For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

Where press releases are breaking news

Shadow Play by Peppers: Melbourne’s newest luxury hotel opens its doors

by

Accor has opened the doors of its newest luxury Melbourne hotel – Shadow Play by Peppers – in the city’s vibrant Southbank arts and entertainment district.

Developed by luxury property developer Jonathan Hallinan of BPM and echoing Melbourne’s sophistication, the 46-storey landmark hotel features an exquisite selection of spacious one and two bedroom apartments with incredible city or bayside views.

Nestled in the heart of the city and within walking distance to the Eureka Skydeck, Melbourne Arts Centre, the National Gallery of Victoria, Crown Casino, the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, and the city’s finest shopping and dining precincts, Shadow Play by Peppers offers a stylish urban retreat for leisure and business travellers.

“We’re excited visitors to Southbank can now experience Peppers’ unique style and acclaimed hospitality. Shadow Play by Peppers has added a new level of sophistication and luxury to Melbourne’s accommodation offering, which caters perfectly to an increasingly selective global market that is looking for quality, location and facilities of a world-class caliber,” Accor Chief Operating Officer Pacific, Simon McGrath said.

Shadow Play by Peppers is the brand’s second Melbourne property. The first, Peppers Docklands, opened in January 2016.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Norwegian Sun returns to Port Canaveral  for second year of Cuba cruises

by

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Sun returns to Port Canaveral today for a second season of popular cruises from the Port to Cuba, as well as excursions to the Bahamas.

Starting Monday, April 15, the Norwegian Sun, which in 2018 became the first homeported cruise ship to sail from Port Canaveral to Cuba, will offer four-, five- and seven-day cruises to Havana, Cuba, with select sailings also calling to Key West during its four-day cruises. Ports of call during the Sun’s five- and seven-day voyages include Key West, Nassau, Bahamas, or Norwegian’s private island beach at Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.

“We are excited that the Norwegian Sun is returning for another season of cruises to Cuba,” Port CEO Capt. John Murray stated. “More than 30,000 guests sailed on cruises from the Port to Havana last year, and we’re pleased to be hosting more sailing opportunities this summer season.”

The 1,936-guest vessel will kick off its summer sailing season this afternoon with a three-night voyage to Key West and Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas.

For its four-night Cuba cruises, the Sun will depart the Port each Monday during the summer sailing season and return each Friday. Three-night cruises to the Bahamas sail on Fridays and return on Mondays.

In Cuba, the Sun will berth in Havana Harbor in the heart of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Guests can experience the culture and history of Cuba with OFAC (U.S.Treasury Office of Foreign Assets)-compliant shore excursions.

Built in 2001, the 78,309 gross-ton Sun underwent an extensive three-week dry-dock refurbishment in May 2018, emerging with updated staterooms, restaurants and public spaces, as well as three new venues – Los Lobos Cantina, Bliss Ultra Lounge and Spinnaker Lounge. The cruise ship offers 14 dining options, bars and lounges, onboard shopping, the Mandara Spa, the Sun Club Casino and entertainment. All guests sailing aboard the Norwegian Sun’s Cuba or Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral can enjoy unlimited complimentary beverages included in their cruise fare as a part of the ship’s all-inclusive program.

The Sun, which was homeported at Port from 2010 to 2012, will be berthed at Cruise Terminal 10 as it was in 2018. CT-10 recently received more than $35 million in renovations.

Travel News | eTurboNews

The Iconic Transformation of the Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo

by

Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo in the heart of the Monaco playground for the world’s rich and famous founded in 1864 was turned into a modern age hotel, piece by piece and over four long years, without ever closing its doors.

The history of the hotel goes way back. Hôtel de Paris and “Monte-Carlo” (a then new district of Monaco…) were essentially the dream of Charles III, the Prince who ruled from 1856 until his death in 1889. He commissioned Frenchman Francois Blanc who had successfully developed a first ‘resort’ concept in Bad Homburg – Germany.

Often known for the Formula 1 Grand Prix, Monaco is also a country which has been pioneering renewable energy and clean technologies as exemplified by the Monaco e-Grand Prix, the eco-responsible Grimaldi Forum Congress Centre, the Monte-Carlo e-Rally or the marine conservation “Monaco Blue Initiative”, attended annually by experts in ocean management and conservation from United Nations agencies and more.

Favored stomping grounds of the international elite, yet also a stronghold of efficiency and sustainability, Monaco is a place where anything is possible. The Principality’s latest feat is the stunning 270 million Euro renovation of the Hôtel de Paris, a hotel that Prince Charles III had built to be the most luxurious in the world.

The meticulous modernization of this iconic hotel started in 2014, with the vision to articulate and further define the founder François Blanc’s dream of “a hotel that surpasses everything”, thus perpetuating the legend into the 21st century.

Partial deconstruction, reconstruction, the harmonization of spaces, the design of new areas, a creation of exclusive suites and the evolution of gastronomy; the transformation of Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo was entrusted to architects Richard Martinet and Gabriel Viora, who dedicated themselves to enhancing and preserving the timeless spirit of the building. 

Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo now boasts a total of 207 rooms, 60% of which are suites and include the two most exceptional suites on the Riviera, the Suite Princess Grace and Suite Prince Rainier III

Since 1863, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer has been offering a unique Art of Living, a one-of-a-kind resort with four casinos, including the prestigious Casino de Monte-Carlo, four hotels (Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, Monte-Carlo Beach, Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort), the Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo spa, dedicated to well-being and preventive health, 30 restaurants including five that together have seven Michelin Guide stars.

A hub of night-life, the Group offers an incredible selection of events, including the Monte-Carlo Sporting Summer Festival and the Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival. At the end of 2018, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer is completing four years of transformation works dedicated to Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo and to the creation of a new district around Place du Casino, One Monte-Carlo, with luxury accommodation, shops, restaurants and a conference centre. The vision of Groupe Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer for 2020 is to make Monte-Carlo the most exclusive experience in Europe.

More on Monaco: https://www.eturbonews.com/monaco-news

Travel News | eTurboNews

Gambling is big business in tourism

by

The gambling industry, which happens to be a really big one worldwide, is one of the most popular in terms of tourism. That’s why casino tourism is such a big thing these days.

Many countries have been developing big casinos in various regions within their bounds in order to get more tourists to come in. Obviously, a more robust tourism environment is good for the economy as it brings in not only more money but also more recognition and possible investors.

Here is a look at the impact casinos have on tourism and how they help with the overall economy of a country.

Evidence of a Correlation Between Casino and Tourism

Just by taking a look at the biggest casinos around the world, we can actually observe how tourism is boosted by casinos in some countries. These countries include the USA, Macau, and Australia. Just to give you an idea, Las Vegas, Nevada alone was able to bring in over 40 million tourists in 2016. And that’s not very surprising simply because Las Vegas is THE place to go if you want to make a lot of casino money and have fun. Sure, the tourist attractions and the beautiful nightlights also attract the tourists. However, it’s the overall gambling experience and ambiance that really bring them in.

A strong competitor of Las Vegas is none other than Macau, which is a region in China’s territory that was made into one of the world’s biggest gambling hubs. Macau became such a giant in the gambling industry that they were even able to overtake Las Vegas in gambling receipts back in 2010. Just like in Vegas, Macau also focused their efforts on providing the high spending clients with VIP services. This included golden member privileges, private gambling rooms, amazing amenities, and more. This allowed them to bring in so many rich tourists in 2013. The high rollers eventually made up 66% of the overall casino profit that year. Of course, this sudden increase was stopped short in 2014 by the anti-corruption crackdown from Xi Jinping’s government. Eventually, Macau was able to stabilize because the casinos also targeted the mass market instead of just high rollers.

Even though the Macau casinos were able to hold their ground, a number of Chinese gamblers were not satisfied. This is why they went over to Australia instead. Because of Australia’s huge casino developments, around 1 million of these Chinese gamblers switched out to Australia. In fact, casinos became one of Australia’s biggest attractions rivaling even Vegas and Macau alike with 10 million visitors in recent years.

And it’s not only these big countries who have seen surges in their tourism sectors because of casinos. Other smaller countries such as Singapore, Philippines, Monaco, and Cambodia all have boasted of strong revenues from tourists who visit those countries to play in casinos. The growth of the gambling industry in these countries already can give us an idea of how much of an impact casinos have on a country’s tourism.

How Casino Tourism Impacts Other Industries

The great thing about casino tourism is that it can bring in a large number of people from various countries and concentrate them in one location. Since there are a lot of people around casinos, other industries can also benefit from that. The hospitality industry is one such that really benefits from casino tourism. Where there is a casino, there would usually be hotels, resorts, and restaurants. That is why partnerships between hotels, casinos, and restaurants are very common.

Not only hotels and restaurants would flourish, but even other tourist attractions around the area as well. Local restaurants would receive a flock of foreign visitors who came from the casinos. These foreigners would then get a chance to try the local cuisines. This further contributes to the country’s tourism.

In a sense, casino tourism also encourages diversity. This is exactly what happened after Macau’s corruption crackdown. The Chinese government decided to diversify Macau to make it more than just another big time gambling hub like the big Venice canal lookalike.

We can also see such an example in Singapore– one of their biggest casinos, Resortsworld, is located in Sentosa near other tourist attractions by the Sentosa bay. Due to that, a lot of gamblers have also been visiting the tourist spots in the area. Finally, Manila has also been enjoying strong tourism due to the presence of their casinos concentrated in one area.

With that, we can see that location is key if a country would want to make their casino tourism venture successful. By strategic location and immense marketing, casinos can directly impact tourism and also impact other industries and the economy at large.

The Presence of Overseas Workers

The presence of a more diverse crowd also comes the presence of more overseas workers. Let’s take the Australian casinos for example. Because of the influx of Chinese high rollers flocking into their casinos, the demand for Mandarin speaking dealers also increased. What some casinos do is that they employ staff who either speak Mandarin or staff that come from Mandarin speaking countries like Taiwan. This allows the Chinese high rollers to feel more at home in the casino, thus encouraging them to bring in more Chinese gamblers to play.

Impact on Across Border Markets

We all know that there are some countries that make gambling illegal. Of course, this doesn’t deter the citizens of the country who want to gamble. What they would do is that they would either travel to the country nearest to them that legalizes gambling or search for a list of PayPal online casinos wherein they can internationally transact and gamble. By giving something the locals of a country want that their own home country cannot provide, you will be opening up new markets for opportunity by making that “want” accessible.

In Conclusion

All of these points will show that there is definitely a relationship between casinos and overall tourism. Through this discussion, we can definitely say that the casino industry can have a big positive impact on the overall tourism situation of an economy. Of course, there is the problem of an economy relying too much on the gambling industry for attracting tourists.

That is why many countries are also diversifying their tourist attractions and putting various tourist spots near casinos. This will give the foreign gamblers a reason to explore a bit and see the sights. This will encourage them to want to go back to the country even more if they already get sick of the casino. This was actually a problem with Macau since Macau didn’t really have much to brag about except their casino. That is why a lot of the former customers fled to Australia after the crackdown. However, the Chinese government decided that they wanted to diversify in order to attract other markets aside from the high rollers. That is one of the ways that lead to Macau’s stabilization.

While casinos can surely boost tourism, it shouldn’t be the sole reason for a country’s tourism growth. It should be one of the reasons supplemented by other attractions that can make tourists want to keep on coming back.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Puerto Princesa City in Philippines worried about Chinese Tourists and illegal gambling

by

Puerto Princesa is a popular tourist city with many beach resorts and seafood restaurants. It has been acclaimed several times as the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines.  The city is located in the western province of Palawan, and westernmost city in the Philippines and has about a quarter of a million people living there.

Many in this town feel the town is overrun by Chinese nationals, mostly tourists. There are many newly organized establishments catering to tourism forms the backdrop of this seeming trend which has prompted City Hall officials to call for an investigation.

In Manila and other major cities, the reported involvement of Chinese nationals in online casino gambling has come to a head and has enforcement agencies having their hands full trying to curtail cybercrime activities.

The recent growth of tourism in Puerto Princesa City has been fueled by unprecedented waves of arrivals of Asian visitors, mainly from Korea and China. What has been otherwise a slumping sector has recently become a vibrant business to local establishments catering to tourists.

It is not certain what has triggered such sudden boost, particularly in Chinese arrivals, but it is well worth noting that all these have happened within the backdrop of the present administration’s diplomatic pivot towards Beijing.

There are certain red flags that needed to be raised concerning this trend, particularly because of the unique situation of Palawan being the territorial doorstep to the disputed West Philippine Sea. With Beijing aggressively maintaining its physical dominance over the region, and with Manila displaying a laissez-faire foreign policy stance, Palawan needs to take care of its own backyard.

As City Hall is set to conduct a probe on illegal Chinese gambling activities, in the wake of recent arrests of certain Chinese nationals, these broad questions of national security also need to be raised.

Travel News | eTurboNews

St. Kitts & Nevis records double-digit growth for first two months of 2019

by

Demand for St. Kitts & Nevis as a premier destination for travelers continues to rise, with air arrivals for the first two months of this year posting a year-to-date increase of 15.3% system-wide as compared to the same period in 2018. Results are even better from North America, the destination’s largest source market, registering a year-to-date increase in air arrivals of 19.3% for January and February 2019 as compared to the same months in 2018. This continues the growth of airlift from major gateways in 2018, which increased over 2017 by 9.3% system-wide and reached a total of 153,364 air passenger arrivals for the full year, the highest number ever recorded in the destination’s history.

“I am extremely pleased to see such strong increases in air passenger arrivals to our Federation for 2018 continuing into peak season 2019,” said the Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism for St. Kitts & Nevis. “These numbers are a clear indication that we are gaining momentum towards reaching our goal of 150,000 stayover visitors in the next few years.”

“We redoubled our marketing efforts in the fourth quarter of last year specifically to support our additional peak season air service and these numbers demonstrate that we have achieved very successful results,” added Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. “With the milestone airlift arrivals recorded for 2018 and performance last year in the months of March and June nearing 30% growth over the same months in 2017, the significant growth measured so far in 2019 signals a rising demand for St. Kitts as a highly desirable travel destination, particularly from North America and for key events such as St. Kitts Music Festival. We will continue to employ this successful marketing formula as we strive to reach our goal of 150,000 stayover guests by 2021 from our primary source markets of the US, Canada, UK and the Caribbean.”

St. Kitts’ marketing strategy maintains a particular focus on reaching individuals who are a match with the geo-demographic lifestyle data of its target visitors in key gateway markets to support airlift year-round as well as marquee island events including St. Kitts Music Festival. In the fourth quarter of 2018, additional digital, print and spot TV advertising combined with public relations to communicate special offers and raise brand awareness in and around select North American cities comprised a coordinated campaign to grow arrivals for peak season 2018-2019. The Ministry of Tourism and the St. Kitts Tourism Authority also work closely with airlines to systematically build out air bridges to/from identified target gateways to grow service in a sustainable manner while making the island increasingly easy to reach via air.

St. Kitts & Nevis welcomed non-stop Saturday flights from Minneapolis that started December 22, 2018 and operate through April 20, 2019. In addition, from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, the destination receives Wednesday non-stop flights that started January 9, 2019 and operate through March 6, 2019 to complement existing non-stop Saturday flights. Looking ahead to the summer, new non-stop Saturday flights from Dallas starting May 25, 2019 and operating through August 17, 2019 open up a new gateway with easy connections from Houston and the western states of the US.

About St. Kitts:

Intoxicating natural beauty, sunny skies, warm waters, and sandy beaches combine to make St. Kitts one of the most seductive spots in the Caribbean. Located in the northern Leeward Islands, it offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history. The island’s stunning variety of tourism attractions include hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island’s former sugar plantations, visiting the Caribelle Batik factory, and touring Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the more traditional vacation pastimes available are water sports including catamaran cruises, golf, shopping, tennis, dining, gaming at St. Kitts’ exclusive casino or simply relaxing on the beach.

Travel News | eTurboNews

New GM at Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Hotel

by

Rizal Bin Yaacob is the new General Manager of the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Hotel and Casino of Seychelles. He was transferred from The Tarras Beach & Spa Resort of Malaysia.

“He is a committed and dedicated manager who can be relied upon to be at ‘the beck and call’ of the hotel in ensuring guest satisfaction and smooth operations. He is a team developer and delegates authority and empowerment to his subordinates. He has excellent interpersonal skills in communicating with both guests and employees. I have found Rizal to be firm and fair in his style of management. He was a very well respected member of the team and also by the local community in Redang Island,” says a member of the hospitality trade who knows him well.

Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Hotel & Casino sits on one of the most popular tourist beaches of Seychelles and has all the potential for being the meeting place for visitors and Seychellois.

Travel News | eTurboNews

New GM at Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Hotel

by

Rizal Bin Yaacob is the new General Manager of the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Hotel and Casino of Seychelles. He was transferred from The Tarras Beach & Spa Resort of Malaysia.

“He is a committed and dedicated manager who can be relied upon to be at ‘the beck and call’ of the hotel in ensuring guest satisfaction and smooth operations. He is a team developer and delegates authority and empowerment to his subordinates. He has excellent interpersonal skills in communicating with both guests and employees. I have found Rizal to be firm and fair in his style of management. He was a very well respected member of the team and also by the local community in Redang Island,” says a member of the hospitality trade who knows him well.

Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Hotel & Casino sits on one of the most popular tourist beaches of Seychelles and has all the potential for being the meeting place for visitors and Seychellois.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Toilet Paper Donation for Southern California’s underserved by casino

by

One ply or two. Single roll or double. Whichever way one prefers his or her toilet paper, it’s hard to argue that it isn’t a necessity. But have you ever thought about what happens to the rolls of toilet paper after you leave a hotel room? Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. saves all of its partially unused rolls of toilet paper that become too low for hotel rooms and regularly distributes the rolls to organizations that assist the region’s underserved.

On Friday, Oct. 19, Pechanga volunteers drove an especially large donation of toilet paper, facial tissue, gently used blankets and even bedroom slippers to Murrieta where they were distributed to clients of Project T.O.U.C.H. Pechanga volunteers estimated there to be 1,500 rolls packed into a 15-passenger van that had all of its seats removed. Recipients helped unload the gigantic bags, some overflowing with toilet tissue, from the van. Project T.O.U.C.H. clients then loaded up their own take-home bags with toilet paper, as well as non-perishable foods and toys donated by other groups.

“We are always looking for ways to be more environmentally conscious and for ways to help communities in need,” said Jared Munoa, President of the Pechanga Development Corporation. “These donations make it so that folks facing challenges don’t need to choose between food, medicine, or household necessities – all while making good use of resources.”

“People may take toilet paper for granted but in our program, there are many of our clients on very fixed incomes and on food stamps, and many people don’t know you cannot buy toilet paper or any kind of hygiene products with food stamps,” said Anne Unmacht, director of Project T.O.U.C.H. “Toilet paper is like gold for us. For us to be able to bless our clients with this donation and throughout the year, is more valuable than you could ever know.”

Assistance organizations say the unique donation provides the less fortunate another way to better absorb their budgets. Toilet paper can be expensive, according to Madehow.com. The average person uses one to two full rolls per week. At $1.00 a roll, that’s $104 worth of toilet paper a year. For a family of four, that unfurls to $416.

Each year, Pechanga Resort Casino donates more than 20,000 partially unused toilet paper rolls. Donations also get distributed to the Bread of Life Rescue Mission in Oceanside, Calif.

About Pechanga Resort Casino
Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experiences anywhere in the United States. Voted the No. 1 casino in America by USA TODAY and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort Casino provides an unparalleled getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay. Offering more than 4,500 of the hottest slots, table games, world-class entertainment, 1,090 hotel rooms, dining, spa and championship golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians.