Wednesday, April 30, 2014

CDC Travelers' Health has a new app available.

CDC Travelers' Health has a new app available. See information below for more details. Also, the CDC dengue CE course is now available. For more information on the dengue CE course and other CE courses visit: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/ce-courses-training

Can I Eat This?
Montezuma’s revenge, Delhi belly, or travelers’ diarrhea—whatever you call it, it can ruin your international trip. Help prevent travelers’ diarrhea by using CDC’s Can I Eat This? app. Select the country you’re in and answer a few simple questions about what you’re thinking about eating or drinking, and Can I Eat This? will tell you whether it’s likely to be safe. With Can I Eat This?, you can be more confident that your food and drink choices won’t make you spend your international trip in the bathroom.

Available from Google PlayExternal Web Site IconAvailable from the App Store

Thank you,

Kate Spruit-McGoff
SEGMENTS 2 - 3
Kate Spruit-McGoff Nurse Consultant for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Travelers’ Health Branch





Center for Disease
Control and Prevention
and contributor to TravelTalkRADIO
and
BusinessTravelRADIO



Right Click to Save

approx 17 min
Center for Disease Control explains Travel Health Notices given to travelers

Kate Spruit-McGoff joins Sandy for an interesting discussion about the CDC criteria regarding posting health notices. Kate is a Nurse Consultant for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Travelers’ Health Branch. She is also a Lieutenant in the United States Public Health Service.

Her core work for CDC includes researching and developing travel notices, writing website content, and clinical education. She is a board member of the American Travel Health Nurses Association (ATHNA) and chair of ATHNA’s Communication Committee.
What are the CDC Travel Notices?
CDC posts travel health notices about disease outbreaks, major disasters, and international gatherings, such as religious or sporting events.
·      The notices include information about the situation or health risk, who is affected and how travelers can protect their health.
How does CDC determine when to post a notice?
CDC monitors disease outbreaks and other situations around the world. We use standard criteria to evaluate situations and determine whether or not a notice is warranted.TH reports on unusual or unexpected situations that are likely to affect travelers or to spread internationally.

Travel notices are reserved for unusual situations, but expected disease risks are explained at the CDC Web site. http://www.cdc.gov/travel
What are the different levels of travel notices?
Warning Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel
Alert Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions
Watch Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions
·       Notices are assigned different levels based their health recommendation.
·     Each travel health notice has a section that gives advice about how travelers can protect themselves.
o    For example, a Level 1 Watch advises travelers to “Practice Usual Precautions.” These usual precautions would be following the same healthy habits recommended for all travelers for that destination, such as washing your hands or avoiding mosquito bites.
o    A Level 2 Alert advises travelers to “Practice Enhanced Precautions.” These enhanced precautions would not normally be recommended for that destination and could include actions such as getting a vaccine or taking a medication.
o    A Level 3 Warning advises travelers to “Avoid Nonessential Travel.” This level of a travel health notice recommends that travelers avoid traveling to the destination unless absolutely necessary.
Warnings are
used rarely and only in the most serious circumstances.

The first of its kind festival - the Dead Sea Mud Festival in Jordan this weekend

The first of its kind festival will take place on Friday, 2nd of May,  2014 at the
Dead Sea Spa Hotel Beach, this will be the first run of the Dead Sea
Mud Festival, an annual sustainable event that aims to promote tourism
and raise awareness for Jordan’s many exceptional Dead Sea natural resources and products
Kia Jordan recently announced its Diamond sponsorship of the festival
which organized  by Jordan Pacific Business Development. The
announcement came during a press conference for the event on April 28
at the Century Park Hotel, which was attended by International
correspondence and local media.

Kia Jordan’s support of the event falls in line with its ongoing
efforts to support local communities across the Kingdom and contribute
to their growth and prosperity. In addition to providing support and
sponsorship for the Dead Sea Mud Festival.

Commenting on the occasion, Mohammad Omar, Communications Manager for
Kia Jordan, said, “As a company committed to supporting sustainable
growth in the Kingdom, we are pleased to serve as the diamond sponsor
of the first-ever Dead Sea Mud Festival. We hope that this event will
serve to promote the magnificence of the Dead Sea as a tourist
destination, as well as the burgeoning industry of local Dead Sea
products created and marketed by local entrepreneurs.

“It is an honor to collaborate with Kia Jordan on this landmark
event,” added Mona Naffa, one of the event’s organizers. “The Dead Sea
Mud Festival will serve to bring together tourists and Jordanian
citizens as they ignite their passion for this incredible natural
destination. Ultimately, we hope that this event will elevate Jordan’s
touristic appeal on a global scale, while providing local
entrepreneurs with an opportunity to promote their products.”

Maher Al Tal, speaking on behalf of Royal Aero Sports Club of Jordan,
added that Dead Sea Area is rich with Tourism Attractions, such as the
Baptism sight, Madaba, Maen hot springs water and other attractions.

The first-annual Dead Sea Mud Festival is a family event that aims to
celebrate a wealth of Jordanian talent, bringing together dancers,
artists, musicians, sports figures,  and fitness enthusiasts for a full day of fun and
entertainment. The event will also serve to promote the Dead Sea’s
natural resources, while operating as a vehicle to elevate the Google
rankings of Jordan’s Dead Sea attractions, along with games and
activities.

The Dead Sea is the biggest natural spa on earth, a popular
center for wellness and health, heavy mineral concentration is
believed to help with skin problems, the Dead Sea black mud has some
unique qualities that allow it to keep the skin looking young, radiant
and healthy.

In a message to all foreigners and tourists, Mrs. Mona Naffa the
organizer told eTurboNews that our goal is to create the awareness of
the Dead Sea-Jordan as a destination with international standard hotels, top notch Spa’s, and the
largest percentage of the mud and the salt comes from Jordan side, so we have
value added for coming here, not only the Dead Sea but nearby Holy

Sites, such as the Baptism Site which Jordan is expecting Pope Francis in May, we have a lot of exciting activities on the Jordan side of the Dead Sea in the pipeline.     Coming to Jordan will be one of your best experiences ever’

Saturday, April 26, 2014

BusinessTravelRADIO guest Anita Mendiratta of CNN TASK GROUP uses Seychelles Minister Alain St.Ange as a case study

Anita Mendiratta of CNN TASK GROUP uses Seychelles Minister Alain St.Ange as a case study
An island nation in the Indian Ocean neighboring Africa’s eastern coastline, while small in geographic size and remotely located, the Seychelles has become a destination with a reputation for ‘punching above its weight’. In Anita's own words, 'Its vital statistics clearly reflect the critical role of tourism, successful tourism, to its future growth and well-being."
The man behind the tourism machine that is the Seychelles is Alain St Ange, Honourable Minister of Tourism.

How does he define the responsibility of tourism leadership that sits squarely on his shoulders? Listen to our fireside chat and learn more about the worlds only granite based archipelago of islands called The Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.




Right Click to Save

 approx 25 min

Erik Anthony Audé, National Geographic Channel's Locked Up Abroad on BusinessTravelRADIO

Locked Up Abroad
 

In 2002, Audé was persuaded to carry leather samples from Islamabad, Pakistan to the United States by Razmik Minasian (who used the alias Rai Gharizian), an Armenian client at the gymnasium where Audé was employed. Minasian concealed from Audé the fact that the case containing leather skirts and jackets also contained opium.[4] On February 15, 2002, Audé was arrested at Islamabad International Airport after being found, according to Pakistani authorities, with 3.6 kilograms (7.9 pounds) of opium in the process of embarking on his scheduled flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

 Pakistan not being a party to the United States' Prison Transfer Treaty program, the actor, convicted in January 2003, began serving a sentence of seven years at the Adiala Central Jail in nearby Rawalpindi. At the time, a number of articles in the press speculated on the odds of his surviving the full term of his seven-year sentence.

 Audé's 2004 release followed an appeal by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson just before Christmas, and followed Minasian's written confession that Audé was innocent of knowing he was being used to smuggle opium. A number of websites were set up to help promote his cause, and to document the struggle to free him. The actor arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on December 26, 2004 after entering the United States at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. As of 2009 Audé lives in the San Fernando Valley.





Right Click to Save

 
approx 16 min

PETER PAVONE: `BEST SINATRA IMPERSONATOR’ on TravelTalkRADIO

PETER PAVONE: `BEST SINATRA IMPERSONATOR’

Peter Pavone’s love of show business and talents recently earned him to be named “The World’s Best Sinatra Impersonator” by the Vegas News.
Peter was also listed as fourth “Best Impersonator” in the R-J’s Best of Las Vegas Poll for 2014. That’s considering all celebrity impersonators. Peter was ranked the “Best Sinatra Impersonator.”

He recently returned from a six-week engagement in Kyoto, Japan which was sold-out.  He said, “The Japanese audience was sensational and I sold more CDs in six weeks than since `Cool Hot & Swingin’’ was released in 2008. Peter’s latest release `Sinatra Style’ is also available on iTunes.”


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approx 25
min

No one ever believes their dream vacation can instantly turn into a tragic nightmare…until it’s too late.

Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff, Author of Fatal Sunset on TravelTalkRADIO

Some tourists vanish without a trace. Over 170 people have disappeared from cruise ships around the world since 1995, several under very suspicious circumstances. Others have their lives senselessly stolen, like the 8-year old boy sucked into an unprotected pool drain at a major resort, leaving his mother crying out his name as security staff held her at gunpoint. Or 22-year old Nolan Webster, denied proper medical care after being pulled unconscious from a Cancun resort pool, only to have his dead body left in plain view for hours and his parents billed for his room.

Vacations are meant to be joyous and fun. Sometimes terrible things happen unexpectedly. A parasailing newlywed plummets hundreds of feet to her death on the last day of her honeymoon when her harness snaps in mid-air. Hikers make a fatal plunge on an improperly-marked Kauai cliffside trail. And of course, there’s every mother’s nightmare: the disappearance of Natalee Holloway while on a high school graduation trip to Aruba with members of her senior class.
 “There’s one piece of advice I’ve learned researching this book,” tells Nemcoff. “Dare to be aware.”





Right Click to Save

approx 16
min

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Video during my Paris to Vernon cruise on the ms River Venture

During my Paris to Vernon cruise on the ms River Venture with Vantage Deluxe World Travel I shared my view on cruising the rivers rather than the international waters in the high seas. If you have not cruised in Europe, perhaps you might want to give this a try. I am hooked!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv1E3DJtEcY&feature=youtu.be

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Center for Disease Control explains Travel Health Notices given to travelers



TravelTalkRADIO March 23, 2014

    Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Contributor to TravelTalkRADIO and BusinessTravelRADIO
                                                                                            
Kate Spruit-McGoff Nurse Consultant for the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention’s Travelers’ Health Branch


Center for Disease Control explains
 Travel Health Notices given to travelers

Kate Spruit-McGoff joins Sandy for an interesting discussion
about the CDC criteria regarding posting health notices. Kate
is a Nurse Consultant for the Centers for Disease Control and
 Prevention’s Travelers’ Health Branch. She is also a Lieutenant
in the United States Public Health Service.

Her core work for CDC includes researching and developing
travel notices, writing website content, and clinical education.
She is a board member of the American Travel Health Nurses
Association (ATHNA) and chair of ATHNA’s Communication
Committee.
What are the CDC Travel Notices?CDC posts travel health
notices about disease outbreaks, major
disasters, and international gatherings, such as religious or
sporting events.
         The notices include information about the situation or health risk,
who is affected and how travelers can protect their health.
How does CDC determine when to post a notice?



CDC monitors disease outbreaks
and other situations around the world.
We use standard criteria to evaluate
situations and determine whether
or not a notice is warranted.
TH reports on unusual or unexpected
situations that are likely to affect travelers
or to spread internationally.

Travel notices are reserved for unusual
situations, but expected disease
risks are explained at the CDC Web site. http://www.cdc.gov/travel

What are the different levels of travel notices?
Warning Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel
Alert Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions
Watch Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions
·       Notices are assigned different levels based their
health recommendation.

·     Each travel health notice has a section that gives
advice about how travelers can protect themselves.

For example, a Level 1 Watch advises travelers to 
“Practice Usual Precautions.” These usual precautions would be following the same healthy habits recommended for all travelers for that destination,  such as washing your hands or avoiding mosquito bites.
A Level 2 Alert advises travelers to “Practice Enhanced Precautions.”These enhanced precautions would not normally be recommended for that destination and could include actions such as getting a vaccine or taking a medication.

A Level 3 Warning advises travelers to “Avoid Nonessential Travel.” This level of a travel health notice recommends that travelers avoid traveling to the destination unless absolutely necessary. 
Warnings are
 used rarely and only in the most serious circumstances.








Monday, April 7, 2014

Still Time for a little snow fun

Nothing better for the winter blues then a little music. Our town is filled with legendary musicians and talented  young people.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

New Orleans reaches out across the world to the Philippines and offers support.







Right Click to Save

approx
32 min
Joining Sandy are Brad Weaber, CVB
executive Vice President /
Kelly Schulz, VP,
Communications and PR

Its no secret that New Orleans has had its share of challenges.
Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 caused significant problems
due to the breach of the flood protection system designed after
1965 to protect the city. Over 204,000 homes in New Orleans
were damaged or destroyed, and more than 800,000 citizens
displaced — the greatest displacement in the United States
since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

Tourism, is the main artery when it comes to pumping money
into the local economy, and should become front and center
for any challenged region, some easier than others. The good
news for New Orleans was that tourism had already proved to
be a main resource for prosperity and they knew they could do
it again.
In turn helped another region, the Philippines. Brad Weaber and
Kelly Schulz made the trip and reassured the Philippines that
they too could over come the obstacles of devastation and
the wrath of mother nature. Wish guidance and support the
 odd couple of the Philippine nation and New Orleans are
marching to the same drummer, 
learning from each other
and truly enjoying the alliance. 
Brad and Kelly share with
us some of the encounters and how 
they are moving
to the next phase with their new friends. 

This story is one of hope, friendship and the idea that
we are in a global village and that we can all make a difference.

Hats off to NOLA CVB!

Take a listen, y
ou will not be disappointed.

Sunday April 06, 2014 TravelTalkRADIO and BusinessTravelRADIO

LIVE via Satellite on radio stations in USA and beyond.
Show streams from this page at Noon to 1pm ET
and
Rebroadcast at 2 - 3pm ET
 Second Hour: 1 - 2pm ET Rebroadcast at 3 - 4pm ET


This Week on TravelTalkRADIO
Sandy welcomes
Author Lynn Martin of Home Sweet Anywhere

Donald Buyze,
WWI Historian and
Sandy's personal guide in Belgium
 

           This Week on BusinessTravelRADIO
Sandy welcomes
Donald Buyze,
WWI Historian and
Sandy's personal guide in Belgium