For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

Where press releases are breaking news

Vista Global to acquire JetSmarter

by

Vista Global, a world leader in business flight solutions, announces that it has entered into an agreement to acquire JetSmarter, creating the global On Demand digital marketplace.

JetSmarter’s innovative marketplace technology will fulfil Vista Global’s digitization strategy, providing all customers with an unmatched end-to-end service and seamless booking experience. The acquisition will enhance Vista Global’s formidable position offering the largest suite of services and advanced technologies to every private aviation customer.

Following JetSmarter’s successful digital partnership with XOJET, it will now bring its digital capabilities to the entire Vista Global group. JetSmarter’s industry-disrupting platform will therefore be integrated into the back-end technology of Vista Global’s brands VistaJet, Vista Lease and XOJET. The integration will significantly improve the ease and speed of the booking process for the 150,000 passengers traveling with any of the Vista Global companies each year, building upon its impressive track record of offering customers the most technologically advanced solutions in the private aviation industry.

Vista Global’s Founder and Chairman Thomas Flohr said: “Today’s acquisition is an important milestone for Vista Global – accelerating and executing our vision of digitizing the entire private aviation offering. Customers today want speed, reliability and value, which in today’s world is only possible with technology. Vista Global’s reach and infrastructure will take JetSmarter to the global stage to fully realize its potential. JetSmarter’s technology will digitalize Vista Global’s market-leading customer offering to Program Members and On Demand customers.”

Since its founding in 2012, JetSmarter has become the preeminent provider of technology-enabled service to the business aviation market with two million downloads to date. Today, JetSmarter’s digital platform allows both Members and On Demand customers to book private or shared trips instantly.

Following the acquisition, JetSmarter’s customers will benefit from the reach, resources and operational expertise of Vista Global group. Its growing customer base will have access to a wider fleet, wherever they are in the world, and enjoy the highest standards in private aviation as they join the Vista Global family. They will significantly benefit from the group’s unparalleled customer service and an unmatched in-flight experience.

Steven Langman, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Rhône Capital added: “Vista Global is marking a new major milestone in its development. The acquisition of JetSmarter is fully in-line with the company’s mission: to transform the nature of the business aviation sector and offer its growing customer base a fast and seamless access to its services through digital innovation.”

Behdad Eghbali, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Clearlake Capital Group stated: “Vista Global is the undisputed market leader with unmatched vision to consolidate and digitally transform this fragmented industry. Vista Global’s worldwide fleet access, unmatched end-to-end service experience, and world-class management team will combine with JetSmarter’s digital technology leadership including digital bookings and On Demand crowdsourcing to further expand Vista Global’s leadership. We are thrilled to partner with Thomas Flohr and the talented management team at Vista Global and believe that, combined with Vista Global, JetSmarter will flourish and revolutionize the industry’s digital transformation.”

The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter, subject to customary closing conditions, including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. As part of the transaction, all JetSmarter investors, inclusive of Clearlake Capital and Jefferies Financial Group, will become investors in Vista Global, supporting its future growth. Jefferies LLC acted as financial advisor to JetSmarter.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Princess Cruises And Fincantieri Sign Contracts For Two Next-Generation Cruise Ships

by

Princess Cruises and Fincantieri announced today the signing of the final contracts for the construction of two next-generation 175,000-ton cruise ships, which will be the largest ships ever built so far in Italy, with deliveries scheduled in Monfalcone in late 2023 and in spring 2025. This announcement follows the initial signing of a memorandum of agreement between the two parties in July 2018.

The vessels will each accommodate approximately 4,300 guests and will be based on a next-generation platform design, being the first Princess Cruises ships to be dual-fuel powered primarily by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). LNG is the marine industry’s most environmentally friendly advanced fuel technology and the world’s cleanest fossil fuel, which will significantly reduce air emissions and marine gasoil usage.

“Princess Cruises continues to grow globally — adding new ships to our fleet built by our long-time trusted ship building partner, Fincantieri, who brings decades of expertise to these next-generation cruise ships,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises President. “Even more exciting is that these two ships are being designed to include our MedallionClass platform, powered by OceanMedallion, the most advanced wearable device available within the global hospitality industry.”

Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, commented on the announcement: “This result proves, once again, the trust we receive from the market, which allows us to look to the future with ambition. It honors our great work focused on innovation thanks to which we have been able to offer to the client a record-breaking proposal not only in terms of size. Besides we firmly believe that a new class of Princess Cruises’ ships, one of Carnival Group’s top brands, can stem from this promising project. In fact, for Princess Cruises, we have received orders for 21 ships, another unprecedented result in this industry.”

Considered a breakthrough in the vacation industry and recently honored with a CES® 2019 Innovation Award, the OceanMedallion is leading-edge technology that delivers personalized service on a large scale through enhanced guest-crew interaction, as well as enabling interactive entertainment. Guests are currently experiencing Princess MedallionClass vacations onboard Caribbean Princess and Regal Princess. By the end of the year, MedallionClass vacations will be activated on three additional ships, Royal Princess, Crown Princess and Sky Princess.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and United Nations reported that growth in the number of people cruising between 2004 and 2014 outpaced land-based vacations by over 20 percent, and CLIA projects 30 million people will take an ocean cruise in 2019, an all-time record. These stats signal a bright future for the cruise industry, as well as for professional travel advisor partners enthusiastic for more inventory to meet the growing demands for cruising.

With five ships being built over the next six years, Princess Cruises is the fastest growing premium cruise line in the world.

One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is the fastest growing international premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 17 modern cruise ships, carrying two million guests each year to 380 destinations around the globe, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England, Antarctica and World Cruises. A team of professional destination experts have curated 170 itineraries, ranging in length from three to 111 days and Princess Cruises is continuously recognized as “Best Cruise Line for Itineraries.”
In 2017 Princess Cruises, with parent company Carnival Corporation, introduced MedallionClass Vacations enabled by the OceanMedallion, the vacation industry’s most advanced wearable device, provided free to each guest sailing on a MedallionClass ship. The award-winning innovation offers the fastest way to a hassle-free, personalized vacation giving guests more time to do the things they love most. MedallionClass Vacations will be activated on five ships by the end of 2019. An activation plan will continue across the global fleet in 2020 and beyond.
Princess Cruises continues its multi-year, “Come Back New Promise” – a $450 million-dollar product innovation and cruise ship renovation campaign that will continue to enhance the line’s onboard guest experience. These enhancements result in more moments of awe, lifetime memories and meaningful stories for guests to share from their cruise vacation. The product innovations include partnerships with award-winning Chef Curtis Stone; engaging entertainment inspired shows with Broadway-legend Stephen Schwartz; immersive activities for the whole family from Discovery and Animal Planet that include exclusive shore excursions to onboard activities; the ultimate sleep at sea with the award-winning Princess Luxury Bed and more.
Three new Royal-class ships are currently on order with the next new ship under construction, Sky Princess, scheduled for delivery in October 2019, followed by Enchanted Princess in June 2020. Princess has announced two new (LNG) ships which will be the largest ships in the Princess fleet, accommodating approximately 4,300 guests are planned for delivery in 2023 and 2025.  Princess now has five ships arriving over the next six years between 2019 and 2025. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).

Fincantieri is one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups and number one for diversification and innovation. It is leader in cruise ship design and construction and a reference player in all high-tech shipbuilding industry sectors, from naval to offshore vessels, from high-complexity special vessels and ferries to mega yachts, as well as in ship repairs and conversions, production of systems and mechanical and electrical component equipment and after-sales services.
With over 230 years of history and more than 7,000 vessels built, Fincantieri has always kept its management offices, as well as all the engineering and production skills, in Italy. With over 8,600 employees in Italy and a supplier network that employs nearly 50,000 people, Fincantieri has enhanced a fragmented production capacity over several shipyards into a strength, acquiring the widest portfolio of clients and products in the cruise segment. To hold its own in relation to competition and assert itself at global level, Fincantieri has broadened its product portfolio becoming world leader in the sectors in which it operates.
With globalization, the Group has around 20 shipyards in 4 continents, over 19,000 employees and is the leading Western shipbuilder. It has among its clients the world’s major cruise operators, the Italian and the US Navy, in addition to several foreign navies, and it is partner of some of the main European defense companies within supranational programs.
Fincantieri’s business is widely diversified by end markets, geographical exposure and by client base, with revenue mainly generated from cruise ship, naval and offshore vessel construction. Compared with less diversified players, such diversification allows it to mitigate the effects of any fluctuations in demand on the end markets served.
www.fincantieri.com

Travel News | eTurboNews

Visit Nepal 2020 Launch to Honor the Life of a Tourism Hero

by

Nepal is known as a country of beauty and resilience when it comes to the travel and tourism industry. Nepal is also known to have some of the most dedicated people running their nation’s tourism industry. Many of them will be attending the ITB travel trade show in Berlin from March 6-10 to celebrate one of their own tourism heros, the late Nepal Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Rabindra Adhikari.

The Nepal Tourism Board in cooperation with the Nepal Embassy in Berlin, has planned a launch event of “Visit Nepal 2020” at a VIP dinner on March 7 on the sidelines of ITB and organized by the eTN Corporation.

eTN Chatroom: Discuss with readers from around the world:

There will be 252 VIPs in attendance, including several ministers of tourism including Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, who is the person behind the global tourism resilience initiative. There will be ambassadors, the former UNWTO secretary general Taleb Rifai, top Nepal travel suppliers (buyers and sellers), and media from around the world who have registered to attend.

The ITB launch for “Visit Nepal 2020” will be dedicated to the late Nepal Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Rabindra Adhikari.

He was instrumental in the finalization of “Visit Nepal 2020” and had been working endlessly until last week to make this important milestone a success.

The late Nepal Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Rabindra Adhikari, was to attend the dinner in Berlin, but less than a week before the launch, he passed away in a tragic helicopter accident after visiting a new airport project and a temple in Southern Nepal.

Nepal Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Rabindra Adhikari.

Nepal Tourism officials put great thought into whether or not they should move forward with the event at ITB or if it would be appropriate to delay due to the Minister’s death. After careful consideration, it was decided that the hard work of their late minister would be his best legacy, and they came to the consensus to go forward with the “Visit Nepal 2020” event on Thursday.

In honor of Minister Adhikari’s vision, this planned evening of culture and Nepalese cuisine will now also be an evening to gather and remember the late Minister Rabindra Adhikari with respect for his tireless efforts and gratitude for his foresight for the future of Nepal’s tourism industry.

After taking the helm at the Ministry in February of last year, Adhikari, 49, had undertaken a series of policies to reform Nepal’s civil aviation sector. He took prompt steps to improve conditions at Nepal’s only international airport, Tribhuvan International Airport, and pursued the reactivation of several domestic airports. Adhikari also held several rounds of talks with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) which recognized some of the steps he had taken on the safety of Nepal travel.

The year 2020 was chosen as the national tourism year of Nepal after the year 2011 which was the primary authority tourism year of the new Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. The government and tourism department of Nepal authoritatively reported that Nepal will take the year 2020 as “Visit Nepal 2020,” a year committed to the tourism industry of Nepal with the vision of making a reasonable brand picture of Nepal as a travel and vacation destination. This vision supports the tourism foundation of Nepal, enhances the growth of the nation’s tourism industry, and enriches local tourism as a supportable industry.

Beginning in 2016 and 2017, the government began making arrangements and laying a foundation to formally initiate the open connection program for “Visit Nepal 2020.”

The legislature aims to accommodate more than two million visitors amid the year of this important Tourism program.

For more information on the launch event, go to buzz.travel/nepal.