Category: Latest Travel News

Basel (Switzerland) – April 25, 2019 (travelindex.com) – The LVMH Group has confirmed its participation for Baselworld 2020 within the current framework for its Bvlgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith brands. For 2021 and the following years, Baselworld is collaborating with the Group and its brands on new presentation concepts and formats.

“We are delighted to be cooperating with LVMH and the Bvlgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith brands again in 2020 and jointly shaping the future of Baselworld,” says Michel Loris-Melikoff, Managing Director of Baselworld. Baselworld will support each LVMH brand in the design of innovative exhibition formats for their presence in 2021 and beyond. The purpose of these new formats is to let each house express its creativity and provide an outstanding brand immersion.

“This is a creative and completely open process with no constraints or thought restrictions, that we are tackling together,” says Michel Loris-Melikoff. “Our concept for the Experience Platform is precisely that: enabling brands to flexibly present themselves to their various target audiences”.

“A common decision was reached today, together with Bvlgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith, to confirm our presence in Baselworld in 2020. We support Michel Loris-Melikoff and his team in their project to redefine and renew the concept of this major event for the Swiss watch industry,” says Stéphane Bianchi, CEO of the LVMH Watchmaking Division and CEO of TAG Heuer. “Our discussions and the changes that will be implemented will allow us to reassess our future involvement after the next edition.”

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – April 24, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Tourism in Seychelles is currently being discussed throughout the islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. Expectations have grown as more and more Seychellois have invested heavily in this industry that has become the pillar of the island’s economy. My era as the Minister responsible for Seychelles Tourism has been recognised as very successful years.

The need to now continue the growth is essential because many Seychellois have invested their life savings in this industry, as they believed it would be the springboard for greater successes. The Seychellois workforce also depend directly or indirectly on tourism as the industry to provide for them and their families. The only way this can happen is to see continued growth of the industry the Seychelles economy so depends on. Seychelles needs to remove barriers and obstacles that are seen as challenges for the industry and refrain from being overconfident and start pricing it out of the market. These would be mistakes that could really cost the People of Seychelles as a whole.

Respect breeds a better society as Reunion Island spells it out

Respect will bring a more united world as respect brings the freedom everyone wishes for. Respect brings harmony and the spirit of togetherness. Words in Reunion Island echoed by Faouzia Aboubacar Ben Vitry, the Muslim Vice President of the island’s Regional Council caught the eye of so many as she wished everyone Happy Easter.

Mrs Faouzia Aboubacar Ben Vitry said:
“Yesterday was the Chinese New Year and new Tamil Day, today is Easter, tomorrow will we shall see Eid … etc. That’s the face of my multicultural island that I love passionately!

May joy slip into your hearts from the first moments of the morning of Easter and continue throughout the year!

Sudan & Kenya needs Africa to be by their side

The situation that Sudan and Kenya are facing, needs Africa as a whole to understand their dilemma and to be by their side. The Government change in Sudan now needs to move to reconstruction phase and enable their tourism industry players to rally to put the economy on the road of consolidation. The USPs (Unique Selling Points) of Sudan are real sought after assets. Their pyramids are some of the biggest in the world and their underwater world in Sudan’s Red Sea remains a real gem. Members of the tourism industry are writing looking for assistance and the African Tourism Board remains committed to be by their side.

For Kenya, it remains the duty of Africa to stand with Minister Najib Balala, the CS for Tourism and with the Government of Kenya in the recent kidnapping of Doctors and Bomb Threats. Tourism is a success story in Kenya and they need, more than ever, their fellow friends and neighbours to spread their successes and to work with them to help counteract the effects of troubles they face from bandits from across their borders. Kenya’s wildlife is as much an asset for Kenya as it is for Africa and is another key USP. Today, the African Tourism Board confirms that they stand with Minister Balala, the Kenyan Government and People of Kenya and will work with them as and when called upon.

Lucerne (Switzerland) – April 25, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Adventure Travel Technologies (“Adventure”) today announced it has been selected by World Tourism Forum Lucerne as a finalist for the upcoming Start-Up Innovation Camp 2019 to be held in early May in Lucerne, Switzerland. Adventure is one of three finalists placed in the category of Destination. Its founder Ken Lau, is scheduled to take part in a pitching competition on the first day of the event.  Other categories are Hospitality, Impact, Mobility and Transaction.

Ken Lau, founder and CEO of Adventoro said, “We are honored to be chosen as a finalist to take part in the Start-Up Innovation Camp event in Lucerne. Having an opportunity to present Adventoro on an international stage means a lot to us as a young start-up. Moreover, we cannot wait for the new experience when we get a chance to meet industry leaders, influencers, experts, investors and many other industry players under one roof.”

Adventoro was established in late 2016 with a focus to help travellers to discover adventure activities in Malaysia. Since then it has grown the number of destinations on its platform to over 1200. Aside from Malaysia, it now offers adventure activities and destinations located in Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Company plans to include destinations in Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines by year end.

“Southeast Asia has plenty of activities to offer to adventure seekers. Since we started, response has been very encouraging from people around the world. Just in 2018 alone, our young start-up managed to rake in MYR1.2 million or USD300k in total sales. We are working harder to achieve more this year,” Ken explained.

Travel industry is fast growing including in the Southeast Asia region.

“We’ve seen many up-and-coming travel start-ups both in Malaysia and overseas. Being the only start-up chosen from Malaysia to be at World Tourism Forum Lucerne this year, is a privilege. This is a great opportunity for us to tell Adventoro story to the world when we get to Lucerne next month.”

About Adventoro
Adventoro is a new online platform that helps thrill-seekers and travelers from anywhere in the world to easily discover and book adventure-based tours and activities in Malaysia. It curates hundreds of bucket-list worthy trips and experiences which are offered through attractive packages located in various destinations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Users of Adventoro platform can also engage with Adventoro Concierge Service to inquire more about trips they are interested in.

Adventoro is owned by Adventoro Travel Technologies Sdn. Bhd. It is headquartered in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

Hagatna, Guam (Micronesia) – April 24, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Flori-Anne dela Cruz, youth representative to the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) Board of Directors, is today named as the 2019 PATA Face of the Future. This is the most prestigious honour open to young tourism professionals in the Asia Pacific region.

Dr Mario Hardy, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) said, “On behalf of PATA, I would like to congratulate Flori-Anne on winning the 2019 PATA Face of the Future award. Her commitment to the responsible development of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region and her views on how travel and tourism can contribute to a more sustainable and socially responsible industry will be a welcome asset to the 2019/2020 PATA Executive Board.”

As the 2019 PATA Face of the Future, Flori-Anne will be one of the debaters at the UNWTO/PATA Leaders Debate during the PATA Annual Summit 2019 from May 9-12 in Cebu, Philippines. She will also be invited to join the 2019/2020 PATA Executive Board as a non-voting member and observer.

“To be recognised with the prestigious PATA Face of the Future award is truly an honor. I will be forever humbled by this recognition. Today’s society has access to numerous opportunities with just a click of a button. With this, we should utilise technological innovations to lead an ambitious and proactive role in shifting the tourism industry to become more sustainable, accessible, and culturally sensitive,” said Flori-Anne. “Through collaborative efforts, we need to seek out ways on how we can accomplish this vision in the most effective and resourceful manner. I look forward to an exciting and interesting venture with PATA and other industry stakeholders in seeking out these ways.”

Flori-Anne was recently appointed by the newly elected Honourable Governor of Guam, Lourdes Leon Guerrero, as the youth representative appointed to the GVB Board of Directors. She is currently employed as a marketing specialist at ASC Trust, the largest provider of retirement plan management services in Micronesia.

Her aspirations for the future of travel and tourism can be expressed by the acronym GUAM (Going Green, Understanding Cultures, Appreciating Diversity, and Making Travel Accessible for All). These visions can best be achieved through the concerted efforts of not just all travel and tourism stakeholders but in collaboration with other industries. Furthermore, cultural awareness of the traveller and a shift in the visitor mindset is needed for better understanding and appreciation of the diversity and uniqueness of each destination. Her quest for sustainable tourism fits perfectly with the expectation of what an ideal destination and industry should aspire to become. Flori-Anne has shown willingness to not only step up and take recognition to this need, but also to become part of the solution at a very young age.

Flori-Anne graduated this past December with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Marketing and International Tourism and Hospitality Management from University of Guam. Prior to that, she received her Associate degree in Travel and Tourism Management in Guam Community College.

About PATA
Founded in 1951, PATA is a not-for-profit membership association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its more than 800 member organisations, including 95 government, state and city tourism bodies, 20 international airlines and airports, 102 hospitality organisations and 70 educational institutions, as well as over a hundred young tourism professional (YTP) members across the world. The PATA network also embraces the grassroots activism the PATA Chapters and Student Chapters, who organise numerous travel industry training programmes and business development events across the world. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 35 local PATA Chapters worldwide, while hundreds of students are members of the 22 PATA Student Chapters globally. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has official offices or representation in Beijing and London.

Bangkok (Thailand) – April 24, 2019 (travelindex.com) –The upcoming 60th anniversary of both Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai Airways International, the two founding pillars of Thai tourism, in 2020 will be a good opportunity for some serious reflection on the past, present and future of what is now the kingdom’s leading job-creating industry.

In Thai and Asian culture, the auspicious completion of the 5th cycle of life marks a “Coming of Age”. But it is also a time for “soul-searching” on how to manage the realities of “ageing”.

On Friday, June 14, 2019, for the first time, a unique Forum will be organised at the Arnoma Grand Bangkok, to reflect on how Thai travel & tourism reached the current lofty heights and the challenges it faces.  The Forum will take place from 9.30 hrs. to 16.30 hrs.

According to forum organiser and chief presenter Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor of Travel Impact Newswire, Thailand is the Greatest Story in Global Tourism HiSTORY. However, Thai tourism is now an “ageing industry” in search of ways to reinvent and reposition itself in an era of intense competition and mind-boggling change.

Mr. Muqbil, who has been reporting on Thai tourism since 1981, will be sharing his unmatched archives of reports, studies and notes on Thai tourism, how it has grown and overcome many global, regional and local crises.

Says Mr. Muqbil, “Over the next many months, dozens of seminars, forums and conferences will be held to assess the state of play. Many will be “official”, sponsored events with the usual congratulatory back-thumping. My forum will be more realistic, honest and balanced.”

The Forum, to be conducted in English, is an independent, non-sponsored event designed to ensure maximum freedom of independent discussion. It is perfectly targeted at the emerging generation of young Thai tourism leaders, expatriate travel & tourism executives (especially those newly arrived in Thailand), investors, diplomats, civil society activists, UN and other multilateral agency representatives, marketing consultants, and Chambers of Commerce members.

New emerging destinations in Asia and Africa, especially states, provinces and cities, will find it a good opportunity to learn from the successes and failures of the Thai tourism experience.

As the forum is meant for serious connoisseurs and students of Thai tourism history, attendance is being capped at 25. Please drop Imtiaz Muqbil an email to get further details on costs and other arrangements.

Contact: Imtiaz Muqbil, 02 2551480, 02 2537590. Email: imtiaz@travel-impact-newswire.com

Madrid (Spain) – April 23, 2019 (travelindex.com) –The countdown begins for the 5th World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism to be held on 2 and 3 May in Donostia-San Sebastián, organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Basque Culinary Center (BCC). International experts will analyse and discuss the influence and capacity of gastronomy tourism to create employment and promote entrepreneurship and how to increase its potential in the future. Registration to attend the forum is still open here.

Stimulating employment
The Forum will explore how the most favourable frameworks can be created in order to stimulate job creation and entrepreneurship throughout the gastronomy tourism value chain. In addition, the speakers will try to identify the most relevant skills for this type of tourism, which should foster synergies among emerging companies, promote the inclusion of disadvantaged groups and take full account of digitalization. The event will bring together speakers and experts from all regions of the world, as well as internationally renowned Basque chefs such as Elena Arzak, who is a UNWTO Ambassador for Responsible Tourism and joint head chef of the restaurant Arzak, and Andoni Luis Aduriz.

In addition, the event will host the presentation of the UNWTO/BCC Guidelines for the Development of Gastronomy Tourism.

Sessions and startups
The forum will open with a high-level panel with ministers and secretaries of state from countries that have included gastronomy tourism as part of their strategies, such as Cyprus, Slovenia or Spain, among others. Under the theme, “Public policies as key ingredients to promote gastronomy tourism”, the participants will discuss the necessary political framework for the development of gastronomy tourism as well as its capacity to create jobs and promote entrepreneurship.

In addition to shedding light on the competencies needed to meet the demands of gastronomy tourists, the sessions will encourage the creation of environments that stimulate entrepreneurship, that connect emerging companies and better integrate disadvantaged groups in the labor market. Issues related to local communities or to under-represented groups, such as women, youth and persons with disabilities, will also be discussed. In addition, topics such as the digitalization of the sector will also be analysed in order to identify the new opportunities they offer to companies. In addition, the latest advances in the creation of the necessary framework to stimulate entrepreneurship will be presented, connecting the different ecosystems with the startups that are part of the value chain of gastronomy tourism.

In this context, the five finalist startups of the First Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition, organized by the UNWTO and the BCC, will present the most innovative projects in line with the UNWTO’s strategy and the contribution of gastronomy tourism to the sustainable development goals.

Bangkok (Thailand) – April 22, 2019 (travelindex.com) –Global hospitality is at a crossroads. In the last 20 years, technology has transformed every aspect of the guest journey, from online bookings to in-room services to post-stay feedback. But as technology continues to evolve and advance, what will the hotel industry look like 10 years in the future?

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In the past, digitalization was largely driven by companies, as new solutions were introduced to enhance efficiency and target customers more effectively. In the modern era however, it is customers who are demanding greater connectivity. This is especially true in the hotel industry, which is driven by modern lifestyle trends and the “always-on” mindset of millennial travellers.

In light of these trends, Markland Blaiklock, Centara’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, explains his vision for the future of the hospitality industry in the next decade:

“Ten years from now, I’m sure we will look back and see that the hospitality industry changed much more than predicted, and Asia will continue to be a major catalyst for change. This evolution will be part social and part technological, but the overall goal will be the same: to meet and exceed guests’ expectations,” he commented.

According to Mr. Blaiklock, Centara foresees three significant trends shaping its business, and the entire industry, going forward:

Travel and work life will become inseparable thanks to improved technology and faster connectivity. This trend will occur in all countries, but will be led by China and the rest of Asia, which are currently driving the growth in overseas travel. The launch of Centara’s new “Meetings Redesigned” MICE initiative will help to accommodate this shift, by allowing companies to be more flexible and creative with their event agendas.

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Robotics and artificial intelligence will create hyper-connected hotel experiences. The Internet of Things (IoT) will seamlessly connect every hotel touchpoint, which will be personalized to the unique preferences every guest. In addition, big data insights will enable hotel staff to improve service quality in real time.

Delivering emotional experiences will be the ultimate goal of hotels. As technology takes over, many guests will go in search of authenticity, human interaction and genuine hospitality. The ability to predict and identify human emotions will be key to the success of hotels in the coming decades.

The big question for hoteliers now and in the future will be: how do we successfully integrate technology to improve the guest’s entire journey, whilst also retaining our distinct personality and brand loyalty?

For Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, this balance is at the core of its strategic vision. In the coming years decades, the group will focus delivering warm Thai hospitality in line with the latest social and technological trends to create exceptional customer experiences.

Centara has proven adept at developing new brands that embrace innovation. The most recent example is COSI, which caters for young-minded and tech-savvy travellers with friendly, simple and affordable accommodation and state-of-the-art amenities like smartphone integration, self-service check-in and a 24-hour lifestyle café concept. It is no surprise that this contemporary concept, which made its debut in Koh Samui in 2017, is now a key driving force behind Centara’s expansion strategy. In many ways, COSI represents the future of hospitality. Its combination of connectivity, comfort and convenience enables guests to blend business and leisure travel, a key trend identified by Mr. Blaiklock. Across all of Centara’s six brands however, the group continues to roll out innovative new digital experiences.

Recent initiatives range from revamping the Centara website and mobile app for a seamless online experience, to launching a new central reservation system and revenue management system for global coordination. The new Chinese language, China-hosted website, social media pages and payment solutions are also positioning Centara to compete successfully in the world’s largest travel market.

Technology however, is only one element of a successful strategy. Hotel guests will always be human beings, and the majority of humans visit a destination to experience its charm and culture, not to look at a screen. For Centara, the ability to deliver authentic Thai hospitality is something that can never be replaced by technology. By harnessing big data and personalization tools however, hoteliers can enhance every human interaction. Intuitive and rewarding loyalty programs like CentaraThe1 will play a major part in anticipating and delivering tailored experiences.

So digitalization really is the key; by using smart technology to identify and satisfy guest preferences, the hoteliers of the future will be able to create truly bespoke experiences for every guest.

About
Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator. Its 68 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, China, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. Centara’s portfolio comprises six brands -Centara Grand Hotels & Resorts, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Centara Boutique Collection, Centra by Centara, Centara Residences & Suites and COSI Hotels – ranging from 5-star city hotels and luxurious island retreats to family resorts and affordable lifestyle concepts supported by innovative technology.It also operates state-of-the-art convention centres and has its own award-winning spa brand, Cenvaree. Throughout the collection, Centara delivers and celebrates the hospitality and values Thailand is famous for including gracious service, exceptional food, pampering spas and the importance of families.Centara’s distinctive culture and diversity of formats allow it to serve and satisfy travellers of nearly every age and lifestyle.

Over the next five years Centara aims to double its size with additional properties in Thailand and new international markets, while spreading its footprint into new continents and market niches. As Centara continues to expand, a growing base of loyal customers will find the company’s unique style of hospitality in more locations. Centara’s global loyalty programme, Centara The1, reinforces their loyalty with rewards, privileges and special member pricing.

Dubai (United Arab Emirates) – April 19, 2019 (travelindex.com) –TIME Hotels, the UAE-headquartered hospitality company and hotel operator, is set to announce plans to open five new properties across the Middle East during 2019 – as it targets 35 properties by 2025.

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The properties, which will see the growth and launch of existing as well as new TIME Hotel brands to key territories throughout the region, will be unveiled during Arabian Travel Market 2019, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 April – 1 May.

Mohamed Awadalla, CEO TIME Hotels, said: “Our pipeline of hotels and residences meet the demands of multiple value-driven markets by offering a high-quality experience right across all of our branded properties.

“We currently have 15 properties in operation across the UAE and wider GCC with new additions in Dubai, Sharjah and Saudi Arabia scheduled for this year as well as extending our presence to Egypt – further supporting our strategic business plan to increase our total portfolio to 35 properties across the Middle East by the end of 2025.”

TIME Hotels will debut its TIME Express Hotels brand with the opening of a property in Sharjah, during the third quarter of 2019. The three-star TIME Express Hotel Al Khan will feature 55 keys in total and is located 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport, 20 minutes from Sharjah International Airport and a 15-minute walk from Al Khan Beach.

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In Dubai, TIME Asma Hotel is scheduled to open during the second quarter of 2019. The four-star property, located in Al Barsha, will feature 232 rooms including 12 suites, a gym, swimming pool, jacuzzi, four meeting rooms, a business center and two restaurants.

“Plans are in place for two floors of the hotel to be reserved exclusively for female travellers, with dedicated services, including: personalised room service, a female-only check-in counter, dedicated ladies-only guest relations, in-house baby-sitting services, and in-room tablets highlighting all of the services offered for women as well as enhanced bathroom amenities in each room,” said Awadalla.

Meanwhile, TIME Hotels’ international openings in Saudi Arabia and Egypt demonstrate the brand’s strength and popularity in markets outside of the UAE.

TIME Hotels opened its second property in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of April. Featuring 28 deluxe apartments – comprising four one-bedroom units and 24 two-bedroom units – TIME Dammam Residence is located 35 minutes from King Fahad International Airport and just minutes from various shopping and dining destinations in Dammam.

Joining TIME Dammam Residence in the kingdom will be TIME Golden Tower Al Khobar. Scheduled to open August 2019, the 65-key property will be strategically located on Al Khobar Main Street and within close proximity to Al Khobar Waterfront. The property will feature a roof-top garden lounge, a gym and a high-tech business centre.

In Egypt, TIME Nozha Beach Aqua Park Hotel & Resort will open its doors during Q3 2019. The four-star property – located in Ras Sudr, on Egypt’s Red Sea Coast – will feature 52 rooms and four suits as well as five castles, 93 villas, 891 chalets and 136 studios.

Located along a 945 metre stretch of white sand beach, the resort will feature the largest aqua entertainment complex in Ras Sudr, complete with various water slides, wave pools and water sport activities.

Awadalla, said: “This is a very exciting chapter in TIME Hotels’ short history as we open TIME Nozha Aqua Park & Resort, our first beach resort and first property in Egypt. Built with leisure and adventure visitors in mind, this resort is fully-equipped with everything the modern traveller requires for the perfect family getaway.”

These scheduled openings follow the signing of a new management agreement by TIME Hotels Management to operate Dunes Hotel Apartments’ three properties located throughout Dubai.

TIME Hotels took over day-to-day operations of TIME Dunes Hotel Apartment Al Barsha, TIME Dunes Hotel Apartments Al Qusais and TIME Dunes Hotel Apartments Oud Metha following the signing of the agreement on 24^th January 2019.

“It has been a busy year for TIME Hotels with a raft of properties announced with several of them due to come online within the next 12 months. We have been very strategic with our openings, identifying and assessing the demand within the market and implementing the most suitable brand from the TIME portfolio, that best matches that demand and we’re looking forward to bringing more properties into our portfolio,” added Awadalla.

TIME Hotels will be exhibiting on stand HC0620 during this year’s Arabian Travel Market.

Lucerne (Switzerland) – April 18, 2019 (travelindex.com) – The World Tourism Forum Lucerne 2019 is going to bridge the silos for three days in early May: academia meets industry, private sector meets public and young entrepreneurs meet established companies to build bridges that are meant to last.

To face the disruptive forces and keep the tourism industry alive, demand in young, educated, modern talents is rapidly increasing.
The Next Generation Leaders are important to bring their skills and knowledge in technology to the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality industry in order to keep this industry alive in the future.

Hence, a special focus is on the Next Generation Leaders Day, which is an initiative of World Tourism Forum Lucerne for potential industry leaders in the travel, tourism and hospitality. The main goal of the Next Generation Leaders Day is to provide an environment in which the members of the group are inspired, learn from each other, exchange ideas and enable each other to tackle the challenges they face at their workplace and the future challenges in our industry. These young employees with high career potential are now give the chance to accompany their CEOs to the World Tourism Forum Lucerne on 1–3 May in Switzerland and contribute to more sustainable and successful development of our industry. Registration is available here.

The main topic of the Next Generation Leaders Day is digitalization, one of the major disruptive forces in the travel, tourism and hospitality sector. Results and insights of discussions will be presented on the main stage of the Forum and the first acquaintances between the generations can be deepened.

We interviewed Haitham Mattar, CEO of Ras al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, to find out the importance of Next Generation Leaders in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry and their career opportunities.

World Tourism Forum Lucerne: Why are the Next Generation Leaders important for the future in our industry?

Haitham Mattar: As new industries arise, especially those related to technology and Artificial Intelligence, our industry will become less appealing to the next generation, unless we keep up with the technology trends that have been picked up by other industries. The Next Generation Leaders are important to bring their skills and knowledge in technology to the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality industry in order to keep this industry alive in the future.

World Tourism Forum Lucerne: How do you recognize the Next Generation Leader in your company?

Haitham Mattar: Next Generation Leaders usually stand out in a crowd and are recognized through coaching, mentoring, training and promotions to carry on more responsibilities as they prove themselves capable.

World Tourism Forum Lucerne: What kind of skills and competences do they need to have?

Haitham Mattar: Some of the basic skills relate to ownership, decision making and excellent communication skills.

World Tourism Forum Lucerne: The Next Generation Leaders are part of the Millennial generation and thus an important travel target group. Why and how does Ras al Khaimah address them?

Haitham Mattar: This generation seeks adventure, connecting with nature and sustainable tourism. We address them by highlighting the nature-based adventure products and activities the destination has to offer, as well as our sustainable tourism activities and plans.

Register for the World Tourism Forum Lucerne 2019, here

Bangkok (Thailand) – April 17, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Over 20 expert speakers from leading online and supplier brands have been confirmed for the Arrival Asia Pacific in-destination event, which is dedicated to the rapidly changing tours, activities and attractions sector.

The only conference of its kind in Asia Pacific, Arival will take place 24-26 June in Bangkok. The event will address the latest traveller trends, the rapid rise of OTAs, the future of distribution, and local experiences versus traditional tourist attractions, in a sector which is now worth US$170 billion a year, according to Phocuswright.

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Some of the key speakers who have been announced so far include Baidi Li, Regional Director (APAC) TripAdvisor Experiences; Wilfred Fan, Chief Commercial Officer, Klook; Joost Timmer, CEO iVenture Card; Blanca Menchaca, Co-founder & CEO, BeMyGuest; Laurent Kuenzle, CEO, Asian Trails; Jeannie Lim, Executive Director, Singapore Tourism Board; Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA; Weiping Liao, Deputy GM, Ctrip; Laura Blackhall, Founder & CEO, Hello! Tours; Lien Nguyen, CEO, I Love Asia Tour and more.

They will address concerns unique to the in-destination travel sector. “How travellers plan for and book experiences is completely different from how they book hotels and air tickets,” says Douglas Quinby, CEO and co-founder of Arival.

“This is the third-largest and fastest growing sector of travel, and it’s high time operators, in what I call the ‘best part of travel’, had a conference where they can learn about the trends and hear real insights that matter to them,” he says.

Arival in Bangkok will feature tactical workshops and sponsored demo labs from leading technology and distribution companies to help operators learn best practice and grow business.

Arival speakers from leading technology and distribution companies, destination management companies, national tourism organizations, and operators of tours, activities and attractions will address over 400 attendees on subjects such as trends in consumer booking, reservation technology, social enterprise and sustainability, and how to deal with OTAs and the massive changes in the types of experiences travellers want.

Arival brings to Asia Pacific its successful in-destination event that has already galvanised the sector with conferences in Las Vegas and Berlin over the last two years.

“Foodie tours, day tour operators, activity and experience providers, attractions, parks, events, ground transportation and destinations, can all develop their business by attending,” says Bruce Rosard, COO of Arival.

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Early bird rates for the Arival in-destination event in Bangkok are available through 30 April.

ABOUT ARIVAL
Arival is the event dedicated to advancing the business of creating amazing in-destination experiences. Arival aims to establish tours, attractions and activities – the “best part of travel” – as the most important sector of the global travel and tourism industry. Since its foundation in 2017 by Douglas Quinby, Bruce Rosard and Alex Kremer, Arival has held seminal, industry-defining events in Las Vegas (2017 & 2018) and Berlin (March 2019). The revolution continues in Bangkok (24-26 June 2019), Orlando (28-31 October, 2019) and Berlin (1-3 March, 2020).