Category: Latest Travel News

Madrid (Spain) – September 8, 2017 (travelindex.com) -Destinations worldwide welcomed 598 million international tourists in the first six months of 2017, some 36 million more than in the same period of 2016. At 6%, growth was well above the trend of recent years, making the current January-June period the strongest half-year since 2010.

Visitor numbers reported by destinations around the world reflect strong demand for international travel in the first half of 2017, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Worldwide, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by 6% compared to the same six-month period last year, well above the sustained and consistent trend of 4% or higher growth since 2010. This represents the strongest half-year in seven years.

Results are underpinned by robust growth in many destinations and a continuation of the recovery in those that suffered declines in previous years. Of UNWTO regions, growth was strongest in the Middle East (+9%), Europe (+8%) and Africa (+8%), followed by Asia and the Pacific (+6%) and the Americas (+3%).

The first half of the year usually accounts for about 46% of total annual international arrivals, with the second half longer by three days and including the Northern Hemisphere high season months of July and August.

Growth was strongest in the Middle East (+9%), Europe (+8%) and Africa (+8%), followed by Asia and the Pacific (+6%) and the Americas (+3%).

“The first half of 2017 shows healthy growth in an increasingly dynamic and resilient tourism market, including a strong recovery in some of the destinations impacted by security challenges last year”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai ahead of the 22nd session of the UNWTO General Assembly, to be held in Chengdu, China on 13-16 September 2017.

“As explained in my article ‘Tourism: growth is not the enemy; it’s how we manage it that counts’, international travel creates jobs, economic growth and development opportunities for many communities around the world. But this source of prosperity needs to be managed efficiently, for the good of visitors and host communities alike. This year we celebrate the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development (IY2017) to remind destinations and travellers that we must work for a sustainable tourism sector that protects the environment, preserves the cultural heritage of destinations, and fosters respect for local communities everywhere,” Rifai added.

Mediterranean Destinations Lead Growth
Mediterranean destinations reported particularly strong growth in the first half of 2017, as reflected in the results for Southern and Mediterranean Europe (+12%), North Africa (+16%) and the Middle East (+9%). This trend is driven by the continued strength of many destinations in the area, combined with a significant rebound in destinations that suffered decreases in previous years, such as Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia.

Furthermore, international tourist arrivals through June grew 8% in Northern Europe, 6% in Western Europe and 4% in Central and Eastern Europe. Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 4% more arrivals.

Results are underpinned by robust growth in many destinations and a continuation of the recovery in those that suffered declines in previous years.

South Asia (+12%) led growth in Asia and the Pacific, followed by Oceania (+8%) and South-East Asia (+7%), while results in North-East Asia (+4%) were more mixed.

The Americas continued to enjoy positive results across most destinations. Growth was solid in South America (+6%), Central America (+5%) and the Caribbean (+4%). In North America (+2%), robust results for Mexico and Canada were partly offset by a decrease in arrivals to the United States, the region’s largest destination.

Arrivals growth in this period was fuelled by strong outbound demand from major source markets. In particular, Canada, China, France, the Republic of Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States continued to report solid growth in outbound expenditure. This first half-year also saw a strong recovery in demand from Brazil and the Russian Federation after a few years of declines in terms of expenditure abroad.

Contacts:
UNWTO Media Officer
Rut Gomez Sobrino
rgomez@unwto.org
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
comm@UNWTO.org
Fax: +34 91 567 8218
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100

Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) – September 14, 2017 (travelindex) – Starting with all Centro Hotels in Saudi Arabia, Rotana will implement xnPOS, the enterprise Point of Sale system from Xn protel Systems. It will be hosted on Rotana’s private cloud in Abu Dhabi, enabling the company to centralize its Point of Sale operations. xnPOS will then be extended to new hotel openings.

Global hospitality management software company Xn protel Systems today announced Rotana Hotel Management Corporation is implementing xnPOS in its Centro Hotels in Saudi Arabia. The system will be hosted at Rotana’s data center in Abu Dhabi to provide centralized Point of Sale operations. xnPOS will then be deployed to new hotel openings. In addition, Rotana Hotels is also using myHotel and myDining by Neorcha, a Xn protel partner.

Rotana Hotel Management Corporation (Rotana) was founded in 1992, it opened its first property, the Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi, in 1993 and is today one of the leading hotel management companies in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey. Rotana’s aggressive expansion plans are seeing the company grow from two properties in 1993 to a total of 100 by 2020. Rotana has a number of new projects in the pipeline, confirming the company’s intention to have a Rotana managed property in all the major cities throughout the region within the next three years.

xnPOS provides comprehensive functionality and scalability that meets the needs of hotel F&B, table service restaurants and hospitality foodservice operations. The product is 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. xnPOS provides proven workflow advantages to manage guest check transactions, order-entry operations and remote kitchen/bar orders, while also providing seamless integration with hotel PMS, Loyalty/CRM and ERP systems. xnPOS has established interfaces to Oracle Hospitality’s Opera PMS and protel hotelsoftware’s on-premise and cloud PMS solutions, with HTNG based interfaces to other leading PMS products in development.

Samir Abi Frem, Corporate Vice President of IT, Rotana Hotel Management Corporation, said: “Using a robust, reliable and feature-rich POS system from Xn protel helps us provide POS as a service from Rotana Private Cloud to all Centro Hotels in KSA. Xn protel’s dedicated and professional service team successfully customized and integrated their solution with our centralized IT services platform in order to deliver all the required system features that can best serve the needs of our customers.”

Emmanuel Clavé, VP Gulf Countries and India, Xn protel Systems comments: “We are looking forward to working closely with Rotana Hotels to integrate our solutions into their ecosystem, to provide flexible, open products that support ever changing industry needs.”

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.

Contact information:
Terry Osborne
Head of Marketing
Email: terry.osborne@xnprotel.com
Web: www.xnprotel.com

Macao (Macao SAR) – September 12, 2017 (travelindex.com) – Multiple preparations are underway for Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart 2017 to be held in Macao from 13th to 15th September. Hosted by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), PATA Travel Mart is one of Asia Pacific’s premier travel trade shows attracting tourism officials and professionals from tourist destinations in the Asia Pacific region and beyond to Macao.

PATA Travel Mart 2017 will be the first major international tourism event to be staged in Macao following the havoc Typhoon Hato caused to the city on 23rd August, the worst recorded in Macao for 53 years. Following the efforts and support on all fronts to bring the city back to normal, Macao is ready to warmly welcome more than 1,000 PATA Travel Mart (PTM) delegates from over 60 destinations this month.

PTM marking 40th anniversary in Macao

Marking its 40th edition this year, PTM includes two full days of business sessions at Hall D of Cotai Expo, The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel on 14th and 15th September. With PTM putting the host destination in the limelight each year, MGTO is exhibiting in the trade show with a booth measuring a significant 517.5 square metres to promote Macao’s many tourism attractions. A total of 26 Macao tourism operators will promote their businesses from the booth, including hotels, travel agencies and transport companies, among others.

With Macao welcoming delegates from around the world to PTM, MGTO will also take the opportunity to promote in its booth the attractions of the Mainland regions among the Maritime Silk Road Alliance. In addition – joined by Guangdong and Hong Kong tourism authorities – the three neighbouring regions will promote multi-destination tourism at the travel show with a joint booth and luncheon for delegates.

Hot tourism topics and trends discussed at related events

Another distinctive feature of PATA Travel Mart is its related educational events for the travel trade and future tourism professionals. On 13th September, the Institute for Tourism Studies will host PATA Youth Symposium 2017, bringing together local and international tourism students from PATA Student Chapters to discuss ‘Enabling Travel and Managing a Complex Future’. One of the speakers to share his experience with the students will be AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes.

PTM Forum will run concurrently at The Parisian Macao, with the morning session themed ‘Travolution Forum Asia: Redefining the Travel Experience’, organized in partnership with Travel Weekly Group, focusing on smart digital travel; namely, strategies, business models and current technologies. The afternoon session will present a Blogger and Key Opinion Leader Forum, to debate ‘The Most Effective Influencer Marketing Strategies in Travel in 2017’, brought by the Professional Travel Bloggers Association. In addition, several themed PTM Talks are scheduled during the travel mart.

Other highlights of PTM include the PATA Gold Awards Luncheon and Presentation on 15th September. This year, among the 31 winning tourism entities of the 2017 PATA Gold Awards, three are from Macao – namely, Sands China Ltd., winning two PATA Gold Awards (in the categories of Environment – Corporate Environmental Programme and Marketing Media – Travel Advertising Broadcast Media), and Melco Resorts & Entertainment (winner of the PATA Gold Award for Marketing – Hospitality).

Internal PATA meetings extended throughout weekend

From 15th to 17th September, PATA will also conduct a series of internal meetings in Macao. The PATA Executive Board and Board Meeting will meet at Studio City, with MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes currently serving as an Executive Board member of the Association. Various committees of PATA will also meet, while PATA Chapters will be brought together in a PATA Chapter Colloquium, among other initiatives.

Founded in 1951, PATA is a non-profit membership association dedicated to the responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry, with its members comprising government, state and city tourism bodies, international airlines, airports and cruise lines, educational institutions, and hundreds of travel industry companies in Asia Pacific and beyond.

Macao has been a PATA member since 1958. For decades, PATA has been a valuable platform for Macao to promote its tourism image and connect local travel trade stakeholders to the world. The city successfully hosted PATA Travel Mart 2010 and the then called PATA Annual Conference in 2005.

For more information about the PATA Travel Mart 2017 programme, please visit www.pata.org/ptm.

Bangkok (Thailand) – September 9, 2017 (travelindex) – The Embassy of the Republic of India in collaboration with the Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok will host the “Uttar Pradesh Food Festival” from 11 – 16 September. The largest Indian food festival of the year celebrates the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Thailand. The regional Mughlai cuisine is being created by 5-star chefs at the multi-award winning Rang Mahal, the best Indian restaurant in Thailand.

The “Uttar Pradesh Food Festival” presents authentic cuisine from the Mughal era. Uttar Pradesh is well known for its cuisine which was introduced into India during the medieval period by the great Mughal kings. Mughlai cuisine varies from mild to spicy and is often associated with the distinctive aromas and tastes of eight ground spices. This festival will take you to a medieval period where kings used to treat their palace guests with mouth-watering delicacies, kebab meats and exotic curries.

This biggest Indian food festival will bring Chef Santosh Kumar and Chef Sanjib Bandyopadhyay from the central region of the Indian sub-continent together with Chef Rajan Misra, master chef of Rang Mahal to create a Mughlai buffet of main dishes and accompaniments. THB 500++ for set lunch and THB 990 ++ for buffet dinner.

The Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok general manager, Mr Eric Hallin, said “We are honored to be joining with the Embassy of the Republic of India to organize the largest Indian Food Festival of the Year to celebrate 70 years of good relations between India and Thailand. We are ready to welcome Thai diners to experience Mughlai cuisine at Rang Mahal, the internationally recognised 23-year-old Indian restaurant. We are confident that this Indian food festival will create an unforgettable gourmet experience”.

Join us for six days of culinary delights coupled with live music, traditional beverages and scenic views of Bangkok at Rang Mahal located on level 26, The Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 18, Bangkok. Open daily from 6.00 – 11.00 pm. For reservation or more information please contact 02 261 7100 or click
www.rembrandtbkk.com/restaurants/

About The Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok
The Rembrandt Hotel is centrally located in the heart of Bangkok off Sukhumvit Road. Guests may access our hotel either from Sukhumvit Soi 18 or Sukhumvit Soi 20 as our property extends the length of the block. We offer luxury, outstanding services, and facilities for all travelers to Bangkok, Thailand. The property is conveniently located near the central business district as well as shopping attractions, city landmarks and vibrant nightlife. Our guests also have the benefit of all major public transportation stations in Bangkok as both skytrain (BTS Asoke Station) and metro (MRT Sukhumvit Station) are just a short 5-minute walk from the hotel or guests may ride a complimentary 24-hour ‘tuk tuk’ shuttle service to the main road. This quality hotel is a great location for both tourists and business travelers, who will find easy access to Sukhumvit and the Bangkok CBD.

Contact information:
Paemika Mungclasiri (Ms.) – Marketing Communications Manager
Phone +66 (0) 2261 7100 Ext. 7443 E-mail: pr@rembrandtbkk.com
Sirorat Jaroontham (Ms.) – Marketing Communications Executive
Phone +66 (0) 2261 7100 Ext. 7444 E-mail: pr@rembrandtbkk.com

Koh Samui (Thailand) – September 7, 2017 (travelindex.com) – On the occasion of 120th Anniversary, Ko Samui, Surat Thani, Tourism Authority of Thailand welcome everyone to witness an attempt of the newest Guinness World Record for The Largest Buffet. In this event, we gathered chefs from all over Thailand to cook the world largest buffet which will be the newest record for Thailand and its chefs. This event will be a big underline to point out how great Thai foods are.

The Guinness World Record attempt for Largest Buffet will be taking place on September 9th 2017 at Chaweng Beach, Bo Phut Sub-district, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani, 05.00 p.m.

Aside from the record attempt, you can also enjoy other activities in Samui Festival. The festival is packed with various activities from dawn to dusk; for example, running event, cycling event, boxing, local product exhibition, selected food, cultural performance, contemporary art, music performance, and many more.
Samui Festival will be held on September 7th-11th 2017 at Nathon Beach, Chaweng Beach and Bo Phut Sub-district.

For more information, please call: 1672

Chiang Mai (Thailand) – September 6, 2017 (travelindex.com) – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has pledged to make the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) in Chiang Mai an organisational success, especially the TRAVEX buyer-seller part, where millions of dollars of business is transacted annually.

Demand for Southeast Asian tourism products is growing at 10% a year according to the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), making ASEAN the fastest growing tourism region in the world.

TRAVEX is the engine room driving much of ASEAN’s tourism success story, said Mr Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor. “That’s why we are calling out to exhibitors to book their space, and for buyers to come and showcase the best of Southeast Asia to the world.”

ATF takes place at the Chiang Mai International Exhibition and Convention Centre (CMECC) 22-26 January, 2018, with travel industry buyers conducting business on the floor of TRAVEX 24-26 January.

Based on its experience organising the Thailand Travel Mart (TTM), TAT undoubtedly has the marketing reach and buyer-handling discipline to make TRAVEX work smoothly for ASEAN, said Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Ms Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, who is current Chair of the ASEAN Tourism Ministers grouping.

While TAT is organising TRAVEX, make no mistake, this is an ASEAN show with leading tourism products from all 10 ASEAN member states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam, said the Minister.

Hosted and non-hosted travel industry buyers will have to meet rigorous criteria: be experienced in the tourism or travel business, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region; be a senior decision maker or consultant, negotiator and influencer from an outbound department with high-level responsibilities; have purchase authority to contract with ATF suppliers and make purchasing decisions on the show floor; have a history of organising outbound groups and events to multiple destinations; be able to show a history of continuous travel purchases; and be able to demonstrate that they regularly work with travel suppliers in the leisure travel or MICE sectors.

To join the ATF Travex 2018, please visit www.atfthailand2018.com

ATF Facts at a Glance
Around 47% of ATF buyers come from Europe, 15% from the Asia Pacific, 9% from the Americas, 4% from Oceania, and 3% from the Middle East.

At the ATF 2017 in Singapore, there were 660 exhibitors, 13,000 scheduled buyer-seller appointments, and over 2,500 attendees.

In 2017, 36% of exhibitors were accommodation businesses, 25% travel agents or tour operators, 17% NTOs or convention and visitor bureaus, 8.5% travel technology firms, and 3% were in the transport sector.

ATF in Chiang Mai 2018 will be the 37th incarnation of the show and the sixth time it has been held in Thailand.

The theme for 2018 will be: ASEAN – Sustainable Connectivity, Boundless Prosperity.

ASEAN is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary with a Visit ASEAN@50 Golden Celebration campaign that aims to raise international tourism arrivals to the region from 109 million in 2015 to 121 million by year end 2017.

For a complete resource on travel and tourism in ASEAN, go to: VisitASEAN.org

Chengdu (China) – September 6, 2017 (travelindex.com) – A unique opportunity to get the sector united towards the common goal of making tourism a true driver of sustainable development.” This is how the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, described the forthcoming UNWTO General Assembly. The bi-annual event, which takes place in Chengdu, China on 11-16 September, will discuss how to advance the contribution of tourism to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and define the actions of the Organization for the period 2018-2019.

A high-level debate on tourism and the SDGs, a special session on smart tourism, the celebrations of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017, the conversion of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics into an international Convention and current trends of the tourism sector are all integrated into the agenda of the 22nd session of the UNWTO General Assembly. The Assembly will also discuss the lines of action and key priorities of the Organization for the two coming years.

“This General Assembly gives us a unique opportunity to take key decisions that will guide us towards making a strong contribution to the future of people and planet,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. “The UNWTO General Assembly constitutes the most relevant meeting of global tourism leaders and therefore we should capitalize on this occasion. Tourism is at a crossroads. This Assembly is our opportunity to strengthen our sector in view of the changes it faces.” he added.

A high-level debate on tourism and the SDGs, a special session on smart tourism and the celebrations of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 are all integrated into the agenda of the UNWTO General Assembly.

“Tourism is at a crossroads. This Assembly is our opportunity to strengthen our sector in view of the changes it faces.”UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai

This 22nd session of the General Assembly is the second hosted in China and the fourth in Asia and the Pacific. “China is not only the world’s fourth most-visited country and the first outbound market in the world; it is also an example of a country prioritizing tourism as a driver for development. The efforts of Chinese authorities to define tourism as a strategic pillar of the national economy and an effective development tool make China a fitting host for this UNWTO General Assembly, said Rifai.

Contacts:
UNWTO Media Officer
Rut Gomez Sobrino
rgomez@unwto.org
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
comm@UNWTO.org
Fax: +34 91 567 8218
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100

Montreal (Canada) – September 6, 2017 (travelindex.com) – Thailand has become the 127th country to ratify Montreal Convention 1999 (MC99) legislation. MC99 establishes airline liability in the case of death or injury, of delays to passengers, and in instances of damage or loss of baggage and cargo.

Lawmakers persevered because they understood MC99 is critical for Thailand’s aviation industry to reach its full potential. With Indonesia also recently implementing MC99, IATA is now urging three more Asian countries—Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam—to urgently ratify the legislation.

“Implementing an international treaty is not an easy task,” said IATA Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac.

“Aligning laws with the treaty’s provisions and passing them through parliament can take years. In the case of Thailand it was a seven-year process.

“But lawmakers persevered because they understood that MC99 is critical for Thailand’s aviation industry to reach its full potential.

“With Thailand set to rank among the world’s top ten aviation markets by 2032 that potential is significant. Already aviation supports 3.3 million jobs and $48 billion of economic activity in the Kingdom.”

About IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is the trade association for the world’s airlines, representing some 275 airlines or 83% of total air traffic. We support many areas of aviation activity and help formulate industry policy on critical aviation issues. Visit our website at www.iata.org

Bangkok (Thailand) – September 6, 2017 (travelindex) – World’s Most Brilliant Hospitality Stars To Be Revealed At Spectacular Haute Grandeur Awards Gala Ceremony; 27 October 2017 promises a night of opulence, accolades and acclaim as the Haute Grandeur Global Hotel and Spa Awards honor the world’s best hospitality experiences at an illustrious Awards Gala Ceremony, hosted by Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, Thailand.

Anticipated as one of the most dazzling events on the luxury hospitality calendar, the annual Haute Grandeur Global Hotel and Spa Awards Gala Ceremony commends exceptional establishments across 7 continents, 172 countries and 94 categories. This prestigious red-carpet event is associated with status and exclusivity, drawing admired industry influencers, decision-makers and VIPs together in celebration as top luxury hospitality brands vie for the ultimate accolade in overall excellence. Leading hospitality groups represented include Anantara, Banyan Tree, Dusit Thani, Fairmont, Hilton, Mandarin Oriental, Sofitel, St Regis, The Four Seasons, The Peninsula, Rosewood, The Ritz Carlton, and Westin, among others.

The 2016 Awards took place at the Fairmont Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with Raffles Jakarta crowned as the overall victor. This year, industry VIPs and esteemed guests can expect a stunning event hosted by a celebrity emcee, with world-class entertainment and the finest cuisine.

Haute Grandeur Award nominees are shining examples and seen as the benchmark in the industry. Association with Haute Grandeur guarantees participating establishments unrivaled recognition and prestige, and emphasizes the importance of continuously striving for excellence. “Hospitality is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing industries. Healthy competition is crucial to the sustainability of an industry that creates so many jobs globally,” says Haute Grandeur founder and Managing Director, Marinique de Wet. “We are proud to contribute and encourage establishments worldwide to continuously excel on all levels.”

The Haute Grandeur Awards system is unlike any other. Unbiased results are guaranteed through a fair, transparent process that recognizes brilliance by means of quality guest feedback rather than the quantity of votes by a panel of judges or the general public. This unique approach to measuring excellence is why Haute Grandeur is in a class of its own.

Each year, Haute Grandeur chooses a leading destination to host the prestigious Awards Gala Ceremony. “Selection of the perfect host destination is essential to the success of the Awards,” says De Wet. “Thai hospitality is world-renowned and we are elated to bring this spectacular event to Thailand this year. Bangkok won the bid to host because it is a one-of-a-kind city. With its fusion of traditional and contemporary, Bangkok is a gift for the senses. One moment you’re exploring ancient temples and floating markets, the next you’re immersed in luxurious hotels, restaurants and boutiques. With the upcoming Awards, our aim is to not only create a valuable networking opportunity, but encourage guests to experience first-hand why Thailand is among the most prosperous hospitality regions in the world. Haute Grandeur partners with the Award Gala Ceremony host to offer special rates and encourage our members to spend time in the host city.”

Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, the south-east Asian flagship of Sofitel Hotels & Resorts, was chosen as the ideal host venue because of its unwavering dedication to raising the standards of service excellence in a highly competitive industry. The 32-storey state-of-the-art hotel is situated in a vibrant cosmopolitan district of Bangkok, and seamlessly blends French elegance with Thai culture to offer discerning guests a magnificent experience.

“We are honored and proud to be selected as the host property for the 2017 Haute Grandeur Awards,” says General Manager, Khun Oliver Schnatz. “This trusted Awards system reflects our commitment to excellence and recognizes the talent and ambassadors who work with unwavering dedication to excel. “We look forward to welcoming esteemed guests to this prestigious affair.”

As one of the most illustrious events of the year, the Haute Grandeur Awards Gala Ceremony is featured prominently in the media spotlight. 2017 global event partners include Etihad Airways, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Sofitel Hotels & Resorts, and UBER.

“Our annual Awards Gala Ceremony not only provides a platform for dignitaries to celebrate their achievements,” says De Wet. “Most importantly, the Awards honor and recognize the values of dedication, ambition, leadership, hard work and success. By awarding only the best of the best, the Haute Grandeur Awards raise standards of service excellence and inspire outstanding hospitality establishments to reach even greater heights.”

Recognized as the highest accolade a hotel or spa can receive, a Haute Grandeur Award is a guaranteed golden stamp of excellence. Award winners and participating establishments are perceived as exceptional and distinguished by association.

For more information or to become a member, visit www.hautegrandeur.com

Bangkok (Thailand) – September 4, 2017 (travelindex.com) – Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, or TCEB organizes Thailand MICE Forum 2017 to share the industry with market insights and visions towards the sustainability goals. Creating a phenomenon with series of informative events for MICE industry, the forum features four key activities which showcase the bureau’s strategies and plan, MICE awards, a seminar on sustainable MICE events, and a platform to network with experts and TCEB’s overseas market representatives.

Mr. Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of TCEB said that “With the establishment of TCEB’s 20-year vision, the bureau works towards into leading organisation that develops MICE industry as a mechanism for Thailand’s economic development. The initiative aimed at creating stability, distributing prosperity to all sectors through the use of innovation, and creating sustainability by implementing principles from the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy. Guided by this long-term vision, four key strategies are developed to drive the country’s MICE industry towards stability and sustainability goals.”

Direction and key activities under these strategies are:
(1) Growing in parallel with the development of the country, which focuses on keeping the current market and finding new markets. The targeted industries under the Thailand 4.0 policy include food, agriculture, biotechnology, public health and wellness, as well as other potential industries such as energy, transport, communications, entertainment, etc. To enhance MICE activities for these sectors, TCEB will conduct the MICE events calendar that is categorized by MICE Cluster Theme, together with series of activities to drive the use of innovation and elevate the business events into SMART MICE THAILAND.

(2) Growing in a high potential market, focusing on the regions that have high growth and strong connection with the development of Thailand’s economy. Under the strategy, primary regions are ASEAN, Asia, and the CLMV/GMS; secondary regions are Europe, America and Oceania; while other potential regions are Eastern Europe and Latin America. Activities outlined for targeted markets in these regions include participating in international trade shows, organizing road show events, appointing representatives offices, and reinforcing promotion activities to enhance targeted sectors in these areas. In addition, the bureau is creating MICE Intelligence & MICE Innovation unit which will gather information, analyse market directions, and help develop business plans for operators in the private sector to improve competitive capabilities.

(3) Growing with equality, by increasing the opportunities for the MICE industry growth as well as maximizing the competence of MICE Cities and high potential cities namely: Songkhla, Chiang Rai, and Udonthani. The development will be enhanced through activities such as Thailand Domestic MICE Mart, Luangprabang-Indochina-Mawlamyine Economic Corridor (LIMEC) International Conference, workshops in special Economic Zones, and key events under the government’s Super Cluster Policy that help establishing local identities such as Halal Festival in Had Yai and E-San Silk Festival.

(4) growing strongly, by strengthening MICE Industry through development. Example of the bureau’s success story is the initiative of Thailand MICE Venue Standard which was developed into ASEAN MICE Venue Standard. The campaign establishes the international standard of convention and exhibition venues in the regional level. Besides, TCEB is strengthening the organisation by developing the internal system to better support the industry in the future.

“Building on the groundwork that comprised of communications, vision, and policy, together with the integration and collaboration of all sectors, TCEB creates the Thailand MICE Forum 2017 – a week of MICE activities to showcase the country’s business events industry and open the platform for stakeholders to share visions, exchange knowledge, and network with alliances from different industries. The event consists of four main activities which being held during 4th -5th September 2017 at the Plaza Athénée Bangkok, A Royal Méridien Hotel.

On 4th September, 1) MICE SYMPOSIUM 2017 is a platform for TCEB to announce the annual performance of the fiscal year 2017 and deliver the plan for the next fiscal year. 2) MICE Awards 2017, is an event to reward and honour MICE professionals and organisations which devoted their efforts to support Thailand MICE industry and attracted international MICE events to take place in the country. On 5th September, 3) MICE SUSTAINABILITY FORUM 2017 focuses on how to incorporate the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the event management business. 4) MEET THE REP: Meetings & Incentives, is a seminar that encourages the knowledge exchange. It provides opportunities for MICE entrepreneurs to get updated with marketing trends and network with TCEB’s representatives from overseas.

The MICE Forum 2017 is being held under the theme, Drive – Change – Inspire – Innovation, The idea represents the transformation of the MICE industry towards the prosperity, driven by innovation and creativity which are incorporated in a sustainable event,” said Mr. Chiruit.

TCEB expects that in the fiscal year 2018, there will be a total of 30.1 million MICE travellers in Thailand, generating revenue of 174 billion baht, separated into 1,192,000 international MICE visitors, generating revenue of 112 billion baht, and 29 million domestic MICE travellers, generating 62 billion baht in revenue. TCEB aims to drive the MICE industry to be a key player in creating prosperity, distributing income to the regions through the MICE industry, and creating strength and sustainability for the economy of the country.

About TCEB
Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB – the government leading edge agency – has been the key to success for a wide range of global & regional business events since 2004. With our key strategic model, Growth Driver; TCEB works as your strategic business partner, delivers creative ideas, and provides solutions from our capable resources for every scale and various customised business events.

TCEB has formed numerous collaborations and networks linked to open up grand new chapters of business opportunities, and to strategically enhance every business success with special care that will spur lasting advancement and achievements. Our goal is to equipping business events industry at national, regional, and global stage for continuous development, long-term growth and sustainable success.

For further information, please contact:
Corporate Communications Division
Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization)

Ms Arisara Thanuplang
Email: arisara_t@tceb.or.th
Tel: +66 2 694 6095
Mr.Karun Wararatchai
Email: karun_w@tceb.or.th
Tel: +66 2 694 6179
Ms Paniyada Mulalin
Email: paniyada_m@tceb.or.th
Tel: + 662 694 6091