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Archives for October 2019

New air service makes island of St. Helena accessible to more American travelers

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New flights are making it easier for curious Americans to visit one of the world’s most off-the-beaten-track destinations – the island of St. Helena.

Far flung in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, St. Helena (pronounced St. Hel-EE-na) is one of the planet’s most remote inhabited islands: 1,200 miles from Africa, and 1,800 miles from South America. And, it is its remoteness that is its charm and the source of its rich history.

The 47-square-mile volcanic island was – until very recently – accessible only by sea. But United Airlines’ new nonstop flights from New York to Cape Town, and new SAA Airlink flights from Cape Town (in addition to Johannesburg) are making a 3-, 4- or 7-day (or longer) visit to St. Helena a reality. An increased flight schedule is set for December through February.

Discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, St. Helena has been under British rule since 1657 and is, after Bermuda, the second oldest territory of the British Commonwealth. Its remoteness is what brought St. Helena fame; after the French defeat at the 1815 Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the island until he died there in 1821. His home is one of the most visited sites of St. Helena. Until 2017, St. Helena was reachable only by its very own Royal Mail Ship, RMS St. Helena, offering five-day voyages from Cape Town approximately every three weeks.

Today, St. Helena has a population of 4,500 and is eager to welcome visitors. It is dedicated to the conservation of its diverse and unique animal, plant, and marine life. And its capital, Jamestown, is considered one of the most authentic Georgian-period towns on earth.

St. Helena is a member of African Tourism Board.

International field set for 2019 Anguilla Cup

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The Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) is pleased to announce that this year’s  Anguilla Cup promises to be the best ever. Over 128 players have registered for the Grade 3 Tournament, which will once again be hosted at the beautiful Anguilla Tennis Academy (ATA) from November 2-9, 2019.    

Both the Qualifying Draw, which takes place November 2 – 3, and the Main Draw, scheduled for November 4–9, will be fully subscribed. A truly international event, this year’s players hail from Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Caribbean — Switzerland, USA, China, Jamaica, Slovenia, Argentina, France, Spain, Bermuda, Vietnam , Puerto Rica, Honduras, Japan , Mexico, Hong Kong, Great Britain, Bahamas, South Africa, Lithuania and Germany. 

A highlight of the week is the Kids Clinic conducted by former tennis great Mary Jo Fernandez on Sunday, November 3, from 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM, at the ATA. Mary Joe Fernandez is a former top Women’s Tennis Association Player, who achieved a career high ranking of World #4 on the circuit.  The clinic will be followed by a Q&A with Mary Joe from 3:45 PM – 4:00 PM.

At 4:00 PM, the kids make way for the Men’s Invitational Final, whose participants will be announced shortly. The Honorable Cardigan Connor will do the coin flip with Mary Joe Fernandez, prior to the match taking place. The complete Tournament schedule is posted on the Anguilla Cup website and will be updated in real time. Matches run from 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM daily; however, the tournament finals on Saturday, November 9, will begin at 10:00 AM.

The official tournament hotel is the Anguilla Great House, located just a few kilometers from the Anguilla Tennis Academy in Blowing Point. Special packages are available for both players and spectators, with additional options available at select properties on island, including the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa and La Vue Boutique Hotel.

Sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the Anguilla National Tennis Association, (ANTA), and the Central American and Caribbean Tennis Confederation (COTECC), this exciting tournament is part of the Caribbean Cup Tennis Series, organized by Sports Travel Experts, and hosted by the Anguilla Tourist Board, the Department of Sports and the Social Security Board, with a contribution from the National Commercial Bank of Anguilla.

The Caribbean Cup circuit currently includes Anguilla, Jamaica, Cayman, Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda, the US Virgin Islands, Curacao and St. Vincent & the Grenadines. Anguilla will take her turn as the Caribbean’s tennis capital when she welcomes players, coaches and their families from around the globe, to participate in the 2019 Anguilla Cup. 

Please visit the tournament website – anguillacup.com – for registration information and how you can come out and experience a week of spectacular beaches and world-class tennis. For information on Anguilla, please visit the official website of the Anguilla Tourist Board: www.IvisitAnguilla.com; follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/AnguillaOfficial; Instagram: @Anguilla_Tourism; Twitter: @Anguilla_Trsm, Hashtag: #MyAnguilla.

For more news about the Anguilla Cup, please click here.

About Anguilla

Tucked away in the northern Caribbean, Anguilla is a shy beauty with a warm smile. A slender length of coral and limestone fringed with green, the island is ringed with 33 beaches, considered by savvy travelers and top travel magazines, to be the most beautiful in the world. Anguilla lies just off the beaten path, so it has retained a charming character and appeal. Yet because it can be conveniently reached from two major gateways: Puerto Rico and St. Martin, and by private air, it’s a hop and a skip away.

Romance? Barefoot elegance? Unfussy chic? And untrammeled bliss?   Anguilla is Beyond Extraordinary.

About the Anguilla Cup

The Anguilla Cup is a part of the Caribbean Cup Tennis Series, created by Karl Hale – CEO of Sports Travel Experts and Tournament Director of the Rogers Cup in Toronto.  The event is sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the Anguilla National Tennis Association (ANTA), and the Central American and Caribbean Tennis Confederation (COTECC), sponsored by the Anguilla Tourist Board, and hosted at the Anguilla Tennis Academy, with support provided by Anguilla’s Department of Sports in the Ministry of Tourism and the Social Security Board.

About the Caribbean Cup Tennis Series

The CCTS features 10 events in 9 countries throughout the Caribbean. The 2019 Circuit will feature events in Antigua, Anguilla, Barbados, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Jamaica, the U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Vincent. Each event is centered on Local Youth Development, Caribbean Travel and Charity, and each tournament offers participants a chance to challenge top ranked players from around the globe.

Media Contact: Shellya Rogers-Webster, Manager, Corporate Affairs, Anguilla Tourist Board, [email protected]

Asian exhibitors set to make a splash at WTM London 2019

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Exhibitors from Asia will once again flock to WTM London 2019 – the event where ideas arrive – bringing fresh angles on iconic locations, grand hotel developments and exciting new offerings for global travellers.

Once again, there is huge interest in WTM London from brands and destinations based in the Maldives. The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Company placed great emphasis on travel trade roadshows this year and credit this with the 17% increase in visitors to the islands. WTM London will be a chance to increase this number yet further.

In London, they will be showcasing their environmental focus, launching the #ProtectMaldivesSeagrass campaign and encouraging travellers to think more sustainably when they visit the archipelago.

The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort has also undergone major developments this year, which they will proudly show to over 50,000 visitors who will be attending WTM London 2019.

The main thrust of this regeneration is wellness with a new focus centred on health and fitness. This includes the visit, in December of this year, of globally renowned healer Elizabeth Cocoann who has shaped a new wellness menu including myofascial release, osteopathic massage and reiki in the new Heavenly Spa at the resort.

The Sheraton Full Moon Resort in the Maldives has also focused on changes to their spa offerings this year. The Shine Spa will open in 2020 and is all part of a $20 million renovation programme.

The resort now includes seven bars and restaurants, an industry-leading spa and a range of accommodation offerings that will entice visitors at WTM London to get some winter sun in the Indian Ocean.

Mauritian resort group Sun Resorts will be attending WTM London this year and are giving attendees a chance to meet their new CEO Francois Eynaud.

In reference to his appointment, Eynaud has said: “I look forward to steering Sun Resorts through an exciting time as we continue to strengthen the group’s marketing position and raise the bar in levels of service and hospitality across our properties.”

Lastly, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China have a number of incredibly exciting announcements to make when they touch down at WTM London. This year, the ministry will be focusing on the great variety of cultural and tourism products on offer in the country.

China is a land of extremes and there will be exhibitors from 18 of the nation’s 26 provinces, providing a unique and fascinating glimpse into the country for all those that visit the China Pavilion at WTM London 2019.

Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director of WTM London added: “The Asian tourist market has long been a great supporter of WTM London and we are so excited to welcome exhibitors from across the region this year. From destinations to brands and tourism authorities there will be a variety of exhibitors for attendees to visit.

“They all understand how WTM can provide the perfect platform to market their products to new and existing business partners from around the world.”

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Company: Stand AS140

Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort: AS140

Sheraton Full Moon Resort: AS140

Sun Hotels: AS100

Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China: AS1050

About World Travel Market

World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises eight leading B2B events across four continents, generating more than $7 billion of industry deals. The events are:

WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. About 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating about £3.4 billion in travel industry contracts.

Next event: Monday 4 – Wednesday 6 November 2019 – London #IdeasArriveHere

About Reed Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events business, enhancing the power of face-to-face through data and digital tools at more than 500 events a year, in more than 43 countries, attracting more than seven million participants. Reed’s events are held in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.

About Reed Travel Exhibitions

Reed Travel Exhibitions is the world’s leading travel and tourism event’s organiser with a growing portfolio of more than 22 international travel and tourism trade events in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Our events are market leaders in their sectors, whether they are global and regional leisure travel trade events, or specialist events for meetings, incentives, conference, events (MICE) industry, business travel, luxury travel, travel technology as well as golf, spa and ski travel. We have more than 35 years’ experience in organising world-leading travel exhibitions.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Julia Newbound – WTM Portfolio Press & PR Lead

E: [email protected]

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7056 / M: +44 (0)7775 036 858

Nicole Smart – WTM Portfolio PR & Events Consultant

E: [email protected]

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7032/ M: +44 (0)79 1955 5510

Egypt to sponsor visitor registration at WTM London 2019

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Egypt Tourism Authority has been confirmed as the sponsor for visitor registration at this year’s WTM London – the leading global event for the travel industry.

The partnership comes just days after the British government lifted the flight restriction to the North African country’s resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. The removal of the guidelines from the UK will mean there will be a huge push for tourism to Egypt from Britain.

The Egyptian Minister of Tourism Dr. Rania Al-Mashat commended the declaration of the end of the ban saying, “We welcome the return of British tourists to Sharm el-Sheikh. This announcement is a renewal of the ongoing cooperation between both nations.

“This step is a testament to the continuous efforts exerted by the Egyptian government to ensure the safety and security of every visitor in all Egypt’s destinations, and in South Sinai in Particular.”

Egypt has significantly invested in safety and security measures including CCTV, airport security, GPS on tour busses and continually reviews and enhances these security steps.

As part of Egypt’s tourism initiative for 2020, Sphinx airport will charter flights to West Cairo to facilitate passengers’ journey to the new Grand Egyptian Museum and the ancient Pyramids. The Grand Egyptian Museum will officially open its doors in late 2020. It’s not only set to be the biggest museum in the world, but will exclusively host only ancient Egyptian pieces and will be the final resting place for Tutankhamun, Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh exhibition.

The Tutankhamun exhibition is currently held at London’s Saatchi Gallery and will be opening this Saturday (2 November) and will be in residence until Sunday 3 May 2020.  The exhibition celebrates the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and opens on the second day of the London Travel Week.

The partnership is announced one week until WTM London opens its doors to almost 55,000 visitors, the highest calibre buyers and almost 3,000 media.

WTM London, Senior Director, Simon Press said: “We are delighted to have Egypt come on board as our visitor registration partner for WTM London. It’s been a hard few years for inbound tourism from the UK to this beautiful and culturally rich country. At WTM London, we are looking forward to working with Egypt and facilitating the business and idea creation to ensure this  can make up for the lost in tourism numbers.”

Register for WTM London now to avoid paying on arrival at london.wtm.com

About World Travel Market

World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises eight leading B2B events across four continents, generating more than $7 billion of industry deals. The events are:

WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. About 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating about £3.4 billion in travel industry contracts.

Next event: Monday 4 – Wednesday 6 November 2019 – London #IdeasArriveHere

About Reed Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events business, enhancing the power of face-to-face through data and digital tools at more than 500 events a year, in more than 43 countries, attracting more than seven million participants. Reed’s events are held in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.

About Reed Travel Exhibitions

Reed Travel Exhibitions is the world’s leading travel and tourism event’s organiser with a growing portfolio of more than 22 international travel and tourism trade events in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Our events are market leaders in their sectors, whether they are global and regional leisure travel trade events, or specialist events for meetings, incentives, conference, events (MICE) industry, business travel, luxury travel, travel technology as well as golf, spa and ski travel. We have more than 35 years’ experience in organising world-leading travel exhibitions.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Julia Newbound – WTM Portfolio Press & PR Lead

E: [email protected]

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7056 / M: +44 (0)7775 036 858

Nicole Smart – WTM Portfolio PR & Events Consultant

E: [email protected]

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7032/ M: +44 (0)79 1955 5510

Seychelles captures the Italian tourism market at the TTG Travel Experience

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The Italian Exhibition Group gave the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and its trade partners exposure to three international exhibitions dedicated to the travel industry from October 9 to 11, 2019 at Rimini Expo Centre.

The event brought together the 56th edition TTG Travel Experience, 68th edition of SIA Hospitality Design and 37th SUN Beach & Outdoor Style, exhibitions which gave the delegation from Seychelles significant insights into the Italian market as well as other tourism related topics.

The delegation from the small island nation was headed by the STB Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis and comprised of the Director for Italy, Turkey, Israel, Greece and the Mediterranean, Mrs. Monette Rose and two STB Marketing Executives, Ms. Rolira Young from the Head Office and Mrs. Yasmine Pocetti, based in Rome.

The Seychelles trade partners present in Italy were hotel representatives Mr Bertrand Moussa with the Avani Barbarons Seychelles Resort team, Miss Wendy Tan representative from Berjaya Resorts Seychelles, Miss Serena Di Fiore on behalf of Hilton Hilton Seychelles Resorts and Miss Anastasia Zelkova representative from Savoy Resort & Spa Seychelles. On the DMC team were 7° South represented by Mrs Anna Butler Payette and Mrs Amanda Lang from Creole Travel Services.

This year’s event saw a significant international presence with representatives from 130 destinations including Seychelles and industry players from 85 countries worldwide.

The Seychelles stand presented vibrant displays of island scenery, with its delegation of STB officers, hotels and DMCs.

A special presentation organised on the first day, gave the Seychelles Islands more visibility at this event, showcasing the destinations’ products to the international delegations present.

Mrs. Francis, the STB Chief Executive seized the opportunity to update the Italian Tourism sector on recent developments and upcoming events in the Seychelles, such as 250th Anniversary celebrations and the increased national focus on sustainable tourism.

A series of business-to-business meetings with tour operators and media were also held at the stand, giving the delegation the chance to brainstorm ideas and discuss upcoming projects. 

Mentioning the presence of the STB at the trio-event in Italy, Mrs. Monette Rose mentioned the prominence of the events and the evident increase in exposure for Seychelles and its participating partners.

‘We are very satisfied on how the fair went, with an 11% increase on visitors, this is a sign that the Italian market is still very active and interested in Seychelles, one of the top tropical destination in the Italian holidays dreams. TTG is the true gateway to the Italian tourism market’, said Mrs. Monette Rose, commenting on the exhibition.

She further mentioned that the TTG Travel Experience contributes importantly to the benefit of the tourism industry players in the Seychelles as it is a platform to not only market the destination, but also increase knowledge on the recent developments within the Italian trade.

During this year, a special project was dedicated to the main African Tourism Boards, uniting them all under one village at the trade fair.

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