Category: Latest Travel News

Madrid, Spain, February 18, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Startups from around the world have been recognized for their unique contributions to sustainable and responsible tourism in the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition.

The competition, which was supported by the United Nations Innovation Network, attracted some 10,000 initial proposals. From these, the jury chose 25 winners from 18 countries, highlighting the array of tourism talent in every global region and its widespread ability to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Shortlisted finalists were judged according to criteria which included the potential of the startups to contribute to a specific Goal, their ability to be scaled-up and the maturity of both the product and the team behind it.

The 25 winning startups, selected by a jury made up of leaders from across the tourism sector, offer distinct solutions for advancing the SDGs. The Americas led the way in submitting winning proposals, with nine of the competition winners coming from the region. Europe provided eight winners, Asia and the Pacific six, and Africa and the Middle East one winner each.

By embracing innovation, we can realise this potential and build a better future for people and planet through tourism

Potential for a better future

“The winners show the power of new ideas for transforming our sector”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili in recognizing tourism’s potential to contribute to all Sustainable Development Goals. He added: “By embracing innovation, we can realise this potential and build a better future for people and planet through tourism. I congratulate them all and look forward to seeing these startups grow and deliver positive change.”

Lisandro Menu-Marque, Director-General of International Business Development for Globalia and Wakalua said: “The take-off of post-Covid tourism is moving closer and closer. The implementation of many of the innovative solutions, which have been brought us entrepreneurs from all over the world, will be part of this. The collaboration of institutions, governments and corporations will help host and scale up many of these projects through the Wakalua Hub, to make tourism a much more sustainable, responsible and socially impactful sector, all with the support of the UNWTO.”

Globalia is a key ally of UNWTO in its shift to lead the positive transformation of the sector, working together to identify and promote innovation through several competitions over recent years.

Support and Guidance

The winning startups will now be given expert support and backing to develop further, including through guided mentorship programmes from Amadeus, Google, IE University and FarCo, and tailored mentorship sessions from Mastercard and ClarkeModet.

The winners will also be invited to take part in a pitching event, to be hosted by Wakalua within the framework of Spain’s International Tourism Fair (FITUR). Another pitching event will take place at the Tourism Tech Adventures Forum, due to be held in Qatar in collaboration with Qatar Airways and Qatar National Tourism Council, another partner for the project.

Furthermore, the winners will benefit from access to all UNWTO’s collaborators for the competition, opening the door for potential game-changing pilots and networking opportunities with Amazon Web Services, Globant, BBVA, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and IDB Lab, Telefonica, Plug and Play, the Advanced Leadership Foundation, Impact Hub, mentorDay and the destination partners for the Competition.

The winners and the SDG that the startup will help advance are as follows:

Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, February 17, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The highly-anticipated World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) 20th Global Summit, will now take place in April – one month later than the originally planned date.

The Global Summit is being organised in partnership with the Government of Quintana Roo in Mexico and will be held in Cancun, Mexico on 25-27 April.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Press Releases here.

WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, has taken the decision to move its Global Summit from March into April to coincide with the expected relaxation of travel restrictions and the beginning of the sector’s recovery.

While Cancun is ready to host the Global Summit now, the international organisation is confident that rescheduling the event will enable more international participants to take part and help lead the sector into recovery.

The Global Summit will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase what both Mexico and Cancun have to offer as a destination, along with the world-class health and safety protocols that have been implemented to host such an event.

The event will take place in a hybrid format, allowing those unable to travel to benefit from the content virtually.

WTTC’s annual Global Summit is the most important Travel & Tourism event in the calendar, where the highest-level industry leaders meet with key government leaders to act on the biggest and most important issues across the global agenda.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “While Cancun is ready to host our Global Summit as planned, we believe that moving the event back by just a few weeks, will enable people from many more regions around the world to attend the event, in beautiful Cancun, one of the most popular destinations in the world.

“As the global vaccination rollout picks up pace and with international mobility rules expected to be relaxed over the coming weeks, more people from key regions will be able to participate and add to the conversation for the path to recovery.

“Those unable to attend the event in person, will be able to join virtually from anywhere in the world.

“The Travel & Tourism sector has been devasted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 174m jobs impacted, making our Global Summit more relevant and important than ever. The WTTC Summit is the most important global platform for leaders of the sector to set the path forward, share the future of travel with the world and accelerate the sector’s recovery.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Press Releases here.

“WTTC also wants to showcase how we can use this experience to adapt to COVID-19 and lead the global Travel & Tourism sector back to recovery and restore millions of jobs and livelihoods which have been thrown into turmoil since the beginning of last year.”

Tbilisi, Georgia, February 17, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / ITB Berlin NOW Digital Adventure & Sustainability Partner 2021 – Official Cultural Destination 2022 – Official Host Country 2023 – A big commitment by an ambitious country: Georgia and ITB Berlin have agreed a wide-ranging partnership that will span three successive years. Within this framework Georgia and the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show have signed a partnership for 2021, 2022 and 2023.

As early as this year Georgia will be the Digital Adventure & Sustainability Partner of ITB Berlin NOW 2021. As the name suggests, nature and sustainability are the focus of this partnership. In 2022,as ITB Berlin’s Official Cultural Destination, Georgia will highlight its cultural heritage. The title of Official Host Country will follow in 2023. In cooperation with ITB Berlin, the host country traditionally organizes the Grand Opening Show of ITB Berlin and will be highlighted during the entire trade event.

”Georgia spans a cultural bridge between Europe and Asia and is an absolutely fascinating country, whose wide-ranging tourism attractions awaken the pioneering spirit in travelers in all kinds of ways“, said David Ruetz, Head of ITB Berlin. ”We are delighted that Georgia has entered into such a long-term partnership with us. As a result I am sure we will be able to host our guests with an exceptionally large platform.“

”Even in these times, during and after the Coronavirus pandemic, ITB Berlin continues to be the tourism industry’s most important global platform“, Mrs. Medea Janiashvili, the acting head of Georgians National Tourism Administration added. ”This three-year partnership will massively help to draw attention to our hospitable country among visitors all over the world.“

Georgia is prominently represented as an exhibitor with its own brand card at ITB Berlin NOW 2021 and is also presenting itself at this year’s ITB Berlin NOW Convention. On Thursday, 11th of March, the panel “Georgian Living Culture: From Peaks to the Black Sea Coast” will give insights on the countries living culture, expressed by its adventures landscapes, biodiversity, amazing flavors, ancient winemaking traditions, unforgettable local hospitality and many more charming features.

For the very first time, the Eastern European destination will become the Official Host Country of ITB Berlin in 2023. The republic has 3.7 million inhabitants and is popular with visitors due to a wealth of cultural attractions, the variety of architectural styles in the capital Tbilisi, mountain ranges, hillside monasteries, beaches on the Black Sea and the ancient winegrowing region of Kakheti. Around 87 percent of its surface area is mountainous. Shkhara, the country’s highest peak, stands an impressive 5,200 meters high. The country is unique because of the mixture of traditional and modern life. Georgian gastronomy is distinguished by its rich cuisine. It is also the birthplace of wine – counting 8,000 years of unbreakable winemaking traditions.

About ITB Berlin NOW and the ITB Berlin NOW Convention
ITB Berlin NOW will take place from Tuesday, 9 to Friday, 12 March for trade visitors only and as an entirely virtual event. ITB Berlin is the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. As part of ITB Berlin NOW, the ITB Berlin NOW Convention, the largest travel industry event of its kind, will also take place as a virtual event. The World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) is the co-host, Mascontour Track is the sponsor of the ITB Future Track, Google and Lufthansa are track sponsors of the ITB Marketing & Distribution Track, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is the ITB Sustainability Track partner, SIO AG is the track sponsor of the eTravel DATA TALKS and Studiosus is the session sponsor. For exhibitors, trade visitors and the media, participation in the ITB Berlin NOW Convention is included in the price of a ticket. Additional information is available at www.itb.com/now and from the ITB Social Media Newsroom.

About ITB Berlin NOW and the ITB Berlin NOW Convention
ITB Berlin NOW will take place from Tuesday, 9 to Friday, 12 March for trade visitors only and as an entirely virtual event. ITB Berlin is the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. As part of ITB Berlin NOW, the ITB Berlin NOW Convention, the largest travel industry event of its kind, will also take place as a virtual event. The World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) is the co-host, Mascontour Track is the sponsor of the ITB Future Track, Google and Lufthansa are track sponsors of the ITB Marketing & Distribution Track, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is the ITB Sustainability Track partner, SIO AG is the track sponsor of the eTravel DATA TALKS and Studiosus is the session sponsor. For exhibitors, trade visitors and the media, participation in the ITB Berlin NOW Convention is included in the price of a ticket.

Los Angeles, California, February 16, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Two acclaimed African American developers – Victor MacFarlane of MacFarlane Partners and R. Donahue Peebles of The Peebles Corporation – are doubling-down on their multi-million-dollar effort to bring thousands of new jobs and economic benefits to the nation’s second-largest city as development partners of Angels Landing, their $2 billion twin-tower luxury hotel project in downtown L.A.’s Bunker Hill neighborhood.

London, United Kingdom, February 15, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Latest research shows the ongoing restrictions to travel and blanket quarantines has seen the UK suffer greater GDP losses than many of its European counterparts which have less stringent barriers in place, says the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Press Releases here.

According to data from Oxford Economics, the UK is facing a GDP loss of -10% in 2020, while Germany, which imposed fewer damaging and unnecessary travel barriers while being quicker to implement widespread testing, will experience a loss of just -5.3%.

The data suggests that the latest UK government policy to introduce a new triple test regime, and 10-day quarantine for all UK arrivals, could cause even greater damage to the UK economy.

WTTC says the restrictions to travel and mobility have been a significant factor in causing the UK’s economy to be hit twice as hard as many of its European neighbours.

Research by WTTC shows that while the UK has been constantly changing its policies and restrictions, countries like Germany were more consistent with policies; quicker to implement a massive testing programme, which saw it isolate and control cases much earlier than the UK and enabled mobility.

Furthermore, the UK imposed quarantine restrictions on people travelling from key countries such as France, Spain, Greece, and others, whilst Germany kept borders open to EU member states since the beginning of summer.

WTTC’s 2020 Economic Impact Report showed that in 2019, international spending represented 17% of all traveller spend in the UK and 14% in Germany, with Travel & Tourism contributing around 9% to the GDP of both economies.

WTTC says these ongoing, disruptive, and costly measures are having a significant economic impact.

But while the world continues its fight against COVID-19, WTTC is concerned that countries like the UK, which have imposed harmful blanket quarantines, are suffering even greater losses.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “WTTC welcomes the mass testing of all inbound travellers to the UK. But we are concerned the UK could face a steeper climb back to full economic health unless a clear exit strategy is in place to restore international mobility.

“We have been calling on the UK government to introduce a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective test on departure and arrival scheme for many months, which would avoid the risk of further transmission while enabling mobility. 

“We believe the impact of constantly shifting policies on testing, quarantines and the placing of countries in so-called high-risk ‘red zones’, will jeopardise the return of a sector which contributes nearly £200 billion annually to the UK economy. 

“This research suggests that countries which have imposed harmful blanket quarantines will suffer greater GDP loss, and this is certainly the case when we compare the UK to Germany.

“We must applaud the incredible progress made by the UK government on the rollout of vaccines across the country, which could see it surpass its target of inoculating a staggering 15 million people. 

“However, the UK Travel & Tourism sector is in a fight for survival and without a clear exit strategy to these restrictions, the economic damage will continue to be significant and the sector could face complete collapse.”

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Press Releases here.

While the UK has doubled down on unnecessary quarantines, other countries, such as Germany, have broadly followed the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) EU Commission guidelines, and only imposed limited and targeted quarantines on travellers coming from regions and countries within Europe, where the cases per 100,000 were above a certain level.

WTTC fears if the UK government continues with its current strategy, it will fall further behind the rest of Europe, as countries scramble to regain their economic foothold and recover from the damaging effects of the pandemic.

Bangkok, Thailand, February 15, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / For connoisseurs of fine Thai dining that pushes contemporary boundaries, Chef Duangporn Songvisava (Bo)  and her husband Dylan Jones (Lan) have been fixtures in Bangkok’s culinary arts scene under the name of Bo.lan for over a decade and for one night only they’ll be bringing their legendary flair to The Spice Market restaurant at Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel.

Open Night @ The Spice Market is a new pop up dining concept inviting some of Thailand’s most eminent and celebrated Thai chefs to take over Bangkok’s oldest restaurant for an evening of foodie delight.

Bo.lan’s motto “The best Thai restaurants should be found in Thailand”, rings true as the couple prepares a special menu showcasing only the best of their most popular and highly requested dishes from their original MICHELIN Star Sukhumvit restaurant.

Australian native Dylan has immersed himself in his adopted homeland, Thailand including learning the language and Chef Duangporn Songivsava (Bo), has always had a passion and desire to create exceptional Thai food. Bo has amassed an impressive collection of antique Thai recipes whilst Dylan’s passion for Thai food and Thai food heritage has only strengthened since immersing in Thailand’s world-famous restaurant scene. Chefs Bo and Dylan have recently partnered to co-host the weekly television show “Eat Am Are” on Thai PBS channel.

Guests will be transported through time to yesteryear by a series of ancient recipes guaranteed to titillate the taste buds with mouth-watering pairings of dishes such as “Gaeng Kii Lek,” grilled beef curry of Cassia Leaves. Featuring a rich and varied selection of seldom found Thai cuisine, the dishes will be served family style with Bo.lan’s signature panache. Bo.lan prides itself for working closely with local farmers and strives to collaborate and partake in social responsibility activities with the local community

Open Night @ The Spice Market featuring Bo.lan is for one night only on Thursday, 4^th March 2021 starting at 6pm. Prices are THB 2,880++ per person for food and THB 1,500++ for wine pairing.

Bangkok, Thailand, February 12, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Clinique La Prairie Aesthetics & Medical Spa at the St. Regis Bangkok, the first flagship facility outside of Europe welcomes, Annika Sofia Bjorka as Spa Director. With over fourteen years’ experience in luxury hospitality and spa, Annika is regarded as an influential leader, medical spa expert and ambassador for all things wellness.

Annika will oversee an unrivalled team of medical spa professionals and specialists with expert knowledge of contemporary science and advanced technology to ensure bespoke experiences, tailor-made programmes promoting longevity and beauty with a results-driven focus.

The Clinique La Prairie Aesthetics & Medical Spa wellbeing menu ranges from anti-ageing facials and detoxifying body treatments to massages designed to restore internal balance. Signature experiences include facial contouring to lift and rejuvenate, body firming therapies, and oil massages accompanied by Tibetan singing bowl induce a state of pure harmony. Always adapted to the guest and provided by experts, the wide variety of massages and rituals are unique holistic experiences, focusing on core pillars of stress relief, deep relaxation, energy or lymphatic flow stimulation.

London, United Kingdom, February 11, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents global Travel & Tourism private sector, has released a new Social Impact Paper focusing on the Travel & Tourism sector, which has been compiled to showcase the importance of Travel & Tourism as a driver of social impact.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Press Releases here.

This paper is part of a major WTTC initiative and that will see further work in the future. The first iteration of the initiative is the Social Impact Paper, which shows how much of an important role Travel & Tourism plays, not only in driving economic growth, but also in enhancing social progress across the world through its diverse and inclusive nature, ability in enriching communities and as a creator of jobs and alleviating poverty, and catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship.

The paper says that raising awareness and understanding of the social impact of Travel & Tourism has always been tremendously important but is that much more critical in light of the devastating impact of COVID-19 on Travel & Tourism globally.

This research, undertaken in collaboration with the Social Progress Imperative (SPI), shows significant correlations between WTTC’s Economic Impact Report data and Social Progress Index scores over the last decade. Specifically, total contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP and Employment positively and significantly affects Social Progress Index scores; with China, Cambodia, Rwanda and Sri Lanka highlighted as particularly strong performers.

This comes at a time where the Travel & Tourism sector has been ravished by the pandemic, and there is a pressing need to recover the hundreds of millions of jobs lost, with WTTC’s latest economic modelling suggesting that 174 million jobs were impacted in 2020 globally.

According to the research, in many parts of the world Travel & Tourism has enriched people at a faster rate than the overall economy.

Between 2011 and 2019, South East Asia recorded the fastest annual growth rate in Travel & Tourism GDP per capita at 6.7% compared to the region’s 3.7% overall economy growth; while the Middle East achieved a 3% Travel & Tourism GDP per capita growth compared to just 0.3% for the overall region’s economy.

International Travel & Tourism, and particularly, international spend, is vital to support the job creation from megacities to rural communities. According to the research, at the global level, for every 34 international visitors to a destination, one new job is created. This figure is more important in Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, where it respectively takes 11, 13 and 24 international visitors for the creation of one new job.

The paper also shows that for every $1 generated in direct Travel & Tourism GDP globally, more than $2 is generated indirectly. This means that more than twice as much value is generated across the entire supply chain thanks to Travel & Tourism.

For every direct job globally, nearly two new jobs are created on an indirect or induced basis, with one direct job in Travel & Tourism effectively creating a total of three jobs.

Additionally, diversity in the travel ecosystem, as it relates to race, ethnicity, gender, culture, religion, and physical ability, is fundamental to the success of businesses, the meaningful impact on communities, and the improved experience of travellers.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC said: “WTTC is proud to release this important research focusing on social impact, which highlights how critical Travel & Tourism is to our world.

“Travel & Tourism is one of the most diverse sectors, employing people from all socio-economic backgrounds regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, with almost 54% of whom are women and up to 30% youths. 

“After nearly a full year of insecurity and hardship that has come from the COVID-19 pandemic, the time could not be more appropriate to celebrate the importance of the sector.”

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Press Releases here.

According to WTTC’s 2020 Economic Impact Report, during 2019, Travel & Tourism supported one in 10 jobs (330 million total), made a 10.3% contribution to global GDP, and generated one in four of all new jobs.

Bangkok, Thailand, February 10, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Best Western Hotels & Resorts announced today that its award-winning Best Western Rewards (BWR®) program is cutting its Elite Status eligibility qualifications in half for 2021 – enabling travelers worldwide to earn Elite Status with just five nights, three stays or 5,000 points. Additionally, the reduction in thresholds applies to each BWR Elite Status tier – making it easier than ever for guests to climb the loyalty ladder.

“As the world embraces 2021 with a renewed sense of hope, Best Western is pleased to help guests rediscover the power of travel and reward them along the way,” said Best Western Hotels & Resorts Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Dorothy Dowling. “At Best Western, caring is in our DNA and I am immensely proud that we can demonstrate this spirit of caring by taking steps to reward our loyal guests. By reducing our Elite Status eligibility qualifications, our valued guests now have the opportunity to earn greater perks with fewer stays. With valuable offers such as this one, we look forward to reigniting the magic of travel while helping our guests save big this year.”

BWR rebranded its tagline to “Because We Care About Rewarding You” to underscore how its perks are driven by Best Western’s foundational commitment of caring for guests. BWR’s Elite Status eligibility reduction is the latest example of how the brand is showcasing this commitment. Also inspired by the brand’s caring spirit, Best Western Hotels & Resorts was the first in the industry to extend loyalty status to its BWR members whose travel plans have been greatly impacted by travel restrictions and cancellations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the company launched an industry-leading cleaning program, We Care Clean^SM, which delivers an enhanced commitment to keeping guests safe and healthy when staying at Best Western-branded hotels across North America and Asia-Pacific.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts has transformed into a vibrant hospitality company with 18 distinct brand offerings across every market segment from economy to luxury. In recent years, the company has revitalized its properties across North America as owners invested a staggering $2 billion in property improvements and renovations. Best Western’s commitment to innovation and improvement has enabled the company to achieve record RevPAR Index, unrivaled industry recognition and unprecedented guest satisfaction.

For more information on BWR or to sign up, please visit BestWestern.com/Rewards.

About Best Western® Hotels & Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand within the BWH Hotel Group® global network. With 18 brands and approximately 4,700 hotels in over 100 countries and territories worldwide*, BWH Hotel Group suits the needs of developers and guests in every market. Brands include Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, Vīb®, GLō®, Aiden®, Sadie®, BW Premier Collection® and BW Signature Collection®. Through acquisition, WorldHotels^TM Luxury, WorldHotels Elite, WorldHotels Distinctive and WorldHotels Crafted collections are also offered. Completing the portfolio is SureStay®, SureStay Plus®, SureStay Collection® and SureStay Studio^SM franchises**. For more information visit www.bestwestern.com, www.bestwesterndevelopers.com, www.worldhotels.com and www.surestay.com.

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

Macao, Macao SAR, February 9, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Amid fanfare and spectacle, Sands China Ltd. launched the first phase of The Londoner Macao Monday evening with an opening ceremony at the integrated resort, featuring a special video message from Sands Resorts Macao global ambassador, David Beckham.

The Londoner Macao is Sands China’s bold British-themed reimagining of the Sands^® Cotai Central integrated resort. Offering the best of British history and culture alongside a traditional yet contemporary hospitality experience, The Londoner Macao will continue to open progressively throughout 2021.

A highlight of Monday’s opening event was the venue itself – the ornate and elegant main lobby, dubbed the Crystal Palace. Designed in classic Victorian style, the glass and iron atrium features a 33-metre-high stained-glass ceiling that bathes the lobby in sunlight during the day and provides a panoramic view of the night sky after dark. Victorian-era lampposts line the patterned dark marble floor, whose centrepiece is the full-scale Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain featuring Anteros, the Greek god of selfless love, on its pinnacle.

Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd., said: “We believe The Londoner Macao, like The Venetian and The Parisian before it, will become an instant, iconic landmark in Macao. It is evidence of Mr. Adelson’s unwavering vision for the development of Sands China and the company’s commitment to invest in Macao. As a company firmly rooted in Macao, Sands China is proud to unveil The Londoner Macao as part of our continuing contribution to the transformation of Macao into a world centre of tourism and leisure. Our sincere thanks go to the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Macao SAR government for their continued leadership and support, and to all our community partners for their cooperation and collaboration through the years.”

In addition to the Crystal Palace, the first-phase launch features new dining options, interactive London-themed attractions, and the opening of The Londoner Hotel – an all-suite tower featuring approximately 600 luxury suites.

Designed by Hong Kong-based Steve Leung Design Group, suite interiors are bright and contemporary with an upscale British ambiance, and feature marble nightstands, custom beds with plush fabric headboards, elegant chesterfield sofas, high-backed leather armchairs, and Victorian-style bathtubs.

The hotel’s top two floors incorporate 14 exclusive Suites by David Beckham, Macao’s first celebrity-designed hotel rooms, which launch later in 2021. Created by Sands Resorts Macao global ambassador David Beckham in collaboration with leading London interior design firm David Collins Studio, the suites capture the essence of a high-end London homestead, offering guests a unique luxury experience that provides warmth and charm.

Beckham commented: “The Londoner Macao is another exceptional property by Sands. Everything has been created so guests have the best experience possible and the attention to detail is like no other. This integrated resort feels very personal to me and being part of the development has been an incredible project – not only is it bringing my home town to Macao, but also the first David Beckham Suites. I can’t wait to be back in Macao to see it all – it looks spectacular.”

The 65-member Macau Youth Orchestra performed at Monday’s ceremony, as did the Sands China Choir, who sang an acapella rendition of one of the most recognisable British tunes of the last century, Queen’s operatic rock hit Bohemian Rhapsody.

The event also featured a video tribute in honour of company founder Sheldon G. Adelson, who passed away last month.

Monday’s opening ceremony was officiated by Mr. Edmund Ho Hau Wah, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; Mr. Lei Wai Nong, Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR; Ms. Yan Zhichan, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Ms. Wang Dong, Acting Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR; Ms. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office; Mr. Adriano Marques Ho, Director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region; Dr. Wilfred Wong, President of Sands China Ltd.; Mr. Grant Chum, Chief Operating Officer of Sands China Ltd.; and Mr. Antonio Ferreira, Managing Director of Venetian Macau Limited.

Representing an investment of US$1.9 billion (MOP 15.2 billion), The Londoner Macao will introduce additional integrated resort offerings progressively throughout 2021, including the Suites by David Beckham; Londoner Court, a luxury residential-style all-suite hotel; the rethemed Shoppes at Londoner; and the Londoner Arena.