36 REGION AMERICAS Rio
36 REGION AMERICAS Rio de Janeiro Olympic Velodrome, Rio de Janeiro Olympic Fever Hits Rio The Brazilian city works hard to get infrastructure in shape for the big event The 31 st Olympic Games are just over 500 days away and the enthusiasm is really starting to take grip of Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro is seizing this opportunity to improve the life of its citizens as well as visitors. With the slogan “A city leaps forward”, massive infrastructure projects are on the way. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff just inaugurated - two weeks ago - a new tunnel in the port area of Porto Maravilha. The area, one of Rio’s most historic, will be a major attraction for tourists with new hotels, pedestrian precincts, art and entertainment centres and with the Rio Museum of Arts - opened in 2013. Rio’s plan to move Olympic attendees via public transit is also taking shape. The city is creating a “highperformance transport ring” that integrates a renovated train system, an expanded underground train system and four brand-new bus rapid transit lines. The network will link all four Games clusters with key areas of the city and will also help transforming Rio social fabrics by integrating communities. Competitions will be held in four zones across the city, with three-dozen venue clusters in Copacabana, in Deodoro and around the Maracanã stadium, while the Olympic Park will be built in Barra de Tijuca. Of those, 18 are already operating, nine will be new –including a spectacular velodrome- and seven temporary. The Olympic Village is built on 75 hectares and will provide 17,700 beds. Three sports halls— the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, the velodrome and the tennis centre— will also help turning Rio into an attractive location for international sports competitions. “Rio de Janeiro will probably be the host city which will leave the biggest legacy of all,” says Rio Mayor, Eduardo Paes. A legacy which has its price: estimated spending reach US$ 5 to 6 billion. The price tag might be higher at the end due to additional infrastructure being added over time. Hall 3.1 Stand 210 Hall 1.1 Stand 218 A Cigar Anyone? Catedral de San Cristobal, Anagoria, Cuba Cuba’s tourism set to benefit from improved relations with USA The warming of relations between the United States and Cuba initiated by US President Obama and his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro will in the medium term have a positive impact on tourism in many ways. Not only will this allow more US travellers to visit Cuba, but it also opens the doors to US investors – particularly hotels, airlines and cruise operators. Following the softening of US sanctions, US carrier United Airlines indicated it will be looking at serving Cuba both from Houston and Newark. Ordinary tourism continues to be banned but new regulations offer more flexibility. US citizens are entitled, since January 15, to travel for a dozen specific reasons without first obtaining special authorisation from US authorities. This includes educational activities, public performances, sporting competitions or humanitarian projects. In 2013, total US arrivals to Cuba reached 170,000 of which 93,000 were not US citizens from Cuban origins. This is less than 6% of all foreign arrivals to the island. But according to experts, a further relaxation of rules could be turned into a rush similar to what Myanmar experienced after the opening of its gates, growing total arrivals from less than a million to three million travellers in just three years time. The newspaper Miami Herald reported a couple of days ago that a survey released by marketing services firm MMGY Global found that 46% of US travellers who are likely to visit a Caribbean destination during the next two years would be willing to switch to go to Cuba instead; 19% of US adults indicated to be willing to take a vacation to Cuba over the next two years. But is Cuba really ready to accommodate the expected influx of US travellers? The country has about 63,000 rooms in commercial accommodation. And capacities are scarce for bus companies, tour guides, not to mention the absence of direct flights between both countries. Hall 3.1 Stand 223 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Thursday 5 th March 2015 www.itb-berlin-news.com
37 HOSPITALITY / RESTAURANTS / BARS WHERE TO GOIN BERLIN WWW.WHERETOGOINBERLIN.COM CLUBS / EVENTS / SHOPPING / CULTURE The New Berlin 25 years on, Berlin has a new skin, but still the same bloodlines © visitBerlin Photo Thomas Kierok Burkhard Kieker CEO of visitBerlin.de Hall 12 Stand 101 Twenty-five years after the Fall of the Wall, Berlin has become a pulsating metropolis with a particularly laid-back lifestyle. We asked Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin to tell us more about the development of the German capital and which of the key exhibitions about the Wall people should check out while they’re in town for ITB Berlin… Anyone who wants to see how the Wall once separated the two halves of the city for 28 years should take a tour along the former border, either on their own or with a guide on foot, by bike, bus or in an original Trabant automobile. Because the Wall once ran right through the centre of the city, you’ll also get a wonderful impression of just how vibrant today’s city has become. Particularly vivid stories about the years of division can be experienced at the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße, where a portion of the former noman’s-land has been preserved and also at the panometer of the Wall near famous Checkpoint Charlie. Another good place to experience what life was like in former East Germany is the just reopened Stasi Museum in Berlin-Lichtenberg with its focus on the agency’s intelligencegathering techniques. What other major exhibitions or events do you recommend for ITB attendees? The classics are, of course, ascending to the top of the TV Tower or the dome of the Reichstag, plus a visit to the Brandenburg Gate is essential. Close to the fair, the newly renovated Charlottenburg Palace is particularly beautiful and also has an extensive palace garden that’s worth exploring. If the weather’s nice, I also recommend heading out to Tempelhofer Feld and experiencing the relaxed lifestyle of Berlin in a vast former airfield with great views of the city. Berlin is such a diverse place that even experienced visitors are guaranteed to discover something new and exciting each time they return. Given that the shops will be open on Sunday, 8 March, another good option would be head over to the brand new Mall of Berlin on Potsdamer Platz or the Bikini Berlin concept mall near Kurfürstendamm. In City West, you should also check out C/O Berlin in its new quarters, which provide a great spot to experience the photography on display. At night, I’d recommend taking in a film at the elegant Zoo Palast cinema, seeing THE WYLD at Friedrichstadt-Palast or the vaudeville “Dummy lab” at the Chamäleon-Theater in heart of charming Hackescher Markt. (…) even experienced visitors are guaranteed to discover something new and exciting each time they return. Please tell us more about how you help tourists find information… The visitBerlin.com website is the perfect place to get inspiration and orientation to all that Berlin has to offer. On the site, ITB visitors can find out about current events, tours, exhibitions and book tickets directly. The website is published in 14 languages, including Arabic, Russian and Korean. They also offer suggestions for your trip to Berlin on our Facebook page (facebook. com/Berlin or facebook.com/ visitBerlin) and we share personal stories and recommendations in the visitBerlin blog. ITB BERLIN NEWS • Thursday 5 th March 2015
