The China Railway Corporation forecast that 560 million rail trips will be made during the July-August summer travel peak. The Xinhua news agency reports that China’s rail network covers 121,000 kilometres, ranking second in the world. The government has announced plans for further rail connections, covering all its 2,800-plus counties. While trains in China are generally a means of transporting people and freight from place to place across a vast country, some routes are of interest to tourists. One luxury option is the Shangri-La Express that operates to and from Beijing, tracking some of the ancient Silk Route.
The best hotels in Rome? According to The Telegraph, they are Babuino 181, Villa Spalletti Trivelli, Residenza Napoleone III and JK Place. For the British newspaper’s recommendations for the rest of Italy, click here.
India’s Jet Airways has cut fares on its international routes by up to 25 per cent. The Eithad affiliate flies to 68 destinations in India and around the world.
A terrorist attack on Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport has claimed 36 lives and injured more than 100 others. Many observers see this as an attack on Turkey’s tourism industry at the height of summer, which is its busiest time. More on this breaking story here.
All passengers leaving Abu Dhabi airport are now required to have an eye scan as part of the UAE emirate’s “Smart Travel” initiative. This may affect passengers having stopovers on Etihad and other airlines that travel through the Middle East hub, but not those who are only transiting and do not leave the airport. Details are here.
An Italian resort is offering beachgoers a refund if rain spoils their visit. According to this report, the tourist board in Jesolo, near Venice, will refund the cost of hiring a sun lounger and umbrella at its beaches if there is more than 3mm of rain per hour between 11am and 5pm.
The rival bidders at Heathrow and Gatwick are said to agree that a quick decision on which airport will win London’s extra runway will prove that Britain is “back in business” after the historic Brexit vote. While Heathrow is increasingly confident of gaining political approval for a third runway, neither of the top candidates to replace prime minister David Cameron — Theresa May and Boris Johnson — are said to favour it.
The quarter-final success of the Iceland team in the Euro 2016 competition has renewed interest in a travel destination that is certainly off the beaten track. Icelandair is offering airfares from the US, Canada and Europe here.
A Singapore Airlines jet has caught fire on the tarmac at Changi Airport after having turned back to Singapore during a flight to Milan. The BBC has footage of the dramatic wing fire here. Passengers, who were onboard at the time, said firefighters took between five and 10 minutes to put out the flames before they were allowed to disembark.
The Accor hotel group is offering discounts of up to 30 per cent at selected properties in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Egypt and Iran. Details are here.
Britons may have voted to leave the European Union, but there are still many options for them to travel to Europe. British Airways has increased the number of flights to Germany from London City Airport. It now has more than 70 services a week to Germany, including flights to Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt direct from the Docklands airport. Fares to Berlin start at £49. Details here.
Auckland has topped a list of greatest coastal cities compiled by Chicago Line Cruises. It was followed by Barcelona, Vancouver, Copenhagen, Singapore, Chicago, Sydney, San Francisco, Tokyo and New York.
Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 has undergone a “remastering” and returned to service. Among the improvements, it now has 15 new single rooms, a total of 24 kennels for passengers’ pets, and a huge LED television wall in the Royal Theatre. More here.
Iran Air has reportedly expressed interest in buying 80 Boeing passenger planes worth $17.6 billion and lease 29 B737s. The state-owned airline also has a deal with Airbus to purchase 100 of its aircraft.
It remains unclear how the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union will affect the travel and tourism industry. Some pundits suggest that a lower British pound — at least in the short term — may mean fewer Britons going abroad. However, a lower pound would be good news for inbound tourism, meaning the UK is more affordable to foreign visitors. A good time, then, for those who earn stronger currencies to book a British break, or to buy a holiday package or airfare that is sold in sterling. Meanwhile, those Brits living in Europe fear that their residency status may be affected. Stay tuned.
Air Serbia has begun direct flights from Belgrade to New York with a little help from its partner Etihad. Meanwhile, Emirates airline has launched the world’s longest scheduled airline service, from Dubai to Auckland, New Zealand. Later this year, Qatar Airways plans to launch two even longer nonstop routes ex-Doha, to Auckland and Santiago, Chile.
Roy Morgan Research has released a list of Australia’s most popular travel and tourism destinations online. The top five are Qantas, Booking.com, Jetstar, Virgin Australia and TripAdvisor.
Feeling the squeeze in economy class? You might be about to if you’re flying in the US. United Airlines has reportedly told investors that adding slimmer seats to its aircraft, combined with “sensible cost management”, would bring $1.3 billion of benefits. Meanwhile, however, United has unveiled a new business class seat created by Polaris, the firm that created Etihad’s The Residence product. The seats have been configured to allow aisle access to all passengers without requiring them to step over another customer, while also allowing the aircraft to have the same number of business-class seats as in their old configuration.
The Louvre in Paris is the most popular museum in the world, with 8.7 million visitors in 2015. Coming in second is the National Museum of China in Beijing with 7.3 million, followed by the (Smithsonian) National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. The rest of the top-ten list is here.
Want more money and freedom to travel? Why not lead a minimalist lifestyle? Fumio Sasaki told The Guardian: “Spending less time on cleaning or shopping means I have more time to spend with friends, go out, or travel on my days off. I have become a lot more active.”
Sweden’s “Call a Swede” campaign has won the Direct Lions Grand Prix trophy at the Cannes Lions advertising industry festival in France. The initiative, where international callers are connected to a random Swedish person who had registered with the service, was devised by agency Ingo Stockholm. If you want to give it a go, the number is +46 771 793 336.
Yoga schools in Mysuru, India, have reported a higher number of enrollment applications since the announcement of a “yoga visa” for foreign visitors who want to take short term courses.
Emirates airline will take delivery of its 80th Airbus A380 superjumbo aircraft this month. On July 1, Emirates will launch of a daily A380 service to Vienna, its 41st A380 destination. It has been reported that Emirates has a further 62 A380s pending delivery. The airline has also released this cockpit video of one of its fleet:
Shanghai Disney Resort, the company’s sixth Disneyland style theme park and the first in mainland China, has opened to big crowds and great expectations. And while there was rain on the first official day, in true showbiz traditions it didn’t dampen spirits of those who’d ventured to see Mickey Mouse and the other Disney characters and enjoy the thrill rides.
Tunisia, the location of two deadly terror attacks on tourist sites in the past two years, is trying to convince people that it is now safe to travel there again. With ancient Roman ruins and modern beach resorts, and its location at the northern tip of Africa close to Europe, the country is well placed to welcome western tourists. Whether they will come is another question. More here.
To celebrate its new building, the Tate Modern in London commissioned a video featuring Mabel. Here it is:
Landing fees at Hong Kong airport will rise by up to 28 per cent to fund a third runway. The fees will be introduced in stages from September, when increased parking rates will also come into effect at the airport. More here.
A passenger has been ordered off a P&O Australia cruise ship for throwing a cigarette butt overboard. The 58-year-old passenger, who has cancer, was flown to D Bali and told to make his own way home to Perth, according to his daughter. A company spokesman said: “The issue of fire safety on board is of highest priority. The mandatory passenger safety muster on embarkation includes an explicit warning about the dangers associated with disposing of cigarettes over the side. A lighted cigarette can be drawn into the ship posing a serious risk to the ship and the safety of passengers and crew.”
Searchers have found the second black box flight recorder belonging to EgyptAir Flight 804, which crashed over the Mediterranean Sea in May. Investigators hope the data on the two boxes will help them identify the cause of the crash, in which 66 crew and passengers died.
Fancy a journey to the centre of the Earth? No, it doesn’t involve tunnelling. According to this report, Google has declared Corum in Turkey as the geographical centre of all land surfaces on the planet. That centre is located at 40°52′N 34°34′E, a rural part of Çorum. What to do there? Well, according to Trip Advisor, it’s got a small but nice museum with an emphasis on its Hittite past.
Upping the ante on shipboard entertainment, the musical Grease has debuted on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, currently the world’s largest passenger ship. Here’s a promotional video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spdo70EBX2U
Abu Dhabi has followed Dubai in levelling a departure fee on passengers at its international airport. The fee, of 35 dirhams (about US$10) will be introduced on June 30, according to media reports.
What’s the best place to travel on a budget? Well, everybody has their own ideas, but the top answer on the Quora question-and-answer site at the time of writing is Vietnam, because of its cheap hotels (from as little as $15 a night) and food.
Another list. This time it’s the list of World’s 50 Best Restaurants. In ascending order, the top 10 are: 10 Asador Etxebarri, Spain; 9 Steirereck, Austria; 8 Narisawa, Japan; 7 Mugaritz, Spain; 6 Mirazur, Spain; 5 Noma, Denmark; 4 Central, Peru; 3 Eleven Madison Park, United States; 2 El Celler de Can Roca, Spain; 1 Osteria Francescana, Italy.
How long is a day, or a night, in a hotel? For most guests, a stay starts in the afternoon or evening and ends early in the morning. The maximum is around 20 to 22 hours, if you check in as soon as you can and check out at the last allowable minute. But at least one hotel — the Dusit Thani in Abu Dhabi is offering the guests the opportunity to stay a full 24 hours over this northern summer. The deal is that you check in when you want and check out the same time the next day. details here.
Building cruise ships is an expensive business. So, too, is updating them. Royal Caribbean has announced a $61 million refit of its Adventure of the Seas in November. The San Juan-based ship will be fitted with waterslides and a surf simulator as well as new restaurants, 100 new cabins and a suites lounge.
Choices are widening for people who want to travel to Cuba now that it has normalised relations with the United States. Several American Airlines have announced plans to fly to airports other than Havana in coming months. They include American, JetBlue, Southwest, Frontier and Silver Airways. More here.
Emirates airline may be associated in many minds with its large fleet of flagship Airbus 380 super jumbos, but it is keen for us to know that it also has a lot of Boeing airplanes. An Emirates tweet notes that the Dubai carrier has 156 B777s with another 185 on order.
India has extended the range of activities permissible under its e-visa program to include those visitors wishing to undertake yoga courses. More here.
Royal Caribbean has admitted that there were problems for passengers due to last-minute work on the world’s biggest passenger ship, Harmony of the Seas, during short cruises before its official launch. A spokesperson said: “We recognise there were simply too many projects being completed during this sailing. We offer our apologies to customers who were affected.” Customers were offered a discount voucher as compensation.
The Travelodge hotel chain in the UK and Ireland notes in a direct email campaign that it has “loads of comfy king size rooms from just £29” per night, plus £7.95 for its “best-ever breakfast“. It also suggests that it can be hard to find these bargains. The simple advice — and this applies to other hotel chains, too — is to book directly on the company’s own website, book early and plan when you stay. There are more bargain rooms available between Sunday and Thursday than on Friday and Saturdays.
Archaeologists have discovered a huge monument at the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. Reports say the monument, buried in sand and discovered through a satellite imaging process, could be 2,150 years old.
The Western Australian government has launched a new tourism promotion using the hashtag #justanotherdayinWA.
Emirates airline is reportedly considering introducing a premium economy option on some of its flights. The Dubai carrier has previously resisted this option, but company president Tim Clark has said that this is now something Emirates should take seriously.
Qantas will soon begin work on a new premium lounge at Brisbane international airport to replace its existing first-class and business lounges. According to a Qantas media release, the lounge design and interiors will “take inspiration from the natural beauty of Queensland and offer an increase of more than 25 per cent more space for customers to relax, work and dine. Travellers will enjoy seasonal menus by Qantas Chef Neil Perry, a bar serving Rockpool-designed cocktails and all-day barista coffee by Vittoria will be introduced.” The existing ounges will be closed from 29 June and the new International Premium Lounge will open in October. During the refurbishment, eligible Qantas customers will be offered access to the Plaza Premium Lounge or vouchers for food outlets.
The Russians are coming! The MC-21 aircraft unveiled this week is expected to take on the likes of Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier. With configurations for between 165 and 211 passengers, the plane is built by Irkut group and will go into service with Aeroflot and other airlines from 2018.
SWISS airlines has become the first carrier to fly the new Bombardier CS100 aircraft. The inaugural flight included executives from airlines worldwide who wanted to familiarise themselves with the plane. regular services will begin on July 15. It features 118 seats in a single-class configuration.
The cross-Channel Eurostar train is offering £10 tickets for children for bookings made by June 20. The cheap fares apply for journeys between London and stations in France or Belgium made between July 4 and August 31. Adult fares London to Paris start at £39. More here.
Qatar airways and Sri Lankan airlines have announced a codeshare deal. Among the benefits for passengers it will mean greater connectivity from Doha to Male in the Seychelles. According to a Qatar press release, passengers will also be able to accrue frequent flyer points on either airline’s program and enjoy oneworld alliance benefits.
Authorities on the tiny South Atlantic island of St Helena hope to be able to open their new airport within once after the have collated data on windshear and worked out how to counter its effects. The £250 million facility was funded by the British government, but many islanders fear it will never open.
Travel tip: want to know whether your appliances will plug into the wall or you’ll need an adaptor at your destination? Check this site.
A British insurance comparison site is warning that some travel insurance policies are worthless because they do not cover basics such as flight cancellations. With other policies, the cost of making a claim is prohibitive. Gemma Sonfield, from comparethemarket.com, told The Times many policies could “result in substantial costs for those who fail to read the small print”. As with any service, the best advice is to read and understand the fine print.
European visits to United Kingdom could drop dramatcally if Britons vote to exit the European Union. This could cost the UK’s tourism industry as much as £4.1 billion a year in international tourist spending, according to travel deals publisher Travelzoo. The Independent takes a look at the various issues here.
OmanAir is offering excellent business class deals on selected flights from Muscat and other Middle East airports. For example, business class return to Singapore costs as low as US$620. Details here.
A new configuration approved for the Airbus A380 will see an extra seat fitted into the middle row in the economy section. The 3-5-3 set up will reportedly allow airlines that choose to use it to carry an extra 23 passengers. Combined with other planned changes, it means the plane could accommodate up to 70 extra passengers. The current record for number of passengers on an A380 (or any commercial airliner) is 615, held by Emirates airline. There is no word yet on which airlines, if any, will be using the new cabin layout. (Related: Emirates, the biggest customer for the A380, has said it has “given up” on trying to convince Airbus to upgrade the plane, it just wants to convince the company to keep making them.)
The death of Muhammad Ali will, no doubt, spark more interest in the museum in his honour in Louisville, Kentucky. Details of the centre, its work and hours are here.
Carnival Corp “social impact” brand Fathom is offering special deals to the Dominican Republic, with fares starting at US$499 for an inside cabin. “We want to provide unique ways for our guests to give, learn, grow in spirit, and help build a sense of community that reaches out to the wider world,” said Fathom president Tara Russell in a media release. Fathom also sails from Miami to Cuba.
Air France La Première (first-class) passengers will be given a unisex sleep suit, which the airlines describes in a media release as an “elegant souvenir that passengers can take with them after their trip, it can easily be worn at home”. Passengers will also receive a comfort kit containing slippers, socks, a shoehorn and a shoe bag.
Royal Caribbean is expanding its presence in Asia with the arrival of Ovation of the Seas in Singapore this month. South East Asia is becoming an increasingly competitive territory for cruise lines, with RC, NCL Costa and the long-established Star Cruises all vying for a piece of the world’s fastest growing market.
Air Canada is now offering a year-round direct flight from Brisbane, Australia to Vancouver. As Business Vancouver reports, the thrice-weekly Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights arrive in Brisbane at 7.15am two days later with the return trips leaving Brisbane at 10.45am and arriving in Vancouver at 7.15pm the same day. The airline plans to move to daily flights soon.
Royal Caribbean, the cruise operator that just launched the world’s largest passenger ship, Harmony of the Seas, has sold one of its smaller craft. It has sold Legend of the Seas to Thomson Cruises for an undisclosed sum. The Legend will join the Thomson fleet in May next year as TUI Discovery 2, a sister ship to TUI Discovery, which will be launched soon. The name Thomson is being phased out in favour of TUI.
Spending on tourism has exceeded spending on global trade for the fourth year in a road, the BBC reports. The most popular destinations are the United States, China, France and Spain. According to the UN World Tourism Organisation, tourism grew by 4 per cent in 2015, generating $1.4 trillion. A separate report in The Telegraph notes that Egypt, Turkey and Greece have seen dramatic downturns in tourist numbers.
NCL has upped the ante on the competitive cruise route from Miami to the Bahamas. According to its website, for a limited time the Norwegian Sky will be sailing with an open bar. Apparently that means “free unlimited beverages, including top-tier liquors”.
Airline passenger demand has stalled, in part due to the terrorist attack on Brussels Aiport, according to figures released by the International Air Transport Association. In a media release, IATA said global passenger traffic data for April showed that demand (measured in total revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose by 4.6 per cent — the slowest pace since January 2015. “The disruptive impact of the Brussels Airport attack weighed on the April figures,” it said. “IATA estimates that, absent the impact of the attacks, demand growth would have been around 5 per cent.”
The latest travel and tourism news is here The travel news for news for May, 2016 is here The travel news for April, 2016 is here Start spreading your news: email me here.
