Month: November 2012

The economic situation in Portugal has had an effect on Lisbon, as well as most other cities in the world.  However, Lisbon remains one of the best value-for-money destinations in Europe.  There are numerous new hotels planned, such as Cais de Sandarem (91 bedrooms), Hyatt Regency (86 bedrooms), Olissippo Oceanos (397 bedrooms) and Olissippo Royal (106 bedrooms).  Sana Hotels are due to open the Sana Myriad (186 bedrooms) shortly and the Sana Epic (311 bedrooms) next year.

Transport has been improved with new and additional flights from Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Venice, Bordeaux, Berlin, Turin and Dubai added in 2012 and the new metro line from the airport takes visitors straight to the city centre.

Malta will be trying to lure elderly tourists and people with disabilities from European countries to boost the tourism low season between November and March.

Social tourism – a concept which aims to entice the young, the elderly, people with reduced mobility and no-income families – is the focus of an EU-funded project called Accessible Culture For All. Undertaken by the Malta Tourism Authority, it will raise awareness and identify ways how to help the tourism industry to target the social tourist. “There is an opportunity for social tourism on our shores. The aim is to attract more people with access needs to choose Malta as their holiday destination,” Tourism Minister Mario de Marco said.

Generally, people with needs of access did not travel alone, were big spenders and were more likely to return again, he said during a seminar, entitled Growth Opportunities For Tourism In The Low Season, in Valletta. Demographics indicate an ageing population and increasing access needs. Statistics show that more than eight million citizens in Europe have long-standing health problems and disabilities. “Therefore, accessibility should be the norm rather than the exception,” Dr de Marco added.

Globally, the number of those aged 65 and over, who would benefit from accessible tourism, continues to grow. “We are aware that social tourists have to face barriers. We need to make it possible for everyone to go on holiday and we need to ensure everyone has access to travel,” he said. The project includes the voluntary review of the level of accessibility of facilities within the tourism industry and the creation of an online portal to market the information.

Dr de Marco stressed that accessibility was a major concern for the elderly and disabled people.

Referring to the positive results of the last four record years – tourist arrivals in 2011 grew by 31 per cent when compared to the equivalent off-shoulder arrivals in 2006 – Dr de Marco said the Government, MTA and stakeholders would be working together to implement a strategy that “strengthens our tourism product”.

Lynn Minnaert from the University of Surrey said: “We need to be more clever and strategic and sophisticated and treat social tourism more like a mainstream market.” Marie-Louise Mangion, from the MTA, said that another EU-funded project in the pipeline was aimed specifically at the catering and accommodation sector.

Fact box

• The number of tourists aged 65 years visiting Malta has been increasing steadily over the years. In 2011, 12.3 per cent of tourists were 65+.

• 48 per cent of disabled tourists in Germany would travel more often if services were more accessible. Their travelling companions spend over €2 billion each year in England alone.

Hotel Martinez, Cannes was awarded the “Best Overseas Hotel, Meetings Category” in February 2006 by the “Meetings & Incentive Travel Magazine” and ISO 9001 certified, the hotel is one of the leading conference venues in the world. Combined with its location in Cannes, known as the ‘international cinema capital’ and the most important destination on the French Riviera for business and convention tourism, it is easy to understand why the Hotel Martinez is the hotel of choice for the most prestigious of events.

As the largest luxury hotel on La Croisette with the most extensive convention space after the Palais des Festivals itself, the Hotel Martinez is capable of hosting any event, large or small, from 50 to 1000 delegates. 

As spacious as it is extravagant, the hotel has an extraordinary infrastructure, both in terms of guest accommodation comprising 409 rooms and suites, and in the services the hotel has to offer. The Martinez has three restaurants, ‘La Palme d’Or’, a 2 stars Michelin gastronomic restaurant, ‘Le Relais’ and the ‘Zplage Beach Restaurant’. There is a piano bar, a vast private beach, a heated pool, fifteen meeting rooms and reception lounges that total 2500 square metres; all this puts the Hotel Martinez just behind the congress centre ‘Palais des Festivals’ in terms of reception capacity in Cannes.

7 Best Traditional Restaurants in Budapest

If you’re looking to give your delegates a real Hungarian gastronomic experience, then the following list of the top 7 restaurants in Budapest will provide you with the venue that will not disappoint.

Gundel Restaurant

Early 1900’s elegant interior, live gipsy music, traditional and reformed Hungarian dishes, wide range of wines, wine cellars, confectionary, shop, event service, garden, private rooms, awarded by GaultMillau, Michelin Guide, Budapest Business Journal and many others

Address: 14th district, Gundel Károly street 4

Table reservation: +36-1-468-4040

Website: www.gundel.hu

Kárpátia Restaurant

Exclusive interior, live gipsy music, Hungarian and international dishes, brassiere, private rooms, event service, awarded by DiningCity

Address: 5th district, Ferenciek square 7-8

Table reservation: +36-1-317-3596

Website: www.karpatia.hu

Mátyás Pince Restaurant

Traditional Hungarian style interior, Hungarian and Transylvanian dishes, wide range of wines, live gypsy music, Hungarian folklore evenings

Address: 5th district, Március 15. square 7

Table reservation: +36-1-266-80-08

Website: eng.matyaspince.eu

100 Éves Restaurant (100 Years Old Restaurant)

Live gipsy music, 1800’s rustic interior, garden, traditional Hungarian and international dishes, private room

Address: 5th district, Pesti Barnabás street 2

Table reservation: +36-1-230-0329

Website: www.100evesetterem.hu

Vörös Postakocsi Restaurant

Live gipsy music, neo-renaissance interior, terrace, beer cellar, wide range of wines, traditional Hungarian and international dishes, private room, event service, awarded by TripAdvisor

Address: 9th district, Ráday street 15

Table reservation: +36-1-217-6756

Website: www.vorospk.com

Alabárdos Restaurant

Medieval interior with comfortable exclusive furniture, traditional and reformed Hungarian dishes, soft guitar music, private services, awarded by GaultMillau and Michelin Guide

Address: Buda Castle, Országház street 2

Table reservation: +36-1-356-08-51

Website: www.alabardos.hu

Halászbástya Fine Dining Restaurant

Royal interior, spectacular panorama view, traditional and reformed Hungarian and international dishes, private rooms, terraces

Address: Fisherman’s Bastion, North Tower, Buda Castle

Table reservation: +36-1-201-6935

Website: eng.halaszbastya.eu

TripAdvisor.com the popular and influential travel web portal, published a list in March 2012 of the top 10 hotel rooms in the world with the most beautiful views. The Hilton Budapest ranked 5th place on this extraordinarily-impressive list. The Hilton Budapest in Hungary is located next to Matthias Church in the safe environment of the Buda Castle District, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to this unique architectural combination, the hotel’s rooms provide a panorama worthy of a master painting with the extraordinary attraction of one of the capital city’s most well-known monuments, Fisherman’s Bastion. The rooms also offer a view of outstanding architecture, which is nearly too-beautiful from an art history perspective, overlooking the River Danube as well as the Hungarian Parliament, Margaret Island, and the lovely buildings on both the Buda and Pest sides of the city.

TripAdvisor.com is an excellent marketing communication medium, as the site’s visitors (50 million per month), in addition to sharing their opinions, recommend attractive tourist destinations to each other, often illustrated with photographs. Since travellers trust each other’s opinions it is an excellent tool to use to showcase where your conference or event is being hosted.