Divers

👍 Francilienne companies located in IDF offering actions in Paris, Créteil, and Versailles academies are invited to submit quality internship offers for Ile-de-France high school sophomores. The initiative aims to support students' orientation projects and success. Offers can be submitted at "https://lnkd.in/eiuuuj9E", a link accessible to students. The academic community of the Île-de-France region expresses gratitude for the companies' involvement.

🏠 Located near ancient Sparta in Greece, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World merges Byzantine art with Zen design. Accessible via a 1-2.5-hour drive from Kalamata or Athens airports, the hotel's architecture pays tribute to the nearby UNESCO-listed archaeological site of Mystras. The spa, inspired by Mystras' palaces and monasteries, spreads across four floors with a central light well. Created in 2018 by Marina Efraimoglou, a Greek businesswoman and cancer survivor, the year-round retreat focuses on holistic well-being.

🍾 Taittinger crafted an exclusive champagne bottle for Lutetia Paris, soon to be Mandarin Oriental branded. Lutetia, a Left Bank palace awarded in 2019, was owned by the Taittinger family from 1955-2005 and sold to Starwood Capital Group, with Alrov Group taking ownership in 2010. The hotel, redesigned by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, reopened in 2018 after a 4-year renovation. The champagne, made from 40 different Champagne crus, is served at the hotel's Bar Joséphine, named after past guest Joséphine Baker.

💡 On April 1st, 2025, TUI launched Club Lookewaf, holiday villages for dogs, in France, Spain, and Italy, promising beach walks, relaxation, and a daily pool activity. SWISS introduced SWISS Crew shoes with retractable wheels, estimated to save 60 minutes of commuting time per day for staff, tested for safety at an airport circuit. Flightradar showcased a fictional Concorde flight #AF9999 from Paris to New York, trending as the most tracked flight. Donald Trump suggested an ESTA fee of $1000 by 2026 to attract genuine US fans.

🚬 In 2024, Group-IB reported that 57% of phishing attacks targeted the travel sector in Europe. Tourism was the second most affected industry globally, with 20.4% of attacks. Over 200,000 fraudulent resources were detected, marking a 22% increase from the previous year, with 39% targeting tourism. Specifically, 80,000 phishing websites were identified in 2024, and in Europe, travel-related phishing sites constituted 57.6% of the total. Latin America also experienced high exposure to travel-related phishing, at 40.9%.

💍 Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder, is marrying journalist Lauren Sanchez in Venice. They have booked five luxurious palaces including the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, St. Regis Venice, Gritti Palace, Hotel Danieli, and Aman Venice. Additionally, numerous Venice water taxis and a whole quay for Bezos' superyacht Koru are reserved. The extravagant event has sparked controversy over the use of public space, as noted by journalist Massimo Gramellini with a hint of irony.

💰 European hoteliers are underperforming in direct marketing database creation, according to Revinate's annual report. Analysis included 2.4 billion emails, 24 million reviews, 5.9 million calls and texts, and scanned customer files. Globally, hotel databases average 71% qualified emails and 55% valid phone numbers. In Europe, these rates drop to 34% for emails and remain 55% for phone numbers. European hotels' dependence on OTAs leads to a higher rate of "masked" emails at 34%, compared to 12% in the US. In the US, a qualified email contact is valued at $12.07 and a phone number at $12, while in Europe, these figures fall to $5.89 and $3, respectively. A well-qualified US database of 1000 contacts could be worth an additional $12,000 compared to $5,890 in Europe. US campaigns with good databases can generate $1,317 in bookings, while European campaigns peak at $583.

🔥 Yas Waterworld, an Abu Dhabi water park, caught fire on a Friday afternoon, with smoke seen around Yas Island. The fire started around 2 p.m. in a construction zone near the airport. Abu Dhabi police and firefighters responded swiftly. The cause is presumed to be from the park's ongoing expansion, which includes the UAE's largest water slide and a unique slide complex. No official reports on casualties or damage have been released. The expansion was announced last month. Yas Waterworld is a major tourist attraction, known for a variety of water rides and events.

🍬 Founded in 2018 by Rodolphe and Yoshimi Landemaine, Land&Monkeys is a 100% plant-based bakery. The first store opened on February 20, 2020, in the Marais, Paris. Five years later, there are eight locations, with seven in Paris and one in Bordeaux. The franchise began in 2024, targeting 5-10 new openings annually, initially focusing on major French and European cities, promoting sustainable bakery practices.

🎭 Haute-Provence's Digne-les-Bains launches its cultural season for 2025, featuring the reopening of Musée Promenade on April 1st, a major exhibition on Japan at Maison Alexandra David-Neel in collaboration with Musée Guimet, and a unique exhibition at Musée Gassendi pairing an artwork from Musée d'Orsay with local landscapes. These highlights showcase the city's ambition to merge culture with nature, providing a thought-provoking and awe-inspiring experience.