• 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

Arab Hotel Investment Conference is back: Why it’s so amazing

April 11, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Last year, the move of the 14th Arab Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) from Dubai Jumeirah Madinat to the neighboring Emirate Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) was a huge challenge.

Ras Al Khaimah is where? It is one-hour drive from Dubai Airport.

Arriving at midnight at Dubai Airport, and driving  on a sheer endless straight highway through the desert, it certainly was an entirely new experience: no skyscrapers, no traffic jams, nothing but a totally  empty highwa  which is normally clogged up during the day, with only some camels walking along enroute during the night.

After the one-hour drive, all of a sudden there was a wake-up call as lights of a monumental building like a Fata Mogana (mirage) emerged from the horizon. Getting closer, it was not a Fat Mogana but the newly-opened Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Photo © Elisabeth Lang

As the function rooms at the Waldorf Astoria hotel were not big enough to host the AHIC event with  nearly 2,000 delegates, a gigantic fully-airconditioned tent was built just for this event and only for the 3 days of the conference.

We are talking about a cost of nearly 2 million dollars set in the sand for a humongous fully-equipped tent with the latest technologies – Wi Fi, a TV broadcasting studio, and a revolving stage. Just amazing!

BBC Hard Talk presenter Stephan Sackur, who had just arrived from ice-cold Moscow, was interviewing Russia’s Foreign Secretary, Sergej Lavrov, and then found himself on the beach on a revolving stage the next day with a colorful audience and an outside temperature of 45 Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).

Photo © Elisabeth Lang

A red carpet was rolled out for the rulers and dignitaries of Ras Al Khaimah and the entire region with people rushing towards the AHIC village on the beach.

Ras Al Khaimah is the most authentic and UAE’s second-smallest emirate and is quietly boosting its tourism, free zones, and real estate.

Despite being the second smallest emirate in the UAE with a population of just 400,000, strong real estate and hospitality sectors, as well as corporate giants such as RAK Ceramics and Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar) have helped RAK avoid the oil-related economic crisis of its neighbors.

During AHIC 2019’s opening, the Ras Al Khaimah ruler launched a contest to create a “unique” resort.

The ruler, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi of Ras Al Khaimah, launched the Grand RAK Project competition which is open to delegates registered at the event.

Photo © Elisabeth Lang

Sheikh Saud said: “We support projects and concepts that spark creativity and place Ras Al Khaimah at the forefront of the tourism sector which aims to create a new resort that is unique to the emirate.

“Sustained growth is already the hallmark of Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism industry, and we seek to ensure this continues by utilizing our strategic tourism plan to reach well-defined targets.”

Working in teams combining hotel designers and operators, entrants will have 3 months to prepare a preliminary concept vision supported by a high-level feasibility appraisal.

The winning project will be allocated a coveted beachfront location.

Photo © Elisabeth Lang

The judging panel for the Grand RAK Project includes Abdullah Al Abdooli, Managing Director and CEO, Marjan; David Daniels, Director of Architecture, SSH; Filippo Sona, Managing Director, Global Hospitality, Drees & Sommer; and Kevin Underwood, Principal, HKS Hospitality Group.

While the UAE remains RAK’s strongest market, representing about 40 percent of total visitors, Europe is gaining ground. The number of German tourists to RAK grew by 53 percent last year, followed by 28.5 percent growth from the UK, 25 percent from India, and 4 percent from Russia.

The Government of Ras Al Khaimah has an established history in the tourism sector commencing with the opening of the first internationally-branded hotel back in 2001 and is galloping forward on a large scale.

Photo © Elisabeth Lang

With the launch of the first Arabian Hotel Investment Conference last year, the spotlight shone on Ras Al Khaimah. The program, featuring more than 100 speakers from around the world, has been curated around this year’s theme with a focus on addressing the current tensions in the owner-operator relationship, uncovering innovative approaches to business, analyzing future market demand trends, and fostering harmonious relationships between all stakeholders in order to sustain growth and prosperity

In his speech, Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of AHIC, said:

“It is evident to me that we are going through transformational change within the Middle East’s hotel investment market. As more supply comes online and the market becomes increasingly competitive, the dynamic of the owner-operator relationship has shifted. As the landscape becomes more competitive it is key that all parties are working together towards the same goals. With this backdrop in mind, together with our advisory board and partners at Insignia, we concluded that evolution in 2019 is not about creating disruptive moves but about finding constructive steps that create an environment of clarity and collaboration. Hence, we came to our 2019 theme, Synchronized for Success.

“Synchronicity not just in relationships but in the alignment of business strategy with what is happening in the broader macro-economic environment as some of the most ambitious projects of our generation are announced and social transformations, technical innovations, and shifting consumer behavior are changing the hotel investment landscape at a staggering pace.”

How can business be synced with these new dynamics?

The visionary industry leader, Stardom Speaker Sebastien Bazin, Chairman & CEO of ACCOR, will address the AHIC community on “What is your compass during times of disruption, innovation, and global turmoil?”

Conference Chair Stephen Sackur will take a break from his day job as host of HARDtalk and head back to the beach as he has been assigned one job at AHIC 2019 – to ask the questions the industry wants addressed the most so that attendees walk away with the insights they need.

Synchronized for success? Three owners and three operators will sit down with Stephen Sackur to discuss how they are “Syncing for Success.” Never in the history of the hotel industry has there been such a rapid build-up of hotel rooms. How does the industry cope and what business models are evolving that will help retain and attract more owners and investors? Stephen Sackur will present these tough questions to the operators.

Who else is there? Among the speakers are:

The Managing Director & CEO of Marjan responsible for creating and designing Ras Al Khaimah’s key freehold master plans including the spectacular Al Marjan Island, a world-class tourism development offering excellent opportunities for investors.

Abdullah Al Abdouli, Head of Investment & Finance, The Red Sea Development Company which is creating an exquisite ultra-luxury destination within a pristine 28,000 km² area that includes an archipelago of more than 50 unspoiled islands, volcanoes, desert, mountains, nature, and culture.

Jay Rosen, Chief Executive Officer, Public Investment Fund, Amaala, and ultra-luxury development that is part of an integrated approach to developing Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast focusing on wellness, healthy living, and meditation. The development will cover an area of more than 3,800 sq. km. and will target more than 2,500 hotel keys.

The Chief Executive Officer of RAK Properties has drawn regional and global interest for launching state-of-the-art luxury hotels, resorts, and malls. With more than $540 million worth of available capital, the company is behind the Anantara Mina Al Arab, Ras Al Khaimah, and the 350-key InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort.

The AHIC 2019 is taking place from April 9-11 at the AHIC Village, Ras Al Khaimah.

This copyright material, including photos, may not be used without written permission from the author and from eTN.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: amp, and, announced, April, Arab, arabia, Arabian, Arabian Hotel Investment Conference, Archipelago, Architecture, area, around the world, arriving, art, attendees, attract, audience, authentic, author, avoid, backdrop, BBC, beach, Beachfront, behavior, big, board, boosting, break up, Breaking Travel News, build, building, built, Business, business models, business strategy, camels, capital, caption, carpet, CEO, chair, Chairman, challenge, change, chief, chief executive, chief executive officer, clarity, class, coast, cold, collaboration, community, company, Compass, competition, competitive, concept, concluded, conference, contest, continues, COPE, corporate, cost, cover-up, create, creativity, Crisis, culture, current, day, Days, delegates, demand, desert, designers, Destination, development, director, Discuss, disruption, dollars, down, drive, driving, Dubai, Dubai airport, East, economic, economic crisis, emirate, empty, environment, estate, eTN, Europe, event, evident, Excellent, executive, experience, featuring, Finance, finding, first, followed, foreign, Forward, found, free, function, fund, future, German, German tourists, getting, Global, global turmoil, government, Grand, Grand RAK, ground, Group, Growth, Gulf, head, healthy, help, high, highway, history, Horizon, hospitality, hospitality group, host, hotel, hotel industry, Hotel Investment Conference, hotel rooms, Hotels, Hour, ice, ID, in, includes, including, India, Industries, Industry, innovation, innovations, innovative, Insights, integrated, InterContinental, interest, internationally, Investment, investors, island, islands, IT, job, Jumeirah, just, key, Keys, Khaimahs, km, landscape, last, LATEST, launch, launched, launching, leader, lights, like, Living, location, Luxury, luxury hotels, Managing, managing director, Market, Market demand, Master, May, meetings.travel, MICE Industry News, Middle, Middle East, million, mind, months, Moscow, most, most authentic, mountains, move, nature, nearly, need, neighboring, neighbors, New, new experience, newly, News articles, night, number, offering, officer, Oil, online, only, open, opened, opening, operator, operators, opportunities, order, out, outside, owner, owners, panel, parties, partners, People, percent, percent growth, permission, photo, photos, Place, plan, plans, population, preliminary, present, Presenter, program, project, projects, properties, prosperity, public, Public Investment, questions, RAK, Ras, Ras Al, Ras Al Khaimah, real, Real Estate, Red, red carpet, Red Sea, Red Sea Development Company, region, regional, related, Relationship, relationships, remains, representing, resort, resorts, responsible, rooms, Russia, s, said, sand, Saudi, Saudi Arabia. (, scale, sea, second, Secretary, sector, sectors, seek, Set, Sheikh, social, speaker, speakers, spectacular, speech, stakeholders, State, Stephen Sackur, strategic, strategy, strong, Studio, success, supply, support, supported, sustain, taking, talk, talking, target, targets, teams, Technical, temperature, tensions, The Spotlight, The World, theme, through, times, to, total, tough, tourism, Tourism Development, Tourism Industry, tourism plan, tourism sector, tourists, traffic, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, Trends, turmoil, TV, UAE, UAE travel news, UK, ultra, unique, up, used, village, vision, visionary, visitors, volcanoes, walking, We, wellness, were, WHO, Why, Wi, working, World, world-class, worth, year

WTTC 19th Global Summit final program: Changemakers including President Obama meet in Seville

March 31, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) will be heading to Seville, Spain this week to attend the  19th Global Summit of WTTC on April 3 and 4. WTTC members are the chief executives, presidents, or chairs of the 100 largest companies from different sectors and regions within the travel and tourism industry. This year non-members are able to attend for a $4,000.00 ticket per delegate.

The event will be centered on the theme of ‘Changemakers’, harnessing the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the world from Seville and the world-changing impact of that achievement.

WTTC aims to inspire delegates with change-making individuals and ideas to craft the future vision of Travel & Tourism. Entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation, diversity, and inclusivity will drive the conversation. Delegates invested heavily to bring one of the “changemakers” to the summit. He is former U.S. President Barack Obama.

This is the final version of the program as it stands today:

DAY 1: Wednesday 3 April

0930 OPENING CEREMONY

Christopher J. Nassetta, Chairman, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) & CEO, Hilton

Hon Pedro Sánchez, President, Spain

Juan Espadas, Mayor, Seville

Juan Manuel Moreno, President, The Regional Government of Andalusia

Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UNWTO

1010 Opening speech: ‘Shaping the Future’

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC

1025 The Future is …

Three leaders will give short presentations followed by rapid-fire Q&A. The leaders will give their perspectives on what’s next in the world of communications, technology, and sustainability and the challenges and opportunities for Travel & Tourism as a leading force for change.

Keynote: José María Álvarez-Pallete, Chairman & CEO, Telefónica S.A.

Keynote: Michael Froman, Vice Chairman and President, Strategic Growth, Mastercard

Keynote: Gary Knell, Chairman, National Geographic Partners

Q&A: Kathleen Matthews, Journalist & Presenter

1115 In the Hotseat

Back to back interviews with industry leaders who will share their vision of the future and what it will take for the Travel & Tourism sector to keep ahead of the curve

Hotseat 1: Mark Okerstrom, President & CEO, Expedia Group

Interviewer: Glenda McNeal, President, Enterprise Strategic Partnerships, American Express Company

Hotseat 2: Keith Barr, CEO, IHG

Interviewer: Tanya Beckett, Journalist & Presenter, BBC

1145 BREAK

1215 PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE: Seamless Traveller Journey

WTTC’s Seamless Traveller Journey initiative aims to revolutionise travel security and facilitation by providing a seamless end-to-end journey which incorporates not only airports and airlines but cruise, hotel, car rental and other elements of the journey. Now in its second phase, the focus of Seamless Traveller Journey is on how the private sector and governments can work together to ensure increased security and less friction go hand in hand.

Scene setter: Kevin McAleenan, Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, US Government

Panelists: Sean Donohue, CEO, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

Richard D Fain, Chairman, and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises

Tadashi Fujita, Executive Vice President, Japan Airlines

Tony Smith, Former Director General, UK Border Agency

John Wagner, Deputy Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, US Government

Manel Villalante, CEO, Renfe Operadora

Moderator: Isabel Hill, Director, National Travel and Tourism Office, US Department of Commerce

1300 The View from Spain

Reyes Maroto, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Spain

1310 In the Hotseat

Back to back interviews with industry leaders who will share their vision of the future and what it will take for the Travel & Tourism sector to keep ahead of the curve

Hotseat 3: Fritz Joussen, CEO, TUI Group

Hotseat 4: Luis Maroto, President & CEO, Amadeus

Interviewer: Tanya Beckett, Journalist & Presenter, BBC

1335 The Speed of Change…

Geoffrey J W Kent, Founder, Chairman & CEO Abercrombie & Kent, in conversation with Formula One racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart.

1400 LUNCH

Special Lunch Session: Innovating the Traveller Experience

The reality of an integrated, frictionless traveler journey is upon us, paving a path to a seamless experience, improved facilitation and security, operational efficiency for travel providers, and the opportunity for elevated and personalized service throughout the journey. Our panelists are leaders in the fields of biometrics, digital identity, security, and travel technology. They will provide their views on the current state of biometrics and digital identity, paths to implementation broadly across the travel journey, and opportunities that this new technology presents to the future of travel and tourism.

Panelists: Diana Robino, Senior Vice President, Global Tourism Partnerships, Mastercard

Virginie Vacca Thrane, Head of Strategic partnerships – Digital Traveller ID, Amadeus

John Wagner, Deputy Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, US Government

Gordon Wilson, President, WorldReach Software

Moderator: Jimmy Samartzis, Senior Principal, Oliver Wyman

1515 A Conversation with President Barack Obama

Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America

A global political leader will give their perspective on the current state of the world and the important role Travel & Tourism plays as one of the world’s largest economic sectors.

Interviewer: Christopher J. Nassetta, Chairman, WTTC & CEO, Hilton

1615 Ahead of the Curve: The Consumers of Tomorrow

This session will look at different spectrums of the new global consumer and how T&T companies can ensure they are preparing for the consumer of tomorrow.

Part 1: How Young China and its Millennials want to see and feel the world

Zak Dychtwald, Founder & CEO, Young China Group

Part 2: The New Boomer Experiential Consumer

Ken Dychtwald, Founder & CEO, Age Wave

Moderator: Matthew Upchurch, CEO, Virtuoso

1710 PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE: Are Cities Future Ready?

Destination Stewardship is a strategic priority for WTTC. Huge tourism growth in cities over recent years has shone the spotlight on the need for good planning and management. WTTC has partnered with Jones Lang Lasalle on new research on cities and their preparedness for future growth. This session will look at the report’s findings and how cities around the world are planning and engaging communities in future growth.

Keynote: Dan Fenton, EVP, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group

Panellists:

H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb, President, Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH)*

H.E. Elena Kountoura, Minister for Tourism, Greece

Steffan Panoho, Head of Tourism. Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development

Enrique Ybarra, CEO, City Sightseeing

Moderator: Mark Wynne Smith, Global CEO, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group

1745 CLOSE

DAY 2: Thursday 4 April

0900 OPENING

0905 PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE: Today’s Traveller: Authenticity, Values and Instagram

This session will explore what iconic landmarks and destinations can and are doing to ensure they connect with the consumers of the future. Today’s traveller has standards for authenticity, wants to do more than just consume, and then wants to Instagram about it. How do destinations adjust to satisfy the market? The discussion will highlight examples of engagement from retail to destination attractions and also cover how sustainability initiatives help tell a compelling story and elevate authenticity in the traveller’s experience.

Keynote: Anthony Malkin, Chairman & CEO, Empire State Realty Trust, Inc

Panellists: Desiree Bollier, Chair, Value Retail

Jean-François Clervoy, ESA Astronaut & CEO Novespace

Jeremy Jauncey, CEO, Beautiful Destinations

Anthony Malkin, Chairman & CEO, Empire State Realty Trust, Inc

Kike Sarasola, President & Founder, Room Mate Hotels & Bemate.com

Moderator: Jacqueline Gifford, Editor in Chief, Travel + Leisure

1000 Africa on the Rise

H.E. Margaret Kenyatta, First Lady of the Republic of Kenya

1015 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards Ceremony

WTTC’s annual Tourism for Tomorrow Awards ceremony will showcase and celebrate the very best in sustainable tourism from around the world.

Fiona Jeffery, Founder & Chairman, Just a Drop and Chair, Tourism for Tomorrow Awards

Jeffrey C. Rutledge, CEO, AIG Travel

1100 BREAK Draft as at: 27 March 2019 (Please note all sessions, times, and speakers may change *=tbc)

1130 Strategic Insight Sessions PART 1

In recent years, the global Travel & Tourism industry has been redefined by changemakers who are constantly evolving and shaping our travel experience. In a special series of Strategic insight sessions, we explore just what these changemakers are doing to shape the industry and what our direction of travel might be in the future.

1) Embracing product diversity and inclusion – making business sense

2) Cyber-threat: you are compromised

3) What does it take to build successful future destinations?

4) The business case for sustainability

Alberto Durán, Executive Vice President, ONCE

Billy Kolber, Founder, HospitableMe

Deepak Ohri, CEO, lebua Hotels & Resorts

Stacy Ritter, CEO, Fort Lauderdale

Moderator:

Prof Graham Miller, Executive Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Surrey

Suzan Kereere, Global Head, Merchant Sales & Acquiring, Visa

Daniel Richards, CEO, Global Rescue

Jeffrey C. Rutledge, CEO, AIG Travel

Earl Anthony Wayne, Public Policy Fellow, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Moderator:

Paul Mee, Partner, Oliver Wyman

Fred Dixon, President & CEO NYC & Company

Aradhana Khowala, Managing Director, Tourism, NEOM

Desiree Maxino, Group Head – Government Policy and ASEAN, Air Asia

Aoife McArdle, Global Head of Business Affairs and Social Impact – Experiences, Airbnb

Eric Resnick, CEO, KSL Capital Partners

Moderator:

Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor, CBS News

Katie Fallon, EVP Global Head of Corporate Affairs, Hilton

Ana Gascón, Director of Corporate Responsibility,

Coca Cola (Spain)

Philippe Gombert, President International, Chairman of The Board, Relais & Châteaux

Simon Heppner, Director, The SRA (Sustainable Restaurant Association)

Geoff Townsend, Industry Fellow, Ecolab

Moderators:

Wendy Purcell and John D. Spengler, Harvard

 

1315 LUNCH

1415 WTTC FOCUS: Climate & Environment Action in Progress

Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, President of Mexico, 2006-2012

1430 WTTC FOCUS: Social Responsibility

This session will feature the latest updates on the WTTC Buenos Aires Declaration & action against the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) followed by the launch of a new human trafficking initiative.

1450 PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE: The Future of Jobs in the Age of Automation

As more and more jobs are at increasing risk of being automated or rendered obsolete by other technological changes in the next twenty years, this session will look at the opportunities and challenges around employment within the sector and wider society.

Keynote: Andrés Oppenheimer, Author & Presenter, CNN

Panellists: Greg O’Hara, Founder &, Managing Partner, Certares

Andrés Oppenheimer, Author & Presenter, The Miami Herald / CNN

Hiromi Tagawa, Chairman of the Board, JTB Corp

Claudia Tapardel, Member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, European Parliament

Joan Vilà, Executive Chairman, Hotelbeds

Moderator: Kathleen Matthews, Journalist & Presenter

1545 Vision of the Future

A special stream of keynotes will outline their vision of the future from high-speed transport to pushing the boundaries of disruption and innovation

Keynote: Dirk Alhborn, CEO, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies

Keynote: Chandran Nair, Founder & CEO, The Global Institute for Tomorrow (GIFT)

Keynote: Matthew Devlin, Head of International Affairs, Uber

1630 Closing Ceremony

1645 End

eTurboNews is a media partner with the Summit and will be represented by Elisabeth Lang, who is based in Munich, Germany.

  • More coverage on WTTC
  • More on WTTC summits

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: amp, ANA, and, anniversary, annual, Anthony Malkin, April, around the world, Arts, ASEAN, Asia, association, astronaut, attend, attractions, Auckland, author, automated, Awards, Barack, Barack Obama, based, BBC, beautiful, best, biometrics, board, border, break up, Breaking Travel News, Buenos Aires, build, Business, c, capital, car, Car Rental, Caribbean, Caribbean cruises, case, CBS, celebrate, center, CEO, ceremony, chair, Chairman, challenges, change, changes, chief, chief executives, China, cities, city, city sightseeing, climate, close, closing, Closing Ceremony, CNN, Coca-Cola, commerce, commission, commissioner, Committee, communications, communities, companies, company, compelling, connect, consumers, corporate, Corporate News, corporate responsibility, council, cover-up, craft, creativity, Cruise,, cruises, current, customs, Customs and Border Protection, Dallas, Daniel, day, declaration, delegates, department, department of commerce, deputy, Destination, Destinations, development, Diana, different, digital, direction, director, director general, discussion, disruption, diversity, Dixon, doing, draft, drive, drop, economic, economic development, editor in chief, efficiency, elements, Empire State, employment, end, engagement, enterprise, entrepreneurship, environment, ESA, eTurboNews, European, European Parliament, event, Events, EVP, executive, Executive Vice President, executives, Expedia, Expedia Group, experience, experiences, explore, express, Feature, findings, Fiona Jeffery, fire, first, First Lady, force, Formula, Formula One, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Worth, founder, future, future of travel, Gary, general, Germany, gift, Global, Global Head, global summit, global tourism, global travel, Gloria Guevara, GO!, good, Gordon, gordon wilson, government, Government Affairs, governments, Greece, Group, Growth, hand, Harvard, head, help, heritage, high, high-speed, highlight, Hilton, Hon, hospitality, hospitality group, hotel, Hotels, hotseat, Human, human trafficking, iconic, ID, ideas, identity, IHG, illegal, impact, implementation, important, improved, in, Inc, including, inclusion, increased, increasing, Industry, industry leaders, initiative, initiatives, innovation, insight, Instagram, Institute, integrated, International, International Airport, interviewer, Interviews, invested, IT, japan, Japan Airlines, Jimmy, JLL, Jobs, John, Jones, journalist, journey, JTB, just, Just A Drop, keep, Keith Barr, Kent, Kenya, Kenyatta, keynote, KSL, lady, landmarks, Lang LaSalle, largest, LATEST, launch, leader, leaders, leading, Leisure, less, management, Managing, managing director, managing partner, march, Market, MasterCard, Mate, May, mayor, media, media partner, meet, member, members, merchant, Mexico, Miami, millennials, minister, minister for tourism, Munich, national, National Geographic, nbsp, need, New, News, News articles, Non, note, NYC, Obama, office, Oliver, only, opening, opening ceremony, operational, opportunity, over, parliament, partner, partners, partnerships, path, paths, Paul, People in Travel, personalized service, Peter Greenberg, Philippe, planning, policy, political, Pololikashvili, preparedness, presentations, Presenter, president, President Barack Obama, President Obama, presidents, priority, private, private sector, product, program, progress, protection, public, racing, ready, reality, recent, regional, regions, rental, report, represented, republic, rescue, research, resorts, responsibility, restaurant, retail, rise, Risk, role, room, royal, Royal Caribbean, Royal Caribbean Cruises, s, Sales, Satisfy, Saudi, saudi commission, scene, scholars, seamless, second, Secretary, secretary general, sector, sectors, Security, see, senior, Senior Vice President, series, service, sessions, Share, short, showcase, sightseeing, Sir, social, social impact, social responsibility, society, Software, Spain, Spain travel news, speakers, Special, speech, standards, stands, State, states, story, strategic, successful, summit, Summits, Sustainability, sustainability initiatives, sustainable, sustainable tourism, Technology, The Spotlight, the United States, The World, theme, threat, ticket, times, to, TO DO, today, tourism, tourism council, Tourism For Tomorrow, Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, Tourism growth, Tourism Industry, tourism office, tourism sector, Trade, trafficking, transport, Transport and Tourism, Transportation, Travel, travel and tourism, travel and tourism industry, Travel Destination News, travel experience, travel journey, Travel Leisure, travel security, travel technology, Traveler, Traveller, travellers, Travelwire News, TUI, U.S. president, UBER, UK, UK Travel News, United, United States, United States of America, university, UNWTO, updates, US, US Department of Commerce, US government, value, vice chairman, vice president, view, views, Virtuoso, visa, vision, wave, We, week, WHO, wildlife, work, World, world travel, world's largest, worth, Worth International Airport, WTTC, year, years, young, Zurab Pololikashvili

Marriott Hotels brings TED Fellows Salon to Cape Town

March 22, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Marriott Hotels in partnership with TED, hosted its first TED Fellows Salon in Cape Town, South Africa, sparking conversations around Africa’s beauty, rich heritage and innovative spirit. Held at the Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers, renowned TED Fellows, Kenyan musician Bill Sellanga and South African conservation biologist Steve Boyes, led the innovative and thought-provoking discussion providing guests the opportunity to engage and be inspired.

“At Marriott Hotels, everything we do is guided by our belief that travel expands the mind and triggers new and creative ways of thinking,” said Sandra Schulze-Potgieter, Vice President Premium & Select Brands, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International. “Our partnership with TED brings together creative energy and distinct aesthetic. In recent years, Cape Town has shifted its focus to making the city more sustainable, encouraging citizens to innovate while maintaining its rich heritage. Hosting our first TED Fellows Salon at Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers is an opportunity for us to spark intellectual conversations and inspire new perspectives for our guests.”

The speakers at this Marriott Hotels TED Salon represent some of the brightest thinkers of their generation who are working towards making positive, meaningful and lasting change in their communities. Steve Boyes explores, protects and restores some of the most remote wildernesses in Africa, including the threatened Okavango Delta, one of our last remaining fresh watersheds. Working with the Angolan government, Boyes recently established two of the largest protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa amounting to twice the size of England. A trained ornithologist, he is the Executive Director of the Wild Bird Trust and a Fellow at the National Geographic Society.

Sharing the spotlight with Boyes was TED fellow Bill “Blinky” Sellanga. A prolific Kenyan producer and musician, Sellanga is the frontman of musical collective Just A Band, which mixes genres like hip-hop, electronica and funk to make music for popular radio and to give voice to the Kenyan youth. He recently released his first solo album, Everyone’s Just Winging It and Other Fly Tales, weaving African rhythms together with electronic cuts, hip-hop and funk for a unique-brand of “African cool.”

Held at the Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers, the event was attended by thought leaders, innovators, members of the recently launched travel platform, Marriott Bonvoy and media. Overlooking the Grand Canal in Century City, Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers formed the perfect backdrop for the Cape Town edition of the TED Fellows Salon. Whether you admire the view of Table Mountain from the exquisite outdoor swimming pool or settle down after a busy day in a guest room with sleek furnishings and ultra-soft, plush bedding, a stay at the Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers promises to be a journey that inspires brilliance.

The ongoing global partnership between Marriott Hotels and TED is now in its third year, following its launch in 2016, and has been expanded to include more exciting and innovative programming at Marriott Hotels in key destinations worldwide. Marriott Hotels is a brand that’s geared towards a new generation of travelers, who continuously seek fresh inspirations and creative ideas during their own life-changing journeys around the world.

The Cape Town edition is the third TED Fellows Salon to be held within Middle East and Africa with two previous ones being held at Cairo and Abu Dhabi. TED Salons have been hosted in several Marriott Hotels globally, including Bengaluru, Bangkok, London, and Athens. Marriott Hotels also has an Instagram story series which offers viewers original, inspiring content and an inside look at their favorite idea engine.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, areas, around the world, ATHENS, backdrop, band, bangkok, beauty, bill, bird, Bonvoy, brand, brands, Breaking Travel News, busy, Cairo, Cape, Cape Town, Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers, Century, change, citizens, city, collective, communities, conservation, Content, conversations, Corporate News, creative, Cultural Travel News, cuts, day, Delta, Destinations, Dhabi, director, discussion, down, East, edition, electronic, energy, engine, England, event, executive, Executive Director, expanded, expands, favorite, Fellows, feww, first, fly by, following, Fresh, Global, global partnership, globally, government, Grand, guests, held, heritage, Hospitality News, hosting, hotel, Hotel Travel News, Hotels, Hotels TED, ideas, in, including, innovative, inside, inspired, inspiring, Instagram, International, International Travel News, IT, journey, journeys, just, Kenyan, largest, last, launch, launched, leaders, LED, life, like, London, Make, Marriott, Marriott Hotel, Marriott hotels, Marriott International, media, members, MICE Industry News, Middle, Middle East, mind, most, mountain, music, musical, musician, national, National Geographic, New, new generation, new generation of travelers, News articles, offers, Okavango, Okavango Delta, ongoing, opportunity, original, ornithologist, outdoor, partnership, platform, plush, pool, popular, positive, premium, president, promises, protected, protected areas, recent, released, remote, rich, room, s, said, salon, seek, series, settle, sharing, Size, society, Solo, South, South Africa, South Africa travel news, south african, speakers, Spirit, stay, story, Sub, sub-Saharan, Sub-Saharan Africa, sustainable, swimming, swimming pool, Table Mountain, TED, TED Fellows, The National, The Spotlight, The World, threatened, to, TO BE, tourism, town, Town Marriott, Travel, Travel Destination News, travelers, Travelwire News, ultra, unique, US, vice president, view, ways, We, WHO, wild, working, World, World News, worldwide, year, years, youth

IMEX Policy Forum puts future city development front and center

March 21, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Policy makers from national and regional governments worldwide will explore The Business of Placemaking with leading business events industry professionals at this year’s IMEX Policy Forum.

This year the annual Forum will take place at the InterContinental Hotel Frankfurt on Tuesday 21 May, the first day of IMEX in Frankfurt 2019.

The IMEX Policy Forum is where the business events world and public policy makers annually connect and share insights into how events such as conferences, meetings and incentive travel can make a major contribution to national and regional economies.

The enormity of this contribution has now been quantified. According to the Global Economic Significance of Business Events, the first ever worldwide study from the Events Industry Council (EIC) and conducted by Oxford Economics, the direct spend of the meeting and event industry worldwide in 2017 was more than US$1.03 trillion, matching the consumer electronics sector in size.

Leveraging the link between business events and the innovation economy

All participants have the opportunity to visit the IMEX exhibition in the morning. In the afternoon, invited ministers and senior political representatives will take part in a national government discussion in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) chaired by Martin Sirk of Sirk Serendipity. At the same time Professor Greg Clark CBE, the world-renowned advisor on cities will facilitate a city workshop specifically designed for local, municipal and regional policy makers and destination representatives, exploring ‘business meetings and the innovation economy.’

Analyzing the business opportunity for urban placemaking

The Business of Placemaking will be put into the spotlight when the keynote speech is presented by Dr Julie Grail, a leading expert and commentator on partnership and place management and a special adviser on Business Improvement Districts at the Institute of Place Management at Manchester Metropolitan University. Julie, who has been involved in managing places for two and a half decades, has in recent years worked on international assignments in Australia, New Zealand, South America, Europe and the United States.

New this year, the interactive Leadership Discussion will feature an invited panel who will present case studies from the perspective of political, urban planning and destinations stakeholders who have all played influential roles in placemaking success stories. The discussion will be moderated by leading business journalist and media advisor Ursula Errington and will provide plenty of opportunity for everyone present to contribute to the discussions.

Each year the political representatives who take part acclaim the event, saying how valuable it is to learn from their peers in other countries and from the meetings industry experts about the benefits to economic development and business tourism that investment in business events can bring.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group commented; “Placemaking is a concept that’s long been understood and embraced by some city planners and developers alike but now the meetings and events industry understands the power and importance of being part of these conversations. This year’s agenda reflects what feels like a tipping point: a recognition that the business events industry can – and should – speak up to influence any city planning or placemaking decisions. This year’s Forum will guide by example and show the way. With its new format everyone can contribute fully to a lively discussion and gain valuable insights from the case studies.”

Organized under the auspices of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), the IMEX Policy Forum’s advocacy partners are Association Internationale des Palais de Congres (AIPC), European Cities Marketing (ECM), ICCA, The Iceberg and UNWTO. The Forum is sponsored by Turisme de Barcelona, Business Events Sydney, German Convention Bureau, Geneva Convention Bureau, Messe Frankfurt and the Meetings Mean Business Coalition.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, annual, association, Australia, Barcelona, benefits, Breaking Travel News, bureau, Business, business events, business meetings, business tourism, case, CBE, center, CEO, cities, city, coalition, collaboration, concept, conferences, connect, consumer electronics, contribution, convention, convention bureau, conversations, council, countries, day, decades, decisions, designed, Destination, Destinations, developers, development, direct, discussion, Dr, economic, economic development, Economic Significance, economics, economies, Economy, Educational Travel News, electronics, Europe, European, european cities marketing, event, Events, events industry, exhibition, expert, experts, explore, Feature, first, forum, Frankfurt, free, future, Geneva, German, german convention bureau, Germany Travel News, Global, global economic, government, governments, Group, guide, half, hotel, ICCA, iceberg, IMEX, IMEX exhibition, IMEX Group, importance, improvement, in, Incentive, incentive travel, Industry, influence, innovation, Insights, Institute, interactive, InterContinental, Intercontinental Hotel, International, International Travel News, Investment, invited, IT, joint, journalist, keynote, keynote speech, leadership, leading, learn, like, link, local, Make, management, Managing, Manchester, Marketing, Martin, Martin Sirk, May, media, meeting, meetings, meetings and events, meetings industry, meetings.travel, Messe, Messe Frankfurt, Metropolitan, MICE Industry News, ministers, national, nations, New, New Zealand, News articles, opportunity, organization, Oxford, Oxford Economics, panel, participants, partners, partnership, People in Travel, Place, places, Planners, planning, policy, Policy Forum, political, power, present, professionals, Professor, public, recent, recognition, regional, s, saying, sector, senior, Share, show, Size, South, South America, speak, Special, speech, stakeholders, states, stories, studies, study, success, Sydney, The Spotlight, the United States, The World, time, tipping, to, tourism, Travel, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, Travelwire News, trillion, United, United Nations, United Nations World Tourism Organization, United States, university, UNWTO, up, urban, US, visit, way, WHO, worked, workshop, World, World News, World Tourism, World Tourism Organization, worldwide, year, years, Zealand

Africa Tourism is hot: WTTC and the African Tourism Board are on it

March 21, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Africa Tourism is hot right now. Overlooked in the past, the tourism potential of the African continent is now becoming visible.

The first African Tourism Board (ATB) is about to be launched in Cape Town during the upcoming World Travel Market Africa in South Africa on April 11 with a list of impressive speakers, ministers, private industry leaders, and stakeholders attending.

A week before the ATB launch in Cape Town on April 11, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) is getting ready for their annual summit in Seville, Spain. With a price tag of $4,000 for a delegate to attend the summit, WTTC is catering to the hundred largest companies in the travel and tourism industry.

Keynote speaker at the summit is none other than former US President Barack Obama who is getting paid an enormous amount of money to share his views on tourism with WTTC CEO Gloria Guevara.

In Cape Town at the African Tourism Board launch, former UNWTO Secretary General Dr. Taleb Rifai is paying his own way, and so are a number of tourism celebrities and stakeholders from both larger and smaller entities. They want to show their excitement and support for the new African Tourism Board and the potential Africa has for new tourism developments. It’s free to attend the African Tourism Board launch event.

In the last 7 days, the news on tourism growth and potential for African destinations couldn’t have been better and must have come as a surprise for many.

WTTC issued one press release after another on their research reports for Africa. eTN received such releases not only from WTTC but also from ministers, embassies, and tourism boards showing their pride and maybe their surprise and encouragement.

African Tourism Board interim Chairman Juergen Steinmetz, who is also CEO of the eTN Corporation, owner of eTurboNews, which is a media partner for WTTC, applauded Gloria Guevara, CEO of WTTC, for putting Africa in the spotlight for the world’s largest travel and tourism companies.

  • WTTC: Travel and Tourism is Zambia’s 2018 fastest-growing national economic sector
  • WTTC: South Africa Africa’s largest Travel & Tourism economy in 2018
  • Botswana tourism now accounts for one in seven dollars in the…
  • Ethiopia records biggest growth of Travel & Tourism in the world
  • Kenya Travel & Tourism exceeding global and regional levels in 2018

To attend the WTTC summit, click here; to attend the ATB launch, click here.
Anyone attending both events should indicate this on the African Tourism Board launch registration to receive additional extensive visibility.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: amp, and, annual, annual summit, April, ATB, attend, Barack, Barack Obama, better, biggest, board, boards, Botswana, botswana tourism, Breaking Travel News, Cape, Cape Town, Capetown, catering, celebrities, CEO, Chairman, come, companies, continent, Corporation, council, Destinations, developments, dollars, Dr, economic, Economy, embassies, Ethiopia, eTN, eTurboNews, event, Events, exceeding, extensive, Feature, first, free, general, getting, Global, Gloria Guevara, Growth, Horizon, Hot, hundred, impressive, in, Industry, industry leaders, interim, issued, IT, Kenya, Kenya travel, keynote, keynote speaker, largest, largest Travel, last, launch, launched, leaders, list, Market, media, media partner, ministers, money, national, New, new tourism, News, News articles, number, Obama, only, owner, paid, partner, past, potential, president, President Barack Obama, Press, press release, price, Pride, private, putting, ready, receive, received, records, regional, registration, release, reports, research, Rifai, right, s, Secretary, secretary general, sector, seven, Share, show, South, South Africa, Spain, speaker, speakers, stakeholders, Steinmetz, summit, support, tag, Taleb Rifai, The Spotlight, The World, to, TO BE, tourism, tourism board, tourism boards, tourism companies, tourism council, tourism economy, Tourism growth, Tourism Industry, tourism potential, town, Travel, travel and tourism, travel and tourism industry, Travel Destination News, travel market, Travelwire News, UNWTO, UNWTO Secretary, US, US president, US President Barack Obama, views, way, week, WHO, World, World News, world travel, world travel and tourism, World Travel and Tourism Council, World Travel market, world's largest, worlds, WTTC, WTTC CEO, Zambia

Search




Recent Articles

  • What’s new in The Bahamas in February 2023
  • Introducing the Masquerade Suite at The St. Regis Venice in conjunction with Venice Carnival 2023
  • Malta, in the Heart of the Mediterranean, Offers a Jam-Packed Schedule of Musical Events and Festivals in 2023 Starting with Il-Karnival ta’ Malta in February   
  • Keeping Seychelles as the top choice of holiday destination for Nordic travelers
  • Sandals Resorts delivers authentic vacations
  • Seychelles makes remarkable presence at Spain’s FITUR 2023
  • The St. Regis Venice celebrates romance
  • Luxury romantic Valentine’s Day package from Blossom Hotel Houston
  • Ministry of Tourism and Hidden Worlds launch student art contest
  • ITP Media Group visits Seychelles Islands for luxury experience

Subscribe to daily email update

RSS eTN Articles

  • Free Wifi on more Airlines: A New trend?
  • Türkiye tourism strategy unveiled for next 5 years
  • The St. Regis Venice Masquerade Suite welcomes during Carnival
  • Made in Italy must link tourism as key to promotion
  • Hotels to jewelry: Most luxury obsessed US destinations
  • No more passenger extortion at Entebbe International Airport
  • Lufthansa Group: New CEO at Brussels Airlines
  • US Immigration issues new Green Card and Work Permit
  • What’s new in Nice France hotels
  • Former Grenada Tourism Authority official joins new team

Archives

  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • August 2016

Content

and Breaking Travel News Business CEO experience first free hotel Hotels in including Industry International International Travel News IT minister most New News articles only over People s said sandals The World through time to TO BE tourism Tours Transportation News Travel Travel & Tourism Organizations News Travel Destination News Travelwire News up We were WHO World World News year years

Copyright © 2023 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in