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Archives for October 2019

The Seychelles welcomes back Air France

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The blue, white and red colors of the Air France Airbus A330-200 was welcomed by ceremonial canon-water at Seychelles International Airport, a few minutes before 6 am on October 30, 2019, after a 23-year absence.

Air France was previously operating through its subsidiary, JOON, and is now flying its national colors once more.

The return of Air France creates a direct link between the Seychelles and the French market, a significant market for the country. The island paradise is popular in the French market for its tropical environment and familiar French language, which is one of the country’s official languages. As a leading member of the Skyteam Alliance group and having operating flights to 195 destinations, Air France will significantly contribute to the Seychelles tourism industry.

“The arrival of Air France on our shores again is not only an opportunity but a privilege for the destination. We are happy to welcome back the airline after 25 years of absence, and pleased that our French customers will once again have access to a direct flight to Seychelles,” said Mrs. Francis, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive.

Commenting on the event, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine Mr. Didier Dogley said that “the return of Air France, the French national carrier, is significant in that Seychelles is now served through direct flights to and from Europe through a fourth world class carrier. This will greatly improve our competitiveness on the French and European markets.  So we are extremely pleased with this new development.”

As from October 29, Air France customers are able to travel to Mahe through the 3 weekly flights departing Paris-Charles de Gaulle. These flights will operate throughout the winter season from October to Match 28, 2020 on the Airbus A330-200.

For more news about Seychelles, please click here.

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, [email protected]  www.seychelles.travel

Jamaica’s Tourism Ministry to Forge Partnerships with Argentina

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Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says his Ministry is in talks with the Argentine Republic to forge partnerships in areas such as education, destination marketing, and resilience building.

The Minister made this announcement during a courtesy call to his New Kingston office by the Argentine Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Luis Del Solar on October 29, 2019.

“The first area of collaboration we are interested in forging is in human capital development for our tourism workers. Therefore, the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation will seek to collaborate with a university in Buenos Aires on a conversational Spanish curriculum for tourism workers. This will ensure that the average worker can become conversant in the language,” said the Minister.

He noted that this is against the background of the expected increase in visitors to the island from the South American market because of additional airlift from the region beginning in December.

LATAM Airlines will inaugurate three weekly flights from Peru and other South American countries to Montego Bay. This is in addition to 11 flights now offered by Copa Airlines out of Panama, to bring the total weekly flights between South America and Jamaica to 14.

“LATAM Airlines, flying out of Peru, will be making connections from several gateways in South America countries, including Argentina which is the largest partner in South America for Jamaica, providing some 5,000 visitors annually,” he said.

Ambassador Del Solar expressed interest in learning more about strategies used by the Jamaica Tourist Board to market the destination.

“We are very interested in sharing experiences with marketing the country as a tourism destination. I think the marketing of Jamaica is very interesting and I think there are a lot of possibilities to exchange of experiences,” said Del Solar.

“To be honest, you have been able to protect the image of the country with many positive things. We need to learn how to do it better. We have a strong industry but we could do much more,” he continued.

During the discussions, the Minister and Ambassador Del Solar also explored corporation in the area of resilience and the possibility of setting up a satellite of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRMC) in Buenos Aires.

The satellite center will focus on regional issues and will share information in nanoTime with the GTRCMC. It will also function as a think tank to develop possible solutions.

The GTRCMC, which was first announced in 2017, assists in destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that affect tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally. There are plans also to establish satellite centers in Kenya Morocco, South Africa, Nigeria, and Seychelles.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944

Bartlett Looking to Boost Arrivals from Brazil

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (seen right in the photo) greets Brazilian Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Carlos Alberto Michaelsen den Hartog, during a courtesy call at the Minister’s New Kingston office on October 29, 2019.

During the meeting, the pair discussed strengthening tourism arrange,ments to increase the number of Brazilians visiting the island annually.

Ambassador den Hartog expressed excitement about LATAM airlines inaugurating three weekly flights from Chile and other South American countries later this year.

Additionally, he commented on Copa Airlines representing a strong airlift security arrangement out of South America.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944

“Café de Luxe”: Airport Tour with Coffee and Cake

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Since the 1950s, Frankfurt Airport has exerted a magnetic attraction on whole generations of visitors fascinated by its international ambiance and the aura of aviation: a genuine window on the world. The oldest fans still recall going on Sunday outings with their families to enjoy coffee and cake in a locale right next to the apron with a closeup view of colorful aircraft from faraway countries almost close enough to touch.

A new offering of the airport’s Visitor Services has now revived some of this nostalgia: a tour dubbed “Café de Luxe”. Lasting 45 minutes, it takes visitors around the apron to acquaint them with the ground handling operations at Germany’s largest aviation hub. It includes live narration by a seasoned guide who regales them with a steady stream of interesting facts.

To top it off, the group is taken to the tradition-steeped Käfer’s Restaurant in Terminal 1 to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea or a soft drink plus their choice of a large selection of delicious homemade pies and cakes. Giant panoramic windows provide an excellent view of aircraft being serviced right next to the building. The first beverage and piece of cake are included in the price. The tour can be booked for individuals or groups and costs 16 euros per person.

More tours and activities for visitors are available here.

For more information on the many services offered at Frankfurt Airport, passengers and visitors can visit its website, service shop, or Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube social media pages.

For more news about Frankfurt Airport, please click here.

About Fraport AG and Frankfurt Airport

One of the leading players in the global airport business, Fraport AG offers a wide range of operational and management solutions based on over 90 years of aviation expertise. Fraport’s portfolio of companies spans four continents with activities at 30 airports worldwide. In fiscal year 2018 (Dec. 31), Fraport generated sales of €3.5 billion and profit of about €506 million. More than 176 million passengers in 2018 used airports around the world in which Fraport has at least a 50 percent stake. In its Mission Statement, Fraport places the focus on its customers. The Group’s commitment to ensuring a “good trip” to all passengers and travelers is also reflected in its corporate slogan: “Gute Reise! We make it happen”. This applies to all of Fraport’s business activities and services at Germany’s largest aviation hub in Frankfurt and the Group’s airports worldwide.

At its Frankfurt Airport (FRA) home base, Fraport welcomed more than 69.5 million passengers and handled about 2.21 million metric tons of cargo (airfreight and airmail) in 2018. In Europe, Frankfurt Airport ranks first in terms of cargo tonnage and is the fourth busiest for passenger traffic. For the current winter timetable, FRA is served by 88 passenger airlines flying to 259 destinations in 99 countries worldwide. A total of 130 intercontinental destinations are served from FRA in the 2019/2020 winter schedule – underscoring Frankfurt’s role as a leading hub in the global air transportation system.

Frankfurt Airport City has become Germany’s largest job complex at a single location, employing approximately 81,000 people at some 450 companies and organizations on site. Almost half of Germany’s population lives within a 200-kilometer radius of the FRA intermodal travel hub – the largest airport catchment area in Europe. FRA also serves as a magnet for other companies located throughout the economically vital Frankfurt-RMN (Rhine-MainNeckar) region. Thanks to synergies associated with the region’s dynamic industries, networked expertise, and outstanding intermodal transportation infrastructure, FRA’s world route network enables Germany’s export-oriented businesses to flourish in global markets. Likewise, FRA is a key gateway for companies wanting to access the huge European marketplace. Thus, Frankfurt Airport – which is strategically located in the heart of Europe – is one of the most important hubs in the global logistics chain.

MEDIA CONTACT: Angelika Heinbuch, Fraport AG, Spokesperson, Press Office, Corp. Communications, 60547 Frankfurt, Germany, Telephone: +49 69 690-28417, E-mail: [email protected] ,  Internet: www.fraport.com , Facebook: www.facebook.com/FrankfurtAirport