For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

Where press releases are breaking news

Brussels welcomes 24th Edition of the Belgian Pride

by

As in previous years, Brussels will celebrate the LGBTI+ community with the Belgian Pride, in May. The theme for this new edition is “intersectionality”. Belgian Pride Festival will take place from 3rd to 19th May and will feature exhibitions, film screenings and conferences on the topic. For 3 days, the streets of Brussels will come to life as the festival culminates with its Pride Weekend and Pride Parade.

This will be the 24th edition of the Belgian Pride to date. It will open the European pride season. Thus, the gay-friendly capital of Europe will showcase its diversity and its openness to the LGBTI+ community, as well as its zest for life. The Belgian Pride will take place over 3 days during this new edition.

The traditional Pride Kick-Off on Friday, 3rd May 2019 will mark the beginning of the festivities. The parade will unfold in the streets of Brussels to the sound of the Fanfare du Meyboom. The march will then pass by the Manneken-Pis which will don a costume specially designed for the occasion.

For the next two weeks, Belgian Pride Festival will include various activities surrounding the theme of “intersectionality” (www.pride.be/allforone). Because, besides the festivities, the Belgian Pride Parade and its festival are the right occasion to give the community a platform to express its demands and to create a space for political reflection. All with the aim of creating a more equal and united society.

Belgian Pride, the climax of the two-week festival, will feature a colourful program:

• Pride Weekend will take place over three days, from Friday 17 to Sunday 19 May
• On Friday, Rainbow Village will open the weekend’s festivities. Institutions in the Saint Jean district will come to life with the sounds of DJ sets and other performances planned for the occasion.
• On Saturday, 18th the Pride Parade will fill the streets of the heart of the captial while Pride Village will welcome around 60 organisations as well as many DJs and artists who will delight the Mont des Arts.
• On Sunday, several activities will take place in Rainbow Village.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Centara to showcase traditional Thai heritage through Songkran

by

Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, is partnering with Smile in Love Wedding Studio to showcase Thailand’s rich cultural heritage embodied in traditional Thai clothing throughout the upcoming Songkran Festival 2019. Centara staff will wear traditional Thai costumes, providing guests with an up-close look at the timeless style and glamour of authentic Thai apparel. In addition to celebrating Thai clothing traditions, guests at every hotel and resort property across the group will be invited to take part in Thai cultural activities such as the offering of beautiful handmade jasmine garlands and the traditional pouring of scented water over the palms.

Preparations are well underway at all 33 Centara properties within Thailand to extend a warm welcome and Thai-style hospitality to guests soon to arrive from around the world to join the Songkran festivities nationwide. All front-line staff will be dressed in traditional Thai costumes during the upcoming 11th – 15th April 2019 holiday period. Special activities, such as a booth for sprinkling scented water on the Buddha’s image, a set-up for pouring scented water onto elders’ palms, along with traditional Thai folk performances are also being arranged, enabling guests to experience the many appealing facets of this popular annual festival.

As the Thai hotel brand-of-choice among both Thai and international guests, Centara takes great pride in delivering its renowned standard of Thai-style service and gracious hospitality to guests while celebrating an important and joyful cultural occasion together with millions of Thais.

Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator. Its 68 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, China, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. Centara’s portfolio comprises six brands – Centara Grand Hotels & Resorts, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Centara Boutique Collection, Centra by Centara, Centara Residences & Suites and COSI Hotels – ranging from 5-star city hotels and luxurious island retreats to family resorts and affordable lifestyle concepts supported by innovative technology.It also operates state-of-the-art convention centres and has its own award-winning spa brand, Cenvaree. Throughout the collection, Centara delivers and celebrates the hospitality and values Thailand is famous for including gracious service, exceptional food, pampering spas and the importance of families.Centara’s distinctive culture and diversity of formats allow it to serve and satisfy travellers of nearly every age and lifestyle.

Over the next five years Centara aims to double its size with additional properties in Thailand and new international markets, while spreading its footprint into new continents and market niches. As Centara continues to expand, a growing base of loyal customers will find the company’s unique style of hospitality in more locations. Centara’s global loyalty programme, Centara The1, reinforces their loyalty with rewards, privileges and special member pricing.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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

by

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