Social media as a distraction for African students Essay Example for Free

Social media as a distraction for African students Essay Social media as a distraction for African students social media has formed a massive part of our lives whether we embrace the concept or discard it. Social media is all around us; on all continents and in most countries. It can be likened to death, regarding its inevitable nature. Social media can be defined as the relationship that exists between networks of people. (Walter Riviera, 2004). We as individuals cannot imagine a world without social media, not to talk about the internet. The income or the earnings of some individuals actually come from social media as a result of the advertisement. One can confidently say that social media has been of immense benefit to the general public. It has helped to reduce communication barriers, it has helped us relate better with our friends and relatives, and it has created avenues for business opportunities, but like every natural phenomenon, it has a flip side as well. Social media has been and is still a major distraction for students in Africa and as young adults or students, we are mostly caught up in this web on countless occasions. This paper will talk about how social media has been and is still a distraction for students. Like stated earlier on, social media has been lauded for its benefits to the world. It has helped in terms of socialization, in that, it helps us rewire our relationship with our long-lost friends, it helps people to advertise their products which actually turns their business into a very lucrative one, it also creates avenues for business opportunities and so forth. We could sit and devote our time to describing how social media has been a blessing to this generation but as the saying goes every yin has its yang. Social media like every natural thing has its cons as well. It has become a major distraction for students in almost every country in Africa. According to a report by common sense media, 75% of African teenagers presently have profiles on social networking sites, of which 68% of them use Facebook as their main social networking tool. According to Sephora, a digital marketing website, studies have shown that 50% of 18-24-year-olds go on Facebook when they wake up (Noyes, 200 2). Most students in this modern era, cannot go a day without visiting social media websites, not to even talk about their phones. One major effect of social media on students is that there is no privacy in their lives. The figure below shows the kind of information people put on social media. Students of today find nothing wrong in sharing their personal information on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook because they see it to be the â€Å"new thing† trending or they try to stick to the status quo. Some students deliberately turn a blind eye to the consequences or the effects of putting such information out there, thinking that there are no harmful people in the world or thinking that it’s the status quo. All these information put out there can actually bring harm to the students because there are people out there who have bad intentions or who have the mindset of getting the information of people and blackmailing them. According to daily graphic, a 21 year old girl who always used to put her photos or what is going on in her life on social media was one time blackmailed by one criminal because she put an explicit picture of herself there thinking no one would see and was asked to pay a ransom of GHS100, 000 for the picture not to be leaked. She then h ad to appeal for funds just to be able to redeem herself. It sometimes would not be this easy to come out of blackmailing, so it’s better to avoid all these problems, as the saying goes â€Å"prevention is indeed better than cure†. In the same vein, social media is seen as the cause for the low grades some students get during the exams they take or the assignments they get from school. Most students when in class do not pay attention but rather use their phones with the excuse of â€Å"checking what new song Justin Bieber has released† or â€Å"what dress Serena Williams wore to her recent wedding†. Although it’s good to be up-to-date on the things happening around us, there is time for everything. Time magazine US edition, an article called Wired for distraction, conducted a research and realized that students who are seriously involved in social media have what we call â€Å"continuous partial attention†, which was said by Linda Stone, a Microsoft executive. This means, their attention to focus on one thing or person at a time is nearly impossible. Most students find it very difficult to pay attention in class because they are distracted by the least thing or noise they hear. The c onstant distraction of social media tends to affect how the students learn and absorb information. Students who try to multitask by using their phones to text and surf social networks while listening to the lecturer teach end up not using their brains to its full potential or capacity. According to the University of California, Los Angeles, there are two kinds of learning segments in the brain. The â€Å"focused learner† is one that pays attention and is not distracted by their phones, friends or their laptops. These people use the â€Å"hippocampus† region of the brain, the part of the brain used in long-term memory. And we have the multitaskers; these people try and perform one or more tasks at the same time. They use the part of the brain called the striatum; this part, on the other hand, is normally for those who try and study patterns or habits. Students of today are easily distracted and must learn to pay full attention in class in order to turn their dreams into reality. Social media takes a lot of time from students. Students normally have the intention of checking Facebook or Instagram for a specific amount of time. They plan on spending 5 minutes on social media but before they can say jack, they spend over 3 hours on it. In 2010, the Kaiser family foundation came out with a report that children between the ages of eight (8) to eighteen (18) use over 7 or more hours on social media sites. One research study done by Phil Smith was that once an hour, 9 out of 10 students are distracted by Facebook or Twitter. (Smith, 2011). References Noyes, D. (n.d.). Digital Marketing Consultants top 20 valuable facebook statistics 2017.https://zephoria.com/top-15-valuable-facebook-statistics/Sterling, G. (2014, July 22). Pew: 94% Of Teenagers Use Facebook, Have 425 Facebook Friends, But Twitter Instagram Adoption Way Up. https://marketingland.com/pew-the-average-teenager-has-425-4-facebook-friends-44847 Conley, D. (2011, 19 May). Wired for Distraction: Kids and Social Media. Time Magazine U.S. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article

Travel industry in Pakistan tourism

Travel industry in Pakistan tourism Introduction and Background of the Research The Travel Industry in Pakistan is undergoing a period of drastic changes. Customer demands and loyalty levels are changing every season with competitive packages being offered by the travel management companies to stay in the business. Also to compete with the International travel industry, local companies have to be at par and offer excellent services and rates. The industry is all about enabling customers to build mutual relationships with their clients and to give them the means with which they can maximize the benefit of every idea or initiative effortlessly across their clients. The travel sector has been categorized as Inbound and Outbound Travel. Inbound travel refers to the people who wish to travel to Pakistan where as Outbound travel refers to the people wishing to travel abroad. If a person travels to some foreign land it is included in Outbound Travel and if the same person returns to Pakistan, it will be characterized as Inbound Travel. Considering the economic and political conditions of Pakistan, there has always been disparity between outbound and inbound travel. This is also because of the Non Returning Pakistanis who wish to pursue their careers outside Pakistan and after certain time, call their families abroad. The Travel Sector has always been focusing on outbound travel because of the adequate infrastructure provided by other destinations such as Far East, Middle East and Europe. The sector in Pakistan has also been a victim of lack of support by the government despite the growing number of travel management companies in Pakistan. An independent report by World Economic forums Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008 (TTCR) suggested that tourism facilities remained unsatisfactory in Pakistan. Due to the absence of world class tourism facilities, Pakistan is constantly being put on the back foot when it comes to tourism promotion. In addition to a poor tourism infrastructure, the country also lacks standard and competitive hotel rooms at popular tourism sites. The TTCR ranked Pakistan at number 110 out of 124 countries, when it came to provision of standard and competitive hotel rooms. (Euro Monitor, 2009) According to the Members List posted on the TAAP (Travel agents association of Pakistan) currently there are over 700 travel agents working across the country that have been categorized as: Figure 1.1: Distribution of Travel Management Companies in Pakistan (TAAP, 2009) Travel may be broadly classified in three different categories worldwide and the same classification applies to Pakistan as well. Travelling for business purposes, these include personnel from companies travelling for varying needs including training and development, Business development etc. Travelling for leisure activities, these would include either travelling to meet relatives aboard or travelling to different countries for the sake of entertainment. The third and the most popular segment in Pakistan at the moment is the religious segment, this would include people travelling for the purpose of religious pilgrimages (Hajj, Umrah, Ziarat etc) There are several travel management companies working in Karachi and most of them provide services to all the three segments, but there are certain others who specialize in single segment only with their major focus being towards providing services to the corporate sector. In this era travel agencies are not only providing its customers with tickets for their travel, but they are working towards creating an overall experience for their clients and these include it from the other. These leaders in the travel business have been serving customers with a variety of travel products and services and catering to their daily, seasonal and corporate needs. The industry has diversified from normal ticketing to packages (domestic and international), Visa facilitation, Cars and Campers vans, Cruise packages across Pacific and Atlantic oceans, Meetings-Incentives-Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE), Rail packages and even Call Centres. Because of their extensive approach to serve the travel industry, leaders or the so called travel-pundits have now been able to serve in multiple cities in Pakistan and even abroad. Some of them have also started 24 hours office with day and night shifts to cater to their customers 24/7. Travel market has expanded globally and even these travel pundits in Pakistan and specially Karachi are able to cater to corporate accounts globally with the ease of online ticketing and payment settlement done online. Another aspect which the local market i s catering is handling accounts of international travel agencies through local call centers in Karachi due to availability of cheap labor and savings they can make. Travel industry in Pakistan still has a long way to grow which has been slow due to political and economic instability in the country, however, the travel gurus have been making day night efforts to explore more opportunities and line up a growing pace for the industry. Objectives and scope of the Research The Corporate, Leisure and Religious travel segments are the three main areas of operations in the Travel segment. Since our Pakistani consumers are still not comfortable with the concept of e-ticketing and are still in the phase of adapting to paper less tickets, the operations of Travel Management Companies are still preferred by the masses. Our consumers still rely on Travel Management Companies to map out their itineraries and have loyalty levels associated with certain agencies. Several packages are offered by Travel Management Companies in Karachi for the corporate, leisure and religious travel segments. There are companies that specialize in a certain segment as well. The growing competition and influx of Travel Management Companies in Karachi necessitates their analysis in terms of their marketing mix and current practices in order to differentiate the services offered by them, retain old customers and attract new ones. Travelers who prefer to leave the job of ticketing and travel mapping to the specialists in the field lay emphasis on the company that would give them the best possible rates with the most services. In order to decipher consumers preferences and criteria behind selecting a travel management company, we intend to incorporate this in our thesis as one of the areas of research and will try to gather reasons accruing to this selection. The success factors behind leading players in the industry will be sought and a comparative analysis of their practices and packages offered will also be conducted. The scope of the research is specifically based in Karachi, Pakistan. Due to time constraints and traveling issues, all the interviews and surveys of consumers and the travel management companies will be conducted in Karachi only. Problem Definition and Research Questions Worldwide travel management companies have been doing well for over two decades. The growth of travel agency bookings has outperformed the growth in airline traffic in the first half of 2010. Although in 2009; there was a rise in internet bookings as cost savings topped the priority list for travelers. (Jones, 2010) In Pakistan, the prevailing trend depicts a rise in the advent of travel management companies. The reasons normally accrued to this rise is the preference of travelers to rely on travel management companies to set their itineraries in the most cost effective and convenient way. In todays environment, travel management companies need every advantage to compete with pressure from mega-agencies, online travel companies and regional players, especially as competition intensifies and economic conditions continue to falter. With the web breaking distance barriers between countries and making information available to all via just a click, travel services for business, leisure and religious travel have pressed travel management companies for the best possible options. Overall business travel transactions processed by members of the UKs Guild of Travel Management Companies grew by 12 percent year-over-year in the six months through June 2010. (GTMC, 2010) Leisure travel has also witnesses a rise following the post recession stage and leisure travel is expected to be more profitable than corporate travel. (World Travel Market, 2010) Till date very little research has been done on the travel industry in Pakistan. In our thesis we would explore the various factors that have lead to the success of few out of the so many established in the country in the light of the different segments of travel services that are provided. We would also be examining the services offered by these companies in order to have a comprehensive picture of the industrys success factor. Hence our research problem is: To explore the success factors of leading travel management companies in Karachi. Some of the research questions that we would try to explore are: What are the variables driving success for the travel industry? What are the 7Ps of the travel management companies? What attributes do consumers consider while opting for a travel management company? Who are the major players in the leisure, religious and corporate travel categories? What can travel management agencies do to further improve the travel management practices? Research Methodology The research methodology that will be used is divided into two phases, primary and secondary. The research would include both, Qualitative and Quantitative Research, based mostly on primary data collection. In the first phase we will determine the top travel management companies based on their number of customers and other International key success factors. Once the top 5 players are identified, the second phase will begin in which we will be finding out customer perception of travel agents and their packages through questionnaires. Secondary Research will be conducted to find out the various packages and services being offered by the travel management agencies. Comparative analysis will be done for various travel management companies on the basis of their offerings. Sampling will be done on the basis of quota sampling. 20 travel agencies will be approached and the top 5 travel management agencies will be selected based on the number of customers they cater for. Limitations of the Research The limitation of the study can be firstly accrued to its scope being confined to Karachi and hence may not be reflective of the services being offered by travel management companies across the country. The scenarios witnessed by the 5 key travel agents from Karachi might not be reflective of the market. As travel sector is not a listed in any of the stock exchange, it will be difficult to extract authentic details from travel management companies and information given by the agencies will have to be relied upon. In order to keep the research free from any sort of biasness, use of reliable research studies and data provided by the authorities with relevant facts and experts opinions will be provided to defend our reasoning. CHAPTER TWO An Introduction to Travel Management Companies Heathrow International Travel defines a travel management, as means to meeting the demands and expectations of travelers, be it individuals or part of a group. Further elaboration by the travel industry dictionary states that travel agent is any person who sells travel products on a commission basis or who meets certain minimum qualifications, which can vary widely according to those who uses the term or sets the standards. (Travel Industry Glossary, 2007) Laurie Lico Ablanese, teacher and author at Vagner College, U.S, defines the job of a travel agent as a person who can perform one or more of the following functions that can be characterized as that of a travel consultant, tour organizer, small business executive, or travel guide. (Albanese, 2010) Travel agents may choose to become certified by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA) for which they require a minimum of 18 months of experience as an agent, along with a complete 12 course program. There are various other certifications that travel agents acquire in order to gain more expertise, the most famous certification being that from IATA. These certifications are a key criteria for travel management companies operating worldwide as they assist travelers in selecting an authentic company for their travel requirements. For corporate, religious and leisure travel management agencies, certification from International Air Travel Association (IATA) is mandatory as it certifies your identity throughout the world. Each agent is given a distinguished code which enables the agent to be tracked anywhere in the world. The various other certifications include the following: United Federation of Travel Agents Association (UFTAA): UFTAA represents national travel agents associations in a significant number of countries. It remains the most prominent body representing the interests of travel agents worldwide and enjoys consultative status with the United Nattions. Its membership also includes a large group of Travel Partners, including major airlines, hotels, tourism boards, shipping companies, car rental companies and many other operators allied to the tourist industry. UFTAA is essential for corporate travel segment. World Tourism Organization (WTO ): WTO, not to be confused with the World Trade Organization, serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues. Based in Madrid, WTO is entrusted by the United Nations to help countries maximize the positive impacts of tourism, such as job creation, infrastructure development and foreign exchange earnings, while at the same time minimizing negative environmental or social impacts. Representatives covering Africa, the Americas, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and South Asia are responsible for overseeing specific projects and working. Their key emphasis is on leisure travel. World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC): Founded in 1990 with support from American Express, WTTC is a high-level private sector-only lobbying group whose membership comprises Chief Executives of multinational accommodation, catering, cruises, entertainment, recreation, transportation, and other travel-related companies. WTTCs mission is to raise the awareness of the full economic impact of the Travel and Tourism industry. International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IH RA): Officially recognized by the United Nations, IH RA represents the interests of the worlds hotels and restaurants. Members include hotel and restaurants operators, corporate hotel executives national hospitality association, hotel schools, and suppliers to the hospitality industry. The association is responsible for lobbying international policy, making bodies to resist regulations that could damage their business, estimated to comprise 300,000 hotels and 8 million restaurants. Pacific Asia Travels Association (PATA): Founded in 1951, PATA is the dominant industry association in one of the worlds most popular Travel and Tourism region. Based in Bangkok, its membership includes nearly 100 government, states, and city tourism bodies, 76 airlines and cruise lines, some 2000 companies and organization, and 17,000 individuals in 78 Chapters worldwide. Its programmers and designed to help members enhance their competitive edge through research and marketing services, product development and educational seminars and workshops. International Airline Passenger Association (IAPA): With over 400,000 members around the world, IAPAs main goal is to represent the views of travelers who fly often, by speaking out on safety and health issues related to flying. One area in which IAPA has made efforts is the improvement of aircraft cabin air quality. It also offers members discounts on hotels worldwide, savings on car rental, comprehensive travel insurance, and other benefits. (Insight, 2009) All travel agencies in Pakistan are subject to the local rules and regulations filed under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture at Federal Level and Department and Tourist Services at provincial level. A travel agency cannot operate without a valid license issued by the Department of Tourist Services (DTS). A license issued is subject to many requirements such as competent staff, financially sound management and location suitable for public dealing. A Bank guarantee is furnished to Department of Tourist Services after final inspection and then a license is issued to operate the travel agency. The license is valid for one year from the date of issue and has to be renewed after the expiry date. These are separate from the certifications they need to register for International traveling. Specialization of Travel Management Companies Travel agencies have been regarded as critical information, planning and booking providers for a large number of travelers (Duke Persia 1993; Mihalik, Uysal Pan 1995). Travel products provided by travel management companies include air ticketing, visa facilitation, worldwide hotel reservations, worldwide car rental reservations, travel insurance, airport meet and assist service, rail, bus tickets and MICE (Meeting, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions). (Oasis Travels, 2010) These products vary from one travel Management Company to another depending on their expertise and the market they operate in; these are further classified according to the sectors in which they specialize. Travel management agencies have opted for specialization in various fields including corporate, personal, event, leisure or school travel. Corporate Travel Business travel is a highly valuable part of the travel and tourism industry. Not only does it continue to grow, but also average spending by business travel customers is higher than in the retail sector. Travel agencies are inclined towards the corporate sector because of various reasons, major ones being the following High quality, high yield (earns more revenue) part of travel and tourism Year-round sector means more full-time jobs More shock-proofed against downturns or disasters Investment can regenerate urban areas. (Business Travel Operation, 2008) Companies usually arrange the corporate travel on various occasions major ones being conferences and meeting, exhibition, and trade fairs, incentive travel, corporate events and outdoor events. The revenue from each of these occasions is different but according to a tourism department of UK the major contributor of revenue in the corporate sector is when company personnel travel for meetings and conferences and as per an estimate for the year 2003 meeting and conference, related travel has amounted for around  £7 billion. (Weaver, Han, 2008) Conferences and meetings are worth over  £7 billion in 2003. This part of the sector includes sales conferences, management meetings, annual general meetings, training courses, business presentations and product launches. The market for exhibitions and trade fairs is worth over  £2 billion per year, trade exhibitions are for buyers and sellers in specific trade sectors. Incentive travel is used by organisations to motivate their staff. They are usually offered in industries with high profit margins such as cars and financial services. Incentive travel is used by organisations to motivate their staff. Corporate events include staff and client entertainment. Sporting occasions are the most popular for corporate events. Close links exist between corporate events segment and the contract catering industry. Its market worth between  £700 million and  £1 billion per year. (Bized, 2008) Religious Travel Religious travel now a day is a very comprehensive and expansive terms, previously it was only used to account for the travel that is done for the purpose of religious pilgrimages but today the concept of religious travel has primarily centered on the notion of pilgrimage. Although this type of journey remains at the heart of religious travel in many ways, it is no longer the sole form or reference point The growing religious tourism sector is currently valued at US$18 billion per year with Hajj pilgrimage, Palestine, Jordan, Iran and other Middle Eastern destinations identified as top draws for religious travel. With more than 300 million global travelers annually, the faith-based travel and hospitality market provides destination management organizations, wholesalers, suppliers, and travel agents unprecedented opportunities for new business avenues and clientele. Today, religious travel and hospitality is defined by, Travel to a religious destination, (Travelling to a religious destination is the most common and traditional meaning of the phrase religious travel. It may be right to attribute the success of this form of travel to all the major religions of the world. The word that has been associated with religious travel is pilgrimage.) Travel to a religious gathering (. People of various faith and disciplines have been travelling and gathering for religious purpose and celebrations.), Travel with a missionary and/or humanitarian intent and Travel with a fellowship intent. (Most short-term mission trips typically last from seven to 14 days. Volunteer vacations are a related form of missionary travel) (World Religious Travel Association, 2010) According toaccording to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. .. Click the link for more information.  Kevin J Wright, president of the World Religious Travel Association (WRTA WRTA Worcester Regional Transit Authority (Massachusetts) WRTA World Religious Travel Association WRTA Western Regional Transmission Association WRTA Western Reserve Transit Authority (Northeast Ohio)  ), specialist travel providers need to develop the best possible travel experiences to leverage income from the three billion people around the world who trace their religious roots and faiths to the Middle East. Religious tourism is recognized as one of the most resilient markets in the travel industry, said Wright, who will be conducting a seminar entitled `The New Era of Religious Tourism` at Arabian Travel Market the Middle East`s premier travel and tourism event to be held in May in Dubai. Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia  (sà ¤`dÄâ€Å" Éâ„ ¢rÄ `bÄâ€Å"Éâ„ ¢, sou`-, sà ´-), officially Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, kingdom (2005 est. pop. .. Click the link for more information.  is the market`s primary driver, with the Islamic Hajj hajj  (hà ¤j), the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, one of the five basic requirements (arkan or pillars) of Islam. Its annual observance corresponds to the major holy day id al-adha,   and Umrah   The Umrah or (Arabic: Ø ¹Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±ÃƒËœÃ‚ © ) is a pilgrimage to Mecca performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year.   pilgrimages seeing the Kingdom receive over six million worshipers annually. The religious tourism industry in Saudi Arabia alone generates an estimated $7 billion annually and with the market expecting 20 percent growth in the coming years, tour operators, hotels and airlines are already tailoring products to tap into the religious market. Pilgrimages are not the sole driver of the religious market anymore and people of faith are increasingly seeking greater quality travel experiences across the full spectrum of sub-sectors whic h drive the industry, Wright said. Mark Walsh For details of the dart player, Mark Walsh, please see Mark Walsh (Dart player) Mark Walsh is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist. .. Click the link for more information., Group Exhibition Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions organizer of Arabian Travel Market, which takes place from May 5 8, 2009, at the Dubai International Convention Exhibition Centre said the need to examine robust tourism revenue streams would be critical in ensuring the industry weathers the current economic downturn. Our industry is changing and tour operators and travel companies need to examine alternative business avenues to increase profits during these challenging times. The religious tourism market is one such possibility and remains extremely relevant to Middle East based operations. Through these informed discussion sessions, exhibitors and visitors alike can better understand the business potential available to them. According to Wright, Jordan and Palestine are huge growth markets. Ninety-five percent of tourism in Palestine is religion-based, while Jordan is targeting tourism revenues of up to $2.4 billion, per year, by 2010 over 60 percent higher than income generated in 2007, he said. Iraq is also emerging as a serious player in the sector. Areas of religious significance, such as Najaf home of the sacred shrine of the son-in-law of Prophet Mohammad already welcomes eight million pilgrims a year, but a new airport will increase inbound in ·bound  1  Ã‚   adj. Bound inward; incoming: inbound commuter traffic. Adj. 1. inbound   capacity to over 20 million. Citing Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi  (à ¤`b thà ¤`bÄâ€Å", zà ¤-, dà ¤-), Arab. Abu Zabi, sheikhdom (1995 pop. 928,360), c.   as an example of how feeder destinations can benefit from mass pilgrimages to Saudi, Iraq and other holy sites, Wright added: Abu Dhabi International AirportAbu Dhabi International Airport (Arabic: Ù†¦ÃƒËœÃ‚ ·ÃƒËœÃƒËœÃ‚ ± Ø £ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¨Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€  Ø ¸ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¨Ãƒâ„¢Ã…   Øلؠ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  ) (IATA: AUH,  ICAO: OMAA .. Click the link for more information.  handled nearly 15,000 Hajjes last year, which increased its passenger traffic rates to Saudi Arabia by 34.5 percent the potential for everyone in the region to benefit is astoundinga ·stound  Ã‚   tr.v. a ·stound ·ed, a ·stound ·ing, a ·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, .. Click the link for more information.. (Mojnews Agency, 2009) Leisure Travel Leisure travel may be defined as travel that is undertaken for pleasure and personal purposes. The  World Tourism Organization  reports top ten countries as the most visited from 2006 to 2009 by the number of international travelers. When compared to 2006,  Ukraine  entered the top ten lists, surpassing  Russia,  Austria  and  Mexico,  and in 2008, surpassed  Germany.  In 2008, the  U.S.  displaced  Spain  from the second place. Most of the top visited countries continue to be on the  European continent, followed by a growing number of  Asian  countries. In 2009,  Malaysia  made it into the top 10 most visited countries list.  Malaysia  secured the ninth position, just below  Turkey  and  Germany. In 2008, Malaysia was in the eleventh position. Both  Turkey  and  Germany  climbed one rank in arrivals, occupying seventh and eighth positions respectively, while  France  continued to lead the ranks in terms of tourist arrivals. (UNWTO, 2009). USA earns the most revenue from leisure travel amounting to around $ 94.2 billion in the year 2009, followed by Spain with $53.2 billion, France and Italy with annual revenue of around $48.2 billion and $40.1 billion respectively. The other destinations that made it to the top ten lists include Chine, Germany UK, Australia, Turkey and Austria. It may be noticed in that the major income to the travel management companies in the leisure sector is through travelers traveling to the European Continent, as out of the 10 most visited countries seven are from the European Continent (WTO, 2009) Key Performance Indicators for the Travel Industry Key Performance Indicators an Overview According to the KPI Library, Key Performance Indicators are measures of business performance; also known as business or performance metrics, measures, ratios or simply performance indicators. These performance indicators can vary from company to company and from industry to industry. The key performance indicators for the Travel Management Companies can be ascertained by exploring the issues like price wars, safety and security issues, passenger demands and availability of information. These may also include supply chain information, inventory information, package tracking, flight/travel activities, and passenger details with preferences. Integration of key information and emphasis on customer loyalty also plays an important role in the success of transportation and travel industry. (Gala, 2009) Given the high number of variables in the travel booking process, each travel agent has their own preferred way of doing things. A few KPIs, which you can be useful as a starting point and to trigger further thought as per MAIA Intelligence India, are: Specifications for service delivery requirements: Response times to enquiries Ticket delivery arrangements Hours of service and out of hours arrangements Payment methodology Variety of packages provided Financial Perspective: Quantification of Financial aspect can be measured using the parameters like operating profit, % increase in planned sales, actual sales step-up ratio and % increase in travel and entertainment cost. Customer Services and Satisfaction Perspective: Customer Services and satisfaction can be taken care of by employing metrics number of ancillary facilities, favorable review index, % increase in customer base and look/book index. Internal Operations Perspective: Internal Operations can be known with number of booking channels, abroad to local bookings ratio and packaged to independent bookings ratio. Business Planning and Growth Perspective: Business planning and growth perspective can be gathered by assigning values to ticked delivery standards, disaster recovery planning effectiveness, % increase in number of tour packages sold and number of staff retention initiatives taken. (MAIA,2009) Based on the key performance indicators and analysis of success accruing to travel management companies worldwide, the success factors for the travel management companies in Karachi can be evaluated. Consumer Preference of Travel Management Companies Abroad According to a report by the Hong Kong Consumer Council (1998), Travel agents in Hong Kong have faced difficult times because of increasing customer demands and internal competition in the industry. Complaints against travel agencies had increased by 12.4% for the year 1996/97, as compared with the previous year. The purpose of the study was to assess customers expectations and perceptions of service provided by travel agents, and to explore how the service factors derived from the factor analysis were related to overall customer satisfaction. The results of the study as verified by an article published by Vincent C.S. Heung, Department of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, showed that customers perceptions of service quality revolved around the availability of All Inclusive Package Tours. Out of a total of 183 Hong Kong consumers who were surveyed and asked to rate 29 attributes that might affect their choice of travel agency for all-inclusive package tours, the results showed that of the 29 attributes, agency reputation was rated as the most important attribute in travel agency selection, followed by word-of-mouth communication and staff attitude. (Heung, 2000). In Karachi, since the total number of travel management companies operating are 245, heavy competition exists and agency reputation might b

George Berkley :: essays research papers

â€Å"George Berkeley: Esse Est Percipi?† George Berkeley was an ordained Catholic priest who lived during the 17th century (Price, 206). He wrote some of the most profound works of this time period, which at best, is characterized by the Rationalist and British Empiricist movements. Berkeley was a member of the Empiricists. As a whole, the British Empiricists believed that knowledge is derived from the senses and â€Å"sense experience†(Price, 193). Therefore, they believed that no innate knowledge exists, only knowledge gained after the fact, or a posteriori (Price, 193). Berkeley, for the most part, focused on his ideas of reality and God. However interesting it may be, George Berkeley and his philosophy fail to establish concrete evidence to support his belief of immaterialism, drawing instead upon basic assumptions of God and his existence. im a tool bag. Immaterialism, as aforementioned, was the basis of all of Berkeley’s arguments. Immaterialists deny the actual existence of material objects (Dancy, 94). According to Berkeley, human knowledge is composed of ideas, that of which are formed by things: â€Å"imprints on the senses, the passions and operations of the mind, and composites of memory and imagination†(Berkeley). Basically broken down, this means that what man knows about objects and the material are what he perceives of it. The senses leave impressions which lead to ideas, the mind can come up with ideas of its own (perhaps what Berkeley means by the â€Å"passions and operations† is that the mind can come up with concepts by using reason), and composites, or rough sketches, of previous perceptions can lead to new ideas. â€Å"Thus, for example, a certain colour, taste, smell of a figure, and consistence of having been observed to go together, are accounted one distant thing, signified by the word apple†(Berkeley). Berkeley is saying that if it was not for the senses one could not perceive, and the object would cease to be. Therefore, the very existence of an idea depends upon if it can be perceived by something. An idea or object cannot exist outside of a mind. â€Å"The things that exist truly are those which can do the actual perceiving. Berkeley calls this the mind, soul, spirit, or self† (Dancy, 101). To show this is true, let us go back to the example of the apple. Berkeley points out the fact that it is impossible to think of an object without thinking of your perceptions of it (Price, 207).

Essay on Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman and Amanda in Glass Menage

The Characters of Willy in Death of a Salesman and Amanda in Glass Menagerie    In "Death of a Salesman", Willy Loman believes the ticket to success is likeability. He tells his sons,   "The man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead." In "The Glass Menagerie", Amanda Wingfield has the same belief. Girls are meant to be attractive and they are meant to be attractive in order to entertain gentlemen callers. As she tells Laura, "All pretty girls are a trap, a pretty trap, and men expect them to be" (1048). It is this very belief that both Amanda and Willy try to ingrain in their children and it is this emphasis on likeability that makes the characters of Amanda Wingfield and Willy Loman so unlikable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A major part of the reader's animosity towards Willy stems from his responsibility for the ruin of his sons. Willy's affair ends up being the reason that Biff ends up a high-school failure and a football has-been. This blunder both disheartens and destroys his eldest son. It becomes the reason Biff refuses to go to summer school; it becomes the reason that Biff leaves home. Yet, this is all a result of Willy's need to be likeable. He cheats on his doting wife simply because it makes him feel special, because it gives him proof that women other that Linda are interested in him, because it makes him feel well liked. A woman "picked [him]"; a woman laughs when he makes jokes about keeping pores open; a woman pays him some attention (38). In fact, it is Willy's emphasis on likeability that leads Biff to brush aside his education in the first place. Bernard, the friend next-door who begs Biff to study for the Reagents, is described by Willy as a... ...something she discovered was useless. They both put emphasis on something that had brought them nothing but pain and suffering and it is this entrapment that makes Amanda and Willy most unlikable. Rather than learning from their mistakes and teaching their children to avoid making the same ones, Amanda and Willy lead their children down the same path to failure, a path that Amanda found to have a dead end, a path to which Willy found no end at all. Works Cited: Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Seventh Edition. X.J. Kennedy, and Dana Gioia. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999. 1636-1707. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. In Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 4th ed. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995. 1519-1568.

The College Rioting Problem Essay -- Journalism Journalistic Essays

The College Rioting Problem It’s a frigid January night, and the home team just won the big game so hundreds of college students pour out into the streets. The celebration begins with cheers and hugs, but quickly the tone begins to change. The drunken crowd continues to grow, blocking the streets with thousands of students and young adults. Fires are started, women bare their breasts, cars are flipped, and property destroyed as the celebration becomes a destructive riot. This recent phenomenon sweeping college campuses throughout the nation has been titled â€Å"celebratory rioting,† when a large-scale celebration turns into a violent mob. Celebratory riots are characterized by the fact that they involve a large unruly group under the influence of alcohol with no political goals or understood focus for the violence. The rational of this campus craze has left many school administrators, city officials, and students perplexed. â€Å"I just don’t understand it†¦We had alcohol in my day but this wasn’t happening,† said Ed Klotzbier, Northeastern University's Vice President of Student Affairs. To investigate the issue, he has set up a Community Building Task Force at Northeastern University. A board of student leaders, professors, and administrators sit on the Community Building Task Force at Northeastern to present short-term ways to control rioting as well as long-term courses of change to better the university and community relations and bring an end to the rioting trend. In 2002 and 2004 students crowded out of their buildings after the Patriots won the Super Bowl and a small group caused destruction to city property and cars near the Northeastern campus. â€Å"We are the sheltered generation†¦we feel like we have no control over what we d... ...† The five-hour event at the Curry Student Center created a forum for students to share ideas about changing the campus climate to create a more unified campus. Students also discusses reasons for and possible solutions to the rioting craze. In the week following the riots Michael Romano, who was then President of the Student Government Association, set up a six-person panel to answer student questions, in light of criticism by the city. "I think a lot of student leaders have felt really frustrated that this event was a reflection of the integrity and the character of all the students," Romano told the Northeastern News at the time. Though the rioting problem at Northeastern has not become a common weekend event, the school is taken many steps to stop the abhorrent behavior, understand the phenomenon and build a stronger community for students and area residents.

University Success

Grand Canyon University strives to support student learning by creating an online community. A â€Å"community† feeling inside an online course can help me as well as other students stay motivated. Online classrooms have the same characteristics as a traditional classroom; however, the class instructors direct course materials through a Grand Canyon University online portal. The course instructor presents topic-based questions to the students in the classroom forum that allow collaboration of student and instructor thoughts, debates, and experiences. The online interaction between classmates as well as instructor creates a virtual community where classmates and instructor can rely on each other while helping each other to stay motivated. The online classroom relies on collaboration between students and instructor in order to promote successful learning experiences. Collaboration in an online classroom consists of student responses to the instructor’s questions. As students post their individual thoughts, other students respond to them adding their own perspectives, experiences, and knowledge. Once the conversations volley back and forth thru ought the course’s main forum true collaboration begins. According to the text University Success E2, â€Å"The keys to avoiding isolation are communication, collaboration, and networking† (Grand Canyon University, 2012). It is evident that collaboration in both an online and a traditional classroom is dependent on instruction, participation, as well as feedback and it is most effective when students participate several times a day. It is imperative that students are aware that they are responsible for their own collaboration by participating in interactions with other classmates and the instructor through the class wall, individual forum, e-mail, or chat rooms. A major advantage that comes from effective collaboration is the skills that students gain from being actively involved in the classroom that is necessary for almost every career. My future career as a teacher depends on effective collaboration among my peers and me as it ensures professional development and school improvements. Some students use collaboration to network beyond the classroom. For instance, networking with family, friends, coworkers, Twitter, Facebook, or other discussion forums opens up portals to further collaboration with non-GCU students. Further collaboration expands the students’ minds as well as offers more information or perspectives. Furthermore, networking is beneficial to professionals in any career field because it expands professional knowledge, keeps professionals abreast of new business trends, offers career and personal opportunities, as well as provides business leads.

Candide by Voltaire Essay

Through Candide’s perplexing adventures and enlightening encounters, Voltaire illuminates the numerous diverse cultures of which Europeans consider themselves superior. Yet rather than supporting the foreign practices of cannibalism, bestiality, and the abolishment of priests, Voltaire is ridiculing the Europeans’ own methods of torture in an abusive social hierarchy. Therefore, while freedom of expression and a consensus of the majority constitute faucets of good behavior, the European practice of elitist rule and inequitable punishments is revealed as unjust. This criticism suggests the need for reform by deriving authority from somewhere other than the traditional roles of the royalty, clergy, and nobility, a rather radical move at the time. Voltaire at first reveals the fault of Europeans through his description of the savage land of Oreillon. Upon their dissent from Paraguay, Candide and Cacambo come across two women, completely nude, who cry out and â€Å"spryly† run away from two monkeys who snap â€Å"at their buttocks† (73). Instantly sympathetic, Candide shoots his musket and kills the monkeys, thinking that he has redeemed himself from earlier sins by saving these distressed women. However, to his surprise he discovers that he has just killed the ladies’ lovers. Without questioning the practices of this foreign society, Candide reacts based on his own perceptions of right and wrong. His actions reflect the naivety of Europeans concerning what is thought to be normal based on their own â€Å"superior† culture. As punishment for Candide’s rash actions, the Oreillons attempt to roast the travelers over a spit to eat, justifying this through the proclamations that Candide and Cacambo are Jesuits and thus deserve to die. This behavior is explained by Cacambo as being â€Å"appropriate† because â€Å"if we Europeans do not exercise our right to eat others, it is because we have other ingredients for a good meal† (pg. 74). He recognizes that each society contains its own equally valid practices which cannot be altered or condemned by those who think they are predominant. In addition, Voltaire is not justifying that bestiality and cannibalism constitute a righteous society, but rather satirically commenting on the Europeans own practices, for it would be hypocritical to condemn these practices without evaluating whether the European’s own forms of punishment are just. As the innocent Candide ventures to Eldorado, he is once again introduced to a land unlike that found in contemporary Europe. Upon their arrival, the travelers bewilderingly walk upon pavement made up of rubies, emeralds, and gold and rapture in the delights of a free feast at a common inn. The generous, humble citizens then guide them to an old man and, later, even the approachable king, in order to answer their many questions. Through these communicators they come to realize that the most striking aspects of the village do not constitute its physical features, but rather its ideology. They are told that all men are free, and thus there is no need for the establishment of courts, trials, or prisons. While Candide is quite baffled by these assertions which completely contrast the structured social organization of Europe, he is even more confused by the lack of priests or an enforced religion, upon which he exclaims, â€Å"What! You have no monks who lecture, debate, govern, conspire, and burn people who don’t agree with them?† (79). These seemingly sarcastic remark is a reflection of the binary thinking in which the Europeans have taught their citizens to believe. Candide had always considered the church as an institution which interjects in every aspect of life and constantly ridicules and punishes others while denying the fact that there are other practices and religions besides the order of the church and Catholicism. Voltaire is not suggesting the elimination of priests, which would be a radical idea at the time, but is rather demonstrating a deeper criticism of Europeans who assume that they are superior and must punish all those who defy this idea. Although Oreillon and El Dorado are societies completely unlike that of the Europeans in law and culture, they are seen as portraying decent human behavior because they allow their citizens to express free will and they derive authority from the consent of the masses. For instance, in Oreillon, women are allowed to mate with whomever they please without judgement or persecution from others. This freedom of expression illustrates that the culture seeks to facilitate the happiness of its people. Additionally, when the two monkeys are murdered by Candide, the leaders instantly capture and attempt to punish the travelers, reflecting the society’s dedication to protect its citizens from harm and condemn those who impinge on basic freedoms. While this culture may seem bizarre compared to more civilized nations, the fact that it derives its authority from the people illustrates that bestiality and cannibalism are enforced as appropriate human behaviors so long as there is a general consensus. Similarly, good behavior does not necessarily need to be derived from praise towards the king or daily sacrifices to a church, as portrayed in Eldorado. Unlike in Europe, the king is humble, approachable and genuinely concerned with the welfare of his citizens. For example, the feast the travelers consume at the inn is free because the state is said to assist business, thus revealing that the government is willing to contribute to the success of its people despite their class or wealth. Therefore, despite their practices, these societies emulate good behavior. However, Voltaire forms a critic of the Europeans due to the unjust practices in which they derive and maintain authority. In Candide’s hometown of Westphalia, for example, the naive Candide is exiled from the castle of the Thunder-ten-tronckh because he kissed the Baron’s daughter, Cunegonde. He was unfairly punished because he stepped out of the social hierarchy to which he was born, while Cunegonde was not disciplined for her actions due to her rank. Similarly, in places like Paris, the elites haughtily criticize their fellow man’s creations and do not hesitate to manipulate and greedily conspire against others. When Candide is led into a ploy by the despicable Abbe and arrested even though he had not committed any crimes, he is able to buy his freedom with three diamonds. The officer then exclaims, â€Å"Ah sire, even if you committed every crime imaginable, you’re still the best man in the world† (97). One’s fate depends on the inconsiderate word of the elite, one’s wealth, and the act of bribery. Since Candide had money, he was able to secure his freedom while the majority of peasants who are near penniless would have to suffer. These scenarios represent the unjust rule of the elites over the consensus of the majority. While Voltaire formulates the components of good behavior based on the legitimacy the authority derives from its citizens, he also constitutes bad behavior as punishment without just cause. For instance, when Candide and Martin arrive in Portsmouth, they view the execution of a British Admiral. The Admiral’s crime was explained in that he had stayed too far from the French enemy and that his death would encourage others to fight more fervently during war. This nonsensical behavior represents the paradox of European punishments which reduce war heros to criminals. Another such scene is presented when Candide and Pangloss reach the city of Lisbon in which a haphazard earthquake kills thirty thousand people. Faculty of a university decide that, in order to prevent another earthquake, they must â€Å"roast several persons over a slow fire†¦ They had therefore seized a man from the Basque province who had been convicted of marrying the godmother of his godchild, and two Portuguese men, who when eating a chicken, had removed the bacon seasoning† (52-53). As a manner of electing their sacrifices, they choose those who had committed even questionable offenses, though even those forms of misconduct can be viewed as unsubstantial enough to deserve punishment, much less death. While it is firstly completely unreasonable to attribute a natural phenomenon to personal actions, Voltaire goes so far as to satirically illustrate that this is a commonsense European belief, for both offenses appear inconsequential to the victims’ punishment. Meanwhile, most Europeans would be disgusted with the culture of the Oreillons who engage in cannibalism after enacting a punishment. However, Candide’s death penalty after murdering two of its citizens is a much more equitable offense in terms of its punishment than removing bacon seasoning from chicken, such as in Europe. Furthermore, once a body has been burnt, it seems inconsequential whether it is eaten or not. Voltaire is thus able to portray the irony as well as the unjust nature of European punishments as a bad behavior of society. The figures of the time who would be most notably perturbed by Voltaire’s suggestions constitute the royalty, the nobility, and the clergy. Firstly, for centuries the royalty had uncontestedly derived authority through lineage and from claims to divine right. Candide’s embrace with the King of Eldorado would probably be perceived as strange because the royalty was considered far above the common people in class, stature, and rights, and thus did not need the consent of its citizens to govern. Thus, the monarchy would be opposed to Voltaire’s ideas because they undermine his authority. This is reflected in eighteenth century Europe when the National Assembly made a radical move by sending Louis XVI to the guillotine as a symbol of the growing dissatisfaction of the peasants and workers. Secondly, the nobility consisted of a small number of elites who mainly derived their elevated status from patronage. Voltaire’s view of this social class, at least in Paris, is illustrated in the abode of Marquise de Parolignac, in which these morose intellectuals portray that their sole interests are to spread slander, hypocritically belittle art, and greedily take advantage of Candide’s treasures. Similarly to the monarchy, Voltaire’s proposal that society’s values and laws should be supported by the consensus of the masses was a scandalous assertion because it would undermine the power of the elites and force them to surrender their privilege. Finally, the clergy’s word penetrated all aspects of life in eighteenth century Europe while Religious Orthodoxy formed local allegiances and bound communities together by preaching sacred traditions. However, it can also be said that the institutions of the church hypocritically valued their own self-preservation over educating the masses. Therefore, these religious authorities would not consent in being forced to adhere to stricter laws by having to give proper, legitimate reasons as a means to punish nonbelievers or delinquents of the church. Despite these opponents, Voltaire suggests a need for reform by deriving authority from somewhere other than the norm. Although European society appears far more advanced than that of the savages and more structured than Eldorado, that does not necessarily determine that its laws and people are superior. In fact, Voltaire constitutes good behavior in a society as something that has been consented upon by its people, while bad behavior derives from unjust punishment and the dangerous rule of elites. Voltaire thus forms a critic of Europeans through comparisons to these foreign lands and furthermore questions whether a reformation of authority is a necessary means to benefit society. Source Voltaire. Candide. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999.