On the mainland, when the groundhog sees his shadow, there are six more weeks of winter on the horizon. In Hawaii, when the flamingo sees his shadow, there are six more weeks of paradise – especially for us snowbirds who live here from Christmas to Easter. It took 39 visits to Hawaii to figure out the right place to live as a seasonal tourist. We explored all the major islands before deciding Oahu was the right choice. As much as I love the tropics, I can’t give up cultural gems...
While the airport passenger numbers and security threats are growing hands in hand, the industry must strive for a strategic and holistic roadmap to promote its safe, secure, sustainable and seamless growth. Aviation expert and member of WTFL Advisory Board, Vijay Poonoosamy, emphasizes the importance of two factors in the airline industry – security and facilitation – in order to ensure a secure and pleasant passenger experience. Click here to read more about...
“I am pleased Leslie H. Kondo, Hawaii State Auditor is now getting a taste of the modus operandi by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA),” said no other than the publisher of eTurboNews in his capacity as a long time resident of the Aloha State and a tourism leader. According to a recently concluded Hawaii State Audit, HTA has disregarded its own procurement policies and procedures, awarding sole source contracts based on questionable justifications, paying contractors without...
Cooperation between Etihad Airways, the Israel Defense Forces, Lebanon, Australia and their common enemy Islamic State Terror may be a sign of Peace Through Tourism and Aviation? Etihad Airways, the Israeli army and authorities in Australia, Lebanon, and Israel did their part quietly and without hesitation when preventing an ISIS terror attack on an Etihad Airways jet about to take off in Sydney. Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, a known enemy to Israel...
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for the 2017 safety performance of the commercial airline industry showing continued strong improvements in safety. The all accident rate (measured in accidents per 1 million flights) was 1.08, an improvement over the all accident rate of 1.68 in 2016 and the rate of 2.01 for the previous 5-year period (2012-2016). The 2017 rate for major jet accidents (measured in jet hull losses per 1 million flights) was 0.11, which was the...
The Turkish travel and tourism market remains one of the largest in the region with excellent meeting and incentive conference facility everywhere in the country. Adding to this Turkish Airlines having the largest network of any airline in the world together with a new giant state of the art airport to be opened soon, this country has it all when it comes to tourism and travel. Hospitality is a big word in Turkish and for the Turkish tourism industry. A mature world of trained professionals, a...
The larges Meeting and Incentive trade show ACE MICE was opened this morning in Istanbul, Turkey. eTurboNews is a media partner for the largest Turkish Meeting and Incentive (MICE) Tourism Event. The eTN Banner is prominently displayed at the main entrance of the Istanbul Congress Center (ICC). Turkish Airlines is the official airline for ACE MICE and provided transportation for hosted buyers and partners, including Hawaii based eTurboNews. eTN is exhibiting at stand D-20 represented by its...
In 1988 in recognition of the Summer Olympics in the Republic of Korea, known as South Korea, started issuing passports to their citizens and at the same time opened the floodgate for a new tourist outbound market and Korean visitors were seen in more and more countries around the world. The ongoing PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games is the time South Korean citizenship and the South Korean passport is the most recognized and accepted passport in the world, when it comes to visa free...
Lord Paul Deighton, Chairman, London Heathrow Airport wrote this letter to our editor on expansion: Ahead of today’s final evidence session of the House of Commons Transport Select Committee Inquiry into the draft Airports National Policy Statement, I wanted to take this opportunity to reiterate not only the national importance of expansion, but also the importance of expanding in the right way for local communities and for the country. Over recent months there has been considerable...
In an effort to better measure tourism growth and development in Africa, UNWTO signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation for the Strengthening of the National Tourism Statistical System of Nigeria and the Development of a Tourism Satellite Account. UNWTO is committed to developing tourism measurement for furthering knowledge of the sector, monitoring progress, evaluating impact, promoting results-focused management, and highlighting strategic issues for...
It’s not only a travel and tourism destination, it may be a destination for many honest or not so honest foreigners who don’t ever visit or travel there, but having a valid passport and citizenship of this Caribbean country. Completely legal, and surprising for many, the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme has released a final reminder to those interested in investing in second citizenship under the temporarily reduced investment module – the Hurricane...
It was last year in October, we decided to repeat our successful road trip from Bangkok to Phuket before the high season kicked in. I had three objectives for this trip. Firstly I am always on the search for new travel products and I was keen to visit a friend’s new property, which since its soft opening a few months earlier, was creating quite a buzz on the island. Secondly to revisit places that we enjoyed last year and thirdly to explore the area around Surin beach which is a favourite...
Virgin Hyperloop One today announced the Indian State of Maharashtra’s intent to build a hyperloop between Pune and Mumbai beginning with an operational demonstration track. Virgin Group Founder and Virgin Hyperloop One Chairman Sir Richard Branson announced the Framework Agreement in the presence of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis to begin the development of the route. This historic signing at the...
How much is the tourism paradise the Maldives Islands in trouble? While high spending tourists on vacation are enjoying the beautiful beaches, a state of emergency may escalate in severe tension between China and India.Beijing will “take action” if India sends troops to the Maldives, Chinese state media has warned. It comes after a Supreme Court in the Maldives overturned the conviction of an opposition politician, prompting a political crisis. “India should exercise...
The Turkish government has proposed a bill to allow the country’s media authority to regulate all audio and video posted online to guard against any broadcasts that are deemed contrary to national security and “moral values.” Outlets and groups that will have to follow the new rules include political parties, digital TV and news agencies that broadcast online. Organizations will have to apply for licenses, which can be revoked by the regulator, the Turkish Radio and Television...
by Dr. Elinor Garely, editor in chief of wines.travel The Tili Winery is the perfect template for a winery experience as it provides the authenticity visitors to the region expect in this green heart of Italy. The family directed tours of the Tili vineyards and the winery combined with gourmet dining makes the visit memorable. The winery is located on the hillsides of Mount Subasio and overlooks the town of Assisi, producing high quality organic wines “Assisi DOC” and “Umbria IGT.” The Tili...
According to eTN Publisher Turkey remains a safe and desirable destination to visit. Yesterday eTN Publisher Juergen Steinmetz issued a warning for journalists when planning to fly on Turkish Airlines and canceled the eTN partnership with the ACE MICE trade show in Istanbul next week based on information received by Turkish Airlines. Turkish Airlines is a key partner with ACE MICE and provides transportation. Yesterdays eTN article received a wide response and eTurboNews is now...
Travel to Turkey and on Turkish Airlines is a security concern for eTurboNews Publisher Juergen Steinmetz. eTurboNews announced the immediate cancellation of their media partnership with ACE MICE Turkish Airlines tourism trade show event at ICC Istanbul Congress Center 21-23 February 2018. eTN will no longer exhibit or attend the Turkish Tradeshow. eTN Publisher Juergen Steinmetz was on his way to Honolulu airport this morning to start his long journey to Istanbul when very disturbing...
The airline operating the disrupted flight should offer affected passengers alternative transport if both flights have been booked together under the same booking reference. In addition, the airline must also pay passengers between $300 to $700 in compensation if the passenger arrives at the final destination more than three hours late when the missed connection is due to a delay on a previous flight. The passenger may also be entitled to compensation if they miss a connection when the...
India wants a military base on Aldabra. Aldabra is the world’s second-largest coral atoll. The site has been designated UNESCO World Heritage List status, which means it’s of outstanding value, meeting the strict criteria set out by the United Nations’ specialized agency. It fulfils three of the organisation’s guidelines – it contains superb natural phenomena; superlative on-going ecological and biological processes; and significant...
It remains all quiet at the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Madrid. So quiet, that reaching out to media relations at the agency has become a challenge and is met with silence when coming from eTN. Is it all about this publication speaking out against UNWTO canceling their annual ITB meeting on child protection? In the meantime, Uruguay’s minister of tourism shows leadership in addition to Ecpat. After UNWTO unexpectedly canceled the traditional yearly meeting of the Executive...
Traveling to South Africa? There is a deadly health danger tourists should be aware of. The director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety Insititute issues this information on the largest Listeria food-borne outbreak ever recorded in human history which is now taking place in South Africa in “The Conversation” Listeria is a genus of bacteria that, until 1992, contained 10 known species, each containing two subspecies. As of 2014, another 5 species were...
On a United Airlines flight from California to Hawaii today, the aircraft lost parts of an engine while flying over the Pacific Ocean. Flight #1175 landed safely in Honolulu from San Francisco, and all passengers were able to deplane in a normal fashion. According to Hawaii Department of Transportation spokesman, Tim Sakahara, one of the engines on the United aircraft suffered damage, but he did not offer any further details. Share this: Like this: Like Loading…
A 100-year-old parliament building in Tonga’s capital of Nuku’alofa has been knocked to the ground in the worst storm to hit the island nation in more than 60 years. The Category 4 tropical storm struck the country overnight, lifting roofs off homes and knocking down power lines and trees. Tonga’s National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) said there is no house left undamaged by the tropical storm, according to Radio NZ. “I’ve been involved in disaster responses...
The Hawaii based International Coalition of Tourism Partners endorsed the “Free to Fly Act” filed in Washington DC today by Republican Congressman Brat from Virginia. Juergen Steinmetz, chairman of ICTP said: “We’re excited to endorse the “Free to Travel Act” introduced today by Congressman Brat. It will open new channels of competition and ensures our U.S. airlines industry can compete with the world.” The updated bill is...
Corrosion found on Southwest Boeing aircrafts has become a safety concern. An aircraft, like any metal object, is inherently prone to corrosion. There is a lot of time spent painting an aircraft to help delay corrosion, but inevitably, nature will prevail. Usually, the development of corrosion will depend on how old the aircraft is, what type of environment it is based on, whether or not it is hangared, and how often it is cleaned. Left untreated, corrosion can make an aircraft unairworthy...
Many Indian Tourists are not liked in their own country, but the Mexico Tourism Board wanted to make sure to tell the world, they love Indian tourists. This was the message Ms. Melba Pria, Ambassador of Mexico in India wants Indian Travelers to know after Goa’s Tourism Minister said earlier Indian tourists are scum. Mexico Tourism officials plan to target over 200,000 Indian outbound visitors to visit Mexico by 2022. In 2016, Mexico received 64,900...
Many Indian Tourists are not liked in their own country, but there is good news for every Indian considered scum at home. The Mexico Tourism Board wanted to make sure to tell the world, they love Indian tourists. This was the message Ms. Melba Pria, Ambassador of Mexico in India wants Indian Travelers to know after Goa’s Tourism Minister said earlier Indian tourists are scum. Mexico Tourism officials plan to target over 200,000 Indian outbound visitors...
Goa’s tourism minister Vijai Sadesal thinks “Indian tourists visiting Goa are “scum”.Now the Aam Aadmi Partyin Goa, a political party today demanded an apology from Goa minister Vijai Sardesai for calling domestic tourists “scum”. The party said that the minister’s outburst was derogatory, abusive, disgraceful and undignified. “The word scum is unacceptable coming from a minister against fellow Indians and generalising all domestic...
The African Union on Monday launched the much-anticipated Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) amid strong criticism from member states and some African airlines. The confederation officially launched SAATM at the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, held at AU headquarters in Addis Ababa on January 28 and 29. The new Chairman of the AU and President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, declared the establishment of SAATM at the Heads of State summit held on Monday...
