Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

Eastern Europe

France, Russia Announce Ambitious Caucasus Development

Aleksandr Shatskih

The Presidents of France and Russia have announced a joint venture to transform the war-torn region of the north Caucasus into a premier tourist destination, they said on Thursday. The spectacular Caucasus Mountains, which have been the scene of a bloody Islamist insurgency in recent years, are an ideal location to develop ski resorts, the […]

TUI Acquires Underwater Magic Life Assets

Aleksandr Shatskih

TUI Travel PLC just announced today their reaching an agreement with TUI AG and subsidiary Magic Life to acquire six companies Magic Life leases and manages through.

Azerbaijan Celebrates Republic Day

Mihaela Lica Butler

This year, May 28, Azerbaijan will be celebrating its Republic Day through various cultural events in a number of countries, including the United States, Switzerland, and Northern Cyprus.

Allegro High Speed Between Finland and Russia Booming

Phil Butler

Since we reported on the Russia-Finland Free Visa issue, visitors to the Russian Federation via high speed rail have increased by 22 percent over the same period a year ago. According to the news, some 100,600 rail passengers traveled between Finland and Russia in the first quarter of 2011.

Flydubai Launches Three New Flights to Ukraine

Aleksandr Shatskih

The Dubai based low-cost airline Flydubai has announced its entry into the Ukrainian market with three brand new routes to Kiev, Donetsk and Khartov, beginning in September of this year. The move will expand the carrier’s network of global destinations to 40 routes across the GCC, the Levant, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Indian sub-continent. […]

Record Numbers of Brits Hit Estonian Shores

Aleksandr Shatskih

A record number of tourists from the UK visited Estonia in the first three months of 2011, said the country’s national tourist board in a statement. Between January and March this year, more than 259,000 tourist arrivals booked into hotels in the country, which is an increase of 19% on the previous year. Especially encouraging […]

Hungary President Schmitt Endorses Global Leaders for Tourism Campaign

Aleksandr Shatskih

Hungarian President Pal Schmitt last week became one of the first European leaders to sign up for the joint World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) and World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Global Leaders for Tourism Campaign. Earlier this month, President Schmitt had been presented with a letter from the UNTWO Secretary General Taleb Rifai, which stressed […]

Stricter Rules for Serbian EU Travelers

Aleksandr Shatskih

Immigration controls for Serbian citizens who want to travel to the EU will be intensified, announced the country’s Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic in a statement on Monday, adding that customs officials will be checking that passengers have satisfactory funds, travel insurance and return tickets. The announcement followed a meeting between Dacic and a delegation […]