Category: Latest Travel News

Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR) – September 25, 2018 (travelindex.com) – A new Guinness world record of group calligraphy was set at the inaugural “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Festival – Confucius’ Birthday Celebration” at AsiaWorld-Expo. Co-organized by the GuangDong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Association and Confucian Academy, the feat namely “The Largest Calligraphy Class” involved the efforts of 2,252 youths across from the Greater Bay Area, all dressed in ethnic costumes of our country’s 56 ethnic groups, and concertedly completed the calligraphy of Chinese word “ru” (meaning “scholar” or “learned man” in Confucianism) in Lishu style. Among the participants is Alex Fong, a Hong Kong artist who dressed in a Bai ethnic costume to reflect his roots. The event is also dedicated to celebrate Confucius’ birthday.

The opening ceremony of the inaugural Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Festival was also held during the event. Among the officiating guests were Mr. Yasuo Fukuda, Former Prime Minister of Japan; Mr. Lau Kong-wah, Secretary for Home Affairs of the HKSAR Government; Dr Law Chi-kwong, Secretary for Labour and Welfare; Mr. Shen Chong, Director General of the Coordination Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong; Mr. Yang Cheng Wei, Deputy Director-General of the Youth Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong; Dr. Tong Yun Kai, President of The Confucian Academy; and Mr. Angus Ng, Executive Chairman of GuangDong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Association.

Dr. Tong Yun Kai, President of The Confucian Academy, stated, “The ancients said, ‘Writing reflects your personality’. It mirrors a person’s literacy and subtlety. As one of the Confucian Six Arts of rites, calligraphy inspires the mind of youths to guide them to ‘cultivate oneself, bring order to the family, govern the country and bring justice and virtue to the World’. ‘The Largest Calligraphy Class’ at the ‘Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Festival – Confucius’ Birthday Celebration’ gathers the sincere and collective effort of 2,252 youths from across the Greater Bay Area in writing the Chinese word ‘ru’, but also showcases their respect for history and traditional culture. Echoing this meaningful event, The Confucian Academy pays homage to the Confucian on his birthday. We are confident fellow participants of this calligraphy feat will have an enhanced cultural confidence inspired by Confucian ritual and music culture. We are looking forward for the youths to become a new force in preaching Confucianism, showcasing the excellence of Chinese culture to global audience, and promoting the diversity of world civilization and religion.”

Mr. Angus Ng, Executive Chairman of GuangDong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Association, addressed, “Precision, concentration, commitment and mutual cooperation are keys to success in ‘The Largest Calligraphy Class’. The calligraphy experience of 2,252 youths is a process of inspiring their mind that embodies the values of outstanding traditional Chinese culture and Confucianism. The outstanding traditional Chinese culture represents the unique spiritual identity of the Chinese. It is also the rich nourishment for endless development and growth of the nation. Chinese culture must adapt to contemporary culture and coordinate with modern society to achieve ‘creative transformation and innovative development’. Learning Confucianism is a way for youths to fulfil their national responsibility, sum up experience and bring forth the new through the old. Therefore, ‘The Largest Calligraphy Class’ is more than an event promoting the outstanding traditional Chinese culture, but also sowing the seeds across the youth generation to enlightening their achievement of ‘creative transformation and innovative development’.”

Stringent criteria apply to verify the eligibility of “The Largest Calligraphy Class”. Precision, concentration, commitment and mutual cooperation are just some keys to accomplish the record-setting feat. Prior the event, participants are required to attend a two-lesson intensive calligraphy training instructed by calligraphy teachers to hone their skills. During the event, 2,252 participants are equally divided into 50 groups, or 50 participants per group. Witnessed by notaries, participants must demonstrate full commitment to the class, and write the Chinese word “ru” in Lishi style and with correct strokes. Participants who fail to meet the strict standards will be disqualified by the notaries. Meanwhile, the feat achieves the event’s goals by preaching the concepts mutual cooperation, building a peaceful and harmonious society, enhancing the global understanding of Chinese culture and Confucianism, and inviting global audience to experience the building of China’s modern culture and inheritance of Chinese cultural heritage.

Riding on the occasion, a large-scale Confucius birthday celebration is also presented by The Confucian Academy. Comprised of customs and rituals, musical and dancing performances, the 3-hour celebration not only calls upon the solemn yet sophisticated Confucian rituals aligning with the essence of Five Cardinal Virtues, but also opens the door of Confucian culture to youths. The anticipated celebration even impressed fellow officiating guest Mr. Fukuda, a renowned Chinese culture enthusiast who just announced the establishment of Practicing Peace Foundation during his Hong Kong visit to promoting global peace and cooperation.

GuangDong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Association firmly adheres to the “One Country” principle and makes good use of “Two Systems”, upholding solidarity of youths from all walks of life across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area to cooperate in building the future of Greater Bay Area. A feast of youth activities in Hong Kong, the inaugural Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Festival is a one-year programme comprised of culture and art exchange, career and entrepreneurship counselling and sharing, and sports events, with the aims of best promoting Chinese traditional culture and facilitating exchanges between youths across the Greater Bay Area. Besides “The Largest Calligraphy Class”, the Festival monumentally commenced with the launch of Innovating Hong Kong – International Talent Carnival, a mega career expo drawing tens of thousands of visitors.

The inaugural Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Festival has forged partnerships with over 150 youth organizations across the Greater Bay Area and gathered the collaborative efforts from 20,000 youths for co-organizing the events. This is a successful example bringing youths across the Greater Bay Area together, realizing complementarity and win-win reciprocity, and eventually motivating their peers to achieve, to contribute to the society, and proactively participate in building the Greater Bay Area. Explore yourself at GuangDong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Association activities and events. Register now at

About Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Association
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Association is a non-profit organization registered in Hong Kong. GuangDong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Association firmly adheres to the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, upholding solidarity of youths from all walks of life across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, promoting mutual trust, complementarity and win-win reciprocity, and fostering proactive youth participation in building the Greater Bay Area. We welcome outstanding youths in the fields of innovation and technology, finance, shipping, trading, legal, real estate and tourism to join our cross-region, cross-sector exchange mechanism, offering recommendations and decisive references in building the Greater Bay Area. Primarily focused on building the Greater Bay Area, GuangDong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Association offers the latest policy analyses, innovation and entrepreneurship counselling, socio-economic profile of the Greater Bay Area and field visit opportunities. GuangDong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Association has formed a link mechanism in its organizational structure backed by a roundtable of conveners who are outstanding and prominent youth leaders in Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Zhaoqing, Huizhou and Jiangmen, fully mobilizing youth talents across the region to building the Greater Bay Area.

For enquiries, please contact:
Ms. Esther Chan
T: +852 3678 0109 / +852 9863 2950
E: esther.chan@mazarineap.com

Ms. Chris Yip
T: +852 3678 0179 / +852 9427 8323
E: chris@occhk.com

Phuket (Thailand) – September 25, 2018 (travelindex) – Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas is thrilled to be hosting Thailand’s very own Chef Nawamin Pinpathomrat for two nights of private dining and one cooking class in October. Chef Nawamin gained international celebrity when he became a finalist in the 2018 season of MasterChef UK with his uniquely Thai dishes.

A qualified medical doctor studying and conducting research at Oxford, it was Nawamin’s passion for cooking that brought him to the MasterChef kitchen. His “crab dance” caught everyone’s eye, but his crab curry enthralled the judge’s taste buds. Chef Nawamin now brings his delightful take on Thai flavours to Anantara Mai Khao. Anantara Mai Khao’s La Sala, featuring southern Thai cuisine, is the perfect venue to showcase Chef Nawamin’s specialities born from his experiences cooking with his grandmother in southern Thailand.

On Friday, 19 October, and Saturday, 20 October, guests can savour a five-course private dinner meticulously crafted by Chef Nawamin. Diners will discover the flavours that inspire these whimsical names: Grandma’s Garden (beef carpaccio and burnt aubergine salad), Wedding Ring (pan-seared scallops, oysters, and shimeji mushrooms), Anatomy of Crab (crab prepared four ways), Land of Smiles (Macadamia-encrusted sea bass), Swan Lake (sticky rice with Thai coconut custard).

On Saturday 20 October, Chef Nawamin will share tips and techniques as he takes a cooking class through creating two signature dishes. Starting with Kanom Jeap Nok (Bird-shaped dumplings), the class will learn how to make the dish crab in yellow curry.

There are only 20 places available for each night’s dinner at THB 7,500++ per person and only 15 places for Saturday’s cooking class at THB 7,500++ per person, so reservations are highly recommended.

A luxury stay and exclusive dining experience package available at starting rate THB 17,300+++ per night.

Package includes:
– Daily breakfast for two persons at La Sala Restaurant
– One dining experience OR one cooking class for two persons
– Round-trip airport transfers by Mercedes Benz E220

Terms and Conditions
– Above rate is subject to 10% service charge, applicable 7% government tax and 1% provincial tax.
– The rate quoted is per night per 2 persons, subject to availability, seasonal variations and change without notice.
– Rate noted above is based on recent currency exchange data. The rate indicated on your
confirmation is in the official hotel currency and will be charged at that rate on check-out.
– Minimum 3 nights’ consecutive stay required
– Offer available only from 19 to 21 October 2018 (3 nights inclusive)

For more information or to reserve your place, call +076 336 100 or email dining.apk@anantara.com.

About Anantara Hotels & Resorts:
Anantara is a luxury hospitality brand for modern travellers, connecting them to genuine places, people and stories through personal experiences, and providing heartfelt hospitality in the world’s most exciting destinations. The collection of distinct, thoughtfully designed luxury hotels and resorts provides a window through which to journey into invigorating new territory, curating personal travel experiences.

From cosmopolitan cities to desert sands to lush islands, Anantara connects travellers to the indigenous, grounds them in authentic luxury, and hosts them with passionate expertise. The portfolio currently boasts over 35 stunning hotel and properties located in Thailand, the Maldives, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zambia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Portugal, with a pipeline of future properties across Asia, the Indian Ocean, Middle East, Africa and South America. The brand’s premier vacation ownership programme, Anantara Vacation Club, extends the opportunity to own a share in the Anantara experience with a portfolio of 8 luxurious Club Resorts as well as travel privileges at partner resorts and hotels worldwide.

Anantara is a member of Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands.

About Global Hotel Alliance
Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, bringing together 35 brands with 550 hotels in 76 countries. GHA uses a shared technology platform to drive incremental revenues and create cost savings for its member brands. GHA’s award-winning loyalty programme, DISCOVERY, provides over 10 million members exclusive opportunities to immerse themselves in local culture wherever they travel. GHA’s hotel brands currently include: Alila, Anantara, Art Series, Atura, AVANI, Corinthia, Doyle, Elewana, Eventhouse, First, GLO, Kempinski, Leela, Lungarno, Marco Polo, Meritage, Meydan, Mokara, Niccolo, NUO, Omni, Outrigger, Pan Pacific, PARKROYAL, QT, Rixos, Rydges, Shaza, Tangram, Thon, Tivoli, Ultratravel Collection and Viceroy.

For enquiries, please contact:
Wijarana Satasook (Oil)
Director of Marketing and Communication
Email: Wijarana_sa@anantara.com

Bangkok (Thailand) – September 25, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The family tree starts with Constantino Urbani in 1852, when he began exporting fresh truffles to Carpentras, France, thus creating a business that has become increasingly larger and more relevant through the years. Exports quickly expanded to France, Germany, Switzerland and at the same time as other Italian regions.

The Urbani family have faithfully dedicated themselves to providing top-notch truffles to treasured patrons. For more than 160 years the Urbani family’s service in the truffle industry has gone unparalleled by any other in its sector. So much so that 70% of all truffles sold in the world come under the Urbani name.

The international headquarters are located on the premises of Urbani Tartufi, Sant’Anatolia di Narco, in the province of Perugia, Italy. 150 employees work here using innovative technologies to process and preserve truffles with a protocol that enhances their natural characteristics and allows for new possibilities of use…

Most important is the Group’s presence abroad through the brand Urbani Truffles, with locations in all major countries of the world, and in five US cities: New York (US headquarters), Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco. Our latest additions to the roster are the branch of Manila, in the Philippines, Below the Urbani Truffles offices in the world: Scheggino – Rome – Orio al Serio Airport – Milan – Alba – Amsterdam – Athens – Barcelona – Berlin – Bruxelles – Copenhagen – London – Paris – Prague – Oslo – Vienna -Zurich – Beijing – Chicago – Dubai – Hong Kong – Kiev – Las Vegas – Los Angeles – Manila – Montreal – Moscow – New York – Rio de Janeiro -Singapore – Shanghai – Seoul – San Francisco – São Paulo – Taiwan -Toronto – Tokyo – and the last Urbani Truffle Bar & Restaurant founded in Bangkok with Roberto Ugolini

Urbani Truffle Bar & Restaurant present the most outstanding Italian fine dining with a spectacular view over the heart of Bangkok. View and quality describe Urbani Truffle Bar & Restaurant.

Urbani Truffle Bar & Restaurant serve the valued customers by luxury services.
The Restaurant area inspired by the elegant Italian style, sophisticated by stylish fine dining and decorated by vintage made in Italy furniture and the restaurant area occupied by up to 80 seats.

Urbani Truffle Bar & Restaurant welcome its honorable very important guests to the exclusive VIP room with customized services, and tastefully furnished by 20 seats.

Urbani Truffle Bar & Restaurant’s cocktail lounge is an upscale bar with delighted food tasting menu. It is a truly enjoyable experience at the spacious lounge bar with unique high-end wine collection that characterized by the span and complexity of its offering.

Urbani Truffle Bar & Restaurant is specialized in combining the Italian original cuisine with artistic fine dining of uniqueness and exclusivity and offers superior quality food with the element of uniqueness and exclusivity. The truffle-based dishes are simply excellent and obviously food menu is the culinary art of fine food.

What makes Urbani Truffle Bar & Restaurant’s cuisine unique and special is the fabulous Italian truffles that thanks to Urbani family directly imported from Italy.

All Urbani products are available to sell at Urbani Truffle Bar & Restaurant and through our website: www.urbanithailand.com

This concept Urbani Truffle Bar & Restaurant and Roberto Ugolini planned to expand in the next 2-3 years , in 20 different cities in the world, we are glad to consider any investor who love to have their own Urbani Truffle Bar & Restaurant, in franchise.

Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) – September 25, 2018 (travelindex) – Join the greatest fun run in the world in the land of runners, Great Ethiopian Run 2018 with ET Holidays offer. The 10k event is the biggest running event in Africa with more than 40,000 participants, 500 elite runners and several hundred runners from overseas.

Great Ethiopian Run marked the first time that a major annual 10 km race had been held in the country, renowned for producing world class runners. The run takes place in the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, which is 8,000 feet above sea level making it a must do event in the running calendar.

And More It’s been referred to as ‘the most exciting race in the world’; it is almost certainly one of the world’s noisiest, full of laughs races that switch the whole city to Carnival mode; and it attracts participants from all over the world.

Book this Fun with us and start with introduction to Beautiful Addis Ababa Nestled at the foot of Mount Entoto Addis Ababa enjoys a subtropical highland climate and the temperature is relatively constant throughout the year. your tour of the city will also include National Museum, Holy Trinity Cathedral in addition to sightseeing of the city.

For any inquiry: Please contact: ALLBKKETSalesTeam@ethiopianairlines.com

Tel: 02 653 4366

Bangkok (Thailand) – September 25, 2018 (travelindex.com) – With the frequency and severity of natural disasters occurring around the world, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is ready to assist affected destinations around the world as they look to quickly rebuild and recover.

The PATA Recovery Advisory Group assists member destinations in identifying key challenges facing the sector and providing turnaround strategies during periods of sudden decline in tourism arrivals and earnings as a result of natural or man-made disasters.

“The effects of global warming have only increased the severity and frequency of devastating weather events around the world and we have already seen this take place in India, USA, Puerto Rico, Japan, Hong Kong SAR, and Macao, China, to name a few. As PATA has often talked about the responsible development of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region, it is our duty to provide assistance when needed,” said PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy. “The PATA Recovery Advisory Group provides an opportunity for destinations to tap into the expertise of our expansive network of members and industry colleagues and leverage their support as they look to recover quickly from incidents beyond their control.”

The members of the PATA Recovery Advisory Group are formed on a skill-based volunteering basis, leveraging the specialized experience and expertise of individual PATA members to spearhead recovery eff­orts in the fields of marketing, branding and media, budgeting and financing, and safety and security.

Previous recovery efforts have been successful in such destinations as Nepal, after the devastating earthquake in April 2015, and in Bali, after the horrendous act of violence in 2002.

“Climate change is real and those that disagree are blind to events happening all around us, from frequent severe weather events happening around the globe to vanishing island nations in the Pacific. The travel and tourism industry must lead by example and many destinations and stakeholders have been taking steps in embracing practical measures to offset the potentially irreversible damage caused by climate change, such as the banning of single-use plastics, the reduction of food waste, and the use of renewable energies, to name a few,” added Dr. Hardy. “The PATA Recovery Advisory Group is in line with our activities on advocacy, human capital development and sustainability, but one which we would rather not have to call upon. Nevertheless, PATA will always continue to advocate responsible tourism development that benefits, rather than destroy, our communities.”

For more information about the PATA Recovery Advisory Group, please visit the following link:

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 21 PATA Student Chapters globally. Their local activities underpins PATA’s membership in Uniting Travel, a coalition of the world’s major Travel & Tourism organisations dedicated to ensuring that the sector speaks with one voice and acts in unison on the major issues and includes ACI, CLIA, IATA, ICAO, WEF, UNWTO and the WTTC. 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) – September 25, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Anantara Hotels and Resorts, the indigenous experience led luxury hotel brand, will roll out a global ban on the use of single-use plastic straws at every property worldwide by 1st October 2018. Since January of this year, when Anantara was the first major hotel brand to announce its decision to eradicate plastic straws at every single property across the Asia region, Anantara has been working hard to roll out the ban to properties in Australasia, Europe and the Middle East.

“Following the immense success of the first phase of the plastic straw ban at all Anantara properties in Asia, we are thrilled to announce the implementation of this policy worldwide,” explains John Roberts, Group Director of Sustainability & Conservation for Anantara. “Each single-use plastic straw takes hundreds of years to break down and scientists predict there may soon be more straws than fish in the oceans by 2050. Anantara guests are forward thinking and sustainably minded and want to continue to enjoy the beautifully lush surroundings for which Anantara is famous for generations to come.”

The decision to ban plastic straws is just one more step in Anantara’s ongoing journey as a leading luxury sustainable tourism brand. In April of this year, Anantara took the decision to replace the packaging of all dry amenities with compostable paper and plastic toothbrushes have been replaced with a biodegradable straw alternative. For years, locally sourced toiletries such as shampoo, have been provided in larger ceramic pumps to reduce the amount of packaging and waste created by individual mini servings. This alone prevents an estimated 4.16 million plastic bottles from ending up in landfills around the world annually.

Plastic water bottles are the next ubiquitous item earmarked for total abolition across the Anantara portfolio. All plastic water bottles will be banned from rooms and gyms to be replaced with recyclable glass or refillable alternatives as a brand standard by the end of 2018. Until then, guests will increasingly notice an absence of plastic from all outlets and facilities in the Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas they frequent. The sumptuous restaurants for which Anantara is renowned will soon be managed without any plastic front of house; from the condiments on tables to the wicker baskets housing the freshly baked pastries at breakfast. Even around the grounds guests will notice that team members use bamboo baskets to collect compostable gardening trimmings instead of plastic sacks.

As a leading experiential luxury brand, guests are offered the chance to positively give back to the community framework of the destination they visit. Whether it be releasing rescued turtles at Anantara Mai Khao Phuket, planting restored coral at the nurseries off of Anantara Dhigu Villas in the Maldives or working with local AIDs survivors to generate sustainable income by providing Anantara Royal Livingstone with locally farmed mushrooms.

Since 2014, Anantara guests have been invited through the Dollars for Deeds Program to donate 1 dollar for every night of their stay, which Anantara then matches. These charitable donations are then distributed to several of the foundations that Anantara Hotels support, including the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation established since 2002 and the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, since 2006. To read more about the charitable initiatives supported by Anantara Hotels Resorts & Spas, please visit the Social Responsibility page of the website.

Anantara is a luxury hospitality brand for modern travellers, connecting them to genuine places, people and stories through personal experiences, and providing heartfelt hospitality in the world’s most exciting destinations. The collection of distinct, thoughtfully designed luxury hotels and resorts provides a window through which to journey into invigorating new territory, curating personal travel experiences.

From cosmopolitan cities to desert sands to lush islands, Anantara connects travellers to the indigenous, grounds them in authentic luxury, and hosts them with passionate expertise. The portfolio currently boasts over 35 stunning hotel and properties located in Thailand, the Maldives, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zambia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Portugal, with a pipeline of future properties across Asia, the Indian Ocean, Middle East, Africa and South America. The brand’s premier vacation ownership programme, Anantara Vacation Club, extends the opportunity to own a share in the Anantara experience with a portfolio of 8 luxurious Club Resorts as well as travel privileges at partner resorts and hotels worldwide.

About Minor Hotels:
Minor Hotels is an international hotel owner, operator and investor currently with 160 hotels in operation. Minor Hotels passionately explores new possibilities in hospitality with a diverse portfolio highlighted by our proprietary Anantara, AVANI, Oaks, Elewana and Tivoli brands – as well as Four Seasons, St. Regis and Marriott properties and the Anantara Vacation Club shared ownership programme. Minor Hotels operates in 26 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and South America.
With dynamic plans to expand existing brands and explore strategic acquisitions throughout opportunistic markets, Minor Hotels pursues a vision of a more passionate and interconnected world.

To book your Anantara, Avani, NH Hoteles and Tivoli Hotel around the world at best rates available. Pay at the hotel. Book now at HotelWorlds.com!

New York (USA) – September 25, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The World Economic Forum is mobilizing a new partnership to avert the growth in global plastic pollution by 2025. The initiative is called the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) and will collaborate with government and stakeholders in coastal economies who are battling waste. It will translate ambitious commitments into action and show how business, communities and government can redesign the global “take-make-dispose” economy as a circular one.

A circular economy is a regenerative approach to production and consumption, in which products and materials are redesigned, recovered and reused to reduce environmental impacts.

The partnership is funded and supported by the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom as well as several companies, namely The Coca-Cola Company, Dow Chemical and the PepsiCo Foundation.

The first collaboration is with the Government of Indonesia. The world’s largest archipelago is suffering a crisis of plastic waste and the government has a national plan to reduce it by 70% over the next seven years.

Communities, entrepreneurs and government agencies in Indonesia are fighting pollution and showing considerable scope for innovation, but swifter action is needed.

“Indonesia has some of the world’s highest levels of marine biodiversity, which support crucial fisheries, provide food security for millions and drive a vital tourism economy,” said Luhut B. Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs of Indonesia. “We all need a healthy ocean, which is why we have set ambitious national targets to tackle plastic waste. By mobilizing public, private and community support, and accelerating innovations such as biodegradable materials, we can drive a circular economy to beat plastic pollution.”

Collaborations in two other coastal nations (one in West Africa and a small island developing state) will be announced in coming months.

The partnership aims to have investable solutions in place by 2020, which can then be adapted and implemented in other countries. These three proofs-of-concept will coincide with the UN’s next landmark ocean conference.

The World Economic Forum will host the partnership in collaboration with the World Resources Institute, allowing it to tap into two networks of experts, civil society, government and industry leaders: PACE (a circular economy platform) and The Friends of Ocean Action (a network of ocean leaders dedicated to fast-tracking practical solutions to challenges facing the ocean). The partnership will collaborate with the Pew Charitable Trust on data analysis and modelling at the national level to drive evidence-based action.

The ocean provides more than one-half of the Earth’s oxygen, it stabilizes the climate, and billions of people depend on it for food, employment and their livelihoods. Plastic waste is straining this vital food and planetary lifeline.

GPAP aims to build on the momentum of those businesses, entrepreneurs, governments, non-profit organizations and scientists who are doing critical – and often unheralded – work to beat plastic pollution in our land, soil, rivers and seas. It also follows major commitments by world leaders.

Last year, more than 200 nations pledged to end plastic waste at the United Nations Environment Assembly. In April this year, the UK announced the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance, and Canada has championed the issue this year in its role holding the Presidency of the G7 as well as spearheading the development of the Oceans Plastics Charter.

“We need this leadership to turn into a mass movement of community, industry and public action for securing the healthy future of our oceans upon which we all depend,” said Dominic Waughray, Head of the Centre for Global Public Goods, Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum.

GPAP has initial funding of £2.4 million ($3.2 million) from the UK Government through the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs and Department of International Development; and CAD6 million ($4.6 million) from the Government of Canada. The Coca-Cola Company, Dow Chemical and Pepsico Foundation have jointly contributed more than $2.4 million.

Jon Banner, Executive Vice-President, Global Communications and President, PepsiCo Foundation, USA, said: “Building a more sustainable future is one of PepsiCo’s highest priorities, which is why we are working to urgently address the build-up of plastic waste. We’re proud to join this partnership and believe it is the kind of innovative, cross-sector coalition that is essential to developing practical solutions for redesigned waste management systems in coastal communities.”

Jim Fitterling, Chief Executive Officer, The Dow Chemical Company, USA said: “Dow, alongside other leaders in the plastics and chemicals industries, understands the important role materials innovation will play in solving this critical global challenge. Through innovation and collaboration, Dow is committed to improving the recyclability of plastics and will help facilitate the world’s transition to a circular economy, where waste is captured and designed into new products and services.”

Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom said: “The scourge of plastic pollution on our environment is a global problem, requiring a global solution. I am proud of the leading role the UK has played in bringing together the Global Plastics Action Partnership, a key step in protecting our precious natural environment. This partnership, which builds on the commitments of the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance, brings countries and businesses together from all over the world to safeguard our land, rivers and seas for future generations.”

Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada said: “Plastics play an essential role in our lives, but they also make up the majority of marine litter. Improving how plastics are made, used, collected and recycled will help keep viable plastics in the economy and out of our oceans and waters. Canada is proud to support the Global Plastic Action Partnership, joining efforts with partners from around the world towards this important objective.”

Penny Mordaunt, Secretary of State for International Development, United Kingdom said: “Plastic pollution of the oceans is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time and I am proud that the UK is leading the way in tackling it. We are helping the governments of developing countries fulfil their commitment to eliminate avoidable plastic waste and to develop technologies to encourage recycling. I am delighted to be part of today’s launch and to commit UK support to the global push to make a lasting change on this issue.”

James Quincey, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Coca-Cola Company, USA, said: “We are proud to partner with the World Economic Forum on this important initiative. The world has a packaging waste problem, and our World Without Waste vision aims to help solve it. A litter-free world is possible, and we want to help lead the way.”

The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.
The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

London (United Kingdom) – September 25, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Investment in innovation and smart management for tourism will form the major theme of the Ministerial Summit of this year’s World Travel Market, to be held in London, UK (6 November 2018). The 2018 Summit, a joint initiative of World Travel Market and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), will debut a revamped format

This year’s World Travel Market (WTM) will introduce a disruptive new format to the long-running UNWTO/WTM Ministerial Summit. With the private sector crucial in setting the tourism agenda, private sector leaders will be involved for the first time via a panel on investment in tourism technology. This will be followed by a round table of both ministers and private sector to discuss a way forward for tourism that includes stronger public-private partnerships and an agenda for the sector’s digital transformation.

The 2018 Summit will be hosted by CNN’s Richard Quest, anchor of Quest Means Business. Developing an innovation ecosystem, data-driven decision making, digital destination branding, and the role of government and policy in smart tourism management are among the topics to be addressed this year.

The Summit reflects on a hyper-connected and informed world where tourists are one click away from their next destination and share their interests and emotions in real-time – and where technological advances have an exponential impact on management efficiency and sustainability. It will expand its practical impact with a focus on creating and exchanging innovative ideas and partnerships that can boost investments in tourism technology.

The Summit will continue the conversation on ‘Tourism and the Digital Transformation’ that is set to dominate proceedings for this year’s World Tourism Day official celebration on Thursday 27 September. The event, to be held in Budapest, Hungary, will feature sessions on the role of innovation and technology in tourism development. It will also see the announcement of the semi-finalists of the 1st UNWTO Tourism Startup Competition, launched by UNWTO and Globalia to give visibility to tourism startups with innovative and disruptive ideas.

Contacts:
UNWTO Communications Department
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100
Fax: +34 91 567 8218
comm@unwto.org

Bangkok (Thailand) – September 24, 2018 (travelindex) – Tourism Authority of Thailand (Online project for Issue-Based Green Tourism Project) would like to invite Thai people who love travelling and supporting natural resources and environment conservation to share environmentally friendly ways of travelling through the “Clean for Green” online activity. In addition to sharing your joy of travelling, you are also passing on the idea of responsible tourism which contributes to sustainable tourism.

Apart from sharing your idea, you also get a chance to win a special prize from Clean for Green Project. To participate in the activity, visit www.facebook.com/7GreensThailand/ and express your idea about green tourism and tag one person you want to travel with under the activity post on Facebook with hashtag #7Greens. You can join this activity from September 11th until October 10th, 2018. The winners will be announced on October 17th, 2018 on www.tourismthailand.org/7greens

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Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR) – September 24, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Whether or not consumers believe they have control over events in their lives determines their likelihood of reusing hotel booking apps, find Professor Rob Law of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and co-authors in a recently published study. This belief is known as “locus of control” (LoC), the researchers explain, and consumers with an internal LoC are more likely to use hotel booking apps because they feel more positive about their ability to use technology and overcome any difficulties they may encounter. In contrast, consumers with an external LoC are likely to only use travel apps with user-friendly interfaces that also offer plenty of support when difficulties arise. Practitioners aiming to introduce or improve mobile booking apps will benefit from the useful recommendations the researchers offer for addressing the concerns of different user types.

Smartphones are increasingly popular, with more people now owning them than personal computers. The researchers note that this increase in smartphone use has prompted many hoteliers and online travel agents to develop mobile apps to facilitate easier reservations. By 2015, almost half of all travel bookings in China were made through mobile apps, as they are highly convenient and offer consumers a “pleasant booking experience”. China’s huge outbound tourism market offers great promise for the further development of tourism-related apps, and “global tourism practitioners are adjusting their strategies” to secure their share of this market.

Despite this market potential, however, the researchers note that little is known about “what drives consumers’ intention to continue using mobile apps for making hotel reservations”. They suggest that LoC may be useful in understanding individual differences in the intention to reuse mobile apps. The concept consists of three dimensions, the researchers explain: (a) internal control refers to belief that the outcomes of events are “determined by effort, ability and skill”, (b) control by powerful others refers to the belief that outcomes rely on “external agents that can make things happen”, and (c) chance control is the belief that outcomes are the result of “luck, fate and chance”.

While LoC is known to affect technology adoption, the cognitive mechanism by which it does so requires exploration. The researchers thus suggest that four cognitive factors are involved in the adoption of new technology. (a) The first factor, “performance expectancy” refers to the user’s perception of how mobile booking apps can improve the experience of making hotel reservations. (b) The second, “effort expectancy” refers to the perception of how difficult it will be to use the app. (c) The third, “social influence” is the extent to which the user is influenced by the opinions and behaviour of others. (d) The fourth factor, “facilitating conditions”, refers to whether users feel they “possess the necessary resources and support” to use the app to make a booking.

The researchers designed an online survey with the aim of determining the extent to which the four factors and LoC actually do influence the use of mobile apps for making hotel bookings, clarify “the cognitive mechanism that connects LoC and intention to reuse” and determine the perceived risk of using mobile booking apps. Targeting Chinese participants over the age of 18 who had previously used a mobile app to make a hotel reservation, the survey measured app performance expectancy, social influence, reuse intention, perceived risk, app effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and LoC.

Usable responses were collected from 466 participants over a 4-day period. The participants were evenly split between males and females, and they were generally quite young, with almost half aged 18-29 and a further 40% aged 30-39.

As the researchers point out, “user experience is central to the success of technology products and services”. Clearly, mobile apps for making hotel reservations must be pleasant and easy to use for consumers to use them regularly. Accordingly, the findings indicated that performance expectancy and, to a lesser extent, effort expectancy influenced the intention to reuse. In other words, participants who found mobile apps to be useful and superior to other booking methods and found them easy to use were most likely to use them in future. Facilitating conditions were also a significant factor, and the researchers note that users “tend to be highly demanding of supporting services”, particularly in the early stages of technology adoption.

These results suggest that app developers need to provide user-friendly interfaces and the booking process should be similar to that on the website to “reduce the effort and time required of users”. As support services are also highly important, online consultation functions should be available to minimise the constraints encountered by users, and providing a “frequently asked questions” section is also important for supporting users through the booking process.

Social influence also played a part, as participants who had friends who used booking apps and who encouraged them to do so too were more likely to use apps for future bookings. However, word of mouth did not seem to be as influential as ease of use and support services. Perhaps surprisingly, although perceived risk had a negative effect on intention to use, it was weaker than the effects of the other cognitive factors. Nevertheless, the researchers caution that the effect is “not negligible” and app developers “are obliged to optimize system security” to reassure users and reduce their risk.

Next, the researchers examined how participants’ LoC, in combination with the above cognitive factors, influenced their intention to reuse mobile apps. Participants with an internal LoC, believing they were in control of events, perceived mobile apps as easy to use and felt more able to overcome any difficulties. They were thus highly likely to use them for future bookings.

However, participants who perceived events to be controlled more by chance were less likely to use mobile apps in the future. The researchers explain that these participants tended to focus on the negatives: they perceived apps as difficult to use and were more concerned about the risks. People with a chance LoC tend to be female, young and with a low level of education, so it is important for app developers to survey these groups to find out which aspects of app use they find most difficult and thus “minimise the adverse effects of effort expectancy”.

Those who believed in “control by powerful others” were only likely to reuse booking apps if they felt that plenty of support services were available to help them complete their bookings. For these users, the researchers suggest, it would be particularly helpful to provide online instant consultations, perhaps through “popular peer-to-peer platforms in China, such as WeChat”, because they believe that outcomes depend more on other people than on themselves.

The study has shown that understanding consumers’ LoC can be helpful for developing targeted marketing strategies. This is a novel area of study in tourism research, despite LoC being a consistent predictor of attitudes, emotions and behaviour in other fields. Given that both dispositional and cognitive factors are known to strongly influence the adoption of technology, the study provides important information for tourism practitioners to understand how they can harness this knowledge to encourage consumers to use their mobile apps.

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