Category: Latest Travel News

Madrid (Spain) – July 27, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Promoting a greater engagement of the tourism sector with sustainable development is the main objective of the Tourism for SDGs Platform. The online tool is designed to advance the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through tourism, and was developed by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) with the support of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) constitute an ambitious global agenda for people, planet, prosperity and peace through partnerships. The SDGs aim to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and solve climate change by 2030. The economic relevance of tourism, representing up to 10% of the world’s GDP and employment, makes harnessing its full potential essential for the advancement of the SDGs.

Tourism4SDGs.org is a co-creation space that allows users to access a wide range of resources, add their own initiatives, findings and projects, motivate discussion and collaboration, and share content related to tourism and sustainable development.

“Tourism plays a vital role in many, if not all, of the 17 Goals”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. “Tourism has come of age as a cross-cutting economic activity with deep social ramifications, and the Tourism for SDGs Platform is providing the global tourism community with a space to co-create and engage to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, he added.

“Switzerland strongly supports this platform as it will allow a focus on the three main components of sustainable tourism: its economic, environmental and social dimensions,” said Ambassador Raymund Furrer of SECO.

The platform’s three main features act as a call for action. Learn, Share and Act, the three levels of interaction at Tourism4SDGs.org, aim not only to educate but also to encourage conversation and collaboration towards a sustainable tourism sector.

The platform was launched during the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development ‘Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies’ (New York, 9-18 July) during an event co-hosted by UNWTO and the One Planet network.

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

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – July 24, 2018 (travelindex.com) – I was last week honoured to have been chosen to be a panellist for the Routes Africa 2018. It was a great event and a golden opportunity to renew contacts and make new friends. Tourism is very much a people’s industry which is why people of the industry have to meet or just simply must meet. Two important Tourism and Aviation Magazines of Africa (Voyages Afriq and Aviation & Allied Business Journal) were present and the chance to meet with them in Ghana was so appreciated.

Visibility to maintain relevance

Often tourism businesses or hotel establishments raise their occupancy level or discuss how busy or not busy they have been. Tourism Boards have the responsibility to market the destination and to keep the visibility of their destination to ensure it is relevant, but it remains the responsibility of individual businesses to get ‘ahead of the pack’ to get their fair share of arriving visitors. No one can expect to eat a mango when the tree is being given a good shake unless they move to collect them as they fall or to spend to buy them from traders. The same analysis can be made using the picking up of mackerel fish from the beach after the fishermen have brought it a catch from a net. Be on the beach and get your mackerel or buy one from the market, but sitting at home and waiting will not, and just cannot bring the fish to your table.

Operating Cost and the slide of the Seychelles Rupee against the US Dollar

Rising operational cost still remains a troubling challenge for the tourism industry in Seychelles. Today the cost is being further exasperated by the value of the US Dollar that is gaining its way against the Seychelles Rupee. Cost of electricity is today considered to be too expensive and this will continue to hurt the islands and their businesses. Understanding the trade will strengthen the economy and increase the needed buoyancy to enable the private sector trade to keep the Seychelles Flag flying. The businesses are key to economic survival, and bleeding them only spells trouble, curtails employment and stifles growth of the commercial sector.

Vertical Integration policy?

The proposal by the Seychelles Government to box in the private sector trade has brought about a number of queries on where will it stop. Seychelles must legislate against any form of monopoly in any sector. Monopoly is detrimental to cost reduction, and competition needs to be encouraged and banks enticed to assist to help competition to be established.

Phoenix, Arizona (USA) – July 24, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts announced today that its SureStay Hotel Group franchise has reached yet another milestone – revealing the brand has over 100 hotels in its North American portfolio. This announcement underscores the brand’s overarching success, as it now has a total of 189* properties worldwide in less than two years since its launch, making it one of the fastest growing brands in the hotel industry today.

SureStay Hotel Group’s accelerated growth can be attributed to a number of factors. The brand has become known as a trusted and respected lodging option among travelers – offering travelers consistent and quality levels of comfort, cleanliness, and a service guarantee, all at an affordable price. The brand has also garnered significant interest among developers in the upper-economy/lower-midscale market because of its competitive fee structure and access to Best Western’s powerhouse brand.

While the brand has certainly captured the attention of today’s travelers and developers, it’s also proved its ability to deliver impressive results in a short period of time. In fact, Best Western Rewards® revenue contribution for North American SureStay® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western-branded properties is at 36.1 percent currently; Best Western’s reservations system, LYNX, has delivered 40.2 percent of bookings; and total brand contribution is 62.3 percent YTD (through February 2018).

“SureStay Hotel Group is one of fastest growing brands in the industry, and it has been remarkable to see the scale we’ve achieved in less than two years since launching,” said David Kong, President and CEO for Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “Surpassing 100 hotels in North America is an impressive milestone for the brand, and we look forward to continuing this fast-paced momentum well into the future.”

The majority of SureStay Hotel Group applicants are seeking to reposition and strengthen their existing hotel assets. Best Western conversions also comprise a large portion of SureStay Hotel Group properties. Comprised of three distinctive brands – SureStay Hotel by Best Western (classic economy), SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western (premium economy) and SureStay Collection® by Best Western (lower-midscale soft brand) – SureStay Hotel Group’s rapid success can be credited to its unique, competitive fee structure and Best Western’s staunch reputation for enhancing the guest travel experience by providing real, consistent value and an industry-leading, return-guest loyalty program. The brand provides an easy path to hoteliers who are committed to providing a superior guest experience but wish to avoid the high investment costs mandated by most brand standards.

“Today’s Best Western is committed to creating innovative, market-leading brands for the hospitality industry, and it’s clear that we’ve done exactly that with the SureStay Hotel Group,” said Ron Pohl, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “We carefully designed SureStay brands to offer flexibility to developers, drive business to hotels, and provide superior value and comfort to customers. We’re proud to see these results come to fruition at over 100 hotels in North America and nearly 200 hotels worldwide.”

Properties must maintain a minimum 3.5 TripAdvisor® rating, agree to a satisfaction guarantee and unannounced inspections. The brand’s focus is to: create consumer relevance and confidence through unprecedented quality and care; and produce developer value by offering fair franchise terms, a competitive fee model, best-in-class support and a connection to Best Western’s expansive scale – which is critically important in advancing hotels’ negotiating power and creating advantageous OTA terms.

For more information on Best Western Hotels & Resorts, please visit BestWestern.com

*Includes hotels currently in the development pipeline

About Best Western Hotels and Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,200* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers 11 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Vīb®, GLō®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, BW Premier Collection® by Best Western, and BW Signature Collection® by Best Western; as well as its recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay® Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection® by Best Western. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 66 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2018, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Fast Company honoring Best Western Hotels & Resorts with a spot in the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality category. Best Western has also won nine consecutive AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 58 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in J.D. Power’s 2017 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first in breakfast (food and beverage category) for midscale; and second in overall guest satisfaction. Over 35 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western-branded hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Google® Street View provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.

* All Best Western and SureStay-branded hotels are independently owned and operated.
* Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.

Contact information:
Kelly Dalton
Senior Director, Communications
602.957.5752

Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) – July 24, 2018 (travelindex) – Ethiopian Airlines, the largest Aviation Group in Africa and SKYTRAX certified Four Star Global Airline, is pleased to announce that it has won SKYTRAX World Airline Award for the Best Airline in Africa for second successive year.

Skytrax is the most respected global air transport rating organization that conducts the world’s largest annual airline passenger satisfaction survey where customers make their own personal choices as to which airline they consider to be the best.

Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, remarked “Ethiopian is a customer focused and market driven airline. In a context of hyper competitive global airline industry, the only way for Ethiopian to sustain its success is through its differentiated service delivery and by meeting its customers’ expectations.We are, therefore, honored and delighted to have been named the Best Airline in Africa at SKYTRAX World Airline Award as voted by passengers and we will not relent in our continuous efforts to offer our customers the best possible travel experience.”

I would like to thank Skytrax for this recognition and our valued customers for their strong vote of confidence. As always, we shall maintain our resolve to exceed their expectations and provide the best possible travel experience every time they fly with us. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate my colleagues at Ethiopian for their exceptional commitment and hard work to keep our airline flying high in the skies.”

Commenting on the Awards, Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax on his part said, “Passengers have voted Ethiopian Airlines Africa’s premier carrier for a second successive year and this is a simply fabulous achievement for the airline management and frontline staff.”

Ethiopian Airlines is a multi-award winning airline and has previously received SKYTRAX World Airline Award for Best Airline Staff in Africa, two times.

About Ethiopian
Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy plus years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success.

Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 110 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, Bombardier Q-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of five years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft.

Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025 that will see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with eight business centers: Ethiopian Regional Services; Ethiopian International Services; Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services; Ethiopian MRO Services; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian In-flight Catering; Ethiopian Ground Services and Ethiopian Airports Services. Ethiopian is a multi-award winning airline registering an average growth of 25% in the past seven years.

For more information, please contact:
Mrs. Aniley Eshetu
A/Manager Corporate Communications, Ethiopian Airlines
Tel 🙁 251-1)517-89-07/656/165/913/529
CorporateCommunication@ethiopianairlines.com
www.ethiopianairlines.com

Pattaya (Thailand) – July 19, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts has signed a striking new property in Pattaya which reflects the company’s modern style and contemporary vision.

Best Western Plus Speech Pattaya Hotel is a brand new project located on Pattaya 3rd Road, in the heart of this popular Thai resort city. Scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2019, this downtown hotel will put guests within easy reach of many local attractions, including the Terminal 21 and Central Festival lifestyle malls, Alcazar Cabaret Show and Art in Paradise gallery.

Owned by Numchai 2014 Co., Ltd., this eye-catching hotel will feature a modern cubist façade and sleek, stylish and spacious interiors. Soaring ceilings and glass walls will allow natural light to flood into the lobby, presenting a bright and welcoming ambience.

The 163 design-led guest rooms will be havens of contemporary comfort and connectivity, equipped with wooden floors, trendy low-slung beds, working desks with international power outlets, mood lighting and complimentary Wi-Fi.

The hotel will also feature a wide range of facilities, providing plenty of opportunities for guests to relax and reconnect with friends, family and colleagues. These include an all-day restaurant specializing in modern Thai and international cuisine, a bright bar for cool daytime drinks and evening cocktails, a state-of-the-art fitness center and a glistening outdoor infinity pool.

“Best Western Plus Speech Pattaya Hotel is one of our most exciting projects to date. With its convenient downtown location, cutting-edge design and international facilities, this superb hotel is sure to become a favorite among visitors to Pattaya,” commented Olivier Berrivin, Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ Managing Director of International Operations – Asia.

“The vision of Numchai 2014 Co., Ltd., our esteemed partner, is perfectly aligned with Best Western’s strategic outlook in Asia. We are transforming our regional portfolio with the addition of many stunning new hotels and resorts in key destinations. As one of Asia’s most popular beach resorts, Pattaya falls perfectly into this strategy, and I am delighted to continue our rapid regional expansion with such an impressive new property,” Olivier added.

According to Mastercard’s Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2017, Pattaya welcomed 8.1 million international visitors last year, which made it the eighth most popular destination in the entire Asia Pacific region.

Best Western Plus Speech Pattaya Hotel will be located just a short drive from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and close to the fast-expanding U-Tapao Airport, which now handles more than 1.4 million passengers per year.

Best Western has identified Thailand as one of its key target markets. At present, the company operates nine hotels and resorts across the Kingdom, covering five of its 11 brands: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, BW Premier Collection® by Best Western and SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western. But this nationwide portfolio will multiply in future, with plans for hotels and resorts in new destinations like Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai, and innovative new brands like Vīb Best WesternSM, the vibrant and modern hotel concept which focuses on convenience, technology and social engagement.

About Best Western Hotels & Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,200* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers 11 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Vīb®, GLō®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, BW Premier Collection® by Best Western, and BW Signature Collection® by Best Western; as well as its recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay® Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection® by Best Western. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 66 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2018, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Fast Company honoring Best Western Hotels & Resorts with a spot in the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality category. Best Western has also won nine consecutive AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 58 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in J.D. Power’s 2017 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first in breakfast (food and beverage category) for midscale; and second in overall guest satisfaction. Over 35 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western-branded hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Google® Street View provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.

* All Best Western and SureStay-branded hotels are independently owned and operated.
* Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.

Contact information:
Marketing Communications Department
Best Western Hotels and Resorts – Asia
Tel: +66 2 656 1260
Sirimanas Maungrod

Email: sirimanas.maungrod@bestwestern.com
Orapan Sornnuwat

Email: orapan.sornnuwat@bestwestern.com

Accra (Ghana) July 19, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Routes Africa 2018 taking place in Accra Ghana saw the Seychelles former Minister St.Ange on stage to discuss aviation and tourism alongside representatives from China, Tenerife and Ghana. Alain St.Ange, the former Seychelles Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine was invited by Routes Africa 2018 to be a panellist and share his experience after the successes made by Seychelles under his watch.

Delegates at Routes Africa 2018 agreed that the Seychelles former minister spoke with ease on matter of tourism and aviation citing the Seychelles experiences and bringing home the point that airports and the tourism departments are all for the one country and needed to be guided by one vision for the benefit of the people. St.Ange addressed the need to remove obstacles to let tourism work when the question of Visas was raised and also spoke passionately about costs saying that the practice of bleeding the tourism industry was harming the industry’s growth and the economies of the destinations.

Alain St.Ange has been seen recently on tourism conferences circuit and press at the Ghana event referred to his participation and commanding Routes for having a man who led African tourism for many years sit with them answering questions and treating the subject matter based on successes he had achieved.

St.Ange gave a number of press interviews after the session and spoke about the need for Africa to stand together for rewriting the narrative for Brand Africa.

Alain St.Ange
t: + 248 2 515 615
e: alain@saintange.com.au
e: saintangeseychelles@gmail.com

Kampala (Uganda) – July 19, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Dr Wasswa Tom Davis, a Board Member of the Uganda Tourism Board and Manager for Marketing & Commercial Services at the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority and Alain St.Ange, Head of the Saint Ange Tourism Consultancy took the opportunity to meet to discuss potential avenue of cooperation as they sat in Accra Ghana for Routes Africa 2018.

Dr Wasswa Tom Davis and St.Ange has previously met in Kampala in Uganda when the Seychelles former Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine delivered the Key Note Address at the East Africa Tourism Platform meeting as part of his then campaign for the post of Secretary General of the UNWTO. Alain St.Ange is today working with Tourism Boards, Tourism Ministries and Tourism Private Sector Businesses especially in the field of visibility campaigns to ensure relevance in the competitive world of tourism. He is also a regular speaker at Tourism and Aviation events where he refers to his successes at the head of Seychelles Tourism.

“I would not be able to achieve anything if I had not built a network of professional and reliable partners. Tourism is visibility and the ability of being what destinations say they are” St.Ange said in Ghana.

He discussed the exciting and timely stage Africa finds itself in with many from different approaches all re-writing the narrative for Brand Africa. For Uganda they discussed existing challenges and touched on what could or should be looked at for a healthier tourism industry. Dr Wasswa Tom Davis and Alain St.Ange are expected to plan for a following meeting soon.

Alain St.Ange
t: + 248 2 515 615
e: alain@saintange.com.au
e: saintangeseychelles@gmail.com

Singapore (Singapore) – July 18, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Hotel Management Singapore Summit (HMS) is the region’s leading hotel industry conference produced by international conference producer Questex Hospitality Group. HMS is scheduled to return to Singapore on 20 Sep 2018. Over 150 international senior hoteliers will gather to discuss on how to reinvent the hospitality business model in anticipation of consumer behavioral changes and resources constraints.

Themed, “Innovation Enabled Evolutions for Next Generation Guest Experiences and Service Flow,” HMS 2018 will once again provide the platform for the industry’s leading senior hoteliers to further discuss insights, trends, and best practices to ensure continuous successes.

From 2018 onwards, slower hotel development pace in Singapore will provide the much needed buffer to the industry. It will allow hoteliers to redirect their efforts into reinventing their business models. This will herald the industry into a new era of hotel operations with automations and innovations. This year marks the beginning of the period to position and prepare for the next round of growth.

To succeed, hotels must strive to remain guest-centric, while managing owner expectations, service levels and financial performances. It is imperative for hoteliers to start this process with the right mindset, cultivate the relevant talents, and leverage cost-efficient solutions. Under this prerogative, HMS will help the industry proactively transform to remain relevant to the guests of the future.
HMS Summit 2018 will continue to bring forth cross-industry consumer trends and hospitality-focused technological solutions as lauded by its past attendees:

“Good platform for networking and set to know the technology that other hotels have adopted,” said Sylvia Chua, Procurement Director – Resorts World Sentosa.

“Excellent topic and it is very on the trend now. Keep up with what in the trend would definitely more interesting,” said Sandra Widjaja, VP- Finance – YTL Hotels.

HMS is a neutral one-stop strategy platform where Corporate CEOs/ Presidents, COOs and CFOs, VP operations Property GMs, Financial Controllers, Director of operations property owners, and managing directors will directly address all key management, operational, commercial, and financial challenges that impact corporate and property P&L.

HMS Summit 2018 is part of the Hotel Management Asia summit Series, Asia’s only truly regional hotel management conference series. The series rotate through Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia this year by leveraging regional experiences, insights, and innovations to address market-specific challenges.

About Questex Hospitality + Travel
The Questex Hospitality + Travel Group of Questex LLC serves the worldwide hospitality, travel and related industries that together contribute over $6 trillion to the global gross domestic product. Through an innovative platform of targeted solutions, the group serves the sector’s entire ecosystem, from tourism and hotel development and investment to hotel design, purchasing, management and operations.

The Questex Hospitality + Travel Group supports every B2B segment of the industry, from investment and development to management operations, sales and marketing of hospitality and travel products to destination development and marketing, via proven demand generation, learning, loyalty and rewards solutions as well as a network of live events.

This division of Questex is aligned around three broad market segments – hospitality, travel, and meetings – and supported by its digital media staff.

About Hotel Management Singapore Summit (HMS Summit)
The leading conference in Thailand that directly addresses all operational/management challenges, the Hotel Management Singapore Summit provides a platform for hotel executives from both corporate level and property level to discuss key operational, branding and financial issues directly impacting corporate and property P&L.

CEO, COO, CFO, VPs, GMs, Financial Controllers, and executive committee members will gather to strategize and debate on essential topics including brand equity, cash-flow management, cost control, innovation and staff retention and development. Industry leaders will share their best practices and recommendations with their peers.

For further information, please contact:
Jefferson Mendoza
Marketing Executive
Questex Hospitality + Travel
Tel: +852 2589 1331
E-mail: jmendoza@questexasia.com
Website: www.questexevents.net/hmssummit

Bangkok (Thailand) – July 18, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Winners of the 2018 PATA Grand and Gold Awards are announced today by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

These awards, generously supported and sponsored since 1995 by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), this year recognise the achievements of 27 separate organisations and individuals.

The awards ceremony takes place in Langkawi, Malaysia on Friday, September 14 during PATA Travel Mart 2018. The 34 Grand and Gold Awards will be presented to such organisations as Amadeus Asia Limited, Thailand; AirAsia, Malaysia; Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, UAE; Hong Kong Tourism Board; Jetwing Hotels Ltd, Sri Lanka; Kerala Tourism, India; Local Alike, Thailand; Marianas Visitors Authority; Melco Resorts and Entertainment, Macao; PEAK DMC, India; and Tourism Authority of Thailand.

This year’s awards attracted 200 entries from 87 organisations and individuals worldwide. The winners were selected by an independent judging committee consisting of fourteen senior executives from the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors (see full list below).

Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office said, “This year’s PATA Gold Awards winners present us with yet another wide array of remarkable accomplishments in the different branches of the tourism industry. MGTO is honoured to help facilitate this PATA awards programme, which for the past over two decades has been bringing into the limelight so many exceptional contributions, inspiring tourism stakeholders throughout the Asia Pacific region to build a vibrant whilst sustainable tourism industry.”

Dr. Mario Hardy, PATA CEO, added, “On behalf of PATA, I would like to congratulate the 2018 PATA Grand and Gold Award winners, as well as all of this year’s participants for their submissions. This year’s winners exemplify the true values of the Association in working towards a more responsible travel and tourism industry in the Asia Pacific region. I look forward to celebrating all of their accomplishments at the PATA Gold Awards Luncheon and Presentation at PATA Travel Mart 2018 in Langkawi, Malaysia.”

The PATA Grand Awards are presented to outstanding entries in four principal categories: Marketing; Education and Training; Environment, and Heritage and Culture.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will receive the 2018 PATA Grand Award for Education and Training for its ‘King’s Wisdom for Sustainable Tourism’ project, a collaboration between the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Thailand. It uses the principles of His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s “sufficiency economy philosophy” in its work towards four primary objectives: to be able to continue working on the king’s principle to restore local wisdom and promote sustainable tourism, stimulate domestic tourism, create value in the tourist areas in order to increase revenue, and promote human resources development and strengthen the community to think and do by themselves leading to sustainable development.

The Environmental award will be presented to Elephant Hills Luxury Tented Camps, Thailand for their various activities including its Elephant Conservation Project, Children’s Project, and Wildlife Monitoring Project. They also organise a smaller project called CO2 offset which allows them to seek ways of reducing their carbon footprint.

The Heritage and Culture Award will be awarded to the Hong Kong Tourism Board for its ‘Art is Everywhere’ project. Two talented artists collaborated on the photography project, which showcased the hidden art gems in Hong Kong. The project was the first time for an Asian destination organisation to initiate a photography project which was designed to focus on promoting art scenes, collaborate with a US photographer and professional dancers for social media promotion, and raise awareness of Arts month and local cultural hubs, creating conversations on social media among local and international art lovers.

The Marketing Award will also be presented to the Hong Kong Tourism Board for its ‘Hong Kong Neighbourhoods: Old Town Central’ campaign. To raise awareness and encourage visitors to explore the dynamic district of Central and Sheung Wan, the Hong Kong Tourism Board repackaged the area into ‘Old Town Central (OTC)’. Instead of creating an advertising campaign to talk about OTC, they created an immersive experience by featuring the characteristics of the area and developed a strategic model to guide travellers all the way from ‘I have never heard of Old Town Central’ to ‘I enjoy walking around Old Town Central’ with the ultimate goal of inviting them to go deeper into the area and learn something new about Hong Kong.

PATA Grand Awards 2018
1. PATA Grand Award 2018
Education and Training
King’s Wisdom for Sustainable Tourism
Tourism Authority of Thailand
2. PATA Grand Award 2018
Environment
Elephant Hills Luxury Tented Camps, Thailand
3. PATA Grand Award 2018
Heritage and Culture
Art is Everywhere
Hong Kong Tourism Board
4. PATA Grand Award 2018
Marketing
Hong Kong Neighbourhoods: Old Town Central
Hong Kong Tourism Board

PATA Gold Awards 2018
1. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing – Primary Government Destination
TAT “Amazing Green Thailand: A’maze 2017”
Tourism Authority of Thailand
2. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing – Secondary Government Destination
Your Extraordinary Story
Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, UAE
3. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing – Carrier
Adventure Live
AirAsia, Malaysia
4. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing – Hospitality
Studio City Dinosaur Hunt
Melco Resorts and Entertainment, Macao
5. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing – Industry
Mekong Moments
Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, Thailand
6. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing – Young Travellers
My Hong Kong Buddy
Hong Kong Tourism Board
7. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing – Adventure Travel
Difference Aside Reality Show
Langkawi Development Authority, Malaysia
8. PATA Gold Award 2018
Environment – Corporate Environmental Programme
The Essence of Our Being
Jetwing Hotels Ltd, Sri Lanka
9. PATA Gold Award 2018
Environment – Ecotourism Project
Cinnamon Elephant Project
Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts, Sri Lanka
10. PATA Gold Award 2018
Environment – Environmental Education Programme
300 Ways to Save – Green Practices
The Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa, Malaysia
11. PATA Gold Award 2018
Corporate Social Responsibility
Making Great Moment to the Community
MGM, Macao
12. PATA Gold Award 2018
Women Empowerment Initiative
Empowering Women through Inclusive Work
PEAK DMC, India
13. PATA Gold Award 2018
Heritage
India Heritage Walk Festival
Sahapedia, India
14. PATA Gold Award 2018
Culture
Online Campaign 2017 “6Senses of Local Experience in Thailand”
Tourism Authority of Thailand
15. PATA Gold Award 2018
Community Based Tourism
Local Alike, Thailand
16. PATA Gold Award 2018
Education and Training
The Official Marianas Guide
Marianas Visitors Authority
17. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing Media – Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media
Holidays Bring You Closer
SOTC Travel LTD, India
18. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing Media – Travel Advertisement Print Media
Yalla Kerala Campaign
Kerala Tourism, India
19. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing Media – Travel Brochure
Experiential Showcase of the Indian Journeys
Cox and Kings, India
20. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing Media – E-Newsletter
Experience Malaysia
Tourism Malaysia
21. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing Media – Travel Poster
Live Inspired Campaign
Kerala Tourism, India
22. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing Media – Public Relations Campaign
Journey of Me by Amadeus
Amadeus Asia Limited, Thailand
23. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing Media – Social Media
InstaGUAM
Guam Visitors Bureau
24. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing Media – Mobile Travel Application
Visit Korea: Official Guide
Korea Tourism Organization
25. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing Media – Travel Video
Uncommon Experience
The Ultimate Travelling Camp, India
26. PATA Gold Award 2018
Marketing Media – Web Site
My Hong Kong Buddy
Hong Kong Tourism Board
27. PATA Gold Award 2018
Travel Journalism – Destination Article
Angkor Away, Holidays with Kids, April 2017
Aleney de Winter
28. PATA Gold Award 2018
Travel Journalism – Industry Business Article
The Technology Experience, TTGmice, June 2017
Karen Yue, TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd
29. PATA Gold Award 2018
Travel Journalism – Travel Photograph
Cruising through the Cave
Tourism Authority of Thailand
30. PATA Gold Award 2018
Travel Journalism – Travel Guidebook
An Interactive Guide to Angkor
Dougald O’Reilly

Judging Committee For Gold Awards 2018
Mr. Abdulla Ghiyas, Deputy Managing Director, Inner Maldives Holidays, Maldives; Mr. Benjamin Ping-Yao Liao, Chairman, Forte Hotel Group, Chinese Taipei; Dr. Joby Thomas, Associate Professor, School of Business Studies and Social Sciences, Christ University, India; Mrs. Margaret Wilson, Managing Director, C-MW Management, Australia; Mr. Matthew Zatto, Vice President of Tourism, ADARA, Australia; Ms Natasha Martin, Managing Director, Bannikin Asia, Hong Kong SAR; Mr. Nicholas Yeap, VP, Sales & Marketing, FLEXIROAM Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia; Mr. Nobutaka Ishikure, Chairman, Goltz et ses amis, Japan; Mr. Paul Pasquale, Content Manager, Red Robot Communications (Asia) Pte Ltd, Singapore; Mr. Peter Semone, Founder and President, Destination Human Capital Limited, Ireland; Mr. Randy Durband, CEO, Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Thailand; Ms. Samantha Hague, General Manager, Red Robot Communications (Asia) Pte Ltd, Singapore; Ms Stephanie A Wells, MSc. Co-Chair School of Tourism Management, Capilano University, Canada, and Mr. Soon-Hwa Wong, Founder and CEO, Asia Tourism Consulting Pte Ltd, Singapore.

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 member organisations, comprising 98 government, state and city tourism bodies, 19 international airlines and airports, 91 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 our 36 Chapters and 20 Student Chapters across the world. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 36 local PATA chapters worldwide, while hundreds of students are members of the 20 PATA student chapters globally. The chapters and student chapters organise travel industry training and business development events. Their grassroots activism 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. Visit www.PATA.org.

Contact information:
PATA
Paul Pruangkarn
communications@PATA.org
Director – Communications
+66 (02) 658-2000
Bangkok, Thailand

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – July 16, 2018 (travelindex.com) – I am this week issuing this edition of the Saint Ange Tourism Report from Accra in Ghana where I am a panellist at Routes Africa 2018. Supporting such tourism and aviation events on the Continent of Africa is of utmost importance if Africa wants to re-write its narrative and claim back ‘Brand Africa’.

Routes Africa brings together top-level speakers from across the sphere of aviation to discuss the most pressing issues facing the industry. Addresses will be delivered by airline CEOs and senior network planners, along with some of the most influential figures from across Africa and beyond. Panel sessions, keynote speeches and training opportunities will ensure that delegates maximise the value of their attendance at Routes Africa 2018. I am honoured to have been invited to be part of the panellist for a discussion on “Economic impact of tourism – tourism authorities and airports in partnership”.

Ethiopian and Eritrea dialogue a positive news for Brand Africa

Ethiopian Airlines announced on July 10 that it had finalised preparations to resume daily flights to Asmara, Eritrea, on July 17. This follows agreements reached in Asmara between Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and President Isaias Afewerki of the State of Eritrea. The route will be operated by a Boeing 787 between July 17 and October 27.

Regarding the resumption of flights to Eritrea’s capital, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam, said: “We at Ethiopian feel an immense honour and joy to resume scheduled flights to Asmara after 20 years, following the visit to Eritrea by Dr. Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. With the opening of a new chapter of peace and friendship between the two sisterly countries, we look forward to starting flights to Asmara with the B787, the most technologically advanced commercial aircraft, which gives customers unparalleled on-board comfort.” According to GebreMariam, the resumption of air links will play a critical role in boosting the overall political, economic, trade and people-to-people ties between the countries. “Very quickly, we plan to operate multiple daily services and to start cargo flights, in view of the huge market potential between the two countries,” added GebreMariam.

Kenya Airways on the Board of IATA

Success for Africa is when we see the recognition for the continent beyond its own borders. The election of Sebastian Mikosz, the Group MD and CEO of Kenya Airways to the Board of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is testament to the progress by the Continent in re-writing its own narrative and pushing Brand Africa forward. The elections took place at the 74th Annual General Meeting of IATA in Sydney Australia.

President Macron of France & former President Obama on the Continent

Head of State visits always makes world news, and the continent of Africa received two dignitaries during June and July that can only help ‘Brand Africa’ to remain visible and relevant in the world of tourism.

The visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Nigeria among other countries, and by former President Barack Obama to Kenya and South Africa, has boosted the coverage of the African Continent and this can only be positive for the 54 Member States of the continent.

Seychelles tourism

On the Seychelles front, the local tourism industry continue to raise operating costs as their main challenge. President Danny Faure personally visited hotel establishments on the islands of Praslin and La Digue last week. The interest by the Head of State for the tourism industry is welcomed, especially as the President was himself the Chair of the island’s Cross Sectorial Meetings, when he was Vice President and is therefore well briefed on the industry’s challenges.

Many on the two islands have echoed the appeal for the President to appreciate that hotels in Seychelles were not competing amongst themselves, but were measured in Tour Operator Programs with properties in other holiday destinations. The comparison of apples for apples, or oranges for oranges, is where the Seychelles rate structures becomes a cause for concern. The need for an adequate marketing budget to ensure visibility and relevance is also the battle cry today, as it was yesterday, and the day before.

As we are in in the final stages of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Fever, it is important to analyse the many football teams everyone had expected to see progress from the elimination rounds, but that instead faded away into thin air. Never take anything for granted, is the morale behind these last games, and it is the same for tourism destinations. The need to continuously innovate, and to then communicate what we are doing to remain visible and relevant, is the key for success. It is also important for the destination, (the country) to live up to the expectations of its visitors.