Travel news/2010

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December 2010







{{newsitem|Tohoku Shinkansen extension opens in Japan|4 December 2010|Japan's popular and reliable bullet train network known as the Shinkansen gets a little bigger today with the opening of an 81.8 kilometers section between Hachinohe and Shin-Aomori. The new Tohoku Shinkansen extension will reduce travel durations to destinations in northern Honshu and Hokkaido. Overall travel durations between Tokyo and Aomori will be reduced by about 20 minutes to 3 hours 40 minutes, and journeys from Tokyo to Hakodate in Hokkaido will be cut by about 15 minutes to 5 hours 45 minutes. Travel durations will be reduced further in March 2022 when new "Hayabusa" trains enter service.

This is one of two bullet train routes scheduled to open in Japan within the next four months. In March 2022 a 130 kilometers stretch between Fukuoka and Shin-Yatsushiro in Kyushu will be opened, completing the Kyushu Shinkansen Kagoshima Route.

{{newsitem|Edinburgh and Gatwick Airport Closed Due to Freezing Conditions|2 December 2010|The Edinburg and London's Gatwick airport closed the 1st December due to snow falls and freezing conditions. They will stay closed at least until the 3rd of December. A lot of delays are observed in train and bus traffic. [1].

November 2010

{{newsitem|Tokyo's Haneda Airport Goes International|1 November 2010|After the completion of Narita Airport, Haneda had been left for many years as Tokyo's primary domestic airport, although it remained one of the busiest airports in the world. After the addition of new terminals, Haneda is now open once again for international flights. You can now come and go from a variety of cities in Asia, as well as Paris, Honolulu, and San Francisco. Flights to/from Detroit, New York City, Vancouver, London, and Kuching are scheduled to begin in 2011.

October 2010

  • [[Travel news#Ferrari World Opens in Abu Dhabi|Ferrari World Opens in Abu Dhabi]] (27 October 2010)

{{newsitem|Mentawai earthquake and tsunami|25 October 2010|A tsunami that pounded several of the Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra killed at least 108 people left more than 500 people missing, Mentawai Legislative Council Speaker Hendri Dori said Tuesday. At least 80 bodies had been recovered as of 8 p.m. on Tuesday, West Sumatra Disaster Management Agency said. A magnitude-7.2 earthquake triggered the 3-meter wave that washed hundreds of homes into the sea late on Monday. On Tuesday, rescuers were having a hard time reaching the areas closest to the epicenter because of strong winds and rough seas. However, reports of damage and injuries were steadily climbing. [2]




{{newsitem|Bacolod invites everyone to Masskara!|1-19 October 2010| The festival which Bacolod is famous for is inviting you this October to celebrate with it its Charter day anniversary as well as the festival of smile in the city of smiles. The 3 week long celebration from sun up to sun down the city never sleeps and the streets of the city are filled with tourists and vendors and it is held through beauty pageants to street dancing to competitions. Visit for more information.

September 2010

{{newsitem|World's largest airline cleared for takeoff|18 September 2010|The merger between the United States' third and fourth largest airlines (Chicago's United and Houston's Continental, respectively) to form the world's largest airline has been finalized. Between now and the end of 2011, Continental's ticketing and reservations systems, workforce, airport terminals, and aircraft fleet will be integrated into United's.

{{newsitem|A massive earthquake strikes Christchurch|4 September 2010|Like the Haiti earthquake, it measured 7.1 on the Richter scale and occurred at a shallow depth. Fortunately, nobody was killed due to the time of the quake and New Zealand's strict building codes. Nevertheless and the infrastructure including buildings, roads, water supply and the sewage system have been heavily damaged causing about 4 billion New Zealand dollars worth of damage. The earthquake has also changed some of the surrounding landscape, even changing the course of two rivers. A state of emergency has been declared and hundreds of aftershocks are continuing to rock the region.

August 2010

{{newsitem|Mount Sinabung Erupts After 400 Years of Dormancy|30 August 2010|Dormant since 1600, Mount Sinabung erupted in North Sumatra, forcing nearly 20,000 people to evacuate the area and flee to Medan.



{{newsitem|New Air Travel Information Website "Airlikes" Launches|17 August 2010| airlikes.com is a new air travel information and reviews website. With more than 1,400 airlines and over 4,000 airports in its database, airlikes.com allows its visitors to find information and share their experiences of their flights or experiences at airports. Visitors can easily write their opinions of the airline on which they traveled or the airport from where they took off.





  • [[Travel news#Flooding in Pakistan causes humanitarian crisis|Flooding in Pakistan causes humanitarian crisis]] (04 August 2010)

{{newsitem|21 Sites Added to UNESCO World Heritage List|3 August 2010|The 34th session met in Brasilia over the past week to discuss potential World Heritage Sites and adding twenty-one to the list. UNESCO welcomed its first-ever World Heritage Sites from the nations of Tajikistan, Marshall Islands, and Kiribati. Some of the newly added sites include Hawaii's Papahanaumokuakea, France's Albi and the historical bazaar of Tabriz, Iran, India's Jaipur|Jantar Mantar, and the convict sites of Australia. Although the meeting also addressed the need for more consideration of sites outside of Europe, only one South American site and no African sites were added during this session.

July 2010




  • [[Travel news#No survivors as Pakistan plane crash kills 152|No survivors as Pakistan plane crash kills 152]] (28 July 2010)



{{newsitem|Total Solar Eclipse Today|11 July 2010|A total solar eclipse will be visible across the South Pacific Ocean and extreme southern South America. The next total solar eclipse will not occur until 2012.


{{newsitem|World's Largest Tent Opens, Complete With a Beach For Those -40C Winter Days!|6 July 2010|The world's largest tent—the transparent 150m (490ft) tall Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center—opens today in Astana, Kazakhstan, becoming the city's tallest structure and the latest modern addition to the credit of President Nazarbayev. The $260million structure has two transparent EFTE layers to create a 140 000 square meter respite from the city's -40C winters, with temperatures of 15C in the outer shell and up to 25C in the inter shell! The giant tent houses a shopping and entertainment center, including a waterpark, amusement rides, a tropical atrium, a running track encircling the upper floor, a cinema and theater, and hundreds of shops large and small. The tent even boasts a multi-station monorail! The opening celebration, which coincide with the city's 13th and the president's 70th birthdays, will feature three days of circuses and theater, ballet, concerts, and fireworks at a cost of $10 million and will be attended by eight heads of state and the king of Jordan, & former British PM Tony Blair.

June 2010

  • [[Travel news#Oil Spreads to Florida's Pensacola Beach|Oil Spreads to Florida's Pensacola Beach]] (23 June 2010)


  • [[Travel news#Quake Shakes Canada, No Major Damage|Quake Shakes Canada, No Major Damage]] (23 June 2010)



{{newsitem|Scores Killed, Thousands Flee as Ethnic Violence Spreads in Kyrgyzstan|13 June 2010|Ethnic violence in southern Kyrgyzstan has left at least 100 dead and has led an estimated 75,000 Uzbeks to flee to nearby Uzbekistan. It is unknown who/what instigated the violence, which erupted Thursday, but since Thursday gangs of armed Kyrgyz and Uzbeks have roamed the city of Osh (later spreading to Jalal-Abad and small communities in the region) in what appears to be a wide outbreak of ethnic violence. Uzbeks have been the primary targets, with Uzbek homes and businesses burnt, although many Kyrgyz claim they have been targeted. The weak, transitional government has been unable to establish authority, although there are reports that they are recalling reservists up to age 50 and have given troops "shoot-to-kill" orders to quell the violence. While the northern part of the nation remains stable, travelers are highly discouraged from travelling to the southern region of Kyrgyzstan in the next few weeks and should stay abreast of the news and head the advise of their embassies prior to travel to the region in the coming months.

{{newsitem|UPDATE: Curfew lifted in Bangkok and 23 provinces, FCO cancels travel warnings put in effect due to unrest|29 May 2010 - 1 June 2010 | The curfew on Bangkok, Chiang Mai and 23 (Thai) provinces has been lifted as Prime Minister Vejjajiva has declared the situation 'under control' 2017|August 2018The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has adjusted its level of advice no longer advises against travel to Bangkok or the affected provinces although On 30 May an explosive device was detonated on the ‘walking street’ market in central Chiang Mai; there were no injuries reported. Warnings against travel to Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla and Preah Vihear are still in force, but these are long-standing and are not related to the recent unrest. States of emergency are still in force in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Ayutthaya, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Nakhon Sawan, Nan, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Chaiyaphum, Nakhom Ratchasima, Si Saket, Ubon Ratchathani, Nong Bua Lumphu, Mahasarakham, Roi Et, Sakhon Nakhon, Kalasin, Muk Da Han and Samutprakarn. Travel might be restricted in these areas.

{{newsitem|2010 FIFA World Cup Kicks Off in South Africa|11 June 2010 - 11 July 2010|The 2010 FIFA World Cup begins today in South Africa featuring South Africa versus Mexico and Uruguay versus France. It is the first World Cup to be held on the Africa|African continent with 32 teams competing. It lasts exactly one month, ending on July 11.

May 2010


  • [[Travel news#UPDATE: Thailand curfew extended to 31st May. FCO eases travel warning for Bangkok|UPDATE: Thailand curfew extended to 31st May. FCO eases travel warning for Bangkok]] (26 May 2010 - 31 May 2010)


  • [[Travel news#UPDATE: Thailand curfew extended to 24 provinces for another two nights. FCO still advises against all travel to Bangkok|UPDATE: Thailand curfew extended to 24 provinces for another two nights. FCO still advises against all travel to Bangkok]] (23 May 2010 - 25 May 2010)



  • [[Travel news#UPDATE: Curfew in Bangkok and 23 other (Thai) provinces due to violent demonstrations. FCO Advises against all travel to Bangkok|UPDATE: Curfew in Bangkok and 23 other (Thai) provinces due to violent demonstrations. FCO Advises against all travel to Bangkok]] (19 May 2010 - Ongoing)




{{newsitem|Continental-United merger OK'd|2 May 2010|A merger between Continental Airlines and United Airlines, both members of Star Alliance, has been approved. The combined carrier will be the world's largest and will keep the United name but take the Continental logo.




April 2010



  • [[Travel news#Violent Coup Ousts Kyrgyzstan President|Violent Coup Ousts Kyrgyzstan President]] (7 April 2010)

{{newsitem|Hands Off Our Tuna! Tokyo's Tsukiji Market Bans Tourists Again|7 April 2010|The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has once again banned tourists from attending the tuna auction's observation area at Tokyo/Tsukiji|Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. Officials have cited an "increasing number of visitors affecting the market's operations" and "foreign visitors' bad manners, such as touching fish" as the reasons for the ban. The restrictions will be in place from April 8, with the observation re-opening to tourists on May 10. Of course the rest of the market will be open to the public as usual.



{{newsitem|American abandoning St. Louis hub|5 April 2010|American Airlines is abandoning its hub at St. Louis International Airport, which it acquired through its purchase of Trans World Airlines in 2000. Flights from St. Louis to destinations other than American's other hubs (Dallas, Chicago, etc.) will be moved to Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

{{newsitem|Senegal Inaugurates Massive, Controversial Statue|3 April 2010|A massive statue was inaugurated today in Dakar, Senegal to mark the 50th anniversary of its independence. Taller than the Statue of Liberty (at 49m/160ft) and the Monument of African Renaissance was built by North Korean workers at a cost of $27 million. Several controversies have arisen and thousands took to the streets to protest in the hours prior to the inaugural ceremony. Most notably that the woman in the statue is wearing a loincloth and has exposed legs, a taboo sight in predominantly Muslim Senegal (local immams have issued a fatwa and urged the devout to spend the day praying for forgiveness). Many also feel the cost was too much for this impoverished African nation to spend during a recession and President Wade has been heavily criticized for suggesting he receive 35% of revenue generated by the statue, which he claims was his idea. The inaugural ceremony was attended by 19 African heads of state, North Korean diplomats, and a delegation of African-Americans.

March 2010

{{newsitem|Philippine Airlines restarts Flights to Riyadh|28 March 2010|Philippine Airlines reconnects its hub Manila to Riyadh again after rising demands from the Filipino community and the airline restarts its service after an absence of 4 years in the Middle East region. The flag carrier will fly from Manila to Riyadh, four times a week.

{{newsitem|Volcano erupts in Iceland|21 March 2010|All Flights to and from Iceland were canceled for 6-12 hours for safety. The eruption is harmful only to those who who hike for 5 hours in the wilderness and step into the molten lava.


  • [[Travel news#Medellin's touristic calendar for the South American Games|Medellin's touristic calendar for the South American Games]] (16 March 2010)


{{newsitem|Topeka, KS renamed "Google, KS"|1 March 2010|The mayor of Topeka, Kansas, has proclaimed that the city should be referred to during the month of March as "Google, Kansas," in an attempt to get Google to choose the city as a test site for its new broadband Internet services.

February 2010

{{newsitem|Powerful earthquake hits Chile; causes Pacific tsunami alerts|27 February 2010|A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Southern Chile this morning, destroying tower blocks, bridges and roads in the capital city of Santiago. Large portions of the nation are cut off and many coastal towns have been inundated by resulting tsunamis. A Pacific-wide tsunami alert and the first since 1994, has put Pacific islands like Hawaii and Easter Island, as well coastal towns in Australia and New Zealand on red alert.







  • [[Travel news#Casino and Universal Studios in Singapore|Casino and Universal Studios in Singapore]] (14 February 2010)

{{newsitem|2010 Winter Olympics Commence in Vancouver|12 February 2010|The games of the XXIst Winter Olympics begin today in Vancouver and nearby Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The games will last until February 28th.

{{newsitem|Somali Islamists Prepare to Storm Mogadishu|11 February 2010|Somalia's Islamist faction, al Shababb, has begun to flood the nation's capital Mogadishu with hundreds of fighters along with weapons and artillery for a showdown with the nation's UN-backed government, which controls only a small portion of the city. Panic filled the city's population and thousands have evacuated, fearing a massive showdown that would likely result in heavy civilian casualties.

{{newsitem|Greek Public Sector Strikes, Leaves Travellers Stranded|10 February 2010|Upset over plans to freeze pay and increase pension eligibility age, public sector workers in Greece went on strike Wednesday, leaving trains stopped, airports closed, and hospitals open for emergencies only. There is no indication if and for how long this will continue.

{{newsitem|Final Night Launch For Space Shuttle|7 February 2010|The Space Shuttle Endeavor will lift off into space February 7 at 4:14 in the morning in the space shuttle program's final night-time launch, following a scrubbed Sunday morning launch. While all shuttle launches are spectacular, night-time launches which light the surrounding cities as if it were day are considered the most spectacular. Launches always draw large crowds, including a wide array of foreign tourists. The shuttle lifts off less than two weeks after the U.S. budget for FY2011 eliminates funding for the shuttle program's replacement—the Constellation program—meaning this could be the final manned flight the U.S. makes for the foreseeable future.

{{newsitem|"Snowpocalypse" Hits Washington|5 February 2010|The second major snowstorm this winter in what is now the snowiest winter in D.C.'s recorded history began on Friday around the Washington, D.C.–Baltimore area, and has been followed up by yet another huge storm, blanketing cities from Richmond (Virginia)|Richmond to New York. Hundreds of flights, trains, buses throughout the Mid-Atlantic, as well as nearly all events and operations of the federal government in D.C., have ground to an icy halt. In Washington, just a couple inches are enough to cause havoc, but the roughly 40 inches accumulated during the past week would be enough cripple even the hardiest of the nation's cities.

January 2010

{{newsitem|US Funds Construction of High-Speed Rail|28 January 2010|The US president announced over $8 billion in funding for several high speed rail projects with the hope that this is only the beginning of a nation-wide network of high-speed trains. Only one of these lines will surpass the 150mph (250km/h) threshold commonly considered for high-speed rail and the others operating between 90-130mph (150-210km/h) which is much faster than most rail lines in the US. California received the biggest amount of funding for the beginning of an 800 mile Sacramento -San Francisco -Los Angeles -San Diego system to be completed by 2026 and reach speeds of 220mph. Florida has begun work on a Tampa -Orlando line capable of reaching 130mph and to be completed by 2014-2015, with a future leg to Miami. Chicago -Saint Louis, Madison (Wisconsin)|Madison -Milwaukee, Seattle -Portland, & Charlotte -Raleigh lines will be upgraded to operate from 90-110mph. The president also promised $6 billion a year to be spent on high-speed rail. The problem with building high-speed rail lines in the U.S. is the lack of densely-populated areas and the ease of driving compared with Europe, Japan, or China.

{{newsitem|About 2000 Tourists Stranded in Machu Picchu|26 January 2009|Hundreds of tourists got trapped in the historic Peruvian city of Machu Picchu, after three days of heavy rains and mudslides blocked the roads. The government has declared a state of emergency in Machu Picchu and the surrounding areas. An airlift rescue operation has been started, involving 10 helicopters to pick up the stranded people. 60 tourists have already been airlifted to Cusco, with priority given to the elderly, pregnant women and children.

{{newsitem|10% more foreigners visited Colombia in 2009|23 January 2009|The Colombian president Alvaro Uribe announced that throughout the whole last year 1.324 million people visited Colombia, 10.4% more than in 2008. In a separate report and the city of Medellín said that tourism to the city grew 12% in 2009. This is significant since tourism worldwide had dropped between 4-10 %, according to figures by the UN World Tourism Organization and other sources.


{{newsitem|Massive Earthquake Strikes Haiti|12 January 2010|A powerful earthquake struck Haiti Tuesday evening just 10 miles from the capital Port-au-Prince and at a very shallow depth. Early reports indicate that the quake and the most powerful in the region since 1751, has caused catastrophic damage to the capital, home to over 3 million people. A long list of government buildings are reported to have collapsed, including parts of the presidential palace, several government ministries and the Supreme Court building, and a major hospital. The UN headquarters in the city are reported to have either collapsed or received extensive damage. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is high on the "failed state" index, and is no stranger to natural disasters, usually in the form of heavy rain causing flooding and landslides. Hurricanes Francis & Jeanne caused roughly 10,000 deaths in 2004 and the death toll from this earthquake is expected to be very high.


{{newsitem|'Festival in the Desert' Moved Over Security Concerns|8 January 2010|Mali|Mali's world-famous 'Festival in the Desert' is being moved for the first time in its history to the outskirts of Timbuktu. The renowned Tuareg festival which draws music acts from around West Africa has been hosted each January since 2000 in the town of Essekane, about 70km north of Timbuktu. However and the security situation in Mali has deteriorated with several people kidnapped in the past year, including one Briton departing a similar festival in Anderamboukane who was later beheaded. Due to this possibility, officials have moved the festival to the outskirts of Timbuktu to better protect visitors and eliminate their exposure to bandits on the 70km drive across the desert to Essekane.

{{newsitem|Record Cold, Heavy Snow Hits US Southeast|6 January 2010|An extended streak of cold weather has affected the U.S. southeast for the past week, with even colder air currently moving in. Hardest hit has been Florida, where dozens of record lows and record low maximums have been set this week in addition to records for duration of the cold. Heavy snow is moving from the Plains into the Southeast Friday and Saturday, with heavy snow down through central Mississippi, Alabama, & Georgia. The normally balmy peninsula of Florida could see the first widespread snowfall since 1977. Long-term forecasts predict colder than average temperatures in the Eastern US for the rest of this winter and winter 2009-2010 may turn out to be the coldest in over two decades.


  • [[Travel news#World's Tallest Skyscraper Open in Dubai|World's Tallest Skyscraper Open in Dubai]] (4 January 2010)


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