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An international organisation is a group of different countries that work together for a common purpose. They help design guidelines to balance the needs of economic development and environmental sustainability due to tourism and also tackle issues related to the economy, sustainability and employment in tourism. These international organisations can influence the tourism industry in a country through their reports and guidelines on a site in positive or negative ways. Their positive opinions on a country's political situation, economy, health and safety issues can encourage international tourists to visit it. However, when they issue travel alerts about the health conditions or political instability of a country, they can deter visitor arrivals to this country.

The role of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Tourism Committee: Identifies key challenges related to employment and local developments that would affect tourism Produces guidelines on measuring the social and economic impact of tourism Promotes sustainable | growth of tourism in a country to create job opportunities and achieve economic growth The role of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO): Promotes sustainability in economic growth and the environment through tourism Provides Global Code of Ethics for Tourism guidelines to emphasize ethical uses of tourist sites Works with governments to improve global tourism knowledge and policies The role of the World Health Organisation (WHO): Provides information on global health matters and issues health advisories to the public on places at risk of outbreak of diseases

3. International organisations An international organisation is a group of different countries that work together for a common pur peOs o Such organisations include the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD Tourism Committee, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Health Organizationn (WHO). o Reports produced by international organisations can encourage or discourage tourists in visiting a place. The OECD Tourism Committee meets regularly to actively promote the sustainable growth of tourism. o OECD member countries address economic, sustainability and employment issues in tourism. o The Committee produces guidelines on measuring the social and economic impacts of tourism. o It also produces analyses of key challenges that affect tourism, such as those that involve employment and local developments. Another leading international organisation for tourism is the UNWTO. o The UNWTO promotes tourism as a way of spurring economic growth and environmenta l sustainability. o It also strives to improve tourism knowledge and tourism policies worldwide. o It introduced a Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, which promotes tourism as a means of achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGS).

Works primarily with governments, as well as international organisations such as the UNWTO and the International Labour Organization. Works primarily with private organisations, including tourism organisations and the academic community, as well as governments. Has 35 member countries, the majority of which are developed countries such as the USA, France and Japan. Has 158 member countries. Provides tourism statistics from OECD members and selected non-members. Provides tourism statistics from its 158 member countries. Promotes tourism as a tool for national growth and job creation. Promotes sustainable tourism development and tourism as a tool for poverty reduction, as well as job and business creation.

An international organisation that provides leadership on global health matters is the WHO. e The WHO is the leading authority for health within the United Nations system. o It is capable of influencing global behaviour. Example: The WHO has provided situation updates and health advisories for travellers on avian influenza (H5N1) since 2003. Such information discourages tourists from visiting at-risk countries.

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The media refers to the channels through which news and information are communicated to the public. Examples of the media include television, radio, newspapers and the Internet. Media reports about a tourist site may influence people's decision to visit it as the report may put this site in a positive or negative light. Positive reports, such as high levels of safety and security, awe-inspiring scenery, good facilities or friendliness of the locals, can encourage tourists to visit a site. Negative reports, such as the outbreak of diseases, political instability, low levels of safety and security or natural disasters, may deter tourists from visiting a site. Media reports also raise awareness of certain tourist destinations that are previously unpopular or not considered by tourists. Travel writers are people who write reviews about a tourist destination they have visited. They may publish their reviews in travel guidebooks, travelogues and magazines as well as on the Internet. They may evaluate a tourist destination in many areas, such as foods, transport and accommodation. Their reviews may influence the readers' decisions on visiting the particular tourist site as the travel writers are free to praise or criticise the site. As the Internet becomes a source for readily-accessible information, many people who are IT-savvy tend to search for reviews or background on a tourist site from tourism-related websites or personal blogs before making a decision on their destinations.

Many international newspapers reports on the political unrest in Thailand in 2014 caused the tourism industry in Thailand to suffer significant losses in tourist revenue by as much as US$2.7 billion. Many hotels in Bangkok suffered very low Occupancy rates and many international airlines reduced their flights to Thailand due to the sharp drop in demand. Some popular tourism-related websites: TripAdvisor Expedia Lonely Planet BudgetTravel Agoda

Media refers to the channels through which news and information are communicated to the public. It includes television, radio, newspapers and the Internet. Media reports about a country or an area could influence the decisions of tourists to visit it. O Positive reports, such as the friendliness of the local population, an interesting culture, good shopping opportunities and attractive scenery, can encourage tourists to visit. O Negative reports, such as those of incidents of violence, disease outbreaks and natural disasters, can deter visítors both immediately and for many years to come. Media has enabled tourists to be more aware of destinations that they have previously not considered. o Due to favourable media reports, visits to Antarctica, treks in the Himalayas, homestays with indigenous groups and long-distance cruises are growing in popularity.

Travel writers offer comments on various media platforms such as travel websites, travelogues and guidebooks to share their opinions, reviews and evaluation of the destinations they had travelled to. Some aspects covered may include climate, accommodation, transport and features to look out fr. They may also advise the 'dos' and 'do nots' on tourist behaviour. These reviews are easily accessible from various media platforms and may influence the decisions of travellers in terms of deciding their final destination.

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Refers to people travelling to visit locations featured in films By visiting places featured in films, visitors are able to understand how certain scenes of the film were filmed understand how these places inspired parts of the film re-enact the moments when these places are featured in the film

New Zealand has become a popular tourist destination as some scenic landscapes in the country are used in 'The Lord of the Rings' film series The film 'Avatar' features scenery inspired by Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China The Lotte World in Seoul in South Korea was featured in the film "Stairway to Heaven'

Example: The 3-D film, Avatar, which featured scenery inspired by Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China. > lo attract more international tourists and ride on the film's success, local officials renamed one of the park's rock columns as the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain. > There are also special Avatar-themed tours that tourists can join. > All these serve to encourage tourists to visit the park.

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Governments are directly involved in planning, funding and building good infrastructure, such as airports, roads and ports, to support tourism in their countries. They are in the position to authorise air landings and approve the building of facilities and infrastructure such as hotels and roads. They may set up government agencies to devise strategies, such as organising annual sales events, to attract more domestic or international tourists to boost tourism in certain sites. Therefore, they also influence the number of visitors and their length of stay. They play an important role in providing high levels of safety and security for tourists.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is responsible for promoting Singapore as a tourist destination: Organises promotional events, for example, working closely with retail shops to launch the annual 'Great Singapore Sale' Facilitates the investment of tourism-related businesses such as hotels, resorts, cruises and airlines Oversees the development of new attractions such as the River Safari and the Integrated Resorts

Governments play a crucial role in promoting tourism in their country. They can: o Influence the number of visitors and their length of stay. o Authorise air landings. o Allow the building of facilities such as hotels. o Be directly involved in planning, funding and building infrastructure projects such as airports, roads and ports that are linked to tourism. o Ensure the safety and security of the sites that tourists frequently visit. o Set up agencies that devise strategies such as marketing campaigns and promotional events to help promote tourism in their country. Example: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB), a government agency, aims to promote and develop Singapore as a leading tourist destination for leisure and businesses in the region. The STB also develops tourism as an industry, facilitating tourism-related businesses (i.e. hotels, resorts, cruises and airlines) to invest in Singapore. - The STB encourages the development of new attractions (e.g. the River Safari and the Integrated Resorts) and creates new business opportunities for the tourism industry in Singapore.

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Refers to people travelling to sites associated with death and tragedy, such as battlefields, fortifications, museums and memorials at locations that are important in modern history Visitors to these sites are usually survivors, relatives and friends of those affected and people who are interested to know more about the particular event

Ground Zero in New York City, USA, which is the former location of the World Trade Centre before they it was destroyed in a terrorist attack The Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall in Nanjing, China, which commemorates the mass murders and rapes of the Chinese when the city fell to the Japanese in 1937 The ruins of Pompeii in Italy which used to be a Roman town before it was buried in ash by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD

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Refers to people travelling to a place to participate in a religious activity People make a journey to a sacred site, such as a shrine, a mosque, a temple or a church, that is important to their beliefs and faith Major religious holidays or events can also draw large crowds to these sites or holy cities such as in Jerusalem, Mecca and the Vatican City

The Vatican City for Catholic Christianity Jerusalem, Israel, for Christianity, Islam and Judaism Varanasi, India, for Hinduism Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for Islam

The annual Hajj to Mecca, Saudi Arabia the world's largest pilgrimage, attracts over three million pilgrims that include 1.8 million from other countries.

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The 'Lost City of the Incas' in the Andes Mountains in Machu Picchu, Peru, South America The 600-year-old Forbidden City and the Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China The Tower of London and Buckingham Palace in London, UK The Taj Mahal in Agra, India The pyramids in Giza, Egypt Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia

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Culture is defined as the distinct ways people live and which have developed over time, such as language, social customs, values and beliefs Heritage sites, such as museums, traditional festivals and national and historical monuments, and various cultural activities allow domestic tourists to reinforce their national identities international tourists to learn more about the country's identity, culture and history Some highly unique places are declared World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for their cultural significance to the world and their own countries.

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Refers to people travelling to places to experience different cultures and to better understand the history of these places

o Heritage sites and activities help to: > Reinforce national identities for domestic tourists. > Promote a country's identity, culture and history to international tourists. o Some examples of heritage sites and events are museums, traditional festivals, and national and historical monuments. o Many of the world's heritage sites draw millions of tourists. Some places that have unique cultural and natural significance to the world and their own countries have been selected and declared World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). • As of July 2017, there are 1,073 World Heritage Sites listed for their cultural and natural significance. Example: Machu Picchu, Peru (The 'Lost City of the Incas' in the Andes Mountains of South America).

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Refers to places with amusement park settings or are attractions that have a central subject on films, history, education or fantasy or theme, such as based Often a large-scale enterprise that is part of an international chain Attract visitors of different age groups, the young as well as the old

The Walt Disney Company operates theme parks in:
> California and Florida, USA.
> Tokyo, Japan.
> Hong Kong, China.
> Shanghai, China.
> Paris, France.

The Walt Disney World in Florida, USA which is about one-fifth the size of Singapore, consists of six theme parks and water parks, five golf courses, dozens of recreational venues and 23 on-site themed hotels.

The Magic Kingdom theme park (Walt Disney World Florida) attracted around 20 million visitors in 2016, making it the most visited tourist site in the world.

Including Shanghai Disneyland, Disney's theme park portfolio attracted an estimated 139 million visitors in 2016.

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Singapore is a popular destination for foreign patients who need to undergo complex surgical procedures. Seoul in South Korea is well-known for its cosmetic surgery.

Medical tourism refers people travelling to a destination for medical procedures to enhance or restore health People travel to countries with reputable medical procedures so that they can

avoid long waiting periods or the high healthcare cost in their home countries

seek better quality medical procedures not available in their home countries

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Singapore Top MICE destination, recognised as the leading convention city in Asia Pacific for 14 consecutive years from 2002 to 2016. Attracted 3.2 million business travellers in 2014, according to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

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MICE stands for meetings, incentives, conventions and events A type of tourism which attracts large groups to a place that is able to host large-scale events such as meetings and conventions, supported by good infrastructure and services such as hotels, retail shops, telecommunications networks Attract organisers to hold trade fairs and international conferences which encourage more arrival of business travellers MICE is more successful in certain destinations that are located along international air routes have other attractions such as entertainment, shopping or resorts have a high level of safety and security

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The beauty of rising mist and the roar of falling water attract about one million visitors each year. I Many tourist facilities in the surrounding area have been developed to serve the needs of tounsts which in turn attracts more tourists to visit Victoria Falls.

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Natural environments: Phi Phi Island, Thailand Grand Canyon, USA Rocky Mountains, Northern America Cancun, Mexico Victory Falls, Africa Halong Bay, Vietnam Man-made features Eiffel Tower, France Statue of Liberty, USA

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Tsunami monitoring devices help predict tsunamis. o They are often linked to warning systems which are activated to warn people about the occurrence of a tsunami.

Tsunami monitoring systems are located in various places in the world which are vulnerable to tsunamis. These places are generally around the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. - A network of pressure sensors, seismographs and deep ocean tsunami detectors are located in Hawaii, USA, to monitor and forecast the path of tsunamis.

Deep ocean tsunami detectors are prone to giving false alarms when waves are high. There is little time to evacuate once an approaching tsunami is detected.

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However, the studies on the history of the occurrence of earthquakes can only give a general indication of the trequency and magnitude of earthquakes. The seismic risk maps do not give precise information about the time. location and magnitude of future earthquakes. Earthquake sensors are expensive to obtain, install and use. An earthquake may occur immediately after a warning is sounded. Therefore, warnings may not provide enough time for an evacuation. Interference from surrounding noise or lightning and device failure may result in the seismograph raising a false alarm. It is difficult to provide accurate warnings when multiple earthquakes occur at close proximity.

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Earthquakes can be monitored by studying the historyor timeline of their occurrence. These studies can also helo to develop seismic risk maps. These maps generated from these studies are helpful in identifying the locations likely to be at risk from earth movernent or liquefaction. Earthquake sensors installed in earthquake-prone zones help monitor the frequency of vibrations and detect the possible development of an earthquake. Observation stations installed with earthquake sensors monitor ground motion to predict the occurrence of an earthquake. These sensors are able to quickly estimate damage to bridges, railways or other infrastructure. For example In Japan, earthquake motion data is gathered from many observation stations installed on bridges and roads.