Trav Buzz Magazine Dec 19 Issue

Seychelles Tourism Board

ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition by Turkish Airlines

NIMA appoints new Executive Committee as National Coordinator Thailand welcome its 38.26 millionth tourist to the Kingdom

MICE AFFAIRS MAGAZINE

2nd Edition

Present

2nd Edition MICE BUSINESS AWARDS

AHMEDABAD July 2020 Full day of Networking Corporate & Association Buyers Contact : pr@miceaffairs.com Call : 8800739595 , 8368088280

OUTSTANDING EXHIBITION & EVENT AWARDS

OUTSTANDING ASSOCIATION AWARDS

STARTUP BUSINESS AWARDS

for Sponsorship & Collabortions Email to Sachin@miceaffairs.com

Sheraton Grand Danang Resort

Editor’s note

Hello Readers, Welcome 2020 with New Hopes and Ideas While we all step into 2020 with new hopes and aims, Travel business which is going through rapid changes with every passing day, shall be tech focus irrespective of the business domain you are promoting. Each and every organization, be it small scale or large scales have to have technology presence in business. Travel Customers rely more on tech modes, be it travel apps or websites to book their travel needs. Small organizations have limited budgets to go on these lines but viable pocket friendly options are available to be explored.Small scale travel firms do claim their largest threat is online business. But are there any solutions? Are we changing our businesses to overcome the threat. Are we including some part of technology in our product selling.

So the next step is to renovate and change the business model a bit, which may help us in longer run. Second main point which is worth considering is maintaining decent profit margins against your set of services. Travel being a service oriented market do have enough space for personal relations and also we need to learn to say no, where we don’t feel business needs to be served against compromising on earning profits. Competition is true for each industry but we need to come up with innovative ideas to survive.

For travel industry first month of 2020 is full of events like SATTE, BLTM, OTM. Lot of networking events are in the row for travel trade, so keep your business cards ready to make new connections.

Wish you more business and a Very Happy 2020 !!!

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CONTENTS

4. SATTE 2020 7. Night show ‘From Dusk to Dawn’ at Masada in Israel 8. SEASIDE FINOLHU APPOINTS EDYTA PESZKO AS DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING 9. Minor Hotels Announces Signing of Two New Properties in Qatar 11. Seychelles Tourism Board 12. Thailand welcome its 38.26 millionth tourist to the Kingdom 16. Sheraton Grand Danang Resort Names Carl Volschenk as General Manager 17. ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition by Turkish Airlines 19. Tel Aviv Becomes the First City in the World to Require Electric Scooters 20. Relive the legendary show with the Game of Thrones 22. NIMA appoints new Executive Committee as National Coordinator

SATTE 2020 Set to deliver the best of travel and tourism line-up for the industry

Mapping trends and Building partnerships is the key focus for the 27 th edition of South Asia’s leading and celebrated travel show

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ational, December XX, 2019: Informa Markets in India (formerly UBM India), India leading B2B exhibition organizer, is all set to bring in the 27 th edition of SATTE (South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange) from the 8 th to 10 th of January, 2020 at the India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi – NCR.This year, over 1,050 exhibitors and buyers and travel professionals from over 50 countries and 104 Indian cities, are set to visit the show. The expo continues to provide a comprehensive platform to the professionals from all segments of travel, tourism and hospitality industry from across the globe. The show equally offer platforms to players of the inbound, domestic and outbound markets.With a focus on building new business

partnerships and announcements, the three-day expo promises to deliver and discuss current trends in the industry. Keeping up with their annual promise, SATTE 2020 will host an exciting line-up of conferences to enlighten the industry by addressing the challenges and opportunities that India tourism offers. SATTE 2020 continues to receive active support from various Indian and International travel and trade associations, wedding planners, corporate travel decision makers and investors amongst others. While Indonesia is the Premium Partner country for SATTE 2020, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Sri Lanka are Partner Countries. Mauritius is the Feature Country for SATTE 2020. Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, West Bengal and Goa are confirmed as Partner States and a few more are set to join in. Uttar Pradesh is the host state for SATTE

2020. Besides, many other countries and states are participating in various capacities.

With an exciting line-up of conferences, SATTE 2020 will host a series of sessions and workshops, presented and lead by high profile speakers and industry stalwarts, covering topics from all aspects of the industry.

The first panel discussion on ‘Global Economic Scenario and Tourism Trends’ on Day 1 will discuss about the emerging scenario in global travel and tourism industry and in India. The second panel discussion Adventure Tourism: Unlocking New Avenues’ will focus on major challenges in adventure tourism. Day 2 of SATTE 2020 Conference will once again be a Corporate Travel Day powered by the Corporate Travel Community (CTC) that are set to organise two powerful sessions on Airline Programmes + NDC Education Forum and ‘The Accommodation Outlook and Technology Innovations

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Education Forum’. Apart from these, the Network of India MICE Agents (NIMA) will organise a set of 5 sessions and 2 workshops on MICE tourism.

SATTE has grown hand-in-hand with the consistent support of the Ministry of Tourism as well as all State Tourism Ministries/Boards and the Indian travel and tourism fraternity in totality. Continued support of international organizations/associations and Indian travel trade associations such as World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI), India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB), Universal Federation of Travel Agents Association (UFTAA), Pacific Asia Travel

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Association (PATA) and Enterprising Travel Agents Association (ETAA) to name a few have helped bolster the efforts of SATTE. Speaking on the expectations from SATTE 2020, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, said “Every year, we put in our best efforts to make SATTE bigger and this year we aim to reach new milestones with the continued support from our exhibitors and partner countries and states. Growing at a rapid pace, in 2018, the travel and tourism sectors contribution to GDP was INR 16.91lakh crore ($240 billion) and is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 6.9% to INR 32.05 lakh crore by 2028. The government of India has also introduced a Tax Refund for Tourists (TRT) to encourage tourists to spend more in India and boost the country’s tourism. India offers geographical diversity and has a diverse portfolio of niche tourism products, cruise adventures, eco-tourism and rural & religious tourism bringing a multitude of foreign tourists to the country. Our domestic, inbound and outbound tourism have been recording a substantial growth in the last few years”.

“

The government has also launched marketing and branding initiatives while also taking the efforts to boost investment in the tourism sector. The Incredible India 2.0 campaign saw the launch of its mobile app that would assist a traveller in India and showcase the experiences of travelling in the country. With such incredible growth in the

sector, SATTE is extremely important for all those associated with the travel & tourism and hospitality industry. In fact, the trend of destination weddings has been well captured by our exhibitors this year and thus SATTE 2020, is a holistic expo that maps and analyses such trends along with forecasting developments in the sectors and providing viable solutions to help business thrive in the ever-evolving industry”,

application of free visa on arrival for Indians has resulted in a 25% growth in Indian tourists to Thailand which is a remarkable increase from 2018. As a result of simple and cost effective visa process, travelers are able to plan last minute, hassle free holidays due to VOA facility and E-Visa provided to visit Thailand. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) together with around 80 Thai exhibitors will participate as partner country in the South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange 2020 (SATTE 2020) to be held in New Delhi. This will be the largest contingent of Thai exhibitors at SATTE, a significant increase over the total of 70 in SATTE 2019.

This year marks the 12th year of Thailand presence at SATTE. Like every year, TAT hopes to introduce more and more hotels, airlines, DMCs and attractions in Thailand to the Indian travel trade. Our campaign “Open to the New Shades” is still going strong. During SATTE 2020, TAT will be launching “Amazing Thailand Destination Plus” which is combining main cities to emerging and secondary cities. This year at SATTE we will display an umbrella painting at our booth and Thai Boxing shows”.Speaking about industry trends, Mr Varun Chadha, CEO, Tirun Travel Marketing, said, “India has a huge population with an emerging middle class who are looking for novel vacation options apart from the traditional fly land tour packages. Today, there is growing awareness and attraction for cruising among the Indian consumers.

Family-oriented and inno-

said Mr. Mudras.

Informa Markets will also be hosting the 4th Edition of the SATTE Awards powered by T3, to recognize and celebrate the excellence, triumphs and innovations of key stakeholders in the Travel and Tourism industry which is based on genuine and authentic parameters, innovation and excellence in the travel and tourism industry, a philosophy well imbibed in the values of SATTE. Speaking about Thailand as a trending tourist spot, Mr. Isra Stapanaseth, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, said, “Thailand received a total of 38.27 million tourists in 2018 worldwide which is up by 7% and for 2019, we are forecasting 39.8 million foreign tourists. From India we have received 1.59 million Indian tourists in 2018 and in 2019 from January to October we received 1.63 million tourists. The trend of increasing foreign and Indian tourists is due to Thailand’s Visa on arrival facilities and normal visas granted by the Royal Thai Embassy and Thai Consulates in various cities. The

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vative cruise lines like ours can fuel and satisfy their demand for cruising, as our brand appeals to Indians who tend to travel in multigenerational family groups, corporate groups as well as wedding groups, which is an upcoming popular trend. At SATTE 2020 we are looking at growing our network, building relationships with our existing partners, finding collaborators and gaining an overall sense of the market. Since we are also the India Representative of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd we plan to showcase our entire portfolio of cruise lines right from the contemporary brand Royal Caribbean International to the Modern luxury Celebrity Cruises to Boutique Azamara Club and ultra-luxury Silversea at SATTE 2020”.

Mr Danish Fairoz, General Manager, 24x7 Rooms.com, said, “The current global slowdown has certainly affected the Tourism industry as a whole. We noticed that travelers are still travelling however, ticket value has decreased so either duration of the stay or category of the hotel has gone down. There has been a vacuum created with the exit of key airlines mid of this year and we will need support from the Government or private organizations to step up and lift the aviation industry altogether. Being a B2B wholesaler, our concern of dominance of B2C needs to be addressed as we seek understanding and assistance from Hospitality industry to respect our business module. Like all the years, we are waiting to meet all our dear partners under one roof during the three

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days at SATTE 2020 and we are excited to welcome prospective partners who will join hands with us after the meeting. SATTE has never disappointed us in terms of business expansion opportunities.

We have been participating in the expo for a few years now and one thing that has always been there with SATTE is success and an encouraging response from trade. This year at SATTE 2020 we will be announcing a new branch that we recently opened in Dec 2019 in the Congo country along with our two new DMC offices that will be established in South Africa and Tunisia through SATTE”.

Dream Cruises Mr. Naresh Rawal, Vice President – Sales & Marketing India & South Asia, Genting Cruise

Lines, said, “The Indian outbound travel market is growing at an exponential rate, outbound travelers from Tier II and Tier III cities are on a rise. Though most international destinations are highly connected to all Tier I and Tier II markets in India, an increase in connectivity to other cities would help persuade aspiring outbound travelers. A growing number of Indian travelers are looking for personalized experiences, be it for leisure or MICE travel. We have also noticed that the number of Indian travelers opening up to the idea of cruise holidays has been growing year on year. These travelers are looking for experiential destinations as they aim to create memorable experiences.

Personalization of experiences is undergoing a significant evolution in

the industry and travel partners are customizing offerings at every stage: from research, to bookings, to itineraries.

Dream Cruises is bringing an exclusive piece of global excellence to India at SATTE 2020.

This year’s big announcement is the launch of our first Global Class vessel to join the Dream Cruises fleet which has been recently christened as “Global Dream”. Global Dream is slated to be one of the most technologically advanced cruising vessels in the world. We encourage our partners to come and witness the experience at our booth during SATTE 2020.

SATTE has always lived up to our expectations when it comes tonetworking and meeting our industry partners.

We are very excited to be a part of this year’s exhibition

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wherein we believe we’d be meeting newer entrants and new potential partners to help us grow further in the Indian market”.

Kandarp Amin, Head of Sales & Marketing, Marasa Africa Kenya, said, “Marasa Africa has been closely associated with SATTE for over 9 years and we are proud of this partnership. As hoteliers, we look forward to the 2020 edition to meet quality and potential buyers, converse with attendees at the exhibition, through which we receive direct enquiries which is an impressive result. We are certain that SATTE will continue to grow, especially over the next 3 years and sustain their position as the No.1 hospitality trade show in India”.

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Enjoy the new night show ‘From Dusk to Dawn’ at Masada in Israel

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority offers a new nocturnal 45 minutes show ‘From Dusk to Dawn’ at the Masada National Park, its’ flagship site. Ranked as Israel’s most popular national park with 1 million visitors a year, the site has created a first of its kind evening spectacle screened for the audience by means of innovative, multimedia technologies.

behind the scenes of the archaeological excavations on Masada, as well as two audio zones that recount the story of the Roman siege of Masada and King Herod’s extravagant life style. The moving soundtrack was composed especially for the show by Shlomo Gronich, with many soloists, including Harel Sakat and Liraz Charhi. Dozens of actors, extras, orchestra and an

Mount Masada itself serves as the “screen” on which the performance is shown.

Video mapping technology as well as advanced lighting and sound effects have created a world-class exhibit. The western side of Mount Masada also offers historical information zones along the route that takes the visitors to the performance: A short film where visitors can get a glimpse from

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extensive choir participate in the performance, breathing life into the ancient story of Masada and its historical heroes.

The open air theatre at Masada hosts up to 1,500 persons and a spacious camping area is available for visitors who choose to spend the night at Masada and climb to the top of the mountain to watch the magnificent sunrise at dawn.

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SEASIDE FINOLHU APPOINTS EDYTA PESZKO AS DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING be working closely with me in taking Seaside Finolhu to a global level,” said Marc Reader, General Manager of Seaside Finolhu.

keting roles with Diethelm Travel Group, Accor Hotels and Hotelbeds while based in Bangkok, Thailand.

The newest addition to the German company Seaside Collection, the Baa Atoll-situated Seaside Finolhu has appointed Edyta Peszko as its Director of Sales and Marketing.

She will be responsible for leading and further improving all aspects of commercial, marketing and brand positioning of Seaside Finolhu.

Edyta joins from Minor Hotels, where she held position of Cluster Director of Sales & Marketing at Anantara Dhigu, Anantara Veli and Naladhu Private Island Maldives.

Prior to relocating to Maldives, Edyta held senior managerial sales and mar-

Originally from Poland, Edyta has been working in Asia for 18 years and she brings an extensive experience from the international hospitality and travel sectors. Her passion and strength in driving sales, generating business leads, developing and managing client relationships has been recognized by Corporate Maldives, landing her a spot in the Top 20 Most Influential Sales & Marketing in the Maldives last year.

Edyta possesses great leadership skills, strong dedication for excellence and a talent for developing performing teams to maximise their full potentials.

Outside work, she enjoys yoga, travelling and trying new vegetarian restaurants.

Seaside Finolhu, nestled in the Baa Atoll, a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve site, the resort has 125 villas - 91 over-water and 34 beachfront with more than half featuring private pool.

The resort offers four unique restaurants, a poolside bar, swimming pool, tennis, the Fehi Spa , gym, Kids’ Club and a wide range of motorised and non-mo-

“It is great to welcome Edyta to the growing Finolhu Family.

While she will oversee and direct all aspects of Sales and Marketing activities in the property, from planning to implementation, she will also

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torised water sports options with an on-site facility of a PADI dive centre.

The resort is only a 30-minute seaplane flight away from Male International Airport. While popular with honeymooners, the extensive resort is also very family-friendly, with a kids’ club, plenty of activities and daily entertainment. With chic design and beach-club vibe, Finolhu puts a playful twist on luxury. Recently, the resort launched the Bubble - a unique overnight glamping experience on a private stretch of beach at the resort, in a transparent dome.

The Bubble offers an inimitable experience with privacy, serenity and all the comforts of a hotel suite in a transparent bubble. A private beach barbeque dinner and breakfast served on the beach is also a part of the whole experience.

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Minor Hotels Announces Signing of Two New Properties in Qatar To Operate Under its Anantara and NH Collection Brands Minor Hotels, a hotel owner, operator and investor, currently with a portfolio of 536 hotels and resorts in 55 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, South America, Africa and the Indian Ocean, has signed a management agreement with a private developer for two new properties in Doha, Qatar, to operate under its luxury Anantara brand and NH

is comprised of 72 one-bedroom, 144 two-bedroom, and 12 three-bedroom apartments as well as a restaurant, coffee shop, fully equipped gym, indoor swimming pool, kids’ club, teens room, and a number of meeting rooms.

Collection brand.

Currently in the pre-opening phase, The Vyra Suites NH Collection Doha is a 228-key serviced apartment property located in West Bay, Doha’s prominent business district hosting much of the city’s most modern infrastructure.

Situated amongst a plethora of commercial skyscrapers, large scale mixeduse developments and government entities, the new-build 44-storey property

This will be the first NH Collection to launch in the Middle East and the first outside of the brand’s traditional areas of operation in Europe and South

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America. NH Collection hotels are conceived for discerning travellers, whether for business or pleasure, who are looking for strategic locations in core international destinations.

The brand blends thoughtful attention to detail, outstanding services, premium innovative products, state-ofthe-art technology and genuine local gastronomy.

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Doha Anantara Hotel & Suites will include a large food and beverage offering which includes multiple dining options and a fully air conditioned courtyard atrium anticipated to be the centrepiece of the property. Other facilities will include a spa and wellness area, a roof top infinity swimming pool and an indoor pool, a kids’ club, a fully equipped gym and a 1,200 square metre ballroom along with six other meeting rooms.

Anantara Hotel & Suites is under development in the Um Ghuwelina area of the city, approximately 15 minutes’ drive from Hamad International Airport. The 292-key property is envisioned to become an iconic luxury destination in Doha with its grand architecture and classical design and will offer 118 guest rooms and 174 apartment suites. The Plaza

“We are very excited to announce these two upcoming hotels and to grow and launch our brands in Doha,” commented Dillip Rajakarier, CEO Minor Hotels. “The combination of both Anantara and NH Collection, combined with our existing portfolio, will attract a diverse range of travellers and meet the market’s increasing demand for short and long term accommodation.”

Qatar’s capital city of Doha is becoming an established tourism destination growing

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significantly in popularity and is recognised as being part of one of the wealthiest economies in the world. In 2014, Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) launched the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy (QNTSS), which provided the framework for the development of the tourism sector with the intent to increase its contribution to Qatar’s economy by 2030.

With a winning bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and a national objective to diversify its economy, Qatar has been gearing up for expansion of its tourism sector with investment being channelled into infrastructure development and construction of hotels, malls, conference centres and entertainment attractions.

Minor Hotels currently operates 17 properties in the Middle East, including Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara, three Tivoli properties and one Oaks in Qatar, and has a further strong pipeline with many new properties under development in the

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Seychelles Tourism Board

And Air Seychelles’ dreamy end of the year familiarization trip

Mumbai, 17th December 2019: Seychelles Tourism Board conducted the last familiarization trip for 2019 with pan India tour operators along with airline partner Air Seychelles. This week-long educational trip showcased the beauty of its three main islands- Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. The tour operators got an opportunity to experience the para-

trip was to explore various aspects that cater to the requirements of these segments. Senior Management from Meetpal Travels (Hyderabad), Red Letter Holidays (Delhi), Shalom Travels (Mumbai), WTF Fares (Nagpur) and Riya Travels (Mumbai) were a part of this educational trip and the entire experience helped to enhance their knowledge to

dise islands, partake in various activities and get inspired by the local culture and cuisine.

With increasing awareness of the islands in India, we have seen a slow drift in tourism pattern from mainly honeymooners towards other segments like family holidays, adventure travel and celebrations. The aim of this familiarization

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better promote and sell the destination.

During their visit, these Indian tour operators received a warm Seychellois welcome from hotel and DMC partners.

The group also got a chance to interact with Seychelles Tourism Board and Air Seychelles teams to learn about the changing trends and positioning of Seychelles in the India market.

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Thailand welcome its 38.26 millionth tourist to the Kingdom Sets new record high that surpasses last year’s total of 38.17 million arrivals~ Thailand welcomed its 38.26 millionth tourist to the Kingdom today, a record high for the country that surpasses last year’s 38.17 million arrivals.

Travelling from Mumbai, India, Miss Devanshi Deepak Kesaria along with three friends arrived on Spice Jet flight SG081 at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to a pleasant surprise. The group travelled to Thailand for the first time, with plans to enjoy travel expe-

riences in Bangkok and Pattaya.

and has once again achieved a new record high number of arrivals this year with already 38.26 million arrivals as of 20 December.

After clearing immigration, she was invited to a welcome ceremony and was greeted by senior officials and VIPs from Thailand’s tourism industry, including the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Suvarnabhumi Airport, Immigration Bureau and Thai Airways International.

“But good news is still to come. Thailand is expected to welcome the 39 millionth tourist on 27 December, or in a week from now.”

A ‘Luckiest Visitor’ jacket was presented to Miss Devanshi in addition to a certificate commemorating the occasion, round-trip economy air tickets for two between her original destination and Thailand valid for one year, and a five-

Mr. Tanes Petsuwan, TAT Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, said, “On behalf of TAT, I am delighted that Thailand remains the preferred destination among world travellers

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night accommodation voucher.

She also received gifts and souvenirs from representatives from Suvarnabhumi Airport, the Thai Tourist Police, and Immigration Bureau. She was then whisked away to their hotel in Bangkok in an exclusive airport limousine provided

by Thai Airways International. TAT and the public and private sector partners initiated the “Thailand’s Luckiest Visitor, The Amazing Smashing Success” project back in June 2015, starting with welcoming the 13 millionth tourist.

The project has since Travbuzz

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Sheraton Grand Danang Resort Names Carl Volschenk as General Manager

Carl Volschenk

G.M of Sheraton Grand Danang Resort

Sheraton Grand Danang Resort, a stylish luxury beachside resort on the stunning white sands of Non Nuoc beach in Vietnam, is delighted to announce that Carl Volschenk has been appointed General Manager. A veteran of the Marriott family for nearly 20 years, Volschenk brings an ideal mix of both sales and operations expertise to ensure the property continues to grow from strength to strength.

Volschenk started his career with Marriott International back in 2000 in Le Meridien Dubai Complex and has over the past 19 years

moved from across a variety of Sales & Marketing and Operations roles.

Earlier assignments include the opening of the Four Points by Sheraton Complex in Dubai, the renovation of the Sheraton Oman, remodelling of the Plaza Athenee Bangkok, A Royal Meridien as well as Hotel Manager in Le Meridien Bangkok.

He joins us from his last position in Bangkok, where he was General Manager of the Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok.

Perfectly situated on the world-famous Non Nuoc Beach, Sheraton Grand Danang Resort is an expansive luxury resort offering 258 guest rooms and suites – each with a view of the ocean or infinity pool. The resort offers six signature restaurants and bars featuring a variety of local and

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international cuisines, along with an impressive selection of guest amenities and activities including a 250-meter-long infinity pool - the longest in Vietnam - which overlooks the sea, and Shine Spa for SheratonTM, Sheraton’s signature full service spa.

Sheraton Grand Danang Resort is just 20 minutes from Danang International Airport which is easily accessible by direct flights from Asia’s biggest cities, including Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.

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The region’s leading MICE industry trade show, 7th ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition by Turkish Airlines, will take place on January 22-24 2020 at Istanbul Congress Center, Istanbul – Turkey.

“ACE of M.I.C.E by Turkish Airlines” gathers global MICE industry’s shareholders and professionals together by providing a platform where they can build face-toface connections.

3-day long program enables professionals to gain knowledge on the latest innovations of the MICE industry and provides multiple networking opportunities.

Everything you need for a perfect event is at ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition by Turkish Airlines! 230 International buyers, 500 national buyers and more than 15000 visitors…

Within the scope of the International Hosted Buyer Program, 230 different International incentive companies, PCOs, DMCs and corporate buyers

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will participate from the overseas markets with the support of Turkish Airlines as the main sponsor of the show. International and local professionals will conduct B2B meetings as part of the Hosted Buyer Program with the exhibiting companies of the show.

tion, 1500 MICE professionals from 41 countries will come together in Klein, one of the most famous night clubs in Istanbul, for an iconic and unforgettable party.

AMEzing Party On January 22 2020, following the first day of the exhibi-

“Vestel Production Talks” will be the first conference in the world to cover

HOW TO DESIGN, PLAN AND MANAGE LARGE SCALE PRODUCTIONS

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The roadmap of making Istanbul the leading MICE destination will be covered at ACE of M.I.C.E Exhibition by Turkish Airlines!

this spesific theme.

The conference will be held on January 22-23 2020 in Uskudar Hall of Istanbul Congress Center.

The conference will gather production leaders of massive organizations from Olympic Games, Eurovision

The summit will gather the presidents of agencies, general managers of hotels and other high level professionals of the industry’s providers together to discuss what we can do to make Istanbul world’s leading MICE destination.

to Broadway Musicals, and many more, and they will deliver their presentations on a giant stage which will be designed and built for the conference.

Tickets are available now on Biletix.

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A special session will host directors of London and Barcelona Convention Bureaus and the Global Business Director of American Express to share their personal success story with the audience.

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Tel Aviv

Becomes the First City in the World to Require all Shared Electric Scooters for Hire to be Equipped with License Plates and Helmets Tel Aviv Becomes the First City in the World to Require all Shared Electric Scooters for Hire to be Equipped with License Plates and Helmets The Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality has issued new regulations for shared electric scooter companies in order to keep pedestrians and riders safe. The new regulations include equipping electric scooters with helmets, installing license plates, recycling used batteries, lowering the speed of the scooters in certain areas, and preventing the

operate in the city, which included ensuring availability throughout the city, limiting the maximum number of scooters per company to 2,500 units, allowing parking only in designated areas which have to be marked in the companies’ apps, preventing usage by minors, implementing and activating a service call center, and banning the scooters’ alarms during the nighttime.

usage of scooters in restricted areas.

The regulations enforced by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality are unprecedented and are meant to set an example for other municipalities around the world who are dealing with similar circumstances.

In August 2019, the municipality embarked on a pilot to regulate companies that were renting out electric scooters in the city.

These companies had been subjected to a number of conditions and restrictions in order to obtain a permit to

Looking ahead to 2020, the municipality has decided to continue with this pilot, adding additional terms

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and restrictions with the purpose of increasing road safety and maintaining public order in the future.

Meital Lehavi, Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo for Transportation: “Our main goal is to keep sidewalks as a safe space for walking, as the city’s sidewalks are designed primarily for pedestrians. Tel Aviv is a very walkable city and we encourage people to take advantage of the city’s small size, flat topography and over 300 days of sunshine a year.”

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Relive the legendary show with the Game of Thrones tour of Girona city by V.R. Costa Brava Girona in Costa Brava’s Catalonia region of Spain is a city with rich history, culture and heritage that is evident through its vintage buildings, streets and squares in the old city centre. Located barely two hours from Barcelona, the stunning city of Girona was one of the chosen locations that hosted the filming of one of the most legendary series of all time, The Game of Thrones! GOT fans were transported to Girona’s medieval old town which served as the major setting for the city of Braavos while Girona’s Old Town was transformed into the streets and landmarks of King’s Landing and Braavos. V.R. Costa Brava offers Indian travellers an exclusive guided tour linking architecture with one of the most famous

medieval fiction stories, a recommended activity for all Game of Thrones fans.

Cathedral of Girona – City’s most celebrated icon, Gothic cathedral on the scenic Plaça de la Catedral

is quite a sight to behold, sitting on 91 stone steps. Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, it features the world’s widest Gothic nave and was a perfect location to film many scenes in season

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six of Game of Thrones. The spectacular Baroque staircase outside the cathedral was used as the exterior for the Great Sept of Baelor in King’s Landing, where Jaime Lannister had a showdown with the High Sparrow to prevent Queen Margaery’s atonement.

The Jewish Quarter - Girona’s Jewish Quarter in the ancient Força Vella, an imposing fortress built by the Romans is replete with cobbled streets, winding alleyways and narrow archways serving up as an ideal setting for the fictional city of Braavos. The scenes where Arya Stark becomes blind and is forced to beg on the streets qand fights the Waif is filmed on the stone steps of Carrer del Bisbe Josep Cartañà, the small alleyway that loops just behind Girona Travbuzz

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Cathedral.

Plaça dels Jurats - Girona’s festival square Plaça dels Jurats is a popular venue for theatre and concerts during summer and was also the place where Arya watched the outdoor play while spying on the lead actress by order of Jaquen H’gar. Moreover, the bridge between the Plaça dels Jurats and the Sant Pere de Galligants Abbey is used as the bridge in Braavos where the waif, masked as an old woman, stabbed Arya. Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants - The Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants is a Ben-

and offer a fascinating experience to tourists. Situated just behind the cathedral, fans can see the spot where after regaining sight, Arya hid by ducking inside a bathhouse while trying to flee from the Waif.

The Sant Domènec stairs - Out of the bathhouse, the chase continued into the local market in which Ayra runs into the crowd, trips and tumbles down some stairs into a crate of oranges. The Waif meanwhile, is standing stood at the top of the stairs, looking down on her, ready to attack once more.

This scene was shot

edictine Abbey built in the 12th century and is one of Catalonia’s most important Romanesque sites which also houses the Archaeological Museum. The monastery was used as the setting for the Maesters’ citadel in Braavos, King’s Landing and Oldtown. One can see the interiors of the monastery clearly in the scene when Sam, Gilly and the baby first arrive.

Arab Baths – Arab Baths in Girona were built like the Medieval Muslim baths dating back to the 12th century. Unlike many bathhouses, they are still intact

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on the stairs leading up to the Sant Domènec convent, which was founded in the city of Girona in 1253.

Girona Old Town - The historic and medieval areas of the old town of Girona are stunning and very well preserved.

One can see the labyrinthine cobbled streets, medieval churches and ancient fortresses that are surrounded by fortified walls and towers. The stairs of Sant Marti Sacosta church is an another filming location in Girona used for the markets in Braavos.

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NIMA appoints new Executive Committee Jagdeep Bhagat appointed as National Coordinator New Delhi: December 31,2019: Network of Indian MICE Agents (NIMA) a pan-India body of agencies specializing in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events (MICE) businesses has reconstituted its Executive Committee. In the new team Jagdeep Bhagat,

CEO of Vee Bee Tours & Travels and one of the founding members of the association has taken over the role of National Coordinator of NIMA. Bhagat has been a well-known travel industry face and a keen observer of travel and tourism industry with deep insights in the MICE space. In his new role Bhagat will lead the association for the current term. Bhagat has replaced Gajesh Girdhar, Managing Director of

Muzaffarnagar based Paryatan Holidays and founding National Coordinator of NIMA. Rakesh Arora of Ghaziabad based Nina Universal Tours, Ritesh Joshi of Dehradun based Incentives & Conference Planners have been appointed as Coordinator – Finance & Administration and Coordinator – Public Relations respectively. Delhi based BTC Tours & Travels’ Tushar Jain and Honeygold Retreats’ Rajiv Chawla are the new Coordinator Membership and Coordinator – Marketing. K Vijay Mohan of Vishakhapatnam based Holiday World is Coordinator – Southern Region and Vikas Khanduri of Delhi based Holiday Merchant will remain the Advisor to the association.

Vinay Agarwal of Kolkata based Victoria Travels and Mukesh Jain of Delhi based Sterling International Tours & Travels have both been appointed as Member. Commenting on his appointment as the National

Coordinator, Bhagat, said, It’s an honour to lead a very diverse bunch of highly professional and dedicated members at NIMA. MICE is thesingle-most important vertical within the overall travel and tourism scheme of things, yet the segment has not been properly tapped by destinations and suppliers from within or outside the country.

NIMA is committed to fill that void and handhold the stakeholders in developing and promoting destinations and growing businesses and arrivals from the burgeoning MICE sector in India.” NIMA is committed to empower its members with necessary tool, information, useful resources and partnership. At the same time we will also pro-actively engage with the national and international tourism boards and various suppliers for the growth and betterment of MICE industry and help create more opportunities for all,” he further added.

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Formed in 2014, NIMA is an association of MICE specializing operators represented from various parts of the country. The association has 150 members with close to half of the membership strength coming from non-metro cities.

NIMA Executive Committee • Jagdeep Bhagat National • Coordinator • Rakesh Arora Coordinator – Finance & Administration • Ritesh Joshi Coordinator – Public Relations • Tushar Jain Coordinator – Membership • Rajiv Chawla

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Coordinator – Marketing.

K Vijay Mohan Coordinator – Southern Region

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Vinay Agarwal Member

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Mukesh Jain Member

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Vikas Khanduri Advisor

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Gajesh Girdhar Chairman – Governing Body

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