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New culinary experiences launched in Victoria Falls

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Earlier this year Pure Africa Destination Management announced its latest restaurant management partnership with Afro-Chic destination venue Zambezi House Restaurant, which was voted as one of the ‘Most Beautiful Restaurants in the World’ by Condé Nast Traveller.

The team at Pure Africa have since then been busy with the reimagination of designing culinary journeys in Victoria Falls for the menu relaunch of Zambezi House, which has taken much of its inspiration from the meandering journey of the venue’s key feature, the Zambezi River.

Pure Africa recently appointed head chef Mike van Rooyen for the development of the latest tasting menu at Zambezi House, forming part of the greater Pure Africa culinary art initiatives aiming to raise the benchmark for food tourism in Victoria Falls.

Our passion is rooted in travel, innovation, design, culinary art and impact, which form our company’s philosophy in looking to awaken this new African spirit together with local talent, international culinary techniques served with the key ingredient, which is warm Zimbabwean hospitality.

“Seasonal ingredients and traditional dishes reimagined, prepared with local knowledge, global culinary techniques and eventually served with the key ingredient, which is warm Zimbabwean hospitality.”

Pure Africa has coincided the latest Zambezi House menu offering, launching in early May 2019 with full day culinary packages for those travellers looking to experience the local food scene in Victoria Falls;

Pure Africa Culinary Journeys in Victoria Falls:

Historic Tram & Bridge Tour + Zambezi House Dinne

What to expect:

A guided tram tour of Victoria Falls Bridge paired up with freshly baked gourmet sandwiches to start, followed by a craft gin pop-up bar and gourmet snack table overlooking the spray of the Falls from the Zambian border and ending off with a three-course dinner tasting menu to be enjoyed later that evening at Zambezi House Restaurant.

Culinary Features:

Artisanal Sandwiches, Pimm’s Train Station Bar, Craft Gin & Tonic Pop Up Bar, Gourmet Scenic Snacks and a three-course Zambezi House dinner experience.

Luxury Deck Sunset River Cruise + Zambezi  House Dinner

What to expect:

A sunset river cruise down the Zambezi paired up with a relaxing three-course dinner experience perched on the edge of the river.

Culinary Features:

Gourmet sunset tasting boards, craft selection of premium beverages onboard the sunset river cruise followed by a three-course Zambezi House tasting menu prepared by head chef Mike Viljoen.

For more information about Pure Africa Destination Management and their latest culinary journeys please email or visit the Pure Africa Destination Management website.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Art Gallery or Hotel? Hotel Oriental Express in Tokyo Ginza

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Hotel Oriental Express in Tokyo Ginza is scheduled to open on July 26, 2019.

The concept of Hotel Oriental Express Tokyo Ginza is the “Art Gallery Hotel” where guests can experience an extraordinary stay in the whimsical atmosphere of Ginza artworks generated in collaboration with art galleries in Ginza. The hotel also aims to play a role for Japan based young talented artists to express their artworks to guests from all over the world.

The lobby and rooms, which are themed in white with an accent of silver or in Japanese, “Gin” for “Ginza,” are decorated with carefully selected wall art which express the four seasons of Japan. The lobby doubles as a gallery space, featuring beautiful artworks from partnered galleries in Ginza. Hotel guests can purchase their favorite artworks on the spot.

Experience the town of art Ginza

The lobby and rooms, which are themed in white with an accent of silver or in Japanese, “Gin” for “Ginza,” are decorated with carefully selected wall art which express the four seasons of Japan. The lobby doubles as a gallery space, featuring beautiful artworks from partnered galleries in Ginza. Hotel guests can purchase their favorite artworks on the spot.

  • Wall art designTop left: Wisteria in full bloom in early summer, gently blowing in the breezeTop right: Goldfish scooping at a summer festival; Fireworks reflecting on the water surface Bottom left: Melting snow ice, awaiting spring
  • Examples of wall art design in partnership with Nada Art Gallery
  • Wall Art Artist: Ms. Maya Ogata

Ms. Maya Ogata began her art career with a graphic design company after graduating from university. While working for this company, Ms. Ogata  was actively engaged in numerous solo and group exhibitions as a wall art artist. Ms. Ogata has painted walls of guest houses, stores, and event spaces as well as presented her art in live performances nationwide.

Revive Your Senses

Breakfast: On a daily basis, the breakfast buffet offers five types of seasonal soups. The hotel’s chef recommends this simple but nutritious breakfast to revive your senses and to start your day. The soups can also be made to go, so guests can enjoy their breakfast at their convenience.

Cafe: During the daytime, the restaurant area is exclusively open to all hotel guests to be used at their leisure. Guests can freely relax and enjoy their time surrounded by artworks, with a drink of their choice from the hotel’s selection of coffee, herbal tea, green tea etc.

Enhance your sensitivity

Music: All guest rooms are equipped with a Bluetooth speaker and embellished with carefully selected wall art depicting beautiful flowers of each season in Japan. Guests can look, feel, and embrace the art and sounds while spending a relaxing time in their room.

https://tokyoginza.hotelorientalexpress.com/

 

Travel News | eTurboNews

Top 10 sustainable places to stay around the world revealed

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Travel is not just about seeing the wonders of the earth but understanding our impact upon it. With increasing frequency, people are looking to make the shift from “tourist” to “conscious traveler” by finding ways to maximize positive impacts on the locations they visit. Making thoughtful choices about how, when, and where you go on a vacation can make a significant difference. So, this Earth Day, travel experts analyzed over eight million traveler reviews from last year to find the key hot spots for eco-travelers.

Delving deep into sentiment, the global data showed the 10 best places to stay around the world, as reviewed by Expedia travelers. From boutiques with beehives and resorts with rainwater recycling, to grand urban retreats with solar cell power, many of these amazing places show that luxury and sustainability are not mutually exclusive.
Additionally, the experts highlighted the top countries with the best reviewed eco-conscious accommodations, with the USA topping the charts.

Top 10 eco-friendly stays

1.Sandos Caracol Eco Resort, Mexico
2.Nomad Hotel Roissy CDG, Paris, France
3.Siloso Beach Resort, Sentosa, Singapore
4.Habitat Suites, Austin, Texas
5.Pakasai Resort, Krabi, Thailand
6.PARKROYAL on Pickering, Singapore
7.The Green House, Bournemouth, UK
8.Listel Hotel, Vancouver, Canada
9.Hotel Verde, Cape Town, South Africa
10.Sherwood Queenstown, Queenstown, New Zealand

Top 10 sustainable countries around the world

1.USA
2.Mexico
3.Canada
4.Australia
5.UK
6.Costa Rica
7.Thailand
8.New Zealand
9.France
10.Italy

Sustainable travel is the perfect opportunity to show Mother Earth and fellow inhabitants how much you care.

1. Sandos Caracol Eco Resort – Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Situated between dense jungle and the blue of the Mexican Caribbean coast, this Rainforest Alliance-certified destination is among the highest-rated by travellers for the multitude of positive impacts it offers.

•Extensive policies governing waste management, resource consumption and natural conservation

•Opportunities for guests to engage in ecologically sustainable practices: eco-tours, cruelty-free animal interactions and beach meditation

•A commitment to the community, reflected in celebrations of local indigenous culture, on-site markets that support local artisans, and local partnerships to improve area schools

2. Nomad Hotel Roissy CDG – Paris, France

Located five minutes by car from Charles de Gaulle airport, the Nomad Hotel Roissy CDG boasts Scandinavian-inspired design, tech-enabled customisable room layouts and a mission to “to reduce the ecological impact of these buildings to a minimum, at every stage of life, from design to operation”—making it the perfect accommodation for digital nomads with green leanings.

•Rigorous standards for creation/loss of heat and a low total annual energy consumption, supported by green (living) exterior cladding, solar panels, air handling units

•Proactive efforts to neutralize water impact through use of rainwater collectors

•Use of sustainable materials, including PEFC wood, carpets made from recycled fishing nets, recycled stone and glass shower units

3. Siloso Beach Resort, Sentosa – Singapore

Just off Singapore’s south coast lies Sentosa Island, a haven whose southwest coast is the home to the Siloso Beach Resort. Steps from the sandy beaches of the South China Sea, this award-winning eco-resort has taken special care to integrate the surrounding habitat into its design by prioritizing open spaces and preserving established natural features like mature trees and flowing springs. The result? A uniquely organic take on a luxurious beach resort experience.

•200 original trees preserved (and 450 planted) on-site; landscape pool fed by underground waters and built according to natural terrain formation

•72% of the resort is open-air—and activities including cycle tours, hikes and other eco-adventures

•Operations keep ecological impacts top-of-mind, emphasizing locally-sourced foods, limited use of plastics, and reduced energy consumption

4. Habitat Suites – Austin, TX, USA

Habitat Suites, a sustainable gem in the heart of Texas’ most progressive city, boasts a 30-year track record of forward-thinking environmental stewardship. Habitat Suites has been a charter member of the Green Hotels Association since 1991—and won an Austin Green Business Leader Gold Award in 2018.

•Widespread use of alternative energy, including solar panels, solar thermal and electric vehicle charging
•On-premises organic fruit and herb gardens; clean, local and organic food options

•Use of plant-based, zero harsh chemical detergents for cleaning; bio-safe guest shampoos and detergents; hypoallergenic suites that include live potted plants and windows that open for access to fresh air

5. Pakasai Resort – Krabi, Thailand

Spa treatments, boxing and cooking classes plus plenty of space for lounging by the pool—the Pakasai Resort delivers on everything you’d expect from a tropical Thai resort, then sweetens the deal with an impressive list of sustainability efforts. “Krabi’s Greenest Resort” was the first in the area to win an ASEAN Green Hotel Award (2014).

•Resource conservation efforts include rainwater capture and greywater recycling, energy efficient lighting, biogas production and reduction of plastic use

•Careful attention given to reducing carbon emissions through waste minimization program and collaboration with the local community and local organizations

•Guests are encouraged to make their stay even greener by joining the #GreeningPakasai campaign, which incentivizes visitors to make low-carbon choices around food, transportation, linen services and local activities

6. PARKROYAL on Pickering – Singapore

With 15,000 square metres of greenery and a cutting-edge design, the PARKROYAL is equally impressive in what it does and doesn’t do. This LEED-certified masterpiece saves 32.5 Olympic-sized swimming pools’ worth of water annually and could power an estimated 680 households with the energy saved by its conservation efforts.

•Highly regulated resource consumption through employment of light, motion, and rain sensors

•Solar cells and rainwater collection mean zero-energy maintenance of the 15,000 m2 sky gardens

•Thoughtful construction processes reduced concrete (and associated waste and energy expenditure) use by more than 80%

7. The Green House – Bournemouth, UK

Equally suitable for weddings, self-care weekends and romantic getaways, every detail of this eco-hotel has been designed to help guests feel great while doing good. That ethos touches every facet of The Green House, from the building’s renewable energy production and Forest Stewardship certified, UK-crafted furnishings to the on-site restaurant’s adherence to local sourcing and high animal welfare standards—the company car even runs on bio-fuel from the kitchen’s old cooking oil!

•The use of earth-friendly cleaning products and efforts toward energy conservation

•Staff are trained in the ethos of sustainability and are encouraged to find new ways to improve the Green House’s efforts

•Environmental efforts extend to the exterior grounds, including bird and bat boxes (to provide a safe place for breeding) and rooftop beehives that produce honey

8. The Listel Hotel Vancouver – Vancouver, BC, Canada

The Listel Hotel dedicates itself to both environmental responsibility and the arts. The hotel provides a location to elevate local and international artists—including a gallery dedicated to First Nations artists from the Northwest Coast—while participating in the city of Vancouver’s “Corporate Climate Leader” program, setting an example for sustainable tourism efforts across the globe.

•Responsible food practices including membership in Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise sustainable seafood program and a commitment to offering local and sustainable food and wine

•Conservation efforts including 20 solar panels, a state-of-the-art heat capture program (reducing the hotel’s natural gas use by 30%) and water reduction and air quality programs

•Adherence to a 100% Zero Waste policy since August 2011

9. Hotel Verde – Cape Town, South Africa

“Sustainable by design, stylish by nature” is the modest motto of Cape Town’s Hotel Verde. The first hotel in Africa to offer 100% carbon-neutral accommodation and conferencing, the Cape Town Verde has earned an extensive list of international accolades (LEED Platinum certification and a 6-star rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa) for its extensive adherence to sustainable practices.

•Restoration of the surrounding wetlands now supports indigenous water-wise vegetation and a healthy population of Cape honeybees—as well as an ecotrail, outdoor gym, and eco-pool for visitor use, plus on-site edible food gardens and aquaponics

•Energy efficiencies include photovoltaic panels on the roof and north-facing facades, wind turbines, energy-generating gym equipment and geothermal heat

•Commitment to social responsibility through sustainable procurement practices, waste management and community involvement

10. Sherwood Queenstown – Queenstown, New Zealand

Sustainability and connection with nature are behind every detail you’ll encounter at the Sherwood Queenstown, a boutique hotel perched on three acres of alpine hillside overlooking Lake Wakatipu. The Sherwood operates based on the belief that “a simple respect for nature lies at the heart of any sustainable practice”. The hotel’s orchards and kitchen garden supply its award-winning restaurant; most rooms offer sweeping mountain or lake views, and all are outfitted with South Island wool blankets and locally-sourced beverages. Mornings start with optional yoga sessions, followed by hiking, mountain biking, skiing or snowboarding.

•A focus on materiality selection that integrates the building with the landscape, while employing upcycled fixtures, fittings and furnishings

•Conscious choices about energy generation—the Sherwood is one of the largest private solar installs in New Zealand and currently generates enough electricity to return surplus to the grid

•Selection of food, wine, beer, spirits, and other consumable products that are local, natural, healthy, ethical, seasonal and sustainable in their production and use

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Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Bartlett pumps J$200 million into Linkages Networks

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Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has committed J$200 million to the Linkages Networks to help build out more products to enhance the visitor experience and ensure more inclusive growth in the sector.

Speaking at the launch of the new Top Events Jamaica Initiative yesterday at Devon House, Minister Bartlett said, “This year, we will be spending 200 Million dollars on the Networks to create the level of inclusiveness that connects the ordinary Jamaican to the tourism product and the product to the ordinary Jamaican.

This will be a huge game changer and we are going to change the narrative and also change the feeling of the public that tourism is only for the bigger suppliers and doesn’t include the smaller players.”

The Tourism Linkages Network’s (TLN’s) main focus has been to bring local tourism suppliers in contact with other sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. In doing so, the Linkages Network creates more economic opportunities for our local tourism suppliers who can then earn more.

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (1st R) paused for a photo at the track and field display at the launch of the new Top Events Jamaica Initiative yesterday at Devon House

Driving this inclusive growth are five networks geared towards building out authentic Jamaican experiences for the visitors and increasing the earning potential of small suppliers and they are – Gastronomy, Sports and Entertainment, Shopping, Knowledge and Health and Wellness.

The new Top Events Jamaica initiative, being spearheaded by the TLN, is designed to increase visitor participation in events and activities island-wide through strategic partnerships and leveraging the power of technology, social media, and advertising.

In highlighting the importance of this new platform, Minister Bartlett, said, “Top Events will place all our best entertainment products and offerings under one roof. In doing so we are allowing visitors and locals alike to chance to find these offerings with the click of a button. Top events will be a critical element that brings together our authentic Jamaican entertainment products under one roof through the use of technology.

This type of interface is critical in the age of technology especially given that entertainment forms a large part of why people travel and as such there is value in building out more products of this nature to drive arrivals and growth in the sector.”

The Top Events initiative will include a microsite and an easy to use mobile app to increase visitor awareness and participation in the over 900 events held in Jamaica each month. To qualify for listing on Top Events, event organizers must meet the predetermined criteria outlined by the TLN that guarantees continuity in the content delivery and effective data capture.

The TLN’s Sports and Entertainment Network (SEN) will be the driving force behind Top Events Jamaica and the body ultimately responsible for the final selection of “Top Events” to be added to the event calendar.

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

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Shadow Play by Peppers: Melbourne’s newest luxury hotel opens its doors

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Accor has opened the doors of its newest luxury Melbourne hotel – Shadow Play by Peppers – in the city’s vibrant Southbank arts and entertainment district.

Developed by luxury property developer Jonathan Hallinan of BPM and echoing Melbourne’s sophistication, the 46-storey landmark hotel features an exquisite selection of spacious one and two bedroom apartments with incredible city or bayside views.

Nestled in the heart of the city and within walking distance to the Eureka Skydeck, Melbourne Arts Centre, the National Gallery of Victoria, Crown Casino, the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, and the city’s finest shopping and dining precincts, Shadow Play by Peppers offers a stylish urban retreat for leisure and business travellers.

“We’re excited visitors to Southbank can now experience Peppers’ unique style and acclaimed hospitality. Shadow Play by Peppers has added a new level of sophistication and luxury to Melbourne’s accommodation offering, which caters perfectly to an increasingly selective global market that is looking for quality, location and facilities of a world-class caliber,” Accor Chief Operating Officer Pacific, Simon McGrath said.

Shadow Play by Peppers is the brand’s second Melbourne property. The first, Peppers Docklands, opened in January 2016.

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Marriott’s Arne M. Sorenson named 2019 CEO of the Year

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Chief Executive magazine announced today that Arne M. Sorenson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International, has been named 2019 Chief Executive of the Year by his peer CEOs.

“He’s a global leader, a man with a conscience, a person who connects with his people,” said Fred Hassan, the former Chairman of Bausch & Lomb and Partner at Warburg Pincus, and a member of this year’s selection committee.

“I have tremendous respect for Arne Sorenson, for his global leadership and for his outstanding track record amid a very challenging marketplace,” said Marillyn A. Hewson, the Chairman, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation and 2018 CEO of the Year, who also served on the selection committee.

Mr. Sorenson joined Marriott in 1996 and held a number of positions before serving as President and Chief Operating Officer. He became Chief Executive Officer in 2012, the first person to hold the post without the Marriott family name.

Since becoming CEO, Mr. Sorenson has led a vast expansion of the business, including the acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in 2016. The company now has more than 7,000 properties across 130 countries and territories and 30 brands. An outspoken corporate leader, he has advocated for environmental sustainability, a more open, safe and inclusive workplace, and a welcoming culture around the world.

“I am deeply honored by this tremendous recognition, and I thank my peer CEOs for the nomination,” said Mr. Sorenson. “I stand on the shoulders of an icon, Bill Marriott, and the 730,000 people around the world who wear a Marriott name badge. Together, we work each day to uphold a legacy of creating opportunities—for our guests, our associates and the local neighborhoods where we operate.”

The selection committee cited Sorenson’s outstanding performance running one of the most complex, global businesses in the world in the face of daunting cultural and technological change.

“There are few people who have driven innovation in the way that Arne has and…been able to lead such a large organization, and to be able to keep them focused on excellent execution and also the responsibilities that they have for each other, the environment and on social issues,” said Neal Keating, President and CEO, Kaman.

Over the past 33 years, Chief Executive of the Year winners have been a who’s who of American business leadership, including Bill Gates, Jack Welch, Michael Dell, A.G. Lafley, John Chambers, Bob Iger, Anne Mulcahy, Larry Bossidy, Andy Grove and Herb Kelleher, among others.

The Chief Executive of the Year was selected by a committee of distinguished peer CEOs in a meeting held in March at the Nasdaq MarketSite. The 2019 committee consists of Marillyn A. Hewson (Chairman, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation), Dan Glaser (President and CEO, Marsh & McLennan), Neal Keating (President and CEO, Kaman), Fred Hassan (former Chairman, Bausch & Lomb; Partner, Warburg Pincus), Tamara Lundgren (President and CEO, Schnitzer Steel), Max H. Mitchell (President and CEO, Crane Co.), Bob Nardelli (CEO, XLR-8), Tom Quinlan III (Chairman, President and CEO, LSC Communications), Jeffrey Sonnenfeld (CEO, The Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute) and Mark Weinberger (Global Chairman and CEO, EY Global). Ted Bililies, Ph.D., Chief Talent Officer, Managing Director, AlixPartners, is the exclusive advisor to the 2019 Selection Committee.

Sorenson’s selection as 2019 CEO of the Year will be celebrated at an invitation-only event hosted by Chief Executive Group at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York in late July.

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St. Kitts shines in US Roadshow 2019

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A signature activity in US, the St. Kitts Tourism Authority conducted its 2nd annual Destination St. Kitts & Nevis US Roadshow 2019 from Monday, March 25 to Friday, March 29. The week-long series of 6 events were held in New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Houston, Farmer’s Branch (Texas) and Dallas in order to grow visitor arrivals from these gateway markets and supporting flow markets. These events were designed to educate travel agents, tour operators, MICE buyers, wedding and honeymoon planners, media and experiential lifestyle consumers about everything the destination has to offer both business and leisure travelers.

“This year’s US Roadshow was a resounding success with record numbers of attendees for each event,” said the Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism for St. Kitts & Nevis. “Having attracted the sheer number of travel agents, MICE buyers, media and more who sell or publicize business and/or leisure travel demonstrates that there is growing interest and demand in these gateway markets for the tourism product that St. Kitts & Nevis has to offer.”

The first event was a brunch held at The Castle Hotel & Spa in Tarrytown, New York, an affluent suburb north of New York City on Monday, March 25. The second event was a dinner held at the Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange, New Jersey, an upscale neighborhood in the northern part of the state, also on March 25. On Tuesday, March 26, the third event was a dinner held at the Westin Buckhead, located in an affluent suburb just north of Atlanta. The fourth event was a luncheon held on Wednesday, March 27, at the Hess Club in Houston. A cocktail reception held on Thursday, March 27 at the Brookhaven Country Club in Farmer’s Branch, an affluent suburb of Dallas, Texas, was the fifth event in the Roadshow, while the sixth and final event was a luncheon held at III Forks Restaurant in Dallas.

All events supported St. Kitts’ non-stop flights and attracted a total of 300 attendees combined, all of whom were travel agents, MICE buyers, tour operators, wedding and honeymoon planners, media or experiential lifestyle consumers. Attendees were top travel professionals representing some of the most respected organizations in the business, including Maritz Travel, Cox Enterprises, Pro Travel International, Meetings Plus, Valerie Wilson Travel, Houston Style Magazine, Frosch, Questex LLC, Travel Impressions, and Westchester magazine.

“Developing lasting relationships with top travel professionals in our key gateway markets is a key component of our overall marketing strategy for the destination and our Roadshow provides us with the opportunity to connect with these individuals face-to-face,” added Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. “In order to continue growing arrivals, we need to maintain and expand our base of sellers to help fill our non-stop flights as we continue to build out new and increased airlift from the US.”

In addition to being treated to a meal and lively conversation with representatives from St. Kitts, the individuals played games, listened to presentations and won a variety of prizes from hotel stays to bottles of St. Kitts’ own Brinley Gold Shipwreck rum that were provided by participating local island tourism stakeholders. In addition, attending travel agents were offered a special $150 incentive for booking clients’ air only on the non-stop flights to St. Kitts or air in combination with a hotel reservation at participating destination hotels, all offering special Summer Sunsation rates, between now and May 17, 2019 for clients’ travel through August 17, 2019 when they log their productivity on St. Kitts’ website or via the Destination Specialist program with Travel Agent University. As a result, many attendees are now adding St. Kitts & Nevis as a featured destination they will sell to their clients.

The delegation from St. Kitts inclded: the Hon. Lindsay F. P. Grant, Minister of Tourism for St. Kitts & Nevis; Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority; Ambassador Jonel Powell, Chairman of the Artist Selection Committee for the St. Kitts Music Festival; Annie Sinzinger, US Marketing Manager for the St. Kitts Tourism Authority; Denise Zimber, Christina Mucha and Shayna White, Marketing Consultants for the St. Kitts Tourism Authority; Tom Jaronski, Golf Consultant for the St. Kitts Tourism Authority; and Candice Kimmel, CEO and Founder of Adams Unlimited, PR & Marketing Agency in North America for the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.

A number of tourism stakeholders from St. Kitts & Nevis were also part of the delegation, including: Troy Hendrickson, Carib Journey Masters; Tawanna Wigley, Sales Representative, Ocean Terrace Inn; Richard Berridge, General Manager, Kayanjet; Jaana Kuntonen, Sunlinc; Christine Marshall, Sales Manager, Park Hyatt St. Kitts; Sylvia Martinez, Director of Sales and Marketing, St. Kitts Marriott; Tim Thuell, Nisbet Plantation; Cyndi Miller-Aird, President, Miller + Aird Destination Marketing for Belle Mont Farm; Jamar Wilkins, Travel Industry Sales Manager, Four Seasons Resort Nevis; and Darren Thompson, General Manager, Royal St. Kitts.

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From airport terminal to glamorous holiday destination: Designer pop-up shop

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Marie France Van Damme, the Hong Kong-based designer known for her globally influenced line of luxury resort, swim, and ready-to-wear, continues to expand her presence worldwide with the opening of a Paris pop-up shop inside Le Bon Marché on May 1, which will operate through June 1. Best known for her silk caftans and timeless collection of elegant resort wear, Marie France Van Damme’s designs have become a “must-have” for the jet set and those who appreciate a timeless luxury product.

Located on the second floor of Le Bon Marché  (24 Rue de Sevres, 75007 Paris, France) in the Savoir Faire department, the new 100 square-foot pop-up shop will offer Marie France Van Damme’s summer 2019 collection of ‘Dolce Vita’ essentials, including luxe day resort wear, elegant summer dresses and evening wear, glamorous bathing suits, and flowy silk caftans. The pop-up shop will be designed to mimic an airport, complete with a dashboard listing departure flight numbers. Inspired by the legendary Splendido hotel and Hotel du Cap, the installation will transport its clientele to a glamorous beach destination replete with silver coated palm trees, inflatable buoys, and branded metallic beach bags.

Designed by renowned lifestyle curator Marie France Van Damme, the shop is inspired by a concept she calls the MFVD holiday jet-set ‘Jet Pack,’ which represents a selection of featherweight garments designed to pack in a small travel bag that you don’t have to check in. As the designer guides you through her world with the perfect ‘Jet Pack’ this summer, the pieces available in the pop-up shop will take the Marie France Van Damme woman from city to resort and resort to city, and provide the best of both worlds: luxe day resort wear and chic evening looks.

“Packing can be stressful and most people are guilty of stuffing their suitcases full of items they’ll never wear, just in case. The answer is, of course, to think carefully about what to bring, and to buy cleverly. The challenge is getting the right mix, to buy things that slide perfectly from day to night, items that can be dressed up or pared down,” says Marie France Van Damme. “Like me, our customer travels around the world, and she needs to find things that will look beautiful during the day as well as at night; from the beach to a cocktail or dinner in the evening. We are honored to open a pop-up in time for the holiday season in one of the world’s most exclusive luxury shopping destinations.”

Marie France Van Damme’s new Summer 2019 collection is a return to the glamorous roots of resort wear and offers striking essentials, designed to have a wear-anywhere appeal from Portofino to Paris. Signature pieces from the new collection include metallic swimsuits, vaporous cover-ups, silk boubou caftans, and effortless summer dresses.

For the perfect look, the pop-up shop will also offer onsite beach makeup services for customers, and an opportunity to design their own one and only boubou caftan. Customers can choose from a selection in a book, one fabric and one trim, which Marie France Van Damme will then produce in her atelier. Customers who purchase the limited-edition caftan can enter a raffle to win a two-night stay at a One&Only Resort. To celebrate the opening, the store will host a series of special events.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Skål International and Biosphere Tourism: Taking Sustainable Tourism Awards to the next level

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a partnership agreement was signed by Skål International and Biosphere Tourism in the frame of the 2019 Skål Sustainable Tourism Awards.

The Skål Sustainable Tourism Awards were launched in 2002 to spotlight best practices in terms of sustainable and responsible tourism around the world, enhance the visibility and grant recognition to entities from the tourism industry.

In its 18th edition, a special Skål Biosphere Award will be presented to one of the submissions received. The selection of the winner will be based on the pillars of sustainability of the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI).

Applications for the 2019 Sustainable Tourism Awards are open until 31 May. All public and private sector companies, educational institutions, NGOs and government agencies are welcome to enter.

The official announcement of the winners will take place on 15 September during the Opening Ceremony of the 80th Skål World Congress, to be held onboard the Royal Caribbean “Symphony of the Seas” from 14 to 21 September 2019.

Biosphere Tourism develops certifications to guarantee an adequate long-term balance between the economic, socio-cultural and environmental dimensions of a Destination, reporting significant benefits for a tourism entity, society and the environment. This certification is granted by the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI), an international non-profit NGO, in the form of an association, which has promoted, for more than 20 years, responsible tourism at an international level, helping all the actors involved in the tourism sector develop a new way of traveling and of knowing our Planet.

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