EU Tourism Sector: The tourism industry is 'make or break' for the EU economy - by Ana-Claudia Tapardel

Batavia Stad, Flevoland, the Netherlands

What would you do on your holiday? Would you relax of the beach of a Greek island? Perhaps you would go skiing in the French Alps, or hiking in the Carpathians? How about a cruise along the Danube delta? Or maybe a wine tour in the Douro valley? What about a shopping spree at the huge discount store complex in Batavia Stad, Flevoland Province,  in the Netherlands.

These activities are only a small portion of what Europe has to offer its domestic and international visitors. In fact, its diversity in art, landscapes, food and traditions have all helped make it the world's top tourist destination. From Bucharest to Lisbon, Europe's great variety in terms of scenery, services, cultures and people is unrivalled.

And the economic return from the tourism sector speaks for itself: prior to the accession of Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia, tourism accounted for 13 per cent of the EU's GDP. Nowadays, tourism represents 10 per cent of the European economy. The tourism sector employs approximately 5.2 per cent of the total workforce - roughly 10 million jobs - and involves almost two million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Yet while the tourism sector provides many opportunities to Europe, it is also faced with many challenges. These are mainly related to changes in global trends and increasing competition with non-European countries, particularly in Asia and North America.

For Europe to be competitive and continue attracting both EU and non EU citizens, we first need a defined strategy that will not only take into consideration new global trends, but will also bring together the main institutional actors (the parliament, the commission and the council), as well as the relevant stakeholders in the field.

In this context, I would like to point out that members of parliament's European tourism development, cultural heritage, way of St James and other European cultural routes intergroup - which I co-chair - is actively pushing for the revision and update of the commission's 2010 communication titled, 'Europe, the world's number one tourist destination'.

In order for us to achieve our goals, we must ensure that the European tourism sector and its actors receive the attention they deserve. In my opinion, one way to give the sector the boost it needs is by designating a 'European year for tourism'.

Read more: The tourism industry is 'make or break' for the EU economy | The Parliament Magazine

US-Cuba Relations: Obama hails 'new chapter' in US-Cuba ties

US President Barack Obama has hailed a "new chapter" in US relations with Cuba, announcing moves to normalise diplomatic and economic ties.

Mr Obama said the plans represented the "most significant changes in US policy towards Cuba in 50 years".

The US is looking to open an embassy in Havana in the coming months, he said. The moves are part of a deal that saw the release of American Alan Gross by Cuba and includes the release of three Cubans jailed in
Florida for spying.

Mr Gross arrived at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington  from Cuba on Wednesday. Footage showed him disembarking from a US government plane onto the tarmac where he was met by a crowd.

The US president announced measures that he said would end an "outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests".

The plans set out in a White House statement also includes:

Reviewing the designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism

• Easing a travel ban for US citizens
• Easing financial restrictions
• Increasing telecommunications links
• Efforts to lift the 54-year-old trade embargo

Note EU-Digest:  Bravo President Obama - this was long overdue and will be fantastic for business and eventually lead to democratization in Cuba. This normalization is not any different from the relationship the US has with China, Russia or any other communist or dictatorial regime .

Read more: BBC News - Obama hails 'new chapter' in US-Cuba ties

Posted by EU-Digest at 1:07 PM

The Netherlands: Dutch Railways NS new ticketing system considered complicated and unfriendly by NS customers

A random poll by EU-Digest throughout the Netherlands shows that 68% of NS customers are unhappy with the new obligatory electronic OV Chipcard ticketing system. The new system went into effect two months ago throughout the Netherlands.

The new system did away with a paper ticketing system and replaced it with an electronic "refill" Chipcard called OV Chipcard tied into the customers bank account or credit card. The OV Chipcard can also be used on all other Public Transport in the Netherlands

Travelers find the new system complicated, riddled with technical problems and especially unfriendly to many older customers who are not tech savvy

Tourists visiting the Netherlands also complained that the ticketing system does not accept many International credit cards.

Almere-Digest

The Netherlands: Electronic "OV-Chipkaart" for public transportation ticketing not 'user firendly' and an anti-dote for tourists

Almere Muziekwijk station (photo EU-Digest)

The recently launched "OV-Chipkaard "in the Netherlands for people who want to use the Dutch Public Transportation system is turning out to be not  very user friendly and certainly costly for visiting tourists.

The problems become even more complicated when one wants to make use of the special 40% discount on train travel outside of morning rush hours.

This card has to be activated to be used as an OV-chipkaart. To do so you must make an account at the OV-chipkaart website. The website considers the sentence 'activating the card' as 'buying a product in the webshop'. 

But then the card is still not active. You have to 'collect your product' at a ticketing machine or service desk.

The result is that many elderly people no longer travel on buses, trains or trams, as they find, buying and charging an anonymous card too complicated.

We're talking about a user group of travelers who are not very computer literate, and we're asking them to virtually transfer money from their account to a card, where some are not even used to making a withdrawal at an ATM machine with a  debit card.

One can expect that very few of this group which is continuously growing larger will be activating their personalized "OV-chipkaart,  if the system and the activating process remains as complicated and unfriendly as it is today.

What one can describe in politically correct terms is to make it possible that 'technology averse' people or tourists should be able to simply go to a 24 hr. service desk and get help to activate their card.

Especially also for those people for whom public transport is their only way of getting around.

As it stands now, the Dutch OV-Chipkaart is not user friendly and certainly too costly and complicated for local users and tourists

It is high-time something gets done by the Netherlands Ministry of  Transportation about this "OV-Chipkaart" disaster. 

EU-Digest

Tourism: Maine the closest US state to Europe offers many attractions and opportrunities for European businesses and tourists

Maine: a new found gem for European tourists

Maine, a favorite summer and autumn vacation spot for US tourist wanting to escape their own hot and humid summers elsewhere in the country, is also becoming more and more of a tourist and business location for Europeans

The new 'Nova Star' ferry service, recently starting its operations between Yarmouth Harbour in Nova Scotia, Canada and Portland, Main,  now makes it far easier for European tourists who fly into Halifax and rent a car, to also in include Maine into their itinerary.

Nova Star Cruises said they expect to reach a goal of 100,000 passengers this season.

Another potential tourist booster is the fact that among a dozen or so airports in the US, the state of Maine is sharing  more than $4 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to carry out various modernization projects, according to reports.

Bangor International Airport reportedly will be getting the biggest share of this grant amounting to $1.4 million mainly to install runway sensors, replace the public address system, improve the taxiway and repave the apron.

This airport modernization project has the potential to eventually turn Bangor airport into a so-called "hub" airport for passengers and freight, providing European and other aircraft a quicker turn-around  time and passengers the possibility to connect with local flights to any US destination,

"Freight handling, warehousing and transportation logistics from Bangor could become a very profitable proposition to foreign freight companies, who presently are faced with high costs and major congestion in the heavily populated, more southern located East Coast areas", say Earl and Carolyn Hamm, Galt Block Warehouse Owners in Bangor,

But there is also good news coming out of Eastport - the closest US Eastern Seaboard port to Europe, This historic Maine coastal town will host a U.S. Navy vessel during the Fourth of July and "Old Home Week".

In the wake of an earlier decision by the Navy to deny the Fourth of July Committee's request for a ship, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King of Maine announced that the USS Anzio (CG-68) will visit Eastport during the city's Independence Day festivities.

 "The Fourth of July, Old Home Week celebration is an iconic destination for Mainers and visitors alike," they said in a joint release. "We are pleased that the Navy will honor our state with a port visit, allowing those who serve in the U.S. Navy and the citizens they protect an opportunity to come together."

The ship is scheduled to arrive on Thursday, July 3, and depart on Monday, July 7. Two cruise ships are also expected to visit Eastport during the same time period, but the schedule should work so that they can all be accommodated. The 210-passenger Pearl Mist is stopping by on July 2, and the 88-passenger Grande Caribe will visit on July 6 but can dock at the fish pier. The USS Anzio will be at the breakwater.

  "It looks like we've pulled off all three," says Eastport Port Director Chris Gardner of the ability to juggle facilities and host three large vessels during the first week of July.

Almere-Digest

Europe's Most (And Least) Affordable Cities according to the European Backpacker Index For 2014

Almere City Lake - the Netherlands

The European Backpacker Index for 2014 ,published last week, rates 51 major European cities by price and was designed to assist budget-minded consumers plan and compare destinations “at a glance.”

“Parts of Europe are still amazing bargains from a global standpoint,” Roger Wade, founder of Price of Travel, a website that helps travelers compare expenses in major cities around the world, said in an email.

“The 10 or so cheapest cities on the list are still far cheaper than any place in the United States, and this includes such popular destinations as Budapest, Krakow, Istanbul, and Prague,” bargain cities that are still far less expensive than their counterparts a bit to the west.

“There are huge sections of Europe where backpackers can live it up on US$50 or less per day, and most of these places are less crowded and touristy than the expensive cities as well,” said Wade, who researched and compiled the list of cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Bucharest (Romania), Kiev (Ukraine) and Sofia (Bulgaria) are the cheapest tourist cities on the new European Backpacker Index; Zurich (Switzerland), Stockholm (Sweden) and Oslo (Norway) ranked as the most expensive.

The Daily Backpacker Index daily rate for Bucharest is currently $24.69 a day; for Zurich, it’s $123.60 a day.

The index is based on the price of a hostel bed (one night in the cheapest bunk at the least expensive hostel in a good location with good reviews),two public transportation rides, three budget meals, the average cost of one cultural attraction and three inexpensive beers (or wine) for each day in each city. (Non-drinkers might have dessert and coffee or attend a local music performance instead, the listing notes.)

“The most significant changes this year had to do with currency fluctuations rather than changing prices. Most notably, the Turkish Lira is down about 20% since the beginning of 2013, so Istanbul and the rest of Turkey are quite cheap and really great value at the moment,” said Wade.

“The Pound and Euro have strengthened a bit so the most popular cities are all a little more expensive for the rest of us, but that could be reversed by summer because they are always bouncing around. Most museums and attractions kept their prices steady this past year, although a few of the most famous ones do seem to push them up a little every year.”

Valletta (Malta), Vilnius (Lithuania), Interlaken (Switzerland) and Santorini (Greece) are new this year, Wade said, mostly because of readers’ requests. Santorini was added in part “because many people are skipping Athens lately,” he said.

Links after each city provide general background and weather information, and more detail about prices.

Now in its fourth year, the index has been updated for 2014. During the past four years, Wade said, most changes to the lists have been refinements to the research process by him and currency fluctuations. Overall, he said, “most places have been pretty steady.”

It was “mildly surprising” but interesting that so many museums and public transportation systems have continued to keep prices stable, Wade said. “I think many people cynically assume that prices go up every year, but Europe is still mostly struggling economically and it’s nice that most cities are resisting the temptation to raise money just by raising prices.”

For travelers with slightly higher budgets than typical backpackers, and who prefer hotels, the Europe 3-Star Traveler Index for 2013 is a similar ranking, but uses a centrally located and well-rated 3-star hotel room, taxi rides and a higher allowance for food prices.

Almere-Digest

The Netherlands: Ocean Sailing - the Stad Amsterdam: Its all about adventurous sailing

the Stad Amsterdam

Each year, the Clipper Stad Amsterdam makes a number of adventurous sailing trips. In April and December, we sail across the Atlantic, in the summer, the tall ship Stad Amsterdam sails the Mediterranean, the Bay of Biscay and the North Sea to IJmuiden, her port of registry.


 Are you a true sailing enthusiast and would you like to sail along on our ship? Why not enlist? But even if you have little sailing experience and would like to pitch in, you are most welcome. You could even receive sailing training. All options are open on these trips, but there are no obligations.

On Monday April 21st you are welcome to come aboard the Clipper Stad Amsterdam in the  city of Boston (USA), the capital of the state of Massachusetts and unofficially also of New England.

The long non-stop crossing to the Spanish town Malaga will start the next morning.

The true sailing enthusiast will for sure get what he or she is looking for. The dolphins tumbling near the ship’s bow, the beautiful clouds, the colorful rainbows, the sun's rise and fall but also the peace and freedom of the open sea will make you relive the old days. An unique chance to admire the Clipper in all her glory.
We expect to arrive in Malaga three weeks later on the early morning of May 12th.

This sixth largest city of Spain at the Mediterranean Sea and at the Costa del Sol, known for its tourism, is only 100 kilometers away from the Strait of Gibraltar. Surrounded by mountains and crossed by two rivers, this city is also well worth visiting. From the airport, eight kilometers southwest of Malaga, it is most likely that you will leave on a flight home which also means the end of a no doubt unforgettable sailing experience. Of course you can also sail with us for another week to Monaco on the French Riviera.

Read more: About adventurous sailing - Stad Amsterdam

The Netherlands: The "Ten Boom Family Home Museum" in Haarlem - by RM

When tourists visit Amsterdam among one of the favorite spots to visit is the Anne Frank Museum.  

Another similar museum, but far less visited than the Anne Frank museum is the Ten Boom family home museum in Haarlem. It was used as a refuge for fugitive Jews and resistance fighters hunted by the Nazis.

 In 1944 the Nazis arrested this courageous Christian family and all 5 were sent to prison (death) camps. Only Corrie ten Boom survived the Ravensbruck concentration camp near Berlin after the war had ended

In the early 1970's Corrie's book "THE HIDING PLACE" became a best seller and an award winning motion picture. Corrie died on her 91st birthday, April 15, 1983. 

In the Jewish tradition to die on your birthday is a special privilege. Personally I was most touched by what Corrie ten Boom wrote about fear and worry while in the concentration camp, "worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength".

The "Ten Boom Family Home Museum" certainly is a place to visit when in Holland.

Click here for additional information about the Ten Boom Family Museum  

EU-Digest

The Netherlands: Almere and four other cities selected for nomination as the bicycle city of Holland

Beautiful scenic bike paths  in Holland

Almere, Europe's newest and most modern city has been selected together with the cities of Eindhoven, Enschede, Velsen and Zwolle,  to be nominated in the spring of 2014 as the bicycle city of the Netherlands by the Dutch Bicycle Federation.

These five cites were among nineteen cities that had initially registered to participate in this selection.

There are more bicycles than residents in The Netherlands and in cities like Amsterdam and The Hague up to 70% of all journeys are made by bike. 

To make cycling safer and more inviting the Dutch have built a vast network of cycle paths.

These are clearly marked, have smooth surfaces, separate signs and lights for those on two wheels, and wide enough to allow side-by-side cycling and overtaking.

Even before they can walk, Dutch children are immersed in a world of cycling. As babies and toddlers they travel in special seats on "bakfiets", or cargo bikes. These seats are often equipped with canopies to protect the children from the elements.

Biking in the Netherlands is an integral part of everyday life rather than a specialist's accessory or a symbol of a minority lifestyle. Dutch people in general are not concerned about having the very latest model of bike or hi-tech gadgets. 

Getting on a bike is fun and safe in the Netherlands

Almere-Digest

The Netherlands: Clipper Stad Amsterdam 'home' again!

Stad Amsterdam at sea

The Clipper Stad Amsterdam is back in Amsterdam for about 6 weeks after a wonderful time in the Mediterranean, the south coast of England and Belgium.

The coming weeks are mostly dominated by various day sails, cocktails and seminars on board. On September 7th and 8th she was moored be at the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam,where  visitors of the museum could visit her.

In late September we will go back to the shipyard for 10 days for maintenance following our intensive 6-month yard period earlier this year. Middle of October, the Clipper Stad Amsterdam will sail down south again: to the Canary Islands and later on to the Caribbean with the help of the trade winds. We will be arriving at Martinique on December 1st.

For additional Information click here

Almere-Digest

Architecture - The Netherlands - Almere: The Green Cathedral A Touristic Gem - by RM

The Green Cathedral seen from the outside

There is a local architectural curiosity called the Green Cathedral in Almere which is a replica of the Rheims Cathedral in France and worth your visit if you are in the neighborhood..

Where it is different from the real Cathedral is that it is an outline of the Rheims Cathedral defined by trees.

Inside the Green Cathedral

Quite a spectacular view, specially once you walk into the tree enclosed area. It probably can also best be seen when flying overhead. De Groene Kathedraal (The Green Cathedral), was designed by Dutch artist Marinus Boezem and replaces the stone and glass of the one in Rheims with poplar trees and sky.

About 20 years after it was started the artwork was "completed" in 1996 and is expected to reach its full height in 2015.

Unfortunately the Green Cathedral in Almere is not easy to find by outsiders because directions to the Green Cathedral are limited and not strategically located. The weathered billboard in front of the Green Cathedral is also unreadable.

Regardless of these shortcomings, the Green Cathedral certainly is a Dutch architectural and artistic gem.

Almere-Digest 

Netherlands - Almere: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?

Before World War II, journeys in the Netherlands were predominantly made by bike, but in the 1950s and 1960s, as car ownership rocketed, this changed. As in many countries in Europe, roads became increasingly congested and cyclists were squeezed to the kerb.

The jump in car numbers caused a huge rise in the number of deaths on the roads. In 1971 more than 3,000 people were killed by motor vehicles, 450 of them children.

In response a social movement demanding safer cycling conditions for children was formed. Called Stop de Kindermoord (Stop the Child Murder), it took its name from the headline of an article written by journalist Vic Langenhoff whose own child had been killed in a road accident.

To make cycling safer and more inviting the Dutch have built a vast network of cycle paths.
These are clearly marked, have smooth surfaces, separate signs and lights for those on two wheels, and wide enough to allow side-by-side cycling and overtaking.

In many cities Almere in the modern Province of Flevoland the paths are completely segregated from motorised traffic. Sometimes, where space is scant and both must share, you can see signs showing an image of a cyclist with a car behind accompanied by the words 'Bike Street: Cars are guests'.
At roundabouts, too, it is those using pedal power who have priority.

You can cycle around a roundabout while cars (almost always) wait patiently for you to pass. The idea that "the bike is right" is such an alien concept for tourists on bikes that many often find it difficult to navigate roads and junctions at first.

Read more: BBC News - Why is cycling so popular in the Nethe