• Home
  • Post a press-release
  • Visibility packages
  • Subscribe email updates
  • Event Calendar
  • Contact

For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

Where press releases are breaking news

  • Home
  • Post a press-release
  • Visibility packages
  • Subscribe email updates
  • Event Calendar
  • Contact

Latest in the Sri Lanka wave of terror: Holy Sites must be respected

April 22, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The latest from Sri Lanka in regards to eight deadly terror attacks on Easter Sunday leaves 290 dead and more than 500 people injured.

Among the dead are also foreign tourists including 3 from India, 1 from Portugal, 2 from Turkey, 3 from the UK, and 2 with both a U.S. and U.K. citizenship
9 foreigners are missing, 25 unidentified bodies are also believed to be foreigners.

The German embassy is working on identifying possible German tourists among the victims.

Bombs explosions were reported yesterday in eight locations

  • Katuwapitiya Church
  • Kochikade Church
  • Church in Batticaloa
  • Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo
  • Cinnamon Grand hotel
  • Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo
  • Dehiwala
  • Dematagoda

An improvised explosive device (IED) was discovered in close proximity to the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo last night. The IED was successfully diffused and detonated by the members of the Sri Lanka Air Force.  The bomb was discovered along the Adiambalama road, in close proximity to the BIA hours before President Maithripala Sirisena returned to the country.

According to the Crime Division of the Sri Lanka Police (CCD) 13 individuals linked to the attack last night were arrested and 10 of them were later transferred into the custody for further investigations.

Officers of the Wellwatte police late last night managed to take into custody a van and a driver believed to have been used to transport the attackers. 24 people have been arrested thus far in relation to the incidents.

Schools and Universities remain closed, scheduled government examinations have been postponed. The Colombo Stock Exchange last night announced that they would not be open for trading until further notice.

The United States of America and the United Kingdom have issued travel advisories for Sri Lanka.

In the meantime, curfews and social media and instant message shut down are in effect in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka had planned to double tourist arrivals next year. This may be a big test to achieve such numbers.

The attacks that took place yesterday has also drawn international condemnation.

Here are some of their messages:

POPE FRANCIS

“I learned with sadness and pain of the news of the grave attacks, that precisely today, Easter, brought mourning and pain to churches and other places where people were gathered in Sri Lanka,” he told tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square to hear his Easter Sunday message.

“I wish to express my affectionate closeness to the Christian community, hit while it was gathered in prayer, and to all the victims of such cruel violence.”

WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS PRESIDENT RONALD S. LAUDER

“World Jewry – in fact all civilized people – denounce this heinous outrage and appeal for zero tolerance of those who use terror to advance their objectives. This truly barbarous assault on peaceful worshippers on one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar serves as a painful reminder that the war against terror must be at the top of the international agenda and pursued relentlessly,” he said in a statement.

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, JUSTIN WELBY, SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND

“The will to power leads to the murder of innocents in Sri Lanka. The utterly despicable destruction that on this holiest of days seeks to challenge the reality of the risen Christ. To say that darkness will conquer, that our choice is surrender or death. Jesus chose to defy this darkness and he is risen indeed.”

U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

“The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of Sri Lanka. We stand ready to help!,” he tweeted.

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI

“Strongly condemn the horrific blasts in Sri Lanka. There is no place for such barbarism in our region. India stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka. My thoughts are with the bereaved families and prayers with the injured,” he said on Twitter.

PAKISTAN’S PRIME MINISTER IMRAN KHAN

“Strongly condemn the horrific terrorist attack in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday resulting in precious lives lost and hundreds injured. My profound condolences go to our Sri Lankan brethren. Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with Sri Lanka in their hour of grief,” he tweeted.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN

“Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena in connection with tragic consequences of terrorist acts,” his English Twitter account said.

GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL

“It is shocking that people who had gathered to celebrate Easter were the deliberate target of vicious attacks,” she wrote in a letter of condolence to Sri Lanka’s president.

FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON

“Deep sorrow following the terrorist attacks against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. We firmly condemn these heinous acts. All our solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka and our thoughts go out to all victims’ relatives on this Easter Day,” he said on Twitter.

IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF

“Terribly saddened by terrorist attacks on Sri Lankan worshippers during Easter. Condolences to friendly govt & people of Sri Lanka. Our thoughts & prayers with the victims & their families. Terrorism is a global menace with no religion: it must be condemned & confronted globally,” he said on Twitter.

NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN

“New Zealand condemns all acts of terrorism, and our resolve has only been strengthened by the attack on our soil on the 15th of March. To see an attack in Sri Lanka while people were in churches and at hotels is devastating,” she said in a written statement.

“New Zealand rejects all forms of extremism and stands for freedom of religion and the right to worship safely. Collectively we must find the will and the answers to end such violence.”

SRI LANKA EMBASSY

It was with horror and sadness we heard of the bombings in Sri Lanka costing the lives of so many people. We condemn the horrendous attacks targetting innocent civilians. Our sympathies go out to all the victims. Maldives stands in solidarity with people & Govt. of Sri Lanka.

TORONTO

The Toronto sign has been dimmed in solidarity with Sri Lanka following today’s tragic attacks. We join our Sri Lankan community and our Christian community in mourning those killed and pray for the recovery of those injured.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: amp, and, announced, answers, appeal, arrested, arrivals, assault, attack, attackers, attacks, Aviation News, aviation-website, bia, big, blasts, bodies, bomb, bombings, bombs, Breaking Travel News, calendar, celebrate, challenge, chancellor, choice, Christian, church, churches, Cinnamon, citizenship, civilians, close, closed, Colombo, community, complete, condemn, condemnation, condemned, condolences, Congress, connection, costing, country, crime, custody, day, Days, dead, deadly, death, denounce, destruction, Division, Donald, Donald Trump, double, down, driver, Easter, effect, eight, embassy, end, England, English, exchange, explosions, Explosive, explosive device, express, facts, families, far, Feature, find, following, force, foreign, Foreign Minister, foreign tourists, foreigners, forms, Francis, freedom, French, French President Emmanuel Macron, friendly, German, german chancellor, German tourists, Global, globally, GO!, government, Government Affairs, Grand, Grand Hotel, grief, help, hit, holy, holy sites, hotel, Hotels, Hour, hours, in, incidents, including, India, Indian, Indian Prime Minister, injured, International, International Airport, Iranian, issued, IT, Jesus, Jewish, join, Justin, killed, Kingdom, LA, Lanka, Lankan, last, late, later, LATEST, leader, leads, letter, LGBTQ, linked, lives lost, locations, lost, maldives, march, May, media, members, messages, minister, missing, mourning, murder, New, New Zealand, News, night, notice, numbers, offers, officers, only, open, out, outrage, pain, Pakistan, peaceful, People, people injured, Place, places, planned, police, Pope, Pope Francis, portugal, postponed, power, pray, president, President Donald, President Donald Trump, Prime, Prime Minister, Putin, ready, reality, recovery, region, religion, reported, resolve, right, road, Russian, Russian President, s, sadness, said, scheduled, schools, see, Shangri-La, Shangri-La Hotel, shut, shut-down, sign, sites, social, social media, solidarity, spiritual, spiritual leader, Square, Sri, Sri Lanka, sri lanka president, Sri Lanka travel news, Sri Lankan, St, stands, statement, states, stock, successfully, surrender, target, terror, terror attacks, terrorism, terrorist, terrorist attack, terrorist attacks, test, the United States, thousands, to, TO BE, today, told, tolerance, top, Toronto, tourism, tourist, tourist arrivals, tourists, trading, Tragic, transport, Travel, travel advisories, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, Trump, Turkey, tweeted, twitter, U.S. president, UK, United, United Kingdom, United States, United States of America, use, used, Van, victims, violence, war, wave, We, were, WHO, working, World, wrote, year, yesterday, Zealand, ZERO, zero tolerance

The future of flight: UN aviation agency looking for new designs and concepts

April 18, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The United Nations (UN) International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has launched the Aviation Innovation Competitions and is looking for ideas, concepts, and prototypes from the next generation of aviation innovators.

The three competitions, managed by ICAO and supported by Transport Canada commemorate the agency’s 75th anniversary this year. Participants will be highlighted on ICAO’s digital content platforms, and global winners in each category will win grand prizes of $1000, $2000 and $5000. The global winner of the prototypes competition will also win a trip to Montréal to receive their award.

Submissions from elementary students, high school students and young adults must be uploaded by June 30, 2019.

Quote

“Canada is proud of its long-standing relationship with ICAO as Host State, and as an active member of the ICAO Council. Throughout 2019, we join ICAO and its other Member States in celebrating flight and the crucial importance of air connectivity worldwide. On this special milestone of its 75th anniversary, I am pleased to support ICAO’s Aviation Innovation Competitions and I encourage all young Canadians to apply.”

The Honorable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

Quick Facts

•Proudly hosted by Canada in Montréal, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world.

•ICAO sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency, capacity and environmental protection, amongst many other priorities.

•Canada is one of 193 Member States and is also a member of the 36-member ICAO Council.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, anniversary, apply, aviation, Aviation Innovation Competitions, Aviation News, aviation safety, aviation-website, award, Breaking Travel News, Canada, Canadians, capacity, Category, civil aviation, competition, connectivity, Content, council, created, designs, development, digital, Educational Travel News, efficiency, elementary, environmental, environmental protection, facts, flight, free, future, Garneau, Global, Grand, high, high school students, host, ICAO, ICAO Council, ideas, importance, in, innovation, International, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Travel News, join, June, launched, looking, member, Member States, milestone, minister, minister of transport, nations, New, News articles, next generation, organization, participants, platforms, prizes, promote, protection, prototypes, proud, receive, regulations, Relationship, s, safe, Safety, school, Security, sets, Special, standards, standing, State, states, students, support, supported, The World, to, tourism, transport, Transport Canada, Transportation News, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, Travel Technology News, Travelwire News, trip, UN, United, United Nations, We, win, winner, winners, World, World News, worldwide, year, young, young adults

Luxury boutique cruise line launching coastal fleet

April 11, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Scheduled to begin full operations in November 2019, an explorer class vessel will serve three new destinations with year-round departures. The full announcement on vessel name, facts, destinations and itinerary details will be released globally on May 8, 2019.

Boutique luxury cruise line, Aqua Expeditions, is set to enter the coastal cruise market in the fall of 2019, after operating as an Amazon and Mekong River cruise line for the past twelve years.

A month ago, Aqua Expeditions finalized the purchase of a long-range 200-foot explorer yacht originally built for Britain’s Royal Navy; the vessel is now undergoing a complete refurbishment designed to transform it into an ultra-modern luxury expedition cruise ship catering to affluent explorers.

The May 8 announcement will also unveil a brand-new, state-of-the-art, luxury river cruise vessel to consolidate Aqua Expeditions’ position as one of the leaders in the river-cruise market. Once this and the recently-purchased expedition vessel are in operation, Aqua Expeditions will have doubled its fleet from two to four vessels by mid-2020.

“Even as we grow, as an owner, I remain deeply involved in every aspect of the new vessels – from the minutiae of the design details to the intricacies of the itineraries — just as we did when we started out in 2007,” says CEO Francesco Galli Zugaro, “and, as with all Aqua Expeditions vessels, we are partnering both with renowned designers and critically acclaimed chefs to provide a world-class experience.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, announcement, Aqua, Aqua Expeditions, Aqua Expeditions vessels, art, begin, boutique, brand, Breaking Travel News, Britain, built, catering, CEO, chefs, class, Coastal, complete, consolidate, Cruise line, cruise market, Cruise ship, Cruise ship news, Cruise,, departures, design, designed, designers, Destinations, even, expedition, expeditions, experience, explorer, facts, fall, finalized, fleet, foot, full, globally, grow, in, IT, itineraries, itinerary, just, launching, leaders, line, Luxury, luxury cruise, luxury cruise line, luxury expedition, Market, May, Mekong, Mekong River, modern, month, name, navy, New, new destinations, News articles, November, Operating, operation, operations, out, owner, past, position, purchase, purchased, range, refurbishment, released, river, river cruise, river cruise line, rivercruise, Round, royal, Royal Navy, s, says, scheduled, serve, Set, ship, started, State, to, tourism, transform, Transportation News, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, ultra, unveil, vessel, vessels, We, World, world-class, yacht, year, year-round, years

American Tourist Kidnapped in Uganda: African Tourism Board in action with expert Dr. Peter Tarlow

April 3, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Not only leopards were roaming Queen Elizabeth National Park today, but criminals who kidnapped an elderly American tourist in the park today, and put the well-organized travel and tourism industry in Uganda on edge.

The Uganda Ministry of ICT & National Guidance issued this statement:

Yesterday, Tuesday 2nd April 2019 four armed men not yet identified between 5,00pm and 7,00pm staged an ambush and kidnapped an American Tourist with his Ugandan driver near Katoke gate in the Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Four other four tourists who were left abandoned and unharmed later contacted the base (lodge) and were quickly moved to safety.

A joint operation by the Uganda Police, Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) and Uganda Wildlife Authority Game Wardens is underway to locate and rescue them.

The priority at this point is to locate, rescue and bring them back safely.

eTN talked to Lilly Ajariva. She is a Ugandan conservationist and tourism expert. She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Tourism Board, the Ugandan government agency that is charged with promoting the country as a tourism destination. She was appointed to that position on 10 January 2019.

When asked why an American Tourist was picked by the kidnappers, Ms. Ajarova thinks the selection was based on the age and not the nationality.

eTN reached out to Dr. Peter Tarlow, head of safertourism.com 

Dr. Peter Tarlow

Dr. Peter Tarlow is also the security and safety expert for the newly-founded African Tourism Board and will be speaking at their launch event in Cape Town next week. Peter is scheduled to meet with UTB CEO Lilly Ajarova to discuss any assistance the Africa Tourism Board can give in this situation.

Dr. Tarlow told eTurboNews: “The tragic kidnapping that recently occurred in Uganda should not be seen as indicative of overall safety in Uganda.

“Very much to the contrary, Uganda has been known over the decades to be a safe and secure destination. Unfortunately, there are bad people in every part of the world and travel implies risk.

“However, Uganda cannot afford to rely on its recent past but must show the world what it is doing in the future.

“Despite the fact that the situation is very fluid and the facts, at midnight Uganda time is still unclear, there are a number of things that Uganda can do immediately and in the short and long term to mitigate the damage to its reputation.

“These suggestions come from my long-term work with Aruva after the Natalie Holloway case and with kidnapping issues both in Mexico and in Latin America.”

With limited data, the African Tourism Board security expert suggests the following, and as more data becomes apparent, additional information will be provided.

We urge Uganda Tourism Officials to:

1)  Tell the truth. Under no circumstance, minimize, become defensive or refuse to accept the severity of the situation. Do not lie to reporters.

2)  Have one person be the tourism spokesman or woman and funnel all information through that person.

3)  If the information is not yet known, state that facts and then state that there will be regularly-scheduled updates. Give specific times and locations.

4)  Have the military of a police officer standing next to the spokesperson to indicate that this is a serious matter.

5)  Make sure that it is clear that the government is working with all foreign embassies and updating them on a regular basis.

6)  Indicate that Uganda is working with the visitors’ families and will do everything that is needed to help the family.

7)  Announce that there is a special unit at work (assuming this unit exists) that deals with hostage rescue and recovery. If it does not exist, then contact friendly foreign governments that have experience in this matter.

We hope for the short term that Uganda:

1)  Announces that the country is doing an update on its risk management.

2)  Gets articles in the media that speak about Ugandan positives.

3)  Indicates that the perpetrators will be found and that they will suffer the full consequences of the law.

4)  Opens a foreign visitor hotline so that all visitors can get up-to-date information.

5)  Announces that the Ugandan tourism police will be opening (or strengthening) their tourism police unit and that they will receive additional training.

6)  Make it clear that Uganda tourism is working with international boards such as the African Tourism Board  (ATB) and that there will be exchanges of information between the African tourism bureaus through the ATB.

Juergen Steinmetz, the interim chair of the African Tourism Board, said: “We are standing by to assist Uganda and are in touch with UTB and our security expert Dr. Peter Tarlow. We will be meeting with Lilly next week in Capetown and hope this crime will be resolved at that time and that our fellow American tourist is returned safely. I am confident Dr. Tarlow can be of great assistance to Uganda Tourism and for the African continent when it comes to safety and security.”

More information on African Tourism Board: www.africantourismboard.com
More information on Safer Tourism: www.safertourism.com

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: amp, and, announce, announces, appointed, April, assist, assistance, ATB, authority, base, based, board, boards, Breaking Travel News, Bureaus, Cape, Cape Town, Capetown, caption, case, CEO, chair, charged, chief, chief executive, chief executive officer, Clear, come, contact, continent, Corporate News, country, crime, criminals, damage, Data, date, deals, decades, defense, Destination, Discuss, doing, Dr, Dr. Peter Tarlow, driver, Edge, embassies, eTN, eTurboNews, event, exchanges, executive, experience, expert, facts, families, Family, Feature, fluid, following, Forces, foreign, foreign visitor, found, friendly, full, future, game, Gate, government, Government Affairs, governments, guidance, head, help, hope, hostage, hotline, ict, ICTP, ID, immediately, in, Industry, information, interim, International, issued, issues, IT, January, joint, joint operation, Juergen, kidnapped, kidnappers, kidnapping, known, later, Latin, Latin America, launch, law, Lilly, Limited, locate, locations, lodge, Make, management, matter, media, meet, meeting, men, Mexico, military, ministry, moved, Ms, national, national park, nationality, needed, newly, News articles, number, officer, officials, only, open, opening, operation, out, over, park, past, People, police, police officer, position, priority, promoting, Queen, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth National Park, receive, recent, recovery, refuse, regular, reputation, rescue, Risk, risk management, safe, Safety, safety and security, said, scheduled, secure, Security, security expert, selection, serious, short, show, situation, speak, Special, standing, State, statement, Steinmetz, suffer, suggestions, Tarlow, term, The Africa, The World, things, through, time, times, TN, to, TO BE, today, told, tourism, tourism board, Tourism Destination, Tourism Industry, tourism officials, tourism police, tourist, tourists, town, Tragic, training, Travel, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, travel and tourism, travel and tourism industry, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, truth, Uganda, uganda tourism, uganda tourism board, Uganda travel news, Uganda wildlife, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Ugandan, Ugandan government, unclear, underway, up, update, updates, urge, UTB, visitor, visitors, We, week, were, WHO, Why, wildlife, Wildlife Authority, woman, work, working, World, yesterday

Search




Recent Articles

  • Blossom Hotel Houston offers unique Rodeo Hotel Package with Lyft
  • Sandals Resorts on cutting edge of hotel content solutions
  • Tourism Seychelles at the Travel & Adventure Show in New York USA 
  • Angels Ink unveils bold new label design
  • Antigua & Barbuda welcomes P&O Cruises Arvia homeporting call
  • Seychelles brings its warmth to Salon Tourissima in France
  • What’s new in The Bahamas in February 2023
  • Introducing the Masquerade Suite at The St. Regis Venice in conjunction with Venice Carnival 2023
  • Malta, in the Heart of the Mediterranean, Offers a Jam-Packed Schedule of Musical Events and Festivals in 2023 Starting with Il-Karnival ta’ Malta in February   
  • Keeping Seychelles as the top choice of holiday destination for Nordic travelers

Subscribe to daily email update

RSS eTN Articles

  • Erdogan: 912 people killed and 5385 injured in Monday earthquake
  • A second 7.8. Earthquake attacks Turkey after fault line broke
  • Inaugurated by His Excellency the Minister of Tourism for Saudi Arabia
  • Brazil international tourism to be strong in 2023
  • 7.9 Earthquake in Turkey & Syria: Massive Casualties, Injuries &# …
  • Fake reviews fully automated
  • Hawaii Circle Island Road Reopened at Waimea Bay, Oahu
  • Boeing 767-300 engine exploded during take-off in Thailand
  • Confused Hawaii Tourism Leaders face record visitors
  • First marine refuge within the Northern Shelf Bioregion

Archives

  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • August 2016

Content

and Breaking Travel News Business CEO experience first free hotel Hotels in including Industry International International Travel News IT minister most New News articles only over People s said sandals The World through time to TO BE tourism Tours Transportation News Travel Travel & Tourism Organizations News Travel Destination News Travelwire News up We were WHO World World News year years

Copyright © 2023 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in