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Hurricane Dorian and The Islands of the Bahamas

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Bahamian officials continue to assess the damage in The Abacos and Grand Bahama Island, the two islands in the Northwest Bahamas that were devastated by Hurricane Dorian. Relief teams are currently deployed and are providing assistance to those in need.

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation (BMOTA) urges travelers to consider keeping and pursuing their vacations to the islands that were not affected and remain open. In the Northwest Bahamas, these include the Bahamas capital of Nassau and neighboring Paradise Island, as well as Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Andros, Bimini and The Berry Islands. The Islands in the Southeastern and Central Bahamas remain unaffected, including The Exumas, Cat Island, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Long Island, Acklins/Crooked Island, Mayaguana and Inagua.


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“While we are still processing the impact that Hurricane Dorian has had on our country, we must stay strong for our friends, loved ones and neighbors on Grand Bahama Island and The Abacos,” said Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation Deputy Director-General, Ellison ‘Tommy’ Thompson. “We appreciate the outpouring of support from citizens around the world and we ask that you continue to donate, continue to send prayers and continue to visit Nassau, Paradise Island and the Out Islands that were not affected.”

The following is a status update on airports, hotels, airlines and cruise schedules at this time. This is not a comprehensive list and visitors are strongly advised to check directly with airlines, hotels and cruise lines regarding possible impacts to travel plans.

AIRPORTS

  • Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) in Nassau remains open with flights from international gateways back on schedule.
  • Airports in Exuma are open with regular non-stop flights from major gateways.
  • South Bimini Airport (BIM) is open.
  • North Eleuthera Airport (ELH) is open.
  • Stella Maris Airport (SML) and Deadman’s Cay Airport (LGI) in Long Island remain open.
  • Grand Bahama International Airport (FPO) and Leonard Thompson International Airport (MHH) in Marsh Harbour, Abaco will remain closed until further notice.

HOTELS

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  • Hotels in Nassau and Paradise Island remain open.
  • Many hotels and resorts in the Out Islands regularly close during the fall months and reopen beginning October.
  • Hotels in Grand Bahama Island and The Abacos will remain closed until further notice.

FERRY, CRUISE AND PORTS

  • Nassau ports are open and cruises are arriving daily.
  • Bahamas Ferries has resumed sailings, but passengers should check in with reservations for further information and updated schedules by calling 242-323-2166.
  • Bahamas Cruise Line’s Grand Celebration’s regularly scheduled sailing for September 5 remains cancelled, however the cruise line is offering a free sailing to Grand Bahama Island today for passengers seeking to ship goods, first aid and charities seeking to provide relief. The ship departs at 8 p.m. For more information, please call 800-374-4363.
  • Balearia Caribbean sailings will resume Friday, September 6. Sailings to Freeport, Grand Bahama Island are open to Bahamian residents only. For more information, please contact 866-699-6988.
  • The Port in Grand Bahama Island is open at this time, however, ports in The Abacos remain closed until further notice.

Many Hurricane Dorian Bahamas relief efforts are underway. For information on how to help, go to www.bahamas.com/relief.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jeannie Gibson, Manager, Global Communications, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation, Suite 450, 1200 South Pine Island Rd., Plantation, Florida, 33324, US, Phone:+1-954-236-9292, Fax:+1-954-236-9282

Jamaica exploring more air connectivity in Europe post-Brexit

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Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, says Jamaica is actively exploring additional air connectivity options out of Europe, in light of the United Kingdom (UK) leaving the European Union – which is more popularly known as Brexit. The decision for the UK to leave the European Union (EU) was made in 2016 through a referendum.

Minister Bartlett made the announcement following a meeting yesterday with several key representatives of the EU to Jamaica yesterday at his New Kingston office. The countries represented were Germany, Spain, France and Belgium.
“We are taking a proactive step to ensure that air connectivity between Jamaica and Europe remains robust and consistent given the possibility that our current main gateway from that area – the United Kingdom – may leave the European Union.

England’s departure from the EU will impact not just Jamaica but the region and so these discussions are timely and critical,” said Minister Bartlett.

On average, Jamaica welcomes over 300 thousand European visitors annually. Last year, 328 thousand Europeans visited the island.

High on the list of topics discussed was the need for a market analysis, including stopovers from low cost European airlines and main market for European visitors to Jamaica, to inform the possibility of an EU Air Services Agreement. It was also noted that there was precedent for such an agreement, specifically the 2007 USA/EU Air Transport Agreement.

Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska, who lead discussions on behalf of the EU representatives, noted that, “The United Kingdom has been the historical and traditional door to Europe for Jamaica and with Brexit most likely to take place, there is interest in strengthening relations with Jamaica and the remaining 27 EU Member States to better engage the markets and people of those countries.”

Ambassador Wasilewska also noted that she would seek further information on a framework within which a collective air services agreement could be pursued by early September.

Minister Bartlett also said, “We will continue bilateral negotiations with individual EU Member States for increased air connectivity between Europe and Jamaica which will include discussions with large carriers from Europe to bridge gaps between the commercial interests, including code sharing arrangements.”

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

SITA: Tracking airline passenger bags drives 66% improvement in baggage delivery

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Airlines that are adding tracking at more points of the baggage journey are enjoying a huge improvement in bag delivery globally. The SITA 2019 Baggage IT Insights – officially launched at an event in Abu Dhabi International Airport today – shows that where tracking is done at check-in and loading onto the aircraft, the rate of improvement is as high as 66%.

These results come as the record drop in the baggage mishandling rate achieved globally over the past decade plateaus, with the rate steady at around 5.7 bags per thousand passengers over the past three years. In 2018, the rate was 5.69 per thousand passengers.

Over the past year, an increasing number of airlines and airports have started to introduce tracking at key points in the journey – check-in, loading onto the aircraft, transfers and arrival – to improve baggage management and further reduce the chances of a bag being mishandled. SITA’s research provides the first glimpse of the success of this tracking. It reveals that where bags were being tracked when loaded onto the aircraft, the rate of improvement ranged between 38% and 66% depending on the level of tracking introduced.

Peter Drummond, Director of Baggage at SITA, said: “While the mishandling rate has started to plateau over the past few years, this comes against a continued growth in passenger numbers and their bags. In 2018, 4.36 billion travelers checked in more than 4.27 billion bags. More bags makes things more challenging. Everyone across the industry needs to look beyond the process and technology improvements made in the past decade and adopt the latest technology such as tracking to make the next big cut in the rate of mishandled bags.”

Ahmed Juma Al Shamsi, Acting Chief Operations Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “For our passengers the timely delivery of baggage is key to ensuring a seamless passenger experience and therefore an area in which we continue to make further improvements. Looking forward, baggage tracking is fundamental to driving more accurate bag delivery not only at Abu Dhabi International Airport but across the entire passenger journey. We have led the way with the introduction of tracking on arrival and we have already seen significant improvements.”

Transferring baggage from one aircraft, or airline, to another remains a pinch point in the journey and in 2018 it was again the main reason for bags being mishandled. Transfer bags accounted for 46% of all mishandled bags.
Drummond added: “Transfer is by far the most difficult stage to track a bag as there are multiple airlines and airports involved. However, data from this year’s report shows that tracking at key points in the journey, such as transfers, will go a long way to eliminating mishandling and will allow airlines and their passengers to keep tabs on where their bags are at every step of the way.”

Over the past decade, total number of mishandled bags per annum has plummeted 47% from 46.9 million in 2007 to 24.8 million in 2018, while the annual bill footed by the industry has shrunk 43% to $2.4 billion, down from $4.22 billion in 2007.

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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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Russian Aeroflot remains China’s ‘Favorite International Airline’

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Russia’s Aeroflot has been once again named the Favorite International Airline in China. The award was given to Aeroflot for the third consecutive year at the Flyer Award Ceremony 2019. The award ceremony was held today in Shanghai, the economic capital of China.

The awards are supported by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Winners are selected by the jury and by votes from frequent flyers and travelers.

The awards recognize outstanding participants in China’s dynamically developing tourism market. Previous winners include leading global airlines, including carriers that hold Skytrax 5-Star Airline status.

Aeroflot retained the title of Favorite International Airline at the competitive Flyer Awards due to its key competitive advantages: high service quality and flexible fare policy.

“The recognition of Aeroflot as the Favorite International Airline in China is confirmation of the effectiveness of our strategic efforts in China,” Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev said. “We offer our customers a wide route network and one of the youngest fleets in the world. Millions of Chinese passengers choose our airline for affordable ticket prices, convenient transit via our hub airport Sheremetyevo and high-quality service. Further development of service on Europe-Asia transit routes – one of the most competitive aviation markets globally – is one of Aeroflot’s key goals, along with the active expansion of the domestic route network.”

Aeroflot’s convenient routes encompass four key locations in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Aeroflot continuously adds new services oriented at the Chinese market. Earlier Aeroflot signed a partnership agreement with Alipay, China’s most popular payment system.

Aeroflot’s official website has a Chinese-language interface. Passengers receive menus in Chinese, and the in-flight entertainment system is available in Chinese. Onboard announcements are made in Chinese and the menu offers a special Asian set.

Aeroflot consistently enjoys wide recognition and popularity among consumers in the Chinese market. In January, Aeroflot was named Best China – Europe Transit Airline at the 2019 Stars Awards in China.

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