Magazine N°152

TEL-AVIV S/ TECHNO COOL

With this strange atmosphere, this tension that poisons the air of the old cities of Europe, one almost forgets what a joyful city can be, an urbanity that is festive, young and happy to live its daily life in the sunshine. Even if, as far as Tel Aviv in particular and Israel in general are concerned, the chaos that reigns at its borders should not, in principle, really encourage light-heartedness...

At first sight, such a contradiction is almost disconcerting. Live fast, live for the moment: perhaps this is the secret behind the incredibly relaxed atmosphere that pervades the country's economic capital and reaches its zenith in the renovated Sarona district, where the majority of geeks, start-ups and other nerds have settled. Gone are the suits, ties, tailoring and pumps - we're traditionally far from all that in Israel anyway - and hello fun T-shirts, multicoloured flip-flops, colourful trainers and baggy shorts. Even pets are allowed in the coworking spaces that have opened up all over the place. It's supposed to be a stress-reliever for everyone.

Welcome to the very first Mediterranean tech city that Tel Aviv has become in recent years. Starting with Rothschild Avenue, which was once very residential and has also been transformed into a veritable high-tech centre; a near-reproduction, albeit a smaller one, of the world of Silicon Valley.

This is the result of a deliberate policy on the part of the Israeli authorities, who over the last ten years have devoted 4 % of the country's GDP to research and development, compared with 2 % in France. The same goes for the quality of teaching in the universities. Not to mention the proven, very open Israeli way of dealing with foreigners, no doubt due to the diverse origins of the population. Whether to raise funds or to target new markets.
And this openness feels really good in these times of excessive withdrawal.

Serge Barret, Editor-in-Chief
In this issue

Travel diary Édika: "The best journeys are made by two people".
NEWS : aircraft, railways, hotels, meetings/businesses, throughout the world
TECHNOLOGIES
In-flight entertainment takes off
NOMADE - Digital shopping
AIR - Networks : What routes for alliances?
HOTELS : Airport hotels: lifestyle at the end of the runways
BUSINESS DISTRICT Mexico City - Reforma: the new golden age
BUSINESS DESTINATION : TEL AVIV
INCENTIVE :
Wide Angle Mauritius: ocean luxuriance
Chronicle Le Touquet: the great chic of the Opal Coast
Theme Vietnam: nostalgia, inevitably nostalgia...
SURVEY
Cruises time regained
MANAGEMENT
Survey : frequent travellers on a daily basis
Corporate travel agencies new challenges, new opportunities
Urban mobility a rapidly changing offering
DECIDEUR Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive Officer, Eurostar