Sleeping in the deep
Want to sleep like a mermaid? Travellers fond of the blue may be able to sleep among the ocean's depths surrounded by coral reefs, in two luxury underwater hotels planned for Dubai and Maldives.
The Water Discus Underwater Hotels, developed by Deep Ocean Technology, a company based in Poland, are designed to be sustainable and will have a futuristic spaceship look. The proposed property in the Maldives may feature a dive centre, bar and 21 guest rooms in the section submerged beneath the sea’s surface; a restaurant, spa and recreation area will be above it. There's no word as to an expected opening time, or even when construction will commence, but the company did report that it is to begin the design stage immediately.
Paris to show its friendly side
Parisians plan to make “peace” with the tourists in order to make their city friendlier to visitors. Since June, says the Regional Tourism Committee of Paris Ile-de-France, more than about 35,000 copies of “Do you speak Touriste?” have been distributed to taxi drivers, waiters, merchants and hotel and museum staff members in and around Paris. The guide includes key words and phrases in 11 languages, and information about favourite sights, spending patterns, dining habits and other cultural insights into people from different countries. Parisians have earned a negative reputation for acting too arrogant and even rude to the visitors.
India goes biometric
The Indian Embassy in Bangkok will start using biometrics for visa applicants from October. India’s ambassador, Anil Wadhwa, recently inaugurated a new visa and passport application centre that will be managed by India-based company IVS Global Services. The biometrics will be done by the embassy in collaboration with the IVS. The Indian embassy issued more than 88,000 visas in 2012, a steep increase over previous years. Around 150 flights operate between India and Thailand every week.
The old and the new
The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC) in Luang Prabang, Laos has launched an online museum shop to reach lovers of crafts all over the world as well as generate income for more than 600 Laotian artisans whose works vary from tribal wood masks to fine cotton and silk. Besides a shopping experience, purchasing Laotian handicrafts from TAEC will help preserve valuable and endangered skills among rural ethnic communities. Check out http://shop.taeclaos.org/products or visit “taeclaos” at Facebook.
Service with a tablet
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has begun issuing iPads to around 5,000 pilots, seniors pursers and pursers to support our flight personnel’s activities on board. A pilot project launched in late 2011 revealed that this new technology further improves customer service. The iPad enables staff to offer passengers even more personal service and can, for instance, be used to update them more quickly on last-minute operational changes.
GoAir flies lighter
Indian low-cost carrier GoAir, plans to hire only light-weight female flight attendants in a bid to save fuel costs. The move will lighten its fleet and improve fuel efficiency. It is also planning to reduce the size of its in-flight magazine and the amount of water stored in its water tanks. Flying only light-weight female attendants, says the airline, could save 30 million rupees ($650,000) per year, because women are 15kg to 20kg lighter on average than their male counterparts. GoAir is not the first carrier concerned about the weight issue. In 2010, Turkish Airlines gave 28 cabin crew six months to lose weight or be sacked, and Thai Airways flight attendants were told to lose weight in 2011.
