The Transportation Security Administration Essay

The Transportation Security Administration - Essay Example The TSA is also charged with the responsibility of inspecting rail cars, looking for bombs at checkpoints in and around the country's airports, and patrolling subways (Transport Security Administration, 2008). To better understand the TSA, it is crucial that we look at its mission and core values, and how they have been achieved. As already mentioned, the TSA is mandated to protect the transportation systems of the country in a way that would ensure free movement of people and trade. Its vision, though not yet attained, is to persistently guide the standards for distinction in transportation security through its processes, technology, and people (Transport Security Administration, 2008). To achieve its shared goals and enhance its mission performance, the TSA has set aside some core values. Let me present them in a summary form for they will be instrumental in gauging the situation at TSA and how improvements need to be carried out. Though its mission, vision, and core values may reflect a picture of a very efficient and effective agency, TSA has been faced by numerous scandals and criticisms since its inception in 2001. Judging by the magnitude of some of the high-profile scandals, the situation at TSA can be said to be pretty bad. ... Team spirit TSA is made up of respectful, open, and dedicated people in the business of improving the lives of others. TSA takes pride in challenges, success, and aims at winning in all its endeavors. TSA takes pride in building teams around its core strengths. Evaluating the situation at TSA Though its mission, vision, and core values may reflect a picture of a very efficient and effective agency, TSA has been faced by numerous scandals and criticisms since its inception in 2001. Judging by the magnitude of some of the high-profile scandals, the situation at TSA can be said to be pretty bad. Let me analyze the scandals and criticisms one at a time so that the real picture of TSA inefficiencies and how it can improve can be drawn out. TSA Scanners and screeners Judging by what happened on September 11 2001 in the United States after the terrorists strike, TSA should be in the forefront to ensure that such an occurrence do not happen again. Many innocent people lost their lives in that fateful day when terrorists hijacked some planes only to ram them against the World Trade centre. Against this backdrop, TSA was established and given the mandate of checking for bombs and other dangerous weapons from passengers, especially those boarding aero planes, and those on transit (Boyd, 2005). But the TSA scanners and screeners are not up to this task. In recent tests conducted to ascertain whether their scanners could detect bombs, 75 percent of fake bombs could not be identified by their security screeners at LAX. 60 percent of fake bomb components could not be smoked out in Chicago O'Hare by TSA security scanners. Detection levels by private security firms were much higher, with only 20

Discussion Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 18

Discussion Questions - Assignment Example For instance, if the government is gaining popularity due to youth employment policies, it likely that they would be re-elected back to office if they maintain the current and existing youth employment programme. It should be used in economic projections and political considerations when trying to gauge the direction of the flow of events as to whether the country is growing or not. Forecast refers to estimation about a future event. This is to say that it does not rely on the existing or current facts because the things or set of conditions that would determine such occurrence do not depend on the present happenings. For instance, the weather report is an example of a forecast mechanism. In principle, it does not matter that it is raining in the current time, in the next two days it may be a sunny day. Thus, future happening would be informed by future occurrences and happenings. Good collection strategy ought to encompass ability and impetus to retain the relationship and the affair that existed prior to the collection. This is to say that both parties should feel respected, satisfied and convinced about the eventual outcome of the collection process. In the human process and cycles, it may be emotional to force or to coerce a person say a friend to abide by the terms of the collection agreement. It would then mean and imply that the collector would be hurt because he or she would be forced to compromise his or her agreement and stance so as to accommodate the family ties or relationship or friendship. Thus, so as to realize the maximum and optimum collection points and strategies, it would be proper and imperative for the collector to engage a third party who would be neutral and new to all the parties involved. It would thus be safe to use services of a collection agency which would make sure there are no emotional involvements for any of the parties

Twitter Emerges as a Digital Marketing Tool Case Study

Twitter Emerges as a Digital Marketing Tool - Case Study Example Thousands of businesses in the United States are using tweeting as part of their marketing strategy. A survey revealed that over 88% of businesses in the U.S tweet messages to their customer base. The online connectivity of smartphones has made it easier than ever to follow tweets in real time. Key Marketing Issues Digital Media – consumers have become more accustomed to receiving their daily news through electronic media channels. One of the fastest growing media channels are social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Electronic Marketing – Electronic marketing has become more popular than ever in the 21 century. In 2011 the global online advertising industry generated $71 billion in revenues (Plunkett Research). Social network – Social networks have grown in popularity during the past few years. Facebook is the industry leader with over 845 million users (Facebook). Twitter has become more popular among business owners due to its ability to receive followers without having the need of being in the network of friends. Personal Case Analysis The case study showed the growing tendency of people being in love with social network websites. The interesting thing about the article was that it showed how companies are taking advantage of this lifestyle change among consumers. I think that companies should use Twitter because it is a cost effective way to market to a growing population of consumers that use the services of Twitter on a daily basis. People in the Unites States have become addicted to their smartphones. These devices can be used by people to follow tweets in real time from any location. Interactivity is a feature that brings a lot of excitement to consumers. Case Questions 1) Why is Twitter appealing to companies? Twitter is very appealing to companies because it provides firms with a cost effective marketing medium that can be used to reach thousands of customers instantly. Advertising on Twitter is very cheap in comparison with the advertising costs of traditional media channels such as television and radio. The size of the Twitter population is another attractive feature of the website. There are over 175 million users of Twitter (Carlson). Twitter gives companies the ability to interact with its users. The use of Twitter can be very effective to target younger buyers between the ages of 18 and 35 years of age. 2) How can Twitter be used to strengthen customer relationships and to gather customer feedback? Twitter is a great website because it connects people and businesses with each other. Customers that are interested in the products or services of a company can follow the latest company news using Twitter. Customer relationships can be reinforced by creating loyalty programs in Twitter that allow customers to receive special deals through the twitter feeds. Twitter can also be used as a tool to collect secondary data. â€Å"Secondary data is the data that have been already collected by and readily av ailable from other sources† (Managementstudyguide). 3) What are some of the drawbacks of using Twitter as a marketing tool? Twitter can be a very effective marketing tool that can be implemented at a low cost, but there are certain drawbacks associated with its use. The use of Twitter for marketing purposes is limited to the reach of the medium. A lot of people are not users of social media websites. Other channels such as television and the written press have greater reach than Twitter. The use of Twitter is not as popular among senior citizens as it is among teenagers. Using Twitter as a sole marketing strategy does not let companies achieve adequate penetration among all demographic groups. Another drawback of the use of Twitter

Major problems Facing Christianity Essay Example for Free

Major problems Facing Christianity Essay All world religions face unprecedented times in the 21st century. The challenges are diverse and do not have easy solutions. The modern world has seen an amalgamation of global value systems and a similar confluence of socio-political ideologies and philosophies because of advances in information technology and the increased mobility made possible by modern day technology. It is feasible to find a representative of all the world major religions in each country. This has meant that the observance of each religion is no longer a mystical matter left for the convents and monasteries, but has become one that can be easily and readily scrutinized and compared with alternatives which by the way do not have to be religious. In considering these challenges, those that affect Christianity can represent to a fair degree the struggles the others are facing and can provide a platform for the discussion of these forces. Christianity is by design an expansionist religion. Jesus sent out his disciples with the express command to evangelize all the nations. It is therefore the core duty of every Christian to spread the faith. Globalization is probably the most significant force affecting world religions, both serving and limiting the. Many technological changes took place in the closing half of the 20th century epitomized by the rise of the internet symbolizes the rise of the global village. Substantial changes include increasing ease of commercial travel by jets and high-speed trains, efficient telephone systems and powerful radio’s, the television set and a very efficient and diversified print and electronic media. The world has enjoyed many benefits because of these and indeed, even Christianity has had powerful tools to take its message across the world. Many a televangelist and bible teachers go on air in daily or weekly broadcasts, some with a global audience. Taped messages are downloadable from the internet as podcasts. Even if it is not possible to get the message in real time, it remains available for anyone to get it and watch or listen to it at their convenience. As commercial empires have grown into multinationals, so have efficient delivery networks, which now ensure the timely delivery of CD’s and DVD’s, magazines and newspapers to a global audience. However, these means for dissemination of information have not been available to just the Christian enterprise, they have also available to other establishments that have competing interests, usually commercial, and at times ideological that have employed them to good effect. A Christian watching television is not only watching popular televangelists preach the gospel, but at the comfortable press of a remote button, can watch virtually anything else. These options do not always complement the message heard but at times even go against the Christian value system. A Christian therefore is under immense pressure to conform to the prevailing worldview, as he does not live in a shielded Christian community, but rather in an information razzmatazz for which he has to sift through consistently, if he is to retain and spread the Christian message. As Smart (2000) puts it, â€Å"Even if each tradition stays true to its own message, it will have to operate in a context of this federal world civilization. † Secularization, which is a force to reckon with, has made it more difficult to proselytize. Faith is regarded as a personal issue and hence attempts to discuss faith in non-Christian settings with the hope of making disciples have become an uncomfortable, if not offensive undertaking. Decisions about what faith to ascribe to are made personally and increasingly, privately. After all, isn’t Christianity just one of the options? As Smart (2000) explains, â€Å"Making religion a private matter can also lead to a religion’s becoming just a minor element in a total fabric of living†. Smart (2000) adds, â€Å"Just as a person belongs to the golf club, so that person may join a church.† New age thinking has also made its blow on Christianity. Christianity claims exclusivity of access to salvation, and an exclusive personal God. One of the key new age values is tolerance to all religious beliefs and belief systems. Christianity therefore finds itself in a place where it must find a means of relating with the rest of the world religions, violating the fundamental belief in a single way to salvation. In addition, some of the practices of other religions meet the Christian threshold for classification as idolatry. This just serves to multiply the points of conflict. Further on, the modern world, especially those parts where democracy is dominant, acceptance in matters such as homosexuality is encouraged. This becomes a difficult undertaking for a traditional Christian, as it is excruciating for them to reconcile the practice of the Christian faith with homosexuality and therefore will demand a renouncement of the practice of homosexuality before Christian fellowship can commence. Another area of difficulty for the Christian faith has been the place of women in leadership. Feministic influence has pervaded traditional Christian leadership set up where formal overall leadership was the preserve of men. The Catholic Church still holds to this ideal, while the Anglican Communion has opened its priesthood in women. Protestant congregations and denominations seem to have much more flexibility in the matter, with a large number of women pastors and bishops, in some cases as the overall head of a denomination. Radicalization of faith has brought its share of problems to the world in general. Smart (2000) says, â€Å"Other sects are, in principle or in practice, at odds with society, and seek to change it radically, possibly by rebellion and upheaval. † Many people view Christianity as a western religion. Those who have any disagreements with the west therefore consider Christianity as a legitimate representative of the west. In countries where Christians are in the minority, militant religious fundamentalists have attacked them or their institutions as revenge against the west. State control has also had its punch at the Christian faith. Most of the socialist states such as the former USSR and China have had a very rigid stance against religion in general and Christianity has suffered as one of them. In others, proselytizing is illegal and attracts severe penalty. The spread of the Christian faith remains impeded thus. The Christian message along with that of other world religions has become more difficult to sell in a materialistic society. People do not see why they should wait for a coming glory when they can have the good life now made possible by modernization, which has generally increased the living standards in the world, most pronounced in the western world. â€Å"Then again, the new forms of social and economic organization promised a richer life here and now† (Smart, 2000, p. 138) It will be interesting to see how Christianity evolves in the coming age when each of these forces will have had sufficient time to unleash their full impact.

Tourism industry of Greece

Tourism industry of Greece INTRODUCTION Greece has enjoyed a reputation as one of the prime tourism destinations in the world during the last two decades. Despite the fact that Greeces tourism sector is set for a couple of difficult years ahead with the global economic downturn and the international fear of the H1N1 virus hitting the industry hard, further threatening the countrys fragile economy, Greece has no option but to remain optimistic about its tourism evolution. Greece continues to be a preferred tourism destination because of its safe, low-crime, tourist-friendly environment. In addition, the successful Olympic Summer Games that Greece hosted in 2004 brought increased optimism regarding the future of the Greek tourism sector. Indeed, since the travel and tourism market affects, directly and indirectly, all sectors of the Greek national economy, the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that the real impact of the industry accounts for 14.5% of Greeces GDP and represents over 16.5% of total employment. This study is divided into four chapters. The first chapter of the project defines tourism and outlines the significance and importance of tourism using material of classic text. Produces different definitions of Tourisms and help us to understand Tourism as an International Phenomenon, as well as the Tourist product itself. We also discuss the political significance, educational significance, cultural significance and economic and social significance of Tourism. The second chapter tries to analyze and appraise the current situation of the Greek tourist industry and in detail produce a statistical analysis which shows the market structure, the types of holidays, the holiday facilities and the different types of tourists in Greece. The third chapter focuses on the prospects and new trends of the Greek Tourist industry and on the different strategic objectives and planning initiatives necessary for a competitive tourist industry. It is a fact that tourism is fundamental to the Greek economy and revenue from the industry helps to offset an otherwise adverse balance of payment because of the absence of heavy and competitive industry and the present and unfortunately long-lasting crisis in the shipping industry. Bearing in mind and despite the ever-changing tourist environment (strong euro, weak British sterling and American dollar) the future of the industry is optimistic and the forecasts favorable but pitfalls are always there. It is also tried to give a picture of the changing face of tourism in Greece, its potential and its future by discussing the alternative forms of Tourism. With the term  «alternative tourism » or  «tourism of specified interests » we define the summation of the completed tourism services, which are characterized by specialized work according to the specific needs and preferences of their customs, apply to a specialized public and count on ecologically permissible and mild activities, while they show off the natural beauties of the landscape without destroying it. Such sort of tourism is the Rural Agrotourism, the Cultural, Ecological Tourism e.t.c The forth chapter discusses a marketing analysis and planning, that focuses on the characteristics of the Greek islands and Greek coastal line, using the information, data and analysis of the previous chapters. Finally the conclusion summarizes the main points of all chapters and outlines the different factors which are very important and which dictate the tourism development in Greece. Tourism development is a very sensitive subject with several uncertainties. In addition, sufficient attention is not always given to the various problems that arise nor to the integration of tourism into the whole economy and society. CHAPTER 1 DEFINITIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE OF TOURISM INTRODUCTION The first chapter of the project defines tourism and outlines the significance and importance of tourism. Produces different definitions of Tourisms and help us to understand Tourism as an International Phenomenon, as well as the Tourist product itself. We also discuss the political significance, educational significance, cultural significance and economic and social significance of Tourism. Defining Tourism In a project dealing with tourism, it is sensible to begin by defining Tourism, before we go on to examine the different forms which tourism can take and the statistics related to it. In fact, the task of defining tourism is not as easy as it may appear and can be rather confusing and complicated. While it is relatively easy to agree on technical definition of particular categories of tourism or tourist, the wider concept is ill-defined. Firstly, it is important to recognize that tourism is just one form of recreation, along with sports activities, hobbies and all of these are discretionary uses of our leisure time. Tourism usually incurs expenditure, although not necessarily so. A cyclist or a hiker, out for a camping week-end, carrying his own food, may contribute nothing to the tourism revenue of a region. Tourism is further defined as the movement of people away from their normal place of residence. But again, we must specify how far people must be expected to travel before they can be counted as tourists. One of the first attempts to define tourism was that of Professors Hunziker and Krapf of Berue University. They said that tourism should be defined as the sum of phenomena and relationships arising from the travel and stay of non ­residents, in so far as they do not lead to permanent residence and are not connected to any earning activity. This definit ­ion helps to distinguish tourism from migrating, but it makes the assumption that it must necessarily include both travel and stay, thus precluding day tours. The weakness of this definition is that it appears not to include business travel, because it is connected with an income activity, even if that income is not earned in the destination country. In 1937 the League of Nations recommended a definition of tourist as one who travels for a period of 24 hours or more in a country other than that in which he usually resides. This was held to include persons traveling for pleasure, domestic reasons or health, persons traveling to a meeting or on business and persons visiting a country on a cruise level (even if for less than 24 hours). The principle weakness here is that it ignores the movement of domestic tourism. At the United Nations Conference on International Travel and Tourism, held in Rome in 1963 they considered recommendations put forward by the IOUTO (now the World Tourist Organizations) and agreed to the term visitors to describe any person visiting a country other than that in which he has his usual place of residence, for any reason other than following an occupation, remunerated from within the country visited. This definition was to cover two types of visitors. Tourists who are classed as temporary visitors staying at least 24 hours, whose purpose could be classified as leisure (whether for recreation, health, sport, holiday, study or religion) or business, family, mission or meeting; Excursionists, who were classed as temporary visitors staying less than 24 hours, including cruise travelers but excluding travelers in transit. A working party for the proposed Institute of Tourism in Britain (now Tourism Society) attempted to clarify the concept and reported in 1976: Tourism is the temporary short-term movement of people to destinations outside the places where they normally live and work, and activities during their stay at these destinations; it includes movement for all purposes, as well as day visits or excursions. This broader definition was reformulated slightly without losing any of its simplicity at the International Conference on Leisure Recreation Tourism, held by the Tourism Society in Cardiff in 1981: Tourism may be defined in terms of particular activities selected by choice and undertaken outside the home environment. Tourism may or may not involve overnight stays away from home. Significance of Tourism Tourism brings together people of different countries and backgrounds, has a political significance, educational significance, cultural significance and economic and social significance. The degree of significance achieved depends on the opportunities offered to tourists to meet freely with nationals of the host countries and the ability to converse in the relevant languages. In the ideal situation, tourism enhances awareness, knowledge and ultimately under ­standing between people of different nationalities. The importance of tourism was underlined by the United Nations resolution that Tourism is a basic and most desirable human activity deserving the praise and encourage ­ment of all people and all governments. In creating a better appreciation of other peoples ways of life and institutions tourism may create goodwill for a country. Each year many tourists travel to participate in particular events ranging from congress to athletic events. Their visits also provide opportunities to improve co-operation as well as to project an image of a country to the outside world. When traveling away from home, tourists come into contact with the places they visit and with the people living there and social exchange takes place. Their presence and their social background affect the social structure and way of life at the destination. Tourists are in turn affected by the experience and often carry back home with them new habits and a new outlook on life. Tourism has an educational significance. In the widest sense it has altogether beneficial effects which bring con ­tact between people of different races and nationalities. In a narrower sense, much tourist activity takes the form of study trips and attendance at courses and conferences with specified educational aims in view. Tourism is often accompanied by cultural exchanges and by cultural enrichment of those who travel as well as those at the receiving end. Cultural factors attract tourists to destinations architecture, historical monuments and birthplaces of famous people- are some places visited by tourists; festivals and exhibitions rely heavily on visitor traffic for their audience and attendance. In bringing together people of different backgrounds from different countries it therefore has a political and social significance. But the manifold significance of tourism does not arise only when people visit other countries. Internal, domestic tourism promotes similar interaction, between people and places to that knowledge and awareness which may enhance understanding. The main economic significance of tourism thus money earned in places of normal residence is spent in places visited is common to all tourism, whether international or domestic. Each year vast sums of money are transferred from the economies in which they are earned, to economies in receiving areas where they provide a source of income, a means of livelihood and amenities for the resident population. The outstanding economic effect of tourism lies in the purchasing power generated in receiving areas through the expenditure of visitors who tend to spend at a much higher rate than when they are at home. The flow of money generated by tourist expend ­iture finds its way into the overall economy of the tourist destination as the money is turned over and re-spent. But international tourist expenditure introduces an additional aspect of economic significance as countries which are separate political and economic entities have to balance their transact ­ions with the rest of the world. International tourism, there ­fore, enters into the balance of payments accounts of individual countries and is of major significance in international trade for countries which generate tourist traffic, it represents an import in much the same way as do the importing of merchandise. For countries receiving tourist traffic, it represents an export in much the same way as do the exports of merchandise. Globally, tourism constitutes a major item in the world which has shown a much faster rate of growth in recent years than world trade in goods. Tourism as a source of employment is particularly important for areas with limited alternative sources of employ ­ment .as is often the case in non-industrial areas like Greece, deficiencies in natural resources other th an diverse and scenic attractions. In addition to being a source of income and employment, tourism is frequently a source of amenity for the resident population of the tourist destination. The provision of income, jobs, and amenities for the resident population may be regarded as the main three beneficial effects of tourism which applies to a greater or lesser extent to any tourist destination. They are of particular significance to developing countries like Greece and to rural regions of the country. In comparison with other forms of economic development an improvement in living standards may be generated through tourism and its expenditure relatively quickly. No sophisticated technology is required to establish the basic facilities. As much of the industry is labour-intensive, tourism can absorb unemployed labour resources, which is particularly valuable in areas with surplus unskilled labour. Many operational skills are relatively simple and can be rapidly developed by inhabitants. To say this, is not to minimize the amount and quality of planning required to establish a tourist industry in a new area but to indicate some of the advantages and attractions it may have as compared with other types of developments. The challenge is clear for a region to decide: Whether it wishes to become a tourist destination. How to maximize the economic and other advantages of tourism. How to manage the problems and changes from the growth and development of tourism. CHAPTER 2 GREEK TOURISM ANALYSIS INTRODUCTION The second chapter tries to analyze and appraise the current situation of the Greek tourist industry and in detail produce a statistical analysis which shows the market structure, the types of holidays, the holiday facilities and the different types of tourists in Greece. The statistical data that will be collected from the different sources is going to be analyzed in order to specify the characteristics of Greek tourism, and the preferences and particulars of the tourists. Further on in the project this data will be used in order to conduct a development plan for the Greek s tourism and a marketing analysis. Special attention will be given to the islands and coastal areas of Greece. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN GREECE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS In Greece the Tourism development started after the end of the Second World War. The tourism arrivals from 210.000 in 1956 were increased to 8.351.000 in 1988 and to 18,754,593 in 2007. The 85% of the tourism movement takes place on May-October while the full months, when the 50% of the tourists visits our country, are July, August and September which demonstrates intensively the seasonal characteristic of tourism in Greece. The specific data concern mainly coast areas and islands, which either are specialized in foreign tourism and possess big hotel units, or are specialized in local tourism, mainly under the form of summer residence. The visitors in Greece come mainly from Europe and especially, from countries of the European Union (Germans and British) and, in a smaller percentage, from N.America. Thus, we notice the dependence on the international tourism in our country. The main tourism destinations are: Rhodes, Corfu, Crete, Calchidiki, Mikonos and Santorini as well as Attica ( Athens) however lately there is a series of other smaller destinations. The large number of islands, the archaeological and historical sites in combination with the excellent weather conditions, constitutes some of the most important elements of Greek tourism, which have played a significant role in the countrys effort to attract more international tourists and establish Greece as a country unique in welcoming and providing hospitality services to them. However, all the elements of tourism mentioned above combined with establishments, infrastructure and an ideal picture of tourism in the country have certain vulnerable points, which should be attributed to the uncontrolled, unscheduled and sometimes anarchic tourism development of the country dating back to the 70s and early 80s. Despite all problems, however, tourism has managed to put Greece in the list of those host countries, which attract the greatest numbers of international tourists and receive the largest revenue from tourism while its contribution to the gross national product is approximately between and 10%, and to the domestic product approximately 14%. ECONOMIC AND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT OF THE GREEK ISLANDS AND COASTAL AREAS Geographically, the numerous Greek islands have their own particular characteristics. It would be no exaggeration to support the view that insular Greece has a Polynesian character, since 20% of its ground consists of big, medium and small, developed or underdeveloped, inhabited or uninhabited islands. Greece has 227 inhabited islands in all, 164 of which are in the Aegean Sea. According to the official census of the National Statistical Organization of Greece, in 1991 only 78 of these islands were inhabited by more than 100 people and 1600 Km coastal line. Despite the fact that there has recently been a growing concern about the economic development and modernization of the countrys regions, it cannot be supported that considerable accomplishments have been made toward that direction. Especially as concerns the islands, it should be pointed out that the effort for their economic development and growth has always focused on tourism, mainly due to an inability to expand present economic activities or develop new ones. The Greek islands of the Aegean Sea and the Ionian Sea and the coastal line areas have undoubtedly set quite significant tourism goals and are greatly attractive to tourists. The tourism development on those areas is of two kinds, there are those , such as Crete, Rhodes, Chalkidiki and Corfu, which seek to attract tourists, package tour buyers, and others which seek to attract individual tourists, non package tour buyers, travelling usually from one island to the next, from one place to an other. There are Greek islands, which have achieved both economic and tourism development faster than others. Most of them are part of an insular complex and, naturally, income per capita and therefore the standard of living of the inhabitants is higher compared to other islands. Generally speaking, tourism in most Greek islands is a developing economic activity, and those involved directly or indirectly in the production and promotion of tourism goods and services, i.e. tourism demand, take advantage of it. However, apart from tourism, certain islands have developed other economic activities equally well. That means tourism on those islands has not been developed unilaterally against other economic activities, but in a balanced and harmonious way. Undoubtedly most of the Greek islands should develop new economic activities wherever possible, as well as alternative forms of tourism, which can contribute to strengthening their economies and generally to a further economic development and evolution. Those islands, however, which have a limited economic activity and no possibility of development or expansion, should focus on a tourism development within their limits. To achieve this, however, certain prerequisites will have to be set. In other words, what they need is the necessary tourism infrastructure and superstructure, and then they will have to choose the right alternative form of tourism development. GREEK TOURISM STATISTICAL DATA ANALYSIS General Tourism Characteristics analysis Entry Points analysis The statistical data by G.N.T.O (Greek National Tourist Organization) was carried out at the Greek airports (Athens, zakynthos, Iraklio, Thessalonica, Kavala, Kerkyra, Kefallinia, Kos, Mykonos, Rodos, Samos, Thira, Skiathos, Chania, Other Places), the Greek seaport (Elefsina, Igoumenitsa, Iraklio, Thessaloniki, Kerkyra, Patra, Rodos, Pireas, Other Places), the road crossing points (Doirani Kilkis, Evzoni- Kilkis, Kakavia -Ioannina, Kastaneae -Evros, Kipi- Evros, Krystallopogi Florina, Niki- Florina, Ormenio Evros, Promachon- Serres, Sagiada Thesprotia) and the train stations(Dikea Evros, Idomeni- Kilkis, Promachon- Serres, Pythio- Evros) . In this way, the survey covered all those tourist who came to the country by air, by sea, by train and by road. Of the total tourist in 20007 68,51% (in 2006 71.76%) came by plane, 24,86% (in 2006 21,45) by road, 6,09 (in 2006 6,30) by boat and the remaining 0,54% (in 2006 0,49) by train. The airports of Athens and Iraklion showed the greatest amount of traffic (22,10% and 11,91% respectively). Next in order of magnitude were Rhodes (7,91%) and Corfu (4,79%). Foreign tourists by nationality and country of permanent residence analysis Arrivals from Europe, which holds the biggest share of the tourist market (92.7%), showed an increase by 9.9% in comparison with 2006. Arrivals from the European Union increased by 20%. This growth arises from the fact that the total of the European Union includes for 2007, the two member states, Bulgaria and Romania. The majority of foreigners, who are EU citizens, like 2006, came from the UK (15%), Germany (12.9%) and Italy (6.6%). In comparison with the previous year and taking into account the share they hold in the total arrivals, the highest increase is presented in the two members, Bulgaria (62.4%) and Romania (83.1%). Concerning the other European Union countries, there are some minor changes in Germany and UK, a remarkable increase by 5.9% in Netherlands and a reduction by 2.6% in Italy. In the other continents there is a significant increase in the countries of America (12.9%) and remarkable reductions in Asia (-6.1%), Africa (-9.3%) and Oceania (-6.1%). Purpose of visits (Principal reason) analysis Holidays, business or visiting friends and/or relatives are the main factors which decisively influence the decision of travel. The survey data suggests that 83% of tourists came to Greece just for holidays. With regard to the nationality of those who declared holiday the data attributed the highest percentage to the Norwegians (92%) followed by the Austrians (91%), the Swiss and the British (89%), the Dutch (83%) and so on. Business as an exclusive reason for visiting Greece accounted for only 7%-of all respondents. Visiting relatives or a combination of holidays and visiting relatives were reasons cited mostly by Americans, (8%) and Australians (7%) and more specifically persons of Greek origin who come to spend their holiday and at the same time visiting their relatives. Type of accommodation analysis The survey showed that 63% of all tourists stayed in hotel-type accommodation (this included apartments). 29% in villas, rented rooms and campsites, 4% with friends and relatives and the remaining 3% in other places (ship, under the stars, etc. etc,) and 1% were transit passengers. Foreigners preferences with regard to class of hotel showed 33% opting for luxury (five star and ? class hotels), approximately 30% for intermediate class hotels and the remainder for lower class hotels. In terms of nationality, 58% of the British stayed in hotels and the rest in villas, rented rooms and campsites. Of the British who stayed in hotels, 32% chose luxury and A class hotels and 26% chose intermediate class hotels. A significant percentage 13%) stayed in furnished apartments while 10% plumped for villa and country houses. Average duration of stay analysis In calculating the length of stay in Greece we took into consideration the tourists dates of arrivals and departures. An analysis of the relevant data showed that the largest percentage of tourists (35%) stayed in Greece for between 11 and 14 days, whereas 18% stayed for 15 to 21 days, 36% for less than 10 days and the remaining 11% for more than 22 days. From this distribution we calculated that the average length of stay in each phase of the survey was I4 days. The average duration of stay has risen by approximately 1.5 days over the last 6 years. This is because over this time period the number of tourists arriving on charter flights has increased and most of them stay for more than 13 days. The length of stay varied according to nationality, thus 53% of British, 48 of Norwegians, 47% of Swiss and 38% of Germans stayed in Greece for approximately 2 weeks. Average expenditure per person in â‚ ¬ analysis During his stay in Greece, according to statistics from the Bank of Greece, each foreigner spends an average of 74,3â‚ ¬ per day and 847,3â‚ ¬ per stay. It is interesting to look at the average daily expend ­iture by nationality. Below, I present the percentage of the various nationalities per category of average daily expenditure and expenditure per stay. TOURISTS CHARACTERISTICS ANALYSIS Sex and age analysis The distribution by gender of the surveys respondents showed 9% imbalance in favors of the men. Thus, out of the total number of respondents, 54 ·5% were male and 45.5% female. The distribution by age statistics shows the 16-25 and the 26-40 age brackets predominating with 32% and 38% respectively. The distribution by gender and age produced a different picture, 41% of male respondents were in the 26-40 age bracket, whereas 30% were aged 41 to 65. Conversely, 33% of women were between 16 and 25 years of age, while 36% were between 26 and 40 years. Male tourists from the following- countries outnumbered their distaff compatriots by the following ratios: Yugoslavs: 77.3 : 32.7 Dutch: 57 ·3 : 42.7 Austrians: 57.2 : 42.8 Italians: 55-3 : 46.6 British : 55.1 : 44 ·9 Germany: 55.1 : 44.9 Occupational Grouping analysis In the analysis of the occupation groupings, use was made of the international double digit coding system to identify particular types of occupations. More specifically, the following occupational groupings were used: Groups Occupation 0 Engineers, Chemists, Teachers, Agronomists, Doctors, Lawyers, Economists,  ·Accountants, Journalists, Artist (Commercial, applied and fine arts). 1 Managers and Senior Cadres (In public authority organizations and businesses). 2 Office employees (In the Civil Service organizations and businesses) . 3 Traders and sales people. 4 Students 5 Unspecified professions. 6 Those engaged in the communications sectors (Seamen, Airline personnel, road and rail transport workers, Post Office and telephone workers, etc., etc.) 7 Craftsmen (and blue collar workers). 8 Those employed in the service industries (Barbers, photographers, hotel staff, etc.) 9 Other unclassifiable occupations (Armed Forces, etc) 37% of the British tourists fall into Group ? (Engineers and professionals) and 14% into Group 4 (Students). This means that more than half of the total number of tourists visiting Greece belongs to the occupational grouping with an above-average level of culture. Group 2 members (Office employees) also accounted for a significant part (14%) of all tourists. The remaining occupational groupings represented 35% of the total and their distribution was virtually uniform. Tourist preferences by occupation and type and class of accommodation analysis The results of the survey showed 37% of the managerial class stayed in four star hotels, whereas 21% stayed in five star hotels. Students, not unexpectedly, showed a marked preference (39%) for pensions, hostels, boarding houses, rented rooms and campsites. A Class hotels absorbed 33% of those respondents who did not specify professions (groups) and 28% of trade and sales people. 34% of office staff, craftsmen and laborers stayed in intermediate class accommodation, whereas the respective figure for those in the engineering sector, the professional and the Civil Service was 31%. Of the self-employed, 7% stayed with friends and relatives, while 5% of those engaged in the transport and accommodation industry stayed in other forms of lodging (ships, etc.) Cost of stay analysis More than half (55%) of all the tourists polled come to Greece on a packaged holiday. 66% of the British asked to comment on the cost of their stay in Greece found it reasonable and within their budget, 25% thought it low (cheap) and only 5% found it high (expensive). Reasons for choosing Greece as a holiday destination analysis The climate and the classical sights were the principal reasons (75%) given by British queried for choosing Greece for a holiday. Publicity media and other factors influencing tourists choice of Greece on their first visit analysis An analysis of the data shows that 32% of the tourists visiting Greece for the first time acquired information on .the country from friends and relatives. This conclusion is particularly significant as it shows that a large proportion of first-time visitors to Greece go home satisfied and recommend Greece as an ideal holiday destination to their friends and relatives. The second most important source of information was travel agents, who influenced 40% of the British. Publicity (Newspapers, magazines, radio, Internet etc.) acquainted 49% of all British with Greece, other sources (Posters, books etc.) accounted for 7% · Finally, 17% had heard about Greece from more than one source (e.g., friends, internet and media). Places visited and stayed at analysis The statistics say, 33% stayed in the greater Athens area, (Athens, Piraeus, Attica coasts, Saronic Gulf Island). Other main areas of preference were Rhodes (25%), Crete (21%) the Peloponnesian and Ionian Islands (Corfu excepted) 17%. The Cyclades 14% and Corfu 14%. The favorite destinations of the British continues to be Corfu (40%) followed by Rhodes (26%), Crete (19%) and the Athens region (15%). Tourist Mobility within Greece analysis As regards tourist mobility during the period of the survey, the following was observed: Every tourist polled on average visited and stayed in 1.5 places. More specifically 66% of the tourists visited and stayed in only one area, 19% stayed in two and the remaining 15% in three and more than three areas. In terms of nationality, 87% of the British stayed in one area. This virtual immobility on the part of the British is due to the fact that as the majority of British holiday makers come to Greece on organized charter flights, they do not stay far from their resort area. Following the British in the immobility stakes are the Japanese (85%) the Norwegians and the Swedes (84%), the Yugoslavs (77%) and the Austrians with (72%). Finally, more than one area was visited by the Spaniards (72%), the Canadians (70%), the Americans (64%), the French (62%

Eating Disorders :: essays research papers

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fattest one of all? -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unknown Men and women of all ages, races and incomes get eating disorders. Almost eighty percent of people with eating disorders started with dieting. Experts estimate one in four college women are bulimic. Did you know ninety percent of women overestimate their weight and everyday fifty six percent of women are on a diet. It is also not surprising that eating disorders are on the increase because of the value society places on being thin. Women especially are given the message at a very young age in order for them to be happy and successful they have to be thin. Did you also know the average model weighs twenty three percent less then an average woman. According to medical standards they fit into having a disorder. Diet commercials are constantly appearing on television screens telling us that losing weight will make everyone happy. Over five million American men and women suffer from eating disorders. (Vollstadt 45) Depression, shame, and agonizing sense of isolation is caused by eating disorders, they disrupt families, schools, and damages careers. It’s unfortunate, but in today’s society, people have forgotten that it’s what’s on the inside that counts, not what’s on the outside.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One percent of teenage girls in the US develops anorexia nervosa and up to ten percent of those may die as a result.(AABA 3) Anorexia nervosa is a disorder in which preoccupation with dieting and thinness leads to excessive weight loss. The individual may not acknowledge that his or her weight loss or restrictive eating is a problem. Most women and an increasing number of men are motivated by the urge to become thin. Anorexics usually strive for perfection. They usually have a low self-esteem and sometimes feel that they don’t deserve to eat. Denying the problem occurs most of the time. There are many warning signs for anorexia. Some of the signs are having a noticeable weight loss, becoming withdrawn, lots more exercise, fatigue, weakness in muscles, headaches, and a different attitude towards others. There’s many more, but just look at the ones here and say that they aren’t dangerous. There are also many medical conditions to go with this disease like hair loss, bloating, cold hands and feet, etc. Some people wear baggy clothes to make themselves feel skinnier then they already are and they still feel the urge to lose more weight.

Hate It or Love It Essay

In 1972 the Cross Bronx Expressway was completed; this marked the separation of the southern Bronx and was followed by the â€Å"Bronx is burning† which began the downward spiral for this urban, African American neighborhood. Around the same time hip-hop was founded and became an outlet for the frustrations of the poor, suffering people of this region. The result was the culture of hip-hop that glorifies violence, drugs, money, and a gangster persona. This has become the image of the Hip Hop artist, and is used by musicians to gain the approval or â€Å"street cred† of their fans/peers. With this proof of authenticity, however, many rap/hip-hop artists have sent messages of criticism and condemnation of the life in the â€Å"hood† and the failures of the Civil Rights Movement. In the song â€Å"Hate it or Love it,† these themes of hip-hop are portrayed throughout the song. Rappers The Game and 50 Cent both use signification and realism to gain credibility and critique the failures of the Civil Rights generation. As defined by Imani Perry, a processor of African American studies at Princeton University, realism â€Å"encourages a critique of the media and reflects the significant realities of social inequality† and signifying â€Å"[is] a metaphor for the revision of previous texts and figures (Perry, 61, 101).† Credibility is an idea that is very important in hip-hop. It is often referred to as â€Å"keeping it real† and calls attention to the authenticity of the rap artist (Perry, 87). According to Imani Perry, this entails maintaining â€Å"allegiance to black youth populations or subgroups within [their] community.† Most enthusiasts believe that hip-hop artists should stay true to their roots and stick with the style of their home-region. The Game stays â€Å"real† by recording â€Å"Hate it or Love it† as West Coast style hip-hop and visually signifying N.W.A. (a hip-hop group also from the same city of Compton, CA) in the music video. The song also allows featured artist 50 Cent the chance to stay authentic when he signifies Tupac and Rakim, both of which were also from New York. The Game and 50 Cent though not directly sampling from these artist do cover the identity their predecessors created; as a result, they cover and maintain allegiance to the image of men from black American urban communities. In addition to signifying, â€Å"Hate it or Love it† uses realism throughout its lyrics to build credibility with the audience. Rappers/ Hip-Hop artists are expected to â€Å"witness† and â€Å"live out† the narratives that they tell. 50 Cent starts the song saying, â€Å"let’s take’em back† signifying the transition to story of a â€Å"real† time before he or The Game were known rappers. Both artist reference this reality by disclosing details of ghetto/gangster life in lines like â€Å"Brenda is still throwing babies in the garbage,† â€Å"niggas had stole my bike,† and â€Å"one phone call’ll have your body dumped in marshes.† These phrases all refer to personal or witnessed events that describe the problems like teenage pregnancy, theft, and gang violence in black American urban communities. This â€Å"reality† regardless of truth authenticates the rapper because it shows he has experienced the pa ins of racism, and poverty. It gives the listener a reason to believe the artist can sympathize with his/her own struggles and authenticates the words in the song. Imani Perry also says that, â€Å"[Realism is a] testimony to the emotional state resulting from the experience of poverty, blackness, and the crisis of urbanity (Perry, 87).† After proving oneself as â€Å"real† and establishing their ability to relate to black America, rap artist can further their credibility by targeting the emotional hardships of urban poverty. 50 Cent conveys these emotions when he raps, â€Å"Different day, same shit, ain’t nothing good in the hood. I’d run away from this bitch and never come back if I could.† Here he expresses a genuine hate for the â€Å"hood† and shows his vulnerability as a child, a sentiment not often admitted to in rap. It is this type of realism and openness with emotions that gives musicians the chance to connect and gain trust from the audience. With trust, sup port, and belief in the lyrics, credibility is established. The artist becomes â€Å"real.† Establishing a sense of being â€Å"real† is not restricted to the lyrics. In the music video for â€Å"Hate it or Love it,† The Game employs several images that create both emotion and establish his â€Å"witnessing† of gangster life. For example, both 50 Cent and The Game are represented as children in the music video. They are shown alone in an empty house, standing next to a dead body, and being arrested (as a child and adult). These pictures create feelings of pity and sorrow for the young rappers who appear to have nobody looking out for them, a truth often seen in poor urban communities. This again earns credibility for the rappers because it shows they have â€Å"lived out† the experiences that they rap about. (Perry, 90) With this evidence of living as a â€Å"real† African American, The Game and 50 Cent progress toward a manifestation of respect by contrasting the hood with their new â€Å"reality.† This new life is what Nelson Geor ge would describe as, â€Å"the black man crave[ing] a context for that style, one that often comes as part of a male-dominated collective (George, 52).† In other words, 50 Cent and The Game must cover a glorified version of â€Å"that style† ascribed to the black, male demographic to earn respect from their peers. This glamorized image of blackness is seen throughout the â€Å"Hate it or Love it† music video. The Game is shown standing on top of a building in suburban Los Angles, cruzing down the Boulevard in a red convertible, and wearing two Jacob watches. These images are all a â€Å"signifying call-response trope† between rapper to rapper and rapper to audience (Perry, 62). These images of wealth, and power are a cover of African American male’s desired collective style, a style formed by the previous generation of rappers, and a style African American public continually tries to mimic. It is with the success of achieving this â€Å"style† that 50 Cent and The Game earn respect, and it is with this respect that they gain that final amount of credibility that makes them â€Å"real† rap art ists. Realism is not restricted to the construction of credibility for an artist, it also has the ability to inform listeners about life in the â€Å"hood.† Imani Perry describes this type of realism as a â€Å"telling narrative.† She says, â€Å"[a telling narrative] is to inform and enlighten rather than simply depict (Perry, 91).† The Game accomplished this throughout the lyrics in his song. He raps, â€Å"Thinking how they spent 30 million dollars on airplanes when there’s kids starving,† and â€Å"No schoolbooks, they used that wood to build coffins.† These two lines are extremely powerful and a harsh criticism of society as a whole. These words â€Å"enlighten† us of problems for children in black urban communities like hunger, poor education, and violence. The Game shows contrast when rapping that we spend â€Å"30 million dollars on airplanes.† He is clearly condemning society for its failure to take responsibility for African American children despite the availability of resources. A telling narrative does not only express disapproval for society in general, but also â€Å"provides an internal critique of sociological conditions and the prospects of social control through planned communities (Perry, 91).† The possibility of â€Å"social control† or an improvement of life style is implicitly suggested in The Game’s lyrics. He repeatedly shows the availability of wealth with references to items like â€Å"Jacob’s watches,† â€Å"Mercedes Benz,† and â€Å"sheepskin coats.† 50 Cent however provides a true internal critique of the African American community, not just society as a whole. Within the first stanza 50 Cent recounts the poor/lack of parenting he received from his mother and father. He says, †Coming up I was confused, my mom kissing a girl/Confusion occurs coming up in the cold world/Daddy ain’t around, probably out committing felonies.† These three lines are a direct criticism of 50 Cent’s parents and other ghetto parents of the same generation, the children from the Civil Rights Movement. It is commenting on their collective failure to use the momentum of the civil rights movement as a medium for change. Instead, many, like 50 Cent’s parents, went the opposite route. They fell into illegal activities and abandoned their children. This â€Å"reality† of an illegal life is further exemplified when 50 Cent says, â€Å"I wanna live good, so shit I sell dope.† With no parents, money, or real support, children of the Civil rights generation had to turn to drugs and other illegal activities to â€Å"live good.† Through these types of lyrics, 50 Cent and The Game â€Å"inform† and â€Å"critique† life in urban black neighborhoods. Criticism of ghetto life and the disappointment of the Civil Right’s generation are also accomplished with the use of signification. According to Imani Perry, â€Å"Signifyin(g) is a way of saying one thing and meaning another (Perry, 61).† The Game successfully does this with both images and lyrics. For example, he raps â€Å" ‘Pac is gone and Brenda still throwing babies in the garbage/I wanna know ‘What’s Going On’ like I hear Marvin.† This literally is somewhat confusing; however, if we look beyond the referencing previous black artist, The Game is â€Å"signifying† problems that the African American community has been enduring since the 60’s. Brenda, for instance, is not literally â€Å"throwing babies in the garbage.† Rather, The Game is addressing the continued issue of teen pregnancy in black urban communities and criticizing the lack of change in these problems. He is looking at a similar underlying â€Å"meaning† when he references Marvin Gaye’s song â€Å"What’s Going On.† An artist from the era of the Civil Right’s Movement, Gaye was concerned with issue of drug addiction, poverty, and the Vietnam War. It is clear that the Game is concerned with the lack of change that has occurred since the 1960’s and is calling out the failures of society. The Game continues this use of signifying as social commentator by sampling the background music from The Trammps’ song â€Å"Rubberband.† It is this â€Å"imitation†, as Glenn Gould calls it, that â€Å"[gives] art importance.† (Gould, 58) Gould argues that imitation â€Å"upsets the idea of progress.† This is exactly what The Game and 50 Cent are indicating. Since the Civil Rights Movement, the generation of the Trammps, there has been limited progress. The Game is thus â€Å"imitating† and covering a lack of change. He is criticizing the black people’s ability to make change happen. Progress for African Americans has been limited since the Civil Rights Movement. Despite the lack of change, many people have tried to help, improve, challenge, and change the urban black American’s way of life. Rappers, like The Game and 50 Cent, release music that alludes to the gangster life and its hardships. This signification often is criticized as an â€Å"affirmation of stereotypes;† however, on a deeper level the music is â€Å"challeng[ing] the assumptions† of what a black man is (Perry, 61). When The Game ends his music video, he stands looking at the camera holding, kissing, and loving his baby. Looking directly at the camera he is staring into every African American home in America saying I will be different, I will be a good father, I will make a change. The Game understands the power he has as a rapper, and though this may not be a revolution like the Civil Rights Movement, it sends a message that change is possible even if it is one person at a ti me.