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Visitors to England’s capital city of London will be able to check their email, upload photos, and surf the web while using the tube network, as Transport for London has just announced that it will be installing Wi-Fi in 120 stations.

The new development is scheduled to be completed before the 2012 Olympic Games in July, and the announcement of the chosen internet service provider will be made in the early spring. The arrangement will be for a five year period initially, and it could possibly be extended.

The city of London will also be installing Wi-Fi access hotspots throughout the city such as on benches, lampposts, and in other public places.

Internet Suspected of Being Security Risk

When the project is completed, it will be one of the largest wireless internet networks in Europe.

Security experts are concerned about the plan to implement internet access on the London Underground. They believe that there are risks with including this service and that a terrorist could use the Wi-Fi to plan attacks within the tube system in real time. They also fear that the wireless internet could be misused by fraudsters to trick people.

Internet Access on the Go

This internet access program has been in the works for quite some time now. A test run has been conducted at the Charing Cross Station since late 2010. Although the Wi-Fi service will be running in time for the Olympics, plans for an actual mobile network on the Tube seem very far away.

The wireless internet service will be available within the stations as well as on the platforms. However, the wireless will not work within the carriages between stations. If the wireless internet project is successful, Transport for London might also install access on the surface such as in bus shelters.

According to TfL, the internet service will likely bring passengers to a London Underground web portal which will be free of charge to access and will include up-to-date travel information for the city. It will also feature entertainment, sports and other news. However, it says that passengers might have to pay for links to external sites and other data, such as via a subscription fee.

Wi-Fi Helps Promote Olympic Games

Passengers can connect to wireless internet on a wide variety of devices, from smart phones to iPods to net books. Many travellers use public Wi-Fi while they are moving around the city to look up maps and travel information, upload photos of their journey, or send emails to make reservations or bookings. During the Olympic Games, the tube stations will be incredibly crowded with the high number of visitors to London. Passengers will be waiting in queues and standing on platforms for longer, and so having internet access while they wait will give them something to do and prevent complaints. It will also give them a chance to post status updates about the games, which is a great way for the event to spread publicity through word of mouth and social media websites.

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Abu Dhabi Breaks All Previous Tourism Records

by Mark.Ash on January 23, 2012

Over the last year, hotels in Abu Dhabi have reported a record number of guests as the United Arab Emirates capital city continue to grow as a world-class tourist destination. Abu Dhabi is the largest city of the United Arab Emirates, and it one of the most modern cities in the world.

The target for visitors for 2011 was two million guests, and the actually visitors numbers exceeded this goal by over 100,000 guests or 6.5 percent. It was the most successful year in history for the Abu Dhabi tourism industry, with approximately 2,110,000 guest arrivals to the city. Hotel occupancy rates are up seven percent from the previous year, and the hotels have increased their revenue by $1.2 billion. The record numbers were partly due to large international events being held in the city of Abu Dhabi.

Who is Visiting Abu Dhabi?

Studies were done to determine the demographic of tourists who are attracted to the city of Abu Dhabi. Domestic tourism from the UAE made up 39 percent of the total arrivals in 2011, while tourists from Europe made up 18 percent. Tourists from Asia also came to visit Abu Dhabi, and they consisted of 14 percent of the total visitor tally.

The UK is also a huge source of international tourism for Abu Dhabi, and 15,246 British travellers visited the city in November alone. Germany is poised to become a significant factor in the Abu Dhabi tourism industry as well, since Etihad Airlines is launching four weekly services from Dusseldorf to Abu Dhabi.

Exciting Race Brought Visitors

One of the factors that helped to encourage tourism to the UAE capital over the past year was the third Abu Dhabi F1 race and all of the subsequent events which were held in the city. There was also another influx of visitors in December thanks to an end-of-the-year Volvo Ocean Race. Many people decided to take their Christmas breaks in the emirate and enjoy their New Year’s celebrations there as well.

2012 Looks Promising

There is an exciting calendar of events lined up for Abu Dhabi this year, from the Gourmet Abu Dhabi food festival, the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, and the HSBC Golf Championship. In February, the city will be hosting the World Ophthalmology Congress which will be the largest convention ever to be held in the UAE capital. All of these events, combined with new tourism marketing campaigns, will work to increase the tourism to this city even more in the future.

After a record year of visitors, Abu Dhabi is poised for a very successful 2012. The city has been named by the Golf Tour Operators International Association as the “Golf Destination of the Year for Middle East and Africa”. Tourism officials are confident that Abu Dhabi will meet tourism targets for 2012, and possibly even exceed the predicted totals. Their original goal was 2.3 million for the year of 2012, but they are now adjusting this goal in anticipation for this year to exceed expectations as well.

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President Obama Promotes Tourism in America

January 20, 2012

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, has made an official announcement from Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida stating that the USA is open for business and that he hopes to make it one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world. Obama outlined several initiatives that will increase the number of foreign [...]

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Capsized Italian Cruise Ship Search on Hold as Hull Shifts

January 18, 2012

Rescue divers have suspended their search for missing people on the capsized cruise liner Costa Concordia today, as the large ship’s hull shifted from its position on the rocks near the Tuscan coast. The luxury ocean liner was carrying approximately 4,200 people on a seven-day Mediterranean cruise from Rome when it ran aground on a [...]

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Enormous Cruise Ship Sinks off the Coast of Italy

January 16, 2012

Thousands of holiday goers were enjoying a peaceful cruise along the Tuscan coast of Italy this weekend, when their dream holiday quickly turned into a nightmare. Tourists from Britain, France and Germany fled for their lives from the enormous 1,500 cabin cruise ship Costa Concordia as the vessel ran aground on a reef. The ship [...]

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Penguins are Newest Attraction at Ski Resort in the Desert

January 13, 2012

Just when the tourist attractions of Dubai seemed like they could not get more surreal, the enormous indoor skiing resort has announced that it will be bringing penguins to live in its snowy atmosphere. The penguins will make their home at Ski Dubai, and will waddle through the resort on daily parades for the entertainment [...]

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Avenue of the Sphinxes Reopened to Visitors in Egypt

January 11, 2012

In 2004, excavation began on an ancient processional road which was discovered near Luxor in Egypt. The road was constructed under the reign of the pharaoh Amenhotep III and dates back to 400 BCE. All along the ancient road are statues of sphinxes, over one thousand in total. Throughout the millennia the road became covered [...]

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Mexico is Still Popular Destination despite Recent Murders

January 9, 2012

Although two Canadian visitors were killed this week, Mexico still continues to be a popular holiday destinations for those seeking sun and relaxation. The Mexican government expects 2012 to be a record year for tourism due to interest in ancient Mayan ruins, with 52 million visitors anticipated. Mexico has been attempting to improve its international [...]

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Rugby World Cup Failed to Bring Expected Tourism Boost to New Zealand

January 6, 2012

When the Rugby World Cup was held throughout September and October of 2011 in New Zealand, officials in the tourism industry expected that the event would bring a significant surge in tourists to the country. However, a recent survey has revealed that more than half of all tourism operators in the Land of the Long [...]

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Musee du Louvre is World’s Most Visited Museum

January 5, 2012

With a record 8.8 million visitors over the last year, the famous Musee du Louvre in Paris has been the most visited museum in the entire world. The well-known art museum, which is home to Leonardo da Vinci’s classic masterpiece “Mona Lisa” has seen a five percent increase in its visitors throughout 2011. The Louvre [...]

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