Unite show reviews

Trade talk 48 / Show report

INDIAN OCEAN & MIDDlE EAst

Sponsored by: Qatar Tourism unitepromotions.co.uk

Reuniting the world

Selling Travel was proud to be the media partner at several Unite 2022 events. Here’s the latest news from tourist boards, hoteliers and airlines across the globe...

Maldives makes more room

The Maldives will welcome 12 new properties in 2022. Most openings are located in the more remote atolls, Raa and Dhaalu, followed by Noonu, Baa and Lhaviyani, whilst some are being built on artificial islands created by land reclamation, such as the Fari Islands in the North Malé Atoll.

Highlights include the adult-only OBLU SELECT Lobigili, which features an underwater restaurant, and a second OBLU property, OBLU Xperience Ailafushi, which is being designed with families in mind and described as a “free-spirited Maldivian resort”. The Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort will be the first opening in the Maldives by sister brand Anantara, complete with a “youthful vibe” and a kids’ club.

Family-focused OZO Maldives will mark the second Maldives resort by the ONYX group and the fourth resort under Hilton’s portfolio of brands in the Maldives (and the first of its flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts in the destination). Hilton Maldives Amingiri will have a teen-only zone. visitmaldives.com

tunisian desert retreat opens

Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts first desert resort, The Residence Douz, is set to debut later in 2022. The brand’s second opening in Tunisia, this safari-inspired retreat will serve as a gateway to the Sahara.

The property of 93 villas, rooms and suites “will be in keeping with the feel of the local architecture” and will directly face the Sahara. A full Hammam Spa, gym and public pool will be available, along with two restaurants. cenizaro.com

NEWS IN BRIEF

• sri lanka reveals secrets

Secrets of Ceylon has added Villa Hundira, a luxury homestay villa in Negombo, to its collection of boutique properties in Sri Lanka. Located near the airport, its location serves as an ideal place to either begin or end a Sri Lankan adventure. secretsofceylon.co.uk

• Qatar ups luxury appeal

Over 100 new hotels and serviced apartments are currently under construction in Qatar, as part of the ‘Qatar Tourism Strategy 2030’. Some of the new properties include a Raffles Hotel and Fairmont Hotel and Resort at Katara Towers, Rosewood Doha and the St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island. The hotels will broaden Qatar’s appeal to high value travellers, offering more choice to its existing 80 five- and four-star hotels. visitqatar.qa

• A new green Emirate

Ras Al Khaimah is set to become the regional leader in environmentally conscious tourism by 2025, thanks to its Sustainable Tourism Destination Strategy. The strategy includes protecting and enhancing cultural and natural heritage, embracing green construction and delivering new sustainable tourism developments and experiences. visitrasalkhaimah.com

Dubai’s World Islands welcomes first hotel

Anantara has opened the first luxury resort on Dubai’s World Islands archipelago. Located in the Arabian Gulf approximately four kilometres off the coast of Dubai, Anantara World Islands offers guests a new luxury destination in Dubai. The resort is accessible by a 15-minute speedboat ride from the jetty at Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort. The resort has 70 suites, beach and pool villas - all with balcony, deck or terrace - and views including the famous Burj Khalifa and Burj al Arab. The 40 private pool villas have an outdoor dining area and direct access to the beach, with the two and four-bedroom pool villas able to accommodate up to eight or 12 guests respectively. anantara.com

Sponsored by: Falkensteiner Resorts unitepromotions.co.uk

EuROpE

Madeira protects marine life

The Savage Islands (Ilhas Selvagens), part of the Madeiran Archipelago (a Portuguese outpost), has been granted permission to extend the existing marine reserve to 12 nautical miles around the islands, creating the largest fully protected marine sanctuary intNorthern Atlantic and Europe.

Situated 280km south of Madeira’s main island, off the coast of Northwestern Africa, the Savage Islands are an important nesting point for the Atlantic’s largest breeding colony of Cory’s Shearwaters and also home to the endemic Selvagens Gecko. The waters around these islands are a vital passageway for migrating fish and mammals while those near the islands’ shores provide essential nursery habitats. The announcement means that all species inside the reserve will be fully protected from fishing or other extractive activities. Currently, under 8% of the ocean is protected. It is hoped that this will inspire others in taking similar measures to preserve our oceans. madeiraallyear.com

MEtt offers turkish luxury

Described as ‘relaxed luxury’, the new five-star METT Hotel & Beach Resort Bodrum opened earlier in 2022 in the private Haremtan Cove in Bodrum’s old town, Turkey.

The property is the first of its kind from METT Social Living, an innovative new concept that blends five-star hotel and lifestyle resorts which says it offers “enriching social experiences for a new class of luxury traveller”.

The property itself has 72 rooms and suites as well as 31 two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom luxury villas that overlook the sea.

The onsite I SPA includes a Turkish Hammam, sauna, steam bath, infrared sauna, salt room, indoor pool, Jacuzzi and four treatment rooms.

The hotel’s sustainability initiatives include solar electrical panels, a reverse Osmosis system and locally sourced produce and local recruitment. mettsocialliving.com

Orient back on track in Italy

The Orient Express La Dolce Vita will welcome its first passengers in 2023.

The project, in association with Orient Express of Accor Group, will see a new iteration of the famous train service debut in Italy as six different trains journey through 14 Italian regions as well as Istanbul, Paris, and Croatia. Trips are expected to last between one to three days. The trains feature12 deluxe cabins, 18 suites, one honour suite and a restaurant. Reservations will open in June 2022 for travel in 2023. orient-express.com Trade talk Show report / 49

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Hyatt debuts in tuscany

IL Tornabuoni Hotel in Florence has opened its doors under the Hyatt Hotels Unbound Collection banner. The 62-bedroom property has been created in a former Palazzo Minerbetti and features a Renaissance-inspired interior. It is Hyatt’s first Unbound property in Italy and marks the company’s debut in Tuscany. Hyatt.com

• Jet to Jersey this summer

Jersey is set to enjoy a summer boom with increased airlift from the UK. Starting May 24, Blue Islands will connect Norwich with the island. And Jet2 will increase its services to Jersey from Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle with seasonal flights starting in May 2022. BA Cityflyer will operate a twice-weekly service between the island and London City Airport, starting June 20. visitjersey.com

• COMO’s wellness focus

A new COMO Shambhala Retreat at COMO Castello Del Nero has opened in Italy–the first Asianinspired wellbeing experience in Tuscany. Located at the heart of a historic 740-acre estate, the retreat combines targeted treatments, wellbeing experts and features thermal suites and a 25m pool. comohotels.com

• Five-star Falkensteiner

Family-focused Falkensteiner Hotel Diadora in Zadar, Crotia, will reopen in 2022 after an extensive renovation and upgrade to a five-star hotel. It will feature new restaurants, a spa, cinema and ‘children’s world’, including a science camp. falkensteiner.com

Trade talk 50 / Show report

pACIFIC & AustRAlAsIA

Room boom in New Zealand

With its borders now fully open, New Zealand has a host of new and soon-to-be-open hotels for visitors. Some of the most hotly anticipated openings for 2022 include the five-star Mayfair Hotel in Christchurch, which will have 70 luxury rooms; Kaikoura’s Sudima, a four-and-a-half-star waterfront hotel with mountain and sea views and carboNZero certification; the Radisson Collection Hotel in Queensland, which will be the first Radisson Collection property in New Zealand with 61 rooms and a day spa; and the five-star Te Arikini Pullman Auckland Airport Hotel with 311 rooms and views of the Manukau Harbour.

Already open is the The Hotel Britomart in Auckland, a five-star boutique hotel with 99 rooms, five luxury rooftop suites and New Zealand’s first Five Green Star hotel; the five-star Park Hyatt Auckland, overlooking the Waitemata Harbour with 195 rooms; Auckland’s five-star Hotel Fitzroy, a 10-room boutique hotel; Ebb Dunedin, a boutique hotel with 28 rooms; and Naumi Studio Hotel in Wellington. newzealand.com

New connections to tahiti

Air Tahiti Nui and its partner Alaska Airlines are opening a new access point to Polynesia from the USA. The new route connecting Seattle to the Islands of Tahiti will be available from October 4, 2022.

Flying on a Boeing 787-9, the addition of the two weekly Wednesday and Sunday flights will bring the total weekly number of flights operated by Air Tahiti Nui to North America to 15 during the high season. airtahitinui.com; alaskaair.com

Oz pushes working holidays

Tourism Australia is encouraging 18–30-year-olds in the UK to apply for a Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa, following research that found 57% of young Brits would consider travelling to Australia as a working holidaymaker.

The research was commissioned by Tourism Australia to understand the post-pandemic mindsets of young working Brits, and to encourage uptake of Australia’s Working Holiday Maker visa.

The visa allows Brits aged between 18-30 the opportunity to continue their career whilst enjoying an extended stay for a period of up to three years. working holidaymakers can nowwork for the same employer or organisation for more than the previous cap of six months until December 31, 2022.

Since it announced the return of WHM, 79% of applications have been granted, compared to the same period in 2019. australia.com

Sponsored by: Tourism Fiji unitepromotions.co.uk

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Bubble bookings to Fiji

Passengers can now block the seat next to them as part of a new Bubble Seat Blocker service from Fiji Airways. My Bubble Seat Blocker allows passengers to book the seat beside them in Economy Class to maintain social distance, allowing more personal space and offer extra comfort. fijiairways.com

• Bora Bora island hop

A new direct flight from Bora Bora to Tetiaroa will launch from May 3 to October 25, 2022. Operated by The Brando hotel’s private airline, Air Tetiaroa, the one-hour flight will depart every Tuesday at 12.30pm, making it easier to travel between the French Polynesian islands. thebrando@vaimaislands.com

• Fiji expo returns

Tourism Fiji will be hosting its eighth Fijian Tourism Expo from May 11-13, 2022, the first face-toface tourism event since 2019. Dubbed Tourism Fiji’s premier event for the year, the expo will showcase Fiji’s tourism offerings and experiences to international buyers, trade partners and media. fiji.travel

• three free on Cook cruise

Fiji-based Captain Cook Cruises has launched the daily inclusion of ocean swimming each morning on its three-, four-, seven- and 11-night cruises. The cruise line is also offering three nights free when travellers book seven nights on all Reef Endeavour small ship cruises, valid on cruises taken from now until March 2023. captaincookcruisesfiji.com

Sponsored by: Utah Office of Tourism unitepromotions.co.uk

usA

Civil Rights trail expands

2022 sees the addition of two new sites and one expansion along the U.S. Civil Rights Trail in Tennessee – including the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis. The new sites bring the number of stops on the trail in Tennessee to 14.

The National Museum of African American Music, which has celebrated its one-year anniversary, is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced, and inspired by African Americans. The ‘One Nation Under a Groove’ gallery is focused on how music inspired the Civil Rights Movement.

The gallery’s educational programmes and events spotlight the achievements and influences of African American music.

In Memphis, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, located on the original site of Stax Records studio since 2003, pays special tribute to the artists who recorded there, as well as other American soul legends. Stax has also launched its second annual Virtual Black History Month Tour.

Another Memphis site on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail is Clayborn Temple, which has now expanded to include “I AM A MAN” Plaza,. It remembers those who rallied in the historic 1968 Memphis sanitation strikes. tnvacation.com

Aer lingus offers u.s. dozen

Aer Lingus has resumed flying to several major U.S. routes from its Dublin base for the first time since 2020.

The returning services include Philadelphia (from June 7), Los Angeles (May 12) and Seattle (July 7). A second daily flight to Washington DC will begin from June 9 and the airline also introduced a second, fivetimes-weekly service on April 8.

In October, Aer Lingus will resume flights to Miami, Florida. In total, the airline will fly to 12 transatlantic routes from Dublin: New York JFK, Newark, Miami, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Washington DC, Seattle, Toronto and Philadelphia (and to New York, JFK and Boston via Shannon).

UK customers can now make connections in Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle and Leeds Bradford and Bristol, before travelling through Aer Lingus’ hub at Dublin.

Additional UK connections from Exeter and Newquay started on April 29.

Connecting to North America via Dublin, UK travellers experience the benefit of U.S. Immigration Pre-clearance before they depart. aerlingus.com.com

Alabama’s offers All-in-One

The Alabama Tourism Department has a new All-in-One ticket in 2022 which allows agents to package key state attractions at a set price. Clients can use the ticket to visit attractions that include Equal Justice Initiative’s 50,000 sq ft Legacy Museum, which opened October 1, 2021; The Clotilda – the last American slave ship; Culinary powerhouse, one-of-a-kind Rane Center in Auburn, opening in July 2022; and Orion amphitheater, opening in Huntsville in May. alabama.travel Trade talk Show report / 51

NEWS IN BRIEF

• train with Amelia Island

Amelia Island, a chain of barrier islands on Florida’s Atlantic coast, has launched a trade training programme for the UK and Irish markets. Available on the Online Travel Training (OTT), site, the training highlights the Islands’ history of Spanish, French, British and American rule as well as its luxury resorts, golf courses sandy beaches and three-hour proximity to Orlando Airport. onlinetraveltraining.com

• Beach trail from Daytona

Daytona Beach has launched a Cars, Craft and Culture – The Ultimate Daytona Beach Trail Guide, designed to take visitors off the beaten path. Interactive maps for each themed trail are available, including the new Share the Heritage Trail, Monuments and Statues Trail, an Iconic Trail and a Motorsports Trail. These are in addition to favourites Hiking and Biking Trails and the Ale Trail. daytonabeach.com