Sep 24th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
A strike by the employees of Brittany Ferries is disrupting the movement of travelers and goods between England, France and Spain.
The BBC reports the French union that staffs the ferry service is striking in protest of cuts by the company, which is deeply in the red. Brittany Ferries operates several lines from England to various ports in northern France and Spain. In addition to travelers ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
recession posts
Brittany Ferries Strike Affects Travel, Business In Three Countries
Sep 24th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
A strike by the employees of Brittany Ferries is disrupting the movement of travelers and goods between England, France and Spain.
The BBC reports the French union that staffs the ferry service is striking in protest of cuts by the company, which is deeply in the red. Brittany Ferries operates several lines from England to various ports in northern France and Spain. In addition to travelers ...The Acropolis: Greece's most famous monument weathers the crisis
Feb 3rd, 2012 at 11:00AM:
Visiting Greece and not visiting the Acropolis is unthinkable. Set atop a high rock overlooking Athens, the temples here were built primarily to honor the city's patron goddess Athena in all her attributes. The buildings here are some of the best examples of Greek architecture and have had a profound effect on the architecture of all the Western world. While I have a preference for medieval ...Athens nightlife: desperate pensioners on the hustle
Jan 31st, 2012 at 10:00AM: Giorgis looked like he didn't have long to live.
Aged about 70, he was a tall man who appeared shorter because he stooped so much that his head hung almost below his shoulders. He was thin and walked with a limp that showed he suffered from sciatica. His clothes--yellow sweater, gray trousers, and brown dress shoes--were old and faded but immaculately clean. His gray hair was neatly combed over ...Should Greece lease the Acropolis?
Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:00AM:
Greece has been hit hard by the recession. According to EU figures, it has 18.8 percent unemployment, the second highest in Europe and more than twice that of the United States. Last year it saw its economy shrink by 5.5 percent.
Now former deputy health minister Gerasimos Giakoumatos has suggested a controversial plan to get Greece some quick cash--lease the Acropolis and other famous ...Historic structures in Ireland may lose protection
Sep 17th, 2011 at 12:00PM: Archaeologists are speaking out against a plan by the government of the Republic of Ireland to "delist" historic and archaeological sites that date to after 1700.
This would mean there will be no government protection for many of Ireland's historic homes, holy wells, and other bits of architecture, such as this funky milestone at Howth, photographed by William Murphy.
The Institute of ...Edgar Allan Poe Museum may close next year
Sep 13th, 2011 at 11:00AM: Baltimore's most famous literary landmark may close next year due to budget cuts.
The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum hasn't received money from the city for two years. Since that time it's managed to limp along on private contributions, but they aren't enough to keep it afloat. Now the curator says if something isn't done, the museum will probably close in June 2012.
Although the museum ...Museums plan to sell collections to survive
Aug 18th, 2011 at 12:00PM:
Museums in The Netherlands have received some bad news--national funding for arts and culture will drop from 900 million euros to 700 million in 2013. Now museums and other institutions are scrambling to figure out how to survive.
The Wereldmuseum in Rotterdam has come up with a controversial plan. They're going to sell off their African and American collections in order to raise money.
...Christopher Robin's bookshop closing
Aug 18th, 2011 at 10:30AM: A bookshop opened by the original Christopher Robin of Winnie the Pooh fame will close, the BBC reports.
The Harbour Bookshop in Dartmouth, England, was opened in 1951 by Christopher Robin Milne, son of Pooh author A.A. Milne. The bookshop became a destination for Pooh fans, even though Christopher Robin often hid from visitors. He died in 1996, and the current owners say that a slump in sales ...Business travel is back and growing fast
Apr 13th, 2011 at 8:00AM:
Business travelers shelled out more cash in the fourth quarter of 2010 than they did in any other since the recession kicked in. The latest report from the Global Business Travel Association shows an increased spend of $4.2 billion over the previous quarter. For all of 2010, business travel spending ticked up 3.2 percent – far ahead of the 2.3 percent originally predicted.
Now, hopes ...Budget cuts may axe Washington historic sites
Jan 24th, 2011 at 12:00PM: As the Great Recession drags on, more and more state programs are feeling the pinch. This includes many sites of historic interest. In the latest budget announced by Washington Governor Chris Gregiore, the state's three Historical Society museums will all have to close.
The State Capital Museum in the Lord Mansion in Olympia, and museums in Tacoma and Spokane, would all be affected. The ...Which BIG airline just pulled out of three booking sites?
Dec 22nd, 2010 at 8:00AM: As you've read here on Gadling, the battle between airlines and online travel agencies is poised to heat up. For the past few years, a dismal economy has sent many bargain-hunters to online travel sites with the hopes of finding fantastic deals and minimizing the pain in their wallets. Yet, with the travel market and the broader economy showing signs of recovery, airlines' brand power will gain ...Extra airline fees could mean better service! This is the FUTURE
Dec 21st, 2010 at 3:00PM: Soon, airlines could make all their profits on the extra fees you pay. Seriously. Yesterday, the Department of Transportation revealed that airlines have had their most profitable year since it started tracking the data back in 2002. And, a good chunk of revenue came from baggage fees, reservation change fees and ancillary fees. In the third quarter alone, it was good for more than $2 billion. So, ...The death of cheap tickets? Four factors to watch!
Dec 7th, 2010 at 1:00PM: Are the days of bargain pricing over? There's a lot of pessimism around this issue. After getting smacked around in 2008 and 2009, this year has been a good one for air carriers, and USA Today reports: "Airfares are on the rise again and unlikely to fall again anytime soon." Yet, a travel industry recovery comes with advantages, as more people want to fly, and they tend to be willing to stomach ...Airline profits may mean more elbow room for a little while
Oct 24th, 2010 at 10:00AM: The airline industry wants to thank you. Last year, it was mired in despair. The post-financial crisis recession left the carriers beleaguered and desperate for a turn of fortune. Corporate and leisure travel had fallen precipitously, and doubling down on extra fees, though prudent for profits, alienated both those considering a flight and the passengers with little choice but to hit the road. The ...Taxes could make discounted hotels more expensive
Oct 22nd, 2010 at 1:00PM: If your next hotel stay is more expensive than you expected, blame the government. State and local governments, still reeling from the recession, are looking for any source of revenue they can grab. And, they're next target seems to be online travel agencies.
Online booking sites, such as Expedia and Orbitz, negotiate a rate with hotels for available inventory, market it up a bit and pass it ...Recession's been done for a year: start traveling!
Sep 21st, 2010 at 10:30AM: The recession's over ... haven't you heard? So, why aren't you traveling yet?
The National Bureau of Economic Research put the end of the recession at June 2009, though it obviously took the group a long time to come to this conclusion. So, if they average vacationer wasn't able to figure it out as quickly as a group of econ nerds, forgiveness is easy. After all, most people (including me) ...The top factors that influence blended travel opportunities
Sep 15th, 2010 at 8:00AM: Vacations are getting squeezed out, either because of personal financial pressures or a fear of looking like you aren't crucial in your cubicle. We keep cutting out the time we need for ourselves and our families, which can make the strain of recession-era employment even worse. You don't need any more pressure ... so why are you creating it? You need to get out on the road, and not just for the ...Almost two-thirds of vacations canceled
Sep 13th, 2010 at 2:30PM: Being a working stiff blows. It's bad enough that two years of recession sorrows have forced us to "work smarter not harder" and "do more with less." Now, we're also turning our vacations into office time. A study commissioned by Westin Hotels & Resorts, based on 1,500 employed professionals, found that nearly two-thirds (64 percent) canceled their vacations this year. A third canceled their ...Five signs that the hotel meeting business is recovering
Aug 17th, 2010 at 2:30PM: Business meetings are back in style. Group customer is on the rise for the hotel business, signaling that the corporate crowd Is getting back out on the road. Joining the party are other groups, such as associations, sports teams, religious groups, social organizations and the military, according to USA Today.
The U.S. Travel Association is predicting a 7 percent increase in meeting and ...Recession kills Chapel Hill Museum, threatens others
Jul 13th, 2010 at 3:00PM: The municipal museum in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is the latest victim of the recession. It closed its doors on Sunday after 14 years in operation. The town council had only earmarked $20,000 for the museum in the 2011 budget, far short of the $49,000 it needed to stay open.
The Chapel Hill Museum explored the history and culture of this prosperous university town with displays on early ...
