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Fighting to Preserve the “Wonders of the Ocean”

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In a recent press call in the UK, the Seychelles Minister for Tourism, Ports and Marine, Mr. Didier Dogley and the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis reiterated the Seychelles’ commitment to fighting climate change.

Walking the talk on its shores and reminding its local and international stakeholders of the devastating effects of global warming, the Seychelles Tourism Board in collaboration with various partners organised another successful edition of the Seychelles Ocean Festival celebrating the “Wonders of the Ocean.”

The festivities celebrated during the weekend of November 22, 2019 concluded at Beau Vallon Beach on Sunday November 24, 2019 carried various activities revolving around our ocean and its fragile beauty, whilst raising the awareness and importance of its conservation.

Through a series of activities, the Seychelles Ocean Festival gave the public the opportunity to reflect on the harm perpetrated on the ocean and its various actions being done to alleviate its side effects for future generations.
From the screening of two short videos at the launching ceremony featuring the Aldabra clean-up project, “Island under siege”, through the experience of Seychelles Island Foundation’s representative Mr. Jeremy Raguain and the presentation of the Nekton Mission, and a testimonial by one of their representatives, Ms. Sheena Talma.

To the Raft Race for Charity, organised by Seychelles National Parks Authority and Global Vision International in collaboration with STB, took place at Cap Ternay beach where some 20 rafts from various organisations competed against one another.

The main sensitization, with the presence of several NGOs and agencies showcasing their causes and sustainable efforts, was on Sunday during the Fun day, focussed on educating the public on how they can contribute to the conservation of the ocean and interacting with them through games and quizzes.

The NGOs present included Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation, Parley for the ocean, Belliche, Nature Seychelles, Global Vision International, Green Islands Foundation and Blue Finance. Other agencies included Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environment and Blue Economy. Interviews with these NGOs, agencies, and CEOs were broadcasted live with K-Radio as part of a public awareness campaign, spreading the conservation cause and the roles of the organisations present.

The Festival concluded with a prize-giving ceremony on Monday 25th at Seychelles Institute for Teacher’s Education, for the SOF Art and Creative Writing Competition which involved participation from primary and secondary schools all over the Island.

In the age of climate change, raising awareness about the importance of our delicate marine life and its preservation has become more crucial, and the Seychelles Ocean Festival provides the perfect platform to achieve this.

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, [email protected]  www.seychelles.travel

Fraport Traffic Figures – July 2019: Passenger Traffic Rises at Frankfurt Airport

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International Group airports report differing traffic development Frankfurt Airport (FRA) welcomed more than 6.9 million passengers in the reporting month, up 0.8 percent compared to the already heavily-traveled July holiday month last year.  For the first seven months of the year, passenger traffic at FRA rose by 2.6 percent.   Aircraft movements in July 2019 climbed by 1.0 percent to 47,125 takeoffs and landings, while accumulated maximum takeoff weights (MTOWs) expanded by 2.4 percent to over 2.9 million metric tons.   FRA’s cargo throughput (airfreight + airmail) also grew by 1.5 percent to 178,652 metric tons. 

Across the Group, airports in Fraport’s international portfolio reported differing development in passenger traffic. Slovenia’s Ljubljana Airport (LJU) achieved a 4.2 percent jump in traffic to 207,292 passengers. Fraport’s two Brazilian airports in Fortaleza (FOR) and Porto Alegre (POA) together received about 1.3 million passengers – a decline of 9.9 percent year-on-year. This decline, among other things, can be attributed to the bankruptcy of Avianca Brasil – whereby other carriers temporarily were unable to fully absorb the traffic volume. 

With nearly 2.1 million passengers, Peru’s Lima Airport (LIM) recorded a further 4.9 percent rise in traffic. The 14 Greek airports together welcomed some 5.3 million passengers in July 2019, decreasing 0.8 percent year-on-year. This light downturn resulted from the consolidation of flight offers by some airlines serving the Greek market. 

On the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, the Twin Star airports of Varna (VAR) and Burgas (BOJ) together served about 1.2 million passengers.The resulting 13.2 percent drop in passengers is a continuation of the consolidation trend seen in previous months, following the rapid passenger growth in figures at the Twin Star airports in recent years. In contrast, Antalya Airport (AYT) on the Turkish Riviera reported almost 5.4 million passengers, again recording strong growth of 11.7 percent in July 2019. Registering some 2.2 million passengers, Russia’s St. Petersburg Airport (LED) also achieved growth of 4.9 percent. Traffic at China’s Xian Airport (XIY) almost reached 4.3 million passengers, a 7.4 percent gain compared to the same month last year. 

For further information about Fraport AG please click here.

MEDIA CONTACT: Torben Beckmann, Fraport AG, Corporate Communications, Media Relations, 60547 Frankfurt, Germany, E-mail:  [email protected] , Facebook:  www.facebook.com/FrankfurtAirport

African Tourism Board Safety and Travel Security Expert Statement on TOPP

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African Tourism Board Safety and Security expert Dr. Peter Tarlow reminded all ATB members, security incidents around the world once again underline the need for African nations to promote and provide the best tourism security possible.

African Tourism Board President Alain St. Ange mentioned that after recent security challenges in Kenya, it remains the duty of Africa to stand with Kenya’s Minister Najib Balala, the CS for Tourism and with the Government of Kenya after the recent kidnapping of Doctors and Bomb Threats.

“Tourism is a success story in Kenya and they need, more than ever, their fellow friends and neighbors to spread this successes story,” the ATB president added.

Dr. Tarlow explained: “The best way for the African tourism industry to aid countries not only Sudan and Kenya as they face new tourism security challenge is by helping each nation in Africa to create a well funded and organized tourism security unit.

Each tourism security unit of TOPPs (tourism-oriented policing and protection services) will be experts not only in security but also safety and seek to protect a nation’s visitors along with its reputation and economies.

These units, be they composed of public or private security agents or private-private partnership, will help to assure tourists from around the world that travel to Africa is safe and secure.

They will be major players in promoting African tourism and when security mishaps occur they will aid their local tourism industry in a demonstration to the world that these are the exceptions and not the norm.

It is important to remember where that security is an essential element in tourism.  It is our moral duty and good business to work with both local governments and international organizations to assure travelers that Africa will receive them with open arms and a loving heart.

“Today, the African Tourism Board confirms that they stand with Africa ans specially now with Minister Balala the Kenyan Government and People of Kenya and will work with them as and when called upon”, concluded St.Ange.

Reference:
www.africantourismboard.com

www.safertourism.com 

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South African Tourism appoints Trade Relations Officer

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Sherwin Arends joins South African Tourism (SAT) as Trade Relations Officer, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the role following 12 years’ experience working within the travel industry.

Originally from Cape Town, Sherwin moved to the UK six years ago after travelling the world as a member of cabin crew for Qatar Airways. His most recent role was Senior Product Executive for Audley Travel.

Sherwin will be tasked with building and maintaining relationships with key travel trade contacts in the UK and Ireland while utilising South African Tourism’s research and insights to ensure the agents are provided with all the tools and support to confidently sell South Africa.

Sherwin says: “I’m very passionate about my birth country and proud of my South African heritage so I am thrilled to be joining the South African Tourism team in the UK. I’m looking forward to showcasing South Africa as a leading tourist destination, with a focus on promoting the well-known areas and experiences and helping to uncover and educate the trade on the destination’s hidden gems.”

Tolene van der Merwe Hub Head for the UK & Ireland at South African Tourism says: “We are delighted that Sherwin will be joining our growing team. His wealth of industry knowledge combined with his personal experience of South Africa will be invaluable as we collectively promote the destination to holidaymakers through the UK and Irish trade.”

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Visa waiver leads to spike in bookings to Brazil

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Brazil’s visa waiver policy announced in March is already generating positive results. Recent data from a study done by Amadeus Group shows a significant increase in the number of reservations made in the United States, as well as in Canada, Japan and Australia, the other three other countries benefiting from the new policy. Amadeus is one of the 10 largest technology companies in the world and one of the three largest in the travel segment.

In the United States, the increase was 53% in the number of trips confirmed for June and 97% in July compared to the same period of last year. In Canada, growth was 86% for June, 54% for July and, expressive, 135% for August this year.

“The numbers show that visa exemptions for strategic countries are a good measure, which generates jobs and income in Brazil. It is time for the country to take advantage of all its tourism potential”, said Marcelo Alvaro Antonio, the Brazilian Minister of Tourism.

Here are some suggestions of amazing destinations in Brazil for all tastes:

• Historic Cities: If you like your vacations with a heavy dose of culture, Brazil should definitely be on your list. We have several historic cities, with a heritage dating back to its colonial period. In Minas Gerais State, you can find cities like Ouro Preto and Diamantina – the center of gold mining in Brazil in the 18th century. In the Northeast state of Bahia, you will find Salvador, the first capital of Brazil, and a city that also has a rich history of its African heritage. A few miles from Salvador, in the State of Pernambuco, you will find the city of Olinda. Founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century, the city is linked to the sugar cane industry, with gorgeous Baroque churches, convents, and views to die for.

• Sun and Beach: With more than four thousand miles of coast, its exuberant nature bordering the beaches with coconut trees, and tropical forests, Brazil has options for all travelers looking to spend time outdoors. Most know the famous urban beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis or Fortaleza, but there are also small beach towns like Trancoso, Boipeba, and Jericoacoara that can offer unique spots to get a tan. You can even find a stretch of sand in the Amazon, in the beaches near Manaus, along the Rio Negro.

• National Parks: Brazil’s natural beauties go beyond beaches and forests. The country is also blessed with great diversity, which includes waterfalls, canyons, wetlands and many different types of ecosystems throughout its many national parks. Think- Iguazu Falls, one of the most important forest reserves in South America. Another highlight is the Pantanal, in the central region of the country, home to hundreds of endangered species. And of course, the Amazon Rainforest.

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