The Moscow Committee for Tourism is a premier partner at this year’s World Travel Market, so it’s the perfect spot to start your city-break tour. A great number of its historic monuments are being reconstructed and restored, pedestrian zones are being set up and new hotels, cafés and restaurants are being opened. Find out more at stand EM3300.
Close by, sample a little hospitality from Romania at stand EM4040, and discover the wonders of Bucharest. Often called the ‘Little Paris of the Balkans’, it has its own Arc de Triomphe on an Avenue that is actually longer than the Champs-Elysées. Bucharest is one of Eastern Europe’s most popular city-break destinations, and now’s your chance to get to know it better.
Next stop is Tallinn, at EM3060. Here you can find out all about the Merchant’s House Hotel, a new boutique hotel in the city’s historic Old Town. The 37-room hotel has been carefully restored in association with the Estonian Historical committee. At its Ice Bar, guests can enjoy a selection of frozen drinks in glasses made from ice.
They’ve hopped over the Channel to be here again, and this year France has got a new stand at EM420/EM440, with spacious hospitality areas to host the travel trade. Meet more than 100 exhibitors and hear how they’re promoting their cities in light of competition from lower-cost Eastern European destinations.
Always good fun are our friends from Amsterdam, so don’t miss stand EM3030.
At the end of this year, Amsterdam welcomes a new four-star hotel, the Eden Rembrandt Square Hotel, with 166 rooms all kitted out with wireless Internet and LCD TVs.
Before you leave the European section of the show, stop off at stands EM3100 and EM3010 and introduce yourself to some specialist Polish tour operators.
European city-break lovers have already discovered the delights of Cracow and Warsaw, but there’s plenty more to see – gothic Wroclaw, historic Gdansk and shoppers paradise Lodzto are among the highlights. Find out more on the stand.
If you’re fascinated by all things technical, stop by to see those clever folks on the Philadelphia stand.
Thanks to direct flights and convenient scheduling, Philadelphia is already a popular destination for short breaks from the UK, and a cheaper alternative to New York. By the end of 2006, Philadelphia hopes to be a completely wireless city, so visitors will be able to keep in touch wherever they are. Find out how the project is going at stand NA3030.
And if you’ve got any more energy left, say hi to the WTM posse from the Windy City at NA3310. Chicago is hosting several major events in 2006, including The Gay Games from July 15-22.
The seventh quadrennial Gay Games Sports and Cultural Festival will bring thousands of athletes, spectators and cultural participants into the city for a week-long arts festival, parties, and what promise to be some spectacular opening and closing ceremonies.
