Thermometers in hand, Dubai opens for tourists amid pandemic

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — From French soccer jerseys to slick online campaigns, Dubai is trumpeting the fact that it reopened for tourism on Tuesday — but what that means for this sheikhdom that relies on the dollars, pounds, rupees and yuan spent by travelers remains in question.

With travel uncertain and the coronavirus still striking nations Dubai relies on for tourists, this city-state wants to begin coaxing people back to its beaches and its cavernous shopping malls. By instilling the idea that Dubai is safe, authorities likely hope to fuel interest in the sheikhdom ahead of its crucial winter months for tourism.


Emirates to put this one-time pearling post on the map. Attractions like the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and the sail-shaped Burj Al-Arab luxury hotel draw transit passengers out of Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel.

In 2019 alone, Dubai welcomed 16.7 million international guests, up from 15.9 million the year before, according to the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. The top seven tourist-sending nations were India, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Oman, China, Russia and the U.S. The city’s 741 hotels saw around 75% occupancy for the year, with visitors staying on average 3½ days.

Those travelers also fuel Dubai’s vast restaurant, bar and nightlife scene. Though drinking is illegal in the neighboring emirate of Sharjah and the nations of Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, alcohol sales remain a crucial part of Dubai’s economy.

But even before the pandemic, lower global energy prices, a 30% drop in the city’s real estate market value and trade war fears have led employers to shed staff. The virus outbreak accelerated those losses, especially as Dubai has postponed its Expo 2020, or world’s fair, to next year over the pandemic.

That makes reopening for tourism that much more important, even though Dubai’s top three tourist-feeding countries remain hard-hit by the virus, said Rabia Yasmeen, a consultant at the market-research firm Euromonitor International. Even retail sales are affected by tourism, with some 35% of all revenue coming from tourists, she said.

“It’s good for them to go ahead and announce because there needs to be a call for the confidence to come back,” Yasmeen said. “Someone has to take that step first to show the world.”

And Dubai has, in typical headline-baiting fashion, taken those steps. French football club Olympique Lyonnais, under a sponsorship with Emirates, wore “Dubai Is Open” jerseys at a recent match. Dubai passport controllers have begun putting stickers on foreigners’ passports reading in English and Arabic: “A warm welcome to your second home.”

But there’s a risk, particularly in allowing more travel as the virus stalks other countries. Emirates stopped flying to Pakistan over virus fears. Across the seven sheikhdoms that form the United Arab Emirates, there have been over 50,000 confirmed cases of the virus among the 9 million people living here, with some 40,000 recoveries and 321 deaths.

At Rove Hotels, a new budget chain run by state-linked firms Emaar and Meraas, thermometer-carrying staffers check the temperature of everyone coming inside. Cleaners fog disinfectants over rooms and wipe down tables and chairs. Even a camel statue and an oversized stuffed animal wore a mask. The chain, like others in Dubai, also has sought outside certification over its cleaning routines on top of fulfilling government regulations.

“It’s kind of the icing on the cake to give people comfort that we’re following those standards,” Bridger said.

There are still risks. In order to travel, tourists must take a COVID-19 test within 96 hours of their flight and show the airline a negative result. Otherwise, they will be tested on arrival and required to isolate while awaiting the results, which travelers say typically takes a few hours.

Travelers must also have health insurance covering COVID-19 or sign a declaration agreeing to cover the costs of treatment and isolation.

“A key question comes in: Is the traveler ready to come to Dubai?” Yasmeen asked. “That’s a big question mark.”

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Associated Press writer Fay Abuelgasim in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

AP

US court denies Justice request to immediately reinstate ban

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court has denied the Justice Department’s request for an immediate reinstatement of President Donald Trump’s ban on certain travelers and all refugees.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco instead asked both the state of Washington and the Trump administration early Sunday to file more arguments by Monday afternoon.

The Trump administration appealed a federal judge’s ruling that temporarily placed the ban on hold. The higher court’s denial of an immediate stay means legal battles over the ban will continue into the coming week at least.

Acting Solicitor General Noel Francisco forcefully argued in the government’s brief Saturday night that presidential authority is “largely immune from judicial control” when it comes to deciding who can enter or stay in the United States.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

US news anchor calls out ‘laglag bala’ scam

Posted by Greta Van Susteren on Wednesday, November 4, 2015

“What is wrong with some people?” Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren said in her segment “Off the Record” amid the series of bullet planting or “laglag bala scam” at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

Susteren, who is traveling overseas next week, said her Filipino-American friend tipped her off that international travelers were “being targeted by Filipino airport security officials who plant live ammunition in their luggage.”

“This scam is all part of a plot to extort money out of the international traveler,” the anchor said.

She mentioned that 30 cases of ammunition-related incidents have been recorded in the last 12 months while five international passengers have been arrested in the past two weeks.

She said these passengers were “being targeted by Filipino airport security officials who plant live ammunition in their luggage and then busting international travelers for having bullets in his bag. Even holding some passengers for days, telling them they can pay a fine or sit in the slammer facing charges.”

“I know what you’re thinking: what is wrong with some people? My answer? I just don’t know,” Susteren said.

In 2014, the Fox anchor got embroiled in an issue after she slammed the Thailand government for sitting on radar information regarding the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 where she was described by the The Bangkok Post as “rude and crude.”

Susteren was hailed as among the Forbes 100 most powerful women in 2015. JE

source: globalnation.inquirer.net

Japan agency offers travel for your teddy bear

TOKYO–Unable to get to that must-see tourist site but can’t bear for your teddy to miss out? Then Japan has just the thing for you — a travel agency that takes stuffed toys on package tours and even provides the holiday snaps to prove it.

Tokyo-based Unagi (Eel) Travel has a range of offers to suit every cuddly companion’s purse.

For instance, a day trip around sightseeing spots in the Japanese capital is $45, plus travel — by parcel post — from and to the toy’s home address.

The more adventurous bear might like to see some of the grand temples and shrines of the ancient capital of Kyoto for $95, or unwind in the hot spring baths that dot volcanic Japan — a snip at $55.

“Some clients join tours simply because it seems fun but there are also people who want to send stuffed animals as their proxies since they can’t travel by themselves, because they are in hospital, handicapped or too busy,” tour operator Sonoe Azuma told AFP.

“A client asked me to take her companion up some stairs and walk through narrow streets she can’t go into with her wheelchair.

“Another client wanted her animal to get a lot of sunshine as she can’t go outside because of a skin disease.”

A form sent to teddy owners ahead of the trip asks for the tourist’s name, if they are prone to car-sickness or sea-sickness, and if they are allergic to a particular food.

Owners are invited to give a bit of background about the participant’s character, such as what their hobbies are and why they are joining the tour.

On a recent tour of Tokyo, to which an AFP team was invited, a menagerie of creatures were entrusted to Azuma’s care.

The group included a tiger from Osaka, a shark from Kanagawa, a rather well-loved Hello Kitty from Hyogo and a small version of Sesame Street’s Big Bird from Hokkaido. They were escorted around Tokyo by the agency’s resident tour guide, eel girl Unasha.

After an early morning briefing on what to expect, participants were gently packed up and taken to the expansive Meiji Jingu Shrine before heading for the Imperial Palace gardens, where Azuma carefully spread out a towel for the gang to sit on as they posed for one of many group photos of the day.

‘Taking care of other people’s children’

While it may sound a little far-fetched, 39-year-old Azuma, who used to work in finance, takes her task very seriously and objects to the idea that she is just firing off snaps at famous locations.

“Anyone could do it if it was simply about taking pictures of stuffed animals… You must do this with the belief that ‘I’m taking care of other people’s children’,” she said.

Azuma, who has been running Unagi Travel for three years, live-blogs her tours, uploading pictures on Facebook and Twitter (https://www.facebook.com/unagitravel, https://twitter.com/unagitravel).

Each photo is captioned with comments from tour participants, ranging from the simple “yummy!” when sampling food to a more considered “Always important to look at things from a different perspective” as they stand in front of a tall building.

Azuma even prepares tiny costumes for her pint-sized charges that match tour locations — such as kimonos for a sleepover at a Japanese-style inn. She says this helps to add a little surprise to owners who are monitoring the trip online.

And she uses the photos she takes to map out a story that chimes with the background each owner has provided.

On one tour, a Tokyoite bunny carried a frog from a provincial town on her back through the din of the capital city because the frog was not used to crowded places.

And her human clients seem to appreciate the personal attention.

One woman said she had never seen her rabbit looking so happy as in a photo of it eating at a restaurant with other stuffed toys, Azuma said.

A satisfied customer in her 40s told AFP she did not think it was strange at all to send two cuddly companions on a mystery tour.

“I enjoyed the scenery or the food through their eyes, even if I was not physically there,” said the woman, who did not want to be named.

With digital photography, mocking up a picture of your bear at a tourist spot would be easy, concedes the woman, but that rather misses the point.

“I think it is very different when they go there physically by themselves and take pictures,” she said. “They must have their own fond memories of the travel.”

She acknowledges that to many non-Japanese people, the practice may seem a little strange.

“I would be a little more (circumspect) if a non-Japanese friend asks me if I would be interested in the service. But if I talk with my Japanese friends, it’s a very natural thing,” she said.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

PAL London flights showcase of PH pride at WTM

The return of Philippine Airlines (PAL) to London starting November 4 will be the centerpiece of the country’s participation at the World Travel Market (WTM), the biggest global event for the travel industry which opens on the same day PAL arrives at the British capital.

The resumption of non-stop flights to the United Kingdom will serve as the main focus of tourism promotions by the Philippines under the Department of Tourism’s (DoT) “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign at this year’s WTM to be held from Nov. 4 to 7.

PAL will share the 300-square-meter Philippine pavilion with 40 other Philippine exhibitors, including the DoT, at WTM 2013 where almost 5,000 exhibitors from 184 countries are expected to generate more than GBP1,859 million in travel industry deals.

According to Susan del Mundo of DoT’s Tourism Promotions Board, “This is the biggest Philippine participation since joining WTM back in 1980 or any travel fair worldwide. A total of 90 DoT officials led by Sec. Ramon Jimenez will be at WTM.”

Buyers and sellers from every sector of the travel industry around the world converge at WTM, London’s biggest annual travel event attracting more than 47,000 global travel professionals.

PAL President Ramon S. Ang said: “In the first six months of 2013 alone, we had more than 60,000 arrivals from Britain.  This elevated the UK to the Philippines’ top ten visitor markets for the first time – the only European nation on the list. With PAL’s new non-stop flights, we are sure those numbers will increase further.”

The DoT had predicted a 65% increase in European visitors to about 575,000 this year alone and the doubling of current arrivals to around 700,000 in the coming year.

“It is not just tourists who stand to benefit but more importantly our 664,000 Filipino *kababayans* in Europe, particularly the 250,000 living in the U.K., who will now be able to return home more often via the airline that knows them best,” Mr. Ang said.

He will lead a delegation of top PAL and government officials on the inaugural flight including the British Ambassador to the Philippines Asif Ahmad. Upon arrival at London’s Heathrow airport in the afternoon of Nov. 4, Philippine Ambassador to the UK Enrique Manalo will be welcoming the inaugural flight passengers.

From the airport, some PAL executives will proceed to the PAL booth at WTM.

The five-times-a-week service to London will use PAL’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft which features one of the most spacious cabin equipped with modern inflight amenities.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

10 ways to enjoy Russia

To the intrepid traveler in search of exotic sites and adventures, Russia is the perfect starting point for the trip of a lifetime.

Aside from being the largest country in the world, spanning two continents and covering 1/7 of the earth’s total land area, Russia is also home to some of the most awe-inspiring natural and manmade wonders on the planet. (Some of the most widely televised events in the world will be held there, such as the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in November and the July 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.)



If the mere thought of navigating your way through this vast territory overwhelms you, fear not. Here are some must-sees and dos to get you started.


Moscow

1. Get to know Russia’s rich and colorful past in Moscow. Start at the Kremlin and get to know the seat of Russian political power. Inhabited since the 2nd century BC and known as a kremlin (“fortress”) beginning 1331, here is where you’ll see five palaces, four cathedrals, as well as the official residence of the president of the Russian Federation. The Moscow Kremlin is also home to what the Unesco describes as “religious monuments of exceptional beauty,” such as the Church of the Annunciation and the Church of the Archangel, as well as the Senate and the historic Red Square.

Another interesting tidbit about Moscow: It is home to the largest number of billionaires in any other city in the world—beating New York by a handful of ultra-rich citizens. If you’d like to get more than the usual taste of glitz and glamour, Moscow is the place to be in.

St. Petersburg

2. Feel like a tsar in St. Petersburg. Approximately 400 miles from Moscow and only 90 minutes via a nonstop flight on Aeroflot, St. Petersburg is home to some of the most stunning palaces in the world. Peterhof (Petrodvorets) is a complex of palaces and gardens commissioned by Peter the Great in the early 1700s, and is known as the “Russian Versailles.” It is recognized as a Unesco World Heritage Site, with some famous attractions such as the Grand Palace and the fountain complex known as the Grand Cascade.

Perhaps even grander than Peterhof is the Tsarkoe Selo (Pushkin), which was built by the Romanov tsars in the 18th century and is known to be a symbol of Russian opulence and extravagance. But more displays of grandeur abound in St. Petersburg.

Golden Ring

3. Take a tour around the “Golden Ring,” and explore Russia’s spiritual side. The Golden Ring is a cluster of cities toward the northeast of Moscow, which has become popular with tourists for its many churches, monasteries, and a taste of the Russian pastoral life.

The closest stop would be Sergiev Posad (approximately 83 miles from Moscow), home of the ancient monastery founded by Sergey Radonezhskiy, a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church.

For a more rustic feel, head out to Suzdal (approximately 134 miles and four hours by land from Moscow), and find yourself surrounded by 12th- to 13th-century churches and monasteries. While there, make sure to try medovukha, a light alcoholic drink made from honey.

Lake Baikal

4. If you think Russia is all pomp and overindulgence, head over to Lake Baikal in southeastern Siberia (six hours by plane from Moscow to Irkutsk) for a more down-to-earth experience with Mother Nature’s glory. A place of many superlatives, Lake Baikal is the world’s oldest lake (25 million years old) and also its deepest (1,700 meters deep). It is also the world’s largest unfrozen freshwater reserve and is home to some of the world’s richest freshwater faunas, cited by the Unesco for its “exceptional value to evolutionary science.”

Vodka

5. Indulge in vodka, one of the world’s most popular drinks. No trip is complete without sampling a country’s cuisine, but no trip to Russia would be authentic without a sip (or a glass, or more) of vodka. First produced over 600 years ago, vodka is made by distilling grains such as rye, wheat and barley, and then filtering the liquid with birch charcoal.

Its long and fascinating history has survived the Prohibition era, and it has likewise been instrumental to the wealth and the power of the Russian state.

For a closer look at how vodka is made, take a tour at Cristall, Russia’s largest vodka distillery, located in Moscow.

Art and culture

6. Immerse yourself in fine art and high culture—all in St. Petersburg. The Russians certainly love culture, as seen in more than 2,000 libraries and more than 200 museums and galleries that have been established in St. Petersburg alone.

One of the world’s largest museums, the State Hermitage Museum houses more than three million items and is known for its grand art collection.

For something more intimate and quaint, head over to the (Fyodor) Dostoyevsky Memorial Apartment Museum, where the “Crime and Punishment” author resided during the last three years of his life. Aside from a reconstruction of the Dostoyevsky family home, the museum also houses art exhibits and a small theater for conferences, poetry readings and performances.

Russian ballet

7. Fall in love with (or at!) the Russian ballet. Although ballet was really a French import, the Westernization program of Peter the Great and the establishment of St. Petersburg’s Imperial School of Ballet paved the way, centuries later, for the careers of such important names as Anna Pavlova, Mikhail Foskine and Nijinsky.

Today, one of the most prestigious dance companies is the Bolshoi Ballet, housed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Several well-loved productions are lined up this October, including “Swan Lake,” “Don Quixote” and “Spartacus.” (Visit www.bolshoi.ru/en/)


Matryoshka dolls

8. Take home a set of matryoshka dolls. Perhaps the most iconic of Russian souvenir items is the matryoshka or the babushka dolls, nesting dolls that were first introduced at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris. Usually made of linden or birch, and then hand-painted, matryoshka dolls became globally popular in the 20th century and were manufactured in Sergiev Posad and Semenov, outside Moscow.

Today, the best place to find a wide variety of gift items is in Izmaylovo Market, Moscow. Before heading out there, remember to wear comfortable shoes and clothing, as your shopping trip could easily last the whole day.

Moscow Metro

9. Travel like a local, in style. One of the most magnificent contributions of the Stalin era is Moscow’s opulent metro system, with stations built as “people’s palaces.” Constructed in the 1930s, the Moscow Metro was built by some of Russia’s best architects and artists, and featured fine examples of different architectural styles, iconography, art.

One of the more popular stations is Mayakovskaya, featuring a sky-theme Art Deco mosaic by Alexander Deineka. If you intend to check out each station, give yourself a few days as there are now over 170 stations in all.

Traveling around Russia

10. Tour the vast expanse of Russia. You may want to try Aeroflot, which flies to 28 destinations there. It is also practical to take as it offers connections to other local cities.  (Contact its Philippine ticketing office at 7592191 and 7592192; or e-mail

info@aeroflot.ph)

There is truly much more to Russia than meets the eye, and it offers many unforgettable experiences to those who open themselves up to its charms. Although it may seem like a world away to many Filipinos, in truth, Russia is much closer and more accessible than many of us think. With a bit of research and planning, a few tips from the experts, and a lot of gumption for adventure and exotic cultures, the trip of your dreams could be just a plane ride away.


source: lifestyle.inquirer.net