128Canopy Blog

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 15, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) — Oriens Travel & Hotel Management Corp. (Other OTC:OTHM.PK ) (http://www.orienscorp.com), an emerging Travel and Hotel Management Company, operating online travel booking site 128trip (http://www.128trip.com) and hotel management subsidiary Hotel PURE (http://www.HotelPURE.com), has initiated the exploration of the possibility of future Hotel PURE locations in Panama.

Hotel PURE has recently received numerous requests from a number of different Hotels in Panama indicating their high level of interests to join the Hotel PURE brand. As a result, the Company has initiated research into the region, to better understand the hotel accommodation market in order to facilitate these requests. Hotel PURE’s current Costa Rican-based operating team will be sent to Panama to make the initial investigation as well as visiting some of these prospective Panama hotel locations, since they are only 30 minutes away by air. Conclusions will be drawn once the head office of Hotel PURE receives all examinations submitted by the investigation team of their findings in Panama.

Panama, known for its famous Panama Canal connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, currently draws a significant number of tourists to the country. With the facts at hand, Oriens believes adding Hotel PURE locations into Panama will no doubt help boost the image of Hotel PURE brand as well as helping these potential hotel candidates with their international exposure.

As a step forward to stop commercial sexual exploitation in travel and tourism, the Costa Rican Hotel Chamber and the Paniamor Children’s Foundation have required all its members to subscribe to the Code of Conduct.

Hotel members have unanimously accepted the implementation of the Code’s policies and have taken an ethical and firm stand against this type of exploitation.

Unfortunately, over the past years another form of tourism was bluntly taking place right in front of everyone’s noses.  Sexual tourism was strongly gaining popularity in certain area of the world and was attracting an important number or visitors for this activity alone.  Blogs and websites shamelessly displayed tourists’ “excellent vacations” in which detailed information was made public.

The World Tourism Organization along with Epcat International started the Code of Conduct and was implemented in Costa Rica in 2003 with the help of Paniamor Children Foundation and Sweden’s Save the Children.

Costa Rica’s approach to this issue has won its distinction as an example to follow within the good practices of Responsible and Sustainable Tourism as well as a firm and unanimous Business’s Social Responsibility.

The Costa Rican Hotel Chamber has wisely acknowledged that the rights, protection and optimal development of future generations are an essential contribution to sustainable tourism practices.

When booking a hotel or hiring a related service, look for the Code of Conduct seal and support this cause.

The Rainforest Alliance, an international conservation organization, has created a Good Practices Program with the purpose of promoting a sustainable tourism practice by all companies in the industry.

In Costa Rica, over 42 hotels have subscribed to this program with the mission of contributing to the rainforest’s conservation as well as to an environmentally conscious operation.

The forty two hotels in Costa Rica who have joined this program are spread throughout the country. The areas are Sarapiqui, Tortuguero, Arenal, Monteverde, Caribbean, Guanacaste, San Ramon, Osa Peninsula in the Southern Pacific Coast, the Island of Chira, downtown San Jose, Saavegre and Turrialba. The Rainforest Alliance provides seminars to these hotels as to how to carry out these good environmental practices with the local tour operators and regional chambers of tourism.

After the proper training, these hotels may reach an agreement with the Alliance and have them survey their properties for a complete and detailed listing of the areas which need improvement. Once all areas have been taken care of, the Rainforest Alliance will issue a seal or certification.