Category - Tourism

Seychelles’ underwater world showcased at top European Diving Show

7 years ago

The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) took part in the in the most important national and European show for divers and diving cruises held in Bologna, Italy, as from March 3 to 5. The European Diving Show (Eudi) is largely attended by groups from the tourism and fishing industry including didactics, tour operators, diving centers, and aficionados of the underwater world. Around 32,000 visitors are recorded annually, and this year was no exception with many big sponsors of the event present such as...

60 countries at OTM 2017 make it the largest international trade show in India

7 years ago

Exhibitors from a record number of 60 countries showcased their destinations at OTM 2017 from February 21-23 at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre. This was by far the largest number of countries participating in any trade show in the country. 1,343 travel organizations from 60 countries exhibited at OTM 2017 including national and state tourism organizations, hotels, airlines, destination marketing companies and other suppliers serving leisure as well as business travel and M.I.C.E...

Sea-U Guest House leads sustainability for boutique hotels in Bathsheba

7 years ago

Sea-U Guest House is elated to announce that it has been awarded the Green Globe certification for the sixth time in a row, which means, it successfully maintained its Gold Level. Sea-U Guest House has grown from a 5-room guest house to a small boutique style hotel with 10 rooms. It has made tremendous progress over the years, and in turn, has witnessed savings in terms of energy consumption and the diversion of waste from the landfill to local recycling depots. Whether it be implementation of...

UNIGLOBE Travel International announces new Global Marketing Agreement with Amadeus

7 years ago

UNIGLOBE Travel International announces today that it has signed a new long-term Global Marketing Agreement with Amadeus. As part of this agreement, UNIGLOBE is declaring Amadeus its preferred distribution and technology partner for its global network of corporate travel agencies, while Amadeus will support UNIGLOBE in its efforts to be a globally-recognized travel management company. UNIGLOBE agency members operating across 60+ countries around the globe will benefit from this new agreement...

Le Duc de Praslin furthers its efforts towards greener methods

7 years ago

Le Duc de Praslin is currently a leading example for hotels in Seychelles based on its ongoing effort to push forth a more sustainable and greener tourism model which is set to blossom this year based on the hotel’s continuous efforts to bring forward safer and greener tourism practices. The award-winning hotel launched its new PV system earlier this month and is gearing up to further reduce its carbon footprint by tripling this power production in the near future. It is planning several other...

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Several people wounded in ax attack at Düsseldorf train station

7 years ago

Police in Dusseldorf have arrested at least two people following an ax attack at the city’s main train station. Several people have been injured, according to reports. There are conflicting reports as to whether police are searching for other suspects. Up to five people were understood to have been injured in the attack but, as of yet, there are no details about the extent of their injuries. Spiegel reported that eyewitnesses saw people bleeding on the ground, but there has been no confirmation...

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European chain hotels – Barcelona is booming, Brussels and Budapest struggle

7 years ago

Hotels in Barcelona achieved a 12.4% year-on-year increase in profit per room in January, continuing the strong profit growth achieved in the Catalan capital in 2016, according to the latest data from HotStats. Barcelona was one of the top performing hotel markets in Europe in 2016 recording a year-on-year profit increase of 9.6%, which was driven by a 6.7% increase in RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room) to €165.35, led by a 7.1% increase in achieved average room rate. Whilst occupancy...

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Holland America Line’s ms Oosterdam continues company’s perfect streak

7 years ago

Holland America Line’s ms Oosterdam joins sister-ship ms Eurodam this year by earning a perfect score of 100 on a routine United States Public Health (USPH) inspection conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Oosterdam’s unannounced USPH inspection was held March 3, 2017, during a turnaround at Tampa, Florida, at the start of a seven-day Caribbean cruise. The perfect score follows on the heels of sister ship ms Eurodam achieving its 11th perfect score...

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Cathay Pacific to add four nonstop flights between San Francisco and Hong Kong

7 years ago

Cathay Pacific Airways today announced four additional non-stop flights between San Francisco and Hong Kong, using the new Airbus A350-900, featuring a refreshed Business Class cabin as well as new Premium Economy Class and Economy Class seats. This will be the airline’s first A350 deployed in the USA and second in North America. From October 29, 2017, flight CX893 will expand from a three-times-weekly service using a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to a daily A350 service, bringing the total...

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UNWTO: Fostering sustainable tourism development along the Silk Road

7 years ago

The 7th UNWTO Silk Road Ministers Meeting held at ITB Berlin on 8 March 2017 focused on how to foster sustainable tourism development along the Silk Road. Held within the framework of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017, 31 countries from the Silk Road and beyond exchanged best-practice on how to advance the contribution of tourism to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Addressing the meeting and setting the tone for the ministerial debate, UNWTO Secretary...

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Germany’s first transit hotel debuts at Frankfurt Airport

7 years ago

Germany’s first transit hotel, located at Gate Z 25 in Terminal 1 at Frankfurt Airport, opened for business on March 6, 2017. Its proximity to the departure gates lets transit passengers stay at the hotel without having to leave the security zone and then quickly and conveniently board their onward flights. And in contrast to conventional hotels, they can book rooms for only a few hours if they like. The MY CLOUD Hotel features 59 modern, stylishly decorated rooms that are ideal for resting and...

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ITB Berlin: Safety increasingly important when deciding where to go on holiday

7 years ago

Of the more than 6,000 people from nine countries who were questioned, 97 per cent stated that safety was a consideration when making a travel decision. This also applies when they have already booked a journey and have been disconcerted by the latest news. This was reported at the ITB Future Day at the ITB Berlin Convention by Richard Singer, a member of the board of Travelzoo Europe, with regard to the findings of a global research project on the subject of travel safety. The event was...

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ITB Berlin introduces new Medical Tourism Pavilion

7 years ago

This year ITB Berlin has introduced a new platform in Hall 3.2 for medical health providers, as well as hotels and destinations offering corresponding medical services. At the Medical Tourism Pavilion visitors can find about products and services and attend presentations and workshops on the latest trends and developments in this growth market. Every year the Medical Travel Quality Alliance (MTQUA) inspects hospitals in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North and South America, and tests them...

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Airberlin CEO: We deeply regret inconvenience caused to our passengers due to strike

7 years ago

The trade union ver.di has called for strike action by ground staff on 10 March 2017 at the Berlin airports. Due to the strike, flights may be cancelled or delayed at short notice. Exceptions to the cancellations are likely to be long-haul flights and the feeder flight AB6431 to the airberlin hub Düsseldorf. Also the flight AB 8380 to Tel Aviv is expected to take place as scheduled. The strike will have considerable effects on all air traffic to and from Berlin. Passengers must expect delays...

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Traveling for a better world: World Legacy Awards for sustainable tourism projects

7 years ago

“It is possible to have the best vacation of your life and at the same time help to make the world a better place – that is what lies at the heart of sustainable tourism”, explained Costas Christ, Editor in Chief of the National Geographic Traveler, at the presentation of the World Legacy Awards for sustainable tourism companies on Wednesday at ITB Berlin. Together with Dr. Taleb Rifai, Sectretary General of the UNWTO, Christ called for travel to be recognized as a human right. In his welcoming...

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Berlin airports brace for Friday strikes

7 years ago

Flights in and out of Berlin’s airports Tegel and Schonefeld are likely to face delays and flight cancelations as ground staff go on strike in a dispute over pay, Deutsche Welle reports. Trade union Verdi announced walkouts at the capital’s airports from 4am on Friday to 5am on Saturday local time. Verdi is pushing for an hourly pay increase and better working hours for its members, arguing that their workload is increasing. The union also wants more opportunities for professional advancement...

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Royal Caribbean’s newest and world’s largest cruise ship headlines 2018-2019 deployment

7 years ago

Royal Caribbean today breaks ground on the dramatic new Port Miami Terminal A, which will herald the arrival of what will be the world’s largest cruise ship and the global cruise line’s newest addition, Symphony of the Seas. She and Oasis-class sister ship Allure of the Seas, each with a bold and unexpected lineup of thrilling experiences that have revolutionized the cruise industry, will unite in November 2018 to offer island-hopping adventures through the Caribbean from the Magic...

UBER boss’ recent notoriety costs company dearly

7 years ago

Reports from Nairobi suggest that the present phase of negotiations between taxi hailing giant UBER and their Kenyan drivers have come to naught when representatives of the drivers walked away from the talks. Yet new demands by the local management of UBER appear to have triggered the walkout and it has been suggested that a prohibition order on arbitration was the main point of contention, combined with attempts to shift the legal setting from Kenya to Holland. UBER managers in Kenya got...

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Protesters will oppose cruel and abusive ostrich races at Chandler Ostrich Festival

7 years ago

Protests opposing the cruel and abusive ostrich races will be held at the Chandler Ostrich Festival this coming weekend on March 10th, 11th, and 12th 2017. Protesters representing United Poultry Concerns and Arizona Vegan Animal Liberation Activists are urging the Chandler Chamber of Commerce to eliminate the ostrich races – both the chariot style and the rodeo style – and focus instead on attractions that reflect Chandler’s evolving high-tech industry and the public’s growing...

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Choice Hotels welcomes first-of-its-kind Sleep Inn Hotel

7 years ago

Choice Hotels International, Inc., Lieben Group, LP, and Nivea Hospitality celebrate the opening of the first Sleep Inn hotel to feature the brand’s recently evolved interior and exterior design, opening just nine months after the concept was announced. The newly constructed 62-room Sleep Inn & Suites in Galion, Ohio, is located at 6698 Brandt Road, just off U.S. Route 30, and designed to appeal to both business and leisure travelers. Sleep Inn, an all-new construction hotel brand...

MSC Fantasia, one of the largest cruise ships, to begin calls to Port of Spain

7 years ago

The MSC Fantasia will begin calls to Port of Spain during the 2017/8 cruise season. The announcement was made at the MSC Cruises Travel Partners Event hosted by MSC Cruises and co-sponsored by the Tourism Development Company on Friday, February 24, 2017. The MSC Fantasia has a passenger capacity of 3,900 with 1,200 crew members. It will be the second largest cruise ship to visit to Trinidad. The MSC Cruises Travel Partners Event was attended by local cruise-specific travel agents and their...

Trump urged to ground Emirates Newark-Athens flight

7 years ago

US President Donald Trump has been urged to ground an Emirates flight, which could grant the airliner billions of dollars in state subsidies. Bipartisan members representing New Jersey and New York wrote a letter to the White House this week calling for cancellation of an Emirates flight, set to be launched between the US and Greece, the Hill reported on Wednesday. The congressmen argued that it is not fair for American airliners to have to compete with the Emirates or other Persian Gulf...

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World Tourism Network on Child Protection Executive Committee meets in Berlin

7 years ago

Today in Berlin at Villa Kastaia hotel the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the World Tourism Network on Child Protection by UNWTO had it’s yearly meeting on the sideline of ITB Berlin. Attending: Chair Carol Bellamy Governments H.E. Najib Balala, Minister of Tourism of Kenya Widad Sherman, Chief of Staff, Ministry of Tourism, Kenya Tokiaritefy Rabeson, General Director of Tourism Development, Ministry of Tourism, Madagascar Khin Than Win, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Hotels and Tourism...

Jamaica Tourism Minister discusses Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme

7 years ago

Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett engaged tourism stakeholders in Montego Bay in discussions recently about the Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme, which is expected to go tender soon. The fund is expected to benefit some 90,000 persons employed in the tourism industry. The fund is expected to come on stream in September 2017, with $1 billion being provided by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) over a 5-year period. The meeting marks the first in a series of stakeholder...

Seychelles Tourism Board showcases the islands in California

7 years ago

The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) was an exhibitor at the Travel & Adventure Show in the city of San Diego, in the state of California, located on the west coast of the United States of America. The trade and consumer show took place at the San Diego Convention Center in the state of California, from March 4 to 5. It is one of the biggest trade and consumer shows in the United States, taking place every year for the past 13 years in important cities in America. The shows serve to connect...

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Asia’s lesser-known destinations on the rise

7 years ago

The results of the latest Travel Smart study, revealing the top 10 destinations in Asia gaining in popularity with travelers from around the world, were announced today. From the millions of bookings made in 2016, travelers to Asia are showing a growing preference for lesser-known destinations that promise unique experiences. Fastest riser is Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan’s mythical powder paradise. Niseko features four interconnected resorts with more than 800 skiable hectares along the...

Air Europa upgrades Havana route with new Dreamliner

7 years ago

Air Europa, is celebrating the arrival of its sixth ‘Dreamliner’ Boeing 787-8 and commencing today has utilised the brand new aircraft on its daily Madrid to Havana route. The flight to Cuba connects perfectly with the Air Europa twice-daily flights between London Gatwick and Madrid’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas Airport. Air Europa’s UK director Colin Stewart said: “Havana is one of the most successful routes on our network, it has grown considerably over the past three years and is tipped to...

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Royal Caribbean and The Bahamas finalizes tourism agreement

7 years ago

The world’s largest cruise line, Royal Caribbean International, has committed to a multi-year agreement with the island nation of The Bahamas that will help grow tourism to the destination, rapidly increase the cruise line’s employment of Bahamian nationals and invest in hospitality training to develop talent in the country. At a signing ceremony attended by Perry Christie, Prime Minister of The Bahamas and Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International, the cruise...

Alaska Airlines to announce new nonstop destinations from Silicon Valley’s airport

7 years ago

San Jose (California) Mayor Sam Liccardo and Alaska Airlines Vice President of Capacity Planning John Kirby will announce tomorrow details of new nonstop cities from Silicon Valley’s Airport, Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) to begin in the fall 2017. Alaska Airlines has designated San Jose as a focus city and continues to expand service and connect key markets at Silicon Valley’s airport. With this announcement, Alaska will offer the largest number of nonstop destinations among all...

No aloha for Trump’s Travel Ban 2.0

7 years ago

Hawaii state attorneys filed a motion in US District Court in Honolulu yesterday requesting a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order against Trump’s revised travel ban, becoming the first state to do so. Ismail Elshikh, imam of the Muslim Association of Hawaii, is a co-plaintiff in the motion. Hawaii State Attorney General Doug Chin said in a statement via a news release: “The state of Hawaii intends to pursue legal action regarding President Trump’s new travel ban, which was...