A fine romance

The latter is certainly true of a report on China’s CCTV about a young man, Ding Yizhou, from Liuzhou, Guangxi, who has taken his lover on a trip around China. That’s remarkable because the lady in question suffers severe disabilities that mean she can’t walk or swallow. But despite being confined to a wheelchair, she still can dream, and her dream was to travel across the nation. With help from a working dog, the couple plotted their route in heart shape before leaving home.

 

Airbus flies high

Qatar Airways has now taken delivery of the first in its 80 Airbus A350 XWB fleet, following the finalising of an agreement with Airbus on the fine print. The airline was originally supposed to have the commercial aircraft on the tarmac in mid December but the delivery “skidded off” the schedule at the last minute. The hand-over ceremony was rescheduled to December 22 at Airbus Delivery Centre in Toulouse, France, making Qatar Airways the first customer of the AA350 XWB. This new craft is made for long-haul flights and will be put into service on the Doha-Frankfurt route this month.

 

Bhutan to post PATA mart

Bhutan, somewhat of a newcomer to the tourism industry, will play host to the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2015 (AT&RTCM2015) from February 4 to 6. To be held at the Royal Banquet Hall in Thimphu, the tourism market event has “Explore Beyond Tourism – Celebrate Happiness” as its theme. The host expects the trade fair to bring together professionals involved in adventure travel and responsible tourism to discuss new opportunities for promoting environmental protection and social sustainability within the industry. Visit www.PATA.org/adventure2015.

 

VietJet gets its new plane

Vietnamese low-cost carrier VietJet Air (www.VietJetAir.com) has taken delivery of a new Airbus aircraft, taking its total fleet count to 20 and enabling the airline to now offer more than 10,000 seats per week across all domestic and international routes. The delivery of the LZ-BHF, the third of the 100 Airbus A320s ordered by the airline in September 2013, is a timely addition to VietJet’s fleet as travel demand will most likely increase during the upcoming peak season in Vietnam for the Tet holidays next month. VietJet Air flies between Bangkok and Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

 

New name for Swiss Pass

Tourists heading to Switzerland should take note that the Swiss Pass is being called Swiss Travel Pass with effect from January 1. But while the name has change, the services haven’t with the pass still covering, free travel on trains, buses or ships, a 50-per-cent rebate on most Swiss mountain railways, use of public transportation in 75 Swiss cities as well as entry to more than 480 Swiss museums. The pass starts from CHF 179 (Bt5,880)