Leave the stick at home

Leave the stick at home

Selfie sticks will be banned from Disney amusement parks worldwide starting this week. Park visitors will have to leave their selfie sticks, which people use to take photos of themselves on their cell phones, at the bag check at park entrances and pick them up on their way out. The policy went into effect yesterday at Disney parks in Florida and California and come into force today at Disney’s parks in Paris and Hong Kong. “We strive to provide a great experience for the entire family, and unfortunately selfie-sticks have become a growing safety concern for both our guests and cast,” says Disney World spokeswoman Kim Prunty. A number of incidents preceded the change. Among them was a roller coaster at Disneyland in California that had to be halted after a passenger pulled out a selfie-stick. The ride was closed for an hour.

 

Crossing opens at Nathula

A new path for Indian pilgrims to sacred religious sites officially opened recently in Tibet’s Dromo county with 50 pilgrims starting a 12-day journey through the newly opened Nathula Pass. Officials from both China and India were present at the ceremony to launch the new pass. “This event is a practical action of implementing the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and an important measure to further strengthen the traditional friendly China-India friendship,” noted Dong Mingjun, vice-chairman of the Tibet autonomous region. Hindus regard Tibet’s Mount Kailash and Manasarovar as holy religious sites, and the pilgrims will cross the border to pay their homage to Kailash Manasarovar between June and November. China has received 80,000 Indian pilgrims in last 10 years. – China Daily

 

MERS scares tourists away

Reservations of Korea travel packages plummeted by more |than 80 per cent for the upcoming peak season this summer |amidst concerns over the Middle East respiratory syndrome |outbreak. According to the Korea Association of Travel Agents, |about 200,000 foreign visitors booked Korean tour packages for |July and August, down 82 per cent from a year ago. This is expected to cause a loss of over 100 billion won (Bt3 billion) in sales. |By nationality, the number of Japanese tourists declined by 84 per cent to about 28,000 and Chinese visitors similarly dropped by 84 per cent to some 132,000. The number of tourists from European and East Asian countries and the US also fell by around 70 per cent. As part of its efforts to overcome the MERS crisis, the union said |it would guarantee a MERS insurance programme for all incoming foreign visitors. – ANN

 

Myanmar in the air

Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) has set its sights on expanding international operations to Hong Kong, Taipei, Beijing and Shanghai by early 2016, following the launch of the Yangon-Singapore route in August. The airline will fly to Hong Kong and Taipei in November. It will expand the service to cover Beijing and Shanghai next year. Formerly known as Myanmar Airways, MNA targets both leisure and business travellers who are looking for a new experience. With nine aircraft, MNA now flies to 26 domestic destinations, the most extensive network among domestic airlines. – Myanmar Eleven

 

New Airbus fleet for Korean Air

Korean Air has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus to acquire up to 50 A321neo aircraft, becoming a new customer for the best-selling single aisle A320 Family. The agreement, covering 30 aircraft plus 20 options, was announced recently at the Paris Air Show. The airline will operate the A321neo with a two-class full service layout on regional services, including on longer sectors to selected destinations in Southeast Asia. The aircraft will be fitted with premium amenities, including wider seats in both classes and the latest in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems.