World Tourism Day

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Today, more than ever, tourism across world has been devastated. Today is World Tourism Day, a day dedicated global tourism. The day has been celebrated since 1980 on September 27 because it was on this date in 1970 that the Statutes of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation or the UNWTO were adopted. Considered a milestone for global tourism, the purpose of the day is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.

In 1997 at its 12th session in Istanbul, the UNWTO General Assembly decided to designate a host country each year to act as the Organization’s partner to celebrate World Tourism Day. In 2003, in Beijing, it was decided to follow a geographical order starting from 2006 and it would be rotated between Europe, South Asia, Americas, Africa and the Middle East. The idea of the World Tourism Day was mooted by the late Ignatius Amaduwa Atigbi, a Nigerian who was finally recognised for his contribution in 2009. The timing of World Tourism Day is particularly appropriate in that it comes at the end of the high season in the northern hemisphere and the beginning of the season in the southern hemisphere. The colour of World Tourism Day is Blue.

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Over the decades, tourism has experienced continued growth and deepening ‎diversification to become one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world. ‎Modern tourism is closely linked to development and encompasses a growing number ‎of new destinations. These dynamics have turned tourism into a key driver for socio-‎economic progress.‎ Today, the business volume of tourism equals or even surpasses that of oil exports, ‎food products or automobiles. Tourism has become one of the major players in ‎international commerce, and represents at the same time one of the main income ‎sources for many developing countries. This growth goes hand in hand with an ‎increasing diversification and competition among destinations.‎ This global spread of tourism in industrialised and developed states has produced ‎economic and employment benefits in many related sectors – from construction to ‎agriculture or telecommunications.‎

The contribution of tourism to economic well-being depends on the quality and the ‎revenues of the tourism offer. Tourism has the potential to contribute, directly or indirectly, to all of the Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, it has been included as targets in Goals 8, 12 and 14 on inclusive and sustainable economic growth, sustainable consumption and production and the sustainable use of oceans and marine resources, respectively. Sustainable tourism is firmly positioned in the 2030 Agenda. Achieving this agenda, however, requires a clear implementation framework, adequate financing and investment in technology, infrastructure and human resources.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive social and economic impact. Both developed and developing economies have been hit. And marginalized groups and the most vulnerable have been hit hardest of all. The restart of tourism will help kickstart recovery and growth. It is essential that the benefits this will bring are enjoyed widely and fairly. International tourist arrivals have dropped drastically in 2021, down 85% from data sourced between January and May this year.

Therefore, the theme of the 2021 World Tourism Day has been to focus on Tourism for Inclusive Growth. This is an opportunity to look beyond tourism statistics and acknowledge that, behind every number, there is a person. The host country for 2021 is Cote d’Ivoire who will be celebrating tourism’s ability to drive inclusive development and the role it plays in promoting respect while generating opportunities for many millions across the globe.

I for one, am waiting for the end in sight and can’t wait to start travelling again, as I am sure almost everyone reading this is. So, let’s all do our part so we can start getting our fix again!

2021 Week 38 Update

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Today’s quote is a quote from the celebrated author and female icon, Maya Angelou. It is a simple one which tells us that nothing can ever dim that light that shines within us. So keep that light burning bright and don’t let it dim, so that shines and lightens the path in front of you and is a beacon for others.

Singapore’s woes don’t seem to be ending anytime soon. We are now firmly in the midst of the second wave with cases hitting more than 1500 per day, with the signs pointing to it reaching more than $2000 positive cases per day before we see any sign of decline. The numbers today are higher than the peak last year. And all of us are tired, but we must soldier on.

BB got his results this week and he did not do as well as we thought he would do. Everyone was upset, though I think the most shocked was BB himself, who probably thought he could coast along. This setback seems to have hit him quite hard. Since the day the results were declared, he has tried to make small changes to himself. It’s still early days now, but I am hoping to see a better man emerge from this adversity.

GG has been busy preparing for the first of her professional certification and with lessons in the morning and homework and studying going on in the afternoon, we barely get to see her outside of mealtimes. I am hoping she gets the grades she is aiming so all her efforts are for naught!

That’s all from me this week, but with how things are here, we are going to be home until and unless it is necessary to get out. Stay safe people!

In My Hands Today…

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Simply Fly: A Deccan Odyssey – G.R. Gopinath

This tells of the journey of a boy from a remote village, that went from riding a bullock cart to owning an airline.

It narrates in gritty detail Captain Gopinath’s incredible journey: quitting the Indian Army in the late 1970s with a princely gratuity of Rs. 6500, going back to his farm land inundated by the river, converting of piece of barren land to set up a farm for ecologically sustainable silkworm rearing, and winning a Rolex award for it.

From there he went on to launch an airline that would make $1.1 billion dollars in less than four years.

Recipes: Indian Style Vegetable Soup

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Back in the days when I was a teen and in my early twenties, I used to diet and soups was a huge part of that diet, especially for dinner. And the soup I am sharing today is inspired by those soups that my mother used to make for me. It is quite easy to make and is pretty much a one pot meal which is cooked in the pressure cooker.

The colour of the soup will be dependent on the vegetables used and mine turned a bit greenish because of the green vegetables I used.

Indian Style Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chopped vegetables (you can use any combination you like, this time I used potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and frozen green peas)
  • 2 medium sized onions, roughly chopped
  • 1 bulb of garlic, peeled
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
  • 1 small bunch of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
  • 2-3 dried red chillies
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 4-5 cloves
  • 4-5 cardamom pods
  • 1 inch piece of cinnamon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • Pepper powder to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp oil

Method:

  • Chop the vegetables and keep aside
  • Roughly chop the onions and the garlic and ginger and keep aside
  • Heat oil in the pressure cooker and when the oil warms up, add the cumin seeds first and when the seeds start spluttering, add the fennel seeds and then the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and give it a good stir.
  • Next add the garlic and ginger and stir it for a while till the garlic starts to brown.
  • Then add the turmeric powder, stir a bit and then add the vegetables and the coriander leaves. Stir a bit, add the bay leaf and add just enough water that the vegetables don’t stick to the bottom of the pressure cooker.
  • Let the pressure build up and cook for about 4-5 whistles. Switch off the flame, let the pressure ease and the vegetables cool.
  • If you are cooking on the stovetop, then cover and cook until the vegetables are completely cooked and starting to fall apart. Switch off the gas and let it cool.
  • When the vegetables are cooled enough, transfer to a blender and in batches blend it as fine or as chunky as you like.
  • When it’s blended to your liking, transfer it back to the pan, add enough water to bring it to the consistency you want and let it come to a nice rolling boil. Season with salt and pepper.
  • When it has been boiling for about 10 minutes in a low medium flame, switch off the flame and have hot with some croutons.

Notes:

  • The coriander leaves add a green colour to the soup and can be omitted if this is a vegetable you don’t like.
  • Tomatoes are also a wonderful addition to the soup. If adding tomatoes, make an x cross at the stem of the tomatoes and put it whole on top of the vegetables while cooking. Once the vegetables are cooked, remove the tomato with a slotted spoon and it can be easily peeled. Then blend it along with the other vegetables.

In My Hands Today…

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Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen – Dan Heath

Most of us spend our days handling a deluge of pressing issues. We’re so accustomed to managing emergencies as they strike that we often don’t stop to think about how we could prevent crises before they happen. Why stop at treating the symptoms when you could develop a cure? How many daily headaches do we tolerate because we’ve forgotten to fix them?

Whether it’s time management, supply chain logistics, or healthcare decisions, all over the world, persistent problems cost time, money, and lives. Upstream explains how to target the source of the problem rather than just reacting to it as it happens and introduces you to the thinkers who are chipping away at everyday frustrations and deep-rooted issues. One travel company saved 25 million customer phone calls every year by adding a simple step to its booking system. An insurance business, determined to help YMCAs across the country lower their number of accidental drownings to zero, has saved an untold number of lives. The LAPD track down more accurate addresses for suspects by buying access to the delivery data from local pizza shops. The CDC realized they could anticipate flu outbreaks by tracking thermometer sales in local pharmacies.

Drawing on hundreds of interviews, as well as his own innovative behavior research, New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath delivers practical solutions for preventing problems rather than simply reacting to them—revolutionizing how we approach professional and personal goals in our daily lives.