For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

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Jamaica Secures Airlift arrangements Post Thomas Cook – Bartlett

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has secured airlift arrangements with Condor Airlines as part of efforts to lessen the impact of the recent collapse of Thomas Cook.

Following a meeting with Oliver Feess, Manager announced that ground will be broken in Hanover for the 2000 room Princess Hotel and Resort by year end. The Announcement follows a meeting with chairman of the hotel chain, Mr. Robert Plana yesterday at World Travel Market in London.

“Today we met with Chairman of Princess Hotels who will be in Jamaica next Monday for meetings to finalize arrangements for ground breaking and commencement of construction within the shortest possible time.

We are anticipating that construction will begin in the first quarter of next year given that all the developmental approvals have been completed and 18months after, the first 1000 rooms will be ready to be opened,” said Minister Bartlett.

Princess Hotels & Resorts is a hotel chain specialising in holiday and urban hotels in top class tourist resorts. Founded in 1967, it is ranked eighth in the Spanish market, with 3.700 employees and 19 establishments, offering 7.140 rooms. Earlier this year, the Spanish hotel chain committed to investing US$500 million in the construction of 2,000 rooms in Hanover.

Minister Bartlett added that, “We have been in dialogue with Princess for quite a while and my last visit to FITUR in Spain culminated in the announcement then, that they had acquired the properties in Green Island in Hanover and that they were ready to start construction as soon as possible.

Time elapsed and the necessary approvals have been sought through our local authorities and planning agencies and we are satisfied now that they are fully ready to begin operations.” 

Currently, Jamaica’s room stock is 32,000. Under the 5x5x5 growth strategy, the aim is to have 15,000 additional rooms by 2022.

Speaking on the significance of the addition of these new rooms, Minister Bartlett says that “Hanover will have, when we add the component in Negril, along with the Grand Palladium, Round Hill and Tryall, close to 6000 rooms.

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

Jamaica Tourism Minister moves to recover Japan market

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Jamaica Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says his Ministry will be placing special focus on increasing arrivals from Japan by implementing new marketing arrangements.

Speaking at a press briefing today at the Jamaica Tourist Board’s Kingston office, the Minister noted that he would be leading a team in Japan later this month to meet with key officials and stakeholders to recover the Japanese market, which he lamented was much stronger 30 years ago. 

“Japan was a very good market for Jamaica 20-30 years ago. We lost that market because of a number of factors, one of which had to do with the economy of Japan and a fire that took place. The Japanese economy has rebounded and they are doing extremely well. Their outbound market is over 20 million and the appetite for Jamaica and the Caribbean is returning,” said Minister Bartlett.

He further noted that, “The good news is that we now have arrangements with main carriers. Out of Japan, we have a strong programme with Delta as well as American Airlines, which both have co-sharing arrangements with airlines out of Japan. There is now the gateway of Panama, which is connected directly into Japan.”

While in Japan, the Minister is expected to meet with the Japan Tourism Agency, as well as the Chairman of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, Mr Hiromi Tagawa to establish the new marketing arrangements. He will also meet with The Japanese Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Hon. Kazuyoshi Akaba on broader areas of collaboration.

Jamaica will also be a major exhibitor at Tourism EXPO Japan 2019, scheduled for October 24 and 25.  The event will focus on tourism as a major factor for the revitalization of regional economy and job creations. It is one of the largest tourism expositions of its kind in the world.

Other key markets the Ministry will focus on include India and South America.

“India is now the fastest growing economy in the world, with a growing middle-class. They have perhaps the best wedding market in the world. Jamaica will be tapping into that. We have a representative in India now and work has already started. We are also partnering with Indian tour operators and travel agents,” said the Minister.

He noted that work to improve the South American market has already began, with arrangements in place for the island to receive more visitors from the region beginning in December.

“LATAM, which is the largest and most important carrier operating in the South American area, will inaugurate a flight which will have  three-rotations into Montego Bay on the first of December.

We will go to Lima and be on that first flight which will be a historic event for tourism in Jamaica. Jamaica will now have 14 rotations coming from South America, starting from December,” said the Minister.

To ensure that the country’s growth projections for 2020 into 2021 are secured, the Jamaica Tourist Board has also constructed a very strong marketing programme, which begins tomorrow in Canada.

The Minister is therefore scheduled to head to Canada tomorrow with the Director of Tourism, Mr Donovan White. While there, they will be meeting with stakeholders and members of the Diaspora.

“These new marketing arrangements are critical to resilience building. Jamaica is being proactive in our efforts to ensure our markets are secure, so that if there is a fallout from one end, we can pick up on the other end and keep our growth momentum on the level we project,” said the Minister.

“As of now, we have an increment of 150,000 more stopover arrivals for the year so far, which is a record. This represents an 8.6 percent increase over last year. In terms of our earnings, there was an increase of approximately 10.2 percent more earnings. Our initial projection was for US$3.6 billion, but this has now increased to US$3.7 billion,” he added.

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

Shangri-La issues statement: Attack on the Shangri-La Hotel Colombo Table One Restaurant

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An explosion took place in Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo’s Table One Restaurant on Easter Sunday during Easter Brunch at 9.05 am. As reported on eTurboNews on Sunday the veteran chef was killed with her daughter.

The explosion was part of a coordinated terror attack in Sri Lanka. A statement by Shangri La was received today in regards to the attack on their hotel. The statement says:

It is with great sadness that we can confirm that we are aware of a number of casualties among our guests and colleagues. This includes three of our colleagues who were fatally injured in the course of their duties. We will continue to work closely with local authorities and emergency services to provide our fullest assistance and support to all affected parties. Our hotel remains secured by the military and the police. We have also decided that the hotel will be closed until 30 April.

Our immediate priority continues to be the safety and well-being of all affected. We have also proactively carried out the following measures since the attacks in Colombo:

· We will continue to provide alternative accommodation for our affected guests

· Our team has been assisting with guest requests for transportation and flight arrangements

· We also have staff stationed at the airport and at the hospitals to render assistance where needed

· A dedicated Call Helpline (+603 2025 4619) has been set up for affected guests and/or their loved ones

· We are working closely with relevant embassy officials to support their respective citizens.

Our hotel team remains ready to offer any other assistance to our guests and their families and to provide the necessary support to our colleagues and their next of kin during this very difficult time. As this is an active investigation and out of respect to our guests and staff’s privacy, we are unable to provide further details at this stage.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, U.S. and British Authorities warn in response to terror attacks

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The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority in a statement released urges hotels in Sri Lanka to take maximum measures to strengthen security as Hotels have been one of the main targets. Please assist us in spreading the word and let us not forget to help tourists who are currently in Sri Lanka.”

The Sri Lanka travel industry is bracing for the impact of the horrific attack Easter Sunday in the nation’s capital Colombo and in Negombo, where the airport is located.

Sri Lanka received 2.1 million tourists in 2017 and had set a target to double that number this year. Free visas to visitors from 30 countries including the U.S.,UK, EU and Thailand are part of this strategy.

Currently, Sri Lanka is quiet. It’s a curfew and all roads are closed.

The U.S. embassy raised the level of travel advisory for Sri Lanka to level 2: The embassy warned terrorist groups to continue plotting possible attacks in Sri Lanka. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas.

The White House issued a statement, that the United States condemns in the strongest terms the outrageous terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka that have claimed so many precious lives on this Easter Sunday. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the more than 200 killed and hundreds of others wounded. We stand with the Sri Lankan government and people as they bring to justice the perpetrators of these despicable and senseless acts.

In the meantime, Sri Lanka arrested 13 alleged suspects. Another attack on the airport was prevented. 215 people including foreign tourists were killed, more than 500 injured in a series of planned and coordinated attacks on Easter Sunday.

The UK Foreign Department is telling British Citizens:

On 21 April 2019 bombs were used to attack three churches and three hotels in Sri Lanka, in central Colombo; in the northern suburb of Colombo Kochchikade, and in Negombo roughly twenty miles north of Colombo; and in the east of the country in Batticaloa. There have been significant casualties. If you are in Sri Lanka and you are safe, we advise that you contact family and friends to let them know that you are safe.

If you are in Sri Lanka and have been directly affected by the attacks, please call the British High Commission in Colombo: +94 11 5390639, and select the emergency option from where you will be connected to one of our consular staff. If you’re in the UK and worried about British friends or family in Sri Lanka caught up in the incidents, please call the FCO switchboard number: 020 7008 1500 and follow the same steps.

Security has been stepped up across the island and there are reports of ongoing security operations. if you are in Sri Lanka, please follow the advice of local security authorities, hotel security staff or your tour company. The airport is operating, but with increased security checks. Some airlines are advising their passengers to arrive early for check-in, in light of increased security screening.

The Sri Lankan authorities have declared a nationwide curfew. You should limit movements until this has been lifted, following the instructions of the local authorities and your hotel/tour operator.

The Sri Lankan authorities have confirmed that, if you need to catch a flight from Colombo airport, you are able to travel to the airport provided you have both passport and ticket valid for travel that day. They have also confirmed that arrangements have been put in place for arriving passengers.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Gleam of hope for tourism

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On March 27, all roads led to Mombasa, Kenya, for a joint business meeting organized by Uganda and Kenya and the two Presidents of both countries actually attended. The meeting gathered ministers, key business persons from both countries to discussing topics of mutual interest for the growth. I was personally hesitated to go because my wife and daughter were traveling same week and did not want them to leave without me saying a goodbye.

I also do not like meetings where people talk and do not come up with real solutions for the existing problems. I only made the journey after my family blessed it. I took a morning flight aboard Kenya Airways to join two Kenya friends (Shivam Vanayak and wife) out of Nairobi to Mombasa and thankfully, they had managed to secure three tickets on Madaraka train. Securing seats on the train from Nairobi to Mombasa is an uphill task because of high traffic.

I had been to Nairobi a number of times with an aim of securing seats and failed because of the demand. The business class is even worse because the tickets are booked out first way in advance.

The staff of Madaraka train dress more like air hostesses with a proper Kenyan hospitality. The train carries about 1,500 people each way and there are two trains departing Nairobi daily for Mombasa and vice versa which means 3,000 individuals are dropped into Mombasa daily which is a massive business opportunity for the Mombasa service providers such as hotels, restaurants, taxi drivers, entertainment joints, boats, bars, etc.

The train goes through Tsavo National Park which is Kenya’s largest and oldest standing at 13,747 square kilometers. While on the train, we also saw the 300 kilometer long Yatta Plateau, the longest lava flow in the world. Tsavo is home to the larger mammals, vast herds of elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, lions, leopard, pods of hippo, crocodiles, water bucks, lesser kudu, genenuk and the prolific bird life.

At the business forum in Mombasa, I was given an opportunity to address the audience which included President Museveni and President Uhuru Kenyatta on behavior Uganda and Kenyan tourism group. My address focused on seven points we had agreed upon before the Presidents arrived at Sarova sands where the meeting took place.

The first point focused on the flights between the East African countries especially Kenya and Uganda. Our observations are that the tickets between Uganda and Kenya are very expensive because of the high taxes levied by both governments. Kenya for example charges $50 on every ticket and Uganda charges $57 which makes a total of $107. That figure is what should be the cost of a ticket between the two countries. We actually recommended that flights between the two countries be domesticated.

The second point focused on the East African tourists’ visas which have Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda working together. Our proposal was that the two presidents convince the Tanzanian leadership to join the good arrangements. Many tourists are finding it easy paying $100 for a visa that covers the above three nations which allows them to move back and forth.

Since some local airline operators such as coastal want to fly into Ugandan national parks, it would positively affect the tourism business between the four nations. The third point focused on politics. Overtime, we as the tourism operators in the region have seen politics affect tourism a lot especially during campaigns and since insecurity and tourism can’t co-exist, foreign tourists will fear to travel in the region.

The leaders were asked to remember what their actions mean to business and practice restrain. This particular point was well received by both leaders and we hope to see some change with time. The fourth point focused on trans-boundary tourism opportunities which focus on the shared tourism attractions such as Lake Victoria and Mountain Elgon.

The tourism fraternity feels we need a combined effort in exploiting the above because we miss out on potential billions of dollars that could come out of activities such as cruises, sport fishing, water transport, accommodations on the shores and the many islands found on the lake. We also talked about the joint marketing opportunities across the globe that would see millions flock to Uganda and Kenya hence more revenues.

We asked the presidents to go easy on the yellow card requirements for citizens from both countries because it inconveniences the business travelers most since they are frequent.

Travel News | eTurboNews

American Airlines: New cabin, larger overhead luggage bins

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American Airlines is starting scheduled flights with the first of its 100 new Airbus A321neo aircraft on order. These aircraft come equipped with an all-new cabin interior designed for enhanced passenger comfort and convenience, including larger Airspace XL overhead luggage bins that increase carry-on bag capacity.

American is the launch customer for the Airspace XL bins, which provide approximately 40 percent more overhead storage space for passengers on board the 196-seat aircraft. In addition to equipping its new A321neos with the XL bins, American also plans to retrofit its entire in-service fleet of earlier A321 models – more than 200 aircraft – with the cabin features included on the new A321neos.

Ingo Wuggetzer, Airbus’ Vice President of Cabin Marketing said: “We are very pleased that American Airlines’ first A321neos with the Airspace XL bins are now entering service. We constantly work with airline customers to improve our aircraft cabins, and American in particular played an instrumental role with us in developing our biggest and best overhead bins to date.”

The Airspace XL bins accommodate larger luggage – up 24” x 16” x 10” – allowing standard roll-on bags to be loaded on their sides instead of being inserted flat. This creates room for up to four bags in each bin instead of the current three. The larger bins will significantly reduce the number of passenger bags checked at the gate, and sent to the cargo hold.

American‘s selected cabin layout allows the airline greater flexibility in seating arrangements and use of cabin space. The two class cabin will gain an additional row of first-class seats, bringing the total to 20. Outfitting the A321neo with a free wireless inflight-entertainment (IFE) system allows passengers to select a wide-range of options from their own devices. LED mood lighting will enhance the cabin environment.

Powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines and ETOPS certified for lengthy over water flights, the A321neo will allow American to carry larger loads on its longer, more densely travelled routes such as Los Angeles and Phoenix to Orlando, or West Coast hubs to Hawaii.

 

The A321neo is the largest member of the A320 Family, seating up to 240 passengers, depending on cabin configuration. Incorporating the latest engines, aerodynamic advances, and cabin innovations, the A321neo offers a reduction in fuel consumption of at least 15 percent per seat from day

Travel News | eTurboNews

Attending an Indian Weddings: A niche tourism opportunity

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Indian weddings are known to be over the top. Hotels and resorts love to organize Indian weddings. A hotel in Hawaii told eTurboNews: “Yes it’s big business, but don’t mention it too much 🙂 “
Families mortgage their homes and take large loans to pay for such weddings, but some couples in India are not only inviting family and friends to their weddings. They have started selling admission tickets to their weddings to tourists wishing to attend the colorful affair.

A typical rate is $200 for a two-day invitation to attend an Indian wedding through a start-up called Join My Wedding.

“The concept was pretty new,” Delhi-based fund manager Surabhi Chauhan told US broadcaster CNBC, explaining that she came across the start-up while booking her wedding venue. “We were also getting to know people from other countries. We were very much excited and open about it, given the fact that it was new.”

Chauhan and her husband were introduced to Stevens and Gower. “We were chatting and coordinating, we had a brief introduction about each of us, what exactly we do, our respective profiles (and) what are the arrangements that will be there, the kind of attire they’re supposed to wear — all those conversations happened,” she said.

To sell tickets to their wedding couples list details about the special day on the website.

“If you think about it, there’s nothing more cultural than a wedding because you have every cultural element present: The local people, local food, customs, the outfit, the music, basically every cultural element is right there,” said the start-up’s co-founder Orsi Parkanyi.

She explained that the idea came from her own experiences in missing out on friends’ weddings. She decided to focus on Indian weddings because they are “world-famous” and the chances to attend them are not high for most non-Indians.

TAravel agencies and tour operators are also offering tour packages for international travelers to attend Indian wedding ceremonies during their visit. Experts estimate the Indian wedding industry to be worth about $40 billion and expect it to grow around 20 percent a year.

 

Travel News | eTurboNews

Visit Nepal 2020 Launch to Honor the Life of a Tourism Hero

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Nepal is known as a country of beauty and resilience when it comes to the travel and tourism industry. Nepal is also known to have some of the most dedicated people running their nation’s tourism industry. Many of them will be attending the ITB travel trade show in Berlin from March 6-10 to celebrate one of their own tourism heros, the late Nepal Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Rabindra Adhikari.

The Nepal Tourism Board in cooperation with the Nepal Embassy in Berlin, has planned a launch event of “Visit Nepal 2020” at a VIP dinner on March 7 on the sidelines of ITB and organized by the eTN Corporation.

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There will be 252 VIPs in attendance, including several ministers of tourism including Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, who is the person behind the global tourism resilience initiative. There will be ambassadors, the former UNWTO secretary general Taleb Rifai, top Nepal travel suppliers (buyers and sellers), and media from around the world who have registered to attend.

The ITB launch for “Visit Nepal 2020” will be dedicated to the late Nepal Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Rabindra Adhikari.

He was instrumental in the finalization of “Visit Nepal 2020” and had been working endlessly until last week to make this important milestone a success.

The late Nepal Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Rabindra Adhikari, was to attend the dinner in Berlin, but less than a week before the launch, he passed away in a tragic helicopter accident after visiting a new airport project and a temple in Southern Nepal.

Nepal Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Rabindra Adhikari.

Nepal Tourism officials put great thought into whether or not they should move forward with the event at ITB or if it would be appropriate to delay due to the Minister’s death. After careful consideration, it was decided that the hard work of their late minister would be his best legacy, and they came to the consensus to go forward with the “Visit Nepal 2020” event on Thursday.

In honor of Minister Adhikari’s vision, this planned evening of culture and Nepalese cuisine will now also be an evening to gather and remember the late Minister Rabindra Adhikari with respect for his tireless efforts and gratitude for his foresight for the future of Nepal’s tourism industry.

After taking the helm at the Ministry in February of last year, Adhikari, 49, had undertaken a series of policies to reform Nepal’s civil aviation sector. He took prompt steps to improve conditions at Nepal’s only international airport, Tribhuvan International Airport, and pursued the reactivation of several domestic airports. Adhikari also held several rounds of talks with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) which recognized some of the steps he had taken on the safety of Nepal travel.

The year 2020 was chosen as the national tourism year of Nepal after the year 2011 which was the primary authority tourism year of the new Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. The government and tourism department of Nepal authoritatively reported that Nepal will take the year 2020 as “Visit Nepal 2020,” a year committed to the tourism industry of Nepal with the vision of making a reasonable brand picture of Nepal as a travel and vacation destination. This vision supports the tourism foundation of Nepal, enhances the growth of the nation’s tourism industry, and enriches local tourism as a supportable industry.

Beginning in 2016 and 2017, the government began making arrangements and laying a foundation to formally initiate the open connection program for “Visit Nepal 2020.”

The legislature aims to accommodate more than two million visitors amid the year of this important Tourism program.

For more information on the launch event, go to buzz.travel/nepal.