April 2007




  IH&RA meets in Sofia

  Balkan Associations join IH&RA

  IH&RA Ambassador to UFTAA

  IH&RA Ambassador to BAHA

  Crisis Prevention & Preparedness

  Employment and the Global Foodchain

  Climate Change impacts Hospitality

  International Standards for Tourism Services

  Avian Flu Simulation

  IH&RA Calender of Events




Dr.Ghassan Aïdi		 Message from the President

Immediate concerns should not prevent us from taking a long-term perspective. Our recent meeting of the Board of Directors and NACE Council in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 12 March was an excellent opportunity to review the challenges of the past few months and discuss our plans for the months ahead. It was also an opportunity to get to know our hosts - our new Members, the Bulgarian Hospitality Management Club and the Bulgarian Hotel & Restaurant Association - who gave us a wonderful welcome.

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  IH&RA meets in Sofia

IH&RA Board & NACE Meetings




IH&RA Board & NACE meet in Sofia
IH&RA's Board of Directors and National Association Chief Executives were given a warm and enthusiastic welcome to Sofia by our new Members the Bulgarian Hospitality Management Club and the Bulgarian Hotel & Restaurant Association.
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Balkan Associations join IH&RA




Spotlight on the Balkans

Three Members of BAHA, the Balkan Alliance of Hotel Associations, officially joined IH&RA at a ceremony held on 11 March at Hotel Jasmin in Sofia, just prior to the IH&RA Board and NACE meetings.


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  IH&RA Ambassadors

IH&RA Ambassador to UFTAA




Mats Östblom		 Mats Östblom appointed IH&RA Ambassador to UFTAA

At the Board meeting held in Sofia on 12 March President Dr Ghassan Aïdi appointed Mats Östblom, IH&RA Independent Operator Representative,as official IH&RA Ambassador to UFTAA, the Universal Federation of Travel Agents Associations.


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IH&RA Ambassador to BAHA




Donco Tanveski		 Donco Tanevski appointed IH&RA Ambassador to BAHA
At the Board meeting held in Sofia on 12 March President Dr Ghassan Aïdi appointed Donco Tanevski, President of the Hotel Association of Macedonia and immediate Past President of the Balkans Alliance of Hotel Associations BAHA, as official IH&RA Ambassador to this organization.
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  Message from the Director-General

Crisis Prevention & Preparedness




IH&RA participates in UNEP APELL Project Launch
IH&RA Director-General Avi Rosental took part in the launching of the first three-day APELL workshops run by the United Nations Environment Programme UNEP in South East Asia as part of the EU Funded Asia Pro Eco II Tsunami Relief programme.
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  Eye on International Organisations

Employment and the Global Foodchain




ILO Modifies Scope of proposed Tri-Partite Foodchain Meeting
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has announced that it will hold a major Tri-Partite meeting in Geneva (24-28 September 2007) on “The Impact of Global Food Chains on Employment.
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Tourism, Hospitality and Climate Change




UNESCO convenes Seminar on Tourism and Climate Change
There is now compelling scientific evidence indicating that climate change poses a serious challenge to social and economic development in all countries. Tourism development is no exception.
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International Standards for Tourism Services




Follow-up to ISO TC 228 Bangkok Meeting
At the 2nd annual meeting of TC228 held in Bangkok on 26-27 February, ISO - the International Organisation for Standardisation - confirmed that it would not formally exclude accommodation and catering from the scope of the TC's activities, while stating that the proposed TC Business Plan would comprise only those work items "where there is known support amongst stakeholders".
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Avian Influenza




UNWTO runs Avian Influenza Simulation Exercise
The exercise was designed to sharpen coordination within countries and across borders in the event of an outbreak of a new influenza type among humans.
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  IH&RA Calender of Events

Click on the events to see more.
28 - 30 April 2007
AHIC 2007
Arabian Hotel Investment Conference
Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai		  
8 - 10 May 2007
CHTIC 2007
Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference
World Trade Centre, Curacao		  
15 - 18 May 2007
The 8th China Food Festival & International Gourmet Expo 2007
Qingdao, China		  
19 - 22 May 2007
National Restaurant Association Hotel-Motel Show 2007
McCormick Place, Chicago		  


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