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Weekly UpdatesMay 3, 2009
Alarmed by the spread of a new swine flu virus, airports around the world have rushed to install temperature scanners to identify the sick, but the microbe is proving too clever for modern technology. Experts say an infected person can easily pass through these heat sensors without detection as the incubation period for influenza ranges anywhere between one and three days. "The scanners won't pick up everyone (with flu), especially if they are too early in the infection... People who have been infected very, very recently wouldn't show up on the scanner," Mark von Itzstein, director of the Institute for Glycomics at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia said. "You can imagine somebody who is just infected boards the plane in Singapore and heads toward Hong Kong. There would not be enough time for the apparatus to pick it up because he would not have developed significant fever." The new H1N1 swine flu virus, which has killed 159 people in Mexico, has been found in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Britain, Israel and Spain. Apr 30, 2009
Latest reports on the new swine flu said that Spain and Britain also have confirmed cases of the new swine flu, and many other countries have suspected infections. Mexico City is at the centre of the outbreak and many residents are staying in their homes while schools, churches, movie theaters and restaurants have all been shut down. Airline share prices declined again on Tuesday on fears that they could see a sharp drop in traffic. European and Asian stock markets retreated, but better-than-expected US consumer confidence data provided some relief and US shares made gains. Oil edged below USD$50 a barrel and investors cut their exposure to riskier currencies. The virus is not caught from eating pig meat products but several countries, led by Russia and China, banned US pork imports. The EU said it has no plans to restrict pig meat products from the United States. "Markets are doing what they tend to do, taking fright," said Howard Wheeldon, strategist at BGC Partners in London. "But in my view, it's totally unnecessary." Apr 29, 2009
Ascona
Ascona, Discover "Tropical" Switzerland. We had a long, cold, snowy winter in New York. Life had been difficult and hectic. I needed a break. Spring had sprung and I began to dream of mountains, palm trees, water, good food and charming villages. Now where would I find some, or all of these? I decided on a small lakeside town in the Swiss Alps called Ascona. I flew in to Geneva and met up with a girlfriend of mine who resides there. We had decided to spend a full week in the village of Ascona. Ascona is situated on the north-west shore of Lake Maggiore. It is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. This part of Switzerland is referred to as the Italian part or district and Italian is the language spoken there. Many people also speak French, German and English as well. More at: AirGuideDestinations Apr 30, 2009
Azamara Cruises
Azamara Cruises offers pre-packaged shore excursions on select sailings in Europe and Asia. The packages offer a 5 percent savings over the retail value of the tours. As both 694-guest Azamara ships make their way to Europe for the 2009 season, the company has opened shore excursion packages for sale, including a new two-day port package option. This season, Azamara will offer excursion packages on 19 sailings throughout the Baltic, Western and Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea. Each sailing offers two variations on the packages: an OOmega CollectionO and an OAlpha Collection.O www.azamaracruises.com. May 1, 2009
Celtic Tours World
Celtic Tours World Vacations is offering a new Italian regional discovery focusing on Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. The six-night program offers an immersion into the food and culture of Southern Italy. Clients will spend six nights in the center of Sorrento and enjoy six dinners as well as tours to Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. One of the highlights of the journey is a visit to a lemon farm to savor local lemon products and traditional buffalo mozzarella cheese. Daily breakfast and dinner included for a land price of USD1,099 per person double occupancy. Group rates upon request. Agents can earn a free trip from Celtic Tours. Book five and earn a free land trip. Book nine and bring a companion for free (land only}. www.celtictours.com. Apr 30, 2009
Chartres
The Chartres tourist office has put in place a cultural and educational tourist passport. In the form of a bilingual French-English checkbook, the Chartres Pass allows users to visit five museums and monuments in Chartres at preferential rates and to benefit from numerous reductions and advantages. Valid until Dec. 31, 2009 and sold at a price of 15 euros instead of 24.50 euros, it allows visitors more, while spending less. The five tickets include a visit to the Cathedral with a tour guide or an audio-guide; a visit to the International Stained-Glass Center and its exhibitions; a visit to the Fine Arts Museum; a visit to the Agriculture Conservatory; and a visit to the old city in a little train or on foot with a guide or an audio-guide. www.chartres-tourisme.com. Apr 30, 2009
Collette Vacations
Collette Vacations is offering a new vacation package, Bavaria with OberammergauOs Passion Play, featuring the Bavarian region of Germany and the historic village of Oberammergau, famous for its once-in-a-decade performance of the Passion Play, a tradition dating back 400 years. ColletteOs newest Passion Play program is an eight-day tour -- shorter than most of ColletteOs Oberammergau itineraries which typically run 10 to 12 days. For agents booking Bavaria as an air-inclusive tour, their clients will enjoy free roundtrip sedan transfer service from home to the airport, including gratuities. The service is available in many U.S. cities within a 50-mile radius of more than 75 gateways. www.collettevacations.com. May 1, 2009
France
France has said it will ask EU health ministers to suspend all flights to Mexico because of the virus, which has killed up to 176 people in Mexico and is spreading around the world. A European Commission official said Wednesday EU countries can impose individual travel restrictions but the EU's executive cannot impose an EU-wide ban. Noting that many governments have already issued travel warnings, the Association of European Airlines said such measures could do more harm than good unless coordinated. And global airlines body IATA said the World Health Organization had advised against closing borders. Most airlines have so far maintained flights as normal, but Spanish carrier Air Europa reduced links with Mexico, saying it would cut charter flights to one from five a week. Among other major European airlines, Spanish carrier Iberia operates 12 flights a week to Mexico, and Lufthansa flies there once a day. Neither company has so far indicated plans to change that schedule. As SARS spread, Asian air travel collapsed, driving down monthly passenger numbers around the world by up 21 percent, according to IATA. The flu has spread from Mexico to countries including the United States, Germany, the Netherlands and New Zealand. The World Health Organization has raised its alert level and said a swine flu pandemic was imminent. May 1, 2009
General Tours World Traveler
General Tours World Traveler has nearly doubled its 2010 tour offerings for Oberammergau, with the addition of 13 new escorted tour departures to the Passion Play. These fully-escorted tours have been uniquely designed to maximize flexibility, making it easier to include this once-in-a-lifetime event in trip planning. The three-day all-inclusive tours feature two nightsO hotel, all meals, sightseeing, center orchestra seats for the Passion Play, roundtrip luxury motorcoach transportation from Munich, and the attentive services of the GeneralOs professional tour managers. For the entire season, from May through September, General Tours has blocked rooms at two of the finest hotels in the region. The Ludwig der Bayer Hotel is three miles from the Passion Play Theater and steps away from a Baroque monastery in the Alpine town of Ettal. The Hotel Schillingshof is nestled in the mountain village of Bad Kohlgrub eight miles from the theater. Both hotels promise spacious guestrooms with private bath, traditional Bavarian ambience and convenient access to the Passion Play. www.GeneralToursEvents.com/2010. May 1, 2009
GoCar
BarcelonaOs GoCar story-telling cars have doubled the size of their city tour, with more than 800 Otrigger pointsO in the GPS guided audio tour using a combination of directions, information, sound effects and music. The three-wheeler cars, which launched in Barcelona last year, take a driver and one passenger on a tour of the cityOs landmarks providing clear directions and a running commentary. OThe cars have become a great talking point on the streets of Barcelona and within a year have become a star attraction in their own right. ItOs definitely the coolest way to explore the city. The tour is now bigger and better, but weOve held the price at last yearOs level. It means visitors and locals get to see more of this amazing city for their money,O said GoCarOs European Director Damien Harris. www.gocartours.es. Apr 28, 2009 4/13/2009
Hotel Villa Magna
The Leading Hotels of the World has accepted the following new member hotels: the 150-room Hotel Villa Magna in Madrid; the 229-room PuLi Hotel and Spa, to open in Shanghai this summer; the 188-room Elysian in Chicago, set to open in July; the 150-room The Mark hotel in New York City, which will soon reopen after a renovation; and the 320-room Tivoli Sao Paulo-Mofarrej. The Leading Small Hotels of the World has also added the following properties to its roster: due to open in mid-May, Grand-Htel du Cap-Ferrat, located between Nice and Monaco; Rsidence de la Pinde, located in St. Tropez; and Hotel et Ryads Naoura Barrire in Marrakech. Among the properties that have recently achieved Leading Spas status is Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort Riviera Maya. Call 800-223-6800 or visit www.lhw.com. May 1, 2009
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