Longer Parade Routes Approved For Mardi Gras In New Orleans

COVID-19 precautions wiped out most New Orleans’ Mardi Gras festivities in 2021, and a shortage of police officers forced the city to shorten routes for some of its lavish seasonal parades in 2022.

Now, city officials, and business owners are celebrating plans to let the good times roll on longer routes -- and in front of businesses that welcome the crowds -- with security bolstered by neighboring police agencies.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s official announcement Monday that parade routes were being lengthened was welcome news to Staci Rosenberg, a founder of the Krewe of Muses. It means the all-female organization and its signature floats — including a giant stilletto-heeled pump swathed in color-changing lights — will be able to roll again on Magazine Street. The thoroughfare lined with small shops, century-old cottages, bars and restaurants runs through neighborhoods that gave the parade what Rosenberg described as a more intimate, family-friendly atmosphere.

“It was important to send a sign, I think, to the world that we’re back,” Rosenberg said of plans to restore the longer route. “We’ve recovered from all kinds of things — the pandemic, the labor shortage, the police shortage.”

It also means bolstered business at Le Bon Temps Roule, a well known around-the-clock neighborhood bar on Magazine Street. Co-Owner Joe Bikulege said it was closed for 17 months because of the pandemic. Mardi Gras business, he said, usually enables him to put aside money to pay for taxes, insurance, building improvements and other emergencies.

“There’s a lot of people that make their living off Mardi Gras,” he noted.

Cantrell made the announcement, heralded by a brass band, at Gallier Hall, a 19th-century Greek Revival building that once was the seat of city government. She was joined by interim Police Superintendent Michelle Woodfork and, via video hookup, Sheriff Susan Hutson — who worked to broker agreements with other Louisiana law enforcement agencies to beef up manpower.

It marked a chance for Hutson and Cantrell, both of whom are elected officials, to bolster their political fortunes at a time when both have been under pressure. Cantrell, in her second term, is facing a recall effort a amid rising crime, unhappiness over delays in street projects and trash pickup, and questions about her use of a city-owned French Quarter apartment. Hutson, who took office last year, inherited a long-troubled city jail and is embroiled in political and legal battles over construction plans and security issues.

Manpower shortages have affected police departments around the country since the beginning of the pandemic and the nationwide protests over the murder of George Floyd. Various estimates put the number of New Orleans police officers at around 900 to 950, about 400 short of the ideal at any time of year.

Exactly how many police officers and sheriff’s deputies from other jurisdictions will help with the parades wasn’t immediately clear. A spokesperson for Hutson’s office said in an email that agreements with other agencies were still being finalized ahead of the major parades.

Carnival season begins each year on Jan. 6 and picks up steam with a growing list of balls and parades. It reaches a climax in the final two weeks before Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday and Lent. Mardi Gras falls on Feb. 21 this year.

Last year, major parades were limited to a route that took floats, marching bands and walking clubs down historic St. Charles Avenue to the downtown area. The restoration of longer routes means the Krewe of Thoth can again roll by New Orleans’ Children’s Hospital after a nearly three-year absence.

It will be a return welcome by Dr. Scott Macicek. “It’s scary when your a child and you’re in the hospital,” Macicek said. “Having as many joyful experiences as we can create is important.”

Joe Bikulege, co-owner of Le Bon Temps Roule. The bar is open around the clock on Magazine Street — a busy thoroughfare left off last year’s route. Bikulege said money made during Mardi Gras bolsters income and helps pay for insurance, taxes and maintenance on his building.

By KEVIN McGILL

UAE Museum Unveils Torah Scroll That Survived The Holocaust In Tolerance Push

A private museum in the United Arab Emirates unveiled on Saturday a Torah scroll that survived the Holocaust, the latest sign of what Israel and its new Arab allies describe as a new approach to understanding Jewish history in the Middle East.

Ahmed Obaid Al Mansoori, founder of the Crossroads of Civilizations Museum in Dubai's historic district, said the display, unveiled for International Holocaust Remembrance Day would help combat "big denial" of the Holocaust in the region.

"For us peace is a complete peace," Al Mansoori said. "Many people have forgotten the Jews are part of the region. So here, we're trying to show ... the good days between the Jews and the Arabs in the past."

The scroll is on permanent loan to the museum from the Memorial Scrolls Trust, which looks after more than 1,000 Czech scrolls saved from the Holocaust and later sent to London.

"I lived in the Arab world when I was young, and the term Holocaust does not exist ... So this is a huge step," said Edwin Shuker, an Iraqi-Jewish businessman and vice-president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, who facilitated the loan.

Israel has reached out to promote understanding of Judaism among its new allies in the two years since the UAE and fellow Gulf state Bahrain, followed by Morocco and Sudan, forged ties with it under U.S.-brokered pacts known as the Abraham Accords.

The history of the killing of six million Jews by Nazi Germany is little taught in the Arab world, where some politicians say it was wrongly used to justify the creation of Israel in 1948 at the expense of Palestinian Arabs.

In the years that followed Israel establishment, Jews were expelled from Arab countries, with all of their assets and property taken without compensation. Approximately one million Jews lived in Iran and other Arab countries having arrived in the region more than 2,000 years before. It is estimated that only around 15,000 remain, as the majority of the Jewish population in Muslim lands were forced to flee their homes in the years following the establishment of the State of Israel. This mass expulsion and exodus is part of modern history, but inexplicably, it’s neither taught at schools nor remembered within the context of the conflicts in the Middle East..

The Emirati embassy in Washington, in a Twitter post earlier this month, said the UAE would include Holocaust education at schools, the first country in the region to do so.

"It's important to remember what happened. It's important to make sure that it will never happen again. And it's important to stand here together, all of us, Israelis, Emiratis and others in order to say: Not anymore," Israeli ambassador to the UAE, Amir Hayek, told Reuters on the sidelines of the museum event.

By Bushra Shakhshir

China Announces Resumption Of Visas For Japanese

TOKYO (AP) — China announced it was resuming issuing visas for Japanese travelers beginning Sunday, ending its nearly three-week suspension in an apparent protest of Tokyo’s tougher COVID-19 entry requirements for tourists from China.

The decision was announced in a statement posted on the Chinese Embassy’s website.

China stopped issuing new visas in Japan on Jan. 10 in apparent retaliation for Tokyo’s requirement of additional tests for Chinese tourists in late December, ahead of Lunar New Year holidays. Japan cited soaring infections in China after it abruptly eased coronavirus restrictions as well as scarce COVID-19 data from Beijing.

Japan reopened its borders for individual tourists in October, allowing travelers with proof of vaccination instead of testing at airports unless they show symptoms. Burt on Dec. 30, Japan required all travelers from China to show pre-departure negative tests and take an additional test upon arrival.

China also stopped issuing visas to South Koreans after South Korea in early January did the same for short-term travelers from China.

Last Friday, South Korea said it would keep the measure in place through the end of February over concerns that the spread of COVID-19 in China may worsen following Lunar New Year travel.

Health authorities in China have said infections have peaked but there are concerns abroad that Beijing was not sharing enough data.

The latest wave of infections in Japan appears to be subsiding in recent weeks, with confirmed daily cases falling to about one-fifth of the peak in early January.

Japan’s government last week announced plans to downgrade COVID-19 to an equivalent of seasonal influenza in May, a move that would further relax mask wearing and other preventive measures as the country seeks to return to normalcy.

Light At The End Of The Tunnel: Grand Central Annex Opens

For decades, work on a massive rail project has been grinding 15 stories below the shuffling footsteps of millions of New Yorkers and beneath the East Hudson River and Manhattan skyscrapers.

After years of delays and massive cost overruns, the enormously expensive railway project shuttled its first passengers Wednesday from Long Island to a new annex in New York City’s iconic Grand Central Terminal.

The new transit center, built inside a massive man-made cavern and served by rail tunnels carved through bedrock, is being heralded as an important addition to the nation’s busiest railway network.

“We got the job done,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said, the ninth governor to oversee the project that had its genesis six decades ago. “There were so many roadblocks and challenges and detours along the way.”

The new 700,000-square-foot (65,032-square-meter) terminal, dubbed Grand Central Madison, was conceived and constructed at a time when New York City’s transportation system was bursting with passengers. It opens in a different era, with ridership still significantly down from where it was before the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of remote work.

The new terminal, adorned with colorful mosaics and replete with storefronts and restaurants — most still empty — is the country’s largest new railway station in nearly seven decades and the most significant expansion over the last century of the Long Island Rail Road, the busiest commuter railroad in North America. The two-level concourse supports four platforms and eight tracks.

Much of the construction of the terminal has been complete for months, though some finishing touches won’t be complete for another few weeks, officials acknowledged.

The station was to have opened by the end of 2022 but was delayed slightly by issues with heating, ventilation and air conditioning. For Long Island commuters headed for Manhattan, the terminal’s key benefit is the ability to take a train directly to the East Side, where previously the only option was to go to Pennsylvania Station on the West Side, then travel back by subway or bus.

“I’ve been waiting for 30 years,” said John Cannon, a Long Island man who was on the inaugural 21-minute ride from Jamaica, Queens, to Manhattan. “I don’t have to take the subways anymore.”

Passenger Alexander Rodriguez, a 15-year-old Queens resident, described the inaugural ride as “nice and smooth.”

“And it was fun,” he said. “It was the first train. It’s a once in a lifetime thing.”

Many of the subterranean tunnels that carry rail passengers below the Hudson River are more than a century old, some of which are in need of deeper maintenance. The new tunnels built for the project will also allow Amtrak to temporarily divert its trains to the new tunnels so it can begin refurbishing aging eastside tunnels and tracks.
For decades, the project kept chugging along, even amid concerns about ballooning costs. Construction began in the 1960s, but was abandoned for a time because of a series of economic crises.

Spending on the massive construction project has grown to more than $11 billion — more than triple the initial estimate of $3.5 billion two decades ago. The project bore through 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of bedrock; per mile, it would be one of the world’s most expensive rail projects ever completed.

“It’s a useful project. But for $11 billion, it would be better not to have built it,” said Alon Levy, a transportation fellow at New York University’s Marron Institute, who has been compiling railway cost data from around the world.

The money, he argues, could have been used for other transportation projects, including improving capacity for existing railway lines.

Officials have acknowledged that engineering costs and the high price of New York City labor contributed to spiraling expenses.

“This is not a small project. This is one of the greatest engineering feats. And it’s a tribute to the MTA that they were able to overcome what I would say was some delays of bureaucracy, delays of engineering,” said Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy and planning at New York University.

Despite the setbacks, Tom Wright, the president of the Regional Plan Association, hailed Wednesday’s opening as a “driver of economic growth and prosperity,” even as the region “still faces urgent transportation, housing and resiliency challenges.”

“Because this region has an interconnected network of transit, when you make an improvement, the beneficiaries are actually systemwide,” said Wright, whose nonprofit develops and advocates for ways to improve the regional economy, environment and quality of life.

Over the past week, the Long Island Rail Road carried about 1 million riders, or about two-thirds the number it transported for roughly the same week in 2019, according to statistics compiled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

When full service begins to Grand Central Madison, the LIRR will add another 269 trains per weekday on top of the roughly 660 trains already in operation, officials said. About 160,000 passengers are expected to hop on and off platforms at the new terminal.

Coupled with expanded service to Penn Station, the link to Grand Central would allow rail stops to open along long-neglected parts of the city, including the Bronx, spur new housing developments and serve as an economic engine.

“It obviously makes the businesses in Midtown East a more attractive destination for commuters from Long Island,” said Kathryn Wylde, the president of the Partnership for New York City.

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN

Lawsuit: Las Vegas Strip Resorts Used Vendor To Fix Hotel Rates In Violation Of Antitrust Laws.

A federal lawsuit in Nevada is seeking class-action damages for countless hotel patrons who booked rooms in Las Vegas since 2019, alleging that most hotel-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip have used a third-party vendor to illegally fix prices.

The complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas alleges that casino giants MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment, along with Treasure Island and Wynn Resorts, share information with a company that used pricing algorithms to “maximize market-wide prices.”

It accuses the resorts and Rainmaker Group Unlimited, a revenue management company owned by Cendyn Group, of “algorithmic-driven price-fixing … at the expense of consumers and in violation of antitrust laws.”

The Associated Press sent an email to Rainmaker seeking comment. Michael Bennett, a representative of Boca Raton, Florida-based Cendyn, declined to comment.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of plaintiffs Richard Gibson and Heriberto Valiente by attorneys from the law firm of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro in Seattle and Berkeley, California.

It seeks class status and unspecified monetary damages for “tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands” of people based on alleged antitrust violations of the federal Sherman Act.

MGM Resorts, which operates properties including Bellagio, New York-New York, MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay, responded Thursday with a statement calling the lawsuit “meritless.”

“The claims against MGM Resorts are factually inaccurate, and we intend to defend ourselves vigorously,” it said.

Wynn Resorts declined to comment. The Associated Press left messages seeking comment from representatives of Treasure Island and Caesars Entertainment.

Caesars Entertainment operates Las Vegas Strip properties including Caesars Palace, Harrah’s, the Horseshoe, Paris Las Vegas and the Flamingo.

In a statement, plaintiffs’ attorney Steve Berman invoked and reshaped a ubiquitous advertising campaign tagline introduced in early 2003.

“What happens in Vegas will no longer stay in Vegas,” Berman said. “We intend to expose the under-the-table deals perpetrated by these Vegas hotels.”

Alan Feldman, a longtime MGM Resorts executive who is now a fellow at the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said hotels, airlines and car rental companies monitor costs and prices throughout what he termed “the travel ecosystem.”

“Rest assured, they watch each other,” Feldman said. “Then they can decide if they want to go above it, below it, or just ignore it.”

“But I can’t imagine these companies talking to one another,” he said, “and certainly not on price.”

The lawsuit points to concerns about algorithmic pricing identified in a 2017 speech by Maureen Ohlhausen, a former acting chairperson of the Federal Trade Commission.

Ohlhausen defined a computer algorithm as a set of rules or instructions that can model thousands of “extremely complex and nuanced behaviors” in a fraction of a second “and react almost instantaneously to changes.”

She said companies provide their pricing data to “a common, outside agent” that uses the information to program its algorithm “to maximize industry-wide pricing.”

“We even have an old-fashioned term for it,” Ohlhausen said, “the hub-and-spoke conspiracy.”

“In effect, the firms themselves don’t directly share their pricing strategies,” she said, “but that information still ends up in common hands, and that shared information is then used to maximize market-wide prices.”

The court filing said two former Rainmaker employees told attorneys the company’s products are used by 90% or “just about every” property on the resort-lined Las Vegas Strip. The lawsuit didn’t identify the former employees.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that average daily room rates for Strip resorts hit record highs in 2022, topping $200 a night in October during a busy convention month.

For the year through November, the average rate was $170.45, the highest in history, and did not include add-on resort fees or account for complimentary rooms provided to high-rollers, the newspaper said.

By KEN RITTER

Mexican State Of Aguascalientes Is Named ‘Cultural Capital Of The Americas 2023’

The Mexican state of Aguascalientes has been named “Cultural Capital of the Americas 2023.” The announcement – made by the President of the International Bureau of Cultural Capitals, Xavier Tudela – marks the beginning of an intense project with a diverse cultural agenda for 2023 that will highlight the historical and cultural heritage of the state.

This is the first time that the IBCC has selected an entire state as the Cultural Capital of the Americas. In its announcement, the association notes that "Aguascalientes has been chosen Cultural Capital of The Americas for three different and complementary reasons: for the quality of the candidacy project, the institutional and citizen consensus and for the will to use the designation of Cultural Capital as an instrument to add, unite and step up for social inclusion; as well as an element of economic development.”

Aguascalientes, widely regarded as the geographic center of Mexico, is also a cultural, natural and tourism nexus. It has a wide variety of attractions, from adventure in its mountains, religious and cultural happenings, so-called Magical Towns and even a wine route, to two of the most important events in the country: Cultural Festival of Calaveras in November and the National Fair of San Marcos in April, this latter being the largest in Mexico with more than 8 million annual visitors.

Rich in historical and cultural assets, the State of Aguascalientes is the birthplace of engraver José Guadalupe Posada and composer Jesús F. Contreras. It is also home to world-class museums and three of Mexico’s renowned “Pueblos Magicos,” or Magical Towns. All these, along with its privileged climate and weather, are among the many attributes that make this a state rich in travel experiences.

Its extensive highway network and more than 300 domestic and international flights to hubs like Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles and Chicago — in addition to its geographical location, convention centers of highest standards, modern infrastructure and a large hotel capacity with 5,500 rooms – consolidate Aguascalientes as the ideal option for leisure and business trips in central Mexico.

“We have a great state: dynamic, innovative, competitive, with investment, employment, and an extraordinary quality of life,” said Governor María Teresa Jiménez Esquivel. “This year, we are the American Capital of Culture; we are going to spread our great cultural wealth, talent and our people and traditions.

“We will give a renewed boost to tourism to diversify our economy and show Mexico and the world how much our state has to offer to those who visit us,” Jiménez Esquivel continued. “We are committed to becoming the best cultural tourist destination in Mexico with our museums, architecture [and] Magical Towns, and we will be the great destination for congresses and visitors.”

Aguascalientes was officially named Cultural Capital of the Americas 2023 at an event this past Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023 in the Plaza de la Patria in the state’s capital, also named Aguascalientes, where renowned native composer José María Napoleon performed with the Aguascalientes Symphony Orchestra, along with more than 100 local performing artists who presented traditional dances and music of the state.

The following are seven reasons to visit Aguascalientes. Although the state is heralded for its multiple cultural gems, seven specific so-called treasures were chosen to highlight its rich cultural heritage:

JOSÉ GUADALUPE POSADA’S FAMOUS CATRINA: “La Catrina” is the icon that has become the representative image of the Day of the Dead celebration in Aguascalientes. The female figure with a skull for a face was created by José Guadalupe Posada, an illustrator, engraver and cartoonist born in the state. La Catrina was, in fact, a caricature intended to criticize women who achieved a high social status and hid their indigenous roots to follow European fashions and customs. Today, she is now the star figure year after year at the Calaveras Cultural Festival held each November.

‘OJO CALIENTE’ THERMAL BATHS: The spa facilities, a neoclassical building with French influence, were built in 1831 so wealthy residents of Aguascalientes and surrounding areas had a place to take their baths. Although they have undergone modifications, the hydraulic installations are preserved as they were at the end of the 19th century.

‘TRES CENTURIAS’ COMPLEX: History lovers will appreciate this former locomotive workshop. If the romance of decades past is your vibe, this place is for you. Imagine celebrating an engagement, wedding or simple reunion in front of the train station where many people waited for the love of their lives to arrive. This is the perfect spot to host a wedding with great style and in a setting reminiscent of a movie set.

HISTORIC BUILDINGS: Capital city Aguascalientes boasts an architectural and historical heritage embodied in certain representative buildings, among which the Government Palace stands out. This structure is characterized by hosting five of the most splendid murals in the state. Another historical building is the San Antonio Temple, a monument with outstanding quarry work extracted from the same region in green, yellow and pink tones. Another important and not-to-be-missed building is Teatro Morelos, a theater was declared, a Historical Monument of the Nation by presidential decree.

SAN MARCOS NATIONAL FAIR: With more than 190 years of history and tradition, the “Mexico Fair,” as it is also known, is a display of the best of art and popular culture offering fun activities for the whole family.

AGUASCALIENTES HISTORIC DOWNTOWN — SAN MARCOS GARDEN: The construction of the San Marcos Garden balustrade began in 1842 and was promoted by the then Governor of Aguascalientes, Nicolás Condell. This wonderful work was finished in 1847 and houses to this day a garden that’s home to both history and tradition, where family events take place and which plays a fundamental part in the San Marcos National Fair. Visitors should also avail themselves of a guided tram ride through the traditional neighborhoods of Aguascalientes, taking in the murals of the Government Palace.

THE TREASURE OF THE STATE’S MAGICAL TOWNS: Calvillo, San José de Gracia and Asientos are the three Magical Towns that showcase the unique identity of Aguascalientes in each of its tourist attractions, offering up an endemic magic that emanates from each of the state’s corners

Cunard To Offer Rocky Mountaineer Train Tours For Guests Visiting Alaska This Summer

Luxury cruise line Cunard is offering guests the opportunity to experience the world-famous Rocky Mountaineer train when they sail through Alaska on Queen Elizabeth this summer.

Guests will be able to extend their Alaska voyage with either a four-night pre-voyage train experience or a three-night post-voyage package, depending on the sailing date. The three-night Rocky Mountaineer tour takes guests on an eastbound journey from Vancouver to Calgary, while the four-night train tour goes the opposite direction and gives guests an additional day of sightseeing in Banff, where the highlight is an impressive trip on the Banff Gondola.

Rocky Mountaineer Pre- and Post-Cruise Tours:

The three-night post-voyage tours starts at $2,850 per person based on double occupancy, available on two Japan to Alaska voyages (Q318A, Q319) and four Alaska voyages roundtrip out of Vancouver ranging from 10 to 11 nights (Q323, Q324, Q325, Q326). The four-night pre-voyage tour starts at $3,250 per person based on double occupancy, available on three Alaska voyages roundtrip out of Vancouver ranging from seven to 10 nights (Q321, Q322, Q323).

Guests traveling on the legendary Rocky Mountaineer train – the only passenger rail service on this historic rail route – will experience expansive glass-dome windows and luxurious coaches. Breathtaking 180-degree panoramic views of snow-capped mountains, shimmering lakes and winding canyons are offered from all angles. Renowned for its GoldLeaf Service, Rocky Mountaineer offers an onboard dining room where guests can indulge in culinary delights inspired by the region with a new 2023 menu as well as full complimentary bar service.

"We are excited to partner with Rocky Mountaineer so our passengers can enjoy the spectacular scenery and Alaskan wildlife in the utmost of luxury both by land and by sea," said Matt Gleaves, VP Commercial, Cunard, North America.

Queen Elizabeth's summer in Alaska will be a season full of adventure and discovery, with the onboard Insights program featuring experts from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, TV personality Bear Grylls, and famed explorer Mensun Bound, to name a few. Other highlights on Queen Elizabeth include the bespoke Alaska Afternoon Tea, the elegant Ice White Ball and a new dining concept called Frontier, which offers a taste of Alaska.

For more information about Cunard, or to book a voyage, contact your Travel Consultant, call Cunard Line at 1-800-728-6273 or visit www.cunard.com.

Travelore News: Paris Trains Canceled After Act Of Vandalism

Apparently deliberately set blazes to clusters of electrical cables caused cascading cancellations on the Paris train network Tuesday, all but shutting down services at one of the French capital’s busiest stations.

Two fires damaged 48 cables, Transport Minister Clément Beaune said, describing it as “an act that is scandalous.” The national rail operator, SNCF, said the cables powered signals for trains on the network. It filed a legal complaint, calling the overnight damage deliberate.

The motives for the apparent vandalism were unknown. But it largely shut down Gare de l’Est, a station that generally links Paris to cities and towns in the east, including in neighboring countries. SNCF said the circulation of high-speed trains and slower regional trains to and from the station was suspended, with only services on three lines spared.

SNCF said repair crews were working to restore the affected lines. But it also warned that services at the station, which is used daily by hundreds of thousands of passengers, could be suspended throughout Tuesday.

Travelore News: Strike At Berlin Airport To Ground Flights On Wednesday

BERLIN, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The operator of Germany's BER airport in the capital Berlin expects a strike planned for Wednesday to ground all regular passenger flights, the airport operator told Reuters on Monday.

Around 300 takeoffs and landings were planned for Wednesday, when 35,000 passengers were to travel via the airport.

"The airport company must assume in this situation that no regular passenger flights can take place at BER on this day," a spokesperson said.

The Ver.di union has called on airport staff in ground services, aviation security and at the airport company to strike in a wage dispute.

"The reason for the strike are parallel pay negotiations for which no solution has yet been found in all three areas," the union said earlier Monday.

The union said it expects many workers to participate and all air traffic to and from Berlin to be affected by the all day strike.

Peru Closes Machu Picchu As Anti-Government Protests Grow

Peru indefinitely shut the famed ancient ruins of Machu Picchu on Saturday in the latest sign that anti-government protests that began last month are increasingly engulfing the South American country.

The Culture Ministry said it had closed the country’s most famous tourist attraction as well as the Inca Trail leading up to the site “to protect the safety of tourists and the population in general.”

There were 417 visitors stuck at Machu Picchu and unable to get out, more than 300 of them foreigners, Tourism Minister Luis Fernando Helguero said at a news conference.

The closure of the Incan citadel that dates to the 15th century and is often referred to as one of the new seven wonders of the world comes as protesters have descended on Lima, many of them traveling to the capital from remote Andean regions, to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte.

Also Saturday, police raided Peru’s most important public university in Lima to evict protesters who were being housed at the campus while participating in big demonstrations. More than 100 people were detained, Interior Minister Vicente Romero said.

Until recently, the protests had been concentrated in the country’s south. They began last month after then-President Pedro Castillo, Peru’s first leader with a rural Andean background, was impeached and imprisoned for trying to dissolve Congress.

Demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Boluarte, the former vice president sworn into office Dec. 7 to replace Castillo. They also want Congress dissolved and new elections held. Castillo is currently detained on charges of rebellion.

More than 55 people have died in the ensuing unrest, most recently on Friday night when a protester was killed and at least nine others injured in clashes with police in Puno. A total of 21 protesters and one police officer have died in the southern region.

On Saturday morning, police used a small tank to burst into the National University of San Marcos in the morning.

Javier Cutipa, 39, who traveled by bus from Puno, had been sleeping on the floor there since Thursday but left for breakfast right before the police arrived. He described the police action as “practically an assault,” with helicopters, tear gas and small tanks.

“This outrages us. The only thing the government is doing with these detentions is worsen tensions,” Cutipa said. He added that “when the population finds out about this they’re going to react in a more radical fashion.”

Hundreds of protesters congregated outside the law enforcement offices where the detainees were being held Saturday evening chanting “Freedom” and “We’re students, not terrorists.” More congregated at other points of downtown Lima.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed “concern over the police incursion, eviction and massive detentions” at the university and urged the state to “guarantee the integrity and due process of all people.”

The university issued a news release saying the police raid took place after protesters “assaulted” security personnel.

Cusco, where Machu Picchu is located, has been the site of some of the most intense clashes, leading to significant loss of tourism revenue. The Cusco airport was briefly shut down this week after protesters tired to storm it.

Train service to Machu Picchu has been closed since Thursday due to damage to the tracks.

Some stranded tourists have chosen to leave by walking to Piscacucho, the nearest village, Helguero said, “but that involves a walk of six, seven hours or more and only a few people are able to do it.”
Tourists who had already bought tickets for Machu Picchu from Saturday until one month after whenever the protests end will be able to obtain a full refund, the Culture Ministry said.

By DANIEL POLITI

New Theme Park Opening In Cancun This March To Give Tourists A Unique Peek Into Mexican Culture

There is no shortage of things to do when visiting Cancun, where you can spend hours on the beaches, lay by the pool, explore Mayan ruins, snorkel, swim in a cenote, take a tour through the jungle, eat good food, shop, go to a club, and more. But while all of these activities are a lot of fun, most of them do not really give visitors much of a cultural experience. A new theme park opening in Cancun this March, though, will give tourists a unique peek into Mexican culture.

Luchatitlán – A Theme Park Dedicated To Lucha Libre

The new theme park, Luchatitlán, will be dedicated to the art of freestyle wrestling, Lucha Libre, which is popular in Mexico. The term Lucha Libre means “free fight.” The unique style of wrestling was introduced in the early 20th century and has been growing in popularity throughout the country since.

The Luchatitlán theme park project began back in 2021, with funding for the project provided by the Fibra Uno real estate trust. The trust provided 130 million pesos for the project, which is nearly 7 million U.S. dollars, that includes a space of more than 30,000 square feet. Within that, 30,000 square feet will be not only an arena that fits 580 people but also a food and beverage venue, a bar, or cantina, that fits 220 people, and a wrestling hall of fame.

The Purpose Of The Theme Park

While the main purpose of the new theme park is to provide entertainment for visitors and locals, it is also a way to promote Mexican culture. The general manager of Fibro Uno, Gonzalo Robina, explained this when he said that “The idea is to bring Mexican popular culture closer to international tourism that arrives in Cancun. It is designed to [attract] people who go to the beach and are looking for activities. Let everyone who visits this destination experience the verbena del ring.”

Luchatitlán Theme Park Location

The Luchatitlán theme park will be at the La Isla shopping village, located in the popular, bustling Cancun Hotel Zone on Kukulcan Blvd. The shopping village is an open-air complex that is home to unique clothing stores, restaurants, a movie theater, attractions, a tequila museum, and even a Hilton-branded hotel. There is also a giant ferris wheel located at the property that offers unbelievable views of Cancun and the Caribbean Sea.

Luchatitlán Theme Park Details

The Luchatitlán theme park will be open for business sometime in March, though an exact date has not yet been disclosed. There will be two afternoon shows every day, but the times have not been announced yet. Ticket prices will range between about $69 and $109 per show.

A Little About Lucha Libre

Lucha libre wrestling involves staged performances in which the outcome is already determined prior to the start of the performance. Wrestlers wear bright-colored masks that losers of contested matches must permanently remove, but otherwise, wrestlers keep their masks on whenever in public. Wrestlers, also called luchadores, are usually part of a larger extended family of wrestlers.

Mexican Lucha Libre was declared on July 21, 2018, as an intangible cultural heritage of Mexico City. The new Luchatitlán theme park in Cancun will be an honor to that cultural heritage that all who visit the city can enjoy.

Source: https://thecancunsun.com/

Train Station’s Opening In Bangkok Ushers In New Travel Era

Thailand ushered in a new age of train travel on Thursday as Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station officially began operations. The government says the huge, modern development on the edge of central Bangkok will bolster the country’s position as a regional hub and boost its economy.

It’s officially called Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, a name bestowed by the king. But to most people it’s more likely to be known simply as Bang Sue Grand Station, after the part of Bangkok where it’s located.

The cost of the new terminal, including the station, elevated train tracks and a connecting station for Bangkok’s mass transit system, is around $1 billion, according to Takun Indarachome, director of traffic operations for the State Railway of Thailand.

Almost all of Thailand’s long-distance domestic and international rail services will pass through the new terminal, on which work began 10 years ago. The first train out of the new station was bound for Sungai Kolok, on Thailand’s southern border with Malaysia.

Many Thais, however, are lamenting the shunting aside of the previous terminal, Hua Lamphong Station on the edge of Bangkok’s Chinatown in the middle of the capital. The classic station, with its high-ceilinged waiting room, has hosted generations of travelers, ranging from rural workers looking for jobs in the city to backpacking tourists headed south to chill at seaside resorts.

All is not lost for the nostalgic, however. Several lines — running locally and to the east — will still wend their way to the older, more central station. For the time being at least, 62 trains will use it daily.

The construction of the new terminal coincided with major projects expanding rail networks in Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia, largely spurred by China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative and its high-speed rail technology.

Passengers will encounter a four-story station covering almost 30 hectares (3.2 million square feet). Many Bangkokians are already familiar with the premises because its cavernous halls were used last year as the main venue for the government’s free COVID-19 vaccination program.

Trains will come and go on 24 tracks at 12 platforms, with the station able to manage up to 40 trains at the same time, according to the government. At peak times it can handle up to 600,000 passengers per day, more than 10 times the capacity of Hua Lamphong station, it says.

In Bang Sue’s ultra-modern control room, banks of panels and screens oversee operations and make sure that everything is running smoothly. Video from more than 120 security cameras is monitored using artificial intelligence. In public areas, smart robots are on hand to assist puzzled passengers, and smart wheelchairs can carry handicapped people without human help.

“Today is the first day after they moved the service from Hua Lamphong and lots of people did not know that yet, so the place looks empty,” said Theerawat Peangda, who was waiting to catch a train south for a holiday break. “But I think this station is OK, very nice and convenient.”

Hua Lamphong, in contrast, looks more to the past than the future. To walk through the neo-Renaissance portal of the station, designed by Italian architects and opened in 1916, is to step back in time to a simpler era. For a while, it even appeared that it would be relegated to become a museum.

“I don’t want them to move the grand station. I’d rather it stayed here,” Prathuang Ruengsamut, 68, said earlier this week as he waited for a train at Hua Lamphong. “They just need to renovate this place a little bit and it’ll be fine.”

Such deep affection for the old station may well have saved it. When plans were mooted to tear it down, there was a public outcry, and the authorities backtracked.

“Had they closed it and turned it into a museum it would have become lifeless. But if we let people keep using it, it’s much better,” said Thanong Thooptian, 61, who regularly takes trains from Hua Lamphong.

By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA and JERRY HARMER

Lunar New Year Tourism Hopes Fizzle As Chinese Stay Home

A hoped-for boom in Chinese tourism in Asia over next week’s Lunar New Year holidays looks set to be more of a blip as most travelers opt to stay inside China if they go anywhere.

From the beaches of Bali to Hokkaido’s powdery ski slopes, the hordes of Chinese often seen in pre-COVID days will still be missing, tour operators say.

It’s a bitter disappointment for many businesses that had been hoping lean pandemic times were over after Beijing relaxed restrictions on travel and stopped requiring weeks-long quarantines. Still, bookings for overseas travel have skyrocketed, suggesting it’s only a matter of time until the industry recovers.

“I think the tourists will return around the end of February or early March at the earliest,” said Sisdivachr Cheewarattaporn, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association, noting that many Chinese lack passports, flights are limited and tour operators are still gearing up to handle group travel.

COVID-19 risks are another big factor as outbreaks persist following the policy about-face in China, he said in an interview. “People are possibly not ready, or just getting ready.”

For now, the Chinese territories of Macao and Hong Kong appear to be the most favored destinations.

Just days before Sunday’s start of the Lunar New Year, iconic tourist spots in the former Portuguese colony, like historic Senado Square and the Ruins of St. Paul’s, were packed. Gambling floors at two major casinos were largely full, with groups of Chinese visitors sitting around the craps tables.

“I’m so busy every day and don’t have time to rest,” said souvenir shop owner Lee Hong-soi. He said sales had recovered to about 70%-80% of the pre-pandemic days from nearly nothing just weeks ago.

Kathy Lin was visiting from Shanghai, partly because it was easy to get a visa but also because she was concerned about risks of catching COVID-19. “I don’t dare to travel overseas yet,” she said as she and a friend took photos near the ruins, originally the 17th century Church of Mater Dei.

That worry is keeping many would-be vacation goers at home even after China relaxed “zero COVID” restrictions that sought to isolate all cases with mass testing and onerous quarantines.

“The elderly in my family have not been infected, and I don’t want to take any risks. There’s also the possibility of being infected again by other variants,” said Zheng Xiaoli, 44, an elevator company employee in southern China’s Guangzhou. Africa was on her bucket list before the pandemic, but despite yearning to travel overseas, she said, “There are still uncertainties, so I will exercise restraint.”

Cong Yitao, an auditor living in Beijing, wasn’t worried about catching the virus since his whole family has already had COVID-19. But he was put off by testing restrictions and other limits imposed by some countries, including the U.S., Japan, South Korea and Australia, after China loosened its pandemic precautions.

“It looks like many countries don’t welcome us,” said Cong, who instead was planning to head for a subtropical destination in China, like Hainan island or Xishuangbanna, to enjoy some warm weather.

According to Trip.com, a major travel services company, overseas travel bookings for the Jan. 21-27 Lunar New Year holidays were up more than five-fold. But that was up from almost nothing the year before, when China’s borders were closed to most travelers.

Reservations for travel to Southeast Asia were up 10-fold, with Thailand a top choice, followed by Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and Indonesia.

Travel to other favorite places, like the tropical resort island of Bali and Australia, has been constrained by a lack of flights. But that is changing, with new flights being added daily.

“You will see an increase, certainly, compared with last year, when China was still closed, but I don’t think you will see a huge surge of outbound travelers to different destinations within Asia-Pacific, let alone Europe or the Americas,” said Haiyan Song, a professor of international tourism at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Tourism Australia forecasts that spending by international travelers will surpass pre-pandemic levels within a year’s time. Before the disruptions of COVID-19, Chinese accounted for almost one-third of tourist spending, nearly $9 billion.

Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport has increased staffing to cope with more than 140,000 arrivals a day during the Lunar New Year rush, though only individual Chinese travelers will be coming for now — group tours from China have yet to resume.

As a brilliant orange sun set behind ancient Wat Arun, beside Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river, a Shanghai man who would give only his surname, Zhang, posed with a companion in colorful traditional silken Thai costumes.

“It’s very cold in China, and Thailand has summer weather,” said Zhang, adding that he knew many people who had booked tickets to get away from his hometown’s cold, damp weather.

Still, for many Chinese, the allure of world travel has been eclipsed, for now, by a desire to head to their hometowns and catch up with their families, nearly three years exactly since the first major coronavirus outbreak struck in the central city of Wuhan in one of the biggest catastrophes of modern times.

Isabelle Wang, a finance worker in Beijing, has traveled to Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia. After three years of a slower-paced life during the pandemic, her priority is to be reunited with her family in Shangrao, a city in south-central China.

“There’s still a lot of time remaining in our lifetimes, and there will certainly be opportunities to go abroad later when we want to,” she said.

By TIAN MCLEOD JI, ELAINE KURTENBACH and KANIS LEUNG

Four Seasons And Atlantic Coast Hospitality Announce Plans For Luxury Hotel In Morocco's Capital City

Luxury hospitality company Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Atlantic Coast Hospitality, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based real estate development firm Q Holding, announce plans for the upcoming Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr, anticipated to open in 2023.

Kasr Al Bahr, meaning "castle of the sea," was built as a sprawling royal summer palace in the 19th century, later becoming a military hospital prior to closing in 1999. Following extensive renovations of the five-hectare (12-acre) cliffside retreat, Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr will usher in a new era for the historic property with 204 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

"As Four Seasons continues to grow its presence in Morocco, we are proud to build upon the success of our existing properties in Marrakech and Casablanca while introducing a complementary experience, this time in the nation's capital city," says Bart Carnahan, President, Global Business Development and Portfolio Management, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. "We are honoured that our partners at Atlantic Coast Hospitality have chosen Four Seasons as the stewards of Kasr Al Bahr, and we look forward to introducing guests to this dynamic destination through a new luxury hospitality experience marked by our renowned personalized service and quality excellence."

Rabat, Morocco's capital city, is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and effortlessly blends the treasures of its past with dynamic offerings for the modern luxury traveller. The city holds a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation and is often known for its historic landmarks reflecting its past French and longstanding Islamic influences such as the Hassan Tower and the Kasbah of the Oudayas. Visitors will also enjoy the city's coastal setting with beautiful beaches, bustling music festivals, and more than 202 hectares (500 acres) of green space comprised of tranquil parks. "As we transform Kasr Al Bahr for the future, we are proud to showcase Rabat's history and culture while creating a world-class hospitality experience for all who visit," says Malik Awan, Director, Q Holding. "Four Seasons is the ideal partner for this important project, and together we are dedicated to honouring this exceptional property while offering guests the service and experiences they have grown to expect from this legendary brand."

Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr will feature seven restaurants and lounges; a spa with well-appointed treatment rooms and an indoor pool; several outdoor resort-style pools; as well as expansive conference and event space. The Hotel's thoughtful restoration has been led by Moroccan-based architect Karim Chakor of META Atelier d'Architecture, while Roger Nazarian and Associates have been selected to lead the property's interior design, landscaping and more.

The Hotel will be led by Gregory Viaud as General Manager. With more than 19 years of experience across a broad collection of Four Seasons properties globally, Gregory will manage the Hotel's pre-opening operations, the second in his career following his assignment at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center. Most recently, Gregory was the Resort Manager at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort. Gregory and his team in Rabat have already begun preparing to welcome guests with the genuine heart and passion for excellence for which Four Seasons is renowned worldwide.

Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr will join Four Seasons growing collection of properties in Morocco, including Four Seasons Resort Marrakech, Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca and Four Seasons Private Residences Marrakech at M Avenue. With easy access to key international and regional hubs, the Hotel will be a 20-minute drive from Rabat–Salé Airport and 90 minutes from Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport. Visitors can also utilize Morocco's high-speed train network for seamless journeys from Rabat to the key commerce hubs of Casablanca (45 minutes) and the white beaches of Tangier (1 hour 45 minutes).

Disney Unveils Park Changes To Bring Back The Magic

The Walt Disney Co. is making several changes at its domestic theme parks, including some easier reservations, in order to improve the public perception of its business.

Among the changes: it will cease charging for overnight self-parking at its Walt Disney World resorts; Walt Disney World annual passholders will be able to visit the theme parks after 2 p.m. without needing a park reservation (except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom) and individuals buying its Genie+ service will receive digital downloads of their ride photos taken in the park on the day of their purchase for no additional charge.

Like many companies, Disney struggled during the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its theme parks were shut down for some time, with the closures causing delays in the construction of various projects. Concurrently, former CEO Bob Chapek received a lot of criticism for increased prices and other moves that the company made, including the end of the Magical Express bus service from the airport in Orlando, Florida to Walt Disney World resorts, the implementation of the Genie planning and ride reservation system and its theme park reservation system.

Disney theme park loyalists have not shied away from their criticism of the moves that have occurred over the past two years, with some even bemoaning on social media that “the magic is gone.”

One big recent change is the return of Bob Iger to the Burbank, California-based company. Iger replaced Chapek as CEO in November and just a few weeks later was seen visiting the Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks in Anaheim, California with Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products.

Disney is now making known that it is listening to its visitors. On Tuesday the company made a flurry of announcements that were largely met with great fanfare by theme park goers.

Disney had started charging for overnight self-parking at its resorts at Disney World in 2018. It went back to offering complimentary overnight parking as of Tuesday evening. Disney resort guests continue to receive complimentary standard parking at Disney World theme parks.

“This is a Disney difference many of you have asked us to bring back, and we’re happy to reintroduce it to make your vacation a little easier and more affordable,” the company said in a statement on its Disney Parks blog.

The company did not give specific dates for the annual passholder or Genie+ changes, only to say that they will start in the next few months.

“Please know we will keep listening to you and adapting as we focus on making the guest experience even better for more people who visit us,” the company said.

Disney also made some other announcements that theme park goers have been anxiously waiting for, including the return of its “Happily Ever After” nighttime show at Magic Kingdom on April 3 and an official opening date of April 4 for its TRON Lightcycle/Run roller coaster at the same park.

Changes are also afoot at Disneyland. They include allowing people who buy a Magic Key pass or a Park Hopper ticket the ability to switch between its Disneyland and California Adventure parks two hours earlier, at 11 a.m. Pacific Time, beginning on Feb. 4. It’s also adding more dates for people to buy its $104 one-day, one-park tickets and giving complimentary digital photo downloads for any PhotoPass available ride for all ticketed park guests on the Disneyland app starting Feb. 4, for the length of its Disney100 celebration.

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN

Armenian Museum Reopens In Jerusalem’s Old City

A hundred years after taking in scores of children whose parents were killed in the Armenian genocide, a 19th-century orphanage in Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter has reopened its doors as a museum documenting the community’s rich, if pained, history.

The Mardigian Museum showcases Armenian culture and tells of the community’s centuries-long connection to the holy city. At the same time, it is a memorial to around 1.5 million Armenians killed by the Ottoman Turks around World War I, in what many scholars consider the 20th century’s first genocide.

Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.

Director Tzoghig Karakashian said the museum is meant to serve as “a passport for people to know about the Armenians” and to understand their part of Jerusalem’s history.

The museum reopened in late 2022 after a more than five-year renovation project. Before that, the building — originally a pilgrim guesthouse built in the 1850s — served as a monastery, an orphanage for children who survived the genocide, a seminary and ultimately a small museum and library.

Jerusalem is home to a community of around 6,000 Armenians, many of them descendants of people who fled the genocide. Many inhabit one of the historic Old City’s main quarters, a mostly enclosed compound abutting the 12th-century Armenian cathedral of St. James.

But the Armenians’ link to the holy city stretches back centuries, from monks and pilgrims during the late Roman Empire to Armenian queens of Crusader Jerusalem.

The museum’s centerpiece, filling the sunlit courtyard, is an exquisite 5th or 6th century mosaic adorned with exotic birds and vines discovered in 1894 on the grounds of an ancient Armenian monastery complex. It bears an inscription in Armenian dedicated to “the memorial and salvation of all Armenians whose names the Lord knows.”

For decades, the mosaic remained in a small museum near the Old City’s Damascus Gate. In 2019, the Israeli Antiquities Authority and the Armenian Patriarchate undertook the laborious task of removing the mosaic floor and transporting it across town to the newly refurbished museum.

From elaborately carved stone crosses known as “khachkars” to iconic painted tiles and priestly vestments, the museum showcases Armenian material art, while also excelling in telling the Armenian story of survival. While Jerusalem changed hands as empires rose and fell, the Armenians remained.

“Surviving means to not be seen,” said Arek Kahkedjian, a museum tour guide. “We survived without people knowing what or who we are, and today we feel ready to show you and teach about the history and heritage, about the culture, and to show you how we advance and modernize with the times.”

By ILAN BEN ZION

American Express Centurion New York Will Open In Midtown Manhattan In March With Food By Chef Daniel Boulud

Centurion New York, an exclusive luxury space is opening up in March for its Amex Platinum cardholders.

Platinum Concierge has informed some members that two of the nine dining spaces in here will be accessible to Platinum cardholders, when booked through Concierge (since reservations are booked through the Centurion portal). Reservations open on February 9, 2023.

Located on the 55th floor of One Vandebilt in Midtown Manhattan, the space will feature casual fine dining experiences curated by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud. There’s also a chic bar serving signature cocktails and a salon where Centurion members can relax and unwind. Members will also enjoy other perks such as access to private rooms, programming and events.

One Vanderbilt is a 93-story supertall skyscraper at the corner of 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue. This is where the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt observation deck is located (floors 91-93), offering sweeping views of the city.

Here are the details about Centurion New York access, forms of payment and other rules:

"Guest access policies and hours of operation for Centurion New York are subject to change. All access to Centurion New York is subject to space availability. To access Centurion New York, patrons must present a government-issued I.D. and must be at least 18 years of age to enter without a parent or legal guardian. Centurion Members must also present their valid American Express Card. Purchases may be made using an American Express Card or cash. Reservation cancellation fees will apply if cancellation occurs within 24 hours of reservation time. Details and prices are subject to change. Patrons must be at least 21 years of age to purchase or consume alcohol at Centurion New York. Please drink responsibly. American Express reserves the right to remove any person from Centurion New York for inappropriate behavior including, but not limited to, conduct that is disruptive, abusive or violent and/or failure to adhere to any house rules or terms or conditions. American Express will not be liable for any articles lost or stolen or damages suffered by any patrons of Centurion New York. Access to Centurion New York is subject to all rules and conditions set by American Express. American Express reserves the right to revise the rules at any time without notice."

American Express has a designated Centurion Lounge in Hong Kong at 1881 House in Tsim Sha Tsui. There’s also the Centurion Haus in Singapore, a downtown hideaway nestled in the grounds of the iconic Raffles Hotel.

The Centurion card is available by invitation only to those who meet a certain income requirement, but American Express doesn’t share the exact criteria, at least in the U.S..

Travelore Tips: EU court: Tourists May Get Refunds Over COVID Measures

Travelers whose package tours were ruined by the imposition of restrictions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic may be entitled to at least a partial refund, the European Union’s highest court said Thursday.

The European Court of Justice weighed in after being asked for its opinion by a court in Germany.

The Munich court is considering the case of two people who bought a two-week package vacation for the Spanish island of Gran Canaria starting on March 13, 2020, just as the pandemic hit Europe. They are seeking a 70% reduction in the price because of restrictions that were imposed there two days later and their early return.

When the restrictions were imposed on March 15, beaches were closed, a curfew put in place and the plaintiffs were allowed to leave their hotel room only to eat, the EU court said. On March 18, they were told to be ready to leave at any moment, and two days after that they had to return to Germany.

The tour operator refused the requested reduction on the grounds that it couldn’t be held liable for a “general life risk.”

The EU court found that “a traveler is entitled to a reduction in the price of his or her package where a lack of conformity of the travel services included in the package is due to restrictions that have been imposed at the travel destination to fight the spread of an infectious disease, such as COVID-19.”

It said it doesn’t matter if similar restrictions are imposed at the traveler’s place of residence or in other countries.

The German court will now have to assess whether the restrictions in the specific case at issue “could constitute failures to perform or improper performances” of the contract by the tour organizer.

Universal Parks & Resorts Plans To Bring New Park For Families With Young Children To Frisco, Texas

Universal Parks & Resorts announces a one-of-a-kind theme park, unlike any other in the world, specifically designed to inspire fun for families with young children. The new park concept, set in a lush green landscape and featuring immersive themed lands, celebrates Universal’s iconic brand of entertainment, humor and innovation and brings to life its beloved characters and stories in ways that will wow even the youngest theme park goers.

The proposed park will be designed to be more intimate and engaging for younger audiences and will be sized for a regional audience. It will be full of family-friendly attractions, interactive and playful shows, character meet and greets, unique merchandise and fun food and beverage venues. Although smaller in size, it will still carry the same quality as Universal’s other larger resort destinations.

Part of 97 acres of land recently purchased by the company, the proposed park also has plans for an adjacent themed hotel and room for expansion. The entire area is intended to have a completely different look, feel, and scale than Universal’s existing parks and will appeal to a new audience for the brand.

Universal Parks & Resorts selected the city of Frisco, in North Texas, as the area for this new concept given the city’s growing population and ability to attract businesses to the area. The proposed location for the new concept is ideally situated east of the Dallas North Tollway and north of Panther Creek Parkway.

“We are excited about the opportunity to partner with the city of Frisco and Mayor Cheney as we work to bring this innovative, new concept to life designed specifically for a younger generation of Universal fans,” said Page Thompson, President, New Ventures, Universal Parks & Resorts. “We think North Texas is the perfect place to launch this unique park for families given its growing popularity within this part of the country.”

“Frisco is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. and has been recognized as a great place to plant professional roots and raise a family,” said Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney. “This new Universal concept will continue to enhance our tax base, expand employment opportunities and bring even more fun to Frisco benefiting our residents, businesses, and visitors.”

More details about the project will be revealed over time.

Travelore News: US Air Travel Returns To Normal After Technology Breakdown

U.S. air travel returned mostly to normal Thursday, a day after a computer system that sends safety information to pilots broke down and grounded traffic from coast to coast.

By late morning on the East Coast, only about 100 flights had been canceled and 1,000 delayed — much lower figures than on Wednesday, when more than 1,300 flights were scrubbed and 11,000 delayed.

The Federal Aviation Administration said a damaged database file appeared to have caused the outage in the safety-alert system. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg promised a thorough examination to avoid another major failure.

“Now we have to understand how this could have happened in the first place, why the usual redundancies that would stop it from being that disruptive did not stop it from being disruptive this time, and what the original source of the errors or the corrupted files would have been,” Buttigieg told CNN.

He said there was no indication that the outage was caused by a cyberattack, “but we’re also not going to rule that out until we have a clearer and better understanding of what’s taking place.”

The massive disruption was the latest black eye for the FAA, which has traded blame with airlines over who is inconveniencing passengers more. Critics, including airline and tourism leaders, say the agency has been underfunded and needs to modernize its technology.

The FAA outage, which began Tuesday night, “is a clear sign that America’s transportation network desperately needs significant upgrades,” said Geoff Freeman, president of the U.S. Travel Association trade group.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has been critical of the FAA on a variety of issues, including staffing of air traffic controllers. Last fall he said the agency makes “a heroic effort” and does well most of the time but can be overwhelmed during peak travel periods.

Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington state, the top Democrat on a House aviation subcommittee, said the outage raises questions “about the current state of the technology infrastructure at the FAA.” He told CNN that Congress would consider whether the agency needs more money to modernize.

The outage came at a bad time for both the FAA and Buttigieg.

The FAA is trying to repair its reputation after being widely criticized for the way it approved the Boeing 737 Max without fully understanding a flight-control system that malfunctioned and played a key role in two crashes that killed 346 people. The agency took a more hands-on approach when considering — and eventually improving — changes that Boeing made to get the plane back in the air.

The meltdown at an agency overseen by the Transportation Department could also undercut Buttigieg’s moral authority to chastise airlines when they cancel or delay flights. He has gone after the airlines since last summer, most recently over disruptions at Southwest Airlines, which canceled nearly 17,000 flights in the last 10 days of December.

Wednesday’s breakdown showed how much American air travel depends on the computer system that generates alerts called NOTAMs — or Notice to Air Missions.

Before a plane takes off, pilots and airline dispatchers must review the notices, which include details about bad weather, runway closures or other temporary factors that could affect the flight. The system was once telephone-based but moved online years ago.

It broke down late Tuesday and was not fixed until midmorning Wednesday. The FAA took the rare step of preventing any planes from taking off for a time.

Viking's Newest Ocean Ship Named In Los Angeles By NASA Astronaut & Aquanaut Nicole Stott

Viking® (www.viking.com) named its newest ocean ship, the Viking Neptune®, with a celebration on Sunday in Los Angeles. As part of the event, the ship's ceremonial godmother, Nicole Stott, retired NASA astronaut, aquanaut and artist, offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the ship—a maritime tradition that dates back thousands of years. The Viking Neptune arrived in Los Angeles early in the morning on January 8 and departed for Honolulu following the naming ceremony. The ship is currently sailing the 2022-2023 Viking World Cruise, an epic voyage from Fort Lauderdale to London that spans 138-days, 28 countries and 57 ports, with overnight stays in 11 cities. The naming of the Viking Neptune also comes at a time of record sales for Viking, with the launch of Viking's new 25th Anniversary Sale on January 1 resulting in the highest number of bookings in one week in the company's history.

"Today is a proud day for the entire Viking family as we name our newest ocean ship in Los Angeles, the home of Viking's U.S. office for more than 20 years," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. "The Viking Neptune is a ship named for both the furthest planet in our solar system and the god of the sea—and our newest Viking godmother, Nicole Stott, as a NASA astronaut and aquanaut, also has connections to space and the sea. We are grateful for her many contributions to the scientific community and are proud to have her as part of the Viking family."

"It is an honor and privilege to be the godmother of the new Viking Neptune. As someone who has been blessed to explore space, the ocean, and some of the otherworldly places on our planet, I understand the importance of broadening one's horizons through travel. I am very excited for all those who journey around the world on this elegant vessel," said Nicole Stott.

In keeping with the naming tradition, during the ceremony Nicole used a historic Viking broad axe to cut a ribbon that allowed a bottle of Norwegian aquavit to break on the ship's hull. Prior to the ribbon cutting, the axe was presented to Nicole by Sissel Kyrkjebø, one of the world's leading crossover sopranos and godmother of the Viking Jupiter®, who used it when naming her ship in January 2020. Event guests also enjoyed performances from Sissel and Norwegian violinist Tor Jaran Apold.

Nicole Stott, Godmother of the Viking Neptune

A veteran NASA astronaut, Nicole Stott's experience includes two spaceflights and 104 days spent living and working in space on the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS). She has performed one space walk and was the first person to fly the robotic arm to capture the free-flying HTV cargo vehicle, the last crew member to fly to and from their ISS mission on a Space Shuttle, and a member of the final flight crew of Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-133. Nicole is also a NASA aquanaut who lived and worked on the Aquarius Undersea Habitat for 18 days.

She is the author of Back to Earth: What Life In Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet – And Our Mission To Protect It. Also an artist, Nicole painted the first watercolor painting in space—and is a co-founder of the Space for Art Foundation, which unites a planetary community of children through the awe and wonder of space exploration and the healing power of art. Through her work, Nicole inspires everyone's appreciation of our role as crewmates here on "spaceship" Earth.

The Viking Neptune

The Viking Neptune is the newest ship in Viking's award-winning ocean fleet of identical sister ships, which also includes the Viking Star®, the Viking Sea®, the Viking Sky®, the Viking Orion®, the Viking Jupiter®, the Viking Venus®, and the Viking Mars®. In April, Viking will also welcome another new ocean ship, the Viking Saturn®. Classified by Cruise Critic as "small ships," Viking's ocean vessels have a gross tonnage of 47,800 tons, with 465 staterooms that can host 930 guests; the ships feature all veranda staterooms, Scandinavian design, light-filled public spaces and abundant al fresco dining options.

Although identical to Viking's other ocean ships, the Viking Neptune is uniquely equipped with a small hydrogen fuel system, making it the cruise industry's first ship to test the use of hydrogen power for on board operations. Viking is using the small system as a test to determine how hydrogen fuel could be used at a larger scale in future newbuilds.

Booking Details

From now through January 31, 2023, Viking is offering a 25th Anniversary Sale, with a $25 deposit, special savings, and up to free international airfare on river, ocean and expedition voyages. Call Viking toll free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel agent for details.

Travelore News: Meliá Hotels International And Tennis Player Rafa Nadal Create A New Lifestyle Hotel Brand Named ZEL

The tennis player Rafael Nadal and Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Meliá Hotels International, presented the hotel brand ZEL today in Madrid. ZEL is a new brand of resort and urban leisure hotels that will first begin to operate in Spain, and then later in key destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and America.

The joint venture between these two global brands from Mallorca aims to achieve consistent international growth and capitalise on its hallmark Mediterranean character. The brand will also have a range of different strategic partners in its international growth in areas such as dining, decoration, wellbeing and technology

For Gabriel Escarrer, "The result of combining the inspirational leadership of Rafa Nadal and the international experience of more than 65 years of Meliá in creating luxury hotels and in hotel management, is the unique brand we present today, which travellers are going to love and which will surprise the new generations. An innovative hotel brand, full of energy, with a new interpretation of well-being and a sustainable business model. We are happy to finally be able to announce our partnership in this project with an icon on both a personal and sporting level such as Rafa."

For Rafael Nadal, "As a Spaniard, a Mallorcan and a global traveller, the launch of our hotel brand is a project that I have had in mind for a long while. ZEL is synonymous with feeling good at all times, enjoying life and the way we live it throughout the Mediterranean. I was really attracted from the start to this new concept we have been working on with Meliá. I'm confident that ZEL will be a great success and will achieve considerable growth and be enjoyed by all of those travellers who stay in the hotels, which in the end is the reason we are creating it."

The growth plan foresees the addition of more than 20 hotels in 5 years, focusing on destinations that attract premium-quality leisure travellers, and on "bleisure" hotels in the key regions in which Meliá Hotels International operates in Europe, America, the Middle East and Asia. In a first stage, the brand aims to grow in destinations on the Mediterranean coast and in capital cities such as Madrid, Paris and London, but the first ZEL hotel will open in Mallorca in 2023.

ZEL: a celebration of the Mediterranean lifestyle.

The project is based on the positioning of both brands as ambassadors of Mediterranean values and lifestyle: a passion for the outdoors, delicious cuisine, a focus on architecture and design to provide spacious and bright spaces, with the priority being a connection with nature, the sky and the sea. ZEL hotel guests will be able to take care of both body and soul through wellbeing experiences that they will be able to organise as they wish, with both personal and group activities for physical exercise and fitness.

ZEL offers an inspiring new home-away-from-home experience that evokes the Mediterranean way of life, with a courtyard at the heart of the hotel which acts as a focus for the flow and connection. The patio is an architectural feature that is prominent throughout the Mediterranean, and will lead to other spaces such as terraces, rooftop areas or beach clubs that will be the venues for life in the open air, and where guests can admire panoramic views of stunning beauty. All this combined with an organic atmosphere and an informal design, local cuisine, natural wellbeing and unexpected and vibrant shared experiences. ZEL guests will also have access to a digital community where they can share their experiences and continue enjoying the lifestyle once their stay is over.

One of their many highlights will be the encouragement of social encounters, interactions and experiences through a range of "pop-up corners" dedicated to handicrafts, beauty or product tastings with partner brands.

For more information, please visit www.meliahotelsinternational.com

Cunard Announces 'Treat Yourself, On Us' Wave Season Offer On A Variety Of 2023-2024 Sailings

Luxury cruise line Cunard launches the "Treat Yourself, On Us" wave season offer, kicking off the new year with savings. Available on 2023 and 2024 voyages across Cunard's fleet – flagship Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and the line's newest ship Queen Anne.

From January 3 through March 28, 2023, the promotional offer includes onboard credit up to $2,000 per stateroom and discounts of up to 30% for all fares. Onboard credit may be used for shopping, shore excursions, spa, restaurants and other services. The drinks package and hotel & dining service charge are included when booking any Princess or Queens Grills Suite.

The "Treat Yourself, On Us" offer is available on select voyages seven nights or longer between May 16, 2023 and January 3, 2025. Itineraries include:

2023 Alaska, Asia, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Europe, Mediterranean, Panama Canal, and Transatlantic Crossing 2024 Asia, Australia, Europe, Mediterranean, Panama Canal, Transatlantic Crossing, and World.

Guests can enjoy some of Cunard's signature sailings including:

The line's newest vessel Queen Anne will sail the Western Mediterranean on a variety of eight to 16-night voyages featuring a mix of days at sea and time in port, offering guests the chance to discover the fascinating histories of Lisbon, Cadiz and Rome.

Summer in Alaska on Queen Elizabeth: In 2023 Cunard will offer seven to 12-night voyages roundtrip out of Vancouver. Itineraries include scenic cruising through the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm Fjord, as well as full days in several ports including Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka and Icy Strait Point. New in 2023 is a partnership with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society featuring experts from the Society on select voyages.

East and Westbound Transatlantic Crossings on flagship Queen Mary 2. This iconic voyage sails New York to Southampton, England with seven nights at sea to luxuriate across the North Atlantic providing time away to disconnect and revitalize. Queen Mary 2 will also make Crossings between New York and Hamburg, Germany in 2023 and 2024.

The Norwegian Fjords on Queen Victoria: roundtrip out of Southampton, June 25 - July 2, 2023, will feature mesmerizing blue fjords and unbelievable waterfalls, with calls at Kristiansand, Bergen, Geiranger, and Haugesund.

For more information about Cunard, or to book a voyage, contact your Travel Consultant, call Cunard Line at 1-800-728-6273 or visit www.cunard.com.