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Sandals and Beaches Resorts Dive into October With Nine Awards From Scuba Diving’s 2021 Readers Choice Awards

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Sandals® and Beaches® Resorts, home to some of the best all-inclusive dive resorts in the Caribbean, has taken the plunge into October with the early announcement of nine accolades from Scuba Diving Magazine’s 2021 Readers Choice Awards for the Caribbean. Each year, Scuba Diving Magazine’s readers are asked to evaluate the dive resorts they have visited, among other categories, on a variety of subjects ranging from the quality of rooms and quality of restaurants to the quality of staff, best family-friendly experiences and more.

Four Luxury Included® resorts under Sandals Resorts International’s (SRI) award-winning portfolio now proudly boast the following accolades: 

  • #1 Quality of the Resort – Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort (Gros Islet, St. Lucia)
  • #1 Quality of the Rooms – Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort (Gros Islet, St. Lucia)
  • #1 Quality of the Restaurant – Sandals Grenada Resort & Spa (St. George’s, Grenada)
  • #2 Quality of the Rooms – Sandals Grenada Resort & Spa (St. George’s, Grenada)
  • #2 Quality of the Restaurant – Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort (Gros Islet, St. Lucia)
  • #2 Best Family-Friendly Experiences – Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa (Providenciales, Turks & Caicos)
  • Top 5 Quality of Staff – Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort (Gros Islet, St. Lucia)
  • Top 10 Quality of Staff – Sandals Grenada Resort & Spa (St. George’s, Grenada)
  • Top 10 Quality of Restaurant – Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa (Negril, Jamaica)

“The Caribbean Sea is home to some of the most beautiful coral reefs and aquatic life so naturally, scuba diving has always been a popular activity here and has attracted many avid divers to stay at our resorts,” said Adam Stewart, Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts International.

“Over the past few months, we’ve actually seen an uptick in diving. Diving is synonymous with social distancing, and that activity checks the box for couples looking to explore our beautiful waters by day and retreat to their private suites by night,” continued Stewart.

Ranked by PADI® as one of the Top 5 Dive Operations in the Western Hemisphere, Sandals and Beaches Resorts offer expert PADI® certification and training to guests staying on-resort and has issued over 100,000 PADI certifications to date. Sandals and Beaches boasts a comprehensive program that includes daily scuba diving for certified divers, and has highly experienced PADI® certified staff that work in partnership with DAN® to bring guests unparalleled dive experiences at exotic sites from spectacular reefs and shipwrecks to drop-offs and underwater caves. Guests staying at any Sandals or Beaches Resort also have access to top-of-the-line equipment with everything from regulators, BCD’s, masks, snorkels, fins and tanks to state-of-the-art, twin diesel Newton boats – all included.

With an interest in diving on the rise amongst travelers, Sandals and Beaches Resorts has conducted nearly 1,000 courses for all certification levels, showing a 28% overall increase in diving certifications from July to September 2020, compared to 2019. According to PADI, the September 2020 numbers show a growth of new dive certifications issued, with an increase in completed courses by 57% for Entry-Level and by 125% for Continuing-Education certification types across all open Sandals and Beaches Resorts, in comparison to the previous year.

With rigorous health and safety protocols set forth in the Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness, guests can feel at ease both on-resort and underwater knowing that all equipment is thoroughly sanitized including masks, wetsuits, fins and jackets in addition to the sanitization of the dive pool deck, tanks and seats, among other enhanced measures.

Known for its Luxury Included® vacations, Sandals and Beaches Resorts provides 5-Star Global Gourmet™ dining at up to 21 different restaurants per resort, luxurious accommodations, including some of the Caribbean’s most sought-after suites, endless land and water sports, nightly entertainment and so much more.

For more information on the award-winning resorts or to book your next stay, please visit: https://www.sandals.com/resorts/ or https://www.beaches.com/resorts/. To learn more about special offers for dive groups, please visit: https://www.sandals.com/group-specials/

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MEDIA CONTACT: 1-888-SANDALS, [email protected]

ATB welcomes Georges Pierre Lesjongard: New Minister of Tourism Mauritius

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Georges Pierre Lesjongard, also known as Joe Lesjongard has been sworn in as the new minister of Tourism of Mauritius as of November 12. This is under the new government led by Pravind Jugnauth, Prime Minister & Minister of Interior and Defence.

Following the general elections held on 7th November in Mauritius, the swearing-in of the new Council of Ministers took place this Tuesday 12th November at the State House in Réduit.

Mr Lesjongard, who has a background of engineer, has been working at several posts in the government during these last 20 years, namely as minister of Rodrigues, minister of Land and Housing, and more recently as Deputy Speaker at the parliament, among others. During the vesting ceremony, Joe Lesjongard said that he will be working to make Tourism continue contributing to the economy of the country.

Career:

  • Elected Member of Constituency No. 4, Port Louis North and Montagne Longue – September 2000
  • President MSM Party Minister of Local Government and Rodrigues- [From September 2000]
  •  Minister of Local Government and Rodrigues and Minister of Housing & Lands [From 24 January 2003 to December 2003]
  •  Minister of Housing & Lands,Small & Medium Enterprises,Handicraft & the Informal Sector[From December 2003 to 16 December 2004]
  •  Minister of Housing and Lands and Minister of Fisheries [As from 16 December 2004]
  •  Elected 2nd Member for Constituency No. 4, Port Louis North and Montagne Longue on 3rd July 2005, under the banner of MSM, MMM-MSM-PMSD Alliance, now no Alliance
  •  Member of Parliament as from 12 July 2005
  • Elected 2nd Member for Constituency No. 4, Port Louis North and Montagne Longue on 6th May 2010
  • Member of Parliament as from 18 May 2010 to 06 October 2014
  • Elected 2nd Member for Constituency No. 14​, Savanne and Black River as from 11 December 2014
  •  Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee set up under the Prevention of Corruption Act as from 16 November 2017 to 06 October 2019
  • Deputy Speaker as at 16th October 2018 to 11 November 2019
  • Member of House Committee
  • Member of Standing Orders Committee as from 28 March 2017 to 06 October 2019
  • Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Gender Caucus as from 16 October 2018 to 06 October 2019
  • 08 November 2019 – Elected first Member for Constituency No.4 Port Louis North and Montagne Longue
  • ​12 November 2019 – Minister of Tourism

The African Tourism Board Executive Committee related their congratulations to the Hon. Minister Georges Pierre Lesjongard. ATB Founding Chairman Juergen Steinmetz said: “Mauritius has been supportive to our organization from the very first minute. We are ready to continue our excellent relationship with Mauritius as a prime travel and tourism destination under the leadership of Minister Lesjongard.”

MEDIA CONTACT: TravelMarketingNetwork, 954 Lexington Ave. #1037, New York, NY 10021 USA, PH: (+1) 718-374-6816, [email protected]   

State of the Air: Hawaii boasts some of the best air quality in the nation

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The American Lung Association’s 2019 “State of the Air” report found that Hawaii has some of the cleanest air in the U.S. and Honolulu and Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina are two of the cleanest areas in the country. Honolulu County had a new record low for an annual average of particle pollution, and less than half the highest ever level recorded in 2009-2011.

Each year the “State of the Air” provides a report card on the two most widespread outdoor air pollutants, ozone pollution, also known as smog, and particle pollution, also called soot. The report analyzes particle pollution in two ways: through average annual particle pollution levels and short-term spikes in particle pollution. Both ozone and particle pollution are dangerous to public health and can increase the risk of premature death and other serious health effects such as lung cancer, asthma attacks, cardiovascular damage, and developmental and reproductive harm.

“People in Hawaii are breathing some of the cleanest air in the nation, but increasing climate change is threatening our air quality,” said Kahala Howser, Executive Director for the American Lung Association in Hawaii. “While we are very happy with this report, Hawaiians must remain vigilant when we have vog episodes. Additionally, more than four in 10 Americans are living with unhealthy air, and we’re heading in the wrong direction when it comes to protecting public health and people’s lives.”

Honolulu had no unhealthy air days for ozone pollution. Nationally, this year’s report showed that ozone levels increased in most cities nationwide, in large part due to the record-breaking global heat experienced in the three years tracked in the report.

While the report examined data from 2015-2017, this 20th annual report online provides information on air pollution trends back to the first report. Learn more about Hawaii’s rankings, as well as air quality across and the nation, in the 2019 “State of the Air” report at Lung.org/sota. For media interested in speaking with an expert about lung health, healthy air, and threats to air quality, contact Holly Harvey at [email protected] or 206-512-3292.

2019 Cleanest Cities

Cleanest cities in the U.S (on all three categories of cleanest cities described below)

• Bangor, ME
• Burlington-South Burlington, VT
• Honolulu, HI
• Lincoln-Beatrice, NE
• Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
• Wilmington, NC

Cleanest for Ozone Pollution (zero unhealthy air days – all counties)

• Anchorage, AK
• Bellingham, WA
• Casper, WY
• Fairbanks, AK
• Idaho Falls-Rexburg-Blackfoot, ID
• Honolulu, HI

Cleanest for Short-term Particle Pollution (zero unhealthy air days – all counties)

• Honolulu, HI

Cleanest Cities for Year-Round Particle Pollution (twenty-five cities with the lowest annual levels)

1. Cheyenne, WY (tie)
1. Honolulu, HI (tie)
1. Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI (tie)
4. Casper, WY (tie)
4. St. George, UT (tie)
6. Elmira-Corning, NY
7. Duluth, MN-WI (tie)
7. Pueblo-Canon City, CO (tie)
9. Bismarck, ND (tie)
10. Bellingham, WA (tie)
10. Syracuse-Auburn, NY (tie)

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

New sales leader at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington DC & Kimpton George Hotel

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Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington DC and Kimpton George Hotel announced the hire of Katherine Saad-Loman as director of sales and marketing for both boutique hotels in Washington, DC. Saad-Loman brings a strong resort, catering, and luxury hotel background to the position, as well as nearly 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

In her new role, Saad-Loman will drive all sales and marketing activities for Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Washington DC and Hotel George. Saad-Loman’s day to day as director of sales and marketing for the two hotels will be spent with an emphasis on working with key corporate accounts while also leading the hotels’ expert sales, catering, and events staff. Under her guidance, the team will continue to create ridiculously personalized meetings, weddings, and creative event experiences, offering seasonally-inspired food and beverage in partnership with the hotels’ talented restaurant teams. Saad-Loman will also spearhead strategy for all sales segments and oversee the approach toward revenue, digital marketing, advertising and public relations efforts for the hotels.

Saad-Loman joins Kimpton with varied and impressive experience. She began her career at Hilton Singer Island Ocean Front Resort where she increased catering sales 350% across her three year term. After learning the ropes of a conference hotel, Saad-Loman gained experience as a director of food and beverage at Imperial Lake Golf and Country Club in Mulberry, Florida. She then cut her teeth in a number sales and operations roles throughout central Florida and Baltimore before joining the team at Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort as a senior sales and catering manager. She continued to advance her career at top hotels in the Florida market before returning to the Mid-Atlantic as a director of sales and marketing at Bethany Beach Ocean Suites in Delaware. Prior to joining the team at Kimpton, she was task force director of sales and marketing with Crestline Hotels & Resorts in Fairfax, Virginia.

A world traveler and graduate of Catham College in Pittsburgh, Saad-Loman has called the greater DC area home for the past seven months. Outside of work, she can be found planning her next trip, finding places to use her fluent French and recommends everyone live abroad at least once in their lives. Saad-Loman is a member of Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) with a passion for mentoring those looking to hone their sales and leadership skills, and she also volunteers, teaching financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship to first graders through Junior Achievement of Greater Washington in her spare time. Saad-Loman brings a stylish sense of leadership and a wide range of sales and marketing experience to both Hotel George and Hotel Monaco Washington DC.

Travel News | eTurboNews