Libya - What Next?

After an overnight push into Tripoli, the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) is poised to take control of the capital and the country.

But whether this group of former exiles, military officers, tribal leaders, human-rights lawyers, and ordinary Libyan citizens can actually govern the country effectively is another question?

Unlike the situations on Egypt and Tunisia, there has never been a history of democracy or government institutions in Libya and therefore any path to a 'normal democracy' will be all the more difficult - since they will have to start from scratch.

It will be up to Mustafa Abdul Jalil, the chairman of the NTC, to get the country back on track. He is a former minister of justice under Gaddafi's government but he has little experience in the kind of national politics he will be faced with if Libya is to emerge successfully from this.

International powers have recognised the NTC as the legitimate Government of Libya but it will have to act quickly reconcile the nations differences and begin reconstruction!

Security

The first and most important task, following the overthrow of Gaddaffi will be to restore security. Tens of thousands of people have armed themselves with rifles, handguns, artillery and mechanised vehicles looted from arms depots. Borders are not properly monitored and there is a risk that some militant groups or tribal factions will try to wrest control during this unstable period.

Inflation

Economic stability is also a concern - the price of a bag of flour, which used to cost 5 dinars (US$4.16), is now selling for more than 70 dinars. A five-litre tank of petrol, normally 4 dinars, is now about 60 dinars.

Oil

Libya of course, has oil. Until the recent fighting, it produced 2 per cent of the world's oil and had amassed billions of dollars that were invested around the world. With a population of just two million, Libya could be one of the richest countries in the world. But fighting has reduced exports to just a fraction and much of the country's savings abroad has been frozen by countries trying to put pressure on the Gaddafi regime. International oil companies have sent in technical teams to assess how quickly refineries can be restarted and how badly facilities have been damaged during the fighting.

But the presence of oil (lots of it) doesn't guarantee prosperity for all. There is a pretty good chance that oil money is going to be badly distributed or misspent, that will benefit the few, rather than the many.

The Future

In the coming days, Mr Jalil, the head of the NTC, will for the first time have to deal with a country that was largely unified against a dictator, but could become equally divided over the what happens next and who takes control. The first dispute could be over who deserves the credit for actually ousting Gaddafi - the assault on Tripoli was led by rebels from western Libya - a relatively new group in the six-month uprising and there is no guarantee this group will accept the leadership of the NTC from Benghazi.

Difficult times indeed.

Running a Competition on Facebook - 10 things you really need to know

Have been struggling this week to get to terms with Facebook!

A client of mine wants to use Facebook as a competition mechanic to drive more Fans to their Facebook pages. Sounds simple. It isn't.

There are many ins and outs to running a Facebook competition and a number rules and regulations that need to be observed with the possible penalty of having your site closed down if you don't follow them!

So after spending a day looking into this - here is my breakdown of what’s required in order to run a legitimate Facebook competition…

You can read the full guidelines here but below is summary of the most important points.

• You CANNOT run a competition that allows people to enter JUST by ‘liking’ the page. Or by ‘liking’ a post, status message, link, picture or video.
• However, you CAN ask them to ‘like’ your page BEFORE they enter the competition via a third party application or another website.
• You CANNOT run a competition that allows people to enter JUST by ‘checking in’ to a place.
• You CANNOT run the competition directly on your Facebook page. It has to be via a third party application or another website. You can promote it via your Facebook page wall but the actual competition has to be via an application or another website (the obvious place is your website or blog).
• You CANNOT notify your winners via Facebook at all. They must be emailed with their notification of winning or told via your website for example.
• You MUST add a Facebook disclaimer on your competition application or wherever you are hosting your competition, if the competition is to be promoted on Facebook. The disclaimer is: “This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You are providing your information to [disclose recipient(s) of information] and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for [disclose any way that you plan to use the user's information].”
• You MUST ensure that all entrants to your competition are NOT staff, sponsors or associated with in any way to Facebook.
• You CANNOT ask people to create an account with Facebook itself in order to enter your competition.
• You CAN collect information about your entrants (such as email address, name, location etc) if you are using an application or web form for your competition.
• You CANNOT ask people to upload something for the competition to your Facebook page wall. This HAS to be done via a third party application or your website/blog.

There are other conditions as will see from their official terms, however if you stick to the above rules, you won’t be going too far wrong....

By the way, two of the most popular apps on Facebook for promotions and competitions are Wildfire and EasyPromos.

We hope this brief guide helps you to run your next competition on Facebook! Don’t forget to ‘like’ our new Facebook page while you're there!

Lessons from the Holidays 4U collapse

So, more than 60,000 holidaymakers lost their holidays on Wednesday when Holidays 4 UK collapsed.

At the same time as this single-destinational-budge- tour operator collapses we see that Cox & Kings are spreading their upmarket-multi-destinational-net over Holidaybreak.

The message here rings out loud and clear - that a strong brand and an adherence to quality with sensible revenues and margins will always be better than a brand where price is the only determinate. And spread your portfolio - get your product mix right, in these turbulent times don't rely on one destination that could turn overnight..

(Mmm, isn't that what Thomas Cook were saying..?)

Interestingly, the collapse of Holidays 4 UK, follows only two weeks after they reported a near-tripling of profits and after its managing director, Nuri Mete Faks, claimed that he was "confident of success in 2011 and onwards".

The company's accounts, filed on 20 July, show the company made pre-tax profits of £326,270 in the year to the end of October 2010.

It's unusual for businesses to fail so early in the peak summer season when cash flow is usually at its best. Holidays 4 UK's failure was reportedly triggered by dire trading in May, June and July. .

Holidays 4 UK, which is owned by two Turkish-British families and has been trading from Brighton for 17 years, is now being run by PricewaterhouseCoopers administrators.

"The company has suffered because of the difficulties faced by the travel industry during 2010 and 2011, as a result of the economic downturn," said Ian Oakley-Smith, joint administrator and director at PwC. "The director has determined that the business is no longer able to trade and placed the company into administration. The company will cease operating with immediate effect."

Last year another Turkish budget specialist, Goldtrail, collapsed in July, also appointing administrators from PwC. This failure in fact provided a temporary bonus for Holidays 4 UK.

The company Holidays 4 UK said in its annual report recently: "(Faks) is confident of success in 2011 onwards in view of the failure of the company's two major competitors during the summer of 2010. He considers that the next year will show a consolidation in the market place before sales grow significantly".

The company had a turnover of £35m a year and was licensed to carry 100,000 passengers under the Atol scheme. Most of the Brighton-based company's 18 staff have been made redundant now.

The rescue will cost the CAA about £9.5m, of which about £4.5m will be covered by Atol bonds and other security measures lodged by Holidays 4 UK. The rescue fund, which is already £42m in deficit, will be pushed a further £5m into the red by the latest collapse.

It will put pressure on the CAA to increase its £2.50 levy on all package holiday bookings so as to put the repatriation fund on a better financial footing.

Selling somewhere like Hull?

I was in Hull at the weekend and I sat nursing my pint and gazing over the estuary, I pondered the question;, ‘Just exactly how do you sell a destination like Hull?’

I find the idea of selling a city like Hull to tourists an interesting one, but it’s a global thing really. Cities such as Wollongong and Newcastle try to entice people away from Sydney while Lille and Metz have to try and cream some traffic off Paris. It’s really just a case of persuading people to step beyond the obvious. And some places do this much better than others.

The competition

I no longer live in Hull and haven’t for many years but I was born there and still have a fondness for the city. Although it has changed a fair bit over the years, I know it well enough to identify its strengths and weaknesses. The problem with Hull is two-fold; firstly, you actually have to be going there to get there (it’s not on-the-way to anywhere and if anything is a little out-of –the-way) and secondly, it just sits in the pack with a lot of other places If you’re going to the North of England, for a city-break you’re really better off in Manchester or Leeds and if you want to do something touristy, then go to York.

Promoting the generic

According to the website Visit Hull and East Yorkshire, Hull is’ exciting, dynamic, eclectic and entertaining’ and people who visit Hull are often overwhelmed by what a friendly place it is. Located on the banks of the Rivers Hull and Humber, Hull is a city that ‘knows how to combine a rich heritage with a fun vibrant social scene’. Hull is’ waiting to be discovered’. With all the’ ingredients for a perfect city break or day out’

Essentially, it says Hull is Ok for lots of things. Unfortunately, no-one chooses to go somewhere because it’s OK at a lot of things. this is not even a vaguely compelling reason.

Generic marketing

A visit to Hull offers the perfect opportunity to sample ‘all the city has to offer’ including 8 free museums, art galleries, The Deep and the fantastic shopping’. Are they serious...? And then there’s ‘restaurants, pubs and clubs to be enjoyed in the evening’.

Anyone who goes to Hull for just shopping needs help and while there are some good restaurants, it’s not a culinary destination. And there are a few pubs I would go a long way to avoid!

Focusing on the USP

Dwelling on the generic at will never sell. To get people to visit, you have to offer something unique; a reason to pick one place over another; it’s USPs. The propositions unique to Hull, the ones that offer a truly distinctive reason to pick Hull over anywhere else. These are the ones that should get the marketing focus.

There are four propositions that make Hull stand out. Let’s start shouting about them.

ONE: Theatre

Hull is home to John Godber`s Hull Truck Theatre Company, one of the leading contemporary theatre companies in the country. Many of Hull Truck’s performances have gone onto the West End and further afield. Laced with Northern wit and grit, Hull Truck is what’s best about the North; honest, witty, friendly, self deprecating, unpretentious.

Hull Truck has a new home in Hull; a purpose built theatre in the centre of the city,home to one of the best theatre companies in the country.

TWO: Fish

Seafaring is at the heart of the city, at one time the biggest fishing port in the country, the city still has a long maritime tradition. As well as Maritime Museum and the renovated marina, there’s a 1960s sidewinder trawler, where visitors find out what working at sea is really all about and the Ferens Art Gallery also reflects Hull`s seafaring heritage with works by Flemish Old Masters and a fascinating maritime art collection.

THREE: Rugby League

With two Rugby League teams, Hull is home to Rugby League. Rugby League really is a breath of fresh air; there’s none of the mollycoddling you associate with football, no precious egos, no diving , no prima donnas. And this isn’t Rugby for the public school boys. This is fast, exciting and wonderful entertainment!

FOUR: History & People

Hull was until (very) recently known only as ‘a Northern Town’ in Government broadcasts made through the Blitz. Quite why this was so, I’m not sure but the fact is that Hull was bombed more than Coventry and more than Liverpool and it's suffered with grace and humour.Hull is also home to William Wilberforce, Phillip Larkin oh, and John Prescott!

What about the Locals?

Hull people are very proud of their city and their heritatge, but maybe something should be done to help local people enjoy their city even more?

Maybe Hull should hold a mini expo? Maybe it should be co-ordinated so that public transport is free and attractions open for free – and, importantly, open late until 9pm or 10pm at night. Companies offering experiences like the Deep or the Ice Rink– should open their doors at half price. Restaurants should offer two for one deals. Live music venues should all host a local band on the Saturday night. Get the media involved. Think of the PR.

It’ll cost money in the short term, sure, but the long-term value could be hugely significant. It’ll give Hull a feel-good, positive, festival spirit for that weekend and the thing is; when friends come to visit, the people they’re staying with will know where to go and what to do for an action-packed weekend.

Those visitors will go off happy after having had a brilliant time and we all know word of mouth is the best marketing of all.

Banks and Bankers..

I was trying to explain the financial sector to my daughter last night and my explanation went like this...

Suppose you give me a million pounds and say, "Invest this profitably and I'll pay you well."

So I go out onto the street and hand out cash randomly to passers-by. I give everyone I meet ten thousand pounds each. In return, each scribbles out an IOU for £20,000, payable in five years.

I then come back to you and say, "Look at these IOUs. I have generated a 20% annual return on your investment." You, in return, are very pleased and pay me an enormous commission.

So now I have a large pile of IOUs, which I now call my 'assets'.

So I use these "assets" as collateral to borrow even more money. I then lend this out to even more people or sell them to others like myself who do the same. I also buy insurance to cover me in case the borrowers default and I pay for this with the same IOUs (or assets).

And so it goes on, with each new loan becoming somebody's asset on which to borrow yet more money.

So I make a huge bonus as the total face value of all the assets I've created is now fifty times that of the original £1m

But then one day, the first batch of IOUs becomes due.

But the person who scribbled his name on the IOU can't it pay off right now. And in fact, lots of the borrowers can't.

So, I try to hush this up for as long as possible, but soon everyone get suspicious and you want your original million pounds back.

I try to sell the IOUs and their derivatives that I hold, but everyone else is suspicious too and no one buys them. The insurance company tries to cover my losses, but it can only do so by selling the IOUs I gave it.

And so finally, the government steps in and buys up all the IOUs, bails out the insurance company and everyone else holding the IOUs and all the derivatives stacked on them.

Their total value is way more than a million dollars now but I and my fellow entrepreneurs retire with our profits and everyone else pays for it.

I understand a team of high-profile executives from the 'Welcome to Yorkshire' tourist board have been in secret talks to try and bring the 2016 Tour de France to HULL!

According to the Hull Daily Mail, a team led by the tourist board visited the Paris offices of the Tour's organising committee to present the region's bid to see Hull as one of the locations for the Grand Depart – the opening two days of the race.

I'm not sure that any economic impact would be quite as significant as that claimed by a 'spokesman' for the Tourist Board, who states that for Hull to be part of the tour would be a major boost for the region and that "tens of millions of pounds" would be spent by visitors snapping up hundreds of hotel rooms and visiting pubs and restaurants, but it would certainly be a major coup for the region if they can pull it off.

The route submitted for consideration proposes Leeds city centre as the starting destination from which the 22 teams would weave their way to the Yorkshire Dales, head east to Scarborough and the coast, via York and the North York Moors, before dropping south to Hull and finally to Sheffield.

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome To Yorkshire, also says "The economic impact for Yorkshire will be tremendous and we will do everything we can to make sure the event comes here".

"Yorkshire is a world-class destination experienced at successfully hosting world- class events and we believe it will provide the perfect backdrop to the world's greatest cycle race."

Apparently Yorkshire's bid seems to have been positively received by the organising committee at this stage .More talks are due to take place next month and the Tour organisers will visit the region to see the proposed route.

Tourism power in action

We all know that tourism drives job creation and increases prosperity in local economies. Tourism also has a direct affect on poverty reduction and an indirect affect on increasing health and human services; i.e people prosper they can afford a better diet and health care.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization ranks tourism in the top three categories for economic development, “demonstrating that travel can play a vital role in helping developing economies mature.”

Indeed, already more people are traveling to developing countries. Last year, the 48 least-developed countries saw the number of tourists rise from 6 million to 17 million, and tourism revenue rise from $3 billion to $10 billion.

That’s a massive increase while still a small percentage of international travel as a whole. (124 million people travelled internationally in just the first two months of this year).

The UNWTO predicts the total number of international travellers this year will rise 5%, with Chinese travellers spending more than ever. The American, French, and now the Chinese spend the most while travelling, according to the UNWTO. Nearly $1 trillion per year is spent by international travellers, the UNWTO says.

Imagine if more of that money went to developing countries.

Travelling to developing countries is the same as investing in the developing world. The returns instead come in the forms of local products, services, and lifetime experience.

Egypt is seeking tourism dollars again and sees visitors as key to its economic recovery. “As the leading foreign exchange earner and representing one in every seven jobs, tourism is a crucial factor in Egypt’s economic recovery,” Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said at a recent U.N. meeting on tourism.

Tourism power is an untapped resource in the world economy. Choosing where to travel and how to spend money when we are there is often considered fun. But looked at another way, from a business and economic perspective, those choices can have major consequences.

In the developing world, tourism accounts for almost half of total service exports. Increase those dollars and place them in sustainable development programs, which the U.N. is encouraging, and soon improvements can be seen in education, the environment and disease reduction.

“Responsible and sustainable tourism allows destinations and companies to minimize the negative impacts of tourism on the environment and on cultural heritage while maximizing its economic and social benefits,” the UNWTO says.

Moreover, it creates empathy. When people travel and see conditions in disrepair or people living in poverty, there is a desire to help and lend assistance. Of course there are charitable institution throughout the developing world and there are financial investments to be made in companies that operate or trade with developing world partners, thereby increasing economic recovery. But there is something special about taking money out of your own wallet and handing them to a person in need while getting a local product or service in return.