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The Seychelles Islands displayed at the MATKA Nordic Travel Fair 2019

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The Seychelles Tourism Board team in the Nordic Regions brought some sunshine to cold Finland as the Seychelles destination was represented at the MATKA Nordic Travel Fair 2019.

The Matka trade show, which is the largest travel fair in the Nordic Region, was held in Messukeskus Helsinki from January 17 to January 20, 2019. It’s the main travel platform in the region where everyone meets to conduct business.


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During the 4-day event, the Seychelles Island stand, which consisted of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), team members alongside other trade partners was located in the ‘Sun & Sea’ themed area together with other exotic destinations. The opportunity allowed the team to actively entice visitors to get to know the Seychelles Islands.

The delegation comprised of STB Marketing Director for Nordics, Ms. Karen Confait and Marketing Executive from STB headquarters, Ms. Melissa Samardzija, Mr. Ash Behari from Coco de Mer Hotel & Black Parrot Suites and Ms. Amy Michel representing Mason’s Travel.

The other participating partner on the STB stand included Finnish Tour Operators “Mr. Travel”, who was also present to assist with the promotion of the destination and offer their services to Nordic customers willing to visit Seychelles.

Several other operators also provided flyers with special offers, which were important as clients were looking for prices and packages.

The first two days of the trade show were mainly dedicated for trade professionals (B2B), whereas the remaining days saw a high attendance of the public in general. Ms. Confait mentioned that they noticed that many visitors who visited the STB stand for information, had already booked their trip to Seychelles, while others were shopping around to decide on their next holiday destination.

On the first day of the fair, STB in partnership with Emirates hosted the main Finnish trade partners to a networking dinner, a small token to thank them for their continued support on the market and to encourage them to keep Seychelles in mind while proposing holiday destinations to their clients.

Talking about Seychelles participation at Matka 2019, STB Marketing Director for Nordics, Ms. Karen Confait mentioned that the STB team took the opportunity to meet several regular collaborators including Qatar Airways, Emirates and Turkish Airlines as well as our main trade partners from both Finland and Sweden. She also commented on her satisfaction at the volume of people visiting the stand this year.

“It is very encouraging to see that the destination is thriving in the Nordics. Each year we have seen the growing interest and Matka is the ideal platform for us to meet our main partners at the beginning of the year to discuss the action plans for the year as well as to continue to build and strengthen our relationship with the travel trade” said Ms. Confait.

The Matka Trade Show 2019 recorded a total number of 64,589 visitors compared to 63,599 visitors in 2018, showing an increase of 1.56% in the number of visitors attending the show this year.

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister in talks with potential Israeli investors

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Bartlett in talks with potential Israeli investors

Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says major hotel brands in Israel have expressed interest in investing in Jamaica and are expected to visit the island soon.

“I am very happy to share that our meetings in the Mediterranean have been very fruitful. We have met with a number of hoteliers including the luxury brand Brown Hotels. Their properties are a very trendy group, similar to the Hard Rock brand, and I am sure it will be a great addition to our Kingston or Montego Bay offerings,’ said the Minister.

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Brown Hotels is a rapidly-expanding global boutique hotel brand with roots in Tel Aviv. Conceived by native Israelis, Leon Avigad & Nitzan Perry with partner Nir Waizman. Their properties include four hotels in Tel Aviv, two in Jerusalem and one in Croatia.

The Minister also noted that the investors have accepted his invitation to visit Jamaica, and should be in attendance at the upcoming Jamaica Rum Festival.

The Festival, which will take place at place at Hope Gardens on March 9 and 10, is being presented by J. Wray & Nephew Limited’s Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum brand in partnership with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF). It aims to promote brand Jamaica, boost tourism in Kingston and showcase Jamaica’s cultural excellence in rum, food and music.

“I am looking forward to continuing our discussions when the team arrives in Kingston next month. I am also excited that they will get an opportunity to attend this major food festival we will be hosting in Kingston. This is a potentially big find and they are ready for the Caribbean particularly Jamaica because of our music and rum which are so appealing to young people,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Minister is currently in Israel to participate in the Annual International Mediterranean Tourism Market event.

The International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM 2019) is an annual tourism event that brings together professionals and service providers from the tourism industry and introduces new attractions and tourist destinations.

The Minister is expected to return to the island on February 18.

1989-2019: Baptized by Thai monks KLM Boeing 747 landed at Amsterdam Schiphol Hotel garden

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A Boeing 747 has arrived in the garden of the Corendon Village Hotel this morning. There the plane will be converted into a 5D-experience about the 747 and the history of aviation later this year. After a five-day mega transport from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Badhoevedorp, the  Boeing 747 has arrived.

A Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet began its last journey from Schiphol Airport on Tuesday night. The dismantled aircraft was placed on a trailer of specialized transport company Mammoet to cover the 12.5 kilometers to the hotel. During that, the aircraft had to cross 17 ditches, highway A9 and one provincial road. The A9 was successfully crossed in the night from Friday to Saturday. In the night from Saturday to Sunday, the transport crossed the Schipholweg after which it was parked backward into the hotel garden, requiring 57 movements. The spectacular transport attracted worldwide attention and was covered by national en international media.

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The Boeing 747 is the former KLM aircraft ‘City of Bangkok’ that will be given a new final destination in the hotel garden after 30 years of reliable service. The plane is 64 meters wide, 71 meters long and weighs 160 tons. To keep it safe and steady, the aircraft has been lifted on 1.5 meters high steel bases, totalling 15 tons of steel. These are built on heavy concrete slabs, strong enough to carry the enormous weight.

5D experience

De Boeing will be converted into a 5D experience later this year. Visitors will be able to walk on, over or under the plane and visit places that are normally not accessible to the public. They can visit the cargo area where the luggage is loaded, learn about the fuelling of the plane, take a look in the kitchen of the business class and the cockpit on the upper deck. They can even do a wing walk over the thirty-meter-long wings. Visitors also make a journey through the history of aviation. That begins with the ancient human desire to fly and leads them from the first serious flight attempts around 1900 to the development of the Boeing 747. The highlight of the trip is the 5D experience, in which they can experience flying in all its facets. The garden where the Boeing is placed is partly an ecozone, open to hotel guests, and can be used as a festival site.

Organizer Atilay Uslu had booked a room in the hotel. Exactly on the spot where – if everything went well – the nose of the Boeing would be placed in front of the window.  “When I opened the curtains this morning, I saw her in full glory. I realized that after months of preparation we really succeeded in getting the plane to its final place with a lot of fitting and measuring. That kind of takes your breath away”,  he says.

Iconic plane

The transport of the aircraft this weekend coincided with the celebration of the first test flight of the Boeing 747 on February 9th, 1969, exactly fifty years ago. The 747 is an iconic plane and was the largest aircraft in the world until 2007. It could transport 2.5 times more passengers than other conventional types. It was also the first wide-body aircraft, with two aisles. Characteristic is also the upper deck, where the cockpit is located. KLM introduced the first Boeing 747 in its fleet in 1971. The ‘City of Bangkok’, which was added to the fleet in 1989, was then baptized by nine Thai monks. After almost thirty years of loyal service, the repainted aircraft now decorates the Corendon hotel garden.

The transport in figures

The last five-day trip of the Boeing was an impressive operation. The plane first had to be transported 8 kilometers over the Schiphol airport area and then another 4.5 kilometers through the fields. Heavy transport specialist Mammoet transported the 160-tons aircraft on a trailer that weighed even more: over 200 tons. The trailer divided the weight of the Boeing over 192 wheels. To make sure the trailer would not sink into the marshy land, a special road was constructed of approximately 2.100 metal road plates weighing 1.500 kilos each. Special bridges were built over the 17 ditches. The trailer was traveling at a speed of 5 kilometers per hour and was controlled remotely by people from Mammoet, who walked beside it. It was powered by two so-called power packs, each with a capacity of 390kW, generating more than 1000 hp. A total of 18 turns had to be taken during transport, of which the first 7 were on the airport.

IMEX Frankfurt: Gain a head start with EduMonday

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Gain a head start with EduMonday

“Inspiration is one of our core values – we’re firm believers in the power of bringing people together to learn new skills, co-create fresh ideas and innovate. Every year IMEX sets out to lead from the front by offering high value, memorable experiences – EduMonday is fast becoming one of those special ingredients.”

This year’s EduMonday delivers this, with a free program of high quality learning designed to inspire attendees to create incredible events”, Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, introduces EduMonday, an afternoon of free professional education taking place the day before IMEX in Frankfurt, 21 -23 May 2019.

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EduMonday takes place on Monday 20 May and begins with the keynote at She Means Business, created in partnership with tw tagungswirtschaft. After this attendees can stay and be part of She Means Business, celebrating the role of women in the events industry, or mix and match from a program of 20 general sessions designed around professional or personal developments.

Fresh formats and free learning opportunities for all

There are premium learning opportunities for everyone coming to IMEX – both buyers and exhibitors. Education in both English and German taps into the latest trends and issues, covering business skills, innovation, sustainability, crisis management as well as wellbeing and personal development. With emotional intelligence increasingly incorporated into event planning, IMEX is offering the Event Design Certificate Program free of charge.

All education is delivered with a fresh approach using both time-honored and pioneering new learning methods – enabling attendees to learn in small informal groups and through immersive deep dives.

Attendees can also relax and recharge in the Be Well Lounge offering wellbeing sessions and quiet space to pause, reflect and digest.

Tailor-made learning

Event professionals from all sectors and all levels can explore topics and trends via a number of dedicated events within EduMonday, all specifically curated for various audiences. Association professionals from around the world are invited to Association Day and Evening, to share best practice and connect with peers. The Agency Directors Forum is a strategic exchange for small to mid-size meetings and events agencies. There’s also education and networking exclusively for corporate/in-house meeting and event executives at Exclusively Corporate.

Bauer concludes: “Learning and making the right connections are key to keeping up to date with rapid developments in our industry and for boosting confidence, personal brand and authority. Our preshow EduMonday allows attendees to gain a head start, soaking up insider knowledge from leading experts and mixing and meeting with others – and that’s all before the show has even begun!”

Attendees can then explore destinations, venues, tech providers and more at IMEX in Frankfurt from 21 – 23 May 2019. Among the many exhibitors already confirmed are New Zealand, Senses of Cuba, Barcelona Convention Bureau, Visit Brussels, Kempinski Hotels, Meliá Hotels and Latvia. During the three days of the trade show, planners can meet with more than 3,500 suppliers from every sector of the global meetings and events industry.

EduMonday takes place on Monday 20 May, the day before IMEX in Frankfurt, 21 -23 May 2019. It’s free to enter following registration for IMEX in Frankfurt. Registration for the show is also free of charge and open to all.

A Record £3.4 Billion in Travel Industry Deals at WTM London

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WTM London 2018, the event where ideas arrive, will generate a record £3.4 billion in travel and tourism industry deals, surpassing the figure of £3.1 billion from WTM London 2017.

The global travel and tourism industry continues to grow with more than £1.4 billion trips predicted to taking place globally in 2019, with the number predicted to rise to £1.8 billion by 2030. Inbound tourism to the UK is approaching 40 million trips annually, while Brits make almost 73 million outbound trips each year.

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WTM London 2018 reflected this growth with an increase in visitors of more than 4% to a record 32,462, with the event seeing a total of almost 89,000 (88,742) visits from 51,409 participants. In total 4,664 exhibitors from 182 countries and regions took part in the event.

Independent research of WTM London’s exhibitors reveals WTM London 2018 will generate a massive £3,353,042,708 in travel industry deals, either through contracts signed at the event or from negotiations with WTM Buyers’ Club members – the buyers with the greatest purchasing responsibility in the travel industry – which will lead to deals signed before WTM London 2019.

The record number of visitors and business conducted demonstrates the success of WTM London 2018’s new Ideas Arrive Here concept, which included the introduction of five regional Inspiration Zones – UK&I and International Hub, Europe, Asia, Americas and Middle East and Africa. These Inspiration Zones led to an increase in content, ideas and inspiration for participants to take back to their business and implement to help fuel the growth of the travel and tourism industry.

This strategy saw a greater number of senior CEOs and tourism ministers take part in the content programme – including easyJet’s CEO Johan Lundgren and UK tourism minister Michael Ellis. Meanwhile, more research was added to the programme – including dedicated regional research sessions – from respected research organisations including Euromonitor International, Mintel, ForwardKeys and Nielsen.

Furthermore, two new launches in Travel Forward and the International Travel & Tourism Awards (ITTAs) grew WTM London’s reach further. Travel Forward – the event to inspire the travel and hospitality industry with the next generation of technology – was a great success with more exhibitors and visitors than its predecessor The Travel Tech Show at WTM. The inaugural ITTAs saw almost 500 audience celebrate excellence within the travel and tourism industry.

WTM London, Senior Director, Simon Press said: “I am delighted with the record amount of business conducted at WTM London 2018. This success firmly positions WTM London as the event where ideas arrive and a must-attend for national and regional tourist boards, global brands, luxury and technology companies.

“The record visitor numbers at WTM London 2018 alongside the £3.4 billion in business generated shows that WTM London – as it approaches its 40th event in 2019 – and the travel and tourism industry are both in good health.”

About World Travel Market

World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises six leading B2B events across four continents, generating more than $7 billion of industry deals. The events are: 

WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. About 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating about £3.4 billion of travel industry contracts. http://london.wtm.com/. Next event: 4-6 November 2019 – London.

Travel Forward is a new travel technology event co-located with WTM London 2018 and part of the WTM portfolio of events. The inaugural Travel Forward conference, exhibition and buyer programme will take place on 4–6 November 2019 at ExCeL London, showcasing next-generation technology for travel and hospitality. http://travelforward.wtm.com/.

WTM Latin America attracts about 9,000 senior executives and generates about US$374 million of new business. Taking place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this show attracts a global audience to meet and shape the direction of the travel industry. More than 8,000 unique visitors attend the event to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry news. http://latinamerica.wtm.com/. Next event: 2-4 April 2019 – Sao Paulo.

WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. Nearly 5,000 travel industry professionals attend Africa’s leading inbound and outbound travel and tourism market. WTM Africa delivers a proven mix of hosted buyers, media, pre-scheduled appointments, on-site networking, evening functions and invited travel trade visitors. http://africa.wtm.com/.

Next event: 10-12 April 2019 – Cape Town.

Arabian Travel Market is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2018 attracted almost 40,000 industry professionals, with representation from 141 countries over the four days. The 25th edition of ATM showcased over 2,500 exhibiting companies across 12 halls at Dubai World Trade Centre. Arabian Travel Market 2019 will take place in Dubai from Sunday, 28th April to Wednesday, 1st May 2019. To find out more, please visit: www.arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com.

CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa is a new route development forum co-located with Arabian Travel Market 2019. The inaugural event – taking place on 30th April and 1st May 2019 in Dubai – will include unlimited one-to-one pre-scheduled appointments, a conference programme, panel discussions and airline & industry briefings as well as an exhibition area dedicated to airport and suppliers. For more information, visit: www.connect-aviation.com/2019-meia/

About Reed Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events business, enhancing the power of face-to-face through data and digital tools at more than 500 events a year, in more than 43 countries, attracting more than seven million participants. Reed’s events are held in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.

About Reed Travel Exhibitions

Reed Travel Exhibitions is the world’s leading travel and tourism events organiser with a growing portfolio of more than 22 international travel and tourism trade events in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Our events are market leaders in their sectors, whether they are global and regional leisure travel trade events, or specialist events for meetings, incentives, conference, events (MICE) industry, business travel, luxury travel, travel technology as well as golf, spa and ski travel. We have more than 35 years’ experience in organising world-leading travel exhibitions.