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Sandals and Beaches Resorts Announces New Travel Protection Plan – Insurance Is On Us and Offers New Cancellation Protection Benefit

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Trust and confidence are increasingly becoming top priorities for consumers as they begin to safely travel to their dream destinations once again. This is why Sandals® Resorts and Beaches® Resorts are giving guests sun, sand, relaxation and even more confidence when booking thanks to two new added perks to its Book With Confidence program. The Luxury Included® resort company is offering a new Travel Protection Plan – Insurance Is On Us, powered by Trip Mate, that will be purchased on behalf of guests automatically and is part of their travel reservation as of October 6, 2020. Not only does this apply to new reservations, but this perk built to help put consumers’ minds at ease also applies to all pre-existing Sandals and Beaches bookings made prior to October 6, 2020 and traveling through May 31, 2021. Additionally, travelers can cancel their resort getaway at any time and plan their future vacation with confidence thanks to a new Cancellation Protection Benefit* by Unique Vacations.

“Travelers making vacation plans to the beautiful Caribbean can feel more confident than ever about their trip to paradise thanks to these two new added perks to our Book With Confidence program,” stated Adam Stewart, Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts International. 

“We know couples and families alike are yearning for a much-needed Luxury Included® getaway, and we’re pleased to offer these benefits so they can book their vacations with an added layer of reassurance.”

As island nations began to open borders, Sandals Resorts became the first resorts to open its doors across the Caribbean. The strict protocols that Sandals and Beaches Resorts developed allowed for 12 of its 18 resorts to open, showing that Sandals and Beaches Resorts goes above and beyond to ensure consumers can enjoy their vacation with confidence, from arrival to departure. With its reimagined Book With Confidence program in place, travelers can book their vacation and focus on what really matters – quality time with loved ones at the most luxurious resorts in the Caribbean.

Travel Protection Plan – Insurance Is On Us!

To offer guests even more protection, Sandals and Beaches Resorts have added a new Travel Protection Plan – Insurance Is On Us powered by Trip Mate that will be purchased on behalf of guests. The plan offers couples booked now through December 31, 2020, expanded medical benefits during their resort stay. 

What the Travel Protection Plan – Insurance Is On Us covers: 

  • Medical expenses incurred as part of a treatment for illness, condition and/or accident. COVID-19 is treated the same as any other sickness.
  • Transportation expenses to the nearest facility capable of providing treatment for a sickness or injury that is acute, severe or life-threatening.  Transportation expenses to return home are also covered following an emergency medical evacuation (or a covered injury or sickness). Maximum Benefit of $100,000 Per Person
  • There is no exclusion for pre-existing conditions.  
  • If a guest’s travel plans are delayed due to the guest being quarantined, the Travel Protection Plan – Insurance Is On Us reimburses expenses for additional accommodations, meal and local transportation. Maximum Benefit $200 Per Day, Per Person and up to $2,800
  • There is no minimum or maximum age limit for eligibility.

All bookings made prior to October 6, 2020 with a purchased add-on of the Trip Mate Travel Protection Plan – Insurance Is On Us Plan will receive a Supplemental Travel Protection Plan that covers:

  • Expanded insurance coverage for Emergency Medical Evacuations. Additional $50,000 per person
  • Accident & Sickness Medical Expenses. Additional $75,000 per person
  • If a guest’s travel plans are delayed due to the guest being quarantined, the Supplemental Travel Protection Plan – Insurance Is On Us covers up to an additional $2,050 per person Maximum.

Cancellation Protection Benefit*

From now until December 31, 2020, guests booking a Luxury Included® Vacation will have the added perk of knowing they can cancel their vacation at least 31 days before arrival and receive a full refund on the land portion of their vacation with zero penalties. Guests cancelling 30-15 days before arrival will receive a combination of a 50 percent refund and 50 percent travel certificate for future travel to any Sandals or Beaches Resort within 12 months. Travelers also have the added perk of canceling within 14 days and up to the day of arrival for a travel certificate valid for 12 months from original travel date. 

*This benefit is provided by Unique Vacations and is not an insurance benefit. This benefit is separate from any Travel Protection Plan.

Sandals and Beaches Resorts are doing everything possible to provide a safe, seamless and stress-free experience so that guests can continue to book their Luxury Included® Vacation with full confidence. This Cancellation Protection Benefit, along with the Travel Protection Plan – Insurance Is On Us and the Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness and Beaches Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness, allows travelers to escape to the Caribbean with the trust they have come to expect.

For more information on how to Book With Confidence, visit:

Sandals: https://www.sandals.com/book-with-confidence/

Beaches: https://www.beaches.com/book-with-confidence/

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MEDIA CONTACT: 1-888-SANDALS, info@sandals.com

Centara Grand Hua Hin Named “Asia’s Best Family Hotel” in Inaugural Best of the Decade Awards 2020

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Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin was recognized among the top luxury hotels and resorts in Asia as one of the “Best Family Hotels” in the first-ever Smart Travel Asia’s ‘Best of the Decade’ Awards 2020.

Winners of the Best of the Decade Awards 2020 were drawn from the online travel magazine’s reader polls from 2010 – 2019, as well as the rankings, reader comments, feedback from focus groups and critical input from journalists. The latest award not only illustrates guest satisfaction for Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin, but also reconfirms the iconic resort’s long-standing reputation for the highest standards of excellence service.

In addition to its prime town center location ideal for exploring and shopping, Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin also offers excellent recreational facilities and services, including 4 swimming pools, 2 tennis courts, kids club, putting greens, a snooker room and many more – all guaranteeing a perfect destination for travelers of all ages.

Further adding yet another reason for Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin as the best family getaway in Hua Hin is a jam-packed calendar of exciting kid-friendly activities and entertainment at Camp Safari Kids Club, now featuring extended hours until 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Many activities are offered complimentary, including the Junior Master Chef program with cupcake decoration and pizza making classes on alternate weekends. 

Parents can likewise look forward to some leisure times with daily activities or re-energizing at the hotel’s award-winning Spa Cenvaree, which also offers a dedicated kids spa menu with treatments adapted for younger guests.

Saturday afternoons are designated as family fun day, with complimentary face painting and fun floaties waiting in the pool. Active guests can enjoy yoga and Thai boxing classes designed to engage all members of the family. Kids up to 12 years old already eat for free when dining with their parents, but children now can enjoy their very own kids breakfast buffet corner every morning.

Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin presents an all-new range of holiday packages tailored specifically for families. Bookings made by 30 November 2020 receive THB 1,000 hotel credit daily and THB 1,600 Central shopping vouchers.

For more information or reservations, please visit www.centarahotelsresorts.com/centaragrand/chbr/

More news about Centara

Media Contact:

Peeradej Charoendireksup | Marketing Communications Manager

Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin

1 Damnernkasem Road, Hua Hin 77110, Thailand

T: +66 (0) 3251 2021-38 | M: +66 (0) 99 340 5566

Email: chbr@chr.co.th

Sandals and Beaches Resorts Dive into October With Nine Awards From Scuba Diving’s 2021 Readers Choice Awards

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Sandals® and Beaches® Resorts, home to some of the best all-inclusive dive resorts in the Caribbean, has taken the plunge into October with the early announcement of nine accolades from Scuba Diving Magazine’s 2021 Readers Choice Awards for the Caribbean. Each year, Scuba Diving Magazine’s readers are asked to evaluate the dive resorts they have visited, among other categories, on a variety of subjects ranging from the quality of rooms and quality of restaurants to the quality of staff, best family-friendly experiences and more.

Four Luxury Included® resorts under Sandals Resorts International’s (SRI) award-winning portfolio now proudly boast the following accolades: 

  • #1 Quality of the Resort – Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort (Gros Islet, St. Lucia)
  • #1 Quality of the Rooms – Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort (Gros Islet, St. Lucia)
  • #1 Quality of the Restaurant – Sandals Grenada Resort & Spa (St. George’s, Grenada)
  • #2 Quality of the Rooms – Sandals Grenada Resort & Spa (St. George’s, Grenada)
  • #2 Quality of the Restaurant – Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort (Gros Islet, St. Lucia)
  • #2 Best Family-Friendly Experiences – Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa (Providenciales, Turks & Caicos)
  • Top 5 Quality of Staff – Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort (Gros Islet, St. Lucia)
  • Top 10 Quality of Staff – Sandals Grenada Resort & Spa (St. George’s, Grenada)
  • Top 10 Quality of Restaurant – Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa (Negril, Jamaica)

“The Caribbean Sea is home to some of the most beautiful coral reefs and aquatic life so naturally, scuba diving has always been a popular activity here and has attracted many avid divers to stay at our resorts,” said Adam Stewart, Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts International.

“Over the past few months, we’ve actually seen an uptick in diving. Diving is synonymous with social distancing, and that activity checks the box for couples looking to explore our beautiful waters by day and retreat to their private suites by night,” continued Stewart.

Ranked by PADI® as one of the Top 5 Dive Operations in the Western Hemisphere, Sandals and Beaches Resorts offer expert PADI® certification and training to guests staying on-resort and has issued over 100,000 PADI certifications to date. Sandals and Beaches boasts a comprehensive program that includes daily scuba diving for certified divers, and has highly experienced PADI® certified staff that work in partnership with DAN® to bring guests unparalleled dive experiences at exotic sites from spectacular reefs and shipwrecks to drop-offs and underwater caves. Guests staying at any Sandals or Beaches Resort also have access to top-of-the-line equipment with everything from regulators, BCD’s, masks, snorkels, fins and tanks to state-of-the-art, twin diesel Newton boats – all included.

With an interest in diving on the rise amongst travelers, Sandals and Beaches Resorts has conducted nearly 1,000 courses for all certification levels, showing a 28% overall increase in diving certifications from July to September 2020, compared to 2019. According to PADI, the September 2020 numbers show a growth of new dive certifications issued, with an increase in completed courses by 57% for Entry-Level and by 125% for Continuing-Education certification types across all open Sandals and Beaches Resorts, in comparison to the previous year.

With rigorous health and safety protocols set forth in the Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness, guests can feel at ease both on-resort and underwater knowing that all equipment is thoroughly sanitized including masks, wetsuits, fins and jackets in addition to the sanitization of the dive pool deck, tanks and seats, among other enhanced measures.

Known for its Luxury Included® vacations, Sandals and Beaches Resorts provides 5-Star Global Gourmet™ dining at up to 21 different restaurants per resort, luxurious accommodations, including some of the Caribbean’s most sought-after suites, endless land and water sports, nightly entertainment and so much more.

For more information on the award-winning resorts or to book your next stay, please visit: https://www.sandals.com/resorts/ or https://www.beaches.com/resorts/. To learn more about special offers for dive groups, please visit: https://www.sandals.com/group-specials/

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MEDIA CONTACT: 1-888-SANDALS, info@sandals.com

Seychelles Under the Spotlight at Black Travel Summit

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Destination Seychelles will be placed under the limelight at the Black Travel Summit conference titled, “Movement” set to take place over two days starting from October 17, 2020.

The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) has joined forces with the American travel experts “Travel Moor Often,” a leading tourism service provider and directory for people of color, to promote the destination at the event, which will focus on showcasing black travel industry professionals. 

The two-day virtual event will combine 26 speakers from around the globe, including content creators and Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Regional Director for Africa and the Americas, Mr. David Germain representing the destination.

Uniting a plethora of travel experts comprising of entrepreneurs, influencers, bloggers, travel companies and many others, allowing participants to meet influencers, learn from industry professionals, or network with other travelers.

The event will also include several seminars and workshops centered on black representation in the travel industry and effectively supporting black-owned businesses in the travel industry. 

Hosted by some of the most renowned entrepreneurs in the black travel community, the event presents an opportunity for the island destination to put forward its best features to attract travelers from this specific segment.

By being part of the Black Travel Summit “Movement” Webinar, the STB team will also have direct interaction with travel experts from the USA resulting in first-hand information that will essential to the advancements of its local tourism industry. 

Topics of discussion will include “Travel Writing,” “Intersectional identities in the travel space,” “Investing in Africa,” and dialogues about representation and building communities up, just to name a few.

Furthermore, the event supports a cause, collaborating with Dream Defenders to support the fight for racial and social justice.  

Mrs. Sherin Francis, the Seychelles Tourism Board Chief Executive, mentioned that the event is a great opportunity for the destination.

“We are honored to be a part of an event celebrating the African Diaspora, giving us a chance to pay tribute to this part of our heritage, which created the melting pot which we now boast to visitors who come to our shores. The event will also allow us to tap into a segment that needs more attention and to identify the essentials of its requirements and see where we can improve in helping our local tourism industry flourish,” said the STB Chief Executive.

As part of the destination’s participation, the STB’s presentation will also feature a “Kanmtole” dance, showcasing Seychelles’ Creole culture in this October month, which is the creole month and the video of the song “Nou bann Zil,” written and composed by Mr. David Andre for the occasion of the 250 years’ celebrations in August 2020.

According to the tourism and travel research firm Mandala Research 2018 report, black travelers are a valuable and untapped audience for the tourism industry, the black American community spent $63 billion on travel, and the number is expected to grow to $90 billion in coming years.

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MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel 

Hong Kong Tourism Board Launches a Standardized Hygiene Protocol to Assure Visitors of a Safe and Healthy Stay

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The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced today the launch of a standardized COVID-19 hygiene protocol in partnership with the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA), one of the leading conformity assessment bodies in the territory, providing unified guidelines on hygiene and anti-epidemic measures for tourism-related industries.

While the tourism industry and related sectors have already taken various measures to improve hygiene and anti-epidemic standards, a standardized protocol can help the public easily recognize businesses with such measures in place and spread the message to visitors that all sectors in Hong Kong are committed to maintaining a high level of hygiene and safety.

At more than 1,800 businesses and outlets that have expressed interest in adapting the new protocol, customers will easily be able to recognize and understand the measures in place across tourism-related sectors and bolster visitors’ confidence in traveling to Hong Kong upon the resumption of inbound travel. To help relieve the finance burden, the HKTB also will fully sponsor application fee for qualified business.

Leading the Way

Hong Kong has led the way in raising levels of hygiene and safety since the COVID-19 outbreak first began with the public sector, citizens, and businesses working tirelessly together to promote social distancing, mandatory face masks, regular hand sanitizing, and temperature checks.

Hong Kong has led the way in introducing anti-virus measures since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, with citizens and businesses working together to adopt some of the world’s most stringent hygiene measures. Businesses in the tourism sector have been particularly active in implementing hygiene measures supported by advanced cleaning technologies into their daily operations.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new normal to the tourism landscape, and public health and safety have become a priority for visitors,” said Dr. YK Pang, Chairman of the HKTB.

“Many international travel and tourism organizations have already put in place hygiene and anti-epidemic guidelines, and standardizing hygiene measures for each sector can spread to visitors the message that Hong Kong values its commitment to hygiene and safety.”

The protocol will cover shopping malls, hotels, tourism attractions, restaurants, retail stores, coach companies, travel agencies, MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition) venues and more. Participating businesses and outlets are required to comply with a series of hygiene and anti-epidemic measures (see Appendix). After passing the assessment, details of the businesses and outlets will be uploaded to a dedicated website of the HKQAA. The businesses and outlets can display a designated logo for recognition to show their commitment to the protocol. The HKQAA will conduct random visits for continued inspections.

Promoting Best Practices

After passing the assessment, the businesses and outlets can display a designated logo at their premises to show their commitment to the hygiene and anti-epidemic protocol.

“During the development of the standardized protocol, the HKQAA referred to the guidelines by the Center for Health Protection and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department,” said Ir C. S. Ho, Chairman of the HKQAA. “We aim to promote best practices for hygiene and anti-pandemic measures across tourism-related sectors and acknowledge their efforts in combating the pandemic through professional and impartial third-party verification, thus restoring public confidence in out-of-home consumption and travel.”

The Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency has taken reference from guidelines established by the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health and Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. The measures were developed according to each sector’s operational procedures after consulting the trade.

Working Together

This initiative will be launched in two phases. Opening for applications began on October 8 with the first phase covering tourism-related sectors including hotels, shopping malls, tourist attractions, inbound tour operators, and retailers and eateries under the Quality Tourism Services (QTS) Scheme. To help businesses in the trades at this difficult time, the HKTB will fully sponsor the application fees for qualified businesses. The next phase will be extended to cross-boundary coach companies, tour coach companies, meeting, incentive trips, convention and exhibition (MICE) venues and other retailers and eateries.

The HKTB is currently working with the Hong Kong SAR Government and the tourism industry to prepare for the resumption of travel to Hong Kong and aims to welcome visitors back with an assortment of exciting experiences and attractive offers.

#rebuildingtravel

Media Contact:

Bryan Hansen | PR Manager

Hong Kong Tourism Board, USA

323-938-7265 | bryan.hansen@hktb.com

Seychelles Welcomes Second Direct Commercial Connection to Europe

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Adding a supplementary choice for European travelers to the beautiful Seychelles islands, British National airline, British Airways, places its name on the list of airlines serving the destination.

Several months after its last flight to the Seychelles International airport of Pointe Larue, British Airways landed on Sunday, October 11, 2020, on the shores of the tropical destination.

British Airways becomes consequently the second European airline providing a direct commercial connection to the destination to keep Seychelles closer its prime source markets composed of six European countries. 

In an interview following the weekly high-level forum leading the implementation of the National Integrated Framework for the Reopening of Seychelles, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis mentioned that the arrival of British Airways places Seychelles in a favorable outcome for the having two direct European flights is a great achievement for the small destination.  

“Visibility to our customers and connectivity has been key elements of our marketing strategy. The STB and its teams around the world have been working in close collaboration with its airline partners throughout this period to make sure that the efforts invested benefits all parties. At this crucial crossroad, it is important for us to keep the momentum,” said Mrs. Francis.  

The STB Chief Executive further mentioned that her and her team has been holding regular virtual meetings with airline partners to keep them updated. The STB is also engaging in several joint marketing activities with airlines to keep the destination visible and reach out to their customers. 

Mrs. Francis emphasized that as the destination is striving to remain safe and accessible for visitors an important indication that Seychelles remains of interest to potential visitors lies in the fact that mostly all airline partners serving Seychelles have so far committed to the restart of their services on the destination, which is a good implication that the demand exists.  

“The load of passengers from the European airlines and even the other airlines remain quite interesting considering the challenges that exist for travelers today. Although some airlines are yet to confirm their dates of return, the commitment is still present,” said the STB Chief Executive.   

As the raft of marketing activities are picking up slowly on all the markets, The STB Chief Executive further mentioned the STB remains committed in keeping the destination visible across all markets. 

Since its reopening to commercial flights in August 2020, Seychelles has been welcoming regular flights from three airlines including Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways and Ethiopian Airlines. Edelweiss restarted its flights to the destination in September.

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MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel    

Valletta, Malta’s Capital, Ranked #5 on the World Best Small Cities

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Condé Nast Traveler announced the results of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards 2020 with Valletta, Malta’s Capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, ranked #5 in the World Best Small Cities category. 

Valletta, built by the proud Knights of St. John, was named a 2018 European Capital of Culture. A historically rich city, in the past few years Valletta has become even more popular with visitors for its cultural events, great restaurants, and nightlife scene. Valletta has two Michelin-starred restaurants, Noni and Grain. For Game of Thrones (GOT) fans, they will recognize several scenes shot in Valletta when most of GOT season 1 was shot on location in Malta.

“All Maltese are very honored and proud that Valletta was selected and ranked #5 on the World’ Best Small Cities by the readers of such a prestigious and sophisticated media title as Conde Nast Traveler,” said Carlo Micallef, Deputy CEO, Chief Marketing Officer,  Malta Tourism Authority. He added, “We invite those who have enjoyed Valletta to come back as the city is constantly evolving and those who have not yet been put it on their  2021 bucket list.”

More than 715,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers submitted an incredible number of responses rating their travel experiences across the globe. 

“The results of this year’s survey, conducted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, are a testament to the lasting power of meaningful travel experience,” said Jesse Ashlock, U.S. Editor of Condé Nast Traveler. “The winners represent the best of the best for our audience and offer plenty of trip-planning inspiration for all the adventures we can’t wait to have next.” 

The Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry. The full list of winners can be found on the Condé Nast Traveler website.

The 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards are published on Condé Nast Traveler’s website at www.cntraveler.com/rca and celebrated in the November issue of Condé Nast Traveler US and UK print editions. 

Valetta Coast

About Malta

The sunny islands of Malta, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, are home to a most remarkable concentration of intact built heritage, including the highest density of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in any nation-state anywhere.  Valletta built by the proud Knights of St. John is one of the UNESCO sights and the European Capital of Culture for 2018. Malta’s patrimony in stone ranges from the oldest free-standing stone architecture in the world, to one of the British Empire’s most formidable defensive systems, and includes a rich mix of domestic, religious, and military architecture from the ancient, medieval and early modern periods. With superbly sunny weather, attractive beaches, a thriving nightlife, and 7,000 years of intriguing history, there is a great deal to see and do. For more information on Malta, visit www.visitmalta.com.

More news about Malta

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Malta Tourism Authority – North America 

Michelle Buttigieg, Representative

P 212 213 0944

F 212 213 0938

E-mail: michelle-margaret.buttigieg@visitmalta.com 

MTA US/Canada Editorial Contact:

The Bradford Group

Gabriela Reyes/Karen Hoffman

Tel: (212) 447-0027

Fax: (212) 725 8253

E-mail:  visitmalta@bradfordglobalmarketing.com 

About Condé Nast Traveler 

Condé Nast Traveler is the world’s most distinguished travel title providing inspiration and advice for discerning travelers. Authoritative and influential, Condé Nast Traveler is a multi-platform, transatlantic brand. Publishing US and UK print editions under Editor-in-Chief Melinda Stevens, Condé Nast Traveler offers award-winning expertise in luxury travel from around the world. For more, visit www.cntraveler.com. 

For press inquiries, please contact: awards@condenasttraveler.com

Sandals Resorts Usher in More Openings

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Signaling the continued strength for Caribbean Tourism, Sandals Resorts International announced that it would usher in four more resort openings throughout October. Beginning this week, Sandals Grenada and Sandals South Coast will welcome visitors on October 1, 2020. Following in this week’s footsteps, Sandals Royal Plantation will officially open to guests on October 8, followed by Beaches Turks & Caicos on October 14. The lineup will join presently opened: Sandals Grande Antigua, Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean, Sandals Negril, Sandals Grande St. Lucian, and Sandals Regency LaToc, Sandals Royal Barbados, and Sandals Barbados bringing the total to 13 luxury-included resorts open across the Caribbean.

To prepare for the roll-out, the all-inclusive luxury leader spent months expanding its industry-leading health and safety measures as team members from far and wide began came back together for strategic planning. Vigorous training followed to include role-playing modules and added educational sessions to ensure everything was impeccable beyond standard as they formulated multifaceted plans to welcome guests back: the result, the widely heralded Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness.

“If there’s an upside to this, it’s seeing the faces of team members and their sheer happiness to be back to work,” stated Gordon “Butch” Stewart, Chairman of Sandals Resorts. “At the start of the year, travel was more accessible than ever, and as an industry, we were reporting record occupancies. Despite it all, we made a promise that when it was time to return, we would come back stronger and better than ever before. We are proud to have led the way to become the first resorts to open across the Caribbean and have the ability to share our protocols with other hotels in the region. With more openings on the horizon, our optimism keeps growing and growing for the coming year.”

TEAM MEMBERS & GUESTS ARE #BACKTOHAPPY

“I couldn’t be prouder of our team members on the ground,” said Adam Stewart, Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts. “The feedback we are hearing from guests has been phenomenal, and they are so happy to be back traveling. The confidence they have expressed, and the peace of mind our protocols have given them to feel safe and healthy is priceless. Because of this, we have coined a little saying that we are ‘#BackToHappy.’ Not only are we happy to be back open, we are so pleased to be doing what we love to do best, and that is making our guests happy.”

More news about Sandals

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MEDIA CONTACT: 1-888-SANDALS, info@sandals.com

Seychelles More Reachable with Direct European Flights

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The Seychelles Islands is now more accessible to European visitors since Sunday, September 27, 2020, with the return of direct flights from Europe to Seychelles.

The Swiss airline, Edelweiss Air, the first European direct commercial flight to land at the Seychelles International airport of Pointe Larue since the destination has reopened for tourism in August 2020. 

Edelweiss Air, only European airline serving the destination currently departing from Zurich and scheduled for a weekly Sunday flight, has so far disembarked some 367 visitors in the last 2 weeks. 

In the spirit of keeping the destination closer to its European market, Seychelles has made since October 1, 2020, special provision to remain accessible for visitors from seven markets, amongst which six are its European markets. 

Which means that should the COVID 19 pandemic deteriorate in those markets, instead of not being permitted to travel to Seychelles, these countries will move to a category 2 of being permitted and additional measures will be applied.

The additional measure includes a 48-hour or less negative PCR COVID-19 test and staying at a hotel permitted for category two countries for the first five days of the stay, whereby movement will be restricted to the hotel property during that period.

For countries part of the seven markets, which still appear on the category 1 permitted list, the standard travel procedures in the new normal will apply.

The Seychelles Tourism Board Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis emphasized how the destination is striving to remain safe and accessible for visitors.

“This quarter has started fairly well for the destination. Although with a bit of restriction, Seychelles will be able to receive visitors from its prime market as of October 1, 2020, and the weekly flight from Zurich is one great advantage for European visitors planning to visit our islands as well. Not mentioning that two of our prime market countries namely Germany and UK, has exempted Seychelles from their non-essential travel lists,” said Mrs. Francis. 

The STB Chief Executive further mentioned the STB digital campaign ‘Experience Seychelles; our home, your sanctuary’, which aims to encourage people to travel to the destination combined with the publicity efforts made by the various offices across the world to remain visible to our audience.

Since its reopening to commercial flights in August 2020, Seychelles has been welcoming regular flights from three airlines including Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways and Ethiopian Airlines. 

The local authorities and the local tourism business owners are operating with extreme caution to ensure that the destination remains a safe place for visitors.

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MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel   

NTA Tourism Ambassador Partnership Will Share Unique Nevis Experiences with Global Audiences

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The Nevis Tourism Authority (NTA) is pleased to announce the launch of the Nevis Tourism Ambassador Program, a unique partnership with an exclusive group of Travel Advisors, Influencers and Journalists. The six Tourism Ambassadors are Margie Jordan-Travel Advisor, Wesley Francis-Travel Advisor, Bianca Jade–Influencer, Stefanie Michael–Influencer, Erinne Magee-Journalist and Melissa Corbin-Journalist.

The Tourism Ambassadors were selected based on their commitment and support in promoting Nevis to their respective audiences.  Together they will highlight different aspects of the Nevis tourism product –Culture, Health & Wellness, Romance, Sports and Culinary adventures.

“We are thrilled that these exceptional individuals who love Nevis have agreed to partner with us and share from their own perspective what makes our island such a special place,” said Jadine Yarde, CEO.  “We appreciate their generous support, which is a powerful endorsement for our destination.  We look forward to working closely with each of them for our mutual benefit, as we bring their Nevis stories to audiences across the globe,” she continued.

Margie Jordan’s company Margie Travels isa thriving boutique luxury travel business in Florida that caters to the needs of an exclusive clientele. She has been featured and mentioned in many online and print publications, including Travel Weekly, the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, and others. 

Wesley Francis is a self-proclaimed “city-raised island girl” from the Bronx, New York. She is an ardent Caribbean aficionado and travel planner, specializing in group travel for women who are tired of waiting on others.

Bianca Jade isfounder of the Health & Lifestyle brand MizzFit, and travels the USA as a Fitness, Health, Beauty & Travel expert correspondent for local news stations. One of the first fitness bloggers and influencers in the country, she was discovered by Nike’s R&D team which promptly led to her debut on The Today Show in 2009.

Stefanie Michael, AdventureGirl, was named “America’s Tweetheart” by Vanity Fair Magazine for her digital presence on Twitter as well as her ability to engage fans, bringing exposure to the brands with whom she works. She is a sought-after travel and social media expert, with a long list of television, print and online features.  

Erinne Magee is a Maine based Travel & Culinary Journalistand author, her work is published by the New York Times, Washington Post, National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, Boston Globe, American Way, Rachael Ray, Business Insider and more.

Melissa Corbin is a Tennessee based travel and culinary journalist, who tells the stories of the folks and places that make their corner of the world so unique. Her national bylines include Food & Wine magazine, Lonely Planet, Matador and EATER, and appears regularly on television daytime shows.

For more information on the Nevis Tourism Ambassadors, and to see their stories, please visit https://nevisisland.com/ambassadors

For travel and tourism information on Nevis please visit the Nevis Tourism Authority  website at  www.nevisisland.com; and follow us on Instagram (@nevisnaturally), Facebook (@nevisnaturally), YouTube (nevisnaturally) and Twitter (@Nevisnaturally).

About Nevis

Nevis is part of the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis and is located in the Leeward Islands of the West Indies. Conical in shape with a volcanic peak at its center known as Nevis Peak, the island is the birthplace of the founding father of the United States, Alexander Hamilton. The weather is typical of most of the year with temperatures in the low to mid-80s°F / mid 20-30s°C, cool breezes and low chances of precipitation. Air transportation is easily available with connections from Puerto Rico, and St. Kitts. For more information about Nevis, travel packages and accommodations, please contact the Nevis Tourism Authority, USA Tel 1.407.287.5204, Canada 1.403.770.6697 or our website www.nevisisland.com and on Facebook – Nevis Naturally.

Media Contact: Nana Delatour, Portfolio Marketing Group, E: nana.d@pmgroup.bz