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Jamaica Tourist Board Continues to Reward Agents During Coronavirus Lockdown

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To provide trade partners with up-to-date information on Destination Jamaica and to prepare them for future sales and the resumption of travel, the Jamaica Tourist Board Agent Rewards portal has been updated. The new look platform will be launched to the trade on May 27 and the “Lite Learning” section is a relaunch of the content with a new look and feel. Agents who are not yet on the platform, can register for Jamaica Rewards by visiting www.jamaicarewards.co.uk

Also, on May 27, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is set to launch a series of mini-webinars to educate agents about the destination. These on-demand videos will be published on the Jamaica Rewards YouTube Channel. Each video will be 10 – 12 minutes and cover topics ranging from food and drink, wellness, festivals, bird watching, cruise, as well as things to do on the island for a diverse clientele. In June there will be a series of online “Jamaica Quizzes” using Kahoot!, a game-based learning platform.

JTB’s UK trade sales team will be continuing to work closely with its travel partners as they utilise their social media channels to create virtual FAM trips. Agents will receive an itinerary in advance and will be taken on a virtual tour of various experiences and attractions in Jamaica. A member of the sales team will be on hand to answer questions and provide additional information.

The Jamaica Tourist Board continues to incentivise its trade partners and will be rewarding the top 20 performing agents with a “Taste of Jamaica” gift pack. The pack will include selection of sauces, marinades, and herbs, giving agents an authentic taste of Jamaica from their own home.

Elizabeth Fox, Regional Director, UK & N Europe, Jamaica Tourist Board said: “Post-pandemic, we believe more clients are going to be in search of a trusted travel agent when it comes to booking holidays. With this in mind, we have come up with innovative ways to engage our all-important trade partners and equip them with the knowledge they need so that they are ready to spread the love and encourage more of their clients to book a holiday to Jamaica when travel restrictions are lifted.”

Agents can register for Jamaica Rewards here: www.jamaicarewards.co.uk

For more inspiration on traveling to Jamaica, visit: www.visitjamaica.com

#rebuildingtravel

Travel Trade Professionals from city of Saint Gilles in Reunion trained to be Seychelles experts

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The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) maintains its commitment to educate trade partners about the destination as the team conducted a two-day destination Training in the city of Saint Gilles in Réunion to train Travel Trade professionals to become certified smart agents.

The Seychelles smart Certification program is designed to help travel trade professionals to become specialists of the destination- ensuring that potential visitors receive the full Seychelles exposure from very first point of contact.  

The program requires the participants to complete a comprehensive training session about Seychelles Island, following which they have a period of one year to sell three Seychelles holiday packages.

An educational visit in Seychelles is the last step needed for them to be certified Seychelles smart agents.

This year’s Seychelles Smart certification-training program was conducted on the sidelines of the official mission of Mrs. Bernadette Willemin, the STB Regional Director for Europe in Réunion.

The STB Regional Director for Europe conducted the Seychelles Smart Certification Training involving some 33-trade partners. The Senior Marketing Executive in Reunion, Ms. Bernadette Honore, assisted her.

Following the success of the training session, Mrs. Bernadette Willemin stated on the importance of keeping the trade partners well-informed about the destination.

“It is imperative for a destination like ours whose majority of the business comes through the distribution channel to continue training the travel trade  front liners ensuring that they are comfortable and confident in selling our products and also capable of converting enquiries into sell,” said the STB Regional Director for Europe.

The duo also conducted a series of sales calls meetings with Reunion tourism trade professionals marketing Seychelles as the ultimate versatile destination in the region.

Mrs Willemin and Ms. Honore also took the opportunity to gather further intelligence on the Reunion market development.

STB partner airline in Reunion, Air Austral -offering direct connectivity to Seychelles- also collaborated to the programme, firming up its support towards this program by joining with the STB to promote the Réunion-Seychelles route.

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

New team member at The Pod Hotels

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The Pod Hotels is striving to address the rapidly-increasing demand for affordable lifestyle hotels targeted at progressive-minded and budget-conscious travelers who are creative and ambitious and who maintain high expectations when it comes to authentic experiences, smart design and intuitive technology.

As part of this progress, BD Hotels today announced the appointment of Rani Gharbie as the Head of Acquisitions & Development for The Pod Hotels, BD Hotel’s highly profitable micro-hotel concept to replicate this successful business model in even more key markets including Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Boston, Nashville, Seattle, Montreal, Toronto, and Mexico City, amongst others.

Gharbie formerly oversaw development and acquisitions for North America at Virgin Hotels where he actively contributed to grow the brand’s footprint in key markets.

As Head of Acquisitions & Development working closely with BD Hotels owners Richard Born and Ira Drukier, Gharbie will be responsible for identifying potential investment opportunities and bringing together strategic partners and investors to fund future projects in numerous markets. He will leverage BD Hotels’ expertise in hotel development, investment and operations to expand The Pod Hotels brand across the country and eventually globally.

“Rani joins us at a pivotal time as we scale The Pod Hotels portfolio exponentially in North America” said Richard Born, Owner of BD Hotels. “He will undoubtedly be a tremendous asset as he brings over 20 years of experience in hotel acquisitions, development and operation.”

“I’m looking forward to expanding the profitable model Richard and Ira created to key markets nationwide,” said Gharbie. “I see great growth potential for the brand as there is an increased desire from today’s travelers to stay at smart, innovative brands like The Pod Hotels.”

Prior to joining Virgin Hotels, Gharbie was the Managing Director and Founder at Cedar Funds, a New York City based development and investment firm with a focus on progressive hotel and real estate assets, as well as regional Director of Development with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). In addition, Gharbie is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia’s Masters in Real Estate Development program, where he teaches the spring course Private Equity Development, Hotel Focus. He holds a Masters Degree from the program, an MBA from the HEC Business School in Montreal, a Bachelor degree in Hotel Management from the Glion Hotel School in Switzerland, and a Certificate in Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management from Cornell University in New York.

The Pod Hotels currently has five properties in the portfolio, three of which opened over the past two years (the brand’s flagship Pod Times Square opened in January 2018; Pod DC and Pod Brooklyn opened in 2017), with the brand recently announcing two more hotels in the direct pipeline (Pod Philly opening in fall 2019 and Pod LA slated for 2020). With its functional guestrooms, vibrant communal space and flexible design, The Pod Hotels presents superior investment returns when compared to legacy hotel brands of similar positioning.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Benchmark appoints new Regional Director of Revenue Management

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Benchmark has appointed Michael Botha regional director of revenue management. Eric Gavin, Benchmark’s chief sales officer, made the announcement.

“I am very pleased to welcome Michael to Benchmark,” said Mr. Gavin. “He comes to us with an impressive revenue management pedigree, and vast experience with maximizing revenues of independent hotels and resorts. Michael is a terrific addition to our revenue leadership team.”

Michael Botha previously held the position of regional director of revenue management for Pyramid Hotel Group of Boston, Massachusetts. He has served as area director of revenue management for Nobel House Hotels & Resorts, and earlier in the same role for Dolce Hotels and Resorts.

Mr. Botha is a graduate of the University of Johannesburg Hotel School where he earned his National Diploma in Hospitality Management. He is the recipient of numerous professional honors including the Kyalami Castle Award for Best Experiential Learner; Southern Sun Award for Best Overall Experiential Learner; and Distinctions in Hospitality Management, Law, Financial Management, Operations, Food & Beverage. He resides in Cumberland, Rhode Island, where he will be operating out of a regional office.

Travel News | eTurboNews

BD Hotels plans rapid expansion, hires Head Of Acquisitions & Development

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BD Hotels today announces the appointment of Rani Gharbie as the Head of Acquisitions & Development for The Pod Hotels, BD Hotel’s highly profitable micro-hotel concept. The Pod Hotels currently has five properties in the portfolio, three of which opened over the past two years (the brand’s flagship Pod Times Square opened in January 2018; Pod DC and Pod Brooklyn opened in 2017), with the brand recently announcing two more hotels in the direct pipeline (Pod Philly opening in fall 2019 and Pod LA slated for 2020). Now, The Pod Hotels hires Gharbie to replicate this successful business model in even more key markets including Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Boston, Nashville, Seattle, Montreal, Toronto, and Mexico City, amongst others. Gharbie formerly oversaw development and acquisitions for North America at Virgin Hotels where he actively contributed to grow the brand’s footprint in key markets.

The Pod Hotels addresses the rapidly increasing demand for affordable lifestyle hotels targeted at progressive minded and budget conscious travelers who are creative and ambitious and who maintain high expectations when it comes to authentic experiences, smart design and intuitive technology. With its functional guestrooms, vibrant communal space and flexible design, The Pod Hotels presents superior investment returns when compared to legacy hotel brands of similar positioning.

As Head of Acquisitions & Development working closely with BD Hotels owners Richard Born and Ira Drukier, Gharbie will be responsible for identifying potential investment opportunities and bringing together strategic partners and investors to fund future projects in numerous markets. He will leverage BD Hotels’ expertise in hotel development, investment and operations to expand The Pod Hotels brand across the country and eventually globally.

“Rani joins us at a pivotal time as we scale The Pod Hotels portfolio exponentially in North America” said Richard Born, Owner of BD Hotels. “He will undoubtedly be a tremendous asset as he brings over 20 years of experience in hotel acquisitions, development and operation.”

“I’m looking forward to expanding the profitable model Richard and Ira created to key markets nationwide,” said Gharbie. “I see great growth potential for the brand as there is an increased desire from today’s travelers to stay at smart, innovative brands like The Pod Hotels.”

Prior to joining Virgin Hotels, Gharbie was the Managing Director and Founder at Cedar Funds, a New York City based development and investment firm with a focus on progressive hotel and real estate assets, as well as regional Director of Development with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). In addition, Gharbie is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia’s Masters in Real Estate Development program, where he teaches the spring course Private Equity Development, Hotel Focus. He holds a Masters Degree from the program, an MBA from the HEC Business School in Montreal, a Bachelor degree in Hotel Management from the Glion Hotel School in Switzerland, and a Certificate in Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management from Cornell University in New York.

Travel News | eTurboNews