UK Parliament inquiry into air travel branded a waste of time
By Michael Wukoschitz |
UK Parliament's Transport Committee has launched a wide-ranging inquiry into passengers' experience of air travel. It will cover every stage of the journey from buying tickets to travel links to and from airports, arrangements for baggage and the comfort of seating on aircraft.The inquiry is also looking into how easy ...
Read More Better protection for performing artists working outside their home country
By Manuel Masseno |
According to the European Parliament Press Service, "The employment conditions for performing artists who move around Europe as part of their work should be improved, and they should be better informed on how to transfer their social rights. So says the Culture Committee in a report adopted on Monday, calling ...
Read More Alcohol banned in all restaurants, mosques, schools and residential areas; Bahrain going dry … only the Fives will see ‘stars’
By Manuel Masseno |
"Bahrain's tourism industry, which has long thrived on visitors from its 'dry' neighbours in the Gulf, faces a tough challenge with the introduction of curbs on alcohol and nightclubs. For now, the 27-kilometer-long (17-mile) causeway linking the archipelago to eastern Saudi Arabia continues to be crowded every weekend as thousands ...
Read More Mergers: Commission approves proposed acquisition of MyTravel Group by KarstadtQuelle
By Manuel Masseno |
As stated by the EU Press Room, "The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of MyTravel Group PLC, a UK travel group, by KarstadtQuelle AG, a German department store and mail order company, active in tour operating via the Thomas Cook Group. The Commission ...
Read More Security measures in civil aviation: who should pay
By Manuel Masseno |
According to the European Parliament Press Service, the "Parliament adopted a second-reading report heavily amending the Council's common position on a new regulation laying down common rules on checks, searches, surveillance, prohibited items, security patrols and other aspects of airport and aircraft security. A key difference with the Council is ...
Read More United Kingdom: Increased Passenger Tax faces legal challenge
By Manuel Masseno |
Airlines and travel companies are preparing to launch a legal challenge to the British government's imposition of air passenger duty, a tax on flight tickets. The tax was doubled by the finance minister, Chancellor Gordon Brown, in a statement in December and the increase came into effect last week. The ...
Read More Florida: Airline defends stance on removing 3-year-old and family
By Michael Wukoschitz |
A couple and their daughter were removed from an AirTran Airways flight when the girl refused to take her seat before takeoff, airline officials said Tuesday. But the parents said they just needed a little more time to calm her down. She was removed because “she was climbing under the ...
Read More Tourism for Tomorrow Awards finalists are announced
By Michael Wukoschitz |
The World Travel & Tourism Council is honoured to present the finalists of the 2007 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. 12 candidates have been selected from more than 130 applications from over 40 different countries representing all 7 continents. Their alphabetical order in each of the four categories is:Destination AwardGreat Barrier ...
Read More Common safety standards for air travel to be guaranteed by the European Aviation Safety Agency
By Manuel Masseno |
As stated by te Press Service of the European Parliament, "MEPs in the Transport Committee voted on Tuesday to give the European Aviation Safety Agency the power to impose fines on airlines or other aviation players if safety standards are not correctly implemented. This came as they gave the go-ahead ...
Read More The European Commission proposes a landmark regulatory package for airports
By Manuel Masseno |
According to the EU Press Room, "The European Commission has today adopted an 'airport package' consisting of three key initiatives: a proposal for a directive on airport charges, a communication on airport capacity, efficiency and safety in Europe and a report on the implementation of the groundhandling directive. The package ...
Read More 4th IIPT African Conference on Peace through Tourism
By Michael Wukoschitz |
4th IIPT African Conference on Peace through Tourism20-25 May 2007, Kampala, UgandaConference Goals:Develop public and government appreciation of the central role of tourism in sustainable wealth creation, cultural enrichment, and preservation of biodiversity on the African Continent;Enhance international public appreciation of Africa's positive attributes including its rich mosaic of peoples, ...
Read More UK MetOffice: 2007 forecast to be the warmest year yet
By Michael Wukoschitz |
2007 is likely to be the warmest year on record globally, beating the current record set in 1998, say climate-change experts at the Met Office.Each January the Met Office, in conjunction with the University of East Anglia, issues a forecast of the global surface temperature for the coming year. The ...
Read More Russian Duma adopts law for financial protection of tourists
By Michael Wukoschitz |
The State Duma lower house of the Russian parliament on Wednesday adopted a government-proposed law ensuring financial protection of Russian tourists from unscrupulous tourist firms. The document provides for bank guarantees to redeem losses or insurance of civil responsibilities. Dishonest firms that fail to meet their commitments regarding the level ...
Read More Commisson’s information on air passenger rights incorrect
By Manuel Masseno |
The European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, has called on the European Commission to correct inaccurate and misleading information contained in leaflets, posters and a video presentation on air passenger rights. This follows a complaint to the Ombudsman from two airline associations. They criticised the information provided by the Commission on ...
Read More The European Commission proposes to open aviation negotiations with Canada
By Manuel Masseno |
As stated by the EU Press Room, "The European Commission has proposed today to open negotiations with Canada on a comprehensive aviation agreement. The aim is to establish an open aviation area between the EU and Canada, to open market restrictions and to achieve a high level of regulatory convergence.Commission ...
Read More India: Airline sues man for opening door
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Low-cost airline Air Deccan filed a case against a passenger who opened the emergency-exit door of the aircraft, reacting to the diversion of the Delhi-bound plane after over a day's delay due to fog. The aircraft had to be brought back to Mumbai as it could not land at Delhi ...
Read More New Year message from UNTWO: “Increase tourism to fight poverty”
By Michael Wukoschitz |
According to UNTWO, 2007 should be a critical year to consolidate tourism as a key agent in the fight against poverty and a primary tool for sustainable development. Against a projection of continuing worldwide growth in international tourism of more than 4% for international arrivals and revenues, Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli ...
Read More Hawaii: no-smoking law to affect tourism?
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Hawaii's no-smoking law, which went into effect on November 16, has raised fears Japanese tourists, one of the state s biggest markets, will give the island a miss. The law prohibits smoking in all public areas including airports, restaurants, bowling alleys and malls. It is also now illegal to light ...
Read More Ryanair loses battle with online critic
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Discount airline Ryanair Holdings PLC has lost its battle to win control of an Internet domain name from a disgruntled former customer, according to a ruling issued by a United Nations panel Wednesday. Michael Coulston of London set up a website critical of Ryanair's business practices in July under the ...
Read More US low-cost carrier accused of letting passenger die
By Michael Wukoschitz |
A widow has filed a wrongful death suit against JetBlue Airways, charging the popular low-cost carrier ignored her husband as he was suffering a fatal heart attack during a flight. In her suit filed in U.S. District Court on behalf of her late husband, she claims “After the plane landed, ...
Read More European Commission invokes safeguard clause against Bulgaria on aviation safety
By Manuel Masseno |
As stated by the EU Press Room, "The European Commission decided today to partially exclude Bulgaria from the benefit of the internal aviation market. Following an inspection performed by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) earlier this month, the Commission considers that there is a considerable risk that Bulgaria will ...
Read More UK: hostess sues airline for religious discrimination
By Michael Wukoschitz |
An hostess of British Midland was prevented to take the bible on board of flights to Saudi Arabia. She is reported to have now sued the airline because she considers having been victim of an "unacceptable religious discrimination". The airline stated it has only followed indications given by the British ...
Read More USA: airport workers facing daily screening?
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Some lawmakers want all of the nearly 1 million workers to be screened when they arrive on the job each day. The federal government has stepped up scrutiny amid worries that the workers could use their insider jobs to help terrorists plan attacks. Lawmakers say their concern doesn't stem from ...
Read More Spain: airline in crisis
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Air Madrid has suspended all of its flights leaving thousands of passengers stranded over Christmas.It is reported between 200,000 and 300,000 passengers could be abandoned as a result of the airline's action. Its main destinations are Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo and Mexico. The independent carrier is blaming its actions on ...
Read More Restrictive clauses on conveyance of certain goods in checked air baggage invalid
By Manuel Masseno |
German Supreme Court (BGH) found two clauses invalid whereby an airline tried to interdict conveyance of breakable or perishable goods, computers and other electronic devices, jewellery, valuables, cash money, business papers and commercial samples in checked baggage and to restrict its liabilty to intent or gross negligence, even if goods ...
Read More Brithish passengers want to travel and protect the environment
By Michael Wukoschitz |
According to UK government sponsored research, British passengers want to be able to travel the world but are acutely aware of the environmental effects of commercial flying. Increasingly aware that air travel causes environmental damage, they still want to fly without too many restrictions and are willing to pay for ...
Read More UNTWO – Sixty years serving world tourism
By Michael Wukoschitz |
UNWTO celebrates the 60th anniversary of the existence of an organization at the service of world tourism, and 30 years of its presence in Madrid. Thanks to the conversion, in October 2003, into an agency of the first rank within the United Nations system, the UNWTO now enjoys recognition at ...
Read More ATA alerts passengers to new US passport requirements
By Michael Wukoschitz |
The Air Transport Association (ATA), the industry trade organization representing leading U.S. airlines, today reminded passengers of new and more restrictive travel document policies set to take effect in early 2007 for all travelers entering or re-entering the United States by air from any part of the Western Hemisphere.Beginning Jan. ...
Read More Court of Justice Finds Distribution of a Signal by Means of TV Sets by a Hotel to its Customers Protected by Copyright
By Manuel Masseno |
The SGAE (the body responsible for the management of intellectual property rights in Spain) took the view that the use of television sets and the playing of ambient music within the hotel owned by Rafael Hotels SA involved communication to the public of works belonging to the repertoire which it ...
Read More Combat global warming by “Carbon Offsetting”
By Michael Wukoschitz |
A personal carbon offset facility has been devised by Climate Care. Air passengers can use an online calculator on their web site, www.climatecare.org , to determine their share of the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during their flight, and convert that to a cash amount that they can pay towards ...
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