Timeshare Information

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Regional Commission for Asia and the Pacific has expressed its full support and solidarity with the people of Japan in the aftermath of the recent earthquake and tsunami. Holding their annual meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka (March 24-25, 2011), UNWTO members from Asia and the Pacific also discussed individual country concerns regarding their tourism sectors in light of persistent global economic challenges.

The 23rd Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for South Asia and the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific adopted a special resolution on Japan, expressing “support to, and solidarity with, the government of Japan and the Japanese people as a whole." The resolution stressed support to “Japan’s tourism industry in its endeavors to offer travel assistance to both foreign and local tourists to ensure their safety.”

The announcement came as Japan confirmed it would decommission four stricken reactors at the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant. Operator Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) made the announcement three weeks after failing to bring reactors 1 - 4 under control.

In his report to the Joint Commission, UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said that while the recent catastrophe in Japan would have a short-term impact on Japanese tourism, “The dynamism and resilience of the tourism sector in Asia will contribute to foster continued growth throughout the region.”

International tourism in Asia and the Pacific grew by more than 13% in 2010, making it the first region to recover from the financial and economic crisis. Against this backdrop, UNWTO expects international tourist arrivals to Asia to grow between 7-9% in 2011.

An expanding economy is the primary driver of the tourism boom in both the business and the leisure segments in Asia, and the potential for tourism demand is still strong. “Destinations in the region are making significant efforts to tap this potential, putting targeted marketing strategies in place, such as the theme-year initiatives planned for 2011 in Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Nepal, Vietnam, and others,” said Rifai.

UNWTOis a specialized agency of the United ‎Nations and the leading international organization in the field of tourism. It serves as a ‎global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how.‎ UNWTO plays a central and decisive role in promoting the development of responsible, ‎sustainable and universally accessible tourism, paying particular attention to the ‎interests of developing countries.

UNWTO's membership includes 154 countries, 7 territories, and over 400 Affiliate ‎Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations ‎and local tourism authorities.‎

President Obama has reiterated to all Americans that no harmful levels of radiation are expected to reach Hawaii, the West Coast, or the Pacific Territories as a result of damage to nuclear plants in Japan.



"I know that many Americans are worried about the potential risks to the United States," stated President Obama, "so I want to be very clear: We do not expect harmful levels of radiation to reach the United States, whether it’s the West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska, or U.S. territories in the Pacific. Let me repeat that: We do not expect harmful levels of radiation to reach the West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska, or U.S. territories in the Pacific. That is the judgment of our Nuclear Regulatory Commission and many other experts."

In addition, experts, most notably U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Gregory Jaczko, have repeatedly declared that there is no evidence indicating that Hawaii is in any danger.

The NRC's official web site said, "In response to nuclear emergencies, the NRC works with other U.S. agencies to monitor radioactive releases and predict their path. All the available information indicates weather conditions have taken the small releases from the Fukushima reactors out to sea away from the population. Given the thousands of miles between the two countries, Hawaii, Alaska, the U.S. Territories and the U.S. West Coast are not expected to experience any harmful levels of radioactivity."

In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a statement saying that air monitoring readings taken in Hawaii show no elevated levels of radiation. State health officials previously said that based on all available information, they do not anticipate a risk of harmful radiation exposure to the islands "Daily monitoring reports show no change other than normal background levels of radiation," said EPA's spokesman in Hawaii, Dean Higuchi.

Hawaii's Governor Abercrombie echoed the President’s and the NRC’s assessment in a statement in which he said, "I want to reassure residents and visitors that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the highest authority on radiation in the nation, has indicated Japan’s nuclear emergency presents no danger to Hawaii."

"Our state and county monitoring systems have not detected any increase in radiation levels, and based on all available information, state and federal experts do not anticipate any risk of harmful radiation exposure to our islands. We are open for business. Hawaii continues to be the world’s paradise."

So, according to government officials and experts, if you are planning a Hawaiian timeshare vacation, there is no need to change your plans, and there are many budget-friendly timeshare rentals available in beautiful luxury resorts throughout the islands.

(Video credit - abcnews.go.com)

Thomas Smith, Social Media Director for Disney Parks, has issued the following statement regarding the disasters in Japan:

First and foremost, our hearts go out to all of the people in Japan who have been impacted by last week’s devastating earthquake in Japan. In response to this disaster, The Walt Disney Company is making a $2.5 million contribution to the Red Cross to help aid in the disaster relief. The company has also coordinated a charitable giving program for all Disney employees and will match donations, dollar for dollar, up to an additional $1 million.

In regards to our theme park operations, Tokyo Disney Resort will remain closed this week so that a comprehensive safety investigation can be performed. While there was only minimal damage to the resort, the safety of our guests and cast members is always our top priority so we want to be as thorough as possible in our inspections. The quake caused considerable damage to the local infrastructure and transportation systems in the area so we need to take that into account as well. Fortunately, all of the guests who were at the resort when the quake hit have been able to leave despite these transportation challenges.

A decision regarding operations at the Tokyo Disney Resort will be made on March 21 and we will continue to post updates on the Disney Parks Blog as the situation progresses. The thoughts and good wishes of the entire Disney company go to our colleagues in Japan, their friends and families and all of the Japanese people as they begin their recovery efforts in this difficult time.

(Photo credit - 17sleeve.com)