Tanzania Plans Cable Car For Mount Kilimanjaro
Reuters reports Tanzania wants to boost tourist numbers by putting a cable car on Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain, and is in talks about the project with a Chinese and a Western company.
Around 50,000 tourists climb Kilimanjaro annually. A cable car could increase tourist numbers by 50% by providing access to the mountain for those unable to climb it, Constantine Kanyasu, the deputy minister for tourism, said.
The country is conducting feasibility studies on possible routes at the moment, Kanyasu told Reuters. “We are still doing a feasibility study to see if this project works,” he said. “There are two companies one from China and another from a Western country that have shown interest. This won’t be the first time in the world, cable cars are there in Sweden, Italy, the Himalayas,” he said.
Kanyasu said the government was looking at business plans, potential investors and profits. The length of the route has not been finalised, with various options under consideration depending on cost and engineering issues, the minister said.
An environmental impact assessment would also be carried out, he said. Porter and guide groups who take tourists up the mountain oppose the project because they fear cable cars will reduce the number of climbers. Loishiye Mollel, head of Tanzania Porters’ Organization, said visitors normally spend a week climbing the mountain. “One visitor from the U.S. can have a maximum of 15 people behind him, of which 13 are porters, a cook and a guide.
All these jobs will be affected by a cable car,” he said. “We are of the view that the mountain should be left as it is.” There are about 20,000 porters working between Mount Kilimanjaro and Meru, another mountain nearby, he said.
Princess Cruises to Raise Automatic Daily Gratuities
Cruise Critic reports Princess Cruises has raised the gratuities automatically charged to passengers’ onboard accounts. The daily, per-person rates will increase by $1 and affect all cruises departing on or after May 21, 2019. Passengers staying in standard cabins (interior, ocean-view and balcony) will be charged $14.50 (up from $13.50); mini-suites will increase to $15.50 (up from $14.50); and suites will go up to $16.50 (from $15.50). Booked cruisers who have prepaid their gratuities before May 14 will not be affected by the changes.
Concerts At Sea Is Celebrating Its 27th Year Onboard The Regal Princess
January 19, 2020 sailing to the Eastern Caribbean. Artists include The Lettermen, The Yardbirds, Paul Revere’s Raiders, Ron Dante’ of the Archies, The Flamingos, The Grass Roots, and Peter Rivera original lead singer and drummer for Rare Earth.
Also onboard is Tom Garret current lead singer of the Classics IV, Jackson Haney formerly with the Original Comets. Along with great entertainment will be Concerts At Sea house band JR & The Stingrays. Entertainment cost is $600.00 per person and allows passengers to access all onboard events, 50’s and 60’s sock hop, autograph session, Q & A with the artists, live trivia games, dance lessons, dance hosts, All request dance parties, hosted cocktail party, jam night and lots of fun. More details at www.concertsatsea.com
Russia’s Saint Petersburg Introduces ‘Tourist Tax’
Travelwirenews reports Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the introduction of a tourist tax on foreign visitors in St. Petersburg, Russia. The head of state made a statement at a meeting with the acting mayor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov.
According to the Acting Head of St. Petersburg, the tax on foreign visitors will be 100 rubles per tourist per day. The hotels will collect it for each day of their stay. It is expected that the money, received from foreigners who wish to visit St. Petersburg, will be used for the reconstruction and repair of the historical center of the city, as well as the development of tourist infrastructure. Thus, Beglov emphasized, in the center of present-day St. Petersburg alone there are about fifteen hundred buildings with historical heritage.
Several hundred of them are residential buildings with a complex facade configuration, the Acting Mayor of the city noted. All of them require repair, he said. Repair, Beglov stressed, requires about 17 billion rubles. The tourist tax, the acting mayor of St. Petersburg said, is a great way to collect some of this money. Thus, Beglov summed up, thanks to the collection from the foreign tourists, the city budget of the Northern capital will be replenished by a whole billion rubles.
Travelers To Turkey With E-visas Need To Bring Hard Copy
Travel&Leisure reports travelers to Turkey with an e-visa are advised to bring a hard copy with them or risk being denied entry. According to a number of reports in the UK media, some travelers without such copies, but with an e-visa, have been turned away at the airport due to troubles with the country’s e-visa system.
The official website of Turkey’s e-visa system advises all travelers, including those from the United States, traveling with an e-visa to keep a copy of it with them. “Passport control officers at ports of entry can verify your e-visa on their system,” says a statement on the Turkish government’s website.
“However, you are advised to keep your e-visa with you either as a soft copy (table PC, smartphone, etc.) or as a hard copy in case of any failure on their system.” According to the State Department, travelers from the United States need a visa to travel to Turkey for tourism or commercial travel of up to 90 days within a 180 day period, as well as a passport valid for six months beyond their entry date and enough space for both entry and exit stamps.
U.S. citizens traveling on cruise ships, however, can enter the country without a visa for up to 72 hours with permission from port authorities. Travelers can apply for an e-visa at www.evisa.gov.tr/en.
