TURIZM.RU continues its column dedicated to its 20th anniversary. In it, we recall the most interesting events from the world of travel over the past few years. Today, our time machine will travel back exactly 18 years, to November 30, 2000.
On this day, an exhibition opened in Venice, Dedicated to the history of the remarkable ancient Etruscan civilization, which had a profound influence on the development of central Italy and the rise of Rome. Exhibits included over 700 priceless and rare objects from 80 museums, private collections, and organizations in 13 countries. Today, you can learn about Etruscan culture at the National Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome.
On November 30, 2000, clouds gathered over Britain's signature vehicle—black cabs—in London. Manufacturer Manganese Bronze Holdings Plc. began recalling 8,000 taxis across the UK, citing possible faults in the vehicle's control system. Nearly one in three vehicles was sent back to production. Company specialists discovered that the strain on four bolts connecting the steering system to the chassis was excessive. The risk of failure proved too great. The pre-Christmas rush, as well as the torrential rains and floods that ravaged the country in late November, were the reasons for this. To prevent failure, it was decided to replace these parts on all vehicles manufactured since the beginning of 1997. Today, as decades ago, the majority of official taxis on the streets of the British capital are cabs.
The next news story takes us back to Italy. On November 30, 2000, an unusual promotion began in the squares of Italian cities. For two months, you could eat steak absolutely free. In this unusual way, the Italian Butchers' Association decided to confirm the quality and complete safety of its products.
Experts were concerned about the sharp drop in demand for beef due to the spread of mad cow disease.
Another piece of news came from Slovakia that day. TURIZM.RU reported that, effective January 1, 2001, Slovakia would introduce a visa regime for Russian citizens. The local Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained the move away from visa-free entry as a need to align its visa policy with that of the European Union, which Bratislava had hoped to join. The country joined the EU in 2004. Currently, Russian tourists require a Schengen visa to enter Slovakia.
That was November 30, 2000. Read about the events that took place in global tourism in the early 2000s in our daily collection dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the TURIZM.RU website.
Source: news.turizm.ru