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Weekly UpdatesJul 19, 2009
Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International is planning a major expansion in the UK with up to 40 new properties in the next 12 months. Duncan Berry, Choice Hotels Europe's chief operating officer, said there were a total of 60 hotels in the pipeline for the whole of Europe. Mr Berry said the three-star franchise chain, which has 5,000 properties worldwide, said hotels in Crewe and Reading would be joining the group soon. He was also in negotiations for properties in Glasgow, Leeds, Blackpool and Birmingham and is looking for new hotels in the London area. Jul 16, 2009
Costa Cruises
Costa Cruises planted 100 organically certified olive plants in the Cinque Terre National Park near Castagnoli di Riomaggiore in Italy. As an environmental effort, Costa decided to make the inaugural event last month of its two newest ships, the Costa Luminosa and the Costa Pacifica, a Ozero impactO event. Carbon dioxide emissions produced during the Guinness world record event will be offset by the planting of 100 olive trees. The inaugural ceremony took place in Genoa, Italy on June 5. The planting will repopulate nearly 2,000 square meters of terraced land in the Cinque Terre National Park. www.costacruises.com. Jul 13, 2009
Cunard Line
Cunard Line announced that film critic and journalist Rex Reed is scheduled to sail aboard the Queen Mary 2Os Nov. 5 trans-Atlantic crossing from New York to Southampton. A two-time Grammy nominee, Reed will be a featured presenter for the Cunard Insights enrichment program. Reed will deliver lectures and hold Q&A discussions. www.cunard.com. Jul 15, 2009
Eurostar
Eurostar unveiled sales results for the first six months of 2009. Despite the recession, Eurostar reported a 4 percent rise in leisure sales against the same period in 2008, following a surge in inbound travel to the U.K. and a drive to encourage U.K. travelers to take full advantage of the increased availability of the lead-in GBP59 (USD 97) return fare. According to Richard Brown, chief executive of Eurostar, ODespite market conditions, we still have good reason to be optimistic. We are benefiting from the strong euro and seeing substantial increases in travelers from Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands, which is also helping the U.K. economy. In addition, there is growing evidence of travelers switching from plane to high-speed train for longer, connecting journeys.O Jul 16, 2009
Finland
Baltic herring is to Finns what warm meals are to most other nationalities: itOs a dietary staple. Finland shows off the ObestO of this delicacy during the centuries-old Baltic Herring fairs when fishermen from along the coast of Finland assemble at the centers of cities and towns to sell the finest of their catch. The largest and most well-known of these fairs has been held in Helsinki since 1743, making it the oldest traditional event in the capital. Baltic herring is Finland's most important marine product with both economic and historic significance. Since the 1600s, fishermen have come to sell their wares directly off their boats and from market stalls as the fishing season draws to a close in October. www.visitfinland.com. Jul 16, 2009
Globus
Globus is offering a booking incentive for fall foliage tours. Those who book one of the vacations below between now and Aug. 4 receive USD 100 off per person. The tours are: Classic Fall Foliage (nine days), Sept. 21 to Oct. 14, priced from USD 1,969, land only; Fall Foliage Getaway (eight days), Sept. 20 to Oct. 16, priced from USD 1,779, land only; and Autumn in New England & Eastern Canada (12 days), departing Sept. 24, priced from USD 3,319, land only. For more information, see www.globusjourneys.com. Jul 16, 2009
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show [ETH] a high point in the UK summer calendar [ETH] has been rated a huge success by the organizers. Regular visitors will have noticed a whole new look this year. There was a major change of layout as the four floral marquees were revamped to create one large space for more nurseries to display their products. This also gave visitors the chance to take home an even wider range of plants and flowers Jul 16, 2009
Image Tours
Image Tours will release departure dates and pricing for 2010 escorted Europe Tours on Aug. 3. The companyOs 2010 selection consists of 10 itineraries, including the signature Heart of Europe tour, a 15-day panoramic tour of seven countries: Holland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and France. Also included is the 16-day Heart of the British Isles tour through England, Scotland and Ireland, combining historically rich and entertaining attractions including Edinburgh Castle and Stonehenge. Jul 17, 2009
London
Terrorists are planning attacks on London's tourist hotspots by sending explosive-laden boats down the Thames river, with an intelligence official claiming that the Mumbai strikes showed the way, a media report said. The Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and Canary Wharf figure among over 100 "key site" vulnerabilities thought to be under terror threat, the Daily Star newspaper quoted security sources as saying. Jul 15, 2009
MSC Cruises
MSC PoesiaOs April 10 seven-night OFesta ItalianaO cruise will feature opera singers and contemporary Italian vocal artists as well as calls in the Western Caribbean. Bands will play Italian and Italian-American favorites throughout the cruise. Also scheduled are Venetian mask-making, a pizza-throwing contest, and tarantella dancing -- a southern Italian folk dance for couples. Guests also attend cooking demonstrations by Italian chefs. Other opportunities include lectures on Italian art and architecture, Italian automobiles, and Italian fashion and design. Jul 16, 2009
New South Wales
AustraliaOs Tourism New South Wales (NSW) is the exclusive launch partner of the Life Points Facebook application, giving travelers a forum to share experiences in Sydney, Australia. The application -- www.getlifepoints.com -- challenges users to record past experiences while reading of new experiences. Users can browse the Life Points database to find a OLife ExperienceO and then add it to either their OLife GoalsO list by clicking OWant ToO or to their OLife PointsO scoreboard by clicking ODone It.O Whether climbing to the summit of the Sydney Harbor Bridge or camping out on Cockatoo Island, every new experience earns users Life Points that are added to the counter on their profile page. Jul 15, 2009
Paris
Faced with a fall in tourist numbers due to the financial crisis and a reputation for unfriendliness, the Paris tourist board has made a simple request of the city's residents: smile. Visitors to Paris, the world's most visited city, have fallen 17 percent since January compared with the same period in 2008, official figures show. Jul 15, 2009
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises has added a 2010 cruise-tour designed to include the famed Oberammergau Passion Play, which is performed only once each decade in this small Bavarian village in Germany. The new 18-day OOberammergau & Highlights of GermanyO tour features two nights in the Oberammergau and includes tickets to the event. Passengers will also visit a variety of other German destinations during the eight-day land tour, including Frankfurt, the Black Forest, Munich, Nuremberg and Berlin. In addition, the tour will connect with a 10-day Scandinavia/Russia cruise aboard Star Princess. Two departures are offered on Aug. 2 and Aug. 12, 2010. Jul 15, 2009
The Travel Club
Tom Nutley is launching The Travel Club in September, a private membersO establishment situated in LondonOs West End and dedicated to the travel industry. The Grade 2 Listed 17th century building in LondonOs St. JamesOs Square, close to Piccadilly, has three bars, a restaurant, bistro, meeting and function rooms, library, gymnasium, spa, bedrooms and a secluded courtyard garden. Nutley has worked on finishing this project over the past three years, searching to find a OhomeO the industry can call its own. OLondon is a hub for the business worldwide and yet as costs rise in the capital and travel companies and organizations move out, thereOs nowhere we can call our own,O said Nutley, former chairman of Reed Travel Exhibitions. Jul 16, 2009
Tourlite International
Tourlite International is offering Greece cruise and island specials with space still available for the summer and fall season of 2009 on bookings made with deposit by July 31. The company is offering the specials along with a bonus travel agent commission and client discount for any hosted tour in Tourlite's Greece brochure. www.tourlite.com. Jul 15, 2009
Uniworld
For 2010, Uniworld has added a new itinerary in Europe and optional pre-and post-cruise land packages. Uniworld has also enhanced its past guest programs with added benefits. Those who pay in full for a 2010 trip by Sept. 30 can save up to USD 2,000 per couple; those who pay in full by Nov. 30 save up to USD 600 per couple. The new itinerary is the nine-day OSpringtime Along the RhineO cruise between Amsterdam and Frankfurt. Highlights include Keukenhof Gardens, Krller-Mller Museum, Anne Frank House, Roman-Germanic Museum, and Gutenberg Museum. The trip is priced from USD 1,599 per person, cruise only. Jul 15, 2009
Virgin Vacations
Virgin Vacations has lowered 2010 Oberammergau Passion Play travel package prices, including the following Oberammergau escorted tours: Highlights of Germany with Oberammergau from USD 2,249; Northern Italy, Switzerland and Oberammergau from USD 2,599; and Music and Passion with Oberammergau from USD 2,849. The company is also offering a non-escorted tour option: Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 from USD 1,699. Prices are per person double occupancy and include roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, tickets to Passion Play, meals and entrance fees to sights as per itinerary. Prices are net. Package prices are initially displayed not including airport taxes, fees, the Sept. 11 Security Fee of USD 2.50 per flight segment (maximum USD 10), U.S. government charges up to USD 240 per person roundtrip and airport facility charges up to USD 18 per person. The total of these airport taxes will be displayed in the fare or itemized separately on your invoice. Taxes are subject to change without notice. www.virgin-vacations.com. Jul 15, 2009
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