Welcome to the Official Naija Trip Blog: March 2016

Thursday 10 March 2016

UNWTO activities at ITB Berlin 2016 to focus on the Silk Road and Child Protection

On the 50^th anniversary of ITB Berlin, UNWTO’s activities at the fair will focus on the development of the Silk Road and the World Tourism Network on Child Protection. ITB will take place on 9-13 March.

One of the major events organized by UNWTO at ITB Berlin will be the 6^th UNWTO Silk Road Ministers’ Meeting (9 March). The meeting brings together Ministers and high ranking officials from over 20 countries to discuss how public/private sector partnerships (PPPs) can contribute to advancing tourism on the Silk Road. The meeting will focus on the valuable role of PPPs in marketing and promotion, infrastructure development, heritage management, aviation, major events and risk and crisis management.

On the occasion, UNWTO will launch the Silk Road Action Plan 2016/2017. In addition, the 5^th UNWTO Silk Road Tour Operators’ Forum (10 March) will take place as a means to empower inbound Silk Road tour operators to better understand, engage and work with the international travel trade.

UNWTO will also hold the 31^st Meeting of the World Tourism Network on Child Protection (10 March), an initiative to prevent all forms of child and youth exploitation in the tourism sector. Under the chairmanship of Carol Bellamy, the Chair of the Network and former Executive Director of UNICEF, the meeting will focus on Responsible Business Strategies and Child Protection in Tourism,’ highlighting the good practices championed by the tourism industry. The event will feature interventions from ABTA, TUI Group, as well as the Chair of the High Level Global Task Force to End Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism Najat Maalla M’jid, who will share the results of the Global Study on the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism.

Additionally, the UNWTO Secretary-General will be a keynote speaker at the ITB Ministers' Roundtable: “Tourism in the 21st century: new business models in a digital world”, an event organized by the ITB Convention Programme in collaboration with UNWTO. The theme of this year’s roundtable will be the ‘Digitalization of economy and society’.

ITB 2016 will also be the stage for the launch of two UNWTO Affiliate Members Reports – the ‘Global Report on The Transformative Power of Tourism’ focusing on the role of socially and environmentally responsible practices in the sector, produced by UNWTO and the Institute for Tourism of Croatia; and the ‘Global Report on The Power of Youth Travel’, now in its second edition, developed incooperation with the World Youth Student and Educational Travel Confederation (WYSETC).

Finally, UNWTO has partnered with the International Trade Centre (ITC) to promote the Kayah State of Myanmar during ITB Berlin. Since 2014, ITC has been working with the Government of Myanmar on an inclusive tourism project aimed at supporting the local tourism sector through the development of cultural and eco-tourism products. UNWTO joins ITC and Myanmar to showcase the multiple benefits arising from this project by co-organizing a series of events throughout the fair including a press conference, a seminar and a number of business to business events.

6th UNWTO Silk Road Ministers' Meeting at ITB Berlin

Date

ITB Berlin, Messe Berlin
Berlin Room, Hall 7.3
Berlin
Germany

With the support of ITB Berlin, the 6^thUNWTO Silk Road Ministers’ Meeting took place on Wednesday, 9 March 2016. The topic of this edition was Achieving Sustainable Growth through Public-Private Partnerships.

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are integral for tourism, particularly when resources are limited and competition is strong. The importance of PPPs has been officially recognized in the Sustainable Development Goals, launched in 2015. Goal 17 outlines that the ‘experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships’ should be built upon to encourage and promote global partnerships for sustainable development.

The 6th UNWTO Silk Road Ministers’ Meetingbrought Ministers and high ranking officials together to share experiences and viewpoints on how PPPs can be most effectively implemented to achieve the objectives of the UNWTO Silk Road Action Plan. The meeting looked at the valuable role of PPPs in marketing and promotion, infrastructure, heritage management, aviation, major events and risk management, amongst other development imperatives.

Wednesday 9 March 2016

Qatar Airways reveals NDC ambition

Qatar Airways has confirmed plans to follow Lufthansa with a New Distribution Capability (NDC) platform.

The airline will partner with Farelogix to pilot the NDC channel, the airline’s chief executive Akbar Al-Baker announced at an Iata symposium in Hamburg.

No date for implementation or any details of fees has yet been disclosed.

Qatar Airways is the first to follow the German carrier in attempting to bring more of its distribution under its own control.

Lufthansa angered agents last September when it added a €16 surcharge to any bookings made outside its own channel via GDSs or other intermediaries.

Airlines argue that despite technological advances, GDSs still make it difficult for them to add on ancillary sales such as seat reservations. However, opponents of NDC say they are anti-competitive because they make fares not booked direct with the airline more expensive.

Tuesday 8 March 2016

Tourist ‘kills a swan by dragging it from the water for a selfie’ in Macedonia

The tourist is seen dragging the swan from the water. Just for common selfie or Selfishness.

Another name for selfie will be "Selfish" otherwise how do you explain this woman's action. She was snapped grabbing the bird by its wing before dragging it out of the lake in order to pose for photographs with the distressed bird.

The cruel tourist was pictured with the swan, on March 4, on the shoreline of Lake Ohrid, south-western Macedonia, posing with it before dumping it heartlessly on the ground.

Once the unidentified woman had her fun, she then left the winged creature to die alone on the beach.

Appalled witnesses spoke to local media about the event.

The poor animal struggles to get away from the witch I mean the woman.

They described how the swan did not respond to the woman approaching it, as the birds are used to tourists visiting the lake.

Despite the swan being clearly upset at being manhandled as it struggled against the woman’s grip, she did not let go.

Witnesses said the swan lay “motionless” on the beach after the incident before later dying.

This latest example of animal cruelty for the sake of a ‘selfie’ comes just weeks after a baby dolphin died after being passed around a Florida beach for photos.

Helpless Baby dolphin tossed around at the beach in Florida before it died. What cruelty all for Selfie sake. Why?

Two tourists were arrested for taking nude selfies at Machu Picchu in Peru

Machu Picchu in Peru has become a popular place where tourists try and take naked selfies of themselves, despite warnings from authorities

Briton-Adam-Burton-and-French-national-Eric-Xavier-Mariec.jpg — Ill advised: Briton Adam Burton and French national Eric Xavier Mariec were arrested for taking naked photos on Machu Picchu

A British tourist who stripped naked to pose for a photo at Machu Picchu in Peru has been arrested by local authorities.alongside his French counterpart.

There is a growing trend online for 'naked tourism' pictures - people daring to bare all in front of popular landmarks Culture Ministry guards alerted tourism police last Wednesday to the presence of two tourists in the agricultural area of the archaeological park taking nude selfies with a mobile phone.

Peruvian police arrested Frenchman Eric Xavier Mariec and Englishman Adam Burton, both still naked, and took them to the Machu Picchu police station, the state news agency Andina report. This is not the first time tourists have been arrested at the popular site, which has attracted other foreigners taking nude photos.

Authorities stepped up security in 2014 after nude photos and streaking became increasingly popular at the 15th-century citadel, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983.

The Decentralised Culture Directorate of Cuzco said that the Inca Road’s network of trails that lead to the ruins of Machu Picchu was reopened after the maintenance work was finished that had kept it closed during the month of February.

The route has been accessible since last Tuesday, when a group of tourists started their hike first thing in the morning after waiting for its reopening since the day before.

The visitors, including the two who were arrested, started their trek along the Inca Road network at Kilometre 82 of the railroad line connecting Cuzco with Machu Picchu.

The head of the Decentralised Culture Directorate of Cuzco, Daniel Maravi, said the road system is in excellent condition for visiting tourist.

Thursday 3 March 2016

World Wildlife Day: "The Future Of Wildlife is In Our Hands".

Since 2013, the United Nations has endorsed the 3RD of March every year as the World Wildlife Day. Each new year come with a different theme. This year's World widelife day theme is "THE FUTURE OF WILDLIFE IS IN OUR HANDS".
The primary focus of these year's theme is on the African and Asians Elephants. These awesome creatures are gradually been dragged into extinction as they are on the danger list. This is due to several factors which includes; habitat loss, farming , Civil war, illegal poaching, these are all caused as a result of human activities.

Our activities are slowly becoming a huge bane to the environment causing harm to animals in the wild.

Today is set aside to creat awareness for the preservation of Wildlife around the World.
The theme of the year has proven absolutely right, the future of this animals and plants are in our hands. Poaching is actually pushing this animals into the verge of extinction. This illegal wildlife trade is the main reason that thousands of this animsls are gragged into extinction according to the United Nations.
The demand for the parts of various species of wildlife are very high making it lucrative as animals are hunted down for their body parts.

In Nigeria and Africa, since the past four decades nearly 50% of our Wildlife have been wiped off because of several reasons such as poaching, farming, hunting, setting of traps to use of guns and Civil wars.

There is need for a massive campaign to enlighten the populace on the danger this illegal killing are causing to this animals a nd the economic benefits that we can enjoy from preserving them. They are huge tourism income earners..and they help us preserve out ecosystem. People come from all over the World to experience this animals in their natural habitats and they pay to see them.
To see the Mountain gorilla in Rwander cost from $100 to $200.

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In the whole of Nigeria, The shocking news is that we have just 100 gorillas left. This was revealed by the Country Director of Wildlife Conservstion Society (WCS). Mr. Andrew Dunni. He warned that if nothing was done quickly that number will be depleted. Cameroon has 200 gorillas in its forest reserve.

Cross River State is tackling its challenges strategically by providing alternative source of livelihood for locals who depend solely on the forest for their source of living.

It's Time we preserve rather than eat our God given natural heritage. The killings must stop. A lion that strayed out of the wildlife Reserve in Jos plateau State was rather Shot dead instead of been Captured alive and returned into it's habitat.

A lack of strict punishment and a not so strong law enforcement mechanism put in place is a major reason for the increase in the decline in our wildlife. It's Time we wake up. The world is waiting for us to package our unique and peculiar brand of tourism and endowment into money spinning product that will yield us huge commercial value.

Our children must be given the oppottunity to experience this beautiful creatures alive in their natural habitats and so must the World. These is Tourism. It preserves our environment and creates job for our youth. Reduced poverty and increases investment opportunitie, with it we make more friends and more money, while fostering peace accross states and regions.

Other endangered spicies in Africa includes; The African Penguin, The Elephant, The African Wild Ass, The Rino, Lion etc.

Finally, let us All start conserving our biodiversity on our prescious planet earth. Peace and Love. Remember The Future Of Wildlife is In Our Hands.

Happy Wildlife Day.