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• THE ROYAL TOUR A WOR...

29 Apr, 2022

The royal tour a worthwhile move.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has launched the Historical documentary called ‘The Royal Tour’, filmed in Tanzania in 2021 where she played as the main character of the documentary, it is expected to have Investments worth Sh11.7 trillion would soon start flowing into the country as the results of the Royal Tour Project

This follows her visit to the US, one of the world’s strongest economy of which she unveiled The Royal Tour documentary as well as signing several investment projects that will soon be implemented in Tanzania .

She said upon arriving home that she and her high powered delegation had reached out to a number of potential investors in New York and Dallas.

“We have signed investment projects worth Sh11.7 trillion,” she said upon arrival through the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).

Though she could not reveal the nature of investments but hinted that they will create at least 301,000 jobs if successfully implemented.

However, she warned that this time around she would not tolerate unnecessary hurdles or bureaucracy that would frustrate the coming investors.

She said her trip has generally been successful in that besides launching the documentary she reached out to the international financing agencies which included the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank where the two pledged to extend more support to Tanzania.

Discussions were held between her delegation and an American multinational involved in manufacturing of high tech cleaning supplies.

The giant private entity pledged to support the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), the Ifakara Health Institute and an insect control institute in Tanga.

On tourism, she said the response of the American market since The Royal Tour film was premiered has been positive.

“Of course, not much was known on some Tanzania tourism insights but the market response was generally good,” she told a crowd at the airport.

She lauded the private sector players within and outside the tourism sector for their contribution to the successful shooting of the film.

“We should expect goodies,” she said as she headed for Arusha city where she later launched the documentary at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC).

According to President Hassan, tourism, which was severely battered by Covid-19 two years ago, was on the recovery path.

Foreign visitors tumbled three times to 620,000 in 2020 from upwards of 1.3 million the previous year but picked up to 922,992 last year.

This, she said was a 48.6 percent increase while revenue earnings for 2020 was $714 million, rising to $1.2 billion in 2021.

“This was a 76 percent increase. Now we are ready for the influx of tourists,” she said, beaming with confidence.

The shooting and premiering of the film has won the support of the tourism industry players in and around Arusha.

“She has made us proud! Tanzania is a premier destination. It just needed little support as the one Honorable President has done,” said Mr Andrew Malalika, a tour operator.

 “We, stakeholders, have a role to play too. We should emulate the President’s efforts”.

Mr Malalika, who is the director of Arusha-based Jackpot Safari and Tours, called on fellow players in the industry to “push even harder the tourism wheel that the President has brought in”.

Tanzania: President Samia Royal Tour - Perfect Lesson to Acquire On Tourism Advertisement

It has been three years now since COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic and in the course, tourism was one of the hardest-hit economic sectors.

In reality, the pandemic has affected the sector by closing borders, and imposing travel restrictions that impacted tourist transportation.

In Tanzania, tourism sector contributes a high share to gross domestic product. In 2019 before the pandemic, the sector was the second-largest component of GDP, with a contribution of 10.7 percent. The share declined sharply to 5.3 percent in 2020, reflecting the impact of the coronavirus in the sector.

For example in analysis, the pandemic outbreak triggered a massive unemployment crisis, displacing over 850,000 Tanzanians working in the tourism industry. The negative impacts of COVID-19 on the tourism sector also channeled to linked sectors such as transport, accommodation, beverage and food, and the retail business.

In mitigation, President Samia Suluhu Hassan's administration did an admirable job in opening up the country's economy and hastening recovery as the rest of the world recovers from the pandemic. Leading by example, on 10th October 2021, the President launched the Government's Economic Recovery Plan and Response to the COVID-19 worth 3.62 tr/-

President Samia also thought of a strategic advertising and promotion of the country's tourist destinations on a global scale in order to ensure that Tanzania remains a popular tourist destination and to revitalize the tourism and hospitality sectors.

The travel documentary 'Tanzania: Royal Tour,' which features President Samia as a versed tourist guide, is one of the great lessons on the significance of investing in public relations and advertising as a strategic way of stimulating the growth of the tourism industry.

The documentary has proved a success in promoting the tourist destinations in the country. Since it was premiered, in US and here in Tanzania, the sector has been witnessing an influx of tourists from both the local and international marketplace.

As advertising platform, 'The Royal Tour' documentary promotes the Tanzania's culture, heritage, natural resources, tourist attractions, and provide information that help visitors to become acquainted with the places even before visiting them personally.

The famous PSG player, Ander Herrera is a witness to this. In one of his interviews, he described how President Samia's Royal Tour enticed him to visit the country's tourist attractions. In recent months, new flights from Europe, Asia, and Russia have become common, bringing hundreds of tourists to the country, all thanks to the 'Royal Tour.'

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According to the most recent Bank of Tanzania (BoT) Monthly Economic Review, tourism revenue for the fiscal year ended April 2022 amounted to USD 1.5 billion, up from USD 737.3 million in the same period in 2021, consistent with an increase in international tourist arrivals from 552,390 to 1,015,233.

The increase in tourism earnings reflects a revitalizing tourism sector from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sector has a promising future with the government planning to spend 624.1BN/- in the next fiscal year, up 9.2 percent from 571.6bn/- in the current fiscal year.

The projects that the government intends to implement in the coming fiscal year reflect President Samia's commitment to making tourism a major contributor to our nation's economy. To achieve that goal, we must invest more in programs that promote our country and its natural resources, such as the 'Royal Tour.'

International sponsorship opportunities, influencer marketing, and ads placement in strategic areas, in my opinion, are among the most authentic and engaging methods. Spending on such programs may appear extravagant, but when properly implemented, they will be of great benefit to the nation, as President Samia's Royal Tour had in dream.

We live in attention-driven world. Every organization is striving to attract attention of the customers. Similarly, in tourism countries are struggling for tourists' attention. These programs can be used to inform and persuade tourists to visit our country, and create a Top of Mind Awareness when it comes to Tanzania's natural attractions.

Kilo Mgaya is a Public Relations Manager at CRDB Bank Plc in Dar es Salaam and can be reached through: [email protected]. The views expressed in this article are his own and have no relationship with the bank.

Read the original article on Daily News .

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Here's What It Really Takes to Plan a Royal Tour

In honor of Meghan and Harry's trip to South Africa, we break down the planning process.

Planning a royal tour

Royal tours can take up to a year to plan, and are either instigated by the U.K. government, or by an invitation from the host country. The itinerary is put together based on whatever matters of national importance the host government would like to draw attention to, while also incorporating some of the visiting royal's personal interests.

Once the itinerary is agreed upon, members of the royal party's team travel out to the destination to figure out exactly how everything will work—from travel time to dress codes, camera angles, and the best place for the royal cavalcade to pull up.

A list will be compiled of all the people the royal party will meet, and matters of cultural requirements and etiquette discussed. Venue plans are drawn up to illustrate where everyone will stand, sit, enter and exit. All of the information is distilled down into a "tour bible" as thick and glossy as a magazine.

Meanwhile an advance team of Royal Protection Service officers—a special division of London's Metropolitan Police Service—will visit to figure out all security matters and liaise with their local counterpoints.

Back in the U.K., the royals go through the itinerary with their team so they fully understand what is happening at each engagement and why. Wardrobe is of the utmost importance. Adhering to dress codes means that for some countries hemlines, sleeve-lengths, and necklines need to be considered. On a practical level, temperatures are key. How much walking is there, and what kind of terrain?

Men may need tie pins, medals, sashes, and handkerchiefs. Women often pay respect to the country with a national flower or symbol incorporated into their clothing. Symbolic colors are chosen, significant jewelry decided upon. There will also be spare outfits lined up in case anything is damaged or lost.

Last minute briefings are given on the plane, and the royals will change out of traveling clothes into their outfits at the last minute to avoid wrinkling or spills.

Who travels with them?

When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Canada with their children in 2016, they took a team of 12: William's private secretary Miguel Head and assistant private secretary Laura Baker, Kate's private secretary Rebecca Deacon, stylist Natasha Archer and hairdresser Amanda Cook-Tucker, tour secretary Kate Mager, an operations manager who helped with logistics such as loading luggage, and nanny Maria Borrallo. There was also their Press Secretary Jason Knauf, and three other press officers who ensure smooth communications with the hundreds of home and foreign press on the ground, and also handle the social media accounts.

Harry and Meghan have a similar crew with them on this trip including private secretaries, program and logistics coordinators, and a hair dresser!

The U.K. government usually covers the cost of the international flights that the royal party and their team require in getting to and from the country they're visiting, but the host nation covers the majority of costs. The theory goes that they have invited the royal party to visit, and the resulting publicity will showcase their country as a tourist destination and draw positive attention to causes and initiatives.

This is why colorful, photogenic activities will always be favored, because the pictures will be more likely to be used in news outlets around the world. Case in point: Prince Harry racing against Usain Bolt on his Caribbean tour.

What the royal party do in their downtime?

They actually don't really get much free time to themselves. Royal tours used to span months, but these days it's more economical to cover more engagements in less time, so the royals will never be away longer than two weeks, and customarily they attend around four engagements a day.

Usually there will be a few car trips involved each day, and sometimes there will be a flight between one country and another—on rare occasions there might even be more than one flight. Starts can be early, so they can get on the road, and in the evenings there are gala receptions. On tours of longer than a week, there will usually be one morning or afternoon where the royal party can catch their breath, but the week-long ones are a whirlwind from start to finish.

What happens to all the gifts and flowers?

The gifts are received in an official capacity, so they are all carefully logged and packed. A list of gifts that each member of the family has received on overseas tours is released publicly every year.

Some of the gifts will be stored, and others will be used in royal homes. A pair of crane birds made from recycled car parts that were received by Prince Charles on one African visit stand in a place of pride by a lake in his grounds at Highgrove.

Flowers are perishable, and so some are used to decorate the royal quarters where they are staying, and the rest are gifted to local hospitals.

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The Tanzania Royal Tour with President Hassan, initiated by Kili Villa, has been launched

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has launched a tourism documentary program that will give exposure to Tanzania in the global tourism market, targeting to attract more visitors and investments in the country. The just-launched “Royal Tour” documentary program, a production of Peter Greenberg Worldwide, will be recorded in different places in Tanzania and is initiated by Willem Kuipers, founder of Kili Villa, and travel editor Peter Greenberg with support of Hon. Dr. Damas D. Ndumbaro, Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism.

On the tour, the President will join visitors herself then take part to record the tour for global dispatch and circulation. The recording of the documentary that is meant to promote Tanzania internationally started on August 28, 2021 in Zanzibar, where the President is currently on an official visit.

“The President will show visitors different tourism, investments, arts, and cultural attractions available in Tanzania,” reads part of the statement issued by the President’s Office of Tanzania. The Royal Tour program is intended to strengthen relationships, and to inspire tourism and travel cooperation between Tanzania, other nations, and organizations.

The Royal Tour, the iconic and precedent-setting series of global television specials, has been produced for the past two decades, as Heads of States become the ultimate tour guides, showing their country to travel guru Peter Greenberg. Royal Tour programs offer a unique platform to showcase a country and its people and to provide a better – and credible – understanding of its culture and people through the eyes of its leader. Past Royal Tours have been made with the head of states of Jordan, New Zealand, Jamaica, Peru, Mexico, Israel, Ecuador, Rwanda, and Poland.

The production crew includes 40 specialists – including helicopter and drone teams, dive and mountain repelling teams, motorcycle, bicycle, and kayak teams, to name a few. The program utilizes top-notch cinematography equipment filming over a full week, with a large postproduction editing team in Los Angeles.

The Royal Tour programs air across the United States in prime time on public television (PBS), and have multiple repeat broadcasts over four to ten years beyond the initial broadcast, reaching millions of Americans. The program is then distributed internationally airing across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia/Pacific and The Middle East. The content is also distributed via numerous digital platforms, ranging from Amazon Prime to YouTube.

For more information contact:

[email protected]

Willem J. Kuipers - +31653188047

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The Royal Tour Debate: What Do Tanzanians Want?

Damas Kanyabwoya

• May 16, 2022

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As the emotional dust settles over The Royal Tour issue it’s time to analyze the pros and cons, and lessons learnt from the entire Royal Tour initiative. This is a herculean task that needs a sober discussion.

The largest takeover from the emotional debate over The Royal Tour is the proverbial netizens’ question #WhatDoTanzaniansWant? It was notable that the debate on social media and on other platforms was dominated by criticism and sarcasm over the initiative and President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s participation in the film.

Others dwelt on the issue of the cost and the source of the funds that were spent, claiming that Sh7 billion was too much for making one documentary.

Some of the arguments about the idea were valid and are worth considering so as to improve the next versions of the initiative.

But what critics of The Royal Tour forget is that one of the fiercest social media wars between Tanzanians and Kenyans has been on the location of Mount Kilimanjaro. The notion that Mount Kilimanjaro is in Kenya has been borne out of Kenya’s aggressive promotional campaigns. Advertising has the power to change people’s perceptions.

Critics also miss one other important truth.  Since the liberalization of the economy in the early 1990s, the consensus has been that Tanzania hasn’t done enough to promote its tourism potential. Tourism promotion budgets have been meagre indeed.

For example, while Kenya allocated KSh6.97 billion (Sh125.46 billion) for tourism promotion in the financial year 2021/22, Tanzania allocated only Sh14.7 billion for tourism attraction activities in the same period.

Promotion strategies have been inadequate and downright primitive. Some attributed this to the after-effects of socialism policies and the lack of an entrenched capitalist’s cutthroat promotional culture.

For a long time, promotional activities were largely confined to international tourism fairs. The promotional activities were hence low key and low profile and left to the Tanzania Tourism Board alone.

High profile promotion

The Royal Tour, which is premised in the context of the Head of State acting as the guide in the promotional campaign, gives Tanzania’s tourism promotion the high profile exposure it deserves.

It is easy for viewers of the documentary from Tanzania’s main markets such as America and Europe to get a cue from President Samia that Tanzania now means business as far as tourism is concerned.

The President’s involvement in the promotion of the documentary is some kind of a commitment by President Samia to offering the best experience to tourists who come to visit the country. And that is the catch.

President Samia can’t get involved in promoting tourism and then stop short of doing the bare minimum to overhaul the sector, which has so many challenges .

From the shortage of skilled labour, and poor but expensive hospitality services to inadequate facilities and transport infrastructure to most of the tourist attractions. She will have to show the political will to nurture and improve the sector.

Lessons learnt

The Royal Tour offers a lot of lessons for tourism promotion in Tanzania. Tourism promotion is a serious business anywhere in the world. President Samia has shown the way.

It is time to get out of the box and employ all means possible to ensure that Tanzania is visible enough. It is costly but if rightly done it can produce real results. Here comes the next point.

Tourism promotion is a noble goal. It serves a good purpose. It deserves to be funded, transparently and by using taxpayers’ money. This is why those who questioned the source of funds used for The Royal Tour should not be dismissed as cynics.

Why the secrecy? Who exactly are those who contributed to the making of The Royal Tour? What do they expect in return for their contributions?

The Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources need to take President Samia’s cue and allocate adequate budgets for tourism promotional campaigns domestically and internationally.

They must be prepared to account for every cent they spend and show results. There is no need for tourist campaigns with shadowy funding. The Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) should also do well to use President Samia and other high profile individuals in its promotional campaigns because she has shown that she is ready to lead from the front, in boosting Tanzania’s tourism.

TTB should develop tools that can track the response of The Royal Tour in terms of tourist numbers and spending. This could serve to justify the President’s appearance in the documentary and rationalize the next episodes of The Royal Tour.

Lack of follow up on the impact of the Royal Tour on Tanzania’s tourism might cast a poor light on President Samia and discourage her from future campaigns.

Damas Kanyabwoya is a veteran journalist and a political analyst based in Dar es Salaam. He’s available at [email protected] or on Twitter @DKanyabwoya . These are the writer’s own opinions and it does not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of The Chanzo Initiative . Want to publish in this space? Contact our editors at [email protected] for further inquiries.

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Tanzania - the royal tour : promoting tanzania as an investment and tourism destination.

• 25 May 2022
• News and Events

https://mega.nz/file/RgYBRCZY#E2BHLMBSGDj5uS0JVulFXd7y0btEAAZ8L2VkGI2Hmuc

The Tanzania Royal Tour documentary by H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, is a one-hour film packed with tourism attractions, investment destinations, arts and cultural impressions available in Tanzania.

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Suluhu targets US tourists with Tanzania’s “Royal Tour” documentary

• The Royal Tour documentary features the respected US travel journalist Peter Greenberg
• President Samia drove a manual gear vehicle for the first time in ten years
• The documentary is slated to be viewed on Apple  TV Plus and Amazon Prime

Tanzania’s tourism industry is targeting to improve visitor numbers after President Samia Suluhu Hassan launched the anticipated Tanzania Royal Tour documentary in New York on Monday.

President Suluhu Hassan’s Royal Tour is yet another milestone executed to enhance tourism in Tanzania. The documentary titled, Tanzania: The Royal Tour, is a series of global television events hosted by Peter Greenberg with President Suluhu Hassan as his exceptional guide—who exposes the rich nature of her nation’s tourism via her leadership eye.

During the premiere of the documentary, President Suluhu Hassan took the liberty to assure millions of potential tourists once again that Tanzania is the best place to spend their vacation, “We are very friendly. You will never regret visiting,” she added.

President Suluhu Hassan, who visited the US for business and diplomatic intentions, is using the launch of the Royal Tour documentary to promote and improve the marketing of Tanzania’s tourism to the world.

The Royal Tour documentary is slated to be spread for viewing on multiple platforms in America—a strategic move to spread awareness and promote tourism digitally.

The documentary will be launched in Los Angeles next Thursday after it premiered on Monday, April 18, at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

The documentary will be available for viewing across US states via the Public Broadcast Service (PBS) platforms over the next two to three months. Royal Tour documentary viewing is also available on Apple TV Plus and Amazon Prime from Friday 22.

During the launch, the Tanzania president provided detailed insights related to the nature and production of the vital documentary, which will be aired in Tanzania this month.

“Though it was difficult considering that I have so many guards who were telling me don’t do this, don’t do that, but I managed,” President Suluhu Hassan told Peter Greenberg, an American most recognized, honoured and respected front-line travel news journalist.

The Royal Tour documentary is yet another essential tool to expand Tanzania’s government’s reach to promote exotic tourist destinations such as Serengeti National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro and Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Being the busiest politician in Tanzania, President Suluhu Hassan guided the filming process of the Royal Tour to the extent she had to miss lunch and dinner.

“You remember the day we did the voiceovers, we spent the whole day without lunch and then we had late dinner…you tortured me,” President Suluhu Hassan reminded Greenberg.

Read: Tanzania: Ngorongoro saga could cost tourism billions

The sixth president of Tanzania unequivocally stated before the audience that came to witness the historical documentary that she had the guts to do the filming as she had so many people urging her otherwise.

President Suluhu Hassan, who saw the film with the audience, was awed by the documentary that took 14 to 15 hours per day to shoot.  The entire production was demanding, especially for the sixth president demanded to accomplish critical economic and diplomatic tasks.

” We were finishing around ten, eleven o’clock in the night, leaving at four, five in the morning,” Peter Greenberg added.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park are Tanzania’s tourism jewels. They hold tourism in Tanzania to a higher marketing spot than any other, and filming in these locations was a significant move.

By 2020 at least 6 per cent of all tourists visiting Tanzania will have a US passport. Hence the Royal Tour documentary stands to inspire and motivate millions of US citizens to visit Tanzania’s exotic tourist hotspots.

Tanzania tourism industry

The Royal Tour documentary is a crucial tool to sharpen the nation’s tourism industry , especially on weak angles that were hurt by the pandemic waves.

Tanzania’s tourism industry generated $1 billion in revenues in 2020 compared to at least $2.6 billion in 2019. The decline was attributed to the impacts of COVID-19, which affected the trend of international travel.

Tourism in Tanzania is essential to the national economy. In 2020 Tanzania’s tourism industry contributed 5.3 per cent to the nation’s GDP, a 10.7 per cent decline from 2019. The number of tourist arrivals in Tanzania declined by nearly 60 per cent (Statista).

In terms of numbers, Tanzania has seen high and low seasons in its most high earning foreign exchange sector.

International tourist arrivals reached around 621,000 in 2020, which is less than half the 1.5 million arrivals in 2019, 1.4 million in 2018 and 1.3 million in 2017 and recording a steep decline over the past five years (Statista).

Further, Tanzania’s hotel occupancy rate trend has fluctuated over the past four years. Hotel occupancy stood at 53.8 per cent in December 2019 compared to 44.9 per cent in December 2018.

Further, in the backend, the government of Tanzania is working to build the sector sustainably and shield the industry from other impacts.

The Ministry of Natural Resources of Tanzania has been furnished around $3.8 million, which is equivalent to 6.9 per cent of the whole International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan of more than $559 million in emergency financial assistance to support Tanzania’s efforts in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read: Investment required to boost domestic tourism in Tanzania

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Padili Mikomangwa is an environmentalist based in Tanzania. . He is passionate about helping communities be aware of critical issues cutting across, environmental economics and natural resources management. He holds a bachelors degree in Geography and Environmental Studies from University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

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Unspoken pressure coming with 'The Royal Tour' triumph

President Samia addressing a gathering in Moshi on her way to Marangu in Kilimanjaro region to record a the Royal Tour documentary on September 5, 2021. PHOTO | STATE HOUSE

By  Bakari S. Machumu

Managing Director of Mwananchi Communications Limited

Mwananchi Communications Limited

On June 26, 2021, when closing the 12th Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), at State House in Dar es Salaam, President Samia Suluhu Hassan (SSH) made a visionary announcement… her intention ‘to launch a special programme to rebrand Tanzania and its vast opportunities across all sectors’ starting September 2021.

The president revealed that she will be participating as the “Tour Guide” in the making of a film of the country under Tanzania: The Royal Tour by Peter Greenberg, America’s leading travel journalist/producer.

“For a long time, we have discussed rebranding Tanzania for the world to understand us, to know where Tanzania is, what do we have, business environment, what raw materials do we have, and how much of it,” she said adding that the producers of the film wanted to also brand Tanzania’s first female president with a view of garnering global support to the country at large.

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Due to WATER floods, buses on Dar road STRAPPED for hours!

She called for public and private sectors captains of industries – both forming members of TNBC to support the initiatives.

A presidential committee would later be formed chaired by Arts, Culture and Sports permanent secretary, Dr Hassan Abbasi.

The committee, involving state house officials, representation from ministries of tourism, investment and related agencies from both the mainland and the isles among others, got down to work.

With the film out, Tanzania becomes the second country in Africa, after Rwanda, to participate in The Royal Tour programme, and ninth in the world.

President Samia speaks to the audience during the premiere of the Royal Tour Documentary in New York. PHOTO| STATE HOUSE

What is The Royal Tour?

The petergreenberg.com website describes The Royal Tour as a “groundbreaking series of television specials, produced and hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist Peter Greenberg, showcasing nations in a way no visitor has ever seen them before.” Guided by Heads of States, the show sets out to “offer viewers access to extraordinary locations, historical landmarks and cultural experience.”

To put it into context. The pronouncement of The Royal Tour initiative was a continuation of a major drive undertaken by the President since assuming leadership of this nation on March 19, 2021, following sudden death of the seating President, Dr John Pombe Magufuli.

From the onset, SSH stated her intent towards inclusivity and “re-opening up Tanzania to the world” both economically and diplomatically. This was followed by a number of pronouncements and strategic ideology/ policy shifts towards inclusivity aspiration both within and without, moving away from protectionism. For instance, the decision to relax work permits application, mode of tax collection sent positive signals to investors. She will later engage a higher gear towards institutionalizing areas of challenges through a comprehensive review of policy, laws and regulations by improving dialogue through sectoral task-forces.

This approach quickly described her style of leadership and her commitment to revive international relations. This was followed by a series of engagements.

Todate, at least four major missions have been undertaken. These are, Mission East Africa, Mission Europe, Mission Middle East and Mission USA.

Starting close to home, SSH travelled to Uganda on April 11th, 2021 for the launch of the $3.55 billion East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP); the Hoima - Tanga 1,445 kilometre oil pipeline project, which had been postponed to mourn the passing of President Magufuli.

SSH will tour Kenya on May 4th, 2021, reopening up trade between the two major economies in the region. As of March 2022, ten trade barriers had been resolved with 14 more given a June 2022 deadline.

On July 16, 2021, SSH visited Burundi, signing eight cooperation agreements before heading to Rwanda on August 2, 2021, where she witnessed the signing of four bilateral agreements.

Next stop will be Europe, touring France and the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Belgium in February this year. She secured a grant worth Euros 1.15 trillion from the European Commission to finance various development projects – unlocking a few projects which had been put on hold on ideological differences. Tanzania will also be amongst African countries to benefit from Euros 150 billion committed at the EU-African Union summit.

The same month, on February 26, 2022, SSH met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of United Arabs Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai as she attended Expo Dubai 2020. She will witness the signing of 36 Memorandums of Understanding valued at $7.49 billion set to create about 200,000 new jobs over a period of four years.

And now, back to The Royal Tour. Unlike the other three, which seems conventional, the later is completely a new Initiative under the “Rebranding Tanzania vision”, targeting a specific market, the US. It’s a sponsored content – aimed at going beyond travel by pushing both tourism and investments.

The delegation that accompanied the president have confined to me that it was a massive big step forward. At the public level however, this bigger picture is perhaps well known to the team close to the project, no wonder soon after the film was done and promoted and premiered in New York and Los Angeles, California, the media space has been awash with discussion on the same.

The disruption is massive, to say the least. One can tell there has been huge outcry for clarity to the masses back home.

The audience. PHOTO| STATE HOUSE

The unknown unknown

It’s a fact that there has been a vacuum of information with regard to what is this Royal Tour all about? What will it do? and what wouldn’t it do? so much so that, if it was deliberately done so, by way of starving the audiance (read wetting their appetite), then the strategy might have paid dividend.

Equally significant is, given that is targeting the US market as its primary audience, the result is equally the same. It has really disrupted these spaces. The top-of-the-mind situation that exists now, prepares the public to sieve in information that will create or bring clarity.

Reflecting on worries in social spaces – including audio spaces like Clubhouse, twitter space it reminds me of the former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld case of the ‘known knowns and known unknowns’ phrase he uttered in one of the Pentagon meet the press sessions in February 2002, as the US was building a case for military action against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

People have questioned how sure are we that this huge investment will give us the desired return on investment. Some have gone further to suggest they needed to be given tangible benefits for the future today.

During the press conference, Mr Rumsfeld was challenged on the lack of evidence “linking the government of Iraq with the supply of weapons of mass destruction to terrorist groups.”

According to Wikipedia, Mr Rumsfeld response was: “Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don’t know we don’t know. And if one looks throughout the history of our country and other free countries, it is the latter category that tends to be the difficult ones.”

His argument was, the US cannot stop pursuing her mission because they didn’t have all the facts than. (Note: this article does not in any way intend to support the invasion of Iraq, rather to use the philosophy behind the phrase).

Put to our context of The Royal Tour comes with a number of the known knowns, known unknowns and the unknown unknowns.

As put by the Committee Chairman, Dr Abbasi, the fact that having the Head of State engaged on the one on one basis with top five global CEOs in the travel, hotels, hospitality, world travel tours council, plus 30 plus other more in multiple sectors, including entertainment, interested to invest in Tanzania as part of The Royal Tour package, which also presents an opportunity to be aired on 350 public broadcasting services (TVs) reaching 86 per cent of the US population (330 million plus), allay fears that it will not succeed.

It is the question of the known unknown, the unknown part being to what extent will the return on investment be? And the extent is a function of a clear action plan coupled with follow up and follow through.

Simply put one can’t buy grade one maize seeds, sow, and go sit back and relax for three months to go back and expect any harvest. It needs nurturing… applying fertilizer, watering, weeding, pesticide where necessary to reap the maximum of his investment.

And to Rumsfeld point, perhaps the most difficult part will be the unknown unknowns, which in this case comes from one’s risk appetite of venturing into unknown territories and expect to be surprise and take advantage of what will come his/her way. For that to happen, one has to make that important first step.

Luck is when opportunity meets preparedness

One thing is clear, the initiative will open up Tanzania. However, its optimal success will be a completely different animal. It will call for high levels of collaboration and partnerships. Taking the project forward will test how smart is the smart public-private sector partnership.

Chances are, in a few years’ time, many more tourists, investors will start coming to Tanzania. They will expect better supporting infrastructure, security, transportation be it air, railways, marines and land. They will expect more better hotel and hospitality in general to live to the what we have praise for as wakarimu.

These are but a few unspoken pressures coming with The Royal Tour anticipated triumph. A few things need to be done. For the government, and civil servants in particular, they will need to learn to embrace private sector wholeheartedly to get to know how the private sector works, operates - but this is the story for another day.

The private sector should seize opportunity to invest, go into joint ventures but most important partner with the government to create a critical mass of skilled labour.

The sooner we started looking at it as an opportunity and positively, the sooner we will collaborate, make the smart PPP the smartest it can be for us to reap the fully potential that comes with The Royal Tour initiative and many others planned under the Rebranding Tanzania Committee.

Time will be of essence if Tanzanians have to be part of the beneficiaries. It is important to note that the opening up of Tanzania means moving away from protectionism philosophy. What that means, the free movement of labour, capital will be the approach.

So, if we are slow to act, chances are once opportunities started presenting themselves amidst our unpreparedness, the next blame game or cry out will be that of being left out, as non Tanzanians would have seized these opportunities.

I will hate to be that person who will be uttering the “I told you so” words.

Mr Machumu is the CEO of Mwananchi Communications Ltd., publishers of Mwananchi, The Citizen, Mwanaspoti and several Digital outlets like Mwananchi Digital channel. @bmachumu

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Focus East Africa Tours » Blog » What the Royal Tour means to Tanzania

What the Royal Tour means to Tanzania

What the Royal Tour means to Tanzania : Tanzania is an extremely best tourist destination in the world where visitors can enjoy mixed feelings such as climbing, Tanzania wildlife safari , cultural exploration, various adventurous activities, and chilling on idyllic sandy beaches of the Indian Ocean. The tourism condition of Tanzania was all good until when it got struck by a sudden and a never expected downgrading factor.

This is when the eruption of COVID-19 came across, and it was packed with all the negative effects on various aspects such as the global economy, social interactions, manufacturing process, international import and export trade, and the most significant impact was observed on the tourism industry.

It was the very same Covid-19 that helped change most of the ways people thought and anticipated various aspects, leading to massive global transformations as it was on the transformations on the education sector. Most of the things became more of digitalized and operated remotely via online facilities, since physical interactions where very limited. With the tourism sector being the most affected due to imposed lock downs and travel restrictions.

Unfortunately, the vibrant tourism sector in Tanzania saw the number of tourists tumbling down from about one and a half million visitors recorded in 2019 to six hundred and twenty one thousand visitors in the year 2020. This figure is very small as compared to uncountable hidden gems and unspoiled destinations which are found in this fabulous country. Its major cause is nothing but this deadly pandemic disease which came with a number of physical restrictions. Action has to be taken immediately, so as to design the best solutions which will rescue this situation.

In April 2022, the President of Tanzania, Hon. Samia Suluhu Hassan unveiled the Royal Tour, a historical tourism movement and later become a documentary whole sole goal is exposing the must-see destinations found in this ever beautiful country. It was launched at New York in the United States, targeting the big spenders and goers of the west to showcase the natural and cultural heritage that Tanzania do possess. It was firstly premiered in New York on April 18 th 2022 and Los Angeles on April 21 st 2022. The Royal Tour was then unveiled at various cities in Tanzania, including Arusha, Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar. The Royal Tour has also been streamed in a number of local TV channels for free throughout the country, meanwhile being broadcasted even on reputable international TV shows across the globe.

What does this documentary means to Tanzania?

The citizens and even some visitors have been asking themselves on the advantage of the Royal Tour, especially to the Tanzanian tourism sector. The documentary features the Emmy Award winning journalist as guest in Tanzania and President Hassan as his tour guide showing him picturesque destinations around the country. Hon. Samia Suluhu Hassan who acted as Peter’s guide on the movie acted as a very generous and welcoming tour guide. This depicted the characters of the tour guides present in Tanzania, who are always charming, welcoming, generous, and simply

Among the top destinations featured in the Royal Tour include the great Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara, Mkomazi National Park, the cleanest beaches of the Indian Ocean as well as stunning destinations like Dar es Salaam and Arusha, the safari capital in Tanzania.

The Royal Tour showcase a handful of thrilling destinations where visitors can plan a trip. It summarizes the Mother Nature of Tanzania in one-hour and if you wish to enjoy this splendid country, consider planning a visit. The documentary itself is not enough to satisfy your thirsty of exploring wildlife, hiking and meeting the friendly locals including the world-famous Maasai. It highlights glorious hotspots showcasing some of the remarkable attractions found in this magnificent country. In the film, you view some real movements made by wildlife and ethnicities. You will see the Ngorongoro Crater , a world’s largest intact caldera and the Serengeti National Park, the spectacular destination for wildlife adventure.

The launch of this historic documentary has come with some positive about the Tanzanian tourism sector. The government has taken a crucial step in attracting millions of visitors to rise tourism. This documentary also implies that, visitors won’t encounter many restrictions and tariffs like in the past. President Hassan has shown the world that, she is welcoming people of all kinds to visit her beautiful country. She also invites investors in this sector or any other sector from all around the globe.

Your visit to Tanzania will be unforgettable as this country has vowed to expand her tourism sector worldwide. Apart from unveiled unthinkable documentary like the Royal Tour, Tanzania has removed travel restrictions for tourists who choose to spend their precious holiday time in the untouched Mother Nature. The investments in the tourism sector has grown significantly such that, you will receive world-class services offered by numerous tour operators in Tanzania .

• Tanzanian President to launch the much awaited Royal Tour film in Arusha and Zanzibar
• Mount Kilimanjaro
• Apr 27, 2022 Oct 24, 2022
• TranquilKilimanjaro

Watch the Royal Tour full film here that has been officially launched in the United States of America, Arusha and Zanzibar as the Emmy Award-winning journalist Peter Greenberg travels to Tanzania with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan. She’s the ultimate guide for a week, exhibiting Tanzania’s history, culture, environment, food, and music, as well as telling the stories of Tanzania’s hidden jewels. Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Mt. Kilimanjaro , and a Serengeti safari excursion are all on the itinerary!

Watch the Full Royal Tour Film Here

Giving the statement on Saturday, April 23, 2022, while speaking to reporters at the Arusha International Conference Center (AICC), he said the launch will take place at the Arusha International Conference Center (AICC).

He said the launch of the film is expected to increase the number of tourists in the country as the film has become a major topic in the world.

He said the number of tourists has started to increase in the country from 2020,867 by 2020 and increased to 922,692 by 2021.

He said the number of local tourists had also increased from 562,549 in 2020 to 788,933.

The first launch of the Royal Tour took place in New York City on April 18 and later on April 21 in Los Angeles, USA.

Royal Tour Cast

Among the cast for this Royal Tour Film, Peter Greenberg and of course H.E Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the Republic of Tanzania, feature heavily in this documentary.

The Royal Tour Premier in Arusha, Tanzania

The Royal Tour documentary is planned to premiere in the Arusha region on April 28th of this year.

The Arusha International Conference Centre will host the much-anticipated event, which will be attended by President Samia Suluhu Hassan (AICC).

This comes just a few days after the President traveled to the United States to launch the documentary in New York and Los Angeles, with hundreds of individuals in attendance expressing their desire to visit Tanzania’s tourist destinations.

It has gained worldwide acclaim, with Tanzanians eagerly anticipating its presentation in their homeland.

Arusha Regional Commissioner (RC) Mr John Mongella revealed the President’s regional schedule yesterday, saying that President Samia will arrive in the region next Thursday, ready to debut the documentary in the country’s tourism circuit.

“We’ve had the honor of being a part of this monumental history in the wake of the documentary’s premiere,” the RC added.

Mr Mongella stated that tour operators and other tourism stakeholders are in a positive mood, eagerly anticipating the release of the high-profile documentary that promotes Tanzania as one of the best tourist destinations in the world, as well as the numerous investment opportunities available in the East African country.

The RC also challenged tourist stakeholders and business leaders to make the most of the film’s regional premiere, which also highlights the country’s unique cultural and wildlife history.

Where can you watch the Royal Tour Documentary Film?

The film is available to stream online on the following platforms:

Amazon Prime

Tanzania: The Royal Tour is the latest in a series of worldwide television events hosted by Peter Greenberg, who is accompanied by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan. From the perspective of the country’s leader, an epic trip through this extraordinary country. Beginning April 18th, the show will air on public television stations across the United States. Look through the classified ads in your area.

Royal Tour Ducomentary Premier in the United States of America

The Tanzania Royal Tour was first presented on April 18th in New York City, followed by the largest city in a basin in Southern California (Los Angeles) on April 21st, and it is expected to be presented in Arusha on April 22nd. The film will have its world premiere in Zanzibar on May 7th, followed by Dar es Salaam the next day.

Some attendees at the Los Angeles Royal Tour premiere claimed the show has motivated them to travel to Tanzania to see the country’s many tourist attractions.

Ms Sarah Dondysh, one of the participants, expressed her enthusiasm for the Royal Tour film and expressed her desire to see the tourist destinations depicted in the film while in Tanzania.

“This documentary makes me want to go to Tanzania right now,” Ms Dondysh remarked.

She also praised the film’s director, Mr. Peter Greenberg, for doing an excellent job of presenting diverse aspects of Tanzania and its attractions to the globe, which has inspired them to visit Tanzania.

Mr Ronald Fenty, a film industry investor in the United States, said he has visited Tanzania on several occasions.

“I visited Tanzania last year and will return in September of this year.

Zanzibar is my favorite destination. Going there is a lot of fun for me “Mr. Fenty, the father of Rihanna, a well-known American singer, actress, and fashion designer, stated.

Tanzania is home to the world’s most popular safari destination , as well as four of the world’s most desirable adventure destinations: the Serengeti , Mount Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, and the Ngorongoro Crater.

In practical terms, tourism in Tanzania supports 1.3 million employment and earns 2.6 billion US dollars each year, accounting for 18% of the country’s GDP (GDP).

“Royal Tour Film Helped Uncover Poachers’ Hideout” – H.E Samia Suluhu Hassan

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has unveiled the country’s strategic video, detailing how it has aided in the discovery of poaching hotspots.

During the filming of the Royal Tour, the President, who played a tour guide in the film, revealed that they discovered a large granary where ivory and rhinoceros teeth were being stockpiled for smuggling.

“We wanted to expose this in the film for Tanzanians to understand how they eliminate animals,” President Samia stated. “But not all of them were from Tanzania; some were from neighboring countries… let the whole world watch and know that this business is not good; we are removing our treasure.”

During the launch and screening of the Royal Tour film at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC) in Arusha on Thursday, the Head of State said.

Meanwhile, the President of Tanzania spoke about her experience filming the documentary, saying she was surprised by how well it turned out.

“I want to thank the entire production crew; it was not an easy task; these guys instructed me to keep my presidency in office; they said, “When you come here, you’re a tour guide, you’re an actress, we don’t have time for your presidency,” so I did it… They told me no Samia, you have to do it, and until we finished, my presidency didn’t exist.”

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Taylor Swift Gears up for Paris, as Travis Kelce Heads to Kentucky Derby

By Eve Batey

The Eras Tour is about to begin its post- The Tortured Poets Department chapter. When we last saw Taylor Swift onstage, it was March, and the Eras tour had just ended its Singapore stint. Since then, we've seen Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce from time to time, a sushi date and Coachella trip here , a weekend with Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid there . And, of course, she released her newest (double) album , smashed streaming records , and kissed Kelce as part of a single-related social media challenge over the course of two April days.

Given all that, it seems odd to say, “And now it's time to get back to work." But that's what Swift is doing on May 9, when her highly lucrative tour resumes with a four-night stand in Paris.

Kelce has suggested that he'll join her for part of her run in Europe, which spans the continent and the UK through August. But this weekend, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end is about as far from Europe as possible: he's in Louisville, Kentucky, that Ohio-river-adjacent Southern city known as the home of Muhammad Ali, the Louisville Slugger baseball bat, and the Kentucky Derby—which happens to be on May 4 .

That horse race attracts celebrities to the unassuming burg every May. Concerts and parties abound, with local broadcast station WLKY reporting that actor Cole Hauser and musician/local resident Jack Harlow were expected at one such gala.

Kelce eschewed the formal affair for one more aligned with his athletic brand. Friday night, he was spotted at Revel at the Races, a concert sponsored by Sports Illustrated that featured bane-of-the-Hamptons EDM duo The Chainsmokers, which is known for admitted threesomes with fans and an alleged assault by musician T.I.

Travis Kelce attends Sports Illustrated Revel at the Races at Ice House on May 03, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky.

It doesn't appear that any band members were at Friday's show, and we can't speak to any threeways. But we do know that Kelce was hanging out with band members Drew Taggart and Alex Pall “in what appeared to be a backstage area at the duo’s Kentucky Derby gig,” People reports . He was later spotted in the crowd during the show.

In an Instagram story shared by Pall, while he was backstage Kelce posed with retired NBA star Chandler Parsons , both staring off into separate points in the distance. This isn't the first time Kelce has cozied up to Taggart and Pall: Kelce joined them onstage in 2023, the night the Chiefs won their Super Bowl match against the Philadelphia Eagles. The band also joined Kelce and the team in 2024 following their Super Bowl win in Las Vegas.

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Billie Eilish Reveals ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ World Tour, Starting in September

By Ellise Shafer

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Billie Eilish is embarking on a world tour in support of her forthcoming third album, “ Hit Me Hard and Soft ,” set for release on May 17.

The Live Nation-produced tour will kick off in September in Quebec and continue through North America until December. In February 2025, Eilish will hit Australia, followed by Europe, the U.K. and Ireland from April to late July.

Tickets will be available for presale for American Express cardholders on April 30, with additional presales running throughout the week. General tickets go on sale May 3 through Ticketmaster .

Popular on Variety

See the full tour dates below.

North America

Tue Feb 18, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Wed Feb 19, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Fri Feb 21, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Sat Feb 22, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Mon Feb 24, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Tue Feb 25, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Thu Feb 27, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Fri Feb 28, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Tue Mar 4, 2025 –Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena Wed Mar 5, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena Fri Mar 7, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena Sat Mar 8, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena

Europe/U.K./Ireland Wed Apr 23, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena

Thu Apr 24, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena

Sat Apr 26, 2025 – Oslo, Norway – Telenor Arena Mon Apr 28, 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena Tue Apr 29, 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena

Fri May 2, 2025 – Hannover, Germany – ZAG Arena Sun May 4, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Mon May 5, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Wed May 7, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Fri May 9, 2025 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Arena Thu May 29, 2025 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena Fri May 30, 2025 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena Sun June 1, 2025 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena Tue June 3, 2025 – Kraków, Poland – Tauron Arena Wed June 4, 2025 – Kraków, Poland – Tauron Arena Fri June 6, 2025 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle Sun June 8, 2025 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena Tue June 10, 2025 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Wed June 11, 2025 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Sat June 14, 2025 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi Sun June 15, 2025 –Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi

Mon Jul 7, 2025 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro Tue Jul 8, 2025 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro Thu Jul 10, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Fri Jul 11, 2025 –London, UK – The O2 Sun Jul 13, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Mon Jul 14, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Wed Jul 16, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Thu Jul 17, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Sat Jul 19, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Sun Jul 20, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Tue Jul 22, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Wed Jul 23, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Sat Jul 26, 2025 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena Sun Jul 27, 2025 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena

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Nude cruise to set sail from Florida next year: Here are the starting costs, itinerary

The "Big Nude Boat" cruise, which allows passengers to bare all − yes, even at the buffet − is set to sail from Florida next year.

The "11-day adventure" to the Caribbean is set for the first two weeks of February on the Norwegian Pearl, according to the Bare Necessities Tour & Travel website.

"Bare Necessities’ newest nude cruise is a private island double-dip with a brand new travel partner!" the company wrote on its website.

The trip which embarks from Miami, includes "an exclusive visit to an idyllic private island" in The Bahamas as well a another exclusive stop on the way back to the Port of Miami.

"Two opportunities to enjoy a new slice of Bare-adise, coupled with a beautiful selection of Eastern Caribbean island stops, will make this a can’t miss Big Nude Boat experience," the travel company posted.

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Big Nude Boat cruise sailing dates and destinations:

The ship departs from the Port of Miami on Feb. 3 and returns to the same port on Feb. 14.

The itinerary includes stops at the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Dominica, Martinique and St. Lucia.

How much does the Big Nude Boat cruise cost?

Rates for an inside cabin start at $2,000 per person.

They stretch as high as $33,155 for the top room on the ship: a Haven three-bedroom garden villa.

Laws of the land (and sea)

Guests are encouraged to park their bare behinds on towels provided on board in areas including the pool deck and the buffet area, according to the website.

"Passengers can easily follow our rule on nudist etiquette by always placing a towel down before sitting," it reads. "Remember to pack a swimsuit; not all excursions are clothing optional."

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.

‘Climate History, Climate Hope’ tour hits Royal Ontario Museum

Understanding our planet's climate history is more than just a trip down memory lane — it's essential to make sense of today's world. Professor Soren Brothers draws the throughline at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) where he and museum volunteers often leads tours of the museum called “ Climate History, Climate Hope. ”

Brothers is the world’s first curator of climate change, a position created by the ROM three years ago. He called the tour Climate History, Climate Hope because he wanted to talk about the past and future, in relation to where we are now. “We are doing so many things that are heading in the right direction, which gives me hope,” said Brothers.

Brothers uses various artifacts and exhibits as stopping points, showing visitors how ancient climates shape our present and future.

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The tour spans various galleries from the Dawn of Life, to natural history and arts and culture galleries. At each stop, Brothers talks about specific historical aspects of climate change and solutions. “Through these galleries, we can tell really interesting stories about just why we have climate change on our planet historically, and why we are dealing with these crises today,” said Brothers. “For some people, I think that could be a useful way to give context to clarify the situation and kind of simplify things in a way.”

Solutions are just as important for people to understand as the history, he said. “The solutions are not just hypothetical situations for the future, but finding ways to talk about what we are doing and what we have done.”

The objects on display are an important part of Brothers’ tour and will change as the museum’s various galleries evolve.“There is something evocative in objects that connects you to time, place and actions, and part of our reality.”

Connecting past, present and future

A fossil display of Carboniferous lycophytes in the Dawn of Life gallery represents Earth's ancient climate history. These tree-like plants, thriving in swamps 350 to 400 million years ago, became today's coal reserves. By absorbing carbon dioxide, they shaped earth's climate, leading to an Ice Age, said Brothers. “We still burn trees from this period, as coal. This is still a major driver of climate change, and one of the most important places we must look to in mitigating the crisis.”

Brothers stated that because of the swampy nature of the world back then, a significant portion of organic matter from tree-like plants ended up preserved, and is now estimated to be the source of 85 per cent of the world's coal reserves. “The rapid return of this stored carbon to the atmosphere by burning it is the primary source of today's climate crisis,” said Brothers. “The planet's environment is historically linked with life on Earth, what life forms are doing, and how they influence the climate through their relationships with the atmosphere.” The early forests from this period were key in dramatically reducing atmospheric CO2 concentrations, leading to an Ice Age, he added. “It has been roughly estimated that in an average year, we now burn as much coal as would’ve taken over 60,000 years of these tree-like plants to create.”

Soren Brothers is the world’s first curator of climate change, a position created by the ROM three years ago. He called the exhibit Climate History, Climate Hope because he wanted to talk about the past and the future. #ClimateHistory.

Brothers emphasized the power of personal conversation over social media and said the tour intends to foster dialogue and engagement with visitors about climate change.

“I really wanted the tour to be a way to talk to people about what is happening, what a huge monumental shift in our society is underway right now. And in a way that is really exciting, not to say we are necessarily going to solve the problem but just to give people a chance at least to be on the same page, seeing that there are changes happening.”

Updates and corrections

This story has been updated to better reflect the role of ROM climate curator Soren Brothers and the nature of the tour.

• Abdul Matin Sarfraz
• @matinsarfraz

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Billie Eilish Announces HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR

2024/25 DATES REVEALED FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, UNITED KINGDOM, IRELAND, AND AUSTRALIA

American express card member presale starts april 30 and general on-sale begins may 3, third studio album hit me hard and soft out on may 17 [darkroom/interscope records].

Following the news of her highly anticipated third studio album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT , set for release on May 17 [pre-order/add/save HERE ], Billie Eilish has announced arena dates, produced by Live Nation, for her HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR . Starting in September 2024 , Eilish will embark on her North American leg of the tour which runs through to the end of December 2024 . The tour will continue in Australia starting February 2025 ahead of her European, U.K., and Ireland arena dates starting in April until late July . For a full list of tour dates, see below or visit billieeilish.com

Tickets for BILLIE EILISH: HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR will be available starting with the American Express® Presale beginning Tuesday, April 30 , with additional presales running throughout the week. Any remaining tickets will be available during the general on-sale starting Friday, May 3 on  billieeilish.com . On-sale start times vary by market, check local listings for more information.

American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, April 30 (while supplies last) – this is one of the many entertainment benefits American Express Card Members can access. Presale start + end times will vary by market, check your local listings at billieeilish.com for more information.

SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS

Billie Eilish will continue her long-standing partnership with environmental nonprofit REVERB on this tour, building on the success of previous efforts, which resulted in over $1 million donated to environmental, greenhouse gas reduction, and climate justice projects, more than 150,000 fan actions, and much more. Sustainability efforts on this tour will include reducing greenhouse gas pollution, decreasing single-use plastic waste, supporting climate action, and updating concession offerings to promote and encourage plant-based food options with Support+Feed .

In keeping with her commitment to making a difference in the environmental impacts of her music and touring, a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales in North America will go to  REVERB  and its ongoing effort to help support organizations across the country addressing the impacts of food insecurity and the climate crisis.

ECO-VILLAGE

The Billie Eilish REVERB Eco-Villages will be set up at 2 locations in the main concourse of every show where fans can take part in the tour’s sustainability efforts, connect with nonprofits, and take meaningful action for people and the planet.

SUPPORT+FEED

For collective action at the intersection of climate and food, Support+Feed will be launching a 360 campaign throughout the tour. Following the success in 2022, Support+Feed will offer an expanded version of the Support+Feed Pledge inspiring fans to eat one plant-based meal a day for 30 days with digital elements and community activations. Fans will also have the opportunity to participate in Plant-based Food Drives in a selection of cities alongside the tour to raise awareness and gather food to distribute to local communities.

Fans are encouraged to join the effort to make the HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR more sustainable. Where possible, take public transportation and carpool to and from the shows to help reduce greenhouse gas pollution and encourage more public transportation options. Fans will receive information via email about public transportation options before the show.

Venue partners are also helping to lessen the environmental footprint of the tour. In addition to efforts to decrease waste through reducing or eliminating single-use plastics and diverting landfill waste with compost and recycling, venues will be offering plant-based food options at all shows.

FAN PARTICIPATION

Bring an empty reusable water bottle or donate for a custom RockNRefill Nalgene bottle to fill up at the free water refill stations located at each venue. The RockNRefill bottles and refill stations are located at the Eco-Villages in the main concourse at all shows. Fight fast fashion by opting for thrifted, upcycled, or borrowed clothes instead of buying new clothing to wear to shows.

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR – NORTH AMERICA*

Sun Sep 29 – Québec, QC – Centre Videotron Tue Oct 01 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena Wed Oct 02 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena Fri Oct 04 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena Sat Oct 05 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center Mon Oct 07 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena Wed Oct 09 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center Fri Oct 11 – Boston, MA – TD Garden Sun Oct 13 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena Wed Oct 16 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Thu Oct 17 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Fri Oct 18 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Sat Nov 02 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena Sun Nov 03 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena Wed Nov 06 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena Fri Nov 08 – Cincinnati, OH – Heritage Bank Center Sun Nov 10 – Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center Mon Nov 11 – Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center Wed Nov 13 – Chicago, IL – United Center Thu Nov 14 – Chicago, IL – United Center Sat Nov 16 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center Sun Nov 17 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center Omaha Tue Nov 19 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena Wed Nov 20 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena Tue Dec 03 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena Thu Dec 05 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena Fri Dec 06 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena Sun Dec 08 – Portland, OR – Moda Center Tue Dec 10 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center at San Jose Wed Dec 11 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center at San Jose Fri Dec 13 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena Sun Dec 15 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum Mon Dec 16 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum Tue Dec 17 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR – AUSTRALIA

Tue Feb 18, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Wed Feb 19, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Fri Feb 21, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Sat Feb 22, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Mon Feb 24, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Tue Feb 25, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Thu Feb 27, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Fri Feb 28, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Tue Mar 4, 2025 –Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena Wed Mar 5, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena Fri Mar 7, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena Sat Mar 8, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR – EUROPE/U.K./IRELAND Wed Apr 23, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena

Thu Apr 24, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena

Sat Apr 26, 2025 – Oslo, Norway – Telenor Arena Mon Apr 28, 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena Tue Apr 29, 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena

Fri May 2, 2025 – Hannover, Germany – ZAG Arena Sun May 4, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Mon May 5, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Wed May 7, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Fri May 9, 2025 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Arena Thu May 29, 2025 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena Fri May 30, 2025 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena Sun June 1, 2025 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena Tue June 3, 2025 – Kraków, Poland – Tauron Arena Wed June 4, 2025 – Kraków, Poland – Tauron Arena Fri June 6, 2025 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle Sun June 8, 2025 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena Tue June 10, 2025 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Wed June 11, 2025 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Sat June 14, 2025 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi Sun June 15, 2025 –Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi

Mon Jul 7, 2025 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro Tue Jul 8, 2025 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro Thu Jul 10, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Fri Jul 11, 2025 –London, UK – The O2 Sun Jul 13, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Mon Jul 14, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Wed Jul 16, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Thu Jul 17, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Sat Jul 19, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Sun Jul 20, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Tue Jul 22, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Wed Jul 23, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Sat Jul 26, 2025 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena Sun Jul 27, 2025 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena

*The tour wants to give fans, not scalpers, the best chance to buy tickets at face value. To make this possible they have chosen to use Ticketmaster’s Face Value Exchange. If fans purchase tickets for a show in the U.S. or Canada and can’t attend, they’ll have the option to resell them to other fans at the original price paid. To help protect the Exchange, the tour has requested all tickets be mobile only and restricted from transfer. This applies to all shows except those in Colorado, Illinois, and New York where Face Value Exchange cannot be mandated. Please note, a valid bank account or debit card within the country of your event is required to sell on the Face Value Exchange. More information on how the Ticketmaster Exchange works is available here .

Billie Eilish’s forthcoming album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT was written by Billie Eilish and FINNEAS , her brother and long-time collaborator, who also produced the album. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT will be available on all digital platforms, and in a continued effort to minimize waste and combat climate change; across all physical formats in limited variants on the same day, with the same track-listing and using 100% recyclable materials. For more information on all sustainable practices for this album release, please visit https://store.billieeilish.com/pages/sustainability

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is out everywhere on May 17.

Pre-order/add/save HERE.

High Res Images   HERE

Photo credit for album artwork and press photo is William Drumm

OFFICIAL WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | X | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com .

For all media inquiries, please contact:

Alexandra Baker | [email protected]

Jamie Sward | [email protected]

For all Live Nation Concerts inquiries, please contact:

Monique Sowinski | [email protected]

Maya Sarin | [email protected]

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Weekend Money: 10 biggest mistakes people make in job interviews

From handshakes to how you dress, recruiters and business owners have shared the most common mistakes they see in job interviews. Read this and our other Weekend Money features - and tell us your job interview mistakes/stories in the box below.

Sunday 5 May 2024 21:38, UK

Weekend Money

• 10 biggest mistakes people make in job interviews I Tell us your job interview mistakes/stories/tips in the comments box
• Cinema first is back - so should movie lovers unsubscribe? 
• Brexit rule changes, disability vouchers and manifestation cynicism: What readers have said this week 
• Interest rates, inflation and fuel prices: What you need to know about economy this week

Best of the week

• It turns out Sainsbury’s boss was right about self-checkouts 
• State pensions 'could be in doubt for future generations'
• New ISA rules were supposed to help savers - they've just made everything more complicated 
• Money Problem: 'A company won't fix dodgy building work - what can I do?' 
• Gameboys, designer shoes, 1950s furniture: Items in your attic that could be worth small fortune 
• Train strikes in May - everything you need to know

Ask a question or make a comment

You filled out the job application, got the call (they're interested, phew!), but now... it's interview day.

If the thought of selling yourself to a stranger brings you out in a cold sweat, you're not alone - but you can help yourself by not making the following common mistakes...

1. Not dressing app ropriately

Paul Webley, managing director of Blaze Media Digital Marketing Agency in Merseyside, says: "If you are coming for an interview in a marketing agency, dress smart. No need to be in a suit. It's cute if you are but just dress how you would expect to dress in the job and, if in doubt, err on the side of being slightly smarter.

"With us, there are loads of photos of the team in the office on the website and socials (which you should have looked at) so there is no excuse."

Tell us your interview mistakes/stories/tips in the comments box

2. Handshake mishaps

Paul's second interview mistake is: "This one is a real pet hate and probably doesn't matter as much in the current world but... learn how to shake a person's hand. You have to do this within every job from time to time.

"There is nothing more off-putting than a limp shake. Having a firm, polite handshake is a basic human skill in business and beyond."

3. Complaining

This is another one from Paul: "We had someone a few months ago tell us that they didn't think they should have to come into the office for an interview. This was for an office-based role. If they don't think it's worth coming in then the job is not going to be for them."

4. Not checking your tech

Tas Ravenscroft, senior consultant at recruitment firm Cherry Pick People , says: "Overlooking details like the interview location or the platform being used (such as Teams), and not testing your tech beforehand, can disrupt the interview process. This is especially crucial as most first interviews are now conducted via video conferencing."

5. Bad mouthing previous employers

Tas says: "We see that candidates sometimes feel too comfortable on interview and decide to talk about their past experiences (if aggrieved) negatively, which is a big NO. Instead, my advice is to focus on the lessons learned and how you've grown from challenges in your career."

6. Not asking questions - or asking about benefits or sick pay policy

Tas says: "There are no right or wrong answers to this, but asking questions at the end of the interview is a big YES. It shows you're interested, engaged and would like the opportunity to either progress or land the role.

"I'd say in your first interview, ask about company culture, day to day tasks, expectations of this role, who's the best performer and why? 

"Questions I'd stay away from are benefit-related questions, or I recently had someone ask what the sick pay policy was like in the first interview… Safe to say they didn't get invited back. If you work with a recruiter, you will have salary and benefits info before, so no need to ask on interview."

7. Not showing enthusiasm

For Mike Carlucci, managing director of Reading-based Italian-food importer  Tenuta Marmorelle , this is a big one: "A lot of people at the moment are applying for everything and anything. They apply for hundreds of jobs.

"The result is that you get applicants who are not enthusiastic or passionate about the role or sector as they see it just as a job. There are few people looking for actual careers at the moment. In our industry, the food industry, you need to have passion and enthusiasm."

8. Talking too much

Andrew MacAskill, founder of Executive Career Jump , says: "Sometimes this is down to nerves, other times it is down to overthinking and often it is due to the questions being too broad, which leads to them saying lots and hoping the right answer is in there somewhere."

Ian Nicholas, global managing director at Reed , says a common slip-up people make is to carry on talking after giving their answer.

"Some interviewers may purposely leave a pause just to see how the interviewee will react under the pressure - so be confident in what you've said and know when you've finished."

9. Under-preparation

Habiba Khatoon, director of Robert Walters UK , says: "This means they haven't researched the company, are unaware of the key aspects of the role they are interviewing for and can't make connections between their CV and experience and the role.

"Most interviewers can easily catch on when a candidate has turned up unprepared and when they do, they can lose interest in that candidate quite quickly."

Italian food importer Mike agrees: "It is so important to spend five minutes to go on to the website, see what the company does, how they started and any general information you can get. This really makes someone stand out from the 100s of applicants."

10. Being late - or too early

James Rowe, managing director of the Recruitment Experts , says: "I would suggest arriving 20 minutes early to give you time to prepare, but don't walk through the door too soon! Turning up five to 10 minutes prior to your interview start time shows you're punctual but won't rush the hiring manager… they need breaks too!"

By Brad Young , Money team

Almost half of Britons (45%) subscribe to two or more streaming services, according to comparison website Finder, but box office figures show the theatre-going experience is making a comeback. 

The pendulum is swinging back from streaming-first to theatre-first releases, and streaming platforms like Amazon and Apple are making moves on to the big screen with the likes of Saltburn and American Fiction, or Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon. 

That means movie-lovers are facing a conundrum, according to a senior media analyst: should they prioritise spending cash on trips to the cinema or on streaming if they want to see the biggest and best movies? 

"People are making decisions on 'what am I going to allocate to the movie theatre experience, what am I going to allocate to streaming?'" Paul Dergarabedian, of Comscore, told the Money blog.

Cinema's revival is real, according to Philip Clapp, chief executive of the UK Cinema Association. 

"Certainly the major US studios see the theatrical experience, the big screen experience, as where they want their major films to be and then benefitting from the promotional buzz that comes from that," Mr Clapp said. 

Disney chief executive Bob Iger said last year that theatrically released films were "great sub drivers".

"We benefit greatly from the power of our great films, they drive so much engagement and so much interest in our platforms," he said, pointing to Moana, Marvel, Star Wars and Avatar.

Mr Clapp added this year was a "key stepping stone" to an offering similar to before the pandemic, but cinema wouldn't be back to full strength until next year.

In the pandemic, studios experimented with straight-to-streaming releases, which continued even after restrictions fell away.

Mr Dergarabedian said: "When the pandemic hit it was a real stress test on the industry because a lot of people thought theatrical was dying on the vine and that it would be going away at some point in the near future - and then the pandemic accelerated that demise in the minds of some."

But audiences have voted with their feet and instructed studios they want more variety: international films, stadium concert films, videogame adaptations, prestige films and horrors.

Smile, a Paramount horror movie on a $17m budget that could have been straight-to-streaming, had a "great result" at the box office, said Mr Dergarabedian, as did Five Nights at Freddy's. 

Low and mid-budget movies have been the slowest to recover but are returning to the big screen, making the theatre offering more diverse this year, Mr Clapp added.

Mr Dergarabedian said Universal's "diverse portfolio" was the one to beat: it spent the last year putting out everything from action films like Fast X, prestige movies like Oppenheimer, animations like Migration and some spookier offerings too.

Going theatrical still comes with a risk, the analyst said. A flop on the big screen leaves studios with a big hit to their bottom line, having spent large amounts on distribution and marketing. 

But films "tend to have more value" once they arrive on a streaming platform if they were released in cinemas first, including lower budget movies.

Each week, Money blog readers share their thoughts on the subjects we've been covering, and over the past seven days your correspondence has been dominated by these topics...

Brexit rule changes

• Our feature on manifesting
• The prospect of disability payments becoming vouchers

Britons could face higher food prices, and even empty supermarket shelves, as new post-Brexit border fees were introduced this week, industry figures warned.

These comments - while perhaps not representative of the whole country - are definitely reflective of the majority view in our inbox...

It's almost like Brexit was a terrible idea… To think our politicians would do anything but make things worse was beyond naive. People let their prejudice override common sense that most politicians look out for themselves and not the country's best interests… Joe

Others suggested the government should be turning its eyes to the issue rather than elsewhere...

Food prices rise even though they told us they would fall and yet the priority is sending asylum seekers to Rwanda. Isn't it about time the UK started to listen to people's problems rather than a very loud minority? Lee

Several people suggested the solution was growing all our own food - which is often talked about, but producers and importers point out the UK climate makes it less achievable to mass produce certain foods at a low cost than in southern Europe.

Disability vouchers?

Reports this week suggested disabled people could receive vouchers instead of monthly payments under proposed government changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

The story resulted in a backlash among our commenters... 

Absolutely barking mad. Disabilities aren't an option. Can't be fixed with words. And can happen to anyone at anytime. Time to get a grip. Rob

Others suggested it was a symptom of a wider failure within the system...

I don't know how the government can take away vital PIP money and say they can replace it with better mental health support. My daughter is waiting for a PIP assessment and also an assessment for ADHD - the latter's wait time is currently four years. Matmac33

Can you 'manifest' financial success? 

Moving to our manifesting feature, which prompted a lot of cynicism. If you haven't read it yet, you can do so  here ... 

Some of our readers are believers... 

I manifest things in my life. Be it money, people or events I've had dreams about, there's more magic in the universe than most people know of. Steve

I believe in manifestation in terms of positive thinking. You'll never get anywhere if you're always assuming the worst. But you do have to put the leg work in for what you want, it won't fall in to your lap. Jim Carrey didn't get that £10m acting job sitting under a tree! Caroline D

Others, well, not so much...

Why are you giving space to this specious guff manifestation? Does it work for the poverty-stricken, starving millions without basic infrastructure and education, or those suffering in warzones across the world? I wonder what they want "manifesting" in their lives? FM1

"Manifesting", what a load of rubbish! I can't believe this is one of the top stories on Sky News. David

And finally, in our weekly round-up of your comments...

This comment section is a COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME. Sky NEVER publishes its readers' views. John Hammond

The next week in Money is likely to be dominated by interest rates - with the Bank of England's latest base rate decision coming on Thursday .

A cut from the current 16-year high of 5.25% is extremely unlikely, as inflation is yet to reach the Bank's 2% target.

Markets had forecast a first cut in June but are now pricing in August, with only two cuts now expected in 2024 rather than three.

There had been hope the base rate would dip to 3% next year - but again, these forecasts are now on ice.

As we outlined in our new weekly mortgage update yesterday, high street lenders have responded by moving their rates upwards ...

Mortgage approvals rose to 61,300 in March - the highest number since September 2022. But while on the face of it this looks positive for the housing market, industry experts are reporting that uncertainty over the direction of interest rates is prompting renewed caution.

Hina Bhudia, partner at Knight Frank Finance, said: "The sun is out and buyers are returning from their Easter break, so we'd usually expect these to be the busy weeks before the summer; however, the uncertain outlook for mortgage rates will undoubtedly weigh on activity.

"It's not just buyers that are frustrated. The lenders are eager to rebuild their businesses after a subdued 2023; however, they are constrained by stubborn inflation and the resulting impact on their cost of funding."

The influential OECD this week said now was not the time for the UK to be considering cutting rates - which is bad news for mortgage holders, but may be positive for savers.

The organisation anticipates inflation will be "elevated" at 3.3% in 2024 and 2.5% in 2025 - above the Bank's 2% target.

And it claims the UK will grow more slowly next year than any other major advanced economy.

It puts this down to stealth taxes and high interest rates squeezing the economy.

The organisation, which is based in Paris, downgraded its forecasts for GDP to 0.4% this year and 1% in 2025.

In February, the UK had been in the middle of the rankings with forecast growth of 0.7% this year and 1.2% next.

Away from the economy, RAC has put out figures today showing that both petrol and diesel have gone up by 10p per litre so far this year, adding £5.50 to the price of filling up a car.

Oil prices rose during April, sending an average litre of unleaded up 3p to 149.95p, while diesel rose by 2p to 157.76p.

The lowest prices for petrol and diesel so far this year were both recorded on 16 January – 139.7p and 147.6p respectively.

The good news is that, as tensions between Israel and Iran have defused, the oil price has crept back down, meaning some of the recent hikes may soon be reversed.

The Money blog is your place for consumer news, economic analysis and everything you need to know about the cost of living - bookmark news.sky.com/money.

It runs with live updates every weekday - while on Saturdays we scale back and offer you a selection of weekend reads.

Check them out this morning and we'll be back on Monday with rolling news and features.

The Money team is Emily Mee, Bhvishya Patel, Jess Sharp, Katie Williams, Brad Young and Ollie Cooper, with sub-editing by Isobel Souster. The blog is edited by Jimmy Rice.

A cash ISA offering an interest rate of 4.5% has been launched today by Melton Building Society .

The interest is paid annually on 31 March and can be added to the account, transferred to your bank account or transferred to an existing Melton savings account.

Here's what you need to know...

How do you open an account?

• You must be a UK resident and be aged 16; 
• Accounts can be opened with a minimum amount of £25 and the maximum that can be held in this account is £500,000.

Can you withdraw money?

Yes, you can withdraw money as long as you give the bank 180 days' notice in branch, by post or phone

Once you have done this, all or part of the investments in the ISA, including any interest earned, will be transferred to you.

You can also access your money without giving notice, but you will be charged 180 days' interest on the amount you withdraw. 

A lack of demand for new electric cars has led some brands to begin slashing prices. 

Even some of the UK's best-selling electric cars are thousands of pounds cheaper than a year ago, according to Auto Trader figures shared with The Times . 

Among the most heavily discounted vehicles are the Honda E, down 20% versus a year ago at £29,600, and the Peugeot E-2008, which has fallen in price by 15% to £30,000. 

The Vauxhall Corsa-e and Mokka-e are both being advertised at a 20% off sale price, while the MG ZS and MG5 are discounted by 15%. 

Meanwhile, Ford's flagship electric car, the Mustang Mach-E, has fallen in price by 14%. 

Ian Plummer, Auto Trader's commercial director, said lower prices are good news for car buyers and that it was "encouraging" to see more affordable electric cars on the market. 

He said the discounts had been "driven by a softening in consumer demand, coupled with the introduction of the zero-emissions vehicle mandate, which is putting pressure on manufacturers to comply with the new regulations or face heavy fines". 

The government's zero-emission vehicle ( ZEV ) mandate requirers manufacturers to produce a certain percentage of zero-emission cars and vans each year.

It started when comedian Peter Kay, who was supposed to be the first official act for the new Manchester Co-op Live on 23 April, had his performances rescheduled.

Rick Astley's performance on 20 April was a "test event" for the venue but ticket capacity was slashed just hours before his gig was due to begin.

Astley fans who had their tickets cancelled were instead offered seats to see US rock band The Black Keys play - but their show has also been affected.

And to add to the chaos, this week Olivia Rodrigo's concerts, scheduled for 3 and 4 May, were postponed.

Then, Take That announced they were moving their shows from the venue to the AO Arena in Manchester.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie concert was also postponed just over an hour before the rapper was set to perform.

Today, Barry Manilow also said he had a "back-up plan" to move his Manchester performance from the beleaguered venue. 

The ongoing mayhem has left disgruntled concert-goers voicing their frustration, with some calling for travel and accommodation to be reimbursed and others calling the situation "embarrassing".

"There will be countless people who would've booked travel and hotels just for you to stitch them up because you couldn't meet assured deadlines," one person wrote on X.

Another person said the music venue should "at the very minimum" be "looking at refunding travel/hotel costs for people that can prove they paid for cancelled dates".

And another person asked: "How do I get a refund for parking? There's no info on your site or app."

Organisers at Co-op Live said the venue would be taking "a short pause to events" before welcoming members of the public to the arena from 14 May.

A Co-op Live statement said: "At this time, we do not expect further impact on our opening season. We are aware our actions have frustrated and angered ticketholders."

Tim Leiweke, chairman and chief executive of Oak View Group, which developed Co-op Live in partnership with the City Football Group, has said they cannot run any event until it is "absolutely safe to do so".

A Co-op Group spokesperson said: "As naming rights sponsor for Co-op Live we are disappointed with these further schedule changes.

"Co-op is a sponsor and does not own or run the venue, and we have made it clear to Oak View Group, who are responsible for the building, that the impact on ticketholders must be addressed as a priority."

An Itsu freezer product is being urgently recalled over fears it could contain plastic. 

Customers are being told not to eat Itsu's sizzling pork gyoza, which is sold at Asda and Sainsbury's.

The 240g packs with a best before date of 8 March 2025 are those affected by the recall.

A 200-year-old Edinburgh attraction is reopening this month after being closed for four years. 

The Nelson Monument is a 150ft tower overlooking the city, and was built to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

It has been shut for essential works for years, but visitors will soon be able to climb its 143 steps again.

An official opening date has not yet been given.

HMRC's Welsh-language app is only being used by two in every 100 native speakers, according to a new report by The Telegraph .

A freedom of information request by the paper found that 13,831 Welsh speakers have used the app since its launch in June 2022.

That equates to 1.5% of the nearly 900,000 people who say they speak the language.

Jonathan Eida, researcher at the TaxPayers' Alliance pressure group, told the newspaper he thought the move was a "gimmick".

Gig ticket prices may be eye-wateringly high at the moment (just like everything else, let's face it) but a big sale next week will see tens of thousands of tickets at discounted prices. 

LiveNation is holding a sale for 24 hours from noon on Thursday until noon on Friday, with prices starting from £25. 

Artists who you can get discounted tickets to see include Doja Cat, Meghan Thee Stallion, Shania Twain, Becky Hill, Avril Lavigne, Eric Prydz, Giggs, Glass Animals, James Arthur, JLS, Jungle, Kaiser Chiefs, Limp Bizkit, Offset, McFly, Olly Murs, Paloma Faith, Placebo, Tom Jones, Tiesto and The Streets. 

You can find the full line-up of artists and venues with discounted tickets  on the LiveNation website here .

The company will also be holding promotions and competitions throughout next week. 

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Royal Hobart Hospital bed block sees 51 patients without beds, major surgeries cancelled

Important medical procedures including open-heart surgeries have been cancelled at the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) due to difficulty moving patients out of the emergency department, multiple medical unions claim.

The Australian Medical Association said urgent state and federal government intervention was needed to ease "bed block", which it said had been at an unacceptable level at the hospital for weeks.

Bed block happens when a hospital is full, with not enough ward and emergency department beds to admit new patients.

"We know that over the past two weeks we've had bad pressures in the hospital system, leading to multiple patients having to have major surgery cancelled," AMA Tasmanian branch spokesman Michael Lumsden-Steel said.

"And we know [on Tuesday] that patients that should have been having open-heart surgery and bypass surgery haven't been able to have their surgery because there's no ICU capacity in the Royal Hobart Hospital."

Dr Lumsden-Steel said that at midday on Tuesday, 51 people who needed beds in the Royal Hobart Hospital were unable to get one, with elective surgery cancellations the only lever available for doctors to ease demand.

"Every time those patients have their surgery scheduled, people are stuffed around," he said.

"And we're the ones that have to talk to them on a daily basis and apologise, and we cop the blame and we accept that they're just letting out their frustrations, but we feel for the patients.

"We're not alone in this but we need to have serious conversations about fixing it. We're getting fed up with having the same problem every year and it's not even flu season."

If you're unable to load the form, you can access it here . 

Hospital in 'serious' situation

Health and Community Services Union secretary Robbie Moore said bed block on Tuesday was "a serious problem", despite ambulance attendances being down compared to usual levels.

"We had one ambulance ramped for three hours today. That's two hours past the protocol [requiring ambulance patients to be transferred to hospital staff within 60 minutes] ," he said.

"Where the system is still failing is with bed block and with managers having avenues to be able to move patients through the hospital system.

"No doubt, one of the key issues when it comes to bed block is a lack of allied health professionals and the fact that we have so many vacancies of physios, pharmacists and occupational therapists.

"These are the people who get people out of hospital sooner or avoid you having to need a bed in the first place."

Mr Moore said the government and hospital management had had almost a year to prepare for the new patient transfer protocol coming into effect, but had "failed to get their bed flow happening adequately".

"We need to open beds so that patients can go to those available beds and be in the appropriate setting," he said.

"There are rooms available in the Royal [hospital] now, they are just not open. Those beds need to be open, they need to be staffed.

"The solutions are there. It's just about the government getting serious about this."

Issue complex to solve

Premier Jeremy Rockliff said bed block was a challenge he was willing to work with the federal government to fix.

"We're investing more in primary health care services," Mr Rockliff said.

"You'd have seen our very key commitments in recent months around more GP access in regional and rural areas, which is very important to get that preventative support and people being supported with their health care prior to the emergency department.

"The bed block situation is a challenge and a challenge in some circumstances around the need to find suitable accommodation for people with disability and aged care beds as well, which accentuates that challenge.

"This is a challenge across the world and across the nation. Every single state and territory has these challenges. We are investing and will continue to invest through our election commitments not only in people, nurses and doctors, but also systems and infrastructure to improve our health system and our service delivery for Tasmanian patients."

Dr Lumsden-Steel said the issue was complex to solve, but called on state and federal governments to work on doing it immediately.

"We simply don't have the capacity that the Tasmanian population requires in 2024 and we should be making urgent measures to actually name up-front what the deficiencies are, and let's get a plan to get there and achieve an outcome," he said.

"And we should be trying to get there within two to three years. We need to be building our new hospital, our new subacute hospitals and new beds now.

"And we need to be asking the other hard question: Why have all these private hospitals and rebuilds that have been planned in Hobart and one system not been able to go ahead?

"We need to work with our private healthcare sector to ensure that that capacity, which actually unloads the public system, can continue to thrive and continue to grow, but also meet the demand for those with private health insurance and capacity to go to private."

A spokesperson for federal Health Minister Mark Butler said hospital systems around Australia were "under enormous pressure after a more than four-year-long pandemic".

They said Mr Butler was working with state health ministers to alleviate the demand, including through new urgent care clinics. 

The spokesperson said the delayed hospital discharge of older people who were medically ready for aged care was "a complicated and longstanding issue across every state and territory".

They said causes for that included workforce shortages, a lack of appropriate infrastructure and complex care needs such as behavioural symptoms of dementia, but said new measures announced in December would help to ensure more timely discharges.

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