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The post Norwegian Cruise Line ropes in star-studded cast for musical debuting on Norwegian Prima appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel with a 55-year history of breaking boundaries, pulled back the curtain today to announce the cast of its highly-anticipated headlining show, “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” premiering aboard the all-new Norwegian Prima this August.

The Tony Award-nominated musical narrates the story of Donna Summer’s prolific rise to fame, showing the Queen of Disco at three of the most pivotal stages of her career: Diva Donna, Disco Donna and Duckling Donna. The Brand has announced the cast who will take on the mantle of Donna Summer through her most memorable moments in life.

Beloved “American Idol” season two finalist, Kimberly Locke, takes on her first theatre project at sea and will star in the breakout role of Diva Donna, playing Summer as she reaches the height of her career. Fans will be able to see the same charisma that got Locke to the final three contestants on her season of “American Idol” in this role. Locke is also well known for her work on television and Broadway, where she most recently performed in Kristin Chenoweth’s one-woman show, “For The Girls.”

“It is an incredible honour to play Donna Summer along with a very talented cast in this highly-rated musical,” said Locke. “Donna Summer’s inspirational story and pioneering talent led the way for so many of today’s brightest vocalists. She has left an immeasurable impact on music and culture, and I am excited to bring her story to guests around the world aboard the beautiful Norwegian Prima.”

The show-stopping production will feature more than 20 of Summer’s mega-hits, including “Bad Girls,” “Last Dance,” and “Hot Stuff,” and will also provide viewers with a deeper understanding of the inspiration behind some of Summer’s most memorable songs. The 85-minute musical will be a first at sea, where the Prima Theater itself transforms into a full disco, allowing guests to become part of the show and live out their on-stage dreams as they dance along to Summer’s greatest melodies.

“The legendary Donna Summer is an inspiration to many, and we cast performers who would honour her and match the same level of star power and talent,” said Richard Ambrose, senior vice president of Entertainment and Cruise Programs for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “We continue to bring Broadway-level entertainment and world-class talent to our fleet, and we are excited for guests to be able to watch a musical they actually get to be part of. The new Prima Theater allows for a truly exciting show, and we know guests will find themselves enthralled with Donna Summer’s moving life story and timeless music.”

Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its unwavering commitment to bringing Broadway-caliber entertainment to the high seas, having previously debuted “Kinky Boots,” “Six,” “Jersey Boys,” “Footloose”, and more across its current 17-ship fleet, and this latest addition to the Company’s lineup is another first for the cruise industry.

The post Norwegian Cruise Line ropes in star-studded cast for musical debuting on Norwegian Prima appeared first on Travel Daily.

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The post Foreign tourists in India may get GST refund for local shopping appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily.

The government will soon begin a pilot to refund goods and services tax (GST) paid by foreign tourists visiting India as part of a move to implement a measure that is there in the statute. The Integrated GST Act, enacted five years ago, provides for refund on goods, which are to be taken out of the county by a tourist, a person who is normally not a resident of India, and is in the country for not more than six months for non-immigrant purposes.

Several countries follow a system of GST or VAT refund for tourists for consumption outside the country as taxes are typically not exported, a principle that is followed in duty-free shops at airports as well. In these countries products above a threshold are eligible for refund of taxes, which can be claimed at the airport and the payment can be received there or often it is transferred to the buyer’s bank account. Government sources said with the GST regime settling down, the Centre is discussing the possibility of a pilot, which will involve outlets such as the Cottage Industries Emporium and, based on the experience, it will be expanded.

Tax experts said that several changes are required to implement the plan and it will take time. To begin with, even for a pilot, the rules to operationalise the provision need to be put in place. The invoicing system will also need to be updated, which an offici- al said is sought to be addressed when the pilot is run. This will require a tweak to the GST Network architecture. “GST refund to international tourists is in line with global best practices as the ‘consumption’ of the product is not happening in India. It will be a boost to the tourism sector and items such as handicraft, textiles, etc.

The government will have to come up with the rules and procedure for this refund, including the mechanism of verification to ensure that GST has been paid as B2C transactions are not separately reported as part of GST filings currently,” said Pratik Jain, partner at consulting firm Price Waterhouse & Co. Experts also warned that the system needs to be foolproof to avoid potential misuse. “The machinery provisions to enable foreign tourists to claim a refund of the GST paid on eligible purchases of goods, should be drafted very carefully to ensure that there is no misuse of the provisions, while foreign tourists get a quick refund on their eligible purchases without too much paperwork,” said M S Mani, partner at Deloitte India.

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