Category: Latest Travel News

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.

Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) – July 16, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Ethiopian Airlines, the Largest Aviation Group in Africa and SKYTRAX certified Four Star Global Airline, is proud to announce that it has taken delivery of the largest B737 MAX fleet in the Continent on July 2, 2018.

The B737 MAX 8 features the new Boeing sky interior, highlighted by modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, LED lighting that enhance the sense of spaciousness ultimately boosting customers’ experience. The environmentally friendly aircraft has a minimal carbon emission and consumes 15% less fuel than the 737-NG.

Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, said, “It is an immense honor for all of us at Ethiopian to reach this milestone a few days after we colorfully marked our 100 fleet milestone and the latest acquisition is an affirmation of our continuing pioneering role in African aviation and the successful implementation of our fast, profitable and sustainable growth plan, Vision 2025. Today, We are glad to include the B737 MAX 8, the latest in Boeing’s singleaisle series, in our young and modern fleet family with an average age of less than 5 years.

As a customer-centric airline with a high adaptability to emerging technologies, we have been pioneering Africa’s aviation with latest-technology fleet throughout our 72 years history. In line with our growth targets under Vision 2025, we will keep on investing in further expansion of our fleet an in acquiring the latest aircraft the industry has to offer.”

With this delivery of the new ultra-modern aircraft, Ethiopian’s fleet of Boeing airplanes grows to 73 jets, including the 787 Dreamliner, 777, 737 MAX, and the 757 and 767.

“Ethiopian Airlines continues to fly at the forefront of Africa’s commercial aviation industry by operating the most advanced airplanes,” said Marty Bentrott, Boeing Sales vice president for Middle East, Turkey, Russia, Central Asia & Africa. “We are honored by Ethiopian’s continuing confidence in Boeing airplanes and we look forward to growing our five-decade long partnership.”

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

Phuket (Thailand) – July 14, 2018 (travelindex.com) – How to build a Yacht Charter Global Digital platform for Individuals to assist, facilitate, with wide Choice & High-Standard Service ? With Immediate booking & Large fleet Yachtside label with +150 Yachts available.

Not just another one of the many digital companies out there’ trying to conquer the Charter Yacht market, Yachtside Charter is above all a professional charter brokerage company whose founders total more than 40 years of experience in Yachting.

Other digital platforms only offer access to technology without actually taking into account the technical and administrative constraints that only a professional structure powered by humans can provide

So what does YACHTSIDE Charter bring to the table?
The accessibility in 1 click to all available yachts in the fleet in real time while maintaining the human contact with a charter broker professional that will answer all your questions via live chat or by telephone.
– YACHTSIDE Charter has a revolutionary comparative algorithm built into the platform to help the client compare and visualize the yachts on offer like never before.
– Instant quotation and pricing offered in several currencies to know exactly what the cost will be.
– High quality video presentation of the yachts on offer to help ease any doubts a client may have.
– Receiving an easy to complete e-charter agreement that can be validated with 1 click.
– As Easy As Booking An Hotel Room Online.

YACHTSIDE Charter’s differences and benefits
With YACHTSIDE Charter makes comparing, booking and managing private yacht charters easier than ever before.

Our experience of Private Charter Yacht has allowed us to create a tool that guarantees:

– Quality label
With MYBA & MCA standards All professionals to join the CharterYacht Web-app are audited by an surveyor and are obliged to satisfy drastic specifications in which, in addition to the business itself, each of its products and services is audited prior to approval.

– Access to professionals 24 h / 7 Days with Human contact preserved
For us, the digitizing luxury does not mean reducing the level of excellence brought by human service, CharterYacht Web-app has combined its strong human and operational experience with the transition to digital, offering you the guarantee of an immediate, efficient, luxurious and personalized service.

– PRICE MATCH GUARANTEE with instant quotation
Who says top quality and great value can’t go hand in hand ? At CharterYacht Web-app you can rest at ease enjoying daily competitive rates

– Large choice
Start with a fleet of around 150 Yachts, offering a wide choice of very recent, high spec models under a strict quality control to ensure only the best for our clients.

For more information, please visit Yachtsidecharter.com or PowerYachting.com

Phoenix, Arizona (United States) – July 12, 2018 (travelindex) – Following Best Western’s launch of the “Today’s Best Western” campaign and its “Behind the Brands” series, the company is this month highlighting its thriving dual-branded hotel concepts. Best Western Hotels and Resorts’ dual-branded concepts pair BW’s extended-stay hotel brand – Executive Residency by Best Western – with one of its other leading hotel brands – enabling guests to experience the benefits of two Best Western brands under one roof. Integrating two types of accommodations also appeals today’s developers as it provides a unique, flexible property that fits within various different market segments.

Launched in 2016, Executive Residency by Best Western is an upper-midscale brand that offers the perfect combination of hotel and home for an enriching extended stay experience under the iconic Best Western brand name.

The company has successfully combined its Executive Residency by Best Western brand with its upper-midscale Best Western Plus® brand and the upscale Best Western Premier® brand. The hotels offer a minimum of 40 percent extended-stay studios and suites and typically share a lobby, as well as food and beverage venues, a fitness center, an outdoor pool and communal areas.

“We are excited to continue our ‘Behind the Brands’ series with an overview of our dual-branded concepts, as these hotels are a reflection of today’s Best Western and our evolution of brand offerings,” said Ron Pohl, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “Our dual-branded hotels are designed to lead the industry by supplying business and leisure travelers with everything they need, while also providing a unique hotel offering for developers seeking best-in-class properties for competitive market segments.”

Best Western currently has dual-branded hotels in Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, India and Kenya, with 32 more hotels in the pipeline.

Enjoying an extended vacation or business trip with Executive Residency by Best Western is even more rewarding this summer with Best Western Rewards®, the company’s award-winning loyalty program. Members can Go.Get.Rewarded® with a $20 Best Western Travel Card® after their first completed stay now through September 3, 2018.

Click here to watch a video about the Executive Residency by Best Western in Baytown, Texas by influencer Chet Garner. Chet is a Texan, BBQ-connoisseur, and above all, a passionate traveler. As creator, producer and host of the 5-time Emmy winning show, The DayTripper, you can always find Chet at Best Western branded hotels around the country for work and play.

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 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
Kelly.Dalton@BestWestern.com
Samantha Jacobs or Jennifer Rosa
Hemsworth Communications
BestWesternPR@HemsworthCommunications.com

Bali (Indonesia) – July 12, 2018 (travelindex.com) – For photographers who want to improve their photography and writing skills; and writers who want to improve their writing and photography skills. Enigmatic Bali is an international travel destination that has long mesmerized curious visitors from abroad, including writers and photographers from around the globe over the last century.

Now there is the opportunity to take part in a unique, exclusive, fully escorted, supported and guided tour for photographers and writers, visiting the best landscapes and seascapes in Bali, with knowledgeable local guides and a professional photographer and professional writer taking you to the most photogenic and storied places in Bali, newly scouted locations and vantage points, iconic places and off-the beaten-track destinations including long sandy beaches, deep hidden waterfalls, ancient seaside and lakeside temples, stunning sunrises over volcanoes, World Heritage-listed rice terraces, and local markets, with expert tuition and guidance.

Dates: 19-24 October 2018 (Friday to Wednesday)
Days/nights: 5 nights/6 days
Arriving/Departing: Denpasar’s Ngurah Rai International Airport airport (DPS), Bali
Max number of participants: 12
Start time/finish time: 2pm Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport Friday 19 October/7pm Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport (or Ubud) Wednesday 24 October

The tour is scheduled to allow participants to take part in the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 24-28 October which starts at the conclusion of the tour, an event which attracts over 150 writers, artists, and thinkers from around the world (extra).

Highlights: sunrise in Sanur, sunset at Tanah Lot, iconic Ulun Danu Bratan at first light, jungle waterfalls, rice terraces and volcanoes, ancient temples with traditional ceremonies and colourful performances, local markets, rural Balinese life and some quirky secret locations.

Experts
Photography Guide: David Van Driessche – a professional photographer, specialising in travel, landscape and portrait photography, based in Bangkok, running photography tours to remote places in Asia

Writing mentor: Keith Lyons – an award-winning New Zealand writer, author and creative writing teacher, based each winter in Bali.

Book now:

Contact information:
Reservations: Nudplee Hamundee
Expeditions in Photography
www.expeditionsinphotography.com
TH Office: Asia 4 You co Ltd, 14/4 Onnut 53 Yeek 1-7
Ket Praweth Bangkok
Reservations Tel: +6623212973
Email: hotelfiles@gmail.com

Jilin (China) – July 12, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Paris clock keeps ticking and we need bold imaginative actions to respond, Professor Geoffrey Lipman said in his keynote remarks. “The China Summer Tourism Program exactly meets that need, encouraging travel to areas like Jilin, where climate extremes are less intensive and where local populations will benefit from the economic uplift. At the same time, focusing on best practice solutions to the greening of transport, hospitality and especially the visitor food chain.

Lipman said that this kind of action is in stark contrast to the Trump Administration’s attack on the multilaterally agreed Paris framework, which he called “Declaring war on our Grandkids – which we must resist” He said that scientists suggest that on current performance, we are heading to a 3 degree increase in pre-industrial global temperatures, in contrast to the Paris base of 2 degrees.

He added that “Travel & Tourism is behind the response curve, with some subsectors, like aviation needing major shifts to bring their carbon footprint into line – we need to face up to the stark realities of Climate Change and begin adaptation now.”

On a positive note he referenced a recent Club of Rome Report “Come On”, which said that with collaboration, commitment and full use of new technology we could still meet the Paris optimism scenario.

Lipman outlined the SUNx Program – a legacy to Maurice Strong, Sustainable Development pioneer and champion of China’s leadership in this area – to place a cloud connected Climate Resilience learning and innovation Centre in every country by 2030, with 100,000 climate activists to advance innovative solutions. Travel & Tourism is a pivotal part of the human development agenda, and it is essential that we play a leadership role in the transformation to a new climate resilient economy.

Concluding, he called for a paradigm shift in tourism systems, through Impact-Travel ~ measured to manage: green to grow:2050 proof to innovate. Lipman said that “For our sector to play its full part in the transformation, we must act now. Tomorrow will be too late.”.

Professor Geoffrey Lipman is co-founder of SUNx and President of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP)

Professor Geoffrey Lipman
SUNx Founder
glipman@thesunprogram.com
www.thesunprogram.com