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No-one covers travel like we do
International Edition
£3.75 Oct 2005
The World's Best Spas
PROFESSIONAL LIFE IS STRESSFUL - OUR SELECTION OF
SPA DESTINATIONS WILL MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE!
Platform
Atlanta and Dusseldorf
Airports get a 'SITA' facelift
New!
Money Matters
Money Matters
MoneyExpert.com Chief Sean Gardner
warns us on hidden dangers of ATM banking
Gadgets
Exclusive preview of the latest
Exclusive preview of the latest
in
in business
business travel
travel technology
technology
Gulf
Air is back
President & CEO James Hogan
on the future of the airline
KKL Luzern
CEO Elisabeth Dalucas takes us on a
tour round this unique MICE destination
Slovakia
Exceeds expectations!
w!
NeGolf
Crazy
ISSN 1742-0547
It’s time for sports
Something for Christmas
A collection of ideal Christmas presents for him and her
One Size Doesn’t SuiPage
t A1ll• Executive Traveller Magazine • October 2005
11>
Rhinos at Leipzig zoo
Executive Traveller Magazine • October 2005 • Page 4
Page 5 • Executive Traveller Magazine • October 2005
Inside
Investment Opportunities
AustralianPropertyInvestor.com Makes
Buying Property 'Down Under' a Doddle
68
Rare Oceanfront Land To Be Released On
Hamilton Island 68
Food And Restaurant
Planning the perfect 'power' lunch
71
Destinations
A tour round Slovakia with Derek Annoh 76
Luxury Treatment With Champneys Goa And
Indus Tours 80
Platform
New Gadget Arrivals 81
New technology to warn you of any heart
attack!
TOM TOM Research 82
Europeans Can't be Without their Phones and
City Guides…
Executive Traveller Magazine
International Edition - Volume 11/Oct 2005
Cover Photo: St David's Spa, Cardiff - UK
T-Mobile 83
A UK First with the launch of the MDA Pro.
Extension of Datacard
Verbatim 1GB store
Airline News
Business Jets
Gulf Air is Back 8
President & CEO James Hogan
tells us about the future of the airline after making rapid strides
towards regaining profitability in
2005.
When One Size Really Doesn't
Suit All 50
KLM launches business jet services
on Amsterdam-Houston route.
Technology in Airline Industry
15
All the latest news in the airline
world 16
Cover Story
Vodafone extends its travel promise to business 87
GO-SIM: New sim card to save a fortune
Tech air's 2005 Range 92
Bags of Style, Features And Protection.
China
Books 93
M. Michael Brady's living and working in
Norway.
Air France leads the way to
China 53
89
Travel Goods
Aircraft Zone's Macmillan Cancer
Relief programme 52
Time For Sport (New!)
The World's Best Spas 26
From UK South Africa we bring you
a selection of spas that will make a
real difference to a stressful professional life.
Meetings,Incentives
Conference, Events
Money (New!)
Grimaldi Forum, Monaco
MoneyExpert.com Chief Sean
Gardner warns us about the hidden dangers of using the 'hole in
the wall' 44
Egypt's El Gouna
Feature
84
86
KKL Luzern - Why Switzerland's
Luzern is known as the cultural and
conference city. 57
63
65
Apex City of London Hotel's new
Conference facilities 67
Chelsea FC Launches Small
Meetings Package 67
SITA is making waves in Europe
and America 46
How SITA' new contracts is going
to improve business travel in
Atlanta and Düsseldorf.
Kevill Davies presents his 2-BALL GOLF
Rugby in Bermuda 92
Virtual Caddy 94
A new interactive golf website.
The Black Stork 95
Vel'ka Lomnica Golf Course in Slovakia.
Vila Sol Spa & Golf Resort's New-Look Golf
Academy 96
NewsDesk
General News & Forthcoming Highlights
Useful Information
118
Something For Christmas 120
Classified Directory
126
100
From the
Published by: LNA Associates Ltd
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United Kingdom
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ISSN Number: 1742-0547
E x e c u t i v e Tr a v e l l e r
Editor
International Edition - Vol. 11/October 2005
Contributors
Welcome to Executive Traveller Magazine.
Guess what? We are feeling proud. Proud to be
the only magazine to accept that “One Size
doesn’t suit all’’ proud that “No-One Covers
Travel like we do.”; and from this issue, we are
proud to be the most comprehensive business
travel magazine in Europe and proud to be able
to declare that we are what every business
traveller needs.
SEAN GARDNER
Money
If you are new to ETM, you may think we are
bluffing; but who wants to bluff when it comes
to business tourism. It is as serious as your next
project. Those of you who are already members
of the ETM family know what we mean.
Keeping up with the tradition of bringing you
the best, we present you some of the world’s
best spas, not simply by their looks but from
what they offer. We bring you more gadgets and
introduce our new money and sports section.
We have also combed out some of the unique
meetings, conference and incentives
destinations and sectioned our news desk to
brief you clearly about everything going on at
the airport, hotels, car hire, and airlines and
created an appointments section to tell you
about key personnel travel businesses have
appointed to manage your affairs. It is your
travel life in their hands and you need to know
who they are!
We always seek to take the ‘trek’ out of travel and
value your comments. Please let me have your
views through [email protected]. How
you travel, what you travel with and where you
stay when you travel is important. In today’s
competitive world, keeping up with business
while away from the office is crucial to every
executive be they young or matured; even leisure
travellers would like to stay in touch with home
when they are away. This is why Executive
Traveller Magazine ensures that everything you
need to know about travelling is brought you.
As always, if we have not mentioned it, it is
probably not worth knowing.
KEVILL DAVIES
The 2-Ball Golf Game
DEREK ANNOH
Slovakia Spa & Destination
KATE RUSSELL
Takaro Peace Resort, New
Zealand
Lyssiemay Annoh
Managing Editor
[email protected]
Page 7 • October 2005 • Executive Traveller Magazine
A IRLINE N EWS
Gulf Air is back!
• New inflight entertainment
• Free Private Chauffeur Service
• Inflight Chefs
• Sky Nannies
• Non-stop flights to Johannesburg
• New management team and more...
After an absence of more than eight years, the airline is
returning to South Africa with non-stop Flights between the
Kingdom of Bahrain and Johannesburg. These are due to
commence from 2 December 2005. The service will begin
with three flights per week on Tuesday, Thursday and
Saturday from Johannesburg to Bahrain and Wednesday,
Friday and Sunday, from Bahrain to Johannesburg. The
Johannesburg destination is specifically scheduled to
connect with Gulf Air’s other new destination, Dublin, which
was launched on 15 July. Flights from Johannesburg will
also provide excellent connectivity onwards to Europe, the
Far East and Asia.
Gulf Air was founded in 1950 when it was owned by the
Kingdom of Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman and the Emirate
of Abu Dhabi. On 13th September this year, the Government
of Abu Dhabi opted to withdraw from its shareholding in
airline over the next six months. The carrier is the only truly
pan Gulf carrier in the region. With a fleet of 34 the airline’s
network stretches from Europe to Asia and covers 44 cities
in 30 countries which give Gulf Air Chief James Hogan the
confidence to say that it will be business as usual.
The dramatic turnaround in Gulf Air’s fortunes has won
international recognition. In January 2004, The Centre for
Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) presented the airline with the
prestigious Airline Turnaround of the Year Award for 2003.
Gulf Air was also the recipient of the 2003 Platinum Award for
the Best Airline in the Middle East and North Africa,
recognizing the airline’s commitment to service excellence.
Sky Nanny with children on flight
Gulf Air has introduced key
business initiatives including
state-of-the-art Sky Beds, to
boost passenger numbers and
enhance customer service. The
investment is already showing
dividends, with passenger
numbers in 2004 reaching record
numbers, and propelling the
airline to report a profit of $4
million in 2004, its best financial
performance since 1997.
Further recent expansion by Gulf
Air
includes
the
recent
announcement of the December
2005 launch of Dublin’s first-ever
scheduled services to the Middle
East. The non-stop Gulf Air flights
will allow direct travel to the
Kingdom of Bahrain and onward
connections
to
more than 40
cities in the
Middle East,
Africa, the Far East
and Australia.
strides
towards
regaining
profitability in 2005 and aims to
further evolve by taking its
renowned cultural strengths,
which have been gained over
more than half a century, into a
global environment.
What made Gulf Air stop the
route in the first place?
The Gulf Air that is launching in
Johannesburg is a very different
airline to the one that operated
there several years ago.
Previously, market conditions
meant the airline needed to
cease its operation. However, we
have undergone a significant
transformation, which has
resulted in us now being one of
With this new service, Gulf Air
will become the only airline
offering a First Class product in
the Irish market. Passengers will
experience state-of-the-art sky
beds in first and business class,
five-star chefs preparing and
serving food in first class, and
Norland-trained Sky Nannies
looking after young travelers in
all classes.
the leading airlines not just
in the Middle East, but
across the globe. This
transfor-mation was not
easy, and big changes
were needed in order to
get the company back on the
right track. We have had to
implement significant costcutting exercises in order to get
to where we are today, including
ETM’s managing editor Lyssiemay pulling out of some destinations
Annoh talks to a delighted Gulf Air to better service the demand in
President and Chief Executive other locations.
James Hogan about the re- We have to do what makes
introduction of Gulf Air’s service commercial sense. So although
into the African market and the our aim is always to give our
future of the airline on the whole. customers the greatest possible
James Hogan has headed the choice and above all a seamless
airline, during a three-year travel experience, we also have
strategic recovery programme. to take into account what our
The airline is making rapid competitors in the region are
doing and plan our schedules and
routes to optimise the use of our
resources. Our entire network
and schedules are under
constant review against criteria
of commercial viability.
We are now in Johannesburg to
stay. In July we introduced a new
daily direct service from Ireland
to Bahrain, offering the only first
class service from Dublin to
anywhere in the world. With this
new Johannesburg service we
can now connect passengers
from Ireland through Bahrain to
South Africa. Our decision to
relaunch services to Johannesburg
is a fundamental part of our
network strategy and business
growth. We know that we
can fill a gap
in this market
that is currently
not being serviced
by any other airline.
Why the comeback?
With the growing contact
between South Africa and the
Gulf for business and tourism, the
time is right for Gulf Air to return
to
Johannesburg.
Leisure
travellers can connect to key
holiday destinations throughout
the Middle East and Asia such as
Oman, Dubai, India, Bangkok and
Sydney, and also through to
Ireland, Gulf Air’s latest
destination. Business travellers
to and from South Africa now
have the opportunity to
experience award winning
services.
and other markets. And many of
the States are investing heavily in
promoting the unique attractions
of the region either for tourism or
for business.
impressive 15-inch flat screen
monitor and high-tech, noiseexcluding headsets. Oversized
tables create a comfortable
space for work and dining.
We are a featuring in the New
Year “the best of business and
first class travel” - why should
Gulf Air be included in this
list?
Space is the also key in the new
Gulf Air Business class; with a
seat that moves within a pod, so
that seat movement does not
disturb surrounding passengers.
Space is provided for a laptop,
and more personal storage room
has been allocated than ever
before.
South Africa is booming. Tourism
is an area that is expected to
witness tremendous growth over
the coming years. South Africa
offers a huge variety of locations
Gulf Air service is better for
and activities to tourists
business – with just eight
from Europe, The Gulf
seats in First Class, and only 24
and Asia, from
in Business. They are wider, more
comfortable, more private,
more convenient and
breathtaking more spacious than
national parks those offered
with a huge by any
variety of big o t h e r
game; to exciting holiday resorts
such as the Lost City and Sun
City, there are attractions to suit
all tourists.
But our decision to launch
services to Johannesburg is not
based on just what South Africa
offers. The Middle East offers
enormous opportunities as a
business and leisure location.
Many of the economies in the
region offer massive long-term
growth potential – whether that
comes from the eventual
reconstruction of Iraq, the growth
of the financial centres in Bahrain
and Abu Dhabi, tourism
investments in Oman, Dubai and
Qatar, or non-oil inward
investment programmes in Saudi
airline at present.
This year, we have invested
US$10 million in our premium
seats and in-flight entertainment
systems, delivering the final
piece of the jigsaw to create a
definitive world-class product.
In First class, our new cabin
concept has been designed to
allow a private companion dining
option with space for up to four
diners, with 18 different meal
choices on offer and a worldclass
selection of vintage wines. The
new seats offer unrivalled space,
comfort, privacy and style.
Finished with leather armrests,
large head wings, lumbar support
and individual power outlets for
laptop use, the first class seats
are state of the art. On-board
entertainment is delivered via an
Gulf Air’s offers Sky
Nannies to look after the
needs of travellers under
the age of twelve, ensuring
they
receive
q u a l i f i e d
professional attention
and care from the
moment of boarding to
the very end of their
journey. Every Gulf Air Sky
Nanny is specially trained in
child behaviour and inflight
childcare services by Norland
College, the internationally
recognised premier provider of
childcare training and education,
based in Bath. The Sky Nanny’s
role is to make life easier for
parents travelling with children,
from helping with boarding and
disembarkation to keeping
children entertained and giving
parents a much needed break
during a long flight.
In the past two years, Gulf Air has
changed the face of in-flight
dining. Award wining five-star
Sky Chefs provide First Class
customers with the choice,
quality and individual attention
associated with five-star hotels
and international standard fine
dining restaurants. The Sky Chefs
Page11
11 •• October
Executive
Traveller
Magazine
• October
2005
Page
2005
• Executive
Traveller
Magazine
offer something to tempt every palate and
the “Dine on Demand” option on night
flights allows customers greater flexibility
to rest and dine when they desire. The
inflight chefs take orders from the
expansive menu and serve at a chosen
time. To complement the delicious food,
Gulf Air’s Sky Cellar holds a selection of
hand picked wines from the new and old
worlds.
Airport) awards. They demonstrate that
our in-flight catering continues to set us
apart from other competitors.
We believe that what Gulf Air offers is
unique and extraordinary. Gulf Air has
repeatedly introduced products which lead
the way in customer service: we launched
our innovative Sky Chefs several years
ago, and they have re-shaped the quality
of airline food across the aviation industry.
We are the only airline to offer a full
trained in-flight Sky Nanny, looking after
the comfort of our passengers aged under
twelve whatever cabin they travel in, and
for free. No other airline offers this. Since
launching this service on our inaugural
London-Sydney route in 2003 we have
seen demand for this service sky rocket.
We now more than 100 Sky Nannies
operating on all our long-haul services.
space for each passenger, which can
transform into a fully functional bed,
offering a unique combination of comfort
and privacy.
Gulf Air was the first airline in the world to
use a revolutionary new concept in airline
seating, with its order for Evolys Business
Class seats. The Evolys offers an exclusive
lounge-bed sleeper position, scientifically
proven to be the healthiest and most
comfortable sleeping position for air
You have claimed that the Airline offers travellers.
one of the best in-flight services in the EADS Sogerma’s Class 180 seats are
sky - Who is the supplier and who have installed in the First Class cabin. The Class
you compared it against?
180 configuration offers a private ‘cabin’
What particular businesses do the two
cities do together apart from promoting
the destinations?
Both Bahrain and Johannesburg offer
enormous opportunities as business and
leisure locations with massive long-term
growth potential. The cities are both
investing heavily in promoting the unique
attractions of their regions, both for
tourism and for business.
Gulf Air continues to win awards. The
recent Skytrax Airline Survey, the only
truly global survey, targeting more than
90 passenger nationalities is the latest in
an increasingly long list of awards, which
recognise our success. In the latest
Skytrax awards, Gulf Air clinched top
position for First and Business Class
onboard
catering
on
long-haul
intercontinental flights.
These latest accolades follow the strong
showing by Gulf Air in last year’s Skytrax
poll, in which the airline was recognised
for the Most Improved Performance 2004
as well as achieving the Best On-board
Catering (First Class) and the Best CheckIn Facilities (Business Class, at Bahrain
J AMES H OGAN
President and CEO, Gulf Air
OTHER GULF AIR NEWS
GULF AIR
ANNOUNCES TWO PROMOTIONS
AND BAGS A SUCCESSFUL FREE PRIVATE
CHAUFFEUR SERVICE TO
DUBAI.
Gulf Air has appointed Rohan Alce
as Regional General Manager for
Europe, Africa and America. Clive
Wratten takes up Mr Alce’s former
position as UK General Manager.
Rohan Alce has been with Gulf Air
since 2002, and boasts considerable
experience across the aviation
industry. His previous positions
include Head of Cargo for Qatar
Airways, Cargo Director and VP
Americas for bmi, ten years in
various posts for Virgin, and over
twenty
years
with
British
Caledonian Airways.
Rohan Alce says “We are entering a
very exciting time in the airline
business, and I am looking forward
to the challenges my new role will
offer. I welcome the opportunity to
help Gulf Air make an even bigger
impression with passengers and
competitors alike over the coming
years.”
Clive Wratten joined Gulf Air as
Sales and Marketing Manager for
the UK in 2003, after working as
Corporate Sales Manager for
Qantas for five years. He previously
held the position of Multinational
Business Development Manager at
British Airways where he worked
for three years.
Clive Wratten says “Gulf Air is a very
exciting place to be at moment. We
are experiencing incredible growth
within the
ROHAN ALCE
airline,
and I’m
thrilled to
be part of
it. I have
worked
with an
excellent team in the UK over the
last few years, and I look forward to
building on the success we have
achieved to date.”
The promotions follow another
highly successful year for the
award-winning airline who’s free
private car transfer from Abu Dhabi
International Airport direct to the
popular Jumeirah beach resorts of
Dubai was proving hugely popular
amongst holidaymakers this
s u m m e r.
Recently
rated the
fourth
favourite
CLIVE WRATTEN
holiday
destination for Britons, Dubai can
now be easily accessed via Abu
Dhabi
International
Airport.
Passengers can travel in style
straight to their hotels on Jumeirah
beach in just 45 minutes. All
economy passengers travelling
with Gulf Air can now experience
this exclusive first class transfer
service without the first class price
tag.
Rohan Alce, says that the airline
achieved a popular twice daily
service to Abu Dhabi was delighted
to offer it from Abu Dhabi airport
just in time for the busy summer
period.
He adds “We have always been
dedicated to the needs of every
single passenger in our planes,
regardless of what class and cabin
they travel in. We demonstrated this
with the introduction of the world’s
first and only Sky Nanny service,
and now we are the only airline to
offer this fantastic private transfer
service to every economy passenger,
proving once again that Gulf Air is
the airline for everyone.”
WHAT YOU NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT BAHRAIN
Arabic is the official language,
although English is widely
understood and used by most
businesses.
Islam is the religion of Bahrain and
is practiced by a large majority.
There is a conservative culture
(with regards to clothes…..etc.).
The working week, number of hours
worked
and
timing
vary
considerably.
Here are the main commercial
hours:
• Government offices: 07.0014.15 Saturday to Wednesday.
• Commercial
organisations:
Hours vary but 08.00-15.30 or
08.00-13.00 and 15.00-17.30
are common. Five day weeks
are becoming favoured though
many establishments still work
Saturday to Thursday.
• Shops and supermarkets: Many
open 08.30-12.30, 15.30-19.30
six days a week. Markets and
shops open Friday mornings
(times vary).
• Commercial banks: 07.30-12.00
Saturday to Wednesday, and for
many branches, 15.30-17.30 on
the same afternoons, 07.3011.00 Thursdays.
Money & Currency –– The Bahraini
Dinar is linked with the US dollar at
US$ 1= BD 0.375.
Main English Newspapers are:
Bahrain Tribune and Gulf Daily
News.
Tipping Tips: 10 per cent is
expected by taxi drivers and
waiters, particularly when service
is not included, and is normal
practice. Airport porters expect to
be tipped.
TECHNOLOGY IN
THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY
Technology is taking over the travel industry ––
Airline e-tickets now 30 pct of market.
or the airlines who
developed their use of etickets, it has been a great
success but tough times for
some carriers are slowing the
switch to other technologies
designed to speed up service,
an industry poll showed.
F
Electronic tickets now account
for 30 percent of those issued
by airlines, up from 19 percent
in 2004, the poll by airlines
technology firm SITA and Airline
Business magazine showed
that over 70 percent of tickets
are sold over the Internet from
a poll of executives from 200
airlines.
The industry has also stepped
up efforts to introduce Internet
access or phone use aboard
planes. The poll found 44
percent of airlines intend to
offer some form of in-flight
connectivity by the end of 2007.
High fuel prices have dented
hopes for airline earnings this
year, though fuel surcharges
appear to have helped many
pass on costs to passengers
without losing business.
According to the poll, one risk
the
industry
faces
is
unnecessary costs stemming
from the need to introduce new
technology for some carriers,
while
sustaining
legacy
systems for those unable or
unwilling to upgrade.
SITA President Peter Buecking
says that “It would be a costly
duplication if the industry had
to retain technology to process
both paper and electronic
tickets,”
North American airlines have
gone from the industry’s
technology leaders to laggards,
with Asia-Pacific carriers now
the most savvy about upgrading
technology, the poll found.
IT spending by Asia-Pacific
airlines stands at 2 percent of
revenues while at North
American carriers the average
has fallen to 1.4 percent from
1.9 percent a year ago, it said.
“Debt-laden airlines have put
technology innovation on the
back burner to focus on
streamlining operations,” SITA
said in a news release.
Bar
codes
that
allow
passengers to receive tickets
by mobile phone or PDA and
print them out ahead of time is
one area where North American
carriers are ahead of European
airlines, with 67 percent able to
offer this service versus just 17
percent in Europe.
Despite tough times for some,
low-fare airlines are driving
growth overall, with traffic set
to double in Europe by 2020,
straining airport infrastructure
despite plans to spend more
than 50 billion dollars on
expansion by 2025.
Analysts say this growth will
force the industry to adopt
technology to help speed the
flow of passengers, using
check-in kiosks which can take
tickets from any airline, for
example, to save passengers
from having to roam through
airports looking for a specific
check-in area.
O THER A IRLINE N EWS
AIR SOUTHWEST
LEADS THE WAY WITH NEW BAGGAGE FACILITIES
Flat fee for bulky sports items and hand luggage increases from 5-7 kgs.
ir Southwest, the South
West’s own low fare airline,
has responded to the needs of
customers by innovating a new
baggage policy suited to the
diverse needs of leisure and
business passengers alike.
A
introduction of a £17 flat fee for
carriage of bulky sporting items
like surfboards, bags of golf
clubs, fishing rods, skis and
bicycles, freeing up the 20 kg
baggage allowance for other
holiday essentials.
Southwest
explained
the
reasons behind the changes in
baggage allowance: “Although
we are a low-fare airline,
adapting to the needs of our
customers and innovating
services is key to what we offer.
From 19th July, Air Southwest
passengers will be able prebook vouchers for baggage
weight over their free 20kg
allowance, and save 50 % on
normal excess baggage fees –
perfect for passengers with
large luggage requirements for
connections onto or from longhaul flights or for longer family
breaks in the South West.
Bringing sporting equipment on
holiday has also been made
even
easier
with
the
Business passengers and
shopaholics alike will enjoy a
2kg increase in their hand
luggage allowance which from
today has been raised from 5kg
to 7kg – great news for business
passengers opting to carry a
small day bag with them or
leisure passengers making the
most of the fantastic shopping
opportunities
in
London,
Manchester and Leeds.
“Customer feedback led us to
look at how we could adapt our
luggage policies in line with the
needs of our customers. With
more and more families
choosing to leave the car behind
and travel to the South West by
Air, and for passengers using our
services to connect with long
haul services from Gatwick,
Manchester and Bristol the
option to pre-book excess
luggage will offer greater
flexibility to take the luggage
they need.
Mike
Coombes,
general
manager commercial at Air
“The introduction of £17 fixed
charge for carriage of sporting
goods is in response to the
increasing
number
of
passengers travelling with us to
access the fantastic outdoor
activities on offer in the
Southwest. The flat fee means
that passengers can bring their
bulky items of sporting
equipment with them without
using up their 20kg luggage
allowance.
www.airsouthwest.com
ASTRAEUS
straeus expects weekly departures
to increase from 28 to 41, a growth
of 46% and is therefore recruiting
additional cabin crew this winter. The
additional crew will be based at London
Gatwick to cover its busy flight
schedule. The busy schedule includes
ski and winter sun routes operated in
conjunction with a number of tour
operators.
A
The airline will be basing four of its ten
aircraft at Gatwick – three extralegroom Boeing 757s, plus a Boeing
737. The 737 will be replaced by
another extra-legroom 757 in Spring
2006. The 737 fleet will primarily
operate out of the UK’s regional airports
thereafter.
“There is a strong demand for a highquality niche charter airline, and we
have successfully filled it with great
support from tour operators and
customers alike,” said Jonathan
Hinkles, Commercial Director of
Astraeus.
EX- RAC BOSS
ANDREW HARRISON NAMED
AS NEW CE0 OF EASYJET
LONDON:
EasyJet
(EZJ.L) has selected
Andrew Harrison, the
former boss of motor
services firm RAC, as
its
new
chief
executive. Harrison,
48, will replace the
airline’s long-serving
boss Ray Webster, who
is
retiring
in
December.
Andrew Harrison - New CEO
The Company has
been searching for a
successor
since
Webster announced in
May he would be stepping down earlier than
scheduled to spend more time in his native New
Zealand. The news caused a rise in the airline’s
shares from 1.1 percent to 295 pence.
Harrison left RAC after the group was taken over by
insurance giant Aviva (AV.L:) earlier this year for 1.1
billion pounds.
“We are thriving on customers
discovering and then propagating word
about our high service standards,
quality in-flight meals, free drinks and,
crucially, our unique enhanced seat
pitch cabins in our Boeing 757 fleet
operating on short and medium haul
routes.”
Harrison joined Lex Service in 1996 as chief executive
and oversaw its transformation from a vehicle
distribution company into RAC.
London Gatwick-based Astraeus, which
commenced operations in 2001,
employs more than 300 people and
operates a fleet of Boeing 737-300,
737-700 and 757-200 aircraft from a
number of UK airports, flying charter
and scheduled routes to destinations in
Europe, Russia, North America, Africa
and the Middle East.
“I am very pleased that
Andrew has agreed to
join easyJet. This is the
successful conclusion of
a
rigorous
search
process conducted by a
professional
search
company which assessed
candidates across a wide
range of consumerfacing industries.
www.flyastraeus.com
easyJet said it chose Harrison because of his senior
management experience in a consumer-focused
company.
Sir Colin Chandler, Chairman of easyJet, said:
Ray Webster &
Colin Chandler
“We had a number of criteria
that our new CEO had to meet; in
particular, he or she needed to
have had senior management
experience in a large and well
recognised consumer-facing plc.
In addition, Andrew has
delivered strong top and bottom
line growth, improved cash
generation, introduced cost
ETIHAD
efficiencies
employees
industry.”
and
in a
inspired
service
Andrew Harrison said:
“easyJet has an exciting future
ahead, continuing to deliver
rapid growth and further
building upon its strong position
in the rapidly expanding
TO FLY TO JOHANNESBURG THIS
European low cost airline
market. I look forward to leading
the easyJet team to make this
happen.”
Harrison has been a nonexecutive director at publisher
Emap (EMA.L) for the last five
years.
DECEMBER
n line with its plan to link Abu Dhabi to the one
of the world’s most important commercial and
cultural centres, Etihad Airways has announced
that it will start a twice-a-week, non-stop service
to Johannesburg from December 3, 2005.
I
weeks before Etihad is set to take delivery of new,
long-range, wide-body aircraft that will ideally
position it to take full advantage of the expanding
business, holiday and cargo traffic to the African
continent.
Every Thursday and Saturday, Etihad’s flight
EY603 will fly from Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg at
0045 hours, while EY604 will fly from
Johannesburg to Abu Dhabi at 0950 hours. Guests
will fly on a luxuriously appointed Airbus A340300 configured to host 10 Diamond guests, 30
Pearl guests, and 225 Coral* guests. Etihad has
done away with the convention of economy,
business and first classes. Etihad believes that all
guests are precious; so the airline has three ‘guest
zones’ - Diamond, Pearl and Coral - each offering
exclusive service to guests.
The South African embassy in Abu Dhabi has
reported that South Africa’s exports to the UAE
have increased from USD 251 million in 2002 to
USD 410.5 million in 2004. Exports during the
first quarter of 2005 stand at USD 120.7 million.
“Etihad Airways is determined to challenge the
traditional ways of the aviation industry and take
a fresh look at how best we can serve our valued
guests, as well as our cargo business customers,”
said Nick Howarth, Head of Corporate Planning
and Strategy, Etihad Airways. “By listening closer
to the wishes of our guests and business partners,
we realised that Eastern and Asian markets show
strong demand for a regional carrier which can
take them into the South African market for
business and holiday.”
The announcement of the new route comes just
“South Africa enjoys a strong and growing
economic relationship with the UAE, and we
applaud Etihad Airways’ prudent decision to begin
passenger and cargo flights to Johannesburg, one
of our largest cities and centre of our commercial
enterprise. We also welcome the region’s growing
base of holiday makers. The total number of
business and holiday travellers who spend a
minimum of 48 hours in the UAE has far
surpassed the 40,000 persons mark annually,”
said H.E. Dikang Moopeloa, South African
Ambassador to the UAE.
“And with more than 5,000 economically active
South African nationals in the UAE alone, the
announcement of an additional, premium air
carrier regularly servicing our home country is
good news for all of us.”
www.etihad.ae
KLM
TO FLY TO
HYDERABAD
Royal Dutch
Airlines will
be launching flights
between Amsterdam and
Hyderabad in India on
commencement of the
forthcoming
winter
schedule. This represents
KLM’s first initiative in
response to the recently
expanded airline rights
obtained for operations to
and from India and a
further expansion of KLM’s
global network from its
IN INDIA
part of the joint venture
between the two partners.
This means that all
revenues and costs
generated within the
scope of operating these
services are shared by
both airlines.
KLM
Amsterdam Schiphol hub. KLM’s
partners Northwest Airlines and
Air France will simultaneously
initiate services to Bangalore in
South India from Amsterdam and
Paris respectively. Launching the
new flights will serve to
strengthen SkyTeam’s position as
the No. 1 alliance in the rapidly
expanding Indian airline market.
Effective October 30, KLM will
initiate thrice-weekly service
between
Amsterdam
and
Hyderabad on Tuesdays, Fridays
and Sundays, operating MD-11
equipment. These flights will
connect
well
with
the
transatlantic services operated
by KLM and Northwest at
Schiphol. Additionally, KLM will
be increasing capacity on its
daily service to Delhi by
deploying Boeing 777 equipment
instead of the MD-11.
On commencement of the new
winter schedule Northwest will
initiate daily roundtrip flights
between Amsterdam
and
Bangalore using Airbus A330
equipment. At the same time, Air
France will start operating five
roundtrip flights a week
between Paris and Bangalore
using A330 equipment too.
Additional Air France
operates 19 weekly return
flights from Paris to Delhi,
Mumbai and Bangalore.
KLM and Air France offer
their passengers the opportunity
to fly their return services to and
from India in combination via
Amsterdam and Paris, where
also a combination of two oneway fares applies.
During 2004/05, the number of
international and domestic
passengers in India grew by
22% to 42 million. The volume of
goods exported over the last
three years has also grown at an
annual rate of more than 20%,
while in the past financial year
alone the figure for imports grew
by 36%.
Launching these new SkyTeam
alliance flights means that the
2005/06 winter schedule will
offer a total of 77 weekly
roundtrip flights to India,
operated by KLM, Air France,
Northwest, Alitalia, Continental
and Delta. The SkyTeam
destinations in India include
Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad,
Bangalore and Chennai.
All 24 of the weekly roundtrip
flights operated by KLM and
Northwest from Amsterdam to
Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and
Bangalore will be carried out as
MALAYSIA AIRLINES
APPOINTS NEW CEO AND
TREATS ITS SPECIAL PASSENGERS TO A DINNER
Golden Lounge
alaysia
Airlines
has
appointed Mr. Idris Jala, 47
as its new Managing Director
and Chief Executive Officer.
Effective 1st December 2005, Mr.
Jala’s role will be to oversee the
breadth of the Malaysia Airlines
business. He will be responsible
for 23,000 staff and a fleet of
over 100 aircraft that serve more
M
than 100 destinations around
the world.
“Malaysia Airlines is a jewel in
our national crown and one of
our best-known exports. I am
very proud to be leading the
company into its next successful
era,” said Mr Jala.
“My immediate focus will be on
short-term
improvement
initiatives to drive operating
performance.
Longer-term,
plans will be put in place to
maintain the highest standards
of service delivery for the
Malaysia Airlines customer
base, and build value for the
company’s shareholders.”
The Chairman of Malaysia
Airlines, Dato’ Dr. Munir Majid,
said, “Given Idris’ track record
and varied experience, the
Malaysia Airlines Board is
confident that he is the ideal
candidate to join us as CEO,
especially during these exciting
times in the industry.”
The Airline treated 120 Malaysia
Airlines’ Enrich Gold members
(those who had gained a total of
40,000 Enrich Gold Miles on
Malaysia Airlines First or Golden
Club Class travel only within a
consecutive 12-month period) to
the Enrich Gold gala dinner last July.
The annual gala dinner was to honor
and
thank
Malaysia Airlines’
distinguished members for their loyalty
and patronage to the national carrier.
On hand to receive the guests were
Managing Director, Dato‘ Ahmad Fuaad
Dahlan; Assistant General Manager,
Marketing Support, Raja Nordiana
Zainal Shah and members of the Senior
Management.
Othman who prepared the finest dining
selection for them.
Idris Jala, new CEO
The main highlight was a preview of the latest
inflight dining experience, which is aligned to the
airline’s “An Experience Redefined” campaign.
The guests were given a gastronomic
demonstration by Malaysia Airlines’ Chef Mazlan
MALEV
OPENS UP
Speaking at the dinner Malaysia
Airlines Senior General Manager of
Sales, Marketing and Distribution, Dato’
Rashid Khan said, “Malaysia Airlines
strives towards giving the best
frequent flyer membership benefits at
all times. All these new enhancements
would not be possible without the
support of the Enrich Gold members.”
The evening ended with a jazz performance by
Indonesia’s sensational artiste, Harvey Malaihollo
who was specially flown in by Malaysia Airlines to
entertain the esteemed guests. Some of them
went home with attractive lucky draw prizes
BULGARIA
alev Hungarian Airlines say
that Bulgaria is becoming
very
popular with British
travellers. Malev Hungarian
Airlines has reported a marked
increase in passenger numbers
from the UK to Bulgaria, and
predict it is an up and coming
destination for holidaymakers.
M
UK Country Manager Doros
Theodorou said that interest has
grown steadily, not only with
tourists but with those looking to
invest in property before the
nation enters the EU in 2007.
“Malev has tapped into the
growing Eastern European
market from the UK with
Bulgaria in particular showing a
marked rise in bookings”, he
said.
Malev is one of only a handful of
airlines to fly between Bulgaria
and the UK. It scheduled
services from Heathrow and
Stansted to Varna, Sofia and
Bourgas via its Budapest hub.
Return prices from Heathrow
and Stansted via Budapest start
at just £255 to Bourgas; £129pp
to Sofia and £239pp to Varna. All
prices include taxes.
Malev
Hungarian
operates daily, scheduled flights
from Stansted to Budapest from
just £84pp return and from
Heathrow to Budapest from just
£88pp return, inclusive of taxes,
charges and full meal service
onboard.
www.malev.com
Airlines
EXOTIC ADVENTURES
WITH
ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES
gateways to the Far
East
and
Australasia are also
proving
popular,
with five flights a
week to the capital
of The Philippines.
oyal
Brunei
Airlines (RBA) is
now flying twice
weekly to Bali, with a
third flight to begin
on 27th September
2005.
R
Bali is one of
Indonesia’s
most
beautiful
holiday
destinations
and
continues to be an extremely
popular destination amongst
British travellers. The island has
a wealth of history with exotic
temples and cultural sites in
abundance as well as stunning
beaches and lush river valleys.
There is also an excellent range
of accommodation to suit all
budgets from the luxurious Nusa
Dua Hotel situated directly on
the beach to quirky hostels in
the arty town of Ubud.
Sandra Bloodworth, RBA’s Area
Manager for the UK says, “We
currently have two services with
excellent connections to Bali via
Brunei from London Heathrow,
on Sundays and Fridays. As
travel restrictions have been
lifted and it’s a popular yearround destination, we’re looking
forward to adding an additional
weekly flight in September to
meet demand.”
Flights to Manila, one of the
Booking a flight
with RBA cannot be
simpler. The new
website is easy to
navigate
and
enables customers to book and
make payment online and
reserve seats in advance. Fares
to Bali from London Heathrow
are priced competitively with
prices starting from just £495
[including £75 Tax] for a return
economy class ticket. All fares
are inclusive of all taxes, fees
and surcharges and are valid for
travel in September, October and
November this year.
www.bruneiair.com/uk
TAP INCREASES FLIGHTS FROM
LONDON TO MADEIRA AND AZORES
he Portuguese carrier TAP has increased the
number of flights to Portugal’s islands this
year with the addition of an extra flight from
London to Madeira and a brand new flight from
Lisbon to Pico in the Azores. The new flight to
Madeira means that there are now daily links
between London and Madeira’s capital,
Funchal. With five flights per week to London
Gatwick and two per week from London
Heathrow, TAP is meeting the increased
demand for travel to this sub-tropical island.
The seventh flight will re-start for the winter
season in November this year.
from increased flight links this year, with TAP
having launched the first direct connection
between Lisbon and the island of Pico this
summer. This new flight enables visitors to Pico
to access the island directly from Lisbon,
cutting down journey and transfer times. This
new flight, which will operate every
Wednesday morning, adds to the host of other
connections to the Azores that are already
available with TAP. With four weekly flights
from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada, five to Horta and
11 to the island of Terceira, the Azores are now
more accessible to UK travellers.
The islands of the Azores are also benefiting
www.flytap.com
T
SAS,
THE ONE-WAY FLEXIBLE TICKETS AIRLINE
INTRODUCES NEW BIRMINGHAM SERVICE
Three services a week to
Stockholm
candinavian Airlines System
(SAS) has introduced further
services from Birmingham
International Airport. SAS now
flies to Stockholm three times a
week on Tuesdays, Thursdays
and Sundays. The new route
provides travellers from the
Midlands with a direct service
straight to the Swedish Capital
and complements SAS’ existing
double daily service from
Birmingham to Copenhagen,
making Scandinavia more
accessible than ever before.
This new service, combined with
SAS’ new one-way pricing
structure, allows local business
travellers to enjoy greater
flexibility and convenience.
S
The airline recently launched a
unique one-way fare structure,
making it the only European
airline to offer flexible one-way
tickets which are combinable
across all three classes. SAS
passengers can now tailor their
travel to suit their individual
needs, be that Economy on the
outbound leg or Economy Flex or
Business Class on the return.
“We have seen an increasing
demand from enterprises and
individuals in the Midlands for a
direct service to Stockholm and
are pleased to be offering this
new service to our customers,”
said Lars-Ove Filipson, General
Manager for SAS United
Kingdom and Ireland.
“Anyone who travels on
business knows when a meeting
is due to start, but often does not
know when a meeting will end
and needs the flexibility to be
able
to
change
travel
arrangements. SAS’ new pricing
structure gives travellers the
opportunity to combine low
Economy fares one way with the
flexibility of Economy Flex or
Business Class on the return
journey. SAS is proud to be
offering greater choice and
flexibility to the business
traveller,” he said.
Passengers travelling from
Birmingham to Stockholm can
now opt to travel out in Economy
and return in SAS’ premium
economy class, Economy Flex,
for just £334 including taxes,
and enjoy the benefits of greater
flexibility which is often a
necessity when travelling on
business.
TIMETABLE
Birmingham International (BHX) – Stockholm (ARN):
SK2554
T, Th
Depart BHX
Arrive ARN
SK2554
Su
Depart BHX
Arrive ARN
10:20hrs
14:10hrs
17:00hrs
20:50ARN
Stockholm – Birmingham:
SK2553
T, Th
SK2553
Su
Depart ARN
Arrive BHX
Depart ARN
Arrive BHX
07:20hrs
09:30hrs
14:00hrs
16:10hrs
Flights will be operated by a 72 seater Q-400 aircraft.
www.flysas.com*
0870 60 727 727.
*Full combinability not currently available on flysas.com please telephone
SINGAPORE AIRLINES NOW HAS MORE
INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS
THAN ANY OTHER AIRLINE
ingapore Airlines has over
500 inflight entertainment
options on its individual seatback screens, available to
customers in all three classes.
This is more than any other
airline.
S
The 500 options on its world
renowned IFE system, KrisWorld
include:
––
––
––
––
––
60 movies
100 TV favourites
220 CD albums
12 audio channels
85 interactive games
including
multi-player
options
–– Berlitz World Traveller
interactive
language
learning tool in 11
languages
–– Inflight SMS allowing
passengers to send 160
characters to an email
address or mobile phone
From mid-2006 KrisWorld will
add live TV, with four news and
sports channels: BBC World, Euro
News, Euro Sport News, CNBC
and MSNBC. Live TV is already
available using wireless enabled
laptops on London - Singapore
flights. These are provided by
Connexion by Boeing, and lets
customers connect to the
Internet at 35,000 feet.
Krisworld is fitted with AVOD
“audio visual on demand”,
enabling travellers to pause, fast
forward and rewind at any time
as well as creating their own
personal play list.
Raja Segran, General Manager
UK and Ireland, Singapore
Airlines, said: “KrisWorld leads
the
world
in
inflight
entertainment. Together with our
world-class gourmet cuisine,
fine wines and the service of the
gracious SIA Girl, Singapore
Airlines continues to set the
standard for premium air travel”.
Passengers can watch the latest
box office blockbusters before
they are available to rent or buy
on DVD. Other entertainment
include 100 television favourites
ranging from comedy, drama
and documentaries. They can
catch up with their favourite
‘Little Britain’ characters or
settle down to watch the latest
series of ‘Doctor Who’
KrisWorld features a channel
dedicated to children called
“Young Explorer” with animated
movies and cartoons such as
‘Bob the Builder’, ‘Mr Bean’ and
‘X-Men’. A child blocking system
is in place and parents can
inform cabin crew of any
programmes they consider
unsuitable for their children.
The most recent addition to
KrisWorld is the Berlitz Word
Traveller interactive language
learning
software,
giving
passengers the chance to learn
or brush up their skills in 11
different languages.
SIA has multi-player network PC
games, such as “SIA Inflight
Challenge” (a trivia quiz game),
“Head-to-Head Chess” and
“Mahjong”. Customers can play
alone or against each other regardless of where they are
seated.
Music fans can pick from a
selection of 220 CDs ranging
from the latest chart toppers and
jazz favourites to world music.
The
children’s
collection
includes albums such as Disney
Mania.
http://www.singaporeair.com
SOMETHING
TO LOOK FORWARD
TO IN THE JANUARY ISSUE
The best of business and first class travel
THE AGATHA SPA AT THE COACH HOUSE
LIMPOPO, SOUTH AFRICA
y journey to the Agatha Spa
at the Coach House started
with a flight into Johannesburg
International airport, then a
domestic flight into Eastgate
airport in Hoedspruit followed by
a 120km drive to the old coach
road at Agatha. I was very
curious to see the Old Coach
House and could not quite work
out how a five star hotel could
be tucked away in these
undiscovered parts of South
Africa but I was pleased with
what I saw when I arrived.
M
Located with on the old coach
road at Agatha, the five-star
Coach House Hotel offers worldclass hospitality. The hotel and
spa is situated on 560 hectares
of the Letaba District in Limpopo
province.
The Agatha is spa is absolutely
beautiful. It is designed with
vast glass doors that slide open
to frame spectacular mountain
views. This state of the art is
worth seeing. The Sensorium
has a fully equipped gym, hydrojet heated pool and his and hers
sauna and steam rooms set
against classic murals.
The spa is staffed with a team of
professional beauty therapists
offering a wide range of health
and beauty treatments that
combine sheer indulgence and
natural healing. The spa offers a
comprehensive range of health
and beauty therapies, from
relaxing massages and facials to
aromatherapy and invigorating
Vichy showers, mud and
seaweed wraps, reflexology and
spa bronzing among others.
Light lunches are served at the spa, from menus
that make liberal use of the vast array of subtropical fruit and vegetables grown on the Coach
House farm.
The Coach House hotel which has a lot of history
to its credit dating from the late 19th century
offers 41 varied accommodations made up of 7
suites, 25 premier rooms and 9 classic doubles.
All rooms have private verandas with mountain
views and logs burning fireplaces.
One of the best kept secrets of the Coach House
apart from its beautiful spa is that it is also
renowned for its wine cellar of 8000 bottles and
a nougat kitchen that makes the tastiest nougat
in South Africa!
www.coachhouse.co.za
When using private aircraft to the Coach House,
Tzaneen airstrip, which is suitable for light
aircraft is 25km away and helicopters may use
the pad at S23º56’44 and E30º08’71 which is
500m from the hotel.
KATE RUSSELL’S EXPERIENCE AT THE
TAKARO PEACE RESORT
THE ULTIMATE RETREAT IN NEW ZEALAND
first heard about Takaro Peace Resort
through a friend who returned to
Auckland after a very relaxing weekend
away extolling the virtues of this well kept
secret. It sounded so effective that I
decided I had to find out for myself so
recruited a girlfriend who was also much in
need of some pampering to go and check it
out.
I
Takaro Peace Resort is an enjoyable,
scenic, about 2 hours drive from
Queenstown in the South Island of New
Zealand. At the airport, we were picked up
by a driver from the resort so sat back and
took in the ever changing scenery of rolling
hills, snowy peaks and endless depths of
Lake Wakatipu. As we neared the town of
Te Anau, we turned off the main road on to
a private road that takes you through
forestry that was used in the Lord of the
Rings film, before entering the gateway to
the resort just as the night was drawing in.
The concept of the resort is based on
allowing guests the opportunity to
experience total relaxation and inner peace
utilising I Ching i.e. their personal energy
profile. An analysis, based on date, year and
time of birth, is used to reveal a person’s
element balance, either water, fire, earth,
wood or metal, and from this the consultant
recommends which of the Element Chalets
best supports relaxation, health and
wellbeing and which treatments would be
most effective. This can also be translated
through to the recommended diet. 90% of
the menus are organic and produced from
land on the resort.
We had been asked in advance for our birth dates and times and from this they had ascertained our
‘element’. It turned out that I was ‘wood’ and my friend ‘earth’ so we were curious to see our appointed
chalets. True enough, my chalet was decorated in tones of pine and oak with bamboo lining the walls and
luxurious bed linen in shades of forest green. In the background, soothing music ebbed and flowed, again
specially chosen to suit my ‘element’. I was told that a masseuse would be with me shortly for a
complimentary ‘head and neck’ massage to relieve any tension from the day so I had to resist the urge
to try out the huge spa bath in the corner of the bathroom.
Takaro Peace Resort –– Earth Living Room
A very relaxing massage was
followed by a light dinner (and
glass of wine) in the restaurant
in the Mountain View
Restaurant with our amiable
hosts, Claire and Joel Sutton,
during which time I discovered
that they had helped set up the
Energy Clinic in London before
moving to New Zealand to
manage the resort. Afterwards
as I walked the short distance
back to my chalet, I could see
the Milky Way luminously clear
overhead. As I fell into a deep
and dreamless sleep, the only
sound I could hear was the
tinkling of the nearby stream.
special sight to behold.
The highlights of the day were
definitely the ’10 hand’
massage and the 1 hour or so
Earth Bedroom
long ‘rejuvenation’ treatment. I
learned that thousands of years
of ancient eastern learning has
The next morning after finally
rousing myself from the best
sleep I’d had in months and
trying out the huge spa bath, I
threw open the curtains and
that’s when the view really
hits home. Having lived in
London for 11 years, to be
surrounded by thousands of
acres of untouched national
forest with uninterrupted
views over beautiful scenery
as far as the eye can see
ending in towering snowcapped mountains, is a pretty
been refined and distilled into
the range of award-winning
massage treatments, which
have
been
specifically
designed to counter the stress
of modern living. I also found
out later that some of the
treatment specialists have
been training for 14 years. I
didn’t find this hard to believe
as the massage was the best I
had ever experienced and
coupled with the ‘rejuvenation’
treatment, I felt and looked
years younger. My friend and I
couldn’t believe the amazing
effects of the treatments and
kept looking in the mirror to
verify that our skin really
looked so baby soft and wrinkle
free. We also had tonnes of
energy and felt ready for a night
on the town, but that wasn’t
quite the aim of the weekend.
Due to leave the next morning,
we both lamented the fact that
we couldn’t stay for a week or
more, but we will definitely be
going back and telling all our
friends about it in the process.
www.takarolodge.com
Takaro Peace Resort –– Water Bedroom
The Carlton Hotel, Auckland
Tipping tips in New Zealand
If you are visiting New Zealand,
Brendon Bainbridge, Director of
Sales & Marketing at the Carlton
Hotel Auckland tells us what to
expect with tips:
Restaurants - tip is not usually
expected but in higher end
restaurants, it is customary to tip
approximately 10%. Waiting staff
are not paid assuming they receive
tips so a tip is still a bonus.
Doormen/porters are generally
given about $1 per bag but again
not assumed.
Taxis - not yet customary to tip taxi
drivers.
General hotel staff (housekeeping
concierge etc) – tipping is not yet
customary in New Zealand
“The whole tipping concept is still
new in N.Z but becoming more
accepted specifically in the dining
sector. Many of our staff receive
tips predominantly from the
American guests”.
From the short time I have been
here, I have noticed that people
don’t seem to expect tips. If a taxi
fare is $10.80, they will always give
you the 20 cents back!
DEREK ANNOH PRESENTS
SLOVAK HEALTH SPA - PIESTANY AND
APHRODITE RAJECKÉ, SLOVAKIA
THE
SLOVAK HEALTH SPA - PIESTANY
he Spa in Piestany is what
you will call a health spa. It
is everything in that sense.
Piestany has ten springs of
natural healing sulphuriccarbon, calcium-sodium and
sulphuric hypotonic thermal
waters spring all these in a
temperature of 67 to 69ºC. It has
a content of around 1,500mg of
minerals per litre of water, as
well
as
a
significant
concentration of free gases,
mainly therapeutically hydrogen
sulphide. The second natural
T
healing element in sulphuric
mud, one of the quality peloids
in the world… I could go on to
describe the spring contents –
however, the only important
thing is to know that all my
scientific efforts here are to tell
you about the natural curative
sources of Piestany.
It has been confirmed that the
physical and chemical elements
in the thermal water heals:
• Rheumatoid arthritis and its
variations
• Continuous stiffening of the
spine (Bekhterev’s disease)
• Post-infectious arthritis state
• Degenerative hip joint
diseases – cox arthrosis;
• Non-inflammatory
joint
diseases – arthrosis
• Non-inflammatory
spine
diseases – spondylitis and
spondylarthrosis
• Gout arthrosis
• Non-joint rheumatic forms –
painful states of tendon
attachments, muscles and
connective tissues.
These are some of the many natural healing you can expect
from Piestany.
The spa also has a specialised healing facility for children
aged 3 to 15. It treats children with worsening joint
inflammation, post-accident and post-orthopaedic
operations, inborn abnormal development of the hips and
other diseases.
Comprehensive spa stays for patients suffering from one of
the indicated diseases lasts 3 to 4 weeks and treatments
range from balneotherapy, kinesitherapy, physiotherapy,
electrotherapy, mechanotherapy, oxygneotherapy, lymphatic
drainage, acupuncture, laser puncture, gas injections,
osteoporosis treatment and remedial nutrition.
The spa has more than 2,200 beds in 7 spa hotels ranging
from two to four stars and is surrounded by lots of sporting
activities from walks to tennis, water sports, riding, cycling
and many more.
Piestany is situated in the south-western part of Slovakia
and is one of the warmest places in the country. The
average annual air temperature is 9.7ºC, the average
monthly daily temperature at 2pm in May is 20.1ºC, in July
25ºC and in September 19.6ºC. Average annual sunshine is
2,084 hours. This means that only 75 days a year are
without sunshine!
www.spa-piestany.sk
THE APHRODITE THERMAL SPA, RAJECKÉ TEPLICE, SLOVAKIA
his is exactly where you go to
feel like the Greek goddess
that place is name after - a place
to refill your body and soul with
positive energy. The wholesome
effects of curative water of the
Aphrodite have been in
existence in Rajecke Teplice
since the 14th century. The
thermal springs of hydro-
T
carbonated-magnesium water
with temperature of 38ºC are
used in the Spa Aphrodite as the
fundamental balneological resource. This helps to improve the
conditions of the nervous or
kinetic nature.
The Aphrodite Rajecké is the
pearl of Slovakia’s healthy
destinations with an aristocratic
touch.
It
is
situated 260km
from
Vienna
(Austria)
and
about
200km
from Slovakia’s
c a p i t a l
Bratislava. The
spa has a lot of
historic tourist
attractions close to it with
outstanding architecture both
inside and outside the building
and was originally used by
aristocracy
including
the
Empress Marie Therèse.
As a destination spa, it is one of
the most attractive Slovakian
spas with four star accommodation, curative and relaxation
qualities that calms even the
sternest persons – there you
have it – send the ‘rude’ boss
there! At the Aphrodite, you are
given the opportunity to attend a
lot of curative, relaxation or
beautifying procedures all under
one roof which you can choose
to do on your own or upon
recommendation of a doctor.
As is typical of Slovakian spas, it has healing
characteristics especially those related to
muscular ailments like arthritis. What makes The
Aphrodite unique is that it is housed with skilled
medical staff, several unique massage baths,
special saunas and water therapy; all these in a
modern exquisite environment.
The Aphrodite’s sauna world is an attractive
destination inspired by the orient including steam
baths and inhalation saunas using herbal
remedies. It has also a dry sauna and finish
saunas. The water world has several luxurious
whirlpool and massage baths. They range from
atlantes baths with 172 massage jets, the Biarritz
thermal bath with 130 massage jets, the
electrolysis bath for stimulus and the pearl bath
which gives gentle and guarantees calm. It also
offers the Scottish stream, which dishes many
small jet massages to the body. Qualified medical
staff also offer a unique under water massage.
For wellness stays, you can select all the above
then add beauty, love, fishing, sports and culture.
Sports in the surroundings include trekking,
cyclotourism, fitness, tennis, rowing, mini-golf,
beach volleyball or open-air swimming pools.
The main treatment in the spa is the 38ºC springs
which contain minerals like calcium, carbonate
and magnesium and is very good for nervous
diseases, paralysis and problems of the central
nervous system. It also heals polio an patients
even learn to walk again! The spa also has special
curative measures for work related diseases like
repetitive work or for those working in
compressed air as well as diseases of the bone,
joints and ailment from those working with
vibrating tools or toxic substances.
THE SPA AT PENNYHILL PARK HOTEL SURREY, UK
Whether you live in the UK or are visiting, The Spa at the Pennyhill Park Hotel is a must. The Spa is a
sanctuary from the pressures of everyday living. It is a haven spread over a very spacious healthy
environment. It is very easy to spend a whole day at The Spa. For me, it was a place to get away from it
all, to think, to relax, to feel beautiful, to belong, to purify, to get fit or to look and feel absolutely great.
Singles or couples can all find an ideal haven in this beautiful non-smoking, over 16 years of age
environment.
Within the heart of Surrey in the UK, Pennyhill Park Hotel is part of UK’s exclusive hotels; an exclusive
collection of country houses offering five star luxury and service. The hotels have award winning
restaurants and provide ideal venues for weddings, ceremonies, conferences and meetings. They are also
perfect for leisure with facilities which include The Spa, golf courses, rugby, fishing and other outdoor
activities.
Now sit back and enjoy my day at The Spa – if at any time you realise what you are missing, you can carry
this magazine with you and head to The Spa. On my ideal day, I arrived 90 minutes before my treatment
and relaxed in the Thermal Haven. Here, I am spoilt for choice from the most advanced thermal
sequencing experience available in the UK. I walked into the tepidarium, tried the herbal saunas, the
aromatic steam room, and ventured the blu room for ladies and when I saw that the men had left their
Turkish hamman; I raced into the intense heat of the Turkish hamman for men before any of them came
back. A lady always has to check these things out! I was having so much fun, fun for feeling beautiful and
free, fun for getting away from it all and above all safe. In between my hopping from steam room to steam
room, I dipped into the ‘experience shower’ and then into the ice cave. There was a plunge pool but I was
too busy racing into the Turkish hamman for men that I missed that.
Here I am, having worked out a good sweat all sitting in one place! Absolutely wonderful – isn’t it? Then
I head off into ozone ecstasy. This is made up of indoor pools and outdoor pools, hydrotherapy pools and
hot tubs. Did I mention that all the rooms and pools have music? So you see why it is especially a haven
for couples but my dear singles it is just as good for you; because when you arrive at The Spa, you will
be given your own locker containing a robe and spa slippers to wear during your time at The Spa – you
see everyone wears the same robe at The Spa, so single or couple you look the same! In the mixed area
and in all wet areas you wear a swimming costume at all times – that is when we can actually tell the
difference in sexes. Not that it is important.
I felt quite ‘worked out’ from my sitting exercise and ozone ecstasy so I skipped the fitness studio but if
you enjoy exercise, you can use the state of the art fitness suite and its full range of techno gym
equipment each with its own personal entertainment system. If you really like attention, then personal
training is available 24 hours a day! They also have studio classes such as tai chi, several forms of yoga,
Pilates and other classes designed to relax and stretch the body.
Food – yes food – one must eat healthy in a spa and there is Café Themis, an organic paradise offering
Spa cuisine and snacks, both healthy and tempting throughout the day. Included in the menu are French
fries, champagne and a sumptuous slice of cake, a delicious salad and grilled fish. You can guess from
the order I arranged the food where my priorities lie.
The treatments are numerous ranging from The
Dreaming, offered to both male and female
through to a series of massages designed
specially for men and women.
The magnificent thing about The Spa is the 120
acres of parkland giving free rein for quiet
relaxation and located within one of UK’s finest
hotels.
The hotel’s location puts you in easy reach of some
of Britain’s most appealing attractions – horse
racing at Ascot, golf at Wentworth, Windsor Castle
and Great Park is only a stone’s throw away, plus
Twickenham Stadium, the home of English rugby.
And not forgetting that London is a mere 45
minute’s drive…truly something for everyone.
The Spa at Pennyhill Park is only open to hotel
residents, a limited membership and their guests
to preserve its relaxing and exclusive ambience. It
is an exclusively adult only environment suitable
only those over the age of 16 year of age.
Prices for dinner, bed & breakfast range from
£295 for a Traditional bedroom for 2 people,
including entrance to The Spa for £45 per person,
allowing a 1 hour treatment of choice. Special
summer offers include packages from £95 per
person. Find out more about special offers from
the Exclusive Hotels website.
www.exclusivehotels.co.uk
O THER S PAS
FESTIVE PAMPERING
AT
NEW PARK MANOR
ocated in the heart of the New Forest, New
Park Manor will be opening a state of the art
spa in October, just in time for the festive period.
To celebrate the hotel is offering special spa
breaks perfect for a spot of pre-Christmas
pampering or a restful and rejuvenating detox
break designed to combat the excesses of the
festive period and to leave you in tip-top shape for
2006.
Enjoy the pre-Christmas ‘Winter Warmer’
package which includes two night’s
accommodation, breakfast in bed on one morning
and a spa breakfast on the other, lunch in the
spa’s Juice Bar and two candle-lit suppers, which
can be taken either in the hotel’s elegant dinning
room or in the comfort of your room. The ‘Winter
Warmer’ also includes a range of holistic spa
treatments including a warm sea salt and oil body
scrub, a deluxe mud therapy in a private Rasul
treatment room and a choice of massage. The two
night package costs £329 per person and is based
on two people sharing.
L
Alternatively, begin the year with the luxurious
pampering of the ‘New Forest, New You’
package. Focusing on cleansing, detoxification
and pure and unadulterated relaxation the
package offers treatments including a herbal foot
bath with essential oils and aromatic herbs, a
reflex point massage, a detoxifying marine wrap
and a soothing head massage. The two night
break costs from £340 per person and is based on
two people sharing. The ‘New Forest, New You’
break also includes breakfast on both mornings,
two evening meals and a light lunch in the spa’s
Juice Bar.
Open to all hotel guests the spa is housed in an
impressive ranch style building and features a
hydro-pool, foot-spa, traditional Finnish sauna,
Eastern-style steam room and Sanarium heat
room. More vigorous exercise is provided in the
techno gym fitness suite, while the yoga studio
offers the ultimate in relaxation and wellbeing.
Offering stunning and uninterrupted 270º views
over the surrounding paddock and national
parkland, the 16-metre swimming pool is the
perfect place to take a dip, while a hand crafted
Canadian Hot Tub provides the perfect place to
unwind and relax.
After a day of pampering in the spa, enjoy a
peaceful walk in the forest, which borders the
hotel on all sides or for those feeling a little more
energetic the many cycle paths offer an enjoyable
bicycle ride. Other leisure activities available
include swimming, croquet, tennis, polo and horse
riding at the hotel’s own equestrian centre.
Following a recent refurbishment programme the
hotel now offers a choice of traditional or
contemporary guest rooms. Set in the main
house, bedrooms feature four-poster beds and a
number of period features, while rooms in the
Garden Wing feature modern art, a sleek and
contemporary design and LCD TV’s in the
bathroom.
Located just over an hour’s drive from London,
New Park Manor is a luxurious and convenient
countryside retreat.
www.vonessenhotels.com
A NEW CONCEPT FOR
THE ST. DAVID’S HOTEL & SPA
occo Forte Hotels’ five-star The St David’s
Hotel & Spa introduced of a new concept in
luxury hotel spas where customers can escape
urban pressures and enjoy fabulous treatments in
luxurious surroundings. The philosophy behind
The St David’s Marine Spa is to offer only the very
best – all under one roof – to ensure that
customers have a unique experience and achieve
outstanding results.
R
The award-winning St David’s Marine Spa is one
of the most successful spas in the UK and
continues to develop in an exciting way. Sir Rocco
Forte officially launched the new Spa last on 16
June 2005 as he has personally been involved in
the development and concept of The St David’s
Marine Spa.
Sir Rocco Forte, CEO of Rocco Forte Hotels, says:
“I have been closely involved in the development
and continued improvement of The St David’s
Marine Spa, because I believe that there is a need
for a new concept in destination spas within the UK. We
are aiming to bring the best in health and fitness
together so that guests achieve optimal health and
physical well being.”
The aim of The St David’s Marine Spa is to treat each
guest as an individual and to create a bespoke package
of treatments, having discussed the guests’ needs and
desires with the in-house team of experts. The beauty of
this new spa concept is that everything will be under
one roof, from nutritional advice to seaweed detoxifying
treatments through to exclusive luxury skincare and
beauty essentials. Uniquely in the UK, The St David’s
Marine Spa will be offering Thalassotherapy treatments
and hydrotherapy. Men’s needs have also been catered
for with specific treatments and packages that include
facials, waxing and nail services.
www.roccofortehotels.com
OTHER SPA DESTINATIONS YOU MAY WANT TO VISIT
THE TREATMENTS:
• Thalassotherapy with Thalgo the
world leading authority in marine
cures. The unique range of
treatments will include seaweed
wraps, hydrotherapy pools, jet
showers as well as face and body
indulgences.
THE CARACALLA, LE MERIDIEN BEACH RESORT & SPA,
Dubai
BLAU PORTO PETRO BEACH RESORT & SPA, MALLORCA,
Spain
GRAND ROTANA RESORT & SPA, SHARM EL SHEIKH,
Egypt
MANDALA SPA, BORACAY ISLAND,
Philippines
• Chantecaille, a prestigious name in
high-tech, natural anti-ageing
treatments, offering a unique,
rejuvenating luxury flower facial,
developed by world-renowned
beauty pioneer Sylvie Chantecaille.
PRESIDENTE INTERCONTINENTAL COZUMEL RESORT & SPA,
Mexico
• Fabulous massage and holistic
treatments using the renowned
products from the highly regarded
E’SPA range.
SUNGATE PORT ROYAL DELUXE RESORT, ANTALYA,
Turkey
• Expert Nutritional Consultation using
the “Best” technology system (Bio
Energetic Stress Tester). Aimed at
improving general health as well as
treating
specific
intolerance
problems.
ST NICOLAS BAY HOTEL, CRETE,
Greece
THALASSA, PAPHOS,
Cyprus
NEW CINQ MONDES SPA AT BEAU-RIVAGE PALACE,
Switzerland
www.ghotw.com
THE PALACE LUZERN
Directly situated on the scenic shores of Lake
Luzern and offering fine views of the lake and
the Alps of Central Switzerland, this beautiful
hotel built in 1906, also houses a very
modern spa 800m2 Spa. The hotel recently
invested 13 million Swiss francs to create
some tranquillity and relation with six
treatment rooms.
Treatments range from 75 Sfr (£32) for a full
body salt and oil scrub (25 mins) to 290 Sfr
(£126) for oriental joint release (1hr 55min).
Two to five-nights residential spa packages
and day spa programmes are also available.
Rajecké Teplice, Slovakia
WITH THE LOVE OF PLASTIC MONEY
GROWING AMONG TRAVELL ERS,
MONEY EXPERT.COM
CHIEF EXECUTIVE , SEAN GARDNER
WARNS US ABOUT
HIDDEN D ANGERS OF USING
THE ‘H OLE IN THE WALL ’
THE
elying on plastic is the safest
and most convenient method
of payment when travelling
overseas. Credit and debit cards
remove any need to worry about
changing cash into the local
currency or looking for bureaux
de change while travelling.
R
However the convenience and
safety comes at a price, which is
not always obvious to travellers.
Anyone withdrawing cash on
their credit or debit card will be
charged and the costs will
quickly mount up.
MoneyExpert analysis shows
British travellers withdraw up to
£6 billion a year from foreign
ATMs on their credit and debit
cards when they are abroad. The
average amount taken out in a
single transaction works out at
around £93 in sterling.
million. The amounts withdrawn
have gone up and up. In 2002 it
was about £4.3 billion while by
the end of this year it will be at
least £6 billion.
The vast majority of these
withdrawals are made on debit
cards. Figures show about 85
per cent are with debit cards
while the rest are on credit
or charge cards.
It is undeniable that the
holes-in-the-wall are a
convenient and safe way of
taking out money when you
are travelling. Carrying huge
wads of cash is obviously
dangerous as it could be
It is a rapidly growing trend. In
2002 British people made
around 44 million cash
withdrawals overseas. In
2004 the number of
withdrawals on plastic had
risen to around 59 million.
By the end of this year
analysts expect the
number will have
grown to around 68
stolen and you would be left
penniless. The other alternative
of travellers’ cheques is entirely
secure – there is a guarantee
your money will be replaced if it
is lost or stolen. But charges for
travellers’ cheques can be high
both in commission from the
bank selling you them and from
the hotel or bureaux de change
cashing them. That is if you can
find someone willing to cash
them.
Plastic cards trump the other
methods but they also cost.
When you withdraw your
average £93 in a foreign ATM
you will find that in fact around
£97 will be deducted from your
bank account.
Banks charge you for the
convenience. On an average
debit card you will pay around
£3.82 in charges while on a
credit card you pay about £4.49.
In general using your debit card
abroad is cheaper than the credit
card. But bear in mind that these
are average figures. Some of the
cheapest credit cards are
cheaper than the most expensive
debit cards and vice-versa.
The most you will pay for
withdrawing £93 on your credit
card is around £5.55 while the
most you will stump up on a
debit card is about £4.55.
The charges add up in
commission and handling fees
on debit cards while on credit
cards you will pay foreign usage
loading plus commission and
there may be an exchange rate
charge.
Commission fees for credit
cards are usually around 2.75
per cent while handling fees are
between 1.5 per cent and 2 per
cent. On debit cards handling
fees range from 1.5 per cent to
2.25 per cent while commission
fees are about 2.75 per cent.
Most of the banks charge
minimum fees for withdrawals.
When you use your card abroad
it makes sense to withdraw a
reasonable amount such as
£100 as you’ll be charged the
minimum fixed £1.50 or £2
whatever you withdraw. Do not
use your debit card to withdraw
£10 one day and another £20 the
next day or the charges will
seriously mount up.
If you do use your credit card to
withdraw cash overseas make
sure the bill is paid off as soon
as you get home. The interest
charged on money spent on
purchases is in general much
lower than the interest rate
charged for cash withdrawn
with a credit card and not paid
off. Some companies will levy
interest rates of as much as 25
per cent on cash withdrawals.
Even the best rates are around
13 per cent.
There is one exception to these
charges among the major banks
and building societies. The
unqualified good guy of the
market is Nationwide Building
Society which charges no
handling or commission fees for
its debit card and only a £1.50
commission fee on its credit
card.
None of this should mean
travellers being put off using
their credit and debit cards
abroad. It just means you should
be careful about the costs and
make sure you know how much
using your plastic overseas is
going to cost you before you go.
www.moneyexpert.com
NEW OWNERS FOR
TRAVELEX ATMS
RM Corporation and its
English subsidiaries have
agreed to buy the Travelex
ATM business in the UK for
£43.4 million.
T
The ATM business provides
convenient, on-site cash
access at locations typically
based around fuel stations
and convenience stores such
as TotalFinaElf, Snax 24,
Texaco and National Car
Parks, as well as other sites
including McDonalds and
United Cinemas International.
The acquisition will increase
TRM’s presence in the UK to
over
7,500 ATM
and
photocopier locations, and the
company will service all
locations through its in-house
service network.
Acting on behalf of TRM
Jonathan Lass, corporate
partner in the law firm
Davenport Lyons, believe that
the deal will help seal TRM’s
position as a major player in
the growing convenience
service sector. He said: “This
is a significant opportunity for
TRM to consolidate their
market position and will help
enhance their customer
relationships.”
The business includes the
ATM Division of Travelex UK
and Travelex’s joint venture
with Snax 24 Corporation
Limited. The deal is expected
to be finalised during the
fourth quarter of 2005.
SITA INC IS MAKING WAVES IN EUROPE AND AMERICA
Ensuring internet access and mobile phone use throughout the world’s busiest airport and wins a USD
200 Million IT outsourcing contract to update the entire IT strategy at Germany’s third largest airport.
Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport — USA
ood news to anyone heading
towards Atlanta next year for
business or leisure because the
world’s busiest airport has gone
one stage further and given all
visitors access to wireless
internet connection as well as
high quality mobile phone
coverage throughout the airport
and shopping area, regardless of
the mobile phone carrier. This is
what we call being in charge of
your own territory.
G
The Mayor of the City of Atlanta,
the City of Atlanta’s Department
of Aviation and SITA INC have
come together at Hartsfield
Jackson Atlanta International
Airport to sign a $5.4m multi
faceted contract. The contract
was signed by the City of
Atlanta’s Department of Aviation
and the Mayor of the City of
Atlanta, Shirley Franklin. Atlanta
Chief Information Officer Lance
Lyttle says that service providers
were not part of the funding of
this project. SITA will be
providing the technology on
behalf of the City of Atlanta.
SITA
INC
(Information
Networking Computing) is the
world’s leading provider of air
transport-focused applications,
communications
and
IT
infrastructure, enabling its
customers to realize greater
operational efficiencies and
enhanced profitability. The
company provides services to
air transport customers and to
related industries, as well as
government authorities, offering
a unique portfolio of solutions.
SITA INC is registered in
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
and recorded revenues of $642
million in 2004. According to
Airport General Manager Ben
DaCosta, the technology is
expected to improve the
passenger experience at Atlanta
Airport by allowing passengers
to access the internet and use of
their mobile phones anywhere in
the
airport.
Passengers
travelling through Atlanta Airport
can stay in touch via Wi-Fi from
the front door of the airport, to
the underground transportation
mall, to every gate, at every
concourse. “Our passengers will
have the benefit of this new
service this fall and we are very
excited for the launch” he adds.
SITA’s solution for Atlanta
includes the design and
implementation of an airportwide Wi-Fi and mobile wireless
network, as well as management
of the airport’s new fibre, mobile
and Wi-Fi network for a period of
one year. Arthur Calderwood,
SITA’s senior vice-president for
Arthur Calderwood,
Senior Vice-President for
Marketing and Customer Care
marketing and customer care,
affirms that the total solution
provided by SITA will include:
• A Wi-Fi system for the entire
airport that provides Internet
access for all passengers.
Internet access will be via a
“neutral host” allowing the
passengers the flexibility to
choose their own Wireless
Internet Service Provider.
The wireless system will
support data services, as
well as voice and video. This
secure system is also
designed for use by the City
of Atlanta DOA, the airlines,
and airport tenants.
• A distributed antenna system
that provides passengers
with high quality mobile
phone coverage throughout
the airport and transportation
mall, regardless of the
mobile phone carrier.
Jackson Atlanta International Airport
• A fully managed network
operation
centre
with
Department of Aviation
(airport) and SITA staff on
site to provide ongoing
operation, security and
maintenance of the airport’s
fibre network and the
wireless network.
Mr. Calderwood says that
Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta is a
large airport and certainly a
flagship site so developing one
wireless system that allows
everyone to say in touch via WiFi
from the front door of the
airport, to the underground
shopping area, to every gate at
the concourse has certainly got
all stakeholders excited.
Another SITA official, senior
vice-president of airport and
desktop services, John Jarrell
says that they are extremely
pleased to offer the first truly
neutral host system in an airport
to visitors of Hartsfield-Jackson,
in the same city as their global
business unit and North
American headquarters. This
shared infrastructure improves
the passenger experience by
making Wi-Fi available to
passengers as well as airport
and airline employees, with a
neutral host offering great
flexibility.
This project is presently in the
implementation phase and will
be fully operational in the fourth
quarter of 2005.
Tipping tips for Atlanta
If you are heading towards
Atlanta for business or
leisure, you’d better note
these tipping tips:
1. 15% Lunch
2. 20% Dinner (unless
already added on the
bill for partie of 6 or
more)
3. $2 for taxi drivers
4. Bellman (hotel staff
who takes bags to
room) is $1 per bag
5. Parking attendants is
$2 (for valet)
www.sita.aero
www.atlanta-airport.com
Düsseldorf International Airport — Germany
n the first ever deal of its kind at an European
Airport, Düsseldorf Airport has outsourced its IT
support to SITA INC (Information Networking
Computing) in a contract worth USD 200 million
over ten years.
I
Thomas Schnalke, Managing Director of
Düsseldorf International Airport and initiator of the
outsourcing strategy, said: “We want to create an
airport of the future and that’s why we have
chosen to partner with SITA INC. Düsseldorf is
growing rapidly and we need to continue to
innovate in order to satisfy passengers and
airlines alike. We believe that SITA is best placed
to ensure that we remain on the cutting edge of
technological advances in the industry. Together
we can establish an IT platform that can also
serve as an example to other airports and help the
industry become more cost efficient.”
Mr. Schnalke adds that Düsseldorf airport has a
new airport city project. The project should create
an optimum location, maximum flexibility and
best accessibility for
businesses.
The
existing IT systems
needed upgrading so
this contract should
bring the airport and
its new project in line
with
modern
developments, create
Thomas Schnalke,
a more cost-effective
Managing Director
environment and set
the benchmark for
modern construction at a prime location. It is
expected that systems will work faster and travel
through Düsseldorf International should be more
practical than before for passengers, operators as
well airport staff. A business park with conference
hotels is being developed on a 230,000m2 site and
investors can build according to their own vision
at the airport city. The airport city is at the centre
of the world’s seventh largest economic region
and has excellent urban links.
An airport is a good spot for business contacts
and with over 200 companies including renowned
brands already settled in the existing airport,
Schnalke is expecting investors to snap up the
advantages of good local links with those of
international connections and invest in the new
city project.
Francesco Violante, Managing Director of SITA
INC, said: “Düsseldorf is the third largest airport in
Germany handling 15.3 million passengers per
year. We believe that this partnership will help the
airport to become even more efficient and to grow
revenue in the future. SITA INC is very pleased to
be working in such a first-class environment and
we are entirely committed to ensuring that this
collaboration is a great success for all
concerned.”
He added: “The airport industry in Germany is of
great strategic importance to SITA INC. Düsseldorf
is set to become a model for how a modern airport
campus can be run, maximizing the benefits to
airlines and other customers of shared IT systems
and data bases including common-use and
selfservice check-in kiosks. The outcome will be
to simplify the passenger journey through use of
state-of-the art technology.”
SITA won this important outsourcing contract with
the strong support of its partners, EADS Telecom
Deutschland GmbH and Siemens AG. There will be
no redundancies among the existing 63 IT staff at
the airport.
http://duesseldorf-international.de
Tipping tips in Dü ss eldorf
In Düsseldorf, like anywhere else in
Germany, the following tipping habits exist:
1. Porters
In Germany, porters only receive a tip if
they did a special service for the guest,
like parking the guest’s car or making a
ticket reservation (1 - 3 ¤). Otherwise,
tipping is not necessary.
2. Other hotel staff
Luggage boys usually receive one euro
(¤) for each suitcase or heavy bag. Room
maids also appreciate approximately one
euro per day, if they did a good job.
3. Taxis
Ten per cent of total amount are common
use - if the driver wasn’t too unfriendly.
4. Restaurant staff
All the waiters in restaurants receive a
fixed salary - but however, the guest may
grant an extra 5 - 10 % of the total
amount, if the quality of the dishes was
okay and - of course - the staff was
friendly. It is also common that the bill
amount is made “round” - for example, if
the amount is 8.90 ¤ to 9.20 ¤, many
people give a 10 ¤-note.
B usiness Jets
When one size really doesn’t suit all
“Sustainability
can only be
built on a
sound
economic
basis”
Leo van Wijk
President and CEO
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
KLM launches business jet services on Amsterdam-Houston route
he success of the merger between Air France
and KLM gave birth to Europe´s leading airline
group and the world’s largest air transport group
in terms of revenue.
T
Global leadership brings moral obligations to be a
good corporate citizen. This year, only one year
after their merger, the two airlines have published
their first joint report on sustainable development.
Air France and KLM have undertaken to share
their best practices to meet their objectives, while
respecting their ethical, social and environmental
responsibilities. Today both airlines intend to
pursue their sustainability policy by placing it at
the heart of their profitable growth strategy. As
Jean-Cyril Spinetta and Leo van Wijk underscored
recently: “Sustainability can only be built on a
sound economic basis. We believe that this is a
prerequisite if we are to retain broad support for
our growth strategy from society at large”.
Air France improved its Dedicate product aimed at
customers in the oil and gas industries. Now there
are 16 daily departures to Africa and the Middle
East. These go to Port Harcourt, Luanda, PointeNoire and Riyadh. Service to this entire
destination has improved this summer.
So keeping up with sustainability, KLM Royal
Dutch Airlines is following in its French partner’s
footsteps and will begin operating Boeing 737700 business jet services on the AmsterdamHouston route on October 30, 2005. The new
service will meet the great demand for World
Business Class (WBC) seats on this route. The
business jet services will operate six times a
week in code sharing with Northwest Airlines,
supplementing KLM’s daily Boeing 747-400
flights, and will replace its existing thrice-weekly
Boeing 767 services. The ground and inflight
product for the new services will match standard
WBC service.
For the first time, KLM will be
leasing a Boeing 737-700 with
crew from PrivatAir. The leased
737-700 has been equipped
with winglets and larger fuel
tanks to extend its operational
range. The aircraft will retain the
PrivatAir livery, but will bear the
text “Operated on behalf of
KLM” on its fuselage and in the
cabin. Geneva-based company
PrivatAir has more than 27 years
experience in business jet
operations for scheduled airline
travel for companies, organizations, and personal travel.
PrivatAir CEO Greg Thomas says
that this is an example of some
of the non-traditional options
where network carriers have to
provide their customer base
with a product closely tailored to
their needs. PrivatAir has grown
with 8 new aircraft in 3 years for
current partners and is expanding
for new partners. KLM is also
increasing its business class
capacity aims to enter the
market
segment
for
intercontinental flights providing
only business class seats. By
doing this, it can offer greater
customised service and more
capacity directly to large
businesses and organisations.
The 737-business jet will fly six
times a week thereby increasing
the number of round-trip flights
to Houston from ten to thirteen
Greg Thomas, CEO PrivatAir
each week. This will increase
business class seat capacity by
45%. KLM’s new all business
class flights to Houston will
operate as part of the joint
venture with Northwest Airlines
and in code sharing with them.
The aircraft will carry 44 lie-flat
business class seats, equipped
with plug-in points for laptop
computers. The level of comfort
will be comparable to that of
KLM’s World Business Class in
Boeing 777s and Airbus A330s.
The PrivatAir cabin crew will
undergo KLM training to ensure
that inflight service matches
existing standards. There will be
at least one Dutch-speaking
cabin attendant aboard each
KLM business jet flight. Other
KLM product features - including
catering, a copy of the Holland
Herald, Delftware miniature
houses, comfort bags, headrest
covers, and a variety of
newspapers and magazines will also match existing WBC
standards.
oil-producing regions in the
Middle East, Africa, Russia, and
countries around the Black Sea,
Norway and Great Britain.
Similar to Business Class on
existing Boeing 737 flights to
such destinations as Beirut, Tel
Aviv, and Tbilisi, KLM’s business
jet passengers will be provided
with a portable, interactive
audio-visual system.
Air France, also attracts a great
deal of oil-related business
traffic, last year, launched its
Dedicate service specifically for
this sector. The Dedicate service
is an intercontinental, two-class
The great demand for World
Business Class capacity on the
Amsterdam-Houston route may
be primarily attributed to
Houston’s central role in the oil
industry and related sectors.
KLM’s
Amsterdam-Houston
services connect with a wide
range of services to and from
product operated with Airbus
A319 Extended Range aircraft,
with an enlarged Business Class.
This service is available on routes
between Paris and Kuwait,
Malabo (Equatorial Guinea),
Pointe-Noire (Congo-Brazzaville)
and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
www.klm.com
www.PrivatAir.com
The schedule for these business flights is as follows:
KL 663/NW 8663:
Departure
AMS
Arrival
HOU
2:25 p.m.
6:45 p.m.
KL 664/NW 8664:
Departure
HOU
Arrival
AMS
8:15 p.m.
12:35 p.m.
Flights are daily except Wednesdays. All times are local.
HOW AIRCRAFT ZONE IS HELPING YOU TO SUPPORT
MACMILLAN CANCER RELIEF
ircraft Zone, the jet charter company, is to offer
their clients an opportunity to donate to
Macmillan Cancer Relief as part of their new UK
customer reward scheme.
A
include a baby grand piano from Jaques Samuel
Pianos and a VIP day to France for 6 people
travelling by Ultimate Limousine as used by music
celebrities.
The scheme launches on 6th April 2005 and
enables Aircraft Zone clients to collect points on
all flights booked with Aircraft Zone. The points
may be redeemed to give a donation from the
individual or the company to Macmillan - the
charity that helps people living with cancer.
Niki Rokni, Director at Aircraft Zone says, “There
are very few of us who have not been affected by
cancer in some way. With over one million people
in the UK today who have had a cancer diagnosis,
we felt it important not only to reward our clients
for their loyalty but also to give them the
opportunity to help people living with cancer by
donating their points to a very worthwhile cause.”
Alternatively, the points can be redeemed against
a selection of Red Letter Days experiences
including a driving day at Silverstone or a relaxing
pamper day at a luxury spa. Other experiences
that may be collected as part of the scheme
www.aircraftzone.com
China
Air France strengthens its presence in Asia to become
the first European Airline to serve Beijing twice daily
n 13 June 2005, Air France launched a second daily frequency between Paris and Beijing,
strengthening its presence in Asia. This flight is operated with Boeing B777-300 aircraft, with a
seating capacity of 310, and
equipped with the New Air
France Travel Concept.
O
Air France is the first European
airline to serve Beijing twice
daily, confirmin`g its position as
forerunner on the Chinese
market: the first western airline
to start operating flights to
Shanghai and Beijing in 1966 and
1973 respectively, Air France was
also the first airline to serve
Canton in 2004.
New scheduled flights departing from Paris-CDG:
Daily :
AF128 (A330) Paris-CDG / Beijing 15h55 – 07h55 next day
New daily frequency:
AF126 (B777) Paris-CDG / Beijing 18h55 – 10h30 next day
New scheduled flights departing from Beijing:
Daily:
AF129 (A330) Beijing / Paris-CDG 09h50 – 14h35 same day
New daily frequency:
AF125 (B777) Beijing / Paris-CDG 13h15 – 17h40 same day
Air France serves 189 destinations in 84 countries. Operating a fleet of 370 aircraft (including 121 regional
aircraft), the Air France group serves 1,800 daily flights. In May 2004, Air France and KLM merged to
become Europe’s leading airline group.
www.airfrance.com
Doing business in China?
You will need this jet
Email: [email protected]
Our Travel Partners
KKL LUZERN CULTURE AND CONVENTION CENTER
Europaplatz 1, CH-6005 Luzern, Phone +41 (0)41 226 70 70, Fax +41 (0)41 226 70 71, [email protected], www.kkl-luzern.ch
The KKL Luzern – designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel – was built
between 1995 and 2000. The jewel of the KKL Luzern is the Concert Hall
with up to 1840 seats. The American acoustics consultant Russel Johnson
created a veritable cathedral of music and sound that inspires the world’s best
conductors, orchestras and soloists to reach new heights.
welcome to the symphony
of culture convention
and cuisine
The convertible Lucerne Hall for 200 up to 1800 guests is the ideal venue
for conventions, banquets, concerts and product launches. The Lucerne Hall
is equipped with a state-of-the-art conference technology.
KKL cuisine rounds off your event with a customised service, pre-ordered
drinks from the Concert Bar, a trademark Flying Dinner with phenomenal
views or a banquet or buffet catering specifically designed for your wishes.
With 270 comfortable upholstered leather chairs and pull-out tables, ideal
lighting and perfectly balanced acoustics, the Auditorium is an attractive venue for conferences, seminars, lectures and readings. The international railway station is just a few steps away!
The KKL Luzern is designed for your event !
For further information:
Daniel Buchmüller, Head of Marketing & Communications
+41 (0)41 226 70 53, [email protected]
Martina Knobel, Head of Sales
+41 (0)41 226 74 36, [email protected]
The unique view is a permanent fixture – but the Club Rooms can be changed around any time you want. Depending on your needs the Club Rooms and
the additional Business- and Media Rooms are the ideal combination with
the other halls.
KKL LUZERN – SWITZERLAND
The complete meetings, conference, concerts, conventions,
culture, events and incentives destination
Luzern is one of the
reasons why Luzern
near Zurich in Switzerland is
classified as cultural and
conference city.
One hour away from Zurich
airport and easily accessibly by
train, the KKL Luzern reaches
out over Lake Luzern and faces
the beautiful Swiss mountains.
This masterpiece was designed
KKL
Elisabeth Dalucas, CEO
by French architect Jean Nouvel
and American acoustician
Russell Johnson. It is often said
that the trademark of the KKL is
its huge roof – but if you should
ask me, I would say that the
entire building is a trademark.
Surrounded by some of the
world’s beautiful hotels and
lakeside accommodation, the
KKL
offers
everything
entertaining from symphonies to
symposia,
concerts
to
conferences, exhibitions to
entertainment and good food;
where does one begin?
A building where all kinds of
different events can take place
under the same big roof,
separately, and adjacent to each
other,
with
transparent
boundaries,
without
any
interference with each other,
tells one what a remarkable
building the KKL is. It is a venue
you should visit before you make
any decisions for your next
event destination. Among the
many tours that take place at the
KKL is the CEO’s tour; and I was
lucky to secure an exclusive
interview with the remarkable
Elisabeth Dalucas and enjoyed a
tour with the Chief Executive
Officer of KKL Luzern. It is only
fair that I share my experience –
it is an amazing one especially if
you have a delicious dinner
served with a KKL touch at the
elegant Restaurant RED and a
van Morrison concert to look
forward to that same evening.
Van Morrison, Cecilia Bartoli,
Cliff Richard, Paul McCreesh,
Cesaria, Diane Reeve to name a
few, are some of the many
famous names who choose to
play at the KKL!
KKL L uz er n
Where all the Stars go to play
Heather Nova
Cesaria Evora
Van Morrison
in Concert
Christopher Lee at the
Rose d’Or Festival
Omara Portuondo,
Buena Vista Social Club
Dianne Reeves
Paul McCreesh
Cecilia Bartoli
It is a remarkable feat to be in charge of
a mag nificent la ndmark like the KKL
Luzern . What would y ou say has b een
y our big gest challeng e?
There are a lot of thrilling issues for a
CEO of the KKL Luzern to take care of.
One that is right now challenging to me
is to guide this young company into the
European market and nearer to our
main target business partners in the UK,
Germany and Italy. It is exciting to work
with corporate clients outside
Switzerland since this gives us the
opportunity to strengthen our ability of
being a reliable partner to individually
different expectations of our clients.
I would like y ou to take us on a tour
roun d the KKL Luzern b ut b efore we do
that, would y ou say that you hav e a
favourite?
Of course, there is the main attraction:
the building by world famous architect
Jean Nouvel situated on the shores of
Lake Luzern with spectacular views of
the Alps. My personal favourite is the
Auditorium which is a meeting facility
for up to 300 people. I specially like the
deep blue leather seats with their
unfoldable tables contrasting with the
dark wooden floor and the metallic grid
panelling which gives an impression of
distinguished business class.
Di ve rs ified cu ltur e, cui sin e an d
congres s – why d id y ou think all that the
KKL Lu zern offers works tog eth er?
It actually does work together as an
overall experience to clients and guests.
If you do have high expectations for a
perfect convention you like to
experience a chef who is equally able to
treat you with a subtle menu. Finally,
after a hard day’s work of making
business would you not like to give your
eyes the treatment of a master piece of
art or your ears being able to relax by
listening to world renowned orchestras
and famous soloists?
What does th e future hold for the
KKL Luzern – an y asp irations ,
futur e p rojects , and dev elopmen ts ?
Next year, we will build in a
smart lounge for VIP’s, media
and special occasions. The
lounge will have lovely views
over the lake and Luzern as the
city of lights. Then there are the
projects of an even more
spectacular roof top bar and the
enlargement of our exhibition
space. Not our own project, but
in my opinion a most important
one, is our new neighbour’s
planning. The University of
Luzern will be moving in by 2010
with it’s faculties of law,
theology and cultural sciences.
access place to meet from all
over Europe for concerning
guests who care about where
they stay, what they eat, hear
and experience.
Now readers please join
Elisabeth and I on a tour round
the KKL Luzern and imagine
every scene along the way.
Zurich is only one and half hours
How would y ou like t he KKL
Luzern to be seen as?
The KKL Luzern is a one hour
flight destination and easy
away from anywhere in Europe.
KKL Experience
Situated directly on the shores
of Lake Luzern its architectural
brilliance shines far beyond the
country’s borders, lending the
city of Luzern a distinctive new
landmark.
Beneath the sweeping roof of
the KKL Luzern concerts,
conferences and culinary
experiences combine into a
complete work of art, staged
solely to delight the senses and
the discerning guest.
Step into the spacious foyer, and
on your left you’ll see the
wooden exterior of the Concert
Hall, reminiscent of a violin case,
and on the right the filigree grid
of facades leaves no doubt as to
the function of the Convention
Centre.
4 CONCERT HALL
Concert Hall
Walk along the deep wine-red gangways and
through the anthracite-coloured triple light and
sound locks into the brightly-lit Concert Hall and
you’ll find yourself in a festive mood. Your senses
spring to life: dazzling white moulded sounddiffusing bricks, precious woods and the starry
midnight-blue sky combines to create a
symphony of the senses – a cathedral of music
and sound. But not only the world’s best
conductors, orchestras and jazz artists weave
their magic. The latest audiovisual technology
enables congress organizers to transform the hall
into a state-of-the-art venue for conferences and
meetings. And let’s be honest: there’s no better
place for a free, lively debate than a place where
people feel completely at ease.
Luzern Hall
After enjoying a private or public concert our
guests reach the foyer in front of the Luzern hall
by crossing one of two water canals over a
wooden bridge. The size of the Luzern hall can be
varied for product launches, KKL cuisine banquets
and meetings.
With its blue parquet floor, outstanding acoustics
and audiovisual equipment, variable height
staging and mobile rostrum, it is the ideal venue
for event organizers who require the creative
freedom to design their event as they wish. Take
away all the dividing screens,
and there’s nothing obscuring
your view from the back wall of
the stage right out to the
majestic steamers on the lake.
Above the hall the open-air
terrace offers a breathtaking
view over the city of Luzern.
Convention Centre
The second water canal
separates the large Luzern Hall
foyer
from
the
almost
transparent Convention Centre –
a place where the most
important thing is a clear view!
The Auditorium is Luzern’s place
to be for conferences, seminars,
lectures and readings and meets
the high expectations of
business class delegates and
guests. With
comfortable
upholstered leather chairs and
pull-out tables, ideal lighting and
perfectly balanced acoustics,
audiences of up to 270 people
will follow everything that’s said
from start to finish in a modern
surrounding.
Various
Businessand Media rooms
complete the conference wing of
the KKL Luzern. VIP cocktails,
media lounges or parallel
workshops and exhibitions can
be organized in a flexible way
since the unique view over the
Old Town is the only permanent
fixture.
Restaurant and Bars
The beauty of the KKL is that you
can dine on the premises and
the menu is something every
visitor to the KKL should sample.
Located right on Lake Luzern,
the Seebar is the place to meet
friends and artists for a glass of
good wine or a classic cocktail,
with tasty KKL delights and
smooth, discreet music. More
culinary options are offered at
the World Café - the place to
enjoy culinary specialties from
all over the world. And the
elegant
Restaurant
RED
experience consists of real
elegant dining with premium-
quality produce served in an
incomparable setting with a
fantastic view on the “City of
lights”.
www.kkl-luzern.ch
Swiss Tipping Tips
Tipping is usually included
in the bill in Switzerland.
However, some choose to
leave it open so in all
cases, if you are happy with
the service please add
something or round off the
bill.
GRIMALDI FORUM MONACO CELEBRATES 5TH ANNIVERSARY
Five Years Fuelling the Principality’s Economic Drive
he Grimaldi Forum Monaco, inaugurated by
Prince Rainier III in July 2000, celebrated its
fifth anniversary this summer.
T
Looking back over the past five years, Sylvie
Biancheri, Managing Director, was happy to
present positive results for the building in its
dual role: “In terms of business tourism, the
Principality of Monaco now enjoys the status of
a key destination on the international stage.
The Grimaldi Forum has
provided a concrete
response to
On average, one hundred events of all types are
organised throughout the year at the Grimaldi
Forum attracting 300,000 visitors. 150,000
visitors from thirty or so countries participate in
professional events staged during ten months
of the year, and 150,000 attend exhibitions and
shows.
As for financial results, the figures confirm that
the Grimaldi Forum boosts the Principality’s
economy. During the first half of 2005, the
professionals in the sector in terms of hosting
all types of events (trade shows, conventions,
product launches, etc) and in terms of
professionalism. The many distinctions the
Grimaldi Forum has reaped, including three
consecutive M&IT Awards for “Best Congress
Centre outside Great Britain”, illustrate
international recognition.
In the cultural arena, the Grimaldi Forum has
successfully embraced an international role,
notably attracting a great number of visitors to
the Principality on the occasion of exhibitions.
The attendance record was set in the summer of
2004 with ‘Imperial Saint-Petersburg’, which
attracted 63,000 visitors”.
Grimaldi Forum generated turnover in excess of
7.5 million euros, up 4% compared to the same
period last year.
Estimates established using the various
methods of calculation endorsed by French
Chambers of Commerce reveal that, for this
same period, the economic acitivities generated
by the hotel industry amounted to 8.3 million
euros, and 1.6 million euros for related
businesses (restaurants, shops, transport, etc).
“Our contribution is considerable, especially as we
should add the turnover generated by the Grimaldi
Forum’s service providers and suppliers, i.e. 4
million euros for Monegasque companies alone
during the first six months of the year!” explains
Sylvie Biancheri. A total of 21.4 million euros
during the first six months means almost 45
million euros for a full year flooding into the
Monegasque economy. “As for future prospects,
our indicators are perfectly in line with our global
objective of a 10% increase in turnover for 2005.
The Grimaldi Forum seized the opportunity of the
inauguration of its major summer exhibition, “Arts
of Africa”, and the first concert in the “AfricAlive”
Festival on 15 July, to celebrate in the presence of
HSH Prince Albert II.
This symbolic anniversary confirms the missions
the Monegasque State has entrusted to a highly
flexible building and to its 150 permanent staff
representing 46 trades, who strive every day to
further the economic development and the
international renown of the entire Principality.
In a similar move, Monaco’s business tourism
industry has set the bar high. The destination aims
to boost business tourism significantly by 2008 to
optimise occupancy rates at its convention centre,
the Grimaldi Forum, and the many new
developments that have erupted over the last few
years; this includes a complete refurbishment of
existing hotels, an increase in capacity, and the
construction of new hotels (opening of the MonteCarlo Bay & Resort in October 2005 and the Novotel
in 2007), boosting current capacity by almost 34%.
In 2004, the majority of Monaco’s business tourists
came from Britain (32,000 nights), France (41,000
nights), Italy (21,000 nights) and North America
(27,000 nights).
Against this backdrop, Monaco’s business tourism
industry – led by the Tourist & Convention Authority
through its Convention Bureau, the Grimaldi Forum
Monaco, hotels and hospitality agencies – has
pooled its resources to create and launch an
exclusive new strategy under the banner “Monaco
Mee+ings”. They hope to provide a single point of
contact, tailored services and exclusive benefits.
Michel Bouquier, President of the Monaco Tourist and
Convention Authority comments: “Through Monaco
Mee+ings, we aim to provide our clientele with
everything Monaco has to offer: modern, high-quality
facilities – a 3 to 5 star hotel capacity of almost
3,000 rooms* – and local hospitality agencies
offering global, effective solutions. Everything is
underpinned by a convention centre that is
constantly pushing the boundaries of its offering:
A single point of contact
The concept is simple: the Principality of Monaco
provides a commitment to offering turnkey
solutions and a real quality contract through its
Convention Bureau (uniform rates, standardised
booking and cancellation terms, firm answer
within 24 hours, etc.).
Monaco boosts the impact of business tourism
events
Our success hinges on choice: the choice of
“venue” is driven by the image Monaco projects
and by the impression it makes on event
participants. “Monaco’s message goes far beyond
conventional concepts,” adds Mr Bouquier. “Both
first-time visitors and those who already know us
appreciate the drive and image boost Monaco
brings to each event, through our personalised
approach and our professionalism, which form the
foundations of all our customer relations. As a
result, our reputation as an event organiser is
going from strength to strength.
All this has been made possible through the
unprecedented mobilisation on every level of our
partners in the Monaco tourism industry: we all
firmly believed that by streamlining our approach, we
could make this an accessible, competitive venue.
Monaco Meetings proves that customer relations are
central to everything we do here in Monaco”.
www.grimaldiforum.mc
www.monaco-tourisme.com
Monaco Tipping tips
When in Monaco tipping is always at your discretion
and optional; however if you are happy with the
service you receive, then…
• Generally you can tip between 10-12.5%;
• For taxis, you either round up or offer 1-2 euros;
• Restaurants – if you would like to tip, then the
general rule of thumb is 10%. Some restaurants
are service inclusive;
• Hotel staff – you can give them between 1-5 euros.
EGYPT’ S EL GOUNA
Gouna is built on 10kms
of beachfront in fine
architecture and spreads across
a myriad of islands interlinked
by beautiful lagoons, the
destination offers a wide range
of accommodation facilities,
from comfortable guest houses
to luxurious beachfront resorts.
El Gouna, commonly referred to
as the ‘Red Sea’s Premier
EL
Leisure Destination’ is now also
emerging as one of Egypt’s
premier meetings and incentive
destinations. Nestled between
the sienna mountains and azure
waters and developed 15 years
ago on one of the most beautiful
spots on the Red Sea, the resort
caters for all the needs of a
modern meeting or incentive
group.
Located just 22kms away from
Hurghada International Airport,
in addition to its own private
airport, El Gouna is only a short
flight away from Europe’s
capitals. This accessibility is set
to increase even further, as of
October 22, 2005, when GB
Airways launches the new
scheduled flights between
London Gatwick and Hurghada
International Airport every
Thursday and Saturday.
The diverse selection of
accommodation and conference
space means that meeting and
incentive delegates are well
catered for at El Gouna. The
resort offers over 14 hotels,
which range from intimate
guesthouses to five-star beach
front properties, ensuring that
groups of all sizes, budgets and
needs can be easily welcomed
and accommodated.
El Gouna’s conference and meeting facilities are
predominantly provided by the Mövenpick Resort
& Spa El Gouna, Sheraton Miramar Resort,
Steigenberger Golf Resort and The Three Corners
Rihana Resort. Together they offer facilities to
cater for indoor and outdoor meetings of between
12 and 400 delegates, in a total of five conference
rooms, four meeting rooms and one boardroom.
Complete with dedicated teams of staff,
multimedia equipment and international hi-speed
communications services and computer support
systems, the facilities guarantee delegates a high
quality El Gouna meetings’ experience.
Aside from conferences, many of the hotels also
cater for evening entertainments and daily
delegate event plans, offering both pre-designed
and tailor-made possibilities. The Steigenberger
Golf Resort, for example, offers an entire desert
survival experience. Delegates are invited to
experience simple and timeless Bedouin life with a
full day of different activities in the desert oasis,
including: tent pitching; oriental games; carpet
weaving; papyrus painting; moulding and colouring
clay pots; bread making; coffee roasting; quad or
camel riding and more. This type of uniqueness and
dedication, combined with the year round sun and
full range of alternative after-hours’ activities
makes El Gouna such an increasingly popular
meetings and incentives destination.
For additional after hours’ activities, El Gouna also
boasts a Gene Bates and Fred Couples designed
18-hole USPGA golf course, a state-of-the-art
Angsana spa, 10kms of secluded beaches, and
exquisite yachts for charter. Cultural Egypt,
including the famous Egyptian sites, is also
accessible from a base at El Gouna. The resort’s
prime location allows guests to take advantage of
a number of excursion opportunities available to
them, such as a desert safari encompassing a
camel ride, or watching the sunset and sunrise
with the Bedouins.
For activities involving a little more adrenaline, El
Gouna also offers a range of water and land based
sport opportunities. Home to Egypt’s only
professional water skiing centre, El Gouna offers
windsurfing, fishing, horse-riding, go-karting, kite
surfing, tennis, squash and some of the world’s
best diving. With expert tuition and thrills available
for all activities, followed by an evening taking in
the resort’s downtown bars and evening
entertainments, the team building and wind-down
possibilities are seemingly endless.
APEX CITY OF
LONDON HOTEL’ S NEW
CONFERENCE FACILITIES
he Apex City of London
Hotel, a 130-room,
four-star hotel set to open
later this year in the heart
London’s Square Mile,
has unveiled its new
conference facilities.
T
Consisting of five wellpositioned conference
suites, the facilities can
accommodate up to 70
delegates using a wide
variety of seating styles
in a range of suite sizes.
The largest space is the
City Suite, overlooking
Samuel Pepys garden
and St Olaves Church.
Each conference suite
reflects Apex’s mission,
to provide chic and
stylish space appropriate
for all meeting and
conference purposes. The
rooms are named after
key world cities and
showcase limited-edition
artwork
from
each
location.
Facilities include the
services of a personal
Apex conference and
meeting manager - on
site at all times,
restaurant
access
including
tailor-made
menus created by awardwinning chefs and fullscale
audio
visual
technology equipment.
The rooms are extremely
flexible and can be laid
out theatre, classroom, U
Shape, open square,
cabaret, banquet, dinnerdance or reception style.
Situated at 1 Seething
Lane, close to Tower
Bridge, the Apex City of
London Hotel is located
within London’s square
mile. Surrounded by
some of the UK’s leading
financial, legal, media
and insurance firms
including AIG, Royal Bank
of Scotland, Swiss RE,
The Mirror Group, The and
The Telegraph. Apex
believes a great deal of
their conference business
will be secured from their
neighbours.
Scott Davidson, Apex
Hotels Director of sales
London and consortia
says “The Apex City of
London Hotel offers
conference and incentive
organisers
four-star
contemporary venues of
varying
sizes
at
competitive prices. We
are already creating
much excitement in the
vicinity
and
have
contracts in place with a
number of neighbouring
firms.”
CHELSEA FC
LAUNCHES SMALL
MEETINGS PACKAGE
helsea FC has unveiled a new
small meetings package. The
innovative package will fill a niche
in the market for small,
uncomplicated meetings.
C
The package is based around a
competitive daily delegate rate of
£60 including room hire, AV, 2 x
servings of refreshments and a light
lunch with an option to supplement
afternoon refreshments with a
stadium tour. “Not every meeting is
a lavish affair; some planners just
want quick turn around, minimal
fuss, value for money, but with a
high quality” comments Carolyn
Anderson, Marketing Manager at
Chelsea FC. “We know our market,
and the launch of our small
meetings package is a direct
response to its demand.”
Chelsea FC has had a very
successful year and are now
entering their centenary season,
the club’s brand has become one of
the biggest in the world over the
last 12 months and the team look
ready to build on their success next
season.
www.apexhotels.co.uk
I NVES TMENT O PPOR TUNITIES
AUSTRALIANPROPERTYINVESTOR.COM
BUYING PROPERTY ‘ DOWN UNDER’
uying property in Australia can be a shrewd
move for UK residents who are seeking an
investment opportunity or future home. The
process is now made easy thanks to
A u s t r a l i a n P r o p e r t y I n v e s t o r. c o m
(http://www.australianpropertyinvestor.com); an
online resource, giving the full low-down on how
to get great property deals ‘down under’.
B
The result of several years’ research and
development, AustralianPropertyInvestor.com
provides a wealth of informative articles, reports,
data and services aimed at international investors
and overseas expatriates who need to know
whether the right time to invest is now. All the
information and strategies on the site come from
Australia’s leading specialists in non-resident
property transactions.
The site contains information on how to legally pay
no tax on Australian property investments, reveals
RARE OCEANFRONT LAND
ON HAMILTON ISLAND
ceanfront residential land,
with spectacular views over
the Whitsundays, is to be
released on Hamilton Island for
the first time in over 10 years.
This rare offering of land for sale
both
in
Australia
and
internationally involves the sale
of 13 elevated villa sites in the
prestigious
Point
Henning
precinct on the pristine northwestern side of Hamilton Island.
O
MAKES
A DODDLE
the questions to ask when selecting a mortgage
broker (e.g. how to separate the pros from the
pretenders!) and provides tips on how to secure a
bargain at a developer’s exhibition. It also explains
the difference between buying a ‘home’ or an
apartment for investment in Australia and gives
useful advice on emigrating to Australia.
Michael Bentley of AustralianPropertyInvestor.com
comments: “Wherever you look, people are trying
to sell you property. But they don’t always give you
the tools, information, knowledge and information
on how to do it, where to invest, the tax and
financing implications, and potential returns as
well as the risks. AustralianPropertyInvestor.com
answers these obvious questions and helps people
avoid the common pitfalls out of buying property in
Australia.”
www.australianpropertyinvestor.com
TO BE RELEASED
The release of the villa sites
averaging 2,074 square metres,
coincides with a multi-million
dollar upgrade of the island by
Hamilton Island Enterprises (HIE)
including a revamped marina and
proposed yacht club, upgrading
of the existing shopping village
and four-star Reef View Hotel,
and a proposed 18-hole golf
course on nearby Dent Island.
new air services by Virgin Blue
and Qantas which commenced in
July 2005, adding passenger
numbers to the existing daily
Jetstar flights servicing the
island from Brisbane, Sydney and
Melbourne and daily Qantaslink
flights from Cairns.
Point
Henning
offers
uninterrupted panoramas across
Dent passage and adjacent
The island will also benefit from islands and is surrounded by
natural bushland. The total value
of the land on offer is expected to
be around A$26 million (approx.
£10.4 million). Blocks are
expected to be priced from A$1.5
million (approx. £0.6 million).
Christie Leet, principal of
PRDnationwide Whitsundays,
says the release of the land is
one of Australia’s rarest property
opportunities. “It is no
exaggeration that this is a once
in a lifetime opportunity. To be
able to purchase property on this
major national and international
island destination in the heart of
the Great Barrier Reef
is
certainly finite,” says Mr Leet.
“The release of land is simply a
rarity as the majority of the
island will be preserved forever
in its natural, pristine state.
Additional plans to upgrade
infrastructure at Hamilton Island
and expand on existing services
and activities will only add to the
appeal and the opportunity for
excellent capital growth in the
future. This is both a luxurious
lifestyle opportunity and a prime
investment.”
He adds that Point Henning is
destined to become one of
Hamilton Island’s prestige
residential addresses and
undoubtedly one of the most
sought after on the eastern
seaboard. “The quality of land at
Point
Henning
and
its
uniqueness will attract major
interest not only from Australia,
but internationally, simply
because of its premier location
only two hours from Sydney with
direct daily flights.
“We also believe international
interest will be strong because
of the Foreign Investment
Review Board’s exemptions on
the island and our past history of
attracting international buyers.”
Building guidelines at Point
Henning will ensure the highest
possible standards of design and
all homes are to be built within
four years of land purchase,
ensuring the establishment of a
luxury community. Residents are
also
being
offered
the
opportunity to secure a 10-year
marina berth sub-lease on the
soon to be expanded marina.
Hamilton Island is located in the
heart of the World Heritage listed
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park,
with only seven of the 74 islands
developed but only a very small
percentage
with
private
dwellings. The island has been a
significant
magnet
for
international celebrities. The
estate of the late Beatle George
Harrison retains a mansion on
the island.
Diminishing land supply and an
increasing awareness of the
unique lifestyle location of
Hamilton Island are continuing
to drive price growth here.
PRDnationwide research shows
that house prices on Hamilton
Island have surged by up to
154% since the property market
peaks of 2003. One property
achieved a capital growth of
495% since 2001, having
realised a purchase price this
year of $2.17 million (approx.
£0.87 million) after being
purchased in 2001 for $365,000
(approx. £146,000).
Hamilton Island was purchased
18 months ago by the Oatley
family, headed by billionaire
Australian businessman Bob
Oatley. The family has a vision
to transform the Whitsunday
Island into one of the world’s
most renowned resort and
residential destinations. Future
developments include an 18hole golf course designed by
five time British Open champion
Peter Thomson planned for
nearby Dent Island located only
900 metres away. The golf
course is in the final stages of
approval.
HIE chairman Sandy Oatley says
the vision for Hamilton Island
will see the creation of ‘the most
desirable island resort in the
South Pacific for both Australian
and international guests’. “The
potential of Hamilton Island has
never been fully realised and we
believe
the
geographical
location coupled with our plans
will set the platform for the
creation of a holiday and
lifestyle destination unique and
unrepeatable anywhere else in
the world. We believe the natural
waterways and unspoilt beauty
created by the 74 islands of the
Whitsundays plus the attraction
of the Great Barrier Reef provide
the perfect backdrop for these
plans.”
The Island’s wide variety of
accommodation has attracted
visitors from both Australia and
abroad with a range of three to
five-star hotels and a variety of
self-contained apartments to
satisfy all holiday maker budgets.
It is also home to Hamilton Island
Race Week, one of Australia’s
emerging international sailing
regattas which was judged the
“Best significant event and
festival” at the last Australian
Tourism Awards.
INDIGO
REAL ESTATE ESTABLISHES UK OFFICE
TO SUPPORT EXPANDING WORLDWIDE PRESENCE
ndigo Real Estate, offering premium lifestyle
properties, luxury villas and exclusive land plots
in Phuket and Koh Samui, Thailand, announced
the opening of an office in London, UK. Indigo
Real Estate has previously serviced the UK and
Europe out of their headquarters in Phuket,
Thailand. With the opening of a London office,
access for UK and European clients to the rapidly
developing property market in Thailand will be
hugely improved.
I
“We have seen significant growth in demand from
the UK and European market for both investment
properties as well as for second homes in Phuket,
Asia’s most exclusive and sophisticated island.
The opening of our new office in London will
enable us to provide a faster and better service to
our UK clients,” said Nick Anthony, Managing
Partner of Indigo Real Estate. The extensive
selection of properties range from 1 bedroom
apartments through to luxury villas and exclusive
land plots and beach properties priced from
US$150,000 up to US$4 million. Many of the
properties are bespoke offerings and not listed
with agents.
Ann Adenius has been appointed Manager of the
UK office. Ann is an international executive with
more than 20 years’ experience in hotel and real
estate sales and marketing gained from senior
management positions at British Airways, Disney,
Elegant Hotels, SelectResorts Caribbean and
Caribbean Property Investors.
“With an international airport, world-class
infrastructure, schools and hospitals, natural
beauty, wonderful people, awesome food and
many beautiful golf courses, Phuket is fast
becoming the high end destination in Asia. It is
attracting an increasing number of international
buyers, who are chosing Phuket and Koh Samu as
the place to own both permanent homes and
resort property”, said Ann Adenius.
Over the next couple of months Indigo Real Estate
will launch four new luxury estates developments
in Phuket ranging from finished apartments at
Asias hottest new residential marina, the Royal
Phuket Marina starting at US$250,000 to Sai
Khao, where oceanfront estates on a minimum 2
acres of botanic gardens start at around US$2.5
million.
The opening of a UK office is one of several steps
being taken to manifest Indigo Real Estate’s
international presence. Recently Indigo Real
Estate opened an office in Hong Kong as well as
appointed Mr Juergen John as chairman, who will
also handle the German speaking markets. Mr.
John was the CEO of the Danzas Intercontinental
operations, a DHL company, and managed 14’000
employees worldwide with a turnover in 2002 of
Euro 4.2 Billion. He splits his time between
Munich and Phuket.
www.IndigoRE.com
Food & Restaurants
Winning with the Perfect Power Lunch
Do you know what separates a business meal from a power lunch?
No? ... Here are some of the editor's tips that can make a lasting impression
here is a big difference between simply saying to a
client or colleague - Lets have lunch and agree to
meet at a restaurant, you both agree on and share
a meal in discussions with mouthfuls of wine influenced
discussions.
T
If you want your clients' or boss' attention, you certainly
have to get them out of the office and away from the
telephone; invite them to lunch to get their minds off the
office to give you a better chance to hear what you have
to say or present. My advice is to 'do it in style'. It
does not have to be expensive but it has to be carefully
constructed so that it will speak volumes about your
company, your colleagues and yourself. Give yourself
the competitive edge.
My perfect power lunch is about thinking ahead, considering the needs of your guests and planning with your
restaurant or private chef. Things to do:
Make invitations:
1. Whether you choose a restaurant or private chef,
make invitations. Do not waste anybody's time or
risk a negative response. State the purpose of the
meal. For example, "Roxanne, we need to discuss
the advertising contract, are you available for lunch
on the 8th?"
Make reservations:
2. Even if it is your usual restaurant, be sure to make
reservations. It assures seating for your party at the
time you choose while giving you the power to be in
control and not at the mercy of the "line". Consider
special dietary requirements of your guest(s) such as
vegetarian or kosher menus. More importantly,
reservations help the restaurant to plan appropriately.
3. If your office has facilities to provide in-house catering, host it. Make sure the chef is aware of the
importance of your lunch and make it in a private
dining room.
Get there first and early:
4. Whether you are hosting the lunch in-house or going
to restaurant, make special requests in advance. If
your company has a "no alcohol policy" for legal or
safety reasons, ask the waiter to not present a wine
menu. If wine will be served, view the wine menu
and make a selection in advance. It will save time
and control expense. Explain any time restraints to
server. Review the menu in advance to make your
personal selection.
The waiter should recognize the silent service signal
when indicated the meal is concluded. If you think the
waiter will overlook it, as that he/she watch for your signal before clearing the table. If you are paying for the
entire meal, have the cashier make a credit card imprint.
Tip - that three-letter word; an important part of every
service. Agree on a 15% gratuity unless you are asking
for extra services, in which case, add 20% or leave an
extra cash tip on the table. When you leave, you will
need only to review and sign the credit card slip. If the
meal is "no-host", advise the maitre d' beforehand that
checks will be separate.
Coffee and tea are usually served with or after dessert.
Unless you have arranged for coffee in advance, please
do not request coffee at the first or in the middle of the
meal. It can cause disruption in the service.
A little extra go a long, long way
If you are hosting the lunch in your office premises
please remember that guest favours are a wonderful
surprise for motivational meetings and can be put at
place setting in advance. Try one of these:
1. Fill a small, plastic wine glass with candies (coordinated with the table décor?). Cover with tulle;
secure tulle with a ribbon. Add a small message tag:
A toast to our future" - "You're a glass act" - or a
seasonal sentiment.
2. Use 1x2 1/8" address labels and print with "You're
worth a mint to me" or Chew-chew-chews to be
successful!" Affix to packs of mint chewing gum.
·
Do not discuss food. Your opinion may not agree
with your table companion's. If it is wonderful, write
a complimentary note to your catering staff, hotel
manager or restaurant manager depending on wherever you may be dining. If it is horrible, just discretely put it around on the plate. This is one time when it
is okay to play with your food. You will avoid drawing attention to yourself.
·
Do begin the business portion of the meeting when
everyone is nearly finished eating. Take breaks if the
meal is going slowly. Guests will return with clearer
minds after smoking, using the restroom or touching
up makeup.
·
Do have a written agenda and keep the group on
track.
3. Small box containing Tootsies Rolls. Wrap and tie
with ribbon. Add a message such as "You are on a
roll" - "Thanks for keeping the ball rolling!" - Let us
get the ball rolling!"
4. Small gift bags/boxes containing packets of tea -tag
to read "You fit our company to a "T"!" - T-riffic!"
I am sure you can come up with better notes than then
ones I have listed above!
If lunch is out of your office premises, arriving early
gives you time to greet guest(s) and arrange for a table
if no reservations are made. Do make introductions in
the waiting area. Standing in clusters between dining
tables or glad-handing across the table is discouraged.
Do graciously accommodate an uninvited spouse or
guest. This is an awkward situation but you cannot very
well ask him/her to sit in the car and wait until the meal
is finished.
Doing lunch
· Be the first to order - it sets the pace. If time is limited ask the dining staff for a limited menu. Limit the
entrée choices to one meat, one fish, and one vegetarian pasta. Request that salads and a pre-selected
dessert be on the table before arrival.
·
Turn off the mobile phone. You should have given an
advance notice to junior staff;
·
Watch the table to see what needs serviced. Extra
breadbasket? More butter? Coffee carafe empty?
Guest ordered juice and it was not served? Guest
dropped napkin and cannot get the server's attention? Something remiss with the food? Resolve any
of these quietly with the waiter.
·
Make social conversation before meal is served.
This is the best time to get acquainted when food is
not taking guests' attention. It is a good time to
establish rapport and check the climate of the group.
When it's over, it is over
After the meal is finished, put your napkin to the left of
your place setting; stand up; push in the chair; and
leave the dining are. If the conversation is unfinished,
go to a waiting area or outside the building to continue.
An after-meal huddle around the table interferes with the
wait staff and blocks other diners.
Saying goodbye
When leaving, shake each person's hand, smile, look
him or her in the eye and say something positive - like
"You have some good ideas." "Thanks for your contributions." "It was great to see you again!" "It was pleasure to meet you." Remain with guest until then last one
leaves. If it is a dawdler or someone long-winded, suggest you walk together to guest's car. Otherwise, be
forthright. Say something like "Thanks for your time,
Chris; sorry to cut this short. I need to let you go so we
can both get on with our schedules."
Finally, we all know it - keep your elbows and forearms
off the table! No one will steal your food, so there is no
need to guard it. As for elbows, Mae West once put it
this way, "Keep all uncooked joints off the table".
Just remember it'll be special if you make it special!
Exciting Times at Our Food and Restaurant Desk
We Have Reserved all best surprises in this section for
our January issue when we bring you a selection of
some of the worlds top chefs; special recipes for the
busy executive and lots more.
Watch this space...
D ESTINATIONS
A TOUR ROUND SLOVAKIA WITH DEREK ANNOH
Summer, winter and an all year round healthy destination
f anyone asks me to sum up Slovakia, I would
say health and wellness. The country has so
many curative qualities that if you are one who
wants to live forever, you should be planning your
retirement life there. There are 1300 mineral
springs in Slovakia that are used both for healing
purposes and drinking water.
I
Let us start with Bratislava, the capital of the
Slovak Republic, on both banks of the Danube
River, on the foot of the small Carpathian
Mountains. With 500,000 inhabitants, Bratislava is
largest and most important town in Slovakia. It is
a city full of history. Notable cultural monuments
include the Bratislava castle, ruins of the Devin
castle, Cathedral of St. Martin, Academia
Istropolitana (the first Slovakian university
established in 1465), Villa Rustica, a Roman-
Germanic farmhouse from the 3rd century,
primate’s palace, the old town hall, and the
Grassalkovich presidential palace. Bratislava is
also a vibrant modern metropolis where nightlife
is active. For a typical European who likes fun,
Bratislava is ideal especially as the local beer
costs less than EUR 1 and mixed drinks of any
kind cost EUR 2 – 3.
Walking is ideal but the city has bus, tram and
trolleybus lines where last departures from their
terminal stops are at about 11:00 pm and start
running from about 4:20 a.m. Most daytime
connections, however, start before 5am. You will
be pleased to know that between 11pm and 5am
there are about 18 night services also available in
the city.
The country also has wine! The
little Carpathian wine route
stretches from the foot of Malé
Karpaty to Smolenice; the
beautiful wine making region of
Malokarpatsky. All the towns and
villages in the wine regions have
their own unique attractions.
In Modranska Majolika we get a
taste of Slovak pottery. Then
move on to Piestany and Rajecke
Teplice to experience the healing
powers of Slovakian spas. See
the cover story for Slovakian
spas.
Winter will finds us at the JASNA
resort right in the middle of
Slovakia; on the northern and
southern slopes of Chopok, the
second highest peak in the main
ridge of the Low Tatras. Here
surrounded by the wonderful
nature of Demanovska dolina,
you will be skiing and
snowboarding on the longest ski
tracks
in
Slovakia. The
Demanovska valley on the south
of Liptovsky Mikulas is another
ski terrain with two well known
caves – the Demanovska Ice
cave and the Demanovska cave
of liberty. See folk architecture in
Propylene and move on the
Vysoke Tatry – High Tatras for a
good hike. Tatranska Lomnica is a
recreational village creating a
good starting point for hikes in
the high Tatras. At Lomnicky
Peak, an aerial transport
connects Tatranska Lomnica and
the Lomnicky Peak to one of the
best Slovakian ski resorts.
We take a peak at the Vel’ka
Lomnica golf course before
heading to one of the biggest
attractions of Slovakia. Aquacity
Propad is a luxury resort with a
truly unique destination. There
are forests, mountains, caves,
lakes and glaciers to enjoy.
Aquacity also has a rich cultural
history, many monuments and
sites of historical importance to
explore. This is a place where
you can ski in the morning,
bathe outdoors in thermal
waters in the afternoon, maybe
fit in a massage, go horse riding
and then dine in splendour. You
can also add traditional
and innovative spa and
health treatments as well
as the thrills and spills of
paragliding, skiing, rafting,
rock climbing, or mountain
biking are at your
fingertips and, for the more
environmentally concerned.
It suits business or
pleasure, sunshine or snow. At
Aquacity visit Vital world and
take a dive into the blue
diamond pool with Ornate stone
carvings,
stained
glass
windows, beautiful sculptures
by local artists and floors and
walls covered in holographic
tiles known as life tiles, that live
Tipping
Generally 10-15% of bill in
restaurants
Taxi and hotel staff – round up
to tens (generally 10-20 koruns
(crown))
up to their reputation by changing
their appearance depending on
the angle at which they are
viewed, surround the most
intimate of the resort’s pools.
Other sites in Slovakia include
Levoca, a treasure of precious
historical monuments, Spis
Castle, Spisska Sobota an
interesting suburb of
Poprad, Spisska Kapitula,
the Spis Holy See, Spissky
Hrad, the Golf course Gray
Bear Tale, Banska Bystrica
a town famous for mining
and to end our journey, we
visit one of the four
thousand registered caves
in Slovakia, Dobsinska
Some Slovakian habits
• The purchasing power of the
people of Bratislava is the
highest in Slovakia.
• Breakfast is light
• Lunch is comparatively early
(between 11:00 and 13:00)
and it consists of two dishes,
soup and main dish.
• Dinner is served from 5pm
and it is substantial.
• At dinner aperitif is served
first
• Beer, wine or soft drinks are
drunk with the meal
l’adova jaskyna – Ice Cave. The
Ice cave was discovered in 1870
and opened to the public in
1872. The cave was the first in
Europe to be illuminated by
electricity. There are 145,000
cubic metres of ice there.
Every part of Slovakia has so
much to offer in the healthiest
way. A trip to Strecno castle can
send you on walks, thermal
baths, and many other sporting
activities and a ferry ride to
neighbouring towns the longest
Slovak Vah river. The region is
surrounded by winter and
summer entertainment. It has
thermal baths, aqua parks and
spas.
The High Tatras in Slovakia is a
part of Europe worth seeing.
The Tatras are the smallest
alpine mountains in Europe. The
Tatra mountains dominates the
northern part of Slovakia. The
Tatras are ideal for family
holidays at all levels. It is ideal
for skating, paragliding, bungee
jumping, horseback riding,
tennis, fishing and many other
sporting activities.
In winter, the nine ski-resorts
offer excellent downhill courses
and tracks with regularly
maintained ski slopes spanning
5 to 50km, for all age groups and
degrees of difficulties.
• Festive meals are often
accompanied by champagne
• Coffee or a glass of cognac is
taken after dessert.
Exchange rates by the National Bank of Slovakia as at 19.9.2005
Country
Code
Amount
Equivalent Rate in
Slovakian Korun
Australia
Canada
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
EMU
Estonia
Great Britain
IMF-SDR
Japan
Lithuania
Latvia
Hungary
Malta
Norway
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LUXURY TREATMENT WITH
CHAMPNEYS GOA AND INDUS TOURS
ndus Tours, tailor-made operator to India, has
teamed up Champneys, one of the largest
destination spa groups in the world, to offer some
of the most luxurious specialist spa holidays to
Goa with the launch of their new ‘Champneys
Goa’ brochure this month.
I
Packaged around 7 – 14 night spa breaks to
Champneys Goa, the new brochure has been
designed to offer customers the very best in travel
arrangements as well as the opportunity to
explore other areas of India in style through a
selection exclusive holiday extensions.
Located at the Raja Baga Beach in South Goa, with
swaying palms, pristine beach, azure waters and
pretty Portuguese influenced villages, the spa,
which is part of the Intercontinental Grand Resort,
blends a range of traditional European therapies
with the 5000 year old science of Ayurveda to give
guests the very best in spa treatments.
Yasin Zargar, Director, Indus Tours said: “We are
delighted to have teamed up with Champneys,
who are internationally recognised as one of the
leading pioneers of the spa industry.
By
combining their expertise, which has been in the
business of making people feel great for over 79
years, with our own in-depth knowledge of India,
we believe that have been able to complement the
ultimate spa experience with an equally
rejuvenating touring programme.
“Having been thoroughly pampered and
revitalized in Champneys Goa, customers will be
able to choose to continue their journey through
the delights of ‘North India’ – the Pink City of
Jaipur, World Heritage Site of Fatehpur Sikri, the
Taj Mahal and the Old City of Delhi - as well as
those of the South, with a stay in Kerala. Floating
on a Kettuvalam house boat through a network of
silent lagoons and relaxing in one of the world’s
top 25 escapes ‘Coconut Lagoon’, which is only
accessible by boat, are just a couple of examples
as to the tranquillity on offer.”
Ray Payne, Managing Director, Champneys added:
“ We launched Champneys Goa in 2004, and have
been looking for a travel partner who can provide
a service to Champneys Guests that mirrors the
personal service of Champneys, with Indus I
believe we have found such a partner, that shall
enhance the whole experience of an unbelievable
holiday in India”.
Available from October 2005, Champneys Goa
packages start from £1040/person for a 7 night
spa holiday, from £1980 for the ‘Champneys Goa
and Kerala’ and from £2470 for ‘Champneys Goa
and North India’.
Prices are based on 2 sharing and include
international economy flights, UK/India departures
taxes, visa services, welcome introduction, use of
Intercontinental Grand Spa resort and pool
facilities, Garden View Suite accommodation,
consultation in Champneys spa, breakfasts, fruit
basket and one hour Champneys treatment each
day inclusive of Champneys exercise, relaxation
and meditation.
www.industours.co.uk
www.champneys.com
Ayurveda literally means ‘the science of life’.
P LATFORM
NEW GADGETS ARRIVALS
New technology to warn you of any heart attack!
nly if we can see the signs of
a heart attack before it
happens. It appears that our
prayers have been answered.
Broomwell
HealthWatch
operates a 24/7 TeleMedical
Monitoring Service claim their
new ECG equipment can save
lives and avoids unnecessary
emergency hospitalization. It
provides instant diagnosis,
peace of mind and expert advice
at the end of a telephone. It also
means freedom especially for
those who travel or need to work
abroad. Usually, vital minutes
are lost because people do not
recognize the symptoms of a
heart attack and delay calling for
help.
constantly at the back of their
minds.
Sometimes
the
symptoms are deceptive. Vital
emergency
and
hospital
resources are often taken up by
patients who justifiably check
themselves into hospital fearing
that the symptoms they are
experiencing are the first signs
of another attack, only to
discover it is a false alarm.
For high-pressured business
people who have to carry on
their working lives the fear of a
second or third heart attack is
Patients who fail to get
themselves diagnosed risk
irreversible heart damage or
death. Arif Hasan a heart patient,
Arif Hasan (heart patient)
described the equipment as “An
angel watching over me”. As a
Surreybased
Sales
and
Marketing consultant Arif Hasan
spends much of his time in the
air, travelling the globe, meeting
clients and spending nights
alone in hotels. He was just
forty-nine when he suffered his
first heart attack. What shocked
him were the symptoms.
O
Arif’s symptoms were not what
he had heard or read about. “I
always thought it would be like
an elephant sitting on your
chest. But it was not like that at
all. All I felt was some chest
pain, muscle
pain
and
discomfort. I had no idea it was
a heart attack. “Fortunately I
was already in hospital at the
time, recovering from an
angioplasty.”
“I was just about to be allowed
to go home when it happened. I
was unsure whether it was
indigestion, a panic attack or
angina and I began to feel dizzy.”
Several months later after
making a full recovery, Arif found
himself about to jet off again for
business meetings abroad. His
fear was the likelihood of
another heart attack?
The pocket-sized ECG developed
by Broomwell HealthWatch in
Manchester, is said to have
assured him the peace of mind
he desperately required. With
his own personal ECG monitor
Arif is able to take his own
readings and send the
information down a telephone
line to a bureau in the United
Kingdom where a team of
cardiac specialists are able to
reassure him on his condition or
advise when he might need to
seek medical assistance.
pilot, adapting the same kind of
mobile ECGs used on airlines
and by ambulances in America
and elsewhere. He says “We
found there was an urgent need
for a service of this kind.”
Broomwell HealthWatch service
was launched by Joshua Rowe a
Joshua has a team of cardiac
specialists who staff the
Monitoring Service 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. The
technology is in England, and
has been widely acclaimed by
heart patients and health
specialists.
TOM TOM RESEARCH
Europeans can’t be without their Phones and City Guides…Along with sexy underwear and slippers, according to a new European survey
commissioned by TomTom
recent European-wide survey commissioned
by TomTom*, a personal and in-car navigation
solution provider, found that the mobile phone and
city g uides are th e first thing into the s uitcas e
whe n tr ave lling ab road. Over 69% and 58%
respectively, of Europeans were united in their
choice of their ‘essential’ items.
Italian Women Stay Tr ue to Form a s the most
Glamorous Women in E urope
Interestingly, the survey reveals that Italians and
Belgians are not the best suited when it comes to
packing for that all important holiday. O ver 17% of
Italians wou ld rather pack their s lippers
than sex y underwear, comp ared to 1 7%
of Belgians who would rath er opt to
imp ress their partner ov er making su re
that th ey have th e righ t footwear.
M en more org anised than women
A
It seems that when it comes to
personal grooming the Brits ( 18.6 %) ,
Du tch (1 6.7%) an d Italians (12 %) all
believ e in lookin g good for that weekend away ,
comp ared to ju st over 4% of Belgians who opted
for the more natural look.
Brits liv e up to their d rinking reputation
Brits are known as being fond of their tea, and it
seems that one out of ten Brits (11%) would not
leave home without their beloved teabags.
The Dutch pack ligh t
Apart from the essential items, the Dutch like to
pack light, preferring to take just their sunglasses
for trips abroad (45%).
* Survey was conducted by Lightspeed Research on behalf of TomTom
Although for men the last thing to go into their
suitcase are hair products, it seems that the
women are staying true to their reputation for
glamour, with over 12% opting for their hair care
products compared to the 6% of men!
Going against the stereotype that women are the
more organised of the sexes, it seems that the
men are the most likely to plan their trips.
Three out of five men (57%) said they would
pack a city guide, compared to less than
two out of four women. Showing the
women would prefer to play the weekend
by ear.
But now holiday makers can pack smartly
with TomTom MOBILE 5, which provides (city)
maps, Points of Interest (such as restaurants and
museums) and local information like the weather
(a TomTom PLUS service). So city-breakers can
now ensure that wherever they go, they can pack
right and light whether driving through the
fastpaced city of London or walking around the
beautiful cobbled streets of Rome. TomTom
MOBILE 5 will always direct you there effortlessly
and accurately.
Key Findings
Top results: What are the three main things you
would pack in your weekend page when going on
a European city break?
TomTom MOBILE 5, navigation for mobile phones,
TomTom GO range (300/500/700), is an in-car
solution.
TomTom MOBILE retails at the RRP of £299 and is
available at all major retailers or from
www.tomtom.com.
British
Mobile
54%
City Guide
45%
Local
currency
55%
Italians
Dutch
71%
77%
62%
40%
50%
68%
Belgian
73%
59%
58%
Navigator 5 is navigation for PDAs.
1. This survey was undertaken in May, 2005 by
Lightspeed research on a representative sample
of 1,000 respondents in each of the following
markets – UK, Italy, Netherlands and Belgium.
T-MOBILE
A UK FIRST! – T-MOBILE LAUNCHES THE MDA PRO
T
-Mobile is the first
operator to launch
the MDA Pro in the UK.
The fourth generation PDA
in the MDA line of
products.
It
brings
complete connectivity,
seamless secure access,
and total control. This gadget
contains a full specification PDA,
a quad-band mobile phone, a full
QWERTY keyboard and broadband Wi-Fi access – all in one
device. Advanced features
include video conferencing with
dual camera, supports new
Microsoft Windows MobileTM 5.0
software including Pocket Word,
Pocket Excel & Pocket Outlook.
I am so impressed with this ‘mini
do-it’ all equipment that I think it
is appropriate to give you a
sneak preview. Featuring
several connectivity options,
including 3G, GPRS and Wi-Fi,
this powerful “mini laptop” also
includes a clear 3.6” LCD
pivoting display, dual speakers
and full QWERTY keyboard. Its
•
•
•
unique pivoting communicator
enables the MDA Pro to double
as both a PDA and a notebook,
whilst the dual camera for video
telephony allows the user to
take high quality digital
photographs as well as 3G
video-conferencing.
•
•
resolution VGA screen and
full QWERTY keyboard
First mobile communications
device to integrate 3G,
WLAN, GPRS and UMTS
technology
Supports Microsoft Windows
MobileTM 5.0
Messaging: SMS, MMS, IM,
Email push service
Stereo Loudspeaker
Adjustable touch screen
which can be turned (swivel)
to create a PDA like
MDAIII/MDAII
We are aware of your need to be
kept informed of useful travel
‘gadgets’ as soon as they arrive
on the market and will be
covering new useful products as
and when they arrive on the
market. We will do this here and
in full in the Newsletters and
online. Watch this space.
Features :
• A mini laptop with high
Techn ical s pecification s include:
• Integrated video and music
players
• Bluetooth
• Dual camera
• Tri-band (900/1800/1900)
• MMC/SDIO Memory cards
• Advanced features
• Video conferencing with dual
camera
• Emails with attachment
• Edit and read Word and Excel
documents
• Dimensions (mm): 131.6(L) x
79(W) x 21.6 (T) mm / 5.18(L)
x 3.11(W) x 0.85(T) in
• Weight (g): 210g
• Battery Standby (h): up to
200 hrs, talk time (h): 3 ~ 5
hrs
• Specials: 3.6” VGA LCD,
WLAN 802.11b, IrDA FIR,
BlackBerry Push Email
• QWERTY Keyboard
• Dual Speakers
• Dual Receivers
• 3.5Ø Audio Jack
• Elegant Form Factor
•
•
•
•
•
•
a battery for the device,
a stereo headset,
a carrying case,
a spar stylus,
a battery charger
and a USB cable
What’s in the box?
• The device,
T-Mobile EXTENDS AVAILABILITY OF ITS DATA CARD WITH MOST COMPETITIVE TARIFFS IN THE UK
T
-Mobile announced the availability of its
latest data card at high-street stores
nationwide and online, and also announces four
new simple, clear and competitive tariffs for
anytime, anywhere access to information for
laptop users in the UK.
The T-Mobile data card (known as the
‘Multimedia Net Card’ GPRS/3G/Wi-Fi) is now
on sale at a range of retail outlets including
T-Mobile shops, Carphone-warehouse and
Dixons airport shops, as well as on-line at www.tmobile.co.uk.
The datacard, which was initially launched to
T-Mobile corporate customers in October 2004,
is ideal for customers who need access to email,
internet and company intranet sites from their
laptop, whilst on the move. T-Mobile’ s data card
provides users with access to T-Mobile’s 3G and
GPRS platforms, as well as the ability to connect
to the UK’ s largest network of Wi-Fi HotSpots for
users that subscribe to this service. For using the
data card outside the UK, T-Mobile boasts the
widest footprint of countries with GPRS access
among all the UK operators.
T-Mobile continues to lead the way in offering
affordable mobile access, with four tariffs
designed to suit different customer usage
patterns and their budget. Tariffs are
tailored to each type of user from the
low usage consumer to the high
volume daily access small business
user:
Simon Ainslie, T-Mobile UK Sales
Director, commented: “T-Mobile is
committed to simple, seamless
communications for everyone. The UK
communication and flexible access to
information. With these tariffs we are
offering more choice and increased
flexibility, whilst taking away the
common concern of high bills.”
The software installs automatically
and customers just need to plug in the
data card to their laptop. Customers
will then automatically be connected
to the fastest available network
whether that is T-Mobile’s GPRS or
3G. The card will also connect to Wi-Fi
HotSpots if the customer has an
account set up for this service.
T-Mobile has a unique, intelligent,
layered network comprising GSM for
voice and text, GPRS for small data
exchanges, 3G for high-speed
connections and Wi-Fi for complete
broadband access. The combination
of these networks gives users
complete national coverage with
GPRS, high-speed urban coverage
with 3G, and for subscribers, Wi-Fi
hotspots in over 750 locations in the
UK. T-Mobile customers have access
to around 13,000 hotspots worldwide.
population is becoming increasingly mobile and
demands access to information where they want
it, when they need it and how they want it, all at a
reasonable price.
“The T-Mobile datacard offers small businesses
cost and time savings, more efficient
3G Internet Starter
7MB
(per month)
£11
(per month)
3G Internet Medium
100MB
£22
3G Internet High
500MB
£44
3G Internet Power
1000MB
£77
The data card is sold separately with
prices from £29 to £179 (dependent
on tariff). 12, 18 and 24 month tariffs
are all available and is designed to
offer simple seamless connection, whereby the
user will remain connected whilst the datacard
searches automatically for the strongest network
connection. On a 3G network, the card enables
connection to the Internet at data speeds of up to
384kbps. Move into range of a T-Mobile HotSpot
or your home wireless network and the card
provides connection at speeds up to 54mbps. In
areas where 3G or Wi-Fi services are not available
the data card still enables reliable and secure data
connections over GPRS. All of which means that
users can be constantly in touch and in control,
wherever they are.
www.t-mobile.co.uk/hotspot
1Mb delivers approximately 200 text emails (100
words) or 30 emails with one page Word attachment
or 25 Internet pages (quantity varies by size).
VERBATIM 1GB STORE ‘N’ GO U3 SMART DRIVE
erbatim information storage
products, computer and
imaging consumables and
related accessories company
has announced the introduction
of its 1GB Store ‘n’ Go U3 Smart
Drive, the newest member of its
award-winning range of Store
‘n’ Go USB drives. Small enough
to carry in a pocket - it is about
the size of your thumb - this
revolutionary new smart drive
give users a new mobile
computing platform that allows
them to carry smart software
applications, PC settings, files
and personal preferences
wherever they go - and the
ability to access them on any
Windows (r) XP or 2000 PC. The
company is currently the only in
the world that designs, develops
V
and
manufactures
high
performance, high quality
CDRecordable, CD-Re-writable,
DVD-Recordable and DVDRewritable media products, a
complete family of 3.5 inch and
5.25 inch MO media. The range
also includes tapes, imaging
products, digital devices and
memory cards.
Based on the U3 (tm) smart drive
computing
platform
that
transforms USB flash drives
from simple storage devices to
USB smart drives the Verbatim
U3 Smart Drive will be available
from mid-October.
Easy to use, just plug the
Verbatim Store ‘n’ Go U3 Smart
Drive into a USB port on a PC
and the user can work on that
PC as if it was their own.
Portable applications can be
launched from the smart drive
without the necessity of
installing them. The result is that
users can work in a familiar
environment without leaving any
personal information or trace of
their visit behind. Everything
remains stored on the USB
smart drive.
U3 Chief Executive Officer Kate
Purmal commented, “The vision
behind the U3 smart drive is to
enable a computing experience on any PC computer - that is
private, personalised, protected
and portable. By basing its new
Store ‘n’ Go U3 Smart Drive on
the U3 platform, Verbatim
combines true freedom of
mobility with the quality and
reliability consumers expect
from th Verbatim brand.”
Simon Keighley, Verbatim
Product Manager added, “Built
on the U3 platform and capable
of supporting the wide range of
U3 smart software our Store ‘n’
GoU3 Smart Drive mobilises the
user’s personal workspace. They
can carry their emails,
applications, personal settings,
bookmarks, favourites, folders
and documents with them
wherever they go without
always having to carry a laptop,
or risk not having a needed
application on a borrowed PC.”
Verbatim’s new Smart Drive
comes with U3 Launchpad, an
intuitive interface that makes
accessing U3 smart software
and device features both fast
and easy. It also includes
McAfee anti-virus protection and
an advanced password security
system to prevent unauthorised
access to the device. Additional
smart software applications are
available free to Verbatim smart
drive owners registering at
www.verbatim-europe.com/U3.
An extensive library of U3 smart
applications ranging from
backup, email and photo
organisers to music players and
graphics applications can be
downloaded from www.u3.com
as well as directly from the Store
‘n’ Go U3 Launchpad.
Av ailab ility
Verbatim’s 1GB Store ‘n’ Go U3
Smart Drive will be av ailab le
from mid- Octob er. The Verbatim
package includes preloaded
McAfee anti-virus software,
advances password security
features, a safety lanyard,
personal identification labels
and a quick start guide. For
further information on this new
Store ‘n’ Go U3 Smart Drive and
other Verbatim storage solutions,
visit www.verbatimeurope.com
About U3
U3 LLC of Redwood City,
California, USA has developed
an innovative platform to make
U3 powered USB smart drives
that
host
a
“personal
workspace” – not only data and
files, but software programs,
personal user preferences and
the means for managing them.
U3 smart drives transform a PC
into a truly personalized
computer, quickly, easily and
securely, and exit transparently
when
done.
For
more
information see www.U3.com.
VODAFONE EXTENDS ITS TRAVEL PROMISE TO BUSINESS
F
roaming rates
understand.
Available free to business
customers from 1 September,
Vodafone
Passport
gives
exceptional value and makes
With Vodafone Passport, a
businessperson can use their
mobile abroad and only pay their
UK rate plus a one-off
connection fee of 75p to make a
call**. For example, making a
five minute call from Spain back
to the UK using their usual
rom today, businesses can
have greater confidence
when using their mobile abroad
with the introduction of
Vodafone Passport on all Perfect
Fit for Business tariffs*.
easier
to
inclusive minutes will cost just
75p compared with £3.75
previously (Vodafone World
rates).
Vodafone now has the most
extensive mobile community
across the world, providing
mobile
solutions
for
international companies and
great value to UK-based
businesses with:
• Innovative roaming voice
rates with Vodafone Passport
• An exclusive Vodafone data
tariff for 3G mobile connect
card users abroad
• A hire service that allows
customers
to
borrow
mobiles for international use
or for visiting clients and
colleagues
• An answering service that
puts your voicemail, e-mail
messages and faxes in one
in-box to make it easy to
collect when travelling
Mark Bond, Director of
Enterprise
Marketing
at
Vodafone UK, said: “Customers
told us that they wanted to use
their mobile abroad as if they
were back in the UK and not
worry about bill shock when
they returned. We understand
that being in touch 24/7 with
colleagues, having a good value
tariff and a clear idea of call
costs is of critical importance to
all businesses, whether at home
or abroad. Vodafone Passport
will help business travellers to
accomplish this and, for any
business with a subsidiary in a
Vodafone Passport country,
there is outstanding value to be
gained.”
Vodafone customer, Jamie
Collins, a Yachting Consultant for
UK Sails commented: “I travel
abroad about two or three times
a month. It’s critical for me to
keep in contact with new
business leads or to chase
suppliers when I’m out sailing.
We all use BlackBerrys to keep
in contact and although we’ve
made substantial savings with
our Sharetime tariff, we have
been wary of making long calls
when in Europe. I’m really
pleased Vodafone have listened
about the cost of calls when
you’re abroad.”
Vodafone Passport is part of
Vodafone’s Travel Promise to give
customers simplicity and better
value on roaming services.
• All prices are inclusive of VAT
where applicable. To activate,
Vodafone customers should
simply call 5555 from their
mobile or call their customer
service number.
• Vodafone
Passport
is
available on Vodafone
networks in the following
countries: Albania, Australia,
Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Republic of Ireland, Italy,
Japan,
Malta,
The
Netherlands, New Zealand,
Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
* Vodafone Passport is available on the following Perfect Fit
for Business price plans:
•
Businesstime 12 months
•
Sharetime 12 and 24 months
•
Business Caller 12 and 24 months
•
Company Caller 12 and 24 months
•
Commerical Caller 12 and 24 months
It is also available in France
and Monaco on the SFR
network, in Switzerland on
Swisscom and in Belgium on
Proximus.
• Incoming calls are charged
at the set-up fee of 75 pence.
If the call goes over 60
minutes, the remainder of
the call will cost 20 pence
per minute.
• Vodafone’s new Mobile
Connect Travel price plan
costs £50 a month and offers
great savings to those
customers looking to use
their Vodafone Mobile
Connect GPRS/3G data card
abroad. The offer includes
100MBs of data. Customers
must be on the Unlimited
(£45 per month) price plan to
take advantage of the Mobile
Connect Travel price plan.
• Vodafone Hire Services has
been designed for those who
don’t want the commitment
of a long-term contract.
Customers can hire a
handset or data solution,
including BlackBerrys or
data cards, to work in local
networks such as the USA,
Japan and South America.
Orders are confirmed within
an hour and devices can be
dispatched the same day.
** If the domestic price plan includes cheaper or inclusive
calls to mobiles or landlines within a business, these calls
will be charged at the standard Vodafone mobile to Vodafone
mobile call rate, plus connection charge. These calls are not
bundle eligible. Vodafone Passport applies to voice calls
made back to the United Kingdom or within the visited
country and excludes calls to other countries, premium rate
numbers and all data transfers (including text messages).
NEW SIM
CARD TO SAVE USERS ABROAD UP TO
new service launched to
save mobile phone users up
to 90% on their bills when they
use their phones abroad.
A
Currently most mobile phone
users pay vastly inflated rates to
receive calls as well as to make
calls while they are overseas.
However, GO-SIM claim they can
help them to beat exorbitant
roaming charges made by the
UK mobile phone networks and
save up to 90% on their bills,
making it the ideal choice for
money conscious holidaymakers
and business travellers.
The brainchild of international
communications
specialists
Hirefone,
GO-SIM
allows
overseas travellers to purchase
a pay as you go SIM card, which
will enable them to benefit from
local rate calls in their
destination country.
90%
GO-SIM claims it is a
straightforward
and
costeffective alternative to paying
unknown and often expensive
roaming charges. Customers can
choose from a single destination
or global roaming SIM card
depending on their travel
itinerary. All they need to do is
select a destination country and
order online. The GO-SIM local
country SIM will be delivered to
their door and they simply have to
swap over to the new card when
they arrive at their overseas
destination. Call costs can be
reduced by up to 90% and
travellers will receive free
incoming calls. GO-SIM even
provide a way for friends, family
and colleagues to save money
whenever they need to call the
new international mobile number.
If, however, a person intends to
travel to two or more countries,
Table of typical charges during 10 day trip to Spain–88.8% savings
SPAIN
Example Usage
Incoming
calls
Calls in
country
Calls to
UK
30 mins
10 mins
50 mins
Texts Total Cost
30
Using your UK
£1.20/min £1.20/min £1.20/min £0.40 £120.00
Mobile
Using go-sim card
Free
£0.13/min £0.25/min £0.16 £18.60
Savings with GO£36.00
£10.70
£47.50 £7.20 £101.40
SIM
Table of typical charges during 10 day trip to USA–88.9% savings
USA
Incoming
calls
Calls in
country
Calls to
UK
Example Usage
30 mins
10 mins
50 mins
Texts Total Cost
30
Using your UK
£1.40/min £1.40/min £1.00/min £0.40
Mobile
Using go-sim card
Free
£0.14/min £0.23/min £0.16
Savings with GOSIM
£42.00
£12.60
£118.00
£17.70
£38.50 £12.00 £100.30
ON BILLS
a GO-SIM global roaming SIM
card, will allow them to travel in
over 100 countries with one SIM
card, one international number
and one tariff.
Single destination and global
SIM cards are available from
www.go-sim.com. The SIM card
is delivered to the doorstep
before a trip abroad, so
travellers can give out their new
temporary number before they
leave the UK. Top up call credit
can be made at local outlets
during a trip abroad or with GOSIM online.
Managing Director of GO-SIM,
David Agar, believes the service
will make a real difference for
travellers. He says:
“Our research shows that many
mobile phone users have a nasty
surprise when they get their
mobile bill following an overseas
trip. This is largely because of
the exorbitant roaming charges
made by their mobile network.
“Not only do the networks
charge disproportionately highly
for outgoing calls, but a
customer can expect to pay up
to £1.80 just to receive a call.
With GO-SIM it’s nearly always
free!
“More and more people are
travelling abroad with their
mobiles and they expect to be
able to keep in touch just like
they would at home. GO-SIM
means they can do just that,
making and receiving calls safe
in the knowledge that there will
be no shocking bill waiting for
them at home.”
www.go-sim.com
T RA VEL G OODS
TECH AIR’S 2005 RANGE - BAGS OF STYLE, FEATURES AND PROTECTION
nce again we bring laptop users across the
land a new concept of travelling with
equipment. Tech air, The Computer Luggage
Company’s latest range of laptop bags. Designer
touch, total protection and great features make
these bags the ones to be seen with in 2005.
O
more than one size of laptop allowing you to blind
buy or upgrade easily.
No range of tech air bags would hit the streets
(literally!) without TechAir® Protection Technology
- a clever and completely unique piece of design
that lovingly wraps your laptop in air cells to
disperse the impact if dropped - guaranteed to
leave your notebook in perfect working order.
Apart from absolute equipment protection;
a necessity if your travel frequently with
laptops, these bags come with a
subscription to i-TRAK(tm). Should
you lose your laptop bag, the iTRAK(tm) system provides a unique
identification code for both bag and
laptop, so anyone who finds the
luggage can immediately inform ITRAK who will then send the you a SMS
of its location, significantly increasing the
chance of finding its way back to you. Other
features of the new range include Skinn™; which
are available with Series 5 bags and above removable and organizers to personalize your bag
for any occasion.
Andrew Royle, tech air Commercial &
Marketing Director says “This latest
range of bags is our best yet.
After a decade in the business
we feel we now have a
complete understanding of our
customers needs. They want a
laptop bag that looks great, offers unrivalled
protection, has features that make life easier and,
in the case of i-TRAK(tm), vastly improves the
chances of being reunited with a lost bag.”
The Organizer Skinn™ have Active Sleeve(tm) and
an adjustable laptop compartment with the
patented techair® protection which can adapt to
www.techair.co.uk
The complete tech air range are available across
Europe from major retailers such as PC World,
Dixons, and from many other outlets today.
BOOKS
M. MICHAEL BRADY’S LIVING AND WORKING IN NORWAY
THE NEW GUIDE THAT SHOWS YOU HOW TO START STRONG AND LIVE LONG IN NORWAY
have read so
many ‘how to’
books so I tend
to place any
cover I see in
this category in
the same basket. Something else drew my
attention to Michael Brady’s
Liv ing & W orkin g in Norway. It is
comprehensive. With 48 chapters
starting from how to use the
book itself and through to arrival,
banking, the essential money
matters, warning you of crime
and how to handle to travel and
transport - it absolutely fool proof
A-Z of guides. Above all the book
is bilingual Norwegian/English
throughout, explaining common
abbreviations and the difference
between British and American
English.
I
With the United Nations
Development
Programme’s
Human Development Report
(HDR) now ranking Norway as
the best country in which to live
by the 2005 for the fifth year
running, a guide like this is
necessary to help anyone
wishing to go there to face the
many
challenges
and
increasingly
multicultural
population can face and adapt to
an ever more urban country,
made wealthy by offshore oil.
According to the Michael Brady’s
publicists, Living & Working in
Norway by M. Michael Brady
more than 500 new residents
from
other
countries were
interviewed
about
their
relocation
experiences,
offering firsth a n d
knowledge and solutions to
problems or situations they
faced. I am not surprised
because book is very useful it
has covered almost every topic
you will need answers to when
planning to move anywhere.
Reflecting the country as recent
arrivals find it, Living & Working
in Norway offers comprehensive
and practical advice for new
residents or long-term visitors. It
covers all you need to know
about day-today personal and
employment affairs, as well as
holiday entertainment and
sightseeing.
This invaluable handbook covers more than 850 topics in
48 chapters and features a
checklist of what you should do
before you arrive, and an A to Z
of living in Norway which
includes:
• Arriving and settling
• Banking, insurance and
money matters
• Cars, roads and traffic
• Character, customs and
country
• Clothing, footwear and
fashion
• Education and research
• Food and eating
• Government, administration
and public services
• Healthcare and social
security
• Housing
• Law, lawyers and courts
• Museums, exhibitions and
festivals
• Pets and animals
• Retirement
• Sport and leisure
• Travel and transport
Also included is an index in
Norwegian to enable readers to
find explanations of topics first
encountered by hearing or
reading their names in the
native language.
M. Michael Brady himself has
lived and worked in Norway for
years. He has written and
translated more than 20 books
and nearly 1000 magazine and
newspaper
articles
on
Norwegian themes. He has been
the Norwegian correspondent
for
Scanorama,
the
Scandinavian Airlines inflight
magazine, and has written
books and edited magazines on
cross-country skiing. Michael is
also a member of the Norwegian
Writers
and
Translators
Association.
Liv ing and Workin g in Norway
was published in September by
Ho w To Bo oks Ltd . and is
available at £16.99 in major
bookshops and online retailers
across the country.
T IME FOR S PORTS
KEVILL DAVIES PRESENTS HIS 2-BALL GOLF™
wrote the rules to a game
devised in Durham in 1975
and then left for Spain in
2002. Since coming to
Spain, I have been trying to find land, close to a
beach, to build the world’s first course. Once built,
the next step would be to try and franchise the
concept around the world, seeking partners in each
country. However, I have been totally frustrated with
this – caused by a mixture of the Spanish love affair
with building apartments and hotels on the playas,
and their preference to ignore all things foreign.
In January 2005, I have decided on a change of
strategy, and chose to make a garden/ office set
for people to play at home, in the park, anywhere,
in fact where you can put a golf ball. This will
ready to be in the shops before Christmas 2005.
The basic rules of the game will be in the public
domain hence the 2-Ball Golf has become the
definitive name of the game. The name of the
game is protected in the US Patent Office and we
would actively seek partners around the world to
build the game in their own countries.
The Game
What do the names mini, miniature, and crazy golf,
mean to you? Is it a fun game for children on
holiday with a rather tawdry course using
gimmicky holes? In the States, they tend to be
better but the idea is still the same. For me, the
format is stale and dated. People and children
want something more; hence the 2-Ball Golf. The
2-Ball Golf is a game that breaks the mould. It is a
game with a blend of skill and strategy that will
appeal to all; young and old, boys and girls, golfers
and non golfers alike. The basic difference
between the two games is that in 2-Ball Golf, you
play an opponent and not the course.
For two players, each plays 2 balls to begin. The
object is, first, to “hole” ones own balls and then
any of your opponents still available. A truly simple
concept (to be found in other games), but offering
much scope for skill. Of course, it’s not quite as
I
simple as that. There is only one rule in the playing
of the game, that after a shot, the ball should finish
closer to the hole. The others rules are
“administrative”. The holes would be designed to
bring out the finer points of the game and I have
spent much time thinking about this aspect.
Th e Course
A full course would be of 12 holes and a game
would take about one hour to play. The holes would
be like proper golf greens, artificial or natural grass,
but much smaller and definitely without boarding.
Good access for wheelchairs will be included.
The course would be in a garden setting of flower
beds and trees with ponds and running water.
However, there is no need to build a full course to
enjoy the game. A hotel with little land, for
instance, that wanted to take advantage of the
worldwide interest in golf, yet felt that mini golf
was a bit downmarket, could install a 2-Ball Golf
course with 3 or 4 holes.
I would like to mention here a point about
youngsters and golf. It’s difficult to start golf at a
young age unless your parents are club members.
Mini golf, offers no real lead into golf proper. 2-Ball
Golf, however, will offer an easy introduction to the
skill of putting, an important aspect of true golf.
Golf today, is a worldwide phenomenon. The game
itself has some drawbacks in that it takes up most
of the day, and remains expensive and at times
exclusive, wherever you are. Many people do not,
therefore, have access to the real game. At the
other end of the scale, mini golf is simply an
amusement using gimmicky holes. 2-Ball Golf fills
the void. The course can be the same scale as a
mini golf, but the completely new concept of 2-Ball
golf, introducing skill and strategy, adds to the
enjoyment and satisfaction. The putting skills
needed are a good introduction to the game of golf
proper. Get the feel for 2-Ball Golf. Look out for the
garden set in the shops this Autumn.
Write to Kevill Davies at
[email protected]
RUGBY
IN
BERMUDA
TOUCH DOWN IN BERMUDA THIS NOVEMBER TO CHEER ON THE CLASSIC LIONS
f you’ve been disappointed by
the British Lions’ performance
in New Zealand and would like
to see a real spectacle of sport
then why not leave the cold
climes of the UK behind and
head to Bermuda to see the
Classic Lions Team in action in
the 2005 World Rugby Classic?
I
From the 6-12 November the
paradise Island of Bermuda will
welcome some of the world’s
top former international rugby
players to its shores for what is
set to be a thrilling week of topclass action. With its unique mix
of world-class rugby and old
school camaraderie, the World
Rugby Classic, which takes
place on Bermuda’s shores each
year, never fails to impress
rugby followers from across the
globe.
Africa, will be back in Bermuda
this year trying to keep their
hands on the highly sought after
crystal trophy, whilst hopefuls
from countries as far flung as
the British Isles, New Zealand,
France and Argentina amongst
other countries will fight against
them for this elusive prize! With
South Africa’s line up for this
year including the likes of Joost
ven der Westhuizen, Naka
Drotske, Mark Andrews and
Rassie Erasmus it seems that
the defending champions may
be difficult to beat.
Kicking off with a traditional
Bermudian street party on
Saturday 6 November, the World
Rugby Classic is an opportunity
for sports fans to not only watch
the action on the pitch but also
catch up with the players at one
of the many events that take
place in Bermuda during the
competition. With this year’s line
up once again featuring a host of
well-known names from all
corners of the world, rugby fans
will delight in swapping stories
and taking tips from some of the
planet’s best players.
However, the UK’s very own
Classic Lions Team will be
putting their best team forward
with a host of world-class
British players including former
England star Jason Leonard, exWelsh
International
Allen
Bateman, former Scotland and
Wasps International Kenny
Logan, England and London Irish
favourite Chris Sheasby and the
former Scottish International
and Melrose Rugby Club Captain
Craig Chalmers amongst others.
And if you thought that rugby
was only for men, then think
again as this year’s tournament
will also see some of Britain’s
top female rugby players
compete in what is set to be a
tightly fought international
match between the British Isles
and the United States.
The defending champions, South
However, if rugby isn’t your cup
of tea, then Bermuda has plenty
of other activities to keep
visitors
fully
entertained.
Whether you would prefer to
practice your swing on one of
the island’s eight immaculate
golf courses, discover the
underwater treasures on a
scuba diving adventure, relax
and rejuvenate in one of the
designer spas or just take it easy
on the pink sand beaches, one
visit to Bermuda and you’re sure
to be converted! With all this set
amongst beautiful colonial
architecture, Bermuda boasts a
unique period charm which
never fails to enchant its
visitors.
Harlequin Holidays are currently
offering seven night stays at the
Fairmont Hamilton Princess over
this year’s World Rugby Classic
for just £1208 per person. Price
includes
seven
nights
accommodation in a Fairmont
Room on a room only basis,
return British Airways flights
from London Gatwick to
Bermuda and a one day pass to
the Classic Club, a players and
patrons facility located on the
touchline that serves excellent
food and wine and enables you
to mingle with some of biggest
names in rugby.
www.harlequinholidays.com
www.worldrugby.bm
www.bermudatourism.com
A new interactive website
JUST DON’T ASK IT TO CARRY YOUR BAG
irtual Caddy Ltd.
announced the launch
of
their
website,
virtualcaddy.com. The
new venture promises to become one of the
premiere resources for golfers around the world,
particularly those that have an interest in courses
across the UK and Ireland. Golfers of every ability
will now be able to benefit from the site’s online
guides to some of the most well known courses in
the world – Wentworth – host to this week’s BMW
Championship being one of them.
V
Virtual Caddy offers a multimedia, hole-by-hole
breakdown to more than 100 of the best-loved
golf clubs in the UK and Ireland, benefiting from
strategic advice laid down by the person who
knows the course best, the Club Professional. The
site uses a mixture of integrated graphics and
narrated tips, helping users to visualise their
selected course, whilst being directed through
each hole on a shot by shot basis.
Using an interactive menu, users will be able to
see low level aerial photographs of each hole with
views from tee to green. Once a hole is selected,
an audio tour is brought to life with animated
graphics
used
to
highlight the line, the
hazards and other key
points
of
interest.
Additional options such
as ‘Local Knowledge’
provide
tips
and
information that would
only be known by regular
users of the course.
“Virtual Caddy is the
perfect resource for
golfers who want to have
an added edge to their
game, particularly when
playing a course for the
first time,” said Jim
Martin, CEO of Virtual
Caddy Ltd. “No professional would ever consider
playing a course without walking through it first
and now the amateurs can benefit from the same
virtual experience. This site will do everything that
the very best caddy does – except for carry your
bag for you – and whether you want to search out
a new course to play, improve your game, or just
enjoy experiencing the aesthetic qualities of
beautiful golf courses, Virtual Caddy will appeal to
any golfer who has a genuine love for the game.”
The site has now gone live, just days before the
BMW Championship at the Wentworth Club, one of
the many Eur opean Tou r ven ues to featured on
the website. Users can log on now to get a taste
of the action from a pro’s point of view. Bernard
Gallacher, MBE, former Club Professional at
Wentworth and Ryder Cup Captain, will be waiting
online to run through the course and help users
gain a better understanding – the perfect
preparation for a bit of armchair golf ahead of the
forthcoming television coverage.
www.virtualcaddy.co.uk
THE BLACK STORK VEL’KA LOMNICA
GOLF COURSE, SLOVAKIA
e had to include the Black Stork in our golf collection because
of its history.
W
Golf began in this part of Slovakia in 1906, with the first 9 hole golf
course in the Hungarian part of the Austro-Hungarian empire
located in Tatranska Lomnica. Many competitions took place there
and the course operated until late 1940s. The sport was later left to
go stale because the new government disliked the ‘western’ sport
and was revived after the velvet revolution at the beginning of 1990.
The Black Stork has evolved since then and in 1999 the first driving
range in the High Tatra was opened. A year later, the third golf
course with a natural 9 hole PAR 34 was opened. An 18 hole course
was opened this year and a 27 hole championship golf course is
expected to open next year.
In addition to golf, the Black Stork has other outdoor activities like a
driving range, golf academy, putting green, chipping green,
children’s play area, horse riding, running tracks, skating rink and
cross country skiing.
Golf for beginners starts at the age of five.
www.blackstork.sk
VILA SOL SPA & GOLF RESORT APPOINTS GOLF PRO
PETER LESTER FOR ITS NEW-LOOK GOLF ACADEMY
Professional Peter
Lester, 42, has been
appointed as resident Golf
Professional responsible for the
newly-refurbished Golf Academy
in the 5* Vila Sol Spa & Golf
Resort in Vilamoura, Algarve.
PGA
Peter comes to Vila Sol straight
from Hotel Quinta do Lago where
he has been Resident Golf
Professional for two years. His
goals at Vila Sol are to develop
the academy to be the best in
the country, attract more local
people, help golfers fine tune
their game and to create and run
the premier junior golf school in
the Algarve.
The setting in which to achieve
those goals could not be better.
The new-look Golf Academy is in
the grounds of the 5* hotel, just
100m from the main reception
and 300 metres from the
Clubhouse, behind the 17th and
18th of a 27-hole Championship
course which has twice hosted
the Portuguese Open.
The modern wooden building set
amongst the pines has its own
reception run by Golf Academy
secretary Fernanda Mendes and
is
fully
equipped
with
computers,
state-of-the-art
recording equipment and swing
analysers. There are also special
practice areas, a large driving
range, two putting greens, two
bunkers and a choice of tees.
Peter Lester and Vila Sol’s other
resident golf pro, Roel Gritter
can between them give lessons
in English, Portuguese, Swedish,
German or Dutch.
Peter says: “Tuition weeks are
specifically designed to improve
every aspect of the game
regardless of whether you are a
beginner or a professional. First
time golfers will be introduced
to the rules and theory and learn
all the skills culminating in nine
holes on the last day. The more
experienced player can choose
three and five day packages
which will iron out all faults and
include several rounds with the
golf pros.”
Peter has already started a
junior golf academy where
children from local Portuguese
and international schools are
encouraged to play regularly
each week whether their
parents play a round at the same
time or not. Holidaying golfing
families are enthusiastically
welcomed. He is also hoping his
custom-fitting skills and good
association with the “PING”
brand will be utilised by those
golfers looking for equipment
that’s tailor-made.
Peter, originally from Scunthorpe
in England, turned professional
in 1978, after a number of years
as a successful junior amateur.
The early part of his career was
taken up with building a
reputation as a player, both in
the UK and in Europe.
Today he is a real expert on all of
the courses in the Algarve and is
well known and respected
locally.
In 1980 he won his first of many
professional tournaments, the
Northern
Assistant’s
PGA
Championship.
After
successfully completing his PGA
training in the UK, Peter moved
to Sweden in 1986. Peter was
the head professional at Rya
Golf Klubb in Helsingborg from
1992-2002 before choosing to
make the Algarve his home.
Golf Director Sean Corte-Real
says: “We are privileged that
Peter has decided to join the Vila
Sol golf team. I have no doubt
that his enthusiasm and talent
for the game will be a winning
formula for all golfers at Vila
Sol.”
www.vilasol.pt
Sports
SPORTS NEWS
P ortu gal’s Pres ident O pens New Golf Cour se
N ear Lisbon
Portugal’s President, Mr. Jorge Sampaio,
was the guest of honour at the official
opening of the new CampoReal Golf Course
near Lisbon on the 10th September 2005.
The 18-hole, par 72 championship course is
part of the 197 acre CampoReal (Royal
Meadows) resort, located in the rural Oeste
region, on Portugal’s Atlantic seaboard.
Occupying land formerly used by the
Portuguese royal family as hunting ground,
the CampoReal golf course enhances the
already impressive leisure facilities at the
complex, which include a state-of-the art
Equestrian Centre, three restaurants, two
bars, a conference centre, health club, spa, a
stunning outdoor swimming pool as well as
Portugal’s first five star Westin Hotel and
Spa, which will be opened officially in 2007.
For further information on the CampoReal
Resort visit www.camporeal.pt.
Th e Algarve’ s Golf Cours es
Soar In P opularity
The Algarve is heaven on earth for golf lovers
across the globe and this year even more
people have discovered Portugal’s golfing
paradise with record numbers of people
practicing their swing on the Algarve’s world
famous courses. Indeed, figures recently
released by the Association of Algarve Golf
Courses show that the number of people
visiting the Algarve golf courses has
increased by 2.1% year on year. The summer
months of June and July have been the most
popular time to hit the greens with the
numbers of people playing golf in the
Algarve up 15% and 14.5% respectively year
on year. Furthermore, with the 2005 Algarve
World Cup in Portugal taking place at the
new Victoria Course in Vilamoura this
November, the popularity of golf in Portugal
is set to continue to increase in 2006.
For further information on Portugal visit
www.visitportugal.com
News Desk
Airport News
Belfast
International
Airport
VISITORS flying into the Belfast
International Airport will now receive an
extra special welcome thanks to the opening of a new tourist information centre
(TIC) run by Belfast Visitor &
Convention Bureau (BVCB) and funded
in partnership with the Northern Ireland
Tourist Board, EU Programme For Peace
and Reconciliation, Belfast City Council,
Antrim Borough Council, Regional
Tourism Organisations, and Translink.
Opened as a pilot project last June, the
facility is designed to assist visitors as soon
as they step off the plane. Due to the dramatic increase in air access and the subsequent demand from those looking for visitor information, the TIC has now been
expanded and increased its opening hours.
BVCB Chairman, Ciaran Rogan is delighted that the need for such a facility has arisen. During the official opening today, he
said;
“It is very encouraging that the volume of
international traffic into Belfast is such that
there is a real need for visitor servicing in
the airport. The increase in air access over
the past two years and our aggressive marketing of Belfast as a vibrant, exciting destination for both business and leisure visitors, has contributed to the continued rise
in people coming into Belfast, with one
million overnight stays in Belfast in 2004.
“We envisage that with the joint investment in this facility of £420,000 planned
over the next three years, the airport TIC,
like the Welcome Centre in Belfast city
centre, will become a major sales point for
Belfast and Northern Ireland. As a pilot
project, the new tourist information centre
has been very successful, servicing 53,000
enquiries in the first year of operation
alone with an increase in visitor enquiries
of up to 15% since this time last year.
Our aim is to be servicing 70,000 enquiries
within the first full financial year of opera-
tion,” he added.
NITB Chairman Tom McGrath believes
the new TIC will open a gateway for
tourists to the whole of Northern Ireland.
“Visitors cannot fail to be impressed by
this facility which brings the total number
of TICs in Northern Ireland to 29. Placed
in such a prime location, it will make a
valuable contribution to the TIC network.
Staff can book accommodation and tours,
provide information on transport and
advise on what’s on where. In so doing the
TIC will play its part in growing tourism
revenue right across Northern Ireland”.
Albert Harrison, Managing Director of
BIA said;
“Services at BIA have expanded dramatically over the last 18 months. Not only do
we have an excellent network of services
covering the UK but also a vastly improved
range of international and European scheduled services, enabling us to be an alternative gateway to Dublin. With up to 5 million passengers travelling through the airport this year the new Airport TIC certainly adds to the overall improvements we
have made recently. We are delighted to
work in partnership with BVCB and NITB
in ensuring that the first impressions for
any passengers arriving into Northern
Ireland are welcoming and positive.”
BVCB is a partnership organisation funded
by Belfast City Council and the EU
ABOVE Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau Chairman Ciaran
Rogan and NITB Chairman Tom McGrath welcomed by Centre
Supervisor Lisa D’Arcy.
Programme for Peace and Reconciliation
administered by the Northern Ireland
Tourist Board and sponsored by Diageo
NI.
The new Tourist Information Centre is
open Monday to Saturday 8am to 8pm and
Sunday 8am to 6pm.
BELOW Centre Supervisor Lisa D’Arcy, NITB Chairman
Tom McGrath and Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau
Chairman Ciaran Rogan
FAL
Aviation UK
Strengthens
Lydd Airport’s
Position
As The Gateway To London, South East
England And Europe
Exciting plans to turn Lydd Airport, in
Kent, into one of the most modern airports
in the UK have come a step closer with the
launch of FAL Aviation UK
Dignitaries, politicians and business leaders gathered at the airport last for a
Champagne reception to herald FAL
Aviation’s arrival. The company will provide handling services – including state-ofthe-art ground equipment, fuel, landing
and parking services, as well as exclusive
use of a new VIP lounge - for corporate,
business and private aviation clients who
own or charter small jets.
The Mayor of Le Touquet, France,
Monsieur Leonce Deprez who was among
the guests enjoyed Champagne and
canapés before being offered a tour of the
new facilities. They were then invited outside the terminal to watch Air Marshal
Clifford Spink, chairman of Lydd Airport,
perform a stunning series of aerobatic
manoeuvres in a World War II Corsair aircraft.
Zaher Deir, managing director at Lydd
Airport, said the opening of FAL Aviation
was an important landmark in the development of the airport and marked the completion of £400,000 of work to upgrade
the existing terminal.
An additional £2 million has been spent
refurbishing the main maintenance hangar,
creating and refurbishing the VIP terminal,
as well as new departure and arrival facilities for commercial traffic, establishing
offices for Immigration, Customs and
other authorities, and buying ground
equipment to enhance the handling of
incoming and outgoing traffic.
Plans are well under way to develop Lydd,
which has rebranded itself as London
Ashford Airport, as a modern regional airport capable of handling up to two million
passengers a year by 2014.
More than £7 million has already been
spent on resurfacing and strengthening the
runway, upgrading instrument landing systems, improving the fire and emergency
services capability and creating an aircraft
parking apron covering a 13 acre site.
Further work will involve designing and
building a new terminal building and an
extended runway, subject to planning permission. The airport owners have also
unveiled detailed proposals to build a luxury 75-bedroom hotel on the adjoining
golf course.
Lydd Airport is situated 10 miles south of
Ashford in Kent. After exiting the M20 at
Junction 10 and joining the A2070 southbound, the airport is well signposted. The
motorway to terminal journey time is 20
minutes. London to Lydd Airport takes 1
hour 20 minutes by car.
www.lydd-airport.co.uk.
[email protected]
place it is easy to see how the DLR will integrate into the Airport terminal.
“With just five months to go to the launch,
we are counting down to the long awaited
arrival of the UK’s most frequent airport
rail link with trains every seven minutes.
The launch of the DLR is good news, as we
believe that Airport passengers both new
and existing will take full advantage of the
22 minute journey to Bank.”
The London City Airport Extension starts
from the existing DLR south of the
Canning Town Station running on the
south side of Silvertown Way and North
Woolwich Road before approaching the
Airport via Hartmann Road, and extending to King George V in North Woolwich.
In total there will be four new additional
stations; West Silvertown, Pontoon Dock,
London City Airport and King George V .
“With work now underway on the
Woolwich Extension, running under the
Thames from King George V Station, the
Airport’s position will be further enhanced.
This extension opens up our catchment
area, providing fast and frequent connections to the Airport for people in South
East London and Kent.“ concludes Mr
Gooding.
The DLR
Lands At
London
A New Airport
For A New Era
In Air Travel
City Airport
A DLR train ‘took off ’ on the new London
City Airport DLR Extension in August.
London City Airport is delighted to be
adding Canary Wharf and Bank to its list
of destinations. The trial trains currently
operating on the line form the commissioning phase, which evaluates the operating system. The official launch date is
Thursday 15 December 2005.
Richard Gooding, Managing Director of
London City Airport is very pleased with the
construction progress and is looking forward
to seeing the missing transport link in place,
putting the Airport firmly on the public
transport map: “The Airport Extension has
now really taken shape, with the structure of
the London City Airport Station now in
When the world’s largest passenger aircraft arrives at the world’s busiest international airport next year, it will pull
up to a brand new state-of-the-art
building designed specifically to meet
the needs of the A380.
The first complete gate room at Pier 6
unveiled was unveiled in September. It is
one of four gate rooms that will makeup the new 280 metre long glass-fronted
building and represents a significant
step forward in the ongoing transformation of BAA Heathrow.
Robert Swan, BAA Heathrow’s Major
Projects Director commented: “Today’s
unveiling of a completed gate room
demonstrates Heathrow’s readiness for the
A380, as well as its commitment to
meeting the demands of a 21st Century
airport. Whilst significant investment
is being made in T5, we have been spend-
News Desk Airport News
ing £300m per year on improving the rest
of the airport and Pier 6 is a perfect illustration of this investment.
Swan continued: “The A380 represents a new dawn in aviation history and
Heathrow is spending £450m to
ensure we are ready for it. We know that
people will be very excited about
their journey when they arrive at
Heathrow and we’ve built a brand new
building, known as Pier 6, that will take
them to the aircraft, offering spectacular
views of the runway and the aircraft itself.
“The investment we are making underscores the importance of the A380 to the
future of Heathrow.
It is the most
exciting development in aviation for over
30 years and will allow us to make more
efficient use of both our busy runways.”
Heathrow will be one of the first airports in
the world ready for the A380. Runways
have been widened, taxiways have been
moved, new baggage belts have been
installed and lights repositioned. Two
dedicated stands at Terminal 4 are also
being built and some of the stands at
Terminal 5 will be able to accommodate
larger generation aircraft.
Smarter Parking Could
Save Uk
Business 14
Million Man
Hours Per
Year
Airport parking specialist purpleparking,
claims to save busy UK business travellers
who wish to take their car to the airport up
to an hour each way up to 14 million man
hours annually with its Chauffeur meet
and greet service at Heathrow.
The purpleparking chauffeurs are briefed
with the client name and car registration,
make, colour and model details so they can
identify the car and the client automatically as the traveller arrives outside the terminal. The traveller is then given a vehicle
receipt with the return instructions and can
walk directly into the terminal building.
On returning, the traveller makes a quick
free phone call to confirm their arrival,
while they are reclaiming their baggage. A
uniformed chauffeur will return the car
back to the traveller, where they dropped it
off, outside the terminal building.
Steve Waller, Sales & Marketing Director
at purpleparking, explains,”Our premium
service has always attracted business travellers because it offers one of the most
secure and convenient ways to park at the
airport. Our corporate clients have also
recognised that the time-saving advantages
of our service are significant which when
every second counts is crucial”.
Chauffeur Meet & Greet parking is currently
available from Heathrow, Gatwick,
Manchester, Stansted and Edinburgh airports.
Nationwide petrol station guide
Have you ever returned from holiday,
picked up your car at the airport and
noticed the petrol gauge is on the red? If
so, you are not alone and to help travellers
like you, purpleparking, the airport parking specialist, has launched a petrol station
guide on their website. This guide includes
the location of the nearest petrol station to
your airport as well as details of opening
times and brand of petrol.
Steve Waller, Sales & Marketing Director at
purpleparking, said, “Our experience shows
that 1 in 20 cars are low on petrol when
parked at the airport. Understandably filling up on the way to the airport is probably
the last thing on a traveller’s mind. We also
appreciate that passengers may not use an
airport regularly and therefore may be
unsure about local facilities. Our petrol station guide has been created to assist our
parking customers across the UK by providing additional and valuable information at
the touch of a button.”
Deaf Alerter
now installed
at Belfast City
Airport
Belfast City Airport (BCA) is the second
major airport in the UK to install Deaf
Alerter®, the market leading radio-based
fire alarm warning and messaging system
for deaf and hard of hearing passengers
and staff. The aim of the introduction of
Deaf Alerter is to improve BCA facilities in
compliance
with
the
Disability
Discrimination Act (enforced October
2004) by providing equal access, and to
enhance the travel experience BCA deaf or
hard of hearing passengers receive.
A hearing person in the airport relies on
the audible alarms for fire alarm or emergency warnings, however deaf and hard of
hearing people are excluded from these
vital announcements as it is a facility not
accessible to them. The Deaf Alerter system overcomes this barrier by means of a
small hand-held device known as an
Alerter. Passengers can borrow an Alerter
free of charge from the information desk,
at which point an instruction card will be
provided; and those passengers who own
their own Alerter will need to register it
with the information desk.
The Deaf Alerter system comprises of a
VHF radio transmitter and aerial which is
permanently connected to the airport’s
existing fire alarm system. This responds
instantly to an alarm and each Alerter in
use receives simultaneous signal activation,
vibrating and flashing to attract the Alerter
wearer’s attention. This will continue
until the Alerter user is safely out of the
building.
To use the guide simply go to the purpleparking website homepage and click on
the ‘these Airports offer Park & Ride and
Meet & Greet’ button at the bottom of the
page. On the next page the airports are listed in a column on the left-hand side of the
screen so click on the airport required
which take you through to a page dedicated to that airport car park. Here you can
find the name, address and opening hours
of the nearest petrol station.
Although life safety is the key purpose and
priority of Deaf Alerter it has another great
unique feature called Message Manager™,
which provides access to audible public
address announcements. Deaf Alerter’s
Message Manager has an automated link to
the flight information system; when a message is broadcast audibly the same message
is sent via the Alerter, for example ‘Go to
Gate’ or ‘Flight Boarding’.
www.purpleparking.co.uk
Traditionally for most deaf and hard of
hearing people the departure lounge experience is not particularly pleasurable. It’s
extremely difficult to hear announcements
even when you have full hearing. With
15% of the UK population experiencing
some form of hearing loss, ranging form
mild hearing loss to profoundly deaf (9
million people) many passengers struggle
to hear the announcements. Many deaf
passengers spend their time in the departure lounge sitting next to an information
screen, being too worried to move in case
they miss their flight! This need not be
the case. , Deaf Alerter’s Managing
Director Steve Haseldine explains: “Deaf
Alerter makes for an altogether more pleasurable travelling experience, knowing a
safety provision has been made if a fire was
to occur and that it is virtually impossible
to miss your flight as the Alerter will
inform you on its screen. One of the main
things people look forward to when flying
is shopping in duty free; rest assured, Deaf
Alerter will help you get around the duty
free, something we should all be able to do
without worrying. Many organisations
are unaware of their obligation to provide
fire safety to all people, which includes
people with disabilities, BCA commitment
to their passengers’ needs has been inspirational, I’m sure it won’t go unnoticed by
the deaf community and may even help
attract more passengers as the installation
of Deaf Alerter often does.”
“While assisting a deaf passenger the other
day, I experienced the barriers deaf people
face and just how confusing it can be,” said
Liz Donnan, Customer Services Duty
Manager at BCA.
“Message Manager
will be fantastic for our passengers. We are
in the process of implanting it so it should
be available very soon. We hope it will
enable deaf and hard of hearing passengers
to have freedom and independence
throughout the terminal buildings as it has
done at Birmingham International Airport,
(the system was installed there last year.”.
Liz continued, “Deaf Alerter is just one of
the many initiatives BCA has implemented
but we are constantly reviewing ways in
which to improve our facilities for all disabled people.”.
Passenger statistics and benefits are very
compelling for other airports and organisations to follow suit and install Deaf Alerter
to ensure adequate means of fire warning
for deaf employees and members of the
public to fire and emergency warnings and
also public address information.
Heathrow’s
Terminal 5
A small 400mm2 slab of concrete laid in
the departures floor of Heathrow’s
Terminal 5 today, marked a huge milestone in the progress of the £4.2bn project.
T5’s ‘topping out’ ceremony to celebrate
completion of the spectacular building
structure was performed by the Secretary
of State for Transport, Alistair Darling
MP, and BAA Chief Executive, Mike
Clasper. Construction workers, suppliers,
aviation staff and local community representatives all attended the ceremony
which took place at the departures level
(top level) in the main building.
A workforce of around 6,500, has transformed an old sludge works at the western end of the world’s busiest international airport into a striking 30 metre
high glass façade ready to be fitted out
for passengers. Work began less than
three years ago, and the team have successfully delivered the building structure
on time and on budget.
The new gateway to the UK will enable
British Airways to base their operations
at Heathrow in a single terminal which
will be able to serve over 30 million passengers when it opens in March 2008.
Mr Darling and Mr Clasper donned
high-visibility safety jackets, hard hats
and steel-toed boots to carry out the final
spadework to the departures floor 20
metres above ground – one of eight levels
(three below ground level and five above)
now completed at the main terminal
building which in itself covers 50 football
pitches of floor space.
Tony Douglas, Managing Director of
Terminal 5, said that the successful project was the result of the vision, commitment to high standards and skill of everyone involved in the project.
“Three years ago we set out to build
Terminal 5 on time and on budget. Now
almost two thirds complete, we are hitting all our targets.
“We also had a real opportunity to deliver innovation, not just in what we built,
but how we built it. Terminal 5 has chal-
lenged all of us to think, behave and
work differently – integrated teams, just
in time manufacturing and logistics, the
management of risk and industrial relations – are all examples of the way the
partnership approach, which is central to
Terminal 5’s success, has helped to create
new and exciting ways to deliver this
prestigious project. I am personally
extremely proud of all we have achieved
so far – we are truly making history.”
Mike Clasper, Chief Executive, BAA
said: “In less than 950 days, at 4am on 30
March 2008, Terminal 5 will open for its
first passengers. They will experience one
of the finest airport facilities anywhere in
the world and the newest gateway to
London and the world.
“Terminal 5 is an essential part of
Heathrow’s future - it provides much
need capacity for 30 million passengers a
year and 60 additional stands for aircraft
with demand predicted to continue to
outstrip supply for the next 30 years. It
also provides us with an opportunity to
transform Heathrow to provide the facilities our airlines and passengers expect
across the airport. With £7bn being
invested in Heathrow over the next 10
years, the success of Terminal 5 can give
our airlines the confidence that BAA can
deliver infrastructure projects which
drive value and without compromising
on quality.
“Everyone who has played their part in
designing and building this fantastic terminal should be proud of all they have
achieved.”
Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair
Darling MP said: “Terminal 5 will provide Heathrow with a new world class
terminal - a spectacular first impression
for passengers arriving at Heathrow. The
Government is determined to do all that
it can to ensure Heathrow’s important
position in the world”.
The concept architect responsible for the
design of Terminal 5 is the Richard
Rogers Partnership ends.
For further information contact
Heathrow Press Office. 0208 745 7224
[email protected]
News Desk Appointments
Appointments
New
International
Accounts
Manager
For Airport
Express
George Fripp is the new International
Accounts Manager for Airport Express, the
sales and marketing trade alliance for
Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted Express
trains. Fripp has been appointed to develop
business relationships with potential partner companies.
Fripp joins from Austrian Airlines where he
was Corporate Global Account Manager,
UK & Ireland. During his employment he
was responsible for corporate relationships
in the UK, globally responsible for selected
contracted blue chip companies and
national account manager for key multiple
travel agency accounts.
Annette Davies, Commercial Director at
Airport Express, said,” We are constantly
forming new trade partnerships. George
brings years of experience and knowledge
of sales management enabling him to create and maintain strong and effective business relationships while producing mutually successful results.”
New Head Of
Finance At
Heathrow
Express
Heathrow Express, the non stop rail-air
link between London Paddington and
Heathrow Airport, has appointed Mick
Leyden as Head of Finance.
Leyden joins from Air New Zealand where
he spent 12 years as financial controller for
the UK and European regions.
His key challenges will be to learn all
aspects of Heathrow Express and its role
within BAA and the UK transport infrastructure. He will be responsible for the
business finance, including planning,
budgeting and financial reporting.
Brian Raven, Managing Director at
Heathrow Express, said, “Mick brings 20
years of financial experience to this role, his
wealth of knowledge and skill set will help
with the ongoing development and growth
of the business.”
New General
Manager for
The De Vere
Belfry
De Vere hotels has appointed David
Webster as General Manager of The De
Vere Belfry, a conference, golf and leisure
destination.
David Webster has joined The De Vere
Belfry from Hilton where he led the opening team for the newly built Hilton Dublin
Airport which opened in June 2005. At
Hilton he was General Manager of the
Hilton Dublin and prior to being Regional
Director of Revenue for the 15 London
Hilton properties.
David is from Ireland with a Hotel
Management degree from Thames Valley
University. He began his career on the
graduate training scheme with Marriott
and held many roles with Marriott in the
UK from Operations Manager to Group
Revenue Analyst and General Manager.
Commenting on his appointment, David
said ‘The De Vere Belfry is an internationally renowned hotel, and I am delighted to
be taking over as General Manager from
Mike Maloney who was instrumental in
steering The De Vere Belfry through challenging and rewarding times. I look
forward to taking a hotel with so much history forward into what promises to be a
bright future.’
www.DeVere.co.uk
Georg Fuchs
Joins The St
David's Hotel
& Spa From
The Savoy
Georg Fuchs, Executive Chef at The Savoy
Hotel, London, for the last two years is to
join Rocco Forte’s St David’s Hotel & Spa,
Cardiff Bay. He began as Executive Chef at
The St David’s Hotel & Spa on September
26, 2005.
Austrian by birth, Georg Fuch’s career
ranges from Dubai in the early eighties to
Israel, South Africa, USA, Switzerland,
Hungary and Germany.
He has spent the past eight years working
in the UK. Prior to his time at The Savoy,
he was Executive Chef of the Langham
Hotel, London, where for six years he
enhanced his reputation for developing
creative menus across all outlets.
Jason Harding, General Manager of The St
David’s Hotel & Spa, said, “I am obviously extremely pleased that Georg is joining
the team here at The St David’s. He brings
a level of experience and professionalism
that will not only benefit the kitchens, but
the entire hotel.
“Before approaching Georg, I contacted
industry colleagues whom I knew had
worked with him previously. Everyone was
so positive about him and his approach to
food preparation and service. The decision
in our minds was already made, all we had
to do was to convince Georg!
“He came to Cardiff and spent time with
us – he quickly made up his mind that St
David’s was the place he wanted to be.”
Georg added, “I have been fortunate
enough to work with the very best Welsh
produce during my career in London, produce which I will now have the ability to
work even more closely with in Cardiff
Bay. I am also looking forward immensely
to making my new family home in South
Wales.”
www.roccofortehotels.com
Travel
Management
Company
Portman Travel
Appoints New
Chairman
Peter Smaill has been appointed as the new
Chairman of Portman Holdings Limited,
following the retirement of previous
Chairman Tony McCann. In his new role
Peter will champion Portman’s on-going
commitment to safe, cost effective and
smart business travel.
Peter brings with him over 25 years experience in private equity transactions. He is
also Chairman of the Venture Capital
Trust, Core 1 VCT and has carried out
strategic consultancy for several investment
trusts and venture capital managers,
including Dunedin Enterprise, Asset
Management Investment Company and
Finance Wales. Previously, he ran NatWest
Venture’s Scottish operation from 1989 to
1996 and was responsible for the NatWest
IT Fund from 1997 to 2002.
In 1996 Peter led the financing of
Portman’s management buy-out, whose
institutional shareholders now include
Bridgepoint Capital, Dunedin and Noble
Grossart. Since then Portman has acquired
John Cory Travel, East West Travel and
Travelforce Limited as part of a long-term
strategy of consolidation in business travel.
Peter will play a key role in maintaining
Portman’s success as a leading travel management provider, adopting and promoting
the latest trends and technologies to meet
demand for a choice in flexible business
travel products, delivered via the most efficient sales channels.
Commenting on his appointment, Peter
said: “Providing strong customer satisfaction through successfully managing flexible products and channels has been central
to Portman’s success. I look forward to
continuing our customer commitment
and continuing to increase levels of client
satisfaction.”
Mondial
Appoints
Operational
Account
Manager
Mondial has appointed Paul Doran as
Operations Account Manager for
Nationwide, making him the driving force
for this major account. Nationwide and
Mondial UK are one year into a three year
agreement for the provision of its bespoke
travel insurance and assistance services to
customers. As part of the team behind this
success, Paul is the ideal person to oversee
the partnership’s ongoing development.
Paul has been at Mondial for five years,
starting out in General Insurance
Operations. In 2004 he started working as
part of the team handling the newly won
Nationwide account. In the first year, his
team achieved and delivered all of the service levels set and Paul aims to continue this
level of excellence.
Handled completely in-house, Mondial
provides Nationwide with a fully branded
all-encompassing service, managing sales,
claims handling, policy fulfilment,
renewals and international medical assistance.
www.portmantravel.com
Continues...
Georg Fuchs Joins The St David’s Hotel & Spa
Georg Fuchs, until recently Executive Chef
at The Savoy in London, joined Rocco
Forte’s The St David’s Hotel & Spa in
Cardiff on Monday 26 September as
Executive Chef. Austrian by birth, Georg
has worked in Dubai, Israel, South Africa,
the United States, Switzerland, Hungary
and Germany, but has spent the last eight
years working in the United Kingdom,
more specifically London.
Prior to The Savoy, he was Executive Chef
of The Langham in London, where he
developed creative menus across all F&B
outlets for six years. Jason Harding,
General Manager of The St David’s Hotel
& Spa, said, “I am extremely pleased that
Georg is joining the team here at The St
David’s. He brings a level of experience
and professionalism that will not only ben-
efit the kitchens, but the entire hotel.
“Before approaching Georg, I contacted
industry colleagues with whom he had previously worked. All of them had a positive experience with Georg and were particularly impressed by his approach to food
preparation and service. The decision in
our minds was already made, all we had to
do was to convince Georg! He came to
Cardiff and spent some time with us,
quickly making up his mind that The St
David’s was the place he wanted to work.”
specialist producers. And I am also looking forward immensely to making my new
family home in South Wales.”
www.roccofortehotels.com.
Georg added, “I have been fortunate
enough to work with the very best Welsh
produce during my career in London.
Earlier this year, for example, I was cooking Welsh beef from the Berem herd at The
Savoy. I will now have the chance to work
even more closely with local suppliers and
News Desk Appointments/Car Hire News
Nationwide customers benefit from a total
insurance solution including both single
trip and annual cover. Customers also have
access to a pre-travel advice line as well as
Mondial’s in-house International Medical
Assistance department.
As part of his new role, Paul’s responsibilities include overseeing the operation of the
dedicated policy sales call centre, product
development and business objectives. He
will also ensure customer service remains a
key focus for Mondial’s team of 30, handling the Nationwide account.
Paul comments: “This is an exciting opportunity and I am keen to work on growing
the account, making it more profitable for
both Mondial and Nationwide. My key
objective is to improve the sales conversion
rate, while maximising the potential of the
account.”
Steve Hook, Director for Corporate and
Travel of Mondial concludes, “Paul has
already proven himself as a very valuable
member of our management team, and the
decision to appoint him to his new role was
an easy one. I am confident that Paul will
continue to build on the success he has
achieved so far and help develop the long
term future partnership between Mondial
and Nationwide.”
New Acting
Director for
BVI Tourist
Board
Mrs. Janis Braithwaite-Edwards has been
appointed Ag. Director of Tourism for the
BE Tourist Board. Mrs. BraithwaiteEdwards, the longest serving employee of
the organization joined the board some 17
years ago and has since served in various
capacities such as the Assistant Industry
Development officer, Executive Projects
Manager, Product Manager, Sr. Product
Manager, and Deputy Director of Tourism,
Product.
As the New acting Director of the BVI
Tourist Board, Mrs. Janis BraithwaiteEdwards replaces Mr. Kedrick Malone
whose contract expired August 2005.
In addition to Mrs. Braithwaite-Edward’s
wealth of experience in the Tourism
Industry, she also has a diverse background
in teaching and training. She has been a
teacher at the Literacy and Skills
Programme and also taught Home
Economics at the BVI High School. The
Caribbean Tourism Organization, the premier regional tourism association has certified Mrs. Braithwaite- Edwards as an official regional trainer with their prestigious
group.
Mrs. Janis Braithwaite- Edwards has
received numerous degrees and educational accomplishments including Associates in
Hotel and Restaurant Management, and
also
Remedial
Education
from
Montgomery College in Maryland,
Diploma in European Marketing from the
London Institute and also Bachelors
Degree in Hotel and Restaurant
Management, Human Resources, Culinary
Arts and Tourism.
“I am greatly honoured to be given this
opportunity to serve the territory in the
capacity of acting Director of Tourism, and
I do hope and expect that the board, staff
and community would support me in this
undertaking” Braithwaite-Edwards commented when asked how she felt about the
new position.
The BVI Tourist Board was established in
1968 as a statutory body administered by
an active board.
The Director of the BVI Tourist Board is
responsible but not limited to leading the
Boards Global marketing objectives by
working closely with the sales and marketing offices in the United States and Europe
as well as with the board’s agency.
Interpreting and extracting the tourism
policy directives of the Tourist Board and
converting those initiatives into strategic
action plans and programs. Facilitating the
development of local stakeholder relations
in the various sectors and industries which
individually and collectively comprise key
components of the BVI Tourism product.
The British Virgin Islands
The British Virgin Islands are a collection
of over fifty islands, islets and cays in the
north eastern Caribbean, renowned for
idyllic sailing, diving and surfing holidays.
Easy island hops and year-round balmy
temperatures make the BVI the perfect
Caribbean sailing holiday for everyone.
There are hundreds of anchorages, from
deserted tropical beaches to peaceful harbours – where you can enjoy an exquisite
gourmet meal or sample the local rum in
friendly waterside bars.
For more information on the BVI, visit
www.bvitourism.co.uk or telephone 020
7355 9585
Car Hire News
Free Fuel
From Almo
Get Free Tank of Petrol in USA and
Canada
Alamo Rent A Car is helping holidaymakers get more for their money with an exclusive fuel offer. Customers booking car
rental for the US and Canada until the end
of June will receive a free tank of fuel for
rentals picked up by December 31st 2005.
Sally Hinds, Marketing Director for Alamo
comments, “Alamo is committed to providing competitive and fully inclusive rates
and for a limited time our all-inclusive rate
will include a full tank of petrol. At the end
of the rental the customer just needs to
drop the car off and hop on the plane with
no need to worry about refuelling.”
With this special offer customers will make
a fuel saving of up to US $44 (GB £25).
Fully inclusive rates start from just £119
per week in Orlando. Alamo has a network
of 293 locations throughout the US and
Canada.
www.alamo.co.uk
New York USA
1CAR1 MAKES BRITISH TRAVEL
EVEN EASIER
British car rental company 1car1 is taking
the stress out of car hire for US travelers
heading for vacations or business trips to
Britain.
The company has just opened up an office
within VisitBritain’s headquarters on New
York’s Fifth Avenue and developed a USspecific website in response to the rocketing
demand it has seen among American travelers for no-hassle car hire within the UK.
smoother collection process by organising
transportation from the arrivals hall to the
hire car and carrying out the necessary form
filling away from busy airport terminals.
After a long-haul flight, and the queuing
associated with passport control and baggage collection, the last thing that passengers want to do is queue up again at a car
hire desk to organise the paperwork and
then be left on their own to find the vehicle.
1car1, which operates from all the major
UK airports including Gatwick,
Heathrow and Manchester, is also removing the frustration associated with car
rental by ensuring that customers do not
suddenly find extra costs such as refuelling charges or mileage penalties
added onto their bill when they return the
vehicle.
1car1 is hoping that it can offer travellers a
good deal for their dollar but also a far
Prices for 1car1 rental start from $199.00 a
week fully inclusive and travellers can book
direct either by contacting the New York
office toll free on 1-866-3623121 or visiting the website www.1car1.com/us
Matt Carter, 1car1’s US manager explains:
“As Britain is North America’s top holiday
destination, it made sense to strengthen
our connections by having a New York
base and American website to take even
more hassle out of booking a hire car.”
Cool Cars
From Avis
Travellers to America now have the opportunity to emulate the stars and drive one of
the glitz and glamour cars of the moment.
Avis Rent A Car has added the prestigious
Hummer. The H3 is the latest addition to
the specialty and luxury vehicle line up at
Avis Rent A Car. Other vehicles available
in the cool selection include the Chevrolet
Suburban, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Chevrolet
Uplander and the Cardillac Deville.
In the UK, one can enjoy a collection of a
topless Renault Megane Cabriolet Coupé.
Business options
Avis is offering prestige cars for a little
luxury. They propose a wide range of luxury vehicles chosen for their reputation
and status.
•
A full range of Mercedes, BMW,
Jaguar and Porsche models
•
50 years of experience
•
Short and long term rentals throughout the UK
Business Hits
Record High
For Leading
Coach
Operator The
Kings Ferry
Turnover at Kent’s top coach operator, The
Kings Ferry, has topped £1 million for the
For more information or to make a booking
visit www.avisprestige.com
•
Delivery and collection on request
(depending on distance and rental
length)
•
Locations at Kensington, Heathrow
and Gatwick
month of July – a landmark in the company’s 37-year history.
Bosses at the Gillingham-based company
say the record sales figures are down to
increased business across the board, from
holidays and day trip bookings to private
hire and commuter services.
Managing director Steve O’Neill said: ‘July
is always the busiest month of the year for
us but this is the best result we’ve ever had.
It’s testament not only to the quality of
service and reliability that The Kings Ferry
offers but also to the hard work and commitment of all our staff.
‘While a number of coach operators have
sadly fallen by the wayside over the last few
years, The Kings Ferry has recognised the
need to focus on its core businesses and to
diversify to meet the needs of a changing
market. As a result, our bookings are looking extremely healthy and our 38-vehicle
commuter operation is as robust as ever.’
Mr O’Neill said the continuing success of
The Kings Ferry had allowed the company
to invest heavily in the latest, state-of-theart vehicles, improving and expanding customer services and leading the industry
with its comprehensive staff training programme.
News Desk Car Hire News
The Kings
Ferry Industry
First With
Unique
Coachtrack
System
The company is pioneering a unique satellite tracking system that’s set to revolutionise the UK coach industry.
After trials for commuter coaches on The
Kings Ferry fleet, coachtrack is expected to
be fully operational by the end of the year.
It has been specifically designed for the
Kent-based operator after managers sought
a real-time service that would allow both
themselves and their commuters to tap
into and check the progress of coaches. By
so doing, the company will be able to pinpoint precisely where all their vehicles are
located and customers will be able to track
any vehicle by logging on to a website or
using their WAP mobile phones.
The Kings Ferry has invested £350,000 in
developing the system – and assures customers that they won’t be footing the bill.
Technical manager Danny Elford said: ‘We
won’t be passing any extra costs on to our
passengers. We pride ourselves on quality
and value and this is all part of the service.
We expect the system to pay for itself with-
in five years. It will cut costs and calls for
passengers and ourselves and benefit our
logistics and administration.’
Sixteen of The Kings Ferry’s coaches have
already been fitted with satellite tracking
and the company expects this first phase of
the system to be rolled out across the
remainder of its 80-strong fleet within
three months.
Mr Elford added: ‘The next step will be to
install in-cab satellite navigation systems
for our drivers, designed specifically for
easy, safe operation on coaches. This
should be possible within six months – and
customers should be able to log on to the
tracking website with their WAP phones by
the end of this year.’
The Kings Ferry began looking for a complete tracking and satellite navigation solution for its fleet more than two years ago.
After carrying out trials with a number of
companies, it teamed up with transport
communications technology specialist
Masternaut - and the Coachtrack system
began to take shape.
Mr Elford said: ‘Masternaut has come up
with an excellent product that has been
allowed to grow and adapt to our requirements. The system is continuously being
updated and The Kings Ferry will be the
forerunner of any new developments.’
The Kings Ferry’s managing director, Steve
O’Neill, explains how it works: ‘By logging
on to the Masternaut website from our
head office we can pinpoint the exact loca-
tion of each of our vehicles, in the UK and
abroad. The data is colour coded so we can
tell at a glance which coaches are on the
move, those that are ‘idling’, and those that
have their engines switched off. What’s
more, the screen refreshes every 30 seconds, allowing us to give customers realtime, up-to-date information.’
Mr O’Neill added: ‘The system will have
fantastic benefits for customers. For example, commuters travelling home will be able
to relax in a café or bar while getting a running report on the location of their coach.
‘It’s also good news for the many clients
who hire our coaches. If they are using a
number of our vehicles to transport people
to a venue for an event, for example, they
can monitor them to make sure they arrive
safely and on time. Coachtrack is also completely web-based, with no CDs to install
and no software, which reduces the risk of
computer viruses and provides better
online security for our clients.’
The company says that Coachtrack will
benefit both customers and The Kings
Ferry’s staff. Drivers will be able to download their schedule for the day simply by
logging on in their cabs. The satellite navigation system will help them avoid traffic
jams or taking a wrong turn, saving time
and fuel – and the head office will be able
to log the number of hours they have been
driving, ensuring they remain within
Working Time Directive guidelines.
Mr O’Neill said: ‘The Kings Ferry has
invested a lot of time and money in this
technological breakthrough and we’re
proud to be the first coach company in the
UK to install it.’ www.thekingsferry.co.uk
Silver Service
Euan Finlayson, Managing Director of
Prestige Tours, greets passengers from the
first outing of the company’s striking
Glasgow: Scotland with style liveried
coach with a glass of champagne.
The vehicle is an eye-catching addition to
the already six-strong Prestige fleet and is
available for hire to tour groups, conference delegates and corporate clients wishing to travel in style.
increase competition between BAA’s business partners at its airport car rental locations. The awards will recognise and
reward the excellent standards of customer
service provided by the company’s business
partners at its airport car rental and car
park outlets. National and Guy Salmon
believe the awards will benefit business
travellers by raising service standards at airport rental locations.
The city of Glasgow launched its Glasgow:
Scotland with style branding campaign in
March 04 and has had local businesses lining up to lend their support ever since.
The Radisson SAS hotel and Princes
Square speciality shopping mall have also
demonstrated their commitment to the
campaign by displaying branded banners.
Business travellers are being encouraged to
complete the BAA feedback forms at all
National and Guy Salmon airport locations. The forms look at factors such as
speed of service, helpfulness of staff, available selection of cars and the frequency of
bus to terminal services. Customers who
complete the survey will automatically be
entered into a prize draw to win a Tom
Tom portable navigation system.
Euan commented, “The Glasgow:
Scotland with style campaign has been
very effective in positioning Glasgow as a
vibrant, cosmopolitan European city and
this new addition to our fleet not only reinforces that positioning, but also makes a
statement about the type of experience you
can have on board.”
“These Awards recognise that vehicle rental
and parking are important components of
the traveller’s experience at airports and
should be as easy and hassle-free as possible” says Neil McCrossan, Vice President
Commercial Development for Vanguard
Rental (UK) Ltd, parent company of
National, Alamo and Guy Salmon.
Scott Taylor, Chief Executive of the
Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (pictured
right) added, “The Glasgow: Scotland
with style campaign has resulted in a dramatic repositioning of the city over the last
12 months and we are delighted that
Prestige has chosen to support it so visibly.”
The awards will be presented by TV personality Richard Hammond, from Top Gear, at
an event on event on 28th November 2005
in London’s Waldorf Hilton.
Telephone Prestige on 0141 886 1000 for
bookings.
National Car
Rental & Guy
Salmon
Prestige
Rental
Welcome
BAA Airports 2005 SPARK Parking and
Rental Awards
National Car Rental and Guy Salmon
Prestige Rental welcome the launch of the
inaugural BAA Airports 2005 SPARK
Parking and Rental Awards. This cross airport, cross operator initiative is set to
Vanguard’s commitment to making vehicle
rental swift and convenient was recently
reinforced with the opening of Guy
Salmon Prestige Rental at Heathrow
Terminal 1. This offers Heathrow’s only
vehicle collection and return service located directly outside the terminal building –
no bus, no fuss.
Other initiatives recently introduced by the
Vanguard brands to help the customer
include satellite navigation, mobile phones
and Blackberries for hire, and the unique
Choice service at Heathrow, which allows
customers to choose the vehicle they want
to drive from the forecourt. These types of
products and services continue to ensure
that customers have a high quality experience at Vanguard’s airport locations.
Neil McCrossan concludes “We are
delighted to be participating in these
important Awards. Whilst we are constantly evaluating the service we provide
and gaining our own feedback from customers, this Award scheme by BAA is
another opportunity for us to measure our-
selves and to increase our understanding of
the needs of the business traveller.”
Sustaining its ongoing European expansion, National Car Rental is boosting its
presence in Germany with plans to achieve
100 locations by end of 2005, and a further 50 locations by the end of 2006. The
key focus of the expansion is to provide
greater network coverage and service for
business and leisure travellers throughout
the country, both at airport and downtown
locations.
National Germany currently has 13 major
airport concessions, with recent openings
including Friedrichshafen and Leipzig airports. The expansion of the company’s
locations in major business conurbations
and other downtown areas is also a major
focus for 2005, with a new location in
Düsseldorf and Dortmund due to be
opened shortly.
In addition, National is continuing to
invest in the quality of its fleet in Germany
with GPS technology, a natural extension
to the quality service already offered to customers. Designed to create a stress-free
and enjoyable rental experience for both
business and leisure travellers, GPS is available in 40% of its entire fleet and 70% in
midsize and luxury class enabling drivers to
ensure their rental runs smoothly whilst
driving throughout Germany.
Furthermore, Germany is investigating the
introduction of unique vehicle groups with
guaranteed satellite navigation.
Ron Santiago, Vice President International
Sales and Marketing for National comments, “This is an exciting period for
National in Germany, with an ongoing
focus on major business centres and the
quality of our fleet. A commitment to
develop within city locations is a key part
of Germany’s strategy for this year, along
with a focus on developing our customer
proposition at airports, ensuring a premium level of service for business and leisure
travellers across Europe.
“Our aim is to make National the first
choice for business and leisure travellers.
Germany is a key part of our European
network and its development secures
National’s position as a leading rental
provider and demonstrates our commitment to continued expansion across
Europe.”
www.nationalcar.com
News Desk Forthcoming Highlights
Forthcoming
Highlights
Portugal To
Host Stage 1
Of The 2006
Dakar Rally
The 28th annual Dakar rally, the world’s
most famous all-road rally, will start off in
Portugal at the end of this year, making
Portugal the 24th country that the rally has
passed through. Following the official start
of the rally in Lisbon on the 31st
December, the teams will head down to
Portugal’s Algarve before crossing to
Morocco and the African subcontinent.
Portugal’s enthusiasm for hosting high profile sporting events, such as the Euro 2004
football championships and this year’s
2005 Algarve World Cup in Portugal, has
helped bring the Dakar rally to Portugal’s
shores. Indeed, this event is once again set
to attract sports fans from across Europe
who will come to Portugal to cheer on their
favourite teams.
For further information visit
www.dakar.com
Portugal's
President
Opens New
Golf Course
Near Lisbon
Portugal’s President, Mr. Jorge Sampaio,
was the guest of honour at the official
opening of the new CampoReal Golf
Course near Lisbon on the 10th
September 2005. The 18-hole, par 72
championship course is part of the 197
acre CampoReal (Royal Meadows) resort,
located in the rural Oeste region, on
Portugal’s Atlantic seaboard. Occupying
land formerly used by the Portuguese
royal family as hunting ground, the
CampoReal golf course enhances the
already impressive leisure facilities at the
complex, which include a state-of-the art
Equestrian Centre, three restaurants, two
bars, a conference centre, health club, spa,
a stunning outdoor swimming pool as
well as Portugal’s first five star Westin
Hotel and Spa, which will be opened officially in 2007.
For further information on the CampoReal
Resort visit www.camporeal.pt.
golfing paradise with record numbers of
people practicing their swing on the
Algarve’s world famous courses. Indeed,
figures recently released by the Association
of Algarve Golf Courses show that the
number of people visiting the Algarve golf
courses has increased by 2.1% year on year.
The summer months of June and July have
been the most popular time to hit the
greens with the numbers of people playing
golf in the Algarve up 15% and 14.5%
respectively year on year. Furthermore,
with the 2005 Algarve World Cup in
Portugal taking place at the new Victoria
Course in Vilamoura this November, the
popularity of golf in Portugal is set to continue to increase in 2006.
Palace Hotel
Opens In The
Heart Of
Portugal
See Ponta
Delgada In
Style From
The Comfort
Of The New
Lagarta
Tourist Trolly
Located in the Beira Baixa region of central
Portugal, the Fundão Palace Hotel is a
newly-opened three-star property with 44
rooms, including four suites. Ideally situated for exploring the Portuguese countryside, the Fundão Palace Hotel is located
near to the Serra da Estrela Mountains
where a host of activities are available
including, mountain biking, climbing,
hiking and fishing amongst others. All
rooms are fully equipped with air-conditioning, heating, satellite TV and directdial telephone. The hotel also features a
superb restaurant offering a range of
regional specialities, a bar, garden area,
laundry service and outdoor swimming
pools for both adults and children.
For further information on the Fundão
Palace Hotel call 00 351 275 779 340 or
visit www.fundaopalacehotel.com
The Algarve's
Golf Courses
Soar In
Popularity
The Algarve is heaven on earth for golf
lovers across the globe and this year even
more people have discovered Portugal’s
When visiting a new destination, we all
know that the best way to get around is
with someone who knows the top sights
and hidden treasures of the area. Now visitors to Ponta Delgada, the capital of the
Azores, can see the very best of the city
from the comfort of the new Lagarta
Tourist Trolley. Taking visitors to the most
exciting historic and cultural sites on the
island, the Lagarta Tourist Trolley will
show guests the delights and wonders of
Ponta Delgada. With five different tours
available offering visitors the choice of historical, heritage, beach, outskirts or garden
tours, visitors to the city are now able to
experience the true flavour of the Azores.
For further information and bookings visit
www.lagarta.net
Tralfagar Sq.
London - UK
Norwegian Christmas Tree in Trafalgar
Square
Following a lighting ceremony on Tuesday
29 November, the traditional Norwegian
Christmas Tree will remain in Trafalgar
Square until 6 January 2006, the twelveth
day of Christmas. There will also be a free
programme of carol singing to raise money
for charity from 3-24 December.
More information about both will be available in due course.
Public information: 020 7983 4100
www.london.gov.uk
Shugborough
Shugborough is busily preparing for
Staffordshire’s biggest ever Christmas event
as craft workers and stall holders from
across the West Midlands get set to
descend on the estate for 13 days over the
festive period.
Officials at The Complete Working
Historic Estate are hoping that this year’s
nine new Festive Christmas Days and
renowned four Candlelit Christmas
Evenings will be the county’s biggest ever
shopping experience in the region’s most
glamorous location.
An enormous marquee, set against the elegant backdrop of the Mansion House, will
be erected at the end of November housing
almost 70 stalls and the area outside the
Servants’ Quarters will be packed with people selling traditional wreaths, festive
foliage and Christmas trees.
The Mansion House and Servants’
Quarters will be transformed into a picture
perfect Christmas card scene as tonnes of
lush green foliage cut from the estate’s
parkland is brought into the elegant interiors and working environments and thousands of candles are lit daily.
Costumed historic characters will be busying themselves preparing for a traditional
19th century Christmas cooking, dressing
huge Christmas trees and wrapping gifts.
Street entertainers, brass bands and carol
singers will perform throughout the days
and evenings and the homely farmstead
will also be providing a festive feel during
the daytime opening, when Father
Christmas will be putting in an appearance
and we ask youngsters to wish for snow and we guarantee it will!
General Manager Richard Kemp said:
“The frequently televised Candlelit
Christmas Evenings have been attracting
sell out crowds for over a decade and coupled with the brand new Festive Christmas
Days, it is anticipated that over 30,000
people will visit Shugborough over the two
week period.
“We have been planning this event since
last year as a result of the overwhelming
success of the sell out evenings.
“We hope that this new experience will not
only put Shugborough and Staffordshire
firmly on the map, but also give the many
excellent creative people within the region
the opportunity to exhibit and sell their
wares to thousands of visitors who are keen
to buy high quality, unusual gifts from
some of our finest producers.”
The Candlelit Christmas Evenings will be
hosted from 5.30pm until 9.30pm from
November 29 until December 2 and the
Festive Christmas Days will open from
noon until 6pm from December 3 until
December 11. For prices and further information telephone 01889 881 388 or visit
www.shugborough.org.uk. Early booking
discounts apply.
Anyone interested in selling traditional and
unusual gifts, produce or goods from a stall
at the event can book a place or find out further
information
by
telephoning
Shugborough’s Marketing Department on
01889 881 388. Early booking is recommended as spaces are filling up very quickly.
Upcoming
Events Around
China
Shanghai Tourism Festival
This event opens from September 17
to October 6, with a parade of floats and
international performance troupes telecast live to the whole country. Millions
of locals and visitors will participate in
hundreds of events and activities
including a decorated cruise ship
parade on the Huangpu River, a musical
fireworks festival, a musical laser show, and
an “aerial ballet” parachute show.
Beijing Art Biennale
Dubbed the “Olympics of art,” the
September 20 to October 20 event is
expected to attract more than 450 artists
including John Bellanyn and Allen Jones.
Maintaining the artistic integrity of
its debut last year, the Biennale continues to present traditional methods
of painting and sculpture. The
Biennale is scheduled to move to the
Shanghai Art Museum, SeptemberNovember 2006.
www.bjbiennale.com.cn/english/introduction.asp
Xi’an Ancient Culture Art Festival
Xi’an adds traditional dance, music, song
and opera to its formidable list of attractions for this September festival. The festival celebrates 4,000 years of tradition with
a lantern show on the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644) city walls during the evening,
10 different forms of local opera, drum
dancing, art and music.
The Birth of Confucius
The celebration of this great Chinese
philosopher encourages visitors to learn
about the theories, philosophy and ideas
formed by the distinguished thinker.
Tours of his tomb, temple and birthplace
are available September 26-October 10 in
Qufu, Shandong Province.
International Pottery & Porcelain Festival
The kilns of China’s pottery capital,
Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Provice, have been
burning for over 1,000 years, attracting
lovers of the art from around the world.
The city holds an international exhibition of ancient local pottery and porcelain
products, with tours and lessons, October
11-14.
2005 Sinopec F1 Grand Prix
Paddy fields until 12 years ago, the
newest circuit in the Formula One Grand
Prix, Shanghai’s International Circuit
welcomes the world’s finest car racing on
October 16. The Chinese Grand Prix circuit is one-of-a-kind. Modeled as the
Chinese “shang” character, the course
offers wide curves, long straights and
hair-raising turns, with plenty of
overtaking opportunities.
First International Wushu Festival
About 145 teams from an estimated 45
countries will take part in a wushu (martial
arts) festival, including performances
along a 20-kilometre highway, October
16-20 in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan
News Desk General News
province.
Shaolin Kungfu,
which
encompasses 130 different movements,
incorporates Buddhist beliefs which form
its powerful yet simple style. www.english.china.com.
China Shanghai
Festival
International
Arts
Shanghai hosts a month-long arts festival with everything from symphony
orchestras, dance and opera to acrobatics,
magic and drama from October 18 to
November 8.
and Lagonda.
The event is described by organiser
Jonathon Lyons as “the most wondrous
and astounding experience you will have”.
David Symes of the Jordan Tourism Board
added, ‘this is without doubt an important
event in promoting Jordan as an upmarket
travel and leisure destination. We are
delighted to support the event again this
year and look forward to welcoming the
participants in Jordan”.
Glasgow:
General News City Of Light
Bentley Does It
Glasgow City Council Lighting Strategy
On the 14th September 2005, the most
expensive convoy in the world started its
monumentous tour of Jordan.
“The Jewel that is Jordan Bentley Event”,
returning after a two-year break, is internationally known as the most exclusive and
glamorous event in the Jordanian calendar.
This year the Jordan Royal Family are in
attendance at social events and galas during
the fifteen-day extravaganza.
Throughout September, many of the UK’s
industry leaders and aristocracy ship their
Bentleys, Rolls Royce’s and other classic
cars to the ‘Kingdom of Peace’ to experience its historic treasures and contemporary delights.
The world class driving tour passes
through stunning landscapes and Historic
sites in regions of unsurpassed geographical
and historical significance, including: the
Rose Red City of Petra, the desert of Wadi
Rum, the unique Dead Sea, the Red Sea,
Amman, Mt Nebo – from where Moses
first saw the promised land - and many
other biblical sites, including that of Jesus’
baptism.
The first Jewel Rally in 2003 saw participants including Lord Montague (whose
1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Alpine
Eagle was the oldest car present), Lord
Cope (1936 Bentley MX), Buzz Aldrin
(second man on the moon) and Patty
Hearst. Among the 44 cars were classics
from Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin,
Mercedes, Morgan, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo
Glasgow: City of Light is Glasgow City
Council’s city wide lighting strategy. The
initiative was launched in March 2002 for
which the council allocated £2.65 million
from 2001/02 to 2003/04. A further £2.75
million net capital has been allocated for
2004/2005 to 2006/2007.
It advocates a co-ordinated approach to
lighting the city and encourages innovative
lighting design, all aimed at enhancing
Glasgow’s distinctive character, creating
interest and vitality after dark and enhancing safety. Light affects how we feel and
how we think about our surroundings.
Good lighting helps to increase vitality and
See Ponta
Delgada In
Style From
The Comfort
Of The New
Lagarta
Tourist Trolly
When visiting a new destination, we all
know that the best way to get around is
with someone who knows the top sights
improve ambience. It contributes to a
sense of identity and place and makes for a
safer, friendlier environment. It also supports and complements other regeneration
initiatives.
Prominent buildings that have been lit
include the Gallery of Modern Art, the
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, The City
Chambers, St George’s Tron Church,
Tollbooth Steeple at Glasgow Cross and
Anniesland Tower. On the River Clyde,
other structures which have been lit
include George V Bridge, Glasgow Weir,
Victoria Bridge and Glasgow Bridge. The
Kingston Bridge has a major public art
commission entitled “Chroma Streams;
Tide and Traffic”.
Buildings which are due to be lit in the
coming months include The Mitchell
Library (November 2005) and the
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
(June 2006). The private sector has also
become involved by investing more than
£2.2 million and has come to the Council
for advice on how best to light their buildings. Buildings that have been lit in the private sector include The Sentinel, Waterloo
Street; The Corinthian, Ingram Street and
Radisson Hotel, Argyle Street.
With an investment of £500,000 Radiance
will be the most significant and spectacular
project undertaken by the lighting strategy
to date.
www.radianceglasgow.com
and hidden treasures of the area. Now visitors to Ponta Delgada, the capital of the
Azores, can see the very best of the city
from the comfort of the new Lagarta
Tourist Trolley. Taking visitors to the most
exciting historic and cultural sites on the
island, the Lagarta Tourist Trolley will
show guests the delights and wonders of
Ponta Delgada. With five different tours
available offering visitors the choice of historical, heritage, beach, outskirts or garden tours, visitors to the city are now able
to experience the true flavour of the
Azores.
For further information and bookings visit
www.lagarta.net
(AED 13.5 billion) and imports amounted
to £0.61 billion (AED 4.03 billion).
Dubai Tourism
Reviews
Bilateral Ties
With British
Envoy
The value of UK exports for the same period
to the northern emirates was £0.42 billion
(AED 2.8 billion) and the value of imports
was £0.25 billion (AED 1.7 billion).
Mr Hawkins revealed that the embassy has
had to increase the number of personnel in
its commercial section. Apart from Dubai,
the only other place where this has been
done is China.
•
The Uk Is A Top Source Market For
Dubai’s Booming Tourism Industry
ABOVE: DTCM director general, Mr Khalid A bin Sulayem
(right), holding talks with the British consul-general, Mr John
Hawkins (left), at the DTCM head office recently.
•
Dubai-Uk Trade Increased By 90 Per
Cent In The First Half Of 2005
sponding period last year.
Cherie Booth Finds Dubai ‘A Truly
Astonishing And Breathtaking Place’
A total of 190 tour operators in the UK
and Ireland now feature Dubai in their
brochures.
•
The director general of the Dubai
Department of Tourism and Commerce
Marketing (DTCM), Mr Khalid A bin
Sulayem, hosted the British consul general
to Dubai and the northern emirates, Mr
John Hawkins, at the DTCM head office
in Dubai and reviewed bilateral ties.
In his meeting, Mr bin Sulayem briefed Mr
Hawkins about developments taking place
in the emirate and the department’s role
and vision within the fast-expanding
tourism industry. Mr bin Sulayem also
reviewed the strong and growing relations
between the UK and Dubai.
The UK is the largest source market of visitors to Dubai. Over 605,000 hotel guests
were from the UK in 2004, a 32 per cent
increase from 458,451 in 2003. Between
January and June 2005, Dubai hotels hosted 333,930 guests from the UK - a 32 per
cent increase compared with the corre-
Bridgestreet
Worldwide And
Global Partner
Furnished
Quarters
Expand Florida
Presence
Four New Locations Enlarge Florida
Serviced Apartments Inventory
BridgeStreet Worldwide, an international
provider of serviced apartments to business
According to its latest report, Kuoni, the
UK’s long-haul tour operator, revealed that
in the 12 months to the end of June 2005
Dubai became the number one luxury
long-haul destination. Ranking at the top
of this influential report’s list strongly
reflects the powerful status that Dubai has
been enjoying in Europe over the years.
Mr Hawkins said trade between Dubai and
the UK jumped 90 per cent in the first half
of fiscal 2004-05. The value of trade
increased from £1.1 billion (AED 7.3 billion) to £2.1 billion (AED 13.9 billion)
during the period. He said: “Dubai is the
UK’s largest market in the Middle East and
the 17th largest export market in the
world. This has been the busiest year we
have had.”
The UK’s exports to Dubai from January
to December 2004 totalled £2.03 billion
and leisure travellers, has opened new properties in southeast Florida in partnership
with Furnished Quarters, a member of
BridgeStreet Worldwide’s Global Partner
programme. The apartments extend
BridgeStreet Worldwide’s reach into four
additional cities: Boca Raton, Ft.
Lauderdale, South Miami Beach and
Miami, Florida. When added to
BridgeStreet Worldwide’s current inventory
of serviced apartments in Tampa, Orlando
and Panama City, the company now offers
a total of 450 apartments in the state.
The programme attracts upscale local and
regional providers of serviced apartments
who share a deep commitment to consistently exceed clients and guests’ expectations and to simplify the serviced apartment experience.
Interest in Dubai is set to get a big boost
from the UK market following the successful hosting of road shows by the DTCM in
the UK which attracted a high level of
attendance from reputed companies
including major tour operators, travel
agencies and MICE organisations. The
road shows were held in three UK cities
from 28 June to 1 July 2005 - Manchester,
Glasgow and London.
In her public remarks during her ‘first real
visit’ to Dubai including visits to some of the
city’s historical buildings, Cherie Booth, wife
of British prime minister Tony Blair, said:
“This is truly an astonishing and breathtaking place. Like most first time visitors, I suspect, I already have a crick in my neck from
looking upwards the whole time.” Over
100,000 UK nationals live and work in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE.).
“It’s hard to credit that this extraordinary,
dynamic city has grown up in little more
than a generation. Dubai is continuing to
develop, diversify and adapt. It shows what
can be achieved by vision, boldness and
determination. The city must be an architect’s paradise,” remarked the leading barrister and Queen’s Counsel.
“Our Global Partner programme continues to be an important engine of growth
for us,” said Lee Curtis, BridgeStreet
Worldwide president. “We already had a
successful relationship with Furnished
Quarters in New York, together offering
fantastic locations throughout Manhattan.
This winning alliance continues to grow
with the opening of corporate apartments in
these four key Florida markets. This brings
our serviced apartments coverage worldwide
to over 90 metropolitan locations.
“Our goal is to continue expanding the
location choices we provide to our clients,
another example of our total commitment
to being the easiest serviced apartments
provider to work with in the industry,”
Curtis added.
News Desk Hotel News
a total of 450 apartments in the state.
Based in New York City, Furnished
Quarters joined the BridgeStreet
Worldwide Global Partner programme in
2003 and has since expanded the number
of apartments in the programme in New
York City and Florida. “By joining the
BridgeStreet Worldwide Global Partner
programme, we have been able to provide
dramatically improved geographic and
product diversification for our customers,”
said Gary Brown, Furnished Quarters’
chief executive officer.
www.bridgestreet.com
Hotel News
Bridgestreet
Worldwide
And Global
Partner
Furnished
Quarters
Expand
Florida
Presence
Four New Locations Enlarge Florida
Serviced Apartments Inventory
BridgeStreet Worldwide, an international
provider of serviced apartments to business
and leisure travellers, has opened new properties in southeast Florida in partnership
with Furnished Quarters, a member of
BridgeStreet Worldwide’s Global Partner
programme. The apartments extend
BridgeStreet Worldwide’s reach into four
additional cities: Boca Raton, Ft.
Lauderdale, South Miami Beach and
Miami, Florida. When added to
BridgeStreet Worldwide’s current inventory
of serviced apartments in Tampa, Orlando
and Panama City, the company now offers
The programme attracts upscale local and
regional providers of serviced apartments
who share a deep commitment to consistently exceed clients and guests’ expectations and to simplify the serviced apartment experience.
“Our Global Partner programme continues to be an important engine of growth
for us,” said Lee Curtis, BridgeStreet
Worldwide president. “We already had a
successful relationship with Furnished
Quarters in New York, together offering
fantastic locations throughout Manhattan.
This winning alliance continues to grow
with the opening of corporate apartments
in these four key Florida markets. This
brings our serviced apartments coverage
worldwide to over 90 metropolitan locations.
“Our goal is to continue expanding the
location choices we provide to our clients,
another example of our total commitment
to being the easiest serviced apartments
provider to work with in the industry,”
Curtis added.
Based in New York City, Furnished
Quarters joined the BridgeStreet
Worldwide Global Partner programme in
2003 and has since expanded the number
of apartments in the programme in New
York City and Florida. “By joining the
BridgeStreet Worldwide Global Partner
programme, we have been able to provide
dramatically improved geographic and
product diversification for our customers,”
said Gary Brown, Furnished Quarters’
chief executive officer.
www.bridgestreet.com
Another First
for Hilton
Formula One Global Deal Announced
With Team Mclaren Mercedes
Hilton International announced a longterm corporate partnership with Team
McLaren Mercedes to commence at the
2005 Belgian Grand Prix, round 15 of the
2005 Formula One World Championship.
The legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit
Team McLaren Mercedes will display the
iconic Hilton International hotel logo for
the first time. The logo will appear on the
lower rear wing end plate of its two MP420 racing cars driven by two of the world’s
leading F1 drivers Kimi Raikkonen and
Juan Pablo Montoya.
Hilton International’s partnership with
Team McLaren Mercedes in the Formula
One World Championship supports its
international growth strategy to increase
the number of hotels in new and existing
markets and to position the company firmly among the new generation of young and
affluent international travellers.
Commenting, Ian Carter, Chief Executive
of Hilton International said; “Formula
One offers a global stage of unrivalled
prominence with live broadcasts to hundreds of millions fans worldwide in 200
countries. We believe that Team McLaren
Mercedes, an acknowledged world leader
in its field, is the ideal partner to support
our growth strategy and keep our brand
image fresh and appealing. The corporate
partnership is also an opportunity for us to
build commercial alliances and to offer our
customers new products and packages.”
Ron Dennis, Team Principal of Team
McLaren Mercedes and CEO and
Chairman of the McLaren Group comments; “We are delighted to welcome
Hilton International to our team of longstanding valued corporate partners and we
look forward to driving both business success and Team McLaren Mercedes success
in
the
Formula
One
World
Championships together.”
As part of this partnership, Hilton
International has launched ‘Hilton
Racing’, a complimentary membership
club providing customers with a range of
benefits. These include a Hilton Racing
membership card; exclusive discounts off
select resort holidays and short breaks; ability to purchase limited edition merchandise; access to select ‘Hilton Racing Breaks’
and access to select ‘Hilton Racing Events’.
Customers can become a Hilton Racing
Member
now
by
visiting
www.hilton.com/racing and completing
the registration form.
Radisson SAS
Expands in
France
Located at the centre the city just 10 minutes from the Eiffel Tower, five minutes
from the Parc des Princes or Rolland
Garros and 35 minutes from Roissy
Airport, the new Radisson SAS hotel is ideally placed to accommodate both business
and leisure travellers. The hotel is built
over 13000 square metres and features 170
rooms including 9 suites, a gym and a
restaurant / bar / lounge.
It also caters for conference and events
market with 5 flexible conference rooms.
As with all Radisson SAS hotels design is
key and Fabrice Catellorizios, director of
the recently refurbished Radisson SAS
Nice Hotel is managing the decor.
Decorated with warm tones including
plum, beige and chocolate contrasted with
dark wood the Radisson SAS BoulogneParis hotel is modern, elegant and refined sitting perfectly in its surroundings in this
very chic City.
Key features of the hotel include the “satellite receptions” which ensure guests can
check in and out seamlessly and informally, the gloss “pampilles” of the lobby, and
the vines planted on the terrace which will
no doubt tempt guest to try out some of
the fantastic French wines stocked in the
hotel.
Opening room rates are 145euros/£99.58
accommodation only. Breakfast is
22euros/£15.10 per person.
www.boulogne.radissonsas.com
Swissôtel The
Howard,
London
Swissôtel The Howard, London is inviting
kids to join in on the fun with the introduction of dedicated Kids Rooms.
Swissôtel The Howard, London, situated
on London’s Embankment, has made travelling with the family easier and more
enjoyable by providing kids with a unique
playroom that will ensure their stay is truly
memorable. The Kids Rooms meet the
needs of little guests aged two-12 years,
providing entertainment from children’s
books to colouring crayons, and specially
selected DVDs to a large range of toys and
play areas.
Swissôtel The Howard, London has established itself as a forerunner in catering to
the needs and comfort of families travelling
with children. Designed to give parents
maximum peace of mind while allowing
the little ones to play to their hearts’ content, the Kids Room is filled with goodies
galore. Brightly coloured walls, special play
furniture and soft furnishings allow for
child-friendly activities in comfortable and
safe surroundings. Each family is allocated
a room to use exclusively for the duration
of their stay. The Kids Room is set up in
the room connected to or just next to the
parent’s room so they are always close to
hand.
Not forgetting those aged two and under,
Swissôtel The Howard, London has also
excellent amenities to make babies as comfortable as possible. Baby cots, cuddly toys,
mini bathrobes, baby toiletries, nappies
and even baby bottles with their own
warmers are provided on arrival allowing
families to travel with a lighter load, safe in
the knowledge that all necessary preparations have been made to ensure a relaxing
and enjoyable stay for all the family.
www.london.swissotel.com
020 7836 3555
The Leela
Expands Into
Kerala With
The Leela
Kovalam
Beach Resort
Premier Indian hotel group, The Leela
Palaces and Resorts opened the largest
beach resort hotel in Kerala on 15th July.
The resort, located in the coastal town of
Kovalam, promises to offer leisure travellers a new destination to complement the
service and luxury accommodation that
visitors have come to expect from this prestigious hotel group.
“Our expansion into Kerala signifies an
important strategic move for The Leela
Palaces and Resorts. Even though attrac-
tive international holiday options are available in plenty, Kerala continues to be hugely attractive for tourists. With Ayurveda
and Wellness thriving as a holiday theme,
health breaks within southern India are
also gaining in popularity. It is the ideal
time to establish our brand in God’s Own
Country,” said Mr. Peter Leitgeb, President
of The Leela Palaces and Resorts.
Located just 15 kms from Trivandrum
Airport, The Leela Kovalam Beach Resort,
with its 194 guest rooms and suites, is
spread across 44 acres of picturesque
beachfront. The resort is perched on a
cliff top cradled between two wide sweeping beaches, offering stunning views of the
famed Kovalam coastline.
This property was Kerala’s first and largest
beach resort. In the last two years the previous owners spent approximately $12 million on renovating the property including
the recently opened Beach View Wing.
The wing, designed by Charles Correa, has
been totally transformed. The 88 stunning beach-view rooms, lobby, infinity
pool, coffee shop, bar and conference
rooms all have a panoramic view of the
Arabian Sea and beach.
To meet the exacting standards of The
Leela Palaces and Resorts, the $30 million
resort will see an additional investment of
approximately $5 million over a twophased renovation plan. The sea-view wing
of 64 rooms will be converted into the premium ‘The Club’ at The Leela Kovalam
Beach Resort, in line with the recently
opened ‘The Club’ at The Leela Palaces
and Resort’s Goa property. The Club is
being designed by Mr. Carl Etensperger
and will house a Presidential Suite, an
Executive Suite, Club Rooms and an array
of restaurants and lounges. On completion, expected by November 2005, this will
undoubtedly be amongst India’s most
superior beach resorts.
The Leela Palaces and Resorts is working to
reposition Kovalam in general, and the
new resort in particular, as Kerala’s premier
beach and Ayurveda Spa destination. Mr
Leitgeb continues, “We are adding this
unique property to our portfolio and are
striving to make it the leading resort destination in Kerala, as we believe that this
destination as well as the resort have not
reached their true potential in attracting
quality tourists. The Leela Group is committed to changing the image and fortunes
of this most outstanding beach destination
in India.”
The 8,000 square foot/738 square metre
News Desk Hotel News
ballroom; pre-function area of 6,350
square feet/590 square metres and conference facilities, complete with other meeting rooms totalling over 6,000 square
feet/550 square metres, offer guests a fresh
alternative for meetings and private functions.
The hallmark of the property will be the
signature Ayurveda and Wellness Spa.
The Spa will boast seven massage rooms
including a naturally ventilated foot massage pavilion, large and tranquil yoga
rooms and access to a private beach.
These outstanding facilities will set the Spa
apart and establish the property as Kerala’s
premier spa holiday destination.
The Leela Palaces and Resorts has established a global leadership position in the
luxury hotel and resort industry by offering
premier locations, elegant facilities and
personalised service to the world’s most
discerning travellers. Each of the four
properties is individual in design, character
and ambience. In the near future The
Leela Palaces and Resorts will add to its
portfolio properties in Udaipur, Chennai
and Hyderabad.
Dolce
International
Celebrates its
25th Year
Dolce International Hotel, Resort &
Conference Destinations will enter its 25th
year in October 2005. The company was
founded by Chairman Andy Dolce in
October 1981 in Houston, Texas, when it
was known as The Dolce Company and
grew steadily throughout the United States
in the 1980s, building a reputation for
excellence and leading the way in creating
dedicated conference destinations with
universally high standards at every property. In 1993 Dolce brought its special formula for success to Europe when it opened
its first property on the continent, Dolce
Frégate in Provençe; it was then when the
company changed its name to Dolce
International.
To mark the anniversary, each of the 21
Dolce Destinations will have a special
anniversary event held in the last quarter of
the year and there are special celebratory
promotions available now.
Philippe Attia, Senior Vice President
Operations Europe commented, “Our
twenty-fifth anniversary is a landmark in
our company’s history, we wanted to mark
it in an appropriate way, so that clients that
have supported us, both in Europe and
America, can celebrate with us. We think
the events and special offers we have put
together do this very well, whilst adding a
little fun to the celebrations too. ”
in Euros) for a unique 4-course menu
which was originally served in 1981
8 October, Tickets DM 48 / 24,50
(Same price as in 1981)
Dolce Berlin Müggelsee
Anniversary Cooking Event
20 October, upon invitation
Dolce Chantilly
‘Celebrating the 80s’ Party
18 November, upon invitation
Dolce Frégate
Wine & Cheese Garden Party
The special offers packages are as follows:
October, upon invitation
Anniversary Free Meeting Offer
Dolce Kasteel Vaalsbroek
Vaalsbroek’s Event Experience – the Castle
will be the backdrop of this exciting
evening food & wine experiential event
Dolce has a special anniversary offer available to any other company also celebrating
its 25th anniversary in 2005: a free meeting
in November or December 2005 at any
European Dolce Destination*.
*Upon request and availability. This offer is
available for any company that was founded
in 1980 or 1981, for a new meeting of 25
room nights or more, and cannot be combined with other promotions. The free meeting includes the meeting room, standard AV
equipment, refreshment buffet and lunch for
one day. Dinner, overnight stay and further
costs will be invoiced. Proof will be required
of each client company’s founding date.
Online: www.dolce.com/meetingspecials
Dolce’s ‘Born in October?’ Offer
For those born in October, like Dolce, a
special birthday present:
Stay at any European Dolce Destination
on a Saturday night in October and Dolce
will give you the room on Sunday night for
free!*
* Upon request and availability. This offer is
valid for new bookings in October 2005 and
cannot be combined with other promotions.
Available to all guests, born in the month
October – proof of date of birth will be
required upon check-in. Breakfast and further costs will be invoiced.
Online: www.dolce.com/leisurespecials
An overview of the European Anniversary
Events:
Dolce Bad Nauheim
Dinner Event – a touch of nostalgia:
guests can pay in Deutsche Marks (change
7 October, Tickets 15
Dolce Sitges
Dolce’s 25th and Sitges’ 1st Anniversary
Gala Dinner
22 October, upon invitation
Hotelopia.co.uk
launches 10,000
hotel nights for
£10pp
10,000 hotel nights at just £10 per person
are available to book now on
hotelopia.co.uk in selected destinations
across Europe and beyond.
£10 deals are valid for stays through to the
end of December 2006 in destinations
including Spain, Portugal, USA, Mexico
and Turkey. Hot examples include:
4* Costa Del Sol, Spain £10 per person
5* Hotel, Luxor, Egypt £10 per person
3* Hotel, Las Vegas, USA £10 per person
3* Hotel, Mallorca, Balearic Islands £10 pp
4* Hotel Cancun , Mexico £10 per person
3* Hotel Algarve, Portugal £10 per person
4* Marmaris, Turkey £10 per person
3* Tenerife, Canary Islands £10 per person
Prices displayed are based on two people
sharing a double or twin room. To quickly
find the cheapest prices, simply sort your
results by ´price.` The site offers brochure
style content on each hotel with detailed
information on facilities as well as easy-touse location maps.
Hotelopia has added a further 15,000 hotel
nights in other popular destinations from
just £15 per person, including Paris,
Budapest, Orlando, Warsaw, and Tallinn.
All deals are subject to availability and are
only online until they get snapped up.
Sotiris Damianos, general director at
Hotelopia said: “Our £10 hotel nights
gives everyone the opportunity to search
and book quality hotels for truly bargain
prices. Hotelopia is committed to delivering unrivalled value on hotels for travellers who are choosing to tailor their travel around the low cost air fares.”
Hotelopia.co.uk has been designed to offer
maximum simplicity for ease and speed of
booking and stays with the consumer every
step of the way, with customer service 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, whether at
home or abroad. Hotelopia has access to
a network of 65 offices around the world
and ensures it has locally based staff in destinations with first hand knowledge to provide support and expertise as required.
www.hotelopia.co.uk
Late Deal:
£55 a night at
Jurys Inn
Nottingham
£45 Room Rate
Guaranteed At
All Travelodge
Manchester
Hotels Until
31st Dec 2005
Travelodge, the UK’s number one budget
hotel brand* has reduced its standard room
rate within the Greater Manchester region
to just £45 per night. Making it the cheapest place to stay in the city centre. £26
rooms will still be available, depending on
availability (Strictly dependent on a first
come basics) but guests are guaranteed not
to pay more than £45 at any Manchester
Travelodge.
Example of Standard Room Rates in
Manchester City Centre
Travelodge: £45.00
Holiday Inn Express: £76.33
IBIS: £61.95
Premier Travel Inn: £55.95
ABOVE: Manchester Ancoats Travelodge
The offer is available from September to
31st December 2005. Rooms can be
booked online at www.travelodge.co.uk or
by calling 08700 850 950.
Room rates correct as of 20th Sep 2005
Participating hotels include: Manchester
Central,
Manchester
Sportscity,
Manchester Ancoats, Manchester Didbury
Ashton under Lyne and Oldham.
There are a further two new Travelodge
hotel openings scheduled for later this year
within the Greater Manchester region
which include Bury (November) and
Manchester Airport (December). Both
hotels can be booked from now.
Jurys In Nottingham, the largest hotel in
the East Midlands, is offering rooms at a
special opening rate of £55. Rooms can
sleep up to three adults or two adults and
two children sharing.
All Travelodge hotels offer a choice of
either a double, family or disabled room,
each offering a comfortable setting with
en-suite bathroom, luxury king size bed,
colour TV with in-room entertainment
which offers pay on demand movies, telephone and Internet services and free tea
and coffee making facilities. On site car
parking is provided at most Manchester
hotel sites.
The 264-room hotel is right next to the
train station and is perfect for business or
pleasure. Nottingham is the capital of the
East Midlands and a city rich in history
and architecture. Room facilities include
air conditioning, 21” TV and high speed
internet access. To make a booking please
call 0115 901 6700 or email:
[email protected]
All hotels offer a breakfast bag service,
which can be delivered to your door
between 5am to 7am. The Breakfast bag
contains a selection of goodies for £4.45.
At hotels with a Bar Café a full English
breakfast menu is available -eat as much as
you like at £6.50 per head. A full range of
drinks, tasty snacks and evening meals are
available from the Bar Café.
TO MARK the opening of Jurys Inn
Nottingham, the hotel is offering a fantastic
deal on its superior three-star standard
accommodation right in the heart of the city.
News Desk Train News
Train News
Gatwick
Express
Gatwick Express is claiming to be the train
operating company with the ability to
speak more languages than any other TOC
in the UK.
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains’ busiest First Class lounge
reopened at Euston station following a
£175,000 makeover.
The new look lounge now has three distinct parts for customers to use:
•
Relaxation area with flatscreen TV and
soft chairs.
•
A working area with tables and chairs
set out in bistro style together with
high benches, internet points, photocopier and fax.
•
A “quiet room” with two internet
points where the use of mobile phones
will not be permitted. This room can
be booked for private meetings if
required.
All flooring and furniture has been
renewed, there is a new reception desk and
luggage area, and shower and toilet facilities have been upgraded.
Andrew Conroy, Head of Customer
Services at Gatwick Express, said,
“Obviously our non stop rail-air link from
Gatwick Airport to London is often the
first point of contact for tourists and foreign visitors alike. Consequently our
employment strategy has always had a
greater international emphasis than any of
our fellow train operators.”
Helping to launch the new lounge was the
renowned Smith Quartet who for over a
decade has been at the forefront of the
world’s contemporary music-scene. The
lounge made a particularly appropriate
venue for the launch of their latest CD
“Different Trains” a 1988 composition by
Steve Reich. The quartet played a ten
minutes long piece from the work after
which the CD was played in its entirety for
customers to enjoy. Visitors to the lounge
were then able to indulge in some wine
tasting and a selection of food from the
new Primo range now being served on
Gatwick Express’s strategic approach to
ensuring the best customer service for its
inbound customers is to provide welcome
hosts, ticket office clerks and on train staff
who can communicate in a large number
of languages. Even the onboard train
announcements are recorded in several different languages.
Conroy adds, “With over 30 different languages spoken amongst our frontline staff,
we think Gatwick Express has the warmest
welcome, if not in the world then certainly
in the UK.”
www.gatwickexpress.com
trains to passengers travelling First Class.
Philippa Cresswell, Virgin Trains Product
Development Director, speaking at the
launch said: “Our lounges are all part of
the total journey experience for First Class
customers and in particular allow business
travellers to catch up on work preparation
while waiting for the train. It’s all part of
our aim to provide the best use of travel
time for our customers.”
Virgin Trains First Class lounges at
Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham New
Street, Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent and
Wolverhampton, as well as at London
Euston, may be used by any passenger
holding a First Class ticket dated for that
day. Lounges provide complimentary
drinks and light snacks, telephone/fax
machines, wireless broadband internet
access and, in addition, at Euston there is a
licensed bar.
Stress Buster... Top Techniques For Staying Calm At Work
Better breathing
Even though you don't think about it
most of the time, the way you breathe
can have a significant impact on the way
you feel. Shallow breathing from the
chest can contribute towards feelings of
tension and anxiety and cause physical
symptoms including dizziness, faintness,
pins and needles and chest pains.
So what can you do to improve your
breathing and feel more relaxed?
Try the following exercise:
•
Find somewhere quite and sit
down. Assess your breathing patterns - are they fast or slow, deep
or shallow?
•
Place one hand on your chest and
the other on your stomach. Breathe
slowly in and out.
•
•
The hand on your stomac h should
rise and fall as you breathe in and
out. In contrast the hand on your
chest should remain relatively still.
If you're breathing from your chest
rather than your stomach, try to
breathe slowly and deeply through
your nose only
•
The following arrangements, identified in
the report of a staff group on managing
work-related stress, will reduce risks to
staff. You can adopt as goals work
towards them in all areas.
Primary Prevention Arrangements
These are organizational measures which
have the broadest effect, acting to
reduce the risk of stress for all employees.
•
•
Ensure that the ability to contribute
at all levels is valued.
•
Understand that change can for
some be extremely tiring and
threatening and endanger morale;
have good communication and
consultation strategies particularly
during times of change.
Follow human resources policies
and guidance to ensure that the
requirements of employment legislation are met.
•
Ensure that policies have mechanisms for monitoring, review and
development to ensure that continuous improvement is achieved
All Staff
Clear Communication
Managers
Healthy Working Environment
Senior management
•
Ensure that staff who report to
them attend regular department or
team meetings at which their contribution is encouraged.
•
Communicate organizational objectives and performance.
All Staff
•
•
Contribute to a positive atmosphere
in the workplace; avoid criticizing
destructively or undermining colleagues.
Be willing to communicate with colleagues, particularly where you
have knowledge, which could help
others in their work.
•
Ask necessary questions; use your
staff representatives to voice your
concerns.
•
Read notices and give feedback if
necessary.
Appropriate Reward
Managers
•
Support a clear, consistent and fair
pay structure.
•
Understand that appropriate praise,
recognition and responsibility can
contribute significantly to work satisfaction.
Effective Management
Managers
Participate in the management
development training
•
Accept that change may be
inevitable and necessary; participate in communicating about - and
helping manage - change
• Co-operate in the production of team
work-plans; work together with colleagues to achieve team objectives, if
you feel you have a contribution to make
than make it.
•
•
Human Resources Policies
Managers
All Staff
Healthy Work - Stress & Mental Health
Mental health and well-being of all is
essential to the success of an organization. Where causes of excessive pressure
are identified in the workplace aim to
eliminate, isolate or minimize these and
provide training and support to staff to
deal with difficult work content or
unavoidably difficult organizational issues.
Use service level agreements,
annual work-plans and objectives to
give teams clear goals and enable
them to experience the positive
benefit of success.
Let employees know how they contribute to the organization's success; communicate to individual
members of staff that they are valued; acknowledge work well done
and suggestions made.
All Staff
•
Maintain skills and knowledge.
•
Have a realistic sense of self-worth.
•
Acknowledge others' accomplishments.
•
Abide by policies
•
Work on maintaining healthy personal relationships at work
•
Take account of current research
and good practice when making
strategic decisions about the provision of work space, flexible working
arrangements, quiet rooms, meeting areas, catering facilities and
break out areas.
• Facilitate and encourage staff to participate in sports and social activities.
Managers
•
Ensure that their departmental risk
assessment includes consideration
of the local working environment.
•
Consider developing departmental
codes of conduct for open-plan
working.
•
Manage operations which may
affect the working environments of
others efficiently and sensitively.
All Staff
•
Be considerate to others when
working in an open-plan office.
•
Participate in the health and safety
effort, obey health and safety
instructions, and report hazards.
Awareness of Personal Responsibility
Managers
•
Make managing pressure an agenda item in staff meetings at least
annually.
•
Direct staff to the HSE guidance on
managing work pressure available
on the internet
((http://www.hse.gov.uk).
All Staff
•
Make yourself aware of the causes
and effect
(http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/personal.htm) of excessive pressure
which lead to work-related stress
•
Take action to improve your ability
to cope.
Executive
ETraveller
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Looking for the perfect luxury
gift this Christmas?
knomo™ has it all wrapped up…
As the festive season rolls around once again, the quest for originality
when buying something special for your loved one can prove an arduous
task; what do you buy the man/woman who has everything? Are you
bored of buying books, disillusioned with DVD’s and drowning in a sea
of seasonal socks? If so, knomo™ provides the answer with their exclusive collection of luxury laptop carriers. Whatever your loved-ones fashion style/gadget preferences, knomo™ has it all wrapped up!
Whether for the tenacious traveller always on the move, media mogul
who can’t bear to be parted from his iBook or stylish city type looking
for a bit more fashion with his function, knomo™ has it all; but most
importantly, a knomo™ doesn’t advertise the fact that they are carrying a laptop.
Not only are the bags fashionable, they are functional too. After all, what
is the point of carrying a stylish bag if it doesn’t perform the way you
need it to? For starters, each bag is constructed of the highest quality
materials with a sturdy shock-resistant foam shell and within this is a
quilted protection pouch to further protect your hardware and aid the
ease of removal. This pouch can also be carried separately with laptop
inside for nipping out to meetings or brainstorming sessions over a coffee at Starbucks. Every knomo™ also contains a revolutionary bundle
bag to keep those stray cables neat and tidy as well as a unique tracker
number to help reunite you with your bag should you misplace it (with a
freephone number for the finder to call). Add to this a certified testing by
a National Newspaper that their bag (with laptop inside) came away
unscathed when thrown down a flight of concrete stairs, and indeed,
what more could you ask for in a laptop bag?
With knomo™ now stocked all over the UK & Ireland at major department stores it is easy to get your hands on one. knomo™ bags are
designed to provide protection for laptops; the bags also have a number
of unique features including a handy bundle bag for cables, a tracker ID
number and a removable pocket (most styles).
Constructed of high quality materials, each bag is equipped with shock
resistant high density foam cocooning your laptop and enabling the bag
to take severe knocks from any angle without disturbing it. The
knomo™ tracker is a non-removable and visible tag. The owner registers his or her contact details against the bag’s unique tracker code on
the knomo™ website. In the event of the bag being misplaced and
recovered, a 24 hour call centre will help the owner to be reunited with
their bag.
knomo™ e-shop offers free next day delivery to UK mainland. Prices
start from £115 and range up to £185
Christmas Offer
TRADITIONAL YORKSHIRE CHRISTMAS AT
THE 16TH CENTURY WHITE SWAN HOTEL, PICKERING
Three Night Festive Package from £479 Per Person
A traditional Yorkshire Christmas is on offer from the White
Swan at Pickering, a beautifully restored 16th century coaching
inn with a cosy house party atmosphere, roaring log fires and
award winning food. Festive three-night packages start at £479
per person from Saturday 24 – Tuesday 27 December based on
two sharing a double/twin room.
On arrival Christmas Eve guests are welcomed with tea and
mince pies in front of the roaring log fire followed by an early
evening champagne party and gourmet dinner prepared by
head chef Darren Clemmit. The festive atmosphere will be
boosted by visits from Santa Claus and a local group of carol
singers during the evening.
Christmas Day starts with a glass of Bucks Fizz, later there’s a
traditional lunch with all the trimmings and a quiz evening –
the winner receives a complimentary weekend’s stay for two at
the White Swan. On Boxing Day guests can chance their luck
at nearby Wetherby Racecourse (£50 per person to include
travel, entrance and picnic lunch) and in the evening enjoy a
superb five-course dinner with fine vintage wines.
For those preferring a little outdoor exercise, the White Swan is
a perfect base from which to explore the North Yorkshire Moors
either on foot or mountain bike while the coastal footpath with
its wonderful views out to sea and the historic port of Whitby
are a short drive away. The North Yorkshire Moors Steam
Railway also stops a short walk from the inn. And the heritage
towns of York and Harrogate are within easy reach for sight seeing or seeking out a bargain at the post-Christmas sales.
www.white-swan.co.uk.
A new online corporate gift service, www.cadburygiftsdirect.co.uk, claims that it has carried out research
to find out what incentives staff really want and when
it is deemed appropriate to send gifts to work associates.
The survey is reported to have interviewed 1,000
employees and asked ‘which situations in everyday life
would you appreciate a gift from your employer?’ The
results showed that it was the small acts of kindness
such as giving gifts on personal occasions and rewarding good performance at work that were most appreciated. These included:
G
75% of employees would like to receive a gift
for doing a good job
G
46% of employees would appreciate a gift when
they got married or celebrated a special birthday (30th/50th) or when they became a new
parent or grandparent
G
46% would like to be rewarded for exceeding
sales targets
G
37% wanted to receive a gift to help pick them
up after a bad day at work.
However, 6 in 10 people would only expect their
employer to spend up to £25 on them, with 67% of
respondents claiming that ‘it’s not the size of the gift
that’s important to me, but the thought that counts’.
www.cadburygiftsdirect.co.uk also asked the interviewees when might b e an appropriate time for suppliers
to send a gift to a company. Whilst Christmas proved
the most popular, 52% stated ‘to help promote a new
product’, 46% thought it appropriate to say ‘thank
you’ for an order or for past business and interestingly,
30% of respondents felt that it was appropriate to send
a gift to a company in order to help persuade them to
award a contract.
Cadbury Gifts Direct has a wide range of bespoke corporate gifts available to suit all business needs and budgets, and as the research indicates it’s not the price that
matters but it’s the thought, so what better gift than
chocolate! The Cadbury Gifts Direct service provides a
time saving solution that saves you the trouble of sourcing gifts.
Whether you are looking for an incentive to encourage
staff productivity or to say thanks to staff and clients,
Cadbury Gifts Direct offers a complete service including:
distributing products to either single or multiple addresses, discounts on bulk orders, tailor-made hampers to any
price point, inclusion of messages or corporate literature
within the gift or promotional mail shots.
www.cadburygiftsdirect.co.uk has also launched a
unique mailer, which can be easily posted to clients and
staff. The mailer contains a 200g bar of chocolate and
can be tailored to include specific clients’ messages - a
great way to target multiple companies or individuals
across the country.
Something to Sparkle in style
Leading French lingerie manufacturer Chantelle is providing the perfect
stocking filler this Christmas with an exclusive collaboration with
Swarovski, offering a limited edition glamorous lingerie set, finely encrusted with Swarovski Crystals.
The sophisticated and luxurious set is designed using the finest, delicate
black ‘leavers lace’ – and is encrusted with an elegant pattern of more than
thousand Swarovski Crystals over the half-cut bra, the straps and on the
boxer briefs. With crystal becoming a contemporary fashion must, this
beautifully crafted set will undoubtedly make any woman feel treasured this
festive period.
The chic combination of black, next season’s key shade, and precious stones
create a stylish and highly desirable set - perfect for a Christmas gift as it comes
in a unique gift presentation box. Available solely at Harrods from November,
this unique lingerie set will retail at £350 and is available in sizes B/C/D/E 3238 and boxer XS-XL.
Chantilly Crystal - The Facts
Each set has a minimum of one thousand crystals – 489 in the half cup bra
(34B) and 594 in the briefs (XS)
A limited number of sets are going to be on sale in the UK, ensuring that
this will be a collectors item of the future
Each set takes six hours to create and comprises of intricate hand stitching
from a trained lace technician
The lingerie made from Leavers lace – so named after John Leaver, who created the machine on which it is made in 1805, is the most expensive type
of lace that can be used in lingerie
Like Chantelle the name Swarovski is synonymous with perfection, style
and attention to detail, Daniel Swarovski created his crystal cutting
machine in 1892
In 1993, Swarovski launched ‘Crystal Fabric’ which fuses fabric and crystal
into a second skin and hence opened many windows of opportunity for
crystal to be used in conjunction with fashion.
About Chantelle Lingerie
Founded in 1949, Chantelle is the leading French lingerie brand in Europe
renowned for its perfect fit and attention to detail. It was first established
in a Parisian corsetry house in 1876 and from then has gone from strength
to strength, with expertise in this field now at the highest in the industry.
From its elegant and rich lingerie history, it has developed into a recognized
and respected worldwide brand.
Champagne-Ardenne
Not Just for
Special Occasions
90 Minutes to the east of Paris, the Champagne-Ardenne
region is a land of contrasts and history in which lifestyle
and gourmet cuisine are paramount. Champagne is the
main reason for this. The region is situated in the northeast of France and shares a north-eastern boarder with
Belgium and a south-western boarder with Burgundy.
Any holiday in Champagne-Ardenne
is as light and airy as the bubbles that
dance in the glasses. Now with the
opening of the Eurotunnel, you can
combine business with leisure in the
most practical way possible.
Champagne- Ardenne is a perfect
short break destination for visitors from
the UK. There is a bountiful array of
things to see and do in the region, with
a beautiful landscape, glorious architectural treasures and fascinating
museums to enthral visitors from all
over the world.
Most of the world’s best-loved bubbly-champagne most famous champagne houses- Veuve Clicquot, Moët &
Chandon, Taittinger, Mercier, Laurent
Perrier, Pommery and Piper Heidsieck
can be found here.
The region has a plethora of accommodation to offer with everything ranging from campsites to self-catering
apartments, hotels of all categories,
châteaux and Bed & Breakfast establishments.
Champagne- Ardenne possesses the
qualities of a sound environment openly inviting the presence of business as
well as family.
ABOVE White Grapes of Le Chardonnay especially used for the production of Champagne - usually found in Cote des Blancs
New places to
stay in
Champagne
Ardenne France
Hotellerie Le Chateau
Fort (3 Star Hotel)
Porte des Princes, 08200
Sedan
54 rooms within the
Castle of Sedan
t. 0033 3 2426 1100
www.hotelfp-sedan.com
Hotel Des Canotiers
(3 Star Hotel)
(Logis de France 3 chimneas)
10360 Essoyes
t. 0033 3 2538 6108
www.hoteldescanotiers.c
om
THIS PAGE Champagne, an excellent celebration drink!
TOP RIGHT Bateau Champagne Vallée tour
RIGHT
Gorges de la Vingeanne
Hotel Des Pirates
Theme Park
10200 Dolancourt
t. 0033 3 2527 9452
www.nigoland.fr
Le Moulin De Sauvage
27 Rue GeorgeGuynemer
51260 St. Just-Sauvage
t. 0033 3 2681 2470
www.le-koulin-desauvage.com
Domain De Foolz
RN71 10110
Bourguignons
t. 0033 3 2529 0681
www.domainedefoolz.co
m
Les Grains D'Argent
Allée du Petit Bois,
51530 DIZY
www.lesgrainsdargent.c
om
La Villa Eugene (3
Stars)
82-82 Avenue de
Champagne, 512 EPERNAY
www.villa-eugene.fr
Hotel de charme set in
woods with 15 rooms
including 17 suites.
Classified Directory
The one-stop page for quality products and services
To place a listing contact us on + 44 (0)79 8402 1973 or email [email protected]
Sai & Co Chartered Certified Accountants
For all your financial assistance VAT, End of Year Accounts,
Advice, Company Formation and more
134 Atkins Road
Balham, London
SW12 0AR
020 8674 3777
LOSE WEIGHT NOW
It is much easier than you think
Luzern - Switzerland
Hotels & Transport Directory
Bürgenstock Hotels & Resorts CH-6363 Bürenstock, Luzern
Tel: +41(0) 41612 90 10
Fax: +41(0) 41612 99 11
www.buergenstock-hotels.ch
Palace, Luzern Haldenstrasse 10
CH-6002 Luzern
Tel: +41(0) 41 416 10 24
Fax: +41(0) 41 416 10 00
www.palace-luzern.com
Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern Schweizerhofquai 3
CH-6002 Luzern
Tel: +41 (0)41 410 04 10
Fax: +41 (0)41 410 29 71
www.schweizerhof-luzern.ch
Grand Hotel National Luzern Email: [email protected]
Haldenstrasse 4
CH-6006 Luzern
Tel: +41(0)41 419 09 09
Fax: +41(0)41 419 09 10
TRANSPORT - Switzerland
Hire a bus for big events
Luzern Transport Services
Verkehrsbetriebe Luzerne AG
Tribschenstrasse 65 Postfach
CH-6000 Luzern 12
Tel: +41(0)41 369 65 65
Fax: +41(0)41 369 65 00
www.vbl.ch
Swiss Railway Congress Special Tickets
SBB CFF FFS
Schweizerische Bundesbahnen SBB
Bahnreisezentrum
Kongress/Grosskunden, Postfach
CH-6002 Luzern
Tel: +41 512 27 33 20
Fax: +41 512 27 35 04
www.sbb.ch/business
Doing Business in China?
Why waste time in airline queues and flight connections? Let Deer Jet Ltd fly you wherever you want to
go in China and get you there on time, in good shape
without all the fuss and stress.
Info: 0044 (0)79 8402 1973
E-mail: [email protected]
Advertise With Us
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the size of 7cm x 1 column as
illustrated here will cost Ł275
+VAT and Ł175 +VAT for mono.
We also have larger sizes for
extra impact.
60 words allows ample space to
fully describe your product.
Classified Advertisement Form
Executive Traveller,
Classified Advertisement Department
33 Donkin House, Galleywall Road
London SE16 3PQ UK
• 6.5 cm x 2 columns (1/8
page) Ł550 colour, Ł350
mono
t. 0044 (0) 79 8402 1973
e. [email protected]
• 13cm x 2 columns (1/4
pages) Ł 1250 +VAT colour
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Name:
Address:
• A lineage advertisement
costs Ł7.50 per line
This 7cm x 1 column can accommodate a photograph of your
product, giving your potential
buyer the opportunity to acquaint
themselves with the product in
advance. For maximum impact
please take advantage of our full
colour facility.
Ask about our unique combination of
executivetraveller.net and the
classified pages. Private
advertisers can take advantage of series discount of 1520 consecutive insertions and
25% discount for dual insertions for both online and in
print media. Trade discounts
available on request and
apply to a minimum of 4
insertions only.
Post Code:
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Signature
Colour
Full Display
Linage
2 Insertions
Please print your advertisement clearly and
attach it to this order form and send it together with your payment.
Cheques should be made payable to LNA
Associates Ltd. Thank you.
Available solely in Harrods from November

New! - executivetraveller.net

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