• Home
  • Post a press-release
  • Visibility packages
  • Subscribe email updates
  • Event Calendar
  • Contact

For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

Where press releases are breaking news

  • Home
  • Post a press-release
  • Visibility packages
  • Subscribe email updates
  • Event Calendar
  • Contact

PM Hotel Group to manage new TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Austin, Texas

April 18, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

PM Hotel Group, one of the industry’s leading hotel management companies, has been selected to operate the new TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Austin, Texas. This new hotel represents the first TownePlace by Marriott property in the PM Hotel Group portfolio and further expands the company’s relationship with Marriott International.

“We are thrilled to have been selected to manage the TownePlace Suites- Austin, which expands our footprint in Texas,” said Joseph Bojanowski, President of PM Hotel Group. “Austin is a rich and exciting city, and with this new project we are thrilled to be broadening our relationship with another valued ownership group, Scenic Capital Advisors.”

Currently under construction and scheduled to open in October, the 103-room hotel is conveniently located minutes from the Austin International Airport and downtown attractions.

“The south Austin corridor is growing rapidly, and we are excited to bring a new extended-stay Marriott product to a location that is conveniently located to all that Austin has to offer,” said Thomas Chen, Principal of Scenic Capital Advisors. “Expanding our partnership with PM Hotel Group has been tremendously rewarding, and we eagerly anticipate future opportunities.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: American Travel News, and, attractions, Austin, Breaking Travel News, capital, city, companies, company, construction, Corporate News, Corridor, currently, Downtown, expanding, expands, first, free, future, Group, Growing, Hospitality News, hotel, Hotel Group, hotel management, Hotel Travel News, in, Industry, International, International Airport, leading, leading hotel, located, location, Manage, management, Marriott, Marriott International, minutes, New, new hotel, News articles, October, offer, open, operate, opportunities, ownership, partnership, PM, portfolio, president, product, project, property, Relationship, represents, Resort News, rich, room, s, said, scenic, scheduled, selected, South, stay, suites, Texas, Thomas, to, TO BE, tourism, TownePlace, TownePlace Suites, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, valued, We

Four Seasons Hotel Madrid welcomes new General Manager

April 12, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

In advance of the highly anticipated opening of the first Four Seasons hotel in Spain, Christoph Schmidinger has been appointed opening General Manager to oversee the new luxury hotel set to open in late 2019. Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Madrid will be located in the heart of the historical city center, converting several spectacular heritage buildings into a 200-room hotel and 22 Private Residences.

Schmidinger started his Four Seasons career 25 years ago, and after a series of international assignments in Singapore, Chicago, Atlanta, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, he assumed leadership at the landmark Four Seasons Hotel New York in Midtown Manhattan, overseeing several other properties as Regional Vice President. His ascent in the company continued when he was appointed General Manager and Regional Vice President to the company’s flagship property in Asia, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, where he has been since 2014.

Under his leadership, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, home to the first Cantonese restaurant in the world to earn three Michelin stars, set the global record for the most Michelin stars at a single hotel. The Hotel has also been widely regarded as one of the finest luxury hotels in China, and around the globe.

“Christoph is an incredibly experienced and talented hotelier, and we are very lucky to have had him lead some of our most notable properties around the world,” said Simon Casson, President, Hotel Operations, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “His experience and expertise are what make him the perfect candidate for our new hotel in Madrid, a project that is incredibly important to Four Seasons growth as it will mark our entry into Spain in a thriving international city, and a key destination for luxury travelers.”

“I am very proud to be part of such a significant milestone in our company’s history, and to lead the team as we introduce the Four Seasons brand to Spain with this exquisite hotel,” said Schmidinger. “This project is exceptional in every way, from its location to the destination, the product and our partners at OHL Desarrollos and Mohari Hospitality, and I cannot wait to welcome guests to see for themselves and to experience this great city in a new way together with Four Seasons.”

Truly an international individual, Schmidinger has travelled extensively, starting at a young age with his family, and speaks four languages. Combining his love for travel and hospitality, he studied at the Certificate of Hotel and Tourism Administration Academy in Salzburg, Austria before holding managerial positions at renowned hotels around the world, and then joining Four Seasons.

Casson continues, “Christoph is already hard at work preparing for the upcoming opening of Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Madrid, and I have no doubt that he is the ideal leader to introduce the Four Seasons culture, brand, and people to this great city, positioning yet another iconic Four Seasons property for great success.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, appointed, around the globe, around the world, Asia, assignments, Atlanta, Austria, brand, Breaking Travel News, buildings, Career, center, certificate, Chicago, China, city, City Center, company, continued, continues, Corporate News, culture, Destination, doubt, East, entry, Europe, experience, experienced, expertise, Family, first, flagship, Four Seasons, Four Seasons hotel, Four Seasons Hotel New York, Four Seasons Hotels, general, general manager, Global, Globe, Growth, guests, heart, heritage, historical, history, home, Hong, Hong Kong, hospitality, Hospitality News, hotel, Hotel Madrid, Hotel Travel News, hotelier, Hotels, hotels and resorts, iconic, important, in, individual, International, International Travel News, introduce, IT, Jakarta, joining, key, Kong, Kuala Lumpur, landmark, languages, late, lead, leader, leadership, location, love, Lumpur, Luxury, luxury hotel, luxury hotels, Luxury Travel News, luxury travelers, Madrid, Make, manager, managerial, Manhattan, Michelin, Middle, Middle East, milestone, most, New, new General Manager, new hotel, new luxury, new way, new york, News articles, open, opening, operations, oversee, partners, People, People in Travel, positions, president, private, product, project, properties, property, proud, record, regional, residences, Resort News, resorts, restaurant, room, s, said, Salzburg, Seasons, Seasons Hotel, see, series, Set, significant, Singapore, single, Spain, Spain travel news, spectacular, Stars, started, success, team, the four seasons, The World, to, TO BE, tourism, Travel, Travel Destination News, travelers, travelled, Travelwire News, vice, vice president, wait, way, We, welcome, welcomes, work, World, World News, years, York, young

Indian Hotels Company launches new hotel brand

April 12, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), South Asia’s largest hospitality company, today, announced the launch of a new hotel brand – “SeleQtions”, which is a collection of named and distinctive properties.

SeleQtions was launched with 12 hotels across the country. The vision for the brand is to celebrate individuality, by offering unique experiences through landmark hotels that have their own legacy and charm.

Speaking on the occasion, Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL said, “SeleQtions will allow IHCL to cater to a broader audience of travelers who prefer staying in hotels with a distinctive character. SeleQtions also includes hotels that have a slice of history, defining location or a differentiated theme. We believe the brand has immense potential to grow.”

The 12 hotels in the first phase include properties present in seven key lodging markets of India: President, Mumbai; Ambassador, New Delhi; The Connaught, New Delhi; Blue Diamond, Pune; Cidade de Goa; Tajview, Agra and Devi Ratn, Jaipur. The other hotels are Pratap Mahal Ajmer; Savoy, Ooty; Gateway Coonoor; Gateway Chikmagalur and Gateway Varkala.

For those hotels which are independent – IHCL offers its robust infrastructure including global reservation systems, Taj InnerCircle loyalty program and sales and marketing support.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, announced, Asia, audience, brand, Breaking Travel News, cater, celebrate, charm, chief, chief executive, chief executive officer, collection, company, Corporate News, country, Delhi, Diamond, differentiated, director, executive, experiences, first, free, gateway, Global, Goa, grow, history, hospitality, hospitality company, Hospitality News, hotel, hotel brand, Hotel Travel News, Hotels, IHCL, in, includes, including, independent, India, India Travel News, Indian, Indian Hotels Company Limited, infrastructure, International Travel News, Jaipur, key, landmark, largest, launch, launched, launches, legacy, Limited, location, lodging, loyalty, loyalty program, Managing, managing director, Marketing, markets, Mumbai, named, New, New Delhi, new hotel, News articles, offering, offers, officer, Ooty, potential, present, president, program, properties, Pune, reservation, Resort News, s, said, Sales, sales and marketing, Savoy, seven, South, South Asia, support, Taj, theme, through, to, today, tourism, travelers, Travelwire News, unique, unique experiences, vision, We, WHO, World News

Marpunta Resort welcomes new Hotel Manager

April 10, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Santikos Collection welcomes Georgios Kritikopoulos as the new Hotel Manager of Marpunta Resort, Alonissos following 10 years of cooperation with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

In his role, Georgios Kritikopoulos will focus on all operational departments of Marpunta Resort and succeed the overall guest experience according to Santikos Collection standards. With rich knowledge gained in some of the finest hotels in the world and his passion for guests and colleagues alike, Mr. Kritikopoulos will ensure the continuation of offering guest services at the highest standards as defined by Santikos Collection but will also focus on continuously developing the skills and knowhow of the operations team.

Georgios has vast experience as an operations expert with great success in building & bonding productive teams, managing employee relationships, overseeing large-scale projects and communicating product standards. He will build upon the company’s proven results, guest loyalty and assist by attracting new guests and further enriching the experiences of the clients on the island. This expertise, combined with an entrepreneurial approach and results-oriented management style make him the ideal choice to operate Marpunta Resort, Alonissos.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, assist, attracting, Breaking Travel News, build, building, choice, clients, colleagues, collection, company, cooperation, Corporate News, employee, experience, experiences, expert, expertise, Fairmont, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, following, free, Georgios Kritikopoulos, Greece travel news, guests, highest, Hospitality News, hotel, hotel manager, Hotel Travel News, Hotels, in, International Travel News, island, knowledge, loyalty, Luxury Travel News, Make, management, manager, Managing, Marpunta, Marpunta Resort, Mr, New, new hotel, News articles, offering, operate, operational, operations, passion, People in Travel, product, projects, relationships, resort, Resort News, resorts, results, rich, role, s, Santikos Collection, Santikos Collection welcomes, scale, services, skills, standards, Style, success, team, teams, The Island, The World, to, tourism, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, welcomes, welcomes Georgios Kritikopoulos, World, World News, worldwide, years

What is so different at W Bali when it opens in Ubud?

April 4, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

W Hotels Worldwide,  what is part of Marriott International, today announced the signing of W Bali – Ubud, the brand’s newest W Escape.

W Bali – Ubud will redefine modern luxury in the destination, taking inspiration from social, historical and physical insights and embedding elements of each into the rooms and public spaces. Upon entering the hotel, guests will be immersed in modern interpretations of traditional Balinese art styles with works from local artists, that lead to breathtaking lounges perfect for soaking in spectacular jungle sunsets as sounds of cool beats drift through the air.

The hotel will offer 100 inspired guestrooms, including 10 villas with private swimming pools and an EWOW suite (the brand’s take on the traditional Presidential Suite). W Bali – Ubud will weave the Balinese festival culture and aesthetic into the design of the hotel alongside carved stone and Pura (terra cotta) finishes throughout. When it comes to experiencing the destination through the W lens, W Bali – Ubud will embody the brand’s signature work hard, play hard philosophy, with FUEL-focused activities (fitness and wellness programming) including weekly workouts, poolside DJ performances, healthy and delicious cuisine and amazing adventures powered by the W brand mantra of DETOX. RETOX. REPEAT.

Guests will be able to soak up the sun at two pools – a WET Deck (pool deck) featuring terraced pools inspired by the rice paddles historically used in the region, and another a designated quiet pool for peaceful relaxation and downtime. The poolside Sunset Bar will serve up of the most breath-taking views on the island set beside reinterpreted Batik and Ikat (textiles) motifs. At W Bali – Ubud, the signature AWAY® Spa by W Hotels with a large open social deck will allow guests to hit pause, treat themselves and recharge with a selection of locally-infused treatments.

As the brand’s newest W Escape, W Bali – Ubud will bring a bold new take on international cuisine with a Balinese twist to multiple on-site bars and restaurants. Traditional Asian flavors intertwine with international influences at the stylish all-day dining restaurant Morinda, which will tempt guests with an in-house bakery, fresh-pressed juices, a strong vegan focus and a third-wave approach to coffee culture. Synn, a specialty restaurant featuring the finest of Balinese and world cuisines will be an underground sensation, literally. This new restaurant is partially underground, opening towards a jungle cliff and featuring cuisine as innovative as the locale including a progressive cocktail lab and digital artwork on display. Encouraging guests to detox and retox in true W style, the FIT (gym) bar will feature a pressed juice lab by day and a high-energy bar by night complete with UV-responsive, painted displays. Guests can indulge their wanderlust at Wanderbar, the hotel’s panoramic cocktail bar nestled on one of the hotel’s highest hills, offering 360-degree views from sunrise to sunset and inspired concoctions to match.

W Bali – Ubud will take meetings, weddings and other events to the next level with a 176-square-meter (577-square-foot) meeting room featuring bright natural lighting and outdoor lawn spaces. Both the outdoor and indoor event spaces utilize bamboo, shaping the landscape with live planting and indoor material used to accent the spaces with a natural touch.

Bali’s Denpasar International Airport is only an hour’s drive away from the new hotel, providing easy access for jetsetters. Nearby activities and attractions like Bali Swing Adventure Park, white water rafting along mountain rivers, the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Bali’s famed rice terraces and temples, as well a thriving bohemian café culture and restaurants on par with the best of Asia are all within walking distance of W Bali – Ubud, offering guests endless possibilities for adrenaline-fueled play.

W Bali – Ubud is slated to join the brand’s robust portfolio of more than 50 hotels around the globe, including the recently opened W Dubai – The Palm (February 2019), as well as the soon-to-open W Aspen, W Ibiza and W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island.

For more information visit w-hotels.marriott.com.

 

 

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, announced, around the globe, art, Asia, Asian, Aspen, attractions, bakery, Bali, Balinese, bamboo, bar, bars, batik, best, bold, brand, Breaking Travel News, Coffee, complete, cuisine, culture, day, Delicious, Denpasar, design, Destination, Dhabi, different, digital, dining, display, distance, DJ, drive, Dubai, elements, energy, escape, event, Events, EWOW, Feature, featuring, Festival, FIT, fitness, foot, forest, Fresh, fuel, Globe, guestrooms, guests, healthy, high, highest, Hills, historical, hit, Hospitality News, hotel, Hotel Travel News, Hotels, house, Ibiza, in, including, Indonesia travel news, indoor, information, innovative, Insights, inspiration, inspired, International, International Airport, island, IT, join, Jungle, landscape, lead, like, live, local, locally, lounges, Luxury, mantra, Marriott, Marriott International, match, meeting, meetings, modern, most, mountain, natural, nbsp, New, new hotel, night, offer, offering, only, open, opened, opening, outdoor, PAR, park, Paywall articles, peaceful, performances, philosophy, physical, play, pool, portfolio, powered, premium, presidential, private, public, Quiet, region, relaxation, repeat, restaurant, restaurants, rice, rivers, room, rooms, s, sacred, sanctuary, selection, serve, signature, Signing, site, slated, social, soon, spa, spaces, spectacular, Square, strong, Style, suite, Sun, Sunrise, swimming, taking, temples, The Island, The Region, The Sun, through, to, today, tourism, traditional, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, treat, treatments, ubud, up, used, UV, vegan, views, villas, visit, W, W Escape, W Hotels, W Hotels Worldwide, walking, wanderlust, water, wave, weddings, weekly, wellness, wet, white, work, works, World, worldwide, Yas Island

Official Hotel of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics coming with new agreement

March 30, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Shougang Group and Shangri-La Group has announced a cooperation on a new hotel project at Shougang Park in Beijing. This is a strategic venture to develop an international luxury hotel at the Shougang industrial site. The hotel will be designated as the Official Hotel of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and it will host the Olympic event reception.

The hotel project is located in the central area of Shougang Park and is closely connected to the grand ski ramp of the 2022 Winter Olympics and the training center of the National Teams, known as the “Four Ices,” for ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating and curling. It is scheduled for completion and operations at the end of 2021.

Shougang Group and Shangri-La Group Signing on Shougang Park Hotel Project Cooperation (left to right: Liang Jie, Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group; Wang Shizhong, Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group; Ke Yongguo, Deputy Chief of Shijingshan District Government; Guo Huaigang; Director of General Administration, The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games; Zhang Gongyan, Chairman and General Manager of Shougang Group; Hui Kuok, Chairman of Shangri-La Group; Wang Yue, Deputy Chief of Beijing Culture & Tourism Bureau; Lim Beng Chee, Chief Executive Officer of Shangri-La Group; Paw Chuen Kee, Executive Vice President – Operations, North China.

Attending the signing ceremony were Zhang Gongyan, Chairman and General Manager of Shougang Group, Hui Kuok, Chairman of Shangri-La Group, Guo Huaigang, Director of General Administration, The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Wang Yue, Deputy Chief of Beijing Culture & Tourism Bureau, and Ke Yongguo Deputy Head of Shijingshan District Government. The hotel management agreement was signed between Liang Jie, Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group and Lim Beng Chee, Chief Executive Officer of Shangri-La Group.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: amp, and, announced, area, Beijing, Breaking Travel News, bureau, caption, center, Central, ceremony, Chairman, chief, chief executive, chief executive officer, China, China Travel News, coming, Committee, Completion, cooperation, culture, deputy, Deputy Head, director, District, end, event, executive, Executive Vice President, games, general, general manager, government, Grand, Group, head, Hospitality News, host, hotel, hotel management, Hotel Travel News, ice, ID, in, industrial, International, IT, LA, Luxury, luxury hotel, management, manager, national, New, new hotel, News articles, North, officer, official, Official Hotel, Olympic, Olympics, operations, organizing, park, president, project, reception, right, scheduled, Shangri-La, Shougang Park, signed, Signing, site, ski, Sports news, strategic, teams, The National, to, tourism, tourism bureau, training, training center, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, venture, vice president, were, winter, Winter Olympics

Indian Hotels Company announces new hotel in Rishikesh

March 25, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), a South Asian hospitality company, introduced the Taj brand in Rishikesh with the opening of Taj Rishikesh Resort & Spa, Uttarakhand. This will be the company’s third hotel in the state.

The resort is located 30 kilometers from Rishikesh. “Rishikesh is an extremely popular destination across the world. We are delighted to partner with The Indian Hotels Company Limited. We look forward to working with them to bring the legendary Taj brand to this unique location,” said Mr. Arjun Mehra, Managing Director, Darrameks Hotels & Developers Pvt. Ltd.

Rishikesh is a small town in the northern state of Uttarakhand in India located where the Holy Ganges River comes down from the Himalayas. The town catapulted to Western fame when the Beatles dropped by for a visit to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Ashram. Rishikesh is associated with Lord Rama and Laxman.

The town of Rishikesh lies in the foothills of the Himalayas of the Garhwal region. It is the gateway to the upper Garhwal region and the starting point for the Char Dham pilgrimage (Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath) and an ideal destination not only for pilgrims but also for the people who are interested in adventure, meditation, yoga, and other aspects of Hinduism.

Rishikesh is also a Gateway to the World Heritage site Valley of Flowers National Park – The 8th Wonder of the World & Char Dham Yatra.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: amp, and, announces, Asian, Beatles, brand, Breaking Travel News, company, companys, Destination, developers, director, down, flowers, Forward, Ganges, Garhwal, gateway, heritage, holy, hospitality, hospitality company, Hospitality News, hotel, Hotel Travel News, Hotels, IHCL, in, India, India Travel News, Indian, Indian Hotels Company Limited, interested, introduced, IT, kilometers, lies, Limited, location, Managing, managing director, Mr, national, national park, New, new hotel, Northern, only, opening, park, partner, People, Pilgrimage, pilgrims, popular, popular destination, region, resort, Rishikesh, river, s, said, site, small, South, South Asian, spa, State, Taj, Taj Rishikesh, The Taj, The World, to, tourism, town, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, unique, uttarakhand, valley, visit, We, Western, WHO, working, World, World Heritage, World Heritage Site, yoga

Uganda travel and trafficking

March 23, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Sub-Saharan Africa has enormous tourism potential: leopards lounging in acacia trees, elephant herds drifting across vast savannah plains, gorillas and chimps rioting in deep forests, the earliest traces of human beings and their works. But according to the World Bank, the region receives a mere 3% of global tourism arrivals.

What scares tourists off may have something to do with an unfair, continent-wide reputation for lawlessness. There is a way around this. During the 1970s, entrepreneurs created the idea of eco-tourism as an alternative to the sun and sand package tours that wreaked havoc on the environment and local communities. Perhaps the eco-tourism concept could be expanded to encompass human rights more broadly, focusing not just on the ethical conduct of companies but on governments as well. Thus, travelers could be assured that their fees, taxes and entertainment dollars aren’t being used to support regimes engaged in grand corruption, human rights abuses, wildlife trafficking and the persecution of minorities.

Uganda’s new tourism push is a case in point. The government hopes to welcome four million visitors in 2020, more than double the current number. The Uganda Investment Authority is expediting bids from eco-tourism companies to develop ten sites in the nation’s national parks, including Queen Elizabeth, Masindi and Kidepo Valley. The World Bank has lent Uganda $25 million dollars to build a new hotel and tourism school, purchase equipment such as buses, game drive trucks, boats and binoculars and hire public relations firms to market Uganda in US, Europe, the Middle East and China. In October, Kanye West boosted the publicity effort by recording a music video in one of Uganda’s fine resorts and also visited Statehouse where he presented President Yoweri Museveni with a pair of his patented sneakers. Then in January, Tourism Minister Godfrey Kiwanda launched a beauty contest to identify Miss “Curvy” Uganda, whose zaftig figure will appear in tourism brochures.

The downside of Uganda’s tourism campaign is that every safari-goer it attracts will pay fees to government agencies such as the Uganda Wildlife Authority, which is currently engaged in a program of violent evictions that have left thousands of people in northern Uganda’s Acholi region destitute, and has also been implicated in trafficking in ivory, pangolin scales and other illegal wildlife products, both inside Uganda and in neighboring countries.

Since 2010, thousands of huts in Apaa, northern Uganda have been burned to the ground, and animals and belongings stolen by UWA officials and members of other security agencies. The government claims the area is gazetted for a game reserve, but residents say their families have lived in the area for generations and have nowhere else to go. Sixteen people have been killed and thousands, mainly women and children are now homeless. Some of the raids appear to have been carried out by members of the neighboring Madi ethnic group, and government officials have characterized them as ethnically motivated. However, the Madi and Acholi have lived in peace for generations and some suspect that senior government officials may be inciting the attackers.

Meanwhile, CITES, the international body that tracks endangered species has named Uganda as a global hub for the illegal wildlife trade. After damning reports about the scale of poaching in Kenya and Tanzania revealed that elephant populations were plummeting in both countries, stricter laws and better enforcement resulted in a nearly 80 percent decline in poaching in Kenya since 2013. Tougher enforcement has also resulted in steep declines in poaching in Tanzania. But between 2009 and 2016 an estimated 20 tons of ivory were trafficked via Uganda, along with over 3000 kilograms of pangolin scales.

The trade in wildlife products appears to be organized by senior officers of the army and UWA. Ivory traffickers working along the Uganda-Congo border told Belgian political scientist Kristof Titeca that much of their loot came from Congo and the Central African Republic, where the Ugandan Army, with US support, unsuccessfully tried to track down the notorious warlord Joseph Kony between 2012 and 2017. Thus, US taxpayers may have inadvertently facilitated Uganda’s wildlife crimes.

Uganda’s recently established Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court, which is supposed to deal with trafficking crimes has begun prosecuting and convicting low level traffickers—the men who transport the goods to Kampala for export – but as yet there have been no prosecutions of those suspected of organizing the trade. When 1.35 metric tons of confiscated ivory disappeared from a Uganda Wildlife Authority storehouse in 2014, the director was suspended for two months and then reinstated. According to a 2017 Enough Project report, two senior Uganda Wildlife Authority officials quit the force in despair after apprehending traffickers and then being ordered by officials in President Yoweri Museveni’s office to drop the cases.

Uganda’s own elephants have largely been spared, and their numbers may even have increased in recent years. But other animals have not been so lucky. In 2014, the UWA granted a local company a license to collect thousands of pounds of scales from the shy, aardvark-like creatures known as pangolins. While officials claimed that the intention was to purchase the scales from people who’d collected them from animals who had died of natural causes, there’s little doubt that huge numbers of pangolins were killed as a result.

Unfortunately, the World Bank’s assistance to Uganda could be making things worse. It’s $25 million Tourism Sector Competitiveness and Labor Force Development loan, approved in 2013, is part of a larger $100 million Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project which, according to project documents, allocates 21% – or $21 million, to government agencies, including the Uganda Wildlife Authority. World Bank spokespersons declined say how much of that will go to the UWA, and what the money will spent on, other than “systems strengthening and procuring tourism assets.”

Before the World Bank launches any project, it commissions an environmental impact assessment, as well as a review of safeguards to protect habitats and indigenous people who might be affected by it. In this case, the safeguards and Impact Assessment documents don’t consider the risk that Ugandan security agencies, including the army and UWA, might use funds raised from the project to engage in human rights abuses and trafficking.

This matters because countless development groups, including the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the Red Cross and the World Bank itself– have seen millions of dollars in funding sink into Uganda’s swamp of corruption. Billions more have been siphoned out of the Treasury and the workers’ pension fund and or in inflated bids for infrastructure projects such as roads and dams.

In power for 33 years, Uganda’s leader Yoweri Museveni has hung on in part by spending funds looted from various development projects on voter bribery and harsh repression. In 2017, he sent Special Forces troops into Parliament to beat up MPs who were trying to block debate about a bill that would enable him to rule for life. One of the victims, MP Betty Nambooze, may never walk unaided again. Then in August, the same Special Forces arrested and tortured four other MPs and dozens of their supporters, including the famous pop star-politician Bobi Wine

Some of Museveni’s opposition-politician-victims, if allowed to govern, might – like the leaders of Tanzania and Kenya–do a better job of protecting Uganda’s people and its wildlife than he has. But as long as the World Bank and other donors keep allowing Museveni’s government to get away with corruption, human rights abuses and wildlife trafficking, these activities will only continue. While the World Bank continues to ignore this reality, Uganda’s prospective investors and tourists should steer their dollars towards less odious regimes.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, animals, approved, area, Army, arrested, arrivals, assessment, assets, assistance, attackers, August, authority, bank, beat up, beauty, beauty contest, Belgian, better, bids, bill, billions, block, boats, body, border, Breaking Travel News, brochures, build, buses, campaign, case, causes, Central, children, China, CITES, claims, collect, commissions, communities, companies, company, competitiveness, concept, Congo, contest, continent, continue, continues, corruption, countries, court, created, crimes, current, currently, deal, debate, decline, declined, declines, development, died, director, disappeared, documents, dollars, double, doubt, down, drive, drop, East, Eco Tourism, effort, elephant, elephants, endangered, endangered species, enforcement, enterprise, entertainment, entrepreneurs, environment, environmental, environmental impact, equipment, ethical, Europe, even, evictions, expanded, export, families, famous, Feature, fees, fine, firms, force, Forces, fund, funding, funds, game, game reserve, generations, Global, global alliance, global hub, global tourism, GO!, goods, gorillas, government, government officials, governments, Grand, ground, Group, groups, habitats, harsh, havoc, hire, homeless, hopes, hotel, hub, human rights, human rights abuses, Human Rights news, ignore, illegal, impact, in, including, increased, indigenous, infrastructure, inside, intention, International, Investment, investors, IT, Ivory, January, job, just, Kampala, keep, Kenya, Kidepo, killed, labor, launched, launches, lawlessness, laws, leader, leaders, less, license, life, like, Loan, local, low, Malaria, Market, May, members, men, Middle, Middle East, million, million visitors, millions, millions of dollars, minister, miss, money, months, MP, MPs, Museveni, music, music video, named, nation, national, national parks, natural, nearly, neighboring, neighboring countries, New, new hotel, new tourism, News articles, Northern, Northern Uganda, number, numbers, October, office, officers, officials, only, opposition, organizing, out, over, package, pangolin, pangolin scales, Pangolins, parks, parliament, pay, peace, pension, People, percent, Plains, plummeting, poaching, political, potential, power, president, products, program, project, projects, protect, protecting, public, Public Relations, publicity, purchase, push, Queen, Queen Elizabeth, quit, raised, reality, recent, Red, Red Cross, region, relations, report, reports, republic, reputation, reserve, residents, resorts, resulted, revealed, review, rights, rioting, Risk, Roads, rule, s, safari, sand, Savannah, scales, scares, school, sector, Security, senior, sink, sites, spared, Special, special forces, species, spending, standards, Star, stolen, Sub, sub-Saharan, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sun, support, suspended, Tanzania, taxes, taxpayers, TB, The Region, The Sun, The Treasury, The World, things, thousands, to, TO BE, TO DO, tourism, tourism arrivals, tourism assets, tourism campaign, tourism companies, tourism minister, tourism potential, tourism school, tourism sector, tourists, Tours, Trade, trafficking, transport, Travel, Travel Destination News, travelers, Travelwire News, trees, tried, troops, trying, Uganda, Uganda travel, Uganda travel news, Uganda wildlife, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Ugandan, Ugandas, up, US, use, used, UWA, Vaccines, valley, victims, video, violent, visited, visitors, way, welcome, were, West, WHO, wildlife, Wildlife Authority, wildlife trafficking, wine, women, workers, working, works, World, World Bank, years, Yoweri Museveni

Melbourne to welcome news hotels from Ormond Group in 2022

March 20, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

In 2022, Southeast Asian hospitality brand Ormond Group will introduce two new hotel concepts to Melbourne’s Central Business District in Victoria, Australia. Each taking residence in their own distinct tower within the buzzing CBD development, the Ormond Melbourne and MoMo’s Melbourne on Flinders Lane, will rise from a 40,000 sqft events and F&B podium. The brand-new development and social gathering space, designed for visitors and locals alike, will boast a purpose-built pedestrian laneway, multi-use spaces, sky bar & restaurant and provide the cultural capital with 537 new guest rooms between the two properties.

“We are delighted to have been given the green light for Ormond Group to push forward with this exciting and ambitious project. Through our new brands, we hope to be able to elevate the hotel scene in Melbourne through our inclusive approach to programming and design. We’ll be looking to work with exciting F&B operators as well as developing inspiring partnerships to bring these properties to life. Our spaces are designed to welcome guests and locals alike. Ormond and MoMo’s will offer culturally relevant experiences for guests and locals at great value for money price points in one central location. We are thrilled to be introducing our hotels to this area of the city’s CBD – we embrace its past, present and future and look forward to meaningfully contributing to the district’s landscape. We feel confident that Melbourne’s already discerning lifestyle audience will enjoy what we bring to Australia’s cultural capital.” says Gareth Lim, CEO of Ormond Group.

Through its approach to delivering authentic travel experiences, the Ormond Group is re-shaping Melbourne’s lifestyle scene with each new hotel. Ormond Hotels is a collection of thoughtfully designed hotels, inspired by local stories and cultural context. Ormond Melbourne will embody the spirit of Luxury Simplified through the brand’s values of comfort, purpose and balance by prioritizing great service, high quality guest essentials, beautiful and thoughtful design and dynamic social programming.

Meanwhile, MoMo’s Melbourne will provide guests with minimalist hotel rooms alongside playful spaces that engage with creative communities and urban nomads. MoMo’s is designed to inspire memorable moments – through interactive events that engage both locals and visitors alike at a value for money price point.

Together they will provide a dual-brand experience – an upscale boutique hotel that celebrates luxury simplified and an accessible, playful hotel concept that celebrates creative collaboration – bringing a new dynamism to Australia’s hospitality scene.

Designed by Melbourne-based architectural firm, Elenberg Fraser, in collaboration with Craig Tan Architects, the project will be managed by Point Polaris. Ormond Group is currently in the process of making interior design appointments. Both properties will be developed and operated by Ormond Group, who has announced the appointment of Caroline King as Chief Operating Officer.

This year, Ormond Group will open the first properties for its two new lifestyle hotel brands, with the Q3 launches of The Chow Kit – an Ormond Hotel and MoMo’s in Kuala Lumpur.

In Early 2021 the group will open the flagship hotel under the Ormond Hotels brand in Dublin following the extensive, multimillion-dollar refurbishment of The Ormond Hotel, which will be followed by the brand’s Melbourne opening in 2022. The group will be looking to expand into other Australian cities.

Ormond Group is a new player in global hospitality offering design-led travel experiences for all audiences via its brands – Ormond, MoMo’s and Tune Hotels. Ormond Group embodies the spirit of modern-day exploration whilst focusing on the careful curation of great service, design and programming.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, announced, appointment, appointments, architectural, area, Asian, audience, Australia, Australia travel news, Australian, authentic, B, balance, bar, based, beautiful, boutique, boutique hotel, brand, brands, Breaking Travel News, bringing, built, Business, capital, CBD, celebrates, Central, CEO, chief, chief operating officer, cities, city, collaboration, collection, comfort, communities, concept, contributing, Corporate News, creative, cultural, currently, day, design, designed, development, discerning, dollar, Dublin, early, embrace, Events, expand, experience, experiences, exploration, extensive, firm, first, flagship, following, Forward, free, future, gathering, Global, green, Group, guests, high, hope, hospitality, Hospitality News, hotel, Hotel brands, hotel rooms, Hotel Travel News, Hotels, in, inclusive, inspired, inspiring, interactive, interior, Interior Design, International Travel News, introduce, king, Kuala Lumpur, landscape, launches, LED, life, Lifestyle, light, local, locals, location, looking, Luxury, Luxury Travel News, Melbourne, modern, moments, money, multimillion, New, new development, new hotel, News, News articles, offer, offering, officer, open, opening, Operating, operators, Ormond, Ormond Group, Ormond Melbourne, partnerships, past, points, present, price, project, properties, purpose, push, quality, refurbishment, Resort News, restaurant, rise, rooms, s, says, scene, service, sky, social, Southeast, Southeast Asian, space, Spirit, stories, taking, TAN, through, to, TO BE, tourism, Tourism Investment News, tower, Travel, Travel Destination News, travel experiences, Travelwire News, Tune Hotels, upscale, urban, use, value, Victoria, visitors, We, welcome, WHO, work, World News, year

Mandarin Oriental opens first hotel in Beijing

March 18, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Hongkong Land today announced the completion of its prestigious WF CENTRAL premium lifestyle retail destination, located in the capital city’s historic Wangfujing area, with the opening of Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing. Executives from Hongkong Land and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group celebrated the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new hotel, Mandarin Oriental’s first hotel in Beijing.

Seamlessly connected with WF CENTRAL, the hotel features 73 rooms and suites which are among the largest in Beijing. The rooms are designed with a contemporary residential style combined with subtle traditional Chinese elements, an array of luxury amenities and expansive, spa-like bathrooms. Many rooms have superb views towards the Forbidden City. The hotel is also home to stylish restaurants and bars, including the signature Mandarin Grill + Bar, casual dining restaurant Cafe Zi, and the sleek, sophisticated MO Bar — all of which have direct access to an expansive rooftop garden terrace.

Those seeking rejuvenation in the heart of the city may visit The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing, which offers a range of curated wellness and beauty treatments as well as a 25-metre indoor lap pool with natural light and a comprehensive gym.

“Since its opening in May 2018, WF CENTRAL has been playing a crucial role in the redevelopment of the historic Wangfujing area of Beijing into one of the city’s premium lifestyle retail destinations,” said Mr Raymond Chow, Executive Director of Hongkong Land. “The opening of Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing, completes our work and exemplifies this strategy, as we are bringing Mandarin Oriental’s legendary hospitality together with a compelling mix of retail and dining, all nestled within one of the world’s most important and historic cities.”

Mr Richard Baker, Chief Relationship Officer, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, said, “Mandarin Oriental is delighted to partner with Hongkong Land in the creation of Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing. This is our third successful collaboration and we are immensely proud to be part of WF CENTRAL, Beijing’s preeminent lifestyle retail destination. We look forward to introducing the Group’s legendary hospitality to China’s capital and to welcoming guests through our doors.”

WF CENTRAL, Hongkong Land’s flagship development in Beijing, is a US$1.2 billion retail-led project designed to be the city’s premier shopping and lifestyle destination. It is also expected to be a major contributor to the transformation of Beijing’s historic Wangfujing area into a hub for retail, dining and business. The complex has a total gross floor area of more than 150,000 sq. m., including 43,000 sq. m. of retail space that hosts an exciting, diverse mix of tenants according to five core categories: “Luxury”, “Fashion”, “World-class Gastronomy”, “Lifestyle & Wellness” and “Art & Culture”.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, announced, area, art, Baker, bar, bars, bathrooms, beauty, Beijing, billion, Breaking Travel News, bringing, Business, capital, capital city, celebrated, Central, ceremony, chief, China, China Travel News, Chinese, cities, city, class, collaboration, compelling, complex, Corporate News, creation, culture, cutting, designed, Destination, Destinations, development, dining, direct, director, elements, executive, Executive Director, executives, expected, Fashion, Features,, first, first hotel, flagship, floor, Forbidden City, Forward, free, Garden, gastronomy, grill, Group, guests, historic, home, Hongkong, hospitality, Hospitality News, hotel, Hotel Group, Hotel Travel News, hub, important, in, including, indoor, International Travel News, IT, Land, lap, largest, LED, Lifestyle, light, like, Luxury, Luxury Travel News, M, mandarin, Mandarin Grill, mandarin oriental, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, May, most, Mr, natural, New, new hotel, News articles, offers, officer, opening, Oriental, partner, pool, premier, premium, prestigious, project, proud, redevelopment, rejuvenation, Relationship, residential, Resort News, restaurant, restaurants, retail, ribbon-cutting, role, rooms, s, said, shopping, signature, sophisticated, spa, space, strategy, Style, successful, suites, The World, through, to, TO BE, today, total, tourism, Tourism Investment News, traditional, transformation, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, treatments, US, views, visit, We, welcoming, wellness, work, World, World News, world-class

Search




Recent Articles

  • Marriott International to Provide Associates Financial Award for COVID-19 Vaccination
  • New Austin Marriott Downtown Brings Inspiring Hospitality Experience to the Heart of the Texas Capital
  • Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation in Thailand as of 4 March 2021, 11.30 Hrs.
  • Uniglobe marks 40-year anniversary with optimism and future focus
  • Hyatt Announces Global Expansion of Independent Collection Brands with New Hotel Openings and Developments Slated Through 2025
  • Thailand successfully hosts first Golf Quarantine
  • Marriott International Signs Agreement with Core Hospitality to Bring Residence Inn By Marriott to The Nordics
  • Hyatt House Atlanta / Perimeter Center Celebrates Opening
  • Phuket and Phang Nga viewpoints are among the world’s best for good reason
  • Sukhothai Mini Light and Sound 2021 show starts 6 March

Copyright © 2021 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in