Travel news
This is Wikitravel's Travel news section, about issues affecting travelers, both positively and negatively. For more general news, see Wikinews.
Future
The news items in this section refer to future events and have not been displayed on the Main Page yet. They should be copied there when the date approaches and then shifted to the monthly archives below.
25 July 2009
The quadrennial LGBT pendant to the Olympics, takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark this year. With queers of all varieties competing in 38 sports diciplines, including a stiletto race, and 37 other more serious sporting competitions for gays, lesbians, bi's and transsexuals athletics. The event is also coupled with several conferences highlighting gay rights around the world. (more...)
24 July 2009
Wikitravel went live on the internet six years ago on this day. See the archive on the WayBack Machine to find out what the wiki looked like back then. (more...)
2 July 2009
The oldest and most traditional of the Big four annual music festivals in Europe, takes place between Thursday, July 2nd - Sunday July 5th, in Roskilde, Denmark. With more than 80.000 guests, 180 perfing bands, 20.000 volunteers, and 300 artists, the stage is set for another seriously huge party. (more...)
20 March 2009
Fans of ABC's daytime soap operas need not mourn the loss of Super Soap Weekend. It has been replaced with the Soap Nation Tour, a collection of nationwide events designed to interact with fans on a year-round basis, offering greater access to stars in more cities, more often. The 2009 tour kicks off with a three day cruise from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico. Learn more at http://www.rockthesoap.com/. (more...)
1 Mar 2009
Visitors to the Mall of America will be headed for lower fares this month as Southwest Airlines begins service to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport from Chicago Midway Airport. (more...)
29 Jan 2009
JetBlue Airways will begin service to Bogota, Colombia, from Orlando today. (more...)
1 Jan 2009
The American Idol Experience opens this month at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. This interactive live stage show will feature performances by park guests, who will compete for the grand prize of auditioning for the actual American Idol TV show. (more...)
15 Nov 2008
ABC Television's Super Soap Weekend, an annual two day event at Walt Disney World in which fans can meet actors from All My Children, One Life To Live, and General Hospital, will be held for the last time on November 15 and 16. (more...)
29 Oct 2008
Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines have finally been given clearance to merge, forming the world's largest airline. (more...)
October
31 Oct 2008
For nine days in November, Edmonton goes country in this truly western celebration. The opening weekend's focus on small livestock offers free family entertainment. After that, ranchers from across Western Canada get down to the business of selling Canada's finest cattle breeding stock to producers across the country and around the world. From Oct 31-Nov 8. (more...)
29 Oct 2008
Danish carrier Sterling Airlines, one of the largest low cost carriers in Northern Europe, files for bankruptcy. All departures are canceled, and already purchased tickets will not be refunded. Travelers who have bought tickets through a travel agent as part of a package holiday, should contact their agent immediately (more...)
22 Oct 2008
Terminal 5 at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport, the iconic science fiction-like former Trans World terminal designed by Eero Saarinen, is back in business as JetBlue Airways' new primary hub terminal after being in disuse following TWA's buyout in 2001. (more...)
17 Oct 2008
In Grozny (Chechnya, Russia) was opened new mosque. It became a largest mosque of Europe: it may accommodate about 10 000 people simultaneously. (more...)
15 Oct 2008
The 8th Annual Tijuana Expo Tequila returns to Avenida Revolucion in Tijuana's tourist district October 15 to 19. Over one hundred tequila exhibitors will be showing their wares and offering free samples to attendees. Plentiful food, live music, and traditional Mexican dancing round out the festivities. Admission is 50 pesos (about US$5) per day, with in-and-out privileges. (more...)
14 Oct 2008
Dubai International Airport's Terminal 3 has opened. Dedicated to flagship carrier Emirates, flights will be migrated in four phases from the current, overloaded Terminal 1. (more...)
11 Oct 2008
See the US Air Force Thunderbirds and many others in action over Fort Worth on the weekend of the 11th and 12th Oct at the The Spirit of Freedom [1]. Remember your sunscreen and earplugs. (more...)
10 Oct 2008
Artists such as Gloria Estefan and REO Speedwagon will be performing at this year's Aruba Music Festival [2]. The event will be held in Oranjestad on 10 and 11 Oct. (more...)
9 Oct 2008
JetBlue will add two more nonstop destinations from Long Beach Airport this month. Service will begin to Portland today, and to San Francisco on October 18. This will make a total of 14 destinations served from JetBlue's Southern California mini-hub. (more...)
8 Oct 2008
Stella Line's ferry service between St. Petersburg, Russia and Helsinki, Finland has been terminated until future notice. [http://www.kommersant.com/p-13380/r_530/Ferry_service_St._Petersburg_Helsinki/ ] (more...)
4 Oct 2008
The popular Paris Motor Show [3] will be held from 4 to 19 Oct at the Porte de Versailles in Paris, France. Doors are open from 10AM to 10PM Tue to Fri and 10AM to 8PM Sat to Mon. (more...)
Paris/15th arrondissement
2 Oct 2008
Can't make it to the Munich Oktoberfest later this month? No problem, the Singapore Beer Festival will be held at Fort Canning Park from the 2nd to the 5th of October. See the festival website for details. (more...)
2 Oct 2008
This annual festival showcasing the talents of young and emerging artists, writers, media makers and electronic musicians from around Australia will be held from 2 to 6 Oct 2008 in Newcastle. Program details are available on the festival homepage (more...)
1 Oct 2008
The first of October is the 59th National Day of the People's Republic of China and the start of a week long holiday in that country. (more...)
September
26 Sep 2008
The proposed merger between Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines to form the world's largest airline has been approved by the shareholders of both companies. The approval of a federal antitrust review is the last item needed to finalize the merger. (more...)
26 Sep 2008
The state fair of Texas held annually at Fair Park in Dallas is in full swing. Festivities will continue until 19 Oct 2008. More info at BigTex.com (more...)
28 Sep 2008
All six nightclubs at Pleasure Island at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, will close today permanently. They will be replaced with a new concept that has yet to be announced. (more...)
22 Sep 2008
The annual SANParks week will this year be held between 22 and 26 Sep. During this period day visits to most South African National Parks are free for South African citizens. Though one can expect to see increased numbers of people in the parks during this time, the normal quota system will still be enforced to avoid overcrowding and damage to the environment. For South Africans wanting to make use of this opportunity, remember to take your ID document or drivers license along to qualify for free entry. More information can be found on the SANParks website. (more...)
20 Sep 2008
The visa-free agreement between Russia and Israel came into force since 20 September 2008. (more...)
18 Sep 2008
The 56th annual San Sebastian Film Festival will be held between 18 and 27 Sep. More information on the event website. (more...)
15 Sep 2008
The South African Kirstenbosch exhibit, winner of its 29th gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show this year, will be on display at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town until Sunday 21 September. Enquiries can be directed to the exhibit sponsors at duplessism@fnb.co.za or directly to Kirstenbosch on +27 21 799-8783 or see the Kirstenbosch What's On page at http://www.sanbi.co.za/ (more...)
13 Sep 2008
Travel is not recommended (more...)
4 Sep 2008
Phuket, Krabi and Hat Yai airports were briefly closed and intercity rail service in Thailand suspended due to protests. Services are now back to normal. (more...)
August
29 Aug 2008
Canadian transatlantic budget carrier Zoom Airlines has ceased operations. (more...)
18 Aug 2008
The Associated Press reports that an estimated 400 Bibles were seized by authorities in an unnamed Chinese city. The Bibles reportedly came from a group of Americans who had intended to distribute them. (more...)
9 August 2008
The tradition of the changing of the guards returns to Saint Petersburg's Peter and Paul fortress. The changing of the guards occurs every Saturday immediately following the noonday firing of the cannon. (more...)
9 Aug 2008
Wall Arch, one of the most photographed natural stone arches in Utah's Arches National Park, collapsed sometime last week, having been reclaimed by the same natural cycle that created it. (more...)
8 August 2008
A intense fighting has broken out in the Caucasus between Georgian and Russian troops within the separatist region of South Ossetia, amidst heavy fighting between Georgian and separatist forces in Tskhinvali. The situation is in a very dangerous state of flux, and the war has spread beyond the separatist territory and into Georgia proper. Now is the time to cancel your trips, and avoid travel to Georgia at all costs if possible. (more...)
1 Aug 2008
After a two-year hiatus, regular ferry traffic returns between Saint Petersburg and Helsinki. The new route will operated by Finnish ferry company Stella Lines [4] and will run daily. A trip one way will cost from 50 euros for one passenger and from 85 for a car. First the ferry Julia will depart from Helsinki 19:00 1 august and arrive in Saint Petersburg the next day in 08:30. (more...)
July
23 July 2008
The Texas Gulf Coast is under an extreme state of emergency as Hurricane Dolly begins to make landfall. Airports at South Padre Island and Corpus Christi have been ordered shut down, and travel to the area is ill-advised for the time being. (more...)
9 July 2008
The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel opened yesterday at Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan. The hotel is located right outside the front gates of Tokyo Disneyland, and connected by the Disney Resort Line monorail to the sister theme park Tokyo DisneySea. (more...)
7 Jul 2008
Continental Airlines announced on June 19 that it will leave the SkyTeam Alliance in favor of joining Star Alliance. The change will expand Continental's presence all over the world via codeshare agreements with United Airlines, USAirways, and 18 foreign carriers. (more...)
4 Jul 2008
The first regular direct cross-strait in six decades have started flying between 8 cities in mainland China and 5 in Taiwan. Initially, operations are restricted to 36 flights a week on weekends (Fri-Mon) only, but all, including foreigners, can use them. [5] (more...)
3 Jul 2008
California's Big Sur region, long popular with travelers, is experiencing a severe forest fire that has burned thousands of acres of forest and destroyed many homes and businesses. The Pacific Coast Highway through the region is closed because of the fire, which is only 3% contained at this time. Consult the Monterey (California) County web site on the fire [6] for current conditions. (more...)
June
14 Jun 2008
A new subway line, the Fukutoshin Line, has opened in the western part of Tokyo, Japan. The new line is meant to relieve congestion from the nearby Yamanote and Saikyo lines on the busy corridor between Ikebukuro, Shinjuku and Shibuya. It also offers through-running to two suburban railways that operate to Saitama prefecture. (more...)
5 Jun 2008
A new illumination system has been installed on the Saint Petersburg TV tower. Now it will greet townspeople and city guests with strobe lights. A similar system was mounted in 2003 on the Paris Eiffel Tower. The TV tower is an important 310 meter landmark of Saint Petersburg; it was built in 1962. (more...)
1 Jun 2008
Frontier Airlines, currently under bankruptcy protection, will end service to Little Rock, Arkansas on June 1. Service will also be eliminated to Sioux City, Memphis, Jacksonville, and Tulsa. (more...)
May
23 May 2008
The long-delayed new Devanahalli airport in Bangalore finally opens today, taking over all flights from the old HAL airport. [7] (more...)
20 May 2008
JTB Corp. proudly announces the launch of Japan Travel Guide JTB on 3D virtual world “Second Life”. JTB provides information in English language about how to enjoy a Japanese-style Inn (Ryokan), Japanese Foot Bath (Ashiyu) and Japanese garden for worldwide visitors to Japan.
Name of SIM (Name of island): " Japan Travel Guide JTB"
http://slurl.com/secondlife/JAPAN%20TRAVELGUIDE%20JTB/138/130/23
Contents: It consists of three areas - Japanese Inn (Ryokan), Japanese Foot Bath (Ashiyu) and Japanese garden. (more...)
8 May 2008
The Chinese government has tighten visa restrictions extremely so leading up to the Beijing Olympics. Under the new regulations, all travellers must now show: 1) proof of a pre-booked accommodation and 2) a return flight ticket. These rules are being strictly enforced. It seems all Chinese embassies and consulates have been ordered to enforce these new regulations, even in Hong Kong obtaining a Chinese visa has become very difficult. Not since the early 1980's have the Chinese had such strict entry regulations. (more...)
4 May 2008
More than 40,000 people are confirmed dead, and the death toll could reach 100,000 after cyclone Nargis slammed the delta region of Myanmar. The capital city of Yangon, the main gateway into Myanmar, is reported to have been seriously damaged. Some reports state that it will be years before the country and capital recover. (more...)
1 May 2008
Low-fare airline JetBlue Airways will add three more destinations from Long Beach Airport in May. Service will begin to Austin on May 1, and to Seattle and San Jose on May 21. This will make for a total of 12 destinations served from JetBlue's Southern California mini-hub. (more...)
April
29 Apr 2008
Nationwide, a South African budget airline has announced that they are ceasing all flights and operations with immediate effect due to financial problems. No information regarding ticket refunds are currently available, but South African Airways and the other domestic carriers have stated that they will not accept or redeem Nationwide tickets. Nationwide serviced a number of domestic routes as well as routes to London and Zambia. (more...)
28 Apr 2008
EOS Airlines, an all business-class carrier which operated flights from New York City's Kennedy Airport to London Stansted Airport, announced that it would cease all operations effective April 28 and file for bankruptcy. British Airways and Silverjet have announced re-accommodation plans for Eos Airlines passengers. (more...)
14 Apr 2008
After a hiatus of 43 years, trains between India and Bangladesh have started running again. The service operates between Dhaka and Kolkata twice a week. (more...)
9 Apr 2008
Low-cost long-haul airline Oasis Hong Kong has shut down operations. Passengers with tickets for flights between April 9th and 23rd, 2008 can change to Cathay Pacific by contacting the airline. (more...)
6 Apr 2008
Three American budget airlines ended passenger services during the week of March 30. As of April 6, Aloha Airlines, ATA Airlines, and Skybus are no longer operating scheduled services or accepting reservations. (more...)
1 Apr 2008
Since 1 Apr 2008 all taxes on Saint Petersburg transport was raised. So one metro trip will cost now 17 instead of 14 rubles. The trip on tram, trolleybus and municipal bus rise in price from 14 to 16 rubels. Also rised a taxes on taxi bus and local railway lines. (more...)
March
30 Mar 2008
Transatlantic flights are likely to become cheaper with the open-skies agreement that took effect at midnight on 30th March and the opening of Heathrow airport to all airlines. For the first time, Air France flew from London Heathrow to a non-France destination (Los Angeles) and more airlines are expected to follow suit. (more...)
27 Mar 2008
The new Terminal 5 at London's Heathrow Airport opens, with most (but not all) British Airways flights shifting to it. Many other airlines will also change terminals in the following months. The new terminal is reachable by Tube or Heathrow Express. (more...)
February
24 Feb 2008
In response to the US's recognition of Kosovo as an independent nation, an outbreak of attacks on the US Embassy have occurred in Belgrade. Non-essential US workers and their families have been evacuated from the region, and visitors from the United States in Belgrade are being warned to use extreme caution. (more...)
22 Feb 2008
Wikitravel's main database server failed on Feb 22nd. The server has been replaced and no data was lost, but some cached pages still report errors: see this page for how to fix them. (more...)
20/21 Feb 2008
A total lunar eclipse will be visible from all of South America and Central America, eastern portions of North America and the western parts of Africa and Europe. Location specific times can be looked up at on the Lunar Eclipse Computer (more...)
16 Feb 2008
The Lantern Festival is one of the major events in Taipei. This year, 2008, is based on the Chinese Zodiac, 2008 is the Year of the Rat. So this year's theme lantern is a large rat! The event is from Feb. 15th 2008 to Feb. 24th, held at Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall. (more...)
11 Feb 2008
A fire which was started late last night has destroyed the wooden pavillion on top of Seoul's Namdaemun, which is known as Korea's National Treasure No. 1. Police are investigating and arson is suspected. The government estimates it will take 2-3 years to restore the gate to its original splendour (more...)
8 Feb 2008
Ah Meng, a Sumatran orangutan who has been a tourism icon for the Singapore Zoo has died of old age. She was 48 years old. (more...)
3 Feb 2008
The Binche Carnival [8] in Belgium, an UNESCO World Heritage Event and one of the largest and oldest carnivals in the world, will be held from the 3th to the 5th of February 2008. (more...)
1 Feb 2008
A new 300 seat Robben Island ferry called Sikhululekile (we are free) has arrived in Cape Town after almost a year of delays. The ferry will undergo sea trials during February and should be in operation from March. (more...)
1Feb 2008
As of today, Las Vegas' Monte Carlo Casino Hotel remains closed pending the investigation of last week's fire and the impending repair work. At this time, reservations at the Monte Carlo are being moved to other MGM Mirage hotels. In addition, the Lance Burton show will be suspended for the time being and all tickets that have already been purchased will be refunded. (more...)
1 Feb 2008
2008 is the Year of the Rat in the Chinese astrological cycle. Fittingly enough, the world's most famous mouse will host a special celebration at Hong Kong Disneyland throughout the month of February. In addition, HKD will also unveil its newest attraction, "it's a small world" (just like all the others). (more...)
January
25 Jan 2008
The Monte Carlo Casino Hotel in Las Vegas was damaged today by a fire whose cause is still under investigation. Anyone who currently has a pending reservation at the Monte Carlo is urged to check the status of the reservation or transfer to another hotel. (more...)
16 Jan 2008
Terminal 2 has been completely opened at Mexico City's Benito Juarez airport for ticketing, check in, and departures/arrivals. Check with your airline before arriving or departing, as the new terminal has poor connections with the older Terminal 1 and it may save you a runaround. (more...)
1 Jan 2008
France imposed new anti-smoking laws today. Smoking is no longer allowed in restaurants, cafes, bistros, brasseries, casinos, bars, nightclubs. Violators, businesses as well as individuals, face stiff fines if caught lighting up! (more...)
1 Jan 2008
Today, Cyprus and Malta have entered the Eurozone. The Cypriot pound and the Maltese lira are still accepted by stores until the end of January, by banks until the end of March, and by central banks until the end of 2017. (more...)
Old News
This page was last edited at 23:44, on 29 October 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Stefan Ertmann, Sergey Kudryavtsev, Nick Roux, Jani Patokallio, E. Tuthill and Peter Fitzgerald, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.
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