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Hilton University of Florida Conference Center at Gainesville joins Benchmark Resorts & Hotels portfolio

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Benchmark has added the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center at Gainesville to the company’s Benchmark Resorts & Hotels brand portfolio. The recently renovated, 248-guest room property is located on the University of Florida campus, close to Gainesville’s Central Business District. The property serves a growing market of visiting alumni, parents and students, academics, and guests affiliated with the university. Its IACC-approved conference center, with 25,000 square feet of meeting space, attracts a significant number of meetings and events. The Hilton University of Florida Conference Center at Gainesville is Benchmark’s tenth property in Florida, and the third hotel located on a major college campus within the United States.


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“We are honored to be chosen by Hilton Hotels & Resorts to manage this exceptional property,” says Benchmark CEO Alex Cabañas. “We are also delighted to again expand our presence in Florida, where both our Gemstone Collection and Benchmark Resorts & Hotels brands are represented throughout the Sunshine State,” he said. Benchmark recently added two hotels in St. Pete Beach to its portfolio, expanding its presence to Southwest Florida.

Mr. Cabañas also noted the growing importance of conference center hotels to a university. “These hotels serve as a campus ‘guest house’, providing an authentic, on-campus experience while sharing ideas and resources,” he said.

The non-smoking, pet-friendly hotel includes 248 guest rooms and suites featuring HDTV, desks for work/study-related activities, and complimentary WiFi. Guests can enjoy the property’s outdoor pool and whirlpool and a 24-hour fitness center.

The University of Florida is a prominent research university, set on 2,000 acres in Gainesville, in North Central Florida. It offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in law, medicine, business and engineering.

The University of Florida campus offers an array of services and attractions, including an art museum, concerts, lectures, theater, libraries and sports events. Guests can enjoy collegiate football at the nearby Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, home of the Florida Gators. Other local attractions include the Butterfly Rainforest, the Florida Museum of Natural History and the Gainesville Raceway. The surrounding region offers opportunities for biking, canoeing, paddle boarding, swimming and wildlife viewing at one of seven nearby Florida State parks.

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US$163 million Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal 3: Go for Launch!

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The event theme, “Go for Launch,” was a nod to the Port’s key role with the U.S. space program and Port Canaveral’s new terminal with its futuristic design, which was inspired by nearby Kennedy Space Center. The $163 million terminal project – the largest in the Port’s 65-year history – is scheduled for completion in May 2020 and will be ready for the arrival of Mardi Gras to her year-round Port Canaveral homeport in October 2020.

At a space-themed ceremony today, the Canaveral Port Authority and longtime cruise partner Carnival Cruise Line officially broke ground for construction of Port Canaveral’s new Cruise Terminal 3 complex. The new terminal, dubbed the Launch Pad, will be the home of Mardi Gras, the cruise line’s newest and most innovative ship, beginning in 2020. Port Authority Commissioners and the Port’s leadership team joined Carnival Cruise Line executives for the ceremonial groundbreaking at the project site as NASA’s “Spaceman” planted a Carnival Cruise Line flag on a simulated lunar landscape.

“Today’s groundbreaking is a historic milestone for our Port and underscores the long-standing partnership we have with Carnival,” Port CEO Capt. John Murray said. “The trust and confidence we’ve earned with our great cruise partner has been the foundation of success and we are excited for what the future holds. We’re building a great new terminal, for an innovative new ship, and looking forward to welcoming home Mardi Gras.”

Added Carnival President Christine Duffy, “We began our operations from Port Canaveral nearly 30 years go – coincidentally with our original ship of the same name. We’ve had a great relationship with Port Canaveral during that time and we’re proud, honored and excited that our newest and most innovative ship, Mardi Gras, will sail from the new Terminal 3. We are pleased to be the port’s number one cruise line and Mardi Gras promises to be a spectacular addition to the Space Coast.”

CT3 ceremonial first dig (L-R) Scott Bakos, Bermello Ajamil & Partners, Inc; Jerry Allender, CPA Commissioner; Wayne Justice, CPA Commissioner; Christine Duffy, President Carnival Cruise Line; Capt. John Murray, CEO Port Canaveral; Micah Loyd, CPA Commission Chairman; Rocky Johnson, Ivey’s Construction, Inc.

Port Canaveral and Carnival Cruise Line executives held a “pre-launch mission” news conference complete with a mock countdown, then grabbed shovels on the terminal construction site for the ceremonial first dig to officially kick off construction. Participants included Wayne Justice, Canaveral Port Authority Commissioner; Christine Duffy, President, Carnival Cruise Line; Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO; Micah Loyd, Canaveral Port Authority Commission Chairman; Jerry Allender, Canaveral Port Authority Commissioner; Rocky Johnson, Vice President, Ivey’s Construction Inc.; and Scott Bakos, Partner with Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc., a Miami firm providing architecture and engineering design work for the project.

“We are proud to be building this state-of-the-art facility and looking forward to providing Carnival’s cruise guests with a first-class guest experience,” Port Commissioner Wayne Justice said. “Building the new cruise terminal, like each of our construction projects at Port Canaveral, is an investment in building our community.”

The contract to build the two-story, 187,000 sq. ft. terminal facility and adjacent six-story parking garage was awarded to Merritt Island, Florida-based Ivey’s Construction. The terminal will feature a high-tech baggage processing facility and a state-of-the-art check-in and security area on its second floor, with kiosks and seating for 1,700 guests. The six-story 692,000 sq. ft. parking garage will accommodate 1,800 vehicles.

Construction of the cruise terminal’s marine facility got underway last year with a contract awarded to Titusville, Florida-based contractor RUSH Marine to remove the existing pier structures at the site and build a new 1,309-foot-long berth for Mardi Gras. Substantial completion of the project is scheduled for December 2019.

Port Canaveral’s Launch Pad will be homeport to Carnival’s largest and most innovative cruise ship, Mardi Gras, which will be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG) – part of Carnival Corporation’s “green cruising” platform. Mardi Gras will be the first cruise ship in North America to be powered by this clean fuel technology. Port Canaveral has worked with federal, state and local public safety and regulatory officials to ensure the Port’s safety readiness for the ship’s arrival. Fuel providers will employ widely used and proven safe best practices of a ship-to-ship “bunkering” refueling, which is regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Currently under construction in Meyer Turku, Finland, Mardi Gras will arrive at Port Canaveral mid-October 2020 and will feature BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea, 20 passenger decks and six distinctive theme zones of fun, dining and entertainment: Grand Central; the French Quarter with Emeril’s Bistro 1369, the first restaurant at sea created by famed New Orleans chef Emeril Lagasse; La Piazza; Summer Landing; Lido; and the Ultimate Playground.

After a special eight-day cruise to the Caribbean on Oct. 16, 2020, Mardi Gras will commence year-round seven-day cruises on Oct. 24, 2020, alternating weekly to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Eastern voyages will take Mardi Gras to San Juan, Puerto Rico, Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, and Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos, while Western sailings will travel to Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico, and Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan), Honduras.

First-day bookings for Mardi Gras in January 2019 broke opening-day sales records for a new Carnival ship, according to the cruise line.

Carnival named its newest cruise ship after its first cruise ship. The original 27,000-ton Mardi Gras, a converted trans-Atlantic liner, entered service in 1972 and popularized cruise vacations in the United States, helping Carnival become the largest cruise company in the world today. In March 1991, the 1,241-guest Mardi Gras became one of the first Carnival ships to homeport at Port Canaveral, where she offered three- and four-day cruises to the Bahamas until she and sister ship Carnivale were replaced by the Carnival Fantasy in October 1993.

Mardi Gras’ arrival in Port Canaveral in 2020 will mark 30 years that Carnival Cruise Line has been sailing from Port Canaveral, the longest of any of the Port’s cruise partners. The Port Authority Board of Commissioners approved a long-term operating agreement with Carnival in August 2018.

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Buddhist World Peace Center Opens in USA

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The Fernwood Hotel and Conference Center in Pennsylvania, USA has been transformed into a Buddhist ‘World Peace Center’. The new owners want this to be a place the community can enjoy again.

The Jinyin Temple will hold its first public prayer ceremony there on Saturday. The new owners hope to spread compassion and kindness while deepening the friendship between Chinese and Americans.

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A shiny new statue of Buddha greets drivers on Milford Road; a sign the Jinyin Temple of Sino Esoteric Buddhism is open.

Inside, you’ll find 20-foot tall statues weighing three tons each. The Prayer Hall is adorned with elaborate statues shipped from overseas.

“Our aim here is to build a temple, I should say, to pray for world peace,” explains Jack Wang, construction officer.  The main Jinyin temple is in China, and this is the first location in America.

Temple leaders toured other potential locations, including in California, but ultimately decided to build here because it would be a challenge.

“We always build mandala or our temple in the most undeveloped area. I would say economically undeveloped area,” Wang says.

The property’s main draw, which once served as Fernwood’s event center, burnt down last summer. The new owners lost precious artifacts in the fire, but they vowed to continue on.

“It’s a setback but it’s not going to stop us,” Wang adds.

Later this year they plan to start offering public classes like meditation, yoga, calligraphy and kung fu. This is meant to be a place for different cultures and religions to come together as one.

“We’re open to local people, we also want to learn from them,” Wang smiles.

The master and other disciples traveled from China to be here.

“In a few years this is going to be a magnet for tourism,” Wang envisions.

Saturday’s ceremony starts with sign-in from 1-2 pm. The day continues with art and prayer, then wraps up with dinner from 5:30-6:30 pm.

Priests, volunteers and maintenance crews live on-site in the former hotel rooms.

SOURCE: IIPT

Seychelles Tourism departments conveys peers and other stakeholders to the first 2019 multi-sectoral meeting

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High officials representing various agencies, members of the tourism-trade and other stakeholders met again on February 1, 2019, three-months following their last assembly in October 2018.

The first multi-sectoral meeting of the year, which took place at the National House, was presided by Minister Didier Dogley, Ministers for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine.

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The meeting saw the presence of his counterparts Minister for Employment, Immigration & Civil Status, Myriam Telemaque; Minister for Environment, Energy & Climate Change, Wallace Cosgrow and Minister for Finance, Trade, Investment and Economic Planning Maurice Loustau-Lalanne.

The agenda included presentations from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS), and the Seychelles Land Transport Authority (SLTA).

The presentations by the NBS kept the participants of the meeting abreast with the latest figures including tourism earnings and expenditures. The NBS team mentioned that the aim of the surveys conducted by its teams at the airport and the port aims at having accurate information on every market. They reported that for last year, $563,9 million was earned form the tourism industry, the country’s leading economic pillar. This represents a 16.7 percent increase from 2017’s earnings.

Seychelles ended December 2018 with 361,231 visitors that disembarked in the island nation, a figure which is four percent above that of 2017. The tourism industry is already seeing an increase in visitor arrivals for 2019 as figure have increased by 16 percent when compared to the same period last year. Since the start of 2019, over 33,700 tourists have set foot in the country.

On its part, the CBS reported on the balance of payment. They stated that Seychelles is primarily a service-based economy, where tourism accounts for more than 25 percent of the country’s GDP.

While the Department for Finance presented a brief on the operating cost in Seychelles, during his short intervention the Minister for Finance, Trade, Investment and Economic Planning Maurice Loustau-Lalanne mentioned that the department is actively working towards reducing business costs related tax considerably.

The two authorities explained the methodology of how data was collected and requested all stakeholders to collaborate in order to be as correct as possible.

The SLTA provided an update on the Road maintenance plan including all the development work on roads and their timeframe.

The Risk Management Section from the Tourism Department circulated their latest figures regarding the crime issues affecting the tourism industry in 2018, showing a 61% decrease in crimes as compared to the same period in 2017.

In his address to the press Minister Dogley expressed his convictions that the Multisectoral meeting adds to the benefit of all stakeholders, he confirms that various issues have been addressed through the meeting and other issues are being taken care of through the continuous meetings.

“What the country wants to see is meaningful and real growth in the industry in general. It is important that the meeting continues on this positive note and that all stakeholders engage in discussions in an effort to jointly identify and implement tangible solutions.” said Minister Dogley.

The aim of the multisectoral meeting is for the public and private sector, involved in the tourism industry, to continue to work together as partners. As a result, the tourism sector can be strengthened for the country to be able to draw more out of the industry and prosper.

*End*

Local partners and tourism industry players to assist hosting first ever international tournament in Seychelles

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As the Seychelles destination is in anticipation of the MCB Staysure Tour event to start in one week-time, local partners and service providers have rallied to ensure the event to be hosted on Praslin between December 14, 2018 and December 16, 2018 is a success.

Parallel to Constance Lemuria preparing to welcome the final of the golf tournament, the organising committee is working effortlessly to guarantee that the necessary means are put in place so that the tournament runs smoothly.

From the minute the guests set foot on Seychelles’ soil, the organising committee, with the help of its various partners, are in charge of ensuring that the guests’ stay in paradise goes without any hiccups.

Amongst the various local companies who have offered to provide their support are local destination management companies Creole Travel Services, Mason’s Travel and 7 Degrees South, CAT COCOS, Takamaka Rum, ISPC Seychelles and Heineken.

The 32 professional golfers together with Staysure Tour Officials, MCB partners and the international press will touch down in Seychelles on December 11, 2018, flying in on-board an Air Seychelles flight from Mauritius.

The national airline will have three twin otters lined up to facilitate the transportation of golfers and their spouses and other invited guests to the second biggest island of Seychelles – Praslin.

Creole Travel Services, Mason’s Travel and 7 Degrees South will be catering and making provision for the complimentary transportation of the participants between venues.

The Operations Manager at 7 Degrees South, Ms. Lindy Cadeau, said that such is in line with the company’s vision of involving new grounds.

“The resources have all been adequately allocated specifically for the event which will surely be an ideal opportunity to allow more exposure to the home of the mystical Coco De Mer fruit and Seychelles in general,” said Ms. Cadeau.

She noted that the number of golf enthusiasts’ eager to attend destination tours over the years have grown significantly.

Discussing Mason’s travel participation in providing support to the golf, Mr. Alvis, General Manager of the company talked about the importance of seizing such an opportunity for Seychelles.

“Being part of the MCB-Staysure Golf event is an opportunity for us to show our pride as a local business to support such events being hosted in our country. We believe that our contribution to this event will not only help our company to get new clients but also the country to get new business through the interest that would be generated in this event,” said Mr. Alvis.

Responsible for the transfer of the golf tournament partakers’ equipment and luggage and the Staysure delegation, CAT COCOS is making available a complimentary chartered boat to Praslin.

Speaking about the Creole Travel Services’ commitment to be part of the MCB-Staysure Golf Tournament, Mr. Eric Renard, General Manager at the company mentioned the meticulous organisation behind the project from the organisation’s part.

“It is our pleasure to provide our support to such an international event. We have an active delegated department assigned to the task, ensuring that everything that is required from us is ready when the time comes. Events such as these are ideal to attract a niche market to the Seychelles, and as a dynamic local DMC, it is our duty to encourage the further growth and evolution of the Seychelles as a tourism destination.”

IPSC Seychelles, Heineken and Takamaka Rum will ensure that food and beverage are made available to the different members of the delegation as the golf tournament rolls on.

Talking about the investment made for the event by ISPC, Mr. Alfred Alain Fourcroy, ISPC’s Chief Executive and Partner mentioned that the company is making provision to serve their best brands at the various events.  He further mentioned that ISPC would also be assisting in serving Champagne to arriving guests on board the aircraft.

“Our involvement in this event was a natural step for us. We have been actively supporting golf since 2013 via our competitions/events and more recently since 2016 being involved within the Seychelles Golf Federation. We believe this event is an amazing opportunity for Seychelles and we are delighted to be on board,” said Mr. Alfred Fourcroy.

As another regular sponsor of golf events on our shores, the Takamaka Rum local distiller company took the opportunity to add its brand to the list of partners to the event.

“Takamaka Rum is very proud to be one of the sponsors of the MCB Tour championship; we have supported golf in Seychelles for many years so it was an easy decision to make to be a part of the best golfing event ever to come to our shores. Best of luck to the all the Golfers,” said Takamaka Rum Managing Director Mr. Richard D’Offay as he spoke about their association to the prestigious MCB-Staysure Golf Tournament.

With the tourism industry being the driving pillar of the economy of Seychelles, each member of the team has a specific role to play in making the first golf tournament in the 115-island archipelago of the Indian Ocean a success.

Hosting such a high profile golfing event will secure higher visibility for Seychelles, potentially attracting more golf enthusiasts to the country – the perfect opportunity for one to relax and lay back while still doing what they love.

MEDIA CONTACT: info@seychelles.travel