Lhasa announces incentives for agents to revive tourism

LHASA - Travel agencies will get bonuses for taking more tour groups to Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, the local government has announced.

Sichuan Quake ruins could become tourist zone

BEIJING – The government of China's southwestern Sichuan province plans to turn areas devastated by the May 12 earthquake into a tourist attractrion.

Government probes illegal tourism operators

Government has established a task force to investigate illegal operations in the tourism industry, a cabinet minister has said.

Government plans huge tourist facilities countrywide

BAGHDAD - Senior officials revealed governmental plans to establish huge tourist facilities, citing the improvement in the security situation in the country.

Quarter of all US airline flights late: government

WASHINGTON - One-quarter of all flights by U.S.

Obama: Government-sponsored tourism ads must show results

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama says he's willing to consider a publicly subsidized national advertising campaign aimed at luring more overseas tourists to the United States -

Mexican border states aim to revive tourism

TIJUANA - Badly hit by declining tourism revenues, Mexico's northern border states are joining forces with Mexico's federal government in a plan to revive the region.

Government plans to poll foreign tourists in Kyoto

OSAKA - The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry in September likely will begin polling foreign tourists in Kyoto to get their opinions on sightseeing locations and find out common questions t

Centre-left rejects Austrian Airline sale

VIENNA - Austria's co-governing centre-left remains opposed to a quick sale of the government's 43 percent stake in Austrian Airlines, the Social Democrat junior transport minister said on Monday.

Argentina to buy back floundering state airline

Argentina is expected to seal a deal on Monday to renationalise Aerolineas Argentinas, its floundering flag carrier, whose Spanish owner, Marsans, has struggled to cope with soaring fuel bills and deb

Government's ‘cuts and culls’ leave Malaysian tourism dry

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (eTN) - In a "top to bottom" austerity drive by the Malaysian government to stave off rising global fuel costs, new rulings binding government departments and agencies are expected to hit the tourism sector hard, according to industry leaders.

Kuwait eyes privatisation of airline

KUWAIT - Loss-making Kuwait Airways is expected to be privatised within 10 months, the state carrier's chairman was quoted as saying yesterday.

Kuwait's parliament in January approved a government plan to sell 40 per cent of the carrier to the public and 35pc to a long-term investor within two years.

Austrian minister foresees major partner for airline

Austrian Airlines Group is most likely to seek links with a major partner, and the government may sell its entire stake to help the process, Finance Minister Wilhelm Molterer said. The stock fell the most in 6 1/2 weeks.

Cruise ships can run casinos while in Bermuda ports

Cruise ships will be allowed to open late-night casinos in port after Cabinet approved a plan aimed at fighting off increasing competition from rival cruise destinations.

The Opposition United Bermuda Party last night attacked the move, which it said had been made without any public consultation and would open the door to gambling on ... read more

Bitter airline rivals unite over Alitalia bailout

Six of Europe's leading airlines have written to the European Commission's transport tsar to oppose the Italian government's recent financial bailout of Alitalia, the stricken Italian airline.

Flight cuts trigger tourism handout

The Queensland government has announced an immediate injection of $4 million for the state's tourism industry after Qantas and Jetstar scaled back domestic and international flight services.

The decision by Premier Anna Bligh was made after Tourism Minister Desley Boyle met with high level national tourism heads yesterday afternoon to ... read more

Fiji cabinet to review national airline

A Fiji cabinet task force will oversee a comprehensive review of the operations of national airline, Air Pacific.

A statement on the Fiji government website says government concern about the airline's operations stemmed from increasing complaints from the tourism sector, Air Pacific employees and travellers regarding deteriorating ... read more

China freezes price hikes of admission tickets to tourist spots

BEIJING - The Chinese government has staged a national overhaul to axe overcharging in the admission tickets for tourist sites, banning further price rises in the coming 12 months and vowing to open most public museums, memorials and patriotic educational sites for free in two years.

Czech government seeks adviser in privatization of national airline CSA

Prague, Czech Republic - The Czech government will launch a tender this month for an adviser in the privatization of state-run airline CSA, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said Wednesday.

Topolanek said the tender could be launched on April 15.

Government to monitor Putao tourists

New Delhi – Travel and tour companies are confused following a government edict restricting who may serve as tour guides for trips to Putao in northern Burma.