Connect with FacebookTravel News Round Up: Tripadvisor UK Ruling, Airbus A380 Wing Cracks, Egypt Riots, and More
From Tripadvisor getting an unfavorable ruling to the Manneken-Pis finally emptying his seemingly eternal bladder, it's been an interesting week in travel news. Here's a look at a few of the stories making headlines across the globe this week.
Tripadvisor Banned from Claiming Reviews are Real in the UK
After a four month investigation, the Advertising Standards Authority has found it is possible for "non-genuine content" to appear on Tripadvisor and therefore, the site must no longer claim that all of its reviews are honest, or even from real people. According to The Telegraph, the ruling applies only to Tripadvisor UK site, but it is obviously a problem not likely limited to the UK site only. Another reason to get your reviews on TravBuddy and help make it one of the most reliable and trusted resources for travelers!
2011 National NATJA Awards Winners
This week, the winners of the 2011 National North American Travel Journalists Association were announced. Congrats to all the winners -- several of whom I've been fortunate to meet in person or network with over the past few years.
Some of the winners include National Geographic (Grand Prize for Publication), Gary Arndt (Gold for his travel podcast, This Week in Travel, and a silver for his Everything Everywhere blog), Jennifer Miner (bronze for her awesome The Vacation Gals site), and Lola Akinmade Akerstrom (gold for her "Revamping Classic Irish Tea at Dublin's Merrion Hotel" on Matador Network). To see the entire list of winners and publications, visit the NATJA website.
The Manneken-Pis has Stopped Peeing
Thanks to the bitter winter temperatures plaguing much of Europe right now, officials had to turn off the flow of water to the beloved Manneken-Pis statue, concerned that the freezing temperatures might damage his internal mechanism. Oh the irony!
The temps in Brussels have been in the teens, far below the February average. The bitter cold is expected to last through February 9th at least. If it begins to warm up, the Manneken-Pis will return to his normal steady stream!
Violence in Egypt after Soccer Match Riot
Sadly, Egypt is in the news for violence after rowdy fans at a soccer match were attacked and 74 people left dead. The match was held in Port Said and hooligans from the local team there attacked rival fans from Cairo with knives, clubs, and even chairs. Fans said the police did little to protect them and some believe the riot was initiated by security forces and those loyal to former President Mubarak as unrest allows the military to tighten its hold on the country.
The pictures on the Los Angeles Times Blog today are sad, as protestors marched across the bridge just down the street from the hotel where I stayed and into Tahrir Square on Thursday. The country is expected to elect a President in June when military has promised to step aside.
Singapore Airlines Finds Cracks in Wings of Six A380s
The Airbus A380s have been getting a lot of press over the past year, but sadly, some of it has been less than positive. Last week, news of a pattern of wing cracks began circulating and the plane maker and airlines are quick to assure the public that the planes are safe to fly.
It doesn't come as much of a surprise to read in the Sydney Morning Herald that Singapore Airlines has found examples of wing cracks in all six of their A380s now. These were discovered during a mandatory check ordered by the European Aviation Safety Agency after the news of the cracks made headlines.
During a press conference in Frankfurt, Singapore Airlines PR Manager announced four of the planes have been repaired and are flying again, while the other two will be repaired in the coming days.
What interesting or helpful travel news have you stumbled upon this week? Please share in the comments below.
