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No-show clients at Paris restaurants now must pay cancellation cash penalties

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Cafes and restaurants in the French capital have opted to follow the lead of hotels and guest-houses, and start charging their customers with cash penalties for late cancellation of reservations or failing to appear in time.

Hundreds of Paris eateries are currently adopting the system that is widely used in the hotel industry, the Times reports. Restaurants oblige clientele to leave details of their credit cards while making reservations, with big-name places warning customers over a potential charge in case of a no-show.

The measure is reportedly connected to losses the restaurants have to suffer, when people make several reservations for the same day and then cancel at least one of them without warning.

“Even in great restaurants customers cancel without having the slightest idea of the economic impact of their action,” the managing director of Les Grandes Tables du Monde, an association of top restaurants Nicolas Chatenier told the media.

Restaurants reportedly have to follow the trend due to French gastronomical habits, in particular fondness for lengthy meals. French cafes cannot allow two bookings for the same table, like restaurants in Britain and the US, as they cannot be sure that the first group will leave before the second one appears.

The financial losses due to no-shows are really significant, accounting for up to 30 percent of the restaurants entire revenue, according to Xavier Zeitoun, founder of a restaurant booking site Zenchef, as cited by the media. The businessman noted that 245 restaurants have adopted the new system so far.

Chatenier said that annual losses of an average Michelin-starred restaurant may total up to €150,000, stressing that one canceled table may wipe out the profits it could make in the evening.

To tackle the problem the Tour d’Argent restaurant has reportedly imposed a cancellation fee of €100 per head at lunchtime and €200 for the dinner service, while the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant obliges clients who book a table and cancel less than ten days before the meal, to pay €86 per head.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Tourism employees celebrated at Employee of the Year awards  

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It was during an appreciation event held on Friday, March 22, 2019, at the Hilton Labriz Jetty at Belombre that 14 employees of the Seychelles tourism industry were recognized for their outstanding achievement.

The initiative of the Ministry for Tourism aims at sensitizing stakeholders on the importance of having in place a recognition program in their respective organization.

The event, which saw the participation of the various hotel representatives and rewarded employees, was conducted in the presence of the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Mr.  Didier Dogley; Mrs. Myriam Telemaque Minister for Employment, Employment, Immigration and Civil Status; Mrs Anne Lafortune Principal Secretary for Tourism and Mrs. Sherin Francis Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive.

Speaking at the launch the Minister for Tourism, retraced the interesting course of the tourism industry since in inception, he expressed his appreciation to the private sector for the support received throughout the years.

“It is important to have an initiative that encourages our employees in the industry to contribute towards making our destination, one which excels in its quality of service provided to our visitors,” said Minister Dogley.

Minister Dogley also commended the various organisation who have committed to the monthly recognition for their employees.

Employees rewarded were Edmond Felicie from Raffles Seychelles; also from Praslin Nelly Brioche representing Les Lauriers Eco Hotel & restaurant; Gary Pouponneau from Constance Lemuria; Williana Wilcock of Paradise Sun; Almea Marie from Berjaya Praslin resort and Akendra Bk from Oasis Hotel Restaurant and Spa.

Recognized at the Hilton group in Seychelles were Therese Belise for Doubletree by Hilton Seychelles Allamanda Resort and Spa, Liza Pool for Hilton Northolme Resort and Spa and Anthony Bannane for Hilton Seychelles Labriz resort and Spa.

On the Constance Ephelia was Pithra Matombe; Carol Fred from Four Seasons Resort Seychelles; Vishnu Sukumaran from Carana Beach Hotel; Micheal Jean-Louis of Eden Bleu Hotel and finally John Mokgethi of North Island

The employee of the year award recognizes employees who have demonstrated and contributed to the improvements of the quality and performance of their respective organisations at national level and seeks to motivate workers to excel and be productive in the workplace.

Travel News | eTurboNews

New head at JFA Group of Companies – Hotels Division in Seychelles

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Philippe Cornaille has been appointed head at JFA Group of Companies – Hotels Division in Seychelles. When asked to give some background on himself, Philippe Cornaille starts by saying he was born in Luxembourg first, and married to “my lovely Virginie” second. Aside from being happily married, he also holds the demanding task of overseeing all the hotels of the JFA Group of Companies in Seychelles.

Philippe Cornaille is another “return customer” to the Creole Travel Group team in Seychelles. He was previously the Resident Manager of the Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie of La Digue in 2009, before moving on in 2013 to Tsogo Sun Hotels in Dubai. He continued as the General Manager of the pre-opening phase of AVANI Les Berges Du Lac Tunis Suites, before returning back home to Seychelles to the JFA Group.

Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie at La Digue and Le Domaine de La Reserve at Praslin are the hotels in that Hotel Group in Seychelles.

Travel News | eTurboNews