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Month: January 2017

Jane to perform Gainsbourg concert in Monte-Carlo

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/01/2017
Photo: Bert Stern/kristine
Photo: Bert Stern/kristine

Jane Birkin will bring her tribute to Serge Gainsbourg to Monaco early this summer, SBM has announced. British-born Birkin and enfant terrible singer-songwriter Gainsbourg became France’s most glamorous and notorious couple of the 1970s. The couple performed together the unforgettable, and some said obscene “Je’taime… moi non plus” in 1969.

“Gainsbourg symphonique” will be performed on May 11 in the Salle Garnier, a unique concert accompanied by the Philharmonic Orchestra and undoubtedly one of the highlights of the summer season in the Principality. Tickets go on sale on February 7.

READ MORE: Mawoma makes music at Yacht Club
READ MORE: Venice comes to Monte Carlo

Change of tack on small airports

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/01/2017
Photo: sainttropez.aeroport.fr
Photo: sainttropez.aeroport.fr

The airport that serves Saint-Tropez can continue to accept direct flights from outside the Schengen zone after a vociferous campaign. Local politicians had told the French government that removing the ability of La Mole/Saint-Tropez and Castellet to accept such flights would be a heavy blow for the local economy.

However, according to a letter from the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Le Roux, the acceptance of direct flights from outside the Schengen zone into Saint-Tropez will be open from the summer of 2017 and during peak holiday periods, while Castellet will enjoy more limited privileges.

President of the PACA region, Christian Estrosi, said that while he welcomed the central government’s change of heart, it was not enough and that he would be campaigning along with other local officials for a complete reversion to the previous arrangements. The original move to close the local airports to flights originating outside the Schengen zone was made in the interests of saving manpower.

READ ALSO: Lavalin quits airport business
READ ALSO: Nice-Monaco Airport could take off

Monaco to host travel summit

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/01/2017
Paul Wait, GTMC CEO. Photo: GMTC.
Paul Wait, GTMC CEO. Photo: GMTC.

The Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC) will hold its annual conference in Monaco in June this year. The venue is particularly significant as the organisation is celebrating its 50th anniversary and Monaco is a world leader as a business destination, as well as a tourist hotspot.

The two-day event will be held in Monte Carlo from June 4 to 6 in association with headline sponsor easyJet. High on the agenda will be the impact of Brexit on business travel, with Tim Montgomerie, from The Times, and economist Gerard Lyons due to speak.

A gala celebration will take place on the evening of June 5 to celebrate the GTMC’s anniversary. The programme for the second day will examine the future of the sector.

Paul Wait, CEO of GTMC said: “We’ll be using this year’s event not only to celebrate but also to review some of the biggest learnings from the last few decades and, more importantly, to discuss future trends.”

Mr Wait added, “We have invested in developing a programme for the conference that is not only reflective but thought-provoking with a focus on current trends and issues and we look forward to a debate-filled programme that I hope will influence the way we travel for business over the coming 50 years.”

READ ALSO: Airline passenger fee to complain
READ ALSO: Helicopter transfer from Nice airport a whole lot easy-er

Power company bills twice

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/01/2017

EDF

French electricity supplier EDF has double-debited the bank accounts of one million customers this week, blaming the error on an IT problem.

The company has promised to refund the money within 48 hours, adding that it so far is not aware of the nature of the bug that caused the double billing on Monday and Tuesday this week. Customers have been advised to look for an email from EDF informing them of the problem.

READ ALSO: New rule fuels “work time” debate
READ ALSO: France tinkers with minimum wage, and other changes from January 1

Acquittals in long-running Odeon Tower case

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/01/2017

IMG_5866No jail time will be served by any of the accused in the notorious “Clean Hands” case concerning corruption, fraud, and money laundering in the building of the Odeon Tower.

The criminal court in Marseille announced on Wednesday, January 25, that neither Gerard Spinelli, the long-serving mayor of Beausoleil, nor the Marzocco brothers, Paolo and Claudio, both Monaco residents, will be punished for their alleged roles in the scandal. All three were acquitted of the charges.

However, Lino Alberti, accused of being a middleman in another, separate case involving businesses in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, was sentenced to three years in jail, suspended, and fined €100,000. The two investigations together constituted the “Clean Hands” affair.

The trial was held last November in Marseille after taking more than seven years to come to court. Shortly after the criminal investigation was launched in 2009, Mr Spinelli spent several weeks in jail on suspicion of receiving €60,000 from the Marzocco brothers not to make too big an issue of the fact that the Odeon Tower –built on the border of his commune – would put a considerable part of Beausoleil into semi-permanent shadow.

After his acquittal on Wednesday, Mayor Spinelli said: “ It’s been seven years and two months that I’ve waited for this decision. Today, justice has been done.” He described the case as a “non-affair”. He also expressed the hope that the media would find the energy to report the facts in their duty to inform the public.

READ MORE: At last, “Clean Hands” court case starts
READ MORE: Tower case continues this week