General Travel News
Middle East Visitors To Sri Lanka Up 41 Per Cent
Sri Lankan government officials say the number of visitors from the Middle East has surged 41 per cent, with August alone seeing a 104 per cent surge. Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Tourism is aiming to increase the tourism sectors contribution to GDP to 10 per cent. The tourism sector generated $400 million in revenue in 2008, only 2 to 3 per cent of the country’s GDP.
A target of 2.5 million tourists to Sri Lanka has been set, consistent with a plan for 2016. Authorities plan to increase the number of hotel rooms to 50,000 within the next seven years. There are currently between 14,000 and 17,000 hotel rooms in the country. Faiszer Musthapha, the Minister for Tourism Promotion in Sri Lanka, talked about ways to strengthen tourism ties with Dubai’s DTCM Director General, Khalid A bin Sulayem. The most important markets for tourism in the Middle East for Sri Lanka are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
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What to do with Children in Tow
Brunei Darussalam, Brunei
Most hotels in Bandar Seri Begawan have kids clubs that can babysit and entertain children while parents can go off and explore. A popular place for families is the Jerudong Theme Park as well as the Pantai Seri Kenangan Beach. There are also plenty of parks which you can explore. ...
Westminster Palace (Houses of Parliament)
London, United Kingdom
Like Westminster Abbey, Westminster Palace (or the Palace of Westminster) dates to the Anglo-Saxon period and the reign of Edward the Confessor. Around 1050, he built the original palace. In the century following the subsequent Norman Conquest, English governmental institutions began to move from the old Anglo-Saxon capital of Winchester to Westminster. In 1310, under Henry III, the administra...
The Sao Paulo Zoo
Sao Paulo, Brazil
A place worth visiting, the Sao Paolo Zoo has over 3,000 different kinds of animals, including several endangered species. The zoo has a lake in its center containing the monkey islands, which must not be missed. Address: Av. Miguel Stéfano 4241, Água Funda, Parque do Estado Tel: 011-5073-0811 Timings: Tuesday-Sunday, 9am-5pm Entry fee: R$10 ...
Hagia Sophia
Istanbul, Turkey
The first iteration of Hagia Sophia was built in 306AD to serve as Constantinople's Cathedral, but burned down in 404. Version two also burned down too, though several marble slabs remain. Construction on the current version began in 532 and lasted five years. It was built during the apogee of the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Justinian and you can really tell they went all out....