Visiting Iceland Without a Car – Day Trip Ideas From the Capital
by bdpash on 18/05/18 at 1:29 pm
Unless you’ve been living under a rather large rock, there’s a fairly good chance you’re aware of just how attractive Iceland is right now. But with prohibitively increasing car rental costs and rare accommodation outside the capital, planning a road trip can be a daunting task. Fret not: I’ve compiled a list of places that are doable as day trips from Reykjavik.
Read more:http://www.travellers-content.co.uk/visiting-iceland-without-a-car-day-trip-ideas-from-the-capital/
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More options for travelers to Jordan
Low-cost airlines like Ryanair, Easyjet, and Norwegian have all recently taken notice of Jordan as a prime winter destination for European travelers. As more and more travelers are eager to visit the Middle East, airlines are providing more efficient and cost-friendly options.
This winter season 2018/19, low-cost direct flights are more frequent and readily available making it easier than ever to travel to famous sites like the lost city of Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Wadi Rum Desert, or the impressive capital city of Amman known for its well-preserved ancient Roman ruins and dynamic history.
Direct flights arrive into Queen Alia International Airport in Amman and King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba. To keep up with the steady flow of tourists and increased demand, Jordan Shuttle, the first service of its kind is now offering a shared shuttle service making it that effortless for travelers to move towards independent travel within the region. The rise of tourism in Jordan also brings a rise in independent travel, specifically as travelers feel safer than in previous years and are eager to explore on their own. Independent travel empowers travelers and enables them to make personalized decisions in order to create a unique, customized experience.
Shuttles offer a low-cost solution for European tourists arriving via air who are looking for an affordable and convenient transportation option. Jordan Shuttle is operated in coordination with each individual airline meaning that the shuttles are timed with arrival and departures to and from Europe. The shuttles operate seven days a week and are booked online providing peace of mind for arriving or departing tourists while also being a low-cost solution for European tourists.
Jordan Shuttle also assists with travel to the old city of Jerusalem in neighboring Israel, bridging the border between the two countries which can sometimes be challenging to visitors looking to cross. Use of the shuttle service bridges the gap between these major sites making them more accessible and providing reliable and safe options for independent travelers.
Main connections offered from Jordan Shuttle include:
• Amman Airport – Amman
• Aqaba Airport – Aqaba
• Aqaba Airport/Aqaba City – Eilat Hotels
• Amman- Petra
• Amman-Jerusalem
Jordan has gained popularity as a winter destination offering an escape from the winter blues with the sunny and temperate weather, rich ancient history, traditional and innovative cuisine, and warm, welcoming people. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, “The Middle East [too] has been a buoyant market for the travel and tourism industry” and according to estimates, tourism and travel in the Middle East is projected to reach $165.3 billion by the year 2025. The major travel site TripAdvisor has seen some 12,888 conversations and topics opened in the online forum section of travelers inquiring about travel in Jordan, questions ranging from “family travel”, “romantic travel” to “adventure travel” and “rest and relaxation”. Travelers are eager to learn more about this dynamic destination and are preparing to visit in the coming year. As the 2018 winter season quickly approaches, travel experts in the region are ready to welcome European travelers and show them all that Jordanian hospitality has to offer.
Challenging traditional views of travel and tourism in the Pacific
The second Pacific Tourism Insights Conference (PTIC), successfully brought together 157 delegates from 95 organizations and 16 destinations to influence change and share their thoughts and ideas on the future of tourism in the Pacific.
Organized by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in collaboration with the South Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO) and hosted by Samoa Tourism Authority (STA), the event took place at the Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Hotel & Bungalows in Apia, Samoa on Wednesday, October 3, 2018.
PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy said, “This year’s event continues our commitment in providing greater depth into the challenges and issues for the responsible development of the travel and tourism in the Pacific region. The discussions arising from the conference highlighted the need for greater collaboration between the public and private sectors in preserving the unique culture and heritage of the local communities and protecting the environment. In addition, organizations need to better leverage these assets in promoting the beauty of the Pacific.”
The discussions from the event focus on the four key topics of insights, development, expertise and sustainability and their contribution towards achieving the objectives of the Pacific Tourism Strategy 2015-2019, which provides the strategic framework to support the development of tourism in the Pacific.
In her welcome remarks, Papalii Sonja Hunter, Chairwoman of SPTO and CEO of STA, stated, “As you know the Pacific Tourism Insights Conference is a result of the longstanding and valuable partnership between SPTO and PATA. Samoa is inspired to hold this event because we recognize the need to inspire, innovate and empower our Pacific people. Furthermore, we recognize the need for a regional space where Pacific tourism leaders from the public sector and particularly private sector stakeholders could gather, discuss and learn more from the key global issues impacting the future of tourism development for the region.”
The event featured presentations from a dynamic line up of international speakers representing organizations recognized for the success and expertise in innovation and disruptive thinking. Speakers included Andrew Panopoulos, Senior Analyst – Centre for Aviation (CAPA); Chris Adams, General Manager – Miles Partnership (South Pacific); Gina Paladini, Partner – Binumi and Managing Director – Tomahawk Jelena Li, Head – BBC StoryWorks Australia & New Zealand; Jessica Quinlan, Sales Manager – Destination Marketing for Australia, New Zealand & Pacific Islands – TripAdvisor; Dr. Mario Hardy, CEO – PATA; Dr. Susanne Becken, Director – Griffith Institute for Tourism, and Thu Nguyen, Co-founder & CEO – Christina’s Company Limited, Vietnam. The conference panel sessions were moderated by Phil Mercer, International Correspondent at BBC World News, Australia.
In his closing, SPTO CEO Chris Cocker said, “As a region, we collectively market our destinations to the rest of the world, and it is practical that we acquire the skills and knowledge that our markets utilize. We are fortunate in the regional tourism industry that at one conference we have speakers and resource people who are outstanding thought leaders in their areas of expertise which has ranged from ‘Artificial Intelligence and Tourism’ to ‘Social Media Implications on Destination Marketing’. This conference has been made possible through the valuable partnership we have with PATA and STA who share our vision for an empowered and knowledgeable Pacific people working together to sustainably develop tourism in the region.”
Honeymooner loses finger when heavy metal door slams shut: Is cruise line liable?
In this week’s travel law article, we examine the case of Horne v. Carnival Corporation, No. 17-15803 (11th Cir. June 29, 2018) wherein the Court noted that “On their honeymoon, Horne and his wife Julie were on the cruise ship Fascination and went to take pictures of the sunset on an exterior deck. It was a very windy day, and when they desired to leave the exterior deck the couple had to go through a heavy metal door. A warning sign on the door said ‘CAUTION-WATCH YOUR STEP-HIGH THRESHOLD’. There was no other warning. Julie opened the door, but had trouble, so Horne grabbed the door along its edge and held it open. Once Horne walked through the door, he began to release it. The door slammed shut as Horne released it, closing before he could get his hand free and chopping off the first finger of his right hand at the distal joint. Horne brought suit against Carnival, alleging failure to warn of a dangerous condition and negligent maintenance of the door. The district court granted summary judgment to Carnival, finding that Carnival had no duty to warn because there was no evidence that Carnival was on notice, actual or constrictive, of the dangerous condition and because the danger was open and obvious…The district court’s grant of summary judgment is affirmed in part and reversed in part and remanded”.
In the Horne case the Court noted that “Because the injury occurred on navigable waters, federal admiralty law applies to this case. To establish his claim for negligence, Horne must show that Carnival had a duty of care, breached that duty and that breach was the proximate cause of Horne’s injury. ‘[A] cruise line owes its passengers a duty to warn of known dangers’… However, in order to have a duty to warn of a danger, the cruise line must have ‘actual or constrictive notice of the unsafe condition’…Moreover, there is no duty to warn of open and obvious dangers’”.
Notice Of Hazardous Condition
“{I]n this case, there is evidence that the cruise line sometimes posted signs on the deck door in the event of strong winds. These signs would read ‘caution, strong winds’. There was no such sign on the day of the incident. Viewed in the light most favorable to Horne, the evidence that Carnival, in the past, put up signs warning of strong winds creates a genuine issue of fact as to whether Carnival had actual or constructive notice of the hazardous condition”.
Open & Obvious Danger
“In determining whether a risk is open and obvious, we focus on ‘what an objectively reasonable person would observe and do[] not take into account the plaintiff’s subjective perceptions’. Horne argues that the relevant danger is not the wind, or the heavy door, but rather the risk that the wind would cause the door to slam so hard and so fast that it would chop off his finger. Horne contends that this risk is not open or obvious to the reasonable person. Horne states that although he knew that the door was heavy, and it was windy, he had no reason to believe the door would close so hard and fast that it chopped off his finger”.
Duty To Warn Claim
“He also states that he had no way of knowing that the door would slam shut so fast, despite his best efforts, he could not remove his hand in time. Based on this testimony, viewed in the light most favorable to Horne, we hold that a reasonable juror would find that this hazard was not open and obvious. Thus, we reverse with respect to the duty to warn claim”.
Failure To Maintain Claim
“Horne’s expert’s testimony that the door was in a dangerous condition is only relevant if Horne can first show that Carnival had actual or constructive notice of this danger. The only evidence Horne presents that Carnival had actual or constructive notice that the door was dangerous were two work orders entered, and subsequently closed, for repairs on the door. Plaintiff presents no evidence that these work orders were not actually performed; in fact, Carnival’s corporate representative testified that ‘closing’ a work order indicates that the requested repairs have been completed. Thus, these work orders do not provide evidence that Carnival had notice that the door remained in a dangerous condition at the time of the incident….Thus, the district court did not err with respect to the failure to maintain claim”.
Conclusion
“For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the judgment of the district court with respect to the failure to maintain claim, but we reverse with respect to the claim of duty to warn”.
The author, Thomas A. Dickerson, passed away on July 26, 2018 at the age of 74. Through the graciousness of his family, eTurboNews is being allowed to share his articles that we have on file which he sent to us for future weekly publication.
The Hon. Dickerson retired as an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department of the New York State Supreme Court and wrote about Travel Law for 42 years including his annually-updated law books, Travel Law, Law Journal Press (2018), Litigating International Torts in U.S. Courts, Thomson Reuters WestLaw (2018), Class Actions: The Law of 50 States, Law Journal Press (2018), and over 500 legal articles many of which are available here. For additional travel law news and developments, especially in the member states of the EU, click here.
Read many of Justice Dickerson’s articles here.
This article may not be reproduced without permission.
International Tourism maintains strong momentum
According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)’s latest barometer, international tourist arrivals grew 6% in the first six months of 2018 after a record year of growth in 2017.
All world regions enjoyed robust growth in tourist arrivals in January-June 2018. The increase was fueled by strong demand from major source markets, supported by an upswing in the global economy. It comes after record year-round growth of 7% in 2017.
“Today’s release of international tourism data for the first half of 2018 serves as further proof of the sector’s resilience and relentless growth trajectory. We continue to work with our many partners to translate this growth into better jobs, more benefits to societies, and more opportunities for sustainable livelihoods and destinations,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.
By region, Europe and Asia and the Pacific led growth with a 7% increase in arrivals each. Southern Mediterranean Europe and South-East Asia had the strongest results in these regions, both welcoming 9% more international tourists.
The Middle East and Africa also recorded sound results with arrivals growing at 5% and 4%, respectively, according to still-limited information available for destinations in these regions. The Americas saw 3% growth in arrivals over the six-month period, driven by South America (+7%) and North America (+5%). The United States continued to fuel much growth in the region and beyond.
On the demand side, France, the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation all reported double-digit increases in outbound spending in Europe. India and the Republic of Korea drove growth in Asia and the Pacific, while the world’s top source market China reported similar spending as in the same period last year.
Looking ahead
The first half of the year accounts for about 45% of annual international tourist arrivals. The second half represents 55% as it is three days longer and includes the Northern Hemisphere high-season months of July and August.
Against a strong first semester, growth prospects for the remainder of 2018 remain positive overall, though at a slower pace, according to the latest UNWTO Confidence Index survey. The Index value for May-August and expectations for September-December are somewhat lower than the Index value for January-April.
Turkish Airlines sold out 83.4% in September
Turkish Airlines has recently announced the passenger and cargo traffic results for September and left behind a month of high load factor with 83.4% performance. On top of the strong base effect of September 2017, growth in the number of passengers, revenue per kilometer and load factor, is an important indicator of the continued growing interest in Turkey and Turkish Airlines.
According to September 2018 Traffic Results;
- The passenger growth trend continued in September, thus total number of passengers carried went up by 1% reaching about 7 million passengers, and Load Factor went up to %83.4.
- In September 2018, Total Load Factor improved by 2 points, while international Load Factor increased by 2 points to 83%, domestic Load Factor increased by 2 points to 87% approximately.
- International-to-international transfer passengers (transit passengers) went up by 3% approximately.
- In September, cargo/mail volume continued the double digit growth trend and increased by 22%, compared to the same period of 2017. Main contributors to the growth in cargo/mail volume, are Domestic Lines with 48%, N. America with 32% increase, Africa with 23% increase and Far East with 20% increase.
- In September, Africa showed load factor growth of 7 points, while Europe, Domestic Lines and Far East showed load factor growth of about 2 points.
According to the January-September 2018 Traffic Results;
- During January-September, increase in demand and total number of passengers was 10% and 12%, respectively, over the same period of last year. Total number of passengers reached to 58 million.
- During January-September, total Load Factor improved by 3 points up to 82%. While international Load Factor increased by approximately 3 points exceeding 81%, domestic Load Factor went up by 2 points exceeding 85%.
- Excluding international-to-international transfer passengers (transit passengers), number of international passengers went up significantly by 13%.
- Cargo/mail carried during the nine months increased by 25% and reached to 1 million tons.
