Disney to offer free access to its parks on birthdaysNew York - Anyone visiting a Disney theme park in the United States on their birthday next year will get a free ticket as a present.
According to Disney, the company is reacting to changes in holiday habits among US customers.
A study has shown that 70 per cent of respondents go on holiday to mark a specific occasion like a birthday, anniversary, the end of exams or while recovering from an illness.
Germans have returned to the top ten list of foreign nationalities visiting Disney parks in the U.S.
After the September 11th attacks in 2001, the number of Germans travelling to Disney in the US dropped.
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Glass museum in Germany to reopen
Nuremberg - The European Museum for Modern Glass in Coburg, Germany, is to reopen its doors after a four-month break on October 12.
The museum collection has been moved into a new and larger building in the same location it occupied in the park at Castle Rosenau.
The museum houses a permanent collection of objects belonging to what is known as the Studio Glass Movement which began in the 1960s and is still active to this day.
According to management, the building houses "the biggest presentation of Studio Glass and contemporary glass in Europe".
The museum is part of the Veste Coburg art collection. It opened in 1989 and contains about 110 objects. It closed its doors on June 1 in preparation for the move to the new building.
Internet: www.kunstsammlungen-coburg.de
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Swing and Stout: Jazz festival in Ireland
Frankfurt - The city of Cork in Ireland is once again hosting its annual Jazz Festival from October 24 to 27.
Among the highlights is a planned duet between pianist Chich Corea and guitarist John McLaughlin, according to the Irish tourist board's office in Frankfurt.
About 1,000 musicians are expected to perform in 80 bars and clubs around the city during the festival.
Internet: www.guinnessjazzfestival.com
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Super cable lift to go into operation in Canada
Dusseldorf/Whistler - Canada is about to inaugurate what may be a record-breaking mountain cable lift in the province of British Columbia.
The "Peak 2 Peak Gondola" connects the 2,182 metre high Whistler Mountain with the 2,440 metre high Blackcomb Mountain.
The lift does not require any supporting piers along its three- kilometre route between the two peaks making it unique.
The lift is due to go into operation on December 12, according to the Canadian tourist office in Dusseldorf. Of the lift's 28 gondolas, two will have glass bottoms.
The Whistler-Blackcomb area is a popular winter sport destination and is about two hours north of Vancouver by car. It's due to host the Winter Olympics in 2010.
Internet: www.whistlerblackcomb.com
