Travelers arrested after hiding small primates in underwear
NBC
Three United Arab Emirates nationals have been arrested after security guards at India’s capital airport found two of the men hiding slender lorises in pouches in their briefs, the BBC reported.
Security guards at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport noticed a bulge in their underwear during a frisk and uncovered the nocturnal, carnivorous primates, according to the BBC report.
Iceland to treble VAT on hotels
Telegraph
The proposal, which would see VAT increase from seven per cent to 25.5 per cent from May 1, 2013, has been criticised by tour operators, who have suggested that holidaymakers could be put off visiting the country.
“Iceland [had been losing] its perception as an expensive destination,” said Tom Jenkins, chief executive of the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA). “This tax rise effectively punctures that impression.“
Iceland’s long-established reputation as a costly holiday destination was transformed by the global financial crisis and the country’s banking collapse, which saw the value of the krona plummet against the pound and the euro.
Debate surrounds annual $60M cost of 9/11 memorial
Boston.com
A debate over balancing the need to honor the memory of Sept. 11 with the enormous costs of running a memorial and museum at ground zero has been reawakened on the eve of the attacks’ 11th anniversary, as officials faced questions Monday over the project’s expected $60 million-a-year operating budget and an agreement paving the way for the museum’s completion was reached.
The number comes on top of the $700 million construction cost of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. A report Sunday by The Associated Press noted that $12 million a year would be spent on security, more than the entire operating budgets of Gettysburg National Military Park and the monument that includes the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.
China, Russia, Mongolia and South Korea to promote cross-border Tourism
eTurboNews
China, Russia, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea agreed on Sunday to boost tourism in Northeast Asia.
The agreement, a memo signed at a forum involving the United Nations Development Program and Jilin province authorities, aims to promote cross-border tourism.
“Tourism is an industry that concerns a broad range of economic, social activities and, therefore, business interests. It cuts across many policy areas for governments in Northeast Asia and that requires closer ties and committed cooperation,” said Choi Hoon, director of the UNDP Tumen Secretariat.
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...
