Business Bay on track

There will be marinas, businesses, four hotel complexes, restaurants, apartments and green spaces along the canal. Building has begun on Deira Island, another artificial island off the coast. The financial crisis delayed the start of construction, but a large tourism centre with a hotel, an aquarium, a night market and an amphitheatre will be built up on the 427-hectare island. Dubai will also get a new opera house by 2015. – DPA

 

Calculating prayer time in the air

With all the time-zone differences and changing directions, it's not hard for a devout Muslim to get confused during prayers on an aeroplane. The Singapore-based company Crescent Rating has come up with help in the form an app. The Inflight Prayer Times Calculator keeps up with time zones and points the direction to Mecca. The Crescent Trips app, which works in plane mode, is available so far for Apple's iOS devices only, according to the company.

 

Prize for Lao night safari

The Nam Nern Night Safari, an ecotour based in Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area, Laos, has won the prestigious “Best for Responsible Wildlife Experiences” award for Responsible Tourism at the World Travel Mart in London. The night safari is a fun and innovative community-based ecotour developed by the Wildlife Conservation Society, local government, and community partners. Longtail river boats take guests upstream in the afternoon, and after a riverside dinner, the boats float downstream at night without engines to allow for the best chances to see wildlife. All positions are staffed by local villagers who act as guides, boatmen, cooks, and forest protection rangers. – ANN

 

Disney Paris suffers attendance droop

The number of visitors to Disneyland Paris has fallen by more than 1 million this year, as the economic crisis in Europe squeezes spending on travel and leisure. Visitor numbers fell from 16 million in 2012 to 14.9 million in the fiscal year ending September 30, the resort's owner Euro Disney announced. Euro Disney's revenues were practically unchanged, however, at 1.31 billion euros (Bt55.21 billion), as average spending by visitors rose. The decline was most acute among visitors from France itself, Spain and Italy. Disneyland Paris is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Europe but it has only turned a profit once since it opened in 1992. – DPA

 

Grapes of vintage joy

Air China is now offering fine wines on its European and American routes in an effort to improve the onboard dining experiences. French vintage wines of classified growths, selected by Air China's team of wine connoisseurs, are offered on European/US routes 

operated with B777-300ER aircraft. Air China aims to build its "Sky Wine Cellar", and vintage wines that have been served onboard already include Chateau Brane Cantenac Margaux Bordeaux, a 2005 vintage red, and Chateau Leoville Poyferre St. Julien Classified Growth, a 2006 vintage red wine.

 

Etiquette guide launched

Do not pick your nose or pee in pools – those are the wishes of the Chinese government for their countrymen who travel abroad. China’s tourism officials have issued a new 64-page manual with detailed guidelines for Chinese travelling to other countries. Well-mannered travellers do not pick at their teeth with their fingers or stand on the toilet seat, notes the manual. 

There were also special guidelines listed for individual countries.