Tourist bus plunges off bridge in China
Herald Sun
AT least 18 people were killed, including one child, after a speeding, overloaded tourist bus veered off an icy highway bridge in southwest China, local authorities said yesterday.
The 53-seat bus – packed with 57 people – plunged off the bridge in Guizhou province on Wednesday, leaving six others in critical condition, a spokeswoman for the local government told AFP.
The injured were rushed to a local hospital and an investigation into the cause of the accident – which happened in Guiding county – has been launched.
New hotels for 2012 in London, Paris and New York
Telegraph.co.uk
As the 2012 Olympics draws near, hoteliers in London are planning a raft of new openings designed to capitalise on the anticipated influx of tourists to the city. Visitors to Paris and New York can also look forward to some bold new accommodation options. We preview some of the best below.
Airlines raise fares to and from Europe
Tucson Citizen
United-Continental and US Airways have joined Delta in adding a $3 surcharge to one-way tickets to Europe, days after the European Union started requiring airlines to pay for carbon emissions.
Spokesmen for all three airlines would not discuss the reasons for the surcharges.
But industry analysts call the surcharge a clear sign that consumers could bear the brunt of a European law that the U.S. airline industry has estimated would cost it $3.1 billion from now through 2020.
Doom and gloom may boost tourism in 2012
USA Today
Two high-profile disasters will be making travel headlines in 2012: the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, and the end of the world on Dec. 21 (according to some interpretations of the ancient Maya calendar, anyway).
The former is being commemorated with everything from cruises retracing the doomed liner’s route — albiet with a much happier ending — to a flashy new waterfront development in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the city where the ship was built.
Who am I? I am a typical Gen-Xer and recovering cubicle-dweller who has a passion for all things travel. My site brings a unique perspective that is hard to find online. I am not a backpacker, nor am I...
Despite airfares being so ghastly expensive to Europe (it’s cheaper for me to fly to Thailand and it’s much further away) once you get there–specifically Greece and Portugal–you can find some great deals on hotels. I’ve even found some special deals on ferry tickets out of Athens to entice people!
If only we could just pay our mortgages with milage credit cards…
[Reply]
Matt Long Reply:
January 6th, 2012 at 12:34 pm
Ha, now that would be nice. And great point about being able to get around cheaply. I just wrote a review of HomeAway, renting an apartment instead of staying at a hotel. It was a great experience and much cheaper than a hotel.
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