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Ashanti, Keyshia Cole, Ja Rule to headline 2019 St. Maarten Carnival

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Music legends Ashanti, Keyshia Cole, and Ja Rule will be headlining a concert at the 50th Anniversary of St. Maarten Carnival. On April 25, the three globally renowned musicians will take the stage at the Soulful Company concert. Presented by the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF), the concert promises to provide a night of “smooth groovin’ and boppin’.”

2019 marks the 50th anniversary of St. Maarten Carnival. Festivities will officially take place from April 20 to May 7, with pre-Carnival activities kicking off on March 16. At 33 days in overall length, St. Maarten Carnival is the longest carnival in the Caribbean.

“We’re so excited to welcome Ashanti, Keyshia Cole, and Ja Rule to St. Maarten,” stated the Director of Tourism of St. Maarten, Ms. May-Ling Chun. “To have these three artists, all who have impacted the international music scene on such a large scale, headline at the 50th anniversary of our renowned Carnival is a joy and an honor. We cannot wait to see the energy that they bring to the stage.”

The three headliners will also be joined by two of St. Maarten’s best young singers and their bands. Local talents Natisha Hanson and Kenyo Baly will accompany the headliners on stage, representing The Friendly Island at the second iteration of the Soulful Company concert.

“We have so many gifted musicians in St. Maarten, and to bring our island’s local musical talent together with these artists is sure to bring forth a unique, incredible concert,” said St. Maarten’s Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport, and Telecommunication, Stuart Johnson. What’s more, we look forward to the opportunities this collaboration will bring forth for these exceptional St. Maarteners, and can’t wait to see them showcase their musical gifts on the main stage.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Mandarin Oriental opens first hotel in Beijing

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Hongkong Land today announced the completion of its prestigious WF CENTRAL premium lifestyle retail destination, located in the capital city’s historic Wangfujing area, with the opening of Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing. Executives from Hongkong Land and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group celebrated the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new hotel, Mandarin Oriental’s first hotel in Beijing.

Seamlessly connected with WF CENTRAL, the hotel features 73 rooms and suites which are among the largest in Beijing. The rooms are designed with a contemporary residential style combined with subtle traditional Chinese elements, an array of luxury amenities and expansive, spa-like bathrooms. Many rooms have superb views towards the Forbidden City. The hotel is also home to stylish restaurants and bars, including the signature Mandarin Grill + Bar, casual dining restaurant Cafe Zi, and the sleek, sophisticated MO Bar — all of which have direct access to an expansive rooftop garden terrace.

Those seeking rejuvenation in the heart of the city may visit The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing, which offers a range of curated wellness and beauty treatments as well as a 25-metre indoor lap pool with natural light and a comprehensive gym.

“Since its opening in May 2018, WF CENTRAL has been playing a crucial role in the redevelopment of the historic Wangfujing area of Beijing into one of the city’s premium lifestyle retail destinations,” said Mr Raymond Chow, Executive Director of Hongkong Land. “The opening of Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing, completes our work and exemplifies this strategy, as we are bringing Mandarin Oriental’s legendary hospitality together with a compelling mix of retail and dining, all nestled within one of the world’s most important and historic cities.”

Mr Richard Baker, Chief Relationship Officer, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, said, “Mandarin Oriental is delighted to partner with Hongkong Land in the creation of Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing. This is our third successful collaboration and we are immensely proud to be part of WF CENTRAL, Beijing’s preeminent lifestyle retail destination. We look forward to introducing the Group’s legendary hospitality to China’s capital and to welcoming guests through our doors.”

WF CENTRAL, Hongkong Land’s flagship development in Beijing, is a US$1.2 billion retail-led project designed to be the city’s premier shopping and lifestyle destination. It is also expected to be a major contributor to the transformation of Beijing’s historic Wangfujing area into a hub for retail, dining and business. The complex has a total gross floor area of more than 150,000 sq. m., including 43,000 sq. m. of retail space that hosts an exciting, diverse mix of tenants according to five core categories: “Luxury”, “Fashion”, “World-class Gastronomy”, “Lifestyle & Wellness” and “Art & Culture”.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Brand USA Board of Directors approves committee assignments

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On Wednesday, March 13, members of the Brand USA board of directors convened for a quarterly meeting in Washington, DC where they welcomed newly appointed and reappointed members and approved members to officiating positions and committees.

The confirmed committee assignments are as follows:

Finance Committee

Chair: Kyle Edmiston, deputy director/chief operations officer for Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau

Committee Members

• John Edman, director of Explore Minnesota
• Noel Irwin Hentschel, chairman and chief executive officer of AmericanTours International, LLC
• Mark Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation
• Alice Norsworthy, chief marketing officer of Universal Parks & Resorts
• Barbara Richardson, chief of external relations of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro)

Conflict of Interest Committee

Chair: Tom O’Toole, senior fellow and clinical professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University

Committee Members

• Andrew Greenfield, managing partner of the Washington, DC office of Fragomen
• Barbara Richardson

Audit Committee

Chair: Tom O’Toole

Committee Members

• Paul Brown, chief executive officer of Inspire Brands
• Noel Irwin Hentschel

Governance & Nominating Committee

Chair: Andrew Greenfield

Committee Members

• John Edman
• Mike Gallagher, co-chairman and co-founder of CityPASS

Marketing Committee

Chair: Alice Norsworthy

Committee Members

• Kristen Branscum, commissioner of Kentucky Department of Tourism
• Paul Brown
• Kyle Edmiston
• Mike Gallagher
• Noel Irwin Hentschel
• Tom O’Toole

Full recordings of the board meetings can be found here. For more information about the newly appointed members, please access the press announcement here. A complete list of the board of directors and their bios is available here. The next board meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 22, 2019.

Thank you to all staff, board members, partners, and stakeholders for their continued support.

Together, we are marketing the USA!

Travel News | eTurboNews

Oman Air climbs to first place in one of Heathrow’s greenest years yet

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Oman Air has landed first place in the latest Heathrow “Fly Quiet and Green” league table, due to its use of ‘Continuous Decent Approach’ which helps to reduce fuel burn and minimise noise by arriving aircraft. This achievement builds on the strides made in the previous quarter (Q3) which saw Oman Air leaping up 26 spots after phasing out their older aircraft and replacing them with the ultra-quiet and green 787 Dreamliners. Oman Air’s drastic improvement shows the impact technology can have on an airline’s environmental performance and the importance of the “Fly Quiet and Green” league – the UK’s first in advocating sustainable action.

The latest Heathrow “Fly Quiet and Green” league table publishes the top 50 busiest airlines at Heathrow on seven noise and emission metrics from October to December 2018. The results show Heathrow airlines have a clear commitment to modernising their fleet and working to adopt techniques which will help to reduce the airport’s impact on local communities. In addition to this public ranking, Heathrow encourages new technology through environmental pricing incentives, which reduce landing charges for airlines operating their greenest and quietest aircraft at our airport. The top environmental performers such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A350s now make up over a tenth of planes at Heathrow.

Other airlines at the top of the League rankings included British Airways (short haul fleet), which jumped up to second place due to its improved punctuality benefitting both local communities and passengers alike. SAS placed third, moving up three places in the latest table due to the introduction of A320 neos to their fleet. Icelandair earns most improved airline, jumping an astounding 40 places to take the 11th spot. The airline has worked to improve its use of Continuous Decent Approach, whilst sticking more closely to the designated flight paths set for pilots, which assists the provision of predictable respite for local communities.

This news comes shortly after the conclusion of Heathrow’s eight-week Airspace and Future Operations consultation during which local residents were given the opportunity to share their views on the airport’s future airspace design – both for the existing two runways and as part of the proposed expansion. Heathrow’s consultation is part of a nationwide move to modernise the country’s airspace for the first time since the 1960s, potentially boosting punctuality for passengers by reducing the need for routine stacking as well as providing guaranteed respite for the airport’s local communities and reducing airplane emissions.

Matt Gorman, Heathrow’s Director of Sustainability, said:

“As we prepare to expand our airport, we’re working with airlines to encourage fierce competition for the top spot of the ‘Fly Quiet and Green’ league table and it’s brilliant to see more airlines vying for pole position. As airlines modernise their fleets, we’ll also be engaging with local communities to modernise the UK’s airspace, enabling aircraft to more efficiently use the skies around us, increasing punctuality whilst reducing emissions and noise in future.”

Abdul Aziz Al Raisi, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Air said:

“We follow Heathrow’s Quiet and Green league table very closely and it is indeed gratifying to see Oman Air rank first for the fourth quarter of 2018. Moving to the quieter, more efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner has had a positive impact and shows our commitment to operating the most environmentally friendly aircraft across our growing international network. This is indeed a proud moment to see our efforts recognised by one of the world’s leading airports.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Strong destination presence noted on the Germanic front as the Seychelles Tourism Board participates actively in several travel fairs

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The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) office in Frankfurt started the year on a high note as the team attended various trade fairs in Germany and two German-speaking bordering countries including Switzerland and Austria.

The office took part in the Ferien-Messe Wien- Austria’s largest holiday and STB Senior Executive, Ms. Natacha Servina, represented, Seychelles at the travel show fair, which was held from January 10, 2019 to January 13, 2019. The Ferien-Messe Wien- Austria saw the participation of 800 exhibitors from 80 countries. It recorded the presence of 155,322 visitors, a new attendance record in the fair’s 43-year history.

STB Director for the Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Ms. Hunzinger was in Stuttgart, the affluent southwestern part of Germany also the hometown of Porsche and Mercedes. Ms. Hunzinger represented destination Seychelles at the 51st edition of the CMT Fair, which run for a full nine days, from the January 12, 2019 through the January 20, 2019 and recorded 260,000 visitors.

From Stuttgart, Ms. Hunzinger was off to Zurich, where she attended FESPO from the January 31, 2019 through to February 3, 2019. During the four-day Swiss fair, the Director for the Germany, Switzerland and Austria was positioned at the Seychelles’ stand alongside Rolira Young Marketing Executive and Chris Matombe Director for Digital Marketing both based at Headquarters. The FESPO showcased 250 destinations including Seychelles and attracted 65,000 visitors.

Destination Seychelles through its participation to the three fairs reached nearly half a million potential visitors in just four weeks. At all the fairs, Seychelles, with its traditionally eye-catching stand, had secured a prominent position that enticed visitors to see, browse, and engage in conversation with the staff.

The overall impression was that Seychelles continues to attract interest and attention, and that many of the stand visitors had serious intentions to visit the country in the near future.

This impression is confirmed by the fact that travelers from the three countries are honoring STB’s efforts by visiting Seychelles. In the first eight weeks of 2019, nearly 12,698 visitors from Germany have already touched down in the Seychelles, keeping the market at the head of visitor arrivals in the country.

Talking about the exposure obtained by the Island nation during this active month of participation in several fairs. Ms. Hunzinger mentioned that participation in trade fairs remain a key part in the Frankfurt office’s strategy to win the hearts and minds of consumers.

The STB Director further mentioned that personal contact with potential visitors remains an important factor when selling the destination, even in this high-tech day and age.
“Marketing a destination has always been, and remains, a people orientated business. Our ongoing success as the leading source market for the Seychelles is in no small part due to our continued visibility to the consumer at fairs like these,” said Mrs. Hunzinger.

She added that together with her team, she perceives the personal contact as a contributing factor to engage potential visitors.

The Director of the STB office in Frankfurt also personally flew to Seychelles to assist a television crew working for ZDF, Germany’s largest nationwide public broadcaster, on an episode of the long-running documentary series, Terra X: Faszination Erde (“Terra X: Fascination Earth”).

The program, entitled “Seychelles: Guardian of Lost Treasures,” will focus entirely on environmental aspects and is hosted by one of Germany’s most renowned and respected TV documentary filmmakers, Dirk Steffens. It is the 84th episode of the award-winning nature series, which is currently in its 25th season.
The episode was aired on February 17, 2019, and was repeated on February 18. It will also be available on ZDF’s catch-up service, ZDF Mediathek and can be viewed anytime.

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel  www.seychelles.travel

Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center appoints Brice Péan as managing director

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BEIJING, Aug. 9, 2018 — Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Brice Péan as the new managing director as of August 1, 2018. A hotelier with a wealth of experience championing hotel preopenings and managing landmark properties, Péan now leads the culmination of Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center’s expansive renovation and launch of 480 rooms, a new executive lounge and a European all-day dining restaurant. Furthermore, as managing director he will drive business performance and operational excellence in the Lufthansa Center complex which include an office building, serviced apartments and the Kempinski hotel.

“Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center was the first European hotel company in China. Beyond its landmark status, it’s a Kempinski jewel. I feel immensely happy to be leading it during its most transformative period since its opening. I am delighted to have been granted this opportunity and will ensure the achievement even greater levels of the European hospitality service for which Kempinski is known for.” Péan stresses Kempinski’s European heritage as a distinctive signature of superior bespoke service and quality.

Péan has over 30 years of experience in the luxury hospitality field, including senior management roles within Hilton Hotels in Vienna, Cairo, Adelaide, Fiji and Shanghai. Most recently, Péan was general manager of  Sunrise Kempinski Hotel Beijing and Yanqi Island from 2013, overseeing 14 properties including Sunrise Kempinski Hotel, Yanqi Hotel and 12 boutique hotels.

A native of France, Péan has a bachelor’s degree from Fremdenverkehrskolleg Innsbruck University in Austria. Prior to joining Hilton Hotels in 1999, Péan held positions in various hotels in London, Dublin and Paris.

 

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About Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center：Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center is the perfect mix of luxury, convenience and cultural diversity under one roof. The hotel is located in the heart of Beijing’s diplomatic and business district, and is only a 20-minute drive from Beijing Capital International Airport. Kempinski Hotel Beijing has 480 well-appointed guestrooms and suites, ten fully equipped banquet/conference facilities and seven stylish and authentic restaurants and bars. The hotel provides its international leisure and business guests with European-style service. The hotel is also part of the Beijing Lufthansa Center complex, which incorporates offices, apartments, and showrooms, as well as You Yi Shopping City, banks, airline offices, a 24-hour medical center, a health club and a kindergarten. www.kempinski.com/beijing

About Kempinski：Created in 1897, Kempinski Hotels is Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group. Kempinski’s rich heritage of impeccable personal service and superb hospitality is complemented by the exclusivity and individuality of its properties. Kempinski now manages a portfolio of 74 five-star hotels and residences in 32 countries and continues to add new properties in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Each one reflects the strength and success of the Kempinski brand without losing sight of its heritage. The portfolio comprises historic landmark properties, award-winning urban lifestyle hotels, outstanding resorts and prestigious residences. Each one is imbued with the quality guests have come to expect from Kempinski while embracing the cultural traditions of its location. Kempinski is a founding member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands.

www.kempinski.com • www.discoveryloyalty.com