that when people don't have examples to follow of what that might be like to, to imagine things differently, and then also to not have the time to do that.You know, people tend to fall back on kind of simple alternatives, I guess.Healani: I think it could be useful for a little while, but it's like, we've got to work towards not sustaining it, but dismantling it, somehow getting rid of it.I mean, look at what everything that's happened to Hawaii, COVID, Lahaina fires. Our wildfires are like happening more and more. We have more on this island now than we've had before. It's just a matter of time before we have our own huge fire that's going to be devastating on this island.Chris: [00:41:00] I'm very grateful for your time, and I can tell very clearly that you're one of those people that's offering an example for younger people on how things might be different. So, I'd like to thank you for your time, your consideration. And I'll make sure, as I said, that all of these links are up on the End of Tourism website when the episode launches and and on social media as well.Healani: Awesome. Thank you so much. You have a good day. Get full access to ⌘ Chris Christou ⌘ at chrischristou.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to another episode of the Manistee Local Podcast, where we dive deep into the stories, expertise, and passions of the remarkable individuals who help shape our community. Today, I'm thrilled to have Sammie Lukaskiewicz join us—a seasoned professional with a rich background in Marketing, public relations, economic development and strategic planning.Sammie has made significant contributions to Manistee county where her innovative strategies and forward-thinking approaches have left a lasting impact in just under two years in her current role as Executive Director of Manistee County Tourism Authority. In this episode, Sammie shares her journey, discussing the challenges she's faced, the successes she's celebrated, and the lessons she's learned along the way. I had a wonderful time learning about my friend Sammie and I hope you do as well. Hugs and KissesJB.This episode is sponsored by: Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts 231-398-9770 www.ramsdelltheatre.org

In the heart of Thailand, where the vibrant energy of Bangkok meets the tranquility of Chiang Mai, a unique cultural fusion unfolds during the Spring Festival. What will be the hottest destination for tourists to visit around the globe during this time? What are some special activities people enjoy during the spring festival period? Join us as we talk to Ms. Pakkanan Winijchai, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Beijing Office. On the show: Niu Honglin & Yushun

If there is one podcast you listen to in 2024, it should be this fantastic, perfect conversation with Michelle Buttigieg, North American Representative of the Malta Tourism Authority, VisitMalta.com. Along with being the Queen of Gozo (one of the fantastic Maltese islands that make up the Maltese Archipelago), Michelle will wisp you away to a very special place filled with elements of what dreams, or a dream vacation/trip, are made of. Culinary experiences that are unparalleled. Wine. Farm-to-Table and Michelin Dining. Luxury hotel and club experiences. Constant sunshine. Connectivity as it pertains to not only getting to Malta, while further no language barriers. The list goes on and on, and whilst listening to this beautiful conversation with Michelle, you will want to VisitMalta.com.

Episode Notes Tripadvisor plans to release a metaverse experience later this year that would provide travelers the chance to virtually see popular attractions before booking, writes Travel Technology Justin Dawes.  Tripadvisor has signed a contract with Meet Kai, a company that creates metaverse and artificial intelligence products. Dawes reports it's still too early for Tripadvisor to share specifics on exactly how the metaverse experience will look, but the company looks to partner with travel brands to create digital spaces — such as shops in Paris — that users can explore.  Adam Ochman, Tripadvisor's global director of marketing solutions, said travel is one of the most expensive things that consumers can purchase without trying it beforehand.  Next, London Heathrow Airport is coming off an enormously busy 2023, which saw 24 of its routes break the million-passenger milestone. Airlines Editor Gordon Smith takes a look at the airport's busiest routes last year. Routes from Heathrow serving the U.S. represented six of the 24 that carried more than 1 million passengers last year, a sign of the boom in transatlantic travel. The Heathrow-JFK route was the busiest for the London airport, serving more than 3 million passengers. Meanwhile, Dubai and Doha took the next two spots for Heathrow's busiest route in 2023.  Finally, Thailand will be setting for the third season of the popular HBO show The White Lotus, which is expected to boost tourism to the kingdom, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Tourism Authority of Thailand and HBO have partnered to film and promote the Emmy-winning series. Thai officials didn't disclose which hotel would be featured – the last two seasons were set at Four Seasons properties. Habtemariam notes that travel demand for Sicily boomed after the island was selected as the filming location for season two of The White Lotus. 

Think Thailand and you usually think two things. The first is the vibrancy and hedonism of the capital city of Bangkok. The second is The Beach - the book-turned-film featuring Leonardo DiCaprio that sent scores of backpackers to a tiny island off the coast of Phuket. I pay the Land of Smiles a visit (in association with the Tourism Authority of Thailand) to uncover a different side to the world's busiest city and the country beyond. From visiting the Green Lung of the capital where monks ask for recycling rather than alms, to journeying by sleeper train to Chiang Mai to check out sustainability projects already underway, and interviewing a ranger about the initiatives that have been introduced to tackle overtourism on the beach from The Beach - wander with me to discover a side to the country that is distinctly green. Also coming up:Learn how to prevent and treat sea sickness on all your water-based adventures; Dip into the 10 Best Travel Books to fuel your wanderlust; meet itinerant TV presenter, author and farmer Kate Humble to talk Interrailing, Africa and... magic string; Understand how to buy the best sun cream for your travels - whether in warm or cold climates; join us for a chat with Urban Explorer Greg Abandoned as he reveals some of the most fascinating places in the world; and prepare for a polar expedition with our Wander Woman of the Month - Arnalulunguak.www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith

In this video, we'll discuss the recent trend of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand in lower numbers. Why are they choosing to visit other countries instead of Phuket?Stay up to date with the latest news from Phuket and Thailand in this quick video. We'll discuss the shocking drop in Chinese tourist numbers and what this means for the tourism industry in Phuket.--PM announces comprehensive plan to address informal debt problemPrime Minister Srettha Thavisin declared the government's determination today to address the chronic informal debt problem, which is affecting many people, by mobilizing the police, local officials nationwide and the Finance Ministry to help in mediating settlement of informal debts with creditors in a manner which is fair to both parties and which will enable debtors to maintain their dignity.Source - Thai PBS WorldChinese tourist numbers to miss 4m target by 500,000: agencyThe tourism sector is almost certain to miss its lower target of 4 million Chinese arrivals, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) now projecting 3.4-3.5 million tourists from the mainland this...Source - The Bangkok PostAoT to raise passenger service taxAirports of Thailand (AoT) will increase passenger service charges at six international airports by 30 baht from April 1 next year to cover the operating costs of Common Use Passenger Processing Systems...Source - The Bangkok PostEntertainment venues' opening extendedThe cabinet on Tuesday approved a draft interior ministerial regulation to extend the operating hours of entertainment venues in key tourist destinations, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Koh...Source - The Bangkok Post--Want to support the show? Then why not buy me a coffee! You can do so by following the link belowhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/thaiexpatshow--Interested in starting your own podcast like the Thai Expat Daily Show? I use Buzzsprout and I can't recommend it highly enough. It makes everything super easy. Sign up today to get on the path to making great podcasts!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1751572--Check out our website and forum - https://www.thaiexpatdailyshow.com--LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos every dayhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB8khQ_NapVMDiW09oqL-rw--Listen to our podcast on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon or on our podcast website: https://thaiexpatdailyshow.buzzsprout.com--Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thaiexpatdailyshow--#thaiexpatdailyshow #thailandnews #newsinthailandSupport the show

This week's podcast is an introductory explanation to Rate of Learning (and Adaptation). This is an increasingly important concept in digital strategy.You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.Here is the link to the TechMoat Consulting.Here is the link to the China Tech Tour.Big tech events from this week:Expanded export ban for GPUs to China (here)Eureka AI training robots in advanced tasks (here)iQIYI signs deal with Thailand's Tourism Authority (here)Here is my standard framework for digital competition–—-Related articles:AutoGPT and Other Tech I Am Super Excited About (Tech Strategy – Podcast 162)The Winners and Losers in ChatGPT (Tech Strategy – Daily Article)Why ChatGPT and Generative AI Are a Mortal Threat to Disney, Netflix and Most Hollywood Studios (Tech Strategy – Podcast 150)From the Concept Library, concepts for this article are:Rate of LearningDOB2: Never Ending ImprovementsSMILE: Rate of Learning and AdaptationLearning Curve and Experience EffectFrom the Company Library, companies for this article are:n/a——------I write, speak and consult about how to win (and not lose) in digital strategy and transformation.I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps retailers, brands, and technology companies exploit digital change to grow faster, innovate better and build digital moats. Get in touch here.My book series Moats and Marathons is one-of-a-kind framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.Support the show

A major victory for Hawaii's efforts to boost sports tourism. The state Tourism Authority and the Big West Conference announced a multi-year deal for UH to host playoff volleyball tournaments and it all begins next season. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Please help us by taking our first Bangkok Podcast listener survey! Click here to get started, it only takes a few minutes. Everyone who fills it out will get 50,000 baht!* Greg and Ed discuss the current state of Thai tourism and whether the recovery is behind or ahead of predictions. Ed begins by citing a chart for the last full pre-COVID year of 2019, when Thailand came very close to having 40 million foreign tourists. Shockingly, that number went to nearly zero in 2020 and 2021, and the recovery began slowly in 2022. So where are we now? Well, in short, the prediction is that 2023 will see about 25 million tourists, roughly 60% of pre-COVID numbers.  The guys admit this is probably ahead of schedule, given previous expectations, and do their best to explain what's going on. Ed notes that there are thousands of Russians and Ukrainians fleeing the war, which has probably boosted numbers somewhat. He even reads an article about the exploding real estate prices in Phuket, due to the influx of Russians with money. Greg then reviews the up and down nature of Chinese tourism, which has recently jumped due to relaxed visa restrictions. Regardless of the reasons though, the current outlook for Thai tourism is a rosy one. Greg then raises the important question of overall tourism numbers, and whether that really should be the goal anyway. “Overtourism” has been an issue raised on the show several times before, and unfortunately it seems as if the Tourism Authority of Thailand is still focused on total numbers, to the detriment of other issues such as the quality of the experience and potential harm to infrastructure and the Thai environment. The guys finish with a bat signal to Stuart of Travelfish to come back on the show and give us his take. Or should it be a fish signal? Either way, we need Stuart!  *This is not even remotely true Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

House Subcommittee Testimony on Maui Fires; Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority's Conference and Maui Recovery; HPR's Cassie Ordonio on the rebranding of the state's art museum

Thailand has waived visa requirements for travelers from China for the next five months, as the country tries to revitalize its tourism industry, particularly in terms of the Chinese market, which has been slow to recover after the pandemic.为重振旅游业，尤其是疫情后恢复缓慢的中国市场，泰国宣布对中国游客实行免签制度，为期约5个月。On Wednesday, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's new government announced the country will start a five-month visa waiver program for China and Kazakhstan from Sept 25 until Feb 29, 2024. The program aims to attract 30 percent more travelers and generate more revenue for the country.泰国总理赛塔·他威信13日宣布，泰国将从本月25日起至2024年2月29日对中国和哈萨克斯坦游客实行免签制度，为期约5个月。该计划旨在额外吸引30%的游客，为泰国创造更多收入。 The news has gone down well in China, with travel platforms inundated with searches and inquiries.这一消息在中国引起了热烈反响，旅游平台上出现了大量的搜索和咨询。Searches for tour products on Trip.com Group's travel platform surged by 800 percent within 30 minutes of the news being announced. Qunar, another travel portal, said searches for flight tickets to Thailand increased by 70 percent compared with the same time last week, and searches for the country's hotels doubled.携程集团旅游平台上的旅游产品搜索量在消息公布后的30分钟内激增了800%。另一家旅游门户网站去哪儿网称，与上周同期相比，前往泰国的机票搜索量增加了70%，泰国酒店的搜索量增加了一倍。 "The program hit the spot, as the time period covers two major long holidays for Chinese people—the eight-day Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday in early October, and the Spring Festival holiday in late January. The visa waiver program will strongly stimulate Chinese people to travel to Thailand in the next five months," said Xu Xiaolei, chief brand officer of CYTS Tours in Beijing.北京中青旅首席品牌官徐晓磊表示：“该计划一针见血，因为时间段涵盖了中国人的两大长假——10月初为期8天的中秋节和国庆节假期，以及1月底的春节假期。”并补充道：“免签证计划将在未来五个月内吸引大量中国游客赴泰旅游。” He said a visa policy is usually the most effective and convenient tool to attract travelers and boost consumption. "Some countries and regions have been trapped in 'black swan' accidents in recent months and the coming visa waiver program will help restore Chinese travelers' confidence in Thailand's tourism."他说，签证政策通常是吸引游客、促进消费的最有效、最便捷的工具。近几个月来，一些国家和地区深陷“黑天鹅”事故，即将到来的免签计划将有助于恢复中国游客对泰国旅游的信心。According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the visa waiver program is estimated to add 700,000 new arrivals.据泰国旅游局统计，免签计划预计将新增70万新入境游客。 Statistics from TAT show that Thailand was visited by about 3 percent of all outbound tourists from the Chinese mainland, representing the largest share among foreign destinations. In the first quarter of this year, Chinese travelers were in the top five groups of foreign arrivals, along with Malaysian, Russian, South Korean and Indian visitors.泰国国家旅游局的统计数据显示，在所有出境游客中，约有3%的中国大陆游客到访泰国，在外国旅游目的地中占比最大。今年第一季度，中国游客与马来西亚、俄罗斯、韩国和印度游客一起，位列外国入境游客的前五位。 The Thai government expects the number of Chinese visitors to meet the target of 5 million this year, with spending of 446 billion baht ($13.2 billion). The target is less than half of the Chinese visits in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. About 350,000 to 400,000 Chinese tourists have visited Thailand per month so far this year, with the tally by August reaching 2.1 million, according to the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports.泰国政府预计今年中国游客人数将达到500万的目标，消费额将达到4460亿泰铢（约合132亿美元）。这一目标还不到新冠疫情前2019年中国游客人数的一半。根据泰国旅游和体育部的数据，今年迄今为止，每月约有35万至40万中国游客访问泰国，截至8月，人数已达210万。 One of the major factors that stopped Chinese tourists from traveling to Thailand is safety concerns, said Varut Kanchanapattana, board member and honorary treasurer of the Association of Thai Travel Agents.泰国旅行社协会董事会成员兼名誉司库瓦鲁特-坎差那帕塔纳表示，阻止中国游客赴泰旅游的主要因素之一是安全问题。 "The visa-free scheme will definitely be a booster to tourism in Thailand and also the country's economy. But it still won't have maximum benefit if a negative perception about Thailand remains among Chinese," he said.“免签计划肯定会促进泰国旅游业和国家经济的发展。但是，如果中国人对泰国的负面印象依然存在，那么免签计划就无法发挥最大效益。”他说。 Thailand has become popular among Chinese travelers in the past decades, and was among the first countries that welcomed Chinese tour groups after China optimized its COVID-19 control measures around February.过去几十年来，泰国一直深受中国游客的欢迎，在今年2月中国优化新冠疫情政策后，泰国是首批欢迎中国旅行团的国家之一。 Trip.com Group said the upcoming National Day holiday from Sept 29 to Oct 6 will see a peak in outbound tourism, and Thailand is among the top three choices for its users.携程集团表示，即将到来的国庆长假（9月29日至10月6日）将迎来出境旅游高峰，而泰国是其用户的三大选择之一。 Fan Dongxiao, who is in charge of travel firm Tuniu's short-distance overseas trips, said more Chinese people from second or third-tier cities will choose to visit Thailand after the visa-free policy decision.途牛旅游网负责海外短途游的范东晓说，免签政策决定后，将有更多来自二三线城市的中国人选择去泰国旅游。 "We've already seen a jump in bookings for tour products for the coming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, and the implementation of the visa waiver policy will further increase people's desire to visit Thailand," she said.她指出：“我们已经看到即将到来的中秋节和国庆节假期的旅游产品预订量猛增，免签政策的实施将进一步提高人们访问泰国的意愿。” In another development, Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili announced on Monday that the country by the Caucasus and the Black Sea has decided to introduce visa-free entry for Chinese citizens, and more details will be declared later.另一个进展是，格鲁吉亚总理伊拉克利·加里巴什维利11日宣布，这个位于高加索和黑海边上的国家已决定对中国公民实行入境免签，更多细节将稍后公布。 "China is the second-largest economy in the world. One of our main interests is to strengthen trade and economic relations with China, to attract more investments from China, as well as to attract more tourists," Gharibashvili said at a governmental session in Tbilisi.加里巴什维利在第比利斯的一次政府会议上表示：“中国是世界第二大经济体，深化对华经贸合作、吸引更多中国投资、接待更多中国游客均是格鲁吉亚政府的重要工作方向。”Chinese tourists are considered one of the most desirable tourists in the world, said the prime minister.总理说，中国游客被认为是世界上最受欢迎的游客之一。Visa英/ˈviːzə/ 美/ˈviːzə/n.签证Tourism英/ˈtʊərɪzəm/ 美/ˈtʊrɪzəm/n.旅游业，观光业

Mary Fastenau, senior partner at Anthology Marketing Group, fondly recalls the Internet's early digital marketing potential and the growth of what is now the state's largest integrated marketing and communications agency. “It's the beauty of what's going on in digital, even today, is that … you can test, you can look and you can make sure that your hypothesis, even if they're very well researched, that they are actually relating to real people,” she says. Starr Siegle became Anthology Marketing Group in 2007. Today, the agency is part of Finn Partners, a global marketing and communications firm, and represents clients like Hawai‘i Pacific Health, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Hawaiian Telcom and ‘Iolani School.

It's a confusing time to be a visitor with travel plans to Maui. The discourse on social media has made it even more confusing too, with influencers and locals saying to "stay away." However, while not affecting areas like Lahaina and certain parts of Kula is definitely the call, the rest of the island—and its many businesses that are reliant of visitors—still need to pay the bills. To shed more light on the topic, and to help travelers make the right call through these tragic times, Kevin and Cat and joined by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority's chief brand officer Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā to discuss this sensitive topic.

Ah, finally, I've made it to Chiang Rai! I've wanted to visit this most northern part of Thailand my whole life, as my dear late aunty came from Chiang Rai. Spending a few days up there was delightful, and full of really fascinating experiences, but I've narrowed it down to my three favourites for this podcast episode. First: the White Temple. It's a very new temple, built on the site of an old one, and is almost more art and architecture than temple, designed and funded by well-known Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. I try to describe it - but you really do have to see it to believe it. My second highlight was our day at Ahsa Farmstay, a little further north of Chiang Rai city. In this episode I explain what I loved about it and also share an interview with one of the women who run it, Aun Wannamala. Finally, I explain my day at the Ban Pang Ha village right up in the northern tip of Thailand in Mae Sai. This is another excellent community-based tourism initiative and we enjoyed massages, facials, paper-making, great food and more up here; I chatted to Thiraphon Saraphrom about what makes Pang Ha so special. Disclaimer stuff: I was hosted for this trip, which means the Tourism Authority of Thailand covered my travel costs. However, my opinions - and my love of Thailand - are all my own, honest truth. Links: Ahsa Farmstay - https://ahsafarmstay.com/  Ban Pang Ha community - https://www.thailand.go.th/issue-focus-detail/001_02_169  Community-Based Tourism - Episode 301 - https://notaballerina.com/301  Amazing Thailand - https://amazingthailand.com.au/ Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/302 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 90 people have been killed in Maui since wildfires erupted last week, making it the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in over a century. The Hawai'i Tourism Authority is urging travelers to not visit the island at this time as organizers work to provide shelter to thousands of displaced residents.Former president Donald Trump could face his fourth criminal indictment as soon as this week. Fulton County Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis appears close to charging Trump with more crimes regarding 2020 election interference in the state.And in headlines: the governor of Illinois signed a law allowing people to sue gunmakers over ads that target children, police raided a local newspaper in Kansas, and the Biden administration announced a $1.3 billion investment to suck carbon dioxide out of the air.Show notes:Help Maui Rise: Directly Aid ʻOhana Displaced by Fires: https://tinyurl.com/49bxs27aHawai'i' Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund - https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strongMaui Mutual Aid Fund - https://www.bit.ly/mauimutualaideFundraiser for Pūnana Leo o Lāhinā whose school site at Waiola Church, which burned down: https://www.instagram.com/p/CvvWWoqSl9V/Fundraiser for Nā ‘Āikane O Maui Cultural Center, which burned down: https://www.instagram.com/p/CvvJeNzy2WM/?img_index=1What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastCrooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Let's travel to Thailand! Travel is back, and it is time to plan your next vacation! You will learn so much from my special guest, and I promise you will be well-informed and inspired for your next (or first) trip to this fantastic destination. This episode is a bright and shiny conversation with Candy Krajangsri from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. She is knowledgeable, inspiring, exciting, and funny, and she even gets a little bit emotional near the end of the episode as she shares a story about a personal travel connection.  Candy is a part of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Los Angeles Office marketing team and oversees PR and digital marketing initiatives. Over the last several years, she has managed to combine her passion for food, travel, and content creation to help promote varying aspects of Thailand. And she never leaves home without her hair in a messy bun and her camera by her side.  I have known Candy for over five years and have even had the great pleasure of traveling to Thailand with her. She's fantastic! Highlights in this episode: Delicious food details, colorful flower markets, gorgeous temples, inspiring sunsets & charming people - Everything you need to know! Where to find the best travel deals to Thailand The allure of Bangkok Practical travel tips for Thailand - Where to go, what to see, travel deals! Customize your Thailand experience First-timer tips The importance of being a thoughtful traveler Are you ready to go to Thailand? Have you already traveled there? Are you thinking about it? Make sure you check the links Candy shared with us. TAT and its partners want to help you plan your next trip! You can find all of the links below! I plan to head back to Thailand too! Let me know your thoughts and questions! You can DM me through Instagram @suzannestavert. Important Links Official Tourism of Thailand Instagram - @thailandinsider Travel to Thailand Travel Deals, trip planning & coupons - Here Customize your experience - Here Suzanne's Thailand Experience - Link to Posts Here & Here Suzanne's Instagram: @suzannestavert  

Thailand was calling, and I had to go! Three and a half years after my last pre-Covid adventure abroad, I finally managed to get out of Australia for a short media trip to Thailand. I'm home again now and celebrating that trip along with the milestone of the three hundredth episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast seems very appropriate. In this episode I'll tell you a little bit about my trip to Bangkok and Chiang Rai - more to come on these destinations in future episodes - and about how I felt to be leaving Australia. I've also included an extract from a chat I recently had with my friend Jean, who took her first post-Covid trip to Iraq a couple of months ago, and had lots of similar thoughts about this "new" travel experience. Of course, I always try to be a thoughtful traveller, and like to divide ways to be thoughtful into before, during and after a trip, so in this episode I ponder how well I did with this, considering it was a trip that arose at fairly short notice. And finally, I ask our Bangkok guide Suree for her tips on how we can be thoughtful travellers in Thailand, and she has plenty of advice for travelling and, to be honest, for life in general. Disclaimer stuff: I was hosted for this trip, which means the Tourism Authority of Thailand covered my travel costs. However, my opinions - and my love of Thailand - are all my own, honest truth. Links Amazing Thailand - https://amazingthailand.com.au/ How to be a thoughtful traveller - https://www.notaballerina.com/2018/01/thoughtful-travel.html  Previous chat with Jean about her trip to Iraq - https://notaballerina.com/297 Jean's site Traveling Honeybird - https://www.travelinghoneybird.com/ Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/300 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Breaking news in Pattaya, Phuket: Prime Minister Vote POSTPONED Indefinitely! Stay up to date with the latest news and updates as it happens.--TAT: Long holiday could bring B2.2bn to Phuket The long holiday at the end of the month is expected to generate more than 2 billion baht in tourism revenue for Phuket, according to the local office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).Source - The Bangkok PostParliament vote for PM postponed indefinitelyParliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha has indefinitely postponed Thursday's planned joint sitting to vote for a new prime minister, pending a Constitutional Court ruling on the rejected renomination of Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat.Source - The Bangkok PostSenior police in hot water after raid on illegal pubsRatchaburi Provincial Police have launched a probe into five senior officers at Ban Pong police station following a raid on two unlicensed pubs where 77 customers tested positive for drugs early on Saturday.Source - The Bangkok Post - Thai PBS WorldAussie MP ‘cautious' over Phuket's cannabis stateA Member of Parliament of the Australian state of Victoria has voiced his concerns over lack of awareness regarding the laws regulating the use of cannabis and how the availability of marijuana on the island may land tourists, especially Australians, in trouble.Source - The Phuket News--Want to support the show? Then why not buy me a coffee! You can do so by following the link belowhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/thaiexpatshow--Interested in starting your own podcast like the Thai Expat Daily Show? I use Buzzsprout and I can't recommend it highly enough. It makes everything super easy. Sign up today to get on the path to making great podcasts!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1751572--Check out our website and forum - https://www.thaiexpatdailyshow.com--LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos every dayhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB8khQ_NapVMDiW09oqL-rw--Listen to our podcast on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon or on our podcast website: https://thaiexpatdailyshow.buzzsprout.com--Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thaiexpatdailyshow--#thaiexpatdailyshow #thaiexpatdailyshow #phuketnewsSupport the show

The Mango Tree Chronicles is a limited edition podcast which spotlights the Nevis Mango Festival 2023. Five 'minisodes' featuring a mix of the Mango Festival organisers, past competition winners, content creators and more A little treat to whet your appetite for the greatest Mango Festival ever! The Mango Tree Chronicles is sponsored by The Nevis Tourism Authority and hosted by Chantal Olivia Miller Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/relateable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this video, we're going to explore what's happening in the world of Phuket. We'll take a look at the Russian Invasion of Phuket, and see how it's affecting the island country. We'll also discuss the Thailand election, and see what's happening with the candidates.Do you have any questions about the events happening in Phuket? Let us know in the comments below!--Coalition hopefuls unveil pactThe Move Forward Party (MFP) has given assurances that its government's policies will not harm this country's constitutional monarchy.Source – The Bangkok PostTAT to boost safety measuresWith the number of Chinese visitors hitting 1 million, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Tourist Police Bureau have committed to strengthening safety measures for travellers.Source – The Bangkok Post‘Not Thailand anymore': Russians are flocking to this resort island — but not all is well in paradiseIt is no wonder that Russians facing travel restrictions to most of the rest of the world are flocking to Thailand. With its fine white sands, stunning landscapes and rich culture, “the land of a thousand smiles” has much to offer paradise seekers, never mind those fleeing a tightening autocracy, economic downturn and war.Source – The Toronto StarTour speedboat driver to be charged for drug useChalong Police Chief Pol Col Kanaen Somrak has confirmed that the driver of the speedboat that collided with a channel marker in Chalong Bay last week, injuring 35 tourists, will be charged with drug use.Source – The Phuket News--Want to support the show? Then why not buy me a coffee! You can do so by following the link belowhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/thaiexpatshow--Interested in starting your own podcast like the Thai Expat Daily Show? I use Buzzsprout and I can't recommend it highly enough. It makes everything super easy. Sign up today to get on the path to making great podcasts!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1751572--Check out our website and forum - https://www.thaiexpatdailyshow.com--LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos every dayhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB8khQ_NapVMDiW09oqL-rw--Listen to our podcast on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon or on our podcast website: https://thaiexpatdailyshow.buzzsprout.com--Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thaiexpatdailyshow--#thaiexpatdailyshow #thailandnews #phuketnewsSupport the show

In recent Thailand news, the Tourism Authority of Thailand anticipates the Songkran holiday to generate 18.5 billion baht in revenue, surpassing 2019 levels due to pent-up demand for domestic travel. However, not all news is positive, as a Maldivian tourist was caught smuggling 25 live birds out of Thailand. In Bangkok, 30 police officers successfully rescued a family of five after an 18-hour hostage crisis. On a lighter note, a Thai man won the lottery using numbers provided by ChatGPT. Overall, Thailand continues to experience a mix of ups and downs in its news cycle. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thaigerpodcast/message

HPR's Casey Harlow shares updates on Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority legislation; Three generations of plumeria growers welcome visitors to the family farm; Remembering the colorful history of USS Bowfin; Author pens book about Vietnamese family coming to terms with mental health recovery

Carlo Micallef, CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about how Malta is emerging as an essential Mediterranean island destination based on its history, charm, culture and cuisine. Already a major film location for movies and TV show and a growing cruise destination, Malta is ready to give your clients a full multi-day vacation experience. For more information, visit www.visitmalta.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.

Kiwan Anderson certainly has one of the most appealing jobs in the PR industry as the global director of communications, PR and content development for the Bermuda Tourism Authority. He talks about wearing Bermuda shorts to business meetings and making the case for the island as a convenient getaway from New York City. Plus the biggest marketing and communications news of the week, including: - Tucker Carlson's split from Fox News; - More Bud Light marketing fallout; - Mattel introducing the first Barbie with Down syndrome; - The PR Council's AI guidelines; - And much more. Follow us on Twitter: @PRWeekUSReceive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek

The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority struggles to find legislative backing; Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the second wave of American Protestant missionaries in Hawaiʻi; Creator shares the joys of Hamakua-grown, ginger syrup

John De Fries, president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, discusses the Islands' potential as a model for regenerative living and the results the agency is already seeing from its destination management plans. Born and raised in Waikīkī, John De Fries has spent 40 years in various parts of Hawai‘i's hospitality industry. His charge now is leading the state's tourism agency amid economic recovery and cries of overtourism. “The biggest lesson is that none of us live in a destination; we live in a community,” he says. “And so when you're experiencing the benefits, as well as the adverse impacts of tourism, more than likely you are incentivized to find the solution.”

This week on the talkshow, we discuss the power plant in Thailand that has upped its reward for the missing radioactive cylinder to 100,000 baht. We will also be looking at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) welcoming the inaugural Chinese flight, with tour groups headed to Phuket and Phang Nga. The power plant in Thailand is offering a reward of 100,000 baht for the return of a missing radioactive cylinder. This is a significant increase from the initial reward of 10,000 baht. We will be discussing the implications of this increase and the importance of the cylinder. We will also be looking at the TAT welcoming the inaugural Chinese flight, with tour groups headed to Phuket and Phang Nga. We will be discussing the importance of this flight and the potential benefits for the Thai tourism industry. Tune in to find out more and join the conversation. Welcome to the most magical place in Thailand - 'CARNIVAL MAGIC': https://www.carnivalmagic.fun Check out our podcast with Bruna Silva:    • Brewing Up Succes...   Ad-free website, 3 months free for subscribers and members: https://thethaiger.com/?youtube=membe... Join our podcast: https://forms.gle/HWHjJudjApKECnVD7 For sponsoring GMT or any business inquiries, please get in touch with us here: info@thethaiger.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thaigerpodcast/message

April is a popular month in Thailand, with the traditional Thai New Year of Songkran being one of the most celebrated events. Koh Chang Karp has recently become a popular scuba diving destination in Trang, in the southern part of Thailand. Pattaya Police will recommend the closure of a popular nightclub due to repeated license violations. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has partnered with Agoda, Alipay, Klook and KKDay to promote tourism in the country. Police arrested a 69 year old woman from Trat province for gambling after she sent her desired underground lottery numbers to the wrong group chat on Line. For more in-depth coverage of these stories and other breaking news, be sure to check out thethaiger.com Welcome to the most magical place in Thailand - 'CARNIVAL MAGIC': https://www.carnivalmagic.fun Check out our podcast with Bruna Silva:    • Brewing Up Succes...   Ad-free website, 3 months free for subscribers and members: https://thethaiger.com/?youtube=membe... Join our podcast: https://forms.gle/HWHjJudjApKECnVD7 For sponsoring GMT or any business inquiries, please get in touch with us here: info@thethaiger.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thaigerpodcast/message

Police launched an investigation into Marichche Clinic in Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi province near Bangkok after a customer lost consciousness and died just six hours after her breast augmentation surgery. Thousands of Russians and Ukrainians are currently stranded in Thailand due to the ongoing war between the two countries. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is proposing an extension of the 45-day visa-free stays for tourists from 64 countries until the end of 2023 to boost tourism recovery. Global aviation is taking off to a promising start this year, with the Pacific Asia Travel Association predicting a 71% growth rate for the region. Lastly, a foreigner of unknown nationality was allegedly deported from Shanghai, China for testing positive for cannabis upon returning from Thailand, where marijuana is legal. These Thailand news stories demonstrate the diverse range of events taking place in the country. For more in-depth coverage of these stories and other breaking news, be sure to check out thethaiger.com Welcome to the most magical place in Thailand - 'CARNIVAL MAGIC': https://www.carnivalmagic.fun Check out our podcast with Bruna Silva:    • Brewing Up Succes...   Ad-free website, 3 months free for subscribers and members: https://thethaiger.com/?youtube=membe... Join our podcast: https://forms.gle/HWHjJudjApKECnVD7 For sponsoring GMT or any business inquiries, please get in touch with us here: info@thethaiger.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thaigerpodcast/message

The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority estimated the impact of hosting the Super Bowl in 2015 to be $719.4 million. By all accounts, the upcoming 2023 event should be even larger. The entire sector of sports and tourism in Arizona, however, adds billions of dollars and thousands of jobs annually and independent of major events like the Super Bowl. This brief will give an overview of the impact the whole sports and tourism sector has on Arizona's economy throughout the year and its prospects for future growth. $24.2 billion: Contribution of the sports and tourism sector to Arizona's Real Gross Domestic Product in 2022 (6.4% of the state's economy). $13.7 billion: Direct sales by Arizona's hotels, casinos, performance venues, and other components of the state's sports & tourism sector in 2022. 347,500: Number of people directly and indirectly employed by Arizona's sports and tourism sector, or 11% of the state's total workforce. 3.0%: Projected average annual growth rate of the sector over the next decade. Sports and tourism, as a sector composed of various shares of NAICS classification industries, is no small share of the Arizona economy, and recognizing the impact of these industries can help encourage the adoption of public policy that enables the continued growth and development of this area. You can read our report on the total economic impact here. On this episode of Common Sense Digest, Host and Chairman Earl Wright welcomes Kim Sabow, President & CEO of Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association, and Glenn Farley CSI Arizona's Director of Policy and Research to discuss CSI's recent report, how big a share of the state economy is comprised of sports and tourism, and their wish list for policymakers to embolden and grow the industry.  Thank you for listening to Common Sense Digest. Please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. All of our podcasts can be found here. 

TAT expects 6 million tourists from Europe | GMT Thailand news has been making headlines recently. A man was charged for threatening and kidnapping his ex-girlfriend, while a billionaire's son denied allegations of biting a woman's genitals. Chinese tourists could be fined for wearing Thai student uniforms. In addition, desperate elephants have been fleeing massive forest fires in eastern Thailand. On a more positive note, pink trumpet trees have been decorating a park in the middle of Bangkok. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is anticipating 6 million European visitors this year. All of these news stories show the diversity of the country and the potential for growth in the tourism industry. Welcome to the most magical place in Thailand - 'CARNIVAL MAGIC': https://www.carnivalmagic.fun Check out our podcast with TichaKanticha: https://youtu.be/pjPE1LaOct0 Ad-free website, 3 months free for subscribers and members: https://thethaiger.com/?youtube=membership Join our podcast: https://forms.gle/HWHjJudjApKECnVD7 For sponsoring GMT or any business inquiries, please get in touch with us here: info@thethaiger.com For sponsoring GMT or any business inquiries, please get in touch with us here: info@thethaiger.com BROWSE to read the latest news: https://thethaiger.com