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Machu Picchu Pueblo: First 100% sustainable Latin America city

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Machu Picchu Pueblo is the first city in Latin America to sustainably manage 100% of its solid waste.

Through the process of pyrolysis, in which the waste is decomposed at high temperatures without oxygen, 7 tons of trash is processed per day, generating bio-coal, a natural fertilizer that will be used to restore the Andean cloud forest and contribute to the agricultural productivity of Machu Picchu. Continuing initiatives for the conservation and environmental care of Machu Picchu, AJE Group and Inkaterra presented this first Organic Waste Treatment Plant to the city.

Alongside the Organic Waste Treatment Plant, a Plastic Compactor Plant to SERNANP will be used to recycle trash found along the Inca Trail, the most famous trekking route in South America. The plant was donated in 2017 and prevented the ruins of Machu Picchu from entering UNESCO’s list of Heritage at Risk. Currently, 14 tons of polyester plastic are processed daily in this plant.

In 2018, a Biodiesel and Glycerin Plant was inaugurated at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. By processing used vegetable oil from Machu Picchu’s homes, lodges, hotels, and restaurants, 20 gallons of biodiesel are produced daily from nearly 6,000 liters of used oil a month. The glycerin obtained in the process of making biodiesel is also used by the municipality to clean the stone floors, thus replacing chemical products.

These cumulative efforts to turn the city of Machu Picchu into a model of global sustainability won the Peruvian “Líderes + 1” prize and, in Germany, the prestigious “Die Goldene Palme” award in the category for Responsible Tourism.

For more information on Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, click here.

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

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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: info@bradfordglobalmarketing.com

No-show clients at Paris restaurants now must pay cancellation cash penalties

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Cafes and restaurants in the French capital have opted to follow the lead of hotels and guest-houses, and start charging their customers with cash penalties for late cancellation of reservations or failing to appear in time.

Hundreds of Paris eateries are currently adopting the system that is widely used in the hotel industry, the Times reports. Restaurants oblige clientele to leave details of their credit cards while making reservations, with big-name places warning customers over a potential charge in case of a no-show.

The measure is reportedly connected to losses the restaurants have to suffer, when people make several reservations for the same day and then cancel at least one of them without warning.

“Even in great restaurants customers cancel without having the slightest idea of the economic impact of their action,” the managing director of Les Grandes Tables du Monde, an association of top restaurants Nicolas Chatenier told the media.

Restaurants reportedly have to follow the trend due to French gastronomical habits, in particular fondness for lengthy meals. French cafes cannot allow two bookings for the same table, like restaurants in Britain and the US, as they cannot be sure that the first group will leave before the second one appears.

The financial losses due to no-shows are really significant, accounting for up to 30 percent of the restaurants entire revenue, according to Xavier Zeitoun, founder of a restaurant booking site Zenchef, as cited by the media. The businessman noted that 245 restaurants have adopted the new system so far.

Chatenier said that annual losses of an average Michelin-starred restaurant may total up to €150,000, stressing that one canceled table may wipe out the profits it could make in the evening.

To tackle the problem the Tour d’Argent restaurant has reportedly imposed a cancellation fee of €100 per head at lunchtime and €200 for the dinner service, while the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant obliges clients who book a table and cancel less than ten days before the meal, to pay €86 per head.

Travel News | eTurboNews

India’s tea gardens beckon tourists

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India, one of the top tea producers in the world, is experimenting with tea tourism in view of the growing interest shown by tourists to visit tea plantations and tea factories. Ambling through a sprawling tea plantation with greenery all around in the early hours of the day watching a group of local women plucking two leaves and a bud at a fast pace with their nimble hands and collecting them into baskets slung on their shoulders is a winning sight for tourists. India now leads to give tea-buffs and tourists a closer understanding of tea by organizing tea tourism at places like Assam, Darjeeling (West Bengal), Nilgiris belt in Tamil Nadu, and a few pockets in Kerala and Karnataka.

Tea tourism is defined as tourism that is motivated by an interest in the history, culture, traditions and consumption of tea. Estate bungalows amidst sweeping acres of manicured tea plantations have now been converted into tourist accommodations. Not just staying in the midst of tea gardens, tea tourists  are taken to a tea factory, where they get to experience how the fresh green leaves are brought into the tea factory for withering to the rolling, drying and shifting stages, grading and packaging and followed by  a tea-tasting session where they could sip some of the finest tea that is grown in that area.

A view of Tea plucking in a tea garden of Assam

Assam in the lead for tea tourism

The first name that crops up in mind for tea tourism is Assam, the largest tea producing region in India.  The Assam Tea Tourism Festival held at Jorhat every year is a big hit with tourists. Staying in a rustic  colonial-era planter’s bungalow has its own charm. Home to more than 800 tea estates in the state,  where amidst luxury and serenity one can drift back in time to days of that elegant colonial aristocracy.  The B & A Limited operates through seven quality Tea Estates in the India’s largest tea growing region of Assam. The Guwahati Tea Action Centre, one of the busiest tea trading facilities in the world, is a place not to be missed. Others  include Corramore Tea Estate, Teloijan Tea Estate and Khongea Tea Estate besides a host of others.

Another major development which is currently in progress is the tourist-friendly makeover of  world’s oldest and biggest tea research center at Tocklai (Assam), with edifices  that each have a story to tell. A.K. Barooah, director of the Tea Research Association, said recently that the Tocklai Guest House, a heritage building, was home to  British tea planters A tea museum will be built with suitable dioramas, models and displays. He said Tocklai can tie-up with other tea tourism enterprises like Kaziranga Golf Resort (Bura Sahib bungalow), Banyan Grove and Thengal Manor bungalow in Jorhat district, the Mancotta chang bungalow and Chowkidingee chang bungalow situated in the heart of Dibrugarh town.”

West Bengal is also fast catching up with Assam in promoting tea tourism. Its Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last month mentioned that her government will consider tea tourism to benefit tea plantations in the state.

She said, “We have allocated more than Rs. 1,000 crore for the welfare of tea garden workers since 2011. Tea tourism is also under our consideration.”

The WB state government permits one acre of tea estates to be used for tourism purposes. Currently there are 87 operational tea gardens in Darjeeling district covering an aggregated area of about 19,000 hectares under tea plantation. Darjeeling surrounded by tea orchards that produce the famous light-colored and aromatic Darjeeling Tea has the right ingredients for tea tourism. Makaibari Tea Estate and Homestay in Kurseong, 37 kms from Darjeeling, is one of the top tea producing gardens in the world. In the vicinity of  Darjeeling is the Happy valley Tea Estate, one of the highest tea gardens in the world. Raj-era estates located in some of the most scenic destinations in India — the rolling Himalayan foothills of Darjeeling and Dooars beckon tourists. Some famous estates include Glenburn Tea Estate, Sourenee Tea Estate, Singtom Tea Estate and Resort, Ambootia Tea Garden, Barnesbeg Tea Estate and  Castleton Tea Estate among others. Goodricke Group Ltd. is offering tourism opportunities in one of its tea estates in  Darjeeling where it has five gardens.

South India also catching up fast

Besides the Northeast belt, in south it is Tamil Nadu which is home to some of the largest tea-growing belts in the country. Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu is the largest tea producing district in South India, and its tea is  renowned for its aroma and flavor. With Tamil Nadu producing  65% of tea in South India spanning an area of 65,000 hectares, the Nilgiris area offers great scope for tea tourism. Valparai, a quaint hill station located about 100 km from Coimbatore, is teeming with tea plantations. Billimalai Tea Estate at Glendale, about 10 kilometers from Coonoor, is a perfect place to experience  how tea is processed.

Munnar in Kerala is rustic belle of hill stations where acres and acres of tea plantations feast one’s eyes. A visit to country’s first Tea Museum at Nallathanni Estate is highly recommended at it narrates the history of tea production in the region. The Kundala Tea Plantation in Munnar offers tourists the tea making process in great detail. Tea Sanctuary here is home to refurbished vintage colonial style bungalows amidst misty tea plantations. Considered the  highest altitude tea plantation in the world, Kolukkumalai, near Munnar, is known for  preserving the British heritage in tea-making at the factory here. Wayanad in Kalpatta district produces substantial amount of tea whose lush green tea gardens are a feast for the sore eyes. The Wayanad Tea County in the midst  of the picturesque  395 acre estate, many  vantage viewpoints, and trekking routes is a better option.

In Karnataka, Coorg, and  the Baba Budan Hills in Chickmagalur are tea-producing regions, but tea tourism is yet to catch here.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Qatar Airways partners with Rolls-Royce to trial its Virtual Reality training tool

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Qatar Airways is proud to be the global launch partner of Rolls-Royce’s new Virtual Reality training tool. Recognized for its ongoing commitment to innovation, Qatar Airways is the first airline to trial the ground-breaking new technology as part of its engineering training plan.

The new tool is designed to provide engineers with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB refresher training in a virtual environment without the need for a physical engine to work on. Qatar Airways engineers will be the first in the industry to experience this cutting-edge technology.

The Trent XWB, which powers the Qatar Airways A350 fleet, is Rolls-Royce’s largest engine and must be separated before engineers can transport it for maintenance and repair. Using HTC Vive equipment, engineers will be immersed in the process, using sight, sound and touch to separate the two parts of the engine in a virtual setting, without the complexity and cost of a real engine.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is an airline of the future, and we constantly strive to deliver innovation in every area of our business. Our ultimate goal is to provide our customers with a quality on-board experience every time they travel, and by adopting the latest technology in our engineering department, we aim to ensure that they arrive at their destination smoothly and without disruption. We are very excited about the new Virtual Reality training tool offered by Rolls-Royce and we are proud that they have chosen Qatar Airways as their global launch partner.”

Rolls-Royce, President – Civil Aerospace, Mr. Chris Cholerton, said: “At Rolls-Royce we are designing, testing, and maintaining engines in the digital realm, so it makes sense that we bring cutting-edge technology to our training programmes. In the same way pilots complete elements of their training in a simulator, certain engineering tasks can be taught through Virtual Reality. Qatar Airways was the first customer to take delivery of the Trent XWB, and their forward-thinking vision across their business makes them the perfect launch partner for this technology.”

The Rolls-Royce Virtual Reality training platform trial follows Qatar Airways’ first venture into the world of Virtual Reality when it became IATA’s global launch partner of RampVR™ in August 2018. The award-winning system, pioneered by IATA, utilises the latest virtual-reality technology to simulate real air-side conditions for ground handling and ground service operator training. The RampVR™ system is being used by Qatar Airway’s Talent Development department to train their ground operations teams.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Melbourne Gay Night Club shooting kills one, injures three

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Melbourne and locals alike find Love Machine nightclub in Prahran to be a popular part of  Melbourne R&B and house music over 3 floors. This flashy gay and mixed nightclub with a funky, contemporary setup and 2 bars is popular with a mixed/gay crowd. Love Machine hosts ‘Gossip Sundays’, featuring talented DJ’s, dancers and shows

A security guard is dead and three others were seriously injured after a gunman fired indiscriminately into a group of people outside this busy Melbourne nightclub Sunday night.

Aaron Khalid Osmani, 37, from Narre Warren South was rushed to hospital after the drive-by shooting outside the Love Machine nightclub in Prahran on Sunday morning.

Three security guards and one patron were shot in the incident, which occurred just after 3am outside the nightclub on Little Chapel Street and Malvern Road.

Osmani was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition. He died later in hospital. A 28-year-old is still is fighting for life at The Alfred hospital. Two others, aged 50 and 29, sustained non-life threatening injuries.

A stolen black Porsche Cayenne used in the shooting was later found burnt out in Wollert in the city’s north.

One person injured in the shooting ran around the corner into Chapel Street.

Police are yet to talk to the victims in full detail due to their injuries. They are still confirming whether the person found on Chapel Street was one of the four injured or if there is a fifth person who was shot.

Blood could be seen on the footpath more than 100 metres from the nightclub. Clothes and bullet casings were also scattered on the ground.

Homicide Detective Inspector Andy Stamper said it was too early to say whether it was a targeted or random shooting. No arrests have been made.

Chapel Street is home to a number of popular nightclubs and the shooting on Sunday occurred while many people were still out.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Antigua and Barbuda strengthens its partner relations for win-win solutions for the upcoming cruise season 2019/2020

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Antigua & Barbuda’s Tourism Delegation led by the Hon. H. Charles Fernandez held a series of meetings with the country’s critical cruise line Partners  at Seatrade Cruise Global, the cruise industry’s largest annual conference being held at the newly rebuilt Miami Beach Convention Center.

The annual Seatrade Cruise Global Conference presented Antigua and Barbuda with a not to be missed opportunity to showcase its products and services to the cruise industry buyers and decision makers. It provided unique networking opportunities with industry leaders from all facets of the industry, and exposed its tourism executives to the conference’s educational industry programs, which allows participants to stay ahead of the curve.

The Country’s vibrant destination booth was a hub of activity as Antigua and Barbuda tourism officials conducted a series of one-on-one meetings, and media interviews.

In its communication to the major cruise lines the destination provided updates to its industry partners on its recently announced partnership with Global Port Holdings (GPH) and the Government’s strategic plans to expand the St. John’s Port facilities, to position the destination to take advantage of the growing industry trend towards larger cruise ships.

GPH also used the opportunity to announce its partnership with its two new Caribbean destinations Antigua and Barbuda and the Bahamas at a gala reception attended by over 600 cruise industry stakeholders.

In meeting after meeting Cruise-line executives reconfirmed their support for the initiative taken by Antigua & Barbuda to improve its infrastructure to offer the best possible service to cruise passengers. This more than anything else will ensure it remains well positioned as a premier cruise destination of choice within the Caribbean on many of the cruise line itineraries.

A major increase for the destination comes from a Key European cruise line partner TUI Cruises whose new ship the Mein Schiff 2, will increase calls to the destination after an absence of three years. Mein Schiff 2 will visit the destination on its inaugural call on November 6th with a total of 13 calls for season 2019/20 bringing over 37,000 passengers.

Another key Partner Norwegian Cruise Lines will return with the Norwegian “Epic” which was a diversion that has now become permanent, along with the Norwegian “Bliss” in the breakaway plus class. This ship will make its inaugural call on December 9th with over 4,000 passengers.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL) one of the Country’s key partners confirmed that larger ships will be serving the destination this upcoming season and we will see an increase to approximately 250,000 passengers this year from its various lines. Antigua and Barbuda continues to record strong customer satisfaction scores of 8.8 out of a maximum of 10 with RCCL guests.

MSC cruise lines the world’s fastest growing cruise line, indicated Antigua is and will continue to be a key port of call as the company has 10 new ships on order and will be increasing its fleet to 29 ships with the delivery of one new ship per year up to 2027.

In a joint meeting with representatives for all the Carnival Corporation Cruise Lines the commitment was given at the highest level by all the attendee member lines to continue to work together with Antigua and Barbuda to our mutual benefit.

The Country’s presence at Seatrade also facilitates local stakeholder partners to also meet cruise line executives to increase their tours and excursion business. Local partners included Wadadli Cats, South American Ventures Ltd, The Rendezvous Company and Tropical Adventures.

Minister of Tourism the Hon. Charles Fernandez in all meetings thanked our cruise line partners for their support over the years and reconfirmed our commitment to work with all partners for win-win outcomes as the country continues on its development path to be a premier port of call for all cruise lines visiting the Caribbean.  “The Industry leaders have  reported that 2018 was the best year for profitability and have forecasted that, with a record orderbook for 70 new ships over the next three years and a record 25 million set to cruise in 2019, the Caribbean continues to be the world’s number one cruising destination. The renewed focus on improving our infrastructure by the Government has now positioned the destination to increase its share of this business,” said Minister Fernandez.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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

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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

A Japanese castle, Sanjuro the cat, and a remarkable recovery in tourism

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Bitchū Matsuyama Castle, also known as Takahashi Castle, is a castle located in Takahashi, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. It is not to be confused with Matsuyama Castle in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture.

The Takahashi City Tourist Association is upbeat, with an official of the association saying: “We want to liven up the whole city with Sanjuro.”

A feline “lord” of Bitchu Matsuyama Castle in Takahashi, Okayama Prefecture, is contributing to a recovery in tourism that was dealt a heavy hit from natural disasters last summer.

The name of the cat lord of the popular castle, which is nicknamed “castle in the sky”, is Sanjuro. He settled in the precincts of the castle in the wake of torrential rains in western Japan in July last year.

Because Sanjuro is super-friendly to people, he has attracted attention on social media.

The number of tourists coming to the castle, that fell at one point after the torrential rains, recovered rapidly, thanks to Sanjuro. He is now serving as a living “beckoning cat”, the auspicious cat statue often displayed in stores and other businesses.

Sanjuro is a male with white and brown fur. He is thought to be three or four years old.

On July 21 last year, castle cleaner Ryoichi Motohara found the cat wandering in the castle’s Sannomaru area. “At the time, I thought he was an abandoned cat, because he was very skinny.”

After observing the cat for several days, the cleaner started feeding him. From then, he began appearing in the castle’s Honmaru main area, mingling with tourists.

The cat never got angry when people would touch him. He responded to people with cute manners while purring. He became widely known through word of mouth and via online sites.

The tourist association gave the cat the name Sanjuro in tribute to Tani Sanjuro, a samurai warrior of the Bitchu Matsuyama clan who served as a troop captain of Shinsengumi, a samurai squad in the last years of the Edo period (1603-1867).

As the number of newspaper articles and TV programmes reporting about Sanjuro grew, his owner was identified around October last year.

Ms Megumi Nanba, 40, who lives in the city about 6km from the castle, said that she had been searching for her cat, who ran away from their home on July 14.

As she loved her cat and he was also was attached to her children, Ms Nanba at first wanted to take him back home. Eventually, though, Ms Nanba and her family members discussed the matter and decided to hand over their cat to the tourist association.

“I was really relieved when I found out he was alive. If he likes living in the castle, it is good for him (to stay there),” she said.

In November last year, an official of the tourist association took him home to prepare for a media presentation, and Sanjuro ran away again.

Although the association tried to find him by distributing leaflets and other means, Sanjuro could not been found, which made officials of the association increasingly worried.

Sanjuro was finally found 19 days later. Since then, the officials have kept him inside the castle’s administrative office building in the Honmaru area so as not to have such a painful feeling again.

In December last year, the association officially appointed Sanjuro to the post of “castle lord cat”. His duty as the castle lord is to stroll around in the castle twice a day, with officials holding him on a leash.

Sanjuro is highly popular for his friendliness towards visitors, such as rubbing against people’s legs and neatly sitting down on their knees.

According to the tourist association, the number of visitors in July last year in the wake of the torrential rains fell to about 20 per cent compared with that in the previous year. But in February this year, the number passed 4,000 – 40 per cent higher than that in the previous year.

The association designated March 16 as the “Day of Sanjuro” as a play on words – 3 (san), 10 (ju) and 6 (roku) – and held an event.

Tourists from across the nation swarmed to take photos of Sanjuro that day.

Ms Miho Hatanaka, 44, from Otake, Hiroshima Prefecture, said: “He is so friendly and tame. I wish I could hug him a long time.”

Her daughter Nanami, a nine-year-old elementary school student, said: “He’s so cute. I hope he keeps playing the role of castle lord.”

The association produces official items with his photo such as key chains and postcards, as well as digital stamps which can be used on LINE, a free communication app.

Manager of the tourist association Hideo Aihara said: “With Sanjuro at the core, new movements including developments of items and event plans have been occurring.

“We want to expand this positive trend while cooperating with various entities.”

Travel News | eTurboNews