Category: Latest Travel News

Nakhon Phanom (Thailand) – July 5, 2018 (travelindex.com) – ​Airbnb, the world’s leading community-driven hospitality company, today announces new data that shows how Airbnb is supporting healthy tourism in the Greater Mekong region.

At the inaugural Mekong Tourism Forum 2018 in Nakhon Phanom, Mich Goh, Airbnb’s Head of Public Policy for Southeast Asia, shared that Airbnb welcomed 5 million inbound guest
arrivals​ in 2017 to the Greater Mekong region, namely Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar,
Thailand, and Vietnam. This marks a significant 147% growth year-over-year (yoy)​.

These guests contributed a total of US$1.67 billion in economic activity​, benefiting hundreds of thousands of hospitality entrepreneurs and local businesses across the Greater Mekong region.

In turn, the Greater Mekong region accounts for a significant number of Airbnb users. More than 7 million travellers​ from the region traveled with Airbnb to other destinations, creating offline connections across borders and cultures.

Additional findings include:
On intra-Greater Mekong travel
– More than 60,000 ​guests on Airbnb traveled consecutively to two or more countries
within the region in 2017.
– Of these travelers, almost 50% ​of them ​began their intra-region trips in Thailand​.
– Topping the list of most popular travel chains (​ i.e. chain of Mekong countries that
guests on Airbnb travel to consecutively) is Thailand-Vietnam,​ and vice versa. This is
followed closely by Thailand-Cambodia​, Vietnam-Cambodia​ and Thailand-China​.

On country and region-specific travel
– Notably, Airbnb experienced powerful triple-digit growth in China and Vietnam.
○ China – 205% ​yoy growth ​in inbound guest arrivals, 103% ​yoy growth in outbound
guests arrivals
○ Vietnam – 145%​ increase in inbound guest arrivals, 158% ​yoy growth in outbound
guest arrivals
– Thailand​, Airbnb’s second largest market in the Greater Mekong after China, welcomed
1.2 million guests ​alone in 2017.
– In Myanmar and Laos,​ locals are increasingly embracing traveling with Airbnb.
Outbound guest arrivals in Myanmar grew 169%​ yoy, while the number of local hosts
opening their homes to tourists increased 85%​ yoy. Similarly, outbound guest arrivals in
Laos grew 100% ​yoy.
– 68%​ of all guests traveling with Airbnb to the region were under 30 years of age​, and
31% between 30-60 years of age​.
– 54% ​of all guests traveling with Airbnb to the region were female​, and 46% male​.
– The top 10 countries of origin ​of guests traveling with Airbnb to the region are: China,
the US, Singapore, Korea, Thailand, the UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and
France.

During her keynote speech, Goh shared:
“The Greater Mekong is one of Airbnb’s fastest growing regions, and we continue to grow in the region because tourists increasingly want new, adventurous, and local experiences when they travel.

“We offer travelers a wide variety of unique quality accommodations across the region, and
Airbnb Experiences in three markets — China, Thailand and Vietnam. We are proud to share that we launched Experiences in Chiang Mai just yesterday. Chiang Mai is one of our fastest growing markets in Thailand, and we believe the introduction of Experiences will continue to support the creative and cultural capital as it continues to grow as a popular travel destination both in the region and globally.

“Airbnb is empowering local hospitality entrepreneurs and strengthening local communities
through healthy, sustainable tourism. With travel and tourism growing rapidly, it is critical that as many people as possible are benefiting and Airbnb hosts are providing the type of travel that is best for destinations, residents, and travelers alike in the Greater Mekong.”

About Airbnb
Founded in 2008, Airbnb’s mission is to create a world where people can belong when they
travel by being connected to local cultures and having unique travel experiences. Its community marketplace provides access to millions of unique accommodations from apartments and villas to castles and treehouses in more than 65,000 cities and 191 countries.

With Experiences, Airbnb offers unprecedented access to local communities and interests, while Places lets people discover the hidden gems of a city as recommended by the people that live there. Airbnb is people powered and the easiest way to earn a little extra income from extra space in a home or from sharing passions, interests and cities.

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – July 2, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The months of June and July are being marked with a number of invitations for Saint Ange Tourism Consultancy to travel on a number of working missions, that will take me to five mainland African Countries, to undertake assignments alongside Tourism Ministries and their Promotional Boards or Private Sector Organisations and other tourism related bodies. I started this five-country mission last week in Addis in Ethiopia, before travelling on to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). During the months of July and August, I will again be on the road travelling to Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.

In Addis, among different meetings held, I also completed a successful working session with a group of Private Sector entrepreneurs who had come together to ensure their businesses remain relevant in Ethiopia’s Tourism Industry. We discussed their visibility and how to increase it to ensure relevance. We discussed key USPs and the need to use their destination’s strengths in their own drive.

Last Friday night in Kinshasa in the DRC, I took to the podium at the launch of the tourism book “Opportunities of Investments in Tourism” published by former Tourism Minister Elvis Mutiri wa Bashara through the European Universities Editions, and will also be involved in different meetings in the coming days.

After my term of office as Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine of the Seychelles, I launched my own tourism “Saint Ange Consultancy”. A year ago, after missing out on the position of Secretary General at the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation), when Seychelles under pressure of the African Union (AU) withdrew the island’s candidature. Today, I am regularly called upon as a speaker at tourism conferences and sit as a panelist at different industry conferences. I am also responsible for the weekly “Saint Ange Tourism Report” that is re-posted on most of the important tourism news wire right across the world.

I am proud to say that I was the First President of the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands and I am today the President of the Seychelles Labor Union (SLU), Deputy Secretary General of FORSEAA (Forum of Small Medium Economic AFRICA ASEAN) based in Jakarta Indonesia, listed as a Consultant for TMN (Travel Marketing Network) in New York USA, Co-Chair of the SUNx (Strong Universal Network) Organisation in London UK, Vice President & Founding Member of ICTP (International Coalition of Tourism Partners) and a Member of the Advisory Board of the non-profit organisation “Helping Needy Welfare Society of India”.

Seychelles National Day 2018

On the 29th June 1976 Seychelles became an Independent Nation and ended the electoral call of the era for sovereignty and Nationhood. In 2018, 42 years later the call for self determination for Seychelles, and this by Seychellois for the whole of its territory.

Independence for Seychelles from Great Britain saw the return of the three islands of Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches that had been detached some ten years earlier (1965) to form the new British Indian Overseas Territory (BIOT) together with an island belonging to Mauritius that was all administered from Seychelles by the British Governor of the time. The loss of these islands caused a lot of frustration and saw a lot of protests by Seychellois who loved their territory. Seychellois must safeguard today what is theirs and they must work together to protect the sovereignty of their territory in its entirety.

The People of Seychelles were active on social media as the islands marked the anniversary of its Independence from Great Britain. We are posting a historical news clip of that important event of 29th June 1976 to remind ourselves of the day we became an Independent Nation.

Seychelles suffers a further blow in saving its Assumption Island

On the 29th June, Seychelles celebrated its Independence Day anniversary. This was also the anniversary of the return of its three islands of Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches, which had been transferred from Seychelles in November 1965 to form part of the new British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). During this same week of June 2018, news broke from India that Seychelles could now lose its Assumption Island, in what is being called “India’s drive for a strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean Region”.

Seychelles President Danny Faure was on a six-day official visit to India and from New Delhi on June 25. It was reported that:- “India and Seychelles today agreed to work together on a project to develop a naval base at the Assumption Island keeping each other’s concerns in mind after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Danny Faure. India also announced a USD 100-million credit to Seychelles for augmenting its defence capabilities. “With this credit, Seychelles will be able to buy defence equipment to boost its maritime capacity,” Prime Minister Modi said in his joint media statement with Faure. On the project to develop a naval facility at the island, which would give India a strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean Region, Modi said, “We have agreed to work together on the Assumption Island project based on each other’s rights.” Faure, in his remarks, said the Assumption Island project was discussed and the two countries equally engaged to work together bearing each other’s interests”.

These declarations are contrary to all that Seychelles had been assured. The Indian Military Base was deemed dead after the last Press Conference chaired by President Danny Faure. The island’s National Assembly had confirmed on its part that this proposed deal would not be entertained in the Legislature. Seychelles was told that its concerns about the closeness of Assumption Island to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aldabra had been noted, and the objection for an Indian Military base raised by the Seychellois had been heard. The visit by President Danny Faure in India has dealt another blow to every peace loving Seychellois with the Assumption Island affair, as India seeks a strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean Region.

It is now the People of Seychelles as a whole who will need to work as one to save their island of Assumption and their UNESCO World heritage Site of Aldabra.

€2m for sea defences to protect beaches and hotels of La Digue

The announcement that the EU’s flagship GCCA programme was investing €2m in building sea defences to protect beaches and hotels on the island of La Digue in Seychelles brought many reactions from environmentalists and Diguois. The island is suffering from Sand erosion at Anse Reunion, and the EU will now be investing Euro 2million to try to mitigate this de-stabilising phenomenon, which is partly man made.

For the last couple of years, the sand from Anse Reunion moves north, goes into the harbour, then dredged out to keep the harbour deep. The sand is then sold to the various building projects as fill, instead of being returned to the southern end of Anse Reunion to start it’s cycle again.

Sand movement is a natural phenomenon and if sand is just taken out, La Digue will end up being an island surrounded by a wall. The laws or regulations of Seychelles stops the removal of sand from its beaches, but on La Digue, under the watchful eye of the State, sand is not only removed by tons, but used for purposes that the laws or regulations were made to stop.

Today the EU will step in and spend Euro 2 million to try to mitigate what we are doing by ourselves to destroy the beauty of La Digue.
In our edition of the Saint Ange Tourism Report last week we published the proposed involvement and financial support of the European Union (EU) which brought a lot feedback and all pointing the finger to the Government’s removal of sand as the source of problems La Digue was today facing.

Bangkok (Thailand) – July 4, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce a new Strategic Partnership agreement with Adara, the enterprise-wide data solution for travel brands, to empower its members with a comprehensive view of destination visitor data for more powerful and efficient marketing campaigns.

As part of the agreement, Adara will work with PATA to encourage its members to contribute data to the Adara travel data co-op. Adara will use the data to develop co-branded country and regional market intelligence reports, which will be made available exclusively to PATA members.

“As many organisations focus their marketing efforts on digital marketing strategies, the access to quality permissioned data and proper analysis is fundamental to making smart business decisions,” said PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy. “Our partnership with ADARA will provide a more holistic view of the patterns, trends and behaviour of travellers for our members, helping them better plan their marketing strategies to achieve maximum return on their marketing investments.”

ADARA empowers the world’s leading travel brands to grow the industry together. Built on the world’s richest travel data co-op, ADARA offers people-based insights for travel companies and destinations. Clients get a value-based understanding of their relationship with their customers and visitors, with travel patterns, trends and behaviour from more than 750 million monthly unique traveler profiles across more than 190 of the world’s top travel brands.

Layton Han, CEO, ADARA, commented: “The partnership with PATA is a great example of how sharing data safely and securely between disparate but linked data-sets helps to unlock actionable insights that would otherwise remain hidden in silos in individual companies and destinations. ADARA is thrilled to be partnering with PATA and is dedicated to the Asia-Pacific region as we continue to grow and scale internationally.”

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.

About Adara
Adara empowers the world’s leading travel brands to grow the industry together. Built on the world’s richest travel data co-op, ADARA offers people-based insights for travel companies. Clients get a value-based understanding of their relationship with their customers, with travel patterns, trends and behavior from more than 750 million monthly unique traveler profiles across more than 190 of the world’s top travel brands. ADARA delivers unifying, enterprise-wide impact with Customer Yield Intelligence based on 3 core pillars – Learn, Act, Measure – that integrate the entire ADARA product suite to drive measurable outcomes at the customer level.

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

Madrid (Spain) – July 1, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and IE Business School, one of the world’s leading executive education centers, have agreed to join forces to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the tourism sector. Both will promote the role of academia within tourism innovation.

UNWTO has invited IE Business School to provide its support in the framework of UNWTO´s new strategy on innovation and digital transformation. This leading educational institution will give UNWTO strategic support to execute projects, expand and disseminate knowledge about innovation and entrepreneurship in tourism.

“We are delighted to be able to count on the reputation and international experience of IE Business School going forward”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. “With their academics, experts, international networks and extensive teaching and research experience, they will be actively participating in our specialized forums, as well as in the development of knowledge in the framework of innovation and entrepreneurship in tourism”, he added.

UNWTO is a natural ally for Santiago Íñiguez de Onzoño, the Executive President of IE University, to which IE Business School belongs. “As the UN specialized agency for the promotion of sustainable development through tourism, UNWTO is the ideal partner to develop mentoring and acceleration programmes for tourism startups and develop educational and training programmes in technology and innovation, conferences, and seminars, among many more options”, he said.

The agreement between both institutions has a renewable annual duration.

Contact information:
UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
comm@unwto.org
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100
Fax: +34 91 567 8218
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Dubai (United Arab Emirates) – July 2, 2018 (travelindex) – Hosted within Xn protel’s private cloud, the new PMS and xnPOS systems will centralize operations, reduce costs and deliver scalability for the growing Central Hotels business, while helping staff to provide guests with an ‘at home’ comfortable service. Global hospitality management software company Xn protel Systems today announced that the newly opened 5-star Royal Central The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE (207 rooms, 6 F&B outlets) and the 5-star Canal Central Hotel Business Bay, Dubai, UAE (278 rooms, 4 F&B outlets) have both installed a protel property management and xnPOS point of sale system. The strong partnership between Central Hotels and Xn protel will see existing and new hotels within the group strengthening the brand through the creation and delivery of exceptional, personalized guest experiences.

Central Hotels, launched in 2015, is a fast-growing hospitality management company headquartered in Dubai, UAE. The company offers a full spectrum of choice in terms of hotel categories and comprises five distinct hotel brands: Grand Central, City Central, Central Inn, Central Suites and Central Living. Central Hotels has rapid growth plans, which could see them reach up to fifty hotels in the next five years.

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

protel MPE is an on-premise or hosted property management system for group hotels, serviced apartments and other accommodation businesses. It is internationally proven, feature rich and seamlessly connects to all other critical business systems. protel MPE provides the tools needed to support the guest journey, empower staff, and support the growing needs of the hospitality business. Central Hotels has chosen the ‘hosted’ option within Xn protel’s Data Center.

Ammar Kanaan, Group General Manager, Central Hotels said: “Our partnership with Xn protel is key to us providing our hotel teams with the right tools to make sure our guests receive a warm welcome and great service.”

Ammar continues, “Choosing the ‘hosted by Xn protel’ option for our PMS and POS means that we now have all the advantages of centralized systems, supported by people who really know what they are doing. It will allow us to better manage our resources across the Central Hotels Group and enable us to truly understand and meet the needs of our guests.”

Magued Malek, Business Development Director Gulf Countries & India, Xn protel Systems comments: “Many thanks indeed to the corporate and hotel teams for helping us to ensure everything was in place ready for the two openings. We look forward to our continued partnership and working together on future openings.”

About Central Hotels
Central Hotels has very quickly established itself as a reputed hotel management group in the UAE with its flagship property First Central Hotel Suites located in Barsha Heights (TECOM) near Sheikh Zayed Road. Building up on this amazing success, the brand is now poised to expand its footprint targeting the UAE and Turkey as the primary markets for growth in addition to other lucrative destinations in the Middle East. The group has recently added to its portfolio spectacular new 5-star hotels such as Canal Central Business Bay and Royal Central The Palm followed by Central House Citywalk focused on millennials, Novotel The Palm, Diamond Central – Business Bay, and Island Central in Dubai, as well as Valley Central Bursa, and Valley Central Trabzon in Turkey.

Central Hotels media contact:
Angelo De Guzman
Asst. Marketing Manager
First Central Hotel Suites
T: +971 4 454 4913 | M: +971 569 434 775
E: a.deguzman@central-hotels.com
www.firstcentraldubai.com | www.central-hotels.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

www.xnprotel.com

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

Xn protel sales contact:
sales@xnprotel.com

Bangkok (Thailand) – June 28, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Organized by Questex Hospitality Group, the Hotel Management Thailand Summit (HMT) 2018 has attracted international speakers and delegates to further discuss everything operational, commercial, and management in the hotel industry.

HMT concluded on 7 June 2018 with over 160 participants in attendance at the JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok.

This year, delegates heard from veteran hoteliers and subject matterexperts on thefollowing topics in a closed-door forum: Rethinking the Revenue growth Strategies in Competitive Environment; Technology Trends in Hospitality; Leveraging Dynamic Pricing Strategies to Combat Rate Imparity; Diversifying and Growing the Source Markets: Conqueringthe New Frontiers; Exploring the Latest F&B Trends amidst the Changing Fine & Casual Dining Scenes; Securing Owner Approval and Capital Investment for Renovations and Upgrades; and, a Hot Debate: How will Blockchain Technology Enable Distribution and Loyalty?

Delegates were encouraged to send in questions via an online platform,and thequestions raised include: “Would a city wide minimum price agreement between the hotels work?; Is it a sales, marketing or distribution strategy to help focus on diversification of our source markets? Or is it a comprehensive strategy including operations; What would be your suggestion in making Chinese and Asian guests to spend more on hotel services?”

Panelist Tracy Dong, Lead Advisor –Asia Pacific, IDeaS –A SAS Company in “Leveraging Dynamic Pricing Strategies to Combat Rate Imparity” says her two takeaways from her experience on stage are: Asset is not only the property value but the talents who make it a success; and, Technology is the future. Leveraging on the pricingcompetitive is advantageous to win the battle.

HMT provided well-structured sessions with great insights and lively speakers. “Very well organized. Greattopics. Informative speakers,” praisedWouter Hazenbroek, General ManageratPark Plaza Sukhumvit Bangkok and Boulevard Hotel Bangkok

HMT 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 Group
Questex Hospitality Group, the multimedia organization in the world dedicated to travel and lodging, drives revenue, productivity and value-creation for these related industries through strategic investment and deal-making forums, powerful lead-generation tools, interactive online business solutions, world-class events, and industry leading publications.

Questex Hospitality Group also provides business development, marketing and training services to national tourism organizations, destination marketing associations, hotel, gaming, resort and cruise companies, online travel agencies, and travel advisors worldwide.Questex Hospitality is a division of Questex LLC, headquartered in Newton, Mass., with offices throughout the world.

About Hotel Management Thailand Summit (HMT Summit)
The leading conference in Thailand that directly addresses all operational/management challenges,the Hotel Management Thailand 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 HospitalityGroup
E-mail: jmendoza@questexasia.com
Website: www.questexevents.net/hmtsummit
Tel: +852 2589 1331

Bangkok (Thailand) – June 29, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Questex Hospitality Group, international conference producer, has concluded its two day Asia Pacific Hotel Investment Conference (APHIC) on 5-6 June 2018 at the JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok. Positioned as the ideal platform to gain access to new hospitality projects in the region, APHIC welcomed over 120 hotel owners/investors, operators, developers, policy makers, design/architect, and master planners in Asia Pacific.

Day one of the program, delegates heard from experienced hotel investors and experts on the following topics: APAC Hospitality Performance Update & Opportunities; Thirty Minutes around the World for Premium Yields; Successfully Traversing the Performance and CAPEX Impacts Arising from Industry Consolidations; Hot Debate: Do Brands Provide Premium Value that Justify the Additional Investments, Risks, and Nuisances?; Technology and Guest Experience – Dilution or Enhancement; Optimizing Asset amidst Compressed Operating Margins and Fierce Competition; Efficiently Utilizing the Tools of Financing to Generate Premium ROI; Accelerating the ROI through Integrating Branded Residences and Mixed-Use Projects Into Your Asset Mix; Unlocking the Potentials from Existing Assets through Ideal Conversion, Redevelopment, and Rebranding Strategies; and, Making Money in Key Gateway Cities and Popular Destinations. Delegates were encouraged to send in questions via an online platform, and the questions raised include: ͞How is the youth (hostel) market going in Europe/world? Any transactionopportunities; Is lease contract increasingly acceptable in Europe as compared to management contract?; Why do we often see select service hotels on offer in the market with much higher per key price tag than many other types of hotel?͟

Day two featured two tours to a total of six hotels and serviced residences. Delegates leveraged the opportunity to visit some of the most notable recently opened properties in Bangkok, which is always slightly ahead of the curve in South East Asia in terms of concept designs and amenities. The hotels that inspired, include Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse; X2 Vibe Bangkok Sukhumvit; Somerset Ekamai Bangkok; akyra TAS Sukhumvit, Kokotel Bangkok Surawong; and ZAZZ Urban Bangkok.

APHIC provided well-structured sessions with great insights and lively speakers. ͞Was a pleasure discussion how to unlock the potentials from existing assets through conversion, redevelopment and rebranding strategies with industry colleagues at APHIC. Old is the new NEW, or at least that’s the way we look at it,͟ said Tim Alpe, Chief Operating Officer – Hong Kong, Ovolo Hotels.

APHIC is part of the acclaimed International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) Series of summits, the leading meeting places for the Hotel Community. IHIF has become known as the place where deals get done and the forum where senior level executives in the industry rely on as a tool for expanding and developing their businesses.

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 Asia Pacific Hotel Investment Conference (APHIC)
APHIC – together with key partners – will present an opportunity for investors to gain access to new projects and new contacts from hotel owners/ investors, operators, developers, policy makers, design/architect, and master planners in Asia Pacific.

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

Macao (Macao SAR) – June 28, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Skål International have announced a new organisational partnership, recognising the importance of promoting the responsible development of the travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy and Skål International CEO Daniela Otero during the recent 47th Skål Asia Congress in Macao, China. The agreement commits the two organizations to share knowledge through research and publications, to reciprocate in event participation, to support mutual agreed advocacy positions, and to enhance access for the benefit of members of both organizations.

Dr. Hardy said, “PATA and Skål are very similar in many regards. Like PATA, Skål has a long-storied history having been founded in 1934 and through the years its members have fostered a great spirit of friendship and camaraderie. They are also committed to the development of young tourism professionals and students through Young Skål. This partnership helps align both our missions in developing a responsible tourism industry and look forward to working to with them towards this goal.”

Skål International CEO, Daniela Otero, stated that “the tourism economy in Asia has increased exponentially in recent years and that the agreement was very important for development of Skål in that area.”

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.

About Skål International
Skål is a professional organisation of tourism leaders around the world, promoting global tourism, business and friendship since 1934. It is the only international group uniting all branches of the travel and tourism industry. Its members, the industry’s managers and executives, meet at local, national, regional and international levels to discuss and pursue topics of common interest. More information: www.skal.org

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

Skål International:
Daniela Otero
CEO
daniela.otero@skal.org
+34 952 389111
Spain

Madrid (Spain) – June 28, 2018 (travelindex.com) – As the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) held its 2nd World Conference on Smart Destinations in the Spanish city of Oviedo (25-27 June 2018), Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili emphasized how new technologies can and should enable a more universal approach to sustainable tourism.

“Technology helps us to better manage our social, cultural and environmental impacts. And if well managed, tourism can act as an agent of positive change for more sustainable lifestyles, destinations, and consumption and production patterns”, said Mr. Pololikashvili opening the Conference.

This year’s event featured two days of seminars detailing destinations’ routes towards effective digitalization. It shone a spotlight on how destinations can use technological advances like big data and geo-localization to spur sustainable management of tourism.

The Conference provided concrete take-aways for participants and also fostered knowledge creation and exchange. It was preceded by the 1st Hackathon for Smart Destinations (23-24 June) and a research and development day (25 June), which brought startups and academics together to work on ways to bring smart, innovative and sustainable solutions to the sector. These events also highlighted that several forward-thinking governments, private sector entities, researchers and technology centres have already taken the lead in doing so.

The 2nd World Conference on Smart Destinations was organized by UNWTO, the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism and the Government of Asturias, with the collaboration of Minube.

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

Bangkok (Thailand) – June 25, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is joining forces with the VATANIKA fashion collection to showcase the epitome of automotive luxury, the Rolls-Royce “Ghost” and “Dawn” models. The brand-new models, which have never before been unveiled, will be featured alongside a fashion show, held under the concept of “Strive for Perfection” at the Rolls-Royce booth as part of the annual “MGC-Asia Auto Fest 2018” staged during June 19-24, 2018 at Siam Paragon.

Mr. Sunthornpan Dhechatech, General Manager for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bangkok and Phuket, shared that the highlight of the Rolls-Royce booth at the ‘MGC-Asia Auto Fest 2018’ during June 19-24, 2018 will include limited editions of iconic Rolls-Royce models, along with special offers and privileges that rise above conventional luxury and exclusiveness. During the event, Rolls-Royce will feature several world-class automotive models, the Dawn, Ghost SWB (Standard Wheel Base), and Ghost EWB (Extended Wheel Base).

The highlight of Rolls-Royce in MGC-Asia Auto Fest is the Rolls-Royce Dawn, which is available with a body in bespoke silver and a convertible roof in elegant Navy blue, reflecting a modern and chic lifestyle. At the same time, on 22 June 2018, a fashion show will be held for a unique collection from the VATANIKA fashion house, led by renowned Thai fashion designer Ms. “Prae” Vatanika Patamasingh na Ayudhya, whose work currently graces the wardrobe of Hollywood celebrities, singers, and hosts, and whose collection will be featured alongside Rolls-Royce under the “Strive for Perfection” concept.

“In the 4th MGC-Asia Auto Fest, the Rolls-Royce booth is showcased under the ‘Strive for Perfection’ concept pioneered by ‘Sir Henry Royce.’ The automotive models that will be featured in this event will therefore be extraordinary, especially the four-seater Dawn convertible luxury coupe, the sexiest Rolls-Royce ever, which is not only timeless, but ideally suited to the lifestyle of younger patrons seeking a truly unique vehicle that can also be used for social events with friends.”

“The Dawn comes with bespoke colors, featuring a striking silver body and elegant Navy blue convertible roof, as well as rich seashell leather with Navy tone-on-tone piping. The Dawn stands on polished 21-inch forged 10 spoke polished wheels, is controlled by a Navy blue steering wheel, and has a cabin adorned with metal fascia-brushed aluminum and extra soft Navy blue Lamb Wool floor mats.”
“In addition, we have 2 units of Ghost, one cuts a handsome figure in two-tone style, that is, body in black kirsch and bonnet in a silver stain, and another one in distinctive silver jubilee. Both colors are custom-ordered and have never been on display anywhere else before.”

“To enable Rolls-Royce enthusiasts to receive a perfect and unique Rolls-Royce experience, the event will also be joined by Ms. ‘Prae’ Vatanika Patamasingh na Ayudhya, owner of the renowned VATANIKA fashion brand, who will instill a sense of perfection, uniqueness, and luxury that is both authentic, tangible, and accessible,” Mr. Sunthornpan said.

“Rolls-Royce and the VATANIKA fashion brand share many similarities in the contemporary luxury space, providing owners with a customized experience suited to their individuality and personal preferences. Therefore, the VATANIKA fashion show is designed to be a style presentation, featuring luxury lifestyle stories from the younger generation, as told through the brand’s Pre-Fall 2018 collection, which aims to instill confidence among women through the truly unique and sophisticated character of each design, similar to the character of luxury automobiles, which compel you to experience them firsthand to see that there is more than meets the eye,” said Ms. Vatanika Patamasingh na Ayudhya, the founder of the VATANIKA fashion brand.