Category: Latest Travel News

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) – August 10, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Vynn Capital, a South-East Asia-based early-stage venture capital firm, and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) today jointly announced a strategic partnership to promote South-East Asia’s tourism sector by facilitating entrepreneurship and innovation.

Through this strategic partnership, Vynn Capital and UNWTO will collaborate to create a framework and policies to support technology startups that are addressing opportunities and challenges in the region’s tourism sector. Both parties will work together to encourage traditional industry players such as hotel groups, property groups and food companies to adopt digital strategies, as well as to encourage more investment by the private sector into technology companies. Vynn Capital will act as UNWTO’s partner on initiatives to achieve these goals, by supporting tourism entrepreneurs and traditional industry players as the tourism market embraces technology and innovation.

“The tourism sector represents a huge opportunity for South-East Asia, where we see the emergence of a strong middle class. Vynn Capital has identified tourism as a key investment space and we will continue to work with entrepreneurs and industry players to promote the region’s tourism sector. We believe technology companies that focus on the mobility of consumers, such as Indonesia’s Travelio and Carsome, who already has operations in four key countries in South-East Asia, will continue to champion the economic impact of tourism growth. We join hands with UNWTO to foster a new generation of innovative tourism companies in South-East Asia,” said Victor Chua, Founding and Managing Partner of Vynn Capital and Chairman of the Malaysia Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (MVCA).

“UNWTO is proud to partner with Vynn Capital, who will help us to create real solutions for the much-needed digital transformation of tourism. Such partnerships are key to continue generating opportunities all through tourism, and prove that venture capital has a role to play when we want to advance sustainable development,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

According to UNWTO, international arrivals have increased in all regions since the start of 2018, continuing the strong trend of previous years. The strong growth is led by Asia and the Pacific (+8%), especially South-East Asia (+10%) and South Asia (+9%) where growth has already surpassed that of 2017 when Asia saw a 6% increase in international arrivals. This is significant, considering that Asia and the Pacific represents around 29% of international tourism receipts.

About Vynn Capital
Vynn Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm that focuses on opportunities in South-East Asia. The team has experience investing across Asia, with notable past investments in companies such as Triip.me, Carsome, Hermo and others. The firm focuses on bridging the knowledge and experience gap between incumbent industry players and startups, within industries such as travel, property, food & FMCG, female economics, logistics and enablers. Vynn Capital encourages strong partnerships of corporations and families with technology companies, as well as synergy between companies in creating more value for the ecosystem.

Contact information:
UNWTO Communications Department
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100
Fax: +34 91 567 8218
Email: comm@unwto.org

Apia (Samoa) – August 8, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in partnership with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) will organise the second Pacific Tourism Insights Conference (PTIC) in Apia, Samoa on October 3, 2018.

The event, generously hosted by the Samoa Tourism Authority (STA), brings together a dynamic and unique line up of international thought leaders recognised for their success and expertise in innovative and disruptive thinking.

“The first Pacific Tourism Insights Conference yielded a new era in the Pacific tourism conversation by exploring regional opportunities and challenges in line with global trends and influences. That event highlighted the need for both the public and private sectors to embrace change and build a strong foundation that protects the Pacific’s unique culture and heritage,” said PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy. “As we continue to emphasise this particular theme, this year’s event remains focussed on four primary issues: insights, development, expertise, and sustainability.”

Chris Cocker, CEO – South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), said, “Tourism is becoming a rapidly evolving industry where technology and changing mindsets of travellers continuously influence the way host destinations are having to plan, develop, market and manage. In the Pacific Islands, understanding and keeping up with these changes can be challenging, however through platforms such as the Pacific Insights Tourism Conference, we as a region can learn more, assess, and adapt if necessary on key areas of tourism-related insights, development and expertise and importantly sustainability for our Pacific tourism industry.”

Sonja Hunter, CEO – Samoa Tourism Authority (STA) and Chair Lady – South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), added, “This is the Information age and there is so much to collect, analyse, and understand in positioning our destinations to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. The Pacific Insights Tourism Conference will provide more intelligence and dialogue to inspire action for beneficial results.”

Key topics to be analysed and discussed during this insightful event will contribute towards achieving the objectives of the Pacific Tourism Strategy 2015-2019, which provides the strategic framework to support the development of tourism in the Pacific.

The registration fee is US$100 and complimentary for local delegates and students. A 50% discount is available for PATA and SPTO members. For the promotional code, please email pacific@PATA.org.

For more information or to register for the event, please visit www.PATA.org/PTIC.

About PATA
Founded in 1951, PATA is a not-for-profit membership association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its member organisations, comprising 98 government, state and city tourism bodies, 19 international airlines and airports, 91 hospitality organisations and 70 educational institutions, as well as over a hundred young tourism professional (YTP) members across the world. The PATA network also embraces the grassroots activism our 36 Chapters and 20 Student Chapters across the world. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 36 local PATA chapters worldwide, while hundreds of students are members of the 20 PATA student chapters globally. The chapters and student chapters organise travel industry training and business development events. Their grassroots activism underpins PATA’s membership in Uniting Travel, a coalition of the world’s major Travel & Tourism organisations dedicated to ensuring that the sector speaks with one voice and acts in unison on the major issues and includes ACI, CLIA, IATA, ICAO, WEF, UNWTO and the WTTC. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has official offices or representation in Beijing and London. Visit www.PATA.org.

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

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – August 7, 2018 (travelindex.com) – An important week and one that marks the arrival of the month of August telling us clearly the final months of 2018 are upon us. We were thrilled this week to see the African Diaspora Tourism Group of the USA write about the Saint Ange Tourism Report and refer to it as the “Premier Destination Publication”. Recognition by the tourism and travel press has been increasing and it is this partnership we today have that is keeping us visible and indeed relevant.

Control and Protection of Dogs Bill, 2018

The world of tourism finally saw that Seychelles had succeeded in producing a modern and comprehensive “Control and Protection of Dogs Bill, 2018”. “Seeing how you treat your dogs will tell me who you are as a people” has been the repeated statement made by so many visitors to the islands. This new legislation is a step in the right direction for our small island Nation.

Assumption Island Military Base project

Following the Government’s decision to revive the Assumption Island Military Base project, peaceful protests in the streets of Victoria have recommenced. The Preserve Seychelles group chaired by Terry Sandapin said the following on various posts:- “Assomption pou Seselwa! Recommencing the protests against a military installation on Assumption Island following our President’s visit to India and subsequent contradictory statements made and huge credit lines allocated. We say NO to any foreign military interference (directly or via credit lines) and NO to the direct threats & dangers to our environment. Vesna Rakic and Ricki Morin were both on the local news and are asking for everyone to join the next protest and to make your voice heard. Follow Preserve Seychelles for the details. This is a non-political citizens movement”.

Assumption Island is but some twenty miles from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aldabra and not suitable at all for the installation of a foreign power military base .

Operating costs must decrease

The outcry for a reduction of operating costs in Seychelles continues. Tourism is an integral part of the business community, which has called for better understanding of operating costs they are faced with. It cannot be in dispute that the operating costs incurred by the business community in Seychelles are too high and consequently serving to stifle growth. The time to assist the business community is now because, in return, it will consolidate the island’s economy and also provide more employment opportunities for the people of Seychelles.

This call was reinforced in the last Cross-Sectorial Meeting chaired by Minister Didier Dogley, the Seychelles Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine. The press reported on this particular point as follows:- “The private sector representatives also had the opportunity to put forth their concerns relating mainly to security and safety, illegal tourism activities, increasing operating cost for the trade, among others”.

The call has been made by the private sector bodies, the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) and the Seychelles Hospitality & Tourism Association (SHTA) and reinforced once again only last night on national television by the Seychelles Car Hire Operators Association (SCHOA) following the recent General Assembly.

Anguilla has undergone a dramatic decline in the tourism sector

During the final days of the month of July, Pam Webster published a document on the downward spiral of tourism in Anguilla. She wrote:- “As of June 2018, Anguilla has undergone a dramatic decline in the tourism sector of the island’s economy. As summarised by the Anguilla Statistics Department, under the Tourism Statistics Summary 2018, Anguilla has experienced its sixth decline for 2018. In comparison to the summary of June 2017, we have managed to decrease our visitor numbers by 56.8%, which is more than half of the visits. Anguilla and our people are dependent upon tourism for the most basic underpinning of the economy, but not only as a means of securing the necessities of life – also to maintain stability. With numbers continually declining at this rate, we risk experiencing hardship, struggle, and instability as we have not experienced it in living memory…… The Tourism Statistics Summary recorded a decrease from 9,610 persons during the period of June 2017, and compared it to the number of visits during June 2018, which was 2,440 persons. It is said that this is in fact the lowest recorded number of excursionists to the island for any June month as far back as 1993. While day trippers do not bring the same economic benefit to the island as tourists staying longer and occupying overnight accommodation, every little helps.”

Anguilla is suffering from a reduction of visitors for a different reason, but like Seychelles, it depends largely on tourism. Seychelles needs to give oxygen to its tourism industry and to its business sector in order to sustain its economic viability.

Granite boulders shaped by nature

Gilles Lionnet posted a photo of granite boulders in Seychelles which he claims bear striking resemblance to an elephant, a gorilla and a wolf. Locals will note other interestingly shaped granite boulders around Mahe, including ‘ros koson’ (Pig rock). These quirks are today providing photo opportunities to visitors eager to discover what unique gems our islands have to offer.

Sea turtles mating on a beach at Denis Island

Another amazing photo published last week was from Denis Private Island, where workers found a pair of turtles mating on the beach. This is not a normal scene because these acts by turtles can normally be seen in open sea. The photo has generated a lot of interest because it is just not common at all. Denis Private Island has been leaders in the field of environment protection and today many more sea turtles are seen in the turquoise blue seas surrounding that island

Bangkok (Thailand) – August 7, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Early 2018 marked an important milestone for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars as this world-renowned, super-luxury car maker rolled out several special models including Rolls-Royce Wraith Luminary, Dawn Inspired by Fashion, Wraith and Dawn Adamas Collection, and, most notably the 8th generation of Rolls-Royce Phantom (or New Phantom) – the move that has taken the super luxury car market by storm. This success story fundamentally requires a perfect combination of meticulous artistic work and state-of-the-art automotive technologies that imparts modern luxury and elegance, while ensuring as exceptional driving experience as riding a magic carpet.

With its increasing sales growth worldwide, combined with a series of new models being rolled out to cater to diversified customers’ needs and lifestyles, this represents a positive sign indicating that more and more people have become interested in purchasing and experiencing Rolls-Royce motor cars. However, as Rolls-Royce motor cars belong to an ultra-luxury segment with relatively high price tags, some potential customers are still reluctant to make a move to buy one.

Sunthornpan Dhechatech, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bangkok General Manager, has had some good news to share: “To enable these potential customers better access to own and drive a Rolls-Royce Motor Car, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bangkok is now introducing a special program called Provenance, which is created especially for Rolls-Royce motor cars used in corporate activities to ensure that every Rolls-Royce motor car is always taken care of like new cars under a warranty period, while ensuring exceptional quality and affordable prices, as well as additional benefits such as:
– Personalized, one-to-one customer care and services at authorized Rolls-Royce Motor Cars dealers
– Uncompromising pre-delivery inspection and preparation
– Services and repair carried out in accordance with Rolls-Royce standards and by well-trained service technicians, using only genuine Rolls-Royce parts; AND
– 24/7 roadside assistance”

In addition, “Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bangkok is also offering to all of our Rolls-Royce customers a Service Inclusive Package, which is also affordable, so that our customers are provided with the opportunity to continue to take care of their Rolls-Royce motor cars despite the warranty having expired. Customers stand to benefit from professional services carried out by Rolls-Royce expert technicians including:
– Engine oil service
– Replacement of brake discs and brake pads, micro filter (activated by air carbon filter, air filter, set of wiper blades, and spark plugs, when needed
– Brake fluid service
– Free map updates
– Unlimited mileage on the package
– 24/7 roadside assistance

These additional privileges are being offered keeping in mind that our customers can continuously take good care of and fully benefit from their Rolls-Royce motor cars.”

A number of Rolls-Royce motor cars to receive special benefits under the Provenance Program which can be acquired through an instalment down payment program made possible by a special financial arrangement that will enable the potential customers to purchase Rolls-Royce motor cars still covered by warranty are very limited.

Or alternatively take advantage of the Service Inclusive Package for Rolls-Royce motor cars of which a warranty period has expired. Terms and Conditions apply and are subject to change made by the company at the Big Motor Sale 2018 at BITEC, which will run from August 17-26, 2018.

Krinbourne Kommunications Co., Ltd.
Tel. 02-026-0514 or 02-026-0500 ext. 1714
Matavee Tunrungwetjarun
Senior Account Supervisor Associate
Moblie: 099-446-4255
E-mail: matavee.krinbourne@gmail.com

Siriwan Manyahong
PA to CEO/Account Executive
Mobile: 099-495-6966
Email: siriwan.krinbourne@gmail.com

Phuket (Thailand) – August 7, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Phuket Yacht Show is set to become the definitive luxury yachting and lifestyle event when it welcomes thousands of visitors from around the world to the award-winning Royal Phuket Marina from 4 – 7 January, 2019. Lead by Show Director Andy Dowden and financially backed by experienced boat show operators from Turkey, Phuket Yacht Show organisers are promising to deliver the best yacht show ever seen in Phuket.

“I’ve owned and operated boat shows in Phuket for 16 years and in my experience, combined with feedback from key stakeholders in Thailand’s marine industry, Royal Phuket Marina is the ideal host venue due to its central strategic location and boardwalk facilities. And early January is the ideal time as that is when the highest number of globe-trotting millionaires and billionaires are on the island,” said Dowden.

The Phuket Yacht Show will enable nautical lifestyle seekers a unique opportunity to view some of the world’s most iconic brands in Thailand’s premier waterfront environment and will showcase not only yachts, superyachts and marine related toys and services, but also high-end properties, fashion and accessories, super cars, fine dining and luxury products.

Upto 120 exhibitors will be resident in the 2,500 sqm marina-side exhibition hall while in-the-water there is space for more than 50 yachts upto 35 metres in length. Accommodating the growing interest in superyacht sales and charter, a unique private island superyacht display will be located just five minutes from Royal Phuket Marina and accessed by private shuttle for qualified guests.

Having convinced the Prime Minister of Thailand in 2003 to remove import and excise taxes on boats in his drive to make Phuket the yachting playground in Asia, Gulu Lalvani built the multi award-winning Royal Phuket Marina and has, since its opening, been host to the island’s best boat shows.

“We have a proven track record hosting boat shows for 11 years and are very proud to sign a five-year hosting deal with the show’s Turkish investors. We also have a long and successful relationship with Andy Dowden and are confident the Phuket Yacht Show team will deliver the best show Phuket has ever seen and a show that the marine industry deserves. There are some rumours that Royal Phuket Marina will be the venue for two boat shows, I would like to clarify that this is not true. The Phuket Yacht Show will be the only yacht show in Phuket and the only yacht show at Royal Phuket Marina,” commented Gulu Lalvani, Chairman of Royal Phuket Marina.

“In addition to the largest and most diverse display of yachts and marine products ever, the lifestyle element of the show will be bigger than ever before. We have a number of events planned that will be part of the show including wine tastings, fashion shows, super car parades and much more. Our aim is to make Phuket Yacht Show the ultimate four day celebration of luxury and lifestyle on Phuket,” added Dowden.

The Phuket Yacht Show will be held 4 – 7 January, 2019 at Royal Phuket Marina during Phuket’s peak season when the island welcomes the largest number of international visitors, HNWIs and Ultra High Net Worth Individuals.

Contacts information:
Infinity Communications
Duncan Worthington, Tel: +66 (0) 81 893 4006
Chanut Nawnarong, Tel: +66 (0) 92 554 4149
Email: prbkk@infinity-comms.com

Bangkok (Thailand)- August 6, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts has unveiled an exciting new DOUBLE POINTS promotion for members of its award-winning loyalty program, Best Western Rewards.

From the beaches of Bali to the bright lights of Bangkok, the skyscrapers of Tokyo to the temples of Yangon, Best Western has the perfect hotel for your next Asian adventure. Start planning your trip today and earn double points with Best Western!

Guests can earn Best Western Rewards points twice as fast when traveling in Asia! There’s no minimum stay requirement or maximum earning limit – Best Western Rewards members will simply earn double points at any participating hotel all across the region, for stays taken between from now until October 31, 2018. Bookings must be made either directly with the hotel or via Best Western’s website.

Best Western Rewards points never expire! They can be redeemed for free nights at more than 4,200 hotels worldwide, merchandise or shopping vouchers.

If you’re not already a Best Western Rewards member, enroll today online via this link.
Membership is FREE!

For more information about this enticing promotion, please visit this link

About Best Western Hotels & Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,200* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers 11 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Vīb®, GLō®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, BW Premier Collection® by Best Western, and BW Signature Collection® by Best Western; as well as its recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay® Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection® by Best Western. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 66 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2018, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Fast Company honoring Best Western Hotels & Resorts with a spot in the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality category. Best Western has also won nine consecutive AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 58 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in J.D. Power’s 2017 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first in breakfast (food and beverage category) for midscale; and second in overall guest satisfaction. Over 35 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western-branded hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Google® Street View provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.
– All Best Western and SureStay-branded hotels are independently owned and operated.
– Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.

Contact information:
Marketing Communications Department
Best Western Hotels and Resorts – Asia
Tel: +66 2 656 1260
Sirimanas Maungrod
Email: sirimanas.maungrod@bestwestern.com
Orapan Sornnuwat
Email: orapan.sornnuwat@bestwestern.com

Bangkok (Thailand) – August 3, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Chefs from Eighty Twenty Bangkok and Haoma come together for a two night collaborative dinner to create an explosive Thai-Japanese-Indian fusion dining experience.

Three of Bangkok’s young and mischievous chefs are coming together to create an epic dining experience that blends three distinct cultures over a two night dinner at Haoma restaurant on the 7th and 8th of August 2018.

Chef Deepanker Khosla (DK) of Haoma with Chef Napol (Joe) and Chef Saki of 80/20bkk will create original dishes that feature a melting pot of Thai, Japanese, and Indian flavours, utilising ingredients from Haoma’s very own urban farm.

Every dish will be a unique creation from a collective of three culinary minds, designed to create an unforgettable dining retrospective. This is one of the first explosive ‘Food Trinity’ series that you will not want to miss out.

Book your spots early to avoid disappointment – Seats are strictly limited to 40 pax

FB Event: />
Food Trinity Series Media Folder: />
Haoma Map:

For Bookings:
➡ HAOMABookNow
📞 02 258 4744
📧 reservations@haoma.dk

Jakarta (Indonesia) – August 3, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts has celebrated the opening of an exciting new hotel in the heart of Jakarta’s vibrant downtown district. Best Western Senayan Hotel is a modern midscale hotel located on Jalan Asia Afrika, a main thoroughfare in Central Jakarta. This cosmopolitan area is home to multinational companies including Google Indonesia and Citibank, plus luxury lifestyle malls such as Plaza Senayan, which houses top brands like Dior, Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

The hotel is also just moments from the Jakarta Convention Center, which hosts major international events and concerts, and the 76,000-pax capacity Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, which will be the main sporting arena for the 2018 Asian Games.

A new-build hotel and developed by the leading Indonesian company, PT Mandiri Karya Indah Sejahtera, guests are sure to enjoy all that the Best Western Senayan Hotel has to offer. Supported by Best Western’s legendary service standards, the hotel features 137 contemporary rooms, all equipped with comfortable beds, power showers and complimentary Wi-Fi. There is also a selection of triple rooms which are perfect for families.

The hotel’s restaurant serves daily buffet breakfast, followed by a choice of local, pan-Asian and international cuisine throughout the day. For corporate travelers, there is a business corner and six modern meeting rooms.

“The opening of Best Western Senayan Hotel marks another major milestone in the development of our Indonesian portfolio. With its perfect location and international amenities, this excellent hotel becomes an exciting new midscale option in downtown Jakarta. I would like to thank and congratulate PT Mandiri Karya Indah Sejahtera for creating such an impressive project,” commented Olivier Berrivin, Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ Managing Director of International Operations – Asia.

“Indonesia is a key market for Best Western. Following the opening of our fifth property in Bali late last year, and now this exciting new development in Jakarta, we operate a diverse collection of 17 hotels and resorts in the country. We will continue to seek new opportunities bring our industry-leading brands to destinations all across Indonesian archipelago in future,” Olivier added.

Best Western Senayan Hotel becomes the company’s fourth hotel in Jakarta, joining Best Western Mangga Dua Hotel & Residence, Best Western Plus Kemayoran and Best Western Premier The Hive. This means that visitors to Jakarta can now choose from three distinct brands when they travel to the Indonesian capital: classic midscale Best Western, upper-midscale Best Western Plus and upscale Best Western Premier.

The new property also joins a collection of 17 Best Western hotels and resorts across Indonesia, located in key destinations such as Bali, Surabaya, Solo, Bandung, Batam, Makassar, Medan, Manado and Palu.

About Best Western Hotels and Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,200* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers 11 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Vīb®, GLō®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, BW Premier Collection® by Best Western, and BW Signature Collection® by Best Western; as well as its recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay® Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection® by Best Western. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 66 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2018, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Fast Company honoring Best Western Hotels & Resorts with a spot in the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality category. Best Western has also won nine consecutive AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 58 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in J.D. Power’s 2017 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first in breakfast (food and beverage category) for midscale; and second in overall guest satisfaction. Over 35 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western-branded hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Google® Street View provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.
* All Best Western and SureStay-branded hotels are independently owned and operated.
* Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.

Contact information:
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 (Hong Kong SAR) – August 1, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Hotel Management Asia Summit (HMA), organized by one of the region’s premier conference producers Questex Hospitality Group, will be held on 27 Sep 2018. 120 senior hoteliers are scheduled to attend HMA to explore the ways forward for hotels in a competitive environment.

Themed, “Exploring Innovation-Enabled Evolutions for Next Generation Guest Experiences and Service Flows,” HMS 2018 will once again provide the platform for the industry’s leading senior hoteliers to further exchange insights, discuss trends, and explore best practices to ensure continuous successes.

While hoteliers in Hong Kong and Macau celebrate the tourism recovery, 2018 ushers in new hotel openings for both cities. Although the new hotels, and new brand presences, will inject some vibrancy into the markets, existing hotels will face challenges in room rates due to the increased supply. In additional, recent launched of various lifestyle hotels, poshtels, co-living spaces and extended-stay products have added to the competition. As such, hoteliers must innovate and reinvent, in order to drive financial results.

From organizational structure to service flows, pricing to loyalty, recruitment to retention, hoteliers must review and modernize their business models. Only those who successfully deliver guest-centric services at outstanding value will outperform their competitors.
“Very good industry information sharing and networking!” proclaimed Peter Chui, VP – Project and General Manager of Regal Riverside Hotel, who attended HMA Summit in 2017. “I like to keep up with what is going on in the industry. The fact is that the millennials are here. We have to know what our customers want, not what we think they want. So that is something that HMA Summit gives us some insights on.”

HMA is a neutral one-stop strategy platform where Corporate CEOs/ Presidents, COOs and CFOs, VP operations Property GMs, Financial Controllers, Director of operations property owners, and managing directors will directly address all key management, operational, commercial, and financial challenges that impact corporate and property P&L.

HMA 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.

Watch our video highlights of 2017 Hotel Management Asia Summit here.

About Questex Hospitality + Travel
The Questex Hospitality + Travel Group of Questex LLC serves the worldwide hospitality, travel and related industries that together contribute over $6 trillion to the global gross domestic product. Through an innovative platform of targeted solutions, the group serves the sector’s entire ecosystem, from tourism and hotel development and investment to hotel design, purchasing, management and operations.

The Questex Hospitality + Travel Group supports every B2B segment of the industry, from investment and development to management operations, sales and marketing of hospitality and travel products to destination development and marketing, via proven demand generation, learning, loyalty and rewards solutions as well as a network of live events.

This division of Questex is aligned around three broad market segments – hospitality, travel, and meetings – and supported by its digital media staff.

About Hotel Management Asia Summit (HMA Summit)
The leading conference in Greater China that directly addresses all operational/management challenges, the Hotel Management Asia Summit provides a platform for hotel executives from both corporate level and property level to discuss key operational, branding and financial issues directly impacting corporate and property P&L. CEO, COO, CFO, VPs, GMs, Financial Controllers, and executive committee members will gather to strategize and debate on essential topics including brand equity, cash-flow management, cost control, innovation and staff retention and development. Industry leaders will share their best practices and recommendations with their peers.

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

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – July 30, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Tourism is, and tourism will remain the people’s industry, it is and has always been. But the yield a destination derives from its tourism industry is often dependent on the ability of its industry players to work in partnership with others from far away destinations, to learn from each other and maximise returns from the business landing on one’s doorstep.

“Seychelles has been conceived with sailors in mind” to use a line often tabled by Glynn Burridge of the Seychelles Tourism Board. It is not surprising that many excursions for tourists in Seychelles remain centered on the sea. Excursion Catamarans, big modern and fast ferries have joined an array of smaller crafts all providing a day out for visitors in Seychelles. Island hopping, boating excursions, picnics, diving and snorkelling excursions, big game fishing or just simply a sailing day on the turquoise blue seas of the Indian Ocean, are all part of the Blue Economy being spearheaded by Seychelles.

The spirit of innovation and risk-taking by Seychellois in this business needs to be encouraged, because without them, the Seychelles Tourism Board will market Seychelles and tourists will arrive with little to do and spend their holiday budget on. Yield from the industry will remain dependent on hotel rates and the other land-based activities.

Pro-activeness by State Officials to help businesses grow, and assisting in the spirit of innovation is therefore a necessity. A lot more can be developed that would fall in the category of sustainable tourism within the Blue Economy. A floating restaurant, water taxis, amphibious plane excursions, opening up of new ferry routes for excursions, floating holiday homes and a floating chapel for weddings and receptions, are all activities being done in many a tourism destination and Seychelles can be leaders in such activities.

Penguin submarines to offer tourists dry, underwater rides

Our lead article today is on yield from tourism and the need to make what we have work. Two small Penguin submarines with battery operated motors have been in the country since 2016. These excursion vessels are ideal for the sustainable tourism development cause and would assist in increasing the yield our islands generate from its tourism industry. The two vessels are still tied up at base because they require a barge like flat-boat as the loading and unloading platform anchored in a marine park. Is the onus on the operator / promoter only? or is it a joint public – private sector endeavour to make tourism work for everyone including the industry’s biggest stakeholder – the Government? These two crafts tied up in a Marina bring no revenue and denies employment to young Seychellois. The time to make this excursion happen is now and the responsibility must be on all concerned for “Our Seychelles”.

President Macron of France, President Obama of the USA and now President Xi Jinping of China in Africa

State Visits or official visits brings visibility. Just weeks ago the Saint Ange Tourism Report wrote about the visits by President Macron of France and also that of President Obama of the USA to Africa and the positive impact of such visits. Today it is President Xi Jinping of China who is in Mauritius on what is being called a private visit after participating the 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg South Africa.

The spotlight has been on Africa with such visits and Africa needs to now be moving to capitalise on the visibility boost enjoyed by the continent.

Over and above the 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg South Africa saw the heads of the – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – meet for an annual summit.

Ramani becomes the President of NRI Seychelles Chapter

Mr Narasimhan Ramani has been appointed the President of the Seychelles Chapter of the NRI (Non Resident Indians) at a small ceremony at the Mahek Restaurant at Beau Vallon. The Letter of Appointment was handed over by Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles former Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine who was himself a former recipient of the Mahatma Award through the NRI at their General Assembly in Delhi.

Present at the ceremony was Mrs Ramani, Mr Deepak Singh, the Convenor of the NRI Body, Mr Tanuj Khurana, NRI’s Legal Advisor and other members of the Organisation.

Congratulations to Mr Ramani for this appointment and wishing him well in his functions as President of the Seychelles Chapter of the NRI.

Florida in the USA is battling against smelly seaweed on its beaches as Seychelles successfully turned the same seaweed into foliage nutrient

Florida in the USA has its team work for hours every morning with large machines to chop up the seaweed and bury it — or use dump trucks to haul it away. They clear thick mats of brown, squishy stuff that smells like rotten eggs, so beach-goers can enjoy seaweed-free beaches. In Seychelles, that same seaweed is now exploited by Bernard Port Louis and his son Benjamin. The father and son team have finally started producing liquid fertiliser for foliage and pulverised cooked and dried seaweed for soil conditioning from their Seaweed Factory at Baie Ste Anne at Praslin. They started from scratch with research work done through the biggest research organisation, the CSIRO of Australia.

We can and should say congratulations to Bernard Port Louis who has started to have enquiries from far and wide for his ‘patented’ product made out entirely of seaweed that is washed up on beaches!

Businesses in Seychelles

The business community, inclusive of members of the tourism industry, are echoing messages calling for more understanding and support. The island’s private sector trade are the first to feel the pinch of rising operational costs and the drop in the value of the Seychelles Rupee.

Today, the islands are facing a tightening of the economy with the value of the Seychelles Rupee sliding vis-à-vis the US Dollar, at a time when electricity prices have again been increased and fuel prices at the pump going up as never before. This is being compounded with less money in circulation

Economists all have a different take on the situation, but in discussion, all agree in one way or another for measures that are introduced to stimulate the business sector, the motor behind the Seychelles economy.

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