UK Tourism is Getting Wings Now

According to a research done by Visit Britain, The tourism sector of UK is going to be one of the best performing sector in the upcoming years. It is estimated that tourism sector is going to contribute 3.5 percent per annum to the economy. As it is estimated that tourism sector is going to play an important role in the growth of economy, this sector requires continuous investment, promotion, enhanced Government policies and renewed regulatory support.

Currently tourism is on third position in terms of foreign exchange earnings having Inbound spend of worth £16 billion and it is estimated that foreign visitors ' spending will be almost doubled to £31 billion by 2020 (growing by 4.4% for year).

Olympics 2012

Spending by citizens of UK is also predicted a slower growth of 2.6% per annum butfrom a higher base level. It is predicted that domestic spending will be £113 billion in 2020 (this year it is £72 billion).

According to The Chairman of VisitBritain, Mr. Christopher Rodrigues, "This research reaffirms the importance of tourism to the British economy. Tourism is a powerful economic driver, and investing in tourism delivers immediate economic benefits-overseas visitors pay around £ 3 billion a year to the Treasury alone. Tourism is one of the few industries that supports jobs across the country in our cities, sea-side towns and rural areas, cannot be outsourced and has the potential to grow and support 250.000 more jobs with continued investment.
Tourism is an industry in which Britain punches above its weight and is truly globally competitive-we arecurrently 6th in the world-but its benefits in income both to the Treasury and to local communities and in shaping the image of Britain abroad as a place to do business are often taken for granted.

We now have the catalyst of being host to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to revitalize the welcome we offer the world, and I hope this research will underline what an historic opportunity we all have to work for. "

UK Tourism is Getting Wings Now

Cashing in on Cashless in Stadia Environment

The theme of this article is Football Clubs, however the exact same benefits of cashless environment apply to other sporting venues including but not limited to racecourse, rugby club, motor racing circuit, tennis club, athletics club etc. In fact the German F1 Grand Prix in Nurnberg in 2009, the 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa, the Olympics in London 2012, 2014 football World Cup in Spain have plans for cashless facilities and in the case of the German F1Grand Prix have already implemented a cashless solution. To demonstrate this point Sandra Alzetta, Visa Europe Senior VP for consumer market development, said "the aim is for a cashless Olympic Games in London in 2012."

In recent times we have seen a surge in e-payments or what is now been termed cashlesspayments, but what is the cause of this gallop towards removing cash from some environments. Well that is simple ... costs savings, revenue generation and efficiencies.

There have been many types of organisations implement cashless something or other, including Local Authorities, Government, Schools & Universities, Sports Arenas and more. All have realised significant benefits including modest revenue generation but moreover cost reductions and efficiency gains. In fact one local authority have seen 60% increase over all efficiencies by issuing and entitlement card rather than paper vouchers and cheques.

Olympics 2012

The potential for generating revenue in most sectors is, as previously mentioned, modest however not so within the stadia environment where the increase in revenue for awell planned and implemented scheme can be significant. So when that is added to the benefits of holding the deposited funds and having immediate access to the transactional data the attraction for football clubs is very clear. But is this just hype or are the financial benefits of cashless stadia truly a reality? They can be if the scheme is a scheme where the closed cashless solution operates only within the stadium and club shop, and where is the "custodian of the scheme and the cashless funds deposited within it. This type of scheme could be managed by the club or the club could directly appoint a specialist organisation to manage the scheme on their behalf whilst retaining the overall control.

This approach vastly improves a business case based on income and also gives theclub in direct relationship with the supporters and autonomy over the day to day operation of the cashless scheme including the all important scheme rules, in particular the rules breakage. How the scheme is perceived by cashless the supporters will be the critical success factor in terms of customer experience for every Cashless Stadia scheme. So in the closed scheme operated by the club, the fans are truly supporting the club on many fronts not just from the terraces and with the right scheme rules the club is directly responsible for the relationship with the supporters.

If, however, the club outsource the whole process to a cashless third party then almost all of the financial benefits disappear along with the direct relationship with the supporters, but this does fit with abusiness case built around streamlining operations to just core functions. Control over the scheme operation and rules have also been passed to the third party supplier.

Also depending on the contract terms data sharing may also be less than ideal. Transactional data is extremely important for providing the club with the ability to dynamically create personalised promotions and offers to the supporters via CRM. If data is not available on demand then selling those away shirt XXXL surplus in April will be more of a blunderbuss rather than sniper approach.

On the face of it giving away all this control to a third party is not the best approach, correct? Well that depends on what the club actually have a set of requirements. If the clubs view is that they are in the business ofplaying football and achieving success on the pitch, and the operational cost of a cashless solution within their stadia is a necessary evil, then outsourcing the complete scheme is exactly the right thing to do. However if the aim is to be able to efficiently manage and nurture the relationship with the supporters whilst generating additional income from intelligent but uncomplicated use of the transactional data, then the whole outsourcing cashless scheme would be madness.

The decision to go cashless either completely or in just one section of a stadia is not an easy one to make and must be done after properly analysing the clubs overall objectives and other considerations such as the contractual arrangements with other suppliers such as caterers, etc. Then and only then can andinformed decision be made for a best fit solution and how it should be implemented to ensure the highest rate of customer delight and take up is achieved.

Cashless Stadia, what are the benefits?

Regardless of whether the clubs chooses to retain control of their cashless scheme or outsource to a third party what cannot be disputed are the common benefits.

No cash handling-there will be no cash transactions within the stadium on match days, cashing up, no more security van collections,

Faster throughput-because a cashless transaction is up to 60% can be faster than cash and 3 times faster than a credit and debit transaction the queues at the catering kiosks move much more quickly.

Improved hygiene as the catering staff will not be handling cash andonly handling food this not only removes any related hygiene issues but also enables fewer staff deliver a faster, more efficient service.

Free pricing-there is no reason to keep prices to round 50 p or pound so this enables an item of £ 2.50 be increased or decreased to improve revenue which will improve customer experience and may lead to higher sales.

Improved date-the date the transaction via POS terminals can tell who bought what, when and where in the ground which can be used in personalised promotions when processed through CRM.

The specific benefits of either a closed scheme that the club operates directly or via a specialist organisation and those of a fully outsourced scheme should be carefully considered.

What to consider when choosing a cashlesssolution!

Some of the important things to consider when making a decision on a cashless solution are:-

or Impact on the customer

or Catering/caterers

or Legal requirements and FSA rules

or Scheme rules around breakage (Poor scheme rules around refunds on lost, stolen or expired cards can even create the perception that the club, having introduced the cashless solution is now taking advantage that the fact that the supporter is now a captive audience)

or Systems integration i.e.. which systems. Point of Sale (POS), Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) as a minimum and also a Card Management System (CMS) for the more progressive multi-application smart card schemes.

or Business model for predicting payback and forecastingrevenues

or Specific benefit of in sourced or outsourced scheme

or Transaction fees

or Financial management

or On going scheme management

or Sponsorship

o Data Requirements

or Customer communications/Promotion of the scheme.

or Supplier selection

Future requirements for wider or multi-application scheme

or Technologies, barcode, contactless, dual interface for backwards compatibility maybe even NFC.

or Cash Flow Data,

Watch out for that banana skin!

Cashing in on Cashless in Stadia Environment

Security High Priority at the London 2012 Games, Before During and After the Event

The games are set to be not only the biggest peacetime event the UK has seen, but also the biggest policing operation our forces have had to tackle since the blitz. Proposed training initiatives are currently aimed at 250.000 officers and staff including how to tackle terrorist threats, public disorder, organised crime and what have been described as ' natural hazards.

Nick Gargan, Chief Executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) said, ' recognises that the Awareness training games will need a massive national policing operation involving forces throughout the country to ensure that the games are policed effectively yet unobtrusively so that the celebrations are not overshadowed by security operations.

Olympics 2012

Whilst this initiative by the NPIA will play animportant role in informing police forces throughout the country it further emphasises the need for additional security personnel in support of the general security of the games, before, during and after the event.

Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison, the National Olympic Security Coordinator said, ' Every force in the UK will play a key role in the Olympics-either by providing mutual aid to venue forces or policing Olympics related events. The games will be a once-in-a-lifetime event and it is vital that those policing them are clear of what is expected.

There is still time to make your contribution to the 2012 Olympics. By understanding the complexity of what a massive security scheme it will take to ensure the event runs smoothly, the opportunity to have worked there, inwhatever capacity, will add considerable kudos to your CV and your future in the security industry.

The games themselves, starting with the torch relay in May to the closure of the Olympic Park in September, will provide four months hands-on experience at an event the size and scope of which is unlikely to happen again in the UK for a very long time; and don't forget the need for security protection before and after the games.

If you are looking for a way to boost your credentials it's time to act now in order to have your SIA Licence well in time for the games, and who knows you could be appointed to one of the crack teams employed either in the village, at the games themselves or at one of the many events dotted around the capital. This kind of opportunity, as the NationalOlympic Security Coordinator is quoted as saying ' will be a once-in-a-lifetime event ', it's your chance to make a substantial change to your future employment prospects.

Clearly, if you decide that working at the UK 2012 Olympic Games is definitely one of the things you must do before the inevitable, now's the time to start your training, get BOTH licensed and guarantee yourself a gold standard career.

Security High Priority at the London 2012 Games, Before During and After the Event

Ceylon Tea - A Surprising History

Under Dutch rulers, Ceylon started out as a country with cinnamon plantations. However, when Britain took over the country, secret cinnamon plantations were prohibited. This turn was made for financial reasons to create a monopoly for the East India Company, owned by Britain.

When cinnamon plantation owners lost money in economic bad times in 1833, the cash crop became coffee. This ended in 1869 when a fungal disease called Coffee Rust Disease wiped out the coffee crop. But bad fortune is just an occasion in disguise.

London Olympic

Tea plants were brought to Ceylon as early as 1824 by the British but it wasn't until 1867 when James Taylor, a British planter started the first tea plantation at the Loolecondera estate in Ceylon. His plantation was 21 acres. Five years later, he built a faultless factory and one year after that, he began selling tea in London.

Opportunity Knocks and Ceylon Grabs It

Shortly after that, coffee plantations were turned into Ceylon tea plantations. By 1888, tea plantation acreage increased by 21000%. Tea plantation owners sent representatives to make a debut at the Chicago World Fair in 1893 and sold a record one million tea packets. The Ceylon chamber of business and Ceylon Tea Traders connection were formed in the late 1800s and these two organizations still exist as a resource for Ceylon tea businesses. Businessmen realized that explore is always the cornerstone of innovation and soon established a Tea explore create that would give the best tips at growing and harvesting Ceylon loose tea and tea bags.

Worldwide Demand

In 1903, Ceylon loose tea was being transportable to worldwide destinations. The process of reaching Australia, England, America and other countries that wanted the connoisseur tea was slow. Ceylon loose tea was first packaged in tea chests. Bullock carts, two-wheeled carts pulled by oxen, carried the tea chests down hasten tracks to the hasten station. The train puffed and puffed at 6 mph through the hills until it got close to its destination where the tea was to be auctioned. Next, the tea chests were boarded onto steam ships sent to their final locations.

Fast transmit to Ceylon in the 1960s

By the 1960s, Ceylon tea plantations were exporting over 200,000 metric tons. In 1965, Ceylon gained worldwide recognition as the world's largest tea exporter. In 1972, Ceylon officially became Sri Lanka.

Unfortunately, Sri Lanka government took over the business and decided that no cultivator could have 50 acres in 1975. Despite this, Sri Lanka gained more world fame when they supplied tea to the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympic Games. The business seemed to flourish again but the government decided to sell 23 state-owned plantations and privatize the industry.

What is Ceylon Tea?

Ceylon black, green, and white teas are all are produced in Sri Lanka. Ceylon black tea any way is the country's specialty. It has a rich taste and strong aroma and has a golden yellow color. Sometimes it can be flavored with spices or orange-flavored.

Authentic Ceylon tea, whether Ceylon loose or Ceylon tea bags, have a logo of a lion carrying a sword. The logo tells you that the tea has been grown and harvested in Sri Lanka. Loose tea is always the better buy because the leaves give you a more involved and sophisticated tasting tea.

Ceylon tea plants are grown on mountainsides at various levels above sea level. Pesticides are not used. Ceylon loose teas can comprise Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Green, and a range of green teas combined with fruity flavors and flower flavors.

Be sure to look for the lion logo and the words Pure Ceylon Tea.

Ceylon Tea - A Surprising History

Property Development Finance for Modernisation Propositions

Inner city regeneration projects are becoming easier to fund with property development finance as the mainstream lenders are starting to realise that the profit levels on these types of scheme can be very high.

Regeneration opportunities are usually found in central locations and if selected carefully can represent up to 20% discount in similar property in fully developed areas. The most competitive property development finance is available for good quality regeneration schemes surrounded by good quality housing stock and local amenities. However investors still need to do some careful research and check there is a well funded renewal plan in place.

Olympics 2012

Areas such as Stratford East in London, parts of Manchester and inner city areas of Cardiff all have regeneration schemesin place and are proving irresistible to investors and buyers. A good example of the perfect regeneration project would be an area like Stratford in London with the 2012 Olympics being hosted in the area. The levels of applications for property development finance, specifically for regeneration areas are exceeding all records.

There is no doubt that developers are realising that brownfield sites represent the best opportunity. This is because it is far easier to develop a brownfield site than go through all the hassle of applying for planning permission to develop a greenfield site. Finance for schemes in regeneration areas is often calculated based on the anticipated increase in overall value once the whole scheme is complete.

The developer should be prepared to answer tomore questions about the project as the lender is likely to be very careful to ensure the scheme complies with local planning requirements. Mortgage lenders have improved their product offerings to accommodate the inner city type of property, this includes helping people arrange mortgages for residential dwelling situated above commercial premises. In particular the buy-to-let mortgage has really come into its own in this environment. It is not unusual to see an entire development of apartment being snapped up by investors before the project is even ready for viewing.

When researching the finance options available it is vital that the developer tries to use a specialist broker. The mainstream residential mortgage broker is sometimes tempted to dabble in commercial finance, usuallyattracted by the idea of large commissions. In reality, arranging finance for property development is a highly skilled job, and relies on experience and personal contacts. Property developers trying to arrange finance for regeneration projects are also well advised to try to use local brokers wherever possible, this is because a local broker is more likely to know of any regional issues which may adversely affect the project.

Local and central government and the EU often help fund larger regeneration projects with grants and subsidies, or by providing infrastructure improvements such as transport, schools and hospitals. Seeing publicity about these types of schemes is a sure indicator that the area is ripe for speculative development. It is worth bearing in mind that some of theselarger projects can take several years to come to fruition, so it pays to plan ahead.

It is quite likely that the property developer will also need to consider bridging finance as part of the overall property development funding package. This is because property development finance is not usually available for purely speculative deals, especially where there is no planning consent. Bridging finance can be used to secure the purchase of a site at a discount whilst the value is enhanced with planning permission.

Property Development Finance for Modernisation Propositions

London 2012 Olympic Progress Report

The centre piece of both the Olympics and Paralympics 2012 will be the London Olympic Stadium, located in Stratford. This has an 80.000 capacity that comprises 25.000 permanent seats plus accommodation for a further 55.000 people in a temporary lightweight steel and concrete upper tier. Construction has been simplified by having no food outlets within the arena and providing toilet facilities in pods that can be removed after the Games.

The Olympic Village is to provide 17.000 beds for athletes and officials. Once the Games are over, it will be converted to 3.500 homes, 30% of which will be affordable housing, with open spaces, parks and transport links. Added to these two main developments are the Aquatics Centre, Velodrome, BMX Track, Handball, Basketball Arena, ArenaWhite Water Centre, International Broadcast Centre, Main Press Centre, improvements to Stratford Regional Station and other developments.

Public investment for the work of the Olympic Development Authority was agreed in spring 2008 and the Authority maintains that the project remains within the original budget. Progress has been controlled through a series of milestones that have been set for each of the four years that followed.

Olympics 2012

The initial set of ten milestones was known as ' experts say, Dig, Design ' and carried the project through to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. These focused on preparing the site for construction for the main venues and infrastructure for the Games as well as the legacy after 2012.

London 2012 Olympic Progress Report

West Ham Gifts and a Brief Introduction to the Hammers

Have you walked along Green street on a Saturday afternoon? Have you joined the throng of claret and blue walking towards the gates of the Boleyn Ground (Upton Park)? Then I presume you're a Hammers Fan and proud to be a Cockney Boy.

The club started life as the Thames Ironworks in 1895 and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. Old players contain football legends such as Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Trevor Brooking, Phil Parkes, Julian Dicks, Martin Peters and Paulo Di Canio. West Ham have a immense fan base and are one of the best loved football teams in the Uk.

London 2012

During the 2005-06 season, the Hammers reached Fa Cup final, taking favourites Liverpool to a penalty shootout after a thrilling three-all draw. Although the club lost the shootout, they gained entry to the Uefa Cup, a great boost for their supporters.

The teams current owner is GianFranco Zola. Zola played for many years for West London rivals Chelsea Fc. He was also a hero of the Italian national side and scored many paramount goals for club and country.

Recently the club has been bought by David Sullivan and David Gold after the Old owners left the club in debt due to the collapse of the Icelandic banks

Hammers gifts includes toy bears, clothing, games, fan dolls, footballs, flags, kits and scarfs. The club has a shop within the Boleyn ground. There are plans to move the stadium to a site in Stratford after the Olympic games in 2012.

West Ham Gifts and a Brief Introduction to the Hammers

From Chip and Pin to Wave and Pay - The Cashless society of the future

If some predictions are to be believed, notes and coins could be a thing of the past by no later than 2012, as debit and reputation cards come to be more and more ubiquitous in 21st century buyer culture. But even if such predictions are a diminutive premature, there can be diminutive doubt that plastic 'chip and pin' payments are becoming the norm throughout much of society.

And, because people are becoming more accustomed to paying for items directly from their card, a confident culture has advanced that involves using a debit card to pay for everything, including small purchases that may cost no more than a few pounds. However, this can be a very time enchanting way of paying for an item and can lead to a build up of queues in locations where fast transactions are important, such as fast-food restaurants, pubs, car parks and newsagents.

London 2012

Indeed, this is why contactless cost systems are becoming more and more beloved in some countries, whereby reputation cards, key fobs, smartcards or any other expedient that uses Radio-Frequency Identification (Rfid) are used to make a purchase.

This recipe of cost requires the user to naturally wave the card over a reader at the point of sale, with no need to enter a Pin, or sign any receipts. As a result, this speeds the entire retail process up considerably and admittedly seems as though it is one step closer towards creating a cashless society, however, 'wave-and-pay' systems are still in their infancy. The first contactless reputation card was only launched in the Uk in late 2007; so it's maybe a diminutive too early to tell how victorious such cost systems will be in the long-run.

And, in terms of manufacture people's lives a lot easier, contactless purchase reputation cards admittedly tick all the boxes. Not only do they speed up small-purchase transactions, but some can also be used on communal transport systems such as London Underground. Furthermore, they still have all the normal features of a quarterly reputation card, including fraud and purchase delivery protection, online catalogue supervision and an identity safety service.

Of course, some people may hold fears that such cost systems are at risk of being used fraudulently, given that Pins or signatures are not required. However, also the usual anti-fraud mechanisms that are in place for all reputation cards, one in ten of all 'wave-and-pay' transactions will in fact want a Pin to be entered, ensuring that if the card does fall into the wrong hands, then any fraudulent use is kept to a minimum.

So, it would seem that the new 'wave-and-pay' principles can bring benefits to the Uk consumer. And, whilst you may not be living in a cashless society at the present moment, it admittedly seems likely at some point in the future, with chip-and-pin now commonplace; and contactless purchase reputation cards are finding set to follow suit.

From Chip and Pin to Wave and Pay - The Cashless society of the future

Olympics Approaching-Landlords Should Heed Tax Advice

Tax Advice Crucial as Hordes of People Expected to Visit London for Olympics

Experts suggest that landlords start taking tax advice and preparing their properties for rent. Time flies so fast, and the 2012 Olympic Games, which will be held in London, is almost here. The excitement around the nation is rising with just around 300 days more to go.

Olympics 2012

Landlords and rental property owners should be excited, too. Spectators and athletes, for sure, are going to stay in the accommodation places of London and surrounding areas to be part of this momentous event. What better way to earn and take advantage of this influx of people than offering accommodations?

Although it's still early to tell, the UK's economy will benefit from the Olympics. It is certain, though, that offeringa flat or even your living space for rent presents the opportunity of making extra money. Becoming a landlord for even just a few weeks during the Olympics can be very favorable.

One tax advice you should pay attention to is based on the Rent a Room Scheme created by HM Revenue Customs (HMRC) &. According to the scheme, you can gain tax benefit from renting out a spare room. You can even receive as much as £4,250 per year, tax-free if you rent out a fully furnished room inside a residential property.

Tax Advice: How to be Eligible for the Tax Benefit

To be eligible for the tax benefit, the Rent a Room Scheme has the following requirements landlords must comply with:

1. The room you let must be furnished and must be a room or a whole floor inside your house.
2. The lodger should be allowed to occasionally have access to your family rooms.
3. Meals should be provided.
4. You must not let your whole house.

Even if you're not the owner of the residential property, you can still enjoy the tax benefit. The Rent a Room Scheme states that those who live in rented accommodations can let their space and become landlords themselves as long as their lease allows lodgers.

What's not Covered by ' Rent a Room?

Another tax advice to follow is making sure you avoid situations that prevent you from gaining the tax benefit.

The Rent a Room Scheme doesn't apply if your home has been converted into a separate dwelling that is already being let.

The scheme also doesn't cover unfurnished rooms.

You can actuallystill go for any of these leasing situations in each one of these instances you'll have to announce the entire letting earnings to HMRC; spending money on taxes the normal way and thus failing to obtain the tax benefit.

Tips for Olympic Games Landlords

To protect Olympic Games landlords, they should also make sure that tenants show respect and can pay on time. Another way to ensure the let runs smoothly is to check the tenant's employer references as well as previous landlord references.

Performing a credit check can help tell whether or not a tenant can afford to pay. This is very valuable tax advice.

Olympics Approaching-Landlords Should Heed Tax Advice