Basilica Of SANTA MARIA GLORIOSA Dei Frari Venice, Italy

UNLIKELY FOR THAILAND TO REOPEN INTERNATIONAL BORDERS IN 2020

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said it is unlikely to reopen its borders to international leisure visitors this year as the government has a ‘very, very cautious’ approach to reopening borders. Indeed it is not looking great for even the Chinese New Year in February.

Discussions over creating travel bubbles have been halted following increased infection rates in regional nations. Some are allowed to enter the country including diplomats, UN officials, as well as business people and investors who have an agreement with the government to include film crews and exhibition personnel, but only applicable to visitors from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China and Hong Kong. Every arrival must spend 14 days in quarantine. Thailand will also open up to select countries for medical tourism.

Ideas such as safe bubbles for leisure travel, would involve all visitors spending a minimum of 30 days in the country; in designated areas like islands, such as Koh Samui or Phuket.

With such uncertainty Thai tourism operators are proposing a new inbound tourism plan ‘Safe and Sealed’ to replace travel bubbles and would help tourism businesses stay in business. The plan would allow tourists to enter Thailand in Q4 and only from cities with a record of zero infections for at least a 30-day window. They would be able to travel and stay in designated hotels and provinces. Other safety protocols will include a Covid-free certificate 72 hours before flights, as well as insurance and swab tests.

The new inbound plan is expected to draw at least 500,000 tourists to Thailand.

BASILICA OF SANTA MARIA GLORIOSA DEI FRARI VENICE, ITALY

After the Basilica of St. Mark's, the Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is one of the largest churches in Venice, as well as being one of the most important Franciscan foundations in Italy.

Originally built between 1236 and 1338 by the Franciscan Conventual Friars, the structure was thoroughly re-modelled in the XIV century and given its present form of central nave, 2 side aisles and 7 apsidal chapels after the Franciscan-Gothic style.

The chapel of Fiorentini also contains the only Venetian work by Donatello: his magnificent wooden statue of ‘St. John the Baptist’. There is also the Foscari and Tron monuments in the presbytery, and Alessandro Vittoria's statue of St. Jerome on the Zane altar.

The Basilica is commonly known as the Frari. It’s plain and expressionless exterior contrasts with its majestic interior. The construction of the church took nearly 100 years to build and was completed in the mid-15th century. Its bell tower dates from the 14th century and is the 2nd tallest campanile in Venice.

Some of the many works of art in the Frari Church in Venice are well known. These include 2 paintings by the world-famous painter Titian from the beginning of the 16th century. They are the gigantic painting ‘Assumption’ (size: 25m² also called Assunta) and the altarpiece ‘Madonna of the house Pesaro’.

LAS VEGAS ATTRACTIONS, HOTELS AND CASINOS REOPEN

Las Vegas is considered the gambling and entertainment capital of the United States. Although the pandemic turned off this city for 3 months, the casinos have already opened and now more attractions are added to the reopen to keep the city working.

PARAGUAY FOCUSES ON DOMESTIC TOURISM

Paraguay, aims to boost internal tourism with a new campaign, which will inspire every Paraguayan to feel part of their country and explore new destinations.

There is a need to reactivate internal tourism in a responsible and conscientious way, knowing the great value chain that has a multiplying effect and that benefits each Paraguayan.

The campaign will be presented globally and include the internal tourism options in different parts of the country.

Destinations will be included in economically attractive tourist packages and promotions for tourists who wish to take advantage of the time to rediscover the country.

TOKYO TRANSPARENT PUBLIC TOILETS

Public toilets around the globe are not a highlight of any travel trip. However they are now if you travel to Tokyo, Japan! Their new restrooms in 2 public parks are brightly lit and colourful and they are transparent!

Therefore, you can check the cleanliness of the toilet before going into it. Anyone who travels to Japan is amazed by their toilets. With heated seats, music, different flushes, automatic seats, etc, this is a new height of innovation with opacitychanging ‘smart glass’ that is widely used in offices to provide privacy when needed.

When occupied and locked properly, the tinted glass toilet stalls become frosted and opaque. When the door is unlocked, an electric current realigns the crystals in the glass to allow more light to pass through, creating a transparent effect.

SAUDI ARABIA TERMINATES OFFICIALS ON SUSPICION OF CORRUPTION AT AL-ULA, RED SEA PROJECT

Saudi Arabia has sacked a number of officials at tourism projects including the historical north-western site al-Ula, the Red Sea mega projects and the Souda Development Company on suspicion of corruption.

The officials are under investigation over encroachment on lands belonging to these projects. There were more than 5,000 violations reported in the Red Sea Project lands and dozens in al-Ula, in addition to others.

CROSSROADS INN, TINOS ISLAND - GREECE

Crossroads Inn is a labour of love: respect and nothing but, was their guiding light when they wedded the past to the present; and the traditional to the contemporary.

The Crossroads Inn, on Tinos Island, expresses the charm of living the local life in the Cycladic village of Tripotamos, offering the almost lost art of an ‘at home’ ambience and inviting its guests to live an unforgettable experience.

For 3 consecutive year the hotel has been awarded Gold status Best Traditional Guesthouse in Greece from the Greek Tourism Awards, as well as this year by Travel & Hospitality Awards as the Boutique Guest House of the year 2020 in Cyclades/Greece!

Photos by © Crossroadsinn

Crossroads Inn’s residences are located in different neighbourhoods within the village. The 7 restored, independent, fully equipped guest houses, offer the unique experience of the authentic traditional island life.

PERU A COUNTRY OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

PromPerú has been working with international organisations in the training of new travel trends, such as culture, nature, adventure, high-end and gastronomy thereby promoting sustainable tourism experiences in all markets.

Experiences with international recognition have been promoted together with important allies, such as ATTA, Adventure Travel Trade Association, and Virtuoso, among others.

It has also chosen to establish alliances with organisations that promote sustainability in the South American country for the development of new destination content. 72% of people looking at booking.com favour sustainable travel decisions to save the planet for future generations. Research also showed that 74% of travellers between 46-55 years old strongly believe in this, followed by millennials with 71%.

Cusco. Peru

AFRICA'S TOURISM GEARS UP FOR COMEBACK

At the beginning of 2020, Africa, was the world’s 2 nd fastest growing tourism industry and projected to make billions of dollars. Then COVID-19 brought everything to a standstill, resulting in heavy losses in revenue and jobs.

Tanzania was the 1 st country to reopen its boarders to tourists and international travel followed by the Seychelles, Tunisia, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Rwanda, Liberia and Zambia. South Africa will reopen early 2021.

Tourism operators across Asia and the Pacific are making a start to build business again. But the situation is changing daily and new restrictions make it hard to build new business especially if new quarantine measure are put in place or new lockdowns occur.

Vietnam has seen beaches shut down following a reported case leading to 100 cases; Queensland state which thought it was free of community transmission of the virus, has allowed interstate travellers except those from Victoria state due to its high virus rates. However, Melbourne was looking to welcoming more Sydney residents, but now a new outbreak has meant Sydney visitors will be banned from Queensland for the time being.

Hong Kong closed its borders in March, driving down tourist numbers by 90%. It looked as if all was well, but now a huge 2nd wave has hit the city state.

Japan's outbreaks have spread across the country with increasing travel during summer holidays. South Korea too has shutdown parts of Seoul for a 2nd time due to a spike in cases.

It is clear that we are not out of this crisis yet and businesses cannot begin to get back on their feet for a while until global cases reduce hugely and only then can borders slowly re-open.

CHINESE ATTRACTIONS TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE

With restrictive measures and fewer numbers of Chinese visitors than normal due to the pandemic, China has decided to reduce the cost for tourists, by offering discounts from 20-50% on exhibitions and excursions in the provinces of Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, Guizhou and Gansu. In total, over 500 tourist sites have become more accessible to tourists.

GLOWING MANHOLE COVERS BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL TOURIST ATTRACTION IN TOKOROZAW JAPAN

Zhuhai Opera House, Guangdong, China

A new attraction has appeared in the roads in the city of Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. The newly opened Tokorozawa Sakura Town, Japan’s newest pop culture complex for fans of anime, manga, and other otaku art forms, can now see a set of manhole covers decorated with anime characters that glow in the dark.

The 27 designs are illuminated by solar-powered LED lights that light up from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.. It is hoped they will prevent crime during the night.

Surprising Statues Around The World

by Caroline-Artemis Laspas

There are many that are familiar to us all, from the Statue of Liberty in New York, The Little Mermaid in Denmark, Terrace Of Lions, Delos Island-Greece, The Thinker in Paris or the Statue of David in Italy. Theses statues bring thousands of tourists to visit them, but there is a world of statues out there waiting for you to discover them. Here are a few of the less well known ones that are well worth visiting.

STILL WATER London, United Kingdom

This bronze sculpture of a horse's head is located at Marble Arch in London-UK. The 10m piece was commissioned to replace an earlier smaller and similar work, ’Horse at Water’. It is a stunning and striking statue and also unexpected.

DIGNITY OF EARTH & SKY South Dakota, U.S.A.

Dignity of Earth and Sky soars 50ft high into the sky. It is of a native Indian woman overlooking the Missouri River. Made from stainless steel, the quilt includes 128 diamond shapes in the colours of the water and sky that surround her. Dignity honours the Native Nations of the Great Plains.

London, UK

FORCE OF NATURE GLOBAL LOCATIONS

A series of sculptures show a woman turning the world around with a piece of cloth. The woman, presumably Mother Nature, is swept with a gust of wind, forcefully draping her attire and hair behind her. You really can feel the force of nature in these statues.

South Dakota, U.S.A.

STANDING STILL - Howick, South Africa

All over the world there are statues of Nelson Mandela, but this illusion statue is amazing. Created using 50 steel columns, representing the 50 years since his arrest and political persecution, Mandela’s profile can only be seen if you stand at a certain angle to the columns.

London, United Kingdom

BUILDING BRIDGES Venice, Italy

This momumental sculpture ‘Building Bridges’ was installed in a basin adjacent to the entrance of the Arsenale, in the Castello District of Venice. Building Bridges comprise of 6 pairs of hands, 15m high and 20m wide. They are individually titled ‘Help’, ‘Love’, ‘Friendship’, ‘Faith’, ‘Wisdom’ and ‘Hope’. The installation engages with the history of Venice as a meeting point of international history and culture.

THE FOURTH PLINTH AT TRAFALGAR SQUARE LONDON, United Kingdom

There are 4 plinths (podiums) around Trafalgar Square in London. However, the Fourth Plinth, which was built in 1841 was meant to hold a statue of William IV but due to lack of funds it remained empty.

Today, the Fourth Plinth hosts a series of commissioned artworks by world class artists. Currently on display is ‘The End’, a giant swirl of whipped cream, topped with a cherry, a fly and a drone that transmits a live feed of Trafalgar Square. The title suggests both excitement and unease, responding to Trafalgar Square as a place of celebration and protest that is shared with other forms of life. You can see the live feed via the dedicated website www.theend.today.

THE TRAVELLERS Marseilles, France

This series of eye-catching bronze sculptures called ‘Les Voyageurs’ in Marseilles are of realistic human workers with large parts of their bodies missing. They were created to commemorate Marseille's status as the European Capital of Culture in 2013 and were displayed along the waterfront.

KING LEONIDAS STATUE Sparta, Greece

King Leonidas ruled the city state of Sparta who famously led a small band of Greek allies at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. When the Persians told the Spartans to lay down their weapons, Leonidas replied 'Molon labe' (‘Come and get them’). The Spartan king defended the route through which the Persian King Xerxes wished to invade Greece with his massive army.

While all these statues have been modern, we end with London’s Oldest Bronze statue. It is one you will have seen if ever you were in Trafalgar Square. It sits at the front of the square facing down Whitehall.

CHARLES I STATUE London, United Kingdom

Sparta, Greece

London, United Kingdom

Made in 1633 during Charles I's reign, London’s oldest bronze statue was commissioned for the garden of Lord Treasurer Weston’s house. In 1649 Parliament ordered that it be destroyed but it was hidden and reappeared at the restoration of the monarchy. It was erected in 1675.

Large scale events have returned to the Kobe International Convention Center with the International Jewellery Exhibition and Japanese Society of Interventional Radiology’s 49th IVR Conference. The International Jewellery Exhibition was the first large-scale event held in Kobe in 5 months. 200 companies exhibited, including local pearl dealers from Kobe where 70% of the world’s pearls are processed and sorted. With the number of visitors per day limited to 5,000 under current national guidelines, the organisers and the convention center staff took a number of measures to ensure the safety of buyers, exhibitors, staff, and attendees, which over the 3 days was close to 6,000 people.

The 49th IRV conference which annually attracts around 1,800 participants was organised by the Japanese Society of Interventional Radiology and was held at the Kobe Portopia Hotel in the Kobe Convention Center as a hybrid event for the first time in its history.

Organisers initially chose to postpone this year’s conference as they wanted to gauge member interest in holding the conference given the various restraints in place and safety concerns due to the spread of COVID-19. Despite the circumstances, they found that there was strong sentiment amongst members and stakeholders to meet and go ahead with the conference. The new hybrid platform allowed attendees unable to travel or those who prefer to participate remotely, to attend sessions online at the same time as live attendees and gives them the option to access sessions on demand via online recordings.

As more events go hybrid and integrate online elements, organisers are looking for solutions to hold their live events safely and effectively without diminishing the experience of a completely live face to face event. The Kobe Convention Bureau is working along-side its partners to provide a variety of solutions to organiser looking to run events during this challenging time.

WORLD TRAVEL MARKET LONDON 2020

WTM London is going ahead this year as planned on 2-4 November 2020 and it is excited to welcome the travel industry back to ExCeL. The aim this year will be to help recover and rebuild and shape the travel industry; to facilitate a show which will focus on business connections; recovering old ties and building new ones.

Attendees’ safety will be a top priority and following full guidelines and measures to make sure the event is safe to attend. If you aren’t able to travel for the live event, then organisers are hosting ‘WTM Virtual’ an extension of the live event which is taking place on 10 & 11 November. Across the 2 days, the virtual event will feature live conference sessions tackling some of the issues the industry is still facing, roundtables, speed networking sessions, one-to-one meetings, and virtual networking sessions.

Whichever one you attend the impact the global health pandemic has had on the travel and tourism industry will be discussed as well as a road map to recovery, identifying the trends and innovation shaping the future of the industry.

BMLInternational-UK www.bmlinternational.co.uk

THE CITY OF CHICAGO IS REOPENING

The ‘Choose Chicago’ team and its 1,600 associates have been working with their partners to welcome people back to the city. Now in Phase Four of reopening important information about their member partners creating different experiences in Chicago available virtually.

The City of Chicago and the State of Illinois have developed a rigorous set of guidelines that all Chicago businesses must meet or exceed before reopening. Phase four includes physical distancing with the reopening of more companies with secure capabilities. This allows museums and zoos to open with limited seating, limited indoor seating in restaurants, cinemas and performance venues.

Choose Chicago is working to align businesses, organisations and institutions within Chicago's hospitality and tourism industry to support the city's overall recovery efforts and assist Chicago as we reopen safely and responsibly.

Tourism & Hospitality Forward is a new initiative, to help accelerate and stimulate Chicago's tourism industry and help the city's economic recovery.

VESTNORDEN 2020 ICELAND - POSTPONED

The organisers of Vestnorden, have confirmed that Vestnorden 2020, due to take place in Reykjanes, Iceland 6-8 October, will be postponed to 2021. This decision is based on the latest developments of COVD-19 and uncertainty regarding travel and gathering restrictions.

The organisers have organised an online Vestnorden webinar / b2b event on 7 th October. Vestnorden will now take place from 5-7 October 2021 in Iceland.

ICCA REVEALS REGIONAL HUBS ICCA’s 59th Global Congress in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, China will showcase a FOR 59TH CONGRESS –KAOHSIUNG unique hybrid model, complemented with regional hub events created across the globe to coincide with and share the experience for those unable to attend the main congress. A virtual option will also be available to those choosing to stay at home or located in the Americas. Locations for the regional hubs are: •Cape Town, South Africa •Sarawak, Malaysia •Latin America Virtual •Luxembourg •North America Virtual •Riyadh, Saudi Arabia •Malaga, Costa del Sol, Andalucia, Spain The North and Latin American Chapters will be hosting a bespoke virtual hub, including regionally relevant content and business exchange.

Themed: “Transforming Global Events Together” - The event will allow ICCA’s global community to connect with each other and explore new ideas, formats and technologies to combine efforts and create the “Kaohsiung Protocol.” This will be a framework that identifies major trends and key strategies that enable the international meetings industry to thrive, now and into the future. ICCA’s Congress will go beyond borders in 2020, providing risk free, flexible registration options that allow attendees to change their registration type as necessary. The hub events will feature live, streamed content from Kaohsiung as well as bespoke, local content in each of the destinations.

All content and attendees will benefit from a six-week long interactive “Road To Kaohsiung” pre-congress programme, which will explore key issues, connect attendees and create a dynamic hybrid experience.

MEETINGS MEAN BUSINESS CANADA Be sure to join the Meetings Mean Business Canada LinkedIn group as we use this platform to communicate and draw the industry together. Meetings Mean Business and its partners have worked hard to promote the reopening of the Business Event industry in a safe and responsible way.

The Greek National Tourist Organisation and ECTAA have signed an agreement to make Greece the Preferred Destination of the European umbrella association of travel agents and tour operators for the 2nd semester 2020. With this agreement ECTAA and GNTO demonstrate their commitment to bringing back tourism to Greece and help travel businesses thrive again.

With the agreement, ECTAA pledges to promote Greece as its Preferred Destination among the 70,000 travel agents and tour operators across Europe, highlighting the diversity of travel and tourism products that the mainland and the islands have to offer, ranging from UNESCO World heritage, beautiful nature, to vibrant cultural scene, fine gastronomy as well as many conference and meeting venues.

The objective of the agreement is to nurture the image of Greece as one of the safest and most attractive destinations in Europe. In addition, Greece will get opportunities to show that it continuously improves standards for a more sustainable tourism.

Activities to note include the webinar on 23 September 2020 on the opportunities offered by the new models of travel for the Greek market. ECTAA is holding its annual General Assembly on 8- 9 October in Athens.

DESTINATIONS AND HOTEL GROUPS TO BE JOINED BY LEADING HOSTED BUYERS AT IBTM WORLD 2020

New exhibitors at IBTM include Meliá Hotels International, Titanic Hotels, Ibiza Convention Bureau and Canary Islands as well as strong Hosted Buyer representation. IBTM World 2020 is due to take place in Barcelona from 1 -3 December, demonstrating a renewed confidence in business events.

Some of the leading exhibitors due to attend include: Meet in Ireland, Munich Convention Bureau, Meliá Hotels International, Switzerland Tourism, Greek National Tourism Organisation, Wedgewood DMC Group, Hunt & Palmer PLC, Moove Team, Monaco Government Tourist & Convention Authority, Korea Tourism Organisation and CIE Eventos (Mexico).

A wide range of leading corporate and association Hosted Buyers are also attending, including planners from organisations including; Mars, Netflix, Nike, Whirlpool Corporation, Cisco Systems, BBVA France, Gazprom Neft, Dell America Latina Corp., British American Tobacco, The Delta Group, MegaFon, Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated, European Society of Clinical Investigation, International Association for Energy Economics and The International Ecotourism Society.

The IBTM team has been working closely with event venue Fira de Barcelona, and Barcelona Convention Bureau (BCB) to implement thorough safety and hygiene measures at the event and will continue to work with them in the lead up to the event to ensure that attendees have a safe and enjoyable experience.

Safety measures at the event will include a clear one-way system to help attendees keep a safe distance; optimised stand designs to help maintain physical distancing, with overflow areas placed around the venue for use by exhibitors who require extra space for their meetings; increased spacing around all seating areas; hand sanitiser provided at key points throughout the venue; hygiene screens at all service counters, catering outlets and information points and increased frequency of cleaning throughout the venue.

EUROPEAN TRAVEL AND TOURISM SECTOR URGES EU GOVERNMENTS TO AGREE ON HARMONISED TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AS IT STRUGGLES TO SURVIVE THE CURRENT CRISIS

The European Tourism Manifesto alliance, the voice of the European travel and tourism sector, calls on Member States to urgently agree on harmonised travel restrictions and ensure swift implementation to help the sector survive this unprecedented crisis.

The European Tourism Manifesto alliance applauds renewed efforts of the European Commission as well as the initiative from the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union from last week to improve coordination on cross-border travel and restore the integrity of the Schengen area. The need for continued COVID-19 control is foreseeable and, under Art.24 of the Schengen

Borders Code, any related border restrictions must be coordinated. In the wake of an expected dramatic economic downturn, it is crucial that travel within the EU and the wider European area (including EEA, UK and Switzerland) be carefully and quickly restored. In addition, international coordination to re-establish transatlantic travel would provide a vital boost to the travel and tourism sector.

European travel and tourism is the ecosystem most affected by the coronavirus crisis due to insufficiently coordinated travel restrictions, declining traveller confidence and reduced consumer demand. The 2020 summer season was strongly impacted by this crisis, with traveller confidence reaching a record low. Hotel occupancy rates in Europe were at 26.5% in July 2020, which accounts for a fall of 66.4% compared to the same month last year. Moreover, top 5 European destinations, such as France, Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands only saw just 40% of 2019’s volumes for intra-European travel, with Spain lagging at 22% of last year’s volumes.

While many Europeans were keen to travel again during the summer, the inconsistent and ever-changing border restrictions along with confusion about quarantine and test requirements, caused frustration for both businesses and travellers, deterring booking and damaging materialisation for both leisure and business travel.

We call on national governments to urgently approve the European Commission’s proposal and to: ●Establish common criteria and thresholds for determining epidemiological risk, including a common colour-coding system to identify risk areas. These criteria should be evaluated on a detailed regional level, considering relevant geographical factors (particularly islands).

●Implement common measures to put in place upon departure to and return from risk areas. These measures should be determined with sufficient detail and based on scientific evidence (as there is no reason to restrict travel to entire countries if only certain regions are affected), and comprise: -Replacing the need for quarantine of travellers with comprehensive cost-effective testing and tracing -Avoiding blanket restrictions to free movement by implementing more targeted measures which are limited in geographical scope -Avoiding imposing travel restrictions on passengers in transit -Agreeing on common rules for requesting pre-travel COVID-19 negative test results where needed -Ensuring the interoperability of contact tracing apps in the EU and the harmonization of Passenger Locator Forms based on international standards.

●Follow a common structured and transparent process to publish clear, comprehensive and timely information about any travel restrictions where these are needed. Information should also be made available on the ‘Re-open EU' web platform.

The sector has been calling for better coordination between Member States and a harmonised European approach to travel restrictions and safety measures since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such an approach will help rebuild traveller confidence and help the sector in its slow recovery, protecting millions of livelihoods, jobs, and enterprises. Pending the return of significant visitor flows, continued financial support for the sector is necessary so that the European tourism ecosystem returns employment to the economy as soon as possible.

Proving the importance of tourism recovery as a catalyst for European economic revival, the latest WTTC research shows that every 2.7% increase in travel flows would generate or bring back one million jobs in the sector. Harmonising the inconsistent patchwork of COVID-19 rules and travel advice in Europe could lead to an increase in travellers by as much as 27%, recreating 10 million jobs in travel and tourism across Europe.

CIMGLOBAL THE GLOBAL ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT AND CONFERENCE ORGANISER TO OPEN OFFCE IN AUSTRALIA

CIMGlobal has been growing its footprint globally. The Adelaide office is its 4th international space and is set to strengthen CIMGlobal’s position as one of the industry leaders.

CIMGlobal has always seen the economic development of Australasia and has been offering professional services to many associations in the region. Drawing on resources and professional experience from its global network, CIMGlobal aims to assist clients in the Australasia region in realising their vision of business transformation, and contribute towards improving the standards of modern service industry. CIMGlobal’s continued global success is a strong testament to the firm’s commitment and focus on results, and it looks forward to supporting organisations in Australia in building businesses of eminence.

PARIS, FRANCE BUSINESS TOURISM NEEDS CONFERENCES

To help the business tourism sector in France, conferences are key to the rebound in the sector. The Palais des congrès in the Ile-de-France region is ready and waiting for events to begin. Business tourism accounts for 50% of hotel nights in the region, and 60% to 80% beyond the Paris ring road. September and October are traditionally the best months, due to multiple trade fairs and conferences. As two-thirds of the clientele are French, it is possible that the sector could recover well and bring business people back to Paris.

ICC WALES TO HOST CONSERVATIVE PARTY SPRING CONFERENCE IN 2021

The Conservative Party is to host its Spring Conference at the International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales) in Newport, South Wales in 2021.

It is estimated it will be worth UK£20 million to the South Wales economy. The Spring Conference will be taking place alongside the Welsh Party Conference with up to 8,000 people expected to be in attendance.

ICC Wales Chief Executive Ian Edwards said: “We are delighted to be chosen as the host venue for the Conservative Party Spring Conference in 2021. ICC Wales was conceived and built to transform Wales as a destination for holding business events, and staging this prestigious conference will be another fantastic demonstration of what this venue is capable of.

PARTICIPATION AS BUYERS TO BITESP 2020

BITESP 2020, Borsa Italiana del Turismo Esperienziale (International Experiential Tourism Exchange), becomes Digital, from 23-25 November.

BITESP Digital 2020, will allow the tourism businesses from all over the world to participate in the workshop without limitations, comfortable from their office, without the need of flights and transfers, in absolute safety.

Bitesp Digital 2020 is entirely dedicated to experiential tourism, incoming and outgoing, a winning union and an important occasion for the commercial development of tourism. Today, tourists not only look for locations and places do visit, but for “unique experiences to live”. Represented at BITESP Digital 2020: Cultural Tourism –Food and Wine Tourism –Rural Tourism –Sport Tourism –Bike Tourism –Nature and Outdoor Tourism –Green and Sustainable Tourism –Adventure Travel –Romantic Tourism –Wellness Tourism –Spiritual Tourism –Artisanal Tourism –Shopping Tours –Themed Holidays –Sea –Mountain –Lakes –Art Cities –Tailor Made –Wedding Destinations –Luxury Travel –MICE –Team Building. Participation for all Buyers is free. www.bitesp.it

MONTRÉAL, CANADA TOP CITY IN THE AMERICAS FOR INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

In a 2019 report, the Canadian city of Montréal has kept the top host city ranking in the Americas for international events. This is the 3 rd consecutive year the city is No.1 . The city welcomed 129 international events in 2019, beating other destinations like New York, Washington, Toronto and Buenos Aires. Montréal accounts for 58% of international events held in the 3 major cities, Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal.

Saint Joseph Oratory of Mount Royal, Montreal, Canada

IFTM TOP RESA KICK OFF

The IFTM Top Resa trade show will be held from 17-20 November 2020 in Pavilion 1 of Porte de Versailles. Organisers will provide a safe and stress-free environment for the trade show. This is the only annual trade show in France that brings together all segments of this industry that has been so heavily impacted by COVID-19 and it will focus on returning to business as usual in 2021.

This event will offer 10 separate zones (Africa, the Americas, Asia & Pacific, Caribbean, Destination France, Europe & Mediterranean, Generalists, Middle East, Indian Ocean, Tech Zone) and 10 thematic villages (Coach Operators, Business Travel, Parks, Cruises, Networks, Tour Operators, Mountain, and Influencers, Innovation and Start-up in the Tech Zone).

In 2019, IFTM Top Resa welcomed 34,150 visitors and 1,700 brands including over 200 (French and international) destinations in a 33,000 m2 exhibition space, and offered around 100 thematic conference sessions by IFTM and 100 events organised by exhibitors. Over the past few months, IFTM Top Resa has been working on creating new conference sessions on major cross-cutting topics for an expert take on the latest market trends. The usual thematic days will also be in place, in particular, CEO Talks, Digital Day and the International Business Travel Days (JIVA). In partnership with ATD (Acteurs du Tourisme Durable), this November the trade show will see the launch of a comprehensive programme of conference sessions and workshops entitled “Sustainable Tourism Days”. This year a dedicated continuing professional development programme for travel agents in partnership with Entreprises du Voyages has been created. New this year will be the Tour Operators Village and Cruises Village, with sand and straw huts for the 1 st and portholes and boating equipment for the other.

There are also 2 new themes this year –Mountains and Cruises.

UNMISSABLE EVENTS AT IFTM TOP RESA! -Startup Contest (the best innovative solutions in travel), Tuesday 17 November, -Hackathon in partnership with CDS Groupe (a 24-hour race during which teams have to design a brand new business travel solution), -Travel Agents Cup (vote for the best travel agents in France), Thursday 19 November, -Travel Agents Cup Junior (vote for the best students and up-and-coming salesperson for Destination France), Friday 20 November.

EXPERIENCE, 21 –22 OCTOBER 2021 GUADALAJARA, MEXICO

EXPERIENCE is the first experiential event in the Americas, focused on gathering the best of the best in the meetings and events industry; 150 top buyers and 150 top suppliers. EXPERIENCE is the first event in the Americas to build valuable business connections through EXPERIENCES.

Its main goal is to create a closer bond between top buyers and suppliers from the Americas. A detailed and dedicated programme will offer activities intended to generate interaction, emotions and engagement.

THE RDA WORKSHOP 2020 IN COLOGNE!

The RDA Workshop 2020 in Cologne was the 1st specialist tourism event in Germany after the lockdown. We wish to thank all exhibitors and visitors, because this event would not have been possible without your commitment and partnership in the Corona crisis.

Together as RDA, we were able to send out an important and hopeful spirit of optimism into the bus and group tourism sector and thus focus on what makes up and drives our business.

The RDA Workshop 2020 was of particular importance not only for our industry but also for the German exhibition industry. Koelnmesse impressively demonstrated that trade fairs are possible during the Corona crisis and that the trade fair industry can now get going again.

The RDA Group Travel Expo is the leading travel exhibition for coach and group tourism. It is organised twice a year by RDA E xpo GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of the RDA International Coach Tourism Federation. It has a long history: The RDA Group Travel Expo has been held for more than 40 years - previously as RDA Workshop.

QATAR TRAVEL MART EXHIBITION POSTPONED BY A YEAR

Qatar’s 1 st International Exhibition for Travel and Tourism has been postponed to 2021 due to the health crisis.

NeXTfairs, the multi-format event organiser, has announced that in view of global spread of COVID19, the 1 st edition of Qatar Travel Mart (QTM), which was scheduled on 17-19 November 2020 at Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) will now be moved to 16-18 November, 2021. The move has been confirmed after discussions with all stakeholders and with a view to allow all participants to safely navigate through the impacts of the health crises.

Speaking about the postponement, Mr. Rawad Sleem, General Manager of NeXTfairs, said: “Considering the effects of the current crisis on the travel and tourism sector, we have had intense discussions with our strategic partners, founding partners and strategic sponsors. The welfare of our exhibitors is our priority and taking into consideration the recommendations of the relevant industry pioneers and partners regarding the economic slowdown in the large markets, we have come to the smart decision to postpone the physical exhibition by a year. The delay will also help the industry understand the longterm effects of the pandemic and pave the way to a new line of thinking. Our team is constantly monitoring the global situation and it was concluded that the announcement of the postponement should be done at the earliest to enable our exhibitors and partners to make necessary alterations to their plans.” Updates will be shared on the official website of the exhibition and the QTM team will be reaching out to all participants with the detailed arrangements.

NeXTfairs is confident of the impact and influence of Qatar Travel Mart to the travel and tourism industry, and invites you to stay connected and involved in their continuous initiatives to support the industry.

ECM AND ICCA FORM EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP

ECM (European Cities Marketing) and ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) have agreed to launch a European partnership to solidify collaboration and provide better aligned benefits for their respective members.

The Partnership has agreed to begin a programme of exploring exchange and reciprocity in 3 areas: educational content, advocacy and a mentor programme.

Senthil Gopinath, ICCA CEO: “We are extremely excited to formalise an already existing long-term partnership and work closely together in moving the meetings industry forward in Europe together with ECM.” Through this partnership ICCA will further enhance its contribution towards meetings industry education.

“With this alliance, ECM and ICCA seal existing links to achieve greater efficiency in key areas, enabling better services for their respective members. We are very proud of this new milestone which outlines ECM development in the Meetings Industry worldwide. In those challenging times, this is also one more step to show the resilience of the Meetings Industry on the way to recovery”, said Petra Stušek, President of ECM and CEO of Visit Ljubljana.