Category: Latest Travel News

Phoenix (Arizona) – May 8, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts today announced that Vice President of Operations Bruce Wienberg has been named a Gold Stevie Award winner in the Maverick of the Year – Consumer Services category. This year marks the 16th Annual American Business Awards – the premier business awards program in the U.S., with winners selected from a pool of more than 3,700 nominations across all industries. Wienberg’s win is a significant accomplishment for the hospitality industry veteran and for Best Western Hotels & Resorts.

“Bruce’s commitment to enhancing the customer experience has been a driving force behind our brand’s evolution and a catalyst for elevating industry standards,” said Ron Pohl, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “The Maverick of the Year Award is truly fitting for a professional like Bruce, whose forward-thinking and innovative mindset makes an impact on our business daily.”

Since joining Best Western Hotels & Resorts in 2003, Wienberg has demonstrated his commitment to innovation and success. His assistance in rolling out Best Western’s award-winning I Care® Every Guest Every Time training program, which utilizes industry-leading Mursion avatar training simulations, has created the highest guest satisfaction scores in the company’s history. The program has also helped Best Western land a spot on Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies list in the AR/VR category. Wienberg also championed the brand’s new “Build Your Own” breakfast program, which is now available at most Best Western-branded properties and emulated at hotels across the globe. The program was recently awarded a top ranking in J.D. Power’s 2017 Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study in the category of food and beverage for midscale.

“The nominations submitted for The 2018 American Business Awards were outstanding. The competition was intense, and those recognized as Stevie Award winners should be immensely proud of this accomplishment,” said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards.

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word meaning “crowned,” the awards will be presented to winners at a gala ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Monday, June 11. Tickets are now on sale.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2018 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA

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

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 CollectionSM by Best Western, and BW Signature CollectionSM 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 64 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2017, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Best Western receiving seven consecutive Dynatrace® Best of the Web awards for its leading hotel website. 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 32 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 hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Harley-Davidson® 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

Bangkok (Thailand) – May 7, 2018 (travelindex) – Arnoma Grand Bangkok is much honored to be a host to welcome Mr. Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee and Sheik Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, Olympic Council of Asia president. They were touch down in Bangkok and visit Arnoma Grand Bangkok. Throughout the visit they were accompanied by IOC member in Thailand Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul

They have confirmed to be participating to the SportAccord 2018 in Bangkok. The six-day summit featuring sports organizations and sports-related industries was take place at CentralWorld and host Thailand is ready to welcome all the participants, who, apart from their business, will witness the Thai cultures.

Contact information:
Patompong Wongjaroenkit
Marketing Communications Manager
ARNOMA GRAND BANGKOK
99 Ratchadamri Road
Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330
T : + 662 655 5555
F : +662 655 7888
M : 089 154 5566
E : mc@arnoma.com
W : www.arnoma.com

Buenos Aires (Argentina) – May 7, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Global Tourism Economy Research Centre (“GTERC”) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Argentina and Brazil, to feature the two nations as Partner Countries of the 2019 Global Tourism Economy Forum (“GTEF” or “the Forum”), further deepening tourism collaboration between China and Latin America.

The MoU was executed during the 2018 World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Dr. Michael Frenzel, Honorary Chairman of GTEF, representing GTERC, Mr. Gustavo Santos, Minister of Tourism of Argentina, and Mr. Vinicius Lummertz, Minister of Tourism of Brazil, were signatories to the tripartite MoU.

The GTERC delegation comprised key members of the Forum’s organization, including Dr. Michael Frenzel, Honorary Chairman of GTEF; Mr. Jean Claude Baumgarten, Vice Chairman of GTEF; and Mr. Jason Wang, Chief Operating Officer of GTEF. Following the signing, the delegation held meetings with Argentinian tourism leaders including Mr. Aldo Elias, President, Argentina Chamber of Tourism (CAT); Mr. Hector Viñuales, President, Federation of Chambers of Tourism of the Argentine Republic(FEDECATUR); Mr. Fabricio Di Giambattista, President, Argentina Association of Travel Agencies and Tourism (FAEVYT); Mr. Camilo Suarez, President, Association of Hotels, Restaurants, Confectioneries and Cafes (AHRCC); and Mr. Fernando Desbots, Vice President, The Gastronomic Hotel Business Federation of the Argentine Republic (FEHGRA). The meeting concluded with CAT’s commitment to send a delegation to GTEF 2018 this October.

Meanwhile, the GTERC delegation attended the WTTC Global Summit in support of the WTTC, summit organizer and one of the GTEF’s supporting units. The delegation held meetings with Mr. Christopher J. Nassetta, new Chairman of WTTC; and Ms. Nikolina Angelkova, Minister of Tourism of Bulgaria, during the Summit to discuss and communicate on cooperation details in GTEF 2018.

Pioneering topics at the top of the public-private agenda, and dedicated to creating tourism promotion, investment and cooperation opportunities for tourism stakeholders, GTEF 2018 will be held in MGM Cotai on October 23 and 24 under the theme, “Strategic Partnership in a New Era, Rising Momentum for a Shared Future”. As a partner event of the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year (ECTY 2018), GTEF 2018 will present two of the most vibrant economic regions of the world. The European Union (EU) will be showcased as the Partner Region, and Guangdong Province will be accentuated as the Featured Chinese Province with a special focus on the Greater Bay Area. GTEF 2018 will use its pragmatic tourism
exchange platform to drive discussions on strengthening EU-China commercial and cultural exchanges, and to broaden opportunities for enhanced EU-China cooperation and partnership through bilateral meetings, business matching, networking, workshops, exhibitions, etc.

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

Since its inception in 2012, GTEF has successfully established itself as an influential high-level cooperation platform to promote sustainable development in the global tourism industry with a focus on China. To date, GTEF had received more than 8,000 participants from 83 countries and regions, including delegations from 106 provinces and cities of Mainland China; and 437 internationally
renowned speakers.

For enquiries, please contact Mazarine Asia Pacific:
Ms. Esther Chan
Tel: +852 3678 0109
Email: esther.chan@mazarineap.com

Nilai (Malaysia) – May 2, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts has partnered with the Green Target Group for an exciting new hotel in Nilai, the vibrant university town in Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan state, just 18 km from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

“We are excited to debut the Best Western brand in the lively city of Nilai and bring yet another standout property to Malaysia,” said Ron Pohl, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “This hotel will be a welcome addition to our robust portfolio, as Best Western currently has 56 hotels, comprising more than 8,100 rooms across the Asia Pacific region. With another 40 hotels and over 9,000 rooms in the pipeline, our Asian inventory is on track to double in the coming years.”

The 10-story Best Western Mesa Hotel will form part of Green Target Group’s landmark MesaHill development. This major complex also includes residences and a major retail center, MesaMall, which opened late last year to become the largest shopping and lifestyle mall in Nilai.

Upon completion, Best Western Mesa Hotel will feature 200 contemporary rooms, complimentary Wi-Fi and an array of modern midscale facilities. It will be directly connected to MesaMall, providing unparalleled shopping opportunities for guests.

The agreement for the new hotel was signed in a major ceremony attended by Datuk Tan Hong Lai, Green Target Group’s CEO and Managing Director, and Ketsara Chukhien, Best Western’s Regional Director of Human Resources and Training – Asia.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Green Target Group on this landmark project,” said Olivier Berrivin, Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ Managing Director of International Operations – Asia. “With its perfect location, within easy reach of Kuala Lumpur, KLIA and the Klang Valley, Nilai is a town with a huge amount of potential. Home to many universities and colleges, this is already a young and dynamic destination and the opening of MesaMall has added another exciting new element to the area.”

“Best Western would like to thank Datuk Tan for his vision and leadership, which has made this partnership possible. Malaysia is a hugely important market for Best Western, and the extended Klang Valley area holds many exciting opportunities. We look forward to working with the Green Target Group and welcoming guests to Best Western Mesa Hotel in future,” Berrivin added.

Incorporated in 2007, Green Target Group has already undertaken several major projects in Malaysia, including the MYR300 million Green Hill Residence in Shah Alam, which won two prestigious international awards for its design, and a MYR137 million industrial development in Semenyih. Valued at MYR6 billion, MesaHill in Nilai is the group’s biggest project to date.

Best Western Mesa Hotel will be situated just 18km from KLIA and 50km from Kuala Lumpur. It will become Best Western’s third midscale hotel in Malaysia, following Best Western Petaling Jaya and Best Western i-City Shah Alam, both of which are also located in the Klang Valley – the well-connected commercial and industrial region surrounding Kuala Lumpur.

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®, and BW Signature CollectionSM by Best Western; as well as its recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay® Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay CollectionSM 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 64 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2017, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Best Western receiving seven consecutive Dynatrace® Best of the Web awards for its leading hotel website. 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 32 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 hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Harley-Davidson® 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

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – May 1, 2018 (travelindex.com) – President Danny Faure has announced a Cabinet of Ministers reshuffle and with it, a move from tourism for Minister Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, after just over a year and a few months in office. He has been replaced by Minister Didier Dogley who was formally the Minister for the Environment. Minister Loustau-Lalanne moves to the Ministry of Finance. Minister Dogley’s new Ministry continues to cover Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine.

We wish Minister Dogley well as the new Tourism Minister and we take this opportunity to wish all Ministers success in their new portfolios.

Jules Hoareau TV program called for reforming bicycle hire on La Digue

The morning show on Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) TV by popular presenter Jules Hoareau appealed for large hotels on La Digue not to be in the business of hiring of bicycles. The insinuation that Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie was in that business was made and the Resort’s Owning Company was contacted to seek their views.

Joe Albert, the Group’s Chairman confirmed that the Resort was not in the business of hiring bicycles to their guests and to visitors on La Digue, but he accepted that one of the shareholders in the company was personally involved in a bicycle hiring business which has now raised the concern.

Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie of La Digue has 63 Villas which includes a Presidential Villa and a couple of Exclusive VIP Villas. For these eight villas they attach 16 bicycles for their sixteen guests which they offer on a complimentary basis as part of the facilities on offer. These sixteen bicycles are owned by the resort and covered by the Insurance Policy of the Resort.

Joe Albert agrees that the hundred or so hotel guests should be able to have access to all those in the business of hiring bicycles and that he will be moving to open up that possibility very soon. Today the La Digue “Severe Bicycles” has exclusivity at the resort and the Chairman of the Hotel’s Owning Company agrees that this needes to change as the practice is seen as being unfair.

He nevertheless emphasised that Bicycle Operators who wish to offer their bicycles to the resort’s guests will be required to show that they have insurance for their Bicycle Hire business. “This is only the duty of care we have as the resort” said Joe Albert.

Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie of La Digue employs 217 staff members out of which 72% are Seychellois with a large proportion being Diguois, or affiliated with La Digue.

Tourism for All & Air Seychelles cooperation

The Seychelles Hospitality & Tourism Association (SHTA) has moved to involve everyone in the drive to consolidate the island’s tourism industry. Tourism for All is the call, and a great initiative. Without tourism the economy of the Seychelles will struggle and it is important for each and every Seychellois to not only embrace the industry, but to also defend it. Every Seychellois will be affected if tourism suffered a slowdown, so it is right to expect everyone to work together to for the growth of the industry.

The revived spirit of cooperation between Air Seychelles and the SHTA is commendable. It is a win win for everyone. The airline needs the tourism industry to speak about them and what better way than to find appropriate avenues for the trade to use Air Seychelles for their marketing and sales missions. Special applicable rates for the tourism trade is a positive move that should bear fruits.

New Book on Tourism by Edition Universitaires Europeennes

Elvis Mutiri wa Bashara is the author of the new book “RDC:- Les opportunites d’investissements dans le tourisme” (Opportunities for Investments in Tourism) has been published by EUE (Editions Universitaires Europeennes).

The book spells out the road to opportunities and the forward was written by Alain St.Ange, the former Minister for Tourism. Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine of the Seychelles who has been a good friend of the author Elvis Muturi wa Bashara.

Elvis was also Minister for Tourism in RDC and was one who was actively present at major tourism forums and at the UNWTO.

The Environment remains the preoccupation of everyone

The posting by SIF (Seychelles Islands Foundation) on plastic waste building up on Aldabra Atoll, the UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered the most remote place on the planet, is a worry.

As we are reporting of measures being taken by Hotels and Resorts (See article on CaranaBeach in this issue), we cannot emphasise enough that every Seychellois must be seen to be good custodians of what we have been blessed with. Seychelles has a picture-perfect landscape with many unique attributes that continue to attract visitors to its shores. The Seychellois from an early age work to protect their environment, and today the islands have Wild Life Clubs in schools only to re-emphasise the protection of the environment as the number one priority of each and everyone in the islands.

We hear of appeals to rid plastic from our day-to-day lives, but the recent posting by SIF shows that more needs to be done to educate or to sensitise the world we live in to respect the environment. We have but One World and we all have a part to play to save it.

Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR) – May 2, 2018 (travelindex.com) – With the ever-increasing concern about worldwide environmental problems, the findings of a recent study by Dr Eric Chan, Dr Alice Hon and Dr Wilco Chan of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and a co-researcher provide much-needed practical suggestions that should help hotels aiming to implement environmental management programmes. The researchers highlight that gaining employees’ support for new environmental initiatives is key to ensuring success. Equipping employees with sufficient environmental knowledge is important to raising their awareness and concern, and should encourage them to participate in the necessary ecological practices.

The successful implementation of an environmental management system in a hotel depends on the “support and involvement” of its employees, the researchers explain. Although there is some evidence that staff morale may be improved by the implementation of an environmental programme, employees may be resistant to changes in their “routine and habitual operations”, especially if such changes mean they are also required to undertake additional tasks. Hotels thus need to ensure that staff members are willing to support the introduction of such programmes, yet little is known about how this can best be achieved.

Environmental behaviour, according to the researchers, relies on having knowledge about environmental issues. They suggest, for instance, that someone is more likely to “buy an eco-washer after acknowledging the meaning of its green label and benefits”. Providing employees with information about the effects of green practices that as recycling, saving water and turning off lights should thus promote more positive attitudes towards that behaviour, and this in turn should motivate them to participate in more “ecologically or environmentally responsible behaviour”.

Environmental knowledge also promotes environmental awareness, which the researchers define as “an individual’s attention to and sensitivity to environmental problems”. A person with greater environmental awareness is more conscious of how problems such as global warming affect them and understands that “he or she may eventually suffer from the consequences”. Consequently, those who are more ecologically aware are more likely to “purchase products with eco labels, consume organic foods, and participate in recycling programmes”.

Another important factor is environmental concern, which refers to people’s beliefs and feelings about ecological issues. Someone with environmental concern about the greenhouse effect, for instance, is likely to believe that “some attention or immediate action is required to tackle the problem”. Such concern may lead to more ecological behaviour, although the researchers point out that it is still unclear whether that behaviour is directly related to environmental knowledge.

Although various studies have examined how people’s environmental knowledge, awareness and concern influence their ecological behaviour, these factors have not been investigated together with the aim of examining how they relate to each other. Although each factor may “eventually drive ecological behaviour”, as the researchers suggest, there is evidence, for instance, that knowledge alone is insufficient to change behaviour.

To bridge this gap, the researchers wanted to determine the extent to which the ideas generated by environmental programmes could be integrated with hospitality employees’ environmental knowledge, awareness, concern, and ecological behaviour. They hypothesised that environmental knowledge is positively related to environmental awareness, that environmental awareness is positively related to environmental concern, and that environmental concern is ultimately positively related to ecological behaviour.

With this mental model in hand, the researchers conducted a survey at ten international tourist hotels in Hong Kong, eight of which were 4 or 5-star hotels and two of which were 3-star hotels. Hotel employees at various levels were asked about their environmental knowledge, awareness and concern, ecological behaviour and demographic characteristics.

Among the respondents, 58% were female, 41% were aged 20-29, 36% were aged 30-49 and the rest were aged over 49. Less than half had a Bachelor’s degree or higher-level education and worked in a managerial or supervisory-level position. Almost half of the respondents had worked in their current company for 5 years or more.

The survey results revealed that employees with higher levels of environmental knowledge also showed greater environmental awareness and concern, and were more likely to implement green practices. For instance, such employees tended to agree with statements like “As the last person to leave a room in the hotel, I switch off the lights”. Although environmental knowledge directly influenced ecological behaviour, it had the greatest effect among those who also showed high environmental awareness and concern, thus confirming that knowledge alone may not always be sufficient to change people’s habits.

The researchers’ findings have many practical implications that can help hotels to successfully implement new environmental initiatives, in particular by focusing on raising awareness and concern. The researchers highlight the important role of management in transmitting “environmental knowledge, understanding and information” to lower-level employees. When employees receive messages from top management about the importance of environmental protection, their awareness is raised and they become more concerned about the effects of green practices and protecting the environment.

Hotels should thus start by training managers and ensuring they communicate regularly with employees, such as by providing “daily briefings” and staff meetings to exchange the latest environmental information.

The researchers also explain that rather than just focusing on knowledge, it is important that training should raise employees’ awareness and concern about environmental issues, particularly those that are relevant to the hospitality and tourism industry like the “carbon footprint of travellers” and the problems caused by food waste in hotels. They advise that training should be regular and provided to “all levels of hotel employees” to motivate senior executives to introduce new environmental strategies and marketing campaigns, motivate supervisors to monitor daily environmental practices and motivate rank and file employees to implement these practices, even if they add to their workload.

Eventually, employees should be encouraged to come up with new ideas about how to reduce the effects of environmental problems by organising discussion sessions and providing a “suggestion box only for possible green practices”, the researchers suggest. Finally, incentives could be offered to “employees or teams who implement green practices that result in noticeable cost savings”.

The main contribution of the study, according to the researchers, is their mental model, which should be useful for assessing how environmental practices affect employees’ “ecological behavioural outcomes”. Hotels are increasingly expected to have effective environmental programmes to build and maintain a good reputation and ensure their profitability. By following the researchers’ suggestions, hotels should find it easier to provide the right training to ensure employees at all levels are informed and aware of how ecological behaviour can help their hotel, the environment and themselves, and provide appropriate incentives to motivate them to participate.

Contact information:
Kelly Wang
Executive Assistant
School of Hotel and Tourism Management
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
17 Science Museum Road
TST East, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3400-2639; Fax: +852 2356-1390

Male (Maldives) – April 29, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Maldives’ Guest-house sector went from just one guesthouse in 2010 to 600 guesthouses across 76 islands today, adding 7,000 beds. The number could rise to 700 guesthouses with a combined 10,000 beds by end 2019, according to Mohamed Karam, president of the Guesthouse Association of Maldives.

With more guesthouses popping up across the country amid a rising budget inbound sector, some operators in the Maldives are urging the government to promote this market at overseas trade shows.

We desperately need more promotion said Karam, during the second International Travel Trade Show of Maldives (TTM), which took place recently in Malé.

Unlike resorts, guesthouses have limited resources to attend trade shows or do their own international marketing, confided Karam, who owns a 12-room guesthouse on Thoddoo island. “We depend on online sales and cannot afford individual marketing at trade shows.”

Rallying support for island campaigns, Karam added: “Local councils on islands where guesthouses are located must promote each island, its properties and the benefit of a visit. These guesthouses bring huge benefits to the islanders.

“Unlike all-inclusive resorts, guesthouse islands engage local communities to provide facilities like restaurants, swimming pools, spas, shopping and sporting activities,” he pointed out.

The development of guesthouses, with average room count ranging from five to 20, is aimed at helping local communities thrive, Karam said.

Anusha Zubair, sales and marketing manager at Fushifaru Maldives, said the guesthouse segment provides a different dimension to the market. “Now travellers have many options and those who are unable to afford luxury resorts can opt for guesthouses if their budget is around US$50,” she said.

Fushifaru Maldives is part of Muni Enterprises group, which owns a 20-room guesthouse on Maafushi island, two safari boats and other businesses.

Maldives Guest Houses can add their property for free at:
www.travelindex.com/Maldives/ and www.tourismmaldives.net/

Bangkok (Thailand) – April 26, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels & Resorts has unveiled plans to launch its BW Premier Collection brand in Vietnam, with a new upscale beach resort in one of the country’s most exciting up-and-coming coastal destinations.

Saint Simeon Resort, BW Premier Collection is currently under construction in Vung Tau, the largest city in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province on Vietnam’s south-central coast, overlooking the East Sea. Exuding contemporary elegance with sharp lines and a sleek design, this resort will showcase the very best of modern Vietnamese hospitality.

Just 100 km or a two hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau is extremely convenient for local residents wanting to escape the city, or international travelers seeking a unique Vietnamese vacation. It is also located just 60 km from the planned Long Thanh International Airport, which is set to become a major air gateway for Vietnam and the entire ASEAN region.

“Best Western continues to expand across Asia at a rapid pace – introducing new brands and welcoming new hotels tailored to meet the needs of today’s travelers,” said Ron Pohl, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “We’re excited to bring the BW Premier Collection brand to Vietnam, as its hotels are known for their local flare and upscale amenities – delivering a truly unique guest experience. We look forward to Saint Simeon Resort becoming a preferred hotel for travelers visiting the beautiful port city of Vung Tau.”

Upon welcoming guests in the first quarter of 2019, Saint Simeon Resort, BW Premier Collection will offer 135 rooms and suites, all equipped with upscale facilities and cutting-edge technology, including complimentary Wi-Fi.

Guests will have direct access to a stunning sandy beach and a wide selection of on-site facilities including a restaurant serving exquisite Vietnamese and international cuisine, a serene spa, sophisticated lounge, outdoor pool, and plenty of space to unwind and soak up the tropical ambience.

“Vietnam is an important market for Best Western and we are delighted to secure yet another fantastic property in such an exciting destination – Vung Tau,” commented Olivier Berrivin, Best Western’s Managing Director of International Operations – Asia. “With its prime beachfront location and close proximity to Ho Chi Minh City, we fully expect this elegant resort to become extremely popular with local and international guests alike.”

“BW Premier Collection is becoming a real favorite among hotel owners and developers in Asia. As one of our three new ‘soft brands’, it offers all the benefits of partnering with a global hotel group, including our extensive support and loyalty networks, whilst also retaining the hotel’s own unique personality. I am confident that our guests will appreciate this new era of hospitality when it arrives in Vietnam in early 2019,” Olivier added.

Saint Simeon Resort becomes the company’s fourth BW Premier Collection property in Asia. This innovative upscale concept made its regional debut in 2017 with the launch of Hotel Nagasaki, BW Premier Collection in Japan. This was joined more recently by Amaranth Suvarnabhumi Airport, BW Premier Collection in Thailand. Construction is also now underway on the brand’s second Thai hotel, BluPhere Pattaya, BW Premier Collection, which is scheduled to open in 2019.

Best Western has identified Vietnam as one of its key areas of focus, due to its incredible natural beauty, increasing popularity as a destination, tourism-friendly government policies, and levels of rising domestic affluence. In addition to Saint Simeon Resort, BW Premier Collection, the company also has firm plans to launch an upscale resort on the idyllic southern island of Phu Quoc.

In 2017, Vietnam welcomed a record 12.92 million international visitors, up almost 30 percent compared to the previous year. This positive trend has continued in 2018; in the first three months of this year, Vietnam has already welcomed 4.21 million arrivals, which marks a 30.9 percent year-on-year increase and puts the country well on track for a new all-time high.

With its highly accessible location, choice of stunning sandy beaches, tropical climate, and several major new tourism projects being planned for the area, Vung Tau is expected to become one of the country’s top visitor destinations in the years to come.

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®, and BW Signature CollectionSM 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 64 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2017, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Best Western receiving seven consecutive Dynatrace® Best of the Web awards for its leading hotel website. 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 32 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 hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Harley-Davidson® 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

London (United Kingdom) – April 26, 2018 (travelindex) – Global hospitality management software company Xn protel Systems has announced today that the stunning, super-yacht style, Southampton Harbour Hotel in the UK has successfully piloted its Point of Sale system, xnPOS. The implementation included both traditional terminals and mobile devices across the hotel’s extensive F&B operation, giving staff the right tools to deliver service wherever it is needed. The xnPOS implementation also included interfaces to the Oracle Hospitality OPERA property management system and Procure Wizard’s enterprise stock and procurement solution.

The new Southampton Harbour Hotel & Spa, in Southampton, UK, is an AA 5 star rated hotel, which has transformed Ocean Village with its striking super-yacht inspired design. It features stunning contemporary interiors and its unique design reflects Southampton’s thriving marine culture and offers a gateway to the beautiful Solent. Southampton Harbour Hotel & Spa is part of the Harbour Hotels Group portfolio of hotels.

xnPOS provides comprehensive functionality and scalability that meets the needs of hotel F&B, table service restaurants and hospitality foodservice operations. The product is already proven in a wide spectrum of F&B operations in some 50 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. The pedigree and range of international customers endorses the system’s flexibility, functionality, language capability and simplicity of use.

Stuart Bateman, Commercial Director, Harbour Hotels Group said: “The system has settled in very well and it does everything our previous system did, and more. Reporting capability, in particular, is vastly improved. The hardware provided is proving robust and reliable.”

Stuart continues, “What makes the absolute difference is the great service and support we have received from the Xn protel team. Their flexibility and response time is what we need to support our growing business and we look forward to installing xnPOS across the group over a period of time.”

Alan O’Riordan, Managing Director UK & Europe, Xn protel Systems comments: “The Southampton Harbour Hotel is an amazing hotel and it has been a pleasure working with the team there.”

About Harbour Hotels
Firmly established as one of the UK’s most exciting luxury hotel groups, Harbour Hotels now spans 13 coastal, country and city locations across the UK, with further expansion into 2019.

Each hotel is located in a premium setting, with renowned dining and luxurious facilities. From sensational views, to stepping out into the heart of a city, the group offers an exceptional variety of locations and experiences.

www.harbourhotels.co.uk

For further information, please contact:
Victoria Rose
PR Manager
T: 01202 400 975
M:07803 272125
E: victoria.rose@harbourhotels.co.uk

About Xn protel Systems
Xn protel Systems is a global hospitality management software company specializing in property management, central reservations, point of sale and activity management solutions. Our business-critical, highly functional, cloud-native and open systems provide the latest technology and flexibility. They help world-class hospitality companies in over 50 countries to optimize revenue generation, simplify service operations and enhance the quality of guest communications.

We are committed to:
– Creating open systems. Working closely with our customers and partners we adopt industry standard protocols to break down traditional integration barriers. Creating truly open, flexible solutions that support guests’ growing appetite to be more in control of their stay.

– Developing cloud-native products. Our newest technologies are born in the cloud. That means our customers benefit from the latest innovations, can take full advantage of mobile and achieve a lower cost of ownership.

– Being easy to do business with. We understand the frustration that comes with unresponsive and inflexible suppliers. We’re not like that. And we don’t take our customers for granted. A customer-centric approach is in our DNA, from preparing quotations through to resolving support calls.

Our next generation, global solutions are backed by outstanding customer service and support. Our dedicated team of highly experienced hotel, hospitality and technology experts work hard to understand customers’ needs and the issues they face. Located across our extensive network of offices, our specialists provide the best advice, solutions and support to make sure customers meet the needs of local markets and achieve their business goals.

The Company was formed in the UK in 2002, as Xn Hotel Systems. It was then renamed in 2015 as Xn protel Systems when protel hotelsoftware became a shareholder.

www.xnprotel.com

Xn protel contact:
Terry Osborne
Head of Marketing
Terry.osborne@xnprotel.com
+44 (0) 7788 280434

Xn protel sales contact:
sales@xnprotel.com

Guangzhou (China) – April 23, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Tourism Federation of Cities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Bay Area (referred to as the “Federation”) held its first General Membership Meeting in Guangzhou today (20 April) to confirm an array of major tasks to carry out. The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) will join other members in closer partnership to build the Bay Area into a world-class travel destination.

Director General of Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, Zeng Yingru, Director General of Tourism Administration of Guangzhou Municipality (the first Rotating Chairman entity of the year), Liu Yumei, the Commissioner for Tourism of the Tourism Commission of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Joe Wong, and Head of Communication and External Relations Department of MGTO, Kathy Iong, attended the meeting together with senior tourism officials of the nine Guangdong cities namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing. The parties each reported their work progress and raised suggestions regarding their participation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area tourism development and concerted efforts to foster tourism development in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

The first Rotating Chairman entity of the year, the Tourism Administration of Guangzhou Municipality, raised a number of major tasks for discussion during the meeting. The member entities reached a consensus to push forward major tasks as follows: organize tourism presentation seminars, design and produce promotional materials, deepen tourism cooperation and tap into the potential brought by related polices. The Federation seeks to support each member destination to unleash their own characteristics and advantages, deepen interchange and widen collaboration, as well as refine the collaborative scheme for tourism integration. The core mission is to build a quality living circle ideal for travel and inhabitation and forge the Bay Area into a world-class travel destination.

This year, MGTO will engage in and push forward the following key initiatives to foster tourism development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area: organize tourism presentation seminars about the Bay Area, carry out strategic promotions, produce a travelogue about the three places, set up joint booths at major travel fairs, arrange familiarization visits and promote multi-destination tourism products offered by the Bay Area, among others. The Office will also leverage various platforms for high-level exchange and cooperation to drive new tourism progress in the Bay Area.

Following the Articles and Agreement of the Tourism Federation of Cities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Bay Area, MGTO will be keenly committed and supportive to the work of the Federation. Upholding the principle of “concerted development, joint branding and market sharing”, the Office will work closely with other member entities to jointly build a world-class travel destination.

Initiated by Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, Tourism Commission of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao Government Tourism Office, the Tourism Federation of Cities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Bay Area was established in December 2017. The Federation consists of the tourism bodies of the nine cities of Guangdong Province – Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing – as well as the two Special Administrative Regions, Hong Kong and Macao. The Secretariat of the Federation is set up at Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province.