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In 2011, Travel & Tourism directly contributed 1.8% of Serbia’s GDP and accounted for 32,100 jobs directly in Travel & Tourism, representing 2.4 per cent of total employment. Taking the wider impacts of the industry into account, Travel & Tourism contributed 5.4% of GDP and 80,100 jobs in 2011 (6% of total employment). Furthermore, over the next ten years and with the right policies in place, Travel & Tourism in Serbia is forecast to achieve...

PHILOXENIA is the official tourism expression of the country on the world tourism market, which has been making substantial contributions to the sector’s business for 28 consecutive years OPENING DAY: 21/11/2013 CLOSING DAY: 24/11/2013...

Companies that adopt the environmental management system ISO 14000, designed to help reduce businesses’ environmental impacts, generally back this up with sincere investment in environmentally-friendly practices, research suggests. Researchers found that adoption of the ISO 14000 was not ‘greenwash’, but reflected a move towards more sustainable practices in both European and North American companies. Environmental management systems, such as ISO 14000 and the EU’s EMAS1, provide a holistic approach towards reducing environmental impact, and the...

ISO 14001:2004 sets out the criteria for an environmental management system and can be certified to. It does not state requirements for environmental performance, but maps out a framework that a company or organization can follow to set up an effective environmental management system. It can be used by any organization regardless of its activity or sector. Using ISO 14001:2004 can provide assurance to company management and employees as well as external stakeholders that environmental...

Sustainable tourism development guidelines and management practices are applicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations, including mass tourism and the various niche tourism segments. Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability. Thus, sustainable tourism should: 1) Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism...

Ninety-four per cent of bathing sites in the European Union meet minimum standards for water quality, according to the European Environment Agency’s annual report on bathing water quality in Europe. Water quality is excellent at 78 % of sites and almost 2 % more sites meet the minimum requirements compared to last year’s report. Cyprus and Luxembourg stand out with all listed bathing sites achieving excellent water quality. Eight other countries have excellent quality values...

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LinkedIn is a powerful tool for making business connections and it is important to understand that it is a tool for any business professional of any age. I have used LinkedIn since 2004 and, for the last four years, this tool alone has consistently generated over $80,000 in sales. Here are a few tips to make it work for you: 1. Be clear – whether you are after partners, suppliers, clients, employers… know what you want...

Worldwide about one-third of all food produced – equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes – gets lost or wasted in the food production and consumption systems, according to data released by FAO.  Wasting food means wasting money both at the household level and in businesses throughout the supply chain – about $200 billion annually in industrialised regions. UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner told us “In a world of seven billion people, set to...

In a world with growing pressures on resources and the environment, the EU has no choice but to go for the transition to a resource-efficient and ultimately regenerative circular economy. Our future jobs and competitiveness, as a major importer of resources, are dependent on our ability to get more added value, and achieve overall decoupling, through a systemic change in the use and recovery of resources in the economy. According to the OECD, this could lead...

Last Friday Sainsbury’s ran another switch the fish day. Customers who asked for one of the so-called “big five” – cod, haddock, tuna, salmon or prawns – were offered a free alternative fish: lemon sole, coley, local trout, mussels or Cornish sardines. An estimable initiative such as this, which helps educate consumers to make more sustainable choices, needs to be remembered in the debate about our shocking amount of food wastage – a debate in which supermarkets are...

The use of chemicals in Europe has become considerably safer since the REACH regulation entered into force, according to a European Commission report published today. More readily available information about chemical substances on the market and better targeted risk management measures mean that risks from substances registered under REACH have significantly decreased. The trend is expected to continue, as industry is continuously working towards finding substitutes for the most hazardous chemicals. Five years after REACH’s entry...

A new study has shown that agricultural products make the largest contribution to the water footprint of the EU and recommends reducing food waste, changes in diet and increased agricultural efficiencies. On average, each EU citizen consumes 4,815 litres of water per day, when the water used to produce all goods and services, including those imported into the EU, is accounted for. Water-use efficiency is becoming increasingly important in light of rising demand on water...

The 2008 financial crisis crippled the global economy. For Europe, the recovery has been tenuous, witnessing the lack of confidence in the sustainability of individual nations, and dwindling trust in the financial services and banking industry. While the strategy for economic recovery has focused on fiscal policy and the banking system, the brunt of the financial burden is placed on small businesses and entrepreneurs. These groups are left without funding for their businesses, without the...

The relationship between information security and service management is so close that many organizations already recognize the benefits of adopting both standards: ISO/IEC 27001 for information security and ISO/IEC 20000-1 for service management. The new ISO/IEC 27013:2012, Information technology – Security techniques – Guidance on the integrated implementation of ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 20000-1, provides guidance to be used whether one standard is implemented before the other, or both standards are implemented simultaneously. “Both ISO/IEC 27001 for information...

You are more than welcome to view our updated presentation about sustainable tourism. ………………Countries could greatly benefit from stepping up in the ’green game’, upgrading  their Health & Safety standards, imposing stricter  pricing regulations and generally making changes that would lead them to the forefront of the Tourism World. With their prime locations, sunny weather, breath taking landscapes, warm hospitality and fascinating cultures and history they hold a significant advantage that ought to be exploited in their favor….. Sustainable tourism presentation by...

There are a number of stages to developing a carbon management plan. The plan should provide detail on how your organization will get from ‘A’ to ‘B’ in reducing emissions. The basic stages are: • identifying objectives • establishing a baseline • setting targets • identifying options • costing • prioritisation Msolutions can help you develop your carbon management plan. The service is available for municipalities, Universities and hotels....