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Tokyo -- Japan is set to have its first-ever cartoon goodwill tourism ambassador, as Hello Kitty has been chosen to take the job in China, officials said.

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Hello Kitty will be appointed to her new position as part of the Japanese government's 2003 "Visit Japan Campaign," which is aimed at attracting 10 million overseas visitors every year by 2010, Kyodo News Agency reported Sunday.

Hello Kitty will have 11 other goodwill tourism ambassadors to help her do the job, officials said.

The cartoon feline was chosen because of its popularity in China, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism officials said.

Starting in June, Hello Kitty will have a blog about tourist attractions on the campaign's Chinese-language Web site.

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New York -- Prisoners at New York's Riker's Island still find time for a bit of romance, with 180 weddings taking place at joint last year alone, a minister said.

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The Rev. David Staton said marriages at the prison are as legally binding as any other, but the events at Riker's present quite a different atmosphere than those on the outside, The New York Times said Saturday.

"Once you say 'I do,' he is going his way and you are going your way," Staton said. "They are not going home together."

Hakim El-Quhir, deputy warden for programs at the prison, said nuptials in on-site chapels are nothing like the pomp-and-circumstance events most people are accustomed to seeing.

"It's a real quick service," El-Quhir told the Times. "They come here, they say 'I do,' and they kiss, all teary-eyed. And he is on his way."

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New York -- New York's Kennedy Airport announced at least 500 International Terminal employees are receiving training on how to be nice to travelers.

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The class, which is run by the Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University, is focused on teaching airport workers how to remain calm and pleasant even when confronted by irate airline passengers, Newsday, a newspaper headquartered on Long Island, reported Wednesday.

"Those who help travelers help themselves," instructor Tom Murphy told his class. "The travelers will be happy and you will go home more rested at the end of the day."

The niceness instruction follows 2007's eight-year high for customer complaints, marking a 70 percent increase over 2006.

Students said they found the advice given in the class helpful. "This helps you perfect skills you already have and gives you the steps you should take ... because no two situations are ever the same," said Shellyann McKay, 28, an Air Train agent-operator. "You might encounter a passenger who wasn't helped or someone tried to help them and gave them the wrong information, and by the time they get to you they've had it."

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Agrigento, Italy -- Some residents of the Agrigento area on the Italian island of Sicily have objected to an upcoming naturist festival at Capo Bianco beach.

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The residents, as well as members of the Catholic Church, claim the May 23-25 Capo Bianco festival would be an illegal use of the beach for nude sunbathing, The Times of London reported Wednesday.

Italian law forbids nude sunbathing, but exceptions are made for beaches where local councils approve the practice and the areas are overseen by naturist associations.

Mayor Cosimo Piro of Cattolica Eraclea, the nearest village to the beach, issued a recent regulation allowing "free use of Capo Bianco by lovers of nude sunbathing." The mayor, a member of the Christian Democratic party, said the practice would help the beach draw tourists.

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Paradise Valley, Ariz. -- Canadian Stephanie Zekelman says she's surprised the $14 million she has agreed to pay for a mansion in Paradise Valley, Ariz., reportedly is a state record.

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"I didn't know it was news," the Windsor, Ontario, resident told Canwest News Service. "It's just a vacation home. I have family there, and I've wanted a home there for many years, and that was it."

The 10,000-square-foot in the tony Phoenix suburb means Zekelman will be neighbors with the likes of former hockey greats Wayne Gretzky and Claude Lemieux, jazz singer George Benson and major league pitcher Randy Johnson.

Bob Hassett, a real estate agent representing the seller calls the community "the Beverly Hills of Arizona."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.
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The US Transportation and Security Administration has issued new rules on December 28 that restricts air travelers to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage. The new rules that take effect on January 1 are issued to prevent unintentional short-circuiting and help reduce the risk of fires, the Transportation Department said Friday.

New York -- Hawkers in tattered Tigger and Pooh costumes are roaming midtown Manhattan looking for tourist photo ops and tips -- a West Coast trend that's headed east.

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And you're not likely to find Santa in the mix of photo-sellers in unlicensed costumes, The New York Post said. Instead, the folks wandering New York are more apt to be wearing Shrek, Blues Clues and the Grinch. Most of the people dressed in character sell photos with tourists for tips, and can earn up to $25 an hour.

"Taking pictures with people is great. I feel like I'm famous, even though they can't see my face," Jose Tarazona told the Post.

Police in Hollywood created a task force two years ago after up to 80 such characters at a time began roaming a one-block stretch in a tourist area, the Post said. New York had not yet received any complaints.

It's hard to beat a trip to Europe. You get scenery, history, different cuisines, museums, shopping, new friends to make, and more. Your trip can quickly become a bummer, though, if the credit card you brought with you keeps getting rejected.

While passing through an airport, have you ever spied a door labeled "VIP Lounge"? Most major airports have such lounges, each usually tied to a particular airline. And behind their mysterious doors, you'll find perks such as comfy chairs, television, an open bar, a more upscale atmosphere, and more peace and quiet than the rest of the airport.

The horrors of airplane travel have gotten a lot of time in the limelight this year. But with a mix of common sense and assertive behavior, you may be able to turn many bad situations into opportunities for a better travel experience.