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The Seychelles Islands celebrate the annual “Endless Summer” roadshow in CIS region

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The Seychelles Tourism Board appeared in full flare for the third edition of its annual “Endless Summer with The Seychelles Islands” events, which took place in Astana and Almaty (Kazakhstan) and Kiev (Ukraine) in August 2019.

The events featured interaction with key partners from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region and presentations of the destination and its partners.

The “Endless Summer” roadshow seized the city of Astana on August 26, 2019 and saw the presence of 45 companies. The events included a tropical breakfast, a presentation of the Seychelles Islands in the luxurious UNO restaurant, followed by a B2B workshop.

At the next stop, Almaty, participants had an opportunity to partake in a workshop with one-one meetings followed by a networking cocktail reception, which took place in “Afisha”, a popular restaurant that was transformed into an exotic paradise, invoking the Seychelles atmosphere.

The following day, the STB team engaged with trade partners during the summer open-air festival in the Garden of VDNH Park, in Kiev, Ukraine, where the participation of 75 agents were recorded.

Taking place in a vintage orangery, the core elements of Seychelles flora blended with the rustic elements of the retro festival, namely its food trucks, scattered beanbags and fairy lights, creating a mesmerising backdrop.

The workshop and teasers were presented inside the orangery and was followed by open-air festival with lounge zones, picnic style tables and sun lounges.

The food stalls also contributed to the Seychelles Islands atmosphere with grill fish, seafood finger food, coconut ice cream, tropical smoothies and lemonades.

These successful events gave the STB team the opportunity to provide the perfect platform for local tour operators to meet the partners from Seychelles, to broaden their knowledge about the destination and discuss prospective collaboration opportunities.

This year in Astana & Almaty we saw participation from 7° South, Pure Escapes, Savoy Resort & Spa Seychelles & Coral Strand Seychelles, Fregate Island Private, Etihad Airways and Fly Dubai. Participants in Kiev included, 7° South, Pure Escapes, Fregate Island Private and Turkish Airlines.

“We are very happy to get such an opportunity to share a part of Seychelles with our dear partners from the CIS region. This region has great potential for Seychelles and our presence continues on such events with the support of the local partners will only help to penetrate the region even further” said the STB representative in Russia and CIS, Ms Olga Demina. “Year after year we record a positive growth from these important markets as Kazakhstan and Ukraine and hope that the interest in Seychelles will only keep growing”.

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

Turin, the Piedmont region and its gastronomy: The pinnacle of tours proposed for summer 2019 & 2020

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AG Boutique Journey, the DMC  & Tour Operator of AG Group, the first Tourist Group in Italy in a position to satisfy in-house all forms of demand.  (DMC/Tour Operator & Event Management, its own Boutique Hotel chain and Consultants for independent Hotels’ Marketing & Yield Management, A selection of fine Bistro Restaurants and novice their private Retirement Homes for the elderly). All of these founded and Directed by Andrea Girolami who has more than twenty-years of experience in all levels of Incoming tourism. From leisure to corporate to MICE – Meetings Incentives Conferences & Events and with a department dedicated solely to the Elite luxury Sector. Today they are at the forefront and offering only the best solutions to International Tourists who wish to spend their summer vacation in Italy, which is also known as the Bel Paese.

With a great foresight and awareness of the times and even well before even CNN made their conclusions, AG Boutique Journey had already presented specific tours and products to visit Turin and the Piedmont region in their 2019 catalogue.  An area which is listed as the Royal capital in the USA’s Top 20 list for alternate destinations for travelers visiting from North America.

CNN recommendations

Over the past few days, the well-known TV news network put together their own specific list and recommended  the twenty most beautiful European cities worth visiting, and they are less known and some are off the beaten track. Turin in particular is seen as an alternative to Venice since «it is less congested». The capital of Piedmont is also the city where some of the most underestimated places in Italy are found, including the Contemporary Art museum at the Rivoli Castle, the Basilica of Superga and the Egyptian Museum, with its magnificent collection of “Egyptian artefacts.” CNN concludes that in addition to the Artistic beauty found here, Turin also offers the opportunity to sample possibly the best Italian cuisine in the country.

Piedmont a region of beauty, art and food and wine

AG Boutique Journey offers two distinct tours based solely in the region of Piedmont. There is a five-nights / six-days trip and a more deep and complex itinerary with eight-nights / nine-days trip.

Places are dreamlike and for those Italophiles who already know Italy well, one can only imagine what they are.  The Langhe hills of the Barolo vineyards, the medieval city of Asti, the beautiful Grinzane Cavour castle, named in honor of Camillo Benso, the Count of Cavour and author of the Italian Risorgimento.  The city of Vercelli with its imposing Roman ruins, the fabulous views over  Monferrato, one of the most important wine areas in Italy.  Acqui Terme with its baths dating back to the Roman times.  Then of course the city of Turin, the first capital of a united Italy (1861-1865), with its National Cinema Museum in the towering Mass Antonelliana, and the Duomo Cathedral that houses the sacred Shroud believed to belong to Jesus Christ.

The tour includes gourmet meals and tasting and is accompanied along the way with Barolo and Barbaresco wines, the famous Langhe goats cheeses.  Once these in particular Montébore, one of the local delicacies since the 15th century, as well as the soft creamy Robiola cheese from Murazzano).

Visit the website.

AG Group – Your gateway to Italy is the first tourist group in Italy capable of satisfying all services in-house,  from the DMC / Tour Operator & Event Management to the Hotel Consulting, their very own Hotel collection,  the Restaurants and the Retirement homes.

Founded and directed by Andrea Girolami, an entrepreneur with over twenty years of experience in tourism and in hospitality, includes:

  • AG Hotels, five 4 star hotels in the center of Rome, with a sixth opening in September and shortly after his first 5 star Hotel to open in Florence.
  • AG Boutique Journey, Established Tour Operator, DMC, Event Organizer & Wedding planner with an important sector specializing in Luxury Travel.
  • AG Hotel Consulting, Hotel Revenue and Yield Management Advisors to a selection of luxury and boutique 4 & 5 star hotels, contributing to a content of already 30 hotels within central Italy.
  • AG Foodies, Bistros in Rome and Rooftop Terraces in two of the AG Hotels with more new openings soon in Florence for Diana’s Place Bistro and an exquisite Rooftop Terrace. All Gourmet menus are creatively managed and directed by the well-known Michelin star chef Andrea Fusco.
  • AG Domus Nova, the novelty to the company sees the opening of a collection of important Retirement Homes, in response to the demand for quality hospitality for the third age and where the project is already underway and operative in Central Italy.

Media Contact:

Stefano Ferri

Mob. 349 5506421

stefanoferri@aggroupitaly.it

29th International Book Fair opens in Abu Dhabi

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Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is playing host to the 29th edition of Abu Dhabi International Book Fair that kicked off on Wednesday with more than 500,000 titles on display.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the UAE Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan inaugurated the event, according to the state-run WAM news agency.

He emphasized the importance of the fair in supporting the UAE’s status in the publishing industry, being one of the most important book fairs in the region that attracts Arab and international publishers.

Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi, the fair features more than 1,000 exhibitors from 50 countries.

Running until April 30, the fair also includes several daily events for visitors such as seminars, workshops, author signings and entertainment activities.

With India as the event’s guest of honour, at least 30 Indian publishing companies are taking part.

This year’s book fair also sees the introduction of three new interactive zones: the E-Zone, Comic Corner and the Entertainment Zone.

Each of the three zones features unique experiences for learning, innovation and entertainment.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Swiss-Belhotel brings special offers to Arabian Travel Market

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Swiss-Belhotel International has created exciting packages for wholesalers and tour operators that will be launched at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) taking place in Dubai from April 28 to May 1, 2019. Targeted at Middle East travelers, the group has put together a fabulous range of offers that will be available across its spectacular properties in New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Laurent A. Voivenel, Senior Vice President, Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India, Swiss-Belhotel International, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of these exclusive packages that have been designed to provide unique experiences along with greater benefits and value to our Middle East partners as well as customers. We have superb properties located in some of the most sought-after destinations that attract large number of travelers from our region. With the summer holiday season around the corner, ATM presents us the ideal opportunity to launch these. Moreover, this year we are very excited about the ATM Holiday Shopper that we believe is a great addition to the show.”

The Special Packages offer a diverse choice of experiences at unbeatable rates: These include the following:

  • Special Golf Packages in Indonesia at various destinations – Jakarta, Batam, Bandung, Bali, Tarakan, Belitung, Surabaya, Jayapura, and in Vietnam in Da Lat.
  • Discounted wholesale rates for hotels in New Zealand and for hotels in Australia.
  • Early Bird discounts in the busiest destination in Australia, the hotel in Sydney offers 15% discounts for booking within April with stays valid till August and 10% for bookings until August with stays valid all throughout the year.
  • In Philippines, book at Makati and get a free room upgrade; and when you book at Manila get to enjoy the amazing introductory offer including breakfast for two.

Visitors to ATM can find Swiss-Belhotel International on stand HC0825 located in Sheikh Saeed Arena in Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

eTN is a media partner for ATM.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Moscow selected to host annual GSMA Mobile 360 Series event

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Eurasia conference, a regional event held as part of the activities of GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association), will be held in Moscow, October 8-9 2019.

The decision to host the event in Moscow was adopted as a result of an active work of the Russian Convention Bureau which provided the proposal for venues, and organized an inspection visit for representatives of the international association.

The event will be held in Moscow for the second time, following the successful launch in 2018 which gathered over 600 attendees from 21 countries and 52% were Director-level and above.

In 2019, the conference and exhibition will bring together over 600 policymakers, regulatory authorities, international organisations, Mobile Network Operators, mobile technology solution providers and broader ICT ecosystem players from Russia, the CIS region and the international market leaders in 5G technology. The event will be held at the Lotte Hotel Moscow.

Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation, said: “The sphere of mobile and high technologies plays a key role in stimulating economic growth, attracting foreign investments and increasing global competitiveness through development of science and technology. Adding more industries to the list of events organized by the Russian Convention Bureau will not only facilitate the development of corresponding areas of the real economy sector but also help create the image of the country on the international arena as one of the most meaningful players on the market of the event industry.”

Alexey Kalachev, Director of the Russian Convention Bureau, said: “We use various tools of working with international associations as we work to attract various business events to Russia. We are ready to offer universal and customized solutions that will correspond to the needs and expectations of conference organizers of various scale in different industries.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Mediterranean Resort & Hotel Real Estate Forum returns to Greece

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Now in its fifth year, the Mediterranean Resort & Hotel Real Estate Forum (MR&H) will return to Greece for the second year in succession this October. The event, hosted by Questex, is dedicated to the investment, development and operation of resorts and hotels within the Mediterranean region. This niche, but highly specialized area, comprises various elements; hotel, residential, marinas, health clubs, children’s activities, retail, sports facilities, F&B, all of which need to be carefully woven together with seamless operation to create a successful resort.

The conference will be held at the Hilton Athens on the 29-31st October 2019. A fitting venue for Hilton’s celebration of 100 years in hospitality and the continuation of the premise that the group was founded on; “travel can make the world a better place”.

The dynamic growth of tourism in Greece continues to boost investment activity throughout the country and throughout the wider Mediterranean region. Speaking at MIPIM last month, Secretary General for Tourism Policy and Development George Tziallas said; “Half of all funding under Greece’s 2016 development law has been channeled into tourism ventures, while more than 400 investment plans have been submitted in the last three years to the tourism ministry for approval.”

This statement is supported by data recently released by Horwath HTL during the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) which revealed Greece is a prime investment opportunity for international hotel chains as only 1.7% of total units currently operate under an international brand. Results from the joint investor sentiment survey from Tranio and IHIF showed Greece listed as one of the European countries that is most attractive for hotel real estate investment.

Stakeholders from leading operators including Thomas Cook, Club Med and Nobu attend the event alongside investors from KSL, Starwood Capital Group and Dolphin Capital all recognizing the value of coming together as a collective to debate, converse and discuss.

Registration for MR&H 2019 is now open and delegate tickets can be purchased at the best value Early Bird rate until the end of May.

Enterprise Greece have pledged their continued support for MR&H and Grigoris Stergioulis, Chairman & CEO at Enterprise Greece said in relation to the ongoing collaboration; “Building on the success of the event last year, the positive working relationship with Questex and the significant opportunities that exist for investors in the Greek hotel market, we’re thrilled to once again partner with MR&H and look forward to welcoming the event to Greece for the second year.”

Alexi Khajavi, Managing Director of EMEA Hospitality + Travel Group, Questex said; “The tourism and hospitality prosperity that Greece is enjoying is leading to significant activity from serious investors and developers. As a conference host, our role is to facilitate these meetings, connections and interactions in an environment that is educational and energizing. With the continued support from Enterprise Greece, Hilton providing the setting, and amongst very encouraging industry data, we’re confident that MR&H will prove to be an event not to be missed for those currently active or keen to do business within the Mediterranean resort and hotel space”.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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.

Travel News | eTurboNews

TIME Hotels to open five new properties across Middle East in 2019

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TIME Hotels, the UAE-headquartered hospitality company and hotel operator, is set to announce plans to open five new properties across the Middle East during 2019 – as it targets 35 properties by 2025.

The properties, which will see the growth and launch of existing as well as new TIME Hotel brands to key territories throughout the region, will be unveiled during Arabian Travel Market 2019, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 April – 1 May.

Mohamed Awadalla, CEO TIME Hotels, said: “Our pipeline of hotels and residences meet the demands of multiple value-driven markets by offering a high-quality experience right across all of our branded properties.

“We currently have 15 properties in operation across the UAE and wider GCC with new additions in Dubai, Sharjah and Saudi Arabia scheduled for this year as well as extending our presence to Egypt – further supporting our strategic business plan to increase our total portfolio to 35 properties across the Middle East by the end of 2025.”

TIME Hotels will debut its TIME Express Hotels brand with the opening of a property in Sharjah, during the third quarter of 2019. The three-star TIME Express Hotel Al Khan will feature 55 keys in total and is located 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport, 20 minutes from Sharjah International Airport and a 15-minute walk from Al Khan Beach.

In Dubai, TIME Asma Hotel is scheduled to open during the second quarter of 2019. The four-star property, located in Al Barsha, will feature 232 rooms including 12 suites, a gym, swimming pool, jacuzzi, four meeting rooms, a business centre and two restaurants.

“Plans are in place for two floors of the hotel to be reserved exclusively for female travellers, with dedicated services, including: personalised room service, a female-only check-in counter, dedicated ladies-only guest relations, in-house baby-sitting services, and in-room tablets highlighting all of the services offered for women as well as enhanced bathroom amenities in each room,” said Awadalla.

Meanwhile, TIME Hotels’ international openings in Saudi Arabia and Egypt demonstrate the brand’s strength and popularity in markets outside of the UAE.

TIME Hotels opened its second property in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of April. Featuring 28 deluxe apartments – comprising four one-bedroom units and 24 two-bedroom units – TIME Dammam Residence is located 35 minutes from King Fahad International Airport and just minutes from various shopping and dining destinations in Dammam.

Joining TIME Dammam Residence in the kingdom will be TIME Golden Tower Al Khobar. Scheduled to open August 2019, the 65-key property will be strategically located on Al Khobar Main Street and within close proximity to Al Khobar Waterfront. The property will feature a roof-top garden lounge, a gym and a high-tech business centre.

In Egypt, TIME Nozha Beach Aqua Park Hotel & Resort will open its doors during Q3 2019. The four-star property – located in Ras Sudr, on Egypt’s Red Sea Coast – will feature 52 rooms and four suits as well as five castles, 93 villas, 891 chalets and 136 studios.

Located along a 945 metre stretch of white sand beach, the resort will feature the largest aqua entertainment complex in Ras Sudr, complete with various water slides, wave pools and water sport activities.

Awadalla, said: “This is a very exciting chapter in TIME Hotels’ short history as we open TIME Nozha Aqua Park & Resort, our first beach resort and first property in Egypt. Built with leisure and adventure visitors in mind, this resort is fully-equipped with everything the modern traveller requires for the perfect family getaway.”

These scheduled openings follow the signing of a new management agreement by TIME Hotels Management to operate Dunes Hotel Apartments’ three properties located throughout Dubai.

TIME Hotels took over day-to-day operations of TIME Dunes Hotel Apartment Al Barsha, TIME Dunes Hotel Apartments Al Qusais and TIME Dunes Hotel Apartments Oud Metha following the signing of the agreement on 24th January 2019.

“It has been a busy year for TIME Hotels with a raft of properties announced with several of them due to come online within the next 12 months. We have been very strategic with our openings, identifying and assessing the demand within the market and implementing the most suitable brand from the TIME portfolio, that best matches that demand and we’re looking forward to bringing more properties into our portfolio,” added Awadalla.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi prepares to host World Travel Awards

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Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, the latest addition to Yas Island’s series of world-class attractions, is stepping up to host the World Travel Awards (WTA) Middle East Gala Ceremony 2019 on Thursday 25 April.

The gala ceremony will be the premier gathering of the Arabian hospitality industry, with the key players and VIPs from across the region attending.

Opened last summer, Warner Bros. World is the world’s first-ever Warner Bros. branded indoor theme park, and represents another milestone in Abu Dhabi’s remarkable journey to establish itself as one of the world’s leading tourist destinations.

Located on Yas Island, the 1.65 million sq. ft. indoor theme park features six immersive lands with 29 state-of-the-art rides, interactive family-friendly attractions and unique live entertainment shows, as well as a variety of themed dining and retail outlets.

The park is the latest addition to Yas Island’s award-winning theme parks, joining Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld.

The red-carpet evening will form the second leg of the WTA Grand Tour 2019 – a global search for the finest travel and tourism brands in the world.

Graham Cooke, Founder, WTA, said: “We are deeply honoured to host our Middle East Gala Ceremony at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, an enthralling new addition to Abu Dhabi’s incredible roster of tourist offerings.

He added: “WTA has maintained its position as the industry leader for the past 26 years, consistently proving its value as the global benchmark for acknowledging excellence in travel and tourism. I greatly look forward to welcoming the most senior decision-makers of the Arabian travel industry for what promises to be a most memorable evening at this phenomenal new attraction.”

Don Strickler, General Manager, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, said: “We are delighted and honored to welcome the prestigious World Travel Awards Middle East Gala Ceremony at Warner Bros. World for the first time this year. The choice of our Park as host for this coveted industry event is a testament to the growing appeal of theme parks within the leisure and entertainment sector in the region. We look forward to bringing together some of the world’s leading travel industry professionals and organizations for an evening full of many successes and celebrations.”

As part of the Grand Tour 2019, WTA is also hosting ceremonies in Montego Bay (Jamaica), Mauritius, Madeira, La Paz (Bolivia) and Phu Quoc (Vietnam), with the winners progressing to the Grand Final in Muscat (Oman).

Travel News | eTurboNews

Magnitude 6.0 earthquake jolts South Sandwich Islands region

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Magnitude 6.0 earthquake rocked South Sandwich Islands region today. No tsunami warning issued.

Preliminary Earthquake Report:

Magnitude 6.0

Date-Time • 22 Apr 2019 14:49:07 UTC

• 22 Apr 2019 12:49:07 near epicenter

Location 56.265S 27.398W

Depth 95 km

Distances • 2414.1 km (1496.7 mi) SW of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Saint Helena
• 2549.7 km (1580.8 mi) ENE of Ushuaia, Argentina
• 2555.4 km (1584.3 mi) E of R�o Grande, Argentina
• 2749.7 km (1704.8 mi) E of R�o Gallegos, Argentina
• 2765.0 km (1714.3 mi) E of Puerto Deseado, Argentina

Location Uncertainty Horizontal: 5.1 km; Vertical 5.9 km

Parameters Nph = 63; Dmin = 618.5 km; Rmss = 0.61 seconds; Gp = 36°

Travel News | eTurboNews