Play, Games, and Sport

Play, games, and sport have remained prevalent in the contemporary world. As a matter of fact, different communities or cultural groups would practice these activities for various reasons. Among other things, the general purpose of these activities is mainly to enhance the cultural norms and values of the communities associated with them. The sport activities of any group are of great significance, since they help in reaffirming or transgressing the cultural patterns of that particular group.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Play, Games, and Sport specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This article describes a sport or leisure activity within a particular group whereby the following aspects are keenly observed: the nature of the sport, its history within the group, the participants, the audience involved, elements of the activity that would tend to contravene prevailing attitudes, and finally, what the activity sug gests about the self-perception of the group which practices it. The Bamboo Pole Dance, commonly practiced by the Li people of China has been chosen for this assignment. Bamboo Pole dance is a popular sport among the Li people. In this type of sport, people jump and dance systematically between bamboo poles that are placed parallel to each other, and which are held from either side by eight people. The poles are slammed together to match the rhythm of the accompanying tune which serves as a guide to both the pole holders and the dancers. Meanwhile, the dancers jump between the sticks as they display all kinds of elegant moves. The holders of the poles can shift from one position to another to change the height of the poles, thus exposing the dancers to different height levels. In so doing, they make the dance either easier or more challenging to the dancers. The main trick of the game is to have the dancers’ feet get trapped between the poles. On the other hand, victory can b e realised when one successfully makes their way through the puzzle. Losers are politely dismissed from the dance, while those who emerge victorious are lifted up to the jubilation of the audience. The Bamboo Pole Dance was started by the Li people of China. As it would be observed, the dance was originally known as ‘Ka Ge’ in the community’s dialect. The Li people, like other communities used dance and music to accompany their many chores in the fields and also when performing traditional rituals. There is no doubt that the Bamboo Pole dance was the most adorable sport activity among this group of people. This elegant traditional activity would be performed whenever people came together for significant events. Initially, the dance was only meant for the men. Those times, the role of the women was to hold the poles for their male counterparts to dance. This, however, has changed over the years, and today, both men and women can directly take part in the dance. In this respect, people of all ages can compete with each other to maneuver their way through the moving poles. Similarly, there is no restriction on the age of those who can observe the activity.Advertising Looking for assessment on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Bamboo Pole Dance is a wonderful sport activity which attracts great audience, probably owing to the magical performances involved. However, one way in which the play contravenes prevailing attitudes is that, there can be too much exposure of the participants’ bodies as they react to different levels of the dance. Even though this type of sport can be performed at anytime, it is normally conducted during important festivals such as when worshipping the gods or when pestling the rice. This actually is a special way through which the Li people express enthusiasm to their tradition and culture. In this regard, the activity clearly suggests th at the Li people have strongly respected their cultural demands regardless of the prevailing transformations of modern-day China. This assessment on Play, Games, and Sport was written and submitted by user Lorelai Bates to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Jump Start Your Career as an Administrative Freelancer

Jump Start Your Career as an Administrative Freelancer Working as a freelancer provides more flexibility in employment and allows you  to pick and choose the jobs you  want to do. Administrative freelancers find that they can also apply their office skills to earn a living similar to an in-house administrative employee. What’s special about  administrative professionals is that they have talents in multiple areas, so they can choose whether to concentrate on one specific area, such as bookkeeping, or take on several jobs in several different areas.How to Start Out as an Administrative FreelancerYou can find work as an administrative freelancer by using your skills. Think about the talents  you possess and make a list. Include what you enjoy doing the most and what you are best at doing. Do you enjoy customer service, support projects related to sales or management, accounting, scheduling or other facets of administrative work? Doing job searches in each area widens your potential work base and gives you the opportunity to pick and choose the jobs you like the best.Finding WorkThe first thing a freelance worker needs to know is where to find jobs. The Internet offers multiple job sites to search for freelance work, advertised by different companies. There are also sites that offer multiple listings from different companies that you can search. TheJobNetwork searches multiple sites for you and sends you the listings as alerts so you don’t have to do the job hunting yourself.Tailor Your ResumeA freelance administrative assistant can target jobs related to his or her skills and experience. However, the jobs you apply for may seek  someone capable of doing specific types of administrative work. For instance, if you are applying for a position as a worker who sets up meetings and keeps the daily office schedule, you can write up a resume geared toward that position. A job opening for office accounting work can require a different approach.Making a Living as an Administrative FreelancerOne way to d ecide how much you should charge for your services is to look in your area at the salaries offered for that type of job. When deciding to take a job, keep in mind that as a freelancer you will be paying your own self-employment taxes and other expenses that might have been taken care of by your boss in a regular job.Include a profit margin, money to pay taxes and health care and other expenses that you will be paying yourself.  However, you need to keep in mind that if you are working from home and can set aside space for an office, you may have tax deductions from your self-employment that will lower your net income.Searching for jobs using TheJobNetwork platform makes it convenient to do. Put in your credentials and the type of job you are looking for and TheJobNetwork does the work. It searches multiple sites using your criteria and emails alerts to let you know a job has been located. TheJobNetwork ranks the job so you can tell how closely it meets your expectations.

Global economic and lobal recession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Global economic and lobal recession - Essay Example Since the 2008 global economic crisis the airline industry was severely affected by reduced business revenues as the market adjusted to difficult economic times. Commercial and private travel costs had to be reduced in order to keep in touch with the economic realities that global performance had dipped into. Many related industries such as the motor vehicle industry were also severely hit to liquidation, which illustrates the magnitude of the threat that the industry faced. As a result of the reduced fortunes and opportunities in the industry and many national economies in general, governments had to chip in their protectionist policies against adverse impacts on the economy. As a result, there was an increase in government debt particularly in European economies that have had adverse impact on the integrity of the industry as an aftermath of the recession. The banking sector which impacts directly on the performance of most industries was also hit during the recent economic crisis and until full stabilization occurs, operation certainty remains elusive in the airline industry. According to Niththyananthan (1), the domestic market in the whole of Europe is particularly affected by the proceeding in the banking sector to such an extent that business operations are conducted with extra caution. This explains the huge national bailout pleas that certain economies in Europe have been forwarding to the IMF and the European Union, since their economies were severely affected.

Report of Electronic Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Report of Electronic Commerce - Essay Example A conclusion will then summarise the findings and present the final thought. E-commerce is buying and selling of goods and services online, usually through the internet (Information System Audit and Control Association, 2006, p.218 - 222). Global electronic commerce revenue for 2000 was in the region of $286 billion; a figure which was expected to increase to $500 billion in 2001 and to $3 trillion by 2004. 'According to Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), an industry body for electronic retailing, British online retail sales rose by more than 60% from a year earlier in June 2006, totaling 2.26bn that month. British online retail sales totaled 13.5bn in the first half of 2006, according to IMRG' (Global Technology Forum, 2006). This rapid increase reflects the fact that electronic commerce has a number of advantages over paper-based commerce: in particular, speed and reducing the cost of doing business. E-commerce allows organisations to reach to a wider range of audience than what a traditional brick-and-mortar shop can ever do. With e-commerce, companies can serve globally. The entire world becomes the target market depending on the type of business. For a book store like Glasgow Books, this presents an opportunity to extend to not only in Glasgow but throughout Scotland and perhaps in other parts of Europe as well, with passage of time. Availability An online shop is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. The customers can read about the books, and can make transactions any time they like, through the comfort of their homes, without having to physically come to the shop for making purchases. Low Costs In the long run, technology costs to establish an online book store is much lesser than what it must spend to maintain a physical store. The cost of advertising and marketing over the internet is minimal. Customer Relationship Management E-Commerce solutions provide an effective way to keep in contact with customers, record customers' likes and dislikes, and develop a targeted marketing campaign as per the customers' tastes and wants. For example, Glasgow Books, by using an e-commerce system, can keep records of customers' preferences for books and can contact customers as and when new editions and/ or new books relating to that particular subject arrive. Accurate Armour, a manufacturer of military models, developed their website in 2003 when

The Decline In Tourism Of Pakistan

The Decline In Tourism Of Pakistan The title of this research paper, as it entails, is Decline in Tourism of Pakistan. The main purpose of this project is to determine the real causes of downfall in Pakistans Tourism. In order to further elaborate the purpose, the objectives of study are to obtain the rating and ranking of various issues which are considered to be the likely causes of decline in tourism; examine and investigate the role of Government of Pakistan (Ministry of Tourism, PTDC, TDCP) in running the tourism industry; determining how far the public sector of Pakistan is responsible for the downfall of tourism and determining how far the private sector of Pakistan has its role to play in the decline of tourism. Multiple sources were used to collect secondary data such as periodicals, government sources, regional publications, media sources and commercial sources. A hybrid research methodology is used which consists of questionnaire survey research, a personal interview and a focus group interview. Through the multi-dimensional research, it was observed that out of the ten issues which posed as likely causes for tourism downfall, nine proved to be real causes which are constantly decaying the tourism industry of Pakistan. Except the terrorism factor, which acts as both an internal and external force, all issues are consequences of governments incompetence and corruption. Nevertheless, the Pakistani media, being a key stakeholder is not helping to portray the soft image of Pakistan to the world and within. In order for curbing these issues, the it is primarily the responsibility of Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab(TDCP), Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation(PTDC) and all provincial tourism ministries to foster infrastructural development related to tourist services and facilities; establish cohesion and coordination amongst state departments in order to smoothly carry out tourism development projects. Public-Private Sector partnership is the need of the hour and if the govern ment sincerely works on establishing productive partnerships with private sector enterprise then it will be an all-win situation not only for the tourism industry but for the economy of Pakistan as a whole. The Media of Pakistan should emphasize more on the national interest and curb the continuous and over-emphasized broadcasting of news related to disasters, violence and terrorist attacks as it results in portrayal of negative image of the country in the world. As for terrorism, since now it has become more deep rooted in Pakistani society, the current government and the governments to come would have to be equipped with a package considering the national interest- of radical social, economic and educational reforms which should be planned and implemented in order to stop the development of provocative and extreme mindsets in the society which further lead to conflicts in the name of religion, castes and socio-economic classes. This research project brings a deteriorating industry of Pakistan into limelight which is continuously underperforming for the past 5 years. Pakistan is a home of approximately 180 million people and most of the population is earning less than US$ 1 per day (Fakhar, 2008). Pakistan just like any other beautiful European country is a big market for tourism because it offers not only beauty of nature but also variety and diversity in cultures (Fakhar, 2008). In fact tourism is the most profitable and entrepreneurial business (Fakhar, 2008), especially for people living in the mountain areas as it creates new job opportunities and reduces the unemployment level for them (Fakhar, 2008). But unfortunately, tourists visit to Pakistan is decreasing tremendously with ups and downs each year (Fakhar, A.H, 2008).  [1]   Therefore the title of my research project is Decline in tourism of Pakistan. BACKGROUND Pakistan, after its independence from British India appeared as a modern nation on 14 august 1947(Fakhar, 2008). All four provinces of Pakistan are gifted with heritage and culture and one of the fertile and unique collection of majestic and lush fields, rivers, rugged mountains, lakes, deserts, landscapes and seashores enriched with friendly and hospitable people thus making it a heavenly destination for tourists with different tastes (Fakhar, 2008). Pakistan is known in the world of tourism because of the Karakoram, mountainous regions of the north, the Great Himalaya and the Hindukush who form the densest concentration of one of the worlds highest peaks. Pakistans Kalam (Swat valley) is known as the Switzerland of Asia (Fakhar, 2008).The hunza and chitral valleys in pakistan were the home to a small Pre-Islamic animist Kalasha community who claim descent from the army of Alexander the Great (Fakhar, 2008). The historical and archaeological sites of the Gandhara and Indus Valley ci vilizations, Taxila, the Mughal Empire and Mohenjo-Daro are the examples of oldest civilizations in Pakistan (Fakhar, 2008). This multicultural nature of the country also contributes to the tourism industry in the way that it offers various traditions, customs and festivals for the tourists to explore and enjoy (Fakhar, 2008).  [2]  Tourism in Pakistan has been stated by the Lonely Planet magazine as being the tourism industrys next big thing (Wikipedia, 2012). Pakistans tourism industry was in its heyday during the 1970s when the country received unprecedented amounts of foreign tourists, thanks to the Hippie Trail (Wikipedia, 2012). The main destinations of choice for these tourists were the Khyber Pass, Swat, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi (Wikipedia, 2012). In 2009, The World Economic Forums Travel Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Pakistan as one of the top 25% tourist destinations for its World Heritage sites ranging from mangroves in the South, to Mohenjo-D aro and Harappa of the 5,000-year-old cities of the Indus Valley Civilization (Wikipedia, 2012). One year after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake i.e. October 2006, British Newspaper The Guardian released a piece of information what it described as The top five tourist sites in Pakistan in order to help the countrys tourism industry (Wikipedia, 2012). The five sites included Lahore, Taxila, Karimabad, The Karakoram Highway, and Lake Saiful Muluk. In order to promote Pakistans unique and various cultural heritage, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz launched the Visit Pakistan marketing campaign in 2007 (Wikipedia, 2012). This campaign involved various events throughout the year including fairs and religious festivals, regional sporting events, various arts and craft shows, folk festivals and several openings of historical museums (Wikipedia, 2012).  [3]   Based on the above Information, It seems like Pakistan is a perfect place to be visited by the tourists but still the tourists arrival is decreasing day by day(Fakhar, 2008) especially if the timeframe from 2007 to 2011 is considered. LITERATURE REVIEW Various international and national think tanks, renowned authors and scholars have highlighted the main causes of decline in tourism of Pakistan over the years. Seemingly, some of these causes are so grave and deep rooted in nature that it might take the Government of Pakistan decades to eliminate them provided it carry out the process of elimination with utmost dedication, coordination among other departments, effectiveness and efficiency. Due to adverse publicity in negative travel advisories, continued terrorism international media and deteriorated state of law and order in the country, the prospects for revival of inbound foreign tourism are very poor in near future. But still the scope for growth in domestic tourism does exist  [4]  . Lack of coordination among different government bodies, poor infrastructure, less attention paid on improving the image of the country by national campaigns are just some of the reasons for the decline of the sector in the present years. Terror ism and lack of security has also caused a severe blow to Pakistans tourism industry and can be listed as the major reason for its poor performance.  [5]  According to the tourists the biggest problem they are facing while travelling is security issues which include the current insurgency in Pakistan (Fakhar, 2008). Even the domestic tourists dont feel like travelling in their own country. Furthermore, the negative image of Pakistan portrayed by media to the outside world (Fakhar, 2008). Lack of infrastructure; ineffective promotional policies; inadequate tourists services and facilities; lack of initiative by concerned government departments; inadequate knowledge and training of personnel in tourism sector; law and order situation especially in the high tourist attraction areas; inadequate infrastructure facilities; lack of incentives in the tourist sector; failure to show and project the positive image of the country via media to the outside world; low allocation of annual tou rist budget; lack of development and facilities in the mountain regions; lack of understanding to the tourist needs; the overtaking and change of governments and administration within the country(army rule); high inflation rate are the key points which have altogether made tourism an unsuccessful industry in Pakistan (Fakhar, 2008)  [6]  . There was 0.8 percent and 3 percent decline in the number of foreign and domestic tourists, respectively (Correspondent, 2012, March 27). Official data revealed that the Taxila Museum was visted by 2,434 foreign tourists with various other archeological sites especially Sirkap and Dharmarajika Stupa located in the valley as compared to 2010 when it was recorded 2,474(Correspondent, 2012, March 27). 87,173 domestic tourists visited the sites last year as compared to 92,660 in 2010 (Correspondent, 2012, March 27).  [7]   How far terrorism affected tourism? The way terrorism, whether international or national, undoubtedly eroded the economy of Pakistan has also plagued the tourism of the country with the same gravity and notoriousness. The countries or regions that depend heavily on tourism have been found to suffer significant economic losses due to the persistence of terrorism (Ali, 2011). Gilgit-Baltistan and the NWFP are important destinations in Pakistan and people living there depend on tourism (Ali, 2011). For example, Swat was an important tourist destination in Pakistan which attracted people from across the world not only to its natural beauty but also to see its rich civilization and history. Swat supports all sorts of tourism, i.e., spiritual tourism, culture/heritage tourism, eco-tourism, adventure tourism, sports and commercial tourism  [8]  . There are over 855 hotels, which include 405 restaurants, in the valley and around 40,000 people are directly and indirectly associated with these hotels (Ali, 2011). But they ha ve mostly remained closed during the past three years due to militancy and the subsequent military operation (Ali, 2011). According to governments own estimates, the hotel industry in Swat valley suffered a loss of Rs. 60 billion from 2007 to 2009 (Ali, 2011). The workers associated with the hotel industry also lost their jobs due to the ongoing incidents of terrorism. Moreover, the transport industry faced a severe blow and both the national and international transport services either closed down or decreased their services from Peshawar, Islamabad and Lahore (Ali, 2011). Therefore, the hotel association offered a very cheap package of 10-day free stay in hotels in the valley Swat starting with the New Year 2010 (Ali, 2011). Consequently, in the financial year 2008-2009, the overall real GDP growth fell to 2 percent  [9]  (Ali, 2011). Pakistan ranked 113 out of 130 countries in 2009 as a tourist destination. The low ranking attributes to incidents of terrorism and the lack of a tourism regulatory framework in Pakistan (Ali, 2011). Sources said that many motels in the countrys restive northwest were closed down as tourists were banned from those areas and the staff had migrated to other cities for work  [10]  (Ali, 2011).According to Travel Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011  [11]  , Out of 139 countries, Pakistan has further dropped to the 125 mark as a tourist destination. The Role of Ministry Of Tourism, PTDC, TDCP and other Tourism Development Organisations of Pakistan Government intervention may be necessary to enhance the contribution of tourism to socio-economic development and poverty reduction. Of all governments principal roles, one is to set policy and legislative frameworks for tourism. The reasons why governments should formulate tourism development strategy are firstly the tourist industry has many negative externalities, particularly negative environmental and social impacts that need to be regulated and managed at national or local levels. Secondly, tourism can offer substantial opportunities for local economic development, which can augment the positive effects of tourism on local socio-economic development and poverty reduction. the Planning Commission of India has already identified tourism as one of the major vehicles for generating employment and promoting sustainable livelihoods (UNESCAP, 2007, pp. 84-85).  [12]  A 2007 UNESCAP report highlighted the importance and functioning of public sector in the development of a countrys tourism. As tourism moves up the national agenda, the departments of government dealing with tourism may need to be upgraded and strengthened. To achieve sustainable management of tourism, tourism ministry staff needs networking, support of colleagues and coordination and in other ministries and in a range of sub national administrations. Such needs emerge because the administration and governance of tourism takes places in localities where tourists and host communities interact, while incentives and regulations aare applied within a framework laid down at the national level. The tourism ministries have to be watchful to the impact of institutional fragmentation on the governance of tourism. Major decisions about management of cultural and natural assets, planning, labour regulations, environmental impact assessments, taxation policy and financial incentives are often the responsibility of other ministries, where there might not be adequate awareness about the impact on tourism plan s and policies. The functions of tourism ministries should go beyond marketing and promotion, regulating tourism businesses and include wider consultation and coordination. For example, the air transport has changed considerably in recent years due in part to policy initiatives, such as adding a substantial number of new routes, deregulation of air services and allowing operations by low-cost carriers; all of which would aim to increase the number of tourists. Since the economic benefits of tourism are now explicitly evaluated in aviation policy in countries such as Singapore, tourism ministries have to consider the implications for tourism plans, strategies and policies. Tourism ministries can provide the government and its agencies with systematic and a good quality data, particularly about the effects of different types of tourism on local socio-economic development. The provision of such data can help to substantiate the contribution of tourism and convince policy makers (UNESCA P, 2007, p. 85).  [13]  In 2010, the Punjab Resource Management Program with collaboration of A.F Ferguson Co. prepared a recommendations report to reform the TDCP (Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab). The above mentioned consultant firm aided in developing tourism models for various developed and developing countries including Thailand, India, Malaysia, USA, Switzerland and Australia. In all the cases, it was concluded that the public sector of any country is the main driving force for the tourism industry. As mentioned in this report, the functions and duties of Ministry of Tourism were as follows: Development Promotion of Tourism in Pakistan. Establishment of Pakistan National Tourism Council. Establishment and publicity of tourists centers in Pakistan and abroad. Development of tourism information centers for the service and guidance of domestic and foreign tourists in Pakistan. Establishment of tourist facilities in tourist potential areas where private sector is reluctant to invest. Regulation and Control of tourist industries and associated service. Establishment of International organizations and agreements relating to tourism. Controlling Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation. Promoting Facilitation of travel in Pakistan for tourists. Development of Tourism and Hotel training institutes. Encouraging training and research in tourism in Pakistan and abroad.  [14]  (A.F Ferguson Co. 2010) However the Ministry has been abolished on June 30th,2011 after the 18th amendment in the Constitution of Pakistan ensuring transfer of tourism ministries to the provinces. A.F Ferguson Co. recognized the importance of TDCP in running the tourism industry of Pakistan. The consultants proposed the following roles and functions of TDCP which the organization should adopt: Encouraging the tourism activities and industry in the province Performing the planning and development of tourism sites Offering one window service to facilitate the tourists Offering assistance to the Tourism and Resort Development Department Facilitating the organization and promotion of tourism events and activities Creating an environment which ensures capacity building in tourism industry Encouraging and facilitating public-private partnerships.  [15]  (A.F Ferguson Co. 2010) As per an analysis of tourism management of Pakistan, the stated objectives of PTDC are as follows: To establish and develop tourism infrastructure on an all Pakistan basis To act as an instrument on behalf of the Federal Government for the production of tourist literature and publicity for tourism both in terms of domestic and international. To act as a catalyst to encourage the private sector to play an active role in tourism development. To undertake tour operations and facilitate ground handling facilities for group tours. PTDC has an administrative structure which is responsible to control and operate all its involvement in the tourism sector. These are: Planning and Development Wing/Engineering Department; undertakes identification and implementation of projects concerned with tourism infrastructure such as recreation units, motels, resorts etc. Publicity and Promotion/Marketing Department; undertakes the production and publication of tourist literature in foreign and domestic tourist markets. PTDC Motels Ltd; carry out the management of all hospitality units operated by PTDC in various tourist destinations in Pakistan. Pakistan Tours Ltd; facilitates ground handling and transport facilities for international and domestic tourist groups and also acts as an inbound tour operator.  [16]  (Pakistan Research Repository, 2009) The provincial governments of other provinces have not adequately realized the importance of tourism for which the federal government is partially responsible. As far as only the realization is concerned, after assessing the performance of TDCP and realizing the fact that most of the tourist assets are situated in jurisdiction of NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwaa(KPK), The provincial government of KPK established Sarhad Tourism Corporation (STC) in 1991. The aims and objectives of STC are as follows: To motivate the private sector to step forward and support tourism development in the form of tour operations and accommodation facilities at potentially attractive regions; Provide long-term, leases to private sector for development of properties through Joint ventures with STC; Serve as a spring board for fruitful interaction between the private sector and Government, PTDC for proper development of tourism industry; Cooperate with private sector in developing, distributing and sale of quality information and publicity materials.  [17]  (Pakistan Research Repository, 2009) The 2007 UNESCAP report also suggested ways how governments can channelize the progress of tourism of a country. Real progress can be facilitated by using a wide range of instruments. Many of these have been identified by the World Tourism Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme and are categorized into measurement instruments which include sustainability indicators and monitoring; identification of limits, command and control instruments which include legislation, regulation, rules and licensing; land use planning and development control, voluntary instruments (guidelines and codes of conduct, reporting and auditing, and voluntary certification), supporting instruments (infrastructure provision and management, capacity-building, and marketing and information services) and economic instruments (pricing, charges and taxation; property rights and trading; financial incentives; and voluntary contributions). The right mix of policies and instruments will vary depending on the situation, objectives and government structures (UNESCAP, 2007, p.84).  [18]   The analysis on tourism management sheds light on the fact that over the years, the Ministry of Tourism remained unsuccessful in gaining the respect or confidence of the private sector. Nevertheless, the ministry was not fully empowered to handle the problems faced by tourists since most of the related responsibilities were assigned to other ministries/divisions, hence the focus on the problem solving lacked altogether. Furthermore, lack of funding had serious implications (Pakistan Research Repository, 2009) regarding the effective management of the tourism sector (Pakistan Research Repository, 2009). The Ministry of tourism never proved itself to be a source of effective and meaningful data, hence no comprehensive survey on tourism on its credit (Pakistan Research Repository, 2009). As far as PTDC is concerned, serious problems relating to recruitment, training, management style and finances are prevalent. The ministry is not fully responsible for recruiting the personnel. All the staff is not hired directly by the ministry Therefore a problem of dual management persists as half of the employees (Pakistan Research Repository, 2009) hired by the ministry are generalists whereas half of them hired directly by PTDC acquire inadequate experience. As a result, internal cooperation and coordination lacks among departments hence reporting procedure is also affected. The personnel hired, either by PTDC or Ministry of Tourism are not well trained and sufficiently qualified. Ironically over the years a major chunk of funding received from government (Baloch, 2007) has been spent in administration and staff costs. However, considering the training of personnel in the tourism industry, the Government of Pakistan back in December 1960 established a training institute which was initially a cooking school known as Pakistan Institute of Tourism Hotel Management (PITHM). A 2009 HEC Analysis stated the main function and activity of the Institute is to impart knowledge by training manpower for the Travel and Tourism Indu stry and Hospitality in Pakistan. This is done by seminars, workshops, regular courses and on the job training etc. It cooperates with PIAs training center in Karachi and provides courses for the Pakistan Navy. Furthermore, it offers consultancy services when and where required (Pakistan Research Repository, 2009).  [19]  The analysis also remarked on the condition and the performance of this institution: Since its foundation the Institute has been located in rented buildings, which could not cater for the demands of a professional education institute. Hence this has been a major constraint on its effectiveness and its ability to train students to the standards indicated in its aims and objectives. Lately the institute has moved to a newly ill-constructed building lacking numerous important facilities and equipment and has yet to resolve many problems to enable it to provide better training and facilities and environment for students and staff. For the last decade, the institution has had no official Director and the current Acting Director has inadequate management or training skills and is not compatible with the requirements of the hospitality industry. The existing staff is de-motivated and unqualified as instructors are entrenched in outdated syllabuses and teaching methods. Resultantly, the image of the school throughout the industry is very negative, chiefly due to lack of knowledge as to the industry needs and what the school can provide. The incapability of the school is further compounded by government controls and establishment employment scales where it is not possible to attract national or international qualified trainers at suitable private sector levels.  [20]  (Pakistan Research Repository, 2009) In June 2011, The National Assembly of Pakistan passed the 18th amendment according to which the Ministry of Tourism was devolved into the provinces. In response to this development UNESCO published a report to examine the post-devolution situation in the culture and tourism sector of Pakistan. According to the findings of this report, a number of stakeholders remarked that culture policies are an instrument for the promotion of creativity and must therefore recognize and incorporate heritage, tradition, crafts, classical and the performing arts. The majority of stakeholders both from the public and private sector supported devolution as they felt it would give empowerment to the provincial identities and pride and ownership at grass root level, which was the main purpose of the 18th amendment. The other side of the coin reflects the critical point of view on devolutionary process attributed to the 18th amendment. The stakeholders who hold the particular point of view also include th ose in the Senate Standing Committee on Tourism and Culture. Critiques of the devolutionary process, including those in the Senate Standing Committee on Tourism and Culture, as well as those emerging from stakeholder consultations pointed out that the provinces will not be able to harmonize a cohesive cultural heritage; instead this will lead to its fragmentation, and increase divisiveness within the country. Similarly some senior government representatives in Islamabad also did not support devolution, pointing out that the provinces lack capacity, resources and funds to completely manage cultural departments. Devolution was feared to not cause inter-provincial disharmony, but make communication with key donors more difficult, and cause delays in securing technical assistance. It was thus argued that the Ministry of Culture should remain the focal point and coordinate with the provinces.  [21]   The Role of Private Sector The tourism sector investments in the country are dominated by private sector with the role of public sector mainly as a facilitator. Nearly the entire restaurant, hotel, travel agency and tour operator business is in the private sector. Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) is also operating a limited number of hotels and roadside facilities in areas where the private sector has been reluctant. The Department of Tourist Services (DTS) is responsible for maintaining the standard and categorization of hotel industry. A 2012 report by Planning Commission of Pakistan remarked on the tourism development of Pakistan. The Ministry of Tourism looks after the entire public sector interventions including formulation of policies and overseeing the legal and regulatory framework.  [22]  The hotel and transport business is in the hands of the private sector, which has not contributed much to meeting the development costs. However the Planning Commission of Pakistan has envisaged to strengthen and regulate the private sector institutions operating in the hotel management and training sector in the 2011-2014 MTDF (Medium Term Development Framework) period. The hotel management and training institutes in the country are not delivering the desired results due to lack of management, regulation and teaching staff. Similarly, the host of private sector institutions providing ticketing and travel courses are not regulated which results in variable standards in the sector. As against the annual training needs of the tourism industry of about 3000 skilled staff, the total output of the existing training institutes is only about 500. (Planning Commission, 2012) The Hotel Industry of Pakistan Ali, et al., (2012) highlighted the importance of hospitality industry in South Asia and the current state of hospitality industry in Pakistan: The Hotel industry is among the top three constituents of the world economy after oil and autos and is growing faster than the petroleum and arms. Its larger than agriculture in the U.S.A, automobile industry in Japan and banking in Switzerland. Developing economies of South Asia are in rapid transit towards becoming service economies and therefore competitiveness of hospitality industry is emerging as a crucial factor influencing the overall competitiveness of a country, and Pakistan is no exception to this, where the share of services is increasing. It is unfortunate that instead of growing with international trend, the hospitality industry in Pakistan, co

Different Sources of Energy

The U. S is the world largest energy consumer. It relies on non-renewable resources for the provision of energy ranging from petroleum, coal and natural gas. Modernization and industrialization has resulted to increased energy demand. Energy is required in important sectors like the transportation, industry as well as in the commercial sector. Industries like refineries and chemical production, in the production and processes of their products. Energy is consumed as vehicles, trains, ship and air transport people or goods from one place to another. Houses use energy to heat houses, water, lighting and other electronic appliances.Institutions and business also need energy to accomplish their day-to-day activities. The U. S oil consumption rates are increasing at a high rate that may catch up with the economic growth. U. S consumes 20. 7 million barrels or 869 million gallons daily, 25% total world consumption despite it forming 5% of the world’s population . The consumption lev el is subject to rise with increased industrialization. The over reliance in non-renewable resources will have adverse effects to the environment, political and economic aspects. The non-renewable resources result to high pollution rates.Over exploitation of the resources may result to exhaustion or depletion of the resources. Nuclear energy produces dangerous radioactive waste materials that can affect human beings’ health. Over reliance on oil affects the economy when the oil prices keep fluctuating. Since non-renewable resources can get exhausted scarcity may prevail leading to increased oil prices and inflation levels will be on the rise. A 5-10 Year Plan for Renewable Energy in America. There is urgent need for America to adopt renewable resources that will have reduced impact on the environment while providing a lasting solution to distortions caused by oil dependence.The oil rich countries can interrupt the U. S economy through the price fluctuations. (Micheal 7) The U . S should first put in place laws that will meet not only the short-term energy demands but also ensure that the long-term demands are not jeopardized. Renewable energy will ensure sustainable development. This is because it is reduces the health as well as environment risks. Renewable energy includes energy from the wind, solar and water, which can replace oil and fossil fuels. These forms of energy will reduce the over dependence on oil especially from foreign countries that make it volatile.US should diversify the sources of energy. (Eckhart 8). Encourage industries to adapt sustainable development strategies so that they do not cause health hazards to future generations. They should be environment friendly and high taxes can be imposed to those negating this strategy. The government can increase its investment on its cities so that wastage of energy is reduced. Transportation sector can be improved as an effort to conserve energy. The strategy can be faced with political challe nges whereby by lack of political will by leaders will hinder the effective implementation of the project.The congress has to approve the proposal to be successful. The government should be committed in installing solar electric, geothermal and wind power in its public institutions. Creating awareness will be a positive move in ensuring that people understand the importance of renewable sources of energy as well as the adverse implications of non-renewable sources. This move will ensure that residential energy consumption trends are changed and people adopt renewable sources of energy. For instance encouraging people to use solar electricity to heat water and warm their houses.Renewable sources of energy will reduce the greenhouse gases production and consequently global warming will be reduced. (www. epa. gov). The government will need to commit a 300 billion dollar for 10 years to support this project. It can invest in modernizing the homes of low-income earners so that they adapt energy efficient measures. This approach will help in reducing wastage of energy from the residential sector. The transportation sector currently accounts for 68% of US oil consumption. Replacing the energy wastage measures by adopting renewable and environment friendly resources will help save America.The government can spend 15 $ billion to help automakers phase out the fuel inefficient vehicles. Scientists have shown that man has been very influential in causing global warming. Global warming affects the climate and has adverse effects on man. 20% of green house gases are from vehicles. The transport sector can use electricity from renewable sources. (Houghton 155). Since less than 2% of electricity is from oil it can be used on transportation. Research shows that 30% can be implemented on transport without extra installation. Introduction of sport utility vehicles and light trucks will help improve on fuel efficiency.Government must take its role in ensuring that buildings cons tructed are energy efficient. It must also ensure that technical training is provided to relevant bodies to save energy. Adopting the renewable energy resources will be of economic benefits. U. S spends approximately 1. 4 billion $ daily on foreign oil, money that can be saved if renewable sources of energy are sought. Dissemination of information about the adverse effects of non renewable sources of energy for instance global warming will see people change their energy consumption patterns.Alternative methods of transportation can be opted to reduce the traffic jams that that lead to high wastage levels of energy. Imposing high taxes on polluters will encourage industries to adapt environmental friendly techniques. Increased investment in research will help America establish potential renewable resources that can be exploited match its energy demands. Intensified research will provide accurate information needed in implementation of this project. Research will identify viable resou rces thus reducing unnecessary costs.The government also needs to invest in training for manufacturing industries so that they adapt energy conservation strategies. The government will need to allocate more money to support ethanol refineries. Ethanol from corn is environmental friendly and should be encouraged to reduce the adverse effects brought about by over dependence on oil. Renewable energy will help America maintain its national security and its influence and options in the world will not be affected. Oil rich countries tend to be prone to constant conflicts and are undemocratic.

Ancient Chinese Dynasties Essay

There were many Chinese dynasties that rose and fell throughout China’s history. The history of China, in a way, is a history of battles and wars. These wars were so important that they changed the structure of Chinese culture both then and now. Three dynasties that rose and fell during ancient China were the Han, the Tang, and the Song. The rise and fall of these great dynasties form a link that runs through Chinese history. The Han period was one of the golden ages of Chinese civilization. The Han dynasty lasted from 206 B. C. to A. D. 220. It began when the prince of Han, Liu Bang, took the title Gao Zu and began to restore order and justice to his new empire. He lowered taxes and reduced the Qin emperor’s harsh Legalist policies. These policies created a strong basis for the Han dynasty. The most famous emperor, Wudi took China to a new level. During his reign from 141 BC to 87 BC, he strengthened both the government and economy. Economic expansion, strengthening the palace at the expense of the civil service, weakening the states hold on the peasantry and the rise of the rich and the gentry were all factors that led to the adoption of Confucian ideals. Han emperors made Confucianism the official belief system of the state. Under Wudi, China conquered many lands, expanding their power and influence. The Han Dynasty now controlled northern Vietnam and the Korean Peninsula. Wudi sent explorers toward Central Asia, eventually opening up the famous trade route known as the Silk Road. However, signs of decay began to appear throughout the dynasty which put an enormous burden on the economy. Weak emperors allowed canals and roads to fall into disrepair. Burdened by heavy taxes, and crushing debt, many peasants revolted. Thousands of rebellious peasants abandoned their villages and fled to the mountains. In AD 220 warlords overthrew the last Han emperor. After four hundred years of unity, China broke up into several kingdoms. The Han dynasty was over. After the Han dynasty collapsed, China remained divided for nearly four hundred years. It was not until the development of the Tang dynasty, in 618 that China was restored to its earlier glory. The tang was an imperial dynasty of China. Its territory was acquired through the military campaigns of its early rulers and was greater than that of the Han period. Tang rulers carried empire building to new depths. Chinese armies forced the neighboring lands of Vietnam, Tibet, and Korea to become tributary states. It is estimated that the population had grown by the 9th century to about eighty million people. The Tang Dynasty was largely a period of progress and stability. They rebuilt the bureaucracy and enlarged the civil service system to recruit talented officials trained in Confucian technology. Chinese culture flourished and further developed during the Tang era. It is considered the greatest age for Chinese poetry. Tang emperors began to lose territories in Central Asia to the Arabs. Corruption, high taxes, drought and famine all contributed to the downfall of the Tang Dynasty. In 1907, a rebel general over through the last Tang emperor, which brought the dynasty to an end. The Song Dynasty lasted for more than three hundred years. It began in 960, when a educated general reunited most of China. The Song controlled less territory than the Tang dynasty did. The dynasty was constantly threatened by invaders in the north. Despite military obstacles, the culture brought rise to a new religion. Education expanded the growth of literature and the arts. Foreign trade flourished and Chinese cities prospered as centers of trade. Positions in government were no longer held by aristocrats and were instead given to people with experience and degrees. This made the government stronger and formed new concepts. Chinese wealth and culture lead East Asia even when its militaries did not. Most problems in this dynasty were due to military power. A combination of corrupt officials and weak emperors contributed to its downfall. China has a long and mysterious history of almost five thousand years. China can trace her culture back to a blend of small original tribes which have expanded until they became the great country we have today. Each rise and fall of a dynasty created new leaders, new laws, new rules, and usually new expansion. Chinese history is that of alternating periods of political unity and disunity. The rise and fall of many dynasties created a rocky path in Chinas history.