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14 Islands Of The Bahamas are ready to welcome visitors with open arms

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The Islands Of The Bahamas is an archipelago with more than 700 islands and thousands of cays spread out over 100,000 square miles of ocean, starting just 50 miles south east of the coast of Florida. While the country grieves the devastation Hurricane Dorian brought upon two of the most northern islands, Grand Bahama and The Abacos, there is a silver lining. The majority of The Bahamas, including 14 of the most commonly visited islands, remains unaffected by the storm. The warm and friendly people of The Bahamas, along with hotel and travel partners, from Bimini to Nassau and Paradise Island, The Exumas to Inagua, are ready to welcome travelers with open arms.

As the public seeks information on how they can best help the country recover, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation (BMOTA) urges consumers to know that the best thing they can do for the country, now more than ever, is simple: visit The Bahamas.


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Airports, cruise ports, hotels and attractions throughout the Northern, Central and Southern Bahamas are open and operating. These islands include:

• Nassau and Paradise Island
• The Exumas
• Eleuthera and Harbour Island
• Bimini
• Andros
• The Berry Islands
• Cat Island
• Long Island
• San Salvador
• Rum Cay
• Acklins and Crooked Island
• Mayaguana
• Inagua

“Maintaining a robust tourism industry will be vital in helping the country to recover and rebuild,” said Bahamas Minister of Tourism & Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar. “We are grateful for the outpouring of support and love for our islands, and we would like everyone to know that the best thing they can do for us right now is visit Nassau, Paradise Island and the Out Islands. Our beautiful island nation is ready to welcome you.”

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Travelers should visit bahamas.com to learn about the unique characteristics of each Bahamian island and find the one, or two or three, that best suits them. Bahamas.com is a portal to vacation discovery with a wealth of resources for planning a trip. Travelers can start with the Island Finder – an interactive tool that measures personal preferences to match consumers with the island for them – then explore a pre-approved list of Places to Stay and an always-updated database of Deals & Packages to book. For island cuisine, upscale resorts and endless family activities, Nassau and Paradise Island are where turquoise waters and culture collide. For a quaint, boutique getaway where the sand is as pink as the colonial cottages, visit Eleuthera and Harbour Island. The options are infinite.

In addition to planning a trip to The Bahamas, monetary donations to a reputable relief organization are most critical at this time. Those who wish to contribute can find a list of The Bahamas’ verified partners at bahamas.com/relief.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Anita Johnson-Patty

General Manager, Global Communications

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation

ajohnson@bahamas.com

Weber Shandwick

Public Relations

bahamas@webershandwick.com

Nassau Paradise Island encourages support of its neighbor to the north

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While spared the impact of Hurricane Dorian, Nassau Paradise Island’s resort and tourism partners are working together to support their island neighbors to the north.

“Our hearts go out to Abacos and Grand Bahama and our tourism community has rallied together to try to make a difference,” said Fred Lounsberry, chief executive officer of the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board. “While we’re so grateful the storm passed us without impact and we continue to welcome guests, we are equally grateful for the efforts of our partners to support our neighbors and for everyone who loves this wonderful nation.

“Some may not realize that The Bahamas, like the United States, is made up of many diverse and distinctive destinations spread over more than 5,000 square miles,” said Lounsberry. “However, we stand together as one to support each other.”

The Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board and its member resorts are encouraging donations to help with the relief and recovery in Abaco and Grand Bahama.  Those wishing to donate to Hurricane Dorian relief can visit NassauParadiseIsland.com and find information on charitable funds that include: Atlantis Paradise Island’s Relief Fund, The Bahamas Red Cross, The National Association of The Bahamas, The Caribbean Tourism Organization and Royal Caribbean International.

Additional charitable efforts include the Sandals Resorts Foundation’s pledge to match donations to its fund dollar-for-dollar and The Baha Mar Foundation’s donation of much-needed food, shelter and medicine. These, and other efforts amongst tourism partners will continue as Grand Bahama and Abacos rebuild.

“We want all those who continue to visit Nassau Paradise Island to know that their business and generosity means so much to the entire 700 islands, cays and islets that make up The Bahamas,” said Lounsberry.

A listing of all member hotels for the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board and Paradise Island Tourism Development Association can be found at NassauParadiseIsland.com.

About Nassau Paradise Island:

Nassau Paradise Island, Bahamas is known for having some of the most beautiful white sand beaches in the world, turquoise blue water, the Caribbean’s best entertainment and a spectrum of resorts from ultra-exclusive to family-friendly. This convenient destination is serviced by several non-stop flights from most major U.S. cities. Less than an hour from South Florida and less than three hours from New York City, Nassau Paradise Island is so close, yet feels like it’s a world away.  Additional information about where to stay and incredible value-added packages may be found at NassauParadiseIsland.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Terence Gallagher/Carlyn Topkin   

Lou Hammond Group    

212-891-0211/212-891-0214   

terryg@louhammond.com / carlynt@louhammond.com

Major tour operators converging on Barbados for 2019 meeting with tourism partners

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Three weeks away from the May 1 start of the premier business-to-business marketplace, Connect Barbados, with over 100 participants – inclusive of 56 tour operators, have already registered to come and meet with local tourism partners including attraction providers and hoteliers.

Under the theme ‘Breathing Power into Business Connections’, the three-day conference is now in its 14th year. Tour operators have been invited from Barbados’ main source markets – the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Europe and Caribbean and Latin America. Tour operators such as: Air Canada Vacations, Virgin Holidays and Expedia Group, to name a few have already registered to come learn about what is new in Destination Barbados.

Connect Barbados is an annual conference providing opportunities to island operators to sell Barbados’ holiday products to invited tour operators in all of the island’s major source markets.

The marketplace allows global travel partners to learn about and experience the latest product and service developments on the island, while affording local partners the occasion to thank them for the tremendous contribution they continue to make the success of Barbados’ premier economic sector.

BTMI CEO, William ‘Billy’ Griffith, mentioned, “We are positively anticipating to surpass the 1,200 meeting appointments from Connect 2018 as we once again welcome and share our beautiful product with participating tour operators. Being able to connect our local service providers with the agents who have direct contact with potential visitors to Barbados will be extremely vital to both parties.”

This year, as we celebrate the Year of Wellness and Soft Adventure, tour operators will be treated to an outdoor welcome reception as they kick their feet in the sand at the “Feet in the Sand Beach Party, featuring top local entertainment and cuisine, before proceeding to two full days of business-to-business meetings at the Hilton Barbados Resort.

To close out the highly-anticipated conference, a special final evening reception will be held at the prestigious Harrison’s Cave and tour operators will get the opportunity to tour the cave first-hand. On the final day, participants will tour the island for a diverse Attractions Day, inspecting places of interest based on their specialties.

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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.

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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.

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