2009-01-16

Doing business in the Arctic  

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Honningsvag is the northernmost town of Europe, a town that overlooks the Norwegian Polar Circle and increasingly attracting more tourists from around the world. Gloria and Jose Mijares Pamplona, Zaragoza and a Palencia with a long experience as tour guides, decided to bet on this remote, 5,000 kilometers from Spain and took their project there, a local five degrees below zero where the protagonist was the absolute ice.

From tables to chairs, through the walls, the bar or the logo "recreate the experience of the Arctic during the summer months," says Pamplona from Honningsvag. "The area has many business opportunities."

Thaïs Gutiérrez his article published in ADN.es, in 2004 and after many ups and opened their premises, the first ice bar in Norway. "When we decided to open the bar, there was only one similar in Europe and was in Stockholm, so it was a real revolution for the area," says Pamplona.

Experience has proved exhausting but very satisfying. "We had so many problems to think about it today when we say never again to start this adventure," says Pamplona. Now, however, said that "it was worth."

"It is not a local standard"

Since the opening of the Arctic Ice Bar, liked the idea. The local won the Best Tourist Project in North Norway the year of its opening and now, after an investment of more than 600,000 euros, the business is going well, as those responsible. "What we offer is not a bar to drink something normal," says Pamplona, "but an interactive experience Arctic, a window to the northern winter. Here there is only ice, snow and reindeer skins," he says.

Gloria and Jose decided to expand their business and the bar has installed a shop where they sell souvenirs related elÁrtico, thus expanding its turnover and its customers. Its business also includes the organization of trips to the Arctic Circle buildings and advise and make ice for any company concerned, now that they have become experts in the cold. The bar is open from April to September and spent the winter months to promote its business throughout Europe.

Global warming consistent with the melting of the polar regions could be a serious problem for the business of Gloria and Jose Mijares Pamplona in the Arctic. So far, all the ice out of their local lakes located around the interior of Lapland where temperatures around -30 degrees in winter. But both entrepreneurs recognize their concern about the rising temperatures that are suffering from these areas on the planet. "It is obvious that if temperatures continue to rise we will have problems because the lakes are not frozen as they do now," confesses Pamplona.

2009-01-13

Venice suffered the worst flooding in 22 years  

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No, this is not a photo. On Tuesday, Duncan Zuuren, a Dutch 34 years, took the rising tide in Venice - which on Monday reached 156 cm, the fourth highest record since 1872 - to ski in the Piazza San Marco. In 2004, the intrepid athlete was third in the World of this modality. The video of his adventures is one of the most visited Youtube.

A Dutch tourist took the high water in Venice San Marco Square to practice wakeboarding. The liquid level reached on December 1 1.56 meters, and since then the waters have been gradually declining, a major town that suffered flooding due to high tide.

This is the fourth highest level since 1986, when the "high water reached the mark of 158 centimeters. City residents and tourists climbed to the chairs and tables from pubs and restaurants to avoid being stranded at the hip to the water.

The mayor, Massimo Cacciari, recommended that people stay in their homes. "This is the tenth worst flooding of the past 1000 years," said the chairman of the Veneto region, Giancarlo Galan.

2009-01-09

Peru ranks as one of the most important tourist destinations in the world  

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Peru ranks as one of the most important tourist destinations in the world thanks to the continuing international recognition it receives, including four awards presented by the Latin American Travel Association (CAN), said today the Commission for the Promotion of Peru's Export and Tourism (Promperú).

Peru took four of the ten prizes awarded to the CAN in the UK where Promperú won the award for best tourist office in Latin America.

"This recognition, coupled with the Country Brand Index, Peru positioned as one of the most important tourist destinations in the world and also demonstrates that when the public and private sectors work together, success is assured," said the director of promotion Tourism Promperú, Mara Seminar.

The hotel also Inkaterra Reserva Amazon won the prize for best Jungle Lodge, which is located opposite the Tambopata National Reserve, in the Madre de Dios region.

For its part, Aqua Expeditions received the award for best luxury cruise, cruise for his part in Iquitos (Loreto) on the Amazon River and enters the Marañón River, to visit the nature reserve, Pacaya Samiria in that region.

Also, the chain Orient Express Hotels, Trains and Cruises, with the hotels Lima (Miraflores Park Hotel), Cusco (Hotel Monasterio), Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge) and the Colca Canyon in Arequipa (Colca The Pocitas) won as the best hotel chain.

The prizes were awarded in London in the largest tourism fair in the world, the World Travel Market (WTM), representatives of Promperú and tourism companies, thanks to winning the votes of operators, airlines, newspapers and chambers of tourism world.

CAN is a trade association that works in the UK and was founded to promote travel to Latin America. It brings together 200 businesses, including tourism offices, tour operators, hotels, wholesalers, media, airlines and other members at the international level.

Seminar held that these awards are received in an edition of the WTM particularly successful, as the participation of Peru has generated many positive responses.

He also said that the opinion leader Simon Calder, editor of The Independent, received a massive response from the press and public in his seminar "The Amazon and the top ten places to visit in Peru."

For its part, the show "The Secret Life of the Peruvian Amazon," displayed on the stand and opened by the Peruvian Embassy in London from Peru, was one of the most visited attractions at the fair.

Similarly, in Peru WTM is one of the country today to give an award in the Sustainable Tourism Awards, organized by Virgin Holidays, the WTM, The Daily Telegraph, the BBC and Geographical Magazine.

On this occasion, the Peruvian government, through Promperú deliver the prize to the best destination for poverty reduction among the countries contestants

2009-01-01

Venice, on high alert with a strong tide that flooded the entire city  

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Venice is on alert for a strong tide, known as "high water", which has already reached 156 centimeters above sea level and could reach 160, a figure not recorded since 1979 and which would cause flooding throughout the city.

Due to abundant rainfall in recent days, the "high water" and affects 40% of the lagoon city, and according to the data center forecast tidal Venice City Council on Monday may exceed 90% of territory.

If it reaches 160 cm, the city is completely flooded, say estimates from the center of the tides.

The water level continues to rise, mainly due to the sirocco, the wind blowing towards the south, and drag the waters to Venice.

Since this morning, the sirens sounded in the city to warn of the danger of high water to the Venetians and tourists. The historic figure of the high tide was registered on November 4, 1966, when the waters reached 1.94 meters.