Podcasts about tourism development

A new report has recommended that Clare County Council take over the management of the Cliffs of Moher coastal walk. Sections of it were closed last year because of a number of accidents. Siobhan McNulty is Director of Tourism Development with Clare County Council, and she tells us why they commissioned the study...

In today's episode, recorded at the iconic Windhoek City Museum on Friday, March 21st, 2025, the VA Tourism Podcast sat down for an exclusive conversation with Sebulon Chicalu, the newly appointed CEO of the Namibia Tourism Board. Just hours after the historic inauguration of Namibia's first female president, Chicalu shared his thoughts on the exciting new chapter for the country, highlighting the boost to the destination's brand equity and the momentum it will bring to the board's renewed focus on MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions). In this chat, he outlined his vision for the organization, emphasizing the importance of consolidating core source markets, diversifying products, promoting domestic tourism, and ensuring high-quality standards, among other strategic priorities. A seasoned business strategist with extensive expertise in the travel and tourism sector, Mr Chicalu brings a wealth of experience in tourism product innovation and development. He is also a GALLUP-certified Strengths and Talent Development Coach, a mentor and an expert in employee engagement. His dynamic skill set spans roles as a moderator, negotiator, coordinator and public speaker. Before joining NTB, Mr Chicalu served as the Director of Tourism and Gaming at the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism. Throughout his career, he has been instrumental in developing and launching various hospitality and tourism services, spearheading major business events, and providing strategic leadership in executive management and board-level roles within the tourism and hospitality industries. Academically, he holds a Master of Business Administration (MsM), a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration, and a Diploma in Marketing Management. Additionally, he is certified in Corporate Governance and as a GALLUP Clifton-Strengths Coach.    

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Monday, March 10, 2025. A major offroading trail expansion is expected to boost outdoor recreation and tourism in Eastern Kanawha County…the quirky draw of George Washington's Bath Tub attracts travelers to Berkeley Springs…and the Parkersburg CVB's new welcome center brings an increase in visitors …on today's daily304. #1 – From WV NEWS – A major outdoor recreation project in Eastern Kanawha County is poised to transform the area into a premier destination for off-road enthusiasts.  The Appalachian Outlaw Trails is adding more than 2,000 acres of trails designed for ATVs, dirt bikes, side-by-sides, and full-size vehicles like Jeeps and trucks. This expansion aims to attract tourists and outdoor adventurers from West Virginia and the entire East Coast. Currently featuring 25 miles of trails in the Upper Kanawha Valley, AOT has ambitious plans to double this mileage. The goal is to develop one of the most extensive off-roading parks in the nation, covering over 100,000 acres in the long term. The ultimate plan is to develop a comprehensive outdoor recreation resort complete with cabins, a concert venue, mountain biking trails, hiking paths, horseback riding areas, and clay shooting venues.  The Kanawha County Commission is collaborating with AOT on this multi-phase project, with the initial focus on developing trails in the Quincy area. Read more: https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/appalachian-outlaw-trails-expansion-to-boost-outdoor-recreation-and-tourism-in-eastern-kanawha-county/article_47e734c2-efdf-11ef-97b1-eba9e921ec94.html   #2 – From HIGHBROW MAGAZINE – Many historical sites in the U.S. have monuments and other remembrances of Founding Father and President George Washington. But of all the George Washington showcases, this reporter's favorite is a national park in the small town of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. That's where America's first president was said to bathe in an open-air brick tub that reads, not surprisingly, “George Washington's Bath Tub.” It was filled with warm natural mineral spring water emanating from the surrounding mountainous countryside. What makes traveling to Berkeley Springs most enticing is that we can join, at least figuratively, Washington in sitting in a large indoor bathtub that can easily accommodate two bathers and is filled with 104-degree mineral water. It's situated in what's called the Old Roman Bath House at Berkeley Springs State Park. Read more: https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/25207-visit-george-washington-s-bath-tub-berkeley-springs   #3 – From NEWS & SENTINEL – The Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau continues to see more people at its Welcome Center in Parkersburg to inform people about what attractions and accommodations are available in the area. The Welcome Center, which opened in April 2022 after relocating to 113 Ann St., has continually seen more people each year, CVB President and CEO Mark Lewis said. The bureau and Lewis won the Excellence in Tourism Development award at the 2025 Hospitality University conference held Jan. 26-28 at the Greenbrier. The increase in tourism has enabled them to double the attendance at the Oil and Gas Museum and at Henderson Hall, while the main draw continues to be Blennerhasset Island Historical State Park. Read more: https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/business/2025/03/greater-parkersburg-cvb-president-reports-rise-in-tourist-stops/   Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.  

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Paul Marden.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter  or Bluesky for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcast.Competition ends on 19th March 2025. The winner will be contacted via Bluesky. Show references: https://www.ajah.ae/https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-griffiths-63432763/Kelly's final episodeThe transformation of Painshill Park, with Paul Griffiths, Director of PainshillWhat it really takes to launch a podcast. With Kelly Molson and Paul GriffithsPaul Griffiths has worked in the Heritage, Museums and Tourism world now for nearly 30 years.After spending 16 years working in various role for English Heritage, in 2012 he moved to the Mary Rose Museum as Head of Operations to oversee the opening and operations of the multi award winning museum, welcoming over one million visitors before in 2018 taking on moving to the Painshill Park Trust in the role of Director of Painshill. Paul spent 6 years there before his move in December 2024 to Ras Al Khaimah one of the seven Emirates that make up the UAE. In this exciting brand new role Paul is Chief Executive Officer of the Al Hamra Heritage Village, part of the Al Qasimi Foundation. Transcriptions: Paul Marden: Welcome to Skip the Queue, a podcast for people working in and working with Visitor Attractions. I'm your host, Paul Marden.Longtime listeners will remember my guest today, Paul Griffiths, when he was CEO at Painshill Park, from when he was interviewed back in season one by Kelly. In today's episode, Paul comes back to talk about his new role as CEO of Al Jazeera Al Hamrah Heritage Village in Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE. Now, I'm always interested in the first 90 days of people's experience in a job, so we'll be talking more about that and his for the future. Paul Marden: Paul, welcome back to Skip the Queue. Paul Griffiths: Hello. Thanks for having me, Paul. Great to be here. Paul Marden:  Long time. Listeners will know that we always start with an icebreaker question and our guests don't get to know that one in advance. I think this one's a pretty kind one. I was pretty mean to Paul Sapwell from Hampshire Cultural Trust a couple of weeks ago because I asked him whether it was Pompey or Saints and for political reasons, he felt that he had to abstain from that.Paul Griffiths: Testing his interest. I'd have gone Pompey at the time because that's where we live. Well, did live. Paul Marden: Oh, there you go. There you go. So you've moved over from Portsmouth. You're now in the UAE. Tell listeners, what is that one? Home comfort that after three months away from Blighty, you're missing? Is it proper English marmalade? Paul Griffiths: Do you know what? I've been able to get hold of most things, but I've not been able to get. I know people who cook properly, so I should be able to do this myself, but I haven't. Cauliflower cheese, one thing I'm missing from home, that doesn't sell it anywhere in a sort of pre pack or frozen form. I can even get hold of Yorkshire puddings in Spinny's supermarket, but I can't get hold of cauliflower cheese. Paul Marden: Can you get cauliflowers? Paul Griffiths: Can get cauliflowers. I'm sure I can make cheese sauce if I knew what it was doing. But you normally. I'm so used to normally buying a pack of cheese, cauliflower cheese to have in my Sunday roast. Paul Marden: Okay. So if I ever get to come out, I need to bring out a plastic wrapped, properly sealed so that it doesn't leak on the plane. Cauliflower cheese? Paul Griffiths: Yes, please. Yeah, absolutely. Paul Marden: So your last episode was actually. Or your last full episode was back in season one, episode 22. So five years ago and the world has changed a lot in five years, but most recently it's changed a lot for you, hasn't it? So why don't you tell listeners a little bit about what's happened to you since you were with us in season one? Paul Griffiths: Wow. Yeah, well, season one seems an age away, doesn't it, now with all the wonderful guests youu've had since on Skip the Queue, it's been a different program completely. But, yeah, no, well, back then I was at Painshill, were coming out of a pandemic and I remember, you know, Kelly and I were chatting over all the different avenues that everyone had gone and what we've done at Painshill and that continued brilliantly. And however, my life has taken a change in. In sense of where I am, but I'm still doing the same sort of work, so. Which is, you know, when our industry, and it's such a fabulous industry, it's great to stay in it. Paul Griffiths: So I am now over in the United Army Emirates in the Emirate of Ras Alhaima, which is the third biggest of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, behind Abu Dhabi and, of course, Dubai. So I was approached, God, nearly always, this time last year, about a call over here. Yes. My recruitment company got in touch and went through, you know, had a good look at the job description and thought, well, actually, we'll throw my hat into the ring. And applied, went for a series of online interviews with the recruitment company, then an online interview with the people over here at various departments within the Al Kassimme Foundation and the Department of Museums and Antiquities. Paul Griffiths: So, yeah, looking at this brand new job, which I'm now lucky enough to be in, I then was flown out in August for a round of interviews, met all the team. You know, one of those things that you later discover, the whole real four days was one big interview, although there was. There was a central one. But of course, everyone you were meeting along the way was being asked to feedback, And I love chatting to people and enjoying people's company. So actually went for dinners and lunches and all sorts, which was just a lovely four days and almost felt like a free hit in many ways, Paul. Well, this is going to be a brilliant experience. Paul Griffiths: If I don't get the job, I'm going to have a great four days in Rasta Taima, seeing it, meeting everyone, enjoying the time here. And, you know, the more time I spent here, the more time with the team, the more time, you know, going and visiting sites. I just became more and more that this would be an amazing job. Obviously gave my absolute everything, did loads of research, gave everything in the interview. The interview took a rather unusual turn. After the sort of hour and a half of questions and my questions, I was asked to leave the room for a short period. Not unusual in that sense because I was, you know, I wasn't just going to leave and go because obviously I was in their hands for four days. Paul Griffiths: But the doctor, Natasha Ridge, the executive director of the foundation, came out the interview and said, “Right, that's all gone really well. We're really pleased. We're now off to the palace for you to meet His Highness Sheikh Saud, who is the ruler of Ras Al Khaimah and on the Supreme Council of the UAE.” So I was sort of, I went to one of the small meeting rooms you. Now I know that. Now I know where I was, where I went. But at that point I had no idea. One of the lovely. There's a very much a service thing here. Paul Griffiths: So, you know, we have in the Heritage Village as well later we have a wonderful member of our team, Geraldine, who does lots of cooking, prepares stuff and just had a wonderful fish taco lunch because we're four hours ahead of you, of course, here in Alaihi. So, yeah, so one of the guys came in with, gave me an English breakfast tea and sort of, you know, sat there reviewing what, thinking what on earth was I going to be asked by His Highness. And then was put into one of the drivers and we drove up through Rat Sahma City, through into the palace, up the long driveway and there I was sort of eventually, after about 20 minutes, presented with. Presented to Sheikh Sword who asked me, chatted, asked various questions. Paul Griffiths: I don't think there could be many interviews that you end up with His Highness in the second half of it. You know, it's sometimes a presentation. Yeah. So that was. I was there for about half an hour and that's your time over and off he goes. And off I went back to then go and have dinner with some of the team. So it was a very surreal afternoon. Paul Marden: Being interviewed by royalty. But when you're not expecting that as part of the interview process, that must be quite unnerving. Paul Griffiths: I had a heads up that at some point in my trip I might meet him, but there was no formal arrangements. I had me had to get in a diary. So it hadn't even crossed my mind that's what was about to happen. When I was asked to leave the meeting room, I just thought maybe they wanted to come back with more questions or, you know, say I hadn't gone well, whatever. But, yeah, no, that was the. I took that as a good sign. I thought, well, actually, if I'm being whisked up there, the interview must have gone relatively well because I'm sure they would present me to shake sword if it hadn't gone so well. Paul Marden: Yeah. You'd hope that he would be towards the end of the cycle of the interview round. Paul Griffiths: Yeah. Paul Marden: Not doing the early sifting of CVs. Paul Griffiths: No. He certainly had seen who I was because he asked me some questions about where I'd worked and. Okay, things like that. So he'd obviously seen a CV. He's a very. I mean, I've met him subsequently a few times. I've been fortunate to be a dinner hosted by him a couple of weeks ago. But he is a very, very intelligent man. Works really hard. I mean, work. He, you know, for him, he spends every minute working on the emirate. He ruled, he. He's the ruler. But he's almost a. It's a sort of combo, I guess he's all Prime Minister at the same time as being the ruler. So he is constantly working. You know, I'm really committed and I'm lucky in many ways that where I am working at the Heritage Village is his real. Paul Griffiths: One of his real pet projects that he's really driving forward. So, yes, we come with sort of royal. Royal approval, if you like. So. Yeah. Paul Marden: Excellent. So I. I've not been to the Emirates before, so for those of us that have not been, tell us a little bit about Ras Al Khaimah, of course. Paul Griffiths: Well, Ras Al Khaimah is one of the quieter Emirates mentioned. Sheikh Saud there, he's really driving a sort of, you know, a sort of agenda of bringing in more tourists. But he wants to use culture and territory as part of that. So, you know, it's a more relaxed, low level, if that makes sense. It's not Dubai, it's not full on, it's more relaxed Emirate. It's relaxed in cultural and many of the ways it's not, as you know, some of the other Emirates are, for example, completely dry. Ras Al Khaimah has given licenses to hotels and big restaurants in hotels for serving drinks. And there are a number of sellers where you can purchase for your consumption your own home, whereas Sharjah, you can't purchase any alcohol, for example, so it's a bit more chilled like that. It's a lovely place. Paul Griffiths: We're very fortunate to have the heavier mountains go through the far side of Ras Al Khaimah. So where I'm based is more on the seafront but then not, you know, I can see the mountains behind and there's a number of drives up into the mountains which are absolutely fabulous. Up to the Jebel Jais, which is the highest point in the UAE, we have the world's longest and fastest zip wire. I have not gone anywhere near that yet. Goes up to 100km an hour and is the longest over from the top of the mountain, whisking you off to the other side. I think it looks terrifying. But my. Paul Marden: I'm more interested in cables that take you to the top of the mountain. Maybe with some skis on my feet than I am attaching myself to a cable and going down the mountain. Doesn't sound like fun to me. Paul Griffiths: There's a toboggan ride as well up there as well.Paul Marden: Oh, I'd love that. Paul Griffiths: So that's the toboggan ride's on my to do list when the family get off, I'll save it for then and take my son Barney on that. But you know, there's all this sort of venture sports up on the top of the mountain and driving up there is remarkable. They put a proper road in. It's not the scary driving up the Alps, terrified what's going to come around the other corner. It's very like driving up a road, you know, normal sort of dual carriageway, two lanes each way and then right going through the mountains to the other side to one of the other Emirates for Jazeera , for example. So you're over on the Indian Ocean side Gulf Vermont. That road is just beautiful. There's no traffic on it, you know. Paul Griffiths: So Ras Al Khaimah is only about an hour and hour to an hour and a half from Dubai airport. And Dubai is a sort of people go to Dubai in the same way that we, you know, you'd go to London, I'd go to London when I was in Port Soviet, we would. It's now, you know, it's not considered a. There's always someone from work who's in Dubai every day almost for some reason. So nipping up to Dubai, I was like, I went to a dinner there last week and you know, it just seemed very normal that he jumped in a car and drove up to Dubai and came back that evening. Whereas. Seems remarkable actually to be doing that. But yeah, so because of where we are, Abu Dhabi is about two and a half hours away.Paul Griffiths: And we are the northern point of the Emirate, So we border on to Oman, split into a number of areas. Again, I didn't know any of this till I got here, but there's a part of Oman that's at the top of Ras Al Khaimah. And so, yeah, so it's a beautiful Emirate with nature, with mountain areas, which does get a bit chillier when you go up the mountains. I looked quite silly in my T shirt and shorts when I went up there on a Sunday afternoon. People were going past me like they were going skiing. You know, people wore coats and hats and looking at me as if I'm really daft. But I was still. It's interesting that because it's winter obviously everywhere here at the moment and at home, but it's. Paul Griffiths: People here are often telling me it's a cold day when I'm still standing. I still feel really quite warm. But yeah, finding that sort ofPaul Marden: Talking 30s at the moment for you, aren't we? Paul Griffiths: Yeah, it's a little bit. The last couple days have been down in the lower 20s, really comfortable. But when we last weekend, people were getting a bit nervous that summer had come very early because it was hitting the early 30s last week. So I don't know how for me, when we get to August, when it's in the mid, late 40s with real high humidity, I think I'm just going to go from aircon building to aircon building to aircon building.Paul Marden: I am such a Goldilocks when it comes to that sort of thing. Not too hot, not too cold, it needs to be just right. So I would definitely struggle in that kind of heat. Look, let's talk a little bit about where you are in the new job. So you've taken on the role of CEO of Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village. So tell me a little bit about the village. Why is this village so historic? Paul Griffiths: Well, it's a really interesting one, Paul, because it is very important, but it's not that old. And that's why what coming to me about making it more alive is something that's going to be crucial to us. So the village has been lived in for many years. It was a pearl farming village. So most of the people who worked here were doing pearl farming, which is pretty horrible job to do. You were, again, learning about this. You were jumping off boats, going to the ocean depths for up to three to four minutes. No protection really, apart from a very light shirt and some little bits on your fingers. But actually you're nothing on your eyes. Paul Griffiths: So you're having to look through the salt water, find the pearls come up and they were going up and down sometime 15, 16 times or more a day. And there's a fascinating exhibition in Dubai at the Al Shindagha Museum which really does focus on how this worked and how these guys were living. So, so it's a real. So that was the village. So the village had that, it obviously had then had fishing men, merchants making boats, merchants selling, trading wares. And Ras Al Khaimah has been quite a strategic part as all of the UAE really for the sort of trades coming from the Middle east and out into the Gulf. So the villages was being lived in up until the very early 70s. Paul Griffiths: Up in the 1970s the Al Za'abi tribe who were based here were offered I guess a new life is the only way to look at it in Abu Dhabi with new jobs, with land, with housing and it's just a better way like pearl farming was now being done so much cheaper and easier in the Orient in Japan mainly. So that was, that dropped away. There wasn't the other merchant trading going on. So actually the oil boom basically led the tribe to almost one up sticks and head to Abu Dhabi. And in many ways good story because we're still in touch with quite considerable amounts of the tribes people who were here. Lots of the elders have done wonderful oral histories, videos talking about their lives here. But this village survived as just fell into ruins, but actually wasn't developed. Paul Griffiths: And where it becomes important is this would have been what all of the Gulf would have looked like before the oil boom. The UAE wasn't a wealthy nation before then. You know, when I went up to Dubai and spent some time at the Etihad Museum, which is based around which Etihad Union is the not Around Man City Stadium should point out very much around about how the UAE had come together and how, you know, so it wasn't the wealthiest nation, but actually they discovered oil. They then brought seven Emirates together. It then has flourished in the ways that we now know what Dabi and ifwe looks like and even Ras Al Khaimah in some parts and really quite glamorous. But this village survived. Paul Griffiths: So although it fell into ruin, all the other fishing, farmhome fishing, pearl farming villages across the Gulf had become, just got destroyed, knocked down, you know, turned into hotels and high rises. And actually when you visit the other Emirates, lots of them are now recreating their historic areas or re purposing some of the historic buildings and they're doing it very well. In Dubai, Sharjah has actually completely rebuilt. It's what it calls the Harp Sharjah, which is. Which was its historic sort of areas, but. Paul Marden: Right. Paul Griffiths: But this survived. Many of the buildings had fallen into disrepair. And what we've been doing for the last few years, as the Al Qasimi Foundation and the Department of Antiquities and Museums is restoring a number of these buildings, we've then sort of gone into a sort of activation so you can walk around. So we've got, you know, carving now. Only a year ago it was mostly sand. We've now got a path going through it, so you can walk in. And the job that I've really been asked to do initially on arrival here is to really push that activation forward and really look at my sort of. What I've done in the past and what we've seen other places do and think about what can we do to bring this bit more to life? Paul Griffiths: Because it's the sort of storage village is around the 1970s. Well, it was abandoned in the 1970s. Well, you know, for us from the UK, from lots of other nationalities, actually, something in the 70s isn't very old. It's in our lifespan. You know, we are looking at this going well, actually. So when I was talking to a lot of. So RAK TDA's basically visit RAK tourism authority. So they are really supportive in wanting to push Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village, which will from now on abbreviate to AJAH to save me. Keep saying that. Long tanned. So they are really keen that we're doing more stuff. So why would a tourist want to come? What is there to see once you're here? Paul Griffiths: On top of some abandoned and now beautifully restored houses, mosques, you know, things that you would have expected in a village of, you know, a thousand or so population, 500 houses, you know, so more than a thousand people, really. So that's the sort of plan in that way. So in many ways I've got a sort of blank canvas to play with. But, you know, money's not unlimited, so it's about. So working closely with local communities, working with, you know, local traders, looking at what could we bring into the village on the back of the art fair. I know we'll talk about later, but it's, you know, this has been a. This is a real challenge for me to. How do I take this sort of place forwards.Paul Marden: In my mind's eye, we go to the Weald & Downland Living Museum so open air museum, lots of houses recreating life through the ages. Is that the sort of experience that I'm going to get if I come to the village of I'm going to see the properties and I'm going to see this previous way of life come to life in front of me?Paul Griffiths: Well at the moment you'll see you just see in the houses and the buildings but you're walking around looking at historic buildings but we have got a number of the houses we've put in. Each video is at the moment showing the audio visuals so you can walk around and listen to members of the tribes chatting about their youth and what's happening and you can see the buildings in real life. I guess what I'm looking for this is telling the story a little bit of the village which we don't initially do that well at the moment that's no criteria. Yes, this is what we need to do going forward. There's been several stages of activation When I came last August part not many the paths weren't all finished. We didn't have anywhere for visitor services to be at the front.Paul Griffiths: We only had a very small sort officey area which has now been built up to where I'm. Where I'm sat today. So I think what you're going to get is a multi as a blend of traders who will be in our suitcase. The Souk is fully restored sooke and shopping market area so that's my first point is to move some people in there. So I've already got a goldsmith and move to her studio in got some handicrafts we've got some textile people moving in the. Paul Griffiths: The main gallery of Nassau Heyman Design Gallery which is the one big gallery where artists can go is going to have a sort of satellite shop if you like not shop a satellite so there will be pieces of work there are in here with their little souvenir store which they sell because they get people a lot of what the design gallery does is making souvenirs of Ras Al Khaimah that are all handmade so quite special gifts. So what we're hoping is tying up with our local hoteliers who many of which have not been so it's bringing them in and they need something more to see to send their guests here. Paul Griffiths: So you know talking to some of them over lunch when I hosted some of them on Saturday it was a case of you know actually, can they send their clients and say, you can do all your holiday shopping because at the moment they're sending people to the shopping malls which are just, you know, nice, but actually merchandise them to go to a heritage village, get that experience of what the golf would have been like and bags of shopping at the same time. Paul Marden: So who doesn't love a. A museum gift shop at the end? So, you know. Paul Griffiths: Exactly. And we don't really have that here at the moment from an Al Jazeera perspective. So on my plan for this year is to put in. We've got an info booth, as it's called at the moment. It's not a world. It's not the best customer service friendly. It's like a caravan but with some windows. And yeah, it's probably a better. Now it's got air conditioning. Yes. But it doesn't work very well for customers. You're trying to talk through little windows because you can only have small windows to keep the air con working, not have too much open to. It's just passing out. Paul Griffiths: So, yeah, so I'm looking at building this summer, hopefully. Fingers crossed, touch wood, a visitor welcome centre, which is something we're really pushing along with, which will be lovely because that will be that proper visitor welcome with a shop with an induction into an introduction. Sorry, into the Al Jazeera story. And then let people go. And then when they get to the far end, they'll be the souk full of. He says again, hopefully slowly filling them out, but full of traders and local craftspeople and people who are. Even if they're not originally local, they're based in rack, so they are considered local. The UAE is built up of a lot of expat population. When I say expats, I mean just English people from around the world. It's a really accepting, welcoming community. I've been really. Everyone says hello to you as you're walking into the supermarket shops. There's no. Whoever they are where you're from. Paul Griffiths: Everyone's talking to each other because the local population know they've had to bring people in because there's thousands more jobs than there are Emirati population in Ras Al Khaimah. So, you know, it's always been. And when you look at the foundation of the UAE, it was about, we will need to bring people in to bring this. To build this nation with us. So, you know, it's been always a sort of welcome and melting pot of different people. Paul Marden: Yeah, amazing. Look, you mentioned when we had our initial chat. You've been there now three months, you've been doing lots of visiting of other attractions. Because I think you said to me, which I thought was quite interesting, that you were. There's lots that you bring with you from the UK in your experience, but there's lots of best practice and good practice happening within the Emirates already. So you've been kind of going out and visiting a lot of cultural venues and attractions in the Emirates. Tell me a little bit about those. Paul Griffiths: Yeah, so it's been a minute of a manic last month in February, because we've had the art festival. I know we're going to keep hinting at it, we'll get to it at some point, but when I've had some time away, what's been fabulous, it's just sort of. And I think as well, because the family aren't here in my own at the moment, said, “All right, I've got some time off, let's go and explore.” Yeah. So I've sort of driven across to Fajera, spent time in Sharjah and took myself up for a weekend in Dubai, which was fantastic. Booked a very reasonably priced hotel and just spent a weekend flowering around everywhere and just really immersed in my. So and only scratch the surface. There's so much more to see. So, yeah, so I've been going and looking at. Paul Griffiths: Well, you know, I don't want to do something that's not. There'll be alien to, obviously, the culture here. And that's been really. What's been great fun in the last few months is it's not just going into a new job, you know, and learning that. It's actually been a terrifying, at some points, fabulous experience. I was learning new cultures, new working lives. You know, things are working. It's done very differently here. You know, there's a different hierarchical process we have in the UK and permissions are needed in different places. And that's not. I'm not saying any of this is a bad thing, it's just learning those different things. So I've been learning all these different cultures. You know, we're just coming into Ramadan, which I've had no real experience with before. And that is. That is a massive thing here. You know, it's the month. Paul Griffiths: Every billboard you go past is someone trying to sell something for Ramadan, whether it be a new chest of drawers, you know, your family needs this new dining table for Ramadan. It's a bit like, you know, you will see at Christmas at home, everyone catching on, you know, IKEA will be saying, new table and chairs for Christmas. You know, it's. It's not. It's a sort of different repeating itself. You know, those sort of signs you have around the supermarket. Christmas back home. They're all up now in supermarkets here for Ramadan. Paul Marden: Right. Paul Griffiths: Encouraging what people are going to buy for when they break the fast at sunset Iftar. So, you know, so it's all sort of promoting. You need this for. So it's a real. We're going to a massive thing. And that's been a real sort of learning, cultural thing for me, which has been great because actually I've always enjoyed, when I'm traveling, learning about other cultures, you know, it's always been for me, I always try and visit museums, galleries, learn about the place I'm at. And so actually living somewhere and learn about someone who's been. I think it's added to the fun of the experience. But back to your question. Paul Griffiths: Yes, I've been traveling wherever the possibility to start to look at other historic venues, looking at where they've, you know, restored historic markets and souk areas and what sort of things are going in there, what are people doing there. Up in Dubai, there is a place called Al Shindagar Museum, which is where they've. Some of the historic buildings that have been saved by the creek of Dubai have been turned into the most amazing series of museums, is the only way I can describe it, because each house is a different gallery or different theme. So you have the story of the creek being built up, the story of Dubai seafarers. There was a faith and. Faith and religion room, talking about Islam and different cultures, how that's worked around Dubai. Paul Griffiths: Dubai being built up as a city, lots about the rulers and families, but every house you went to is a different place. What was so impressive there from a visitor experience perspective was the training that Stafford had was sensational. You know, you go into someone, you think they're obviously being managed really well because obviously this is. You don't just train. So obviously someone oversees this really well. But clearly the training, everywhere you went, the customer service was exceptional. People coming out from behind counters, giving you introductions, making sure you had everything needed, you know, as you were leaving. Have you got any questions? All those things we try and all have tried to teach over the years, and in many ways we've all been different levels of success of that. Paul Griffiths: But what was amazing was they also got the security guards in on the act as well, because there's a real culture here that there's a separate, they're secure, they're very different. You know, there's, we've got them here, they're in very much brown security, clearly marked, you know, protecting places. But what they've done there is they had clearly trained those security guards as well, because every security guard you came across was getting in the act of chatting to visitors, even if their English wasn't brilliant, they were really keen to direct you to the next. Come this way. So the next place, oh, you finished that room, you must go upstairs. And you know, that sort of. Paul Griffiths: And whether they, you know, really just said, look, you can have a much more interesting day than just standing, staring at people walking around. You can actually chat to visitors from around the world and get talkative. And I just had the most amazing. I ended up in this museum for over five and a half hours or something silly like that. And I thought I was going to be there an hour because it was priced very reasonably. You know, when you judge a museum on, well, actually I paid this, I'm probably going to be here for that amount of time. And actually it was just, you know, I found myself stopping for a coffee, stopping for lunch. But I was so impressed by the way the staff interacted. Paul Griffiths: They also had a number of cultural local guides as well, who really were, you know, in the full sort of Emirati national dress, but wanted to press on. This is where. This is what I'm doing. So I've some, you know, I traveled across to Fujairah every week and was in a, an old, what was the ruler's summer house. And the guy, and the guy who ran it just took me on a tour. I didn't ask for a tour. He just said, would you. Well, he said, should I take you around? Yes, please. And we had this great hours experience as he was just chatting about all the rooms. And I think people here are very keen to share their culture and their heritage and very welcoming. Paul Griffiths: So, yeah, so I've done quite a bit traveling around the other parts of the UAE. I can't go out of the UAE because I've only got a hire car at the moment, so I can't go out to Omar, that's on my list. You get yourself a car. I can travel north of the border into Oman and explore that. But for now, seven emirates to. So no shortage of places. And I've not been up to Abu Dhabi yet, so still with that on my list. So yeah, Paul Marden: Wowzers. Okay. So I guess, and this is completely, what would I feel like if I was in your position of going to this new country, immersing myself in this relatively new place that you're leading? How do I say this without flattering you? You were a well connected guy. If I went to events, everybody knew you. You had this wide network of people having worked in the UK in the attraction sector for a long time and you've now jumped over to the UAE. What's happened to the network? How does that feel? I mean it must feel slightly kind of worrying or nerve wracking. What have you done to build the network in this new place? Paul Griffiths: There's a number of points to that. Right, so let's answer in a few minutes. So the world's a smaller place so I'm still occasionally having teams call zoom calls with really close ex colleagues, friends, you know, I'm sure, I mean I always say I'm sure but everyone keeps saying, “Oh I'm really loving the journey so please keep posting. So I am going to keep posting and probably going to start to annoy people after a while”, but the feedback so far is everyone saying we're loving the journey and following you with it and feel like we're on the journey. So I will carry on. I'm sort of keeping writing stuff up and sharing it and also I don't know how long I'll be here for. You know, probation is massive over here. I have to keep my fingers crossed. Paul Griffiths: I pass probation which is a six month period because it's a real right the UAE all not just off and across the UAE. It's a real big, you know, much more than at home, much more structured. On day one was given a series and this isn't a bad thing at all, a series of probation tasks, you know, around reports that are around other historic parts because the job that I've come over will eventually evolve into a wider heritage role. But at the moment the real focus is on Al Jazeera Al Hamra, which is great. Get one site, get it going, then see where we go next. So I think I'm still connected to lots of people back home. I'm still looking, seeing everyone's posts and enjoy. Paul Griffiths: I mean my usual jealousy of not being part of the ALVA network anymore as they're all having that great time in Belfast in the last couple of days and seeing everyone's post, not just one or two, but everyone you know, Bernard down with you know everyone's post. I wish I was there with them.Paul Marden: The FOMO was real. So I had Andy Povey in the office with me yesterday and we're both saying the FOMO about that ALVAe vent was very real for both of us having. Paul Griffiths: Having spent. You know I was at the Mary Rose few years where we joined ALVA and go experiencing those council weeks and knowing just hey how much they are great for networking A. You get very spoiled because every host wants to really show off what they can do and I think the Titanic always do that because we go there before for a council meeting but it's. Yeah. So you still see this stuff. So it's still sit home and there's still people I can reach out to.Paul Marden: Of course.Paul Griffiths: If we need to and I'm still calling on people things, you know, different projects we're doing here. But then again it's about slowly building up that network here and I think there's a slightly. You know, there's a. Within Ras Al Khaimah I've started making connections with lots of other people in the Heritage world and. And outside that. So we're already, you know, connecting up with different people from different parts of Ras Al Khaimah, the work we're going to do moving forward and for me I think it's been just a. I'm sort of still pinching myself I'm here and that sort of. So many things keep happening and you know. The weather's been gorgeous because I've come out of a grim English weather to this quite nice winter here where it's mostly been late mid-20s. Paul Griffiths: You're in she and shorts when you're off duty. You know, there's other things. The thing that really surprised me is how smart actually the dress code is for business over here. Paul Marden: Okay. Paul Griffiths: So I had to sort of all the usual brands that from home Mount Marks is next everything here so you could order online and get it delivered quite quickly. So I had sort of came out of one wardrobe thinking I was going to be far more in polo shirt and linen trousers are sort of very sort of summer at Painshill look, you know outdoor. But actually yeah my colleagues are still. Because of the aircon atmosphere. Lots of colleagues particularly in the head office are in suits. A bit like where I would have been when back in my London days. When we're in the office you were in a shirt tie. So yes, I had to sort of buy A back home wardrobe almost once I got traveled out with very lightweight clothing. So yes, it's a bit different in that sense. Paul Marden:  Yeah, absolutely. Let's talk a little bit about life as an expat. How have you found the transition? Paul Griffiths: Fine so far. I say there's lots of bits around work and practice and you know, no amount of inductions will be able to help you on some little faux pas you can make about not realising where you need approvals for staff. And obviously coming from the. For the last six years of being director of Painshill and only from feeding into a board of directors, board of trustees who we'd see quarterly and you know, I chat to the chairman every week. There was a lot of me sort of making those sort of decisions instantly was here, you know, particularly as were part of the foundation and we are representing Sheikh Saud as his name's in the title of the organization now, making sure we're going through those tick sheets. Paul Griffiths: You know, if I want to do anything that needs to spend more money, that's out budget, that is going to his Highness to be signed off. So any projects we're doing, we're needing to make cases to the highest man in the country to actually get those, you know, sign offs and things. And I'm not, that's not a bad thing. But you know, it's just that from an expat I guess it's getting used to. Everything's available here. Not the big supermarket up the road sells Waitrose and Marxist products and has a room at the back for non Muslims where you push the button, door opens, it's like a little bit of a naughty boys room. Paul Griffiths: You push back door open, slides you walk in and there's the pork heaven, you know, there's bacon, there's pork scratching, patays, you know, all because it's a real, you know, it's not just there's so many expats here, particularly from the Philippines and stuff who obviously pork is a big part of their diet. So yeah, that's available. I said earlier on there's cellars where you can pick up a great beer or a couple of glasses of bottle of wine or whatever you want. So actually it's not that I found myself flying into this really different world and I'm not really. Paul Marden:  It's a melting pot, isn't it? Paul Griffiths: Yeah. And I'm not someone who's ever been since very young, you know, going off to nightclubs or anything like that. But if you wanted that There is that. The hotels. So actually, if you're a younger person coming out and you wanted that nightlife, the hotels, particularly on Margin island and Minnal Arab, the tubing hotels have really nice restaurants, fully licensed clubs and stuff. But, you know, actually I found sort of the work is busy. Everyone's, you know, lots going on, actually, just going back to, you know, I was in a hotel for the first two months, which wasn't a dreadful thing because it was an apartment hotel. So, yeah, I had enough and now we've moved. I've moved into a villa ready for the family. Come out hopefully in about a month's time.Paul Marden:  Oh, that'd be exciting. Paul Griffiths: Yeah. So that's nice. So we've got the back onto the golf course. It's quite, you know, it's a nice place to be. It's going to be nice and, you know. Paul Griffiths: Yeah, so I've not struggled adapting because it's not. It's not that, you know, normally I've got a wonderful team here, Asia, you know, so with one Emirati and some Filipinos and other people from around the. From around the world. So that's been nice. And it's melting pot of learning their cultures as well as the local culture and. Yeah. And then they eat rice with everything. So it's. Yeah. Every lunchtime there's a bowl of rice, big bowl of salad in the main course and there's me pouring on the one on the salad, everyone else on the rice. But, yeah, it's been great, Paul. I mean, I can't. It's been one of those. Every moment you think this is just a great place to be. Paul Marden: Good. Let's go back to Al Jazeera and talk a little bit about some of the events that have been going on. So I know you're coming to the end of the Ras Al Khaimah Art Festival. Tell me a little bit about that and how well that's gone. Paul Griffiths: It's been brilliant. I know. I had no idea what to expect. First time for this. So this is the 13th International Art Fair. It started off back in the small museum back in the city of Central Town, moved to here, I think, five years ago is what I'm saying, and slowly grown every year since then. So this is the biggest one we've done, really. Lots of massive sponsors on board from across the Emirates, actually fully supported by His Highness, who's been here at least four times, if not five, since we've had the vessel. He was here at the opening ceremony for the big launch, you know it was, and it was like a proper opening ceremony. Paul Griffiths: Everyone sat round with a band and speakers and you know like not quite Olympics but you know it was a proper event. This is the opening of it and it felt like a big event. Yeah. All my female members of my team had, were given time off in the day to do hair and makeup. It was proper. Everyone looked, everyone looked the business, it was lovely. You know everyone was scrubbed up from the maintenance team to, you know, our executive director looking fabulous in a brand new dress. You know it was really was. No, I've had a new suit, I got a new suit for the occasion. Paul Griffiths: So yeah, it was a lovely evening and then it's rolled ever since and for me it's been wonderful because I've seen people in this village which has been quite quiet since I'd arrived and it's sort of been okay, how are we going to get this? But actually clearly putting something on has attracted a complete cross spectrum audience. So you know, we have people coming in, absolutely fascinating, obsessed with the art, beautiful and it's artists I should say from around the world. It's all exhibited outside or inside the little houses. So you know lots of the pieces have been blown up quite big and quite impressive. I mean do look at it on the website, you know people, you know if you go to ajah.ae you can then click on from there.Paul Marden: We'll put the links and everything in the show notes so people be able to find that. Paul Griffiths: It's been, but it's been, for me it's been fabulous because we've seen so many people in, you know I was, you know, we've had, we've got pop up restaurants so this won't mean anything to people back home but the restaurant called Puro P U R O has a restaurant at the top of the mountain at Jebel Jais. Really almost impossible to get booking, you know you have to book months advance for lunch or dinner. It's the place that everybody, both locals, internationals and tourists want to see and often frequented by his Highness. They've got a pop up restaurant here which just is fabulous. Paul Griffiths: They we've had a lovely couple, Kelly and Paolo in running a restaurant called Antica which is a sort of the chef's Italian Paolo but he's lived in Australia so it's a fusion of Australian middle Italy, sort of historic villagey type cuisine with an Emirates twist. But you're just served four or five courses without there's not a menu. It's not a restaurant as such, so it's sort of a sharing experience. But you know, the food is amazing. So I was fortunate to have dinner. Well, I've actually been fortunate enough to have dinner in Antica twice and lunch there as well. But one of the dinners I was then wandering around the village about 10 o'clock at night was full of people, you know, families just. Paul Griffiths: There is a different culture over here that people do more stuff in the evenings because of the temperature and a different way of life because the local people aren't obviously, for obvious reasons, down the pub on a Friday night, they're doing stuff with the family and you go past cafes and even outside of the village, you know, 9, 10 o'clock on a Friday night, they're full of people sitting very beautifully dressed in their finest, drinking coffee and eating desserts. That's a big thing. People seem to love coffee and desserts. Paul Marden: Okay. Paul Griffiths: But, but then of course it's because because of the heat most of the year we'll spend more time indoors resting in the day and then ready to go out at night and do some more stuff. So yeah, so we've had this sort of here in the evenings. It's really fun. What was interesting is our hours for the festival were meant to be midweek. So Monday we always close. Tuesday to Thursday we're meant to be open till 6 o'clock and then Friday, Saturday, Sunday open to 11:00. Often struggling to get people out then the first night. So the Tuesday night was the first night. Medusa goes at 6:00. 5:45, I had a queue of at least 40 people trying to get in. So we just had to make an on the hooves decision. Paul Griffiths: We're going to stay open later. And then we just opened till 8:00 in the midweek. We didn't want to push it too much because of obviously from the staff welfare perspective, an hour's work. But actually that first night were just. Myself and Sikrat, who's the director of the festival, Emirati. Wonderful. Emirati has been my cultural bodyguard in many ways because he's been the person, my go to person for what should I do here? What about this person? How should I do this? So Spencer Crouch just stood there. Look at this crowd. We both just said, “Well we can't turf them away. This would be daft.” So yeah, so we've had. And we've had about 40, 000 visitors will have come through the door by the end of the festival in 28 days. Paul Griffiths: The artworks then going to stay up in place for Ramadan. So we'll be working different hours again during Ramadan and this is the first time Al Jazeera will ever do. Has ever done anything special for. Because before now it's just been a come and visit, walk in, do what you like, leave now. We're trying to structure that visitor experience. So we're going to be for Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, because Thursday's the sort of Friday night in many ways. Because a lot of people have Fridays off here. Yes, because of the day of prayers and so a lot of people in Ras Al Hamah go to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for work. So Thursday nights they'll travel back. So actually we're going to be open till midnight on Thursday, Friday, Saturday for Ramadan. Paul Griffiths: So people will break the fast with the families and then they want to do the sort of head top of activity. They've now got food back in them and an energy source. And out they come. So again, first time we've done it, hopefully see numbers with the artwork will still be in place. We're then working on some different options around cuisine, food, coffee and hopefully get some musicians in as well, just to give a bit of an atmosphere. But it is a holy month, so it's not. It's not parties, but it's enjoying the family. Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. So what does the future look like for the Heritage Village and for tourism and attractions more generally in RAK? Paul Griffiths: I think for RAK itself, we're trying to bring more tourists in then trying to get the most hotels. Interestingly, as they had a lunch with five of our local big hotels at the weekend using. Using our Antico restaurant, this is excuse to have another lunch there and invite some people in and just take on their views, which is great. So just chatting and getting their thoughts on it. They were saying what. What happens in Iraq a lot at the moment is people are finding the hotels through travel agents, through, you know, searches. I know when were looking before I came out here, I know Ras Al Hamra came up on a Thomas Cumbin telescope. Yeah, similar. What am I thinking of? Probably Tui, I guess, or someone like, you know, someone like that. Paul Griffiths: I was doing a search for when went to Canary, but up came Ras Al Khaimah as a hotel and what they were saying. A lot of people will book that and have no idea really what Ras Al Khaimah is, other than it's part of the UAE. Some people think it's part of Dubai, you know, actually, because it's not, they don't realize it's seven emirates, etc. So a lot of people are booking their sort of tourists, their hotels. Our job is to try and then get them out and attract them to do other stuff. So there's lots of adventure tourism going on at the moment. We talked about the zip wire and lots of hiking, walking, camel rail, camel riding, you know, trips to the desert where you can zoom around in 4x Fours and go karts and stuff. Paul Griffiths: So from my perspective of the Heritage village is about bringing it more alive, bringing more people in, promoting it, more linking up with these sorts of hoteliers, concierges. And this is really early days for us because this has always been sort of slightly done but not really pushed yet. And sort of listening to what their advice is and seeing how we can act upon it, you know, and what sort of stuff we can take forward because, you know, there's a lot to be done. And there's lots of other heritage sites across rat about 90 on the list of actual heritage sites. And some of those are real ruins that you're never going to be able to do anything with. Paul Griffiths: Those sort of English Heritage free sites, you know, the ones you stumble across with a little brown sign and you pull up with a lay by, have a potter around and off you go without seeing anyone. There's a bit like that. But then there's a number of sites that will work well with some activation. You know, we've got Dyer Fort, which is on the World Heritage site tentative list and we're working on projects to slowly take that forward to World Heritage status. Touchwood because it's a really important for, you know, and it's perfect for visits. You climb up to the top, you get the most gorgeous views. You know, really is a gorgeous little site. So more interpretation, more things there is what's needed. But you know, again, this is all early days. Paul Griffiths: So it's all about sort of, you know, each day's excitement. What can we do, what can we push forward, who can we talk to? And what's been great is as the festival's gone on, more people have been coming and chatting to me. Mine have become more, well known. That sounds wrong, goes back to your sort of earlier question about, you know, people are sort of learning about, oh, this person's here now. Paul said, although people can call me sir or Mr. Paul, which is fine. I can deal with that. Keep saying now, people, I keep saying, please don't call me sir. You really don't need to. But it's so culturally great. But Mr. Everyone see everyone externally, she's called Mr. Paul, so I can put up with that. But I was there. Although when we host his. Paul Griffiths: His Highness hosted dinner that I was invited to, I then got even pushed up to His Excellency, which was a title. I want to go. Paul Marden: That's quite nice. Paul Griffiths: Yeah, I love that. Apparently. I always thought that someone else I knew was his title. His Excellency was part of the family, but actually it's. Once you get to a CEO director level in royal that circle, you immediately become His Excellency, so. Paul Marden: Well, there we go. I will correct myself in future communications. Paul Griffiths: Please do. Yeah, but I thought it was wonderful. That's why it's just been lovely, the funny comments coming from people back home saying, oh, well, I've amended my entry in my phone to now shake your he status. But yeah, so. But there's a sort of cultural things. It's just. Okay, right, lovely. That's fun. Paul Marden: It's been a whirlwind for you. It's been really interesting actually, talking about it and understanding more about. About what's happening there, about how exciting it is, this huge opportunity that you've got to make a something out of this beautiful historic village and then that, you know, the remit will grow from there. So I think. I think this has been lovely. We always wrap up our interviews with a book recommendation and you've had this privilege once before. So have you run out of recommendations or do you have something ready for me? Paul Griffiths: Well, I was going to recommend the Red island, an Emirati story, because it's based on Al Jazeera Al Hamra, but I thought that might be a little bit too niche. This guy. So, again, little things have come across. This guy's written a book, Adil, and he's going to be coming to Al Jazeera to do a book reading signing. These little opportunities. I have read the book, I promise. It was actually fascinating because it's all about local culture. It went off in a number of tangents, but actually from a point of view of how the Emirati local culture works and families, it was actually quite a really good induction. But now I've decided to go with a more book for management or book for running. And I don't think anyone's given this before, but if they have, I'm nervous. Paul Griffiths: But this book, Fish!, which is one of my favourite books. I've actually launched this as the Al Jazeera Book Club for the spring. So all the team have a copy. Book clubs are massive over here for work. Every department has one here in the foundation. So this book, Fish, is based around the Seattle fish market. My colleagues who've worked me in the past, both. I can hear them groaning now because they've forced everyone to read this, but it's basically around having fun when you're at work. And it talks about the story of the Seattle fish market, how they were just flogging fish, but actually one day decided, we need to liven this up. We need to want to be here. So introduced, sort of involving the crowd, fish flying through the air. Paul Griffiths: But It's a more of a story about a woman joins, it moves up in a company into a department that no one's been able to manage. She gets to the bottom of using the fish market. And it's just a really fun, easy reading book. And so I recommend it to. To listeners and viewers. Paul Marden: That's brilliant. So listeners, if you would like a copy of Fish,Paul Griffiths: It's quite a cheap book as well, Paul, so please, you have to give one away. So it's not too much money. It's just 9.99 in the non fiction section. So, yeah, cheaper. Paul Marden: Bargain. Bargain. That's the trouble with. So I've been doing a few live events where we have panels, four people with book records, recommendations. That's going to bankrupt me. No, not today. We got a bargain this time. So I like this. Yeah. If you'd like a copy of Fish, if you'd like a copy of Paul's book, head on over to Bluesky and when Wenalyn posts the show note, go over there and repost it and say, I want Paul's book. And the first person to do that will get a copy of the book. Paul, delightful as always. Three times on the podcast, at least. Paul Griffiths: I think this would be number. This would be number four because we had the original episode where Kelly grilled me about life at Painshill. Then we did the Turn the Tables episode when I grilled Kelly on setting up podcasts. And then we did. Then we did the Goodbye to Kelly, whatever it was. 100 episode. And then this. Yeah, four Skip the Queues. Which is always a pleasure and I'm so delighted as you're my favourite podcast, obviously.Paul Marden: It's, oh, you say the nicest things. That must be a record. I need to go back and check that I think four times on the podcast is pretty impressive. Paul Griffiths: I think I should get to add all mine up into one as a total so I can beat Dominic Jones, who's always had the biggest number, isn't he? Paul Marden: So, yeah, so he does and he still does. So, yeah, I think aggregating the number of listens for across all of your episodes, I think that might be within the walls. Let me see what I can do and I'll add everything up and we'll see if you can take Dom's crown. Paul Griffiths: Sorry, Dom. Paul Marden:  Because he's not competitive at all. Paul Griffiths: No, he's not, mate. He's a great guy, though. So, yeah, a friendly rival. Paul Marden: Exactly. Thank you very much, Paul. I would love to keep in touch. Paul Griffiths: Let's keep talking. Paul Marden: I want to hear what happens not just after the first 90 days, but I want to hear what happens in a year's time and two years time. So thank you so much for coming on and telling us about Ras Al-Khaimah and the Heritage Village. It's been lovely. Paul Griffiths: Yeah, thanks for having me. It's great. Been a real pleasure. Paul Marden: Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others to find us. Skip The Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them to increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcripts from this episode and more over on our website, skipthequeue fm.    The 2024 Visitor Attraction Website Survey is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsDownload the 2024 Rubber Cheese Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report

A new five-year tourism development plan for West Clare and North Kerry will aim to make Loop Head an internationally iconic attraction. Fáilte Ireland's strategy has also set goals of creating visitor adventure hubs in Kilrush, Kilkee, Cappagh and Carrigaholt and creating a world-class Wild Atlantic Way coastal walk. The Cliff Coast Destination and Experience Development Plan's main objective is to extend the tourism season and spread the economic benefits to all towns and villages. Fáilte Ireland Regional Tourism Director Paul Keeley says they want to provide a complete offering.

On this episode of the Future of Tourism podcast, Greg Takehara and Chris Seek share hands-on insights into how community engagement strengthens development. 

There is a new boutique hotel coming to the Cheticamp area.

There is a new boutique hotel coming to the Cheticamp area.

In this episode of Slick Talk, Wil converses with Robyn Bridges, President and CEO of Visit Auburn Opelika, to delve into the transformative role of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) in community and tourism development. The podcast explores various facets, including the importance of fiscal responsibility, community service, and sustainable growth facilitated by DMOs. Listeners gain valuable insights into Auburn's unique charm and the collaborative efforts that contribute to its tourism and community enrichment. The discussion also touches on the integration of traditional hospitality with short-term rentals, strategic marketing, and engaging local talents and businesses to enhance visitor experiences. Highlighting Auburn's burgeoning pickleball scene and major events like the Alabama Aviation Conference, the episode underscores the significance of marketing, data management, and secure funding in thriving non-conventional tourist destinations. This episode is brought to you by our sponsors at: Minut – Minut has more than just security features! They monitor noise, movement, and occupancy all within one device, and all Slick Talk listeners get 2 months FREE when they sign up with this link! Hostfully – Use code SLICKTALK for three months free of their digital guidebook or $100 off their property management platform! Hudson Creative Studio - Get your direct booking site and brand built by them, and never look back! ——– Thank you for tuning into our podcast! Slick Talk is a Hospitality.FM production, and you can find more of our shows at Hospitality.FM or anywhere else you listen to your podcasts! Listen to more episodes on our website and take a look at our amazing podcast and network sponsors that make this all possible! You can also listen to our Monday morning podcast, Good Morning Hospitality, where we discuss the industry in a more casual setting! If you ever want to contact us for guest suggestions or anything else related to the podcast, please fill out our contact form, and we will be in touch! Last but not least, we love to connect on LinkedIn! Let's connect there so you can see the daily content we post beyond the podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's guest is Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs for New Hampshire. In his capacity as commissioner, Caswell serves as the chief economic and marketing official for the state and oversees the state Divisions of Economic Development and Travel & Tourism Development, enabling and growing economic vitality for residents and employers in the Granite State.

March 18, 2024 Rockingham County Commissioners MeetingAGENDA1. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER BY CHAIRMAN HALL2. INVOCATION3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE4. RECOGNITION - Rodney Cates, Emergency Services DirectorApproval - Recognition of Fire Marshal Melissa Joyce and Assistant Fire Marshal Jeremy Shelton for the Annual Burned Children's Fund Toy Drive5. APPROVAL OF MARCH 18, 2024 AGENDA6. CONSENT AGENDA (Consent items as follows will be adopted with a single motion, second and vote, unless a request for removal from the Consent Agenda is heard from a Commissioner)A) Pat Galloway, Director of Financial Services1. Approval - Appropriation of $5,025 in ad revenues collected over budget in the Tourism Development fund. Additional revenue will be used to cover advertising expenses.2. Approval - Increase County Attorney budget $40,000 to cover outside attorney costs through fiscal year end. Increase is funded with available fund balance.3. Approval - Transfer $3,650 of the wellness credit received by the health insurance company to the general fund to cover the purchase of a treadmill for the employee fitness center.4. Approval - Increase Public Health budget $311,784 for new State grant award: PH Infrastructure Local Workforce Development. This is a five-year grant ending October 31, 2027. From the grant agreement - "This funding is to help meet the short-term critical infrastructure needs and to make strategic investments which will have lasting effects on local public health departments. This funding will support the foundational capabilities and the local health department workforce needed to support service areas".5. Approval - Captain Brown from the Sheriff's Office is requesting to Replace Jail Kitchen Water Heater. Funds will be coming from the Jail Canteen Reserve Fund.B) Todd Hurst, Tax AdministratorApproval - Tax Collection and Reconciliation Reports for February including refunds for February 15, 2024 thru March 5, 2024.C) Ronnie Tate, Director of Engineering and Public UtilitiesApproval- Addition of Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG's) regulations to the County's Water and Sewer Policy. The current policy does not have regulations relating to the discharge of FOG's into the wastewater system. These new regulations would be added as Sec. 16.A. in Sec. 16. General Discharge Prohibitions in the County Sewer Policy.D) Cathy Murray, DSS Program Manager and Felissa H Ferrell, Health and Human Services DirectorApproval- Proclamation declaring April as Prevent Child Abuse MonthE) Susan O. Washburn, Clerk to the BoardApproval - Regular Meeting minutesF) Amanda Crumpler, Purchasing AgentApproval - Adoption of a Resolution declaring one (I) speaker stand, two (2) wingback chairs, and one (I) locking display cabinet as surplus and reallocated to the MARC, 1086 NC Hwy 65, Reidsville, NC 27320 for use in the facility.G) Angela G. Stadler, Reidsville City ClerkApproval - Appointment of James Motley to the Reidsville Planning Board to fill the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) position. His term will be 3/18/2024 until 3/17/2029.H) Tara Muchini, Youth Services DirectorApproval - Fees for new services and fee increases for current services. Fee increases are due to rate increases from Vaya Health and commercial insurances.I) Hiram Marziano, Community Development DirectorApproval - Revised Planning Board and Board of Adjustment Bylaws reflecting changes to the UDO regarding appointments and terms.7. PUBLIC COMMENT8. PUBLIC HEARINGS:A) Leigh Cockram, Director of Rockingham County Center for Economic Development, Small Business and TourismApproval - The purpose of this Public Hearing is to consider approval of an appropriation from its general fund in an amount not to exceed $618,000 which will be distributed to Project DL following the project parameters. The project is located at 1900 Barnes Street, Reidsville on Tax Parcel ID 148956. This Project will also be awarded a OneNC Grant in the amount of $300,000following the project parameters.B) Hiram Marziano, Community Development Directori) Approval - Case 2024-03: Zoning Map Amendment (Rezoning) – A request to rezone a parcel of land from Residential Agricultural (RA) to Highway Commercial (HC) - Conventional (Straight) Rezoning Applicant: Harvest Ridge Properties, LLC - Tax PIN: 8948-00-07-7325 US Highway 29 at Mayfield Loop - Ruffin Township.ii) Approval- Case 2024-04: Zoning Map Amendment (Rezoning) – A request to rezone a parcel of land from Residential Agricultural (RA) to Light Industrial (LI) - Conventional (Straight) Rezoning - Applicant: Stokesdale Fire District - Tax PIN: 7922-03-20-2094 - 147 Sylvania Loop - Huntsville Township. (This property is owned by Rockingham County & occupied by the South Rockingham Corporate Park was tower.)iii) Approval- Case 2024-05: Zoning Mapp Amendment (Rezoning) – A request to rezone a parcel of land from Residential Protected (RP) to Residential Agricultural (RA) - Conventional (Straight) Rezoning Conventional (Straight) Rezoning - Applicant: John Pierce (owner) – Tax PIN: 7975-03-01-1387 - 1060 Vernon Rd. - Simpsonville Township9. PRESENTATION: Fire Marshal Melissa Joyce and Fire Chief Jonathan ComptonApproval - Proposed Ruffin Fire Protection Service District10. PRESENTATION: Captain Jennifer BrownApproval - Use Federal Forfeiture funds to pay for billboard rental for one year for recruitment/advertisement purposes. This is a permissible expenditure per the US Department of Justice Guide to Equitable Sharing for State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, (Section V. B I Permissible Uses, Subsection (a) pg. 16). 11. NEW BUSINESS12. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS13. ADJOURN###

I spoke with Marianna Oleskiv, chair of Ukraine's State Agency for Tourism Development, about the future of tourism in post-war Ukraine. She detailed the importance of domestic tourism during these times and the potential for international tourism to aid economic recovery once peace is restored, focusing on the natural and rural attractions awaiting global explorers.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*Key news articles for today* Egypt aims to raise some USD6.5 bn through the privatization of state-owned companies and assets by the end of the year, Finance Minister said. A large chunk of the USD6.5 should be raised by June through stake sales of Wataniya, Gabal El Zeit wind farm, Port Said and Damietta Container & Cargo Handling companies, United Bank, and a Siemens-built power plant in Beni Suef.The government decided to establish a higher council for each industrial sector, according to the CEO of the General Investment Authority. He added that the Authority is looking forward to attracting USD12 billion in FDI by the end of the current fiscal year.Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir discussed the plan to establish a Turkish industrial zone in Egypt, with the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Turkish city of Bursa. The zone will be similar to the existing industrial zone in the city of Bursa, which specializes in the fields of textiles, cars, aluminum, machinery, equipment and advanced technologies.ORHD (FV: EGP20.38, OW) achieved impressive 4Q23 sales of EGP6.4 billion, up 66.1% y/y and 13.9% q/q, bringing FY23 sales up 74.9% y/y to a company record of EGP19.4 billion. We maintain our Overweight recommendation of ORHD based on our FV of EGP20.38/share.Amer Group is selling all of its shares in Casual Dining for Tourism Development, the firm that runs and operates Chili's restaurants in Egypt.CIEB's BoD proposed cash dividend distribution of EGP2.47/share, implying a payout ratio of 60% (+15pps higher than our estimates of 45%) and Dividend Yield of 9.2%, pending AGM approval.HRHO's leasing and factoring arm, Corp-Solutions, will provide financing services for investors who want to establish projects in Elsewedy Industrial Development's Sokhna 360 industrial city.Non-banking financial services firm GlobalCorp has issued a EGP1.35 bn securitized bond issuance, which is part of an EGP10 bn securitization program.ALCN released 2Q23/24 full financials showing:  Net profit of EGP1.2 billion in 2Q23/24 (+7.4% YoY, +23.9% QoQ).On semi-annual basis, net profit increased by 21.9% YoY to record EGP2.2 billion in 1H23/24.ALCN is currently trading at FY23/24 P/E of 18.8x.SWDY (FV: EGP34.96, OW) announced that its sister company, El Sewedy Cables Qatar, has been awarded a letter of award to the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation “Kahramaa”. This contract aims to supply electrical cables with a value exceeding USD327 million for a period of three years.KIMA sent a release to EGX announcing that the company is still in negotiations with banks over loans to finance the ammonium nitrate project. Banque Misr has acquired a 2.2% stake in the EKHO in an EGP963 million transaction.Egypt's Sovereign Fund is looking to cooperate with the India's Hinduja Group in building a factory to manufacture cars in Egypt with a capacity of 6 thousand units per annum.FRA granted Fawry Microfinance the license for SMEs Financing.

A couple weeks ago was the latest iteration of the North Miami Brewfest, put on by and benefiting the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University. This year, the popular festival was at NoMI Village--a wonderfully designed, relaxed event space in the heart of North Miami Beach, just off Interstate 95. As usual, this is one of the best beer festivals in the state of Florida and had no shortage of amazing food and beer to enjoy. For today's episode, we reached out to a number of different groups in attendance to understand a little bit about who they were and what they brought to the event. I was very happy to speak to both La Birra Bar (winner of the best food award) and Rocketeer Beer (winner of the best beer award) at the event. We also spoke with Uncommon Path, Johnny Cuba, La Tropical, plus our friends at the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Development and the Bartender's Guild at that same school. You'll hear some familiar voices and some you've never heard before; but, as always, it was a great time and a wonderful event to be at. Listen in... Find us on Social Media @FloridaBeerBlog on Instagram and Twitter, @FLBeerBlog on Facebook, and visit us on the web at FloridaBeerBlog.com. Please subscribe, like us, and give us a healthy 5-star review, every little bit helps! The Florida Beer Podcast is a proud member of the Florida Podcast Network, an exciting collection of podcasts highlighting the best of the Sunshine State. Visit us today at FloridaPodcastNetwork.com.  Executive Producer: Jaime (“Jemmy”) Legagneur, Chief Enthusiasm Officer Field Producer/Photographer: Steve Pekala Editor: Daniel Delgado Guest: Matthew Weintraub and Fernando Finol Guest: Albert Rivera, Bread and Beer Buds and FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Development Guest: Anastasia Fraga, Johnny Cuba Guest: Emmanuel Arballo, La Birra Bar Guest: Marcos Cabrera, Uncommon Path Brewing Guest: Rudy Delgado and Rick Abreu, Rocketeer Beer Guest: Beverage Program Manager Mitchell Meredith, Oversight Coordinator Gabriella Ramos, and President Ian Gonzales, Bartender's Guild, FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Equipment Sponsor: Mainline Marketing | Featured Product: Shure MV7 | Full MV7 Podcast Mic Bundle with Boom Arm and Headphones Interested in becoming FBP's next Title Sponsor? Contact FPN today! Support the Show on Patreon: Become a Patron! Opening Voice Over Courtesy of: Jeff Brozovich Follow Florida Beer Blog on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Additional Support Provided by: Florida Podcast Network and Listeners Like You!! Join the FPN Facebook Group: FPN Insiders Partner with FPN: Become the Voice of YOUR Town!! From sponsoring episode segments through creating and growing your own branded show, we have the solution to promote you while we promote Florida! Media Kit We are currently boarding shows to build out our network. And, you don't want to miss ANY of the new hosts and podcasts were have joining us. Search for and subscribe to “Florida Podcast Network” on iTunes and all your favorite podcast players to get more of this and ALL our shows. Become a Patron: Have a suggestion for the Network? Join us in the FPN Insiders group on Facebook and let us know!    FPN:  Check out the other shows on the Florida Podcast Network

A couple weeks ago was the latest iteration of the North Miami Brewfest, put on by and benefiting the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University. This year, the popular festival was at NoMI Village--a wonderfully designed, relaxed event space in the heart of North Miami Beach, just off Interstate 95. As usual, this is one of the best beer festivals in the state of Florida and had no shortage of amazing food and beer to enjoy. For today's episode, we reached out to a number of different groups in attendance to understand a little bit about who they were and what they brought to the event. I was very happy to speak to both La Birra Bar (winner of the best food award) and Rocketeer Beer (winner of the best beer award) at the event. We also spoke with Uncommon Path, Johnny Cuba, La Tropical, plus our friends at the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Development and the Bartender's Guild at that same school. You'll hear some familiar voices and some you've never heard before; but, as always, it was a great time and a wonderful event to be at. Listen in... Find us on Social Media @FloridaBeerBlog on Instagram and Twitter, @FLBeerBlog on Facebook, and visit us on the web at FloridaBeerBlog.com. Please subscribe, like us, and give us a healthy 5-star review, every little bit helps! The Florida Beer Podcast is a proud member of the Florida Podcast Network, an exciting collection of podcasts highlighting the best of the Sunshine State. Visit us today at FloridaPodcastNetwork.com.  Executive Producer: Jaime (“Jemmy”) Legagneur, Chief Enthusiasm Officer Field Producer/Photographer: Steve Pekala Editor: Daniel Delgado Guest: Matthew Weintraub and Fernando Finol Guest: Albert Rivera, Bread and Beer Buds and FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Development Guest: Anastasia Fraga, Johnny Cuba Guest: Emmanuel Arballo, La Birra Bar Guest: Marcos Cabrera, Uncommon Path Brewing Guest: Rudy Delgado and Rick Abreu, Rocketeer Beer Guest: Beverage Program Manager Mitchell Meredith, Oversight Coordinator Gabriella Ramos, and President Ian Gonzales, Bartender's Guild, FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Equipment Sponsor: Mainline Marketing | Featured Product: Shure MV7 | Full MV7 Podcast Mic Bundle with Boom Arm and Headphones Interested in becoming FBP's next Title Sponsor? Contact FPN today! Support the Show on Patreon: Become a Patron! Opening Voice Over Courtesy of: Jeff Brozovich Follow Florida Beer Blog on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Additional Support Provided by: Florida Podcast Network and Listeners Like You!! Join the FPN Facebook Group: FPN Insiders Partner with FPN: Become the Voice of YOUR Town!! From sponsoring episode segments through creating and growing your own branded show, we have the solution to promote you while we promote Florida! Media Kit We are currently boarding shows to build out our network. And, you don't want to miss ANY of the new hosts and podcasts were have joining us. Search for and subscribe to “Florida Podcast Network” on iTunes and all your favorite podcast players to get more of this and ALL our shows. Become a Patron: Have a suggestion for the Network? Join us in the FPN Insiders group on Facebook and let us know!    FPN:  Check out the other shows on the Florida Podcast Network

It's hoped a major redevelopment of an East Clare tourism site will create lead to employment opportunities down the line. Clare County Council has this week announced that a contract has been signed with M. Fitzgibbon Contractors Ltd for the redevelopment of the Inis Cealtra visitor centre in Mountshannon. The project, which is due to be completed in late 2024, will comprise a revitalised exhibition area, a reception area, an upstairs café and rectory garden as well as waste water optimisation works and public realm enhancements. Director of Tourism Development with Clare County Council Leonard Cleary is confident that once tourists begin to flock to the site, business opportunities and jobs will follow.

Welcome to Focus Asia your first window to discover Asia. This week, we have news from Indonesia, Thailand, and China. Find out more episode and listening to Bingkai Suara Podcast. Don't forget to always listen to focus asia every week to update your knowledge about what happens in Asia and updated with our recent news on www.bingkaikarya.com

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch was born and raised in Evansville, Indiana, and entered public service as a means to help her community feel more connected with local and state government. She's served as County Auditor, County Commissioner, State Auditor, State Representative for House District 78, and now Lt. Governor. Her portfolio in this role includes overseeing the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, Office of Defense Development, Office of Community and Rural Affairs and Office of Tourism Development, among myriad other responsibilities as chairwoman of several councils and tasks forces. When asked recently whether she enjoys running as a means of fitness, she promptly answered, “Yes. For office.” Get to know more about Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch here in the Leadership Life series.

Malahide boasts an abundance of pubs and restaurants. So how does a small village punch so high when it comes to entertainment and hospitality? Andrea spoke to the owner of Gibney's, Tony Gibney, Senior Executive Officer for Tourism Development for Fingal Council, Declan Power and owner of Bon Appétit, Toro Tapas Bar and the Ribeye Steakhouse in Malahide, Oliver Dunne.

Marc decided to give himself a homework assignment and takes a look the numbers behind the Tourism Development Tax and where that money goes.

Welcome to another exciting episode of the Tourism Academy's Business Class Podcast! In this episode, we uncover the incredible synergy between STEM education and tourism development as host Stephen Ekstrom sits down with Michael Hensley, a visionary leader from Visit Great Lakes Bay.Join us as Stephen and Michael delve into the captivating world of incorporating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning into the realm of tourism. They explore how the Great Lakes Bay region has successfully harnessed the power of STEM education to create unique and enriching experiences for visitors.Michael, a passionate advocate for promoting STEM education, shares his insights on how Visit Great Lakes Bay has seamlessly integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into their tourism offerings. Discover the array of interactive exhibits, immersive science centers, and hands-on workshops that have been carefully designed to engage curious minds while educating and inspiring visitors.Through real-life examples and captivating stories, this episode uncovers how STEM-related attractions and educational partnerships have transformed the tourism landscape. Gain valuable insights into the strategies employed by Visit Great Lakes Bay, attracting global attention and making the region a magnet for STEM enthusiasts of all ages.Whether you're a seasoned tourism professional, an entrepreneur, or a student eager to explore innovative business models, this episode of Business Class Podcast offers a unique perspective on the intersection of STEM education and tourism development. Prepare to be inspired as Stephen and Michael reveal how the fusion of education and travel can create extraordinary opportunities, shape visitor experiences, and foster a love for lifelong learning.Tune in to this power-packed episode of the Tourism Academy's Business Class Podcast and embark on an educational journey where tourism and STEM education intertwine to shape the future of the industry. Get ready to unlock new business possibilities and gain a fresh perspective on leveraging STEM in your own tourism ventures.Get ready to elevate your business acumen and embark on a dynamic learning adventure. Welcome to Business Class!Business Class is brought to you by The Tourism Academy - harnessing the power of science, business psychology and adult education to advance the tourism industry and build sustainable economies. Learn how to engage your community, win over stakeholders and get more visitors at tourismacademy.org. Support the show

Victoria county is helping Ingonish come up with a plan for sustainable tourism.

Many Ukrainians have told me that before February 2022, they could never have imagined that full-scale war would come to their country in the 21st century. But it did, and Ukrainians' resilience has been extraordinary; they are not just fighting for their lives, families, and liberty, but also for their land, culture, heritage, and language. Today I'm speaking with Mariana Oleskiv the Chairperson at State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine. The work of the SATD is coordinated by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine and is responsible for marketing Ukraine as a tourism destination, and with developing tourism infrastructure. Tourism will be an important sector of the economy that helps with reconstruction of Ukraine after victory.

In the first episode of the special season of Khosh Bosh with Anita, we discuss the curation of the Evaporating Suns exhibition. I am joined by Munira Al Sayegh and Verena Formanek. Tune in to hear more about their individual curatorial practices, the process of commissioning nine artworks for Evaporating Suns and the joys and questions that come with cross-cultural curation. Munira Al Sayegh is an independent curator and cultural instigator based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. She is the founder of Dirwaza Curatorial Lab, a UAE-based curatorial incubator. She is a published author and prominent public voice in the region, highlighting the importance of grassroots initiatives, narrative reclamation and non-institutional thinking to build regional art movements from the bottom up. Verena Formanek graduated with an MA from the University of Applied Arts, Vienna. In 1989 she joined the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna as Curator of Design and Exhibitions. She installed the permanent collection in contexts designed by international artists like Barbara Bloom, Jenny Holzer, Donald Judd, and Heimo Zoberning. Formanek was Deputy Artistic Director at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel from 1996 to 2004 and worked closely with Ernst Beyeler. The three following years she was Head of Collections at the Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich. In 2010 she joined the culture department of The Tourism Development and Investment Company as Senior Project Manager for the soon to be opened Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. She worked in the same capacity in the museum department of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority until 2016. This special season of Khosh Bosh consists of four hour-long episodes that discuss the works from the exhibition, Evaporating Suns, in-depth with the artists and curators, as well as a myth library that showcases the different myths that the the KBH.G and Dirwaza teams grew up hearing. The thirteen artists showcased in this exhibition are Maitha Abdalla, Mays Albaik, Fatema Al Fardan, Moza Al Matrooshi, Abdullah Alothman, Farah Al Qasimi, Mashael Alsaie, Zuhoor Al Sayegh, Asma Belhamar, Alaa Edris, Saif Mhaisen, Fatima Uzdenova, and Bu Yousuf. The exhibition is presented by KBH.G in Basel, Switzerland and is curated by Dirwaza Curatorial Lab with the support of Verena Formanek. Presented by Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger I KBH.G. Season sponsored by the Foundry in Downtown Dubai. Music by Ronald Ekore.

Bonnie Hayes is the Director for Tourism Development for the City of Thomasville, a position she has held for seven years and thoroughly enjoys. Before working for the City, Bonnie was teaching Video Broadcast in the Thomasville School System as well as being the on-air host of Thomasville Today, a local event-focused TV program. Many people recognize her from the TV program or remember her holding puppies and other animals in her pet store, Pet Stop, which she opened when she arrived in Thomasville. A graduate of Florida State University, Bonnie is originally from the Florida panhandle but has called Thomasville home for over 25 years. When she has time, she works in her yard, takes care of her many pets, or travels with her husband and college-age twins. Debra Smith is a retired teacher who taught in the Thomasville School System for 30 years. She retired at age 51, and after growing bored sitting at home, she knew she needed to do something. Debra decided to investigate food tours, and she went to Food Tour Pros in Chicago to learn how to do food tours. Her first tour was on March 24, 2013. As of today, Debra has hosted 1469 tours and 11800+ guests. Her company was named Small Business of the Year in 2018 and GA CVCB Travel Trail Blazers in 2022. Debra gives credit to her wonderful guides, who she couldn't do this business without, and she notes that she has the best team! On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Bonnie Hayes and Debra Smith about the power of collaboration between a tourism office and a local tour operator. We discuss the partnership between their two organizations, how they support each other, and how this collaboration led to an elevated visitor experience. What You Will Learn in this Episode: How the partnership between Taste of Thomasville and the Visitors Centre has evolved The process of shaping the food tour into an authentic tourist experience Why Bonnie nominated Debra for the Trailblazer Award Debra's lessons learned from ten years in the travel and tourism business The importance of being visible and asking questions How Debra built her partnerships with local restaurants and why personal connection was so important in building those relationships Upcoming events and festivals happening in Thomasville The Value of Personal Connection In the world of tourism, personal connections, collaborations, and partnerships are key to success. This is especially true for the tour industry, where visitors are looking for a unique and memorable experience. Debra, who has been running her Taste of Thomasville tour for ten years, understands this better than anyone. Bonnie Hayes, Director for Tourism Development for the City of Thomasville, also shares more about how her organization created a collaboration with Debra and how their partnership has evolved over the years. An Innovative Tourism Experience Debra and Bonnie have continued to shape the restaurant tour into a tourism product that appeals to a range of visitors. This meant creating not only a daytime tour on weekends but also an evening tour where guests could have drinks in a range of fun establishments. But their creativity didn't stop there. When large groups come into town for events like the Victorian Christmas festival, Debra also curates specific experiences to entertain visitors during the day. For her outstanding contributions to the tourism industry, Debra won the Trailblazer Award, which celebrates individuals who have significantly impacted the travel industry and helped shape how we experience new places. Debra's dedication and creativity have undoubtedly earned her this recognition. The Future for Taste of Thomasville As the popularity of the food tour in Thomasville continues to grow, there are always new ideas and possibilities for expanding the experience. One such idea that has been on the mind of Debra and Bonnie is to incorporate more of the town's art district, also known as the “bottom,” into the tour. This area has some great restaurants currently not included in the tour's walking path, so the hope is to eventually create a third tour called “Breakfast on the Bottom,” which would showcase these establishments. In addition to expanding the tour for adults, there are plans to continue offering tours geared toward children and high school students. The children's tour has become particularly popular, with many elementary and middle schools taking field trips to participate. Meanwhile, the culinary tour for high school students allows them to learn from the owners and managers of local restaurants and get a behind-the-scenes look at the culinary industry. Resources: Website: https://thomasvillega.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/visitthomasville Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomasvillega/ Georgia Trend Magazine We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Moh Belkhodja is the Founder of MetaKapsule and Head of Investments & Special Projects at Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA). Moh is a hospitality professional who brings over 15 years of hospitality and management consulting experience to the team of Investments and Special Projects for Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority . As the Director, he is responsible for the continuous expansion of the organisation's business strategies across the EMEA region.Moh Belkhodja Interview Questions1. Please start by telling us a little bit about your background 2. Could you share with us about your earlier career path and your motivations or inspiration? 3. How did you come up with the idea for METAKAPSULE?4. What new opportunities will the Metaverse create for the tourism industry?5. How can the Metaverse be used to create unique and innovative tourism experiences?6. How can B2B businesses use the metaverse to enhance their branding and marketing efforts?7. How can B2B businesses ensure that their Metaverse initiatives align with their overall business strategy and goals in the hospitality and travel industry?8. What role will AI and machine learning play in the development and operation of the metaverse?9. What is your opinion regarding the advancement and progress of the metaverse in the hospitality and travel industry in the upcoming years? Moh Belkhodja BiographyMoh Belkhodja is a hospitality professional who brings over 15 years of hospitality and management consulting experience to the team of Investments and Special Projects for Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA). As the Director, he is responsible for the continuous expansion of the organisation's business strategies across the EMEA region. He is a seasoned Eco, Wellness, Agri and Adventure (EWAA) Tourism expert who advocates for the combination of sustainable and conscious tourism along with the fractional economy to promote economic and social development. Moh​ holds a Master's Degree in International Hotel Management from Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Management Information Systems from the Université Pierre Mendès-France. Having worked in various roles at Grand Heritage Hotel Group, IHG Hotels and Resorts, Renaissance Hotels, and many more, has a remarkable history of executing business development and global expansion strategies across the MENA region. Moh is also the founder of METAKAPSULE, a movement and think-tank community of Metaverse experts that create events with a focus on “edutainment”. He is passionate about re-engineering mindsets to create an impact on humanity and bridging the PHYGITAL with web 3.0 by using the METAVERSE to build collaboration and partnership amongst customers, as well as between companies and customers.Read Moh Belkhodja biography on https://www.openbusinesscouncil.org/wiki/moh-belkhodjaRead more about MetaKapsule https://www.openbusinesscouncil.org/wiki/MetaKapsuleAbout Dinis Guarda profile and Channelshttps://www.openbusinesscouncil.orghttps://www.intelligenthq.comhttps://www.hedgethink.com/https://www.citiesabc.com/https://openbusinesscouncil.org/wiki/dinis-guardaMore interviews and research videos on Dinis Guarda YouTube

On this episode, Caroline Donaghue and Priya Rawal welcome travel writer, author, TEDX, keynote speaker and Tourism Development Advisor, Doug Lansky to the show! Doug is a leader in the world of tourism spending over 20 years as a travel journalist, travelling to a whooping 120 countries, contributing to publications such as The Guardian, Lonely Planet, National Geographic Traveler, Esquire to mention afew.The American born, Stockholm-based writer first got his travel bug after a visit to London as part of a student exchange program and albeit it didn't go as he'd planned, it opened a whole new world of travel and curiosity for him. He spent only two months applying for work before he landed his first nationally syndicated newspaper as a column writer for Skift, later travelling the world and journaling his experiences across the globe as a travel writer. Later he accidentally started a very successful business 'Signspotting: The World's Most Absurd Signs': a fun travel holiday game. Doug is now also a well respected author and this episode is an eye opening experience into the world of tourism which also touches on relationships, the current state of the travel industry, the impact of social media/modern day influencer marketing on the travel/tourism industry while also giving you nostalgic memories and some incredibly hilarious backpacking stories.Spoiler alert - you might get the travel bug after listening to this episode!Sponsored by V1 & The Luxury Property Forum. Follow Caroline @caroline.donaghue and Priya @priya.rawal.london and the podcast page @therealrendezvous on Instagram and LinkedIn. Produced by BBE Podcast Agency. #therealrendezvous #douglansky #travelwriter #tourismdevelopment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonnie Hayes (Director of Tourism Development) and Nicole Elwell (Special Events Manager) chat with us about the 102nd Rose Show and Festival. This is part two of the interview where we discuss how some of the local businesses and tourist attractions celebrate the Rose Festival. Thanks for tuning in!

Bonnie Hayes (Director of Tourism Development) and Nicole Elwell (Special Events Manager) chat with us about the 102nd Rose Show and Festival. This event offers a wide range of events for the whole family. This is part one of the interview. Part two will air April 20. Thanks for tuning in!

On this Life In the Carolinas Podcast episode, we have invited Thomas Salley, the Director of Tourism for Wilkesboro, North Carolina. His expertise in tourism and marketing led him to spearhead Wilkesboro's tourism to attract more people, create more projects and build a stronger community. Today, Thomas talks about his journey of getting involved in the world of tourism, the county's evolution, the people in the community, and the bigger picture Wilkesboro is pursuing in the future.  

Kathy Nishimura (RPTA '11), Manager of Tourism Development for Visit Anaheim, talks with Dr. Brian Greenwood (Cal Poly Experience Industry Management) about her life and career to date.

Jill Kilgore has been with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development for the past five years as the public relations media manager. She is a graduate of Southern Illinois University. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is the go-to for all things vacation related in Tennessee.  Sara Beth Urban is the CEO and president of HospitaityTN. Her past experience includes being Executive Director of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail and being involved with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development as the Middle Tennessee Division Manager. HospitalityTN represents the interests of Tennessee's lodging, dining, and tourism establishments and the related businesses involved in the hospitality & tourism industry. In this episode of MsInterPReted, Jill and Sara Beth discuss what they both love about the hospitality and tourism industry in Tennessee. They talk about the state of tourism in Tennessee regarding:  TDTD and HospitalityTN efforts in the industry Tennessee Music Pathways https://www.tnvacation.com/tennessee-music-pathways Economic impacts of domestic and international travel  Current trends and attractions Predictions for upcoming trends in tourism The Bill Dance Lake initiative Women in tourism and hospitality  What everyone needs to see when they visit Tennessee  Listen to this episode of MsInterPReted to find out more about tourism in Tennessee.  Follow  Tennessee Department of Tourism Development on:On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tdtdindustry/Follow Jill on Twitter: @jillrkilgore Follow Jill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-kilgore-4909299a/  Follow HospitalityTN on:On Twitter: @tnhta On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hospitalitytn/?hl=enOn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HospitalityTNOn LinkedIn: ​​https://www.linkedin.com/company/hospitalitytn/Follow Sara Beth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-beth-urban-13290143/  Follow Fletcher Marketing PR on:Website:  https://www.fletchermarketingpr.com/On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FletchermarketingprOn Twitter:  @fletcherprOn Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/fletcher.pr/Follow CEO Kelly Fletcher on Twitter: @KDFletcher

Zhangjiajie, China--(Newsfile Corp. - November 18, 2022) - On November 19th and 20th, the first Hunan Tourism Development Conference will be held in Zhangjiajie, the famed tourist city for uniquely wonderful landscapes. The event is inaugurated to shine the spotlight on Hunan Province, China with international attention.The First Hunan Tourism Development Conference Ready to Start on Nov. 19To "set examples to follow" and "boost development through event organization", Hunan has planned to integrate resources to facilitate the "four aspects of achieving faster development", i.e. infrastructure construction, overall environmental improvement, integrated growth of industries, as well as economic and social progress in cities, prefectures, counties, and districts in the province with whose efforts the conference is going to be successfully launched, and it is expected to advance, economically and socially, the high-quality development of the whole province, according to the Organizing Committee of Hunan Tourism Development Conference.By holding the conference, Hunan will be in full swing to seize the opportunities to bring in investment via the platform which the event will provide. In the whole province, 302 key investment promotion projects that have been selected will ask for a total investment of 529.6 billion yuan. In early July this year, the Xiangxi prefecture has taken the lead in holding a tourism development conference, during which 54 project contracts were signed, attracting 74.303 billion yuan of investment.The First Hunan Tourism Development Conference Ready to Start on Nov. 19To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7829/144777_92281a34a481cb38_002full.jpgThe projects are anticipated to drive tourist industrial updates and service enhancement in main areas such as folk-custom, camping, road trips, wellness retreats, sports, and leisure. Through the demonstration of a pattern of "+tourism", a synergy for innovative development will be created between multiple fields, to better satisfy the needs of tourists and accelerate the recovery of the market.With the goal of "thriving a place with an event", Hunan has launched a series of activities, for example, culture and tourism promotions, project observation programs, and tourism industry development promotions, showing ambition and abilities to the country and even the globe to make itself a world-level tourist destination, which also displays the province's positive response to the Global Development Initiative in the current stage of pursuing high-quality development in China.Contact:Company Name: The Organizing Committee of The First Tourism Development Conference of Hunan ProvinceContact Person: Jason ZouP

On this episode, we will talk to the Director of Tourism Development, Bonnie Hayes, about the brand new 2021 Tourism numbers released by the State of Georgia. This data reveals some great news about Tourism in our community. Thanks for tuning in!

Erin Ruyle, director of tourism and development for the city of Washington, joins Steve and Leesa to discuss Washington and all its hidden gems. Tune in to hear Erin detail coming back from COVID into an incredible year for Washington, as well as the new arts and culture trail set to be rolled out all throughout the city. Important links Arts of the Pamlico Events Calendarhttps://www.artsofthepamlico.org/events/photo/ AOP 2022 Summercampshttps://artsofthepamlico.ticketleap.com/admin/events/summer-camp2022 Check out our events at the Historic Turnage Theatre First Friday Concerts: Noah Cobb – June 3rd at 7:30https://artsofthepamlico.ticketleap.com/country-music-and-karaoke/ AOP Bubblegum Theatre's Charlotte's Web performance – June 4th at 4pmhttps://artsofthepamlico.ticketleap.com/charlottes-web/ ArTipsy – June 9th at 6pmhttps://artsofthepamlico.ticketleap.com/artipsy-june/Support the show

Tomorrow is the very first public holiday to celebrate Matariki.In March the Government announced $100,000 in funding will be given to the Matariki Festival in the Mackenzie District.It's one of two Matariki festivals to receive government funding.Mackenzie Tourism Development Manager Lydia Stoddart joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.LISTEN ABOVE

Towering rock faces, majestic waterfalls, and unbelievable views draw millions of tourists to Yosemite National Park each year. Some of those visitors find themselves so connected to nature, outdoors activities and small town life that they become local residents. Today's guests have heard that calling, now considering themselves locals to Mariposa, California, gateway to Yosemite. Join The Tourism Academy's Stephen Ekstrom as he meets with Jonathan Farrington - Executive Director of the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, Miranda Fengel - Director of the Mariposa Museum, and Ken Yager, experienced climber and founder of the Yosemite Climbing Association & Museum.Need an inspiring, engaging and fun speaker for your next event? Contact The Tourism Academy.Business Class is brought to you by The Tourism Academy - harnessing the power of science, business psychology and adult education to advance the tourism industry and build sustainable economies. Learn how to engage your community, win over stakeholders and get more visitors at tourismacademy.org. Support the show

Seminole County Sports Tourism has grown to become nationally recognized. The county has 21 sports facilities, with the Boombah Sports Complex being the largest, and hosting the most events throughout the year. On this episode of the ONSC Podcast, we speak with the Sports Tourism Development Manager, Jordan Lyda. Tune in as we talk about the Boombah Sports Complex, NIL Deals, and the day in a life of a Sports Tourism Manager. Connect with Seminole County Sports Tourism:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playorlandonorthTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/playorlnorthFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlayOrlandoNorthSee what's going on in Orlando North, Seminole County -Follow Do Orlando North on social media!https://www.instagram.com/doorlandonorth/https://www.facebook.com/DoOrlandoNorthhttps://twitter.com/DoOrlandoNorthhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_Oghpa0_P-3ERUMbu9CIJQ

In today's headlines: Elon Musk challenges Putin to fight with Ukraine as the prize, Man to be charged with using a sword to hit a person and several cars in Buangkok, Pete Davidson is going to space, and STB seeks proposals for integrated tourism development in Jurong Lake District.

A wine podcast inspired by Barbarian Empires of the Steppes and the Silk Road? We got that!   This episode on the wine history of Uzbekistan was inspired by Mongols, Mughals, and explorers: Genghis/Ginngis Kahn, Tamerlane/Timur, Babur, and Marco Polo all passed through, conquered, loved, loved to conquer - or were kicked out of - Samarkand, the crossroads of civilization.  Who brought the grapes, and who started the wine industry? What happened under soviet rule? Who tried to tear it down? What's being done to move the historic wine culture forward? Let's explore this and other curious nuggets of stuff you never thought you wanted to know about wine, but are delighted to learn! Resources from this episode: Books: The Oxford Companion to Wine [Kindle Edition], Robinson, J. & Harding J. (2015)  Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties, Including Their Origins and Flavours [Kindle Edition], Robinson, J., Harding, J., Vouillamoz, J. (2013) Websites: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook: Uzbekistan (last updated 16 February 2022) https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/uzbekistan/ ENews Channel Africa: Uzbekistan pulls out the stops for fine winemaking, (9 December 2018) https://www.enca.com/life/uzbekistan-pulls-out-stops-fine-winemaking Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Culitvated Plants: Vitis International Variety Catalog (VIVC), Bayan Shirei the https://www.vivc.de/?r=passport%2Fview&id=1049 Let's Go Uzbekistan: History of the development of viticulture and winemaking in Uzbekistan (2018) https://www.letsgouzbekistan.com/en/blog/history_of_wine_making_in_uzbekistan OIV: Uzbekistan becomes the 47th Member State of the OIV (6 November 2018) https://www.oiv.int/en/oiv-life/uzbekistan-becomes-the-47th-member-state-of-the-oiv Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty: Uncorking Uzbekistan's Wine Business, Bowdle, N. (12 December 2018) https://www.rferl.org/a/uzbekistan-wine-business/29652570.html Silk Road Research: Samarkind, Eminer, M.  https://silkroadresearch.blog/uzbekistan/samarkind/ Sommeliers International: Where the wine route crosses the silk road (June 2015)  https://www.sommeliers-international.com/en/World/uzbekistan_-where-the-wine-route-crosses-the-silk-road.aspx Travel Tomorrow: Samarkand's Khorovenko Winery, Embassy of Uzbekistan to the Benelux and Missions to the EU and NATO (17 November 2021) https://traveltomorrow.com/samarkands-khovorenko-winery/ Uzbekistan Research Online: Aspects of Tourism Development in Uzbekistan - Wine Tourism, Inoyatova, S.I. (2019) https://uzjournals.edu.uz/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1206&context=iqtisodiyot Wein Plus: Bayanshira (23 June 2021) https://glossary.wein.plus/bayanshira World Atlas: Uzbekistan https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/uzbekistan World History: Genghis Khan, Cartwright, M. (16 September 2019) https://www.worldhistory.org/Genghis_Khan/ Related Podcasts from Glass in Session®: S8E3: Once Upon a Wine Grape in Afghanistan -  https://glassinsession.libsyn.com/s8e3-once-upon-a-wine-grape-in-afghanistan   Glass in Session® is a registered trademark of Vino With Val, LLC. Music: “Write Your Story” by Joystock (Jamendo.com cc_Standard License, Jamendo S.A.)

السيد يوسف لوتاه  Executive Director, Tourism Development & Investments and Vice Chairman of Dubai Sustainable Tourism دبي و الاستدامة  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kim Giovacco, owner of Veg Jaunts and Journeys, shows you the world with a vegan focus by supporting vegan businesses like restaurants, food tours and vegan cooking schools. Kim shares how a vegan lifestyle can be easy and healthy. Her epic tours are expanding to celebrate the whole-food, plant based way of eating which actually differs from vegan way of eating. And instead of mainly offering European tours, half of her tour schedule will now take place in North America, offering vegan tours near national parks in the US and Canada.Find out why this lifestyle is growing globally and what you can do to learn more by traveling with Kim. Lots of good info here!Also on Speaking of Travel, discover how to have a perfect winter getaway with plenty of waterfalls, scenic views, iconic forests and wonderful trails for hiking with Clark Lovelace of the Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Development in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. And if you're thinking of traveling by air and maybe haven't been on a plane in a while, Tina Kinsey at the Asheville Regional Airport fills you in on what's new and helps you find the answers you need. 

The Authority provided free full board accommodation for visitors in Ras Al Khaimah who are unable to return home due to airline connectivity issues in the Republic of Kazakhstan #RakiPhillips #VisitRasAlKhaimah #RasAlKhaimah #tourism #RAKTDA #Kazakhstan #support #hozpitality https://www.hozpitality.com/Hozpitalitygroup/read-article/ras-al-khaimah-tourism-development-authority-pledges-support-to-visitors-from-the-republic-of-kazakstan-6454.html

The Christmas period is marked by a lot of fun activities for many Nigerians who will either be travelling home to visit their loved ones or going on vacation/break from work. Some also plan to visit tourist destinations with family and friends to have fun and savour in the festivity.

Initiative offers special tourism packages, including hotel accommodation, events and activities for various tourist destinations in the emirate #SharjahCommerceandTourismDevelopmentAuthority #Campaign #FindyourSharjah #Sharjah #Tourism #Attractions #Promotions #Hozpitality https://www.hozpitality.com/Hozpitalitygroup/read-article/sharjah-commerce-and-tourism-development-authority-launches-find-your-sharjah-campaign-6224.html

Transportation is one of the most important features of tourism that enables tourists to commute and link with various locations and attractions. There is a general agreement that tourism expands more when there are better transportation systems. Rail transportation has been considered important because of its cheap, high safety, and comfortable trip. Nigeria in recent times has witnessed the construction of railways linking major towns and cities across the country. Some of the railway lines are from Abuja-Kaduna, Lagos-Kano, Warri-Itakpe etc.

On this episode, Frances Manzitto from Clarksville, Tennessee joins The Tourism Academy's Stephen Ekstrom to share her thoughts on how tourism friendships and business relationships helped pave the way toward a fulfilling career. She also talks about her favorite local events, people who have influenced her business philosophy and what she's done to stay connected through turbulent times. Frances volunteers  her expertise and insight a member of The Tourism Academy's Advisory Panel.RELATED: Tourism Ambassador Training & CertificationRELATED: Add Meaning To Your Meeting - Speakers BureauBusiness Class is made possible by Group Travel Odyssey.Support the show (https://patreon.com/tourismbusinessclass)

Swiss Travel Association (SRV) selects UAE's nature tourism destination for its first annual General Assembly since the pandemic reflecting the destination's growing popularity with Swiss travellers #VisitRasAlKhaimah #RasAlKhaimahTourismDevelopmentAuthority #RAKTDA #SchweizerReiseVerband #SwissTravelAssociation #RakiPhillips #SafeTravelsStamp #BureauVeritas #WorldTravelandTourismCouncil #MaxKatz #hozpitality https://www.hozpitality.com/Hozpitalitygroup/read-article/6075_ras-al-khaimah-tourism-development-authority-strengthens-ties-with-swiss-travel.html

For this second episode in a special two part series of Destination on the Left episodes, I visited the 2021 eTourism Summit held in Las Vegas, Nevada from September 20-22. At the summit, I was privileged to speak with fourteen attendees who are experts in the field of digital marketing for travel and tourism. In my conversations with today's guest experts, I asked them to each answer one question: “Looking into the future, what innovations are happening now that you think will impact digital marketing for your organization or destination?” I'm so delighted to share their insightful and sometimes surprising answers with you in this week's special podcast episode. In this episode of Destination On The Left, you'll hear from these fourteen extraordinary digital marketing experts:   Chris Lukenbill – Co-Founder, Shrpa Ed Harris – CEO, Discover Lancaster Emilie Harris – Director of Marketing Operations, Bandwango Jake Brown – Content Manager, Visit South Bend Jason Holic – Vice President of Business Applications & Insights, Experience Kissimmee Kyle Johnson – Digital Strategy Manager, Indiana Destination Development Corporation Leena Riggs – Director of Marketing & Partnerships, Visit Rancho Cordova Marc Garcia – President & CEO, Visit Mesa Maria Skrzynski – Marketing Coordinator/Office Manager, Destination Ann Arbor Mark Romig – Chief Marketing Officer & Senior Vice President, New Orleans & Co. Nicole Stacey – Director of Marketing Communications, Visit Pensacola Ralph Thompson – Executive Director Travel & Tourism, Streetsense Tim Ash – Marketing Keynote, Trainer & Advisor Victoria Simmons – Senior Vice President of Travel, BVK Innovative Digital Marketing Experts at the 2021 eTourism Summit The eTourism Summit is a one-of-a-kind conference that exists at the intersection of destination travel and tourism with cutting edge digital marketing. It's a unique opportunity for industry leaders, marketers, and destinations to come together and exchange ideas, collaborate, and brainstorm new solutions together. This year's eTourism Summit was held in Las Vegas from September 20-22 and offered insights into digital marketing trends, advertising innovations and new ways to connect travelers with incredible experiences. I asked each of these experts the same question: “Looking into the future, what innovations are happening now that you think will impact digital marketing for your organization or destination?” Here are the insightful answers they gave me: Chris Lukenbill from Shrpa Chris discusses how the many disruptions our industry is facing create new opportunities for Shrpa's clients to tell their stories within their own communities. He discusses why an increased focus on local communities has moved from “nice to have” to necessary to navigate the pandemic. He talks about why stronger communication is going to be an increasingly critical component of travel and tourism marketing going forward. Ed Harris from Discover Lancaster Ed talks about the juxtaposition of digitally marketing the simple life of the local Amish communities through modern technology and social media, and he discusses why innovations in technology like AI and machine learning are transformative tools that will reshape digital marketing in the future. He talks about the power of data in informing what content destinations and marketers share, and he discusses the importance of adapting to and embracing these emerging technologies to help meet travelers where they are. Emilie Harris from Bandwango Emilie talks about how the industry's broad focus on innovation is creating new opportunities to integrate various products, experiences and locations into full experience packages. She discusses how important it is for marketers to understand how the process of booking travel is changing as consumer expectations are shifting. She shares how the “niche” audiences of the past are dissolving and how authentic, unique experiences are becoming the cornerstone of travel and tourism marketing. Jake Brown from Visit South Bend Jake talks about the role of data in travel and tourism digital marketing, and he shares why being able to track the success of campaigns by how much revenue they have generated for the area is going to be a sea change for digital marketers going forward. Jason Holic from Experience Kissimmee Jason explains a calculator tool his organization developed to help track key data metrics that they have made available to other DMOs, and he shares how it helps track media impact of your messaging through transparency and the dynamic narratives it can create. He explains how the tool uses 30 different data points to fine tune visibility over your metrics and help you communicate with four key stakeholder groups using language they themselves use to help you demonstrate the value you're driving to them. Kyle Johnson from Indiana Destination Development Corporation Kyle shares how his organization's transition from the Indiana Office of Tourism Development to the Indiana Destination Development Corporation has allowed the organization to expand their goals and cast a wider net. He shares why their goal isn't just to attract visitors but to also attract talent to the state. He discusses the important role location tracking serves for the organization, allowing for targeted messaging. He talks about how Indiana has seen big success bringing corporations to the state, and he shares how the next goal is to bring more workers to the state as well. Leena Riggs from Visit Rancho Cordova Leena shares how her organization is focused on more and stronger data collection, and she shares how Visit Rancho Cordova is exploring options for engaging with and messaging in-market. She shares how the data is powerfully informing how Rancho Cordova plans their future growth. Marc Garcia from Visit Mesa Marc shares how his organization is focused on accessibility in travel as part of Visit Mesa's larger Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts. He shares how Mesa, Arizona has worked hard to become the nation's first Autism-certified City and is now seeking to become a city known for its accessibility programs and initiatives. He shares how Visit Mesa has recently established the Mesa Regional Foundation for Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion, which will be used to purchase accessibility technologies. He also talks about how his city is building what will be the largest youth and amateur sports complex in the country. Maria Skrzynski from Destination Ann Arbor Maria shares how her organization is working to strengthen its local partnerships and collaboration with other organizations and sectors to elevate the energy of the community. She also discusses the importance of unity within Ann Arbor. Mark Romig from New Orleans & Company Mark discusses how people are using handheld devices far more than tablets, desktops and other large devices, and he shares how his organization is focused on developing their integration with phones and other handhelds. He talks about the importance of focusing on the consumer's needs and obstacles and staying ahead of the curve by meeting them where they are. Nicole Stacey from Visit Pensacola Nicole talks about how Visit Pensacola is reallocating their budget to use connected TVs to better reach people. She talks about the importance of transparency and honesty in messaging, and she shares how Visit Pensacola is utilizing targeted marketing strategies and messages to reach niche traveler groups. Ralph Thompson from Streetsense Ralph talks about how Streetsense is creatively using podcasts to build relationships with travelers in a more casual way than traditional messaging. He explains how even smaller, resource-challenged DMOs can take advantage of established podcasts to amplify their message. Tim Ash, Marketing Keynote Speaker, Trainer and Advisor Tim discusses how travel planning can take advantage of Alexa, Siri and other voice assistants and the casual, conversational way they work. He shares why it is important to understand the psychology behind how people make decisions, and he explains how evolutionary psychology can be the key to anticipating and guiding people's decision-making processes. Victoria Simmons from BVK Victoria talks about how DMOs and destinations are becoming better at having in-market conversations with travelers and connecting them directly to travel partners. She shares how geolocation data is becoming a powerful resource for enhancing this connection with travelers. Technological Innovations and the Role of Data As you can see, many of the leaders I spoke with hit upon recurring themes around emerging technologies and new ways of collecting, collating and analyzing data. The outbreak of the global pandemic has created major strains and challenges on travel and tourism, but it has also given us a unique opportunity to reevaluate how we market destinations to travelers and how we can share our messages in more targeted ways and with larger, more diverse audiences. I hope you've enjoyed hearing insights from the 2021 eTourism Summit and from these extraordinary travel and tourism marketing experts and leaders. As our world slowly begins to turn the tide against the pandemic, one thing is certain: by embracing new innovations and outside-the-box ideas, the future of travel and tourism looks bright! We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes! https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Cultural tourism has been considered as movements of persons for essentially cultural motivations such as study tours, performing arts and cultural tours, travel to festivals and other cultural events, visits to sites and monuments, travel to study nature, folklore or art, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Being one of the largest and fastest-growing global tourism markets, culture and creativity are increasingly being used to promote destinations and enhance competitiveness and attractiveness. Cultural tourism is important for various reasons; it has a positive economic and social impact. It establishes and reinforces identity. It helps build image, preserve the cultural and historical heritage. Culture as an instrument is used to facilitate harmony and understanding among people. Today on Money Radio, we shall be discussing how culture can be used to enhance and develop the tourism industry in Nigeria.

Den Schwerpunkt dieser zweiten Episode bildet die drittgrößte Stadt Schottlands Aberdeen und die umgebende Region von Aberdeenshire. Da gibt es kaum einen besseren Ansprechpartner wie Yvonne Cook, Head of Tourism Development des Fremdenverkehrsamtes VisitAberdeenshire. Yvonne wird uns mit ihrem während des Studiums in Deutschland gelernten Deutsch durch ihre geliebte Heimat führen. Nach einer allgemeinen Einleitung über die Stadt, der 165 km langen Küste im Osten Schottland und dem herrlichen Royal Deeside mit der königlichen Sommerresidenz Balmoral Castle verrät uns Yvonne auch ihre Lieblingsorte und ihre Leibgerichte aus lokalen Produkten wie z.B. die Fischsuppe »Cullen Skink« (mit Rezept). So lernen wir alle etwas über den einzigartigen Castle Trail, die pittoresken Fischerdörfer an dem Coastal Trail und die heimlichen acht Brennereien in Aberdeenshire. Und ein Selfie mit einem niedlichen Highland Cattle ist auch dabei!

The Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Mr Folorunsho Coker has stressed the need for stakeholders in the tourism industry to collaborate in order to drive the growth of the sector.Coker says the time had come for actors in the tourism and hospitality industry to stop competing with one another and embrace collaboration to move the industry forward.He says stakeholders should collaborate rather than compete adding that the sector was the worst hit since the advent of the coronavirus.He says the COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique opportunity for advancement by accelerating the deployment of disruptive technologies to make work and living easier.

The Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Mr Folorunsho Coker has stressed the need for stakeholders in the tourism industry to collaborate in order to drive the growth of the sector.Coker says the time had come for actors in the tourism and hospitality industry to stop competing with one another and embrace collaboration to move the industry forward.He says stakeholders should collaborate rather than compete adding that the sector was the worst hit since the advent of the coronavirus.He says the COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique opportunity for advancement by accelerating the deployment of disruptive technologies to make work and living easier.

The Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Mr Folorunsho Coker has stressed the need for stakeholders in the tourism industry to collaborate in order to drive the growth of the sector.Coker says the time had come for actors in the tourism and hospitality industry to stop competing with one another and embrace collaboration to move the industry forward.He says stakeholders should collaborate rather than compete adding that the sector was the worst hit since the advent of the coronavirus.He says the COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique opportunity for advancement by accelerating the deployment of disruptive technologies to make work and living easier.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the travel market beyond recognition. But don't be scared: it did not vanish, the travel market continues to develop! In the podcast, we taste Eastern Europe talking to local entrepreneurs, officials, and other experts about how the region's tourism adapts to the demands of time and what it has to offer travel seekers. Our today's topic is the challenges and outlooks of Ukrainian tourism. We tasted this topic with Mariana Oleskiv, a chairperson at the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine. Here are the timeframes of our talk: 1:28-2:40 - Review of domestic and foreign tourism in Ukraine during the time of the pandemic 2:45-4:22 - Thoughts about how Ukraine tourism adapt to the pandemic, and what it can offer tourists in 2021 4:27-6:03 - Why should tourists visit Ukraine 6:16-8:35 - How Ukrainian tourism change in areas of mobility, tourism infrastructure, sustainability, and green tourism 8:40-9:20 - Reflections about is there a place for tourism in the pandemic world 9:27-11:50 - The impact of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine on making the country more attractive to foreign tourists 11:55-13:45 - The main obstacles in promoting Ukrainian tourism 14:00-17:40 - How Ukrainian state institutions unite forces with businesses and the public sector in promoting tourism

Himalayan Ecotourism, based in GHNP's Tirthan Valley, offers trekking and camping trips that show the travellers the best the Park has to offer. The operator offers customised all-inclusive trips (scheduled treks will start next year), led by experienced local guides and staff. I am joined by Stephan, the founder of Himalayan Ecotourism to discuss their mission and vision. He also talks about the changes that they have brought onboard in the aftermath of the pandemic. Buy me a coffee - https://buymeacoffee.com/dailypassenger Share your thoughts and feedbacks anshul.akh99@gmail.com http://twitter.com/dailypassengerr www.dailypassengerr.com https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtyuYPTXsb2-eGztAgb4csQ?view_as=subscriber http://instagram.com/daily.passenger Music Credits Summer by Bensound - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxwUy2S2n-Q

On “Behind The Headlines,” the incoming CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission says federal pandemic relief funding due the city will likely make up the loss. The drop in sales tax revenue for the TDZ comes as sales tax revenues across the city have exceeded bleak projections at the outset of the pandemic.

This week we are headed to the west coast to hear all about San Diego.  We'll be in the lounge chatting with Benjamin Eastman, Director of Tourism Development for the San Diego Tourism Authority.  Benjamin gives us the scoop on why this city is known for its lovely beaches and diverse food scene.

The director of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, the destination management office for the Florida Keys & Key West, has been elected to the governing board of Destinations Florida. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/etn/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/etn/support

#10: Fact and fiction is very much woven together when it comes to the Hellfire Club atop Montpelier Hill. It is the mystery surrounding the hunting lodge and the surrounding scenery of Massy's Wood that has visitors return to the landmark countless times. Plans to construct a €15m Dublin Mountains Visitor Centre at the site were recently passed by An Bord Pleanála. Host Hayden Moore speaks to Elizabeth Davidson of Save the Hellfire, Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Cllr Ed O'Brien, Cllr Madeleine Johansson, David Power from South Dublin Libraries Local Studies, and Frank Nevin, Director of Economic, Enterprise and Tourism Development in the council, about the contentious tourism project.

Welcome to Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. This week, we sat down with Amber Scarlett, the new executive director of the Randolph County Tourism Development Authority. Scarlett, who grew up in Randolph County, talks about her journey from her first job as a teenager at the N.C. Zoo gift shop to heading the county's tourism organization, how she plans to deal with major funding cuts and falling tourism numbers because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the resilience of small businesses in the community

About this episode:   Lori Harnois is the executive director of Discover New England, located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Her primary role is to increase tourism to the New England region from overseas markets. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Tourism Planning and Development, with a minor in Sociology, from the University of New Hampshire.   Lori has 20 years of experience in the field of marketing, promotions and operations. Previously, she worked for the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development holding such roles as director and international marketing manager. In these roles, she was responsible for promoting New Hampshire as a domestic and international travel destination in order to increase visitation, travel expenditures, business activity and employment throughout the state. She also oversaw the NH Bureau of Visitor Services.   Lori is a past board member of the US Travel Association, a member of the Eastern State Exposition, and a member of the Granite State Ambassadors. She received the honor of New Hampshire's 40 Under 40 in 2012.    In this episode:   3:11 – Lori explains how she went to college for tourism planning and development and held several internships before getting a job with the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism.    7:11 – Nancy asks Lori about different countries' perceptions of New England.    10:48 – Lori shares how she would have liked to have studied abroad while she was in school.   13:06 – Lori describes how her boss suggested that she take a day to talk with locals and understand their interest when she first started traveling abroad.   16:59 – Lori shares how dealing with a smaller budget is an obstacle she has had to overcome by forming new relationships.   23:14 – Lori explains how Discover New England measures success by tracking results and working with Marshall Communications.   25:45 – Nancy asks Lori how she has built her network, to which Lori explains how her network has grown naturally.   29:02 – Nancy explains how building your network doesn't mean always taking but also involves giving.   31:38 – Lori explains how her network has helped to advance her career, including getting the job she has today.   33:07 – Lori recalls some advice she was given when she was 15 that would be helpful for someone starting their career.   36:36 – Lori provides resources that have helped her, including the book the Tipping Point and the North American Journeys inbound report.   38:23 – Lori shares a parting thought.      Quote:    " The best advice I could give you is to smile, and I think that I have taken that to heart. It sort of opens the door for people to approach you and get to know you." — Lori Harnois, Executive Director, Discover New England    Links:    www.discovernewengland.org/    Looking to connect:   Email: info@discovernewengland.org  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Here is the news.A scientist known as China&`&s "father of hybrid rice" has developed a new strain that could enable the plant to adapt to more varied growing environments at a significantly lower cost. The strain is designed to be hardier and able to withstand lower temperatures during the plant&`&s reproductive phase. It is the third generation of hybrid rice that Yuan Longping has developed.Yuan told the China Daily that the third generation will also incorporate the merits of the previous two generations, and its adaptability to low temperatures will increase significantly. Low temperatures during the reproductive phase resulted in crop failure for the second generation of hybrid rice in Anhui province in 2014, triggering government scrutiny over the adaptability of the strain. It also infuriated farmers, whose yields plummeted from an expected 7.5 metric tons to 750 kilograms per hectare, or even to zero. Yuan said the cost of breeding the new strain has also decreased significantly, making its commercial use viable in the short term. Yuan is also developing a new strain of saltwater-resistant rice that could yield up to 4.5 tons per hectare - around 60 percent of the yield from regular paddies. Meanwhile, his team is looking to sell the new strain to the world&`&s major rice-growing countries. This is Special English.Another big name is joining the world&`&s pursuit for self-driving cars, with Apple acknowledging for the first time that it is investing "heavily" in building such a car.According to a letter from the company to the U.S. transport regulator which was revealed in the media recently, Apple declared its interest in self-driving vehicle technology, adding that the company "is excited about the potential of automated systems in many areas, including transportation".The letter was written by Apple&`&s Director of Product Integrity Steve Kenner on Nov. 22 to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It urges the U.S. regulator not to introduce too many rules on the testing of self-driving cars.The letter said established manufacturers and new entrants should be treated equally.There has long been speculation about the computer and iPhone maker&`&s plans for expanding into transportation but it has not publicly admitted them.A few companies are currently investing in self-driving cars, including Google which is reportedly already testing its cars on the roads, and the electric car maker Tesla, which has announced that all the cars it now builds will have the hardware installed to drive on their own. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing. A British Council program aiming to inspire girls and young women about the world of work has launched its online platform.The program is entitled "Inspiring Women China". It is based on an initiative in Britain. Its online platform will enable this initiative to grow in scale across China with teachers able to connect with and invite volunteers in any chosen field or area to talk with students in their school or college.The program is expected to inspire young people, girls and young women in particular, to raise their confidence and aspirations and enable them to make better informed choices about their career options.At the heart of this program is a network of successful women from a broad range of backgrounds who volunteer their time to talk to students about their job, career and the path they took to get there.Carma Elliot, head of the British Council China, says she agrees with the Chinese saying of "women hold up half the sky".She said the program is also about inspiring the next generation of girls to fulfill their potential in society, and to make the greatest possible contribution to social and economic development.This is Special English.Member countries of the European Space Agency have approved an additional 440 million euros, roughly 470 million U.S. Dollars, to fund the agency&`&s next mission to Mars.As part of the ExoMars mission, the agency sent an orbiter and a test lander to the red planet this year. The Trace Gas Orbiter was successfully deployed but the lander malfunctioned and crashed on the surface of Mars, raising fears about the next stage of the mission.Despite the crash, officials meeting in Switzerland recently approved the budget that the agency said it requires to send a rover to Mars in 2020.In all, member states approved 10 billion euros in funding for the agency, which will also allow it to continue participating in the International Space Station program until at least 2024.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing.Australian researchers have developed a world-first vaccine for gum disease.The vaccine, developed by a team from the University of Melbourne, will eliminate, or at least significantly reduce, the need for surgery and antibiotics for severe gum disease.Gum disease affects one in three adults worldwide and more than 50 percent of Australians over the age of 65.The disease is commonly associated with diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, dementia and certain types of cancer. It is a chronic condition that destroys gum tissue and bone supporting teeth, leading to tooth loss.The vaccine targets enzymes produced by the bacteria to trigger an immune response which in turn produces antibodies that neutralize the pathogen&`&s destructive toxins.Eric Reynolds, CEO of the Oral Health Cooperative Research Center at the University of Melbourne, said the vaccine would greatly reduce the tissue destruction caused by the pathogen.Reynolds said the methods are helpful, and he holds high hopes for this vaccine to improve the quality of life for millions of people.Clinical trials of the vaccine in humans are expected to begin in early 2018. This is Special English.Patients in an Australia state are being recruited in what is touted as the world&`&s first medicinal cannabis trial for the prevention of nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy.The clinical trial will involve 80 patients in the first stage and could expand to another 250 patients across New South Wales.According to a statement from the office of the New South Wales Minister for Medical Research, the trial will play a critical role in developing a better understanding of how cannabis products may provide relief for cancer patients.A new oral plant-derived, pharmaceutical-grade capsule will be used in the trial.A lead researcher of the trial, associate Professor Peter Grimison said there was very limited high-quality research available on the role of cannabis-derived medicines in treating nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy.He said they have come a long way with conventional anti-nausea medication, but one-third of patients continue to suffer during and after chemotherapy. The professor said the role of cannabis medicines in alleviating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is still unclear, and this study aims to provide a definitive answer to this question. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to newsplusradio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That&`&s mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues.Hollywood writers will be hired to train the winners of a young Chinese scriptwriters program.The program, "Ju Ben Hui", which means "alliance of scripts", is the name of the project that was jointly developed by three Beijing-based entertainment companies.Top Chinese directors are on the panel that will select three young scriptwriters from candidates across the country. They will be selected for a grant of up to 1 million yuan, roughly 147,000 U.S. dollars, and a chance to be coached by a Hollywood scriptwriter at a venue in North China&`&s Hebei province.The first winners will be announced next year and the date has yet to be released.An actor-director who is on the panel said China needs more high quality screenplays, and Hollywood&`&s rich experience in storytelling can be an inspiration.This is Special English.Ten foreigners who have significant influence in their social media circles including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, have gathered in Beijing to experience traditional Chinese medicine. During the event, the foreigners experienced massage, acupuncture, hot spring treatments, and watched tai chi performance. The event was co-sponsored by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development and China&`&s biggest online travel agency C-trip. It is part of a campaign to showcase traditional Chinese medicine to foreign visitors. Meanwhile, C-trip has launched traditional medicine tours on its website. Beijing has rich tourism resources, with 35 tourism destinations dedicated to Traditional Chinese Medicine tours.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing.A big-budget television drama about the early life of William Shakespeare is being filmed in Wales in western Britain.The drama will be the largest budget film ever shot in Wales. The series is being made for U.S. television.Backed by financing from the Welsh Assembly, the production is expected to generate almost 23 million U.S. dollars for the Welsh economy.The first series of nine episodes has been commissioned following the success of an initial pilot program that was filmed in London.Welcoming the news, the Welsh Assembly&`&s Economy Cabinet Secretary Ken Skates described it as a great win and a huge boost for the creative industries sector in Wales.He said the event supports the sector strategy to attract high-end drama to Wales with a specific focus on the lucrative U.S. market and with the probability of repeat series. TNT is the American cable and satellite television channel owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner. The channel has ordered 10 episodes of the drama that tells the wild story of a young William Shakespeare. Shakespeare is played by newcomer Laurie Davidson. The series is scheduled to air on U.S. television in 2017. This is Special English.A couple tried to hide in a Shanghai IKEA store to live broadcast their late night adventure on Saturday, December 3. IKEA security discovered them and called the police.The police said the couple would be detained for several days.On Friday, the man announced his plans on Weibo, saying he would invite a lady to hide in an IKEA store for the night.The pair arrived at IKEA, hid in a cupboard and put out a live broadcast in the darkness. Later in the evening, a security guard discovered them and called the police.Police officers came soon afterwards and found another man with the couple. The three said they wanted to experience the childhood feeling of hiding in a cupboard and meant no harm.The live broadcaster apologized on Weibo the following day.Live web broadcasting is becoming increasingly popular in China. The authorities published a regulation on live streaming one month ago, urging providers to obtain qualifications and act according to rules.The regulations banned the use of live streams to undermine national security, destabilize society, disturb social order, infringe upon others&`& rights and interests, or disseminate obscene content.This is Special English.（全文见周六微信。）