Bruxelles-Chambéry en 4h15, c`est possible avec le Thalys Neige
Transcription
Bruxelles-Chambéry en 4h15, c`est possible avec le Thalys Neige
Star Clippers Offers Complimentary Cabin Upgrades During National Cruise Week To celebrate National Cruise Week, (19 – 26 September 2010), tall ship sailing specialist Star Clippers is offering free cabin upgrades for all bookings made during that period. Book any Star Clippers voyage to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean or Central America during National Cruise Week, or one of the longer ocean crossings, and the cabin paid for will be upgraded by one category (terms and conditions apply). For example, pay for a Category 3 cabin on Commodore Deck and stay in a Category 2 cabin, which has more space and superior fittings and is located on Clipper Deck. On one of Royal Clipper’s seven-night Caribbean cruises this winter, this represents a saving of £110 per person. Better still, this cabin upgrade offer, if taken up during National Cruise Week, can be combined with existing Star Clippers early booking offers. These include 10% off any cruise in the 2011/2012 programme and a spectacular 20% discount on selected sailings for 2011 and 2012, as follows: On Royal Clipper, the five-masted flagship of the fleet, special offers include departures in April and October, 2011 and certain sailings out of Barbados in December 2011 and January 2012. As an example, the April 30, 2011 cruise from Barcelona to Rome calls at Palma, Mallorca; Mahon, Menorca; Bonifacio and Calvi on the beautiful island of Corsica; and Portoferraio on Elba. Special offers on the four-masted,170-passenger Star Clipper are valid for Mediterranean cruises in April, early May and October, as well as four Caribbean sailings from St Maarten in December 2011. Take advantage of a Mediterranean mini-cruise; a five-night short break from Athens to Malta departs October 8 and calls at Monemvasia and Pilos in Greece and historic Siracusa in Sicily. The 20% saving on cruises operated by sister ship Star Flyer, meanwhile, applies to six Mediterranean cruises and five sailings out of Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica in 2011 and 2010. These fantastic Central American voyages call at the laid-back beach resort of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, as well as the national parks, scattered islands and sheltered bays of Costa Rica’s rich, rainforested coastline, with superb opportunities for diving, snorkelling and hiking. CP Travel Union : “TravelBox de Thomas Cook : Il n’est pas écrit Bécasse ici !” Travel Union salue toujours toute initiative d’un Tour Opérateur, quel qu’il soit, visant « la possibilité de toucher (un) acheteur comme nouveau client potentiel pour la vente d’un voyage à forfait » en agence de voyages. C’est donc avec une attention toute particulière que nous avons examiné l’annonce faite hier par Thomas Cook dans sa Newsletter de lancer sur le marché belge sa TravelBox. Malheureusement, il est à nouveau désolant de constater la politique choisie pour le lancement de ce « nouveau » produit ! En premier lieu, nous trouvons bien maigre la commission de 8% consentie par Thomas Cook envers les agences de voyages alors qu’il existe sur le marché d’autres TO qui offrent 10 % pour un produit similaire. En second lieu, nous nous insurgeons contre le « petit investissement » exigé par Thomas Cook dont, selon leurs dires, « ces frais pourront être amortis sans difficulté en cas de vente suffisante ». Ce « petit investissement » représente environ 395 € par agence ! Un rapide calcul montre, qu’en ayant la chance de vendre un mix de chacune des boîtes, il faudrait vendre pas loin 30 TravelBox avant que l’agence de voyages ne puisse gagner 1 cent ! Et si par malchance l’agence ne vend que des coffrets les moins chers, c’est près de 200 box qu’il lui faudrait vendre avant de récupérer son « petit investissement » ! En troisième lieu, nous pensons qu’en acceptant de payer 250 € pour un display ou de payer 75 € pour de simples « exemplaires à consulter » c’est ouvrir grand la porte au paiement de « brochures à consulter » ou de matériel promotionnel pour avoir l’autorisation de vendre les produits de certains TO. En quatrième lieu, nous nous opposons à ce que Thomas Cook décharge de sa propre responsabilité sur les agences voyages en nous faisant vendre un produit pour lequel indique clairement que « Travelbox est le producteur coffrets(-cadeaux) dont le contenu consiste, entre autres, des séjours mais n’est pas l’organisateur de voyages ». se de il de en En cinquième lieu, et cela ne fait que confirmer la politique précédemment choisie de Thomas Cook, Travel Union ne peut qu’à nouveau dénoncer cette volonté de Thomas Cook de vendre leurs produits via « les grands distributeurs » ! A quand la vente des forfaits Thomas Cook dans les supermarchés entre les produits de poudre à lessiver ? Vendrons-nous un produit sous-commissionné et peu rentable pour lequel nous devons investir de l’argent en subissant la concurrence énorme des supermarchés, et tout cela en endossant l’entière responsabilité en cas de problème ? Comme le disait Maïté, il n’est pas écrit bécasse ici… Pour toutes ces raisons, Travel Union déconseille fortement à tous les agents de voyages d’accepter de vendre les Travel Box de Thomas Cook dans ces conditions-là. Nous demandons à Thomas Cook de revoir sa politique commerciale. D’autres produits similaires présentent nettement plus d’avantages pour les agents de voyages que nous sommes… Randonnée en Allemagne Avec ses forêts romantiques, ses paysages pittoresques, ses collines, ses montagnes et ses lacs idylliques, l’Allemagne est le paradis des randonneurs. Des promenades dans l’estran à marée basse aux randonnées en montagne, en passant par les excursions dans les collines, tout y est possible. La proximité avec la nature, la terre et les gens permet aux randonneurs de vivre l’Allemagne avec beaucoup d’intensité. De nombreux sentiers de randonnée traversent les plus beaux paysages naturels et peuvent être parcourus en plusieurs étapes. Les hôtels et les auberges le long de la route n’ont pas leur pareil pour satisfaire aux besoins propres aux randonneurs. De nombreux organisateurs de voyage proposent des « randonnées sans bagages » pour plus de confort. Vous y trouverez également des campements, des possibilités de loisirs, des randonnées découverte et des programmes de formation à l’intention des groupes de jeunes. U.S. Travel Association Hails ‘Momentous Week’ as Government Launches Corporation Promotion for Travel Board Appointed, Funding Established for Program Expected to Attract Millions of New Visitors to the United States Washington, DC – The U.S. Travel Association today hailed the momentous steps taken this week by the Obama Administration to launch the Corporation for Travel Promotion, enacted into law in March 2010. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced the Corporation’s initial board of directors and, earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security established the funding mechanism that, combined with private sector contributions, will create a marketing program of up to $200 million per year to attract millions of new visitors to the United States. “This is a momentous week in laying the groundwork for attracting millions of new visitors to our country and creating thousands of new jobs,” said Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “The rapid speed with which the Obama Administration launched this program is concrete evidence that our government leaders embrace the importance of welcoming more international visitors.” “The establishment of the Corporation for Travel Promotion is a long-awaited victory for the U.S. travel economy,” said Jonathan Tisch, chairman emeritus of the U.S. Travel Association and chairman & CEO of Loews Hotels. “This partnership between the travel industry and government will finally reverse the declines we have seen in overseas visitation to our country since 9/11.” The launch of the Corporation for Travel Promotion comes on the heels of President Obama’s recent launch of the National Export Initiative and his goal of doubling exports over the next five years. An analysis by Oxford Economics revealed that travel promotion could help to generate $4 billion in new international consumer spending in the United States annually. “Travel holds the key to achieving the President’s ambitious goal of doubling exports over the next five years,” Dow said. The United States welcomed fewer overseas visitors in each year post-9/11 compared to 2000. An analysis earlier this year by Oxford Economics showed the failure of the United States to simply keep pace with the growth in international long-haul travel has cost our economy an estimated $509 billion in total spending and 441,000 American jobs which could have been created or sustained over the past decade. In addition, our country forfeited an estimated $32 billion in direct tax receipts over the same period. The anticipated next steps for the Corporation include hiring an executive director, developing a global marketing strategy and launching a private sector fundraising effort. The private sector is responsible Corporation’s budget. for raising 50 percent of the Included on the Corporation for Travel Promotion board are: * Caroline Beteta, President and CEO, California Travel & Tourism Commission, Sacramento, Calif. * Stephen Cloobeck, Chairman and CEO, Diamond Resorts International, Las Vegas, Nev. * George Fertitta, CEO, NYC & Company, New York, N.Y. * Daniel Halpern, President and CEO, Jackmont Hospitality, Inc., Atlanta, Ga. * Tom Klein, President, Sabre Holdings, Southlake, Texas * David Lim, Chief Marketing Officer, Amtrak, Washington, D.C. * Mark Schwab, Senior Vice President-Alliances, International and Regulatory Affairs, United Airlines, Chicago, Ill. * Diane Shober, Tourism Director, State of Wyoming, Cheyenne, Wyo. * Al Weiss, President, Worldwide Operations, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Orlando, Fla. * Roy Yamaguchi, Owner and Founder, Roy’s Restaurant, Newport Beach, Calif. * Lynda S. Zengerle, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Washington, D.C. The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $704 billion travel industry. U.S. Travel’s mission is to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States. U.S. Travel is proud to be a partner in travel with American Express. For more information, visit www.ustravel.org. Dormir sur le crin L’hôtel Stazione della posta situé dans le village de La Rösa (Vallée Poschiavo aux Grisons) a ouvert ses portes cet été. La particularité de cet hôtel, est sa philosophie qui s’oriente vers l’authenticité et le retour à la nature. L’hôtel se trouve dans un ancien bâtiment du 17e siècle où, à l’époque, les commerçants logeaient pendant que les chevaux de leurs chariots de postes étaient changés. Les chambres ont été refaites dans le style traditionnel et les matelas sont confectionnés avec du crin par Andrea Compagnoni âgée de 82 ans et une des seules Suissesses qui maîtrise encore le métier. Pour les repas, les propriétaires n’utilisent que des produits locaux. L’hôtel dispose de 4 chambres doubles et 4 chambres simples et fait partie du groupe Roughe Luxe. Rough Luxe Experience En savoir plus Palma de Majorca: First Costal Destination to Implement UNWTO Energy Initiative UNWTO and the Town Council of Palma signed today an agreement establishing Palma as the first pilot costal destination to join the Hotel Energy Solutions (HES) project. Over the coming months, the twenty five participating hotels in Palma de Majorca will test the beta version of the HES e-toolkit, a specialized online tool enabling them to assess their current energy needs and prioritize investment in energy. The agreement, signed by UNWTO Executive Director, Márcio Favilla, and the President of the Palma Municipal Tourism Institute (IMTUR), Ms. Joana María Borràs, represents a recognition and contribution to Palma’s effort in building a sustainable destination. This UNWTO-led initiative aims to help small and medium sized hotels across the European Union to increase their use of energy efficiency and renewable energy. Palma’s commitment to environmentally friendly tourism was confirmed when it became the first city to implement the UNWTO Davos Declaration on Tourism and Climate Change – urging the tourism sector to adopt sustainable practices – through its campaign, ‘Palma, Responsible Tourism’. “We are delighted to join hands with Palma in its major undertaking of renewing itself as a sustainable tourism destination of the highest level. Palma will be the first coastal destination to join the HES project and this is no surprise given its commitment to a strong sustainability agenda” said Mr. Favilla. “Thanks to the Hotel Energy Solutions project, hotels in Palma will be able to reduce their operational costs while increasing competitiveness, promoting sustainability and mitigating the sector’s impact on climate change,” said Ms. Borràs. Palma de Majorca, one of Europe’s major coastal destinations, will join three other HES pilot destinations covering mountain, urban and rural destinations: Haute-Savoie (France), Bonn (Germany), and Strandja (Bulgaria). The HES project aims at increasing energy efficiency in the European Union small and medium hotels by 20% and the use of renewable energy by 10%. The HES e-toolkit will permit participating hotels to assess their energy use and decide on the most advantageous technology investments. Investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies can deliver significant returns, while reducing hotels’ carbon footprint. The e-toolkit will be made available free of charge at the beginning of 2011 to all accommodation units registered with the project. UNWTO invites all European Union accommodation proprietors to join the Hotel Energy Solutions initiative by providing their details on website:www.hotelenergysolutions.net. the project’s More information on the UNWTO Davos Process: http://www.UNWTO.org/climate/index.php More information on Sustainable Tourism: http://www.unwto.org/sdt/index.php Ma rules out cross-strait ties following Hong Kong model President Ma Ying-jeou reaffirmed the sovereignty of the ROC and said cross-strait relations will not follow the mainland China-Hong Kong model. “The ROC has been a sovereign, independent country since its establishment in 1912,” Ma said, adding that there can be no comparison with Hong Kong, which is a special administrative region subject to Beijing’s one country, two systems policy. The president made the remarks during an interview published by U.S.-based The Christian Science Monitor Sept. 8. Although Hong Kong is self-ruled and enjoys a high degree of autonomy, the reality is that it “must bow to the will of one country,” Ma said. “This model can not apply to cross-strait relations.” In terms of the cross-strait sovereignty dispute, the president said as this will not be resolved in the near future, his administration has made it a priority to maintain the political status quo across the strait. Citing a recent Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council survey, Ma said the public favors this policy and he will stick with it while working to improve Taipei-Beijing ties. “This approach is conducive to enhancing Taiwan’s participation in international affairs.” On the issue of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement forcing Taiwan to rely overly on mainland China, Ma said the government put measures in place during cross-strait negotiations to reduce such a risk. “The text of the agreement contains no politically compromising content,” he said. “In all we do, we strive to put our people’s interests first, maximize opportunities, and minimize risks.” (JSM) Publication Date:09/10/2010 Source: Taiwan Today By Elaine Hou Belangrijkste nieuwigheden bij Neckermann voor winter 2011 Gent, vrijdag 10 september 2010 – Het winteraanbod 2010-2011 van Neckermann heeft weer heel wat nieuwigheden, zowel voor exotische vakanties naar de zon, wereldreizen, vakanties naar de USA, Canada & Bahama’s, cruises, citytrips, dichtbij als wintersport. Hieronder alvast meer informatie over de grootste nieuwkomers voor komende winter. 1. Snowblend Deze winter lanceert Neckermann een volledig nieuw wintersport concept: Snowblend, een all in mix van sport en plezier. Het basispakket bestaat uit: vervoer per autocar (optioneel), accommodatie (in logies alleen of in half pension), skipas, gratis ski- of snowboardlessen (voor kids: tijdens de schoolvakanties), kinderopvang van 9u tot 21u (tijdens de schoolvakanties) en animatie door het tweetalig Snowblend team, zoals cava Snowbar en een Testlab met de nieuwste materialen. Men kan een Snowblend vakantie boeken in Frankrijk (Les Deux Alpes en Val Thorens, van 18/12 tot 24/4) en in Oostenrijk (Kirchberg, van 22/1 tot 17/4). Prijsvoorbeeld: vanaf € 699 pp/week in half pension inclusief skipas, ski-of snowboardles, animatie & autocar in Les Deux Alpes 2. Sri Lanka Vanaf deze winter vliegt Neckermann wekelijks vanuit Brussel rechtstreeks naar Colombo met TUI Airlines Belgium. De klanten kunnen opteren voor een strandvakantie op Sri Lanka of op de Malediven of kunnen strand combineren met cultuur en natuur. Neckermann biedt een zevendaagse Classical Ceylon-rondreis aan waar men kennis maakt met de prachtige natuur en cultuur. Nadien kan men deze rondreis combineren met een strandverlenging op Sri Lanka of op de Malediven. Prijsvoorbeeld: Classical Ceylon rondreis (7 nachten): € 1334 per persoon, afreis 6/11 (boek voor 1/11) 3. Nieuwe luchthaven La Romana – Dominicaanse Republiek Vanaf deze winter kunnen de klanten kiezen voor een vlucht naar La Romana, de nieuwe luchthaven die door Neckermann wordt aangevlogen, naast Punta Cana en Puerto Plata. La Romana, aan de zuidkant van de Dominicaanse Republiek, ligt op slechts 20 km van Bayahibe. Dit zorgt ervoor dat de hotels in Bayahibe vanaf nu makkelijker bereikbaar zijn. De transfer van de luchthaven naar de hotels wordt hierdoor ingekort van 2 uur naar 20 minuten. 4. Scherpe prijzen voor iedereen Neckermann staat ook deze winter garant voor de beste prijs/kwaliteitsverhouding. Voor klanten van ALLE leeftijden hebben we talrijke voordelen. Zo zijn er voor iedereen aantrekkelijke vroegboekkortingen op alle bestemmingen en gratis nachten bij citytrips, weekendje dichtbij, vliegvakanties en exotische vakanties. Vele hotels bieden bovendien ook superkortingen voor kinderen. Bij Neckermann hoeft men niet te wachten tot z’n 55ste verjaardag om van mooie kortingen te genieten. Late-Evening Openings at the Brussels’ Museums – 10th season! 23 September > 16 December 2010, every Thursday from 5pm to 10pm If you’re a fan of culture and seeing Brussels by night, then there’s a special treat in store for you this autumn courtesy of Brussels’ Museums. Every Thursday evening during the season you can explore some of the gems among the city’s museums and enjoy a visit with a twist! There’s always a great atmosphere and you can join guided tours and workshops and much more besides – all of which lend these Late-Evening Openings (“Nocturnes”) a charm of their own. To mark the 10th anniversary of the Late-Evening Openings, Brussels’ museums are pulling out all the stops and putting together a packed anniversary programme full of festive fun and activities! To find out more, visit www.brusselsmuseums.be. An initiative of the Brussels Museums Council. A new version of the accorhotels.com application available on iPhone The multi-brand iPhone application provides users with a more precise search function for booking rooms directly in 3,000 Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Mercure, Novotel, Suitehotel, Adagio, ibis, all seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1 and hotelF1 hotels. It also features additional functions and enhanced services. *Additional functions Criteria have been added to enable a more precise search. Users can, for example, enter the number of adults and children at the outset to streamline the booking process. They can also enter their A|Club membership number and earn points with each reservation. Lastly, a new page has been added that allows users to select their preferred brands more quickly and easily. The new version of the application is the first in the hotel industry to provide access to video presentations of hotels via iPhone. *Enhanced services The new version of the accorhotels.com application features a new design that makes searches smoother and more intuitive. The results of map-base searches are more complete with rates posted in real time, thereby enabling users to easily choose a hotel depending on their location and budget. Accorhotels.com is the only hotel application available in seven languages, with the addition of Dutch and Brazilian Portuguese as well as French, English, German, Spanish and Italian. ***** Accor, the world’s leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe, is present in 90 countries with 4,100 hotels and close to 500,000 rooms. Accor’s broad portfolio of hotel brands – Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Suite Novotel, Mercure, Adagio, ibis, all seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1, hotelF1 and Motel 6, and its related activities, Thalassa sea & spa and Lenôtre – provide an extensive offer from luxury to budget. With 145,000 employees worldwide, the Group offers to its clients and partners nearly 45 years of know-how and expertise.