British Airways – Travel Industry News

A luxury hotel in New York has introduced a new service aimed at helping travellers free-up luggage space.

The Fragrance Butler – on staff at the Carlyle hotel – is inviting guests to leave cumbersome perfume bottles at home, instead sampling some of the luxury fragrances on offer from the hotel.

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Holidaymakers in Shanghai are travelling to the city to tour its art deco buildings. American art deco specialist Spencer Dodington – established in Shanghai as the go-to expert – has started running small tours for visitors wanting to learn more about the history of art deco in the city.
“These lovely buildings got me hooked on the uniqueness of Shanghai 1930s architecture,” said Dodington.
“It’s really different and interesting compared to Texas, where I’m from, but it’s also different from other cities with their own art deco, like Miami and New York.”
While Miami and New York both have a reputation for art deco, according to Dodington, Shanghai didn’t suffer from the great depression in the 1930s, which stopped many art deco buildings in New York under construction from being completed. “Shanghai was experiencing a huge boom [in the early 20th century] – commercially, economically, and population-wise – so the western parts of the city, like the old international settlement and the former French Concession are full of 1930s art deco that’s unmatched anywhere,” Dodington said. According to Dodington, art deco in Shanghai is so unique because of its fusion of Chinese design elements with classic art deco styles. Feng Shui – a popular decorating style in Shanghai – works well with art deco, Dodington says, because of its emphasis on simplicity and symmetry.
“One of the great things about the art deco here is that there was no World War II damage,” he adds.
“If the Japanese had won their war, they were going to make Shanghai the capital of their empire. They didn’t want to destroy the city; they wanted it when the war was finished.”

http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/life/shanghai-best-art-deco-city-east-444299?hpt=itr_t1

Treasure hunters outside Stockholm have made an unusual discovery in the waters between Sweden and Finland.

Deep-sea salvage company Ocean Explorer have discovered a unique shipwreck more than 80 metres below the water’s surface using sonar technology.

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A new programme offered by a hotel in Edinburgh is giving visitors an opportunity to trace their roots with the help of a specialty concierge.

Andy Fraser – known at the iconic Balmoral Hotel as the ‘Tartan Butler’ – has launched a new service, giving guests one-on-one guidance to help trace their Scottish heritage.

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A new photography exhibition in Washington, DC is attracting visitors who have come to see one of the most iconic photographers in the world step out of her comfort zone.

‘Pilgrimage’, a collection of new works by Annie Leibovitz on at the Smithsonian American Art Museum is a world away from her popular celebrity portraits, and in many ways, sees the photographer returning back to basics.

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A colourful new exhibition in London is attracting art lovers who have come to see familiar Yorkshire landscapes in a new light.

David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture has opened at London’s Royal Academy of Arts, drawing audiences of all ages who admire Hockney’s use of bright, bold colours.

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An Orlando theme park is set to open a new attraction based on the popular children’s film, Despicable Me.

The new ride – called ‘Despicable Me Minion Mayhem – is a 3D adventure ride, built around the characters from the 2010 film.

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The Perth Zoo is celebrating the birthday of one of its most beloved animals.
Tricia – the Asian Elephant – is celebrating her 55th birthday, and to make the occasion, the zoo has presented her with a 1.5m high fruit and bran cake, aptly garnished with branches.
Environment Minister John Day said that as the matriarch of the zoo’s elephant herd, Tricia deserved a special celebration to mark this huge milestone.
“Tricia is only a year younger than me so I can understand how she might be feeling at the moment,” Day said.
“But it is a great age and she’s still a favourite with the many visitors to the zoo each day.”
Though less energetic than she was when she first arrived, Tricia is one of the most popular animals at the zoo, and also its longest resident. Arriving from Singapore in 1963, Tricia has called Perth home for nearly 50 years.
Also in Tricia’s herd are two other elephants – 22 year old Permai and 22 year old Putra Mas. Though Tricia is senior to the others in the herd, she still manages to keep in good form and in good health.
“Tricia stays active through painting and daily walks around the zoo, which are part of an extensive enrichment program for the elephants to provide them with physical and mental stimulation,” Day said.
“In terms of ageing, Tricia sometimes pretends she can’t remember when the keepers ask her to do something. She also has less hair than the younger elephants.”
The average lifespan is between 50 and 70 years, however, zoo keepers are hoping that by keeping Tricia active she will live well into her 70s.
To do this, zoo keepers make sure Tricia is exercising, eating well and keeping her mind active – similar to a wellness regime a human might follow.

http://www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au/zoo-favourite-still-going-strong-in-twilight-years-7397/