World Travel News: June 2006

It has been claimed that Mongolia will become one of the biggest new destinations for tourists over the coming year. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the country is on the verge of becoming a favourite destination with worldwide travellers in the months ahead thanks to its improvements in infrastructure. more

Dubai has been revealed as the world's fastest growing airport, as travellers continue flocking to the region to soak up the sun. According to the International Airports Organisation (IAO), Dubai International Airport has managed to increase the number of passengers passing through it by 20 per cent during the first six months of this year alone. more

A moderate earthquake has rocked parts of the Middle East, including Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The epicentre of the quake, which measured 5.4 to 5.6 on the Richter Scale, is believed to be near the Iranian island of Qeshm. more

Israel has stepped up its campaign to rescue one of its soldiers by seizing a number of Palestinian officials. Israeli forces made raids into the West Bank and captured dozens of Hamas legislators, including eight ministers, while ground forces massed on the northern border of the Gaza Strip. more

Travellers to European destinations will have more choice from 2007. Monarch Airlines has announced plans to begin flying from Birmingham to Ibiza, as well as providing the first service outside London to fly to Jerez when flights begin from its Manchester operation. more

A volcano in Ecuador has experienced over 50 explosions in the past 24 hours, it has been announced. Ecuador's National Geophysical Agency has revealed that the Tungurahua volcano has been experiencing 'shivers' in the past 24 hours as it continues its eruption process. more

Washington DC has been struck by severe storms which have left parts of the city underwater and closed a number of its top tourist attractions. Smithsonian's Natural History and American History museums, the National Gallery of Art and the National Archives have all been forced to close due to flooding and power outages across the city. more

Reforms are to be implemented to Australia's Holiday Maker (WHM) Visa which will provide travellers with greater work and study rights. While at present, the WHM allows travellers to work for any single employer for just three months. more

Israel has announced that it is planning to take military action against the Palestinians to find a soldier the country believes has been taken hostage. In a speech in Jerusalem, the rising tensions between Israelis and Palestinians was clear, with Israel's prime minister Ehud Olmert stating: "Let it be clear: We will reach everyone, no matter where." The tough stance is likely to inflame more violence in the region, despite efforts from other countries to try to bring the two groups to the negotiating table and work for peace. more

A tropical storm in a Philippine farming village has torn loose boulders on the nearby volcano, sending locals fleeing for their lives. Mount Bulusan has recently been pushing ash and rock out of its funnel and although the locals have not been in danger of a full scale eruption, the heavy rains brought by the tropical storm caused mudslides and loose boulders to head towards the village. more

Violence has flared in Somalia, resulting in the death of a Swedish cameraman as rioting continued in the capital, Mogadishu. Despite a peace accord being agreed between Somalia's interim government and the Islamist group which is currently occupying the capital, the unrest has continued and the Islamists' claim to be in control of Mogadishu remains in doubt. more

The European Commission has moved to improve air safety by adding four more companies to its recently-established blacklist. First published in March, the blacklist aims to improve standards in the airline industry by preventing carriers with a low safety record from flying inside the European Union (EU). more

An argument between the president and prime minister of East Timor is threatening to destabilise the country. President Xanana Gusmao has announced that he will resign from his position unless prime minister Mari Alkatiri leaves his office. more

Heavy storms have hit Poland, causing flooding and power outages across the country. The mid-western area of Wielkpolska and the south-western region of Lower Silesia suffered extensive damage in the storms, which have brought with them tornado-force winds. more

Brazilian airline Varig has been forced to cancel a number of flights as speculation increases over its financial survival. A total of 67 out of 180 daily flights have been scrapped as the company struggles to raise £40 million by the end of the week in order to prevent immediate bankruptcy. more

More than 100 people have been killed in flash floods that overwhelmed the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, while up to 40 are still unaccounted for. After days of heavy rainfall, the extreme weather abated for a short period on Wednesday, allowing people to return to their homes or flock to hospitals in the hope of finding relatives alive. more

A museum dedicated to tribal art of the world has been unveiled by French president Jacques Chirac. The French premier has launched the building in Paris as his legacy to the country and is filled with artworks from the indigenous peoples of Africa, Asia and Australasia. more

Any move to bring troops into Sudan looks set to be opposed by the country's government, meaning the area is likely to remain unstable for some time. President Omar al-Bashir has warned the UN that he will not accept any move that would see the country "re-colonised". more

A major deal has been struck between the Burundi government and the main rebel group which could bring piece to the country. It is hoped that the accord between Burundi's last active hostile rebel group and ministers will ensure that the country becomes peaceful and it has been decided that a draft peace agreement between the two sides will be concluded in the next two weeks. more

Travellers to Spain could find themselves travelling between two distinct countries in the future. The Catalonia region has backed a new charter which will see the area obtain greater independence from the rest of Spain and its government in Madrid. more

Travel to East Timor could become more secure following moves by rebels to disarm. The region has been beset by violence recently as former soldiers clashed with police, with gun battles raging in the capital, Dili. more

The Palestinian government has announced that it will restore a ceasefire with Israel provided attacks on Gaza are brought to an end. There has been an escalation of violence in the Middle Eastern region in recent months, following the election of the political wing of militant group Hamas by Palestinians. more

Violent protests have erupted in Mexico's southern city of Oaxaca. Protesting teachers have fought running battles with police, who have fired tear gas into the crowd to disperse the demonstrators. more

A bus has been blown up by a landmine in Sri Lanka, killing at least 61 people on board. The explosion is believed to have been caused by a landmine and the government quickly blamed the attack on Tamil Tigers, carrying out revenge attacks on the splinter group's positions. more

Those planning far-flung travel cannot always guarantee that the entire trip will go as planned, but now it seems they can at least be certain of setting of smoothly. Travellers leaving the UK from Gatwick can begin their journey on the Gatwick Express train, recently voted the UK's number one rail service. more

Travellers are being warned against a website offering fake health insurance cards. The Department of Health has issued an official warning about a website charging holidaymakers £15 to help them apply for the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). more

The three-hour shut down of an airport in the US should remind travellers of the need to avoid sparking unnecessary security concerns. Flights in and out of Tallahassee Airport in Florida were cancelled for three hours on Monday 12th June and the airport evacuated after a food writer's bag was mistaken for an explosive device. more

Travellers are to get more low cost flight options to Western Europe. Budget operator FlyBe has announced that it is to launch two new flights to Germany. Commencing October 29th, the airline will offer twice daily flights to Dusseldorf and daily flights to Hanover. more

The Post Office has become the latest provider to launch a pre-paid currency card. Billed as combining the convenience of a credit or debit card with the security of travellers' cheques, the Travel Money Card allows users to withdraw money and purchase goods abroad. more

Mount Merapi on the island of Java is continuing to spew out volcanic ash and lava, as everyone holds their breath ahead of a potential eruption. The volcano has been threatening to erupt for a number of weeks now but a recent upsurge in activity has led the Indonesian government to put its evacuation procedures into full swing. more

Trouble has flared up in Brazil's capital as landless farm workers protest against the government. It is understood that the workers are angry with the authorities over changes to the country's legislation to speed up land reform and it is thought that most of the protestors belonged to a militant offshoot of the main landless movement. more

British travellers are being tentatively welcomed back to the volcanic islands of Vanuatu. The Foreign Office has now relaxed its recommendation against all travel to Vanuatu in the Pacific. The warning was first issued in November 2005 when the volcano Mount Manaro became highly active, leading to locals being evacuated. more

Travel to and from Liverpool John Lennon Airport is set to get easier with the introduction of a new high speed train link. The Liverpool South Parkway interchange will open on June 11th, bringing faster connections to the city's airport. more

British backpackers are turning away from more adventurous holidays in favour of classic destinations. While destinations off the beaten track, such as South America and China, used to be popular, a new survey shows that British travellers are focusing their gaze closer to home on Europe, while the not-so-exotic US is also popular. more

Fans of budget travel in the midlands and south-west are set to benefit from new flights. British Airways has announced that its low-cost arm BA Connect is to begin operating flights to Tenerife out of Nottingham East Midlands Airport. more

A new initiative aims to make air travel more pleasant for passengers. The UK Disruptive Passenger Initiative was launched this week, encouraging stricter measures against those who are drunk and disorderly on planes and in passenger terminals, the BBC reports. more

Bulgaria is set to get a major new ski resort, following confirmation of a €250 million investment. Local and international backers have now thrown themselves behind the Perelik ski resort, to be built close to the villages of Smolyan, Stoikite, Gela, Solishta, Stikul and Mougla in the Rhodope Mountains. more

While the nation's eyes may be turned to Germany for the upcoming weeks, a significant proportion of travellers plan to avoid the country until the World Cup is over. One survey found that more than a third of travellers plan to avoid Germany until after the final whistle on July 9th, citing concerns over violence and crowds. more

Many travellers have fallen victim to the "holiday bargain", which turns out not to be such a fantastic deal when it promptly breaks upon the return home. However, new EU legislation means that holiday makers who purchased faulty goods in Europe should find it easier to recoup their money. more

Around 200,000 Maoists have taken part in a rally in Nepal's capital Kathmandu. The rally is thought to be the first by Maoists in the city since 2003. The protestors hope their actions will lead to the dissolution of the new government and bring about elections for a new constituent assembly. more

A new wing opened today at Japan's New Tokyo International Airport. The south wing of the airport's Terminal 1 reopened following 11 years' and 70 billion yen of work. All Nippon Airways and 11 other carriers that are part of the Star Alliance will use the addition in a bid to improve the ease of transfers among passengers changing planes in Tokyo. more

Britons heading to Europe this year will spend £16 billion on plastic, incurring £576 million in charges, new research shows. USwitch predicts that British holidaymakers will spend a collective £8.6 million on credit cards, purchasing goods and services worth £65 on average, while withdrawing a further £7.9 billion in cash. more

A cruise ship which saw almost 100 people struck down with a winter vomiting bug has now been cleared to sail. Around 70 passengers and 15 crew of the MV Van Gogh contracted the highly contagious norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea. more