http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/MedicalTourism_road.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 06:34:08 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/special-tourism-zones-get-major-backing-from-goas-music-lovers-101249-1.htm The state government's decision to lobby for special tourism zones (STZ) to allow enthusiasts to party till the wee hours has received backing from musicians and music aficionados in Goa. According to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, his office was lobbying with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to create these STZs in non-populated areas where central sound pollution norms, which ban loud music beyond 10.30 p.m., could be bypassed. 'I honestly think it is a good move. Goa has been losing quality ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/special-tourism-zones-get-major-backing-from-goas-music-lovers-101249-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/medical-tourism-soaring-high-101131-1.htm The rewarding market in medical tourism is on the rise; right from liposuction in Athens to an eye operation in Dubaitempting more and more countries look for ways to profit from foreign patient care. "Everyone wants their share of the pie," Sanjiv Malik, director of DM Healthcare, a Dubai-based network of hospitals, said at a recent conference on medical tourism attended by more than 300 professionals here. The "pie" is getting bigger. Nearly three million patients go abroad for medical treatment every year....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/medical-tourism-soaring-high-101131-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/World-Tourist-Intensify-Even-With-Crisis-UN-96279-1.htm Global tourist figures inflated in 2011 regardless of the economic crisis, the Arab spring and Japanese disasters, and will hit one billion in 2012, a UN body said on Monday. The number of international tourist arrivals grew by 4.4 percent to 980 million in 2011, up from 940 million in 2010, the Madrid-based United Nations World Tourism Organization said in an annual survey. But while the number of visitors to Europe surged as civil conflicts drove many tourists away from sunspots in the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/World-Tourist-Intensify-Even-With-Crisis-UN-96279-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Tourism-Caught-in-Copycat-Ad-Row-Second-Time-95818-1.htm Philippine tourism suffered a setback Friday over claims of its new slogan copied an old Swiss one. This is the second time in a row after having already ditched an earlier campaign that allegedly plagiarized Poland's. Hours after the government rolled out its "It's more Fun in the Philippines" campaign, Internet pundits pointed to a 1951 Swiss National Tourist Office ad which proclaimed "It's more fun in Switzerland!" Dennis Gorecho, who described himself as a Manila lawyer, criticized ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Tourism-Caught-in-Copycat-Ad-Row-Second-Time-95818-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Agent-Says-N-Korea-Tourism-to-Reopen-After-Kim-Death-95550-1.htm A tour organizer has said that North Korea will reopen to tourists on January 10, less than a month after strongman Kim Jong-Il died. Kim died on December 17 from a heart attack at the age of 69, prompting a 13-day mourning period in the communist country that culminated Thursday in a huge memorial service for the late leader. "We have just been informed by our Korean partners that the DPRK (North Korea) will open to tourists from January 10th," Koryo Group, a Beijing-based travel agency ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Agent-Says-N-Korea-Tourism-to-Reopen-After-Kim-Death-95550-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Tourist-Ban-in-Dutch-Cannabis-Cafes-to-Start-in-May-94954-1.htm The Dutch justice ministry has confirmed that new legislation to ban non-Dutch residents from cannabis-selling coffee shops in southern Netherlands should be enforced no later than May 1 next year. "The law will be amended on January 1, but there will be a kind of grace period until May 1," ministry spokeswoman Charlotte Menten told AFP. The centre-right government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte has since September 2010 been weighing a "cannabis card", reserved for residents only and obligatory ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Tourist-Ban-in-Dutch-Cannabis-Cafes-to-Start-in-May-94954-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Tourism-in-Japan-Affected-by-Atomic-Fears-91442-1.htm Fears of radiation have caused a dip in tourism in Japan. But despite an appearance of normality, business is far from booming in Matsushima, where serene pine-covered islands have attacted generations of tourists to an area classed as one of Japan's three most beautiful spots. The guesthouses and hotels -- in a district the Michelin Blue guide gives its maximum three stars -- owe most of their business to workers helping to rebuild coastal communities shattered by the March 11 tsunami. ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Tourism-in-Japan-Affected-by-Atomic-Fears-91442-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Record-Year-for-Paris-Tourism-89792-1.htm The City of Light has reported a record number of visitors this year. The number of tourists rose 3.5 percent in the first half of the year to a record 7.6 million, according to Paris tourism office director Paul Roll. The hotel occupancy rate rose to 78.3 percent to its best reading in a decade, with the average cost of rooms rising 7.8 percent to 158.40 euros ( (Dollor) 228.56). Revenue per room, a key indicator of the profitability of the sector, rose 11.6 percent to 127.60 euros....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Record-Year-for-Paris-Tourism-89792-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Quality-and-Affordable-Treatment-Making-Kolkata-a-Medical-Tourism-Hotspot-88489-1.htm West Bengal's Kolkata city emerged as a favourite destination for medical tourism, owing to the world class facilities provided to the foreign patients at an extremely affordable price. In the past few years, significant surge was witnessed in the number of foreign patients who arrive in the city to get treated at various hospitals. A few of the renowned hospitals in the city saw a rise in the number of patients coming from abroad. Rupali Basu, who is the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Quality-and-Affordable-Treatment-Making-Kolkata-a-Medical-Tourism-Hotspot-88489-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Tunisian-Tourism-Woes-Reflected-By-Empty-Hotels-and-Silent-Beaches-87586-1.htm The Tunisian seaside resort of Yasmine Hammamet with its fine beach, warm blue sea and welcoming hotels is like a picture postcard in early summer -- but with nobody in it. Europeans, Algerians and Libyans have all deserted the town in the northwest of Tunisia, which is undergoing the worst tourist season in history, like most of the other seaside towns in the north African country since the January revolution that ousted the despot Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. "It's worse than catastrophic," ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Tunisian-Tourism-Woes-Reflected-By-Empty-Hotels-and-Silent-Beaches-87586-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Bikini-Clad-Women-to-Promote-Goa-Tourism-87555-1.htm An official has confirmed that the Indian resort state of Goa is to return to using bikini-clad women to promote tourism, following a self-imposed ban on using scantily-clad models for publicity. Tourism director Swapnil Naik said a nine-week television ad campaign featuring a Miss India finalist, an Indian actress and a former Miss Russia would be launched in 140 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia next Monday. The two models are shown in the 30-second commercial in the two-piece swimwear ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Bikini-Clad-Women-to-Promote-Goa-Tourism-87555-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Piedmont-in-Italy-Seeks-Foodies-to-Boost-Tourism-86972-1.htm The Piedmont region in northwest Italy is bidding to become a new destination for food and wine lovers even though it was long mocked for its poor weather and relatively obscure for many foreign tourists. With Tuscan cities like Florence and Pisa regularly overrun by the summer hordes, tourism officials in Piedmont say their region has been spared and is a better fit for higher-spending foreigners who want some peace and quiet. "Bed and breakfasts, charming hotels and farmhouses -- that's ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Piedmont-in-Italy-Seeks-Foodies-to-Boost-Tourism-86972-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Asian-Tourism-Festival-in-Singapore-85342-1.htm Organizers have confirmed that Singapore will host a major travel and tourism festival in October to showcase business opportunities in a surging Asian market. Called TravelRave 2011, the event will string together a cluster of related events, from October 17 to 23, they said on Thursday. They included an ITB Asia travel fair, a retreat for policymakers and industry leaders hosted by the UN World Tourism Organization, a conference on hotel and tourism investment, and an annual meeting of Asian convention and travel bureaus....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Asian-Tourism-Festival-in-Singapore-85342-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Despite-Drug-Violence-Tourism-is-Booming-in-Mexico-85229-1.htm There is little sign the millions of foreign tourists who visit Mexico each year are losing much sleep over the gruesome headlines from Mexico's drug war. Not only has international tourism not suffered in Mexico because of the violence, the number of travelers was up 12.4 percent in the first quarter of the year, Mexico's tourism minister said Wednesday. US, Canadian and European airlines are adding capacity to meet the demand, and Mexico is experiencing big jumps in tourism from places ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Despite-Drug-Violence-Tourism-is-Booming-in-Mexico-85229-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/SAfricas-Double-Pronged-Marketing-Scheme-Focuses-on-Tourism-and-Wines-84148-1.htm The busload of Swedes that sweep onto the 326-year-old South African wine farm clearly defines the country's new two-edged marketing scheme - theirs is one among the many wine tasting visits that marries vineyard tourism with bottom-line marketing. Sweden is now the third biggest buyer of wine from South Africa, one of the countries the industry is courting to counter a tough export climate. "At the moment it's somewhat stable but you have to fight for every piece of pie out there. The market ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/SAfricas-Double-Pronged-Marketing-Scheme-Focuses-on-Tourism-and-Wines-84148-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Japans-Tourism-Industry-Battered-by-Tsunami-82827-1.htm Until two weeks ago, the beach resort of Okumatsushima was a thriving stop on the Japanese tourist trail when a huge tsunami virtually wiped it from the map. On a summer day, thousands would visit the resort's pristine sands, many of them staying in the guest houses that dotted the shoreline on Japan's picturesque northeast coast. They came to gather shellfish or take boat tours of pine-covered islands and eat the oysters produced in the bay. But on March 11 the town's tourist industry ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Japans-Tourism-Industry-Battered-by-Tsunami-82827-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Thai-Tourist-Resort-in-A-Soup-Following-Seven-Deaths-82571-1.htm Thai tourist resort , Downtown Inn, is in the news lately for all the wrong reasons. With the death of the 59-year-old Canadian tourist, Bill Mah, the number of deaths in the resort has touched seven. People close to the tourists have begun to raise questions about the cause of death of seven tourists in this resort. The death of the senior British couple, George and Eileen Everitt, due to heart attack at the Downtown Inn is also intriguing. Mr. Mah was staying in Chiang Mai for two weeks....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Thai-Tourist-Resort-in-A-Soup-Following-Seven-Deaths-82571-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Schengen-for-SEAsia-Making-Tourism-Simpler-for-Tourists-82476-1.htm Travellers could soon be able surf in Bali, shop in Singapore and eat spicy street food in Thailand before crossing into Cambodia and cruising the Mekong in Vietnam -- all on a single tourist visa. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is working on a plan that would open the region to foreign tourists in the same way Europe's unified visa system has streamlined travel. "You would just have to apply for one visa and you could then visit all the countries using that visa," said ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Schengen-for-SEAsia-Making-Tourism-Simpler-for-Tourists-82476-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Why-a-Holiday-Here-Stinks-The-Worlds-Smelliest-Tourist-Locations-82094-1.htm A survey has revealed the world's smelliest holiday spots and they fall in Mexico, Italy, France, Country Durham, and New Zealand. The survey was conducted by travel website Skyscanner.com and it came up with the world's foulest-smelling locations, the Courier Mail reported. First on the list is Cancun in Mexico, which is known for its beaches and party atmosphere, and also its unpleasant odour, which comes from sewers close by hotels. Next, Venice in Italy has a reputation for being ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Why-a-Holiday-Here-Stinks-The-Worlds-Smelliest-Tourist-Locations-82094-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/The-Beer-is-Out-of-This-World-Oz-Firms-Develop-Drink-for-Space-Tourism-81762-1.htm Two companies in Australia have developed a beer that can be safely consumed in space. With space tourism preparing to take off as early as next year, Saber Astronautics Australia and the Four Pines Brewing Company came up with the thirst quenching beer. Jaron Mitchell, the founder of Four Pines, said the creation of space beer was an event for the history books. "Wherever humans have journeyed or conquest to throughout history in the last few thousand years, we first worry about water, food, shelter and clothing," News....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/The-Beer-is-Out-of-This-World-Oz-Firms-Develop-Drink-for-Space-Tourism-81762-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Egypt-Wooing-Tourist-Post-Political-Upheaval-80925-1.htm Hundreds of Egyptian tour guides gathered in the shadow of the Great Pyramids on Monday to plead with tourists to return to the Land of the Pharaohs following the fall of Hosni Mubarak's regime. The upheaval of recent weeks and media coverage of days of violent clashes have combined to scare off visitors and stifle Egypt's key tourism industry, threatening thousands of jobs. Inspired by the success of political protests in bringing down the regime, workers in several public and private sector ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Egypt-Wooing-Tourist-Post-Political-Upheaval-80925-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Disaster-Stricken-Indonesians-Live-Off-Volcano-Tourism-Dollars-80549-1.htm Javanese villagers who survived the violent eruptions of Mount Merapi volcano last year are tapping into the macabre market for disaster tourism to help rebuild their shattered lives. Suwarni lost her house and father-in-law when the volcano burst into life in October and November, killing more than 350 people in searing rivers of lava, ash and gas that swept across the surrounding countryside. Government assistance was scant and with little prospect of employment the 26-year-old mother ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Disaster-Stricken-Indonesians-Live-Off-Volcano-Tourism-Dollars-80549-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Dutch-Weed-Coffee-Shops-Has-Had-Enough-of-Tourist-Nuisance-80273-1.htm Learning to grow their own weed or finding a dealer: French and Belgian potheads are seeking alternatives to the famous Dutch coffee shop as The Hague plans to cut off drug tourists. Incensed by the "nuisance" caused by millions of people crossing its borders each year to visit one of 670 licensed coffee shops, the Netherlands plans to turn these cannabis-vending cafes into private clubs for card-carrying members -- Dutch residents only. "We are busy learning about growing cannabis at home," ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Dutch-Weed-Coffee-Shops-Has-Had-Enough-of-Tourist-Nuisance-80273-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/The-Pink-Dollar-Being-Eyed-by-Global-Tourist-Industry-79815-1.htm As more countries allow gay marriage, travel operators trying to shrug off hard times are waking up to the vast potential of gay and lesbian tourism, including the new and burgeoning market for same-sex weddings and honeymoons. But industry experts warn that any businesses eyeing the pink dollar, euro, pound or yen need to be welcoming to gays while also avoiding the cliches associated with the community if they want to be taken seriously. "The tourism industry is really opening its eyes ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/The-Pink-Dollar-Being-Eyed-by-Global-Tourist-Industry-79815-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Ground-breaking-New-Law-to-Make-Health-Tourism-Easier-for-European-Cross-border-Travellers-79659-1.htm A new law approved by parliament Wednesday will make it easy for European travellers short of prescription drugs, or on waiting-lists for surgery at home, as they will be reimbursed for care anywhere in the EU by late 2013. The ground-breaking European parliament law, adopted after years of talks, sets out patients' rights to medical care in any of the 27 member states, while spelling out rules for reimbursement and requirements for prior authorisation. "This is a big day for European health, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Ground-breaking-New-Law-to-Make-Health-Tourism-Easier-for-European-Cross-border-Travellers-79659-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/World-Tourism-Shoots-Up-UN-79611-1.htm Global tourism bounced back from the financial crisis with unexpected vigor arising almost 7 percent last year, reported UN World Tourism Organization on Monday. "Boosted by improved economic conditions worldwide, international tourism has recovered faster than expected from the impacts of the global financial crisis and economic recession of late 2008 and 2009," it said in a statement. International tourist arrivals were up by 6.7 percent at 935 million compared to 2009, higher than the pre-crisis ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/World-Tourism-Shoots-Up-UN-79611-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Plans-to-Introduce-Medical-Tourist-Visas-79584-1.htm In order to promote medical tourism, the Philippines plans to issue medical tourist visas for foreigners who wish to seek medical treatment or health enhancement procedures. The medical tourist visas, to be introduced this year, will allow foreigners to stay in the country for six months without having to apply for extensions as regular tourists are required to do, according to the Bureau of Immigration. "The visa will help the Philippines become competitive in the lucrative medical tourism ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Plans-to-Introduce-Medical-Tourist-Visas-79584-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Celebrating-New-Year-on-the-Hills-Amid-Snow-is-the-Latest-Tourist-Craze-78805-1.htm The hilly resorts of Dharamshala and Nainital are overflowing with tourists who are flocking these hill stations to ring in the New Year amid chill and snow. Dharamsala is witnessing the arrival of a large number of tourists ahead of the New Year. Gurleen Kaur, a tourist from Punjab, said she hoped there would be good snowfall on New Year's Eve. "We have planned New Year celebrations here. We expect more snow so that we can have sort of winter landscape here, proper winter landscape to enjoy completely," said Kaur....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Celebrating-New-Year-on-the-Hills-Amid-Snow-is-the-Latest-Tourist-Craze-78805-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Angola-Tourism-may-be-Boosted-by-Lure-of-Adventure-Fishing-78643-1.htm Adventure anglers fishing for the giant tarpon look set to put post-war Angola back on the visitors map. The powerful game fish, which can weigh more than 100 kilogrammes (220 pounds), is mainly found in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, a prized catch among avid sport fishermen. The area around the mouth of the Kwanza river, which spills into the Atlantic, has been bracing for a flurry of activity since the fishing season got underway in November. Adventurers and fishing enthusiasts ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Angola-Tourism-may-be-Boosted-by-Lure-of-Adventure-Fishing-78643-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Tourism-Chiefs-Pleas-to-Use-Potter-Link-Rejected-by-JK-Rowling-78641-1.htm It has always been clear that the place where JK Rowling grew up cast a lifelong spell on the Harry Potter author. Various landmarks of the Wye Valley have been mentioned in her books and key scenes in the film adaptations have been shot in the area, but when locals sought to exploit their association with the 45-year-old author and her characters to help draw more visitors to the area, they received abrupt refusal by her literary agents. Multi-millionaire Rowling had even named a quidditch ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Tourism-Chiefs-Pleas-to-Use-Potter-Link-Rejected-by-JK-Rowling-78641-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Japan-Eases-Visa-Rules-To-Promote-Medical-Tourism-78186-1.htm Japan said Friday it was easing visa requirements for patients seeking care at Japanese hospitals in a bid to promote "medical tourism", particularly among Asians with rising wealth. Under the new Visa for Medical Stay system, which will start next month, foreign patients can receive renewable, multiple-entry six-month visas, compared with single-entry, 90-day visas available now. "My feeling is that barriers between nations have to be low in the field of medicine," the top government spokesman, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Japan-Eases-Visa-Rules-To-Promote-Medical-Tourism-78186-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Takes-Pornographic-Tourism-Campaign-Off-the-Web-77147-1.htm The Philippines said on Monday it had abandoned a new tourism campaign that quickly turned into a public relations disaster amid allegations of plagiarism and links to pornography. The tourism ministry announced it had ditched its "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" (Philippines What a Beauty) project after President Benigno Aquino added his voice to widespread criticism of the campaign. "The Department of Tourism confirmed that it is shelving the 'Pilipinas Kay Ganda' concept. Majority of the stakeholders ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Takes-Pornographic-Tourism-Campaign-Off-the-Web-77147-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Pulls-Down-New-Tourism-Website-After-User-Misdirection-to-Porn-Link-76953-1.htm The Philippines said Wednesday it had pulled its latest online tourism campaign after critics panned the rebrand and warned that unwary surfers could easily end up at a porn website instead. The site, www.beautifulpilipinas.com, was taken down on Tuesday, just a day after it was launched by the tourism department, said Evelyn Macayayong, interim head of the ministry's tourist information office. Critics panned the decision to use the local spelling of the country's name, warning that a site ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Pulls-Down-New-Tourism-Website-After-User-Misdirection-to-Porn-Link-76953-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Taiwan-Plans-to-Set-Up-Special-Medical-Tourism-Zone-76301-1.htm Taiwanese health authorities said Thursday they plan to establish a special medical zone for foreigners in a bid to tap into the growing health tourism market. The zone will be located near the island's major international airport in the northern county of Taoyuan to make it easily accessible for international visitors, said a health department official who asked not to be named. The government aims to attract local and international investors, including hospitals and hotels, hoping they ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Taiwan-Plans-to-Set-Up-Special-Medical-Tourism-Zone-76301-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Youngest-Liver-Transplant-Recipient-in-India-74957-1.htm Eight-month-old Akshu became one of the youngest recipients of a liver transplant in the country after doctors conducted a nine-hour surgery to save her life. The daughter of Rifleman Anil Kumar, Akshu suffered from a liver failure and her parents had given up hope of her surviving the illness. However doctors at the army's R.R. Hospital in Delhi Cantt performed a marathon nine-hour surgery with a piece of her father's liver before confirming that the baby was recuperating well. Her father was ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Youngest-Liver-Transplant-Recipient-in-India-74957-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Branson-Says-Virgin-to-Launch-Space-Tourism-in-18-Months-74642-1.htm Virgin Galactic is on track to offer commercial space travel within 18 months, billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson has said. He added that space hotels are next on the drawing board. The project's SpaceshipTwo, an aircraft built by aviation engineer Burt Rutan and designed to carry paying customers into suborbital space, had its maiden flight in the California desert in March. "We just finished building SpaceShipTwo. We are 18 months away from taking people into space," Branson told ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Branson-Says-Virgin-to-Launch-Space-Tourism-in-18-Months-74642-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Robo-Suit-Adventure-Planned-by-Disabled-Japanese-Tourist-74139-1.htm With the help of a cutting-edge robotic suit, a disabled Japanese adventurer says he is planning to leave his wheelchair behind and walk up a medieval French World Heritage site next year. Seiji Uchida, 48, who lost the ability to walk in a car accident 27 years ago, said he has long dreamed of visiting the picturesque abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, set on a rocky islet in Normandy. Now, in a challenge planned for next summer, he aims to do so with the help of a robot suit, called the Hybrid ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Robo-Suit-Adventure-Planned-by-Disabled-Japanese-Tourist-74139-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/World-Tourism-Recovery-in-2010-Led-by-Asia-73594-1.htm The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has revealed that world tourism rebounded strongly this year from the global financial crisis, led by Asia and the Middle East. But the Madrid-based body also urged caution, noting that some major developed nations have not yet fully emerged from the economic doldrums. International tourist arrivals totaled 421 million in the first six months of 2010, up 7.0 percent on last year but still 2.0 percent below the record year of 2008, the UNWTO said in a report....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/World-Tourism-Recovery-in-2010-Led-by-Asia-73594-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Brazils-Newest-Tourist-Destination-Slums-73425-1.htm For the first time, Brazil's notorious slums, after being cleared of drug dealers and other criminals, received tourist visitors in a pilot project initiated in the country. With the nation eager to garner world favor ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, the new venture will afford curious visitors a chance to see the interior of a favela, which sometimes are lawless shantytowns rampant with drug-trafficking and violent crime. But President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he hopes to show ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Brazils-Newest-Tourist-Destination-Slums-73425-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Casinos-Give-a-Thrust-to-Tourism-in-Singapore-73347-1.htm Casinos in Singapore are a major attraction to tourists and analysis has revealed that the number of arrivals in a single month has exceeded the one million mark in July. Six months after opening its first casino in February, followed by the second in April, Singapore is already counting its winnings despite lingering concern about gambling-linked social problems among the local population. "Let there be no mistake about it, the legalisation of casino gaming in Singapore was always intended ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Casinos-Give-a-Thrust-to-Tourism-in-Singapore-73347-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Superbug-Does-Not-Affect-Medical-Tourism-Numbers-72806-1.htm The number of patients who flock to India to get treatment continues to rise even after a report published in a leading British medical journal warned of patients who travel to the country getting infected with a possible "superbug". Last week's report in The Lancet has got its fair share of criticism from a number of leading medical experts in India who claim that such an infection is being found in patients who have never travelled to the country. There were fears that the report would drastically ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Superbug-Does-Not-Affect-Medical-Tourism-Numbers-72806-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Medical-Tourism-Spreading-Superbugs-Worldwide-72546-1.htm Plastic surgery patients have carried a new class of superbugs resistant to almost all antibiotics from South Asia to Britain and they could spread worldwide, researchers reported Wednesday. Many hospital infections that were already difficult to treat have become even more impervious to drugs thanks to a recently discovered gene that can jump across different species of bacteria. This so-called NDM-1 gene was first identified last year by Cardiff University's Timothy Walsh in two types ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Medical-Tourism-Spreading-Superbugs-Worldwide-72546-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Greek-Tourism-Buckles-Under-Pressure-of-Strikes-and-Fuel-Shortage-72214-1.htm Disaster has struck Greece's crucial tourism industry at the peak of a summer season badly needed by its recession-hit economy with a national fuel shortage compounding weeks of on-off work unrest. A strike wave against austerity policies, a violent May protest in which three people died in a firebombed bank and unionist action targeting cruise ships and flights have made for a calamitous season, operators say. And additional disruption caused to tens of thousands of travellers by the fuel ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Greek-Tourism-Buckles-Under-Pressure-of-Strikes-and-Fuel-Shortage-72214-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Now-Monsoon-Tourism-Catches-the-Imagination-of-People-72200-1.htm After medical tourism, monsoon tourism has caught on among people. It is not uncommon to see corporate houses sponsoring work-cum-pleasure sessions in Kerala to allow employees to get refreshed and rejuvenated. So what does monsoon tourism involve? This involves visiting Kerala during the month of Karkitaka (mid-July to mid-August). It is thought that the body's immunity is at its lowest during this time, thus making it amenable to all sorts of healing. The main therapy is food, which involves ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Now-Monsoon-Tourism-Catches-the-Imagination-of-People-72200-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Gay-Tourism-Picks-Up-in-Conservative-Mexico-City-71948-1.htm Mexico City's gay community is gradually turning the capital into a relative oasis in a staunch Catholic country reknowned for its conservatism and machismo. The authorities in the Mexican capital are now seeking to attract gay tourism, even though there is still widespread discrimination against them. The city is well placed "to become the first gay friendly destination in Latin America," said tourism secretary, Alejandro Rojas. In March, the urban sprawl of some 20 million people celebrated ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Gay-Tourism-Picks-Up-in-Conservative-Mexico-City-71948-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Football-Fans-From-South-America-Boost-South-African-Tourism-70718-1.htm South American football fans wrapped in winter wear are streaming into South Africa to add a dash of Latin colour to the first football World Cup on African soil. While five-time winners Brazil and Diego Maradona's Argentina were expected to put up a strong show, surprise packages Paraguay and Uruguay have ensured four South American teams are now in the quarter-finals which begin Friday. South Americans may not have the same spending power as fans of the United States, England and Japan, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Football-Fans-From-South-America-Boost-South-African-Tourism-70718-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/EU-Tourist-Advisory-Names-500-European-Beach-Spots-To-Be-Avoided-70002-1.htm A warning issued by the European Commission on Thursday after a survey of nearly 20,000 sites states that swimmers should avoid some 500 European beaches, lakes and rivers for health reasons. From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, and the North Sea to the Black Sea, 96 percent of European Union coastal waters and 90 percent of lakes and rivers met minimum quality standards in 2009, the commission said. A European Environment Agency report published on Thursday and accessible on the Internet at http:ec....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/EU-Tourist-Advisory-Names-500-European-Beach-Spots-To-Be-Avoided-70002-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Thai-Tourism-Plans-Revival-After-Recent-Violence-69382-1.htm The Thai capital has been almost scrubbed clean, but it will take awhile before images of two months of deadly anti-government street protests disappear from the minds of potential visitors. Thailand's lucrative tourism industry has been gutted by last week's scenes, televised worldwide, of Bangkok reduced to a battle zone in an army crackdown on a "Red Shirt" encampment in the city's ritzy commercial district. Thailand's National Economic and Social Development board said Monday the Bangkok ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Thai-Tourism-Plans-Revival-After-Recent-Violence-69382-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/There-Could-be-Future-Gains-for-SAfrica-Tourism-from-World-Cup-Publicity-68833-1.htm Even though bookings for the World Cup are not up to the mark, South Africa's tourism industry could benefit from the publicity around the sporting event. "At the start, we thought that 450,000 people will come, then 375,000 and even 250,000 people," said Thandiwe January-McLean, head of the country's tourism board, on the sidelines of the region's biggest industry conference, which wraps up Tuesday. But what's more important, she said, are the 26 billion viewers around the world who will ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/There-Could-be-Future-Gains-for-SAfrica-Tourism-from-World-Cup-Publicity-68833-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Aid-to-Tourism-Industry-for-Volcano-Crisis-Offered-in-Iceland-68418-1.htm Around 300 million kronur (1.8 million euros, 2.3 million dollars) in aid to the country's tourism industry will be provided by Iceland's government. The tourism industry is bracing for mass cancellations due to an ongoing volcano eruption. "The government has decided to provide up to 300 million kronur to assist the tourism industry in Iceland after the volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajokull," finance ministry spokesman Huginn Thorsteinsson told AFP. "Now the people in the tourism industry ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Aid-to-Tourism-Industry-for-Volcano-Crisis-Offered-in-Iceland-68418-1.htm