When we last went out........

International Travelers To The U.S. Increased 6.7% In 2005
Aug 28, 06 1:58 am
International travelers to the U.S increased by 6.7 percent in 2005, according to research from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. During 2004 and 2005 international travelers to the U.S. increased by 20.3 percent, the largest two-year increase since 1996, but below 2000 and 2001 levels, the firm found.Following 10 quarter-over-prior-year quarter declines beginning the first quarter of 2001, international travelers increased during the fourth quarter of 2003 and have achieved robust gains since then. A number of factors, including lingering travel concerns, a global economic slowdown and more strict visa and immigration procedures contributed to the declines in international travelers. Some of the factors contributing to the recovery in international travelers include:- Global economic performance has accelerated. - The dollar remains weak relative to most currencies and is forecast to continue modest declines through 2007, which will encourage increases in international travelers.- The Department of Commerce has initiated marketing activities to increase awareness and develop a positive image of the United States as a tourism destination. The U.S. promotional campaigns were started in the United Kingdom and Japan in December 2004 and May 2005, respectively.As of 2005 international travelers to the U.S. - excluding Mexico and Canada - had reached 22 million, representing 83.5 percent of the peak of 26 million reached in 2000.In 2000, international guest room nights accounted for 12.8 percent of total U.S. lodging demand. That share declined to a low of 9.5 percent in 2003. As of year-end 2005, the share of international guest room nights had increased to 10.3 percent of U.S. lodging demand."The return of international travelers is especially important - international travelers have longer lengths of stay, pay higher room rates and spend more in other hotel departments including restaurants, business centers, retail outlets, communication, laundry and valet," adds Bjorn Hanson, Ph.D., a principal with the Hospitality & Leisure practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

My Favourite Camping trip

When First Impressions Flop: The Power of Getting a Second Chance
Aug 28, 06 1:59 am
It's your big night. You've somehow landed at the same party as the CEO of your dream company. You want desperately to impress him, but when you're introduced you find yourself trying too hard, talking too loudly, and even blurting out an off-color remark. You know this is not who you really are, but the expression on the guy's face makes it plain: You've blown it.
According to Jerker Denrell, assistant professor of organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, what's key in dispelling negative images is making sure you get a second—and third and fourth—chance. Having the opportunity to show different sides of yourself to bosses and colleagues in numerous situations—both social and professional—is, in fact, critical to your career advancement.
Denrell's research shows that when someone makes a negative impression on us, we're less likely to seek out that person again, making it difficult to gather additional information that could change our first impression. If, however, external factors force further interaction, there is opportunity to soften the first negative judgment, if not reverse it altogether.
The problem has interesting workplace implications, particularly in environments where social activities are encouraged outside of work. "People tend to socialize with those who are similar to themselves in terms of gender, race, educational level, and so forth," Denrell says. In most organizations, for example, men tend to socialize with other men in bars or on golf courses. By getting to know one another better, they have the opportunity to change an incorrect negative opinion as they learn about that person's other qualities and strengths. But because men don't usually interact in this way with women coworkers, they don't have the same opportunity to alter false negative evaluations. The same phenomenon similarly affects people who are members of minorities or perceived to be in any sort of "out" group in an organization.
Such a dynamic can have serious consequences for people's careers. Individuals who actually possess similar skill levels may be evaluated differently simply because they have different social ties. People who come across badly early on—whether due to real errors or biased perceptions on the part of their evaluators—can be disadvantaged when it comes to promotions because they don't have the same opportunity as others to interact with their evaluators and correct the poor image.

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