Category: Latest Travel News

Bangkok, Thailand, August 1, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / Marriott Bonvoy is celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival in Thailand with a series of mouth-watering mooncake collections at its hotels and resorts, all handcrafted with exquisite ingredients and presented in beautiful gift boxes that reflect the grace and elegance of this meaningful time of year.

The culinary experts at nine hotels in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket have created a selection of classic and contemporary mooncakes that can be enjoyed as a sublime snack or as the perfect present for friends, family and colleagues.

The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok has unveiled its Signature Box with floral and bird patterns, or a Pastel Art Box designed by Arianna Caroli. Guests can discover traditional and signature flavors, including mandarin yuzu with macadamia nuts, and dark chocolate with Chanthaburi durian. Prices start from THB 1,088 for a four-piece of assorted classic.

JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok is revealing its artistic side this Mid-Autumn Festival with a selection of mouth-watering mooncakes at Man Ho Chinese Restaurant. Paying homage to the beauty and symbolism of traditional Chinese art, this exclusive collection is intended to foster a spirit of cultural connection. A four-piece box is priced at THB 1,388 net.

The St. Regis Bangkok invites you to step into a world of luxury with its “Exquisite Mooncakes” collection. Four exceptional flavors – durian & single egg yolk, lotus seed & single egg yolk, red bean & single egg yolk, and green tea with pistachio – will be presented in an elegantly crafted watch box. The early bird price is THB 1,688 net per box from now until 15 August 2024.

W Bangkok is celebrating the “Year of the Dragon” with a dragon-patterned travel box that contains a choice of traditional baked and “snowskin” mooncakes, with innovative flavors including durian, banoffee, chocolate chili, blueberry orchid tea and more! A box of four is priced at just THB 1,699 net for early bird orders from now until 31 August 2024.

Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel is immersing its guests in “REN Mooncakes Radiance” with a choice of fantastic flavors, including durian paste & egg yolk, lotus seed paste & egg yolk, chestnut macadamia, and pandan custard with coconut. Available at Fei Ya restaurant, a box of four assorted is available at THB 888 net for early bird offer from now until 7 September 2024.

Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse has collaborated with The Gallery, a local social enterprise, and Thai artists to craft its 2024 mooncake collection. Discover four distinct flavors, each inspired by one of the hotel’s restaurants, and presented in special boxes crafted using traditional Chiang Mai paper. Prices start from THB 1,288 net per box.

Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park will tell the “Story of the Dragon” with its limited edition mooncake boxes. Five elegant giftbox options are available, featuring classic recipes and a trio of signature flavors: raspberry cocoa, green tea & pine nut, and custard & malted chocolate Rocher. Prices start from just THB 1,288 net for a box of four mooncakes.

Courtyard by Marriott North Pattaya is celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with a delectable selection of mooncakes that embrace natural ingredients, including local durian. Two baked options – durian & melon seed and classic mixed nuts – will be available at Café 22, priced at THB 818 for a box of four.4

Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town has unveiled an auspicious red box, adorned with natural motifs including birds and flowers. Four varieties – double egg yolk & sweet white lotus paste, red bean paste & goji berry, pandan lotus paste & melon seed, and green tea paste – have been selected for their health-giving properties. Prices start at THB 1,288 net.

Mooncakes are an inseparable part of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is celebrated all across East Asia on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. These tasty treats can be enjoyed as a delightful daytime snack with loved ones, accompanied by a pot of tea, or presented to friends, family, colleagues or business partners as an auspicious gift.

About Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of nearly 8,900 properties across more than 30 leading brands in 141 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly awarded travel program.

About Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s award-winning travel program and marketplace, gives members access to transformative, eye-opening experiences around the corner and across the globe. Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of over 30 extraordinary brands offers renowned hospitality in the most memorable destinations in the world. Members can earn points for stays at hotels and resorts, including all-inclusive resorts and premium home rentals, as well as through everyday purchases with co-branded credit cards. Members can redeem their points for experiences including future stays, Marriott Bonvoy Moments, or through partners for luxurious products from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques®. With the Marriott Bonvoy app, members enjoy a level of personalization and contactless experience that allows them to travel with peace of mind.

Valletta, Malta, July 31, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / Together with Malta’s Institute for Tourism Studies, SUNx Malta, is delighted to offer 50 Scholarships once again for our 2024 online graduate Diploma in Climate Friendly Travel which starts on September 30, 2024. Majority of the scholarship is allocated to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and a few to other developing countries around the world.

We would like to seek your support to help find a top class scholarship candidate from your country who would be awarded free entry into our 2 year online Climate Friendly Travel Diploma programme and help bring the benefits to you.
We’re prioritising applications from these countries:
Americas: Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica and St Kitts and Nevis.
EMEA: Cape Verde, Eritrea, Jordan, Mauritius, Namibia, Israel, Palestine, Tunisia and Yemen.
Asia Pacific: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Singapore, Tonga and Tuvalu.

Apply today: https://bit.ly/sunxdiploma2024
Deadline: 15th August, 2024

At SUN x Malta, Our core mission is to advance Climate Friendly Travel (CFT) in every UN country, starting, where Climate Change is most threatening and where Tourism is most needed – in the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Climate Friendly Travel Diploma is a world first and trains students to support Travel & Tourism companies and communities in becoming sustainable and climate resilient; as well as in transforming to achieve Zero GHG emissions by 2050.

In year one, students will receive 300 hours of in-depth teaching about the Climate Crisis and Sustainability as they relate to Climate Friendly Travel – Paris 1.5, SDG linked and nature positive. Interactive lectures will be given by 25 of the leading tourism academics in the world. Students will review carefully curated top journal and online source material, to bolster knowledge of Transport, Hospitality and Travel Services exposure and response to the existential Climate Crisis. In year two students will undertake an internship with SUN x Malta, as a Climate Friendly Travel Chapter leader, where they will apply their learning from first year to help build a climate resilient tourism community. They will be involved in recruiting Strong Climate Champions in their communities and assisting tourism companies to sign on to our free Climate Friendly Travel Registry. They will also be encouraging travellers to be a member of our Climate Friendly Travel Club and enjoy special travel benefits.

The ideal candidate will be a graduate, with a firm grounding in Travel & Tourism. They must be able to commit to two years of online engagement and be ready to work with us to help build Climate Friendly Travel community in your country. The application deadline is AUG 15, 2024.

You can reach out to Pratishtha (pratishtha@thesunprogram.com) who would respond to all your queries you may have on the program.

Houston, Texas, United States, July 30, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / At the AIAA ASCEND conference in Las Vegas, SpaceFund co-founder Meagan Crawford presented new research that shows the space industry is weakly correlated to eight tested market indices and alternative investment asset classes. This lack of correlation, coupled with the industry’s consistent growth could offer valuable diversification and hedging opportunities for investors.

“As is often the case with new industries, space is not particularly well understood by the markets, or by the institutional investors that drive those markets,” said Meagan Crawford, co-founder of SpaceFund and primary author of the research study. “The purpose of this paper is to add to the growing body of research on space as an investment strategy, allowing institutional investors to consider space assets such as public stocks, private equity, and real estate as viable options for their portfolios.”

Correlation, or the measurement of how two data sets move in relation to each other, is frequently used by asset allocators to help protect their portfolios against Black Swan events and market downturns. However, until now, there has not been any publicly available data on how space relates to other investment opportunities, making it very difficult for investors to assess the viability of space assets as a part of their portfolios. In this study, the space industry was compared to major market indices (S&P 1200, MSCI) and alternative investment asset classes (Global Oil Index, Crude Oil price per Barrel, REIT Index, Hedge Fund Index, Price of Bitcoin in USD, and Gold Return on Investment) and correlation was measured between two space industry data sets and each of these investment opportunities.

“As a former pension fund LP, this research study is exactly the type of content and academic support that is needed to get approvals for a new investment thesis,” said SpaceFund advisor and Former Trustee and Chair, Investment Committee at the US$20B SFERS, E. David Ellington. “The triumvirate of the institutions’ board, staff, and consultants need this data to make intelligent investment decisions.”

The findings of this research suggest that space is weakly correlated to every investment sector tested, making space assets a viable consideration for institutional investors who are looking for opportunities to hedge against unforeseen risks. Additionally, the paper found that during the period tested (2005-2022), the space industry was the only tested sector that did not have a single year of negative growth, making space assets a viable consideration for institutional investors who are looking to diversify their portfolios into high-growth opportunities.

Phuket, Thailand, July 30, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / L’Arôme By The Sea is thrilled to welcome our new Executive Chef, Adrien Delcourt. Adrien is a distinguished chef trained under the Robuchon system and a trusted protégé of Frederic Anton, with extensive experience in Michelin-starred restaurants. His impressive resume includes prestigious establishments such as Le Pré Catelan (three stars) in Paris, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon (two stars), Le Jules Verne (one star) atop the Eiffel Tower, and L’Orangerie at Four Seasons George V (one star).

He served as the Executive Chef of the iconic Le Jules Verne, the fine-dining gem atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. In 2019, Adrien earned his first Michelin star, and Le Jules Verne was awarded two stars this year.

Throughout his career, Adrien has honed his culinary skills under the mentorship of renowned chefs like Frederic Anton, Axel Menes, and David Bizet, developing a unique cooking style. He is a dynamic and experienced Chef de Cuisine with over a decade of experience in starred restaurant and hotel kitchens.

With a proven track record of managing kitchens and creating innovative, delightful dishes, Adrien specializes in developing seasonal menus and leading culinary teams in fast-paced environments.

Joining him is Manon Anton, our new restaurant manager at L’Arôme By The Sea. Together, Adrien and his team are dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and culinary excellence at L’Arôme By The Sea.

New Menu
Chef Delcourt and his team are delighted to debut the new “Vue Sur La Mer” menu on July 25th. The menu is a discovery of the exceptional cuisine from Adrien, which pays homage to the mentors throughout his career and celebrates the best seasonal produce which the sea has to offer. Diners are welcomed with a fresh infusion of hibiscus which not only opens but also refreshes the palates for what lies ahead.

The menu celebrates the beauty of the ocean with the net cast wide to select items such as: Japanese Sea-Urchin, Norwegian black Cod, Kaviari’s Oscietra Caviar however there is not only imported products as local rock fish forms the base of one gelee. Although there is a focus on seafood, diners are treated to a roasted pigeon, for the main, coming from Klong Pai farm in Thailand, those less adventurous may opt to change for a Japanese Wagyu beef.

The signature dish of Adrien’s menu is Langoustine Foie Gras, which shows a complex pairing between land and sea with a poached Atlantic Langoustine being served inside of a roti shell and pair with a delightfully creamy foie-gras jus. This dish shows off the key elements of Adrien’s culinary pillars: technique, savoir-faire and delicate balance.

Situated on the idyllic coastlines near Patong, L’Arôme By The Sea offers an unparalleled dining experience that combines breathtaking ocean views with exquisite culinary creations. As the jewel of Phuket, our restaurant is the perfect escape for those
seeking a blend of gourmet cuisine, serene ambiance, and impeccable service. L’Arôme By The Sea specializes in delivering contemporary French dishes crafted from premium ingredients. Whether you’re indulging in a romantic dinner under the stars or hosting a special event by the water’s edge, our oceanfront setting provides a backdrop like no other.

Experience the best of Phuket’s dining scene at L’Arôme By The Sea, where every meal is a journey of flavors and every moment is a cherished memory. Join us for an unforgettable culinary adventure, where the rhythm of the waves complements the symphony of tastes on your plate.

About France Larome Group
Since its inception in Paris in 2014, France Larome Group has focused on operating forward-thinking, modern-style restaurants in the world’s most vibrant destinations, currently spanning France, China, Thailand, and Japan. Our flagship brand, L’Arôme, enjoys a reputation that extends to several cities in China. Notably, the Parisian branch Madame Fan and L’Arôme By The Sea in Phuket, Thailand, have both been featured in the Michelin Guide.

Recently completed projects in 2024 include the Chinese fine dining restaurant Madame Fan in Paris and Bistro Des Lettres in the Latin Quarter. Upcoming projects include Bon Pan Asian Tapas in the old town of Phuket, Bistro L’Arôme in Fukuoka, Bistro Des Symphonies in Paris, and Maison L’Arôme, which will offer a spectacular view of the Andaman Sea in Phuket, incorporating several concepts.

We are committed to using the highest quality ingredients from the best sources, meticulously telling the story of a specific time, place, culture, or cuisine. Whether it’s our high-end French fine dining or our bistro brands, we strive to deliver extraordinary and unique dining experiences.

Victoria Falls, Zambia, July 29, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / UN Tourism successfully held its inaugural Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa, marking a significant step forward for both the continent and the host nation. The Forum also highlighted Zimbabwe’s commitment to leveraging gastronomy as a catalyst for sustainable tourism development across the country and Africa.

Under the patronage of the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Her Excellency Dr. Auxillia C. Mnangagwa, and in collaboration with the Basque Culinary Center, the forum brought together around 200 delegates from 33 countries, including 11 Ministers and Deputy Ministers, the African Union, the Southern African  Development Community (SADC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

It is only right we now meet in one of the world’s most exciting gastronomy regions – Africa!

Opening the landmark event, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “It is only right we now meet in one of the world’s most exciting gastronomy regions – Africa! We leave Victoria Falls with a roadmap that will enable us to build an Agenda for Gastronomy Tourism in Africa, to ensure that we do work to make gastronomy tourism benefit people and planet.”

Travelindex Group announced the launch of its TOP25 Restaurants Africa Awards and Restaurant Guides, Africa’s inaugural AI-powered restaurant guides. Building on the success of its groundbreaking, and world’s first, AI-guides in Asia, Travelindex Group is expanding into Africa. This initiative seeks to celebrate the continent’s diverse and vibrant culinary scene while promoting gastronomy as a key driver for sustainable tourism development across Africa.

Leveraging the power of gastronomy 

The discussions at the forum emphasized the transformative power of gastronomy tourism in enhancing local communities and economies throughout Africa. Participants explored the role of gastronomy in elevating Africa’s presence on the global tourism stage, as well as strategies for integrating gastronomy into national tourism policies. There was a strong focus on showcasing Africa’s rich culinary heritage to the world, emphasizing the importance of collaboration among chefs, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

Participants discussed the need for effective funding and the significance of combining tradition, innovation, and quality to create unique food tourism experiences. The forum also highlighted the importance of changing mindsets to value local gastronomy and instil pride in Africa’s diverse culinary traditions. This includes working with the African diaspora in promoting African cuisine globally, as well as stepping up education and vocational training.

Promoting innovation in gastronomy 

The event also featured UN Tourism Regional Gastronomy Pitch Challenge – driving innovation in Africa, in which five entrepreneurs presented innovative solutions to improve the gastronomy and tourism value chains. Gracia Bvute from Zimbabwe won the competition with her project Pabvute Gourmet. On the occasion, UN Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry of Zimbabwe recognized the winners of the Youth Photo Contest “A Journey through Zimbabwe´s Gastronomy” – Nokutenda Tombindo, 1st place winner with the photo titled “MAGURU (TRIPE)” and David Sadindi, 2nd place winner with the photo titled “Family meal (sadza nemufushwa)”.

Additionally, four new African UN Tourism Ambassadors for Responsible Tourism for their efforts in promoting national cuisines and advocating for sustainable culinary practices: Chef Yohanis Gebreyesus from Ethiopia, Chef Adenike Adefila from Nigeria, Chef Mounir El Arem from Tunisia, and Chef Carl Joshua Ncube from Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe to host Academy for Culinary Arts 

In addition, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding marked the establishment of the Zimbabwe International Tourism Academy for the Culinary Arts, in partnership with UN Tourism. This initiative underscores a strong commitment to skills development and education, reinforced by the announcement of 100 UN Tourism Academy online scholarships aimed at nurturing culinary talent across the continent.

The second edition of the Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa will be held in Tanzania.

UN Tourism has announced a major step forward in its work to grow education and skills development in Africa with the establishment of the first collaborative Academies in the region.

With African tourism experiencing significant growth, there is now an urgent need to train a wide range of skilled professionals, all equipped with the skills modern tourism businesses need. Reflecting this demand, UN Tourism has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Tourism of Zambia to establish the ZITHS Mukuni International Academy for Tourism and Hospitality in collaboration with UN Tourism. The Academy will offer a range of courses, all focused on equipping students both new to the sector and establish tourism workers the skills they need to find work or advance in their careers.

Africa’s tourism sector is growing and diversifying at a tremendous rate

Laying the foundation stone in Livingstone, Secretary-General Pololikashvili said: “Africa’s tourism sector is growing and diversifying at a tremendous rate. These new Academies in Collaboration with UN Tourism will help train the tourism workers of tomorrow in a range of specialisms, giving African tourism the talent it needs to thrive.”

Joining the Secretary-General in signing the agreement, the Minister of Tourism of Zambia, Rodney M. Sikumba, said: “ through the adoption of the UN Tourism Education Guidelines, Zambia has been able to reposition the role of education in tourism development. The establishment of the Academy is a game changer of how we will bridge the evident skills gap for the existing and future workforce of our tourism sector.”

Culinary Arts Academy planned for Zimbabwe  

UN Tourism has also agreed to establish the Africa International Tourism Academy for Culinary Arts in collaboration with UN Tourism. The specialist centre will be hosted in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and focus on training skilled professionals in culinary arts both within the country and right across Africa. The announcement coincides with the celebration of the first UN Tourism Gastronomy Tourism Forum for Africa, an event showcasing the region’s diverse gastronomy and set to bring together leading players from the public and private sectors.

Zimbabwe’s Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi said: “We are excited to be working closely with UN Tourism to grow gastronomy tourism in our country and across the wider region. The new Academy in Collaboration with UN Tourism signals our shared commitment to empowering tourism workers within the field of culinary arts, putting Zimbabwe firmly on the global gastronomy map.”

Nairobi, Kenya, July 26, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) has today revealed a record-breaking year for Travel & Tourism in Kenya, contributing KES1TN to the national economy in 2023.

Sector jobs grew 6% to reach a record 1.55MN, accounting for one in 13 jobs across the country.

While domestic visitor spending reached more than KES 466BN last year, almost 15% over the previous peak and setting a new record, spending by overseas visitors continued to trail the highpoint of 1999 to reach just KES 266BN.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said; “The recovery of Kenya’s Travel & Tourism sector is a testament to its resilience. Achieving record-breaking growth across economic contribution, jobs, and domestic visitor spending highlights the sector’s vital role in the nation’s economy.

“Although international visitor spending is currently lagging behind its high point, the future of Travel and Tourism in Kenya looks strong, with substantial opportunities for growth and development over the next decade.”

What Does This Year Look Like?

According to the global tourism body’s latest research, Travel & Tourism’s contribution to Kenya’s economy is forecast to grow 9% year-on-year to reach almost KES 1.15TN.

Jobs supported by the sector are projected to reach more than 1.6MN, representing almost 8% of jobs in Kenya.

Domestic visitor spending is expected to continue driving the sector to reach KES 521BN, but spending by travellers from overseas is forecast to remain below the previous high to reach KES 289.5BN.

What Does the Next Decade Look Like?

With the right government support, WTTC is forecasting that the sector could grow its annual GDP contribution to KES 1.7TN by 2034, representing 7.4% of Kenya’s economy, and could potentially employ more than 2.2MN people across the country.

Lusaka, Zambia, July 25, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / UN Tourism has united its Member States to focus on promoting “Brand Africa” and exploring new opportunities for growth and diversification across the region.

Held within the framework of the Regional Commission for Africa, “Promoting Africa to Unlock Tourism Investments and the Sector’s Growth Potential”, brought together public and private sector leaders to identify new opportunities and find shared solutions to the most pressing challenges. The Forum formed part of UN Tourism’s wider emphasis on empowering its Members to advance a new, positive narrative for the sector across the continent.

Celebrating uniqueness of African tourism  

Welcoming the high-level participants, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili stressed the importance of working closely with African Member States on promoting both the uniqueness and the diversity of tourism in the region. His sentiments were echoed by Executive Director Natalia Bayona, who also emphasized the urgent need to grow investments into the sector to fuel innovation and creativity, thereby putting African destinations more firmly on the global tourism map.

Alongside key UN Tourism experts, stakeholders included the CEO of Zambia Tourism Agency, as well as the heads of Africa Tourism Partners, and key figures from leading civil society actors and businesses from the region, including Meta. Discussions focused on strengthening Brand Africa, including through greater public-private collaboration. Delegates also shared their insights into revolutionizing the image of African in order to drive greater tourism competitiveness, while top media thinkers provided their insights into Think Tank discussions on “shifting the narrative” of African tourism.

Investments to advance Brand Africa  

Reflecting the importance of investments for advancing Brand Africa, the event also saw the official launch of the latest in UN Tourism’s series of Investment Guidelines. The latest publication, focused on Zambia, again provides vital information for international investors, identifying key areas of growth and other opportunities within Zambia’s burgeoning tourism sector.

Diversifying tourism across Asia and the Pacific, alongside promoting more and better education, will be key to building a more resilient and sustainable sector.

According to UN Tourism’s data, the sector is experiencing a rapid recovery in Asia and the Pacific, with arrivals reaching 82% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2024, boosted by the re-opening of many destinations throughout 2023. Now, with full recovery on the horizon, the latest joint meeting of UN Tourism’s Commission for Asia and the Pacific (CAP) and its Commission of South Asia (CSA), focused on the challenges and opportunities for creating a positive and lasting transformation.

As our data shows, tourism’s recovery is close to complete here in Asia and Pacific. We worked together to face the crisis head on.

Guiding transformation and building resilience  

The 36th meeting of the CAP-CSA welcomed more than 130 delegates from 25 countries and territories. All Members were provided with a comprehensive overview of UN Tourism’s work and achievements since the last meeting, with key priorities then presented for the years ahead.

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “As our data shows, tourism’s recovery is close to complete here in Asia and Pacific. We worked together to face the crisis head on. And now we must work together to focus on our priorities for the future. That means supporting education, driving investments into our sector and further strengthening the ties between public and private to build resilience and advance sustainability and inclusive growth.”

Education the top-level tourism priority  

Reflecting the high-level support given to tourism and to UN Tourism’s mission to guide the sector forward, Commission host the Philippines was represented by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, at the meeting. In his opening remarks President Marcos commended UN Tourism’s focus on education and training for the sector and stressed his commitment to wider sustainability efforts. “Education is always going to make any industry better and certainly tourism is no different,” President Marcos said. “We need to raise the standards and practices in this crucial sector by investing in education, training, and skills upgrading of all the personnel who are working in this industry.”

Emphasising his Government’s recognition of the importance of education, President Ferdinand Marcos expressed interest in opening a new Academy in Collaboration with UN Tourism in the Philippines. The institution would add to UN Tourism’s growing network of Academies, with education centres focusing on the specific needs of regions or on key skills needed for the future of tourism.

Resilience via green transformation  

Within the framework of the joint Commission meeting, Member States in the region tabled a thematic discussion on product development emphasizing the need for green transformation to enhance the tourism sector’s competitiveness, while bolstering its resilience through the promotion of innovative and green solutions.

Untapping Gastronomy Tourism’s Potential   

In Cebu, the spotlight was put on gastronomy tourism as one of the sure routes to progress product diversification to add value to the sector and accelerate  recovery in the region. Here, UN Tourism hosted its first Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific, connecting public and private sector leaders with top entrepreneurs and leading chefs from the region and beyond. Discussions concluded with the Cebu Call to Action on Gastronomy Tourism, urging public and private leaders to integrate gastronomy tourism into policy, foster cross-sector cooperation, namely with agriculture and creative industries, support small businesses, and promote sustainable practices.

Secretary-General Polikashvili challenged tourism players to further capitalize on the region’s growing reputation as both a destination and leader in the field of gastronomy tourism. “My proposal is to leave a legacy… to create something an education center or gastronomic center here in Cebu,” he said.

Looking ahead to Indonesia 

The meetings concluded with Members agreeing to accept Indonesia’s offer to host the 37th Joint Meeting of UN Tourism’s 2 Asian Commissions in 2025. The exact dates will be confirmed in due course.

Jayapura, Indonesia, August 9, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / BWH Hotels, the global hospitality enterprise comprising WorldHotels, Best Western Hotels & Resorts, and SureStay Hotels, has continued its international expansion with the launch of the Best Western Sagita Hotel Jayapura, the brand’s inaugural hotel in the Papua province.

Nestled in the center of Jayapura, the province’s largest city which lies on the north coast of the island of Papua, the Best Western Sagita Hotel Jayapura is a modern midscale hotel comprising 72 rooms and suites with interiors that blend contemporary design with indigenous cultural elements.

Throughout their stay, guests can unwind in the social lobby lounge, and savor local, pan-Asian, and international cuisine at the all-day dining restaurant, with its vibrant open kitchen concept. Business travelers can also host productive meetings in one of the six outfitted meeting rooms.

The Best Western Sagita Hotel Jayapura is surrounded by the city’s main landmarks and attractions, including Hamadi Beach, lush mangrove forests, and Jayapura City Tower’s viewing platform. Sentani International Airport which offers direct flights to Jakarta and other Indonesian cities – is just 30 kilometers away, and the border crossing between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea can be reached in just 2.5 hours by road.

“We are excited to announce the opening of the Best Western Sagita Hotel Jayapura, which represents a significant milestone in our Indonesian expansion strategy. We have made a commitment to provide our brand’s quality standards and services to guests all across this diverse country. As our first property in Papua, this reflects the ability of BWH Hotels’ diverse brands to cater to the needs of owners and travelers in every market,” said Olivier Berrivin, Vice President – APAC, BWH Hotels.

With the opening of the Best Western Sagita Hotel Jayapura, BWH Hotels now offers 17 hotels and resorts all across Indonesia, ranging from key cities like Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung to the resort islands of Bali, and regional hubs such as Palangkaraya, Manado, Makassar, Palu, and Singaparna.

About BWH Hotels
BWH Hotels is a leading, global hospitality enterprise comprised of three hotel companies, including WorldHotels, Best Western® Hotels & Resorts and SureStay® Hotels. The global enterprise boasts approximately 4,300 hotels in over 100 countries and territories worldwide*. With 19 brands across every chain scale segment, from economy to luxury, BWH Hotels suits the needs of developers and guests in every market.
*Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.