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Relive the spirit of the Renaissance during Brussels’ Carolus V Festival

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From May to September, the Carolus V Festival is an opportunity for Brussels to relive the spirit of the Renaissance. Among the countless activities offered, the talks and guided walks through the capital of Europe let visitors explore the time of Charles V, the most powerful emperor of the 16th century. This year, to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the death of the great Flemish master Bruegel, several new activities have recently been added to the festival’s extensive programme.

The Carolus V Festival programme is part of the cultural network ‘European routes of Emperor Charles V’. This tourist and historical route is recognised by the European Council’s European Institute of Cultural Routes. It reunites the places that marked the reign of Charles V and the cities he passed through.

The heritage and history of Europe in the 16th century are thus highlighted thanks to a series of festive, cultural and family-oriented activities organised in several spaces throughout the Brussels Capital Region. Through tours and outings, visitors relive various aspects of life under the reign of Charles V.

This year, to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the death of the great Flemish master Bruegel, the festival will offer visitors a variety of original exhibitions and activities. This is the perfect occasion to (re)discover the monumental work of the greatest Flemish painter of the 16th century.

Here is a quick snippet of the guided tours and talks from this special year:

GUIDED TOURS

Brussels in the time of Erasmus – FR

From the Petit Sablon square to the Erasmus House garden, this tour allows you to follow in the footsteps of Erasmus and the century in which he lived.
Dates: 22/06 & 21/09 at 2 pm

Bruegel the Elder and the secret of the two keys

Let’s stroll through Brussels where, beginning in 1562, Bruegel lived and created his most beautiful paintings. A true alchemist, did he know the secret of the two keys?
Dates: 14/07 & 08/09 at 2.30 pm

Bruegel and his Marollen – FR

Come on this walking journey and discover the Marollen of the 16th century… and more specifically the protagonist of our artistic culture: Pieter Bruegel.
Date: 02/06 at 2 pm

Charles V and Brussels Golden Age in the Renaissance – FR – EN

Starting at the Place Royal in the Sablon neighbourhood, then moving toward the Grand Place, you can admire parks and churches, palaces or plain facades and the statues and fountains that bring back memories of Charles V.
Dates:
FR: 06/06 at 11 am
EN: 21/06 at 11 am

Behind the scenes at the Ommegang, part 1 – FR

Dive into 1549 with a guide in period costume and find out how the show is put together. We invite you behind the scenes of the Ommegang to witness its frantic preparations.
Date: 09/06 at 2 pm

Habits and customs of the Renaissance: Brussels, a walled city – FR This ‘route’ will lead you from a seigneurial area to a bourgeois area.

Date: 23/06 at 2 pm

Behind the scenes of the Ommegang, part 2 – FR

Two hours before the Ommegang, you can wonder at and experience the last preparations of this commemorative show.
Date: 28/06 at 7 pm

Guided tours. Brussels in the time of Erasmus – EN

From the Petit Sablon square to the Erasmus House garden, this tour allows you to follow in the footsteps of Erasmus and the century in which he lived.
Date: 22/06 at 2 pm

Guided tours of the Erasmus House – FR – NL

As part of the Heritage Days, discover the Erasmus House with our seasoned guides!
Dates: 14 & 15/09, 10 am – 6 pm

For several of these visits, group visits are also available on demand for the duration of the festival (according to availability of guides) in multiple languages (FR, NL, EN, DE, ES), and certain visits in French are adapted for those with vision impairments.

Talks that history enthusiasts will love

During May and June, history buffs can attend talks to better understand the realities of the period and to learn more about Brussels in the time of Bruegel.

Bruegel, a Brussels painter? – FR

It was during the 1560s and in Brussels that Bruegel created the majority of the paintings that we attribute to him today. The awareness of the ties between the artist and the city provide quite a different story about who he was or what the city where he lived and worked was like. It’s shocking how much recent research is providing us with new information on the Brussels of this master. If he did not in fact live where we always suspected he had, it can’t be far off. It is likely that Dull Gret, his most important work preserved in Antwerp, was not made in Antwerp but in Brussels.

Useful information:
Date: 23/05
Time: 6.30 pm
Speaker: Roel Jacobs
Location: Bibliothèque des Riches-Claires – 1000 Bru
Price: Free

Brussels in the time of Bruegel – FR-NL

The 1560s are one of the most important decades in Brussels’ history, and it is also the period in which Pieter Bruegel lived in the city. You will understand how important the city was in Bruegel’s life just by learning about the history of the city during that period.

Useful information: Dates: 20/06 NL
27/06 FR
Speaker: Roel Jacobs Time: 6 pm
Length: 1.5 hours
Price: Free
Location: Maison du Roi – Grand – Place 1000 Bru Info &

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Thank you for flying TAP Air Portugal: Welcome to Tel Aviv

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Israel has about 9 million inhabitants and annually receives more than 4 million visitors. TAP Air Portugal landed its inaugural flight between Lisbon and Israel on time on Sunday night at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.

With this new route, TAP will offer connecting service from the United States via its Lisbon hub. Like all TAP’s “beyond Portugal” destinations, Tel Aviv qualifies for the airline’s stopover program en route.

TAP’s daily flight leaves Lisbon at 2:20 pm and arrives in Tel Aviv at 9:30 pm. From Tel Aviv, flights depart at 5:05 am, arriving in Lisbon at 9:00 am.

One of Israel’s main tourist attractions is the city of Jerusalem, where one can visit holy sites of various religions. Within walking distance are the Holy Sepulcher (Christian), the Wailing Wall (Jewish) and the Mosque of Al-Aqsa (Muslim).

But Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Nazareth, Tiberias, Caesarea, Haifa, the Dead Sea region, and in the Palestinian part, Bethlehem and Jericho, among other points, also have many attractions.

The Portugal Stopover comprises a network of more than 150 partners who provide exclusive offers for Stopover customers for hotels discounts and complimentary experiences such as tuk-tuk tours, visits to museums, dolphin watching in the River Sado and food tastings – even a free bottle of Portuguese wine in participating restaurants.

Travelers can also enjoy a stopover in Lisbon or Porto even if their final destination is in Portugal, such as: Faro (Algarve); Ponta Delgada or Terceira (the Azores); and, Funchal or Porto Santo (Madeira).

Furthermore, Stopover passengers can also create a multi-destination journey, making it will be possible to travel to one destination and return from another. For example, people may choose to fly to Barcelona then return from Seville, but they will still qualify for a stopover in Lisbon or Porto on either their outbound or return travel. Stopover visits are now also available on just one-way travel to Europe or Africa.

TAP will receive 37 new aircraft by the end of this year — and 71 by 2025 — thus becoming the operator of one of the most modern fleets in the world. This renewal and growth of the fleet has allowed TAP to announce new routes and more frequencies. From the United States, new service from San Francisco, Washington DC, and Chicago start in June. TAP has also announced new routes including Naples, Tenerife, Dublin, Basel and Conakry for 2019.

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UNESCO, African Union and Ethiopia Role Model on World Press Freedom?

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Ethiopian Airlines, has been chosen as the Official Carrier for the 2019 World Press Freedom Day Global Conference to be held in Addis Ababa from May 1-3, 2019.

This conference is not without controversy, however.  According to Journalists without Border, terrorism charges have been systematically used against journalists ever since the 2009 terrorism law took effect. The charges carry long jail sentences and allow the authorities to hold journalists without trial for extended periods. There has been no significant improvement since the purges that led to the closure of six newspapers in 2014 and drove around 30 journalists into exile. On the contrary, another six-month state of emergency was proclaimed in February 2018, which the government could again use to arrest critical journalists and ban the public from watching or listening to certain broadcast media. The Internet and social networks are often disconnected while physical and verbal threats, arbitrary trials, and convictions are all used to silence the media.

The conference is jointly organized by UNESCO, the African Union and the Government of Ethiopia under the theme ‘Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation’.

UNESCO Spokesperson Roni Amerlan said: ” The offer by countries to host World Press Freedom Day marks their recognition of the value of the right to press freedom and freedom of expression.

We have often held World Press Freedom Day celebrations in countries in transition and we do not think that we should restrict our support for the recognition of press freedom and their participation in this awareness-raising event to countries which rank at the top of NGOs’ rankings.

Every year, 3 May is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration(link is external) on media pluralism and independence.

At the core of UNESCO’s mandate is freedom of the press and freedom of expression. UNESCO believes that these freedoms allow for mutual understanding to build a sustainable peace.

It serves as an occasion to inform citizens of violations of press freedom – a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even murdered.

It is a date to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of press freedom, and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.

3 May acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. Just as importantly, World Press Freedom Day is a day of support for media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom. It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story.

The 26th celebration of World Press Freedom Day is jointly organized by UNESCO, the African Union Commission and the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The main event will take place in Addis Ababa, on 1 – 3 May at the African Union Headquarters. This year’s theme“Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation”  discusses current challenges faced by media in elections, along with the media’s potential in supporting peace and reconciliation processes.

World Press Freedom Day will also be celebrated worldwide. Events will be organized in several countries to raise awareness about the importance of press freedom and journalists’  safety. More information of events will be available in the Events Map soon.

As the United Nations agency with a specific mandate to promote “the free flow of ideas by word and image”, UNESCO works to foster a free, independent and pluralistic media and the safety of journalists.

As the official carrier, Ethiopian will provide air transport service to the 1000-1500 participants who will be coming to Addis Ababa from around the globe.

Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, remarked, “We are honored to have been chosen to serve as the official carrier for this year’s World Press Freedom Day Global Conference. We are all the more delighted to be part of this noble cause which seeks to advance press freedom around the world.

Global, regional and national media stakeholders, high-level government officials, and journalists from across the globe will take part in the conference which will be held at the African Union Commission headquarters.

https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/worldpressfreedomday

 

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Chairman of IMEX Group honored with EN Pioneer Award

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Ray Bloom, Chairman of the IMEX Group has been honored by Exhibition News with its Pioneer Award.

The Award was presented by Julian Agostini, Managing Director of Mash Media at the EN Awards held in Battersea Evolution, London on 22 March 2019.

Before the announcement, Nicola Macdonald explained the criteria for the Pioneer Award. She said that the exhibition industry is full of inspiring entrepreneurs, individuals who are innovative, risky and brave, who trust their intuition, possess incredible foresight, exude self-belief and most of all, have a will to succeed.

She continued, saying that as the winner of the Exhibition News Pioneer Award, Ray Bloom has displayed all these qualities and opened the door to tomorrow’s world, while growing the industry to the benefit of all. He has innovated and inspired throughout a long career in the exhibition industry. She added that he was a visionary, creating events for events people and pioneering the hosted buyer program which is now widely used in the industry.

Nicola Macdonald concluded “Ray is a true pioneer of the exhibition industry, growing truly global, trailblazing events while still remaining the approachable, personable and passionate face of the brand. We were thrilled to recognize him for his lifelong contribution to the industry at the 13th EN Awards.”

After the presentation of the Award Ray Bloom said; “This is totally unexpected. It means an enormous amount. When you’ve been working in the industry for 30 years to be recognized by your peers is very gratifying. I feel greatly honored tonight. I’d like to thank Exhibition News very much, and the IMEX team and all our industry partners, friends and colleagues for their tremendous support over many years.”

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Indian tourism trade delegation explores France’s tourism potential at ‘Rendezvous en France’

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The Indian trade delegation that is currently in France to attend the annual show Rendezvous en France 2019 organised by Atout France has been exploring the potential of regions yet unfamiliar to the Indian travelers.

The 32-member delegation hosted by Atout France India includes tour operators from Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bengaluru.

The regions that the Indian delegates found appealing for their clients include Provence and the Rhône-Alpes.

The two-day show is being held in Marseille this year to promote the region in the international markets.

About 915 tour operators from 73 different countries are attending this B2B travel show, one of the biggest trade events in France.

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Tourisme Montréal celebrates excellence, pays tribute to Air Canada’s Calin Rovinescu

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Leaders from Montréal’s tourism industry were honored yesterday at the Distinction Awards, an annual gala celebrating innovative business strategies. The event, which took place at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, was organized by Tourisme Montréal and presented by Air Canada.

“Tourisme Montréal wishes to commend its industry partners for their outstanding work. Thanks to them, Montréal is considered one of the most attractive urban destinations in North America and is known around the world for being an open, vibrant and creative city,” said Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal.

The event included a special tribute to Calin Rovinescu, President and CEO of Air Canada. Under his leadership, Canada’s leading air carrier has increased Montréal’s international connections, making it one of the world’s top 50 megahubs.

The 2018 winners are:

Bill Brown Leader of Tomorrow Award: Angèle Vermette, Guidatour
Tourism or Hotel Management Student Award: Alexandra-Jade Girard, ITHQ
Concierge Award: Yannis Triantafyllou, Hôtel Le St-James
Hospitality Award: Hôtel Monville
Destination Marketing Award – Under 50 employees: Festival MURAL
Destination Marketing Award – Over 50 employees: Festival International de Jazz
Innovation Award – Under 50 employees: MU
Innovation Award – Over 50 employees: Phi Centre
Business Meetings and Conventions Award: Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth
Synergy Award: MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE and ITHQ
Museum Award – Over 50,000 visitors: Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex
Sports Tourism Development Award: Olympic Park
Special Tribute: Calin Rovinescu, President and CEO of Air Canada, member of the Order of Canada

The Distinction Awards were made possible thanks to support from the following partners: Air Canada, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Aéroports de Montréal, Le Journal de Montréal, Re Le Traiteur, Colette Grand Café, Restaurant Le XVI XVI, and the students of LaSalle College.

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Trump appoints former Delta Air Lines executive new FAA chief

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Former chief of flight operations for Delta Air Lines was appointed by President Trump to run the Federal Aviation Administration, currently under scrutiny for allowing the troubled Boeing 737 MAX 8 to carry passengers.

Steve Dickson, who spent 27 years with Delta before retiring in October as senior vice president of flight ops, is joining the agency in the midst of its most turbulent period in recent history, with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao having requested an audit of its certification of the aircraft, two of which have been involved in horrific crashes over the past five months.

While Dickson’s name had reportedly been under consideration since November, Trump allowed the FAA to go without an official head for over a year following the end of Obama-era agency chief Michael Huerta’s term. Daniel Elwell, who led the FAA under George W. Bush, has been running the agency in an interim capacity without being confirmed by the Senate.

The man from Delta will be the first FAA head in three decades to have come directly to the job from a senior airline position – something of a pattern for Trump, who has recruited a number of cabinet members from the ranks of corporate America to staff the agencies tasked with regulating their former employers. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, who previously worked for Boeing, is just one such appointment.

The FAA is under fire for allowing Boeing to conduct crucial parts of its own safety testing and certification process. A group of current and former engineers from both the regulator and the aircraft manufacturer claims the FAA merely took Boeing’s word that their new plane was safe – an oversight that other countries then allegedly magnified by conducting only minimal testing of their own, assuming the US watchdog wouldn’t have certified an unsafe aircraft. Boeing is also accused of “cutting corners” to quickly certify the plane in order to compete with the new Airbus A320 Neo – between them, Airbus and Boeing comprise the lion’s share of all passenger airliners – and of failing to properly train pilots to work with the onboard systems.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed earlier this month shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi, killing all 157 people on board after diving unexpectedly into a field. It was the second Boeing 737 Max 8 to meet such a fate in under six months, and investigators have pointed to “clear similarities” between this crash and the Lion Air Flight 610 disaster in October, which killed 189 people.

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