World News

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Jamaica has been elected to serve on the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Executive Council for 2023-2027 alongside Colombia. The decision was made during the 68th UNWTO Commission for the Americas Meeting (CAM) currently underway in Quito, Ecuador.

In celebrating the achievement, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett said: “Jamaica has been among the top-performing countries in the Americas leading a robust recovery in travel and tourism.

The state of Nayarit is in the mood to celebrate. Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) held a press conference in Mexico City where Nayarit State’s Minister of Tourism, Juan Enrique Suárez del Real Tostado, was presented five new Pueblos Magicos, or ‘Magical Towns,’ designations for the Pacific Coast destination, including the towns of San Blas, Ahuacatlán, Amatlán de Cañas,Ixtlán del Río and Puerto Balleto.

The Middle East’s largest and first full immersion wellness destination, Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, is providing an unmissable opportunity for families and groups of friends to enjoy a wellbeing escape like no other,  by offering an additional complimentary room for two children under 16, with any two adults booking until 31 August 2023 in its family Zulal Discovery resort.

On the eve of the historic 175th anniversary of Emancipation in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), set for today (Monday, July 3), Chair of the Commemoration Committee, Carol Burke, is urging Virgin Islanders to recognise the historical significance of this milestone and to “capture a better-defined future for ourselves.”

Burke, a community leader and former Virgin Islands senator, expressed her enthusiasm for the overwhelming momentum and widespread interest generated in the planning and preparation for today's landmark holiday. She noted that the significance of the Emancipation Commemoration has resonated not only locally but also regionally and nationally, demonstrating the profound impact and historical importance of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Freshippo, Alibaba Group's digital intelligence-powered new retail company, announced the same-day opening of 12 new stores in 8 cities across Mainland China, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

The seven newly opened Freshippo stores are adopting the latest store image, which will offer a wider variety of products, a broader delivery area, a spacious shopping environment, and an enhanced service experience to better meet customer needs. All new stores will have diverse sales channels and product categories to more effectively cater to each customer's needs regardless of whether they are in commercial or residential areas.

The parish of St. Thomas is set to experience a rapid transformation of its tourism product with the surge of new developments on the way. Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett reinforced this while addressing residents in Hillside during the recently concluded island-wide Destination Assurance tour.

He stressed that once key pieces of infrastructure like the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP) and the new Morant Bay Urban Centre are in place, investments will begin to flow into the eastern parish.

Stockholm Wood City, the world’s largest urban construction project in wood, has been announced in Sweden. Set to commence in 2025, the first buildings are scheduled to be completed by 2027. Encompassing an impressive area of over 60 acres, Stockholm Wood City will offer 7,000 office spaces and 2,000 homes in Sickla, located in the southern parts of the capital city of Stockholm.

Hookie Weekend, the premier Caribbean summer spectacular in the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia area (DMV) brought together music, culture, and unforgettable experiences at the recently concluded weekend of festivities. The events brought together a diverse community of music enthusiasts, artistes, creatives, and industry leaders who descended upon the Washington DC Metro Area for a weekend filled with celebration, connection, and pure bliss.

A court in India has expanded the rights of women homemakers over their husband's property, which has been hailed as a positive sign by women's rights advocates, after the Madras high court passed a verdict in a domestic dispute case that allowed a housewife equal share in her husband's property.

It is said to be the first time an Indian court has formally recognised the contribution of a housewife to the husband's income. They, however, point out that the verdict is not binding on other states unless the country's Supreme Court rules along similar lines in future.

The Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL) led World Sea Turtle Day 2023 celebrations in Tobago, promoting conservation and responsible tourism through a one-day expo at the Scarborough Library.

The island of Tobago is inhabited by the most sea turtles in the Caribbean, home to five different species – many of them critically endangered – including the Leatherback, Hawksbill, and Green turtle. TTAL, together with the Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation, and fellow members of the National Sea Turtle Task Force - Save Our Sea Turtles (SOS) - hosted the first event of its kind observing World Sea Turtle Day in Tobago, joining the rest of the world in honouring and highlighting the importance of sea turtles

The registry of St Kitts and Nevis is deregistering all tankers flagged with Gatik Ship Management, after a confidential review into the biggest dark fleet shipowner that is key to Russian export oil trades.

The UK-incorporated registry flagged at least 36 tankers owned by Gatik, the mysterious Dubai-based shipowner at the forefront of shipping Russian crude and refined products that has built up a 50-tanker fleet worth $1.5bn from scratch in less than 18 months. But in legal correspondence cited by Lloyd’s List, the Saint Christopher and Nevis International Ship Registry said it was deregistering all Gatik vessels, without providing the number involved.

Webb Fontaine, one of the leading providers of AI-powered trade technology and Customs facilitation solutions to governments and trade administrations around the world, is pleased to announce that its Single Window and Risk Management solution has been selected by the Bangladesh National Board of Revenue to enhance trade facilitation processes.

The contract, spanning three years, encompasses the implementation, maintenance, and support of the project. Webb Fontaine's expertise in trade facilitation, combined with its cutting-edge technology solutions, will play a pivotal role in streamlining trade operations in Bangladesh.

Julia Simpson, CEO of WTTC, and Zurab Pololikashvil, Secretary General of the UNWTO, proudly showed a document folder last week with an MOU taking credit for bringing the public and private travel and tourism industry together. This MOU was signed on the sideline of the G20 Ministerial meeting in Goa, India.

The MOU only showed the UNWTO logo, and there may be a reason for this. It appears this was a publicity stand to steal credit from the hard work of former UNWTO Secretary General Dr. Taleb Rifai and David Scowsill, the former CEO of WTTC, in 2016/2017. In 2016 and 2017

Through the innovative Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) online platform, facilitated by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), small farmers across Jamaica have been directly connected to buyers in the tourism industry, which has earned them over $300 million in revenue as of May 2023. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett made the announcement in his 2023 Sectoral Debate closing presentation earlier this week.

On farms and college campuses, across cities and along roadways, people in the United States are planting to attract pollinators and create habitats where they can fully thrive. Pollinators are more than just the humble honeybee — other insects, such as native bees, beetles, flies, moths and butterflies also pollinate plants, as do birds and small mammals such as bats.

They are vital to our global ecosystem, especially when it comes to agricultural production.

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