March 2015

The in-flight catalog company SkyMall filed for bankruptcy on Jan. 23, blaming lower sales on the increased use of tablets and smartphones, which offer alternative distractions in the air and other purchasing options. 

Once present on every major US airline, SkyMall ended its catalog service on Jan. 16. Delta removed the catalogs from its planes in November, and Southwest planned to do so later in 2015, leaving only American and United.

The “Leipzig Right from the Beginning” exhibit, May 20-Oct. 25, 2015, will display artifacts dating back as far as the 13th century discovered in archaeological digs in and around the city. Among them is the oldest impression made with the city of Leipzig’s seal. 

Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat.  €3 (near $3.40) adult or €2 child under 16. Leipzig Museum of City History (Neubau, Böttchergäßchen 3, 04109, Leipzig, Germany; phone +49 341 965 130, http://stadtgeschichtliches-museum-leipzig.de/index_en.php).

In 2015, Leipzig, Germany, will host its annual Bachfest, June 12-21. Its focus will be Leipzig’s millennium, as the city was founded in 1015. 

Among hundreds of concerts and events in dozens of locations, a symphony opens in the Nikolaikirche, and there are outdoor concerts in the Market Square.

Information and downloadable programs can be found at www.bach-leipzig.de/en/bachfest. Purchase tickets online or through ticket sellers in Europe. Ticket prices for various events run €2-€102 (near $3-$114). Some events are free.

In early 2014, the African nations of Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda announced a multiple-entry visa that will allow free travel between those Borderless Borders partner nations. Called the East African Tourist Visa, it grants each holder unlimited crossings of the countries’ shared borders. 

The visa costs $100 and has no restrictions on the applicant’s country of origin. It is valid for 90 days and cannot be extended. For info, visit www.visiteastafrica.org.

In Italy, a law banning cruise ships weighing more than 96,000 gross tons from entering the Giudecca Canal in Venice was repealed on Jan. 11. The canal, Venice’s largest, runs past tourist sites such as St. Mark’s Square.

The ban, which went into effect Dec. 1, 2014, was enacted to protect the lagoon environment and buildings in Venice from any environmental degradation and physical damage that might be caused by large ships.

As of Jan. 1, 2015, at any of the hotels operated by the Hilton or Marriott hotel groups, any guest who wishes to cancel a reservation must do so by 11:59 p.m. the day before his scheduled arrival or he will be charged for a single night’s stay. 

Previously, many hotels within these chains allowed guests to cancel up to 6 p.m. on the day of check-in without penalty.

Dear Globetrotter: