CHINA: Most Dangerous Zoo In The World Where Tourists Are Cagged And Animals Visit Them!

The Lehe Ledu Wildlife Zoo in the city of Chongqing in China has turned the traditional concept of a zoo on its head by caging its visitors instead of the resident animals.

People pay to get inside a cage at the back of a truck, which is driven into an open habitat where big cats, as well as bears in other areas, roam ‘free’.

Chunks of fresh meat are tied to the outside of a vehicle, which drives through the enclosure, in a bid to attract the predators and give tourists the closest possible dining experience with them without becoming dinner themselves.

What makes all of this even more unusual is the fact that the caged visitors can hand-feed the wild cats, including lions, Bengal tigers and white tigers, through a small opening at the top of the meh.

This draws the predators and images show the large cats up against and even on top of the cage as tourists push meat on a stick through the small opening at the top.

Critics say this is simply an accident waiting to happen, as the tigers’ claws, for example, get so close to the people inside the cages.

Only in China would such an out-there idea come to fruition. The country has been known for some of its outlandish occurrences like the giant moon that recently rolled through the city of Fuzhou, sharks and crocodiles for sale at Walmart and a variety of comical English translations on t-shirts.

So, it seems to be no surprise that the Lehe Ledu wildlife zoo offers such a strange experience, allowing humans to be caged and observe the animals as they freely roam.

The founders of the zoo say that they wanted to create an experience where visitors could feel the thrill of being stalked by a large animal without taking any actual risks.

They wanted to turn the traditional zoo experience around, and people are taking a huge liking to the idea. In fact, tickets to the park are being booked up months in advance as the demand is so high.

Animals included are White Tigers, Bengal Tigers, and Bears who are lured by live chickens and actual cuts of meats. As many pictures show, the animals will approach the caged vehicle and climb onto the sides to reach the meat, giving spectators a full on view.

Those inside the cage are warned by zoo officials to keep their fingers and toes inside as they could easily be mistaken for food by the animals.

The concept is bringing in local Chinese tourists from all over the country as well as international tourists who want to experience it too.

While the overwhelming majority find the zoo to be a fantastic idea, there are people out there saying that it’s an accident waiting to happen.

However, animal lovers have mostly good things to say as they feel that the zoo gives the animals a much better life than the traditional enclosures of zoos around the world. It also gives visitors an opportunity to understand how animals in captivity may feel.

On the flip side, extreme animal activists still believe that the practice is cruel as the animals have been taken out of their natural environments. These activists also argue that it’s inhumane to bait the animals and then watch them as a form of entertainment.

For now, the zoo still remains one of China’s top up-and-coming attractions since it opened in 2015. People are still flocking there to have a unique experience that they feel is both thrilling and educational.

If you’re thinking about checking out the zoo, there are plenty of other things for you to do while visiting Chongqing. Dig deeper into the industrial services and you will find some quirky attractions to fill in your visit to the zoo.

Venture and explore:

• Zhou Enlai’s Former Residence: Once working alongside Mao Zedong, this member of the Communist Party held residence in Chongqing along the Jialing River. His home has since been preserved and now serves as a museum that is open to the public.

• Foreigner Street: Considered an area for entertainment and amusement, it’s the place to go if you want to find shopping and foreign owned businesses. There is an Australian bar, and upside down house, church and apparently the world’s biggest public restroom.

• The Pedestrian Street: It’s located in the affluent downtown area amongst the skyscrapers and business centers. However, it is a gem full of shops, malls, high-end hotels and shopping centers.

• Three Gorges Museum: A museum showing off the Ba minority culture and life in Chongqing back in the Qing Dynasty.

• Zha Zi Dong: A prison from the 1940s that previously held more than 200 Communist prisoners who were killed at the end of the war in 1949.

• Red Rock Village: The spot where Mao Zedong negotiated with Jiang Jieshi. There is an exhibit center available here for those who wish to learn a little more about the history.

• Ciqikou: A river town that shows off the architecture of a Chongqing from the past. There are old streets and little shops selling tourist souvenirs amongst the functioning homes of locals and pretty views.


Tourism Observer

NEW ZEALAND: Even Cows Were Stuck After Earthquake

Three cows stranded on a small island of land after New Zealand's powerful earthquake have been rescued, local media reported.

The cows' plight went viral after video shot from a helicopter showed them huddled on an elevated patch of grass near Kaikoura, about 150 kilometres northeast of Christchurch.

The ground around them had apparently shifted or collapsed during the magnitude 7.8 tremor.

The farmer, said the cows were part of a group of 14 he rescued, worked with a team to dig a path for the cattle to escape after determining the land was safe.

"They desperately needed water and I think one or two had lost calves in the earthquake, so they were a bit distressed."

Kaikoura was completely cut off by massive landslips following the tremor, which struck just after midnight on Sunday, destroying homesteads and cutting road and rail links throughout the northeast of the South Island.

"We did lose stock. The whole hillside fell during the earthquake and we had a lot of stock on there — we don't know what we've got," the farmer said.

NEW ZEALAND: Army And Emergency Services Evacuate Tourists From Kaikoura

New Zealand emergency services and defence personnel have begun evacuating hundreds of tourists and residents from the South Island town of Kaikoura, a day after a powerful earthquake hit the region, killing two people.

The magnitude-7.8 tremor, which struck just after midnight on Sunday, destroyed historic farm homesteads, sent glass and masonry toppling from high rises in the capital Wellington and cut road and rail links throughout the north-east of the South Island.

Kaikoura, a popular base for whale-watching about 150 kilometres north-east of Christchurch and near the epicentre, was completely cut off by massive landslips.

Four defence force helicopters flew into the town and the Navy's multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury was heading to the area, Air Commander Darryn Webb, the acting commander of New Zealand joint forces, said.

"The priority today is the airlift operation," he said.

"We're looking to do as many flights as we can out of Kaikoura today around about four flights, to move approximately 200 of those tourists and residents south."

Around 1,200 tourists were stranded in the town, officials said.

Gale-force winds and rain were hampering recovery efforts, and hundreds of aftershocks continued to rock the region.

Prime Minister John Key flew over Kaikoura on Monday and described the landslips in the mountainous area as "just horrendous". The repair bill was likely to run into billions of dollars, Mr Key said.

Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee said restoring water supplies and getting food into Kaikoura were the main priorities, while clearing road access would take some time.

"The road north is going to be quite a challenge for quite some time," he said.

New Zealand rugby great Richie McCaw has reportedly also been helping rescue efforts by flying emergency service personnel to Kaikoura.

"From there, we took the Fire Service just north and south of Kaikoura to check out all the slips and make sure everyone was accounted for," said.

Hundreds of homes remained without power and telecommunications, with huge cracks in roads, land slips and other damage to infrastructure making it hard to reach the worst-affected areas.

Workers returned to office buildings in Wellington's business district, which was closed off on Monday while the city council assessed the risk to buildings, several of which were damaged by the tremor. Many businesses told staff to work from home.

New Zealand's GeoNet measured Monday's main quake at magnitude-7.5, while the US Geological Survey put it at 7.8.

New Zealand lies in the seismically active "Ring of Fire", a 40,000-kilometre arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches that encircles much of the Pacific Ocean. Around 90 per cent of the world's earthquakes occur in this region.

NEW ZEALAND: Ritz-Carlton Considering Entering New Zealand.

Ritz-Carlton is considering going to New Zealand.

Ritz-Carlton is one of the world's biggest hotel names long tipped for Auckland, along with Hyatt, which last year announced it would return to New Zealand in a new building along Auckland's waterfront.

As for Ritz-Carlton, "we continuously look for opportunities to expand The Ritz-Carlton presence in New Zealand," a Singaporean spokeswoman Michele Lv said.

The Ritz-Carlton has been rumoured to be lined up for a proposed skyscraper planned by Chinese businessman Furu Ding's company, NDG on a central car park site bounded by Elliott St.

The project has initial resource consent but is rumoured to have been delayed.

Dean Humphries, Collier's hotel specialist, said many hotel brands had been keeping an eye on New Zealand for years, including Ritz-Carlton, and some were now moving in.

Accor, Marriott-Starwood and Hilton were all in expansion mode, with Hilton's DoubleTree brand taking over Christchurch's Chateau on the Park recently and IHG announcing a new Holiday Inn in Queenstown and an "express" hotel in Christchurch.

Also looking on were the Asian hotel brands such as Shangri-La, which was not yet here. Singaporean chain Naumi Hospitality was opening its first hotel at Auckland Airport

These big names brought their loyalty programmes with them and a level of luxury which was stirring up existing players and prompting a wave of refurbishments, Humphries said.

"At the end of the day they do normally attract a different clientele than say a mid-market hotel, but of course it does mean that all the five star hotels are going to have to lift their game."

New Zealand is suddenly on the radar of international retailers and hotel operators because of the high tourism numbers which are lifting hotel room revenues and spending.

Arrivals from China have quadrupled in the last decade, and Chinese tourists spend more than other nationalities on products to take home.

NEW ZEALAND: Passport Scanning Machines Frustrate Kiwi Travellers

Travellers say eGate or SmartGate problems with Kiwi passports are especially common at Australian airports, including Melbourne.

Dozens more people have reported scanning snags with New Zealand passports at local and overseas airports.

Airport staff here and in Australia have told irritated Kiwi travellers that issues with SmartGate machines not reading New Zealand passports are common.

Douglas Senior, 26, got his passport in October 2014. It failed to scan in New Zealand and he said SmartGate didn't work for him in Australia either.

"The Customs guy in Australia told me he had been having a lot of issues with New Zealand passports."

Senior said he flew frequently, but had problems only when using SmartGate systems.

Christine Hayvice had her passport issued in January. In Sydney, she tried at least six times to get her passport scanned.

"There was a long wait each time ... inserting the document until it rejected, making me a darned nuisance for the crowd lined up behind me."

Marlene Duncan was issued a 10-year passport in December. She said two different machines in Christchurch didn't scan it, and the system failed again in Brisbane.

Duncan told a "nasty" staffer in Brisbane that she was following instructions, but the passport still could not be read.

The Brisbane staffer then suggested such problems with Aussie scanners and Kiwi passports were common.

Another reader, Jennifer, with a passport from June 2013, said she was treated like a "criminal" because the passport reading systems in Melbourne kept failing.

"I have had my passport for four years now and have been to Melbourne three times on it. I can leave New Zealand fine, but have issues arriving and leaving Melbourne airport. Every time without fail Melbourne will not accept my photo."

Australian airport staff sometimes took her away for questioning because of the glitch.

"I have never had a criminal record but, when entering Australia, I feel like I have."

Another Kiwi traveller contacted Stuff to say a Wellington SmartGate rejected his passport three months ago because his photo was too light.

"Excuse me? You issued it to me," was his response.

The Department of Internal Affairs, which issues passports, has said there are no problems with the travel documents.

Customs, responsible for scanning machines at New Zealand airports, insisted there were no issues with scanners at manual booths or SmartGate.

A spokeswoman said Customs previously identified an issue with scanners not reading an unspecified "security feature" of the new passports. She said that issue had been resolved.

"If a person fails to go through SmartGate, it's usually because of user error, or not following instructions, such as a passport being inserted into the scanner incorrectly, or the person wearing glasses or having hair across their face."

Australian authorities were in charge of the SmartGate scanners in Australia, Customs said.

Australia's Department of Immigration and Border Protection has been approached for comment.

In New Zealand, children must be 12 or older to use SmartGate.

NEW ZEALAND: Benefits From Tourism Boom

Figures out today show the positive impact tourism continues to have on regional economic growth.

The Regional Tourism Estimates for year ending March 2015 have been released today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

“Tourism continues to go from strength to strength, and these latest figures show that it isn't just the major tourist destinations that are benefiting,” says associate tourism minister Paula Bennett.

“Leading Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) were in Whanganui, Bay of Plenty and Christchurch, which saw domestic expenditure increase by more than 12 per cent over the previous year.

“Key regional economic growth areas like Northland and the Manawatu also posted impressive results, with expenditure increasing by $38 million and $57 million respectively.

“International expenditure was up by over 24 per cent in South Canterbury, Rotorua, and Queenstown RTOs, showing those markets continue to hold particular appeal for overseas visitors.”

Paula says 2015 has been a big year for tourism, with New Zealand welcoming its three millionth visitor for the first time, and total tourism expenditure increasing by 10 per cent on 2014 to nearly $30 billion.

Tourism now represents 17.4 per cent of total exports, up from 15 per cent, and is the country's second largest export.

Tourism is worth $10.6 billion, or nearly five per cent of the country's GDP, and one in every eight jobs is now directly or indirectly related to tourism.

The growth in tourism, along with success in other exports industries such as international education, ICT, wool and wine, is contributing to New Zealand's increasingly diverse and growing economy.

CHINA: China Southern Flies To Rome And From Christchurch,Guangzhou

The airline company China Southern Airlines opened its 2015-2016 bookings for its new route from Guangzhou to Rome Fiumicino and via Wuhan, as well as to Christchurch.

China Southern opens next December 16 its new route to Rome. Operated by Airbus A330-200, flight CZ645 from three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 21:30 Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, to arrive at 11:25 p.m. Wuhan, twelfth city in China, the capital of Hubei province, from where he returned the next day at 0:45 to arrive at 5:35 (1) to Rome Fiumicino. The return flights depart every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 11:35 Rome, arrival at 6:25 the next day in Wuhan, where they leave at 7:55 ET arrival at 9:45. China Southern Airlines will have no direct competition on this route.

The other route open from Guangzhou to Christchurch in New Zealand, has already been made ​​by the past by Chinese SkyTeam member airline, but selective dates as for the first year of Chinese. This line is now part of the winter program in 2015 / 2016. As of December 16, 2015, it will operate an Airbus A330-200 times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, departing at 0:50 and arrive in Guangzhou Christchurch at 17.10. The return flight off again at 22:30 for arrival at 5:30 am the next day. She faces no direct competition on this route.

NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand Hotel Council

New Zealand Hotel Council is an Incorporated Society whose members include the international chain, independent, privately-owned and boutique hotels throughout the country.

The Council is actively engaged in activities that provide tangible benefit and leadership to its members.

The New Zealand Hotel Council:
• Represents the interests of New Zealand’s international chain, large independent and privately owned hotels around the country.
• Has over 120 members, largely in eight tourism centres (Auckland, Rotorua, Central Park, Wellington, Blenheim/Marlborough, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown), account for around 80% of total hotel capacity and close to 100% of ‘large hotel’ inventory.
• Collectively, NZHC members operate over 17,100 hotel rooms, control assets with a capital value in excess of NZ$3.3 billion, generate annual revenue of over NZ$825 million, and employ in excess of 9500 full and part time staff.


Contact Details

Contact
Rachael Shadbolt

Phone
+64 4 495 0814

Mobile
+64 21 679 664

Address
Travel and Tourism House
79 Boulcott St
Wellington
New Zealand
PO Box 1697

Email
exec@nzhc.org.nz

Website
www.nzhc.org.nz