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Month: August 2021

Italy next to receive first tranche of EU funding

by: Cassandra Tanti
19/08/2021

As part of its pandemic-recovery plan, the European Commission has given Italy €24.9 billion in pre-financing, money that will go towards the country’s green and digital transitions.
The European Commission issued the funding on 13th August, equivalent to 13% of the country’s grant and loan allocation under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The pre-financing will help to kick-start the implementation of the crucial investment and reform measures outlined in Italy’s recovery and resilience plan.
“NextGenerationEU is a historic opportunity to invest in Italy’s strength,” said Paolo Gentiloni, Commissioner for Economy. “Today’s pre-financing is a first, concrete and tangible step to start the investments and reforms that Italy has undertaken to put forward: a greener and more sustainable mobility system, an increase in renewable energy, the digitalisation of businesses, the roll-out of 5G and ultra-broadband, a more effective public administration and a more attractive and competitive business environment. All these measures and many others contained in Italy’s plan will modernise the country and create new opportunities. It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Italy to relaunch the economy and build a sustainable future for the next generations.”
The Italian plan is part of the unprecedented EU response to emerge stronger from the Covid-19 crisis, fostering the green and digital transitions and strengthening resilience and cohesion in European societies.
As part of NextGenerationEU, the RRF will provide €723.8 billion (in current prices) to support investments and reforms across Member States.
The projects that form part of Italy’s RFF plan include €32.1 billion for the green transition, integrating more regions into the high-speed rail network and completing the rail freight corridors. It will also boost sustainable local transport through the extension of cycle lanes, metros, tramways and zero-emission buses, including the construction of electric charging stations across the country and hydrogen refuelling points for road and rail transport.
€13.4 billion will be invested in promoting the uptake of digital technologies by companies through a tax credit scheme aimed at supporting and accelerating their digital transformation.
€26 billion will go towards increasing the supply of childcare facilities, reforming the teaching profession, improving active labour market policies as well as women’s and youth participation in the labour market and reinforcing vocational training, investing in the apprenticeship system.
“Today’s first disbursement of funds under NextGenerationEU in Italy launches a lasting recovery in the country,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “The EU stood in full solidarity with you throughout the crisis. We will stay by your side as brighter days are ahead. Your recovery plan, Italia Domani, shows the level of ambition that is needed to make the country an engine for growth for the whole of Europe. Because a strong Europe needs a strong Italy.”
The Commission will authorise further disbursements based on the implementation of Italy’s investments and reforms, with the country set to receive €191.5 billion in total over the lifetime of its plan, including €68.9 billion in grants and €122.6 billion in loans.
Greece was the first Member State to receive RRF funds on 9th August.
 
RELATED STORIES:
Greece gets €4 billion in EU pandemic recovery fund
 
 
Photo source: European Commission
 
 

Interview: Carrie and Alex Vik

by: Natasha Girardi
19/08/2021

Monaco Life talks to local residents and aesthetes Carrie and Alex Vik about their passion for art and wine, how Covid has impacted their international hotels, and what their favourite night out in Monaco looks like. 
They are as good company as their wine, and not far-off Aristotle’s famous quote: “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies”. They are the definition of Yin and Yang, the ancient symbol of harmony that reminds us that life is a balancing act and is most fulfilling when we learn to embrace its dualities: the ups and downs, the good times and the bad, the joys and challenges.
Monaco Life:  How did you two meet? 
Carrie and Alex Vik: We met at a small gathering of mutual friends at Harvard University during our second year. We then went to a larger dance party together and that was the beginning.
What was the first work of art that you brought together?  
Paint Brushes by Barton Benes, an American artist of various controversies.
What inspired you to buy a vineyard in Chile? What are the advantages of drinking holistic wine?  
We didn’t buy a vineyard, we bought 4,400 hectares of wilderness! The concept of terroir inspired us to do a scientific search of South America to find the perfect terroir to grow the perfect grapes to produce the best wines in South America, with the hopes of joining the pantheon of the world’s best wines. We found this virgin terroir in the Millahue Valley, two hours south of Santiago, and created a vineyard out of this spectacular wilderness.
The idea of holistic wines is purity, sustainability, exceptional quality and doing everything we can to assist the vines to naturally produce the very best grapes they can. Cristian Vallejo, our wonderful winemaker, then assists that exceptional fruit to naturally express itself in the wine. Due to the purity and quality, you can really enjoy a lot of it and feel good the next day. Then there is the unique holistic experience when you visit VIK.
We currently have four different wines: VIK – only the highest quality grapes from our best blocks in the vineyard go into the making of our “baby Mozart”. These vines are already showing greatness at an early age (99 points); Milla Cala – an introduction to VIK with an exceptional cost to quality ratio (94 points); La Piu Belle – a round, delicious, voluptuous red blend (98 points); and La Piu Belle Rosé – of exceptional quality, well balanced, fresh, yet complex rosé (91 points). Both La Piu Belle bottles are inspired by the artist René Magritte’s painted wine bottles.

What is a normal workday for you both now compared to pre-Covid? 
Our workdays are very similar in that we work long hours and for many years we have often worked remotely using the cloud. The biggest difference is that we have not been able to personally visit colleagues around the world. At the beginning of the pandemic, of course, we had a lot of issues to deal with, doing our best to take care of all the businesses and people who we work with in the best way possible.
Are your hotels open again? What changes have you made or are you making to keep your guests safe?  
Galleria Vik Milano reopened in mid-July 2020 with a contactless Covid program, which attracted an audience looking for a unique experience in the very best location of Milan, then closed in October and re-opened in March 2021. We are now hosting travellers from all over the world with regular services. The retreats in Chile opened in September and have been very popular with Chilean residents until the country opens its borders to foreigners. In José Ignacio, Uruguay, the retreats are opening in October, with borders fully open to vaccinated foreign travellers on 1st November. We highly recommend that our guests visit for long term stays at www.vikchile.com or in José Ignacio, Uruguay during the northern hemisphere winter – November through April is an exceptionally nice time to be there.
What are your thoughts on travel and the economy?
We have both travelled during the pandemic and it has felt fine. Of course, we took precautions, and everyone must do what they are comfortable doing. Covid-19 is a serious virus – but not the only one – and society must learn to live with it and continue working. We do not know when it will end as a major health issue, but it will end. The health passport is one that more and more people are talking about as a way out for travel, which we fully agree with.
What was the best holiday you both had? 
Our first trip to Uruguay was one of the best holidays. We were there for almost a month with our first baby. We explored, discovered and enjoyed the people, the place, the culture.
You both play very extensive roles as art patrons, what is the wildest commission you have undertaken and with which artist?  
We have done many wild commissions, but the first thought is Javier Abdala’s commission of a nude portrait of me. Alex wanted to collaborate with Javier, who normally does conventional portraits with junk materials, and came up with the idea of doing a classic reclining nude in the spirit of Olympia by Manet, Modigliani and others. Javier creates portraits with recycled materials, sculpted wood, metal, corrugated tin, typewriters, vinyl records and any junk he can find, and of course paint. Going to his atelier/garages is a unique experience with piles of reclaimed wood and barrels full of junk, and then you take a turn and enter into a room full of spectacular and powerful portraits. Alex pushed Javier way outside his comfort zone and the result is a monumental nude of me in the manner of Nu Couché by Modigliani, all using recycled rough materials. Fondly called Le Bon Bon, it is five-metres long by three-meters high. Conceptually, it is quite contemporary and very sustainable while also being dramatic and beautiful.
What is your favourite restaurant?
Our favourite family restaurant in Monaco is La Piazza. It is our entire family’s favourite place to go for a family dinner and has been for the last 33 years. For fun and dancing, it is Sass Cafe.
Who are your favourite artists?
In the realm of classic artists: Edvard Munch, Auguste Rodin, Joaquin Torres Garcia, Norman Rockwell, and of course many others.
Who is the person or what is the book that changed your life? Do you have a quote or motto that you and the family live by? 
Work hard, play hard. Prepare, practice and always try to do your very best. Live with passion. Too many books and too many people have influenced our lives to choose one, however Alex loves the poem IF- by Rudyard Kipling. At VIK we have a motto: Science and technology is our foundation, passion is our engine, the wine is the expression of our art.
What is your most fun night out in Monaco? 
There are so many, as Monaco is a fun night-time place, and we have lots of energy and like to dance and have fun. One that stands out – We were coming back from our daughters’ golf tournament, and on the spur of the moment and very late for the event, we decided to join you at your Accademia Fine Art gallery opening for the Irish artist Guggi, where we also met Bono. When Bono invited us to join the dinner at Sass Cafe, we of course said yes. It was an amazing group of people including Guggi and his wife, Bono, The Edge, two of the Coors sisters, entrepreneurs and other interesting and accomplished people, mostly Irish. After dinner we all went across the street to dance with P Diddy and his entourage at the Billionaire’s Club. Only in Monaco!
 
For more information about Vik Wines, visit: www.vikwine.com
 
 

Var blaze claims two lives

by: Stephanie Horsman
19/08/2021

The fire in the hinterland of Saint-Tropez has claimed 6,300 hectares and two lives as of Thursday morning with no sign of containment, though hopes are high as officials called Thursday a “decisive” day.

The wildfire in the Var now has a body count, with the announcement that two people have been killed. The first, a man thought to be around 50 years old, was found burned to death in his home near Grimaud by a friend. The second is a 32-year-old woman on holiday.

The Prefect of Var, Evence Richard, made an emotional announcement on Wednesday at press conference saying, “We currently have two victims.”

In addition to the deaths, seven firefighters have been wounded and 24 additional civilians have minor injuries, mainly from smoke inhalation.

As of Wednesday night, the fire, which has proved to be the biggest of the summer thus far, was still raging, but did not progress thanks in part to improving weather conditions. Thursday is believed to be a decisive day, when authorities hope the fire will start to be contained and the worst over.

About 1,200 firefighters are on the scene from all over France. Nearly 10,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and about 50 houses were affected by the blaze.

President Emmanuel Macron has been on the ground since Tuesday, providing support to the rescue services.

Local authorities are asking the public to respect their appeals to let firefighters get on with it. They request the that people do not congregate on access roads, come close to the blaze in order to take photos or videos or use the routes on the outskirts of the Golfe de Saint-Tropez to allow emergency vehicles to move freely and swiftly.

The fire, which started Monday evening near a motorway stop, has claimed 6,300 hectares and has burned more than half the Plaine des Maures nature reserve, a place known for its biodiversity, home to 240 protected species including various bats, reptiles, and the endangered Hermann’s tortoise.

The park’s conservator, Marie-Claude Serra, told The Guardian newspaper, “Amid this human catastrophe, the worry is that we’re living through an ecological catastrophe as well. There’s very little moisture in the plants. This, combined with the high heat and the wind produced the explosive cocktail that we are now experiencing – devastating fires that move very, very quickly. We need to stop asking whether climate change is here or not. It’s here. What are we going to do about it?”

 
 
Photo by Martijn Farla
 
 
 

"We have the capacity to welcome with dignity"

by: Stephanie Horsman
19/08/2021

More than 200 Afghan nationals under threat from the Taliban in Kabul have arrived in France, as President Emmanuel Macron says “We owe it to you, welcome”.
The French embassy has moved to the airport and has started the process of offering visas to Afghans vulnerable under the new Taliban regime in the country. The military is assisting in the endeavour, taking people out of Kabul on planes headed first for Abu Dhabi, then onto Paris via commercial airlines.
The first 41 foreign nationals and French nationals arrived on Monday.
By Tuesday, dozens of mayors around France offered safe havens for the refugees. The mayor of Besançon, Anne Vignot of the Green party wrote, “I respond to France’s duty of humanity and announce that my city of Besançon is ready to welcome Afghans who seek refuge in France. We have the capacity to welcome with dignity.”
Strasbourg ‘s Green Party mayor, Jeanne Barseghian, said that her city “in its long tradition as a hospitable city, is ready to welcome Afghans who seek refuge in France” and Socialist Olivier Bianchi declared, “Clermont-Ferrand will be at the meeting place to welcome those who are threatened in their freedom. We must live up to our values.”


On Monday, Emmanuel Macron said France was ready to give shelter to activists, artists, journalists and others who could be targeted by the Taliban for their type of work, and also acknowledged the plight of women.
“Afghan women have the right to live in freedom and dignity,” he said.
The President then tweeted on Wednesday, “Nearly 200 Afghans who worked for France or who are under threat have just been evacuated from Kabul, as well as French and foreign nationals.” He followed this up be saying the operations would continue as long as possible, adding, “We owe it you. Welcome.”
The foreign ministry said 216 people were on the flight. Of those, there were 25 French citizens, 184 Afghans “from civil society in need of protection” as well as seven other foreign nationals. It is thought to mean that all those who had taken refuge in the French Embassy are now evacuated.
 
 
Photo source: Emmanuel Macron social media
 
 
 

Luxury travel in a post-pandemic world

by: Cassandra Tanti
18/08/2021

The Covid pandemic gave us an opportunity to witness, for the first time, what happens to the planet when humans stop travelling.

It highlighted a debate that authorities across the world have been wrestling with for years – how do we mitigate the civic and environmental costs of over-tourism? Tens of millions of jobs and trillions of euros in economic activity are riding on its return to normality. But should tourism return to “normal”, or has the pandemic presented an opportunity for us all to rethink how we experience this planet?

We ask Geoffrey Kent, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the international luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent.

Monaco Life: Has Abercrombie & Kent changed its approach to luxury travel since the pandemic?
Guest surveys have shown that one of the main motivations for travelling post-pandemic is spending quality time with extended family. Parents want their kids to visit grandparents and other family members who have been separated for more than a year. We saw a similar reaction after September 11, when travellers began to value life experiences over luxury purchases, and I think we will see that again after this crisis.

Game viewing in East Africa

Do you think luxury travel can be environmentally-friendly?
I have always said that if we expect communities living on the edge of wilderness to co-exist with wildlife, they must benefit from nature-based tourism.

The pandemic has become a conservation crisis because there are fewer eyes on the ground in the parks to report signs of poaching.

Abercrombie & Kent was built on the philosophy of integrating sustainable practices into a triple bottom line of environmental, economic, and social responsibility. We believe passionately that sustainable tourism offers the best hope of protecting endangered places and ensuring local communities continue to benefit from their natural heritage, by creating jobs, providing educational opportunities and introducing guests to projects that foster environmental stewardship, alleviate poverty and preserve cultures.

At the core of our mission, Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy (AKP) strives to improve lives and livelihoods in the places where our A&K guests travel. But what happens when travel comes to a halt? With international tourism restrictions in place, our partner communities need support now more than ever.

AKP serves as a unique lifeline to these communities, especially those in parts of the world where the pandemic continues to surge. Right now, we are doing everything possible to sustain daily operations and provide uninterrupted services to the 125,000+ community members that rely on our programs.

Do you think that the purchase of carbon offsets is a good way to counteract our impact during travel? Or do you have other suggestions?

Deforestation contributes 14% to 18% of carbon emissions’ impact, much more than air transport. Last year, a million people went to Tanzania, the majority to experience Serengeti National Park, and each paid a minimum of $60 in entrance fees. If people stop visiting, my prediction is that within 10 years, the land will be clear-cut and transformed into cattle ranches.

Uganda is one of the last strongholds on earth for the highly endangered mountain gorilla. The first time I saw these primates in their remote jungle home was an experience that has always stayed with me. Looking into their eyes, you gain a profound understanding of the bond that exists between them and us.

So, when I first met Yoweri Museveni, who is now president of Uganda, I encouraged him to set aside Bwindi Impenetrable Forest as a reserve. Today our guests spend more than $1 million dollars a year on gorilla tracking permits, money which directly benefits the local community and encourages residents to cooperate with park authorities to prevent poaching. As a result, the gorilla population has increased from less than 300 to more than 400 today – half the world’s surviving mountain gorillas.

Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp in Uganda

Has A&K noticed any marked difference in what clients are looking for since the start of the pandemic?

After months of not being able to travel, our clients are ready to make up for lost time. They want to experience the places they have always dreamed of – and are unwilling to wait any longer.

Time apart from family outside one’s household has been challenging, and extended families are looking for ways to reconnect in an environment that is safe and controlled, often including private air charters and exclusive stays. Our clients are counting on us for ideas to help them travel safely.

Exclusivity, privacy and special access are more in demand than ever before, especially private villas and chartered barges in Europe, booked for exclusive use by an extended family or group of friends.
It’s all about exploring a region more in depth,  travelling at a slower pace, and spending time outside – biking along picturesque towpaths, strolling through uncrowded villages or simply watching the passing scenery from a deck chair.

What do you believe is the future of luxury travel?

Our relationship with nature is very out of balance, and the pandemic has made more people realise that it is time to refocus our priorities. The only way to do that is to increase the number of people that are concerned about what is happening to the environment, and travel is one of the most powerful ways to do that.

We must work in partnership with local communities to protect and preserve the cultures, wildlife and ecosystems in the countries where we operate.

Now, more than ever, people want to travel to connect with others. It’s about making them feel welcome and anticipating their needs. In our case, that depends on our local guides. Not only are they the experts who provide the insight, context and perspective needed to truly understand a destination, but they also have warm, engaging personalities that anticipate the needs of our guests. Our guests don’t want to be worried about the details. They count on us to seamlessly manage the logistics, allowing them to focus on enjoying their holiday.

Photos by Abercrombie & Kent

World Amateur Theatre Festival has begun

by: Stephanie Horsman
18/08/2021

Now in its 17th year, the World Amateur Theatre Festival was opened on Tuesday with much fanfare and a host of local personalities.

The festival begun with the inauguration of the village located this year at the Technical and Hotel Lycée of Monaco.

The village is the gathering spot, rehearsal area, catering centre and relaxation site for the festival, as well as being the hub for the festival’s workshops and conferences.

There are some 250 festival-goers and participants this year, with nearly as many volunteers working behind the scenes to make sure the event runs as smoothly as possible.

There are 13 troupes performing from several countries around the globe, including Belgium, Cuba, Spain, United States, Finland, France, Italy, Hungary, Lithuania, Portugal, Central African Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia. Nearly 180 actors will perform 26 shows over the next several days, until Sunday 22nd August.

Each troupe will receive an award specially created for them by Monegasque sculptor Marcel Sbirazzoli.

The festival’s history dates back to 1957 when brothers Guy and Max Brousse, René Cellario and Jean Ratti approached the government with an idea to help the International Association of Amateur Theatre (IATA) by organising an international festival.

Tickets are free but reservations are required. For more information visit the festival’s website at www.mondialdutheatre.com

 

 
 

Photo of Michèle DITLOT, Vice-President of the Culture and Heritage Commission of the National Council, Axelle AMALBERTI-VERDINO, Deputy Mayor, Véronique CAMPANA, Deputy to the Director of Cultural Affairs, Etienne FRANZI, President of the CMB, Virginie RAIMBERT, Director of the Heritage Institute, as well as Rob VAN GENECHTEN, Vice-President of AITA / IATA absl, Nadia BARCOLI, Jean-Charles CURAU and José BADIA, Deputy Commissioners General of the World, Claude PLASSERAUD, Treasurer General, Pierre CELLARIO, Deputy Secretary General and Thomas DROCOURT, Administrative Secretary of the Mondial du Théâtre.  Communication Department / Michael Alesi