www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Tourist photos from Cuba are becoming more common with the recent lifting of sanctions, but even fellow Communist country North Korea is getting in on the act.
The first photos of its new helicopter tours of Pyongyang were released in recent days, showing the city from some unseen perspectives, yahoo.com/travel reports.
The North Korean government just agreed to the 40-minute tours this month, and tour operator Koryo Tours released some aerial photos. Visitors flew over landmarks including the pyramid-shaped Ryugyong Hotel, public squares, and the May Day Stadium.
Courtesy: Koryo Tour
The 11-person tour, led by a guide, was given on a Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 military helicopter. This being North Korea after all, passengers were barred from taking photos or video between the airport and the city.
“Pyongyang looks very dystopian from above,” British tourist Tom Hingley, who shot photos and video of the flight, told the Daily Mail. You’ve got Orwellian tower blocks everywhere and this mad, big skyscraper and huge chimney stacks belching out black smoke in the distance”.
“It’s a really fascinating place to see from the air. It was good fun inside the helicopter. People were jumping from one side to the other and swapping windows to have a look.”
Koryo, based in Beijing, is offering the chopper tours for $190 per person. Tour companies estimate North Korea is attracting 6,000 Western tourists a year, and they hope the new tours will increase those modest numbers. In addition to the helicopter, Koryo offers tours on a Antonov 24 Soviet propeller passenger plane from the 1950s.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, With a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Gambling at casinos is risky. But even after a 17-month slump, building casinos in Macau still looks like one of the best Investments around, Bloomberg.com reported.
Operators including Sands China Ltd. and Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. have earmarked $28 billion in spending over the next three years, with new projects that integrate casinos with hotels and entertainment complexes.
The aim is to broaden Macau’s appeal beyond hard-core gamblers to families and tourists, and placate a government in China intent on reining in the corruption and graft associated with high-rolling visitors to the city.
While the extra expenditure will slow the return on invested capital, or ROIC, the new projects will hand back an average return of 21 percent three years after opening, according to brokerage CLSA Ltd. That compares with about 50 percent at the peak in Macau two years ago and returns of less than 10 percent forecast for hotel groups in Hong Kong.
“We think the gaming sector is a good long-term investment as the industry generates high cash returns and the companies have a track record of paying high dividends,” said Aaron Fischer, head of consumer and gaming research at CLSA, one of the most experienced analysts who cover the casino industry.
While hoteliers can wait as long as 20 years to get their money back on major investments, the payback on Macau casinos might stretch out to a little over five years, from two years during the 2013-2014 peak. “It?s still very short,” Fischer said.
The risks remain high for casinos. China’s economy could continue to slow and yuan devaluation could curb tourism as it makes traveling outside the mainland more expensive for price-sensitive lower-tier customers gambling operators are trying to attract, said Richard Huang, an analyst at Nomura Holdings Inc.
It would take time to draw enough vacationers to make up for the high rollers the industry has lost, he said.
“Casino resorts have always been high risk, high Return,” Huang said. ?There?s no guarantee for casinos. One day you have a lot of customers and the next day you have no customers, like this year.”
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Mongolia, China and Russia have signed a string of cross-border tourism cooperation agreements as part of the efforts to push the construction of the economic corridor among the three countries, the Xinhua news agency reported.
The ten cooperation projects, worth 1.4 billion yuan (220 million U.S. dollars), were signed by government authorities and enterprises during the first China-Mongolia Expo which opened in Hohhot, capital of north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Friday.
They include cross-border tourism route development, tourism personnel training as well as hotel and resort zone construction. The trilateral cooperation involves a tourism route which links Hohhot, Ulaan Baatar, Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk.
“Cross-border tourism is an important part and platform of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor,” said Wei Guonan, head of the Inner Mongolia Tourism Administration.
In 2014, Inner Mongolia received 810,000 tourists from Mongolia and 630,000 from Russia, statistics with the administration show.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the Capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
K-pop Dance lessons in Seoul. Photo credit: The Straits Time
Seoul City will expand its programme offering free K-pop dance classes to tourists as part of its efforts to better boost the hallyu industry, officials said Thursday, asiaone.com reported.
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and SM Entertainment reached a deal to offer the free K-pop dance classes.
Since August, renowned SM choreographers have run the dance programs for foreign visitors twice a week at Coex in the capital city. While the maximum number of participants is 450 a year, over 850 already applied for the programme as of this month, officials said.
While expanding the free dance classes, the city vowed to diversify the free courses to song and language programs and broadcast tours.The mayor also pledged to set up 10 hallyu sightseeing tours in the city by early next year.
To promote better access to the Seoul tourism information, the city will also provide Seoul City’s tourism data to potential mobile application start-ups.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Rundt 120,000 mennesker – av disse 20,000 militære, deltok i de store, velregisserte paradene i forbindelse med at det regjerende nord-koreanske kommunistpartiet, som offisielt kalles Koreas Arbeiderparti (Workers Party of Korea), feiret sitt 70-års jubileum på Kim Il Sung Square i hovedstaden Pyongyang lørdag 10.oktober.
Til stede var selvsagt landets øverste leder, Kim Jung-un, sønnesønn av partiets, og Nord-Koreas, grunnlegger Kim Il-sung, sammen med landets toppledere.
Feiringen, som ble bivånet av flere hundre tusen mennesker langs ruten, ble avsluttet lørdag kveld med enorme fakkeltog og fyrverkeri.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Emirates fikk æren av å være det første flyselskapet i historien til å bringe gigantflyet Airbus A380 til Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport ved hovedstaden Taipei, skriver www.travelnews.no
Flyplassen gjør i disse dager de siste oppgraderingene som er nødvendig for å ta imot dobbeltdekkere på jevnlig basis i fremtiden.
Både politikere og toppledere møtte opp da verdens største kommersielle passasjerfly i regi av Emirates landet på gate C2 ved den taiwanske flyplassen. Flyplassen har gjennomgått en rekke endringer for å muliggjøre flygninger med markedets aller største passasjerfly, og er nå i sluttfasen av forberedelsene.
Taiwan er et viktig marked for Emirates, som har sett en stor etterspørsel siden de startet opp daglige flygninger mellom hovedflyplassen i Dubai og Taipei i februar i fjor.
– Emirates er stolte over å være det første flyselskapet som lander en Airbus A380 på Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Dette vil hjelpe flyplassen med å være forberedt på fremtidig drift av store flytyper, i tillegg til at det gir oss en mulighet til å vise fram våre moderne produkter og tjenester til passasjerer i Taiwan, uttaler norgessjef i Emirates Terje Grue.
David Fei, administrerende direktør ved Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, var meget fornøyd med gjennomføringen.
– Denne landingen representerer ett år med grundige forberedelser, og vi er stolte av å kunne ønske A380 velkommen til flyplassen vår. Dette beviser at Taoyuan Airport er en flyplass med høy kvalitet, gode fasiliteter og operativ beredskap, kommenterer Fei.
Nordmenn som søker østover kan fly til Taiwan med kun en mellomlanding i Dubai, og nyte alle fordelene kunder av Emirates har, slik som muligheten til First eller Business Class, inkludert 30 kg bagasje og verdens beste underholdningssystem med hundrevis av filmer, serier og et stort utvalg av radio- og TV-kanaler.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes (pictured), director of the Macau Government Tourist Office, said she expects the city’s hotel occupancy rate to improve in the coming months. Hotel occupancy rate stood at 83.9 percent in May, down 6.4 percent from a year earlier, according to official data, www.ggrasia.com reports.
“The numbers in March and in April – especially in March – were not very good for the Macau tourism industry. In March, hotel occupancy rate fell by 13 percent year-on-year. In April, the numbers improved and the feedback we have from the private sector is that it hotel occupancy rate is improving,” Ms Senna Fernandes told reporters, according to the Portuguese-language service of Rádio Macau.
“The figures for May are slightly better than in previous months,” she added.
Visitor arrivals to Macau increased by 0.9 percent year-on-year to 2.55 million in May, according to data from the city’s Statistics and Census Service released recently..
Total visitor arrivals to Macau in the five months to May 31 however are down by 2.7 percent from the prior-year period, to 12.51 million. March was the lowest aggregate monthly figure in two and a half years, according to government data.
Ms Senna Fernandes said she expects room prices to fall with the opening of new hotels. In May, the average room rate in Macau was MOP1,485 (US$186), down by 7.5 percent from a year ago, show data from the Macau Government Tourist Office.
A report from Morgan Stanley Asia Ltd analysts Praveen Choudhary and Alex Poon suggest there might be other reasons for the declining room rates.
“Most casino operators have excess hotel room inventories because junkets are reserving fewer rooms for VIPs (down from 80-90 percent to 30-40 percent of the total number of hotel rooms) and premium mass customers are visiting Macau less,” the analysts said in a report on Wednesday.
“They (casino operators) started slashing prices to attract incremental customers. Hence, in the last few months, we have seen hotel RevPAR [revenue per available room] (mainly because of falling occupancy) and EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation] margins coming Down,” they added.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts’ latest luxury hotel – Shangri-La Hotel, Ulaanbaatar, opened on 3 June. Photo: skyscrapercenter.vom
Visitors arriving in Mongolia’s capital Ulan Bator, or Ulaanbaatar – and largest city will find the property within walking distance to the famous Government House and Great Chinggis Khan Square, and centrally accessible to the country’s vivid landscape of picturesque steppes, historic monasteries and grasslands teeming with wildlife, www.rustourismnews.com reports.
The hotel is connected to Ulaanbaatar’s only luxury mixed-used development, the Shangri-La Centre. The 28-storey centre, which debuts in 2016, encompasses exclusive apartments, four floors of retail and 19 floors of upscale commercial space. Other features include a 7,200-square-metre sports club with an indoor swimming pool, gym, jacuzzi and sauna, as well as a separate two-level kids Zone for children to enjoy dedicated entertainment.
The 290-room Shangri-La hotel is the latest arrival to Ulan-Bator’s evolving scene and embraces the rich nomadic culture of Mongolia with the sophisticated warmth of Shangri-La hospitality. Travellers are greeted with touches of the local culture upon arrival, met by traditionally dressed doormen at the porte cochere, which is decorated with dramatic, double-tier crystal lights forming an auspicious geometric pattern and ethnic copper and brass fittings.
Inside, the hotel?s spacious lobby is crowned by crystal chandeliers measuring three metres in width?an impressive sight not to be found elsewhere in the city.
The use of textured stone walls and decorative glass lights in the shape of hunting horns complement the interior and represent the warrior spirit of Mongolia.
Overlooking Nayramdal Park to the south or the Great Chinggis Khaan Square to the north, the guestrooms are Ulaanbaatar’s largest and start from 42 square metres. Elegantly appointed in natural tones and light coloured wood, each room is furnished with complimentary Wi-Fi, an executive desk, marble bathroom and a window seating area to admire the vistas and snow-capped mountain ranges. Luxurious interiors continue in the suites that are spaciously sized at 84 square metres and configured with a separate master bedroom and living area for an entourage or family travelling together.
View of Ulan Bator. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Providing an even higher level of personalised service on the hotel’s uppermost floors is the Horizon Club, due to be revealed in July. Guests enjoying access to the Horizon Club Lounge, which overlooks Nayramdal Park, are also entitled to express check-in and check-out service, complimentary breakfast, all day beverages, cocktails and canapés in the evening, and use of the meeting room daily.
Dining options at Shangri-La Hotel, Ulaanbaatar begin with the all-day dining Cafe Park. Using copper motif inlay on pillars and multiple cooking stations to create a focal point, diners can experience a multi-cultural feast and the chefs signature dishes at either breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Naadam – named after Mongolia’s largest summer sporting festival – is a pub bar and grill featuring a collaborative and exciting experience of western food, music and entertainment, and the city’s finest vodka menu. Native artefacts infuse charming elements to the restaurant, which opens onto an outdoor terrace for 50 people.
Opening in August is Hutong, a restaurant that will serve a variety of Chinese cuisine, including Beijing Duck, clay pot stews and dishes typical of Northern China, alongside an extensive collection of wines. Muted lighting and a colour palette of burgundy and charcoal gray combine with dark wood to create a contemporary feel.
Guests looking for a gathering point for conversation and casual meetings will be catered for with light meals and beverages at the Lobby Lounge. Large windows let in plenty of light to the corner area adorned with local copper and brass artworks.
Specifically designed to host conference and celebratory events, Shangri-La Hotel, Ulaanbaatar has the city’s largest portfolio of meeting space, which totals 2,643 square metres. Eight rooms, including the 1,300-square-metre pillar-free Grand Ballroom capable of accommodating more than 800 guests, complete the multi-purpose function rooms.
The fully equipped Health Club allows guests to stay in shape or relax with gym, jacuzzi, sauna and steam facilities, and massage options.
To take advantage of the most optimum months in Ulaanbaatar, please view the hotel’s summer offers here that include benefits such as complimentary breakfast, a dining credit or double Golden Circle Award Points. For more information or to make reservations, please visit www.shangri-la.com.
Limousine transportation, with complimentary wi-fi, may be reserved at a fee for travel from the International airport or train station to Shangri-La Hotel, Ulaanbaatar.
The journey time is 40 minutes and 20 minutes per trip respectively.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. Contact us at [email protected]
St. Lucia opened an embassy in Taiwan’s capital Taipei on Thursday, the Caribbean country’s first in Asia, in an effort to strengthen bilateral ties, the www.focustaiwan.tw website reports.
The inauguration ceremony was presided over by St. Lucia Prime Minister Kenny Anthony, who is on a visit to Taiwan this week.
The ceremony was also attended by St. Lucia’s Minister for External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation Alva Baptiste; Permanent Representative of Saint Lucia to the United Nations Menissa Rambally; and other St. Lucian officials.
Also present were Taiwan’s Foreign Minister David Lin, Taiwan’s ambassador to St. Lucia James Chang and other Taiwanese foreign affairs officials.
“We’ve decided to strengthen our bilateral relations,” Baptiste said at a reception marking the opening of the embassy. Having a presence in Taiwan will help advance bilateral ties. he added.
The embassy will be tasked with promoting foreign investment in St. Lucia, Baptiste said.
The St. Lucian government is in the process of appointing an ambassador, who will arrive in Taiwan “soon,” Mr.Baptiste said, but he did not disclose a name.
Baptiste lauded Taiwan as “a model of economic development for small states,” saying it has the experience of engaging in a technological revolution that has enhanced its economic development and the welfare of its people.
Speaking at the reception, Lin said Taiwan welcomed the establishment of the St. Lucian embassy.
“The opening of an embassy of St. Lucia in the Republic of China marks a new milestone in the cordial and cooperative relations between our two countries,” Lin said, adding that it will help cement bilateral ties in the future and create more opportunities for exchanges and cooperation.
Noting that the new embassy is St. Lucia’s first such mission in Asia, he said Taiwan can serve as a gateway for the Caribbean country to the rest of the region.
Lin also expressed gratitude for St. Lucia’s support of Taiwan’s efforts to gain meaningful participation in specialized agencies of the United Nations.
The Republic of China and St. Lucia have maintained close cooperation in the areas of public health, education, infrastructure and culture since the two countries resumed diplomatic relations in 2007 following a 10-year hiatus.
The two sides first established diplomatic ties in 1984, but St. Lucia switched recognition to the People’s Republic of China in 1997.
It is the first time St. Lucia has established an embassy in Taiwan.
Of Taiwan’s 22 diplomatic allies, St. Vincent and the Grenadines is now the only one not to have set up an embassy here.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
Taipei, the capital of Taiwan (Republic of China) introduces taxi tours and 24-hour toll-free interpretation services for foreign tourists, the www.rocketnews24.com website reports.
Taipei’s city government has been working with the leading local taxi companies to roll out some city tour packages and 24-hour interpretation services to make travelling around Taipei easier for foreign tourists.
Taipei has a well-established public transport infrastructure that is both convenient and economical, but there are times when taking a taxi is much more convenient in the sense that you can hop on and alight just about anywhere without having to walk to find a station or fret about buying tickets, and you?re guaranteed a seat on-board.
To help foreign tourists get around more easily, the Taipei city government recently started providing 24-hour toll-free interpretation services so that tourists and taxi drivers can seek help if they’re having trouble communicating. Simply dial the Taipei resident service hotline at 1999 for English- or Japanese-to-Mandarin interpretation. Korean-speaking tourists can call the Tourism Bureau for interpretation assistance at their toll-free hotline: 0800-011765.
The Taipei city government has also joined hands with three local taxi companies, METRO Taxi Co., Ltd, Taiwan Taxi Co., Ltd and Crown GPS Taxi Co., Ltd, bringing together a pool of approximately 70 drivers who are trained to provide a selection of city tours that will take tourists around some of Taipei?s most popular sightseeing locations.
Foreign tourists can also request a driver who speaks foreign languages when making a tour booking.
