• Home
  • Post a press-release
  • Visibility packages
  • Subscribe email updates
  • Event Calendar
  • Contact

For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

Where press releases are breaking news

  • Home
  • Post a press-release
  • Visibility packages
  • Subscribe email updates
  • Event Calendar
  • Contact

TSA: New airport security scanner poses “privacy risks” to passengers

April 24, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is demanding modifications of a new airport security system because it poses “privacy risks” to passengers by showing too much of them on display, a newly published document has revealed.

Following a demonstration, the Transportation Security Administration has requested changes to the contract because the scanner they received “has privacy risks associated with the Graphical User Interface,” says the document dated March 26 and made public by Quartz on Monday.

While the document provides no further details on the exact nature of the privacy risks, the TSA required the scanner’s manufacturer to add additional security features before it would consider using the device in a “live environment.”

Using another government database, Quartz identified the contractor – whose name is redacted in the document – as Virginia security firm ThruVision. The document refers to ThruVision’s TAC scanner, which the company describes as a “proven people-screening camera that sees any type of item.”

The device is supposed to be part of TSA’s “Future Lane Experience” (FLEx), an effort to speed up security checks that have become a major headache for passengers in many airports.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority partnered with the TSA last year to deploy ThruVision’s portable TS4 scanner, which the TSA claims to have vetted “extensively” prior to using it on LA commuters. It is unclear whether the TSA had similar concerns about the TS4 before the device was used in the field.

Revelations about the TSA concerns over the new scanner come after last week’s report by ProPublica that accused the agency’s current hardware of “discriminating” against African-Americans by misreading their hair, requiring a disproportionate number of pat-downs.

The ACLU slammed the TSA in 2009 for using scanning technology to conduct “virtual strip searches” that provided TSA employees with photos of passengers’ genitals, breasts and buttocks. More was revealed in 2010, when the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) published TSA documents which further detail the scanners’ invasiveness.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: American Travel News, Americans, and, Angeles, authority, Aviation News, aviation-website, Breaking Travel News, camera, center, changes, checks, claims, come, company, concerns, contract, contractor, County, current, demonstration, display, document, documents, effort, electronic, employees, environment, Epic, experience, Feature, Features,, firm, following, free, future, government, Government Affairs, in, information, information center, International Travel News, IT, LA, last, live, Los Angeles, major, march, Metropolitan, name, nature, New, new airport, newly, News articles, number, over, passengers, PAT, pat-downs, People, photos, Privacy, provides, public, published, received, report, revealed, risks, s, says, screening, searches, Security, showing, slammed, strip, strip searches, system, Technology, to, TO BE, tourism, Transportation, Transportation News, transportation security, Transportation Security Administration, Travel Technology News, Travelwire News, TSA, Type, unclear, up, US, used, using, Virginia, virtual, virtual strip searches, week, year

Drink like a New Yorker

April 20, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

If you live in New York, work in New York or are doing business in New York – there is only one appropriate drink to order…New York State wines.

New York State of Wine

The New York grape, grape juice and wine industries generate more than $4.8 billion in economic benefits annually for New York State. There are 1,631 family vineyards, over 400 wineries, producing 175,000,000 bottles of wine, generating $408 million in state and local taxes (www.newyorkwines.org). New York’s wineries also contribute to New York State’s exports and in 2012, 19.8% of the wine produced in the state was exported.

Wineries and satellite operations attracted more than 5.9 million tourist visits in 2012, spending $401+ million. The tourism industry (including wineries, hotels, restaurants, retailing, transportation) contributes over 6400 jobs to the state, for a total of $213+ million in wages. The tourist is particularly important to the farm wineries, with sales direct to consumers representing approximately 60 percent of total wine sales volume.

The winery industry directly employs approximately 62,450 people and generates an additional 14,359 jobs in supplier and ancillary industries which supply goods and services to the industry and whose sales depend on the wine industry’s economic vitality.

In excess of 101,806 jobs can be linked to the wine industry and these positions average $51,100 in annual wages and benefits. The total wages generated by direct, indirect and induced economic activity driven by the wine industry – $5.2 billon.

New York State Wines and Wineries (Curated)

At a recent Rockefeller Center/ Rainbow Room wine event sponsored by the Wine & Grape Foundation, Sam Filler, the Executive Director of the organization stated, “New York is home to the first bonded winery in the United States, making our state one of the oldest wine regions in the country.” The objective of the NY Drinks NY Grand Tasting, “…is to showcase the diversity, artistry and accessibility of New York’s wine and food landscape.”

The 8th Annual NY Drinks NY Grand Tasting offered access to over 200 wines from approximately 50 wineries across the state.

  1. Keuka Lake Vineyard. 2017. Turkey Run. Vignoles (Finger Lakes)

Located on the slopes above the southern end of Keuka Lake this winery showcases young vinifera and old hybrid plantings that range from 3-years (representing Cabernet Franc and Vignoles), to vines over 50-years of age (representing Leon Millot and Delaware vines).

Thanks to the Finger Lakes, the vineyard produces excellent fruit. The heat of the summer is retained by the lakes and moderates the extreme cold temperatures of the vineyards in winter. As spring approaches, the frigid waters moderate the warming air temperatures and act as a delay for bud break and lower the risk of frost damage.

The terroir is a glacial mix of glacially laid rocks, sand, silt and clay that has been deposited on the lower slopes above Keuka Lake providing for water drainage that is essential for vine balance and health.

Staci Nugent

The owner is Mel Goldman and the winemaker is Staci Nugent. Nugent attended Cornell and did graduate work in California in genetics. Making a career switch, she enrolled in the wine program at the University of California at Davis, receiving a Master’s degree in Viticulture and Enology. Nugent has worked with highly regarded wineries that include Ornellaia, Italy; Hardy’s Tintara Winery, South Australia; and William Selyem, Sonoma, California. Before joining Keuka Lake Vineyards (2008), she was a winemaker at Lamoreux Landing Wine Cellars.

Sustainable farming practices brings the Vignoles to our attention. The grape is made by crossing Seible and Pinot de Corton, is associated with the Finger Lakes and grows well in the gravel soils (glacial till).

Notes: Keuka Lake Vineyards. 2017 Turkey Run Vignoles

Light bright blonde to the eye, the nose is rewarded with lemons, honey, green grapes and sweet oranges, (lemons and oranges) while the palate enjoys citrus and other fruits with the sweetness tempered by a light acidity. Pair with seafood curry, Buffalo chicken wings, pepper and Swiss cheese.

  1. Red Newt Cellars. 2006. Legacy. Niagara Cream Sherry (Hector, New York)

Located on the east side of Seneca Lake (Hector, NY) in the Finger Lakes region, the winery started in 1998 by David and Debra Whiting and the 1998 vintage produced 1200 cases of Chardonnay, Riesling, Vida, Cayuga, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The first white wines were released in July 1999.

Whiting is considered to be one of the top winemakers in the Finger Lakes Region. Current production of Red Newt Cellars is apprximately 20,000 cases with a white wine focus on aromatic varities: Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. CIRCLE Rielsing is the most popular and widely distributed wine, made in a classic Finger Lakes style, with hints on tangerine and honeysuckle, citrus and peach on the palate.

Kelby Russell

Kelby Russell is the head winemaker at Red Newt and considered an expert in the art of cold-climate white wines. Thanks to the variable climate of the East Coast, he recognizes that the search for the “perfect wine” is a “false idol, “ finding that the role of the winemaker is to, “…artfully direct what comes into the winery into the best thing and the  most honest expression of the year that you possible can.”

At Harvard (Class of 2009) Russell majored in government and minored in economics, was a member of the Glee Club and thought his career would follow a path that would lead to orchestra management. During a study abroad experience in Tuscany he discovered the art and science of making wine.

After graduation, when a job with Jazz at Lincoln Center did not materialize, he visited Fox Run Vineyards and thought he had an interview. The staff was busy with the harvest so he was handed a shovel and offered the opportunity to help on the “crush pad.” This was the begnning of his unpaid internships and he got to spend winters in New Zealand and Australia and autumns in the Finger Lakes as an intern.

His first salaried position in 2012 was with Red Newt as an assistant winemaker. David Whiting, the co-founder and winemaker, promoted Russell to head winemaker and the rest is history. He currently directs the Red Newt house styles and reserves and develops his own Kelby James Russell label with a focus on small-batch wines, from dry rose to Australian-style dry Riesling.

Notes: Red Newt Cellars. 2006 Legacy. Niagara Cream Sherry (Niagara grapes)

The Niagara grape develops into a long-aged solera sherry, creating a complex palate experience.

Bright golden yellow to the eye (think daffodils) with the nose picking up hints of honey, raisins, oranges, apricots, yellow apples, and spices. The finish to absolutely delicious, delivering honey, lemons and spices. Perfect as a dessert course or pair with Blue cheese and pate.

  1. Damiani Wine Cellars (DWC)

DWC was started by Lou Damiani, a Cornell engineer specializing in energy conservation, and Phil Davis. Damiani had an interest in winemaking and his education started in the field of food science before switching to engineering. In the 1990s he returned to study winemaking and mentored under Phil Hazlitt.

In 1996 Damiani wanted to plant Cabernet Franc and Merlot and visited an old friend and college friend, Phil Davis, who was also a viticulturist. They started the project and in 1997 Hazlitt pulled out a hybrid vineyard and planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot. When their vineyards started producing in 2003 the next step was to make world class red wines.

Damiani was the head winemaker from 2003 – 2011 and he trained Phil Arras to continue and improve the DWC tradition. In 2007 Glenn Allen joined as a Business Consultant and later became a partner in the enterprise. Today DWC has four main vineyard sites with approximately 40 acres of land under vine and a new tasting room that hosts events and is the retail outlet.

Phil Arras, originally from Philadelphia, moved to the Finger Lakes in 2003 to attend Cornell University and majored in philosophy and political science. Inspired by a class on wine appreciation, Arrras changed his career focus to winemaking. He was hired by Damiani Wine Cellars in 2009 as the assistant winemaker and began “on the job” training. In 2012, Arras became head winemaker.

Notes: Damiani Wine Cellars. NV Marechal Foch “Vino Rosso” Finger Lakes. (Varietal may be a cross between Goldriesling and a Vitis riparia/Vitis rupestris or a cross between Gamay Noir and Vitis riparia – Oberlin 595).

Deep ruby color to the eye, an undertone of tomatoes runs alongside notes of plums and apricots and the tannins are so soft as to be obscure. Pairings might include pasta, barbeque and smoked gouda cheese.

  1. Thirsty Owl Wine Company. 2017. Traminette

Ted Cupp purchased 150 acres of frontage on Cayuga Lake from Robert and Mary Plan, trailblazers who started the Cayuga Wine Trail in 2001. During 2001 and 2002 he began construction on the winemaking facility and tasting room for the Thirsty Owl. In 2002, in cooperation with Shawn Kime, he planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Malbec. When the doors to the winery opened in 2002, Thirsty Owl had produced 1200 cases.

Jon Cupp, President

Today, the Thirsty Owl is synonymous with award winning wines, including the Governor’s Cup and the John Rose award for Rieslings. The Pinot Noir had the highest rated North American Pinot at the Taster’s Guild International Competition. Thirsty Owl produces Malbec and Syrah as well as blends, reds, whites and ice wine.

Shawn Kime

The winemaker and vineyard master, Shawn Kime, is originally from Romulus, New York and attended Morrisville College and Cornell University. Kime started to work in agriculture at the age of 14 and started winemaking after spending 2 years working with one of the earliest Finger Lake Vinifera growers.

The goal of the Thirsty Owl is to “…make changes in the vineyard and winemaking based on the year to produce wines that not only reflect our region but the growing season…. As a Finger Lakes native, I am proud of the fact that we are producing cool climate varietals that are on par with any region in the world.”

Notes: Thirsty Owl Wine Company. 2017 Traminette (cross between Gewurztraminer and Joannes Seyve 23.416).

To the eye, highlights of golden yellow. The nose finds apricots, peaches, pears, honey and fresh lemons as well as florals (especially roses and tulips) and a bit of spice. The palate is entertained with citrus and lemons, oranges and a bit of earth. The finish brings light acidity making it an interesting dessert wine.

Pair with spicy/sweet and sour sauces on chicken, pork and veal and Cheddar, Fontina and Gruyere cheese.

  1. Benmarl Winery. 2015 Baco Noir. Hudson River Valley

Benmarl (slate hill) Winery is located in Marlboro, NY and covers 37-acres and is considered to be the oldest vineyard in America (it holds New York Farm Winery license no.1). It was owned by magazine illustrator turned vintner Mark Miller from 1957 -2003. In 2006 Victor Spaccarelli purchased the vineyard and Matthew Spaccarelli is currently the winemaker

In the 17th century, wine was being made by the French Huguenots in New Paltz, New York. Andrew Jackson Caywood started his vineyard in the early 1800s. The community was incorporated as the Village of Marlborough, a cluster of grapes carved in its seal commemorated its major crop (1788).

Caywood became an important viticulturist and leading authority in the development of new grape varieties. The Miller family bought the Caywood property in 1957 and renamed it Benmarl. It was purchased in 2006 by the Spaccarelli family. They replanted many abandoned vineyards, refurbished the estate and carry on the tradition of experimentation, planting new hybrid varieties like Traminette as well as Old World vinifera.

Notes: Benmarl Winery. 2015 Baco Noir. Hudson River Valley

The Baco Noir, made from estate-grown fruit, brings dark plum hues to the eye, and delivers the aromas of dark plums, cedar and sage to the nose. On the palate are flavors of blackberry with hints of spice.  Tannins give it a structure that is delicious and the finish delivers spice and black berry fruits. Benmarl has been producing Baco Noir for 50 years.  Pair with pork roast, pasta with meat sauce, beef burgers with blue cheese.

The NY Drinks NY Event

The elegant Rainbow Room @ Rockefeller Center was the venue for the New York Drinks New York event. As an important wine trade events, many hundreds of wine buyers, sellers, sommeliers, wine educators, and writers convened to experience a wine-range of quality wines produced in New York State.

Wines of Distinction included:

Brotherhood Winery

Brotherhood Winery is the oldest continuously operating winery in America, producing wine for 180 years in Hudson Valley. It features one of the most modern bottling facilties for wine on the East coast, with a capacity of 1.5 million cases er year. A wine current featured focuses on low calories (approximately 90 calories per glass).

Glenora Wine Cellars

Glenora Wine Cellars produces award-winning Finger Lakes wines for over 40 years with a focus on sparkling wine and Riesling, sourcing grapes from 13 growers across four of the Finger Lakes. Glenora opened the first winery on Seneca Lake (1977).

Saltbird Cellars

Robin McCarthy is the owner and winemaker at Saltbird Cellars that started in 2014 and, based on the unique maritime terroir, developed Stainless Steel Sauvignon Blanc, Migratus Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc and Stainless-Steel Chardonnay.

Hosmer Winery

Hosmer Winery is located on Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes. Grapevine plantings date back to the 1970s and early experiments with plantings of classic Vinifera started in 1985. The 70-acre estate includes Rieslings, Chardonnays, Cabernet Francs as well as French-American hybrid varieties.

For additional information: @NYWineGrapeFdn and NYWineGrapeFdn

© Dr. Elinor Garely. This copyright article, including photos, may not be reproduced without written permission from the author.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: American Travel News, amp, ancillary, and, annual, appreciation, art, Assistant, attend, Australia, Australian, author, authority, average, award, award-winning, balance, based, benefits, best, billion, Bit, black, BlackBerry, break up, Breaking Travel News, Business, busy, buyers, California, capacity, caption, Career, carry-on, center, Century, changed, changes, cheese, chicken, Circle, class, classic, climate, club, Cluster, co-founder, coast, cold, College, Color, community, company, competition, complex, conservation, construction, consultant, consumers, continue, contributes, cooperation, Cornell, country, course, crossing, crush, current, currently, curry, damage, dark, date, Delaware, delay, Delicious, Dessert, development, direct, directly, director, diversity, doing, Dr, drink, drinks, Drinks NY, early, Earth, East, east coast, economic, economics, Education, elegant, end, energy, energy conservation, Engineering, enterprise, ER, essential, estate, event, Events, Excellent, excess, executive, Executive Director, experience, expert, exports, extreme, facility, false, Family, farming, Feature, Features,, finding, first, follow, food, Food Travel News, foundation, founder, FOX, French, Fresh, Friend, fruit, glass, Glee, goal, golden, goods, Got, government, Governor, graduate, graduation, Grand, grapes, green, Growing, Harvard, harvest, head, HEALTH, Heat, help, highest, highlights, history, home, hosts, Hotels, house, Hudson, Hudson River, ice, ID, important, improve, in, included, includes, including, indirect, Industries, Industry, information, inspired, interest, International, Interview, IT, Italy, Jazz, job, Jobs, John, joined, joining, Land, landing, landscape, later, lead, leading, legacy, license, light, like, linked, live, local, located, low, lower, magazine, Main, major, Make, malbec, management, maritime, Master, materialize, May, meat, member, million, modern, most, most popular, moved, New, new york, New York State, New Zealand, News articles, Niagara, North, North American, notes, NY, NY Drinks, only, opened, Operating, operations, opportunity, order, organization, out, over, owner, PAR, particularly, partner, path, People, percent, permission, Phil, Philadelphia, philosophy, photos, plan, plant, planted, political, popular, position, positions, practices, president, production, program, project, promoted, property, proud, pulled, purchased, quality, range, rated, receiving, recent, recognizes, Red, refurbished, region, regions, released, renamed, representing, reserves, restaurants, retail, Risk, river, Robert, rockefeller, rocks, role, Romulus, room, rose, s, Sales, sand, satellite, science, seafood, search, season, services, Sherry, showcase, sites, slopes, small, South, South Australia, Southern, sparkling, spending, Spice, spring, staff, started, State, stated, states, structure, study, Style, summer, supplier, supply, sustainable, Sweet, SWISS, switch, tasting, taxes, TED, temperatures, the United States, The World, think, to, TO BE, today, tomatoes, top, total, tourism, Tourism Industry, tourist, Trade, tradition, trail, training, Transportation, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, Turkey, Tuscany, unique, United, United States, university, unpaid, up, valley, venue, victor, village, vine, vineyards, vino, visited, visits, wages, warming, water, waters, We, were, white, whites, WHO, wine, Wine News, Wine Trail, Winemakers, winery, wines, Wings, winter, work, worked, working, World, writers, year, years, Yellow, York, young, Zealand

New US Cuban sanctions target tourism, remittances and banking

April 18, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The US is targeting Cuba with additional sanctions, including restricting travel to the island nation, limiting remittances, and sanctioning additional entities, White House national security adviser John Bolton said.

US citizens sending remittances to Cuba will be limited t $1,000 per person per quarter, Bolton said on Wednesday. Non-family travel will be restricted to reduce “veiled tourism” that benefits the Cuban government and military, he added.

“Through the Treasury Department, we will also implement changes to end the use of ‘U-turn transactions,’ which allow the regime to circumvent sanctions and obtain access to hard currency and the US banking system,” Bolton said in a speech to veterans of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, when Cuban exiles tried to overthrow Fidel Castro’s regime.

The move comes a day after the White House announced it would stop issuing waivers on implementing the Helms-Burton law, which would penalize anyone in the world who did business with Cuban entities using property seized from US owners following the 1959 Cuban revolution.

Treasury has not officially announced the new sanctions, but Bolton said five entities will be added to the Cuban blacklist, including the military-owned airline Aerogaviota.

The US cut diplomatic ties with Cuba in 1961, and over the following decades imposed a wide range of sanctions on the island nation, just 90 miles south of Florida. Former president Barack Obama sought to soften the US policy in 2015, leading to the reopening of the US and Cuban embassies and loosening of travel restrictions.

In June 2017, however, Trump rolled back all of Obama’s changes, returning to a hardline policy on Cuba. Additional sanctions were introduced this year, as Trump administration has accused Cuba of and its military of occupying Venezuela and helping Nicolas Maduro’s regime to stay in power.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: American Travel News, and, announced, Banking, Barack, Barack Obama, Bay, benefits, blacklist, Breaking Travel News, Business, changes, citizens, Cuba, Cuba travel news, Cuban, currency, cut, day, decades, department, diplomatic, embassies, end, Family, family travel, Feature, Fidel Castro, Florida, following, former president, free, government, Government Affairs, Helping, house, in, including, International Travel News, introduced, island, IT, John, John Bolton, June, just, law, leading, Limited, miles, military, move, nation, national, New, News articles, Nicolas, Nicolas Maduro, Non, Obama, over, owners, pigs, policy, power, president, President Barack Obama, property, quarter, range, reduce, regime, remittances, reopening, restrictions, Revolution, s, said, sanctions, Security, seized, South, speech, stay, stop, system, target, targeting, The Island, The Treasury, The World, through, ties, to, tourism, transactions, Travel, Travel Destination News, travel restrictions, Travelwire News, tried, Trump, turn, US, US citizens, US policy, use, using, Venezuela, veterans, waivers, We, were, white, White House, WHO, World, World News, year

American Airlines to keep its Boeing 737 MAX jets grounded until August

April 14, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

American Airlines has chosen to keep its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX grounded until at least August 19, even if it means canceling 115 flights a day in summer season, as probes into the troubled jet continue and new sales have frozen.

The company, which owns 24 of the embattled jets that were involved in two recent deadly crashes, announced the decision in a letter to employees and customers. AA wants to ensure reliability “for the peak travel season and provide confidence to our customers and team members when it comes to their travel plans,” Chief Executive Doug Parker and President Robert Isom wrote.

The 737 MAX 8 airliners were grounded worldwide after a fatal crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight, which killed 157 people on board. The incident came months after a crash of the same model operated by Lion Air was apparently linked to the same faulty flight control system.

Parker and Isom have at the same time expressed confidence in Boeing’s ability to fix the problem through software updates and changes to pilot training procedures. The US airline has 24 MAX planes in its fleet and is expected to get 16 more delivered this year. The grounding has already resulted in the cancelation of about 90 flights per day through early June, and the extension may put a strain on American’s ability to meet demand for seats during upcoming peak travel season. As many as 115 daily flights will have to be canceled in August, according to the letter.

The crashes have left Boeing open to criticism over the way it certified the fast-selling model, conducting some of the tests in-house with the permission of the Federal Aviation Authority. Critics say the producer cut corners to fast-track the new model to the market, compromising flight safety as a result.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: American Travel News, and, announced, August, authority, aviation, Aviation Authority, Aviation News, aviation-website, board, Boeing, Boeing 737, Breaking Travel News, canceled, canceling, certified, changes, chief, chief executive, chosen, company, confidence, continue, control, Corporate News, crash, crashes, criticism, critics, customers, cut, daily, daily flights, day, deadly, decision, delivered, demand, early, employees, Ethiopian, Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines Flight, even, executive, expected, extension, fatal, faulty, Feature, federal, fix, fleet, flight, flight safety, flights, free, frozen, grounded, grounding, house, in, incident, IT, jet, jets, June, keep, killed, letter, linked, lion, Lion Air, Market, MAX, MAX planes, May, meet, members, model, months, New, new Sales, News articles, on board, open, operated, over, peak, People, permission, pilot training, planes, plans, president, problem, procedures, recent, resulted, Robert, s, Safety, Sales, season, seats, selling, Software, summer, summer season, system, team, tests, through, time, to, TO BE, tourism, training, Transportation News, Travel, Travel Disaster & Emergency News, travel plans, travel season, Travel Technology News, Travelwire News, updates, US, US airline, way, were, worldwide, wrote, year

Islands & climate change: Storm surges & coral bleaching affecting tourism

April 12, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Since Greta Thunberg, a Swedish schoolgirl and climate activist, brought the topic of climate protection onto the political and social agenda with her strikes, the negative effects of climate change have been discussed more and more. While climate change affects all areas of life, rising sea levels combined with storms that are steadily increasing in severity pose a direct threat to islands. Recently, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has announced that the average sea level in 2018 was 3.7 millimeters above that of the year before and has reached the highest level since satellite measurements.

In recent years, rainfall, storms, floods, and coastal erosion have increased in intensity and frequency due to climate change. While not all islands are affected to the same extent by the shifting weather patterns, most are aware of significant changes – including the Green Pearls® Island Partners. Instead of sitting idly by and waiting for the land to literally be washed away from under their feet, they are actively working to protect their homelands and their fragile ecosystems from the effects of climate change.

Climate Neutral in the North Sea

The North Sea island of Juist has set itself an ambitious yet necessary goal: to be completely climate-neutral by 2030. Even today, the consequences of climate change are already being felt on Juist. The increasing number of dikes intended to protect the land from storm surges is a tangible measure, and the island is also actively avoiding greenhouse gases by switching to car-free transport. For some time now, the city has been offering projects and activities that bring the concept of climate protection closer to visitors, both young and old, such as the “Juistus Climate Saver” program and the “University for Children.”

Colorful Coral Gardens for the Maldives

Climate change has also left its mark on the Indian Ocean. According to marine biologist Smrutica Jithendranath, responsible for the underwater world around the Reethi Faru eco-resort, rising sea levels have so far had little impact on the Maldives. However, the consequences of climate change can be clearly seen in the corals. In particular, rising water temperatures and increasingly fierce storms are causing severe damage to these tiny, sensitive animals, leading to coral bleaching and even coral death.

Based on these observations, the Reethi Faru Resort has launched a coral conservation project on Filaidhoo. In specially created underwater gardens, the resort propagates corals and plants them back into the house reef after about a year. The underwater gardens and house reefs also provide protection for the beaches and prevent them from being washed away. Within another of the many atolls of the Maldives, the North Malé Atoll, guests from the eco-resort Gili Lankanfushi can plant young corals under water in the gardens themselves and actively participate in the resort’s Coral Lines Project. After the guest’s departure, they also have the opportunity to follow the development of their corals on the resort’s blog.

Koh Samui Against Climate Change

The sustainable resort The Tongsai Bay on Koh Samui focuses on strategies to avoid greenhouse gases including non-motorized water sports, bicycle rental for island tours, carpooling, and avoiding cars on the hotel grounds. The resort has also supported the Green Island Foundation since its inception ten years ago. The organization’s main objectives are to protect the island’s climate and valuable ecosystems. For example, the Green Island Foundation has already organized car-free weeks on Koh Samui with the help of partners, such as The Tongsai Bay, to raise awareness of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, animals, announced, areas, average, avoid, Aware, Awareness, based, Bay, beaches, bleaching, blog, Breaking Travel News, car, cars, change, changes, children, city, climate, Climate Change, climate protection, Coastal, concept, conservation, conservation project, coral, corals, created, damage, death, departure, development, direct, due, ecosystems, effects, emissions, even, far, feet, floods, follow, foundation, free, frequency, gardens, Gas, gas emissions, goal, green, Green Island Foundation, greenhouse, greenhouse gas emissions, greenhouse gases, Greta Thunberg, grounds, guests, help, highest, hotel, house, impact, in, including, increased, increasing, Indian, Indian Ocean, Instead, island, islands, Juist, Koh Samui, Land, launched, leading, life, lines, Main, maldives, Maldives travel news, marine, measure, most, need, negative, neutral, News articles, Non, North, number, ocean, offering, opportunity, organization, participate, partners, plant, plants, political, program, project, projects, protect, protection, rainfall, raise, recent, reduce, reef, Reethi Faru Resort, rental, resort, responsible, Responsible Tourism News, rising, s, samui, satellite, sea, Sea Island, sea level, Set, severe, significant, social, sports, storm, storms, strategies, strikes, supported, sustainable, Swedish, temperatures, Thailand Travel News, The House, The Island, The Tongsai Bay, The World, threat, time, to, TO BE, today, tourism, Tours, transport, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, underwater, university, visitors, water, water sports, weather, weeks, working, World, year, years, young

Egypt Tourism Minister: Tourism is key to rapprochement and peace

April 10, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Egyptian Tourism Minister Rania al-Mashat and winner of IIPT Award said that Tourism and travel are the key to peaceful borders, cultural exchanges, bridge-building, communication, rapprochement and peace, especially in light of recent political and economic changes in the world.

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) conducted a study revealing that the growth rate of the tourism sector in Egypt reached 16.5% in 2018.

In statements on the sidelines of her visit to Jordan for the World Economic Forum in the Middle East and North Africa, which was held from April 6 to 7, Mashat explained that this rate is higher than the average global growth of 3.9%, noting the remarkable development and improvement witnessed by the tourism industry.

The minister pointed out that her goal since taking on her role in tourism has been to change the stereotypical image of Egyptian tourism, a goal that has already begun to be achieved. The impact of these developments has been shown through the expressed appreciation of many international institutions and international reports for the developments and growth witnessed within the sector.

She pointed out that Egypt recently won the Global Champion Award in addition to positive reports published by several international agencies and media on tourism in Egypt.

She pointed out that Egyptian tourism now has a common vision and plan, which is being worked out by all parties related to the sector from government, Parliament, private sector groups, investors, etc., pointing out that the structural reform program launched by the Tourism Ministry for the development of the sector is the result of the consolidation of these visions and ideas.

The minister pointed the importance of cooperation and openness between peoples, adding that this comes within the framework of the new recreational plan for Egypt through the concept of People to People (p2p), which is based on the openness of the Egyptian people to other peoples.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, appreciation, April, average, award, based, Borders, Breaking Travel News, bridge, building, champion, change, changes, Communication, concept, consolidation, cooperation, council, cultural, development, developments, East, economic, Educational Travel News, Egypt, Egypt tourism, Egypt travel news, Egyptian, Egyptian tourism, Egyptian Tourism Minister, etc, exchanges, explained, Feature, forum, framework, free, Global, global growth, goal, government, Government Affairs, groups, Growth, Growth Rate, held, higher, ideas, IIPT, image, impact, importance, improvement, in, Industry, International, International Travel News, investors, Jordan, key, launched, light, media, Middle, Middle East, Middle East and North Africa, minister, ministry, New, News articles, North, North Africa, out, parliament, parties, peace, peaceful, People, People in Travel, plan, political, positive, private, private sector, program, published, rate, recent, recreational, reform, related, reports, Responsible Tourism News, role, said, sector, statements, structural, study, taking, The Minister, The World, through, to, TO BE, tourism, tourism and travel, tourism council, Tourism Industry, tourism minister, Tourism Ministry, tourism sector, Travel, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, travel and tourism, Travelwire News, vision, visit, winner, won, worked, World, World Economic Forum, World News, world travel, world travel and tourism, World Travel and Tourism Council, WTTC

Boutique Venice Beach, Hotel Erwin, announces new GM

April 9, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Boutique hotel in Venice Beach, California, Hotel Erwin, recently announced the appointment of new General Manager, Derek Haug, to oversee all hotel operations and management.

Mr. Haug comes to Hotel Erwin with more than 20 years of hospitality experience and a well-rounded understanding of all facets of hotel management. Most recently, Derek held leadership roles with Loews Hotels for the past twelve years and comes to Hotel Erwin from Loews Santa Monica Beach. There he oversaw all food, beverage, conference, catering and spa operations for the resort, creating and launching new restaurant and bar concepts. He has more than six years of experience in Southern California in addition to hospitality experience in Tucson, Arizona, Snowmass Village, Colorado. Derek holds a degree in hospitality management from the University of Minnesota.

With his extensive knowledge and experience with lifestyle brands and resorts, Derek is a great asset to Hotel Erwin’s dedicated team of associates as they undergo concept changes and renovations to the unique property with unparalleled rooftop and signature restaurant. Derek strives to continue to provide guests with a memorable Venice experience and uphold the standards of excellence and effortless Venice beach culture Erwin himself has infused into the hotel.

“Hotel Erwin never gives the ‘normal’ experience. I am excited to join a team who truly embodies the colorful culture of Venice Beach. A team who is pushing the boundaries of what we can do to make a guest’s experience above the ordinary,” Derek said. “It’s evident that the dedicated team at Hotel Erwin takes pride in the mission and values of the culture ownership has created.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, announced, announces, appointment, Arizona, bar, beach, beverage, boutique, boutique hotel, brands, Breaking Travel News, California, catering, changes, Colorado, concept, conference, continue, created, culture, Derek, Erwin, evident, excellence, experience, extensive, food, general, general manager, gm, guests, held, hospitality, hospitality management, Hospitality News, hotel, Hotel Erwin, hotel management, Hotel Travel News, Hotels, in, IT, join, knowledge, launching, leadership, Lifestyle, Make, management, manager, minnesota, mission, most, Mr, New, new General Manager, News articles, normal, operations, oversee, ownership, past, People in Travel, Pride, property, renovations, resort, resorts, restaurant, s, said, Santa, signature, Southern, southern california, spa, standards, team, to, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, unique, university, Venice, Venice experience, village, We, WHO, years

The Set Hotels announces key staffing changes

April 6, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The Set Hotels, comprised of the Hôtel Lutetia in Paris, the Hotel Café Royal in London, and the Conservatorium in Amsterdam announced several key staff changes. Here are the comings and goings:

Matthias Kaesweber, Vice President of Sales & Marketing is leaving The Set Hotels after three productive years to pursue other opportunities. During his time with the company, Matthias successfully created and led a highly effective global sales team, whilst playing a significant role in the continuous business growth of Conservatorium in Amsterdam, Café Royal in London and the highly anticipated re-opening of Lutetia in Paris in 2018.

Ruurd Hooijer has been appointed as Senior Director of Sales & Marketing for The Set Hotels, based in Amsterdam. Ruurd joined The Set Hotels from The Leading Hotels of the World in New York where he held the position of Senior Director, Travel Trade for North America for three-and-a-half years. In his role, Ruurd was overseeing Leading’s global partnerships with American Express, Virtuoso and other agency partners for its 400 independently-owned, luxury hotels worldwide. Prior to this, Ruurd held the position of Director of Sales at Conservatorium.

James Baker, Director of Sales & Marketing, The Americas remains in charge of The Set Hotels in North America, supported by Michal Galili Censor, Director of Sales for North America whose responsibilities have expanded as a result of her success in North America with Mamilla and The David Citadel hotels in Jerusalem, now proudly representing The Set Hotels, too.

The General Managers and Directors of Sales on-property will continue to play an active role visiting The Set Hotels’ valued trade and media partners in North America alongside James and Michal.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: Americas, amp, Amsterdam, and, announced, announces, appointed, Baker, based, Breaking Travel News, Business, business growth, changes, charge, citadel, company, continue, created, director, directors, expanded, express, general, Global, global sales, Growth, half, held, Hospitality News, hotel, Hotel Travel News, Hotels, in, Jerusalem, joined, key, leading, Leading Hotels of the World, leaving, LED, London, Luxury, luxury hotels, managers, Marketing, media, Netherlands travel news, New, new york, News articles, North, North America, opening, Paris, partners, partnerships, play, position, president, property, re-opening, remains, representing, role, royal, s, Sales, senior, Set, significant, staff, staffing, success, successfully, team, The Americas, The Leading Hotels of the World, The Set Hotels, The World, time, to, Trade, Travel, Travel Destination News, travel trade, Travelwire News, valued, vice president, Virtuoso, visiting, World, worldwide, years, York

US citizen international departures up 6% in 2018

April 4, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

U.S. air travel to overseas markets totaled 41.8 million, up nine percent for the year. Regional results were:

  • Europe, 17.7 million travelers, up 12 percent
  • Caribbean, 8.3 million travelers, up five percent
  • Asia, 6.3 million travelers, up eight percent
  • Central America, 3.2 million travelers, up seven percent
  • Middle East, 2.4 million travelers, up six percent
  • South America, 2.1 million travelers, up nine percent
  • Oceania, 861,000 travelers, up 11 percent
  • Africa, 432,000 travelers, up seven percent

U.S. travel to North American markets totaled 51.3 million, up four percent compared to 2017.

  • To Mexico, U.S. travelers totaled a record 36.9 million, up six percent
  • ‘Tourist’ (longer haul travel) 19.1 million, up four percent.
  • U.S. air travel to Mexico (10.1 million), part of ‘Tourist’, was up three percent
  • Border (1+ nights travel) 17.8 million, increased eight percent.
  • To Canada, 14.3 million U.S. travelers, ‘flat’ year-over-year. Air travel (4.6 million) was down four percent

Annual 2018 Market Shares

U.S. air travel to overseas locations accounted for 45 percent of total U.S. outbound travel, up one percentage point from 2017. Regional composition:

    • Europe, a 19 percent share (up one percentage point from 2017);
    • Caribbean, a nine percent share; (down one percentage point from 2017)
    • Asia, a seven percent share;
    • Central America, a four percent share;
    • Middle East, a three percent share;
    • South America, a two percent share);
    • Oceania, a one percent share, and
    • Africa, almost a one percent share

North American markets received 55 percent of all U.S. international outbound travel.

    • U.S. travel to Mexico a 40 percent share;
    • To Canada, a 15 percent share (down one percentage point from 2017).

For detailed information and data tables please click here.

Canada and Mexico numbers are preliminary. The chart will reflect final changes.

In 2011, NTTO (then OTTI) began to report U.S. outbound travel monthly by all modes, expanding beyond air-only traffic. Total travel, inclusive of all modes, to Canada and Mexico is reported in addition to the air-only subtotals. The timing of this report is dependent data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Stats Canada and Banco de Mexico (INEGI), respectively.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, annual, Asia, Aviation News, border, Breaking Travel News, Canada, Caribbean, Central, Central America, changes, citizen, Click, compared, Data, department, Department of Homeland Security, departures, down, East, eight, Europe, expanding, flat, Homeland Security, in, inclusive, increased, information, International, international departures, International Travel News, locations, Market, markets, Mexico, Middle, Middle East, million, million travelers, million U.S., News articles, nights, North, North American, numbers, only, outbound, outbound travel, over, overseas, percent, percentage, received, record, regional, report, reported, results, s, Security, seven, Share, shares, South, South America, timing, to, total, tourist, traffic, Transportation News, Travel, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, Travel Destination News, travelers, Travelwire News, U.S, U.S. travel, U.S. travelers, up, US, US citizen, were, year

National Research Council in Canada wants to improve air passenger experience

April 2, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

From visiting friends and family to getting goods to market, Canadians, tourists, and businesses rely on a safe, secure aviation system. While safety is everyone’s top priority in air travel, the air travel experience is arguably a passenger’s next biggest concern. Air travelers and crew want a safe and pleasant flight experience, and so do air carriers. By providing a positive passenger experience through well-designed, research-vetted cabin systems and products that complement human behavior, companies can ensure safer, smoother operations while earning and maintaining customer loyalty.

To understand how people interact with the controlled air travel environment, a National Research Council of Canada(NRC) multidisciplinary team is studying human responses to the cabin environment and the impact of new design concepts and emerging technologies on air travelers and crew.

The NRC is in the third year of a five-year research collaboration with the Research & Technology team at Airbus Americas Engineering to improve the air passenger experience by studying and demonstrating the human impact of technology innovations. The research team is using the new NRC Centre for Air Travel Research and real people in simulated tests to evaluate and analyze innovative disruptive concepts, cabin air quality and environmental control systems, passenger comfort, and issues associated with boarding and exiting aircraft.

After carefully analyzing the data gathered during these comprehensive tests, researchers will be able to identify low-cost, high-return changes that can be applied early in the aircraft design process to the benefit of Airbus and its industry customers, affording them the opportunity to make evidence-based decisions that balance the safety and comfort of air passengers and crew with manufacturing and operational costs for next generation aircraft.

This research collaboration is due in part to Airbus’ Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) obligation associated with Canada’s Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement (FWSAR) program. Canada’s ITB Policy ensures that prime contractors provide business activities in Canada equal to the contract value. The FWSAR program is supporting approximately 2.5 billion CAD in ITB activities within the Canadian economy.

  • The multi-disciplinary team in the National Research Council of Canada’s Centre for Air Travel Research includes a variety of expertise— specialists in physiology, psychology, industrial design, engineering, instrumentation, fabrication, and project management— that allows the team to fully explore the impact of new aircraft design concepts and emerging technologies on air travelers and crew.
  • The Centre for Air Travel Research has five laboratories and can facilitate the study of security screening systems, airport navigation tools, virtual reality devices to address flight anxiety, and the specific needs of communities such as seniors or persons with disabilities.
  • In addition to offering a realistic re-creation of an airport terminal, the Centre for Air Travel Research also boasts the Flexible Cabin Laboratory, complete with an A320 aircraft cabin that allows for the study of passenger flight experience, human vibration, and more.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: Americas, amp, and, aviation, Aviation News, aviation-website, balance, based, behavior, benefit, benefits, biggest, billion, boarding, Business, businesses, cabin, CAD, Canada, Canada Travel News, Canadas, Canadian, Canadian economy, Canadians, carriers, Centre, changes, collaboration, comfort, communities, companies, complete, concern, contract, control, cost, costs, council, creation, crew, customer, customer loyalty, customers, Data, decisions, design, designed, devices, disabilities, due, early, Economy, emerging, Engineering, environment, environmental, evidence, experience, expertise, explore, Family, flight, friends, FWSAR, getting, goods, high, Human, impact, improve, in, includes, industrial, Industry, innovations, innovative, interact, issues, ITB, low, low-cost, loyalty, Make, management, Market, national, National Research Council, navigation, needs, New, new aircraft, new design, News articles, next generation, NRC, NRC Centre, obligation, offering, operational, operational costs, operations, opportunity, passenger, passengers, People, persons, policy, positive, priority, products, program, project, quality, real, reality, replacement, rescue, research, researchers, return, s, safe, Safety, screening, search, secure, Security, security screening, seniors, specialists, study, studying, supporting, system, team, Technology, terminal, tests, through, to, tools, top, tourists, Transportation News, Travel, travel experience, travel research, travelers, Travelwire News, using, value, variety, virtual, visiting, year

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »

Search



Recent Articles

  • Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation in Thailand as of 20 January 2021, 11.30 Hrs.
  • Adam Stewart named Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International
  • Bartlett congratulates Adam Stewart on being named Executive Chairman of SRI
  • Doreen Burse Named Worldwide Sales SVP
  • Reconnect with the world in 2021 with Emirates’ special fares
  • Emirates becomes one of the first airlines in the world to trial IATA Travel Pass, a digital platform for COVID-19 updates and test verification
  • Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation in Thailand as of 19 January 2021, 11.30 Hrs.
  • Marriott International Continues Asia Pacific Growth With Nearly 100 Properties Expected to Open in 2021
  • Sandals And Beaches Resorts Elevates Its “Travel With Confidence” Program By Offering Complimentary COVID-19 Testing To All Guests On-Resort Prior To Departure
  • Seychelles Wonders brought to Switzerland yet again!

Copyright © 2021 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in