The European Parliament voted in early April, to end mobile phone roaming fees across the 28-country European Union by December 15th 2015 and barred telecoms operators from prioritising some Internet traffic over others. The reform legislation aims to bolster con-sumer protections on mobile and broadband contracts and seek to make the sale of mobile licenses more uniform across Europe.

Moves that will cheer Europe’s consumers and frustrate industry seeking new

forms of revenue.

Operators will be “barred from blocking or slowing down selected services for economic or

Late April 2014Issue 212

The online magazine for inbound tour industry reaching 8 million escorted visitors into and around Europe

EU - End to roaming chargEs?

UK rEcord figUrEs

VEnicE fiasco

International visitors spent a record £1.5 billion across Britain in February 2014 representing a 45 % increase on February last year.*

In what is traditionally one of the quieter months, visits in February were also up 9% in February 2014, with holiday visits posting double digit growth (25%), while visits from friends and relatives and business trips are also performing beyond expectations.

Once again Venice has to allow large cruise ships into the lagoon, although only a few months ago the Italian government an-nounced that they are banned due to the

Visits from Europe were the main driver of overall visits growth followed closely by ‘rest of world’ markets.

The three months to February remain positive with visits up 5% and nominal spend up 21% compared with the same three months a year previously.

*Figures from the Office for National Statistics / £1.5 billion spend in nominal terms

ANTOR - the principle lobbying organisation for the world’s tourist of-fices are lobbying Reed Exhibitions the organisers of World Travel Market to cut it from four days to three in 2015.They polled their members recently and over 50% of its members agreed, they also carried out a survey after last year’s show. Acknowledging that Reed had worked hard to develop the final day” The results are not substantial enough to justify the extra day in terms of time lost, cost of accommodation and subsistence,” it said.

other reasons,” said a statement from the Par-liament, citing the example of telecom groups banning free calling service Skype. Nor can telecom operators discriminate in handling data on their networks. The decision could limit the ability of network operators to provide quicker Internet access to bandwidth-hungry content providers such as Google or Netflix in exchange for a fee. Such agreements are becoming more common in the United States.

The package could still change after getting Parliament’s backing because it must be ap-proved by the Council of the European Union, which includes representative of each member state. The Council is expected to make a decision in October.

environmental damage on the World Heritage-listed city. According to the Telegraph, a regional tribunal overturned the law last month, which was intro-duced last November reducing the number of cruise liners entering from the Adriatic.

There have been complaints from the trade that many suppliers had left by the last day, and Reed are penalising them this year by adding extra charges.

Due to the flexibility of the space in the Excel Centre the ANTOR board propose WTM make the fourth day a much smaller event maintain-ing just the Global Village and Technology area meaning visitors who attend on the final day can still enjoy a busy show.

ANTOR would like to hear the views of the trade, who can take part in a poll on line www.antor.com

Continued...

• The Interlaken Region Mountain Summer With a Dash of Adrenalin See pages - 20 to 23

• GRAZ Gourmet Culture in Graz, a Capital of Culinary Delight See page - 19

antor calls to cUt Wtm days

realize your DREAMS

opening HOURSDaily open from 8.00 am until 6.30 pm, June – August until 7.30 pmNovember 1 and 2, December 25 and 26 closed 6020 Innsbruck · Austria · Herzog-Friedrich-Straße 39 Tel. +43 (0)512 573 100 · www.swarovski.com/innsbruck

CONTENTS3 People news

4 - 5 Places news6 Faith tourism

7 - 8 Transport news 9 - 10 Cruise news

10 Mice news 11 - 12 Hospitality news13 - 15 Options and attractions16 - 17 Flight Plan / Travel Industry news

17 ETOA news18 European Eccentrics19 Graz - Gourmet culture...

20 - 23 The Interlaken Region - Mountain Summer...24 We Welcome Groups

Late April 2014 Issue 212

After downloading, save the magazine to your computer. Click the above titles to view articles, then click OTR logo panels at the base of the pages to return to contents page. You can also click links throughout the magazine

© Copyright 2014. Articles published in this magazine are copyright and should not be reproduced without permission from the publishers.

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers and all information is given in good faith. No responsibility can be taken by the publishers for any errors or omissions, howsoever caused. Readers are advised to check upon any information given, and where relevant take professional advice before acting upon it.

Chalk Farm Publishing Ltd, Riverside Lodge, Collier Close, Camerton, Bath BA2 0QB Publisher/Editor-Alan Bennett Tel: +44 (0) 1761 479 645 Fax: +44 (0) 1761 479 663 E-m: info@ontheroad.co.uk, info@chalkfarmpublishing.co.uk Design/artwork: RakeAmble

Continued from front cover... The law has been suspended by a regional court in the Veneto re-gion, which ruled that alternative routes for the ships have not yet been agreed on and poses a risk to the vessels. The suspension will last until June, when the issue will be discussed again. Cruise Companies like Celebrity have already made plans for de-ploying smaller ships next year for the Venice itineraries... watch this space!!!

Paris appears to be under siege according to a recent report in the Daily Mail, as gypsy thieves target tourists visiting attractions and collecting money from cash points.

“If the police come anywhere near the Roma, they just laugh and then run off. Areas are be-coming completely lawless.” said one tourist. Charity and human rights groups were furi-ous last week when a leaked police memo called for the ‘systematic eviction’ of Roma from the centre of the city.

It followed the country’s Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, saying that the travelling communities of mainly Romanians and Bulgarians ‘cannot integrate’ and should be deported. Most of them live in large shanty towns on the outskirts of Paris, but more

and more are setting up new camps in central parks and squares.

A spokesman for Charity group Catholic Help described the note as a ‘scandal’, saying that it ‘stigmatised a poor community’ and amounted to ‘racial profiling’ - something which is illegal in secular France.

But other Paris officials argued that Roma are behind most of the crime in the city, involv-ing themselves in everything from aggressive begging to muggings and burglaries.

Prime Minister Valls has continued a policy started by former president Nicolas Sarkozy of razing Roma camps, and trying to deport as many of their occupants as possible.

This has led to protests from a number of human rights groups, including Amnesty International, which points out that most Roma in France are Romanian or Bulgarian and as such are EU citizens with the right to live and work in the country.

By Alan Bennett

Grand Canal Venice

gypsy thiEVEs sWarm throUgh paris

Highlights details of 100’s of Advent and Christmas marketsand Festive events from Aarhus to Zurich and beyond

Photo: Christmas Market - Tallinn Town Square by Toomas Volmer

You can also identify many benefits on offer during the festiveseason to make your itinerary even more appealing

www.christmas-markets.org

People news

Some of these appointments were made whilst we were “Off the road” just in case you missed the details first time round.

Accor

Vivek Badrinath joined Accor as Deputy Chief Executive Officer. He is responsible for marketing, digital solutions, distribution, and information systems. He joined from Orange where his most recent position was Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Innovation, Marketing and Technologies.

Royal Caribbean

Adam Goldstein has been named President and Chief Operating officer of RCC. Goldstein, a 25-year company veteran, had spent the previous 12 years as President and CEO of the company’s largest cruise line, Royal Caribbean International.

FRHI

FRHI Hotels & Resorts (FRHI), the parent company of luxury hotel brands Raffles Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, has appointed Aiden McAuley as Senior Vice President Operations, Europe. In this new role, he has relocated from Singapore to Zurich and is now responsible for oversee-ing all existing hotel operations and future developments across all three brands - Fairmont, Swissôtel & Raffles within the European Region. European Travel Commission

• ETC has elected Mr Peter De Wilde, Toer-isme Vlaanderen (Belgium), as President of the European Travel Commission for a three-year term. The appointment of Mr De Wilde follows the unexpected resignation of Mr Manuel Butler as Director General of Tourspain last September and ergo as President of ETC. Mr Roberto Rocca, Director General for Tourism of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, acted as interim President during the transition time.

Peter De Wilde has been CEO of the Tourist Office for Flanders-Visit Flanders since 2009. He has a PhD in Arts, Romance Language and Literature and has been assistant professor at the University of Antwerp.

• The European Travel Commission (ETC) elected Vincent Nijs, Research Manager at Visit Flanders, as the new Chairman of its Marketing Intelligence Group (MIG)

The ETC Market Intelligence Group is an established and internationally acknowl-edged Think Tank on tourism research. It serves as an active forum for tourism experts to share knowledge and provide strategic advice on market intelligence. ETC President Peter De Wilde said. “The evidence-based conclusions and recom-mendations provided by this group are vital to our organisation to prepare for challenges that lie ahead for Destination Europe”.

Dorchester Collection

Philip Morris has joined the Dorchester Collection as Director of Revenue, he came from the Waldorf Astoria & Towers, New York where he worked as Director of Rev-enue Management since 2011. And previ-ously in progressive revenue management roles at Hilton Worldwide, Rocco Forte Hotels and Marriott Hotels.

UKinbound

The trade association representing the interests of the UK’s inbound tourism sec-tor, announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive, Deirdre Wells in March.

Wells joined UKinbound from the Depart-ment of Culture, Media and Sport, where she was the government’s Head of Tour-ism. She had worked within the depart-ment for 20 years.

WORLDHOTELS

• Geoff Andrew has been appointed Chief Operating Officer at WORLDHOTELS in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Andrew has a proven track record in the hos-pitality industry, having worked in executive positions at Corinthia Hotels, Summit Hotels & Resorts and within the Utell organisation

• Paulo Salvador has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer at WORLDHOTELS in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Salvador joined Worldhotels in 2011 as Executive Vice President Europe, Middle East and Africa, and in the past three years has successfully overseen all of the group’s operations within the EMEA (Europe, Mid-dle East & Africa) region as well as its global sales and distribution activities.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) The group has announced that Robert “Bob” Morse will step down from his role as Chief Operating Officer for the Americas region. Lew Fader, currently Senior Vice President of Operations for the Americas East Region and Canada, will oversee hotel operations in the interim. Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Announce two key new appointments - Jan Bundgaard has been internally promoted to the position of Vice President Development, Europe and Africa, and Paul Mulcahy joins

the company as Vice President Distribution and Revenue Management. The two new members of the company’s Corporate Centre team based in Zurich will focus on building the global success of the international up-scale hospitality company of Swiss heritage. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts • Christopher Norton has been promoted to the newly created role of Executive Vice President, Global Product and Operations. The position includes responsibility for worldwide hotel operations, product, design, construction and procurement.

The appointment builds on Norton’s indus-try experience, including 25 years with Four Seasons, most recently serving as President Hotel Operations, Europe, Middle East and Africa, a role that included the operational oversight of all Four Seasons properties in the region.

• Christian Clerc, Regional Vice President and General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris has been promoted to the role of Senior Vice President, Hotel Opera-tions, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) based in Dubai and reporting to Norton. Singapore Airlines

Subhas Menon has been names as Regional VP Europe. Menon previously headed up the airline’s wholly owned subsidiary airline SilkAir and most recently worked as regional VP South West Pacific.

He takes over from Paul Tan, who has been posted back to Singapore as Divisional VP Customer Services.

Peter De Wilde

Christopher Norton

Paulo Salvador

On the Road issue 212 Page 3

Deirdre Wells

On the Road issue 212 Page 4

By the way, did you know that...

...Leipzig is the happiest city in Germany? According to a new study conducted by the research institute GfK for the real estate agency Immonet, Leipzig leads the feel good ranking of 15 German cities. The researchers found the Saxon city to be the most attractive place to live in Germany, followed by Cologne and Munich. The rea-son? Leipzig has it all: green space, a good city image, but also facilities for childcare and a good infrastructure.

Vienna is the tops A survey to find the city with the best quality of living in the world has awarded the top spot to Vienna.

The Quality of Living survey was conducted by Mercer, a consultancy firm, to help multinational compa-nies and other employers to com-pensate staff fairly when sending them on international assignments.

Researchers rated 460 cities accord-ing to factors such as political stabil-ity, banking regulations, media freedom, law enforcement and the record of natural disasters.

In 25th place, Singapore was the highest-ranking Asian city, whereas the top city in the Middle East and Africa was Dubai, in 73rd place.

The best quality in all of Central and South America was in the tiny town of Pointe-a-Pitre on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, which came in 69th.

London was ranked at 38th because of factors such as air pollution and traffic congestion keep. Venice

First London had the ‘Wobbly Bridge’ now Venice has the ’Slippery Bridge’!

Campaigners opposed to a futuristic footbridge that spans Venice’s Grand Canal have denounced it as so slippery you can ski over it - adding to the woes of its archi-tect, Santiago Calatrava, who faces a series of lawsuits over costs and alleged design faults at other projects.

The Sunday Times reported that Venice city hall has said it would seek damages of more than €500,000 from Calatrava after inspectors blamed cost overruns on errors in the design of the steel, glass and stone Constitution Bridge, which opened in 2008 opposite the railway station.

A mobile pod has had to be installed to ferry disabled people across the canal, while its glass steps often break and have to be replaced.

Calatrava declined to comment on the con-troversies. He has stressed that as far as the Venice Bridge is concerned, any problems were caused by the execution of the project not its design.

Tourism Egypt The total number of tourist arrivals to Egypt dropped 27 %in February 2014 compared to the same month last year,

A total of 617,000 tourists visited Egypt in February 2014, down from the 845,000 who visited last year. The number of tour-ist arrivals was down 4.1 % in February compared to January.Tourism revenue also fell by 64.7 %t, equivalent to US$2 billion, to $0.9 billion during the period from July to September 2013 compared to the same period the previous year, .

The year 2013 was worst for Egypt’s tourism, Only 9.5 million tourists stayed in Egypt’s hotels in 2013, versus 11.57 million in 2012, and 14.7 million in 2010, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) announced in an official statement, recently.

The Egyptian central bureau of statistics reported a 28.9% decline in tourists during the month of January this year compared

Places news

Further information and booking:

Wiesbaden Marketing GmbHP.O. Box 6050

65050 Wiesbaden, GermanyPhone: +49 611 1729 702

Fax: +49 611 1729 799Email: gruppen@wiesbaden-marketing.de

www.wiesbaden.eu

Rheingau Wine Festival

The general tour and booking conditions of Wiesbaden Marketing apply.

Package for groups: Service

• Guided city walk (duration: approx. 1.5 hours)• Voucher for a glass of wine at the Rheingau Wine Festival• Coffee and cake in Germany‘s first Viennese café• Surprise culinary giftPrice: From 15 people €22.00 per person From 31 people €20.50 per person

Arrival: August 8 to 17, 2014; August 14 to 23, 2015 Booking: Subject to availability on request

Rheingau Wine Festival – Oliver Hebel

Please note Day package is bookable with overnight stay! Price with overnight stay on request.

08 Aug - 17 Aug 2014 14 Aug - 23 Aug 2015

Wiesbaden and the Rheingau Region are famous for its Riesling Wine. Wine lovers can experience the whole variety of the wine-growing region every year in August when the Rheingau Wine Festival turns the centre of Wiesbaden into the “longest wine bar in the world”.

For ten days the Wine Festivals attract many thousand people from all over the country and beyond and presents a major attraction right in Wiesbaden s lovely city centre.

In about 120 stalls and booths local vintners offer their wines, both well-known favourites and newly launched varieties, as well as mouth popping sparkling wines. Culinary delights are on offer to complement all the different wines making this sensory festival a perfect treat.

A diverse musical programme provides entertainment on a number of stages. With its unique atmosphere this Wiesbaden festival is a one-of-a-kind experi-ence. The Rheingau Wine Festival has established itself as a special highlight for tourist groups, individual travellers and locals alike.

Experience Wiesbaden during the Rheingau Wine Festival and enjoy its excellent gastronomy and great shopping opportunities.

THE BEST

Vienna

Zurich

Auckland

Munich

Vancouver

Dusseldorf

Frankfurt

THE WORST

Baghdad

Bangul

Port-au-Prince

N’Djamena

Sana’a

Brazzaville

Continued...

Footbridge that spans Venice’s Grand Canal

On the Road issue 212 Page 5

to the same month in 2013. In January, 642,000 tourists were recorded compared to 903,000 the previous year. The decline was led by tourists coming from Eastern Europe, followed by Western Europe and the Middle East. The report also said tour-ists from Arabic countries had declined by 46.6%. (ANSAmed).

New ‘Aphrodite’s Cultural Route’ Cyprus is the fabled birthplace of none other than Aphrodite, Greek goddess of Love. To highlight how the goddess’ influence has been felt down the generations, the Cyprus Tourism Organisation has published ‘Aphro-dite’s Cultural Route’ Taking in some of Cy-prus’ best archaeological sites - including the World Heritage Site at Palaipafos (Kouklia), Amathous and the ancient city of Kition – the route also explores her birth, mythology, character, the rituals connected with her cult – and even plants and seashells associated with her. www.visitcyprus.com

Tourism body launch Shakespeare’s England, the destination management organisation for Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Kenilworth, Royal Leamington Spa and the surrounding area has officially launched. Its remit is to market and manage the area’s visitor economy. www.shakespeares-england.co.uk Bordeaux wine gang Police in France have arrested 20 members of a highly organised, “professional” gang which they say has stolen more than €lm-worth of fine Bordeaux wines in raids on

13 chateaux and two warehouses over the past eight months. Detectives said they had never before seen thefts of fine wines on this scale, and that the gang included known criminals who had switched from robbing bank vaults to vineyards because these are less well protected and almost as lucrative. The prices of fine wines have surged in recent years, fuelled by demand from Asia. Paris Region made easier The Paris Region Tourist Board has launched a new portal in English to give tourism professionals better information and help them schedule visits to Paris and the Ile-de-France area. pro.visitparisregion.com

Included:

A presentation and calendar of events organised by the Paris Region Tourist Board: promotional campaigns, fam trips, workshops, press trips, etc

Themed guides for : museums, monu-ments, cultural and leisure sites, parks and gardens, attractions, cabarets, music venues, family trips, exhibitions, shop-ping, excursions, cruises, hotel booking centres, etc.

A guide on history tourism, the central theme for the destination in 2014:Na-poleon; Centenary of 1st World War; Liberation of Paris

Practical tools: photo library, video library

For more information about the Paris Ile-de-France destination, please don’t hesi-tate to ask: lleger@visitparisregion.com

World Tourism growth International tourist arrivals grew by 5% in 2013, reaching a record 1,087 million arrivals, according to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.

Despite global economic challenges, inter-national tourism results were well above expectations, with an additional 52 million international tourists travelling the world in 2013.

For 2014, UNWTO forecasts four to 4.5 % growth - again, above the long term projections which were . +3.8 % per year between 2010 and 2020

Demand for international tourism was strongest for destinations in Asia and the Pacific ( + 6%), Africa (also up+6% ) and Europe (+5%).

The leading sub-regions were South-East Asia (+10%), Central and Eastern Europe (+7%), Southern and Mediterranean Europe (+6%) and North Africa (+6%).

The Falmouth to Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Regatta 28 August to 5 September 2014

The Falmouth to Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Regatta will be one of the biggest international sailing events in solely English waters.

Over 30 Tall Ships from around the world will arrive in Falmouth for three days of festivities from 28 to 30 August before the race start on the 31 August 2014.

On Sunday 31 August, the Tall Ships will pass between Henry VIII’s twin Tudor cas-tles of Pendennis and St Mawes in a Parade of Sail to the start line in Falmouth Bay.They then head eastwards en route to the finish line just off the Isle of Wight.

The ships will continue to London, sailing up the iconic River Thames to the finish port of Royal Greenwich, where they will enjoy a further five days of celebrations www.falmouthtallships.co.uk . E-visas for Turkey Travellers to Turkey will now need to ap-ply for visas online before leaving home. Applicants will have to log on to the Turkish government’s website and pay $20 per person for a 90-day visa, which can be printed out at home. The Turkish authorities say that the new system, which replaces the long -standing visa-on-arrival scheme, will speed up immigration at Turkish airports. www.evisa.gov.tr Scotland discovery Archaeologists have uncovered the earliest evidence of the presence of humans in Scotland. An assemblage of over 5,000 flint artefacts was recovered in 2005-9 by Biggar

Archaeology Group in fields at Howburn, near Biggar in South Lanarkshire, and subsequent studies have dated their use to 14,000 years ago. Prior to the find, the oldest evidence of human occupation in Scotland could be dated to around 13,000 years ago at a now-destroyed cave site in Argyll.

Dating to the very earliest part of the late-glacial period, Howburn is likely to repre-sent the first settlers in Scotland. The flint tools are strikingly close in design to similar finds in northern Germany and southern Denmark from the same period, a link which has helped experts to date them.

The hunters who left behind the flint remains at Howburn came into Scotland in pursuit of game, probably herds of wild horses and reindeer, at a time when the climate improved following the previous severe glacial conditions. Glacial conditions returned again around 13,000 years ago and Scotland was once again depopulated, probably for another 1000 years, after which new groups with different types of flint tools make their appearance Norfolk In one of the most important archaeologi-cal discoveries ever made in Britain, the oldest human footprints outside Africa have been found in Norfolk. Coastal ero-sion revealed the 50 prints near the village of Happisburgh last May. All but one was destroyed by tides two weeks later, before they could be lifted - but not before ar-chaeologists had made a full photogram-metric record of the extraordinary find. The prints are believed to have been made between 800,000 and a million years ago; prior to this discovery, the oldest footprint in the UK was only 7,500 years old.

Places news continued...

Aphrodite, Greek goddess of Love

•

•

•

•

Tall Ships in Dock

On the Road issue 212 Page 6

Tour operator adds Italian passion play

Central Holidays has boosted its spiritual tour offerings with the inclusion of the 2015 Passion Play of Sordevolo, Italy. The New Jersey based company, specialists in Italy and Mediterranean group tours will be the exclusive ticket distributor for the 2015 Passion Play, taking place between June and September.

Tickets for group travel only and packages can be customised for group planners combined with itineraries to Rome, Flor-ence, or Venice.

The Passion Play of Sordevolo in the Pied-mont region takes place every five years and its roots date back over 200 years. It is a major production staged by more than 400 of Sordevolo’s residents and acting roles are often passed down through generations of the same family.

Central Holidays offers a variety of other faith tours to Europe and the Holy Land including shrines of Portugal and Spain, Greek cruises and Jewish heritage in Po-land. www.centralholidays.com Peace unto all mankind... But!

An animal rights group is appealing to the Pope to stop freeing doves of peace at the Vatican because they keep getting attacked by other birds.

Italy’s National Agency for the Protection of Animals said in an open letter to the Pope that releasing doves over St Peter’s Square was like “condemning them to certain death”.

The group encouraged him to take a lesson from his namesake, St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. “Animals that are born in captivity, not being wild, are unable to recognise predators and are therefore incapable of fleeing danger,” the letter said.

The appeal follows an attack on two doves that as the Pope prayed for peace

in Ukraine. The pair were immediately set upon by a seagull and a crow - although they appeared to have escaped. Blessing by the Pope

Sceptre Tours which specialises in Ireland, Britain and Italy, has come up with a Meet the Pope experience that allows newlyweds to have their union person-ally blessed by the Pope at the Vatican. “Sposi Novelli” tickets are available through church organisations, but Sceptre will make the arrangements for couples that book a honeymoon package through Sceptre and purchase the papal excursion add-on for $330. Obviously, the company has to work around the pontiff’s schedule to make it happen.

“He is usually at the Vatican on Wednes-days for the blessing, and his schedule is confirmed at least three weeks in advance,” said Chris Accomando, President of Sceptre Tours. “Of course, if he happens to be traveling, the request cannot be confirmed,” www.sceptretours.com Aachen Pilgrimage (20. - 29. June 2014)

For over 660 years people have been making the pilgrimage, known as the “Heiligtumsfahrt”, to Aachen. Their goal is to honour four relics, which have been kept as treasure in Aachen Cathedral since Char-lemagne. History has it that Charlemagne was given the relics as a present from Jerusalem around 800 AD.

Since 1349, the relics have been removed from the golden Shrine of the Virgin Mary in Aachen Cathedral once every seven years and put on display for the faithful of Europe and from around the world for a period of ten days. http://en.heiligtumsfahrt2014.de/

Faith Travel Association Announced NTA Services Inc. has created the Faith Travel

Association. The membership trade organisa tion will serve as a business-building resource for travel professionals, sites and organizations focused on faith-based travel. FTA will also provide connections, education and support for group leaders, religious leaders and travel agents who are planning trips for individuals or groups brought together by their faith or religious community. FTA will offer education and networking opportunities to its members including the FTA website (www.faithtravelassociation.com)

Italian Passion play

Relics removed from

the golden Shrine

Faith tourism

• Centuries-old Jewish heritage, visiting Ahrida Synagogue – Istanbul’s oldest, dating back to the early 1400’s – boasting a refreshed splendour since its 1992 refurbishment;• Ashkenazi heritage, with visits to Eske-nazi, the last remaining active synagogue of its kind in Istanbul; and the “Tailors Syna-gogue,” founded by a group of Ashkenazi Austrian clothiers in 1900 and now serving their traditions as a fashion art gallery and research center;• The city’s Jewish quarters, then and now, exploring the Balat quarter, where the Jewish culture began to thrive during the Ottoman Empire, and the Galata district, where a modern bustling Jewish commu-nity has increased since the 1950’s.• The juxtaposition of Turkey’s Jewish and Muslim cultures, with a visit to the Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turk-ish Jews, celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Jewish odyssey from Spain to Turkey, along with exhibits of the country’s cor-responding Muslim history.

“We continue to respond to the increasing popularity of spiritually-based experiences

ashore with new opportunities to gain insightsinto the impact that faith has had on the world in which we sail,” says John Stoll, vice president of land programs. “Istanbul has been a religious mecca for centuries, as the home to sites and stories that are not only profound for our Jewish guests, but also historically relevant for non-practitioners.”

In addition to the new excursion in Istanbul, five other thoughtfully crafted tours explore Jewish history in Europe, aboard several 2014 Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity sailings, such as:

• An intimate glimpse inside the lives and stories of a Jewish family in St. Petersburg;• Otto Weidt’s broom factory in Berlin, where many disabled Jews were employed and protected from deportation;• The Amsterdam house where Anne Frank hid and penned her famous memoirs;• Stockholm’s memorial to 8,500 Swedish Holocaust victims; and• One of the best preserved Jewish quarters in Europe, from Palamós, Spain.Several excursions elsewhere in Europe also explore Christian heritage via exclusive experiences.

CRySTAL CRUISES NEW JEWISH HERITAGE ExCURSIONS With continued growing interest in its Jewish Heritage excursions, Crystal Cruises is expanding its spiritual offerings ashore for 2014 luxury European cruises. In Istanbul, a brand new Crystal Adventure ashore - offered with Crystal Serenity’s May 7 and June 22 voyages - explores the city’s storied Jewish history and some of the most enduring spiritual landmarks, including: Crystal Cruise ship

On the Road issue 212 Page 7

Japan aiRlines, Ba and FinnaiR Join FoRces

Japan Airlines and fellow oneworld alliance members British Airways and Finnair have begun their joint business between Europe and Japan from April.

The three airlines will share revenue and co-operate on scheduling and pricing between Japan and Europe, providing customers with more flexible routing options and an attrac-tive range of fares.

The agreement also strengthens the one-world alliance and enables it to compete more effectively around the world with other global alliances.

Currently, Finnair flies daily from Helsinki to Tokyo and daily in summer (five times per week in the winter) to Osaka and Nagoya, connecting Japan to more than 50 Finnair destinations in Europe.

Japan Airlines also operates daily from Tokyo to Helsinki, Frankfurt, Paris and London, while British Airways operates daily flights (from April 9th) from London to both Narita and Haneda airports in Tokyo. easieR FoR the aiRline oR the passengeR?

Passengers at Edinburgh Airport will now have the chance to use the UK’s first multi-airline bag drop facility ensuring a speedier check-in process. The system is currently operated by easyJet and Flybe and currently unique in Scotland, ten self-service kiosks have been installed so travellers weigh their baggage, print their own bag tag and dispatch their luggage themselves.

A quick scan of a boarding pass will prompt the passenger to weigh their bag and a bag tag will be printed. easyJet and Flybe

passengers will then be directed to the designated bag drop zone where they can dispatch the luggage themselves. www.edinburghairport.com euRostaR and deutsche Bahn

Eurostar, the high-speed passenger service linking London and mainland Europe has introduced a new ticket offering in partner-ship with German high-speed rail operator, Deutsche Bahn.

Tickets are available to purchase to six cities in Germany - Aachen, Cologne, Bonn, Düs-seldorf, Frankfurt and Munich. Travellers are now able to purchase via eurostar.com one single ticket valid for their entire journey for travel to the six German cities.

In addition to the six available to buy via eurostar.com, a further six stations - Ham-burg, Berlin, Hannover, Essen, Bremen and Duisburg - will be on sale exclusively via Eurostar’s contact centre. p&o cRuises - neW Re-gional Flights FoR ventuRa Fly-Med pRo-gRaMMe

P&O Cruises has added departures from seven regional airports on selected Fly-Med cruises on Ventura for this summer. The direct* regional charter flights will be available, at no extra cost, on 16 Fly-Med cruises across seven regional airports includ-ing; Bournemouth, Belfast, Cardiff, East Midlands, Glasgow, Newcastle and Stansted. Flights are also available from London, Manchester or Birmingham as standard.

*All flights are direct to Genoa except cruise N407A from East Midlands. www.pocruises.co.uk

idBus pRoFile

The iDBUS network connects Paris (at least 7 daily services) and Lille (4 daily services) to London, Brussels and Amsterdam: As well as Paris and Lyon to Turin and Milan. Services are also available from Marseille, Aix - en - Provence and Nice to Genoa and Milan, and from Lyon to Barcelona.

The coaches offer free WiFi connection irrespective of the country, each row of seats has a 220V electrical socket, numbered seats, adjustable seat positions, table, read-ing lamp, air-conditioning, adjustable foot rest, etc. iDBUS’ s is also introducing a brand new mobile website, real time customer information service, ticketless boarding, its new payment options and an extended distribution list.

iDBUS offers a “Group Deal” for group book-ings, where passengers can purchase 3 tickets and get their fourth ticket free, they are also introducing a 10+ series of deals.

Wheelchair users can reserve a place up until 48 hours before the journey.(They can also benefit from personal accompaniment throughout the journey by contacting the client contact centre at least 48 hours before beginning their journey.)

iDBUS Captains are experienced drivers that speak English and are in charge of accom-panying customers throughout the entire journey.

iDBUS nework is part of SNCF, present in 120 countries; SNCF is a world leader in mobility and logistics. www.idbus.co.uk

RotteRdaM opening

The new Rotterdam Centraal Station opened in March.The new station is part of the largest railway and station renovation since the creation of the Dutch railways 175 years ago. Rotterdam Centraal Station is the first of a series of large train stations that will soon be opened in Holland. heathRoW - Rail Boost

Travellers from the Thames Valley to the West Country and Wales are to receive a huge boost to their transport links, after Network Rail announced plans for a preferred route for a new rail line from the Great Western Main Line with the UK’s only hub airport, Heathrow.

The Great Western Main Line currently runs from Swansea, through Cardiff, before going on to Reading and London Paddington. Under the new plans rail passengers travel-ling from west of Reading will no longer have to double-back on themselves via Paddington.

The new link means passengers in Cardiff and Swansea could have their travel times to Heathrow cut by up to 45 minutes and 53 minutes respectively, while those in Reading could have up to 27 minutes taken off their journey. RyanaiR links With gds

Once unthinkable, now a reality the airline is now phasing in offering availability via Travelport whose major divisions are Apollo, Galileo and Worldspan. The move is one of a series of measures by Ryanair to attract business travellers.

Transport news

iDBUS

Bag drop off – Phase 5 machines

the venice siMplon-oRient-expRess

The Company is adding Brussels to its regu-lar schedule with departures to and from Brussels available from Venice, Vienna and Budapest.

The concept of luxury train travel has its roots in Belgium with Belgian Georges Nagelmackers creating the original ‘Orient Express’ train service in 1883 that ran from Paris to Vienna and on to Constantinople. Made up of beautifully restored carriages from various luxury train services of the 1920s and 1930s,including the legendary Orient-Express, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express looks to evoke the golden age of travel. The new Belgium routes take the train through the German, Austrian and Swiss countryside. Visit www.vsoe.com tel aviv

Ben-Gurion International Airport has opened a new passenger hall in Terminal One to accommodate an expected increase in international budget airlines flying into Israel following the Open Skies Agreement signed with the European Union in 2013. The new passenger hall will allows the number of weekly low-cost flights to in-crease from 22 to 55.

easyJet was the first airline to bring passen-gers through the new hall, and the airline already operates regular flights between London Luton, Manchester and Tel Aviv, as well as other European destinations includ-ing Geneva, Basel, Switzerland and

Rome with Berlin have been added to the schedule..

Israeli Airline, El Al from March now oper-ates low-cost routes between Budapest, Berlin and Prague. All flights will be subject to Israel Airline Regulations with cancellation policies and unlike competitors, El Al will sell budget flights through travel agents as well as online.

The Open Skies Agreement will allow more EU flights into Israel and is anticipated to take full effect over the next five years; the agreement will see a rise in visitors from Europe with an estimated increase of 250,000 tourists in its first year of opera-tion. pod tRansFeR

Thistle London Heathrow is boasting that it is the ONLY hotel to provide direct ac-cess to Heathrow Airport’s innovative Ul-trapod network, allowing hotel guests to quickly connect straight to Terminal 5. The futuristic driverless pods allow passengers to reach the airport in just five minutes. Costing £5 per person, the transport pods allow guests the extra benefit of travelling onto any other Terminal via the Heathrow Express at no extra cost.

Since the launch, the pods have carried close to 1 million passengers travelling between the Terminal 5 Business Car Park and the main terminal. The addition of the Thistle Heathrow Hotel marks the first expansion of the network. It is the only hotel with direct access to the network

Wizz aiR - pec

Passengers are now allowed to use Portable Electronic Devices such as mobile phones, electronic readers and tablet computers on all flights.

The new guidelines have been issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency and adopted by the Hungarian Civil Aviation Authority.

Passengers are asked to remove head-phones during the safety announcements of the cabin crew and switch off electronic devices when the crew cannot confirm that these are operating in flight mode and match the criteria for usage during the flight. Larger electronic devices such as laptops, will need to be stored for take-off and landing.

On the Road issue 212 Page 8

Transport news continued...

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

The London Cruise Show took place in March at Olympia and CLIA UK & Ireland (the successor to the Passenger Shipping Association) presented its results for 2013 another record year for the UK cruise mar-ket, and British port embarkations reaching the one million mark for the first time.

This year and next year alone will see 13 ocean cruise ships launched, worth almost £5bn.

The UK again is Europe’s No. 1 market at 27% of cruise passengers and, globally, is second to North America.

A Mediterranean cruise remained the most popular for British passengers, 644,000 cruise holiday makers, but could beaten by Northern Europe which is now the destina-tion of choice for one in three UK passen-gers having jumped 20% to 531,000 UK passengers in 2013.

CLIA report for 2013

There is a trend for UK passengers starting their cruises at home rather than overseas. Just six years ago, only a third of UK pas-sengers began their holiday from British ports. By 2013, it was almost half (49%) and in 2014/15, it is likely that more UK passengers will start their cruise holiday from Britain.

With innovation and imagination the cruise lines invest in the development of their itineraries. Research has shown that the destination remains the number one rea-son given by UK passengers for choosing a cruise holiday.

For the second consecutive year, 2013 saw more passengers taking multiple cruises (52%) rather than just one cruise.

On the Road issue 212 Page 9

Regular cruises in the Valley of the LoreleyRüdesheim – Bingen – St.Goarshausen

Dept.Rüd.: 9.15am,11.00am and 2.00pmDept.St. Goar: 11.00am,2.10pm and 4.10pmFull restaurant service and snacks available

Commentary in English – Multi-lingual staff – Group rates

Tel. Bingen +49 6721 14140E- info@bingen-ruedesheimer.de www.bingen-ruedesheimer.de

London - City Cruises excursions

City Cruises - the Thames Circular Cruise, launches this month and sees a revamp of heritage vessel Eleanor Rose, offering a 45-minute round trip seven times daily from Tower Pier.

A second Thamesjet Blue Lightening is now available for booking as an identical sister product to the 315 horsepower BlueThun-der. Blue Thunder and Blue Lightening will be operating seven days a week throughout the summer and up to four trips a day during school holidays.City Cruises will be increasing capacity of Riverdays lunch and afternoon teas from three days a week to five days a week and evening Show Boat dining from five days to seven days a week.

Thames Circular will depart daily from Tower Pier departing at 10.00am, 11.00am, 12.00pm, 1.00pm, 3.00pm, 4.00pm, 5.00pm. Returns to Tower Pier after 45 minutes. www.citycruises.com

Star Clippers

Star Flyer will operate a series of seven-night voyages from the yachting paradise of Palma de Mallorca in summer 2014, cruising the Balearic islands and calling at anchorages only accessible to small ships, including the sleepy but beautiful islands of Formentera and lively Puerto Pollença on Mallorca.

Rubicon 3 New adventure sailing company Rubicon 3 - whose philosophy is ‘Sail, Train, Explore’ has launched a series of expeditions, departing from the UK, for adventure seekers thanks to a route that takes in the Arctic Circle.

With trips lasting from two weeks, Rubicon 3’s expeditions are a combination of serious sailing on a specialised 60’ expedition yacht (Hummingbird), high-quality sail training, plus the chance to explore spectacular islands, coastlines and cities.

Rubicon 3’s first 2014 sailing adventure is The Hanseatic Route guests will experience open-water sailing in the North Sea, Amsterdam, the Kiel Canal and the city of Gdansk

Also included is a pre-departure RYA Essential Navigations course, a seamanship pack and access to on-board tuition from instructors.

Other routes include stop-offs at cities including Riga, Tallinn, St

Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Edinburgh, plus destinations such as Shetland, the Orkneys, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway and the Arctic Circle. www.rubicon3.co.uk Tel: 0203 086 7245 Oceania Cruises Is offering a new choice of more than 20 themed cookery classes in its Bon Appetit Culinary Centres in 2014, on board the 1250-guest luxury cruise ships Marina and Riviera. The classes will be themed according to the regions in which the ships are sailing, including France, Spain, Italy, Morocco and the Baltics, as well as regional specialities, such as pasta making, preparing and cooking fish, specialities from the line’s Asian-fusian restaurant

Red Ginger, and healthy dishes from the Canyon Ranch spa.

The culinary centres were the first at sea to feature individual work stations with hobs, and present lessons from 45 minutes to three hours, for all abilities, under the guidance of professional chefs. The cooking experience is enhanced with visits to local markets and food producers, where the professional chefs purchase ingredients for the classes. Crystal Unique so far, Crystal Cruises is introducing Ambassador Hostesses on select cruises, expanding its popular on-board dancing programme. Female counterparts to the line’s Ambassador Hosts will debut on three Ballroom at Sea voyages in 2014 and 2015. Along with 8 dance hosts (double its previous ), the trans-Atlantic sailings will each feature 2 Ambassador Hostesses to dance with solo male guests during evening dance sets, live orchestra performances and dance classes in the ships’ lounges. www.crystalcruises.com

Clipperon-board dancing programme

Rubicon3 – après sail

Cruise news

The Majestic Line Hebridean small-ship cruise company, The Majestic Line, has announced their partner-ship with top Scottish wildlife guide, David Woodhouse. Based on the Island of Mull, one of the best areas in the UK to spot incredible wildlife, David will be providing guided day tours of the island as part of The Majestic Line’s new ‘Around Mull: Wildlife Explorer’ cruises in April, May, June and September this year. David is an informed and experienced expert, whose daily wildlife expeditions have blazed the trail in wildlife watching for over 30 years on the Island of Mull. www.themajesticline.co.uk. info@themajesticline.co.uk or call + 44 (0)1369 707951. Uniworld Attention, diehard fans of “The Sound of Music.” Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection is including performances by Elisabeth von Trapp on 36 cruises on the Danube River from June to September.

She is the granddaughter of the legendary Maria and Georg von Trapp, whose story in-spired the iconic movie and Broadway show.

Guests sailing on Uniworld’s “Enchanting Danube,” cruise will join von Trapp at the Mirabellgarten in Salzburg as she performs highlights from “The Sound of Music” and other songs.

Guests also can join in a sing-along of “Do-Re-Mi” at the famed garden where the original scene was filmed in 1964. Guests sailing on “European Serenade,” “Danube Discovery,” and “Grand European River Voyage” will be treated to on-board performances

Regent Seven Seas Cruises®. Throughout the summer Seven Seas Mariner® will call into various new ports of call throughout the Mediterranean including: Antibes and Lorient, Argostoli and Syros, Santa Cruz de la Palma and the Canary Islands.

Also from July - September, in Northern Europe, for the first time, guests can embark Seven Seas Voyager® in Oslo and Amsterdam. The popular ship will also call for the first time into new ports in Norway/Russia such as: Kristiansand, Hammerfest, Harstad, Spitsbergen and Murmansk. Copenhagen launch Copenhagen’s three-berth Ocean Quay will be inaugurated by Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II on May 2nd when Royal Caribbean International’s Legend of the Seas calls.

The 1,100m berth will be served by three terminals, each of 1,800m2. Facilities exist to discharge wastewater at 300m3 per hour and infrastructure for shore power is in place. Storm bollards of 250t have been installed as well as 125t bollards. There is room for a fourth berth should it be required in the future. www.cruiseeurope.com Cruise Europe Now has over a hundred members within Northern and Atlantic Europe. Their 4 regions –Norway, Iceland & the Faroes, The Baltic, UK & Ireland and Europe’s West Coast. New members this year include Bayonne, Brest, Dundee, Halmstad (61nm from Copenhagen) La Rochelle, Lorient, Nantes Saint-Nazaire, St Marlo and Parnu in south-western Estonia Phone: +47 91781441 www.cruiseeurope.com

LCB revamped web site London & Partners, the official promotional organisation for London, has launched a brand new convention bureau website that provides a one-stop-shop for event planners. The website offers improved venue listing services, an all-new search and shortlisting tool, as well as ‘Visualise’ 360 degree panora-mas. Created using feedback and suggestions from the events industry, the new site aims to provide an efficient and easy-to-use service for event planners around the world.

London & Partners’ experienced and knowl-edgeable convention bureau team give their individual recommendations and insider tips on the best parts of the city in a short video to mark the website’s launch. They talk about their favourite event venues and why they love Londo n.

The new website helps event planners:

Search for, map and shortlist potential London venues, hotels, restaurants and services Find inspiration for different events, from incentive programmes, to corporate events, to congresses View 360 degree panoramas of some of London’s best venues Meet the individuals that make up the convention bureau team

Go to conventionbureau.londonandpartners.com Cooking Up A Passion For Business Not only is a passion for cookery igniting creative sparks in people from all walks of life, the parallels between professional kitchens and commercial business practices provide great opportunities for corporate teambuild-ing and incentives.

The award-winning Edinburgh New Town Cookery School (ENTCS) has responded to demand for teambuilding that goes beyond paintballing and survival courses with the launch of its 2014 corporate events pro-gramme. The courses are designed to bring people together in a competitive and creative environment, with something for everyone who enjoys food.

Working in a kitchen is the ultimate in team working. Getting the best out of a chef team is about ensuring each person achieves their potential and completes a task to the height

of their ability to meet a common goal - the Holy Grail for any business.

Packages suitable for groups of eight to 32 range from basic cookery classes to delivering a three - course meal; making canapés, tapas or Asian street food; and include wine tast-ings and beer and food matching sessions. www.entcs.co.uk,call 0131 226 4314 MITM 2014 The 18th edition of MITM Euromed, Meetings and Incentive Travel Market, will take place this year in Cadiz, Spain, from June 11th to 13th. It is sponsored by the Provincial Council of Cadiz and its Convention Bureau.

The fair consists of two days of business ap-pointments between exhibitors and buyers, These meetings are complemented with a social program, where all participants will enjoy the wonders of Cadiz. The program includes one welcome reception with dinner, one working lunch, 3 coffee breaks and one closing ceremony with dinner and entertain-ment. After the fair, hosted buyers and press will enjoy the 2 post-tours of the province of Cadiz, visiting its wonderful beaches, Natural Parks, charming villages T: +34 91 541 43 08, +34 91 542 07 00.

Pullman Launched New Meeting Room Concept Accor has launched the new “Business Playground” meeting room concept for its Pullman Hotels and Resorts brand at the 312-room Pullman London St Pancras. The new meeting room is being rolled out across the brand portfolio this year as part of the Pullman brand refresh. Accor said the new concept emphasizes the blurring of profes-sional and private life and a ‘work hard, play hard’ aesthetic, and it showcases MICE’s im-portance to the brand, which makes up about 30% of overall revenue.

On the Road issue 212 Page 10

MICE newsCruise news continued

Magestic Line – anchored off Mull

Cadiz - White Village

Edinburgh New Tow

n Cookery School (ENTCS) •

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Orient-Express Hotels markets its collection under a new brandOrient-Express Hotels markets its collection under a new brand

Orient-Express Hotels is now known as Belmond. The launch of the Belmond brand is expected to heighten awareness of the its collection of hotels, trains, safaris and river cruises among existing and potential new guests by making it easier to recognise, navigate and explore.

The brand presently own and operates of 45 luxury hotel and travel experiences in some of the world’s most inspiring destinations. www.belmond.com

Aimed at the five star hotel, dining and enter-taining market, Aberdeen’s new Chester Hotel combines the original features of its stunning 19th century listed building on the city’s Queen’s Road with contemporary design.

Following a £5m complete refurbishment and extension, the hotel now boasts a restaurant, bar, private dining rooms, 54 bedrooms, includ-ing two suites, and a gym. A beauty and a function room for weddings and dinners for up to 300 people, plus conferences for up to 500 delegates. www.chester-hotel.com

Andy Murray’s hotelScottish tennis superstar Andy Murray acquired Cromlix, close to his hometown of Dunblane, just a short drive from Gleneagles, Following extensive refurbishment, the US Open and Olympic champion has now transformed the elegant Victorian Perthshire mansion into a luxury 15-bedroom and Gate Lodge, five star destination, The hotel, offers guests the chance to experience the sort of decadent lifestyle once enjoyed by the Lairds of Cromlix, redefined for the 21st century by sumptuous surroundings and impeccable yet discreet service. Cromlix is set in 34 acres of secluded wood-lands and garden grounds, with its own chapel and house loch. The hotel boasts a Chez Roux restaurant, reception hall, two drawing rooms, conservatory, dining room, snooker and meet-ing rooms. Cromlix’s chapel, attached to the

main house, can accommodate up to 30 people for weddings or private services. Activities on the estate include fishing on the loch, archery, falconry displays and tennis. Tel: 01786 822 125 www.cromlix.com

Room Mate Hotels has unveiled Room Mate Aitana, located on the IJ River in the heart of Amsterdam.

The 13 - story hotel is situated on the IJ Dock, located minutes from the trendy Jordaan district. The hotel boasts 284 guestrooms and suites; seven meeting rooms, a restaurant managed by Vitam, the well-known Dutch restaurant group; a business centre; fitness facilities; a marina with a capacity for 60 moor-ings; and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the entire hotel.

www.Room-MateHotels.com or call 0031 (0) 20 89 14 800.

Amsterdam AirportHyatt Hotels Corporation and Hillgate Proper-ties have opened the Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport. The 330-room property is located in the Hoofddorp area and offers a complimentary shuttle to the adjoining Schiphol Airport.

An apartment on the top floor of the east wing of Schönbrunn Palace, which was once reserved for close relatives of the imperial court, has now been converted.

Delicate stucco work, Maria Theresa chandeliers, and herringbone parquet floors com-plete the imperial ambience. The 167m² four-person suite boasts two bed-rooms, two modern bathrooms, a salon, a generous living room and a kitchenette. The views of the formal gardens and the Gloriette, and the Nep-tune Fountain are an absolute highlight.

Guests check-in at the nearby four-star Park-hotel Schönbrunn, run by Austria Trend Hotel, which operates the suite. Rates are €699 per person per night www.thesuite.at

Meliá Vienna has opened. The stylish 253-room hotel, is located in Vienna’s new landmark Skyscraper – the Donau-City Tower. The hotel’s destination “57 Restaurant & Lounge”, will offer Mediterranean and international food, to a backdrop of 360 degree panoramas of Vienna. Live DJs will provide entertainment for both hotel guests and restaurant visitors.

Meliá Vienna will comprise 17 of the buildings 58 floors. Located between the 4th and 15th floors are 253 state-of-the-art bedrooms, among them the expansive Presidential Suite

on the 14th floor, accessible via a private lift. All spacious rooms and suites feature floor-to-ceiling windows with integrated glass elements that can be opened.

The hotel boasts approximately 1,080 m2 of flexible meeting space, offering natural day-light as well as state-of-the-art technology.

A ballroom and eight partially combinable meeting rooms create an ideal setting for all kinds of events. At the end of a long day,

guests are welcome to relax in the hotel’s own gym featuring ultra-modern fitness equipment.

The Passage Hotel, a modern 4* hotel opened in March offering 52 air conditioned rooms, a deluxe suite, and three exceptional

lofts with well-equipped kitchens and a private terrace or balcony. As the establishment’s open passage connects old Basel with the new-est part of the city. The location and historic context were the inspiration for the hotel’s unusual name. There is a small meeting room, and 24-hour fitness club with state-of-the-art TechnoGym training equipment. www.thepassage.ch

DoubleTree by Hilton Dublin-Burlington Road has completed an extensive $21.6 million refurbishment of all public areas, guest rooms and suites, conference facilities, and exterior, as well as a completely-renovated Executive

Lounge. This hotel, formerly The Burlington Hotel is located just minutes from city-centre.

Flexible meeting and event space caters for up to 1,400 delegates or guests and can be used in conjunction with the nearby Fitzwilliam Hall.

The hotel has updated all 501 guest rooms and suites. Each room now features air-conditioning, multi-channel TV, a coffee maker, hairdryer, trouser press, iron and ironing board, and Crabtree & Evelyn’s bath amenities.

Guests can visit the hotel’s complimentary 24-hour fitness centre, and evenings offer the opportunity to enjoy dining at the hotel’s Sussex Restaurant or have a pint or cocktail at B Bar, one of Dublin’s most popular venues.

Holstebro Best Western International has welcomed a new member hotel in Holstebro, Central Denmark Region. The 3-star Best Western Hotel Royal offers modern amenities in the city centre of Holstebro and a total of 40 guestrooms.

Occupying three immaculately restored yalis (waterfront mansions) on the Bosporus’s European shore, ARMAGGAN Bosporus Suites opened earlier this year.

Available singly, as three separate houses or as one large residence, the 18 individual Suites celebrate the finest in local craftsmanship and hospitality, exquisite textiles and objects d’art by Istanbul’s young designers to Anatolia’s purest natural and regional cuisine.

Guests can enjoy bathing and massages in the private Turkish Hammam; make use of the Suites private boat and direct water access.

CORPORATE

ABERDEEN

DUNBLANE

On the Road issue 212 Page 11

Bedroom suite at Schönbrunn Palace

ARMAGGAN Bosporus Suites

BBar

Cromlix

Hospitality news

VIENNA

AMSTERDAM

BASEL

DENMARK

ISTANBUL

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DUBLIN

Super yachts have become the world’s ultimate symbol of wealth and exclusivity and Sunborn’s unique concept combines the privacy of a super yacht with all the amenities of a luxury hotel. Sunborn has invested over €200 million in the two new super yacht hotels Sunborn London is located in the Royal Victoria docks, next to ExCel.

Originally serving as Sunborn Princess at the Naantali Spa in Finland, Sunborn London has undergone a complete refurbishment of the exterior and interiors and opened in March. The 120 metre length, Sunborn London offers 138 spacious yacht bedrooms and suites over 5 floors with entertaining space, including a fine dining restaurant, bar, auditorium and conference rooms, state of the art gym and vast outside decks and private terraces.

Sunborn Gibraltar is located in the new Ocean Village Marina, offering guest’s uninterrupted views across the Gibraltar Straits and to the tip of Africa.

This super yacht hotel will offer the first of-ficial five star hotel accommodation to visitors of the rock, with 18,500²m of floor space the hotel will have 189 rooms and suites over seven floors.

Sunborn International invested €150 million to create this 142 meter super yacht hotel.For the leisure guest there are a variety of fine dining restaurants, cocktail bars, a large pool and sundeck, a spa, gym and casino, as well as a grand ballroom which can cater for any event from weddings to product launches.A focal point will be the top deck restaurant, which features a retractable roof allowing guests to enjoy alfresco dining all year round.

INNSIDE by Meliá has launched, the INNSIDE Suecia. The hotel, which has 120 rooms and seven suites, has undergone a full renovation.

It was built in the 50’s and was once Ernest Hemmingway’s home in the city. Located in the Cortes district next to the Circulo de Bellas Artes and close to the Calle Alcala, Gran Via and Plaza Cibeles.

The hotel houses an expansive rooftop bar, The Balcony, that is set over two floors with views of the skyline. Some of the suites have terraces, and the Loft City View Suite also has panoramic views of Madrid.

INNSIDE Suecia is equipped with multi-functional space for meetings and events, including a large terrace on the 11th floor The hotel also has a fully equipped gym and guest parking.

Beachcomber Hotels has opened the Royal Palm Marrakech. Located 12 km from the cen-tre of Marrakech and 8 km from the airport, this brand new five star property, inspired by Berber culture, is situated within a vast 231- hectare estate amongst age-old olive trees.

The 135 Suites offer views over the gardens, the par 72 hotel golf course and across to the Atlas Mountains beyond. Also tennis courts, two mini tennis courts, a squash court and a fully equipped sports centre offering specific fitness rooms.

There are four fine dining restaurants at Royal Palm, all headed by multi starred chef Philippe Jourdin.

The new 5 star Palazzo Parigi Hotel is situated in the historic quarter of Brera in Milan and offers 98 rooms and suites, 6 meeting rooms with garden view, a tea lounge and bar and a gourmet restaurant. The hotel offers a Grand Spa, roof garden with panoramic views over the Duomo and swimming pool Previously know as Palazzo Kramer, a 17th century building housing a bank until its full restora-tion and transformation in a luxury hotel. www.palazzoparigi.com

The 5 star Palazzo Montemartini is the result of four years of careful restoration and transfor-mation of an old palazzo adjacent the Diocletian Baths in Rome. The ancient Roman Servian Walls form part of this hotel and make it, therefore, unique. The hotel offers 82 rooms and suites, Senses Restaurant & Lounge Bar, 600sqm Ex-Pure Spa and meeting and events rooms. www.ragostahotels.com

The first Croatian boat hotel (botel) has opened and is docked at Adamić Pier, in the heart of Rijeka. Built in Denmark in 1935, Botel Marina has now been transformed into a hotel with 35 cabins with a total of 112 beds, a lobby, reception, coffee and wine bar and a restaurant offering traditional Croatian and Mediterranean specialities.

nhow Rotterdam has opened. The hotel resides in the mixed-use building ‘De Rot-terdam’ designed by OMA/Rem Koolhaas. It is the third nhow hotel in the world after nhow Milan and Berlin.

The hotel is situated on the Manhattan-like Wilhelminapier at the Maas. It offers confer-ence and meeting facilities, 278 rooms with riverside views, a skyline bar, food lounge and roof terrace.

InterContinental Hotels Group’s boutique brand Indigo has opened in St Petersburg. Hotel Indigo St Petersburg – Tchaikovskogo located between the Neva and Fontanka rivers, the Summer Garden and Tavricheskiy Garden. Nevskiy Prospect, the centre of St Petersburg, is close by. The property has 119 guestrooms. There are now 13 in Europe, and have another 15 in the pipeline. www.ihg.com/hotelindigo

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has opened the new Sheraton Zurich Hotel.

Located in the former industrial hub around Hardturm-Area in the heart of Zurich West. It includes 197 guest rooms, including 32 suites, all equipped with the signature all-white Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed.

LONDON & GIBRALTAR

MADRID

Palazzo Montemartini

Sunborn

nhow Rotterdam

MILAN

MARRAKECH

RIJEKA

ZURICH

ROME

ROTTERDAM

ST PETERSBURG

Hospitality continued...

On the Road issue 212 Page 12

100 years since World War 1 The Austrian heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated in Sara-jevo on June 28, 1914. About one month later, Austria-Hungary gave the rulers in Belgrade an ultimatum, which was not accepted. Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war on Serbia followed on July 28, 1914. Emperor Franz Joseph issued the war manifesto “To My People!”. This had fatal consequences: War raged in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia until 1918. In this first major war that was fought with modern weapons, about sev-enteen million people lost their lives. By the end of the war the rule of the Hapsburgs in Austria was over and the First Republic was declared.

This year there are exhibitions everywhere to commemorate. Just go to the relevant Tourist Board web sites where you will find full details.

Straight to the horse’s mouth - Helix project - Falkirk The Kelpies tower a colossal 30 metres above Scotland’s Forth & Clyde canal and form a dramatic gateway to the canal entrance on the East Coast of Scotland, The Kelpies are a monument to horse powered heritage across Central Scotland.

Visitors can now experience a tour inside The Kelpies and hear all about their origin, inspiration and the engineering work in-volved in their creation.

From summer 2014 the Kelpie visitor center will offer an interactive visitor exhibition, gift shop and eatery will open.

The Kelpies Travel Trade benefits for 2014 include:

Free coach parking and driver refreshments (From summer 2014).

10% off gift shop for groups of 10 or more (From summer 2014).

Private guided group tours at The Kelpies.

Trade discounts for groups 15 + with tour guides/teachers going FREE

Also on offer are bespoke packages for groups visiting both The Kelpies and other Falkirk Community Trust attractions such as Callendar House that dates back to the 14th century.

See the trade discounts for groups and to pre book tour tickets. www.thehelix.co.uk

Rome Dark Rome’s tour of the Coliseum includes a visit underground as well, down into the tunnels where gladiators (and wild ani-mals) awaited their fate. Tickets from €73

Also in Rome a number of companies have been offering tours to gaze at masterpieces by Leonardo, Caravaggio and Raphael at the Vatican Museums. They include: Italy With Us, Viator and Dark Rome, which also offers a new before-hours package: a breakfast with Italian food and an Ameri-can buffet in the outdoor Pinecone Court-yard at the Vatican, followed by a tour of galleries and rooms after opening. Tickets retail from about €126.

L’Eroica Britannia, UK 20th to 22nd June 2014 L’Eroica, the historic Tuscan bike tour dubbed ‘the most handsome bike race in the world’ is coming to England.

The tour will travel through Bakewell the ‘ancient capital of the Peak’ and the Peak District National Park on a three day festival, known as ‘The Great British Adventure’, celebrating heritage, well-being and local food and drink, as well as cycling.

Cyclists can choose a 30, 50 or 100 mile route to ride on classic, pre-1987 bikes. www.eroicabritannia.co.uk . Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh got it wrong!

The belief that Vikings floated their lead-ers out to sea in burning boats is a myth, said the curator of the British Museum, Gareth Williams, at the opening of the exhibition, Vikings: Life and Legend (To 22nd June 2014)

He said he had only encountered one fanciful source for the ritual - “the funeral of the god Baldur, but that is not an ac-count of something that happened”.

He added: “Boat burning on land did take place. There are obvious reasons why

we don’t have archaeological evidence for boats burnt at sea, but it’s not something we have any evidence for.”

“Re-creations of festivals in Shetland are a celebration of 19th century romanticism”, he said.

tickets@britishmuseum.org Croatia • First waterpark

Due to open in June 2014, the Istralandia water park is set to welcome travellers to the heart-shaped region of Istria. Covering an area of more than 81,000 m2, the waterpark boasts 20 different slides and a large artificial wave pool - perfect for those wanting to brush up on their surfing skills or float on the many inflatable doughnuts. Adults can enjoy the hydromassage pool complete with waterfalls and beds, while kids will love the ‘Tartufon’ attraction, a replica of the world’s largest truffle in the Mirna valley, with its water eruptions, fog machines and fountains. www.istralandia.hr

• Sea turtle rescue centre opened in Mali, Lošinj

The Adriatic Sea off the coast of Croatia is home to the endangered Loggerhead turtle. The Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Mali, financed by the European Union and IPA Adriatic Cross-border Coopera-tion Programme, provides vital rehabili-tation and care for injured sea turtles. The centre is part of the Sea Science Centre and visitors can enjoy learning about the species, how human activities have affected them and how they can help protect the turtles. The rescue cen-tre hosts a number of recovery pools and release events, so that visitors can see their return to the wild for themselves. For more information, www.blue-world.org

Record deal for Tate Modern Tate Modern has announced what is believed to be the biggest single arts sponsorship deal in Britain with Hyundai believed to be paying more than £6 million to be associated with the gallery’s Turbine Hall exhibitions.

The South Korean car company said it would sponsor the central hall of the world’s most popular contemporary art gallery for 11 years.

On the Road issue 212 Page 13

Options and Attractions news

The Kelpies

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Vintage Riders

Tony and Janet

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The sum has not been disclosed, but Sir Nicholas Serota, the Director of Tate, said that the figure was higher than the £400,000 average fee paid by Unilever during its sponsorship, which ended in 2012. He said that Hyundai had been one of several would-be sponsors of the hall, which is capable of showing some of the largest indoor installations in Britain, such as The Weather Project.

The agreement is a departure for a Far

Eastern company because sponsors almost always select exhibitions or choose collections that relate to their own culture.

Philip Spedding, the Director of Arts & Business, which connects sponsors within the arts world, said that this was probably the biggest deal since Sage, the software company, bought the naming rights to the Sage Gateshead concert hall 2002 for £6 million.

London Attractions Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park: South Park Opening Opened, 5 April 2014 Visitors are now able to explore more of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as the newly landscaped south of the Park opens to the public for the first time since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Visi-tors are able to enjoy beautiful parklands, fountains and waterways, world-class sporting venues, arts and events and chil-dren’s play areas. info@queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk

ArcelorMittal Orbit

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, opened 5 April 2014 Design by Turner Prize winning artist Sir Anish Kapoor and structural designer Cecil Balmond, the ArcelorMittal Orbit is the UK’s tallest sculpture, offering a totally new per-spective of London with unrivalled views of its newest, must-see destination - Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. At 114.5 metres

high, the ArcelorMittal Orbit gives visitors views of over 20 miles across London from two spacious viewing galleries.

Houses of Parliament, from 1st April 2014

The Houses of Parliament have introduced brand new audio tours as an alternative to the guided tours. Both tours run most Saturdays throughout the year and selected weekdays during holiday periods. As visi-tors explore highlights including the Royal Gallery, Lords Chamber and Westminster Hall, the audio commentary brings to life the history, architecture and artworks of this iconic building.

The audio tours are in English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Russian and Man-darin. Simultaneously, the popular guided tours have been extended to provide visitors with a more in-depth experience. There will be additional sit down stops in the Grand Committee Room, Moses Room and the ‘Aye’ voting lobby, and opportunities to find out more about Parliament from the expert guides. Tel: Group bookings 0844 8472498

The weather project - Olafur Eliasson

Options and Attractions news continued...

The most lavish indoor attraction in the history of Germany’s Europa-Park - “Arthur - In the Minimoys Kingdom” - makes 2014 an adventurous year for the entire family. Tiny, yet on a grand scale - the dream of experiencing magnificent scenes of nature up close becomes a reality with this themed ride.

From 5 April to 2 November 2014, more than 100 additional attractions and shows as well as 13 European themed areas will be waiting for visitors on an area covering 95 hectares. The five on-site themed hotels make Europa-Park a unique short holiday destination near the Three Corners where Germany, France and Switzerland meet.

The Olympic Museum reopened its doors in December 2013 after approximately 2 years of renovation work. The exhibition area has been fully remodeled and almost doubled in size. The permanent exhibition, on three levels, presents the Olympic Movement in various lights: The Olympic World, The Olympic Games, The Olympic Spirit. Visitors will also be surprised by diverse temporary exhibitions which will be taking place several times a year in a 420m2 area and 280m2 multifunction room with a unique view across Lake Geneva.

Located in a beautiful park, combining nature, art and sport, from the park you have a stunning view over the lake and perspectives nothing less than visual ‘coups de théâtre’. The path up to the Museum is punctuated by sculptures from major contemporary artists - Niki de Saint Phalle and Antoni Tapies. Visitors will also discover the performances of some of the world’s greatest sportsmen and women on a real athletics track, at a high jump bar or in a shot-putting area.

Fun and events for every season

The seasonal concept of the Europa-Park has proven popular for more than ten years. Spring, with the opening of the summer season, is all about novelties and summer promises splashy water attractions and adventurous cooling off activities. In autumn the Europa-Park glows in glorious colours. 160,000 pumpkins bathe the Park in bright orange light. Dark and mysterious figures ensure scary Halloween moments for visitors. In the winter season, Europe’s favourite theme park transforms into a giant winter wonderland with thousands of Christmas trees, fairy lights, winter at-tractions and a festive show program.

In front of The Museum, at the spot where the Olympic fire burns all year round, Pierre de Coubertin’s (founder of the International Olympic Committee) statue greets visitors, while the fire burns eternally in its cauldron, and the motto Citius, Altius, Fortius reminds us of the Games’ origins.

The Museum is a place of inspiration and hospitality, where a relaxing stroll and jour-ney of discovery can be combined. Situated on the top floor of The Olympic Museum, the TOM Café stands out for its contemporary decor and its colourful sporting atmosphere. From its terrace, visitors can admire the view across Lake Geneva and the Alps. They can access the café directly after their visit, or at any time, via the northern entrance, without needing to pass through the exhibition areas.

The TOM Café offers a varied culinary jour-ney, with its menus inspired by the cuisine of cities which have hosted the Games. The Museum Shop has exclusive articles, souvenirs from past Olympic Games, origi-nal products and books, for young and old alike. Tel+41 21 621 65 11 www.olympic.org/museum

Europa-Park 2014 - Arthur has arrived!

The Olympic Museum - Lausanne

Island blue fire

The Olympic Museum - Moratel Christophe

Europa-Park is open for its summer season from 5 April 2014 to 2 November 2014, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily (longer opening times during peak season). Infoline: +49 (0)7822 77 66 88. For more information, visit www.europapark.de On the Road issue 212 Page 14

On the Road issue 212 Page 15

Bannockburn Live: A feast of food, music and history 700 years after Scotland’s most famous battle, medieval warriors, families, clans and history fans will be standing shoulder to shoulder at the National Trust for Scotland’s Bannockburn Live event, the biggest ever re-enactment of the Battle of Bannockburn. Taking place on Saturday 28, to 30 June 2014, visitors can see, hear, taste and smell medieval life in a series of historical encampments, and watch Robert the Bruce and Edward II lead their armies into ‘battle’ This three-day spectacular and signature event of the Year of Homecoming Scotland 2014 marks the opening of the Trust’s new Bat-tle of Bannockburn visitor experience.

Adult prices start at £20 pp with a special 10% discount (Monday 30 June only) available exclusively to the trade. For prices and booking form email ban-nockburnlive@ticketsoup.com For more information about Bannockburn Live visit www.bannockburnlive.com

Excavation House Opened Known as the “Pompeii of the North”, 2013 saw the 40th anniversary of the great natural disaster that took place in Vestmannaeyjar, a cluster of islands south of Iceland. The eruption started on 23 January 1973 and almost all of the inhab-itants had to be evacuated for their own safety. Houses were destroyed as soon as the eruption began, but over 400 houses were destroyed by lava and ash before the eruption ended on the 3 July 1973 and there was great uncertainty as to whether

the island could ever be repopulated.

“Pompeii of the North” is the name given to the project to excavate some of these homes and it gives visitors the oppor-tunity to see what actually happened in 1973, - viewing houses preserved from the era. This year sees the launch of the first house that visitors will be able to actually go inside. www.visitwestmanislands.com

Georgian joy in London’s Historic Royal Palaces The 300th anniversary of the Hanoverian accession is celebrated at Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace and Kew Palace from April .

The Hanoverian accession, which ushered in the Georgian era, took place 300 years ago and this is to be remembered at sites all round London.

London’s Historic Royal Palaces - the name for a group of attractions that includes the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Palace and Kensington Palace- will spend 2014 celebrating the Georgians contribution to London life with a series of events across their premises.

The Glorious Georges will take place simultaneously at three different Historic Royal Palaces, with each one focussing on a different aspect and era of the Georgian dynasty. All three opened in April.

The court of George I will be remembered at Hampton Court Palace with an exhibition taking place in the very rooms that George once occupied at Hampton Court and featuring stunning re-representations of the Queen’s State and Private Apartments.

Over at Kensington Palace, visitors will be able to explore the court of George II and Queen Caroline through a glorious transformation of the State Apartments, where the King and Queen would enter-tain guests in lavish style. The story will continue at Kew Palace, home of George lI’s grandson, the future George Ill. George III is now best known for his ‘madness’, but this exhibition will focus on his upbring- ing, showing how this proudly ‘British’ king developed his intense patriotism and love of his country.

As well as these three exhibitions, all three palaces will also hold special themed garden parties, featuring food, costume, music and games from the Georgian era. At Hampton Court, this willtake place on 26th & 27th July, at Kensington Palace it will be on 14th & 15th June and at Kew Palace it will be 16th &17th August.

Bannockburn Live:

The Glorious Georges

Options and Attractions news continued... Flight Plan

Air Arabia has launched non-stop services to Cairo. Flights will depart Sharjah International Airport on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, at 13:00 arriving in Cairo International Airport at 15:20. Return flights will depart Cairo at 16:00 arriving in Sharjah at 21:20 local time.

Air Europa has launched a new route to Santiago, Chile, via Salvador, Brazil., the airline will fly three times weekly .Air Europa has also increased operations to Salvador, Brazil, from four to five flights per week.

Austrian Airlines has increased flight frequency to and from London with an addi-tional daily flight to Vienna ( now four return flights per day )

The new route creates a range of additional transfer options, particularly to the Austrian provinces such as Innsbruck, Klagenfurt and Graz, and of course Eastern Europe

BA has launched its summer schedule including Heathrow to Austin, five times a week. New twice-weekly flights also start from Heathrow to Porto, Malaga and Faro as well as new daily services from Gatwick to Malta.

Twice weekly flights start to Mykonos and Santorini, from Heathrow on May 3rd and May 4th respectively.

From London City just introduced is Rotter-dam, five times a week and to Florence, four times a week.

bmi Regional has launched a new service linking the two fastest growing regions in Norway - Stavanger and Northern Norway.The new routes mean Norwegians can now fly direct, non-stop to Harstad/Nar-vik Airport (Evenes) and Tromsø - important hubs for the Norwegian oil and gas industry - without having to connect via Oslo.

Similarly, new direct flights to Kristiansund and Gothenburg have also commenced.

Delta (flying as a codeshare with Virgin Atlantic) has launched its Seattle service. With the new Seattle service, Delta flies 10 daily non-stop flights from Heathrow to Detroit Minneapolis New York-JFK Boston and Atlanta. Virgin also flies to New York-Newark.

Eastern Airways has expanded its route network to include services between Leeds Bradford International Airport and Southampton. running three daily services Monday to Friday plus Sundays

EgyptAir has reinstated its service from London Heathrow to Luxor International, as a weekly Monday flight.

continued...

Etihad Regional (the newly renamed airline)- has been reviewing its current network of routes. As a result, Etihad Regional has temporarily suspend-ing services between Amsterdam, Geneva and Cambridge from 30 March but plans to confirm new flights between Cambridge and Verona from May, with a major UK tour operator.

And... the airline has commenced daily services to Rome and Jaipur, together with four flights per week to Yerevan (Armenia).

Flybe has axed 30 routes from its network including 14 summer only. The regional airline will run 150 services during the 2014 summer season between now and 25 October.

The year-round services cancelled include Glasgow to Shannon, Bristol to Jersey, East Midlands to Paris Charles de Gaulle, Belfast to Paris CDG, Hanover to Southampton, Leeds Bradford to Southampton, Cardiff to Glasgow, Cardiff to Paris CDG, and Glasgow to Paris CDG and. Exeter to Newcastle.

The 14 seasonal summer routes that go include Exeter and Southampton to Bar-celona; Bristol to Isle of Man; Edinburgh to Knock and Newquay to Norwich.

Flybe had already announced the end of all six services from Gatwick selling its slots to EasyJet

Jet2 will introduce new weekly flights between Edinburgh and Pula – Istria, Croatia and increased the number of flights from Manchester to Pula starting from May 2014. Located on the Istrian peninsula, Pula is renowned for its impressive Roman am-phitheatre and inviting crystal clear waters.

KLM has re-introduced a fourth daily service to Schiphol from Norwich. The increased frequency will provide better connections to destinations such as Dubai, Lima and Toronto, and of course the Neth-erlands.

Korean Air has launched a direct ser-vice flying from Sri Lanka and the Maldives to Seoul Incheon. The new three times weekly direct service flies from Male in the Maldives to Colombo in Sri Lanka first, and then onto Seoul/Incheon in Korea. The Male-Colombo-Seoul/Incheon flights oper-ate every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Monarch Airlines has announced a new twice weekly service to Hurghada International Airport as part of its route network

expansion .Departing on Tuesdays and Fridays from Birmingham, London Gatwick and Manchester, the new flights will begin on 2 May 2014 and serve a number of popular Red Sea resorts in the area such as El Gouna,

Pegasus Airlines - the Turkish car-rier has launched daily flights from Istan-bul Sabiha Gokcen (Asia) to Frankfurt and Madrid. Pegasus is adding Madrid’s Barajas International Airport as a second route to Spain having launched Barcelona in 2013.

Ryanair - Leeds Bradford Airport has introduced a three times weekly service to Girona Barcelona. Flights are depart-ing from LBA on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and will operate throughout the summer season until the October 25th.

And… Ryanair now flies from London Stansted to Osijek, in Eastern Croatia. Located on the River Drava, Osijek is the economic and cultural centre of the Slavo-nia region.

Saudia Airlines, has returned to Manchester Airport with a direct route between Manchester and Jeddah. Flights operate three times per week

South African Airways has an-nounced that it is resuming its popular non-stop flights between Johannesburg and New York – JFK International Airport.

Turkish Airlines has announced the launch of a service from Istanbul to Rotterdam, flights between Istanbul and Rotterdam will be operated four times a week - on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Virgin Atlantic is to withdraw opera-tions between Sydney and Hong Kong from 5 May effectively withdrawing from the UK to Australia market, which it has served for 10 years. Virgin Atlantic will continue to operate services between Heathrow and Hong Kong.

Wizz Air Ukraine announced a new route to be operated from its new base in Lviv. The route will connect Lviv with the Israeli capital Tel Aviv and will be flown on Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays from 1 May.

Wow Air has added transatlantic flights to its schedule with the launch of new routes to Boston in spring 2014.Wow will fly to Boston from London Gatwick via Rey-kjavik six times a week on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

Flight Plan continued...

Targeting travel operators and intermediar-ies, this new edition of the digital brochure presents you with all you need to know about 40 city cards from 23 countries!

The guide has been put together by a col-laboration of 40 city tourist offices working under the auspices of the European City Cards Knowledge Group. As well as offering a succinct overview of how the cards can work for you, the e-brochure provides much practical information, including details of commissions and contact details for each and every city. With the help of the bro-chure, the travel trade is able to make op-timum use of city cards so as to create new business and at the same time enhance the customer experience.

City Cards are a great way to see the sights and save money

The cards offer free and/or discounted admission to leading visitor attractions, com bined in many cases with public transport options, as well as discounts at shops, bars and restaurants.

40 cities in one The cities and City Cards you can find in the e-brochure are: Amsterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona, Belfast, Berlin, Bratislava, Brugge, Brussels, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dijon, Dublin, Geneva, Ghent, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Helsinki, Innsbruck, Krakow, Lisbon, Ljubljana, London, Lyon, Nantes, Nice, Nürnberg, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Reykjavik, Split, St Petersburg, Stockholm, Tallinn, Turku, Valencia, Vienna, Vilnius, Zagreb, Zaragoza and Zürich.

The e-brochure is available for free and on www.europeancitiesmarketing.com or by directly contacting individual cities.

VisitBritain launches new trade show

The national tourism agency recently an-nounced it will debut its largest annual international industry event, ExploreGB, in late February 2015 in London. The event will replace Hosted Buyers Marketplace (HBM) which VisitBritain held in partnership for the last three years.

ExploreGB will providing British tourism suppliers and destinations with the invalu-able opportunity to meet and do business with up to 250 international travel buyers from over 31 countries. UKinbound, the tour-ism trade association, will be exclusively part-nering with VisitBritain to promote the event through its own channels and platforms.

VisitBritain’s aim is to increase delegate attendance year on year to reach over 500 buyers - and an equal number of Great British product suppliers - by 2020. A key change implemented to achieve this growth will be making the event financially accessible for

smaller tourism businesses and make sure our buyers are fully hosted.

The structure of the event will still consist of a central workshop extended to cover two days rather than one, to increase the number of

pre-scheduled 1-2-1 appointments. A new seminar programme will also be introduced, accessible for all delegates.. The event will be followed by large-scale familiarisation trips around Britain for the international delegates. www.visitbritain.org

Travel Industry news

On the Road issue 212 Page 16

TrAVEL TrAdE GuIdE - EurOPEAN CITy CArdS

ETOA news

NET responds to Schengen proposal

At the beginning of April the European Commission proposed a package of measures to facilitate Schengen visa processing. Application processes

will improve, repeat travel will be facilitated, and a new visa allowing stays longer than 90 days will be introduced.

NET welcomes this initiative The measures should reduce barriers to tourism from valuable origin markets to the benefit of the whole EU economy.

The end of the line for danube Express - as we know itThis season will be the last in which luxury rail company Danube Express will directly offer rail journeys to Central Europe on its luxury en suite hotel train iconic journeys, for the Transylvania between Budapest and Istanbul or the Central European between Budapest and Prague, you should act quickly, or miss out altogether. There is still some availability on nine departures between May and September but, after this, the train is to be chartered by Golden Eagle Luxury Trains for a variety of new all-inclusive luxury rail adventures.

Golden Eagle Luxury Trains - the operator of exclusive, long-distance rail tours, best known for its flagship Trans-Siberian Express has snapped up the danube Express for the foreseeable future.

Howard Trinder, Managing Director of Danube Express who co-founded Great Rail Journeys in 1980, comments on the end of yet another era: “As a rail cruising specialist, Golden Eagle Luxury Trains makes it easy to travel to new frontiers, without compromising on comfort or security. Of course the Danube Express is a great fit for them, with its deluxe sleeping compartments and fully staffed cars.” Tel:01462 441400 / www.danube-express.com

First International Ski Travel MarketThe inaugural International Ski Travel Market (ISTM) took place in Kitzbuhel, in mid-March, organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions, with industry representatives from all over the world sharing an exciting forum on the future of ski tourism.

ISTM Exhibition Manager Peter Grimster said: “With key representatives from across the ski industry attending, the focus of ISTM is es-sentially to facilitate business and networking opportunities and through this event to provide a forum within which businesses can success-fully develop and grow.

Our specialised pre-scheduled appointment (PSA) system has produced a programme of over 2,700 appointments which took place over two days between 60 resorts, inbound

ski travel suppliers and 60 leading outbound ski tour operators. This unique system trans-lates into real business and a high return on investment for our exhibitors, not to mention a highly productive visit for our buyers.”

There was a programme of familiarisation tours planned for buyers. This includes high-lights such as dinner at the award-winning Restaurant Rosengarten in Kirchberg in Tyrol, as well as skiing with experienced guides in the Kitzbuhel Ski Resort, off-piste skiing with locally born Freeride World Tour rider Matthias Haunholder and a trip around picturesque Kitzbuhel. www.istm.co.uk

British operator offers electric bikes If the thought of cycling in the Alps or in the rolling hills of Tuscany exhausts you, consider taking an electric bike, newly offered by the Britain-based Inntravel.

The company, which specialises in self-guided bicycling tours in Europe, now offers such bikes on 22 routes covering Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy and Spain. Riders can switch on the mini motors on inclines or in headwinds or set the engines to switch on below a minimum speed. The bikes cost from £25 to £140 depending on the destination. www.inntravel.co.uk

World Travel Market 2014 Wellness tourismWTM is launching its first comprehensive programme to support the fast-growing Wellness Tourism sector. The Wellness Tour-ism sector is growing at a phenomenal pace of 9% annually, compared to the travel and tourism industry’s 6%.

The WTM Wellness Tourism programme, organised by Spafinder Wellness 365 - the world’s largest media, marketing and gift company for the wellness industry – and in association with the Global Wellness Tour-ism Congress, takes place across three days of World Travel Market 2014 - Tuesday 4 to Thursday 6 November - with some of the leading executives and experts from the sec-tor sharing their experience and insights.

• Session 1 will explore what Wellness Tourism is and why it is growing faster than the wider travel and tourism industry. The session will include findings from the latest research in the sector.

• Session 2 looks to define both Medical Tour-ism and Wellness Tourism, which are often confused. It will look at the opportunities in both sectors and how they can work together.

• Session 3 will look at how national and regional governments as well as private sector businesses have successfully integrated well-ness tourism into their marketing campaigns.

See more at: http://www.wtmlondon.com/press/World-Travel-Market-2014-Launches-Wellness-Tourism-Programm#sthash.ohQNyts3.dpuf

Travel Industry news continued...

Danube Express carriage

On the Road issue 212 Page 17

The visa code, in force since 2010, brought gradual improvement but its implementation has been uneven and too bureaucratic; it is still not fit for pur-pose. Origin markets report frustration with the lack of mother-tongue applica-tion materials and online access; the cost of attending interviews; the impractical-ity and inconsistency of information requirements.

The new proposals will not solve all the difficulties, but they will help. Change is challenging as it involves all 26 Schen-gen states.

Travel facilitation brings huge economic benefit. Streamlined processes and increased consular cooperation will provide a necessary correction to what is one of the Schengen area’s most signifi-cant competitive handicaps in emerging markets.

Patrick Richards, ETOA Chairman, commented: “this is a strong positive step from the European Union; partner-ing with source markets from the Emerg-ing countries to create a transparent and efficient visa environment in Europe. It also demonstrates tourism’s value, both economically and in breaking down cultural divisions. We commend the initiative.”

About NET NET, the Network for the European Private Sector in Tourism is a high-level contact group comprising various trade associations. Its members are CLIA, ECTAA, EFCO&HPA, ETOA, HOTREC,

IAPAA, IRU. Our purpose is to develop common goals for industry and work with policy makers and other partners to achieve them. ETOA partnership

ETOA has announced a new partnership with the Digital Tourism Think Tank. The Think Tank provides thought leader-ship to the tourism industry in digital marketing best practice. The partnership gives ETOA members access to the Think Tank’s expertise in digital marketing and research, via a series of interactive masterclasses and events.

Rachel Read, Head of Digital Trading at ETOA, said: “As the online environment moves into new areas, our members face fresh challenges in digital trading. Keep-ing up with the multi-device, constantly connected traveller is high on the priority list for many of them. “

European Summit in the Alps 2014

ETOA has announced that for the fourth year running we will be holding our annual European Tourism Summit in the Alps in the Swiss city of Lucerne. This will be on Tuesday 7th October and will look at how the travel industry has changed since ETOA was founded 25 years ago, where we are now and what the future holds. As in previous years this is supported by Lucerne and Swit-zerland Tourism and is kindly hosted by the Hotel Schweizerhof.

Marketplace 2015

Following ITB and a successful UK & Ireland product workshop, has confirmed that March Marketplace 2015 will take place on 16th & 17th March. Day one will offer companies purchasing or selling UK and Ireland tourism products an oppor-tunity to meet. The second day will offer meetings for London suppliers and buy-ers, to meet burgeoning trade demand in bookings for the UK’s capital city.

Purr Minister vote rigged!

An online poll to identify the House of Common’s top cat has been bedevilled by accusations of vote rigging.

The “Purr Minister” vote was organised by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to raise awareness of its work - but within seven hours one Tory MP’s moggy had won an astonishing 30,000 votes, 70% of the total.

Labour MP Andrew Gwynne for Denton and Reddish, withdrew his cat in protest, pointing out that at one point, Bosun - who belongs to Sheryll Murray, MP for South East Cornwall - was getting more than 70 votes a minute. Murray’s office manager agreed that there had been “dirty tricks”, but insisted that Murray had been framed. The crazy world of English local authorities

An English council has resorted to texting its growing number of obese residents to remind them not to eat too much.

As part of a £10,000 scheme, overweight people in Stoke-on-Trent receive a daily “motivational” message, such as: “Eat slightly smaller portions”, and: “Why not walk to the shops more often?”

Another bizarre scheme was created by Northamptonshire County Council - an

adult learning course entitled “Meeting the Welfare Needs of Hamsters” has been cancelled because of a lack of interest. German fans’ journey

A group of German football fans trav-elled 750 miles to East Sussex in England to watch non-league part-timers, Shoreham FC, after discovering that they shared the same blue and white stripes and were formed in the same year - 1892. Ten supporters of Hertha Berlin, which plays in front of 77,000 spectators, saw Shoreham’s 1-1 draw with Rye United. Lost in London

A Romanian tourist lost for four days in London survived through the kindness of strangers, according to his family.

Vasile Belea, 63, was visiting his son when he disappeared at an Underground station in South London recently. He was separated from his son when the train doors closed in front of him, leaving him with no money on his Oyster travel card, no working phone and only £20 in his pocket.

Unable to speak English, he couldn’t tell the police that he was lost. He was found in Southall, 13 miles to the west, four days later. Mr Belea saw someone reading a newspaper article about his disappearance after a city-wide appeal and the police were alerted. According to his daughter-in-law, he had wandering around shops, walking through the nights to keep warm and to keep his arthritis at bay. He spent one evening at a betting shop and another in an Indian restaurant.

Olimpia Belea told the Evening Standard: “He bought milk and sandwiches, being very careful with his money. On the last even-

ing at an Indian restaurant he was given five sandwiches. He was so thrifty with his resources that-he-didn’t eat them ail, and when we finally found him he still had two left that we ate together.”

He still had £3 in his pocket when he was found. “People helped him,” Mrs Belea said. “He said, ‘I love London - everyone is very kind.’’ News of my demise are exaggerated

An Austrian pensioner arrived at his doctor’s surgery only to be told that he couldn’t have an appointment because he was dead. Viktor Strohner, 71, also discovered that his bank account had been cancelled. It turned out that he’d been confused with his son, who had died. “Mistakes happen,” he said. 133,000 to one against the 12 January

A couple from Cumbria have had four children who share the same birthday - defying odds of more than 133,000 to one. Emily Scrugham and Peter Dunn’s son Ryan arrived on 12 January, as did his three older siblings (who include one set of twin girls).

But Scrugham insists it wasn’t planned that way. “None of the births were due on 12 January. Sam was two weeks late, the twins one month early, and Ryan three days late,” she said Parking ticket issued to driver in a traffic jam

A motorist who was stuck in traffic was given a penalty notice for parking at a bus stop. Victor Hankins’s car was filmed by a mobile traffic enforcement vehicle in Bradford, West Yorkshire. However, after consulting theBritish Highway Code the 50-year-old unemployed driver from Ilkley appealed against the fine, which he described as “an absolute joke”.

Bradford City Council has apologised and cancelled the penalty notice, admit-ting that issuing it had been a mistake. Mr Hankins added: “The fact that the officer in the mobile car had given me a fine in the first place is ridiculous.”

THE BIG BANG

A herd of 90 dairy cows almost lifted the roof off their barn on a farm in Rasdorf, central Germany, when meth-ane released by the animals caused an explosion.

Police said that a static charge sparked the detonation, which left one of the cows with light burns and caused dam-age to the roof. Wow man!!

Recently French gardeners have been having a hard time of things. Their flower beds are being stripped of hydrangeas by thieves in search of “legal highs”.

Police speculate that hard-pressed drug users are smoking hydrangea blooms - which have a hallucinogenic and euphoria-inducing effect - as a cheaper alternative to cannabis.

On the Road issue 212 Page 18

European eccentrics

Sheryll Murray

“Nobody cares!”

“High” Drangeas

Big bang theory

services included:

1 overnight including breakfastTasting of scarlett runner beans, pumpkinseed oil and moreVarious local dishesLocal guide for wine route tour (4 hours)Entrance and tasting at the pumpkinseed oil millGuided tour and tasting at a winemaker1 glass of wine during the hiking toursBrettljause (hearty snack) and 1 glass of wine

On the Road issue 212 Page 23

Graz is a city for connoisseurs, gourmets and bons-vivants. But let’s think about this carefully. What is it that first gave Graz the distinction of being called a Capital of Delight in 2008? Could it be the city’s relaxed, almost Mediterranean atmosphere which is so captivating – and gives everyone such a healthy appetite? Or the region’s mild climate, encouraging fruit, vegetables and vineyards to thrive?

Or possibly the plethora of farmers’ markets offering regionally sourced produce alongside Styria’s “Regions of Delight”, with an astounding freshness and quality best enjoyed in local restaurants, taverns and inns? Who knows - perhaps it’s a combination of all these things, and more. As in every good recipe, it’s a matter of selecting a little of everything, but not overdoing anything.

Without a doubt, the Long Table of the Capital of Culinary Delight is a highlight of the city’s delicious culinary calendar. A wonderful evening in late summer, a magnificently set table, top cuisine and a selection of the region’s premium wines are all set against a striking backdrop. The Schlossberg, Clock Tower and Rathaus are the perfect ingredients for an evening to remember!

2014 now marks the fifth time that local chefs and Capital of Delight partner establishments will be staging this event. The first 500 satisfied and contented guests who attended the initial Long Table held in 2010 will have swollen to 700 in 2014.

Standing ovations for the 27 chefs de cuisine and their kitchen brigades, the organisers, the musicians and heaven bless Petrus, the ancient god of good weather, who until now has never found cause to mess with the meteorology. In the meantime, the Long Table has become so much in demand that tickets for the next one on 16 August 2014 are already almost completely sold out.

Held from 14-19 June 2014, the Gourmet Spectacle deliberately complements the Long Table, with Graz revealing just how versatile it can be in showcasing delightful culinary experiences. The menu reflects the richness of gastronomy in Graz: and tastings of Styria’s signature pumpkin seed oil, wine and chocolate, sumptuous breakfast selections, tantalising tours of the city’s culinary highlights, imaginative lunches and festive gala menu evenings accompanied by good moods, magic und music – that’s what the Gourmet Spectacle is all about. And the absolute pinnacle of the week is the Gourmet Ball.www.genusshauptstadt.at

Graz Tourismus IncomingMesseplatz 1

8010 Graz / Austriawww.graztourismus.at/groups

touristik@graztourismus.at+43/316/8075-0

Since 2008 Graz proudly holds the title ‚‘ Capital of Culinary Delights‘ and has been living up to this. For you - our guests - this title is just another reason to come to Graz, to discover Austria’s second biggest city from its culinary side.

Follow your guide and find out where you will get the best local produce such as the ‘Käferbohne‘ (scarlett runner bean), the ‘Kren‘ (horseradish) or the ‘Grazer Krauthäuptel‘ (crispy lettuce). Of course, your guests will also sample and taste all these specialities in some of the partner restaurants, who dedicated themselves to serve local, regional and seasonal dishes, creatively composed.

The next day your guests embark on an excursion to the South Styrian Wine Route, the oldest of Styria’s 8 wine routes. It’s not all about wine, but also about Styria’s so-called ‘Black Gold‘ - the pumpkinseed oil. During the visit at a pumpkinseed oil mill your guests will find out how this unique oil is produced, and of course how it tastes. Then dive into the soothing landscape of the region, on a leisurly hike through the vinyards with a local guide your guests will learn about wine making, pass by Buschenschänken (wine taverns) and wine cellars. The end of this ‘hiking tour‘ will be in a Buschenschank where you will enjoy a hearty snack and of course the wine!

A local chef chooses his produce at the Josef Market - Graz Tourismus Harald Eisenberger

Price per person in a double room *** : from € 112,00Price per person in a double room**** : from € 116,00

Calculation basis: 25 Complimentary: every 21st person in a double room Single room upon request

Culinary Events 2014: Genuss Ball: 14.06., Genuss Spektakel: 14 - 21.06., Long Table of Graz: 16.08., Aufsteirern:14.09.

Taste, touch and smell the delights of Graz cuisine Graz Tourismus – Werner Krug

The Long Table – Graz Tourism – Harry Schiffer

GRAZGouRmeT CulTuRe In GRAZ, A CApITAl of CulInARy DelIGhT

on The TRAIls of The CApITAl of CulInARy DelIGhTs - A TouR ITIneRARy foR GRoups

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On the Road issue 212 Page 19

Nestling in the unique landscape of the Bernese Oberland lies the Interlaken holiday region. Interlaken is the tourist centre of the region, visitors stroll around pretty souvenir shops, diverse stores and boutiques and enjoy la dolce vita in one of the many cafes.

The region’s largest town is Thun, with around 43,000 inhabitants. Overlooked by the whitewashed walls of the medieval castle, Thun’s old town quarter is home to a rich tradition. The shopping island of Balliz is modern and lively, as is the Mühleplatz, where the street-side cafes almost burst at the seams on balmy summer evenings Palm trees and eternal iceAt around 560 metres above sea level, the lakeside climate is so mild that even vines and palm trees thrive here. At the heart of the region are the two lakes, with nostalgic lake steamers plying and nimble sailing boats tacking on the deep-blue waters.

Leisurely on-board barbecue evenings with local and international specialities are on offer. Over this almost Mediterranean scene tower the icy giants of the Bernese Alps. The highpoint, in the truest sense of the word, is the Jungfraujoch–Top of Europe. A cogwheel railway takes passengers up to Europe‘s highest-altitude railway station, from summer heat to eternal ice. There are numerous other mountain experiences to enjoy. To mention only a few: the Schilthorn - Piz Gloria; the Stockhorn with its glass viewing platform; the pyramid-shaped Niesen; the Niederhorn family paradise; Schynige Platte with its Alpine garden and the Brienzer Rothorn, reached by nostalgic steam railway.

For more information and assistance regarding organising hotels, transport and excursions througout the Region

Contact: Interlaken Tourismus Höheweg 37 P.O. Box 369 3800 Interlaken

Tel. +41 (0)33 826 53 00 Fax +41 (0)33 826 53 90live link... www.interlaken.ch

As in bygone days Tradition and customs are consciously cultivated in the Interlaken holiday region. Herdsmen still take their cows up to the alp in early summer and make spicy cheese from the milk the animals produce. At the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum, the full cultural diversity can be experienced in a compact area. Centuries- old original buildings from all parts of the country, well- tended gardens and fields as well as 250 native farm animals bring the past back to life. Crafts such as Brienz woodcarving, violin making, knife sharpening and lace making not only have a place in the museum but are also found in modern everyday life. Castles and historyThe five castles on the shores of Lake Thun bear testament to the splendour of days almost long forgotten: architecture and furnishings of the past centuries, old precious toys and historical documents illustrate the history of the country and people. Classics of world literature, popular theatre and contemporary creations are performed on the region’s open-air stages. In 2014, the Thunerseespiele will present a musical version of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida” on Thun’s lake stage; the Landschaftstheater Ballenberg will carry its audience into the “Via Mala” and Friedrich Schiller’s “William Tell” will be staged in the Rugen forest, as it has been for over a 100 years. Pure AdrenalinThe Interlaken holiday region offers everything of a sporting nature. The two refreshing lakes can be experienced through swimming, windsurfing, sailing, stand-up paddling, scuba diving, water skiing, wakeboarding, canoeing or kayaking. Paragliders circling overhead and landing on the Höhematte meadow are a part of Interlaken’s everyday scene. The more daring launch themselves into the depths with skydiving or on a bungee or canyon jump.

River rafting and canyoning tours are available on the region’s rivers. An extensive network of hiking trails, from easy to demanding, criss-crosses the region: gentle walks, impressive high-Alpine trails, spectacular hanging bridges and steep mountain tracks. The holiday region also offers a wide range of tours for cyclists and bikers of all abilities. The well signposted routes alongside lakes and rivers can also be enjoyed by biking beginners. But even die-hard mountain bikers will be in their element on mountain pass tours. The idyllically located 18-hole golf course rounds off the options for active recreation in the Interlaken holiday region.

The Interlaken Region has breath-taking scenery, pretty villages and towns, spectacular mountains, Swiss hospitality

and traditions and is any sports enthusiasts heaven

The Villages Ringgenberg-Goldswil - Interlaken Tourism

Thun

River rafting Interlaken situated between the Lakes of Thun and Brienz and at the foot the famous trio of peaks `Eiger, Moench and Jungfrau - Interlaken Tourism

Mountain Summer With a Dash of Adrenalin

2014 event examples

June to August

8 - 12

12 - 14

27 - 29

July/August

August 01

22 - 23September12 - 13

rugen Woods, Matten: Tell Open Air Theatre - Schiller’s classic, staged for over 100 years www.tellspiel.ch

Breinz- Woodcarving Syposium Woodcarvers from all over the world meet on the quay to carve in the open air. www.symposium-brienz.ch

Greenfield Festival - Alternative rock festival with top international acts and 25,000 fans. www.greenfieldfestival.ch

Trucker and Country Great Western Festival - with mighty machines and masses of authentic country music www.trucker-festival.ch

Thun: Lake Festival - The musical “Aida” will be performed on Europe’s most beautiful lake stage www.thunerseespiele.ch

Swiss National day - Interlaken celebrates with a feast of folklore and a grand firework display www.interlaken.ch

Inferno Triathlon - The 155km Inferno Triathlon is a hellish challenge www.inferno.ch

Jungfrau: Marathon - The world’s most beautiful marathon course leads from Interlaken up to Kleine Scheidegg. www.jungfrau-marathon.ch

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On the Road issue 212 Page 20

Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe

The Jungfrau Railway ranks as one of the most impressive achievements in international mountain railway construction and is today still regarded as a masterpiece of railway technology. After a building period of 16 years, initiated by Zurich industrialist Adolf Guyer-Zeller, the opening of the railway was celebrated on 1 August 1912. It runs from Kleine Scheidegg up through the rock of the Eiger and Mönch to Europe’s highest-altitude railway station, the Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe at 3454 metres above sea level.

Grindelwald - First

The six-seater aerial cableway on the sunny side of the Grindelwald Valley leads from the glacier village of Grindelwald to First at 2168 m above sea level. The wide variety and exciting attractions found in this excursion region include the First Flyer, which is unique in Europe, scooter-bike rides and the hike to Lake Bachalpsee, which is known as the pearl of mountain lakes.

Schynige Platte

Opened in 1893, the nostalgic cogwheel railway carries visitors up to breath-taking mountain scenery and a popular hiking region with unparalleled views of the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau. The railway’s lovingly maintained historic locomotives and carriages make the journey itself a wonderful experience for people of all ages. Highlights on Schynige Platte, at 1967 metres above sea level, are the Botanical Alpine Garden with 600 different species of plants and many hiking trails.

Harder Kulm

The Harder Railway was opened in 1908. It takes less than 10 minutes to travel from Interlaken up to the Harder Kulm, Interlaken’s home mountain. Here, at 1322 m above sea level, you enjoy fabulous views of the Jungfrau Region with the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau as well as Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. Often mistaken for castle from the valley, the restaurant and the new Two Lakes Bridge are among the main attractions on Harder Kulm.

Harder Kulm

Schynige Platte cogwheel train

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Junfrau Railways Harderstrasse 14

CH-3800 Interlaken Telephone +41 (0)33 828 72 33

www.jungfrau.ch info@jungfrau.ch

contact+

The Jungfrau Region lies in the heart of Switzerland, in the Bernese Oberland at the foot of the mighty Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau massif. Jungfrau Railways travel to the unique natural wonders in the UNESCO World Heritage of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch. Enjoy lush Alpine meadows, snow-capped summits, extensive hiking areas and sensational views – all reached by cogwheel railway or aerial cableway.

Lake Bachalpsee

Sphinx Terrace on Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe

Accommodation

The hotel is equipped with 96 fashionably furnished rooms and thanks to the unique architecture 84 of them provide a balcony with exclusive views onto the Jungfrau. All rooms are equipped with cable TV, direct dialling telephone, radio, mini bar, safe, hair dryer and wireless LAN.

Restaurants and bar

Our Chef, our restaurant manager and their crew, are looking forward to serving your clients produce from our local partners. Enjoy lunch or dinner at the Panoramic Restaurant Top o`Met on the 18th floor together with a wonderful view onto the mountain panorama or enjoy dinner at our Speciality Restaurant Bellini, which offers an exclusive cuisine in a stylish atmosphere. In both restaurants group reservations are possible (upon availability). For groups we also recommend our banquet rooms on the first floor.

Every evening we offer our guests at the Metro Bar exotic cocktails. Our bar manager, will amaze your clients with his cocktail skills.

Meetings, conferences and celebrations

We offer the perfect framework for special social occasions from a small appetizer and drinks to a large celebration. Elegant spaces, banqueting rooms, plus our two restaurants are available for up to 200 people.

For business meetings and seminars, conventions, conferences, and corporate hospitality, we offer a

professional framework and skilled team to ensure events held at the Metropole are memorable and successful.

Relaxation and sports The Hotel Metropole offers a sauna, a large terrace, massage, shopping at the Metropole Gallery, a hairdresser and a car rental. From Mid-May 2014 we offer a newly renovated fitness area.

Coach parking Your clients can disembark right outside the hotel. The nearest coach parking is provided at the congress centre (a 5 minute walk far from the hotel).

Panoramic Restaurant Top o`M

etThe Metro bar

hotel Metropole****Höheweg 37

CH – 3800 InterlakenPhone: +41 (0)33 828 66 66

Fax: +41 (0)33 828 66 33www.metropole-interlaken.ch mail@metropole-interlaken.ch

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glorious views

The Hotel Metropole**** is located in the centre of Interlaken and offers

gorgeous views onto the Jungfrau...

...all reached by cogwheel railway or

aerial cableway.

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Close to the famous town of Interlaken are the St.Beatus Caves which reach into the imposing massif of the Niederhorrn. Legend has it that St. Beatus, lived at the entrance of the caves, back in the 6th century.

The St.Beatus Caves are one of the most popular attractions on Lake Thun. A pleasant walk from the parking area through the woods to the cave entrance. It crosses several bridges, with cave waterfalls. The complete cave system is 14 kilometers and is still being explores. Currently, one kilometre has lighting and secure paths which are easy to walk on.

The tour of the caves takes visitors through massive limestone formations, wide halls and gorges. Visitors are amazed by the unique shapes and colours in this natural world under the earth.

Experience the caves and have a delicious meal of Mediterranean and local dishes in the Panorama restaurant. Enjoy the deep blue Lake of Thun and a fantastic view to the Bernese Alps! Combine a visit to the St. Beatus Caves with a visit to the Jungfrau Park or to the Schilthor. Enquire about the excellent combination tickets. Take advantage of our new offerings. The legend walk, a tour of the St. Beatus caves without light! Details can be found on our website.

NEW CAVE MUSEUM: the contents of the new cave museum are presented in a simple, understandable and interesting format. This ‘state of the art’ and versatile presentation also includes interactive activities for visitors, as well as using their sensory organs (see, hear, feel) Visitors will experience and learn the secrets of the caves through an audio guide. Information is provided in 9 different sections, the vistor just has to push a button in their preferred language.

On the Road issue 212 Page 21

Beatushöhlen-GenossenschaftStaatsstrasse

3800 Sundlauenen in InterlakenT +4133 841 16 43F +4133 841 10 64

info@beatushoehlen.chwww.beatushoehlen.ch

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We are looking forward to your visit!

Open daily from 22 March to 26 October 2014

from 9:30 - 17:00 h

Visual presentation

Beatus Caves exterior

One example of an excursion ideal for groups is just 20 minutes by train or coach from Interlaken is the small town of Brienz, nestling on the shores of Lake Brienz. The town is well known to the Swiss as being the country’s recognised centre for woodcarving, it is also the home of Switzerland’s only steam rack railway that commences in Brienz and climbs in a tortuous 7.6 km to the peak of the towering Rothorn Kulm Alp 2250m above sea level and a vertical mile above the Lake of Brienz.

The Brienz Rothorn Bahn (Railway), (BRB), opened in 1892. It prides itself on being the only railway in the world running three generations of steam locomotives with their original coaches. Visitors to Brienz finds the BRB adjacent to the BLS station which is next to the quayside serving ferries from Interlaken. The original quaint station building, provides the entrance for a day to remember.

Regular timetabled departures from Brienz convey visitors in 58 minutes up the 7.6 km railway passing from meadows to forests, tunnels to ravines and finally to the Mountain Hotel and Restaurant Rothorn Kulm.

From the Rothorn Kulm Station, it is a short walk up to the Railway’s Mountain Restaurant and Hotel where the terrace presents a stunning panorama across the range of the Bernese Alps. A few hundred meters further

along the path, visitors reach the marker stone indicating the highest point of the Rothorn and the vantage point from which the entire chain of the Swiss alps with the Eiger North Face and Jungfraujoch may be admired.

The high point of any vacation is reached, thanks to a vision realised 120 years ago and engineering that has stood the tests of time and mother nature ever since.

For a ‘typically Swiss’ day out this is the trip to include in your itinerary!

The Brienz Rothorn Railway is open from May until October and operates 7 days a week.

Further details are available under www.brb.chtwo restaurants are available for up to 200 people.

Brienz Rothorn Bahn AG Hauptstrasse 149/Postfach

CH-3855 Brienz Bahn/Reservation:

Tel. +41 (0)33 952 22 22 Fax +41 (0)33 952 22 10

info@brb.ch

contact and enquiries:+

The Brienz Rothorn Bahn (Railway)

On the Road issue 212 Page 22

Brienz from the lake

Mountain Hotel and Restaurant Rothorn Kulm

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Many visitors travel to Switzerland and base themselves in or near Interlaken. Not all however take full advantage of the city’s location regarding some great opportunities for a day’s excursion in the region of the lakes between which Interlaken is perfectly situated.

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During high season from May to Octoberdaily. Special shows for groups on request all year around. Music which made Salzburg famous: Sound of Music, Salzburg Folklore and operetta, Mozart melodies. The best concert show in town! ”Special rates for groups"

NEW VENUE is at: k+k restaurants, Waagplatz 2, 5020 New Tel:8am to 6pm: +43 66223105800New Tel:6pm to 8am: +43 69910248666New Fax: +43 66223105858New Web: www.soundofsalzburg.infoNew Em: office@soundofsalzburg.info

One of the best folk performances in Europe, authentic Tyrolean music, Folk dances and “shoe-slapping” as well as typical Tyrolean songs and “yodelling”.

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