Category: Latest Travel News

Madrid (Spain) – July 28, 2018 (travelindex.com) – As stated in the Relevant Fact submitted to the Spanish Stock Exchange Commission on 26th July 2018, Oceanwood Capital Management Limited and Minor International (MINT) have entered into a Share Purchase Agreement of 22,496,064 shares representing a 5.7% shareholding in NH Hotel Group, only subject to the approval of MINT’s General Shareholders Meeting to be held on 9th August 2018. As a result of this transaction and the agreement to acquire from Tangla Spain SLU 32,937,996 NH Hotel Group shares representing an 8.4% shareholding in NH Hotel group, as announced on 5th June 2018, which is subject to the same condition, MINT would control 172,379,103 shares in NH Hotel Group, representing a 44.0% shareholding.

Following broad support from MINT’s key long-term shareholders on the contemplated transactions, including Mr. William E. Heinecke and the entire MINT’s Board of Directors, MINT will hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on 9th August 2018 for the approval of the tender offer and the 8.4% NH Hotel Group stake from Tangla Spain SLU. In addition, the tender offer has also received full financing support from MINT’s financial institutions.

As stated in the Relevant Fact submitted on 20th July 2018 to the CNMV, both the Spanish and Portuguese Antitrust Authorities (“Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia” and“ Autoridade da Concorrência“, respectively) approved the proposed acquisition of NH Hotel Group by MINT, thus fulfilling one of the two conditions to the offer included in the MINT Bid Offer.

MINT’s offer has been admitted for processing on 19th July 2018 (“Admisión a Trámite”) by the CNMV, following the ordinary proceeding.

MINT maintains its long-term vision for NH which is intended to keep the company as a focused hotel-sector listed company in the Spanish Stock Exchanges, improve overall growth profile of the portfolio based on highly complementary geographies and brands, with limited overlap, and support the management team in executing the current and future strategic plans.

About Minor International
Minor International (MINT) is a global company focused on three core businesses: restaurants, hospitality and lifestyle brands distribution. MINT is one of Asia’s largest restaurant companies with over 2,000 outlets operating system-wide in 27 countries under The Pizza Company, Swensen’s, Sizzler, Dairy Queen, Burger King, Thai Express, The Coffee Club, BreadTalk (Thailand), Riverside and Benihana brands. MINT is also a hotel owner, operator and investor with a portfolio of 161 hotels and serviced suites under the Anantara, AVANI, Oaks, Tivoli, Elewana, Marriott, Four Seasons, St. Regis, Radisson Blu, The Beaumont and Minor International brands in 26 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and South America. MINT is one of Thailand’s largest distributors of lifestyle brands and contract manufacturing. Its brands include Gap, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, Esprit, Bossini, Etam, OVS, Radley, Anello, Charles & Keith, Pedro, Zwilling J.A. Henckels, Joseph Joseph, Bodum and Minor Smart Kids.

About NH Hotel Group
NH Hotel Group is a world-leading urban hotel operator, listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange. Today, the company operates 382 hotels and 59,350 rooms in 30 markets across Europe, the Americas and Africa, including top city destinations such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Bogota, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, Munich, New York, Rome and Vienna.

Book your hotel in Spain and around the world in 55 countries at best rates available. Pay at the hotel. Book now at HotelWorlds.com!

Bangkok (Thailand) – July 27, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Centara Hotels and Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel group, and Nakheel, UAE-based master developer today cemented their joint venture with a construction contract worth 2.63 billion to build a 601-room beachfront resort at Dubai’s Deira Islands. The new property, Centara Deira Islands Beach Resort Dubai, is Centara’s first in the UAE and will open in 2020.

The resort is expected to significantly boost the emirate’s four-star accommodation – the fastest-growing segment in 2017 with a 10 per cent growth rate last year, more than any other hotel category – in line with the increase in popularity of Dubai as a tourism hotspot.

Thirayuth Chirathivat, Centara’s CEO said: “This is Centara’s first hotel in Dubai, and the UAE, and signifies our presence in a major gateway city in the Middle East. This signing ceremony marks a profound milestone of expansion for Centara as we continue to extend our upscale resort portfolio internationally. We are very pleased to have reached this new milestone in our joint venture with Nakheel. With the expertise from a regional leader in development like Nakheel and Centara’s record of delivering and inspiring extraordinary guest experiences, Centara Deira Islands Beach Resort Dubai will represent a one-of-a-kind resort that gives our guests fond moments for years to come. We look forward to opening Centara Deira Islands Beach Resort Dubai in 2020.”

The contract was signed in Dubai at a ceremony led by Nakheel Chairman, Ali Rashid Lootah. Mobilisation will begin immediately. Nakheel Chairman Ali Rashid Lootah said: “Nakheel continues to play a pivotal role in shaping and diversifying Dubai’s tourism offering with a 27 billion AED (or THB 245 billion) hospitality and retail expansion that supports our government’s vision. The joint venture with Centara underlines our commitment to working with trusted international brands to bring new hospitality concepts to Dubai, and today’s crucial milestone brings this exciting new resort ever closer. I look forward to delivering one of Dubai’s most sought-after destinations for travellers from all over the world.”

Centara entered the Middle East market with the opening of Centara Muscat Hotel last year, and has additional imminent openings in other Gulf States. Located on a prime beachfront spot at Nakheel’s Deira Islands waterfront city, Centara Deira Islands Beach Resort Dubai will be managed by Centara, whose growing portfolio already includes over 12,000 keys across 60 hotels and resorts in Asia, the Indian Ocean and the Middle East.

The family-centric resort will feature a waterpark, multiple restaurants including indoor, alfresco and rooftop options, kids’ clubs, spa and diverse family entertainment options. The 601 sea-view and city-facing rooms will cover a range of categories from standard and deluxe rooms through to expansive duplexes and suites and there will be a strong emphasis on family-centric accommodation. 114 rooms will feature bunk beds and approximately 90% of the rooms will be connectable, ensuring optimal options and comfort for families of all sizes.

About Centara Hotels & Resorts
Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator. Its 60 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, China, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. Centara’s portfolio comprises six brands – Centara Grand Hotels & Resorts, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Centara Boutique Collection, Centra by Centara, Centara Residences & Suites and COSI Hotels – ranging from 5-star city hotels and luxurious island retreats to family resorts and affordable lifestyle concepts supported by innovative technology. It also operates state-of-the-art convention centres and has its own award-winning spa brand, Cenvaree. Throughout the collection, Centara delivers and celebrates the hospitality and values Thailand is famous for including gracious service, exceptional food, pampering spas and the importance of families. Centara’s distinctive culture and diversity of formats allow it to serve and satisfy travellers of nearly every age and lifestyle.

Over the next five years Centara aims to double its size with additional properties in Thailand and new international markets, while spreading its footprint into new continents and market niches. As Centara continues to expand, a growing base of loyal customers will find the company’s unique style of hospitality in more locations. Centara’s global loyalty programme, Centara The1 Card, reinforces their loyalty with rewards, privileges and special member pricing.

About Nakheel
Nakheel is one of the world’s leading developers and a major contributor to realizing the vision of Dubai for the 21st century: to create a world class destination for living, business and tourism. Nakheel continues to deliver and enhance an iconic portfolio of innovative landmark projects in Dubai across the residential, retail, hospitality and leisure sectors.

Our master developments include Palm Jumeirah, The World, Deira Islands, Jumeirah Islands, Jumeirah Village, Jumeirah Park, Jumeirah Heights, The Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Al Furjan, Warsan Village, Dragon City, International City, Jebel Ali Gardens and Nad Al Sheba. Together, these span more than 15,000 hectares and currently provide homes for over 270,000 people. Nakheel has more than 24,000 residential units under construction or in the pipeline.

Nakheel’s current and future retail project portfolio covers 17.3 million square feet of leasable space. Developments include Ibn Battuta Mall, Dragon Mart 1 and 2, Golden Mile Galleria, Nakheel Mall, The Pointe, Deira Mall, Deira Islands Night Souk, Warsan Souk, Al Khail Avenue, The Circle Mall, Nad Al Sheba Mall and Discovery Gardens Mall, as well as major extensions to Dragon Mart (renamed Dragon City) and Ibn Battuta Mall. The retail profile also includes several neighbourhood community centres, known as Nakheel Pavilions.

Our growing hospitality project portfolio comprises 17 hotels and serviced apartment developments with nearly 6,000 rooms and hotel apartments between them at various locations in Dubai, including Palm Jumeirah, Deira Islands, Ibn Battuta Mall, Jumeirah Village and Dragon City. Two are currently open and operational, with the rest at various stages of construction and development.

Book your hotel in Dubai and around the world in 55 countries at best rates available. Pay at the hotel. Book now at HotelWorlds.com!

Madrid (Spain) – July 27, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Promoting a greater engagement of the tourism sector with sustainable development is the main objective of the Tourism for SDGs Platform. The online tool is designed to advance the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through tourism, and was developed by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) with the support of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) constitute an ambitious global agenda for people, planet, prosperity and peace through partnerships. The SDGs aim to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and solve climate change by 2030. The economic relevance of tourism, representing up to 10% of the world’s GDP and employment, makes harnessing its full potential essential for the advancement of the SDGs.

Tourism4SDGs.org is a co-creation space that allows users to access a wide range of resources, add their own initiatives, findings and projects, motivate discussion and collaboration, and share content related to tourism and sustainable development.

“Tourism plays a vital role in many, if not all, of the 17 Goals”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. “Tourism has come of age as a cross-cutting economic activity with deep social ramifications, and the Tourism for SDGs Platform is providing the global tourism community with a space to co-create and engage to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, he added.

“Switzerland strongly supports this platform as it will allow a focus on the three main components of sustainable tourism: its economic, environmental and social dimensions,” said Ambassador Raymund Furrer of SECO.

The platform’s three main features act as a call for action. Learn, Share and Act, the three levels of interaction at Tourism4SDGs.org, aim not only to educate but also to encourage conversation and collaboration towards a sustainable tourism sector.

The platform was launched during the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development ‘Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies’ (New York, 9-18 July) during an event co-hosted by UNWTO and the One Planet network.

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

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – July 24, 2018 (travelindex.com) – I was last week honoured to have been chosen to be a panellist for the Routes Africa 2018. It was a great event and a golden opportunity to renew contacts and make new friends. Tourism is very much a people’s industry which is why people of the industry have to meet or just simply must meet. Two important Tourism and Aviation Magazines of Africa (Voyages Afriq and Aviation & Allied Business Journal) were present and the chance to meet with them in Ghana was so appreciated.

Visibility to maintain relevance

Often tourism businesses or hotel establishments raise their occupancy level or discuss how busy or not busy they have been. Tourism Boards have the responsibility to market the destination and to keep the visibility of their destination to ensure it is relevant, but it remains the responsibility of individual businesses to get ‘ahead of the pack’ to get their fair share of arriving visitors. No one can expect to eat a mango when the tree is being given a good shake unless they move to collect them as they fall or to spend to buy them from traders. The same analysis can be made using the picking up of mackerel fish from the beach after the fishermen have brought it a catch from a net. Be on the beach and get your mackerel or buy one from the market, but sitting at home and waiting will not, and just cannot bring the fish to your table.

Operating Cost and the slide of the Seychelles Rupee against the US Dollar

Rising operational cost still remains a troubling challenge for the tourism industry in Seychelles. Today the cost is being further exasperated by the value of the US Dollar that is gaining its way against the Seychelles Rupee. Cost of electricity is today considered to be too expensive and this will continue to hurt the islands and their businesses. Understanding the trade will strengthen the economy and increase the needed buoyancy to enable the private sector trade to keep the Seychelles Flag flying. The businesses are key to economic survival, and bleeding them only spells trouble, curtails employment and stifles growth of the commercial sector.

Vertical Integration policy?

The proposal by the Seychelles Government to box in the private sector trade has brought about a number of queries on where will it stop. Seychelles must legislate against any form of monopoly in any sector. Monopoly is detrimental to cost reduction, and competition needs to be encouraged and banks enticed to assist to help competition to be established.

Phoenix, Arizona (USA) – July 24, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts announced today that its SureStay Hotel Group franchise has reached yet another milestone – revealing the brand has over 100 hotels in its North American portfolio. This announcement underscores the brand’s overarching success, as it now has a total of 189* properties worldwide in less than two years since its launch, making it one of the fastest growing brands in the hotel industry today.

SureStay Hotel Group’s accelerated growth can be attributed to a number of factors. The brand has become known as a trusted and respected lodging option among travelers – offering travelers consistent and quality levels of comfort, cleanliness, and a service guarantee, all at an affordable price. The brand has also garnered significant interest among developers in the upper-economy/lower-midscale market because of its competitive fee structure and access to Best Western’s powerhouse brand.

While the brand has certainly captured the attention of today’s travelers and developers, it’s also proved its ability to deliver impressive results in a short period of time. In fact, Best Western Rewards® revenue contribution for North American SureStay® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western-branded properties is at 36.1 percent currently; Best Western’s reservations system, LYNX, has delivered 40.2 percent of bookings; and total brand contribution is 62.3 percent YTD (through February 2018).

“SureStay Hotel Group is one of fastest growing brands in the industry, and it has been remarkable to see the scale we’ve achieved in less than two years since launching,” said David Kong, President and CEO for Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “Surpassing 100 hotels in North America is an impressive milestone for the brand, and we look forward to continuing this fast-paced momentum well into the future.”

The majority of SureStay Hotel Group applicants are seeking to reposition and strengthen their existing hotel assets. Best Western conversions also comprise a large portion of SureStay Hotel Group properties. Comprised of three distinctive brands – SureStay Hotel by Best Western (classic economy), SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western (premium economy) and SureStay Collection® by Best Western (lower-midscale soft brand) – SureStay Hotel Group’s rapid success can be credited to its unique, competitive fee structure and Best Western’s staunch reputation for enhancing the guest travel experience by providing real, consistent value and an industry-leading, return-guest loyalty program. The brand provides an easy path to hoteliers who are committed to providing a superior guest experience but wish to avoid the high investment costs mandated by most brand standards.

“Today’s Best Western is committed to creating innovative, market-leading brands for the hospitality industry, and it’s clear that we’ve done exactly that with the SureStay Hotel Group,” said Ron Pohl, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “We carefully designed SureStay brands to offer flexibility to developers, drive business to hotels, and provide superior value and comfort to customers. We’re proud to see these results come to fruition at over 100 hotels in North America and nearly 200 hotels worldwide.”

Properties must maintain a minimum 3.5 TripAdvisor® rating, agree to a satisfaction guarantee and unannounced inspections. The brand’s focus is to: create consumer relevance and confidence through unprecedented quality and care; and produce developer value by offering fair franchise terms, a competitive fee model, best-in-class support and a connection to Best Western’s expansive scale – which is critically important in advancing hotels’ negotiating power and creating advantageous OTA terms.

For more information on Best Western Hotels & Resorts, please visit BestWestern.com

*Includes hotels currently in the development pipeline

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:
Kelly Dalton
Senior Director, Communications
602.957.5752

Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) – July 24, 2018 (travelindex) – Ethiopian Airlines, the largest Aviation Group in Africa and SKYTRAX certified Four Star Global Airline, is pleased to announce that it has won SKYTRAX World Airline Award for the Best Airline in Africa for second successive year.

Skytrax is the most respected global air transport rating organization that conducts the world’s largest annual airline passenger satisfaction survey where customers make their own personal choices as to which airline they consider to be the best.

Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, remarked “Ethiopian is a customer focused and market driven airline. In a context of hyper competitive global airline industry, the only way for Ethiopian to sustain its success is through its differentiated service delivery and by meeting its customers’ expectations.We are, therefore, honored and delighted to have been named the Best Airline in Africa at SKYTRAX World Airline Award as voted by passengers and we will not relent in our continuous efforts to offer our customers the best possible travel experience.”

I would like to thank Skytrax for this recognition and our valued customers for their strong vote of confidence. As always, we shall maintain our resolve to exceed their expectations and provide the best possible travel experience every time they fly with us. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate my colleagues at Ethiopian for their exceptional commitment and hard work to keep our airline flying high in the skies.”

Commenting on the Awards, Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax on his part said, “Passengers have voted Ethiopian Airlines Africa’s premier carrier for a second successive year and this is a simply fabulous achievement for the airline management and frontline staff.”

Ethiopian Airlines is a multi-award winning airline and has previously received SKYTRAX World Airline Award for Best Airline Staff in Africa, two times.

About Ethiopian
Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy plus years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success.

Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 110 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, Bombardier Q-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of five years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft.

Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025 that will see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with eight business centers: Ethiopian Regional Services; Ethiopian International Services; Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services; Ethiopian MRO Services; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian In-flight Catering; Ethiopian Ground Services and Ethiopian Airports Services. Ethiopian is a multi-award winning airline registering an average growth of 25% in the past seven years.

For more information, please contact:
Mrs. Aniley Eshetu
A/Manager Corporate Communications, Ethiopian Airlines
Tel 🙁 251-1)517-89-07/656/165/913/529
CorporateCommunication@ethiopianairlines.com
www.ethiopianairlines.com

Pattaya (Thailand) – July 19, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts has signed a striking new property in Pattaya which reflects the company’s modern style and contemporary vision.

Best Western Plus Speech Pattaya Hotel is a brand new project located on Pattaya 3rd Road, in the heart of this popular Thai resort city. Scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2019, this downtown hotel will put guests within easy reach of many local attractions, including the Terminal 21 and Central Festival lifestyle malls, Alcazar Cabaret Show and Art in Paradise gallery.

Owned by Numchai 2014 Co., Ltd., this eye-catching hotel will feature a modern cubist façade and sleek, stylish and spacious interiors. Soaring ceilings and glass walls will allow natural light to flood into the lobby, presenting a bright and welcoming ambience.

The 163 design-led guest rooms will be havens of contemporary comfort and connectivity, equipped with wooden floors, trendy low-slung beds, working desks with international power outlets, mood lighting and complimentary Wi-Fi.

The hotel will also feature a wide range of facilities, providing plenty of opportunities for guests to relax and reconnect with friends, family and colleagues. These include an all-day restaurant specializing in modern Thai and international cuisine, a bright bar for cool daytime drinks and evening cocktails, a state-of-the-art fitness center and a glistening outdoor infinity pool.

“Best Western Plus Speech Pattaya Hotel is one of our most exciting projects to date. With its convenient downtown location, cutting-edge design and international facilities, this superb hotel is sure to become a favorite among visitors to Pattaya,” commented Olivier Berrivin, Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ Managing Director of International Operations – Asia.

“The vision of Numchai 2014 Co., Ltd., our esteemed partner, is perfectly aligned with Best Western’s strategic outlook in Asia. We are transforming our regional portfolio with the addition of many stunning new hotels and resorts in key destinations. As one of Asia’s most popular beach resorts, Pattaya falls perfectly into this strategy, and I am delighted to continue our rapid regional expansion with such an impressive new property,” Olivier added.

According to Mastercard’s Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2017, Pattaya welcomed 8.1 million international visitors last year, which made it the eighth most popular destination in the entire Asia Pacific region.

Best Western Plus Speech Pattaya Hotel will be located just a short drive from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and close to the fast-expanding U-Tapao Airport, which now handles more than 1.4 million passengers per year.

Best Western has identified Thailand as one of its key target markets. At present, the company operates nine hotels and resorts across the Kingdom, covering five of its 11 brands: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, BW Premier Collection® by Best Western and SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western. But this nationwide portfolio will multiply in future, with plans for hotels and resorts in new destinations like Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai, and innovative new brands like Vīb Best WesternSM, the vibrant and modern hotel concept which focuses on convenience, technology and social engagement.

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

Accra (Ghana) July 19, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Routes Africa 2018 taking place in Accra Ghana saw the Seychelles former Minister St.Ange on stage to discuss aviation and tourism alongside representatives from China, Tenerife and Ghana. Alain St.Ange, the former Seychelles Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine was invited by Routes Africa 2018 to be a panellist and share his experience after the successes made by Seychelles under his watch.

Delegates at Routes Africa 2018 agreed that the Seychelles former minister spoke with ease on matter of tourism and aviation citing the Seychelles experiences and bringing home the point that airports and the tourism departments are all for the one country and needed to be guided by one vision for the benefit of the people. St.Ange addressed the need to remove obstacles to let tourism work when the question of Visas was raised and also spoke passionately about costs saying that the practice of bleeding the tourism industry was harming the industry’s growth and the economies of the destinations.

Alain St.Ange has been seen recently on tourism conferences circuit and press at the Ghana event referred to his participation and commanding Routes for having a man who led African tourism for many years sit with them answering questions and treating the subject matter based on successes he had achieved.

St.Ange gave a number of press interviews after the session and spoke about the need for Africa to stand together for rewriting the narrative for Brand Africa.

Alain St.Ange
t: + 248 2 515 615
e: alain@saintange.com.au
e: saintangeseychelles@gmail.com

Kampala (Uganda) – July 19, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Dr Wasswa Tom Davis, a Board Member of the Uganda Tourism Board and Manager for Marketing & Commercial Services at the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority and Alain St.Ange, Head of the Saint Ange Tourism Consultancy took the opportunity to meet to discuss potential avenue of cooperation as they sat in Accra Ghana for Routes Africa 2018.

Dr Wasswa Tom Davis and St.Ange has previously met in Kampala in Uganda when the Seychelles former Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine delivered the Key Note Address at the East Africa Tourism Platform meeting as part of his then campaign for the post of Secretary General of the UNWTO. Alain St.Ange is today working with Tourism Boards, Tourism Ministries and Tourism Private Sector Businesses especially in the field of visibility campaigns to ensure relevance in the competitive world of tourism. He is also a regular speaker at Tourism and Aviation events where he refers to his successes at the head of Seychelles Tourism.

“I would not be able to achieve anything if I had not built a network of professional and reliable partners. Tourism is visibility and the ability of being what destinations say they are” St.Ange said in Ghana.

He discussed the exciting and timely stage Africa finds itself in with many from different approaches all re-writing the narrative for Brand Africa. For Uganda they discussed existing challenges and touched on what could or should be looked at for a healthier tourism industry. Dr Wasswa Tom Davis and Alain St.Ange are expected to plan for a following meeting soon.

Alain St.Ange
t: + 248 2 515 615
e: alain@saintange.com.au
e: saintangeseychelles@gmail.com

Singapore (Singapore) – July 18, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Hotel Management Singapore Summit (HMS) is the region’s leading hotel industry conference produced by international conference producer Questex Hospitality Group. HMS is scheduled to return to Singapore on 20 Sep 2018. Over 150 international senior hoteliers will gather to discuss on how to reinvent the hospitality business model in anticipation of consumer behavioral changes and resources constraints.

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

From 2018 onwards, slower hotel development pace in Singapore will provide the much needed buffer to the industry. It will allow hoteliers to redirect their efforts into reinventing their business models. This will herald the industry into a new era of hotel operations with automations and innovations. This year marks the beginning of the period to position and prepare for the next round of growth.

To succeed, hotels must strive to remain guest-centric, while managing owner expectations, service levels and financial performances. It is imperative for hoteliers to start this process with the right mindset, cultivate the relevant talents, and leverage cost-efficient solutions. Under this prerogative, HMS will help the industry proactively transform to remain relevant to the guests of the future.
HMS Summit 2018 will continue to bring forth cross-industry consumer trends and hospitality-focused technological solutions as lauded by its past attendees:

“Good platform for networking and set to know the technology that other hotels have adopted,” said Sylvia Chua, Procurement Director – Resorts World Sentosa.

“Excellent topic and it is very on the trend now. Keep up with what in the trend would definitely more interesting,” said Sandra Widjaja, VP- Finance – YTL Hotels.

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

HMS Summit 2018 is part of the Hotel Management Asia summit Series, Asia’s only truly regional hotel management conference series. The series rotate through Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia this year by leveraging regional experiences, insights, and innovations to address market-specific challenges.

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

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

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

About Hotel Management Singapore Summit (HMS Summit)
The leading conference in Thailand that directly addresses all operational/management challenges, the Hotel Management Singapore Summit provides a platform for hotel executives from both corporate level and property level to discuss key operational, branding and financial issues directly impacting corporate and property P&L.

CEO, COO, CFO, VPs, GMs, Financial Controllers, and executive committee members will gather to strategize and debate on essential topics including brand equity, cash-flow management, cost control, innovation and staff retention and development. Industry leaders will share their best practices and recommendations with their peers.

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