Villa Rosa Kempinski earlier today announced the appointment of hospitality guru, Mr. Kees Heuveling, as the new General Manager, replacing Mr. Manish Nambiar who moved to the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast Accra, Ghana. Kees’s immediate former position was as a General manager of the luxurious Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square, Vilnius, Lithuania, for three years. The career hotelier has over 30-year experience working with some of the world’s finest hotel brands spanning in three continents...
Today the Hon. Eng. Dr. Walter Mzembi made his emotional case why he wanted to be the next Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Mr. Mzembi looked pleased when he was able to make his case in a packed room after a busy day at FITUR in Madrid. This is a transcript of his presentation. Your Excellencies; Honorable Ministers; Ambassadors and Members of the Diplomatic Corps; a very special salutation to His Excellency, Dr Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the...
The Honorable Minister of Tourism and Hospitality for Zimbabwe, Walter Mzembi, has officially announced his candidacy to become the next Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The announcement was made at FITUR being held in Madrid to a room packed with dignitaries from the diplomatic corps in Spain, as well as ministers of tourism not only from Africa but from around the world. The current UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai, and President and CEO of the...
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, has commissioned work to triple the size of his International City of Aid (IHC) to streamline and strengthen operations to support aid agencies. Upon completion, the IHC will now stretch for a further 300,000 square feet, totaling 404,000 square feet. Intensifying conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Nigeria and other trouble spots have led to mass displacement of over 65 million...
The 48th edition of Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter ended today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The four-day fashion fair (16 to 19 January), organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), welcomed some 15,000 buyers from 77 countries and regions. HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau noted that the fashion industry is facing immense challenges amidst economic and political uncertainties and lacklustre retail sales. “In spite of that, Hong...
Gambia’s President Adama Barrow has taken the oath of office in neighboring Senegal, while the country’s defeated longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh refuses to step down, deepening a political crisis. Barrow, the winner of a disputed December 1 vote, was inaugurated on Thursday in a hastily-arranged ceremony at Gambia’s embassy in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. “This is a day no Gambian will ever forget in a lifetime,” Barrow said in a speech immediately after being sworn...
On the first day of Fitur in Madrid, the leading international tourism fair in Spain, Alain St.Ange — former Seychelles Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine—presented his official election documents to Taleb Rifai in his bid to become the next Secretary General (SG) of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). “I am honoured to submit my Statement of Intent as Candidate from the Seychelles for the post of Secretary General of the UNWTO”, said St.Ange. “This is a...
Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) President & CEO Julie Coker Graham has announced the appointment of Svetlana Yazovskikh to the position of Executive Director of Tourism. Svetlana has worked at the PHLCVB since 2008, most recently as the Senior International Tourism Manager where she oversaw sales and marketing activities for the PHLCVB’s key overseas visitor markets. In her new role, she will lead the tourism team in raising Philadelphia’s profile as a global...
The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) was honored as part of the Diversity Consulting International – FITUR Gay (LGBT) Tourism Awards. The award, for Institutional Cooperation, was shared with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The presentation occurred during FITUR, the international travel trade fair held at Feria de Madrid in Madrid. The IGLTA formed an expanded partnership with Camara de Comercio Gay Lesbica Argentina (CCGLAR), the LGBT...
Earth’s 2016 surface temperatures were the warmest since modern recordkeeping began in 1880, according to independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Globally-averaged temperatures in 2016 were 1.78 degrees Fahrenheit (0.99 degrees Celsius) warmer than the mid-20th century mean. This makes 2016 the third year in a row to set a new record for global average surface temperatures. The 2016 temperatures continue a long-term warming trend...
The Knot, a wedding brand and marketplace, today released its annual Wedding Trends Report of the top trends for 2017. Inspired by the Pantone Color of the Year, Greenery, which symbolizes a reconnection with nature, one another and a larger purpose, we’re seeing a rise in décor going au naturel and couples giving back with their weddings in more ways than one. “Weddings continue to be the ultimate personal statement for couples, completely customized to feature their favorite...
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has teed off 2017 with the opening of its first golf resort in China, ideally located in the golfer’s paradise of Hainan Island. The Ritz-Carlton, Haikou ushers in a new era of luxury leisure experiences, situated on the world-class golf resort of Mission Hills which boasts ten 18-hole championship courses designed by golf’s greatest architects. “Hainan Island is one of the most exciting emerging destinations in Asia-Pacific today. With our...
Emirates is opening up its lounges at its Dubai hub to lower-tier frequent flyer members. Emirates had previously restricted access to these lounges to higher-tier frequent flier members and business or first class travelers. In an email sent out to Skywards frequent flier members, passengers with Blue-tier status, the lowest of Skywards membership categories, can pay $100 (Dh367) to access the airline’s Dubai business lounge and $200 for the first class lounge. Other changes to the lounge...
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation aimed at providing a framework for joint action in the area of sustainable tourism. The agreement, undersigned by UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, and JICA Executive Senior Vice President, Kazuhiko Koshikawa, opens important opportunities of collaboration as JICA is one of the largest global donors in terms of international cooperation for development in...
Applications for The Meetings Show hosted buyer program are now open. The show will take place from 13-15 June at Olympia London and is now in its fifth edition. Buyers wishing to be part of the program should visit the website, to check qualification criteria before completing their application. Following a successful show in 2016, where UK hosted buyer numbers increased by 11% as part of an overall 2% increase, 2017 will once again deliver a program designed to allow qualified buyers to...
Demand for international tourism remained robust in 2016 despite challenges. International tourist arrivals grew by 3.9% to reach a total of 1,235 million, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Some 46 million more tourists (overnight visitors) traveled internationally last year compared to 2015. 2016 was the seventh consecutive year of sustained growth following the 2009 global economic and financial crisis. A comparable sequence of uninterrupted solid growth has not been...
The Anime Tourism Association, in collaboration with Kadokawa ASCII Research Laboratories, Inc., is accepting applications for a trail tour and trip to filming locations of “Your Name” (Kimi no Na wa), one of the biggest hit anime films in Japan. A total of 30 anime fans worldwide will receive invitations to an anime tour of Japan, sponsored by the Japanese Government. This tour will test the value of the Japanese anime community’s “sacred spot” locations by...
The topic of ‘geo-politics’ has dominated the Twitter accounts of World Economic Forum (WEF) participants attending this year’s Annual Meeting taking place in Davos, Switzerland from 17-20 January 2017. Mentions of ‘Trump’, ‘Brexit’ and ‘Elections’ were among the top keywords driving this geo-political conversation by those registered to attend the event thus far. 2017 WEF participants have published more than 108,000 tweets over the past 4...
India’s Ministry of Tourism has welcomed the appointment of Mr C. Gangadhar as Assistant Director at India Tourism Office London. Assistant Director Gangadhar will accede to the role previously filled by Mr R. Sunani, who had established a strong working relationship with the UK and Ireland travel and tourism trade. Mr Gangadhar has an extensive background in the tourism industry, having served the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, by working in India Tourism Offices in Mumbai, Delhi...
In the run up to the 36th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2017 to be held in Singapore from 16th to 20th January 2017 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Mr. Devinder Ohri – President of the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore – (NATAS) has assumed the Presidency of ASEANTA – the ASEAN Tourism Association. Singapore is honoured to host ATF 2017, themed – “Shaping our Tourism Journey Together”. Alongside ASEAN’s 50th anniversary in 2017, the annual event...
The Zimbabwe Herald summed up an evaluation of the current run for the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General post. More and more candidates are getting into the picture and are heading to FITUR this week to launch the competition for the highest post in tourism. Not all candidates have laid out their plans yet, and some have not mentioned their educational and practical qualifications, but the run up for this position is definitely becoming interesting. As quoted from The...
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has stressed that its “One-China” policy is not negotiable and called on US President-elect Donald Trump to acknowledge the “high sensitivity” of matters relating to Taiwan. Beijing made the announcement in reaction to remarks Trump made in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Friday, in which he said he would not commit to the “One-China” policy unless China amends its currency and trade policies. “The One-China principle, which is the political foundation...
The islands of the Indian Ocean (Comoros, Mayotte, Mauritius, Madagascar, Reunion and Seychelles) joined together many years ago to form a new Tourism Block named the Vanilla Islands. Today they are seen in Tour Operator programs as a region to themselves and the islands have seen remarkable successes in holiday combinations of two or three islands at a time and a major success story in cruise ship business now cruising the Indian Ocean Region. Alain St.Ange, as the Seychelles Tourism Minister...
Saudi Arabia’s top religious authority has slammed government plans for opening cinemas and concerts in the kingdom, saying such places would be harmful and corrupting. In remarks published on his website on Saturday, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh said cinemas would encourage immorality in the kingdom. “I hope those in charge of the Entertainment Authority are guided to turn it from bad to good and not to open doors to evil,” Al al-Sheikh said on his weekly television program...
Today, Universal Orlando Resort announced that its newest ride, “Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon,” will officially grand open on April 6, 2017. The attraction will give guests the ultimate “Tonight Show” experience as they get up close and personal with the show’s most hilarious segments before taking off on a wild and action-packed race through New York City against Jimmy Fallon himself. To celebrate the attraction’s Grand Opening, “The...
At around 4pm on Friday, January 13, 6 kiteboarders and 2 windsurfers have reached Nungwi, Kendwa Rocks in Zanzibar. This brings to an end a 9 day epic voyage that began in Lamu on January 5th. To reach Nungwi they needed to travel 800km on the water and achieved something no-one else has yet to do – to traverse the entire Kenyan coast and reach Zanzibar on a board for the first time in history. Under the auspices of the East African Board Riders Association, the purpose of the expedition...
As traditional communities in Wales celebrate Hen Galan, or Welsh New Year today, Visit Wales launches its 2017 Year of Legends campaign. Building on last year’s record-breaking visitor numbers – international tourism visits during the first six months of 2016 were up 15% – Year of Legends will encourage visitors to discover and celebrate the past, present and future of Wales like never before. Wales has more castles per square mile than anywhere else on earth, offering the...
An annual ice fishing festival, organized by NARA Foundation will begin this weekend in the northeastern town of Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, featuring ice fishing, bare-hand fishing, an ice sculpture plaza and a street of fish-shaped lanterns. “This year’s festival will be held on Jan. 14 until Feb. 5, which will focus on nighttime events for local and foreign tourists who have complained about the lack of nighttime entertainment for night owls,” organizers said...
The Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with federal and provincial public health partners to investigate an outbreak of Escherichia coli, called E. coli O121. The source of the outbreak has not been identified, and the investigation is ongoing. The risk to Canadians is low. However, Canadians are reminded to follow safe food handling practices to avoid illness. E. coli are bacteria that live naturally in the intestines of cattle, poultry and other animals. Most E. coli are harmless...
Alain St.Ange has confirmed he is a World Tourism Organisation Secretary General Candidate. The Former Seychelles Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine was born on 24 October 1954 on the island of La Digue where he spent much of his youth on his family’s agricultural estate, primarily dedicated to vanilla and coconut plantations, before pursuing his formal education at the Seychelles College in Mahé. He later continued his studies in Hotel Management in Germany and Tourism in...
