Travel news/2008

December

• [[Travel news#Winter storms pummel Canada & US|Winter storms pummel Canada & US]] (22 December 2008)

• Medellín inaugurates Colombia's most spectacular Christmas (21 December 2008)

• Saint Petersburg subway is growing (20 December 2008)

{{newsitem|More flights between Taiwan and mainland China|15 December 2008|Starting today and the frequency of direct connecting flights between Taiwan and mainland China will be increased to daily instead of just during weekends. Flights also no longer need to pass through Hong Kong airspace, so flying time would be reduced significantly on some popular routes such as the Taipei-Shanghai route.

• Riots across Greece (09 December 2008)

{{newsitem|World's Largest Ice Rink opens|03 December 2008|Mexico City's central Zocalo Plaza has been transformed into the "world's largest ice rink" for the second year in a row. Last year it attracted millions of Mexicans and tourists.[https://

November

{{newsitem|Terrorist attacks in Mumbai|26 November 2008|A terrorist group carried out simultaneous attacks at several sites in Mumbai including the landmark Taj Hotel and the popular Colaba tourist hangout, Cafe Leopold.

• Crisis in Bangkok (26 November 2008)

{{newsitem|ABC hosts final Super Soap Weekend|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.

October

{{newsitem|World's largest airline prepares for takeoff|29 Oct 2008|Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines have finally been given clearance to merge, forming the world's largest airline.

{{newsitem|Farmfair 2008|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 nation and around the world. From Oct 31-Nov 8.

• Sterling Airlines declares bankruptcy (29 Oct 2008)

• JFK Airport icon re-opens (22 Oct 2008)

• New mosque in Grozny (17 Oct 2008)

{{newsitem|Tijuana Tequila Expo returns|15 Oct 2008|The 8th Annual Tijuana Expo Tequila returns to Avenida Revolucion in Tijuana's tourist neighborhood 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.

• Dubai Terminal 3 opens (14 Oct 2008)

{{newsitem|Fort Worth Alliance Air Show|11 Oct 2008|See the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and many others in action over Fort Worth on the weekend of the 11^th and 12^th Oct at the The Spirit of Freedom. Remember your sunscreen and earplugs.

{{newsitem|Aruba Music Festival|10 Oct 2008|Artists such as Gloria Estefan and REO Speedwagon will be performing at this year's Aruba Music Festival . The event will be held in Oranjestad on 10 and 11 October.

{{newsitem|Long Beach gets longer|9 Oct 2008|JetBlue will add two more nonstop destinations from Long Beach Airport this month. Service has begun to Portland (Oregon)|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.

• No more Helsinki-St. Pete ferry (8 Oct 2008)

{{newsitem|Paris Motor Show|4 Oct 2008|The popular Paris Motor Show will be held from 4 to 19 Oct at the Paris/15th arrondissement| Porte de Versailles in Paris, France. Doors are open from 10AM to 10PM Tuesday to Friday and 10AM to 8PM Saturday to Mon.

Paris/15th arrondissement

{{newsitem|Singapore Beer Festival|2 Oct 2008|Can't make it to the Munich Oktoberfest later this month? No problem and the Singapore Beer Festival will be held at Fort Canning Park from the 2^nd to the 5^th of October. See the festival website for details.

• This Is Not Art (2 Oct 2008)

{{newsitem|Chinese National Day|1 Oct 2008|The first of October is the 59th National Day of the China|People's Republic of China at the start of a week long holiday in that country.

September

{{newsitem|Delta-Northwest merger closer|26 September 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.

• [[Travel news#State Fair of Texas|State Fair of Texas]] (26 September 2008)

{{newsitem|Disney's Pleasure Island closes|28 September 2008|All six late night restaurants 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.

• South African Parks Week (22 September 2008)

{{newsitem|Russia and Israel: a mutual visa-free travel|20 September 2008|The visa-free agreement between Russia and Palestine came into force since 20 September 2008.

• San Sebastian Film Festival (18 September 2008)

• Kirstenbosch Chelsea Flower Show Exhibit on show in Cape Town (15 September 2008)

• Hurricane Ike, strikes texas coast (13 September 2008)

{{newsitem|Airport, train strike in Thailand|4 September 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.

August

{{newsitem|Zoom goes zip|29 Aug 2008|Canadian transatlantic budget carrier Zoom Airlines has ceased operations.

{{newsitem|Bibles seized in China|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.

{{newsitem|Changing of the Guards in Saint Petersburg|9 August 2008| The tradition of the changing of the guards returns to Saint Petersburg (Russia)|Saint Petersburg's Peter and Paul fortress. The changing of the guards occurs every Saturday immediately following the noonday firing of the cannon.

{{newsitem|Utah arch collapses|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.

{{newsitem|War in Georgia|8 August 2008|A intense fighting has broken out in the Caucasus between Georgia (country)|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 feasible.

{{newsitem|Regular ferry traffic begins between Saint Petersburg and Helsinki|1 Aug 2008|After a two-year hiatus, regular ferry traffic returns between Saint Petersburg (Russia)|Saint Petersburg and Helsinki. The new route will operated by Finnish ferry company Stella Lines 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.

July

{{newsitem|Travel warning: Hurricane Dolly|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.

{{newsitem|New Disney hotel in Tokyo|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.

{{newsitem|Continental changes alliances|7 July 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.

• Taiwan-China flights start (4 July 2008)

{{newsitem|Big Sur ablaze|3 July 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 for current conditions.

June

{{newsitem|New Tokyo Subway Line Opens|14 June 2008|A new subway line and 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 Tokyo/Shibuya|Shibuya. It also offers through-running to two suburban railways that operate to Saitama prefecture.

{{newsitem|A new illumination system of the Saint Petersburg TV tower|5 June 2008|A new illumination system has been installed on the Saint Petersburg (Russia)|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.

{{newsitem|Frontier Airlines throws the Little Rock|1 June 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.

May

• New Bangalore airport opens (23 May 2008)

{{newsitem|The launch of Japan Travel Guide JTB on Second Life”|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.

{{newsitem|China visa regulations tighten|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 difficult. Not since the early 1980's have the Chinese had such strict entry regulations.

{{newsitem|Cyclone causes havoc in Myanmar|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 and the main gateway into Myanmar, is reported to have been seriously damaged. Some reports state that it will be years before the nation and capital recover.

{{newsitem|More JetBlue Flights to Long Beach|1 May 2008|Low-fare airline JetBlue Airways will add three more destinations from Long Beach Airport in May. Service has begun to Austin on May 1, and to Seattle and San Jose (California)|San Jose on May 21. This will make for a total of 12 destinations served from JetBlue's Southern California mini-hub.

April

• Nationwide shuts down (29 April 2008)

{{newsitem|Eos goes Bye|28 April 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.

{{newsitem|India-Bangla trains|14 April 2008|After a hiatus of 43 years, trains between India andBangladesh have started running again. The service operates between Dhaka and Kolkata twice a week.

{{newsitem|Oasis HK dries up|9 April 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.

{{newsitem|Three US airlines cease operations|6 April 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.

{{newsitem|Transport taxes in Saint Petersburg was raised|1 April 2008|Since 1 April 2008 all taxes on Saint Petersburg (Russia)|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.

March

{{newsitem|Come fly the open sky!|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 Airport to a non-France destination (Los Angeles) and more airlines are expected to follow suit.

{{newsitem|Heathrow T5 opens|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.

February

{{newsitem| Riots in Belgrade|24 February 2008|In response to the US's recognition of Kosovo as an independent nation, an outbreak of attacks on the U.S. Embassy have occurred in Belgrade. Non-crucial 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.

{{newsitem|Database failure|22 February 2008|eHalal's main database server :wts:WtTech:Site slowdown#New database server|failed on February 22nd. The server has been replaced and no data was lost, but some cached pages still report errors: see :wts:WtTech:Database error trying to access Goa|this page for how to fix them.

• Total lunar eclipse (20/21 February 2008)

{{newsitem|The Lantern Festival Starts In Taipei |16 February 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 Sunday Yat-Sen Memorial Hall.

• Fire Destroys Seoul's Iconic City Gate (11 February 2008)

{{newsitem|Singapore Zoo's icon dies|8 February 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.

{{newsitem|Carnival de Binche|3 February 2008|The Binche Carnival in Belgium, an UNESCO World Heritage Event and one of the largest and oldest carnivals in the world, will be held from the 3^th to the 5^th of February 2008.

{{newsitem|New ferry for Robben Island|1 February 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.

{{newsitem|Monte Carlo Las Vegas Update|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 and the Lance Burton show will be suspended for the time being and all tickets that have already been purchased will be refunded.

{{newsitem|Mickey celebrates the Year of the Mouse|1 February 2008|2008 is the Year of the Rat in the Chinese astrological cycle. Fittingly enough and the world's most famous mouse will host a special celebration at Hong Kong#Theme parks|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).

January

{{newsitem|Las Vegas hotel burns|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.

{{newsitem|New Terminal Open at Mexico City's Benito Juarez Airport|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.

• No Match in Paris (1 Jan 2008)

{{newsitem|Cyprus, Malta go euro|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.