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British Airways Announce High Rolling Route from Gatwick to Vegas

British Airways is launching another new high rolling route from Gatwick with the start of flights to Las Vegas from October 29 2012.

The three-times-a-week service will be operated by a three-class Boeing 777 offering a premium Club World cabin with fully flat beds.

The new Gatwick route offers more choice and frequency from London airports. Together with the Heathrow service British Airways will operate 10 flights a week to Las Vegas.

Colm Lacy, British Airways’ head of commercial Gatwick, said: “Las Vegas has proved to be an incredibly popular year-round destination from Heathrow so we are delighted to now be able to offer the route from Gatwick as well.

“This is the kind of destination our leisure customers at Gatwick are looking for and it will complement our existing USA and longhaul leisure network.”

Customers can book holidays in Las Vegas for less by booking their flights, hotels and experiences together. Home to sumptuous spas, luxury hotels and many excellent attractions, Las Vegas is the perfect place to enjoy luxury holidays.

British Airways has a wide range of top hotels in Las Vegas on the strip available, from the three-star Riviera Hotel and Casino which has just completed a multi million dollar renovation to the famous and luxurious Bellagio. The five-star hotel treats guests to sweeping views of the magnificent lake and classical gardens while five-star The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino recreates the glory of Venice and has suites nearly twice the size as a typical Las Vegas hotel room. The five-star Aria Resort and Casino, located in the heart of the City Centre, combines architecture with sustainable design and five-star The Wynn Resort Las Vegas provides gastronomic options for every taste.

Las Vegas is a hotspot of activity out in the Nevada desert. Customers looking for things to do in Las Vegas as an alternative to the casinos and shows will not be disappointed by amazing helicopter rides over the Las Vegas Strip or the Grand Canyon or visiting the impressive Hoover Dam, built during the Great Depression.

Bookings for flights from London Gatwick to Las Vegas can be made now at ba.com.

Ukraine Unveils New Airport in Donetsk

Country officials open the renewed terminal at Donetsk international airport in Ukraine just in time for EURO 2012. The renewed airport boasts a seven-storey terminal capable of servicing up to 3,100 passengers per hour (previously – 700), reads the statement by Ukraine’s Infrastructure Ministry.

Donetsk airport recently introduced an artificial runway suitable for all types of airplanes, including the heavy Boeing 747 and Airbus A380. It boasts the tallest in the country 52 meter control tower. The International Civil Aviation Organization granted the airport the ICAO III A category, allowing it to accept landings at zero visibility conditions.

“At the beginning of the 1930s the constructors of this airport had no idea what a high technology site it would grow into,” said the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych at the opening ceremony on May 14 ^th. The Airport’s renewed infrastructure will help manage the increasing number of passengers arriving in the eastern Ukrainian city for EURO 2012.

Ukrainian state budget contributed USD 758 million into the Donetsk airport reconstruction. Additionally, private investments and local budget funded the construction. Curiously, in November of 2011 the airport was named after renowned classical composer Serhiy Prokofiev, who originated from Donetsk.

EURO 2012 triggered reconstruction works at Kyiv and Lviv airports, while Donetsk and Kharkiv ones were built from scratch. In 2012 western Ukrainian EURO 2012 host Lviv opened a new terminal. It services up to 2,100 persons per hour. Interestingly, Budapest airport has the channel capacity of 970 persons per hour (8.5 million a year).

The Airport in Kharkiv boasts a new 2.5 kilometer runway (allowing the airport to service Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 landings), renewed infrastructure, and a terminal. New terminal F at Boryspil airport in Kyiv has a waiting zone of 5,670 square meters and capacity of 2,400 passengers per hour. Comparably, the waiting area in Moscow’s Domodedovo airport is 2,900 square meters.

Final renovations are under way at Kyiv airports Zhuliany and Boryspil. In May 2012 Zhuliany will get a new terminal with a total area of 14,270 square meters and channel capacity of 320 persons per hour. In June 2012 Boryspil will open additional terminal D, servicing over 20 planes at a time. Currently, Boryspil operates 62 percent of passenger traffic in the country.

Emirates Group announces 24th consecutive year of profit

• Group records AED 2.3 billion (US$ 629 million) net profit
• Emirates reaches 34 million passenger milestone
• 11 new destinations and 22 new aircraft added to Emirates operations
• dnata achieves record profit of AED 808 million (US$ 220 million)

DUBAI, U.A.E.,10th May 2012: The Emirates Group has today announced its 24th consecutive year of profit and companywide growth amidst unprecedented economic pressure and record high fuel prices.

Released today in the Group’s 2011-12 Annual Report the company posted a AED 2.3 billion (US$ 629 million) net profit, with dnata marking its highest ever profit in 52 years of operation. Despite fundamental challenges, the Group’s revenue reached a record high, climbing to AED 67.4 billion (US$ 18.4 billion) an increase of 17.8 percent on last year’s results. The Group’s cash balance grew by 9.5 percent reaching a strong AED 17.6 billion (US$ 4.8 billion).

“Achieving our 24th consecutive year of profit and maintaining an upward growth trajectory is an achievement that belies the industry norm,’ said His Highness (H.H) Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group.

“Throughout the 2011-12 financial year the Group has collectively invested close to AED 14 billion (US$ 3.8 billion) in new products. This investment has garnered new customers and increased our international presence. Successful business growth is not a matter of luck, it is the result of sustained and calculated investment. Every dirham that we earn is strategically ploughed back into our business and it is this foresight that has allowed the Group to maintain such strong and consistent profitability.”

Despite a difficult operating environment, the Group continued to invest in and expand on its employee base, increasing its overall staff count by more than 10 percent.

During the year Emirates received a staggering 22 new aircraft, its highest in any single year, funded by a wide variety of financing structures.  With an increased fleet, Emirates further invested in its network by adding 11 new destinations and increasing capacity to 34 cities, a record for the airline.

“Managing volatile exchange rates, coupled with our highest ever fuel bill has required immense tenacity. Retaining growth and remaining profitable in these challenging economic times shows our profound understanding of the markets that we do business in,” added Sheikh Ahmed.

Reaching a record profit, dnata stayed true to its proven acquisition strategy, gaining a majority stake in online travel agency, Travel Republic Ltd and a 50 percent interest in Wings Inflight Services in South Africa. Importantly the results for 2011-12 highlight that 55 percent of dnata’s revenue is derived from its international operations, an increase of 17 percentage points over last year.

In the 2011-12 financial year Emirates’ fuel bill increased by 44.4 percent over last year to reach AED 24.3 billion (US$ 6.6 billion). With operating costs increasing by 24 percent compared to a revenue increase of 16.2 percent over last year, Emirates bore the brunt of the crippling cost of fuel for nearly one year, before reluctantly introducing a fuel surcharge on all tickets.

In addition to the cost of fuel Emirates had an operationally challenging year with the political unrest across the Middle East and North Africa affecting flight schedules. By keeping a tight focus on operations and modifying capacity and schedules Emirates was able to maintain profitability.

“In the last five years, Emirates’ capacity measured in Available Seat Kilometres, has increased by almost 100 percent facilitating new trade links and creating a new flow of passenger traffic. Being the first to capitalise on these new opportunities has allowed us to gain a distinct competitive advantage, one that we intend to maintain,” said Sheikh Ahmed.

Highlighting its sound financials, Emirates launched its highly successful US$ 1 billion bond in June last year and despite many traditional financing partners suffering from the Eurozone debt crisis, the bond was well received by global investors reflecting confidence in the Emirates business model. In addition to this, Emirates repaid a Singapore Dollar 250 million bond in full that matured in June 2011. The bond, listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, was originally issued in 2006 with a five year term.

“We move into the new financial year with cautious optimism, navigating our way through the difficult economic climate with a clear vision for our continued success. We understand that succeeding in this industry requires determination and we are unapologetic about our drive to be the best.”

“We are never complacent, always striving for perfection and always acutely aware that we things can be done better. Customers’ expectations only get higher and it is up to us to ensure that we move upwards with them. With the help of our 63,000 strong multicultural workforce we have no doubt that the years ahead will again be more profitable than the last,” added Sheikh Ahmed.

Emirates revenue reached a record high of AED 62.3 billion (US$ 17 billion) growing by 14.9 percent when compared to the 2010-11 financial year. Despite this strong revenue growth, the stifling cost of jet fuel impacted Emirates’ bottom line with the airline’s profit sitting significantly lower than the previous year at AED 1.5 billion (US$ 409 million) representing a decrease of 72.1 percent over last year’s record results.

Carrying a record 34 million passengers, an increase of 8 percent, Emirates logged a robust Passenger Seat Factor, at 80.0 percent, remaining consistent with last year’s results. With an increase in seat capacity – Available Seat Kilometres (ASKMs) of 9.8 percent the result highlights a strong consumer desire to fly on Emirates’ state-of-the-art aircraft.

Passenger yield increased by 7.8 percent to 30.5 fils (8.3 US cents) per Revenue Passenger Kilometre (RPKM), up from 28.3 fils (7.7 US cents) in 2010-11.

Revenue generated from across Emirates’ six regions continues to be well balanced, with no region contributing more than 30 percent of overall revenues. East Asia and Australasia remained the highest revenue contributing region with AED 18.2 billion (US$ 5.0 billion) up 17.6 percent from 2010-11. Europe, up 18.2 percent to AED 17.1 billion (US$ 4.6 billion) and the Americas up 21.3 percent to AED 6.7 billion (US$ 1.8 billion) also saw significant growth, reflecting new destinations as well as increased frequency and capacity to these regions.

Across the rest of the globe Emirates saw strong revenue increases from West Asia and the Indian Ocean up 10.6 percent to AED 7.1 billion (US$ 1.9 billion), Gulf, Middle East and Iran up 15.1 percent to AED 6.3 billion (US$ 1.7 billion) and Africa with AED 6.1 billion (US$ 1.7 billion) in revenue, up 9.5 percent.

In contrast to the global economic environment Emirates witnessed an upward trend in its premium class seat factor for a second year, up 1.9 percentage points from 2010-11. Premium and overall seat factor for the airline’s flagship A380 aircraft sat even higher, highlighting a continued demand in the product from passengers.

Outside of the UAE, Emirates has continued to invest in the markets that it serves, playing a pivotal role in job creation within the US and Europe through its significant aircraft orders. At the Dubai Airshow Emirates announced an order for an additional 50 Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, and 20 777-300 ER options valued at US$ 26 billion (AED 95.4 billion). This recent order, in addition to engine orders for American-made GE90 engines, is expected to support over 100,000 skilled American jobs, injecting billions into the local US economy.

With a further 232 aircraft on order worth over US$ 84 billion, combined with the airline’s increasing worldwide passenger traffic, Emirates’ is set to continue to drive considerable economic growth in the countries that it serves.

Forging ahead with its intricately planned expansion, Emirates received 22 new aircraft during the year including 14 Boeing 777-300ERs, two Boeing 777Fs and six A380s from Airbus, the highest number of aircraft received in a single year of operation. With an increased fleet, Emirates launched 11 new destinations in 2011-12 including a strong focus on North America and South America in the final quarter with Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Seattle and Dallas-Fort Worth all launching between January and March 2012.

In addition to these new destinations Emirates added much needed capacity to 34 cities including; Manchester, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Khartoum, Lahore and Tunis. Looking forward to 2012-13, Emirates has to date announced four new routes including Ho Chi Minh City, Barcelona, Lisbon and Washington D.C.

New A380 destinations for the airline in 2011-12 included; Munich, Rome, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur and Johannesburg bringing the total number of A380 destinations to 17. In the coming financial year Emirates will launch a further three A380 destinations including: Melbourne, Tokyo and Amsterdam. A total of 20 of Emirates A380’s have also now been equipped with on-board Wi-Fi to allow continuous connectivity for passengers.

To further improve on-board communication for our passengers Emirates has enabled its fleet of Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft and over 50 Boeing 777s with the AeroMobile phone service, permitting passengers to make phone calls during their flight.

Continuing its customer focus Emirates opened four new dedicated airport lounges during the year including; San Francisco, Istanbul, Colombo and a fourth new lounge in Dubai, bringing the total number of Emirates lounges to 32. Globally Emirates extended its lauded Chauffeur-drive service to a number of new cities such as Chennai and Bangkok, in addition to enhancing its existing Chauffeur-drive product in the UAE  by introducing 46 Mercedes E200 cars for its First Class passengers.

Bucking the industry trend, the 2011-12 financial year has been a strong one for Emirates SkyCargo with revenues of AED 9.5 billion (US$ 2.6 billion) an 8.4 percent increase on last year on account of an increase in freight tonnage and freight yield per Freight Tonne Kilometre (FTKM) which rose by 5.4 percent.

With the bulk of the cargo industry reporting downward tonnage, Emirates SkyCargo’s tonnage increase of 1.7 percent reaching 1,796 thousand tonnes showcases its persistence to grow revenues against the industry norm.

Contributing 16.2 percent of Emirates’ total transport revenue Emirate SkyCargo continues to play an integral role in the company’s expanding operations.
At the end of the financial year, Emirates SkyCargo freighter fleet was eight – two on wet lease and six on operating lease.

Emirates’ Destination and Leisure Management (D&LM) division saw revenue of AED 245 million (US$ 66.8 million) during the year, an increase of 8.4 percent over last year.

In the 52 years of dnata, 2011-12 has been its most successful yet. With an increase of 58.9 percent over last year, dnata grew its revenue to AED 7 billion (US$ 1.9 billion). Overall profit for dnata also reached its highest ever point at AED 808 million (US$ 220 million).

During the year, dnata’s operating costs increased by 58.9 percent to AED 6.2 billion (US$ 1.7 billion), primarily triggered by the first full integration of Alpha Group.

For the first time, dnata’s largest revenue stream has come from in-flight catering, accounting for AED 2.5 billion (US$ 668 million) of its total revenue. The single largest factor in this revenue shift is the full year inclusion of Alpha Flight Group who uplifted over 48 million meals during the year.

Revenue from dnata’s airport operations increased by 17.2 percent reaching AED 2.3 billion (US$ 632 million) to make the second largest revenue stream behind inflight catering. The increase is due primarily to increased volumes at Dubai and Singapore airports.

dnata’s cargo handling division also witnessed upward growth with revenues increasing by 12.6 percent to AED 993 million (US$ 271 million) on account of increased tonnage at Dubai International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport. Increased cargo volumes at Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central saw dnata handle 3.3 percent more cargo.

Complementing its growth and expansion, dnata underwent a comprehensive brand refresh throughout the year, incorporating the different businesses of dnata under the unifying ‘One dnata’ umbrella. With staff across 39 countries, the ‘One dnata’ message has been fully embraced by its 20,000 strong workforce.

As of 31st March 2012, the Group and its subsidiaries employed 63,000 staff, representing over 160 different nationalities. The full 2011-12 Annual Report of the Emirates Group – comprising Emirates, dnata and their subsidiary companies – is available on:www.theemiratesgroup.com/annualresults

Starwood Hosts Its Top 100 Global Executives in Dubai and Announces Plans to Temporarily Relocate Global Headquarters to the Middle East in 2013

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, May 10, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today welcomes its top 100 global executives to Dubai, United Arab Emirates for the company’s annual leadership conference. This marks the first time the leadership conference is held in the Middle East, underscoring the importance of the region as one of Starwood’s fastest-growing hotel and travel markets. In another bold move to emphasize Starwood’s approach to cultivating a more global culture, the company announced today that it will relocate its U.S.-based headquarters to the Middle East in 2013 for a month-long managerial endeavor.

Starwood is the leading luxury hotel operator in the Middle East with an existing portfolio of nearly 50 hotels in 11 countries under eight of Starwood’s nine brands. The company is increasing its long-established lead here with another 30 hotels in the pipeline. This growth, primarily in the luxury and upper-upscale segments, represents an increase of more than 50% over the next five years. In the emirate of Dubai, Starwood currently operates 15 hotels, which is the largest concentration of Starwood hotels in any single city outside New York. The company has announced plans to unveil another five new hotels in Dubai by 2017, including the debuts of the W and St. Regis brands in the emirate.

“With hotels in 100 countries and 80% of our future pipeline outside of North America, Starwood is the world’s most global high-end hotel company, perfectly positioned to capitalize on an ever growing global marketplace,” said Starwood President and CEO, Frits van Paasschen. “Dubai is emblematic of how globalization is creating new travel patterns and travel hubs, and serves as a crossroad between the emerging and developed worlds.”

Starwood Relocates Global Headquarters to Dubai

In 2013, Starwood will temporarily relocate its Senior Leadership Team from the company’s U.S.-based headquarters to the Middle East for a month-long managerial endeavor. During the relocation, Starwood President & CEO Frits van Paasschen and more than a dozen of the company’s top executives will be headquartered in Dubai where they will conduct day-to-day business on an eight-hour time difference with their “usual” home office in Stamford, Connecticut.

During what van Paasschen describes as “an unconventional effort to understand, appreciate and ultimately leverage different cultural perspectives and approaches to business,” Starwood’s team will delve into the company’s extensive operations throughout the Middle East, meeting with regional customers, partners, developers and owners, while also touring new properties throughout the region.

Building upon the success of Starwood’s 2011 headquarters relocation to China, the company has selected the UAE because of its significant footprint, pipeline and growth potential, plus the region’s popularity as a business and leisure travel destination as well as its growing importance as an outbound travel market.

“Our brands resonate well with Middle Eastern guests and the fact that our brands reflect the various lifestyle aspirations of our guests allows us to further penetrate this market,” continued van Paasschen. “This is only possible because we have long standing teams in place who have a deep understanding of the Middle East’s complex dynamics and strong relationships with some of the region’s most influential investors.”

IAEE Raises JMIC Membership to 14 International Associations

Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) President Philippe Fournier today announced that IAEE (the International Association of Exhibitions and Events) has now joined the Council, bringing its global membership to a total of fourteen major international industry organizations.

“We are very pleased to have IAEE join the Council as this further broadens our representation of the global meetings industry at a time when there is a greater need than ever for a mechanism to bring together key players to help identify and address key industry issues,” said Fournier. “IAEE is a large and influential organization in its own right and its involvement with JMIC will facilitate access to an even wider cross section of the industry and demonstrate our value as a force for economic recovery and growth”.

IAEE President Steven Hacker, CAE, FASAE, said, “We are very enthusiastic about joining JMIC to represent the exhibitions and events industry. We look forward to offering a new benefit to the IAEE member community, and we look forward to collaborating and extending the available resources to members of both organizations for many years to come”.

Founded in 1928 to represent the interests of trade show and exposition managers, IAEE is the principle resource for those who plan, produce and service the industry. Its membership is composed of approximately 1,300 member organizations and more than 8,500 individuals, over half of which are directly involved in the planning, management, and production of exhibitions and buyer-seller events with the remainder consisting of those who provide products and services to the industry. Roles include professional development, industry news and publications, industry and professional resources, service partner discounts, advocacy before government and media, leadership development and local chapter membership.

JMIC supports industry networking, awards and advocacy programs, and is currently expanding its activities in the areas of information exchange, industry messaging and the development of a collective voice to advance key issues and values. Its programs are supported by partners IMEX and Reed Travel Exhibitions, who are working actively with the Council to help it achieve its goals.

In addition to IAEE, other JMIC members now include:

AACVB (the Asian Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus);
AIPC (the International Association of Congress Centres);
COCAL (the Latin American Confederation of PCO and Related Companies);
DMAI (Destination Marketing Association International);
ECM (European Cities Marketing);
EFAPCO (the European Federation of Associations of Professional Congress Organizers);
EVVC (the European Association of Event Centres);
IAPCO (the International Association of Professional Congress Organizers);
ICCA (the International Congress and Convention Association);
MPI (Meeting Professionals International);
PCMA (the Professional Convention Association Management Association);
SITE (the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives) and
UFI (the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry).
It is also supported by the CIC (Convention Industry Council)

HBAA Financial Forum highlights agency and venue need for improved accounting processes

Over 60 members of the HBAA gathered at etc.venues’ newest property in St Paul’s to discuss the financial implications affecting the sector. Subject matters included TOMS, VAT recovery, billback and commission payment issues.

The HBAA Finance forum reflects the association’s drive for best practice and ensures a 360 degree approach to driving professionalism across every function within agencies, hotels and venues.

The event drew a keynote session by accountancy firm Saffery Champness, who opened the day with an insight into current VAT legislation. VAT Partner, David Bennett highlighted the implicit need for hotels and venues to understand the differences and implications of the terminology ‘agent’ and ‘principal’. David commented: “Flexibility is very important: those organising travel for business use may want to adopt differing positions for different clients and in various circumstances to make the VAT rules work as effectively as possible.”

Other sessions included a panel of representatives from agencies PHR and BSI, along with hotels Hilton and Sarova debating the recurrent issues relating to commission payments.

Financial changes and implications are increasingly prevalent within the hotel booking sector, as such the HBAA has committed to working towards a document to help agents and venues to improve the secure handling of client funds and develop processes that reduce the credit risks between agents and venues. A working party will also look at how new technology can help streamline processes.

Dave Dosanjh, financial controller for Capita Business Travel, commented: “The Finance Forum was full of very knowledgeable individuals who were all prepared to contribute their ideas, experiences and frustrations. I came away feeling there were lots of different areas which affect the whole Industry where we could work together to make improvements; in particular automated billback procedures and examining concerns and differences over commissions levels.”

Peter Ducker, executive director from the HBAA, commented: “We were very pleased with the response of our member’s finance departments as we are keen to engage with every role in our members organisation. Working with the financial departments, we aim to pioneer the requisite changes on billback procedures and commission payments and to ensure our members add value to their clients by offering transparent and effective business practices.”

Jonathan Ashley Cowan, managing director of PHR, commented: “It was no surprise that the topics for this year’s HBAA Financial Forum were the same old suspects but I have to say that after the event I came away feeling very positive that, with the involvement of the HBAA, we may be on the verge of coming up with solutions to a number of these issues.”

Germany number two worldwide as a convention destination

Frankfurt/Main, 10 May 2012. Germany has again defended its position as one of the leading global destinations for meetings and conventions. For the eighth year in succession, the study conducted by the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) showed that Germany is the top location in Europe for association meetings. Globally, Germany occupies second place. According to the rankings, only the USA has more international conventions. In 2011, the experts counted a total of 577 international association meetings in Germany - an increase of 35 over the previous year – and considerably more than second-placed Spain, which hosted 463 conventions. The United Kingdom follows in third place with 434 events.

According to the ICCA city rankings, Berlin was able to defend its outstanding fourth place in the global rankings for cities. It hosted 147 international association meetings, nine more than in the previous year. Berlin therefore continues to lie ahead of Singapore and Madrid and behind the unchanged top three of Vienna (181), Paris (174) and Barcelona (150).

“It is no accident that Germany is a fixture among the world leaders in organising international conventions. As well as offering very good value for money, excellent infrastructure and a wide range of event centres, Germany also scores highly in terms of innovation. For example, this has made Germany a leader in the area of organising green meetings – a theme that will continue to grow in importance going forward,” says a confident Matthias Schultze, managing director of the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. The GCB markets Germany both nationally and internationally as a destination for conventions, meetings, incentives and events and is the central point of contact for all customers planning events in the country.

“Sharpening the profile of a city or region also helps to generate events. This is why, when we market Germany’s convention and meeting destinations together with our partners and members, we look to locate events in regions which are home to clusters of business and scientific expertise relevant to the theme. Programmes of events that fit well with the theme of the convention, such as factory tours, offer participants a high level of added value,” says Schultze outlining the strategy of the GCB.

Evaluations conducted by the GCB offer an insight into the sectors principally involved in the association meetings included in the ICCA study for Germany in 2011. Technology and innovation accounted for more than one quarter of the international conventions in Germany while around 20 percent of the association meetings considered were in the medical and healthcare sectors.

The GCB has also investigated the countries, in which the international organisations running their conventions in Germany were based. The United Kingdom was the leading foreign market with 66 association meetings followed by the USA in second place (64). Trailing by some distance were Germany’s European neighbours Belgium (36), France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria.

The annual ICCA statistical study “International Association Meetings Market” evaluates the trends in the international meetings market. The ICCA studies association meetings with at least 50 participants, which take place regularly and rotate between at least three countries. The International Congress & Convention Association, which was founded in 1963 and is based in Amsterdam, has been collecting information about association events world-wide since 1972.

Sarawak awarded The BrandLaureate Country Branding Awards 2011-2012

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2012: Dubbed the Grammy Awards for Branding, Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) was recently presented with The BrandLaureate Country Branding Award 2011-2012 for playing a pivotal role in promoting Sarawak and Malaysia as a leading destination in the area of business events, tourism and business investments.

“Through its various initiatives, SCB has promoted the attributes of Sarawak to the world as a modern and progressive State and at the same time maintaining its heritage and culture,” commented Dr KK Johan, President of the Asia Pacific Brands Foundation (APBF).

The BrandLaureate BestBrands Awards, organised by APBF was held on the 8^th of May 2012 at the Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Selangor that aims to honour brand excellence amongst the best of brands in Malaysia and the world.

“On behalf of SCB, we are truly honoured to be receiving this award and it is a wonderful stepping stone to further showcase Sarawak as an internationally renowned destination for business events”, commented Dato’ Sri Dr Muhd. Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah, Chairman of SCB.

Last year, Kuching earned its place, for the first time ever, in the 2010 International Convention & Congress Association (ICCA) Asia Pacific & Middle East city ranking, sharing the 42^nd spot with Nara and Guangzhou, bettering the performance of many established second tier cities such as Adelaide and Canberra in Australia and Bangalore in India.

Mr Mike Cannon, Managing Director of SCB added, “SCB’s marketing core and re-branding exercises have put Sarawak on the international map and increased business opportunities for the State. These are evident through the many awards and conference bids that the Bureau has won over the years.”

Since 2006, SCB has won 9 international destination marketing awards which have been recognised as best practice the world over; particularly in 2008 when SCB won the ICCA Best Marketing Award, after competing with 80 business events destinations from around the world, becoming the first Asian destination to enter the finals, let alone win the award. Furthermore, over 180 conference bid wins have been secured to Sarawak that are estimated to bring in over RM 204 million in direct delegate expenditure- a great boost to the State.

SCB’s destination marketing efforts have paid off, thanks to the strength of the Bureau’s marketing core; Dare to be Different, Harnessing the Power of Storytelling and Leveraging on the Borneo Brand. This was then executed through a series of re-branding exercises that started in early 2008, from the clean cut business look to a more adventurous, grunge Indiana Jones style that can be seen today. For more information on SCB and how to enhance your business events, please visit www.sarawakcb.com.

Education steers Americas Meetings Week

Hear from the experts on new tactics for measuring and communicating the value of meetings

Six more strategic and thought provoking education sessions delivered by supporting associations have been announced as part of Americas Meetings Week at AIBTM, the award winning Meetings and Events Exhibition for the US (www.aibtm.com).  Meetings Professionals International (MPI) and the Association for Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) will help redefine how to make meetings and event marketing programmes measurable as well as a more consistent and responsive meeting experience for all.

Erica Keogan, Reed Travel Exhibitions IBTM Portfolio Education Content Manager commented: “Following on from the launch of the first ever international study on the Business Value of Meetings at AIBTM last year, the industry continues to grapple with the greatest challenge of effectively communicating the value of meetings and events.  This year we have secured some top line evidence and speakers to deliver their views and findings”.

MPI will focus on The Practitioner Series: Determine the Business Value of Meetings and Events involving 3 sessions on Tuesday, June 19^th all presented by Bill Voegeli (President Significant Research LLC) and John Nawn (Meetings Support Institute)

·      The Case for Measurement headlines;  “If the industry had been measuring the impact of meetings all along, there never would have been an AIG effect” (Tony Lorenz, founder of bxbonline). This session will present a discussion that will consider ways in which industry leaders can make a business case for measurement and what barriers must be overcome to successfully achieve this. 

·      Measuring What Matters - Most meeting professionals are not aware of the wide variety of financial and non-financial metrics that can be used to determine value. This interactive discussion on determining objectives and the corresponding metrics and measures that can be utilized for a meeting or event, will show how leading companies are using simple processes and tools to determine the value of their meetings and events.

·      Communicating the Value of Your Meeting or Event - One of the greatest challenges in determining the value of meetings and events is properly interpreting the data and effectively communicating results to all stakeholders. This session will support participants in distinguishing value in chosen methods of analysis and outline an effective communication strategy, to support this.

Supporting the same overall theme, ACTE (Association of Corporate Travel Executives) presents 3 education streams that further explore ways of delivering ROI.  “ACTE is thrilled to present these sessions at AIBTM 2012,” said ACTE Executive Director Ron DiLeo.  “We’ve created topics on leveraging emotional engagement to improve the ROI of meetings, cost-saving tips and insider information from frequent business travellers, and an examination of the hotel RFP process, allowing us to maximize understanding across the Business Travel and Incentives, Meetings and Events industries.”

·      Leveraging Emotional Engagement to Improve the ROI of Your Meetings - This workshop will take a fun, interactive game-show approach and examine the role emotions play both in cinema and in our world of meetings and events. The discussions will help attendees identify “positive” emotions generated by an experience and create connections and applications for those emotions to meetings and events.

·      Cost-savings: Tips & Insider Information from Road Warriors - A panel of frequent global travellers will share their best tips and other “insider” information including how to get lounge passes and other travel perks for “free”.

·      Is It Time to Eliminate the Hotel RFP Process? - If you are ready to disrupt the hotel RFP process and consider unconventional, out-of-the-box solutions, this is a workshop you won’t want to miss.

AIBTM’s Education Day (Tuesday June 19^th) has been created to provide learning and content that is relevant for both meeting planners and suppliers, taking place before the trade show opens, it means everyone attending has the option to take part.  The education continues on Wednesday, June 20^th.   Over 30 individual sessions will be facilitated over the course of AIBTM.

For more information about ways to attend AIBTM and make the most of all of the education opportunities available as part of AIBTM’s Americas Meetings Week, please visitwww.aibtm.com/visiting.

To apply for the Hosted Buyer attendance option by filling out the registration form - http://www.reedexpovip.com/profile/web/index.cfm?PKWebId=0x381a09c.

Alternatively chose the Flexible Choice Option and attend as a Trade Buyer which will permit you access to all education, business and networking opportunities which will take place over the course of the show - https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=745&campaigncode=CampGE

By registering for AIBTM, you are automatically registered for AIBTM education day. Sessions are on a first-come, first serve basis and you must have your show badge in order to get in.

AIBTM takes place from 19^th June – 21^st June, 2012.

Join AIBTM on Linked in, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

MPI UK and Ireland Chapter announces 2012/2013 board

The UK and Ireland Chapter of MPI has confirmed that current president, Samme Allen from the Barbican will serve a second year as chapter president, supported by James Samuel of International Confex as president elect.

The chapter’s decision to appoint Samme Allen for a second year brings the UK and Ireland Chapter in line with many of its European counterparts, where presidents can serve for two years, allowing greater time for strategic planning to build a cohesive board and achieve goals that are of greater benefit to all members.

The full 2012 / 2013 board will comprise:

• Samme Allen, Barbican – President
• James Samuel, Confex – President Elect
• Anthony Hyde, Barbican – Past President
• Miguel Neves, IMEX – VP Finance
• Charlotte Baxter, MCI – VP Events
• Louise Newton, Newton Events – VP Membership
• June Clark, Reed Travel Exhibitions – VP Knowledge
• Lisa Owen, Visit Manchester – VP Communications

With the 2011 / 2012 past president, Fiona Pelham joining the International Board of Directors, Anthony Hyde (2009 / 2010 president) has agreed to share his time and knowledge in the role of past president.

The decision was reached unanimously by the UK and Ireland board of directors in light of Nathalie Jean’s intention to leave the board at the end this year due to the development of her own business and a huge increase in her professional commitments.

Samme Allen, Barbican head of sales and MPI UK and Ireland President said: “Building the team over the past year has been a delight, we have created a varied and rewarding programme for members but one year alone is simply not enough time to bring about all the changes and goals we need for the Chapter to deliver true value for members. An extra year, supported by James will truly allow this MPI board to create a chapter that is respected the world over. These decisions have ensured a balanced and experienced board, working for the benefit of all.”

Cutting-Edge ‘Skype Station’ to Offer Free Video Calls introduced at IMEX, Estonia stand F270

Visitors to the Meet Estonia stand (F270) at this year’s IMEX fair can be among the first in the world to try out Skype Station, an ultramodern communication booth that lets users make free video calls via the internet.

Developed by the Estonian company AdTech, the stylishly-designed station not only works as a phone booth for the digital age, it has the capability of doubling as an eye-catching conference communication device and an online shopping portal.

Skype Station is the latest innovation to come out of E-Estonia, the country that gave birth to the Skype VoIP service and leads Europe in the availability of free Wi-Fi – an asset that has made this novel, affordable travel destination all the more attractive to event organisers.

More information about the Skype Station, the E-Estonia tech boom and other factors that make Estonia such an excellent conference choice will be available at the Meet Estonia stand.

To book a meeting, contact Kadri Karu, Estonian Convention Bureau kadri.karu@ecb.ee. Drop-ins are also welcome!

W Hotels Worldwide Continues Global Expansion with a New W Hotel in Dubai on the Iconic Palm Jumeirah

W Hotels Worldwide  (NYSE: HOT) today announced it has signed an agreement with Al Sharq Investment LLC to debut a new W Hotel in Dubai on The Palm Jumeirah. Set to debut in 2016, W Dubai The Palm will be located in the emirates most prestigious residential, leisure and tourism hub and will offer spectacular views of the iconic island, Dubai Marina and the azure waters of the Arabian Gulf.

Through the W brands unique and distinctive programming, W Dubai The Palm will provide a contemporary lifestyle experience with a complete service offer. The hotel will feature 283 stylish guest rooms, including 102 suites, five WOW suites and two Extreme WOW suites (Ws interpretation of a Presidential Suite). W Dubai The Palm will also
offer W exclusives including the brands signature W Lounge experience (Ws transformation of the traditional lobby), a glamorous WET pool, SWEAT (Ws state-of-the-art fitness centre) and an AWAY Spa.

The hotel will offer eight contemporary dining and lounge concepts, more than 2,500 square metres of ultra-modern meeting and event space and a full-service WIRED business centre. These offerings will be complemented by the W brands signature service promise, Whatever/Whenever^®, providing guests whatever they want, whenever they want it.

BER opening postponed

Decision in the interest of travellers: getting the airport stably on stream

Berlin, 8 May 2012 – Flughafen Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH announced today that the new airport Berlin Brandenburg (BER) will not open on schedule on 3 June. Technical problems in the field of fire protection engineering make a postponement indispensable.

Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin, stresses: “This is a responsible decision. In the interest of the tourism and convention destination Berlin a launch of BER on a safe and comfortable basis is better than a possibly bumpy start, which impairs the arrival and departure of our guests.”

Kieker continues: “What we now expect is a calm approach and an opening date which will demonstrate the full qualities of the new airport.”

Berlin can be easily reached through the existing airports Schönefeld and Tegel; all flights to and from Berlin can be carried out as scheduled. At the beginning of the year Berlin recorded a double-digit growth in room nights, and visitBerlin expects a further positive development during the months to come.

International tourism receipts surpass US$ 1 trillion in 2011

In 2011, international tourism receipts exceeded US$ 1 trillion for the first time, up from US$ 928 billion in 2010. In real terms, receipts grew by 3.8%, following a 4.6% increase in international tourist arrivals. An additional US$ 196 billion in receipts from international passenger transport brought total exports generated by international tourism in 2011 to US$ 1.2 trillion.

According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourism receipts continued to recover from the losses of crisis year 2009 and hit new records in most destinations, reaching an estimated US$ 1,030 billion (euro 740 billion) worldwide, up from US$ 928 billion (euro 700 billion) in 2010. In real terms (adjusted for exchange rate fluctuations and inflation), international tourism receipts grew by 3.8%, while international tourist arrivals increased by 4.6% in 2011 to 982 million. This confirms the close correlation between both indicators, with growth of receipts tending to lag slightly behind growth of arrivals in times of economic constraints.

“These are encouraging results,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “The past two years have shown healthy demand for international tourism out of many markets, even though economic recovery has been uneven. This is particularly important news for countries facing fiscal pressure and weak domestic consumption, where international tourism, a key export and a labour intensive activity, is increasingly strategic to balancing external deficits and stimulating employment.”

“We trust that governments worldwide will progressively recognize this and engage in measures that support tourism including fairer tax policies and the facilitation of visas and travellers’ movements, as these have proven to stimulate economic growth and job creation,” he added.

By regions, the Americas (+5.7%) recorded the largest increase in receipts in 2011, followed byEurope (+5.2%), Asia and the Pacific (+4.3%) and Africa (+2.2%). The Middle East was the only region posting negative growth (-14%).

Europe holds the largest share of international tourism receipts in absolute numbers (45% share), reaching US$ 463 billion (euro 333 bn) in 2011, followed by Asia and the Pacific (28% share or US$ 289 billion/euro 208 bn), and the Americas (19% share or US$ 199 billion/euro 143 bn). The Middle East (4% share) earned US$ 46 billion (euro 33 bn) and Africa (3% share) US$ 33 billion (euro 23 bn) (see table below).

Asides from international tourism receipts (the travel item of the Balance of Payment), tourism also generates export earnings through international passenger transport. The latter amounted to an estimated US$ 196 billion in 2011, bringing total receipts generated by international tourism to US$ 1.2 trillion, or US$ 3.4 billion a day on average.

As a result, international tourism (travel and passenger transport) currently accounts for 30% of the world’s exports of services and 6% of overall exports of goods and services. As a worldwide export category, tourism ranks fourth after fuels, chemicals and food, while ranking first in many developing countries.

Strong growth in international tourism expenditure from the BRIC countries

Many source markets generated strong demand in 2011. However, it was the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) that continued to stand out. China’s expenditure on international tourism increased by US$ 18 billion to US$ 73 billion, the Russian Federation increased by US$ 6 billion to US$ 32 billion, Brazil by US$ 5 billion to US$ 21 billion and India by US$ 3 billion to US$ 14 billion. Together, their increases accounted for an additional US$ 32 billion, a value equivalent to the eighth largest source market by expenditure. Of the advanced economy source markets, Germany, Australia, Norway, Belgium and Canada reported the biggest absolute growth (see table 1).

Increases in receipts in emerging and advanced economy destinations alike

Both advanced and emerging economy destinations benefited from the 2011 growth in arrivals and receipts. Destinations where international tourism receipts grew by US$ 5 billion or more in absolute terms include the United States (increasing by US$ 13 bn to US$ 116 bn), Spain (by US$ 7 bn to US$ 60 bn), France (by US$ 7 bn to US$ 54 bn), Thailand (by US$ 6 bn to US$ 26 bn) and Hong Kong (China) (by US$ 5 bn to US$ 27 bn). Furthermore, significant increases on lower base value destinations were reported by Singapore, the Russian Federation, Sweden, India, the Republic of Korea and Turkey (see table 2).

Relevant links:

Table 1: World’s Top Source Markets by International Tourism Expenditure

Table 2: World´s Top Destinations by International Tourism receipts

UNWTO World Tourism Barometer

THE BRITISH ARE COMING!

U.K.-based airline Virgin Atlantic will officially launch its new nonstop route between London and Vancouver on May 24.

Expected to join the inaugural flight – due to touch down at Vancouver International Airport at 1:10 pm – is Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Group. Flights will depart from Heathrow Airport four times a week between May 24 and October 27, with an estimated 40,000 passengers projected to use the service during its first season.

The new route is expected to increase capacity from the U.K. to Vancouver by 10 percent and add $54 million in annual revenue to Vancouver’s tourism market.

DISNEY CRUISE LINES RETURNS TO VANCOUVER

Disney Cruise Lines has released its itineraries for the 2013 season and Vancouver is once again a home port.

Starting May 27, the Disney Wonder will depart Vancouver 16 times throughout the year, travelling through the fjord at Tracy Arm and docking in the Alaskan ports of Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. Disney debuted its Alaskan cruises in Vancouver last year, carrying approximately 90,000 passengers and contributing $40 million to the city’s economy.

The organization switched to Seattle as the departure hub for 2012, but Vancouver’s closer proximity to Alaska and positive feedback from travellers contributed to Disney’s decision to reinstate Vancouver as the departure port for Wonder next year. A Disney cruise is an ideal pre or post conference idea for delegates travelling with families.

The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and SAS Sign Partnership Agreement

BRUSSELS, May 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has announced it is now the exclusive hotel partner of SAS Credits, the corporate loyalty programme of SAS for Small and Medium Enterprises. The partnership agreement was signed in Stockholm by Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor, and Rickard Gustafson, CEO of SAS.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) can earn valuable Credits when their employees fly with SAS and selected Star Alliance affiliated airlines, and stay at Radisson Blu or Park Inn by Radisson hotels in Europe and the Middle East. These Credits can be redeemed for free flights or Rezidor e-Gift Cards. Not only does the business earn points, the individual travellers can also earn points for themselves when they present their personal loyalty membership card.

Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor, said: “We are delighted to lift our long term cooperation with SAS to new heights. We are already collaborating with SAS EuroBonus, the airline loyalty programme for individual travellers, and generate over 300,000 associated room nights per year. We are now expanding our partnership to SAS Credits and target the Small and Medium Businesses – a discretionary market that is growing strongly and has a huge untapped potential.”

SAS Credits is a leading loyalty programme for SME with more than 30,000 companies signed into the scheme, generating more than 1 million room nights per year. The programme exists in 22 countries, and the partnership that started with a test phase for SAS Credits companies based in Belgium, Denmark and Poland will be rolled-out in all these countries.

Rickard Gustafson, CEO of SAS, said: “Our SAS Credit program is unique within the airline industry and highly appreciated amongst small and medium-sized companies. With Rezidor as a new partner, our members are given a wider range of opportunities to earn credits, whilst at the same time it will lower their travel expenses.”

Eligible hotels include all Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson hotels in: Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland,Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United Arab Emirates.

RIU opens today the Riu Palace Peninsula

Cancun, Mexico, May 4th 2012

The new Riu Palace Peninsula is the fourth hotel of the Spanish hotel chain in Cancun
The hotel, in which RIU invested 140 million dollars, stands out for its modern architecture and its spectacular views of the Caribbean and the Nichupte lagoon

After an investment of 140 million dollars, RIU Hotels & Resorts inaugurates today the Riu Palace Peninsula, a modern and luxurious 24 Hours All Inclusive beach front property located on a spectacular beach in Cancun. This will be the fourth property in this destination where the Spanish hotel chain already has three hotels: the Riu Cancun, Riu Caribe and Riu Palace Las Americas.

The Riu Palace Peninsula will belong to the luxury line of the hotel chain, which will be oriented to a more select and discerning clientele. The hotel will be characterised by its architecture and modern decoration, its high quality cuisine and its renowned 24 Hours All Inclusive programme. The exclusive and elegant hotel boasts a modern and contemporary architecture and its 562 rooms, which are distributed in a main building and 48 villas, enjoy a magnificent view of the Caribbean waters and an avant guard decoration.

“We hope the new Riu Palace Peninsula will give a new push to this destination which recently turned 40 years old. For us, this is another example of the importance that Mexico has in our development plans and the high quality that we seek to offer in this country”, stated Luis Riu, CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts.

This hotel also features a fascinating attraction with a direct connection to the cultural roots of the region. On the grounds of the hotel lies an archaeological discovery of Mayan ruins called Ta’acul, meaning “that which remains hidden”. This cultural treasure was recently excavated by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) with funding provided by RIU, which is also responsible for the care and maintenance of the site.

Guests will be able to enjoy a rich gastronomic offer from its five specialty restaurants and the main restaurant ‘Las Olas’. The hotel will feature the Japanese ‘Kabuki’, the fusion restaurant ‘Krystal’, the Mexican ‘Tamales’, the Italian ‘Venecia’ and the stakehouse ‘Isla Mujeres’. Customers can also choose from seven different bars to sample the extensive menu of domestic and international cocktails, including the coffee and pastries from ‘Capuchino’ located in the spectacular lobby.

Besides the stunning white sand beach, ideal to relax under the sun or practice all kinds of water sports like windsurfing, kayaking or snorkeling, the hotel offers five swimming pools, one with integrated jacuzzi and swim up bar and one exclusive to the villas. The Riu Palace Peninsula will also provide a full entertainment programme during the day, a nightly entertainment show and a full Renova Spa, in which the gym, sauna and jacuzzi are included in the All Inclusive package.

Cancun is world famous for the unparalleled beauty of its white sand beaches, the Mayan culture, for the eco-tourism activities and the hospitality of the Mexican people.

Optimistic Outlook for Greek Holidays in 2012, say Holiday Hypermarket

-According to leading online travel retailer, Holiday Hypermarket, Greek holidays will see moderate growth this summer-

Greek tourism is tipped to see moderate growth in 2012 due to lower airfares and attractive rates in island destinations like Crete, Mykonos and Corfu, say leading online travel retailer, Holiday Hypermarket. This follows statements from Taleb Rifai, secretary general of the U.N. World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), who affirmed Greece’s popularity as a tourism destination.

In 2011, around 10 per cent more travellers booked Greek holidays, and with tourism accounting for 15 per cent of the economy as well as one in five jobs, it is a crucial aspect of the Greek way of life. As a result, both the mainland and surrounding islands boast a large number of holiday resorts with great facilities.

Greek tourism bodies have launched campaigns to promote tourism abroad. For example, UP Greek Tourism is an initiative that employs outdoor advertising, traditional and social media to promote inbound tourism, particularly among German and British travellers who are eager visitors to Greece’s coastal and island resorts.

Calum MacDonald, Online Marketing Manager at Holiday Hypermarket, comments, “Greece is slowly climbing into the top 10 tourist destinations in the world with plenty to offer families, honeymooning couples and young friends looking for a party destination.

“Tourism resorts on the coast are continuing to provide excellent package holidays to visitors from abroad no matter the political situation. As one of the most attractive countries in southern Europe, Greece is a great place to book a beach holiday this summer.”

NEW ‘CITIES’ RESEARCH RELEASED REVEALS UK WIDE INTEREST FOR INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS

While London and Edinburgh continue to maintain their traditional supremacy as the two most popular urban destinations in the UK, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and now Bristol are emerging as rival attractions. The rise of the cities is highlighted in the most recent analysis of overnight stays by overseas visitors in UK cities in 2011 by VisitBritain, the national tourism agency.

When researchers looked at all types of visits, London retains its top spot with 15.2 million overseas visitors staying in the city in 2011, followed in second place by Edinburgh with 1.3 million.

But Manchester, with its two competing  global football teams, its ultra-modern new landmark buildings such as the Lowry Centre, a new state of the art BBC media centre (open to tourists) and world-class shopping is firmly in third place with 936,000 visits (up 15 per cent on 2010). Birmingham sits neatly into fourth spot with 732,000 visitors attracted by its outstanding arts, exhibitions and one of the largest shopping centres in the UK, the Bullring, host to the best designer labels as well as accommodating for 25 restaurants to cater for all tastes.

Liverpool, who have also seen a 15 per cent rise in foreign visitors, overtake Glasgow moving into fifth place. Liverpool, the World Capital of Pop, is famous for its musical heritage, culture and architecture and attracted a substantial 545,000 foreigners.Oxford, in seventh place, welcomed a record amount of visitors in 2011, seeing 12 per cent more foreigners enjoy the delights of the old colleges (462,000).  As any resident will advise the best way to discover Oxford is on foot, and the official guided walking tour of the city and university help visitors understand the story behind Oxford’s great history.

Outside the top 10, cities such as Leeds, Cardiff, Aberdeen, Windsor, Carlisle, Stratford-upon-Avon, Newquay, Harrogate and Cheltenham saw international visits higher than in 2010.

Patricia Yates, Strategy and Communications Director for VisitBritain said: “These results confirm international visitors who might come here because of the global appeal of London are starting to appreciate our vibrant cities outside the capital, and the very different offerings of Edinburgh Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.

“In such a key year to showcase Britain, and all that our visitors can experience here, VisitBritain’s GREAT image and tactical campaigns in key inbound markets ensures that tourism growth, economic benefits and jobs are delivered right across Britain.”

Leeds Metropolitan University wins MPI Young Achievers Award

University wins prestigious Swiss Cow Trophy for second year running.

A team from Leeds Metropolitan University has been crowned the winner of the MPI UK and Ireland Chapter 2012 Young Achievers Award, supported by the Switzerland Convention and Incentive Bureau (SCIB).

Hosted at the Barbican and attended by around 100 meeting industry professionals, the event, which is now in its 3rd year, saw five teams each represent a Swiss destination and go head-to-head in a live bid presentation based on a real-life agency event brief.

As a qualification process for the Young Achievers Award, nine universities were asked to prepare a video that answered two questions; why you have chosen a career in the meetings industry and how can MPI help you achieve your career goals? From this the five best teams were chosen to go forward to the final – Dublin Institute of Technology, Sheffield Hallam University, University of Surrey, University of Westminster and Leeds Metropolitan University.

The Leeds Metropolitan University team, made up of Annie Metcalfe, Steven Wade and Judith Robinson, came out on top following their bid from the city of Montreux. The winning team not only walked away with the prestigious Swiss Cow Trophy but their efforts were rewarded with a trip to Montreux as they look to capitalise on their good work and move into professional life with the help of the MPI UK & Ireland Chapter’s student resources.

Claudio Zemp, manager United Kingdom and Ireland for the Switzerland Convention and Incentive Bureau, comments: “We have been incredibly proud to sponsor these awards. I think it is very impressive that the teams put together their presentations in a week and they should be congratulated for their hard work.”

The award was created in 2010 to discover and recognise new talent, and gives students the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of key industry figures.  The teams were judged by a panel of five senior meetings industry professionals, led by Paul Cook (Planet Planit) as well as Amanda Edgecumbe (Powwow), John Denham (Vantage Point), Richard Parker (Zibrant) and Chris Clarke (p&mm).

Richard Parker says: “For the third year in succession I was impressed by the quality, passion and creativity of the students.  The platform that the SCIB, MPI and associated partners provides with the Young Achievers Award is an invaluable source of networking and provides unrivalled reach to a wide audience of industry professionals. I love being involved as a judge, it’s a privilege and annual reminder of what a great industry we belong to.”

John Denham commented: “This is the third time I have been on the judging panel and the quality of presentations gets better and better. I congratulate all those who took part.  For those who didn’t win, even participating in this event will look good on your CV.”

Chris Clarke says: “I was delighted to be involved with the Young Achievers Award this year in the capacity of panel judge. It was enlightening and particularly gratifying to see that the future of our industry is in pretty good hands if this year’s contestants are anything to go by.  The fact that we deliberated for so long over the final results was testament enough to prove that even with only one week’s preparation the research and hard work paid off – the level of content and presentation was of a really high standard.”

Samme Allen, MPI UK & Ireland Chapter President, comments: “All the finalists must be commended for their fantastic efforts. Those in attendance were rewarded with a glimpse into the future of the industry. The competition was closely fought but the presentation by Leeds Metropolitan University showed a deep understanding of the brief which allowed them to give a confident presentation to the judges. We wish them, and all the finalists, the very best of luck as they move into careers within the meetings industry.”

Egencia Completes Acquisition of Nordic Travel Management Company VIA Travel

LONDON, PARIS, MUNICH and BRUSSELS, May 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

Egencia, an Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) company, announced today that it completed the acquisition of VIA Travel, the largest travel management company in the Nordics. VIA Travel® is now named VIA Egencia™.

“The future of corporate travel is about innovation on a global scale. The next 10 years in our industry will be shaped by companies that combine service, scale and local market presence with innovation-driven technology solutions,” said Rob Greyber, President, Egencia.

Christophe Peymirat, Senior Vice President, Egencia EMEA, APAC, added, “With the acquisition of VIA Travel, Egencia is positioned to push the boundaries of the business travel industry, and to better serve our customers today and tomorrow.”

With this acquisition, Egencia® now has a presence in over 50 countries across the globe and will leverage the power of both companies to accelerate its pace of technology innovation in the years to come.

“We’re extremely excited to join the Egencia family. In combining the strengths of both organisations, we’re shaping what is to become one of the industry’s premier travel management companies,” said Espen Asheim, Senior Vice President, Egencia Nordics & Business Integration. “In this deal, everyone wins. Our employees benefit by being part of a world-class business community, and our customers benefit by gaining access to a truly unmatched selection of travel products and services.”

The acquisition closed April 27, 2012. Additional terms were not disclosed.

EIBTM Celebrates 25 Years

 The global hub for the Meetings Industry plans for its Birthday .

EIBTM, the Global Meetings, Events, Incentives and Business Travel Exhibition (www.eibtm.com), has unveiled a new logo to celebrate 25 years within the meetings industry. EIBTM first opened in 1988 and has been committed to delivering vital business opportunities for meeting industry professionals across the world. The 25th edition will take place in Fira Gran Via, Barcelona (27 – 29th November).

The logo can be viewed and downloaded from the EIBTM website at www.eibtm.com/logo25. The new design which reflects the official “silver” associated with a 25^th anniversary, marks the first of many new initiatives throughout the year, which will culminate with celebrations in Barcelona.

Katie Devaney, Reed Travel Exhibitions, Marketing Manager EIBTM comments, “EIBTM is recognised as the leading event of its kind in the world and the global hub for the meetings industry.  We could not let this landmark pass without using it to celebrate the past, as well as look to the future.

This logo is a modern reflection of the anniversary and part of the inspiration behind many new dynamic initiatives, all part of the innovations that EIBTM plans to deliver for the industry over the next 25 years. This year will deliver business as usual but with lots of fun thrown in!”.

Further information regarding plans for EIBTM 25 will be released over the coming months to the show. Reed Travel Exhibitions are inviting participants to celebrate 25 years of innovation with them by sharing their photos, videos, memories and messages on the EIBTM Facebook page www.facebook.com/eibtmevent or by email to eibtm-marketing@reedexpo.co.uk 

Join EIBTM on Facebook, Linked in, Xing and Twitter.

EIBTM 2012 takes place 27^th – 29^th November, Fira Gran Via, Barcelona.

Prestige Hotels of the World by Keytel hosts a fam trip for Russian touroperators in Barcelona and Lloret de Mar

Turisme de Barcelona, Turisme de Lloret, as well as high-end partners and member hotels belonging to PHW, did their utmost for them during a five-day action-packed program to ensure that their stay was as rewarding as possible.

Barcelona, 2 May 2012.- Last week, Prestige Hotels of the World by Keytel (PHW) organized a familiarization trip involving fifteen Russian tour operators from Moscow, who throughout the  five days of their stay visited some of the establishments making up the hotel representatives’ portfolio in the cities of Barcelona and Lloret de Mar. Through this initiative, tour operators get to know in greater detail some of the brand’s hotels as well as the major tourist attractions of the destinations Barcelona and Lloret de Mar, all of which is geared towards establishing partnerships for promotional purposes and increasing the flow of Russian tourists to PHW
destinations and their hotels.

Thus, the hotels visited were the Omm, the Condes de Barcelona, the Claris, Casa Fuster, the Eurostars Grand Marina, the Guitart Monterrey and the Santa Marta, the latter two in Lloret de Mar. In addition, Prestige Hotels of the World by Keytel (PHW) organized a work shop at the emblematic Hotel Casa Fuster, where tour operators had the chance to get to know other hotels in greater depth, such as Hotel Pacha and the Aguas de Ibiza, both of which are in Ibiza; the Pulitzer Barcelona and the Pulitzer Buenos Aires, the Claris Barcelona, the Granados 83 Barcelona, the Omm Barcelona, the Palace Barcelona, the Wellington Madrid, the Urban Madrid, NH Palacio de Tepa Madrid, NH Paseo del Prado Madrid, Hesperia Madrid, the Roca Negra Hotel & Spa de Agaete (Gran Canaria), NH Palacio de la Merced Burgos, the Pazo Los Escudos Vigo, the Guitart Monterrey Lloret de Mar and the Hotel Santa Marta, also from
Lloret de Mar, the Hotel Westminster Nice, The Caesar of London, the Banke Paris, the St Raphael Resort Limassol (Cyprus) and the Casa Fuster Barcelona itself, who did their absolute utmost in organizing the event.

In addition, the tour operators enjoyed all kinds of experiences with the PHW brand: they got to know about the legend of Sant Jordi with its rose and book tradition, enjoyed the visit to the Sagrada Familia and the famous Moritz Factory Barcelona, drove a high end sports car thanks to Gevicar and strolled around the beautiful gardens of Santa Clotilde of Lloret de Mar, all of which was offered by PHW with the help of collaborators like the official tourist promotion organizations Turisme de Barcelona and Turisme de Lloret, hotels belonging to the brand such as the Hotel Omm, the hotel Condes de Barcelona, the Claris, the Casa Fuster hotel, the Eurostars Grand Marina, the Guitart Monterrey and the Santa Marta along with the Hotel Miramar, who also contributed to this famtrip by welcoming the Russian group. PHW partners such as Godiva, Javier Simorra and Alqvimia took part in the famtrip by giving the Russian group exclusive products from their respective brands.

Both the Russian tour operators and the hotels taking part in this move were very pleased with this initiative by Prestige Hotel of the World by Keytel by putting them in contact with the luxury hotels that are particularly suitable for the needs of the extremely important emerging Russian tourist market.

All hands on deck for HBAA fundraiser

RNLI fundraising initiative whets the industry’s appetite for giving

It was all hands on deck yesterday, 2nd May, as HBAA Chairman Chris Peacock took a crew of industry figureheads to open waters for his fundraising initiative for the RNLI.

Initial calculations show that the team of seven broke the £16,500 mark after 5 hours of solid fundraising.  HBAA Boss in a Boat saw a team of noted agency and hoteliers take to the waters off the south coast in an exercise in conjunction with the RNLI.  Armed with mobile phones and their black books of contacts, each fundraiser asked clients and colleagues for  donations so that they could be saved from being stranded aboard the adrift craft.

Donations and pledges were received from across the industry; The Barbican, etc.venues and hotel groups Hilton and IHG all dug deep as did fellow agencies including Grass Roots HBI, Bookotel, Expotel and BSI.

Chris Peacock, HBAA Chair and director of Conference Care said, “It is fantastic to see the whole of the industry pull together and support the HBAA’s charity.  The RNLI is reliant on donations and am so pleased that my colleagues from across the board were so generous.  I would also sincerely like to thank the team of fundraisers for their tenacity in asking for donations and especially for giving up a valuable day out of the office.  It was no mean feat being stuck on the boat and we are all glad to get back our land legs!”

Middle East hoteliers engaging with social media to boost tourism in, finds WTM Vision Conference – Dubai

The prospects for growth in tourist arrivals in the Middle East and the success of some hotels in the region in using social media were the key topics revealed at the WTM Vision Conference – Dubai.

WTM Vision Conference – Dubai was organised by World Travel Market and took place at fellow Reed Travel Exhibitions event Arabian Travel Market on Tuesday 1 May, following on from earlier well-received conferences in Moscow and London.

Mark Frary, co-founder of WTM’s Social Travel Market conference, gave an insightful presentation on the use of social media by hotels, giving tips to an audience senior industry delegates on how to use networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+ to promote their properties.

Frary said, “Ever since 2005, the voice of the customer – the hotel guest – has been deafening. Guests have used the internet and social media networks to share their views, often good but frequently bad, of their hotel stays. The reality is that this social media chatter will go on even if hotels choose not to engage with social media.

“However, by choosing to invest time, and yes money, in social media, hoteliers can become part of the conversation and exert influence on how they are perceived.”

Frary showed how hotels in ATM’s host city of Dubai and in the wider Middle East had already engaged with social media, highlighting the good work being done by the Atlantis Palm, the Dusit Thani and the Kempinski group.

Asked about research that showed that 61% of people did not want brands to be active in their social media channels, Frary said, “Facebook now has more than 845 million users. I would be happy engaging with the 39% of those 845 million who do want that interaction with brands.”

Speaker Nadejda Popova, industry analyst with Euromonitor International, also shared the market research company’s report Travel Industry Global Overview with a packed room and looked at the specific findings regarding the Middle East.

Popova said : “2012 started with a high level of uncertainty and the negative impact of the Eurozone crisis has led to IMF downgrading the forecast for 2012 to 0.75%. However, emerging regions have been recording growth.”

She added that the Arab Spring had not been detrimental to all countries in the region. She said, “The UAE and Saudi Arabia have actually benefitted from the uprisings, as they were seen as stable countries to travel to.”

The company predicts that tourism arrivals in the Middle East will rise by 1.3% in 2012, after the blip of 2011 when these fell by 6.2%. However, this temporary blip is on the back of a strong 2010 when tourist numbers grew by an impressive 11.5%.

Reed Travel Exhibitions Director World Travel Market Simon Press said: “WTM Vision Conference – Dubai has continued the success of the previous two events in Moscow and London with another packed room of senior industry delegates.

“The level of support we have received for the whole series demonstrates the need for high level research, information and opinion WTM Vision provides the industry’s senior leaders to help them run their businesses.”

The WTM Vision Conference – Dubai, in association with TTN Middle East, was sponsored by Dunleavy White, the senior level executive search firm which has this week opened a new office inDubai.

The WTM Vision Conferences series was launched in 2009 in London and has expanded to a five event series in 2012.

The Moscow, London and Dubai events have already taken place with WTM Vision Conference – Shanghai taking place on May 10 and WTM Vision Conference – Florence completing the series on May 18.

Sands Cotai Macao showcases new infrastructure at IMEX Frankfurt 2012

Asia’s largest integrated resort city to be represented at prominent meetings industry exhibition 

(Macao, May 3, 2012) – Sands^® Cotai Macao will showcase its five international hotel brands in a newly designed booth this year at IMEX Frankfurt, the international show where the global meetings industry continues to do business while maximising connections and networking opportunities, featuring over 70 sessions of education.

To be held at Messe Frankfurt Hall 8, meeting planners attending IMEX Frankfurt 2012 can come to the Sands Cotai Macao booth A240 from May 22 to May 24, to learn about the world-class meeting facilities that this dynamic destination can offer.

Natasha Tomé, Executive Director of Marketing, Sands Cotai Macao, says, “IMEX Frankfurt provides us a valuable opportunity to showcase the amazing developments of Sands Cotai Macao to the international market. With our newest hotel brands, Conrad Macao and Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central having just opened on April 11, our room inventory and meeting and convention capabilities have expanded, but with the same guaranteed expertise and service that have made the CotaiExpo™, CotaiArena™ and The Venetian^® Macao the region’s meetings destination leaders, providing organisers with everything under one roof. The expert and international team at Sands Cotai Macao work diligently to meet and anticipate meeting planners’ needs to ensure their event’s success.”

Sands Cotai Macao provides an unbeatable range of over 9,000 guestrooms from five international hotel brands: The Venetian Macao; Conrad Macao, Cotai Central; Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central; Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central and Four Seasons Hotel Macao. With 120,000 square meters of flexible and versatile meeting and exhibition space, including 274 breakout rooms, every type of event, large or small, is catered for.

In addition to its world-class accommodation and convention facilities, Sands Cotai Macao offers world-class concert events at the 15,000-seat CotaiArena, exclusive and intimate shows at the 1,800-seat luxury Venetian Theatre and exciting Streetmosphere™ performers to wow delegates. With 59 international restaurants and lounges, a food court and a fleet of over 150 vehicles with connections to air, land and ferry hubs, Sands Cotai Macao is truly an all-inclusive destination for meeting planners.

Macao’s rich Sino-Portuguese history and beautifully preserved UNESCO World Heritage Sites provide the perfect backdrop for any event. It is in the unique position of being the meeting point of eastern and western cultures in Asia. Located at the tip of southern China and only 45 minutes from Hong Kong by high-speed ferry, Macao is an ideal location for international delegates with free visa entry for nationals from more than 70 countries and a local population that speaks Putonghua, Cantonese, English and/or Portuguese.

For more information about Sands Cotai Macao’s presence at IMEX Frankfurt 2012, or to submit an RFP, please contact Natasha Tomé at +853 8118 2008 or via email at natasha.tome@venetian.com.mo.

First Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 arrives in Frankfurt

Queen of the Skies with new Lufthansa Business Class / First scheduled flight on 1 June from Frankfurt to Washington

The new Queen of the Skies has arrived in Frankfurt. Today Lufthansa became the first airline in the world to take delivery of a Boeing 747-8. After the handover at Boeing’s manufacturing facility in Everett, Washington, the new “Jumbo” with the registration D-ABYA performed a touch and go at Hamburg Airport, where Lufthansa Technik is based, before flying on to its future home base in Frankfurt, where it landed safely.

On 1 June, the world’s first passenger flight with a Boeing 747-8 aircraft will depart from Frankfurt as flight LH 418 bound for Washington Dulles International Airport in the US capital, Washington DC.

“We are looking forward to welcoming the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental to our long-haul fleet. In future we will offer our passengers on board this completely newly developed long-haul aircraft an exclusive travel experience and the comfort of our new Business Class. The Boeing 747-8 is characterised by lower noise emissions, lower fuel consumption and significantly reduced CO2 emissions. That enables us to combine maximum comfort with sustainability,” Lufthansa Executive Board member Carsten Spohr said at the large reception held at Frankfurt Airport.

“We are proud to celebrate this important milestone together with Lufthansa, our partner of more than 50 years and the launch customer for the new 747-8 Intercontinental,” said         Elizabeth Lund, Vice President and General Manager 747, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Lufthansa has contributed greatly to this new and efficient aircraft. And Lufthansa passengers will experience a new level of comfort on the 747-8 Intercontinental, which is truly the Queen of the Skies for the 21st century.”

When the new 747-8 enters scheduled service on 1 June 2012, Lufthansa passengers will have their first opportunity to experience the new Business Class. The new seat offers exceptional comfort for passengers in a sitting or recumbent position, intuitive adjustment features, additional storage space and an individual entertainment system with much larger, 15-inch screens. At the press of a button, the seat converts into a comfortable bed with a horizontal sleeping surface measuring 1.98 metres in length. The aircraft also features an entirely new seating arrangement in the form of a “V”. Two neighbouring seats are angled towards one another along a central axis. This virtually doubles the distance at shoulder level between the seats, giving Business Class passengers even more privacy.

For the first time, First Class passengers will be seated in the front section of the main deck, the quietest part of the aircraft. On the B747-8, this area is exceptionally quiet – thanks to the outer skin insulation, sound-absorbing curtains, which minimise specific noises, and the sound-deadening material used in the aircraft flooring. Each of the eight First Class seats can be converted into a lie-flat bed, which is 2.07 metres long and 80 cm wide, enabling passengers to enjoy a deep, relaxing sleep. With the new Business Class, the exclusive First Class and the refined design of the Economy Class seat, the new Jumbo offers passengers in all classes the ultimate in travel comfort.

The Boeing 747-8 is a completely new aircraft that builds upon the positive features of the Boeing 747 series, which has been Lufthansa’s long-haul workhorse for the past 40 years. The aircraft boasts significantly improved aerodynamics and newly developed wingtips, and also provides tangible improvements in terms of eco-efficiency. The Gent GEnx-2B engines use less fuel and achieve a substantial 15 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per passenger. In addition, noise emissions have been reduced by 30 per cent.

The Boeing 747-8 is 76.3 metres long, 5.6 metres longer than its predecessor, the Boeing 747-400. The new Lufthansa Jumbo can seat 362 passengers: eight in First Class, 92 in Business Class and 262 in Economy Class.

Lufthansa will take delivery of 20 Boeing 747-8s up until 2015. The first five aircraft are due to be delivered to Lufthansa this year. They will be deployed on routes from Frankfurt to Washington D. C, New Delhi, Bangalore, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Monarch Airlines Launch New Flights to Croatia and Crete

LONDON, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

Leading scheduled leisure airline, Monarch, will launch new routes to ‘The Pearl of the Adriatic’, Dubrovnik, in Croatia and Heraklion in Crete. The flights will operate from Birmingham and London Gatwick airports from 1^st May 2012 with fares, including taxes, starting from £29 one way (£72 return).

Flights to Dubrovnik will operate three times a week from London Gatwick airport and two times a week from Birmingham. Flights to Crete airport Heraklion will operate two times a week from both London Gatwick and Birmingham airports.

The new routes are a continuation of Monarch’s expansion strategy revealed last year to focus on its scheduled services and expand its network to new leisure destinations across Europe.

Kevin George, Managing Director of Monarch Airlines comments: “We are delighted to add both Croatia and Crete to our already extensive scheduled network of leisure destinations. The addition of these new routes further reinforces our expansion strategy and our position as the leading leisure-focused airline serving the Mediterranean and the Canaries.”

He continues: “Dubrovnik is an extremely popular tourist destination with over a million holidaymakers visiting last year and Crete has always been a staple beach holiday favourite; we are therefore confident that our product offering is perfectly placed for the Croatian and Greek leisure market.”

Jumeirah Group celebrates its 20th hotel globally and a dynamic start to 2012

• Jumeirah leads the market in Dubai in terms of occupancy rates and RevPAR
• London, Rome, Istanbul, Mallorca are the newest 2012 Jumeirah destinations – with three more to follow before the end of the year
• Enhanced global brand awareness and recognition among the top luxury brands

Dubai: Jumeirah Group, the global luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, added a 20th hotel to its international portfolio and reconfirmed its market leader position in terms of hotel performance in Dubai.

During the first four months of 2012, the beachfront resorts recorded extended periods of high occupancy averaging at 84.4%, while RevPAR, the industry standard for measuring the rooms’ revenue in relation to rooms available, has grown by 18.7%. Jumeirah’s city hotels have also regained their leading position with increased average occupancy of 85.5% and RevPAR growth of 8.4%.

In the USA Jumeirah Essex House continued to benefit from the revival of the corporate travel market and recorded occupancy increase of 4.6% and RevPAR increase of 6.3% year-on-year. In London, Jumeirah Carlton Tower and Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel continued to enjoy robust performance and are preparing for the very busy summer with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. These travellers will also benefit from a diversified choice of accommodation with the opening of Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living in the prestigious Park Lane in March.

Jumeirah Frankfurt, the Group’s first hotel in continental Europe, has already established itself among the market leaders in terms of occupancy and RevPAR. The Group expects that the German leisure market will also be strong into its newest Spanish resort, Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa, which opened on 24 April in Mallorca. Jumeirah Grand Hotel Via Veneto in Rome as well as the Pera Palace Hotel, Jumeirah’s historical landmark in Istanbul, are also attracting an increasing number of affluent travellers seeking the finest in service and facilities.

Jumeirah’s newest hotels in other global destinations – Abu Dhabi, the Maldives and Shanghai – have already gained a reputation as leading luxury properties which was reconfirmed by a number of prestigious international awards. The recently issued Condé Nast Hot List 2012 included no less than four Jumeirah properties - Jumeirah Zabeel Saray in Dubai, Jumeirah Dhevanafushi in the Maldives, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi andJumeirah Himalayas Hotel in Shanghai – making Jumeirah the most featured brand in this year’s list.

Jumeirah has delivered on its promise to double its operating hotel portfolio since January 2011. At the moment the Group operates 20 luxury hotels and residences across 10 global destinations. Jumeirah continues its dynamic international expansion, with a pipeline of 16 hotels under development. The next openings are scheduled to be in Baku, Dubai and Kuwait.

Speaking on the eve of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai, Jumeirah Group Executive Chairman Gerald Lawless said: “I am very pleased to see that the recovery in the Dubai leisure market that we experienced in the second half of 2011 has been sustained and further developed in the first quarter of 2012. We registered an impressive performance in our Dubai beach hotels where we have grown the RevPAR by 18% and have maintained our number one position within our competitive set. We have now expanded our international portfolio from 10 properties in the beginning of 2011 to 20 hotels and residences today. These include new properties in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, the Maldives, Shanghai, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Mallorca and Rome. Jumeirah is now taking its place firmly in the top echelons of global luxury hotel brands and we are well underway to positioning ourselves as one of the leading luxury brands worldwide.”

From migrant worker to eminent brain surgeon

Keynote speaker Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa at AIBTM 2012.

The life of Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, a former illegal immigrant who jumped the border fence from Mexico into the US 20 years ago, may sound like a movie script but it’s not fiction.

Known today as Dr Q, his remarkable journey from that border to Director of the Brain Tumour Surgery Program at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Centre, is the subject of what it takes to beat the odds in his motivational closing speech at The Americas Meetings and Event’s Exhibitions, AIBTM 2012 (www.aibtm.com).

Graeme Barnett, Reed Travel Exhibitions, AIBTM Event Director commented, “We are delighted that Dr. Alfred Quinones-Hinojosa has accepted our invitation, he has a truly amazing story to share and one that I am sure will motivate and inspire everyone.

“Delivering inspirational and thought provoking content is once again, part of this year’s education program and the rest of the sessions will have equally dynamic speakers”.

Alfred Quinones-Hinojosa’s story begins in a tiny farming community, 60 miles south of the U.S. border. Quinones-Hinojosa was born there, and by age 5, he was working at his father’s gas station. His grandmother was a village healer and a midwife.

In the mid-1970s, Mexico’s economy collapsed, and his father could no longer keep food on the table for the family.  Quinones-Hinojosa continued his schooling and became a teacher by the time he was 18, but he, too, was unable to provide for his family. So he made the decision, like so many relatives before him, to head north.

Quinones-Hinojosa picked cotton, tomatoes and cantaloupes, and lived in the fields in a broken-down camper he bought for $300. When his cousin told him he would be a farmworker for the rest of his life, he realised it was time to move on.

He signed up for English classes at a community college, where a teacher encouraged him to attend the University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley on a scholarship, Quinones-Hinojosa developed a passion for the scientific method. He went on to Harvard Medical School, where he eventually delivered the commencement speech. It is also during this time that he received his U.S. citizenship.

Quinones-Hinojosa says he owes so much of his success to the many people who have extended a hand to him throughout his life. Packed with adventure and adversity, his story sets a motivational benchmark for the industry.

For more information about ways to attend AIBTM and make the most of all of the education opportunities available as part of AIBTM’s Americas Meetings Week, please visit www.aibtm.com/visiting.

HostelBookers Presents the Best Accommodation for the Queen’s Jubilee Weekend

LONDON, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

With just one month to go, cheap hotels and London hostels are filling up fast for the Queen’s Jubilee weekend. HostelBookers, the budget accommodation website, unveils the best available accommodation to enjoy the event.

Palmers Lodge-Swiss Cottage is located in a Victorian Grade II listed building that’s been lovingly restored to its original condition. Guests will get free internet, Wi-Fi and breakfast and there’s a beautiful bar and restaurant on site too. Guests can enjoy the TV lounge and make the most of the laundry room too. For the Queen’s Jubilee weekend prices start from £24pppn.

Just a short walk from Kensington High Street guests will find Kensington West. The apartments are close to Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and Kensington Palace. Westfield shopping centre is also just a 15-minute walk up the road too. All rooms are en-suite. For the Queen’s Jubilee weekend prices start from £52.50pppn.

Surprise Backpackers is within easy walking distance to all the bright lights of London, including Victoria Station, the London Eye, Big Ben and Buckingham. The bright and clean dormitories have free Wi-Fi, free lockers and a free breakfast included too. There’s also a full equipped common room/kitchen and a pub downstairs open until midnight. Rooms are for 4-12 people. For the Queen’s Jubilee weekend prices start from £36pppn.

Hyde Park apartments  are located in the heart of prestigious Paddington just 15-minute walk from Notting Hill. The cosy apartments feature stylish décor, modern kitchens and Wi-Fi access. For the Queen’s Jubilee weekend prices start from £63pppn.

Anyone going to the free Queen’s River Pageant in Battersea should book into Travel Joy Hostels. It’s just a 10-minute walk away over the Chelsea Bridge. The hostel overlooks the River Thames and is a friendly and sociable option. Some rooms have balconies and there’s free Wi-Fi and a free continental breakfast too.

CRN membership increases by 18%

Membership of the Congress Rental Network (CRN), a worldwide network of top quality event industry suppliers, has increased 18% in the last two years. It has also seen interest in membership grow with a significant increase in the number of application it receives.

CRN now has 42 members across 40 countries around the world. The most recent countries to join include Singapore, Mexico and Chile, as well as its latest member from Russia. CRN’s core operating area is Europe but it has been encouraged by the number of companies applying to join from outside this region, particularly those from Latin America and Asia.

To maintain its position as the leading network of congress systems suppliers, potential members undergo an in-depth vetting process which includes analysis of their business structure, technical knowledge and customer services. CRN membership provides a wealth of benefits including additional marketing and networking opportunities and access to other member companies with which they can share technical knowledge. Above all though, due to the strict entry criteria, membership provides credibility.

CRN chairperson Panagiotis Podimatas comments: “As one of the leading providers of congress system services it is crucial to have members in countries across the world. We recently appointed new members from Belgium, Ukraine and Russia, and we always welcome applications from new companies, particularly those from countries where our business is growing. However, we pride ourselves on offering first class services so any potential members must meet our strict entry criteria. If a company is successful in its application it is recognition of its expertise and position as a world class supplier of congress system services.”

Concourse 3 Testing Programme Underway

Facility on track for completion by year-end, will open Q1 2013

Dubai, UAE –  May 1,  2012 – With construction of Concourse 3, the world’s first purpose-built A380 facility, on track for completion at the end of 2012, Dubai Airports has launched an intensive operational readiness programme to prepare the new facility for its opening in the first quarter of 2013.

“Concourse 3 will be opened to the public in the first quarter of 2013 once Dubai Airports is completely satisfied that it has passed all operational and service readiness tests with flying colours,” Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports told journalists at a press briefing held at the Arabian Travel Market currently underway in Dubai. “We will not compromise on service.”

Last month Dubai Airports, together with its stakeholders Emirates, dnata, police, immigration and Dubai Corporation for Aviation Engineering Projects, kicked off its Operational Readiness and Airport Transition (ORAT) programme. During this period Dubai Airports, as the landlord of the new facility, will in phases take over responsibility of Concourse 3, as the contractors complete their work.

By the end of April, key elements of the facility, including the baggage handling system and train system linking Terminal 3 to the new concourse were in place and are due to be handed over to Dubai Airports for trials in the coming weeks. Most of the structural work on Concourse 3 is complete, with work now predominately focused on the activation of airport systems and completion of the internal infrastructure.

As each element, from the baggage handling system to the lounge facilities, is handed over, it will undergo intensive tests and trials to ensure that it is able to cope with the millions passengers that will eventually use them. The trials and tests will grow in intensity and scope, culminating in complex advanced passengers trials. These advanced trials, which will include thousands of members of the public and airport staff, will simulate the full operation of Concourse 3, including the boarding and disembarking of aircraft, use of lounge facilities, restaurants and flight connection facilities.

“Over the next few weeks, our preparatory work will move into high gear. We learned a lot from our experience with Terminal 3,” said Griffiths. ”We learned that the big bang theory is not the best approach when it comes to opening an airport…soft launches following rigorous testing and operational trials is the only way to go.”

Concourse 3, which will cater solely for Emirates Airline flights, is spread over 500,000m² and 11 levels. Featuring 20 contact gates and 13 remote stands, all capable of accommodating Airbus A380 aircraft, Concourse 3 will boost Dubai International’s capacity to 75 million passengers per year. The new building will have entire floors dedicated to business and first class passengers, allowing them to board directly from the lounge facilities. The Automated People Mover (APM), or train, carrying passengers from Terminal 3 to C3 is another first for Dubai Airports in the Middle East.

“As Emirates continues its rapid expansion, ensuring that we have the right infrastructure in place to support it is key,” said Tim Clark, President, Emirates airline. “As the largest operator of A380s in the world, having a dedicated concourse that is built to exclusively accommodate this aircraft, will transform the airport experience for Emirates’ customers.  It will mean an improved airport service, world class shopping and the first class and business class facilities for which Emirates is known and respected.

“We have a very busy few months ahead as we, together with Dubai Airports, continue our preparations for the opening and look forward to welcoming our first passengers to the new concourse in early 2013.”

As the Concourse 3 project nears completion, work has already begun on phase one of the US$7.8 billion Strategic Plan 2020 which will boost Dubai International’s annual capacity to 90 million passengers by 2018 through several airport and airspace expansion projects.

As part of the plan, work to expand Terminal 2 to almost double its existing capacity continues apace, with construction well underway on the new check-in facilities.  Design work for the new Concourse 4, which will be dedicated to more than 110 international airlines, is also underway.

Cream of Arabia celebrates at World Travel Awards

Dubai, UAE, 1 May 2012

The Middle East’s leading travel brands have shared top honours at a VIP gala ceremony hosted by World Travel Awards (WTA) at Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, Dubai on 30th April 2012.

A packed delegation of VIPs, senior tourism figures and international media travelled from more than 30 nations to attend WTA’s Middle East Ceremony 2012.

Dubai’s rapid ascendancy up the global tourism order was further strengthened after it was named “Middle East’s Leading Destination” for the second year running. The emirate’s insatiable appetite for pushing boundaries also led to a number of its hotels picking up awards, including Atlantis The Palm (“Middle East’s Leading Resort”). Meanwhile Dubai International Airport was voted “Middle East’s Leading Airport”.

Dubai-based hospitality group Jumeirah enjoyed an evening of rich rewards. Victories included “UAE’s Leading Spa Resort” (Jumeirah Zabeel Saray), “Dubai’s Leading Resort” (Madinat Jumeirah), “UAE’s Leading Hotel” (Jumeirah at Etihad Towers) and Dubai’s Leading Hotel (Burj Al Arab)

Neighbouring Abu Dhabi also revelled in travel triumph. Emirates Palace won “Middle East’s Leading Luxury Resort” whilst Etihad Airways was voted “Middle East’s Leading Airline” after another record-breaking year in which the UAE flag carrier cruised into profit.

Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a tourism force was recognised with Makkah Clock Royal Tower – A Fairmont Hotel, winning the blue riband title of “Middle East’s Leading Hotel” for the first time.

Lebanese popstar Carole Samaha headlined the glittering show, with Wonho Chung providing the comedy, and the South African string quartet Sterling EQ also performing.

Graham E. Cooke, President & Founder, WTA, underlined the depth and quality of the travel and tourism sector across the Middle East.

He says: “Dubai’s appetite for pushing boundaries makes it one the world’s most innovative tourism destinations, as well as a most fitting host to start our WTA Grand Tour 2012.

“Our winners are also drawn from the entire breadth of the Middle East, reflecting the monumental gains that the region’s travel and tourism sector has made in recent years. I am sure these organisations will fare strongly in our Grand Final, which takes place in New Delhi, India on 12 December 2012.”

David Thomson, Regional General Manager, Jebel Ali International Hotels, adds: “My congratulations go out wholeheartedly to all winners and nominees. The evening was a true reflection of the best in the Middle East travel industry and it was an absolute honour to host the Middle East Ceremony of WTA at Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa.”

Other WTA Grand Tour 2012 regional heats are set to take place in Turks & Caicos, Nairobi (Kenya), Algarve (Portugal), and Singapore. The winners will then go head-to-head in WTA’s Grand Final, which takes place at The Oberoi, Gurgaon on 12th December 2012.

SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS AWARDS DISCOVER THE WORLD MARKETING CYPRUS REPRESENTATION

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ, Apr., 2012—South African Airways awarded the sales and marketing development in the promising and growing market of Cyprus to Discover the World Marketing as part of an extension of its existing contract in Greece, effective May 1, 2012.

“We extended our Discover representation to Cyprus because it enjoys financial and business relations with South Africa, thanks to its historic Cypriot community residing in South Africa for many years,” said Dagmar Biemueller, South African Airways head of marketing Europe.  “Since Discover has been working with us in Greece for some time, we realized this new contract in Cyprus would be a winning partnership for both of us.”

According to Jenny Adams, CEO for Discover the World Marketing, “We are pleased South African Airways has expanded its association with us.  There are some great opportunities to generate more revenue and brand awareness for them with Cyprus being the major maritime base for Cypriot owned shipping companies and its global crew traffic.  Even the major off-shore gas discoveries will generate new business for South African Airways.”

For more information about Discover the World Marketing, visit discovertheworld.com,

HRH Sheikh Mohammed opens Arabian Travel Market

UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai inaugurates ATM 2012 Middle East’s biggest travel and tourism event underscoring importance of sector to regional economies

HRH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, today officially inaugurated Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2012, in the presence of senior government officials, leaders of the regional and international travel industry as well as high-profile participants.

The event programme for day one of ATM brings together some of the most prominent travel and tourism organisations in theMiddle Eastand internationally, from both public and private sectors.

Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of Arabian Travel Market, said: “As the first promising signs of democratic progression emerge in theMiddle Eastin the wake of the Arab Spring, the region’s tourism figures show that it is growing once again.

“This year’s ATM serves as a timely reminder and strong indicator of the vital role the travel and tourism industry plays in the region’s socio-economic development.

“A recent World Travel and TourismCouncil (WTTC) report showed the direct contribution of the travel and tourism trade to GDP is forecast to increase by 4.6% to over $250 billion over the next decade.”

The 2012 instalment of ATM has seen a 46% rise in visitor pre-registrations, against 2011 figures, for its 19^th edition, as well as travel agent registration up by a whopping 213%.

“The record figures we’re receiving for this year’s event reflects the region’s positive approach to the tourism sector as a major economic driver. 18-months on from the Arab Spring, we have seen a significant jump in interest from within the gulfCooperationCouncil (GCC) States, which is confirmed by the positive pre-show figures we have seen across the board,” remarked Walsh.

HRH Sheikh Sheikh Mohammed, toured the exhibition with other dignitaries including HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline & Group and Akbar Al Baker, CEO Qatar Airways.  This year, ATM features representatives from 87 countries, with 54 national tourist organisations exhibiting at the International ExhibitionCentre floor over the next four-days.

Among international officials participating in the event are Alain Azouaou, Ambassador, French Embassy Abu Dhabi and Gonzalo De Benito Secades, Ambassador of Spain. Jean-Paul Tarud Kuborn,Chilean Ambassador to the UAE, also joined senior figures from tourism ministries inCyprus, Malaysia and the Philippines.

ATM is a comprehensive four-day travel trade event held from 30 April – 3 May 2012, comprising exhibition, conference and seminar programmes, along with specialist industry days including travel agents day and careers day.

Topics discussed on day one included bouncing back from the ‘Arab Spring one-year on’ and ‘luxury hospitality in the modern age of globalisation’.

Speakers on the first day included some of the region’s most influential business leaders, such as Akbar Al Baker,CEO Qatar Airways, and Rudi Jagersbacher, President, Hilton Worldwide.

Highlights of the sessions tomorrow will include challenges facing aviation growth in theMiddle East, attracting theChinese traveller to the UAE, the Euromonitor travel industry global overview, along with the impact on tourism of the holy month of Ramadan.

With a diverse range of international participants ATM unlocks business opportunities within theMiddle Eastfor inbound and outbound tourism professionals.

Now in its 19th year, the show has grown to become the largest showcase of its kind in the region and one of the biggest in the world.

UAE warned of five-year drop in tourism spend

International arrivals into the UAE will grow over the next five years while the average spend will decline, reveals research which will be presented tomorrow at Reed Travel Exhibition’s Arabian Travel Market held in Dubai.

Delegates at the WTM Vision Conference – Dubai will see exclusive research, presented by Euromonitor International, which found that arrivals into the UAE will see a compound annual growth rate in excess of 7% per annum over the next five years.

But over the same period, average spend per visitor will decline by over 3%.

Other destinations in the region show a similar trend, Saudi Arabia will see visitor arrivals grow by 10% a year until 2016, with the average spend declining by around 4% a year.

Hotel prices across budget, mid and luxury hotels in the MENA region fell in 2010/11, with budget hotels seeing the biggest drop. MENA was the only region where hotel prices declined.

Senior travel executives were also told that the UAE was the third most visited destination by Indian travellers, giving it an important foothold with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

Euromonitor International’s Travel Industry Global Overview Report shows that consumers will still travel despite economic concerns, but are looking at value for money options.

Globally, arrivals growth will slow down to around 4% a year between 2011 and 2016. Average spend will grow by 1% from 2012.

This week’s event at Arabian Travel Market is the second WTM Vision Conference – Dubai. The WTM Vision Conference series has expanded this year, taking the number of conferences to five.Moscow and London took place successfully in April, with Shanghai and Florence later this May.

Reed Travel Exhibitions Exhibition Director World Travel Market Simon Press said: “Dubai was one of the earliest international hosts for the WTM Vision Conference brand, and we are pleased that both the WTM Vision events and Arabian Travel Market are growing.”

British Airways Upgrades Website With New Look Homepage

HARMONDSWORTH, England, April 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

British Airways has upgraded its website, ba.com, with the addition of a completely new homepage.

The ba.com homepage has been comprehensively redesigned to make it easier to use and navigate, as well as making it more inviting and accessible to customers. Striking imagery has been added throughout the page with clearer information on products, services and offers.

Andy Newman, British Airways’ ba.com manager, said: “First impressions count, which is why we’ve devoted so much time in making sure that our award-winning website is even better at engaging our customers, from the first click.

“Ease of use is a key principle we bring to all our digital channels, so we’ve developed a new easier way of navigating around ba.com, with a clearer ‘Manage My Booking’ area and a better use of evocative destination images to help inspire customers and make the most of their trip.”

The last time major design changes were made to ba.com was in 2005. Over the past year, ba.com has been rolling out a series of continued improvements. This includes new ways of presenting flights to show the ticket costs across multiple cabins with information on what service, baggage allowance and dining options customers can enjoy.

Design agency HUGE worked closely with ba.com on the design prototype of the new homepage through to the final agreed design, which was then built by the airline’s in-house team.

Newman continued: “British Airways is always striving to improve the customer experience and we want this excellence to begin with ba.com. We’ve started with the homepage and will continue to unveil the new look across ba.com as part of our continued investment in customer-focused digital channels.”

ba.com has also recently developed new ways to inspire customers to choose their flights, through Tripseeker, and the Holiday Finder. A lowest fares feature also enables customers to choose when to fly to destinations around the world, by searching for the lowest available fares.

The value calculator, introduced in June 2009, provides customers with the information to compare the value of British Airways flights with the cost of no-frills airlines.

Other technological investments by British Airways for its customers have been to provide mobiles apps and mobile boarding passes across all major mobile phone platforms, for iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Windows Phones. Over 1.7m mobile boarding passes have been downloaded since they were introduced in July 2010.

ba.com offers over 600 destinations for sale, with flights operated by British Airways across its global network and its partners, such as Iberia, Qantas and American Airlines.

From last week, bmi flights in and out of London Heathrow were made available to book on ba.com, including flights to Azerbaijan, Ireland, Kazakhstan and flights to Sierra Leone as well as being available to book through flybmi.com.

ba.com was awarded Best Airline Website by Travolution for the past two years.

Archipelago Hotels and Resorts Announces New Luxury Brand – Datai Hotels & Resorts

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, April 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Archipelago Hotels and Resorts, a niche player in hotel management, announces the launch of their new Luxury Brand, Datai Hotels & Resorts.

An Asian brand that is set to expand within Malaysia and Internationally, Datai Hotels & Resorts are distinguished by unique destinations, serene settings and located in key gateway cities and resorts, offering authentic and enriching guest experiences.

The Datai Langkawi, the flagship of the new Luxury Brand is one of the world’s most sought-after and award winning hideaway resorts, surrounded by centuries-old virgin rainforests on the Malaysian tropical island of Langkawi, setting a standard of luxury and Asian-inspired design. An ideal foundation to expand internationally with an iconic named as a premier Luxury Resort and City Hotel brand.

Franz A. Zeller, Managing Director of Archipelago Hotels and Resorts commented, “It is with great pleasure that our company launches our new Luxury Brand, Datai Hotels & Resorts. With the highly acclaimed international resort The Datai Langkawi as the cornerstone, we look forward to thoughtfully growing our Brand through the management of appropriate and exciting luxury iconic hotels and resorts in unique destinations around the world. We aim to surprise our guests by creating everlasting memories through the fine art of hospitality.”

“In addition, I am pleased to announce the opening of The Datai Desaru – Malaysia in September 2014, with a number of other exciting projects in the pipeline,” Zeller said.

“I am also delighted that Khazanah Nasional, the investment holding arm of the Government of Malaysia has invested in Archipelago Hotels and Resorts via their subsidiary Destination Resorts and Hotels, which will further assist with the growth and development of the company,” added Zeller.

Emirates Holidays launches its biggest ever ‘A World of Choice’ brochure for 2012-2013

Eight new destinations and a host of holiday offers available in expanded brochure
DUBAI, U.A.E., April 2012: Emirates Holidays, the tour operating arm of Emirates airline, has unveiled its new 600-page ‘A World of Choice 2012-2013’ brochure with the introduction of eight brand new destinations spanning six continents and featuring over 100 destinations.
Argentina, Denmark, Ireland, Zambia and Zimbabwe all make their first appearances in the brochure, which has grown by 20 per cent – from 500 to 600 pages – since the 2011-2012 edition. Holidays to Dallas and Seattle in the USA, along with Vancouver in Canada, have also been introduced this year to coincide with the launch of new routes to these cities by Emirates airline.

In addition to the exciting new destinations, Russia, Morocco, Malta and South Korea have all been reintroduced into the brochure in response to customer demand. Offerings in popular countries such as China, Thailand, India, South Africa and Germany have also been expanded to provide more travel options with a wider choice of cruises, safaris, palace hotels and dedicated wellness retreats.
The once-popular Fly & Drive packages have also been re-launched this year in partnership with various car rental companies to satisfy customer desire for a more diverse range of holidays around the globe.
“This really is a landmark year for Emirates Holidays,” said Frederic Bardin, Senior Vice President, Emirates Holidays. “With the new destinations, travel offers and the reintroduction of some old favourites, ’A World of Choice 2012-2013’ brochure is our best and biggest to date.
“At Emirates Holidays we offer a tailor-made holiday experience to each customer so the changes we have made this year reflect current travel trends and are based on what our customers have told us they want. The expansion of our offering has been driven by the increased demand for a wider choice of destinations around the world. Places that were once considered out of reach are now easily accessible with the launch of new routes by Emirates airline and with the help of our new brochure, the travel opportunities are endless.”
To reach out to its increasingly diverse customer base and to further reinforce its position as the leading holiday expert in the Middle East, Emirates Holidays is also expanding its 3 and 4-star hotel offerings – these are available when booking directly with Emirates Holidays or via travel agents.
As always, excellent service levels, destination knowledge and attention to detail play a core part in providing the impeccable customer service that Emirates Holidays has become known for. A wide network of well-trained Emirates Holidays staff will help bring ‘A World of Choice 2012-2013’ to life for every customer through well-informed recommendations on flights, accommodation and sightseeing – all based on travel experience and extensive research.
‘A World of Choice 2012-2013’ is now available at Emirates Holidays travel hubs and across its international network of travel agents. For more information visit www.emiratesholidays.com or call 800 5252.

The 5th TTG China Travel Awards: A Parade of Both Established and Newly Lauded Winners.

A total of 38,000 votes were cast between January and March by readers of the two TTG Travel Trade Publishing titles dedicated to the Greater China region: TTG China and TTG-BTmice China. Industry professionals like travel consultants, tour operators, and destination management companies cast their votes by naming their organisation of choice for each award title on print and online forms.

The new winners that night included Tourism Australia, which became the first National Tourism Organisation out of Greater China to win the Best Overseas NTO in China. The Upper House, on the other hand, was the second Swire Hotel property to win the Best Boutique Hotel.

In the Luxury Hotel Awards, newcomers made their mark among long-standing awardees. The Best Luxury Hotel in Hong Kong award, which was awarded to the Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong this year, had been dominated by Peninsula Hong Kong (2011 and 2008) and Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong (2010 and 2009) in the past four years. Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund shot from winning the 2011 Best New Hotel in Shanghai award to winning the title Best Luxury Hotel in Shanghai this year. Meanwhile, first-time winner Sofitel Guangzhou won the title of Best Luxury Hotel in Guangzhou.

The same number of new winners burst into the Business Hotel Awards category, a dynamic industry niche which has seen a constant entry of new winners over the past five years. New awardees Fairmont Beijing and Kerry Hotel, Pudong, Shanghai won the awards for Best Business Hotels in Beijing and Shanghai respectively. The Westin Shenzhen Nanshan, new to category, made a shift from Best Meetings & Conventions Hotel in Shenzhen in 2011 to Best Business Hotel in Shenzhen this year.

“These new winners show how vibrant and competitive our industry is,” said Chimmy Tsui, Publisher (TTG China and TTG-BTmice China), TTG Asia Media. “But we must also always recognise the excellence of long time winners who have managed to stay at the top of the trade.”

The 11 veteran organisations which had won at the TTG China Travel Awards since its inauguration in 2008 include Shanghai (Best City in China for BTmice), and Ascott (Best Serviced Residence Award). Besides these, strong runners in each category maintained their lead – Intercontinental Shenzhen (Best Luxury Hotel in Shenzhen) Holiday Inn Macau (Best Mid-Range Hotel in Macau), and Garden Hotel Guangzhou (Best Business Hotel in Guangzhou).

Almost all the 2011 Airline category winners returned as awardees again this year.  Air China (Best Chinese Airline) and Singapore Airlines (Best Asian Airline Servicing China) reclaimed awards for the 5^th consecutive year, while Air France and United Airlines held on to their titles as Best European Airline Servicing China and Best American Airline Servicing China respectively. Only Qatar Airways was new in the category as the Best Middle Eastern Airline Servicing China.

Also notable were the organisations that won awards in the Hotel Chain and the Meetings & Conventions Hotel categories, all of which had been winners in previous years. Among these are The Westin Beijing Financial Street, Best Meetings & Conventions Hotel in Beijing, and Ibis, Best Budget Hotel Brand in Greater China.

The TTG China Travel Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner is held yearly in Shanghai. Voting for the TTG China Travel Awards 2013 opens in December 2012.

More information on the TTG China Travel Awards can be found at: www.ttgachina.com/ttg-awards

New “Upper Class Suite”, the Longest Full Flat Bed in Business Class

VISIT OF OLYMPIC STARS HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF RUSSIAN MARKET

Russian Olympic legends, both past and present, are experiencing the tourism delights Britain has to offer this week. Their visit is part of the national tourism agency’s marketing programme to tap into the country’s outbound industry worth £18 billion and entice a greater number of Russian visitors to the UK.

VisitBritain, the British Council, VISA and the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) have combined forces to host ‘Road to London’, bringing five of the biggest names in Russian sport together, who between them have won an impressive 12 gold medals. The all-star delegation includes:

• Alexei Nemov- Four times Olympic gymnastics champion
• Dinara Safina- 2008 Olympic tennis medallist and 2012 contender
• Maria Kiseleva- Three times Olympic synchronised swimming champion
• Buvaisar Saitiev- Three times Olympic free-style wrestling champion and going for a fourth in 2012
• Svetlana Masterkova- 1996 double Olympic athletic champion in the 800m and 1500m

‘Road to London’ sees the visiting athletes not only take in the Olympic sites, but also a chance to enjoy museums, galleries and other experiences any Olympic tourist will enjoy this summer as part of Festival 2012. This will include them catching the critically acclaimed ‘Stomp’ in London’s West End, along with trips to the Victoria & Albert and Wimbledon Lawn and Tennis Museums.

Along with a school visit to conduct a master-class with children, the team will be in the unfamiliar territory of playing British sports which they are not considered to be at gold medal standard, such as attempting a round of golf and playing polo at Ascot.

VisitBritain research shows that Russian visitors have a great appreciation for British culture, history and heritage. More than half of Russians surveyed say they would like to go on a tour of Buckingham Palace and 83% saying they are likely to visit places associated with the Royal Family. We hope the visit of these influential Olympic legends will carry great resonance within Russia and act as a stimulus future travel to the UK.       

Last year Britain received 208,000 visits from Russia, helping generate around £302 million for the British economy, a figure that is expected to grow over the next few years. A typical visit to Britain from Russia generates over twice as much spending as does the average inbound visit, spending £1,454 per trip. With over 134,000 high net worth individuals currently living in Russia, VisitBritain hopes to target this global tourism force and recover competitiveness from a market that spends highly on international travel.

Speaking at The Grosvenor House Apartments, Alexey Nemov, four-times Olympic gymnastics champion said: “I am very happy to take part in this programme, while travelling to London at such an important time for this city is a rare chance and a great honour. I am sure that these Olympic Games will prove once again how much sports can do for the peaceful future of our planet, and how it inspires and unites people.”

Patricia Yates, Director of Strategy and Communications at VisitBritain said: “These are elite Olympic champions who know what it takes to be at the top of their field and we are extremely fortunate to be able to showcase Britain to such high profile figures who have such an influence back home in Russia. Their visit this week will help us capture a larger slice of Russia’s £18billion outbound tourism market and allow us to entice a greater number of visits from this vital BRIC country over the coming years.”

Paul de Quincey, Director of the British Council in Russia, said:“This project gives us a fantastic opportunity to link our two countriesthrough the Olympic Games which will attract the attention of millions of people all over the world. During this visit, Russian sports legends will meet their British peers, walk around the Olympic Park, and learn about the Cultural Olympiad, in which the British Council is a key international partner.”

Steven Parker, VISA Group Country Manager for Russia added: “The Olympic Games create a unique atmosphere that brings together nations, transcending political and physical borders and capturing the hearts and imaginations of the world’s largest audience, irrespective of age, gender or social status. This is first and foremost thanks to the athletes themselves. We are a proud global sponsor of the Olympic Games and are excited to support the ‘Road to London’, a project that involves legendary athletes to promote Olympic values and sportsmanship in Russia.”

EASYJET LAUNCHES NINE NEW ROUTES

London 2012 to boost UK foreign guests by 330,000

 The UK will only welcome an additional 330,000 international visitors as a direct result of hosting the London 2012 Olympics, reveals research at WTM Vision Conference London.

Euromonitor International Head of Travel and Tourism Research Caroline Bremner told senior travel industry delegates, at the event organised by Reed Travel Exhibition’s World Travel Market, the UK will welcome 29.4m international visitors this year, a 2% increase on 2011, or 588,000.

The number of international visitors coming for London 2012 represents less than 1% of the total UK inbound market.

Bremner told WTM Vision Conference – London delegates that domestic visitors were crucial to the success of the games, saying that around 70% of the eight million tickets sold had gone to British people.

Other speakers at the event backed Euromonitor International’s findings about the low number of international visitors. EasyJet UK Managing Director Paul Simmons said that the airline had seen “no significant impact on bookings” because of the Olympics and suggested that “BA would probably say the same”.

Furthermore, London hotels appear to be missing out, according to the world’s biggest online travel business. Expedia Managing Director UK Andy Washington said that worldwide bookings for flights into Manchester Airport during the three weeks of the Olympics are 40% ahead of the same period last year.

International bookings into Scottish airports are 31% higher.

“I can’t say for sure that these people are staying in the regions and travelling into London to see the Games,” he said, “but I can’t think of any other reason why the growth should be so big.”

Washington admitted that London hotel prices during the games had been high thus far, but average daily rates were likely to come down as more rooms are released for tourists.

Hoseasons Group Managing Director Geoff Cowley said that his business was not able to comment because it does not have any London based product. But he said that Hoseasons has participated in the government-backed 20.12% promotion because it wanted to be part of the legacy that domestic tourism would benefit from once the Games concluded.

TUI UK Managing Director David Burling said that “the inbound and outbound industries need to come together so that the authorities make sure the airports work.”

Reed Travel Exhibitions Chairman World Travel Market Fiona Jeffery said: “With less than 100 days to go, the Olympics were like to be discussed at WTM Vision Conference – London Vision. Euromonitor International’s findings suggest that while the number of international visitors may appear modest, the real benefit of London2012 could be the long-term boost to domestic tourism.”