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Space-Focused SPAC Completes IPO to Link with Ventures Focusing on Space

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Space-Focused SPAC Completes IPO to Link with Ventures Focusing on Space - MADEINSPACE.com - TRAVELINDEXWashington DC, United States, January 17, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / A blank-check company that has former Blue Origin President Rob Meyerson as its CEO has completed a $287.5 million initial public offering, furthering its plans to link up with ventures focusing on space, cybersecurity and energy innovation.

• For a better understanding of Space and to join the economic and industrial development of space. Contributors welcome at MadeInSpace.com

C5 Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), announced the closing of its initial public offering of 28,750,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit, including 3,750,000 units issued pursuant to the exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option in full, on January 11, 2022. The units were listed on the New York Stock Exchange and began trading under the ticker symbol “CXAC.U” on January 7, 2022. Each unit consists of one share of Class A common stock of the Company and one-half of one redeemable public warrant. Each whole public warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock of the Company at a price of $11.50 per share. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the shares of Class A common stock and public warrants are expected to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols “CXAC” and “CXAC WS,” respectively.

The Company is led by CEO Robert Meyerson, former president of Blue Origin. Steve Demetriou, Chair and CEO of Jacobs Engineering (NYSE:J), will be the company’s Non-Executive Chair of the Board of Directors. The Company is a newly organized blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation for the purpose of effecting a merger, consolidation, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or companies. While the Company may pursue an initial business combination with any company in any industry, the Company intends to focus on businesses at the leading edge of national security innovation in three key sectors: Space, Cybersecurity and Energy Transition.

Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and Moelis & Company LLC served as the joint book-running managers for this offering. The offering was made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., Attention Capital Markets, c/o Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., 499 Park Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10022.

• For a better understanding of Space and to join the economic and industrial development of space. Contributors welcome at MadeInSpace.com

The registration statement relating to the securities became effective on January 6, 2022. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

First published at TravelCommunication.net

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

National Geographic Society Achieving Gender Parity with Board Appointments

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National Geographic Society Achieving Gender Parity with Board Appointments - WEBOFWOMEN.com - TRAVELINDEXWashington DC, United States, January 17, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / The 134-year-old nonprofit makes history by achieving gender parity and introducing the new role of Explorer Trustee. The National Geographic Society announced the appointment of Ash Carter, Claudia Madrazo, Deborah Lehr, Dina Powell McCormick, and Paula Kahumbu to its board of trustees. Carter is the director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School. Madrazo is the founder of La Vaca Independiente and Transformation through Art and Education, as well as the founding member of the Academy for Systemic Change. Lehr is the chief executive officer of Edelman Global Advisory, a strategic business consulting firm. McCormick is the global head of sovereign institution coverage as well as the global head of sustainability and inclusive growth at Goldman Sachs. Kahumbu is the chief executive officer of WildlifeDirect and a National Geographic Explorer.

“On behalf of the entire board, I am delighted to welcome these five distinguished leaders to the National Geographic Society’s board of trustees,” said board chair Jean Case. “Collectively, their global expertise and knowledge will prove invaluable as we continue our ambitious mission to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world by using the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling.”

This announcement marks two milestones for the 134-year-old organization.

For the first time, the board has reached gender parity, building on the Society’s continued commitment to advance its work around diversity, equity, and inclusion, including improving representation of women in leadership positions. In 2016, Case became the Society’s first woman to serve as chair, and in August 2020, the organization appointed Jill Tiefenthaler as the first woman to serve as its CEO.

The organization also created the new role of Explorer Trustee, a position to be held by a National Geographic Explorer. The organization invests in a global community of Explorers composed of scientists, conservationists, educators, storytellers, and technologists. Wildlife conservationist and National Geographic Explorer Paula Kahumbu, who has dedicated her career to protecting threatened wildlife and habitats in Kenya, will become the first Explorer to hold the role. Kahumbu has been part of the National Geographic community for 12 years; in June 2021 she was named the Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year.

“To illuminate and protect the wonder of our world, we greatly benefit from having diverse perspectives in the boardroom and across our organization. I am thrilled to welcome Ash, Claudia, Deborah, Dina, and Paula, whose range of perspectives, deep expertise, and wisdom will strengthen our mission and vision,” said Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society. “Together, we have a clear vision to drive significant impact—and Explorers are the key. Paula is an extraordinary ambassador for our Explorer community, and her insights add a critical new voice to our board to ensure we remain at the forefront of exploration and discovery.”

Madrazo, Lehr, McCormick, and Kahumbu assumed their roles on January 1, 2022. Carter will join the board in January 2023.

About Ash Carter
Carter is the director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School, where he leads the Technology and Public Purpose project. Previously, he served as the 25th Secretary of Defense after serving as the COO and weapons czar in the Pentagon. For more than three decades, Carter has leveraged his experience in national security, technology, and innovation to spearhead and enhance technological capabilities for the U.S. government and investment firms. He launched the “Force of the Future” initiatives that improved the DOD’s recruitment, training, and retention of staff, which included the mandate that all military positions be opened to women. Currently, Carter is a member of The MIT Corporation and Delta Air Line’s Board of Directors, and he also advises the MITRE Corporation and Lincoln Laboratories on technology matters. Carter earned his bachelor’s degree at Yale University and his doctorate from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

About Claudia Madrazo
Madrazo has been interested in learning and exploring the world since her childhood. She founded La Vaca Independiente, a social enterprise focused on innovative education and the promotion of human development through art. She also developed the education methodology dia (development of intelligence through art), which has trained more than 25,000 teachers and benefited more than 500,000 students in Mexico. Madrazo serves on the boards of The Nature Conservancy and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the National Geographic Society’s Hubbard Council. Madrazo is the author of nine books as well as many essays and articles. She received her bachelor’s degree from Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, and her master’s degree from Essex University.

About Deborah Lehr
Lehr is the chief executive officer of Edelman Global Advisory, a strategic business consulting firm. In addition, she is the executive director of the Paulson Institute, a think tank founded by former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson. Lehr previously supported leading Western and Chinese organizations to grow their presence in the world’s most complex markets. In addition, she is the founder and chairman of the Antiquities Coalition, which works with governments across the world to fight against antiquities trafficking. Lehr serves on the International Advisory Board of the London School of Economics, the World Monuments Fund Board, and the Middle East Institute Board. Lehr is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She received her bachelor’s from Trinity University and her master’s from George Washington University.

About Dina Powell McCormick
McCormick is a member of the management committee at Goldman Sachs, where she serves as global head of Sovereign Institution Coverage and as Global Head of Sustainability and Inclusive Growth. McCormick held various roles with the firm from 2007 to 2017 before she served as the U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy from 2017 to 2018. McCormick has also served in the United States government across two administrations. Most recently, as the deputy national security advisor and previously as assistant secretary of state and as a senior White House advisor to the President. McCormick is currently a nonresident Senior Fellow at the Future of Diplomacy Project at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas.

About Paula Kahumbu
Kahumbu is a National Geographic Explorer and the chief executive officer of WildlifeDirect, a Kenyan conservation NGO. She spearheaded the Hands Off Our Elephants campaign, which is widely recognized for its singular successes in advocacy and the engagement of the people of Kenya to support the protection of elephants. Through her work, Kahumbu has reduced elephant poaching by 80 percent over five years. Kahumbu is the winner of many awards and accolades, including the 2021 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year and the 2021 Whitley Gold Award. She is a trustee of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Maun Science Park Botswana. Kahumbu received her Ph.D. in ecology from Princeton University. Kahumbu will become the first National Geographic Explorer to join the Society’s board of trustees.

About National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content.

First published at TravelCommunication.net – Global Travel News

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Golf Clubs Are Using Technology for Members Safety and Income Boost

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Golf Clubs Are Using Technology for Members Safety and Income Boost - TOP25GOLFCOURSES.com - TRAVELINDEXBucks, United Kingdom, January 16, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / Technology is helping golf clubs connect and recover. It wasn’t too long ago when the words “our members won’t/don’t use apps” came from the lips of many a club manager. But now it is a different story. With the advent of COVID-19 and social distancing being the norm, at least for the time being, many managers are turning to technology to help them do more with their precious resources.

• Discover the World’s Best Golf Courses at TOP25 Golf Courses.

With limited time and staff, general managers need to be able to quickly reconnect to their members, efficiently communicate and start the process of recovery. And they need to be able to all three quickly.

This where the technology we all have in our pockets becomes a very valuable resource to clubs:

Communications

In this rapidly changing environment where rules are being adjust almost daily, traditional methods – email, club notice board (defunct atm), letter – is either too slow, out of reach or they just plain don’t read them.

Even the new option of social media has its limits as it still requires your members to actively go and check.

As the general manager, this makes you and your team’s lives harder as your members don’t all know the new rules, what’s happening and how to behaviour (distancing, where to park, etc) and have to spend time painstakingly explaining this to them – from a safe distance of course!

This is where mobile app technology can remove this burden by allowing managers, even from the comfort of their own homes, to quickly and easily communicate directly to their members giving them instant updates, pointing them in right direction and keeping their members abreast of the club’s news and new rules.

Online Bookings

It is essential that you have your players turn up appropriately and not be queued in the pro shop/reception!

Via a club app, like CourseMate, allowing members to access your online bookings allow you to organise the number of available slots in any given day, reduce bottlenecks and minimise “misunderstandings” without having members popping into your office.

Have a last minute slot available? Then sending out a push notification will soon get that place filled!

It also makes it very easy and convenient for your members & visitors, especially if you have more than one booking system (or a member system plus a booking system) because you can centralise these in one place and not get your golfers to download half a dozen different apps or scour your website to find the correct page.

This applies to booking in matches or checking out their personal golfing accounts with systems like Handicapmaster, Master Scorecard, HDID, Golf Genius, etc.

Technology is now the new norm, isn’t it time you made your life (and your member’s life’s) easier to book, set up games and to check out your playing history?

Keeping Golfers Safe Out On The Course

Paper scorecards are the traditional method of keeping your scores but now with social distancing and transference of the virus digital scorecards are now the way forward.

By using digital scorecards along with online booking, it promotes car park golf in the short term, where players turn up, change their shoes, get on the course and play.

Organisers can run events and competitions remotely via the cloud and players can enter their scores via apps, taking the whole process away from physical scorecards and points of contact. There are a number of established companies that will help you do just this.

Again you don’t have to get your members to download a dozen different apps either, with a good club app like CourseMate, you can centralise them making convenient and easy for all.

Food & Beverage

With digital F&B menus it is easy to create temporary menus to suit the current situation and to update them as the season continues (not to mention the cost saving and time required on the printed versions)

Like scorecards, removing the paper element from the equation ensures that members are kept safe from any transference, no matter how small the risk is, and maintains social distancing keeping both staff and golfers safe.

It is not just the ease of creating a reduced menu and updating it, but using the technology that comes as standard with mobile phones, members can call for their food in advance ensuring it is ready for their arrival; reducing waiting times, unnecessary contact and providing another source of revenue. If your POS system allows online ordering, again this can be used for the same purpose.

For clubs that have a halfway house players can call in advance for “grab and go”. Allowing staff to put out drinks/quick food options in advance.

Offer take home meals – Members can place order prior to finishing their round so everything is ready by the time they finish their golf allowing them to take home a delicious meal for the entire family.

• Discover the World’s Best Golf Courses at TOP25 Golf Courses.

About CourseMate Golf Club App
CourseMate keeps your members happy with clear club communications, centralisation of current systems and allows you to stay easily connected to them whilst still allowing you to market to visitors, grow your data base and increase revenues across the venue.

First published at TravelCommunication.net

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Climate Failure and Social Crisis Top Global Risks 2022

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Climate Failure and Social Crisis Top Global Risks 2022 - TRAVELINDEXGeneva, Switzerland, January 15, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / Climate risks dominate global concerns as the world enters the third year of the pandemic. According to the Global Risks Report 2022, while the top long-term risks relate to climate, the top shorter-term global concerns include societal divides, livelihood crises and mental health deterioration.

Additionally, most experts believe a global economic recovery will be volatile and uneven over the next three years.

Now in its 17th edition, the report encourages leaders to think outside the quarterly reporting cycle and create policies that manage risks and shape the agenda for the coming years. It explores four areas of emerging risk: cybersecurity; competition in space; a disorderly climate transition; and migration pressures, each requiring global coordination for successful management.

“Health and economic disruptions are compounding social cleavages. This is creating tensions at a time when collaboration within societies and among the international community will be fundamental to ensure a more even and rapid global recovery. Global leaders must come together and adopt a coordinated multistakeholder approach to tackle unrelenting global challenges and build resilience ahead of the next crisis,” said Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director, World Economic Forum.

Carolina Klint, Risk Management Leader, Continental Europe, Marsh, said: “As companies recover from the pandemic, they are rightly sharpening their focus on organizational resilience and ESG credentials. With cyber threats now growing faster than our ability to eradicate them permanently, it is clear that neither resilience nor governance are possible without credible and sophisticated cyber risk management plans. Similarly, organizations need to start understanding their space risks, particularly the risk to satellites on which we have become increasingly reliant, given the rise in geopolitical ambitions and tensions.”

Peter Giger, Group Chief Risk Officer, Zurich Insurance Group, said: “The climate crisis remains the biggest long-term threat facing humanity. Failure to act on climate change could shrink global GDP by one-sixth and the commitments taken at COP26 are still not enough to achieve the 1.5 C goal. It is not too late for governments and businesses to act on the risks they face and to drive an innovative, determined and inclusive transition that protects economies and people.”

The report closes with reflections on year two of the COVID-19 pandemic, yielding fresh insights on national-level resilience. The chapter also draws on the World Economic Forum’s communities of risk experts – the Chief Risk Officers Community and Global Future Council on Frontier Risks – to offer practical advice for implementing resilience for organizations.

The Global Risks Report 2022 has been developed with the invaluable support of the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Advisory Board. It also benefits from ongoing collaboration with its Strategic Partners, Marsh McLennan, SK Group and Zurich Insurance Group, and its academic advisers at the Oxford Martin School (University of Oxford), the National University of Singapore and the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center (University of Pennsylvania).

First published at TravelCommunication.net – Global Travel News

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Passenger Traffic Improved but Omicron Restrictions to Affect Times Ahead

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Passenger Traffic Improved but Omicron Restrictions to Affect Times Ahead - TRAVELINDEXGeneva, Switzerland, January 15, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the recovery in air travel continued in November 2021, prior to the emergence of Omicron. International demand sustained its steady upward trend as more markets reopened. Domestic traffic, however, weakened, largely owing to strengthened travel restrictions in China.

Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons are to November 2019, which followed a normal demand pattern.

– Total demand for air travel in November 2021 (measured in revenue passenger-kilometers or RPKs) was down 47.0% compared to November 2019. This marked an uptick compared to October’s 48.9% contraction from October 2019.

– Domestic air travel deteriorated slightly in November after two consecutive monthly improvements. Domestic RPKs fell by 24.9% versus 2019 compared with a 21.3% decline in October. Primarily this was driven by China, where traffic fell 50.9% compared to 2019, after several cities introduced stricter travel restrictions to contain (pre-Omicron) COVID outbreaks.

– International passenger demand in November was 60.5% below November 2019, bettering the 64.8% decline recorded in October.

International Passenger Markets

– European carriers’ November international traffic declined 43.7% versus November 2019, much improved compared to the 49.4%% decrease in October versus the same month in 2019. Capacity dropped 36.3% and load factor fell 9.7 percentage points to 74.3%.

– Asia-Pacific airlines saw their November international traffic fall 89.5% compared to November 2019, slightly improved from the 92.0% drop registered in October 2021 versus October 2019. Capacity dropped 80.0% and the load factor was down 37.8 percentage points to 42.2%, the lowest among regions.

– Middle Eastern airlines had a 54.4% demand drop in November compared to November 2019, well up compared to the 60.9% decrease in October, versus the same month in 2019. Capacity declined 45.5%, and load factor slipped 11.9 percentage points to 61.3%.

– North American carriers experienced a 44.8% traffic drop in November versus the 2019 period, significantly improved over the 56.7% decline in October compared to October 2019. Capacity dropped 35.6%, and load factor fell 11.6 percentage points to 69.6%.

– Latin American airlines saw a 47.2% drop in November traffic, compared to the same month in 2019, a marked upturn over the 54.6% decline in October compared to October 2019. November capacity fell 46.6% and load factor dropped 0.9 percentage points to 81.3%, which was the highest load factor among the regions for the 14th consecutive month.

– African airlines’ traffic fell 56.8% in November versus two years’ ago, improved over the 59.8% decline in October compared to October 2019. November capacity was down 49.6% and load factor declined 10.1 percentage points to 60.3%.

– Australia remained at the bottom of the domestic RPK chart for the fifth consecutive month with RPKs 71.6% below 2019, albeit this was improved from a 78.5% decline in October, owing to the reopening of some internal borders.

– US domestic traffic was down just 6.0% compared November 2019 – improved from an 11.1% fall in October, thanks in part to strong Thanksgiving holiday traffic.

First published at TravelCommunication.net

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

WTTC Response to France Re-Opening Borders to UK Travellers

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WTTC Response to France Re-Opening Borders to UK Travellers - TRAVELINDEXLondon, United Kingdom, January 15, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “WTTC welcomes the reopening of French borders to UK travellers. Once a variant is endemic closing borders is pointless and only damages livelihoods especially in travel and tourism one of the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic.

“France is one of the biggest markets for UK tourists who, according to WTTC’s 2021 Economic Impact Report, account for 14% of overseas visitors. Total international visitor spend in France was worth more than €60BN pre-pandemic.”

About WTTC
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is an organisation that has developed enormously since its inception, yet it still holds the same core values and purpose. The three main messages are in keeping with the vision of the CEOs who founded the Council in 1990:

– Governments recognising Travel & Tourism as a top priority
– Business balancing economics with people, culture and environment
– A shared pursuit of long-term growth and prosperity

WTTC’s Members remain the driving force behind its activities and policies. Membership now includes the entire spectrum of the Travel & Tourism industry – from airlines and airports to hotels and hospitality groups, tour operators and retail travel agents, online distributors, cruise lines, investment companies, insurance groups, and the technology industry.

As a voluntary organisation, WTTC provides an important example of business leaders spending time and money to move their global activity forward while playing a pivotal role in ensuring sustainable development in our ever-changing world.

WTTC’s research, which quantifies the direct and total impact of Travel & Tourism on our economies in terms of GDP and employment growth, has helped to raise awareness of the economic contribution of our industry and continues to feature heavily in the media and in Governments.

First published at TravelCommunication.net – Global Travel News

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

UNWTO Secretary-General Welcomes Ambassador Yavuz Selim Yükselir

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UNWTO Secretary-General Welcomes Ambassador Yavuz Selim Yükselir

Madrid, Spain, January 15, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / As UNWTO gets set to return to the FITUR tourism trade fair in Madrid (19-23 January), the United Nations specialized agency is drawing on the influence of its growing team of Ambassadors to highlight the role the sector will play in driving recovery and providing opportunity in 2022 and beyond.

Ahead of the official opening of FITUR, Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili met with entrepreneur and hotelier Yavuz Selim Yükselir. Visiting the Organization’s headquarters in Madrid, the Turkish national, who joined last year as UNWTO Tourism Ambassador, discussed opportunities for further collaboration, with a particular focus on hotels and tourism accommodation.

Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “I thank Yavuz Selim Yükselir for his enthusiastic support for UNWTO at the start of a year of great challenge and great opportunity for tourism. Now is the time for our esteemed Ambassadors for Sustainable Tourism to be the faces of our sector, using their status and influence to showcase its unique power to drive recovery and transform lives.”

Reflecting the need for diverse voices, UNWTO counts on the generous support of its Ambassadors for Sustainable Tourism to amplify its messages and promote its work to audiences around the world. Yavuz Selim Yükselir serves as Chairman of the Board of Yükselir Group, which is active in 12 different sectors, most notably in tourism accommodation, aviation and innovation and technology, and has a presence in 24 countries. He was named a UNWTO Ambassador in January 2021, joining leading figures from the worlds of sport, entertainment, gastronomy, business and more.

First published at TravelCommunication.net – Global Travel News

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

COMO, THE ITALIAN CITY OF SILK AND SCENERY

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Lake Como is of glacial origin, dating back to the last Ice Age. It’s 146 km in size and at its deepest point measures 410m – making it one of the deepest lakes in Europe.It’s a place of glorious sunshine and gentle pleasures and has been the accepted retreat for wealthy folk since Romans first discovered it +2,000 years ago when, in 49BC, Julius Caesar sent 5,000 colonists to inhabit it. For centuries Como has been famed for its dramatic setting, fairy-tale villages, and now the catwalk of A-listers who own villas on the shores.

It’s also one of the world’s leading centers of silk production, with an interesting story pinned to its history in the production of silk. It all began in 1400 when Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, decided to plant mulberry trees around Lake Como to feed the greedy silkworms. Their ingestion of mulberry leaves produced silk, which led to the production of silk.

Como’s silk is what Reims is to Champagne and Modena is to supercars.

In 1866 Como entrepreneurs founded a Technical Institute enabling future generations to learn the ancient craft of silk manufacture. The industry kept expanding as Como had built a worldwide reputation for silk excellence. In fact, their reputation had so peaked that Como became known as the Silk City, with famous brands like Mantero, Ratti, Clerici, and Frey, leading the industry with their silken treasures.

In the 1990s, Como became the world’s most important center for silk manufacture, attracting major couturier and apparel labels from New York City, Paris, and Milan.

In Como and its surrounding foothills, there are several hundred companies engaged in the silk and textile trade – manufacturing, printing, dyeing, designing, and selling – which employs tens of thousands of locals. Chances are, if you own a silk scarf, tie, blouse, or dress by any big-name fashion house, the silk came from Como.

Reminders of silk are everywhere.

Along the city’s main shopping street – Via Vittorio Emanuele II – designer boutiques showcase silken garments in their windows. On the main square – Piazza Cavour, a large emporium offers a profusion of silk products. And just outside the city walls in La Tessitura, is ‘Loom Café’, a former textile mill turned restaurant.

Celebrities here, celebrities there!

Lake Como has been the location of many a movie, including ‘Casino Royale’, ‘Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones’, and ‘A Month by the Lake’.

For centuries, notables have been hosted in Como – Liszt, Bellini, Verdi, Stendhal, Wordsworth, Shelley, Sinatra, Hitchcock, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Gorbachev, plus numerous Russian oil magnates and American business leaders.

Today a new generation of famous visitors and/or property owners have descended on the Silk City. George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Sadly, this gentrification brings with it the cost of increased traffic and dramatically inflated real estate prices – and just about everything else.

Views of Como

In and around Como

Whilst exploring one of the world’s most idyllic destinations you’ll see the crystalline water glinting between the spiked Swiss peaks on one side, and the low-slung Lombard hills on the other. Ferries and fishermen ply their way across the lake’s glasslike surface, and at the water’s edge, small seaplanes fly in and out of the Aero Club. Beautiful stone buildings line the city’s streets, which buzzes with the energy. There are market selling local sausages, cheeses, gelati and olive oils, mimics and musicians on Piazza Duomo, and cafes are packed with locals.

Places to see

• The handsome Neoclassical lakefront museum of Tempio Voltiano is a tribute to the celebrated Alessandro Volta, the 18th-century physicist and inventor of the electric cell.

• Take the steep funicular up to the village of Como–Brunate. At the top, some 1,600 feet above the lake, are gorgeous Art Nouveau villas.

• In the quiet off-season the village of Bellagio is a delight for its spectacular gardens, and steep stone alleys lined with shops that sell high quality fashion, jewelry, and homewares. In summer, it’s a theme park.

• Take a walk through twenty acres of luscious grounds at Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo. There’s also a 17th-century house with sumptuous furnishings.

• The terraced grounds of Villa del Balbianello have been the backdrop to many a movie. On display are artifacts from around the world, collected by its last owner, the eccentric explorer Guido Monzino.

• In neighbouring Varese, the Villa Panza is a major Modern and Contemporary art museum with spectacular hilltop gardens. Their art collection is renowned for its site-specific pieces by Turrell, Flavin, Wilson, and Wenders.

Views of Como

Elegance & Taste

After all that activity, reward yourself to the sparkling evening lights reflected off the lake’s still waters from inside the glass encased Terrazza 241 (www.terrazza241.it), the glamourous sky bar at the Hilton Lake Como. It’s ideal for informal dining and drinks, complete with live music – which adds to the stylish atmosphere.

Ask mixologist and bar manager, Vincenzo Sulmona, for one of his signature cocktails – the Smoked Negroni and watch the theatre of its production. Then relish the gastronomic delights of Chef Alessandro Ramella. His specialty dish: chunky spaghetti with a tomato and clam bisque – a concentrate of seafood flavors and aromas that packs a bunch, and why Chef drizzles just a little over his home-made spaghetti. Then finish with one of their innovative Eat-Your-Drink desserts.

You may be tempted to stay the night as the heated rooftop infinity pool, cocktails and live, mellow music might just keep you up there. Who knows which celebrity you might encounter, enjoying an Aperol spritz.

Hilton Lake Como

Following a full restoration, the 170-room Hilton Lake Como, pays homage to the Lombardian city’s past (and present) as a major silk center, as the hotel’s front-most building was until 1997 a silk factory. The Hilton Lake Como opened in 2018; and as you’d expect from a high-end hotel, has all the bells and whistles that make is a pampering paradise, complemented with gourmet delights. But what the other establishments of equal standing don’t have are the panoramic views over Lake Como through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Of course, it’s bright, stylish, and aesthetically pleasing, with frontline multi-lingual professionally trained staff that man the whole operation. The hotel’s clean minimal lines of glass and steel have been softened with contemporary décor in warm tones of brown, green, and blue, resonating the colors of the encompassing landscapes.

Rooms and common areas are set around an inner courtyard. The entrance lobby opens to a Glass Cube – an all-glass lounge filled with leafy foliage which exudes a welcoming feel. All the furniture is locally made.

Double rooms start from €180.00 ($258)

www.lakecomo.hilton.com

Como on a B&B Budget

But don’t go thinking visiting Lake Como is only for millionaires. It’s within everyone’s financial reach.

Start by searching for accommodations on AirBnB (www.airbnb.com). Then narrow your search down by zooming in the city of Como. That way you’ll be able to pick the location within your budget.

Like ‘Casa Bella’ a fully equipped apartment in Varenna (on the quiet side of Lake Como), with its jaw-dropping views from the balcony.

Or the ‘Como Secret Garden’, an apartment in an old house, overlooking a hidden garden in the heart of the city of Como.

There are also sterling properties on www.beblakecomo.com and www.lakecomo.is/be-our-guest-accommodation.

www.visitcomo.eu

First published at Travel Industry Today

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

PUBS, PATIOS & BARS: Suds and sunshine in Fort Lauderdale

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There are worse ways of waiting for your hotel room to be ready than to hole up in an Irish pub. And, indeed, if that pub is Waxy’s in fabulous Fort Lauderdale, I can attest that you may not to choose to leave, even when the call comes.

Located on the 17th Street, just up from the Hilton and across from the Embassy Suites (and not too far from Port Everglades for those waiting to board a cruise ship), Waxy’s Irish Bar makes the most of its exterior setting in a strip mall, but inside more than lives up to its billing as a wee slice of Ireland.

Importantly (since one is in Florida), there is an outside patio, enabling guests to enjoy the Irish craic and the sunshine simultaneously.

Also known as Waxy O’Connor’s, the establishment has for the past two decades earned a reputation as a rugby pub, though nowadays there seems to be too many Manchester United football games for the liking of some regulars. Being the US, it’s also a place you’ll be sure to catch American football games on one of the 16 TVs.

The pub says it pours “the best Guinness this side of the Emerald Isle” – a serious claim for a drink that actually requires training to pour properly – but, embellished or not, the boast points to beer bona fides that also includes Harp and Smithwick’s and a dozen more drafts from across Europe, plus a similar number of American and local craft options.

Of course, there’s also wine, plus a dozen or so craft cocktails – notably the subtly named “Blind Lemon,” made with Jefferson bourbon, after the Blues great.

And food: what you’d expect from an Irish pub – fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, burgers, steak, lamb, and a chicken pot pie that earns raves; for dessert, there’s Jameson’s (i.e. Irish whiskey) bread pudding.

I can’t in good conscience advise anyone visiting Fort Lauderdale to skip the beach or to overlook the city’s many wonderous water activities or vibrant downtown for the sake of an Irish pub; but then again, who says I have a good conscience?

With glass purposefully in hand, we at Travel Industry Today continue our series on some of the planet’s best bars, patios and rooftop venues. For more articles in the series, click here:

PREVIOUS ARTICLES: https://travelindustrytoday.com/pub-patio/

First published at Travel Industry Today

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

RIDING HIGH: Coast to coast coasters coming in 2022

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Thrill-seekers will be riding high this year with the debut of no less than four major new attractions in the US, spanning the country from coast to coast. Busch Gardens will unveil Iron Gwazi in Tampa, while SeaWorld breaks the ice with a new ride in Orlando and California’s fastest, tallest, and longest dive coaster in San Diego. There’s also something for swingers in San Antonio. Here’s a look:

Ice Breaker

Ice Breaker promises to be SeaWorld Orlando’s coolest coaster yet. Set to officially open on Feb. 18, the ride will feature four launches, both backwards and forwards, culminating in a reverse launch into the steepest beyond vertical drop in Florida — a 28-m.-tall spike with 100-degree angle. The coaster debuts after a two-year delay due to the pandemic and joins Manta, Kraken, and Mako, at the Orlando theme park.

Iron Gwazi

Another coaster delayed by the pandemic, Iron Gwazi will launch at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in March as North America’s tallest hybrid coaster and the fastest and steepest hybrid coaster in the world. It will be the Florida theme park’s 10th roller coaster, promising the unique thrill of plunging riders from a 63-m.-tall peak into a 91-degree drop and reaching top speeds of 122 kph. The journey will include a dozen airtime moments, including three inversions, as it races along more than 1,240 m. feet of purple steel track and giving riders a stunning view of African animals on the park’s Serengeti Plain. Other notable coasters at the theme park include Tigris, SheiKra, and Montu, recognized as one of the top 10 coasters in the United States.

The Emperor

Emperor, SeaWorld San Diego

The tallest, fastest, and longest dive coaster in California, as well as the only floorless dive coaster in the state, will debut in March, at SeaWorld San Diego. Named after the world’s largest penguin, the new coaster will mimic the species’ amazing underwater diving ability. Climbing to 46 m. with feet dangling in the air, riders will be suspended on a 45-degree angle at the crown of the ride before plunging down a 43 m. facedown vertical drop, accelerating to more than 97 kph. Riders will also experience inversions, barrel roll, Immelmann loop, hammerhead turn and flat spin as they race along the nearly 762 m. of track. Each of the floorless ride cars will hold 18 riders in three, six-person rows – the first seating configuration of its kind in North America.

Tidal Surge

At SeaWorld San Antonio Tidal Surge will be the world’s tallest and fastest swing ride, taking riders on a journey “above the clouds to feel the sensation of flying high above the park.” Accommodating 40 riders, the ride will feature two pendulum-like arms that will soar progressively higher to a staggering height of 41 m. at its peak. The dueling arms will alternate sides and sway back-and-forth at 110 kph, creating multiple airtime moments that levitate guests out of their seats with each heart-stopping swing. Riders’ legs will dangle and hang as they soar over the waterski lake and take in the beautiful views of the park, while reaching multiple negative G moments before plunging back towards the earth.

SeaWorld San Antonio’s thrill ride portfolio currently includes four thrill coasters, and one for families, plus a high swing.

Jurassic World Velocicaster

Not to be forgotten, the newly opened (last summer), but perhaps missed by many during the pandemic maelstrom, Jurassic World Velocicaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando currently holds the title of Florida’s fastest and tallest launch coaster, and the world’s first coaster based on the Jurassic World blockbuster franchise. The new species of roller coaster raises the bar in extreme roller coaster design and is the ultimate experience for coaster enthusiasts and thrill-seekers, with a series of intense manoeuvres that will send guests catapulting up to 113 kph and more than 45 m. in the air with the swiftest of prehistoric predators.

 

 

First published at Travel Industry Today

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News