Destinations
03 May 2013

  • U.S. government calls on children to keep its park system alive

    Destinations

    The National Park Service (NPS) is looking for a few good kids. Actually, when push comes to shove, they’re looking for a lot of them. With the 100th anniversary of the NPS approaching in 2016, there’s a growing realization that if America’s national parks are going to remain viable, they need to remain relevant to [...]

  • Charleston, West Virginia’s not-so-clever marketing campaign

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    The Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau‘s new campaign features prominent people of the city promoting why “I’m Charlie West.” Charleston “ambassadors” — from Mayor Danny Jones and musician Bob Thompson to Larry Groce and Main Kwong owner Carina Kwok — voice why Charleston is an ideal place to live, work and stay. Thirteen locals will [...]

  • The giant rubber duck that’s turning heads in Hong Kong harbor

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    A six-story-high rubber duck is making a big splash in Hong Kong. Crowds watched the inflatable duck being pulled by tugboat across Victoria Harbor in front of Hong Kong’s signature skyscraper skyline. Tourist Zhang Wenjin from Shanghai says it’s a big surprise. “This is huge. My daughter liked it when she saw it just now. [...]

  • Croatia invests in tourism and infrastructure amidst recession

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    May 3 (Bloomberg) — The recession in Croatia, which will join the European Union in July, will continue this year as private consumption and investment fall before returning to modest growth in 2014, the European Commission said. Gross domestic product will contract 1 percent in 2013 as domestic demand continues to decline, while net exports [...]

  • Singapore needs a wholesale rethink of its tourism strategy

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    Faced with competition, Singapore’s tourism industry needs to offer more unique experiences that appeal to the discerning tourist New attractions lured Thai tourist Usa Pitaknarongporn to Singapore this week — her fifth trip here. The 47-year-old, currently in Singapore for a week-long visit with her family, went to all of them: Marina Bay Sands, Universal [...]

  • Everything you need to know about new Commerce secretary Penny Pritzker

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    Chicago business executive Penny Pritzker was nominated by President Barack Obama to become the new Secretary of Commerce on Thursday, in an expected move that could prove controversial for the longtime political supporter and fundraising heavyweight. Pritzker is on the board of Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels Corp., which was founded by her wealthy family and has [...]

  • Europe on alert after China’s bird flu spreads, but no cause of alarm

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    Human cases of a deadly new strain of bird flu that has killed 27 people in China are likely to crop up in Europe and around the world but that should not cause undue alarm, Europe’s leading flu expert said on Thursday. In his first media interview since returning from an international scientific mission to [...]

  • What a hotel needs to do to get ready to host the G8 conference

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    Ferghal Purcell is remembering the time he hosted Nelson Mandela during critical talks leading to the first free democratic elections in South Africa in 1991. “I was general manager of the Lord Charles hotel in Somerset West on the Cape when Mandela and the entire ANC leadership came to stay. They were there to hold [...]

  • British tour of remote North Korea to go ahead, despite American arrest

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    A British tour operator said it will continue with its inaugural trip to the region of North Korea where American guide was arrested. Britain’s leading tour operator to North Korea is to press ahead with a trip next month to the little-visited north east of the country – even though this was the region in [...]

  • New York City’s bike share program weight limits cause some residents concern

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    New York City’s upcoming public bike share program, Citibike, has already irked parking space seekers, food cart vendors and locals who resent seeing a Citibank sponsor logo on nearly every block. Now, heavier New Yorkers can be added to the list. According to the program’s user contract, riders “must not exceed the maximum weight limit” [...]