MICE & TOURISM around the World e-Magazine vol. 25, issue 6, June 2022
online since 1997
PLATINUM JUBLIEE 8 Towns Win City Status! AN ISLAND, A KING, A CASTLE & A PUB... Piel Island! TOURISM is Recovering but not yet at Pre-Health Crisis Levels The FALSE CLAIMS of the BRITISH MUSEUM over the PARTHENON MARBLES BATHE IN THE GLORY OF BATH, England
MICE & TOURISM around the World e-Magazine
London, United Kingdom
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MICE & TOURISM around the World e-Magazine
London, United Kingdom
25 years online since 1997 the global monthly e-Magazine
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MICE & TOURISM around the World e-Magazine Volume 25, Issue 6, June 2022 edition – Online since 1997
Contents 7-10 PLATINUM JUBLIEE 8 Towns Win City Status! 15 AFRICA HOSPITALITY INVESTMENT FORUM Returns to Morocco 17 The GREAT ASEAN TRAVEL FEST Plus 18 ARGENTINA Stimulus Plan for MICE Segment 19 IEEE WCCI 2024, in YOKOHAMA, Japan
7-10 PLATINUM JUBLIEE
21 PATA Tourism Destination Resilience Programme… 23-25 An ISLAND, a KING, a CASTLE and a PUB... PIEL Island! 28 AIR EUROPA Flies to Athens and Alghero 30 SAUDI Domestic Flight with ALL-FEMALE crew 31-33 London Underground Opens New ‘ELIZABETH LINE’
23-25 PIEL Islands
35 TOURISM is Recovering but not yet at Pre- Health Crisis Levels 36 How can CYPRUS Make up Losses in Tourism 37 Hope for Booming Summer Tourism Season Even With Sky High Prices 38 The False Claims of the BRITISH MUSEUM over the PARTHENON MARBLES 39 AZERBAIJAN to Build on Post-Health Crisis GCC Tourism Boom 40 EASTER ISLAND, Chile to Reopen for Tourism 41 EGGS of an ERA 43-48 BATHE in the GLORY of BATH, England
43-48 BATHE in the GLORY Of BATH Cover page: Street in Bath, UK © M&TarounftheWorld 2022
Message from
Caroline-Artemis WELCOME to the
JUBILEE edition of the e-Magazine.
You could say we have been waiting 70 years for this moment, but I am sure many people would never have imagined Queen Elizabeth II would be celebrating after 70 years of dedication and service to her country. But, we are delighted this unique and historic celebration has come! It goes without saying that on this momentous occasion, this edition of the e-Magazine it taking the opportunity to do some enthusiastic flag waving and to give you some updates of the events that we have written about previously as well as some new ones…
Discover the winning towns who have been awarded new City Status.
Catch the magnificent EGGS for an ERA dotted around Chelsea in London… but hurry they are only on display until 12 June. Welcome to the new ELIZABETH LINE on London’s Underground…. MIND THE GAP!
MICE & TOURISM around the World e-Magazine take this opportunity to wish Her many heartfelt and sincere congratulations on this wonderful celebration of her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
PLATIUM JUBILEE God save the Queen
Caroline-Artemis Laspas co-founder & editor
MICE & TOURISM around the World e-Magazine
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PLATINUM JUBILEE EIGHT TOWNS WIN CITY STATUS by Caroline-Artemis Laspas
Following the announcement of the competition earlier this year, allowing for towns to apply to have ‘city’ status, the final decision of 8 new cities have been named in time for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. For the first time, towns from within the commonwealth could also apply .
The winners are: Milton Keynes, Colchester and Doncaster in England, Dunfermline in Scotland, Bangor in Northern Ireland and Wrexham in Wales.
Milton Keynes
Applicants needed to show their cultural heritage and royal links in addition to their local identity and strong community spirit. Colchester The number of official cities in mainland UK now stands at 76, with 55 in England, 8 in Scotland, 7 in Wales and 6 in Northern Ireland. Here are a few details on the worthy winners!
Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland – Its location at the mouth of the Belfast Lough, the city played a key role for the Allies during WW2.
Douglas, Isle of Man
Colchester, Essex, England – This was Britain's 1st recorded settlement and its 1st capital. Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England - Originally a Roman settlement, it dates back 2,000 years!
Dunfermline
Douglas, Isle of Man – The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) began in Douglas and has The Queen as its patron. Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland – As one of the seats of the kings of Scotland, King Robert the Bruce is buried in Dunfermline Abbey in 1329.
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England - Created in 1967 to alleviate housing shortages in overcrowded London it now has a thriving population.
Doncaster
www.bmlinternational.co.uk
Bangor
Stanley, Falkland Islands – With strong royal connections, the islands are regularly visited by the Royal family. The Duke of Cambridge spent time as a search and rescue helicopter pilot for 6 weeks. Wrexham, north east Wales - Established in 1864, Wrexham Football Club is one of the oldest professional football clubs in the United Kingdom.
Wrexham
The privilege aims to bring more investment, development and opportunities to the new cities, both for those who live and work there as well as those who visit the cities!
www.visitcyprus.com
19, Apollonos str., Athens, Greece
tel. 0030 210 323 55 14
hermes@athenshotelsgroup.com - www.hermeshotel.gr
M.I.C.E & events News
Meetings, Incentives, Conferences , Exhibitions, Venues & Events
WORLD TOURISM ORGANISATION’s MEMBERS IN THE AMERICAS ADVANCE COMMON GOALS The American Members of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) have met to assess the current state of the sector and plan for its sustainable future. The 67th meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas brought tourism leaders from across the region together in the leading destination of Punta del Este, Uruguay. Across two days, Tourism Ministers and other high-level representatives, including private sector leaders and delegates form international organisations reviewed UNWTO’s leadership of the sector over the past year, highlighted key international tourism trends and the Organisation’s key priorities for the region, including work around education and investments. UNWTO Members addressed the key challenges facing tourism today and opportunities for recovery and growth. The debates among member states were complemented by special interventions, including the presentation the Tourism Promotion Hub for Latin America, Latina Tower, in New York City, and by the Latin American Development Bank (CAF). CAF, the leading investor in infrastructure across the region, addressed the UNWTO, advancing the newly-established partnership between the Bank and UNWTO. Alongside this, a policy discussion on “Accelerating Recovery and Building Resilience”, benefitted from insights of leaders from across the region, Two countries, Ecuador and Paraguay have already made steps to incorporate it into national legislation, while Uruguay will initiate the process. The 68th meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas will be held in Ecuador in the first half of 2023.
AFRICA HOSPITALITY INVESTMENT FORUM RETURNS TO MOROCCO The Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF) will return as an in-person event in 2022, taking place on 2 - 4 November 2022 at the luxurious Fairmont Taghazout Bay, a five-star resort with leisure and business facilities, next to Agadir. AHIF is Africa’s premier meeting place of leaders in the hospitality sector, attracting hotel and real estate investors, owners and developers, global hotel operator CEOs and prominent advisory services from across the African continent and beyond. The event creates a dialogue and drives deals between international investors and hospitality owner’s on the whole African continent. To date, this year’s top line sponsors include Host Partner SMIT and Platinum Sponsors Radisson and IHG.
AC HOTEL BY MARRIOTT MELBOURNE SOUTHBANK OPENS Melbourne Convention Bureau’s (MCB) partner AC Hotel by Marriott Melbourne Southbank has st now opened, signalling the 1 time in Australia for the design-led lifestyle brand that is part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 extraordinary brands. Located in one of Melbourne's premier events, arts and entertainment precincts on the city fringe of Southbank, the hotel is close to public transport, South Melbourne Market, Melbourne Convention Centre, South Wharf shops and eateries and the Arts precinct. With 205 rooms and suites with sweeping views of the city skyline and the Yarra River, rooms are free of clutter and maximise a sense of openness. With indoor and outdoor venues, the hotel is the ideal setting for meetings and social gatherings in Melbourne. AC Hotel by Marriott Melbourne Southbank features a range of spaces including the brand’s signature AC Lounge, a modern co-working space for creative gatherings by day and a buzzing social hub offering European-style tapas by night. The hotel houses 576sq.m of flexible meeting space, with floor-to-ceiling windows providing abundant natural light, along with an outdoor covered terrace room and pool bar. The outdoor terrace beside the infinity pool can serve as a pre-function space accommodating up to 200 guests in cocktail format or broken down into smaller spaces for breakouts and more intimate meetings and social gatherings. The hotel offers a range of leisure facilities, including an outdoor, infinity-edge swimming pool and a 24-hour fitness centre.
CONVENTA WEEK 2022 Hybrid CONVENTA will once more take place from 24-25 August 2022. Since the inception of the pandemic, CONVENTA has followed a detailed protocol for responsible event realisation that enables the project to comply with ever changing circumstances. In line with the protocol, the organisers of CONVENTA had set10 January 2022 as the original event date. However, given the unfavourable epidemiological situation, the organisers have concluded that organising the event in the winter term is impossible. Thus, the event will be joined with nd CONVENTA Crossover for the 2 year. CONVENTA WEEK will take place from 24-27 August in live or hybrid form, depending on the circumstances. One of the organisers’ promises is to execute the event safely. With their agility and flexibility, they succeeded both in 2020 and 2021. CONVENTA is among the handful of business events in the meetings industry that has not been halted by the corona crisis. Gorazd Čad, the co-founder of CONVENTA, emphasised: “Conventa is entirely adapted to the hybrid future. We could have executed the event digitally in the original term. However, after discussing with partners, exhibitors and hosted buyers, the message was clear. Everyone wants a live event, where they can experience genuine human contact, and we will enable them to do so in August.” Among the organisers’ key responsibilities is complying with necessary safety restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Hence, the organisers acquired the Safe and Healthy Meetings & Events certificate, which evolved in 2021 based on prior experiences. The updated roadmap includes numerous restrictions, including attendee testing, hygienic measures and upholding the CONVENTA bubble. The organisers are planning several additional activities that will take place in an online or hybrid version alongside the main event. “Once a year, we have the opportunity to meet in person in Ljubljana at the festival of the regional congress industry. We will do everything in our power to keep it that way regardless of the impediments. Above all, we desire to meet in person, as personal contact is priceless,” explained Miha Kovačič, co-founder of CONVENTA. SAVE THE DATE FOR THE PREMIER TRADE SHOW OF NEW EUROPE The last week of August will be marked by CONVENTA and CONVENTA Crossover CONVENTA business tradeshow will take place from 24 to 25 August 2022 at the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre, while the festival of events – CONVENTA Crossover - will welcome participants from 26-27 August 2022 in Ljubljana.
www.conventa.si www.crossover.si
THE GREAT ASEAN TRAVEL FEST PLUS 2022 KICKS OFF ON 1 JUNE Following the inaugural event in 2021, TTG Asia Media is hosting a six-month long B2B exhibition showcase from 1 June to 30 November this year. The Great ASEAN Travel Fest Plus 2022 features interactive 3D booths with sales enablement capabilities, unlimited Walk-in Meets throughout the 180 days, and monthly engagement activities to bring buyers and sellers together.
Results from the inaugural The Great 2021 ASEAN Travel Fest
Supported by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and aimed at supporting travel and tourism recovery in the region, The Great ASEAN Travel Fest Plus 2022’s programme includes various components that are designed to spark new business between suppliers and buyers as travelling starts picking up again. A highlight of the online event is the two Open Houses, one from 22 – 23 June and the other in November, comprising both Scheduled Meets and Walk-in Meets between buyers and exhibitors and themed streaming to highlight specific destinations as well as travel and hospitality brands. Buyers will have valuable opportunities to engage with exhibitors through one-on-one meetings, streaming content, brand festival showcases, training videos, mission-to-win interactive games and more throughout the six months. Buyers can also earn attractive incentives and training certificates from their participation. Sellers will benefit from wider exposure beyond the travel trade industry through interactive booths with 3D booth imaging and sales enablement capabilities and monthly engagement activities with opportunities to spotlight their brand. The Plus extension in the event name for 2022 signifies TTG Events support in the communal rebuilding and reengaging of the industry. As such, participants beyond ASEAN are welcome, thereby allowing a diversified representation of destinations and brands. Lynette Tey, Event Manager of TTG Events, shared, “Capitalising on the platform’s availability allows us to go beyond the typical two to three trade show days, thereby extending the potential benefits to a wider audience for a sustained six-month period.” Registration is still open for now. More information is available at www.aseantravelfest.com.
BUREAU VERITAS CERTIFIES POSIDONIA 2022 AS GREECE’S 1ST SUSTAINABLE EVENT Posidonia Exhibitions SA, the leading trade fair organiser in Greece, and Bureau Veritas (BV), a world leader in testing, inspection, and certification, have collaborated for Posidonia 2022, the International Shipping Exhibition, to be st certified as Greece’s first sustainable event. With Bureau Veritas’ support, Posidonia 2022 has become the 1 maritime exhibition to receive the ISO 20121 certification, attesting the industry’s commitment to organising sustainable events. ISO 20121 is an international standard that provides guidance and best practice to help manage an event and control its social, economic, and environmental impact. Bureau Veritas successfully assessed Posidonia’s event management system according to the ISO 20121 main focus: the balanced approach and performance to economic activity, environmental responsibility and social progress. Lessons derived from the pandemic crisis, as well as the introduction of new sustainability policies and legal requirements, were the main drivers behind Posidonia’s commitment to incorporate sustainability aspects during the planning and implementation stages of Posidonia 2022. The ISO 20121 international standard specifies the requirements that need to be implemented for a company’s sustainability management system to improve the sustainability of events. It is applicable to organisations involved in the design and delivery of events and accommodates diverse geographical, cultural, and social conditions. It requires organisations to recognise their relationship with – and their impact on – society, and society’s expectations of events. It intends to improve sustainability throughout the entire event management cycle. The standard is aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in terms of well-being, equality, clean water, clean energy, economic growth, sustainable cities, responsible consumption, climate, sustainable industrialisation, reducing inequalities, and inclusive societies. Bureau Veritas certification services, aligned with its credible portfolio of services for the Maritime sector since 1828, ensure credibility and added value of audits in a wide range of services in all economic and social sectors. Sustainability assessment and certification services are expected to take the lead in the forthcoming years, getting placed among quality, safety, environmental, risk management and other well established and implemented priorities of organisations globally.
FUTURE HOSPITALITY SUMMIT 2022 SAUDI ARABIA FHS (FUTURE HOSPITALITY SUMMIT) returned in 2022, with not just one, but two monumental and distinct programmes. FHS Saudi Arabia took place in Riyadh, and FHS Middle East, which focuses on the wider region, takes place in September in Dubai. It will bring together in-person, the active and high-level investment communities from these incredibly diverse and opportunity-packed markets - to 'reimage horizons' for hospitality, restaurants, travel, sustainability, and innovation. A hybrid format will be available for those who would like to access some of the conference sessions remotely.
ARGENTINA STIMULUS PLAN FOR MICE SEGMENT
Argentina is to focus on attracting the MICE sector. With the development of the ‘Meet Up Argentina’, an event that positions Argentina and the region on the international MICE map has got positive support. Buenos Aires Argentina’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports highlighted the role played by event tourism, and confirmed a specific fund for the MICE segment, would be available to promote and recruit events, both national and international.
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YOKOHAMA, TO HOST GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE IEEE WCCI 2024, IN JAPAN FOR THE 1ST TIME Yokohama has been chosen to host the IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence (WCCI) 2024, the world’s largest technical event on computational intelligence, featuring 3 flagship conferences of the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society. Organised by the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society, the renowned event will be held in Japan for the first time. Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau (YCVB) and PACIFICO Yokohama led the successful bid in collaboration with the City of Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, and the Japan National Tourism Organisation. Yokohama was chosen for its safety, convenience, and track record in hosting international conferences. The professors involved in the bid were praised for their enthusiasm and vision, and Japan was recognised for its high-level of research in computational intelligence. Yokohama’s Next Generation Project, which welcomes researchers from across Japan and the world to the city to inspire future generations, supports this conference, whose economic ripple effect is estimated at UK£2.3million.
MICE TOURISM RECOVERING IN COLOMBIA In January and February 2022, Colombia registered 16,634 foreign traveller arrivals, who came to participate in events, business and professional meetings. A 123.1% increase from the same period of 2021. Travellers mainly came from the United States, Mexico, Peru, Spain and Brazil. As for the destination cities that received most of the travellers, these were Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Cartagena and Barranquilla. ProColombia has been promoting its MICE capabilities across the USA proving it is a regional hub for holding meetings of business, conventions and events, with the accolades to prove it.
ATHENS BUILDS MOMENTUM IN GLOBAL TOURISM MARKET AT TRAVEL TRADE ATHENS 2022, THE CITY’S SIGNATURE ANNUAL B2B EVENT 9th - 10th May 2022 Athens re-established its leading presence in the global tourism market during Travel Trade Athens 2022. The event is a catalyst for the dynamic and sustainable return of visitors to Athens, with more than 160 representatives of Greek and international companies holding meetings during the event. More than 60 representatives of foreign companies in the tourism and events industry came to Athens for the two-day event, connecting Athens to key markets in Europe, the UK, the United States, and the Middle East. They had more than 1,500 meetings with representatives from 90 Greek companies with the goal of completing business agreements that will strengthen the economy of Athens. Ten journalists from major international media were hosted alongside the buyers and suppliers and participated in parallel events that included a series of authentic urban experiences, events and seminars for the participants. A press briefing opened the event with the participation of Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis, President of Aegean Eftychios Vasilakis, Director of Communication and Marketing Athens International Airport Ioanna Papadopoulou, and CEO of ADDMA Vangelis Vlachos. Each of the speakers affirmed their commitment to strengthening the promotion and profile of Athens. Since 2013, Travel Trade Athens has hosted more than 600 buyers from 35 countries and has facilitated more than 17,000 B2B meetings. The event is organised every year by the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency through the This is AthensConvention and Visitors Bureau and in cooperation with the European Tourism Association (ETOA). The curated social and experiential programme was customised to the hosted buyers and press business focus and expertise, highlighting Athens’ main competitive advantages and showcasing the city’s latest trends and developments. Amongst others, the programme included visits to the Acropolis Museum, the Ellinikon Experience Park, the Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum, the Megaron Athens International Conference Centre (MAICC), the National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens (EMST) and the Zappeion Megaron among others. The 9th edition of the Travel Trade Athens will take place in April 2023.
MALAYSIA’S MITEC APPOINTS NEW CEO Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) has appointed Mala Dorasamy as the new CEO. Dorasamy has been the MITEC’s Director of Marketing and Sales in Kuala Lumpur since 2017 and took on the acting CEO role in 2021.
Mala has worked previously as director of marketing, sales and events at the Durban International Convention Centre. She has over 31 years of experience in the business events industry specialising in the opening of new centres; project managing major United Nations/Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation/ BRICS level events; strategy development and operational management; international marketing; business development; sales growth; safety and risk management; and ISO/halal implementation and management.
PACIFIC ASIA TRAVEL ASSOCIATION TOURISM DESTINATION RESILIENCE PROGRAMME AVAILABLE IN 6 LANGUAGES Following the initial release of the Tourism Destination Resilience (TDR) Programme in December 2021, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) launched the Tourism Destination Resilience course in 5 languages: English, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesia, Khmer, Mandarin and Chinese, with Thai to be released in the coming weeks. The TDR Programme, which is implemented by PATA consists of tools and resources available on PATA's Crisis Resource Centre website to help build a more resilient tourism industry. TDR assists tourism destinations and businesses in their COVID-19 recovery but, more importantly, helps them prepare for future crises and challenges. The negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on destinations, businesses, communities and environments have been unprecedented, and no destination manager or tourism business was prepared for a crisis of this scale. For this reason, preparing for challenges, changes, crises and emergencies should be an essential element in tourism planning and management. Over the last year, PATA's team of independent experts have been carefully researching, designing and developing the TDR programme, to provide tourism professionals with the most relevant and updated information, strategies, tools, materials and resources on how to build destination resilience. The TDR Programme includes the TDR Course, which consists of 10 modules that cover all the necessary steps towards building resilience, such as risk assessment; destination risk management; emergency and post-crisis planning; training and capacity building; developing resilient infrastructure; local & regional market supply and demand; tourism offer diversification; and sustainability as a competitive advantage.
THAILAND TRAVEL MART PLUS (TTM+) 2022 TO SHOWCASE ‘AMAZING NEW CHAPTERS’ IN THAI TOURISM The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to announce that this year’s edition of Thailand’s leading B2B travel industry show, the Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2022, will take place on the beautiful island of Phuket from 8-10 June. As the premier showcase of Thai tourism, the TTM+ 2022 will showcase travel products, services and experiences from around Thailand under the theme of ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022, Amazing New Chapters’ that promotes Thai cultural values in the ‘from A to Z Amazing Thailand has it all’ concept. This is to inspire travellers from the world over to once again visit Thailand, where they can re-enjoy and enjoy for the first time experiences that are as remarkable and memorable as they are varied. The programme for the TTM+ 2022 features two full days of buyer/seller appointments on Thursday, 9 June and Friday, 10 June, which follow the registration, opening ceremony, TTM Talk, Thailand Product Update, and welcome reception all scheduled for the first day on Wednesday, 8 June. There will also be a networking dinner for buyers and media, hosted by the Phuket Tourist Association, on the evening of 9 June. Saturday, 11 June, will see post tours for buyers and media, giving them a chance to experience the scenic beauty, welcoming charm, and famous tropical island atmosphere of Phuket. This year’s edition is expected to attract over local and international 700 participants, including buyers from 50 countries, sellers from across all five regions of Thailand, as well as members of domestic and international media.
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AN ISLAND, A KING, A CASTLE & A PUB...
Piel Island By Noura Al-Jamaher
That’s it! That is all that exists on this tiny island off the west coast of England, on the tip of the Furness Peninsula; welcome to Piel Island. Considered by locals as ‘the jewel in the crown’ of the area and a ‘vital part of local heritage’, the one and only job that the island offers if that of ‘King’ who is also the humble landlord of the 300 year old pub, the Ship Inn. Any appointed ‘King’ must be the islands beauty and its natural habitat.
good at being a good host to the islands visitors, but also be keen and dedicated to preserve
The pub tenancy is not a job for everyone and does have drawbacks living on a small and remote island. The Island! Piel Island has recorded inhabitants dating back 3,000 years and is important in the local area due to its links with Furness Abbey and as a major deep water harbour. Over time, visitors to the islands would have included the Celts and Romans as well as Vikings from Scandinavia. The islands original name was ‘Foudray’ which is the Old Norse word for ‘fire island’ meaning a fire beacon to guide boats. In 1127 King Stephen gave the island to Savignac monks for an Abbey. A structure was built and was used at that time to store wheat and flour, in the event of a failed harvest. As trade grew with ships coming in and out of the Port of Furness, Piel Island was used to house cargo en-route to other Abbey lands or destinations. In 1327, permission was granted to fortify the structure to become more stable and permanent. What is left on the island today are the defence ditches that were built in the early 14th century, probably as a fortified warehouse to keep cargoes safe from pirates. However, it also managed to keep the King’s customs men out too and the island became well known for smuggling wool without paying due taxes. This prompted stronger defences to be built. In 1662 a new landlord, the Duke of Albemarle took over the island. From then onwards the role of the island focused on shipping and industry, with a salt works and later a ship yard.
During the late 17th and 18th century Piel was a key customs point with regular seizures of illegal goods. With no permanent housing, the customs officers had to travel from mainland England to the island. In the early 19th century Piel remained important for guiding ships into the harbour, with a pilot based in an old converted barn. There were considerable disputes over land and water supply between the Pilot and the Ship Inn pub landlord. This resulted in new cottages for the pilots being built in 1875 on the other side of the island!
Until 1874 the ownership of the island was divided between the Duke of Buccleuch who owned the castle and the Ship Inn and a Mr C W Archibald who owned the rest. The Duke purchased the remainder of the land in 1874 and restored the castle. I n 1919 the Duke tried to sell the whole island, but the intervention of the mayor of Barrow, stopped the sale and the it was given to the tow n of Barrowin-Furness in 1920 as a memorial to those who lost their lives during the First World War. Since then, the protector of the castle had been the Secretary of State for the Environment, but in 1973 its management was given to English Heritage. The Pub! The Ship Inn began in 1746 when a lease for agricultural land situated within the castle ditch was granted to an innkeeper. By the late 19th century social activity within the Piel Channel was huge and included pleasure boats as well as trade ships. Many used the Ship Inn as stop overs and soon Piel became popular with yachtsmen, leading to a regular regatta being held. The King!... and the Knights of Piel! One of the most lasting traditions of the island is the crowning of the Ship Inn’s new landlord. Recorded landlords of the Ship Inn date back to 1746. Each new landlord is crowned ‘King of Piel’ in a ceremony which sees the new King sit in an ancient chair, wearing a helmet and holding a sword while alcohol is poured over their head. As in all good tales of gallantry, a King needs supporters or ‘Knights’ and the earliest written references to the ‘Knights of Piel’ are found in the first visitors' book dating back to 1856. By the 19th century, this tradition had become an important aspect of the islands history, so much so, that the guardianship of the chair and helmet is now written into the tenancy agreement of all ‘King’s. Today, the Ship Inn serves fine traditional ales from local breweries, beers, wines and spirits together with an array of delicious food dishes featuring local fish, game and vegetables. Tourism is thriving and operates all year round, with the winter season offering speciality weekends including murder mysteries, cooking with guest chefs, gourmet dining, etc, plus the Inn can be totally booked for private house parties. In the summer months, camping is allowed on the island and the King can organise seal watching trips and fishing trips in the waters off the coast. Getting to the island is by ferry, which departs from Roa Island daily during the summer season from 11 a.m. till 4:30 p.m. (English weather permitting!) The ‘King of Piel’ awaits your arrival!
Airlines News
AIR EUROPA FLIES TO ATHENS AND ALGHERO
During the summer season, Air Europa will fly to 35 European and national destinations and 20 in America. Air Europa opens its route to Athens, using its most modern and efficient fleet, the Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The route will run until the end of October and link the Madrid hub with the Greek capital 2 days a week, offering 28,000 seats. In July, Air Europa will open its 2nd summer destination; Alghero, Sardinia, also with 2 flights a week until the beginning of September connecting Madrid with the city in northwestern Sardinia. Over the next few months, Air Europa will increase its offer with 11 new aircraft, 6 of them Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 5 Boeing 737. At the end of 2022, the long-haul fleet will be the same as in 2019 with Air Europa flying to 23 destinations on the American continent.
CHINA ADDS MORE SEATS Global airline capacity rose 3% to 88.5 million, the highest level in 2022. This is helped by the Chinese domestic market rebounding. Overall capacity is expected to reach closer to 2019 levels over the next few months; 109 million seats per week. Airlines are quickly responding to growing demand, but with China demand outpacing elsewhere in the world. North-East Asia is the fastest-growing regional market, but there have also been significant capacity increases in Japan and South Korea. South Asia, Central Asia and Central America are also reporting more airline capacity on offer than in 2019.
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BOMBARDIER MACH 1 GLOBAL 8000 - WORLD'S FASTEST PRIVATE PLANE
Aircraft maker, Bombardier is putting supersonic flights back on the map with the launch of its new fast business jet. The Global 8000 will be the world’s fastest and longest-range purpose-built private jet when it takes to the skies in 2025. It will have a top operating speed of Mach 0.94, but capable of speeds above Mach 1.015 (faster than the speed of sound!) It would also fly farther than any other in its class; over 8,000 nautical miles, just a bit shorter than the world’s longest commercial flight from Singapore to New York. The Global 8000 is expected to serve routes including city pairings between Dubai and Houston, Singapore and Los Angeles, and London to Perth, Western Australia. Capacity is for up to 19 passengers including 4 personalised suites. Bombardier is among others wanting to be supersonic in the skies. United Airlines plan to introduce supersonic flights by 2030, and Boom plans to fly from Dubai to Boston in 7hrs.
UNITED KINGDPM SANCTIONS TO PREVENT RUSSIAN AIRLINES SELLING LANDING SLOTS New United Kingdom sanctions on Russian airlines means they cannot sell lucrative landing slots at major UK airports. Aeroflot, Russia’s largest airline, Ural Airlines and Rossiya Airlines are prevented from selling their unused slots estimated to be worth UK£50 million. UK airspace is already closed to Russian aircraft under current sanctions.
AIR CANADA RESUMES INTERNATIONAL DIRECT FLIGHTS TO MONTRÉAL Following reduced services, Air Canada is to expand its international network across 4 continents as demand grows. Increased connectivity to and from global destinations through Montréal and other Canadian hubs combined with the networks of Star Alliance partners, Air Canada gives easy access to Montréal from almost any destination in the world. The resuming of direct flights from Montréal include: Casablanca-Morocco, Nice-France, Algiers-Algeria, Rome-Italy, Tel Aviv-Israel, Tokyo-Japan, Lisbon-Portugal, Athens-Greece, Cairo-Egypt, Barcelona-Spain, Reykjavik-Iceland, Dublin-Ireland with direct services to Montréal from other major global cities, such as London and New Delhi, continues. Air Canada is also expanding its North American network this summer with direct flights from Montreal including: Atlanta-Georgia, Detroit-Michigan, PittsburghPennsylvania, Raleigh-North Carolina, Baltimore-Maryland, Nashville-Tennessee, Phoenix-Arizona, San Diego-California and SeattleWashington.
SRI LANKA TO PRIVATISE NATIONAL AIRLINE Sri Lanka’s national airline is making a loss, so the plan to privatise it as the only way to save it. As the country faces a deepening economic crisis, privatising Sri Lankan Airlines is a loss the nation must bear.
SAUDI DOMESTIC FLIGHT WITH ALL-FEMALE CREW Saudi low-cost airline flyadeal has operated an all-female crew on a domestic flight – making Saudi aviation history! The newest A320 aircraft flew from Riyadh to Jeddah. Saudi women have proved themselves and continue to do so in many different sectors as the country continues to open up.
US AIRLINES OPTIMISTIC FOR RECOVERY It has been a slow start to the year, but now most US airlines are seeing bookings rise steeply and capacity growing to match. Americans are returning to travel in the highest numbers since the start of the pandemic. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are also seeing a big upturn in bookings by leisure travellers, but also business travellers too.
FOUR NEW ROUTES AT VILNIUS AND KAUNAS AIRPORTS Four new direct flights were launched at Kaunas and Vilnius airports, Lithuania in May. Passengers can now fly from Kaunas Airport to Warsaw, and from Vilnius Airport to Gdansk, Nuremberg and Hamburg. Flights to Poland and Nuremberg in Germany will be operated by Ryanair, and flights to Hamburg by airBaltic. The flights launched by airBaltic and Ryanair connect Lithuania with strategically important directions. Lithuanian airports updated their aviation traffic forecast for 2022 with the number of passengers at Lithuanian airports expected to reach up to 4.4 million.
CONDOR RESUMES FLIGHTS BETWEEN FRANKFURT AND PHOENIX AND PORTLAND Non-stop flights from Frankfurt to Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, in Arizona, USA have resumed in time for the summer season. In addition, Condor has also resumed its flights between Frankfurt and Portland, Oregon. Each year, over 9 million people fly with Condor from the 9 largest airports in Germany, from Zurich in Switzerland and Vienna in Austria to around 90 destinations in Europe, Africa and North America. Condor operates a fleet of more than 50 aircraft.
AIR FRANCE TAKES OFF FOR QUEBEC Air France has launched its new non-stop service between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Quebec City. th
This new destination is Air France's 4 in Canada after Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, adding to Air France's global network of close to 200 destinations on all continents. Air France will operate three weekly flights until the end of October. This new flight is in addition to the daily Air France bus service linking Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport to Quebec City.
AIR-CONNECTION BETWEEN FALKLANDS & SAO PAULO ‘DISCONTINUED’ Argentina wants to renew under new terms the 2019 political agreement with the UK to enable a new and better air link between Sao Paulo, Brazil and the Falkland Islands.
London Underground Opens New
‘ELIZABETH LINE’ by Caroline Laspas
It seems a fitting tribute that in this Platinum Jubilee year, that the city of London welcomes a new and aptly named ‘ELIZABETH LINE’ to the world’s oldest underground rail network. Although delayed and over budget, the new line which was known as Crossrail, until its name changed in honour of HM Queen Elizabeth II, is one of Europe’s biggest construction projects in recent times. The first phase of the Line has opened in time for the national Platinum Jubilee celebrations. It will be 100% operational in May 2023 but for now the core network of the line is running between Paddington and Abbey Wood Elizabeth line stations. This autumn the next phase with services from Reading and Heathrow will operate through central London and access the new Elizabeth Line central section stations to Abbey Wood. Services from Shenfield will also serve the new central London stations, running through to Paddington Elizabeth line station. It will eventually serve up to 200 million passengers a year and will increase London's train capacity by 10%, the largest single increase in the capital’s transport capacity in more than 70 years. It stretches 73-miles (118kms) running from Essex in the east to Berkshire in the west, while tapping into key existing underground and over ground services across central London, as well as other new stations that have been created. The new trains will run through 42km of new tunnel and track under central London. To the west, the line branches with a destination at Reading and down to Heathrow Airport, while on the east of the city, the line ends at Shenfield in Essex and down to Abbey Wood in south-east London. With faster newer trains and a reduction in journey times as well as improved accessibility, will all provide a huge economic boost to the capital and beyond. The Elizabeth line will initially run 12 trains per hour between Paddington and Abbey Wood, Monday to Saturday.
The Elizabeth Line incorporates 10 news stations across central London, connecting Paddington, Bond Street, Liverpool St and Canary Wharf. The Line operates in 3 sections; from Abbey Wood to Paddington, from Heathrow and Reading to Paddington, and Shenfield to Liverpool Street.
Fares on the Elizabeth line are the same as those on the London Underground. However, there is a £7.20 premium on journeys to and from Heathrow airport (Currently the Heathrow Express costs UK£25). Peak single journeys to Heathrow from central London (weekdays between 06:30-09:30 and 16:00-19:00) will cost UK£12.70 and be UK£2 cheaper at other times. A fleet of 70 new trains, each with 9 fully interconnected carriages measuring over 200m long, with capacity for 1,500 passen gers will operate on the line. Each train will stop at 41 accessible stations, 10 new and 31 upgraded. Each train has wi -fi with 4G connectivity coming, CCTV, air-conditioning, LED lighting and real-time travel information in each carriage. Welcome to the New ELIZABETH LINE in London and beyond!
Megisti / Kastelorizo island, Greece
www.visitgreece.gr
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TOURISM News
Abu Dhabi, UAE
TOURISM IS RECOVERING BUT NOT YET AT PRE-HEALTH CRISIS LEVELS Beijing, China
Global tourism seems to be having a strong comeback despite certain markets missing and some nations still implementing covid restrictions, and the situation in Ukraine. However, levels are not yet back to prepandemic levels. International tourist arrivals worldwide have more than doubled, up 130% in January 2022 compared to the same period of 2021. European and American travellers are the strongest markets. However, international arrivals in January 2022 were still 67% lower than before the pandemic. Most regions have seen travellers return and rebound from the low levels of early 2021, with Europe faring 3 times better and the Americas twice as well. The Middle East is seeing a boom with arrivals up 89% on 2021, and Africa is positive with figures up 51%, but they are both way off their 2019 figures. Unsurprisingly, travellers are falling in the Asia-Pacific region as several destinations remain closed. In January, international tourist arrivals were down 93% from pre-pandemic levels. Chinese tourists were the world’s biggest spenders, but are now limited in travelling. The Caribbean and South America are seeing tourists return. Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Aruba and Jamaica are among the 20 most popular destinations, with figures exceeding pre-pandemic levels.In Europe, tourists are travelling to the secure destinations of France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Iceland, but still not at the 2019 level. France is the only one close to 2019 figures.
NEW BREED OF SAUDI HOSPITALITY TO PUT KINGDOM ON GLOBAL TOURISM MAP Al Ula As Saudi Arabia has been opening up its nation to the world, it has development many state of the art facilities and attractions to bring the world’s tourists to its door. As part of its diversification away from the oil industry, it has developed an ambitious multi-billion-dollar plan to turn the Red Sea into a tourist attraction. This new international luxury tourism destination will set high standards for sustainable development and bring about the next generation of luxury travel. The development will offer unprecedented investment options and allow visitors to explore the 5 untouched treasures of the west coast of the Kingdom: the archipelago of over 90 islands with stunning coral reefs, dormant volcanoes and pristine nature reserves. The destination covers an area of 28,000sq.km, located between Umluj and Al Wajh, at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. By 2030, annual visitors will be capped at 1 million to ensure an exclusive experience as well as alleviating environmental impacts and protecting the local heritage, nature, and culture for future generations. It will contribute UK£4.7 billion per year to GDP. The project will ensure it enhances growth in supporting sectors like renewable energy, clean transportation, low-impact building and construction, sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, and wildlife management.
GREAT BRITAIN AND SAUDI ARABIA AGREE BILATERAL TOURISM AGREEMENT Top officials from both Great Britain and Saudi Arabia have met to discuss and strengthen bilateral relations between the two nations as well as discuss how best to support each other as well as regional and international issues of common interest. Important discussions were made on enhancing the strategic partnership between the UK and Saudi Arabia to increase tourism, tackle shared threats, and develop trade and investment.
PARIS, FRANCE TOURISM REBOUNDS Paris is still a top destination for travellers from all over the world to visit and it is seeing a rebound with visitor arrivals now that it is no longer mandatory to wear face masks. Paris, France
Hotel occupancy has also seen a rise with more Europeans arriving and tourists from the USA who are encouraged by the weaker euro against the US dollar.
SINGAPORE TOURISM SOARS WITH INDIANS RANKED FIRST Since opening its boarders, Singapore tourism numbers have been rising with Indians visitors being the largest number of visitors by country of origin. Singapore accepts all fully vaccinated travellers from around the world without any need for testing or quarantine. Indian arrivals are replacing the Chinese with approx. 95,500 Indians entering Singapore from January to April 2022. Second are Indonesians at 89,700 and 3rd Malaysians with 45,600 making the trip by air to Singapore. In 2019 more than 300,000 visitors came from China, Singapore’s largest tourism source, which is still largely closed to travel. Tourism is booming to the point that travel related firms are struggling to keep up with the demand. A lack of staff is the main issue, like everywhere!
HOW CAN CYPRUS MAKE UP LOSSES IN TOURISM Cyprus was a top destination for Russian tourists (they made up 20-25% of tourist flow) and now with none, the question is, how will Cyprus make up for lost inbound tourism business. There are several places to look: expand and build on a market it already knows; Europe. As well as extend its tourist season and finally increase its air connections. Already there are more routes on offer from several European destinations to Paphos and Larnica airports, making Cyprus an even better option for European holiday makers. 36 new destinations are in operation such as Marseille-Paphos, Paris-Paphos, Frankfurt-Paphos, Vienna-Paphos, Cologne-Germany. 140 routes are expected to operate in 2022, which will serve 38 countries excluding the Russian and the Ukrainian markets. Increased routes from the UK, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Scandinavia, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, France, Germany and Italy will also help ‘fill the gap’. Extending the tourist season into the autumn months as well as looking at attracting tourists from the Gulf countries will be nefit the tourism sector of the island too. Paphos, Cyrpus
HOPE FOR BOOMING SUMMER TOURISM SEASON EVEN WITH SKY HIGH PRICES Croatia
Tour operators are still receiving high numbers of holiday bookings despite the uncertainty over Ukraine or the cost of living crisis nor record high inflation seems to be putting off eager holiday makers after no vacations for over 2 years. Travellers are not put off by having to pay a bit more for their vacation and indeed are looking at staying a bit longer and in more luxury too. People definitely need to go on holiday! There are likely to be less last minute bookings and discounts as prices continue to rise, but generally people that have still not booked, are not put off the idea of a holiday somewhere! The top destinations are still in the Mediterranean in Greece, Turkey, Croatia, as well as Egypt.
CUBA TOURISM REOPENS Cuban authorities have agreed the reactivation of tourism in the country. After the pandemic, tourists are keen to come back to Cuba and the aim is to receive half the total number of tourists who visited the island nation in 2019.
PORTUGUESE HISTORICAL TRAIN OF THE DUERO This year sees the Historical Train of the Duero in Portugal return until the end of October. Travel is possible along the banks of the Doro River, between Régua and Tua stations. A total of 37 scheduled trips, in 5 historical cars towed by the steam locomotive 0186 which offers 254 seats is once again open for business as it winds through the landscape of the Alto Douro Wine Region; a UNESCO as World Heritage.
THE FALSE CLAIMS OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM OVER THE PARTHENON MARBLES
The Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports has called the claims of the British Museum that the Sculptures were ‘lying in the ruins of the Parthenon’, which was where Lord Elgin retrieved them, as unhistorical. However the undisputable archaeological evidence shows that the ‘marbles’ were sawn off the face of the temple. It is pure fiction that most of the statues, removed by Lord Elgin, were found ‘in the rubble’ around the monument.
The British Museum also claims that most of the Parthenon freeze had already been destroyed long before Lord Elgin arrived in Greece and therefore the reunion was never going to happen. It also confirmed that in their care the sculptures are very well preserved. Greece also reminded the UK that "the only antiquities that Greece claims are the Sculptures of the Parthenon, because on the one hand they were stolen in the way they were stolen and on the other hand, because they are an organic and integral unit with the Parthenon itself, which is the symbol of Western Civilization. Greece is not claiming anything else”.
QATAR CANNOT LEAVE RUSSIAN MARKET Due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, Qatar cannot just leave the Russian market. It owns a 19% stake in Russian state-backed oil giant Rosneft and Russian holidaymakers are a vital part of the Qatari tourism industry, due to being top spenders as well as Qatar being able to service and welcome Russians tourists well.
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LAOS NO COVID ENTRY RULES FOR VACCINATED TOURISTS Tourists arriving in Laos no longer have to meet covid entry rules as long as they are fully vaccinated. Laos saw tourism drop 80% in 2020 (4.7 million foreign tourists visited in 2019). Unvaccinated visitors must conduct a Rapid Antigen Test issued within 48 hours of leaving their origin country. Tourists will also have to pay for their own medical treatment should they become Covid-19 positive.
AZERBAIJAN TO BUILD ON POST-HEALTH CRISIS GCC TOURISM BOOM Baku, Azerbaijan
With the number of arrivals from the GCC countries seeing an unprecedented rise, the Azerbaijan Tourism Board is set to encourage further growth of tourism from the region. In 2019, 3.2 million global tourists visited Azerbaijan, which fell to 1.1 million in 2021. The GCC region is now the fastest-recovering region among Azerbijan’s core markets. Tourists from Saudi Arabia in the Q1 2022 have already exceeded the total number of arrivals in 2019. Azerbaijan received over 32,000 travellers from the GCC in 2021 and more than 22,000 arrivals in the first quarter of 2022 alone. The number of tourists from Saudi Arabia has increased by 20% compared to pre-pandemic figures. This makes the GCC the largest market after Russia and Turkey. Within the GCC, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait are the biggest markets. Tourist flow is expected to further increase with travellers no longer needing a PCR test before visiting the country.
TURKEY SEEKS TO WELCOME BACK INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS Turkey is eager to welcome international tourists back and as such the government has set a target of 42 million tourists and UK£28 billion in tourism income for 2022. Foreign arrivals in April 2022 reached 225.6% more than from a year earlier to 2.57 million. The main tourists are European holidaymakers from the UK, Germany and The Netherlands. Also helping is the depreciation of the Turkish lira making holidays in Turkey that much cheaper for holidaymakers.
EASTER ISLAND, CHILE TO REOPEN FOR TOURISM Easter island
Easter Island will reopen to the world this August after being closed for 2 years. Located 3,500kms west of the coast of Chile, it is world-famous for its ‘moais’, huge stone human statues. Opening is subject to the local community being 80% vaccinated. This figure is currently at 73% of the island's 10,000 inhabitants.
NEW ALL-SUITE LUXURY CRUISE SHIP TO SAIL AROUND THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
A new all-suite luxury explorer ship is ready to set sail around the Galapagos Islands. This August, the National Geographic Islander II will carry explorers around one of the most biodiverse landscapes on the planet. Owned by Lindblad Expeditions, a US adventure cruising company known for its luxury expeditions, the 280ft sustainable vessel offers the highest standard of luxury. The boutique ship resembles a private yacht and it has capacity for 48 passengers and a 1:1 guest-to-crew ratio. With 26 suites, huge windows so you do not miss anything the ship also has indoor and outdoor dining options. Sailings are for 7 and 10day itineraries.
CHINA RELAXES SOME COVID TEST RULES Hangzhou, China
Travellers from the US and Canada will no longer need an RT-PCR test 7 days before flying to China. However, travellers will still need to do two RT-PCR tests within 48 or 24 hours of their flights, plus another pre-flight antigen test. Travellers who have recovered from a previous infection will still need to go through 6 weeks of isolation before embarking on further procedures. Travel in and out of China is still very limited and there is mandatory quarantine for most travellers upon arrival. In Beijing the quarantine period at formal facilities upon arrival has been reduced from 14 days to 10 days. Embassies in the UAE, Serbia and Bangladesh have also removed some testing requirements and shortened the pre-departure quarantine period for employees at Chinese companies flying to China to 10 days from 21 days.
LACK OF STAFF IN GREEK TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY SECTOR With bookings up and holidays back, despite the high spending Chinese or Russians not being on the scene, it should be smiles all around, but the problem facing many airlines, hotels and hospitality businesses is a total lack of staff. In Greece they are hoping to recover and boost the economy with this year’s tourism season, but at the start of it there were approx. 70,000 jobs on offer that could not be filled. Following the health crisis, many people left their jobs or changed and it seems that tourism has lost out with many not returning to the sector. It is not a high paying sector and in the summer, wages can be higher, but now living expenses wipe out any bonuses, making it not an attractive sector to work in, often with long hours and working 7 days a week.
EGGS of an ERA Seven unique giant eggs created by leading artists are currently on display across Chelsea in London to honour and celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Clarence Court Eggs, The Elephant Family and Cadogan have joined forces with seven well known artists to produce the giant eggs, which will be displayed in a trail on and then be auctioned to support conservation work across South Asia.
In Sloane Square the final egg representing the 1970’s sees a Union Jack with God Save The Queen written on it. In 1977 HM The Queen celebrated her Silver Jubilee and the country was, as now, swathed in red, white and blue flags. Each design represents a different decade of the Queen’s reign and is a wonderful way to celebrate the extraordinary Monarch, as well as being able to raise awareness of conservation work. The display is seen as a forerunner to the next Big Egg Hunt UK, a large scale and high-profile fundraising event that will return in 2023 as the world’s largest interactive egg hunt!
This year sees MICE & TOURISM around the World e-Magazine celebrate its silver anniversary - 25 years in publication. We began with just 25 paper copies sent out to clients by post informing them of events and news from around the World. As technology advanced, so did we and soon we became an online publication in 1997. We have expanded and adapted over time and today we are one of the more unusual e-magazines serving the ever changing world of travel, tourism & MICE and all the sectors within. Always offering you a new perspective or an interesting feature, you can be sure we will be here for many more years to come. Thank you to all our readers for their continued support over the years. THE MICE & TOURISM around the World e-Magazine Team
BATHE IN THE GLORY OF BATH, ENGLAND by Caroline-Artemis Laspas
Set in the rolling Mendip Hills in the west of the UK, sits the Roman town of Bath. Legend has it that the son of King Bladud passed through the wet bog marshland and upon return to his father his leprosy was cured. He told his father that it was a magical place and therefore essential to establish a settlement in the area…. Aquae Sulis was born, the Roman town that became today’s City of Bath-Upon-Avon! This ancient Roman city with a stunning Abbey and original Roman Baths at its centre is a delightful place to visit. With some of the best preserved Roman ruins in the modern world, it is no surprise that Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Georgian times the city truly thrived and the rich yellow stone buildings are superb examples of neo-classical Palladian architecture that can be admired in abundance. Our hosts in Bath were the Indigo Bath Hotel, set in a beautiful honey coloured Georgian terrace, the boutique Hotel Indigo Bath is one of the contemporary collection of properties on offer from IHG. With a quirky blend of modern décor and facilitates mixed seamlessly and elegantly with the history of the historic Grade I listed buildings it occupies, the hotel offers 166 rooms in a quiet part of the town, making it the perfect and convenient base to explore this wonderful city.
The Indigo Bath welcomed us with a warm and friendly smile together with lots of advice on what to see and where to eat. Our ‘architectural’ themed room was spacious and comfy with a stunning bathroom including a pedestal bath as well as a rainforest shower. Other themed rooms are Romance & Mischief, the Garden rooms located in the courtyard and the Literary Hideaways, but each with the must haves for any boutique stay. The hotel bar offers local ciders and gins and transformed into the breakfast room serving a broad array of breakfast choices. The Elder restaurant focuses on local sustainable wild food and game!
Bath has many interesting things to see and places to go, but as a Spa town, anyone discovering the city must try its magical waters. The spa has 3 natural spa water sources; the Kings Spring, the Hetling Spring and the Cross Spring. Combined, these water sources delivering more than one million litres of water every day and have turned Bath into a unique experience and the only place in the UK where you can bathe in naturally mineral-enriched thermal spring waters. The Thermae Bath Spa is a heaven of tranquillity in the heart of the city that uses the naturally warm waters from deep within the earth into a modern spa experience set in both modern and restored 18th century buildings, helping to bring the history of the spa alive. The highlight is the outside rooftop pool. With a bathing temperature of approximately 34ºC (93ºF), the water soothes your body as well as invigorates in the Jacuzzi seats or pummels under the water spout. It is hard to pull yourself away from the view of the hills on the horizon and the multitude of rooftops all around you, but with more treatments on offer as part of your experience, head to the Minerva Pool located in the semibasement.
Photos on this page are curtesy of The Thermae Bath Spa
Again bathe in the water containing over 42 naturally occurring minerals that has been heated 2kms beneath the earth. In fact the water at source is too hot to swim in at 45ºC (113ºF) and so it needs to be cooled before you can step into this blanket of warm therapeutic water. The Wellness Suite offers a range of state-of-the-art spa experiences; Hot and Cold showers; a ‘Minerva’ themed steam room, an elegant Georgian Garden themed steam room, a dry Infra-Red Sauna, an ice chamber, and purpose-built Massage Suite and a Celestial Relaxation Room complete with twinkling lights. The later was created to honour astronomer William Herschel who lived in Bath and discovered the planet Uranus. (There is the Herschel Museum of Astronomy in Bath to visit too!) Daily spa sessions are available, but for a special event, the Cross Bath is a unique, intimate open air venue for small groups of up to 10 people where the spring source can be seen flowing out of the ground.
After a relaxing morning, there is nothing better than to stroll around Bath’s many narrow pretty streets with unique boutique shops with enticing windows and to try the many wonderful local cafes and restaurants. Be sure to include a walk around the stunning Circle, a circle of Georgian town houses with wrought iron railings allowing you a glimpse of a time gone by. Further on, the sweeping Royal Crescent is an impressive arc of Georgian townhouses with a vast lush green in-front of them, allowing you to truly appreciate the grandeur of the architecture. Walking back into town along Gravel Walk, we came across a small open doorway leading into a ‘secret’ garden. What we found was a delightfully recreated typical Victorian garden, the layout dating back to the original design from 1770, filled with typical English plants and a decorative hedge at its centre. Any picture of Bath will almost certainly include the beautiful Pulteney Bridge, built in 1769 that crosses the River Avon. The bridge incorporates small shops and places to eat many with views across the weir below. There are a multitude of interesting museums to visit in Bath, but we choose two; the Roman Baths and the Fashion Museum. Oth ers include The Museum of East Asian Art, The Bath Postal Museum, The Jane Austen Centre and the Herschel Museum of Astronomy.
The Roman Bath Museum: The Roman Baths and the Temple of Sulis Minerva date back to the 4th century AD, when it was a therapeutic centre for hundreds of visitors. Today, this unique museum is a fascinating insight into ancient engineering as well as the importance of the hot spring waters to Bath. The King’s Spring which you can see naturally flowing out of the ground, supplies the Roman Baths with 1,170,000 litres of water each day at a hot 46°C. It feeds the grand King’s Bath which was built in the 12th century AD. In the past it has been used as a therapy pool, but is now the central feature of this stunning example of Roman architecture and the museum. Since 1993 energy from the spa has been used to heat most of the site, but a new project under construction will see it used throughout the site including at the new Clore Learning Centre and World Heritage Centre.
In 1AD, the Romans who were accomplished engineers built a stone walled reservoir around the Sacred Spring in order to control the water flowing out of the spa. The same system is still used with the overflow diverted into the River Avon. With many ancient roman artefacts on display, the museum is well laid out and very interesting. Also on display is one of the largest hoards of Roman coins ever found. The 17,577 silver coins date from 32BC to 275AD and were found in 8 leather bags, buried in a Roman building close to the Baths. Finally, don’t forget to stop off and taste the spring water from source (cooled a bit, but still quite warm)! The Fashion Museum: The Fashion Museum Bath was originally the Museum of Costume and has been in its current home of the Assembly Rooms since it opened in 1963. It is home to a world-class collection of both historic and fascinating historic dress. Although small it packs a punch with a history of Fashion in 100 objects. These dates back to the 1600’s to present day. Some key pieces mark moments in time some with a personal story. There is also a room where you can try on outfits from an era gone by! Accessories and shoes are also part of the amazing collection also spanning from the 1700 to modern day Nike trainers! You definitely do not have to be into fashion to enjoy this experience.
With a wide variety of places to eat and drink, one place unique to Bath is its famous tea house of Sally Lunn. Not only is this one of the oldest houses in Bath but its kitchen museum shows the actual kitchen used by the legendary baker Sally Lunn who created the first Bath Bunn. You can enjoy the Sally Lunn Bunn warm with either sweet or savoury toppings in the house itself! Across Bath there are many wonderful options to host MICE events from the Roman Baths themselves, the Pump Room, The Assembly Rooms and The Indigo Bath Hotel, which has several options for hosting meetings and events. The rooms are full of character and cosy like the rest of the hotel, with some rooms offering their own bar for more intimate events. There is even a complete town house to rent, including the traditional kitchen. The hotel incorporates all the modern meeting facilities as well as wonderful character. Bath is a magical city and unique in England. Accessible in just 2hrs from London, it should be on everyone’s list of places and explore, discover and ultimately enjoy when visiting the UK and is a perfect and diverse destination for the MICE sector both local and from abroad.
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