Mid June 2009 - On The Road

news
...continued from page 7
with increased frequency from the
current two to six return sailings a day
with a crossing time of one hour.
Stena spending
spree
Stena Line has announced it is
investing £14m on Irish Sea fleet
makeover with refits and refurbishment
of 10 ships.
Between February and August 2010
the two new superferries – the largest
of their kind in the world – will start
operating between Harwich to the
Hook of Holland. The new superferries
will transport 1,200 passengers,
with 538 cabins and 1,376 beds.
Highlights of Stena Line’s investment
include £3.1m refit and refurbishment
on the Stena Adventurer and
a £2m refit and refurbishment of the
Stena Nordica which both sail from
Holyhead to Dublin, £1.8m on the
Stena Caledonia, which sails from
Stranraer to Belfast, £1.35m on the
Stena Lynx III which sails from Fishguard
to Rosslare, £1.1m on the HSS
Stena Explorer which sails from Holyhead
to Dun Laoghaire, and £1m
on the HSS Stena Voyager which sails
from Stranraer to Belfast.
Whilst onboard passengers can
enjoy a wide range of brand-new
services, from a buffet/self-service
restaurant, through to tax-free shop-
FAITH BASED TOURISM
Guide to
Faith Tourism
Marketplace
The World Religious Travel Association
(WRTA) has published
the industry’s first-ever Religious
Travel Market Buyer’s Guide. The
fifty-eight page booklet provides an
in-depth overview of the Religious
Travel and Hospitality industry, as
well as a directory of travel trade
organizations involved in the marketplace
including tour operators,
travel agents, travel wholesalers,
destinations and suppliers. The
publication is written for tourism
companies, travel professionals
and group planners. Although the
printed version of the Buyer’s Guide
is USD $24.99, the digital (online)
version is available for free at www.
WRTAreligioustravel.com.
NEW -
Pilgrimages in
Austria
Beginning in the summer, pilgrims
have an opportunity to get to know
the SalzburgerLand and its five major
regions – the Flachau, Tennengau,
Pongau, Lungau and Pinzgau – both
from their spiritual and their cultural
side, during an 8-day journey.
Walkers can select from between five
different programs: They can attend
mass and taking walking tours of
towns, the St. James’ Way, the St.
Rupert Pilgrims’ Trail and the Via
Nova, together with other excursions
to historical locations and places of
great spiritual power.
Another highlight is always a visit
to Salzburg, the ‘City of Mozart’,
ping, an à la carte restaurant, bar
and lounge areas, business lounge,
reading area, news and media
relaxation room, cinema, internet
area, gaming area and children’s/
teenage area. T 08705 143184.
Stena trade team
And..
Stena Line announced an operating
profit of SEK 272 million (£23 million)
for 2008, compared to 2007’s
operating profit of SEK 612 million
(£52 million). The decline in profits
was the combined result of extremely
high oil prices during 2008, the
financial crisis and the general slowdown
in the economy. However, the
results exceeded Stena Line’s initial
forecast for the year.
Focus on Slovenia
68 cruise ships bringing 40,000
tourists are due to call at Koper
- the largest town on the Slovenian
coast.
Koper has an excellent strategic
position in the northern Adriatic. The
docking port is almost in the middle
of the old town centre, giving cruise
passengers easy access to the city.
Koper boasts a thousand-year history,
picturesque architecture and
attractions in its hinterland – the
Land of Refošk, the famous wine, the
Karst with its many natural attractions
and Istria with its traditional culinary
wealth. www.turizemvkopru.si
boasting countless beautiful sights
of its own. Further details and an
to order our new SalzburgerLand
pilgrimage brochure visit pilgrimage.
salzburgerland.com.
Castilla y Leon -
new tourist routes
The Castilla y Leon tourist board has
developed five new tourist routes,
which will open up the archaeological
jewels of the region to its visitors.
The route is 65 miles long and tourists
can spend the day driving along
one of the three routes, admiring
the historic sites and landmarks
of the region. All three itineraries
highlight the restorations made to
preserve these stunning churches,
cathedrals and ancient ruins. T+34
983 360 556
Vatican weather
web
The Vatican has set up its own weather
station to measure heat, cold,
atmospheric pressure and rainfall
in the tiny state. Anyone interested
in the weather within the Vatican`s
walls can access the service through
the www.vaticanstate.va portal. A
walled enclave of about 44 hectares
(110 acres) in Rome with a population
of around 900, the Vatican is the
smallest country in the world.
A spa along the
pilgrimage way
Portugal’s Dom Gonçalo Hotel &
Spa now offers a service to meet the
needs of the many pilgrims who visit
the Fátima Sanctuary in the Portuguese
town of Fatima in the Centro
Region. The hotel is just 400 meters
Papal visit to Jordan and Isreal
Tourism chiefs in Jordan are hoping that Pope Benedict’s visit will lead to
a boom in interest in the kingdom among global travelers. In particular,
given the country’s rich biblical history, it is expected that the recent visit by
the Pontiff will place it on the map for religious travelers in much the same
way Israel and Saudi Arabia attract millions of pilgrims every year.
Among the historical highlights of Jordan are the east bank of the
Jordan River, where it is now believed John baptised Jesus, as well as
Mount Nebo, which has long
been named as the peak from
which God showed Moses the
Promised Land. Jordan is also
home to one of the world’s most
famous archaeological sites,
the ancient city of Petra, which
many travelers know from its
appearance in ‘’Indiana Jones
and the Last Crusade’. Pope
Benedict went on to visit Israel
and the surrounding Palestinian
territories.
His visit to Israel - the first papal
visit in nine years, has received
mixed criticism from Israelis,
Palestinians and Christians who
were disappointed with the lack
of support for their respective
causes. Most of his speeches were devoted to reconciliation between
Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Peace, brotherhood and coexistence
were the basic message.
Far from healing wounds, his words at the Yad Vashem Holocaust
museum garnered harsh criticism for failing to adequately address the
horrors memorialized there. He repeatedly condemned anti-Semitism,
which he describes as “a sin against God and man.” However, when he
spoke about the Shoah, he was criticized for referring to victims being
killed rather than murdered and for not apologizing.
There were even occasions when Pope Benedict XVI /Joseph Ratzinger’s
Hitler Youth and Wehrmacht background were raised without pointing
out that his parents were anti-Nazi, that every German youngster at the
time was obliged to become a member of the Hitler youth, and that he
had deserted the army to become a priest.
Jerusalem – ‘special status’
Following Pope Benedict XVI`s week-long visit to Jordan and Israel, the
Vatican reiterated a request that Jerusalem be given a ``special status``
so that all the faithful of the three monotheistic religions would have
access to their holy sites.
Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and
annexed it in a move not recognised internationally. It has insisted that
Jerusalem be its undivided capital and is totally opposed to the idea
of an international mandate or an international status for the city. The
Palestinians, meanwhile, want East Jerusalem as their future capital.
from the Sanctuary and will provide
the pilgrims who stay there with
transportation to the stopping points
along the pilgrimage routes.
This 5-day service will follow the predefined
routes along the pilgrimage.
The 4-star hotel’s Spa and Wellness
Centre will be available at the end
of each pilgrimage day. http://
lisboainside.lpm.com.pt/en/index.
php?option=com_content&task=v
iew&id=171&Itemid=1
Religious tourism
– still growing
Since 2003, overseas religious travel
by Americans has grown by more
than 50%, from 587,000 people to
906,000 people. “Religious tourism
is recognized as one of the most resilient
markets in the travel industry,”
said Kevin J. Wright, president of the
World Religious Travel Association
(WRTA)
Faith-based cruises are extremely
popular and in addition to many
religious travellers are taking part in
‘voluntourism’ a mix of travel and
volunteer service, as in joining fellow
believers to help with disaster-relief
efforts.
The most popular tourist destina-
Papal visit Isreal
tion is Israel, with more than a
third of travellers, followed by Italy
(12%) and Greece (11%), according
to a 2007 study by Globus
Religious Travel. Although England
remains a desired destination in
Europe, the Globus study found that
travel to the continent has dropped
compared with the Middle East,
understandable because of the
weakness of the $ over the €. http://
www.charismamag.com/index.php/
news/20632
Rome exhibition
An exhibition paying tribute to early
Renaissance master Fra Angelico
has opened in the Italian capital,
offering visitors the rare chance to
see a selection of his fragile works
in one place.
Organisers have gathered together
49 works of art produced by the
painter and friar at different stages
during his life, providing an overview
of his artistic development. The
selected works highlight his talents
in different fields, with his skills as
a painter. The exhibition, timed to
coincide with 550 years since Fra
Angelico`s death, can be visited at
Palazzo dei Caffarelli until July 5.
8 On The Road - Mid May - Mid June 09