“The US travel industry is about to get its first-ever national tourism board, funded in part by a new US$10 fee on foreign travellers who do not need to pay for a visa to enter the United States. That money, along with private sector funding, will be used to fund the new board which will develop international advertising campaigns. The US hopes the new initiative will attract an additional 1.6 million additional visitors and create more than $4 billion in consumer spending annually.” says New Zealand’s Tourism Industry Association. Detail. Read the rest of this entry »
Brand USA
March 4th, 2010
Fish
February 27th, 2010
“A documentary film based on Charles Clover’s book The End of the Line opens in New Zealand today after an influential run in Britain. The British food-shop chain Pret a Manger ditched tuna sandwiches and several high-end restaurants changed their fish-buying policies after it screened”, says Eloise Gibson in the Herald. Read the rest of this entry »
Tuvalu
February 23rd, 2010
Coconut trees fall onto the beach as rising sea levels erode their bases on Tuvalu
Tuvalu’s 1st edition of its “Cultural King Tides festival” – Tuvalu ! The Tide is High! – will take place during the next king tides, the highest tides of the year, from Feb 26th to March 1st, when most of the capital island is submerged by sea water coming through the ground. The remote and sparsely populated archipelago of Tuvalu is a microcosm of the environmental issues we all face. It is also the first sovereign nation faced with becoming uninhabitable due to climate change. During 3 days, traditional competitions and demonstrations will show some aspects of Tuvaluan Culture through sports, handicrafts, dancing, singing, food and Tuvalu’s unique talent in improvised story-telling and dramas. Parallel activities on climate causes, consequences and solutions will target both children and adults, focusing on what we all can do to try to turn the tide. says ConnectMe Fiji. Read the rest of this entry »