Stolen Loot Looking For Owners; Water Hydrant Bursts Into Geyser; Hotel Industry Continues Recovery

News For 14 February 2023

A few weeks ago, a suspicious looking man was detained by border police on the French side of the Basel Hauptbanhof.  The police discovered that the man was carrying 16 smartphones, 4 sets of headphones, 8 pairs of sunglasses, two laptop computers, two power banks, a speaker and a camera.  Upon further investigation, at least two of the phones appeared on an official list of missing property, prompting the police to arrest the man and turning him over to Basel cantonal police. The authorities encourage anyone with lost or missing property to file an official report.

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If you were lucky enough to be on a tram or train or simply passing by Meret Oppenheim Strasse near the SBB late last Friday afternoon, you were treated to a 15 meter geyser resulting from a broken water hydrant.  It took 30 minutes for the Basel fire brigade to bring the broken device under control during which time, some passers-by must have thought they were witnessing the new travelling Geneva "Jet D'Eau" art installation. Basel police confirmed that there was no damage nor injuries during the time it took to tame the uncontrolled deluge.

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Basel's hotel industry reported that overnight stays doubled in 2022 compared to the prior year, reaching almost pre-pandemic levels. Basel's hotel industry is heavily impacted by corporate travel and last year's strong showing was largely attributable to a rebound in attendance at Art Basel, The Federal Wrestling and Alpine Festival, Zionist Congress, European Pathology Congress and the Basel Christmas Markets.  Letizia Elia, director of Basel Tourismus has set ambitious goals for improving hotel occupancy in the city.  The strategy of her department will be to focus on attracting global scientific confabs that are aligned with the core brand and expertise of the city.