VON ESSEN GROUP GOES INTO ADMINISTRATION - On The Road

Late April 2011 

Issue 195 

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

• The Schilthorn Region... 

close to Interlaken and used in the James Bond film 

“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, highlights what is 

on offer for groups this year. Need a place to stay? 

The Metropole Hotel is an excellent option. See page 15 

Von EssEn Group GoEs 

into administration 

Lenders Barclays and Lloyds appointed 

Ernst & Young as administrators after 

Von Essen failed to make interest 

payments on debts of more than £250m. 

A spokesman for Ernst & Young said that 

only the holding company had been placed 

in administration and it would be “business 

as usual” for the hotels. He said: “The administrators 

are working with the company 

to develop the appropriate strategy to take 

the business forward.” 

Von Essen owns 28 luxury hotels in the UK 

and France, each steeped in history, including 

the Grade I listed Royal Crecent Hotel 

in Bath, which one review described as 

“stepping onto the pages of a Jane Austen 

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 

• The Doll’s House Museum... 

is bringing the Urnäsch custom to Basel. 

See this fascinating exhibition about the 

Silvesterkläuse at the Museum from 

now until October. See page 16 

novel”, and the 12th century Amberley 

Castle in Sussex, once owned by Queen 

Elizabeth I. 

Most infamous perhaps is Cliveden, the 

setting of a scandalous extra-marital 

affair in the 1960s between John Profumo, 

the then secretary of state for war, and 

call girl Christine Keeler. A package 

comprising use of the spa, breakfast, 

dinner and a one night stay at their 

deluxe suite during the high season 

costs £1,224. 

Earlier this month, the Cliveden also 

revealed it would start serving the world’s 

most expensive afternoon tea at a cost of 

£550 per couple. 

Continued on page 8 

• Swarovski Crystal Worlds... 

presents an exhibition that casts world - famous architectural works 

in a new light. The Taj Mahal, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Empire 

State Building and Lenin´s Mausoleum in crystal. Add mischievous 

video art and viola - a unique exposition. See page 14 

easyJet INcreases fees 

The changes mean that the no-frills airline will 

charge customers £8 to use a debit card (was £5.50 ) 

and a minimum of £12.95 for credit card bookings 

(from £10.45) The carrier charges no fees on 

bookings made with Visa Electron cards but 

these are only held by an estimated 10% of the 

UK population. 

It is the second time easyJet has raised its booking 

fees in the last few months. Andrew McConnell, 

Easyjet’s corporate affairs manager, said the 

airline was increasing the fees to cover a rise in 

its own costs. In the airline’s defence, McConnell 

also pointed out that the fee is per booking rather 

than per passenger, as some of its competitors 

charge. 

A family of four travelling with Ryanair would 

rack up a total charge of £48 just for paying 

for flights, whilst a similar easyJet booking 

would cost £8. 

Ba New fuel surcharges 

BA added another fuel surcharge to certain 

flights recently, the third increase in less than 

three months. The increase on long haul nonpremium 

tickets will increase by £10 per sector 

which means that for flights up to nine hours 

World Traveller passengers will pay £85 surcharge 

and for the longer services £98. With World 

Traveller Plus it is £95 and £116.50 respectively. 

First and Club World flights under nine hours 

will increase from £105 per sector to £125. 

Flights of more than nine hours will increase 

from £125 per sector to £145 or £290 for a 

return trip. Short haul and domestic UK 

passengers will escape these new charges. 

www.ba.com 

NaIl IN the coffIN? 

The TUI UK-owned group plans to become the 

country’s only mainstream wholly all-inclusive 

operator. 

Holiday prices will include flights, in-resort 

transfers, hotel accommodation, three meals 

a day and unlimited local drinks. The change 

over will happen next summer. (First Choice 

says that, in five years, the all-inclusive holiday 

market has grown by 32% and is expected to 

account for 65% of all First Choice sales this year). 

In an interview with the BBC Managing 

Director of TUI UK & Ireland Johan Lundgren 

insisted that this move would not have a 

detrimental effect on local bars and restaurants 

within resorts. The Association of Independent 

Tour Operators (AITO) called the switch a “massive 

blow” to sustainability which ignored the 

“moral aspect to a holiday where you give 

something back to your host community 

rather than simply contribute to the coffers of 

a holiday giant.” 

Tourism Concern is a UK charity that fights 

exploitation in tourism and campaigns for 

more ethical, fairly traded forms of tourism. 

One of their spokesmen Tricia Barnet gave an 

example of current exploitation, “I was told 

Continued on page 2... 

Cliveden Hotel Berkshire

late april 2011 Issue 195 

IN THE 

2 ETOA news 

3-4 Places news 

5-6 Options and Attractions news 

7-8 Hospitality news 

8 Hospitality corporate news 

9 People 

10 Transport news / Flight plan 

11 Cruise news 

12 MICE news / Faith Tourism news 

13 Travel Industry news 

14 Swarovski - Blue Noses, Famos 

15 Hotel Metropole / Schilthorn 

16 The Doll’s House Museum - Silvesterkläuse 

17 “We Welcome Groups” 

NEWS 

Magazine Design and artwork... http://www.imageloading.co.uk 

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NaIl IN the coffIN? ...continued 

by the hotels association in a busy Turkish resort 

that UK operators had bullied hoteliers into 

reluctantly turning themselves into all-inclusive. 

For this they were being paid the princely sum 

of €20 per night per person for the whole package. 

“What this does to the local economy is 

obvious, the hospitality for which Turkey is 

famous and the consequent end result for the 

holidaymaker. The TUI group are supposed to 

be leading the pack in terms of responsible 

etoa news... 

ETOA UpdATE... 

CiTy TOUrism sEminArs 

Following ETOA’s recent City Tourism 

Seminar in Florence, the Association is 

planning to hold further meetings in other 

European destinations. The seminars will 

bring together representatives of the local 

tourism community such as hotels, guides, 

attractions and transport providers, as well 

as tour operators, tourist boards and political 

representation from local authorities. 

The discussion will revolve around each 

city’s challenges and opportunities as a 

tourist destination. Topics to be covered will 

be access, facilities, capacity management, 

product diversity and sustainability. ETOA 

sees these events as invaluable forums and 

it is hoped that the outcomes will not only 

help tourism in the particular cities but also 

form the basis of a City Tourism charter. 

“If our association has a leitmotif, it is 

Europe’s competitiveness as a destination”, 

said Nick Greenfield, Head of Tour Operator 

Relations at ETOA. “Europe is particularly 

strong when it comes to cities as tourist 

destinations. We have an embarrassment 

of riches, not just in terms of historic sights 

but also in gastronomy, culture, shopping, 

attractions and the very fabric of the streets 

and squares. And from large metropolises 

to small art cities, there is something for 

everyone. However, we must recognise that 

tourism doesn’t just work of its own accord. 

It requires joined up thinking from all the 

stakeholders and that includes local authorities. 

Policy decisions can undermine all the 

hard work done by tourist boards in promotion. 

City taxes, lack of facilities or even an 

indifferent welcome can damage the image 

of a city and hurt the local economy. Equally 

we recognise the challenges that tourism 

can present to cities and that’s where we can 

help by bringing people together to discuss 

these issues and work towards ensuring the 

continued success of destinations”. 

and sustainable tourism, so how do they 

justify this?” 

Given the importance of this issue and the 

power of TUI in the global marketplace, Vision 

on Sustainable Tourism and Totem Tourism 

will hold a master class in London on 10 

May to discuss the subject and its relevance 

to sustainable tourism. Executives of TUI 

and other major tour operators have been 

invited to attend. www.totemtourism.com 

These seminars will form a part of what 

is becoming a city-themed year for ETOA 

with a flagship event, City Fair, to be 

held on 20th June in London in partnership 

with European Cities Marketing. 

If your city would be interested in hosting 

a City Tourism seminar, then please contact 

Nick Greenfield at ngreenfield@etoa.org. 

VisA’s – nExT sTEp 

After ETOA conducted a major visas survey 

last year, there were several meetings with 

both the European Commission and the 

UK authorities. At ETOA’s recent Britain 

and Ireland Marketplace, the particular 

absurdities of the situation between Britain 

and Ireland were highlighted, as well as the 

damage done to the image of the British 

Isles by over-bureaucratic and unfriendly visa 

processes. The good news is that both the 

EC and the UK Government have recognised 

the need to improve the visa situation; the 

challenge is how ETOA can push that process 

forward. This is where members and the 

broader tourism community can help. We 

need your own illustrations of dealing with 

visas to back up the data that was provided 

by our survey. The EC Handbook on Visas, a 

document of good practice, highlights areas 

such as deadlines and acceptable processing 

times, as well as clear instructions in 

various languages and suitable supporting 

documentation. ETOA knows from its survey 

that there are plenty of cases where these 

aspirations are not being met. At the same 

time, the UK Government has said they will 

aim to improve the efficiency of the visa 

process but, again, much needs to be done. 

Please forward your specific experiences of 

the visa process, be they Schengen, UK or 

Ireland, to info@etoa.org.All correspondence 

will be treated confidentially and any illustrations 

will be handled anonymously with the 

authorities. 

ETOA will be releasing further 

market specific reports later this year. 

© Copyright 2011. 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 195 Page 2

Places news 

usa 

The US Department of Commerce has 

released its 2010 report on International 

visitation, noting a record 60m visitor 5m 

more than the previous year. 

In 2010, the top inbound markets 

continued to be Canada and Mexico, both 

of which 

were up in arrivals along with eight of the 

nine overseas regional markets. Non-resident 

visits from Canada, which set a record in 

2010, and Mexico were up 11% and 1%, 

respectively. Excluding Canada and Mexico 

overall arrivals from overseas markets 

accounted for 44% of the total. 

United Kingdom is still the biggest market 

with 3.85m arrivals, but the only major 

country showing a drop, 1.2%. Next up 

was Japan, and growth was 16% (3.38m) 

but this is likely to drop away in 2011 

due to the earthquake problems. 

Germany is less than half of the 

UK at 1.72m (+2.3%) and France 

seeing 11.4% increase at 1.34m. 

Brazil now seventh (1.19m +34%) 

and China with a 52% rise and 

800,000 visitors to the United 

States. www.tinet.ita.doc.gov 

copenhagen 

The Danish capital has been 

awarded Destination of the Year 

by European Consumers Choice, 

ahead of Barcelona, Rome and 

Madrid as the best place to 

visit in 2011. 

The European Consumers Choice Awards 

are presented every year in a number of 

categories which the organisation sets 

and which consumers then vote on. 

This year, Copenhagen received 25% of 

the votes - 4% more than Barcelona. 

Copenhagen was the only Scandinavian 

city nominated and maintained the lead 

throughout the whole month of voting. 

www.europeanconsumerschoice.org 

Copenhagen 

france 

Tall Ships News - sailing spectacle! 30th 

May - 5th June 2011. This major maritime 

biennial event opens the sailing season in 

the Bay of Morbihan, Southern Brittany with 

around 1,000 sailing craft and tall ships. 

It can be viewed from coastal paths, bays 

and ports around the Bay of Morbihan. 

guernsey 

VisitGuernsey is stepping up its targeting 

of group business this year as it builds on a 

successful 2010 in the group travel sector. 

The island exhibited at the Excursions 2011 

group travel show in January. This followed 

last year’s introduction of a dedicated groups 

e-brochure and a marked increase in interest 

from specialist operators at the Guernsey 

Trade Workshop event in May 2010. 

Fisherman’s Quay, St Peters Port Guernsey Copyright: Chris George 

“Groups business has been on the increase 

for us for 18 months or more,” said Jason 

Moriarty, VisitGuernsey’s Manager - Trade & 

Media Relations. 

Guernsey’s compact size (just 24 square miles) 

makes all of this easily accessible, and to add 

even greater variety day excursions to the 

traffic-free islands of Herm and Sark can be 

easily arranged. 

To download the Guernsey group travel 

e-brochure organisers and agents should 

visit www.guernseytrademedia.com/ 

meetguernsey or call 01481 234567. 

turkey 

lost cities 

The discovery of the lost city of Germenicia 

in Kahramanmaras with its many houses 

decorated with mosaics such as found in 

Ephesus and Zeugma. 

The antique Roman city of Julianopolis 

close to Ankara during the unearthing the 

ancient city of Parnassos was also discovered. 

excavation finds 

In Istanbul and it’s surrounds, a 60-metre 

section of a Roman road and a tunnel 

have been found in Kocaeli.A temple 

with statues of Aphrodite and Eros 

dating from the 2nd century BC in 

addition to a plethora of ceramics 

and the remains of walls and a 

tower in Tekirdag. 

The Black Sea region has unearthed 

a 2500-seater theatre during 

excavations of the ancient 

city of Tieios, Zonguldak. This 

ancient city looks set to 

become known as the Ephesus 

of the Black Sea Coast. Unique 

mosaics of horses elephants 

and panthers at the ancient city 

Menorca-Port of Maho 

New sites and finds have recently been unearthed. Highlights include newly 

discovered lost cities and significant artefacts from ongoing excavations... 

New forest 

New forest Brothers jailed 

Victor Mears, 67, and Henry Mears, 60, ran 

the Lapland New Forest attraction in 2008 

but it closed within days after hundreds 

of complaints. Earlier this year they were 

found guilty of eight charges of misleading 

the public. Both men, from Brighton, were 

sentenced to 13 months imprisonment. 

They were also disqualified from being 

company directors for five years. 

Judge Mark Horton who presided 

over the case told the brothers: 

“You promised customers in your 

advertising an amazing snow 

covered Lapland village which 

was - in your own words - 

‘Where dreams really do come 

true’ and ‘where we have prided 

ourselves on attention to detail’. 

“You told consumers that it would 

light up those who most loved 

Christmas. You said you would go 

Nativity scene – Lapland New Forest 

Turkey’s archaeological finds 

of Hadrianapolis in Karabuk, leading to 

this site being referred to as the Zeugma of 

the Black Sea Coast. 

In and around the coastal areas of Turkey 

findings include what is believed to be 

King Hekataios’s (father of King Mausolos) 

marble-relief sarcophagus found in the 

Zeus Karios area of Milas in south-western 

Turkey. A 1500-year-old Byzantine paintmanufacturing 

workshop indicating that the 

port was once full of such premises. 

On the Aegean coast, a 3000-year old 

wine-manufacturing centre has been found 

in Cesme. 

Findings in Central Anatolia include 

Cuneiform-script tablets near the ancient city 

of Kanesh (Hittite Neša) in Kayseri, showing 

that the first written trade agreement in 

Anatolia was made 4000 years ago. The 

ancient city of Kanesh is also the site of 

discovery of the earliest traces of the Hittite 

language, and the earliest attestation of any 

Indo-European language, dated to the 20th 

century BC. 5000-year-old ramparts have 

also been unearthed at Kultepe in Kayseri. 

through the magical tunnel of light coming 

out in a winter wonderland. What you actually 

provided was something that looked like an 

averagely-managed summer car boot sale.” 

Visitors paid between £25 and £30 for tickets. 

Approx 40,000 tickets were sold before the 

Christmas attraction had even opened, netting 

the organisers about £1m. Less than a week 

after opening in November 2008, the attraction 

closed, with its owners blaming the media 

and sabotage by “New Forest villains” for the 

decision. 


Places ...continued 

stuttgart 

In 2011 the region of Stuttgart celebrates 

by combining cars and festivals. Throughout 

the year the region will be staging a 

host of events focusing on the car theme 

in honour of this outstanding automotive 

jubilee: Stuttgart will kick-off the 

Southwest Germany’s Automobile Year 2011 

with an opening event on May 7 and 8. 

The Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH (Stuttgart 

Tourism), in co-operation with its partners, 

has devised the ‘Premium Cars of Southern 

Germany’ self-driving tour, a round trip to 

the three major automobile locations of 

Ingolstadt, Munich and Stuttgart, with the 

emphasis on pleasurable driving. 

Additionally, the second largest Beer Festival 

in the world takes place in Stuttgart. From 

September 23 through October 9, 2011 

Stuttgart will attract millions of enthusiastic 

visitors to the 166th Stuttgart Beer Festival. 

Events this year include: 

7-8 May, Stuttgart: Automobile Summer 

2011 opening ceremony, with a birthday 

car parade, featuring 125 classic racing 

cars, legendary vintage cars and the newest 

Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Audi models. 

17-18 June, Karlsruhe: The big birthday 

party in Benz’ birthplace, including an 

exhibition on the life and times of Carl 

Benz at the Karlsruhe City Museum. 

22-24 July, Solitude Motor Racing Circuit, 

near Stuttgart: on one of Germany’s oldest 

and most famous tracks, see old cars in action 

as well as concept cars of the future during 

this ‘revival weekend’. 

9-11 September, Mannheim: the closing 

events, including a specially-commissioned 

‘Car Symphony’ written for 80 cars and orchestra. 

www.automobilesummer2011.com 

The F Cell Roadster –the first Benz patented car - Daimler AG 

Düsseldorf 

The vibrant Rhine and Düsseldorf, Is the host 

for the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest one of 

the most popular competitions this decade 

(12–18 May) www.eurovision.ndr.de 

Blackpool 

One of the UK’s most popular seaside resorts 

Blackpool’s Golden Mile, which runs from 

the city’s north pier to south pier is soon to 

complete its £100 million facelift and local 

politicians have decided on a new name 

to complete the make over. 

The Queen Elizabeth Promenade, its new 

title, will boast improved walkways, a new 

outdoor event space called the Tower Festival 

Headland and a new wedding venue. 

Bath 

VisitBath has launched a new website for 

groups: visitbath.co.uk/groups - The new 

site offers an easy way to find even more 

information and ideas for group visitors 

planning a trip to Bath with suggestions on 

where to stay, places to eat and drink and 

things to see and do. 

You can search a wide range of accommodation 

in Bath and the surrounding area from 

quality hotels to youth hostels. 

estonia 

One of this year’s European Capital of 

Cultures, Tallinn begins the largest storytelling 

event in its history. Writers, musicians, artists 

and actors will tell, paint, sing and act tales 

inspired by the sea, speaking of Estonia and 

its people. 

The main theme of Tallinn 2011, “Stories of 

the Seashore”, encapsulates Estonian history 

and Tallinn’s physical location next to the 

sea, which explains Estonia’s rich cultural 

diversity, contacts and conflicts. 

Benidorm 

A new report carried out for UK tour 

operator Thomson by The Future Laboratory 

has identified Benidorm as ‘a future model 

of sustainable tourism’. 

The report highlights that 

‘high density, low impact’ 

locations could be better 

for the environment in 

the long-term than more 

spread out, low visibility 

resorts on the edge of 

the world’s endangered 

landscapes (such as jungles 

and savannahs) which may 

at first sight appear more 

environmentally friendly. 

The report argues that by 

concentrating large numbers 

of tourists in one place 

and encouraging them to 

play their part in improving the location’s 

carbon-effectiveness, such holiday hubs 

can better manage resources, become more 

sustainable and 

have less environmental impact than luxury 

boutique resorts catering for small numbers 

spread across a wide area. 

finland 

The Finnish city of Turku, is European Capital of Culture 2011. Over the year the cultural 

experences will sprawl from the Capital of Culture right across the entire Southwest of Finland. 

Art Archipelago, CAA, by curator Taru Elving,will bring over 20 new and 

site-specific works of art to the Turku Archipelago during 

the summer of 2011. 

turku 

The Turku 2011 Foundation has focused its 

programme on culture’s impact on people’s 

wellbeing, highlighting the culture of everyday 

living and working, sports, culinary art, 

science and research along with other forms 

of art and culture. 

The programme includes many international 

contemporary art projects. Contemporary 

Art Archipelago, CAA, by curator Taru 

The Scotland’s Islands initiative has been 

developed through a partnership of the six 

local authorities with island communities- 

Argyll and Bute, Highland, North Ayrshire, 

Orkney, Shetland and Comhairle nan Eilean 

Siar. Other stakeholders include Highlands & 

Islands Enterprise, Event Scotland, VisitScotland 

and Awards for All. 

Over 100 events across 42 islands.Highlights 

include the return of The Lewis Chessmen 

to the island, the award-winning Shetland 

Folk Festival, culture-packed St Magnus 

Elving,will bring over 20 new and site-specific 

works of art to the Turku Archipelago during 

the summer of 2011. 

One of the many other international art 

professionals contributing to the Turku 2011 

programme is British Sheyi Bankale who 

curated the biggest contemporary 

photography exhibition ever seen in Finland; 

‘Alice in Wonderland’. www.turku2011.fi/en 

on the road issue 195 Page 4 

Turku 2011 

year of scotland’s Islands 

April 2011 - April 2012 

The Year of Scotland’s Islands initiative aims to raise the profile of the islands nationally 

and internationally. The programme will showcase the music, arts, food, sport and 

history of the islands, as well as highlight their unique beauty as visitor destinations. 

International Festival on Orkney, the Tiree 

Music Festival, Isle of Skye Pipeband 50th 

Anniversary and Arran on Film by Arran 

Theatre & Arts Trust. 

The programme includes The Hebridean 

Celtic Festival on Lewis, also set to be a 

highlight, will be headlined by Scots charttopper 

KT Tunstall, with performances by 

Seth Lakeman, the Peatbog Faeries and folk 

supergroup, KAN. The web site lists every 

event so far confirmed 

www.scotlandsislands.com 

Year of Scotland’s Islands

options and attractions news 

FrUiT And VEg mAn 

The Palazzo Reale in Milan is showcasing an 

exhibition of the artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo 

(1527-1593). The 16th-century Milanese 

painter, renowned for painting human 

physiognomies composed entirely of fruits 

and vegetables, Arcimboldo-Milanese Artist 

between Leonardo and Caravaggio, runs to 

May 22nd . 

The show plants Arcimboldo in his own 

historical and cultural context, highlighting 

the profound influence of Leonardo Da Vinci’s 

grotesque heads on Arcimboldo’s own 

fascination with physiognomy, as his career 

flourished in the Hapsburg courts of Vienna 

and Prague. Arcimboldo became court 

portraitist in 1562 to Ferdinand I in Vienna, 

and later to Maximilian II and his son Rudolf II 

in Prague. Most of his work remains in Vienna, 

and the core of the exhibition consists of 

loans from the Kunshistorisches Museum 

in Vienna. Other pieces came from Stockholm, 

Munich, Madrid, New York and the Paris Louvre. 

After his return to Milan in 1587 and his 

death, Arcimboldo was forgotten for 

centuries, and his paintings were anonymously 

attributed to the ‘Leonardo School’. 

While Arcimboldo’s conventional work, 

based on religious subjects, remained lost 

into oblivion, his eccentric portraits were 

rediscovered about a century ago, becoming 

once more a source of fascination, and were 

regarded as a unique precursor to Surrealism. 

Arcimboldo – Copyright ANSA 

Ash ClOUd OpEning 

A year after the Eyjafallajökull ash cloud 

began to cause global travel disruption, 

Iceland, is celebrating the opening of a 

dedicated volcano museum. A brand new 

Visitor Centre opened on April 14th at 

Þorvaldseyri farm, which lies at the base 

of Eyjafjallajökull. The centre has been 

set up by the family who live at the farm 

and exhibits a film and photographs 

documenting daily life on the farm with 

the erupting volcano in the background. 

The Centre is located on Route 1, 140 km 

from Reykjavik. www.icelanderupts.is 

Ludwig - ‘pop art’ 

‘TwilighT OF ThE gOds. 

King lUdwig ii’ 

In 2011 the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte 

is joining forces with the Bavarian Department 

of State-owned Palaces, Gardens and Lakes 

to follow in the footsteps of King Ludwig II 

and his Bavaria. To mark the 125th 

anniversary of the death of the king the 

Bavarian State exhibition will present new 

insights into Bavaria’s most famous monarch. 

Ludwig II was fascinated by the opportunities 

presented by theatre and particularly musical 

theatre as the very latest in mass media. The 

state exhibition will showcase the drama of a 

country and its king ithe form of a classic tragedy. 

Ludwig II refused not only to appear in 

public but also to follow the demands on 

him to get married and have a family. Instead, 

he dedicated himself to the pursuit of beauty. 

His tragic and notorious death in Lake 

Starnberg has formed the basis of the myth 

surrounding Ludwig II. 

The challenge remains for us today to 

look behind this myth of the ‘Fairytale King’. 

Exhibition runs to 16th October. Group 

packages available from 

www.tourismus.prien.de 

BAdminTOn 

AppOinTmEnT 

Gullivers Sports Travel has been appointed 

as the Official Travel Partner for the Yonex 

BWF World Badminton Championships in 

London, 2011 (8th – 14th August 2011). 

The UK based sports tour operator will be 

responsible for organising accommodation 

and assisting with transport provision for 

all official parties during the tournament. 

This will include players, support staff, media, 

officials, the local organising committee, 

sponsors and volunteers. 

Gullivers Sports Travel will also be the only 

tour operator offering official supporters 

packages for the event. Held at Wembley. 

Eddie Clendening and 

Corey Kaiser star in 

‘Million Dollar Quartet’ 

Arena, this will be the third time England 

has hosted the World Championships, but 

only the first time they have been staged 

in London. 

Packages are now on sale. For more 

information call Gullivers Sports Travel 

on 01684 878692 or visit 

www.gulliverstravel.co.uk/badminton 

milliOn dOllAr 

QUArTET And mOrE 

It was just a quiet day in December 1956 

at the birthplace of Rock and Roll at Sun 

Records in Memphis - until Elvis Presley, 

Jonny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lewis 

walked in and started making history. 

Now the music they made on that unique 

night is an award winning Broadway 

musical, Million Dollar Quartet, is now on 

shown in London at the Noel Coward Theatre 

in St Martin’s Lane until October 1st. 

Encore’s top price rate offers seats of up to 

£55 reduced to £29.50 for Monday to Thursday 

evenings plus Thursday and Saturday 

matinees for groups of 10 plus. And now, 

with Encore Direct, the company’s new hotel 

packages brand for the groups market you 

can add a London hotel room from £48 

per person. 

There are six new shows on sale for this 

summer, some of which returning following 

successful runs last year! The Railway Children 

at Waterloo Station, South Pacific at the 

Barbican Theatre, Yes Prime Minister at the 

Apollo Theatre, Pygmalion at the Garrick 

Theatre, Butley at the Duchess Theatre, 

Smash! at the Menier Chocolate Factory 

and Betty Blue Eyes at the Novello Theatre. 

Dedicated Trade Line is 0044 (0)20 7492 9999 

EUrOpA-pArK nEw 2011: 

An “Enchanted Forest” is nestled along the 

big Europa-Park Lake and takes the visitors 

into the magical world of their childhood 

fairy-tales. Together with Hansel and Gretel 

visitors enter the world of the Brothers Grimm 

and visit the Witch´s Cottage, Sleeping 

Beauty´s Castle, and also the Grimm Library. 

Watch the famous storytellers at work during a 

multimedia-show, then admire the interactive 

Fairy-Tale Gallery inside the Euromaus House. 

New children´s attraction ‘Piccolo Mondo’. 

Venetian gondolas take them to Pisa, Venice 

and Florence, meet famous Italian personalities 

such as Michelangelo, but also see the typically 

Italian version of the Land of Cockaigne. 

‘FoodLoop’ – the world´sfirst loop-restaurant! 

On shiny steel tracks that wind down from the 

upper floor and through the room, the food 

and drinks rush through loops and tight bends 

before reaching the guests´tables. 

www.europapark.de 


FoodLoop

Options and Attractions ...continued from page 5 

Bath 2011 year of the Museum 

rOyAl App 

The Royal Collection has launched the first 

official ‘Royal App’ about royal weddings of 

the past, in the run-up to the marriage of 

HRH Prince William of Wales and Miss 

Catherine Middleton. The Royal Weddings 

app tells the story of seven royal weddings, 

from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 

1840, to TRH The Prince of Wales and The 

Duchess of Cornwall in 2005. It is available 

to download for Apple and Android. 

Royal Collection Apps are the latest way that 

the Royal Household is engaging with new 

media and follows the successful launch of 

the British Monarchy’s presence on Facebook 

and Flicker last year, of the Royal Twitter 

account in 2009 and the Royal Channel on 

YouTube in 2007. The Royal Weddings app, 

which will be available in eight languages, 

is the first in a series of Royal Collection 

Apps to be launched this year. Forthcoming 

subjects include Changing the Guard and 

State Banquets. 

The Royal Weddings app reveals the tradition, 

splendour and romance of the seven royal 

weddings and includes images of wedding 

dresses and jewellery, gifts exchanged 

between bride and groom, presents from 

family and friends, wedding cakes and flowers. 

The Royal Weddings app is priced at £1.79 

and will be available to download for Apple 

and Android. 

Formal wedding photograph, King George V and 

Queen Mary, 26 April 1923. Photograph by Bassano 

Of the 17 museums in Bath, many tell the 

story of the city’s history of the extraodinary 

characters that made Bath their home like 

William Beckford who built his folly, the 

Beckford Tower to house his treasures, and 

William Herschel who discovered Uranus 

through his own telescope. Bath will celebrate 

its impressive collection of museums 

in 2011 with the ‘Year of the Museum’. 

The Holburne Museum 

will re-open on 14 May 2011 with new 

displays and an opening exhibition ‘Peter 

Blake: A Museum for Myself’ showing 

the extraordinary private collection of the 

much loved Pop Art pioneer. 

The redevelopment sees the Holburne’s 

beautiful galleries restored and new spaces 

created to allow more of the Museum’s rich 

collection to be shown than ever before. 

Ranging from the ancient world to the 

nineteenth century, the collection includes 

important works by Brueghel, Ramsay, 

Zoffany, Stubbs and Constable as well as an 

unrivalled group of works by Gainsborough. 

The Holburne will be fully accessible to all 

visitors for the first time and have a new shop 

and café opening out onto the garden. 

The American Museum 

in Britain will also be celebrating as it 

reaches its 50th anniversary in 2011. The 

museum will celebrate Fab @ 50 by opening 

two new facilities - a newly refurbished 

gallery for the museum’s world-renowned 

Folk Art collection and a lecture theatre. 

A special exhibition will also open in the 

main exhibition gallery entitled Marilyn - 

Hollywood Icon, featuring twenty of the 

screen goddess’s gowns and outfits, original 

photographs, posters and personal items. 

( Runs to end October 2011) 

The pink ‘wiggle’ dress worn by 

Marilyn in publicity stills promoting 

NIAGARA (1953) - her first major role 

establishing her ‘blonde bombshell’ 

image. After seeing this film, the 

actress Constance Bennett quipped, 

“There’s a broad with her future 

behind her”. The cut of the dress 

emphasises Monroe’s curves, front 

and back. 

During the ‘Year of the Museum’, there will be a 

lecture series and ‘Bath in 100 objects’ - a collaboration 

with all 17 museums where objects of 

significance will be chosen. In addition, a free 

and downloadable audio tour to celebrate Bath’s 

‘Year of the Museum’ has been launched and is 

now available on www.visitbath.co.uk/whsaudiotour 

- the tour takes a fascinating journey 

through the city’s history and architecture. 

nEw hOp TOUrs 

The stunning architecture of Portcullis 

House and the unique art collection hung 

on its walls are highlights of a new 75 

minute guided tour of London’s Houses of 

Parliament - parliamentary building. 

Available, initially, for two days a month 

from May to July the tours offer a rare 

opportunity to view Portcullis House, 

the only new building commissioned by 

Parliament since the Palace of Westminster 

in the 19th century. It was designed by 

leading British architect Michael Hopkins 

and officially opened by Her Majesty the 

Queen in February 2001 providing offices 

for Members of Parliament and their staff. 

Portcullis House is the home of the House of 

Commons contemporary portrait collection. 

This unique collection of art, records leading 

Parliamentarians in paintings, works on paper 

and photographs. The collection reflects a 

diversity of styles and approaches by leading 

UK based artists working over the last 50 

years, all the works were commissioned or 

acquired by the Works of Art Committee. 

The rate for groups of 10 or more for the tours 

of Portcullis House is £10 while tours of the 

palace start from just £8.25 but vary depending 

on the time of day. T0844 847 2498 for 

groups, by visiting www.ticketmaster.co.uk/ 

housesofparliament, or via the link on the 

Parliamentary website www.parliament.uk. 


hospitality news 

2010 european stats 

Spain is still Europe’s most popular place to 

stay, according to figures released by the 

European Union. 

In total, 268 million nights were spent in 

Spain’s hotels by travellers last year, a rise 

of 6.4 % on 2009’s figures. 

The second most popular was Italy, the 

figures suggested, with 245 million nights 

spent in 2010, although this was a slight 

fall on 2009’s figures. 

Germany took third place, with 229 million 

nights, France fourth with 196 million and 

the United Kingdom fifth with 166 million 

These five countries combined accounted 

for 70 % of the total hotel nights spent in 

the European Union’s 27 member nations 

last year (a total of 1.6 billion), said 

Eurostat, although some countries showed 

considerable surges in popularity. 

uK’s west country 

group eating options 

A new website showcasing stop-offs for 

groups and coach parties on their way to the 

UK’s West Country had been launched. The 

West Country Pub Trail has put together a 

‘coaches welcome’ guide on its new website 

detailing dozens of pubs within easy reach 

of the main holiday routes, major visitor 

attractions and holiday destinations. 

The website allows group organisers to 

search for pubs that offer a warm welcome 

to groups, en-route to tourist attractions 

in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. 

An example is situated in the small village 

of Roche, between the North and South 

Coasts of Cornwall this friendly pub is 

on the main road from Padstow to St 

Austell and close to the Eden Project. 

www.westcountrypubtrail.co.uk 

alicante 

Hotel Lucentum has reopened as the new 

Eurostars Lucentum. The Eurostars Lucentum 

4* is Grupo Hotusa chain’s second hotel in 

the city, where it already has the Eurostars 

Mediterránea Plaza, another 4-star hotel. 

The hotel is located right in the heart of the 

city’s shopping district, just a stone’s throw 

from the port and the historic quarter. 

Estonia, for instance, saw a 16.9 % rise 

in stays, Denmark was up 14.9 % and the 

Netherlands rose 13.4%. 

Eurostat’s figures include both domestic 

and foreign travellers on both leisure and 

business - strip out domestic travellers to 

give a true value of international interest 

and the most popular nations become Spain, 

Italy, France, the United Kingdom and fifth 

place for Austria. 

europe’s hotel hotspots - 

countries ranked by total 

number of nights spent 

1. Spain 

2. Italy 

3. Germany 

4. France 

5. The UK 

Source: Eurostat 

6. Austria 

7. Greece 

8. Portugal 

9. Switzerland 

10. The Netherlands 

london 

• The St Ermin’s Hotel, Westminster, 

re-opened in mid April after a £30m 

refurbishment. The hotel retains its classic 

Grade II listed architecture, complete with 

its mix of evocative Art Nouveau styling 

and dramatic Rococo plasterwork. 

The accommodation has been reconfigured 

and the hotel now offers 331 spacious, high 

ceilinged rooms including 40 suites, 53 

executive rooms and 18 family housing units. 

All have the latest amenities including LCD 

TV entertainment system, multi-national 

electrical sockets, wireless and wired internet 

plus radio with MP3 

docking station and 

in-room refreshments. 

Guests have access to a 

fully equipped state-ofthe-art 

gym. There is a 

very opulent ballroom 

too which can host up to 

220 guests for banqueting 

and up to 300 guests 

for cocktail receptions. 

www.sterminshotel.co.uk 

Rock Inn, Roche 

• DoubleTree by Hilton London-West End 

Formerly the Bonnington Hotel and latterly 

the Park Inn London, Russell Square.The 

214-bedroom hotel also features 12 flexible 

conference / function rooms and a contemporary 

board room . The hotel’s ballroom 

can seat up to 200 guests reception-style. 

A 24-hour, on-site business centre provides 

a variety of support services. 

Llangoed Hall Hotel 

• St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London 

opens in May, following an extensive £150m 

renovation. 

The original building – The Midland Grand 

Hotel –opened in 1873.The 245-room property 

consists of the historic St Pancras Chambers 

and Barlow House, the newly created 120,000 

sq ft extension that features original artwork 

and contemporary design. The hotel is also 

home to a 500 capacity event hall, a private 

club, a gentleman’s grooming salon and 

luxury spa, which includes a swimming pool 

and six treatment rooms. www.marriott. 

co.uk/hotels/travel/lonpr-st-pancras 

RHODES 

Starwood Hotels & 

Resorts Worldwide 

is debuting the Sheraton 

brand in Greece 

this year, with the 

April launch of the 

401-room Sheraton 

Rhodes Resort hotel 

and features a 

range of rooms and 

suites with mountain, 

garden or sea views, 

three dining options, a 

piano bar, a full service 

spa, fitness facilities and 

a beach. Set in landscaped 

gardens, overlooking Ixia 

Bay, the five-star Sheraton Rhodes 

Resort is only a short drive from the 

island’s International Airport and Rhodes 

Town.www.starwoodhotels.com 

Opening in June 2011 the brand new 

five-star Atrium Platinum will have 300 

rooms, ranging from luxury doubles to 

family suites and villas with private pools. 

The Aphrodite & Hermes Thalasso Spa 

Centre will be the largest on the island. 

Facilities include rooftop garden restaurants, 

an external pool with a bar, an indoor heated 

pool, gymnasium area, squash and tennis 

courts, and direct beach access. 

www.atriumplatinum.gr 

DoubleTree by HiltonLondon-West End 

Powys - wales 

von Essen, the executive aviation and hotel 

operator, has acquired Llangoed Hall Hotel 

in Powys just north of the Brecon Beacons 

National Park. Set in acres of landscaped 

gardens and dating back to 1632, Llangoed 

Hall Hotel joins the Michelin-starred Ynyshir 

Hall, on the edge of the Snowdonia National 

Park,as the Collection’s second Welsh property. 

Offering 23 rooms, the house showcases 

the style and fabrics of Laura Ashley, whose 

husband, Sir Bernard, created the hotel. 

Part of the acquisition is Sir Bernard’s private 

art collection, including the famous Whistler 

room, which houses over 20 of Whistlers 

original drawings. www.vonessenhotels.com 

see front page for latest ve news 

Atrium Platinum 

The new Kresten Royal Villas & Spa has 

opened and is located on the north 

eastern side of Rhodes Island, on a hillside 

in Kallithea. The hotel offers 203 rooms, 

comprising of spacious double rooms 

with contemporary designed furnishings, 

suites with private heated swimming 

pool and grand maisonettes with sea 

views. The Mediterranean Spa has a fully 

equipped gymnasium, indoor swimming 

pool, steam room, sauna and massage 

treatmentrooms, while the hotel is within 

walking distance of the recently restored 

Kallithea Springs. www.thekrestenroyal.gr 


Hospitality news ...continued from page 7 

Berlin 

Hamilton - a Hilton brand very much in 

the mid-priced hotel segment, has opened 

its first property in Berlin, also its first in 

Continental Europe. 

Located in the heart of western Berlin, the 

214-guestroom hotel is just a ten-minute 

walk from a range of attractions such as the 

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Berlin 

Zoo and Aquarium. There are four meeting 

rooms, as well as a fitness area and free onsite 

parking. Also provided is complimentary wi-fi. 

Additional guest amenities include free 

‘On the House’ hot breakfast, a 24-hour 

snack area featuring light entrees and 

sandwiches and a bar area with evening 

dining options to help guests connect after 

meetings. www.hamptonbyhilton.com 

Vienna 

• The new five-star superior hotel Sofitel 

Vienna Stephansdom opened at the end 

of 2010. This centrally located glass 

and steel tower on the Danube Canal 

offers 182 rooms and suites and the 

panoramic glass-fronted public restaurant 

on the eighteenth floor gives great 

views of the city. www.sofitel.com 

• Luxury Asian hotel chain Shangri-La has 

launched into the Viennese market, when 

a new 400-bed five-star hotel opened in an 

adapted historic building complex on the 

Ringstrasse boulevard. The indoor swimming 

pool, is the largest of any luxury hotel in 

Milan 

Sheraton has opened a new hotel adjoining 

T1 at Milan’s Malpensa international airport. 

On the road to the Italian lakes it is about 20 

miles or 30 minutes driving north east of the 

city and is also connected by rail. 

The Sheraton Milan Malpensa features 

433 rooms, 19 Suites, 58 Club Rooms and 

a 200sq m dedicated Club Lounge for all 

Sheraton Club Guests. The hotel has over 

2,000sq ft of ultra-modern meeting and 

event space including a multi-functional 

room suitable for up to 1,000 people, as 

well as 22 meeting rooms. Complimentary 

wireless broadband and computer terminals 

are available in two locations in the 

property. Also provided is a spa and fitness 

centre complete with indoor swimming 

pool. www.sheraton.com/malpensa 

chesterfield 

The £20 million four star Casa hotel in 

Derbyshire’s Chesterfield has opened. Casa 

is the town’s only 4-star hotel. ‘Casa’ the 

Spanish word for ‘home’. The Spanish theme 

runs throughout the decor and interiors. 

The 94 deluxe bedrooms come complete 

with rain-showers, 32” flatscreen televisions, 

Wi Fi, Super King size beds and floor to 

ceiling windows. 

Guests can also enjoy a wide range of 

facilities: a 100-cover restaurant, Cocina, 

which serves top-class traditional Spanish 

tapas, the latest leisure facilities in the Gym, 

open terraces and landscaped gardens. And, 

with the picturesque Peak 

District National Park on 

the doorstep, guests can 

easily access a host of 

attractions, including 

Chatsworth House, 

Bolsover Castle and the 

neighbouring towns of 

Matlock Bath, Buxton 

and Bakewell. 

Casa Hotel - 

Cosina Restaurant 

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hospitality corporate News 

Von essen ...continued from page1 

Tim Smith, Director of hotel consultancy HVS 

London, said the group had acquired a large 

number of hotels in a short space of time and 

that hotels across the UK were still struggling 

to reach pre-recession levels of occupancy. 

He said: “It further proves that the provincial UK 

hotel market is still very tough and price sensitive 

and whilst there remains demand for such 

properties, perhaps not to the level to cover the 

substantial costs of running such high quality 

hotels and the upkeep of such historic buildings.” 

He added that a single buyer for the chain was 

unlikely. He said: “The more likely scenario is that 

the group will be split with interest and demand 

for the core assets as a smaller portfolio with 

others sold individually. 

“The failure of any hotel company inevitably 

reflects badly on the sector, raising questions 

concerning liquidity gearing, performance 

and profitability, even in respect of those hotels 

which are performing well.” 

Source: Maryam Omida - Dow Jones. 

Marriott and ac hotels 

The Spanish hotel group AC Hotels and 

Marriott International have reached a preliminary 

agreement to form a joint venture that 

will manage and franchise a new hotel co 

brand across Europe and Latin America – “AC 

by Marriott”. (There are 90 existing AC hotels 

in Spain, Italy and Portugal) 

The new co-brand will combine the concept 

and business model of AC Hotels’ urban-style 

four-star hotel product, with Marriott 

International’s global 

Portsmouth 

The Spinnaker Tower, at Portsmouth Harbour 

has launched a brand new sky high café. 

Café in the Clouds - a new coffee shop, is 

situated 105 metres high on View Deck Two. 

Visitors can sit down for a quality coffee or 

glass of bubbly whilst enjoying the 350° 

panoramic views of then seascape. Opening 

hours: 10am to 6pm daily. call 02392 857520 

www.spinnakertower.co.uk 

leeds 

The now opened New Ellington in Leeds 

UK is a boutique, 35 room property featuring 

The Gin Bar- the only one of its kind in Leeds, 

stocking 16 different kinds - and a destination 

restaurant, The Restaurant at The Ellington. 

www.bespokehotels.com/ellingtonleeds 

systems, distribution, and sales platforms, 

particularly Marriott Rewards, one of 

the world’s largest hospitality loyalty 

programs with 33 million members. 

travelodge 

Has opened four new properties; Coventry 

Binley, Eastbourne Willingdon Drove, Hull York 

Road, Oldham Chadderton and Plymouth 

Roborough. At Plymouth the former Innkeepers 

Lodge is situated opposite the airport. 

Travelodge, which claims to be the UK’s fastest 

growing budget hotel chain, recentlyannounced 

the largest transaction in the hotel 

sector since 2008, by acquiring the leases of 

52 Innkeeper’s Lodges from restaurant and 

pub operator Mitchells & Butlers. 

The deal boosted Travelodge’s estate to 452 

properties. The 52 hotels, which include a 

number of grade ll listed buildings, are all 

adjacent to Mitchells & Butlers hostelries. 

A £10m investment programme will see the 

branded rollout of all the properties over the 

coming months. www.travelodge.com 

Ihg 

Hotel Indigo, the upmarket boutique brand 

of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), has 

announced another 13 new hotels in key cities 

around the world over the next few years. 

The new properties are in Asia, Europe and 

the Americas, starting in Europe with two 

hotels opening in the spring of 2011 in 

Glasgow and Liverpool. 

In 2012 hotels in Madrid and Newcastle will 

open. Hotel Indigo now has 36 hotels with a 

further 57 being planned in the future. 

www.hotelindigo.com 

clisson, Pays 

De la loire 

The Villa St. Antoine hotel in Clisson is a new 

and chic contemporary 43 bedroom hotel 

which enjoys breathtaking views of Clisson’s 

medieval castle and a charming restaurant, 

bar and terrace that overlooks the waterfront 

of this pretty French town. 

The hotel is part of the French collection of 

Best Western Hotels. There is also a heated 

outdoor pool and full Hammam spa and 

health club. 

Clisson stands at the junction of the Loire- 

Atlantique, Vendée and Anjou and is just 30 

minutes from Nantes. 

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 

Tel. Bingen +49 6721 14140 

E- info@bingen-ruedesheimer.de www.bingen-ruedesheimer.de 


People 

hall of fame 

The British Travel and Hospitality Industry 

Hall of Fame, founded to honour outstanding 

personal achievement in the industry, 

in March inducted four new members 

at its annual awards dinner at the Savoy 

Hotel, London. They were Marilyn Carlson 

Nelson, Chairman of Carlson; Micky 

Arison, Chairman of the board and Chief 

Executive Officer at Carnival Corporation; 

Jim French CBE, Chairman and Chief 

Executive Officer at Flybe; and Christopher 

Rodrigues CBE, Chairman of VisitBritain. 

The Hall of Fame was created in 1995 and 

now has 80 industry achievers members. 

The Hall of Fame 2011 Business Achievement 

Award being presented to Willie Walsh, Chief 

Executive Officer of International Airlines 

Group (IAG). The Ambassador Award for 

Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable 

Tourism went to Amanda Wills, Managing 

Director of Virgin Holidays. The 2011 Young 

Manager of the Year Award was won by 

Tom O’Connor, Head of Sales at Travelzoo 

(Europe). And the 2011 Young Entrepreneur 

of the Year Award was won by James Cole, 

Co-Founder and Director of Cruise 118. 

air Malta 

Peter Davies, formerly Managing Director 

of Air Southwest, has been appointed 

Chief Executive Officer of Air Malta. 

Davies has over 35 years’ experience in the 

aviation industry, both in passenger and 

express cargo operations and has served 

as CEO at SN Brussels AirlinesHe also 

oversaw the restructuring of BWIA into 

Caribbean Airlines and held senior Board 

positions in DHL based in Europe and the 

US. Air Southwest, based at Plymouth, was 

recently acquired by Eastern Airways and 

is being integrated into that company. 

Ihg 

InterContinental Hotels Group has announced 

that Andrew Cosslett will step down as Chief 

Executive on 30 June 2011, to be succeeded by 

Richard Solomons. A Board member since 

2003 and currently Chief Financial Officer and 

Head of Commercial Development, Richard 

will start in his new position as Chief 

Executive on 1 July. 

Richard Solomons 

costa crociere 

Norbert Stiekema has been appointed 

Executive Vice President of Costa Crociere, 

They are also adding a new position to its top 

management structure: a Corporate Sales 

and Marketing profile which will see Stiekema 

manage the sales department globally (Italy, 

France and Benelux, Spain and Portugal, 

Germany, UK & Growth Markets, North & 

Central America, South America and Asia-Pacific). 

The change in structure has come due to new 

digital distribution channels and the boom of 

social media. 

Stiekema, who will report directly to President 

Gianni Onorato, is joining the company from 

Eurodisney Paris, where he was Senior Vice 

President Sales and Distribution for Walt 

Disney World, Disneyland and Disney Cruise 

Line in EMEA.Stiekema speaks fluent Italian, 

as well as English, Dutch, French and German. 

Iata 

Tony Tyler, hitherto CEO of Cathay Pacific 

Airways, is to take over as Director General 

and CEO of IATA, Giovanni Bisignani, the 

present incumbent, retires in June. The 

position is always held by a former irline head. 

Tyler, 55, has been Chief Executive of Cathay 

Pacific since 2007. From June 2009 to June 

2010, he served as Chairman of the 

IATA Board of Governors. 

choice hotels 

Patrick Pacious has been promoted to 

Executive Vice President, global strategy, 

distribution and technology. 

In this role, he is responsible for identifying 

and leading growth initiatives through 

oversight of the strategic planning process, 

executing the company’s global distribution 

strategy, capturing a greater share of 

consumer demand and reservations via 

online and proprietary channels, and 

harnessing information technology to 

maximize business performance. 

Pacious joined Choice Hotels in 2005 as 

Senior Director 

twgroup 

Travel Weekly Owner TWgroup has 

appointed Andy Jordan as 

Group Publishing Director. 

Jordan has more than 20 years’ 

experience of publishing, 

commercial and sales management, 

including a variety of roles 

within United Business Media’s 

property, construction, retail and 

agriculture portfolios. 

He joins TWgroup on May 3, 

working alongside the company’s 

commercial team with a focus on 

new product launchesand acquisitions. 

Oceania Cruises, 

along with its parent 

company, Prestige 

Cruise Holdings, 

has announced key 

appointments to its 

management team. 

Bob Binder has 

been promoted to 

Vice Chairman and 

President of Prestige 

Cruise Holdings 

(PCH), the parent 

company of Oceania 

Cruises and Regent 

Seven Seas Cruises. 

Reporting directly to 

Frank J. Del Rio, chairman 

and CEO, Binder 

will work alongside 

Del Rio on the 

final outfitting and 

delivery of Oceania 

Cruises’ new Riviera, which is scheduled 

to join the fleet in April 2012. He will also 

oversee several strategic initiatives, including 

the global expansion of the PCH brands 

and maintain relationships with several 

of the company’s largest retail partners. 

Bruce Himelstein has been appointed 

President of Oceania Cruises and succeeds 

Binder. Himelstein has held senior sales and 

oceania cruises 

marketing positions 

at several hospitality 

companies and was 

previously Senior VP 

of sales and marketing 

at the Ritz Carlton 

Hotel Company. Victor 

Gonzalez, Executive 

VP of passenger services 

for both Oceania 

Cruises and Regent 

Seven Seas Cruises, 

will step into an 

expanded role and 

report directly to 

Del Rio. His responsibilities 

now include 

all aspects of call 

center management, 

reservations, air-sea 

operations, yield and 

revenue management, 

guest relations and 

Bruce Himelstein. training and development. 

Frank A. Del Rio, who oversees shore 

excursions, hotel and land programs for 

both brands, will assume the title Senior 

VP of port and destination services, with 

operational and relationship responsibilities 

for more than 350 ports worldwide. Del Rio 

will now report to Robin Lindsay, Executive 

VP of vessel operations for PCH. 


transport news 

a real mini cab 

About to launch in London is minicab4one 

an entirely new concept in eco-friendly 

chauffeured car transport. 

Essentially the scheme is a cab operation 

for a single passenger using Smart cars. The 

majority of London taxi journeys carry only 

one passenger so the Smart addresses this 

with their choice of vehicle. Minicab4one 

is a pre-booked service either via the internet 

or by ‘phone. Unfortunately no flagging 

down a Smart car. 

It’s had a seven-month trial in the Stansted 

Airport area. Discussions with the London 

Public Carriage Office deemed the vehicle 

fine but required a name change to avoid 

confusion with a licensed hackney carriage 

(taxi). 

Parent company cab4one says that the Smart 

car is very much more suited to the busy 

central London roads tha conventional motor 

vehicles and is much more efficient in that 

every seat in the vehicle is used. It is the 

lowest emission, conventionally powered 

vehicle on British highways. The vehicles 

are air conditioned, are capable of accommodating 

passengers up to 6ft 6ins and 

around 200 litres of their luggage. 

www.minicab4one.co.uk 

MiniCab4One 

Ban lifted 

From this month, aerosols, gels and liquids 

in containers larger than 100ml will be 

allowed to be carried in the cabin. The 

change in policy is in line with the EU 

member states also removing the small 

container rule at the same time. 

Passengers travelling from outside the 

European Union are able to carry duty-free 

liquid purchases on connecting flights 

throughout Europe, but the items still have 

to be put in clear plastic bags and be 

screened. http://eur-lex.europa.eu 

New rail route 

to spain 

There’s a new high speed line between 

Perpignan and Figueres in Catalonia offering 

travellers a new way to travel from the UK to 

Spain. In total, 44km of high speed track has 

been built between Perpignan and Figueres, 

and a new tunnel - the Perthus Tunnel - has 

been constructed to allow high speed trains 

to operate between France and Spain. TGVs 

will run to Figueres Vilafant station, until a 

brand new station opens in 2012. Buses will 

run every 15 minutes between Figueres Vilafant 

station and the town centre. Passengers 

travelling onwards to Girona or Barcelona can 

pick up an onwards train from Vilafant station 

which is just a simple platform change. 

airport road 

Belfast International Airport now has dual 

carriageway access from Londonderry. The 

£45m A2 Maydown to City of Derry Airport 

scheme was officially opened in March after 

two years of congestion and disruption. 

The scheme involved upgrading nearly five 

miles of the old single carriageway road. 

The A2 is part of the Northern Key Transport 

Corridor, the main road connecting Limavady 

to Derry and provides links to the Maydown 

and Campsie industrial zones as well as the 

airport. www.roadsni.gov.uk 

oag report 

OAG (Official Airline Guide) has published 

its schedules database for April indicating 

that airlines worldwide will operate 3% 

more flights in April 2011 as compared 

to April 2010. The total number of flights 

operating in April 2011 is 2,523,350 with 

an overall seat offering of 317,376,168, 

an increase of 5% as compared to April 

2010. The trend is for more efficiency with 

fewer services and more seats. 

The amount of flights on offer is as good an 

indication as any of the state of economy. 

Traffic within North America reflects an 

increase of 2% in both frequencies and 

offered seats. In Europe the numbers are 

very flat, only increasing by 0.3% and 2% 

respectively but again indicating the 

airlines are using larger aircraft. 

Air services in Asia continue to grow much 

faster than elsewhere resulting in an 

increase of 7% in both flight operations 

and seat offerings. Only in South America 

are the signs discouraging with very slightly 

less sectors and actual seat offerings 

factionary up. www.oag.com 

luton airport 

a bit scary 

As part of a series of initiatives aimed at 

simplifying the security process and 

improving the experience for passengers, 

Luton Airport has become the first airport 

Holly 

in the world to introduce holographic 

announcers. A male and female are being 

employed to communicate important 

security messages as passengers pass from 

check-in to the departure lounge and before 

entering the security area. 

Currently on trial but if successful passengers 

will be seeing the couple throughout the 

airport, in operational roles, offering passenger 

information and for use by retail outlets 

within the terminal building. 

They’ve been nicknamed ‘Hol ly’ and ‘Graham’ 

If they don’t work there is no redundancy. 

Tensator, global leaders in queue management 

and digital signage solutions, and creators 

(of the frighteningly realistic machines) can 

have them back! 

tcr closure 

Tottenham Court Road, one of London’s 

busiest Underground stations has been 

closed and will not re-open until late 

November. It is part of the station upgrade 

to incorporate the arrival of Crossrail later 

into the decade. Tottenham Court Road 

station is over 100 years old and was not 

designed to be used by the 147,000 people 

that currently pass through it every day. 

This is expected to grow to over 200,000. 

Central Line services at the station will run 

as normal and the Northern Line platforms 

will be back in service well in time for 

Christmas. Passengers wishing to use the 

Northern Line are advised to use nearby 

Goodge Street or Leicester Square. Interchanging 

passengers need to plan their 

journeys before travel.www.tfl.gov.uk 

spain high speed 

New this year is the AVE high-speed train 

service from Madrid to Valencia travelling 

time cut to 90 minutes a saving of two hours 

and forty minutes. 

The journey time from Madrid to Cuenca now 

takes 60 minutes (representing a saving of 

two hours) and Albacete can now be reached 

in a journey time of 90 minutes from the 

capital, representing a saving of 45 minutes. 

Spain is now proud to be home to Europe’s 

biggest AVE network, covering more than 

2.000m kilometres. www.renfe.com 

flight plan 

aer arann has started a new daily passenger 

services from London Southend Airport to and 

from both Waterford and Galway in Ireland. 

air asia X the long haul low fare carrier, 

has introduced flights from Kuala Lumpur to 

Paris. Initially four times per week. 

www.airasia.com 

airBaltic will operate fourdirect flights per 

week from Riga to Budapest from May 16. 

bmibaby have also introduced George 

Best Belfast City Airport to Stansted service 

for summer season. Flights will operate 

three times a day from Monday to Friday, with 

one service on Sunday. www.bmibaby.com 

BMI has stopped services between Glasgow 

and Heathrow. BMI, which is owned by 

Germany’s Lufthansa, blamed increase in 

BAA passenger charges at Heathrow for 

making the loss-making route “unsustainable”. 

British airways has launch new 

services to Marrakech from London Gatwick, 

the thrice-weekly service, which departs 

Gatwick on Tuesdays, Thursdays and 

Sundays, returning the same evening. 

Delta air lines have begun flights from 

Heathrow to Boston and Miami. 

Iberia has launched a new service from 

Madrid to Fortaleza and Recife in the North 

East of Brazil on the Atlantic coast. 

www.iberia.com 

Jet2 will launch direct flights between 

Edinburgh and Budapest, starting April 21, 

2011. Flights to Budapest will operate three 

times a week. 

KlM royal Dutch airlines 

has launched a double daily service to 

Aalborg in Denmark. 

ryanair is to fly to Greece for the first 

time. From this month Ryanair will fly to 

Rhodes from two airports, London Stansted 

and Liverpool and Stansted to Thessaloniki.. 

They also have added four routes from 

Manchester to Alicante, Faro, Madrid and 

Tenerife and increased frequencies on its 

Dublin route (from four to six flights daily) 

Also just introduced is a new twice weekly 

service from Humberside Airport to Alicante. 

In May they will start daily flights to Vilnius 

from London-Stansted as it adds another 

Lithuanian city to its schedule after Kaunas, 

Lithuania’s second city. 

singapore airlines has introduced a 

three times per week service to Barcelona. 

The flight then goes on to Sao Paulo in Brazil 

also offering that city for the first time. 

www.singaporeair.com 

sky work airlines the Swiss carrier 

has launched a daily flight (except Saturday) 

from Bern to London City Airport. It is the 

only service between London and Bern. 

Virgin atlantic has added Mauritius 

to its list of destinations from London 

Gatwick offering twice-weekly services. 

wizz air will begin operations mid April 

with five flights per week from London-Luton, 

and two per week from Doncaster-Sheffield 

to Vilnius. 


cruise news 

Ex-UK CrUisEs 

With air travel problems - cruises departing 

from Dover, Harwich and Southampton are 

ever more popular In Southampton alone, 

there will be a 16 % increase in ship visits 

this year, and most are embarking 

passengers. And this year Portsmouth 

competes. Its new terminal is aimed at 

smaller-ship niche lines like Swan Hellenic, 

Voyages of Discovery, Hebridean and 

Compagnie du Ponant. 

AmAKATArinA in rUssiA 

The completely redesigned MS AmaKatarina 

will be inaugurated on May 10, 2011, on 

the Volga-Baltic Waterway travelling from 

St. Petersburg to Moscow. 

AmaWaterways claim it is the only luxury 

vessel in Russia featuring outside balconies 

in over 70 % of its staterooms, All 76 staterooms 

feature a sitting area, a refrigerator, 

hair dryer, safe, TV and phone (onboard 

communications only) and bottled water 

is replenished daily. 

Public areas aboard include two dining 

rooms offering complimentary wine and 

soft drinks at dinner; Panorama Lounge; 

bar/nightclub; conference hall and solarium. 

The ship also features an elevator, gift shop, 

infirmary and Internet access. 

www.amawaterways.co.uk 

UKinBOUnd AwArd 

City Cruises Plc was named Transport 

Provider of the Year at the UKinbound 

Awards 2011. Voted for by UKinbound 

members, these annual Awards recognise 

the outstanding contributors in their field to 

the inbound tourism industry. The company 

was up against some impressive contenders 

including Eurostar, Big Bus Company 

and the Original London Sightseeing Tour. 

The award acknowledges the River Thames 

importance in London tourism and the 

culmination of over 30 years work in building 

up the company from a one boat operation 

into a company with a fleet of 15 boats, 

carrying close to 2 million passengers a year. 

inTimATE dining 

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines has introduced a 

new dining service – An Evening In – on 

its longer cruises, offering a more casual 

dinner, delivered to the suite or cabin. 

The new service has been launched this 

year on Balmoral and Black Watch, and, if 

successful, it will be rolled out to the other 

ships in due course. The new in-cabin dinner 

service will not carry any extra charge, and 

will be offered in addition to the existing 

room service. www.fredolsencruises.co.uk 

p&O lAUnCh 

P&O Ferries new ship, Pride of Britain, had 

entered service. At 49,000 tonnes and 213 

metres in length it is the largest ship that 

either Dover or Calais can accommodate. 

The sister ship, Spirit of France, enters 

service later in the year. 

nEw TiTAniC 

CEnTEnAry CrUisE 

With just over one year to go until the 

centenary of the sinking of the Titanic on 15 

April 2012, organisers of the Titanic Memorial 

Cruise have confirmed a second historic 

cruise will depart New York City next year. 

The eight-night charter voyage departing 

from New York on 10 April 2012 on the 

deluxe 694-guest Azamara Journey, which 

will feature a series of Titanic historian 

lecturers. 

On the April 15 anniversary, guests on 

Azamara Journey will join the 1,309 aboard 

another Titanic Memorial Cruise, Balmoral, 

at the site of the original ship’s sinking for 

a memorial service. Balmoral, which will 

sail from Southampton, England, sold out 

last October, and now has people on a 

waiting list. 

Azamara Journey will call at Halifax, Nova 

Scotia, which has one of the most moving 

and intimate connections with the Titanic 

disaster, becoming the final resting place of 

many of her unclaimed victims. Guests will 

have the opportunity to visit Fairview Lawn 

Cemetery where victims of the sinking are 

buried. www.titanicmemorialcruise.com 

nEw FErry rOUTE 

TO spAin 

Brittany Ferries have taken over P&O’s old 

route from Portsmouth to Bilbao. The twice 

weekly service is in addition to their existing 

ferry services to Santander from Portsmouth 

and Plymouth. 

Star Clipper 

UniwOrld 1&2 slOT 

This year is the first year that the Condé 

Nast Readers’ Choice Survey included the 

finest in river cruise ships. Using a scale 

of 100, River Beatrice scored particularly 

high marks in the areas of Crew/Service 

(96.7), Itineraries (96.7), Food and Dining 

(96.7), and Shore Excursions (96.7). The 

Uniworld ships named in the top 20 were 

River Beatrice (1), River Duchess (2) River 

Countess (5), River Queen (6), River Baroness 

(8), River Royale (12), and River Princess 

(19). www.uniworldrivercruises.co.uk 

The Titanic prepares for it’s maiden voyage 

psA 2011 prEdiCTiOns 

The UK ocean cruise market continues to 

buck the trend with a record number of 

passengers predicted for 2011 according to 

the PSA. An estimated 1.77m passenger 

will take a cruise holiday an increase of 

8% on 2010 figure of 1.64m passengers. 

For the first time, the number of UK fly-cruise 

passengers is set to exceed one million with 

a 2011 forecast of 1,060,000, up 75,000 on 

2010. The number of British passengers 

joining their ship in a UK port next year is 

also expected to rise by 55,000 to 710,000. 

The organisation, to which virtually every 

cruise organisation with sales outlets in the 

UK belongs, says this year’s additional 

130,000 cruise passengers reflect strong 

performances from the major UK cruise 

lines coupled with additional capacity 

that has come on stream this year. 

www.the-psa.co.uk 

rAil And sAil’ TAll ships 

Star Clippers has new `rail & sail’ departures 

for summer 2011, allowing guests to take 

the train directly from the UK to the south 

of France to join one of its tall ship sailings, 

completely avoiding airports and flying. 

On 4th June and 1st October the ship sails 

from Cannes to Calvi (Corsica), the Costa 

Smeralda (Sardinia), Giglio (Italy), Lerici 

(Italy), returning to St. Tropez and Monaco 

7 nights later.Itinerary at http://www. 

starclippers.co.uk/cannes-monte-carlo.html 

On 10th September Star Flyer departs 

from Monaco for a 7 nights sailing to L’Ille 

Rousse, Corsica, Portoferraio (Elba), Portofino 

(Italy), Hyeres Island and Sanary-sur-Mer 

(France), St. Tropez beach and town and 

returning into cannes on 17th September. 

Itinerary at http://www.starclippers. 

co.uk/monte-carlo-to-cannes.html T0845 

200 6145, www.starclippers.co.uk 

nEw UnEsCO wOrld 

hEriTAgE CrUisE 

The hotel barge ‘Rosa’ that was enjoyed by 

Rick Stein and his film crew several years 

ago is offering an additional cruise itinerary 

in 2011. She will cruise from Carcassonne 

to Toulouse along the Canal du Midi. 

Carcassonne’s La Cité and the 300 year-old 

Canal are both UNESCO World Heritage 

sites and the cruise will also include visits 

to Castelnaudary, the ‘home of Cassoulet’, 

ancient Cathar villages and some private 

wine tastings. A cruise for culture vultures 

and foodies. www.gobarging.com 

sTEnA ExplOrEr 

rETUrns 

Stena Line has reintroduced the HSS Stena 

Explorer to operate on its Holyhead to Dun 

Laoghaire route, operating until Tuesday 

13 September to cope with the additional 

demand over the summer period. 

The vessel which caters for up to 1,500 

passengers and 350 cars, boasts the 

Metropolitan and Barista coffee bar, Stena 

Plus lounge, free WiFi, free movies and 

an onboard shop. The HSS Stena Explorer 

will operate one round trip per day with a 

10.00 hours sailing from Holyhead and a 

13.15 hours sailing from Dun Laoghaire. 

Tel 08448 158 881 


MIce news 

plAnnErs gUidE 

The GCB German Convention Bureau has 

launched a 36 page guide aimed at helping 

meeting professionals. The guide, written 

by an industry professional, is full of useful 

information designed to get organisers thinking 

about how to improve every area of their 

event planning, implementation and delivery. 

The guide is available in both hard copy 

and PDF download from the GCB website 

http://www.gcb.de/ENG/about_us/ 

brochures.htm or mail to info@gcb.de 

Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of 

the GCB explained: “We felt there was a need 

for a booklet which provided practical tips 

to organisers on all aspects of meeting and 

event planning. The 

brochure covers a 

wide range of 

topics, including 

traditional areas 

such as goal setting, 

organising, project 

planning and negotiation, 

but also new 

subjects, such as 

meetings planning 

as a discipline.” 

The Guide also deals 

with questions about 

running incentive 

schemes, and highlights issues such as 

risk management and health and safety, 

event marketing, and topics such 

as communicating to the different generations 

now in the workplace. The guide has been 

written by Richard John, a consultant, 

trainer and writer. 

CCd wins AwArd 

The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) has 

won silver in the Best Overseas Convention 

Centre award from Meetings and Incentive 

Travel Industry Awards 2011. This industry 

award was based on the votes from Meetings 

and Incentive Travel (M&IT) magazine readers. 

In addition, The CCD hosted over 200 events 

at the centre in its first six months of operation. 

Since opening its doors in September 2010, 

the CCD has welcomed 13,000 international 

delegates, which has generated an additional 

Budapest is packed with historical buildings 

and Palaces. Meeting organisers can book 

events and have the opportunity of holding 

a reception or gala dinner in one of many 

historic buildings, museums and palaces. 

This scheme has been launched, and is 

open to all international companies 

(meeting planners, event organisers, 

agencies and operators). The Hungarian 

Convention Bureau sponsors complimentary 

room rental for the gala dinner or 

reception if your event or meeting planned 

in Hungary meet the following criteria: 

€22 million* for the local economy. 

*According to recent research conducted by 

ipsos MRBI on behalf of Fáilte Ireland, the 

total value of an international association 

conference delegate over the period of 

their stay in Ireland is €1,507 

inCEnTiVE idEA: 

TiTO’s BlUE TrAin 

Tito’s Blue train and hostesses 

rOTTErdAm OpTiOn 

‘Budapest... more than expected’ 

Vekol DMC is a destination management 

and special event service provider in Serbia. 

They are offering new team building ideas 

and event planning and management 

resources. One example is the use of Tito’s 

Blue Train, the name of the popular train 

once used by Josip Broz Tito, president of the 

former Yugoslavia. Today, visitors can meet 

Tito, played by a well-known Serbian 

actor, and learn about his incredible life. 

Visitors to the Blue Train will also have the 

opportunity to enjoy recipes Tito prepared 

for Richard Burton, Sofia Loren, Indira Gandhi 

and other high profile individuals. The train 

features live music by Tito’s original entertainers. 

www.vekoldmc.com 

Combine a boat trip to the former Submarine 

Wharf at the heart of the Port of Rotterdam 

with a lunch or dinner and a visit to Museum 

Boijmans Van Beuningen from June, to 

September. 

The Submarine Wharf is a gem in the port 

area where beautiful art projects are hosted. 

Besides this special summer offer, you can 

hold receptions in Museum Boijmans Van 

Beuningen all year round. 

conventions@rotterdam-marketing.nl 

• Minimum 50 participants 

• Minimum 2 nights in campaign 

• participating four of five star hotel 

• Minimum half day meeting in the hotel 

Cooperation with a participating Hungarian 

DMC for the organisation of the gala dinner 

or reception (catering, decoration, 

entertainment, technical detail etc 

Venues include, Royal Palace Gödöllő , Secret 

Saloon of Queen Elisabeth, Budapest History 

Museum – Royal Cellar, St. Gellért Thermal 

Bath and Spa – Pool and many more. For full 

details visit www.budapestmeetings.com 

faith tourism news 

John Paul II 

beatification 

Hotels in Rome have been criticised for taking 

advantage of the demand, with room prices 

tripling in some cases. Modest two-star hotels 

are asking for €700 a night while some fourstars 

are charging up to € 1,760 for a suite. 

“Since the beatification announcement, bookings 

have exploded,” said Giuseppe Roscioli, the head 

of Federalberghi Roma, the city’s hoteliers’ 

association, which represents around 500 hotels. 

“The Vatican’s decision to hold the celebration on 

May 1 complicated matters, because it coincides 

with a public holiday in much of Europe and is 

always a peak period for tourism in Italy. It’s 

like wanting to organise an event in Monaco 

during the Formula One Grand Prix. It’s absurd. 

It’s obvious that the Vatican’s calendar has 

nothing to do with day-to-day life,” he said. 

However OTR received an email recently from 

Travellanda Ltd - a UK agent, offering rooms 

from €101 ( 3 star double) to €154 

(4 star double) per night. 

Israel... 

• Israel is inviting tourists to retrace the 

footsteps of the Virgin Mary, officials said 

in the latest campaign to bring Christian 

pilgrims to the Holy Land. 

A new itinerary developed by the Tourism 

Ministry helps tour operators plan pilgrimages 

to sites where the mother of Jesus Christ lived 

and travelled. They include her birthplace near 

Nazareth in northern Israel, as well as Mary’s 

Spring and the Tomb of the Virgin near Jerusalem. 

The Virgin Mary itinerary includes holy sites in 

the West Bank, as well, including Bethlehem. 

Tourism officials said they work closely with the 

Palestinians on tourism matters, although this 

itinerary was not specifically coordinated with 

the Palestinians. 

In 2010, 69 percent of Israel’s almost 3.5 million 

tourists were Christians, most of them Catholics. 

Now Israel is encouraging return visits by those 

who already have made their first pilgrimage. 

Lina Haddad, who directs Israel’s marketing 

of religious tourism, said the full-colour 

booklet outlining the Virgin Mary itinerary, 

Pilgrims trail 

to santiago 

European activity holiday specialist UTracks has 

number of new Spanish trips for 2011 which 

include Pilgrims Trail To Santiago (9 days) 

The Pilgrims’ Trail to Santiago de Compostela is 

one of the great historical ‘long distance foot 

paths’ through Europe. 

Walked by millions of ‘peregrinos’ over the 

centuries, the walk reveals the beautiful natural 

settings, captivating historical monuments, 

gorgeous rural farmland and authentically 

friendly villages of Northern Spain. Near Lugo, 

the ‘Camino Primitivo’ joins the more popular 

French route. In the company of an expert, guide 

travellers have the option to walk the last few 

kilometres, to enter the city of Santiago de 

Compostela on foot. 

Departs: 28 May, 25 June, 17 September, 

1 October. www.UTracks.com 

released earlier this year in English, will be 

translated into Spanish, French, Italian, Polish 

and Portuguese. www.goisrael.com . 

• Thirty-one of the thirty-three Chilean miners 

who were rescued from a collapsed mine last year 

were in the Holy Land for an eight-day pilgrimage 

earlier this year invited by the Israeli government. 

They arrived with their wives and partners and 

toured the Old City of Jerusalem. Their visit took 

in other tour holy sites, including King David’s 

Tomb and Nazareth. 

Faith played a huge part in the experience of 

the miners while they were trapped 800 metres 

below the earth. Bibles and rosaries were sent 

down a capsule to the men and prayer meetings 

were held twice a day. When they were 

finally freed, they emerged from the depths 

wearing T-shirts that said ‘Thank you God’. 

On a recent tour of England, Jose Henriquez, the 

‘pastor’ of the group, told of miners coming to 

faith in Jesus after their tangible experience of 

God, whom they named “34th man” in the mine. 

Chilean miners welcomed in Jerusalem 


travel Industry news 

city card - New 

travel trade guide 

The spotlight is on European City Cards. 

Targeting travel operators and intermediaries, 

this new digital brochure presents you with 

all you need to know about 30 city cards 

from 20 countries. The guide has been put 

together with the collaboration of 30 city 

tourist offices working under the auspices of 

the European City Cards Knowledge Group. 

As well as offering a succinct overview of 

how the cards can work for operators, the 

e-brochure provides practical information, 

including details of commissions and contact 

details for each and every city. With the 

help of the brochure, 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. 

Even videos are included. Those who prefer 

a traditional format can also print the 

document. 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 CityCards you can find out in 

the e-brochure are: Amsterdam, Barcelona, 

Bruges, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dijon, 

Dubrovnik, Dublin, Geneva, Gijon, Gothenburg, 

Innsbruck, Krakow, Lisbon, Ljubljana, 

London, Lyon, Nice, Nuremberg, Oslo, 

Reykjavik, Split, Stockholm, Tallinn, Tarragona, 

Turku, Turin, Valencia, Zagreb, Zaragoza. 

The e-brochure is available free on 

http://digital.jmpublishing.ie/issue/25404 

and on www.europeancitiesmarketing.com 

cox and King 

new rail 

journeys... 

eNIt launch 

Enit - Italian State Tourist Board launched 

the first edition of VTM, virtual Travel 

Market on 21st -30th March 2011 

exclusively on line at www.vtmitalia.com . 

VTM is the first B2B virtual fair bringing 

buyers and sellers specialising in destination 

Italy together under one virtual roof without 

the discomfort and the costs of travel. 

Accessible from any computer and browser, 

VTM is integrated with real-time communication 

tools allowing the user to network 

with a wide range of accommodation, 

tour operators, associations, meeting and 

incentive industry professionals among 

others, all specialising in tourist services in 

Italy. There will be a second opportunity for 

appointments 2011 on 10-21 October 2011. 

Portrait of Robert Burnes 

St Petersburg 

Nts - 2012 prices fixed 

The National Trust for Scotland has 

announced that it is holding this year’s 

2011 trade prices until 31 December 2012. 

NTS Group Rates and flexible, multi-day 

Discover Tickets save coach and tour 

operators, and their clients, up to 84% on 

standard admission prices. By becoming a 

Discover Ticket Agent, operators will also 

receive 25% commission on all sales. 

Pietro Cecchini, NTS Travel Trade Manager 

said: “More and more operators are visiting 

our properties and as a thank you to them, 

and to help encourage new markets to 

sample our venues, we are holding all our 

advertised trade prices. In these uncertain 

times, it’s important that we all play our part 

to make Scotland the destination of choice” 

“Discover Tickets offer unlimited access to 

over 90 historic attractions, including our 

newly opened Robert Burns Birthplace 

Museum, Culloden Battlefield, 

Inverewe Garden, all NTS properties 

in Glasgow and Edinburgh and many 

sites on Scotland’s Castle Trail”. 

Many NTS properties are 4 and 5 star 

visitor attractions with child and group 

friendly restaurants, cafés and tearooms, 

serving Scottish home baking and 

light lunches. NTS shops stock a wide 

selection of gifts, books and souvenirs, 

and coach parking is available 

at most sites. Email traveltrade@nts. 

org.uk, T0844 493 2104 (+44 131 

243 9304 from outside the UK), or 

visit www.nts.org.uk/discover 

As part of Cox & Kings’ expanding European 

programme, six new train journeys launching 

in 2011, have been added to its website. 

The Golden Eagle, owned by GW Travel, was 

launched in 2007 to operate the famous 

Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian 

routes and from this month it will begin 

travelling between Moscow and St 

Petersburg and through the Baltic States. 

NEW: a 9 day Opera and Ballet Theatre 

between Moscow and St Petersburg, 

which includes tickets to ballet or 

opera performances in the Bolshoi in 

Moscow, Mariinsky in St Petersburg 

and the National Theatre in Kiev. 

NEW: a 15 day Crimean Express from St 

Petersburg through Belarus, Moldova to the 

Ukrainian city of Yalta, situated on the shores 

of the Black Sea and features numerous highlights 

in Moscow, Minsk and the Ukrainian 

cities of Lvov, Kiev, Odessa and Sevastopol. 

NEW: a 9 day Baikal Express, passes through 

five time zones and 45 towns and cities 

expedia 

Online travel giant Expedia announced 

plans to spin off TripAdvisor into a separate 

publicly traded company later this year. 

Expedia shares soared 12.68 percent to 

$25.35 following the announcement. 

TripAdvisor, which was founded in 2000, 

provides reviews and advice on hotels, 

flights, vacation packages and other 

services. It has sites in 29 countries and 

its various brands attract more than 50 

million unique visitors a month. 

The new company will be made up 

of TripAdvisor and its 18 other travel 

media and advertising brands, Expedia 

said. It said stock in TripAdvisor will be 

distributed to Expedia stockholders. 

Expedia said it expects the spin-off, 

which will need the approval of shareholders, 

to be completed in the third 

quarter of the year. Expedia purchased 

TripAdvisor in 2004 for $200 million. 

across Russia, a journey of 4,500 kilometres. 

Beginning in Moscow and ending in Irkutsk, 

highlights of the journey include Kazan and 

the UNESCO-protected Kremlin, Novosibirsk 

and a barbeque on the beach at the world’s 

largest freshwater lake, Lake Baikal. 

NEW: a 7 day Baltic Adventure, combines 

the three Baltic States, Lithuania, Latvia 

and Estonia and Moscow and explores the 

countries’ rich and colourful histories each 

with their own beautiful architecture. 

NEW: a 21 day Silk Road Rail Tour, follows 

one of ancient civilisation’s trading 

routes, starting in the Russian Federation 

and finishing in China, taking in the 

former USSR states. Highlights of the 

tour include some of the world’s most 

iconic sights, including the Kremlin, 

Stalingrad, the Bibi Khanym Mosque, the 

Terracotta Army and the Great Wall. 

All trips include international flights, 

transfers and full board accommodation 

throughout. www.coxandkings.co.uk 


Empire State Building by Blue Noses 

SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL WORLDS 

Great Pyramid of Giza by Blue Noses 

EVER SINCE HUMANS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO 

BUILD, THEY HAVE REACHED FOR THE SKIES. 

OFTEN AMAZING THEMSELVES. THE MOST 

MAGNIFICENT ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECES 

HAVE BEEN CREATED IN THE PROCESS. 

Throughout the ‘Art in the Giant’ program, Swarovski Crystal 

Worlds has been reinventing itself over and over again into 

a forum best described as a kaleidoscope of art. At the same 

time, it has turned its Chambers of Wonder into a stage 

for constantly new and exciting exhibitions. Since autumn 

2010, all eyes are fixed on the Russian artists Blue Noses. 

FAMOS 

RUSSIAN VIDEO ART INSIDE CRYSTAL MARVELS 

Swarovski Crystal Worlds 

introduces a unique 

exhibition that casts 

world-famous architectural 

works in a new light. In 

collaboration with 

Swarovski, the Russian 

artistic duo Blue Noses, 

in its uniquely hilarious 

manner, presents a series 

of ‘home videos’ in which 

it satirically reinterprets four 

architectural masterpieces. 

The Taj Mahal in Agra, the 

Great Pyramid of Giza, the 

Empire State Building in 

New York and Lenin´s 

Mausoleum in Moscowall 

of these works were 

recreated in crystal in the 

Swarovski laboratory in 

dimensions never before 

seen and thus have become 

artistic interpretations of 

the original masterpieces. Only on second glance-from 

above, visitors can see the subtle, humorous Blue 

Noses home videos that are located inside these works of 

art and, in a very special way, breathe life into the 

crystalline structures. 

BLUE NOSES 

REFRESHING REBELS OF THE POSTMODERN ERA 

Their bizarre sense of irony has an explosive effect within 

the contemporary art scene-yet the Blue Noses are 

activists with a concrete socio-political orientation. The 

duo ( Viacheslav Mizin from Novosibirsk and Alexander 

Shaburov from Ekaterinburg) tends to see things in a 

humorous light and to take neither contemporary art 

from their homeland of Russia, nor the pop culture too 

seriously. Yet this is especially where the two highly 

original characters find their form of artistic expression. 

They celebrate spontaneous acts of mischief while 

simultaneous satirizing structural form of all kinds. Their 

video art comes across as intentionally improvised; their 

themes are deliberately chosen to be outrageously simple. 

With the messages they present in a manner that is both 

extremely exaggerated and also funny, they show no mercy 

in unmasking their contemporaries’ pursuit of an ideal 

and phenomenal image. The Blue Noses already exhibited 

their work in 2006/2007 during the winter festival “Russia 

as Guest in the Giant” in the Swarovski Crystal Worlds. 

REFRESHING REBELS OF THE POSTMODERN ERA 

Famos’ - this term is used to express the famously 

magnificent extraordinary. The Taj Mahal, the Great Pyramid 

of Giza, the Lenin Mausoleum and the Empire State Building 

are all iconic, architectural masterpieces and are celebrated 

BLUE NOSES: FAMOS 

Taj Mahal by Blue Noses 


The Giant in winter 

as such. To pay tribute to their monumental character, it 

thus seems fitting to represent them in crystal form and 

bring them to life with moving images that are just as 

‘famos’. However, when looking at the Blue Noses work, 

one must always keep the polemics in mind; the scenes 

inside the greatest marvels of architectural history are 

utterly devoid of seriousness. They thus not only steal any 

proportion of the protagonists’ notoriety, but also the exclusive 

star quality of the architectural monuments. By elevating 

viewers above the unique crystalline masterpieces-the 

only place from which they are able to discover the subtle, 

humorous videos – much of the initial awe is lost. The 

crystalline magnificence is counteracted by the Blue Noses 

tongue-in-cheek home videos, and their enormity and 

wonder is integrated with witticism. 

Karen Kelly-Moore 

Opening Hours: Daily from 9.00 a.m.to 6.30 p.m., last 

admission 5.30 p.m. Closed November 7 until 18, 2011 

and November 5 until 16, 2012 

All relevant information regarding your visit, such as 

ticket prices, Crystal Worlds Shuttle etc. can be found at... 

Swarovski Crystal Worlds 

Kristallweltenstrasse 1 

6112 Wattens, Austria 

Tel. +43 (0) 5224 51080 

www.swarovski.com/kristallwelten 

swarovski.kristallwelten@swarovski.com

hotel Metropole 

...Glorious Views 

The 4 star Hotel Metropole is 

centrally located in Interlaken 

and offers breathtaking 

views onto the Jungfrau 

Accommodation 

The hotel has 96 fashionably furnished rooms and thanks to the 

unique architecture 84 of them provide a balcony with exclusive 

views onto the Jungfrau. All rooms are equipped with cable TV, 

direct dialling telephone, radio, mini bar, safe, hair dryer and WLAN. 

Wine, dine and dance 

Our Chef, our Restaurant Manager and their crew, are looking 

forward to serving your clients products of our local partners. 

Enjoy your lunch or dinner at the Panoramic Restaurant Top o`Met 

on the 18th floor together with a wonderful view onto the 

mountain panorama or enjoy your dinner at our Specialty 

Restaurant Bellini, which offers an exclusive cuisine in a stylish 

atmosphere. Every evening we expect our guests at the Metro Bar 

with exotic cocktails. Our bar manager, will amaze your clients 

with his cocktail skills. 

Hotel Metropole bedroom 

Meetings and conferences 

The hotel offers 8 air-conditioned meeting rooms for up to 200 

people all with natural daylight. In addition the conference centre 

Casino Kursaal Interlaken is only a 5 minutes walk far away from 

the Hotel Metropole. It is one of the biggest and most modern 

conference centres in Switzerland with a capacity for 1,300 

people. Interlaken, in a historical role as a congress destination in 

the 21st century, is offering the most attractive conference venues 

in the Swiss Alps – combining tradition with the modernity. 

Relaxation and sports 

The Hotel Metropole offers an 

indoor swimming pool with 

a sauna, a large terrace, 

massage, shopping 

at the Metropole 

Gallery and a 

hairdresser. 

Hotel Metropole 

contact: 4 star hotel metropole 

Höheweg 37 / CH – 3800 Interlaken 

Phone: +41 (0)33 828 66 66 Fax: +41 (0)33 828 66 33 

www.metropole-interlaken.ch mail@metropole-interlaken.ch 

Coach parking is provided and the main rail station is a short 

10-minute walk away. The hotel is ISO 9001 certified. 

SCHILTHORN... BEST VIEW OF EIGER, MÖNCH AND JUNGFRAU! 

It takes just 32 minutes by 

panorama cable cars to reach 

the 2970m high Schilthorn. 

Enjoy the best view of Eiger, Mönch and 

Jungfrau (UNESCO World Heritage) and over 

more than 200 mountain peaks. Visitors discover 

the most impressing 360° Alpine panorama 

from the world’s first revolving mountain 

restaurant Piz Gloria. The Touristorama screens a 

panorama video with superb sequences from the 

Mürren-Schilthorn region and visitors can follow 

the footsteps of Agent 007 with excerpts from the 

James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, 

which was shot on the Schilthorn. The large vantage 

terrace, the well-stocked souvenir Top Shop and the 

James Bond Bar round off the summit attractions. 

allmendhubel - the paradise 

for families and hikers 

The Allmendhubel, 1907m, is reached from Mürren in 

only 4 minutes by funicular. Numerous hikes lead up to 

Allmendhubel. Guests can experience delicious specialities 

served in the panorama restaurant and on the spacious 

sun terrace with stunning scenic views. The large outdoor 

playground keeps youngsters happy. In need of relaxation? 

Then the Kneipp path is just the thing to refresh body and soul 

after a hike. A wonderful feeling that will revive the spirits! 

secret hint - allmendhubel flower trail 

The circular Allmendhubel Flower Trail begins close to the 

Allmendhubel restaurant. It takes around 20 minutes and 

offers exceptional views of the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau! Set 

off on a tour of discovery: in the flowering season from June to 

September, you’ll find over 150 types of mountain flowers. Stroll 

along the trail; be bewitched by the flora and stunning scenery! 

hiker’s heaven - theme trails 

Find interesting information on the history of the Eiger North 

Wall along the ‘Northface Trail’. The ‘Children’s Adventure Trail’ is 

ideal for an easy hike with the entire family. Enjoy an afternoon 

with fun and games in natural surroundings. Be captivated by 

the exceptional views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau along the 

‘Mountain View Trail’. A host of further attractive hikes awaits. 

the half a day excursion from Interlaken 

Save time and money, visit the Schilthorn – Piz Gloria in a 

couple of hours and combine it with an exciting shopping 

tour in Interlaken, the Trümmelbach glacier waterfalls 

or with a boat cruise on the lake of Thun or Brienz. 

outdoor adventure 

• Climbing garden Riggli 

• Fixed rope route Via Ferrata 

• Paragliding tandem flights from the Schilthorn or Mürren 

• Follow our interesting theme trails 

• Allmendhubel Flower Trail 

a touch of exclusivity for 

meetings and evening events 

Lend your meeting, conference or other evening event an exclusive 

touch here on the Schilthorn. The octagonal Touristorama also 

serves as a meeting and conference room catering for up to 200 

Schilthorn Cableway Ltd. 

persons. The elegant Crystal Lounge, with its own bar, is ideal for 

smaller meetings. For larger evening events with up to 400 guests, 

the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant can be booked exclusively. 

Various group specials 

Valid from 10 persons, with groups of 15 or more 

clients one tour guide free of charge 

Schilthorn all inclusive-the incredible bargain! 

Valid until 6th November 2011 

• Cable car Stechelberg – Schilthorn, round trip 

• 3-course lunch at the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria 

Only CHF 91.00 per person net 

Idyllic Switzerland for groups 

The alpine excursion for nature lovers 

Valid from 4th June-16th October 2011 

• Cable car Stechelberg-Mürren / round trip 

• Funicular Mürren – Allmendhubel / round trip 

• Barbecue-Party at panorama restaurant Allmendhubel 

Including 1 beverage (mineral, soft drink, beer, coffee, tea) 


The Swiss Nature Day Offer 

Valid from 4th June-16th October 2011 

• Cable car Stechelberg – Schilthorn / round trip 

• Funicular Mürren – Allmendhubel / round trip 

• Coffee / tea at the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria / Schilthorn 

• Barbecue-Party at panorama restaurant Allmendhubel 

Including 1 beverage (mineral, soft drink, beer, coffee, tea) 


Patrick Vickers 

information & reservations: 

sChilThOrn CABlEwAy lTd. 

Hoeheweg 2 / CH – 3800 Interlaken 

Phone+41 33 82 60 007 Fax+41 33 82 60 009 

info@schilthorn.ch / www.schilthorn.ch 


Copyright Markus Zimmermann.

‘silvesterklausen’ once despised, today admired 

In mid-April, the Silvesterkläuse are leaving Appenzell for a six-month 

stay in Basel. The Doll’s House Museum offers an insight into this quaint 

custom. Special exhibition from 16 April – 2 October 2011 

Some are ‘beautiful’ and some are ‘ugly’. Their dress is elaborate and curious. At the end 

of the year, they make their way from farm to farm and in the evening from inn to inn. 

We are talking here about the Silvesterkläuse from Urnäsch, the largest community in 

size in the Canton of Appenzell Outer Rhodes. They embody an ancient custom, the 

purpose of which is to wish people a happy new year. Now if you thought this custom 

was restricted to 31 December, you may be in for a surprise. 

The Urnäsch Silvesterkläuse celebrate the turn of the 

year twice, once in accordance with the modern-day 

Gregorian calendar and a second time in accordance 

with the Julian calendar, in which the old year ended 

on 13 January. The Doll’s House Museum is bringing 

the Urnäsch custom to Basel – and with the Kläuse, 

comes the winter, too. 

To provide an authentic environment for these quaint 

fellows, the third floor of the Doll’s House Museum 

will be covered in snow all summer. Accompanying 

video presentations and a slide show will provide 

visitors with a deeper insight into this centuries-old 

custom. Why exhibit in summer? Simple: during the 

winter, the Silvesterkläuse are preoccupied with the 

preparations for their two appearances. 

New year’s greetings 

Even in the Middle Ages it was the custom in the 

outlying areas of Appenzell Outer Rhodes for various 

groups, known as ‘Schüppel’ to make their way from 

farm to farm, wishing the people of the village a happy 

New Year on 31 December and again on 13 January. 

They celebrated the turn of the year with Schellen 

(cow bells) and Rollen (round, slotted bells) and 

the ‘Zäuerli’, a natural, wordless yodel. A Schuppel 

consists of six to ten similarly-aged men. These 

groups are often founded by brothers, school friends 

or work colleagues. Every year, some 20 Schüppel 

make their way through Urnäsch celebrating 

this ancient custom. Each Schuppel has its own 

predetermined route, known in the local dialect as 

a ‘Strech’. The Schüppel gather in the early morning 

at the home of one of the members for Frühklausen 

(early Klausen) where they practice their Zäuerli and 

rhythmically swing their ‘Schellen’ and ‘Rollen’ bells. 

Then they set off to tackle the first part of their route. 

At each house they delight the residents with the sound 

of their bells and a ‘Zäuerli’ yodel. The residents express 

their appreciation for the New Year’s greetings with 

mulled wine or other drinks and often with a cash gift 

as well. Come the evening, the Schüppel go from inn 

to inn. This so-called “Schlussklausen’ (late Klausen) 

often lasts into the night. 

Beautiful, ugly and beautiful-ugly 

The three different types of Kläuse are distinguished by their 

dress, know in the local dialect as ‘Groscht’. The Ugly Kläuse, 

referred to colloquially as the ‘Wüeschte’, wear frightening 

masks with gaping mouths, huge teeth and long horns as 

well as old coats and jackets decorated with natural materials. 

The Beautiful Kläuse on the other hand wear bead adorned 

hats featuring scenes portraying everyday village life. They 

make new bonnets and hats every three or four years. 

Preparations for this often begin shortly after 13 January. 

The ‘Schö-Wüeschte Chläus’ (Beautiful-ugly Kläuse) are a 

mixture of the two above-described forms and are often also 

known as Forest or Nature Kläuse. Like the Ugly Kläuse, the 

Beautiful-ugly Kläuse use natural materials such as fir twigs or 

beech leaves. However they differ in their designs. Unlike the 

Ugly Kläuse, they additionally decorate their ‘Gröscht’ with 

berries, snail shells or moss. The Nature Kläuse portrays various 

scenes, rather like the Beautiful Kläuse. However, these tend to 

be animal or woodland scenes, embodied with hand-carved 

figures. 

‘schüppel’ and ‘rollewiiber’ 

The functions within a Beautiful Kläuse Schuppel are clearly 

defined. Two of the Kläuse are so called ‘Rolli’ or‘Rollewiiber’. 

They wear wheel-shaped bonnets on their heads and a 

female folk costume and Rollen (round slotted bells) 

draped on their bodies. The four ‘Schelli’ or ‘Schellechläus’ 

wear square hats and are dressed in a more masculine style. 

On their front and back, they carry huge cowbells, the 

Schellen. One of the Silvesterkläuse leads the Schuppel and 

is known as the ‘Vorrolli’. To symboiise this, he traditionally 

carries a white flower in his mouth. The one known as the 

‘Noerolli’, rounds off the group at the rear and carries a 

blue flower in his mouth. 

the battle to keep up the custom 

Historians attribute the custom of Sylvesterklausen to a 

late-mediaeval St. Nicholas custom celebrated by monastery 

school pupils in the 15th century. It rapidly became a 

controversial custom because of the wild and carnival-like 

antics. As early as the 17th century, the church expressed 

it’s criticism for the first time in writing. In the following 

years, the custom of Sylvesterklausen was regarded with 

little enthusiasm. 

In the Canton of Appenzell Inner Rhodes it was prohibited 

from 1776 until 1808 under threat of fine. However, the 

Canton of Appenzell Outer Rhodes just managed to maintain 

the custom, albeit with certain restrictions. For example, 

in 1915 the Outer Rhodes authorities prescribed precisely 

where and when Klausen was permitted to take place. 

The first favourable report on the custom only appeared 

in 1920. Today this custom has become established in 

Urnäsch and the surrounding communes and is an integral 

part of the New Year festivities. 

Laura Sinanovitch, Managing Director of the Doll’s House 

Museum in Basel, became aware of the miniature wood 

carvings on the bonnets and hats of the Beautiful Kläuse 

through reports in the media. The elaborate costumes, 

bonnets and hats, complemented by a large amount 

of background information, will fascinate visitors to 

the Doll’s House Museum from 16 April 2011. 

Alan Bennett 

The Dolls House 

Museum Basel 

presents 

‘silvesterklausen’ 

Bonnet of a Beautiful Claus, 

13 January 2011, Old New Year’s Eve 

Some are ‘beautiful’ and some 

are ‘ugly’. Their dress is elaborate 

and curious. At the end of the 

year, they make their way from 

farm to farm and in the evening 

from inn to inn. 

Opening hours Museum, shop 

and café: daily from 10.00 –18.00 

Admission CHF 7.00 / 5.00 

Children up to 16 years of age are 

admitted free of charge and only in 

the company of adults. 

No additional charge for the 

special exhibition. The entire 

building is wheelchair-accessible 

For further details please contact: 

The Doll’s House Museum Basel 

Steinenvorstadt 1 

4051 Basel 

Telephone +41 (0)61 225 95 95 

Fax +41 (0)61 225 95 96 

www.puppenhausmuseum.ch 


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