News

American Queen Steamboat Company Offers Civil War-Themed Cruises

American Queen Steamboat Company (AQSC) is hosting several Civil War cruises in 2020 onboard its river ships. Civil War cruises will take place onboard the American Queen, the American Duchess and the American Countess on six different dates. On these cruises, guests will be joined by distinguished speakers who bring to life Civil War history, stories and events. The cruises highlight the unique perspectives and legendary tales that both entertain and enlighten passengers. On land, guests are afforded the opportunity to experience solemn battlefields where experienced historians resurrect memories misplaced in the tumult of war.

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Rome bans souvenir stands around its famous sites; find out why

Your street shopping in Rome experience could change forever as the city has now banned souvenir stands located near its famous sites. Not only souvenir stands, but snack carts are also going to be banned in the city. These sites include places such as the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish steps. According to reports, 17 of these stalls are being closed down, and only eight of them are allowed to remain open. The ban has been put in place in order to protect the heritage of Rome, according to the city’s mayor, Virginia Raggi. The crowd surrounding such stalls can dampen the experience for a lot of travelers, and significantly reduces the importance and beauty of the sites. However, some of us do like to buy souvenirs and tiny replicas of these heritage buildings. The ban was put in place on January 1, 2020, and is supposedly going to save Rome’s reputation from getting ruined.

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Come 2020 and there will be no more elephant rides at Cambodia’s Angkor Wat

In a welcome move, Cambodia is on its way to elephant rides at the Angkor Wat, its most famous attraction. An announcement regarding the ban has been made by the Angkor Elephant Group Committee, which has also been urged to let go of the 14 elephants that are currently used to give rides at the temple complex. The move has come in the wake of an elephant’s death in 2016, as it collapsed after giving tourists a ride in soaring temperatures. One of the vets attributed “high temperatures, heat exhaustion and lack of wind that would have helped to cool her” as the cause of death. The horrific incident led to outrage around the world, as pleas were made to stop animal abuse. The Angkor Elephant Group Committee Director Oan Kiry issued a statement on the move, "In early 2020, our association plans to end the use of elephants to transport tourists… They can still watch the elephants and take photos of them in our conservation and breeding center. We want the elephants to live in as natural a manner as possible.”

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Schengen Visa fee hike! Here’s how much Europe travel is going to cost from February 02

According to reports, the Schengen visa fee will be raised to Euro 80 and the hike will come into effect on February 02, 2020. Currently, the visa fee is Euro 60. The Schengen Visa is the most common visa for travelling to Europe and is required for business travel, while travelling to visit friends and family, tourism, holidays, cultural and sports events, airport transit and transit for seafarers, official visits, medical tourism, short-term study and research purposes. As per updated regulations, children between 6 to 12 years of age will need to pay Euro 40 instead of the earlier fees of Euro 35. However, there is no fee for infants and children below six years of age.

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easy Jet expands in to Dubai - here’s how you can get flights to the UAE

EASY JET have launched a partnership with Etihad Airways, giving customers the chance to travel to the UAE with the low-cost carrier. The collaboration means customers can purchase tickets through easy Jet's worldwide website for connections to both airways' networks and opening travel opportunities to UAE hotspots like Dubai as well as Africa, the Azores and Europe. The new agreement with easy Jet marks Etihad’s first use of the New Distribution Capability (NDC) platform, which provides technical capability for new partnerships which weren’t previously possibile.

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India Today Tourism Awards: Here are places you want to visit in India

The India Today Tourism Awards 2019 recognize popular travel destinations and attractions across the country in a range of categories: • Best adventure destination: Chadar Trek Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir • Best beach or coastal destination: Palolem, Goa • Best heritage destination: Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park Jodhpur, Rajasthan • Best mountain destination: Gulmarg Jammu and Kashmir • Best wildlife destination: Gir National Park Gujarat • Best festival destination: Kumbh Mela Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh • Best state for travel: Goa • Iconic landscape destination: Mangrove forests, the Sundarbans West Bengal • Most scenic road: Srinagar-Leh Jammu and Kashmir • Spiritual Destination: Golden Temple Amritsar, Punjab

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