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Recently Jim Glasingame of The Small Business Advocate talked with Doug Barry of the US Commercial Service about the US National Export Initiative. The has announced that they want to double the number of exports as well as increase jobs at home. The reality is that a lot of US companies do not export as well as they could, or to as many places as they could. Research shows that most companies that actually do participate in exporting only export to one country. There are so many opportunities all around the world that businesses are not taking advantage of.

Luckily, the US Commercial Service is willing to help businesses. They have offices in countries all over the world and are passionate about helping businesses expand internationally. Want more information? Go to or listen to this interview !
 

We’ve heard a lot this week about how people worldwide are changing how and where they travel. It seems a fitting end to the series, then, to discuss what the future may hold for global tourism. One of the ways to do this is to examine sports tourism, one of the hottest new trends in the global .

Ecotourism is considered the fastest growing market in the tourism industry. What is ecotourism? Defined by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), it is "Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people."

Ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. You must have a deep appreciation for local cultures around the globe, which is why I think it's so great. Along with this it provides direct financial benefits for conservation and the local economy and empowerment for local people. Can tourism really do this much?

Today’s traveler is different than it once was. People are interested in finding unique and adventurous destinations rather than the typical beach vacation. This is great news for smaller countries rich with cultural and historical attractions. People want to be taken off the beaten path, and local businesses around the world are profiting.

As many travelers still feel the pinch of the recession on their wallets, as it couples the price tag of a hostel, convenience of a hotel and the homey feel of a bed and breakfast. This new way of travel accommodations is basically a social networking bed and breakfast and has expanded in the past years in Europe. Half a dozen startup companies have emerged in this market in the past two years including the likes of Crashpadder.com, iStopOver.com, ArBnB.com, and Roomorama.com. With this new market opening up, international businesses are looking to reap the rewards of this new type of traveler and .

After a rough year in 2009, global tourism has made a slight comeback this year. In 2010 there was , and the future looks promising with expected growth of 4.5% in coming years. There was in the first two months of 2010, with Asia and the Pacific in the lead with a growth rate of 10%. Both the United States and Europe had less development, as they were hit hardest by the recent recession.

Gender equality is certainly a worldwide issue. Gender discrimination has existed for centuries, and rigid gender roles have actually now begun to affect the success of businesses. It is becoming more and more apparent that businesses around the world need to train and educate women to .

Widespread use of the Internet has led to in the prevalence of traditional brick-and-mortar businesses, and this disparity will continue to shift as more people worldwide are provided with Internet access. Buying online is simply more convenient, and most of the time more affordable than traveling to a physical location and purchasing a good or service. Even more convenient, however, is the ability to conduct business and make purchases while on-the-go. With an increasing number of smartphones sprouting up all over the world, making purchases has never been easier. is a trend we can expect to see entire business strategies built around. 

One of the major issues in today's international business climate is . Countries are ever-seeking new ways to operate in an evnrionmentally-friendly way, while at the same time saving money in the long run by coming off of a dependence on fossil fuels. The fastest-growing country in terms of economic growth and trade in the world is . Due to China's current prevalence in the international business world, and its future impact, it is valuable to see what steps China is taking to go green.

Many companies around the world find that nature loss is a challenge to growing their business.  Nature loss is described as the disappearance of diverse natural resources such as plants and animal species.  According to a , more than half of CEO’s see biodiversity as a concerning issue for their company.  In 2002 a target was set to control global biodiversity loss by 2010, which is far from accomplished today.  This target would have , controlled the spread of invasive species, and protected animals from extinction due to foreign trade.  Some global regions have made some progress, but overall there has been failure to meet the goals set back in 2002, making a number of species subject to extinction.