News that a Dutch court has decided to turn over Crimea’s Scythian gold collection to Ukraine has many outraged. The fate of a vast treasure awaits a court appeal by Crimean officials.
Ukraine
Odessa Welcomes MedCruise General Assembly
More than 100 participants are expected at Odessa during the 48th MedCruise General Assembly at Hotel Bristol, a round table meeting dedicated to cruise and yacht tourism.
To have, or have not & Russian Tourists in 2015
When Russia’s influence on the Ukraine government of Viktor Yanukovych got challenged by a kind of rampaging western hegemony, all Europe should have studied more closely these relationships. Now, over a year in, the 2015 summer tourist season will probably be a disaster. Regardless of who we lay the blame on for the current west-east detente disaster, […]
A Look at Crimea and Ukraine in a European Time Capsule
To better understand eastern Europe, one has to understand how the whole continent of Europe developed over the centuries. As the world watches events in Crimea and Ukraine develop today, it’s important that we understand the nature of conflict and society, and of borders.
Bulgaria’s 2014 Tourism Boom: Help Wanted
With the summer season in full swing now news from Bulgaria’s tourism industry tells of Black Sea resorts there in dire need of skilled workers to meet demand. According to the director of labor there, Dobrich Vasil Sivkov, there’s hundreds of vacancies in the industry.
Weight of Ukraine Unrest, Sanctions, Threaten EU Economies
The Ukraine unrest unfolding, US and NATO versus Russia challenges and sanctions, threaten to unravel any hope of continued EU economic recovery. This, according to an ITAR-TASS report, must be weighed against European Commission contentions. Whatever the case for western EU nations, tourism and other sectors in eastern Europe will certainly be stifled.
Germany’s Steinmeier Warns of War in Ukraine
The situation in Ukraine has the world on pins and needles as chaos prevails almost nationwide there. Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has gone so far as to warn that the crisis may turn into war in eastern Europe.
Bad News For Croatia Tourism: Dead Last Economics
In Croatia, not many people or officials could have predicted finally achieving EU member status would find the country worse off. This Reuters report shows the ugly side of today’s European Union economics, Croatia and other states wallowing at the bottom of the coalition’s heap.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry Issues Travel Warning
A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry has cautioned Russians intent on traveling abroad about possible detentions. While Alexander Lukashevich issued a statement earlier in the week about how to avoid problems with US law enforcement agencies when traveling.
Moldova Gets Visa Free Status: NATO Gets Ally?
The European Commission has granted Moldovan citizens no visas travel to the EU beginning on today. In a move the EU says will deepen the relationship with East European nation in “defiance of Russia”, Moldova would seem to be a pawn in a much larger NATO game. In this report from Reuters, it’s made clear Moldova, […]
Croatia Set to Welcome More Russian Tourists
Darko Lorencin, the Croatian Tourism Minister revealed this week Croatia is set to welcome more Russian tourists for 2014. Last year’s visa regime caused a drop in visitors from Russia of some 60%, a catastrophic drop for a country so dependent on tourism. This year Croatia intends to issue Russians visas for six months, the minister told RTL TV.
A New Cold War Nightmare: The Big Tourism Slump to Come
Already the conflict between west and east over Ukraine is having its negative effect on travel. 2014 was shaping up as a very positive year for Europe travel, but with fewer Russians planning trips abroad, the upcoming May holidays will be the first tourism casualties of a new Cold War detentes. A just now emerging travel industry, can ill afford a slippage of bookings.
Albania: A Look at Peripheral #Ukraine Effects
The crisis in Ukraine now threatens western Balkans nations like Albania with further stalled economies and more. Even despite the recent announcement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Urban Development and Tourism of Albania to commit to working together to promote tourism in Albania, the gridlocked detentes in between the US, EU, Britain, and Russia over Ukraine may well spell disaster for all Balkan’s travel.
Koktebel & Maximilian Voloshin House & 2013’s Night at the Museum
This Saturday evening in Koktebel the Museum of Maximilian Voloshin will host an international event, “Night at the Museum”, which will commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the poet’s house. Each year in this part of the Crimea, museums all celebrate International Museum Day, a festive program with readings, exhibits and special programs for visitors.
Places You Never Heard Of: Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in Ukraine
It’s a sure bet if you are from the United States or even the UK, probably anyplace in Western Europe even, the city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi is as foreign a name and place to you as Mars or Pluto. But if you only knew, the seaside wonder probably would not be for long.