The Kaminos Project, Cáceres | Restoration of the Historic Jewish Routes between Spain and Portugal

Cáceres, splendid city in western Spain's Extremadura region highlighted by its "Ciudad Monumental" the old town boasting a spectacular mix of Gothic and Renaissance architecture with medieval streets, fortified palaces and houses and ecircled by 12^th century Moorish walls through the Provincial Council and its partners has launched the European project called "Kaminos" which intends in its development to recover the historic Jewish routes to neighboring Portugal after the expulsion of the Jewish Community from Spain.

The initiative of which the Provincial Institution is the main beneficiary started the project on the Cáceres - Castelo de Vide section, a Portuguese centre located in the district of Portoalegre in the Alentejo region associated with its gardens, abundance of vegetation and the proximity to the suggestive São Mamede mountain range with the aim of offering a tourism initiative focused on Jewish culture.

The total budget of the project has been quantified at € 1.09 million and the actions presented for the different entities are funded for 75% of the Spain-Portugal Interreg VI, A, POTEC, 2021 – 2027 cooperation program financed by the European Regional Development Fund, Feder.

In addition to the purely historical part, a primary objective of this Spanish-Portuguese cross-border initiative in which seven partners, three Spanish and four Portuguese, participate, is to transform "la Raya" the line, into a point of union, cooperation and opportunity on both sides and to create ideal living conditions attractive as regards the labor market, essential public services, accessibility by applying principles of social inclusion and equal opportunities.

The Provincial Council of Cáceres was the main beneficiary of the approval of the project in collaboration with the Portuguese University of Évora, the municipalities of Castelo de Vide, Marvão, Portoalegre, the municipality of Cáceres and the General Directorate of Libraries, Archives and Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Junta de Extremadura.

The meeting that was held by the partners of the initiative was the starting point to start planning "Kaminos" which is based on the historical events of 1492 that took place in Spain with the expulsion of the Jewish communities from the Iberian country and the virtual and real recreation of one of the exit routes to Portugal.

The first route on which work is starting is that of Cáceres - Castelo de Vide and the Provincial Council of Cáceres specifies that it starts from the basis of a first tourist route which consists of connecting these two towns, concentrating efforts on working so that this route is well designed and establishing which towns and villages will be part of this route, analyzing what resources must be exploited in order to be an added value.

Link - https://www.expreso.info/noticias/bazar/102417_el_proyecto_kaminos_recuperara_las_rutas_judias_de_caceres_con_portugal

Venezuela | 149 New Authorized Tourist Routes Available in the National Territory

 

Venezuela, country on the northern coast of South America boasting diverse natural attractions such as its idyllic Caribbean coast, splendid tropical islands including Los Roques Archipelago, Isla de Margarita, the Andes Mountains to the nortwest, colonial towns of notable charm and the scenic Sierra Nevada National Park has 149 new authorized tourist routes for the enjoyment of the communities and that more than 7000 people who make up 112 municipal councils have joined the tourist area of the country.

These figures were confirmed by the Minister of Tourism of Venezuela Leticia Gómez on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the second edition of the binational meeting of tourism Venezuela - Colombia.

The Minister also confirmed that today more than 83.000 national and international visitors have visited Venezuela, adding and emphasizing that tourism in the country has been strengthened thanks to these new 149 authorized tourist routes for the community in addition to the cross - border works that are being developed between Venezuela and Colombia in this sector.

The Minister of Tourism then declared that the intention was to reach the regions with the aim of raising the community tourist itineraries to optimal levels and that from the work created by the Ministry it has been possible to reach all the community tourist itineraries that allow people to be accompanied in the gestation of new itineraries for tourism.

Link - https://www.expreso.info/index.php/noticias/internacional/102356_149_rutas_autorizadas_del_turismo_en_venezuela

Savills Executive Nomad Index | Best Destinations Ranking for Digital Nomads

 Savills plc, well known British real estate services company with its headquarters in London, leading commercial, residential and rural real estate service provider established in 1855 and listed on the London Stock Exchange through the Savills Executive Nomad Index, has compiled the ranking that analyzes the 25 best destinations in the world for digital nomads.

Savills confirms that all the places studied have a digital nomad visa program or equivalent and in the case of the United States of America and European countries are part of a large economic bloc that allows the free movement of people to live and work.

Among the common factors that facilitate the choice of destinations are basically the favorable climate all year round, the high quality of life and an established market for quality residential properties.

The top destination leading the ranking is Dubai, city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates well known for luxury shopping, lively nightlife scene and its ultramodern architecture.

In second place is Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates sits off the mainland on an island in the Persian Gulf, reflected by the skyline's modern towers, shopping megacenters and relevant commercial hub in the Middle East.

The third position is occupied by Malaga, Spanish port city of Andalusia and capital of the Costa del Sol on the shores of the Mediterranean famous for its beaches while in fourth place is Miami the coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida, scenic centre with a stunning shoreline, excellent attractions with a rich cultural and culinary scene.

Completing the Top Five is Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, city on the banks of the Tagus River with a spectacular mix of historic charm and modern influence wrapped in the warm glow of a mild climate and breathing scenery that preceded Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca in the ranking.

link - https://www.expreso.info/noticias/bazar/102197_un_nuevo_indice_de_los_mejores_destinos_para_nomadas_digitales

The Maldives | Goal to Welcome more than 2 Millions International Tourists in 2024

 

The Maldives, idyllic archipelagic state in the Indian Ocean in South Asia southwest of India and Sri Lanka about 750 kilometres from the Asian continent's mainland is one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the world and continues their upward trajectory in tourism growth.

The Ministry of Tourism recently released the latest data regarding the first week of September 2024 with 27.322 international travellers welcomed in the country, a figure that marks a solid and excellent start of this period of the year for the island country, which has the ambitious goal of reaching 2 million tourist arrivals by the end of 2024.

Despite a slight decrease of 2.6% in international visitor arrivals compared to the same period in 2023, the figure for the current year is still higher than the 25.856 arrivals recorded in the first week of September 2022.

This growth underlines the resilience of the Maldivian tourism sector which has seen a steady recovery after the pandemic driven by the presence of an excellent offer consisting of its excellent hotels and resorts, luxury experiences and increasingly proactive marketing strategies.

A rather significant figure is that between 01^st and 07th September 2024 the Maldives recorded an average of 3.903 daily tourist arrivals with an average of 8 days of visitor stay.

This steady influx of visitors during this period indicates a strong end to the tourist season with expectations of a significant increase during the last quarter of the current year.

The year-to-date tourism growth in 2024 can be seen in the data that the Maldives recorded between 1^st January and 07 September of the current year with 1.386.530 tourist arrivals which means an increase of 10.2% compared to the 1.258.120 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2023.

These statistics also show a significant leap compared to the 1,104,999 arrivals recorded two years ago, in 2022.

On average, the Maldives welcomes 5.524 tourists per day in 2024 and visitors spend an average of about eight days in the country.

The highest daily tourist arrivals record of the year statistically was recorded on 1^st February 2024, when 10.000 visitors landed at Velana International Airport on Hulhulé Island in the Kaafu Atoll near the capital island Malé.

The Maldives tourism industry has consistently performed well in terms of incoming tourism throughout the year and these statistical data with the following monthly breakdown of tourist arrivals in 2024 amply confirms this

January : 192.385 visitors

February : 217.392 visitors

March : 194.227 visitors

April : 168.366 visitors

May : 119.875 visitors

June : 123.284 visitors

July : 167.528 visitors

August : 176.151 visitors

Total arrivals in 2023 reached 1.8 million and the Maldives is now set to welcome 2 million tourists by the end of 2024, a growth in line with the wider goal of the Asian island country to position itself as one of the luxury destinations globally.

Quite interesting data concerns the main markets of tourist origin recorded in 2024 with China currently leading the list contributing 14.6% of the Maldives' market share.

The increase in Chinese tourists comes after the reopening of international travel of China and underscores the importance of the Asian country's market to the Maldives' tourism industry.

Another interesting fact concerns other countries such as Italy which, although initially at the top of the list of origin markets at the beginning of 2024, has been overtaken by the Russian market which contributes 10.8% with 149.920 arrivals recorded until September of the current year, a market that was the leader at the end of 2023 and continues to record excellent performances in 2024.

Great Britain has risen to third place representing 8.6% of the market with 119.189 arrivals in 2024 although the United Kingdom ranked as the second market for a long time it has been overtaken by the Russian market.

Link - https://www.expreso.info/noticias/internacional/102398_maldivas_recibe_mas_de_2_millones_de_turistas_internacionales