World Travel News: August 2006

The clean-up operation in the Philippines is on-going after the oil spill from a sinking tanker on August 11th. It is reported that over 25,000 people have had their livelihoods put at risk because of the spill. more

Hurricane John is gathering power off the coast of Mexico and there are fears that it will affect coastal areas. So far the majority of John's effects have been over the ocean, but Acapulco has been hit with heavy rain and high winds. more

Two luxury golf courses in Venezuela's capital city of Caracas are to be seized by its mayor and used for housing. Mayor Juan Barreto, an ally of the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, has stated that to play golf on such exclusive courses in view of the city's slums is "shameful". more

Tropical Storm Ernesto has made landfall around 60 miles south of Miami and has been downgraded by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) from a hurricane. High winds and heavy rain are expected to hit the Florida Keys and Bay areas which have already seen mass evacuations after a hurricane was expected. more

President George W Bush has been visiting areas in New Orleans one year on from when Hurricane Katrina hit and caused immense damage to the region. The gulf coast suffered one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit the US and the region's tourism industry collapsed as the local people attempted to repair their homes. more

A new visitor centre and rail link for Stonehenge can't move forward until the government approves new road improvements, according to reports. Plans to construct a tunnel underneath the Wiltshire countryside to relieve the heavy traffic flows have been put on ice. more

Japan's inflation rate is gradually increasing but not at the rate forecast, signalling that the rising prices are not something to cause immediate concern. Prices of food, notably sushi, right up to expensive electronic products have swelled slightly in the past year. more

The 3,200-year-old statue of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II has been moved from Cairo square and is en-route to a site near the pyramids. Egyptian officials moved the 83-tonne statue last night (August 24th) and the monument is moving slowly through Cairo to its final destination. more

Forest fires in Halkidiki that occurred during August 21st are now contained and the Foreign Office has issued new guidance for tourists. The advice includes checking with tour operators and hotels that any planned visit is unaffected and ensuring any potential traveller is aware of all the information before departing. more

A US flight to India had to land at Amsterdam after a security alert on the plan, 12 people have now been arrested. The pilot of the US passenger plane turned back and landed in the Dutch capital after suspicious behaviour from a number of passengers. more

Tividale, a small Midlands town between Dudley and Birmingham will receive an influx of around 10,000 visitors as of Wednesday 23rd August. For around five days Tividale will be a centre for the Hindu faith to celebrate and worship the opening of a new temple. more

Getting married abroad is a booming business and more British people than ever before are considering it for their big day, according to reports. Gibraltar is a particular hotspot, as is the Caribbean and Indonesia. more

Forest fires have spun out of control on the Halkidiki peninsula in northern Greece. Many tourists and locals have been evacuated from affected areas and there are reports that up to 1,000 British people have spent the night on the beach. more

Discussions between baggage handlers at Stansted and their employers have collapsed and no venue has been scheduled for talks to reconvene. Workers are threatening to strike over the bank holiday weekend unless disagreements over pay and hours are resolved. more

Baggage handlers at Stansted airport are threatening to strike during the bank holiday weekend over a pay dispute. Meetings are ongoing between the GMB and Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) negotiators along with representatives from Swissport, the ground crew company for Stansted. more

Two trains have collided in northern Egypt roughly 12 miles north of Cairo. Information varies in terms of injuries: Reuters has reported 80 deaths at the scene with as many as 131 injured but other sources mention up to 100 deaths. more

An airport in Huntington, West Virginia was closed yesterday after a passenger's hand baggage prompted an explosives scare. Further testing of samples taken from the scene has revealed that they posed no danger to the public, however, many analysts are commenting that this is a further sign of the cautious climate airport security is currently operating in. more

After the Bank of England's decision to raise interest rates the pound shot up against the dollar, edging it ever closer to the two dollar mark. Currently the rate of exchange stands at $1.88 to the pound and continues to go up and down around the 1.9 mark. more

British Airways (BA) hopes to be operating a normal service by Friday after a week of disruption and cancellations. Today (Thursday 17th August) BA was expecting to be offering a full long haul service with normal check in times. more

When the Argentinean peso stopped being aligned with the dollar, its value fell and has now stabilised at around three pesos to the dollar. This in turn made Argentina a popular tourist spot offering great value for western currencies and increased revenue for the country's tourism industry. more

British Airways (BA) is working through a backlog of an estimated 10,000 bags that have been misplaced at UK airports. Reports initially said that as many as 5,000 bags had been lost since Thursday's terror alert, but this has been refuted by BA who stated the baggage was being processed where possible. more

As of 4.30 am Tuesday 15th August the British Airports Authority (BAA) lessened the security measures at Gatwick and Heathrow, allowing one small item of hand baggage. This brings London's two biggest airports in line with Britain's other airports in terms of security measures. more

A truce in the Middle East has been kept for around a day and is still holding: But as Lebanese civilians return to their homes is it sensible to visit Israel? Israel's ministry of tourism is doing everything it can to reassure visitors that the country is safe to visit. more

UK airports have altered flight restrictions following the Joint Terrorist Analysis Centre's decision to lower the threat level to the UK from 'critical' to 'severe'. One item of hand luggage will now be allowed on to aircraft in most UK airports; however, British Airport Authority (BAA) stated that this would not be the case in Heathrow and Gatwick. more

As the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina beckons, the New Orleans tourism board is launching a host of new initiatives to get people back to the region. A new media centre has been set up to meet journalists and demonstrate the vibrancy that is coming back to New Orleans. more

The exotic capital of Cambodia is located around three great rivers that form the 'four arms' of Phnom Penh, and it's the rivers that provide the spectacle for this event. Tanlé Sap River runs through Phnom Penh and meets the Mekong River very close to the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Cambodia. more

Germany always makes Christmas very special and gastronomic delicacies found in towns throughout the country are the real deal, far better than exported supermarket versions. Frankfurt is a fantastic city to experience a German Christmas season for the first time as its architecture and surroundings make the cold, crisp evenings a little more special. more

This festival prides itself on the development and publicising of documentaries that otherwise would struggle to get an audience. The previous success of documentary makers such as Morgan Spurlock and Michael Moore has demonstrated that, if the right subject is found, then an audience can be duly captivated. more

The parade of all parades is now in its 78th year and provides one of America's greatest events. The staff of Macy's and some volunteers converge at 77th and Central Park West for a huge parade which takes place all the way along Broadway. more

Typhoon Saomai has caused widespread devastation in the Zhejiang province of western China. Over 100 people have been killed and more than 7,000 homes destroyed by the typhoon, which hit land late on Thursday evening. more

As security checks at British airports hit the headlines, Edinburgh Airport has announced a new check-in system likely to prove popular with backpackers. Passengers carrying one item or less will be able to check in at specially designated fast-track desks. more

Travellers using airports in the UK have been told to expect significant delays and cancellations today and for the immediate future. The delays have been caused by the uncovering of a suspected terrorist plot to detonate bombs on flights between Britain and the US. more

Holidaymakers around the Mediterranean are having their holidays affected by the blight of jellyfish. A number of beaches along the Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca in Spain have been badly affected by large numbers of Mediterranean jellyfish, with many having to be closed. more

Travellers looking for cheap flights to and from North and Central America may be interested by a number of new proposals from Zoom Airlines. The Ontario-based airline, which currently offers one-way flights from as little as £99 between the UK and Canada, is expected to begin flying similarly cheap non-stop services to the US, Mexico and the Caribbean, reports the Guardian. more

There are fears that tonight's full moon may cause a rumbling volcano in the Philippines to erupt. Mount Mayon in the Albay province is expected to erupt at any time and experts believe that the gravitational pull of the full moon could spur it in to action. more

The island of Taiwan is bracing itself for fierce storms over the coming days. Tropical Storm Botha was around 510 km east of the island at 21:00 GMT yesterday and was travelling south-west at 14 kph with winds of up to 101 kph, according to the Central Weather Bureau. more

The Pacific country of Vanuatu is at risk after an earthquake struck nearby. The 6.7 scale quake hit some 45 miles from the country's nearest island at 22:18 GMT on Monday. Although the earthquake is not expected to cause a tsunami its impact has meant that many coastal towns could suffer landslides and structural damage to homes. more

Eastern Ethiopia has experienced significant flooding over the weekend, causing almost 200 deaths. Dire Dawa city, some 500 km east of the capital Addis Ababa, suffered flooding after the Dechatu river burst its banks following extensive rains. more

Backpackers have been provided with a series of packing tips to ease their load this summer. The advice, which all those heading abroad could take to heart, has been provided by Lonely Planet. Packers are advised to imagine what they will really be wearing when backpacking around; meaning less essential items will not fill up limited space in the backpack. more

Visitors to the east coast of the US are being warned to be wary of extraordinarily high temperatures in the region. At least 13 people are thought to have died along the eastern seaboard this week due to temperatures that have risen in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. more

Backpackers hoping for a few days relaxing on Italian beaches this summer may have to make alternative plans. A three-mile stretch of coastline around the north-western city of Genoa has been closed after a harmful algae, Ostreopsis ovata, was discovered in the sea. more

Travellers are being warned to avoid southern China due to an approaching typhoon. Typhoon Prapiroon, which has killed six people in the Philippines, is expected to hit land in Guangdong province by this evening. more

Tourism in the south Caribbean island of Curacao has received a huge boost with the opening of a new passenger terminal. The island, which forms part of the Dutch Antilles, has enjoyed a growing number of visitors in recent years and the new terminal is the first part of a 30-year tourism plan for the region. more

Highways in some 31 states in the US are set to undergo significant repairs. The US department of transportation has said that more than £360 million will be invested in the scheme, which is set concentrate on areas badly hit by hurricanes, storms and floods during recent years. more

Travellers to the south-west of Ireland have received a boost with the opening of a new passenger terminal at Cork Airport. The £70 million development is expected to allow five million passengers to use the airport each year; more than double the number that currently travel from the hub. more

Travellers on Northwest Airlines should be preparing themselves for significant disruption over the coming months. A pay dispute between the bankrupt carrier's bosses and flight attendants looks set to continue, with possible strike action set to get underway from August 15th. more

Officials in south-west China have had to take drastic action in a bid to prevent an outbreak of rabies. The authorities in Mouding County, Yunman province, say they have been forced to initiate a cull of all dogs in the region in a bid to prevent an epidemic. more