Tourism Review Online Magazine 1 / 2006

In our Heritage sector today we introduce places that apart from being interesting historic sites in their own rights have become much visited due to their connections to the bestseller and movie «The Da Vinci Code». A cross-European adventure takes tourists from Louvre, where an actor from the movie narrates visitors’ way, to a secluded library in London, to ancient churches, castles and cathedrals, linked to each other by the logic of the story. It appears that public interest in such places have emerged spontaneously, but a story from Scotland reveals consolidated efforts of the tourist boards and initiatives behind the «cracking-thecode » mania (also featured in the Industry sector).

The number of tourists on the Da Vinci Code trail is growing, and it seems sensible to enrich their travel itineraries with a list of events, giving insight into the discoveries of another sort. The rich program of food festivals in Britain and France (countries connected by the trail) allows tourists to spice their adventure and feast upon the findings.

Celebrating Europe’s cultural diversity we also step into less known territories. Lithuania will start publications promoting UNESCO World Heritage Sights.

Our Sport section celebrates the mutual importance of sport and travel industries. It highlights several aspects of this multifaceted relationship. We publish results of the survey commissioned by the German National board to examine long-term effects of the recent football championship on the country promotion as a travel destination. This research is especially interesting in connection with the approaching 2012 Olympic Games. Our publication observes opportunities for thousands of companies, that directly or indirectly, might be involved in and benefit from delivering and staging the Games. Big achievements, as we all know, start with a general interest in sports and an active lifestyle, meaning active tourism at the same time. Here we present kids football holiday camps located in sunny Andalusia, where children can play football year round. While the skiing season is coming to Europe we introduce a new destination: Poland, where the Tatras, the youngest range in the Carpathian Mountains, together with the growing national travel industry provides excellent opportunities for cross-country skiing, recreational skiing, or downhill racing.

Our Profess ional section combines a variety of industry perspectives. The findings of HotelBenchmark (TM) Survey by Deloitte prove importance of sport and culture for hotels profitability. The readers interested in this article might find useful our section Heritage and Sport Tourism, discussing this phenomenon from a different perspective. Fashionable lifestyle hotels attract a growing interest of venture capitalists, and the results of European Lifestyle Hotel Survey 2006 shows that both large chains and smaller hotel systems are developing new products in this sector. Also, in this issue Hotel and Catering International Management Association announces its programs. We also publish information about new Berlin airport currently under construction. A new airport in the centre of Europe is big news for professionals in various sectors of the travel industry and we are planning to discuss this topic in details in the next issue…

Our business tourism section in the first issue of the Travel-Review Internet Magazin introduces several non-banal solutions for an incentive tour. Czech tourist board pays attention to the strategy of the sector development, and acknowledges the achievements of the national industry. Monaco, traditionally perceived as a fairy late land of one of the oldest European monarchies, announces its «hidden agenda»: a comprehensive list of activities for team building. One of the provinces of Croatia represents an almost terra incognita on the tourist map of Europe, promises surprises for business travellers. Even in a well known travel destination one may find a hidden treasure. For example, Tullibardine distillery, which was created in 1488, but lost in the middle of Scotland for years, is now privately owned and launches its business program.