Women more likely to cheat on vacation than men, says new study

by Laurel Miller on

Blame it on the sun. According to new research from British “married dating site” IlicitEncounters, over a third of (already cheating) spouses can’t keep it in their pants while on vacation solo or with friends. In fact, six percent of the sneaky devils strayed while on holiday with their spouse. The real news, however, is that married women vacationing with friends are more likely to break their vows than men. “Sunshine is a real aphrodisiac.” says Sara Hartley, representative at IllicitEncounters.com. “We have always seen an increase in activity on the site during the summer months.”

Global warming apparently makes for booming business. IllicitEncounters was established in 2003, and expects have half a million memberships by the end of this month. Their study indicated that 63% of the 800 men and 800 women surveyed also said they would prefer to vacation with their mistress or…mister than their spouse, and that male cheaters were more likely to take their lovers on holiday than their wives. The Maldives tops the list for clandestine canoodling; the study found that the majority of its subjects chose the sultry islands over any other destination for an assignation.

Says Jenny*, 34, an IlicitEncounters member from Shropshire, “I had only been married for four years, and although things were less exciting at home, I never expected that I would cheat on holiday. A group of single friends and I went to Spain last August…on the last night, I met an ex-pat Londoner at a local bar, and we got drunk together. I just didn’t wish to deny myself the excitement; it all happened very quickly, but it was so exhilarating to feel that freedom again. I have no intention of telling my spouse; I joined the site straight afterwards and have had several extramarital affairs here at home.”

While one wishes the self-indulgent Jenny had at least hooked up with someone other than a fellow countryman, look on the bright side, guys: as long as your wife isn’t also emulating that mortifying karaoke scene from Sex and the City 2, maybe it’s not so bad.

*Name has been changed

[Photo credit: Flickr user chriswsn]

Kosovo: ICJ ruling a bridge to increased tourism?

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Today, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague issued a nonbinding advisory ruling on the question of Kosovo’s independence.

The court ruled that Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence did not violate international law. Kosovo’s independence, in other words, was deemed by the court to be legal.

Yesterday, Marc Weller, a University of Cambridge International Law scholar, had this to say for Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty about the ruling’s prospective result: “anything that is not a clear condemnation of Kosovo will be perceived, rightly or wrongly, as a vindication of Kosovo’s claim to independence.”

Weller went on to predict that Kosovo would see a wave of recognitions by other countries (in addition to the 69 countries currently recognizing Kosovo) following a ruling that the country did not obtain its statehood illegally.

Following today’s ruling, Kosovo will no doubt have an easier time attracting foreign investment. Serbia should also benefit from increased trade and investment and emerge from this decision with an easier path to European Union accession.

In line with anticipated increased foreign investment, Kosovo should see some development as a tourist destination. Several of the country’s larger cities (Pristina, Prizren, and Peja) all have tourism potential, as do Kosovo’s beautiful Serbian Orthodox monasteries of Gracanica and Visoki Decani.

(Image: Flickr/MichaelTyler)

easyJet founder tells airline to be more punctual or change its name

by Scott Carmichael on

Back in the late 90’s, easyJet triggered a new era of low cost carriers. Founded by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the airline went from just 2 planes to over 175.

As one of the largest airlines in the United Kingdom, easyJet has had a lousy track record of on time departures and arrivals. In a recent report, the airline actually managed to score lower than Air Zimbabwe.

This bad PR is not only bad for the airline, it also got the attention of the easyGroup, who lease the “easy” name back to the airline. Lawyers for the Easy empire have given easyJet just 90 days to gets its act together, or to lose the rights to the name, which would force them to change it.

A full name change would cost millions, and given its strong brand protection, it is even unlikely that easyJet would be allowed to keep its orange livery.

[Photo from:Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images]

Israeli mayor suggests Gaza flotilla become hotel

by Meg Nesterov on

After the deadly May flotilla raid off the Gaza coast in Israel, the Turkish Mavi Marmara vessel has been docked and held in the city of Haifa, where it awaits an internal investigation. While Turkish authorities are demanding the return of the ship, Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav is advocating for the ship to be converted into a floating hotel. Yahav hopes it can be “an international symbol of reconciliation and hope” and notes that Haifa, about 90 miles north of the Gaza strip, has become “a symbol of coexistence and cooperation between all religions“.

Meanwhile, Israel has just lifted an advisory on travel to Turkey, where 150,000 tourists were expected this summer.

What’s your opinion on the flotilla hotel? Leave them in the comments below.

[Via Today’s Zaman]

[Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons]

Air France in-flight thefts solved – flight attendant arrested

by Scott Carmichael on

Earlier this year, we wrote about an Air France plane that had been hit by a pickpocket. The thief had emptied the wallets of business class passengers, and upon arrival in Paris, local police boarded the plane, but were unable to find the criminal.

Six months after that incident, French police have arrested an Air France flight attendant suspected of being behind the thefts. In total, 142 Air France flights had been involved in theft incidents, and when police compared their reports with staff rosters, they pinpointed their suspect. Upon searching her home and a bank deposit box, they recovered jewelry, checks, credit card numbers.

When asked by Bloomberg about the incident, Air France had “no comment” on the arrest. Naturally, aviation law only covers luggage placed in the hold, so the airline does not accept liability for cabin baggage. Personally, I am amazed it took 142 reports of theft to finally get a hold of their suspect.

Just like we mentioned in January, always keep your personal items close to you, never let your wallet out of sight, and keep expensive electronics locked in your hand luggage. Sadly there is not much most you can do against in-flight theft, especially if it involves an inside job like this.

[Photo credit: DAVID BOILY/AFP/Getty Images]