World Tourism Day 2013

Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future

Tourism today is a trillion dollar sector involving the movement of over one billion tourists a year around the world and another five to six billion domestically.

In line with the 2013 United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation, the 2013 theme for World Tourism Day is Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future. As the most widely celebrated global day for tourism, it represents a unique opportunity to raise awareness of tourism’s role in water access and shine a spotlight on the sector’s contribution to a more sustainable water future. 

Tourism has proven to provide environmentally sound solutions, as well as political and financial support, for the conservation and sustainable use of water sources. But more must be done. With a record one billion international tourists travelling in a single year in 2012, now is the time to commit to a more sustainable tourism sector in order to protect our common future.

  This year’s theme highlights tourism’s role in water access and shines a spotlight on the actions currently being taken by the sector in order to contribute to a more sustainable water future, as well as the challenges ahead.

World Tourism Day Celebration(27th September)

In support of United Nation's International year of water co-operation, World Tourism Day 2013 is held under the theme being TOURISM & WATER: PROTECTING OUR COMMON FUTURE. This year theme highlights Tourism's Role in WATER ACCESS and shares the spotlight on the actions currently being taken by the sector in order to continue a more sustainable water future, as well as the challenges ahead, Manipur Tourism forum will be celebrating World Tourism Day on 27th Sep 2013 by organizing various program related to the theme.

As a part of the celebration Manipur Tourism forum will be organizing competition and certain activities at the Loktak Lake surrounding Area 

1. Photography Competition 2. Local Boat Racing 3. Water Adventure Activities ( Non Competition) 

1. Photography Competition:

In connection with the celebration of world Tourism day "Tourism & Water: Protecting our common Future", Manipur Tourism Forum is holding a photography competition with the Theme of world tourism day 2013 "Tourism & Water: Protecting our common Future" 

The Category for the photography completion is "Tourism & Water: Protecting our common Future" Photographs that reflect the beauty of Manipur in relation with water will be considered for the awards. 

Submission Process for the competition:
Submit your Entry through Email at manipurtourismforum (at) gmail (dot) com 
A Morph/copy of Photo with size [pixel: 1200*800 or more]
- And - 
A hard copy print of 12" X 8 " at the Reception counter of THE CLASSIC HOTEL
Also submit the following details with the copy of the photo in its original format [as take through the camera] with the following details 1. Name:
2. Age:
3. Address:
4. Phone No:
5. Contact Email:
6. Short Description of the Photograph
7. Brief Profile of Photographer:

Criteria:
1: Participant will only submit one Photo
2: Photo must have not been published in any form of Media 
3: Photo must relate with Manipur in reference with water only
4: Participant must submit raw photo not less a pixel of 1200 * 800
5: Photo must not be manipulated with any software in any form/process, only resizing of the Photo is allowed

Last Date of submission: 26th Sep 2013 till 4.00 PM 

Expert panel will be the Judge for the competition; the result will be announced in Local Newspaper.
Copyright Policy of the Photo: A participant agrees that the photo submitted for the competition can be utilised by The Manipur tourism forum for promotion activity of Manipur tourism Forum. The participant agrees that Manipur tourism forum have the Right to use the Photo or reproduce the photo in any form of media for its promotional activity.

2. Local Boat Racing: 

For Local Boat racing competition Please contact the Office of Bishnupur District Canoeing and Kayaking Association. 
Application form can be collected from the office of The "Bishnupur District Canoeing and Kayaking Association". 
There competition will of two types:-
1. Local Boat Racing (Individual)
2. Local Boat Racing (Group)
The application can entry for both categories.
The last date for entry is 25th Sep 2013 

3. Water Adventure Activities (Non Competition) 

Manipur Tourism Forum in association of MMTA wills also organizing a one day Water Adventure activities camp. Individual and groups will have the opportunity to experience water adventure activities like water Skiing, water Zorbing, Air Boat etc. 
Manipur Tourism Forum request individual and organization to take part in the celebration at Loktak Lake, Moirang on 27th September 2013. Time: 9.00 PM 

World Maritime Day

World Maritime Day 2013

World maritime day 2013 theme is "Sustainable Development: IMO’s contribution beyond Rio+20" and 2012 theme is "IMO: One hundred years after the Titanic".

Every year the International Maritime Organization (IMO) observes World Maritime Day. The exact date is left for individual governments to decide but is normally celebrated during the last week of September. The day is considered to focus emphasize on the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment and to devote on a particular aspect of IMO's work.

World Maritime Day and its Goal

World Maritime Day 2013 has been celebrated on Thursday, 24 September at the IMO's headquarters in London, England. The US Parallel Event was held on October 16-18, n New York City in the same year. Different other ports throughout the US conducted simultaneous events in their respective locations. The goal of World Maritime Day is to attract public, private, and government bodies to the many environmental concernswithin the maritime community to reduce the effects of climate change worldwide.

How People Celebrate World Maritime Day?

World Maritime Day emphasize on the significance of safe shipping, marine environment and maritime security along with a particular aspect of IMO's work. The day also flashes a special message from the IMO’s secretary-general, which is consolidated by a discussion paper on the selected subject in explanatory manner.

World Maritime Day is celebrated in various countries around the world, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. Many maritime organizations and institutions conduct special activities and events to celebrate this special day. These activities and events vary from luncheons to symposiums, including school lessons that focus on the day. Some classes also organize a trip to a maritime museum so that students may know the significance of the maritime industry in shipping world history as well as its significance in world trade.

Background of World Maritime Day

It has been considered by the people that international regulations that are followed by many countries worldwide, could improve marine safety, hence many treaties have been signed and adopted since the 19th century. Various countries endorsed for a permanent international body to be floated to advocate maritime safety more effectively but it was not until the UN was established that these concepts were realized. An international conference in Geneva in the year 1948 established the IMO, a specialized UN agency that promotes and manages a huge regulatory framework for shipping.

The IMO’s earlier name was the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) but it got a facelift in 1982 and was renamed to IMO. The IMO emphasizes on areas such as safety,environmental concerns, technical co-operation, legal matters, maritime security and the proficiency ofshipping.

World Maritime Day was first observed on March 17, 1978 to represent the date of the IMO Convention’s entry into force in the year 1958. At that time, there were 21 member states in the organization. Now it has reached a count of 167 member states and three associate members. This membership includes all the countries of the world with a concern in maritime affairs, along with those engaged in the shipping industry and coastal states with a concern to protect their maritime environment.

The Virgin Mary's Birthday

The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated at least by the sixth century, when St. Romanos the Melodist, an Eastern Christian who composed many of the hymns used in the Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox liturgies, composed a hymn for the feast. The feast spread to Rome in the seventh century, but it was a couple more centuries before it was celebrated throughout the West.

The source for the story of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal gospel written about A.D. 150. From it, we learn the names of Mary's parents, Joachim and Anna, as well as the tradition that the couple was childless until an angel appeared to Anna and told her that she would conceive. (Many of the same details appear also in the later apocryphal Gospel of the Nativity of Mary.)

The traditional date of the feast, September 8, falls exactly nine months after the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Perhaps because of its close proximity to the feast of the Assumption of Mary, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is not celebrated today with the same solemnity as the Immaculate Conception. It is, nonetheless, a very important feast, because it prepares the way for the birth of Christ.