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Early Bird Registration is Now Open for 26th OTDYKH International Russian Travel Market

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Following the success of the 2019 event, the dates for the upcoming OTDYKH Leisure fair 2020 have been announced. Next year’s highly-anticipated three-day event will take place at the Expocentre in Moscow from September  8-10,2020.

The largest tourism event in Russia, this fair is unmissable for major competitors in the travel industry seeking to tap into the vast and ever-growing Russian travel market. Despite having fluctuated in recent years, from 2016 to 2017 Russian outbound tourism increased by an impressive 25%, rising a further 5.8% in 2018. With a population of almost 145 million, and given its key positioning between Europe and Asia, Russia is a primary player in the global travel industry with huge potential for companies providing travel-related services.

Russians also reportedly spend on average 42% more per person, per foreign holiday than their European counterparts. In 2018 Russia placed 8th on an UNTWO report which ranked countries by their contribution to outbound tourism. Russia’s total spending amounted to $31.1 billion USD, up almost 30% from the previous year. These statistics point to a flourishing trend in Russian outbound travel, and well as lucrative opportunities for companies looking to harness the Russian market.

The OTDYKH Leisure fair of 2020 will see the return of the many spectacular business networking events of the 2019 edition. The 2019 event welcomed almost 15,000 industry experts with 600 exhibitors from 35 countries and 41 Russian regions.

Highlights of the expo included a series of exclusive B2B marketing events for exhibitors, such as roundtable meetings between leading Russian tour operators and international organisations. Other features included a sales-call service, expert workshops and the B2B Speed Dating service which facilitated one-on-one meetings at exhibitors’ stands.

The highly popular Hosted Buyer program will also be making a comeback in 2020, establishing hundreds of meetings between high-level buyers, tour operators and travel agencies.

The Business Program in 2019 comprised of 45 business events with over 150 speakers and almost 2,700 participants and will be a winning feature of the upcoming expo when the OTDYKH Leisure fair returns on September 8, 2020.

Early bird booking rates are on limited release until December 31, 2019.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Ms. Anna Huber at a.huber@euroexpo-vienna.com  

International office: +43 1 230 85 35

Seychelles Tourism Board meets Tourism Trade Partners

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The marketing body of the destination, the Seychelles Tourism Board  (STB) hosted its Annual marketing strategy 2020 meeting at Constance Ephelia Resort, this Tuesday, July 16, 2019.

The one-day meeting saw the participation of all core stakeholders of the tourism industry including the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation Ports and Marine Didier Dogley, the STB Chief Executive Mrs. Sherin Francis, the Seychelles Tourism Board staff from the headquarters and all 17 points across the globe.

In his address Minister Didier Dogley mentioned his pleasure to be attending the meeting, which he says is a crucial one to understand the latest development in the tourism industry.

“This marketing meeting allows us to take stock of the status of our tourism industry and what has been achieved over the last six months, identify the challenges we face and formulate the appropriate responses,” said Minister Dogley. 

Minister Dogley further mentioned the important work being undertaken in the development of the Destination 2023 adjustment to the tourism masterplan. He mentioned that it is important that the stakeholders remain committed to better our tourism products and services. 

In her address, Mrs. Sherin Francis expressed her satisfaction that the STB is hosting this annual meeting, she further mentioned her satisfaction to see that tourism arrival figures for the month of January to June 2019 has seen an increase of 9%.

Aside from the 2018- 2019 analysis of performances on the various markets, Mrs. Francis’ state of affairs presentation also touched on the strategy for the coming year.

Mrs. Francis also took the opportunity to thank the various partners for their constant support throughout the year. 

The STB Annual marketing meeting at mid-year is an annual event that allows the tourism board to hold direct interaction with its local partners to discuss plans for the coming year.

 MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel  www.seychelles.travel

Malta to host US Tour Operators Association spring 2020 Out-of-Country Board Meeting

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Malta has been selected as the host destination for United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) annual Out-of-Country Board Meeting to take place in Spring 2020. Malta won the bid in a unanimous vote announced by USTOA Board Chairman, Dana Santucci, Vice President of Development, EF Education First. Turkish Airlines will be the official USTOA Malta Board Meeting air carrier; the global carrier that flies to more destinations and countries than any other airline in the world will provide flights for attendees and a two-day stopover in Istanbul will be included in the event program.     

Michelle Buttigieg, Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) Representative North America said, “Since MTA rejoined USTOA five years ago, the number of USTOA tour operators who have added Malta to their itineraries and those who are expanding their Malta tour product, has grown from five to more than 30 in 2019. Hosting the USTOA Out-of-Country Board Meeting will provide a great opportunity for the Board members to experience for themselves why Malta has become so popular for the North American traveler.”   

“USTOA tour operator members, along with the media, have widely recognized that Malta is definitely a country to be seen and heard from,” said Terry Dale, USTOA President & CEO. Dale added, “Malta’s proactive presence in the US market is making a huge difference in the minds of tour operators as well as consumers. The Out-of-Country Board Meeting in Malta will provide all the tour operators with an opportunity to experience first-hand why this hidden gem of the Mediterranean, is definitely trending in the US & Canadian travel market.” 

Crystal Lagoon, Malta – Photo – ViewingMalta.com

Malta tourism from North America has grown dramatically in the past few years. In the first quarter of 2019 alone, there was close to a 40% increase from just the US market over the same period of the previous year. In addition to Malta being a safe destination, and English speaking, Buttigieg attributes much of this growing popularity to several factors. “One is certainly due to the fact that Malta’s capital, Valletta, was named a European Capital of Culture in 2018,” said Buttigieg. “Another major factor, especially for the North American market, is the expansion and growth of luxury hotels in the past five years both with the well-known chains as well as with the opening of new luxury boutique hotels that were former Palazzos. Malta has focused on a strong consumer promotional push, resulting in major travel consumer media coverage, as well as taking a proactive approach with the travel professionals including USTOA members.” 

Turkish Airlines, an associate USTOA member, will be the official host air carrier for the USTOA Out-of-Country Board Meeting in Malta. “Turkish Airlines provides excellent connections to Malta from its nine US gateways,” said Mr. Cenk Ocal, General Manager, New York, Turkish Airlines.  He added “Turkish Airlines has already co-hosted with Malta Tourism Authority a high level Tour Operator familiarization trip four years ago with great success. We are confident that the USTOA Out-of-Country Board Meeting will also yield great results by providing an opportunity for those tour operators who have never been to Malta, to discover the easy access via Turkish Airlines, the diversity of the tourism product and the special attraction that the destination has for American travelers!” 

For more articles about Malta, click here.

About Malta

The sunny islands of Malta, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, are home to a most remarkable concentration of intact built heritage, including the highest density of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in any nation-state anywhere.  Valletta built by the proud Knights of St. John is one of the UNESCO sights and was a European Capital of Culture for 2018. Malta’s patrimony in stone ranges from the oldest free-standing stone architecture in the world, to one of the British Empire’s most formidable defensive systems, and includes a rich mix of domestic, religious and military architecture from the ancient, medieval and early modern periods. With superbly sunny weather, attractive beaches, a thriving nightlife and 7,000 years of intriguing history, there is a great deal to see and do.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Malta Tourism Authority:

Michelle Buttigieg
Tel: (212) 213-0944
Fax: (212) 213-0938
E-mail: michelle-margaret.buttigieg@visitmalta.com

MTA US Editorial Contact:

The Bradford Group
Karen Hoffman/ Bianca Pappas
Tel: (212) 447-0027
Fax: (212) 725 8253
E-mail: info@bradfordglobalmarketing.com

Bartlett attends UNWTO Executive Council Meeting Welcome Reception

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Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, seen left in the main photo, is keeping the Hon. Didier Dogley, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine for the Seychelles and Dr. the Hon. Charles Banda, Chairman, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council, amused during the welcome reception for delegates to the 110th UNWTO Executive Council Meeting.

The event took place on Sunday, June 16, at the Mugham Club Restaurant in Baku, Azerbaijan. The UNWTO Executive Council meeting is taking place June 16-18 in Baku.

Above, the Jamaica Minister of Tourism Bartlett, seen on the left, poses for a photograph with Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General, and Mr. Fuad Naghiyev, Chairman of Azerbaijan’s State Tourism Agency. The three gentlemen met at the welcome reception for delegates.

The Executive Council, in consultation with ‎the Secretary-General, works to implement its own decisions and ‎recommendations of the Assembly.‎ The Council meets at least twice a year.‎

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944

Bartlett to Attend 110th United Nations World Tourism Organization Executive Council Meeting

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is set to participate in the 110th United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council Meeting, during the period June 16 – 18, 2019 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Minister Bartlett and his delegation will also use the opportunity to begin discussions with the UNWTO Secretary General, Mr Zurab Pololikashvili, regarding the 2020 CAM meeting as well as the 2020 Global Conference on Innovation, Resilience and Crisis Management, which Jamaica will jointly host with the UNWTO.

“We look forward to hosting the first ever Global Tourism Innovation Resilience and Crisis Management Summit in Montego Bay. Jamaica will also host the 2020 meeting of the Americas. This effort back to back will position Jamaica, not only as the central global reference for innovation, resilience and crisis management but also as the focus of the entire Americas in terms of the deliberations of CAM,” said the Minister.

In addition to the standard Agenda of the 110th Session, the UNWTO will host a special forum titled “Protect our Heritage:  Social, Cultural and Environmental Sustainability” on June 17, 2019. This is in line with the UNWTO’s key priority area and has been especially tailored for Government Ministers, who will have the opportunity to express their views and look for joint solutions.

Minister Bartlett is accompanied by Mrs. Jennifer Griffith, Permanent Secretary and Miss Gillian Baldeo, Communications Director, Product Development. They will return to Jamaica on June 20, 2019.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944

Seychelles Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine visits Shannon College graduates

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The Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Minister Didier Dogley accompanied by the Principal Secretary for Tourism, Anne Lafortune and the Director for Tourism Human Resource Development, Diana Quatre visited graduates of Shannon College at their current place of employment as part of a mentoring initiative, following a resolution at the last committee meeting held in December 2018.

The visit was conducted at four different hotels, namely the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles, Kempinski Seychelles Resort, AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa and the Constance Ephelia Seychelles on Monday 15th April 2019.

The purpose of the visit was to meet with graduates of Shannon College who are working in the hotels of Seychelles and establish a communication channel between the graduates and the Ministry.

The first hotel to be visited was the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles employing the largest cohort, comprising of 7 Shannon graduates. This was followed by Kempinski Seychelles Resort & Spa with two graduates, Avani Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa with one graduate and the Constance Ephelia Seychelles with 3 Shannon graduates.

During the visit, graduates were given the opportunity to express their views, in the presence of their hotel managers. The main point of discussion was centred on the minimum salary and career progression within the hospitality industry. Overall the graduates in the four hotels were satisfied with their working condition and the opportunity offered to develop their career further.

Minister Dogley stated that “The visits of the Shannon graduates in their workplace and the meetings held with their General Managers provided an excellent opportunity for me to learn about the progress they have made as professionals in the hospitality industry.  Most of them had clear career paths and personal development programs.

It was a real pleasure and an eye opener to discover that the majority of them are already working as managers in some of our top brand hotels.  This in itself shows that the vision government had for more well-trained and highly skilled Seychellois to take leadership roles in our hospitality industry is becoming a reality.”

 

The Ministerial delegation will also be visiting graduates from the other tourism establishments in order to provide similar opportunities for interaction. These visits are in line with the goal of the Ministry to ensure that the tourism sector is equipped with qualified individuals and shall endeavour to continue to assist graduates in achieving their dreams of progression to senior positions within the hotel industry.

 

To date, there are 74 Shannon College graduates who have gone through this programme.

Travel News | eTurboNews

African Tourism Board President St.Ange: African Tourism is together here

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The new president of the African Tourism Board is not a newcomer in the African travel and tourism industry. Alain St. Ange was the minister of Tourism for Seychelles and prior to that the head of the Seychelles Tourism Board.
He had made a name for all of Africa when he started the Victoria Carnival for Africa and the world.
Commenting on his new position he stated: “When I took up the position of President of the African Tourism Board, this brought the world of African Tourism together as I received calls from so many tourism ministers and heads of tourism-related bodies from across Africa, and it clearly showed the importance of tourism for the continent.
Even the Seychelles President, Mr. Danny Faure, sent words of congratulations after I assumed my role as President of the African Tourism Board, as did the island’s former President Mr. James Michel.
For Seychelles, the importance of tourism as the industry respected as the pillar of the economy, is known and accepted.
But Seychelles is no different to the rest of Africa because a buoyant tourism industry can only help consolidate the economies of so many countries on the continent.
We are now planning the next meeting where together we can look at the challenges we are facing and share success stories and learnings.
The newly-appointed CEO of the African Tourism Board, Doris Woerfel, who is based in Pretoria, South Africa, sees huge potential for Africa from China and is already concentrating to build a broad membership base in Africa for ATB.
She is now moving to contact industry players across Africa to plan the next meeting which will probably be held in August of this year.
The press from across Africa will be invited to attend because success for the African Tourism Board is so dependent on them.”
He concluded in saying: May I urge everyone in the public and private sector to rally behind African Tourism Board to make Africa one Tourist Destination and join.

More information on the African Tourism Board and to join visit www.africantourismboard.com 

Travel News | eTurboNews

eTN becomes a SUNx SDG 17 Partner calling for Climate Sanity in Tourism on Earth Day

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In nature, nothing exists alone is the message for Earth Day 2019. Announcing the public launch of its “SDG17 Partners Program” on Earth Day 2019, Professor Geoffrey Lipman co-founder SUNx, calls and president of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) asks the Travel & Tourism sector to join its “Plan For Our Kids” and take the “Climate Sanity” Pledge.

Professor Lipman, former Executive Director at IATA, President of WTTC and Assistant Secretary-General UNWTO, said:

“I’m confident that Travel & Tourism will play a leadership role in the global shift to a New Climate Economy: we just need a pathway for change and that lies in our faith in the next generation”

SUNx a legacy for Planetary Champion Maurice Strong has created a “Plan For Our Kids”, aiming to recruit 100,000 STRONG Climate Champions to advance its vision of a no Carbon 2050 sector totally compliant with the evolving goals of the Paris Accords.

He added “During the past year we have seen a welcome intensification of the pressures for a new commitment to Climate Sanity, which stops discussing whether climate change is existential and just gets on with solutions. That’s the common message from Greta Thunberg’s Friday’s for Futures and AOC’s Green New Deal: it’s the message from Earth Scientists and Nobel Economists: it’s the plea from Sir David Attenborough.

”Lipman concluded “SDG 17 Partners will share our long-term vision on the fact that Climate Change is eXistential and that we have to act NOW, as if this Earth Day is the first day of the rest of our lives. We all have different starting positions, based on our separate realities: but we have a shared goal of meeting the Paris Agenda and together taking a “No Carbon 2050 moonshot”. We can deliver Climate Friendly Travel ~ measured plans: green growth: 2050 no carbon proof “

Juergen Steinmetz president of the eTN Corporation said “We are proud to become a SUNx SDG 17 Partner and provide preferential support for this great cause. As long as I have known Geoffrey Lipman, he has been drumming home the message that Climate Change is eXistential and that if we don’t fix it now, it will fix us. We are in, and will use all our links, like ICTP and the African Tourism Board to support Climate Friendly Travel. going forward”.

For more on SUNx and its SDG 17 Partnership Program please contact: go to www.thesunprogram.com

What is Earth Day?

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. The passage of the landmark Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed. Twenty years later, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in more than 190 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage.

On April 22, 1970, millions of people took to the streets to protest the negative impacts of 150 years of industrial development.

In the U.S. and around the world, smog was becoming deadly and evidence was growing that pollution led to developmental delays in children. Biodiversity was in decline as a result of the heavy use of pesticides and other pollutants.

The global ecological awareness was growing, and the US Congress and President Nixon responded quickly. In July of the same year, they created the Environmental Protection Agency, and robust environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, among many.

One billion people

Earth Day is now a global event each year, and more than 1 billion people in 192 countries now take part in what is the largest civic-focused day of action in the world.

It is a day of political action and civic participation. People march, sign petitions, meet with their elected officials, plant trees, clean up their towns and roads. Corporations and governments use it to make pledges and announce sustainability measures. Faith leaders, including Pope Francis, connect Earth Day with protecting God’s greatest creations, humans, biodiversity and the planet that we all live on.

Earth Day Network, the organization that leads Earth Day worldwide, has chosen as the theme for 2018 to End Plastic Pollution, including creating support for a global effort to eliminate primarily single-use plastics along with global regulation for the disposal of plastics.  EDN is educating millions of people about the health and other risks associated with the use and disposal of plastics, including pollution of our oceans, water, and wildlife, and about the growing body of evidence that plastic waste is creating serious global problems.

From poisoning and injuring marine life to the ubiquitous presence of plastics in our food to disrupting human hormones and causing major life-threatening diseases and early puberty, the exponential growth of plastics is threatening our planet’s survival.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Russia to use Fan-IDs (again) as visas for 2020 UEFA Euro Cup visitors

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Upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, have passed on Monday a bill allowing foreign tourists with Fan-IDs to travel to Russia without entry visas for matches of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup.

Last week, the bill was passed in the third and final reading by lawmakers from the State Duma, the parliament’s lower house, and following today’s approval by the senators, it must be signed into law by the Russian president.

“Within the period, which begins 14 days prior to the first match of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup in Saint Petersburg and ends on the day of the last match [in St. Petersburg], the entrance to Russia for foreign citizens and stateless persons, who come to Russia to watch 2020 UEFA Euro Cup matches, will not require issuance of visas based on identification documents,” according to the explanatory note.

Addressing a government’s session in mid-March, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that the country planned “to employ the same mechanism we used in the past regarding the issuance and operational rules of Fan-IDs.”

Russia came up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with an innovation, which was the so-called Fan-ID and was required for all ticketholders. This innovation was successfully tested during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia and earned high marks from the world’s governing football body of FIFA.

The Fan-ID played an important security role during the major football tournament in Russia as it granted admittance to the stadiums and also served as visa for foreign visitors to enter the country.

A Fan-ID holder was allowed to enter the country without having a Russian visa and stay for the duration of the global football tournament. Fan-IDs were obligatory, in addition to purchased tickets, in order to attend matches of the 2018 World Cup tournament in Russia.

2020 UEFA Euro Cup

The matches of the 2020 Euro Cup will be held at stadiums in 12 different cities across Europe, namely in London (England), Munich (Germany), Rome (Italy), Baku (Azerbaijan), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Bucharest (Romania), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Dublin (Ireland), Bilbao (Spain), Budapest (Hungary), Glasgow (Scotland) and Copenhagen (Denmark).

Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg was granted the right to host three group stage matches and one of the quarterfinals of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup.

The decision to hold the 2020 Euro Cup, which will be celebrating its 60th anniversary that year, in various European countries instead of in one or two hosting countries was made at the UEFA Executive Committee’s meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on December 6, 2012.

A total of 24 national football teams will be playing in the final tournament of the 2020 Euro Cup. All 55 UEFA national member teams, including 12 teams from the hosting countries, will have to play in the qualifying matches to vie for the berth in the final 24-team lineup of the quadrennial European football championship.

It is possible that some of the national teams from the hosting countries of the 2020 Euro Cup will not be playing on home soil in case they fail to clear the qualifying stage.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Major tour operators converging on Barbados for 2019 meeting with tourism partners

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Three weeks away from the May 1 start of the premier business-to-business marketplace, Connect Barbados, with over 100 participants – inclusive of 56 tour operators, have already registered to come and meet with local tourism partners including attraction providers and hoteliers.

Under the theme ‘Breathing Power into Business Connections’, the three-day conference is now in its 14th year. Tour operators have been invited from Barbados’ main source markets – the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Europe and Caribbean and Latin America. Tour operators such as: Air Canada Vacations, Virgin Holidays and Expedia Group, to name a few have already registered to come learn about what is new in Destination Barbados.

Connect Barbados is an annual conference providing opportunities to island operators to sell Barbados’ holiday products to invited tour operators in all of the island’s major source markets.

The marketplace allows global travel partners to learn about and experience the latest product and service developments on the island, while affording local partners the occasion to thank them for the tremendous contribution they continue to make the success of Barbados’ premier economic sector.

BTMI CEO, William ‘Billy’ Griffith, mentioned, “We are positively anticipating to surpass the 1,200 meeting appointments from Connect 2018 as we once again welcome and share our beautiful product with participating tour operators. Being able to connect our local service providers with the agents who have direct contact with potential visitors to Barbados will be extremely vital to both parties.”

This year, as we celebrate the Year of Wellness and Soft Adventure, tour operators will be treated to an outdoor welcome reception as they kick their feet in the sand at the “Feet in the Sand Beach Party, featuring top local entertainment and cuisine, before proceeding to two full days of business-to-business meetings at the Hilton Barbados Resort.

To close out the highly-anticipated conference, a special final evening reception will be held at the prestigious Harrison’s Cave and tour operators will get the opportunity to tour the cave first-hand. On the final day, participants will tour the island for a diverse Attractions Day, inspecting places of interest based on their specialties.

Travel News | eTurboNews