General info

India: Kashmir Bouncing Back as Tourist Destination, Sunderbans Access May Get Easier

Date: July 16th, 2008 |

The long-troubled region of Kashmir is booming with tourists this summer, providing optimism that it is finally turning a page on the simmering insurgency that has made the area a war zone for two decades. Before the conflict began in 1989, 250,000 visitors came to Srinigar, the capital city; this year 400,000 have come in [read more]

Italy: Berlusconi to Solve Naples’s Garbage Crisis

Date: July 2nd, 2008 |

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Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he would have the garbage crisis in Naples and the surrounding area cleaned up by the end of July, citing new deals about to be signed with private companies to store and process garbage outside Campania. The recurring problem got worse in December when collectors stopped picking up garbage because [read more]

Balkan Region: UN Report Calls Balkans One of Europe’s Safest Places

Date: June 4th, 2008 |

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According to a UN report, the Balkan region is now one of the safest in Europe. The report found that this region that was wracked by violence and war in the 1990s now has lower rates of homicide, robbery and rape than Western Europe. Of the nine countries in the study—Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, [read more]

Norway: Young Speedsters a Menace on the Highways

Date: June 4th, 2008 |

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Authorities in Norway are concerned about the high rate of traffic fatalities this year, with 106 deaths so far since January, up 50 percent from last year. Historically, most traffic deaths occur here from June through August, so the numbers are troubling. Many of the fatal accidents have involved speeding, intoxication, or both, and young [read more]

Bolivia: “Highway of Death” Claims U.S. Mountain Biker

Date: April 23rd, 2008 |

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The North Yungas Road leading from La Paz to Coroico in the Amazon basin has been called “the most dangerous road in the world” and the “highway of death” because of its precipitous drop from the highlands to the Amazon jungle hugging cliffs for most of its 40-mile descent. But for all its danger, which [read more]

Israel: Retirees Aid Tourists in Old City of Jerusalem

Date: July 16th, 2008 |

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Visitors who need assistance in the Old City of Jerusalem can now get it from retirees deployed to help tourists. Fifty multilingual volunteers ranging in age from 60 to 85 and versed in the city’s history started work July 13 in an effort to create a more secure environment for tourists. They wear vests adorned [read more]

Fiji: Foreign Affairs Stamp Requirement Complicates Tourist Weddings

Date: June 19th, 2008 |

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Tourist weddings in Fiji have dropped by two-thirds since 2004 because of a government requirement for a special stamp on marriage certificates. For a marriage to be recognized in other countries, it must have a stamp from the Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs. He is the only person authorized to use the special seal, and [read more]

Czech Republic: New Tourist Police in Prague

Date: June 4th, 2008 |

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A new tourist police squad is in place for the summer in Prague’s main tourist areas. In the stretch between Wenceslas Square and Prague Castle via Old Town Square and the Charles Bridge, at least seven special police are on patrol from 10 a.m. to midnight. Their mission is to combat street crime, especially pickpockets [read more]

Switzerland and Austria: Euro 2008 Soccer Tournament June 7-29

Date: May 21st, 2008 |

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Switzerland and Austria will host the Euro 2008 soccer tournament June 7-29, and because it is a major sporting event that is expected to draw 5 million fans, concerns have surfaced about possible terrorist attacks. Posts have appeared on Islamist web sites calling for attacks on the tournament, but Swiss authorities have stated that they [read more]

Cambodia: Flotilla of Beggars Troubles Officials in Chong Kneas

Date: April 23rd, 2008 |

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A visit to the floating village of Chong Kneas is a popular side trip from Siem Reap, the jumping off point for Angkor Wat, but its popularity has created perhaps predictable consequences. Local fishermen have found begging to be more lucrative than fishing and they now swarm around the tourist boats in vessels with outboard [read more]