News from the world of travel

Venice introduces tax for day-trippers

Officials in Venice – one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations – have announced a new fee for visitors who do not stay for more than a day, effective from January 16, 2023.

The tax will apply to all day-trippers whether they arrive by cruise ship, train, flights or water taxi, and is expected to cost between three euros and 10 euros.

It is designed to encourage visitors to stay longer and deter day-trippers. In 2019 more than 19 million people visited Venice, but about 80 per cent were day-trippers who contributed only a fraction of the revenue of those who stayed longer.

The tax will help contribute to the upkeep of the famous canal city. Visitors who stay a night or more in official accommodation are already required to pay a local city tax at their hotel.

Miznon restaurants add London to its list

The Miznon chain of restaurants, which first opened in Tel Aviv in 2011 and expanded to Paris, Vienna, New York, Melbourne, Singapore and Boston, has just opened its latest outlet in London’s Soho.

Founded by celebrity Israeli chef Eyal Shani, Miznon is renowned for its vibrant Mediterranean-style dishes with its menu including favourites such as whole cauliflower, lamb kebab and a minute steak.

Miznon’s house-made cocktails are also a hit with diners, including Sunset which combines the flavours of pomegranate, mint, lime and barberry; Dawn with lemon, verbena, thyme and grapefruit; Dusk featuring bergamot, tangerine and cinnamon; and Noon with cucumber, apple and celery.

Shani, who was born in Jerusalem in 1959, is regarded as one of Israel’s leading chefs and starred in the TV series Food for Thought and appeared as a judge on Israeli Master Chef.

Dylan memorabilia on display

A museum dedicated to legendary American Jewish singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has opened in Tulsa, Oklahoma with fascinating exhibits ranging from handwritten manuscripts and correspondence to artworks, memorabilia and musical instruments.

The museum was created following the purchase of Dylan’s collection of more than 100,000 items spanning his career by Oklahoma oil tycoon and philanthropist George Kaiser.

Many items are on show for the first time at the Bob Dylan Centre, situated in Tulsa’s burgeoning arts district. Adorning the exterior of the three-storey museum is a mural depicting a 1965 image of Dylan, donated by photographer Jerry Schatzberg.

Dylan, 81, released his debut album in 1962. His early hits included Blowin’ in the Wind, The Times They Are A-Changin’ and Like a Rolling Stone. In the 1970s he experimented with acting, film scoring and writing before releasing more albums and touring.

By the mid-1980s, Dylan returned to experimenting with his music, but in the mid-1990s returned to traditional folk songs and in 1993 won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album for World Gone Wrong. He again won Grammy Awards in 1997 for Time Out of Mind and continued to produce albums, with the most recent in 2017.

In 2016, the Swedish academy awarded him the Nobel prize for literature – the first musician to receive the prestigious prize.

More Singapore Airlines flights take to the skies

Singapore Airlines is expanding the number of flights it offers on a variety of international routes as it responds to strong demand for air travel.

The airline is progressively increasing the number of flights from Singapore to Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya) and to India (Chennai, Kochi and Bengaluru) by October 30.

By November 30, Singapore Airlines will operate 21 weekly flights from Singapore to Los Angeles – up from the current 17 flights per week – including a daily non-stop service, while from December 1 the Singapore-Paris route will be served by 12 weekly flights – up from seven flights a week – to cater for increased demand.

Singapore Airlines expects that it will reach about 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels by December this year.