Category: Latest Travel News

Madrid (Spain) – April 9, 2019 (travelindex.com) – The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Basque Culinary Center (BCC), with the support of PromPeru have announced the finalists of the 1st Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition, which recognize disruptive, inspirational projects having made an invaluable contribution to innovation in gastronomy tourism.

Over 300 initiatives were submitted from over 84 countries. Finalists were selected from Japan, Spain, Israel, Italy and the Czech Republic, ranging from new technologies, community-based tourism development projects, software initiatives and innovation-driven agricultural sustainability projects; all contributing to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The five selected startups will present their pitches to investors, gastronomy tourism experts and sector stakeholders within the framework of the 5th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism (San Sebastian, Spain) on 3 May 2019 where the winner will be selected by a jury.

The winning startup will be invited to take part in the Culinary Action accelerator programme during the second semester of 2019, where it will benefit from the mentoring and advice of the network of experts of BCC Innovation, a workspace in LABe’s Digital Gastronomy Lab project incubator, and a grant of up to 5,000 euros to cover the cost of accommodation and travel during this period. All finalists will also be invited to present at the Ibero-American Gastronomy Fair (Miami, USA, 9-11 May 2019).

The 1st Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition recognizes the contribution of startups in the development of a more competitive and sustainable gastronomy tourism sector that works towards achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and its 17 SDGs.

List of Finalists (in alphabetical order):

ARB (Italy)

ARB provides farms, institutions, organisations and associations with technical assistance and support for multifunctional agriculture, diversification of agricultural activities, and innovation projects in agriculture.

ARTHYLEN (Spain)

ARTHYLEN combines deep-learning and augmented reality technologies to facilitate the recognition of fresh products exposed in supermarkets, restaurants or warehouses in real time for hotels and restaurants.

BITEMOJO (Israel)

Bitemojo is an award-winning innovative mobile app that offers a self-guided culinary experience via smartphone.

DINIFY (Czech Republic)

Dinify offers a multilingual menu platform in which restaurants can publish and manage menus in multiple languages in order for travelers to read and order from restaurant menus in their native languages, no matter where they are and what their languages are.

GINKAN (Japan)

GINKAN (SynchroLife) is the world’s first social restaurant review app with artificial intelligence based restaurant recommendations and cryptocurrency token rewards.

List of Semi- Finalists (in alphabetical order):
BOTBOT (Singapore)
CLOUDSALE (Lebanon)
COOKLY (Thailand)
CULTIVIUM (Mauritius)
DINEER (Brazil)
ECOMMUNIA PLANET(Spain)
ESCAPPY TRAVEL (Colombia)
FOLLOW THE FOLK (Spain)
GET UP AND GO COLOMBIA (Colombia)
KIMEGASTROBOT (Spain)
LIMAFOODANDBOAT(Peru)
LINGVO&FOOD (France)
PLANT ON DEMAND (Spain)
POLOGASTRONOMICO (Portugal)
TERTULIA ALGARVIA (Portugal)

Luang Prabang (Lao PDR) – April 5, 2019 (travelindex.com) – The ancient city of Luang Prabang is considered to be the cradle of Lao culture. Nestled in jungle-clad hills at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, this enchanting destination is the former royal capital of Laos and a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage-listed city.

Newly-opened, Pullman Luang Prabang showcases the best aspects of northern Laos, past and present. Spread across 16 hectares of landscaped gardens, complete with reflective ponds, tumbling streams and working paddy fields, this refined low-rise resort features 123 rooms, suites and a two-bedroom pool villa, all designed in an architectural style that blends seamlessly with its natural surroundings.

As part of Accor’s prestigious Pullman brand, this international resort features a wide selection of world-class facilities, including the largest conference space in Luang Prabang, three inviting swimming pools, a serene spa, a 24-hour fitness centre and a kids’ club. L’Atelier is the stunning lakefront dining destination, while The Junction is a sophisticated lounge and library serving drinks and snacks, and H2O is the resort’s refreshing pool bar.

Guests can embrace the spirit of Luang Prabang with a series of authentic activities, locally-sourced cuisine and unique opportunities to interact with the local community in a responsible and sustainable manner.

Food is big part of life in Laos and Pullman Luang Prabang focuses on creating exceptional culinary experiences for its guests, in line with a farm-to-table concept. Executive Chef Marc Comparot focuses on local, seasonal and organic ingredients, including Lao herbs, vegetables and tropical fruit grown onsite. The resort’s own terraced paddy fields, covering 1.3 hectares, produce the rice for the restaurants, and guests – including corporate groups – can help with the harvest. A recent haul saw 3.2 tonnes of rice harvested and distributed to the local community. Rice husks, a byproduct of the cultivation process, are donated to MandaLao Elephant Conservation Camp – one of the many forward-thinking CSR projects already adopted by Pullman Luang Prabang.

Chef Marc also sources several types of cheese from Laos’ first buffalo dairy farm, and guests can visit this socially-responsible enterprise which provides support and education to local farmers. Alternatively, families and groups can head to Ock Pop Tok, a sustainable textiles business that empowers the women of Laos.

Back at the resort, Pullman Luang Prabang offers a series of activities that allow guests to appreciate the beauty and tranquility of this exquisite destination. From invigorating morning yoga and tai chi classes on the resort’s rooftop deck, to alms-giving at Buddhist temples in the UNESCO-listed city, unforgettable adventures await every guest.

In line with Accor’s Planet 21 programme and the resort’s own sustainable philosophy, Pullman Luang Prabang also uses locally-made bamboo straws and refillable water bottles to support local communities and preserve the environment.

“Luang Prabang is a captivating destination that perfectly showcases Laos’ rich cultural heritage, from the spirituality of its temples to the fresh produce of its fields and farms, inspiring architecture and traditional arts and crafts that have been passed down through generations. At Pullman Luang Prabang, we aim to embody the charm and elegance of this UNESCO-listed destination while also supporting the community and leaving a very light environmental footprint. Through our creative cuisine, authentic design and local CSR collaborations, we invite guests to experience everything Luang Prabang has to offer,” said Denis Dupart, Pullman Luang Prabang’s General Manager.

About Pullman
Pullman Hotels & Resorts delivers an experience that is upscale, upbeat and perfectly in tempo with the global zeitgeist. Against the backdrop of today’s fast paced life, Pullman helps guests be at their best, in business and at leisure, enabling them to seamlessly conduct business, explore the locale, workout and make connections – to the neighborhood and people around them. Retaining the values of exploration, comfort and dependability that drove it to become a pioneering travel brand over 150 years ago, Pullman today features more than 130 worldwide properties including Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel, Pullman Park Lane Hong Kong, Pullman Shanghai South, Pullman London St Pancras and Pullman Sao Paulo Vila Olimpia. Pullman is part of Accor, a world-leading augmented hospitality group offering unique and meaningful experiences in 4,800 hotels, resorts, and residences across 100 countries.

For more information about Pullman Luang Prabang, please visit www.pullman-luangprabang.com

Contact information:
Sheila Buenafe (Ms)
PR & Marketing Communication Manager
Pullman Luang Prabang
sheila.buenafe@accor.com

Seville (Spain) – April 8, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Delegation of Global Tourism Economy Research Centre (“GTERC” or “the Centre”) attended the 19th WTTC Global Summit at Seville, Spain to on April 2-4. Led by Pansy Ho, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of Global Tourism Economy Forum (“GTEF” or “the Forum”), the delegation comprised of members of China Chamber of Tourism and China Women’s Chamber of Commerce. Its presence showed full support to summit host World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), one of GTEF’s influential international supporting units. The Forum also aimed at promoting and enhancing the awareness on GTEF 2019 among over 1,000 prominent leaders from business, hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sectors, including renowned brands such as Hilton, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Stewart Grand Prix, Jones Lang LaSalle, TUI Group and Mastercard, etc. Among the prestigious summit speakers were Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America; Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government of Spain; and Gloria Guevara, President and Chief Executive Officer of WTTC and Honorary Chairman of GTEF, to name a few.

GTEF is the top-notch international exchange and cooperation platform designed to promote sustainable development of the global tourism industry with a focus on China, utilizing Macao as a bridge between China and the world to connect people and forge partnerships, as well as a strategic tourism hub of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Year-round efforts are made to deepen mutual understanding and exchange views with key public and private tourism stakeholders across the globe through participation of major industry events, roadshow and trade visit. During the summit, the delegation attended a meeting with Secretary General Pololikashvili of the UNWTO. Before departing to visit GTEF 2019 Partner Countries Argentina and Brazil, the delegation initiated a meeting with Gustavo Santos, Minister of Tourism of Argentina.

Scheduled in MGM COTAI, Macao on October 13-15, GTEF 2019 will present the theme of tourism and leisure, wellness and sports, and bring in Argentina and Brazil as Partner Countries and Jiangsu as Featured Chinse Province. Ministers of sports, culture and tourism, top international corporate leaders and experts will gather together to discuss latest tourism policies and trends, analyze the implications to future tourism development from the pursuit of healthy lifestyle among millennium consumers, and share the success stories that integrate tourism, recreation, leisure and sports elements. GTEF 2019 strives for inspiring delegates to think of new ideas and innovative models, fostering broader industry cooperation, and catalyzing the transformation and upgrading of tourism products and service experiences. GTEF’s multiple-purpose platform offers an exciting program of keynote and panel sessions, bilateral meetings, business matching, exhibitions, workshops and cultural activities for tourism stakeholders worldwide to seize the immense opportunities from the exponential growth of tourism and leisure, wellness and sports, and capitalize on the intriguing interplay potential of China-Latin America tourism market.

Stay tuned for more information about GTEF via www.gte-forum.com and its social media channels.

About Global Tourism Economy Forum
The Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) is hosted by the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, in collaboration with World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), co-organized by the China Chamber of Tourism under the authorization of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) and coordinated by Global Tourism Economy Research Centre (GTERC). GTEF’s supporting units include the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and European Travel Commission (ETC).

Since its inception in 2012, GTEF has successfully established itself as an influential high-level cooperation platform to promote sustainable development in the global tourism industry with a focus on China. To date, GTEF had received more than 10,783 participants from 89 countries and regions, including delegations from 147 provinces and cities of Mainland China; and 570 internationally renowned speakers.

For enquiries, please contact Mazarine Asia Pacific:
Ms. Esther Chan
Tel: +852 9863 2950
Email: esther.chan@mazarineap.com

Ms. Chris Yip
Tel: +852 9427 8323
Email: chris@occhk.com

Seville (Spain) – April 5, 2019 (travelindex.com) – H.E. Elena Kountoura, Minister of Tourism, Government of Greece, has been awarded a prestigious World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Champion Award at the 2019 Global Summit in Seville, Spain, for her country’s tireless work on Destination Stewardship.

The annual WTTC Global Champion Awards recognise outstanding public officials or countries who, through their leadership, have made a difference through pioneering public policies and initiatives that have increased the competitiveness of the sector within their respective countries.The WTTC Global Champion Award for Destination Stewardship recognises proactive and thoughtful leadership in working to overcome issues of uneven seasonality to improve the year-round tourism experience.

The government of Greece is setting an example to the world by extending its tourist season throughout the country. Furthermore, the industry has engaged in this vision by supporting tourism businesses and destinations to increase average visitor spending and reducing seasonality.

Policies such as the extension of the summer tourism season, the development of thematic tourism, and the promotion of new destinations and services (such as wellness and medical tourism) are expected to create new revenue streams by attracting visitors all year round resulting in a significant raise in the ‘shoulder’ and low seasons.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC commented, “The issue of destination stewardship is critical to the long-term sustainable growth our sector. One solution to tourism overcrowding is to distribute tourists more effectively throughout the year and across different sites thereby improving the visitor experiences for everyone. Greece has been bold in not only recognising this but embedding it into their strategy and ethos. For this reason, Greece’s success in reducing seasonality while increasing tourism revenue marks it out as a clear global champion.”

The award was presented at the Gala Dinner of the WTTC Global Summit in Seville, Spain.

Seville (Spain) – April 5, 2019 (travelindex.com) – H.E. María Reyes Maroto Illera, Minister of Tourism, Government of Spain, has been awarded a World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Champion Award for her country’s work on promoting innovation and technology in tourism.

The award was given in front of 1,600 Travel & Tourism leaders at the 2019 Global Summit in Seville, Spain, the most important event in the global Travel & Tourism calendar each year. The event was attended by Mayor Seville, Juan Espadas Cejas, the host of the 2019 WTTC Global Summit, which has attracted people from all over the world to promote the city.

The annual WTTC Global Champion Awards recognise outstanding public officials or countries who, through their leadership, have made a difference through pioneering public policies and initiatives that have increased the competitiveness of the sector within their respective countries.

The WTTC Global Champion Award for Innovation and Technology recognises leadership in innovation and the implementation of technology which meets the needs of tomorrow’s travellers and fosters sustainable tourism growth

The government of Spain, under Minister Reyes Maroto Illera, is providing global leadership by prioritising innovation in the tourism sector. The efforts made by the Sociedad Mercantil Estatal para la Gestión de la Innovación y las Tecnologías Turísticas  (SEGITTUR) to promote research and development for innovation and new technologies in the tourism sector have helped to position Spain as a world-class tourism destination and have led to SEGITUR being recognised by the OECD as an effective model of national leadership and coordination.

The result has been the fostering of entrepreneurship, sustainability and competitiveness at the local level through the development and deployment of information technologies to achieve differentiated and highly competitive tourism services.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC commented, “The Government of Spain provides a leading example of how the power Travel & Tourism to drive economic growth and job creation. Our sector now contributes one in every seven Euros in the Spanish economy and almost 15% of all employment. This success story has been the result of a concerted tourism development strategy by the Government and the Ministry of Tourism under the leadership of H.E. María Reyes Maroto Illera.

“Innovation and technology have been at the forefront of this strategy and we are delighted to recognise and reward the leadership Minister Reyes Maroto Illera at our Global Summit in Seville.”

The award was presented at the Gala Dinner of the WTTC Global Summit in Seville, Spain.

New York (United States) – April 5, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Skål International CEO, Daniela Otero, met recently with Patricio Azcárate Díaz de Losada, Biosphere Tourism General Manager, with whom we agreed to work towards a joint program to benefit both organizations and our respective members.

On 12 March 2019, a partnership agreement was signed by Skål International and Biosphere Tourism in the frame of the 2019 Skål Sustainable Tourism Awards.
The Skål Sustainable Tourism Awards were launched in 2002 to spotlight best practices in terms of sustainable and responsible tourism around the world, enhance the visibility and grant recognition to entities from the tourism industry.

In its 18th edition, a special Skål Biosphere Award will be presented to one of the submissions received. The selection of the winner will be based on the pillars of sustainability of the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI).

Applications for the 2019 Sustainable Tourism Awards are open until 31 May. All public and private sector companies, educational institutions, NGOs and government agencies are welcome to enter.

The official announcement of the winners will take place on 15 September during the Opening Ceremony of the 80th Skål World Congress, to be held onboard the Royal Caribbean “Symphony of the Seas” from 14 to 21 September 2019.

About Biosphere Tourism
Biosphere Tourism develops certifications to guarantee an adequate long-term balance between the economic, socio-cultural and environmental dimensions of a Destination, reporting significant benefits for a tourism entity, society, and the environment. This certification is granted by the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI), an international non-profit NGO, in the form of an association, which has promoted, for more than 20 years, responsible tourism at an international level, helping all the actors involved in the tourism sector develop a new way of traveling and of knowing our Planet. Skål International is a professional organization of tourism leaders around the world, promoting global networking and friendship since 1934. It is the only international association uniting all branches of the travel and tourism industry.

Seville (Spain) – April 4, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Speaking today at the WTTC Global Summit in Seville, Professor Geoffrey Lipman, SUN^x Co-founder, announced the launch of a Lifetime Learning program to support the Tourism sector as it transforms to Climate Friendly Travel. He said:

“Deep down, most people know, Travel & Tourism must respond to the existential challenge of Climate Change, must fully align with the Paris Agreement targets, and must play a leading role in the Green New Deal paradigm shift. Our sector is a central part of the human activity – social, economic and environmental: its influence and impact are growing: its role in development is fundamental. Mobility is a part of our DNA.

SUN^x – a legacy program for Maurice Strong, the father of sustainable development – has crafted the start of a response. “Plan For Our Kids” will create 100,000 STRONG Climate Champions in all UN States by 2030.”

Alongside Professor Lipman were program partners Robin Ingle CEO of leading Canadian-based global travel risk management and travel insurance provider Ingle International Inc., and Hamish Keith, CEO of South Asia Travel specialist EXO Travel Group.

Working with Ingle International as its first global sponsor and EXO Foundation as the first regional sponsor, SUN^x want to help prepare the next generation of decision makers, as well as help companies and communities connect with them.

Just 50 STRONG Climate Champions in each State, every year for the next decade will see a global movement of 100,000 by 2030. They will be from the Greta Thunberg generation. They will have the same vision, commitment and tenacity.  They will help to build the thinking; drive the behaviour, identify innovations and influence the fundamental government and industry actions needed to deliver Climate Friendly Travel. 

Notes to Editors

The Strong Universal Network SUN^x is a program of the EU-based, not for profit Green Growth and Travelism Institute, and a legacy to the late Maurice Strong – Sustainable Development Pioneer.  Its goal is to promote Climate Friendly Travel with good & bad effects measured and managed coherently: with Green Growth at the core and, 2050-proof in line with the Paris Accords, and the W.E.F. 4^th Industrial Revolution.

Ingle International specializes in delivering best-in-class health & travel insurance, international student insurance, special-risk insurance, travel risk management services, and technology solutions to anyone going anywhere in the world. It connects partners, members, and clients with the customized products, services, and information they need for safe, healthy, and secure travels. Ingle International is a market leader in product innovation for the travel, health, and security industries it serves.

EXO Foundation is an apolitical, secular and not-for-profit organization officially registered under the Ministry of Interior of the Royal Government of Cambodia.

It was established in 2011 by EXO Travel, a leading tour operator in Asia operating in 10 different countries: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore.

Bangkok (Thailand) – April 3, 2019 (travelindex.com) – This coming Thailand’s traditional New Year, Bangkok will see a splendid celebration on the bank Chao Phraya River from  April 11-15 2019 at ICONSIAM. 

This festivity is made possible by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, ICONSIAM and Department of Cultural Promotion – Ministry of Culture, in association with government and private sectors including Bangkok Metropolitan Cultural Council, Kasikorn Bank, SOOKSIAM, The Association of Chao Phraya Commerce and Business and Chao Phraya riverside communities.

The five-day grand celebration will feature an endless list of Thai traditional and cultural activities.   The event announcement was made at the press conference on 2 April 2019 at ICONLUXE Hall, 1^st Floor, ICONSIAM, Charoen Nakorn Road, Bangkok.

Narong Chearavanont, Vice Chairman of ICONSIAM, said that “ICONSIAM has always cherished Chaophraya River and the Thai cultures and tradition that has flourished along the river. And for the coming Thai Traditional New Year, our focal point is definitely staging a feast to preserve and pass on Thai cultural heritage to the world. “THE ICONIC SONGKRAN FESTIVAL 2019 AT ICONSIAM” will showcase highlights of each Thai era through numerous activities and events that spanned across 750,000-square-meter of our riverside property – the city of glorious eternity.

Experience the spirit of Thai with Buddha Bathing Ceremony where devout Buddhists pour scented water on Buddha images for New Year blessings. Four most highly worshipped Buddha images of each Thai era will be graciously presented – Shinnasri Buddha from the Sukhothai period, NimitVichitmarnMolee Sri SanpetchBorom Tri LokNart Buddha representing the Ayudhya period, BuddhamVisethSasada Buddha from Thonburi Dynasty and Siam DhevaThirat Buddha of the Rattanakosin period.

Also on display will be Songkran Exhibition, depicting the festival’s history and tradition, cultural performances like Viva Songkran Dance, Silk Reeling Dance, traditional drumming or Klong-Sa-Bad-Chai and traditional North-Eastern Thailand dancing or Vichanee Serng Tung Wai. Visitors can also take parts in free Traditional Thai Heritage Workshops such as making the scented fan and scented water, Thai-pattern fabric painting and the art of fruit and vegetable carving, plus dressing in Thai traditional costumes for photo opportunities, all free of charge.

Top Thai actresses will light up the ICONSIAM Songkran Niramit Procession that portrays traditional Thai’s court culture in four eras – Sukhothai, Ayudhaya, Thonburi, and Rattanakosin. Four actresses including Ann Thongprasom, Natapohn ‘Taew’ Taemeeruk, Woranuch ‘Nune’ Bhirombhakdi, and Chalida ‘Mint’ Vijitvongthong will lead the exquisite parade as Songkran Goddess or TungsaDhevi in custom-designed traditional costumes that represent each glorious period.     The festival will also featured a concert from Nont Tanont and Da Endorphine plus water splashing with the “Cute Boys” along the Chao Phraya River.

In addition, SOOKSIAM @ ICONSIAM and Thai Beverage PLC will co-host “SOOKSIAM YooYenPenSook @ ICONSIAM,” where the stories along the majestic river are connected and intertwined. Seven activities that embrace the typical Thai happiness or Sook also await. “Sook Som Wang”willallow people to bathe the Buddha images from 4 regions of the country. “Sook SuebSarn and Sook Sampan” is an opportunity to pour water on Ban Bang Khae elderly’s hands for their blessings.  ‘Sook Sanook” will offer Ferriswheel, egg pond game and sand pagoda making. “Sook Saneh” will be a Songkran beauty pageant contest in the Sook Siam City. “Sook Saeb”willdeliver arrays of delicious Thai cuisines from different regions. “Sook Sang Sun” will indulge shoppers withThai hand-craft products.

Yupa Panrod, Executive Director Events Department at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), added that “The collaboration to organize this event- ICONSIAM Magnificent Chao Phraya Grand Songkran Celebration Festival at ICONSIAM, the country’s latest landmark and tourist destination, is major. Thanks to ICONSIAM and its allies and all the riverside communities, both government and private. This event will be a key celebration of Thai tradition, a great Thai tourism promotion and an underlying message that the historic Chaophraya is a national iconic landmark and one of the world’s best tourist destination.

The press conference on “THE ICONIC SONGKRAN FESTIVAL 2019” was a great success. The opening started with a magnificent performance of Miss Grands who represented each period of our Thai history. Each Miss Grand showcased the beauty of each Thai period through traditional costumes. Representing the four Miss Grands were Miss Grand Ayudhya Pai-Thanisa Panyapoo, Miss Grand Chumporn Moothong-KamonchanokKanbua, Miss Grand Satul Pamai-OrnanongInthum and Miss Grand Chon Buri June-Pinicha Kijkasempongsa. Another grand event was the introduction of Noon-Woranuch Bhirombhakdiin gorgeously beautiful Thai costumes. Other activities included drumming parade and water splashing to celebrate Thailand Traditional New Year.   These performances were just a start before the arrival of “THE ICONIC SONGKRAN FESTIVAL in 2019.” The people responsible for organizing the festival and its preparation were Supot Chaiwatsirikul (Managing Director of ICONSIAM Co., Ltd.), Chayapong Naviroj (Chief Executive Officer of SOOKSIAM), Dr.Chanarong Luckshaniyanavin (Chairman of Bangkok Metropolitan Cultural Council), Waraphan Chaichanasiri (Director Cultural Network Division), Amorn Suvachittanont (First Senior Vice President, Kasikorn Bank), Prinya Rakvathin (President of Association of Chao Phraya Commerce), and Thiranant Chuangpichit  Chairman of Kadeejeen-Khlongsan Neighborhood Foundation. Celebrities in Thai costumes include Kleddao Panichsamai, M.R. ChanladaYukol, Kuntinee Krairiksh, Jeab-Sopidnapa Chumpanee,   M.L. OradisSanidvong, and Nont Tanont.

London (United Kingdom) – April 3, 2019 (travelindex.com) –Summer season bookings from the UK to European Union countries are lagging 4.6% on last year as Britain prepares for its first post-Brexit holidays, according to latest findings from ForwardKeys which predicts future travel patterns by analyzing 17 million booking transactions a day.

The analysis of tour operator bookings for UK outbound travel, from January to the end of October 2019, predicts that overall there will be flat growth this summer. Bookings to the rest of the world (non-EU) are ahead 13.8%, which leaves the total summer season outlook behind 0.2% on last year.

Air travel between the UK and EU countries accounted for 70% of Britain’s total traffic in 2018, and outbound first quarter booking levels are crucial to yearly results. According to ForwardKeys, European summer travel was 59% booked by the end of March last year.
This year, top European destinations have taken a hit from waning British demand. Spain, with a 53% EU market share, is currently behind 7.0% on UK summer bookings compared to last year. Greece is behind 2.7%; Cyprus is behind 6.9% and Portugal is behind 10.6%.
Instead, many Brits appear to be flocking elsewhere in the southern Mediterranean. Turkey, with a huge 40% share of non-EU holiday bookings, is seeing demand ahead 31% on last year. Tunisia, Egypt, and Jamaica are currently also doing very well. These trends are very much in line with those observed over the summer of 2018 when security concerns in Turkish, North African and Middle-Eastern destinations started to fade.

EU bookings to the UK have slowed considerably in the first quarter of this year.

But there’s a brighter Easter outlook for EU travel to the UK with bookings currently ahead 7.7% with the major origin markets, Germany, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Spain and Italy, all showing growth.

And growth in scheduled seat capacity on direct flights to the UK from the EU is set to improve this summer.

Olivier Ponti, VP Insights, ForwardKeys commented: “…Uncertainty over Brexit is clearly affecting people’s thinking about holiday travel plans. But there’s still plenty of confidence in the market, reflected in increased seat capacity. UK-EU air travel accounts for a big proportion of the UK’s total and that’s likely to remain unchanged post-Brexit, whenever that happens.”

About ForwardKeys
ForwardKeys analyses more than 17m flight booking transactions a day, drawing data from all the major global air reservation systems and selected airlines and tour operators. This information is enhanced with further independent data sets, including flight search and official government statistics, plus data science to paint a picture of who is traveling where and when. ForwardKeys’ analytics are used by travel marketers, retailers, hotels, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), financial institutions, car rental companies, tour operators, online travel agents (OTAs) and other traveler-focussed businesses worldwide to monitor and anticipate traveler arrivals from a particular origin market at a specific time. This analysis enables parties to anticipate the impact of events, better manage their staffing levels, fine tune supply requirements, adjust and measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and anticipate future market trends.

 

Seville (Spain) – April 4, 2019 (travelindex.com) – During the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit in Seville (Spain) meeting between Tourism Minister Najib Balala of Kenya and Alain St.Ange, the former Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine of Seychelles aims at consolidating the working cooperation between the two tourism personalities.

St.Ange and Balala have been friends for a number of years and both men are seen as continent leaders in the field of tourism.

Also in Seville Spain for the 2019 WTTC Summit is Kenya’s First Lady Margaret Kenyatta. “It was a real honour to meet the First Lady of Kenya in the presence of Minister Balala. The First Lady delivered a very interesting a keynote address at the Global Summit on the theme of “Africa Rising”.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama also graced the event as one of the changemakers.

Minister Najib Balala of Kenya anf the Seychelles former Minister St.Ange are expected to meet again in Nairobi shortly to discuss tourism and the development of tourism in Africa.