BY Sarmind SafiNov 16, 2023

Christmas lights, parades, and football bring a lot of people to Wheeling and Ohio County during this magical time of year, which also helps to boost the local economy. "The holiday season in Wheeling in Ohio County is perhaps the premiere time of the year," said Frank O’Brien, director, of Visit Wheeling. The Festival of Lights in Oglebay is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors. Along with hundreds of people attending the city's Winter on the Plaza event, thousands will congregate around Wheeling's Fantasy in Lights Parade. When you have several hundred thousand people spending time in your community, they spend anywhere between $3 to $5 million while they’re here, and sometimes, it's even more than that," O’Brien said. Many more will also swarm Wheeling Island Stadium for the Super Six High School Championship games. Large crowds are drawn to Wheeling's downtown by an increase in events and performances at WesBanco Arena and the capital theatre. Numerous people will be dining out, lodging in hotels, and making purchases from neighborhood merchants. And even though the city is lined with substantial construction, many people are still traveling there and managing to make ends meet. "We have been able to actually track some of that,” O’Brien said. “I'm not going to say that the roads are not a problem -- and the sidewalks being torn up is a problem -- but we are finding that people are still coming, primarily to the events at the arena and Capital Theatre." According to O'Brien, tourism generates about $800 million in revenue for the Northern Panhandle annually. Moreover, it's reasonable to anticipate making close to $10 million in the county just this season. "It's a crucial time for tourism in our area, and I think we do it better than anybody else," O’Brien said. As the holidays draw near, there will be plenty of opportunities to spread cheer and wealth. Learn More About: November Trips In 2023: From London To The World Zanzibar Or Oman: Which Do The Hungarian Tourists Like?

BY sagnika sinhaNov 20, 2023

At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit organized in San Francisco, Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden discussed improving the air connectivity between the two countries and streamlining the visa process. The discussion continued at a dinner hosted by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and the US-China Business Council. At this dinner, Chinese President Xi confirmed that the tourism ties between the two countries will improve. There have been claims made by President Chris Thompson, the president and CEO of the Brand USA. These claims inform that the U.S. cannot completely recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic without Chinese tourism. Complete Chinese tourism has not resumed! Factors such as weak air connectivity and long visa wait times impact the overall tourism sector worldwide, including the U.S. and China. According to reports, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Chinese tourists contributed heavily to the U.S. economy. The Chinese tourists spent about $15 million when visiting the U.S.! In a year, the average number of Chinese who visited the U.S. was about 2.5 million people, and the way they boosted the U.S. economy was nowhere near any other market. It is due to this reason that the U.S. is improving its tourism ties with the Chinese government! According to President Geoff Freeman of the U.S., the international side of tourism is also impacted by the irregular and disturbed tourism ties between China and the U.S. This change will affect the Travel Association, the company's CEO, worldwide. He spoke at the Skift Global Forum that the market Chinese tourists support in the U.S. will only be available here. Let's look forward to a developed relationship between China and the U.S., starting from tourism. Read Also: Zanzibar Or Oman: Which Do The Hungarian Tourists Like? Record-Breaking Holiday Travel Anticipated As TSA Prepares For Busy Season! Wheeling’s Holiday Celebrations Bring In Millions Of Dollars For The Local Economy From Tourists

BY Sarmind SafiDec 5, 2023

The people of Norway have sent a Christmas tree to Trafalgar Square. Every year since 1947 it has been a tradition of Norway to send Britain a Christmas tree in order to commemorate their support during the Second World War. The Norwegian spruce is nearly 20 meters high and is around 70 years old. It has been chosen to be the "queen of the forest" from the woodlands of Oslo. It was felled in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Patricia McAllister, who described the spruce saying it was "spectacular". Every year, the selected tree is brought to the UK by a sea route which then ends up getting delivered by a lorry. The Christmas lights will be draped vertically in traditional Norwegian style. The energy efficient bulbs will be switched on during a ceremony on Thursday 7 December. Ms McAllister helped fell the Christmas tree in Oslo. "It was astonishing, spectacular, emotional: especially when the tree was hoisted [from where it's been for] the last 70 years," she said. "It really is a spectacular tree. It's stunning." She further added. Few of the previous Christmas trees that were sent From Norway, were not so warmly received. They would sometimes be of the opinion that they were either "sparse" or "anemic". However, the Norwegian foresters who take care of these trees described the chosen tree to be the "queen of the forest". Every year The Poetry Society commissions a poem based on the Oslo Christmas Tree. This year poem is set to be called "T for Tree" written by Isabel Galleymore. It is composed mainly for children and it will be read during the tree-lighting ceremony. The spruce will stay in Trafalgar Square until the 5th of January when it will be composted and chipped. Read Also: Traveling Christmas Tree For The Western Lawn Of U.S. Capitol Ghana Is Ready To Host The Rest Of The World: Ghana Tourism Authority On Christmas Concerts Excited For Christmas? Leicester Square’s Glittering Christmas Market Is Returning To London From Nov 8