Southwest Airlines Co. announced today several Leadership promotions from within the Company’s ranks. Ryan Green is promoted to Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer; and Bill Tierney is promoted to Managing Director Marketing. Within Corporate Delivery & Technology, Erika Linford is promoted to Vice President, Corporate Delivery—Commercial, Customer, & Ground Operations. Chris Monroe has been promoted to Senior Vice President Finance. Monroe will continue to serve as...
This is a transcript of today’s remarks of Alexandre de Juniac at the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations: Thank you for the very warm introduction and the invitation to address you today. It is always a pleasure to be here in Montreal. Aside from being a unique and energetic city celebrating its 375th anniversary, it is home to IATA’s global headquarters. And let me begin today with some thoughts on IATA’s role. First and foremost, IATA promotes safe, efficient, economical and...
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has hailed a bold display of #LondonisOpen artwork newly on show at Heathrow. The now-iconic David Shrigley art will be featured at the airport over the next six weeks. The first Heathrow #LondonisOpen campaign, worth an estimated £200,000 of advertising space, has been donated by the airport to the Mayor’s campaign to show that London is united and ready to welcome the world, for both business and leisure. Almost ten million passengers from across the world...
airberlin welcomes the agreement announced today between the Berlin and Brandenburg Employers’ Association (Allgemeiner Verband der Wirtschaft für Berlin und Brandenburg) for the employers and ver.di representing employees in the pay dispute affecting ground handling services at Berlin’s airports. Thomas Winkelmann, Chief Executive Officer of airberlin, said of the decision announced this morning: “The agreement between the partners to the deal is great news. Stable, smooth...
Since its launching in 2009, the World Tourism Forum Lucerne has been professionally supported by an international Advisory Board. Jacinta Nzioka (Kenya Tourism Board), has become the Advisory Board’s newest member. In their message, the World Tourism Forum said: “After a detailed talent search process, Jacinta Nzioka, Director of Marketing of the Kenya Tourism Board, has just been appointed as the 24th member and the first representative from Africa in the Advisory Board. As Director of...
Campaigns for the next United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General (SG) are in full swing. Seven candidates are competing to lead the UNWTO: from Armenia – Mr. Vahan Martirosyan, from Brazil – Mr. Márcio Favilla, from Colombia – Mr. Jaime Alberto Cabal Sanclemente, from Georgia – Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, from the Republic of Korea – Mrs. Young-shim Dho, from Seychelles – Mr. Alain St. Ange, and from Zimbabwe – Mr. Walter Mzembi...
Major tourism hotspots in the GCC are experiencing a surge in Indian visitors as the region prepares to showcase its offering to leisure and business travelers at this year’s Arabian Travel Market, at Dubai World Trade Centre, April 24-27. In both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, India was the top performing source market in 2016. In Dubai, 1.8 million nationals arrived last year compared to 1.6 million in 2015 and in Abu Dhabi, which welcomed a record-breaking 4.4 million visitors in total in 2016...
United Airlines found itself at the center of a Twitter storm after two teenage girls were stopped from boarding a flight because they were wearing leggings. The incident, which happened at Denver International Airport, was flagged on Twitter by another passenger, Shannon Watts – the founder of gun reform group Moms Demand Action. Watts tweeted that airline staff were “forcing them to change or put dresses on over leggings or they can’t board. Since when does @united police women’s...
Israel on Monday urged citizens vacationing in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula to leave immediately, saying the threat of attacks inspired by Islamic State and other jihadi groups was high. The advisory was issued ahead of the Passover holiday, when thousands of Israelis cross the land border with Egypt to visit resorts and beaches on the Sinai’s Red Sea coast. Israel’s Anti-Terrorism Directorate said its “Level 1” alert related to a “very high concrete threat.” The directorate on Monday refreshed...
At least two luxury liners have big plans for the charming Hue in central Vietnam as more tourists are drawn to the city’s scenery and history. US-based Royal Caribbean International and Hong Kong-based Star Cruises have said they will bring a combined 150,000 foreign tourists to the central city of Hue this year, according to media reports. “Tourist arrivals in Hue via cruise ships have grown since 2015, when the city’s Chan May Port was upgraded for bigger vessels,” Le Huu Minh, a...
Unabashed by international sanctions, cash-strapped North Korea is calling for foreign businesses to invest in an international cruise ship in a bid to boost tourism. According to the proposal listed on the Mount Kumgang region website, the country needs $20 million to buy the 30,000-ton Royale Star, a Soviet-era cruise ship capable of carrying 1,000 passengers. The liner can operate a casino business, even though gambling remains strictly prohibited in the country. It is currently docked at...
Prime Minister Theresa May has reportedly vowed to break the 1964 London Convention and ban European fishing vessels from waters 6 to 12 nautical miles from British shores. The convention would allow some European fishermen to catch in British waters even after Brexit, when the UK will no longer be part of the EU common fisheries policy. A notice period of two years will be given to EU fishing groups. The end of the agreement would see foreign vessels lose out significantly, as 58 percent of...
More than 116 million children are set to be immunized against polio starting tomorrow in one of the largest of its kind synchronized vaccination campaigns across west and central Africa, United Nations agencies today announced. All children under five years of age in the 13 countries will be simultaneously immunized in a coordinated effort to raise childhood immunity to polio across the continent, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a press...
ECA and ETF issued joint statement on the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome: This year we, as Europeans, will celebrate 60 years of the greatest and most successful peace accord in the world. 60 years ago, the Treaty of Rome was signed laying its foundations, and those of the world’s biggest international single market. The economic integration of 1958 then received its proper political dimension through the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992. In his opening statement to the European Parliament...
At least three people, including a minor, have reportedly been injured in the city of Lille after a gunman opened fire near the central Porte d’Arras metro station. A heavy police presence is reported at the scene. Witnesses heard at least five shots fired in central Lille late on Friday, local outlet La Voix du Nord reported. The injured reportedly included a 14-year-old teenager, who was shot in the leg. Another person has suffered a neck injury and has been hospitalized. The motive behind...
Howard Eng, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), announced today that Jill Sharland, the GTAA’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, is leaving the GTAA effective March 23, 2017. The GTAA’s Board of Directors has appointed Ian Clarke as the GTAA’s interim Chief Financial Officer, effective April 10, 2017. Mr. Clarke has served as a Director of the GTAA since 2012, including as a member and Chair of its Audit Committee...
As part of its strategy of internationalisation, Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week continues to centre its campaign to promote the show and attract buyers, promoters and influencers on the USA which, in addition to the European countries, is the potential market of greatest interest to the brands taking part in the show due to its role as a commercial powerhouse and a global amplifier of fashion trends. Among this year’s stars is the Venezuelan-born, New York based designer Ángel Sánchez, who...
MGM Resorts International will recognize Earth Hour, the global effort to raise awareness of climate change, by dimming the exterior lights at 18 of its properties worldwide March 25. During the annual event, which is sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, millions of people join communities, businesses and iconic landmarks around the world in switching their lights off for one hour. The goal is to demonstrate the importance of energy conservation and to support action on climate change...
100 days left- the countdown to the kick-off of the Tour de France – the Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017 – from June 29 until July 2, 2017. Today Düsseldorf’s Lord Mayor Thomas Geisel and Tour Director Christian Prudhomme will unveil a pillar with a countdown tallying the last 100 days until the 1st stage. Visitors from near and far will be arriving in the capital of the state of Northrhine Westphalia for the Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017, the run-up to the Tour de France, on the...
American Airlines team members will reaffirm their commitment to our nation’s military with annual events paying tribute to Medal of Honor recipients this week. The events culminate with a charter flight carrying 25 recipients and their families to Washington D.C. for National Medal of Honor Day events and activities. “American Airlines and our more than 100,000 team members are proud to partner with the National Medal of Honor Society to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the...
Crystal Bus is Hong Kong’s first-ever sightseeing restaurant bus to drive through the city. Paired with stylish interiors decorated with crystals, high quality sound systems, and special facilities, guests can admire the beautiful views of the city while enjoying delicacies from local Michelin starred restaurants. Crystal Bus Holding Limited held the “Crystal Bus Debut Launch” on 14th March 2017 with the attendance of press, councillors, commercial elites, and partners from...
An inaugural cruise: The phrase brings to mind the exclusive nature of glamourous champagne christenings, celebrity godmothers and brand-new ship features and amenities. Avid cruisers add these voyages to the top their vacation lists, due to the many perks and bonuses of the sailings. There are currently 79 ships scheduled to debut from 2017 to 2020 and the cruise experts have compiled a list of seven things to love about an inaugural cruise. 1. Global Celebrations. Depending on the...
Benchmark, a global hospitality company, has named Kristina Turner area director of marketing for the Forbes Four Star-rated Villas of Grand Cypress, a Gemstone Collection property, and The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property that opened its first phase on March 10, 2017. Both resorts are located near Walt Disney World® in Orlando, Florida. Ted Davis, chief sales & marketing office for Benchmark, made the announcement. “It is a pleasure to welcome...
Today, two years after the crash of Germanwings flight 4U9525, a sculpture has been unveiled in Le Vernet in the French Alps as a memorial to those who lost their lives. An official ceremony was held to mark the second anniversary of the accident and was attended by 500 relatives of the victims, who traveled from all around the world to be there. At the ceremony, the “Sonnenkugel” (meaning ‘Solar Orb’) created by German artist Jürgen Batscheider was presented to the relatives by...
HotelsPro, a global technology and hotel reservation solutions provider for travel industry professionals investigated the possible effects of Generation Y and Z to the tourism sector. Generation Z is also known as Post-Millennials, the iGeneration. The Generation Y is considered people born during the 1980s and early 1990s. Dwelling upon several suggestions on how tourism industry can touch Generation Y, which will hold the biggest share of spending power as of 2020, and Generation Z, which...
As first reported by CNN, Canada’s largest school system announced it will no longer allow student or staff trips to the US, citing uncertainty over the travel ban. Toronto District School Board expressed concern over how the US immigration policy could affect students on school trips. “We strongly believe that our students should not be placed into these situations of potentially being turned away at the border,” the board’s director of education, John Malloy, said in a...
Accelya, a leading provider of financial and commercial solutions to the airline industry, and Mercator, a global provider of product-enabled solutions to the travel and transportation industry, today announced the successful completion of their combination, creating a leading global technology-enabled solutions provider to airlines, travel agents and transport companies. The combined group has a broadened product portfolio with complementary offerings including revenue accounting, revenue...
The United Nations General Assembly has designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. For the duration of 2017, the global UN community, across all nations and agencies, will focus on the critical role of tourism as a vehicle for global unity, opportunity, and sustainable advancement of the economies, societies, cultures, and environments. To mark this milestone year for the tourism sector, Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of UNWTO, visited Seoul on March...
Home-sharing giant Airbnb is adopting the name “Aibiying” (“爱彼迎” in Chinese characters) in China, one that translates as “welcome each other with love,” as it doubles investment in the country and triples its local workforce to serve the world’s largest population of travelers. The startup intends to ramp up its Chinese business after more than doubling listings in the country to about 80,000 in 2016, Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky said. This year, it plans to offer customers in Shanghai...
Amid a changing landscape, Islamic extremism remained a potent threat to US domestic security in 2016, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)’s annual snapshot of activity spurred by foreign terror groups. The ADL report on domestic Islamic extremist activity in 2016, issued today, found a total of 45 US residents were linked to terror plots and other activity inspired by foreign terror organizations’ extremist ideology. While that number was down significantly from the 81...
