God's own country is Kerala

Kerala, known as God's own country, has a reason to cheer during the times of recession. The state which receives the first monsoon showers is beckoning tourists who are hopeful of catching the south-west monsoon before it hits the city. According to local travel agents, an increase in bookings for Kerala has been noticed in recent times. "We had several tourist bookings to visit Kerala to see the first monsoon showers. The state is usually seen as a honeymoon destination, but recently tourists visit with their family to witness the onset of monsoons," said Ajay Mistry, a travel agent in Andheri. The Kerala tourism has also seen a rise in the number of domestic tourists arriving in the state. According to Kerala tourism board, compared to 2007, a growth of 14% has been witnessed in the domestic tourists market. Nearly 75,91,000 domestic tourists visited the state in 2008. "The popular attractions are houseboats in the backwaters, Munnar and Kovalam," explained Mistry. Sangita Semwal, a Bandra resident, is heading to the coastal state. "As there were a few weeks left for my son's school to reopen, we decided to head to Kerala. We decided on the last week of May so that we could meet the monsoons before it came to the city," she said. Travel agents added that local hill stations such as Mahabaleshwar and Bhandardara also get many visitors during the rains. "However, its best to visit in the beginning of monsoons as there is heavy rainfall in July and August," said Vilas Shingare, proprietor of Getaway Travels, Kanjurmarg.

Source : http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1260681

IDC : Global IT growth to touch 5.7% in 2012

Leading IT market research and advisory firm IDC expects worldwide IT spending to turn positive in 2010. Global IT spending is expected grow 2.9% in 2010 before nearly doubling to 5.7% in 2012. The drop in worldwide GDP forecast for 2009 is expected to lead to a 1.8% negative growth in global IT spends during the current year. Global telecommunications services growth will drop to 3.2% in 2009 and trend downward as a result of market consolidation and maturation after that to 2.1% growth in 2012. Boston-based IDC’s Chief Research Officer Mr. John Gantz will share these findings in a web presentation on “Has the Slowdown Bottomed-out Yet: Where Are We on the Curve?” with Indian business leaders early next week. IDC’s assessment of the impact of the global economic downturn on ICT spending is based on the five pronounced and several mini downturns in the global economy during the life of the modern computer era. This also factors in views of 300 US CIOs and business leaders polled each month in the past year on their future ICT budgets. Demystifying the IT business cycles IDC’s Senior Vice President and Chief Research Officer Mr. John Gantz said, “The new technology paradigm often creates a speculative bubble until reality sets in leading to a crash. This crash, which last occurred in 2000-2002, leads to a long term period of IT growth as the new paradigm is fully realized.”

For further details visit at : www.indiainfoline.com/news/innernews.asp?storyId=103253&lmn=1

Tata Motors target for sales 4,000 World Trucks this fiscal

Tata Motors has targeted sales of around 4,000 units of its recently unveiled World Truck range this fiscal, according to industry sources. Scheduled for launch in July-September, the trucks will have capacities ranging from 10 to 75 tonnes. They will be priced at a premium to the existing Tata Motors' truck range, which means an upper band of even Rs 50 lakh for heavy trucks. Tata Motors FY09 net down 51%

For further details visit at : sify.com/finance/auto/fullstory.php?a=jgbkUNaggia&title=Tata_Motors_aims_to_sell_4%2C000_World_Trucks_this_fiscal&scategory=Auto

Business in cotton slows down

For a second week in a row sales are not as aggressive as they used to be in the past weeks. The correction in NY futures made spinners step back and wait till the market stabilizes. We should bear in mind that during April and first half of May most spinning mills covered their needs for the coming months. These sales reduced the current crop stocks at the levels of 50-60,000 tons which means that ginners are not in a hurry to sell more at lower levels. In addition, the remaining stocks are in the hands of few and financially strong ginners who would hardly follow any NY futures drop, especially when dollar is so weak. Despite the failing demand, during the week few new sales of small volumes were reported at levels of 57-59 usc/lb FOT depending on quality. Buyers were either international merchants or Turkish spinners. From the Egyptian market we commonly hear problems in shipments of Greek cotton and not any new sales. Regarding new crop production combining several trustworthy sources (cotton seed companies, ginners, etc) we maintain our estimate of 200,000 Hectares planted which will result to about 190-200,000 tons of lint under normal weather conditions.

For further details visit at : www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=73177

Business pages in the New York times

The following were the top stories in the New York Times business pages on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. U.S. President Barack Obama will push General Motors Corp (GM.N) into bankruptcy protection on Monday, making a risky bet that by temporarily nationalizing the onetime icon of American capitalism, he can save at least a diminished automaker that is competitive. A federal judge on Sunday night cleared a path for Chrysler to exit bankruptcy by approving a sale of most of the carmaker's assets to a new entity to be run by Fiat (FIA.MI) of Italy. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Monday that the global financial crisis seemed to be easing, but that the United States and China would have to work together to rebalance the world economy.

For further details visit at : www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSBNG29750920090601

Arizona Women : Third Level in Home Business

After being laid off two jobs in a row, Julie Klein, from Hereford, Arizona, decided to try to find some type of work to do from home. She searched the Internet for several months trying to find a reputable home-based business. When she was close to giving up, she saw an ad about AmeriPlan®, a discount health benefits provider. Being a true skeptic, she took her time and researched the company thoroughly. From her research, she learned that an episode of "American Medical Review," hosted by Morley Safer (from the TV show 60 Minutes), aired a special about AmeriPlan®. She also learned that all the major pharmacies and most of the vision centers nationwide were AmeriPlan® providers and that the company is a member in good standing with the US Chamber of Commerce, Consumer Health Alliance, Direct Sellers Association, National Association of Dental Plans, Medical Plans of America, Dental Plans of America and Chiropractic Plans of America. Klein knew it wouldn't be easy, but she was determined to work hard and be successful with AmeriPlan®. She took the leap and became an AmeriPlan® Independent Business Owner. Since AmeriPlan® pays residual commission, she is paid every month for every piece of business she writes, as long as the account remains active. Her residual checks increase every single month!

For further details visit at : www.webnewswire.com/node/455868

In a Small business, The Score financial statements

Most people will say it is by growth in sales or the amount of profit generated by the business. Others might say by the amount of cash in the bank, since in a small business cash is king. Either way, we need a method of keeping score, and the most common method is with regular financial statements. For this reason, it is important to regularly produce statements and understand what they are telling us. In my previous business life, I can remember eagerly awaiting the monthly financials in order to check the score. In a small business, the key financial statements are the profit and loss (p&l) and the balance sheet. These financial statements are used by others when evaluating your business. Lenders use them when making business-loan decisions or when they are re-evaluating an outstanding loan. Suppliers use financial statements when deciding if they should extend credit. Certain government agencies may require financials. Most importantly, regular financial statements allow the owners and managers to understand the financial health of the business and make decisions to improve operations. The profit and loss statement should be created on a monthly, quarterly and yearly basis. It shows profit or loss from business operations over a period of time by taking revenue and subtracting expenses related to operations. This statement helps spot trends in sales and expenses as well as trends in profit margin. It is a good idea to also express expenses and profit margin as a percentage of sales, as this will make it easier to compare percentages across many different months.

For further details visit at : http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/jun/01/financial-statements-keep-score-in-business/

Bharati Shipyard to make open 20% offer for Great Offshore

Shipbuilder Bharati Shipyard (BHAR.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) will make an open offer to acquire 20 percent in offshore services firm Great Offshore (GOFS.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) to consolidate its investment in the firm, it said on Sunday. Bharati, which already holds 14.9 percent in Great Offshore, will acquire the shares through its unit, Natural Power Ventures Pvt Ltd, it said in a statement on Sunday. "This acquisition would provide enhanced stability to the existing management in Great Offshore and maximise shareholer value for both companies," Managing Director P.C. Kapoor said in a company release. In June 2007, Great Offshore promoter Vijay Sheth had pledged his entire 15.5 percent stake with IL&FS and Motilal Oswal, who started to seek margin money following a plunge in the value of shares pledged by Sheth, according to media reports. This prompted Sheth to borrow from Bharati, with whom Great Offshore had placed some vessel orders.

For further details visit at : in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINBOM46605420090601

BSE Sensex expected to open higher on strong Asia

The BSE Sensex is expected to open higher on Monday as positive Chinese manufacturing data added to signs the world's third-largest economy is stabilising, lifting sentiment across Asia. Sun Pharmaceuticals, India's largest drugmaker by market capitalisation, will be watched after it reported a 45 percent fall in March quarter net profit on Sunday. Tata Steel Ltd will also be on the radar after its unit, Tata Steel UK, won approval from banks to ease conditions on 3.7 billion pounds of loans it took to buy Anglo-Dutch Corus. Top telecoms firm Bharti Airtel will be in focus after South African MTN's No. 2 shareholder, Lebanon's Mikati family, said it supported merger talks with Bharti and would vote in favour of a $23 billion cash and share swap.

For further details visit at : in.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idINIndia-40003520090601

India rupee up on gains 4th day in regional share market

The Indian rupee climbed to its highest in more than a week on Monday, extending a rise to a fourth day, bolstered by gains in regional share markets and tracking the dollar's weakness versus major currencies. At 9:50 a.m. (0420 GMT) the partially convertible rupee was at 46.93/94 per dollar, its strongest since May 22 and above Friday's close of 47.11/12. Stronger-than-expected domestic growth data on Friday which could also mean an end to the central bank's easing cycle, supported sentiment for the rupee, traders said. The economy grew faster than expected in the March quarter, helped by strength in farm and services sectors that suggested Asia's third-largest economy has already turned the corner and may be set for an early recovery. However, dealers said they were wary of any central bank intervention through state-run banks to prevent a sharp appreciation in the local unit.

For further details visit at : in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINBOM6283520090601

Local 'brand' to sell Tourism meeting stresses

Branding a business, product or service should be all about the consumer. That was one of seven strategies branding expert and author Bruce Turkel offered to about 200 participants from as far as Kansas City, Mo., at Wednesday's Connecticut Conference on Tourism at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods. With a focus on networking and learning from motivational panels and workshops, the conference got a high-energy lift from Turkel, who shared the tips published two years ago in his book, “Building Brand Value.” Laced with funny anecdotes and a punchy delivery, his talk got people talking. ”It's about them and not about you,” said Nancie Keenan, general manager of Groton Inn & Suites, reciting Turkel's first point. “I always look at the individual, and they come in and say, 'What's there to do around here?' and I say, 'What are your interests?' For hiking, I'll send them to Bluff Point.” As preamble to his list of branding tips, Turkel pointed out that the problem for tourism experts is not the economy in the United States of America, but rather the “United States of 'Generica,' “ where a Starbucks, McDonalds and Barnes & Noble can be found in nearly every community. That said, Turkel, noted that staycations alone - part of Connecticut's branding strategy - won't boost revenue as much as tourists drawn from other states will. To lure them, he recommends differentiating brand and changing perception with his seven marketing principles.

Source : http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=60d54757-a630-4afd-8fea-7ef5e43882f4

Nokia N97: homescreen right!

Have you ever thought about the Homescreen on your phone? You should, as it seems on average you spend up to 85 per cent of the time with your phone using the Home page. This is a great statistic and highlights that getting the Homescreen right can often help users have a better experience. This research has been used to make the Nokia N97 a more rounded device. Join us after the jump to find out more… The guys over at Nokia Conversations have posted a lengthy and really interesting piece about the development of Nokia Homescreen design, especially in regards to the Nokia N97.It seems Nokia has carried out a great deal of research about the way people use and interact with their Homescreen, hence the 85 per cent stat, and this research has been used to help make the most of the screen on the upcoming Nokia N97. The main message seems to be the ability to embed widgets and tools on to the Home page to help you get the most personalised experience from your phone. This all makes sense, after all, if you’re going to spend all that time with your Homescreen you want it to be all about your life.

For further details visit at noknok.tv/2009/05/28/nokia-n97-getting-the-homescreen-right/

Nokia N97 to be a challange for all palm pre!

That is a question raised by Cnet although they say Palm is fortunate Nokia does not yet have any US carrier partners for the Nokia N97.The new Nokia could well challenge the Palm Pre if they were on the same level price wise, but due to the Nokia N97 being unsubsidised by a carrier it will cost $699 whereas the Palm Pre will cost $199.If it wasn’t for that price subsidy the Nokia N97 could put a dampener on early sales of the Palm Pre which is due release on June the 6th, but unfortunately that big price differential makes the N97 challenging the Pre a bit of a non-starter.

source : www.phonesreview.co.uk/2009/05/28/could-the-nokia-n97-be-a-challenge-to-the-palm-pre/

TNPL: Profit down 26% to 20cr

Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Ltd (TNPL) has reported a 26 per cent in the net profit for the quarter ended March 31, 2009 at Rs 20.19 crore as compared to Rs 27.38 crore, a year ago. Company's total income rose by 14 per cent to Rs 298.55 crore from Rs 261.46 crore. Country's leading newsprint manufacturer's revenue from the paper segment rose by 14 per cent to Rs 284.57 crore from Rs 249.39 crore. Paper production in 2008-09 rose to 2,54,903 MTs, an increase of 9,432 Mts over the previous year. To increase the capacity to 4 lakh tonnes per annum the company is planning to invest around Rs 1,000 crore by June 2010.During the quarter TNPL has implemented the Life Cycle Extension of Paper Machine I during April 2009 at a capital investment of Rs 70 crore. TNPL's board of directors have recommended a dividend of 45 per cent for the year ended March 31, 2009. The state-run company has bagged ICWAI National Award for Excellence in Cost Management 2008 and Supply Chain Performance Excellence Award 2009 from the Indian Institute of Materials Management.

Source : www.business-standard.com/india/news/tnpl-profit-down-by-26-to-rs-20cr/63050/on

HDFC Bk sees negative territory in June

Inflation for week-ended May 16 remained unchanged at 0.61% week-on-week (WoW). A CNBC-TV18 poll conducted earlier saw inflation at 0.69%. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities was up 0.1% at 232.2 WoW. Inflation for week-ended March 21 has been revised to 0.84% as against the provisional figure of 0.31%. Commenting on the numbers, Abheek Baruah, Chief Economist, HDFC Bank said he expected inflation to be in the negative territory this June.

source : www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/economy/inflation-at-061-hdfc-bk-sees-negative-numberjun-/399387

Clinton : Birthdays card Business Into Administration

Clinton Cards Plc, the UK’s largest greeting-cards retailer, said its troubled Birthdays greetings card business was placed into administration, putting more than 2000 jobs at risk. The company said in a statement it made the “difficult decision” to end the funding of the 332-store chain, which was posting annual losses of about £7m.Administrators Zolfo Cooper said in a statement it will “explore all options available to secure the future of the Birthdays’ business.” In the meantime, Clinton said it would be interested in buying back part of the business, reports the Financial Times. “There is a core, a central business there, a good business. The administrators [are trying to find a buyer].

For further details visit at www.financierworldwide.com/article.php?id=4124

India seeks speedy negotiations :

India on Friday sought speedy negotiations of reprocessing arrangements as well as liberalisation of the export licensing procedures to move forward the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal. Stating that India is committed to move forward on the deal, India's new Ambassador to US Meera Shankar said, "this (deal) is very high on our priority. We are conscious of the fact that it was the US Government which did the heavy hitting, if I may use a cricketing metaphor to get this deal through." "We would very much like to move forward in a concrete way with agreements for building nuclear reactors with US assistance in India," Ms. Shankar said at a reception hosted in her honour by the US-India Business Council (USIBC), in her maiden public engagement after presenting her credentials to President Barack Obama on Thursday. Acknowledging the presence of leaders of the US nuclear industry who are anxious to convert the nuke deal into business agreements, Ms. Shankar said: "We are looking at the speedy negotiations of reprocessing arrangements to facilitate this process." Both sides have agreed to commence this process and have identified their nodal points. "So we expect to pursue this very expeditiously," she said. In terms of our concerns on the Indian side, Ms. Shankar said, New Delhi would like to see the liberalization of the export licensing procedures flowing from the nuclear deal.

Source : www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200905221502.htm

Small business survey - Loan demand shows & dramatic growth

Small business surveys have shown some improvement on outlook and overall optimism among owners and managers over the last couple months, with results being generally mixed. But typically there have been a number of small businesses that continue to reiterate their inability to access lines of credit and business loans necessary to run daily operations and even consider any growth plans. In fact, just last month a National Federation of Independent Business report indicated that plans for capital spending outlays fell and that 10 percent of those surveyed reported problems obtaining financing. However, one industry expert sees improvement on the horizon, especially for small business owners. During an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt commented on the borrowing environment among small businesses. "Small business demand for commercial lending has grown dramatically. It was almost nonexistent in the first quarter. It's grown dramatically in the second quarter," said Immelt in the CNBC interview. During the business-talk segment Immelt also said he believed innovation and competitiveness are keys to the future of the United States.

For further details visit at : capitalsolutionsbancorp.com/news/small-business-loan-demand-shows-dramatic-growth-20090522

Cruise ship season of the year

The first cruise ship of the year - Maasdam - arrived in Sydney harbour last Saturday. It was a gala occasion, heralding another busy season for cruise ship visits and shore excursions. Cape Breton is one of the most popular stops on the Atlantic provinces cruise schedule. The captains and crews like us because we are so friendly, accommodating and professional, with an utstanding cruise ship pavilion to boot. And the passengers like us because of the great number of varying tours offered and because of the easy access to Sydney's shopping and dining areas. You can walk to the Casino! I mentioned in a previous column of my involvement with cruise ship tourism as a guide. I step on the bus and talk. I have a great time telling visitors of the history, heritage, culture, industry weather, life and times of living in Canada, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. The scenery and attractions take care of themselves, but the guide's job is to fill those gaps in between, so you've got to know your stuff. All you've got is your voice, a microphone, some maps and photos books, and a vast storehouse of knowledge, information, trivia and tidbits. It helps if you like to talk and you like to look things up. I'm especially prone to the latter. So what nuggets have I uncovered for this year's cruise ship season?

Sit back, relax, enjoy the ride, and let me tell you: In Nova Scotia there are some 23,000 kilometers of roads, 3,800 bridges and seven provincial ferries ( two of which operate in on Cape Breton). The National Flag of Canada (the Maple Leaf) may be flown day or night. The word “kilt” is Scandinavian in origin and means “the fold of a gathered skirt.” The largest family fortune in Canada is that of the Irving family of Saint John, New Brunswick worth some $6 billion. White Birch is called “the lady of the forest” and is Nova Scotia's most common hardwood.
But the Red Spruce is our provincial tree and is our fastest growing and most valuable softwood species. The Seal Island bridge is the third largest in the province. It opened to traffic in 1961. The deck was rebuilt in 2003 at a cost of $15 million. It is 200 feet above sea level with a clearance of 120 feet.The Big Fiddle on the Sydney waterfront is 17 meters tall and the bow has 144 steel “horsehair” strings. From 1866 to 1997 Cape Breton mines reported 1,321 fatalities. Cape Breton Island does not have fisher, porcupine, skunk, Arctic shrew, long-tailed shrew or white-footed mouse. It takes ten years to change all the water in the Bras d'Or lakes. The moose population in Cape Breton can be traced to 18 Alberta moose released in the winter of 1947-48 in Cape Breton Highlands Park. Canada has sent eight astronauts into space including two females (Roberta Bondar and Julie Payette). Canada has the world's highest tides (in the Bay of Fundy), the world's longest coastline, and the world's longest federal highway (the Trans-Canada).

Source : http://glacebaygleaner.com/public/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1095&Itemid=130

Management Business in growth

As the economic crunch bites into the revenues of companies, California-based Infogain Corporation, which has offices at. Noida and Pune, is foreseeing a growth in its application management business. “Application management is not a core function of companies operating in different sectors, and many of them are realising the cost savings in outsourcing it. After all, an expertise in application management alone will not help a particular company sell its products better”, Eddie Chandhok, president, global delivery organization of Infogain told ET.Infogain, which has offices in the US, UK, Middle East and India, has clients in the retail and transport sectors, and in the UK the company is helping its clients connect better with their customers in the transport domain. “We are in the transport/CRM domain in the UK and help our customers with processes like selling tickets through kiosks or hand-held devices like mobile phones”, Mr Chandhok said. Regarding the application management space, Mr Chandhok said companies were realizing the futility in reinventing the wheel and outsourcing the application management work to tech companies that had the expertise in it, thereby saving costs and time.“A typical company for example could be managing its website manually, while the new tools we have developed not only help us to automatically monitor client websites but even get auto alerts when there is a hint that something could go wrong with a site, like a sudden increase in traffic”, Mr Chandhok said. He said the slowdown in verticals like retail had led to a delay in clients giving the go-ahead to building new applications, and that on the flipside, more companies were looking at outsourcing application management to slash costs. Infogain has 750 of its 1,000-odd staffers based in India, and the company hired roughly 40 people in the last quarter of the last fiscal. Mr Chandhok said the company, which presently has 10% of its revenues from India, foresaw that figure going up to 20% next year.

Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/Software/Infogain-sees-growth-in-application-management-business/articleshow/4555301.cms

Small Business Administrating

The U.S. Small Business Administration said this week that federal disaster loans are available to small businesses, agricultural cooperatives and most nonprofit organizations that were financially hurt by cold weather and freezing temperatures in Florida from Jan. 20 through Feb. 6. Eligible borrowers may qualify for loans up to $2 million at an interest rate of 4 percent with a term of 30 years. Farmers and ranches are not eligible. Disaster victims can contact the SBA by calling 1-800-659-2955 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Source : http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/1058633.html

Malaysia Singapore Economic Models

Malaysia and Singapore said Friday they may tweak their economic models as a collapse in demand from the U.S. and Europe sends the Southeast Asian neighbors into recession. Malaysia plans to emphasize "greater creativity, innovation and high-value" as part of an effort to spark economic growth, Prime Minister Najib Razak said. Details of the plan would be announced "when we're ready," he said. "We're taking advantage of the current global downturn... to come up with a new economic model for Malaysia," Najib said at a joint news conference with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Malaysia and Singapore, which formed a single country from 1963 to 1965, have seen their exports plummet this year amid the worst global economic slowdown since World War II. The International Monetary Fund said earlier this month it expects Malaysia's economy to shrink 3.5 percent in 2009 while Singapore's will likely contract 10 percent. Each country has announced major fiscal stimulus packages this year in a bid to boost domestic consumption. Singapore, which relies on trade, finance and tourism, will review over the next few months which manufacturing and services it may branch into, Lee said.

"At the broadest level, our approaches are sound and have to remain," Lee said. "But what sort of manufacturing, what new services? These are issues which we have to consider." Najib has already scrapped a requirement for 30 percent Malay ownership for companies in several sectors, such as health care and transport, as part of a pledge to roll back decades-old affirmative action programs for the ethnic Malay majority.

Source : http://www.mysinchew.com/node/24892

Business as usual for Birthday Trade

Retailer Clinton Cards has puts its subsidiary chain of 223 Birthdays stores into administration, putting more than 2,000 jobs at risk. The company said all of the Birthdays outlets would continue to trade while the administrators explored all options to secure their future. Clinton Cards said that in the current economic environment it could not sustain Birthdays' £7m annual losses. It bought the Birthdays chain in December 2004.

'Remain hopeful' "Despite today's announcement, I would like to reassure customers that it is business as usual for Birthdays and we will be continuing to trade while we explore all options for the business," said administrator Peter Saville of accountancy group Zolfo Cooper. "We remain hopeful of securing the future of the business despite the harsh trading environment being experienced by all retailers at present. "These stores have a strong brand identity and are predominantly situated in excellent retail locations and there are still plenty of opportunities to succeed on the High Street". Meanwhile Clinton Cards said that group-wide like-for-like sales - which pulls out the impact of new store openings - were flat in the 13 weeks to 3 May. The firm has 692 Clinton Cards outlets, and is the UK's largest specialist greeting card retailer.

Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8060868.stm

Touristed rush increased in kashmir

With Lok Sabha elections over, the rush of tourists to valley is likely to increase in the days to come. Muhammad Azeem Tumaan, president Houseboat Owners Association (HOA), said presently 300 tourists arrive on an average daily in Kashmir. "We are expecting increase in their arrival since the polls are over. The increase is likely to strengthen the financial condition of the people associated with tourism," he stated. Tumaan said the peak tourist season in Kashmir starts in May and ends in July. During the season the visitors mostly from Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat and northern states pay visits to Kashmir with their families. "This year we were expecting the season to begin much earlier in April because of the tulip garden which has remained a major attraction for tourists during last few years. But the negative campaign by some electronic media channels regarding the infiltration of Taliban into Kashmir created a fear psychosis in the minds of outsiders, who were intending to visit Kashmir. Subsequently, the tourism sector could not get the much required boost," HOA president said. He added that while the media reports about Taliban arrival proved false later, the negative campaign was countered at various levels and the faith of tourists was restored to some extent. But the Lok Sabha elections discouraged the visitors from coming here in large number. "There is an impression outside that election time is not safe for travel to Kashmir. Most people preferred not to visit the Valley during that period. So the number of tourist arrival could not cross 300 per day while it should have been in thousands at this time," he said. Deepika, a tourist was from Mumbai, along with her family has arrived here five days back. Busy in shopping at Residency Road here, she said they visited Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Mughal Gardens, and Sonamarg. "Now we are planning to leave. Kashmir is truly the paradise on earth. We had not imagined that Kashmir is so beautiful. During our stay here we did not face any problem and people here are very hospitable," she said.

The Mumbaikar said on her return to her home city, she would tell her friends to pay a visit to Kashmir. Another tourist, Sheetal, said visiting Kashmir is financially cheap. "In our city, some people go to European countries during vacations and they have to pay through their nose. However, visiting Kashmir does not cost that much,".

For further details visit at : http://www.kashmirwatch.com/showheadlines.php?subaction=showfull&id=1242905597&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&var0news=value0news

Tourist inflow to the Gir National Park

Tourist inflow to the Gir National Park in Gujarat, the world's only natural habitat for the rare majestic Asiatic lions, has dipped due to the intense heat. This year several factors have affected the number of tourists and wildlife enthusiasts from visiting the sanctuary. Apart from the rise in mercury, global recession and the Indian Premier League cricket tournament have distracted the prospective visitors to this place. Consequently, allied services such as hotels, travel agents and taxi operators have been adversely hit. "Due to the heat and the IPL cricket matches, the tourist inflow is less. There are about 70 vehicles here. Sometimes we take one or two trips to the Park, but now it is even once in three to four days sometimes. The business is quite bad," said Rafiq, a taxi driver. However, the officials manning the sanctuary sounded optimistic by saying that this is just a seasonal phenomenon and the tourist inflow would increase when the heat decreases. They also pointed out that there is a particular time to visit the park as such tourist inflow is not that bad. "For the time being this maybe the reason. But we are getting more tourists. Everyday the number is increasing. And there is a time to visit the forest," said Sandeep Kumar Singh, Divisional Forest Officer, Gir National Park. Established in the year 1965, the Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary covers a total area of 1412 kilometres (about 258 kilometres for the fully protected area (the National Park) and 1153 kilometres for the Sanctuary). This region is regarded as one of the most important protected areas in Asia.

Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Flora--Fauna/Tourism-dips-in-Gir-sanctuary-due-to-heat-/articleshow/4551752.cms

Balsillie wants public money to renovate arena

You can't go to a pub, place of work or playground without talk turning to BlackBerry billionaire Jim Balsillie's bid to bring the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton, or somewhere nearby (even Burlington's name has been mentioned, though no one takes that seriously). Even a pro-sports-optional type like me has been swept up in the excitement. But the honeymoon was short-lived. After a few days of breathless, wall-to-wall coverage of the cage match between Balsillie and National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman, talk turned to cold, hard cash. Not theirs, but yours and mine. Last week, Balsillie said he would seek taxpayer dollars from the province and Ottawa to pay for a $150-million renovation of Copps Coliseum to bring the arena up to NHL standards. That's when my flirtation with hockey ended. Here's the deal: I'm tired of corporations with their hand out for public money (and the list is long, these days) while simultaneously demanding tax cuts. It's brazen to seek money from a system you're trying to gut. I'm tired of the popular mythology that private corporations can run anything better than governments. Governments have red tape and far too much political decision-making, as opposed to community decision- making, to be sure. But corporations have bankruptcies, layoffs, gross inequities between pay for line workers and head honchos and most troubling, in too many cases, little or no regard for the public good, which is shoved aside in pursuit of the almighty profit margin.

Source : http://www.thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1573125

Karen Mills faced double duty

Karen Mills faced double duty when she started work April 6 as the Small Business Administration’s new administrator: She not only had to supervise the agency’s traditional programs but also had to implement new initiatives created by Congress in the economic stimulus bill. The former venture capitalist sat down with Washington Bureau Chief Kent Hoover to talk about the SBA’s role in America’s economic recovery. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation: You’ve been on the job for five weeks. What has struck you most about the SBA and the role of government in supporting small business? For me, this is one of the most exciting places to be in any administration, but in this administration everybody knows this is the most important place to be. I’ve really thought of this as three major priorities: The first is to get the Recovery Act implemented — get the money in the hands of small businesses. At this moment, when we have this much economic distress, this is “making a difference” money. And it’s already out, and we’re seeing businesses where it’s made a difference. The second priority is to reinvigorate the agency. This is an agency that in the past administration had budget reductions, had its personnel go from 3,000 to 2,000. But in fact, this is a jewel. It has an infrastructure ... that goes out to every state, all kinds of geographic areas. We have over 14,000 affiliated counselors. We have the ability to be at any disaster anywhere in the country. We are the on-the-ground people who have programs that touch all kinds of small businesses.

For further details visit as : http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2009/05/18/daily9.html

Information Technology (IT) driven business

In this Information Technology (IT) driven business era, there is often a fine line drawn between technology being a boon or a bane to a business. Simply put, a successful business cannot be achieved without the effective integration and seamless juxtaposition of technology and business. With more sophisticated attacks looming ahead, the role of security in facilitating the union between businesses and technology has become more pronounced. In particular, enterprises are increasingly exposed to the tripartite concept of attaining the best fit between their business models, technology, and security needs, and ever changing external environment. However, it has to be noted that attaining the best fit is not an end in itself; the next step is to ensure that accurate and adequate knowledge is being transferred. The South Asia Enterprise Security Summit 2009 aims to convene the best minds in Information Security under one roof to create an interactive milieu for exchange of knowledge and ideas. The event would address new and continuing threats to Information Security as well as responses to the increasing risk of security breaches and data leakage, identity theft, cyber warfare, and more. This is your chance to gain an understanding of the key tools, techniques, and strategies needed to safeguard your organisation’s most valuable asset - information. If you are one of the many security professionals reactively fighting ongoing security battles, this conference is for you.

Source : http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/summits-details.pag?eventid=159816490

£25m plan launched boost borough tourism

A £25m action plan, which will support Dudley’s tourism sector during the recession and beyond, has been launched by Minister for the West Midlands Ian Austin MP. The plan, which includes a £1m advertising campaign to draw people to the Black Country and the West Midlands, is part of a sustained investment campaign by Advantage West Midlands over the next three years. Attractions, such as the Black Country Living Museum, Dudley Zoo and Himley Hall, help to make the region one of the key tourism areas, with nearly 19 million visitors coming to the area each year and adding £770 million to the economy. The plan set out by Mr Austin includes a £1m TV advertising campaign - which will be the first-ever regional television advertisement to bring domestic visitors to the West Midlands. As well as a £12m campaign to attract new conferences, exhibitions and events, with £3m to boost business tourism. There will also be a new partnership between airports, hotels, theatres, shopping centres and attractions to promote short city-breaks from elsewhere in Britain and Europe and new partnerships between major attractions on joint promotions and ticket offers, making it easier for visitors to get information and book tickets online. A £1m Celebration of Imagination Festival and Event Programme, celebrating the region’s wide range of significant anniversaries in 2009 is also planned and the 2012 Olympics also features in the list - with an action plan to ensure visitors to Britain travel to the Black Country during their stay. Ian Austin, MP for Dudley North, said: “The Black Country is undoubtedly one of the jewels in the West Midlands’ tourism crown and it is vital we do everything we possibly can to support it through the recession and beyond. “We’ve got world-class attractions, first-class shopping, fantastic theatres and beautiful countryside. “The downturn is having a real impact and our action plan sets out the real help we’re providing to get the industry through the recession. “I want to increase tourism in the region, make sure we bring more visitors to the Black Country and the West Midlands, boost our economy and create more jobs

source : www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/4368213.__25m_plan_launched_to_boost_borough_tourism/

Tourism Minister to upgrade communications sector

Bahamas – Proposed legislation to upgrade the communications sector will give the Bahamas the competitive edge it needs, Minister of Tourism, Senator Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace said. “Efficient communications systems are fundamental to a modern society and to modern commerce,” he said. And, getting the fundamentals right is "vital" to the continued success of the tourism product, he said. “Just yesterday, we completed our test in the Ministry of Tourism to see what would happen if we restored the proximity advantage of the Bahamas from New York,” said the Minister. Making a comparison in ticket sales out of New York during May, 2008 when there was no recession to the same period this year during a full recession, Mr Vanderpool-Wallace said that just by focusing on fundamentals, the tourism product was boosted by 150 per cent. One thousand tickets were sold to the Bahamas out of New York in May last year and 2,604 were sold in May this year. “We can communicate everything in the world to our prospective customers, but especially in this environment, if we don’t get the fundamentals right, we do not restore our competitive edge,” he said.

source:www.bahamaislandsinfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2987:tourism-minister-touts-benefits-of-improved-communications-sector&catid=34:Bahamas National News&Itemid=147

Mauritius joined the 2010 World Cup

MAURITIUS has joined the 2010 World Cup Tour Operator Programme as a provider of top-line accommodation for visiting fans. The island nation is the latest country in the region to provide accommodation for next year’s World Cup with Botswana, Swaziland, Mozambique and Namibia. Match, the company tasked with grading and signing up official accommodation for next year’s tournament, had to look beyond SA to fulfil its requirement for 55000 rooms. Match’s Adam Brown said last week it had already signed up more than 35000 rooms. However, lack of formal accommodation had forced the World Cup organisers to look at alternative lodging, including game lodges and guesthouses. The participation of Mauritius, which would contribute 3200 rooms to the World Cup, would be of immense help to Match. Altogether 6000 rooms have been sourced from outside SA. “We always said it is Africa’s World Cup,” he said. “To be part of the 2010 accommodation programme is a great marketing opportunity for the tourism industry in the entire southern African region to directly benefit from the 2010 Fifa World Cup.”

Fifa secretary-general Jérôme Valcke said yesterday that Mauritius and the other Southern African countries in the accommodation team had the chance to host fans from all over the world during the four weeks from June 11 to July 11 next year, and show them the “splendid and diverse landscapes and the incredible hospitality the region has to offer”. World Cup Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan and Mauritian Vice-Prime Minister and Tourism, Leisure and External Communications Minister Xavier Luc Duval made the announcement at this weekend’s Tourism Indaba in Durban, where the agenda focused on the World Cup. Fans will now be able to buy Fifa packages, which will include flight, cup tickets and accommodatio . Meanwhile, on Saturday, South African Tourism launched its official 2010 marketing campaign, which went live at the weekend on international TV channels . The organisation’s acting CEO said the campaign would reach 600-million people between now and kickoff .

Source : www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A997135

Obama wins health care business support

President Obama will announce Monday that he has secured the commitment of several industry groups to do their part to rein in the growth in health care costs. This pledge from the private sector could reduce the growth in health care spending by 1.5 percentage points a year, for a savings of $2 trillion over 10 years, a letter from the groups will promise, according to a senior administration official. Overall, it could amount to a 20% reduction in the growth of health care spending. Six trade associations representing unions, hospitals, insurers and the drug industry have signed on to the commitment. However, the savings depend in part on Congress passing health care reform this year. And it was not clear how these savings would be accomplished. An official pointed to possible savings from "administrative simplification," smarter care coordination, and changing incentives so providers are rewarded for providing "better" care, as opposed to "more" care. Hospitals are now "financially penalized for providing more efficient care by current law," the official said. The official also said savings could come from the bundling of payments, in which hospitals, doctors, insurers and other health care companies would work together to bill one fee for one treatment. The Obama administration is positioning health care reform as critical for getting the deficit under control; for freeing up resources for other initiatives, such as education; and for reducing the burden on American families. Under the plan to be announced Monday, in five years, the average family of four could be saving $2,500 in health care costs annually, the official said. Given the failed health care reform efforts of the 1990s, the White House's Monday press conference aims to get ahead of potential detractors.

For further details visit at :money.cnn.com/2009/05/10/news/economy/obama_healthcare_reform/?postversion=2009051021

Exhibitions Games - 240 corporate exhibitors found trade show

For small-business owners trying to navigate the economic downturn, spending money on trade and consumer shows might seem like a luxury better reserved for more prosperous times. Not so, say many experts, who believe that exhibiting at?or at the very least attending?these events is one of the smartest things that a small-business owner can do, regardless of the state of the economy. Not only do exhibitions provide critical exposure to potential buyers, they also are essential for learning about unfamiliar markets, building personal relationships and getting an up-close look at the competition. Conventions will always be one of the most valuable things you can do, says Andy Birol, owner of Birol Growth Consulting Inc., a business-coaching firm in Solon, Ohio. ?There?s simply a consolidation of buyers in one place. They have money to spend and buying authority to exercise.? Yes, exhibitions can be pricey. In addition to the cost of renting a booth or showroom space, exhibitors? expenses typically include fees for shipping products and display materials. Many convention centers charge for drayage and access to resources such as electricity, phone lines and the Internet. Out-of-towners need to factor in transportation, lodging and dining expenses. Such costs, combined with the bad economy, are leading some exhibitors to pull back. A recent survey of 240 corporate exhibitors found the number of conventions and trade shows they plan to participate in this year will decrease on average to 26 from 31 in 2008, reports Tradeshow Week magazine.

For further details visit at : online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204475004574127150841322822.html

Business resources - How do I get started?

In order to start a business in Georgia, you must have a business license. Business licenses are obtained through either the city or county in which you plan to conduct business. To find out who regulates business licenses in your county, contact your local chamber of commerce office. Some businesses are required to obtain a license from state offices before opening. The Secretary of State's Office advises as to which state licenses you might need.

"Where do I go to register a sole proprietorship?"
Sole proprietorships are not state-regulated, so there is no requirement to do business as a sole proprietor other than obtaining a business license from the county/city in which the business is being conducted. Sole proprietors are required to register with the state only if they choose to incorporate their business or establish a limited liability company or a limited partnership.

Source :chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/05/11/yrb_523511.shtml

Tourism Leaders wary of Panic

Dispensers holding hand purification lotions greeted the estimated 45,000 conventiongoers walking the floor of the National Hardware Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center this week.

A few people sprayed some of the goo on their hands before entering, mindful that health organizations around the globe have warned about the spread of the H1N1 virus, also known as “swine flu.” So far, Las Vegas has been immune to the potentially damaging effects of panic resulting from a prospective pandemic. Even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, working with the Southern Nevada Health District, confirmed two Clark County cases early in the week, there have been no convention or public-event cancellations in connection with the outbreak, believed centered in Mexico. Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter would just as soon it stay that way.
“In our conversations with our resort partners, we are not aware of any events canceling as a result of the outbreak,” he said. Ralenkotter said his staff has monitored the situation daily with the Health District. Las Vegas’ tourism marketing arm also has kept in close contact with the U.S. Travel Association, the national clearinghouse on travel and tourism developments.
“Travelers, like all citizens, should heed the advice of experts when determining how best to manage health concerns,” association President and CEO Roger Dow said. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, swine flu should not discourage people from traveling to or within the United States.”

For further details visit at : http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/may/08/tourism-leaders-wary-pandemic-panic/

Major Economic and Tourism Opportunities

A MOUNTAIN bike course fit for champions is nearing completion in Dalby Forest, near Pickering, North Yorkshire. The Forestry Commission is putting the finishing touches to a 6.5 kilometre cross-country route on its estate in the 8,600-acre wood, which will be used to stage the Nissan UCI Cross-Country Mountain Bike World Cup in Yorkshire next year if an ambitious bid is successful. Dalby Forest is British Cycling’s preferred venue to host the prestigious global event, beating off stiff competition from elsewhere in the UK to put it in poll position. Cycling chiefs are now working with the Forestry Commission, UK Sport and regional development agency Yorkshire Forward to lodge a bid with international cycling’s governing body with a decision is expected in June. The World Cup course will be put to the test for the first time on Sunday (10 May) when it is used for the British Mountain Bike Race Series. Biking superstars will take part, including Liam Killeen and Oli Beckinsale, providing spectators with thrilling action. Racing gets underway from 10am. There will also be exhibitors and biking displays, based at the Adderstone area of Dalby Forest. Alan Eves, Forest Management Director with the Forestry Commission, said: “The new trail is a big investment for the future giving Dalby Forest a world class competition route which can be used time-and-time again. With big climbs, fast descents and technically demanding features, we’re confident it will live up to its billing as a course for the sport’s elite.”

Over 2,000 tonnes of locally sourced stone has been used to surface the all-weather trail. Sustainable building techniques have also been used to make it more durable.
The trail will be incorporated into Dalby’s 55 kilometre mountain bike network, opened in 2007 and touted as one of the best in England. Parts of the World Cup course will be open for public use, but other sections will be off limits and reserved for top flight competitions.
Bid partners say that staging the World Cup would bring major economic and tourism opportunities for the area. Up to 500 of the world’s top off-road bikers would take part, representing 25 nations. The event could draw up to 10,000 spectators.

Source : http://www.daelnet.co.uk/countrynews/country_news_08052009.cfm

The People’s Republic of China

China this week released the long awaited new regulations for the travel industry to protect the rights of Chinese travel consumers against shopping tours and ensuring their safety when travelling. In the ten years that the Chinese outbound travel industry has been developing, this is the first real effort to tighten up what have long been illegitimate practices harming the reputation of the Chinese travel industry. The announcement comes as the ongoing practices have increased over recent years within the Chinese travel industry, both domestically and outbound. Premier Wen Jiabao by Order of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China announced the important sweeping changes which are welcome news for Chinese travel consumers. This recent decree is also very good news for destinations and tourism operators globally that have been investing heavily in the Chinese travel market in recent years. Among the 36 articles announced, some of the key changes relate to ensuring complete transparency to consumers prior to purchasing and also to remaining legitimate whilst on tour. New regulations have given special attention to addressing the Chinese travel industry’s long standing reputation of being heavily commissioned shopping tours in order to market and sell below cost tours. The new rules stipulate that no tour can be sold below cost and there is to be no coercing travelers to go shopping or participate in tour items that need extra payment.
Glen Hingley, Managing Director of Shanghai based tourism representation firm, Asia Tourism Relations said, “This means the inbound travel industry receiving Chinese travelers in destinations such as Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia and other approved destinations should now be gradually forced to change their practices. The current practices of shopping related entities acting as inbound operators and offering below cost tours with itineraries full of forced shopping should now abate. Of course these new regulations need to be enforced and it is hoped that as more and more travelers understand their new consumer rights, this will occur. However for many consumers it also means that the cost of travel will now increase, forcing many at the very bottom of the markets threshold to not be able to afford travel.” “For many in the travel industry of China this will indeed be a bitter pill to swallow initially but it has to in time mean that the Chinese traveler of tomorrow will be able to have a much more meaningful travel experience that is the tour they purchased, regardless of the destination” Mr Hingley added.
These changes are now being rolled out across China and it is expected that the travel industry will be policed in an effort to ensure the rights of travelling Chinese are protected.
According to the statistics from National Bureau of Statistics of China, by the end of year 2008 there were over 45.8 million of Chinese tourists to travel abroad, a remarkable 11.9% increase since year 2007. World Tourism Organization predicts it is set to reach a staggering 100 million per year by 2020.

Source : http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/30851-China-announces-changes-to-travel-laws

Unplanned Tourist Activities

Global warming coupled with 'unplanned tourist activities' are threatening the existence of high altitude Himalayan wetlands, particularly those in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, says an environment expert. Ladakh has three main high altitude wetlands - Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri and Tokhar. 'Major challenges to the high altitude wetlands of Ladakh include unplanned and unregulated tourism, tourist season coinciding with peak biological activity, tremendous grazing pressure, emerging threat of climate change and lack of coordination among various developmental agencies,' said Pankaj Chandan, India coordinator of the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) Himalayan High Altitude Wetlands Conservation Project. Giving a lecture in Jammu University Thursday, Chandan said that the high altitude wetlands of Jammu and Kashmir not only support the unique biodiversity in the region but are also a source of livelihood for the local communities. He said at the regional level these wetlands also act as source of major rivers and support millions of people in the downstream regions. 'Forty percent of the world's population is dependent on water coming from Himalayas,' Chandan noted. Speaking on challenges and difficulties in working in areas like Ladakh, he said that in high altitude regions the working season is very short and conservation outcome also depends on the political situation.
He said ownership of the conservation activities should be given to the local communities, the projects should be related to economic incentives, and conservation should also help in improving the livelihood of poor and vulnerable communities. What is most interesting about the WWF initiative for the conservation and management of Ladakh high altitude wetland is that it has started involving Indian troops at the wetland sites. 'Training workshops for officers of the armed forces are being organised. One training programme after every alternate year is being organised in Ladakh for the army, air force, ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police), BRO (Border Roads Organisation) and state police,' said Chandan. 'The process of training the officers has been institutionalised. Many officers who were trained are contributing in conservation in other arts of India as well,' he added. He said there are also regular training programmes for tour operators, who even organise annual cleaning of camping sites in Ladakh.

Source : http://www.bombaynews.net/story/498998

Rahul Gandhi will campaign for DMK

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi will campaign for DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu for two days from tomorrow for the May 13 Lok Sabha polls.This will be the first time when the Congress leaders will interact with DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi after Rahul's reported remarks on May 5 that his party saw DMK's arch rival AIADMK as one of the post poll partners.While Singh will address a public meeting here on May 9, Rahul will hold rallies at Sivaganga, where Union Home Minister P Chidambaram is contesting and in Tiruchirapalli tomorrow.

Charubala Tondaiman, a former mayor, is the Congress nominee at Tiruchirapalli. CLP leader and senior Congress functionary D Sudharshanam told PTI that Singh would share the dais with DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at Island Grounds, where he was scheduled to attend a joint election meeting with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on May 6. The meeting was postponed after Karunanidhi was hospitalised for fever. Security concerns due to demonstrations by pro-LTTE groups may also have been a reason behind postponing the meeting.

Source : http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/rahul-gandhi-to-campaign-in-tn/60826/on

Armstrong - California tour moving to May

After a rainy, bone-chilling stage of last February's Tour of California, cycling icon Lance Armstrong posted a Twitter message about the atrocious weather that was plaguing the race.
"The Tour of California should be in late April," Armstrong told his fans. Others have agreed. Next year's race is being moved to May with the hope that spring conditions will lead to better racing and attract even larger crowds. But there is a calculated risk in the calendar change, which pushes the Tour of California into the heart of traditional racing season. The race now conflicts with Europe's more prestigious Giro d'Italia -- testing the belief of Tour of California organizers that their event already has become well-established after just four years.The race schedule of May 16 to 23, which was reported on Cyclingnews.com, has the California cycling community buzzing. Michael Roth, a spokesman for event owner AEG Sports, would not confirm the new date until a formal announcement is made next week. But Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, told Cyclingnews.com that going head-to-head with Giro d'Italia won't adversely affect their race. A May date, he added, should make it a prime tune-up for the Tour de France. "I think being a lead-up to the Tour is the strongest place for us to be," Messick said. This year's Tour of California was a nine-day, 750-mile.

For further details visit at www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_12313541?nclick_check=1

Kerala Tourism After Making Thiruvananthapuram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After making its presence felt globally through a series of new-age online initiatives, Kerala Tourism has decided to announce itself domestically through the old-world medium of the radio. To give a fillip to the lean domestic season, the Tourism Department has decided to piggy-back on the increasing popularity of FM radios. Kerala Tourism has associated with Radio Mirchi to promote the state to listeners in New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bangalore. Four radio jockeys will travel to the state for a week and experience the exotic locales of God’s Own Country. They will broadcast their experiences to listeners in their respective cities, live from the state three times a day. The visiting radio jockeys who will be presenting Kerala to their listeners are Anand Rai (Bangalore), Suven (Mumbai), Aakriti (New Delhi) and Ankit (Ahmedabad). The live broadcast had begun from May 4. ``Listeners will be taken on a tour by their radio jockey who will visit the beaches, backwaters and hill stations of Kerala. They will convey the beauty of the place, the vibrancy of Kerala culture and the exquisite taste of Kerala cuisine,’’ a Department release said.

A series of on-air competitions will also be held during the same time, for listeners to win holidays to the state. This marketing innovation has been designed to boost Kerala’s Dream Season in key domestic markets, the release said. Dream Season is a campaign targeted at the domestic market to drive visitors to the State during the lean season. ``Tying destinations and travel information into the radio programme is very popular overseas, but it is a new concept in India. The beauty of a destination is an ideal subject and can be easily communicated to an audience, even without pictures,’’ Tourism Director M Shivshankar said. Earlier this year, Kerala Tourism had tied up with Star Plus TV to promote Kerala on `Bidaai,’ the country’s number one TV serial. Several tourist attractions, including a trip on a houseboat, were featured in six `honeymoon’ episodes of 30 minutes each.

Source : http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Radio+Mirchi+to+help++promote+Kerala+Tourism&artid=|FA4m

LDV saved in Malaysian firm

A last-ditch deal to save van-maker LDV from going into administration was agreed with a Malaysian firm last night. In undertaking to buy the Birmingham-based business, vehicle importer Weststar will safeguard hundreds of jobs. It will also invest in the firm's plant, which has been idle since before Christmas. The company was due to go into administration today raising fears for 850 workers. The company has not built any vans since before Christmas, after its Russian owner, Gaz, decided to sell the business. As negotiations continued last night, Lord Mandelson's Department for Business and Enterprise said it was making a 'one-off' £5m bridging loan available to aid the deal. Business minister Ian Pearson said it 'offers the only credible chance of keeping this manufacturing plant in the UK'. 'Whilst completion of the deal is not certain, it would have been irresponsible not to support it going forward,' said Mr Pearson.

For further details visit at www.thisismoney.co.uk/investing-and-markets/article.html?in_article_id=483986&in_page_id=3&ct=5

IBM solutions helps build a smarter planet to midmarket companies

Leading the way are the new Comprehensive Data Protection Solution and BladeCenter Express servers incorporating the latest IBM POWER6 microprocessors to create the foundation for a highly efficient, dynamic infrastructure needed for today's rapidly changing global economy.

IBM is strengthening its long-standing commitment to the midmarket with solutions specifically designed for midsize businesses that are making the promise of a smarter planet, a reality for this critically important market. In particular, these latest offerings address the growing need for dynamic infrastructure, business intelligence, energy efficiency and solutions for smarter work. Through its Express Advantage strategy, IBM continues to apply its unparalleled combination of research capabilities, industry skills, technology innovation and global business partner ecosystem to help midmarket companies succeed in today's environment.
'There is an increased need to improve company infrastructure to make our customers more efficient, cost effective and smarter,' said Takreem El Tohamy, general manager, IBM Middle East and North Africa. 'The skills, technologies and solutions that business partners and IBM are delivering as part of the smarter planet campaign are enabling customers to gain better insight into their businesses to become leaner more effective and smarter organisations.'

For further details visit at www.ameinfo.com/195436.html