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African Tourism Board and Africa Tourism Association join forces to support World to Africa’ Tourism Conference in Johannesburg

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New York-based African Tourism Association is getting ready for their World to Africa’ Tourism Conference. The event in Johannesburg is organized in partnership with South Africa Tourism. ATA’s conference is scheduled for July 22-26 at  Constitution Hill, one of South Africa’s most important historic sites.  Constitution Hill is a living museum that tells the story of South Africa’s journey to democracy. The site is a former prison and military fort that bears testament to South Africa’s turbulent past and, today, is home to the country’s Constitutional Court, which endorses the rights of all citizens.

The conference will focus on innovative business models, best practices, creative industries, and strategic partnerships growing in the tourism sector. The Conference will bring together government leaders, international investors, industry stakeholders, and travel professionals from across the globe to discuss how tourism can be utilized as a platform for resiliency, an engine for economic growth, and job creation.

Conference features include capacity building sessions for SMEs and a pop-up marketplace showcasing African designers from across the continent.

ATA wants stakeholders to join them. ATA’s message is:

  • Meet key stakeholders from the travel and tourism industry
  • Market your brand and generate new business leads
  • Discover Innovative Models transforming African tourism
  • Experience different African destinations and grow your travel services and packages
  • Explore opportunities for investment along the tourism and hospitality value chain
  • Take part in discussions focused on Africa’s tourism market development
  • Engage with government leaders and initiate public-private community partnership discussions

South Africa and U.S. based African Tourism Board president  Alain St. Ange from Seychelles will be delivering a keynote speech. ATB CEO Doris Woerfel and Vice President Cuthbert Ncube will be in the audience.

African Tourism Board (ATB) Chairman Juergen Steinmetz said from Hawaii: “We’re humbled Naledi Khabo, The Africa Tourism Association (ATA) executive director invited the African Tourism Board to be part of this important event for Africa.
We are pleased to work with ATA as a partner and also encourage our members and supporters to join in and make Africa one Tourist Destination. My publication eTurboNews supported ATA for many years and we are pleased to be able and do this again.  #ThisIsAfrica is a very appropriate hashtag to use when tweeting.”

More information and to register. Go to  www.worldtoafrica.org

More information on African Tourism Board: www.africantourismboard.com
More information on the Africa Tourism Association: www.ataworldwide.org/

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister will deliver remarks at launch of Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference and Operation Summit

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Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett will deliver remarks at the launch of the Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit (CHICOS).

The event brings together nearly 300 regional and international investors and operators, as well as the region’s leading decision makers.

Attendees network and discuss the region’s markets and possibilities, while analyzing the most important trends that can impact their investment decisions.

The 2019 staging will take place in Montego Bay, Jamaica from November 14 – 15.

WHAT: Launch of the Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference and Operations Summit

WHEN: Tuesday, May 07, 2019 beginning at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: The Pavilion, Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel, 17 Waterloo Rd, Kingston

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

Moscow selected to host annual GSMA Mobile 360 Series event

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Eurasia conference, a regional event held as part of the activities of GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association), will be held in Moscow, October 8-9 2019.

The decision to host the event in Moscow was adopted as a result of an active work of the Russian Convention Bureau which provided the proposal for venues, and organized an inspection visit for representatives of the international association.

The event will be held in Moscow for the second time, following the successful launch in 2018 which gathered over 600 attendees from 21 countries and 52% were Director-level and above.

In 2019, the conference and exhibition will bring together over 600 policymakers, regulatory authorities, international organisations, Mobile Network Operators, mobile technology solution providers and broader ICT ecosystem players from Russia, the CIS region and the international market leaders in 5G technology. The event will be held at the Lotte Hotel Moscow.

Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation, said: “The sphere of mobile and high technologies plays a key role in stimulating economic growth, attracting foreign investments and increasing global competitiveness through development of science and technology. Adding more industries to the list of events organized by the Russian Convention Bureau will not only facilitate the development of corresponding areas of the real economy sector but also help create the image of the country on the international arena as one of the most meaningful players on the market of the event industry.”

Alexey Kalachev, Director of the Russian Convention Bureau, said: “We use various tools of working with international associations as we work to attract various business events to Russia. We are ready to offer universal and customized solutions that will correspond to the needs and expectations of conference organizers of various scale in different industries.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Mediterranean Resort & Hotel Real Estate Forum returns to Greece

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Now in its fifth year, the Mediterranean Resort & Hotel Real Estate Forum (MR&H) will return to Greece for the second year in succession this October. The event, hosted by Questex, is dedicated to the investment, development and operation of resorts and hotels within the Mediterranean region. This niche, but highly specialized area, comprises various elements; hotel, residential, marinas, health clubs, children’s activities, retail, sports facilities, F&B, all of which need to be carefully woven together with seamless operation to create a successful resort.

The conference will be held at the Hilton Athens on the 29-31st October 2019. A fitting venue for Hilton’s celebration of 100 years in hospitality and the continuation of the premise that the group was founded on; “travel can make the world a better place”.

The dynamic growth of tourism in Greece continues to boost investment activity throughout the country and throughout the wider Mediterranean region. Speaking at MIPIM last month, Secretary General for Tourism Policy and Development George Tziallas said; “Half of all funding under Greece’s 2016 development law has been channeled into tourism ventures, while more than 400 investment plans have been submitted in the last three years to the tourism ministry for approval.”

This statement is supported by data recently released by Horwath HTL during the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) which revealed Greece is a prime investment opportunity for international hotel chains as only 1.7% of total units currently operate under an international brand. Results from the joint investor sentiment survey from Tranio and IHIF showed Greece listed as one of the European countries that is most attractive for hotel real estate investment.

Stakeholders from leading operators including Thomas Cook, Club Med and Nobu attend the event alongside investors from KSL, Starwood Capital Group and Dolphin Capital all recognizing the value of coming together as a collective to debate, converse and discuss.

Registration for MR&H 2019 is now open and delegate tickets can be purchased at the best value Early Bird rate until the end of May.

Enterprise Greece have pledged their continued support for MR&H and Grigoris Stergioulis, Chairman & CEO at Enterprise Greece said in relation to the ongoing collaboration; “Building on the success of the event last year, the positive working relationship with Questex and the significant opportunities that exist for investors in the Greek hotel market, we’re thrilled to once again partner with MR&H and look forward to welcoming the event to Greece for the second year.”

Alexi Khajavi, Managing Director of EMEA Hospitality + Travel Group, Questex said; “The tourism and hospitality prosperity that Greece is enjoying is leading to significant activity from serious investors and developers. As a conference host, our role is to facilitate these meetings, connections and interactions in an environment that is educational and energizing. With the continued support from Enterprise Greece, Hilton providing the setting, and amongst very encouraging industry data, we’re confident that MR&H will prove to be an event not to be missed for those currently active or keen to do business within the Mediterranean resort and hotel space”.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Barbican beefs up sales team

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The Barbican, a conference and international arts venue located in London, has appointed Jenny Waller as head of sales. The expanded role will see Jenny managing the growing sales team, which includes a renewed focus on international and association markets. Jenny will be supported in her role by the newly-appointed deputy head of sales, Charlie Smith.

Jenny has been promoted from the role of senior account manager within the Barbican team, where she has already achieved a number of significant wins for the world-leading arts and conference venue. These include major corporate and association events due to take place over the coming 24 months. Prior to working at the Barbican Jenny spent four years developing industry knowledge and expertise at Park Plaza Hotels.

Charlie returns to the Barbican, where he worked as an account manager for two years between 2016 and 2018. Other experience includes time developing sales skills at both Dreamland and HMS President.

“The Barbican is going from strength to strength,” commented Jackie Boughton, head of business events at the Barbican. “Last year we opened and showcased our new cinema offering, comprised of two cinemas and supporting food and beverage, as well as exhibition or networking space capable of seating up to 150 for conferences, meetings and private screenings. When added to our wider offering it makes the Barbican one of Europe’s most comprehensive venues. This in turn has led to an increase in both association and international bookings. Jenny has been instrumental in that success over the last year and was therefore the perfect choice to take on the demanding role leading our sales team. It is also a real pleasure to welcome Charlie back to the team – his in-depth knowledge of the venue is already having a significant impact on new business development.”

Jenny responded by saying: “This is a new and exciting challenge for me. Over the course of the next year I am particularly looking forward to working alongside our association specialists as we develop that market, whilst supporting our work with a strong presence at major international trade shows and events. The UK of course remains our core market and we are delighted by the ongoing support we receive from domestic clients booking direct or via our agency partners. However, there is still significant opportunity for us to develop internationally – particularly given our ability to partner with the Barbican International Enterprises team to deliver truly inspiring content and theming. The addition of Charlie to the team ensures we have the ongoing experience and depth of knowledge needed to deliver to the highest standards for our clients.”

Travel News | eTurboNews