Valencia’s economy fearing the weakened British pound

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has revealed that due to the drop in value of the pound against the euro – more than 20% in a single year – the number of Britons who will take their holidays in the eurozone is expected to drop dramatically next year.

This in turn is expected to have a knock-on effect for the Valencian economy, as last year 45% of all the foreign visitors to the region were British, but last November a 20% drop in British visitors was recorded.

Now, according to several sources, the favorite holiday destinations are Turkey and Egypt.

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Teams for the America’s cup announced

Americas Cup Management has revealed that a total of nineteen teams from twelve countries have entered for the 33rd Americas Cup, and this includes eight new entries and all of the teams that participated in the previous edition bar one.

Three other teams were denied entry as no further documentation had been received by the deadline that was set for last Monday and one syndicate – Carbon Challenge – has withdrawn.

Under the current schedule, there are to be two pre-regattas in Valencia next year – one in July and the other in October – the CNEV Regatta in November and the Americas Cup match in 2010.

The full list of entered teams is:

Alinghi, Société Nautique de Genève (SUI) – Defender
The Spanish Challenge Club Náutico Español de Vela (ESP) – Challenger of Record
Shosholoza, Royal Cape Yacht Club (RSA)
Team Origin, Royal Thames Yacht Club (GBR)
Team New Zealand, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (NZL)
DCYC, Deutscher Challenger Yacht Club (GER)
Green Comm Challenge, Circolo di Vela Gargano (ITA)
Ayre Challenge, Real Club Náutico de Dénia (ESP)
Victory Challenge, Gamla Stans Yacht Skallskap (SWE)
Argo Challenge, Club Nautico Gaeta (ITA)
Mascalzone Latino, Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia (ITA)
Team French Spirit, Yacht Club de St Tropez (FRA)
Luna Rossa, Yacht Club Punta Ala (ITA)
Russia Team – Fiona, Yacht Club Seven Feet (RUS)
Joe Fly, Società Canottieri Lecco (ITA)
K-Challenge, Cercle de la Voile de Paris (FRA)
Greek Challenge, N.O.K. Poseidon – Nautical Club of Kalamata (GRC)
Dabliu Sail Project (ITA)
China Team, Qingdao International Yacht Club (CHN)

Resource: ValenciaLife.Net

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Race organisers meet to discuss Americas Cup future

The World Yacht Racing Forum in Monaco was the setting for a debate on the Americas Cup, with both Tom Ehman of the Golden Gate Yacht Club/BMR Oracle Racing, and Brad Butterworth of SNG/Alinghi both trying to persuade the audience that their point of view was the right way to go for the future of the Cup.

A later debate featuring Mr Ehman, Sir Keith Mills, Stephane Kandler, Mr Butterworth, Paul Cayard, Peter Montgomery and lawyer Alessandra Pandarese brought no immediate solutions to the problems over the future of the Cup, but several interesting proposals were made.

Also at the top of the agenda was the current economic situation and how it would force everyone to reduce costs, with Knut Frostad, the head of the Volvo Ocean Race enthusing wildly about the meeting – the first of its kind for major racers and organizers.

The Race Calendar was another subject for discussion and a clear lack of communications between event organizers was also raised with Christophe Baudry, the head of Communiations for the Vendee Globe race stating that it was nonsense that the Vendee and the Volvo Ocean Race take place at the same time, and that future discussions should in principle prevent this happening in the future.

Source: ValenciaLife.Net

Gay tourism, the new gold mine of the travel sector

The LG community (Lesbian, Gay) has become the new gold mine for the tourist sector. According to a study realized by Grupo Shangay, there are approximately three million gays who spend around 3,300 million euros a year just on travelling, about 1,100 euros per person.

Read the rest here:

Gay tourism, the new gold mine of the travel sector

Xixona is the capital of turrón

Christmas is the time of year when the most turrón is consumed.

This confectionery, extraordinary both in flavour and in calorie content, which comes out of the woodwork just once a year, originates from Xixona, an inland Alicante province town known as the world capital of turrón.

Read more about this post here: Think Spain

More protests in Valencia against ‘Citizenship in English’ scheme

Tens of thousands of disgruntled parents, teachers and students marched through Valencia city centre on saturday evening in the biggest protest march to date against the regional government’s insistence that the new Citizenship curriculum be taught in English.

Stretching back over two kilometres, by the time those at the front had reached regional government headquarters those at the back had still not left the starting point in the Plaza San Agustín with protesters filling the calles Xátiva and Colón, the Plaza de Alfonso el Magnanimo, the calle de la Paz and the Plazas de la Reina and la Virgen.

Organisers claim that at least 80,000 took part in the demonstration, making it the best attended in the city since the anti-Iraq war protests back in 2003 though Valencia police estimate the total at nearer 10,000.
Source: ThinkSpain
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