Explaining Canada’s tourism strategy

Adrian Brijbassi

[This column was first published in Vacay.ca on May 17, 2013, and later appeared on the Huffington Post.]

OTTAWA, ONTARIO — The Canadian Tourism Commission has come under unwanted and ignorant criticism this month. The truth is, any of us would be hard-pressed to find a government agency that manages to do more with less than the CTC. Its budget has been slashed by 20% to $58.5 million from the 2012 level of $72 million, a sum that had also been reduced from previous years. Yet, the Canadian tourism industry grew 4.2% in 2012, increasing its revenue to $81.9 billion. A $100-billion target has been set for 2015.

“We’re the little engine that could,” Michele McKenzie said on May 3 in Cape Breton while attending that Nova Scotia region’s annual tourism conference and she underscored that sentiment a week later at Rendez-vous Canada, a yearly gathering of Canada’s tourism…

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The harsh and ignorant criticisms of Neymar

The awesome blog of NeymarsHaircut.

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Every now and then a bright little talent emerges in Brazil with the potential to be one of the very best players to walk the earth. We saw it first with the likes of Pele and Garinicha, who have set a real high standard of Brazillian Football, with Pele being regarded as one of the best players of all time, and was even made a national treasure by the Brazillian Government to stop him being transferred to Europe, forcing him to stay at Santos, despite his desire to play for Manchester United or Barcelona.

Pele is on the left and Garinicha is on the right.

Ever since the ‘Golden Era’ of Brazillian football in the 50s and 60s several more players have come along the likes of Zico and Romario to name a few. But let’s look at some modern day players who had that potential. You have the…

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PUBLICAÇÃO DE OUTROS AUTORES: Relatório de Riscos Globais 2013 do Fórum Econômico Mundial

Ana Paula Vasconcellos da SIlva

Em janeiro de 2013, especialistas do Fórum Econômico Mundial apresentaram o Relatório de Riscos Globais 2013, que chegou à conclusão de que o mundo está se tornando um lugar cada vez mais sujeitos a riscos – e riscos ainda maiores. E o Brasil aparece em 45º entre 139 em ranking de preparo contra esses riscos – especialmente, crises financeiras, desastres naturais, mudanças climáticas, epidemias de doenças e ataques cibernéticos. Para quem trabalha com prevenção de riscos e desastres e políticas de resiliência, é uma boa fonte de informação e análise.

Os analistas do Fórum Econômico Mundial verificaram 3 categorias no Relatório de Riscos Globais 2013:

1. Saúde e Arrogância

Enormes avanços no campo da saúde deixaram o mundo perigosamente complacente. A crescente resistência a antibióticos 

pode empurrar os sistemas de saúde para um colapso, enquanto um mundo hiperconectado facilita a disseminação de 

pandemias. Este risco estabelece as relações entre resistência aos…

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The endocrine system

Miss-Sports

Human physiology- the endocrine system basics

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5 Ways to be Happier Right Now

Seja feliz!!

Nerd|Laugh|Love

I have always considered myself to be a grade A optimist. But it wasn’t until the other night when I was talking to my roommate that I realized how necessary it is for everyone to be some level of optimistic. It truly is the way to see the world in a beautiful light, appreciate your surroundings, and has been my key to happiness.

So, I want to share some insight into the mind of an optimist. I hope that this post will bring you some happiness in turn.

1. See the Sunshine

Every morning when you wake up, look up at the sky. There are always gloomy, cloudy, rainy, foggy days. But no matter what, whether you see it or not, there is sunshine. Look past the clouds and grey and find the sunshine. Instant happiness! Use this to start your day and apply the same logic in anything…

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A Stronger World Trade Organization Is Good for America

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Businessweek (EUA) 

Over the past few weeks, much has been made about the transatlantic trade pact President Obama proposed in his State of the Union address, as well as the announcement that Japan will join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which the U.S. hopes to wrap up this year. Largely overlooked, however, was another development in the area of trade: the leadership contest for the post of the World Trade Organization’s director general. The winning candidate, Brazil’s Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo, managed to secure the closed-door consensus that passes for a selection procedure with milquetoast statements designed to offend no one.

The lack of excitement about Azevêdo’s appointment reflects the extent to which the WTO has been marginalized in favor of trade regionalism. That’s a real problem for the U.S.: Regional approaches can’t handle a lot of the country’s most significant trade issues. The World Trade Organization, meanwhile, remains vital to…

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Success In Soccer: Tips And Tricks

springcobweb6

You probably are interested in soccer now that you’re here, and you probably want to know more about it. While it’s a fun game to play, a lot of work goes into playing it correctly. The game is all-inclusive, and this article is here to help you get better.
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Depending on your skill level will determine what kind of cleats you end up buying. For example, if you are a beginner, opt for plastic, molded cleats. However, if you have been playing for a while, metal cleats will suit your skill level more.

The Outside Elastico is an easy, yet helpful trick you should learn. Doing this will give you the ability to cut inside better. To practice this skill, place an object like a cone on the ground. Your starting position should be about five paces behind the marker. Start to dribble towards it. When you…

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Roberto Azevedo’s WTO appointment gives Brazil a seat at the top table

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The Guardian (Reino Unido)

Earlier this month the World Trade Organisation (WTO) announced that it had chosen the Brazilian Roberto Azevedo, 55, as its next director general. In September he will take over from France’s Pascal Lamy, who has served two four-year terms.

It is a personal success for this career diplomat, but it is also a victory for Brazil on the international scene. The Brazilian diplomatic corps pulled out all the stops to convince a majority of the 159 member states that their candidate was the right choice. But Azevedo’s appointment is also a new departure, this being the first time that a Brazilian has headed one of the key bodies in the postwar Bretton Woods system. The country at last has a seat at the top table.

The vote “shows a global order in transformation”, said foreign minister Antonio Patriota, with “emerging markets [showing] leadership”.

The selection process took more than…

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Kingdom to host ICC, G20 consultation meeting

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Arab News (Arábia Saudita)

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) at the Council of Saudi Chambers will host the consultation meeting for ICC’s World Trade Agenda and G20’s advisory group here on May 28.

The meeting being held in cooperation with ICC Paris will be attended by the ICC Paris secretary general and chairmen of ICC offices in GCC and MENA countries, according to a statement.

The meeting will discuss a number of issues and ideas from the paper proposed by G20’s advisory group. The paper deals with priorities of the business sector and the Los Cabos summit declaration where final recommendations will be submitted to member governments of World Trade Organization (WTO), in addition to the recommendations in the G20 process in preparation for the G20 summit, which is set to take place at Saint Petersburg.

The World Trade Agenda aims at including inputs of the business sector into…

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Africa: Global Child Nutrition Forum 2013 Kicks Off in Brazil

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All Africa (África do Sul)

Close to 300 delegates from 37 countries are converging today on Costa do Sauípe, Brazil, to exchange experiences and debate options to strengthen school feeding programmes for millions of children worldwide at the Global Child Nutrition Forum 2013.

Ministers from across Africa, including Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Liberia and Sudan, are attending the event which starts today and concludes on Friday 24 May, along with senior government figures from other countries including Costa Rica, Haiti, Iraq and Tajikistan.

“It is vital to get everyone together to learn from each other so no child will go hungry in school in the future,” said Daniel Balaban, Director of the WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger in Brasilia. “We are honoured to co-host this first-ever conference outside Africa or the United States.”

The five-day forum is an intensive workshop on methodologies and experiences to…

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