Departure Gate

Your passport to the latest destinations and airline promotions

Space travel by Boeing

Boeing plans to offer passengers the chance to fly into space on a craft which it is developing for travel in low-Earth orbit, the aerospace company said on Wednesday. Boeing said it reached an agreement with Virginia-based Space Adventures to market passenger seats on commercial flights aboard Boeing's CST-100 space vehicle being developed for NASA. The spacecraft can carry seven people and fly in low-Earth orbit as soon as 2015, Boeing said. The company added that potential customers could include private individuals, companies, nongovernmental organizations and US federal agencies.

17 cities vie for 'best destination'

Portugal's capital of Lisbon was nominated on Wednesday for the Best Destination of the World Travel Awards. Some 17 cities were also on the list including Abu Dhabi, Cancun (Mexico), Cape Town (South Africa), Istanbul (Turkey), Maldives, New York, Miami, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney. Situated on the northern bank of the River Tagus, the charm of Lisbon exists in its strong links to the past. Its renovated palaces, magnificent churches and an impressive castle mirror the city's rich cultural heritage.

The results of the online voting by more than 180,000 tourism professionals will be published on Nov 7 in London.

Celebrating graffiti in Sao Paulo

Graffiti's long struggle to be seen as valid urban expression and not vandalism is being crowned this month with an exhibition in Brazil by international artists who not only sprayed on official works but also spruced up abandoned corners of Sao Paulo. A raid on a dilapidated factory by many of the 66 artists on the eve of the event's opening was a celebration of the roots of graffiti, which emerged four decades ago from New York's subway system.

Beware the Australian surf

Tourists visiting Australia often worry about deadly spiders and sharks, but a new in-flight advertising campaign hopes to warn them about a greater danger - the surf.

Overseas tourists entering Australia are to be given safety instructions after a sharp rise in the number of drownings involving foreigners on the country's famed beaches, surf life saving officials said on Thursday. Eighty-two people drowned on Australia's beaches last year, and more than a quarter of these, 26, were foreigners, ill-equipped to deal with the strong currents and surf.

Toowoomba Blossom Carnival welcome

The annual Toowoomba Blossom Carnival is held to welcome the spring of Southern Hemisphere until Sept 26. This most popular flower show in Queensland attracts thousands of visitors to Toowoomba, a city around 90-minute car's journey from Brisbane. A live concert, floral parade, horticulture competition and design contest will be staged.

Luxury shopping in London

In addition to its famous Hyde Park and River Thames sites, tourists heading to historical London can enjoy a fresh and modern experience. A special shopping trip launched by London Luxury Collection and London Luxury Club escorts tourists to the most attractive flagship stores, from Bond Street to Jermyn Street.

Mid-Autumn festivities in Vietnam

Vietnam will be celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with a host of activities this week in its capital Hanoi. Hang Ma Street in the Old Quarter will shine with vivid lanterns, drums and toys. The city will put also put on a huge lantern parade around Hoan Kiem Lake fringing the Old Quarter. More than 1,000 lanterns, a 1,000-m long dragon dance troupe and 1,000 lotuses will be released into the lake. In the south, Ho Chi Minh City will also host parades and unicorn-lion-dragon dances performed by martial artists.

Halloween in Hong Kong

Street parties, pumpkin-inspired food and "bat" pastries will usher in Halloween from September through October in Hong Kong's hot pop districts like Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo. Ocean Park also hosts a killer Halloween bash with 20 "haunted" attractions. Experience being "burned alive" in a coffin, chased by zombies in a laser tag game through an abandoned, trap-filled park, or get up to speed on black magic. These scares and more take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Sept 23 to Oct 31.

Airline news and deals

Premium economy class to Australia: China Southern Airlines has rolled out a premium economy class service on its Guangzhou-Sydney route. Travelers opting for premium economy will enjoy exceptional seating and superior cabin service compared with standard economy. The service will also be available on the Guangzhou-Brisbane and Guangzhou-Melbourne routes starting Oct 31.

Toddlers must have own seats: Children younger than 24 months may have to be seated separately from adults, with their own restraining devices, rather than on adults laps, according to suggestion from the US' Transport Security Administration (TSA). The suggestion follows the crash of an overloaded plane with many children on board in the state of Montana in 2009.

Reuters - Xinhua News Agency - China Daily - Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 09/19/2010 page16)