® FEBRUARY 2009 JAXFAX MAGAZINE The Travel Agents’ Path to Profits Korea Sparkling 16 CHINA Surprises in Shanghai 18 TURKEY Istanbul Never Gets Old 20 FLANDERS City-Hopping 28 ISRAEL Going Green in 2009 30 MOROCCO Living Romances 34 ANGUILLA Cuisine, Love... 40 PANAMA Where to Go Next NER PAVILLON ZAJC EUM OTTO WAG FGANG © WTV/WIEN MUS KARLSPLATZ/WOL The perfect blend to fall in love with. You won‘t find this unique blend of imperial splendor and modern design, traditional conviviality and hip bistros and bars, waltzes and electronic music anywhere else in the world. No wonder it‘s so easy to fall in love with Vienna in the springtime! FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT THE AUSTRIAN TOURIST OFFICE: TEL. (212) 944 6880 [email protected] OR VISIT www.vienna.info © Charly Herscovici, with his kind authorization— c/o SABAM-ADAGP, 2008 The Breast, 1961, oil on canvas, 90 x 110 cm E<N D8>I@KK< DLJ<LD FG<E@E> @E 9ILJJ<CJ FE ALE< )# )''0 In the very heart of Brussels, the Magritte museum will bring together for the first time more than 150 works by the world famous Belgian surrealist painter. nnn%m`j`kY\c^`ld%Zfd nnn%dfek[\jXikj%Y\ ;@J:FM<I JLII<8C@JD @E 9ILJJ<CJ N@K? :FFC ;<8CJ nnn%m`j`kY\c^`ld%Zfd&jg\Z`Xc%_kd © Charly Herscovici, with his kind authorization— c/o SABAM-ADAGP, 2008 The Return, 1940, oil on canvas, 50 x 65 cm 9<C>@LD N?<I< =LE @J 8CN8PJ @E =8J?@FE 9ILJJ<CJ Sophisticated Simplicity, Capital of Cool If the 80 museums, palaces, and public square won’t lure you to Brussels, the world’s best beer and chocolate will. 9<C>@LD @J N<CC$:FEE<:K<; 9 flights a day from the USA to Brussels. By train: 1 hour and 20 minutes from Paris; and less than 2 hours from London. M@J@K9<C>@LD%:FD @E=F7M@J@K9<C>@LD%:FD × )() .,/$/(*' )''0 :FD@: JKI@GJ @E 9ILJJ<CJ 8E; 9<PFE; Brussels will be more than ever THE capital of comic strips! Discover the many exhibitions and the comic strip museum in a historical Art Nouveau building. Tintin, the Smurfs, Spirou, Lucky Luke, Gaston Lagaffe, these are just a few of the heroes dreamed up by the Belgian strip cartoon artists. They will be honored in Brussels and in French Speaking Belgium. nnn%Yiljj\cjZfd`Zj%Zfd nnn%ZYY[%Zfd 9<PFE; 9ILJJ<CJ ;@; PFL BEFN 98JKF>E<1 Site of the battle of the Bulge (winter of 1944-45) www.si-bastogne.be Brussels is the Capital of Belgium and the headquarters of the European Union and Nato, no wonder English is widely spoken. N8K<ICFF At the gates of Brussels, site of the famous battle www.waterloo1815.be Brussels is still less expensive than London, Paris, Amsterdam and most western C@ß>< Ardennes’ largest city, visit the Palais des Evêques, one of the largest gothic European capitals. buildings in Europe www.liege.be There is a wide range of accommodations to choose from in Brussels, with JG8 Mother of all spas, fine examples of early 20th century spa town architecture particularly good rates available on week-ends. www.spa-info.be From comics to music and from gothic to surreal Magritte, Brussels offers more E8DLI Romantic town with its citadel overlooking the River Meuse www.namur.be than 80 museums covering every imaginable topic. KFLIE8@ A 2,000 years old town with an outstanding gothic cathedral Jazz has been a strong feature of Brussels’ night life since the 1920s and www.tournai.be year-round live jazz sessions can be found at a cluster of venues. The 9FL@CCFE Medieval city dominated by the feudal Castle of Godefroid, leader saxophone was invented in Dinant, Belgium in 1846. of the first crusade www.info-bouillon.co.uk There are more castles per square mile in Belgium than anywhere in the world. ;@E8EK The famous caves of Han are close to this city, known for its citadel and Weekend antiquing is the sport of kings at the antique markets open every weekend, cathedral www.dinant.be at the Grand Sablon and Place du Jeu de Balle in Brussels and all around Belgium. DFEJ Once a roman camp and town of tradition with the celebration of “Lumecon” Brussels is the capital of Art Nouveau with more than 500 buildings that and “Le Car d’Or” www.paysdemons.be are fully or partially Art Nouveau. FIM8C Home to 25 Trappist monks who produce bread, cheese and some of You can delight in chocolates, munch on Belgian fries, savor fresh mussels and the best Trappist beers www.orval.be drink a diverse variety of beer. ;LI9LP The smallest city in the world www.ourth-et-aisne.be K?< 9<8LK@=LC M@CC8><J F= N8CCFE@81 www.beauxvillages.be E<N D8>I@KK< DLJ<LD1 Part of the Museum Art complex on the Place Royale, in the ;@J:FLEK G8JJ<J center of Brussels, the museum brings together more than 150 works by the world Brussels card provides free access to 26 museums, discounts in shops, restau- famous surrealist painter. www.montdesarts.be rants, tourist attractions and unlimited travel on public transport, choose between a 24, 48 or 72 hours pass. www.brusselscard.be ?<I>< DLJ<LD1 Herge, the father of Tintin, will have his own museum in Louvain la Neuve, outside Brussels, designed by Christian de Pontzamparc. >I8E; :LIK@LJ DLJ<LD1 Reopening of Liege’s complex of museums (one of 8==FI;89C< 9<C>@LD1 ?FK ;<8CJ which is the famous Arms Museum). Liege is easy to access thanks to the new train http://www.visitbelgium.com/special.htm station designed by J8EK@8>F :8C8KI8M8% K?< DLJK F= 9ILJJ<CJ /, DLJ<LDJ# ?8E>@E> FLK 8IFLE; K?< >I8E; GC8:<# D8IB<KJ# 8KFD@LD# :8=<$?FGG@E># D8AFI <M<EKJ# =8J?@FE ?L9# 8I:?@K<:KLI< 8E; 8IK EFLM<8L# E<N ?FK<CJ# >8JKIFEFDP# 9<<I 8E; :?F:FC8K< 8K <M<IP :FIE<I <M<EKJ ?FN KF ><K KF 9ILJJ<CJ1 8@IC@E<J ?@>?C@>?KJ 0 ;@I<:K =C@>?KJ KF 9<C>@LD =IFD EFIK? 8D<I@:81 9ILJJ<CJ 8EK@HL<J 8E; =@E< 8IKJ =8@I1 top international event with 8D<I@:8E 8@IC@E<J1 New York (JFK) and Chicago (ORD)-daily, 130 international exhibitors. From January 23 to February 1, 2009 :FEK@E<EK8C 8@IC@E<J1 Newark (EWR)-daily, www.brafa.be ;<CK8 8@IC@E<J1 New York (JFK) and Atlanta (ATL)-daily, 9@E:?<1 world famous Carnival on Fat Tuesday A<K 8@IN8PJ1 New York (JFK) and, Newark (EWR) and Toronto (YYZ)-daily, IFP8C >I<<E?FLJ<J FG<E KF K?< GL9C@: Brussels, from April through beginning of May LE@K<; 8@IC@E<J1 Washington, D.C. (IAD)-daily, IFP8C G8C8:< FG<E KF K?< GL9C@: Brussels, from end of July through LJ 8@IN8PJ1 Philadelphia (PHL)-daily, mid-September 9ILJJ<CJ 8@IC@E<J1 New York (co-share with AA) - daily with connections =CFN<I :8IG<K FE K?< >I8E; GC8:< Brussels, every other year in August within Europe www.brusselsairlines.be www.flowercarpet.be Easy connections from the USA with Air France, 9@<EE8C 8IK EFLM<8L Brussels, every other year in October KLM, BMI and Virgin Atlantic. www.bruxellesartnouveau.be I8@C :?I@JKD8J D8IB<KJ Brussels and all over Wallonia in December JK8P@E> @E 9ILJJ<CJ K?8CPJ KI8@E1 www.plaisirsdhiver.be Paris-Brussels 9iljj\cj `j _fd\ kf (+, _fk\cj n`k_ (,#''' iffdj% 85 minutes, Listed below, a selection of e\n hotels: 25 trains daily For more nnn%m`j`kY\c^`ld%Zfd&jg\Z`Xc%_kd JG<:@8C @EK<I<JK FE M@J@K9<C>@LD%:FD <LIFJK8I1 8IK CFM<IJ 9<<I CFM<IJ :?F:FC8K< CFM<IJ :FFB@E> :C8JJ<J 9< D8EFJ1 www.bemanos.be London-Brussels 1h51minutes. JG8 KI<8KD<EK 9@B@E> I@M<I :IL@J<J =8D@CP =LE NN@@ ?FK<C 9CFFD1 www.hotelbloom.be 9 trains daily >8P KI8M<C >FC= :8JKC<J >8I;<EJ A<N@J? ?<I@K8>< ;FC:< C8 ?LCG<1 http://lahulpe.dolce.com 8djk\i[Xd$Brussels1 ;FD@E@:8E 9ILJJ<CJ1 www.dominican.be J?FGG@E> LE<J:F J@K<J PFLE> ?@G 8E; DL:? DFI< 2h30 minutes, D8IK@EËJ :<EKI8C G8IB1 www.martins-hotel.com 7 trains daily GIF>I<JJ ?FK<C1 www.progresshotel.be ?FK<C FIKJ1 www.hotelorts.be 9<C>@8E KFLI@JK F==@:< JF=@K<C <LIFG< 9ILJJ<CJ1 www.sofitel.com NNN%M@J@K9<C>@LD%:FD $ )()$.,/$/(*' ?FK<C M<E;FD<$D8I@M8LO1 www.hotel-vendome.be N?@K< ?FK<C1 www.thewhitehotel.be VOLUME 37, NO.2 FEBRUARY 2009 ® 800-952-9329 www.jaxfax.com ConsolifarePassword: korea JAXFAX MAGAZINE DESTINATION FEATURES AND ARTICLES 12 COVER FEATURE KOREA SPARKLING Last month, I visited Korea on my own, and I also interviewed travel agents who had been there within the last six months. All of us had a very positive experience, impressed by the warmness of the people and the breadth of cultural experience. We all agreed the best way to market Korea is through its value as a special interest destination, promoting history, culture, shopping, and cuisine. In fact, the agents were so impressed that they KOREA TO are all putting together their own new Korea tours!… PUBLISHER’S CORNER 6 Hope – The Beginning of Road to Recovery EDITOR’S DESK 8 Navigating the Good, the Bad and the Not-too-Good-Looking SNAPSHOTS 10 The Month in Review EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 15 Deokhyun Jo, Director Korea Tourism Organization, Chicago DESTINATION ARTICLES 36 MARTINIQUE The Buzz is Out 16 CHINA Surprises in Shanghai 38 BRAZIL São Paulo Beckons Shanghai is again in vogue, as it was in the Clients who crave the pace, pulse and inten- MARTINIQUE NTO first half of the 20th century when the colo- sity of urban life will find more than sufficient nial city was known for its sophistication ..