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You are here: Home » Travel » Archive » January 2008
January 2007
Travel Archive: January 7-29, 2008
Air France will reduce airplane pollution
CanadianPress. Jan. 29, 2008
Air France-KLM is to invest almost US$3 billion a year until 2020 to
modernize its Air France fleet with the aim of reducing fuel
consumption and cutting pollution. The plan is to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions by 5 to 20 per cent over the next five years.
>More
In praise of Quebec’s charm
Spectator. Jan. 27, 2008
Quebec City is unpretentious, charming, and quirky. The locals claim
that their language is more ‘true’ to real French than the poncey
dialect of Paris, though Québécois is “an extraordinary sound,
something akin to a cat being dragged down a wall of coarse sandpaper.”
Yet one traveller calls Quebec City a perfect winter destination,
especially during the February winter Carneval, one of the world’s
great winter festivals.
>More
AirFrance-Alitalia Merger approaches
Bloomberg. Jan. 23, 2008
Air France-KLM Group, the world's largest carrier by sales, may widen
the lead over British Airways Plc and Deutsche Lufthansa AG by
swallowing Italy's Alitalia SpA and using African routes to counter an
expected slowdown in North Atlantic traffic. Air France's efforts to
take over Alitalia were boosted on Dec. 28, when Italy's government,
which owns 49.9 percent of the Rome-based airline's shares, granted the
French company exclusive rights to negotiate a purchase.
>More
France proposes tourist tax
AustraliaNews. Jan. 23, 2008
Tourists who stay in luxury hotels in France could start paying tax for
the privilege, as the country hopes to raise money for renovations to
historic monuments. Culture minister Christine Albanel proposed the tax
after her report revealed 41 per cent of French historic monuments are
in bad shape. The vice president of luxury hotel association Relais
& Chateaux reacted negatively to the plan, which she said would
tarnish the image of French hotels.
>More
French hotels go “five star”
Homesworldwide. Jan. 21, 2008
The French government is to reclassify hotels in the country by
creating a 'five star' category for the best lodgings, in accordance
with international practice. "Four star luxury" is the highest
accreditation on the current hotel scale in France, and “five star”
would probably replace the current "palace" classification which is
used by luxury hotels like the George V and Sofitel hotels.
>More
French clerks told to be nice
WashingtonPost. Jan. 21, 2008
Paris is launching a marketing campaign to promote itself the City of
Shoppers, offering a guide to five proposed shopping routes: Chic,
Trendy, Romantic, Creative and Original. The city’s Tourism and
Convention Bureau is also encouraging friendliness among France’s
notoriously hostile sales clerks. Told that France is ranked 53rd in
the world for kindness and a welcoming attitude, students from the
International Concierge Institute and other local colleges are being
sent to etiquette school.
>More
Record French tourism in 2007
Reuters. Jan. 18, 2008
France attracted a record number of tourists in 2007 with no sign so
far that the euro's strength has deterred visitors from outside the
euro zone, according to the French secretary of state for consumer
affairs and tourism. Tourism accounts for about 6.3 percent of French
gross domestic product, according to recent data from the French
Finance Ministry.
>More
Chinese Nouveau Riche Love France
AFP. Jan. 13, 2008
According to the annual survey of the Preferred Lifestyle and Brands of
China's Richest, France is considered the best foreign travel
destination by the Chinese millionaires surveyed, of which 104 have net
wealth of over 10 million dollars. Cartier topped the favorite
jewellery brand list.
>More
British Airways launches new US-France service
NewYorkTimes. Jan. 10, 2008
British Airways is backing a startup airline that will compete for
well-heeled travelers travelling directly between New York and the
European mainland. The new airline, named ''OpenSkies,'' will begin
service to either Brussels or Paris using a single Boeing 757 in June
2008. The new airline takes its name from the Open Skies agreement that
allows airlines to fly from anywhere in the Europe Union to the United
States and vice versa. The new venture will compete directly with
United Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, and L'Avion.
>More
French high speed trains enjoy growth
Businwssweeek. Jan. 10, 2008
Europe's high-speed rail operators had a banner year in 2007. Eurostar
reported on Jan. 9 that it carried a record 8.26 million passengers
last year, with revenues up a healthy 15.4% to $1.18 billion.
Improvement included a new line cutting travel times from Paris to
eastern France; high-speed links nearing completion in Spain, Belgium,
and the Netherlands; and Eurostar’s refurbished terminal at London's
St. Pancras station that cut travel time between London and Paris to
only 2 hours and 15 minutes. Now seven operators have banded together
to form Railteam, an alliance that is working to create a seamless,
high-speed network across a large swath of Western Europe.
>More
Air France raises fuel surcharge
Reuters. Jan. 10, 2008
Air France will raise its fuel surcharge for tickets issued after Jan.
11 by1 euro on domesic flights, 2 euros on medium-haul flights and 8
euros on long-distance flights. Surcharges would remain as long as the
price of a barrel of oil remained above $90.
>More
Bayeux offers a heartfelt welcome
DallasNews. Jan. 7, 2008
The French city of Bayeux in Normandy is a friendly place with
beautiful buildings, a winding river, pastoral beauty, and an
extraordinary sense of history.
>More
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