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Brian and team, who work for a digital marketing agency run this Digital Crosstalk blog.
Occasionally we might blog about companies and people we work with but for the most part we'll simply be blogging about stories and events which we find interesting.

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18th
FEB

Machu Picchu to reopen to tourists from April

Posted by Brian | Filed under tourism

: Image by teague03 via Flickr

The ancient Incan ruins of Machu Piccu are set to reopen to tourists on 1st April. The site has been closed to visitors since heavy rain stranded hundreds of tourists in January, creating mud slides that cut off roads and blocked a railway line between the site and the nearby city of Cusco.

Tourist officials in Peru have said that the waterline of the Vilcanota River has dropped enough to allow for repairs to be carried out to the railway line after which the historic site can be reopened.

In January, tourists had to be airlifted from the site after becoming stranded while more than 10,000 people were affected in the region surrounding Machu Piccchu.

Tags: Cusco, Machu Picchu, Peru, Rail transport, South America, tourism, travel, Urubamba River

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22nd
JAN

Rhino tusks seized at Shannon Airport

Posted by Brian | Filed under blogging

: Image via Wikipedia

Customs officers at Shannon Airport got some rich pickings when they discovered ten rhino horns worth an estimated €500m.

The horns were seized when officials at the airport conducted three separate searches, with the items being found in suitcases of individuals who were attempting to smuggle the items through the airport.

The seizures were made under CITES, an international convention which aims to curtail international trade in endangered species. The horns are extremely valuable and prices are currently estimated at $50,000 per kilo. One likely use for the horns would be in traditional Chinese medicine.

Seizures of such size are rare, with the only comparable one in recent times was in South Africa in 2009.

Of the horns seized, six were from white rhinos, which are an endangered species while four were from black rhinos, which are critically endangered reports RTE.

Tags: airport, rhino, shannon airport, smuggling, travel, tusk

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7th
JAN

Kuoni launch gift card

Posted by Brian | Filed under blogging

: Image by markhillary via Flickr

Ever needed to buy a gift, but have been looking for something that is both practical and a little out-of-the-ordinary? Well, this couldt be an answer to that particular quandary.

Luxury travel firm, Kuoni, have announced the launch of a new gift card, according to an article on Brinkwire. The card is designed to allow gifters to contribute towards the cost of a holiday or travel experience, or to pay for flights or room upgrades on any of Kuoni’s holiday itineraries.

Kuoni’s holiday gift cards can be personalised to suit the recipient and prices start from as little as £5. Cards are valid for one year following date of issue and can be ordered direct from Kuoni, via the Kuoni website or through any of the Kuoni travel stores. They can also be used on pre-existing bookings to add extras.

Tags: gift cards, gifts, kuoni, travel

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7th

Turkey expect 2010 tourism boom

Posted by Brian | Filed under tourism

: Image via Wikipedia

As a regular visitor to the tourist resorts of Turkey, especially those on the Aegean Sea, I already know why the country has become a popular tourist location. Yet the Turkish tourism minister has suggested that tourism for the country is only going to get better in 2010.

Ertu?rul Günay, the country’s Culture and Tourism Minister stated that as many as 30 MILLION tourists could visit Turkey in 2010, despite ongoing economic pressures around the globe. The minister stated that the tourism industry in Turkey was attempting to improve the quality of the all-inclusive system in order to attract more tourists to Turkish resorts.

Also, as a country steeped in archaeological heritage, it was important to mix Turkish heritage and culture into the country’s tourism experience.

Turkey attracted almost 26 million tourists in the first 11 months of 2009. Between the January and November period, mostly German, Russian and British tourists chose Turkey as a holiday destination and tourists mainly visited the Mediterranean region.

Turkey has already made giant strides in attracting new tourism, especially with the introduction of winter sports tourism and also the golf complex found at Belek.