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Senior tourist dies at Grand Canyon after fall

April 24, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

A 70-year-old tourist fell to her death yesterday, Tuesday, April 23, 2019, at the Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona. She is the second person to die at this popular tourist destination this year. The Grand Canyon national park sees 6 million visitors every year.

A call went out to park rangers that someone needed  help at the South Rim of the canyon, but by the time responders arrived, the person had fallen 200 feet below the rim. Her body was recovered using a helicopter. It is not known how the woman fell.

The Grand Canyon has designated trails and walkways as well as railings and fences at overlooks that will keep visitors at a safe distance from the rim’s edge. Anyone who chooses to venture beyond that is literally taking their lives into their own hands.

In 2015, 8 men were hopping from one rock to another or posing for pictures, including a 38-year-old father from Texas who was pretending to fall to scare his daughter, but then really did fall 400 feet to his death.

On March 14, 2017,  30-year-old Gom Dang, of Ankeny, Iowa, fell to his death off the rim west of Mather Point as he was posing for a photo when he lost his balance and fell backward to his death. His body was recovered approximately 280 feet below the rim.

In this day and age of the selfie, many people have lost their lives trying to get the perfect picture. A tourist from Hong Kong died falling into the canyon on the Hualapai reservation, just outside the park’s boundaries, on March 28, 2017. He was taking a photo at the time.

In that same year, 20 people fell to their death at the Grand Canyon. A 67-year-old man fell 400 feet from the South Rim and died on April 3. There were 290 search-and-rescues and 1,135 emergency medical service incidents.

Dying from heat or dehydration is more common than falling off the edge in the Grand Canyon, but it is still a major concern. On average, 2 to 3 deaths per year are from falls over the rim.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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Ghana Tourism makes money on selfies

April 21, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Ghana Tourism is a big business and full of surprises. This is also true for  Mr Guru, Ghanaian,  a comedian who went to Facebook after being asked to pay GH¢4.00 , what is a little less than a US-Dollar when he wanted to take a photo when crossing Kwame Nkrumah bridge.

In his Facebook message he addressed the Ghana President: “Your Excellency Mr. President, this is the receipt given to me today 19th April 2019 at Adomi bridge as a fee for pictures I wanted to take as a Ghanaian on the bridge Kwame Nkrumah built and which Mahama renovated.

The people in charge told me that the order is from the President, that even if you want to take selfie it’s 2gh per person. Your Excellency if indeed you authorized this God forsaken tax then am disappointed in you. How much do Ghanaians pay when they travel to Dubai, China, American, etc yet those countries are 100× developed. Even China’s world’s longest 30 miles sea bridge to Hong Kong is free, what is happening? What a shame!!!!

It’s said; there is no free lunch anywhere. Henceforth, you may have a good phone with a good front camera but you may have to pay between GH¢2.00 and GH¢4.00 to pose for a picture on Kwame Nkrumah’s Adomi Bridge.

One of the longest bridge on the Volta Lake in Ghana built some decades ago was recently renovated to avert any possible danger to the lives of motorists.

The government instituted the levy as a measure to rake in some revenue to sustain its numerous projects hence a levy on the bridge.

Tourists have taken to social media to cry over the levies expressing disappointment at the move by government.

Johannes Nartey Mr Guru, Ghanaian comedian took to Facebook  to lament after being asked to pay GH¢4.00

 

Travel News | eTurboNews

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US airlines wrongfully reject over 25% of their passengers’ compensation claims

April 16, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Consumer rights advocacy group released the results of a new study showing that United States airlines wrongfully reject more than 25% of compensation claims, indicating that more than one in five travelers are being denied up to $700 they are owed by Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines following flight disruptions.

Each year, more and more travelers flying out of the U.S. are eligible to claim compensation under European law EC 261 which covers travelers on European flights. AirHelp found more than 25% of valid claims filed against U.S. airlines for disrupted flights in 2016, 2017 and 2018 were turned away on wrongful grounds by airlines trying to avoid their obligation to travelers.

The travel experience is continuously getting worse due to overtourism. In the U.S., 407,000 travelers are eligible to claim compensation under EC 261 following flight delays and cancellations experienced last year, up from 370,000 the previous year. During the first three months of 2019, more than 75,000 passengers experienced disruptions due to the fault of the airlines that have made them eligible for compensation.

This trend is a small part of the larger issue of airlines mistreating passengers. A survey of travelers found 75% of U.S. travelers feel uninformed about their air passenger rights, and less than 25% of travelers who were on a disrupted flight actually file a claim, despite airlines being required by law to inform passengers of their rights.

How the U.S. Airlines Stack Up

Of the U.S. airlines, Delta Air Lines wrongfully rejects the most claims at a rate of one in three. United Airlines wrongfully rejects nearly one in four claims, and American Airlines rejects one in every five. According to an annual ranking of global airlines and airports, U.S. airlines’ unsurprisingly perform poorly, with each major carrier earning less than seven out of 10 for quality of service.

The most popular U.S. airlines ranked on wrongfully rejected claims rate

United States ranking Global ranking for wrongfully rejected claims rate

Airline Wrongfully rejected claim rate

1 32 Delta Air Lines 32%
2 42 United Airlines 23%
3 44 American Airlines 22%

Data from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018

“The bleak picture in the U.S. is just the tip of the iceberg. The volume of legitimate passenger claims being wrongfully rejected by airlines is appalling. Flight delays and cancellations are increasingly heaping chaos on passengers, and travelers are forced to fight airlines for compensation they’re rightfully owed,” says Henrik Zillmer, CEO of AirHelp. “It’s all very well for airlines to say they will compensate passengers who make their claim directly. The reality is that thousands of passengers are continuing to face an impossible struggle to claim the money they’re entitled to. If they are embroiled in a legal battle with an airline, passengers may face costs to hire a lawyer to push through their claim, which can make fighting for compensation virtually impossible.”

U.S. Passenger Rights

U.S. passengers are protected under EC 261 for flights to the EU on an EU airline, and any flight departing from the EU. Cancelled flights, delays of more than three hours, and incidents of denied boarding are covered under EC 261, as long as the disruption was not caused by extraordinary circumstances such as weather, sabotage or political unrest. Eligible passengers may be entitled to financial compensation of up to $700 per person, and can file claims up to three years after the incident occurs.

Travelers have fewer protections on domestic U.S. flights, but can claim up to $1,350 in compensation for denied boarding due to overbooking, depending on the value of the ticket fare and ultimate delay in arrival to their final destination

Travel News | eTurboNews

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US tourists vanish in Dominican Republic between hotel and airport

April 8, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

American tourists, Orlando Moore, 43, and Portia Ravenelle, 32, were set to return to their Mount Vernon, New York, home on March 27, at the end of a vacation in the Dominican Republic, but the couple never made it to the airport after checking out of their hotel.

The couple was reported missing after they vanished more than 2 weeks ago after checking out of their hotel room after a 4-day getaway to the northern beach area of Samana.

The couple’s families have not heard from them for over 13 days. Their phones are off, their car is still parked at Newark International Airport, and authorities said there is no record of them entering the US. Family members have filed a police report.

Moore’s brother, Lashay Turner, said they had a rental car during their time in the Dominican Republic, but there is no sign of the vehicle. “We’ve been calling DR and they said they didn’t make their flight,” he said. “We also spoke to someone in US Customs, and they said my brother did not make his flight back here.”

“I’m scared. I don’t know what’s going on,” Turner said. “I’m saddened, my family is saddened by this and we just want my brother to return safe and alive.”

It is unclear which airport the pair were due to fly home from and how far it was from their hotel. There is an airport in Samana that offers mostly seasonal flights to the island, mainly from Europe. The next closest airport in the area is the Cibao International Airport in Santiago, which offers daily flights to and from the US.

The State Department’s travel advisory issued on February 12, 2019 for the Dominican Republic advised tourists to exercise increased caution due to crime.

A picture believed to be the latest of the pair posted to social media shows them riding horses together.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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Seychelles Tourism Board Chief Executive sits on Tourism Panel at the sixth Annual Destination Wedding Planners Congress in Dubai

April 4, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Seychelles was bestowed with high honours as the destination was represented at the Tourism Panel at the Destination Wedding Planners (DWP) Congress from March 27 to 29 2019, held in Dubai’s iconic five-star hotel and luxury resort, Atlantis the Palm.

The Seychelles delegation at the DWP event comprised of The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis and STB representative in Dubai, Ahmed Fathallah.

The STB Chief Executive who was present at the event as a destination speaker represented on the Tourism Panel, which was moderated by Conde Nast Traveller Editor-in-Chief in UAE Rhea Saran.

The panel also comprised of the Carlotta Ferrari, Director at the Destination Florence Convention and Visitors Bureau; Srisuda Wanapinyosak, Deputy Governor for the Tourism Authority in Thailand and Assistant Vice President for Dubai Tourism, Steen Jakobsen.

The discussions focused on the role of tourism boards in promoting destination weddings, collaboration with local suppliers and partners as well as the enhancement of the wedding industry in every destination.

During her intervention, Mrs. Francis reflected on the tourism board’s standpoint of the destination and its marketing in relations to Seychelles as a wedding and honeymoon destination. Presenting the archipelago as an ideal location to create perfect memories for occasions like wedding, honeymoons, anniversaries or impromptu romantic breaks.

“Seychelles is one place where beauty and year-round tropical warmth ensure that love is always in the air. For the last few decades, our clientele for weddings and honeymoon has been predominantly Europeans specially British, French, German and Italian. It has been a pleasure to note that recently there has been an expansion in our clientele and a shift in trends. We have noted wedding requests from the Americans, from India, and China. As a tourism board, we endeavor to remain one of the top destinations that one would think of to create special memories,” said Chief Executive Sherin Francis.

“Couples and honeymooners remain to be the top segment for getaways bound to Seychelles from the GCC market for the past year.

Thanks to the destination’s naturally romantic and unspoilt surroundings of pristine beaches, calm waters and year-round sunshine, the Seychelles truly offers the perfect location for a truly luxurious wedding or honeymoon destination. The Seychelles is not only well-worth a holiday, but are also the ideal destination for a wedding,” said Fathallah.

It is apparent that Seychelles remain to be a natural backdrop for weddings and honeymoons as the destination evokes romance.

Surrounded by granite outcrops, cloud-white sand and azure waters, this luxurious archipelago offers both romance and adventure for a wedding day. It is deliciously remote; brimming with picture perfect beaches and is quite simply a taste of paradise.

The DWP event is a premium business-to-business networking event and has cemented its position as one the Best Congress in the World for promoting Destination Wedding Tourism.

The DWP Congress industry organized by Dubai based QnA Global is a luxury invitation-only business platform that brings together more than 500 destination wedding specialists from over 70 countries under one roof.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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Young elephant shot 13 times: Tourists watched in horror

March 27, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Balule Associated Nature Reserve has justified the killing of a young elephant bull in front of tourists as an ‘act of self-defense’, backtracking on an original announcement condemning the act and ignoring eye-witness accounts.

Balule Nature Reserve is a protected area in Limpopo Province, South Africa which forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park as a member of the Associated Private Nature Reserve

The young elephant bull was shot 13 times in front of four eye-witnesses standing on a viewing deck overlooking Balule’s Maseke Game Reserve, where the hunt took place.

Balule’s Hunting Incident Report states that “the elephant charged [the hunting party] and they shot it when it was five meters from them.”

However, the hunters were never in any danger, says Annelize Slabbert, one of the four onlookers who witnessed the shooting.

She says guests at the lodge saw the whole incident from their unobstructed vantage point.

Her husband, Gerard, affirms this. “After the first shot, I saw the three men standing by their vehicle in the road; the elephant was 80 to 100 meters away from them and starting running in the opposite direction.”

The Slabberts also say the elephant never charged the hunting party. According to Annelize, “it was calmly feeding on a tree when the first shot rang out. The elephant then gave a loud cry and ran for cover in the thicket, with the hunters running in pursuit, firing more shots. Thirteen shots later, after the elephant had fallen in a ditch in an attempt to escape the hunters, its shrieks ceased.”

Later, a TLB, tractor and trailer had to be called in to retrieve the carcass from the deep ditch, the hunting report confirms.

“It is something I will, unfortunately, never forget,” Annelize says. “It was heartbreaking.”

Balule management has vehemently rejected any claims of alcohol use, but the final report states that one member of the hunting party, Sean Nielsen did, in fact, ‘mess his whiskey’ on one of the witnesses who had approached the hunting party after the incident. The report reads that “a heated exchange took place between the witness and Mr Nielson.”

Photographs taken on the scene show Nielsen, the long-term lessee of Maseke Game Reserve, with a glass of tawny liquid in hand. He reportedly acted as the reserve representative on the hunt.

Photo by witness
A witness took this photo

The photographs, Balule chairperson Sharon Haussmann argues, were taken after the shooting and are, therefore, not indicative of a breach of any ethical or general hunting protocols.

Change of tune

When the incident occurred on 23 November last year, Haussmann initiated a full investigation and said that the parties involved would be held accountable. She labelled the incident as “completely unethical and inconsiderate and a huge embarrassment for Balule.” She said “it did not comply with the sustainable utilization model of ethical hunting in accordance with the hunting protocol that governs all reserves within APNR and to which Balule and hence Maseke are bound.”

The full investigation report was shared in full in Febraury this year. The outcome painted an entirely different picture.

Haussmann backtracked on her initial statement and said that “according to the APNR protocol there were no ethical transgressions.

“We don’t approve that it happened in front of a lodge, but unfortunately, the lay of the land was such that it was in view of a lodge,” Haussmann said in January. The full investigation concludes that “besides poor site selection, there is no evidence of ethical breaches that can be actioned by us.”

When asked about the contradicting statements between Balule’s final report and the witness reports sent in as part of the investigation, Haussmann said it was a case of ‘he said, she said’.

“I wasn’t there. I wish I was; then I could tell you for sure [what happened],” she said. The report simply concludes that there’s no reason to doubt the “version put forward by the ‘hunting party’”.

Hunting continues

Kruger National Park’s managing executive Glenn Phillips also previously condemned the hunt and said SANParks was “keenly awaiting the finalisation of the [Balule] investigation”. When questioned on the outcome of the investigation, no further comment was received.

The increasing number of questionable hunting incidents occurring in the Kruger’s adjoining reserves underscores the growing conflict between hunting and photographic safaris operating on the same land in the Assosiated Private Nature Reserves (APNRs).

While this conflict ensues in meetings regarding protocol and ethics, poaching in the park is on the rise and Kruger’s elephants are caught in a dangerous gap between licensed and unlicensed killers.

Kruger recently launched a campaign aimed at fighting elephant poaching in the park’s northern region, however, Balule was given approval by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) to hunt 22 elephants during the 2019/2020 hunting season, which begins on 1 April. This amounts to nearly half of the 47 elephants permitted to be hunted in all the APNRs this season.

In the previous year, a total of 53 elephants were legally hunted in the APNR, while 71 elephants were poached in the Kruger Park

Travel News | eTurboNews

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