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Guam Request for Proposal: Tourism Destination Marketing Representation Services in Southeast Asia

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The Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB), a public, non-stock, non-profit membership corporation, has issued a Request for Proposal (“RFP”) soliciting proposals from established marketing companies to act as GVB’s TOURISM DESTINATION MARKETING REPRESENTATION SERVICES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA to assist GVB in promoting Guam tourism and achieving visitor arrival goals in Southeast Asia.

RFP packages can also be downloaded at no cost  from GVB’s website at https://www.guamvisitorsbureau.com/news/rfps or obtained (in USB format) at the GVB Office, 401 Pale San Vitores Road, Tumon, Guam, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday – Friday, excluding Guam holidays.  A non-refundable $25.00 fee is required for each packet picked up at the GVB office payable in US$ cash, bank wire transfer or major credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, JCB).

Questions, if any, should be made in writing to the President and CEO, which can be dropped off at the GVB office; emailed to [email protected]; or sent by fax to 671-646-8861 according to the timeline provided in the RFP.

GVB hereby notifies all offerors that it will affirmatively ensure that minority business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit a response to this request for proposal and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color or national origin in consideration for an award. 

GVB reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive any imperfection in the proposal, or cancel this solicitation all according to law in the interest of the bureau.  Direct or indirect contact with the GVB Management or Staff, Board Member, or any person participating in the selection process is prohibited. 

If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please note the deadline for submission is no later than 5:00 p.m. (Chamorro Standard Time) on Wednesday, January 15, 2020.

MEDIA CONTACT: GUAM VISITORS BUREAU, Office: (671) 646-5278, Mobile: (671) 686-4827, http://www.visitguam.org

Lufthansa makes dedicated staff look bad: The eTN Hero is Patricia Dzai of Swissport Johannesburg

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Lufthansa

“My personal hero today is Ms. Patricia Dzai. Patricia works for Swissport in Johannesburg, South Africa,” said eTN Publisher Juergen Steinmetz. Swissport is one of the largest aviation ground-handling agencies operating in countries around the world.

Major airlines hire Swissport to manage customer relations and logistics when it comes to baggage handling, including lost or misplaced items.

Lufthansa German Airlines’ ground handler in Johannesburg is Swissport. I recently traveled from Nice to Cape Town via Frankfurt and Johannesburg on Lufthansa German Airlines. I am a United Airlines Star Alliance Gold member and traveled on Lufthansa in Business class. Lufthansa is a member of Star Alliance.

When I arrived in Johannesburg, I heard my name called by Lufthansa’s lost baggage office handled by Swissport.

I was told my tube was still in Frankfurt, and they would put it on the next flight to Johannesburg. I explained it was of utmost importance to have the tube for an important trade show event, the World Travel Market in Cape Town, in the morning.

Patricia Dzai, the Swissport agent in Johannesburg, wanted to make sure this would be possible and sent an urgent message to Lufthansa in Frankfurt. The message said:

 

 

 

 

 

I was pleased to know my tube would go on LH 576 directly to Cape Town almost in time for the start of World Travel Market.

I went on to fly to Cape Town and received a text message in the evening saying my tube would be on the Lufthansa flight to Johannesburg, which was different from what Patricia had requested. Since it was late and the Swissport office in Johannesburg was closed, I was able to find a non-published phone number for Lufthansa baggage service in Frankfurt. Lufthansa, like most airlines, is hiding phone numbers to encourage passengers to communicate only by email.

I was told by Lufthansa Baggage Service in Frankfurt no such message to forward my tube to Cape Town was ever received by Swissport Johannesburg. The agent went on to say that passengers are often not told the truth by Swissport agents.

The Lufthansa agent in Frankfurt explained that his job was not to help me, since this was only handled in Johannesburg. I argued my tube is in Frankfurt and not Johannesburg, and the handling agent for Swissport in Johannesburg was closed.

The agent then said he was now doing a one-time exception for me and would reroute my tube on LH576 directly to Cape Town. He said there were 5 hours to get this done, still plenty of time according to him.

The next day I received another message telling me again the tube was on its way to Johannesburg instead of Cape Town.

I called Swissport in Johannesburg, and the news not could have been worse. They told me, apologizing, that my tube was still in Frankfurt for a second day, and they did not know why.

I again called the baggage-handling office in Frankfurt and was again told it’s all Swissport’s mistake for not telling them where to send it.

This time I was angry and called Swissport Johannesburg again. I asked Patricia why she was lying about this. I told her she never sent this request to Frankfurt, according to Lufthansa.

Ten minutes later, I received an email with a time-stamped screenshot from Patricia Dzai showing me exactly what was requested by her in the first place.

Patricia actually had gone out of her way originally to make sure I would be united with my tube on time and in Cape Town. I felt bad thinking she didn’t care and didn’t do anything, when in fact she did.

It shows that big companies like Lufthansa have a serious customer service issue. They hide behind a huge system and are trained to say it’s not their job and simply blame others for company shortcomings.

There was no way I could talk to anyone at Lufthansa about this, and my urgent email to them on the day I was trying to get the tube re-routed was just responded to 2 weeks after I was already back home in Hawaii. Lufthansa offered a 200 euro compensation.

No explanation was given and no apology for accusing Patricia Dzai and Swissport for not doing their job.

I finally received my tube on the last day after the trade show and took it back to the US unopened. When I changed planes in Frankfurt, I asked the agent working in the Senator Lounge to speak to a supervisor in baggage handling about this case and compensation. She told me I have to send an email, which I had already done days ago.

She gave me some chocolate and said they get customers’ complaints all the time and do their best to help and respond, but the back-up system by the airline is not there.

It’s all about a giant non-caring anonymous machine.

I extend my apologies to Patricia Dzai from Swissport, as I now understand she was also a victim of shortcomings created by Lufthansa German Airlines.

Patricia Dzai is the eTN Hero for today.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Grange Pen to get a J$960 million infrastructural upgrade

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The Jamaica Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) is investing a little under $J1 billion for the Resort Squatter Settlements Upgrade Project for the community of Grange Pen in St. James.

The Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) will oversee the infrastructural upgrade for the regularization of 535 households in the community. This is equivalent to approximately 8000 square feet per lot.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for the project on March 29, Tourism Minister and Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Edmund Bartlett said the project was started in 2010 as part of the then Government’s mission to provide housing solutions for workers in the tourism industry through the TEF.

“We are going to be building a level of development that you have never seen before in this parish…We have proposals for participants, RFPs [request for proposals]out for public-private participation for us to build those houses for the people – primarily workers of the tourism industry,” said the Minister.

The general scope of works, which will take place over a 24-month period, includes: road scribing and paving, draining infrastructure, construction of a sewage treatment plant, water supply connection to the National Water Commission, electricity distribution, and land titling.

A highway will also be created from Grange Pen through Barrett Hall to Greenwood, signaling the next phase of the development for the area. The Minister also shared that upon completion, the community of Grange Pen will be renamed.

In his first ever public address as Minister of Economic Growth and Job Creation, with responsibility for housing, Senator the Hon. Pearnel Charles Junior added that, “it is perhaps everyone’s dream to own their own home…It is my responsibility now to be the one to ensure that I drive the processes of accountability to make sure that we are providing the housing that is necessary to all communities across this country.”

He also stated that it is the Government’s goal to provide for low to middle income earners by “giving them improved access to mortgages, so that they can be able to go through the financing that is required to access the housing that will be provided across communities.”

The Tourism Minister also announced that a major development is in the works for Lilliput which will have significant economic benefits for the people in Montego Bay.

“We have concluded much discussions, the purchase of the land has been completed in phase 1 and phase 2 is also being completed with the Rolling’s family. We will have close to 4000 additional rooms which will require a level of service from the people in this area.

The way forward for us is an integrated, involved and inclusive tourism where the hotel developments and the communities are going to be one in the same,” said Minister Bartlett.

Chairman of the HAJ Norman Brown and Councillor Anthony Murray from the St James Municipal Corporation welcomed the development project in Grange Pen as in important initiative which will drastically transform the community.

As part of efforts to improve the look and feel of the product, the Ministry of Tourism, through the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has so far invested J$6 billion in Montego Bay and its environs. The work carried out by the TEF includes road rehabilitation, drain cleaning and housing solutions.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Peacock Aviation taking legal action against Gambia carrier

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Nigerian Peacock Aviation company that worked as General Sales Agency (GSA) for the Gambian Mid Africa Aviation Company Ltd. that traded in Nigeria under the name Fly Mid Africa has petitioned the Gambian Government over the non-payment of passengers’ air ticket refunds before it exited Nigeria.

The petition which was dated February 12, 2019 and also copied to the Nigerian High Commission in the Gambia through its legal counsel Abrahams Ayobami  & Co. stated: “We are Solicitors to Peacock Aviation and Allied Services Ltd. [henceforth referred to as ‘Our Client’], a company duly registered under the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with its registered address situate at No. 19, Mojidi Street, Off Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria and on its instructions and behalf we write you this petition.

“Our client was appointed the General Sales Agent [GSA] of ‘MID AFRICA AVIATION LTD’ trading under the name ‘FLY MID AFRICA’ on 24th April 2017 when the said company commenced its Airline operations in Nigeria.”

According to the counsel, “Our client, among other things was to manage and operate a city office to sell tickets to customers, a task our client was able to achieve within a record time of four weeks of operation.”

The petition stated further that, “Upon commencement of operations of the Airline, the cash sales in our client’s custody was used to take care of operation fees such as Air Landing, Parking Fees, Passengers’ Service Charges, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority [NCAA] Fees, Catering, and Crew Hotel Accommodations.”

“With the above looking promising, the Airline ran into issues with their flight schedules which led to the cancellation of February and March 2018 flights and finally suspension of operations until further notice.”

While the suspension was still on, the airline got instructions to commence refund of issued tickets to customers which was carried out until exhaustion of all the funds at hand by the GSA according to its counsel.

“Our client then made a request for funds to be released to liquidate the outstanding refunds but same has remained hitherto unmet by the management of Fly Mid Africa Airlines for over one year now.”

The petition also has it that, there is still an outstanding refund of about Eleven million one hundred and fifty six thousand, six hundred and one naira fifty one kobo [₦11,156,601.51] and our client’s unpaid International Air Transport Association [IATA]/Billing Settlement Plan [BSP] Sales Overriding Commission of about Seven Million Naira [₦7,000,000] only with customers showing their grievances in all manners including laying siege to the GSA business premises and disrupting its activities.

Meanwhile, some have even threatened to commence legal actions against it; more so as customers are aware that tickets issued on the IATA BSP platform have been refunded and therefore query the reason for non-payment of their refunds.

Despite several email communications between our client and the said Fly Mid Africa Airline with reconciliation and adjustment of account settled between the parties, still the Airline has refused to release funds to pay innocent travelers their well-deserved refund even after leaving them stranded, disappointed and uncompensated, according to Chief Segun Phillips, Group Executive Chairman, Peacock Travels and Tours Limited.

However, in a bid to settle the matter amicably, the GSA wrote to the Nigerian High Commission in The Gambia to wade into the matter but was referred back to the Gambian Commission in Abuja as the right channel for resolving such issue.

As it stands, there is the total outstanding refund of about Eighteen million one hundred and fifty-six thousand six hundred and one naira fifty-one kobo [₦18,156,601.51] amounting to tickets refunds and GSA unpaid IATA BSP Sales Overriding.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Italy travel: Destination Baia and Latina steps into the video limelight

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In 2017,  “The Year of the  Borghi” was celebrated in Italy. According to the directive of the former Minister, Dario Franceschini, the initiative was created with the intention of enhancing lesser-known cultural tourist destinations among small towns and cities characterized by a broad historical and cultural heritage, representing ideal destinations for slow  and sustainable tourism.

Among the lesser-known villages is Baia and Latina, a smaller village rich in history and a historical and cultural heritage celebrated by Pliny the Elder for the pure air and the quality of the land. The municipality located between the Trebulani mountains and the course of the Volturno river, a crossroads of goods and cultures between Lazio, Campania, and Sannio, preserves the cultural characteristics of its own tradition favorable to evaluate and insert its presence in the list of the minor Borghi of Italy.

 

Baia and Latina, in the province of Caserta, the ancient belonging to an Etruscan colony has attributed the credit that Enea would have stayed in Latina and his father Latino would have built a temple sacred to Minerva and given the name to the village.

Other versions trace the origins of the borgo back to the Samnite period. The two villages today form a single municipality, a decision dating back to the period of French domination (1806-14) and the subsequent one, during the Bourbon domination.

The houses of the borgo have medieval conformations highlighted in part by the important structures: towers and castles perched to guard its territory. Together with the numerous palaces and archaeological finds dating back to the period of its origins.

 

What remains of the past reflects a historical reality that can be read on the stones of its houses, churches, noble palaces and castles. Structures that climb upwards through alleys and narrow streets that sometimes seem to disappear inside the houses and then re-emerge in an open space or a small square where the sunlight is finally free to radiate.

The doors of the houses maintain characteristics that evoke distant times. And therefore  charm, pleasure of being immersed in the lifestyle unchanged over time. Imagine living in distant ages just 50 km from the nearby metropolis: Naples and 25 from Caserta with its majestic Royal palace.

The Year of Italian Villages met with great interest by Italian municipalities from North to Sicily and developed promotional initiatives with highly encouraging results, creating new sources of tourism that have decreed success: the statistics published at the end of the Borghi year indicate an increase in 7% of national tourism and foreigners in particular from Asian countries – China and Japan.

 

The ambitious plan of the mayor of Baia and Latina, Giuseppe Di Cerbo, in office since June 2016 is to bring his borgo to the attention of an increasingly high number of visitors, more than those who arrived on the occasion of the celebration of ” Living Nativity “celebrated at Christmas 2018, artistically improved under his direction. And, create initiatives to stimulate daily visits, even to the extent of raising the destination slowly to success. Then enter triumphantly in the official catalog of the Italian minor villages.

With a visit to the borgo, the opportunity to get more information from the mayor presented itsel.

eTN: In the area of the ancient village, many houses have been identified in a state of abandonment and decay. Is there a plan for their recovery?

Mayor: The request for subsidies for the restoration was sent to the European Union (UE) without result as the granting of EU funds requires the participation of private capital to the extent of 25% of the total value for the restoration.

The owners of the buildings are unable to invest. But, we have obtained regional funding with an EU contribution to the settlement of water shortage.

eTN: What is your program to improve the life of the borgo?

Mayor: Among the priorities stands  the creation of a receptive system, that is the Bed & Breakfast and the expansion of the sewerage network. For this we are waiting for funds from the region. The redevelopment of the Volturno river, improving aid to buffalo farmers through the Rural Development Program (PSR) [is also a priority].

Baia and Latina the first small town in Italy equipped with video surveillance.

A historical plaque affixed to a building tells: “Here in the tormented years of the new kingdom of Italy, November 10, 1863, the mayor, Antonio Scotti, and his wife, Francesca Lacracchi, after heroic resistance disdaining surrender to the brigaders horde that had set fire to the house perished among the flames.”

eTN: Mayor, is this what motivated your project of video surveillance of the village?

Mayor: The project, in fact, was started by my predecessor as prevention of the national problem on the small delinquency that has also affected our territory. We believed it right to continue and delegated the public works councilor Antonio Brancaccio to finalize it to be active on the 24 hours, round the clock, with great satisfaction of the inhabitants (about 2,400).

The security cameras will be connected to the data reception center of the Carabinieri barracks. My plan includes the Internet system entrusted to the architect Christian Itri.

The village produces dairy products:  mozzarella cheese, salami, and honey. Vegetable production is mainly at the individual level: only private gardens! Visitors can take advantage of small dining options and a larger one in Baglio, the Arco restaurant, whose cuisine offers specialties utilizing local products.

Travel News | eTurboNews