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Last week the Colosseum was for sale , yesterday the Acropolis was up for rent , today it's Big Ben! London's iconic structure, built in the 19th Century, could be for sale to raise money for the House of Commons. Big Ben is considered one of the landmarks of London, and the House of Commons intends to sell is to either Russian or Chinese investors. The sale includes the possibility of knocking it down and…
Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. At the opening of an elaborately staged evening at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel to launch Muscat as the Arab Tourism Capital 2012, Muna Musallam Mohammed Al Mashani was announced as winner of the highly prestigious Muscat 2012 Brand Competition. Her Excellency Maitha Al Mahrouqi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Muscat 2012 Committee Head said that “the Ministry is…
Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, announced today that it has completed its first in-house maintenance of Airbus A320 aircraft. The “C check” was carried out at the airline’s new state-of-the-art hangar at Sharjah International Airport, which has been designed to meet all the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) requirements and regulations for the…
Greece‘s culture ministry will open up some of the debt-stricken country’s most-cherished archaeological sites to advertising firms and other ventures. The ministry says the move is a common-sense way of helping “facilitate” access to the country’s ancient Greek ruins, and money generated would fund the upkeep and monitoring of sites. The first site to be opened would be the Acropolis. A commercial firm…
Luxury hotel chain Shangri-La will stop serving shark fin at its 72 properties, as the campaign to protect the marine predators gains ground among Chinese consumers. The Hong Kong-based group said it would cease serving shark fin in all of its restaurants as well as accepting new orders for shark fin products in banqueting with immediate effect, under a “sustainable seafood policy”. Shark fin soup is viewed…
19th January 2012: Omar Samra, founder and CEO of Wild Guanabana, the Middle East’s first carbon neutral travel company, moved one step closer to a life-long “7 Summits” dream as he battled through temperatures of -40C to reach the peak of Antarctica’s highest mountain, the 4,892m high Vinson Massif at 18h45 Antarctica Local Time on Thursday, 5th January 2012. The Egyptian adventurer who first made his…
Luxury liner Costa Concordia may be big enough to house swimming pools and restaurants, but its very size might have complicated evacuation and rescue efforts,. “What jumps out at me is the size of this liner,” said Jacques Loiseau, chairman of the French Association of Ship Captains. The association had regularly tried to draw attention to the dangers posed by the tendency towards ships of such a vast…
Like the idea of playing 18 holes on a floating island that overlooks coral reefs and is connected by underwater tunnels? Well soon you will be able to, thanks to a Dutch company which announced plans to build a $500 million floating golf course in the Maldives. Featuring 18 holes connected by underwater tunnels, the course will be made up of several islands floating in the Indian Ocean, which will contain…
‘Incredible’ India has been voted the world’s leading destination at this year’s World Travel Awards ceremony, held January 11 in Qatar. India saw off competition from London, New York, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney to take the award, the most prestigious handed out at the event. Etihad Airways was judged world’s leading airline, seeing off a host of competitors including KLM, British Aiways,…
International tourist arrivals grew by over 4% in 2011 to 980 million, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. With growth expected to continue in 2012, at a somewhat slower rate, international tourist arrivals are on track to reach the milestone one billion mark later this year. International tourist arrivals grew by 4.4% in 2011 to a total 980 million, up from 939 million in 2010, in a…
The Palazzo Orsini in Rome, which greatly resembles the Colosseum, is up for sale for €32 million($42 million). Its asking price is thought to make it the most expensive property currently on sale in the Italian capital, and one of the most expensive in Europe. The 11,000 sq ft property has frescoed staterooms, a ballroom, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a library, a dining room, a terrace, a separate…
Abu Dhabi; UAE: January 10, 2012: His Highness Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed Al Nahyan signed an agreement with His Excellency Alain Azouaou, the French Ambassador in the UAE, marking a high profile tenant for Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi. The French Embassy will function from the dedicated office tower of the newest and most prestigious integrated lifestyle development in the capital city. Developed by Sheikh Suroor…
dnata, the world's fourth largest air services provider announced it has acquired a majority stake in Travel Republic (www.travelrepublic.co.uk), the largest privately owned online travel agency in the UK on 3rd January. The acquisition represents one of dnata's biggest business transactions in the company's 52 year history. Through the use of pioneering technology, Travel Republic offers unbeatable prices on…
As the majestic Volvo Ocean Race fleet is now in Abu Dhabi, tourists and residents are encouraged to visit the stunning Destination Village on the Corniche breakwater for entertainment, activities, concerts and all the race action until 14th January. Highlights of the event are as follows: 3-8 January - Team Sailing Clinic 12 January - Pro-Am Race 13 January - In-Port Race 14 January - Departure…
Nora Bheag, a near century old Galway ‘Hooker’ boat, has arrived safely into Abu Dhabi after an historic voyage that set out from the city on Ireland’s West Coast more than six weeks ago. Nora Bheag ('Little Nora' in English which also means 'Little Light' in Arabic) is in the UAE capital as part of a culture exchange programme to celebrate the maritime histories of Ireland and Abu Dhabi around the emirate’s…
A Japanese department store is offering anyone with a quarter of a million dollars a lucky dip bag stuffed with expensive jewellery to ring in the New Year. One lucky customer prepared to hand over a numerically significant 20.12 million yen ($259,000) can celebrate the turn of the year with a fistful of precious baubles. The “fukubukuro” (lucky bag) — a feature of the New Year in Japan, one of the…
US fast-food chain Wendy’s, known for its square beef patties and baked potatoes, on Tuesday unveiled a foie gras burger as it sprang back into life in Japan. Two years after shutting up shop because of falling profits, Wendy’s is hoping its exotic new menu will tickle the sophisticated Japanese palate. The regular buns are still there but are joined by the foie gras burgers, which cost 1,280 yen ($16), and…
The Colombina Medellin crime mafia is famous all over the world and makes headllines every so often. However, there is now some good news from Colombia's second largest city. Medellin has had a major overhaul and an inner city renewal project has transformed this crime infested city to one which has become increasingly safe for tourists. Nestled at 5,000 ft above sea level, this city has many residential…
