Seychelles joins the world of carnivals but with a unique touch - Aug 29 2010

SEYCHELLES - Carnivals are not new, and many countries are today organizing a carnival of their own. The Tropical Creole Islands of the Seychelles has now confirmed that they are organizing an annual carnival with the first edition due on March 4-6, 2011. The Seychelles Islands are known throughout the world as being the most sought-after dream tourist destination, with their world-class white sandy beaches and clear turquoise blue seas, but their initiative is to organize an annual carnival that is set to attract floats from all over the world.

The "Carnival International de Victoria" in the Seychelles is an initiative that echoes the fact that since those days of its first settlement, the Seychelles has always been a rich melting pot of peoples from the four corners of the planet. Seychelles, in 2011, is set to become the stage for representatives of the world’s most prestigious carnivals.

The "International Carnival of Victoria" in the Seychelles will be held over a three-day period in March 2011, when it will become a focal point for representatives from the world’s most famous carnivals who are being invited to the islands to take part in this exciting international event under the theme "The melting pot of cultures."

Promising to be the focus of international, as well as local, attention, "The Carnival International de Victoria" in the Seychelles will feature a procession of colorful floats representing the various participants’ national carnivals, as well as a raft of other dedicated activities all of which will fall under the carnival’s theme.

Speaking to the Press, Alain St.Ange, the chief executive officer of the Seychelles Tourism Board, said that Seychelles was hoping that countries of the world would respond to this invitation to meet in Victoria in the Seychelles in what is the World's Smallest Capital for a carnival set to showcase cultures of the whole world in an atmosphere of togetherness as one world in a melting pot of cultures. Mr. St.Ange said that countries and world or regional organizations are being invited to join in and show the need of a united approach of working together.

"Seychelles is part of the Creole World, and we are seeking countries with that background to be in Seychelles for these three days in March, but Seychelles is also part of the African Union and is hoping to see African countries decend on Seychelles to showcase Africa. Seychelles is also part of the Commonwealth and the Francophonie, and the countries forming part of this big family of nations are being invited to be part of the annual carnival, the melting pot of cultures. Organizations, such as the UN, Retosa, Comesa, and the COI Islands are all groupings where Seychelles is an integral part, and these organizations are also being invited to be part of this unique forum in Seychelles in March 2011," Mr. St.Ange said.

Widespread international press coverage is expected for this colorful event, which is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, as it brings the lively ambiance of international carnival time to the islands. The three days will see the city of Victoria burst into a melting pot with cultures of the world joining together.

Alain St.Ange, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board said that "the world needs a meeting venue, and what better place than the dream tourism islands of the Seychelles?"


Source: Seychelles Tourism Board




Thrill-seeking tourists flock to Mount Yasur volcano - Aug 22 2010

MOUNT YASUR, Vanuatu — As the Mount Yasur volcano cracks like thunder, spewing molten rock and billowing clouds of ash, it sends a warm rush of air to tourists watching from its rim.

Amid the roars from the abyss, the hiss of steam, and the thud of large pieces of magma hitting the ashen dust on the other side of the vent, more visitors arrive to view the eruptions in the pre-dawn dark.

"I've been here many times but I still get scared," says a tour group leader, moving back from the unfenced rim overlooking the red-hot gash in the Earth's crust in the South Pacific state of Vanuatu.

The fear is understandable. The track to the crater's edge is strewn with rocks tossed skyward by the volcanic eruptions -- ranging from the size of house bricks to one as large as a car door which almost blocks the ashen path.

Kicking a dinner plate-sized piece of cooled lava that he estimates has landed in the last month, a guide points out that Yasur is not particularly active at the moment, rating only one on a scale that runs to four.

In May, visiting the crater was banned and the huge plume of volcanic ash which fell over Tanna Island, clouding windscreens as people drove, disrupted international flights.

Since the intrepid Briton Captain James Cook first spotted its glow in 1774, thousands of tourists have visited the volcano which lies some 250 kilometres (155 miles) south of the capital Port Vila and within the "Pacific Ring of Fire", known for its high seismic and volcanic activity.

One of the most accessible volcanos on Earth, the 361-metre (1,190-foot) Mount Yasur is also nearly always active -- its super-hot crater a warm glow seen from around the island.

Officials say no one has ever fallen into the molten pit but acknowledge that at least two people have been killed by flying lava after venturing towards the more dangerous sites on the ashen mountain.

Another person, a resident of another part of Tanna island, died after he was hit in the leg by a piece of lava and bled to death after failing to seek medical help, according to the Vanuatu Tourism Office.

The volcano has also been known to cause a tsunami and locals live with the constant nuisance of falling ash destroying the crops they need for their survival on the island, where most still live in traditional villages.

Many of the poor roads which link the island communities are cut into the volcanic ash, meaning heavy downpours can make travel impossible, while the ash mud also has the potential for landslides which could bury villages.

But the volcano, reached via a barren moonscape covered in ash and dotted with rocks of lava, also ensures that Tanna has some of the most fertile soil in the country and the island produces coffee, coconut and copra.

It is also the source of hard currency, as tourists come to see an island once famous for its cannibalism which now boasts visitor-friendly traditional Vanuatu villages, where residents still wear grass skirts and subsist on coconuts, bananas and yams.

As dawn breaks on Mount Yasur, roosters are heard and surrounding peaks can be discerned, as can the surrounding sea.

"Before, the people believed the volcano was their god," explains local guide Fred George, who has brought two foreign tourists to the crater's edge for a dawn viewing. "I can say they worshipped it."

In former times, a local practice was to push dry sticks into the lava to obtain fire for heat and cooking, with villagers saying 'Yasur, Yasur, we need the fire from you', George said.

"It's still important to us," he says, but for reasons less sacred: the mountain brings hundreds of tourists to Tanna Island each year, each of whom pays 2,250 Vatu (22 US) to view the volcanic eruptions.

"Without the volcano... no money," George says.


Source: AFP



Seoul named City of Design - July 28 2010


SEOUL, South Korea - Seoul was appointed a UNESCO City of Design as of July 20, 2010. The designation is

In appreciation of the Seoul's abundant cultural heritage and creative potentials, as well as its strong pursuit of diverse design policies, the United Nations agency has given the city the designation of City of Design. The UN agency evaluated the city's potential to help developing countries with its creative urban development programs as part of the process.

UNESCO launched the Creative Cities Network in 2004 to enhance the social, economic, and cultural development of cities in the world, promoting their local creative scenes and, therefore, fulfilling the UNESCO's mission towards cultural diversity. It appoints the network members in seven fields - literature, film, music, crafts and folk art, design, media arts, and gastronomy. Eight cities including Seoul have been selected as members in the field of design. The others are Buenos Aires, Berlin, Montreal, Nagoya, Kobe, Shenzhen, and Shanghai.

Appointed to the network as a City of Design, Seoul will enjoy a variety of benefits. It will be able to use a UNESCO logo in its programs and events, based on the UNESCO regulations. The city will also participate in various UNESCO activities to set up international networks and exchange information, knowledge, and experiences among member cities. In addition, Seoul will be able to promote its design resources and cultural programs on the UNESCO website.

Seoul, on the other hand, is expected to report its national and international activities as a City of Design to the UN agency every year and to maintain close relationship with the Korean National Commission for UNESCO.

Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Seoul's appointment as a UNESCO City of Design reflects the international recognition and supports for the city's accumulated design policy. "I will try to make Seoul a substantial world city of design by upgrading its international status through policy and programs as a leading city of design and cultivating the creative manpower and design industry," he added.

The metropolitan government will sign an MOU with the Korean National Commission for UNESCO during August this year on the joining of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and on the implementation of various cooperative programs. It plans to host an international forum of the network this year.


Source: Seoul Metropolitan Government



Festivals around the World:

Bo Sang Umbrella Festival



The Bo Sang Umbrella Festival is one of the most popular festivals and events in Chiang Mai. It is organized by the Bo Sang Umbrella Village. Bo Sang Umbrella Festival is a festival celebrated in one of the prime tourist attractions of Chiang Mai. This little 'umbrella village' showcases traditional crafts and gives a good earning platform to local artists.

An annual fair is held on the main streets of the village, Bo Sang Umbrella Festival features beauty contests along with the routine trade of umbrellas. Hundreds of beautiful local girls enthusiastically take part in a colorful parade. The most attractive and smartest girl is given special prizes.

At the time of Bo Sang Umbrella Festival, the whole village is beautified with Sa paper umbrellas, local handicrafts and flowers. Competitions are held for umbrella makers and painters with the best ones getting rewards.

The umbrellas are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Intricately painted and adorned with exquisite floral designs, these umbrellas make the Bo Sang Umbrella Festival very special for tourists. You must look out for the designer parasols that are made of silk and mulberry paper. Apart from that you can also shop for bright colored umbrellas and parasols in the Bo Sang Umbrella Festival in Chiang Mai. The entire festival is worth watching when you are in Chiang Mai otherwise your tour will remain incomplete.

Umbrella making has been one of the traditional crafts in Chiang Mai. With time, it has developed into a profit-making venture for the locals and authorities. At the Bo Sang Umbrella Festival, artistes sell a lot of other handicrafts as well. Antiques, ceramics, silverware, woodcarvings, hand-woven fabrics, gems, jewelry, etc are also sold here.

When you visit Chiang Mai, try to be a part of the Bo Sang Umbrella Festival. It is an event that you'll not see in many parts of the world. Usually held in the month of January, this event attracts a huge number of locals as well. The Bo Sang Umbrella Festival is a great allure for tourists who find these umbrellas quite intriguing. The price range here is affordable and the quality is optimum.

Source: Asiarooms.com


Destination News:

Army sets up relief camp for flood victims in Leh - 12 Aug 2010

Leh: Indian Army and paramilitary personnel have erected relief camps and are providing food and medical aid to locals, as they begin to rebuild their lives in the flood ravaged region of Leh, Ladakh.

Leh was devastated after the region was ravaged by flash floods caused by a sudden cloudburst on August 6 that claimed over 150 lives, and injured hundreds of others.

Source - Sify.com



Manali-Leh highway partially reopened - 10 Aug 2010

The strategic national highway that connects this town in Himachal Pradesh to Leh in Jammu and Kashmir has been partially reopened after it was shut due to landslides at various points last week, an official said on Tuesday. "The traffic on the entire 475-km stretch between Manali and Leh couldn't be restored as work is still on to clear the debris," SK Doon of the General Reserve Engineering Force, a wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), told IANS.

Doon, however, said 222-km stretch between Manali and Sarchu has been made motorable. "Now the work is on to reopen the stretch between Sarchu and Leh," he added.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday directed the BRO to clear the Manali-Leh highway within three days.

The NH-21 is one of the two road links between Leh and other parts of the country and its closure is hampering relief operations in flood-hit areas.

A cloudburst occurred at Choglamsar village, which is situated above Leh town Friday, causing flash floods and mudslides that washed away government offices, paramilitary camps and residential homes.

The toll in the devastating flash floods has risen to 165. As many as 81 foreign tourists were rescued by the Indian Air Force from Zanskar Valley of Ladakh region.

Source - Hindustantimes.com



All 3,000 tourists in Leh safe - 6 Aug  2010

The approximately 3,000 tourists including about 1,000 foreigners in Leh town, which was hit by a massive cloudburst and flash floods, were safe, officials said on Friday evening.

However, some  tourists returning from Ladakh’s Pangong Lake were stranded, the state’s director of tourism, Farooq Shah, said. “Army rescue teams have been dispatched to the site,” he said.

He said the exact number of people stuck at the site could not be immediately ascertained.

All possible aid would be extended to tourists, he added. “The administration has been asked to remain at their disposal,” Shah said.

Assistant director of tourism in Leh Nissar Hussain said none of the major hotels in Leh had been seriously damaged.

Leh district, situated at 3,524 m above sea level and spread over 45,110 sq km, is a popular destination for adventure tourists.

According to officials, Leh receives around 80,000 foreign tourists and 100,000 domestic tourists annually.

“Most of them come from the Leh-Manali road since militancy started in Kashmir,” a tourism official said.

Source: www.hindustantimes.com



Festivals around the World:

Travel to Spain for La Tomatina - Worlds largest food fight event!



How bout witnessing the most crazy event of the year held in Europe  the largest food fight event in the world, La Tomatina.  We would have all seen clips and footages of this event somewhere or the other on telivision channels, magazines etc.  but to experience this unique fight event is another feeling altogehter!  Becoming involved in a local festival is a great way to enjoy your holiday and the memories from such an encounter are sure to last a lifetime.

La Tomatina is a food fight festival held on the last Wednesday of August each year in the town of Buñol in the Valencia region of Spain. Tens of metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets in exactly one hour.  The week-long festival features music, parades, dancing, and fireworks. On the night before, participants of the festival compete in a paella cooking contest. It is tradition for the women to wear all white and the men to wear no shirts.

Let us highlight some more details of this event and its known origin.The event first began around 1945 — its exact origins are unknown.  No one is completely certain how this event originated. Possible theories on how the Tomatina began include a pie local food fight among friends, a juvenile class war, a volley of tomatoes from bystanders at a carnival  parade, a practical joke on a bad musician, and the chaotic aftermath of an accidental lorry spillage. One of the most popular theories is that disgruntled townspeople attacked city councilmen with tomatoes during a town celebration. Whatever happened to begin the tradition, it was enjoyed so much that it was repeated the next year, and the year after that, and so on.

The event kicks off with the jambon de polo competition. Contestants attempt to scramble up a pole greased with lard to capture the leg of ham (jambon) at the top. To do this, the pole needs to be ungreased. As the contestants scramble up, the lard rubs off on their clothes and skin, making the next attempt easier. Eventually, someone makes it to the top and grabs the ham. Then, the water comes out! Firemen proceed to hose down the entire crowd with cold water in anticipation of the upcoming food fight.At noon, a shot rings outand the trucks arrive! Large trucks carrying thousands of pounds of tomatoes enter the square. Volunteers on the trucks proceed to dump the tomatoes onto the crowd below. The trucks soon leave and the fight begins!  A cannon fires, the crowd cheers, and, as the local radio station announces over loudspeakers (in Spanish of course) "La Tomatina has begun!"
 
Members of the frenzied mob hurl tomatoes at anyone and everyone they see. Clothes are ripped off, tomatoes are flying, and the ground turns red and slippery.The world’s largest food fight lasts for one hour, but it’s an incredibly long hour of excitement. Around 1PM, the fight ends, and the hoses come back out. Firemen spray the audience and clean the streets, as do some of the residents of Bunol. Most of the crowd proceeds to head to the river, where temporary showers are setup followed by a street party.

Do visit the official website for more details on the event, http://www.latomatina.es/



British tourists warned about aggressive mountain cows - July 27 2010

British tourists have reportedly been warned to avoid a group of aggressive mountain cows who have attacked ramblers in the Pyrenees.

One such incident occurred last Friday, when a German rambler, her husband and two children were set upon by the cows, who started trampling and biting them, Yahoo News reports. A 50-year-old man was reportedly hospitalised with head injuries in a separate case.

Local mountain police have suggested that the cows "knew exactly what they were doing" and told tourists to avoid the animals and never look them in the eye or approach them.

It is claimed that the cows can act in an aggressive manner when they believe their young to be in danger, with hot weather making them more combative.

Source: digitalspy.com



Travel news: Vatican tells tourists to cover up - July 27 2010

Tourists in skimpy summer clothing were being told to cover up before entering Vatican City today.

The ban had previously applied only to St Peter's Basilica but guards manning the official entry point into the tiny, walled state begun pulling visitors aside overnight for sporting "inappropriate" attire, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The new decree, particularly targeting those in shorts and shoulder-revealing shirts, sent several tourists trudging off to local stores to buy shawls, scarves and pairs of trousers.

Immodest clothing has been specifically barred from St Peter's for decades and Vatican officials are seemingly sick of visitors flouting the dress-code.

However, locals just nipping inside the Vatican City walls to use its pharmacy, post office and store were particularity bewildered by the clothing crackdown.

Most are accustomed to treating the Vatican like any other part of Rome, ANSA said.

Source: heraldsun.com.au




Electric bus tour for visitors launched in Hanoi - 19 July

HANOI - The People's Committee in Hanoi's Hoan Kiem district launched a pilot tram project on July 17, to serve tourists visiting the capital city's Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake, Vietnam news agency reported Monday.

In the first phase of the project, the Dong Xuan Joint Stock Company, a project investor purchased 12 trams with the capacity of eight passengers each, to meet tourist requirements for sightseeing and reduce traffic in the capital city which will also protect the environment.

The trams will start from a station in Dinh Tien Hoang street to take tourists to historical sites, the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake.

The operation hours during the day will be from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm and from 7 pm to 11 pm and a ride cost 15,000 Vietnam dong (US$0.8).

The project is part of activities to mark the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

Source: bernama.com



Tourism news: India's Gujarat to develop whale shark tourism - 19 July

In an effort to develop whale shark tourism on the coast of Gujarat, the state forest department is planning to implement the Australian system of locating them by using plane and expert spotters in the sea.

“Australia has developed a kind of system in which they use airplanes and expert spotters to identify places where the whale shark are present at that stage in the sea which is very effective,” Principal chief conservator of forests of Gujarat Pradeep Khanna said.

A scheduled I animal under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, there are about 500 whale sharks in Indian waters and most of them are spotted largely on the coast of Gujarat.

A team of state forest department, headed by Mr. Khanna along with representative of NGO, Wildlife Trust of India, had gone to Australia recently to study satellite tagging of whale shark and also to learn about tourism concerning the mammal to help kick-start a similar process at home.

“We liked the system developed by Australia and it can be implemented here,” Mr. Khanna said adding “but for it, pilot and spotters are required to be trained.”

Tourists can be guided to those areas where whale sharks are found by spotters, he said.

“Australia has shown deep interest in developing ties with India for whale shark conservation, satellite tagging and development of tourism related to the mammal,” Mr. Khanna said.

“We have to work out a system on how we will go about it, will pilots and spotters be trained in India by calling experts from Australia or should we sent them there,” he said.

Earlier, fishermen at the Gujarat coast used to hunt whale shark, an 8 to 12 meter long unique fish. However, by sustained efforts of various NGOs, state government and religious leaders, the fishermen have stopped hunting them.

“Our sustained campaign has helped in conservation of whale shark with the co-operation of fishermen as they have stopped hunting them. Conservation of whale shark is more about creating awareness and convincing the fishermen and not much of policing, as it is not possible in mid-sea,” Mr. Khanna said.

The Union environment ministry recently gave a nod to satellite tag individuals of the whale shark and collected tissue samples for their genetic analysis.

“There is not enough knowledge about whale shark. The efforts to satellite tag them will help us track their movement in the sea,” Mr. Khanna said.

“We are in the process of procuring satellite tags and will soon be initiating genetic analysis of individual whale sharks as well,” said Dhiresh Joshi, Co-ordinator, Wildlife Trust of India.

However, Mr. Khanna said that while satellite tagging of whale sharks will give us more knowledge about them, it will not be very useful in the development of tourism related to them.

Source: thehindu.com



Aviation news: Delta Air Lines to begin flights between Haneda Airport in Tokyo and Detroit and LA - 15 July

ATLANTA, GA - Beginning January 29, 2011, Delta Air Lines will begin daily, year-round flights between Tokyo's Haneda Airport and Detroit and Los Angeles. Flights are scheduled as follows, subject to government approval:

FLIGHT DEPARTS ARRIVES EFFECTIVE
627 Detroit at 7:30 pm Tokyo-Haneda at 11:00 pm* 1/29/2011
628 Tokyo-Haneda at 6:55 am Detroit at 4:50 am 1/30/2011
635 Los Angeles at 12:10 am Tokyo-Haneda at 5:00 am* 1/29/2011
636 Tokyo-Haneda at 1:00 am Los Angeles at 6:40 pm** 1/31/2011

*Arrives next day
**Arrives previous day

All flights will utilize the Boeing 747-700.

The new service becomes available for sale following a recent US Department of Transportation (DOT) decision giving Delta's global alliance - SkyTeam - its first opportunity to compete across the Pacific from Haneda.

"No US airline has invested more in Tokyo, and service into Haneda airport is a logical addition to the three airports Delta already serves across Japan," said Glen Hauenstein, Delta's executive vice president - network planning and revenue management. "Customers on both sides of the Pacific will benefit as Delta and SkyTeam strengthen competition at Haneda and continue to expand global connections to Japan with new service at Haneda complementing our hub at Narita."

From Detroit, new service to Haneda will boost Delta's Eastern US gateway to Asia, building on recently-added flights to Seoul and Hong Kong, expanded service to Shanghai, and long-standing flights to Tokyo-Narita and Nagoya. Delta's hub at Detroit, featuring a state-of-the-art, 121-gate terminal designed for international connections, will provide one-stop service to Haneda for customers in 106 US cities.

"Delta demonstrates their confidence in Detroit Metro with the continued expansion of Asian routes, specifically to Tokyo-Haneda, continuing to position the Detroit Metropolitan area as an international gateway," said Wayne County Executive Robert A. Ficano. "This addition will be a collective boost for Delta's Eastern gateway to Asia and for Southeast Michigan."
From Los Angeles, Delta will serve the largest mainland US-Tokyo market, as well as provide one-stop service for customers in 21 US cities.

Said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa: "I am very proud that the US DOT chose Los Angeles as the US West Coast gateway for this much sought-after, new route. Delta's new nonstop route between LAX and Tokyo-Haneda will increase competition and enhance customer benefits on flights between the US and Haneda, as well as strengthen business, tourism, and cultural ties with one of the most desirable cities in Asia."


Source: delta.com


Londonderry selected to be Britain's first city of culture - 15 July


BELFAST – A Northern Irish city which endured years of unrest during the province's troubled past was Thursday selected to be Britain's first city of culture.

Hundreds of jubilant Londonderry residents cheered as it was announced that the city had won the accolade, giving a boost to the entire region after riots this week in Belfast evoked memories of the province's darkest days.

"This is a gift to the peacemakers," said Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, himself from Londonderry, in praise of all those who have strived to end conflict in the city.

"This is fantastic news for the city and the entire region and I am immensely proud of what has been achieved."

Londonderry will become Britain's first city of culture in 2013, a title which is designed to help areas boost their economy through tourism and the creative industries.

It does not come with any government funding but Northern Ireland's second biggest city can expect to stage a number of events of national significance.

Londonderry beat off competition from three other cities across Britain to pick up the coveted award, in a competition that was launched by the previous government.

The city witnessed much suffering and bloodshed during Northern Ireland's Troubles, as the three decades of civil unrest in the province are known.

It was the scene of Bloody Sunday, one of Northern Ireland's darkest episodes in which 13 civilians were killed by British soldiers when they opened fire on a civil rights march in 1972.

A long-awaited official report on the incident last month cleared any of the victims of being armed and said soldiers gave no warnings before opening fire.

Londonderry is still marked by sectarian divisions, but in recent years strides have been made to bring Protestant and Catholic communities closer together.

The Troubles pitched Catholic republicans, opposed to British rule, against Protestants, who favoured being governed from London, and left some 3,500 people dead.

The violence was largely ended by a 1998 peace deal but sporadic violence still flares in the province. Sectarian rioting erupted over several nights this week in Belfast which left 82 police officers injured.

Source: AFP


Destination news: Fiji allows free access to all surf spots in the country - 5 July 2010

Fiji Islands Hotel and Tourism president Dixon Seeto has applauded governments decision to allow free access to all surf spots in the country.

Seeto says this decision will boost the overall development of the tourism industry.

“This decree is good because it opens the seas and the oceans surrounding Fiji and especially around the resorting areas and I don’t think that anyone should be deprived of using this and it would expand and develop marine sporting activities for tourism in Fiji.”

Last week cabinet passed the Surfing Decree 2010 which now allows anyone who is interested in surfing or any water sport to access any surfing destination in Fiji.

All current leases held by resorts or anyone else over the surfing areas is now annulled.

Source: radiofiji.com.fj

Delta to offer new air service between Japan and islands of Hawaii and Palau - 5 July 2010

TOKYO, Japan - Delta Air Lines announced today its plans to build on its flights from Japan to two popular island destinations - Honolulu and Palau.

"Delta has been a leader in providing service from Japan to attractive beach resorts including Guam, Saipan, and Hawaii for many years," said Jeffrey Bernier, managing director, Pacific sales and affairs. "Our new service to Honolulu and our proposed flight to Palau underscores our commitment to providing more travel options to our customers in Japan."

NAGOYA-HONOLULU

Delta will begin new daily service between Nagoya, Japan, and Honolulu on December 22, subject to government approval. The flight will be operated with 216-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, with 35 BusinessElite seats and 181 seats in Economy.

"Delta's new service provides more travel opportunities to our customers in the Chubu region," Bernier said. "Delta continues to be committed to the Chubu market, and we will continue to work with Nagoya - Centrair International Airport, local government, businesses, and industry partners to offer a broader portfolio to better meet the needs of the local market."

Delta's service between Nagoya and Honolulu will operate daily, beginning December 22, 2010:

Flight DL612 departs Nagoya at 7:50 pm, arrives Honolulu at 8:05 am

Flight DL611 departs Honolulu at 10:10 am, arrives Nagoya at 4:30 pm the next day

The announcement highlights Delta's commitment to Centrair International Airport. Delta currently operates flights from Nagoya to Detroit, Guam, Saipan, and Manila, as well as connecting flights to 10 US gateways via Tokyo-Narita.

TOKYO-PALAU

The airline also has filed an application with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) requesting permission to start new nonstop service between its Tokyo-Narita hub and the Pacific island of Palau. The proposed flights would operate four-times weekly beginning in December 2010 and would be the only scheduled nonstop service between Japan and Palau.

"By adding Palau as a new resort destination, Delta will be able to enhance its commitment to the Japan market and broaden our network portfolio to better meet the demands of our customers," Bernier said.

Palau, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean that lies 500 miles (800 km) east of the Philippines and 2,000 miles (3,200 km) south of Tokyo, is a popular scuba diving destination. In addition to divers, the island has been attracting tourists interested in its well-preserved natural environment. Nearly 30,000 Japanese tourists visit Palau each year.

Delta is the no. 1 US airline operating in the Japan market. Delta operates nonstop flights from its Asian gateway at the Tokyo-Narita Airport to nine US mainland gateways, three beach resorts - Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan - and nine destinations in Asia. Delta also operates daily flights from Osaka's Kansai International Airport and Nagoya's Centrair Airport.

Delta also plans to begin operating nonstop service between Haneda Airport in central Tokyo and Detroit and Los Angeles, pending final approval by the US DOT.

Source: delta.com




Japan aims to lure more Chinese tourists, relaxes visa rules - 1 July

The Japanese government on Thursday relaxed visa rules applicable to Chinese nationals to encourage more tourists to visit and help boost the nation's flagging retail sector.

In July 2009, Japan began granting individual tourist visas to Chinese nationals who earn 250,000 yuan (36,000 U.S. dollars) a year or more, but the conditions have been eased to encourage more Chinese people to choose Japan as their vacation destination spot.

"Chinese middle-class families with certain income level and employment status can also make individual trips to Japan, without joining group tours," Takahisa Kashiwagi, executive director at the Beijing office of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), was quoted as saying recently.

According to the latest figures a further 16 million households in China will be eligible for tourist visas as the new criteria laid out requires individual to be earning 60,000 yuan per year, a significant drop from the former lofty requirement.

The number of Chinese visitors to Japan rose 36 percent in the first five months of 2010, from the same period a year earlier, to around 600,000 visitors and according to JNTO, Chinese tourists spend 230,000 yen (2,613 U.S. dollars) on average per trip, which is a massive injection of capital into the retail sector local economists have noted.

As the number of Chinese guests is set to rise, Japanese retailers are rolling out the red carpets in anticipation of increasing patronage from high net worth individuals.

To deal with an expected slew of visa applications, Japan began accepting applications Thursday at all seven Japanese diplomatic establishments in Chinese mainland -- previously only three establishments accepted such applications.

In addition, Japan has expanded the number of Chinese travel agencies eligible to apply for visas on customers' behalf from a mere 48 to a healthy 290.

To further encourage Chinese shoppers to come and spend, Mitsukoshi became the first Japanese department store to accept the popular Chinese debit card known as China Union Pay.

The card can also be used to withdraw money from Japanese ATM machines to add to the convenience.

The value of transactions by the Chinese debit card in Japan soared to 20 billion yen (225 million U.S. dollars) in 2009 from 2. 7 billion yen (30.5 million U.S. dollars) in 2007, according to a Mitsui Sumitomo Card survey.

The Japanese government aims to increase the number of foreign visitors to Japan from 8.35 million recorded in 2008, to 15 million in 2013 and 25 million in 2019.

Source: xinhuanet.com



South Africa crime fears revived by the shooting of American tourist - 1 July

 The shooting of an American backpacker has revived crime worries at the World Cup, but organisers insisted Thursday that the tournament remains on track on the eve of the quarter-finals.

The tourist was shot in an armed robbery late Wednesday as he was walking down a street looking for his hotel, shortly after he arrived in Johannesburg, police said.

"He went to a house, where people phoned for an ambulance," police spokeswoman Sally de Beer said, adding that the man said he had not come to South Africa for the World Cup.

"The paramedics, who examined him found that he had a gun shot just under his right arm. He is in hospital, but he is out of danger, in a stable condition. He is recovering," she said.

Crime has been the key concern for the World Cup since South Africa was named host six years ago. The country has one of the world's highest violent crime rates, with an average 50 murders a day.

But so far, crimes linked to the tournament have been mostly minor, with the exception of two armed robberies against foreign journalists.

South Africa has spent 1.3 billion rands (169 million dollars, 130 million euros) on security for the 300,000 foreign fans expected at the tournament, with 44,000 new police recruited for the games.

Organisers insisted the tournament was on track for a successful finish with the final on July 11.

FIFA boss Sepp Blatter met with South African President Jacob Zuma early Thursday, and both men said they were on the whole pleased with the tournament.

"I'm a relaxed and happy president of FIFA this morning. I have to express to the population of South Africa a big, big compliment," Blatter said.

"We think things have been going well. The excitement, everything you need in football is there," Zuma added.

Danny Jordaan, the head of the local organising committee, invoked the legacy of Nobel laureates Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, saying the tournament has fulfilled a dream for the nation.

"After weeks of great football, the country is bracing for an electrifying final," Jordaan told reporters.

"This World Cup is a dream of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu who have been waiting for 16 years to see it happen," he added.

The host team Bafana Bafana failed to clear the group stages, but South Africa has rallied around Ghana's Black Stars for their match against Uruguay in Johannesburg on Friday.

"Africa's Ghana love 'em" proclaimed The Star newspaper on the eve of the match, which could see the Black Stars become the first African team ever to reach the semi-finals.

"We have the prospect of Ghana going beyond the quarter-finals, a place where no African team has been," said Jordaan.

"This is what we have always wanted to achieve in this African World Cup," he said.

Source: AFP



Orania, South Africa: Where Afrikaner ways live on - 29 June

You come because there have been stories. Because around the World Cup the talk has been about peace and togetherness and the vanquishing of old racial wounds in the hope that the world’s arrival might stimulate new solutions. And you hear of a place that wants none of that. A place where white and black can’t live side-by-side in the rainbow nation. A place settled by the old South Africa who couldn’t cope with the new South Africa.

And you wonder why such a place should exist at all.

So you drive early one morning from Johannesburg, long before the sun climbs into the sky. You go past the flat-topped hills of mining country, through dusty towns and then across the long, open African savannah spotted with acacia trees until five hours later, near the banks of the Orange River, you find Orania.

And yes, it is true. In a country 80 percent black, there is a town that has made itself 100 percent white. Determined to preserve the Afrikaner culture 20 years after the fall of apartheid.

On the surface, Orania seems like a normal village. It has a grocery store, a gas station and a small bookstore that sells town T-shirts. A woman at a desk in the bookstore smiles and asks you to sign a guestbook. The primary language is Afrikaans, not English. The town’s public relations director, a former physician named John Strydom, comes out and shows a video. On the screen, children ride bicycles and the narrator explains that “there is a place where children can still have a comfortable childhood” and “residents can walk without looking over their shoulder.”

And it is clear that without even mentioning the words, this is all about black and white.

Driving around Orania, Strydom points out all the sights: the new houses built with bales of straw for insulation and solar panels on the roofs, the radio station, the small but lavish hotel and gleaming spa that overlook the river. He also explains the criteria for buying a house in Orania: one must submit an application, promise to uphold the Afrikaner culture and be approved by an administrative board.

“We can choose who lives here,” he says bluntly.

When asked if that was restricted by race he replied: “Most people in South Africa wouldn’t want to come here if they are black.”

Once the Afrikaners controlled South Africa, often brutally; this, despite the fact they were a white minority in a country that is predominantly black. In the 1940s, they invented apartheid as an official form of segregation and ran the country almost as a dictatorship until black uprisings and the world’s scorn broke that rule. When Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990, it was only a matter of time before Afrikaner rule was over.

This is when a missionary named Carel Boshoff, the son-in-law of Hendrick Frensch Verwoerd, the architect of apartheid, banded with a group of 40 families to buy a mostly abandoned government construction camp and turn it into Orania. From the beginning, the idea was to separate. Orania had its own flag and its own currency (the ora, the first three letters of the town’s name) and set out to build something self-sustaining. Now, the 700 or so residents of Orania live as if it is their own country.

In fact, when asked who he considers to be his president, Boshoff’s son Carel (IV), who is now the community’s leader rambles for a moment, talking about how all people see government in different ways. When pressed on the question he finally says, “Right here,” and points to the ground at his feet.

Carel (IV) is an intellectual man, with large glasses and wavy long hair. He could be a young radical in Amsterdam if he wasn’t here in this small farming town explaining why he wants an Afrikaner state. He likes to talk in concepts and enjoys the show about international politics he hosts every week on the radio station.

He picks his words carefully but the community’s philosophy spills out nonetheless. Since the Afrikaner is white in heritage then the culture that is preserved must be white as well. The people of Orania don’t have anything against black people, he says, they just don’t share a culture. And if they don’t share a culture then they shouldn’t be living together.

Mostly Orania taps into white fear. Carel (IV) speaks a lot about how black rule has forced Afrikaners out of work because of Affirmative Action programs designed to get blacks jobs. An experienced white engineer could suddenly become a technical assistant to an inexperienced black employee, he says.

He also talks a lot about violence in other parts of South Africa. People in cities such as Johannesburg live behind giant walls and electric fences. In more rural areas, a panic has risen about what locals call “farm killings” in which young blacks have murdered a few Afrikaner farmers. The most notable was the killing of white supremacist Eugene TerreBlanche, a man who has advocated for several white republics in the country and was beaten to death by two of his black workers over a wage dispute.

“Very few people coming here are not affected by crime,” Carel (IV) says. “They have been robbed or hijacked or something. It affects their mindsets.”

South Africa is quickly becoming a failed state, Carel (IV) says. Any thought the World Cup is going to bring unity and help people confront two decades of growing pains is ridiculous, he says. The country’s future, with what he calls “corruption” in the mostly black African National Congress, is bleak.

“There’s no reason a country as diverse as South Africa should be united and together,” he says.

The best plan, he adds, is to “stand out of the tension.”

And yet that is the misfortune of Orania, this fact it wants to step back from the fight to build South Africa. It is a beautiful town with imaginative people, like Carel (IV)’s nephew, also named Carel who is a student in Pretoria, who loves the idea of the World Cup and yet dreams of returning to Orania.

“We’re building something for ourselves here,” he says.

But why? Why not for the country? Why hide a spectacular hotel and a spa on the edge of the river and not share it with the rest of South Africa? All around the country there is growth and building, even among the “tension” as Carel (IV) calls it. Just a few days ago in the black Johannesburg township of Soweto, a group of black residents gathered at a restaurant for the monthly meeting of their saving group. Together, they said, they give whatever money they want to put away to one member who deposits it in the bank. Then when enough has been saved to buy a car or a house or pay for school they can pull it out. The group serves as their support.

Imagine putting the saving group together with the Orania ingenuity that erected energy-efficient houses made with straw inside? What a country this could become.

Source: g.sports.yahoo.com



Now they are attacking children’s parks in Gaza? - 28 June

A group of about 25 armed and masked men attacked and set fire on Monday morning, June 28, to a recreational facility used by children on the beach in Nuseirat (in Gaza) that was being used to host the Summer Games, run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Consequently, the head of United Nations relief operations in Gaza has deplored the attack, which is the second such incident in a month.

According to a UN report, no one was hurt in the incident, which follows a similar attack on 23 May when a group of 30 armed and masked men attacked and set fire to an UNRWA Summer Games facility that was under construction on the beach in Gaza City.

“Cowardly and despicable” is how John Ging, UNRWA’s director of operations in Gaza, described yesterday morning’s attack. “The overwhelming success of UNRWA’s Summer Games has once again obviously frustrated those that are intolerant of children’s happiness.”

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has called the Summer Games, which is in its fourth year, “a rare opportunity for relief from the deprivations and difficulties of everyday life in Gaza,” which has suffered from a three-year-long blockade imposed by Israel for what it called security reasons after Hamas took power there in 2007.

Mr. Ging said the attack will not deter UNRWA from continuing with the annual event, which is the largest recreation program for Gaza’s children providing, among others, sports, swimming, arts and crafts, and drama.

“UNRWA will rebuild the camp immediately and will continue with its Summer Games program which is so important for the physical and psychological well-being of Gaza’s children, so many of whom are stressed and traumatized by their circumstances and experiences,” he stated.

“This is another example of the growing levels of extremism in Gaza and further evidence, if that were needed, of the urgency to change the circumstances on the ground that are generating such extremism,” he added.

The Summer Games began on June 12 and will run through August 5, providing 1,200 summer camps for more than 250,000 refugee children across Gaza.

Source: Gaza News


Toronto's new kind of sight-seer - riot tourist - 27 June

Toronto has a new kind of sight-seer this afternoon: the riot tourist. At about 5 this afternoon, Yonge Street, which was closed to traffic, was absolutely filled with people, most of them dressed as though out shopping on a Saturday afternoon, taking photographs of all the smashed windows.

Protestors had dug bricks out of the median at Yonge and College streets and heaved them through the windows of Tim Hortons in College Park, and also thrown through that window the arm of a mannequin they had taken from American Apparel, further down Yonge. A woman handed her camera to someone else and then went and stood in front of the gaping window of Timmie’s, making a peace sign as the friend took her photo in front of the destruction. There were no protestors or police about, just gawkers.

Everywhere the windows are smashed: Pizza Pizza, American Apparel, Zanzibar strip club, De Boer’s, Quiznos Subs, the ironically named Urban Brick. The Bell store in College park went in for some particularly virulent destruction. There is a strange silence on Toronto’s main boulevard, and a kind of weird glee, or awe, in the tone of the thousands who are milling about.

“I am by the smashed Tim Hortons,” one young man said to a friend on the phone, explaining where he was. Everyone, these days, has a camera, and everyone was taking pictures: the city is filled with thousands of citizen journalists chronicling the destruction.

One guy stopped to take a picture of the truck-sized hole in the front of the TD Bank on College Street, while a friend went in to take money out. The machine was functioning just fine. I asked him why everyone was taking pictures.

“This is Toronto, man,” he replied. This is the first time anything has happened here in years. This is good. We need stuff like this.” Why we should need stuff like this was not made clear. The owner of the Second Cup which sublets from the Alterna credit union, on Bay and College Streets, had taped a sign in his window noting, “Independently Owned, Uniquely Canadian,” but to no avail: the protestors had thrown a brick through the window anyway.

Source: nationalpost.com



United pilot detained for dropping his pants at Rio airport - 27 June

A United Airlines pilot was briefly detained in Brazil after lowering his pants during a security screening at the international airport in Rio de Janeiro, police said Saturday.

Pilot Michael D. Slynn, 49, was asked to remove his belt and shoes during screening Friday afternoon. Slynn laughed at security guards and lowered his pants to his ankles.

He was allowed to fly back to Washington, D.C., after signing a document promising to appear before a judge the next time he is in Brazil, a police spokesman said. Sarah Massier, a spokeswoman for the Chicago-based airline, wrote in an e-mail that, "We are investigating the matter."

It was not the first time an American pilot has gotten into trouble over Brazil's airport security measures. In 2004, American Airlines pilot Dale Robin Hersh was fined $13,000 for allegedly displaying an obscene hand gesture while being photographed at Sao Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport. The photograph was among entry requirements for U.S. citizens implemented by Brazil in response to similar U.S. rules.

Source: AP



French tourist's strip dance on Uluru causes Aboriginal outrage - 27 June

A French tourist who strip-danced on top of Uluru says she was paying tribute to indigenous culture.

Alizee Sery, 25, who was filmed performing the raunchy act on the World Heritage-listed rock in the Northern Territory, said it had been a life-long dream to visit the site.

"So, if I do it, I have to do it in a way I am going to remember," she told the Sunday Territorian.

"I do not mean in anyway to offend the Aboriginal culture.

"What I did is a tribute to their culture in a way.

"It's entertaining but also ... I did it as a tribute to the way it used to be, how they were living naked back in the days, so I am doing a return to the land."

In the video, which has made its way onto the internet, Ms Sery is seen stripping down nothing more than her underwear, boots and a cowboy hat.

The exotic dancer said "it was the perfect way to be up there".

"In totally harmony with the land and with myself," she said.

"It was a great feeling inside."

Aboriginal elders are outraged and are calling for her deportation, the ABC reported.

Uluru is a major tourist drawcard and while visitors are asked not to climb it, some 100,000 people take up the challenge each year.

The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park board of management last year called for the climb to be closed out of respect for the indigenous owners and for safety reasons, along with concerns about visitors littering and using the rock as a toilet.

Source: AAP



German World Cup tourists dribble a ball inside Tanzania’s famous wildlife parks - 22 June

On the way to watch their national team playing the FIFA World Cup, German soccer fans visited Tanzania’s famous tourist parks and dribbled a special ball in the wilderness of Africa to signify the first FIFA World Cup tournament taking place in Africa.

The German soccer fans and tourists entered Tanzania in groups on their way to Johannesburg, South Africa, in a mission dubbed “The Big Kick Africa.”

All were from various towns in Germany and had started their tour mission in Africa from Egypt passing through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, then South Africa to watch and celebrate their national team’s matches.

While in northern Tanzania, the German fans and tourists played with local Maasai cattle herders, then headed southward to Johannesburg by special safari vehicles.

A Germany charity organization, HMI, in partnership with ERGO Versicherung, brought into Tanzania the south-bound soccer fans who dribbled a special ball in the wilderness of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, famous for its idyllic crater and wildlife plains.

The charity HMI "Big Kick" ball traveled from Hamburg in Germany to Johannesburg, being dribbled along an international travel route through Europe and Africa to climax in the Gauteng province of South Africa.

Approximately 2,000 business people within HMI have been dribbling the soccer ball 10,500 kilometers across 11 countries from Hamburg to South Africa on a route that will be converted into financial support to be donated towards an African project. It is part of the German BILD initiative, "Ein Herz für Kinder," or "A Heart for Children."

The ball was ceremoniously landed with all the pomp and ceremony at the Deutsche Internationale Schule, Johannesburg, in Auckland Park.

The Big Kick to Johannesburg is a charity drive, which will work similar to the Olympic Torch Relay as 2006 FIFA World Cup host Germany hands over the baton to 2010 FIFA World Cup host South Africa in this unique way.

Deutsche Internationale Schule general manager Jobst C. Schulte-Brader was quoted as saying, "The route will cross several borders with the aim of ensuring that the HMI ball reaches the team in Johannesburg during the World Cup."

Germany, which hosted the last FIFA World Cup, is Tanzania’s leading tourism partner, with over 40,000 Germans visiting Tanzania every year. Mount Kilimanjaro is the most attractive and key site for most Germans visiting the country.

Source: eTourbonews.com



Rapper Jay-Z sued by private airline for failing to pay his bill - 22 June

Rapper Jay-Z is to be sued by an airline company after he failed to pay for 18 hours of on-flight service.

Jay-Z is being sued by a private jet company.

The music mogul- who is married to Beyonce Knowles - reportedly owes Air Platinum Holding over $130,000 after failing to pay his full bill for services he used in 2009.

According to gossip website TMZ, Jay-Z - real name Shawn Carter - racked up a bill of $250,000 after flying for 55 hours with the company, but only paid enough of his bill to cover 37 hours of their time.

It's believed that an hour of flight time costs $4,500, meaning his total outstanding flight bill is around $81,000.

He also owes $8,500 for 17 hours of domestic catering, $3,000 for catering on four international flights and $8,500 in international fees.

The 'Big Pimping' rapper has also failed to settle $12,285 of taxes and the $24200 cost of a luxury trip to England, bringing the total debt to $137, 485.

Source: peacefmonline.com



South African police warns tourists about counterfeit R200 notes - 21 June

Tourists visiting the country during the World Cup period have been warned not to fall prey to people offering them currency conversions through the black market, police said on Monday.

"Our visitors may be approached with the 'best deal' to change their currency for the South African rand and they could end up with counterfeit R200 notes," said Colonel Vishnu Naidoo.

The warning comes after the SA Reserve Bank said it would no longer print the old R200 notes, opting for a new one with heightened security features, after counterfeit notes were found circulating.

"Tourists and soccer fans are advised to exchange their currency through legitimate financial institutions only," he said.

South Africans were also warned to be weary of the circulation of these notes.

"The security forces are on top of this situation and adhering to our calls to heed to this warning will help us a great deal in our efforts to prevent people from becoming victims of this scam."

Source: eTourbonews.com

 

-Visas to European countries (like Austria, Norway, Finland)  are taking a minimum upto  10 - 15 working days to process.So hurry up and plan your holiday in advance!

-If you have a 20 years valid passport then you cant get a Schengan Visa ! Its only for 10 years passport holders

 

-However good news for Indian passport holders holding a valid Schengan, UK or US visa! You can now get a tourist visa (30 days valid entry visa) at the entry port,upon arrival in Turkey.

 

-If obtaining a visa upon arrival in Turkey, make sure you have 15 Euros or 20 USD per person for the visa fee with original valid passports and submit information about your hotel reservations and a copy of your return flight ticket and cash (50 USD per day for the duration of your stay in Turkey).

 

-For those going to Malaysia by Bus or Train via Singapore, please ensure that you are holding a valid Malaysia Visa as no Malaysia visa issuing Officer is available at the train station or bus border Immigration Checkpoint.

 


Cruise ships' departure times altered to avoid oil - 15 June

MIAMI - Carnival won't sail its cruise ships at night through the Gulf of Mexico. It's too hard to spot the oil then.

The precaution has meant only minor changes in departure times, according to a Carnival spokesman, but it highlights new and growing worries over how the maritime industry can literally navigate the Gulf oil crisis. Gulf ports now must inspect ships for contaminated hulls and race to clean the vessels, while regulators periodically close inlets in Pensacola, Fla., to trap oil arriving with the high tide.

With one of the country's busiest coastlines under siege by the country's worst environmental crisis, regulators led by the U.S. Coast Guard are faced with cracking down on the economic engines contained within commercial ports from New Orleans to Florida.

"They realize there is a balance between protecting the environment and commerce," said Glenn Wiltshire, deputy director of Port Everglades.

The leading trade group for the $35 billion cruise industry, Fort Lauderdale's Cruise Lines International Association, said Monday no cruise ship has altered its itinerary because of the Gulf oil crisis.

Among major cruise lines, Carnival has the most to lose in the Gulf crisis. It runs Caribbean cruises out of Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans, putting its ships at risk of colliding with an oil spill that now spans the coasts of four states.

Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said the oil "is not affecting our operations" and that ship captains are successfully avoiding the oil.

Contact would require hull cleaning and could cause complications as ports inspect vessels for oil. Carnival has two ships in the Gulf and has "slightly altered departure times so that ships are traversing these areas during the day and it has not affected arrival times in ports of call," Gulliksen wrote in an e-mail.

While Carnival plans to install hydrocarbon sensors on ships to detect oil contamination in Gulf waters, Gulliksen said those are for scientific research the cruise line conducts as part of a long-standing agreement with the Seakeepers Society, an ecological group.

So far, ports report only minor hassles when it comes to the oil crisis.

At the Port of Mobile, the Coast Guard requires cargo ships to wait at anchor off the coast for hull inspections to detect oil encounters, spokeswoman Sheri Reid said.

But since ships must wait for harbor pilots there anyway, the process hasn't meant much of a change, Reid said.

"There have been very little delays, if at all," she said.

At the small port in Pensacola, no ships have been turned away because of oil contact, said director Clyde Mathis. As the only Florida port that's now a direct target of the oil crisis, Mathis has been monitoring maritime problems caused by the spill. So far, he's been pleased with how easily the shipping industry has weathered the new navigational hazard.

"There have been some wash downs" of ships that encountered oil, he said, "but not as many as you would think."

Vessels trying to enter Pensacola Bay have faced disruptions as clean-up workers deploy booms at the inlet in an effort to trap incoming oil. The booms aren't used during an outgoing tide.

Wiltshire, the Port Everglades deputy director, said local officials have discussed similar precautions should oil from the Gulf creep its way around the Keys and foul ocean waters off the East Coast.

Among the inlets that could close periodically under that kind of a nightmare scenario: Miami Beach's Government Cut and Pompano Beach's Hillsborough Inlet.

But for now, even ports close to the undersea oil gusher insist cargo traffic continues at a normal pace.

At the Port of New Orleans, firefighting ships hose down any hulls with oil on them, allowing the vessels to continue toward shore during the process, spokesman Chris Bonura said. But those maneuvers have been rare, since most ships seem able to avoid the oil on open waters, he said.

"There have been two or three vessels that needed to be cleaned - out of 600 or 700 since the spill began," Bonura said.

Source: bellinghamherald.com

Abu Dhabi newest attraction - World's Furthest Leaning Tower - 10 June

When it comes to leaning, Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa can no longer claim to going the furthest.

That honor goes to the Capital Gate building in Abu Dhabi, which was recently certified as being the "World's Furthest Leaning Man-made Tower" by Guinness World Records, according to reports. The building leans at 18 degrees, which is nearly five times that of the Tower of Pisa, which leans at 4 degrees.

However, unlike the Tower of Pisa, the 35-story, 525-foot Capital Gate tower was built to lean 18 degrees westward. So, how did they do it? According to Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, who developed the tower, the building's floor plates are stacked vertically until the 12th floor, after which point they are "staggered over each other by between 300mm to 1400mm." ADNEC says Capital Gate also features "the world's first known use of a 'pre-cambered' core, which contains more than 15,000 cubic meters of concrete reinforced with 10,000 tons of steel."

The building, which boasts on its website that it is "designed to provide no symmetry so it amazes inside and outside," is being touted as an iconic tower for the Emirates' capital, symbolizing the city's vision of the future. "Capital Gate is a landmark development for Abu Dhabi and with this recognition the tower takes its place among the world's great buildings. It is a signature building which speaks of the foresight of the emirate," ADNEC's Chairman Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan said in a statement.

The United Arab Emirates is no stranger to signature buildings, having unveiled the world's tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai in January. The Capital Gate tower is scheduled to be completed later this year.

Source: huffingtonpost.com




Indonesia expects more European tourists - 10 June

JAKARTA - The opening of direct flight route from Indonesia to Europe recently following the lifting of travel ban on some of Indonesian airliners by the European Union is expected to boost the number of European tourist coming into Indonesia.

Over one million foreign tourists from the territory are expected to come into Indonesia this year, higher than the original target of 700,000, Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik has said recently.

Indonesian leading carrier of PT Garuda Indonesia has restarted inaugural flight to Schiphol airport in Amsterdam on June 1 after the removal of flight ban in July of 2009.

"So with the new line, I believe that the arrival rate will rise," Wacik said.

According to him the direct route would attract people interested in visiting Indonesia.

"If there was no direct line to Indonesia, people are reluctant to visit our country because they prefer to travel to other countries which have direct flight," he said.

The Indonesian government has increased the target of revenue from tourism sector this year to 7 billion U.S. dollars from the original target of 6.5 billion U.S. dollars, and promoted Indonesia in some countries.

The improved economy of the world has led to increased spending per tourist.

Garuda Indonesia has targeted to open more new routes in Europe, including to Frankfurt, London, Paris and Rome, President Director of the company Emirsyah Satar has said, which may attract more tourists coming into Indonesia.

The European Union imposed the restriction on 51 Indonesian airliners in July 2007 following the rampant air accidents that killed over 250 people.

Source: xinhuanet.com




Cape Town welcomes the world with a celebration of color and sound - 10 June

The planning, preparing, speculating, and strategizing is over and it’s finally here. Cape Town welcomes the world to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™!

As the visitors and fans begin to arrive for the big event, Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariette du Toit-Helmbold has this message to share: “On behalf of the people of Cape Town, we welcome you to our FIFA World Cup celebration. We are ready to be your hosts, and we are thrilled to be sharing this moment with you. Put down your bags and get swept up in the magic as we Live It!, Love It! LOUDER! into this exciting tournament.”

With shiny new hotels, a vastly-improved public transport infrastructure, a revamped world-class airport, and a curvaceous stadium perched between mountain and sea, Cape Town is looking better than ever.

Said Du Toit-Helmbold: “Cape Town has been preparing for this for many years now. We are on the eve of a great moment for Africa, this is our first FIFA World Cup™ on the continent, and we are going to do all the people of Africa proud!”

Cape Town is the lifestyle capital of South Africa and is sure to be the playground of the FIFA World Cup™. Falling as it does in the Cape’s winter, the focus for entertainment is on sampling the culinary, creative, and cultural lifestyle of Cape Town and snatching the inevitable blue sky days to get into the outdoors, which Cape Town is so famous for. “It’s a bit of a secret, but Cape Town is as good in winter as it is in summer – it’s just different – more about a brisk walk on the beach than lying under the umbrella,” commented Mariette.

Visitors to South Africa who are not planning a trip to Cape Town would do well to reconsider. Cape Town Tourism and their base of accommodation members have partnered with low-cost airlines Mango, Kulula, and 1time to offer incredible deals on Cape Town escapes during the FIFA World Cup™ with the “Come to Cape Town Campaign” (launching June 13, 2010). Said Mariette du Toit-Helmbold: “The packages we have put together mean that it is really affordable to hop on a plane and stay with us for a few days between games. We are promoting one-way flights from R700 between Johannesburg and Cape Town and accommodation from as little as R500 per person per night.”

“Of all the host cities, Cape Town is the only one that offers an incredibly cosmopolitan mix of hotels, international cuisine, and fantastic shopping within an historically-rich (and now pedestrian-friendly) urban landscape,” said Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, “Come to Cape Town, you won’t regret it.”

Cape Town kicks off the FIFA World Cup™ festivities on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at the FIFA Fan Fest at the Grand Parade. The event starts at 1400 hours and runs until 2400 hours with a program of music, lighting shows, and entertainment.

For more information on the Come to Cape Town specials (from June 13, 2010) and Cape Town’s program for the FIFA World Cup™, please visit www.capetown.travel.

Source: capetown.travel




Big Brother comes into the aircraft cabin - 8th June

 Information received from Lufthansa sources speaks of the development of a new surveillance system in commercial aircraft, developed by Lufthansa Technik, which is part of the Lufthansa Group. The new system will become available on the market in early 2011 when a launch customer will have it installed in the first of their aircraft before other customers can then also order the system.

It is understood that more than a dozen cameras will be monitoring the access to the cockpit, the passenger cabin, and the cargo holds, giving the pilots a detailed overview of what is happening behind and below.

It is not presently confirmed if air marshals deployed on mainly United States airlines and on aircraft of several other nations will be able to look into the camera feed. Once the technology is available and installed, it is likely that constant monitoring of this sort will also become available for security staff deployed on board and not just the pilots, so that all concerned with the safety of that particular flight will be constantly aware of movements of passengers in the cabin and even possible events in the cargo compartment.

Source: eTourbonews.com



Ten things baggage handlers will not say - 8 June

1. “Don’t pack light—we need the money.”

These are turbulent times for the aviation industry. According to the Air Transport Association of America, passenger revenue fell 18 percent in 2009, the largest drop on record. In the past decade airlines have also been hit with extra costs related to fuel prices, security and unionization: 40 percent of air-transportation workers were unionized in 2009, compared with 12 percent of the general workforce. “It’s a tough, tough industry to achieve any success,” says Daniel Ortwerth, transportation analyst at Edward Jones.

So it’s no surprise carriers are cutting corners. Passengers have kissed hot meals goodbye while paying for itinerary changes, frequent-flier bookings and even blankets and pillows. Another hit: luggage fees. In January most major domestic carriers bumped these to $25 for the first checked bag, $35 for the second (but amounts can vary), which could generate $117 million in new revenue, according to consultancy IdeaWorks. It’s a mixed bag for handlers like Shae Flores of American Airlines: Sure, fliers are checking fewer bags, but they’re cramming more into them, requiring “more upper-body strength,” she says.

2. “We’re losing fewer bags—because there are fewer to lose.”

It's true, fewer bags are getting lost in transit these days: There were 3.91 “mishandled” (lost, stolen, damaged or delayed) bags per 1,000 passengers in 2009, compared with 5.26 in 2008 and 7.05 in 2007, according to the Department of Transportation. But baggage handlers shouldn’t pat themselves on the back. Catherine Mayer, VP at travel-tech firm SITA, says the DOT undercounts errors by excluding reports from passengers with an international leg in their flight. (The DOT agrees, saying airlines are required to file mishandled-baggage reports only for domestic trips.) What’s more, industry experts attribute the downward trend to the fact that there’s less luggage to lose; US Airways, for one, says it has seen a 20 percent drop in first-checked-bag volume.

Mayer says the vast majority of lost bags are reunited with owners within 48 hours. But when they aren’t, airlines sell off unidentifiable bags to defray the cost of insuring lost luggage claims. Final stop: the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Ala., a 40,000-square-foot store that peddles their contents as “lost treasures from around the world.”

3. “Some of us have sticky fingers.”

Last June, Sekita Ekrek, a New York–based entertainment consultant, flew to Chicago to visit family. Upon arrival at her sister’s place, she says, she went for her camera, which she’d put in a checked bag before the flight, but it was gone. Upset, she decided to file a claim against the carrier, American Airlines. But by the time she got home and found the original model number, it was too late; the airline’s 30-day window had passed. “They said, ‘That’s our policy, end of story,’” says Ekrek. (A spokesperson for American Airlines says that camera equipment is excluded from the policy because of liability limitations.)

To be fair, 30 days seems generous compared with the limits set by other airlines. Brandon Macsata, executive director for the Association of Airline Passenger Rights, says some airlines require that you report stolen goods before leaving the airport. Alexander Anolik, a San Francisco attorney specializing in travel law, says that while courts will probably not sympathize if you miss a 30-day window, same-day-reporting rules are unreasonable. Airlines likely owe you money even if it takes a few days to notice that something’s gone, he says.

4. “Sure, we can handle your pet—but can your pet handle us?”

Intending to fly with your pet? Though some airlines, like Southwest, don’t allow animals in their cargo hold, others will let you “check” Fido. But be prepared: When flying as cargo, animals can be exposed to loud noises and extreme temperatures. Even the mere separation from owners can be difficult. Wilmington, Del., attorney Lou Hering once checked his cat Zeb on a flight from L.A. to New York. Zeb didn’t make it onto the same flight and arrived several hours after Hering did. “He walked out of his carrier and didn’t even look at me, he was so mad,” recalls Hering.

First and foremost, experts suggest reading your airline’s pet policy. Pamela Martin, assistant professor of small-animal internal medicine at Tuskegee University, says young puppies and kittens should accompany you in the cabin, since they can’t regulate their body temperature as well as adults can. If you must check your pet, she suggests writing your telephone number on the crate and taping a picture of the animal to it, in case your pet escapes from its carrier. Traveling internationally? Web sites like PetTravel.com list important entry requirements and information.

5. “We don’t actually do that much.”

From the moment you surrender your luggage at check-in, most of the heavy lifting is done by machines. Bags travel by conveyor belt, then get routed to the right gate, says Rick Stoess, of Mason, Ohio–based Intelligrated, which has manufactured conveyor and sortation systems used at airports. In small airports, the sorting is done by hand, but in larger ones, scanners read the bag’s bar code, and a device sweeps it into the correct lane. Often, automatic security screening gets integrated into this labyrinth. The primary task for handlers: transferring bags onto the plane, either by cart or aluminum container.

Radio-frequency identification could reduce human involvement even further. According to Pankaj Shukla, director of RFID business development for Motorola, which acquired a company that helped pioneer the technology, RFID works by inlaying a microchip and an antenna inside a tag, increasing the system’s accuracy to nearly 100 percent. But, says Shukla, while paper tags cost around 4 cents each, RFID tags run in the midteens. So don’t expect the industry to make the expensive upgrade soon. McCarran International in Las Vegas is the only American airport using RFID fully.

6. “Not all bags are created equal.”

In the movie "Up in the Air," travel-obsessed downsizing pro Ryan Bingham (played by George Clooney) takes his firm’s ambitious new hire to a luggage shop after she brings a clunky suitcase along on her first business trip. Indeed, finicky fliers say the smallest details matter, and industry experts agree that some materials are better than others. According to Dawn Sicco, U.S. wholesale marketing director at Samsonite, ballistic nylon—originally used in World War II flak jackets—has become the “pinnacle of the industry” since first appearing in luggage two decades ago. For hard-shell suitcases, Sicco says polycarbonate is best. Lightweight but strong, this synthetic resin is found in police riot shields and bulletproof glass.

Baggage handlers can be picky too. Flores, the American Airlines handler, says she prefers bags with “spinner” wheels that rotate in circles; this makes it easier for her to push bags in any direction without lifting them. But that doesn’t necessarily mean consumers should opt for spinners. Dan Bohl, a district manager at Colorado Bag’n Baggage in Denver, says the wheels on four-wheel suitcases are more susceptible to damage and dislocation because of their placement.

7. “Stressing about baggage claim? You should.”

Ever wonder what happens if someone walks off with your suitcase at baggage claim? Airlines hope it won’t happen. “It’s more of an honor system,” says a spokesperson for Southwest. Legally, says travel attorney Anolik, until your belongings are back in your hands, they’re still the airline’s responsibility, and on trips involving connecting flights with multiple airlines, it’s the first carrier that matters. In the case of checked luggage poached at baggage claim, airlines say that they’ll negotiate a reasonable payment if they can’t find your bags but that it’s impossible to hunt for bags once they’ve left the airport.

Fortunately, the Department of Transportation has made it easier to get reimbursed for expenses ranging from a toothbrush to a new suit by cracking down on airlines that had been violating its baggage-handling rules. Anolik notes the domestic limit for claims is now $3,300 but cautions that for international flights, calculating compensation can be tricky, since liability is likely to be priced in “special drawing rights,” a complex monetary unit made up of differently weighted currencies.

8. “Many of us don’t actually work for the airlines.”

Not all baggagehandlers work for airlines; many are contract workers employed by so-called ground-handling companies. JetBlue employs a mix of both, while American uses contractors at airports where it has just a handful of flights per day. Major ground-handling companies include Swissport International, which employs about 1,500 baggage handlers in the U.S. and, like its rivals, gets most of its business from foreign airlines. According to Michael Boyd, president of aviation consultants Boyd Group International, third-party vendors are popular as a way for airlines to save money, since ground-handling firms compete for contracts, hire more short-term workers and tend to be less unionized.

John Conley, director of the Transport Workers Union’s air-transport division, says outsourcing baggage handling can mean slower service and mistakes. “If I were working for a contract group, it’s likely that I’ll have less of a wage...and probably less of an investment,” he says. A Swissport exec says that’s not true, and Boyd agrees consumers shouldn’t worry, since it’s a straightforward job most handlers can do no matter who the boss is.

9. “We can’t handle unusual items.”

In the wake of 9/11, airlines have put more effort into specifying what things are always, sometimes and never allowed on planes. Rules on their Web sites address everything from a deceased relative’s cremated remains to an athlete’s vaulting pole. But issues still come up from time to time, such as when fliers try to check unusual items. When Mark Thomas, a wildlife biologist and avid hunter from Alabama, tried checking antlers at an Alaska airport in 2006, he says, airline workers didn’t want any part of it. “It’s like it was nuclear waste,” he says.

Thomas isn’t alone. When United Airlines tried banning checked antlers on its flights last year, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance encouraged its members to bombard United with complaints; the ban was eventually reversed. (A spokesperson for United says the ban was due to the damage caused by antlers and animal horns; United now has new requirements in place for packaging and cleaning them for transport.)

10. “If you think we’re bad here, just wait till you go abroad.”

In some parts of the world, smugglers have been known to transport drugs in the luggage of unsuspecting air passengers. In other regions, security may be especially lax, and pilfering of bags or their contents is of greater concern for travelers. Worldwide, 11.4 bags per 1,000 passengers were mishandled in 2008, according to SITA; industry experts say that figure is far lower in the U.S.

Using luggage locks during foreign travel is a good idea, but to prevent smuggling and theft (at least of a bag’s contents), some fliers are wrapping their suitcases in layers of clear plastic. Smarte Carte, a provider of luggage carts at major airports, offers plastic-wrapping stations in Auckland, New Zealand, and Perth, Australia. Florida-based Global Baggage Protection Systems, meanwhile, operates as Secure Wrap in 47 airports worldwide. Not going abroad anytime soon? Domestic travelers can try out Secure Wrap for $9 to $14 a pop at John F. Kennedy International in New York, George Bush Intercontinental in Houston or Miami International. In Miami, where drug smuggling is an especially big worry, 2,000 to 4,000 pieces of luggage get wrapped on any given day, says Secure Wrap Executive Director Daniel Valdespino. But a Transportation Security Administration spokesperson says agents will open bags if they have to, even plastic-wrapped ones.

Source: travel.yahoo.com




Australia toughens laws on sex tourism - 8 June

Australia has launched an advertising campaign to accompany tough new laws on sex tourism.

Adverts have been placed in national newspapers that warn offenders they can be prosecuted in Australia even if their crimes are committed elsewhere.

The measures include jail terms of up to 25 years for Australians found guilty of sex crimes against children in foreign countries.

Charities in Australia have welcomed the tougher stance.

Hetty Johnston from the Queensland-based child protection charity, Bravehearts, says sex tourists should have no place to hide.

"What we know is that it is increasingly difficult for sex offenders to get away with their crimes in Australia because of the increased level of awareness," she said.

"So it is an option - and a very attractive option - for child-sex offenders to actually travel overseas to places where children are not so protected.

"Anything at all that we can do to stop that - we are all for. We just don't believe persons convicted of child sex offences should be allowed to leave the country without reason."

Charities have alleged that Australians have travelled far and wide to abuse children.

They blame organised criminal gangs in Asia, the Pacific, South America and Eastern Europe as well as China for facilitating such "abhorrent behaviour".

The Australian government has promised to fight the sexual exploitation of children wherever it occurs.

Officials say they want to combat the "increasingly depraved and corrupt activities" of child-sex tourists.

Over the weekend, a 72-year-old man was extradited from Portugal to face a court in Sydney on child sex charges that date back more than a decade.

Source: bbc.co.uk