Departure Gate

Your passport to the latest destinations and airline promotions

Brazilian travel taking off    

Backed by a booming economy, record job creation and a strong currency, Brazilian consumers are taking wing as they go on a spending spree from street markets in the Argentine capital to shopping malls in Florida and Chile's ski slopes.

The consumption power of Brazil's burgeoning middle class has already helped make the Latin American giant one of the world's few engines of growth, propelling its economy at a 9 percent annual pace in the first three months of 2010.

Repair for east end of Great Wall

Repair work on the east section of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year in Dandong city, in Northeast China's Liaoning province. The Hushan section of the Great Wall stretches along the border between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

A total 30 million yuan ($4.4 million) will be used to improve the environment around the Hushan section and to repair underground facilities and tourist facilities.

Dating back to around 200 BC when Emperor Qin Shihuang (259-210 BC) had fortification walls built to stop invasions from northern tribes, the Great Wall was rebuilt many times.

The Hushan section will remain open to visitors during the repair work.

Brit agents find snake in pants

British border officials said Thursday they had stopped dozens of weird animals from being slipped into the country - including a boa constrictor wrapped round a man's leg. They said they regularly come across such attempts, as they lifted the lid on their "weirdest finds".

Rare look at port of Amsterdam

Tulips are not on the itinerary of a new unusual tour in the Netherlands, which skips the tourist hotspots in favor of the city's bustling port. The harbor facilities of Amsterdam and Zaandam are usually off limits to visitors but from Sept 1 to Sept 30 a special three-hour guided boat trip will give guests insight into Europe's largest port complex. The boat departs from the NDSM pier several times daily from Wednesdays to Sundays. A ticket costs between 20 and 25 euros. Internet: www.iamsterdam.com

Yankee magazine named Kent, Conn., population 3,000, the best town in New England for fall foliage.

The leaf-peeping destinations, showcased in Yankee's September-October issue, were judged in 14 categories - fall color, scenery, visas, water, drives, hikes, culture, farmers' markets and farmstands, orchards, parks, covered bridges, whether they are "uncrowded," shopping, and a final combined category for food and lodging.

ABC ratings for NYC restaurants

New York City has introduced a new letter-grading system for the cleanliness of restaurants. Health inspectors will assign restaurants in the city either an A, B, or C rating, depending on how an eatery's cleanliness and food safety. Officials hope to have all of New York's 24,000 restaurants rated by the autumn of 2011.

Airline news and deals

Economy class flights: Etihad Airways will add two A320s to its stable. These A320s have 162 economy seats, 42 more than average A320 and will fly between the United Arab Emirates and Greece, India, Sri Lanka, Syria and Qatar.

Ryanair reduces baggage fee: Irish low-cost airline Ryanair is reducing a check-in baggage fee that was temporarily raised during the summer to coincide with school holidays in Britain and Ireland. From Sept 1 passengers will again pay 15 euros (around $19) instead of 20 euros (around $25) for each item of checked-in luggage provided it does not weigh more than 15 kg. For items weighing over 20 kg the charge is 25 euros. The higher summer fee of 20 euros per luggage item remains in force on routes to the Canary Islands, since these are the flights with the highest fuel consumption, said Ryanair spokeswoman Henrike Schmidt.

Holiday packages to Singapore: Singapore Airlines is teaming up with Changi Airport Group (CAG) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to offer new holiday packages.

The packages include visits to places of interest in Singapore, shopping and dining vouchers, and a range of complimentary services.

Grand Cru on board: Singapore Airlines has had "Grand Cru" red Burgundy labels available to suite and first class customers since Aug 1.

First flight to Brisbane: China Southern Airlines will launch the first nonstop flight between Guangzhou and Brisbane in Nov and offer low-priced and free tickets to tourists going to Australia.

The new Guangzhou-Brisbane route will have three flights a week on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

New Southern route: China Southern Airlines recently opened a new route between Beijing and Tashkent. Travelers who would like to go to Tashkent between Sept 2 and Oct 2 can book discounted air tickets (85 percent off) on the website www.csair.com.

Reuters - Xinhua - China Daily - Delaware Press Association -Agence France-Press

(China Daily 09/05/2010 page16)