कैलाश मानसरोवर गएका भारतीय तीर्थयात्रीको लेक लागेर  ८ तीर्थयात्रीको मृत्यु भएको छ  । खराब मौसमका कारण सयौं अलपत्र छन् ।शनिबारदेखि मौसम खराब भएपछि मानसरोवर जाने र फर्किने यात्रु अलपत्र परेका थिए । भारतीय दूतावासको खर्चमा नेपाली सेनाको हेलिकप्टरले दुई फ्लाइट गरी यात्रीलाई नेपालगन्ज झारेको थियो । निजी कम्पनीका हेलिकप्टर र हवाईजहाजले पनि अलपत्र तीर्थयात्रीको उद्धार गरेको थियो ।  कैलाश मानसरोवर जाने तीर्थयात्रीको मृत्यु हुनुको प्रमुख कारण ‘हाई–अल्टिच्युड’ (लेक लाग्नु) हो । भारतको गर्मी हुने ठाउँमा बसेका तीर्थयात्रीलाई एक्कासि निकै उचाइको कैलाशमा जाँदा तापमानसँग समायोजन हुन कठिन हुन्छ । अक्सिजनको मात्रा कम हुँदा कैलाश क्षेत्रमै उनीहरूको मृत्यु हुने गरेको ट्राभल व्यवसायी बताउँछन् ।

स्रोत: कान्तिुर

An American tourist died when a tour boat in the Bahamas exploded on Saturday morning. There were 10 tourists – all Americans – and 2 Bahamian crew members onboard the 40-foot chartered boat when an engine exploded. Witnesses say those onboard were leaping from the boat. Of the 12 people onboard, 10 were injured after the boat quickly was consumed by flames.

One of the American tourists taken to a hospital was 22-year-old Stefanie Schaffer, a dancer from Vermont. She is in a medically-induced coma after having both legs amputated. Her sister, Brook, and parents, Stacey and Paul, were also onboard the boat for what was supposed to be part of a relaxing vacation. The boat was set to take off on a tour from Barraterre island in Exuma Cays, one of the most popular Bahamas tourist destinations, to see Bahamas famous ocean-swimming pigs. The US Coast Guard airlifted 4 American tourists to a nearby Florida hospital, while other passengers were taken to Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau over 100 miles away for treatment, among those was the boat captain who has since been discharged. Four Americans are now back in the United States. Passengers from a nearby tour boat helped to rescue those from the burning boat. The Royal Bahamas Police Force Exuma branch is investigation the cause of the explosion.

One of Seychelles’ smallest islands has launched what might be the country’s largest private renewable energy project. Denis Private Island has embarked on the first of a four-phase photovoltaic solar power system in collaboration with DHYBRID from Germany, initially reducing the island’s diesel consumption by 100 litres per day.

Working in partnership with Sun Tech Seychelles, the first phase saw the installation of a 104 kWp solar array, together with the DHYBRID Universal Power Platform (UPP), which will serve as the foundation for the current and future integration of renewable energy on the island. That will eventually include an upgrade of Denis’ existing diesel generators, before the implementation of modern lithium ion battery energy storage systems that will replace the need for generators altogether. With the UPP in place, DHYBRID chief technology officer Tobias Reiner said, the island has an energy roadmap towards 100 percent renewables. “Denis Island is a beautiful and unique destination and we are very proud, that our technology is now supporting the ambitious vision of the island towards a green and sustainable energy supply,” Mr Reiner said. “Denis Island is a role model in sustainability and we hope that this installation will set a further example to other islands in the Seychelles.”

While most photo-voltaic projects feed power back into a public energy grid, the challenges on Denis are considerably different, primarily because there is no grid to speak of. The entire operation on the remote island – a 30-minute flight from the main island of Mahé – has had to be powered independently with its own diesel generators, making the switch to renewables a more complicated affair, Denis Private Island owner Mickey Mason said.  “We’ve always known that in keeping with our mission for not just a sustainable hotel but a sustainable and self-dependent island, we would have to address the issue of power,” Mr Mason said. “However, for us it’s not as simple as putting a few panels on the roof. If we’re going to do it right, we had to have a structure that would allow us to gradually shift toward the new technology without disrupting our existing operations.”  After thorough research, Mr Mason approached DHYBRID in Germany, which specialises in designing total energy solutions in remote places, and has carried out successful projects in Somaliland, South Sudan, Haiti and the Maldives.

Deepak Neupane, Kathmandu : Nepal Tourism was in Los Angeles Wednesday night. “This feels like stepping into Nepal for a few hours”, This evening, the 2018 US Summit/Sales Mission  for the Nepal Tourism Board concluded in Los Angeles at Tara’s Himalayan Cuisine,  in Artesia, and was a special occasion with the Nepal Tourism Board welcoming and hosting the Honorary Consul General of Nepal, Rishi P.Dhakal, and his special guest a dignitary from the Artesia City Council, who hails from Nepal.He was not only talking about the exciting video presentation he just saw about Nepal. The decoration, the food, and the atmosphere and of course. Tonight’s Grand Prize Winner of a trip of a lifetime for two to Nepal, provided by the Nepal Tourism Board was Ozella Anderson from Ozee Travel in Los Angeles.

International tourist arrivals grew 6% in the first four months of 2018, compared to the same period last year, not only continuing the strong 2017 trend, but exceeding UNWTO’s forecast for 2018. “International tourism continues to show significant growth worldwide, and this translates into job creation in many economies. This growth reminds us of the need to increase our capacity to develop and manage tourism in a sustainable way, building smart destinations and making the most of technology and innovation,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili.

The limited information coming from Africa and the Middle East points to 6% and 4% growth, respectively, confirming the rebound of Middle East destinations and the consolidation of the growth in Africa. Confidence in global tourism remains strong according to the latest UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts survey. The Panel’s outlook for the May-August period is one the most optimistic in a decade, led by the particularly upbeat sentiment in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Experts’ evaluation of tourism performance in the first four months of 2018 was also robust, in line with the strong results recorded in many destinations around the world.

Growth was led by Asia and the Pacific (+8%) and Europe (+7%). Africa (+6%), the Middle East (+4%) and the Americas (+3%) also recorded sound results. Earlier this year, UNWTO’s forecast for 2018 was between 4-5%.

From January to April 2018, international arrivals increased in all regions, led by Asia and the Pacific (+8%), with South-East Asia (+10%) and South Asia (+9%) driving results. The world’s largest tourism region, Europe also performed strongly during this four-month period (+7%), pulled ahead by the destinations of Southern and Mediterranean Europe, and Western Europe (both +8%). Growth in the Americas is estimated at 3%, with strongest results in South America (+8%). The Caribbean (-9%) is the only sub-region to experience a decrease in arrivals during this period, weighed down by some destinations still struggling with the aftermath of the hurricanes of August and September 2017.

The group, guided by Shoichi Shoda, President of the Tourist Association of Kanazawa, a city compared to the city of Milan, said, “Because we are very rich in history and culture, religious and kind, come and you will discover that we are your second homeland.” A Creative City of UNESCO since 2009, Kanazawa is the capital of Ishikawa, one of the 47 Japanese prefectures, located in the center of the country (of which it represents 1% for territory and population), between mountain scenery and the coast of the Sea of Japan. The Italians who visited it in 2017 were 11,770 (increased as never before this spring), up 102% over the previous year, compared to 25 million total visitors, of which only 529,000 were foreigners. The seminar has unveiled a culture that is not very widespread in books and the Internet, refined in modesty and rich in a 400-year history that preserves in its appearance, challenging new things at the same time with the Museum of Contemporary Art of the 21st century of Kanazawa as an example, or with its railway station, whose architecture is elected one of the most beautiful in the world.

Another highlight of the destination (where Japanese sweets are said to be born), is the high-quality cuisine, like the traditional Kaga, famous for crab, shrimp, and very fresh sushi, not to mention sake. Finally, a unique charm in Kanazawa can be found in the MICE sector, which offers rooms in 3 areas of the city, the main one around the station, with the Castle available for congresses. A building in the park welcomes 350 people for parties with a buffet and geisha dance show. Other places of genuine Japan await in the hinterland of Noto, where they say that even the land is kind. The beautiful coastal landscapes of the peninsula, the morning market of Wajimad (the largest and oldest in the country), and the baths of Kaga, are all reasons to visit this unique cultural destination whether for leisure or business.

Suzuki (with sessions and practices together with the monks at the Daijoji temple), the districts of the geishas (rare now), the houses of the samurai, masters of the tea ceremony (an art form that “brings calm,”) are all important components of their culture. Furthermore, the artisan districts provide cultural touring of the traditions of the millenary art of lacquering, porcelain, silk weaving, and gold leaf (0.0001 mm thick, produced only in Kanazawa).

This city is a center of ancient traditions and artistic exquisiteness; it is compact and developed around the imposing castle of the Maeda clan (the Medici of Japan). All attractions and sites are within 2 kilometers: the Kenrokuen gardens (among the 3 most famous in the country), and the Zen house in the new D.T. museum.  A roadshow aimed at the trade, has been organized by the Japan National Tourist Office (JNTO) and the Kanazawa Hotel Association. With only two stops in Europe – Milan and Paris – Kanazawa is on a mission to promote this small jewel of authentic Japan located between Tokyo and Kyoto, and equidistant both by the deluxe high-speed train Shinkannsen (2 1/2 hours) or by plane (about 1 hour).

The numerous delegations, greeted by the Consul General of Japan, consisted of representatives of 7 hotels (Kanazawa New Grand Hotel, Ana Holiday Inn Kanazawa Sky, Hotel Kanazawa, Kanazawa Kokusai Hotel, Kanazawa Tokyu Hotel, Ana Crowne Plaza Kanazawa, and Hotel Nikko Kanazawa), each with a capacity between 100 and 200 rooms, and of the city’s Convention Bureau.

According to a report from Rewardexperts.com, which reviews airline and travel rewards credit cards, Russian’s are not the most easygoing because they hand out the most four or five-star reviews but because they are the least likely to leave one or two-star reviews.  Russian tourists have emerged as the world’s happiest tourists, a new report has revealed.   Serbians and Lebanese travelers also emerged relatively easy to please in the ranking, taking second and third spots on the list of happiest travelers.  Researchers from Rewardexperts.com combed through 3.5 million reviews written from guests in 83 countries, for 13,410 hotels in 70 countries

Nepal Tourism Summit, organized by the New York-based Travelmarketing Network, this publication, finished the Nepal Summit in Seattle, Washington, USA, today, June 22, 2018. Travel agents, tour operators, and journalists had the chance to meet with top executives and representatives from the Nepal Tourism Board – Nardini Lane Tapa, Director of Tourism Marketing and Promotions, and Eubanks Rana, Senior Manager Tourism Marketing and Promotions – along with a Nepal specialist in Seattle from the office of TCS World Travel, a leader in private jet expeditions. “Attendees learned about how Nepal is more than incredible mountains and, of course, Seattle’s Mt. Everest is testament to majestic mountains. I saw keen interest from a number of travel professionals in the romance market within Nepal. Destination weddings and honeymoons are truly remarkable in Nepal,” noted Mel Webster, Moderator of the 2018 US Nepal Tourism Board Summit.  Seattle, no stranger to majestic mountains, warmly welcomed Nepal for this trade and media summit to promote tourism to Nepal.

The event ended with a prize giveaway for an all-inclusive trip to Nepal for 2, and the lucky winner for this Seattle event was Monique Brigham of Plumeria Breezes Travel. 

Organized by Peerspace, travel agents and attending media from the Seattle area were treated to a fantastic lunch provided by The Everest Kitchen, specializing in Nepal, Indian, and Tibetan cuisine.

KwaZulu-Natal is looking forward to a massive cash injection as more than 1.2 million domestic holiday makers are expected to flock to the province for the three-week winter school holiday from June 22 until July 17, 2018. The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province is expecting a big influx of tourists due to major events that will be taking place in the next three weeks and the warm weather as a major draw card, says the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mr. Sihle Zikalala. “KZN will pull out all the stops to ensure that holidaymakers are kept entertained with a jam-packed calendar of events in Durban and along the KZN coastline to suit all tastes. “This includes the Vodacom Durban July; The Dundee July, The Soul and Jazz Experience in Richards Bay, the Sardine Festival in Port Edward, the iSimangaliso Trail Challenge in St Lucia, and many more,” added Zikalala.

The winter holidays are the perfect time to pack your bags and head for KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), said Acting CEO for Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, Phindile Makwakwa. “This is the ideal time for local tour operators to promote KZN and all its tourism offerings; from the beach to the berg, to the game parks and our many exceptional tourism routes. Tourism contributes eight percent to our gross domestic product and employs 6.5 % of the country’s workforce. It is an important catalyst for the province’s economic transformation.” Tourism is a major economic booster through its contribution to various other sectors such as hospitality, transport, arts and crafts who form part of the tourism value chain, added Makwakwa.

Charles Preece, East Coast Operational Manager for the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa, (FEDHASA), said the winter holidays was always a good season for the industry with hotel bookings looking solid. The Vodacom Durban July which will take place on July 7, will rake in large crowds and is expected to attract 50 000 people on race day. The cash injection in 2017 from the VDJ was R260 million into the KZN economy. This year, the contribution to eThekwini’s GDP is forecasted to be about R159 million and contribute R10 million in government taxes as well as creating 320 annual jobs.

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The first lady’s visit to Upbring New Hope Children’s Center on Thursday comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting the practice of separating families. However, his policy of criminally prosecuting illegal border-crossers remains. Melania Trump is visiting two Texas facilities housing some of the more than 2,300 migrant children sent by the U.S. government after their families entered the country illegally. Mrs. Trump, whose focus is on children, may have helped encourage her husband to act.

The first lady said earlier through her spokeswoman that she “hates” to see families separated at the border. A White House official followed up Wednesday, saying Mrs. Trump had been making her opinion known to the president that he needed to act to keep migrant families together.