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Top Easter season destinations for US travelers revealed

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Mexico, Canada and the United Kingdom are among the most popular destinations for travelers in the U.S.1 this Easter period, according to analysis conducted by travel experts.

As of 7 April 2019, more than 95,000 advanced bookings had been made2 in the U.S. through all global distribution systems (GDS) for return flights to Mexico scheduled between 16 April and 22 April 2019. Flight bookings to second placed Canada and third placed U.K stood at 44,975 and 32,515, respectively.

Amongst the top 10 most popular destinations, the ones which had seen the greatest year-on-year increase in Easter flight bookings were Spain, up 33.6% (+4615 bookings in 2018), Canada, up 25.7% (+9198 bookings in 2018) and a close third, Puerto Rico, up 25.6% (+4279 bookings in 2018).

Global distribution systems (GDS) are vast hi-tech reservation networks that allow travel agents, travel management companies and large corporations, among others, to search and book airline seats, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel related items.

“Mexico remains by far the most attractive destination in terms of volume, for travelers in the U.S. over the Easter period. A big reason for this is the proximity and great weather all-year round. The proximity, and some great tourist attractions land Canada at the second place. Breathtaking festive celebrations and shopping sales in U.K, boosted by affordable flight options, definitely make it a top destination.

Top Easter season destinations for travelers in Spain booked through global distribution systems

Destination Flight Bookings

Mexico 96,451
Canada 44,975
United Kingdom 32,515
Dominican Republic 32,229
Italy 25,311
China 24,636
Puerto Rico 21,008
France 20,780
Jamaica 19,215
Spain 18,369

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Excellence Group Luxury Hotels & Resorts rebranded

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With a mission to exceed guests’ highest expectations in every aspect possible, Excellence Group Luxury Hotels and Resorts has become the Caribbean’s most trusted name in all inclusive luxury travel. The family-owned and -operated group, which owns and manages five-star, award-winning resorts in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, will continue to deliver stunning properties and unmatched service as it enters its next chapter with The Excellence Collection.

The Excellence Collection will encompass the group’s three high end brands: the adults-only Excellence Resorts with all inclusive properties in Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Punta Cana, and Montego Bay; Beloved Hotels for boutique adults-only all inclusive escapes; and Finest Resorts offering modern all inclusive luxury for all ages.

With last year’s opening of Excellence Oyster Bay and plans for a Finest Punta Cana in 2020, the company has focused on new ways to meet the ever-changing needs of the market, and has created The Excellence Collection to do so. The Excellence Collection brings a new brand identity with modern, updated logos and dedicated hyperfocus on the unique offerings of each of group’s properties.

These new elements mark an important milestone for the hospitality group, which has been experiencing rapid growth in the last decade. With three key pillars of Bespoke Service, Extraordinary Moments, and Innovative Curation at the core of The Excellence Collection, the parent brand is a promise made to each and every Excellence Collection guest.

“The Excellence Collection is an evolution of Excellence Group Luxury Hotels & Resorts. Our three pillars have been thoughtfully defined, with the end goal to deliver an authentic experience that lasts well beyond the guests’ stay. We do so through a personal and curated approach to luxury,” said The Excellence Collection’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Mr. Domingo Aznar.

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Seychelles present at Access Luxury Travel Show Workshop in capital city of Czech Republic

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The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) was present at the seventh Edition of the Access Luxury Travel Show Workshop held on Monday March 11, 2019, at the Kaiserstejnsky Palac in the city of Prague.

The opportunity gave the STB team the chance to meet major partners on the Czech market, which is one of the strongest economies in Central Europe and has shown growing interest in luxury travel over the past few years.

The workshop, which was attended by about 86 participants including Tour Operators, Travel Agents and airline companies was a series of pre-scheduled one on one meetings, presentations and free flow workshop. The evening ended with a networking cocktail and a Raffle draw.

Ms. Myra Fanchette, Paris based STB Senior Marketing Executive represented the organisation at the event, during which she presented Seychelles as a multi-faceted holiday destination offering a plethora of possibilities for leisure and relaxation.

The Destination’s representative through STB, stood alongside 19 other exhibitors including the Constance Hotels & Resorts, few Destination Management Companies, hotel representative from Maldives and the Jamaica Tourism Board.

Ms. Fanchette mentioned that STB’s participation at the Access Luxury Travel Show Workshop opened doors for new business relationships between the service providers from the Czech Republic and STB.

“It was an ideal platform for STB to meet with new Travel Agencies and Tour Operators, which so far Seychelles does not appear in their portfolio and they have demonstrated great interest in new destinations. We also maximised on our presence at the event to meet with our existing partners who wanted to know about any latest developments on the destination and discussed plans and activities for the year,” said Ms. Fanchette.

The Czech Republic has seen an increase of 43% on the visitor’s arrival from January to March 2019, compared to the same period last year. This is very encouraging and our continuous efforts to enhance the growth on the Eastern European markets are ongoing with various activities planned for the year, the next STB appearance will be on a dedicated Eastern Europe Roadshow, which will be held from May 27 to 30, 2019 in four different cities.

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The Great Move: Turkish Airlines moves to Istanbul Airport

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The biggest logistical operation in the world aviation history was held between 5 and 6 April 2019. In a total of 33 hours, 12 hours earlier than expected, all airlines moved from Atatürk Airport to their brand-new home Istanbul Airport. For Turkish Airlines alone around 1,800 personnel transferred approximately 47,300 tons of equipment. The combined size of it covered 33 football pitches.

The whole moving operation went smoothly and exactly as planned. In the afternoon of 6 April, all airlines and their passenger systems become fully operational in the new mega hub. Kadri Samsunlu, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board at iGA Airport Operations, expressed his excitement about the new beginning: “This exercise was simply unprecedented: No move between two globally-important hub airports has ever been attempted on anything like this scale before. Yet we achieved it without disruption, especially to the hundreds of thousands of travelers who continued to transit seamlessly between Asia, Africa and Europe over Istanbul Airport, while benefitting from the most advanced passenger experience technologies combined with superb shopping and eating. The smooth move to our new home, follows a record five-year fast-build, and firmly sets Istanbul Airport on the path to growth as one of the world’s most significant air transport centers.”

Istanbul Airport, the world’s new hub, officially opened on 29 October 2018, the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic. Once fully completed, including four phases with six runways, the airport is set to serve 200 million passengers annually. At full capacity, Istanbul Airport will become a global aviation hub with flights to over 300 destinations around the world. With its exclusive passenger services, Istanbul Airport will create the best passenger experience for people all over the world.

In addition to this, passenger comfort, convenience and connectivity are central to Istanbul Airport. A mix of latest technical advances, a smart way-finding system, excellent design and a wide choice of shopping and retail experiences will enhance the passenger experience. The airport is also well connected by train, bus and car, thus offering passengers a variety of reliable ways to travel to and from Istanbul Airport.

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US tourists vanish in Dominican Republic between hotel and airport

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American tourists, Orlando Moore, 43, and Portia Ravenelle, 32, were set to return to their Mount Vernon, New York, home on March 27, at the end of a vacation in the Dominican Republic, but the couple never made it to the airport after checking out of their hotel.

The couple was reported missing after they vanished more than 2 weeks ago after checking out of their hotel room after a 4-day getaway to the northern beach area of Samana.

The couple’s families have not heard from them for over 13 days. Their phones are off, their car is still parked at Newark International Airport, and authorities said there is no record of them entering the US. Family members have filed a police report.

Moore’s brother, Lashay Turner, said they had a rental car during their time in the Dominican Republic, but there is no sign of the vehicle. “We’ve been calling DR and they said they didn’t make their flight,” he said. “We also spoke to someone in US Customs, and they said my brother did not make his flight back here.”

“I’m scared. I don’t know what’s going on,” Turner said. “I’m saddened, my family is saddened by this and we just want my brother to return safe and alive.”

It is unclear which airport the pair were due to fly home from and how far it was from their hotel. There is an airport in Samana that offers mostly seasonal flights to the island, mainly from Europe. The next closest airport in the area is the Cibao International Airport in Santiago, which offers daily flights to and from the US.

The State Department’s travel advisory issued on February 12, 2019 for the Dominican Republic advised tourists to exercise increased caution due to crime.

A picture believed to be the latest of the pair posted to social media shows them riding horses together.

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