Lima Airport Partners, S.R.L. (LAP) – a Fraport AG majority-owned company – and the government of Peru yesterday signed an amendment to the 2001 Lima Airport Concession, thus making it possible for LAP to move ahead with a major expansion program at one of South America’s fastest growing airports.  In particular, the amendment outlines when and how the government should hand over land needed for the expansion of Lima Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM).  Scheduled to begin in 2018, LAP’s expansion program will require an investment of about US$1.5 billion.  Development plans call for a second runway – to be built first – as well as a new state-of-the-art passenger terminal and other infrastructure to meet increasing traffic and to further enhance the customer experience at Lima Airport.  Peru’s capital city airport welcomed 18.8 million passengers in 2016 and recorded double-digit growth of 10.1 percent year-on-year.  During the first half of 2017, LIM served about 9.7 million passengers, an increase of 8.4 percent compared to the same period in the previous year.  Indeed, LIM registered a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6 percent from 2001 through 2016.  When LAP took over operations in 2001, Lima Airport received around four million passengers per year – today LIM handles almost five times as much traffic.

Commenting on the agreement, Fraport AG executive board chairman Dr. Stefan Schulte said: “We thank the Peruvian government for reaching this landmark agreement with Lima Airport Partners.  This step forward is critical for Lima Airport’s continuing success as a win-win concession for all. One of the most successful airports in Fraport’s global portfolio, Lima has consistently achieved strong growth, a high level of customer service and recognition, and it offers great potential for Peru and South America.”

Juan José Salmón, the CEO of Lima Airport Partners, S.R.L., explained:  “This comprehensive and mutually beneficial agreement with the Peruvian government will provide the necessary land and framework for advancing our major expansion of Lima Airport.  We are proud of the achievements made during the first 16 years of the Lima Airport Concession.  We are also excited to be on the threshold of developing the future potential of Lima Airport for the benefit of our passengers and partners, as well as Peru.”

The Peruvian Government granted Lima Airport Partners the concession for operating and expanding Lima Airport in November 2000.  Officially commenced on February 14, 2001, the LAP concession now runs until 2041.  LAP’s shareholders include Fraport AG with a majority stake of 70.01 percent, followed by IFC International Financial Corporation with 19.99 percent and AC Capitales SAFI S.A. of Peru with 10.00 percent.

During the first 16 years of the concession, LAP has paid out a total of about US$1.9 billion in contributions to the Peruvian state, while total capital expenditures have reached US$373 million. Currently, Lima is served by about 35 airlines flying to 23 domestic and 46 international destinations.  In recent years, European carriers such as Air France, British Airways, KLM and Iberia have launched regular services to Lima.  The South American carriers LATAM and Avianca use Lima Airport for hub operations.

Lima Airport is a multiple winner of the prestigious Skytrax awards for “Best Airport in South America”, earned seven years in a row and a total of eight times.  Other honors have been collected in recognition of LAP’s dedicated and service-oriented staff – further reflecting Fraport’s global vision and corporate slogan:  Gute Reise! We make it happen.  In the area of corporate social responsibility, Lima Airport Partners was recently recognized for its commitment to sustainability by the Peru 21 association.  LAP is also ranked among the 50 best employers in Peru.

Seychelles had the opportunity to boost the knowledge of Kenyan travel agents, enticing them to promote and sell the island destination among Kenya’s outbound tourism market, as the Seychelles Tourism Board joined the recent Spotlight workshops in Nairobi.

The workshops were conducted at the Raddison Blu Hotel and Villa Rosa Kempiniski in Nairobi on July 6 and 7.

Seychelles was among 10 tourist destinations at the two-day event, which saw the participation of some 30 exhibitors and 187 agents.

Kenyan Travel agents at the Seychelles’ table were treated to detailed presentations made by the Seychelles Tourism Board’s Senior Marketing Executive, Mrs Amia Jovanovic-Desir.

The Spotlight Travel workshops is an initiative of the Houston Travel Marketing Services that has been organising such workshops in Nairobi over the past 15 years. The aim is to promote outbound travel from Kenya to inter-regional destinations within East Africa, as well as to the rest of Africa and the Indian Ocean.

For Seychelles, the recent spotlights workshop was the perfect opportunity to shed more light on the destination’s products and services, which local trade partners are offering to the different market segments.

Mrs Jovanovic-Desir noted that “In order to better sell the destination, one should have sound knowledge of the range of products and services on offer. However, this is one lacking raised by the agents who attended the training, which they say is hindering the firm demand and sales, when it comes to the Seychelles market.”

Statistics show that visitor arrivals to Seychelles from key markets in the region, including Kenya have dropped in 2017. From January to June, Seychelles welcomed a total of 823 visitors from Kenya compared to 1,044 visitors during the same period in 2016, which represents a drop of 21 percent. This is in spite of direct air links, with Kenya Airways having served the Nairobi-Seychelles route for many years.

Mrs Jovanovic-Desir seized the opportunity at the spotlight workshops to hold discussions with representatives of Kenya Airways on how to consolidate the partnership which exists between the two sides and further combine their efforts on a more strategic marketing approach.

“We have thus agreed to work together so as to encourage more educational trips, as well as media visits, this will offer them the opportunity to experience the destination from the broader angle,” she said.

Mrs Jovanovic-Desir added that such visits will allow the agents to have a better understanding of Seychelles which is a destination that aims to welcome tourists from all market segments, and also offers affordable products, including accommodations owned by the locals that tend to offer personalised services.

Kenya’s expatriate community on the lookout for short-haul flights to destinations offering the perfect retreat, as well as those looking for twin-sector experiences were also highlighted as potential markets.

The desire and determination to make Seychelles one of the destinations they envision to push on the Kenyan market was very apparent, through questions raised by the tour operators, who also left comments highlighting their desire to visit Seychelles and giving their commitment to promote the destination the best they can.

“Amazing, stunning destination. The presentation was wonderful,” said Topster Moraa from Johnson Tours and Travels International.

Commenting on the outcome of the workshops, Mrs Jovanovic-Desir who is confident that the exposure will lead to results in the near future said the majority of the agents who attended the presentations have never been to Seychelles to experience the destination personally, thus justifying the lack of destination awareness.

“Such workshops should be encouraged mainly on markets where we cannot bring most of the  key tour operators and travel agents to our shores to sample the destination, after all, seeing is believe. After all, one has to take action if you want anything to happen,” she said.

The Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Mr. Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, has visited another 8 tourism properties on Mahé, as part of his ongoing door-to-door visits to holiday accommodations in Seychelles.

The eight establishments chosen were mostly Seychellois-owned small self-catering properties, located at Anse aux Poules Bleues and Anse Soleil, in the Baie Lazare district.

The aim is to be aware of the various services and products on offer, to appreciate the successes and gain an understanding of challenges faced by these establishments.

The Principal Secretary for Tourism Mrs. Anne Lafortune accompanied the minister on last Friday’s visit, as part of the tourism department’s ongoing efforts to align itself with key stakeholders in the tourism industry.

Starting off at Anse aux Poules Bleues, the first stop was at Zeph self-catering, which offers two self-catering accommodations set in a quiet location. The property owned by Ms Agnielle Monthy has been in operation since 2013, and strives to offer a Creole touch to its guests, who are mainly German visitors.

The delegation then proceeded to the Red Coconut Self-Catering, owned by Mrs Juliette d’Offay and her husband. Following renovations, the property offers two high-end self-catering accommodations, with breathtaking views of the Anse à la Mouche bay.

Minister Loustau-Lalanne and team also toured the Hill Side Retreat boasting two private wooden cabins, where they met with the owners Mrs Anne-Lise Platt and her husband who reside on the same property.

From Anse aux Poules Bleues, they moved to Anse Soleil where the minister visited the Anse-Soleil Resort, which has four self-catering accommodations offering panoramic views of the Anse-La-Mouche bay. The property is owned by Mrs Paula Esparon, who explained that in spite of being a self-catering establishment, they do cater for special meals upon request, mentioning that guests particularly love fresh local fruits for breakfast.

Mr Andrew Gee was the next owner to be visited and he did not hesitate to take the delegation on a tour of Maison Soleil, boasting two self-catering lodgings, fitting for both couples and small families offering them a rather rustic feel. Commenting on the variety of visitors staying at his establishment, Mr Gee said: “People from all over the world seems to find Seychelles.”

Mr Gee who is an artist, also showcased his gallery where he allows free entrance, while he sells his paintings and hand made products, mostly to the tourists.

Anse Soleil Beachcomber, which has fourteen guesthouses and four self-catering accommodations with superb views of the Anse-Soleil Beach, owned by Dr.Albert was the last small property to be visited, before the minister and his delegation made their last stop at the Four Seasons Resort — the only large hotel featuring on the programme.

At Four seasons, Minister Loustau-Lalanne took the opportunity to congratulate the General Manager, Mr. Adrian Messerli and his team, after the hotel was recently listed among the Top 5 resort hotels in Africa in the Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Award 2017.

Mr Loustau-Lalanne said: “I am very fond of the level of development which took place at Four Seasons Resort and I admire that they respected the environment right to the point that you can almost touch nature while being at the resort.”

The Minister was given a tour of the resort, which has 67 rooms in total and visited key spots of the property. He was accompanied by Mr Messerli who took the opportunity to salute his staff for their relentless effort describing them as the resort’s “number one source for success.”

At the end of the visit to another eight tourism establishments, Mr Loustau-Lalanne said “all of the properties we visited today are of good standards and I am very pleased at the level of re-investments being done at respective establishments.”

The Acajou Beach Resort has become the latest tourism establishment to be awarded the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label (SSTL), after it was successfully assessed and certified as a resort that is integrating sustainability practices in its business operation.

The Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Maurice Loustau-Lalanne presented the Chairman of Acajou Beach Resort, Hugh Payet with the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label certificate on Tuesday 11^th July.

The ceremony was attended by the Principal Secretary for Tourism, Anne Lafortune and the Tourism Department’s Director for Product development, Sinha Levkovic.

Mr Loustau-Lalanne congratulated Acajou Beach Resort for the hard work displayed in attaining the certification and thanked them for adopting sustainable practices.

“The certificate could not have been awarded in a better year, you are being awarded with this certificate in the year for sustainable tourism for developments. The message is clear,” said Mr Loustau-Lalanne.

Applicable to hotels of all sizes, the SSTL is a voluntary sustainable tourism management and certification programme, designed to encourage more efficient and sustainable ways of doing business.

The SSTL, which was recently recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), works on a point-based system. All hotels have to satisfy 24 “must” criteria, and depending on their size, the hotels have to score additional points in each of eight theme areas — Management, Waste, Water, Energy, Staff, Conservation, Community and Guests.  Scoring an additional six points in any area, is the third criteria that has to be fulfilled to obtain certification. The criteria are specifically designed to ensure that minimum standards are met by each establishment.

Acajou Beach Resort is a Seychellois-owned business that labels itself as Praslin’s Green hotel in the Seychelles. The resort has invested heavily in two specific areas in order to push its business model towards a greener approach, which has helped towards accumulating the desired points required for the SSTL certification.

A photovoltaic system (PV) installed at the hotel presently caters for over 50 percent of the energy requirements of the whole establishment, while a new Sewage Treatment Plant is up and running producing recycled water for the hotel’s garden. Further to this, the hotel also has an in-house energy management system.

The Chairman of Acajou Beach Resort, Hugh Payet said he was happy and proud to join the list of Seychelles hotels that have achieved SSTL certification.

“We are extremely happy and our investment is paying off, considering we invested over 7 million rupees in total to meet our green objectives,” said Payet.

“It’s not only about winning the certificate but now we need to maintain the standard,” he added.

Established in 1996, the Acajou Beach Resort presently has 52 rooms spread across five different room categories. Located at Cote d’Or, Praslin, the hotel is surrounded by lush green tropical vegetation, and offers guests a great view of the nearby sandy shore and clear turquoise ocean.

The resort is known for its eco-friendly initiatives, including tree planting activities involving its employees in conjunction with a Praslin-based non-governmental organisation — the Terrestrial Action Society of Seychelles (TRASS).

Commenting on the added benefit of the SSTL certification, Mr Payet said: “this certificate provides the hotel with a lot more credentials, which we will use in all our marketing efforts.” He has also dedicated the recognition to all the hotel’s staff, clients and the whole of Praslin island.

Acajou Beach Resort is the fourth hotel on Praslin to be awarded the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label.

The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority is joining forces with trade partners on a new brand marketing campaign launching on Friday 23rd June. The campaign is strategically timed to promote the destination’s accessibility and drive sales during the summer period. The tourism authority has partnered with tour operators, airlines and partners to maximise the size and impact of the campaign. Tour operators who sell to the trade include Caribtours, Kuoni, and Gold Medal.

The campaign is the first work from the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority’s new creative agency, M&C Saatchi, who have been appointed this month following a competitive tender process. The creative uses Antigua’s world-famous beaches as the platform from which to drive awareness of the variety of experiences visitors to the twin islands can enjoy – from heritage and architecture to cuisine and beverage. The creative will be further developed over the coming months.

The campaign will run across outdoor and digital platforms. London commuters will be targeted with a high volume presence across 17 large digital transvision sites in all London’s main train stations, including two at London Victoria and two at Waterloo. The outdoor will run for two weeks starting this weekend, with the digital display and social media activity continuing for three months.

Jean-Marc Flambert, Vice-President Sales and Marketing UK & Europe at the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority comments; “We are delighted to be working with our key industry partners to proactively push summer and autumn sales to the destination. It has been very encouraging to see how supportive the trade has been of this campaign. At this time, it is important that we all work together to ensure that consumers continue to have the confidence to book. Travel agents play a big role in our strategy and we look forward to growing the revenue to the island together.”

An agent competition is running alongside the campaign. Travel agents are invited to tweet a photo of the outdoor advert using hashtag #AntiguaBarbudaLondon to be entered into prize draw to win a bottle of Antiguan English Harbour Rum”. The competition closes 6th July 2017.

The majority of travel media features attractive images of destinations, the beaches, jungles, waterfalls or cityscapes. Travel and tourism journalism is not usually too complicated.

However, every so often a news story breaks about the little seen underbelly of the tourism business, and none in modern history has ever been as potentially catastrophic or as unseemly as the recent hijacking of the UNWTO Secretary-General election in Madrid. This is proving to be a game-changer in more the ways than one, even for media outlets who generally report on the sunny side of tourism.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the highest international authority for the travel and tourism industry. Ten percent of the world population is employed directly or indirectly through travel and tourism, making it the world’s largest single industry. The very top job in global tourism is the Secretary-General post of the UNWTO. The Secretary-General is elected every four years, and the position is currently held by Dr. Taleb Rifai, a well-respected industry leader who hopes to leave a strong, honorable legacy when he leaves the position later this year.

At the UNWTO Executive Council meeting last month in Madrid, the Georgia candidate, Zurab Pololikashvili garnered enough votes to be nominated as the Candidate Elect for Secretary-General and is no doubt banking on being confirmed by two thirds of the General Assembly of the UNWTO in Chendgu, China, in September.

Last week’s bombshell paper released by the Candidate from Zimbabwe, the Hon. Walter Mzembi, featured a detailed list of misconduct related to the UNWTO Secretary-General vote in Madrid. eTN has been receiving a sharp increase of media inquiries about this story. Mzembi also presented remedial solutions for the UNWTO General Assembly vote, which will take place September in China. Read the paper HERE.

However, sometimes a story is much more important than a single publication.

While eTN broke this story, and has received numerous calls with praise and thanks from industry leaders, we are willing to cooperate with other publications and pool resources to shed light on miscreant conduct during the election. The story is too big and too critical to the future of world tourism for eTN to be propriety about developments and the upcoming General Assembly vote.

And make no mistake, this is very much a developing story, with the outcome far from being a forgone conclusion, despite extensive underhanded efforts by Georgia to ensure their candidate sits in tourism’s equivalent of the Oval Office. Between now and September, when the General Assembly votes either for the Candidate Elect, Zurab Pololikashvili, or chooses to install a different candidate for tourism’s top job, eTN and other leading publications will be watching and reporting.

Comments or questions? Please contact us, we are happy to extend professional courtesies to media outlets: Juergen T. Steinmetz, publisher, jts@etn.travel, 808-536-1100.

The premiere Beijing International Travel Mart (BITM) 2017 will be held at China National Convention Center (CNCC) in Beijing, China from 16 – 18 November 2017. The three-day event, open to trade visitors on the first two days and to public visitors on the last day, will climax the current ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation 2017.

With a gross area of 10,000 square metres, BITM 2017 will feature over 400 international exhibitors from over 60 countries. The countries of Southeast Asia are expected to form a significant ASEAN Pavilion to highlight the touristic attractions and programmes along the Maritime Silk Route.

In addition, the event is expected to attract some 400 local and international buyers and is projected to attract 10,000 public visitors as well as 6,000 trade visitors from the MICE, OTAs, Travel Agents, Corporates and Trade Associations.

Beijing, the capital of China, is the world’s third most populous city and is ranked second to Shanghai in China’s outbound generating markets for year 2016. The UNTWO has predicted that 200 million Chinese will travel out of the country by 2020, spending US$422 billion.

“A globalized one-stop sourcing platform is vital for stakeholders within the tourism industry to effectively reach out to the Chinese travel market,” says Edward Liu, Group Managing Director of Conference & Exhibition Management Services (CEMS), the organizers.

To accentuate the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation, a panel discussion on the first day of the BITM 2017, would feature prominent captains of industry from both ASEAN and China, exploring extended cooperation between the two regions, in sync with the initiatives being formulated under the Maritime Silk Route.

Another forum on the second day would be dedicated to big data and analytics as well as the latest travel technologies that are being implemented across the global tourism industry. There would also be specially curated workshops running concurrently with the exhibition to provide attendees with relevant industry updates.

To generate awareness for the exhibition and forums, CEMS would be running pre-event roadshows in various cities and regions within China. Participating exhibitors would be invited to join the pre-event publicity campaigns to attract buyers prior to the event.

Exhibitors could also look forward to enriched business matchings through one-on-one meeting interaction technology to maximize the efficiency of their pre-scheduled appointments with the preferred Chinese and international buyers.

For the record, CEMS is the founder of Beijing International Travel Expo (BITE) series in Beijing, China and is accountable for over 13 years of continued success in the tourism exhibition.

Cumulatively, CEMS has a track record of 25 successful professional international tourism exhibitions such as BITE, CGITE, XSPRITE, and CITE, with participants from across 80 countries over the last 15 years.

For more information on the Beijing International Travel Mart 2017, please visit BITMChina.com

eTN is a media partner for BITM.