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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

Leading industry figures take the helm at Cape Town Tourism

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The Cape Town Tourism (CTT) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Julie-May Ellingson and Ms Wahida Parker as Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, respectively.

Ms. Ellingson is Chief Executive Officer of the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) and is an Urban & Regional Planner and Development Economist by profession. Her commitment at the helm of the CTICC in driving the Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Events (MICE) economy in Cape Town has contributed to the city being named as the number one city in Africa for business tourism events by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).   Under her leadership, the CTICC has achieved record-breaking revenues and doubled its investment in community initiatives.

“I look forward to working with the management team in building on the success of Cape Town Tourism.  Today’s tough economic conditions require us to be even more innovative in our approach and to use all resources at our disposal effectively.  This includes twinning with other world class destinations and the enhanced use of technology to the benefit of our members, who make Cape Town, the incredible destination it is.” – Julie-May Ellingson

Newly-elected vice-chairperson Wahida Parker is an admitted attorney, internationally accredited mediator and coach. Her leadership at one of the world’s most iconic attractions is focused on ensuring that all South Africans get to experience Table Mountain at least once in their lives. This world-class attraction continues to flourish under her leadership.

“To be part of dedicated team that has a single-minded approach to ensuring that Cape Town grows as a tourism destination is both exciting and daunting. I relish the challenge that this brings and look forward to enhancing the offering to the membership and Cape Town in general. The key to our success lies in building relationships that have the greater good in mind rather than pursuing personal agendas”, says Wahida Parker.

“Both Ms. Ellingson and Ms. Parker have successful track records as respected tourism leaders committed to future forward thinking in response to our evolving industry. We are indeed fortunate as Cape Town Tourism to have committed, passionate and high-calibre business executives like them leading us into the future.” Enver Duminy, CEO, Cape Town Tourism.

More from Capetown click here

UNWTO welcomes the Waikato Tourism Monitoring Observatory in New Zealand to its INSTO Network

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The Waikato Tourism Monitoring Observatory, New Zealand’s first tourism observatory, has joined the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO). Committed to regular and timely measurement of tourism and its impacts and hosted by the University of Waikato Management School, the observatory is focused on two major tourist locations in Waikato region – Raglan and Waitomo.

“New Zealand is an example of tourism sustainability and thus the incorporation of the Waikato Observatory to the UNWTO INSTO Network adds immense value to this global initiative,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

“The Waikato Tourism Monitoring Observatory is a wonderful initiative that will provide valuable data over time to support the tourism sector to maximize its contribution to the economy, while ensuring our visitors enjoy high-quality experiences,” said Paula Bennett, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism of New Zealand.

New Zealand’s tourism sector is experiencing continuous growth and therefore requires an adequate measurement of tourism impacts. This observatory is crucial to providing tangible evidence for well-informed decision making in sustainable tourism development-related themes.

The Waikato Observatory seeks to support the strengthening of the world famous surfing town Raglan as a sustainable destination, while continuing to protect the unique landscapes and the biodiversity of Waitomo and its iconic tourist attraction the Waitomo Caves. Overall, the Waikato region received 357,000 visitors in 2015, most of whom were domestic visitors (approx. 200,000).

Due to an already existing strong sense of community and engagement of its members especially in the more mature seaside tourism town Raglan, the observatory will start with focusing its monitoring efforts on crucial socio-cultural aspects such as ‘local and visitor satisfaction’. Additional areas encompass ‘destination economic benefits’, ‘tourism seasonality’ and ‘development control’ in the short term, extending in the long-term to measurement activities related to waste management, housing issues, water supply, sewage  management, among others. 

INSTO is a network of tourism observatories monitoring the economic, environmental and social impact of tourism at the destination level, committed to regular monitoring of tourism in order to better understand destination-wide resource use and foster responsible tourism management. There are currently 18 observatories in operation worldwide.

 

Fraport Greece begins 40-year concession at 14 Greek regional airports

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The Greek state received EUR1.234 billion in an upfront payment, to which Fraport Greece will further invest about EUR400 million for improving and expanding the airports’ infrastructure by 2021. The focus will be on enhancing facilities, operational processes, and the passenger experience. This will be the single largest expansion of Fraport Group’s international airport portfolio, says CEO Schulte.

Fraport Greece (73.4 percent owned by the Frankfurt based airport operator Fraport AG and 26.6 percent by Copelouzos Group) today commenced the 40-year concession for managing and developing 14 regional airports on the Greek mainland and popular holiday islands – a mammoth investment for the country’s infrastructure and economically vital tourism sector.  Following the operational transfer of the airports, Fraport Greece today paid the upfront concession fee of EUR1.234 billion – the biggest concession fee in Greece’s history – to the state-owned Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF). Along with this upfront fee, an annual fixed concession fee of EUR22.9 million will be paid to the Greek State, as well as a variable annual fee based on 28.5 percent of Fraport Greece’s yearly operational profit (EBITDA – earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization).  Actual ownership of the airports is retained by Greece.

Dr. Stefan Schulte, Fraport AG’s executive board chairman explained: “Since being selected as the winning bidder for the Greek Regional Airports in 2014, we have remained steadfastly committed to this visionary project. We believe in Greece and its potential as one of the greatest travel destinations in the world.  The goal of Fraport Greece is to enhance the travel experience for visitors from around the world – by upgrading and expanding facilities and by improving operational processes, shopping and services. Today is a great day for Greece and its people.  It is also an important day for us because Fraport Greece is the single largest expansion of our airport portfolio and a milestone in further growing our international business.”

Currently, Fraport generates more than 20 percent of its annual revenue through its portfolio of international airports and subsidiaries, bundled in the company’s External Activities & Services business segment.  With the operational transfer of the Greek airports, the Fraport Group will significantly enlarge its international activities, further broaden its worldwide footprint and reduce dependency on the development in single regions or markets.

The 14 Greek regional airports served a total of 25.3 million passengers in 2016, an increase by nine percent year-on-year.
Fraport Greece will operate, manage and develop the airports over the next four decades – with responsibility for aviation as well as non-aviation areas.  The mainland airports include Aktion (PVK), Kavala (KVA) and Thessaloniki (SKG), Greece’s second largest city.

The eleven island airports are located in Kerkyra/Corfu (CFU), Chania/Crete (CHQ), Kefalonia (EFL), Kos (KGS), Mytilene/Lesvos (MJT), Mykonos (JMK), Rhodes (RHO), Samos (KGS), Santorini (JTR), Skiathos (JSI) and Zakynthos (ZTH).

Alexander Zinell, Fraport Greece’s CEO, emphasized: “Today marks the beginning of a new era for the 14 Greek regional airports.  Within only twelve months we have created Fraport Greece, a world-class airport operator with over 500 highly motivated staff eager to move each of the 14 airports forward into the future. We will develop and manage the airports for the benefit of passengers and airlines – for all stakeholders. These mainland and island gateways will act as a catalyst of growth for Greek tourism as well as other industries. Well-managed airports have been proven to serve as dynamic economic engines for their regions.  We appreciate the outstanding support received throughout Greece and look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

Under the concession agreement, Fraport Greece will be investing about EUR400 million for improving and expanding the airports’ infrastructure over the next 48 months.  Hence, Fraport Greece recently signed an agreement with the Greek-based Intrakat construction and engineering company to refurbish, expand and build new facilities at the 14 airports – including five new passenger terminals.  In subsequent years, Fraport Greece will make investments for maintenance and demand-driven capacity expansions.

Approximately EUR1 billion in long-term financing for the Greek Regional Airports project is being provided by a consortium of leading financial institutions. Some EUR280.4 million of the total loan will be used to finance construction projects at the 14 airports, while EUR688 million will be used as part of the upfront concession payment to HRADF. Fraport Greece recently raised its total equity capital to EUR650 million.

For further information about Fraport AG please click here: http://ots.de/OlNxn

Leading bed bank on top in Middle East

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Fast-growing B2B travel company continues to increase presence in the Middle East market and looks forward to the upcoming Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai.

Travellanda has recently been reporting growth in all sectors, and the Middle East is no exception. The region has always been of great interest to the company, and exhibiting at ATM continues to be a success year-on-year.

According to Travellanda, its end of fiscal year report saw sales revenue grow over 30% from Middle East clients. As a result, the company aim to invest more resources into the market for the year ahead. For the new fiscal year, Travellanda expect an ambitious target of 79% growth. The confidence in success in Middle eastern market is due to agreements freshly finalized with key players in the region.

Arzu Sutcu, Head of Online for Travellanda said, “The Middle East is a core market for us, with an Average Transaction Value (ATV) almost double compared to that of Europe, we are delighted that it continues to grow for us.”

The strategy Travellanda have been developing has not just been about pushing sales in the region, but also enhancing its product range. Arzu went on to say, “We have been investing a lot in sales activity and account management, but we are also very focused on sourcing new and diverse products, which ultimately enable clients to provide much more choice for passengers travelling in and around the region.”

Travellanda are exhibiting at ATM and you can find them in Hall 1, Booth TT1760. If you would like to find out how it can help your travel business grow, get in touch via its website www.travellanda.com or send an email to arrange a meeting at ATM to marketing@travellanda.com

About Travellanda Ltd.

As a leading B2B Accommodation Wholesaler, Travellanda is the travel industry’s fastest growing company. Through cutting edge technology, it provides highly competitive wholesale rates on an inventory of over 200,000 hotels worldwide. Using the Travellanda XML Connectivity, Online Reservation System or White Label solution, travel agencies, tour operators, B2B online systems and OTA’s have access to a wide range of hotels. Travellanda’s head office is in London and has local offices in Bangkok, Istanbul, plus representatives in over 10 countries.