Tourism strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Tourism strategy - Essay Example Services offered include travel shops, tour operators, and charter airlines. To complement the company's brand strength, Thomas Cook also owns a whole host of other renowned tour operator brands and airlines, including Thomas Cook Reisen, Neckermann, JMC, Condor, and Thomas Cook Airlines." (SAP customer success story, p.2). Corporate social responsibility is the motto of Thomas Cook Group. They provide support to the responsible tourism programs of the Travel Foundation by minimising the negative impacts arising from intensive tourism and maximising the benefits from the tourism to the local community. Through positively influencing the native society of the tourism destination, they contribute to the development of the industry itself. "Thomas Cook's mission is to "perfect the personal leisure experience." "In keeping with the values of Victorian society, Thomas Cook believed that by offering alternative, more virtuous and educational leisure activities, the lives of working people would be greatly improved and that everyone could become better educated through travel." (Steps towards a sustainable future). In order to achieve the operating profit target of $ 620 million in the period of 2009/ 2010, Thomas Cook differentiates their focusing from the main stream tour operating to independent travel and financial services. "Thomas Cook said it would increase targeted online sales to 35% in 2009/10 as part of its strategy of increasing controlled distribution." (Fearis 2007). Brief synopsis of the sustainable tourism strategy of Thomas Cook: Sustainable tourism is also referred as responsible tourism. It is based on the development of positive attitude towards the community and the environment of the destination to which the tourism is focused. Careful utilisation of valuable local resources for the benefit of the community and the protection of local environment is part of sustainable tourism. In this concept the following points are involved. 1. Admiring the local culture and environment of the destination. 2. Giving adequate economic returns to the people in the local community by buying their products and utilising their services. 3. Considering the savings of water and other natural resources in the environment. To co-operate with the energy saving programs initiated by local government is the main consideration required. 4. Contribution to protect the endangered wild life species in the destination. 5. Safeguarding the natural and cultural heritage of the tourism destination while tourists are in visit. 6. Self enjoyment and at the same time being responsible for one's own actions. 7. Caring and enhancing the attraction of the favourite destination through brilliant actions for the future generations of visitors. Sustainable tourism strategy adopted by Thomas Cook: Thomas Cook adopted sustainable tourism strategy. By holding the concept of social responsibility, they started the first holiday package. The sustainable tourism strategy of Thomas Cook is divided into six sections and for each of the section, detailed insight is provided for fulfilling the targeted goals. Thomas Cook is showing commitment to their sustainable tourism strategies. For the fulfilment of their objective they ensure the support and help from their clients. For helping to boost the local economy, local purchasing is

Health and Human Services on Teen Pregnancy Research Paper - 1

Health and Human Services on Teen Pregnancy - Research Paper Example The HHS has addressed this problem through a number of mandates and programs such as comprehensive sex educations, health care, and researchers. Several programs have been greatly effective in lessening the statistics. With more collaboration and resources, future plans will extensively assuage teen pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is one of the serious challenges that the society has been facing for a number of years. Statistics have shown the veracity of this social issue. Contributory factors range from countless general elements such as culture and poverty to particulars like personal viewpoints and attitude on relationships. To tackle the crisis, Health and Human Services (HHS) have encouraged and implemented programs. Different kinds of strategies have been utilized by a variety of organizations in diverse areas. This paper specifically delves into the matter of teen pregnancy and how the HHS has intervened regarding this problem. Particularly, the following discussions cite how teenage pregnancy has affected the public over time. Certain facts on its history and some alterations of the problem will be mentioned. Furthermore, the various development programs to address the said crisis are mainly considered. Especially, HHS’ strategies will discourse. An example of a best practice will be highlighted. This will be a kind of an approach that is quite efficient in coming up with positive results. This entails plans that seek to work with the target population which considers their peculiarity and lifestyle. Evident effects of changes in the legislation will be looked into. The improvement of the situation as a result of the mandates testify to the significance of the approaches supported by the said laws. The rulings’ competence with diverse populations is likewise noteworthy. Some laws are only particular in certain situations but are not that applicable in other kinds of contexts.

Bringing Minds To Gods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bringing Minds To Gods - Research Paper Example One famous symbolic anthropologist by the name of Clifford Geertz even defined religion as â€Å"(1) a system of symbols which acts to (2) establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by (3) formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and (4) clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that (5) the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic" (Geertz 1966). An integral part in the system of religion is the belief of sin. In a general and more modern sense, sin is anything that violates a certain moral standard or code of conduct. Anything that is offensive, an avoidance of good, or the act of doing wrong is considered a â€Å"sin†. In Christianity, sin does not only mean those actions that are tangible but it also encompasses feelings of enmity, internal thoughts, and other motivations that lead to ill-doing, shame, or immorality. In a religious perspective, when a person commits sins, his relationship with his supe rnatural being is tainted and he therefore must do sacrificial acts to restore the connection. This act of achieving a certain kind of spiritual cleansing, more commonly understood as the concepts of expiation and/or the atonement of sins have since become so interrelated hand in hand with the notion of sin. And religions have, to a good extent, institutionalized certain practices and ritual to ensure the reparation of relationship between man and his deity. Among the many established religions in the world today, this paper shall focus on the discussion of the similarities and differences of the concept of atonement and/or spiritual cleansing between Hinduism and Confucianism. To define, atonement is the process by which a person removes obstacles to his reconciliation with God. In doing so, he â€Å"re-establishes or strengthens his relations to the holy divine†. As the etymology of the name suggests, to â€Å"atone† is to â€Å"set at one† (Encyclopedia Brita nnica, May 2011). Hinduism Present among the various religions in the world in the act of expiation of sins are prayer, repentance, fasting, and offering (animal or crops). In Hinduism, the ultimate goal in life is to be in union with the Brahman, the supreme and absolute universal Spirit of the universe. To be one with the Brahman, one must constantly purify himself through the practice of atonement or â€Å"Prayaschitta†, a ritual performed to eliminate the effects of bad deeds. In the Hindu lexicon, â€Å"praya† means austerity and â€Å"chitta† means a firm resolution. Hence, to do prayschitta, one must undergo or render a certain form of sacrifice to cleanse him from the wrong doings he has committed. This includes extreme fasting which could last as long as a month, chanting of Mantras, or giving away of gifts or going away on a pilgrimage. History has it that the act of prayaschitta among Hindus is not necessarily according to the Brahmans but it goes bac k to law books of Sanskrit. The severity of the penance is said to be dependent upon the weight of the violation committed. In some documented acts of atonement, there were instances of drinking boiled liquor for the sin committed in drinking too much of the same intoxicating beverage. This kind of ritual is considered to be light as the sin committed is not severe. Severe ones are those that include murder,

Hawthornes Motives for Writing the Scarlett Letter Essay Example for Free

Hawthornes Motives for Writing the Scarlett Letter Essay Hawthorne’s motives for writing The Scarlet Letter were to expose corruption in Puritan society, religion, and politics. Hawthorne demonstrates both corruption and hypocrisy in Puritan society as the townspeople and even the Governor wear her embroidery, yet banish her and ostracize her as an outcast and a sinner. The town buys her clothes for an unknown reason; most likely their own curiosity, its beauty, or they just felt sorry for her. This shows the societys inability to follow through with their own punishments. They are willing to ostracize her and banish her, but still buy her embroidery. However much they chose to wear her embroidery on most articles of clothing, they refused to wear her embroidery on wedding veils as they were created by her sinful hands, showing the â€Å"relentless vigor with which society frowned upon her sin† (Hawthorne 76). Religion played a major role in Hawthornes writing, even though he was not a member of any religious organization. The religion mentioned in The Scarlet Letter was Puritanism and in his writing he intended to expose the power the Puritans used to control the church and state. For example, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Roger Williams differed with the colonys leaders on the relationship between church and state. The authorizes in the Bay feared that the foul error emanating from him could spread and corrupt the entire colony. In October 1635, the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony banished him (smithsonianmag.com). Due to the fact that Hawthorne was not a part of any organized religion he was able to criticize religions without the fear of repercussion. Hawthorne also wanted to expose the corruption in religion when he wrote The Scarlet Letter. In the Custom House he mentioned that he was a Democrat while the Whigs were in power. Hawthorne also said I had spent three yearsin an unnatural state, doing what was really of no advantage nor delight to any human being (Hawthorne 40). Here he is saying that because he was a Democrat in a Whig society he felt he couldnt speak up and that it was unnatural.

Benefits of hunting Essay Example for Free

Benefits of hunting Essay For my research topic I have decided to go over the benefits of hunting. I think these reasons are numerous, and cover a wide variety of topics. Some of which include, controlling the animal population, helping to maintain balance in the ecosystem, connecting with nature, participating in something with a rich tradition, and also to provide healthy organic food that you know exactly where it came from, and what was done to it. There are definitely other benefits to hunting, but they are probably almost too many to list, or touch on all of them. I will also try to tackle some of the proclaimed downsides to hunting. And example of that is people constantly complain that hunting is killing, and yes it is but such a small part for most of us it is not why we hunt. That being said every piece of meat in the super market is also killing, and the animal never had a chance, and may not have ever been as healthy or happy as it could be. The audience for this paper would be those against hunting, or who don’t have any knowledge about hunting. My reason for choosing this topic is that I am an avid hunter, and the only differences I see for what I do when hunting vs. what a cattle ranch does is that I know everything going on in what I’m doing. Basically I know where the animal was, I know who shot it and how it died, I know the animal is healthy, that it has had a good life, and was not confined to a tiny cage packed with others. Long story short, I know my animal I harvested is probably healthier than just about anything from the store. Also as humans we have a long history of hunting. I’m not sure when we started hunting, though for my paper I think it will be an excellent argument for the tradition of hunting, but I know we as a species have been doing it for as long as we can remember. Not only that, but hunting is something often passed down from father to son, and is mainly why hunting has survived this long against so much backlash. I know for me personally hunting with my dad was some of the most fun times, and fondest memories, that I will ever get to have, until I pass it on to my kids. Hunting gets attacked from a lot of angles, the only one I really think that has any argument is one from a vegan. That is a person who really has no connection with any sort of harvesting animals at all. Honestly I respect their opinions, and wish that they would also do mine. Hunting goes beyond people going out and shooting animals, and then posing with them in pictures, which I believe is all they see. They miss out on the tradition, the actual â€Å"hunt†, hunting does not mean killing, something any hunter can tell you. Not to mention all the bonding time with friends and family, and last the experience of just getting away from it all and being in the great outdoors. One last thing for the vegan argument is that from an evolutionary stand point it is pretty much impossible to argue against hunting. Humans grew up the evolutionary ladder partly because of our abilities to get better at hunting. Someone who provided a couple hundred pound animal complete with meat and hides had to be more valuable than someone who just picked berries. Being vegan is also a choice, its not exactly the way of nature. Sure some animals eat only plants, but things like wolves just can’t do it. Eating meat and hunting are part of Earth, and I would say that 99. 99% of kills done by humans are quicker, and cleaner, than those done by animals.

Consultation Skills In Relation To Nurse Prescribing

Consultation Skills In Relation To Nurse Prescribing Nurse prescribing was translated into reality in the latter part of the 1990s when a cohort of about 1,200 nurses received specialist training in order to allow them to feel confident and competent in the prescription of certain drugs and medications. In the best traditions of scientific endeavour, they were subject to a barrage of audits and studies to see how they actually performed. As in any new project there were inevitable protagonists and detractors and the initial results of the first eight studies were extremely positive. (Legge 1997) the accumulative results of the initial studies showed that nurse prescribing had been proved in terms of safety, efficacy and improved working practices. The reports did not make any comment upon the cost-effectiveness of the prescribing as the cohort studied was too small for statistical analysis. The head of the evaluation team (Prof. Luker 1997) commented that at best, nurse prescribing should be cost neutral why should it be any cheaper? By 2000, the first comparative studies were emerging with sufficient cohort size to give a meaningful evaluation of the scope and efficiency of nurse prescribing. Venning (et al 2000) compared efficiency and cost of a cohort of nurse prescribers with doctors in the same geographical area. The study cohort was over 1,300 patients. This particular study was extensive in its analysis and many of the results are not particularly relevant to the subject of this essay, but the significant outcomes showed that there was no significant difference in health outcome, prescribing patterns or prescribing cost. Nurse prescribing was therefore proving itself to be both an effective and efficient resource for the NHS. (Little et al 1997) Consultation and communication skills Empowerment and education of patients is now well recognised as an important goal but most healthcare professionals. (Richards 1999) it follows that if patients are to be involved then their particular priorities must be ascertained and addressed, usually in the mechanism of the consultation. A frequent finding in many of the studies on the subject is the fact that patients tend to prefer prescribers (nurses or doctors) who listen and also allow them to discuss their problems in an unhurried fashion. (Editor BMJ 2000) This essay is particularly directed to the issue of consultation skills in relation to nurse prescribing. Although we have briefly examined the overall issues of nurse prescribing, the consultation is obviously the core skill required to establish the diagnosis and therefore the appropriate treatment and prescription. Many studies have looked at the influence of communication skills on prescribing and other factors related to the consultation. (Richards 1999) Many authorities (Butler et al 1998) advise that the prime skills associated with the prescribing process are: Adequate exploration of the patients worries Adequate provision of information to the patient regarding the natural processes of the disease being treated The advisability of self-medication in trivial illness The various alarm symptoms that should be notified to indicate that there may be problems with the treatment. (Welschen et al 2004) These various aspects are explored further in a particularly well written and informative book by Platt and Gordon (1999) it reflects on the fact that doctors and nurses are not generally particularly well trained in the art of communication skills. In the words of the author we re not very good at transmitting information, and were no better at picking up the signals that patients try to send. Critically, they make the point that individual prescribers are not particularly good at varying their approach to the different type of patient. Clearly, the better the level of perceived empathy between prescriber and patient, the greater the level of compliance is likely to be. This is likely to be reflected in greater patient satisfaction, greater compliance with instructions generally and improved outcomes and again, in the words of the authors fewer lawsuits This particular book highlights and gives practical advice on all of the common pitfalls of prescriber patient communication. The way that prescribers will often duck issues where they feel uncomfortable or feel that their knowledge is not particularly sound, or perhaps fail to respond to the distress signals sent out (either verbally or non-verbally) by the patient. They also highlight the dangers of closing the conversation early due to pressure of time and not adequately exploring ambiguous answers. The hostile and the heart-sink patient can be a particular headache to the prescriber and inappropriate decision can be made unless great care is taken to specifically tackle these issues. (RPSGB 1997) Some commentators in the field of nurse prescribing have refered to the fact that the skills of communication, when they have been taught, have concentrated mainly on the fields of history taking and diagnosis. The issue of communication in relation to prescribing has received much less prominence. (Elwyn et al.2000) The paper by Cox (et al.2000) found that it was common practice for prescribers to initiate the discussions about just what medication there were going to prescribe, rarely refer to the medicine by name and equally rarely refer to how a newly prescribed medication is perceived to differ in either action or purpose, to those previously prescribed. Patient understanding is rarely checked as it is usually assumed after the prescriber has given the prescription. Even when invited to do so, patients seldom take the opportunity to ask questions. (Cox et al 2000) The same author found that prescribers would emphasise the positive benefits of the medication far more frequently than they would discuss the risks and precautions, despite the fact that the patients perception was that such a discussion is seen as essential. In summary, this leaves a situation which is open to misinterpretation, uncertainty as a result of unadressed worries and for patients to be ambivalent towards the medication that they have been prescribed. (Drew et al. 2001). It clearly is not a situation which one could have confidence that the patient has a sound knowledge base about his treatment and has a positive attitude towards compliance. The point relating to communication failure resulting in poor treatment outcome (primarily in relation to non-adherence to treatment instructions) was explored in depth in an excellent paper by Britten (et al 2000). The various consultation skills were critically analysed and broken down into 14 different categories of misunderstanding. In short, all of the failures of communication were associated with a lack of the patients participation in the consultation process. Significantly, all of these 14 categories were associated with potential or even actual less than optimal Outcomes as they resulted in either inappropriate prescribing or inadequate treatment adherence. It was very significant that the authors concluded that many of the errors were associated with assumptions or guesses on the part of the healthcare professional, and in particular a lack of awareness of the relevance of patients ideas and beliefs which influenced their compliance with the prescribed treatment. (Elder et al 2004) There is evidence that failure to actively engage in, or even consider, the patient s perspective is a common failing amongst prescribers. (Britten et al 2000). Many take the view that simply arriving at and stating a diagnosis is sufficient credibility for the provision of a prescription. Even when drug therapy is considered essential (such as insulin and thyroxin) many patients will experiment with dosages and drug-free periods. (Barry et al. 2000). It follows that such experimentation is likely to be all the greater when medication is used when the benefits are less immediate (eg. In prophylaxis).If the prescriber is aware of these factors, it will undoubtedly help to achieve compliance if they are overtly addressed during the consultation process. Concordance vs. compliance Elwyn (et al 2003) took a slightly different approach with regard to the consultation process and prescribing. They advocate the process of concordance which is described as the process whereby there is a negotiation between the patient and the prescriber which involves a discussion about the perceived benefits and drawbacks of the proposed medication, together with an exchange of beliefs and expectations. This terminology reflects not only a change in emphasis but also a change in attitude of the prescriber. This area used to be termed compliance which was a reflection of the now outmoded concept of implicit power and authority invested in the prescriber. The term was seen as being authority laden (Marinker 1997) where it was expected that patients complied implicitly and without question when a prescription was given. There was little acceptance that patients would actively participate in the decision making process that surrounded the generation of the prescription. (Cox et al. 2002) At this point in time, there is little published evidence that this process actually leads to improved clinical outcome measures, but consideration of ethical principles would allow us to conclude that the involvement of patients will inevitably result in safer and better patient care. (Elwyn et al. 1999) If we examine this argument further, any healthcare professional will appreciate that a great deal of modern medical treatment involves prescribing in one form or another. We also know that a substantial proportion of the medication that is currently prescribed is not taken or, worse still, inappropriately utilised. (Haynes et al 2003). Careful research shows that where this occurs it is primarily due to a conflict between the prescribers views and those of the patient. (Britten et al 2003). Further studies have shown that where prophylactic (or preventative) prescribing has occurred the situation is statistically worse. One can presume that this is mainly because, in these conditions the patient tends to be asymptomatic and therefore the perceived need to take medication may well be less. Again, this reflects a failure of communication between patient and prescriber. (Coulter 2002) As a result of this, the prescriber, in general terms, has to be aware of the possibility of what is know, in academic circles, as intentional dissent. The patient may choose to actively disagree with the prescribers instructions because they may either have become party to other information about the medication, or because they may have experienced some side effect and, being not fully appraised of the reasons for taking prophylaxis, may simply choose to discontinue it. (Barry et al. 2000) Conclusions The last decade has seen important strides forward in the field of nurse prescribing. The success of this venture would strongly argue that it will progress further still in the future. Hand in hand with this success goes the realisation that nurse prescribing carries with it a responsibility to fully understand the issues that relate the act of prescribing to the eventual treatment outcome, together with the factors that tend to confound such linkage. The progressive acceptance of the paradigm of concordance (by all prescribers not just nurse prescribers) offers all healthcare professionals a mechanism to move towards ever safer and more successful prescribing. Accurate identification of the patients perspectives, needs and beliefs and then the addressing of any significant differences between these and the prescribers requirements, are seen to be progressively more important in the successful delivery of nurse prescribed health care. The advent of nurse prescribing brings added responsibility to the more traditional role of the nurse. It is important not to neglect the importance of the role of reflective practice in this area (Gibbs 1998). It is not just the act of writing out the prescription that is important, but it is the understanding of the processes and dynamics of the interactions that are taking place between prescriber and patient that are the fundamental key to good prescribing practice (Kuhse et al 2001).

Beowulf Characters :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

Beowulf Characters Schyld Scefing: He is the first great king of the Danes, and upon his death he is given a remarkable burial at sea. He eventually becomes the great-grandfather of Hrothgar who is king during Grendel's attacks upon the Danes. Beowulf: A thane of the Geat king Hygelac and eventually becomes King of the Geats. Hrothgar: King of the Danes at the time of Grendel's constant attacks. During is reign as king he builds the hall (Heorot) as a tribute to his people and his peaceful reign. Heorot: The great hall that Hrothgar builds in celebration of his reign. Grendel: A descendant of Cain and a man/monster, Grendel attacks Heorot after Beowulf's arrival. Beowulf eventually kills him, with his severed arm hung as a trophy in Heorot. Wulfgar: A loyal thans of Hrothgar, Wiglaf is a watchman for the Danes and the first to greet Beowulf and his men to the land of the Danes. He also deems the Geat visitors as people worthy enough to meet with Hrothgar. Ecgtheow: He is Beowulf's father. He is a Waegmunding by birth and a Geat by marriage. When he was younger. Unferth: Unferth's name means "discord". He is a thane of Hrothgar's who taunts Beowulf in the hall about his swimming contest with Breca. However, Beowulf shames him in the boasting match. Wealhtheow: She is Hrothgar's queen and the mother of his two sons. Her name comes from the Anglo-Saxon words for "treasure bearer." She actually has the duty of presenting necklaces and mead-cups at court. Sigemund: Known as a famous dragon slayer, he is an ancient Germanic hero whose story is recounted after the fight with Grendel. Heremond: An ancient Danish king who fell from grace and became ruthlessly evil king. He is used by Hrothgar as a bad example of bad kingship for Beowulf. Hildeburh: She is an ancient Danish princess who was married into the Frisian royalty. Her story is recounted during the second feast for Beowulf at Heorot. Her brother and her son were both killed in a war with the Frisians at Finnesburh. Hrothulf: Hrothulf is Hrothgar's younger brother. Wealhtheow calls upon him to protect her young sons if it necessary to do so. Grendel's Mother: The of the man/monster Grendel she comes to Heorot seeking vengeance for the death of her son, and is killed by Beowulf. Aeschere: He is one of Hrothgar's important officials and trusted thanes.