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Anguilla scores a three-peat! Voted Best Caribbean Island third year in a row in Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2019

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The Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) is delighted to announce that for a truly unprecedented third year in a row, Anguilla has been ranked #1 island in the Caribbean, Bermuda and Bahamas in the 2019 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, honoring the top travel destinations and companies around the globe as rated by its readers. The Island was also claimed the #6 position on the Top 15 Best Islands in the World list.

“We are extremely pleased and proud to once again receive this prestigious Award, a wonderful endorsement of our exceptional tourism product,” said the Hon. Cardigan Connor, Parliamentary Secretary in Anguilla’s Ministry of Tourism. “The credit for this Award goes beyond our tourism stakeholders to all the people of Anguilla, and our longstanding tradition of warm hospitality that brings our visitors back, year after year,” he continued.


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“We are thrilled that Anguilla has been voted the #1 Island in the Caribbean for the third year in a row, and the #6 Island in the World, by this discerning group of experienced, global travelers,” said ATB Chairperson, Mrs. Donna Banks. “Over the past two years we have restructured the Anguilla Tourist Board, bringing new talent into the organization, strengthening our marketing department, and expanding our outreach to stakeholders. We are greatly encouraged by this Award, which validates our change in strategy and direction.”

Three Anguilla resorts are featured in the Top 25 Caribbean Resort Hotels category – Frangipani Beach Resort ranked #2; Malliouhana, Auberge Resort Collection ranked #14; and Zemi Beach House Hotel & Spa ranked #24. The Frangipani Beach Resort is once again the only property featured in the Top Hotels Overall, ranked #46.

Starting in December 2018, Anguilla has achieved record-breaking tourist arrivals every month through May 2019, the latest month for which visitor arrivals are available. With brand new and newly renovated resorts, a host of new attractions, and a new campaign, “Beyond Extraordinary” that focuses on the Anguilla experience, the island’s tourism industry is on track to realize its best year ever in terms of both arrivals and revenues.

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The World’s Best Awards appear in the August 2019 issue of Travel + Leisure, on sale July XX, and online at this link: https://www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best. A special reception to celebrate the winners will be held on July 16, 2019 at the new Times Square EDITION in New York City.

For more information on Anguilla please visit the official website of the Anguilla Tourist Board: www.IvisitAnguilla.com; follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/AnguillaOfficial; Instagram: @Anguilla_Tourism; Twitter: @Anguilla_Trsm, Hashtag: #MyAnguilla.

About Anguilla

Tucked away in the northern Caribbean, Anguilla is a shy beauty with a warm smile. A slender length of coral and limestone fringed with green, the island is ringed with 33 beaches, considered by savvy travelers and top travel magazines, to be the most beautiful in the world.

Anguilla lies just off the beaten path, so it has retained a charming character and exclusivity. Yet because it can be conveniently reached from two major gateways: Puerto Rico and St Martin, and by private air, it’s a hop and a skip away.

Romance? Barefoot elegance? Unfussy chic? And untrammeled bliss?

Anguilla is Beyond Extraordinary. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Alison Ross, Anguilla Tourist Board, North America, T. 917-858-2411, E. rossa@pmgroup.bz

Seychelles efforts for a sustainable destination in the forefront

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The destination joins the rest of the world to celebrate world environment day, a time us to reflect on sustainable tourism and how Seychelles as a destination is actively advocating for natural conservation.

As Seychelles took home the award for the Indian Ocean’s Leading Sustainable Tourism Destination 2019 at the 26th Edition of the World Travel Awards (WTA) held at the Sugar Beach- A Sun Resort in Mauritius on Saturday June 1, 2019.

Seychelles is one of those countries on the planet that is most reliant on tourism and fully realise the need to behave in such a way that its many resources are not squandered over the short term, but rather, used wisely so that they remain available for future generations of Seychellois.

At the forefront of keeping Seychelles sustainable is our very own Ministry of the Environment and its plans for waste management with the specific aim of reducing the amount of waste going into the landfill, which produces unwanted greenhouse gases, consumes scarce land and releases dangerous leachate into the environment.

The initiative towards developing a recycling system for PET and aluminium cans which started in 2008 is still ongoing and being sustained by importation and environmental levies. A glass bottle recycling system is also being implemented and has taken effect during 2018.

Additional restrictions are also being applied to the manufacture, trade and distribution of domestically produced and imported plastic bags of under 30 micrometres thickness.

 In 2017, the Ministry of Environment banned the use of manufacturing and sale of plastic, Styrofoam boxes and plastic utensils, rather promoting the use of paper boxes, reusable bags and other biodegradable substitutes. The government is working on setting up a waste-sorting centre to sort different types of waste for exportation.

Most recently, Plastic straw importation has been banned as of Friday, 1 February 2019. The sale, use, manufacturing, and processing of plastic straws ban has been reinforced as of 1 June 2019.

In order to benefit from the latest research, the Seychelles Ministry of Environment has been collaborating with different universities and also the World Bank and European Union to gather information about waste management in Seychelles and the development of a sustainable, 10-year waste management plan, which includes a waste-characterisation study and students’ exchange programme.

The ministry is also behind a composting programme where green waste will go to the landfill and also an education and awareness programme about effective waste management and waste sorting.

Meanwhile, the Seychelles Blue Bond Project which was presented at the recent Economist World Ocean Summit in Bali and which has already been awarded with the 2017 Ocean Innovation Challenge. It involves the government issuing a blue bond valued at $15 million over 10 years with guarantees from the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility to support the transition to sustainable fisheries.

The need for sustainability also underpins Seychelles’ exploration of the ocean for biotechnology as well as its research into alternative forms of energy such as that provided by, for example, wave power or solar farms, to lessen the load on imported and increasingly expensive forms of power production.

However, sustainability’s lowest common denominator remains the manner in which we each make a concerted effort to lessen our footprint on the planet and to consume its resources in ways that will make them available to future generations of Seychellois and tourists alike. It is when, as individuals, we truly begin to change our habits to take into consideration the broader, long term, needs of our environment and communities that we most favourably affect our prospects of success.

“As we commemorated World Environment Day on June 5, and looking at celebrating World Ocean Day on June 8, it is important we remember that our immaculate environment is the reason Seychelles is considered one of the best destination around the world. It is great to see that our government alongside the NGOs and the public remain focus on ecological measures. Our legacy to the younger generations has to be at the level of what our forefathers left for us,” said Mrs. Francis.

Article written with the collaboration of Glynn Burridge / TOURISM CONSULTANT / COPYWRITER, SEYCHELLES TOURISM BOARD

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel  www.seychelles.travel

Seychelles’ Best recognized at World Travel Awards in Mauritius

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Seychelles’ best performing tourism related businesses have been recognized at the 26th Edition of the World Travel Awards (WTA) in Mauritius  on June 1, 2019 in a ceremony held at the at the Sugar Beach- A Sun Resort.

During the same ceremony, the destination was crowned Indian Ocean’s Leading Sustainable Tourism Destination 2019; Mrs. Sherin Francis Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive collected the prize on behalf of the destination.

Minister Didier Dogley, Minister for Tourism Civil Aviation Ports and Marine and Mrs. Anne Lafortune Principal Secretary for Tourism also represented Seychelles at the ceremony; Mr. Ronny Brutus Seychelles Ports Authority (SPA) CEO accompanied them.

Speaking about the various companies rewarded WTA; Minister Dogley mentioned his satisfaction that Seychelles is appreciated for its commitment to excellence in service, he further mentioned that he is confident that the service industry in Seychelles will keep on flourishing.

In the Indian Ocean region, Air Seychelles was crowned Leading Airline – Economy Class 2019, while Port Victoria was named Indian Ocean’s Leading Cruise Port 2019 and Constance Hotels & Resorts topped as Indian Ocean’s Leading Hotel Brand 2019 in their respective categories.

Prizes on a national level were as follows; Le Château de Feuilles was rewarded as Seychelles’ Leading Boutique Hotel 2019 and Hertz made it for Seychelles’ Leading Car Rental Company 2019.

Eden Bleu Hotel, Constance Ephelia, The H Resort, Beau Vallon Beach were named Seychelles’ Leading Conference Hotel 2019,Seychelles’ Leading Family Resort 2019 and Seychelles’ Leading Green Resort 2019 respectively, while Constance Lémuria Seychelles was acknowledged as Seychelles’ Leading Hotel 2019.

The Three-Bedroom Beach Suite @ Four Seasons Resort Seychelles claimed the title for Seychelles’ Leading Hotel Suite 2019; Seychelles’ Leading Luxury Hotel Villa 2019 category was picked up by Two Bedroom Oceanfront Pool Villa @ Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa

Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island was capped Seychelles’ Leading Luxury Resort 2019 and finally Seychelles’ Leading Resort 2019 rewarded JA Enchanted Island Resort as best performer in its category.

“Once again Seychelles as a destination with world class hotel establishments providing excellent service to their clients has shined.  The accolades received by Seychelles through its airline, sea port and also the top hotels clearly confirms that hard work, dedication and an unwavering strive towards excellence is what is required to sustain and grow our tourism industry.  I congratulate all the awardees,” said Minister Dogley.

World Travel Award celebrates its 26th anniversary year in 2019. Its annual programme is renowned as the most prestigious and comprehensive in the global industry. In 2019, World Travel Awards Grand Tour features regional gala ceremonies in North America & the Caribbean (Jamaica), Middle East (Abu Dhabi, UAE), Africa & the Indian Ocean (Mauritius), Europe (Madeira, Portugal), Latin America (La Paz, Bolivia), and Asia & Oceania (Phu Quoc, Vietnam). Regional winners then compete head to head in in the corresponding world categories. The winners will be announced on the night of the World Travel Awards Grand Final in Muscat, Oman in November 2019.

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel  www.seychelles.travel

Puerto Rico Tourism: Out with the old, in with the new

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“Since our inception last July, we hit the ground running to accelerate the tourism economy,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico. “This brand campaign follows a strong publicity effort that set up Puerto Rico as the top place to visit in 2019 and a recently revamped website, DiscoverPuertoRico.com.

“The creative highlights our two strongest assets – our culture and our people – and will help us strengthen traveler’s familiarity with what makes our Island one-of-a-kind.”  The campaign officially launches today across digital channels via digital banners, social, pre-roll and a follow-up TV spot that will launch in coming weeks in key markets. Additional marketing support is expected throughout the rest of 2019, to attract visitors to the Island during the summer travel season.”

Discover Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico’s newly-established Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), announced today the rollout of Puerto Rico’s brand campaign called “Have We Met Yet?” which draws inspiration from Puerto Rico’s cultural and natural offerings and at its essence, focuses on the hospitable and welcoming nature of its people. By posing the question “Have We Met Yet?” the creative re-introduces the Island to the world and brings to life the exotic yet familiar essence of Puerto Rico. As the U.S. mainland’s “neighbor to the south,” the new campaign showcases through Puerto Rico’s iconic doors how the Island welcomes visitors with open arms.

Following extensive research that showed that Puerto Rico’s brand identity was neutral in the minds of travelers, this new campaign is this next phase of Discover Puerto Rico’s brand repositioning process, enabling the Island to fully capitalize on its rich tourism product offerings and emerge as a leading Caribbean destination. The creative repositions the island as that neighbor that one dreams of – with the festive flair, the ocean view, the incredible art collection, the delicious food. Puerto Rico is the neighbor you’ll laugh with, celebrate with, and maybe even fall in love with.

“Puerto Rico’s people, its rich culture and unparalleled natural offerings, combined with the fact that it’s a U.S. territory and easily accessible, were key factors that led to this creative. We’re excited to debut this brand campaign as it opens the door, literally, to endless possibilities that showcase the spirit of the Puerto Rican people and everything the Island has to offer,” said Leah Chandler, CMO of Discover Puerto Rico.

Travelers exposed to the new brand campaign will be immediately drawn by the colorful vibrant doors and stunning imagery found throughout the Island. The creative highlights many aspects that make Puerto Rico a unique destination—ranging from its people, its cuisine, its festive spirit, its natural attractions, and much more.

“The campaign invites travelers to visit Puerto Rico and meet us, the neighbor that you can’t live without,” said Chandler. “Puerto Rico was named the #1 Place to Visit in 2019 by the New York Times and has topped over 20 other notable lists of places to visit this year,” she added. “We want to send a message to all travelers that this is THE year to visit Puerto Rico. The entire island is eager to welcome them.”

The creative was ideated and produced by Beautiful Destinations, with support from local production crews who traveled throughout the Island to capture the beautiful scenery, thousands of colorful doors, and welcoming faces of the Puerto Rican people.

To view the “Have We Met Yet?” creative online, visit YouTube.com/DiscoverPuertoRico and be on the lookout for additional campaign creative coming soon.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Lufthansa makes dedicated staff look bad: The eTN Hero is Patricia Dzai of Swissport Johannesburg

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Lufthansa

“My personal hero today is Ms. Patricia Dzai. Patricia works for Swissport in Johannesburg, South Africa,” said eTN Publisher Juergen Steinmetz. Swissport is one of the largest aviation ground-handling agencies operating in countries around the world.

Major airlines hire Swissport to manage customer relations and logistics when it comes to baggage handling, including lost or misplaced items.

Lufthansa German Airlines’ ground handler in Johannesburg is Swissport. I recently traveled from Nice to Cape Town via Frankfurt and Johannesburg on Lufthansa German Airlines. I am a United Airlines Star Alliance Gold member and traveled on Lufthansa in Business class. Lufthansa is a member of Star Alliance.

When I arrived in Johannesburg, I heard my name called by Lufthansa’s lost baggage office handled by Swissport.

I was told my tube was still in Frankfurt, and they would put it on the next flight to Johannesburg. I explained it was of utmost importance to have the tube for an important trade show event, the World Travel Market in Cape Town, in the morning.

Patricia Dzai, the Swissport agent in Johannesburg, wanted to make sure this would be possible and sent an urgent message to Lufthansa in Frankfurt. The message said:

 

 

 

 

 

I was pleased to know my tube would go on LH 576 directly to Cape Town almost in time for the start of World Travel Market.

I went on to fly to Cape Town and received a text message in the evening saying my tube would be on the Lufthansa flight to Johannesburg, which was different from what Patricia had requested. Since it was late and the Swissport office in Johannesburg was closed, I was able to find a non-published phone number for Lufthansa baggage service in Frankfurt. Lufthansa, like most airlines, is hiding phone numbers to encourage passengers to communicate only by email.

I was told by Lufthansa Baggage Service in Frankfurt no such message to forward my tube to Cape Town was ever received by Swissport Johannesburg. The agent went on to say that passengers are often not told the truth by Swissport agents.

The Lufthansa agent in Frankfurt explained that his job was not to help me, since this was only handled in Johannesburg. I argued my tube is in Frankfurt and not Johannesburg, and the handling agent for Swissport in Johannesburg was closed.

The agent then said he was now doing a one-time exception for me and would reroute my tube on LH576 directly to Cape Town. He said there were 5 hours to get this done, still plenty of time according to him.

The next day I received another message telling me again the tube was on its way to Johannesburg instead of Cape Town.

I called Swissport in Johannesburg, and the news not could have been worse. They told me, apologizing, that my tube was still in Frankfurt for a second day, and they did not know why.

I again called the baggage-handling office in Frankfurt and was again told it’s all Swissport’s mistake for not telling them where to send it.

This time I was angry and called Swissport Johannesburg again. I asked Patricia why she was lying about this. I told her she never sent this request to Frankfurt, according to Lufthansa.

Ten minutes later, I received an email with a time-stamped screenshot from Patricia Dzai showing me exactly what was requested by her in the first place.

Patricia actually had gone out of her way originally to make sure I would be united with my tube on time and in Cape Town. I felt bad thinking she didn’t care and didn’t do anything, when in fact she did.

It shows that big companies like Lufthansa have a serious customer service issue. They hide behind a huge system and are trained to say it’s not their job and simply blame others for company shortcomings.

There was no way I could talk to anyone at Lufthansa about this, and my urgent email to them on the day I was trying to get the tube re-routed was just responded to 2 weeks after I was already back home in Hawaii. Lufthansa offered a 200 euro compensation.

No explanation was given and no apology for accusing Patricia Dzai and Swissport for not doing their job.

I finally received my tube on the last day after the trade show and took it back to the US unopened. When I changed planes in Frankfurt, I asked the agent working in the Senator Lounge to speak to a supervisor in baggage handling about this case and compensation. She told me I have to send an email, which I had already done days ago.

She gave me some chocolate and said they get customers’ complaints all the time and do their best to help and respond, but the back-up system by the airline is not there.

It’s all about a giant non-caring anonymous machine.

I extend my apologies to Patricia Dzai from Swissport, as I now understand she was also a victim of shortcomings created by Lufthansa German Airlines.

Patricia Dzai is the eTN Hero for today.

Travel News | eTurboNews