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Mexico seeking visitors as US government issues warnings

The US widened its travel warnings at the same time Mexico is mounting new efforts to lure visitors.

The Mexican Tourism Board is spending millions on ads to promote tourism. This is the “year of tourism,” proclaims Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

The US’s warnings have had some impact.

Nearly half of all available rooms in 70 major resort centers in Mexico have been vacant this year, except for the Easter crowd that nearly filled the hotels for a few days over the holiday weekend, according to the tourism board.

Just before Easter, the US State Department added four Mexican states to its list of areas to avoid. It now urges US travelers — the bulk of Mexico's tourist economy — to steer clear of all or parts of 10 Mexican states, including most of the border region and popular vacation sites such as Acapulco.

"What's disconcerting is that these advisories are painting an entire country with a broad brush," Terry Denton, president of a Texas, branch of the Travel Leaders agency, told the LA Times. "It just reinforces the unfortunate impression that all of Mexico is not a safe destination."

Some US travel agents and Mexican officials believe news about the violence has been overblown.

In Acapulco, the occupancy rate at major resorts slid 7 percentage points to 38.4 percent last year from 2008. In that period, Cancun's rate tumbled to 57.4 percent from 72.1 percent, according to the Mexico Tourism Board. Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Maya have seen similar declines.

Last year, about three-quarters of the 9.9 million visitors arriving on airlines came from the United States or Canada.

Tourism traditionally has provided Mexico its third largest source of revenue.

As drug-related lawlessness escalated last year, 111 Americans were killed in Mexico, compared with just 35 in 2007, authorities said. Others have been kidnapped from hotels, carjacked at gunpoint and targeted for extortion.

The State Department has urged travelers to avoid the states of Tamaulipas and Michoacan and parts of Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi and Jalisco.

But most areas, Mexico tourism officials said, are safe.

"This episode of violence has been concentrated in very specific pockets of the country," said Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, chief operating officer of the Mexico Tourism Board. "You're not going to stop going to New York because there's an incident in Dallas."

By David Wilkening

Ash Cloud: Half-term holiday fears as dozens of flights are cancelled

British Airways last night cancelled all flights between London and Scotland until 2pm today.

Between 30 and 40 BA flights will be affected from airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and London City to and from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. The airline runs 80 flights a day between these airports.

Royal Dutch Airlines KLM cancelled the 16 flights scheduled for this morning to and from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle.

The airlines said customers on any cancelled flights will be able to claim a full refund or rebook on to alternative flights – and that all other flights will operate as scheduled.

A BA spokesman said: ‘We would urge customers not to travel to the airport if their flight has been cancelled.’

At least 36 flights were cancelled in Scotland last night and today, as airports across Britain were put on stand-by for imminent disruption.

Easy Jet, Aer Lingus, Flybe, KLM, Logan Air and Eastern Airways have all cancelled flights to and from Scotland.

Ryan Air has been ordered by the Irish Aviation Authority to cancel flights to and from Glasgow, Prestwick, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

Easy Jet said today it had cancelled flights to and from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen between 5am and 1pm today.

In a statement, the airline said: 'The CAA and the Met Office's Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre are predicting that it is likely that there will be a high density ash cloud over Scotland from this morning.

'As a result of this the Civil Aviation Authority has declared a temporary danger area over Scotland from 01.00 to 13.00 hours.

'In light of this information, Easy Jet has cancelled flights to and from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen, operating between 05.00 hours and 13.00 hours.

'We therefore strongly advise that all passengers check the status of their flight at easyJet.com before travelling to the airport.

'For cancelled flights, easyJet offers its passengers the option of transferring their flight free of charge or a refund on the internet.

'While the circumstances are outside of the airline's control, easyJet apologises for any inconvenience caused and would like to reassure passengers that we are doing everything possible to minimise the disruption.'

By noon today, the Met Office forecasts that the cloud will have swept south, covering most of England and Wales with low concentrations of ash. Medium concentrations of ash – the level where aircraft need permission to fly from the CAA – may affect Newcastle airport.

But as a string of carriers announced cancellations, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said Britons 'have got to learn' to live with chaos caused by volcanic activity in Iceland.

'My understanding is that we have gone through an unusually quiet period for volcanic eruptions in Iceland over the last 20-odd years and we are moving into a period when there is likely to be significantly more volcanic activity,' he told the BBC.

'So this is clearly something we have got to learn to plan around. We have got to learn to live with it.'

But he insisted there were now 'much more robust systems' to 'minimise the disruptive effect'.

Since last year's eruption, the authorities have gained a 'much better understanding' of the risk from ash clouds and are able to assess the thickness of different patches as well as the possibility of flying over or below a cloud, he said.

'Most importantly, the basic situation now is that the threshold for most aircraft is 20 times where it was last year. We have got from 200 microgrammes per cubic metre to 4,000 microgrammes per cubic metre as the threshold up to which most aircraft can fly.

'What we can't promise is that there won't be disruption when there is a major natural event like this.'

However, he insisted the airlines were 'making the decisions'.

'They have looked at the projections for tomorrow and said `This is not something we can fly in'.

'If they wanted to make a safety case to fly in the conditions that are modelled for tomorrow, they would have to put forward a safety case to the CAA that would then consider it.'

By David Derbyshire and Ray Massey

Source and more information:

Mock website for Brisbane restaurant in worst possible taste

WELL-KNOWN Queensland restaurateur John Kilroy, whose company Boutique Venues runs some high-profile eateries in Brisbane and the Northern Territory, has gone to the police about an online smear campaign against him and his restaurant Cha Cha Char.

An elaborate mock website for "Cha Cha Chuck Wine Bar & Grill" went viral last week with graphic images and a lot of defamatory text. However, according to Boutique's general manager Chris Higgins, police believe the site breaches identity theft laws and is therefore a crime, written as it is in a manner that purports to be the "voice" of Kilroy. "It's fairly childish bordering on demented," says Higgins, who believes he knows who is responsible. He claims the smear campaign has its origins in a personal dispute. However, he says Queensland Police's cyber crime unit is investigating the prank via a US-based web host, Go Daddy.

THINGS are looking rosy for Melbourne chef Philippa Sibley, who has a new book and a new gig to celebrate. Sibley will join two veterans of the hospitality industry, Stuart Brookshaw and Ruth Giffney, at a new Brunswick venture later this year as executive chef. Although best known as a desserts specialist (the subject of her forthcoming book, PS Desserts), Sibley will be across all aspects of food at Albert St Food & Wine when it opens in November. It will be a bar, restaurant, cafe and produce store. "It's going to be a really good year," says Sibley, who has been temping at Melbourne Wine Room recently.

CHEF Damien Pignolet will stay on as a consultant to Sydney's Bistro Moncur when the famous Woollahra Hotel changes hands on July 4. Pignolet and his business partners put the hotel's freehold on the market earlier this year to refinance debts. Agent Mike Wheatley, of Knight Frank, confirms the price was more than $16 million. The purchaser is John Ryan who already operates, with family company Ryans Hotels, seven bars and pubs including the Ship Inn and Ryan's Bar. According to Wheatley, Ryan - a good friend of restaurateur Guillaume Brahimi - plans to better exploit the hotel's upstairs terrace. It's understood Ryan is keen to involve Brahimi.

THE Misschu juggernaut rolls on with news of more outlets planned for Sydney. The diminutive, self-styled queen of rice paper rolls has a handshake deal to go into a Surry Hills pub that's about to change hands. The pub is on the radar of Sydney property investor Greg McGree, who already owns several hospitality venues, including the premises diners know as Porteno. The third Misschu outlet, a flash new site in Bondi nearby Sonoma bakery and the forthcoming La Macelleria meat shop, is due to open in July.

FOR those of us who missed the Sydney Writers Festival's session with Adrian Gill and Anthony Bourdain, moderated by Tony Bilson, the ABC has kindly made it available as a stream or download. Mildly entertaining.

SYDNEY restaurateur Luke Mangan (Glass Brasserie) is looking for a site to set up a wine bar. "Just something small, casual, maybe with a bit of a Spanish feel. The sort of place I'd feel comfortable sitting at the bar having a glass of wine and a snack. We won't be looking for chef's hats, if you know what I mean." Mangan confirms he's looked at the recently closed Tabou site but says it is too big. Paddington, Surry Hills and Darlinghurst are the targeted suburbs.

MELBOURNE openings of note roll on. Last week it was St Katherine's, the latest venture from the Press Club Group (George Calombaris) with Maha's Shane Delia taking a leading role. Operations partner George Sykiotis says it's the project of which he is most proud thus far. This week it's Chin Chin, Chris Lucas's modern Thai restaurant in the CBD's Flinders Lane. Early word on the food of chef Andrew Gimber (ex-Jimmy Liks, Sydney) is very encouraging. They swing open the doors Thursday.

By: John Lethlean and Necia Wilden

Source: The Australian

Justin Bieber's romantic vacation with Selena

FRESH from winning six awards at the recent Billboard Music Awards, Justin Bieber wasted no time to bring his ladylove Selena Gomez to Maui, Hawaii for a romantic vacation.

The teenage stars made time for each other out of their tight schedules, as they were seen holding hands when they passed through the airport and hopped into a car that led them to their escapade on Monday.

Once they were in a luxury resort resting spot, Bieber traded his casual attire for a pair of swim trunks, matching it with a pair of white-frame shades. Gomez was seen rocking a bright pink bikini top and a denim miniskirt.

The Billboard's Top New Artist winner, who collaborated with Usher and Kanye West in the past, recently expressed his wish of working with another heavyweight in the music industry.

By:

Source: The Straits Times

London: Choice Hotels rewards loyal customers with free night’s stay

Choice Hotels International, the global hotel group behind the Comfort, Quality and Clarion brands, has launched a promotion enabling members of Choice Privileges, the company’s award-winning rewards program, to earn a free night’s stay at one of more than 200 of its European hotels.

From May 19 until August 11, 2011 when a Choice Privileges member stays two separate times at a Choice Hotels property they will earn enough points to redeem for a free night at over 200 participating hotels in Europe between September 16 and November 30, including spa hotels in the South of France, rustic Italian retreats, and UK hotels such as the Quality Inn Plymouth, Quality Hotel Coventry, Comfort Inn King’s Cross, Comfort Hotel St. Albans, Birmingham Hotels and Comfort Inn Hyde Park in London, UK.

Source: Choice Hotels

Spain: British woman raped in Benalmadena hotel

A BRITISH woman who was on holiday with her husband in the resort of Benalmadena has allegedly been gassed and raped inside her hotel room. Some sort of gas was pumped into the roof-top room in the Hotel Siroco where the mother-of-two, 56, was assaulted, said her husband.

The sex attacker struck as the Greater Manchester couple were nearing the end of their holiday on the Costa del Sol.

Apparently the attacker fled the hotel room naked when the couple woke up. The husband also claimed he escaped with a large amount of money.

'I think he somehow gassed us and then came in. My wife woke me screaming my name at around 4am and I realised someone was in the room with her,' the 55-year-old man told the Sun.

A National Police spokesperson confirmed they were investigating the alleged attack and said that so far no one had been arrested in connection with the incident.

A Foreign Office spokesman said it had not received a report of the attack

The Lesson We Should Really Take From the DSK-Sofitel Story

Image via Wikipedia

The allegations against IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn for sexually assaulting and attempting to rape a Hotel Sofitel housekeeper are a reminder of the serious need for corporations to have policies regarding violence in the workplace.

It is unclear whether the Sofitel Hotel franchise, or its parent corporation Accor, had such a policy in effect. Sofitel has made no statements asserting that they have such a policy. Media reports have told us that when the housekeeper escaped Strauss-Kahn's room she told several hotel employees and managers of the attack, and that the Sofitel management then called the police to report the allegations.

However, in an exclusive report from Reuters, it appears that the Sofitel management waited an hour from the time the housekeeper reported the attack before calling the police. The Reuters report doesn't clarify what this wait was for... to calm the victim or to deliberate calling the authorities as this French hotel would be reporting an alleged crime by a well-known French political figure.

Whatever the reason for the hour delay, if a well-defined and commonly known company policy on workplace violence were in place prior to the alleged attack, the victim would have known exactly who to approach and the authorities would have been notified immediately.

Workplace violence policies, also known as domestic violence policies, are critical components of well-managed corporations. As an expert in international violence against women and as a PhD in Industrial Organization Psychology, I have spent two decades working tirelessly to educate employers on having and effectively implementing these policies.

The international media focus on the alleged sexual assault and attempted rape by Dominique Strauss-Kahn at a New York City Sofitel Hotel must be viewed as an opportunity to also focus on the importance of workplace domestic violence policies.

Violence in the workplace is widespread and comes in many forms -- it can be violence committed against a woman by her intimate partner, by a co-worker, or as alleged in this case, by a customer, a complete stranger to her. In any circumstance, a detailed and public workplace violence policy should be in place to address the crisis when it happens.

Workplace violence/domestic violence policies should articulate the many components that employers and employees must deal with when a violent situation arises. They should combine protocols and clearly define actions for security staff, management, co-workers, and even the victims to take. They should make clear the steps that must be taken in the event of an alleged instance of violence, and they must also serve to prevent such violence from happening in the first place. And more, they must clearly define responses such as contacting the proper law enforcement authorities, and making statements to the public and media.

In the United States alone, violence in the workplace and domestic violence costs corporations nearly $1 billion dollars per year. When an employee is abused sexually or physically on the job, it can lead to legal liabilities, damage to the company's public image, bad press, revenue loss and the loss of valued employees. Workplace domestic violence policies can and do prevent many of these negative outcomes.

Beyond this, and more importantly, policies and procedures for addressing violence in the workplace protects victims and their livelihoods. The last thing a victim of workplace violence needs is to be afraid to report the crime to her superiors because she thinks she won't be believed or that she will lose her job. The existence of a company policy on workplace violence and domestic violence -- a policy that is made known to everyone in the company -- can and does allow victims to safely come forward with their allegations.

Such policies not only account for the procedures that must be followed within the workplace, they also account for the kind of support system a victim will need outside of work, they have established partnerships with local advocacy groups that can connect victims with psychological and medical help, counseling for herself and her family, and other personal needs that arise from being the victim of a violent crime. Good policies also protect the privacy of victims, and ensure her rights to draw on disability leave pay until she can return to her job.

The bottom line is that workplace domestic violence policies benefit both the company and the victim. And the lack of such a policy will undoubtedly hurt both the company and the victim.

The Hotel Sofitel/Strauss-Kahn case must serve a higher purpose than journalistic sensationalism, it must serve to remind all corporations of the need to develop and effectively implement workplace domestic violence policies.

By: Ludy Green Ph.D.

Source: Huffingtonpost

Volcanic Ash From Icelandic Eruption May Reach U.K. Tonight

An Icelandic volcanic eruption that began May 21 under Europe's largest glacier could threaten air traffic with ash reaching the U.K. as early as tonight.

Predictive charts from the U.K. Met Office's Volcanic Ash Advisory Center show ash from the Grimsvotn volcano beneath the Vatnajokull icecap stretching south over most of Scotland as of early morning tomorrow, mainly at lower altitudes.

"The ash plume has been coming down a bit but the fact that the cloud is getting a little lower doesn't indicate that the eruption is slowing," said Elin Jonasdottir, meteorologist with Iceland's Met Office, by phone. "Our measurements show that the eruption has been rather stable since yesterday."

Eurocontrol, which oversees European air traffic, said in a statement there had been "no significant impact" today. The group has convened the European Aviation Crisis Coordination Cell, established after a volcanic eruption in Iceland last year shut air traffic for six days and grounded 100,000 flights.

This week's eruption has so far led to the closing of Iceland's main airport in Keflavik. Icelandair Group hf, which canceled all European flights today, said in a statement that based on new ash forecasts the airport will reopen tonight and that its flights will be back on schedule tomorrow.

Norway, Greenland

Avinor, which operates Norwegian airports, said today that ash is expected to enter the Nordic country's airspace in the "afternoon" and that it may have to close air traffic between the mainland and the Svalbard islands from 8 p.m.

Air Greenland canceled a flight from Copenhagen to its home market and suspended ticket sales to at least May 27, the company said in a statement. Danish authorities, which administer Greenland airspace, have restricted flights in the eastern part of the Arctic island.

Last year, an eruption beneath the Eyjafjallajokull glacier on April 14, closed European airspace for six days, grounding flights at a cost of $1.7 billion, the International Air Transport Association estimated. Iceland, with a population of about 320,000, is one of the world's most volcanically and geologically active countries with frequent eruptions.

The Bloomberg World Airlines index, which comprises 31 carriers, fell 2.9 percent to 77.11 points as of 11:14 a.m. London time.

Less Strict

Limits on flying this time may mirror the looser restrictions imposed toward the end of last year's eruption. Airspace and runway closures were gradually eased after airlines complained that measures were too strict, with the level of dust through which aircraft could fly increased twice.

The U.K. Civil Aviation Authority has revised its policies since last year. Airlines will be allowed to fly in ash density of two grams or less per 10 cubic meters of air. Airlines will also be allowed to fly where the density measures between two and four grams per 10 cubic meters, provided they prove that their planes can safely cope with that amount. At levels above 4 grams all airplanes are still banned from flying.

"Our number one priority is to ensure the safety of people both onboard aircraft and on the ground," Andrew Haines, chief executive of the CAA, said in a statement. "We can't rule out disruption, but the new arrangements that have been put in place since last year's ash cloud mean the aviation sector is better prepared and will help to reduce any disruption in the event that volcanic ash affects U.K. airspace."

German Call

Germany's Transport Ministry today imposed rules regulating the conditions under which planes are allowed to fly when the airspace is contaminated with ash. While there is "no danger at present" to flights in Germany's airspace from volcanic ash emanating from Iceland, the ministry said that "binding rules" have to be set in ash endangers air traffic.

Flights will be allowed under certain conditions up to a contamination of 2 milligrams per cubic meter and banned "in general" above that level, it said.

The height of the ash plume from the eruption diminished to 10 kilometers (6.3 miles) from 20 kilometers on May 21, according to Iceland's Met Office. Meteorologists are using a new weather radar system to monitor the development.

Saturday's eruption began at about 6 p.m., about 220 kilometers southeast of Reykjavik. The volcano's latest venting ended in 2004. Grimsvotn and Eyjafjallajokull are about 150 kilometers apart.

Ash covered small towns on Iceland's southeast cost immediately following the eruption. Last night a dark cloud of ash reached Reykjavik, prompting city officials to warn people with asthma or other breathing disorders against going outside.

Source:: San Francisco Chronicle

Joseph Brooks, 'You Light Up My Life' Songwriter, Found Dead in Apparent Suicide

Joseph Brooks, the Oscar-winning songwriter awaiting trial on sex crime charges, was found dead Sunday of an apparent suicide in his New York City apartment, police say. The 'You Light Up My Life' songwriter, 73, pleaded not guilty to rape, sexual abuse and other charges in 2009.

A police spokesman told reporters that at around 12:30 p.m., a friend found Brooks at his home with a plastic dry-cleaning bag around his head and a towel wrapped around his neck. A helium tank was nearby with a tube connecting it with the bag.

The friend, whose name has not been released, was at the Upper East Side apartment because the two had planned a lunch. The rep, Paul Browne, said an autopsy must be conducted before a cause of death can be determined.
A suicide note was found but its contents have not been revealed.

The composer (most famous for his 1977 Debby Boone hit 'You Light Up My Life,' which won an Academy Award and a Grammy) was charged in 2009 with 82 counts of sexual assault, and is currently awaiting trial. Brooks allegedly solicited "auditions" from starlets on the internet, doped victims with date-rape drugs and assaulted them.

His trial date had not been set and his lawyer and prosecutors have not commented on his death.

In another sad twist, Brooks' son Nicholas was arrested last year on murder charges in the death of 33-year-old Sylvie Cachay -- the swimwear designer he was dating until they broke up not long before. He is awaiting trial.

Expect a VAT reduction by 2014, says expert

The UK hospitality industry could see a targeted VAT cut by April 2014, according to restaurateur and hospitality expert Jacques Borel.

The man behind the 5.5 per cent VAT reduction in French pubs and restaurants spoke at a recent MA250 conference for multi-site pub operators and claimed the UK could see a cut in the pre-Budget report in October 2013, with the move implemented by 7 April 2014.

The move, he told delegates at the conference held by BigHospitality's sister publication The Publican's Morning Advertiser, would create between 140,000 and 320,000 jobs for the hospitality industry.

However he stressed the VAT cut, which would come as a welcome relief for many hospitality operators, would only happen if the industry pulled together to lobby the government before the next general election is called.

“If you’re going to start working on lobbying in two years (when the next general election is held), that’s too late. To succeed you must have three conditions: Time, money and expertise.”

Borel has erected a roundtable of leading hospitality figures and associations, including the British Hospitality Association (BHA), British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) and Visit Britain, which will provide guidance, support and funding for him to lobby ministers.

He estimates the entire cost of lobbying the government will cost £3m.

Lobbying

While the Publican's Morning Advertiser editor Paul Charity urged other restaurant, hotel and pub operators to begin making the case for a targeted lower VAT rate to their local MPs, Borel added that those lobbying for their own cause alone are making “a big mistake”.

“You must fight for everything,” Borel said. “There are people who say you must not fight for beer because beer is very bad. That’s a mistake. You must fight for everything. You must fight for hotel accommodation, beer, and restaurants. After one or two years then we shall see what’s sellable, but when you start a negotiation you should never give up anything.

“If you want to win you should not visit ministers - it is a waste of time. You have to visit the assistants to the ministers, you have to visit 10 people for each one, and convince those 10 people.”

His remarks were supported by Tim Martin, chief executive of JD Wetherspoon, who has also spoken out against the high levels of tax for the hospitality industry.

He said those industry members who have been lobbying for minimum alcohol pricing in the off-trade should turn their attention to Borel’s argument instead.

“A lot of people in the pub industry have been preoccupied with the role of supermarkets in the fact that they sell cheap beer, and they feel frustrated by that,” he said. “But I feel the main thing is that supermarkets pay no VAT on food. If we’re going to attract people into pubs where we pay 20 per cent on our fish and chips compared to nothing in the supermarkets, that’s the thing to target. We’ve been shooting the wrong fox.

“Back Jacques. Don’t think that we know better; this is a guy who’s done it in lots of other countries and it makes sense to follow his lead. Back the winner.”

Irish example

Borel’s speech came just as Ireland announced a 4.5 per cent VAT cut from 13.5 per cent to 9 per cent for good and services related to the tourism sector, including accommodation, restaurants and catering services.

At the time Michael Noonan, Irish minister for finance, said: “The purpose of this targeted VAT relief is to boost tourism and stimulate employment.”

A spokesperson for the BHA added: “We are concerned about the level of VAT for hotel accommodation and meals out of home as almost every other EU country has a lower rate of tax for these items than Britain, which makes us very uncompetitive. We are currently gathering evidence and marshalling our arguments for a lobbying campaign which we shall launch shortly and which is likely to take several years.”

By:: Becky Paskin

Source:: Bighospitality