Category: Latest Travel News

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – May 1, 2018 (travelindex.com) – President Danny Faure has announced a Cabinet of Ministers reshuffle and with it, a move from tourism for Minister Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, after just over a year and a few months in office. He has been replaced by Minister Didier Dogley who was formally the Minister for the Environment. Minister Loustau-Lalanne moves to the Ministry of Finance. Minister Dogley’s new Ministry continues to cover Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine.

We wish Minister Dogley well as the new Tourism Minister and we take this opportunity to wish all Ministers success in their new portfolios.

Jules Hoareau TV program called for reforming bicycle hire on La Digue

The morning show on Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) TV by popular presenter Jules Hoareau appealed for large hotels on La Digue not to be in the business of hiring of bicycles. The insinuation that Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie was in that business was made and the Resort’s Owning Company was contacted to seek their views.

Joe Albert, the Group’s Chairman confirmed that the Resort was not in the business of hiring bicycles to their guests and to visitors on La Digue, but he accepted that one of the shareholders in the company was personally involved in a bicycle hiring business which has now raised the concern.

Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie of La Digue has 63 Villas which includes a Presidential Villa and a couple of Exclusive VIP Villas. For these eight villas they attach 16 bicycles for their sixteen guests which they offer on a complimentary basis as part of the facilities on offer. These sixteen bicycles are owned by the resort and covered by the Insurance Policy of the Resort.

Joe Albert agrees that the hundred or so hotel guests should be able to have access to all those in the business of hiring bicycles and that he will be moving to open up that possibility very soon. Today the La Digue “Severe Bicycles” has exclusivity at the resort and the Chairman of the Hotel’s Owning Company agrees that this needes to change as the practice is seen as being unfair.

He nevertheless emphasised that Bicycle Operators who wish to offer their bicycles to the resort’s guests will be required to show that they have insurance for their Bicycle Hire business. “This is only the duty of care we have as the resort” said Joe Albert.

Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie of La Digue employs 217 staff members out of which 72% are Seychellois with a large proportion being Diguois, or affiliated with La Digue.

Tourism for All & Air Seychelles cooperation

The Seychelles Hospitality & Tourism Association (SHTA) has moved to involve everyone in the drive to consolidate the island’s tourism industry. Tourism for All is the call, and a great initiative. Without tourism the economy of the Seychelles will struggle and it is important for each and every Seychellois to not only embrace the industry, but to also defend it. Every Seychellois will be affected if tourism suffered a slowdown, so it is right to expect everyone to work together to for the growth of the industry.

The revived spirit of cooperation between Air Seychelles and the SHTA is commendable. It is a win win for everyone. The airline needs the tourism industry to speak about them and what better way than to find appropriate avenues for the trade to use Air Seychelles for their marketing and sales missions. Special applicable rates for the tourism trade is a positive move that should bear fruits.

New Book on Tourism by Edition Universitaires Europeennes

Elvis Mutiri wa Bashara is the author of the new book “RDC:- Les opportunites d’investissements dans le tourisme” (Opportunities for Investments in Tourism) has been published by EUE (Editions Universitaires Europeennes).

The book spells out the road to opportunities and the forward was written by Alain St.Ange, the former Minister for Tourism. Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine of the Seychelles who has been a good friend of the author Elvis Muturi wa Bashara.

Elvis was also Minister for Tourism in RDC and was one who was actively present at major tourism forums and at the UNWTO.

The Environment remains the preoccupation of everyone

The posting by SIF (Seychelles Islands Foundation) on plastic waste building up on Aldabra Atoll, the UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered the most remote place on the planet, is a worry.

As we are reporting of measures being taken by Hotels and Resorts (See article on CaranaBeach in this issue), we cannot emphasise enough that every Seychellois must be seen to be good custodians of what we have been blessed with. Seychelles has a picture-perfect landscape with many unique attributes that continue to attract visitors to its shores. The Seychellois from an early age work to protect their environment, and today the islands have Wild Life Clubs in schools only to re-emphasise the protection of the environment as the number one priority of each and everyone in the islands.

We hear of appeals to rid plastic from our day-to-day lives, but the recent posting by SIF shows that more needs to be done to educate or to sensitise the world we live in to respect the environment. We have but One World and we all have a part to play to save it.

Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR) – May 2, 2018 (travelindex.com) – With the ever-increasing concern about worldwide environmental problems, the findings of a recent study by Dr Eric Chan, Dr Alice Hon and Dr Wilco Chan of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and a co-researcher provide much-needed practical suggestions that should help hotels aiming to implement environmental management programmes. The researchers highlight that gaining employees’ support for new environmental initiatives is key to ensuring success. Equipping employees with sufficient environmental knowledge is important to raising their awareness and concern, and should encourage them to participate in the necessary ecological practices.

The successful implementation of an environmental management system in a hotel depends on the “support and involvement” of its employees, the researchers explain. Although there is some evidence that staff morale may be improved by the implementation of an environmental programme, employees may be resistant to changes in their “routine and habitual operations”, especially if such changes mean they are also required to undertake additional tasks. Hotels thus need to ensure that staff members are willing to support the introduction of such programmes, yet little is known about how this can best be achieved.

Environmental behaviour, according to the researchers, relies on having knowledge about environmental issues. They suggest, for instance, that someone is more likely to “buy an eco-washer after acknowledging the meaning of its green label and benefits”. Providing employees with information about the effects of green practices that as recycling, saving water and turning off lights should thus promote more positive attitudes towards that behaviour, and this in turn should motivate them to participate in more “ecologically or environmentally responsible behaviour”.

Environmental knowledge also promotes environmental awareness, which the researchers define as “an individual’s attention to and sensitivity to environmental problems”. A person with greater environmental awareness is more conscious of how problems such as global warming affect them and understands that “he or she may eventually suffer from the consequences”. Consequently, those who are more ecologically aware are more likely to “purchase products with eco labels, consume organic foods, and participate in recycling programmes”.

Another important factor is environmental concern, which refers to people’s beliefs and feelings about ecological issues. Someone with environmental concern about the greenhouse effect, for instance, is likely to believe that “some attention or immediate action is required to tackle the problem”. Such concern may lead to more ecological behaviour, although the researchers point out that it is still unclear whether that behaviour is directly related to environmental knowledge.

Although various studies have examined how people’s environmental knowledge, awareness and concern influence their ecological behaviour, these factors have not been investigated together with the aim of examining how they relate to each other. Although each factor may “eventually drive ecological behaviour”, as the researchers suggest, there is evidence, for instance, that knowledge alone is insufficient to change behaviour.

To bridge this gap, the researchers wanted to determine the extent to which the ideas generated by environmental programmes could be integrated with hospitality employees’ environmental knowledge, awareness, concern, and ecological behaviour. They hypothesised that environmental knowledge is positively related to environmental awareness, that environmental awareness is positively related to environmental concern, and that environmental concern is ultimately positively related to ecological behaviour.

With this mental model in hand, the researchers conducted a survey at ten international tourist hotels in Hong Kong, eight of which were 4 or 5-star hotels and two of which were 3-star hotels. Hotel employees at various levels were asked about their environmental knowledge, awareness and concern, ecological behaviour and demographic characteristics.

Among the respondents, 58% were female, 41% were aged 20-29, 36% were aged 30-49 and the rest were aged over 49. Less than half had a Bachelor’s degree or higher-level education and worked in a managerial or supervisory-level position. Almost half of the respondents had worked in their current company for 5 years or more.

The survey results revealed that employees with higher levels of environmental knowledge also showed greater environmental awareness and concern, and were more likely to implement green practices. For instance, such employees tended to agree with statements like “As the last person to leave a room in the hotel, I switch off the lights”. Although environmental knowledge directly influenced ecological behaviour, it had the greatest effect among those who also showed high environmental awareness and concern, thus confirming that knowledge alone may not always be sufficient to change people’s habits.

The researchers’ findings have many practical implications that can help hotels to successfully implement new environmental initiatives, in particular by focusing on raising awareness and concern. The researchers highlight the important role of management in transmitting “environmental knowledge, understanding and information” to lower-level employees. When employees receive messages from top management about the importance of environmental protection, their awareness is raised and they become more concerned about the effects of green practices and protecting the environment.

Hotels should thus start by training managers and ensuring they communicate regularly with employees, such as by providing “daily briefings” and staff meetings to exchange the latest environmental information.

The researchers also explain that rather than just focusing on knowledge, it is important that training should raise employees’ awareness and concern about environmental issues, particularly those that are relevant to the hospitality and tourism industry like the “carbon footprint of travellers” and the problems caused by food waste in hotels. They advise that training should be regular and provided to “all levels of hotel employees” to motivate senior executives to introduce new environmental strategies and marketing campaigns, motivate supervisors to monitor daily environmental practices and motivate rank and file employees to implement these practices, even if they add to their workload.

Eventually, employees should be encouraged to come up with new ideas about how to reduce the effects of environmental problems by organising discussion sessions and providing a “suggestion box only for possible green practices”, the researchers suggest. Finally, incentives could be offered to “employees or teams who implement green practices that result in noticeable cost savings”.

The main contribution of the study, according to the researchers, is their mental model, which should be useful for assessing how environmental practices affect employees’ “ecological behavioural outcomes”. Hotels are increasingly expected to have effective environmental programmes to build and maintain a good reputation and ensure their profitability. By following the researchers’ suggestions, hotels should find it easier to provide the right training to ensure employees at all levels are informed and aware of how ecological behaviour can help their hotel, the environment and themselves, and provide appropriate incentives to motivate them to participate.

Contact information:
Kelly Wang
Executive Assistant
School of Hotel and Tourism Management
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
17 Science Museum Road
TST East, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3400-2639; Fax: +852 2356-1390

Male (Maldives) – April 29, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Maldives’ Guest-house sector went from just one guesthouse in 2010 to 600 guesthouses across 76 islands today, adding 7,000 beds. The number could rise to 700 guesthouses with a combined 10,000 beds by end 2019, according to Mohamed Karam, president of the Guesthouse Association of Maldives.

With more guesthouses popping up across the country amid a rising budget inbound sector, some operators in the Maldives are urging the government to promote this market at overseas trade shows.

We desperately need more promotion said Karam, during the second International Travel Trade Show of Maldives (TTM), which took place recently in Malé.

Unlike resorts, guesthouses have limited resources to attend trade shows or do their own international marketing, confided Karam, who owns a 12-room guesthouse on Thoddoo island. “We depend on online sales and cannot afford individual marketing at trade shows.”

Rallying support for island campaigns, Karam added: “Local councils on islands where guesthouses are located must promote each island, its properties and the benefit of a visit. These guesthouses bring huge benefits to the islanders.

“Unlike all-inclusive resorts, guesthouse islands engage local communities to provide facilities like restaurants, swimming pools, spas, shopping and sporting activities,” he pointed out.

The development of guesthouses, with average room count ranging from five to 20, is aimed at helping local communities thrive, Karam said.

Anusha Zubair, sales and marketing manager at Fushifaru Maldives, said the guesthouse segment provides a different dimension to the market. “Now travellers have many options and those who are unable to afford luxury resorts can opt for guesthouses if their budget is around US$50,” she said.

Fushifaru Maldives is part of Muni Enterprises group, which owns a 20-room guesthouse on Maafushi island, two safari boats and other businesses.

Maldives Guest Houses can add their property for free at:
www.travelindex.com/Maldives/ and www.tourismmaldives.net/

Bangkok (Thailand) – April 26, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels & Resorts has unveiled plans to launch its BW Premier Collection brand in Vietnam, with a new upscale beach resort in one of the country’s most exciting up-and-coming coastal destinations.

Saint Simeon Resort, BW Premier Collection is currently under construction in Vung Tau, the largest city in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province on Vietnam’s south-central coast, overlooking the East Sea. Exuding contemporary elegance with sharp lines and a sleek design, this resort will showcase the very best of modern Vietnamese hospitality.

Just 100 km or a two hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau is extremely convenient for local residents wanting to escape the city, or international travelers seeking a unique Vietnamese vacation. It is also located just 60 km from the planned Long Thanh International Airport, which is set to become a major air gateway for Vietnam and the entire ASEAN region.

“Best Western continues to expand across Asia at a rapid pace – introducing new brands and welcoming new hotels tailored to meet the needs of today’s travelers,” said Ron Pohl, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “We’re excited to bring the BW Premier Collection brand to Vietnam, as its hotels are known for their local flare and upscale amenities – delivering a truly unique guest experience. We look forward to Saint Simeon Resort becoming a preferred hotel for travelers visiting the beautiful port city of Vung Tau.”

Upon welcoming guests in the first quarter of 2019, Saint Simeon Resort, BW Premier Collection will offer 135 rooms and suites, all equipped with upscale facilities and cutting-edge technology, including complimentary Wi-Fi.

Guests will have direct access to a stunning sandy beach and a wide selection of on-site facilities including a restaurant serving exquisite Vietnamese and international cuisine, a serene spa, sophisticated lounge, outdoor pool, and plenty of space to unwind and soak up the tropical ambience.

“Vietnam is an important market for Best Western and we are delighted to secure yet another fantastic property in such an exciting destination – Vung Tau,” commented Olivier Berrivin, Best Western’s Managing Director of International Operations – Asia. “With its prime beachfront location and close proximity to Ho Chi Minh City, we fully expect this elegant resort to become extremely popular with local and international guests alike.”

“BW Premier Collection is becoming a real favorite among hotel owners and developers in Asia. As one of our three new ‘soft brands’, it offers all the benefits of partnering with a global hotel group, including our extensive support and loyalty networks, whilst also retaining the hotel’s own unique personality. I am confident that our guests will appreciate this new era of hospitality when it arrives in Vietnam in early 2019,” Olivier added.

Saint Simeon Resort becomes the company’s fourth BW Premier Collection property in Asia. This innovative upscale concept made its regional debut in 2017 with the launch of Hotel Nagasaki, BW Premier Collection in Japan. This was joined more recently by Amaranth Suvarnabhumi Airport, BW Premier Collection in Thailand. Construction is also now underway on the brand’s second Thai hotel, BluPhere Pattaya, BW Premier Collection, which is scheduled to open in 2019.

Best Western has identified Vietnam as one of its key areas of focus, due to its incredible natural beauty, increasing popularity as a destination, tourism-friendly government policies, and levels of rising domestic affluence. In addition to Saint Simeon Resort, BW Premier Collection, the company also has firm plans to launch an upscale resort on the idyllic southern island of Phu Quoc.

In 2017, Vietnam welcomed a record 12.92 million international visitors, up almost 30 percent compared to the previous year. This positive trend has continued in 2018; in the first three months of this year, Vietnam has already welcomed 4.21 million arrivals, which marks a 30.9 percent year-on-year increase and puts the country well on track for a new all-time high.

With its highly accessible location, choice of stunning sandy beaches, tropical climate, and several major new tourism projects being planned for the area, Vung Tau is expected to become one of the country’s top visitor destinations in the years to come.

About Best Western® Hotels & Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,200* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers 11 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Vīb®, GLō®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, BW Premier Collection®, and BW Signature CollectionSM by Best Western; as well as its recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay® Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection® by Best Western. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 64 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2017, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Best Western receiving seven consecutive Dynatrace® Best of the Web awards for its leading hotel website. Best Western has also won nine consecutive AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 58 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in J.D. Power’s 2017 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first in breakfast (food and beverage category) for midscale; and second in overall guest satisfaction. Over 32 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google® Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.
* All Best Western and SureStay-branded hotels are independently owned and operated.
* Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.

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

London (United Kingdom) – April 26, 2018 (travelindex) – Global hospitality management software company Xn protel Systems has announced today that the stunning, super-yacht style, Southampton Harbour Hotel in the UK has successfully piloted its Point of Sale system, xnPOS. The implementation included both traditional terminals and mobile devices across the hotel’s extensive F&B operation, giving staff the right tools to deliver service wherever it is needed. The xnPOS implementation also included interfaces to the Oracle Hospitality OPERA property management system and Procure Wizard’s enterprise stock and procurement solution.

The new Southampton Harbour Hotel & Spa, in Southampton, UK, is an AA 5 star rated hotel, which has transformed Ocean Village with its striking super-yacht inspired design. It features stunning contemporary interiors and its unique design reflects Southampton’s thriving marine culture and offers a gateway to the beautiful Solent. Southampton Harbour Hotel & Spa is part of the Harbour Hotels Group portfolio of hotels.

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.

Stuart Bateman, Commercial Director, Harbour Hotels Group said: “The system has settled in very well and it does everything our previous system did, and more. Reporting capability, in particular, is vastly improved. The hardware provided is proving robust and reliable.”

Stuart continues, “What makes the absolute difference is the great service and support we have received from the Xn protel team. Their flexibility and response time is what we need to support our growing business and we look forward to installing xnPOS across the group over a period of time.”

Alan O’Riordan, Managing Director UK & Europe, Xn protel Systems comments: “The Southampton Harbour Hotel is an amazing hotel and it has been a pleasure working with the team there.”

About Harbour Hotels
Firmly established as one of the UK’s most exciting luxury hotel groups, Harbour Hotels now spans 13 coastal, country and city locations across the UK, with further expansion into 2019.

Each hotel is located in a premium setting, with renowned dining and luxurious facilities. From sensational views, to stepping out into the heart of a city, the group offers an exceptional variety of locations and experiences.

www.harbourhotels.co.uk

For further information, please contact:
Victoria Rose
PR Manager
T: 01202 400 975
M:07803 272125
E: victoria.rose@harbourhotels.co.uk

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

Xn protel sales contact:
sales@xnprotel.com

Guangzhou (China) – April 23, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Tourism Federation of Cities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Bay Area (referred to as the “Federation”) held its first General Membership Meeting in Guangzhou today (20 April) to confirm an array of major tasks to carry out. The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) will join other members in closer partnership to build the Bay Area into a world-class travel destination.

Director General of Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, Zeng Yingru, Director General of Tourism Administration of Guangzhou Municipality (the first Rotating Chairman entity of the year), Liu Yumei, the Commissioner for Tourism of the Tourism Commission of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Joe Wong, and Head of Communication and External Relations Department of MGTO, Kathy Iong, attended the meeting together with senior tourism officials of the nine Guangdong cities namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing. The parties each reported their work progress and raised suggestions regarding their participation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area tourism development and concerted efforts to foster tourism development in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

The first Rotating Chairman entity of the year, the Tourism Administration of Guangzhou Municipality, raised a number of major tasks for discussion during the meeting. The member entities reached a consensus to push forward major tasks as follows: organize tourism presentation seminars, design and produce promotional materials, deepen tourism cooperation and tap into the potential brought by related polices. The Federation seeks to support each member destination to unleash their own characteristics and advantages, deepen interchange and widen collaboration, as well as refine the collaborative scheme for tourism integration. The core mission is to build a quality living circle ideal for travel and inhabitation and forge the Bay Area into a world-class travel destination.

This year, MGTO will engage in and push forward the following key initiatives to foster tourism development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area: organize tourism presentation seminars about the Bay Area, carry out strategic promotions, produce a travelogue about the three places, set up joint booths at major travel fairs, arrange familiarization visits and promote multi-destination tourism products offered by the Bay Area, among others. The Office will also leverage various platforms for high-level exchange and cooperation to drive new tourism progress in the Bay Area.

Following the Articles and Agreement of the Tourism Federation of Cities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Bay Area, MGTO will be keenly committed and supportive to the work of the Federation. Upholding the principle of “concerted development, joint branding and market sharing”, the Office will work closely with other member entities to jointly build a world-class travel destination.

Initiated by Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, Tourism Commission of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao Government Tourism Office, the Tourism Federation of Cities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Bay Area was established in December 2017. The Federation consists of the tourism bodies of the nine cities of Guangdong Province – Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing – as well as the two Special Administrative Regions, Hong Kong and Macao. The Secretariat of the Federation is set up at Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province.

Satun Province (Thailand) – April 21, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO has endorsed the designation of about half of Satun province as Thailand’s first Global Geopark for its renowned natural beauty and geological significance.

The UNESCO executive board in Paris endorsed 13 new sites worldwide that showed distinctive geological, ecological, archaeological and cultural values as new UNESCO Global Geoparks

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), applauded the nomination of Satun Geopark as Thailand’s first UNESCO Global Geopark, highlighting Satun’s rich geographical and cultural diversity.

“Satun is attracting new visitors, inspired by the prospect of a myriad of Thai local experiences and the province’s rich natural beauty and cultural diversity. UNESCO designation is a great honour that can only help ensure sustainable tourism growth, which the TAT feels is definitely something worth supporting and celebrating.”

The UNESCO website describes the Satun Geopark area as “a peaceful place with renowned natural beauty”. It stated, “the area is renowned, in both Thailand and the whole of Southeast Asia, for its abundance and high diversity of fossil species as well as for the oldest succession of fossils.

“Prasat Hin Panyod is probably the most important geosite of the Geopark. The outstanding geological features of this site are characterised by a spectacular pinnacle karst landscape, including a stunning sea cave and hidden lagoon, which tourists can visit by kayak,” the statement added.

Satun UNESCO Global Geopark is located exclusively in the Satun province of southern Thailand. The Geopark covers four districts (Thungwa, La-ngu, Manang, and part of Mueang Satun) including two national parks and one wildlife sanctuary. Altitudes reach up to 732 metres and temperatures range between 23°C and 34°C. Mountains and foothills characterise the eastern and northern areas, while beaches and coastal islands dominate the Andaman Sea part of the Geopark.

The area of Satun UNESCO Global Geopark has a population of about 113,110 inhabitants of mainly Thai origin. It is known as a peaceful place with renowned natural beauty, where several cultures and religious groups, Buddhist, Muslim and Christian, as well as minority groups live together in harmony.

Economic activities are primarily based on agriculture, fishery, tourism, and small local businesses. The Geopark supports strong collaboration and networking between local people, communities and governments, especially concerning geo-conservation, geo-tourism and education.

Bangkok (Thailand) – April 20, 2018 (travelindex) – Wherever Life Takes You, Best Western is There – and for more than 70 years, Best Western Hotels & Resorts flagship midscale hotel brand – Best Western – has been there welcoming travelers with superior value and quality guest service. As part of Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ “Today’s Best Western” campaign launched earlier this year, this month, the company is going “Behind the Brands” with a closer look at the evolution of its original Best Western brand.

“Our timeless Best Western brand is trusted across the globe for providing exceptional offerings, service and value to leisure and business travelers alike,” said David Kong, President and CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “We’re excited to highlight the iconic brand that started it all for our company and to celebrate the extraordinary, ongoing evolution Best Western has experienced over the past 72 years.”

The evolution of Best Western has been one to watch, and as the brand itself has innovated from within, the industry has followed suit. Founded in 1946 as Best Western Motels, Best Western has driven change through a number of industry firsts in technology, guest satisfaction and more. Some of the brand’s milestone moments include:

– 1962 – Best Western offered the only hospitality reservations service covering the entire United States.
– 1963 – Best Western was the largest motel chain in the industry with 699 member properties and 35,201 rooms.
– 1974 – Best Western eliminated the word “motel” from its name and began competing directly with other full-service lodging chains, while expanding internationally the following year.
– 1988 – The award-winning Best Western Rewards® (“BWR®”) program was launched to bring extra value to travelers and developers.
– 1995 – Best Western introduced its first listings on the Internet.
– 2004 – Best Western launched the hotel industry’s largest High-Speed Internet Access (HSIA) initiative with the fastest implementation. In just eight months, the company established free wireless or hard-wired HSIA in some portion of the public areas, and at least 15 percent of rooms, at all of its North American properties.
– 2007 – Best Western began using online surveys to keep track of customer satisfaction, one of the first steps in leading the industry in superior customer care.
– 2011 – Best Western celebrated its 65th birthday. With new sister brands Best Western Plus® and Best Western Premier® launched, The World’s Biggest Hotel Family tagline was introduced in the United States and Canada.
– 2012 – Best Western introduced advanced cleaning technologies at its North American properties, becoming the first hotel brand to empower housekeeping staff to set a new standard for guest care through the use of UV wands, black lights and clean remotes.
– 2015 – Best Western experienced a major transformation with the company’s all-encompassing brand refresh, which reinvigorated the brand with groundbreaking initiatives that bring real value to today’s travelers. To signal this modern transformation across brands, the company redesigned the flagship Best Western logo to utilize hand drawn lettering, which is familiar and personable and pulls through the company’s updated blue color. The centerpiece globe comes to life through the use of special effects such as gradient, highlighting and a 3-D treatment. These effects are distinctive within the hotel industry, which traditionally uses two-dimensional logos.

With more than 2,100 locations across the globe and more than 150 in the pipeline today, Best Western is a renowned midscale brand designed for business and leisure travelers seeking first-rate amenities, superior accommodations and incomparable service. Designed to perform positively in almost any location, developers in primary and secondary markets choose the Best Western core brand for its highly-competitive fee structure and industry-leading support, which helps drive more revenue directly to their bottom lines.

Best Western hotels feature contemporary style and spacious accommodations with modern entertainment systems, in-room coffee makers and desks/workspaces; high speed complimentary wireless internet as well as free local & long-distance calls; convenient business and fitness centers and Orgnx® natural, refreshing bath products with carefully selected, nutrient-rich ingredients. The brand’s top-ranked “Build Your Own Breakfast” offers hot, healthy, customizable options available complimentary at most locations, as well.

Staying at a Best Western is now even more rewarding! Book one night at participating hotels in Asia and get up to 50 percent off the second night when you pay with your Citibank credit card! Guests will also be awarded BWR points. This offer is valid from now until December 31, 2018.

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

About Best Western Hotels & Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,200* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers 11 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Vīb®, GLō®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, BW Premier Collection®, and BW Signature CollectionSM by Best Western; as well as its recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay® Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection® by Best Western. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 64 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2017, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Best Western receiving seven consecutive Dynatrace® Best of the Web awards for its leading hotel website. Best Western has also won nine consecutive AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 58 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in J.D. Power’s 2017 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first in breakfast (food and beverage category) for midscale; and second in overall guest satisfaction. Over 32 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google® Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.
– All Best Western and SureStay-branded hotels are independently owned and operated.
– Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.

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

Geneva (Switzerland) – April 19, 2018 (travelindex.com) – WISeKey International Holding Ltd, a leading Swiss cybersecurity , Blockchain and IoT solutions company, today announced that it has partnered with TraNexus, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, to secure the TraNexus Blockchain Engine, using WISeKey’s Cybersecurity IoT technology.

This will be a new Blockchain Travel platform for apps that manage documents, currencies, bookings and experiences to make travel easier, better value, greener and more fun. TraNexus will streamline the travel process for business travelers and tourists alike while creating an entirely new travel experience for green-minded adventure-seekers around the world, with a heavy emphasis on augmented reality and big data applications.

Through the partnership, the TraNexus Blockchain Platform will be secured by the WISeKey RooT of Trust (RoT) technology for IoT, a unique offering that combines all the hardware, software, and Trust Model required to take the blockchain security to a new level. The WISeKey RoT for Blockchain is a vertical security framework, a one-stop-shop security software tool with a user-friendly interface and easy-to-integrate API that manages the life-cycle of devices and their digital certificates. Easy to implement, hard to attack, the WISeKey Trusted Blockchain framework offers secure solutions even when the IoT device is in an unsecured environment, such as during production or in the field.

The TraNexus Wallet will initially be a central storage location for Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), WISeCoins and TraNexus Coin (TNX). Users will be able to purchase TNX inside the application and also be able to instantly convert between Bitcoin & Ethereum whenever they want to do so. The wallet will also be an assembly point for all electronic documentation for the trip as well as the digital identity of the traveler. Ultimately it will become the go to place for e-visas, tickets, hotel bookings etc. as well as the vehicle for payment.

WISeKey will secure the TraNexus Wallet providing users with contactless access to their private key and allowing them to make contactless transactions and payments. The TraNexus Wallet uses a combination of Near Field Communication (“NFC”) technology with highly secured solutions provided by the WISeKey Semiconductors and will now be available through the TraNexus Wallet App. Every time a contactless Blockchain transaction is made, such as a cryptocurrency transaction, the private key is verified from the NFC Hardware storage to enable the transaction.

While the exchanges and software wallets continue to get hacked, the hardware wallets have gained popularity as they are providing the most secure solution for transaction and payments. Through the TraNexus Wallet, hardware wallets will become contactless and users will be able to establish multiple private keys into the secure store using the same TraNexus wallet App and access these private keys while making transactions in contactless mode.

“The TraNexus Wallet App will be compatible with most of the existing blockchain technologies and will work as part of an overall system using WISeKey Blockchain-as-a-Service (“BaaS”) technology offerings. WISeKey’s technology offers the security and scalability TraNexus anticipates it will need as the use of TraNexus grows”. Said Professor Geoffrey Lipman the Director of the TraNexus program and long time travel industry leader.

“By combining WISeKey’s Secure Element (our tamper-resistant silicon chip) and its managed Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) systems with the TraNexus Blockchain we are bringing a powerful solution that increases the level of safety for users of the TraNexus ecosystem, while ensuring maximum interoperability and trust on the system,” said Carlos Moreira, Founder CEO WISeKey.

Blockchain technology can help overcome many existing problems and inefficiencies which have been widely identified: planning, purchasing, security, transportation, accommodations, visitor’s experience, shopping, and again for the return journey. This extends from the products into the linked services, supply chains and infrastructure. We intend to capture blockchain benefits for travellers — to make travel easier, better value, greener and more fun.

Global Travel & Tourism is the world’s largest industry and the total number of travelers doubles every 15 -20 years. There are currently over 1 billion international trips per year and over 4 billion domestic. By 2030, Travel & Tourism is expected to support 1 in 9 of all jobs and to account for 11.4% of global GDP. It will outperform the global economy.

About TraNexus:
TraNexus.” Ireland will manage the sale and routine token auctions, as well as hold and disperse funds. Operations will be handled by a dedicated corporation, “TraNexus Blockchain Solutions” (TBS,) set up in Belgium at the heart of the E.U. A percentage of its income will be devoted to SUNx – the Strong Universal Network, fighting Climate Change through Impact-Travel.

The companies will be fully compliant with evolving global policies and regulations on blockchain and cryptocurrency deployment.

Disclaimer. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus or a listing prospectus. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of TraNexus.

About WISeKey:
WISeKey (SIX Swiss Exchange: WIHN) is a leading global cybersecurity company currently deploying large scale digital identity ecosystems with a patented process. WISeKey’s Swiss based cryptographic Root of Trust (“RoT”) provides secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, for the Internet of Things, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The WISeKey RoT serves as a common trust anchor to ensure the integrity of online transactions among objects and between objects and people.

Contact information:
Professor Geoffrey Lipman
Director
GeoffreyL@TraNexus.ie
Marcel Henry
Director
MarcelH@TraNexus.ie

Bangkok (Thailand) – April 17, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Siam Summer Getaway integrated One Siam Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery, welcoming Songkran and inheriting beautiful culture, worshiping sacred ancient Buddha, tasting authentic Thai foods, and opening various travel experience from today until 16 April 2017.

Siam Piwat Co., Ltd, a collaboration between 3 leading shopping centers as One Siam: Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery joins force with the government and private sectors to celebrate, inherit beautiful culture Songkan Festival as well as help promote tourism growth, organized Siam Summer Getaway between 12-16 April 2018 at Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery. To celebrate Songkran Festival, the company respectfully has invited nine sacred ancient Buddha for people worshipping, and set up exhibitions including digital installation art and activities such as a demonstration of Thai incense making (Nam-ob or Thai perfume) and a demonstration of doing Bai Toey flower to worship Buddha, while also gather more than 50 famous Thai food and dessert restaurants for people to taste at 3 shopping centers.

The opening ceremony was held on Thursday 12 April 2018 at Hall of Fame, M Floor, Siam Paragon. Culture Minister Weera Rojpotchanarat presided over the opening ceremony, joining by Permanent Secretary for Culture Kitayapong Siri, and Naratipe Ruttapradid, Executive of Siam Piwat., and famous actor at the moment Panjan-Porama Imanothai and actress Prang- Kannarun Wongkhajonkai, both dressed traditional Thai costume with valuable diamond jewelry worth over 50 million Baht from Der Mond Jewelry to do many activities at event.

Naratipe Ruttapradid, Senior Executive Vice President – Operations of Siam Piwat Co., Ltd, said To celebrate the Songkran Festival this year, Siam Piwat joining forces among three leading shopping centers at Siam area launched “Siam Summer Getaway” for Thai people and international tourists to enjoy the traditional Thai atmosphere and Thai culture. At Siam Paragon as travel destination for tourists from all over the world, the nine sacred ancient Buddha statues—treasures of the Kingdom from Bangkok National Museum—has been enshrined for people to pay respect during the event. Moreover, various feature activities and exhibition of the pouring-water-and-asking-for-blessing sets were organized, while more than 50 famous Thai foods have been gathered at the event. At Siam Center, the Ideaopolis organized simulation travel destination exhibition to inspire travellers during the summer, while also have famous café for entertaining coffee lover to taste of the aromatic flavor of fine coffee. At Siam Discovery, the Exploratorium, invited everyone to discover themselves with digital installation art. Activity participants can post their travel photo in the Instagram and get a chance to win complimentary air tickets for a year, while many joyful activities are waiting for Thai and foreign tourists to join at the event.

The highlight activity for this year’s Songkran celebrations at Siam Paragon come under the concept of Siam Paragon Wonderful Songkran, welcoming tourists with Thai atmosphere and joining campaign to promote people to wear traditional Thai costume. With a collaboration with Fine Arts Department, the Cultural promotion Department, Culture Ministry, Siam Paragon featured the invitation of the nine sacred ancient Buddha statues, which are considered as the treasures of the Kingdom, to be enshrined at Hall of Fame, M Floor in Siam Paragon Shopping Center.

The nine sacred Buddha statues include 1. Standing Buddha in Double Preaching 2. Medicine Buddha 3. Buddha Holding A Talapatta 4. Reclining Buddha 5. Buddha Stopping The Relatives From Fighting 6.Phra Hai Sok (Healing Sadness Buddha Image) 7. Phra Chai of Nakhon Ratchasima 8. Phra Buddha Sihing in Phutthai Sawan Chapel 9. Buddhga Wlaking in Meditation. Moreover, there were activities such as a demonstration of Thai incense making (Nam-ob or Thai perfume) and a demonstration of doing Bai Toey flower to worship Buddha, which are Suvarnabhumi people local wisdom, while also have exhibition on Thai Songkran history to educate people about valuable history and Thai traditional for Thai and foreigners to learn.

At the Parc Paragon, a food festival on Songkran Food Fest: Taste of Thai Tradition has been organized, bringing more than 50 famous and authentic Thai foods from five categories including Thai rice, Thai noodle, Thai desserts, Thai appetite, and Thai beverage such as Khao Chae Phetchaburi (Rice soaked in cool water) Talad Nang Lerng, Prang Nara Porkball, Chao Wang Fried-pork Siriraj Wang Lang, Grilled-chicken and Grilled-beef Bangmeen, Baan Kanom Thai Chao Wang The Old Siam, and Pork Sago- Thai steamed rice dumpling Mae Kee Ratchawat and etc. The event is decorated with natural materials that reflect the art, culture and abundance of the Kingdom of Thailand from a contemporary perspective to the city living.

At Siam Center, the Ideaopolis, get ready for summer under the concept SIAM CENTER Summer Journey Exhibition” has brought everyone to open new experiences in the latest simulation travel destination exhibition to inspire people creativity and travel during this summer. Also, there has been hip café from Chiang Mai RK Café by Omnia, to impress coffee lover experience the aroma of coffee beans and another cool cafe “Museum Of Everything Jinglebell” – chic café gathering vintage items from around the world as a small museum for people to shop for fun from today to 31 May 2018.

Siam Discovery, The Exploratorium, has invited you to explore the world and discover new identities with the “Summer Exploratorium” campaign in digital installation art format by posting your impressive trip photo on the Instagram and tagged with #godiscoversummer #siamdiscovery, which EyeEm, giant photography who create photo community from all over the world will judge and select winner photos. The winner of the first prize will be awarded a one year complimentary air tickets from AirAsia. The second winner (10 prizes) will receive a gift voucher worth 5,000 baht from Siam Discovery. The photo contest will be held from now until April 30th. Moreover, Siam Discovery has also brought Thai traditional food shops from Rattanakosin Island such as Chao Le Crispy Mussel Pancake, Nai Aun Yen Ta Fo Noodle, Steamed Chives Dumpling Khun Mae, Thai pandan Short Vermicelli in Palm-Sugar Coconut Milk from St. Louis and etc to serve you at Discovery Plaza, Siam Discovery.

In addition, during today until 16 April, the food lovers only show receipts from restaurants in three shopping centers worth 1,000 baht or more and dress in traditional Thai costume, gets a Siam Gift Card worth 500 Baht (limited) for dining and shopping at participants’ restaurants and shops at Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery.

For a world-class entertainment destination including Sea Life Bangkok, launches the adventure under the sea during the summer on “Amazing story from the deep sea” combines technology presenting animation on the giant screen over 10 meters, Kid Zania Bangkok invites children to experience the Thai style of fun activities such as tom-tom- a tall narrow drum parade, and special shows, while Paragon Cineplex, well-known as Thailand’s largest Cineplex, invites people to wear traditional Thai costume to buy ticket and get one free ticket, while AIS Imax VR, provides 50% discount for movie fans who buy ticket for Ready Player One.

Let’s join in preserving Thai culture in the great Songkran festival filled with an atmosphere of happiness at Siam Summer Getaway from today until 16 April 2018 at Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery.