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LOS ANGELES – Tourism Fiji, the national tourism board for the Fiji Islands, has recently reported that the majority of the country’s tourism infrastructure, located on Viti Levu in the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands, is fully operational and all international visitors are safe and have been completely unaffected by the recent passing of Tropical Cyclone Thomas.

While resort business has resumed to near normalcy in the key tourist areas and international airlines are fully operational, the north-eastern and central regions of Fiji, which bore the brunt of the cyclone’s passing, have been declared a disaster zone by Fiji’s Disaster Management Authority (DISMAC).

Regional Director The Americas Tourism Fiji Ili Matatolu commented, “We are extremely grateful that any inconvenience this situation has incurred for our international visitors has been kept to an absolute minimum, particularly on Viti Levu and in the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands.”

In the Northern region of Fiji, Vanua Levu, Taveuni and Savusavu resorts are operational and some telephone lines and power supply have resumed, but domestic air travel to the north east still is not operational while local aviation authorities assess damage to runways and airport facilities. According to regular communications received from hoteliers and resort operators in the northeastern division via satellite and cell phones, all reports indicate that all guests and staff in Vanua Levu, Taveuni and Savusavu are safe despite the damages.

Chief Executive Officer Jo Tuamoto said that even though the northeast has suffered as a result of the cyclone, he remains confident the region will return to normalcy in a very quick amount of time. “We Fijians are an extremely resilient people,” he said. “While TC Tomas is one of the bigger weather fronts we have experienced in recent times, we are nonetheless very experienced at preparing for this kind of event.”

Tuamoto says that it is business as usual for Fiji’s western region tourism industry, which was completely unaffected by TC Tomas. In both the Mamanuca and Yasawa regions of Fiji, inter-island ferries and cruise services are operational. Domestic carrier Pacific Sun has also recommenced its daily air services between Nadi, Suva and Labasa. Captain Cook Cruises recommenced sailing and Blue Lagoon Cruises is expected to sail from its homeport of Lautoka.

For information regarding the travel to the Fiji Islands, contact Tourism Fiji located at 5777 West Century Boulevard, Suite 220 in Los Angeles, California. The tourism board can also be contacted directly by calling (310) 568-1616, via fax at (310) 670-2318, or by via email at infodesk@tourismfijius.com

The German National Tourist Office has just updated and released one of its most popular annual publications, Destination Germany. Hot off the presses in 48 pages of lavish colour, Destination German provides specific topical information plus, as before, contact details, maps and a wealth of photographs to help readers decide where to go. This year’s edition is divided into three themed sections.

The Art and Culture of Historic Towns and Modern Cities

Many of Germany’s towns and cities boast unusual, arresting mergers of modern architecture and historic buildings, perfect backdrops for both cultural endeavours and simple enjoyment. The GNTO’s newly released brochure focuses on a few centres of contemporary art and architecture, Berlin, Cologne and Frankfurt among them, along with lovingly preserved older townscapes, such as Wiesbaden and Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, with a two-page spread on the emerging cosmopolis of the Ruhr Valley, Europe’s Capital of Culture this year. (A 16-page supplement stapled into the brochure, sponsored by the federation that calls itself Magic Cities of Germany, gives some of these cities — Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart — a second exposure in the publication.)

Themes and Variations

For travellers looking more for a themed holiday than a place to explore, Section Two of the new publication offers a panoply of topics, from heritage travel to family fun parks, Germany’s many automobile museums to its culinary high spots, “green” travel – by bike, to eco-conscious inns – to gay and lesbian travel, great shopping places and river cruises.

Going to the Country

Section Three of the new Destination Germany suggests the travel possibilities of the German countryside. The Black Forest may well be the most famous landscape for that kind of slow, cross-country holiday, but King Ludwig’s alpine Allgäu region, with its towering fairytale castles, is not far behind. A special subsection focuses on winter holidays in Germany – in Bavaria in particular, but also in such emerging winter sports destinations as Saxony and Thuringia, both also equipped for alpine skiing.

Final pages in the publication include a two-page map, directory of Canadian tour operators, a calendar of popular events and a range of service listings to help plan a trip to Germany.

For a free copy of the brochure and for general information on Germany, please contact the German National Tourist Office www.germany.travel

Photo: Ruhr Tourismus GmbH by Ralph Lueger

By Charlie Mills | March, 2010

Finally, the Inca ruins site at Machu Picchu will reopen to international visitors as of April 1st. This reopening comes following a closure of two months caused by flooding. This is good news for this area, which makes a lot of money off the tourists that come from all over to visit these ruins.

Officials from PromPeru, the nation’s tourism body, did go on to confirm the reopening of the site. The reopening is made possible thanks to the repairs being successful to the rail links. These rail links had been damaged in the flood earlier this year.

The nearby Vilcanota River overran its banks back in January. It destroyed the rail and road links to the site. This had a severe impact on tourism to the area and even stranded many tourist at the site or many days. The tourists finally had to be airlifted out of the area by helicopter.

It took a long time for officials to airlift everyone out of the area for many reasons. First of all, bad weather continued to make it impossible to fly helicopters into the area. Second, many hikers, who had started on their joinery to the site many days before continued to show up at the site long after the flood waters had destroyed the link to the area. During this time, people had to deal with a very small supply of food and water.

Originally, repairs to the tracks were not expected to be done until mid-April. However, favorable weather conditions have allowed work to be completed way ahead of schedule. PeruRail will recommence its Vistabome train service to Agus Calientes on March 29th. However, Inca Citadel of Machu Picccu will not reopen to tourists until April 1st

Photo from Wordpress.com

Source: comparecarrentals.com/etn

KEY WEST, Florida Keys — The Key West home that author Ernest Hemingway lived in from 1931 through 1939 has been designated a literary landmark. Hemingway worked on many of his best-known novels and short stories in a second-story writing studio adjoining the Spanish colonial villa at 907 Whitehead St. They include “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” and the Key West-based “To Have and Have Not,” his only novel set in the United States.

“Hemingway fell in love with Key West and its energy,” said Dave Gonzales of the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum following a designation ceremony Sunday, March 14. “He lived here only nine years, but wrote 70 percent of his lifetime works in that 9-year period — the most prolific period of his life.”

Hemingway occupied the Key West home with his second wife Pauline and their two sons, and owned it until his death in 1961. Following his death, the unpublished manuscript that was to become “Islands in the Stream” was found in a vault in the property’s garage.

In 1964, the home became a museum honoring the Pulitzer and Nobel prize-winning author.

Its literary landmark designation, conferred by a division of the American Library Association, was presented by author Les Standiford.

“This is a recognition long overdue,” said Standiford, whose book “Last Train to Paradise” opens with a scene set on the property. “There are a number of other literary landmarks in Key West, but none dedicated to Hemingway.”

Among the island’s seven other literary landmarks are the former homes of playwright Tennessee Williams and poet Elizabeth Bishop.

Guided tours of the Hemingway house and grounds are offered daily. For more information, visit www.hemingwayhome.com.

For more information about Key West and the other Florida Keys, visit www.fla-keys.com