World News

Home to historic temples and elegant French provincial architecture, Luang Prabang, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a riot of colour: the green of the trees contrasting with their bright blossoms and the saffron robes of the ever-present monks. Life is enjoyed slowly and vividly in this town and at the elegant Sofitel Luang Prabang, the century-old former governor's mansion protected by UNESCO, which has been restored to its full grandeur and majestic grace.

A call was made for countries that are proud of their culture to come forward and be part of the annual United Nations Cultural Gathering in Seychelles from April 22-24. Ethiopian Airlines has taken the call by Seychelles to heart and has facilitated for a delegation from Ethiopia to represent their country in the coming 2016 edition of the annual Carnaval International de Victoria.

With postcard-perfect beaches and breath-taking crystal clear seas, many visitors to Antigua and Barbuda are happy to enjoy the comfort of their sun lounger. However, visitors looking for a more active break this Spring will be pleasantly surprised by what Antigua and Barbuda can offer beyond the beach.

Seychelles has a rich maritime heritage, dating back to long before the 17th century. Since then until the early 1970s when Seychelles got its own airport, those traveling to these stunning islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean had to come by boat.  The Seychelles islands have, therefore, a rich heritage of maritime connections worth preserving. It is with this idea that Seychelles will have its first National Maritime Museum.

The Tenerife Film Commission has revealed that a total of 88 local and international production companies chose Tenerife as the location for their shoot last year – 20 more than in 2014. Sixteen of these were from the UK, including the film crews of Doctor Who and The Only Way is Essex, attracted by the island's tax incentives, variety of landscapes and 3,000 hours of sunshine a year.

A new ecotourism project in Panama, Ecotour, which is part of the government's plan to develop sustainable tourism throughout the country developed by The Ministry of Environment and the tourism authorities. The Ecotur project, which will be launched on 22 April 2016, aims to develop nine protected areas across Panama, such as the 'Isla Bastimentos' Marine Park, 'Volcan Baru' National Park, 'Altos de Campana' National Park and the 'Altos de Campana' National Park. 

Musical Heritage is key for Georgia, a state known for greats from Luke Bryan to James Brown, and they're looking for a passionate music fan to explore its vibrant music scenes and bring them to life via social media in it's #GeorgiaMusic Backstage Pass Contest. The contest will showcase Georgia's deep-rooted musical history and highlight music-focused experiences through Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and the ExploreGeorgia.org blog.

As the National Park Service celebrates its 100th anniversary this August with a series of activities and events taking place across the continent, including National Park Week taking place from 16-24 April during which visitors can explore the dedicated landscapes under free admission, take a look at Colorado's four stunning national parks by numbers.

The first ever Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) undertaken in the English-speaking Caribbean region has been completed at leading tertiary care hospital Health City Cayman Islands. The complex cardiac procedure was performed successfully last month on local Cayman Islands patient Dianna Merren by Health City's Senior Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist Dr. Ravi Kishore and Senior Cardiac Surgeon Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil.

As the Trinidad and Tobago film industry continues to thrive, the beautiful twin island Republic is thrilled to announce that Trafficked, the award winning film from Trinidad and Tobago will make its European Premiere at the 13th Festival International du Film PanAfricain de Cannes from April 16-20, 2016.

Saba is well-known in the UK as a TV personality, having co-presented the BBC Big Cat Diary series with Jonathan Scott and Simon King. Her latest BBC series, This Wild Life, following her family at their safari camp in Samburu, Elephant Watch Camp, aired in September time. Saba is a life-long conservationist and award-winning film-maker. She speaks with great conviction about wildlife conservation and has an in depth knowledge about Africa and its wildlife, especially elephants.

Irwin Mitchell has provided support for an inspirational project aimed at supporting clinicians in Bangladesh to increase the quality of treatment provided to patients suffering with acquired brain injuries. Clinicians on the ground in Bangladesh encounter various issues which impede the swift identification, treatment and rehabilitation of acquired brain injuries. 

Internationally recognised artist Bruce Munro's immersive installation Field of Light Uluru opens today, 1 April 2016, at Ayers Rock Resort in the spiritual heart of Australia. In keeping with the desert's vast scale this is Munro's largest work to date, more than 50,000 slender stems crowned with radiant frosted-glass spheres over an area the size of four football fields. It is also the artist's first work to be illuminated through solar power.

The fourth edition of WTM Latin America, which will take place between today, Tuesday, March 29, and Thursday, March 31, in São Paulo, Brazil, will welcome a number of well-known UK companies and products onto the show floor. The first time many of them have been present in the Latin American market since 2010.

Reunion Island Tourism (IRT) and Google have partnered to enable users around the world to discover on the Internet 255 kms of trails and paths of this diverse and scenic island. Viewers will have the opportunity to admire the landscapes, one more incredible than the next. Most of the hiking and cycling trails are located in the heart of Reunion National Park which is a registered World Heritage site recognized by UNESCO.