Established 1961 13 Lifestyle Features Monday, May 17, 2021

Barbara Pravi, candidate from France with the song “Voila”, performs on stage during her sec- ond rehearsal for the Song Contest 2021 at the Ahoy in the Italian rock band Maneskin perform the song on Russian-Tajik singer and sings on May 12, Daoi & Gagnamagnio from Iceland perform on stage with the on Saturday. — AFP photos Saturday. 2021. song “10 Years” on May 13, 2021.

he kitschy glamour of Eurovision is On Saturday, organizers announced pants of the rules last week after photos “” (French for “I’m back, with the Dutch hosting a that one of the members of the Polish del- and videos showed artists embracing jour- outta here”), has attracted attention - as Tscaled-down, coronavirus-safe ver- egation had tested positive for COVID-19 nalists, while ’s entrant tested neg- well as body-shaming trolls - for her bold sion this week after the song contest was and that the whole delegation - including ative after a scare. They also said they wardrobe choices, including a bubblegum- cancelled last year. Around 3,500 COVID- singer Rafal Brzozowski - has gone into expected “very few” fans would travel from pink fringed number. “This is a dream tested fans will be allowed to attend the quarantine. This means they will not be abroad due to Dutch travel restrictions come true and a testament that I am on May 22 final in Rotterdam as the return of able to perform live at Thursday’s second including a 10-day quarantine and PCR the right track and that hard work pays the pageant injects some glitz into semifinal when a recording of their last test requirement. “We want to keep the off,” said the singer, who won the second ’s cautious reopening. French rehearsal will be shown. coronavirus out as much as possible,” edition of , when the deal singer , dubbed a modern- Bakker said. was announced. day Edith Piaf, is the bookmakers’ favorite ‘Scaled down considerably’ Despite recently easing some restric- Weird and wonderful Eurovision stories to end her country’s 44-year Eurovision The cancellation was a bitter disap- tions, the Dutch government is still strug- have emerged as with any other year. drought, followed by Italy and Malta. pointment for the Netherlands, which won gling with a slow vaccine rollout, in a Russia’s entry, “” per- Performers will be in a special “bubble” the right to host the contest after Dutch country of 17 million people where formed by Manizha, has upset conserva- under strict rules imposed by the Dutch crooner won in 2019. At , candidate from the United 17,000 people have died and 1.57 million tives at home with its anti-sexism lyrics. government to allow the contest at the port the peak of the pandemic, the Rotterdam Kingdom with the song “Embers”, performs on been infected. Cyprus meanwhile has stood by its contro- city’s Ahoy Arena to go ahead. “We don’t venue was even repurposed to host 88 stage. versial entry after the Orthodox Church take lightly the responsibility of hosting the beds for coronavirus patients. But now it ‘Devil worship’ accused it of advocating “devil worship”. at this challeng- will host live audiences not only for the Artists from most of the 39 countries But Eurovision’s unique mix of kitsch And while the coronavirus pandemic ing time,” said Eurovision executive super- final but also for two semifinals on involved are travelling to the Netherlands, and simmering national tensions remains has made for a very different Eurovision visor Martin Oesterdahl. Tuesday and Thursday. but some - such as Australia - will take much the same despite the pandemic. this year, it is not the first time the event Known for its flamboyant costumes and Under the Dutch government’s Fieldlab part via pre-recorded video. National dele- France’s Barbara Pravi carries her coun- has collided with reality. The 2017 edition cheesy songs, Eurovision is watched by program of trial events, each show will gations have to follow strict protocol, try’s hopes with her moody number held in conflict-hit Ukraine was marked more than 180 million people in over four allow an audience of 3,500 people, around remaining separated from the audience “Voila”. “It’s not pressure I feel, it’s impa- by tensions with Russia while the last dozen countries as far afield as Australia. 20 percent of the Ahoy Arena’s capacity. and testing every 48 hours. “The numbers tience and joy,” said Pravi. France has show in the Zionist entity in 2019 But the televisual pageant was scrapped For viewers used to a sea of flags and have been scaled down considerably. for a Eurovision champion sparked protests by pro-Palestinian for the first time in its six-decade history glammed-up artists hugging and celebrat- Delegations are much smaller,” Executive since 1977 when won the activists and artists. — AFP last year as the coronavirus pandemic ing, the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest will Producer Sietse Bakker said. competition. began sweeping the globe. however be different. Organizers “politely reminded” partici- Malta’s singer Destiny Chukunyere, 18,

memorial to World War II, Read Scott ones who typically fill hotel rooms. Hotel Martin sat on his pedicab, patiently waiting occupancy in Washington, DC on As COVID ebbs, for customers to emerge from the crowd. Saturday, May 1 was only 43.4 percent, slipping to 42.4 percent the following Waiting for full vaccination Saturday, according to STR, which pro- At the moment he gives about three or vides data and analysis for the industry. tourists make four tours a day, but that can double on That’s far from the 80.3 percent and 78.6 weekends. “The last few weeks, it was percent recorded on the first two improving,” he said, especially since the Saturdays in May 2019. their comeback city’s Cherry Blossom Festival in the “Tourism is only one component of the spring. His optimism is boosted by city’s business,” said Purcell, noting that increasing arrivals of tourists from Asia Washington is “very reliant” on conven- to US capital and Latin America. One of them is 17- tions and business travel. With travel year-old Valeria, who came from Peru for restrictions still in place for many countries

ith the park in front of the White House reopening last week, self- Wie-snapping tourists have sudden- ly reappeared. Washington DC, home to some of the toughest anti-COVID regula- tions in the country, is now reopening, highlighting the United States’ steady tran- Umbrellas are seen by the sea at Falaserna (Phalasarna) beach on the western coast of Crete sition back to normality. island on Saturday. — AFP Boasting imposing landmarks such as ourists basked in the warmth, sun and operator TUI has scheduled 120 flights to the US Capitol and the Supreme Court, crystal waters of Crete on Friday for Greece until the end of May. More than 100 Washington began reopening the doors of Tlong-awaited holidays as Greece kick- flights were expected at Greek airports on its museums on Friday, including the started its tourism season after last year’s Friday and Saturday, according to civil avia- National Museum of African American pandemic misery. “I hope to forget this damn tion officials. History and Culture, and the National COVID,” said Jil Wirries, a 28-year old stu- At the western tip of Crete, three other Portrait Gallery, which will soon host a dent from Hanover, Germany, as he collect- German tourists could not believe their luck painting of former president Donald ed his luggage at the island’s Heraklion air- as they gazed upon the breathtaking beauty Trump. port. “Everything is terrible in Germany. of Balos lagoon. “We searched for a location By next Friday, six museums run by the Aside from the weather, everything is closed to go for our first holiday post-COVID and famed Smithsonian Institution, and the and people are depressed, including me. I’m we ... spontaneously decided to come here,” National Zoo, will once again welcome vis- so happy to be here,” he said. said Anne Marie Buhrer, 25, from Munich. itors as vaccination rates climb and infec- Greece and Europe’s other tourism “We can’t believe how beautiful it is here.” tions continue to plunge. The question hotspots are vying to woo back visitors after Nationwide, over four million vaccinations now is how to attract more tourists and Tourists and Washingtonians visit Lafayette Square near the White House in Washington, DC, on the pandemic wrecked last year’s holiday have already been carried out in the country spur an economic rebound after a year of May 10, 2021 as the area reopens to the public. — AFP photos season as countries imposed travel bans of 10.8 million, and the government has pandemic restrictions that left the US fed- and quarantines. France and Spain made its idyllic islands a priority for jabs. eral capital city, normally a hub for confer- launched tourism campaigns this week while With several restrictions still in place for trav- ences and meetings of international insti- a weeklong visit, posing for photos in front including large parts of Europe, the Italy said Friday it was scrapping a quaran- ellers throughout Europe, Greek hoteliers tutions, stricken. of the White House with her little sister and tourism sector is still struggling and its tine requirement for visitors from the EU, expect the tourism sector to pick up from late “For the moment, I have very few cus- parents. “We wanted to come before the recovery is uncertain. “It’s still very unclear Britain and Israel who test negative for the June or early July, alongside stronger vacci- tomers,” said Ngre Phung, whose mobile COVID but we have to cancel our trip,” whether business travel will return to pre- coronavirus. nation figures. In an early setback, the UK souvenir shop is parked near the African she said. pandemic levels because everyone has Portugal said it would allow British put Greece on its amber travel list, meaning American museum. So far, DC residents, However, the overwhelming majority of gotten so used to doing so much online,” tourists visit the country again from today that returning Britons face at least five days who are packing the terraces of restau- visitors are from other US states coming to Purcell said. after London placed the country on its safe in quarantine. rants and bars, haven’t rushed downtown see family, or tourists stopping by on their In 2019, Washington welcomed 1.8 mil- list - just in time for fans heading to the May to peruse Phung’s selection of caps, T- way to New York. Ghania and Abdel, who lion visitors from abroad, led by China, 29 Champions League final in Porto. Hotel business slow shirts and other trinkets. Instead the shop- live in Los Angeles, were in Washington to Britain and India, and 22.8 million domes- Tourism is crucial to the Greek economy, as “We have no reservations at the moment keeper relies heavily on visitors to nearby visit their daughter Shiraz, 26, who just tic visitors, according to Destination DC. it accounts for 20 percent of GDP. “We are and only 15 to 20 percent of the hotels will museums. graduated from Georgetown University. While waiting for the return of international raising anchor,” Greek Tourism Minister be operating this Friday, while the rest will “It’s very key with the museums open- “This is our first trip in just over a year,” the business travelers, the organization will Harry Theoharis declared as he launched open gradually until the end of June,” said ing,” said Anne Purcell, director of hospi- couple originally from Algeria said in soon launch a major advertising campaign the holiday season Thursday evening from Grigoris Tasios, president of the Greek fed- tality market analytics for the northeast French. “We were waiting to be fully vacci- to target the American public. — AFP the ancient Greek temple of Poseidon near eration of hoteliers. The opening of the region at CoStar Group. Between the 170- nated and for the city to get a little busier.” . tourism sector comes as Greeks will also be m Washington Monument obelisk and a But these leisure travelers are not the The new holiday season couldn’t come allowed to go about freely within the country soon enough for restaurateurs and cafe for the first time since November. owners eagerly preparing for patrons to “Last year everything was a blur, now we come back after suffering so long under are entering a different tourist season,” said coronavirus lockdown measures. “We hope George Segredos, a beach bar owner on this will be a good season because the win- Kos island. “We are aiming to get around ter was difficult for all of us, employers, half of 2019 revenues,” he told AFP. employees and the tourist sector,” said Greece’s tourism revenue plunged to €4.28 Alexandros Koukourakis as he set up tables billion ($5.0 billion) in 2020 from €18 billion and chairs at his restaurant near the old in 2019, while tourist arrivals fell 76.5 percent town of Chania in Crete. to just 7.4 million, according to the Greek Tourism Confederation Institute. Tourism is Spontaneous trip far from being back to normal. The Greek According to government regulations island of Kalymnos remains in strict lock- announced on Wednesday, anyone travel- down owing to scores of recent infections, ling to Greek islands by sea or air must highlighting how fragile and fluid the situation show a vaccination certificate or a negative remains. —AFP COVID-19 test result. Europe’s leading tour Tourists visit the Lincoln Memorial on May 14, 2021. Tourists visit the National Mall.