tourism

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Newest UN Tourism Ambassador Is ... Robert Mugabe?

Choice of Zimbabwean strongman doesn't go over well

(Newser) - The UN has anointed Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe one of its worldwide "leaders of tourism," reports the Guardian , and here's just one hint why it's a little weird: Mugabe himself can't travel the world freely, thanks to US and EU sanctions put in place over...

Maybe It's Time to See Scenic, Broke Greece

If it leaves the eurozone, it'll be a real bargain, experts say

(Newser) - These days you probably think of Greece as the place threatening to set the euro on fire. It's easy to forget that it's also a pretty beautiful tourist destination, loaded with ancient ruins and sunny beaches—and soon, NPR points out, it could be a pretty cheap destination,...

Lawmakers Push Ban on Ban on Las Vegas Travel

Dean Heller, Shelley Berkley fight for the government's right to party

(Newser) - No one is actually talking about outlawing government travel to Las Vegas or Reno in the wake of the GSA scandal, but a pair of Nevada lawmakers want to ban such a banning, just in case. Sen. Dean Heller and Rep. Shelley Berkley are putting forward bills in their respective...

Town Considers &#39;WTF&#39; Slogan
 Town Considers 'WTF' Slogan 
Feb 20, 2012 3:34 PM CST

Town Considers 'WTF' Slogan

Fruita, Colorado residents would translate that as 'Welcome to Fruita'

(Newser) - A Colorado town with the motto "Honor the Past, Envision the Future" is considering three more letters to advertise itself: "WTF"—as in, "Welcome to Fruita." A couple printed out 500 stickers with the term and handed them out to businesses in downtown Fruita, sparking...

Homeless Tour Guides Offer New Peek at London

Volunteer group teams up with them to spread awareness

(Newser) - Visitors to London can get an earthier view of the city courtesy of homeless tour guides. Der Spiegel tags along as one woman ticks off facts on familiar sites such as the London Bridge, along with tidbits not to be found on more official tours: "This is where I...

Tourism Spikes Worldwide
 Tourism Spikes Worldwide 
Jan 16, 2012 6:59 PM CST

Tourism Spikes Worldwide

Europe sees boost as Middle East, North Africa lose travelers

(Newser) - The economic crisis, Japanese disasters, and the Arab Spring couldn't stop tourists from globetrotting last year, AFP reports. European tourism surged the most—6% higher than in 2010—helping to fuel an international rise of 4.4% that clocked 980 million travelers, according to a UN report. But tourists...

Unlikely Tourist Hotspots for 2012

Panama, Finland, and Myanmar top the list

(Newser) - If you like cool design, upscale safaris, or a forbidden communist island, the New York Times can recommend 45 locales to visit in 2012. Among them:
  • Panama. See the world-famous canal before its expansion, then stay for Panama City's economic boom and Frank Gehry's first design in Latin
...

New Destination for Rich Chinese Tourists: Wales?

Planned resort to feature signs in Mandarin, staff familiar with Chinese culture

(Newser) - With Chinese tourism to the UK booming, a developer is planning a resort village aimed at their specific needs. But it's not exactly a stone's throw from London's attractions: Instead, it's calling itself "just three hours away" in Wales. Pantglas Estate would house a 92-bedroom...

North Korea Now Open for Tourism!
North Korea Now Open for Tourism!
Nov 16, 2011 1:16 PM CST

North Korea Now Open for Tourism!

...as long as you don't try to talk to anyone or walk down the street

(Newser) - Looking for an exciting new vacation destination? Well, scenic North Korea would love to have you—provided you don’t try anything foolish like talking to a local, walking down the street, or (gasp) using a cellphone. The repressive country is looking to tourism to raise money, but doing its...

Glasgow All the Rage After Brad Pitt Stay

Zombie flick helps Glasgow edge out Edinburgh for top Scottish destination

(Newser) - What happens in Glasgow stays in Glasgow—except when Brad Pitt comes to town to film a potential zombie blockbuster, and the city transforms into Scotland's top destination spot so far this year. Calling it the "Brad Pitt effect," the Daily Mail notes that Scotland's No....

Siberian Officials Find 'Proof' of Yeti Artifacts in Mountains

 Siberia Turns Up 'Proof' of Yeti 
in case you missed it
Oct 15, 2011 7:00 AM CDT

Siberia Turns Up 'Proof' of Yeti

Officials find 'footprints' and 'supposed bed'

(Newser) - Siberian officials say they've uncovered concrete proof of an Abominable Snowman living nearby. Have they actually spotted him? Well, not Yeti—but during an expedition to the Shoria mountains, participants found the creature's "footprints, his supposed bed, and various markers with which the yeti marks his territory,...

Want to Go to Japan? It's Doling Out 10K Flights

Officials reassure foreign travelers that country is safe to visit

(Newser) - How to cope with the unpleasant reality of a major drop in tourism following March's earthquake and tsunami? Free stuff for tourists! Japan will attempt to woo back wary travelers by doling out 10,000 free airline tickets next year, the Japan Tourism Agency announced this week. Officials are...

Pablo Escobar's Life: Now a $40 Tourist Draw

Medellin travel agency offers controversial tours on late drug lord

(Newser) - Pablo Escobar has made the transition in death from feared drug lord to Disney-esque tourist attraction. Visitors to Medellin, Colombia, can now shell out $40 for a three-hour tour of Escobar's favorite haunts when he ruled the city in the 1980s, reports the Guardian . The tour includes a stop...

Gladiator Thugs Busted at Colosseum

Cop centurions sent in as Rome cracks down on racketeers

(Newser) - Gladiators and centurions clashed in front of Rome's Colosseum this week as police attempted to crack down on thugs targeting tourists. Undercover officers dressed as centurions were sent in to investigate the dozens of fake gladiators, centurions, and Roman legionnaires who make their living outside the ancient stadium, posing...

Japan Tries to Lure Back Scared Tourists

Numbers are way down, and hotel discounts are way up

(Newser) - Looking for an inexpensive vacation? Go to Japan. This is the country's unofficial message to a dwindling population of visitors scared away by the recent natural disasters and the threat of radiation exposure, the Global Post reports. To draw tourists back in, hotels are offering bargain-bin specials. Japan needs...

Venice Tourists to Pay Tax to Save City

Minimal tax on overnight visitors could raise millions

(Newser) - Vacationing in Venice is about to get a wee bit pricier. In a bid to save the slowly sinking city, Venice will next month start levying a tourist tax. Those lucky enough to stay in a five-star hotel will see a nightly per-person charge of nearly $6.50 added to...

Tourist Sucked Into Deadly Maui Blowhole

Californian David Potts bobs up once, vanishes

(Newser) - Horrified onlookers watched helplessly as a Northern California man was sucked into a tourist-touted "blowhole" on the shores of Maui. David Potts was clowning around close to the geyser-like phenomenon when a sneaker wave knocked him off his feet and he disappeared down the spouting hole. He bobbed to...

12 Dead as Tourist Boat Sinks in Vietnam

People from 9 countries among the dead

(Newser) - An anchored tourist boat sank early this morning in Vietnam, killing 12 travelers—most asleep—onboard, the LA Times reports. The dead hailed from nine countries, and included two Americans. Another 15 people made it off the boat alive. They report seeing a wooden plank rip away from the vessel...

Vietnam Discovers Own 'Great Wall'

79-mile wall was built to keep tribes separated

(Newser) - In 2005, a professor found a reference to "Long Wall of Quang Ngai" in a 19th-century Vietnamese document. Five years later, Dr Andrew Hardy and his team have uncovered that nearly 200-year-old—and 79-mile long—wall, reports CNN . Up to 13 feet high in places, the scale is much...

Chernobyl Opening to Tourists
Chernobyl Opening
to Tourists
Dec 14, 2010 1:20 AM CST

Chernobyl Opening to Tourists

Guided tours to be offered inside restricted zone

(Newser) - Get your red hots! Ukraine plans to start welcoming tourists to the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster next year. Officials will open up the sealed zone which extends for a 30-mile radius around the Chernobyl plant, and guides will offer tours which would avoid contaminated areas while taking...

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