Category: Cover

  • Austrian population reached 8.9 million on 1 January 2020

    Austrian population reached 8.9 million on 1 January 2020

    8.901.064 people lived in Austria on 1 January 2020, according to the final results of Statistics Austria.

    Compared to the beginning of 2019, this represents an increase of 42.289 inhabitants (+0.48%). P

    opulation growth thus was slightly higher than in the year before: In 2018, the Austrian population had increased by only 0.41% (+36 508 people).

    About 96% of Austria’s population growth in 2019 was due to international migration gains of 40.613 people. However, natural population growth also contributed to the overall increase,

  • How many tourists visited Slovakia through travel agencies and tour operators

    How many tourists visited Slovakia through travel agencies and tour operators

    In 2019, within the organized tourism, the number of inbound foreign visitors in the Slovak Republic reached over 330 thousand people (it concerns one-day visitors and foreigners on overnight stays).

    They spent in Slovakia almost 200 thousand days on overnight stays.

    At the same time via travel agencies and tour operators, altogether 760 thousand people travelled (one-day visitors and overnight visitors as well) and the number of stay days reached nearly 5,3 million.

    Top 5 European destinations for Slovaks in 2019

    The top 5 destinations to which the Slovaks traveled included Turkey with 131.328 visitors, Croatia with 83.382 visitors, Greece with 78.133 visitors, Bulgaria with 60.992 visitors and Italy with 57.536 visitors.

    The total turnover for the services provided exceeded EUR 740 million.

  • The Digital PR terms that leave Europeans most baffled

    The Digital PR terms that leave Europeans most baffled

    Reboot Digital PR Agency conducted a survey to find out which digital PR key terms baffle Europeans most.

    To do this Reboot surveyed 2,746 people to find out if they would be confident in understanding terms that are commonplace in the world of digital PR, to judge if the average European would be able to make it in the industry.

    PR industry currently employs 86,000 people and is fast becoming crucial in the success of a business, so it might come in useful to brush up on everything from backlink to pitch.

    Syndication (76% didn’t understand)

    Syndication is a method of republishing existing content on other websites in order to reach a broader audience.

    Backlink (71%)

    A backlink is a link created when one website links to another.

    SEO (65%)

    Search engine optimization is the process of growing the quality and quantity of website traffic by increasing the visibility of a website or a web page to users of a web search engine.

    Anchor text (63%)

    Anchor text is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. In modern browsers, it is often blue and underlined.

    Trust flow (54%)

    Trust flow is a number predicting how trustworthy a page is based on how trustworthy sites tend to link to trustworthy neighbours.

    Placements (47%)

    Media coverage of a press release, which can be in the form of a magazine, online blog post, or any other media outlets that will be viewed by a wide audience.

    Outreach (38%)

    Press outreach is the process of ‘pitching’ information about your product/service to journalists, bloggers and influencers.

    Nofollow (33%)

    Nofollow is a value that can be assigned to the rel attribute of an HTML, it instructs some search engines that the hyperlink should not influence the ranking of the link’s target in the search engine’s index.

    Pitch (26%)

    A media pitch is a brief letter, email or phone call offering a news story to a journalist or editor at a newspaper, magazine, radio or television station.

    The aim of the pitch is to create interest in the story and to find out if the contact is willing to use it.

    Press Release (23%)

    A press release is a written document prepared for the media – also called the press – that announces something newsworthy.

  • Expenditures of Polish residents related to trips at PLN 79.5 billion in 2019

    Expenditures of Polish residents related to trips at PLN 79.5 billion in 2019

    The number of Polish residents aged 15 years or over who participated in 2019 in at least one private tourist trip amounted to 20.8 million (3.6% more than in 2018), which made 64.1% of Polish residents in this age group.

    In 2019, the number of tourist trips made by members of household amounted to 41.4 million (3.2% more than in 2018), which means that one household participated on average in 3 trips.

    On average, 2 persons participated in one trip.

    The majority of trips (96.1%) was made for private purposes.

    During the year Polish residents made a total of 75.1 million trips (one person could have made several trips) – 4.2% more than in 2018.

    Domestic trips predominated definitely – there were 59.8 million of such trips, which included short trips (2–4 days) – 34.5 million and trips of 5 days or longer – 25.3 million.

    The number of outbound trips of Polish residents amounted to 15.3 million and most of these trips (12.4 million) were trips of 5 days or longer.

    Over 50m domestic trips

    The number of domestic trips amounted to 50.0 million and outbound trips – 13.5 million.

    Among domestic trips, 60.0% were short-term trips, while long-term trips accounted for 80.2% of outbound trips.

    Expenditures of Polish residents related to trips at PLN 79.5 billion

    In 2019, expenditures of Polish residents related to trips amounted to PLN 79.5 billion (9.7% more than in 2018), of which PLN 30.9 billion (11.5% more than in 2018) were spent on domestic trips with overnith stays, PLN 34.3 billion (9.2% more than in 2018) on outbound trips with overnight stays, and PLN 14.4 billion on outbound same-day visits (7.0% more than in 2018).

    The average expenditure per person on a domestic trip of 2–4 days amounted to PLN 352, on a trip of 5 days or longer – PLN 1012, and on an outbound trip PLN 1708 and PLN 2737 respectively.

    On average, one person spent PLN 388 for one outbound trip without an overnight stay.

  • Non-EU citizens counted for 5% of the EU population in 2019

    Non-EU citizens counted for 5% of the EU population in 2019

    On 1 January 2019, 21.8 million citizens of a non-member country lived in one of the 27 EU Member States, representing almost 5% of the EU population, Eurostat shows.

    In addition, there were 13.3 million people living in one of the EU Member States on 1 January 2019 with the citizenship of another EU Member State, representing almost 3% of the EU population.

    Highest shares of non-nationals in Luxembourg, lowest in Poland and Romania

    In relative terms, the EU Member State with the highest share of non-nationals was Luxembourg, at 47% of its total population.

    A high proportion of foreign citizens (10% or more of the resident population) was also observed in Cyprus, Malta, Austria, Estonia, Latvia, Ireland, Belgium, Germany and Spain.

    In contrast, non-nationals represented less than 1% of the population in Poland and Romania.

    In most EU Member States, the majority of non-nationals were citizens of non-EU countries.

  • Sunny Beach is the cheapest holiday destination in the world

    Sunny Beach is the cheapest holiday destination in the world

    Sunny Beach, Bulgaria is cheapest of 42 destinations surveyed by Post Office Travel Money research for the third consecutive year, with Marmaris, Turkey in the runner-up spot.

    The barometer monitors the price of eight tourist items – comprising dinner for two with a bottle of wine, a range of soft and alcoholic drinks, suncream and insect repellent.

    In Sunny Beach this items cost only £30,68.

    Prague, at a cost of £63,02, Corfu (£75,91), Budapest (£78,49), Porec, Croatia (£79,43) or Sorrento, Italy (£108,39) are other CEE destinations in Europe’s Top 12.

    The research has found that prices have fallen in over three-quarters of the destinations surveyed. Price are down in 33 of the 42 destinations surveyed, with the biggest fall of 44% in Antigua. They have also fallen by 21% in Corfu, Greece.

  • RIU reopens all hotels in Spain, between 15 June and the first week of July

    RIU reopens all hotels in Spain, between 15 June and the first week of July

    Following the international tourism hiatus caused by COVID-19, RIU Hotels is gradually taking up operations again.

    In Spain, the chain has scheduled the opening of 15 hotels in all the destinations where it is represented, which are: Madrid, Mallorca, Formentera, Cádiz, Málaga, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.

    The hotels will open between 15 June and the first week of July.

    The first Spanish hotels to open are the Riu Bravo and Riu Concordia hotels in Playa de Palma, Mallorca. They are working in partnership with the Balearic Government and RIU’s partner, TUI, to carry out the safe tourism test that started on the island on 15 June. Riu Plaza España in the centre of Madrid opened on the same day.

    In the Canary Islands, the first hotel to welcome back its guests will be Riu Gran Canaria, located in the south of the island. It opens on 19 June, along with two of the chain’s hotels in Andalusia, Riu Chiclana and Riu Costa del Sol, as well as Riu La Mola in Playa de Migjorn on Formentera.

    On 26 June, they will be joined by the Riu Palace Meloneras and Riu Palace Tres Islas hotels, located on Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura respectively, while 1 July is the scheduled date to reopen the Riu Calypso hotel, also on Fuerteventura, and Riu Paraiso Lanzarote.

    The following day, Tenerife will return to action with the opening of Riu Palace Tenerife, shortly followed by Riu Palace Palmeras (Gran Canaria), Riu Arecas (Tenerife) and Riu Nautilus (Torremolinos).

    The chain has also reopened operations in a total of 15 more countries, with hotels open or about to open in: Germany, Mexico, United States, Bulgaria, Portugal, Ireland, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, Morocco, Zanzibar and Sri Lanka.

  • Users of Sodexo Tourist Pass to book holidays in Romania on Booking.com

    Users of Sodexo Tourist Pass to book holidays in Romania on Booking.com

    Sodexo has signed a partnership with Booking.com to enable users of Tourist Pass vouchers and cards to book holidays in Romania using the digital travel platform.

    The partnership promotes the network of over 6,000 Sodexo travel affiliates.

    Recipients of Sodexo holiday vouchers are able to book stays across Romania by visiting http://booking.com/sodexoromania.

    All properties that allow payment by the Tourist Pass card have been clearly highlighted and payment can be made at the property using either vouchers or the Tourist Pass card, or through mobile payment tools such as Sodexo Pay or Apple Pay.

    Booking.com has more than 20,000 accommodation options in Romania, of which over 6,000 are available for booking by Sodexo users.

    Tourist Pass holiday vouchers are similar benefits to meal vouchers, which employees can use to purchase travel services anywhere in Romania (the travel package may include along with accommodation, other services as meals, transport, leisure activities).

    This benefit allows companies to motivate employees, ensuring the necessary work-life balance. The Tourist Pass card does not impose value limits and facilitates secure and contactless payments.

    The validiy of vouchers granted between March 2019 – December 2019 has been extended by law until May 31, 2021.

  • Which are the best CEE universities in QS World University Ranking

    Which are the best CEE universities in QS World University Ranking

    Politecnico di Milano, ranking 137, with 37.226 students registered is the first university in CEE, followed by University of Vienna, 45.623 students, ranked 150, latest QS World University Ranking shows.

    The latest QS World University Ranking includes around 1,000 universities.

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the first ranked university in the world and University of Oxford is the first European university (ranked 5 in the world).

    Other 36 universities from Italy in top 1000

    Top 500 include the following universities from Italy, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna (160), Sapienza University of Rome (171), Università di Padova (216), University of Milan (301), Politecnico di Torino (308), University of Pisa (383), University of Naples – Federico II (392), Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele Milano (392), University of Trento (403), University of Florence (432), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milano, University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (511-520), University of Turin, University of Milano-Bicocca (521-530).

    Other Italian institutions in top 1000 are Free University Bozen, Bolzano, Università degli Studi di Pavia (601-650), University of Genoa, University of Siena (651-700), University of Trieste (701-750), Politecnico di Bari, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Università degli Studi di Perugia, University of Brescia (751-800), Catania University, Universita’ degli Studi di Ferrara, University of Salerno, Università degli Studi di Udine, Università degli studi Roma Tre, University of Calabria, Universita’ Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, University of Palermo, University of Bari, University of Parma, Verona University (801-1000).

    7 other Austrian universities in the top

    Austria has other universities in top: Vienna University of Technology (191), Universität Innsbruck (265), Graz University of Technology (275), Johannes Kepler University Linz (362), University of Klagenfurt (511-520), Karl-Franzens-Universitaet Graz (581-590), Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (751-800).

    Czechia has 8 universities in Top 1000

    Charles University Prague, 48,623 students, ranked 260, is the first Czech university in QS World University Ranking, followed by University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (342), Masaryk University Brno (531-540), Brno University of Technology, Mendel University in Brno (701-750), Technical University of Liberec (751-800), Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, University of Pardubice (801-1000).

    First university in the Baltic States is ranked no 285

    University of Tartu (Estonia), ranked 285, is the best university in the
    Baltic States, followed by Vilnius University (Lithuania), ranked 423 and Riga
    Technical University (Latvia), ranked 701-750.

    Other two Estonian universities are in Top 1000, Tallinn University of
    Technology (TalTech) is ranked 651-700 and Tallinn University is no 801-1000.

    Lithuania has three more universities in Top 1000, Vilnius Gediminas
    Technical University (651-700), Kaunas University of Technology and Vytautas
    Magnus University, Kaunas (801-1000).

    Other two universities in Latvia are present in QS World University Ranking,
    Riga Stradins University and University of Latvia, Riga (801-1000).

    Poland has 15 universities in the first 1000

    According to the latest QS World University Ranking, University of Warsaw (321) is the first Polish institution ranked.

    Other Polish universities included in the ranking are Jagiellonian University (326), Warsaw University of Technology (511-520), Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Cracow University of Technology (Politechnika Krakowska), Gdansk University of Technology, Lodz University of Technology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Poznań University of Technology, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, University of Gdansk, University of Lodz, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (WRUST) (801-1000).

    First Greek university is ranked no 477

    National Technical University of Athens, ranked 477, is the first Greece university in QS World University Ranking, followed by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (571-580), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (651-700), Athens University of Economics and Business, University of Crete (801-1000).

    University of Szeged, the first in Hungary

    First Hungarian institution in the QS World University Ranking is University of Szeged (ranked 501-510), followed by University of Debrecen (521-530), Eötvös Loránd University (601-650), University of Pecs (651-700), Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Corvinus University of Budapest, Szent Istvan University, University of Miskolc, (801-1000).

    Bulgarian and Slovenian universities, at the same level

    Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, home for 19.086 students, is the only Bulgarian University in the top, ranking 601-650.

    First ranked Slovenian University is University of Ljubljana (601-650), followed by University of Maribor (801-1000).

    Slovakia has 4 universities in QS World University Ranking

    Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice is the first university from Slovakia in the QS World University Ranking and is ranked 651-700, followed by Comenius University in Bratislava (701-750), Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Technical University of Kosice, (801-1000).

    Romania and Croatia are at the bottom

    Romania and Croatia are the worst ranked countries from CEE region with Babes-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca and University of Bucharest (Romania) and University of Rijeka or University of Zagreb ranking 801-1000.

  • Austrian Government makes beer, wine and schnitzel cheaper

    Austrian Government makes beer, wine and schnitzel cheaper

    Austrian Government announced that the sales tax (VAT) on food (from 10%) and beverages (from 20%) is cut to a uniform 5%, Heute writes.

    Previously, the government had only decided to ease the burden on soft drinks. It was said at the time that a reduction was not possible due to EU requirements.

    Now beer, wine, cocktails and all other alcoholic beverages are also included in the tax cut.

    The tax cut is limited to the end of the year and will apply from July 1st. The relief volume is expected to be EUR 700 million.

    The temporary reduction of VAT to 5 percent is also planned for newspapers and other periodicals, as well as books and for visiting museums, cinemas or music events.

  • Impact Hub Prague, new program focused on sustainable food production

    Impact Hub Prague, new program focused on sustainable food production

    Impact Hub Prague, in cooperation with several partners, launches the first program in the Czech Republic focused on sustainable food production.

    Future of Food is a 3-month program that offers support to all who are producing innovative and sustainable production.

    Professional mentoring, professional consultations, training workshops and discussion meetings with food experts are prepared for participants.

    Participants will meet interesting personalities from the field of sustainable food such as Martin Ducháček, owner of Freshbedýnek, Otto Jiránek, CEO of Country Life, Martin Jahoda, CEO of EMCO and Kamil Demuth, founder of the scuk.cz platform.

    Financial support of at least EUR 100 billion for the transition to more sustainable agriculture from the European Commission

    In the recently published “From Farmer to Consumer” strategy, part of the new Green Agreement for Europe, the European Commission outlined a financial support of at least EUR 100 billion for the transition to more sustainable agriculture.

    According to the strategy, €10 billion is to be used for the bio-economy and food, with a key area of research being “increasing the availability and resources of alternative proteins such as plant, cultured or marine and insect-based proteins and other meat substitutes.”

    The Commission states that livestock farming is a major contributor to climate change, causing almost 70% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Europe.

    However, excessive consumption of animal products also has a health impact on society as a whole, which entails considerable costs for health care.

    In 2017, an estimated more than 950 000 deaths in the EU were linked to unhealthy eating.

  • How many students and teachers were in the EU in 2018?

    How many students and teachers were in the EU in 2018?

    Eurostat most recent available official data are from 2018, when there were around 76.2 million pupils and students enrolled in schools and pre-schools in the EU across all of these education levels.

    However, the exact sum without rounding was closer to 76.1 million.

    There were 15.7 million children in early childhood education. In primary education, typically starting at ages 5 to 7 years old and lasting around six years, there were 24.5 million pupils enrolled.

    Secondary education is divided in lower and upper level.

    In 2018, 18.3 million students were enrolled in lower secondary education, with students typically entering when they are 10 to 13 years old, typically finishing nine years after the start of primary education when students are at an age of 15-16 year old.

    Finally, there were 17.7 million students in upper secondary education in 2018, covering both general studies and vocational studies. Upper secondary school typically ends 12-13 years after the students entered their primary education.

    Altogether,

    How many students each teacher is responsible for?

    For the pre-school children, there was on average one educator per 10.9 children in 2018. For primary school, the classes were somewhat larger, with on average 13.6 pupils per teacher.

    At secondary level, teachers are usually specialised and teach specific subjects to different classes.

    On average in the EU, there were 12.0 students per teacher at lower secondary level and 11.3 at upper secondary level in 2018.