BTN - ITB 2010 Day 3 by Breaking Travel News

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ITB Berlin Special Edition

Friday 12 March 2010

www.breakingtravelnews.com S P E C I A L R E P O R T

World Travel Awards 2010 nominees announced page 15

Hospitality

Sport Tourism:

intelligence report page 6

a booming sector page 10

Luxury Hospitality back with a bang page 70

Mobile internet usage to double by 2013

The mobile has eclipsed the PC as the world’s most powerful communications device. This endorsement was given by Google CEO Eric Schmidt at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month, when he named his company’s strategy as “mobile first”.

Programmers at Google, he said, work on mobile first, then other platforms. “Young people don’t call it a mobile phone, they just call it a phone,” Schmidt said. “A device that is not connected is not interesting, it’s lonely. An app that does not leverage the power of the cloud is not interesting.” The implications for the travel industry are overwhelming. Over two thirds of leisure travellers and three quarters of business

travellers have already used their mobile devices to find local services such as accommodation, according to hotelmarketing.com. There were over 450 million mobile internet users worldwide and that number is expect to double by 2013.

Johannesburg (http://joburg.city.mobi/), Pretoria (http://pretoria.mobi/), Nelspruit (http://nelspruit.city.mobi/), Polokwane (http://polokwane.city.mobi/), and Rustenburg (http://rustenburg.city.mobi/).

Not having a mobile website is no longer a luxury for the travel industry. Hotels and resorts in particular are adjusting their budgets to incorporate mobile into their overall marketing strategies.

Realizing the importance of the web, businesses have invested heavily in creating functional websites with commerce capabilities. Now that web-enabled mobile phones are coming onto the market and data tariff rates are falling, businesses must realize the importance of mobile websites especially since there will be a momentous shift in the market – more smart phones will be sold than PCs by 2011.

Mobile market penetration is over 100 percent in some areas of the world which means that people can own more than one phone at a time. In Africa, where access to the internet is scarce, mobile has become the communication device of choice and the world is experiencing an entire generation who are skipping PCs and going straight to mobile. Mobile sales in these regions are booming. This summer will see mobile internet come of age at the FIFA 2010 World Cup. Football fans visiting South Africa now have the technology at their disposal to use the mobile as a way to connect, communicate and share, just as they would with a PC. This includes having access to local information about events, dining, and attractions during their stay, and on the move. Free mobile services which provide this information such as city.mobi – the mobile travel guide to over 600 destinations worldwide – is the ideal platform for mobile advertisers to reach this engaged audience. City.mobi provides detailed information about accommodation, attractions, dining, city guides, and transport information tailored for users on the go. During the World Cup the host cities on city.mobi offer up to date mobile scores, group standings, and match schedules. These cities include Durban (http://durban.city.mobi/), Port Elizabeth (http://portelizabeth.city.mobi/), Bloemfontein (http://bloemfontein.mobi/),

One of the travel companies that has embraced mobile technology has been Sandals Resorts. The luxury all-inclusive brand has teamed up with London-based mobile web development firm World Mobi to create sandalsresorts.mobi, a mobile hub that showcases its twelve Caribbean properties. Without a website optimised for the mobile internet, consumers will be viewing full PC websites on their mobile phone resulting in a poor user experience and unsatisfied customers. Mobile websites are specifically designed for the internet on mobile devices as the user experience is entirely different. The device is smaller. The screen is minuscule compared to other desktop displays. Input methods are often different than that of a QWERTY keyboard and the user might access the mobile web using one hand while the other hand holds a cup of coffee or grips a train handle. The PC took 30 years to reach 85 million people and the mobile phone took 35 years to reach 2.7 billion. Increasingly, mobile phones are becoming internet enabled and therefore having sites optimised for all portals looking into the one web are essential for consumers to have the best user experience in order to maintain brand integrity.

info@world.mobi | www.world.mobi Hom Home me

Suites Suites

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Review

Rooms with unrivalled views

Celebrating 20 years in business, Rocky Mountaineer is known around the world for its unique rail journeys through the heart of British Columbia and Alberta, offering travellers a firsthand view of the incredible landscapes of Western Canada. Rocky Mountaineer’s efforts were rewarded last November when it won “World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train” at the World Travel Awards. The secret to Rocky Mountaineer’s success is how it gives guests an opportunity to see stunning mountain scenery while indulging their senses with culinary delights and sumptuous surroundings. Rocky Mountaineer’s GoldLeaf Service is the epitome of style, with reserved seating in the upper-level of a glass domed coach which allows for perfect photo opportunities to catch a moose, black bear or any number of wildlife you may encounter. For two meals per day, GoldLeaf guests descend a spiral staircase to a luxurious private dining room complete with white linen tablecloths, gleaming silverware and fresh flowers. Enjoy outstanding three-course, à la carte meals, made with the finest and freshest ingredients indigenous to the regions. Rocky Mountaineer guests enjoy preboarding privileges and preferred baggage handling, and the personalized services of the Onboard Attendants. The company also offers over 45 vacation packages highlighting the best of Western Canada and the Canadian Rockies. Exclusive packages include stays at some of the iconic Fairmont Properties including The Fairmont Chateau Whistler, The Fairmont Banff Springs and The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. The breathtaking scenery of Canada’s West brings people from all over the world to visit but watching the landscapes pass by your window as you travel onboard a luxurious and beautifully appointed railcar is the ultimate experience.

rockymountaineer.com

1 Northumberland Avenue Trafalgar Square London WC2N 5BW Tel: +44 (0) 20 7925 0000 www.breakingtravelnews.com To subscribe to the free daily newsletter: subscribe@breakingtravelnews.com or sign up via the website For editorial feedback: Anton Strack – Editor Christopher O’Toole – Junior Editor editor@breakingtravelnews.com

For advertising: advertising@breakingtravelnews.com Chairman, CEO: Graham Cooke Executive Vice President: Manon Han Senior Vice President: David Falcon Group Vice President: Kevin Taylor Global Directors: Sion Rapson, Chris Frost, Khalil El-Mouelhy, Max Miller, James Khan Editor: Anton Strack Writers: Christopher O’Toole, Adam Coulter, Chris Whitfield, Mike Starling, Leah Benrimoj Marketing & Publishing Manager: Deanna Walker Online Marketing Manager: Chris Whitfield

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Focus

Hospitality intelligence report

Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London

With the double whammy of swine flu and the global downturn, last year was one of the worst on record for hospitality. But with 2010 getting off to a bright start, when can we expect a return to pre-recession levels?

The hotel sector, like aviation, has had one of its worst years on record in 2009. In fact, demand fell more than was seen in the 1990-91 and post9/11 recessions, according to research from BTN partner PhoCusWright. Demand declined 5.5-6% in 2010, compared to declines of 2% in 2002 and 1% in 1991. The good news is that PhoCusWright predicts that demand will be up 1-1.5% this year, with growth in 2011 of up to 5%. The report sounds a word of warning: however positive those demand growth numbers sound, they still do not add up to an increase in demand over 2007 levels until at least 2011.

storm the best, attracting the traditional four and even five-star market, in particular business travellers.

upscale segment’s occupancy levels rose 3.6% to 62.6%, followed by the luxury segment with a 0.7% increase to 61.1%.

The top performers have been Holiday Inn Express, Premier Inn (which aims to become the biggest budget hotel operator in London by 2012), and Travelodge, whose rooms rates can start at £19.

The big question is whether we will see a pick up in the sector this year.

At the top end of the sector, the likes of Four Seasons, Jumeirah, Ritz-Carlton, Rosewood and the high-end luxury brands of the main chains such as Hilton’s Conrad, InterContinental and Starwood’s Sheraton all found themselves having to either lower rates or run a series of special offers. Three-for-two offers, upgrades to suites, added value extras like free Wi-Fi and breakfast and vouchers offering money off on hotel services flooded the market in a bid to attract the luxury and business traveller.

A number of trends dominated the hotel sector last year: top-end luxury chains found themselves struggling to retain occupancy rates, swine flu devastated the Mexico hotel market and beyond. And the budget hotels – like the low-cost carriers – enjoyed a boom year.

And it seems to have paid off: by the end of last year the top-end properties at least in the US had appeared to turn a corner.

In fact it is the budget brands that have ridden out the economic

According to figures from STR Global, the so-called upper

According to STR, the trend in the European hotel sector this year is likely to be one of recovery rather than growth. December marked a turning point for Europe: overall, Europe saw a 3.1% increase in occupancy, and a 2.2% increase in REVpar. However, ADR was still down, though only slightly at 0.9%. London led the way, outperforming all but one of its European counterparts with revenue per available room (revPAR) growth in December compared to 2008 of 19.1% (Oslo recorded 20%). London has also recently welcomed the largest new hotel opening in more than a decade: the £350m Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, which has 1,021 rooms and the second largest ballroom space in London after the Marriott Grosvenor House.

“With a return to RevPAR growth last December, European hoteliers can look forward to some improvement in market conditions this year provided overall economic circumstances do not further deteriorate”, said Elizabeth Randall, managing director of STR Global. But Randall warned: “This news must be mitigated by the fact that comparisons are with very poor performances in the last quarter of 2008, but with demand beginning to trend upwards and supply holding steady there is room for cautious optimism.” Europe is also in a good position to maintain this steady recovery: expected new hotel rooms to enter the market in the coming years represents only 1.4% of existing stock. Compare this to 9.8% in the Middle East/Africa region or 7.3% in the USA and Europe’s position starts to look more favourable. Meanwhile, in the US occupancy levels and revenues continued to fall towards the end of 2009. In the US, overall occupancy levels fell 2.9% compared to 2008, to 48.1%.

breakingtravelnews.com

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Yas Hotel, Abu Dhabi

Swine flu As pandemics go, swine flu had a devastating impact on the country from which it allegedly sprang as SARS did on Hong Kong. At the height of the outbreak, during May 2009, Mexico recorded a 51% year-on-year drop in tourist arrivals, a 91% drop in cruise passengers and hotel occupancy rates in single figures. Though well on the way to recovery now, with occupancy rates back up to sustainable levels, the impact on the sector has been significant, with revenue from tourism down by 15% for 2009 when compared to 2008 – to $11.28 billion (£7.2 billion). China meanwhile, despite continuing to record extraordinary growth levels, was not immune to the global hotel downturn. Its revPAR fell by 26.2% compared with a year ago – compared to an 8.7% year-on-year increase in GDP. Data from STR Global shows the decline in revPAR was largely due to falling average daily rate (ADR) of 21% with further impetus from declines in occupancy of 6.5%.

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The fall off in occupancy came amid significant increases in hotel supply during the last few years. STR Global’s Census database shows a 5% increase in available rooms across the country for 2009 compared to the prior year. Dubai, never far from the headlines, also suffered acutely last year as the construction and hospitality bubble finally burst, leaving hotels half-finished and the high-end properties empty.

So will the hotel sector pick up now that many international economies are officially out of recession? According to PhoCusWright: “If your measure of recovery is “the point at which things stop getting much worse,” then the sector may well be in recovery. “However, the hotel industry will not regain strength until 2012 and will not ‘recover’ to previous peak levels until well beyond.”

It also led to the debut of a previously unlikely hotel chain: Premier Inn, which opened its first property in the emirate in a bid to lure cost-conscious business travellers away from its high-end rivals. It was left to neighbour Abu Dhabi, which has always suffered from an acute shor tage of hotel rooms, to record the highest increase in room rates worldwide. Last year saw the opening of the new F1 racetrack complex complete with hotel; this year will see the opening of a number of international brands including Aloft by Starwood, Radisson Blue and IHG’s Crowne Plaza, Fairmont and Shangri-La, which should help bring rates down to more realistic levels.

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View our client list which includes some of the world’s leading travel industry brands at www.worldmobi.co.uk/portfolio Contact World Mobi to discuss development of your mobile website. Tel: +44(0)20 7925 0000 info@world.mobi www.world.mobi

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Mobile Technology

Aviation greets the mobile revolution

The airline industry has embraced the mobile market to advance both customer service offerings and marketing initiatives. What are the market leaders doing correctly and what can we learn from them? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no surprise to anyone that mobile is the way forward for the travel industry. However, the rapid increase in consumer demand for smart phones and mobile devices has exploded, leading to ABI research predicting that there will be fifty five times more mobile consumer electronics by 2014. In 2009, there were 450 million mobile internet users worldwide and this is expected to double by 2013 according to IDC, a market intelligence firm. Targeting mobile as a key strategy fits well with the airline industry because travellers are mobile savvy and often rely on the mobile web for information on the go. In the late 90's the airline industry was one of the first to begin testing of mobile technologies. Many of the major carriers have developed a mobile strategy and in a report last year by Gomez Inc, a leader in web performance benchmarking and dotMobi, the company behind the .mobi internet domain, it was acknowledged that the airline industry leads in mobile web performance benchmarks. What have some of the leaders in this field accomplished so far and what knowledge have we gained about this booming medium?

Continental Airlines Mobile Advertising Campaign In the summer of 2009, Continental Airlines did a mobile advertising campaign across various mobile websites including MSNBC, NBA, and NBC to create brand awareness about their reduced fare promotion which included banner advertising. Using successful targeting, the campaign was able to reach frequent business travellers and purchase intent increased by 22.2 percent.

breakingtravelnews.com

Because airline seat inventory is perishable, airlines need to target the right customer segment to offer the right discounted inventory. Mobile allows for personalized and highly-targeted advertising because of the unique nature of mobile to have one owner. This means advertising can be tracked down to the individual person allowing airlines to offer their perishable inventory to different market segments at different prices based on their demographic profiles.

Lufthansa Mobile Lufthansa, one of the leaders in the mobile marketing field, which has proven success in using advanced mobile technology to improve their bottom line, recently added new and enhanced features to its mobile site. This led to a 50 percent increase in mobile bookings. The new mobile site has features such as airline news, flight status updates, timetables, mobile check-in, flight booking, easy access to your account information and airline miles, a facility to check your booking information and the ability to select your favourite seat on their airline all from your mobile. Lufthansa mobile even offers reservations in 12 different languages.

boarding passes are very convenient to the passenger and have proven to cut boarding times down considerably. As an additional benefit, mobile boarding passes actually prevent security issues because it cannot be duplicated.

Designing for different mobile devices With devices like the iPhone, a unique demand for good usability tailored for individual devices emerges. The interface of a Blackberry is an entirely different experience to that of the iPhone due to the way our fingers manipulate menus and information. Lufthansa added features for specific devices such as touch phones and other smart phones, which has increased the user flow and resulted in a higher conversion rate of mobile reservations.

While mobile banner advertising and mobile customer service offerings are large parts of mobile strategies today, SMS marketing also has its own specific advantages including the ability to target individuals with relevant advertising based on their individual phone number. SMS ads have very high open rates and response rates do to the personal nature of the mobile phone and is ideal for sending special airline deals to OPT-IN subscribers. According to recent research from Nielsen, there are four billion mobile phone subscriptions globally, emphasizing the importance for more airlines to offer mobile Web facilities for travellers on the move. We will definitely be seeing more advanced mobile initiatives as the industry begins to mature.

Mobile Boarding Pass Mobile boarding passes are revolutionary for the future of travel. The passes are two dimensional bar codes which are sent to a passenger's mobile phone. When they are scanned by security checkpoints or airline officials it displays passenger and flight information. Mobile

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Sport Tourism

Image: Visit Brazil

London 2012 Olympic stadium - Image: www.london2012.com

Sport tourism: a booming sector With the World Cup, Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games, this year is set to be a record-breaker for sport tourism. Mike Starling gives the low down on the legacies created by hosting world-class sporting events.

The year 2010 promises to be one of the most memorable for sports fans across the globe. With the Winter Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, and Commonwealth Games just three of the mega-events in the calendar, sports travel is proving to be one of the most lucrative sectors of the tourism industry, worth an estimated US$600billion. Even more than the short-term tourism benefits, mega-sporting events are judged most by the long-term legacies they create. There has been conflicting reports about visitor numbers and profits generated at Beijing 2008, but one thing that cannot be doubted is how the Olympics acted as a catalyst for growth in the capital and China. In preparation more than 37 stadiums and venues were built; a new terminal designed by Norman Foster was opened at Beijing International Airport; and more than 109 hotel projects took place. And in February it was revealed that the north section of the iconic ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic

Stadium would be transformed into an 80-room hotel. The legacy of the Olympics include the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai; the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, in November this year; and the Summer Youth Games in Nanjing in 2014. So what measures are the host cities for forthcoming megaevents putting in place to ensure they leave a lasting legacy?

LONDON, UK Event: 2012 summer Olympic Games Although it will be London hosting the majority of the sporting events during the 2012 Olympics, regional tourism boards around the United Kingdom are gunning for tourism success in the years after the Games are held. Tourism has been identified as the number one Olympic legacy and research by VisitBritain and Visit London indicates that for the UK as a whole the Olympic Games could generate tourism

gains of £2.1bn in total from 2007-2017. In fact the legacy effect for the post-Games period (2013-17) is forecast to be worth £1.27bn for the UK, nearly a third of which (£400million) falls outside London.

SOCHI, RUSSIA Event: 2014 Winter Olympic Games The Black Sea coastal city will see huge investment for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games – with more than 180 infrastructure facilities seeing upgrades or new construction. Among the infrastructure changes include improvements to Sochi International Airport; a new Sochi Metro; roads; rail links and 42,437 hotel rooms. The most ambitious project is Federation Island – a 350-hectare artificial island costing US$6.2bn. Built in the shape of the Russian Federation, it will have private residences, hotels and cultural and leisure facilities on seven main islands and more than 12 private islands.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL Events: 2014 World Cup finals and 2016 Olympic Games When Rio de Janeiro was named host city of the 2016 Olympic Games, Brazil celebrated a World Cup and Olympic double jackpot. To capitalise on the two megaevents the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism and its tourism board Embratur announced a 10-year strategy for 2010-2020. Key targets for the 2010-2020 period include achieving a 113 per cent increase in international tourism, ending with 11.1 million inbound, foreign visitors; a 304 per cent increase in foreign currency derived from foreign tourist spending within Brazil, garnering US$17.6billion; and an increase in visitors by 500,000 in 2014 (as compared to 2013), and by 15 per cent in 2016 (as compared to 2015). Rio’s bid also guaranteed that more than 52,800 hotel rooms would be available with more than 50 hotels built from scratch.

breakingtravelnews.com

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com

Beijing Stadium - Image: Tom Caswell

2010 – THE BEST OF THE REST Yes, this year’s sporting calendar is all about FIFA 2010, but there are a number of sporting spectacles such as golf’s majors, tennis grand slams and thousands of amateur tournaments that will also generate tourism dollars worldwide. Here is the best of the rest:

Tour de France – Holland/Belgium/France (July 2010)

Tour de France - Image: ASO

Held over 20 stages, the 97th Tour de France will start in the Dutch city of Rotterdam before visiting Brussels and Spa in Belgium and then locations across France. In 2009 it was estimated that during the 21-day event there were approximately 15 million spectators.

Ryder Cup – Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, Wales (October 2010) The Europe versus US showdown will enhance Wales’ growing reputation as a golf tourism hotspot. The total number of golf visitors to Wales increased by 19 per cent between 2004-2008 (to 165,900) and according to Ryder Cup Wales, the volume of golfing visitors increased by 50 per cent as a direct result of the Ryder Cup.

The global market place for sport tourism Uniquely co-located alongside the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, World Sport Destination Expo (WSDE) is the world’s first exhibition and conference dedicated to showcasing the $600 billion a year sports tourism industry. Fully endorsed by the leading authorities in travel and tourism, WSDE will present a momentous first opportunity national tourist boards, host nations and cities, and sporting resorts and hotels to conduct business, source new contacts and markets, gain top-level insights and showcase their brand capabilities on a global stage. World Sport Destination Expo takes place at the SCC, Johannesburg, 5-9 July 2010. sion@worldsportdestinationexpo.com www.worldsportdestinationexpo.com Image: Celtic Manor Resort

breakingtravelnews.com

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Review

Luxury Hotel & Resort Mobile Site Review If you are a hotel marketer, make it a priority to build a mobile website this year.

Raffles Resorts

Shangri-LA

http://mobile.raffles.com

shangri-la.com

Approach: A concise resort information only mobile site.

Approach: Comprehensive mobile site - everything from viewing the various Shangri-La properties to managing and booking your stay is catered for.

The statistics speak for themselves. According to hotelmarketing.com, 67% of leisure travelers and 77% of business travelers have already used their mobile devices to find local services such as accommodation. In 2009 alone there were over 450 million mobile internet users worldwide and that number is expect to double by 2013.

Travellers are visiting mobile websites for hotel information in large numbers. According to a recent study by Nielsen, the most visited online travel agency mobile sites by unique monthly visitors were Travelocity (1.263 million), Expedia (1.258 million), Priceline (1.2 million), Orbitz (1.12 million) and Hotels.com (725,000).

Having a mobile website is no longer a luxury but a necessity for the travel industry and hotels & resorts particularity are adjusting their budgets to incorporate mobile into their overall marketing strategies.

We have looked at five different mobile websites and reviewed them for approach, design, technical, content, and an overall rating.

Conrad Hotels & Resorts

Categories are ranked out of 5.

St. Regis

The Saxon

mobile.stregismb.com

http://thesaxon.mobi

Approach: To the point no frills. Focused on functionality yet not an engaging brand experience.

Approach: An almost fully featured and well executed mobile site with an emphasis on getting across information about St. Regis.

Approach: Comprehensive and fully functional

Design: 2/5 Easy to navigate and fairly clean.

Design: 4/5 Great looking and easy to navigate.

Other than the masthead logo, branding and feel is lacking.

The design of the desktop version of their website has been translated well into a mobile site.

http://conrad.mobi

Design: 2/5 Very clean and minimalist - but in this case too much so. Other than the banner logo at the very top there is not much to identify it with the Raffles brand.

Design: 4/5 Great looking and excellent brand representation.

Necessary information is displayed however branding is lacking.

Navigation is very intuitive but the lack of a baked-in "back" button is a bit of an oversight.

Technical: Ready.mobi score 3/5 It should display very well on most if not all mobile devices. Content: 3/5 All basic info seems available however engaging relevant content is absent. Overall: 3/5 Simple but functional.

Technical: Ready.mobi score 5/5 The design and in turn the technical aspects of this site allow it to work great on most mobile devices, be it the iphone or a much simpler non-smart phone. Optimised for the Apple iphone to enhance user experience. Content: 5/5 Comprehensive content. The mobile website allows guests to reserve, modify or cancel a booking with real-time availability.

Technical: Ready.mobi score 4/5 Sluggish but it displays well on a mobile phone. Content: 3/5 To the point hotel information with real time booking functionality and ability to review or change an existing reservation. Overall: 3/5 Serves its functional purpose but lacks engaging experience.

Technical: Ready.mobi score 3/5 It displays well on most if not all mobile devices. Content: 4/5 Comprehensive with booking facility and resort information. Overall: 4/5 Great looking with an emphasis on resort information and educating the guest.

Design: 4/5 Clean, with a concise branding tie-in. Features a rotating slide show and easy to use breadcrumb navigation on the top and bottom of the content. Technical: Ready.mobi score 4/5 It displays well on a mobile phone. Includes click-to-call mobile booking functionality. Content: 5/5 Comprehensive resort information with a good mix of complementary images. The "share" button is a nice addition. Overall: 4/5 Great branding with fully featured resort imagery and content.

Enhanced photography and interactive maps. Overall: 5/5 Great looking, well thought out and comprehensive mobile site.

breakingtravelnews.com

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Charles de Foucault with Miss Vietnam

Special Interview a special reward to have your guests and travel partners recognize you in this way. BTN: Earlier this year, AYANA rebranded to become an independent hotel managed by West Paces Hotel Group. What changes did this include?

Amazing Ayana Charles de Foucault is the General Manager of Bali’s incredible AYANA Resort and Spa, voted “Asia’s Leading Luxury Resort” at the 2009 World Travel Awards. AYANA’s sumptuous luxury aims to provide the ultimate escape from the stresses of modern living. So what goes into creating a resort where guests feel like the only people on earth? BTN delves deeper.

CdF: West Paces replaced the former management company, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, and appointed several new key management positions to the hotel’s Executive Committee. Horst Schulze, the founder of West Paces and the former founder and president of Ritz-Carlton LLC, introduced a new service philosophy which we call the ‘Canon’, embodying our mission, objectives and 24 service principles by which all staff must adhere. Facilities have also undergone an intensive upgrade. We have opened Bali’s most spectacular sunset venue, The Rock Bar; appointed a new chef and launched a new concept at DAVA restaurant; renovated Padi Restaurant, Damar Terrace restaurant, our conferencing facilities and Ballroom. And we have just appointed a new Executive Chef, Italian Giordano Faggioli, who joins us from the St Regis Beijing. We are continuing to evolve every day!

BTN: How would you describe the AYANA experience?

different guests need never bump into each other!

BTN: How would you like the hotel to evolve?

CdF: Magical, unique and friendly. It is a very romantic property with a lot of secluded hideaways spread out along the 1.3km coastline and the 77-hectares of tropical gardens, so that it never feels busy even when occupancy is at peak levels. Guests come here and discover a new experience every day, exploring our 13 dining and bar venues including the Rock Bar; our five pools; secluded beach; cycling and trekking tours; our world-renowned Thalasso spa and Aquatonic pool; and the extensive recreational facilities. This is all surrounded by the Balinese hospitality and ancient rituals, so guests will see staff making an offering to the gods or joining a ceremony at a temple, and staff will engage the guest in their activities. This cultural vibrancy adds a very unique aspect to your typical resort sanctuary.

BTN: Which aspects of AYANA are you most proud of?

CdF: I think we are on a good trajectory right now, which is a reflection of our loyal customers who continue to support us. We will continue to make serving our guests our highest priority; everything else – the upgrades, service and awards such as the WTA – is a direct consequence of that.

BTN: Which are your key markets? CdF: Japan remains our biggest market but our customer mix is diversifying throughout Asia, Australia and Europe this year. Most of our guests are newly-weds or wedding parties attending a ceremony at AYANA. We also attract a lot of corporate incentive groups because of our extensive MICE facilities, and the sheer size of the resort means that these

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CdF: Our facilities are in a class of their own, but what I’m most proud of is our staff, they really treat every guest like an old friend who they are welcoming into their home. And guests remark that this warm service is in fact what brings them back to AYANA time after time; it is the single biggest factor in our customer-return ratio of 40%, which is extremely high for a resort hotel in a market as competitive as Bali. BTN: In November you won “Asia’s Leading Luxury Resort” at the World Travel Awards. Why do you think you won in such a tough category? CdF: Again, luxury is more about the ‘software’ than the ‘hardware’. Anyone with money can build a beautiful resort and world-class facilities, but it’s the service and warmth of the people that money can’t buy. This genuine, caring service comes very naturally to the Balinese, and although it may sound like a cliché, our staff really are our greatest asset. They go to extreme lengths to exceed every guest’s individual preferences, from how you take your coffee to how you like your pillows set on your bed. While they do this without awards in mind, it is always

BTN: How would you describe the spa? CdF: Our spa is one of our most iconic features. It is not only the biggest on the island, it also has the most extensive menu with traditional Indonesian therapies and French Thalasso therapies. The Aquatonic Seawater Therapy Pool is one of the largest in the world but the most exclusive part is the Spa on the Rocks villas, anchored on rocks amidst the ocean. BTN: How is the downturn affecting AYANA, and what are your strategies to deal with it? CdF: Bali has been relatively buffered compared to other destinations, perhaps because it is still very good value, and because of its unique attractions, location and accessibility. Bali’s tourism data shows some key markets such as South Korea and Japan have dropped off, but this has been

more than outweighed by growth in markets such as Australia, France and China. In competing for these markets, some hotels are slashing rates and offering a lot of free nights. We want to avoid the temptation to discount because inevitably this affects your ability to provide the services that our high standards require. Instead, we are being more creative and offering more ‘value’ for every dollar spent with us, with bonus dining and spa credits, for example. BTN: How has the downturn changed your role? CdF: Well, this is not my first downturn and as you are aware they come in cycles. After 1991, 2001 and SARS we have been put to the task and are able to adjust without affecting our customers. My hat simply turns into sales & marketing when this downturn takes place thus surrounding myself with a strong EAM Rooms and F&B for this project. BTN: How did you first get started in the hospitality industry? CdF: I was 16 years old and there was a restaurant very close to my home in France. I used to “do it all” and loved it. There was a special connection with the clients and I knew I could be successful doing this. I completed hotel school in Nice, France and left for the UK. Some 31 years later here I am in Bali after having travelled the globe. I am loving it! BTN: Which of your achievements are you most proud of and why? CdF: 17 + years with Ritz-Carlton was an amazing experience and I feel that I achieved what I set out to do there. Opening hotels and seeing them become ‘5 star/5 diamond’ properties is always a great achievement. On a personal front I am blessed with five daughters and a beautiful Spanish wife. I can’t complain! BTN: What’s your favourite hotel excluding AYANA and why? CdF: Hotel Arts Barcelona, Spain, Hotel du Palais, Biarritz, France. I got married in Hotel Arts and have wonderful memories of both hotels. BTN: What key attributes do you look for in potential staff? CdF: Genuine care, because that will drive a good work ethic. Dedication, because that will drive results. And leadership, because that will get the most out of the entire team.

ayanaresort.com

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World Sport Destination Expo is the world’s first global exhibition and congress dedicated to showcasing the $600 billion a year sport tourism industry. At a time when traditional tourism trends are in decline, sport tourism continues to flourish and is set to grow dramatically in the next decade. Participation in World Sport Destination Expo is vital to those companies involved in the sport tourism market-place, and those serious in assuming a market share of the industry’s fastest growing sector. Over 5 dynamic business-focussed days you will be in pole position to: • Conduct lucrative business deals with the leading international tour operators • Meet face to face with the key corporate buyers and event organisers • Educate the industry about your capabilities to host major events • Explore and enter new international markets • Gain deep insights in to the latest developments in the sport tourism industry • Meet all the key industry players in a focused business environment • Showcase your brand credentials on a global stage Do not miss out on the travel and tourism event of the year. To exhibit go to www.worldsportdestinationexpo.com/exhibiting To visit go to www.worldsportdestinationexpo.com/visiting For more information contact info@worldsportdestinationexpo.com Partners

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WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS

2 010

worldtravelawards.com

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‘The Oscars of the Travel Industry’ Wall Street Journal

World Travel Awards 2010 Grand Tour After a rigorous selection procedure, Dubai (UAE), Johannesburg (South Africa), Orlando (Florida, USA), Antalya (Turkey), New Delhi (India) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) have been chosen to stage the six World Travel Awards regional ceremonies, with the winners progressing to the Grand Final in London (UK) in November. Celebrating its 17th anniversary, the World Travel Awards has grown into a truly global search for the very best travel and tourism brands, and is heralded by the Wall Street Journal as the “Oscars of the travel industry”. The choice of hosts reflects those destinations that are making the greatest contribution to the global travel industry in 2010 – iconic places with such a relentless drive to do things better they stand in a class of their own.

Haifa Wehbe performing at the Middle East & Africa Ceremony, Abu Dhabi, 2007.

The World Travel Awards is delighted to unveil the destinations that will play host to its 2010 Grand Tour.

The growth of sport tourism, a sector now worth US$600 billion, is reflected strongly in the choice of this year’s World Travel Awards host venues. Rio de Janeiro, for example, is riding the quest of a sporting wave, having bagged hosting rights to the 2016 Olympics to add to its FIFA World Cup 2014 conquest. The ‘Cidade Maravilhosa’ (marvellous city) will play host to the World Travel Awards South America Ceremony on 20 October. Johannesburg, which is adding the finishing touches to its preparations as a host city of this summer’s World Cup, will set the stage for the WTA Africa Ceremony on 7 July. And

London, currently gearing up for the 2012 Olympics, will host the WTA Grand Final on 7 November. Meanwhile those destinations that have created tourism miracles off the sporting field also feature prominently in this year’s WTA Grand Tour. Antalya, for example, has created a multi-million dollar tourism economy out of virtually nothing. Known as the ‘Pearl of the Mediterranean’, it has blossomed into Turkey’s holiday capital, and will play host to WTA European Ceremony, the fourth leg of the 2010 Grand Tour. Competition in this year’s WTA Grand Tour will undoubtedly prove hotter than ever. World Travel Awards has received a tremendous response to self nominations, which are up a phenomenal 50 per cent on 2009, with applicants from over 70 countries worldwide. This record number is conclusive evidence that World Travel Awards has become the “Oscars” of the global travel industry. Graham E. Cooke, Founder and President, World Travel Awards, said: “World Travel Awards is a unique benchmark for industry quality and business excellence in every region and sector.” “The increase in registered voters, despite a global recession, demonstrates the vital role that World Travel Awards plays. More multinational companies than ever, ranging from Etihad Airways and

Meet World Travel Awards team at Funkturm Tower @ ITB, outside Halls 14, 15 and 17 meet-at-itb@worldtravelawards.com

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World Travel Awards Grand Tour 2010 Chris Noth (aka “Mr Big”) with David Falcon, Senior Vice President, World Travel Awards, and Sheikh Faisal bin Khali Al Qasimi, at the Middle East & Africa Ceremony, Abu Dhabi, 2007.

TAP Portugal to InterContinental Hotels and Disney, are spearheading their global marketing campaigns with their award victories,” he added. This level of accountability makes the World Travel Awards the highest accolade in the travel industry and is why the award ceremony is broadcast by BBC World News and other networks to over 254 million households worldwide and attended by the industry’s global decision makers. For the tourism trade, winning a World Travel Award is more than an award – it is an endorsement from the thousands of professionals from around the globe, as well as gold seal to the consumer of travel excellence guaranteed.

The World Travel Awards has continuously evolved, expanding the number of awards as the industry has grown. There are now over 1,000 different categories – an understandable number seeing how the industry has diversified and given the fact that there were over 3,600 different nominees last year. As confidence returns to the global economy in 2010, the World Travel Awards will reward those travel and tourism players that are spearheading the recovery. And judging by the quality of nominations received ahead of the Grand Tour, 2010 is destined to be the biggest and most hotlycontested yet for the World Travel Awards.

Middle East Gala Ceremony Dubai, UAE 3 May 2010 Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony Johannesburg, South Africa 7 July 2010 North & Central American & Caribbean Gala Ceremony Orlando, Florida, USA 11 September 2010 Europe Gala Ceremony Antalya, Turkey 1 October 2010 Asia & Australasia Gala Ceremony New Delhi, India 14 October 2010

His Majesty King Zwelithini Goodwill kaBhekuzulu at the Africa Ceremony, Durban, 2008.

South America Gala Ceremony Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 20 October 2010 Grand Final London, UK 7 November 2010

worldtravelawards.com

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B U S I N E S S T R AV E L O R W E E K E N D G E TA W AY

It’s all in The Address

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Welcome to The Address Hotels + Resorts. Located in the most vibrant parts of the city, The Address Hotels + Resorts are defining the global standards of luxury hospitality. From business meetings to social rendezvous. From absolute relaxation to luxurious indulgences. It’s where worldclass services have been recreated to suit dicerning tastes. It’s where energy surrounds you the minute you walk in. It’s chic. It’s exciting. It’s all in The Address.

www.theaddress.com

T H E A D D R E S S D O W N TO W N D U B A I | T H E A D D R E S S D U B A I M A L L | THE ADDRESS DUBAI MARINA T H E A D D R E S S M O N T G O M E R I E D U B A I | T H E P A L A C E - T H E O L D TO W N C A L L + 9 7 1 4 4 2 3 8 8 8 8 | S TAY @ T H E A D D R E S S . C O M

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‘The Oscars of the Travel Industry’ Wall Street Journal

World Travel Awards Middle East Ceremony 2010 The Address Dubai Marina, Dubai, UAE • 3 May 2010 The World Travel Awards Grand Tour 2010 kicks off with the Middle East Ceremony, being held again this year in the exciting and rapidlychanging emirate of Dubai.

Travel and tourism companies and organisations from across the region, representing every industry sector, will be fighting for their chance to be recognised by the ‘Oscars’ of the travel industry. The event will take place at the new, luxurious, The Address Dubai Marina. This premier hotel stands tall in the heart of one of Dubai’s most vibrant neighbourhoods, where crystal

waters shimmer against modern architecture and luxury yachts moor alongside trendsetting restaurants. With 200 luxurious rooms, five superb restaurants and lounges, a relaxing spa, spectacular infinity pool and state of the art meeting and event facilities, The Address Dubai Marina is the perfect venue for the 2010 World Travel Awards Middle East Ceremony.

Tickets to World Travel Awards events are always in high demand, therefore early booking is always recommended. To secure your seats for this mustattend event for senior decision makers and global media, please contact our events team using the details below: Email: booking@worldtravelawards.com Telephone: +44 (0)207 925 0000

Sheikh Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum receiving awards from Graham E. Cooke, President & Founder of World Travel Awards, at a privately held ceremony.

“

The World Travel Awards ceremony is a fantastic event and a great networking opportunity for the travel industry…it makes sense to partner with a high profile and well-connected event like WTA.” Zina Neophytou Travel Distribution Account Director, BBC World News

Meet World Travel Awards team at Funkturm Tower @ ITB, outside Halls 14, 15 and 17 meet-at-itb@worldtravelawards.com

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Here is a selection of 2010 Middle East nominees… James Hogan, CEO, Etihad Airways, pictured with Jean-Claude Baumgarten, President & CEO, WTTC, at the 2009 Grand Final Ceremony. World's Leading Airline 2009

Anita Mehra Homayoun, Vice President Marketing & Corporate Communications, Dubai Airports; His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Middle East's Leading Airport

The Address Dubai Marina – venue for the Middle East Ceremony 2010.

n Safar Travel & Tourism n Sharaftravel n SNTTA - Sharjah National Travel & Tourist Agency

Middle East’s Leading Airline n Emirates n Etihad Airways n Kuwait Airways n MEA - Middle East Airlines n Oman Air n Qatar Airways n Royal Jordanian Airlines n Saudi Arabian Airlines Middle East’s Leading Beach Resort n Al Hamra Fort Hotel and Beach Resort, United Arab Emirates n Al Qasr at Madinat Jumeirah n Beach Rotana Hotel & Towers, Abu Dhabi n Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna, Abu Dhabi n InterContinental Al Bustan Palace Muscat, Oman n Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, Dubai n Jordan Valley Marriott Resort & Spa n Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah n Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa n Mina A'Salam at Madinat Jumeirah n One & Only Royal Mirage n Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort, Oman n Sheraton Coral Beach Hotel & Resort, Lebanon n The Chedi Muscat n The Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai n The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina Middle East’s Leading Business Travel Agency n Airlink International U.A.E n Dnata, Dubai n Kanoo n Omeir Travel agency, Abu Dhabi n Orient Travel n Overseas Travel Bureau, Qatar n Regency Travel & Tours, Qatar

Middle East’s Leading Destination n Abu Dhabi n Bahrain n Dubai n Oman n Qatar n Saudi Arabia Middle East's Leading Hotel n Al Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel n Al Qasr at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai n Atlantis The Palm, Dubai n Burj Al Arab, Dubai n Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi n Four Seasons Hotel Amman, Jordan n InterContinental Abu Dhabi n InterContinental Dubai Festival City n Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai n Le Méridien Towers Makkah n Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa, Dubai n One&Only Royal Mirage n Rosewood Corniche n Shangri-La Abu Dhabi n Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort, Oman n Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay n The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai n The Chedi Muscat, Oman n The Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai n The Ritz-Carlton Doha, Qatar Middle East’s Leading Private Jet Charter n Aircharter International n Al Jaber Aviation - AJA n ExecuJet Middle East n Prestige Jet n Royal Jet n VistaJet

For the full list of Middle East 2010 nominees visit www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees The Address Dubai Marina.

worldtravelawards.com

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Treasured Time. Our promise to you.

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Suhaim Bin Hamad Street, P.O. Box 9012, Doha Qatar. Tel: (+974) 4344444 Mob: (+974) 5677558 Fax: (+974) 4478956/4478296

E-mail: inbound@regencyholidays.com

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CHARMING QATAR Explore it with the award winners.

The superior quality of our travel services at Regency Travel & Tours has won us three years in a row the Middle East's Leading Travel Agency Award and the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leading Travel Agency Award. Our acclaimed travel expertise is behind every tour we conduct and we promise to deliver a pleasant and memorable experience. #HOOSE FROM A RANGE OF OUR PACKAGES s $OHA #ITY 4OUR s 3HOPPING 4OUR s /VERNIGHT 3AFARI s $HOW #RUISE $INNER s $ESERT 3AFARI s &ISHING 4RIP s .ORTH 1ATAR 4OUR s $UKHAN AND 7EST #OAST 4OUR s 3HAHANIYA 4OUR

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www.regencyholidays.com

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‘The Oscars of the Travel Industry’ Wall Street Journal

World Travel Awards Africa & Indian Ocean Ceremony 2010 Johannesburg, South Africa • 7 July 2010

Johannesburg

The World Travel Awards Africa & Indian Ocean Ceremony 2010 will take place this July in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Attended by leading industry figures, this event is set to be an outstanding success and a testament to the extraordinary innovation and diversity that is seen in the African tourism industry. Last year more than 200 organisations were nominated in 75 categories for the Africa and Indian Ocean region, including airlines, airports, hotels, car hire, destinations, resorts, spas and travel agencies.

The financial powerhouse of the country, Johannesburg is home to some of the finest nightlife and entertainment around, and has numerous opportunities for those who love the great outdoors. With the much-anticipated 2010 FIFA World Cup taking place in just a few months time, Johannesburg is busy preparing itself for the thousands of fans who are expected to flock to South Africa. The country’s tourism sector is expecting a significant boost in 2010.

Meet World Travel Awards team at Funkturm Tower @ ITB, outside Halls 14, 15 and 17 meet-at-itb@worldtravelawards.com

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Here is a selection of 2010 Africa & Indian Ocean nominees…

Pierre Delvaux (CEO), Christin Olofsson, Anita Vernes (Marketing Director) and Dan Olofsson (Chairman) from Thanda Private Game Reserve, accepting their 2009 award. World’s Leading Luxury Lodge 2009

Africa’s Leading Destination n Cape Town n City of Johannesburg n Kruger National Park n Luxor, Egypt n Marrakech n Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania n Serengeti n Sharm El Sheikh n Victoria Falls Africa’s Leading Low Cost Airline n 1time n Fly540 n Jet 4 You n Kulula n Mango

Raj Kamal Taposeea, Chairman, Air Mauritius; Miss Australia; Graham E. Cooke, President & Founder, World Travel Awards. Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline 2009

Tickets to World Travel Awards events are always in high demand, therefore early booking is always recommended. To secure your seats for this must-attend event for senior decision makers and global media, please contact our events team using the details below: Email: booking@worldtravelawards.com Telephone: +44 (0)207 925 0000

Africa’s Leading Safari Lodge n Chiawa Camp n Chobe Chilwero Lodge n Etali Safari Lodge n Finch Hattons n Gorah Elephant Camp n Legend Lodges, Entabeni Private Game Reserve n Londolozi Private Game Reserve n Makanyane n Royal Malewane n Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve n Shamwari Game Reserve n Shamwari Game Reserve n Singita Ebony Lodge n Thanda Private Game Reserve n Tuli Safari Lodge n Wolwedans Dunes Lodge & Dune

Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination n Comoros n Madagascar n Maldives n Mauritius n Seychelles n Sri Lanka Indian Ocean’s Leading Hotel n Banyan Tree Seychelles n Belle Mare Plage Resort n Château de Feuilles, Seychelles n Conrad Maldives Rangali Island n Legends n One&Only Le Saint Geran, Mauritius n Royal Palm Hotel, Mauritius n Soneva Gili, Maldives n Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives n The Fortress n The Oberoi Mauritius Indian Ocean’s Leading Villa n Adaaran Prestige Water Villas, Maldives n Banyan Tree Seychelles n Baros Residence, Baros Maldives n Delux Soneva Fushi Villa, Soneva Fushi Resort & Spa, Maldives n Hideaway Palace, Island Hideaway at Dhonakulhi Spa Resort & Marina n Koimala Land and Ocean Villa, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru n Presidential Villa, Banyan Tree Seychelles n Royal Kurumba Residence, Kurumba Maldives n The Royal Villa, Sainte Anne Resort & Spa, Seychelles n The Villa, One&Only Le Saint Geran, Mauritius

For the full list of Africa & Indian Ocean 2010 nominees visit www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees

worldtravelawards.com

ITB_BTN 2010_CommonSection_v2:Layout 1 26/02/2010 19:30 Page 30

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‘The Oscars of the Travel Industry’ Wall Street Journal

World Travel Awards North & Central America and Caribbean Ceremony 2010 Orlando, Florida, USA • 11 September 2010

“

Being honoured as North America’s Leading Travel Agency by the World Travel Awards has provided some of our greatest moments at Anthony Travel. We’ve enjoyed celebrating this achievement around the country externally with our clients and internally with our associates. The awards continue to be a huge source of pride for all of us.” John Anthony, President and CEO, Anthony Travel North America’s Leading Travel Agency 2009 Carly Reed, Head of Public Relations, Universal Orlando Florida, with Miss World. World’s Leading Theme Park 2009

Orlando, Florida is the exciting location for this year’s World Travel Awards North & Central America and Caribbean Ceremony.

The awards, described by the Wall Street Journal as the Oscars of the travel industry, will unveil who is the best of the best in the region. Senior management and decision makers of the travel and tourism industry will come together to celebrate their achievements during the ceremony.

Offering nearly 100 attractions (including the world-famous Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld), 112,000 hotel rooms and more than 5,300 restaurants, it’s easy to see why Orlando has evolved to become one of the world's leading vacation destinations. More than 50 million people visit the region annually. What better place to reward the best in the travel industry?

Meet World Travel Awards team at Funkturm Tower @ ITB, outside Halls 14, 15 and 17 meet-at-itb@worldtravelawards.com

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Here is a selection of 2010 North & Central America and Caribbean nominees…

Orlando Arroyo, CEO, Hacienda Tres Rios Resort; Manon Han, Executive Vice President, World Travel Awards. Mexico & Central America’s Leading All-inclusive Resort 2009

North America’s Leading Cruise Line n American Cruise Lines, Inc n Carnival Cruise Line n Celebrity Cruises n Crystal Cruises n Disney Cruises n Holland America Line Inc n Norwegian Cruise Line n Princess Cruises n Royal Caribbean Cruise Line North America’s Leading Travel Agency n Anthony Travel n Maupin Travel, Inc n McTavish Travel n Uniglobe Donaldson Travel n Uniglobe Geo Travel

William Tatham, Vice President, The Port Authority of Jamaica; Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica; Graham Cooke, President & Founder, World Travel Awards. Jamaica - Caribbean’s Leading Destination 2009 Caribbean’s Leading Marketing Campaign 2009 Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board 2009

Mexico & Central America’s Leading Airline n Alamo n Avis n Budget n Dollar n Hertz n National Mexico & Central America’s Leading Beach Destination n Bocas Del Toro, Panama n Cancun, Mexico

n n n n

Jaco Beach, Costa Rica Playa Santo Domingo, Nicaragua Tulum, Mexico West Bay Beach, Roatan, Honduras

Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Destination n Aruba n Bahamas n Barbados n Dominican Republic n Jamaica n Trinidad & Tobago Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination n Anguilla n Antigua & Barbuda n Aruba n Bahamas n Barbados n Bermuda n British Virgin Islands n Grenada n Jamaica n Nevis n St Barts n St Lucia n St Martins n St Vincent & The Grenadines n Turks & Caicos

For the full list of North & Central America and Caribbean 2010 nominees visit www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees

worldtravelawards.com

ITB_BTN 2010_CommonSection_v2:Layout 1 26/02/2010 19:33 Page 34

Abu A bu u Dhabi : +971 2 6351888 8 | Dubai Dubai : +971 4 3433332 32 | Sharjah : +971 6 5683838 83838 Email : info@orienttravels.com info@orrienttravels.com | www.orienttravels.com www.o orienttravels.com

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‘The Oscars of the Travel Industry’ Wall Street Journal

World Travel Awards Europe Ceremony 2010 Rixos Premium Belek, Antalya, Turkey 1 October 2010 This year’s prestigious World Travel Awards Europe Ceremony will be held at the Rixos Premium Belek, a leading resort hotel located in Antalya, Turkey – the Pearl of the Mediterranean.

Travel and tourism companies and organisations from across Europe, representing every industry sector, will be fighting for their chance to be recognised by the ‘Oscars’ of the travel industry. The Turkish Riviera is the tourism capital of Turkey, and an ideal location for the 2010 World Travel Awards Europe Ceremony. The region, bathed in sunshine for 300 days of the year, is a paradise for sunbathing, swimming and sports

Rixos Premium Belek

activities like windsurfing, waterskiing, sailing and mountain climbing. The Rixos Premium Belek covers an area of 400,000m2 and is built in a forest of pine and pistachio trees with a 1,000 metre long sandy beach, 1,700 beds, and a staff of 900! The All Exclusive-All Inclusive concept practiced by the Rixos Premium Belek guarantees the very highest standards.

Rixos Premium Belek – venue for the Europe Ceremony 2010.

Meet World Travel Awards team at Funkturm Tower @ ITB, outside Halls 14, 15 and 17 meet-at-itb@worldtravelawards.com

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“

This is the most important prize received in our 64 years of activity in the business.” Fernando Pinto CEO, TAP Portugal

Here is a selection of 2010 Europe nominees… Europe’s Leading Airline n Air France n Alitalia n British Airways n Iberia n KLM n Lufthansa n SAS Scandinavian Airlines n Swiss International Air Lines n TAP Portugal Forte Village Resort, Italy receiving their award. World’s Leading Resort 2009

Luiz Mór, Executive Director, TAP Portugal; Miss World; Graham Cooke, President & Founder, World Travel Awards. World's Leading Airline To South America 2009

Europe’s Leading Airport n Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands n Barcelona International Airport, Spain n Copenhagen Airport, Denmark n Domodedovo International Airport, Russia n Hamburg Airport, Germany n Helsinki-Vantaa, Finland n Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, Italy n Lisbon Airport, Portugal n Madrid Barajas International Airport, Spain n Munich International Airport, Germany n Zurich Airport, Switzerland Europe’s Leading Car Hire n Auto Europe n Avis n Budget n Europcar n Hertz n Holiday Autos n Sixt n Thrifty

Telmo Faria, Mayor of Óbidos, Portugal presented the award to José Pampolim, Vice President and Stuart Swycher, President, Beltico Group. The Praia d’El Rey Marriott Golf and Beach Resort Europe's Leading Golf & Leisure Resort 2009

Europe’s Leading City Break Destination n Istanbul,Turkey n Lisbon, Portugal n London, United Kingdom n Madrid, Spain n Paris, France n Prague, Czech Republic n Rome, Italy n Tallinn, Estonia n Venice, Italy Europe’s Leading Cruise Destination n Amsterdam - Netherlands n Athens, Greece n Cannes, France n Copenhagen, Denmark n Dubrovnik, Croatia n Lisbon, Portugal n Oslo, Norway n Reykjavik, Iceland n St Petersburg, Russia n Stockholm - Sweden n Venice, Italy Europe’s Leading Low Cost Airline n Aer Lingus n Air Berlin n bmibaby n Clickair n Condor n Easyjet n Monarch Airlines n SkyEurope

For the full list of Europe 2010 nominees visit www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees

worldtravelawards.com

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2010 Unlocking Investment Opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa

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Join over 500 senior delegates from over 50 countries at the region’s leading hotel investment event Confirmed speakers include:

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Minister of Tourism

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Sultanate Of Oman

Kingdom Of Morocco

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Full Programme Available Now: www.arabianconference.com/programme

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AHIC Awards 2010 Nominations Now Open! VOTE ONLINE www.arabianconference.com/nominate

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‘The Oscars of the Travel Industry’ Wall Street Journal

World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia Ceremony 2010 The Claridges Surajkund, Delhi, India 14 October 2010

“

It is indeed a great honour to receive an award that recognises us not only in China but globally. The World Travel Award is one of the most esteemed accolades one can receive in the global travel and tourism industry.” Charlie Dang, Area Managing Director, Northern China, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and GM, Westin Beijing Financial Street.

The Claridges

The World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia Ceremony 2010 will take place this October in Delhi, India, to coincide with the XIX Commonwealth Games (Delhi, 3-14 October).

Attended by VIP’s and leading industry figures, the event is set to be an outstanding success and a celebration of the incredible achievements of the Asian and Australasian travel industries.

and colourful bazaars. The imperial city of New Delhi is known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards and many national institutions and landmarks.

Delhi is undergoing extensive rejuvenation and transformation, to New Delhi is the capital city of India ensure it looks its best for visitors during the XIX Commonwealth and is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. Delhi is a fusion of the Games. The Games will bring positive ancient and the modern – in Old Delhi benefits to the Indian tourism you will discover formidable mosques, industry. monuments and forts, as well as lively

Meet World Travel Awards team at Funkturm Tower @ ITB, outside Halls 14, 15 and 17 meet-at-itb@worldtravelawards.com

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Here is a selection of 2010 Asia & Australasia nominees…

Kumari Selja, Minister for Tourism, India, with Miss World; Incredible India. World's Leading Destination Marketing Campaign 2009

Tan Sri Dr.Mohd Munir bin Abdul Majid, Chairman, Malaysia Airlines; Syed Abdillah Aziz, Regional Manager UK & Ireland, Malaysia Airlines. Asia's Leading Airline 2009

n Tourism Thailand n Uniquely Singapore

Asia’s Leading Airline n Air China n Air India n Asiana Airlines n Cathay Pacific Airways n China Airlines n China Southern Airlines n Japan Airlines n Korean Air n Malaysia Airlines n Royal Brunei Airlines n Singapore Airlines n SriLankan Airlines n Thai Airways International Asia’s Leading Meetings & Conference Hotel n Akasaka Prince Hotel, Japan n Fairmont Singapore n Grand Hyatt Shanghai, China n Hotel Equatorial Penang, Malaysia n Hotel Lotte Busan, South Korea n InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong n Renaissance Mumbai Hotel & Convention Center, India n Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers n Taj Palace Hotel New Delhi, India n The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Thailand n The Ritz-Carlton Millenia, Singapore n The Venetian Macau Asia’s Leading Tourist Board n China National Tourism Administration n Incredible India n Japan National Toursit Organization n Ministry of Culture and Tourism Indonesia n Philippines n Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau n Tourism Malaysia

Australasia’s Leading Beach Destination n Abel Tasman National Park, South Island, New Zealand n Aitutaki, One Foot Island, Cook Islands n Bondi Beach n Cable Beach, Broome, WA, Australia n Matira Beach, Bora Bora, French Polynesia n Ninety Mile Beach, North Island, New Zealand n Palm Beach n Return to Paradise Beach, Afega, Samoa n Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, QLD, Australia n Wine Glass Bay, Freycinet National Park, Tasmania, Australia Australasia’s Leading Business Travel Agent n Corporate Travel Management n FCm Travel Solutions n Phil Hoffman Travel n Pure Travel n Sta Travel n United Travel Hamilton Australasia’s Leading Green Hotel n Cradle Mountain Lodge, Australia n Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa, Australia n InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa, French Polynesia n Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort n Longitude 131° Ayer's Rock, Australia Waipoua Lodge, New Zealand

For the full list of Asia & Australasia 2010 nominees visit www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees

worldtravelawards.com

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‘The Oscars of the Travel Industry’ Wall Street Journal

World Travel Awards South America Ceremony 2010 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil • 20 October 2010 The World Travel Awards South America Ceremony 2010 will take place this October in the spectacular city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Travel and tourism companies and organisations from across the region, representing every industry sector, will be fighting for their chance to be recognised by the ‘Oscars’ of the travel industry. Rio de Janeiro is the second major city of Brazil, behind Sao Paolo, and is unquestionably one of the most exciting cities in the world, with natural wonders, iconic beaches, and the nightlife as legendary as the city’s Carnival. The World Travel Awards South America Ceremony is timed to coincide with ABAV 2010 -Fair of the Americas, taking place 20-22 October in Rio. It is the biggest and most important tourism event held in the Americas.

Elizabeth Hakim, PromPeru - Peruvian Tourism Board, with Miss Venezuela. South America’s Leading Tourist Board 2009

Meet World Travel Awards team at Funkturm Tower @ ITB, outside Halls 14, 15 and 17 meet-at-itb@worldtravelawards.com

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“

The awards have been making a steady and significant, long-term impact.” The Financial Times

Here is a selection of 2010 South America nominees… South America’s Leading Business Travel Agency n Rotamund n Sintectur n Superdestinos n Turismo Pecom n Viajes Calitour

South America’s Leading Resort n Arasha Tropical Forest Resort & Spa, Ecuador n Casa Grande Hotel Resort & Spa, Brazil n Conrad Punta Del Este Resort & Casino, Uruguay n Costa do Sauipe Marriott Resort & Spa, Brazil n Costao Do Santinho Resort n Four Seasons Resort Carmelo, Uruguay n Iguazu Grand Hotel Resort & Casino, Argentina n InterContinental Hotel Valencia, Venezuela n Llao Llao Hotel & Resort n Mantra Resort Spa & Casino, Uruguay n Royal Palm Hotel, Ecuador n Villarrica Park Lake Hotel, Chile

South America’s Leading Cruise Line n Carnival Cruise Line n Celebrity Cruises n Costa Cruises n Fred Olsen Cruise Lines n Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Andre Beraha, Amazonas Tur; Miss Brazil; Antonio Pedro F. de Mello, Secretary of Tourism, State of Rio de Janeiro. South America’s Leading Green Destination 2009 South America’s Leading Destination 2009

South America’s Leading Cruise Port n Buenos Aires, Argentina n Callao (Lima) n Puerto Valparaiso n Rio de Janeiro (port) n Santiago (Valparaiso) South America’s Leading Golf Resort n Bourbon Iguassu Golf Club & Resort, Brazil n Four Seasons Resort Carmelo, Uruguay n Hesperia Isla Margarita, Venezuela n Hotel Do Frade & Golf Resort n Hotel Transamérica Ilha de Comandatuba, Brazil n Llao Llao Hotel & Resort, Argentina n Terravista Golf Resort, Brazil n Yacht y Golf Club Paraguayo, Paraguay

South America’s Leading Ski Resort n Gran Hotel Termas de Chillán, Chile n Hotel Piscis, Las Lenas Resort, Argentina n Llao Llao Hotel & Resort, Argentina n Villarrica Park Lake Hotel, Chile

For the full list of South America 2010 nominees visit www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees David Falcon, Senior Vice President, World Travel Awards; Arthur Repsold, Chairman, Rio Centro; Miss Rio de Janeiro. South America’s Leading Conference Centre 2008

worldtravelawards.com

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The die is cast. Zurich Airport has once again been named Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leading Airport by the World Travel Awards, making 2009 the sixt year in a row. As the gateway to the European Alps, Zurich offers you the best service: connecting you to 120 destinations, allowing you to quickly reach the city center, and providing you with convenient connections to all Swiss cities and bordering countries. www.zurich-airport.com

14:05:17 Uhr

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‘The Oscars of the Travel Industry’ Wall Street Journal

World Travel Awards Grand Final Ceremony 2010 London, United Kingdom • 7 November 2010 The World Travel Awards Grand Final is the culmination of a year-long search for the very best travel brands in the world, covering seven continents and featuring over 3,600 nominees.

Etihad Airways. World's Leading Airline 2009, World's Leading Airline First Class 2009

Winners from the six regional events will fight it out for the ultimate travel accolade. The ceremony, taking place in London on 7 November 2010, will reveal who is ‘the best of the best’, and will be a celebration of the outstanding achievements of the travel industry.

Muhairi, Director General, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and James Hogan, CEO, Etihad Airways.

Also in attendance was Antonio Pedro F. de Mello, Secretary of Tourism, State of Rio de Janeiro; Tan Sri Dr. Mohd. Munir bin Abdul Majid, Chairman, Malaysia Airlines; Raj Nearly 1000 senior management and Kamal Taposeea, Chairman, Air Mauritius; Bruce Nobles, President and decision makers from the world's CEO, Air Jamaica; John Watson, CEO, travel and tourism industry came Diethelm Travel Group; Mikael together at the 2009 Grand Final. Andersson, VP Expedia EMEA, Some of the thought leaders who were present included: Jean-Claude Expedia.co.uk; Gerard Greene, CEO, Baumgarten, President, WTTC; Kumari IFA Hotels & Resorts FZ LLC, Luiz Mor, Selja, Minister of Tourism, India; Steve Executive Director, TAP Portugal and Ridgway, CEO, Virgin Atlantic Airways; Jehan de The, Global Marketing Hon. Ed Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Director, Europcar. Jamaica; His Excellency Mubarak Al

The World Travel Awards Grand Final 2010 is the must-attend event of the year. Tickets to World Travel Awards events are always in high demand, therefore early booking is always recommended. To secure your seats for this mustattend event for senior decision makers and global media, please contact our events team using the details below: Email: booking@worldtravelawards.com Telephone: +44 (0)207 925 0000

Meet World Travel Awards team at Funkturm Tower @ ITB, outside Halls 14, 15 and 17 meet-at-itb@worldtravelawards.com

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Here is a selection of 2010 World nominees…

Xavier Luc Duval, Vice Prime Minister, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, accepting the award from hosts Bobby Davro and Tamara Beckwith. Mauritius - World’s Leading Island Destination 2009

World’s Leading Airline Business Class n Aerolineas Argentinas n Air Jamaica n Air New Zealand n Air Seychelles n American Airlines n British Airways n Cathay Pacific Airways n Emirates n Etihad Airways n Lufthansa n Malaysia Airlines n Qatar Airways n Singapore Airlines n Virgin Atlantic Airways World’s Leading Cruise Travel Agent n African Safari Club n Cruise Line n Cruises.com n MSC Cruises n Page and Moy n Paradissa Travel - Ha Noi n Thomas Cook n Travel Store USA n www.cruise.co.uk

Dato Lee Choong Yan, President, Genting Highlands Resort with Miss World. World's Leading Casino Resort 2009

World’s Leading Design Hotel n Adam & Eve at Belek, Turkey n Almyra, Cyprus n Bulgari Hotels and Resorts Bali n Devi Garh, India n Faena Hotel & Universe, Argentina n Hillside SU, Turkey n Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia n Hotel Victor South Beach, USA n Indigo Pearl, Thailand n La Reserve Geneve Hotel & Spa, Switzerland n Lebua at State Tower n Metropolitan Bangkok, Thailand n Sanderson Hotel, England n Shamwari Town House n The Chedi Muscat, Oman n The Lalu Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan n The Park - New Delhi, India n The Setai South Beach, USA

World’s Leading Green Destination n Amazonas Tur n Aspen, Colorado USA n Bouma National Heritage Park Taveuni, Fiji Island n British Columbia Great Bear Rainforest, Canada n Costa Rica n Cousine Island, Seychelles n Dominica n Eden Project, Cornwall, England n Jock Safari Lodge n Kanha National Park, India n Sanbona Wildlife Reserve n Shamwari Game Reserve n The New Forest, England n Tobago Main Ridge Rain Forest World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination n Antigua n Barbados n Jamaica n Las Vegas n Maldives n Mauritius n St. Lucia n Thailand n The Seychelles Islands World’s Leading Tourism Development Project n Bahia Bay - Emaar n City Centre - MGM Mirage n Dubai Towers Doha - Sama Dubai n Dubai Towers Dubai - Sama Dubai n Dubailand - Tatweer n King Abdullah City - Emaar n Prince George’s Dock Nassau Port Bahamas n Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) n The Blue City - Sultanate of Oman n The Palm Jumeirah - Nakheel n The Wave - Muscat n Yas Island - Aldar

For the full list of World 2010 nominees visit www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees Mark Douglas, Vice President, American Express; Graham Cooke, President & Founder, World Travel Awards. World's Leading Business Travel Agency 2009

worldtravelawards.com

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InterContinental The Palace Port Ghalib Resort Strategically located on the Red Sea Riviera, Port Ghalib is a haven for business and leisure travelers. The resort is situated only 5 kilometers from Marsa Alam International Airport, 210 kilometers from the city of Hurghada and 370 kilometers from the city of Luxor. InterContinental The Palace Port Ghalib Resort lies in the heart of Port Ghalib Resort, and is the perfect retreat for travelers looking to relax and rejuvenate as well as an exceptional meeting destination.

ACCOMODATION Featuring 309 luxuriously appointed rooms with its own balcony, including 14 suites and 3 disabled rooms. The property provides guests with extensive views from every angle, from the enchanting Red Sea to the azure waters of the manmade saltwater swimming lagoon.

P. O. Box 23, Port Ghalib, Marsa Alam, Red Sea, Egypt Tel: + 20 65 336 0000 Fax: + 20 65 336 0025 ICPalace.PortGhalib@ihg.com www.intercontinental.com/portghalib

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DINING InterContinental The Palace Port Ghalib Resort features extensive indoor and outdoor dining options, where guests can feast on delicacies from around the globe, varying between Arabian, Lebanese, and Mediterranean with magnificent views of the Red Sea, the saltwater swimming lagoon or Port Ghalib International Marina. In addition to the special themed entertainment program. If you are looking for something unique, don’t miss the private Bedouin Experience in the desert located 11 akilometers from Port Ghalib. Traditional Bedouins offer candlelit dinners under the stars with local Bedouin entertainment and desert camel rides.

MEETINGS & EVENTS The Resort boasts Port Ghalib International Convention Centre, the largest hotel banquet venue on the Red Sea. The Centre offers a meeting space of 1,950 square meters able to seat 2,000 delegates in an extraordinary ball room, in addition to 16 break-out rooms and a dignitary salon. The banqueting rooms feature sophisticated state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment accommodating even the most professional presentations. A separate dedicated conference entrance with its spacious foyer provides a perfect area for delegate registrations or special welcome cocktails.

SIX SENSES SPA – EGYPT’S LEADING SPA The leading Spa in Egypt, located in InterContinental The Palace Port Ghalib Resort and operated by world-renowned Six Senses Spas, provides an ideal option for guests looking to relax, reduce stress and balance the senses. The comprehensive spa menu offers massage and beauty treatments delivered using naturally derived and ethically produced spa products. Tailor-made spa programs combine Red Sea healing therapies with Asian and Six Senses’ signature treatments to improve the condition and vitality of the body. The spa includes 16 treatment areas including three couples’ rooms, two Thai treatment rooms, and one wet treatment room with classically designed stone beds. The spa includes extensive heat experiences such as traditional hammams and a separate wet room offers a steam, shower, and a state-of-the-art ice room.

SHOPPING & LEISURE The resort offers a half kilometer stretch on Port Ghalib International Marina of retail outlets on the Corniche, in addition to the traditional Egyptian Khan bazaar. In addition to the widest range of water and land activities on the Red Sea, including safaris, snorkeling trips, diving, submarine and boat cruises, speed boats, lazy river rafting, horseback and camel riding, 4x4 Safaris, jogging trail, tennis and table tennis.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Oscars of the Travel Industryâ&#x20AC;? Wall Street Journal

World Travel Awards Grand Tour 2010 Dubai - Johannesburg - Orlando - Antalya - Delhi - Rio de Janiero - London Our events are attended by the top level decision makers - more than 70 percent of our attendees are Director level or above. Our events are the perfect platform to gain your brand top-level exposure. Our events are famed for the great networking opportunities. For more information and to book tickets please email: booking@worldtravelawards.com

worldtravelawards.com

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Luxury Travel

Luxury hospitality – back with a bang in 2010 Sin City was brought low by the global recession, in particular those hotels which relied on convention and meetings business.

The ultra-luxurious Harmon Hotel is the third five-star property, again with no casino, and designed by Sir Norman Foster and Partners, and is due to open later this year.

The huge new development – the biggest private development in the US – has been designed to give the city a boost and attract nongamblers.

Staying in Vegas, Ritz-Carlton was forced to close its Lake Las Vegas property due to the downturn.

Last year was one of the toughest on record for luxury hospitality. But now the sector is well on the road to recovery with a raft of new openings, plus some ground-breaking developments in the pipeline. Breaking Travel News picks the best of the new crop.

It features the work of eight of the world’s best architects (Pelli, Vinoly, Libeskind, Rockwell, KPF, Helmut Jahn, Foster and Gensler) and dozens of interior designers.

After a hiatus in terms of buildings and new openings last year, the luxury hotel segment is back with a bang in 2010.

The Vdara Hotel has 1,495 suites, a rooftop pool, numerous restaurants and 10,000 sq ft of meeting space.

Las Vegas is leading the field with CityCenter, an $8.5 billion mixeduse development which features three hotels, including the city’s first hotels not to feature a casino.

Mandarin Oriental’s 47-storey, 392room, non-gaming hotel, has six restaurants, an outdoor pool, Sky Lobby and spa and is the Hong Kong-based chain’s first hotel in the city.

However, elsewhere in the world it has five new hotel openings this year: Shanghai, Dubai, Hong Kong, Toronto and Los Angeles. The Shanghai property is in the Pudong district, in the heart of the city’s new financial centre and is situated on the upper floors of an ultra-modern 60-storey tower.

CityCenter, Las Vegas

new landmark on the city skyline. The 1,574 ft building will have 300 rooms and suites, 360-degree panoramic views of Victoria Harbour, three fine dining restaurants, extensive meeting space, an indoor and outdoor rooftop swimming pool and a spa and fitness centre. The 341-room, seven-storey, RitzCarlton Dubai is set in the heart of the city’s financial centre. It also includes 124 serviced apartments, three restaurants, a 1,400 sq m ballroom with a separate entrance; 10 additional function rooms and a health club, spa, indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

It has 286 rooms and suites. Four restaurants, 1,646 sq m of meeting space and a 1,500 sq m fitness center and spa.

The Ritz-Carlton Toronto is on Wellington Street in the city’s financial district. The 53-storey hotel has 267 rooms and 159 condominium residences.

When it opens later this year, the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong will become the world’s tallest and a

The LA property will form the centerpiece of the city’s revitalized downtown district. The 123-room

breakingtravelnews.com

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W, Hollywood

Salt Cay, Turks & Caicos

hotel will be the group’s third property in LA and forms part of the “L.A. Live” sports and entertainment development. The hotel will be situated on the upper floors of a 54-storey tower, which will also include 224 private condominiums. Four Seasons’ most recent opening was in Beirut in January; it is opening two new properties in 2010: Vail, Colorado, in early summer and Marrakesh, Morocco, in late 2010; and reopening its flagship London property after a multi-million pound refit, also late this year. Banyan Tree is opening a new property at the end of March in Seoul, Korea, its first in the country. Ten minutes from downtown, the 21-storey hotel will have just 84 rooms and suites – a maximum of four per floor – including 16 pool rooms and 16 pool suites, which feature their own personal plunge pools. The hotel also has a rooftop bar, a banquet/meetings hall and a spa.

breakingtravelnews.com

Six Senses made a bold pronouncement last April, offering to buy up “troubled” resorts and developments which fitted in with their eco-sensitive approach. Simon Allison, the group’s Chief Financial Advisor said: “We believe there will be excellent returns to be made in this sector in the next five years from acquiring top-end properties in strong locations at highly competitive prices. “We would like to find financial partners that will drive this initiative with us.” The group announced in January that it will open its first Caribbean property on a 2.5 sq mile island in Turks & Caicos called Salt Cay, in 2013. In the initial phase, the project will comprise a Six Senses resort, residential villas, Six Senses Spa, and a golf course. Salt Cay is one of only 10 inhabited islands in a group of 40 islands and cays that make up the Turks & Caicos, and the island has remained virtually unchanged from an era when the salt industry, dating back to the

17th century, dominated the economy for over 300 years. It will also open its first spa in Morocco, at The Baglioni, Marrakech, a boutique five-star hotel set within a 34-acre parkland resort, late next year.

In April W opens its first hotel in Thailand on the island of Koh Samui, on a secluded 26-acre site on Maenam Beach; in May the 156-room W Retreat & Spa, opens in Vieques, Puerto Rico; and in September the group debuts in St Petersburg.

Six Senses also announced the opening of its first spa in Egypt, at InterContinental The Palace Port Ghalib Resort, in Marsa Alam, Egypt. The 1,700 sq metre spa comprises of 16 treatment areas including three couples rooms, two Thai treatment rooms, and one wet treatment room with classically designed stone beds, a sauna, steam room, changing rooms, gym, and traditional hammams.

This summer a 192-room London W opens on the corner of Wardour Street and Leicester Square, and includes a retail store, restaurant and bar.

Starwood continues to expand its ultra-hip luxury brand W, as well as launching a new brand called Aloft.

Hyatt’s hip brand Andaz opened in New York’s Wall Street in January and a second will open on 5th Avenue this spring.

Aloft is Starwood’s latest brand, and as the name suggests has an urban feel to it. A number of Alofts are already open in North America, but the first will open outside of the US later this year in Abu Dhabi, followed by Brussels in September.

Two Ws have opened this year, including a 300-room property in West Hollywood in January and a luxurious 217-room hotel in Downtown New York in February.

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Destination Focus Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro in particular, is hot. And that’s not just down to the weather that has made the recent summer and carnival in Rio one of the hottest on record with temperatures often topping 40ºC. Rio is in the news for all the right reasons. The city is set to host a number of matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, including the final, as well as hosting the Olympic Games in 2016. Two back-to-back global sporting events means that the investment is now in place to modernise and improve much of the city’s infrastructure including transportation, accommodation, the airport and other elements that will benefit all visitors, whether on business or for pleasure. And work is already underway.

Rio de Janeiro: the heat is on With preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics underway, Rio de Janeiro is a city riding the crest of a sport tourism wave. Breaking Travel News looks at why the“Cidade Maravilhosa” (marvellous city) is the most popular tourist attraction in the southern hemisphere.

Rio is reinforcing its credentials as a sport tourism leader by participating in this summer’s World Sport Destination Expo (WSDE). Held alongside the final week of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, from 5-9 July, at Johannesburg’s Sandton Convention Centre, WSDE is the first global exhibition to provide a business platform for the key buyers and suppliers that make up the booming $600 billion a year sport tourism industry. Off the sporting field, the city and state of Rio will also benefit from the large off-shore oil discoveries that will help cement the city’s place as the oil and gas capital of Brazil. No surprise then that the city hosts one of the world’s largest oil and gas shows. The next International Oil & Gas Expo takes place from 13-16 September at Riocentro, the city’s main exhibition and convention centre. As a major cosmopolitan city, Rio offers all that might be expected and more. Excellent restaurants, sophisticated night clubs, charming bars, musical extravaganzas, theatres, movie houses, museums, art galleries, fashionable stores and, above all, world-class sport. As a tropical resort, the world’s biggest, Rio offers the visitor mile after mile of golden beaches, near perfect weather throughout the year, hotels to appeal to just about every taste and budget, folklore, typical foods, and sightseeing. Many of the city’s main attractions are global household names. Starting with Corcovado and the Statue of Christ the Redeemer, from where visitors look down on Sugar Loaf, another global landmark, and the bay of Rio, an area of water so large that the first explorers assumed it had to be the mouth of a great river and called the area River of January, or Rio de Janeiro.

The city’s beaches are equally well known, from Copacabana to Ipanema, while in between are areas whose names are synonymous with the city’s major football teams, including Flamengo and Botafogo. The big soccer games are still played at the Maracanã Stadium which could handle crowds in excess of 200,000 when it opened for the 1950 World Cup. Sixty years on and the stadium remains one of the largest in the world and is expected to host the final of the 2014 World Cup, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympics. Prior to that, Soccerex will be hosting its global convention in Rio from 20 to 24 November 2010, and then annually until 2013. The city’s reputation as the biggest tourist attraction in the southern hemisphere is also being acknowledged this October when the World Travel Awards, dubbed “the Oscars of the travel industry” by the Wal l Street Journal, hosts its South America ceremony. The cream of the continent’s travel industry will meet in Rio and battle it out for the coveted awards. Rio is also one of the most musical cities in the world. It is the birthplace of both bossa nova and samba, and its musicians remain at the forefront of Brazilian musical trends. In Rio you are never far from the next musical presentation or music star, both Brazilian and international. On the eve of carnival this year just one hotel was hosting Jay-Z, Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Madonna. The upcoming video for Alicia Keys’ ‘Put It in a Love Song’, featuring Beyonce, was shot in Rio. Rio is an integral part of the Brazilian success story. The country now has one of the world’s largest economies and internal markets, both of which are only likely to grow as Brazil dodged the recessionary bullets that have impacted so many countries. Brazil, the world’s fifth largest nation in terms of area and population, is already home to the world’s third largest stock exchange; it is one of the world’s top eight agricultural producers; it has the largest healthcare market in Latin America; Embraer is the world’s third largest commercial airline manufacturer; Brazilians are the largest consumers of luxury products in Latin America; the country is the seventh largest producer of vehicles in the world; and 45% of all energy consumed in Brazil already comes from renewable sources. The facts and numbers are impressive and is why so many business executives now find themselves on a plane to Brazil and Rio.

breakingtravelnews.com

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Mauritius anticipates boom year for tourism The holiday island of Mauritius is expecting to rebound quickly from the economic slump, with visitor numbers forecast to increase during 2010. Already one of the Indian Ocean’s strongest tourism performers, the island – which is best known for its azure waters, white beaches and luxury spas – has weathered the global crisis better than many competitors. It is expected tourist arrivals for 2010 will be around 915,000, representing an increase of five per cent over the 871,356 in 2009, according to officials in Mauritius.

utmost in privacy and a totally new luxury experience for holidaymakers on the island. Villas Valriche will offer a unique experience, with guests situated in their own private villa – but with all the facilities of two nearby five-star hotels. For holidaymakers looking for privacy, the villas will offer a 24hour concierge – with a butler and a chef available on demand – as well as daily cleaning services, and the possibility of having spa treatments ‘at home’.

Those who venture to the island – roughly 900 kilometres east of Madagascar – will be richly rewarded. For example, the discerning visitor will find a new collection of luxury lodgings – Villas Valriche – which are set to be unveiled in April 2010.

Alternatively, the nearby Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort and the Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort offer a choice of amenities including a choice of seven restaurants (nine when including the Château and the Club House), the Six Senses and Seven Colours spas, two mini-clubs, two leisure and fitness centres, and a daily programme of activities, including a state-of-the-art boat house and five star beach facilities.

Located in the Domaine de Bel Ombre region, in the south-west of Mauritius, the properties offer the

Holiday packages are available through a variety of tour operators – including Prestbury Travel, Kuoni

or Villas de Maitre. Along the coast, St Regis Resort & Spa Mauritius is due to open on 1 October this year. Situated next to Les Pavillons, the property is the latest to open on the coveted beachfront at Le Morne in the south-west of Mauritius – known as ‘the five star strip’. Composed of 174 elegant rooms and suites, the resort offers guests the chance to simply bask in the sun by a luxurious pool or – for the more adventurous – head out onto the sands to enjoy a sport of kite surfing. With the stunning backdrop of Mauritius’ iconic Le Morne Brabant Mountain and spectacular sunsets over the open sea, deep-sea fishing, snorkelling and diving amid fascinating coral reefs – all are also within easy reach. And with Villas Valriche and St Regis Resort & Spa Mauritius both set to open this year, demand for travel to the island from the UK is set to increase. In anticipation of

this Air Mauritius has confirmed it is set to bolster the number of departures from its base at London Heathrow Airport. With the addition of a Wednesday service, the national flag-carrier confirmed it will increase weekly departures to four per week from April 2010. This is set to be followed by an increase to five departures per week in the peak holiday season during July and August. It is hoped the service will then be permanently increased to five departures a week from the beginning of November and six times per week in January 2011. Additional departures will fall on Monday and Tuesday. So with new flights and a range of new luxurious hotels set to come on stream in 2010, optimistic forecasts for the future of the tourism sector in Mauritius prove well founded – despite the turmoil elsewhere in the global economy.

mauritius.net

Back to my roots with Island Routes Sun, sea and sand are to many the three words that define the Caribbean. But one company is setting about redefining the Caribbean experience by giving visitors the insider ticket to the region. Founded by a group of energetic Caribbeans, Island Routes has one mission: to showcase the culture, beauty and natural resources that define each unique island destination. The company sees the Caribbean not just a destination but a way of life. And it seems to be working.

Started just nine months ago in Jamaica, Island Routes has followed this with operations in St. Lucia, Antigua and Great Exuma, Bahamas. The company provides something for everyone, with offerings amid the Caribbean’s most sought-after locations, including the captivating volcanoes of St. Lucia, the teeming countryside of Jamaica, the lush beaches that comprise the island of Antigua, and still growing! It is now marketing over 150 excursions, and is already scouting for the best-of-the-best adventures in other islands such as Turks & Caicos and Barbados.

No trip to the Caribbean would be complete without taking advantage of one or more of the incredible Island Routes excursions – adventures that will allow you to dive into all of the incredible sights, sounds and splendours of this bustling and serene island paradise. Island Routes has put together a series of adventure tours and excursions called “the best of the best”, in order to help you explore the wonders, feel the thrills, and surrender completely to the unparalleled grandeur of the Caribbean.

Trips include jungle river tubing on Jamaica’s Great River, swimming with dolphins in Montego Bay, and a Saint Lucia rainforest canopy adventure. Every one of the adventure packages is guaranteed to show you the “roots” of the Caribbean, and of course, carry the sought after Island Routes stamp of approval.

islandroutes.com

breakingtravelnews.com

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Destination Focus

As a gateway between East and West, Turkey – and its present Capital of Culture, Istanbul – have been of great significance to travellers for centuries. But as the country’s intellectual centre basks in the world’s gaze, the greater prize of European Union membership remains illusive. Here BTN examines recent developments in Turkey, and assesses what the future holds.

Tourism spotlight: Turkey Capital of Culture Alongside Essen in Germany and Hungary’s Peç, Istanbul will spend 2010 celebrating as European Capital of Culture. Already revered as both a historic centre and destination for cultural tourism, the city will hope to use the honour to boost its international profile over the coming months, showcasing the best it has to offer. Among the highlights will be the new Museum of Innocence. Based on a 2008 novel by Turkish Nobel Prizewinning author Orhan Pamuk, this poetic tribute to the city uses films, photos and other memorabilia to document culture and daily life in Istanbul from the Fifties to the present day. For music fans Balkanist – the Balkan Music Festival – will explore the city’s role as a musical focus for the Balkan region in April, while the largest stadium concert in the city’s history will take place on 6 September when U2’s 360-degree 2010 tour rolls into town. On a smaller scale – but no less fascinating – the 99 Qur’ans exhibition will showcase the exquisite calligraphy of the Ottoman Empire, while the Archaeology Museum will stage an exhibition entitled Assyrians in Istanbul.

outside the Eurozone, Turkey has seen a wave of European visitors arriving across the country over the past two years – all anxious to enjoy the low prices on offer in this premium mid-haul market. According to official statistics there were over 30 million visitors to Turkey last year, up from just ten million a decade earlier, reflecting the country’s rejuvenated lure to international visitors. So whether it is the winding streets of capital Ankara, the ancient ruins of Ephesus or Troy, or the sun drenched resorts of the Turquoise Coast, Turkey’s tourism industry is set for a boom in 2010.

European Membership But while the European Union may offer baubles – such as the title of European Capital of Culture – it has been markedly more reticent in offering Turkey access to the greatest prize of all – membership. Although negotiations have been ongoing for decades – indeed Turkey was a founding member of the European Economic Community in 1959 and has since moved closer through the Ankara Agreement – disagreements over the future of Cyprus, the history of Armenia, political transparency, and the environment have all delayed accession.

Outside of these headline events, however, the streets of the city will buzz with almost daily celebrations.

However, the potential benefits for the tourism industry in the country are huge.

But it is not just Istanbul celebrating at present. Presently

European visitors represent the biggest sector for Turkey, and their

breakingtravelnews.com

activities have a huge potential to support economic growth and employment in what is still a relatively developing country. There is also the advantage of stronger social ties between the EU and neighbouring Turkey, with ascension offering a very real opportunity to build a social, cultural and economic bridge between the Christian West and Muslim East. Despite this, the process is likely to be long and arduous. While there is a gathering consensus in favour of Turkey’s eventual membership of the European Union – with France and Germany notably bucking the trend - European Commission president José Manuel Barroso has said the accession process could take at least until 2021.

World Travel Awards Whatever the outcome of the ongoing negotiations with Brussels, Turkey is already fêted among members of the travel and tourism community, having being selected as host of the World Travel Awards (WTA) European Gala Ceremony later this year. Taking place on 1 October, the city of Antalya – the tourism capital of Turkey – will host the elite of Europe’s travel industry and world media, all of whom will be eager to discover who will walk away with the coveted “Oscars of the travel industry”.

tourismturkey.org

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BTN Calendar 2010 March 15 Mar – 18 Mar

Cruise Shipping Miami Miami, United States cruiseshippingmiami.com 17 Mar – 20 Mar

MITT – Moscow International Travel & Tourism Moscow, Russia mitt.ru 24 Mar – 25 Mar

Social Media Strategies for Travel San Francisco, United States events.eyefortravel.com

4 May ATM – Arabian Travel Market Dubai, United Arab Emirates arabiantravelmarket.com 8 May – 11 May INDABA Durban ICC, South Africa indaba-southafrica.co.za 9 May – 12 May 11th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Bridgetown, Barbados OneCaribbean.org

UITT Kiev, Ukraine uitt-kiev.com

15 May – 19 May

29 Mar – 31 Mar

5 Oct – 6 Oct

Business Travel Market

Online Marketing & Social Media Strategies for Travel Summit

London, United Kingdom businesstravelmarket.co.uk 17 Jun – 18 Jun

Travel Distribution Summit Europe

Prague, Czech Republic events.eyefortravel.com/onlinemarketing-and-social-media/

London, United Kingdom events.eyefortravel.com/tds

13 Oct – 14 Oct

July

Illinois, United States events.eyefortravel.com/tdsusa/ conference/

Travel Distribution Summit North America

5 Jul – 9 Jul 12 May – 14 May CHIC – China Hotel Investment Conference Shanghai, China chinahotelconference.com

24 Mar – 26 Mar

16 Jun – 17 Jun

World Sport Destination Expo Johannesburg, South Africa worldsportdestinationexpo.com

14 Oct

World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia Gala Ceremony New Delhi, India worldtravelawards.com

International Pow Wow

7 Jul

GIBTM – Gulf Incentive Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition

Orlando, United States orlandoinfo.com/powwow

World Travel Awards Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony

25 May – 27 May

Johannesburg, South Africa worldtravelawards.com

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates gibtm.com

Global Travel & Tourism Summit

April

Beijing, China globaltraveltourism.com

August

20 Oct – 22 Oct

ITB Asia Suntec Singapore www1.messe-berlin.de/vip8_1/ website/Internet/Internet/www.itb -asia/englisch/index.html

31 Aug – 2 Sept 19 Apr – 22 Apr

25 May – 27 May

CIBTM

ASTA International Destination Expo

IMEX

Beijing, China cibtm.com

20 Oct

September

World Travel Awards South America Gala Ceremony

Istanbul, Turkey asta.org

Frankfurt, Germany imex-frankfurt.com

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil worldtravelawards.com

27 May – 29 May 28 Apr – 29 Apr

World Travel Fair

Travel Distribution Summit Asia

Shanghai, China worldtravelfair.com.cn

Singapore, China events.eyefortravel.com/tdasia

29 May – 4 Jun

Australian Tourism Exchange

May 1 May – 3 May AHIC – Arabian Hotel Investment Conference Dubai, United Arab Emirates arabianconference.com

3 May World Travel Awards Middle East Gala Ceremony The Address Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates worldtravelawards.com

4 May – 6 May Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico caribbeanhotelandtourism.com

Adelaide, Australia tourism.australia.com

25 Oct – 27 Oct 11 Sept

World Travel Awards North & Central America and Caribbean Gala Ceremony Orlando, United States worldtravelawards.com

Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference Moscow, Russia russia-cisconference.com

November

June 12 Sept – 14 Sept 2 Jun – 3 Jun

The Trade Show

Online Marketing Strategies for Travel for USA

Orlando, Florida thetradeshow.org

Miami, United States events.eyefortravel.com/onlinemarketing/agenda.asp

14 Sept – 17 Sept

HICA Johannesburg, SA hica.co.za/article/home

PATA Travel Mart Macau, China pata.org

10 Jun – 13 Jun

ITE – The 24th International Travel Expo Hong Kong

4 Nov – 6 Nov

October

Wanchai, Hong Kong itehk.com/ITEHK/index.php 14 Jun – 17 Jun

1 Oct

ALTM – Asia Luxury Travel Market

World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony

Shanghai, China shzlzx.com.cn/E_gsjj.htm

Antalya, Turkey worldtravelawards.com

7 Nov

World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony London, United Kingdom worldtravelawards.com

For the full listing of events visit www.breakingtravelnews.com/events

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