Bébé Voyage, a community and resource for globetrotting parents, is demanding improved conditions for families going through airport security by organizing a grassroots lobbying effort in support of the Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening (BABES) Act [HR 5065/ S 3299]. The BABES Act, introduced by Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler and Senator Kelly Ayotte, would improve training for Transportation Security Agency (TSA) officers around existing policies and procedures regarding...
Over 5,000 18-35 year olds around the world were recently polled to discover what motivates them to travel and create the The No Regrets List, the top 20 bucket list travel experiences for 2017. According to the study, 71 percent of U.S. millennials and post-millennials, view experiences as the most important thing in their lives – which is why the top 20 places on their bucket lists aren’t just destinations, they’re experiences. Bathing in Iceland’s Blue Lagoon tops the list...
Mr Eric Hallin General Manager of the Rembrandt was recently elected President of SKÅL International Bangkok. The travel and tourism association’s Bangkok Club recently held an election in light of key changes to the managing executive committee. This year marks the 60th Anniversary of Skal International Bangkok, which was inaugurated on the 28th September 1956. The new executive committee Nov 2016-Nov 2018: 1. President Eric Hallin 2. Vice President ...
Following the worst El Niño-induced drought in decades in southern Africa, United Nations humanitarian agencies and partners today launched a revised Action Plan to outlining their response to the needs of an estimated 13.8 million people as the region enters the peak of the lean season with largely depleted food stocks due to poor and failed harvests. In a news release yesterday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the region is suffering “severe”...
2016 was no slouch of a year for the meetings industry nor, indeed, for the world at large. Dramatic forces were at play and many of us shared a sense that, even if we wanted to grasp the pace or nature of change taking place, we barely had the time or the head space to do so. 2016 was pivotal – and it felt like it. Looking ahead to 2017, IMEX has identified five trends which, starting at A and ending at Z, are anything but simple or linear in the impact they’ll have on the meetings and events...
A new global survey by a vacation rental company HomeAway reveals that almost 33% of Asian families who celebrate Christmas will be spending more than $1,000 on travel during the festive season, compared to only 22% globally. And 20% surveyed from Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea will spend more than US$1,000 on accommodation alone, compared to only 12% who spend this much on average. The results also reveal the biggest barrier for Asian families to holiday travel is...
The holiday season is traditionally that time of year when far-flung families gather together to reconnect with one another, exchange gifts and share in a holiday feast. According to the U.S. Travel Association1, visiting relatives was the leading reason for leisure travel in 2015, so it is no surprise that the holiday season is a hectic time of year for travel. While most holiday travelers are in a festive spirit, there will invariably be some “bad apples” who, whether they mean to...
Vertis Aviation has announced today the promotion of Dubai-based Catherine Buchanan to Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective immediately. In her new role Catherine, who is currently General Manager of the company’s Dubai office, will steer commercial development of the business, with a particular focus on the EMEA region. Her responsibilities will include international sales and business development, budget planning, managing relationships with aircraft owners, and advising on putting...
Five West African nations are banning ‘dirty’ European fuels – exported fuels with higher sulphur levels – in response to concerns over vehicle emissions and in an effort to bring safer, cleaner air to more than 250 million people, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said today. According to UNEP, last week, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire introduced strict standards that will ensure cleaner, low sulphur diesel fuels, and better emissions standards, thus...
Brand USA, the destination-marketing organization for the United States, has announced the appointment of two new board members and the reappointment of two existing members. The new board appointees join a group of tourism industry leaders each with designated expertise in specific sectors of the travel industry including: hotel accommodations; restaurants; small business or retail or in associations representing that sector; travel distribution; attractions or recreations; state-level tourism...
Italians are going to vote in an upcoming constitutional referendum that will take place on Sunday on Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s proposed changes to the constitution that will reduce the role of the Senate and rein in the powers of regional governments. The result of the referendum could raise the possibility of the country’s exit from the euro single currency, a worrisome issue for the European Union already grappling with Brexit. Prime Minister Renzi has argued that the reforms will...
Luxury Italian automaker Maserati has partnered with Sotheby’s to celebrate the internationally-renowned auction house’s “Night of Luxury” event, which was held last night in New York City. Crowds of VIP guests gathered at Sotheby’s York Avenue location to experience first-hand the breathtaking design of Maserati’s newest entry into the premium SUV segment, the Levante. The after-hours cocktail party was organized to celebrate Sotheby’s Winter Auctions...
New HIV infections among adolescents are projected to rise from 250,000 in 2015 to nearly 400,000 a year by 2030 if progress stalls in reaching adolescents, warns a report released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today, which is observed annually as World AIDS Day. “The world has made tremendous progress in the global effort to end AIDS, but the fight is far from over – especially for children and adolescents,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake in a news release...
The Crown Prince Court celebrated the United Arab Emirates and its 45 years of nationhood and it has been asked to the Olympic Producer Balich Worldwide Shows to create and produce a live performance. The show, performed in front of a selected crowd of dignitaries, was a tribute to the many facets of the country and of its 45 years of history since the unification. The recurring theme of the show was a promise of the people to the nation itself: “The Country is Amanah”. Amanah is one of the...
Lobster Experience GmbH & Co. KG – one of the leading luxury hotel representations in the German-speaking markets – appointed Katharina Herbst as a competent and experienced professional at the head of their sales team. In the future, the experienced touristic expert will guide all sales activities of the Leisure and MICE departments and will drive forward the strategic expansion of the Lobster Events department. Katharina Herbst was previously responsible for product management...
Dr. Betty Radier is the Kenya Tourism Board’s new Chief Executive Officer effective December 1, 2016. This follows an extensive search earlier in the year which saw Betty outclass her fellow applicants for this key position. Announcing the appointment, KTB Chairman Mr. Jimi Kariuki said the Board was confident that Dr. Radier had the right qualifications to steer KTB and the country’s tourism sector into great new frontiers. She brings on board vast leaderships skills complemented with...
JacTravel, the UK-based B2B travel wholesaler, has appointed Francesco de Marchis to its board of directors, as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) reporting to Terry Williamson, CEO. Francesco is a highly-qualified IT professional. He has worked for many years in the travel industry heading up the technology departments for some of the leading names including Orbitz and Low Cost Travel. He also led critical Digital Transformation Projects, in particular, at Play.com, embedding business and...
Competing for this move with the outspoken Hon Walter Mzembi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Zimbabwe, the country of Georgia on November 15 has named Zurab Pololikashvili, ambassador to Spain and permanent representative to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), for the position of the organization’s secretary general. Mr. Pololikashvili speaks English, Spanish, French, Russian, and Japanese In 1998 he graduated from the Technical University of Georgia with an degree in International...
Scotland’s got a thing about Andrews. Saint Andrew is, after all, the patron saint and Andy Murray, well, he’s world number one now.
People of diverse faiths hailing from dozens of countries land daily at Frankfurt Airport.
Insiders appear worried, but he is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. He later graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in Canberra, Australia. An officer in the Thai military, he trained with the Australian, British, and United States armed services. He is a qualified military pilot and helicopter pilot. He took an active part in military operations against the Communist Party of Thailand...
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will help wrap the National Park Service Centennial celebrations when they officially light the National Christmas Tree in President’s Park on Dec. 1 during the 2016 National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.
Brand Kenya Director Chris Diaz has been recognised amongst the top 100 global marketing leaders who are influencing high standards in their profession and are respected thought leaders in the sector around the world. Mr. Chris Diaz, who has been involved in positioning Kenya positively on the global stage, was recognized at a ceremony hosted by the World Marketing Congress and World Brand Congress at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai. During the ceremony, which was attended by top marketing gurus drawn...
Virgin America is assisting the City of San Francisco Animal Care & Control (SF ACC) by flying Chihuahua pups in need of homes from San Francisco to the New York area.
Members of European Parliament (MEPs) advocate a full and immediate EU-wide ban on ivory and rhinoceros horn trade, and call for common sanctions at EU level against wildlife trafficking, in a resolution voted on Thursday.
Cuba is the hottest tourism destination in the world. Now we are living in new times. US commercial airline service to Cuba is in full operation, and today former Cuban President Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary leader who built a communist state on the doorstep of the United States and for five decades defied US efforts to topple him, died on Friday. He was 90. Fidel Castro’s vision on tourism, was named “a Tourism Experience” and included: Cuba is not going to offer...
Kenya Airways’ Chairman of the Board, Mr. Michael Joseph, announced a short while ago that the company’s Group Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Mbuvi Ngunze, will leave the airline at the end of the first quarter of 2017. It is understood that Mr. Ngunze will remain at Kenya Airways until a successor has been identified and has been able to take up his or her position.
If you’re one of the lucky people who gets a drone as a holiday present, the Federal Aviation Administration wants you to know how to fly it safely.
Prashant Kirtane, HomeAway Vice President, Asia, said, “Asia is critical to HomeAway’s future growth and is a priority for the organization globally. With the appointment of Rob, Judith, Dennis and Natsuko, we aim to build a strong business and growth strategy across the region. They are dynamic leaders, bringing a wealth of experience with regional expertise from diverse markets such as Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong. I’m confident that their passion for the business and region will play an...
Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is adding his voice to calls by the police for motorists to exercise care while travelling on the nation’s roadways. This as the Minister expressed deep regret at the passing of two employees of the Bahia Principe Hotel, who were involved in a two-vehicle collision along the Dunn’s River main road on November 22, 2016. “I am extremely saddened to hear of the untimely death of Jodian Duncan and Shanique Grey. I also regret the fact that...
