QATAR: Qatar Airways Offering Free Luxury Hotel, Visa To Passengers Stopping Over In Doha

Qatar Airways has launched a unique stopover package in partnership with Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) to promote and market Qatar as a destination of choice for international travellers, offering transit passengers the opportunity to discover Doha with free luxury hotel stays and complimentary transit visas.

The unique offer is part of a broader campaign called +Qatar which looks to encourage all transit passengers to consider adding Qatar to their itinerary.

This unique offer from QTA and Qatar Airways allows passengers travelling through Doha to experience a taste of the Middle East for free.

Throughout the summer, the national carrier, with the support of QTA, will give passengers the chance to turn a layover into a stayover by offering four and five star hotel accommodation at no charge to those transiting through Doha.

The promotion invites all Qatar Airways passengers to add Doha to their vacation by taking advantage of a free one-night hotel stay from a selection of the country’s best four- and five-star hotels in Doha.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is more than just a national flag-carrier for Qatar; we are proudly patriotic and want to share Qatar’s many exciting attractions with our passengers from around the world. This exclusive initiative provides the opportunity to add an extra element to our passengers’ existing travel plans with a complimentary hotel stay in some of Doha’s finest hotels.

We want to ensure that our passengers have a memorable experience every time they travel with Qatar Airways, and now, we’re going even further to make sure that we exceed their expectations.”

Chief Tourism Development Officer, Qatar Tourism Authority, Hassan Al Ibrahim, said: “It was a great source of pride for all of us in Qatar when we launched the transit visa last November. We have already seen a surge in stopover passengers, with a 53 per cent increase recorded in March 2017, compared to the same month last year.

With the launch of +Qatar today, we aim to convert a larger portion of the 30 million passengers passing through Hamad International Airport into stopover visitors. We are delighted to make Qatar more accessible to people from around the world and invite them to discover our country, our cultural heritage and our natural treasures.”

Passengers transiting through Doha can extend their stay to make the most of their journey taking in the sights of Doha with a completely free night courtesy of Qatar Airways and QTA or stay a little longer with a second night’s stay for a modest $50 booking fee.

Passengers can choose from hotels such as The Four Seasons, Marriott Marquis, Radisson Blu and Oryx Rotana.

The free hotel accommodation, available throughout the summer, will offer passengers the opportunity to explore Doha and experience city tours, desert safari adventures or a dinner cruise aboard a traditional dhow, giving visitors a taste of authentic Arabian hospitality, courtesy of Discover Qatar.

To be eligible for this offer, passengers simply book their flight on www.qatarairways.com, select ‘multi-city’ and choose their hotel once they receive their flight confirmation. The online transit visa application is also free and is eligible for those in transit between five and 96 hours.

This ground-breaking offer is available for all Qatar Airways passengers, both Premium and Economy, demonstrating the airline’s commitment to its brand ethos of ‘Going Places Together’.

To maximise their time in Qatar, visitors can explore additional stopover packages offered by Discover Qatar.

This unique offer with QTA has been launched by Qatar Airways' newly created destination management company, Discover Qatar, and is just one of many new initiatives that will be launched over the coming months to generate awareness of, and visits to, Qatar.

It was designed to kick off the newly launched campaign ‘+Qatar’ from Qatar Tourism Authority and is aimed at supporting the growing demand for tourism in Qatar.

This exciting and innovative announcement comes as the airline celebrates its 20th year of operations, marking two decades of growth, industry leadership and innovation.

This year, Hamad International Airport (HIA) was also ranked the Sixth Best Airport in the World by the 2017 Skytrax World Airport Awards, as well as having been named Best Airport in the Middle East for the third consecutive year, and recognised as having the Best Staff Service in the Middle East for the second year in a row.

Known for introducing industry firsts, Qatar Airways is one of the fastest-growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. Qatar Airways has a modern fleet of 197 aircraft flying to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across six continents. Exciting new destinations being launched in 2017 include Nice, Chang Mai, Dublin and Skopje.

Qatar Airways invites passengers to start planning their next trip with amazing discounts on flights across all cabin classes. With the airline’s Global Sales Campaign, which starts on April 26 and lasts through May 3, families, friends and couples can book flights to any destination across the airline’s network of more than 150 destinations across the globe, with validity to travel until June 21, 2017.

Travellers can now avail offer of up to 40% off on all-inclusive fares. To take advantage of this offer, travellers should visit their travel agent, any Qatar Airways sales office or qatarairways.com/travelnow.

Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer Ehab Amin said: “We are delighted to be able to offer our passengers such a wide variety of choice in choosing a destination. With this new promotion, passengers can easily choose where to go next with amazing offers across all of our cabin classes. Travellers are truly spoilt for choice with Qatar Airways’ extended network of more than 150 destinations.”

Recently the airline revealed its latest premium class product “Qsuite,” a fully transformable suite of seats that allows parties of two, three or four to create their own unique space within the Business Class cabin.

This game-changing patented design is set to transform the face of aviation and Business Class travel by bringing a First Class product to the Business Class cabin. Qsuite also features the first ever double bed in Business Class, another ground-breaking innovation brought to passengers by Qatar Airways.

The airline was named the World’s Best Business Class by Skytrax in 2016, and its home hub, Hamad International Airport, was also recently given five stars at the Skytrax World Airport Awards, as well as being named the World’s Sixth Best Airport.

Qatar Airways is one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, with a network of more than 150 destinations. The airline will add a number of exciting new destinations to its growing network in 2017, including Chiang Mai, Yanbu, Dublin, Nice, Skopje and many more, flying passengers on board its modern fleet of 195 aircraft.

Qatar Airways Lands In Auckland In World’s Longest Flight

Qatar Airways has launched a record-breaking service to Auckland, New Zealand, making it the operator of the world’s longest commercial flight.

The flight, which takes 17 hours and 30 minutes to cover a distance of 14,535 kilometres nonstop from Doha, touched down in Auckland.

“Arriving in Auckland on Waitangi Day, and achieving the title of world’s longest flight for the return record-breaking service, makes this an even more momentous occasion for Qatar Airways and provides another accomplishment to celebrate in this our 20th year flying the flag internationally for Qatar,” says Al Baker.

“The launch of our new service to Auckland is an important milestone for Qatar Airways as we expand both in the region and globally across our network providing more options and better connections to exciting business and leisure destinations in Europe and the Middle East.” says Al Baker.
Auckland is the first city in New Zealand to be served by Qatar Airways and will provide a gateway for travellers to visit the country, famous for its spectacular coastlines and lush forest landscapes.

It is also the first new destination launch of the year for the airline that added 14 new destinations in 2016 and plans to launch more in 2017/18 including: Yanbu and Tabuk, Saudi Arabia; Dublin, The Republic of Ireland; Nice, France; Skopje, Macedonia; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina; Libreville, Gabon; Douala, Cameroon; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; Canberra, Australia; Medan, Indonesia; and Las Vegas, U.S.

The new daily flight to Auckland is served by a Boeing 777, which has a two-class configuration with 42 seats in Business Class and 217 seats in Economy Class.

It will also offer 116 tonnes of belly-hold capacity every week to support the growing imports of raw, industrial and consumer materials into New Zealand.

FRANCE: Tourists Be Aware Of Scams in France

For over twenty years, France has been the #1 most visited country in the world!

In this gem of a country, we have the most romantic city in the world, Atlantic beaches, modern winter resorts on the French Alps and medieval castles of Normandy and the likes. Coupled with world class gastronomy, fashion and culture, it is little wonder why France is one of the most loved countries in the world.

However, such unrivalled numbers of tourists have since engendered numerous opportunities for shrewd scammers to thrive. Check out this list of 17 travel scams to protect yourself and have the best holiday you deserve in this marvel of a country.

Gold Ring Trick - A very old and common trick in and around France, especially Paris.

A gypsy will coincidentally find a gold ring on the floor, point at the “18k” hallmark on the ring and offer it to you. Trust me, there ARE people who take it. It can be very convincing. It goes something like this:

Scammer: “Sir, did you drop this ring?”
You: “No, I did not”
Scammer: “Well, you can give it to your wife, why not? It will make her happy. They might also insist that their religion (or some cock and bull reason) prevents them from keeping the ring.

If you accept, the gypsy will demand your money in return. He will simply say:

Scammer: “Sir, I am hungry, could you give me some money/change for a croissant?”

When you give, they will ask for more. Most people tend to give as they have accepted/taken something from the scammer. Reciprocity is a very powerful thing.

Sometimes, the scammer might walk away and reappear 5 minutes later to demand your money. Whatever it is, they will stop at nothing to get money from you.

The most scheming ones will have an accomplice pickpocket you while you are protesting. So don’t even engage them. If it is not yours, don’t’ take it. Keep a lookout for suspicious people and gold stuff on the ground! It is mere useless polished brass.

Louvre Pickpockets - I know, we are all here to see Mona Lisa and that’s the area where pickpockets operate. There are usually huge masses of people at the cordoned off area trying to snap pictures of the painting. It is squeezy and most people are unaware of their surroundings, the perfect scenario for pickpockets.

Reports have found that in one day in July alone, 56 stolen wallets were found in the museum! And the thing was that these were just the discovered ones, imagine how many more went undiscovered..

Do be careful outside the Louvre as well! Queues are snakingly long and this presents a great opportunity for pickpockets too.

Stay alert and secure your valuables in hidden or hard to reach areas.

String/Bracelet Scam - Very common in France (especially the sacre Coeur/Montmartre area, Seine River, Louvre, Gare du Nord) and around Europe as well. They can even be found on metro lines leading to the Montmartre area! They are easy to spot as they carry long, colored string, yarn or other items.

What they do (normally Africans) is they will ask if you want a “friendship bracelet” or “friendship ring”. If you say yes, they will tie it so tight around your wrist or finger that makes it impossible to remove. They will then demand money from you. The more ruthless ones will gather some of his accomplices, bring you to the nearest ATM and threaten you to withdraw everything inside.

Another variation is that these scammers will first engage you in a conversation. They might then ask if you want to see a magic trick and before you know it, they would have skilfully tied a band around your wrist or fingers.

They will justify it by saying it is from the church, a gift, or a local Paris souvenir and then demand €20. Refuse to pay and you find them sticking to you like cockroaches and bugging you every second. Some of them will even try to intimidate you. Most tourist just suck it up and pay to get rid of them.

More creative scammers will approach couples and offer the woman for free. Should the woman accept, another will pop out to offer the man. Since it is assumed to be free, the man tends to accept. But once you do, good luck as they will begin hounding you for payment.

The most ruthless ones will tie the friendship band and while distracting you, an accomplice will appear from the shadows to pickpocket your stuff.

This is so common and yet many still fall for the scam. What to do when they approach is to say no and keep walking away. Do NOT stop as a moment of hesitation is all they need to tie the string on your hand. However, be careful of walking yourself into a corner. If you are alert and have spotted them from a distance. Keep your hands well hidden in your jacket or somewhere.

What I did was that I shouted no and some vulgarities when I was approached. This gave me a real kick haha but on hindsight is a very stupid thing to do. There is no need to offend them as they would surely have more accomplices in the area and it is not possible to outfight a bunch of them.

I have also observed that they tend to target females travelling alone so please be extra careful if you are.

Rose Scam - A pretty stupid scam, but people do still fall for it.

It is very simple, a scammer offers you a rose as a token of friendship in the city of love. When you accept it, payment will be demanded. Even if you return the rose, you will be constantly hounded till it would be better to pay the scammer off.

Another version is where the scammer targets couples, by offering the girl the rose and asking the guy to pay.

Unscrupulous Taxi Drivers - There are unscrupulous drivers who purposely take a longer route. There are also those who do not have a meter.

Firstly, to protect yourself, at least have an idea of which direction/route you should be on. That’s the least you can do, else you put yourself vulnerable to such unscrupulous people.

Next, do NOT take any taxi without a meter – those are not taxis.

There are those at the Charles de Gaulle Airport as well who are extremely aggressive. They will probably demand €20-30 more than legit taxis.

Helpful People at Metros - this is one of the most difficult scams to prevent/protect yourself from. There are also so many variations and you just have to be alert. Below is a scenarios at metro stations.

Do NOT let someone help you buy your metro pass. There are people who dress like train officials which makes it more difficult to spot. Commonly, they are observed to work in groups of 3-4 so as to pressure you.

Unknowing to you, the “official” buys child fare and exchange for adult fare from you. If you are really unlucky, you might be caught by the real train official and made to pay an obscene amount of fine.

Another variation is that these scammers standing around the metro station would have already bought metro tickets and would try selling them to you if you have not already bought them. These tickets which they peddle are likely used and useless.

By the way, the metro machines do not take notes, credit cards and debit cards, so that’s a huge warning sign should they ask for those from you.

“Charities” and Beggars - Normally perpetrated by gypsies, Africans or small girls, they will appeal to your emotion and seek money for accident victims, orphanages, or simply their personal woes. When you are distracted, their accomplices spring into action to pickpocket you.

Some beggars also have motionless pets lying next to them so as to enhance the “pitiful” sight and make you sympathise with them. Note that these pets are drugged.

Best action is to ignore them as most of them work in packs. Give in to one or engage one and you might find yourself pickpocketed by their accomplices unknowingly.

The smarter beggars “hunt” for their prey at restaurants. They are equipped with a piece of paper detailing their sad story and their plea for some donations, and they stuff it in your face so that you cannot see what is below. Then that’s it, whatever valuables you have on the table will be gone.

These beggars tend to loiter around the restaurant to observe the situation before moving in for the “kill”, so do keep your valuables secure with you. Never leave it on the table or in plain sight.

Lost Soul Scam - A bunch of people carrying a large map walks up to you and ask you for help. If you are like most people, you would have said yes, since you most probably have been in that situation before. While you are checking out the map and/or pointing directions to them, your wallet would have been gone by then.

This can easily happen in restaurants/cafes/picnics as well, where the scammers lay out the map over your valuables and take them with the map when they go.

Of course, there are genuine people who ask for help but to be safe, ignore.

Magic Tricks or Gambling - There is no free lunch in the world and such gambling games are meant to tap on the greed of tourists.

One such game is betting if one of three cups contain a pea or a ball, which is quite common at the Champs-de-Mars park behind Eiffel Tower. The set-up is that someone would have betted a lot to entice you to join. It becomes more enticing when you see him winning double the amount!

This guy is obviously one of their accomplices. The people surrounding watching the game are also accomplices!

When you get in on the game, they will try to distract you so that the pea can be removed when you are not aware. You might win initially, but is meant to tempt you into betting bigger amounts!

Another version is where you see this stupid guy who keeps losing money even though it’s painfully obvious where the ball or pea is. This makes it tempting for you to step forward to play the game. You might win at first, but suddenly, the scammer would move the cups at such an impossibly fast speed that you would eventually lose your money.

Do not be a spectator too, as you leave yourself open to pickpocketing since your attention is fully on the game.

Clumsy Jogger/Person - Beware! They will knock into you, bump into you and in the next second, you find that something has gone missing from your pocket or backpack! By then, the jogger would have sprinted off already.

It could be a jogger, someone in the crowded market or even a passenger on the train. Another variation is the stain routine, where the scammer stains your shirt and apologize profusely. At that moment, the accomplice springs into action.

Petitions - Normally out in full force at the Eiffel Tower, this scam is perpetuated by young girls working in groups. It usually starts with an innocent question: “do you speak English”?

There are a few variations of this scam. Firstly, someone will try to hold your attention as they get you to understand the petition and to sign it. Next moment, your wallet is gone. It could be done stealthily, or a bunch of people could simply mob you.

Ignore them. If they get aggressive, shout at them and push them away. Another trick to try is to simply say that you know their scam.

Another scam would be young girls approaching you to sign a petition to help save the world/help the deaf/the mute etc. They might pretend to be deaf/mute themselves. A clipboard is shoved in your face, and you see several signatures and some French words.

These words basically mean that if you sign it, you have to give 1,000 euros or something bad will happen. If you don’t pay, suddenly more kids will appear out of nowhere to pressure you to pay. In the midst of distraction, pickpocketing your wallet is as easy as ABC.

Finally, be wary of the creative ones who place the clipboard on your table (assuming you are at a restaurant/cafe). When you chase them away, you will suddenly realise that the phone, camera or wallet which lay under the clipboard has disappeared.

Never sign anything you don’t understand, no matter how credible it looks or how helpful a person seems.

Did You Drop Something? - Have observed this at Sacre Coeur and believe this scam to be pretty common around the world. So what happens is that you will hear something drop nearby. Suddenly, someone would ask if you have dropped something. The aim is to distract you from your wallet so that it can be easily pickpocketed. This becomes even easier should you bend over to check.

Another variation is that of asking if you have dropped your wallet. Natural reflex action means that you would check your pocket for your wallet, and this reveals the location of your wallet to the scammer.

Child Pickpockets - There are reports that 75% of pickpockets on the Paris Metro are by an organised gang using girls from 12-16. These girls are trained in theft and to tell police that they are 12 years old when caught.

This is because criminal prosecution is difficult for this age. It has been reported that these girls are given a target of at least 300 euros a day, or they would be punished with beatings, attacked by knives and cigarettes and might even be subjected to rape.

The face of scammers is ever changing so instead of being wary of certain groups of people, just aim to be alert especially in crowded spaces. Secure your valuables in a hidden or hard to reach area and use your hands and body movement to deter potential pickpockets.

Street Vendors - It can be any item, as long as street vendors are the ones selling it. What they do is to let you try out whatever items (e.g. bracelets) they have. Before you have time to say no, they will demand quick payment.

Some of the more irritating ones will keep pestering you. For instance, if you have bought something, they will hound you to buy more. If you have more, they will cry after you with offers of lower prices.

These vendors don’t talk logic, so if you are not prepared to pay for any item, do not even ask to try them. Simply put on a grumpy face and DON’T look interested.

ATM Machines - It is essential to be aware of this scam, as it can be especially painful.

One situation is where the scammer stands real close behind you to see your PIN number. Once he knows your PIN number, he swipes your card.

Another situation is where your card is eaten up by the ATM machine. Coincidentally, the bank is closed at that time. This is because there are criminal gangs who use a device that memorises PIN numbers and prevent your ATM card from being ejected. They then download the PIN number and withdraw cash from your account.

So what you should do is besides shielding your PIN and watching out for anybody behind you, only use your ATM during business hours if possible. Also examine ATM machines for any unusually devices, though it is not an easy task. Also, keep a list of 24 hour hotline for your credit cards so that you can enquire and/or cancel your card at any time.

Finally, you might meet with a situation where when you are withdrawing money, someone taps you to ask an innocent question in a language you do not understand. As you are distracted, the scammer will walk closer to you and grab the money when it comes out from the ATM and run off. The more brazen ones will simply grab your money and run.

Avoid ATMs in dimly lit areas or where it’s more secluded and not easy to get help.

Unethical Cafes and Restaurants - This happens around the world, not just in France.

For instance, a café might serve you larger and more expensive drinks if you do not specify the size you want. Restaurants might also serve you an inflated bill.

Always be specific and always check.

Sleeping Thieves - These sleeping thieves are extremely dangerous as you tend to let your guard down against them. They are simply observing your movement and waiting for the perfect time to strike.

Watch out for them especially on the metro or in restaurants. To keep your belongings safe, consider locking your backpack, placing it down while on the train or simply spreading your valuables around in secure areas.

FRANCE: Ban On Burkini Good For Security, But Bad For Tourism

French ban on the burkini is threatening to turn into a farce as police officers armed with pepper spray and batons marched onto a beach today and ordered a woman to strip off.

France prides itself on its secular society and the burka is banned. That has now spread to the burkini.

Four burly cops stood over the middle-aged woman, who had been quietly sunbathing on the Promenade des Anglais beach in Nice - yards from the scene of the Bastille Day lorry attack - and watched her take off a Muslim-style garment which protected her modesty.

It is thought the woman was given a warning about the dress code on the beach and was handed an on-the-spot fine.

'I'm in the country of human rights. I see no trace of the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity. I am outraged that this could happen in France.'

David Lisnard, the right wing Republican Party mayor of Cannes who introduced the burkini ban in the first place, defended the police officers' behaviour.

Mr Lisnard said all 'beach dress that ostentatiously shows a religious affiliation' was unwelcome at a time when France was a target for Islamic State. He said any dress that might be linked with the terrorist group was offensive and risked provoking people, so risking public order.

On the same day, video also emerged of armed police waiting for Muslim women to come out of the sea at nearby Nice, and then warning them about their choice of headscarves.

The French government has warned that the burkini ban must not lead to the "stigmatisation" of Muslims, as outrage grew around the world over photos of armed police apparently making a woman remove some of her clothing on the beach in Nice, France.

Bernard Cazeneuve, the interior minister, made the warning after he held emergency talks with French Muslim leaders, who demanded he meet them amid the furore over the photos of the woman removing her tunic, watched by four policemen.

"The implementation of secularism, and the option of adopting such decrees [banning burkinis] must not lead to stigmatisation or the creation of hostility between French people," Cazeneuve said after the meeting.

But he did not call for the bans, decreed by around 30 resorts mostly on the Mediterranean coast, to be overturned, and he noted that the Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls had last week given his support to local bans while stopping short of backing a nationwide prohibition.

The bans were implemented on the grounds that the full-body Islamic swimsuit "conspicuously" shows a person's religion, and their stated aim is to reduce tensions in the wake of the Islamist extremist massacre of 86 people last month in Nice.

But many critics say they are being used as an excuse to discriminate against Muslims in France, which has western Europe's largest Muslim community, at around five million people.

The photos of the woman in Nice were taken earlier this week as she appeared to be snoozing on the gravelly beach in front of Promenade des Anglais, the scene of last month's massacre in which a Tunisian lorry driver drove his truck into crowds of Bastille Day revellers.

She was wearing a headscarf, but not a burkini.

The officers stood around her and, apparently on their instructions, she removed a top that revealed either a sleeveless T-shirt or a swimsuit. She was also wearing leggings.

The officers then appear to write her a fine, as other beachgoers look on.

The images quickly went viral on social media, sparking mostly negative comments and making #WTFFrance a top trending hashtag on Twitter.

Feiza Ben Mohamed, secretary general of the Federation of Muslims of the South of France, said ‘two young women were made to leave the water by the police’ even though they were ‘not wearing the burkini’.

The video, which was posted on Twitter, shows children crying and shouting as the women are spoken to by the officers. Ms Ben Mohamed has accused the French authorities of ‘shamefully mixing up terrorists with the wider Muslim community.’ She said ‘this type of row is totally counterproductive and plays into Isis's hands.

‘It's exactly what Isis want - the mayor is doing their work for them. Isis seeks to make our young people believe that they are excluded, stigmatised, and they will use such examples in their recruitment drive.'

Then Ms Cusin said the officers went for Siam, was wearing 'a simple hijab [a headscarf that does not cover the face] around her hair'.

People then started shouting insults at Siam, telling her she was not welcome in France, and that she should 'go home'.

Ms Cusin said: 'It was pretty violent. I had the impression of a pack going after a woman sitting on the ground, crying with her daughter.'

Siam accepted an on-the-spot fine of around nine pounds, and her details were recorded on what will amount to a criminal record. She said: 'Today we are not allowed on the beach. Tomorrow, the street? Tomorrow, we'll be forbidden from practicing our religion at all?

The incidents come after a Muslim businessman pledged to pay fines imposed on women for wearing burkinis.

A French court has upheld the 'burkini ban' – ruling that the female swimwear was liable to cause offence and to provoke people to violence.

But wealthy Rachid Nekkaz, born in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges from Algerian immigrants, has said that he will pay any penalties that Muslim women incur for wearing the outfits.

He believes that the ban is 'unfair'.

He said 'I decided to pay for all the fines of women who wear the burkini in order to guarantee their freedom of wearing these clothes, and most of all, to neutralize the application on the ground of this oppressive and unfair law.'

The banning of the burkini in France, by the Administrative Tribunal in Nice, has been challenged by two human rights groups.

They argued that the ban on a garment that does not cover the face was petty, and designed to spread hatred against a small group of mainly Muslim mothers and grandmothers.

But judges said the ban in the resort of Villeneuve-Loubet was 'necessary, appropriate and proportionate'.

They said the burkini was 'liable to offend the religious convictions or non-convictions of other users of the beach.'

Burkini bans in France have boosted sales and interest in the full-bodied Islamic swimsuit, particularly from non-Muslim women, the Australian credited with creating the design said Tuesday.

The burkini has sparked huge controversy in France, with bans in 15 towns in the country's southeast amid high tensions following a string of deadly jihadist attacks.

But Australian-Lebanese Aheda Zanetti, who claims the trademark on the name burkini and burqini and created her first swimwear for Muslim women more than a decade ago, said the furore in France has attracted more publicity for her products.

'I can tell you that online on Sunday, we received 60 orders - all of them non-Muslim,' the 48-year-old Sydneysider said, adding that she usually received 10 to 12 orders on Sundays.

Zanetti did not have sales figures for the rest of the past week but said she had also received numerous messages of support - and only one disparaging email - since the French bans.

They include messages from cancer survivors and other swimmers who use her light-weight, quick-drying two-piece garments as protection from the sun.

There are other Islamic swimsuits but Zanetti has said her designs are the first to be streamlined into two-piece swimwear with a head covering.

'A lot of the correspondence... was that they are survivors of skin cancer and they've always been looking for something like this, saying, 'Thank god we've found someone like this producing such a swimsuit',' she said.

'The support I'm getting is somehow about empowering women... I feel like I've been a counsellor. It's a cry of need that they want to have this enjoyment.

'Women are standing together on this. It doesn't matter what race or religion.'

She said the one critical email questioned why Zanetti wanted to cover up women in France, noting 'we prefer our women to be naked'.

Australia is grappling with a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment after a series of attacks by radicalised youth but the burkini has not attracted strong criticism in a country where people regularly cover up at beaches to protect their skin under the harsh sun.

While there are divisions over the burkini in France, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday dismissed the idea of a ban in his country, saying Canadians should rise above the controversy as he called for the respect of individual rights and choices.

Judges also ruled the clothing could be viewed as a 'provocation exacerbating tensions' within France, which is currently under a State of Emergency following a series of attacks by Islamic State.

A lorry was used by a man claimed by Isis to kill 86 people in Nice on July 14th, in an attack which took place next to the city's main beach.

It is among around 15 where the burkini is now banned, and mayors across France are widening the measure every day.

But critics point out that 30 Muslims died in the Nice attack, including women wearing traditional clothes, including headscarves.

They point out how the French authorities are meant to support free expression, including the right to offend and provoke, and say that the burkini ban is utterly hypocritical.

Lawyers for the Human Rights League (LDH), and the Collective against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) - who challenged the ban in Nice - said they would now appeal to the Council of State, France's highest administrative court.

Around ten women have so far been criminalised for wearing burkinis on French beaches this summer.

All were reprimanded by police officers in the Riviera resort of Cannes, and forced to leave the sand.

Four were fined the equivalent of £32, while all received 'warnings' that will now technically form part of their criminal records.

Another young Muslim mother was ordered off the beach at Cannes and fined for simply wearing a headscarf.

Three armed officers pointed a pepper spray canister in the 34-year-old's face and told her she was in breach of a new rule outlawing swimming costumes that cover the entire body.

She said the 'racist' officers simply wanted to humiliate her in front of her children and other family members, even though she was not even wearing a burkini.

It was the latest in a series of incidents in the south of France and comes after video emerged of armed police waiting for Muslim women to come out of the sea at nearby Nice, and then warning them about their choice of headscarves.

And just days ago, four women were fined 38 euros for wearing their burkinis on the beach in Cannes.

FRANCE: Terror Attacks, Paris Tourism Lost € 750 Million

Islamist attacks, strikes and floods kept foreign tourists away from the French capital in the first half of the year and cost the Paris region tourism industry some 750 million euros ($849.38 million) in lost revenue, officials said.

"It's time to realise that the tourism sector is going through an industrial disaster. This is no longer the time for communication campaigns but to set up a relief plan," Frederic Valletoux, head of the Paris region tourist board said in a statement on Tuesday. Valletoux said massive investments were needed to protect jobs in the sector and he urged Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault to quickly meet with local tourism officials.

About 500,000 people in Ile-de-France have jobs linked to tourism, making it the biggest industry in the region.

France, which is seeking to revive its economy, depends heavily on tourism, which generates over 7% of national gross domestic product and over 13% of that of the Ile-de-France region, which includes Paris, the world's most visited city.

France's tourism industry has suffered since Islamic State gunmen killed 130 people in an attack in Paris last year. It was dealt further blows in July when a gunman drove a truck into crowds celebrating Bastille Day on July 14 in the Riviera city of Nice. Two weeks later, two men killed a priest in a small town in Normandy. Strikes against a controversial labour reform and floods in June also deterred tourists.

Nightly hotel stays were down 8.5% in the Paris-Ile de-France region in the first half, with an 11.5% decline for foreign tourists and a 4.8% drop for French tourists.

Japanese visitors were down 46.2% in the first half compared with the same period in 2015, while Russians were down 35%, Chinese down 19.6%, and Americans down 5.7%, the Paris region tourist board statement said. France is the most-visited country in the world, with almost 85 million foreigners last year, including 16 million in Paris.

Weak activity in France contributed to a fall in first-half operating profit for French group AccorHotels. Air France-KLM has said it expects its unit revenues to decline in July and August, partly due to the situation in France.

POLAND: LOT Polish Airlines To Link Ljubljana And Warsaw With Six Weekly Flights

On March the first Ljubljana Airport will welcome a new carrier, LOT Polish Airlines that will connect Ljubljana and Warsaw with up to six weekly flights. Through its hub in the Polish capital, passengers will be able to take advantage of LOT's onward flights to numerous destinations in Europe, North America and Asia. To present the new route, LOT Polish Airlines and Aerodrom Ljubljana held a press conference on Wednesday 10 February.

Starting from the beginning of March LOT will be operating as much as 6 flights weekly from Ljubljana to Warsaw. With frequent flights and a convenient schedule the Polish national airline will enable passengers traveling form Ljubljana access to the worldwide network, including all major European destinations as well as Beijing, China and 3 major destinations in North America.

“Due to its excellent service and individual approach to the need of passengers, LOT has the greatest potential to become one the best alternative for travels to Toronto, New York, Chicago or Beijing for thousands of passengers starting their journey in Ljubljana. Flight to Warsaw last less than 2 hours, and total travel time to North America is only 13 hours including very convenient and short transfer at our hub, Warsaw Chopin Airport. Up to this moment Slovenian passengers had to travel via other crowded and complicated giant hubs in Western Europe” – says Adrian Kubicki, Corporate Communications Director.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays flights to Warsaw will take off at 13:35; on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 17:05. Late afternoon flights give passengers access to the evening wave of domestic and European flights, i.e. to Krakow, Gdansk, Riga, Amsterdam, London or Brussels and many others. More accurate schedule is available here.

“For example transfer time to Copenhagen is 45 minutes only! This is not something we promise. This is something we deliver. Passengers traveling from Ljubljana deserve an airline, which will bring them closer to dozens destinations worldwide. Right now opportunities are limited, and we raise the bar of service and bring to the completely new level of travel experience” – Kubicki adds.

The commencement of LOT's flights to Slovenia was welcomed by his excellency, the ambassador of Poland to Slovenia, Mr. Paweł Czerwiński: “Direct flights are of key importance for relations between the two countries, that are almost neighbouring, considering the small distance between them. Polish and Slovene people still know too little about each other, even though the cooperation between their countries is strengthening on different levels each year. The trading of goods has already surpassed 1,3 billion euros and still growing. Warsaw is an attractive tourist destination, also for a weekend trip. The city offers renowned theatres, concerts, historic-cultural monuments, modern interactive museums, rich culinary experiences, disco clubs and many more.

All flights between Warsaw and Ljubljana are operated by modern and technologically advanced Bombardier turboprop aircrafts. They are appreciated by passengers for spacious cabin, no middle seat and quiet cabin. All long haul flights are operated by the state-of-art aircraft Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Mr. Janez Krašnja, Head of Airline Management at Aerodrom Ljubljana, welcomed the arrival of the new carrier with the following words: “Even before the summer timetable the flight network of Ljubljana Airport is expanding. We are looking forward to LOT arriving in March and greatly complementing the offer of scheduled flights from Ljubljana. We believe the service will be interesting for business and tourist passengers. Besides frequent direct flights to Warsaw, they will be able to take advantage of their onward flights to other European destinations and their transatlantic flights. Aerodrom Ljubljana expects the service to generate around 30,000 extra passengers on a yearly basis.”

Ljubljana is one of the first destinations to open by LOT after formal completing the successful restructuring process. The airline says that Slovenia is a very important market for both business, as well as rising number of leisure passengers. Together with Ljubljana LOT launched several other exciting routes, such as Luxemburg, Ljubljana, Athens, Beirut, Nice and many others.

Tickets for flights are already available on www.lot.com, via their mobile app, LOT’s Contact Centre and through other sales channels.

Photographs of LOT’s fleet, products and services available for download under this link: http://corporate.lot.com/pl/en/media-library

TURKEY: Pegasus Airlines of Turkey Turns Ten

Pegasus Airlines, the independent Turkish carrier which started life as a charter subsidiary controlled by Aer Lingus, will celebrate 10 years of flying scheduled flights on 1 November 2015.

Pegasus currently flies to over 100 destinations in 40 countries including six times a week between London Gatwick and Istanbul, which started earlier this year, twice daily between London Stansted and Istanbul and three times a week to Izmir.

Pegasus have also recently added international flights to Baghdad, Erbil, Kutaisi, Nice, Oslo, Eilat (Ovda Airport) and domestic flights to Kars, Kastamonu and Ordu.

SPAIN: Iberia Express Connects Madrid To Paris

Eric Coupaye, AdP; Elena Valdés, Tourspain in France; and Paloma Utrera, Iberia Express are cutting the ribbon at Paris CDG before the departure of Iberia Express’ first flight to Madrid.

Iberia Express, Iberia Group’s low-cost carrier, started daily flights to Paris CDG (CDG) from Madrid (MAD) on 7 September.

Operated by the airline’s 180-seat A320s, the 1,061-kilometre route will face competition from three carriers, with Air France (42 times weekly), easyJet (16) and Vueling (11) already serving the airport pair.

The new flight complements Iberia’s existing operations at Paris Orly, where it offers on average six daily flights. The Iberia Group of airlines currently flies 346 weekly frequencies between Spain and France – operated from Paris, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Perpignan and Toulouse in France and the Spanish cities of Madrid, A Coruña, Santander, Seville and Tenerife South.

BELGIUM:VLM connects Antwerp to Birmingham

The airline VLM Airlines has announced a new route between Antwerp and Birmingham.

The flights depart three times a week, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11:35, arrival at 12:05 (one and a half hour flight), return flights starting again at 14:30 Birmingham for an arrival at 17:00 in Antwerp. "There are strong commercial synergies "between Antwerp and Birmingham, said Steve Blair, operations manager at VLM Airlines citing the fashion industries, diamond, automotive and chemicals." We are confident that this new route will be attractive for people looking for a city break and can be used as a gateway to Bruges, Ghent and Brussels, all less than an hour from Antwerp, "he said. From Antwerp, VLM already serves Geneva, Hamburg and Southampton. Antwerp is also served by CityJet (from London-City) and Jetairfly.

Recall that the Belgian airline, which has regular services to seven destinations in five countries, including Geneva, Hamburg, Southampton, Waterford and London Luton. early June announced its withdrawal from Liege Airport in Belgium with the cancellation of the four routes to Avignon, Nice, Bologna and Venice. Its fleet consists of 11 Fokker 50 configured for 50 seats. In addition to regular flights, it continues to offer charter flights and ACMI including on behalf of CityJet or Aurigny.