Katy Perry in Austrian ski resortIschgl, Austria - American singer-songwriter Katy Perry, known for such hits as "I Kissed a Girl," will give a concert in the Paznaun Valley on November 28 to help the Tyrollean ski resort Ischgl kick off the winter season. About 20,000 people are expected to attend. Admission is free for holders of valid ski passes, the Paznaun Tourism Association said. Ski lifts in Ischgl are to open on November 27 (www.ischgl.com).
Dutch flower-bulb market
Cologne - Famous for spring bulb displays, the Keukenhof flower gardens, near the Dutch town of Lisse, will host the National Flower Bulb Market on the weekend of October 16-18 from 10 am to 5 pm. Amateur gardeners, too, can find bulbs to plant in their gardens at the market, the Netherlands tourism board said. Keukenhof's gardeners will also be giving plant demonstrations. Admission is free (www.keukenhof.nl).
North Asia air fare
Frankfurt - The Star Alliance airline network has launched the multi-carrier Circle North Asia Fare, valid on Air China, Asiana, Shanghai Airlines and ANA for flights between China -- including Hong Kong and Macao -- Japan and Korea. Travel on the fare must include all three countries, at least three stopovers and begin and end in the same country, Star Alliance said. The maximum stay is two months (www.staralliance.com).
Hong Kong food festival
Frankfurt - Visitors to Hong Kong can enjoy a food and wine festival from October 30 to November 8, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said. Festivities are to begin with a street carnival featuring 140 stands offering regional delicacies. There will also be tours of wine cellars (www.discoverhongkong.com).
Swinging "Sexties" comics
Cologne - The Brussels Centre for Fine Arts will open an exhibition on September 25 titled "Sexties" that spotlights four artists who moved the comic strip beyond the domain of children during the sexual revolution of the 1960s. The artists are Belgians Paul Cuvelier and Guy Peellaert, Italian Guido Crepax and Frenchman Jean-Claude Forest. On display will be 120 drawings, photographs and projections, the Flanders tourism office said (www.brusselscomics.com).
Diving with sharks in Las Vegas
Munich - Tourists in the United States can now scuba dive with sharks and other sea creatures at the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas, the city's tourism office said. The 45-minute dives, accompanied by a guide, are in the 1.3-million-gallon Shipwreck Exhibit. Participants must be certified divers, at least 18 years old and wear chain mail. The experience costs 684 dollars (www.sharkreef.com).
Drift boat fishing in Norway
Hamburg - Anglers can now try their luck in drift boats in the south-eastern Norwegian municipality of Trysil. According to the Innovation Norway tourism office, the opportunity is unique in Europe. Specially designed for strong currents, the boats enable anglers to go to fish-rich spots in the Trysilelva River that they could not reach from shore. The tour organizer is Call of the Wild, which offers all-day trips for 3,000 Norwegian kroners and evening trips for 1,500 kroners (512 and 256 dollars, respectively) per drift boat. A drift boat has room for two anglers and a guide (www.callofthewild.no, www.trysil.com).
