Asia's best places to shop

Convenience and a wide selection of shops make Hong Kong the best place to spend money. The city is also praised for such factors as its long sales periods (the city’s stores marked down items for 22 weeks last year) and its multilingual retail staff. The study put Kuala Lumpur in second place, while Shanghai and Beijing came in third and forth. Singapore was in fifth place followed by Sydney, Bangkok and Tokyo.

 

Christmas in Copenhagen

Folk in the Danish capital of Copenhagen cannot wait for the end of the year, so they start celebrating the yuletide season from tomorrow. The pedestrianised zone from the Town Hall Square to Kongens Nytorv is decorated for Christmas from the beginning of November while the programme at the Tivoli amusement park kicks off on November 16. The Nyhavn Christmas Market opens the same day.

 

Malaysia goes biometric 

Thailand’s southern neighbour is introducing a biometric visa system, meaning that any foreigner who requires a visa to enter Malaysia will first have to register using the biometric system at Malaysian embassies abroad. In a move to deter visa fraud, fingerprints of foreigners will be verified at the embassies and again at the entry points in Malaysia. Biometric screening is a fingerprint scanning system with security features to match an individual’s identity with the data recorded in the passports. Touted as the first “Bio-Visa” to be introduced in the world, those who do not comply with the Immigration Department’s proposed Biometric-Visa will be slapped with a “Not to Land” (NTL) notice and turned back. – The Star/ANN

 

Singapore Airlines to buy more jumbos

Singapore Airlines plans to buy 25 new mid-sized and jumbo jets to fuel future growth in a move that shows it is confident that the current business slowdown will pass. The deal for 20 Airbus 350s and five Airbus 380 super-jumbos is valued at US$7.5 billion at catalogue prices. Deliveries will start in 2017. The A350s can each carry about 310 passengers in three classes while the A380, which SIA was the first to fly five years ago, is the biggest commercial jet ever built. The ones used by SIA can carry up to 471 passengers. This is its biggest aircraft purchase in six years, showing airline’s confidence in the strength of the market for premium full-service travel. – The Straits Times/ANN 

 

UK targets backpackers

VisitBritain has appointed Hostelworld.com to support its 125-million-pound “GREAT Britain, You’re Invited” programme. Targeted at independent and youth travellers, the joint campaign will promote Britain as a must-see destination and encourage travellers to explore the UK using a wide network of accommodation available on Hostelworld.com. The resilient budget and youth travel market is an increasingly important segment for Britain as the national tourism agency looks to attract an extra 4.6 million overseas visitors by 2015. With global economic growth still subdued, many travellers are choosing accommodation abroad based on cost.