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Visa waiver leads to spike in bookings to Brazil

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Brazil’s visa waiver policy announced in March is already generating positive results. Recent data from a study done by Amadeus Group shows a significant increase in the number of reservations made in the United States, as well as in Canada, Japan and Australia, the other three other countries benefiting from the new policy. Amadeus is one of the 10 largest technology companies in the world and one of the three largest in the travel segment.

In the United States, the increase was 53% in the number of trips confirmed for June and 97% in July compared to the same period of last year. In Canada, growth was 86% for June, 54% for July and, expressive, 135% for August this year.

“The numbers show that visa exemptions for strategic countries are a good measure, which generates jobs and income in Brazil. It is time for the country to take advantage of all its tourism potential”, said Marcelo Alvaro Antonio, the Brazilian Minister of Tourism.

Here are some suggestions of amazing destinations in Brazil for all tastes:

• Historic Cities: If you like your vacations with a heavy dose of culture, Brazil should definitely be on your list. We have several historic cities, with a heritage dating back to its colonial period. In Minas Gerais State, you can find cities like Ouro Preto and Diamantina – the center of gold mining in Brazil in the 18th century. In the Northeast state of Bahia, you will find Salvador, the first capital of Brazil, and a city that also has a rich history of its African heritage. A few miles from Salvador, in the State of Pernambuco, you will find the city of Olinda. Founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century, the city is linked to the sugar cane industry, with gorgeous Baroque churches, convents, and views to die for.

• Sun and Beach: With more than four thousand miles of coast, its exuberant nature bordering the beaches with coconut trees, and tropical forests, Brazil has options for all travelers looking to spend time outdoors. Most know the famous urban beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis or Fortaleza, but there are also small beach towns like Trancoso, Boipeba, and Jericoacoara that can offer unique spots to get a tan. You can even find a stretch of sand in the Amazon, in the beaches near Manaus, along the Rio Negro.

• National Parks: Brazil’s natural beauties go beyond beaches and forests. The country is also blessed with great diversity, which includes waterfalls, canyons, wetlands and many different types of ecosystems throughout its many national parks. Think- Iguazu Falls, one of the most important forest reserves in South America. Another highlight is the Pantanal, in the central region of the country, home to hundreds of endangered species. And of course, the Amazon Rainforest.

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The future of flight: UN aviation agency looking for new designs and concepts

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The United Nations (UN) International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has launched the Aviation Innovation Competitions and is looking for ideas, concepts, and prototypes from the next generation of aviation innovators.

The three competitions, managed by ICAO and supported by Transport Canada commemorate the agency’s 75th anniversary this year. Participants will be highlighted on ICAO’s digital content platforms, and global winners in each category will win grand prizes of $1000, $2000 and $5000. The global winner of the prototypes competition will also win a trip to Montréal to receive their award.

Submissions from elementary students, high school students and young adults must be uploaded by June 30, 2019.

Quote

“Canada is proud of its long-standing relationship with ICAO as Host State, and as an active member of the ICAO Council. Throughout 2019, we join ICAO and its other Member States in celebrating flight and the crucial importance of air connectivity worldwide. On this special milestone of its 75th anniversary, I am pleased to support ICAO’s Aviation Innovation Competitions and I encourage all young Canadians to apply.”

The Honorable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

Quick Facts

•Proudly hosted by Canada in Montréal, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world.

•ICAO sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency, capacity and environmental protection, amongst many other priorities.

•Canada is one of 193 Member States and is also a member of the 36-member ICAO Council.

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New US Cuban sanctions target tourism, remittances and banking

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The US is targeting Cuba with additional sanctions, including restricting travel to the island nation, limiting remittances, and sanctioning additional entities, White House national security adviser John Bolton said.

US citizens sending remittances to Cuba will be limited t $1,000 per person per quarter, Bolton said on Wednesday. Non-family travel will be restricted to reduce “veiled tourism” that benefits the Cuban government and military, he added.

“Through the Treasury Department, we will also implement changes to end the use of ‘U-turn transactions,’ which allow the regime to circumvent sanctions and obtain access to hard currency and the US banking system,” Bolton said in a speech to veterans of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, when Cuban exiles tried to overthrow Fidel Castro’s regime.

The move comes a day after the White House announced it would stop issuing waivers on implementing the Helms-Burton law, which would penalize anyone in the world who did business with Cuban entities using property seized from US owners following the 1959 Cuban revolution.

Treasury has not officially announced the new sanctions, but Bolton said five entities will be added to the Cuban blacklist, including the military-owned airline Aerogaviota.

The US cut diplomatic ties with Cuba in 1961, and over the following decades imposed a wide range of sanctions on the island nation, just 90 miles south of Florida. Former president Barack Obama sought to soften the US policy in 2015, leading to the reopening of the US and Cuban embassies and loosening of travel restrictions.

In June 2017, however, Trump rolled back all of Obama’s changes, returning to a hardline policy on Cuba. Additional sanctions were introduced this year, as Trump administration has accused Cuba of and its military of occupying Venezuela and helping Nicolas Maduro’s regime to stay in power.

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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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Malta, where Game of Thrones all began, plays host to the 5th Annual Valletta Film Festival

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Malta, the first location for Season One of  Game of Thrones, plays host to the annual  Valletta Film Festival (VFF), June 14-23, presented by the Film Grain Foundation. This year will mark the Fifth Anniversary of this exciting film lovers’ event. During the ten-day event, Valletta will be transformed into a live cinema with screenings and events taking place in historic buildings and outdoor venues including Pjazza Teatru Rjal and Pjazza San Ġorġ. Over the years, the streets of Valletta hosted various international productions like World War Z, Assassin’s Creed, The Count of Monte Cristo, Game of Thrones and Murder on the Orient Express.

Pjazza Teatru Rjal/Photo courtesy of Film Grain Foundation – Ali Tollervey

The VFF attracts more than 10,000 visitors and is the largest cinematic event in Malta. “What makes Malta a unique setting for a film festival is that the Maltese Islands themselves are world famous for film production,” said Oliver Mallia, Co-Founder and Co-Director with Slavko Vukanovic, both film producers in their own right. “Movie buffs can visit locations used for the sets of such headliners as the Game of Thrones, and blockbuster films including Gladiator and Troy.”

Malta offers Valletta Film Festival goers a transformative experience, witnessing where major blockbusters have been filmed while at the same time watching a number of Europe’s newest films. The festival will screen over forty feature films, twenty-four short films, and organizes many different master classes and workshops.

Pjazza San Ġorġ/Photo courtesy of Film Grain Foundation – Ali Tollervey

VFF 2019 will introduce the first Cinema of Small Nations Competition open to feature-length and short films from small countries in Europe and the Middle East. This competition will put a spotlight on the reality of cinema in small nations, and will highlight the abundance of talent and creativity that is often seen in films produced by filmmakers in these countries.

Michelle Buttigieg, Malta Tourism Authority representative in North America, noted “Film Tourism is trending and very popular with American and Canadian tourists who love to travel for film festivals as well as visit the locations of their favorite movies or TV Series. Malta’s movie sets include the iconic Popeye’s Village which is still one the Islands’ most popular tourist attractions, to the hottest HBO show, Game of Thrones, which started in Malta.”

For the VFF 2019 #VFF5 program visit https://www.vallettafilmfestival.com/

To purchase VFF 2019 passes visit https://www.vallettafilmfestival.com/2019-festival-pass-tickets/

About Malta

The sunny islands of Malta, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, are home to a most remarkable concentration of intact built heritage, including the highest density of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in any nation-state anywhere.  Valletta built by the proud Knights of St. John is one of the UNESCO sites and was the European Capital of Culture for 2018. Malta’s patrimony in stone ranges from the oldest free-standing stone architecture in the world, to one of the British Empire’s most formidable defensive systems, and includes a rich mix of domestic, religious and military architecture from the ancient, medieval and early modern periods. With superbly sunny weather, attractive beaches, a thriving nightlife and 7,000 years of intriguing history, there is a great deal to see and do.

MTA US Editorial Contact:

The Bradford Group

Karen Hoffman/ Bianca Pappas

Tel: (212) 447-0027

Fax: (212) 725 8253

E-mail: info@bradfordglobalmarketing.com

Marthinus van Schalkwyk: New South African High Commissioner to Australia

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News broke during World Travel Market Africa in Cape Town that effective Monday, April 15, Marthinus van Schalkwyk will transfer from Athens to Australia for the next four years as High Commissioner (Ambassador).

The tourism trade in South Africa and from the World of Tourism remember fondly Marthinus van Schalkwyk from his years as the Minister of Tourism of South Africa.

On April 29, 2004 Van Schalkwyk was appointed by President Thabo Mbeki as Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism for South Africa. He held the position until May 2009, when a new Ministry of Water and Environmental Affairs was created and he became Minister of Tourism.

Van Schalkwyk became President of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in June 2008, when South Africa assumed the presidency of AMCEN at the beginning of its 12th Session.

In its annual review of ministerial performance for 2013. the Mail and Guardian honored his significant contributions as Tourism Minister.

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Hong Kong remains world’s priciest housing market

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Hong Kong has kept the crown as the most expensive city to buy property in, while two other Chinese cities also made the top five list, according to new research that covers 35 cities around the globe.

The average price of property in the southeastern Chinese city, infamous for its unaffordability, is more than $1.2 million, which is 5.5 percent more than last year’s cost, real estate consultant CBRE said in the fifth edition of its Global Living report. Meanwhile, the price of buying an average prime property stands at nearly $6.9 million, making it the champion for luxury housing as well.

Last year’s hotspots managed to keep their positions in the rating, with Singapore coming in second, followed by Shanghai and Vancouver, with the average home costing between $815,000 and $874,000.

Shenzhen, a new addition to the report, took the fifth place and became the third Chinese city in the top five. The city is the tech capital of China and is located just 30 kilometers from the world’s most expensive urban center. It hosts the headquarters of many international and Chinese businesses, including Huawei, ZTE and Tencent.

Los Angeles, New York, London, Beijing, and Paris also made the top ten list of the world’s most expensive cities.

Hong Kong’s property market has long been known for its unaffordable prices. In June 2018, it achieved a world record with a single parking space being bought for a whopping $760,000.

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American Airlines to keep its Boeing 737 MAX jets grounded until August

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American Airlines has chosen to keep its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX grounded until at least August 19, even if it means canceling 115 flights a day in summer season, as probes into the troubled jet continue and new sales have frozen.

The company, which owns 24 of the embattled jets that were involved in two recent deadly crashes, announced the decision in a letter to employees and customers. AA wants to ensure reliability “for the peak travel season and provide confidence to our customers and team members when it comes to their travel plans,” Chief Executive Doug Parker and President Robert Isom wrote.

The 737 MAX 8 airliners were grounded worldwide after a fatal crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight, which killed 157 people on board. The incident came months after a crash of the same model operated by Lion Air was apparently linked to the same faulty flight control system.

Parker and Isom have at the same time expressed confidence in Boeing’s ability to fix the problem through software updates and changes to pilot training procedures. The US airline has 24 MAX planes in its fleet and is expected to get 16 more delivered this year. The grounding has already resulted in the cancelation of about 90 flights per day through early June, and the extension may put a strain on American’s ability to meet demand for seats during upcoming peak travel season. As many as 115 daily flights will have to be canceled in August, according to the letter.

The crashes have left Boeing open to criticism over the way it certified the fast-selling model, conducting some of the tests in-house with the permission of the Federal Aviation Authority. Critics say the producer cut corners to fast-track the new model to the market, compromising flight safety as a result.

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France remains world’s top tourist destination despite ‘Yellow Vests’ nuisance

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According to France’s national statistics institute (INSEE), the number of nights foreign tourists spent in the country’s hotels, campsites and youth hostels reached 438.2 million, marking an increase of nine million visitors against the previous year.

Neither torched shops, nor tear gas on the Champs Elysées during the months of Yellow Vest protests could deprive France of remaining the world’s most visited country by tourists, breaking another record in 2018.

The report excludes numbers for home-sharing platforms such as Airbnb.

The impressive growth was seen in a year “marked by large-scale nationwide social movements on two occasions,” including two months of rolling rail strikes between April to June, and the Yellow Vest demonstrations that started in late November against fuel prices, the high cost of living and tax reforms.

Despite political upheaval in the final months, last year delivered a promising outlook for the country’s tourism industry. In December, the Yellow Vests crisis put a dent in tourism with the number of travelers visiting France falling by 1.1 percent. In Paris alone, the protests dragged down the number of visitors by 5.3 percent.

Among the most visited sights are the Paris-based Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Louvre Museum, as well as the Palace of Versailles.

The rise is largely thanks to non-EU tourists. Visits from the US rose by 16 percent, while arrivals from Japan saw an 18 percent increase.

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Brussels Tourism: A street art trail about Bruegel

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visit.brussels, in collaboration with the Brussels collective Farm Prod has been working on a street art trail to pay homage to the Flemish old master Pieter Bruegel right in the heart of the Belgian capital. Visitors will be able to see a first work by the French artist Lazoo in the Marolles neighburhood, while finishing touches are being put to another on the Rue Baron Horta.

Brussels and Bruegel are inextricably linked. The artist spent most of his life in Brussels, where he is also buried. Brussels was a great source of inspiration for Bruegel, in fact twothirds of his works were painted here. His influential patrons lived in Mont des Arts, a short walk from his house. Today, it houses a significant part of Bruegel’s work. After the Kunsthistorisches Museum of Vienna, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium have the largest collection of Bruegel’s paintings and the Royal Library has no less than 90 engravings.

Brussels had to dedicate a number of events to this world-renowned artist to mark the 450th anniversary of his death. visit.brussels, in collaboration with the collective Farm Prod, has also paid homage to Pieter Bruegel by developing a street art trail in the heart of the city. The route takes in institutions, passing through places with some notable Bruegel connections (historical links and permanent collections, etc.).

A first glimpse of the work on this trail can already be seen on Rue Haute, close to the Porte de Halle. It is a work by the French artist Lazoo, inspired by the “The Wedding Dance”. A second monumental work is currently in progress, close to BOZAR on the Rue Baron Horta.

From mid-June onward, at least eleven frescoes, also painted by artists forming part of the collective together with famous invited artists, will be able to be admired along the trail. A great opportunity to discover Bruegel in a different light.

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