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FOOTBALL AND FASHION LURE MORE GULF REGION TOURISTS TO THE UK – VISITBRITAIN
The number of tourists coming to the UK from the Gulf Region has jumped, according to a new report from VisitBritain.
Some 494,000 people from the Gulf Region made trips to the UK in 2009, up 9 per cent on the year before.
Tourists from Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates say they are particularly attracted to the UK by the opportunity to shop for fashion and luxury goods not available at home – and the chance to watch one of Britain’s increasingly world famous Premier League football clubs.
Gulf tourism makes an important contribution to the UK economy. The average amount that visitors from the region spent in 2009 while in this country was £1,733 per person – more than three times as much as the average tourist who spent just £554.
The region was the source of 1.7 per cent of visitors to the UK in 2009 but they splashed out £856 million, 5.2 per cent of what all foreign tourists spent here.
Key reasons for the surge in Gulf Region visits to Britain include our growing reputation as a safe, well-organised country with polite, approachable people and relatively low levels of theft or fraud. Our temperate climate is seen as particularly desirable for those wishing to escape searing summer temperatures which average 45 degrees Celcius in Saudi Arabia, for example.
The new report comes as the popularity of the UK with Gulf Region investors has climbed. Qatar Holdings, the state-owned investment fund, owns the prestigious Harrods department store. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, is currently spending money heavily to transform Manchester City FC into a team that can finally compete with its neighbour Manchester United for the Premiership crown. The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company recently bought the ExCeL exhibition centre in London.
Gulf Region visitors currently have limited knowledge of Britain outside London but they find the idea of visiting other parts of the country ‘’very appealing.’’
Although Gulf Region tourists believe London is relatively expensive compared to other European destinations the cost tends to be outweighed by the cachet of being able to say they visited London and experienced Britain’s culture and heritage. Another point in Britain’s favour is that it is easy for Gulf Region tourists to communicate once they get here, since most are familiar with the English language.
When would-be Gulf Region tourists were asked where they would like to visit in the next three years, only Malaysia had a slight edge over Britain as a destination because of its rich scenic beauty. Britain’s closest rivals are, in order of precedence, France, Thailand, Singapore and the USA.
Other factors that made Gulf Region visitors choose Britain included the availability of plenty of activities for the family and the clean environment.
The increase in tourist visits to the UK comes after a sustained push by VisitBritain to sell the UK as a destination to the region. For example, in association with Tourism Ireland, it launched a major business-to-business travel trade event, Destination Britain & Ireland (Debi), in Dubai in May 2010. It was the biggest trade event of its kind in the Asia Pacific, Gulf Region, and Africa region with more than 200 key companies and travel industry specialists attending the three-day event.
Patricia Yates, Director of Strategy and Communications, VisitBritain said: ‘’The number of visitors coming to the UK from the Gulf Region has jumped significantly in the past year, partly thanks to a sustained push by VisitBritain to sell the UK as a travel destination. It is very good news that travellers from the region are increasingly attracted to our reputation as a safe, welcoming and friendly country with lots of sights, activities, adventures and entertainment to enjoy.’’
Airline launches double-decker service to Manchester
Emirates’ expanding A380 fleet is generating interest from airports across the world as Manchester becomes the latest city to be served by the superjumbo.
The international airline of the United Arab Emirates is now the world’s largest operator of the A380 with 12 in the fleet.
A further order for 32 A380s, announced during the Berlin Air Show in June, has prompted a flurry of enquiries from airports around the world.
Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice Chairman Emirates Airline & Group, who was born in the North West of England and joined the first Manchester A380 flight said: “This is a historic moment for Emirates as we bring our 21st century superjumbo to the North West twenty years after our first flight from the region. Our Manchester service has been an incredible success story, and we’re delighted to be opening the next chapter today.”
Mr Flanagan added: “People are realising that this is the passenger aircraft of the future. As a result of our announcement in Berlin, we have had enquiries from more than 20 airports across the world, asking whether Emirates would fly the A380 to their airports. These aircraft are a dream to travel in and a dream to have at your disposal for expansion. They are extremely popular with our passengers and where we deploy them, they fill up almost immediately – running at over 90 percent load factor.”
Information from Airbus shows that the A380 has now flown to more than 100 airports across the globe, either commercially or for events or test flights.
The start of A380 flights to Manchester from today is the first time the world’s largest airliner has operated a scheduled service to a regional airport. It is also the first time Emirates has brought its First Class cabin to the route.
Manchester Airport’s Managing Director, Andrew Cornish, said: “The start of daily A380 services from Manchester to Dubai is a moment in history for our airport and the wider region. It’s of such significance that we’re expecting thousands of people to visit the airport on September 1st to catch a glimpse of her first flight. We’ve invested around £10m to upgrade the airport’s infrastructure to accommodate the flagship of the Emirates fleet and are very much looking forward to welcoming her for the first time.”
EK017 leaves Dubai daily at 0755hrs and arrives in Manchester at 1225hrs. EK018 departs Manchester at 1410hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0015hrs the next day.
Emirates’ A380 is renowned for its First Class Private Suites, Onboard Shower Spas and Onboard Lounge for First Class and Business Class passengers, offering a wide range of drinks and canapés, as well as space to socialise or simply relax.
Passengers in all classes can lose themselves in the quietness of the aircraft and the award-winning ice in-flight entertainment system. There are more than 1,200 channels of on-demand entertainment, including 200 movies from around the world, 100 TV channels, more than 500 audio channels, 100 video games and news headlines.
Emirates now operates A380s on the following routes: London Heathrow, Manchester, Paris, Sydney, Auckland, Toronto, Bangkok, Seoul, Jeddah and Beijing. Hong Kong will be added to that list from 1st October and on 31st October, the A380 will make a much-anticipated return to New York.
Emirates is the world’s largest customer for the superjumbo and its total A380 order book is 90 – with 78 aircraft still to come.
Britain’s Best ‘B&Bs’: Beer & Bed
LONDON, UK. – September 6, 2010 – Gastro pubs and 5-star hotels are all very well but what if all you really want is a good old fashioned pint of real ale in a traditional British inn? TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel site*, today reveals the UK’s top 10 real ale pubs with accommodation – as ranked by real travellers through the site’s Popularity Index.
“September is one of the busiest times in the British beer festival calendar so why not really indulge your love for real ale and make a weekend break of it. These British pubs all have the winning combination for ale fans – the chance to sample the local brew with the added bonus of a nice bed for sleeping off the effects”, said Emma O’Boyle, spokesperson for TripAdvisor.
1. The Castle Inn, West Lulworth, Dorset
From Yogi Beer to Cornish Coaster, this 16th Century thatched pub has an extensive range of real ales. It’s a family-run inn that’s pet friendly and its location on the Jurassic coast next to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door make it the perfect place for a walk to work up a thirst. It was also named as East Dorset’s ‘Rural Pub of the Year’ 2010 by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale). As one TripAdvisor traveller explains, “Great traditional pub, perfect for a pint with your dog.”
2. The Saint George & Dragon, Exeter, England
This traditional country pub holds a real ale festival for seven weeks until 17th September. Every year the pub searches the country to bring “7 real ales of distinction” to its doors – with one introduced every week of the festival. From new breweries like Sharp’s to the thousand year old Greene King there are ales to suit all tastes at this vintage inn festival. As one TripAdvisor traveller explains, “Great beer and food – try the Tribute real ale. We’ll be back very soon.”
3. The Four Mary’s, West Lothian, Scotland
The Four Mary’s Pub, famous for its cask ale, is recognised by CAMRA in the Good Beer Guide and offers 20 ales. The pub hosts the annual Cask Ale Festival which runs during the last weekend of October and will be celebrating its 24thanniversary this year. They stock the best of Scotland’s breweries, including Belhaven and Inveralmond. As one TripAdvisor traveller explains, “The atmosphere is lovely and there’s an excellent selection of beers.”
4. White Horse Inn, Clun, Shropshire
The landlord, Jack Limond, keeps the highest quality local ales in the cellars. The White Horse has been listed in CAMRA since 2002 and the pub holds a number of events including an annual four day ‘Booze ‘n’ Blues Festival’ and in October they are one of seven pubs that take part in the popular Clun Valley Beer Festival. As one TripAdvisor traveller explains, “A thriving village pub with friendly locals, excellent real ales, quality pub grub and very attentive service.”
5.The Village Pub, Cotswolds, Gloucestershire
This traditional country pub just outside Cirencester is anything but a tourist destination. Recently refurbished by new owners, it’s a local pub at the heart of the village community. The food includes classic English dishes with creative and contemporary touches. There’s also a good variety of local ales. According to one TripAdvisor Traveller: “I can’t wait to go back again. The refurbished rooms are such a great improvement.”
6. The White Hart Hotel, Modbury, Devon
Serving fantastic St. Austell ales and food from locally sourced ingredients, owners Tim and Liz run a “traditional pub with traditional values”. The pub has five quirky bedrooms all named after local farms and areas and there are regular comedy and music nights.
According to one TripAdvisor traveller, “The staff are the best I’ve come across, so professional and friendly.”
7. The Fox and Anchor, Clerkenwell, London
The Fox and Anchor has been serving the traders of Smithfield Market for years. It continues to do so, but now offers clean and stylish accommodation above the traditional pub. The food is honest and well priced with hearty English dishes such as beef pie – perfect with a foaming tankard of Fox & Anchor Ale, brewed especially for the pub by the Nethergate Brewery.
As one TripAdvisor traveller explains, “The best pub and hotel in London – highly recommend.”
8. Pack Horse Inn, New Mills, Derbyshire
Nestled in the hills on the edge of the Peak District, this inn offers twelve quality en-suite bedrooms. The ales change frequently and the inn has been CAMRA listed for more than a decade. There are 13 golf courses within a 6-mile radius and the inn is within easy reach of Chatsworth House and the market towns of Buxton and Bakewell. As one TripAdvisor traveller explains, “Beautiful surroundings, exceptional accommodation, good food and great ales.”
9. The Bull, Long Melford, Suffolk
The Bull Hotel can trace its roots back to 1450 and there is history all around, from the huge oak beams to the open fire places and large wooden carvings. There are 25 bedrooms and two suites and the pub is renowned for its exceptional service and the chef’s specialities. There is a wide variety of traditional ales and a small courtyard for outside drinking in the summer time. As one TripAdvisor traveller explains, “It’s clean, well kept and teaming with history. Also, the choice of real ales was excellent and the food was top notch.”
10. The Coach & Horses, Brixworth, Northamptonshire
The licensees, Les and Anthea, have been at the Coach & Horses for over 20 years and offer a superb selection of traditional pub dishes, priding themselves on using products sourced locally to the area. For the beer connoisseur they have a good choice of three real ales. As one recent TripAdvisor traveller sums up, “Quaint, convenient and lovable – a real gem – outstanding quality and great value”
Private Islands for Sale
The idea of owning your own island is probably a remote fantasy these days, especially after three years of economic carnage to your bank account, savings, and retirement portfolio. But who hasn’t gazed out at an island from the shore, and wondered what it would be like to own your own kingdom, tethered to civilization only by water or air? Think Robinson Crusoe. Sir Richard Branson, Johnny Depp, and Celine Dion all own their own islands.
Here are 12 islands for sale, ranging in price from just $595,000 to $3.5 million. So what would it be like?
Ram Island
Place: Machias Bay, Maine, 50 miles east of Bar Harbor
Asking Price: $595,000
Acreage: 16
Undeveloped
One tree, a few sheep, a 20 by 20 foot platform for pitching a tent, and a mooring in the cove. The rest is grass, rocks, and 360-degree views of the ocean and bay.
Treasure Island
Where: Lake Manitou in Northern Indiana
Asking Price: $775,000
Acreage: 1.25
Developed
Located halfway between Notre Dame and Purdue universities, this island on a 775-acre natural lake is a state-protected wetland. It features a one-bedroom, two-bath cottage built around 1900, but fully renovated in 1985. There’s electricity and running water, and three sides are all in windows. The property also includes a private pier area on the mainland for getting from the car to the boat.
Charlie’s Island
Where: Near Marathon, in the Florida Keys
Asking Price: $995,000
Acreage: 0.32
Undeveloped
The turquoise-colored roofs you see in the picture are open-air sitting areas with decks, chairs, and a campfire cooking area. But the island also comes with a 38-foot houseboat, not pictured here, that sleeps 4-5 people. Great reefs nearby for snorkeling. All the seafood you can eat.
Snug Harbour Island
Where: On Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada
Asking Price: $1,057,000
Acreage: 3
Developed
A two-hour drive from Toronto, this island features a two-bedroom, two-bath cottage with a glassed-in porch overlooking the water, a separate guest cabin with bathroom, hot tub built into the rock outcropping, and a boathouse with deep water mooring. Running water, electric, a septic field. And it has wireless Internet access. So you could get away from it all, but still check your e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.
Krokholmen Island
Where: North Atlantic, near Bodø, Norway
Asking Price: $1,292,000 (1 million euros)
Acreage: 74 acres
Developed
Offshore retreat? Heck, this is an offshore town. The property features nine buildings including a restaurant, pub, conference center, marina, boathouses, and a hot tub. Price also includes several boats, an all-terrain vehicle for getting around the island, fishing and hunting gear, and a clay-pigeon set-up for shooting. The Gulf Stream keeps the climate here mild, despite its location in northern Norway.
Watch Island
Place: St. Lawrence Seaway, near Clayton, NY
Asking Price: $1,950,000
Acreage: 1.3
Developed
There are more than 1,400 islands in the Thousand Island region of upstate New York. But few of them come with a 6,500-square-foot mansion — ten bedrooms, four bathrooms, plus a boat house and dock. About an hour-and-a-half drive from either Syracuse or Montreal.
Little Hog Cay
Place: Near Abacos, Northern Bahamas
Asking Price: $1,950,000
Acreage: 25
Partially developed
Notice the lagoon that separates the west side of the island from the east. On the west side sits a studio home and a guest cabana with an electric generator. The east side is undeveloped. Marina and airstrip are a 15-minute boat ride away, on the main island of Abacos.
Horse Island
Place: Long Island Sound, in Guilford, Conn.
Asking Price: $2,500,000
Acreage: 0.75
Developed
Less than 2.5 hours from Manhattan, and at low tide, a short walk to the shore. The cottage has electric, city water, a septic field, and four bedrooms. The property also comes with two Boston Whalers, a Sunfish, a windsurfing vessel, and a kayak.
5 Cove Island
Place: Howe Sound, British Columbia, between Whistler and Vancouver
Asking Price: $2,950,000
Acreage: 5
Developed
A 30-minute boat ride from the city of Vancouver, this island is up for sale to developers, with an approved subdvision plan.
Summer Hill Island
Place: Lake Glenville, western North Carolina
Asking Price: $3,450,000
Acreage: 4.6
Developed
Located on a 1,500-acre lake in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains, this island has a four-bedroom, four-bathroom house hidden by the forest canopy. It features a gourmet kitchen, antique pine floors, and covered decks that lead to a private dock. Asheville is an hour away. Atlanta is about a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.
Hotels rethink approach to leisure business in response to corporate cost-cutting
Leisure guests will become increasingly important for hotels in the post-recession years, according to a high-level think tank in London this week.
World Travel Market, the premier global event for the travel industry, invited a dozen hotel suppliers and operators from its Meridian Club, which has 24,000 of the travel and tourism industry’s most senior buyers, to the event. The guests – all of whom were at least regional director level – represented all aspects and geographies of the hotel sector. It took place in the Directors’ Lounge at the Emirates Stadium, home to Arsenal Football Club.
In a wide-ranging discussion, which took place under Chatham House rules, one recurring observation was that hotels were looking more closely at leisure business in response to sea changes in the corporate travel environment.
Travel budgets for blue-chips and SMEs were slashed during the global slowdown, and the concern for hoteliers is that even if the world economy picks up, budgets will remain tight. A luxury hotelier said that many companies were now mandating that its travellers could not stay in five-star hotels, while a tour operator with a global reach said that his business was now using video conferencing as a matter of course and that this had now become “learned behaviour”.
A mid-market operator said that some of its properties in France were no longer taking bookings from the MICE sector because of the strong demand from US-based leisure travellers, while another mid-market operator said that it is benefitting from business travellers downgrading.
Responsibility for travel budget is increasingly the responsibility of the procurement department, which appears to be leading to tougher negotiations. “Corporations now want wi-fi access as part of the deal, and they are looking for free transfers, free phone calls and discounts on food and beverage which clearly affects our margins” one hotelier said. “It is possible that leisure travellers might now be more profitable than corporate guests.”
However, leisure guests are also demanding better value for money. A UK-based short break specialist said that customers were still willing to pay a good price for a break, but they wanted more for their money.
Other panellists pointed out that luxury hotels are now expected to offer all-inclusive rates to tour operators, as bigger spending leisure clients are starting to see the appeal of all-inclusive breaks.
Themes such as emerging markets, foreign exchange rates and distribution were also covered in the ninety-minute minute.
“The idea behind the think tanks is to give senior executives the chance to talk openly with one another about their sector,” said Mark Jacobsen, Marketing Manager, Meridian Club. “We will take on board what was said and use it to make sure Word Travel Market, the premier global event for the travel industry, is able to service the needs of all players in the challenging and dynamic hotel sector.”
American buyers see positive trends in face-to-face meetings
Meetings Industry Snapshot: Planners Express ‘Cautious Optimism’ IMEX Frankfurt exit poll reveals American buyers see positive trends in face-to-face meetings
A little over half (54%) of meetings industry specialists in the U.S. and Canada have expressed ‘cautious optimism’ about the return of meetings and incentives market, according to a recent poll taken by the IMEX Group following its Frankfurt trade show. A further nine percent said that they are ‘very optimistic.’
The poll was conducted among 200 North American buyers and suppliers in June 2010, following the conclusion of IMEX in Frankfurt, which took place May 25-27, 2010.
The poll results are good news for the U.K. based IMEX Group, which will launch its first annual IMEX America exhibition, October 11-13, 2011, in Las Vegas, at the Sands Expo at the Venetian/Palazzo Hotel.
Ray Bloom, Chairman of the IMEX Group comments, “We recently declared an increase in the hosted buyer program for IMEX America – we now expect in excess of 2000 buyers – because our partners and intermediaries have a renewed confidence in future growth. This represents an increase of more than 30 percent on our initial launch figure. Our survey findings are also in line with other recent global and US industry reports which suggests that this new found confidence is not just about mood but about real business volumes.”
The poll also revealed that Canadian planners are even more optimistic. While one in five (21%) U.S. planners doubt the meetings market is in recovery, Canadian buyers are generally convinced that already it is ‘business as usual,’ suggesting that the sector has rebounded faster because their economy and financial systems were hit less severely. As one planner explained, “Our financial system was never really in too much trouble. No banks closed, and there were few or no foreclosure increases. Business demands changed slightly but did not necessarily decline.” Another shared the opinion, “In Canada we are quickly moving out of the economic downturn…our GDP is up 6.1% already. Fortunately, perception may no longer be an issue.”
In contrast, U.S. respondents acknowledge the possibility of continuing business volatility and that recovery may only be slow. However, their confidence is underpinned by a sense that there is pent up demand for travel. Said one organizer, “We are starting to experience a resurgence in incentive programs from our customers. Qualification levels are stronger and forecasts for 2011 are stronger than 2010.” Another commented, “We are seeing an increase in the number of programs for 2010 over 2009, so that is a positive. There are encouraging small gains as well as the better reception we are receiving to our offers.”
Survey participants confirm also that their meetings and incentives tend to be short-notice, travel less far, remain value-conscious, and are simpler and more ROI-focused than those held prior to the downturn. Some argue that the formula of ‘more for less’ – frugality and less frivolity – could prove to be the new reality for many years ahead.
Site Index: Annual Survey Evaluates Extrinsic Motivators and Priorities in Motivational Program Design
The Site International Foundation is proud to present the first Site Index: Annual Survey results. At the beginning of the year I shared that this is one of the most important undertakings in the 35+ year history of Site, so I thank everyone who has participated and made the release of this study possible.
Following three topical Site Index focus studies, this annual analysis and forecast for the motivational events industry provides a broader data set of trends and reveals priorities placed on significant topics such as the strength of motivational tools (travel experiences, cash, merchandise, gift cards), ROI, buyer decisions, cruise products, green incentives and more.
The Site Index: Annual Survey reinforces the concept that motivational travel incentives as extrinsic motivators continue to be more desirable than other forms of rewards directly linked to measureable business results — and this is good news for each of you.
Read the results >> (pdf)
Euro 2012 Projects are the Main Part of Ukraine-China 4 Billion USD Investment Agreements
KYIV, Ukraine, September 2010 /PRNewswire/ — The main result of the state visit of the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, to the People’s Republic of China is China’s commitment to invest more than 4 billion USD in the infrastructure projects in Ukraine. The projects for EURO 2012 have been the focus of the investment agreements signed during the state visit.
The major investment projects include 1 billion USD for the high-speed railway road to Kyiv-Boryspil airport, the country’s main air gateway and 700 mln USD for the construction of a steam-gas plant in Crimea. Additionally, China is going to provide Ukraine with an oil off-shore drilling station worth 200 mln USD according to a leasing agreement.
The construction of the high-speed railway connecting the main Ukrainian airport to the rail station comes in a framework of the previously signed agreement between China National Machinery Industry Complete Engineering Corporation (CMCEC) and the authorities of Kyiv-Boryspil airport. Among other Chinese investors are China Road Bridge Corporation and China Eximbank.
As the attention of many European countries towards Ukraine’s preparations for the Euro-2012 Football Championship is increasing, the Ukrainian government is making additional efforts to attract foreign investors. To improve the investment climate, the Ukrainian government has approved new legislation and launched a campaign to curb corruption. During the recent several months, a number of senior officials were arrested on corruption charges.
In July of this year, law on public-private partnership was adopted. According to the law, foreign businesses, which are involved in public-private partnerships in Ukraine, enjoy the national regime for investment and business activities and have additional guarantees protecting their investment.
After the financial crisis of 2008-2009, Ukraine’s economy has started reviving. Ukraine’s GDP has grown by 6.3% in the first half of 2010. There is also increase in industrial production, cargo turnover and construction. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development confirmed its forecast for Ukraine’s GDP growth at 4% in 2010, and improved it for 2011 from 4% to 4.1%. Inflation forecast for 2010 is 11.4% and 11% for 2011. Budget deficit will decrease to 6% of the GDP in 2010, which is an improvement in comparison to 6.4% of the GDP in 2009.
CIBTM CELEBRATES ANOTHER RECORD YEAR
Beijing Tourism Administration plans to make CIBTM the meetings industry event in the ASEAN Region
At CIBTM 2010, Ms Gu, Deputy Director General of the Beijing Tourism Administration (BTA) and the co-organiser of the event, announced that they expect CIBTM will become the leading event for the meetings industry in ASEAN within the next three years.
Increased numbers of exhibitors, representing 26 countries, the largest ever Hosted Buyer Programme and number of trade visitors, helped set the trend for growth and secure the future of CIBTM which took place in Beijing this week.
Shane Jameson, Director of Sales for Jebel Ali International Hotels Dubai, supported the BTA’s vision. “CIBTM takes place in the most prolifically fast moving market in the world. We are here for the long term – 150% – we will not survive as a destination without business from China and CIBTM will help us deliver it.”
On closing, indications are that the total number of Hosted Buyers and trade visitors increased by 16% on 2009. The official figures are subject to an independent official audit.
Sean Mahoney, Global Vice President of Corporate & Incentive Sales for Silversea Cruises said: “We are big fans of the RTE portfolio of meetings events and attend them all. What appeals to us about CIBTM is that everyone here sees the potential in this market. We are building brand awareness, finding potential partners, and as China is the No 1 market in Asia for us, we have a serious strategy for our business here.”
“Incentive and corporate groups from China are very interested in London for pre-Olympics, not only to see the infrastructure and stadiums but to also experience some sporting activities for themselves. The interest from Hosted Buyers at CIBTM has been very good. It’s our first year, but we are here to stay”, commented Kyle de Klerk, Business Development Manager for Chelsea Football Club part of the Visit London stand.
The thirst for knowledge and education about the MICE industry continued this year with some 20 speakers, of which nearly half were international, to help satisfy the demand for information on the meetings and incentive industry. Attendees to the 17 sessions were up over 30%.
Hosted Buyer Lai Ying, Manager of Zhejiang China International Travel Service said: “It’s my first time here. The dedicated three day business platform taught me a lot about running a MICE business. The two seminars held in the morning impressed me and helped widen my knowledge. I would like to return next year.”
Shawn Pisani MIH: Director Industry Relations EMEA, Helms Briscoe commented: “We are new to the China market and are attending to establish business networks with Chinese counterparts. Today I had good talks with local companies such as Regalia Hotel Group and Gloria Hotels & Resorts to name but a few.”
The 4th China and Asia Meetings Industry Research Report, which was launched at the show, demonstrated that the meetings business in China and Asia is growing and that there has been a significant increase in the number of events held and a wider range of industry sectors are generating meetings and events.
Zhu Qian, Marketing Centre Director, Naning China International Travel Service Co. Ltd commented: “The educational seminars were excellent. They provided a lot of insightful information and I learned a lot. It is very useful indeed and I recommend it to my peers. Thank you CIBTM.”
Exhibition Manager Jeffrey Xu comments: “The meetings industry in China is now really beginning to take shape. We are delighted with the response and feedback at this year’s show. In 2009 we launched China Meetings Week and this has clearly increased the profile of the show dramatically, resulting in larger numbers of corporate Chinese buyers – key to the development of the show and its exhibitors.”
Dates for CIBTM 2011 are 30th August – 1st September at the China National Convention Centre, (CNCC) Beijing.
Hosted Buyer Program applications now open for AIME 2011!
Reed Travel Exhibitions has announced that Hosted Buyer Program applications are now open for AIME 2011. Applicants are encouraged to register and qualify before Friday 29 October 2010 to receive a 10% early bird saving off their registration fee.
AIME’s Hosted Buyer Program welcomes applications from key decision makers involved in booking events within the business events industry. Applicants can apply for AIME’s Hosted Buyer Program at www.aime.com.au
Approaching its 19th year, the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) will be held on 15 and 16 February 2011 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) in Melbourne, Australia.
A range of exclusive benefits are made available to buyers accepted as part of the program including, free flights and accommodation, pre-touring in Victoria and access to AIME’s famous networking and educational opportunities. To maximise the two day event, hosted buyers have a personalised appointment schedule, which allows them to meet with the exhibitors they are interested in doing business with.
Sally de Swart, AIME’s new Acting Event Director, says that AIME’s Hosted Buyer Program is renowned for its quality reputation and offers buyers a productive and enjoyable two days to conduct business.
“AIME is the largest exhibition showcase in Australia for the business events industry, presenting buyers with the opportunity to book all their upcoming events in just two days in a rewarding and enjoyable environment with unrivalled networking and educational opportunities,” Sally said.
“In 2010, AIME attracted 513 hosted buyers from around the globe who enjoyed meeting with over 800 exhibitors of which 195 were new exhibitors, representing a greater diversity of companies, products and services for buyers to choose from.
“AIME’s Hosted Buyer Program has proven increasingly popular year on year and AIME 2011 is shaping up to be yet another successful event for both exhibitors and hosted buyers alike.”
For more information about AIME 2011, visit www.aime.com.au
Blossom japan CROSSING MILESTONES
As the industry crosses August off their calendars and heads into a new season, Blossom Japan is crossing milestones to achieve the ultimate goal of being one of the leading travel events of 2011.
The invitation only event is excited to announce its new hotel partnership with The Peninsula Tokyo.
General Manager, Malcolm Thompson says, “The Peninsula Tokyo’s partnership with Blossom is a unique forum to showcase the best of Japanese high-end travel and help dispel the myth that Japan is complicated. It is our opportunity to demonstrate to the world that Japan is a destination deeply rooted in the art of hospitality.”
IBC 2010: By The Industry For The Industry
Each September, the leading brands, finest minds and wisest investors come to IBC – the premier annual conference and exhibition for professionals engaged in the creation, management and delivery of entertainment and media content worldwide.Each year, over 1,300 companies from around the world exhibit at IBC. They choose IBC because of its 45,000 plus visitors, its track record of innovation with developing and driving new exhibitor opportunities such as this year’s debut Connected World, the 1000 plus journalists that visit the show every year, its carefully tailored networking opportunities, and its location in Amsterdam, at the heart of the European market. That’s why IBC has become one of the most effective places to launch new products, raise corporate profiles, generate concrete sales leads and develop distribution channels in the industry.
45,000 people visit IBC every year, making it easily one of the most important dates on the calendar for the global electronic media industry. They chose IBC because of the 1,300+ exhibitorspacking its thirteen halls; because of innovative areas such as The Connected World, The New Technology Campus, and The IBC Big Screenwhich showcase technology at the cutting edge; and because of the conference, which has set the recent standard for thought-leadership in the industry and is the place to best understand the opportunities available in an evolving world.
The IBC Conference is the premier location worldwide for debate and analysis of the current state of the industry, and detailed discussion about the future paths it may take. Rigorously peer-reviewed, the conference sees leading thinkers and decision makers from around the world descend on Amsterdam to experience its leading combination of keynote sessions, panel discussions and detailed master classes. Covering both the technology, including the latest on stereoscopic 3D, IPTV and content creation, and its business implications, the IBC Conference is the destination for all those who want to understand the present and learn about the future.
Oracle OpenWorld 2010. It all starts here.
Oracle OpenWorld is the world’s largest and most important conference for Oracle technologists, business users, and partners. This annual gathering is the best place to meet live and in person with experts, enthusiasts, business leaders, and innovators from every industry around the globe to network, learn, and celebrate your role in the technology that runs your business.
With more than 1,800 sessions, 400 partner exhibits, almost 400 Oracle demos, keynotes from the world’s technology leaders, hands-on labs, several special networking events, and more, Oracle OpenWorld San Francisco is best to find relevant, useful information about how to use technology to drive your business forward.
Oracle is transforming the industry with a complete technology stack, from applications to disk, engineered to work together. And Oracle OpenWorld is your chance not only to hear Oracle’s strategy and roadmap from the experts who are engineering the products but to gain firsthand experience with the hardware and software built to optimize your business from end to end.
Five days of education. Insights and connections that will transform your career—and your business.
Increasing traffic and conversion rates leads to increased LOVE ….and revenue!
Internet Dating Conference is the industry’s largest event for business management of an Online Dating and Social Networking website. Next conference is in Paris, FRANCE at the Hotel Concorde Lafayette on September 16-17, 2010. iDate2010 Paris will be attended by major executives from the European internet personal industry.
The event will discuss: European business strategies, new markets, E.U. social networks, mobile technologies, internet / traditional marketing, venture capital for E.U. businesses, social networking software, internet personals software, partnerships, legal issues, background search and payments.
Attending Internet Dating Conference (2010 – Paris) will be:
Online Dating industry executives Venture Capitalists Software & technology executives Telecommunication executives (including Mobile) Social Networking senior executives European Matchmakers Marketing executives Media executives Payment processing executives Affiliate managers Affiliates and portal webmasters of community related sites.
Experts in management, technology and marketing for online dating & social networking with strong market experience within specific European nations will present. For example, workshops covering the online dating and social networking market in Scandanavia, how to attract individials to a French online dating website and how to retain them. The growing mobile market for both social networking & dating in the E.U. region will also be discussed.
Similar to the previous European events (2008-9 London, 2007 Barcelona, 2006 Amsterdam, 2005 Prague and 2004 Nice), this two day European Internet Dating Conference will consist of morning seminars and lectures, followed by afternoon workshops. The workshops will consist of a series of 90 minute intensive lectures that are designed to improve internet dating & social networking business performance, identify new technologies, seek business strategies, partnerships and opportunities.
Some presentations will focus on: mobile technology for dating & social networking in the E.U., business models and payments, increasing E.U. dating/community web traffic and conversion rates. Language issues, cultural differences, technological developments and preferences for specific European countries will be covered at this event.
Online Dating industry executives, marketing representatives, technology executives, software executives, affiliates and affiliate managers all stand to learn a great deal in these workshops and are welcome to interject their questions at anytime. Significant time will exist for networking as well.
Victoria to host biotechnology and aquaculture events
World experts on aquaculture and plant biotechnology will converge on Victoria after the securing of two major international conferences in Melbourne.
Melbourne has won the rights to host the International Association for Plant Biotechnology (IAPB) Congress 2014 and the Australasian Aquaculture International Conference and Tradeshow 2012.
Chief Executive Officer of the Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau (MCVB) Sandra Chipchase said these two major, international conferences were expected to attract more than 2500 delegates and inject more than $13 million into the Victorian economy.
“The IAPB Congress has never been held in Australia before, but Melbourne’s excellent infrastructure and MCVB’s innovative bidding strategies have secured this event for 2014,” Ms Chipchase said.
“The MCVB also worked with the National Aquaculture Council since 2003 to win the Aquaculture Conference.”
Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Biosciences Research Executive Director and elected IAPB President, Professor German Spangenberg, said important topics to be discussed at the IAPB Congress included climate change impacts on agriculture, drought, biofuels advances and biosafety.
“This Congress will be of great benefit to Australia’s agriculture biotechnology sector and will also provide an opportunity to showcase excellent work being undertaken in Victoria,” Professor Spangenberg said.
Professor Spangenberg said the world faced major challenges in feeding a growing population, expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050, including the major humanitarian challenge to alleviate hunger, malnutrition and poverty, which is afflicting more than 1 billion people world-wide.
“Plant Biotechnology has emerged as a critical platform to contribute to meeting this challenge, and we look forward to progressing our knowledge on this important field in Melbourne in 2014,” Professor Spangenberg said.
Professor Spangenberg said the Australasian Aquaculture International Conference would deal with contemporary issues around the aquaculture industry’s development and sustainability.
“Seafood is Australia’s fourth most valuable food-based primary industry, with Victorian commercial fisheries’ production worth around $87 million per year,” he said.
“This makes Melbourne a perfect destination for aquaculture leaders in industry and science, research and development to meet.”
World Aquaculture Society – Asia Pacific President Roy Palmer said there was an urgent need to increase both capacity and capability of the seafood industry.
DELHI HOSTS TOURISM’S NIGHT OF THE YEAR
World Travel Awards Asia and Australasia Ceremony is coming to The Claridges, Surajkund, Delhi, NCR in October for what is expected to be the most keenly fought competition ever.
The event, the most important night of the year for Asia and Australasia’s tourism industry, will demonstrate just why the region is experiencing unprecedented uplift, regardless of the challenging global economic environment.
Graham E. Cooke, Founder and President of World Travel Awards, described as the ‘Oscars’ of the global industry, said the event is a brilliant barometer of the region’s phenomenal success.
“International tourism is slowly gaining momentum after extremely difficult times last year”, he said. “What is remarkable though is that according to the latest official figures, Asia and the Pacific is leading the world.
“The region was up an incredible 10% in the first two months of the year, an indication of the industry’s resourcefulness, drive and determination to succeed.
“World Travel Awards was established 17 years ago to drive up standards of customer service and overall performance and this year’s winners will be an excellent business model for others to follow.
The hotel is an ideal venue for such an event, combining both a business and luxury resort in one.”
He added: “We look forward to working with the team at The Claridges, Surajkund, Delhi, NCR for what I know will be a decisive evening for the industry.”
Says Mr Peter J. Leitgeb, President & CEO, The Claridges Hotels & Resorts, “It is our privilege to be chosen as the venue for the first ever World Travel Awards to be held in India. We are truly honoured to host the prestigious World Travel Awards at The Claridges, Surajkund, Delhi, NCR.
“Today, India is on everyone’s radar. It is reiterated by the number of visitors the hotels are seeing in this part of the world. Such volume is practically unheard of anywhere else. In keeping with the buoyant economy The Claridges Hotels & Resorts too has seen significant growth in occupancy and revenue over the years. Choosing New Delhi as the destination for World Travel Award Asia and Australasia further reinforces India as ‘the’ destination which no one can today overlook”.
Viewed as the ultimate achievement for any Asian or Australasian company, more than 80 travel brands are competing to be the best.
Online voting is now underway and nominees are campaigning hard with agents and industry executives to win support. Log on to www.worldtravelawards and click on the VOTE button to participate.
Winners of the regional ceremony will then go on to compete in World Travel Awards 2010 Grand Final in London on Sunday 7 November, immediately before World Travel Market.
They will be up against some of the finest travel operators in the world, consistently demonstrating excellence in every aspect of their business.
In addition to the honour, prestige and global exposure of winning one of the awards, covering every sector of travel and tourism, World Travel Award winners enjoy considerable commercial benefits too.
Consumers, seeking peace of mind, are increasingly using the winners list as a reliable resource when choosing a holiday.
TOP ENVIRONMENTALIST TO OPEN WTM WORLD RESPONSIBLE TOURISM DAY
Tony Juniper, one of the world’s best known ecologists and forthright campaigner is opening this year’s WTM World Responsible Tourism Day on Wednesday 10 November at ExCeL, London.
Juniper is the former director of Friends of the Earth UK, campaigning and rallying public opinion and vice chair of the 70-strong network of national organisations of Friends of the Earth International.
Fiona Jeffery, Chairman of World Travel Market said that Tony Juniper would bring a different perspective to WTM World Responsible Tourism Day.
“He is frank and honest about how we need to use the planet to ensure travel and tourism has a tomorrow”, she said.
“Over the past 25 years, Tony has campaigned for a more sustainable society at local, national and international levels. WTM World Responsible Tourism Day is beginning to earn a reputation as straight talking and honest, stripping away the propaganda and the hype.
“In opening WTM World Responsible Tourism Day 2010, Tony Juniper will bring fresh ideas, extensive knowledge and boundless enthusiasm to the cause of responsible tourism.”
A major contributor to many of Friends of the Earth’s most important worldwide achievements, he is also a prolific writer.
Co-Writer of Prince’s Book
Juniper is currently helping HRH Prince of Wales to write a book called ‘Harmony’ about how man has become dangerously disconnected from nature.
As humanity faces the multiple challenges of climate change, ecological destruction, economic instability and continuing human poverty, ‘Harmony’ encourages the world to restore the lost balance between Man and Nature and to follow a more philosophical path which reconnects humankind with ancient wisdom and intuition.
He also writes for two leading UK newspapers – Sunday Times and The Guardian and is editor-in-chief of National Geographic’s ‘Green’ Magazine.
He advises several international companies on their sustainability strategies and frequently speaks and lectures on environmental and sustainability questions throughout the word.
He is an advisory panel member with the UK’s Science Museum, the National Trust and the British Council and a board member of Climate for Ideas, an environmental research organisation.
A former professional ornithologist, Juniper spearheaded a programme with Birdlife International to prevent the extinction of critically endangered parrots.
He wrote the companion volume to the BBC series ‘Saving Planet Earth’ (2007), ‘How Many Lightbulbs Does It Take To Change A Planet? (2007) and ‘Spix’s Macaw:The Race To Save The World’s Rarest Bird ‘(2002).
- The WTM World Responsible Tourism Day opening ceremony will be held at 10.30 am on Wednesday 10 November at Platinum Suite 4, ExCeL London.
International Tourist Arrivals up 7% in the First Half of 2010: Asia Leads Growth
The first six months of 2010 saw international tourist arrivals grow by 7% according to the August Interim Update of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. This result confirms the recovery trend beginning in the last quarter of 2009 and is expected to continue in the second half of the year at a somewhat more moderate rate. The Interim Update was officially presented at the 4th UNWTO/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook (2-4 September, Guilin, China) to tourism stakeholders from the public and private sector, as well as academia.
Asia and the Middle East lead growth
International tourist arrivals are estimated to have grown by 7% in the first half of 2010. While growth was modest in April as a consequence of the closure of European airspace following the eruption of a volcano in Iceland, results were strong in May (+10%) and June (+8%). Data available for July indicates that growth is set to continue at a steady rate.
Growth was positive in all world regions, led by a robust performance of emerging economies expanding at 8% compared to 6% in advanced economies. Asia and the Pacific (+14%) and the Middle East (+20%), where results were already positive in the second half of 2009, continue to lead growth in the first half of 2010 with the majority of destinations in both regions posting double digit growth rates.
Asia in particular is experiencing a very dynamic rebound, with strong results from Sri Lanka (+49%), Japan (+36%), Vietnam (+35%), Myanmar (+35%), Hong Kong (China) (+23%), Macao (China) (+23%), Singapore (+23%), Fiji (+22%) and the Maldives (+21%). Thailand (+14%) posted encouraging results in spite of the political unrest early this year. As in previous occasions, such as the Asian financial and economic crisis (1997-1998), the SARS outbreak (2003), and the tsunami (2004), Asia has once again shown a strong capacity for recovery. International tourism has been a driving force in a region – currently the second most visited region in the world,- with 181 million international tourist arrivals (21% of world total) and international tourism receipts of US$ 204 billion (24% of world total) in 2009.
In the Americas (+7%), Central and South America show steady growth, as does North America. Growth has been slower in the Caribbean but results are still markedly improved as compared to 2008 and 2009. Europe (+2%) shows the slowest recovery but results from recent months are slightly more positive. Although recovery has not yet returned to Northern Europe, both Western and Southern Mediterranean Europe show reasonable growth. Africa (+7%), the only region to grow in 2009, maintained this momentum during the first half of 2010.
International tourism receipts are expected to lag somewhat behind arrivals in many destinations. Following major shocks, volume (arrivals) tends to recover faster than income (receipts) as travellers travel closer to home, for shorter periods of time and seek value for money, while on the supply side increased competition has been driving prices down. This was also the case following the Asian economic and financial crisis and after the 2001 September 11 terrorist attacks.
UNWTO forecasts continued growth but risks remain
Overall, international tourist arrivals totalled 421 million during the first six months of 2010, up 7% on 2009, but still 2% below that of the record year of 2008 (428 million arrivals in the same period). These results follow one of the toughest years for the tourism sector with international tourist arrivals declining by 4.2% in 2009 to 880 million and international tourism receipts reaching US$ 852 billion (€611 billion), a decrease in real terms of 5.7%. The return of growth must be thus viewed with caution given that it compares with a very weak period of 2009
Nevertheless, many destinations are setting new records, leaving behind the losses of 2009 and exceeding the 2008 levels. Compared to the first half of 2008, six sub-regions show growth: Sub-Saharan Africa (+16%), North Africa (+12%), North-East Asia (+7%), South Asia (+7%), South-East Asia (+5%) and South America (+4%).
For 2010, UNWTO maintains its initial forecast of international tourist arrivals growing by 3% to 4%. Current growth rates, coupled with an improving global economic environment suggest that end-year results are likely to be closer to 4%, and may even exceed this figure.
However, high unemployment continues to be a major cause of concern and the austerity measures as well as the rise in taxation implemented in several advanced economies to fight public deficits represent a clear challenge to many leading outbound markets.
“Although we are witnessing a clear recovery in international tourism, we must remain cautious,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai in Madrid. “In many advanced economies, namely in the USA and in some major European markets, economic recovery has still to consolidate. To this we must add the recent introduction and increase in taxation, most specifically those which directly impact the tourism sector, such as air transport taxes. While we fully understand the need to balance public accounts, one-sided decisions on taxation risk adversely impacting a sector with a proven track record for job creation and economic growth, as one of the major generators of exports earnings and income sources for developing countries, which are crucial to a stable economic recovery.”
Regional and domestic tourism key to growth
The August Interim Update was presented at the 4th UNWTO/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook (Guilin, China), held under the theme Domestic and Regional Tourism: Issues, Opportunities and Prospects.
A large majority of international travel takes place within the traveller’s own region, with around four out of five arrivals worldwide originating from the same region. The remarkable rebound of Asia is to a large extent a reflection of the strength of the regional outbound markets. Domestic tourism is of equal importance. Worldwide the number of domestic arrivals is estimated to exceed some four times the number of international arrivals.
“With consumers tending to travel closer to home in times of downturns, domestic tourism has been experiencing significant growth,” said UNWTO Executive Director, Márcio Favilla, presenting the Update at the Forum in Guilin, China. “Coupled with regional tourism, domestic tourism can thus serve as an important driver of development and growth, in particular during times of economic uncertainty. China is an excellent example of how to foster domestic tourism,” he added.
Many countries promote actively to tap into these markets with festivals, events and special years, such as the Visit Japan Year 2010 and the Nepal Tourism Year 2011. In terms of large events, prime examples include the FIFA World Cup in South Africa last June and the Shanghai 2010 Expo, being held from May to October, and strongly boosting both domestic and inbound tourism. At the beginning of September, four months after opening, almost 50 million visitors have been counted, and close to half a million visitors are recorded each day.
Hotels.com Guest Reviews Reveal Increase in Airport Hotel Popularity
DALLAS, September 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — According to guest reviews collated by the accommodation provider, staying at an airport has gone from bleak to chic with the introduction of luxe amenities and convenient time and money saving services that rival more expensive city-centered hotels. It’s a fact that airport hotels have always given travelers the ease and convenience of being as close as possible to their gate the night before a trip, and are also known as a place to crash in between bad weather and “technical difficulties.” Hotels.com’s guest reviews show airport hotels have surprisingly exceeded expectations and have made travelers reconsider staying at airport hotels.
“Travellers today are highly influenced by the opinions of others,” commented Hotels.com Director of Public Relations, Taylor L. Cole, APR. “Many of our 1 million guest reviews are showing an increase in the approval rating for airport hotels which indicates that more often airport hotels are meeting and exceeding the needs of busy business and leisure travelers who expect savings, amenities and the convenience of an airport location.”
Staying at the airport costs on average 42 per cent* less than staying at a centrally-located downtown property. Business travelers looking to save money during these difficult economic times can trim costs by utilizing airport accommodations versus more expensive downtown hotels. Many airport hotels aim to save money for the business traveler as well as the leisure traveler by offering complimentary Wi-Fi and hot breakfast.
Additionally, many airport hotels are conveniently located within major cities, with easy access via subway, bus, shuttle or light-rail. For instance, Boston’s Logan International Airport is a short ride to the world-famous Faneuil Hall Marketplace shopping and entertainment district. Many hotels in this area average $250-$400 per night. With rates as low as $119, the AAA Four Diamond Hilton Boston Logan Airport boasts its own skywalk that links guests to the airports terminals where Boston’s public transportation can be accessed. Hilton Boston Logan Airport’s Cafe Presto prepares travel-ready meals and is conveniently located in the lobby for guests in a hurry and in need of something on the go. A Hotels.com guest reviewer said: “Great place to stay, easy access to transportation. We were able to either take the shuttle or walk across the skywalk to the airport where we could hop on the Silver Line and then connect to whatever train line we wanted.”
Hotels.com makes it easy for travellers to choose an airport hotel. Customers can visit the Hotels.com homepage and use the ‘Where are you going?’ box to search by city/destination or airport code. Users can then add travel dates, the number of rooms required, view pictures of hotels and read guest reviews from real travellers.
Love is in the air – in the Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is a very romantic place and many young men have proposed to their girlfriends in this beautiful, serene setting. From what we hear, the ladies all say YES!
But it’s not only proposals that take place in the Blue Lagoon; many couples have chosen the lagoon as a location for their wedding ceremony. Be it at LAVA restaurant, in the lagoon itself or on top of the building enjoying the magnificent view, all the wedding ceremonies have been wonderful.
Other romantic endeavors have also taken place in the Blue Lagoon. Let’s not forget the Rose ceremony in the latest series of ABC’s The Bachelorette and Ali’s group date in the lagoon. Also, Flexijourney.com recently published a blog post where it mentions the Blue Lagoon as one of Europe’s most romantic getaways.
Show your romantic side and treat your special someone to experience the Blue Lagoon and its wonders.
MATCHDAY HOSPITALITY AT THE HOME OF THE CHAMPIONS!
For the very best in hospitality, look no further than Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge – with world-class players on the pitch and an unrivalled service and facilities off.
A matchday at Chelsea Football Club is one to be savoured and with a matchday package, everything from arrival to departure is effortless and stress free. Your day at Stamford Bridge begins well before the kick off and doesn’t have to end until you’re ready to leave.
There are four matchday package categories for you to choose from for each matchday. Click here to check thelatest availability and matchday package prices
Face to Face Meetings empower our World
It was entirely appropriate that India’s Silicon Valley should be the location of the ICPB’s (India Convention Promotion Bureau) Conventions India Conclave – 2010. Taking place at The LaLit Ashok, Bangalore, India, from August 27-28, the Conclave attracted over 250 delegates representing both international and national buyers as well as ICPB members, and was inaugurated by Mr. G. Janardhana Reddy, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism and Infrastructure Development, Government of Karnataka.
This inaugural session was followed by a seminal and conceptual Keynote Presentation by Mr. Philippe Fournier, President, IAPCO, on “Conferences in the Knowledge Economy: Face to Face Meetings are changing and empowering our World”. It was a great honour for Mr. Shyam Nagpal, Hony. Secretary ICPB and India’s first Alumni of IAPCO, to introduce Philippe Fournier, informing the audience of IAPCO’s position as the most pioneering and prominent Association in the world of PCOs, with over 100 members from 37 countries.
Philippe Fournier began the presentation with the strategic statement: “We are a global world, which means global meetings! Meetings have been a solution over the centuries and today’s globalisation can only enhance the need to meet, not, as a perceived advantage of social communication, detract. When people meet, things happen, things change, things improve and economy rises. Face to face meetings power the economy. We are now in a knowledge-based economy. Without learning from experience, without face-to-face interaction, without networking in real time with our peers, individuals, institutions, disciplines, we lose the ability to increase that essential knowledge. Without knowledge, our financial economy cannot improve.
“But do not be mistaken. Social Communication is an essential asset to the new type of meetings that are developing today. On-line activities can feed the meeting before, during and after the event, fuelling the ever-increasing knowledge economy. The new meeting formats are live, they are virtual, they are hybrid! Hybrid events are a mix of devices, applications, digital media and websites. Utilising SMS, social media, pod/webcasts, micro blogs, YouTube, smart phones – and today is just the beginning. It is high-tech. And the knowledge economy uses high-tech as a weapon, a tool that helps to develop meetings by maximising face to face interactions.
“Conferences in our knowledge based economy have a key role to play.”
The Conclave was attended by high ranking dignitaries from the Government of India, State Governments and business tourism industry, represented by Mr. G. Janardhana Reddy, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism and Infrastructure Development, Government of Karnataka, Mr. S. V. Ranganath, Chief Secretary to the Government of Karnataka, Mr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Additional Director General (Tourism), Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Chairman, ICPB, Mr. Viswanatha Reddy, Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, Mr. Vipul Mittra, Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Gujarat, along with the Office Bearers of ICPB, Mr. Rajeev Kohli, Vice Chairman, ICPB, Mr. Shyam Nagpal, Hony. Secretary, ICPB, and Mr. Chander Mansharamani, Hony. Treasurer, ICPB.
Rezidor Opens the Radisson Blu Resort Split in Croatia
BRUSSELS, September 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — The Rezidor Hotel Group has opened the Radisson Blu Resort Split in Croatia, a luxurious hotel right on the Adriatic coast with panoramic views over the Mediterranean Sea and the island Brac.
After an extensive renovation and reconstruction, the former and legendary “Hotel Split” with a history of nearly 50 years offers 240 stylish guest rooms including 2 Presidential suites.
“We are delighted to add a further outstanding first class hotel to our Croatian portfolio. Rezidor aims to grow its young and successful resort business further and Croatia as an emerging holiday destination in Europe offers not only beautiful landscapes but also the needed infrastructure and manpower,” said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor.
The Radisson Blu Resort Split is located only 15 minutes walk away from the historic city centre and is located beside a wonderful pristine beach with the Adriatic Sea just steps away. It is a unique combination of a city hotel and a sea resort and is headed by General Manager Maik Schaefer, a German national. Whether guests choose the classical, yet modern Economy Rooms or the Standard- and Deluxe Rooms or the suites with their ultra-stylish, light and airy design, the majority of rooms offer breathtaking sea views. Higher room categories also feature extras such as balconies, Nespresso machines, bathrobes and slippers. The Presidential suites comprise of 260 m squared each, 3 bedrooms, a private terrace with Jacuzzi and an outdoor sauna.
Two restaurants, a bar and a Lobby Lounge can also be found at the luxury hotel in Split. “The Fig Leaf” restaurant serves Radisson Blu’s signature “super breakfast” and international buffets with an abundant choice of Mediterranean and Continental specialties as well as live cooking stations and a wonderful terrace towards the sea. “The Caper”, a grill restaurant in a modern and sleek environment, combines grilled cuts, delicious fish and selected wines from Croatia and all around the world. “The Door” bar adds a modern twist to a list of international and award-winning cocktails, and the Lobby Lounge offers a cosy atmosphere and is a perfect meeting place.
Besides access to a private beach with sun beds, separate plateau and bar service, the hotel in Split ( http://www.radissonblu.com/resort-split/services) also comprises an indoor and outdoor pool, a fitness centre and an exclusive Anne Sémonin Spa with 8 treatment rooms, whirlpool, sauna and steam baths. Within the hotel grounds, an international casino will be housed, and for those who wish to combine business and leisure, the hotel offers 7 meeting rooms and a banquet hall, all equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
The Pegasus View July 2010 First Anniversary Edition:
Recovery Continues as Leisure Travel ADR Shows Positive Growth For First Time Since Start of Economic Downturn
Pent-up Demand Also Leads to Lower Look-to-Books as Consumers Return to Booking
SCOTTSDALE, DALLAS and LONDON (September 2, 2010) – Leisure travel average daily rate (ADR) has shown positive growth for the first time globally since the recession hit, increasing just over +1%, according to July’s The Pegasus View from Pegasus Solutions. The monthly report, issued on the first anniversary of the inaugural The Pegasus View, draws data from billions of transactions processed by Pegasus, the world’s largest single processor of electronic hotel transactions for nearly 100,000 hotel customers worldwide.
Citing pent-up demand, July 2010’s The Pegasus View also indicates leisure bookings – those made online/through alternative distribution systems (ADS) – entered double-digit growth territory with an increase of more than +10% over last year. Together, the increase in booking volume and ADR helped revenue realize double-digit growth of nearly +12% over 2009.
“We were pleased to see the look-to-book ratio in the ADS slow its growth during July from the +50% we saw in May and June to +35%,” said Mike Kistner, chief executive officer of Pegasus Solutions. “Have leisure travelers stopped shopping for the best value? Certainly not, but they’re definitely more willing to buy. This is evidenced not only by diminished growth of the look-to-book ratio, but also by the very encouraging ADR, revenue and length of stay growth we saw in the ADS channel. As corporate travel has led the recovery, hotels need to make sure they haven’t forgotten how to woo the consumer. As we see it, they’re back too.”
Around the world, the ADS channel returned similarly positive results, with South America showing the highest revenue increase over prior year of +62.7%, and North America the smallest of +8.2%. Europe ADS revenue grew +29.0%, while Africa/Asia/Oceania by +23.7%.
Global corporate bookings – those made through the Global Distribution Systems (GDS) – continued a double-digit growth streak with July up +24.5% over 2009. This volume is expected to continue increasing through the rest of the year at an average monthly pace of +30%, which, combined with an expected ongoing increase in ADR for the channel, will lead to estimated revenue growth of about +40% each month through the end of 2010.
July’s The Pegasus View is available in its entirety online and by free subscription at www.pegs.com. Data reported in The Pegasus View comes from Pegasus Solutions, the world’s single largest global processor of hotel transactions through the four GDS (Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre, and Worldspan) and ADS channels.
The tourist flow from Russia to Czech Republic increased by 14%
ATOR Analytical Service made a presentation based on the data of Czech Statistics Office and TOURMARKET.INFO monitoring system of the price of competitors.
As a result of the first six months of the year, Russian market took the 2nd place (6.6%) in general rating of arrivals of foreigners to Czech Republic, ceding to Germany (22%) and taking the lead over Poland (6.1%), the UK (5.9%) and Italy (5.7%). The tourist flow from Russia increased by 14% during the first six months of 2010 and amounted to 184 thousand people. The number of the nights of the Russians increased by 13.2%. As for the number of the nights during the first six months of the year, the Russian market also takes the 2nd place with the indicator of 12% after the Germans (26%).
The average duration of stay of the Russians in the hotels amounted to 5.2 nights during the first six months of the year. More than 84% of the Russians stayed in the hotels of Prague and Karlovy Vary.
The analysis of the demand for the tours to Czech Republic based on statistics of TourMarket.Info
Czech Republic took the 13th place in number of the visitors of TopHotels.ru website with the share of 1.4%. The number of the visitors interested in Czech Republic increased by 40% during the period from January to July 2010 in comparison with the same period of last year (157 thousand in 2010 and 110 thousand in 2009).
Czech Republic took the 15th place (with the share of 0.8%) in number of the requests in TourIndex system during the period from January to July 2010. The number of processing requests increased by 60% during the first seven months of 2010 in comparison with the same period of last year (40 thousand in 2010 and 25 thousand in 2009).
The most popular tour operators in TourIndex system
The first place takes LantaTour Voyage with the share of 14%. Then goes AvroraIntur (10.6%), TravelLand (9.7%), Neva (9.4%), Capital Tour (8.5%), Russian Express (8.1%), NTK Intourist (5.7%), Intravel-Stoleshniki (5.3%), BSI Group (4.4.%) and Sunrise tour (4.1%).
According to ATOR survey, Russian tour operators note, that the demand for the tours to Czech Republic has increased this year. source: www.atorus.ru
ITM Recognises University Graduate
The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) UK & Ireland has awarded a leading graduate from the University of Brighton with a prize in recognition of her award by the university as “Best Overall International Travel Management Student”. The graduate was awarded two Eurostar tickets donated by the carrier, and membership of the association, by Paul Tilstone, ITM’s CEO, at an awards ceremony which recognised 15 students in total from the university’s School of Service Management in July of this year.
Talking about the ceremony, Paul Tilstone said, “It was such a wonderful thing to be able to do as we enter our first official year as the partner with University of Brighton for their revised International Travel Management degree. If Claire is anything to go by we can expect to see some real talent coming through into the industry in the years ahead because of this partnership. Claire undertook her work experience at an airline last year and when talking to her it was so great to see the passion she has for the sector. “
The partnership with the university was established in 2009 as part of its ITM Academy programme which will see a complete education and training programme established over the next few years for those in both higher education and those already working within the industry. The programme’s development is being overseen by Education Working party chair, Jon Reeve from Evolvi, and ITM General Manager, Emmanuelle Clément.
Graffiti at the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre
The Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre has ventured into something completely different from normal fair and congress activities: a team of ten graffiti artists has created a 160m-long painting on the exterior wall of the centre’s largest hall. In all, the painting includes nine works of art. Helsinki celebrates the Night of the Arts at the end of August each year. This project was one of 2010′s events.
The graffiti will remain in place for the coming year, until the completion of the new Hall 7 and the demolition of the present eastern wall in due course. The artwork, representing different styles, is on display for the perusal of all visitors to the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre.
The opportunity for this legal wall of graffiti arose when, during the expansion of the Centre, a roofed corridor was created between the construction site and the eastern side of the largest hall. Visitors walk through this corridor on a regular basis.
Since carefully executed graffiti art is an integral part of urban culture, it is ideal for the setting of the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre. Characteristically, graffiti remains in place for a certain period only, sometimes for a very short while. These paintings will remain on the wall for the coming year, i.e. until the completion of the new 15,000m2 multi-purpose hall in August 2011. Then, the new hall will be merged with the existing premises.
In sum, the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre was praised for its unbiased attitude by the artists and general public alike: ‘This is awesome, well done!’
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN TO NAME QUEEN ELIZABETH
Cunard Line is pleased to confirm that Her Majesty The Queen will name the company’s new Queen Elizabeth, the third Cunard ship to bear the name, at a ceremony to take place in Southampton on Monday 11 October 2010.
The naming will be a milestone in British maritime history and will be a major event of worldwide interest.
Peter Shanks, Cunard President and Managing Director, comments:
“The naming of a Cunard Queen is a very special occasion and this will be an historic event in the true sense of the word. The Queen launched Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1967 and named our current flagship, Queen Mary 2, in 2004. We are both honoured and proud that Her Majesty will name our new liner Queen Elizabeth.”
Her Majesty was also present at the age of 12 at the launch of the first Queen Elizabeth on 27 September 1938 when she accompanied her mother, Queen Elizabeth, to Clydebank for the launch.
The Naming Ceremony will take place in Southampton on Monday 11 October and the ship will set sail on her maiden voyage the following day.
Oceanco Launches its Latest Superyacht, the 86m Y706
ALBLASSERDAM, The Netherlands, September 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Oceanco splashed its latest yacht-hull number Y706-on 27 August 2010. This marks another milestone for Oceanco as the yard once again distinguishes itself as being at the forefront of the international superyacht sector. With this spectacular new launch Oceanco continues to prove its capability of achieving the highest engineering and production standards in terms of performance, styling and quality.
At 86m, Y706 boasts the powerful exterior and interior design work of Nuvolari & Lenard, which includes a trademark Oceanco swimming pool on her aft deck that can be conveniently transformed into a helipad. Y706 is a perfect balance between discretion and distinction. Her size, quality and style will ensure that she is recognized as a true Oceanco, whether cruising the oceans or at anchor.
Oceanco’s Y706 features spacious accommodation and extensive amenities for 12 guests, including a private owner’s deck with a large separate master stateroom with study and private deck area with pool. The yacht is fitted with two 4,680hp / 3,492 kW MTU engines and capable of reaching speeds of 20 knots.
The launching of Y706 is the culmination of research into innovation and attentiveness to the owners’ desires. The contemporary interior will essentially feature walnut, teak and rosewood interspersed with natural materials, fabrics and colors.
Sea trial preparations and final fit-out are on track for a successful delivery before the end of the year.
4th International Solar Cities World Congress
A very special event will take place in September 2010 in the Chinese City of Dezhou.
Dezhou already is China Solar City and will host the 4th International Solar Cities Initiative Congress from September16-19 2010. Before and after the congress touristic and technical tours will be organised and there will be free facilities for international working groups if they want to combine their meetings with participation in the Congress.
After some visits to Dezhou the International Solar Cities Initiative’s President expressed his feeling that Dezhou even deserves the title “World Solar City”.
| Dezhou is “China Solar City” and “Model city for the use of renewable energy in building”.
During the years the Dezhou local government is dedicated to the use of solar energy and the promotion of solar industry. Visitors will be impressed by the large amount of solar collectors on the roofs of the town and soon they will notice that many kilometers (in fact more than 30) of the main streets are lighted at night by electricity collected during daytime with photovoltaic arrays. Many traffic lights as well get their energy from the sun. |
Rhodes: La Marquise Resort Complex
Even in business, some things only happen thanks to people who realize their dreams. The greatest achievements are based on inspiration, reflecting the great desires of their creators. At “La Marquise”, owners are realizing their dream of creating an exceptional hotel complex. Here, leisure meets this utmost sense of style and luxury, evident in even the minutest details and the application of state-of-the-art technology.
Hotel Plan
The owners’ personal experiences and the unique design and atmosphere of “La Marquise” have blended to create a place of absolute luxury, comfort and tranquility, escaping from the ordinary, in heavenly surroundings that are destined to steal your heart from the very first moment.
Environment
Hotel’s beach is awarded with the Blue Flag eco-label, which represents the cleanness of the beach & sea and their great maintenance. At total of 31 Blue Flags for the island of Rhodes, 26 of them belong to the Municipality of Kallithea.
Unfolding sweet dreams…
With the most attentive service and prompt attention to every detail, the 386 rooms and Suites offers harmonious atmosphere, absolute privacy, tranquility, giving you the opportunity to enjoy dream holidays.
Each room type incorporates the latest modern enhancements such as HOTstream Interactive Flat TV’s, High Speed Wireless Internet Access and Control panel with “Do not disturb” , “In House “, “Room alarm”,” Door open” and “Please make-up my room” buttons.
All room types feature:
Welcome / farewell gifts, daily maid service, turn down service, , Balcony/Terrace, Bath/WC or Bath/Shower/WC, Bathrobes & slippers, Magnifying mirror, Luxury toiletries, Hair dryer, Direct dial telephone, A/C, heating, Mini bar (extra charge), Coffee/Tea making facilities (replenished daily), Electronic Safe.
La Marquise hotel features also 10 exceptionally well adapted rooms for clients with reduced mobility, allocated on the main building, near to all hotel services. With wide doorways and five rooms with wheel-in showers, they have quite superb facilities for ensuring a pleasant, untroubled stay.
Wheelchair accessibility is also excellent all around the hotel and pool areas.
A fine dining experience…
Da Vinci Restaurant
Located on the main building, our main dining room serves Greek, Mediterranean and International specialities. Decorated with thematic paintings, surrounded by waters and waterfalls with mosaic tiles, enlightened with LED lights, Da Vinci main Restaurant offers fine indoor as well as outdoor breakfast and dining experience.
Meal arrangements
Menu based on Mediterranean cuisine & international dishes
Special dinner menus
Wine selection
Attire: Smart Casual (long trousers for men during evening meal)
Smoking (outdoors only)
Half Board: lunch or dinner
Vegetarian Menu
Gluten free menu upon request
Special diet menu upon request
For our small guests
Children’s menu
High chairs.
L’étoile Sea Food Restaurant
You should not leave La Marquise without a visit to our sea food restaurant, L’étoile. Our Chef Executive ensures an unfailing, elegant and excellent dining experience, together with an impeccable service in a romantic and luxurious setting on the top floor of the main building.
Start operating later this year.
In Room Dining
For those who prefer to spend the day in their room, La Marquise hotel offers an extensive menu of excellent dishes, snacks and drinks, catering all your special requests.
An island with a famed Medieval Town
La Marquise complex is located in the outskirts of the city of Rhodes; a city with a 2400-year history and a famed Medieval Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Monument). Situated at the spectacular area of Kallithea, as testified by its name in Greek (Kalli-thea = Beautiful view), it offers a breathtaking view.
The “Ammoudes” of Faliraki, just 10 km from the city and the port and 15 km from the airport, offer guests the feeling that they are at a central, yet most peaceful spot on the island. The hotel is a contemporary “Marquise”; graceful and hospitable, it is, indeed, the pride of the area.
Exploring
Excursions around the island fill guests with countless beautiful images, emotions and enjoyable experiences. These are the inheritance they will leave with, and share with their friends upon returning back home, when they narrate all they enjoyed. A rich selection of organized excursions as well as various cultural events can be found either in the Tourist Guide programs or by our Guest relations Executive.
The Island of Rhodes is ideal for family getaways! There is so much to explore and see together with your family that you will end up having a very busy holiday schedule. These outings, for children and parents, are sure to leave you with unforgettable memories.
25th EU PVSEC / WCPEC-5 – Conference: the World’s Largest Specialist PV Solar Conference (6-10 September 2010)
The Conference will take place from 6th to 10th September 2010 at the Feria Valencia in Spain. The 25th EU PVSEC will be the most important international Conference in the field of Photovoltaics and will be at the same time the 5th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion.
The 5th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion will unite the three most important scientific and strategic conferences for the global PV solar sector: the 25th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, the 36th US IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference and the 20th Asia/Pacific PV Science and Engineering Conference.
Meet the experts of the PV solar branch in Valencia to discuss new trends and developments in science and industry. Valencia will provide an excellent platform for dialogue and information exchange across the World.
This 25th EU PVSEC will be a truly global event which uniquely combines scientific and technological issues from the perspective of research and development, industry, utilities, politics, architecture and end-users.
The five-day Conference Programme will be accompanied by exciting side events as Fora, Workshops and Technical Tours on present-day PV issues. This international event will be completed by an attractive social programme to meet your colleagues from all around the globe.
“WOMAN AS MUSE, 1900-1950″
The Herakleidon Museum from September 3rd until November 21st 2010 will present the exhibition with the title: “Woman as Muse, 1900-1950″. The exhibition will showcase about ninety (90) works on paper – watercolors, prints and drawings of the first fifty years of the 20th century, by European artists (including Greeks). The works come from the Museum’s collection, the Greek National Gallery, the Alpha Bank Collection, as well as from the private collections of Mr. George Economou and Mr. Charalambos Leontiadis.
From the Herakleidon Museum’s collection works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse, Aristide Maillol, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Landacre, Dame Laura Knight, Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen and Childe Hassam.
From the Greek National Gallery collection works by Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse, Gustav Klimt, Pablo Picasso, Egon Schiele, Jules Pascin, Yiannis Moralis, George Varlamos, George Economidis, Markos Zavitzianos, Emmanuel Zeppos, Dimitrios Galanis, Alexandros Korogiannakis, Dimitris Giannoukakis, Angelos Theodoropoulos, Costas Grammatopoulos and Yannis Kefallinos.
From the Alpha Bank collection works by Spyros Vassiliou, Dimitrios Galanis, Angelos Theodoropoulos, Dimitris Giannoukakis, George Economidis, Costas Grammatopoulos and Markos Zavitzianos.
From the George Economou collection works by Franz von Stuck, Alfons Walde, Lev Tchistovsky, Anton Peschka, Otto Muller, Otto Rudolf Schatz, Arthur Brusenbauch, Max Beckmann, Jeanne Mammen, Bela Kadar, Jean Metzinger and Erich Metzoldt.
The Charalambos Leontiadis collection participates with the work “La Parisienne” by Dimitrios Galanis.
The female form has been an inspiration to artists of all ages and ethnic groups, dating back to antiquity. The exhibition “Woman as Muse, 1900-1950” will showcase works on paper by world renowned artists of modernism, depicting their varied interpretations of the female form and reflecting the prevailing artistic movements of their time. Woman is portrayed as mother, muse, lover, friend or confidante. She is alternately nurturing, beguiling, assertive or conspiratorial.
Frost & Sullivan: Smart Transit Card Users Promote Smart Card Adoption for Multiple Applications
LONDON, August 31, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — The increasing popularity of travelling has encouraged the large community of travellers to embrace technologies – such as smart card technology – that will simplify their travel needs. This end-user readiness has resolved some of the industry’s inertia in deploying new services based on smart card technology. A promising cycle has emerged that will generate wider network externalities through the application of innovative practicalities to this community of transit users.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.smartcards.frost.com), World Smart Cards in Transportation Market, anticipates that the transit application will witness 11 percent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in smart card shipment from 2009 to 2015. This growth will be driven by current smart card-based transit projects designed to extend the percentage of the world’s population that is currently living in cities running smart card-based transit projects.
“It is no longer the domain of the traditional smart card value chain as it interacts with transport authorities,” notes Frost & Sullivan Analyst Yiru Zhong from the Information & Communication Technologies group. “Technology and social factors now make it essential that transit authorities deploy smart ticketing solutions as a result of ubiquitous connectivity and mobile devices.”
Europe and megacities are hot spots for future smart card-based transit projects. The UN report on megacities states that city development requires transportation planning involving smart card-based transit payment solutions.
“The future of convergence lies in the union of form, function and connectivity, much like Hong Kong’s experience,” states Zhong. “Europe fulfils these three critical factors.”
Furthermore, the use of smart cards has matured in Europe, setting the scene for more collaborative efforts with stakeholders in other industries. For instance, Europe is at a more advanced stage of NFC trials for m-payment purposes, including the use of NFC technology for mobile ticketing.
By recognising the gaps, which have been left by disruptive new players such as telcos or retailers, smart card vendors can better act on an end- to-end vendor solution. They can fulfill the role of a system integrator, having understood the complexity of secure transactions, while operating within the context of the transportation and mobile sector.
“They should also be able to promote greater standardisation, as already evidenced by the latest transit initiative from InsideContactless,” states Zhong. “Finally, there are numerous opportunities for smart card vendors to lead in enabling secure and robust payment systems.”
Beyond the demand for smart cards and integrated chips, there remains the untapped demand for services and solutions to bridge the fragmented eco-system. The emergence of payment for transportation has laid the groundwork for a wider adoption of smart cards with multi-applications. There have been several examples of contact and contactless transportation payment projects embarking in different parts of the world.
“Different payment platforms and methods have allowed different technology players in industries,” explains Zhong. “For instance, there are players, such as telecoms operators, and established payment infrastructure plans, as set up by banks which have their own innovative payment methods.”
Trends indicate that the number of people holding a transit smart card will rise. This, together with the increasing sophistication in uses of smart card, represents a step towards a connected or smart city. “The smart card industry should exploit opportunities to enable this vision,” advises Yiru Zhong. “Initially, there will be a need to establish credibility in managing large scale projects combining security, services and solutions.”
CIBTM RESEARCH PREDICTS SIGNIFICANT GROWTH FOR CHINA MEETINGS INDUSTRY Sector benefiting from China becoming world’s second largest economy
The China Incentives, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition’s – CIBTM – Fourth China and Asia Meetings Industry Report 2010, presented today (Tuesday 31 August) has provided valuable insights into the developing meetings industry across China and Asia. At a time when China has taken the world’s second largest economy slot, the bespoke report predicts significant growth potential, with increased numbers of events using a wider range of destinations.
Key results from the research:
Buyers research- 396 respondents, 67% based in China, 60% corporate, 7% associations/’not for profit’ and 33% third parties
- Increase in volume of events organised in China to mean of 5.6 events per buyer from 3.7 last year, events overall up to 4.8 per buyer from 4.0
- Numbers of attendees for events in China are up to 200 from 135 last year
- Mean duration for events in China up to 5.5 days, compared to 4.4 days last year
- Lead times have shortened to 5.2 months, compared to 6.8 months last year
- Growth in volume of events predicted to continue with 64.3% of buyers expecting to organise more events in China in next twelve months
- Mean annual budgets for organisers based in China is RMB 2,318,900 (up 34%); for international organisers is US$1,802,601 (down from US$2,425,000). Average 42.5% spent on events in China
- International air routes and the visa process have become more important issues for buyers while security and safety are now far less of a concern
- Satisfaction levels with most recently used destinations are high with a mean of 3.8 (out of 5), for the majority this relates to Beijing
- The economic climate and pressure to reduce costs remain a key concern for the next twelve months, despite the increase in budgets anticipated
- Buyers remain optimistic with 74% predicting an increase in the volume of events they organise and 51% predicting an increase in budgets for individual events
- 75% of buyers think World Expo will have an impact increasing business tourism in China.
Suppliers research
- 223 respondents, 78% based in China
- 87% of respondents said key clients were based in China
- For 64% over 50% of their business is taking place in China, with clients predominantly corporate (57%) and from a wide range of industry sectors, in particular pharmaceutical/medical
- Corporates remain the sector suppliers are trying to attract business from in future although there is more focus on ‘not for profit organisations’ this year
- Suppliers view capacity and quality of meeting facilities as important (more so than the buyers) and the overall appeal of destinations. Only 5% of supplier respondents were from airlines, which may explain their low ranking of international air routes as an important factor, a very different view to the buyers
- 75% of suppliers agreed with buyers that the volume of events will increase in future and 58% are increasing their promotional budgets
- 65% believe that China and Asia offer most growth opportunities for the future, with 51% focusing on the Yangtze River Delta.
Sally Greenhill, Managing Director of The Right Solution Limited, who compiled and independently analysed the report commented: “We have had a very positive response to the survey with 396 buyer respondents contributing this year, the largest number since the survey began four years ago.
“There is no doubt that this is a particularly exciting time for all those involved in the meetings industry in China.
“China, in light of their growing economy, is now becoming a compelling destination for meetings and incentives, offering a broad and wide range of experiences; not surprising bearing in mind the country has one of the oldest cultures. All indicators point to continued growth from both within China and outbound.”
Jeffrey Xu, CIBTM’s Exhibition Manger concluded: “Our bespoke research continues to play a vital role in gathering data which does not exist elsewhere, helping those within the meetings industry in China to develop and grow their businesses.”
The 4th CIBTM China and Asia Meetings Industry Research Report 2010 can be found at www.cibtm.com.
Superbreak Report Surge in Demand for Rail Theatre Break Packages
YORK, England, August 31, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Superbreak, the theatre break specialist, has reported a sharp increase in the number of rail inclusive theatre breaks being booked, on the run up to the busiest theatre season of the year.
The Yorkshire based tour operator has secured a number of budget and top price theatre tickets for a host of musicals and performances in London’s West End as the autumn season approaches. What sets Superbreak apart from its competition is the ability for customers to tailor-make their breaks by adding a return rail journey from most UK mainline stations, including Edinburgh, Manchester and Leeds, into London. As with all theatre break packages, customers have a choice of over 250 hotels spanning the capital city, including many in and around Theatreland itself.
Popular theatre shows for autumn 2010 so far include ‘Wicked’ and ‘Dirty Dancing’, with ‘The Lion King’ proving a hot favourite for families during the October half term break. The relationship with rail providers allows Superbreak the ability to offer one night theatre breaks ( http://www.superbreak.com/theatre-breaks.htm) to see ‘Oliver!’, standard return rail travel with East Coast Rail and overnight accommodation at the 3-star Royal National Hotel from just GBP129pp.
Superbreak (http://www.superbreak.com/) has a long standing reputation for selling rail inclusive breaks. Last year, over 200,000 passengers booked a London theatre break with the tour operator and chose to add a rail journey to their booking. The ability to custom-make a theatre break to include a hotel stay, theatre tickets and return rail travel, allows customers both the choice and flexibility no matter what the budget.
Will Dunnett, Director of Marketing at Superbreak, commented: “Rail inclusive breaks (http://www.superbreak.com/promo/rail.htm) continue to be a mainstay of the Superbreak programme and are proving to be a big hit with customers heading to the capital on a theatre break. The ability to select your hotel, length of stay, theatre tickets and rail travel allows us to offer our customers the very best in value and choice.”
