www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Borja Yerovi Square in Quito will be dedicated to artistic pursuits
In order to encourage art in the public spaces of Quito, the city is planning to renew and give life to various places in the capital of Ecuador, www.breakingtravelnews.com reports.
The first one is the Plaza Borja Yerovi honouring Monsignor Pedro Pablo Borja Yerovi and his legacy of education in Quito.
This square is located in the neighbourhood of La Mariscal in Modern Quito
Through a contest, local artists were selected to provide a unique and colourful touch to this space, with their own expressions.
Skilled artists have shaped attractive designs on the walls of the houses surrounding the square, creating a bohemian atmosphere, where Quito and visitors are invited to enjoy art and culture within a new urban life and renewed.
The square is surrounded by small cafes and restaurants and features complimentary WI-FI.
This project is part of a cooperation agreement between Quito Tourism and Paintings Condor.
At the same time, Quito has stated work with UNESCO to preserve and position the Convent of San Francisco as a religious, cultural and emblematic attraction of the city for locals and visitors alike.
The program will initially focus on the preservation of the convent?s architecture as well as sustainable tourism practices.
In addition, a new audio guide with 21 stories of the convent has been created in both English and Spanish.
In 2015, additional work will be done in the conservation and adaptation of new spaces of the convent, as well as exposure of the Franciscan craft brewery.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Guyanese bus drivers transporting persons across the border to Paramaribo must now first apply for the necessary licence, according to Suriname,s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Tourism (TCT), www.stabroeknews.com reports.
This announcement was made following a protest recently by Surinamese bus drivers, who are accusing the Guyanese of taking away their business. However,the Guyanese bus drivers that Stabroek News spoke with said the licence does not apply to them as they do not pick up passengers in Suriname.
A report by CMC stated that the Ministry made the announcement earlier this month after Suriname’s bus drivers called on the authorities to find a solution to the problem where Guyanese bus drivers transporting passengers to the Suriname-Guyana border now travel to the capital, Paramaribo.
The TCT, according to the article, said it has requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help arrange a meeting with its transport counterparts in Guyana and it has also requested information from the Guyana embassy about what is required from Surinamese bus drivers who want to take passengers beyond the western border.
Two weeks ago, bus drivers in Suriname blocked the road to and from South Drain in District Nickerie, where the Canawaima Ferry berths, protesting the action of their Guyanese counterparts, CMC said.
The bus owners say they have been complaining of unfair competition from the Guyanese drivers for four years and it was time for the government to take action.
The Canawaima Ferry Service began operations on November 1, 1998, transporting vehicles, passengers and cargo from South Drain in District Nickerie over the Corentyne River to Moleson Creek in Guyana.
The ferry provides for lively traffic between the two countries, with buses loading up hundreds of people in the capitals Paramaribo and Georgetown daily, to take them to the borders. Buses are not supposed to cross over with passengers though.
According to CMC, the local bus drivers complain that at least six Guyanese drivers who come over with the ferry daily charge their passengers to take them all the way to the capital.
The TCT said it would update the bus drivers this week about their options. It stated too that when Suriname joined Caricom, it amended its public transportation legislation so bus owners from other member states of the regional bloc could also operate in Suriname.
But the TCT said before foreign bus owners are allowed on the roads in Suriname, they first have to apply for a permit and have their vehicles inspected to ensure that they meet the requirements for operating on the roads.
However a Guyanese bus operator who has been plying the route for the last ten years told Stabroek News that no passenger is picked up at the ferry stelling in Suriname. While noting that he doesn’t do the regular transport of passengers but rather is a tour operator, the man asserted that his Guyanese counterparts are doing nothing illegal.
He explained that like Guyana, bus drivers in Suriname require licences to operate in the respective zones/district. He said a problem has developed because Guyana’s Route 63 minibuses are now completing the journey to Paramaribo.
Buses would pick up persons from their homes in Georgetown and transport them to the Moleson Creek Stelling to board a ferry across the Corentyne River.
Those same buses would also use the ferry to cross and after paying the required charges for the vehicle to cross, the drivers would transport the passengers to the capital. If a person is heading to Nickerie, the arrangement is somewhat different as the journeys ends at Moleson Creek and once they have crossed there are designated bus drivers waiting to transport them.
There would be communication between Guyana bus drivers and their counterparts on the other side of the river to ensure a smooth flow of arrangements.
The bus driver told Stabroek News that many times while Route 63 buses are on the ferry, they get passengers. He said oftentimes passengers have big bags and lots of luggage and that is how they would end up boarding a bus on the ferry.
He insisted that the licences do not apply to Guyanese bus drivers as they do not pick up passengers on Suriname’s soil.
It was explained that things escalated last week when one of the Surinamese bus operators tried to block the road and in the process hit a Guyanese bus.
The driver stated that this problem only arises during the off peak season, when less persons travel to and from Suriname.
According to him the only solution to this issue is to separate the bus passengers from those who board the boat without transportation.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
With its Low Carbon Development Strategy and increased public and private investment, Guyana is ready to become South America’s premier eco-tourism destinatio, the www.theworldfolio.com website reports.
There are perhaps few countries left on earth as undiscovered by tourists as Guyana, but thanks to a new push to develop its tourism industry, the South American nation hopes to become the continent’s next eco-adventure hotspot.
Guyana looks to emulate the success of places like Costa Rica, which has successfully utilized its outstanding natural beauty and stunning biodiversity in recent years to create one of the world?s greenest vacation destinations.
With the country sharing a similar wealth of incredible landscapes and unspoiled wilderness – as well as historic cultural charm – Guyana is today putting forward a tourism plan that will not only draw growing crowds of international visitors, but also help develop the economy in a sustainable manner.
The eco-tourism vision is aligned with Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy; an all encompassing national plan that has set out to protect the country’s 18 million hectares of forest resources (which cover 85% of the country) in order to promote national development and combat climate change.
“Our entire development trajectory is based on a low carbon approach,” says Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Mohamed Irfaan Ali. “Modern-day tourists and high-end tourists are looking for strong eco-based destinations that take the protection of the environment seriously. It is a very important hallmark of our tourism sector.”
However, with less than 200,000 visitors to Guyana in 2013, the country knows it has to do more than just protect its natural assets if it is to procure the greater number of tourists that it desires.
“Investment in tourism and the expansion of tourism as a dominant sector of the economy requires private and public investment,” says Mr. Ali. To this end, the government has already spent more than 53 billion Guyanese dollars on “modernization and expansion” of tourism infrastructure.
“We also need to have other infrastructure invested in by the public sector,” adds the minister. “That is why we are building a new airport. The existing airport has worked well but because of the growth in the sector, the growth in travel and our futuristic ambition of making Guyana a hub for South America, it is essential that we invest in this new infrastructure.”
The US$150 million expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, which is being largely bankrolled by the Chinese government, is set to be completed in August 2015. The idea is to turn the now sleepy rural airport – located 25 miles south of Georgetown – into a busy regional transport base that will eventually link Guyana with destinations all over the world.
The government has also been busy collaborating with foreign firms to bring new hotels and resort facilities to the country. “We are seeing, for example, a new Marriot resort almost completed; we are seeing a local hotel that is being rebranded; we are seeing investment out of Asia, Dubai and the Middle East in the Sea & Sand Hotel. These are all new investments that will definitely add to the tourism sector,” says Mr. Ali.
Additional public money has been put into developing Guyana’s tourism credentials. Aside from a new hospitality institute established to train locals with the knowledge and capabilities of working in the tourism sector, a biodiversity facility is being set up to help Guyana position itself as a regional centre for biodiversity studies.
Efforts like these will only help the country polish its eco-tourism brand. The Caribbean Tourism Organization, for example, has awarded Guyana its “Best Eco-Practices” prize for the past three years running. In winning such acclaim, it is surely only a matter of time before Guyana begins to grab the attention of tourists looking to experience one of the world’s most unblemished natural environments.
The Minister of Tourism likewise believes that the country, while still developing, holds a big opportunity for discerning investors looking to take advantage of the growing trend in eco-tourism services. “The nature of tourism is changing internationally; more of the high-end tourists are going for eco-nature based products,” he says.
“Therefore, a sustainable investor in the tourism sector must see Guyana as a lucrative market in which they can invest in tourism to meet the future demand of the industry. American investors should really make use of the opportunity of investing in Guyana now.”
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. Contact us at [email protected]
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Munich, Germany) is investing in a new solar research center in South America. The aim of the new Fraunhofer Center for Solar Energy Technologies, founded by the Fraunhofer Chile Research Foundation and located in Santiago de Chile, is to better exploit the solar energy potential in the sun-rich country, thereby reducing the dependence on fossil fuels, the www.solarserver.com website reports.
With particular emphasis on regional implementation, the focus shall be on the further development of solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies and applications with partners from research and industry.
Scientists from the Fraunhofer Chile Research Center for Solar Energy Technologies (FCR-CSET), the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile will together perform research on electricity and heat production using solar energy. Now the new research center for solar energy was inaugurated in the presence of the Chilean undersecretary of Energy Jimena Jara.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
Arianespace’s ability to accommodate multiple missions and a full range of payloads at the Spaceport was underscored once again by the arrival of Europe’s Eumetsat MSG-4 meteorological satellite, which is to be lofted later this year by a heavy-lift Ariane 5, the www.spacedaily.com website reported.
MSG-4 arrived on May 6 aboard a chartered An-124 cargo jetliner that landed at Felix Eboue Airport near the French Guiana capital city of Cayenne. After a nighttime unloading process, the satellite was transferred by road for arrival at the Spaceport early this morning, where it will be prepared for pre-launch Processing.
The spin-stabilized MSG-4 will be orbited as one of two passengers on Arianespace Flight VA224. This continues the company’s role as the launch services provider for Meteosat platforms – which deliver vital data to ensure the safety of lives, property and infrastructure through their contribution to the “nowcasting” of high-impact weather.
As with other Meteosat spacecraft, MSG-4 carries the Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI), which observes the Earth in 12 spectral channels; along with the Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget (GERB) instrument, a visible-infrared radiometer for Earth radiation budget studies.
From geostationary orbit positions at 36,000 km. above the equator, Meteosat satellites continually return detailed imagery of Europe, the North Atlantic and Africa every 15 minutes for operational use by meteorologists.
MSG-4 is the last of Europe’s Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites, built by a Thales Alenia Space-led European consortium, and developed through a cooperation with the European Space Agency. After launch, it will be stored in orbit, ultimately being named Meteosat-11 when becoming operational to bridge the gap between Meteosat-10 (launched by Arianespace in 2012 aboard an Ariane 5) and the initial Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) spacecraft, which are scheduled to be orbited in 2019 and 2021.
The start of MSG-4’s checkout in French Guiana joins activity at the Spaceport this month for other Arianespace missions, including preparations for a heavy-lift Ariane 5 launch in May (designated Flight VA223) to orbit DIRECTV’s DirecTV-15 and SKY Mexico-1 satellites for digital television entertainment services; and the June launch of a lightweight Vega vehicle (referred to as Flight VV05) with Europe’s Sentinel-2A Earth observation platform.
Also this month, Arianespace performed an Ariane 5 mission on April 26 that carried the THOR 7 civil telecommunications and SICRAL 2 military relay satellites.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
President of Guyana Donald Ramotar (centre) cuts the ribbon to officially open the Marriott Guyana yesterday. He is cheered on by Finance Minister Ashanti Singh and Marriott International executive, Brenda Durham. Photo: Pete Sankey, Jamaica Observer
The opening of the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Georgetown on 16 April is expected to significantly boost the country’s ability to host major conferences, according to Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali, the www.jamaicaobserver.com website reported.
Ali, who described the hotel’s opening as a transformation for the hospitality industry, said that Guyana in the past had to make way to its neighbour Trinidad and Tobago to host big conferences because of his country’s inability to meet the requirement with the number of luxury rooms required.
The tourism minister, in an interview with the Jamaica Observer, cited a case where investors from the Middle East flew into Guyana on their private jet for a meeting, return to overnight in the Trinidad capital, Port of Spain, then returned to Georgetown the following morning to continue the talks.
At the same time, Ali said the Government’s partnership with the Marriott for the building of the luxury 197-room hotel was part of a wider policy to expand the country’s tourism offering.
He said that, under the ruling PPP/Civic now led by President Donald Ramotar, the country’s hotel room capacity has moved from 600 in 2005 to 2,200 this year, and indicated that the administration would be continuing work to improve its tourism product as it seeks to provide more jobs and improve the economy.
“There are new five-star hotels being built as there is serious private sector interest,” he said.
In addition, he said the Government is now expanding the Cheddi Jagan International Airport — Guyana’s main gateway — to have it upgraded from a Category 2 to a Category 1 port by the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration. The work will also include expansion of the runway to accommodate large aircraft from the US and other major destinations.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
In an effort to make Colombia’s capital Bogota more green and efficient, a new public bike system is set to be fully implemented by 2018, the www.colombiareports.co website reported.
Bogota’s public bike system will consist of 2851 public bicycles and 256 bike stations, distributed over most the city’s districts.
Bogota (wikipedia.org)
Last year, the city had already opened 13 bicycle stations, in an attempt to push commuters to use the bicycle and public transport to relieve the city’s increasingly congested road infratsructure.
The secretary of transport announced that the $1.4 million contract has been awarded to BiciBogota. A temporary union consisting of Chinese company Jiangsu Hompe Technology and Colombian company Cartuena de Asea Total.
BiciBogota offered to purchase the bikes from China. With China’s cheaper labor and production, compared to Europe or North America, costs may be as much as 60% below the world market.
However, BiciBogota’s rival, Bicicletas Seguras para Bogota, has questioned the structural integrity of the Chinese bikes. Reminiscent of the capital’s 2010 public bike trial, which allegedly partly failed due to the bikes being inadequate for Bogota’s intense traffic.
Although BiciBogota’s initial bid was rejected because the originally proposed bikes did not meet specifications, they later presented evidence convincing the city to take their offer.
The secretary of transport has stated that there are clearly specified features and functionalities which must be met by the bikes and stations. Should BiciBogota fail to comply with these requirements there will be financial penalties.
So far, everything seems to be in place for Bogota’s bikes to start appearing in the city from June this year.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
Suriname says it is spending Euro130 million euro on developing a new railway system within an 18 month period, the Caribbean Media Corporation – www.cmccaribbean.com, reported.
The new railway will allow for commuters to move from the Poelepantje area in Paramaribo southward to the village of Onverwacht in District Para. It will run on the left side of the Indira Gandhi road, a busy artery that leads to the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport.
Officials said the intention is to eventually take the railway all the way to the airport, and thereby relieve the current infrastructure.
The ambitious project will be carried out by Dutch railway systems contractor Strukton Systems.
“We have extensive technical knowledge and experience in this field and we’re happy to help”, said Strukton manager, Les van Seventer
The contract features the construction of a 29 kilometer dual railway track from Paramaribo to Onverwacht, the delivery of five diesel trains, the training of the necessary personnel and the construction of a Paramaribo Central Station at Poelepantje and eight train stops and 16 flyovers on the route.
The trains will be able to carry 250 people with 134 seated and 120 standing.
Head of the presidential Commission Construction Railway, Eddy Jozefzoon, said that a definite start date for the construction could not be given but that preparations were well underway.
He said one the biggest challenges will be to convince land owners to sell their properties along the proposed route.
Jozefzoon said the project will result in significant employment opportunities for nationals and that private bus owners need not worry about losing business.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
Bolivianske medier meldte denne uken at McDonald’s snart er på plass igjen i landet, etter et opphold på 13 år. Verdens største hurtigmatkjede la ned sine utsalg i hovedstaden La Paz og fire andre byer i 2002, på grunn av manglende interesse fra publikum og stadig synkende omsetning, skriver http://blogs.blouinnews.com
En lokal investor i bilbransjen tar nå sjansen på å prøve med ny McDonald’s-drift i Bolivia, og starter først opp i byen Santa Cruz nå i april, før han utvider til andre større byer i landet.
Forrige gang McDonald’s prøvde seg i Bolivia holdt de driften gående i åtte år før de måtte gi seg.
Bolivia og Cuba er i dag de to større landene i Latin-Amerika og i Karibia hvor McDonald’s ikke er til stede. I tillegg har kjeden av ulike årsaker lagt ned driften på Bermuda, Jamaica og Barbados.
Nå er det imidlertid klart at i kjølvannet av den politiske og diplomatiske oppmykningen mellom de to gamle erkefiendene USA og Cuba så kommer både McDonalds og Coca-Cola til å etablere seg på Cuba.
I januar i år uttalte en av eks-president Fidel Castros sønner, Alex Castro-Soto at “både Coca-Cola og McDonald’s er velkomne på Cuba”.
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McDonald’s is returning to Bolivia, after an absence of 13 years. McDonald’s left La Paz and four other Bolivian cities in 2002 due to lack of local interest and slow sales. The world’s largest fast food chain is also on course to establish outlets in Cuba.
Tall fra det nederlandske flyselskapet KLM viser at selv om de tradisjonelle feriereisemålene fortsatt er populære, kan man se en markant økning i bestillinger på mer eksotiske langdistanseruter, skriver www.travelnews.no
-Tall fra sommersesongen 2014 og foreløpige reservasjoner for 2015-sesongen viser at New York er den mest populære destinasjonen utenfor Europa, men nordmenn reiser stadig oftere til mer eksotiske destinasjoner som Havanna, Lima eller Manila, sier Carina Bergqvist, pressetalsperson i KLM.
I Karibia er det Havanna på Cuba som er den desidert mest populære destinasjonen. Andre steder vi reiser til i følge KLM er Punta Cana i Den dominikanske republikk, Aruba og St. Martin.
I Sør-Amerika er det Lima, hovedstaden i Peru, som seiler opp som ny favoritt og her er det forhåndsolgt flere seter enn på strekningen Oslo-Rio de Janeiro, som hittil har vært favoritten blant nordmenn.
Bangkok er ikke overraskende ferievinneren i Asia, men destinasjoner som Filippinene og Japan øker stadig.
I Afrika er Sør-Afrika og Nairobi mest populært, men også Tanzania (inkludert Zanzibar og Kilimanjaro) topper listen.
-Vi ser tydelig at nordmenn har begynt å reise til mer eksotiske destinasjoner enn før. Spesielt Sør-Amerika og Karibia lokker, men vi ser også at Øst-Afrika øker i popularitet. KLM er en del av et stort flynettverk og har mer enn 1000 spennende destinasjoner vi kan fly nordmenn til fra syv lufthavner i Norge, sier Carina Bergqvist.
De mest populære reisemålene utenfor Europa i 2015
