Archives for May 2022

Chic, multi-venue space celebrates laidback Mediterranean living amid stunning waterfront views in a breezy alfresco setting

With in-person gatherings back on the table and summer travel season fast approaching, Hotel Arts Barcelona today announced the launch of a series of summer programs.  The programs will kick off a perfect Mediterranean experience with the launch of Marina Coastal Club. A coveted resort-style destination in its own right, the new concept brings together four distinctive alfresco venues under one overarching identity that celebrates laidback coastal living with all of the perks of a luxury beach retreat.   

Boasting stunning panoramic views from its unique location on the waterfront, Marina Coastal Club offers a wonderfully serene spot for swimming, socialising to live music and dining on some of the best Mediterranean food in the city. Open to hotel guests and local residents looking for an urban retreat, the four interconnected venues welcome guests to the Club’s blooming oasis steeped in a sense of escapism in the city.

“First and foremost, the opening of Marina Coastal Club is a response to an increased demand for premium open-air dining and entertainment venues in Barcelona,” said Hotel Arts Barcelona General Manager, Andreas Oberoi.

“By offering holidaymakers and the local community a sophisticated coastal hub for outdoor socialising, Hotel Arts Barcelona opens the summer season with a brand-new, resort-style experience combining sun-drenched lunches by the sea, poolside family fun and chic after-dark food and drinks pairings.”

Located on one of the hotel’s breezy terraces next to the pool, the entirely al fresco Marina Restaurant is the epitome of summer dining, offering a refined backdrop only a few metres from the beach. At lunchtime, the restaurant’s shaded terrace buzzes with diners sharing platters from an eclectic menu influenced by comfort food and Mediterranean cuisines. After dark, the vibe and the culinary direction change: the offering evolves to focus on meats, grilled fish, tapas and rice dishes.

Overlooking miles of pristine beaches, the Club’s outdoor Marina Pool stuns with a view of Frank Gehry’s El Peix 52-metre golden fish sculpture, an architectural landmark located at the confluence of sea and land. Set amid lush gardens, the venue was designed with families in mind, serving comfort food and effortless bento-box style meals during the day.

Nearby, the adult-only Marina Infinity Pool is a glamorous destination inspired by the pizzazz of the Mediterranean beach-club scene and favoured by those looking for an elegant social spot, while enjoying a secluded switch-off. Serving perfectly executed frozen cocktails and gourmet bites amid the sea breeze and mesmerising sunsets, it is the most fashionable and sophisticated spot to enjoy chic summer nights in Barcelona.

In the evening, the venue draws in the after-dinner crowd from the hotel’s restaurants, including the two Michelin-starred Enoteca, with an offering of live music, weekend entertainment programme, and an extensive list of cocktails, wines and digestives.

Another evening to late-night spot, Marina Sunset Lounge Bar, is the perfect place to while away the last golden hours of sunshine with a sundowner or a cold glass of bubbly and delicious crudités, as well as a characterful after-dinner destination where to enjoy live entertainment.

Marina Restaurant serves lunch daily from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm and dinner from 7:30 pm to midnight; Marina Sunset Lounge Bar is open between June and September from 5:00 pm to 01:00 am; while Marina Infinity Pool and Marina Pool welcome guests from June to September, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

More summer programs will be unveiled in the coming weeks.  To learn more about Hotel Arts Barcelona and to make a reservation, please click here.

About Hotel Arts Barcelona

Hotel Arts Barcelona boasts stunning panoramic views from its unique location on the waterfront, in the heart of the city’s Port Olímpic neighborhood. Designed by renowned architect Bruce Graham, Hotel Arts features 44 floors of exposed glass and steel, making it a prominent feature of Barcelona’s skyline. The waterfront hotel’s 455 rooms and 28 exclusive The Penthouses feature sleek, modern design complemented by an impressive 20th century collection of works by contemporary Catalan and Spanish artists. Hotel Arts is one of the premier culinary destinations in Barcelona with 2 Michelin-starred Enoteca helmed by the illustrious, 5 Michelin-starred chef Paco Perez and Arola restaurant with a creative menu of reinvented tapas by Spanish celebrity chef Sergi Arola. Guests seeking a serene escape may enjoy signature treatments by renowned Spanish skin-care brand Natura Bisse overlooking the Mediterranean Sea at 43 The Spa. Recognized as one of the top business hotels in Spain, Hotel Arts provides over 3,000 square-feet of function space overlooking the Mediterranean in Arts 41, for board meetings and conferences as well as social events, weddings and celebrations. The hotel offers an additional 24,000 square-feet of function space, with the main meeting space located on the lower ground and second floors.

Media Contacts:  Glodow Nead Communications at [email protected]

Caribbean craft traditions are being strengthened as the Sandals Foundation spearheads capacity building training of the region’s local artisans.

As part of its 40for40 Initiative to promote local and build local economies, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International is expanding its tailored artisan product development training programs to the islands of Curaçao, St. Lucia, Bahamas, and Turks & Caicos, building on the highly successful output experienced in its pilot island – Jamaica.

This year, some 20 crafts men and women from the communities of Canaries, Laborie, Choiseul, and Soufriere met in St. Lucia and gained design and production expertise in the use of locally sourced materials to create a more authentic product that is cost effective for their markets.

According to Finola Jennings-Clarke, participant and former Director of Business Development and Marketing at the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF), the workshop builds a much-needed bridge to support the preservation of the island’s unique culture.

“There are many things about Choiseul craft that are unique to the island of St. Lucia, but the key thing often missing is that link between the craft makers and a space in which they can sell their products. Through this workshop, the Sandals Foundation looks at helping our crafters bridge that gap with the aim that they will have a market immediately after training, making sure we do not lose the craft in Choiseul.”

Noting the challenges faced by crafters within the Caribbean, Mrs. Jennings-Clarke highlighted the need for a tailored approach to preserving the art and livelihood opportunities that exist.

“The Caribbean faces particular challenges in making craft. Many times we hear people suggest that [crafters] try to compete with manufactured goods from [countries] that either have technical capacity to manufacture in the millions or they have a cost of living that is very low compared to ours. The reality is we can’t do that. As little islands at the end of the supply chain with a higher cost of living and higher costs to source materials, we have to find a place where we can earn a good living and sell a good product.”

“Workshops like this nurture markets that understand our Caribbean situation, value our Caribbean heritage, and are willing to pay the necessary price for that.”

There is currently a limited supply of locally produced straw products available in St. Lucia. To support the growth of the industry, the training built the capacity of crafters in the use of locally sourced Pandanus and Vetiver Straws to replace the traditionally imported Rattan which proves expensive to sustain.

Facilitated by fellow crafter, Jamaican-born Christina McIntosh, the workshops brought ideas for modern day touches to strengthen retail value.

“Growing up seeing our grandparents or our parents working in craft, young people associate it with a harder life because you have to do so much to get so little. Craft was not valued back then as much so you sold your product for little or nothing,” McIntosh said

The thirty-two-year-old affirmed that today’s climate offers a revitalized and lucrative opportunity for which many can capitalize.

“For the first time in my generation I can be selling my products for what they are worth which means that the artisans that assist me in getting my products to where they are sold can be paid a better wage. There is a very good living that can be made out of crafts, if you are interested.”

Tourism Coordinator for the Choiseul Art and Craft Heritage Tourism Association, Peter Phillip, was elated with the knowledge gained and noted: “If I had this training from the time I was a kid, I would be much improved. I learnt a lot. I improved my skills in various patterns, sharing certain disciplines to ensure consistency of product. With my skill being improved, I can earn a better livelihood. I can even teach people and encourage younger persons to have arts and crafts as part of their livelihoods.”

For years, guests of Sandals and Beaches Resorts across all islands in which it operates have had access to locally made items at its retail shops.

In 2018, the Sandals Foundation, supported by the Development Bank of Jamaica, the Government of Jamaica, the World Bank, and in partnership with its resorts’ retail shop teams, piloted an artisan program, bringing product development, packaging, marketing, and other key skills to the landscape, resulting in increased outputs and sales. The program also saw proceeds of sales being reinvested into local community groups.

“Since the start of the program in 2018, year on year sale of products for artisans trained under the Sandals Foundation program increased by 23%, and in 2021, purchase of locally made crafts was one of the best-selling items within resort shops,” said Karen Zacca, Operations Director of the Sandals Foundation.

“These increases in sales,” Zacca continued, “have a real impact on communities as it means more value chain contributors will be able to employ more people to earn a living, local art traditions that represent a unique way of life will be continued, and the viability of this profession can be transferred across generations.”

The expansion of the artisan training program forms part of Sandals Resorts’ 40th anniversary celebrations in which it has identified 40 sustainable projects that best showcase the incredible link between tourism and its power to transform communities and improve local lives.

The program will provide more travelers the opportunity to take home a piece of the region. Sandals and Beaches Resorts guests can also look forward to meeting these crafts men and women through pop-up shops on resort and seeing the magic unfold.

MEDIA CONTACT: 1-888-SANDALS, [email protected]

Joins forces with AF Ajax to launch Future Goals through soccer

Continuing to strengthen the transformative link between tourism and the empowerment of its local Caribbean communities, Sandals Resorts International’s philanthropic arm, the Sandals Foundation, has joined forces with the Netherlands’ AFC Ajax team to launch Future Goals – a program that turns fishing nets sourced from the ocean and recycled plastic waste into soccer goals for children. Expanding opportunities for locals through the power of youth sports, particularly the beloved game known locally as football, the landmark partnership kicks off at primary schools across the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao – where the program’s official launch was celebrated today at MGR Niewindt College as students received the first set of Future Goals.

“Future Goals brilliantly encapsulates Sandals’ unwavering commitment to empower our islands in the Caribbean through our philanthropic arm, the Sandals Foundation, and our core pillars of education, environment and community,” said Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation. “Enveloping ourselves in the destination was part of the blueprint as we rolled out the plans for Sandals Royal Curaçao – a new island for Sandals and a new opportunity to expand our impact – and this one-of-a-kind partnership with Ajax is a sign of our promise to generations to come.”

FROM THE OCEAN, FOR THE FUTURE

Fishing nets lost at sea, also known as ghost nets, make up nearly half of the world’s ‘plastic soup’ – a term for the accumulation of waste, including plastic, that ends up in the ocean. To help mitigate this global concern, the Sandals Foundation and AFC Ajax have tapped into local Curaçaon plastic recycling company, Limpi, whose creative approach to plastic waste recycling and product development now includes the colorful Future Goals goal posts, which are made almost entirely of fishing nets collected from the sea and recycled plastic waste.

Plans to outfit four dozen elementary schools throughout the island of Curaçao with close to 100 Future Goals and more than 600 soccer balls provided by Adidas, are complemented by a unique training program with AFC Ajax players at the helm. The soccer club’s professional athletes will mentor ‘Future Coaches’ recruited by the local Curaçao soccer academy, Favela Street, on a robust eight-week curriculum for the children that will focus as much on technique as it does mindset in order to foster the next generation. Overarching plans for the Future Goals program include expansion into additional Caribbean islands, with the program to be adapted based on the unique scope of each destination.

“Ajax is on a mission to impact the future of football on a global level, starting with the youth, our next generation,” said Edwin van der Sar, CEO AFC Ajax. 

“Together with Sandals Resorts and the Sandals Foundation, we are eager to facilitate impactful football programs for children in Curaçao and the rest of the Caribbean, realizing tomorrow’s opportunities through today’s fun.”

AN ISLAND-FIRST APPROACH TO TOURISM

Since its inception in 1981, Sandals Resorts has taken an unparalleled approach to supporting the communities where it operates. Through its philanthropic arm, the Sandals Foundation, the luxury all-inclusive resort company began its work in Curaçao – Sandals Resorts’ seventh and newest Caribbean island – far ahead of Sandals Royal Curaçao’s opening. This includes supporting local artisans, such as Limpi, to whom the Sandals Foundation has provided the necessary equipment needed to increase their production levels. 

Future Goals is one of the many projects underway on the island of Curaçao for the Sandals Foundation, including beach cleanups that have helped rid the planet of over 400,000 kilograms of trash to date, and the development of a digital hiking app in partnership with IVN Tiny Forest the Netherlands to make the magic of the island’s natural resources more accessible to visitors and locals.

“To deliver the first set of Future Goals ahead of the resort opening and be on our way on a number of other initiatives, is a symbol of our commitment to the destination and the powerful, lasting link between tourism and community development,” said Kevin Clarke, General Manager of Sandals Royal Curaçao. “It’s our responsibility not only to ensure that we’re sharing this beautiful part of the world with our guests, but that we’re protecting and preserving it for the locals who make it feel like home to all who visit.”

For more information on the Future Goals program, click here. 

MEDIA CONTACT: 1-888-SANDALS, [email protected]

Premier music festival in the Caribbean

Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has welcomed the return of Jamaica’s premier music festival, Reggae Sumfest to the island’s calendar of events.

Underscoring its importance, Minister Bartlett said: “Events, festivals, exhibitions, meetings and conventions are huge traffic builders; they are drivers of visitors to destinations and so we encourage and support events of this nature.”

He pointed out that “Reggae Sumfest is known to be the greatest reggae show in the world. Jamaica is its birthplace, so we are excited to be partners in this to make sure that more and more people come to us.”

This year being Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of independence, he anticipated that “our Diaspora is going to be here in great numbers but we’re also using the opportunity to open new markets and the good news is that with the Emirates now selling seats to Jamaica we’ll be able to get people from Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and so on to come to us through some North American gateways for Reggae Sumfest and other events later down the road.”

Speaking at the launch of Reggae Sumfest 2022 at the Iberostar Hotel in Montego Bay yesterday (May 19), Minister Bartlett said the festival was being supported by the Ministry of Tourism through the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), with the expectation of it boosting visitor arrivals during its staging at Catherine Hall in Montego Bay from July 18 to 23.

Sumfest was last held physically in 2019 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Said Mr. Bartlett who noted that enquiries were being received from as far as the Middle East:

“We’re very happy to be associated with it again this year; the recovery is critical and in recovering we want to do it better and bigger.”

He said bookings for the months of June and July were very good and this was supported by Montego Bay Chapter Chairman of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Nadine Spence who said feedback from hotels for the Sumfest period indicated that “bookings are steady and surpass the same period last year.”

Minister Bartlett used the occasion to reinforce the Government’s commitment to the entertainment industry, pointing out that plans were being pursued for the development of a Tourism Entertainment Academy adjacent to the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

He stressed that $50 million had already been earmarked by the TEF to get it started and on completion the facility will be marketed as an attraction for visitors to experience Jamaica’s authentic high quality cultural offerings. Programs developed for the Academy are expected to increase employment opportunities for professionally trained and skilled artistes.

SEEN IN PHOTO: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (left), gets a hearty welcome from Chairman of Downsound Entertainment, Joe Bogdanovich, on arrival at the Iberostar Hotel on Thursday, May 19, 2022, for the media launch of Reggae Sumfest 2022. Downsound is the promoter of the reggae festival which attracts visitors from all over the world. Minister Bartlett and his colleague, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment & Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange participated in the launch event. – image courtesy of Jamaica Ministry of Tourism

Media Contact:

Corporate Communications Division

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Telephone: 920-4924,

Fax: 906-1729

Or

Kingsley Roberts

Senior Director, Corporate Communications

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: 920-4926-30, ext.: 5990

Cell: (876) 505-6118

Fax: 920-4944

Italian reps thrilled to be back at work selling Seychelles

Beefing up its marketing effort in Italy to boost sales, the Tourism Seychelles team in Italy organized a workshop in Turin on May 10, 2022, during which a handful of fortunate Italian attendees won a chance to experience Seychelles.

Seychelles has recorded over 5,000 visitors from Italy since January 2022, with cautious optimism for the Italian market for 2022 Tourism Seychelles team continues its effort to keep the destination visible and reachable through its partners.

After Rome and Milan, the team moved further north taking on to Turin to host 18 trade partners and exhibitors from the airlines, hotel industry, and tour operators respectively at the NH Torino Centro for a business luncheon and one-to-one meetings with Italian travel agents.

Representatives from several prominent properties in Seychelles namely Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas, Club Med Exclusive Collection, Constance Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons Resort Seychelles, Hilton Seychelles, and Paradise Sun Praslin Seychelles were present at the event.

Creole Travel Services was the only local Destination Management Company from Seychelles to seize the opportunity to increase its reach through the event, while airline companies composed of representatives from Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airway, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines were spotted at the event.

Italian partners such as Il Diamante Tour Operator, Glamour Tour Operator, Going Tour Operator, Il Tempo Ritrovato, Idee per Viaggiare, NAAR, Teorema Vacanze, Volonline, and Vola con Gully had the occasion to extend their knowledge of the destination through the presentation made by the Tourism Seychelles in Italy Ms Danielle Di Gianvito and her team.

Speaking of the turnout, Ms. Danielle Di Gianvito satisfyingly said that the growing popularity of the destination amongst trade partners is visible through their enthusiastic response to the team’s invitation.

“The participation and turnout of the event were very good, and the Italian trade is thrilled to be back at work, selling Seychelles and taking part in in-person events,” said Danielle Di Gianvito, market representative of Tourism Seychelles in Italy.

She further mentioned that the partners present were very eager to present their latest offers for a vacation in our beautiful corner of paradise, which keeps remaining among the preferred destinations for Italians.

Some incredibly lucky travel agents won several exciting prizes to discover the destination, prices included stays at Constance Ephelia Resort, Paradise Sun Praslin Seychelles, Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas, Four Seasons Hotel or Resort on Mahé, Four Seasons Hotel Resort on Desroches, Hilton Labriz Silhouette, Turkish Airlines flight to Seychelles, Excursion to St. Anne Marine Park offered by Creole Travel Services and 1 trolley from Vola con Gully.

Seychelles is one of the most sought-after destinations for visitors from around the world, the island has become a reference in sustainable tourism through its successful examples of preservation of its fragile and unique ecosystem.

MEDIA CONTACT: Tourism Seychelles, [email protected]