Gov't: Mexico's tourism hit hard by A/H1N1 flu

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu

MEXICO CITY, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's tourism has been hit hard by the
outbreak of the A/H1N1 flu, the Mexican government said Saturday.

The occupancy rate for major tourist sites in Mexico is expected to decline
by 44.8 percent in the coming ten days, Mexican tourism authorities predicted.

Tourism Minister Rodolfo Elizondo told a press conference that a series of
cultural, business and academic activities in Mexico have been canceled,
including the world pediatrics conference which had been expected to draw some
4,000 podiatrists worldwide.

In such resorts as Cancun and the Maya coast, the occupancy rate of hotels,
which should have been flooded with tourists in this season, has decreased to
77.8 percent since April 23 when the government announced urgent anti-flu
measures.

He also confirmed that such countries as Cuba, Canada, Argentina, Ecuador,
Peru and Chile have canceled their flights to Mexico, while the number of U.S.
tourists to Mexico has seen a sharp fall.

The minister asked the country's tourism centers to conduct a precise
analysis of their economic losses caused by the outbreak of A/H1N1 flu, which
was previously reported as swine flu, to workout a remedy.

50 canditates announced for world's "best job"

BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhuanet) -- A list of
50 candidates has been announced for "the best job in the world" -- being
well paid while enjoying the life on a tropical island in Australia, according to
media reports Wednesday.

From the United States, Britain, Russia, India,
China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia,and Kenya, they were
selected from a total of 34,684 applicants from some 200 countries and regions.

"Yesterday, a team of Tourism Queensland marketing
and international staff along with a professional recruitment company made the
very tough decisions necessary to cut the shortlist to the Top 50," said state
Tourism Minister Desley Boyle.

The tourism promotion campaign -- finding a caretaker
of Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef was run by the Queensland state
government. The winner would get 150,000 Australian dollars (about 100,000 U.S.
dollars) for six months and includes free airfares from the successful
candidate's home country to the island.

"There's everything from action and adventure,
comedy, animation and a choreographed musical number that just stays with you,"
Boyle said.

The Top 50 will be narrowed down to a final 11, 10 of
whom will be chosen by Tourism Queensland with an 11th "wild card" applicant
chosen by popular vote.

They will be flown to Hamilton Island in early May to
take part in the final selection process with the successful candidate announced
on May 6.

(Agencies)

Tourism regulator: no swine flu detected among China arrivals

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese health authorities have detected no
cases of swine flu among people arriving in the country by 8:30 p.m. Tuesday,
according to the National Tourism Administration (NTA).

Members of both foreign and Chinese tourist groups coming from swine flu
affected countries had been monitored, said a statement on the NTA website.

The NTA urged all tourist departments to take effective prevention measures
and closely monitor tourists so as to avoid swine flu coming to China.

Travel agencies should keep track of their clients and their health
conditions, the administration said.

The government would also strengthen cooperation with tourism authorities
in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, keeping the public informed of the outbreak and
its effect on international travel.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Wednesday ordered strict
sanitization of flights from countries and regions affected by swine flu.
Remains of food, waste and human excrement must be subject to special treatment.

China banned group visits to Mexico via travel agencies on Tuesday and
advised Chinese citizens to suspend travel plans to the country where the swine
flu infection was first reported.

Air travel between China and Mexico comprises two flights from Mexico City
to Shanghai by Mexicana Airlines, one on Monday and the other on Friday. There
is no domestic direct flight to Mexico.

More than 20 countries, such as the United Sates, Canada and Spain, have
reported cases or suspected cases of swine flu.

The probable death toll from swine flu in Mexico rose to 159, the Mexican
Health Ministry said late Tuesday.