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Navstar
The Global Positioning System (GPS), also known as Navstar, becomes fully operational.
https://www.aiaa.org/SecondaryTwoColumn.aspx?id=5871 -
First Boeing 777
The first Boeing 777, the world's largest long-range wide-body twin-jet is delivered to United Airlines.
https://www.aiaa.org/SecondaryTwoColumn.aspx?id=5871 -
Promoting America
White House Conference on Travel & Tourism, the first ever event in U.S. history that was meant to elevate travel business & promote America as a destination to the federal level. https://skift.com/2013/06/15/ -
TWA Flight 800
Trans World Airlines Flight 800 (TWA 800) was a Boeing 747-100 which exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, 12 minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport. All 230 people on board were killed in the third-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. territory.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_800
Video
http://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/twa-800-plane-crash-10353435 -
Olympic Games Tragedy
At the 1996 Olympic Games, tragedy struck when a terrorist bomb exploded in the Centennial Olympic Park. Two people died and a further 110 people were injured.
https://www.olympic.org/atlanta-1996 -
Hurricane Floyd
Hurricane Floyd, with 57 deaths, was a catastrophic storm because of the rain it brought along. The rain caused extreme flooding from North Carolina on up as the Category 2 storm traveled up the East Coast.
http://www.businessinsider.com/deadliest-hurricanes-storm-in-american-history-2016-9 -
Air France Concorde Crash
Air France Concorde F-BTSC suffers a tyre burst during take-off from Paris Charles de Gaulle and crashes in flames into a hotel at Gonesse, killing all 109 on board, as well as four on the ground, and injuring six other people. All Concordes in the Air France and British Airways fleets are subsequently grounded.
https://www.aiaa.org/SecondaryTwoColumn.aspx?id=5872 -
Terrorist Attacks
19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group AL-Qaeda hijacked four airliners and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Over 3,000 people were killed during the attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C.
http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks -
Tansportation Security Administration Founded
The TSA was created as part of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, sponsored by Don Young in the United States House of Representatives and Ernest Hollings in the Senate, passed by the 107th U.S. Congress, and signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 19, 2001.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_Security_Administration -
Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts (TTSAs)
Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts (TTSAs) form an indispensable statistical instrument that allows the United States to measure the relative size and importance of the travel and tourism industry, along with its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP). Approved by the United Nations in March 2002 and endorsed by the U.N. Statistical Commission, TTSAs have become the international standard by which travel and tourism is measured.
http://travel.trade.gov/research/programs/satellite/ -
Hijackers Strike in Cuba
Suspect, Adermis Wilson Gonzales, commandeers plane bound for Havana and demands that it land in Key West, Fla. He is arrested by U.S. authorities.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0906984.html -
Bush Orders Quarantine of SARS Patients
President Bush signs an executive order that adds severe acute respiratory syndrome to the list of diseases to merit quarantine.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0906968.html -
American Airlines Chairman Resigns
Donald Carty steps down after being criticized for his handling of negotiations with airline unions, in which workers took pay cuts while executives were rewarded.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0906968.html -
Airlines to Increase Passenger Weight Estimates
New rules require airlines to increase assumed passenger weight to 190 pounds, up from 180.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0906968.html -
Massive Blackout Darkens Northeast & Midwest
In the country's largest power failure in history, 50 million people in eight U.S. states and parts of Canada are without electricity. The cause is unknown, but officials acknowledge that the electricity grid is antiquated. (Aug. 15): Power restored to most areas after 29-hour blackout. (Aug. 16): Electricity restored in Detroit, the last metropolitan area left in the dark.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0906984.html -
Hurricane Sweeps Through Mid-Atlantic States
Isabel hits North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, DC, with winds of 100 mph, and causes at least 23 deaths. Millions are left without power.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0906988.html -
Last Flight of the Concorde
Three Concorde jets touch down for the last time at London's Heathrow Airport, marking an end to the world's only commercial supersonic flights.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0906992.html
Video
https://youtu.be/Ougx_P6Uuqw -
Enormous Earthquake Devastates Asia
Earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 erupts off the Indonesian island of Sumatra, causing tidal waves that rage at more than 500 miles per hour across the Indian Ocean. Nearly 140,000 people die in a dozen nations in Asia and East Africa, and millions are left homeless. Indonesia heaviest hit, with 100,000 casualties.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0923071.html -
Hurricane Causes Catastrophic Damage
Hurricane Katrina, a category 4 storm, pounds Gulf Coast. Hundreds are killed and millions lose power. (Aug. 30) New Orleans, which was spared the full force of the hurricane when the storm moved east, suffers calamitous damage as levees break, submerging about 80% of the city. Looting is rampant. (Aug. 31) Death toll in New Orleans is feared to be in the thousands. Officials call the devastation the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0923155.html -
Job Losses Spark Worries about the Economy
A Labor Department report that shows that 4,000 jobs were lost in August, the first such decline since 2003, leads some economists to say a recession may follow.
http://www.infoplease.com/world/events/2007/sep.html -
Barack Obama Is Elected President
President Barack Obama wins the presidential election against Senator John McCain. The first African American to be elected as president of United States. Within a few years of Presidency, Obama signs an executive order to increase the number of visitors coming into the U.S. (eTurboNews, 2016).
http://www.infoplease.com/world/events/2008/nov.html
http://www.thebrandusa.com/media-events/news/wttc-what-president-obama-did-not-say-about-us-travel-and-tourism -
Pirates Hijack Oil Tanker
The Saudi oil tanker, anchored about 480 miles off the coast of Somalia, is loaded with some two million barrels of oil, worth about $100 million. It is the first time pirates have seized an oil tanker. Piracy in the area has been occurring with increased frequency in 2008.
http://www.infoplease.com/world/events/2008/nov.html -
Bush Unveils $17.4 Billion Rescue of Auto Industry
President George W. Bush announces plans to lend General Motors & Chrysler $17.4 billion to survive the next three months. This crippled industry caused a ripple effect on other industries. Tourism employment peaked at nearly 6 million jobs in the first quarter of 2008. More than 250,000 jobs were lost by the first quarter of 2009.
http://www.infoplease.com/world/events/2008/dec.html
http://journalistsresource.org/studies/economics/business/tourism-impacts-world-economic-crisis-north-america -
Plane Crashes into Hudson River; All 155 Aboard Alive
After allegedly striking a flock of geese, US Airways Flight 1549, en route from La Guardia Airport, New York City, to Charlotte, N.C., is forced to land in the Hudson River. All 150 passengers and 5 crew members survived. About half of the passengers on board were treated for hypothermia; the worst injury is a pair of broken legs. The plane is secured off the coast of Manhattan pending an investigation into the cause of the crash.
http://www.infoplease.com/world/events/2009/us_jan.html -
Air France Plane Vanishes
In the worst aviation disaster since 2001, Air France Flight 447 disappears somewhere off the northeast coast of Brazil with 228 people on board, en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. No mayday signals were sent before the crash. (June 6): Brazilian crews discover the bodies of two men in the Atlantic Ocean about 40 miles from where the cockpit last reported its position. This debris is the first evidence of the missing plane.
http://www.infoplease.com/world/events/2009/world_june.html -
U.S. Unemployment Reaches 9.4%
The U.S. government reports that the country's unemployment rate is 9.4%—the highest it's been in 26 years. Job losses slowed down in June 2009, but the number of people actively seeking employment rose. Since December 2007, six million jobs have disappeared in the United States and 14.5 million Americans are unemployed.
http://www.infoplease.com/world/events/2009/business-science_june.html -
Attempted Suicide Bombing on U.S. Bound Flight
A Nigerian man on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, allegedly attempted to ignite an explosive device hidden in his underwear.
http://www.infoplease.com/world/events/2009/us_dec.html -
U.S. Introduces Stricter Screenings for Certain Air Passengers
The Transportation Security Administration announces stricter screening requirements for passengers traveling by air to the U.S. from 14 countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria. Passengers with passports or originating flights from any of the countries on the list will be required to undergo full-body pat downs and extra scrutiny of carry-on luggage. The new requirements were Imposed due to "Underwear Bomber" attack.
http://www.infoplease.com/news/2010/current-events/us_jan.html -
Crisis in Egypt: Effects Travel and Tourism
Egyptians protest Hosni Mubarak presidency causing negative effects on travel and tourism. This anti-demonstration caused the growing travel industry to plummet in Egypt. The situation also threatened the country's reputation.
http://blog.euromonitor.com/2011/02/the-crisis-in-egypt-effects-on-the-travel-and-tourism-industry.html -
The Costa Concordia's Bizarre Wreck
The giant passenger ship passed too close to the Italian island of Giglio. It struck a rock that cut a gash in the hull below the waterline, dooming the ship and claiming the lives of 32 passengers and crew.
http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/2012-Year-in-Review -
Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy tore through the Caribbean, Jamacia, Cuba, and the Bahamas before turning north toward the U.S. An estimated 20,000 U.S. airline flights were canceled as a result of the storm. The storm flooded lower Manhattan, inundated subway and Amtrak tunnels, wiped out portions of commuter train lines and left vast areas of the region without power for days, crippling hospitality and travel-related businesses.
http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/2012-Year-in-Review -
Hurricane Ingrid and Manuel
In Mexico, Hurricane Ingrid & Manuel, both Category 1 storms, converged, within hours to claim more than 169 lives. Damage was estimated at more than $4.2 billion. Tens of thousands of people were trapped in the aftermath of the dual storms, with over a million inhabitants affected in some way. Ensuing floods destroyed thousands of homes and shut down an airport, stranding tourists.
https://mic.com/articles/77283/6-natural-disasters-of-2013-that-left-us-more-unprepared-than-ever#.K8qf99DCw -
Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
Since March 2014, West Africa has experienced the largest outbreak of Ebola in history, with multiple countries affected. Total Cases (Suspected, Probable, and Confirmed): 28,652; Laboratory-Confirmed Cases: 15,261; Total Deaths: 11,325.
https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/ -
Another Malaysia-Linked Plane Disappearance
Travelers are spooked after a third Malaysian aircraft disaster. Two Malaysian owned planes have disappeared and a third was shot down over the Ukraine, all within a year's time. Many travelers are calling the company cursed and have lost confidence in the aviation industry. Travel agents even saw a rise in reluctant travelers flying on a Malaysia flight.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-airplane-malaysia-idUSKBN0K70PH20141229 -
Nepal Earthquake
Nepal's catastrophe killed more than 3,200 people and crippled the country’s crucial tourism sector. The earthquake devastated the country's infrastructure and killed thousands, including 17 people on Everest in an avalanche set off by the quake. This quake potentially dealt the final blow to the country's already-fragile but critical tourism industry.
http://www.ibtimes.com/nepal-earthquake-2015-aftershocks-devastate-nepals-tourism-industry-everest-unesco-1897336 -
Terror Attacks Take a Toll on the Travel Industry
The travel industry has suffered an $8.2 billion loss due to terrorism. A Russian jetliner carrying vacationers crashed, killing all on board (ISIS claimed responsibility); 130 people were killed in a series of terror attacks in Paris; and gunmen took hostages in a hotel in Mali leaving more than 20 dead (all within a few weeks). 10% of American travelers canceled a trip in fear of the terror attacks.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-the-terror-attacks-will-impact-the-holidays-2015-11-20 -
The Zika Virus Spreads
Zika is a mosquito spread virus typically accompanied by mild illness. The first reports of locally transmitted infection came from Brazil in May 2015. (Feb. 2016) the infection moved rapidly through ranges occupied by Aedes mosquitos in the Americas, WHO declared that Zika infection associated with microcephaly & other neurological disorders constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Virus will spread worldwide.
http://www.who.int/bulletin/online_first/16-171082/en/ -
Child Rights Impact Travel and Tourism Industry
The travel and tourism industry accounts for one in eleven jobs abroad. There have been huge efforts globally in regards to child sexual exploitation, and other factors, in the context of tourism. Companies need to understand how children living in tourist destinations are affected– positively and negatively–by their business operations. Tourism can improve the lives of children. https://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/child-rights-impacts-in-travel-and-tourism/
