WHAT AILS EUROPE? - On The Road Magazine Website. An ...

Late March 2012
Issue 201
The online magazine for inbound tour industry reaching 8 million escorted visitors into and around Europe
• We are back ‘On the Road’ with the first issue of
the magazine for the 2012 season. We hope you find
the digital magazine will provide you with useful news
and options to plan your future itineraries.
What ails Europe?
In the Global Edition of the New
York Times, the Nobel Memorial
Prize in Economics (2008) Winner,
Paul Kugman, wrote that things are
terrible in Europe as unemployment
soars past 13%; and things are
arguably even worse in Greece,
Ireland and in Spain, and Europe
as a whole appears to be sliding
back into recession.
Kugman went on to ask, “Why has Europe
become the sick man of the world economy?
Everyone knows the answer. Unfortunately,
most of what people know isn’t true - and
false stories about European woes are
warping our economic discourse.”
Highlights details of 100’s of Advent and Christmas markets
and Festive events from Aarhus to Zurich and beyond
www.christmas-markets.org
You can also identify many benefits on offer during the festive
season to make your itinerary even more appealing
Photo: Christmas Market - Tallinn Town Square by Toomas Volmer
He muses, read an opinion piece about
Europe - one of those all too often
supposedly factual news reports - you’ll
probably encounter one of two stories, the
Republican Party narrative and the German
narrative. Neither story fits the facts.
The Republican story
Kugman said this story is one of the central
themes of Mitt Romney’s campaign to be
nominated for the Presidential challenge-it
• Even though we are experiencing a heat wave,
many of our readers will be planning Advent and
Christmas itineraries - where better to think about
than Austria’s beautiful Graz ….see page 17.
Paul Kugman
goes along the line that Europe is in trouble
because it has done too much to help the
poor and unlucky, and that we are watching
the death throes of the welfare state.
Mischievously Kugman wrote,” This story
is a perennial right-wing favourite. Back
in 1991, when Sweden was suffering from
a banking crisis brought on by deregulation,
the Cato Institute published a triumphant
report on how this crisis proved the
failure of the whole welfare state model.
But has the Cato mention that Sweden,
which still has a very generous welfare
state, is currently a star performer, with
economic growth faster than that of any
other wealthy nation?”
He then proceeded to a diligent argument
on behalf of the wefare state along these
lines:
Looking at the 15 European nations currently
using the euro (Malta and Cyprus
aside), and rank them by the percentage
of G.D.P. they spent on social programs
before the crisis.
Do the troubled GIPSI nations (Greece, Ireland,
Portugal, Spain, and Italy), stand out for having
unusually large welfare states? No, they
don’t - only Italy was in the top five and even
so its welfare state was smaller than
Germany’s. So excessively large welfare
states didn’t cause the troubles.
The German story
Kugman believes that this story is all
about fiscal irresponsibility.
This German story he argues seems to fit
Greece, but nobody else. Italy ran deficits
in the years before the crisis, but they
were only slightly larger than Germany’s.
Portugal’s deficits were significantly
smaller, while Spain and Ireland actually
ran surpluses.
Oh, and countries that aren’t in the euro
seem able to run large deficits and carry
large debts without facing any crises.
Britain and the United States can borrow
long-term at interest rates of 2%; Japan,
which is far more deeply in debt than
any country in Europe, Greece included,
pays only 1%. In other words he rationalised,
the Hellenization of Europe’s economic
discourse, in which ‘their all just a
year or two of deficits away from becoming
another Greece’, is completely off base.
So what does ail Europe?
Kugman believes the problem is mostly
monetary. By introducing a single currency
without the institutions needed to
make that currency work, Europe reinvented
the defects of the gold standard -
defects that played a major role in causing
and perpetuating the Great Depression.
More specifically, the creation of the euro
fostered a false sense of security among
private investors, unleashing huge,
unsustainable flows of capital into nations
all around Europe’s periphery.
As a consequence of these inflows,
costs and prices rose, manufacturing
became uncompetitive, and nations
that had roughly balanced trade in
1999 began running large trade deficits
instead. Then the music stopped.
If the peripheral nations still had their
own currencies, they could and would use
devaluation to quickly restore competitiveness.
But they don’t, which means that they
are in for a long period’ of mass unemployment
and slow, grinding deflation. Their
debt crises are mainly by-products of this
sad prospect, because depressed economies
lead to budget deficits and deflation
magnifies the burden of debt.
continued...

ETOA Update... Open Letter to the
Barcelona City Council (Ajuntament de Barcelona)
Late March 2012 Issue 201
2 ETOA news / While we were off the road
3 People news
4 - 5 Places news
6 - 7 Transport news
8 Cruise news
9 Flight plan/ Hospitality news
10 -11 Hospitality news
12 - 14 Options and attractions
15 Travel Industry news
16 European Eccentrics
17 Graz 2012 Christmas Markets
18 ‘We Welcome Groups’
IN THE
NEWS
After downloading, save the magazine to your computer. Click the above
titles to view articles, then click grey panels at the base of the pages to
return to contents page. You can also click links throughout the magazine
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: Imageloading
What ails Europe? continued from page 1
The hard options.
Now, understanding the nature of Europe’s
troubles offers only limited benefits
to the Europeans themselves. The afflicted
nations, in particular, have nothing but
bad choices: Either they suffer the pains
of deflation or they take the drastic step of
leaving the euro, which won’t be politically
feasible until or unless all else fails.
Germany could help by reversing its
own austerity policies and accepting
higher inflation, but it won’t.
For the rest of the world, he believes,
getting Europe right makes a huge
difference, because false stories about
Europe are being used to push policies
that would be cruel, destructive, or both.
According to Kugman, the next time
you hear people invoking the European
example to demand that we destroy
social-safety nets or slash spending in
the face of a deeply depressed economy,
here’s what you need to know, ” They
have no idea what they’re talking about.“
By Alan Bennett
We, the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) along with the International Road Transport
Union (IRU), FECAV and ASTIC express our support for the foundation of a working group
to look at the question of tour coaches in Barcelona, as laid out in a manifesto undersigned by
ACAV, APIT, AUDICA and UCAVE. As such an initiative was promised by the City Council, and
given that plans for coach restrictions are now being proposed by the authorities without such
a group having convened, we feel that it is imperative that proper consultation take place.
The initial proposals regard access to the Sagrada Familia, but recent debates at the City Hall
show that a wider plan is being sought for the city. As the above manifesto rightly underlines,
Barcelona is a leading city in the world of tourism. The revenue and, particularly in the current
climate, the employment that the tourist sector provides is fundamental to the city’s economy.
But this investment is fragile. And any extra burden, be it financial or structural, cannot be
placed upon it lightly. Equally, when framing policy, it is logical that the professionals working
within that sector should be involved every step of the way.
Coach tourism is far too often presented as a problem rather than a solution; an image
projected by local media and politicians and ultimately accepted by local populations. There is
a tendency to single it out as the main cause of congestion, ignoring the fact that it is a green
and efficient mode of travel. It compliments public transport and offers a neat way of handling
millions of visitors, especially in a densely populated city such as Barcelona. Where there are
challenges, such as at the Sagrada Familia, these should be faced. But, as our Group Tourism
Charter states, consultation leads to more effective and creative solutions.
Some cities have shown themselves to be enlightened when developing and improving their
tourism infrastructure; others not. We very much hope that Barcelona falls into the former
category and we look forward to engaging with policy makers and other stakeholders to
ensure that the city continues to thrive as a destination.
European Tour Operators Association, London, 7th March, 2012
Awaiting further response.
City Fair 2012
The European Cities Workshop: A one-day event of pre-scheduled appointments
dedicated to the lucrative and growing sector of city tourism. Organised in partnership
with ECM (European Cities Marketing)
The workshop will be held on the 25th June, Wembley Stadium, London HA9 0WS
There is still time to register, either as a Tour Operator or supplier. Go to
http://www.cityfair.travel/ to register or find out more.
While we were off the road...
Winners and losers among European airlines
January 2012 opened with carnage among European carriers. Spanair based in Barcelona,
Czech Connect airline, Italian carrier Air Alps, Cirrus Airlines of Germany and CargoItalia based
in Milan were all forced to wind up their operations!
This was followed in early February with the demise of the national carrier Malev, which had
only just been re-nationalised by the Hungarian Government two years previously.
But it’s not all losers. Budget airlines have been quick to move in on the flotsam and jetsam
left behind in the demise of Malev.
Wiz Air has seen its number of passengers rise by 13% to 1.4 million in 2011 and intends to
inject 25billion forints into its Budapest based operation and has a target growth of plus 40%
to 2 million passengers in 2012.
Meanwhile EasyJet has seen its Hungarian traffic grow by 10% to 556,000 in 2011 - and
where would we be without Ryanair who had ceased operating its Hungarian services two
years ago? Well Ryanair has announced that it will start operating 31 Budapest routes from
April with the goal of capturing 2million passengers in 2012.
© Copyright 2012. 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.
On the Road issue 201 Page 2

People news ...continued
Institute of
Hospitality
Sir David Michels has assumed the
Presidency of the Institute of Hospitality,
Sir David takes over the presidency from
Peter Lederer CBE FIH MI, chairman of
Gleneagles Hotels.
Sir David brings a wealth of expertise
and experience to the table including the
remarkable £4b merger of Hilton International
and Hilton Hotels Corporation in
2006. In the same year he was knighted
for services to the hotel and catering
industry.
His strong views on
leadership and
management are
revealed in an
interview the latest
issue of Hospitality, the
Institute’s quarterly
magazine: “I learned
the skills I needed by
asking questions. I used
to drive colleagues and
the banks mad by constantly
saying: ‘I don’t
understand.’ You can’t know everything,
but you need to know a bit of everything.
So you either fluff it or you learn it and I’ve
always learned it and I think that is very
much part of leadership.”
Rezidor
Sir David Michels
Earlier this year, The Rezidor Hotel Group
announced an organisational restructure
of their regional operations offices in
Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The
company separates responsibilities for
the core brands Radisson Blu and Park
Inn by Radisson on Area Vice President
level, and supports the regional leaders
with strengthened and consistent teams
of area specialists in Finance & Control,
IT, Purchasing, HR, Sales & Marketing,
Revenue Management, and Technical
Development.
Under the leadership of Wolfgang M.
Neumann, Executive Vice President and
COO at Rezidor, 6 areas for Radisson Blu,
their upper upscale brand, and 2 areas
for the mid-market brand Park Inn by
Radisson were created:
Radisson Blu
Nordics: Area Vice President Christian
Gartmann, oversees 29 managed &
leased and 20 franchised hotels in
Rezidor’s home markets.
Eastern Europe & Russia: Area Vice
President Tom Flanagan. is responsible
Gatwick Airport
Willie McGillivray and Derek Hendry have
joined the Executive Management Team.
McGillivray as Product Development
Director responsible for identifying and
developing new products and services
that best meet the different customer
needs.
Derek has joined as Construction Director
and has responsibility for delivering the
£1.2 billion investment programme.
Around £20 million is currently being
invested each month to provide the right
facilities for passengers and airlines. Following
the change of
ownership two years
ago, Gatwick has
invested around £700
million in the airport.
(HNTO)
Ildiko Mezo has been
appointed as the new
Director of the UK for
the Hungarian National
Tourist Office (HNTO),
based in the London
office. Ms Mezo joins the
HNTO from Visit Britain, the British
Tourist Authority based in Budapest
where she held the role of Manager for
Central Europe looking after the Czech
Republic, Poland and Hungary from 2008.
for 37 managed and 6 franchised
properties.
Western Europe & North West
Africa: Michel Stalport, formerly District
Director Northern France and General
Manager at the Radisson Blu Resort
Disneyland Paris, has been promoted to
the role of Area Vice President. He heads
35 managed & leased and 9 franchised
hotels in the region.
Central Europe: Former Regional
Director France & Benelux Willem Van
der Zee hasbeen promoted to Area Vice
President. He oversees 25 managed &
leased and 16 franchised hotels.
UK & Ireland: Philip Mahoney, formerly
General Manager at The Regent Zagreb,
has been promoted to Area Vice President,
and carries the responsibility for
24 managed & leased and 4 franchised
properties.
Middle East & Sub Saharan Africa:
Former Regional Director Radisson Blu &
Hotel Missoni UK Mark Willis has been
promoted to Area Vice President. He is
responsible for 46 managed hotels.
Ildiko Mezo
Bath Tourism
Plus
Marnie Kovacs
Nick Brooks-Sykes
Experienced tourism professional,
Nick Brooks-Sykes,
has been appointed as Chief
Executive of the destination
marketing organisation for
Bath and the surrounding
area, Bath Tourism Plus.
Nick’s previous roles have
included Director of Tourism
at the North West Development
Agency and Head of
Marketing Services at the North West
Tourist Board. He has also helped shape
the priorities and activities of the national
tourism body, VisitEngland.
Mark Willis
Park Inn by Radisson
Richard Moore has been nominated Area
Vice President for the UK & Ireland and
the Nordics. He reports directly to Eric
de Neef, Senior Vice President Park Inn
by Radisson, and is responsible for 30
leased managed and 7 franchised hotels.
The appointment of an Area Vice
President for Continental Europe has
been postponed, and brand leader Eric
de Neef takes direct responsibility for
49 managed & leased and 18 franchised
properties.
Simone Buckley
Accor
Jonathan Sheard has
been appointed as
Managing Director
Operations, MGallery
and Mercure hotels,
UK and Ireland. In his
new role, Sheard is
responsible for leading
MGallery and Mercure
hotels in the UK and
Ireland, including
subsidiaries, managed
hotels and franchisees. Sheard joined Accor
in 1992 as General Manager for Novotel
Sheffield. In 2006, he became Director of
Operations, Novotel UK and he later became
Director of Operations for Mercure UK.
Estonia Tourist Board
Enterprise Estonia/ Estonian Tourist Board
has added a tourism promotion person
to its office in London - Andrus Nõmm.
He will be responsible for providing
information for the travel trade, organising
workshops and seminars, press and FAM
trips Tel: + 44 2079474365
Andrus.Nomm@eas.ee
The Ski Club of GB
Its Chief Executive, Caroline Stuart-Taylor
is leaving the Ski Club on 31st March 2012.
Caroline will remain a member and Ski
Club Leader.
Jumeirah Group
Adrian Bradley has been appointed as Chief
Financial Officer to succeed Alaister Murray.
Bradley joins Jumeirah from London &
Regional Hotels, following an 11-year
career at Hilton and an early career at
PepsiCo and Millicom.
Commenting on the appointment Jumeirah
Group Executive Chairman, Gerald Lawless,
said: “He comes at a time of rapid expansion,
with six hotels newly opened in 2011
and a further six opening in 2012”.
The Dubai-based luxury hospitality company,
a member of Dubai Holding, received
the World’s Excellent in Service Award at
the World Travel Awards earlier this year.
On the Road issue 201 Page 3

Places news
ETC review
The European Travel Commission (ETC) has just published its fourth quarterly
report on European Tourism in 2011 - Trends & Prospects. The following gives a
brief overview of the report for the fourth quarter of 2011.
• Travel to European destinations in 2011 has exceeded the prior peak set in 2008
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Impressively, 22 of 23 reporting countries show international visitor growth in
2011, ranging from 3% in the UK to more than 20% in Latvia and Lithuania.
And 24 of 26 countries show gains in hotel occupancy in 2011
Total international visits are estimated to have surged 6% last year, while hotel
occupancy rates rose 3.2%, indicating that domestic demand lagged behind
international demand.
While the travel recovery has been quite robust, signs of eroding gains began
to appear, as expected, in the second half of 2011.
Data on visitation and nights from TourMIS (http://www.tourmis.info/
index_e.html) as well as hotel and airline industry data provide a consistent
picture of the pullback on growth in recent months.
Three forces converged to bring about this late-year trend: reversion to the
mean from the ash cloud rebound in the first half of the year; the second half of
2010 was relatively stronger than the first half so comparisons in 2011 were to
a higher base; and the Eurozone debt crisis began to affect both consumer and
business behaviour.
The financial crisis in the Eurozone has continued to worsen in recent months.
Problems in sovereign debt markets have spread from Greece, Ireland and
Portugal to Spain and Italy - posing a much more severe threat of global
financial contagion.
If the Eurozone authorities fail to arrest the alarming slide in financial and business
confidence, the consequences would be severe. In the event of a Eurozone
break-up, GDP could initially fall by around 10% in the exiting countries and
the attendant financial disruption would plunge much of the world, including
the United States, back into recession.
The full report can be downloaded from ETC’s corporate website under the following
link: http://www.etc-corporate.org/market-intelligence/reports-and-studies.html
Rome
Olympics 2020
Rome has been forced to withdraw its
bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games after
Prime Minister Mario Monti refused to
guarantee the cost of staging the event.
Monti said it would be irresponsible to
use government funds for the event during
a time of austerity.
Estimates suggest the games could cost
as much as £8 billion to stage. The decision
leaves Doha as the front runner to
win the bid, with Istanbul, Tokyo, Madrid
and Baku also in the race.
“In essence, if we find ourselves now
in such a difficult financial position it is
because similar decisions were made by
previous governments without having
considered the resulting impact in the following
years,” Monti explained.
Venice
Egypt
The Egypt Tourism Authority has
announced that 1,034,413 British
holidaymakers visited Egypt in 2011.
This makes the UK the second most
popular tourist nationality to the home
of the ancient Pharaohs, topped only by
Russia with Germany coming third. It
has also been announced that the
average UK holidaymaker spends 11.45
nights per annum in Egypt.
and...
The countries new government has
promised there will be no crackdown on
alcohol and bikinis at its tourist resorts.
The country’s recent elections resulted
in the dominance of two ultra-religious
parties, prompting fears of Saudi-style
restrictions in the popular Sinai and Red
Sea resorts, but the Freedom and
Justice Party insisted last week that tourism
“will not be subjected to any changes
as long as we are represented in the
parliament”.
In addition, it promises that monuments
and statues that had been under wraps
during the old regime will be brought out
and displayed in open-air museums along
the banks of the Nile.
Greece
Culture Minister Pavlos Geroulanos has
announced that the € crisis is hitting tourism
in Greece. He said Germans were afraid
to visit his country fearing they would be
blamed for the Greek austerity regime.
The scaffoldings have
come down after a three
year restoration work at
the world famous Bridge
of Sighs in Venice and it
can now be admired in its
full glory. The bridge was
built to connect the old
prison to the interrogations
rooms in the Doge’s
Palace and was given its
name by Lord Byron in the
19th century who suggested
that the prisoners
would sigh while crossing
the bridge and admiring
Venice after a long period
of imprisonment.
Venice - Bridge of Sighs
Lithuania
The Lithuanian State Department of
Tourism has closed all National Tourism
Offices abroad and will focus overseas
marketing centrally from Lithuania.
Please direct all work-related issues to
Lithuanian State Department of Tourism
:Marketing: Mrs Daiva Kirkilaitė-Chetcuti
+370 616 17 796 d.chetcuti@tourism.lt
Vilnius Tourism Information Centre Director
Jolanta Beniuliene +370 5 212 1833,
+370 618 81598, jolanta.beniuliene@
vilnius.lt Kaunas Tourism Information
Centre Director Sigitas Sidaravicius +370
37 323 436, sigitas@kaunastic.lt
Madrid &
Barcelona
The two cities have achieved second
place in the list of best European cities
for shopping, compiled by The Globe
Shopper City Index – Europe. Both cities
are just half a point short of the winning
city, London, and ahead of Paris, Rome
and Berlin.
The Globe Shopper City Index – Europe
measures the attractiveness of the 33
biggest European cities for international
shopping trips. Each city was awarded
points across five categories: shops,
affordability, convenience, hotels &
transport, and culture & climate. www.
esmadrid.com/en/shopping-madrid
Tenerife
The Tenerife Tourism Corporation has
received the Association of Independent
Tour Operators “AITO Affiliates Green
Award 2011”, in recognition of its efforts
in sustainable and responsible tourism.
Tenerife has developed a number of
initiatives over the years to improve the
sustainability of this island that is rich
in natural fauna and flora. With around
half of Tenerife being covered in national
parkland, the island’s government has
introduced a series of new trails in natural
areas, including the new accessible
“Path of Senses” in the Anaga Rural Park
and new volcano-themed routes set to
launch this year..
Resource use is under scrutiny as Tenerife
hopes to generate more than half of the
island’s energy through natural energy
resources. http://www.webtenerifeuk.
co.uk/index.htm?Lang=en
...continued
On the Road issue 201 Page 4

Places news ...continued
MOMENTS OF WONDER
SPARKLING SHOPPING EXPERIENCES
6112 Wattens, Austria, Tel. +43 (0)5224 51080
www.swarovski.com/kristallwelten
Open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.
Last entry 5.30 p.m.
Closed 2nd and 3rd week of November
Basque Country
Spanish regional capital Vitoria-Gasteiz
has been named as European Green
Capital 2012. Vitoria-Gasteiz is the
capital of the Basque Country. The city
has successfully put in place numerous
measures to assist and increase biodiversity
and support the local ecosystem.
Flora and fauna are regularly monitored
Virgen Blanca - Vitoria-Gasteiz
and any damage to the local habitat is
kept to a bare minimum.
The city is successfully coping with water
scarcity and has steadily decreased its
water consumption over the last decade.
Considerable water related investments
have been made to improve water supply
and quality, reduce water loss and work
towards sustainable consumption
www.vitoria-gasteiz.org
London 2012
Travel trends
Amadeus, - travel technology partner and transaction processor for the global
travel and tourism industry, and Forward Data SL, a market research and consulting
company publishing ForwardKeys.com have recently unveiled a range of
travel data trends, based on actual global air reservations, which details the impact
of the London 2012 Olympics.
The forecast provided by ForwardKeys.com is based on actual statistical
aggregated air booking data currently available and covers the
period from 23 July though to 12 August 2012.
With approximately 120 days to go before the Games, the findings reveal
that travel volumes into London will significantly increase during the Games.
Importantly, the research demonstrates the global impact of the Games as other
European cities, connected to London via high speed rail, see increased traffic,
while long-haul routes experience heightened volumes.
Key findings from the research include:
•
In-bound traffic boosts travel to London during Games-time
Analysis of all in-bound air travel reservations for London reveals a massive
spike in arrivals (143% increase compared to the same day 2011) on 26 July,
the day before the opening of the Games. When the period of analysis is broadened
to include the four days before the event, scheduled future arrivals show
an overall increase of 31% when compared to the previous year.
• US and German travellers show an early appetite for the Games
US citizens lead in early bookings with analysis showing a 82% surge in bookings
to London as early as August 2011 year on year and .Currently, 17% of scheduled
arrivals. German travellers are in hot pursuit, representing 11% of scheduled arrivals
during the period of analysis. Estonia is recording the largest increase in visitors to
London with a 14-fold increase in arrivals during the Games.
• Long-haul routes in Latin America and the Caribbean increase
volumes
The traditionally successful Olympic nations of Jamaica (fourfold increase)
and Brazil (threefold increase) show the largest relative growth in scheduled
arrivals for long-haul travel.
• European high speed cities benefit from the Games
Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris are all linked to London by high speed rail and
all three cities have registered surges in arrivals during the Games. During the
three week period of the Olympics, future scheduled arrivals in Brussels are up
49% compared to 2011; Amsterdam 28%; and Paris 5%. These figures suggest
that travellers are increasingly adopting high-speed rail links in conjunction
with air travel in order to reach London.
• Londoners show appetite to stay in the city to experience the Games
Analysis of scheduled departures from all London airports shows that Londoners
are 11% more likely to stay in the city during the Olympics period than they
did in 2011. Londoners are not flocking en mass to rent out their homes and to
travel abroad. Instead, it seems that the vast majority of Londoners are keen to
play an active role in the event.
Olivier Jager, CEO of Forward Data says: “Real time monitoring of Air Reservation
information offers unprecedented insider’s view on travel decisions that are still in
the making, thus allowing smart marketers to adjust strategies and impact future
trends.” http://www.amadeus.com/blog/01/03/olympics/
On the Road issue 201 Page 5

Transport news
BA will not
use ‘Boris Island’
In an interview with Alistair Osborne,
published in The Daily Telegraph, Willie
Walsh said that British Airways would
not move to the proposed Thames Estuary
airport unless Heathrow was closed
by the Government.
The chief executive of the BA owner,
International Airlines Group, said he
did not believe the £50bn project -
£20bn for the airport and the rest for
related infrastructure - could be
financed.
He also doubted whether the Government
had the courage to close Britain’s
main airport, a move that would cause
unprecedented social and economic
upheaval.
Heathrow employs 76,600 people and
supports a total 114,000 jobs locally.
Mr Walsh asked in the interview, “Would
you put £50bn into it unless you knew
Heathrow was going to close? I don’t think
you would.”
He went on to say “the only way you are
going to get a return on your investment is
to know that planes are going to fly in and
out of there. If you’ve got the current users
of Heathrow saying, ‘we’re not going to
fly in there,’ you risk building a huge white
elephant, for the Government to go from
having no aviation policy to this scale of
ambition, I don’t think is possible”.
London Mayor, Boris Johnson, who has
championed the Thames Estuary airport
scheme (which is dubbed ‘Boris Island’),
has said that with “political will” it could
be built in six years with the costs of the
airport element met by private finance.
But Mr Walsh is adamant that even if
it is built there will be no return on the
investment unless Heathrow is closed.
Qantas trial
Streaming
Qantas Airways has begun Q Streaming,
an in-flight entertainment system that
works via a wireless connection.
The Australian carrier says the technology
allows more than 200 hours of
entertainment to be streamed directly
to iPads distributed in the cabin.
Passengers are able to connect to Q
Streaming on laptops, smartphones,
tablets or other Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
Iberia move
From March 25th , Iberia passengers
depart and arrive at Heathrow’s Terminal
5. The move substantially improves
connections between both airlines’ flight
networks. The minimum connection
time between Terminal 5 and Terminal 3,
used by Iberia was 90 minutes. After the
move, it will drop to 60 minutes.
Since the merger between Iberia and
British Airways, and the launch of their
transatlantic joint business with American
Airlines, the Spanish and British
airlines have operated many flights under
a code share agreement. The move to
Terminal 5 strengthens these arrangements.
At Terminal 5 Iberia passengers are able
to use any of the large number of checkin
kiosks or bag drops. Business Class
passengers benefit from special check-in
areas and fast-track security control
procedures.
Moscow - Berlin -
Paris in 37 hours
The new night train Moscow-Berlin-Paris
of the Russian Railway RZD was launched
late last year. The traditional railway route
Paris-Moscow has been revived. There was
no direct link on this route since 1994.
Equipped with modern rolling stock, the
new train replaced the old night train
Moscow-Berlin and now extended route to
Paris. The new train also offers more direct
connections to Germany i.e. Mannheim,
Frankfurt, Fulda and Hanover.
The train travels with eight sleeper cars,
two are equipped with deluxe compartments.
Dining cars are also available for the
passengers on the routes from Moscow to
Brest and from Warsaw to Paris.
To book your tickets , call the Deutsche
Bahn UK Booking Centre on +44 (0) 8718
80 80 66 (calls cost 8p per minute from a
BT landline, calls from other networks or
mobiles may cost more)
easyJet - Lisbon base
easyJet will open its 23rd base in Lisbon,
on 19 April 2012. The initial operations
will commence with five new services,
Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Bordeaux and
Venice and a brand new destination –
Asturias, in addition to its 16 existing
routes.
Travellers will now have a wider range
of choices, with 21 routes from Lisbon
and over 150 flights per week during the
peak season.
Initially easyJet expects to carry 225,000
additional passengers in the first year,
with an additional two A319 aircraft that
will be permanently based in Lisbon
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express has unveiled the result
of a £16 million investment. Stepping
into a ‘New Era’ which will see a new
brand, corporate colours, staff uniforms
and a refurbished and higher specification
rolling stock.
Keith Greenfield quotes “As London takes
centre stage in 2012 we are proud to be
the front door to the city and will be ready
to host our spectators, supporters and the
world’s media on Heathrow Express.”
Heathrow Express is the fastest way to
travel between Heathrow Airport and
Central London (Paddington.) Trains
depart every 15 minutes with average
journey times taking just 15 minutes.
www.heathrowexpress.com
Chinese app
Schiphol and Charles de
Gaulle airports have launched
the Chinese version of the
‘Schiphol App’, an application
designed to navigate passengers
through the airports
and translate signposting into
Mandarin. The app, can be
downloaded by both iPhones
and Android telephones.
Terminal 5 Heathrow
London’s tube
to get Wi-Free
Mayor Boris Johnson has selected Virgin
media to provide Wi-Fi for the underground
system during the 2012 Olympics.
Mr Johnson’s office said that Wi-Fi would
be introduced at 80 stations before July.
By the end of the year, 120 Tube stations,
many of them deep-level, will be connected.
Tube passengers will be able to
connect for free.
After the Olympics, which end Aug. 12,
Wi- Fi at Tube stations will be made available
as part of Virgin Media’s broadband
and mobile subscriptions. The contract
does not cover cellphone service. Eurotunnel
is to get mobile phone signal by July
Groupe Eurotunnel, operator of the undersea
rail link between England and France,
is to introduce a mobile phone signal
in the Channel Tunnel also by July. The
Paris-based company is to officially sign a
contract with four mobile operators.
Routemaster is back
A London’s double decker red bus Routemaster
is back. The first of a new fleet
of models was launched in March and
replaces the unpopular Bendy Bus.
The new bus has innovative features
including three entrances and two
staircases to enable fast boarding and
alighting of passengers; the reintroduction
of an open rear platform; LED lighting;
new moquette seating and wireless
bell pushes. www.tfl.gov.uk/buses
On the Road issue 201 Page 6
London’s new Routemaster

Transport ...continued
MICE news
Great Airport
Water Swindle
Times reader, Andrew Elliot, wrote to the
paper to warn of the sharp practice at
international airports, where passengers
are charged extortionate prices for small
bottles of water (50cl).
After conducting follow-up research The
Times concluded that the ‘Great Airport
Water Swindle’ goes something like this:
Airports know that you are hot, dehydrated
and have been up since before
dawn. They know you don’t have any
water because they forcibly removed it
from you at security. They know that the
decent and ecologically responsible thing
to do would be to provide passengers
with a nice cool drinking fountain. But
they don’t, because they also know that
a human will pay almost any price when
parched with thirst.
Here are the results of the ransoms some
airports charge for a 50cl bottle of water.
Geneva €4.2, Brussels €3.3, Munich
€3, Heathrow & Lyon €2.30, Paris
€2, Budapest €1.62,Bologna €1.50,
Sarajevo €1
Pets reprieve
Taking pets on holiday is easier and
cheaper this summer after the Government
relaxed its regulations. The UK Pet
Passport rules have changed and the UK
has brought its procedures into line with
the European Union. All pets can enter or
re-enter the UK from any country in the
world without quarantine provided they
meet the rules of the scheme, which will
be different depending on the country
or territory the pet is coming from. It
is estimated the changes will save pet
owners about £7m in fees in total.
However, owners will still need to have
their pets vaccinated against rabies and
other rules will remain in place to guard
Britain against the disease. Pets from the
EU and listed non-EU countries including
the US and Australia will no longer need
a blood test and will only have to wait 21
days before travelling.
Southend’s new
terminal opened
The terminal opened to the public at
the end of February, when Aer Arann
flights to and from Waterford started
using the new facility for the first
time. From the 2nd of April easyJet’s
schedule of 70 flights a week starts
from London Southend to Amsterdam,
Alicante, Barcelona, Belfast, Faro, Ibiza,
Jersey, Malaga and Mallorca.
Leeds Bradford
expansion
Southend’s new terminal
An £11m expansion of Leeds Bradford
International Airport – its planned
completion by summer 2012.
John Parkin, Chief Executive, said:
“The terminal development will provide
a 65% increase in airside space over two
floors, creating a new departure lounge,
a new range of upgraded food and
beverage outlets , a major walkthrough
Tax and Duty Free store and
additional retail units”.
“We will also be enlarging the security
search zone, all of the boarding gate
areas and building a covered walkway
to aircraft from the terminal to deliver
the very best in facilities and experience
for our customers.”
www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk
“We are off!”
Longleat woes MICE
Set in the Wiltshire countryside within easy
reach of Bath and Bristol, Longleat Housethe
Elizabethan stately home is a unique
venue for holding conferences, meetings and
launches, and for entertaining clients.
From drinks receptions and fine dining,
to company fun days, team-building and
treasure hunts, the 900-acre Estate offers
huge flexibility catering for 20 – 2,000
people. With a highly-experienced team of
event organisers on hand to advise you every
step of the way. T01985 844328 or visit www.
longleat.co.uk/hospitality
2012 Condé Nast
Johansens Awards
Within the MICE market, the following
awards were presented for the most
excellent:
• Judges’ Award for Training and Enquiry
Process in the MICE Market:
Knockranny House Hotel & Spa - Ireland
• Venues and Hotels that Accommodate
Groups of Under 100:
Aviator Hotel - UK
• Venues and Hotels that Accommodate
Groups of Over 100:
Dolce Sitges Hotel -Spain
New auditorium -
Cartagena
The Spanish city of Cartagena has unveil its
brand new auditorium and convention centre
which has a capacity of up to 2,800 people.
The new facility, designed by Jose Selgas has
nine meeting rooms. www.cartagena.es
M&IT awards 2012
The Meeting & Incentive Travel Industry
Awards have a 15 year history and have
become highly valued within the business.
They aim to emphasize the market’s best
practices by letting those who use providers’
services choose their favourites. It is the only
British voting system that allows clients to
determine who will take the honours.
Best Overseas Conference Centre
Gold
Conference Centre Dublin
Silver
Grimaldi Forum Monaco
Bronze
CCIB Centre Barcelona
Best Overseas Conference Bureau
Gold
Monaco Tourist Authority
Silver
Hague Convention bureau
Bronze
Malta Tourism Authority
Best UK Convention Centre
Gold
Glasgow City Marketing Bureau
Silver
Newcastle/Gateshead Convention Bureau
Bronze
Jersey Conference bureau
The Awards were announced earlier this
month.
Valencia CC
set to grow
Longleat - from the air
Valencia Tourism has announced the
expansion of its cutting edge conference
centre, designed by esteemed UK architect,
Norman Foster.
The conference centre’s expansion is aptly
‘growing’ from having one leaf shaped building
to two. The architects have also proposed
a ‘stem’ connecting the two buildings and
acting as glass passage.
The extension which is set to be completed
in 2014 will offer a flexible open plan space
over two floors. Rooms will accommodate up
to 2,500 people with an additional 20 rooms
providing multiple capacities.
http://www.palcongres-vlc.com/
ampliaciond.php
On the Road issue 201 Page 7

Cruise news
The
largest
of the
lot
The biggest cruise company in the world
views Europe as the largest leisure travel
vacation market in the world, and that’s
why Carnival Corp.’s 10 cruise brands
will continue to introduce new ships to
the Europe source market over the next
several years, the company said in its
annual report.
In the report, filed last month with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission, Carnival
said the number of Europe-sourced
cruise passengers has increased at a compound
annual growth rate of approximately
10% between 2006 and 2011, as passenger
capacity has been added.
But it noted that cruising still has a much
lower level of market penetration in Europe
than in North America and represents a
relatively small percentage of the overall
European vacation market. “We estimate
that about 5.8 million European-sourced
passengers took a cruise in 2011, which was
approximately the same size as the cruise
segment of the North America vacation
market in 1999,” the filing said.
“Based on industry data or our internal estimates,
approximately 24% and 13% of the
U.S. and U.K. populations, respectively, and
lower percentages of continental European
and Australian populations, have ever taken
a cruise,” Carnival said.
The company’s Europe brands currently
represent 35% of its total passenger capacity
(excluding the Costa Concordia, which is
out of service indefinitely following its Jan.
13 accident).
Company revenues generated from passengers
sourced outside the U.S. meanwhile,
have grown to 56%, up from 40% in 2006.
Carnival Corp. also has high hopes for Brazil
and Argentina, which the company noted
have “a combined population of approximately
245 million.”
“We believe that their discretionary incomes
will continue to grow in the future,” the report
predicted. More than 6 million Brazilian
and Argentine tourists travelled abroad last
year, and the company said it expects
Carnival cruise ship
this to increase to about 7.5 million in 2012.
Carnival estimates that 850,000 Brazilians
and Argentines took a cruise vacation in
2011, with nearly 30% sailing on one of
Carnival’s brands, but that reflects a market
penetration level of less than 1%.
The report also reaffirmed Carnival’s commitment
to the retail trade.
“We sell our cruises mainly through travel
agents, including wholesalers and tour
operators that serve our guests in their local
areas,” it said. “We believe travel agents
are an integral part of our long-term cruise
distribution network.”
Each brand’s relationship with their travel
agents are generally independent of other
brands, it noted, and during fiscal 2011,
“no controlled group of travel agencies
accounted for 10% or more of our revenues.”
Carnival’s report provided some information
about Costa Cruises and addressed the
Costa Concordia disaster.
Costa, it said, is “Italy’s and Europe’s largest
cruise line based on guests carried and passenger
capacity,” and has operated for over
63 years. Costa’s 1.5 million guests in 2011
were sourced from 181 countries.
The report said that a damage assessment
review of the ship, which capsized
after hitting a reef, is being undertaken to
determine whether it can be repaired and
what the total cost would be. The company
said earlier that if the ship is repairable,
it is expected to be out of service for the
remainder of fiscal 2012, if not longer.
Carnival acknowledged in its report that
media coverage of cruise ship accidents and
incidents “could impact demand.”
“Maintaining a good reputation is critical to
our business,” said Carnival.
In the same filing, the company reported
that its brands experienced double-digit
booking declines in the immediate
aftermath of the Concordia accident, and
said that Costa’s bookings were down
significantly.
Crystal
Its new check in procedure “Crystal Fast-
Track Check-In” ship check-in procedures in
port terminal waiting areas by utilising the
barcode on the cruise ticket. So passengers
are whisked on-board to complete registration
and receive their room keys/boarding
cards with photo identification. www.
crystalcruises.co.uk
The Churchill
Foundation
London based luxury
travel specialist BAway has
launched a new cruise programme
with Crystal Cruises
entitled ‘Chasing Churchill’
which will see guests
travelling to the Crimea and
Black Sea in the footsteps of
the legendary politician. The
cruise will be accompanied
by Celia Sandys, Winston
Churchill’s granddaughter
and Lord Watson of Richmond, who is
International Chairman Emeritus of the
English Speaking Union and a recipient of
The Churchill Medal.
The 13 night cruise from 6-18 September
2012 will be on board Crystal Serenity,
sailing from Athens to Istanbul through the
Dardanelles with stops in Mykonos, Odessa,
Sochi as well as Yalta, where Winston
Churchill took part in the famous conference
between the Britain, the USA and the
USSR. The voyage not only takes in places
synonymous with the war time Prime
Minister but also a journey that Celia took
with her grandfather in the 1960’s on the
Christina, owned by Aristotle Onassis.
The cruise will focus on his strategic and
negotiation skills displayed in Eastern
Europe during the war. www.baway.co.uk
European Waterways
With its fleet of 21 fully-crewed hotel
barges cruising along the canals, rivers and
lagoons of Europe, has added ‘Panache’, a
12 passenger luxury hotel barge that will
be cruising the canals of both Holland and
Eastern France.
In April and May she will embark on circular
“Tulip Cruises” starting and finishing in
Haarlem, visiting the Keukenhof Gardens in
full bloom, the world famous Delft pottery
and the cheese centre of Gouda.
She will then reposition to cruise the beautiful
Canal de la Marne au Rhin from Nancy
to Strasbourg in Alsace Lorraine with its
unique mix of French and German cultures,
Baroque and Romanesque architecture,
storybook hamlets and wonderful white
wines.
Panache
Panache, the 128 foot hotel barge has
spacious public areas and 6 double/twin
en-suite cabins and has been fitted out
in traditional yacht style with brass and
mahogany fittings. A large sundeck and spa
pool complete the picture. T01753 598555
Website: www.gobarging.com
And…
All European Waterways hotel barges carry
bicycles. However some now offer a ‘Biking
Plus’ option. Guests can take a bike and follow
an interesting, but not too challenging
carefully researched route.
They will be given clearly marked maps
for each round trip route and a backpack
with everything they might need so that,
for an hour or two, they can explore the
surrounding countryside and villages along
the lanes and byways. Then they can just
re-join the barge where they left her.
Bikers treat
Regular cruises in the Valley of the Loreley
Rüdesheim – Bingen – St.Goarshausen
Dept.Rüd.: 9.15am,11.00am and 2.00pm
Dept.St. Goar: 11.00am,2.10pm and 4.10pm
Full restaurant service and snacks available
Commentary in English – Multi-lingual staff – Group rates
continued....
On the Road issue 201 Page 8
Tel. Bingen +49 6721 14140
E- info@bingen-ruedesheimer.de www.bingen-ruedesheimer.de

Cruise news ...continued
Flight plan
For more committed cyclists, European
Waterways offer biking charters with half
day guided itineraries, upgraded bikes and
lunch picnics - but still with their usual
five star hotel barge service.T01753 598555
Website: www.gobarging.com
Star Clippers
Tall ship specialist Star Clippers’ 170-passenger
Star Flyer will sail in the Baltic for
the first time during summer 2012, offering
a variety of voyages from 2 nights to 11
nights.
In the autumn of 2012, Star Flyer will
operate five seven-night cruises roundtrip
from Malaga exploring the Moorish
heritage of Andalucia and the North African
coast. Ports of call include Casablanca and
Tangier in Morocco, Gibraltar, Cadiz, Motril
and Granada, setting of the magnificent
Alhambra’s palace.
Hebridean Island Cruises
Tall ships specialist - Star Clippers
Passenger Survey
And…
Star Clippers has introduced new travel-inclusive, no-fly holidays in the
Mediterranean and the Baltic in 2012 for those tired of airport delays and
luggage restrictions. Travelling outbound or return by rail to within a short
transfer of the ship there’s no need to check in hours in advance and there
are no restrictions on how much luggage to take. All packages include train
travel to or from the UK to the port; transfers and all meals on board.
www.starclippers.com
For the fourth year, the www.cruise.co.uk ‘Cruise Passenger Ratings Survey’ has shown what’s popular
with UK based passengers including some new entrants and old favourites continuing to show strong
performance. The survey is the definitive guide to cruising, written for and by UK cruisers, and includes
6500 new passenger reviews since January 2011, showing what UK passengers really think about their
cruising experience.
Over the last four years visitors to the cruise.co.uk web site have been asked to rate operators and their
ships in eight different key categories, as part of the review process, including Best Cruise Line, Best
Ship, Best Food, Best Entertainment, Best Accommodation, Best Service, Best for Kids/Families and
Best Shore Excursions.
January 2012 January 2011 January 2010
Best Cruise Line
Best Ship
Best Accommodation
Best Entertainment
Best Food
Best Service
Best for Kids
Best Shore Excursion
Celebrity Cruises
Queen Victoria
Celebrity Eclipse
Thomson Dream
Queen Victoria
Thomson Dream
Ventura
Oceana
Cunard Line
Queen Victoria
Celebrity Eclipse
Independence of the Seas
Queen Victoria
Adventure of the Seas
Oriana
Queen Victoria
Cunard Line
Celebrity Equinox
Celebrity Solstice
Thomson Spirit
Queen Mary 2
Thomson Spirit
Ventura
Marco Polo
Launches a new dedicated river cruises programme on board the Royal Crown. Following extensive renovations,
the luxurious cruiser will sail on the Rhine and Danube during June and September 2012. www.hebridean.co.uk
airBaltic will reintroduce flights between Dublin and
Riga for the summer season. Offering efficient connecting
flights via North Hub Riga to/from destinations in the Baltics,
Scandinavia and Russia/CIS.
Adria Airways – The Slovenian national carrier has
re-launched flights to London Luton from Ljubljana from
28 March after dropping the route for the winter season.
Air China will fly four times weekly from Gatwick to Beijing
from 1st May. Departures from Beijing Monday, Wednesday,
Friday and Sunday, with the return leg from Gatwick leaving on
the same day.
Air France will begin operating scheduled service between
Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Wuhan Tianhe International Airport
at the beginning of April with a three times weekly schedule. It’s
the first airline to offer direct flights between Wuhan and Europe.
Situated at the crossroads of central China and at equal distance
from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Wuhan is a transportation
hub for air, railway and ferry traffic, a commercial centre for
finance, industry (especially automotive), trade and science.
And…Starting on 1 April, Air France will offer 16 new destinations
from Toulouse in Europe and the Mediterranean, in addition
to the 12 existing points. Istanbul, Prague and Tunis are amongst
the new routes. As from 3 April Air France will offer six new destinations
from Nice, including Barcelona, Istanbul and Tel Aviv.
American Airlines has cancelled its Chicago - New Delhi
operation.
China Airlines has dropped its twice weekly Taipei –
Heathrow route due to poor performance.
Finnair adds China’s destination Chongqing in early May,
adding to Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Finnair’s UK
flights from both Manchester and Heathrow will connect to the
Chongqing flight in Helsinki.
Chongqing, on the edge of the Tibetan plateau, is also one of
southwest China’s main transport hubs, with good connections
to the rest of the country and South East Asia. www.finnair.com
Hong Kong Airlines has launched its daily non-stop
service between London and Hong Kong a unique all Club Class
seating configuration will operate on the route.
Monarch Airlines scheduled operation for summer 2012
will offer 14 new routes. Manchester to Dubrovnik, Milan, Venice
and Verona; Birmingham to Dubrovnik, Heraklion, Milan, Rome
and Venice; Gatwick to Dubrovnik, Heraklion, Milan and Venice
and Luton to Rome.
Qatar Airways now flies from Doha to Benghazi, Libya’s
second largest city, flights are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays
and Sundays.
Ryanair has introduced a new route from Birmingham to
Budapest.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has re-introduced a
Copenhagen – Shanghai service initially on a five times per week
service into Pudong International Airport.
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS)
announced the launch of its new route from London City Airport
to Basel. The route will operate on a two times daily frequency
from 21st May 2012.
And..they have also introduced daily service from Zurich to
Beijing. From Zurich, they will be adding a seventh daily frequency
to London Heathrow as of 30 October. However services
to Sofia, will cease for economic reasons.
Turkish Airlines has increased flights between Birmingham
and Istanbul from five flights a week to daily services.
Wizz Air, is to open two new services from Gdansk to
Trondheim and Haugesund starting April 2012. The routes will
operate twice per week initially. Services from Gdansk to Oslo
Sandefjord Torp will double to six times per week.
On the Road issue 201 Page 9

Hospitality news ...continued
Easily restaurant search
MyTable is a complete directory with
more than 5000 restaurants in Switzerland
and 1000 in main European cities.
Guests can search by restaurant name,
city or current location and find detailed
information about cuisine and menu
in English, German, Italian and French.
Restaurant directions are displayed and
the restaurant can be viewed on the
map. Table booking is possible directly
via smartphone app, table availability is
displayed in real-time and the reservation
is confirmed instantly.
Warminster
Late last year, Longleat bought the
luxury Bishopstrow House and Spa Hotel in
Warminster for a rumoured £5 million. The
32-bed hotel was bought from Von Essen
Hotels, which was placed into administration
last April.
Longleat now plans to invest £1m in the
hotel and spa completing a refurbishment,
and may look to expand the hotel this year.
Bishopstrow House
This is particularly convenient when
travelling, especially with groups, where
table reservation is necessary. Also, tour
guides are always very welcome to notify
MyTable about restaurants which they
frequent with their travel groups, so
those will be included in the MyTable
directory free of charge .Additionally ,
MyTable is now developing another
app specifically for travel groups which
will be available shortly. The app can
be downloaded for free for iPhone and
Android phones.
More information on the MyTable website (www.mytable.com) or watch the
MyTable video (Youtube MyTable AG) Email graf@mytable.com
MyTable - Restaurant Guide
Longleat Chief Executive David Bradley
said: “We have one million visitors every
year and a lot of those people have overnight
stops, over 40%, so having a hotel to offer
them as part of the package makes sense. It
was an obvious investment for us to make”.
Situated six miles from the Longleat estate,
the hotel has four AA stars with two
rosettes for food quality. The hotel has a
health spa with heated outdoor and indoor
swimming pools.
Amsterdam
The 129 roomed Conservatorium Hotel
opened at the end of 2011. The 110-yearold
former conservatory offers a mix of
contemporary and 19th century decor
elements, including oversized windows
and exposed beams. Other features will
include several eateries; the Akasha Holistic
Wellbeing Retreat, offering spa treatments
and a pool; and meeting facilities.
Berlin
The Hotel Indigo Berlin Centre Hardenbergstrasse
has opened. A boutique property,
it is the first of the brand in Continental
Europe. It has just 81 rooms. Another Indigo
will shortly follow on Alexanderplatz.
The new hotel is opposite the Charlottenburg
campus of the Berlin University of Arts
and takes the inspiration for its design from
the burgeoning arts community in the city.
Its central location means it is just minutes
from some of Berlin’s popular attractions
including the city’s most famous shopping
street, Kurfüerstendamm, Berlin Zoo and
the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.www.
hotelindigo.com
Birmingham
Hilton Garden Inn Birmingham Brindleyplace
has opened features 238 rooms all
with Apple iMac computer which functions
both as a TV and computer, mini-refrigerators,
floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as a
newly refurbished fitness centre. The hotel
also offers meeting space for up to 120
people in its six flexible conference rooms,
all of which benefit from natural light and
provide the latest in audio-visual technology.
Complimentary wi-fi access and a
24-hour business centre is provided.
Dining includes a continental-style brasserie,
and relaxed fine-dining restaurant,
Edmunds. In addition, guests of the hotel
will be able to enjoy the 24-hour Pavilion
Pantry, which stocks a range of healthy
snacks and drinks. http://hiltongardeninn.
hilton.co.uk
Coventry
The brand new 100 bedroom hotel,
Premier Inn Coventry hotel, is just minutes
away from the centre of Coventry. Guests
can explore both sides of Coventry from the
historic Cathedral Quarter to the modern
pedestrianised shopping area. The hotel
is the first phase of a new development at
Earlsdon Park as part of the converted Old
City College building.
Frankfurt
Two hotels have been opened by Hilton
at The Squaire, a huge new commercial
complex that adjoins the station at Frankfurt
Airport with direct walkway access
to the airport terminals. The project is a
first for Hilton Worldwide in Europe with
two individually branded hotels operating
beside each other under the same roof.
The Hilton Frankfurt Airport offers 249-
guest rooms and features two executive
floors with an exclusive lounge and 10
meeting rooms with natural lighting. A
24hr business centre features state-of-theart
audio-visual equipment and wireless
internet access is available throughout the
hotel. There are various restaurants, a 570
capacity Grand Ballroom and a 24hr fitness
centre with a steam room and sauna.
The Garden Inn offers 334 rooms featuring
complimentary wireless internet access,
a refrigerator and spacious working desk.
The Hilton Garden Inn Pavilion Pantry also
provides guests with healthy snacks and
drinks anytime of the day or night. Three
contemporary meeting rooms with natural
light are also available accommodating up
to 28 guests. http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.
com www.hilton.co.uk/frankfurtairport
Glasgow
The new Grasshoppers Glasgow, 30 bed
boutique hotel is located on the sixth floor
of the city’s historic Caledonian Chambers
building, overlooking Central Station,
built by celebrated Glasgow architect
James Miller, the visionary behind many of
Glasgow’s best loved buildings.
The derelict top floor of the building was
painstakingly refurbished and transformed
into a £1.25 million boutique hotel, in a
joint venture with Network Rail.
The hotel’s Scandinavian style bedrooms
feature Caledonian oak floors, ash laminate
furniture, Egyptian cotton sheets, and
individually designed wallpaper and wood
paneled walls.
All guests enjoy complimentary breakfast,
and free wifi internet access, and every
room features LED TVs with SKY HD, offering
SKY Sports and SKY Movies. Guests
also receive free Grasshoppers treats
throughout their stay – freshly baked
scones, fresh ground coffee, bottled water
and tubes of Smarties. www.grasshoppersglasgow.com
Heathrow Terminal 5
Premier Inn, has opened its largest airport
hotel yet with over 400 rooms at Heathrow
Terminal 5. On the Bath Road, about
one mile from the terminal complex, the
site includes a Costa Coffee shop, Thyme
restaurant and an outdoor eating area.
And for those guests with electric motors
who need to top up their vehicle, the hotel
also has electric car charge points. A bus
service is provided.
Each room caters for up to two adults and
two children (aged 15 and under) and
includes an en-suite bathroom; a king size
bed; remote control TV with Freeview; tea/
coffee making facilities, and a spacious
desk area with wi-fi internet access. The
site will also offer the All You Can Eat
‘Premier Breakfast’ from just £8.50.
www.premierinn.com continued....
On the Road issue 201 Page 10

Hospitality news ...continued
Hospitality Corporate news
London
Following the acquisition of eight Mint
Hotels across the Netherlands and the UK,
renamed are the DoubleTree by Hilton
London-Tower of London and DoubleTree
by Hilton London-Westminster.
The 583-room DoubleTree by Hilton
London-Tower of London is in the heart
of The City near Tower Bridge, with easy
access to Barbican, The Globe Theatre,
The Whitechapel Art Gallery and St Paul’s
Cathedral.
Located adjacent to the Tate Britain
museum, the 460-room DoubleTree by
Hilton London-Westminster is within walking
distance of the Houses of Parliament,
Westminster Abbey and the London Eye.
www.doubletree.com
London
• Diamond Jubilee
London hotels are set for a Royal celebration
in June as the capital plays host to the
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
At this point in the booking window, committed
occupancy across the city for Sunday
June 3 - the day of the Thames Diamond
Jubilee Pageant - is up 115% compared to
last year, according to hotel market intelligence
firm TravelClick.
Marrakech
The Palais Namaskar opens as part of the
Oetker Collection of ‘Masterpiece’ Hotels
on April 6, 2012. A resort of 41 suites, villas
and palaces, Palais Namaskar has been
developed following Feng Shui principles
and lies in a picturesque setting between
the Atlas Mountains and the Djebilet Hills.
Palais Namaskar – Garden and Lake
The following day illustrates similar data,
when Buckingham Palace is the venue for
a star-studded concert. Hotel bookings on
Monday June 4 are currently running 81%
higher than the same date last year.
• New Russian luxury restaurant
Arkady Novikov, whose Novikov Restaurant
Group employs 7,000 people in more than
50 restaurants in Moscow and St. Petersburg,
has just opened Novikov in London.
The restaurant is divided into three areas:
an upmarket basement bar, a pan Asian
restaurant and an Italian restaurant whose
chef is Carmelo Carnevale. Average prices
are expected to be about £100 per person.
Lübeck
The former Mövenpick Hotel Lübeck/Germany
trades under the new name Park Inn
by Radisson Lübeck. Besides 197 spacious
and modern guest rooms, the hotel features
an all day dining restaurant, 1,200m2 of
meeting space, and parking. The hotel
underwent a room renovation in 2008
and further upgrades are planned in 2012
and 2013.The hotel is located next to the
Old Town, on the banks of the river Trave.
E-mail: info.luebeck@rezidorparkinn.com
Salzburg
The Motel One Salzburg opened in 2011.
Located in the southern part of the city with
The architecture, which blends Oriental
and contemporary developments with
subtle Moorish and Andalusian touches.
Palais Namaskar sits amidst 50,000
square metres of scented and manicured
Balinese-inspired gardens complemented
by cascading waterfalls and lakes; water
flows through over 1.5 hectares of Palais
Namaskar’s grounds.
Many of the villas have private pools;
however there is also a main pool, and
119 rooms, and approximately ten kilometers
from the airport, the hotel is linked to
Salzburg’s many attractions by a public bus
line with a stop directly in front of the main
entrance.
All ensuite rooms have double bed, flat
screen TV, WIFI, and air conditioning.
The One Lounge is lobby, cafeteria and bar
in one. Rates single 59 - € / double 74
salzburg@motel-one.com
Stockholm
Scandic Grand Central has opened. The
hotel has 391 rooms, conference facilities,
gym, restaurant, bistro and a large hotel
bar/lounge . It’s on the corner of Stockholm’s
two most tourist-friendly streets
– Kungsgatan and Vasagatan.
Vienna
Hotel Daniel Wien opened at the end
of 2011. Contemporary hospitality and
pared-down design is the key to this new
115-room hotel which has its own bakery.
Guests have four room categories to choose
from in this heritage-listed 1960s building.
The Upper Belvedere, the new 21er Haus
in the Schweizergarten park and Vienna’s
new main station (under construction) are
all just a short distance away. Landstrasser
Gürtel 5, 1030 Vienna, www.hoteldaniel.
com/vienna
spa. The hotel will offer a fine dining
room, a tea lounge and two bars.
Focusing on luxury, Palais Namaskar
offers guests its own private jet service,
which operates from Casablanca Airport
to Marrakech in just 30 minutes. The private
jet, can also be utilized for transfers
to other Oetker Collection properties as
well as any long haul destinations (nonstop
from New York, Moscow or Dubai).
www. palaisnamaskar.com
Travelodge
Claimed to be the UK’s fastest growing hotel
company, Travelodge will open 41 hotels (3,610
rooms) this year. These new properties, at an
investment of £246m, will boost the company’s
estate to 537 hotels and over 39,000 rooms.
Eleven of the 41 new Travelodges are located
in London – further cementing the company’s
position as the largest hotelier in the capital.
Included in these openings is Travelodge’s
500th hotel at Stratford which opened in February.
Half of these London properties will be
open before the end of July, including London
Greenwich and London Excel Centre.
Guy Parsons, Travelodge Chief Executive, said
“we are in a very strong position to achieve our
growth target of having 1,000 hotels by 2020.”
www.travelodge.co.uk
Accor
Accor will rebrand its budget brands shortly .
Ibis remains Ibis, but All Seasons becomes Ibis
Styles, while the Etap-Hotels will become Ibis
Budget. The aim is facilitate customer’s choice
between the three brands and will affect more
than 1,500 properties on four continents.
• Ibis Budget with “basic comfort” price from €29
• Ibis with “cosy comfort” at best price” from €49
• Ibis Style with “design & comfort” from €59
Ibis considers the re-branding as the beginning
for the new company strategy “Open New
Frontiers in Hospitality. We will offer our customers
a totally new sensation in hotel experiences,”
Accor’s Head of Marketing Grègoire Champetier
said at ITB 2012.
World’s 6 big hotel
groups launch direct
booking web site
Six of the world’s largest hotel companies have
collaborated to create a Web site that allows
travellers to search listings and then book
rooms directly on hotel sites, effectively cutting
out sites like Expedia.
The new site, Roomkey.com, is owned by
Choice Hotels International, Hilton Worldwide,
Hyatt Hotels, Inter-Continental Hotels, Marriott
International and Wyndham Hotel Group, part
of Wyndham Worldwide Corp.
Between them the companies own more
than 50 hotel brands. The site will also include
results from other hotels as well. Best Western
International was the first commercial partner
to sign up since the site was introduced recently.
Roomkey, or at least its beta testing site, offers
a clean search page, employing adjustable
graphics to filter searches by priority: price
range, star rating, distance and so on.
On the Road issue 201 Page 11
Stephany Verstraete, Room Key’s Chief Marketing
Officer said, “There is not a lot of clutter. Our
goal is really only to present the relevant information
someone needs to make a purchase.”

Options and Attractions news
The new name
says it all
Since its opening in 1998, the Doll’s House
Museum on Barfüsserplatz in Basle has
attracted between 60 and 70,000 visitors
a year. It has just changed its name to one
which more closely reflects its purpose: Toy
Worlds Museum Basle.
With more than 6000 teddy bears, dolls,
toy grocers’ shops, doll’s houses and
miniatures, the exhibition is the only one of
its kind in Europe. The museum in the heart
of Basle’s inner city, is home to the world’s
largest collection of teddy bears, numbering
more than 2500 in total.
www.toy-worlds-museum-basle.ch
Klimt 2012
2012 marks the 150th anniversary of the
birth of Gustav Klimt (1862-1918). The Kunsthistorisches
Museum, Leopold Museum
and Albertina in Vienna are all staging
major exhibitions dedicated to the work of
this great turn-of-the-century modernist
pioneer.
All change at the
Liechtenstein Palace
The Liechtenstein Palace has ceased its
previous museum operations. The palace
UK Top sellers
will re-focus on events and pre-booked
guided tours of the princely collections.
The garden palace in Vienna’s ninth
district has ceased opening to the public
at fixed times. The permanent exhibition
and the continuing program of temporary
exhibitions can now be viewed by
pre-booked groups only, with the palace
refocusing on events and guided tours
of the princely collections. As part of the
changes, RestaurantRubens in the garden
palace has closed.
Feel-good family shows were the top
favourites for coach tour operators last
year according to figures from Encore Tickets. Encore’s top ten musical favourites for
2011 included perennial hits such as Lion King, Wicked and Billy Elliot, but included
new comers such as Ghost, the Wizard of Oz and of course, Shrek the Musical.
A similar theme is reflected in the Play’s list with favourite War Horse at the top and
Woman in Black coming in third, both of which are top movie blockbusters during 2012.
Encore’s top sellers were:
MUSICALS PLAYS ATTRACTIONS
Jersey Boys War Horse RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Lion King Railway Children Hampton Court Flower Show
Ghost - The Musical Woman In Black RHS Garden Show Tatton Park
Wicked 39 Steps Buckingham Palace
Les Miserables Ladykillers, The Houses Of Parliament
Wizard Of Oz Pitmen Painters, The London Eye
Shrek The Musical Stomp RHS Show Cardiff
Billy Elliot Mousetrap Bateaux Lunch Cruise
© WienTourismus - Karl Thomas - Liechtenstein Museum
The Liechtenstein city palace in the first
district is undergoing comprehensive
renovation, and will exhibit key classical
and Biedermeier works from the princely
collections. Once renovation work is complete,
the city palace, in tandem with the
garden palace, will only be open for special
events and group bookings. Palace rooms
can be booked for events from 2013.
Visitor Service Tel +43 1 319 57 67-153
k.klopf-weiss@palaisliechtenstein.com
Going for gold
Yorkshire’s Great Houses, Castles and
Gardens was established 17 years as a
marketing consortium, representing 42 of
the region’s castles, stately homes, abbeys
and gardens.
‘Going for Gold’ and
‘Diamond Jubilee
Celebrations’ are two key
themes this year, Its guide
shows over 40 great days
out ideas in the region. With
reviews, directions, opening
times and full illustrations
the guide provides a wealth
of useful information
about each attraction.
To get your free copy of
the new guide, log onto
www.castlesandgardens.
co.uk. More information
at castlesandgardens@
jopcommunications.com
...continued
Hastings’ new gallery
A new £4-million art gallery opens in
the English seaside town of Hastings in
March. The Jerwood Gallery will display
the Jerwood Foundation’s collection of
20th and 21st century paintings, which
will be on public display for the first
time. www.jerwoodgallery.org
Mauritshuis
treasures move
The Hague’s Mauritshuis is embarking on a
collaboration with the Gemeentemuseum
Den Haag. From 24 April 2012, around 70
highlights from the Mauritshuis collection
will go on display at the Gemeentemuseum
for a about two years. The paintings
include View of Delft by Johannes
Vermeer, The Bull by Paulus Potter and The
Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by
Rembrandt van Rijn.
The collaboration is the result of the
Mauritshuis’s plans for expansion and
renovation, which is due to take place
between 2 April 2012 and mid-2014.
Mauritshuis Director Emilie Gordenker said
“We have always said that the core of the
collection would remain on display in The
Hague during the Mauritshuis’s renovation.
We are very happy that this will be at the
Gemeentemuseum – two Hague museums
combining forces so they can offer the
public a magnificent combination of art.”
Benno Tempel, Director of the Gemeentemuseum
Den Haag: “As a result, The Hague
will be home to Europe’s most beautiful
museum.”
www.mauritshuis.nl /
www.gemeentemuseum.nl
War Horse
Mamma Mia Three Days In May Ideal Home Show
Dreamboats and
Petticoats
Noises Off
Zoo Lates!
All group enquiries should go through to...
the Groups department groups@encoretickets.co.uk or 020 7492 1525
On the Road issue 201 Page 12

Options and Attractions news ...continued
Buck Palace extended opening
The dates for the 2012 annual Summer
Opening of Buckingham Palace are 30
June to 8 July and from 31 July until
7 October. During the 22-day closure
in July, The Queen, as Head of State,
will host a number of events around
the launch of the London 2012 Games.
The Summer Opening of Buckingham
Palace includes a visit to the 19 State
Rooms and the special exhibition,
‘Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration’.
The exhibition shows the many ways
in which diamonds have been used
by British monarchs over the last
200 years. It includes a number of
The Queen’s personal jewels – those
inherited by Her Majesty or acquired
during her reign.
Throughout August and September,
visitors may also join a guided tour
of the State Rooms after the Palace
has closed to visitors for the day. The
Exclusive Evening Tour introduces the
history of the Palace and the works of
art from the Royal Collection on display
in the State Rooms. The tour ends with a
glass of champagne on the West Terrace
overlooking the famous garden.
Alternatively, a visit to the State Rooms
can be combined with a guided tour of
the Palace garden. Described as ‘a walled
oasis in the middle of London’, the
garden boasts more than 350 types of
wildflower, over 200 trees and a 3-acre
lake. The Highlights Garden Tour includes
the main features of the garden - the
Herbaceous Border, the summer house
and Rose Garden, the enormous Waterloo
Vase and the Palace tennis court.
Advance tickets and visitor information:
www.royalcollection.org.uk or
(+44) (0)20 7766 7300.
Queen Victoria’s Small Diamond Crown, 1870, R.& S. Garrard
NT 2012 Guide
Group excursion planning couldn’t be
simpler with the National Trust Groups
Guide 2012 for England, Wales and
Northern Ireland. The guide features
all new highlights for 2012. And if your
group is looking for something a little
bit different, the guide includes all the
National Trust’s Special Interest Tours
too. From behind the scenes to below
stairs; Victorian kitchens and walled
gardens; fine art and quirky ceramics;
conservation in action to ghostly goings
on; there is something to suit every taste.
This year, new tours give visitors the
opportunity to walk in the footsteps of
famous film locations or get close to
magnificent wildlife, plus much more.
To get hold of your one-stop shop for
planning a group day out, order your
free copy of the Groups Guide 2012 by
contacting the travel team directly on
0844 800 2329*, or traveltrade@nationaltrust.org.uk.
For more information,
and to download a copy of ‘Where Next’,
the newsletter for groups, visit www.
nationaltrust.org.uk/groups.
Warner Brothers
opening
The Studio Tour in London -‘The Making
of Harry Potter’ is due to open on the
31st March. The model of Hogwarts
castle was revealed earlier this month.
The Hogwarts castle model was built
for the first film, Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone. It took 86 artists
and crew to construct the first version
which was then rebuilt and altered many
times over for the next seven films.
The work was so extensive that if one
was to add all the man hours that have
gone into building and reworking the
model, it would come to over 74 years.
The model, which sits at nearly 50 feet
in diameter, has over 2,500 fibre optic
lights that simulate lanterns and torches
and even gave the illusion of students
passing through hallways in the films.
To show off the lighting to full effect a
day-to-night cycle will take place every
four minutes so visitors to the Tour can
experience its full beauty.
To make the model appear even more
realistic, artists rebuilt miniature versions
of courtyards from Alnwick Castle and
Durham Cathedral, where scenes from
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
were shot.
In addition to the Hogwarts castle model
the attraction will contain some of the
most iconic Harry Potter film series sets
including the Great Hall, Diagon Alley,
Dumbledore’s office, the Ministry of Magic,
Harry Potter’s famous cupboard under the
stairs, 4 Privet Drive, Gryffindor common
room, the boys’ dormitory, the Potions
classroom, Professor Umbridge’s office, the
Weasley kitchen and the Hogwarts bridge.
Tickets available through approved tour
operators or www.wbstudiotour.co.uk
Tickets will not be on sale at the attraction
and spaces are limited.
Queen’s Gallery Edinburgh
A mysterious golden crown, the symbol
of a long-lost empire, is to take centre
stage in an exhibition to celebrate the
Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
The crown was given to Queen Victoria
by the President of Ecuador in 1862.
Despite its name the origins of the ‘Inca
Crown’ are unclear. All that is known for
sure is that it was made by the Cafiari of
southern Ecuador, a people who resisted
the spread of the Inca Empire until the
15th century.
The crown will be displayed alongside
more than a hundred treasures from
the Royal Household collected over four
centuries by successive monarchs.
Opening with the magnificence of
Renaissance paintings collected by
Charles I, the exhibition moves through
the glittering delights of the Royal
Household’s Faberge silverware, before
it comes up to date with Peter Blake’s
depiction of Puck, and a compelling selfportrait
by Lucian Freud.
Along the way there are drawings by
Michelangelo and Leonardo, and a pendant
worn by Mary Queen of Scots.
Also on display at the exhibitions, which
opens at the Queen’s Gallery in Edinburgh,
is a silver cup and lid given as a wedding
present by Queen Elizabeth I more than
500 years ago and bought back by the
present Queen at auction in 1957.
On the Road issue 201 Page 13

Options and Attractions ...continued
Napoleon
Napoleon Exhibition
A collection of Napoleon’s personal belongings
and his carriage, captured by Prussian
troops on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo,
has gone on show as an ensemble for the
first time.
The star of the exhibition, at the Musee de
la Legion d’Honneur in Paris, is the carriage
said to have been used by Napoleon to
sleep and refresh between battles.
Also on display are his hat and long grey
coat, a sword, coins, jewels and an array of
imperial medals and military decorations
never before shown in France. The exhibition
is open until July 8.
For rent -
the Wolf’s Lair
The massive 32-acre fortified site is situated
in a secluded forest in eastern Poland.
During WWII it was part of Germany’s East
Prussia. From 1941 to the end of 1944,
because of its proximity to the Eastern
Front, the Wolf’s Lair was the nerve centre
of the Nazi war machine. The Nazis built
huge bomb-proof bunkers at the base,
which also housed 2,000 staff and security
personnel.
The base was the scene of the July 1944
assassination attempt when a bomb
concealed in a briefcase by Count Claus von
Stauffenberg, just failed to kill Hitler during
a staff meeting.
Hitler’s life was saved by a chance decision
to hold the meeting in an outbuilding rather
than the usual confines of a bunker, and
by the fact that the briefcase was moved
away from the Nazi leader seconds before
it exploded.
The Polish Forestry service started looking
for a tenant after the old 20-year lease
expired. “There is no way you can rebuild
the bunkers,” said Zenon Piotrowicz, of
the forestry service. “But we are concerned
about having the place made more attractive
to visitors, including the renovation of the
hotel and restaurant.”
Although retreating German forces dynamited
most of the bunkers in November
1944, their shattered shells remain a prime
attraction with 180,000 visitors a year.
And it can be yours for £90,000 a year.
Vatican & Rome
A new card - The OMNIA Vatican & Rome
allows visitors in three days to discover
the religious and cultural heritage of the
Eternal City. Includes visits to historically
and spiritually significant basilicas and
monuments, and the use of the Roma
Cristiana Open Buses, as well as the city’s
public transportation system. www.omniavaticanrome.org
Milan of Leanardo
It is now possible to purchase just one ticket
to cover entry to “Leonardo’s Last Supper”
in the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church, the
Bramante’s vestry (a splendid example
of Renaissance art hosting paintings by
Leonardo, Botticelli, Caravaggio among
others) and the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, a
collection of original Leonardo’s Atlantic
Code sketches. Price for all three venues is
€26 www.ambrosiana.it
Failed Hitler Assassination Attempt ~ July 20, 1944
Faith Tourism news
Avenue of Sphinxes
The ancient Avenue of Sphinxes connecting
Luxor and Karnak is to become open to the
public this month.For thousands of years,
the area has been linked to many powerful
dynasties as well as to Egyptian gods. It once
possessed a very deep spiritual and religious
importance. For five years, a project has
been under way to restore the once grand
Avenue of Sphinxes.
Luxor was once the city of Thebes and the
city of the god Amon-Ra. In the 15th century
B.C. Queen Hatshepsut built six chapels
there, dedicated to the god, that became
part of the avenue, which was 2.7 km long
and featured hundreds of sphinxes.
Her aim was to stress the religious status
of the city. In the 4th century B.C.Pharaoh
Nectanebo I had the avenue reconstructed
and rebuilt.
For centuries,
parts of the
avenue
have been
visible, but the
majority of the
Avenue had
been destroyed
or covered
in sand.
A lifelong atheist himself, he suggests that
one can enjoy the attributes of religion
without subscribing to their doctrines, and
thereby enjoy their “music, buildings, prayers,
rituals, feasts, shrines” etc.
Craig Brown wrote in The Mail on Sunday:
“In his 20’s, de Botton suffered a ‘crisis of
faithlessness’, brought on by exposure to
the sublime art of Bach’s cantatas, Bellini’s
Madonnas and Zen architecture. He felt that
atheists, in their eagerness to get away from
God had, ‘thrown the bathwater out with
the baby’. This book is an attempt to scoop
the bathwater back, “without as much as
a backward glance at the baby. Personally
I view de Botton in much the way he views
religion – keep all the good bits, discard all the
nonsense.”
Stephen Cave of The Financial Times felt that:
“This is a timely and perceptive appreciation of
how much wisdom is embedded in religious
traditions. De Botton admires communal
prayer, ritual and religious art, along with the
sense embodied in so many religions that man
is a vulnerable, conflicted creature – not the
rational, self-sufficient figure of our modern
scientific view.”
Chris Ramaswamy of the Scotland in Sunday
said: “He thinks we should have ‘temples to
perspective’, (very tall to make us feel small);
Old synagogue
wins award
The Old Synagogue in Erfurt, Germany has
been named as the best new European
tourist project for 2011 by the British Guild of
Travel Writers.
‘Lost’ for centuries, the ‘Alte Synagoge’
was rediscovered a decade or so ago in the
capital of the German province of Thuringia.
Now recognised as Central Europe’s oldest
synagogue, this fine old building and its
museum open a window into daily life 650
years ago.
Much of the structure survives, from the
outer walls to the 13th century Gothic rose
window. Inside, the museum (opened in
October 2009) displays an extraordinary
medieval treasure: 3,140 silver coins, 14
silver ingots, 6,000 pieces of 13th
and 14th century jewellery and
an intricately worked wedding
ring - one of only three known
to survive in the world. New
discoveries continue to be made.
Last September the 13th century
Mikveh (Jewish ritual bath)
opened.http://alte-synagoge.
erfurt.de
The Wedding Ring, one of the many treasures
of Erfurt. Photographer: Andreas Weise.
Religion without God - de Botton
museums with galleries devoted to love
and suffering; and universities with
departments for relationships. Inspired by
the Eucharist, he has come up with the
idea of ‘agape’ (divine love) restaurants,
where strangers dine together and guidebooks
coax them towards sincerity
and tolerance.
Quite bluntly John Carey in The Sunday
Times asks, “Can de Botton be serious?
Apparently he is! De Botton badly underestimates
the strength and comfort that religions
bring.”
In The Guardian Terry Eagleton wrote, “The
work is impudent and unoriginal – people
have been saying this for centuries. As a
Christian I would rather read Dawkins or
Hitchens.”
But perhaps Dr. Diane Carpenter best
summed up de Botton’s book when she
wrote to The Times, “This reminds me of
my then 8-year-old daughter declaring one
Christmas that she no longer believed in Santa
Claus. When confronted with the possibility
of not receiving gifts she declared: ‘But I do
believe in presents.’ She later studied philosophy
of religion and ethics at university.”
By Mary Holland
On the Road issue 201 Page 14

Travel Industry news
ECM 2nd edition launch
Targeting travel operators and intermediaries,
this digital brochure presents you
with what you need to know about 36 city
cards from 22 countries. The guide has
been assembled by a collaboration of 36
city tourism organisations 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 operators and
intermediaries, the e-brochure provides
practical information, including details of
commissions and contact details for each
and every city.
The travel trade will be able to make optimum
use of city cards so as to create new
business and at the same time enhance the
customer experience.
The cards offer free and/or discounted
admission to leading visitor attractions,
combined in many cases with public
transport options, as well as discounts at
shops, bars and restaurants.
The cities and City Cards you can find out in
the e-brochure are: Amsterdam, Antwerp,
Barcelona, Belfast, Berlin, Bruges, Brussels,
Copenhagen, Dijon, Dublin, Dubrovnik,
Geneva, Gijon, Gothenburg, Helsinki,
Innsbruck, Krakow, Lisbon, Ljubljana,
London, Lyon, Nantes, Nice, Nuremberg,
Oslo, Prague, Reykjavik, Split, Stockholm,
Tallinn, Turku, Valencia, Vienna, Vilnius,
Zagreb, Zaragoza.
The e-brochure is available for free here,
on www.europeancitiesmarketing.com or
by directly contacting individual cities. City
Cards are also available on www.europeancitycards.com,
and their mobile phone
applications are downloadable for free at
the Appstore and at the Android Market.
ECM digital brochure
Groupon hits
back
The head of Groupon in the UK
has rejected claims that major
companies risk “trashing their
brands” by working with the
discount-deals site. MD Roy
Blanga said: “Our model offers
incremental sales to existing
business - 50% of offers come
from existing partners, so it is
working for them.”
Blanga’s retaliation came following
comments from BA UK
Head of Sales Richard Tams said:
“Evidence of repeat purchases
through Groupon is appalling.” Tui Travel
specialist and activity sector Managing
Director John Wimbleton said: “The danger
with Groupon is you allow someone to trash
your brand.”
Blanga said: “Our offers are limited and
unannounced. We target people who are
not necessarily thinking of going, say, to
Barcelona - so they think ‘if the price is right,
why not? Companies are not cannibalising
their own sales. It is incremental to existing
business.” Blanga conceded: “The model
could be brand damaging. You need to
structure the offer right to make it work.”
Groupon users sign up for daily offers
according to where they live or work and
subject areas such as food, beauty, travel
and leisure. Offers consist of discount
vouchers on the price of a product or
service. These may be for purchase on a
set date or over a period, but the offers are
available for just 24 hours.The deals site
developed in the US and launched in the
UK in 2010. It set up Groupon Travel and
launched Groupon Getaways last year.
Welcome Days
for Greatdays
UNWTO results 2011
Greatdays Travel Group, the Cheshire based
travel wholesaler and tour operator, in
late 2011 acquired the day trips business
“Welcome Days Out” from Bob and
Anne Sanderson. Welcome Days Out was
established in 1995 and operates a large
programme of day trips around the North
West of England and a Christmas event
programme for groups offering clients a
festive lunch with live entertainment.
The Sandersons are continuing with
Greatdays acting as consultants in the
development of Greatdays UK day trip
market. In addition Greatdays are currently
strengthening their Day Trips team by
recruiting a dedicated Day Trips Manager
to be based at their Altrincham Head Office.
Paul Beaumont Executive Director said
“there are a couple of other interesting
acquisition opportunities on the horizon for
the future and hopefully these will bring
International tourist arrivals grew by over 4% in 2011 to 980 million, according
to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. With growth expected to
continue in 2012, at a somewhat slower rate, international tourist arrivals are on
track to reach the milestone one billion mark later this year.
International tourist arrivals grew by 4.4% in 2011 to a total 980 million, up
from 939 million in 2010, in a year characterised by a stalled global economic
recovery, major political changes in the Middle East and North Africa and natural
disasters in Japan. By region, Europe (+6%) was the best performer, while
by subregion South-America (+10%) topped the ranking. Contrary to previous
years, growth was higher in advanced economies (+5.0%) than in emerging
ones (+3.8%), due largely to the strong results in Europe, and the setbacks in
the Middle East and North Africa. http://mkt.unwto.org/en/barometer
John Beaumont, Bob Sanderson, Paul Beaumont, Anne Sanderson, Andy Beard
further diversity and strength to our product
range for the benefit of our clients”.
Tour Providers has moved
Coach tour wholesaler Tour Providers have
moved to larger premises in Worcester.
Tour Providers have now set up tours for
over 120 coach operators to 13 countries.
Additional help has been given with copywriting,
itinerary planning, market research
and brochure printing. Tel: 01905 312385
Fax: 01905 501177
E-mail: tourproviders@tiscali.co.uk
National Trust of Scotland
NTS are holding their 2011 group rates at
85% of their historic visitor attractions until
31 December 2013. Group rates can save
you up to 40% on standard admission
prices. For more information email
traveltrade@nts.org.uk
Windsor Castle by Bike
Mind The Gap Tours are offering a new
Windsor Castle by Bike day tour.
The ride is suitable for all ages and ability,
offering guaranteed departures and small
groups. Groups will meet in central London
before taking a short train ride to the heart of
the English countryside. Using easy-to-ride
vintage-style bikes with bells and optional
baskets, the morning ride is traffic-free and
gentle (under 12km), allowing visitors to
enjoy the gourmet & historic sites en-route.
After a traditional English pub lunch, the
afternoon is spent inside the amazing Windsor
Castle. The £69 ticket includes return train
transport from central London, an English
speaking guide, bike hire, entrance to Windsor
Castle and a complimentary audio guide.
For more information
email info@mindthegaptours.com
On the Road issue 201 Page 15

European Eccentrics
Ewes in brief
We’ve had Babe, the movie about a sheep pig. Now meet Champis, the dwarf rabbit
who also thinks he’s a sheepdog. Champis learnt to round up sheep by watching
border collies on a farm in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, and his skills have been admired by
more than 700,000 people in one week on YouTube.
“He has learnt these skills himself; we had nothing to do with it,” said farmer Greta
Vigren. “He has seen the dogs doing it. Champis thinks he is the king of the farm. He just
likes to be in charge.”
And it’s all over ewe known!
The world’s oldest sheep, Methuselina, has fallen off a cliff on the Scottish island of
Lewis. She died a month short of her 26th birthday. Her owner, John Maciver, said
“She passed away and I wouldn’t say peacefully.”
Scotland’s
dimmest thief
A teenager has earned the reputation as
‘Scotland’s dimmest thief’. He broke into his
neighbour’s house and stole a distinctive
stripy top and was seen wearing it at home
an hour after committing the crime. Jarnie
Alexander, 18, admitted theft.
His victim, Jason Rendall, told Stirling sheriff
court: “I walked in after work and noticed
there was a hole in the window. There were
only cables where the television had been. I
went into the garden, looked at my neighbour’s
house and there he was - wearing my
jumper and trying to tune in my TV. He was
also wearing my jeans, so I knew he was the
thief. I was really angry but I had to laugh at
his stupidity!”
One
sexexpresso please
A barista who started serving customers in
risqué outfits to increase trade has caused
deep divisions in her local town of Bagnolo
Mella, Italy.
Laura Maggi’s ‘marketing plan’ has proved
highly popular with men, who travel from
over a 100 kilometres away to get a glimpse
of her. As a result, the roads have become
so congested that the mayor of Bagnola
Mella has threatened to bring in a by-law to
limit the traffic.
But local women are apparently furious;
pointing out that Bagnolo Mella is a
respectable town. The mayor laughingly
said she has banned her own husband from
visiting Laura’s bar, but she would like to
know why he wants to go there.
Laura herself says she is bemused by the
fuss. “It’s not like I’m nude. Sure, I wear short
skirts and bra-tops but nothing worse than
that. I am a single mother with two children
- what do these people expect me to do -
sell cocaine?”
London’s moved
The American news channel CNN has
apologised for featuring a map of Britain on
which London was placed 100 miles away
in Norfolk.
“CNN apologises for a map error, which shifted
London from its correct location,” said the TV
station.
And...
On-the-job training
Dozens of Australian men have applied for a
£50,000-a-year job testing brothels.
Lyonswood Investigations, a private detective
agency, is advertising for single men to
expose illegal prostitution.
“Some jobs require the offering of sexual
services,” said Lachlan Jarvis of Lyonswood.
“Some actually require the partaking of
sexual services ... because it is considered the
most convincing evidence. We had dozens; if
not more than that, apply. It was certainly a
popular position.”
Italians tire of boars
The seaside town of Alassio, on Italy’s
Ligurian coast, has lost patience with dozens
of wild boars that have taken up residence in
the town; the authorities have told hunters
to shoot to kill. Initially seen as charming
visitors, the boars lost their appeal after causing
traffic accidents, destroying gardens and
scaring children and members of the public.
By coincidence, boar meat is a delicacy in
Liguria!.
Batman or Joker?
A former convict is hoping to turn his life
around by dressing up as Batman and
patrolling the streets of his town.
Zoltan Kohari, 26, goes out in Dunajska
Streda, Slovakia - dressed in his homemade
Batman outfit to tidy up, help old
people and alert police to crime.
In return, his neighbours give him food. “I
have decided to do good for the people,” he
said. “I take care of order and help clean up.”
And in China you can
literally “Shop ‘till you
drop”
Customer Li Wen walked out of a shop door
marked exit and suddenly found herself
clinging to the door handle and dangling
over a 25ft drop. “I thought it was a quick
way out of the shop,” said Li, 26, “but I didn’t
realise how quick.”
Lu Fen, the owner of the shop in Tianjin, said
the door was an emergency exit and ‘Health
and Safety’ regulations said it had to stay
unlocked. It should have had stairs but the
builders had left without providing any.
“Their contract said one emergency exit in
shop, but it didn’t specify any stairs, so they
were never built,” she said. “I try to keep an eye
on customers but on a busy day it’s not easy.”
No pyjamas
A benefits office in Dublin has warned
claimants against turning up in pyjamas.
‘Pyjamas are not regarded as appropriate
attire when attending Community Welfare
Service,’ reads a sign at Damastown social
welfare office.
UFO!!!!!!
A man spotted a UFO hovering above his
home and did what anyone else would do,
he called 999. “It was coming towards us,
at first I thought it was an aeroplane, but
now it is just hovering over us with all these
lights on, I don’t know what the hell it is” he
told officers at the emergency services at
Hertfordshire police control office.
He called back a couple of minutes later,
apologised as he had now identified the
frightening object – as the moon
No dying - by order
Exceeding his authority slightly, the mayor
of an Italian town has banned residents from
dying. Giulio Cesare Fava said there was no
more room in the cemetery of Falciano del
Massico, north of Naples, and issued the
following order:
“It is forbidden for residents to go beyond the
boundaries of earthly life and to go into the
afterlife”. According to the newspaper La
Stampa, two residents are currently in breach
of the order.
Paw Pamela
Pamela
Followed in her owner’s footsteps and
boarded a train in her Tuscan hometown
of Arezzo on Monday, headed towards the
Emilia-Romagna capital of Bologna.
Unlike previous journeys, she was all on
her own.
The female pooch walked herself to the
train station in the town’s centre, waited on
the appropriate platform at the right time,
then boarded the regional line towards the
home town of her owner’s girlfriend, seated
in the carriage she habitually took with her
human companion.
After the dog disappeared during a walk,
Luca, the dog’s owner, plastered his
hometown of Arezzo with fliers and posted
‘missing’ bulletins on Twitter and Facebook.
Three sleepless nights later, the owner was
contacted by an animal shelter in Florence
where train staff left Pamela after noticing
the unaccompanied dog on the train.
The canine was identified thanks to her
microchip and the four-day search ended
happily when the tawny Labrador mix was
returned safely to her owner.
“We can finally sleep in peace now that she is
back,” said the dog’s elated owner.
Classified. Mad
These are classified ads, which were actually
placed in U.K. Newspapers:
• FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER. 8 years old.
Hateful little bastard bites!
•FREE PUPPIES.1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2
sneaky neighbour’s dog.
•FREE PUPPIES. Mother is a Kennel Club
registered German Shepherd. Father is
a Super Dog, able to leap tall fences in a
single bound.
•COWS, CALVES: NEVER BRED. Also 1 gay
bull for sale.
•JOINING NUDIST COLONY! Must sell
washer and dryer £100.
•WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE . Worn once
by mistake. Call Stephanie.
And the WINNER is...
•FOR SALE BY OWNER. Complete set of
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 45 volumes.
Excellent condition, £200 or best offer. No
longer needed, got married, wife knows
everything.
Italian babe
On the Road issue 201 Page 16

GRAZ 2012
Advent is coming!
With its normal and to be
expected efficiency, Graz
has finalised details for the
plethora of options for its
Advent season. This lovely
City really comes alive for
the festive season.
THE HIGHLIGHTS:
Advent Calendar
Every evening the Graz City Hall is transformed into a
giant Advent calendar. From December 1st, Advent motifs
projected onto the façade prepare the way for Christmas.
4.30p.m. to midnight.
Christmas Markets
The Graz Christmas markets in the picturesque Old Town
(Franziskanerviertel, Faerberplatz, Mariahilferplatz,
Mehlplatz, Glockenspielplatz and Hauptplatz) all lie
within comfortable walking distance of each other.
Christmas Market
in front of the City Hall - Hauptplatz
Each year a small village square iscreated, offering
something for every taste: from traditional handicrafts
to treats for body and spirit. The children’s carousel
has become a much-loved tradition, as is the
“Feuerzangenbowle”, a fire tongs punch bowl.
23rd November – 24th December 2012
Traditional Christmas Market
in the Franciscan Quarter
Here is the oldest Christmas market in Graz.
Styrian handicrafts, farm-produced specialities,
punch and mulled wine provide heart-warming
cheer. At the entrance to the church - a carousel,
toys and nativity scene, complete with real
sheep, makes kids and adults eyes light up.
23rd November – 24th December 2012
Arts and Crafts Market on Faerberplatz
The Styrian Arts and Crafts Initiative has been
running this market for over 25 years. - no
longer a secret rendezvous. For lovers of genuine
handicrafts made from cloth, clay, wood, metal,
paper, wax and glass. A great tip for connoisseurs.
30th November – 23rd December 2012
Christmas Stands at the Eiserne Tor
(in the centre of the pedestrian zone)
The glühwein stands at the Eiserne Tor has
become THE place to meet during Advent.
Proceeds go to a good cause. Advent-Treff stands
are all run by charitable organisations.
23rd November – 23rd December 2012
Crafts from all over the World on Tummelplatz
For over 15 years now, Tummelplatz has attracted
a colourful gathering of artisans, bohemians and
globetrotters selling an equally colourful selection of
glassware, silver, candles and wax, pottery, joss-sticks,
cloth and much more. Their stands are set up on a
daily basis and so the market changes constantly.
19th November – 23rd December 2012
Christmas Market
on Glockenspielplatz and Mehlplatz
New 2012 - “Wonderlend” on Mariahilferplatz
Christmas in Lend, the new creative hub of Graz, adopts
art and creativity as its theme for the first time this year.
A forest of Christmas trees designed by young artists
and light angels are set to create a relaxed atmosphere.
Visitors will enjoy the DJ line-ups serving up a chilled-out
scene on Mariahilferplatz. The pavilion at the heart of the
Christmas tree forest will provide punch, alcohol-free hot
drinks and also beer and the Graz lemonade “Makava”.
23rd November – 23rd December 2012
Children’s Christmas Market Kleine Neutorgasse
A village of 1,000 lights, with a carousel, a nostalgic big
wheel and toys – a little paradise! Every Wednesday:
Children’s Day (discounted rides on the carousel,
big wheel etc.)
23rd November – 23rd December 2012
Christmas Market
at the new Joanneum’s Quarter
A new, urban location for modern art and culture
in the heart of Graz. During Advent the architecture
of the inner courtyard, adds luminous Christmas
market stalls and culinary treats.
23rd November – 23rd December 2012
“Aufsteirern” Christmas Market on Schlossberg
Yet another Christmas Market in the City Centre. Ride
on the Schlossbergbahn funicular railway. Visitors can
warm up in the Schlossberg Restaurant, where all
manner of tasty treats. Dates tba
Ice Nativity Scene in the Landhaus Courtyard
The well-known ice sculptor Gert J. Hoedl and his
international ice-sculpting team will create a magical
Christmas nativity scene out of ice in the Landhaus
Graztourismus - Hans Wiesenhofer
courtyard again in 2012. Made with about 50 tons
of crystal-clear ice, the crib is sure to be an amazing
– if short-lived – work of art again this year.
Start of work: Fri 22nd Nov / Completion: Sat 1st Dec, 2012
The Office for Christmas Carols...
...A unique service run by the Styrian Center for Folk
Music in Graz, offering information on Christmas songs,
texts and tunes. Their motto is “really singing again”,
because “everyone can sing!” and with this aim they
provide a free range of around ten thousand songs, texts,
poems, tunes and sayings that are just waiting to be sung,
read, listened to and enjoyed by family and friends.
Over 1,100 visitors come in person not to mention
countless requests by phone and email from Austria
and abroad. And if you want to find out how it
should really sound you can even have it sung to
you, so that you get it just right on Christmas eve!
3rd – 23rd December 2012 – Mon-Sat
10a.m. to 6p.m., Sporgasse 23
Christmas Train
Travel through the Graz Old Town in the comfort and
warmth of the little Advent train! The ‘track’ runs from
the Hauptplatz through the city centre at the familyfriendly
price of € 1,50 for adults and € 1,00 for children
23rd November – 24th December 2012, daily 11a.m. –7 p.m.
By Karen Kelly-Moore
To talk about your
group requirements:
For detailed information on Christmas Markets
and all events around Christmas please visit our
website: www.adventingraz.at/en
Graz Tourist Office / Incoming
Department
Tel.: 0043/316-8075-59
Fax: 0043/316-8075-35
e-mail: touristik@graztourismus.at
Website: www.incoming.graz.at/en
On the Road issue 201 Page 17

Concerts
Gifts/Souvenirs/Hotels
Restaurants
Crystal & Glass
Motorway Restaurants
Museums
Restaurants
Shopping
Museums
Gifts/Souvenirs
Perfumerie/Museum/Boutique
Gifts/Museums
Travel
Gifts/Souvenirs/Leather
Souvenirs/Restaurant
Museums
Clothing
Shopping
Watches/Jewellery/Gifts
Associations
“We Welcome Groups”
Page 18