CRUISE LINERS ANCHORED IN MALTA CAN NOW OPERATE CASINOS

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On-board casinos can now operate between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m, in return for a license fee per ship payable to the government. The fee is 500 euros for cruise liners carrying less than 1,500 passengers and 1,000 euros for cruise ships carrying more than the above-mentioned amount, the www.ftnnews.com website reported.

As things stood, cruise liners could not operate their casinos. But now, through a subsidiary legislation, cruise liners will be allowed to open during the above-mentioned specific time-window.

Photo: Times of Malta

Parliamentary Secretary Dr Jose Herrera said that the new initiative is a win-win for all those involved: the cruise liner industry because it will help boost cruise liner presence in Malta, for the country since cruise liners will be asked to pay a fee for its casino operations and boost tourism, and last but not least for Gozo, since it will boost tourism there.

As for Gozo, he said that cruise liners which berth in Gozo will be excluded from paying this fee to incentivise cruise ships to visit Gozo, which in turn will lead to more cruise liner tourists visiting our sister island.

Dr Herrera noted that the new rules – which are simple but have a lot of thought behind them – will see cruise liners spending at least an extra night in Malta since as things stood before, cruise liners would spend that extra night elsewhere so as to operate their casinos.

Lotteries and Gaming Authority executive chairman Joseph Cuschieri said that this measure will not affect the casinos in Malta since on-board casinos will be open only for passengers of the ship itself.

When passengers onboard the ship would have opted to visit a casino in Malta before the restriction was lifted. He said that the effects would be minimal however did say that the effects would have to be studied in the long-term.

At this point, the CEO of the Valletta Cruise Port Steven Xuereb explained that “we are focusing on 2017 cruise ship bookings since 2016 bookings are now closed, therefore the effects of these new rules will only start to be witnessed in two years? time”.

Kilder / Sources: independent.com.mt, www.ftnnews.com

#By #Casino #Cruise #Ferie #Gambling #Gozo #Hovedstad #Malta #Reise #Valletta

#Capital #Casino #City #Holiday #Travel

ALL ABOARD! SEASIDE TRAINS TO TAKE TOURISTS FROM BUCHAREST TO CONSTANTA IN JUST TWO HOURS

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Tourists will be able to reach the Romanian seaside slighlty faster by train this summer, with Romanian passenger railway company CFR Calatori’s Seaside Trains.

A trip between Bucharest and Constanta will take just two hours from the May 1 mini-break, CFR promises. The train ride will be speedier as trains will no longer stop in other stations on the way, the www.romania-insider.com website reported

Four such trains will connect the Romanian capital to Constanta seaside resort. The train will leave at 7:30 from Bucharest and will reach its destination at 9:30.

A second train will depart from Bucharest at 16:00 and will arrive in Constanta at 18:00. Some of these trains are already running as of April 24, without making any stops on the way.

From Constanta, the IR 1582 train will depart at 13:00 and will be in Bucharest at 15:01. Another train, IR 1588, will leave from the seaside resort at 19:00 and will arrive in the capital at 21:01.

A train ride between Bucharest and Constanta has different prices, depending on the type of train. A one-way ticket for the Regio and RE trains, class II, costs RON 30.5 while a return ticket is RON 54.9. For the InterRegio trains, class II, a one-way ticket is RON 62, and a return ticket is RON 112.4. Students have discounts.

Train rides to the seaside take anywhere from 6 hours with Regio trains, and between two and two and a half hours with inter-regio trains.

The train ride is an alternative to the car ride, as the Sun Highway linking Bucharest to the seaside gets crowded during high season, especially on Friday evenings/Saturday morning to the seaside, and on Sunday evening to Bucharest.

Kilde / Source / read the Whole story at www.romania-insider.com

Romanian National Tourism Authority: www.mt.ro – www.mturism.ro – www.romaniatravel.com – www.romaniatourism.com

City of Bucharest: www.pmb.ro

#Beach #Bucuresti #By #Constanta #Ferie #Hovedstad #Jernbane #Reise #Romania #Strand #Svartehavet #Tog 

#BlackSea #Bucharest #Capital #City #Holiday #Railway #Train #Travel

SKOPJE AND SOFIA TO BECOME SISTER CITIES

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Skopje

Bulgarian capital Sofia will soon become the 19th sister city of the Macedonian capital Skopje, after the latter city’s municipal council approved the move, www.novinite.com , reported.

Skopje Mayor Mr.Koce Trayanovski is quoted by Macedonia’s MIA news agency as saying the move will contribute to boosting bilateral economic cooperation.

Sofia

Bulgaria’s ambassador to Macedonia Mr.Ivan Petkov has welcomed the step, voicing his hope it could further improve relations. 

Kilde / Source: www.novinite.com

Exploring Macedonia: www.exploringmacedonia.com

City of Skopje: www.skopje.gov.mk

#Ambassadør #Borgermester #Bulgaria #By #Ferie #Hovedstad #Makedonia #Ordfører #Reise #Skopje #Sofia

#Ambassador #Capital #City #Holiday #Macedonia #Mayor #Travel

SINGAPORE SLING FYLLER 100 ÅR

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Samtidig som bystaten Singapore feirer sitt 50-års jubileum som selvstendig stat i år, feirer den populære coctaildrinken Singapore Sling 100 år, skriver Se og Hør.

Drinken ble komponert i 1915 av bartenderen Ngiam Tong Boon i den verdensberømte The Long Bar, i andre etasje på det ikoniske Raffles Hotel, og er blitt en turistattraksjon i seg selv.

Drinken, som opprinnelig ble kalt Gin Sling, består av gin, Heering kirsebærlikør, Cointreu appelsinlikør, Benediktiner sitruslikør, grenadine, ananasjus, limejus, og Angostura bitter.

“Sling” var for øvrig et amerikansk navn på drinker med brennevin og vann, tilsatt søtstoff og farge. 

Raffles Hotel: www.raffles.com

Singapore Tourism Board: www.stb.gov.sg

#Alkohol #Amerikansk #Attraksjon #Bar #By #Ferie #Gin #Hotell #Hovedstad #Likør #Reise #Singapore

 

RWANDA BUILDING NEW CITIES TO STOP CAPITAL KIGALI POPULATION EXPLOSION

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Kigali

The government of Rwanda is implementing a master plan to establish six strategic secondary cities: Muhanga and Huye in South, Rubavu and Rusizi in West, Nyagatare and Musanze from Eastern and Northern Province, the Rwanda Eye – www.rwandaeye.com website reported.

These cities will redirect employment to rural areas and avoid growing rural-urban migration. There are heavy investments in infrastructure going on, such as electricity, roads, hospitals, schools and taxi-parks. Businesses are also expanding to further towns, suppressing pressure that has increasingly been chocking Kigali.

In Muhanga town, 50 kilometers from Kigali, Sonarwa, the country’s largest insurer, is raising a-4story building. Bank of Kigali (BK), the largest local bank, has inaugurated a 4-story building too.

With medium businesses mushrooming, financial institutions are following the winds. Manufacturers and importers are opening branches in these cities too.

Burundian traders in the souther province, and Congolese traders in the north, major importers of Rwandan goods, don’t travel to Kigali anymore to access the goods or services.

In the district of Huye, for example, a predomintaly coffee growing area, has announced that its annual revenues will double up to $2.8 million from taxes after the newly constructed $6.5 million modern bus terminal.

The bus terminal dubbed “Smart park” , connecting bus routes to all parts of the country, was inaugurated on April 12, by President Paul Kagame. It is now the most modernized facility of its kind in the country.

The facility is owned by Kigali Veteran Cooperative Society (KVCS) and Loyal Trust Company owned by retired servicemen.

The facility has capacity to accommodate 200 vehicles on its three paved parking yards. It includes; 3-storied commercial complexes with 82 shops, a hotel, three modern restaurants; a petrol station; administration blocks, a car washing bay and an internet cafes.

Rwanda, being a landlocked nation, with 11 million people and one of the most densely populated countries on earth, is facing a fast growing rural-urban migration into the only capital city, Kigali, just 730 km².

The pressure has lead to high unemployment and slums widening. The plan is to divert the trend by 35% in 2020 from 17% today, says Augustin Kampayana, director of rural development.

Joan Clos, Under Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Habitat told, who visited the country in February, told KT Press that, “We have seen sudden collapse of several mega cities, it is wise to have secondary cities.”

Kampayana adds that, expansion of cities mostly near boarders with neighboring countries, will boost trade and tourism and create jobs.

National unemployment rate is 3.4%, representing 8% and 2.4% in cities and villages respectively, 200,000 jobs gap annually.

Kilde / Source: www.rwandaeye.com

#Afrika #By #Ferie #FN #Hovedstad #Kigali #President #Reise #Rwanda

#Africa #Capital #City #Travel #UnitedNations

 

 

 

 

NY, SPENNENDE PUB I LONDON

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Foto: timeout.com

Alan Yau’s The Duck + Rice er navnet på en ny og populær pub i London, som man bør sjekke ut ved nesten London-besøk, skriver Se og Hør.

Puben ligger i Berwick Street sentralt i Soho og kombinerer kvalitetsøl og kinesisk barsnacks av høyt nivå.

Les mer på www.theduckandrice.com

#By #England #Ferie #Hovedstad #Kinesisk #London #Mat #Pub #Reise #Restaurant #SeOgHør #Soho #Storbritannia #Øl

EQUATORIAL GUINEA: CUBAN AMBASSADOR PRAISED FOR EBOLA CONTROL PLAN

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Equatorial Guinea’s president, Mr.Teodoro Obiang Nguema, has recognized the Cuban ambassador in Malabo, Mr.Pedro Doña Santana, for actively participating in the implementation of a surveillance and control program of Ebola epidemics, the Prensa Latina News ageny reported. 

Mr.Obiang Nguema sent the Recognition Certificate to Ambassador Doña for his outstanding cooperation in the care and inspection plan of Ebola before and during the celebration of the African Cup of Nations, soccer, held in Equatorial Guinea from January 17 to February 8.

Diplomatic sources stated that at the request by the Equatorial Guinea president, about 15 Cuban experts were prepared and traveled to Malabo a month before beginning the Cup.

No Ebola cases were registered before and during the sports event.

The work carried out by the Cuban health staff, led by the head of the medical brigade, Rolando Marcial Claro, has been publicly recognized in meetings chaired by Obiang Nguema, who also expressed gratitude to Cuban President Raul Castro and the island’s health authorities for the prompt response to the request.

Kilde / Source: Prensa Latina News Agency: www.plenglish.com

#Afrika #Ambassade #Ambassadør #By #Castro #Cuba #Cup #Ebola #EkvatorialGuinea #Ferie #Fotball #Hovedstad #Malabo #President #Reise #Sport

#Africa #Ambassador #Capital #City #Embassy #EquatorialGuinea #Football #Holiday #Travel

PARK INN BY RADISSON I SAMARBEID OM ONLINE REISEGUIDE

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Berlin

Park Inn by Radisson har lansert et partnerskap med «Spotted by Locals», en online reiseguide til 50 byer over hele Europa, skriver www.travelnews.no                      

I reiseguiden «Spotted by Locals» er alle tips skrevet av innbyggerne i de 50 byene, som er opptatt av å vise det beste byene har å tilby. Det er første gang Park Inn by Radisson har inngått et partnerskap med en online tredjepart, og «Spotted by Locals»-grunnleggerne Bart og Sanne van Poll vil sjekke inn på 11 Park Inn-hoteller i regionen, og gi ærlige vurderinger av hvert hotell de overnatter på.

Av byene som blir besøkt er blant annet Stockholm, Praha og Berlin (fullstendig liste over steder: blog.parkinn.com/spottedbylocals).

– Når vi reiser for å møte våre bloggere har vi alltid anerkjent viktigheten av sentralt beliggende, komfortabel overnatting, sier Bart van Poll til Hotell Magasinet.

– Dette samarbeidet representerer et nytt skritt på veien mot å bli den mest relevante, informative og mest interessante formidleren digitalt for våre kunder. De er lei av trøtte, utdaterte anmeldelser og guider; de ønsker oppdatert informasjon, skrevet av mennesker som er lik seg selv. Det vil dette samarbeidet levere, og vi ser frem til å jobbe med Bart og Sanne for å få dette til, sier Pieter Vanden Abeele, Park Inn by Radissons Social Media Manager.

«Spotted by Locals» historier har vært tilgjengelig Park Inn by Radissons blogg siden 14. april 2015.

Kilde / les mer på www.travelnews.no

#Berlin #By #Ferie #Guide #Hotell #Hovedstad #Internett #Park #Praha #Radisson #Reise #Stockholm #Sverige #Tsjekkia #Tyskland

ALL CHANGE NOT SMALL CHANGE FOR CITY PARKING IN LUXEMBOURG

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No longer will motorists in Luxembourg City, capital of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, be caught out when they want to park their car but do not have any spare change to pay for parking, the English edition of the Luxembourger Wort newspaper’s website reported.

A total 250 new pay and display parking machines are to be installed in the capital giving users the option of paying by credit or debit card, as well as by cash.

Photo: Shutterstock / www.wort.lu

The new machines will be installed around the train station district, in the upper town and around Limpertsberg.

In total there are 1,400 parking ticket dispensers in Luxembourg City.

Kilde / Source: www.wort.lu

Office National du Tourisme: www.ont.lu –  www.visit-luxembourg.lu

Luxembourg City: www.vdl.lu

Luxembourg City Tourist Office: www.lcto.lu

#Bil #By #City #Ferie #Hovedstad #Luxembourg #Parkering #Reise #Trafikk #Transport

#Capital #Car #City #Parkin #Traffic #Travel

OCEAN TERRACE INN IN ST.KITTS BACK IN BUSINESS

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All photos: Ocean Terrace Inn

The Ocean Terrace Inn in Basseterre, national capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis, has been reopened following a major renovation during a one-year hiatus, the www.hotelchatter.com website reported. 

It began taking guests earlier this month. Closed in April 2014 for the rebranding, the 50 room property is the oldest boutique hotel in St. Kitts and Nevis.

The hotel’s Facebook-page categorizes the opening as a “soft launch” and announces that some projects are ongoing.

The accommodations range from standard garden-view rooms to luxury ocean terrace suites with a king bed and pull-out couch. 

There are two restaurants, a lagoon-style pool, meeting facilities and, as is lauded heavily and repeatedly on its site, free WiFi throughout the property.

Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis (St.Kitts and Nevis) 

 

 

Basseterre 

Ocean Terrace Inn’s website: www.oceanterraceinn.com

St.Kitts Tourism Authority: www.stkittstourism.kn 

#By #Facebook #Ferie #Hotell #Hovedstad #Karibia #Nevis #Ocean #Reise #StChristopher #StKitts #WiFi

#Capital #Caribbean #City #Holiday #Travel