Category: Latest Travel News

Bangkok (Thailand) – June 5, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts is celebrating after 17 of its properties in Asia (Southeast Asia & and Japan) achieved the 2018 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

Reflecting the company’s proud commitment to guest satisfaction and service excellence, Best Western-branded hotels in seven countries – Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand – all achieved the Certificate of Excellence, which is awarded to hotels that consistently earn great reviews and ratings from travelers on TripAdvisor, the world’s biggest largest travel site.

These award-winning hotels include city hotels, beach resorts and upcountry retreats, and cover four of Best Western’s brands: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier® and BW Premier Collection® by Best Western. The full list is as follows:
1. Best Western Premier Solo Baru (Indonesia)
2. Best Western Premier Panbil, Batam (Indonesia)
3. Best Western Plus Kemayoran, Jakarta (Indonesia)
4. Best Western Okinawa Kouki Beach (Japan)
5. Best Western Okinawa Onna Beach (Japan)
6. Best Western Vientiane Hotel (Laos)
7. Best Western i-City Shah Alam (Malaysia)
8. Best Western Green Hill Hotel, Yangon (Myanmar)
9. Best Western Thousand Island Hotel, Nyaung Shwe (Myanmar)
10. Best Western Plus Lex Cebu (Philippines)
11. Best Western Hotel La Corona Manila (Philippines)
12. Best Western Plus The Ivywall Hotel, Puerto Princesa (Philippines)
13. Amaranth Suvarnabhumi Airport, BW Premier Collection by Best Western, Bangkok (Thailand)
14. Best Western Royal Buriram Hotel (Thailand)
15. Best Western Plus Wanda Grand Hotel, Bangkok (Thailand)
16. Best Western Premier Bangtao Beach Resort & Spa, Phuket (Thailand)
17. Best Western Phuket Ocean Resort (Thailand)

“We are delighted that so many of Best Western’s hotels in Asia achieved the 2018 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence,” said Olivier Berrivin, Best Western’s Managing Director of International Operations – Asia. “This actually exceeds the number of certificates we received last year, so it is a wonderful reflection of how our hotels are continuing to improve and exceed guests’ expectations.

“As they are based entirely on guest reviews and ratings, the TripAdvisor awards are a genuine reflection of our hotels’ performance and the hard work and dedication of our associates. I would like to thank every one of our team members for their fantastic performance over the last 12 months,” Olivier added.

The Certificate of Excellence accounts for the quality and quantity of reviews submitted by travelers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period. To qualify, a hotel must maintain an overall TripAdvisor “bubble rating” of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least a year.

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.

About TripAdvisor:
TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site*, enables travelers to unleash the full potential of every trip. With over 630 million reviews and opinions covering the world’s largest selection of travel listings worldwide – covering approximately 7.5 million accommodations, airlines, attractions, and restaurants — TripAdvisor provides travelers with the wisdom of the crowds to help them decide where to stay, how to fly, what to do and where to eat. TripAdvisor also compares prices from more than 200 hotel booking sites so travelers can find the lowest price on the hotel that’s right for them. TripAdvisor-branded sites are available in 49 markets, and are home to the world’s largest travel community of 455 million average monthly unique visitors**, all looking to get the most out of every trip. TripAdvisor: Know better. Book better. Go better.

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

Nakhon Phanom (Thailand) – June 4, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Hosted by the Thailand Ministry of Tourism & Sports, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and the Provincial Government of Nakhon Phanom, in collaboration with the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), this year, from June 26-29, Nakhon Phanom will be the host of the 2018 Mekong Tourism Forum. Situated at the Mekong River, bordering to Lao PDR, the city in northeastern Thailand boosts Thai, Lao, and Vietnamese cultural influence, important Buddhist sites, as well as modern infrastructure and convenient road and air connectivity.

This year’s theme is following the MTF 2017 theme of “Prosper with Purpose”, and the MTF 2016 theme of “Creating Authentic Experiences”. Travelers today are seeking a more transformative and soul-enriching experience. Tourism can be an important catalyst in changing people’s lives for the better through mutual understanding and acting more responsibly. The theme of “Transforming Travel – Transforming Lives” will start with a keynote by Jeremy Smith, editor of Travindy and author of the recent book “Transforming Travel”.

The seminar on Buddhist Tourism will explore the power of transformative travel. As one of the fastest growing tourism segments in Asia, Buddhist Tourism not only draws international tourists into the GMS, but also boots domestic travel and contributes significantly to the local economies. Nakhon Phanom, this year’s host of the Mekong Tourism Forum and an important center of Buddhism in northeastern Thailand is the perfect destination to focus on Buddhist Tourism.

The Experience Mekong Collection, featuring over 150 responsible and sustainable small businesses in the GMS, will showcase innovative case studies from each of the GMS countries. Small travel operators, giving back to local communities, promoting gender equality, and alleviating poverty is a key mandate of the Mekong Tourism Collaboration between the six member countries. The Experience Mekong Collection brings this mandate alive, and acts as a capacity building platform to educate other businesses how to adopt responsible and sustainable business practices. In addition to the six Experience Mekong Collection Showcases, presented in partnership with Mahidol University International College, some of the Experience Mekong Collection members will exhibit their services in the Mekong Marketplace.

With MTF 2018, we don’t just want to attach a theme to the annual forum, but we want to live it. Senior travel executives from Ctrip.com, AirBnB, Air Asia, and Inle Heritage Myanmar will relate “Transformative Travel” to their respective industry sectors in inspiring 15-minute mini keynotes, before this year’s “Mekong Opportunities & Threats” session will focus on the relevant Plastic Pollution issue and invite anybody to join the discussion how the travel and tourism industry can reduce single-use plastic in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Single-use plastic is one of the biggest issues we face in today’s world, and the travel and tourism industry can do its part to help solve the problem.

The 2018 Mekong Tourism Forum tries to do its small part to raise awareness of the issue and make the event plastic free. For the second year in a row, MTF 2018 has designed a limited-edition refillable water bottle, as part of the MTF 2018 Plastic Free Kit.

Finally, eight thematic strategy workshops on topics such as food tourism, adventure tourism, wellness tourism, and more, will be conducted in eight ethnic community villages around Nakhon Phanom. By visiting and engaging with the local communities, the delegates will be able to interact with the local people, while the local people will be able to interact with visitors from all over the world. As such, MTF 2018 embraces the theme “Transforming Travel – Transforming Lives” by experimenting with a new conference theme of hosting the actual sessions together with the local communities in their ethnic villages, and have the local people participate and be part of the experience. That way, we believe the discussions can be enriched, and the experience be a memorable one

Two integrated programs enrich the overall MTF 2018 experience:
The inaugural “Mekong Mini Movie Festival” will kick-off with a half-day Film Destination Marketing Conference, discussing the power of destination promotion via film, video, and visual storytelling, including keynotes by Rob Holmes of award-winning GLP Films to a case study of Hangover 2 at the Lebua Hotel in Bangkok. Following, delegates will be asked to judge some of the most inspiring films of the ongoing Mekong Mini Movie campaign. The Mekong Minis Awards Ceremony will announce the first set of winners of the Mekong Mini Movie Festival, and in partnership with WWF will raise awareness of the endangered Mekong Dolphins, the mascot of the Mekong Mini Movie Festival.

For the second year, the Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) program will showcase some of the most innovative travel startups, with the potential to disrupt traditional practices, and provide solutions to key issues the industry is facing. Besides the half-day MIST Travel Innovation Conference, one of the highlights will be presentations by the best startups coming out of the recent 2018 MIST semi-finals.

The Mekong Marketplace will showcase responsible travel operators from the Experience Mekong Collection, as well as feature the Blogger Matchup Lounge, as well as the MIST Startup Lounge.

Organised by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, the annual Mekong Tourism Forum gives stakeholders in the region, both public and private, a platform for joint discussions on the promotion and marketing of travel and tourism to and within the GMS countries – Cambodia, China’s Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

MTF was most recently held in Thailand in 2012 in the northern province of Chiang Rai. Last year, the Forum was held in June in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR.

More information about the 2018 MTF can be accessed at www.MekongTourismForum.org, and registration is free for travel and tourism professionals at

Chitose Airport, Hokkaido (Japan) – June 1, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels & Resorts has opened a brand new upper-midscale hotel at New Chitose Airport, the gateway to the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Chitose, which is situated just 3.2 km from the airport terminal, welcomed its first guests on June 1, 2018. This brand new hotel offers guests a convenient base from which to explore Hokkaido’s top business and tourism destinations, including the vibrant city of Sapporo and the upmarket ski resort of Niseko.

It also becomes one of the closest internationally-branded hotels to New Chitose, Japan’s fifth busiest airport. This major air gateway, which handles more than 20 million passengers per year, now offers direct connections to and from major cities all across Asia and beyond, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur.

Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Chitose features 154 guestrooms, including a selection of Japanese-style family rooms for up to four guests. All rooms come equipped with facilities including flat-screen TVs and complimentary Wi-Fi. The hotel also features a 24-hour front desk, daily housekeeping and laundry, supported by Best Western’s world-famous service standards.

“We are delighted to welcome guests to Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Chitose, as we continue to expand our Japanese portfolio and provide world-class accommodation to guests across the country,” said Olivier Berrivin, Best Western’s Managing Director of International Operations – Asia. “With its dramatic landscapes, stunning scenery and fresh mountain air, Hokkaido is a fantastic destination for travelers seeking a break from the city.”

“Perfectly positioned on the doorstep of New Chitose Airport, this brand new hotel is suited to business and leisure travelers, including families. It will be ideal for guests who want to break up their journey to and from Hokkaido, or those seeking a convenient base for their activities on the island. I am confident that Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Chitose will prove extremely popular with all our guests,” Olivier added.

Hokkaido hosts a year-round calendar of events, including the famous Sapporo Snow Festival which attracts more than two million people each year. The nearby Niseko area is quickly developing a global reputation for its world-class winter sports, hot spring resorts, golf courses and other outdoor activities.

The opening of Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Chitose forms part of a focused expansion strategy for Best Western in Japan. Last year, the company launched exciting new hotels in Tokyo, Osaka and Yamagata Airport, and The Hotel Nagasaki became Japan’s – and Asia’s – first BW Premier Collection® by Best Western hotel. It also recently opened the 60-room Best Western Sapporo Odori-Koen in downtown Sapporo, just 50km away from the new hotel.

This expansion comes as Japan prepares to host a series of major international sporting events, including the 2020 Olympic Games and the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which will include matches staged in Sapporo.

In total, Best Western now operates a nationwide portfolio of 16 hotels all across Japan, from Hokkaido in the North to Okinawa in the South, making it one of the country’s largest international hotel operators.

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

Hong Kong – June 1, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Initiated and hosted by the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), the first ever World Summit for Deans of Independent Schools of Hospitality and Tourism was held at Hotel ICON on 27-29 May 2018. The Summit provided a unique platform for deans of 40 institutions from more than 20 countries and regions to discuss and define the future course of strategies for hospitality and tourism schools, and to share solutions to common issues in an effort to promote further growth of hospitality and tourism studies within comprehensive universities.

On 28 May, the Summit was opened with welcoming remarks by Professor Timothy W. Tong, PolyU President, and Professor Kaye Chon, SHTM Dean, Chair Professor and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management. Dr Alison Lloyd, Director of Institutional Research and Planning Office and Director of International Affairs Office, PolyU, then gave a special presentation on the Matrix for Ranking of Hospitality and Tourism Schools.

Professor Tong said he was delighted that the Summit, organised entirely by over 60 SHTM students who focus on convention and event management, has collected all the best minds from worldwide. “This Summit serves as a platform for global academic leaders in hospitality and tourism education to share their experiences, thoughts, and exchange views on a wide range of issues relating to how we can do a better job in nurturing graduates for this industry.”

The Summit featured four meeting sessions on a broad range of topics:

Chaired by Professor Brian King, SHTM Associate Dean, the first session entitled Academic Programmes for Quality of Teaching and Learning included presentations by Dr Lea R. Dopson, Dean, Collins College of Hospitality Management, California State Polytechnic University, USA; Mr Jos van der Sterren, Dean, Academy for Tourism, NHTV Breda University of Applied Science, The Netherlands; and Professor Hsin-Wen Chang, Dean, College of Tourism, Chung Hua University, Taiwan.

Entitled Research Productivity and Administration, the second meeting session was chaired by Professor Haiyan Song, SHTM Associate Dean and Mr and Mrs Chan Chak Fu Professor in International Tourism. It featured Dr Florian Aubke, Dean of the Undergraduate School, Department of Tourism and Service Management, MODUL University Vienna, Austria; Professor Jigang Bao, Dean, School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-Sen University, China; and Professor Dennis E. Reynolds, Dean, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, University of Houston, USA.

Featuring Dr Lilibeth Aragon, Dean, College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines; Dr Chris Bottrill, Immediate Past Dean, Faculty of Global and Community Studies, Capilano University, Canada; and Professor Patrick J. Moreo, Dean, College of Hospitality & Tourism Leadership, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, USA, the third meeting session entitled Industry Partnerships and Student Development was chaired by Dr Tony Tse, SHTM Professor of Practice (Industry Partnerships).

Chaired by Dr Catherine Cheung, SHTM Associate Dean, and entitled Internationalisation and International Collaborations, the final meeting session featured Dr Ricard Santomà, Dean, School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi, Ramon Llull University, Spain; Ms Sandra Zubieta Zamudio, Dean, College of Hospitality Management, Tourism Administration and Gastronomy, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Peru; and Professor Lin Wang, Dean, HNU-ASU Joint International Tourism College, Hainan University, China.

Another highlight of the Summit was the Group Discussion Session entitled Top 3 Priority Strategies for Hospitality and Tourism Schools Collectively in the Next 10 Years chaired by Dean Kaye Chon. This session featured Dr Donald Farr, Director, Dedman School of Hospitality, Florida State University, USA; Professor Rhodri Thomas, Dean, School of Events, Tourism & Hospitality Management, Leeds Beckett University, UK; Dr Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan, Executive Dean, Faculty of Hospitality, Food and Leisure Management, Taylor’s University, Malaysia; and Professor Edieser Dela Santa, Dean, Asian Institute of Tourism, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines.

“Always an innovator, the SHTM considers it vital to provide a unique platform on which all deans of independent schools of hospitality and tourism can convene to discuss, explore and share their perspectives, insights and experiences with the aim of promoting further collaboration and advancing development in the higher education arena,” said Dean Chon. “Our School is proud to play a leading role in furthering such development through innovation.”

About PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management
For close to 40 years, PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management has refined a distinctive vision of hospitality and tourism education and become a world-leading hotel and tourism school. Rated No. 1 in the world in the “Hospitality and Tourism Management” category according to ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2017, placed No. 1 in the world in the “Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism” subject area by the CWUR Rankings by Subject 2017 and ranked among the top 3 “Hospitality and Leisure Management” institutions globally in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017 and 2018, the SHTM is a symbol of excellence in the field, exemplifying its motto of Leading Hospitality and Tourism.

With 75 academic staff drawing from 22 countries and regions, the School offers programmes at levels ranging from undergraduate degrees to doctoral degrees. In 2012, the SHTM was bestowed the McCool Breakthrough Award by the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (I-CHRIE) recognising its breakthrough in the form of its teaching and research hotel – Hotel ICON – the heart of the School’s innovative approach to hospitality and tourism education. A member of the UNWTO Knowledge Network, the SHTM is also the editorial home of Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism and Journal of China Tourism Research.

Bangkok (Thailand) – June 1, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., the joint venture partner of ICONSIAM as well as the owner and operator of prestige retail developments such as Siam Paragon and Siam Center, has just been presented the world’s most prestigious retail development award for the concept and “cutting-edge design” of its Siam Discovery retail destination by the world’s largest retail development association – the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

In a dazzling awards ceremony organized in Las Vegas, USA, Siam Discovery rose to take the top spot from among hundreds of projects from around the world competing to be the winner of the ICSC’s VIVA Award.

The ICSC’s VIVA Awards are presented, annually, by an independent expert jury to “recognise the best-of-the-best in the world of retail development”.

Mrs. Chadatip Chutrakul, Chief Executive Officer of Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., said, “Siam Piwat’s strategy for growth is to do things in retail and retail development that have never been done before in Thailand or even the world. We are committed to being a thought-leader on the global stage through co-creation with retailers and other partners in our developments. It’s Thailand 4.0 in action, and it proves that Thai creativity and collaboration can take our country’s flag to the top, even on the world stage.”

Siam Discovery opened its doors to visitors in 1997. It underwent a Bht 4,000 million re-build and reopened in 2016 as Thailand’s largest lifestyle specialty store and ‘the biggest arena of lifestyle experiments’. During the past 2 years, Siam Discovery has swept 6 global awards from prestigious competitions in the world of retailing. Among them is the World Retail Awards part of the World Retail Congress Global Series – Store Design of the Year 2017, for being world’s best designed development. Siam Discovery was also chosen by the International Council of Shopping Centers to be the winners of the Gold Award – Design and Development Excellence Renovations/Expansions, for being Asia Pacific’s best designed development, as well as the Gold Award – Marketing, Positioning & Brand Awareness, for being the project with the best execution in marketing, positioning and brand awareness in Asia Pacific.

The judges of ICSC praised Siam Discovery for being transformative. “Siam Discovery is a highly imaginative project that gets away from individual stores and walls and into an immersive open experience. It is the first mall development that makes retail an experience as well as the spaces in between being exciting and stimulating. Siam Discovery brings the latest digital technology offerings to create an interactive and experiential retail environment”

“Siam Discovery is a game-changing, hybrid retail destination where products, services, and activities are brought together in a way that suits the lifestyle of Millennials. Products are grouped without the constraints of a particular brand or school of design, in a way that puts the needs of the customer at the centre. Millennials want to discover their own style while exploring new experiences with other people. Here, they can experiment and discover what they like and what expresses their own identity best,” Mrs. Chutrakul said.

Bangkok (Thailand) – June 1, 2018 (travelindex.com) – A record 475 delegates from 52 countries have turned up for the 4th UNWTO Forum on Gastronomy Tourism which opened today in Bangkok, the first time it is being held in Asia.

The conference was attended by dozens of Thai restaurateurs, chefs, food and beverage executives and hoteliers who are getting a chance to update themselves on new techniques and technologies in preparing, marketing and managing the strong linkage between tourism and gastronomy.

Organised by the UN World Tourism Organisation and Basque Culinary Centre, the conference is being attended by Secretary General of the UNWTO, H.E. Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, Hon. Mr. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica, and Mr. Joxe Mari Aizega, Director, Basque Culinary Center.

The San Sebastian Region Bar, Restaurants and Hotels Association had a strong representation with its President Mr. Mikel Ubarrechena Pisón and General Manager Mr. Kino Martinez in attendance.

The conference is focused on raising awareness both nationally and regionally as to the significance and role of gastronomy tourism as a key towards the development of sustainable tourism in the region. Speakers from Macau, Japan, Indonesia and the Basque region of Spain discussed the current situation in their regions and the global outlook for gastronomy tourism as well how the public and private sector can establish successful partnerships.

The conference has also examined how countries can related their gastronomy tourism strategies to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda.

International Public Relations Division
Tourism Authority of Thailand
1600 New Petchaburi Road, Makkasan, Ratchathevi
Bangkok 10400 Thailand
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 4545-48
Fax: +66 (0) 2250 0246

Gangneung (Republic of Korea) – June 3, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce the election of Dr. Chris Bottrill, Director, International and Dean of the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts at Capilano University in North Vancouver, Canada as Chairman of the Association’s Executive Board. He replaces Ms. Sarah Mathews, Head of Destination Marketing APAC – TripAdvisor, Hong Kong SAR, who was elected Chairman in May 2017 and remains a member of the Executive Board as Immediate Past Chairperson.

“I am deeply honoured to be elected to the role of Chair of PATA and to work with a team of highly talented and accomplished Executive Board members from throughout the Asia Pacific region. We have just completed our annual summit in the beautiful town of Gangneung in the Republic of Korea, and were reminded by H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Dr. Taleb Rifai, and others just how important tourism can be for fostering peace and prosperity on our planet. We were also reminded of the responsibility we have to tread carefully on the environment, maintain cultural diversity, and embrace the rights of all individuals, which is not a simple task,” said Dr. Bottrill. “PATA is an organisation growing from strength to strength, and we are poised to play an ever-increasing role as a body representing governments, industry, and education in the fastest area of tourism growth on our planet. The task ahead for us is to embrace change, move fast, engage more, align strategically, and lead within the context of global sustainability goals. It is a privilege to play a small part as Chair in this important period of time for our industry and our association.”

As the immediate past Dean of the Faculty of Global and Community Studies at Capilano University, current Dean of Fine and Applied Arts, and Director, International, Dr. Bottrill oversees a wide and complex portfolio of university internationalisation, international projects and partnerships, tourism and hospitality, film, animation and design programming. He has taught a wide array of tourism topics including destination development, sustainability, marketing, and entrepreneurship at universities in Canada, New Zealand, the USA, and Austria.

Along with a PhD in tourism network and destination development from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, he has extensive applied industry experience having completed over 50 tourism management and development projects around the globe. These have included new product feasibility analysis, marketing strategies, resource assessments, and multiple stakeholder engagement processes. He has also presented on tourism-related topics ranging from Olympic preparedness to community tourism development at conferences and forums in China, Canada, Russia, Finland, New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, and Cambodia.

Dr. Bottrill’s first experience with PATA was as a conference volunteer in Vancouver in 1995. He joined PATA in 2011 and has participated in a wide array of roles. He has served as the Chair of the Human Capital Development (HCD) Committee and Vice Chair of the Sustainability and Social Responsibility Committee since 2014, and he has also been a Trustee of the PATA Foundation for the past three years. During his tenure as committee Chair and Vice Chair, Dr. Bottrill initiated a revision of both committee terms of reference, rebuilt committee membership, and led the formation of action plans which have seen many initiatives begin and come to fruition. In his role as HCD Chair, he also facilitated highly successful Youth Symposiums in Phnom Penh, Chengdu, and Bangalore, Guam, Sri Lanka, and Macao.

Dr. Bottrill is also the Director of the acclaimed PATA supported Vietnam Community Tourism project aimed at protecting ethnic hill tribe culture through tourism, and last year he led a PATA study on Indigenous Tourism and Human Rights.

During the PATA Annual Summit 2018 in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Korea (ROK), PATA also elected a new Executive Board comprising Dato Haji Azizan Noordin, Chief Executive Officer – Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), Malaysia; Ms. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director – Macao Government Tourism Office, Macao, China; Mr. Bill Calderwood, Managing Director – The Ayre Group Consulting, Australia; Mr. Jon Nathan Denight, President & CEO – Guam Visitors Bureau, Guam, USA; Mr. Shahid Hamid, Executive Director- Dhaka Regency Hotel & Resort, Bangladesh; Mr. Luzi Matzig, Chairman – Asian Trails Ltd. Thailand; Mr. Benjamin Liao, Chairman – Forte Hotel Group, Chinese Taipei; Mr. Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO – Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal; Mr. Mohamed Sallauddin H.j. Mat Sah, General Manager Marketing – Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, Malaysia, and Mr. Gerald Perez, Managing Director – Leading Edge, Guam, USA.

On the election of the new Executive Board PATA CEO Mario Hardy said, “Over the past few years we have made great progress to ensure financial stability and recognition as a crucial voice in the responsible development of the travel and tourism industry in the Asia Pacific region. I look forward to working with our new Executive Board in building upon that success and supporting our members in creating a positive impact on not just the industry, but the world.”

Furthermore, Dato Haji Azizan Noordin was elected as the new Vice Chairperson, while Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes was elected Secretary/Treasurer.

Dato’ Haji Azizan Noordin was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) to oversee its operation and management with 3 strategic thrusts of tourism, investment and community development.

He began his career in the tourism and hospitality industry with the Tourist Development Corporation Malaysia, now known as Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, as a Tourist Officer in 1978. He has since served in various leadership roles including heading the Tourism Malaysia overseas offices in Seoul, Korea (ROK) and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Dato’ Azizan Noordin retired from Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (Tourism Malaysia) when he was the Deputy Director General (Promotion). He was responsible for overseeing the operations of the organisation and the promotional efforts all 44 Tourism Malaysia overseas offices. He led Tourism Malaysia sales missions overseas and has been a key speaker at many international tourism seminars and conferences.

After 40 years in the civil service, Dato’ Azizan is still dedicated in servicing the country and public. Through his advancement from rank and file in the past 40 years, he has amassed a wealth of experience and knowledge that is indeed beneficial to the tourism industry.

Dato’ Azizan is a graduate of the MARA University Institute of Technology in Malaysia, and holds two Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Oxford Learning Centre of Excellence and Institute of Technology in Australia.

Mr. Peter Semone, President & Founder – Destination Human Capital Ltd, Ireland and Mr. Soon-Hwa Wong, CEO – Asia Tourism Consulting Pte, Ltd, Singapore have been appointed to the Executive Board as non-voting members.

Mr. Abdulla Ghiyas, President – Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) and PATA Face of the Future 2018, joins the PATA Executive Board as a non-voting member and observer for a one-year term at the invitation of the PATA Chairman.

The new Executive Board members were confirmed at the PATA Board Meeting on May 20, 2018 during the PATA Annual Summit 2018 in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Korea (ROK).

About PATA – Pacific Asia Travel Association
Founded in 1951, PATA is a not-for-profit membership association that acts 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, Sydney and London. Visit www.PATA.org.

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

Bangkok (Thailand) – June 1, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Steeped in legendary seafaring history dating back hundreds of years, the Eastern Caribbean island of St. Kitts & Nevis is the newest exotic destination for Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas.

The resort will be set on the site of a former sugar cane plantation with gentle hills rolling down to a long stretch of sandy beach fronting the Caribbean Sea. All of the projected 70 pool villas and The Retreat will enjoy sea views and an unspoiled environment that gives the glorious feeling of being isolated from civilization; a place where guests can reconnect with themselves, their families and loved ones and nature.

In true Six Senses style, every aspect of the 70 villas all with private plunge pools are true to the Six Senses commitment to the environment, using sustainable and repurposed materials juxtaposed with contemporary comforts.

Overlooking the resort’s nature reserve, Six Senses St. Kitts will feature a menu of Six Senses specialty treatments as well as Caribbean healing traditions and rejuvenation journeys, Six Senses Integrative Wellness, detox, yoga and workshops.

To the south of the resort is Sandy Point Town, the second largest town on the island. Sandy point is the entrance way to Brimstone Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and just one of the many fascinating excursions that await history enthusiasts. Located on the western side of the island, the site for Six Senses St. Kitts is approximately a 30-minute drive along the scenic coast road from the capital Basseterre and the International Airport (SKB). The airport is served by direct flights from the United States, Canada and United Kingdom, with connecting and charter flights from Europe and regional services from several Caribbean nations.

Six Senses St. Kitts is a project by Range Developments, which specializes in developing luxury Caribbean resorts, together with design creativity, management and marketing by Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas. The resort is scheduled to be completed over three years.

“We are delighted that Range Developments is bringing another project and the unique brand of Six Senses to the country,” said Prime Minister of St. Kitts & Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris. “Range Developments is bringing investment, jobs and expertise to the citizens and residents of St. Kitts & Nevis. It is an amazing development for our small country to be the beneficiary of another luxury hotel brand so soon after the official grand opening of the world-renowned Park Hyatt on St. Kitts. This is a remarkable show of confidence by Range Developments in my government, our people and country. I commend Range Developments for the excellent relations we have nurtured, all for the ultimate benefit of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.”

On announcing the project, Six Senses President Bernhard Bohnenberger said, “We are thrilled to add St. Kitts to the Six Senses portfolio of resorts in incredible settings. And working in partnership with Range Developments, who have exceptional expertise and experience in the Caribbean, Six Senses St. Kitts will be a remarkable resort.” Six Senses St. Kitts will be the 16th hotel of the Six Senses Group which is now present in 11 different countries.

“We are excited to welcome Six Senses to St. Kitts and delighted to announce it from the capital of the fastest growing economy in South East Asia, Bangkok,” said Mohammed Asaria, founder of Range Developments. “Six Senses was recently voted the world’s best hotel brand by Travel +Leisure magazine and we look forward to working together on this exciting project.”

Mr. Bastien Trelcat, Managing Partner of the leading investment immigration firm Harvey Law Group for South East Asia added “Harvey Law Group is honored to collaborate one more time with Range Developments and the Government of St Kitts & Nevis for the Six Senses project as the exclusive service provider for South East Asia of 100 shares coming with a financing option. St. Kitts boasts the longest established Citizenship by Investment program in the world presenting opportunities to obtain a well recognized passport for you and your family.”

Investing in Six Senses St. Kitts will entitle you and your family to apply for citizenship of St. Kitts & Nevis through a government sponsored program:
– A $220,000 USD investment (through a limited partnership structure) in Six Senses St. Kitts is required in order to qualify to apply for citizenship of St. Kitts & Nevis.
– Financing available over 2 years
– Citizenship is for life for the investor, spouse, parents and a number of eligible dependents, and citizenship is passed down through generations. Applicants are not to visit or reside in St. Kitts.
– St. Kitts & Nevis passports are issued within approximately 90 to 120 days of filing an application.
– Citizens are free from personal income, capital gains, gift, wealth and inheritance taxes.
– St. Kitts & Nevis citizens may travel visa-free to more than 139 countries, including the United Kingdom, Schengen European countries and most British Commonwealth countries.
– Citizenship includes full residency status and the right to work in St. Kitts & Nevis.
– Dual citizenship is permitted and open to all nationalities, without any requirement to notify the applicant’s home country.
– St. Kitts & Nevis offers a favorable business development environment where the currency is pegged to the US dollar.
– Exit options provide the ability to realize capital gain and income generation on investment.

Harvey Law Group (HLG) is a leading multinational law firm specializing in corporate law and investment immigration with a worldwide reputation for representing high-profile clients and corporations, with over 19 offices worldwide. As the top immigration consulting law firm, HLG offers most comprehensive residency and citizenship programs available to date.

HLG was awarded for Best Immigration Firm at the 13th annual Macallan ALB Hong Kong Law Awards 2014 and 2017.

For further inquiries on exclusive financing offer or investment immigration program opportunities, please contact:
HLG Managing Partner
Bastien Trelcat
btrelcat@harveylawcorporation.com
Office Director
Ms. Krittiya Keeratiyut
kkeeratiyut@harveylawcorporation.com

Macao (Macao SAR) – May 30, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF or the Forum) kicked off the China roadshow to promote its seventh edition at ITB China at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center on May 16, 17 and 18. As an official partner of the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year (“ECTY2018”), GTEF sponsored and co-organized the ITB China European Night with one of its prestigious supporting units, European Travel Commission (ETC), to introduce GTEF 2018 and facilitate exchanges between Chinese and European tourism stakeholders.

At the European Night reception held at Mandarin Oriental Shanghai, Mr. David Axiotis, General Manager of ITB China, delivered a welcome remark; Mr. Eduardo Santander, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of ETC, shared information about ECTY2018 events that had already taken place and exciting activities that are yet to come; and Mr. Jason Wang, Chief Operating Officer of GTEF, introduced GTEF 2018’s theme and presented the Forum’s business matching offerings. Among the attendees of the reception were Mr. Kristjan Staničić, Managing Director of Croatian National Tourist Board; representatives of Malta Tourism Authority, Turismo de Portugal, Slovenian Tourist Board and Visit Brussels. The reception successfully achieved the objective of familiarizing the Chinese and European tourism stakeholders’ understanding of GTEF’s role as a tourism exchange and cooperation platform.

During the trade fair, Mr. Jason Wang exchanged views with tourism representatives of EU member state, including Mr. Filipe Silva, Board of Director of Turismo de Portugal; Mr. Igor Paule, Chief State Advisor of Ministry of Transport and Construction of Slovakia; Ms. Olga Gončarova, Head of Incoming Tourism Subdivision of Lithuanian State Department of Tourism; Ms. Inguna Zigure, Senior Expert of Investment and Development Agency of Latvia; Ms. Kiti Häkkinen, Manager of Regional Partnerships of Visit Finland; Ms. Monica Wu, Manager of Malta Tourism Authority; Ms. Teresa Chen, Marketing Representative of Catalan Tourist Board; Ms. Liu Jing, B2B Industry Manager of Austrian National Tourist Office; and Ms. Saša Verovšek Musič, Project Manager of Sales and Promotion Department of Slovenian Tourist Board. He also met a number of leading Chinese tourism enterprises and organizations to explore collaboration possibilities.

GTEF 2018 is scheduled to be held at MGM COTAI on October 22 and 24, under the theme “Strategic Partnership in a New Era, Rising Momentum for a Shared Future”. Presenting EU as the Partner Region and Guangdong Province as the Featured Chinese Province, GTEF 2018 will explore how the EU, the second-most popular destination for outbound Chinese tourists outside Asia, and the Greater Bay Area in Guangdong Province, soon-to-be the seventh largest economic bloc in the world, can use their collective effort to create a new catalyst for global economy. GTEF will also offer tourism promotion, investment and cooperation opportunities through bilateral trade 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 Former China National Tourism Administration, 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, 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
Ms. Zita Leung
Tel: +852 3678 0102
Email: zita@occhk.com

Madrid (Spain) – May 30, 2018 (travelindex.com) – UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili took office in January 2018. He presented the Organization’s management vision and priorities at the 108th session of the Executive Council, held on 23-25 May 2018 in San Sebastián, Spain. The management vision emphasizes the need to make tourism smarter, more competitive and more responsible towards the goal of establishing the sector as key for the 2030 Agenda. In line with this, the management proposes five key priorities: innovation and digital transformation; investments and entrepreneurship; education and employment; safe, secure and seamless travel; and social, cultural and environmental sustainability.

Seeking to optimize the efficiency of the Organization Secretary-General Pololikashvili introduced a new leadership structure consisting of a Deputy Secretary-General and two Executive Directors. Each one oversees key structural areas and departments of the Organization for increased efficiency in achieving UNWTO’s goals, including adding value to members, increasing membership and serving the tourism sector as a whole. The management team works towards a comprehensive vision for development of the tourism sector. This includes positioning tourism as a policy priority, establishing thought leadership in knowledge and policy creation, increasing resources and strengthening UNWTO’s capacity through meaningful partnerships.

The Executive Council endorsed the renewed logo of UNWTO, presented by the Secretary-General. The logo is a visual reflection of the management vision and priorities, signalling clear objectives, unity and transparency, as key ingredients to fulfill the mission and vision of UNWTO.

UNWTO is placing focus on its innovation and digital transformation strategy, aimed at positioning the Organization as the leading global agency in the digitalization of tourism. Against this backdrop UNWTO staged a thematic discussion on tourism and the digital transformation with a dynamic exchange of ideas between high-level representatives of Google, Destinia, Amadeus IT Group, Mastercard, Room Mate and FC Barcelona. Moderated by Argentina’s Minister of Tourism Gustavo Santos, an open discussion followed with governments, start-ups, investors, academia and institutions attending.