• Home
  • Post a press-release
  • Visibility packages
  • Subscribe email updates
  • Event Calendar
  • Contact

For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

Where press releases are breaking news

  • Home
  • Post a press-release
  • Visibility packages
  • Subscribe email updates
  • Event Calendar
  • Contact

SITA: Tracking airline passenger bags drives 66% improvement in baggage delivery

April 24, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Airlines that are adding tracking at more points of the baggage journey are enjoying a huge improvement in bag delivery globally. The SITA 2019 Baggage IT Insights – officially launched at an event in Abu Dhabi International Airport today – shows that where tracking is done at check-in and loading onto the aircraft, the rate of improvement is as high as 66%.

These results come as the record drop in the baggage mishandling rate achieved globally over the past decade plateaus, with the rate steady at around 5.7 bags per thousand passengers over the past three years. In 2018, the rate was 5.69 per thousand passengers.

Over the past year, an increasing number of airlines and airports have started to introduce tracking at key points in the journey – check-in, loading onto the aircraft, transfers and arrival – to improve baggage management and further reduce the chances of a bag being mishandled. SITA’s research provides the first glimpse of the success of this tracking. It reveals that where bags were being tracked when loaded onto the aircraft, the rate of improvement ranged between 38% and 66% depending on the level of tracking introduced.

Peter Drummond, Director of Baggage at SITA, said: “While the mishandling rate has started to plateau over the past few years, this comes against a continued growth in passenger numbers and their bags. In 2018, 4.36 billion travelers checked in more than 4.27 billion bags. More bags makes things more challenging. Everyone across the industry needs to look beyond the process and technology improvements made in the past decade and adopt the latest technology such as tracking to make the next big cut in the rate of mishandled bags.”

Ahmed Juma Al Shamsi, Acting Chief Operations Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “For our passengers the timely delivery of baggage is key to ensuring a seamless passenger experience and therefore an area in which we continue to make further improvements. Looking forward, baggage tracking is fundamental to driving more accurate bag delivery not only at Abu Dhabi International Airport but across the entire passenger journey. We have led the way with the introduction of tracking on arrival and we have already seen significant improvements.”

Transferring baggage from one aircraft, or airline, to another remains a pinch point in the journey and in 2018 it was again the main reason for bags being mishandled. Transfer bags accounted for 46% of all mishandled bags.
Drummond added: “Transfer is by far the most difficult stage to track a bag as there are multiple airlines and airports involved. However, data from this year’s report shows that tracking at key points in the journey, such as transfers, will go a long way to eliminating mishandling and will allow airlines and their passengers to keep tabs on where their bags are at every step of the way.”

Over the past decade, total number of mishandled bags per annum has plummeted 47% from 46.9 million in 2007 to 24.8 million in 2018, while the annual bill footed by the industry has shrunk 43% to $2.4 billion, down from $4.22 billion in 2007.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, annual, area, arrival, Aviation News, aviation-website, bag, baggage, bags, big, bill, billion, Breaking Travel News, chances, check, check-in, chief, come, continue, continued, continued growth, Corporate News, cut, Data, decade, delivery, Dhabi, Dhabi Airports, director, down, driving, drop, Drummond, ensuring, event, experience, far, first, Forward, free, globally, GO!, Growth, high, improve, improvement, improvements, in, increasing, Industry, Insights, International, International Airport, International Travel News, introduce, introduced, introduction, IT, journey, keep, key, LATEST, launched, LED, looking, Main, Make, management, MICE Industry News, million, most, needs, News articles, number, numbers, officer, officially, on arrival, only, operations, over, passenger, passenger numbers, passengers, past, pinch, Plateau, points, provides, rate, reason, record, reduce, remains, report, research, results, s, said, seamless, shows, significant, significant improvements, SITA, started, steady, success, Technology, things, thousand, to, today, total, tourism, tracking, transfer, transfers, Transportation News, Travel Technology News, travelers, Travelwire News, UAE travel news, way, We, were, World News, year, years

African Tourism Board President St.Ange: African Tourism is together here

April 23, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The new president of the African Tourism Board is not a newcomer in the African travel and tourism industry. Alain St. Ange was the minister of Tourism for Seychelles and prior to that the head of the Seychelles Tourism Board.
He had made a name for all of Africa when he started the Victoria Carnival for Africa and the world.
Commenting on his new position he stated: “When I took up the position of President of the African Tourism Board, this brought the world of African Tourism together as I received calls from so many tourism ministers and heads of tourism-related bodies from across Africa, and it clearly showed the importance of tourism for the continent.
Even the Seychelles President, Mr. Danny Faure, sent words of congratulations after I assumed my role as President of the African Tourism Board, as did the island’s former President Mr. James Michel.
For Seychelles, the importance of tourism as the industry respected as the pillar of the economy, is known and accepted.
But Seychelles is no different to the rest of Africa because a buoyant tourism industry can only help consolidate the economies of so many countries on the continent.
We are now planning the next meeting where together we can look at the challenges we are facing and share success stories and learnings.
The newly-appointed CEO of the African Tourism Board, Doris Woerfel, who is based in Pretoria, South Africa, sees huge potential for Africa from China and is already concentrating to build a broad membership base in Africa for ATB.
She is now moving to contact industry players across Africa to plan the next meeting which will probably be held in August of this year.
The press from across Africa will be invited to attend because success for the African Tourism Board is so dependent on them.”
He concluded in saying: May I urge everyone in the public and private sector to rally behind African Tourism Board to make Africa one Tourist Destination and join.

More information on the African Tourism Board and to join visit www.africantourismboard.com 

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, appointed, ATB, attend, August, base, based, board, bodies, Breaking Travel News, build, Carnival, CEO, challenges, China, concluded, consolidate, contact, continent, countries, Danny Faure, Destination, different, economies, Economy, even, Feature, For immediate Release, former president, head, Heads, held, help, importance, in, Industry, information, invited, island, IT, James Michel, join, known, Make, May, meeting, membership, Michel, minister, Minister of Tourism, ministers, moving, Mr, name, New, new president, newly, News articles, only, People in Travel, plan, planning, players, position, potential, president, Press, Pretoria, private, private sector, public, rally, received, related, role, s, saying, sector, Seychelles, Seychelles President, Seychelles tourism, Seychelles Tourism Board, Seychelles travel news, Share, South, South Africa, St, st.ange, started, stated, stories, success, The Island, The Minister, The Seychelles, The World, to, tourism, tourism board, Tourism Industry, tourism ministers, tourist, tourist destination, Travel, travel and tourism, travel and tourism industry, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, up, urge, Victoria, visit, We, WHO, World, year

Air Seychelles gets ready for delivery of their first Airbus A320NEO

April 22, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Air Seychelles has over the past few months started to implement its training calendar in preparation for the delivery of the A320neo set for July 2019.

Last week, key staff members from the Technical Operations and Project Management including the Flight Operations team, as well as representatives from the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority, attended the A320neo general familiarization training held in-house at the Air Seychelles head office in Pointe Larue.

The training held over four days, delivered by Mr. Michael Mahn, an experienced engineer from Airbus, provided the participants a general overview of the airframe that is the whole mechanical structure of the new aircraft. Currently another batch of staff members from similar areas within the business are also taking part in the training which commenced on Monday, April 15, and lasted until Thursday, April 18, 2019.

During the month of February, the Airbus Hamburg Training Centre welcomed the first group of Air Seychelles aircraft engineers as part of its comprehensive A320neo training program. The agenda composed of both theory and on-the-job experience provided the technical operations team further knowledge on how to conduct maintenance on the A320neo besides having the chance to view the Airbus assembly line.

Held from Monday, February 18, until Wednesday, February 27, the sessions in Hamburg were attended by engineers Clyne De -Letourdis, David Saminaden, and Denys Assan.

In addition to that, as of Tuesday, February 5, until Thursday, February 7, Manager of Cabin Safety Standards, Magdalena Hubert, and Manager for Cabin Safety Training Programs, Dereck Charlette, also had the chance to participate in the Airbus A320neo safety training held at the Airbus Training Centre Europe in Toulouse.

The training will proceed over the next upcoming months as part of the entry into service program of the new Air Seychelles A320neo aircraft.

The Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority in the meantime is progressing the type approval of this new aircraft which had not been registered in the Seychelles before and, therefore, requires additional regulatory approvals and licensing measures.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, approval, approvals, April, areas, assembly, assembly line, authority, aviation, Aviation Authority, Aviation News, aviation-website, Breaking Travel News, Business, cabin, calendar, Centre, Chance, civil aviation, civil aviation authority, currently, Days, delivered, delivery, engineers, entry, Europe, experience, experienced, first, first group, flight, flight operations, general, Group, Hamburg, head, held, house, in, including, job, key, knowledge, last, licensing, line, maintenance, management, manager, measures, members, month, months, Mr, New, new aircraft, News articles, office, operations, over, participants, participate, past, program, programs, project, ready, regulatory, Safety, safety standards, service, sessions, Set, Seychelles, Seychelles civil aviation, Seychelles civil aviation authority, Seychelles travel news, staff, standards, started, structure, taking, team, Technical, The Seychelles, theory, to, Toulouse, training, training program, Transportation News, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, Type, view, week, welcomed, were

Thomas Cook selling its travel business: Chinese investment fund interested

April 22, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Thomas Cook is the world’s oldest tour operator and was founded in Market Harborough in 1841 by businessman Thomas Cook. It started off with organized railway outings for members of the local temperance movement.

The travel company received approaches for parts of its business and the company as a whole, according to reports. The business put its airline up for sale in February and it said last month it would close 21 stores across the country and cut more than 300 jobs.

Chinese investment firm Fosun International could be a bidder for the company’s tour operating business, which runs a joint venture with Thomas Cook in China. It could be months before any formal offer is lodged, and there is no guarantee one will be made.

Thomas Cook now has annual sales of £9bn, 19 million customers a year and 22,000 staff operating in 16 countries.

In September, Thomas Cook said profits would be hit after the summer heat wave saw many take their holidays in the UK. It issued a second profit warning in November, when it said winter bookings were also down.

The shop closures will take the number of Thomas Cook outlets down to 566. It said a consultation with staff and unions had begun.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, annual, bidder, bookings, Breaking Travel News, Business, businessman, China, China Travel News, Chinese, close, closures, company, Cook, countries, country, customers, cut, down, firm, fund, guarantee, Heat, heat wave, hit, holidays, in, In February, interested, International, Investment, issued, IT, Jobs, joint, joint venture, last, local, Market, members, million, million customers, month, months, movement, News articles, November, number, offer, Operating, operator, Outlets, profit, profit warning, profits, railway, received, reports, s, said, sale, Sales, second, selling, September, Shop, staff, started, stores, summer, The World, Thomas, Thomas Cook, to, tour, tour operator, tourism, Tourism Investment News, Travel, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, travel business, travel company, Travelwire News, UK, unions, up, venture, warning, wave, were, winter, World, year

Drink like a New Yorker

April 20, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

If you live in New York, work in New York or are doing business in New York – there is only one appropriate drink to order…New York State wines.

New York State of Wine

The New York grape, grape juice and wine industries generate more than $4.8 billion in economic benefits annually for New York State. There are 1,631 family vineyards, over 400 wineries, producing 175,000,000 bottles of wine, generating $408 million in state and local taxes (www.newyorkwines.org). New York’s wineries also contribute to New York State’s exports and in 2012, 19.8% of the wine produced in the state was exported.

Wineries and satellite operations attracted more than 5.9 million tourist visits in 2012, spending $401+ million. The tourism industry (including wineries, hotels, restaurants, retailing, transportation) contributes over 6400 jobs to the state, for a total of $213+ million in wages. The tourist is particularly important to the farm wineries, with sales direct to consumers representing approximately 60 percent of total wine sales volume.

The winery industry directly employs approximately 62,450 people and generates an additional 14,359 jobs in supplier and ancillary industries which supply goods and services to the industry and whose sales depend on the wine industry’s economic vitality.

In excess of 101,806 jobs can be linked to the wine industry and these positions average $51,100 in annual wages and benefits. The total wages generated by direct, indirect and induced economic activity driven by the wine industry – $5.2 billon.

New York State Wines and Wineries (Curated)

At a recent Rockefeller Center/ Rainbow Room wine event sponsored by the Wine & Grape Foundation, Sam Filler, the Executive Director of the organization stated, “New York is home to the first bonded winery in the United States, making our state one of the oldest wine regions in the country.” The objective of the NY Drinks NY Grand Tasting, “…is to showcase the diversity, artistry and accessibility of New York’s wine and food landscape.”

The 8th Annual NY Drinks NY Grand Tasting offered access to over 200 wines from approximately 50 wineries across the state.

  1. Keuka Lake Vineyard. 2017. Turkey Run. Vignoles (Finger Lakes)

Located on the slopes above the southern end of Keuka Lake this winery showcases young vinifera and old hybrid plantings that range from 3-years (representing Cabernet Franc and Vignoles), to vines over 50-years of age (representing Leon Millot and Delaware vines).

Thanks to the Finger Lakes, the vineyard produces excellent fruit. The heat of the summer is retained by the lakes and moderates the extreme cold temperatures of the vineyards in winter. As spring approaches, the frigid waters moderate the warming air temperatures and act as a delay for bud break and lower the risk of frost damage.

The terroir is a glacial mix of glacially laid rocks, sand, silt and clay that has been deposited on the lower slopes above Keuka Lake providing for water drainage that is essential for vine balance and health.

Staci Nugent

The owner is Mel Goldman and the winemaker is Staci Nugent. Nugent attended Cornell and did graduate work in California in genetics. Making a career switch, she enrolled in the wine program at the University of California at Davis, receiving a Master’s degree in Viticulture and Enology. Nugent has worked with highly regarded wineries that include Ornellaia, Italy; Hardy’s Tintara Winery, South Australia; and William Selyem, Sonoma, California. Before joining Keuka Lake Vineyards (2008), she was a winemaker at Lamoreux Landing Wine Cellars.

Sustainable farming practices brings the Vignoles to our attention. The grape is made by crossing Seible and Pinot de Corton, is associated with the Finger Lakes and grows well in the gravel soils (glacial till).

Notes: Keuka Lake Vineyards. 2017 Turkey Run Vignoles

Light bright blonde to the eye, the nose is rewarded with lemons, honey, green grapes and sweet oranges, (lemons and oranges) while the palate enjoys citrus and other fruits with the sweetness tempered by a light acidity. Pair with seafood curry, Buffalo chicken wings, pepper and Swiss cheese.

  1. Red Newt Cellars. 2006. Legacy. Niagara Cream Sherry (Hector, New York)

Located on the east side of Seneca Lake (Hector, NY) in the Finger Lakes region, the winery started in 1998 by David and Debra Whiting and the 1998 vintage produced 1200 cases of Chardonnay, Riesling, Vida, Cayuga, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The first white wines were released in July 1999.

Whiting is considered to be one of the top winemakers in the Finger Lakes Region. Current production of Red Newt Cellars is apprximately 20,000 cases with a white wine focus on aromatic varities: Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. CIRCLE Rielsing is the most popular and widely distributed wine, made in a classic Finger Lakes style, with hints on tangerine and honeysuckle, citrus and peach on the palate.

Kelby Russell

Kelby Russell is the head winemaker at Red Newt and considered an expert in the art of cold-climate white wines. Thanks to the variable climate of the East Coast, he recognizes that the search for the “perfect wine” is a “false idol, “ finding that the role of the winemaker is to, “…artfully direct what comes into the winery into the best thing and the  most honest expression of the year that you possible can.”

At Harvard (Class of 2009) Russell majored in government and minored in economics, was a member of the Glee Club and thought his career would follow a path that would lead to orchestra management. During a study abroad experience in Tuscany he discovered the art and science of making wine.

After graduation, when a job with Jazz at Lincoln Center did not materialize, he visited Fox Run Vineyards and thought he had an interview. The staff was busy with the harvest so he was handed a shovel and offered the opportunity to help on the “crush pad.” This was the begnning of his unpaid internships and he got to spend winters in New Zealand and Australia and autumns in the Finger Lakes as an intern.

His first salaried position in 2012 was with Red Newt as an assistant winemaker. David Whiting, the co-founder and winemaker, promoted Russell to head winemaker and the rest is history. He currently directs the Red Newt house styles and reserves and develops his own Kelby James Russell label with a focus on small-batch wines, from dry rose to Australian-style dry Riesling.

Notes: Red Newt Cellars. 2006 Legacy. Niagara Cream Sherry (Niagara grapes)

The Niagara grape develops into a long-aged solera sherry, creating a complex palate experience.

Bright golden yellow to the eye (think daffodils) with the nose picking up hints of honey, raisins, oranges, apricots, yellow apples, and spices. The finish to absolutely delicious, delivering honey, lemons and spices. Perfect as a dessert course or pair with Blue cheese and pate.

  1. Damiani Wine Cellars (DWC)

DWC was started by Lou Damiani, a Cornell engineer specializing in energy conservation, and Phil Davis. Damiani had an interest in winemaking and his education started in the field of food science before switching to engineering. In the 1990s he returned to study winemaking and mentored under Phil Hazlitt.

In 1996 Damiani wanted to plant Cabernet Franc and Merlot and visited an old friend and college friend, Phil Davis, who was also a viticulturist. They started the project and in 1997 Hazlitt pulled out a hybrid vineyard and planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot. When their vineyards started producing in 2003 the next step was to make world class red wines.

Damiani was the head winemaker from 2003 – 2011 and he trained Phil Arras to continue and improve the DWC tradition. In 2007 Glenn Allen joined as a Business Consultant and later became a partner in the enterprise. Today DWC has four main vineyard sites with approximately 40 acres of land under vine and a new tasting room that hosts events and is the retail outlet.

Phil Arras, originally from Philadelphia, moved to the Finger Lakes in 2003 to attend Cornell University and majored in philosophy and political science. Inspired by a class on wine appreciation, Arrras changed his career focus to winemaking. He was hired by Damiani Wine Cellars in 2009 as the assistant winemaker and began “on the job” training. In 2012, Arras became head winemaker.

Notes: Damiani Wine Cellars. NV Marechal Foch “Vino Rosso” Finger Lakes. (Varietal may be a cross between Goldriesling and a Vitis riparia/Vitis rupestris or a cross between Gamay Noir and Vitis riparia – Oberlin 595).

Deep ruby color to the eye, an undertone of tomatoes runs alongside notes of plums and apricots and the tannins are so soft as to be obscure. Pairings might include pasta, barbeque and smoked gouda cheese.

  1. Thirsty Owl Wine Company. 2017. Traminette

Ted Cupp purchased 150 acres of frontage on Cayuga Lake from Robert and Mary Plan, trailblazers who started the Cayuga Wine Trail in 2001. During 2001 and 2002 he began construction on the winemaking facility and tasting room for the Thirsty Owl. In 2002, in cooperation with Shawn Kime, he planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Malbec. When the doors to the winery opened in 2002, Thirsty Owl had produced 1200 cases.

Jon Cupp, President

Today, the Thirsty Owl is synonymous with award winning wines, including the Governor’s Cup and the John Rose award for Rieslings. The Pinot Noir had the highest rated North American Pinot at the Taster’s Guild International Competition. Thirsty Owl produces Malbec and Syrah as well as blends, reds, whites and ice wine.

Shawn Kime

The winemaker and vineyard master, Shawn Kime, is originally from Romulus, New York and attended Morrisville College and Cornell University. Kime started to work in agriculture at the age of 14 and started winemaking after spending 2 years working with one of the earliest Finger Lake Vinifera growers.

The goal of the Thirsty Owl is to “…make changes in the vineyard and winemaking based on the year to produce wines that not only reflect our region but the growing season…. As a Finger Lakes native, I am proud of the fact that we are producing cool climate varietals that are on par with any region in the world.”

Notes: Thirsty Owl Wine Company. 2017 Traminette (cross between Gewurztraminer and Joannes Seyve 23.416).

To the eye, highlights of golden yellow. The nose finds apricots, peaches, pears, honey and fresh lemons as well as florals (especially roses and tulips) and a bit of spice. The palate is entertained with citrus and lemons, oranges and a bit of earth. The finish brings light acidity making it an interesting dessert wine.

Pair with spicy/sweet and sour sauces on chicken, pork and veal and Cheddar, Fontina and Gruyere cheese.

  1. Benmarl Winery. 2015 Baco Noir. Hudson River Valley

Benmarl (slate hill) Winery is located in Marlboro, NY and covers 37-acres and is considered to be the oldest vineyard in America (it holds New York Farm Winery license no.1). It was owned by magazine illustrator turned vintner Mark Miller from 1957 -2003. In 2006 Victor Spaccarelli purchased the vineyard and Matthew Spaccarelli is currently the winemaker

In the 17th century, wine was being made by the French Huguenots in New Paltz, New York. Andrew Jackson Caywood started his vineyard in the early 1800s. The community was incorporated as the Village of Marlborough, a cluster of grapes carved in its seal commemorated its major crop (1788).

Caywood became an important viticulturist and leading authority in the development of new grape varieties. The Miller family bought the Caywood property in 1957 and renamed it Benmarl. It was purchased in 2006 by the Spaccarelli family. They replanted many abandoned vineyards, refurbished the estate and carry on the tradition of experimentation, planting new hybrid varieties like Traminette as well as Old World vinifera.

Notes: Benmarl Winery. 2015 Baco Noir. Hudson River Valley

The Baco Noir, made from estate-grown fruit, brings dark plum hues to the eye, and delivers the aromas of dark plums, cedar and sage to the nose. On the palate are flavors of blackberry with hints of spice.  Tannins give it a structure that is delicious and the finish delivers spice and black berry fruits. Benmarl has been producing Baco Noir for 50 years.  Pair with pork roast, pasta with meat sauce, beef burgers with blue cheese.

The NY Drinks NY Event

The elegant Rainbow Room @ Rockefeller Center was the venue for the New York Drinks New York event. As an important wine trade events, many hundreds of wine buyers, sellers, sommeliers, wine educators, and writers convened to experience a wine-range of quality wines produced in New York State.

Wines of Distinction included:

Brotherhood Winery

Brotherhood Winery is the oldest continuously operating winery in America, producing wine for 180 years in Hudson Valley. It features one of the most modern bottling facilties for wine on the East coast, with a capacity of 1.5 million cases er year. A wine current featured focuses on low calories (approximately 90 calories per glass).

Glenora Wine Cellars

Glenora Wine Cellars produces award-winning Finger Lakes wines for over 40 years with a focus on sparkling wine and Riesling, sourcing grapes from 13 growers across four of the Finger Lakes. Glenora opened the first winery on Seneca Lake (1977).

Saltbird Cellars

Robin McCarthy is the owner and winemaker at Saltbird Cellars that started in 2014 and, based on the unique maritime terroir, developed Stainless Steel Sauvignon Blanc, Migratus Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc and Stainless-Steel Chardonnay.

Hosmer Winery

Hosmer Winery is located on Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes. Grapevine plantings date back to the 1970s and early experiments with plantings of classic Vinifera started in 1985. The 70-acre estate includes Rieslings, Chardonnays, Cabernet Francs as well as French-American hybrid varieties.

For additional information: @NYWineGrapeFdn and NYWineGrapeFdn

© Dr. Elinor Garely. This copyright article, including photos, may not be reproduced without written permission from the author.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: American Travel News, amp, ancillary, and, annual, appreciation, art, Assistant, attend, Australia, Australian, author, authority, average, award, award-winning, balance, based, benefits, best, billion, Bit, black, BlackBerry, break up, Breaking Travel News, Business, busy, buyers, California, capacity, caption, Career, carry-on, center, Century, changed, changes, cheese, chicken, Circle, class, classic, climate, club, Cluster, co-founder, coast, cold, College, Color, community, company, competition, complex, conservation, construction, consultant, consumers, continue, contributes, cooperation, Cornell, country, course, crossing, crush, current, currently, curry, damage, dark, date, Delaware, delay, Delicious, Dessert, development, direct, directly, director, diversity, doing, Dr, drink, drinks, Drinks NY, early, Earth, East, east coast, economic, economics, Education, elegant, end, energy, energy conservation, Engineering, enterprise, ER, essential, estate, event, Events, Excellent, excess, executive, Executive Director, experience, expert, exports, extreme, facility, false, Family, farming, Feature, Features,, finding, first, follow, food, Food Travel News, foundation, founder, FOX, French, Fresh, Friend, fruit, glass, Glee, goal, golden, goods, Got, government, Governor, graduate, graduation, Grand, grapes, green, Growing, Harvard, harvest, head, HEALTH, Heat, help, highest, highlights, history, home, hosts, Hotels, house, Hudson, Hudson River, ice, ID, important, improve, in, included, includes, including, indirect, Industries, Industry, information, inspired, interest, International, Interview, IT, Italy, Jazz, job, Jobs, John, joined, joining, Land, landing, landscape, later, lead, leading, legacy, license, light, like, linked, live, local, located, low, lower, magazine, Main, major, Make, malbec, management, maritime, Master, materialize, May, meat, member, million, modern, most, most popular, moved, New, new york, New York State, New Zealand, News articles, Niagara, North, North American, notes, NY, NY Drinks, only, opened, Operating, operations, opportunity, order, organization, out, over, owner, PAR, particularly, partner, path, People, percent, permission, Phil, Philadelphia, philosophy, photos, plan, plant, planted, political, popular, position, positions, practices, president, production, program, project, promoted, property, proud, pulled, purchased, quality, range, rated, receiving, recent, recognizes, Red, refurbished, region, regions, released, renamed, representing, reserves, restaurants, retail, Risk, river, Robert, rockefeller, rocks, role, Romulus, room, rose, s, Sales, sand, satellite, science, seafood, search, season, services, Sherry, showcase, sites, slopes, small, South, South Australia, Southern, sparkling, spending, Spice, spring, staff, started, State, stated, states, structure, study, Style, summer, supplier, supply, sustainable, Sweet, SWISS, switch, tasting, taxes, TED, temperatures, the United States, The World, think, to, TO BE, today, tomatoes, top, total, tourism, Tourism Industry, tourist, Trade, tradition, trail, training, Transportation, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, Turkey, Tuscany, unique, United, United States, university, unpaid, up, valley, venue, victor, village, vine, vineyards, vino, visited, visits, wages, warming, water, waters, We, were, white, whites, WHO, wine, Wine News, Wine Trail, Winemakers, winery, wines, Wings, winter, work, worked, working, World, writers, year, years, Yellow, York, young, Zealand

Malta, where Game of Thrones all began, plays host to the 5th Annual Valletta Film Festival

April 17, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Malta, the first location for Season One of  Game of Thrones, plays host to the annual  Valletta Film Festival (VFF), June 14-23, presented by the Film Grain Foundation. This year will mark the Fifth Anniversary of this exciting film lovers’ event. During the ten-day event, Valletta will be transformed into a live cinema with screenings and events taking place in historic buildings and outdoor venues including Pjazza Teatru Rjal and Pjazza San Ġorġ. Over the years, the streets of Valletta hosted various international productions like World War Z, Assassin’s Creed, The Count of Monte Cristo, Game of Thrones and Murder on the Orient Express.

Pjazza Teatru Rjal/Photo courtesy of Film Grain Foundation – Ali Tollervey

The VFF attracts more than 10,000 visitors and is the largest cinematic event in Malta. “What makes Malta a unique setting for a film festival is that the Maltese Islands themselves are world famous for film production,” said Oliver Mallia, Co-Founder and Co-Director with Slavko Vukanovic, both film producers in their own right. “Movie buffs can visit locations used for the sets of such headliners as the Game of Thrones, and blockbuster films including Gladiator and Troy.”

Malta offers Valletta Film Festival goers a transformative experience, witnessing where major blockbusters have been filmed while at the same time watching a number of Europe’s newest films. The festival will screen over forty feature films, twenty-four short films, and organizes many different master classes and workshops.

Pjazza San Ġorġ/Photo courtesy of Film Grain Foundation – Ali Tollervey

VFF 2019 will introduce the first Cinema of Small Nations Competition open to feature-length and short films from small countries in Europe and the Middle East. This competition will put a spotlight on the reality of cinema in small nations, and will highlight the abundance of talent and creativity that is often seen in films produced by filmmakers in these countries.

Michelle Buttigieg, Malta Tourism Authority representative in North America, noted “Film Tourism is trending and very popular with American and Canadian tourists who love to travel for film festivals as well as visit the locations of their favorite movies or TV Series. Malta’s movie sets include the iconic Popeye’s Village which is still one the Islands’ most popular tourist attractions, to the hottest HBO show, Game of Thrones, which started in Malta.”

For the VFF 2019 #VFF5 program visit https://www.vallettafilmfestival.com/

To purchase VFF 2019 passes visit https://www.vallettafilmfestival.com/2019-festival-pass-tickets/

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 sites and was 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.

MTA US Editorial Contact:

The Bradford Group

Karen Hoffman/ Bianca Pappas

Tel: (212) 447-0027

Fax: (212) 725 8253

E-mail: [email protected]

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release, Travel & Tourism Tagged With: and, anniversary, annual, attractions, authority, blockbuster, Breaking Travel News, buildings, Canadian, Canadian tourists, cinema, classes, co-founder, competition, countries, creativity, Cultural Travel News, day, different, director, East, Europe, event, Events, experience, express, famous, favorite, Feature, Festival, festivals, fifth anniversary, film, film festival, film production, films, films including, first, For immediate Release, foundation, founder, free, game, Government Affairs, HBO, headliners, highlight, historic, Hospitality News, host, iconic, in, including, International, International Travel News, introduce, islands, June, largest, like, live, location, locations, love, lovers, major, Malta, Malta The, Malta Tourism, Malta Tourism Authority, Malta travel news, Maltese, Maltese Islands, Master, MICE Industry News, Michelle, Middle, Middle East, Monte Cristo, most, most popular, movie, movies, murder, nations, nbsp, News articles, North, North America, number, offers, Oliver, open, outdoor, over, pass, Passes, Place, popular, presented, production, program, purchase, reality, representative, right, s, said, season, series, sets, setting, short, show, small, started, taking, talent, Thrones, tickets, time, to, tourism, tourism authority, tourist, tourist attractions, tourists, Travel, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, TV, TV series, UNESCO, unique, used, Valletta, venues, VFF, village, visit, visitors, war, WHO, workshops, World, World News, world war, year, years

The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort, Langkawi welcomes team of Epicurean Authorities

April 15, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort, Langkawi announced the appointment of two new leaders who will work in tandem to heighten the dining experiences that The Andaman have to offer. As newly-appointed Epicurean Authorities of The Andaman, Quinn Pu and Stefano Micocci aim to bring global collectors from all walks of life an epicurean journey worth adding on to their collection of memories.

Quinn Pu, a Chinese national, was appointed as the new Director of Food and Beverage. With a plate full of both hotel and resort experiences in Food and Beverage, Quinn will oversee and lead the whole Food and Beverage department within the resort while driving revenue growth and guest satisfaction, maintaining The Andaman’s 6 unique dining venues and bars as one of Langkawi’s leading venues to have an exceptional meal.

With over 15 years of working experience, Quinn had had experiences in the United States, Ireland and various location in his homeland, China before being appointed to open The Ritz-Carlton in Jiuzhaigou, China in 2017, where he was in-charge of leading the pre-opening F&B team in the mountain resort.

The Andaman marks Quinn’s first assignment in Malaysia. “Malaysia is quite popular in China and I am most excited about the food scene. I look forward to see how the unique food culture can inspire me, not just for my work but in life as well,” says Quinn.

Hailing from Italy, Stefano Micocci was recently appointed as the Executive Chef of The Andaman. With 20 years of culinary experience, Stefano started his culinary journey around various regions of Italy before venturing to the Middle East and subsequently to Malaysia.

“Malaysian cuisine is unique. What attracts me is how each dish has a unique blend of different spices with distinctive flavors that explode in your mouth,” say Chef Stefano. “Every dish also has a story behind it and I find that inspiring. With a story, comes characters and emotions – making people feel as they eat, and that is what I look for when I am creating a new recipe.”

“The Andaman has always been a front-runner in innovative dining on the island, setting benchmarks and best practices in both curating memorable experiences as well as sustainability,” says Carlos Tarrero, General Manager of The Andaman. “With these new Epicurean Authorities on board, I am confident that we will be able to push the boundaries even further in being the pioneer on the island.”

The Andaman raised the bar in unique sustainable dining when the resort’s signature seafood restaurant Jala was launched in 2013. With its one-of-a-kind sand-flooring, rustic design and natural ambience, Jala enables guests to take in the beauty of nature whilst enjoying fresh seafood dishes specially curated by culinary maestros in Jala, complemented by exceptional Malaysian hospitality.

To ensure the freshest catches arrives daily on the shores of The Andaman, Jala has also partnered with the local fishermen, thus assisting Langkawi’s small businesses. Every afternoon, guests can look forward to walk down the beach to watch the chefs of Jala in action dealing and negotiating with local fishermen on the purchases of fresh seafood.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, announced, appointed, appointment, arrives, assignment, authorities, B, bar, bars, beach, beauty, Benchmarks, best, best practices, beverage, board, Breaking Travel News, businesses, Carlos, characters, charge, chef, chefs, China, Chinese, collection, Corporate News, cuisine, culinary, culture, daily, department, design, different, dining, director, down, driving, East, eat, epicurean, even, executive, executive chef, experience, experiences, explode, find, first, fishermen, food, Food Travel News, Forward, free, Fresh, full, general, general manager, Global, Growth, guests, hospitality, Hospitality News, hotel, Hotel Travel News, in, innovative, inspiring, International Travel News, Ireland, island, IT, Italy, Jala, Jiuzhaigou, journey, just, Langkawi, Langkawis, launched, lead, leaders, leading, life, local, location, Luxury, Malaysia, Malaysia travel news, Malaysian, manager, marks, meal, memories, Middle, Middle East, most, mountain, national, natural, nature, New, new Director, newly, News articles, offer, on board, open, opening, over, oversee, People, pioneer, popular, practices, Pre, purchases, push, Quinn Pu, raised, recipe, regions, resort, Resort News, resorts, restaurant, Revenue, revenue growth, Ritz, Ritz-Carlton, rustic, s, sand, satisfaction, says, scene, seafood, see, setting, signature, small, small businesses, started, states, story, Sustainability, sustainable, team, The Andaman, The Island, The Ritz, The Ritz-Carlton, the United States, to, tourism, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, unique, United, United States, venues, We, welcomes, WHO, work, working, World News, worth, years

France remains world’s top tourist destination despite ‘Yellow Vests’ nuisance

April 13, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

According to France’s national statistics institute (INSEE), the number of nights foreign tourists spent in the country’s hotels, campsites and youth hostels reached 438.2 million, marking an increase of nine million visitors against the previous year.

Neither torched shops, nor tear gas on the Champs Elysées during the months of Yellow Vest protests could deprive France of remaining the world’s most visited country by tourists, breaking another record in 2018.

The report excludes numbers for home-sharing platforms such as Airbnb.

The impressive growth was seen in a year “marked by large-scale nationwide social movements on two occasions,” including two months of rolling rail strikes between April to June, and the Yellow Vest demonstrations that started in late November against fuel prices, the high cost of living and tax reforms.

Despite political upheaval in the final months, last year delivered a promising outlook for the country’s tourism industry. In December, the Yellow Vests crisis put a dent in tourism with the number of travelers visiting France falling by 1.1 percent. In Paris alone, the protests dragged down the number of visitors by 5.3 percent.

Among the most visited sights are the Paris-based Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Louvre Museum, as well as the Palace of Versailles.

The rise is largely thanks to non-EU tourists. Visits from the US rose by 16 percent, while arrivals from Japan saw an 18 percent increase.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, April, arrivals, based, breaking, Breaking Travel News, cost, country, Crisis, Cultural Travel News, December, delivered, demonstrations, Destination, down, EU, EU tourists, falling, Feature, foreign, foreign tourists, France, France Travel News, free, fuel, fuel prices, Gas, Growth, high, high cost, home, Hospitality News, hostels, Hotels, impressive, in, including, increase, Industry, Institute, International Travel News, japan, June, last, late, Living, Louvre, Louvre Museum, million, million visitors, months, most, most visited, museum, national, Nationwide, News articles, nights, Non, November, nuisance, number, numbers, outlook, Palace, Paris, percent, platforms, political, prices, promising outlook, protests, rail, record, reforms, remaining, remains, report, rise, rose, s, scale, sharing, shops, social, started, statistics, strikes, tax, The Palace, The World, to, top, tourism, Tourism Industry, tourist, tourist destination, tourists, Travel Destination News, travelers, Travelwire News, US, Versailles, visited, visiting, visitors, visits, World, World News, year, Yellow, Yellow Vests, youth

Four Seasons Hotel Madrid welcomes new General Manager

April 12, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

In advance of the highly anticipated opening of the first Four Seasons hotel in Spain, Christoph Schmidinger has been appointed opening General Manager to oversee the new luxury hotel set to open in late 2019. Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Madrid will be located in the heart of the historical city center, converting several spectacular heritage buildings into a 200-room hotel and 22 Private Residences.

Schmidinger started his Four Seasons career 25 years ago, and after a series of international assignments in Singapore, Chicago, Atlanta, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, he assumed leadership at the landmark Four Seasons Hotel New York in Midtown Manhattan, overseeing several other properties as Regional Vice President. His ascent in the company continued when he was appointed General Manager and Regional Vice President to the company’s flagship property in Asia, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, where he has been since 2014.

Under his leadership, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, home to the first Cantonese restaurant in the world to earn three Michelin stars, set the global record for the most Michelin stars at a single hotel. The Hotel has also been widely regarded as one of the finest luxury hotels in China, and around the globe.

“Christoph is an incredibly experienced and talented hotelier, and we are very lucky to have had him lead some of our most notable properties around the world,” said Simon Casson, President, Hotel Operations, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “His experience and expertise are what make him the perfect candidate for our new hotel in Madrid, a project that is incredibly important to Four Seasons growth as it will mark our entry into Spain in a thriving international city, and a key destination for luxury travelers.”

“I am very proud to be part of such a significant milestone in our company’s history, and to lead the team as we introduce the Four Seasons brand to Spain with this exquisite hotel,” said Schmidinger. “This project is exceptional in every way, from its location to the destination, the product and our partners at OHL Desarrollos and Mohari Hospitality, and I cannot wait to welcome guests to see for themselves and to experience this great city in a new way together with Four Seasons.”

Truly an international individual, Schmidinger has travelled extensively, starting at a young age with his family, and speaks four languages. Combining his love for travel and hospitality, he studied at the Certificate of Hotel and Tourism Administration Academy in Salzburg, Austria before holding managerial positions at renowned hotels around the world, and then joining Four Seasons.

Casson continues, “Christoph is already hard at work preparing for the upcoming opening of Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Madrid, and I have no doubt that he is the ideal leader to introduce the Four Seasons culture, brand, and people to this great city, positioning yet another iconic Four Seasons property for great success.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, appointed, around the globe, around the world, Asia, assignments, Atlanta, Austria, brand, Breaking Travel News, buildings, Career, center, certificate, Chicago, China, city, City Center, company, continued, continues, Corporate News, culture, Destination, doubt, East, entry, Europe, experience, experienced, expertise, Family, first, flagship, Four Seasons, Four Seasons hotel, Four Seasons Hotel New York, Four Seasons Hotels, general, general manager, Global, Globe, Growth, guests, heart, heritage, historical, history, home, Hong, Hong Kong, hospitality, Hospitality News, hotel, Hotel Madrid, Hotel Travel News, hotelier, Hotels, hotels and resorts, iconic, important, in, individual, International, International Travel News, introduce, IT, Jakarta, joining, key, Kong, Kuala Lumpur, landmark, languages, late, lead, leader, leadership, location, love, Lumpur, Luxury, luxury hotel, luxury hotels, Luxury Travel News, luxury travelers, Madrid, Make, manager, managerial, Manhattan, Michelin, Middle, Middle East, milestone, most, New, new General Manager, new hotel, new luxury, new way, new york, News articles, open, opening, operations, oversee, partners, People, People in Travel, positions, president, private, product, project, properties, property, proud, record, regional, residences, Resort News, resorts, restaurant, room, s, said, Salzburg, Seasons, Seasons Hotel, see, series, Set, significant, Singapore, single, Spain, Spain travel news, spectacular, Stars, started, success, team, the four seasons, The World, to, TO BE, tourism, Travel, Travel Destination News, travelers, travelled, Travelwire News, vice, vice president, wait, way, We, welcome, welcomes, work, World, World News, years, York, young

African Tourism Board Launch was a success: A new era just started for African Travel & Tourism

April 12, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The two arms of the African Tourism Board had their official launch event yesterday at the Cape Town International Convention Center Conference Theatre during World Tavel Market Africa.

The African Tourism Board Association and the African Tourism Board Marketing Association are joining under the brand African Tourism Board and are now seen as a new Chapter on how Africa becomes one tourism destination. Both arms have access to the “ATB friends of the media group”, and are coordinating activities and events whenever possible.

The Association is fully under African Leadership. It’s based in South Africa, and is forming an initial group of directors to work with newly appointed President Alain St. Ange from Seychelles.

On his team of supporters are Cuthbert Ncube, Regional Vice-Chair UNWTO Affiliate Membership and Chief Executive Director Kwela Fleet Management. The Hon. Minister or Tourism for the Kingdom of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, Kwakye Donker, CEO African Tourism Partners in Ghana and South Africa, Francoise Kameni Lele, AFBS Cameron, the Hon. Minister Madam Memunatu B. Pratt, the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs for Sierra Leone, among many others.

African Tourism Board Marketing Association is based in the United States and is providing overseas marketing support for Africa under the leadership of Juergen Steinmetz of the eTN Group in Hawaii, USA and Doris Woerfel in Pretoria, South Africa. Together with a team of global supporters, the marketing arm of ATB will explore new opportunities and cost-sharing projects for inbound tourism for the African Continent.

As a start at the ATB launch last night Dov Kalmann explained the potential of travelers from Israel for Africa and introduced the new African Tourism Board office in Tel Aviv.

Arjun Mukund from Delhi, India said 1.2 billion Indians are current and future potential travelers and he wanted to make sure the African Tourism Board in India will help to achieve growing interest for Indian tourists.

Additional ATB offices are planned in the United States and Germany to start with.

Chairman Juergen Steinmetz explained: “Sharing resources, going after potential niche markets, sharing costs and giving both destinations and stakeholders representation in key markets will help to raise awareness for the African continent. We like to open a window for large, medium and small businesses in a sustainable way.”

Newly appointed CEO Doris Woerfel sees huge potential for Africa from China and will be concentrating to build a broad membership base in Africa for ATB.

The launch was an action-packed event in Capetown hosted by Carol Weaving, Managing Director of Reed Exhibition Africa. She pledged the support of the World Travel Market for African Tourism Board.

Cape Town Tourism CEO Enver Duminy supported the need for an African Tourism Board in his welcome remark.

The highlight of the event was a 30-minute presentation by Dr. Peter Tarlow on security and safety. There is no tourism without security, he said in an engaging session last night. Dr. Tarlow was appointed as the new Travel & Security advisor for African Tourism Board Marketing Association. He is leading safertourism.com

The launch started with a dinner sponsored by Tony Smith of the HongKong based iFREE Group . The group also provided free ATB sim cards to everyone attending.

Professor Geoffrey Lipman introduced the African Lung initiative by video.

More information on African Tourism Board please visit www.africantourismboard.com 

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: amp, and, appointed, arms, association, ATB, ATB launch, Aviv, Awareness, B, base, based, billion, board, brand, Breaking Travel News, build, businesses, Cape, Cape Town, Cape Town International Convention Center Conference Theatre, Cape Town Tourism, cape town tourism ceo, Capetown, cards, center, CEO, CEO African, chair, Chairman, Chapter, chief, chief executive, China, conference, continent, convention, Convention Center, Corporate News, cost, costs, cultural, current, Delhi, Destination, Destinations, Dinner, director, directors, Dr, Dr. Peter Tarlow, Eswatini, eTN, event, Events, executive, Executive Director, exhibition, explained, explore, Feature, fleet, For immediate Release, free, friends, future, Geoffrey Lipman, Germany, Ghana, giving, Global, Government Affairs, Group, Growing, Hawaii, help, highlight, Hon, Hongkong, in, inbound, inbound tourism, India, Indian, Indian tourists, Indians, information, initiative, interest, International, introduced, Israel, IT, joining, Juergen, just, key, key markets, Kingdom, last, launch, launch started, leadership, leading, LGBTQ, like, Lipman, Make, management, Managing, managing director, Market, Marketing, markets, media, media group, Medium, membership, minister, Minister of Tourism, need, New, newly, News articles, Niche, night, office, offices, official, open, opportunities, overseas, packed, partners, planned, potential, presentation, president, Pretoria, Professor, projects, raise, regional, representation, resources, s, Safety, said, Security, Seychelles, sharing, Sierra Leone, SIM, small, small businesses, South, South Africa, South Africa travel news, St, stakeholders, start, started, states, Steinmetz, success, support, supported, sustainable, Swaziland, Tarlow, team, Tel, Tel Aviv, The Minister, the United States, The World, theatre, to, tourism, tourism board, tourism CEO, Tourism Destination, tourism partners, tourists, town, Town Tourism, Transportation News, Travel, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, travel market, travelers, Travelwire News, United, United States, UNWTO, USA, vice, video, visit, way, We, welcome, work, World, world travel, World Travel market, yesterday

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Search




Recent Articles

  • New Board of Governance appointed for the Seychelles Tourism Academy
  • Minister Bartlett Laments Passing of Former Tourism Minister Francis Tulloch
  • Seychelles takes over Eastern Europe with market blitz
  • VOYAGERS TRAVEL COMPANY CREATES A PRICE ESTIMATOR TOOL FOR GALAPAGOS TRAVEL
  • Jamaica welcomes new charter service from Fort Lauderdale to Ocho Rios by Qcas Aero
  • Bartlett Calls for COVID-19 Recovery Strategy for Commonwealth Countries
  • Fraport Builds New Airfreight Warehouse at CargoCity South 
  • Joseph Calleja, World Famous Maltese Tenor, to Perform at the 25th Anniversary Concert in Malta, the Hidden Gem of the Mediterranean, With Special Guest Plácido Domingo July 26, 2022
  • Bahamas Tourist Office Kicks Off Summer Boating Flings
  • Seychelles scraps outdoor mask policy

Copyright © 2022 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in