14 Luxury Hotels Are Donating Outdated Furniture to Low-Income Families in Need

Courtesy, Metro. Government of Seoul

Going on 10 years, the municipal government of Seoul has been collecting used furniture from luxury hotels and donating it to low-income earners and homeless city residents.

Over that time, partnerships with 14 different luxury hotels in the Seoul metropolitan area have seen 120,000 used furniture items distributed to low-income housing, homeless facilities, and other shelter initiatives.

This year, the program has recruited an additional 10 hotel partners, which along with boosting the amount of furniture collections, will also maintain an employment opportunity pipeline to those who are out of work and in danger of living on the streets.

“We express our respect and gratitude to the 24 hotels that have helped create a better Seoul through sincere support beyond corporate social responsibility,” a Seoul government official said.

“Sponsored goods from the refurbishment process of luxury hotels will be provided to families with little household goods, which will play a major role in enhancing the self-esteem and satisfaction of low-income citizens.”

There’s something to be said for the value of not only supporting the bottom line of a low-income earner, but also their “self-esteem.” The sight of well-made pieces of stained wood, brushed zinc, or polished marble, may offer an intangible benefit to someone with the stresses of living near the poverty line that direct financial support may not.Once collected, the furniture pieces are held by the city government before being distributed to various locations upon request. 14 Luxury Hotels Are Donating Outdated Furniture to Low-Income Families in Need

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World's largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, scheduled to set sail

• By Aniket Gupta: Following the COVID pandemic, luxury liners went temporarily taken out of service. Now they are back. With a bang. Or should we say, with a big splash? Cruise bookings have surged, and a Finnish shipyard is now in the final stages of completing what is set to become the largest cruise ship in the world.
• The luxurious ship from Royal Caribbean, named Icon of the Seas, is approaching its final stages of construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku on the south-western coast of Finland. The shipbuilding company is fully owned by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft GmbH.
• The Icon of the Seas is expected to be delivered in late 2023, and its inaugural journey is scheduled for January 2024.
• Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku, says the ship is the largest cruise ship in the world. The massive ship features lively waterparks, over 20 decks, and the capacity to accommodate nearly 10,000 people.

• Many have been attracted by the clever design and careful planning that promise an extraordinary cruise, and have eagerly purchased tickets. Others have referred to the massive construction as a ‘monstrosity’, given what they say will be its significant negative environmental impact.
• The shipping industry was severely impacted by the pandemic, casting doubt on its potential for recovery. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, passenger volume is anticipated to exceed pre-pandemic levels, projecting a total of 31.5 million passengers for the year 2023.
• Weighing a gross tonnage of 250,800, which is five times larger than the ill-fated Titanic, the Icon of the Seas is poised to claim the distinction of being the world's largest cruise ship, surpassing Royal Caribbean’s existing flagship, the Wonder of the Seas.
• Although the trend towards constructing massive ships is not expected to stop, it is likely to slow down. For financial reasons rather than engineering limitations.
• Mega-sized ships are said help lower per-passenger costs. But they require huge investments, and involve advanced technologies, which come at a significant price. Larger vessels also bring challenges like port congestion.
• Furthermore, as cruise companies aim to increase passenger capacity, they simultaneously lower the crew-to-passenger ratio, which can present difficulties in unforeseen circumstances.
• A single large ship yields greater energy efficiency compared to multiple smaller ships. Also, modern vessels have begun using liquefied natural gas (LNG), as the Icon of the Seas is doing.
• But environmentalists remain skeptical. LNG does exhibit lower emissions compared to conventional maritime fuels, yet concerns have been raised by organizations like Transport & Environment (T&E) regarding the possibility of methane leaks.
• Methane is an essential constituent of LNG. It is also a potent greenhouse gas that has the potential to inflict more severe climate repercussions than carbon dioxide.
• The T&E website says that while cruise ships account for a small proportion of the global shipping fleet, ‘they have a disproportionate impact on air quality, habitats and the climate’. Why? It’s because cruise ships require more fuel as a result of the energy demand of their onboard hotels and leisure facilities.
• These ships travel close to the coastline; so huge volumes of fuel are burned in close proximity to coastal populations. The T&E website says, ‘The technology is available to clean up cruise ships, but an industry that provides luxury trips is unwilling to deploy it.’ Source: https://www.domain-b.com/

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Orion's hotel in orbit may become operational in 4 years

If even the most exclusive hotels on earth are too mundane and humdrum for you, there’s an option coming – in outer space. For a couple million dollars, you might be able to check that off your bucket list in the next four years.

Orion Span, a Houston-based space tech startup, has announced plans to launch the first-ever luxury space hotel into earth's orbit by 2021. The company says the so-called Aurora Station will be ready to accommodate visitors the following year.

The first-ever luxury space hotel was introduced today during the Space 2.0 Summit in San Jose, California last week. Named after the light phenomenon that illuminates the earth's polar skies, Aurora Station is being developed by Orion Span and the company's team of space industry veterans, who according to a company release have over 140 years of human space experience.

The price of a ticket for a 12-day stay will be $9.5 million per person, which comes to $791,666 per night.

Orion Span has yet to contract with a launch provider to put future visitors - and for that matter the station itself - into orbit. In the past, private citizens have been sent to the International Space Station on $20 million to $40 million round-trip tickets, but according to Frank Bunger, the company's founder and chief executive, Orion Span's trips are less expensive because of declining launch prices. Prospective clients can put down an $80,000 refundable deposit right now for future stays.

The exclusive hotel will host six people at a time – including two crew members. Space travellers will enjoy a completely authentic, once-in-a-lifetime astronaut experience with extraordinary adventure during their 12-day journey, the company says.

"Upon launch, Aurora Station goes into service immediately, bringing travellers into space quicker and at a lower price point than ever seen before," Bunger said in a statement. "Our goal is to make space accessible to all, by continuing to drive greater value at a lower cost."

The hotel, which is slated for launch into low Earth orbit (LEO) at around 200 miles from the earth's surface, will be about the size of the cabin of a large private jet. Company representatives say it will be roughly 43 ½ feet long by 14 feet wide, with a pressurized volume of 5,650 cubic feet. By comparison, the ISS is much larger, at 357 feet long, an internal pressurized volume of 32,33 cubic feet, and soars 250 miles above Earth.

"Orion Span has additionally taken what was historically a 24-month training regimen to prepare travellers to visit a space station and streamlined it to three months, at a fraction of the cost,” Bunger adds. “Our goal is to make space accessible to all, by continuing to drive greater value at lower cost."

Completed, Aurora Station will be fully modular and host six people at a time with private, two-person suites. Four of those people will be guests and two will be crewmembers who are most likely former astronauts, the company says.

With the help of engineers who have worked on the ISS, the hotel is currently in construction in Housten, while Orion Span develops software for it in the Bay Area.

Aboard the station, travellers will roam freely in zero gravity, while orbiting the planet every 90 minutes. They can take in the sights, which will include about 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours, through the station's many windows and get a virtual reality experience on the ship's "holodeck". Guests will also get the chance to participate in research experiments like growing edible plants - which can be taken home as souvenirs - and livestream with people back home via high-speed wireless internet.

"We're not selling a hey-let's-go-to-the-beach equivalent in space," Bunger tells Bloomberg. "We're selling the experience of being an astronaut."

The Orion Span Astronaut Certification (OSAC) will include a condensed version of online and in-person training at the company's facility in Houston, with final certification aboard the Aurora Station.

Upon returning to earth, guests "will be treated to a hero's welcome home", the company says.

Orion Span will likely cater to private space tourists as well as government space agencies, Bunger says.

A serial entrepreneur and former software engineer, Bunger has worked on other startups in the past, in addition to the seven-person Orion Span team.

Orion Span isn't the first to look to the skies for entrepreneurial opportunity. Plans were recently announced for a four-room hotel addition to the ISS that would cost $40 million per person. The Texas-based Axiom Space has plans to take tourists to the ISS by next year and launch a commercial space station by 2024.

Virgin Galactic, which said it would start sub-orbital space flights in 2009, is planning to charge $250,000 for future extraterrestrial trips.

If Aurora Station is successful, the company wants to launch identical modules and build a private space station. Long-term, the vision is to sell space.

"We will later sell dedicated modules as the world's first condominiums in space," Bunger adds. "Future Aurora owners can live in, visit, or sublease their space condo."Source: https://www.domain-b.com/

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Siberia to get Russia's largest indoor waterpark

'Being an all-season facility gives it an edge over other entertainment options.' Picture here and below: Sibintel 

By The Siberian Times reporter: The Tyumen complex will include mineral spring baths and a hotel, with a target of one million visitors a year. The 10,000 square metre facility will offer more than ten waterslides with the aim of being an all year round facility attracting families from a wide area including Chelyabinsk, Omsk, and Yekaterinburg. Polin Waterparks, a global manufacturer from Turkey, is overseeing the project. 'Being an all-season facility gives it an edge over other entertainment options,' said Selim Doguoglu, head of Polin's Russian office. 'Families can enjoy it year-round. 

The 10,000 square metre facility will offer more than ten waterslides with the aim of being an all year round facility attracting families from a wide area including Chelyabinsk, Omsk, and Yekaterinburg.

'There are not a lot of entertainment offerings that accommodate the wide range of ages that families include, from toddlers to seniors.' The waterpark will include a 'Turbolance Slide' - the first in Russia to do so. This extreme slide involves two-person rafts shooting through a series of steep drops and curves and also propelled uphill on a wide, sweeping, vertical slope, before hurtling over the edge, before gravity safely pulls riders backwards in a reverse ride. On the Windigo, riders enter alongside one another in enclosed tubes that spread out to create geometrical curving patterns high above the ground. 

'There are not a lot of entertainment offerings that accommodate the wide range of ages that families include, from toddlers to seniors.'

Each slide curls around, parallel with the others, with from two to four on each side. Eventually, the tubes converge to create a series of side-by-side, high-speed multi-racer lanes. The Magic Hole, an enclosed ride, pushes guests from side to side as they are launched through wide curves. Rafts of various sizes speed through the circular path before exiting into a splash pool. Polin created the Megacentre Gorizont Aquapark in Rostov-on-Don and the Gorki Indoor Waterpark near Ryazan. Source: http://siberiantimes.com/

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10 fresh restaurant marketing ideas for 2016

Qsrweb: By Evan Hayes, vice president of finance, Belly, When you own or manage a restaurant, you likely wear multiple hats. Your primary concern is ensuring your customers enjoy a high quality meal and leave to share their experience with their family and friends. You manage your employees, prepare the food, keep the books, handle supply, and interact with customers. When each day is over, the last thing you have time to do is develop and actively maintain an effective marketing strategy. Perhaps your social media presence has been nonexistent, or your once loyal customers are not returning as often as you would like.

This may sound like a lot to balance, and it is, but today there are marketing techniques that won't break the bank and will help you save time. Use these restaurant marketing ideas to take your business to the next level in 2016.

• Take loyalty seriously — Did you know it costs a business 5-7 times more to acquire a new customer than it does to sell to an existing one? Not only that, but on average loyal customers spend 10 times more over their lifetime. By taking customer loyalty seriously and offering customers the ability to earn rewards for visiting your business, you'll be able to retain your most profitable customers and allocate resources you might have wasted on customer acquisition, to more value-add activities.
• Build a simple, elegant website — Almost 50 percent of restaurant website traffic takes place on mobile devices, according to a Gourmet Marketing.com article. Restaurants that offer responsive mobile websites convert up to 64 percent of searchers. There are many high quality DIY websites that enable restaurants to build their own mobile friendly websites like Squarespace and Wix. Website content about you, your restaurant and your multitude of seasonal menus should be limited to only a few, clearly defined options (e.g. menu, order, contact, locations). Mixed Greens, a local business in Chicago, gets an A+ for website functionality and design.
• Grow your customer review bank — Your reputation can make or break your business. The sheer volume of reviews doesn't really matter. Instead, the number of positive reviews becomes your restaurant's lifeblood. Sites such as Yelp, Urbanspoon and Zagat provide a medium for customers to express their likes and dislikes about your food, ambience and customer service. According to a survey conducted by Dimensional Research, people who had a poor interaction were 50 percent more likely to share it on social media than those who had a good experience, and 52 percent were more likely to share it on an online review site such as Yelp. Be sure to stay on top of your business's reputation by responding publicly to all reviews. You should also give your most loyal customers the ability to review your business on Yelp — increasing the likelihood that they'll leave a positive review!
• Become a social media medium — The number of social media outlets customers' have available rivals the number of Crest toothpaste options found at your local grocery store (last count was 38 at my local store). It's important not to get lost in the myriad of options but instead, remain focused on nurturing the ones that matter the most. Once you've created a Facebook page and Twitter handle for your restaurant, focus on gathering more "Likes” and "Tweets" by driving customers to talk about their visit online. There are also quite a few social media management tools available to help you manage your social media presence, including Sprout Social, Hootsuite and Buffer.
• Gather data on your customers — It is not 1995, yet some restaurants continue to have customers drop their business cards in a fishbowl or hand write their email addresses on a piece of paper at the register. Or better yet, some restaurants collect absolutely no information about their customers. Gathering data about your customers is no longer optional in today's highly competitive, online world. Offering a digital loyalty program brings traditional offline data-gathering methods online by allowing your restaurant to collect actionable data on your customers and make decisions that positively impact your business.
• Participate in the on-demand economy — According to Mike Jaconi, contributor for Business Insider, the on-demand economy is defined as "the economic activity created by technology companies that fulfill consumer demand via the immediate provisioning of goods and services." Companies such as Postmates, GrubHub and Caviar are worth considering because of their ability to extend the existing reach of local restaurants and to have a positive impact on labor allocation toward food delivery and on-demand ordering.
• Use mobile to gamify customer experience — It's no secret that we all love our smartphones. As customers, we live in a much more mobile world compared to a decade ago. By embracing the mobile trend, restaurants that partner with loyalty apps or offer their own app are seeing an increase in engagement and activity that can lead to stickiness, deeper connections and greater loyalty. For example, Tropical Smoothie was able to decrease time between customer visits by 50 percent by surprising and delighting their customers. Using their loyalty program, they emailed their customers to visit for a chance to win a free smoothie.
• The farm-to-table and local fresh wave is here to stay — By not offering your customers locally sourced food products, you're missing out on a two-sided advantage on which other restaurants that do offer local are capitalizing. From a food perspective, providing locally sourced ingredients means you're offering customers fresh, high quality ingredients that generally command higher prices and better margins. From a marketability perspective, offering farm-to-table ingredients means the perception of your food quality is much higher than it otherwise would be. Additionally, you create the perception that you're building goodwill within the local community by supporting small local farmers. Restaurants that offer farm-to-table options and that source many menu items locally include Farmhouse in Chicago and Redbird in Montana.
• Offer online reservations — If you currently don't offer a way for customers to book reservations online, you should consider signing up for an online reservation like OpenTable. Online reservation tools provide new and existing customers with a fast and easy way to book new reservations, change reservations and share their experiences.
• Allergen friendly and gluten-free — The point here is to expand your audience — continue to cater to the majority of us without food allergies — but now find select partners to source allergen-friendly options that make it possible for the family of four who has a child with celiac disease to enjoy food at your restaurant. You offer whole-wheat pasta on your menu, so why not also offer brown rice pasta? Offering allergen-friendly and gluten-free options doesn't have to be a yes or no, black or white decision. It is possible to safely provide alternatives either made in-house or sourced from certified allergen or gluten-free partners such as Sweet Ali's Gluten Free Bakery or Defloured. Source: http://www.qsrweb.com/

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Smart Korea,Smart Culture,Smart Tourism

Kwang-shik Choe, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST)

SEOUL, KOREA – K- pop and Korean  drama’s  increased  popularity, along

with Psy’s “Gangnam Style” becoming a worldwide viral hit, has fostered greater interest in Korean culture. As opposed to the catchy and stylish K-pop and Korean dramas seen across the world, ordinary Koreans seem unable to afford cultural activities in this highly competitive society. People here work the longest hours in the OECD member nations, and the majority of them have the usual passive leisure activities – watching TV, taking a nap or taking a walk (36.2%) - rather than participating in active cultural arts (7.2%), sport (9.5%) or travelling (4.7%). Without being exposed to active cultural activities, many teenagers are struggling with mental problems such as school violence and game addiction, and employees frequently relieve their stress through binge drinking. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) is now encouraging a more creative cultural environment for the public to improve their quality of life as well as their professional productivity. “One Person, Two Talents” ‘One Person, Two Talents’ is the recent focus of Kwang-shik Choe, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), encouraging the public to regularly participate in one sport as well as one cultural activity such as music, art, or musicals. “As creativity is the biggest growth engine and measure of competitiveness in the future of a smart society, it is essential for the public to have diverse cultural experiences. The MCST is planning to foster more public sports and music programs as the five-day
work and school week expand, and to encourage more talent donation programs – contributing individual talents to public welfare. Personally, I started to learn Danso, a Korean short bamboo flute, and it provides me with immense refreshment. Now, I am proud of being able to play ‘Arirang’, a Korean folk song,“ the minister said. ‘One Day, Two Nights’ is another slogan the minister has advocated to foster a more productive and creative leisure environment. “The MCST is promoting domestic tourism for the public to travel to various places throughout the country for one day and two nights, and also to boost regional economies. Korea has many beautiful tourist attractions that are not well known, so the MCST has selected ’99
Must-Visit Tourist Attractions’. The list, compiled by local travel experts after a thorough examination of tourist attractions across Korea, will be useful for both Korean and foreign travelers alike.” Smart Tourism: “With the rapid penetration of smart devices – reaching 30 million - and the advanced digital infrastructure, the MCST is stimulating smarter tourism. Tourists can reserve hotels, purchase train and airline tickets in real time via their smart phones, as well as share travel information and experiences with social

Minister, Kwang-shik Choe, visits Baengnyeong Island for one day and two nights.

 networking services in real time. ‘Visit Korea 2.0’ is the representative application through which visitors can conveniently find tourist attractions, restaurants, accommodation, and shopping information. They can also easily locate destinations with mapping services and way-finding services.
Besides, the ‘Korea Smart Tour Guide’application provides audio services and digital contents for the tourists to better enjoy the stories behind Korea’s major historical heritages, as well as national museums,” he said. For foreign tourists, the language barrier which is the biggest obstacle for travels, can be removed with the help of ‘Genietalk’, the Korean-English interpretation application, developed by Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI). Providing 270,000 Korean
words and 65,000 English words, it boasts over an 80% successful interpretation rate in a real-life situation. It is expected to add six more languages including Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish by 2018. For a tourist to report a complaint, visitors can call 1330, which is offered in four languages, Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. Smart Cultural 
Exchange: “The MCST also took an initiative in promoting a global cultural exchange with the advancement of smart technology. As seen from the huge ripple effect of Psy’s “Gangnam Style”, SNS has become an effective channel for the fast and easy delivery of content. We have been running
Korea Culture Centers across the world to exchange diverse cultures through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr. They allow local people to experience the traditions and history of Korea through specialized programs, events, and multiple learning resources. On top of this, Korean cultural arts are promoted and shared in collaboration with Google Art Project, an online
platform through which the public can access high-resolution images of artwork housed in the initiative’s partner museums. Currently, around 5,000 pieces of Korean art are posted on the website.” The advancement of personal smart devices has had an influence on the Korean content industry – games, film, music, and animation – which has steadily grown for the past few years. The amount of content exported increased to USD 4.3 billion in 2011, an increase of 35% from the previous  year. Korean game companies
such as NEXON and NCsoft account for around 60% of the total content exported and ranked 6th in global market share. Keeping pace with the smart trends, they are now focusing on developing games transcending the boundaries of the Internet, mobile, and game consoles. K-pop and Korean
dramas, which used to center around Asian regions, are now expanding into other continents through social media. Psy’s “Gangnam Style”was viewed on YouTube throughout 222 countries. Promoting Korean culture overseas has helped improve the perception of Korean people, as well as the economy. Minister Choe also emphasized the importance of global content exchange. Quality content is created based on cultural diversity and

experiences that serve as momentum to raise the value of the Korean content industry.  In the early 2000s, we used to have an abundance of co-productions of films and dramas with Chinese and Japanese industries, but now it seems a little stagnant. The MCST plans to encourage more global content exchange in the form of joint production and personnel exchanges.
Indeed, personnel exchange of producers and actors have been on the rise recently. It is essential for the government to enable more diverse content to be introduced across the border.Under the vision of ‘Envisioning a greater tomorrow through culture’, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism is now aiming for enjoyment, harmony, and progress through cultural promotion. “The MCST is aiming to re-energize life as well as the creativity of work by fostering cultural activities and increasing global cultural exchange, along with the help of the increasing number of smart devices,” he said. Visit Korea 2.0, Source: Koreaittimes

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Bruce Willis Donates Ski Resort To Small Idaho Town

When Demi Moore and Bruce Willis were still married, they owned over $20 million worth of real estate in the mountains of Idaho, reportedly as a getaway from their Hollywood lives. After the divorce, Bruce Willis still owned The Mint Bar and Liberty Theater in the small town of Hailey, Idaho, as well as a ski resort in Fairfield, Idaho. In April, Willis put his Hailey home and bar up for sale for a combined $21 million. He had hoped to also sell the ski resort but has since decided to donate it to the citizens of Fairfield. "I couldn’t be more pleased with the organization that will be responsible for the management of Soldier Mountain Ski Area," Willis said in a press release to the Idaho Statesman. "It was exciting to see that the very people who ski at Soldier care so much about its future. I wish them the very best." A nonprofit group formed to take over the mountain, bringing ownership back to the locals. Back in April, Willis was in town to take part in a town hall to discuss ownership changes of the mountain. "It went from idea to execution in a matter of weeks," local attorney Will Varin, president of the new nonprofit, said. Willis made it a point to give the mountain back to the community, and the community understands the importance of that move. "It's an honor and a privilege to do it," Varin told the Idaho Statesman. "At the end of the day, we don't own the mountain, it's a community mountain." The spokesperson for the new nonprofit group, local Justin Nyquist, echoed the sentiment. "Soldier Mountain is the pride of Fairfield," Nyquist told the Idaho Mountain Express. "The new owners want to keep it that way. This community meeting is a chance to lay out the ownership change to the town and offer residents an opportunity to ask questions." In March 2009, the base lodge at Soldier Mountain burned down, but Willis quickly rebuilt it. The new lodge, which is 4,500 square feet, opened just 10 months later, in January 2010. Photo Credits: PR Photos, Source: Starpulse.com, Image: flickr.com

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Paris Hilton throws 'Alice In Wonderland' party

Los Angeles, March 5 (IANS) Socialite Paris Hilton threw a special theme party around "Alice In Wonderland". She transformed her house into a virtual fairytale world for it. She threw the party March 2. The hotel heiress, who turned 32 Feb 17, donned an Alice costume and decorated her mansion here with themed props, including towering mushrooms and larger-than-life butterflies, reports dailystar.co.uk. She also treated her guests to 100 bottles of Champagne, a feast of sweet treats and multiple birthday cakes. Rapper Lil Wayne and DJ Tiesto added a dash of entertainment to the party by playing sets for guests including screen stars China Chow, Efren Ramirez and Jesse Woodrow, as well as director Eli Roth. Hilton shared photographs of the party on Twitter. "So much fun! Incredible night! Best time ever," tweeted Hilton, while Roth added: "Happy birthday Paris Hilton! I had an amazing time. Yes!" Source: News Track India

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How To Tell If Your Wine is Corked

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Did you know that up to 8% of wine bottles (and some say even 10%) are infected with cork taint? Patrick Cappiello, wine director at GILT at The New York Palace Hotel, explains the science behind cork taint and how to identify it in your wine, Video: Jessica Leibowitz, Music: Kevin MacLeod

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Tridacna Clams: replenishing Malaysia's stunning giant clams

RTSea: The Giant Clam, of the genus Tridacna, is a striking image on any coral reef. Its size, at two feet or more in length, along with the deep folds in it shell and the vibrant colors of its fleshy mantle make it a standout. And rather than be the danger portrayed in movies, clamping down on the feet of unsuspecting swimmers, the giant clam is an important member of the coral reef community, a filter-feeder that helps to cleanse the surrounding waters to the benefit of all the reef's inhabitants.  In Malaysia, the Tridacna clam has been heavily exploited for decades, either for its meat or shell. And as Malaysia has grown as both a tourist destination and commercial shipping center, water pollution and urban development have taken its toll on the 

clams and, for the matter, all of the surrounding reefs. However, the Marine Ecology Research Centre (MERC), affiliated with the Gayana Eco resort on Gaya Island outside of nearby Kota Kinabalu, is taking steps to bring the Tridacna back to its former glory. The Centre has patiently been nurturing Tridacna larvae in a nursery to where they are now ready totransplant 500 three-inch juveniles back to the coral reef. Researchers will closely monitor  the  growth   and  overall  health  of  the  clams  in  their  newenvironment. If all goes well, they have as many as 2,000 clams in their nursery which could be returned to the reef. “We chose giant clams for our Save the Giants program because they are endangered, slow to grow and important in producing oxygen into the marine ecosystem,” said project director Alvin Wong. “Hopefully, this first batch will make it. We will monitor their progress as we continue to produce more giant clams.”  Additionally, MERC has been cultivating corals for replanting, as many as 1,000, and are prepared to transplant them in and around the reefs at Gaya Island. Like many other Pacific islands, MERC realizes that much of Malaysia's economic growth is closely tied to tourism. Malaysia is known for beautiful coral reefs that are enjoyed by divers and snorkelers - and that means revenue for the nation and its people. The Centre was awarded the Most Innovative Tourist Attraction Award at the 2008/2009 Malaysia Tourist Awards, so they are not alone in realizing the value of healthy, protected reefs. The Marine Ecology Research Centre will be educating schools and non-governmental groups on the importance of marine conservation while they continue with their giant clam and coral breeding and transplanting activities. Let's hope they succeed on all counts. The Tridacna clam is an impressive reef invertebrate worth saving. Source: RTSea

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Indian Hotels to sweeten offer for Orient Express?

Tata group firm Indian Hotels Co Ltd (IHCL) is understood to be prepared to increase its offer from $1.9 billion ( Rs. 10,184 crore) to take full control of US-based hospitality chain Orient Express Hotels. The company is willing to sweeten the offer if it gets to go through the books of the American firm and found "more value," a company source said on Sunday on the condition of anonymity. "The offer that IHCL has made was based on only publicly available information. If it gets to access the books of Orient Express Hotels and finds more value, then it may be willing to increase the offer." When contacted, a IHCL spokesperson declined to comment. The company's intent to sweeten the offer was hinted in the letter that IHCL vice-chairman RK Krishna Kumar had written to Orient Express Hotels chairman J Robert Lovejoy on October 25. "...to date, we have only had access to public information and, as such, our offer was informed only by this limited data... To the extent you and your advisors wish to discuss value-drivers of which we may not be aware, we would be pleased to engage in a constructive dialogue regarding these issues," Kumar had said. He had written the letter seeking a meeting between Lovejoy and Tata group chairman Ratan Tata along with Ferrari chairman Luca Montezemolo to discuss the acquisition issue. On October 18, IHCL along with Charme II Funds, founded by the family of Ferrari chairman Luca Montezemolo, made an all-cash offer to acquire the outstanding 93.1% stake of Orient Express at $12.6 per share. Orient-Express Hotels has already described IHCL's second attempt to acquire it as "unsolicited".Source: Hindustan Times, Image: flickr.com

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30-storey hotel built in just fifteen days

The Ark Hotel was built on Dongting lake, in the Hunan Province in just 15 days by Broad Group, a Chinese construction company which specialises in sustainable architecture. The 30-story hotel built in 15 days is sturdy enough to stand up to a magnitude-9.0 earthquake. The hotel is also reportedly energy-efficient and more solid all the way around than one might surmise. But the most interesting fact of all remains: It is a 30-story building that was built in 15 days. The builders took just 46 hours to finish the main structural components and another 90 hours to finish the building enclosure. All of the structure is soundproofed and with 6-inch thick glass curtain wall insulation and four-paned windows with built-in shades. There is also a heat recovery system and three-stage filtration air conditioning process that purifies indoor air to be 20 times purer than the air outside.  The building even has air quality monitoring in every room which, given the pollution problem in China, seems to be an important selling point there. Features of hotel and building: • Level 9 earthquake resistance, scale model will be tested by national authorized institution. • BROAD unique technologies “diagonal bracing, light weight, factory-made” ensure the highest earthquake resistance level with minimum materials. • Trapezoidal construction structure corresponds the law of mechanics, which can withstand earthquake and storm. • Sky gardens locate on floor 71, 121, 156, 176 and 191(12,000m2 in total), also function as the helipads, which are able to evacuate tens of thousand people during fire emergency, provide extra fire protection than conventional skyscrapers. • 150mm exterior insulated walls, triple-paned windows, exterior solar shading, interior window insulation and heat recovery fresh air, 80% more energy efficient than conventional buildings. • Adopting “distributed energy system”, turbines provide power independently, exhaust from turbines is the source for cooling, heating and sanitary hot water. 50% more energy efficient than the power grid. • Indoor HVAC is controlled by occupancy sensor, fan speed will be automatically adjusted to the lowest load when people left. • Elevator generates electricity when ascending unload and descending full load, also choose the floor outside the elevator, and other electricity saving methods can save 75% more electricity than conventional elevator. • LED lamp, 90% more energy efficient than incandescent lamp and 50% moreenergy efficient than fluorescent lamp. • Separated drainage system, rain water is used for plant irrigation, bathing water will be directly drained after settled, bathroom sewage and kitchen waste go to biogas tank, biogas is used as fuel for air conditioning, and solid wastes become organic fertilizers. • Annual energy conservation 60,000 ton oil equivalent • Saving 600,000 ton construction materials • Saving 1.4 sq. kilometers land (volume ratio 50) • On-site construction waste is less than 1% of the total weight • Zero raise dust on-site • Zero water consumption on-site • Recycle processes of living garbage from the building • All steel structure, reuse after abandoned. Source: Ananta-Tec, ***

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German Best Western hotels decided to reopen its MICE industry study

The German Best Western hotels decided to reopen its MICE industry study which is conducted to find out the current trends in meeting & conference bookings and etc. In addition to that, the MICE study also aims to learn the key indicators on how companies select hotel companies and how the trend has been for the past few years. The survey covered small, medium and large corporations who have experienced booking with Best Western. In total, 250 companies-participants were surveyed. Each company had a representative and presented the factors regarding business hotels called the MICE segment. Also acquired data were compared with the previous year research. Significant factors were evaluated in the study session that revolved around current market trends. Discussed were environmental aspects, social programs and booking channels among others. A demand for “green meetings” which are about ecological aspects were evaluated which resulted as higher than last year. About 20 percent companies pay particular attention to ecological aspects when booking an event. It is a vital part of the hotel selection criterion. After all, no matter what tourists’ aims are, they would want an ecologically stable environment to as a place for their stay. People who go for business trips or vacations want the same thing when it comes to hotels. Social programs accounted for 45 percent as compared to the last year’s 40 percent. Online booking portals were deemed as the most important channel. 70 percent uses the internet as a means of booking for an event. The remaining 30 percent rely on print media such as newspapers and magazines for booking purposes. However, it is important to know that actual booking requests fall under the online portal a total of 19 percent as compared to last years 36 percent. Organizers use the power of email and 37 percent utilizes the telephone to make direct bookings. Source: SAM Daily Times

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Multimillionaire Subrata Roy wants to build a Las Vegas in Macedonia

In a statement for the Indian newspaper “Financial chronicle” the head of the company “Sahara India Parivar,” said that he plans to build a complex of casinos, hotels and entertainment centers in Macedonia. -The concept of the design we made for “Las Vegas” will be proposed to the Macedonian government in September and   the structural design early in next year. Once approved, we hope to start working on it in a year and a half, says Roy. The multimillionaire, who after his visit to the country in the middle of June announced a major investment in Macedonia, did not say for the newspaper exactly how much the planned project would cost. Impressed with the people in Macedonia and the country itself, Roy said he plans to invest in something huge. -I intend to start a business that would result in a great production that will be exported. I want my business here to draw many tourists and help with employment, stated the Indian businessman. Despite the announced “Las Vegas” project, the Indians have shown interest in investing in tourism, agriculture and mining. Source: Macedonia tourism & culture news

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Wander Into The Mist Of Lepchajagat , Darjeeling

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Lepchajagat, is an offbeat destination in the district of Darjeeling in West Bengal. It lies on the road connecting Darjeeling (19 km) with Mirik. Located on a hill slope covered with rhododendron and oaks forests, Lepchajagat offers a rich diversity of nature. It is a place for those who enjoys serenity and calmness far from madding crowds, hotels, markets of popular hill stations. The town of Darjeeling is visible from this place and an illuminated

Darjeeling in the night makes an eye-catching view. The sight of the sunrise over Kanchenjunga is awe-inspiring. I often wonder why people visits Darjeeling and not Lepchajagat ..... But then, this is the reason you would enjoy this place so very much. The curious play of colors in the sky strikes you straight away. Partly black and white clouds drift from one hillto another. The other places close by that are not to be missed

include Jorepokri, Mirik and Pashupati. Lepchajagat, although a mere 16 km away from Darjeeling, this hamlet somewhat miraculously has been able to maintain its pristine atmosphere. The weather here is unpredictable - sunny spells interfered most of the times by the foggy surroundings. The enchanting thick foggy weather gives one a mystic feel. If ‘doing nothing’ is your holiday motto then Lepchaghat is the ideal destination for you. The skyscraping trees, clean mountain air and unpretentious natural beauty of Lepchaghat mesmerize the onlooker. The meaningless wandering in the village nestled in fog and mist also leaves a mark on one’s memory forever.

The view of Kanchenjunga turning red during sunrise is unforgettable. Watch the sun slowly come out and as soon as the crimson rays fell on the Kanchendzonga range, the magic begins. For the next 30 minutes or so will be your turn to get mesmerized by the amazing beauty of the mighty Himalayas. Slowly the snow peaks turn from pink to orange to gold and then the whole range come out in its dazzling white attire. The Kanchendzonga, Kabru, Kumbhakarna all are tantalizingly close, looking ethereal against a clear blue sky. No matter how many times you have watched this spectacle, this always comes up with an unprecedented

beauty.Lepchajagat could also be in a different mood the very next day. You may find it draped in thick fog and the visibility was almost zero and may realize that Lepchajagat with its misty mood is even more attractive than in a sunny day. So the next time you are in Darjeeling make sure to visit this sleepy serene hamlet. Source: The Holiday India Travel

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Aishwarya Rai wows onlookers in traditional Indian dress!

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who had choose for a Western style dress at Cannes, chose traditional Indian outfit to attend the opening party of the Bulgari hotel in London. The 38-year-old star shimmered in a creation by designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee that consisted of an elaborate black and gold dupatta covering a dress with a black top half and a flowing embroidered white skirt. The former Miss World looked eye-catching with copper eye shadow and heavy liner highlighting her bright eyes, the Daily newspaper reported. The actress had hit headlines last month after she was slammed by fans in India for failing to lose her baby weight quickly, like her western counterparts. The Bollywood star has ignored her critics and instead has taken her own approach to being a new mother focusing on her daughter instead. Aishwarya was joined by a whole host of familiar faces at the event including British-Indian actor Dev Patel, who had come without his girlfriend Freida Pinto. The pair posed for a picture together during the evening. Model Petra Nemcova, Isabella Rossellini, Florence Welch and Rosamund Pike also attended the bash Source: GaramGossips

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World's tallest observation wheel given the green light to be a high roller on Vegas strip

Building permit: Caesars Entertainment Corporation has been granted permission to build the wheel, which should be the tallest in the world at 550ft Caesars Entertainment Corporation, the business behind 50 casinos including Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, has announced it has permission to build the world's tallest observation wheel on the Vegas Strip. The Ferris-style wheel, dubbed the High Roller, is expected to stand 550ft tall, nine feet taller than the Singapore Flyer - the current world record holder - and 110ft taller than the London Eye, the tallest observation wheel in Europe. The High Roller is the centerpiece of a planned $550 million development, dubbed LINQ, expected to open next year between the company's Harrah's Las Vegas, Imperial Palace and Flamingo Las Vegas casinos.  Crucially, the

Spinning on the strip: The High Roller observation wheel will dominate the skyline in Las Vegas after it opens in 2013

Caesars project would also be 50ft taller than a rival wheel called SkyVue currently under construction about three miles south on Las Vegas Boulevard. That wheel is also expected to open in late 2013. Caesars project chief David Codiga said the amusement and transportation systems permit received from Clark County showed the High Roller, modelled after the London and Singapore structures, met rigorous national design, construction, maintenance, operation and safety standards. Mr Codiga said: 'We learned from those experiences and we've used a design team with the experience to adapt them to Las Vegas. This allows us to complete the project.' 

Artists impression: The rival Vegas wheel SkyVue , at 500ft, is also set to be finished in 2013 - the same year as the High Roller project

Big wheels: The Singapore Flyer, left, and the Star Of Nanchung in China, right, are the two tallest Ferris-style observation wheels in the world, at 541ft and 525ft respectively 

Northern Hemisphere record: The London Eye, at 443ft, is the largest observation wheel in Europe

County spokesman Erik Pappa confirmed that Caesars had been granted the permit. As designed, the wheel is oriented parallel to the casino-lined Strip. It would have 28 air-conditioned bubble-like cabins capable of accommodating 40 people each. At capacity, more than 1,100 people at a time would see broad panoramas of marquee-lit resorts during a 30-minute revolution. Mr Codiga said Caesars had already received interest from people wanting to combine the traditional 'Vegas wedding' with the new wheel experience.

Lofty plans: Construction of the 682ft Beijing Great Wheel, left, and, the 574ft Great Berlin Wheel, right, was due to finish in 2008 - but the Chinese project went into receivership, and the Berlin project has been postponed 

Jason Krolicki, project manager for Arup Engineering, said the structure was designed to exceed area seismic, wind and temperature extremes. Mr Codiga said a final certificate of operation won't be issued until the wheel is built, tested and commissioned. Support structures are now about 200 feet high for the rival SkyVue wheel, being built by developer Howard Bulloch and Compass Investments across the Strip from the Mandalay Bay resort, near McCarran International Airport

World's finest: The High Roller plans to take the 'world's tallest' crown from current record holder the Singapore Flyer. The Star Of Nanchung and London Eye will drop down to third and fourth respectively. It is part of a $100 million privately funded development expected to include 50,000-square-foot LED screens and convention space capable of hosting concerts, sporting events and product launches. In Vegas, there is little chance that any project is likely to run out of money. But any 'big wheel' project should learn from the Beijing Great Wheel and Great Berlin Wheel developments - both of which ran into difficulties and may now never be completed. Beijing's project was supposed to be completed in 2008 but went into receivership in 2010. The Berlin project was similarly supposed to be completed in 2008 but has been put on hold. Source: Travelfwd+

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Solar Floating Resort

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Designer conceptualizes a floating luxury resort, powered by solar cells

Hotel conceptions utilizing solar energy are not really a new idea, especially when we consider the slew of green technologies flooding our modernistic avenues. However, a luxury floating hotel conception that would use low cost, dye sensitized solar cells certainly insinuates a scope of novelty and exoticism. Italian industrial designer Michele Puzzolante has conceptualized his floating masterpiece with exclusive self sustaining capacity in terms of power.  Christened simply as the Solar Floating Resort, the hotel has been envisaged as a fusion of both a cruise ship and an underwater platform. With its capacity of six 'resident' passengers, the craft will travel around the world along various paradisaical coasts. This navigating pleasure will be notched up to yet another level with a special arrangement that would allow

its passengers to experience wild marine life forms. The Solar Floating Resort will have a 20m (66ft) long deck with a myriad of spatial denominations. The comprehensive 110 sq m (1184 sq ft) interior space will include two double and two single bedrooms with bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, lounge area and bridge. Finally, the 'piece the resistance' of the whole structure will consist of an observation pod built into the hull of the craft. This underwater platform can be used for exhilarating views into the

deep mysteries of the unfathomable ocean. The designer has revealed very few technical specifications of the luxury craft. However, there are some structural considerations that relate to the aforementioned energy autonomy of the whole system. For example, the Solar Floating Resort will be constructed from dual layers of fiberglass reinforced balsa wood, 15mm (0.6 inches) in thickness. These layers will have a vacuum zone of 30cm (11.8 inches) width between them for enhanced insulation (which would

lower energy loss). The layers will also be embedded with dye sensitized solar cells both from the inner and outer sections. The two faceted techniques allows for solar energy to be captured from natural sunlight as well as interior artificial lighting. Moreover, the dye sensitized solar cells are generally accepted to be more cost effective and flexible than regular photovoltaic mechanisms. Source: Bisarbeat:

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Rock on top of the mountain

On February 18, the 2nd Red Rocks international festival kicks off in the Russian ski resort of Krasnaya Polyana, where alpine ski racers held a series of training sessions earlier this week. The Voice of Russia’s Tatyana Zavyalova has more on the festival which she says has already got the status of participant in the Cultural Olympics “Sochi-2014”.The unique high mountain resort Krasnaya Polyana is located 70 kilometers from the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi which is due to host the Winter Olympic Games in 2014. Just 70 kilometers separate the subtropical zone of the Black Sea coast from the snow-covered mountain peaks, where preparations for the 2014 Olympics are in full swing. These efforts include the 2012 Alpine Ski World Cup, which will be held between February 18 and February 19. In this regard, the Red Rocks festival is almost certain to contribute to the athletes’ high spirits, analysts say.Tags: Commentary, Sochi, music festival, rock music, Culture, Russia, World, Читать далее, Source: Voice of Russia

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India's first 'Rock Theme Park' in Kerala to woo tourists

Alert Go India: A 1000-feet high  rocky  hill  cluster  at  Chadayamangalam  in

south Kerala, believed to be connected with mythical character 'Jatayu' in epic Ramayana, will woo tourists as the country's first 'Rock Theme Park'. According to local tradition, the rock, 'Jatayupara' in Kollam district, is the place where the mythical bird 'Jatayu' fell after its wings were slain by the ten-headed Ravana by his lethal sword 'Chandrahasam'. As per the epic, Ravana, who ruled Lankapuri (Sri Lanka), chopped off one of the wings of the bird when it tried to block his airship 'Pushpaka Vimanam' in which he was forcibly taking away Rama's consort Sita. The project is a blend of ecological and epic tourism and the state government, through this public-private

partnership venture, is building a high-tech theme park on the rocky terrain with a mammoth statue of 'Jatayu' as its core. A host of facilities such as 4D theatre complex, cable van, ayurveda resorts and massage parlours, ethnic cottages and a mural painting gallery are also taking shape at the spot, located about 50 km from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The whole site is conceived as a resort where holidayers can relax and have a peep into the culture, heritage and tradition of India through films, paintings in a fitting ambience of panoramic settings, said Rajiv Anchal,  noted  film  maker
and sculptor, who is the art-director of the project. "The huge statue of Jatayu, laying on its back with wings spread out with raised head, will be the heart of the park. The statue, 65 feet in height, 200 feet length and 150 feet width, is designed as a functional structure within which a 50-seat 4D theatre complex will be built," Rajiv said. Once completed, the Jatayu sculpture would be the biggest functional sculpture in Asia. It can be termed as the tallest as well, he said. "The 'Rock Theme Park' will strengthen Kerala's position in the global tourism map. It will open a fresh destination for foreign as well as global tourists," Rajiv said. Source: Alert Go India

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