February 1 2016

The Economy of Tourism

Wendy Simmons, Moonrise in the Sahara

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“My Holiday In North Korea” - Simmons

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WORKPLACE SOLUTIONS

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Tourism

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Do I Need To Hire A CPA?

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Destination - SW Oregon



Coal—The End of An Era?

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$1.3 Trillion Industry

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AFRICA

February 1, 2016 1

Mount Thielsen from Diamond Lake, the “Lightening Rod of the Cascades”, elevation 9,182 ft. An extinct volcano that erupted 290,000 years ago. Erosion has left the center plug which forms the dramatic horn shaped peak.

There are six counties in Southwest Oregon.

Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties are home to over 545,000 people in an area of 20,000 sq miles. This is a vacationer’s paradise from the ocean to the mountaintops.

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“Today’s travel and tourism industry has grown into a global economic powerhouse whose combined direct and indirect impact on the world economy, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2012 was US$1.2 trillion; 260 million jobs; US$70 billion in investment and US$1.2 trillion in exports. All this represented 9% of the world economy last year; one in 11 jobs globally; 5% of its economic investment and 5% of its exports. Along the way, in 2012, international tourism surpassed 1 billion visitors globally for the first time in history and China became the world’s largest spender in international tourism by spending US$102 billion, surpassing Germany and the US. But numbers alone don’t tell the whole story and they are not the only reason we should pay a lot of attention to this industry. A number of factors are fueling not only the industry’s phenomenal expansion but also its impact as a growing cultural and economic force for good around the world. In the process, these forces are transforming the industry’s dynamics as we once knew them.

First, a dramatic shift is underway in the “world order” of travel and tourism fueled by the emergence of a strong global middle class, especially in countries like China, Russia, India and Brazil whose collective pent-up demand to see the world beyond their national borders and to experience other cultures is boundless. Over the next 15-17 years, Goldman Sachs predicts another 2 billion people will join the middle class in China alone—and these folks won’t be content to stay put if the recent past is any indication of the future.”

Ed Fuller , http://blogs.forbes.com Foreign visitors to the United States brought

more than $136 billion to the American economy in 2013. More than any other country in the world. $1,300,000,000,000 Question Studies to determine the attraction of visitors to a location have taken on an academic and economic interest in the past 40 years.

With a world wide economic influence approaching one and a half trillion dollars it is easy to see why these studies are attracting so much attention.

While everyone will have his or her individual reason for interest in a place or activity the case studies done have been able to separate the decision-making into a few broad categories. Defining the terms equated with travel is most important. Why is the traveler leaving her home to visit your spot on earth?

Is this person a visitor, explorer, researcher, vacationer, warrior, teacher, tourist, or politician? Is the traveler alone, a member of a family group, accompanied by like demographic partners/friends/team members, or a thrill seeker?

Every reason to leave home to see another place is a good one in the mind of a traveler.

The reasons someone like Wendy Simmons has to visit Saharan Africa are not likely to be the same as her decision to visit Southern Oregon. Though there may be similarities, the differences in these two places are vast.

Both destinations must understand the driving forces that cause a traveler’s decision to be made. Rest and relaxation free of stress and worry may be important to one, while excitement, danger and adrenalin rush is important to another.

The tourism industry in its improved sophistication considers the traveler’s financial limitations, stage in life, education, physical capacities and social as well as personal needs. It is a $1.3 trillion question.

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The original 1925 Wurlitzer Theater Organ was

still in-place making the Egyptian Theatre the only Oregon movie palace that still had its original pipe organ installation.

In 2005, when the owners of the Egyptian Theatre decided to close the movie theatre and put the building up for sale, the community responded. Not willing to let this landmark fade

Coos County, Southern Oregon Coast vital to Oregon Tourism Egyptian Theatre

into history, a group of local citizens and the

Urban Renewal Agency of Coos Bay joined forces to purchase and operate the theatre as a community event and celebration space.

With revenues generated from second-run movies and rental activities, the ETPA systemat-

In 1925, Charles Noble invested $200,000 to

ically began to replace equipment and address

convert his service station and auto garage in

a backlog of deferred maintenance issues. This

downtown Coos Bay into a movie and live-

effort was recognized in 2010, when the theatre

performance theatre. Reacting to the national

was added to the National Register of Historic

obsession with Egyptian design and themes

Places and in 2011, when the Historic

(stimulated by the 1922 discovery of the tomb of

Preservation League of Oregon named the

King Tut), Mr. Noble’s new theatre incorporated

Egyptian Theatre as one of the ten “most

bold Egyptian Revival architectural and design

endangered treasures” in Oregon.

themes. In addition, Mr. Noble spent $32,000 to purchase and install a custom Wurlitzer Theater organ in his new venue. Immediately, this unique

and vibrant building became an architectural and social landmark in the Coos Bay/North Bend area. While Charles Noble’s investment was bold, his vision was not unique. The exploding popularity of movies and the theatrical design elements of the Egyptian Revival style saw Egyptian Theaters being constructed throughout the United States.

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Todd Davidson, Chief Executive

47th largest state travel promotion budget of

Officer of Travel Oregon, said state lodging

$3 million. That has growth to $17 million,

grew 13 percent in the first half of the year.

which ranks the state 25th.

That continues a trend since 2011, when state lodging revenue grew 54 percent in three years, compared to a national average of 7 percent a year. Oregon topped a milestone last year when it saw $10.4 billion spent on travel and tourism, the first time it reached such a level.

Davidson credited a 2003 law that added a state tax of 1 percent to lodging to promote

"We used to market internationally to Japan, United Kingdom and Germany. That was it,'' said Davidson, who noted that Canada is

treated separately from other foreign countries due to its proximity. "Now we direct campaigns to a dozen countries and China has become our largest international market. We're directing efforts to China, India, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand that we never did before."

tourism. At the time, Travel Oregon had the

Hundreds of snow geese take flight from a pond at the Klamath Wildlife Area south of Klamath Falls on March 3, 2004. Large flocks of the geese make an annual migration through the Klamath Basin in Klamath County and across the California state line.

Ron Winn/Herald and News/AP 5

Rafting the Rogue River

Blacklock Point at Floras Lake State Natural Area, South Oregon Coast, Curry County.

Frosty December Morning

Rochester Bridge Repaired

A great blue heron attempts to keep warm as it perches on a log over the frozen South Umpqua River in Roseburg in Douglas County. Robin Loznak/The NewsReview/AP 6

The Little Applegate Valley Africa is one of the world's fastest-growing tourist destinations, second only to Southeast Asia and employing some 20 million people.

The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea in the east and the Mediterranean in the north, to the Atlantic Ocean in the west, where the landscape gradually transitions to a coastal plain. To the south, it is delimited by the Sahel, a belt of semi-arid tropical savanna around the Niger River valley and Sudan Region of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Wendy Simmons spent 18 days in December, 2015 in Chad, Africa experiencing the Sahara.

Visitor numbers in 2014 went up by 4% not far behind the 6% recorded by Southeast Asia.

In 2014, a total of 65.3 million international tourists visited the continent - around 200,000 more than in 2013. id

Little River.

By Ottilia Anna Maunganidze

In Africa, Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere, migration became a major theme last year as an unprecedented number of migrants and refugees fled to Europe. Indications are that this will continue in 2016.

Migration is a social, political and economic issue that has turned into a critical talking point in the most-affected regions. Exact figures are difficult to obtain, but according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, over one million migrants and refugees fled to Europe via the Mediterranean crossing in 2015. That is almost double the number of migrants who are estimated to have reached Europe between 2010 and 2014.

This surge has not abated. In fact, it is forecast that - should things remain constant - Europe can expect to receive three million migrants by the end of 2016.

But what drives people to risk their lives to get to Europe? Migrants cite a wide range of reasons for choosing to leave their home countries. The spike in numbers can primarily be linked to ongoing conflicts, violent terrorism, poor governance, escalating poverty and inequality.

In 2015, approximately 5 350 migrants and refugees died on their journeys, with about 3 800 having perished while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea via North Africa.

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Camels may go for a week without water, but an oasis in the Sahara attracts hundreds of camels looking for a drink.

Photo—Wendy Simmons 8

This area between Grand Riparo

Wendy Simmons with children of Ethiopia

and Achwile was beautiful, but the wind was so cold and fierce

(you can see the dust and sand blowing) the day we passed through. Like most of Chad, I couldn't believe anyone lived there. And then, about three city blocks away from where I stopped to take this photo, bam!

A straw hut bodega. In the middle of nowhere, nowhere,

Chad. I love that country.

Continued

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camels and donkeys to pull water out of the

well, so there is a constant flow of animals moving to and fro, with children yelling at the them and whipping them - and all of the animals for that matter. It's tough to watch the animals treated so poorly. But they aren't taught differently. At some wells we encountered, the water was simply too dirty to use, even with filtration and purifying tablets. At others, like this one, Bir Dugul, we had better

“We couldn't carry water with us since we

luck and could drink the water once it was

were in the Sahara (and on the road) for 18

treated. I was told this well was for women,

days, so like everyone else in Chad (aside

though there were boys there. Anyway, in the

from those who live in N'Djamena) we relied

midst of all the chaos, I spotted this little girl.

on wells for water. You know you've reached

She was beating a donkey, yes...but she was

a well when suddenly there are animals.

also really beautiful. Travel is never black and

TONS of animals. Camels, sheep, goats,

white.”

donkeys, and cows GALORE. And they all self segregate by species, and by owner.

There's a pecking order ...by which animals get to drink. It is based on how frequently they drink, more or less (and I guess by who gets there first too). So for example, camels drink before goats, because camels only drink every 7 days, whereas goats drink every day. All the other animals literally stand there waiting their turn, and they do so quietly and patiently. It is as adorable as it is fascinating. Wells

themselves,

however,

are

Wendy E. Simmons, President—MOSCOT

rather chaotic and stinky. Children, who seem to do most of the shepherding in Chad (I was told children as young as age 6 are sent off alone with the family's herds, usually for weeks at a time, to search for water and grass for the animals, surviving on camel's milk and fruit they find in the desert), use

MOSCOT is the New York City eyewear institution renowned worldwide for its iconic eyewear – The MOSCOT Originals, MOSCOT Spirit, and MOSCOT Sun Collections.

http://wendysimmons.com http://myholidayinnorthkorea.com 10

Taking photos of people, towns and animals is very sensitive in Chad, and anything related to the police, military, check points, old forts or anything related to the war, government, etc. is strictly forbidden. People - of all ages -- hate having their photos taken and almost always forbid it (lots of fingers shaking "no"), as well as photos of their animals, camels in particular. The depth of their disdain for photos can not be overstated. In certain towns, for example, Abeche, if the police or military see you taking photos you can be detained for hours. I have tons of photos of people running at me yelling, or running away from me looking back yelling, and this WITH the help of my crew's diplomatic negotiating skills. Chad had less than 100 tourists visit in 2015 (I was the only tourist there during my stay), down from just under 300 in 2014 (not including foreigners working there).

So it's so curious why everyone freaks out when a camera appears (though I did learn that some

nomads believe cameras will make their camels sick). In any case, when anyone did allow me to take his or her photo, or even asked me to (!!) take their photo, I jumped at the chance. This little girl asked me to take her photo, but then changed her mind. She flip flopped several times, before finally deciding she was fully down with her decision. I had a pink gummy rubber band (for your hair) around my wrist (my hair needed a break) that matched her outfit perfectly. After I showed her her photo, I gave her the band to wear as a bracelet. She was so excited. Later, I reached to touch her arm to try to show her the band could also be worn in her hair, and she quickly yanked her arm away from me and took a few steps back. She had mistakingly thought the rubber band hadn't been a gift after all and I was taking it back. It was that important to her. A simple rubber band bracelet that come 20 to a pack, for less than $5. Travel equals perspective.

An always vital reminder.

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I stood in the rain with my North Korean handlers (a.k.a. guards) as we waited for our car.

“Very lucky. Nice sunny day,” observed the older one.

Wait, what?

And with that I tumbled dizzily, like Alice, down the rabbit hole.

"My Holiday in North Korea: The Funniest Worst Place on Earth" hits bookstores, May 3, 2016

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Don’t Forget Valentines Day February 14th 14

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effectively pushed for its own moratorium in the Powder River Basin.

"Several companies, including Alpha Natural Resources, which filed for bankruptcy protection last

30+ U.S. coal projects could be scrapped under moratorium Andrew Topf | January 17, 2016

year, have asked the government to delay action on coal tracts previously nominated for leasing. No federal coal reserves in Wyoming or Montana have been leased since 2012."

At least 30 new coal projects in the United States will be affected by the government's new review of coal sales from public lands, announced Jan. 15 by President Obama.

The revelation comes via Associated Press, which

Andrew Topf

obtained a Bureau of Land Management list of affected

sites. According to AP, some of the largest projects are Andrew Topf is an editor at MINING.com. With a backin the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana;

ground in newspaper and trade magazine reporting, An-

applications for mines in Utah, Kentucky, Alabama,

drew specializes in writing about mining and commodities.

Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and North Dakota will

He has written for the Black Press newspaper chain in

also be affected.

British Columbia, Business in Vancouver, and Baum

The Obama administration has placed a three-year

Publications

moratorium on new leases for coal mined from federal lands as part of a sweeping review on the govern-

According to state news agency Xinhua, Beijing

ment’s management of vast amounts of taxpayer-

plans to close about 4,300 coal mines, remove

owned coal throughout the country.

outdated production capacity of 700 million

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell unveiled the temporary

tonnes and redeploy around 1 million workers

halt, saying it was time for a re-examination of the

over the next three years.

decades-old coal-leasing program, from health and environmental impacts to whether US citizens are

“China has eliminated about 560 million tonnes of coal production capacity and closed 7,250 coal mines in the last five of government-owned coal that is mined and sold each years.” getting a fair return for the hundreds of millions of tons year.

“We haven’t undertaken a comprehensive review of the Citing the China National Coal Association, the program in more than 30 years,” Jewell said Friday,

report said China has eliminated about 560 million

“and we have an obligation to current and future

tonnes of coal production capacity and closed 7,250

generations to ensure the federal coal program delivers a fair return to American taxpayers and takes into

coal mines in the last five years.

account its impacts on climate change.”

The Interior Department also said it would review coal's public health impacts.

While the U.S. coal industry is decrying the measure as just another nail in its coffin, AP notes that it has 16

Last working coal mine on Vancouver Island shuts down, marking end of era The last working coal mine on Vancouver Island has halted production indefinitely, marking the end of an industry that established towns, a railway, and some of the province's first labour unions, says a B.C. historian.

The owners of Quinsam coal mine near Campbell River suspended operations earlier this month, stating the move is in response to a decline in coal prices and market demand.

Saving Canada's last standing wooden coal tipple spurs crowdfunding campaign

"The First Nations saw the Hudson's Bay Company burning coal in their forges, where they were working iron, and they said, 'We see you bringing that all the way from England. We have some of that stuff here,' " Lutz said.

First Nations were first coal miners The First Nations became the first coal miners on the island, working on some sites up until the 20th century, Lutz said.

He added that places like Nanaimo, Ladysmith and Cumberland owe their existence to coal. As well, some of the island's major architectural structures were built from coal fortunes.

"In so many ways, coal has laid the foundation for the island," said University of Victoria history professor John Lutz.

"Between the 1850s and the early 20th century coal was the main economic resource on the island."

Lutz told All Points West host Robyn Burns that when Hudson's Bay Company first established a post on the island in 1849, the traders looked for other resources because there wasn't a lot of fur for them to sell.

Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria was built by 19th-Century Scottish-Canadian coal tycoon Robert Dunsmuir. (Mark Schindler, flickr cc) "Craigdarroch Castle and Hatley Castle were built by the Dunsmuir family who became the lead entrepreneurs in the coal mining industry, and they turned their wealth in coal into other wealth," Lutz said.

"So when the federal government wanted to build a railway on Vancouver Island, it was the Dunsmuirs, with their coal money, who got the contract to build the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway."

Lutz added that coal was also responsible for some of the province's earliest labour disputes and the formation of unions because the Dunsmuirs' response to falling coal prices was to drop miners' wages.

"The response of the miners, especially in the Dunsmuir mines, was to strike,'' Lutz said. "So the first unions in B.C. are tied to the coal industry."

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