Copenhagen’s restaurants were awarded a total of 15 stars in the 2013 edition of the Michelin Guide. Among them was restaurant Geranium, proving that their innovative Scandinavian kitchen is ‘worth a detour’.
With a lucid, light and dynamic kitchen, Geranium draws on innovative techniques using 100% organic or biodynamic produce supplemented with wild herbs, flowers and other foraged produce from forest and beach. The restaurant was recently awarded its second Michelin star – as a result, Copenhagen now has two two-starred restaurants.
With a total of 137 international congresses held in 2012, Copenhagen has consolidated its position as one of the world’s most appealing congress cities. And that success looks set to continue: the city has never had so many congresses on its order books.
According to the latest report from the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), Copenhagen is now the eighth most popular destination for international congresses in the world.
The report is based on figures from 2012, during which Copenhagen hosted the European Wind Energy Congress with more than 10,000 participants, among numerous other major international events. Steen Jakobsen, director of Wonderful Copenhagen Convention Bureau, comments:
”We are proud of our excellent placing up among some really strong players in an extremely competitive market. Over recent years in Copenhagen we have intensified our congress work and increased the strategic cooperation between public and private partners. That means that we also have a record number of major congresses confirmed for the coming years. As many as 30 congresses with more than 2,000 participants are already on the order books. We have never experienced demand like this before.”
The secret of Copenhagen’s success as a congress city is partly explained by the fact that the Danish capital is able to meet all the fundamental infrastructure requirements and has an international reputation for its low crime rate; general efficiency levels; its cultural and entertainment attractions; and its selection of world class restaurants – of which 13 currently boast Michelin stars.
As well as this, Copenhagen is one of the greenest capitals in the world. The region’s dynamic research and scientific environment is internationally renowned, and is particularly strong within the medical, IT and cleantech industries. Furthermore, the city’s facilities have expanded significantly during the last decade and continue to do so.
‘The ICCA Statistics Report’ is based on the ICCA Association Database. The figures below cover meetings organised by international associations which take place on a regular basis and rotate between a minimum of three countries.
Lisbon Wine festival 2013 was held over the 10-12 May, with wine producers, experts, chefs and connoisseurs from the world of wine and fine cuisine. Dedicated to the wines from the Demarcated Winemaking Regions (CVR) of Lisbon, Vale do Tejo and Setúbal Peninsula, the event featured 40 wine producers, winemakers and sommeliers and a concert on May 11.
The 6th Lisbon Fish & Flavours was one of the busiest ever with 25,000 visits during the 11 days of the event which has become a major attraction in the city’s annual calendar. This is the largest food festival in Portugal dedicated to the flavours of the sea and there was an increased presence of international visitors which accounted for 22% of total number of visits
The Portuguese capital has been voted second “Best European Destination 2013”, from a list of twenty cities proposed for online voting by the European Consumers Association.
Lisbon was ranked ahead of cities like Vienna, Barcelona, Amsterdam, among others. Istanbul was awarded winning destination with just 439 more votes than the Portuguese city.
Lisbon has been consolidating its position as a leading tourist destination in a sustained way. This trend is confirmed through the various prizes the Portuguese capital has been awarded by the most prestigious institutions in the tourism sector worldwide.
Lisbon is also in the top 10 destinations to visit for cruise travel, based on the opinion of international passengers by Lisbon Tourism Observatory, in partnership with Port of Lisbon Administration. The International Cruise Passenger Survey 2012 concludes that the average level of satisfaction with a visit to Lisbon is 8.3 – on a scale of 1 to 10 – with 55% of respondents confirming it having exceeded their expectations.
IMEX continues this year over the 21st-23rd May in Frankfurt, and as usual there is a strong contingent of exhibitors from Vienna, to represent one of the world’s preeminent cities for meetings and conventions. Exhibitors include former palaces, such as Palais Ferstel and Palais Daun-Kinsky.
Barcelona is soon to be taken over by thousands of racing fans as The Spanish Grand Prix arrives on the weekend 10-13 May 2013. The Circuit de Catalunya is located to the North of Barcelona but expect the city to be very busy with fully booked hotels and high prices. The arrival of The Grand Prix will bring excitement to Barcelona and create a real incentive for corporate visitors!
Routes Europe, the region’s most important annual route development forum of aviation professionals, will be held in Budapest at SYMA Event Center between 12-14 May, hosted by Budapest Airport and Hungarian Tourism Plc. Annual Conference of Routes Europe has been organized since 2005, and the most important target is to provide a forum for the management of the European Airlines and Airports, Tourist Boards to discuss
Budapest Airport has provided a wireless internet connection for passengers in all departing passenger circulation areas. Access to the internet is available free of charge for up to two hours on the departure levels of Terminals 2A and 2B and in the SkyCourt.
The Grand Market Hall in Budapest became Nr. 1 favourite among European city markets on CNN Travel ranking. Various sausages, hams, salamis and locally revered langos and a packet of paprika are must haves. Mercat de San Josep de la Boqueira in Barcelona, Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Portobello Road in London and Les Puces in Paris made it to the top five behind Budapest.
On 8 April 2013, Corinthia Hotel Budapest was named one of the Best Hotels in Europe in the 2012 Gogobot Travelers’ Favorite Awards. The best hotels are chosen based on the opinions of 2.5 million members worldwide. Corinthia Hotel Budapest has been selected out of thousands of hotels as one of the top 25 hotels in Europe.
Gogobot is a travel planning site sourcing recommendations from its members’ social networks. Unlike other travel sites, members can verify people’s identities and plan their trips based on their friends’ reviews.
“It is our great pleasure to accept this award from a new generation social travel company, which means we have earned the esteem and recommendation of travellers around the world,” said Mr Thomas M Fischer, General Manager of Corinthia Hotel Budapest.
The hotel is very grand and elegant with a spacious marble reception and sweeping staircase. It has a wonderful 6 storey atrium with glass roof and the bedrooms are well appointed. The staircase leads up to the main meeting room, the Grand Ballroom. This has been restored to its original baroque-style with inlaid portraits, high ceiling and ornate design. There is a glass bridge that takes you to the Valetta Exhibition Centre. All of the meeting space flows well with refreshment areas and breakout rooms. A luxury hotel with extensive spa facilities and a 15 metre pool for those that have time to unwind.
