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Ideas PEOPLES
POLL RESULTS ON AIR TRAVEL Another question, "Is British Airways right to bow to political pressure and abandon its "ethnic art" tail fins in favour of a Union Jack design," reveals interesting results for British Airways executives - one in two (47%) of voters say yes. Some of the www.peoples-poll.co.uk questions take a more light-hearted approach. Peoples-poll shows that at least half the British have had enough of each other by the time they take a holiday abroad - 50% of respondents say they try and avoid other Britons on holiday! Hugh Bell, the brains behind www.peoples-poll.co.uk, is pleased that his website visitors respond as much to serious queries as they do to frivolous ones. "We know that people love to respond to questions about celebrities and the like, so that they'll have grist for the gossip mill," according to Bell. "But it's reassuring to see that so
many voters react vociferously to issues that impact their
lives and the lives of others." Results of many of those
substantive surveys that touch health, politics, and
breaking news, among others, are forwarded to
decision-makers for their consideration. And it is not
unheard of for them to actually take into account what
respondents to The People's Poll have to say. Hugh Bell
feels the sharing of results with movers and shakers is one
of the most attractive features of his online polls. "Voters
can be assured that what they say and how they feel really
do count. And if that sounds like fantasy, just consult some
MPs who'll set you straight." Barnes
to Manage Indonesia's Tasik Ria
Resort U.S. Air
Traffic Control Poorly
Coordinated? For the Front Door to Africa visit: http://www.africa-ata.org Australian
Hotel Fills Spare Rooms With Online
Auctions. LAS VEGAS PLAYS HOST TO PATA: Top travel planners from the Pacific Asia region will meet with suppliers from throughout the Americas from September 19-23 at the 14th Annual PATA-VUSAMART in Las Vegas, Nevada. This will mark the third time that Las Vegas has hosted the event. Renowned as the single most popular destination for travellers from Japan and Pacific Asia, Las Vegas attracted nearly 800,000 travellers from Asia last year and expects to see the numbers rise this year. http://www.pata.org dian
based travel giant: MAGICAL
HOLIDAYS 2AFRIKA - SOUTHERN AFRICA DIVISION SOUTH AFRICA HOLDS GREAT POTENTIAL: PATA's South Africa Sales Mission (August 22-September 3, 1999) will take participating PATA members to 10 South African cities including Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, and emerging markets such as Helderberg, Somerset West, Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein. Participants will gain product exposure, make key outbound contacts and collect market intelligence. Contact Ms. Goon Yoke Ching, Director-South Asia. Fax: (65) 225-6842. E-mail: yokeching@pata.com.sg. Accor expands worldwide leadership in the economy lodging and presence in U.S. Market: Accor and Red Roof Inns, jointly announced that Accor plans to launch a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of economy lodging company Red Roof Inns, Inc. at a price of $22.75 per share. The total value of the transaction, including assumption of debt, is slightly more than $1.1 Billion. Americans Travelers visiting Kenya: In an effort to boost tourism, Kenya has lifted VISA requirements for US citizens visiting Kenya for 30 days or less. Visa requirements are also lifted for those from Canada, Japan, Austral, New Zealand and several European countries. Safety concerns kept visitors away after the bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi . Also some travelers avoided the region after eight foreign tourists were killed in a safari park in neighboring Uganda. For information contact Kenya's National Tourism Office in New York. Saudi Arabia opens to Tourism: Africa's Northern neighbor, Saudi Arabia is rich in historic sites and desert atmosphere but it has never welcomed Western tourists - until now. The oil-rich desert kingdom has recently opened its doors to upscale travel groups, including tours sponsored by Harvard and Stanford universities' alumni organizations and now it's the Smithsonian Associates. The museum-affiliated group already has sold out a fall trip but another one will depart Jan. 13, 2000, and a third departure is under consideration for October 2000. Travelers will be required to follow the country's strict laws and customs. Visitors will have to cover all but their hands and faces and women will have to wear aboyas, the traditional black floor-length robes. The trip will visit Madain Salih, an archaeological site said to resemble - and rival - Petra in nearby Jordan. The group also will tour the capital city of Riyadh; Dhahra, where oil was first discovered in 1938; and Jeddah, the birthplace of Mohammed and gateway to Mecca, which is off-limits to non-muslims. The 14-day trip leaves from New York's JFK airport and costs $7,150 US, including air, accommodations, meals and visa. Info" 202-357-4700. Kiss bow or Shake Hands? Some general guidelines on greeting and terms of address. An excerpt from Swissair Gazette In-flight Magazine. Physical greetings: Businessmen in the United States and Britain rarely have to endure a kiss on each cheek from another man. Even in countries where such greetings are common (Italy and Russia, for example), A kiss is generally reserved for relatives or good friends. A foreign businessman will have to do a lot of relationship-building to reach the point at which he is greeted with a kiss. When this happen, the easiest thing to do is to stay still and let kiss-initiation person move his head. Otherwise your noses may collide! In Asia, Westerners rarely master all the intricacies of a bow. The basics usually suffice: bow from the waist, and the person with the lower status bows more deeply. When greeting Westerners. Many Asians follow a bow with a handshake. As any politician can attest, strong handshakes can hurt. North Americans and Australians should moderate their strong handshakes overseas. Many Asians who do shake hands actually perform a hand-clasp, with no pressure and very little pumping. To give emphasis to a handshake, it is permissible for each person to place their left hand over their clasped hands. Forms of Address: There are very few countries in which business people address each other by first names after a short time. In Germany and Switzerland, for example, even long standing business partners may choose to address each other by their surnames. North Americans commonly use their first names, and are notorious for losing credibility by using first names overseas. Degree of politeness: Some Asian languages have several degrees of politeness. To know which level to use, Asians need to know their counterpart's standing in society. Hence they often ask very personal questions of foreigners, such as how much they earn or how many employees they supervise, to determine the level of politeness required. If you find such questions too personal, simply decline the answer, or say that it is not something that is usually discussed in your culture. |