China

Sichuan province opens earthquake park, welcomes tourists

Six months after the earthquake, China's Sichuan province is more-or-less ready for visitors.

India

Laser show to woo tourists at Kurukshetra

To attract more religious tourists to Kurukshetra, the Haryana government has planned a laser show on Lord Krishna propounding The Bhagwad Gita during the legendary war of the Mahabharata, said to hav

Australia

Southern Star will take tourism to new heights

What's 120m tall, has 3.7km of light-emitting diodes, carries 420 people in 21 air-conditioned pods and offers 360-degree views? Melbourne's newest tourist attraction.

Latvia's Latest 'Attraction'

Hard cell: tourists holiday in Latvian prison

A former Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic jail for dissidents in Latvia has reopened as a tourist attraction where visitors pay to sleep in bare cells as "prisoners" and to be insulted by staff dress

Watching The Meltdown

Tourists flock to witness fall of Wall Street

NEW YORK — Gawking tourists and panicky financiers brought a bizarrely carnival-like atmosphere to Wall Street on Friday.

Australia

Face to face with giant crocodiles at Australia's latest tourist attraction

It would strike terror into the hearts of most sane people but Australia's newest tourist attraction involves coming face to face underwater with giant saltwater crocodiles.

'Stem Cell Tourism'

Controversial 'stem cell tourism' attracts ailing Americans

To many scientists, those promoting what is sometimes referred to as "stem cell tourism" are nothing more than the 21st century's version of the snake oil salesman.

NYC

Lehman office joins New York City tourist circuit

NEW YORK - Welcome to New York's latest tourist attraction: Lehman Brothers' headquarters.

Germany

Berlin Checkpoint Charlie becomes tourist trap

Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall crossing place that came to symbolise the Cold War has degenerated into a seedy tourist trap which uses actors posing as border guards in a failed attempt to recrea

Rome

Italian troops become tourist attraction

A move by the Italian government to deploy soldiers to replace police in providing security at embassies and diplomatic residences has created a new attraction for tourists visiting the capital – he

Waterboarding: Torture and … Tourist Attraction?

Waterboarding an attraction at New York amusement park

NEW YORK - A man with a black hood pours water on the face of a prisoner in an orange jumpsuit strapped to a table: no, it's not Guantanamo Bay naval base, but New York's Coney Island amusement park.

Jamaica

Island's newest tourist attraction opens in Ocho Rios

JAMAICA'S tourism offerings has been boosted with last Saturday's opening of the Mystic Mountain Rainforest Bobsled Jamaica - an environmentally-friendly attraction in Ocho Rios, St Ann.

Scotland

Scottish tourist attraction bans English visitors in revenge for 1298 battle

The Edinburgh Dungeon said the one-day event is in revenge for the Battle of Falkirk, fought 710 years ago July 21st, at which more than 2,000 Scots were slaughtered by the Auld Enemy.

By Consumers From Theme Park Insider.com

Simpsons ride at Universal voted best new theme park attraction in the world

Orlando, Florida - The new Simpsons Ride has been voted the “Best New Theme Park Attraction” worldwide for 2008 by consumers on Theme Park Insider.com, a consumers’ guide to the world’s most p

Colombia

Slain drug lord's ranch becomes a tourist stop

HACIENDA NAPOLES, COLOMBIA — The scavengers have come and gone. The lookout tower sentries have disappeared. The main house lies in ruins.

Hamburg

Maritime Museum to cement Hamburg's tourist appeal

A large new maritime history museum opens this week in Germany's principal seaport, Hamburg. It adds to a growing collection of seafaring tourist attractions on the city's waterfront.

Nepal

Nepal royal palace turned tourist spot

After deciding to turn Narayanhity palace into a museum, Nepal’s Maoists on Sunday opened another 240-year-old Shah dynasty palace in Gorkha district to the public.

Once the address of the Shah dynasty, the historic Gorkha palace was opened to the public with Maoist chief Prachanda unveiling a signboard with "Federal Democratic ... read more

Big in Japan

Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo's top tourist attraction, is limiting access

No trip to Tokyo is complete without a visit to Tsukiji Market (築地市場, Tsukiji shijō), the largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. According to estimates, over 2000 tons of fish worth over US$15 million are sold here daily - that's a total of 616,000 tons of fish worth over US$4.25 billion each year!

Argentina

Dinosaur Graveyard as tourist draw

LAKE BARREALES, Argentina — As Jorge Calvo strode along the dusty banks of this Patagonian lake, he scanned the reddish dirt, pointing to the remains of a dinosaur in the desert sun.

Vietnam

Eco-tourism transforms former prison

Once a prison for Vietnamese patriots during French domination, Con Dao National Park is now a top tourist destination.

When most Vietnamese think of Con Dao Island, they think of prison. And for some 100 years that is what it was, but now people are beginning to recognise island as something very different: a hot-spot for ... read more