Since large numbers of tourists visit Kolkata for the primary purpose of experiencing the places connected with Mother Teresa, the West Bengal Tourism Department is developing a Teresa Circuit linking forty plus places associated with her within the city and the state. Redevelopment work is going on at such sites to coincide with the onrush of inbound tourists expected post the canonization programme. The Mother House, one convent on Elliot Road and a church in Darjeeling are of special importance. The government hopes to add to travel jobs post this circuit development.

Source: http://wap.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/wb-tourism-to-promote-teresa-linked-places-on-internet-116090201284_1.html 

American nationals traveling abroad for the purpose of medical tourism poses a threat to the long term financial well-being of US hospitals yet as of now it only represents a small amount of loss. Business research conducted by Oxford Economics confirms that this segment of the industry will grow by 25% annually but instead of perceiving this as a threat, US hospitals must embrace the opportunity. It allows for diversification as some hospitals even get foreign visitors for specialized healthcare. There are Academic Medical Centres (AMCs) where training is provided to budding doctors, and treatment at these places is much less expensive. Doctors in the USA need to develop as sense of brand appeal by marketing themselves. Also details on costs need to be transparently put up. Finally, even if some visitors do travel abroad for their surgeries, they will need reliable domestic partners for post operation recovery. Source: http://www.healthcaredive.com/news/medical-tourism-growing-but-obstacles-hamper-trend-in-us-hospitals/425343/

Global spend on travel has grown by 3.1 percent which is 0.2 percent less than was predicted. These figures have been provided by tourism consulting giant World Travel and Tourism Council. In spite of the lower spending, the tourism industry has still be shielded as overall global spend has increased by only 2.3 percent. While terrorism plays a part in the comparatively lower business, macroeconomic factors play a bigger role. Those worried about safety concerns in France are making headway for Spain or Italy. The South Asian region has seen maximum growth in inbound tourism with India leading the way. Other parts of Asia are also growing at greater than four percent with China especially robust at over six percent. Latin America has seen the greatest decline. North America exactly matches global growth but Europe has seen a slight decline. Surprisingly, the UK has seen increased growth post Brexit mainly due to the weakening of the British pound.

Sourcehttp://home.cableone.net/news/read/category/Top%20News/article/the_associated_press-global_travel_continues_to_grow_but_at_a_slower_pa-ap

With rising medical costs back home, increasing numbers of American tourists are visiting foreign countries for medical travel. As per tourism consulting provided by Oxford Economics, medical tourism is an industry worth US$ 439 billion at present. However, certain points need to be considered before making the plunge. Savings admittedly are massive. But serious risks may still arise due to language differences and standard safety practices being different in other parts of the world. There may be some unforeseen medical complications and thus specialized insurance for that must be availed. Before visiting any foreign country for this purpose, thorough homework must be done. Travelers often forget the very reasons for their travel and post recovery indulge in typical pleasurable activities which are often harmful to the body. Thorough planning must be done beforehand to avoid such cases. Before finalizing any medical travel plans, it is pertinent to consult the known doctor. There are certain alternatives in the USA which may be less expensive than the usual grind while providing good facilities. These must be considered such as those in Montgomery in Alabama.

Source: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2016/08/17/14-Million-Americans-Will-Go-Abroad-Medical-Care-Year-Should-You

Joining the trend with fellow European cities such as Berlin and Mallorca, Venice has joined in the fray for anti-tourist demonstrations. The feeling that has now engulfed these places is that beyond the travel jobs that are created, by and large, tourism as an industry is creating more troubles in the host nations. Authorities aren’t sure who or which group created this stir for the protests. These protests were well reported in the local daily Corriere del Veneto. They took place at important tourists centres at the city such as the San Giovanni church and the Piazza San Marco.

Source: http://www.dw.com/en/venice-growing-protests-against-tourists/a-19488200

The state of New South Wales in Australia has witnessed a sudden leap in travel and tourism related complaints. The industry has been accused of violating fair trade practices. The authorities point out this surge in complaints to the fact that customers are now much more aware about their rights, though this particular upwards trend for tourism industry seems alarming. Business research conducted at the NSW Fair Trading confirms that complaints regarding the Travel and Tourism industry have surged up by more than eighteen percent which is double of last year’s and thus the highest growth for any sector.

Source: http://www.eglobaltravelmedia.com.au/complaints-about-travel-and-tourism-leap-in-nsw/

Iceland has been one country that has seen a massive rise in influx of foreign tourists, yet its hospitality industry has been unable to keep pace with this growth. That is where bed-and-breakfast aggregator Airbnb has come in to the rescue. Tourism consulting provided by Statistics Iceland has confirmed that whilst there has been a forty two percent increase in hotel rooms in the country, the demand has gone up by more than six times that figure. This shortfall has to some extent been resolved by Airbnb whose numbers now indicate that nearly ten thousand travelers can now stay at any one point in the various bedrooms aggregated in the capital Reykjavik. This success of Airbnb though has not been met with unanimous applause as there have been accusations of price increase in the surrounding areas. Apparently Airbnb has even escaped paying the Hotel Tax plus a number of people who have invested in hotel properties are seeing the company as a competitor which is cutting away a huge slice.

Source: https://skift.com/2016/08/19/iceland-tourism-and-the-mixed-blessings-of-airbnb/