Archives for November 2022

Sandals Resorts International was recognized as a top leader in the travel industry at the 29th Annual World Travel Awards (WTA).

The awards were bestowed during the WTA Grand Final ceremony held on November 11. This year, Sandals Resorts International and its Luxury Included® Resorts took home four awards, including the World’s Leading All-Inclusive Company for the 27th year in a row, cementing the company’s position as an ever-evolving innovator in the all-inclusive space.

The company’s top honors included: 

• World’s Leading All-Inclusive Company 2022: Sandals Resorts International
• World’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2022: Sandals Grenada
• World’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort Brand 2022: Beaches Resorts
• World’s Leading Caribbean Attraction Company 2022: Island Routes Caribbean Adventures

Sandals Grenada, nestled in the heart of the idyllic Pink Gin Beach, was named this year’s World’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort, for the fifth consecutive year. From butler service and gourmet dining to top-shelf liquor and swanky suites, Sandals Grenada is an exotic hideaway that boasts breathtaking views and innovations that inspire romance. Creating even more opportunities for couples to connect, Sandals Resorts established its first Romance Library at Sandals Grenada as part of its Sandals Institute of Romance, featuring a curated selection of rom-com novels for guests to borrow and read together while on vacation.

Beaches Resorts, the family-friendly resorts for everyone, was also honored by the World Travel Awards, winning the World’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort Brand for the 25th time. With three spectacular locations in Jamaica and Turks & Caicos, Beaches Resorts offers something for everyone in the family to enjoy. Kids can hang out with their favorite Sesame Street characters as part of Beaches Resorts’ Caribbean Adventures with Sesame Street®, splash in outrageous waterparks and enjoy XBOX® Play Lounges, exclusive Kids Camps and teen nightclubs. While the kids play, parents can indulge in butler service, enjoy luxurious spa treatments, dine at gourmet restaurants, and more – and all with the assurance of Certified Nannies and expertly-trained team members who are available to take care of your family’s every need.

The World Travel Awards dubbed Sandals Resorts International’s sister company, Island Routes, as the World’s Leading Caribbean Attraction Company for the 12th year.

 Island Routes takes guests into the heart of destinations, offering hundreds of tours and activities that satisfy the thirst for adventure and exploration. 

The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to acknowledge and reward excellence across the tourism industry. The World Travel Awards are recognized around the world as the ultimate standard of quality, with winners setting the benchmark for the tourism and travel industries. The annual award ceremony is designed to celebrate individual and collective success across the globe.

For more information about our award-winning resorts, please visit sandals.com and beaches.com. For more information about the World Travel Awards, please visit worldtravelawards.com.

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

Enthusiastic Bulgarians are now getting ready to bask under the sunny skies of the Seychelles Islands with three new direct flights.

These flights will link the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, to the main island, Mahé, starting from January 2023 and is part of continued efforts to make the destination more accessible to and preferred by Bulgarian travelers.

The news was announced during a blitz visibility campaign in Sofia last week organized by Tourism Seychelles, featuring two main events attended by numerous trade partners and media collaborators.

The Tourism Seychelles team comprised the Director General of Marketing, Mrs. Bernadette Willemin and the Director for Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, Mrs. Lena Hoareau, who delivered keynote addresses and destination presentations at both events.

The first event was an intimate Press and VIP Seychelles luncheon held on Thursday, November 24, which was graced by the presence of Ms. Irena Georgieva, Bulgaria’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mr. Maxim Behar, Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Seychelles and Mr. Emrecan Inancer, the Turkish Airlines General Manager for Bulgaria.

Also in attendance were two of the three tour operators behind the new charter flights, Luxutour and Planet Travel Center.

The dates of the flights were announced as: 20.01.2023-28.01.2023, 25.02.2023-05.03.2023 and 18.03.2023-26.03.2023. These will be realized with the support of the Seychelles Destination Management Company, 7° South.

Deputy Tourism Minister Georgieva saluted the thriving bilateral relations between the two countries and thanked Tourism Seychelles and the Honorary Consul General for their efforts towards sharing more knowledge of the picturesque holiday destination with the Bulgarians.

“Seychelles is undoubtedly one of our partners in tourism with whom we want to develop our relations and deepen the opportunities for fruitful cooperation in the future. It is a preferred destination for high-end tourism and is a shining example of a valuable tourism product that is developed and promoted by some of the best Bulgarian tour operators,” said Ms. Georgieva.

“I believe that the foundations of our cooperation have already been laid because many Bulgarians know the destination with its best advantages.”

On her part, Seychelles’ Director General for Marketing, Mrs. Willemin, spoke on the destination’s strategy to expand its promotional efforts across all markets where there are noticeable and solid potentials, including Bulgaria. She said Bulgaria is in the top five Central Europe markets for Seychelles and thus has promising abilities for growth. This year, a total of 1,719 Bulgarians have visited Seychelles up until October 2022.

“We are happy that Bulgaria has become one of the key tourism markets for Seychelles. The flow of Bulgarian tourists continues to increase because of the islands’ beautiful nature, the diverse attractions and activities and, of course, our authentic culture. In other words, we have a product that appeals greatly to them. We believe that our destination can offer unforgettable experiences for everyone, and the direct flights will greatly facilitate their travel there,” she said.

Mrs. Willemin also thanked the Honorary Consul General for joining efforts with Tourism Seychelles to bring the two Seychelles dedicated events to that market.

She also thanked Turkish Airlines for systematically supporting the destination through their excellent connections, which not only present formidable access options to the Bulgarian market but to Europe in general.

“It is very important for us to be part of the good bilateral relations between the two countries and have the opportunity to support them further and develop their tourism sector.Our goal is to have daily connections to Seychelles by 2024,” said Mr. Inancer from Turkish Airlines.

Mr. Petar Stoyanov, General Director of Luxutour and Ms. Darina Stefanova, General Director of Planet Travel Center, also addressed the guests and provided more information on the three charter flights, which have already gone on sale.

Earlier in the week, Tourism Seychelles also hosted a Train and Dine event for over 50 members of the trade in its first-ever dedicated workshop in that city. The eager tour operators and travel agents endured the cold and drizzle to attend the event, which comprised presentations by both Tourism Seychelles and 7° South.

During the event, Ms. Anna Butler Payette, Managing Director of 7° South, highlighted the beautiful places to visit and things to do in Seychelles as well as her company’s services in realizing every guest’s dream.

Several print, radio and TV interviews were initiated at both events, as news of the charter flights was met with great enthusiasm, and more Bulgarians are now showing interest in the warm and exotic holiday destination that is Seychelles.

Similar charter operations were organized at the beginning of the year from the European capital, with two full-capacity direct flights. The aircraft to be used in the January-March 2023 operations will be from Bulgaria Air – with 180 seats per flight – and with a technical stop in Djibouti on each leg.

MEDIA CONTACT: Tourism Seychelles, [email protected] 

Entry in Seychelles resumes to pre-COVID protocols from December 1, 2022, as the last COVID-19 travel requirements are removed.

Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated visitors disembarking in Seychelles will not be required to present a negative PCR or antigen test to be allowed entry into the country. Similarly, fully vaccinated passengers will not be required to show proof of vaccination either.

However, all visitors will be required to complete their travel declaration online through www.govtas.sc and provide valid travel insurance to cover for any potential COVID-19-related costs.

Commenting on the matter, Mrs. Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary for Tourism, stated that this indicates that the industry’s recovery is almost complete. As a small island destination, Seychelles being heavily dependent on tourism, we needed the last of these measures to be removed and for travel to be as unobstructed as possible.

“Similar to March 15, 2021, December 1, 2022, will be a date to be remembered for Seychelles.”

“We took many risks while navigating our way through the recovery of our local tourism industry, and it has borne fruit. Today, as the destination’s arrival numbers are skyrocketing to pre-pandemic figures, we mark another important moment for travelers. It is yet another milestone for our industry, and we anticipate that this decision will be one that would boost travel to our small destination,” said Mrs. Francis.

Visitors planning a holiday in Seychelles are encouraged to book their accommodation and leisure activities through licensed local service providers and operators.

Consisting of 115 islands, Seychelles is a pristine paradise, renowned for its turquoise waters and emerald rain forests, and is the only group of granitic islands in the world. Truly Another World, the Seychelles Islands possess unique features sure to capture the hearts of wanders across the globe.

MEDIA CONTACT: Tourism Seychelles, [email protected] 

These new tours are in an ideal location for rare bird photography, all taking place at beautiful Songtsam properties.

Songtsam, an award-winning luxury boutique hotel collection and Destination Management Company, located in the Tibet and Yunnan Provinces of China, announced new 6-day bird watching tours that will be available at three of Songtsam’s several properties including Songtsam Lodge Lijiang, Songtsam Lodge Tacheng, and Songtsam Linka Retreat Shangri-La, in Northwest Yunnan, an area famous for the photography of its rare native bird species.

Leading the bird watching tours’ six-day long itinerary is Mr. Jiansheng Peng, Tibet’s most influential nature photographer.

Peng is also Songtsam’s senior eco-tourism expert who is dedicated to promoting the harmonious coexistence between man and nature through natural images and high-quality eco-tourism. Under his guidance, Songtsam guests will have an opportunity to observe, learn about and photograph the many rare birds of Northwest Yunnan, including black-necked cranes, bar-headed geese, black storks and purple water chickens.

Northwest Yunnan is the main habitat for migratory birds in the winter, with its still sunny and mild climate. In Lijiang and Shangri-La, migratory birds arrive every winter. In Heqing Caohai and Lashihai near Lijiang, and the Napa Sea in Shangri-La, visitors will have the unique six-day opportunity to observe and learn about the more than 60 species and hundreds of thousands of migratory birds that stay there during the winter months.

Migratory Birds Live in Harmony with Local Villagers

The Yanggong River flows through Heqing Caohai and nourishes the natural grassy wetland of Lashihai, which is the first nature reserve named after a wetland in Yunnan. A well-protected plateau wetland system, Lashihai is home to more than 50 species of wetland birds! Local villagers have been farming around these lakes for many years, allowing the migratory birds here to live in harmony with both the locals as well as the visitors. This makes Heqing Caohai the most ideal place for close-up photography and observation of various wetland wildlife in China. 

In addition to bird watching, tourists will also be able to visit traditional Tibetan villages that surround the Napa Sea and observe the local way of life with the cattle and horses roaming freely near huge highland barley stacks. 

Rare Species of Birds in Yunnan: 

The Black-necked crane

Regarded as a “sacred bird” by the Tibetans, it is also known as the “Fairy of the Plateau”. Black-necked cranes are the only cranes in the world that grow and breed on the plateau and can fly over Mount Everest, the highest peak of the world! 

Purple Water Chickens

The largest population of purple water chickens in China can be found in the Heqing Caohai Wetland, with a total of more than 500 chickens. Except for their white undertails, the purple water chicken is almost completely blue and purple in color, and they often walk in the shallow water. 

About Songtsam

Songtsam (“Paradise”) is an award-winning luxury collection of hotels, resorts, and tours located in Tibet and Yunnan Provinces, China. Founded in 2000 by Mr. Baima Duoji, a former Tibetan Documentary filmmaker, Songtsam is the only collection of luxury Tibetan-style retreats within the wellness space focusing on the concept of Tibetan meditation by combining physical and spiritual healing together. The 15 unique and sustainable properties offer guests authenticity, within the context of refined design, modern amenities, and unobtrusive service in places of untouched natural beauty and cultural interest. One of the Songtsam Properties is a Virtuoso Preferred Partner and four of the Songtsam Properties are Serandipians Hotel Partners. Songstam welcomes all travelers including families with children, travelers with disabilities and is LGBTQ+ friendly.

About Songtsam Tours

Songtsam Tours provides guests an opportunity to curate their own experiences by combining stays at its different hotels and lodges designed to discover the region’s diverse culture, rich biodiversity, incredible scenic landscapes, and unique living heritage.

About Songtsam Mission

Songtsam’s mission is to inspire their guests with the diverse ethnic groups and cultures of the region and to understand how the local people pursue and understand happiness, bringing Songtsam guests closer to discovering their own Shangri-La. At the same time, Songtsam has a strong commitment to sustainability and the preservation of the essence of Tibetan culture by supporting the economic development of the local communities and the environmental conservation within Tibet and Yunnan. Songtsam was on the 2018, 2019 & 2022 Condé Nast Traveler Gold List. 

For more information about Songtsam visit songtsam.com/en/about.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

U.S. Contact for Songtsam

Florence Li, Director of International Sales and Marketing

E-mail: [email protected]

U.S. Editorial Contact for Songtsam

The Bradford Group

Karen Hoffman/ Jillian Sliwinski

Tel: (212) 447-0027 

E-mail: [email protected]

Jamaica Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett has signaled the start of what he termed “a new perspective in tourism development in Jamaica.”

This is following the ground-breaking ceremony for the UNICO Montego Bay 451-room luxury adults only all-inclusive resort recently. UNICO Montego Bay will be joined by other high-end brands such as Hard Rock for which ground will also be broken soon.

UNICO Montego Bay is only the second hotel brand under the RCD Hotels banner locally and the choice of location met the desire of the family hotel chain “to expand the brand to a destination in the Caribbean known for its rich culture and stunning beaches.” RCD Hotels has developments in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the United States of America. 

It was also highlighted that the resort development will be complemented by the construction of 1,000 houses for hotel workers in partnership with the Housing Agency of Jamaica.

The development of the UNICO Montego Bay resort will provide over 1,000 construction jobs and 600 serving the rooms in operation. In the long-term however, the RCD group’s investment project could expand to 2,000 rooms, including the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, at which time there will be over 4,000 construction jobs and 5,000 during operation.

The development has been welcomed by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness and Minister Bartlett as an investment not only in tourism but in the people of Jamaica. The monetary value of the investment has not been disclosed however, as the developers said it is a family policy not to do so.

The Prime Minister said:

“I want to welcome the RCD group to Jamaica.”

“We are very happy to have you as a development partner and we know that it is not just an investment in our sun, sea, and sand. You’re also going to be investing in our society.”

Prime Minister Holness stressed that Jamaica was seeking to offer safety, security, soundness, seamlessness and stability in attracting investors and visitors. He noted that RCD Hotels had made its decision to invest in Jamaica because of the unique cultural experiences of the people. “But they’re also making the decision because Jamaica is a country that you can bank on,” he said.

Minister Bartlett emphasized that: “All subsequent discussions with investors coming into Jamaica for tourism will take into account the impact on the environment; the impact of the social development within the area and the governance of the area.”

Giving an assurance to the developers that their investment would be productive and profitable, Minister Bartlett said up to Thursday, November 24, 2022, visitor arrivals for the year so far showed a 97% recovery on 2019 figures and revenue is up 20% above 2019 levels.

He said: “We in Jamaica are not just concerned about building tourism as we understand it; we want to build to another dimension; we want to build communities with tourism.” He said the community in which the hotel is being built “is part of the development process that is going to show Jamaica what the new tourism post-COVID is going to be like.”

Vice-President of Development at RCD Hotels, Rodrigo Chapur said his family was happy to be bringing the second UNICO branded hotel to Jamaica.

SEEN IN IMAGE:  Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (4th right) and Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (3rd right) are flanked by (from left) Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Leeroy Williams; Rafael Chapur, developer, RCD Hotels; Dr. Horace Chang, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of National Security; Rodrigo Chapur, Vice President of Development, RCD Hotels; Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister, Audrey Sewell and Homer Davis, State Minister, Office of the Prime Minister. They were collectively breaking ground for RCD Hotels’ 451-room adult all-inclusive UNICO Montego Bay Hotel in Lilliput, St. James on Friday, November 25, 2022. – image courtesy of Jamaica Ministry of Tourism

MEDIA CONTACT:

Corporate Communications Division

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: (876) 920-4926-30

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