by editor’s office, ch, tophotel

The financial difficulties are getting worse: Grand Hotel Heiligendamm has applied for an assurance of four million euros with the German Federal State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The assurance has been granted and, according to reports in the media, is supposed to allow the leading hotel suffering from the financial crisis to maintain operations. The hotel management has yet to release comments.

by editor’s office, ch, tophotel

“Miserable exploitation” is what investigative journalist Günter Wallraff describes the working conditions at star restaurant Wartenberger Mühle near Kaiserslautern as. In the recently released issue of “Zeit Magazin“, Wallraff describes how apprentices were verbally and physically abused by their superiors: According to the victims’ accounts, confirmed by witnesses, apprentices were physically abused, such as being hit with a gravy ladle. One apprentice is reported to have once had several buckets of water poured over his head by colleagues.

Today, Air Berlin will conduct its first flight to Tel Aviv on an Airbus A319. The new nonstop connection to Israel will be used by 113 passengers on its first day of operation. „The growing flight traffic between our countries is reflective of the German-Israeli friendship and the great mutual interest in the history and culture of our countries. We are glad that Air Berlin can make an attractive offer with today’s implementation of the Berlin – Tel Aviv route,“ said Matthias von Randow, Director Global Traffic Rights & Political Affairs Air Berlin. He is to institute the new flight connection tonight, together with Andreas Deckert, head of the Berlin Airport Traffic Department and Dani Neumann, Director of the State Tourist Office of Israel.

According to the June edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer international tourism declined by 8% between January and April compared to the same period last year. Destinations worldwide recorded a total of 247 million international tourist arrivals in those four months, down from 269 million in 2008. Given the changes in the outlook UNWTO has revised its forecast for the full year 2009. Taking account of the results for the first four months of the year and the current market conditions, international tourism is now forecast to decrease by between -6% and -4% in 2009, as the pace of decline is expected to ease during the remainder of 2009.

by editor’s office, 1122

In July & August, Bistro 19 is promoting a dinner special called “Shellfish from the Gulf of Siam” which allows guests to enjoy fresh catch with Italian and Thai cuisine flavours. Some of the delightful dishes proposed include fresh oyster with condiments, fettuccine with scallops, rock lobster and fennel sauce, Steamed clams cooked in an earthenware pot in traditional Thai style, Grilled tiger prawns with olive oil, garlic and rucola pesto, Sautéed Japanese scallops with XO sauce served with steamed rice, Shellfish basket served with potato fries and many more.

by editor’s office, vir

The fact that 64% of German homes are connected to the Internet by now, that is, 2% more than in the previous year, may be good news, but certainly not surprising ones. Similarly unsurprising is the fact that higher income and education bring with them higher rates of Internet access and an increased frequency of travel. A lot more exciting, on the other hand, is taking a detailed look at the recently released results of this representative study, with a focus on the relation of Internet access and individual intensity of travel.