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Online Newsletter for Travel & Tourism
Founded in 1982
Informations & Press Releases may be send to info@freesun.be
edited by FREESUN - avenue Charles Plisnier 20 - 1070 Brussels, Belgium
Tel.: 32+ (0)2 521 32 14 - Fax : 32+ (0)2 521 72 43
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Informations & Press Releases may be send to info@freesun.be
edited by FREESUN - avenue Charles Plisnier 20 - 1070 Brussels, Belgium
Tel.: 32+ (0)2 521 32 14 - Fax : 32+ (0)2 521 72 43
N° 302 - March 3, 2006
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Support Taiwan entry into the WHO
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 Huge success 2005 for Malév Hungarian Airlines in the Belgian market Malév achieved highly dynamic passenger traffic growth in the Belgian market in 2005. The team around Country Manager Björn Brandt, who joined the company in the beginning of 2005, has contributed to an increase in passengers of more than 20% compared to the previous year. While strongly growing in terms of passengers, Malév flown revenue generated by Belgian travel agencies and TO's also scored very positively : plus 10%. Read more. Northwest Airlines Reports Fourth Quarter Results EAGAN, Minn. - (February 28, 2006) -- Northwest Airlines (OTC: NWACQ.PK) today said it realized a net loss of $1.3 billion during the fourth quarter of 2005. This compares to a net loss of $434 million in the fourth quarter of 2004. Excluding reorganization and other unusual items, Northwest reported a fourth quarter 2005 net loss of $387 million versus a fourth quarter 2004 net loss of $373 million. Read more. JAL Announces New Top Management Line Up Tokyo, Wednesday March 1, 2006: The Japan Airlines Group today announced changes to its boards of directors, effective April 1st and subject to approval of the annual general meeting of shareholders in late June. The changes relate to the boards of directors and executive officers of JAL Corporation (the JAL Group holding company) and the two main operating companies, JAL International and JAL Domestic. JAL board member and senior vice president, Haruka Nishimatsu, 58, is JAL’s new CEO designate, subject to the formal approval of the annual general meeting of shareholders in late June (date to be announced). Nishimatsu is currently a member of all three JAL boards as senior vice president, finance and purchasing. Until confirmation as CEO in June he will be promoted from his current post of senior vice president to senior managing director on all three JAL Boards, effective April 1st. Virgin Express zal naar 3 nieuwe Italiaanse bestemmingen vliegen: Palermo, Bari en Napels Melsbroek, 1 maart 2006 -- Bij de aanvang van het zomerseizoen in de luchtvaart (26 maart 2006) zal Virgin Express drie nieuwe lijnen aan haar netwerk toevoegen: Brussel-Palermo, Brussel-Bari and Brussel-Napels. Lees meer.  Virgin Express ajoute 3 nouvelles destinations à son réseau: Palerme, Bari et Naples Aéroport de Bruxelles-National, le 1er mars 2006 -- A la veille de la nouvelle saison d'été qui débutera le 26 mars 2006, Virgin Express ajoute trois nouvelles destinations à son réseau: Bruxelles-Palerme, Bruxelles-Bari et Bruxelles-Naples. LONDON - February 28, 2006 - China Southern Airlines - www.cs-air.com/en - with the largest and most technically advanced aircraft fleet in The People's Republic of China is teaming up the “ eyefortransport China Summit 2006” and will be the official airline of the two-day April conference. Financial Result of the Austrian Airlines Group for Financial Year 2005 Summing up the annual balance sheet, Austrian Chief Executive Officer Vagn Soerensen made the following statement: 'By incorporating new destinations into the route network and increasing our existing frequency volume, we have again been able to build strongly on our 'Focus East' specialisation in 2005. The main reasons for the slump in the result in 2005 were the high additional cost of kerosene, the weak demand for transfer traffic in the first quarter triggered by the doubling in the security charge, and continuing overcapacity in the European aviation industry. Read more.  Flight Punctuality And Baggage Performance For January 2006 80.6% of flights departed and 80.8% of flights arrived on time Marked improvement despite adverse weather conditions 19.4 items of baggage missing per 1,000 passengers boarded Garuda Indonesia To Resume Flying To Seoul JAKARTA - Indonesian flag-carrier Garuda will resume scheduled flights to Seoul, South Korea. The airline will recommence direct Denpasar-Seoul flights under a code-share agreement with Korea Airlines, with Garuda to service the route four times per week and Korea Airlines three times per week. Garuda suspended Denpasar-Seoul flights in late 2004. Etihad Airways To Launch New Manchester Route ABU DHABI - Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad Airways will begin daily flights to the UK destination of Manchester on March the 26th. Last week the airline launched a service to the Philippine capital Manila.
Tiger Airways To Launch Flights To Haikou, Guangzhou And Shenzhen SINGAPORE - Singapore-based Tiger Airways will start services to the Chinese destinations of Haikou, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in April. The low-cost airline will initially fly four times per week to Haikou and three times per week to Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The carrier is offering fares from S$24.98 (US$15) one way for its service to Thailand's Krabi between March 26th and October 25th. Singapore Airlines To Launch Flights To Abu Dhabi SINGAPORE - Singapore Airlines will on March the 2nd commence flights between Singapore and Abu Dhabi, and between Singapore and Moscow, via Dubai. The carrier will operate three services per week on both routes. The airline is offering AED536 (US$146) for an economy-return from Dubai to Moscow, while Abu Dhabi travellers seeking to explore Singapore can avail themselves of a Dhs1899 (US$517) package including three days/two nights in a hotel, breakfast and transfers and a sightseeing trip around the city. To take advantage of these deals, tickets must be bought before the end of this month.
Thrifty Car Rental Offers Triple Miles On Delta With Two-Day Rental Made on Thrifty.com TULSA, Okla. - Thrifty Car Rental, a subsidiary of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: DTG) will offer its customers triple miles with Delta Air Lines(r) effective March 1, 2005 through May 31, 2005. Delta SkyMiles(r) members who rent a mid-size car or larger vehicle for two days, up to seven days in length, during the promotional period will earn triple miles of 150 miles per rental day through May 31, 2006. Read more. Free Song Downloads on iTunes(R) With Avis Rentals PARSIPPANY, N.J., March 1 -- Avis Rent A Car System, LLC today announced a new and exclusive program that rewards customers with free song downloads on iTunes(R) with every rental booked on avis.com. Through the long-term arrangement with iTunes, which begins March 1, customers can receive at least five free song downloads on iTunes every time they rent with Avis. The more rentals, the more free song downloads.
 Norfolkline lance son deuxième nouveau ferry sur la ligne Dunkerque - Douvres Le jeudi 2 mars, Norfolkline lancera encore un ferry tout neuf, le "Maersk Delft", sur la ligne Dunkerque-Douvres. Il s'agit du deuxième des trois nouveaux superferries annoncés. Le premier, le "Maersk Dunkerque", est entré en service le 12 novembre dernier. Le troisième navire du trio arrivera durant l'été 2006. En savoir plus.
 Florida experiences Record Breaking Tourism Visits in 2005 TALLAHASSEE, Florida, USA (February 28, 2006) - Governor Jef Bush announced yesterday that the preliminary number of Florida visitors, world-wide in 2005 hit a new record-high of 85.8 million, an increase of 7.6 percent over the same period in 2004, according to research from VISIT FLORIDA, the state's official source for travel planning. This is the first time annual visitats to Florida have exceeded the 80 million mark. Read more. What's New In Florida Spring 2006 Tallahassee, Fla. (February 28, 2006) - Wondering what to do this spring ? With the temperature warming up, spring time is the perfect time to explore the latest attractions, newest hotels and the exciting special events the Sunshine State has to offer. (Listings are organized by city from North to South). Read more.
 Göteborg – City of Events This year Göteborg is hosting the biggest sports- and entertainment event in Sweden since more than ten years, the European Championships in Athletics. Other top events this year include the finish of the Volvo Ocean Race and open-air concerts with The Rolling Stones and Robbie Williams. Read more.
Tignes au printemps : Un ski de qualité et des conditions d'enneigement idéales Avec ses 300 km de pistes pour se défouler sur les pentes et apprivoiser toutes les neiges, Tignes offre le plus vaste espace dédié à la glisse. De plus, la situation idéale de la station vous permet de skier tout au long de la journée face au soleil. Profitez donc du printemps, mais n'oubliez pas la crème solaire! En savoir plus.  Le département de la Somme se prépare à rendre hommage au million et demi de soldats britanniques, français, allemands qui s’affrontèrent ici durant de longs mois. Dans l’attente du programme définitif qui sera publié en avril par le Conseil Général, l’information est déjà accessible et mise à jour sur le site internet dédié, en langue anglaise : www.somme-battlefields.com, dont la version française verra le jour fin mars.
 ITTFA Welcomes first US member as Luxury Travel Expo joins the fold. ITTFA, the International Tourism Trade Fairs Association, welcomes its newest member, Luxury Travel Expo. Luxury Travel Expo is the industry's largest gathering of luxury travel professionals in the U.S. and during its last show in Las Vegas, December 2005; it attracted 4,376 visitors and 486 exhibitors over three days, serving both international and domestic markets. Read more. Op 29-30 april en 1 mei in de Nekkerhal te Mechelen :
Dreamcar International, de grootste oldtimerbeurs van België Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Porsche: deze droomwagens zullen er natuurlijk zijn op Dreamcar International in Mechelen op 30 april en 1 mei. Maar ook de Opel Manta B, de Fiat, de Trabant en dergelijke die een haalbare droom voor velen vertegenwoordigen. Dreamcar International is dit jaar aan zijn 22e editie toe. Afgelopen jaar won de Opel Veteranc Club Belge de Dreamcar Trophy. Dit is een voorbeeld van de heel eigen aantrekkingskracht van de oldtimerbeurs Dreamcar International. Dank zij de inzet van vele oldtimerclubs wordt gezorgd voor een aantrekkelijke show. Zowel kenners als gewone bezoekers komen aldus aan hun trekken. Lees meer.
A First Step Towards India: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts to Open Business Hotel in Bangalore in 2008 In keeping with its expansion objectives Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts (MH&R) is now also breaking into the Indian market. A management contract for a Business Hotel in Bangalore has just been signed with the owning company MS Ramaiah Hotels, a member of the MS Ramaiah Group. The 5-star hotel is scheduled to open in 2008. The new development is ideally located in a prime business and residential district of Bangalore, only 30 minutes from the new international airport, which will also be inaugurated in 2008. Accor CEO Signs 6 Hotel Ibis Agreement In China Latest Ibis expansion driving economy hotel revolution in Asia BANGKOK 2 March 2006 - Accor has signed a landmark agreement for 6 new Ibis hotels in Sichuan province, the largest single expansion of Accor's economy brand in one province of China. The six hotels will be developed at a cost of US$150 million. Read more. Rocco Forte's Villa Kennedy In Frankfurt Opens Its Door Rocco Forte Hotels is delighted to confirm that Villa Kennedy opened today (1 March 2006) in Frankfurt. Villa Kennedy is the first of Rocco Forte Hotels? three German properties currently under development to open its doors, the other two being Hotel de Rome in Berlin (due to open autumn 2006) and a yet to be named Munich property (due to open spring 2007), making Rocco Forte Hotels the country's market leader with regard to luxury hotels. Shangri-La's Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa Opens in Oman  Golden Tulip signe des accords de gestion d'hôtel au Maroc pour cinq Golden Tulip Farah Hotels Amersfoort (NL)/Lausanne (CH), 28 février 2006 -- Golden Tulip Hospitality annonce son expansion au Royaume du Maroc à travers la signature d'un contrat de gestion d'hôtel pour les cinq Farah Hotels existants. En savoir plus. Hotelgroep Worldhotels breidt portfolio verder uit Samenwerking met AVIS en Czech Airlines Met twee nieuwe hotels in Europa en drie in Azië zet hotelgroep Worldhotels zijn wereldwijde expansie voort. Lees meer.  Five-Star Service For Children Visiting Rocco Forte's Hotel Savoy 27 February 2006 -- Rocco Forte's Hotel Savoy in Florence has extended its five-star service to include the entire family with the introduction of a customised Children's Programme. Read more. New Holiday Paradise by the Red Sea - Mövenpick Resort Taba Celebrates Official Opening January 2006 saw the opening of a new luxury resort in Taba, on the Red Sea coast in Egypt. The comfortable, family-friendly holiday oasis has 434 rooms and provides the ideal setting for a relaxing holiday, whatever the time of year. The 5-star hotel is part of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts' (MH&R) expansion strategy and adds to its already considerable Middle East portfolio. Read more.  Conrad Brussels crée l'événement avec les soirées Wooomen on Top : un tout nouveau concept de soirées entre filles. Chaque troisième vendredi du mois, à partir du 24 mars, l'hôtel Conrad Brussels, en collaboration avec 5ème Saison Event lancent Wooomen on Top, un tout nouveau concept de soirées entre filles. Dès 20h00, elles seront accueillies dans le cadre prestigieux du Conrad Brussels pour découvrir un univers qui leur sera entièrement consacré. 23h00 sonnera le retour de la gent masculine puisque l'accès sera enfin autorisé aux hommes. En savoir plus.  InterContinental Hotels Group has firmly established The Place To Meet in the adventure capital of New Zealand, with the multi-million dollar refurbishment and re-branding of Parkroyal Queenstown to Crowne Plaza Queenstown. Located in the heart of town on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and with spectacular mountain views, the refurbished Crowne Plaza Queenstown offers a contemporary and stylish hotel experience catering specifically to premium leisure and corporate meeting guests.
QUEENSTOWN - InterContinental Hotels Group has completed a refurbishment and re-branding of the Parkroyal Queenstown to the Crowne Plaza Queenstown. Meeting areas at Crowne Plaza Queenstown have been extended, with the hotel now offering the full range of Crowne Plaza Meeting Success products and services, along with a dedicated Crowne Meetings Director, a Two Hour Response time to all meeting enquiries. HUE - Vietnam-based international hotel management group, Celadon International Hotels will manage a new luxury hotel in Hue, the Celadon Hotel Hue. Located in the ancient Vietnamese capital and UNESCO-listed World Heritage city, the 5-star hotel will open for business later this year. Housing 238 suites and rooms, the Celadon Hotel Hue will also contain function facilities and meeting rooms for gatherings of up to 500. SINGAPORE - Meritus Hotels & Resorts has launched Weekends Plus at Meritus in three of its Singapore hotels; Meritus Mandarin Singapore - S$148, Marina Mandarin Singapore - S$148 and Meritus Negara Singapore - S$148. Rates are valid on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only but not for arrival on Sunday for just a one night stay. The offer runs from February 24th to March 31st.
Berlin’s New Berlin Convention Office The Congress Division of Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH has been successfully promoting the German capital as a meetings destination since 2001. Berlin is currently 4th place in the ICCA league of favourite meetings’ destinations. Read more. Growth Figures for IMEX 2006 Reflect the Current Optimism of the Meetings Industry Strong growth is forecast for this year’s ‘IMEX – incorporating Meetings made in Germany, The Worldwide Exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events’ which takes place for the fourth time from 30th May to 01st June 2006 in Hall 8 Messe Frankfurt. 7,500 national and international buyers are expected to attend, some 3,400 of whom as hosted buyers (2005: 3,260). Read more.  MICE Russia Industry Convention Expecting Strong Growth in 2006 ITE has opened bookings for the 3rd edition of MICE Russia Industry Convention, taking place on the 2nd October 2006 at the World Trade Centre, Moscow. Read more. Ulm – Meetings with All The Family You are often away from home on business and you wish your partner or your family were also with you? You are looking for a congress and meetings venue which will offer everybody an attractive accompanying programme of activities and sightseeing. Then it’s about time you got to know the charming city of Ulm! Read more.
20 Years At The Forefront Of European Tourism Research ETC declares 2006 as 'Year of Market Intelligence' Brussels, 28 February 2006. The Research Group of the European Travel Commission is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. And to mark the occasion, ETC has declared 2006 the 'Year of Market Intelligence'. Read more.
Mekong Tourism Investment: A New Era Beckons BANGKOK, March 1, 2006 - Nine tourism investment experts and project managers will address the inaugural Mekong Tourism Investment Summit in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, March 28-30. Read more. Asia-Pacific To Have Some 870 Million Air Passengers By 2014 SINGAPORE - Some 870 million passengers will be travelling to, within and from Asia-Pacific by 2014, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Aviation Summit 2006 was told. Citing figures by the Air Transport Action Group, Singapore Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong said the number was more than double the figure in 1999. By 2022, eight of the top 10 airports using large aircraft would be in Asia and nine of the top 10 large aircraft routes would serve Asia, he added.
 Parijs/Keulen/Aken/Amsterdam/Brussel en nog eens 10 gelegenheden om te feesten Agenda Thalys NightLife Tweede trimester 2006 (april-mei-juni) Het hele Thalys-netwerk biedt talrijke en gevarieerde mogelijkheden om te feesten. Thalys viert dit jaar haar tienjarig bestaan en om ook de nachtuilen een plezier te doen, riep het in de herfst van het afgelopen jaar het aanbod ThalysNight (Brussel-Parijs H/T voor 30€! Cfr. verder) in het leven. Lees meer. Thalys verzamelt gouden medailles voor snelheid Gisteren, zondag 26 februari, heeft de Thalys een snelheid van 331,1 km/uur bereikt tijdens homologatietests van de hogesnelheidslijn tussen de Belgische grens en Rotterdam. Deze snelheid werd nog nooit bereikt op het spoor in Nederland ! Het bedrijf Eurailtest, dat instaat voor de tests, heeft een Thalys-treinstel gekozen om deze testritten uit te voeren. De testfase loopt nog tot 31 maart 2006. Lees meer.
La nouvelle brochure Thomas Cook Citytrips "Londres" est arrivée! Haarlem, februari 2006 - Corendon, marktleider op het gebied van reizen naar Turkije en sinds kort tevens aanbieder van bestemmingen in Egypte, Griekenland en Bulgarije, publiceert sinds kort de beoordelingen van Zoover op de eigen website. De vakantiebeoordelingen van deze onafhankelijke reiswebsite staan vermeld bij de door Corendon aangeboden accommodaties. De touroperator houdt, door het zichtbaar maken van de kwaliteit, niet alleen zichzelf scherp, maar toont tevens haar zelfverzekerdheid. Een eerlijk extraatje voor online klanten. De zomerbrochures van Corendon zijn op te vragen via tel. 023 52 68 979. Via dit telefoonnummer kunnen tevens reizen worden geboekt, dit kan ook bij de reisagent of via www.corendon.nl
Coupe du monde de football 2006: les experts s'attendent à un assaut des fans à la dernière minute BERLIN, Allemagne, February 23 -- Beaucoup de spectateurs de la coupe du monde feront leurs réservations à la hâte. Selon un sondage représentatif, le logement chez l'habitant aurait la préférence. En savoir plus. Avian Influenza And Food Safety: Statement by Dr Lee Jong-Wook, WHO Director-General Since the beginning of February 2006, the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus has spread to affect wild or domestic birds in 17 new countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The World Health Organization reconfirms that, when poultry products are safely handled and properly cooked, humans are not at risk of acquiring H5N1 infection through food. Although the H5N1 virus is highly infectious among poultry, it is not easily transmissible to humans. Since December 2003, this virus is known to have infected 173 people, of whom 93 have died. Not one of these cases has been linked to the consumption of properly cooked poultry or poultry products. The main health risk currently is to people who are in close contact with infected poultry, such as families with backyard flocks and poultry workers in wet markets or live animal markets. Heightened surveillance among domestic and wild birds, rapid detection of the virus, and swift implementation of control measures are important in supporting and maintaining consumer confidence in the safety of poultry products. Globally, the evidence demonstrates that there is no risk of infection when birds and eggs are well-cooked, as this kills the virus. Poultry products are important sources of protein throughout the world. For further information, please refer to the WHO avian influenza website http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/index.html
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