<p lang="ro-RO" align="LEFT"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Romanian smart flying carrier Blue Air received the </span></span><em><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">IATA</span></span></em><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Operational Safety Audit</span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;"> (IOSA), becoming a IATA member . </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">The IOSA program is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. </span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">As explained by </span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US">Rafael S</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">chvartzman,</span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="en-US"> Regional Vice President Europe, d</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">uring the audit, which involves approximately 900 standards and recommended practices the following areas are assessed: flight operations, operational control and flight dispatch, aircraft engineering and maintenance, cabin operations, ground handling operations, cargo operations and security management.</span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;"> After obtaining the IOSA certification Blue Air became, beginning of 2016, a full member of IATA (International Air Transport Association). IATA reunites 260 airlines in 119 countries. „Our adheration to IATA is an important step in the history of the company, opening the door to partnerships with other carriers. In such a way that we will be able to offer to passengers more options and in the same time more accesible” – said Gheorghe Racaru, General Director of Blue Air</span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">.
<a href="http://www.travellermagazin.ro/arhiva/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Blue-Air-engl-1.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-4651"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4651" src="http://www.travellermagazin.ro/arhiva/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Blue-Air-engl-1.jpg" alt="Blue Air engl 1" width="1024" height="683" /></a>
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<p lang="ro-RO" align="LEFT"><strong><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">ORBIS HOTEL expands in Europe</span></span></strong></p>
<p align="LEFT"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="ro-RO">The main hotel Group of </span>Poland<span lang="ro-RO">, Orbis Hotel, took over from Accor </span>46 hotels<span lang="ro-RO"> in 6 countries of Europe, among which Romania too. The plans on the local market are to open two new locations in 2017, both in Transilvanya</span>: ibis Styles in Arad and a Mercure in Bra<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif;">ș</span>ov.
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[caption id="attachment_4652" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<a href="http://www.travellermagazin.ro/arhiva/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Orbis-engl.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-4652"><img class="size-full wp-image-4652" src="http://www.travellermagazin.ro/arhiva/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Orbis-engl.jpg" alt="Photo: www.RaduGrozescu.com" width="1024" height="681" /></a> <span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">The ibis Styles Arad will be a new construction, with 72 rooms, and will be a 3 stars hotel. ibis Styles Arad is a property of FAB Industry, a member of Mr. FAB. </span></span>[/caption]
<p align="LEFT"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mercure Brasov Hotel &amp; SPA will offer 120 rooms, being the second Mercure to open in Romania and the first one out of the Capital city of Bucharest. The opening is scheduled at the end of 2017. </span></span></p>
<p align="LEFT"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">Orbis Hotel Group is the largest hotel network in Poland and Eastern Europe, having AccorHotels as a strategic investor. Gilles Clavie, President and CEO of Orbis Hotel Group said: “Romania is promising, with a great potential. It is one of the key markets of the region and an important element in our development strategy.” </span></span></p>
<p lang="ro-RO" align="LEFT"><strong><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">What CNN recommends in Romania?</span></span></strong></p>
<p lang="ro-RO" align="LEFT"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #000000;">The travel writers at CNN made a list of 16 destinations that are worth visiting in 2016</span><span style="color: #000000;">.</span><span style="color: #000000;"> Romania is listed together with places like </span><span style="color: #000000;"><span lang="en-US">Mongolia, Papua New Guinee, Iceland, G</span></span><span style="color: #000000;">eenland, </span><span style="color: #000000;"><span lang="en-US">Nor</span></span><span style="color: #000000;">way, Madagascar or </span><span style="color: #000000;"><span lang="en-US">Iran</span></span><span style="color: #000000;">. The tourists are encouraged to visit the center of the country, the city of </span><span style="color: #000000;"><span lang="en-US">Cluj-Napoca </span></span><span style="color: #000000;">and</span><span style="color: #000000;"><span lang="en-US"> Bran</span></span><span style="color: #000000;"> Castle in Transilvanya</span><span style="color: #000000;"><span lang="en-US">, </span></span><span style="color: #000000;">as well as the Danube Delta : “</span>Central Romania is engulfed in the soaring Carpathian mountain range, filled with green groves and ski and hiking trails for adventure-heads. What isn't well known is that Romania catches the Danube Delta at its southern tip, where wetlands prove fertile ground. Head here for hiking, birding and fishing. Or go gallery hopping in Cluj-Napoca, a hotly-tipped future art scene. But of course the nation is best known for bloodsucking myths of Dracula, werewolves and ghosts.” <span style="color: #000000;">CNN online edition recommends to visit Romania springtime or in the autumn months. </span></span></p>
<p lang="ro-RO" align="LEFT"><strong><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">Google votes the Palace of Parliament</span></span></strong></p>
<p align="LEFT"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="ro-RO">The Chamber of Deputes and Google launched at the end of January an online platform that allows to virtually visit the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest – Romania. The initiative belongs to a Romanian, emplyee of </span>Google Ireland. </span></span></p>
<p align="LEFT"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="ro-RO">Valeriu Zgonea, president of Chamber of Deputes said that almost 150 paintings can be seen on Google Cultural Institute, together with the rooms and halls of the Parliament that are regularly opened for the public to visit. According to the Director of Google Romania, Dan Bulucea, the istitution is the first Parliament of Central and Eastern Europe that can be visited using the platform provided by Google Cultural Institute.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="ro-RO" align="LEFT"><strong><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gura Humorului is in TOP JATA</span></span></strong></p>
<p align="LEFT"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Japanese Association of Travel Agents<span lang="ro-RO"> (</span>JATA<span lang="ro-RO">) published a chart of the most beautiful 30 European small towns, less known to the travelling public. JATA used the suggestions of the travel agencies in Japan but also of the visitors to the Continent. For Romania the votes went to the town of</span> Gura Humorului in the northern part of the country, in the historical region of Bucovina. Gura Humorului, located in a mountainous, among forests, at the confluence of Humor and Moldova River, is appreciated by the voters also for its beautifully colored architectural sites, being one of the gateways to the Unesco Heritage Painted Monasteries. <span lang="ro-RO">Other destinations liked by the Japanese public in Europe are: </span>Berat, in Albania; Civita di Bagnoregio, in Italy; Lech, in Austria; Hindeloopen, in Holland; Lefkara, in Cyprus; Rovinj, in Croatia; Piran, in Slovenia; Marianske-Lazne, in Czech Republic; Quedlinburg, in Germany; Golyazi, in Turkey; Sopron, in Hungary<span lang="ro-RO"> etc. </span></span></span></p>
<p lang="ro-RO" align="LEFT"><strong><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">EXPEDIA: Romania is 25 in Shopping</span></span></strong></p>
<p align="LEFT"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;">Expedia, one of the largest on-line travel agencies, created a top for last year, ranking the most attractive 25 cities of the world where one should go shopping. The producers rated the attitude of the retailers, the annual visitors’ number and the purchasing power. The Capital of Romania, <span lang="ro-RO">Bucharest, obtained 11 points out of 30 and got the 25th position, having a </span>9 for purchasing power. The ranking producers underline how cheap the local transportation is (0,24<span lang="ro-RO">pp)</span>, while a pair of Levi’s is 39,62 <span lang="ro-RO">GBP, and a pair of Ni</span>ke is 44,67 <span lang="ro-RO">GBP</span><span lang="ro-RO">.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="LEFT"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="ro-RO">The first 5 places to shop, in the vision of Expedia, are: New York, Berlin, Los Angeles, London and Kuala Lumpur, while the five positions before Bucharest are taken by Edinburg, Melbourne, Vienna, Cape Town and Amsterdam. </span></span></span></p>