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Twinsburg hosts largest annual gathering of twins in the world

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The 2019 Twins Days Festival will be held in Twinsburg, Ohio on August 3rd and 4th. This annual international event is recorded as the “Largest Annual Gathering of Twins in the World” by the Guinness Book of World Records.


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Located 25 miles southeast of Cleveland, Twinsburg plays host to thousands of twins from all over the world. Non-twins are also welcome.

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The theme of this year’s festival is “Home for the Holidays.” For many twins and multiples, Twins Days has become, in a sense, its own holiday. It’s a special time each year when twins gather together with friends and family to celebrate the special bond twins share. This year’s theme encourages everyone to celebrate and dress up for their favorite holidays!

Saturday morning kicks off with the “Double Take” parade. Activities during the day will include twins contests, twins talent show; twins research area, twins group photo, entertainment, arts & crafts and twin related/sponsored booths, small amusement rides and games, and a spectacular fireworks show. Also available are food concessions and official souvenirs Saturday and Sunday.

Sunday morning’s activities include the Twins Days 5K Run and Fun Walk benefitting the Melanoma Education Initiative. During the day the activities will be the same as Saturday’s with the exception of the parade and fireworks.

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Marriott International opens its 7,000th property

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Marriott International, Inc. today celebrated the opening of its 7,000th property – The St. Regis Hong Kong. The stunning, 27-story luxury hotel, which features butler service, and multiple restaurants, is emblematic of Marriott’s global expansion strategy which disproportionately focuses on the highest lodging tiers as well as fast-growing international markets such as Hong Kong. The company’s first property, the Twin Bridges Marriott, opened in 1957 and was a four-story motor hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

“It’s thrilling to open our 7,000th property, an incredible milestone for a company that began as a nine-stool root beer stand in 1927 and didn’t even open its first hotel until decades later,” said Arne Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International. “I can’t think of a more fitting property to hold the honor than The St. Regis Hong Kong which underscores the benefits of our merger with Starwood, the importance of luxury and the tremendous opportunity in Asia.”

Today, Marriott’s pipeline is growing with an increasing number of legacy-Starwood branded hotels with brands such as St. Regis, Luxury Collection and W.

“Our newest luxury hotel – The St. Regis Hong Kong – is a testament to our well-defined global growth strategy,” said Tony Capuano, Marriott’s Executive Vice President and Global Chief Development Officer. “By leveraging our industry-leading luxury brands, including those we gained from the Starwood merger, our robust relationships with multi-unit owners and our expertise in identifying strategic opportunities in global gateway markets such as Hong Kong, we are well positioned to expand our global footprint by 25 percent in the next three years.”

The milestone follows Marriott’s announcement in March that it expects to add more than 1,700 additional hotels by the end of 2021, including about 320 hotels in Asia Pacific. According to STR data, Marriott’s overall open hotels and signed pipeline at the end of 2018 totaled a combined 1.69 million rooms, which exceeds that of its next competitor by 36 percent.

Marriott estimates that these 1,700 properties expected to be added by the end of 2021 could provide up to 150,000 jobs around the world. In Asia Pacific alone, the company’s additions in the region over the same time period could provide up to 56,000 jobs.

“As we look at adding an expected 1,700 properties to our system, hiring and retaining talented people has never been more important to our continued success,” said Dr. David Rodriguez, Chief Global Human Resources Officer, Marriott International. “As our footprint grows more global, workers in our hotels – from bartenders to housekeepers – will have ever-growing choices and opportunities as they grow their careers with Marriott International and its franchisees. For over 90 years, we have focused on building a company that puts its people first and this value remains at the forefront as our global growth continues.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

British Airways Pilots thought Edinburg was in Germany and landed in the wrong city

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Passengers at London City Airport today boarded British Airways flight BA3281 assuming they would fly to Duesseldorf, Germany but were surprised when landing they saw a sign: Welcome to Edinburg after landing at Edinburgh,  United Kingdom. Edinburg was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2018, handling over 14.3 million passengers and an unexpected landing did not raise any eyebrows.

The plane used is a Saab 2000 twin-engined high-speed turboprop airliner. It is designed to carry 50–58 passengers and cruise at a speed of 665 km/h. Production took place in Linköping in southern Sweden. The Saab 2000 first flew in March 1992 and was certified in 1994

Welcome to Edinburgh was the message after landing, when in fact every passenger expected to get off in the German city by the Rhine river instead. The flight was operated by WDL Aviation. WDL Aviation GmbH & Co. KG is a German charter airline headquartered at Cologne Bonn Airport and flies also for British Airways.

British Airways is currently working with WDL to find out why it filed the wrong flight plan and flew to Edinburg without realizing.

“We have apologized to customers for this interruption to their journey and will be contacting them all individually,” BA said in a statement.

On its final flight on Sunday, the plane flew to Edinburgh and back so it seems that someone at WDL mistakenly repeated the same flight plan for the next day, according to BA.

When the crew arrived at London City airport on Monday it is thought that they saw Edinburgh on the flight plan from the day before and followed the old flight route.

The BA statement said: “At no time has the safety of passengers been compromised. We flew the passengers on the flight with number BA3271 to Düsseldorf after the involuntary stopover in Edinburgh,”

BA declined to say how many passengers were affected by the mistake.

The plane sat on the tarmac at Edinburgh for two-and-a-half hours, before flying onto Düsseldorf.

The toilets were blocked and they ran out of snacks.

For the passengers involved, will they get compensation for the delay? And ultimately – what does this do for trust in British Airways that such a mistake can be made?

Travel News | eTurboNews

Antigua and Barbuda launch new global summer campaign: #WhatCoolLooksLike

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The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority has unveiled its new global summer campaign, #WhatCoolLooksLike, which is expected to convey the trendiness of the destination and its appeal as the ideal summer vacation spot for visitors looking for enjoyable experiences. The campaign draws on what makes the country special and seeks to depict in a creative and engaging way the “coolness” of the destination.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Tourism & Investment, The Honorable Charles ‘Max’ Fernandez has high praises for the creative team, adding that the new campaign is timely and reinforces the messages the islands have been promoting in recent years. “Antigua and Barbuda’s weather during the summer is so much cooler than in other regions, our beaches are serene, and while there are numerous events to enjoy, the pace remains unrushed. The #WhatCoolLooksLike summer campaign brings to life what we have been saying for years, and we thank the team for helping us convey this message in a vivid and imaginative way to potential visitors across the globe. The campaign is being executed in all our major source markets with consumers being enticed to visit Antigua and Barbuda to take advantage of the cool summer savings on offer, as well as the destination’s cool climate,” notes Fernandez.

The multi-faceted summer campaign includes a combination of traditional and digital media and will utilize a variety of tactical trade and consumer activations to ensure the success of the initiative.

The #WhatCoolLooksLike Summer Campaign offers consumers major savings on their vacation to Antigua and Barbuda for travel during the periods April-October 2019.  The savings will be available at participating tour operators, airlines and hotels.

A key element of the campaign is the #WhatCoolLooksLlike Ambassador Program, which comprises a carefully curated selection of local influencers who the Authority believes encompass what “cool” looks like. These Ambassadors have been commissioned to utilize their social media presence and their country, Antigua and Barbuda as their backdrop during the six-month run of the campaign, to share the wealth of awe-inspiring experiences provided in the twin-island state.

Another initiative is the Global Sweepstakes launched today which runs through May 21. Entrants will be asked to opt-in by location in order to upload a video or photo that depicts what cool looks like. At the end of the two-month contest, two random winners will be chosen: One from our overseas source markets will win a complimentary 4-day/3-night stay at the Verandah Resort and Spa in Antigua; while one local will win a 2-night, 3-day stay at the Harbour Island Residences in Jolly Harbour. The local element of this campaign was so designed to allow for local participation and engagement, creating a platform where local Antiguans and Barbudans become advocates for the destination.

The Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Tourism and the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority will host a variety of events, including The Antigua Sailing Week, The Optimist World Championships, The Antigua and Barbuda Sportfishing Tournament, Antigua and Barbuda Restaurant Week and Antigua’s Carnival: The Caribbean’s Greatest Summer Festival, providing additional enticements for visitors to travel this summer.

Antigua (pronounced An-tee’ga) and Barbuda (Bar-byew’da) is located in the heart of the Caribbean Sea. Voted the World Travel Awards  Caribbean’s Most Romantic Destination, the twin-island paradise offers visitors two uniquely distinct experiences, ideal temperatures year-round, a rich history, vibrant culture, exhilarating excursions, award-winning resorts, mouth-watering cuisine and 365 stunning pink and white-sand beaches – one for every day of the year. The largest of the Leeward Islands, Antigua comprises 108-square miles with rich history and spectacular topography that provides a variety of popular sightseeing opportunities. Nelson’s Dockyard, the only remaining example of a Georgian fort a listed UNESCO World Heritage site, is perhaps the most renowned landmark. Antigua’s tourism events calendar includes the prestigious Antigua Sailing Week, Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, and the annual Antigua Carnival; known as the Caribbean’s Greatest Summer Festival. Barbuda, Antigua’s smaller sister island, is the ultimate celebrity hideaway. The island lies 27 miles north-east of Antigua and is just a 15-minute plane ride away. Barbuda is known for its untouched 17 mile stretch of pink sand beach and as the home of the largest Frigate Bird Sanctuary in the Western Hemisphere.  Find information on Antigua & Barbuda at visitantiguabarbuda.com and follow us on: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

For information on our #WhatCoolLooksLlike Ambassadors, go to visitantiguabarbuda.com.

Travel News | eTurboNews

New cruise ship touches the sea for the first time in Turku

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Costa Crociere celebrated the technical launch of the new flagship Costa Smeralda at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland.

During the ceremony, the ship officially touched the sea for the first time. The celebration, which saw the participation of the top management of Costa Cruises and the Meyer shipyards, followed the protocol established by the maritime tradition, with the flooding of the basin where the ship has taken shape in recent months.

Costa Smeralda technical launch Costa Smeralda, which will enter service from October 2019, will be the first Costa ship powered by liquefied natural gas (Lng), the cleanest fossil fuel in the world. Its use represents an environmental change that will improve the quality of the air, almost totally avoiding the emissions of particulate matter and sulfur oxides, both at sea and in port.

Lng will also reduce nitrogen oxide and CO2 emissions. In this way Costa Smeralda and its twin, which will be delivered in 2021, will contribute to achieving the sustainability objectives set by Costa Crociere and Carnival Corporation & plc, which provide for a 25% reduction in the carbon footprint by 2020.

“It is with great enthusiasm that we celebrate such an important moment,” said Neil Palomba, general manager of Costa Crociere. “Costa Smeralda represents a great innovation for the international market and an important step towards the definition of new standards for the entire sector. It is a new generation ship and will be a tribute to the best of Italy and our excellence. It was designed with passion and attention to detail to offer an unforgettable holiday experience.”

The name of the ship recalls one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in Sardinia. The names of bridges and public areas are dedicated to famous places and squares in Italy.

Costa Smeralda will also have its museum, the CoDe – Costa Design Museum, dedicated to the excellence of Italian design. “Designing and building Costa Smeralda together with Costa Crociere’s colleagues is an exciting experience,” commented Jan Meyer, CEO of the Meyer shipyard in Turku. “I believe it will be a unique and innovative ship, both from an engineering and design point of view, I am convinced that guests will appreciate all the attractions and services on board.”

The technical launch is the moment when the ship reaches its natural element, water. Construction will continue with the final phase of interior fittings ».The sister ship, also built at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, is scheduled for 2021. The Costa Smeralda debut is scheduled for October20, 2019.

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