50 th FIS Congress, Cancun (MEX), 5 th to 11 th June 2016

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1 50 th FIS Congress, Cancun (MEX), 5 th to 11 th June 2016 Dear Ski Friends, The 50 th International Ski Congress is just around the corner and we are looking forward to welcoming you soon at the Hotel Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun. In order to assist with making your journey and stay in Cancun as comfortable as possible we are pleased to share some practical information with you. 1. Passport Visa for Mexico Participants who require a visa should have made arrangements through the Consulate in their own country. Should you still have any queries, FIS and the Mexican Ski Federation will try to assist. For participants travelling via the United States please refer to the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) requirements. For more information please check this link: Please note that your passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months after departure date to enter Mexico.

2 2. Useful travel information Weather in Mexico During the time of our visit the temperatures in Cancun are between 25 C 33 C, with mostly sunny and warm tropical weather. Currency The official currency in Cancun is the Mexican Peso but US Dollars are also widely accepted. Banks are open Monday-Friday from 9am to 4pm and there is a cashpoint machine in the hotel. Payment can be made with all major credit cards or cash. Power points/adaptors The standard electricity supply in Mexico is 110 volts, the same as throughout North America. Hotels usually offer voltage converters for 220 volt devices (Europe and other regions). Many sockets do not accept polarized or three-prong plugs so it is recommended that you bring your own adapter. WIFI Internet Connection The Hotel Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun is pleased to provide all guests WIFI connection in the guest s rooms and public areas. Upon check in you will be given the valid password. 3. Transfer from Airport Arrival Information After landing in Cancun, please proceed to Immigration. At passport control you will receive a visitors tourist card which will be valid for 30 days. It is important to keep the card safely since it must be returned to the Mexican Immigration official upon departure. After passport control/immigration proceed to the baggage claim area. Please report any missing bags at this time to the relevant service desk. With the collected bags, proceed to the Customs area. The Customs officer will ask all visitors for the Customs Declaration Form (which you will receive and can complete on the plane). You will then be required to push a button and if light is red it is likely the luggage will be searched. If the light indicates green the passenger may proceed to the exit, although a search could still be conducted. Directly after the Customs exit, there is a Time Share area. All participants are strongly recommended to avoid any contact with time share representatives; who can be very aggressive, loud and insistent. They try to convince passengers that they are the ground transportation company. Continue walking until you arrive at the staff from the appointed Transfer Company for the FIS Congress: Tropical Incentives DMC who will be holding a sign with the FIS 2

3 Congress logo or you reach the FIS Welcome Desk (picture attached). The FIS Congress Tropical Incentives DMC staff will be properly uniformed wearing khaki pants, blue shirt & name tag. The transfer time is about minutes, depending on the traffic situation. FIS and FIS Travel will also have staff located at the airport on the main arrival days on Saturday and Sunday to assist Tropical Incentives DMC and meet the participants. 4. Official FIS Congress Hotel Grand Fiesta Americanca Coral Beach Cancun Blvd. Kukulcan km 9.5 Zona Hotelera Cancun Quintana Roo, México taamericanacoralbeach.html Most Congress participants will be accommodated at the Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun, where the meetings of the Committees, the General Assembly and the Council will take place. The Congress arrangement comprises six night accommodation at the Hotel Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Resort & Spa including breakfast and taxes, airport transfer, coffee breaks, welcome evening, excursion with light lunch, cocktail for the announcement of the elected Organisers of FIS World Championships and gala dinner. Any questions in regard to your accommodation can be made to FIS Travel Service directly. 5. Accreditation The accreditation pass for all Congress participants will be available for collection from the registration desk, which will be located in the lobby area of the Hotel: Opening hours: Saturday 4 th June 10:00 19:00 Sunday, 5 th June 08:00 21:00 Monday, 6 th June 07:00 19:00 The printed pocket-sized programme with details about the meeting schedule, invitations and other events will be distributed together with the accreditation and FIS Congress backpack. Furthermore the Congress Book as well as the Congress Agenda can be picked up at the Accreditation Desk based on the NSAs number of votes. Please note that the Congress Book, Agenda and all other documents will be provided at the Congress Meeting itself. 3

4 Separate supplementary accreditations are needed for the Excursion on Thursday, 9 th June and the Gala Dinner on Friday, 10 th June if you have not yet registered, we kindly ask you to do this at your earliest convenience on arrival at the FIS Congress until latest Tuesday, 7 th June 19:00 at the FIS Travel Office or at the Accreditation Desk. For further information about the Excursion, see below. 6. FIS Committee Meetings The timetable for the meetings of the different Committees, Sub-Committees and Working Groups as well as the Congress scheduled from 5 th 10 th June 2016 can be found on the FIS website using the following link. You will receive the printed programme in Cancun: 7. Excursion The traditional FIS Congress Excursion on Thursday between the Committee Meetings and the General Assembly offers a fantastic opportunity to relax and spend some time with friends in the FIS family. This year the FIS family will have a rare opportunity to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Maya ruins at Tulum. The Mayan city of Tulum is located 130 km south and 700 years away of Cancun. Tulum holds the honour of being the most picturesque archaeological site in the Riviera Maya and the only one overlooking the ocean. A visit offers spectacular views of the Riviera Maya beaches, Caribbean Sea and surrounding coastal region. Tulum was an ancient Mayan fortress city that rose to power at the end of the Classic period. The most iconic of its structures, the Castillo, (Castle) is perched on the edge of a cliff. An expansive walkway extends out around the Mayan ruins which form part of the Sian Ka an Mayan Ruins which were declared as World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1987 for their natural and cultural richness. Besides the visit to the famous Mayan ruins at Tulum, the excursion will include quick shopping stop at Playa Del Carmen and a Mexican lunch at Maroma Beach. The programme is as follows: 08:30 Departure from the Hotel 09:15 Quick stop at Playa Del Carmen 10:45 12:30 Guided Tour around Tulum 12:45 14:45 Light Mexican Lunch at Maroma Beach 14:45 Departure to the Hotel 4

5 8. Leisure activities Hotel Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun The Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun promotes one purpose for guests which is to transport them to sublime contentment. Quoting the Hotel: Our impeccable service has earned the Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun the prestigious Five Diamond award, and garnered accolades from Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler as one of Mexico's best resorts. Here, you'll find the perfect combination of award-winning luxury and proximity to water sports - our beachfront is regarded as one of Cancun's best-vibrant nightlife and local attractions such as Chichen Itza, Tulum, Xcaret, Xel-Ha and Cozumel. Tropical Incentives DMC TROPICAL INCENTIVES has been assigned as the official FIS Congress Travel Destination company. For information and bookings their representatives will be at the Group Hospitality Desk in the lobby area of the Hotel on a daily basis to assist participants with any arrangements for local tours, or to answer any questions about the area. All products that you can find under the link below can be booked at the Tropical Incentives DMC desk: 9. Transfer to the Airport Departure Information s According to the new International Security Flight Procedures in Mexico all passengers should arrive at the Airport 2½ hours prior flight departure time. Pick up times for departures will be programmed according to the following schedule: 1) Two nights before the departure day, TI Staff will distribute details on flip charts in the lobby of the hotel with the following information: Reconfirmation of Flight Departure. Time to place the luggage inside or outside the room (next to the door) according to hotel instructions Time to be ready in the Lobby. (We recommend being 10 minutes prior to check out) Departure time to the airport. 2) A TI Staff member will brief the passengers once the coach is ready to depart informing Which airlines and terminals it will stop at. 5

6 Documents to have handy. 3) At each terminal, a TI Staff member will be waiting for each bus and assist the participants. Another TI Staff member will be unloading the luggage before the participants leave the coach. 4) For individual transportation, the TI Staff will wait for participants at the airport. 5) At the airport, TI Staff will accompany the participants to the counter for check-in. 10. Contact Numbers FIS Travel Caroline Ris Cancun Airport Cancun Hotel Country Code Mexico +52 RED Cross 065 Police 066 Fire Department 068 FIS Office Oberhofen * * * If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact the FIS Office or FIS Travel Service, notably regarding travel and accommodation. We look forward to seeing you in Cancun and wish you a safe journey to Mexico. 6