Top Gulf diplomats were in Washington Tuesday as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sought to help resolve the stubborn Qatar crisis, amid concerns that Saudi Arabia's unyielding stance could foil the effort.
With a one-week Saudi deadline looming for Qatar to meet its demands, Tillerson had talks with Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
He quickly followed that with a meeting with Kuwait Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah, whose country has taken on the official role of mediator.
And he was planning to meet in a working dinner late Tuesday with the Kuwaitis and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who has offered to help resolve the row.
But Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, also in Washington, was unbudging over the three-week-old squabble, which has left Qatar, a US ally, isolated under a trade and diplomatic embargo set by its Gulf Arab neighbors.
Our demands on Qatar are non-negotiable. It's now up to Qatar to end its support for extremism and terrorism, Jubeir said via Twitter.
With the support of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain, the Saudis announced on June 5 they were suspending all ties with Qatar, accusing it of support for extremist groups,a claim Doha denies.
They closed their airspace to Qatari carriers and blocked the emirate's only land border, a vital route for its food imports.
Last week Riyadh laid down a list of 13 demands for Qatar, included the closure of Al-Jazeera, a downgrade of diplomatic ties with Iran and the shutdown of a Turkish military base in the emirate.
The United Arab Emirates warned that Qatar should take the demands seriously or face "divorce" from its Gulf neighbors.
The dispute between two groups of allies, Turkey and Iraq have backed Qatar has laid down a hefty challenge for Tillerson, a seasoned oil executive but new to statecraft.
While initially stepping back from what it viewed as a regional spat that would sort itself out, Washington has accepted that it will have to take an active role in resolving what has the makings of a foreign policy disaster for the young government of President Donald Trump.
Washington has close economic and security ties with both sides of the quarrel.
Qatar is home to the largest US base in the region, Al-Udeid. Bahrain is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. And the US and Saudi militaries work closely together as well.
Kuwait is the official arbitrator for seeking a settlement, and after meeting al-Sabah, Tillerson pledged his support for its lead in talks.
During their meeting they reaffirmed the need for all parties to exercise restraint to allow for productive diplomatic discussions, according to spokeswoman Heather Nauert.
But the US will be central to finding compromises that would do little damage but allow each side to claim a win, said Hussein Ibish, a scholar on Gulf affairs at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
It's an all-out struggle of wills, he said.
The way out for both sides is a kind of an American mediation which is face-saving for everybody.
The United States has cautioned that some of the demands would be difficult for Qatar to accept, asking the Saudis for a clear list of grievances that are reasonable and actionable.
Nauert said that talks would continue through the week, but added the Saudi demands remained challenging for Qatar.
Some of them will be difficult for Qatar to incorporate and to try to adhere to, she said.
We continue to call on those countries to work together and work this out.
Tourism, Travel, Hospitality, Conservation: News,Stories And Experiences From Allover The World
Showing posts with label usa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label usa. Show all posts
Friday, 30 June 2017
Wednesday, 17 May 2017
USA: Travel From Middle East To USA drops
President Trump’s suspended travel ban has had a direct effect on travel to the United States from the Middle East.
The Airlines Reporting Corporation reports planned travel to the United States from the region is down 5.77 percent since Trump began efforts to temporarily ban visitors from half a dozen Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Given the back-and-forth on the executive orders and the court challenges we’re not sure yet where that’s going to shake out — I think that uncertainty for travelers that have discretion is leading them to say, “Well, maybe this year, we’ll go to a different destination,” said Chuck Thackston, managing director of enterprise information, ARC.
Customers purchased 383,154 fares from the Middle East to the United States during the first quarter of 2017 compared to 406,611 fares in the same period in 2016.
Surprisingly, average fares from the Middle East to the United States increased considerably this year.
While the United States hosts fewer travelers from the Middle East, visitors pay an average airfare of $1,026.28 — up nearly $200 from $857.48 last year.
Data shows the number of trips to the United States continues to climb, but the rate of growth has fallen, dropping to 5 percent in the first quarter of 2017, compared to 85 percent during the same period in 2016.
A recent poll conducted by Brand USA, a tourism marketing agency, shows travelers of 11 countries not included in Trump’s executive order are less likely to visit the United States due to the changing political climate compared to last year.
Another recent study conducted by Virtuoso, a luxury travel network, noted a similar finding that 42 percent of affiliated travel advisors outside the United States said their clients are avoiding travel because of multiple factors, including opposition to U.S. foreign policy and concerns over obtaining visas.
The Airlines Reporting Corporation reports planned travel to the United States from the region is down 5.77 percent since Trump began efforts to temporarily ban visitors from half a dozen Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Given the back-and-forth on the executive orders and the court challenges we’re not sure yet where that’s going to shake out — I think that uncertainty for travelers that have discretion is leading them to say, “Well, maybe this year, we’ll go to a different destination,” said Chuck Thackston, managing director of enterprise information, ARC.
Customers purchased 383,154 fares from the Middle East to the United States during the first quarter of 2017 compared to 406,611 fares in the same period in 2016.
Surprisingly, average fares from the Middle East to the United States increased considerably this year.
While the United States hosts fewer travelers from the Middle East, visitors pay an average airfare of $1,026.28 — up nearly $200 from $857.48 last year.
Data shows the number of trips to the United States continues to climb, but the rate of growth has fallen, dropping to 5 percent in the first quarter of 2017, compared to 85 percent during the same period in 2016.
A recent poll conducted by Brand USA, a tourism marketing agency, shows travelers of 11 countries not included in Trump’s executive order are less likely to visit the United States due to the changing political climate compared to last year.
Another recent study conducted by Virtuoso, a luxury travel network, noted a similar finding that 42 percent of affiliated travel advisors outside the United States said their clients are avoiding travel because of multiple factors, including opposition to U.S. foreign policy and concerns over obtaining visas.
Friday, 28 April 2017
SPAIN: Emirates To Fly Only A380 To Spain
Emirates today announced that all of its flights to Spain will be operated by the iconic A380.
In addition to the existing double daily A380 service to Barcelona, the airline will operate a double daily A380 service to Madrid, significantly boosting seat capacity from Dubai to Spain.
This change enables more A380 to A380 connections to and from key business and leisure destinations such as Australia, China, South Korea and South East Asia with just one stop in Dubai.
Commencing 1st September 2017, Emirates flights EK143/144 will be operated by an Airbus A380 aircraft in a 3-class configuration with 14 Private Suites in First Class, 76 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 399 comfortable seats in Economy Class.
Passengers in all classes will enjoy access to Wi-Fi and over 2,500 channels of films, TV shows, music and games, with an impressive selection in Spanish, through ice Digital Widescreen, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.
They will also experience the famed hospitality of the airline’s multi-cultural cabin crew, with Spanish speakers on all flights to and from Spain, as well as fine wines and regionally inspired cuisine prepared using the finest ingredients.
What’s more, First and Business Class passengers can travel to and from the airport in style with Emirates complimentary Chauffeur-drive service as well as enjoy Emirates exclusive lounges at select airports around the world.
Once on board, passengers in premium class seating receive a luxurious amenity kit featuring Italian-made Bulgari products and can enjoy the Emirates Onboard Lounge; First Class passengers can also take advantage of the Emirates Shower Spa to freshen up.
Emirates’ flight EK143 departs from Dubai International Airport at 14:30hrs and arrives in Madrid at 20:20hrs. The outbound flight EK144 departs from Madrid at 22:05hrs and arrives in Dubai at 07:15hrs the following day.
The airline currently operates two daily services between Dubai and Madrid, as well as a double daily A380 service between Barcelona and Dubai.
From the airport, Emirates also enables seamless rail connections from Barcelona and Madrid to 25 cities across Spain through its partnership with Renfe rail.
The links between Madrid and Emirates extend far beyond the airline’s double daily service. Emirates has been a proud sponsor of Real Madrid since 2011.
Through its SkyCargo division, Emirates also facilitates the import and export of key products, connecting Spanish companies to the world.
In 2016, Emirates transported over 70,000 tonnes of cargo from Spain including: apparel, food products like fish and olive oil, pharmaceuticals and shoes; bound for the UAE, Africa, Hong Kong, USA, Australia and Mexico.
In addition to its four daily passenger flights, Emirates also operates dedicated cargo flights with its freighter aircraft to both Barcelona and Zaragoza.
Earlier this month, Emirates was recognised as the ‘Best Airline in the World’ at the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for airlines.
The award was based on thousands of reviews Emirates received from the TripAdvisor community over the past twelve months. Emirates was the most positively reviewed airline in the industry over that period of time.
In addition to the existing double daily A380 service to Barcelona, the airline will operate a double daily A380 service to Madrid, significantly boosting seat capacity from Dubai to Spain.
This change enables more A380 to A380 connections to and from key business and leisure destinations such as Australia, China, South Korea and South East Asia with just one stop in Dubai.
Commencing 1st September 2017, Emirates flights EK143/144 will be operated by an Airbus A380 aircraft in a 3-class configuration with 14 Private Suites in First Class, 76 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 399 comfortable seats in Economy Class.
Passengers in all classes will enjoy access to Wi-Fi and over 2,500 channels of films, TV shows, music and games, with an impressive selection in Spanish, through ice Digital Widescreen, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.
They will also experience the famed hospitality of the airline’s multi-cultural cabin crew, with Spanish speakers on all flights to and from Spain, as well as fine wines and regionally inspired cuisine prepared using the finest ingredients.
What’s more, First and Business Class passengers can travel to and from the airport in style with Emirates complimentary Chauffeur-drive service as well as enjoy Emirates exclusive lounges at select airports around the world.
Once on board, passengers in premium class seating receive a luxurious amenity kit featuring Italian-made Bulgari products and can enjoy the Emirates Onboard Lounge; First Class passengers can also take advantage of the Emirates Shower Spa to freshen up.
Emirates’ flight EK143 departs from Dubai International Airport at 14:30hrs and arrives in Madrid at 20:20hrs. The outbound flight EK144 departs from Madrid at 22:05hrs and arrives in Dubai at 07:15hrs the following day.
The airline currently operates two daily services between Dubai and Madrid, as well as a double daily A380 service between Barcelona and Dubai.
From the airport, Emirates also enables seamless rail connections from Barcelona and Madrid to 25 cities across Spain through its partnership with Renfe rail.
The links between Madrid and Emirates extend far beyond the airline’s double daily service. Emirates has been a proud sponsor of Real Madrid since 2011.
Through its SkyCargo division, Emirates also facilitates the import and export of key products, connecting Spanish companies to the world.
In 2016, Emirates transported over 70,000 tonnes of cargo from Spain including: apparel, food products like fish and olive oil, pharmaceuticals and shoes; bound for the UAE, Africa, Hong Kong, USA, Australia and Mexico.
In addition to its four daily passenger flights, Emirates also operates dedicated cargo flights with its freighter aircraft to both Barcelona and Zaragoza.
Earlier this month, Emirates was recognised as the ‘Best Airline in the World’ at the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for airlines.
The award was based on thousands of reviews Emirates received from the TripAdvisor community over the past twelve months. Emirates was the most positively reviewed airline in the industry over that period of time.
Friday, 9 December 2016
CROATIA: Dubrovnik Tourism Growing Rapidly
According to the latest statistics it could well be. November saw a record number of tourists visit the famous stone-walled city in southern Dalmatia.
According to E-visitor 21,632 tourists visited Dubrovnik in November 2016, which is 32% more tourists than in the same month in 2015. Overnight stays, a key measure in tourism, were also up 27% with 50,842 recorded.
In November it was tourists from Croatia, Albania, USA, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Korea, Japan Taiwan, United Kingdom, Germany and Slovenia who made up the majority of 21,632 arrivals.
Dubrovnik is becoming an attractive destination outside the summer months, confirmed by the fact that all year direct flight connections from Frankfurt, Istanbul and London have been established and strengthened.
From 1 January to 30 November 2016 Dubrovnik recorded 1,017,756 arrivals (including nautical tourism numbers), which was 12% more than in the same period last year. Overnight stays (3.6 million) were up 13% from 2015.
The most tourists in 2016 in Dubrovnik came from the UK, followed by Germany, USA, France, Croatia, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Australia and Italy.
Monday, 25 July 2016
LATVIA: Riga Will Host Baltic Connecting 2016
The aim of the international tourism forum "Baltic Connecting" is to inform tourism industry professionals about tourism opportunities in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, by acquainting them with the tourism offers and services in the region, as well as create the opportunity for foreign tourism professionals to meet with potential cooperation partners in the Baltics and establish new contacts.
For the first time “Baltic Connecting 2016” will focus on the growing significance of long-haul markets, inviting to the Baltic region travel trade professionals from Japan, USA, China and South Korea.
The largest and most important event in the Baltics for tourism professionals "Baltic Connecting 2016" will be organized for the 10th time. The event will gather travel trade representatives to promote Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian tourism products and acquire new business contacts.
The programme will include: a workshop (4.10.2016 Latvia), consisting of destination presentations, scheduled individual B2B meetings and networking with Baltic travel agents and professionals from the different fields of the tourism industry, as well as socializing with representatives of travel companies from long-haul markets; international tourism conference(4.10.2016 Latvia) focusing on market trends, destination marketing and cooperation in attracting tourists from distant markets and study trips to Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania (05.-08.10.2016) for travel trade professionals from long-haul markets, with the aim of introducing the attendees to the diverse tourism opportunities in the region.
Monday, 30 May 2016
SOUTH AFRICA: Lufthansa Flying From Frankfurt To Cape Town Direct - 2 December 2016,
Dr André Schulz, Lufthansa General Manager for Southern Africa, speaking at a media briefing in Cape Town, says the city will now boast services to both Lufthansa Hubs, Munich & Frankfurt.
The new route will start 2 December 2016, with the long-term view to make the route permanent, according to Schulz, complimenting the year-round daily flights from Johannesburg. Added to this, Edelweiss the Swiss Leisure carrier is expected to continue seasonal flights to Zurich.
Flights will depart from Frankfurt every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday - with bookings available immediately for these flights from Friday, 27 May 2016, either through the Lufthansa website or through travel agents.
Tourist arrivals to South Africa in 2016 are already on the up and up as the department of tourism just announced an 18.7%, with Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom cautioning that Easter in March would have had an impact - but the seasonal flights increases will bode well for tourism as a whole.
According to the latest StatSA figures released for the first quarter of 2016, 36 759 visitors from Germany came to SA in for the first quarter, while a comparison between movements in March 2015 and March 2016 shows that the number of tourists increased for seven of the ten leading overseas markets into the country - these being China, Belgium, USA, UK, India, France and Germany.
'Night service to off best possible options to access connections'
Schulz says the flight will operate as a night service with Lufthansa choosing the departure and arrival times carefully to offer travellers the "Best possible options to access connections to the entire Lufthansa route network.”
Flight LH576 leaves Lufthansa's Frankfurt hub at 22:10 and arrives in Cape Town the following morning at 11:00. The return journey departs from Cape Town in the early evening at 18:30 and touches down in Frankfurt the following morning at 05:30, where passengers can access Lufthansa’s entire flight program from its main hub. In total, the Lufthansa Group serves 316 destinations in 101 countries from its hubs in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Lufthansa currently operates a year-round daily flight between Frankfurt and Johannesburg with the Boeing 747-8, the next generation of the iconic Jumbo jet, the longest passenger aircraft in the world. In addition, Swiss International Airlines serves Johannesburg from its Zurich base, offering a daily service with an Airbus A340-300.
“After Johannesburg, Cape Town is one of the most important markets for the Lufthansa Group in Southern Africa and the new gateway will offer our customers access to some 200 destinations from the Frankfurt hub. It also unlocks new tourism opportunities for those coming in from Germany by offering attractive combination options to other destinations in Southern Africa through our Star Alliance partners," says Schulz.
The Cape Town route will be served by a newly retrofitted Airbus A340-300, which boasts over 279 seats and offers the new Intercontinental Business Class (30), new Premium Economy (28) Class and Economy Class (221).
“South Africa remains one of our most important markets in sub-Saharan Africa and a key destination for German as well as other European visitors. We are thrilled to continue building bridges between the Lufthansa Group and the South African tourist industry, says Claus Becker, Director of Sales, sub Saharan Africa.
Added to this, Lufthansa said it would be looking to have a competitive outbound offering for South Africa headed to Frankfurt. "Germany’s central position in Europe makes it an excellent point of departure for business or leisure trips, from the largest Star Alliance hub in Europe,” he added.
In addition to the new SA flight route, the airline is looking to added capacity to its current three flights in Nairobi, Kenya increasing it to four flights a week from 1 September 2016.
Earlier in May, Lufthansa's low-cost carrier EuroWings also launched non-stop flight to the popular holiday destination of Mauritius. Eurowings, which was launched in the beginning of March 2015, will offer year round service from Cologne to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport during the European Summer and Winter Seasons. With the arrival of Swiss leisure carrier Edelweiss in October, Lufthansa will serve Mauritius with four brands from Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
Locally, the Western Cape area’s tourism industry is ecstatic about Lufthansa’s additional frequencies into the region.
“This new Lufthansa route will have a positive impact on business and tourism in the Cape,” says Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro, the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape.
“Germany is a priority market as our third-largest source of foreign direct investment, and the third biggest buyer of our products outside of Africa." Cape Town Air Access, a division of Wesgro says it is "actively working on making the direct Frankfurt - Cape Town route a success through publicity, market awareness, and networking opportunities".
“German tourist arrivals are growing rapidly, so we are very pleased that Lufthansa added Frankfurt to their existing seasonal direct daily Munich service. With this additional capacity we expect that Cape Town International Airport will easily reach the 10 million passenger milestone this year”.
Another recent addition as part of the direct route access to Cape Town includes British Airways' direct flights between Cape Town and Gatwick, set to start 24 November. Added to this British Airways has added two more flights to its already expanded Cape Town summer schedule, bringing the number of summer flights between Cape Town International and Heathrow Airport to 19 per week.
Deon Cloete, the General Manager of Cape Town International Airport, also welcomed the announcement. “This additional service from Lufthansa is not only good news for the airport or the region, but particularly for those who need a directly flight to Frankfurt. We value the partnership and the ongoing commitment Lufthansa has made in growing their service and thereby providing connectivity to the rest of the world. This is a huge vote of confidence in our city and we look forward to the continued partnership.”
Flight schedule (all times are local times;winter time) for FRA - CPT 3 times a week
- Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, from 02.12.2016
- LH576: FRA 22:10 – 11:00 +1 CPT
- LH577: CPT 18:30 – 05:30 +1 FRA
Flight duration: (on average) 11 hours 50 minutes
Distance: 9 401 km (5 076 nautical miles)
Aircraft type: Airbus A340-300 (30 Business Class; 28 Premium Economy; 221 Economy Class)
Wednesday, 13 April 2016
GHANA: Paragliding In Ghana
The first Ghanaian paragliding pilot, Jonathan Quaye, has expressed his joy in taking part in the just-ended paragliding festival held as part of the Easter celebrations in Kwahu in the Eastern Regio.He was successfully trained in Pune, India.
The festival attracted 10 pilots of international repute from the USA, Peru, Japan, France and Belgium.
An interview he granted and published by the Statesman on Monday, said his training lasted six months after expressing interest in having a career in paragliding.
He urged Ghanaians to also develop interest in the field by taking the bold step to train in paragliding.
The paragliding event in Ghana has become a very prominent tourism attraction event that is organised annually as part of the Easter celebrations in the Eastern Region.
In the previous years, only pilots from abroad took part in it, but the inclusion of Quaye, gives the country hope that more Ghanaians would soon take part in it.
The festival attracted 10 pilots of international repute from the USA, Peru, Japan, France and Belgium.
An interview he granted and published by the Statesman on Monday, said his training lasted six months after expressing interest in having a career in paragliding.
He urged Ghanaians to also develop interest in the field by taking the bold step to train in paragliding.
The paragliding event in Ghana has become a very prominent tourism attraction event that is organised annually as part of the Easter celebrations in the Eastern Region.
In the previous years, only pilots from abroad took part in it, but the inclusion of Quaye, gives the country hope that more Ghanaians would soon take part in it.
Sunday, 7 February 2016
UNITED KINGDOM: British Airways To Fly Direct From London To Iran
British Airways will operate a six-times weekly service during the summer before moving to daily flights towards the end of the year, beginning July 14.
British Airways’ Tehran flights will be operated by a four-class Boeing 777 aircraft and depart from Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.
British Airways CEO Willie Walsh has previously hinted at a recent conference in Dublin that the London-Tehran route would return:
“We are very interested in flying to Tehran and we are hopeful that it will form part of BA’s network in the very near future. We are actively looking at it as a destination.”
The move came a few weeks after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a lasting nuclear deal between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany), came into force.
Based on the nuclear deal, reached in July 2015, all nuclear-related anti-Iran sanctions have been removed.
A British Airways spokeswoman said the company’s route network was regularly reviewed “to ensure that we operate to destinations with a strong demand from our customers”.
If the flights are introduced, it is thought that other Heathrow slots will be dropped to make way for the service, which was stopped in 2012.
British Airways head of network planning Neil Cottrell, said:
“Iran is a large and growing economy and Tehran is a brilliant business city so we are incredibly excited to be adding another gateway to the Middle East for our customers.
According to a British Airways spokesperson, the airline suspended flights in October 2012 when British Midland International (BMI) became part of British Airways and the route was “no longer commercially viable”.
British Airways has a long history of flying to the city and offered the first scheduled flights between London and Tehran in 1946.
Tehran is one of 14 new routes British Airways will be launching this year, which include San Jose, Costa Rica, San Jose, California and Lima in Peru.
Tuesday, 15 December 2015
TAJIKISTAN: More Than 147 Thousand Tourists Visited Tajikistan
More than 147 thousand tourists visited Tajikistan during the last 6 month.
Every tourist spent $500 in average during his trip. As a result, the tourism sector attracted more than 73 million dollars to the economy of the country. It’s a good result compared with previous years.
Most of the tourists come from South Korea, Armenia, Turkey, China, USA, Russia, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Citizens of these countries are very interested in the history of the country, its cultural heritage and traditions.
Tuesday, 13 October 2015
FINLAND: Tourism In Finland
FINNISH TOURISM YEAR 2014
In 2014, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled close on 19.8 million, which was 2.3 % down on the year before. Overnight stays by resident tourists decreased by 2.1 % and accommodation establishments recorded nearly 14.1 million of them. Overnight stays by foreign tourists numbered almost 5.7 million, which was 2.8 % less than in 2013. The largest markets for overnight stays were the neighbouring countries of Russia and Sweden, followed by Germany and the United Kingdom.
LOOKING FOR THE LATEST STATISTICS AND TRENDS?
Please visit our Statistics Service Rudolf to download accommodation statistics monthly and annually.
FOREIGN OVERNIGHTS IN 2014 BY COUNTRY, ACCORDING TO ACCOMMODATION STATISTICS
Russia 1.3 million
Sweden 534,000
Germany 498,000
United Kingdom 446,000
France 215,000
USA 203,000
Estonia 198,000
Japan 191,000
Norway 179,000
Netherlands 159,000
The structure of tourism from all main markets each has their own characteristics related to travel season, area and preferred activities.
Southern Finland and the archipelago are the number one area for most tourists (59% of overnights). The Lakeland area has become increasingly attractive over the years (21% of overnights). Finnish Lapland has maintained its popularity (20% of overnights).
Source: Statistics Service Rudolf, Statistics Finland
7.6 MILLION FOREIGN VISITORS IN 2014
According to Visit Finland Visitor Survey, Finland received 7.6 million foreign visitors in 2014. They brought €2.5 billion to Finland.
Source: Visit Finland Visitor Survey 2014
TOURISM’S SIGNIFICANCE TO FINLAND’S NATIONAL ECONOMY
In 2013, a total of €14.4 billion was spent on tourism in Finland. This includes the consumption expenditure of Finnish and foreign tourists. Foreign travellers accounted for 31% (EUR4.4bn) of total tourism consumption.
TOURISM’S SHARE OF GDP
In 2013, the value added generated by tourism amounted to €4.3 bn, i.e. 2.5% of Finland’s GDP. This was larger than the food industry and almost twice as high as agriculture.
EMPLOYMENT IMPACT OF TOURISM
Total employment in the tourism sector was 140,000 people in 2013.
OUTBOUND TRAVEL
Finnish residents’ favourite destination countries for leisure trips with overnight stay in 2014
Estonia 1,325,000
Sweden 768,000
Spain 756,000
Italy 265,000
Germany 256,000
Russia 237,000
Turkey 211,000
Greece 203,000
United Kingdom 203,000
France 164,000
Source: Finnish Travel 2014, Statistics Finland
In 2014, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled close on 19.8 million, which was 2.3 % down on the year before. Overnight stays by resident tourists decreased by 2.1 % and accommodation establishments recorded nearly 14.1 million of them. Overnight stays by foreign tourists numbered almost 5.7 million, which was 2.8 % less than in 2013. The largest markets for overnight stays were the neighbouring countries of Russia and Sweden, followed by Germany and the United Kingdom.
LOOKING FOR THE LATEST STATISTICS AND TRENDS?
Please visit our Statistics Service Rudolf to download accommodation statistics monthly and annually.
FOREIGN OVERNIGHTS IN 2014 BY COUNTRY, ACCORDING TO ACCOMMODATION STATISTICS
Russia 1.3 million
Sweden 534,000
Germany 498,000
United Kingdom 446,000
France 215,000
USA 203,000
Estonia 198,000
Japan 191,000
Norway 179,000
Netherlands 159,000
The structure of tourism from all main markets each has their own characteristics related to travel season, area and preferred activities.
Southern Finland and the archipelago are the number one area for most tourists (59% of overnights). The Lakeland area has become increasingly attractive over the years (21% of overnights). Finnish Lapland has maintained its popularity (20% of overnights).
Source: Statistics Service Rudolf, Statistics Finland
7.6 MILLION FOREIGN VISITORS IN 2014
According to Visit Finland Visitor Survey, Finland received 7.6 million foreign visitors in 2014. They brought €2.5 billion to Finland.
Source: Visit Finland Visitor Survey 2014
TOURISM’S SIGNIFICANCE TO FINLAND’S NATIONAL ECONOMY
In 2013, a total of €14.4 billion was spent on tourism in Finland. This includes the consumption expenditure of Finnish and foreign tourists. Foreign travellers accounted for 31% (EUR4.4bn) of total tourism consumption.
TOURISM’S SHARE OF GDP
In 2013, the value added generated by tourism amounted to €4.3 bn, i.e. 2.5% of Finland’s GDP. This was larger than the food industry and almost twice as high as agriculture.
EMPLOYMENT IMPACT OF TOURISM
Total employment in the tourism sector was 140,000 people in 2013.
OUTBOUND TRAVEL
Finnish residents’ favourite destination countries for leisure trips with overnight stay in 2014
Estonia 1,325,000
Sweden 768,000
Spain 756,000
Italy 265,000
Germany 256,000
Russia 237,000
Turkey 211,000
Greece 203,000
United Kingdom 203,000
France 164,000
Source: Finnish Travel 2014, Statistics Finland
Monday, 21 September 2015
USA: US Eases Rules For Travel
The Obama administration eased rules Friday for U.S. citizens wishing to travel to Cuba or do business with its growing ranks of independent entrepreneurs, hoping to kindle greater economic freedom on the island.
The Treasury and Commerce departments said the regulations that take effect Monday simplify procedures for tourism, telephone and Internet investments, and money transfers to Cuba.
The changes were first reported Thursday and come as both countries seek to transform their new diplomatic relationship into deeper commercial ties. By the end of the year, the former Cold War foes should resume direct postal service for the first time in five decades and clinch an agreement on regularly scheduled commercial flights, a U.S. official familiar with the process said.
"A stronger, more open U.S.-Cuba relationship has the potential to create economic opportunities for both Americans and Cubans alike," Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said in a statement. Easing the embargo on Cuba, he said, will "support the Cuban people in their effort to achieve the political and economic freedom necessary to build a democratic, prosperous and stable Cuba."
Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said the new rules could "stimulate long overdue economic reform across the country."
When President Barack Obama laid out his vision of improved U.S.-Cuban relations nine months ago, he said his objectives were twofold: ease economic hardship in Cuba and aid the development of a private market outside of state control.
In January, he eased economic restrictions on Cuba in potentially the most dramatic manner since relations between the countries broke down after Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959 and the subsequent Bay of Pigs invasion and Cuban missile crisis. Only Congress can end the embargo.
The action sought to cut red tape for U.S. travel to Cuba, permit American companies to export telephones, computers and Internet technology, and allow U.S. firms to send supplies to private Cuban enterprises. But efforts to expand business, tourism and other exchanges ran into an overlapping thicket of U.S. laws and hindrances, not to mention an uneven response from Cuba's political leaders.
Many U.S. travelers still need to go on supervised group trips. Routine airline service hasn't satisfied various federal conditions. Cruise ships and ferries are still trying to finalize regular maritime routes with Cuban authorities. Credit card and other companies still can't transfer payments to Cuba. Telecommunications companies haven't been able to set up shop and get equipment to the island 90 miles south of Florida. And Cuba's government isn't even running its Internet connections anywhere near capacity levels.
Authorized American citizens now will be able to travel by cruise ship or ferry to Cuba without seeking specific authorization from the U.S. government, though a U.S. official said earlier this week that a direct maritime route probably won't be established until next year. The official wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the process and demanded anonymity.
All U.S. citizens who fall under permitted rules for travel also are permitted to open and maintain bank accounts in Cuba.
The U.S. official described significant progress in U.S.-Cuban discussions since the pair reopened embassies in each other's capitals in July. At a meeting in Havana last week, delegations from each side established a plan to settle a half-century of economic and legal disputes within the next 15 months.
While difficult questions related to human rights and compensation claims won't be resolved immediately, the official said first steps toward a broader normalization of ties would come quickly.
Washington and Havana are slated to begin a "pilot program" allowing Cubans and Americans to send mail directly to one another, the official said. Direct mail service was halted in 1963, though letters and packages travel back and forth through countries like Canada and Mexico. The postal program will use the Miami and Havana airports, the official said.
Also, the U.S. and Cuba should finalize an agreement on resuming direct, commercial airline routes, though the first flights wouldn't start until next year.
The Treasury and Commerce departments said the regulations that take effect Monday simplify procedures for tourism, telephone and Internet investments, and money transfers to Cuba.
The changes were first reported Thursday and come as both countries seek to transform their new diplomatic relationship into deeper commercial ties. By the end of the year, the former Cold War foes should resume direct postal service for the first time in five decades and clinch an agreement on regularly scheduled commercial flights, a U.S. official familiar with the process said.
"A stronger, more open U.S.-Cuba relationship has the potential to create economic opportunities for both Americans and Cubans alike," Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said in a statement. Easing the embargo on Cuba, he said, will "support the Cuban people in their effort to achieve the political and economic freedom necessary to build a democratic, prosperous and stable Cuba."
Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said the new rules could "stimulate long overdue economic reform across the country."
When President Barack Obama laid out his vision of improved U.S.-Cuban relations nine months ago, he said his objectives were twofold: ease economic hardship in Cuba and aid the development of a private market outside of state control.
In January, he eased economic restrictions on Cuba in potentially the most dramatic manner since relations between the countries broke down after Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959 and the subsequent Bay of Pigs invasion and Cuban missile crisis. Only Congress can end the embargo.
The action sought to cut red tape for U.S. travel to Cuba, permit American companies to export telephones, computers and Internet technology, and allow U.S. firms to send supplies to private Cuban enterprises. But efforts to expand business, tourism and other exchanges ran into an overlapping thicket of U.S. laws and hindrances, not to mention an uneven response from Cuba's political leaders.
Many U.S. travelers still need to go on supervised group trips. Routine airline service hasn't satisfied various federal conditions. Cruise ships and ferries are still trying to finalize regular maritime routes with Cuban authorities. Credit card and other companies still can't transfer payments to Cuba. Telecommunications companies haven't been able to set up shop and get equipment to the island 90 miles south of Florida. And Cuba's government isn't even running its Internet connections anywhere near capacity levels.
Authorized American citizens now will be able to travel by cruise ship or ferry to Cuba without seeking specific authorization from the U.S. government, though a U.S. official said earlier this week that a direct maritime route probably won't be established until next year. The official wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the process and demanded anonymity.
All U.S. citizens who fall under permitted rules for travel also are permitted to open and maintain bank accounts in Cuba.
The U.S. official described significant progress in U.S.-Cuban discussions since the pair reopened embassies in each other's capitals in July. At a meeting in Havana last week, delegations from each side established a plan to settle a half-century of economic and legal disputes within the next 15 months.
While difficult questions related to human rights and compensation claims won't be resolved immediately, the official said first steps toward a broader normalization of ties would come quickly.
Washington and Havana are slated to begin a "pilot program" allowing Cubans and Americans to send mail directly to one another, the official said. Direct mail service was halted in 1963, though letters and packages travel back and forth through countries like Canada and Mexico. The postal program will use the Miami and Havana airports, the official said.
Also, the U.S. and Cuba should finalize an agreement on resuming direct, commercial airline routes, though the first flights wouldn't start until next year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)