Archive for September, 2007

20 September, 2007 | No comments

Boutique-hotels have become more popular than large brands in luxury segment

Small exclusive boutique-hotels became more popular among rich tourists than large hotel brands. Unlike popular comfortable hotels, differing by their common design and services, boutique-hotels are ready to offer an individual approach to the interests of their lodgers.
The income from booking of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) in 2006 has grown on 25 percent, and for 2007 the chain has opened 70 hotels more. In Northern America chain Preferred Hotel Group has created new brand Preferred Boutique and plans opening of the new hotels not only in America, but also in Australia. Widely known brand Relais and Chateaux does the rate to Asia. Last year hotels in Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand were opened. Also the owners of the brand are planning to open 10 hotels in Australia. Sydney Company Select Hotels and Resorts International has 50 hotels, among which boutique-hotels in Sri Lanka, Thailand and to Tahiti have been recently opened. As the founder of the company marks, today in a segment of hotels of luxury class hotels with national color enjoy the increasing popularity.
Besides, demand for luxury and additional convenience is continuing to grow among tourists. For example, in recently opened Dhoni Mighili on Maldives each of 6 bungalows has a courtyard and a pool. Own yacht with the captain is also offered to the lodgers. Internet has played a considerable role in growth of the boutique-hotels popularity. Now many booking websites are working not only with hotels of large brands, but also with small hotels.

 

 

18 September, 2007 | No comments

Finnish scientists have found dependence between region of residing and propensity to a healthy lifestyle

Interesting supervision has been made by experts of National Institute of public health services of Finland: their researches have shown that there is a certain interrelation between a place of residing of the person and the propensity to a healthy lifestyle.
For example, scientists have come to conclusion that big cities inhabitants in a greater degree, than provincials, watch over their health and respond to last tendencies in this sphere. In particular, inhabitants of Helsinki prefer a dietary feed whereas, for example, in the north of the country the healthy diet is considerably less widespread. Local residents prefer to adhere to the diet developed by centuries including high-calorie and thermally processed food and other “regional delicacies”. Naturally, both the quantity suffering excess weight and adiposity in a province is much more usual, than in big cities. On the other hand, in the north people consume less alcohol, than inhabitants of capital watching a diet.
The Finnish doctors with pleasure mark, that obligatory three times a week walks on fresh air became a “banal” thing everywhere. People began to think more about their safety: people use seat belts more often and put on helmets, riding a bicycle. Doctors are worried with female smoking: the quantity of smoking men is steadily reducing and this bad habit is still widespread among women. Optimism is inspired by Helsinki citizens, who also gradually stop smoking: there is a hope, that smoking, becoming more and more provincial habit will gradually come to naught, including by virtue of feature of the female character which is not allowing inhabitants of peripheral areas to lag behind capital fashion.

 

17 September, 2007 | No comments

New magnificent hotel in St. Moritz

New smart five-stars hotel Carlton located in not taken place Swiss residence of last Russian Tsar Nikolai II will be opened in ski resort of St. Moritz. The castle has been constructed in 1913; however, imperial family has not managed to visit it. The hotel will accept the first lodgers on December, 7th, 2007.
The magnificent building of a former imperial residence is located in picturesque mountains at height of 1856 meters above the sea level. The new hotel is going to surpass the most courageous expectations. As it is written on a site of hotel, “new definition will be given to concept of luxury”. Absolutely all 60 numbers have an appropriate level of suite class. Individual service will be given to each lodger. The hotel can brag of magnificent, rather imperial conditions.
Clients of hotel are offered two restaurants of smart kitchen, two bars, round-the-clock room service, a personal maid, the personal instructor on mountain skiing and many other things. The opportunity of a transfer on a limousine or the helicopter is also provided. In hotel the exclusive spa-center with six procedural rooms and personal spa-lux will be also opened. Giving a tribute to founders of this fine building, and estimating a target audience, owners of hotel’s web-site have already represented it in Russian, German and English-speaking versions: www.carlton-stmoritz.ch. During a low season double suite will cost from 600 up to 2600 euros for a night. On Christmas the price will be risen up to 4800 euros.
 

16 September, 2007 | No comments

Air tickets refunding rules have been changed in China

The Chinese airlines have changed principles of the refund at delivery of air tickets. Now they will be similar to the accepted all over the world: the volume of the refund will depend on the tariff, instead of from time of the ticket return. Chineses have explained this step by necessity to make rules more habitual for foreign passengers before the Peking Olympiad of 2008. However in a reality they will simply allow airlines to return less money to passengers.
Rules of return have changed by almost all Chinees airlines: Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Grand Xinhua Express and Junyao Airlines. Money for tickets of the first and business classes will come back completely. Now it will be possible to return tickets under the full economy tariff and tickets at a discount up to 10-20 % without the penalty or with the 5 % penalty. Tickets with 25-40 % discount will be refunded with 10 % penalty. The 50-60 % discount will allow receiving back cost of the ticket minus 30 % penalty. Since now it will be impossible to refund tickets with more than 60 % discounts.
Earlier in China the sum of refund depends on return time of the ticket. 5 % of the penalty will be paid, if the passenger has had time to hand over the ticket one day prior to flying away, 10 % - two hours prior to flying away, 20 % - less than two hours prior to departure, and 50 % - after the departure time.
 

15 September, 2007 | No comments

Erotic tourism in Poland

Representatives of tourist industry of the Polish city of Lodz are measured to invest in development of erotic tourism and to involve foreign tourists with night entertainments. They lean on experience of Prague, in which night clubs are being visited mostly by foreign tourists - Englishmen, Germans and Belgians.
Lodz is not measured to lag behind the Czech capital. Local clubs more actively offer programs for foreigners. Owners of clubs cooperate with tour agencies and are going to place advertising in large European cities. However, in the regional tourist organization the attention is paid to owners of clubs and sad experience of Krakow, which has been already recognized as a place of night entertainments, which incurs losses from English tourists more, than profit.
 

15 September, 2007 | No comments

Rains have flooded northeast India and Bangladesh

Plentiful rainfalls have caused flooding, which have destroyed a crop and have left hundred thousand people without a roof over the head. Because of strong rains in August the Brahmaputra river has overflown banks proceeding on territories of India and Bangladesh. But pictures from the satellite show, that on scales this flooding is much less than in September. Because of torrential rains Brahmaputra has spread for the third time within this year.
Only in India 800 thousand people have been evacuated from zones of flooding. In Bangladesh the number of the evacuated inhabitants has made 500 thousand people. It is especially tragically that the water has again filled in fields, sowed after the August flooding.

14 September, 2007 | No comments

Hundreds of short flights have been cancelled in the different countries

Hundreds of regional flights have been cancelled worldwide on Thursday, September, 13th, after the recommendation of company Bombardier to deduce temporarily from operation the planes De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 produced by this company. This week two turbo-propeller planes of 60-70 passengers’ capacity, which were in SAS airlines possession, have got in unpleasant situations, when the chassis broke at a landing. In both cases there were no victims, however, the company-manufacturer has required to stop exploitation of this type of planes, which have made more than10 thousand flights till the complete finding-out of the reasons that could failures.
Some tens airlines have suffered from SAS’s requirement. In particular, Scandinavian SAS has put on the stop its all 27 DHC-8-400 planes. It had to cancel 112 flights. Some tens flights have been cancelled by Japanese ANA, which had to stop exploitation of 14 planes. 6 planes of national carrier Qantas do not fly in Australia. In the USA problems have fallen down a head of regional company Horizon Air, which has lost 19 of 33 planes and has been compelled to rent other liners at airline-partner Alaska Air. Nevertheless, it had to cancel more than hundreds flights. It is probable, that canceling of flights by all airlines will be lead to the minimum in short terms, but the date of renewal of  DHC–8-400 flights is still under the question.

 

13 September, 2007 | No comments

Morocco expects for new tourists

Tourism - is one of the main sources of the income for Morocco, therefore the government plans to attract new tourists to the country, having increased their quantity from 6,5 million in 2006 up to 10 million in 2010.
The country is well-known for its picturesque beaches and east markets, but the increase in quantity of tourists will demand creation of new hotels and improvement of quality of already existing ones. Many hotels in Morocco have just now finished their updating.
After recent repair Hyatt Regency Casablanca will become one of the leading hotels of the country. It is located in the center of the well-known city Casablanca - the business and financial center of Morocco.
In this hotel of visitors are to be treated with extremely high elegance and comfort. All room-numbers are equipped with new bedding and LCDs. new magnificent carpets have been hung up in all premises of the hotel. Hyatt Regency Casablanca offers 255 room-numbers, 5 restaurants and bars.

 

 

11 September, 2007 | No comments

Wild pleasures of Kenya

Tourists should pay more at visiting national parks of Kenya.
at opening of a symposium of heads and scientists in hotel Kisumu on September, 6th, Julius Kipng’etich, director of the organization, which is dealing with problems of the wild nature of Kenya and serving national natural parks, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), has informed, that it is planned to increase an entrance fee in parks so that by 2012 incomes would reach 7 billion shillings ($100 million).
In 2006-2007 financial year KWS have already collected 2,6 billion shillings.
In Julius Kipng’etich’s opinion, similar strategy has been successfully carried out in less developed countries, such as Ruanda and Tanzania. In Ruanda, for example, it is necessary to pay $500 for the ticket to observe families of gorillas, while in Kenya the payment for visiting of National Park of Lake Nakuru with huge set of animals makes $40. Increase in entrance payment into parks will be gradually introduced within 3-5 years. By 2010 the payment will make $100. The price will remain the same for the residents of the country.
Having received the additional income, Kenya Wildlife Service will try to lower harmful influence of tourism on ecology and an inhabitancy of wild animals and to improve service for VIP-clients.

 

10 September, 2007 | No comments

Ryanair has entered new rules for luggage registration

Since September, 20th, 2007, airline-discounter Ryanair will raise a payment at the rate of 2 euros from each passenger, registering the luggage at the airport. The same procedure, lead independently through the Internet, will manage absolutely free of charge.
Thus the flight, for the passengers, who are not trusting to the WorldNet or do not know how to use it, will rise in price on 4 euros.
The travelers, who registered their luggage in advance through the Internet or traveling only with hand luggage, will not make any payments.
If the innovation will successfully get accustomed on Ryanair’s lines, other airlines will also follow the lead of Ryanair.
Any other passengers, wishing to change a name in the ticket, will also have to pay about 6 euros and conveyance in a cargo compartment of the plane will cost 15 euros for each article of luggage.
On this occasion French Council of air transport users has declared, that, continuing introduction of additional requisitions from passengers, the airline risks to lose the largest part from its 42,5 million clients.

 

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