Gaza Resist

Precautions are being taken in case of an attack against a second “freedom flotilla” to Gaza that is expected to involve an Irish boat and up to 50 Irish people.

Eight Irish were aboard the first flotilla which was stormed by Israeli commandos in international waters while en route to Gaza in May. Nine people were killed.

Plans for a second flotilla are being developed and yesterday a coalition of seven pro-Palestinian groups in Ireland launched a fundraising campaign to purchase an Irish ship.

About 15 ships are expected to depart from a Mediterranean port.

Dr Fintan Lane, an Irish campaigner who travelled on the first flotilla, is spearheading the project.

He said the coalition is raising funds to buy the boat, fuel, and to hire a legal team in case of more kidnappings.

“We’re in the process of putting a legal team in place in case there is a situation similar to what happened the last time, and so we can provide legal aid for people,” he said.

The Couples Resorts chain has reason to celebrate. For the second year running, all four Couples Resorts properties are ranked on Travel + Leisure’s Top 25 World’s Best List for resorts in the Caribbean.

These are Couples Tower Isle and Couples Sans Souci, both in St Mary; and Couples Swept Away and Couples Negril, both in Negril, Westmoreland.

This makes Couples the first all-inclusive resort chain to have all its properties listed in the prestigious magazine’s top 25 list for two years Running.

The recently refurbished and renamed Couples Tower Isle (formerly Couples Ocho Rios) comes out best of the four, being ranked at number four. It leads Couples Swept Away and Couples Sans Souci in the top 10, the two being ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, while Couples Negril is ranked 19th.

Additionally, the Swept Away and Negril properties are making the list for the fourth consecutive year. Tower Isle and Sans Souci are on the list for two years running.

For specialised services, there is also great news for three of the properties: Sans Souci, Negril and Swept Away. Thousands of travellers have ranked the hotels first, second and third, respectively, on the World’s Best Spa, as listed by Travel + Leisure.

The latest news comes just a month after all four properties made the World’s Best Service list, announced by Travel + Leisure in July.

Dubbed the Caribbean’s most inclusive all-inclusive, all Couples resorts include a wide array of services, including beachfront locations, water sports, swim-up pool bars, Wi-Fi and Internet cafes, cooking and dance classes, among other entertainment options.

BKWine has just been named one of the world’s best wine tour organisers by TravelAndLeisure (T+L). In their latest web feature T+L lists the “World’s Top Wine Tours” and BKWine is one of a handful of travel operators selected by Travel and Leisure. T+L singles out BKWine as the tour operator who is best for the traveller who wants to meet the winemakers and who wants to have a personal and unique experience.

Britt Karlsson, founder of BKWine, comments: “We were very excited, happy and honoured when we heard that we had been selected by Travel and Leisure. What T+L says also underlines the things that we work hard to achieve: that our travellers should get a very personal and unique experience. I personally visit some 200 different wineries and winemakers every year so I know where the visits will be exceptional. And in a way, it makes me especially proud that an American travel magazine has selected us, a Swedish tour organiser, as one of the world leaders on wine tours!”

BKWine is a Paris (France) based Swedish niche tour organiser specialised in wine and food tours. BKWine organises around 30 wine and gastronomy tours each year to destinations in France, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Portugal and other wine regions. The wine tours are designed both for the enjoyment of individual wine lovers and wine enthusiasts, as well as for professional training and corporate events. All tours are led by BKWine’s wine experts and take the traveller “behind the scene” of the vineyards.

BKWine AB is run by Britt and Per Karlsson and has four main activities:

- Wine & food tours

- Wine journalism

- Wine photography

- Wine consulting

BKWine was founded in the 90s by Britt Karlsson, a Swede living in Paris. In the early ’00s she was joined by her husband Per Karlsson in the business that now encompasses several different wine related activates. The main business is organising wine tours for wine enthusiasts and wine professionals who want to visit wine regions to learn more about wine. Each year BKWine organises some 30 wine tours. BKWine also publishes an online newsletter on wine, The BKWine Brief, which reaches some 20,000 subscribers. Britt and Per are members of the British Circle of Wine Writers (CWW), the International Wine Writers Federation (FIJEV), the French Wine Press Association (APV), the International Wine and Food Society (IWFS) and several other wine and gastronomic organisations.

Most people brag about the town they live in. Now folks in Lakewood have something to back up their claims.

Travel + Leisure Magazine has just ranked Lakewood as one of its Top 10 Coolest Suburbs . In their on-line review, Travel + Leisure says, “This inner-ring suburb of Cleveland has been on the radar of the young and urbane for some time. It has a well-established (and thriving) nightlife and gastronomic scene along Detroit Avenue, as well as a sizable gay and lesbian community.”

The article points of that every Sunday the Lakewood Band Shelter at Lakewood Park offers free performances, often big band ensembles.

Travel + Leisure suggests sipping on a signature Red Delicious martini while taking in the magnificent view of Lake Erie and downtown Cleveland from the nautically themed Pier W. And “for heartier fare (though not necessarily healthful), head over to Melt Bar & Grilled, where chef Matt Fish has elevated the grilled cheese sandwich to gourmet status.”

Lakewood Mayor Ed Fitzgerald held a news conference Wednesday morning at Melt and says he’s not surprised by the ranking. “Lakewood is the whole package…rebuilt schools, brand new library, the Beck Center, and the city’s crime rate has gone down so it’s much safer,” says Fitzgerald.

The city has recently been in the national spotlight being on the Food Network and Travel Channel for the restaurant Melt and that’s good for business. Owner Matt Fish says, “We’re seeing a lot of travelers from around the country coming specifically for our restaurant.”

Addressing the Sixtieth Annual General Meeting of EIH Limited (the flagship Company of The Oberoi Group) held in Kolkata today, P.R.S. Oberoi, Chairman stated, “The Oberoi, Mumbai which was destroyed by the terrorists in November, 2008 re-opened on 24th April, 2010. The Oberoi, Mumbai has been well received by guests”. Oberoi also said, “The Oberoi, Mumbai is now amongst the best in the region”.

Oberoi added, “Travel + Leisure, a leading international travel magazine, has, in a readers’ poll, ranked one of the Company’s hotels as the Best Hotel in the World; four Oberoi Hotels have been ranked as number 1, 2, 3 and 4 Best in Asia and four Oberoi Hotels have been ranked in the first 15 in the world. No hotel company has received such distinction in the past. The above honours bear testimony to the levels of excellence and service standards that the Company has strived to maintain”.

Oberoi also said, “The demand for hotel rooms in India should grow in this Financial Year. Whilst room rates should begin to improve, margins are likely to be under strain due to high inflation. Appropriate measures have been taken to contain costs, wherever possible, while ensuring service excellence”.

The difficult financial landscape of 2009-2010 impacted the Company’s performance during that Financial Year. As a result:

Total Revenue for the year ended 31st March, 2010 was Rs. 9.07bn as compared to Rs. 1078.47 crores in the previous year;

The Profit before Tax was Rs. 889.9mn as compared to Rs. 2.73bn in the previous year;

he Profit after Tax was Rs. 57.23 crores as compared to Rs. 1.70bn in the previous year.

Nonetheless, the previous year’s Dividend of Rs. 1.20 per share had been maintained.

The operating results of the first quarter in this Financial Year are better than that of the first quarter in the previous Financial Year, without considering the estimated income from insurance claims accounted for in the previous Financial Year.

Thus:

Total Income for the first quarter increased from Rs.166.39 crores to Rs.205.16 crores. This represents an increase of 23.3%.

The Earnings before Interest, Depreciation, Taxation and Amortisation (“EBITDA”) increased from Rs. 15.78 crores to Rs. 25.95 crores. This represents an increase of nearly 65%.

Mr. Oberoi further added, “On 12th July, 2010, we opened our first overseas Flight Kitchen venture at Mauritius. The Kitchen is owned through a wholly owned subsidiary. The 10,000 meals per day capacity Kitchen has cost us approximately US $ 24 million”.

Oberoi pointed out that the Company had completed the following projects/acquisitions:

On 30th June, 2010 EIH International Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of EIH Limited completed the acquisition of the 45.85% equity interest of Amex Investment Limited in its international hotels Joint Venture Company EIH Holdings Limited for US $ 45 million. With this acquisition, EIH Holdings Limited was now a wholly owned subsidiary of EIH International Limited.

The 440 key Trident at Bandra Kurla, Mumbai opened on 1st December, 2009. The hotel had been well received and occupancies were stabilising.

The opening of Trident, Bandra Kurla, Mumbai and the much anticipated successful re-opening of The Oberoi, Mumbai will ensure that the Company had the requisite inventory of rooms to cater to future demand.

The status of other projects on hand is as follows:

The Oberoi, Gurgaon consisting of 202 keys was expected to open during the fourth quarter of the current Financial Year.

Construction of the 103 key Trident hotel at Dehradun was on schedule. The hotel was expected to open in the spring of 2012.

Construction of the 229 key Oberoi hotel at Cyber City, Hyderabad was under way. This was in addition to a 323 key Trident hotel also under construction at the adjacent site. Both hotels were expected to open in phases beginning in the summer of 2012.

Construction of the 252 key Oberoi hotel in Dubai located at Business Bay was progressing. The hotel is expected to commence operations in the last quarter of 2011 or in the first quarter of 2012.

Planning had commenced on Oberoi hotels in Abu Dhabi and in Oman.

Planning for The Oberoi, Marrakech, Morocco is under way.

Management Contracts for a hotel at Scorpio Bay, Greece and a second Oberoi hotel in Mauritius have been signed.

The new Flight Kitchen in Delhi was expected to be operational in March 2011.

The Flight Kitchen at Cochin was expected to be commissioned shortly; while the Calicut Flight Kitchen was expected to commence operations in early 2011.

In conclusion Oberoi further stated, “The last two and half years have been challenging due to the global financial crisis and the terrorist attack on Mumbai in November 2008. I am confident that we have the trained work force and the commitment to meet the challenges of the future and emerge stronger and more profitable”.

Hollywood has long invested public dollars in promoting itself as a destination distinct from Fort Lauderdale. Lately, it has gotten a few boosts: an urban arts-themed park that opened in 2007; a 2009 designation from Fodor’s as one of the country’s best beach spots for families and, most recently, a spot in the top 5 best beach boardwalks in America, according to Travel + Leisure magazine.

A TV commercial showing locally and nationally through the fall trumpets Hollywood as “Florida’s hometown beach town,” part of the city’s $690,000 promotional effort to attract its target family market.

“The beaches are beautiful, the Broadwalk is very nice,” said Heike Beck, regional vice president for tour operator New World Travel, which works with German tourists. “For families with kids, it’s the perfect place.”

The U.S.-based operator said a very small percentage of its Florida business is in Hollywood, but tourism manager Judy Erickson said the city is trying to cultivate more relationships with operators who can promote the destination internationally.

Hollywood focuses more on television and online advertising than print, predominantly targeting areas like New York, New Jersey, Chicago and Boston.

Minutes from Port Everglades, the city is positioning itself as a pre- and post- cruise destination. The city partnered with Royal Caribbean this year to market Hollywood as a shore excursion for passengers who are flying late out of Fort Lauderdale after disembarking, said Erickson.

With a mix of dozens of independent mom-and-pop hotels and a handful of large full-service resorts like the high-end Westin Diplomat, Hollywood has budget-friendly options as well as beach vacation splurges. Jimmy Buffett fans have something to look forward to as well: a Margaritaville resort is slated to open on the beach in late 2013.

Donna Boucher owns the beachfront Manta Ray Inn and serves as executive director of the Superior Small Lodging Association of Florida, which has certified 28 hotels in Hollywood. She said the city is ideally located between better-known destinations in the region — with its own character.

“We’re not built up like South Beach or Fort Lauderdale Beach.”

– HANNAH SAMPSON

HOLLYWOOD

Population: 141,000

The draw: Beaches, classic boardwalk, arts-themed park, nature habitats, downtown shopping and dining area, mix of major large and independent small hotels

The pitch: Hometown beach town

Budget: $690,000

Who pays: City’s Community Redevelopment Agency

Challenge: Luring international travelers

Travel on major U.S. airlines fell roughly 1 percent in July with one key measure of revenue growth slowing, according to an industry trade group that also said the sector’s finances remain fragile.

The Air Transport Association (ATA) said on Thursday that roughly 1 percent fewer passengers traveled on the biggest domestic carriers last month although fares were higher, helping airlines improve their bottom line.

July is traditionally one of the busiest months for airlines due to summer holiday travel. The revenue picture normally grows tougher as carriers get into fall when travel usually drops off.

A closely watched revenue measurement — the average price to fly one mile — rose 17 percent last month compared with the year-ago period, lower than June’s increase of 22 percent.

Analysts expected an average revenue decline although traffic is up and flights are running nearly full.

“Demand for air travel remains well above last year’s depressed levels, but the industry is mindful of cautionary notes about the health of the overall economy,” said James May, ATA president.

Airline shares were broadly weaker on Thursday with the ARCA Airline Index .XAL off 3.78 percent.

Separately on Thursday, the ATA released its 2010 economic report and said the sector remained fragile and its outlook for profits uncertain.

“Put simply, the U.S. airline industry continues to be confronted by a systematic inability to cover its cost of investor capital or … to exceed break-even profitability on a sustainable basis,” the report said.

Carriers posted much better results in the second quarter on higher revenue from premium paying business customers and cost reductions partly realized from capacity cuts imposed during the 2008/09 industry downturn.

The outlook overall is certainly brighter than last year, prompting United Airlines, a unit of UAL Corp (UAUA.O), and Continental Airlines (CAL.N) to propose a merger that is expected to close before the end of 2010.

Perhaps you’re a business traveler in town for an important meeting or maybe a wayward traveler just pass through – but you only have 24 hours or less in this ancient city and don’t know where to go. While Rome certainly wasn’t built in one day, you may find there are still many things you can see in Eternal City. So whether you travel with a leather briefcase or a rucksack, you’ll find that Rome has many sites to see, places to go and lots of new experiences!

Morning:

Why not stop at any café and go for a real Italian breakfast? Grab an espresso and a cornetto (their version of the croissant) and do it like the locals – stand at the bar while chatting with the bartender (or smile and nod, if your Italian isn’t up to par) – this is a great way to start the day and cheaper than sitting at a table where you’ll be charged a coperto (cover fee)!

It’s best to start at the Vatican City and viewing the vast Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter’s Square). If you’re there on a Wednesday, you may be luck enough to get a glimpse of the Pope. Entering the St. Peter’s Basilica is free, so the lines may be long. It’s worth it, especially since you’ll be able to glimpse Michaelangelo’s masterpiece the Pieta, which depicts Mary holding Jesus in her arms after the crucifixion. If you have a bit more time, a visit to the Sistine Chapel to see the ceiling fresco is a must!

Midday:

If the morning’s activities made you hungry, then stop by a typical Italian pizzeria – the light and crispy dough, topped with fresh tomatoes, basil and cheese will be forever embedded in your memory and never make you want to eat another Domino’s or Pizza Hut pie.

Walk, bike or take the Metro to Rome’s most colossal monument – the Colosseum. Over 2000 years old, this ancient engineering wonder seated over 50,000 spectators who came to watch such sights as dramas, animal hunts, battle recreations, sea battles and, of course, gladiator matches. Today, most of this structure still stands and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Rome.

Now, it’s time for something a little more “modern” (compared to 70 BC, anything, even from 1629, seems modern.) Another of Rome’s top tourist spot is the Trevi Fountain, a massive water fountain, filled with columns, tritons and seahorses in a wild parade. Make sure you toss in a coin to ensure your return to Rome, then make your way to the Spanish Steps, which, ironically enough, were built by funds from the French. Sit on the steps with a cool drink as you sit and watch tourists rush around.

Afternoon:

If it’s still light, take a peek inside the Pantheon to look at the large dome, which has an occulus (opening) to the sky. The Pantheon was built as a temple to the gods, then later turned into a church, and even a tomb (Raphael and composer Corelli are interred here.) Dozens of restaurants, cafes, shops and gelaterias turn the area into one of the liveliest in the city – sit at an outdoor café table and enjoy an apertif, some fresh pasta, and dig into some rich tiramisu as you celebrate your, albeit brief, stay in this wonderful city.

This is a guest post by Maria Freeman who writes for Briefcases Direct, a website that offers luxury briefcases and a unique rolling briefcase selection direct from the manufacturer. She is a freelance writer and self-appointed world traveler who left San Francisco to travel the world, starting in Asia and made her way through Western Europe in 3 months. Maria is based in Manila, Philippines and spends more than half of every year seeking out new adventures, great food and the best bargain shopping in the world.