25 FEBRUARY 2018 ISSUE 67
15 AIR
Wizz Air Announces Vienna Base and New Routes
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LEEUWARDEN AND VALLETTA TITLED CAPITALS OF CULTURE
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HYATT PLACE FRANKFURT AIRPORT OPENS
MARKET UPDATE
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REVENUE RISE FAILS TO DELIVER GROWTH AT UK HOTELS
TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS
Despite recording a 0.6 percent increase in total revenue in November 2017, profit per room at hotels in the UK fell by 1.1 percent due to escalating costs, according to the latest worldwide poll of full-service hotels from HotStats.
MANAGING EDITOR Mary Kammitsi mary@traveltradeweekly.travel EDITOR Mario Hajiloizis PRESS Efi Rousi Maria Angelica Constantinou Athena Karsera Yiazou CONTRIBUTOR Dominique Christou DESIGN & LAYOUT Elena Stylianou WEB & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Savvas Kammitsis DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi HEADQUARTERS T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia 1308 Cyprus Tel: +357 22 021607, Fax: +357 22 103670 WEBSITE www.traveltradeweekly.travel EMAILS info@traveltradeweekly.travel sales@traveltradeweekly.travel editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel
London
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rowth in revenue levels was marginal for the recorded month, led by a 0.5 percent increase in RevPAR. This RevPAR increase was in spite of a 0.6 percentage point decline in room occupancy, to 78.5 percent, which was offset by a 1.3 percent increase in achieved average room rate. In addition, year-on-year growth in non-room revenues was limited, at just 0.9 percent in the food and beverage department, with growth also recorded in conference and banqueting (2.6 percent) and leisure (three percent), on a per available room basis.
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SCANDIC COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF RESTEL On December 29, 2017, Scandic completed the acquisition of Restel’s hotel operations in Finland to the divestment of one hotel in Lahti, one in Pori and one in Kuopio.
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candic sees good opportunities for sales growth and margin improvement in its acquired hotel portfolio in the coming years. The company sees potential for increasing revenue through rebranding hotels under the Scandic name and expanding Scandic’s offering in the Finnish market. Additionally, costs are expected to decrease through coordinated administration and procurement. Overall, Scandic estimates that over time, excluding the three hotels that will be divested, the acquired operations have the potential to generate adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation margins higher than the group’s long-term financial target of 11 percent.
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AGENTS
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Young Travellers Prefer OTAs 67 percent of young travellers choose to book their accommodation via Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and other intermediaries rather than directly with accommodation providers, according to the recent New Horizons global survey.
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he New Horizons findings on Millennial and Z generation travel booking behaviours revealed some 46 percent of young travellers made their accommodation bookings via an OTA in 2017, up from 31 percent in 2012. The survey named Booking.com as the most popular OTA, used by 40 percent of the under-30 travel market globally. 23 percent used Airbnb. Hostels and hotels were top travel lodging choices at 21 percent and 20 percent respectively, followed by Airbnb and other sharing economy type accommodation at 15 percent and displacing staying with family and friends.
ABTA Calling for Urgent Card Payment Review
Meeting Point Launches Design Plus
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ssociation of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has written to the British treasury minister calling for an urgent review looking at the UK card payments market. Co-signed by other stakeholders, the letter included findings from a survey about card payment charges that ABTA carried out with its members at the end of 2017. Mark Tanzer, CEO, ABTA, commented, “[...] The
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research revealed that since the introduction of the European Union’s Interchange Fee Regulation (IFR), more than half the respondents, 58 percent, have experienced increased costs for taking card payments, and very few have made significant savings.” Tanzer said card processing companies had increased other charges after the IFR, capping fees at 0.2 percent for debit cards and 0.3 percent for credit cards.
TI GROUP introduced its second international hotel brand, Design Plus, a Collection Hotel by Meeting Point Hotel Management, during FITUR. Design Plus BEX Hotel, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain is set to open this month as the newly established brand's flagship. Prior to opening, the 91-key venue, built to save 70 percent on energy supplies, won a prestigious award for being among Spain's Best Projects for Hotel Sustainability and Rehabilitation, during the annual Re Think Hotel ceremony. Design Plus Hotels is also scheduled to grow further with a second hotel on the Turkish Aegean coast. The former LABRANDA Alaçati Princess is scheduled to open its doors this summer as a Design Plus hotel, after undergoing a complete renovation.
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NEWS
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Valletta
Leeuwarden and Valletta Titled Capitals of Culture Leeuwarden and Valletta have been named European Capitals of Culture for this year.
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he opening celebrations for Valletta took place from January 14 – 20 across the city, inspired by the traditional Maltese Feast. The programme for Valetta aimed to encourage artists and audiences to rethink the traditional view of culture. About 1,000 local and international artists, curators, performers, workshop leaders, writers, designers, choirs and film-makers were involved. In Leeuwarden, celebrations were held between January 26 – 27 with the aim to strengthen and connect communities from across the Friesland region and Europe, with more than 800 projects involving music, theatre, landscape art, opera, and sport taking place throughout the year.
Medical Tourism Agency to Begin
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edical tourism and its development is a global trend; and experts estimate that Saint Petersburg, Russia has every chance to succeed in this direction. In April the Saint Petersburg Committee for Tourism Development will establish the Agency
for Medical Tourism (AMT). According to preliminary information, this agency will deal not only with the involvement of Russian and foreign citizens for diagnosis and treatment, but also promoting other Russian cities and will assist Russian citizens, who wish to under-
go treatment abroad. Andrei Mushkarev, head, Saint Petersburg Tourism Development Committee, noted that AMT will cooperate with the city's main hospitals and clinics and also with insurance companies.
ERA Supports IATA Bankruptcy Position
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uropean Regions Airline Association (ERA) has said it supports the response International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released with regards to some governments considering new airline bankruptcy rules. Changes include creating a fund for repatriating or refunding passengers, but IATA and ERA say such a fund would decrease airline competitiveness and increase costs for European consumers. They also say there are already enough mechanisms to ensure passengers are looked after and returned home should an airline cease operations. ERA agrees with IATA’s recommendation to review existing bankruptcy laws to permit airlines operating while insolvent, allowing more passengers to complete their travel, and to consider increased priority for passenger refund claims.
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CRUISING
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Record Volume for Viking Line
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iking Line welcomed 6,881,149 passengers in 2017, nearly six percent more than the previous year, marking its highest figures in history. The number of cargo units was 127,668 while the number of passenger cars was 762,253, also setting an all-time record for passenger cars. The greatest increase in passenger volumes was on the Helsinki–Tallinn route, where capacity was enhanced from April to October, 2017. The volume on that route increased 15.7 percent to 2,341,440. “Passengers benefited from our expanded capacity during the year [2017], while the tough price competition has been advantageous to our passengers,� said Jan Hanses, president, Viking Line.
Gozo Cruise Passengers Increase A total of 2,858 cruise passengers visited Gozo during the fourth quarter of (Q4) 2017, an increase of 67.4 percent on the same period in 2016, when the figure stood at 1,707.
Costa Luminosa Begins Around The World Tour
Denmark Anticipates Cruise Guest Record
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anish ports expect their busiest year with more than 1.1 million guests anticipated to visit during the upcoming cruise season, an alltime record. Based upon numbers collected by CruiseCopenhagen, Copenhagen will receive the majority of guests at an anticipated 875,000, but most Danish ports will likely report of an increase in cruise guests. A record 100,000 guests are expected to go ashore in Aarhus, and in Skagen, the number of cruise guests is forecasted to double. Bornholm, Kalundborg, Elsinore and Hundested have also announced a significant increase of cruise guests during this cruise season. Copenhagen is the largest cruise destination in Northern Europe, and its cruise season this year will also be the longest ever at 215 days compared to only 173 days in past years.
Costa Luminosa
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osta Luminosa has set sail on its Around the World Cruise, a 106-day journey across three oceans and visiting 41 destinations from Costa Rica to Muscat before returning to its starting point (Venice) on April 22. Some 2,000 guests aimed from more than 30 different countries, most from France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Austria. Guests onboard Costa Luminosa are able to experience true Italian hospitality, cuisine and style, and feel right at home with multiple facilities available onboard. For those that have missed out this year, Costa Luminosa will be embarking on another Around the World Cruise in 2019, with a scheduled departure on January 05 from Venice.
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Gozo
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ccording to National Statistics Office (NSO,) Malta, total cruise passenger traffic across both Malta and Gozo during Q4 2017 amounted to 187,280, a 5.5 percent increase on the previous year. NSO said there were 94 cruise liner calls during Q4 2017, nine more than 2016. It noted that, at 92.2 percent, transit passengers accounted for the absolute majority of total traffic, reaching 172,601. Passengers who spent at least one night aboard their berthed cruise liner numbered 11,769 on average. Every vessel that berthed in Malta carried 1,992 passengers, 96 less than 2016.
Copenhagen Port
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DESTINATIONS
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Malta
Excellent Tourism Results for Malta Malta Tourism Authority announced that inbound tourist visitors from January to November 2017 exceeded 2.2 million and increased by over 300, 000, up 16.5 percent, while total nights spent surpassed 15.7 million nights, an increase of 1.4 million year-on-year, rising by 10 percent.
Belarusian Electric Car Trials in Parks
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elarusian electric car prototypes will be deployed for trials in the Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB), according to Oleg Yelovoi, deputy director general, science and innovations, NASB. Plans have been made to begin small-scale production of budget electric cars at premises of the Joint Mechanical Engineering Institute. “Later on these cars may be used as electric taxis or for delivering various goods,” said Yelovoi. The production of the second variant of the Belarusian electric car, at premises of the BelarusianChinese car venture BelGee, is under consideration. “One of the electric cars we are working on will be designed to transport passengers and garden tools in parks, gardens, sanatorium zones, wildlife reserves, and national parks,” added Yelovoi.
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total income of EUR1.87 billion has been generated for the period showing an increase of over EUR200 million in just 11 months. Statistics released by the National Statistics Office for November 2017, indicate that increases were registered in total inbound visitors, 17.1 percent, total nights spent, 7.1 percent, and total tourism expenditure, 18.3 percent, when compared to the corresponding month in 2016. The largest share of guest nights, 66.9 percent, was spent in collective accommodation establishments. Total tourism expenditure for the period January-November 2017 reached almost EUR1.9 billion, increasing by 13.5 percent.
Brest Welcomes First Visa-Free Tourists
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family from Poland was the first group of tourists to arrive in Brest, Belarus visa-free. At Brest Central railway station, the guests were welcomed by representatives of the local authorities, tour operators and mass media. Sergei Zhukov, deputy chairman, Brest City Hall, welcomed the first visa-free tourists and gave them a colourful album featuring Brest's major tourist attractions. He expressed hope that they would enjoy their time and would come back to visit the city again. As for tourism infrastructure, there are 20 hotels which can accommodate up to two thousand tourists. Brest’s export of tourism services made up EUR2.85 million in 2017.
Brest fortress monument
Fourth Record Year for Slovenian Tourism
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017 emerged as Slovenia’s fourth consecutive record year for tourism. By November 2017, the number of tourist overnight stays had grown by eight percent in comparison to November 2016, while tourist arrivals exceeded the number recorded in November 2016 by 10 percent. In the month under review, the highest number of tourist arrivals was recorded from Italy at 31,277, an
increase of more than 14 percent in comparison to the same period in 2016. Austria followed with 23,867 tourist arrivals and a 10 percent increase compared to November 2016. The number of tourists from Croatia increased by almost five percent, reaching 11,965. Other markets with growth included Germany, Serbia, South Korea, and other Asian countries. 25 FEBRUARY 2018
DESTINATIONS
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Tourism Ireland Targets Germans
VisitScotland Hails Tourism Growth
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alcolm Roughead, CEO, VisitScotland has hailed significant tourism business growth across Scotland during 2017. Commenting on the UK Office of National Statistics’ Q3 2017 International Passenger Survey (IPS), tourism statistics and domestic tourism statistics derived from the Great Britain Tourism Survey, Roughhead said, “[…] It is absolutely phenomenal to see just how much growth there was compared to the same
period in 2016 with overseas visits up by 14.6 percent and domestic visits up by 10 percent from July to September.” Roughhead said the increase could be attributed to many factors including increased capacity on air routes from around the world, favourable exchange rates and what he described as the "outlander effect", referring to visits from fans of Scotland-based books and TV series.
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ourism Ireland has kicked off its promotional drive for this year in the allimportant German market with a TV campaign to be seen by millions of potential holidaymakers. The campaign will run until mid-February on popular German national and satellite television channels, reaching an estimated 17.2 million viewers. As well as the TV advertisements, a separate online video campaign will reach almost four million people, via popular travel and news websites. The videos will highlight the wide variety of things to do in Ireland, including Wild Atlantic Way, Northern Ireland, Ireland’s Ancient East, food, outdoor activities, car touring, Dublin, Belfast and Waterford Greenway.
Tourist bus by Edinburgh Castle
UK Town Centre Sales Declined
Belfast
First-time Tourists to Gozo and Malta Witness November Increase
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he UK town centre retail market has been in decline since 2015, but it is forecast to rise 0.2 percent this year and will continue to grow until 2022, with town centre market sales being driven by convenience goods, particularly within the food and grocery sector, according to GlobalData. However, the town centre retail market will underperform against the overall growth of total physical retail sales in the UK over the next five years, which will be driven by retail parks and supermalls. The company’s report, UK Town Centres 2017-2022, reveals that shoppers are looking for more attractive physical locations, as well as online channels to satisfy their expectations; this is particularly true for the clothing and footwear sector which is forecast to decline.
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Gozo
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irst-time tourists to Gozo and Malta increased by 27 percent in November 2017; inbound visitors were estimated at 167,101, according to National Statistics Office (NSO), an increase of 17.1 percent when compared to 2016. NSO noted that first-time tourists increased by 27.4 percent, while repeat tourists declined by 7.2 percent when compared to 2016. Tourist expenditure in November 2017 was estimated at EUR120.3 million, an increase of 18.3 percent over the corresponding month in 2016. Total tourism expenditure for January to November 2017 reached almost EUR1.9 billion. NSO said that this is 13.5 percent higher than that recorded for 2016.
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TECHNOLOGY
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Telekom Fashion Fusion - Lufthansa FlyingLab
Deutsche Telekom and Lufthansa Making Flying Smarter Finalists at Telekom Fashion Fusion & Lufthansa FlyingLab fashion recently presented and tested their three prototypes onboard a Lufthansa Airbus A380 flight from Frankfurt to Houston.
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oung developer teams presented their ideas for new airline seats, onboard entertainment, and communication methods between cabin crew and passengers. The platform for the January 08 event on flight LH440 was Lufthansa FlyingLab, which gives Lufthansa passengers the opportunity to try out innovative products and services and find out more about smart fashion. The teams, Team feel.flight, Team Smart Chair and Team Lyra, over several months, worked at Fab Lab Berlin on intelligent solutions for the flight experience of tomorrow.
Aeroflot Introduces End-To-End Baggage Tracking
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eroflot has reportedly become the first Russian airline to provide real-time location information for all the baggage it handles, choosing global IT provider, SITA, to deliver an end-to-end baggage tracking solution using its BagJourney system. BagJourney allows Aeroflot to accurately track
Detailed Heathrow Terminal on Apple Maps
passenger bags at key points along their journey, including at check-in, loading onto the aircraft, transfer and arrival at the destination airport, providing a precise picture of a bag’s location. It uses baggage data from 400-plus airports and 500 airlines that pass through SITA’s BagMessage.
Service-enhancing Features at Athens Airport
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thens International Airport has chosen FLIO Digital Airport Experience to help support the overall digital experience at the airport. Passengers can now use their mobile phones to book parking, get airport and live flight information, and receive discounts at airport stores and restaurants. FLIO will begin by supporting the airport with information such as airport layout maps, a trackmy-flight feature, an integrated find my car feature for the car parks, live weather forecast, simplified access to free airport Wi-Fi and a handy listing showing everything the airport has to offer.
Athens International Airport
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eathrow has collaborated with Apple to bring detailed terminal maps to Apple Maps, providing passengers with a powerful new tool to navigate through the airport. Right from Apple Maps on their iPhone or iPad, passengers can plan their journey through the airport in advance of their flight, including finding nearby restaurants, places to make last minute purchases before takeoff, and important points of interest such as baggage claim, customers, and restrooms. Indoor positioning gives passengers an instant view of where they are within the terminal. Travellers can select restaurants on the map and gain contact information, or book a table. 25 FEBRUARY 2018
ACCOMMODATION
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Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence
Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence Opens its Doors The new 160 room five-star Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence in Lucerne, Switzerland has opened its doors after a regeneration programme.
Choice Hotels Teams Up with delivery.com
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hoice Hotels is aiming to make life on the road easier and even more rewarding for its loyalty rewards members. Through a new programme with delivery.com, an on-demand marketplace with over 12,000 businesses, hotel guests can now enjoy the added convenience of delivery from local restaurants directly to their hotel location, including nearly 1,000 Choice Hotels properties across the US, while also earning Choice Privileges loyalty points. On-demand delivery from wine and spirits shops, grocery stores, and even laundry and dry cleaning is expected to be coming soon. Choice Privileges members can now access delivery.com services through the recently enhanced Choice Hotels mobile app and can earn two Choice Privileges points for every dollar spent.
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aldhotel Health and Medical Excellence has opened within the historic BĂźrgenstock Hotels & Resort. Guests are cared for by a dedicated multidisciplinary team of in-house doctors, therapists and nursing specialists, in collaboration with Nidwalden Cantonal Hospital and Lucerne/ Nidwalden Regional Health Authority. Treatments cover mobility and activity, weight management and metabolism, body and mind balance, beauty and healthy ageing. The 4,200 m2 centre is complemented by the Waldhotel Spa, featuring indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna and zones exclusively for women. Adopting the principles of BĂźrgenstock Colour Cuisine, all menus at Waldhotel are developed by doctors and nutritionists and designed according a herb-based Mediterranean gourmet diet.
Holiday Inn Warsaw City Centre Debuts
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ntercontinental Hotels Group has announced the opening of Holiday Inn Warsaw City Centre. Operating under a management agreement with UBM Polska, the 256-room hotel is inspired by the legendary New York Flatiron office building. It features the new Holiday Inn Open Lobby concept combining the front desk, restaurant, bar, lounge area and business centre into one open, cohesive space boasting an all-day dining menu and 24/7 coffee shop, and complimentary Wi-Fi. The property also has dedicated its entire first floor to meetings and events. With four professionally equipped conference rooms connected to the foyer, the area can be adapted to client needs. There is also an 80 m2 conference room and three smaller ones measuring 30 m2 each, which can accommodate up to 130 people.
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ACCOMMODATION
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Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport Opens
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yatt Hotels Corporation announced the opening of Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport, marking the brand’s introduction in Germany. The 312-room hotel offers free Wi-Fi, remote printing throughout the hotel and guestrooms, Gallery Kitchen Breakfast, Zoom Glocal Dining, a 24/7 Gallery Market, Coffee to Cocktails Bar, a 24/7 Gym featuring Life Fitness machines, free weights and exercise balls, a 24/7 business centre and meeting spaces which offer more than 300 m2 of flexible meeting and event space. “We are delighted to welcome guests to Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport,” said Ines Bruenn, general manager, Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport. “The hotel has been designed specifically with our guests in mind, blending comfort with convenience.”
Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport
New Radisson Blu Signed for Timisoara
Jaz Stuttgart Welcomes Guests
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fter a very successful start in Amsterdam, Jaz in the City is now celebrating its debut in Germany, as Jaz Stuttgart has been welcoming guests since January 01. Under the roof of the residential and hotel tower, CLOUD N°7 Apartments, Jaz Stuttgart showcases a restaurant and bar, Rhythms Bar + Kitchen, where traditionally inspired and urban dishes are served accompanied by live acts and concerts. Other ammenities incloude CLOUD N°7 Bar & Lounge, three conference rooms, two boardrooms, a wellbeing area with fitness equipment, sauna, steam bath and a relaxation area.
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he Rezidor Hotel Group has announced the signing of Radisson Blu Hotel, Timisoara. This takes the group's portfolio in Romania to four hotels. Radisson Blu and Mulberry Development will create an international upper upscale hotel in Timisoara, the main social, economic and cultural hub in western Romania, and the European Capital of Culture for 2021. Expected to be completed in 2020, Radisson Blu Hotel, Timisoara will feature 160 rooms, a signature restaurant and bar concept, 1,000 m2 of meeting space and a 24/7 fitness centre.
Jaz Stuttgart
IHG Signs Hotel Indigo Venice Sant'Elena
I Radisson Blu Hotel, Timisoara
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nterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed Hotel Indigo Venice - Sant'Elena, the third Hotel Indigo to be signed in Italy and one that will operate under a franchise agreement with H.n.H. Hotels & Resorts. Due to open in 2019, Hotel Indigo Venice – Sant’Elena is located next to the Rio Sant' Elena canal within walking distance of the Castello district, a 15-minute walk from St Marco Square. Converted from an old convent built in the 1930s, the 77-room property will be composed of two wings joined in the centre by a former chapel. The address will boast an interior courtyard and large windows with high ceilings, drawing inspiration from the local neighbourhood and existing architecture.
Hotel Indigo Venice - Sant'Elena
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AIRPORTS
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High Figures for Dutch Airports
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n 2017, 68.4 million travellers flew from, to or via Schiphol Amsterdan Airport, representing a 7.7 percent rise relative to 2016. In 2017, there were 496,747 air transport movements at Schiphol, a 3.7 percent increase compared to 2016. The airport's cargo volume grew by 5.4 percent to 1.75 million tonnes. Schiphol offered 326 destinations during the year, four more than 2016. Along with facilitating an improved passenger experience, Schiphol aims to elevate its service quality. Eindhoven Airport also saw its passenger volume rise to 5.7 million, up 19.4 percent, whilst Rotterdam The Hague Airport registered a 5.3 percent passenger rise in 2017, to 1.7 million.
Liverpool Airport Achieves 2017 Growth Liverpool John Lennon Airport has seen an increase in passenger throughput, and has also achieved one of the industry’s best scheduled flight punctuality records.
Finavia Breaks Passenger Milestone
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n 2017, Finavia served nearly 22.7 million passengers at its 21 airports, with Helsinki Airport breaking its record with nearly 19 million passengers over the year. Lapland airports also achieved their one million passenger milestone earlier than ever before. In December 2017, passenger numbers for the entire country increased 10.8 percent and 9.2 percent for 2017 as a whole. European Union passengers represented more than 71.4 percent of all scheduled flight passengers. However, passengers from Japan, China, Russia and Hong Kong saw the largest growth at Helsinki Airport.
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Edinburgh Airport Enjoys Record Year
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ore than 13 million passengers used Edinburgh Airport in 2017, making it the busiest ever year for a Scottish airport. A total of 13,432,485 people passed through Scotland’s busiest airport, an additional one million passengers when compared to 2016. International passengers drove growth up almost 14 percent, as 32 of the 34 new routes launched at the airport in 2017 were to international destinations. Growth was helped by another record month at the airport as December 2017 saw 925,017 passengers passing through the terminal during the airports busiest ever December. Gordon Dewar, CEO, Edinburgh Airport, commented, “We have already announced new and extended routes this year and construction continues on our GBP80 million (USD 111.27 million) extension project so we are preparing for further growth.”
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n 2017, around 4.95 million passengers used the airport, an increase of almost three percent compared to 2016, and the airport’s highest annual figures since 2011. In addition, the Punctuality League Report showed that Liverpool John Lennon Airport has the seventh best record globally for scheduled flight on time performance when compared to airports of a similar size. The airport also completed the latest phase of development work aimed at further improving the customer experience.
Passenger Lives in Helsinki Airport for 30 Days
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s part of the #LIFEINHEL campaign, a Chinese man Ryan Zhu lived in Helsinki Airport in Finland for 30 days, reaching across 2.2 billion people through social media postings and media coverage. The aim of this campaign was to evaluate the airport’s customer experience development and highlight the fact that it is the leading airport in Northern Europe. Zhu gave an overall rating of 4.5 out of five, in which security and safety and transfer times receive full marks, and also suggested that even more service staff with proficient language skills could be hired. “We are very pleased with Ryan’s ratings, [...],” said Katja Siberg, senior vice president, marketing and communications, Finavia, Helsinki Airport.
Zhu
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AIRPORTS London Stansted Breaks Passengers Record
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ondon Stansted Airport recorded its busiest year ever as it welcomed 25.9 million passengers in 2017, an increase of 1.57 million passengers and 6.5 percent over 2016. The record-breaking performance was achieved with the addition of 11 new routes across the year, with Stansted now serving over 190 destinations across 38 countries, and more scheduled connections to Europe than any other airport in the world apart from Munich. 2017 ended on a high, with the announcement that Emirates will open a new direct service to Dubai in June, and onward access to a wide range of destinations right across the world, including Shanghai, Sydney, and Hong Kong.
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Malta International Airport Breaks Passenger Record
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n December 31, 2017, Malta International Airport welcomed its sixth millionth passenger in a single year, topping all previous traffic records. This means that annual traffic through Malta International Airport has increased by almost one million passenger movements in just 12
months, making 2017 the fastest-growing year in the airport’s history. Alan Borg, CEO, Malta International Airport, noted that this record number of passengers was welcomed as the airport was undergoing a complete overhaul as part of the airport’s EUR12 million terminal reconfiguration project.
Malta International Airport
Glasgow Airport Achieves Record Growth
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lasgow Airport recorded its busiest year in 2017 as more than 9.9 million passengers travelled through its doors, representing an annual increase of 5.8 percent. The airport significantly added to its growing destination list with the launch of a number of new Ryanair services to European cities including Madrid, Frankfurt, Lisbon, Krakow and Valencia.
Manchester Airports Launches New Technology
In December 2017, more than 618,100 people travelled through the terminal, however, adverse weather conditions resulted in a marginal 1.5 percent decrease on passenger numbers on the same period in 2016. Additionally, international traffic was reported to be up by 2.3 percent, while poor weather conditions in December 2017 also led to a 5.2 percent reduction in domestic traffic.
Munich Airport Passenger Traffic Rises
M From Left: Andrew Harrison, CEO, MAG, Charlie Cornish, CEO, Airport Services and Nolan Hough, managing director, MAG-O, during the official opening ceremony
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anchester Airports Group (MAG) has launched its own technology and e-commerce business, MAG-O, to respond to technology-driven changes and to move the airport experience into a new digital era. MAG-O has been designed to encourage the development of innovative and fresh thinking, and aims at improving the passenger end-to-end experience at the group’s three airports, namely Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands, through the introduction of advanced technology and innovative new online products. One of the first tasks for MAG-O has been to undertake a complete redesign and relaunch of the group’s airport websites. The business has also embarked on a programme of trialing and testing new products.
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unich Airport’s dynamic growth continued in 2017 with passenger traffic increasing by 2.3 million to a new alltime high of 44.6 million, making it a 5.5 percent gain over 2016 figures. The airport also saw a strong surge in take-offs and landings, with an increase of more than 10,000 to approximately 405,000, a gain of 2.6 percent. Without the reduction in services by airberlin in the summer period, followed by that airline's bankruptcy, the increase would have been even bigger. Another record is reported by the air freight segment, which achieved a total turnover of around 343,823 tonnes in 2017. "These are outstanding traffic figures, especially when we consider the turbulence the aviation industry is currently experiencing," said Michael Kerkloh, president, Munich Airport.
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AIRPORTS
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Kavala International Airport Expansion Plans
Record Breaking Year at Heathrow Airport
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raport Greece has presented its EUR10 million plans for the development of Kavala International Airport during an open event attended by stakeholders and the local community. The expansion includes upgrading the existing terminal, the installation of a state-of-the-art baggage handling system, as well as a remodelled and expanded fire station. Commenting on Kavala's airport expansion plans, Alexander Zinell, CEO, Fraport Greece, said, “Our investment for remodelling and expansion of the terminal building by 2,000 m2 will exceed EUR10 million. By 2019, the airport will be able to offer modern amenities to passengers and provide ample capacity until the year 2026 and beyond." Already the airport is fully staffed and fully operational, so that it can accommodate the increasing number of flights that are being diverted to Alexander The Great while the state works at Thessaloniki Airport Makedonia are being undertaken.”
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Kavala
record breaking 78 million passengers travelled through Heathrow Airport in 2017, up 3.1 percent on 2016, with passenger volumes driven by larger and fuller aircraft. The airport is also one of the fastest growing major European hubs for cargo, with 1.7 million metric tonnes travelling through it. During 2017, the key markets for cargo were the US, East Asia and Europe Additionally, Heathrow Airport’s annual noise and contour report revealed that the airport’s noise footprint was at its smallest recorded level in 11 years, with 15 percent fewer households affected by noise. The improvements came as a result of working with airlines to encourage the use of quieter aircraft. Night time jet movements also decreased by a third in 2017.
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AIR
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bmi Partners with Holiday Extras bmi is partnering with airport parking specialists, Holiday Extras, to add a car parking booking facility to its website.
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he move aims to make it easier for customers to travel via the airline’s numerous regional departure airports while also expanding bmi’s UK reach. As of January 11, bmi customers have been able to find fares on a wide range of car parking options at all of the airline’s UK departure airports, through the official flybmi website. Offering savings of up to 60 percent on standard gate charges, the Holiday Extras partnership is designed to provide a cost-effective solution for customers. The agreement continues the momentum of bmi’s growth and product development strategy, having recently seen the launch of other partnerships with Booking.com and Sixt.
Ryanair December Traffic Grows
Network Growth for Hahn Air Group in 2017
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yanair released its December 2017 statistics conveying a traffic growth of three percent to 9.3 million passengers. Load factor rose by one point to 95 percent, while rolling annual traffic for December 2017 grew 10 percent to 129 million customers. “Ryanair customers can look forward to even lower fares for this year and we urge all customers who wish to book their summer holidays to do so now on the Ryanair website or mobile app, where they can avail of the lowest fares in Europe,” said Kenny Jacobs, chief marketing officer, Ryanair. Meeting the requirements of today’s challenging market, the lowcost airline features the latest advanced design, said to be as the most cost-efficient single-aisle airplanes. Along with facilitating an improved passenger experience, the airline aims to continue elevating the quality of services across its expanding network.
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Iberia to Fly Most Advanced Aircraft
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eporting network growth of over 16 percent, 2017 proved successful for Hahn Air Group. Despite challenging times for the industry, the distribution specialist integrated a total of 46 new carriers into its network of air, rail and shuttle partners, enabling them to be ticketed on the Hahn Air HR-169 document across over 190 markets. In 2017, the HR-169 product was chosen by 29 additional partners. Airlines that signed an interline agreement with Hahn Air, such as Flair Airlines from Canada or La Compagnie from France, enhanced their distribution strategy to include ticketing on the HR-169 document under their own designator. One unique partner is UK-based high-speed rail operator Eurostar.
beria, this June, expects to become the first airline to fly the improved version of the Airbus A350/900, which, among other advantages, consumes 30 percent less fuel. For its short- and medium-haul network, Iberia will also be taking delivery of its first two Airbus A320neo planes, which consume 15 percent less fuel. Iberia is also launching non-stop flights from Madrid to San Francisco, forcast to start April 25 and end on September 28, with departures on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, and Managua, on the same days, set to begin October 01. Iberia also expects substantial growth in traffic on several of its routes for which it is adding eight percent to overall seat supply over the 2017 total.
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Vienna
Wizz Air Announces Vienna Base and New Routes WIZZ AIR HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL ADD AUSTRIA AS THE 44TH COUNTRY IN ITS NETWORK, BY ESTABLISHING BASE OPERATIONS AT VIENNA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
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he airline will open its Austrian base with one Airbus A320 aircraft in June, which will be followed by the deployment of two additional Airbus A321 aircraft in November. This fast growth of Wizz Air’s Vienna base will see the low-cost carrier operate a total of 17 new routes from the Austrian capital this year. Providing an extensive offer to both business and leisure travellers, the newest services will connect Vienna with Gdansk, Tuzla and Varna from April, with Bari, Malta, Rome, Valencia and Tel Aviv from June and with Billund, Bergen, Dortmund, Kutaisi, Larnaca, Nis, Ohrid, Tenerife and Thessaloniki from November.
Additional Flights to Kos and Dalaman with TUI
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UI has announced it has added an additional weekly flight to the popular Greek island of Kos and Turkish destination of Dalaman for this summer, operating out of Bristol Airport. Holidaymakers from the South West will now have even more choice when it comes to booking a holiday to Kos and Dalaman, with TUI adding a Sunday flight to the summer flying programme to the Turkish destination and a Saturday flight to the Greek island. Flights start in May and will operate twice a week to both Kos and Dalaman. As well as the additional flights to Kos and Dalaman, travellers now have a wider choice of destinations to choose from.
Air Malta and airBaltic Announce Codeshare Agreement
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irBaltic and Air Malta have concluded a codeshare agreement, in which the latter will enable the Latvian airline’s passengers to reach the archipelago daily via common gateways in Europe, as well as additional destinations served from Malta. Air Malta will place its KM flight code on the direct Malta–Riga flights operated by airBaltic as well as connecting flights between Malta and the Baltics. airBaltic will put its BT code on flights from Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn to Malta as well as to Catania via common gateways. Martin Gauss, CEO, airBaltic, commented, “We are delighted to collaborate with Air Malta, thus further improving our strong network of codeshare partners.” 25 FEBRUARY 2018
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Blue Air Announces New Malaga Flight
Lufthansa Welcomes New Aircraft and Destinations
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lue Air has announced a brand-new route from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Malaga, Spain. The popular holiday location was voted the most desired destination by Blue Air passengers and as a result was added to their summer schedule for this year. Flights to Málaga–Costa del Sol Airport will be offered twice weekly and will run from June 05. The additional destination on the airline’s network is said to be a hit with North West holidaymakers, as the airport takes passengers to popular Spanish destinations including Marbella, Benalmádena and Nerja.
n March 25, Lufthansa expects to station five Airbus A380 aircraft in Munich and will operate daily flights to Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Beijing through the summer. In winter, the aircraft’s destinations will change connecting Munich with Miami, Shanghai and San Francisco. On March 27, a Lufthansa Airbus A350 is anticipated to fly to Singapore for the first time. Five flights a week will head to the vibrant economic hub in Asia from Munich. Lufthansa will have a total of 11 type A350 aircraft stationed in Munich until the end of the summer flight schedule in October. Lufthansa is also significantly expanding its range of European flights from Munich, to Spain and Poland, and also introduce more frequent flights to popular holiday destinations, in particular Greece and Portugal.
Malaga
Los Angeles
Air Cairo Linking Sharm El Sheikh with Naples
Three New Air France Routes
F Naples becomes the airline’s third Italian route
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ir Cairo has commenced flights between Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt and Naples, Italy. The new service began on January 26, with the link becoming the airline’s second year-round route to Italy from the Egyptian airport. It follows the yearround route to Milan, with Rome being served during the summer season. Initially being flown weekly on Airbus A320 aircraft,
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the frequency of the 2,325 km route will increase to three times weekly for the summer period. In 2017, Egyptian Tourism Authority’s (ETA) Italy office announced a strategic partnership project between ETA and Italian Federation of Travel & Tourism Associations (FIAVET). Jacopo De Ria, president, FIAVET, commented that Sharm El Sheikh will be advertised throughout Italy.
or the summer season, Air France will be operating a daily service to Bergen, Cork and Wroclaw. The new routes will operate daily from Paris-Charles de Gaulle as from May 26. With these new routes, Air France and Joon will operate 25, 35 and 34 flights per week respectively to the Norway, Ireland and Poland destinations during the summer season. Norway's second largest city and second largest port, Bergen stands out with its colourful wooden houses along the old wharf. Located on the River Oder in western Poland, Wroclaw will surprise Air France customers with its 12 islands and 112 bridges, the airline noted announcing the new flights. Cork today combines its historic monuments with a more modern side.
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British Airways Expands Summer at Gatwick
Norwegian Reveals Plans for Growth
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ow-cost airline Norwegian has revealed its rapid expansion plans for this year. Norwegian will build upon its growth by launching new long-haul routes, including its first service to South America, introducing a new enhanced premium cabin and inflight Wi-Fi to new long-haul aircraft. Norwegian will also add more affordable flights to its most popular US destinations. The airline flew 5.8 million passengers from the UK and Ireland and launched more than 15 routes in 2017. Some of its successes include commencing groundbreaking transatlantic flights from Scotland, Belfast and Ireland to smaller US east coast cities.
Hainan Airlines Connects Brussels to Shenzhen
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ritish Airways' summer at Gatwick is set to be the airline’s biggest schedule in almost a decade. Weekly flights to Malaga will be boosted from 27 to 35, Alicante from 14 to 22 and Faro from 17 to 21, while the airline’s summer flights to Tenerife will increase from six per week to 13, Madeira will be boosted from six to nine per week and Lanzarote will rise from three to five flights per week at the Sussex based hub. An additional 400 flights will operate between February 09 – March 24. As well as the extension to the short-haul network, British Airways has introduced more long-haul destinations to Gatwick next summer with the arrival of Toronto and Las Vegas, joining Oakland and Fort Lauderdale which commenced during summer 2017.
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rom March 20, Brussels Airport will have a direct connection to Shenzhen Boa’an International Airport as Chinese airline Hainan Airlines launches a third direct connection from Brussels to China. The new route, to be operated with a Boeing B787 Dreamliner, comes in addition to the airline’s flights to Beijing and Shanghai Pudong. Arnaud Feist, CEO, Brussels Airport Company, commented, “We are very pleased to add, together with Hainan Airlines, a third direct connection with China to our network. […] The expansion of the network to one of the largest growth regions in the world offers the Belgian economy and business community new, directly accessible business possibilities and markets. Shenzhen itself is also enjoying strong economic growth.”
Brussels Airport
Finnair Adds Summer and Winter Flights
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Lapland, Finland
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innair is adding frequencies to popular destinations in Europe for both the summer and winter, and increasing flights to popular winter destination, Lapland, for the peak season. Due to start this June, the airline is adding frequencies to Lisbon, Barcelona, Budapest, Krakow and Geneva. Finnair flights to Astana will also be available with two weekly frequencies in July and August. Madrid and Reykjavik will get additional weekly frequencies in the winter and over 230 flights to Finnish Lapland will be added for the winter season. The airline is also launching a new Rail & Fly cooperation with Deutsche Bahn. Customers buying a Finnair ticket to or from Germany can also include a rail trip on their booking.
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TAP Expanding Operations Over 2018
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AP Air Portugal is growing its operations from Porto over the coming year. The airline has reinstated two daily flights to Barcelona and Milan. It has also announced the launch of six flights per week to London City Airport and a new daily service to Ponta Delgada, starting March 25. TAP will, from June 10, launch a direct service between Lisbon and Florence, with 10 flights per week. Florence joins Rome, Bologna, Milan and Venice to become the company’s fifth destination in Italy. From June 01, TAP is also boosting its long-haul operation with four more flights each week to São Paulo and one more to Brasilia and Belo Horizonte, as well as to Toronto. The company also intends to offer flights between Lisbon and Nouakchott, Mauritania, in 2019.
easyJet Celebrates 40th Edinburgh Route
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asyJet has announced two new summer routes from Edinburgh. The airline will now connect Scotland with Jersey in the Channel Islands and Seville, Spain. easyJet customers in Scotland will now be able to explore even more of the UK and Europe, with flights operating twice a week on a Aircraft A320 to both new destinations throughout the summer season. The addition of these destinations to the network brings easyJet’s number of routes offered from Edinburgh to 40. Ali Gayward, country manager, UK, easyJet, said, “We are committed to expansion at Edinburgh and the addition of new routes will help us to deliver long-term, sustainable growth, providing passengers with a greater range of destinations.”
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TUI Group Receives its First Boeing 737 MAX 8 Aircraft
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oeing and TUI Group celebrated the delivery of the operator’s first Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft on January 30. The US aircraft manufacturer designed the new single-aisle plane to be more efficient, reliable and comfortable for passengers. Boeing achieved this by incorporating its Sky Interior, the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, large flight deck displays, and a host
of other improvements. The latest developments contributed to making the aircraft the fastest selling airplane in Boeing history with more than 4,300 orders to date from 92 customers worldwide. "The 737 MAX is a great fit for TUI Group, with 14 percent lower carbon emissions and a 40 percent smaller noise footprint [...]," commented Monty Oliver, vice president, European sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Air Serbia to Link Belgrade and Geneva
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ir Serbia will, from March 25, be carrying out two weekly flights between Belgrade and Geneva. Served on an Airbus A319 with a capacity of 144 seats, the new flights will connect the two cities in just under two hours on Thursdays and Sundays. Belgrade offers many opportunities for making cultural discoveries and visiting religious sites or just passing the time in one of the many cafes-terraces in the historical centre of the city. Dominated by a fortress and located at the convergence of two rivers, the Danube and the Sava, Belgrade exudes an atmosphere of joie de vivre thanks among others to musicians and street performers.
Belgrade
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Austrian Airlines Announce Impressive Traffic Results
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ustrian Airlines has released its traffic results for 2017, referred to as a record year by Andreas Otto, chief commercial officer, Austrian Airlines. The airline carried 12.9 million passengers between January to December 2017, comprising a year-on-year increase of 12.8 percent or 1.5 million passengers. This rise can be primarily attributed to the airline’s expanded flight network in Europe. The flight offering measured in available seat km was up 6.6 percent to more than 26 billion. Revenue passenger km climbed 7.6 percent from 2016 to surpass 20 billion. Capacity utilisation of the flights equaled 76.8 percent on average in 2017, an increase of 0.7 percent compared to 2016. On balance, Austria’s national carrier operated 143,999 flights in the year under review, corresponding to an average of about 395 flights per day.
airBaltic Improves Ukraine Summer Service
Jet2holidays Opens Leeds Pop-Up Shop
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irBaltic will improve its summer season service for Ukraine by increasing frequencies from Odessa to Riga to six weekly flights, starting March 25. It will also continue to serve multiple daily frequencies between Kiev and Riga. The Latvian airline in 2017 carried 113,564 passengers to and from Ukraine, a 54.4 percent increase on 2016. Wolfgang Reuss, senior vice president network management, airBaltic, commented, “We are happy to see a strong demand for our Odessa – Riga services since the launch of the route last spring. Thus, in summer season 2018, airBaltic will offer improved schedule of the route with 36 percent more seats, best flexibility and convenient transit flights from Odessa via Riga [...].”
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Odessa, Ukraine
ustomers in January could book their next holiday at a Jet2holidays pop-up shop, thanks to a joint venture with Althams Travel, at Merrion Centre in Leeds City Centre. As well as offering package holidays, Jet2holidays also gave away prizes, including family holidays and weekend getaways. Customers were also able to access exclusive offers not available anywhere else. Craig Davidson, general manager, trade sales, Jet2holidays, commented, “[…] We know January is the most popular month for booking holidays and is a time when people are looking to cheer themselves up, so we are putting smiles on their faces by making it easy for them to get their holiday booked.
Norwegian Air Shuttle Expands Long-Haul Network
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orwegian Air Shuttle announced an expansion of its long-haul networks with four new routes between Europe and the US, namely, New York City and Los Angeles to Madrid, New York City to Amsterdam, and Los Angeles to Milan. To support the continuous growth at Los Angeles International Airport, Norwegian Air Shuttle will open its fourth American crew base with 150 cabin crewmembers during the first quarter of this year.
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Service from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport will launch on July 18 and operate three times weekly. Service to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will launch on May 07 and will operate four times weekly. Service from Los Angeles International Airport to Madrid will launch on July 16 while service to Milan-Malpensa Airport will begin on June 18 and will both operate four times weekly.
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TrustedHousesitters Partners with easyJet
Scandic Guests can Donate Loyalty Points Through a new agreement between Scandic Hotels and Save the Children, Scandic employees, guests and members of the Scandic Friends loyalty programme can help Save the Children in their initiatives to promote integration and inclusion, including donating loyalty points that will be converted into money. This new initiative began in January and will be carried out across all Scandic markets. The purpose of the cooperation is to involve and engage Scandic’s employees in projects to support Save the Children’s work while making it simple for the members of the hotel’s loyalty programme, Scandic Friends, to contribute. In each market, Scandic Hotels will support a variety of local projects managed by Save the Children. This includes programmes like En god nabo in Norway and Plads til alle in Denmark.
easyJet has teamed up with international house and pet sitting business, TrustedHousesitters, to form a partnership which aims to make it easier for pet owners and animal lovers to travel and to explore Europe in a different way. easyJet customers will be able to choose a free house sitter for their pet or find free accommodation with pet sitter when booking flights on easyJet's official website. The move follows a survey of easyJet customers that revealed how the majority of pet owners would travel more if they had better access to pet care. Of the customers surveyed, 58 percent said they would travel more often if they had more satisfactory pet care solutions.
Sundhöll Reykjavíkur Reopens
Sundhöll Reykjavíkur
Sundhöll Reykjavíkur has reopened after extensive renovations, with a new outdoor pool, several new hot tubs and an ice bath. The pool has always been a very popular facility, but after the renovations it has gained more popularity among locals and guests. Sundhöllin Reykjavíkur is the oldest thermal pool in Iceland, first opened in 1937, with an indoor thermal pool. Later hot tubs and a sauna were added. It was designed by the noted architect Guðjón Samúelsson. The building's exterior is a minimalistic white with tall narrow rectangular windows. It is located right in the heart of Reykjavik, only a few minutes walk from Hallgrímskirkja church and open every day.
British Airways Upgrades World Traveller Menu British Airways has made a multi-million pound investment in catering on its longhaul economy cabin, World Traveller, introducing an expanded new menu. The new menu provides more quantity and quality to both meals and snacking options throughout the flight. Options now include pretzels with the welcome drink, a four-course meal with starter, main, dessert, cheese and biscuits, accompanied by a bread roll and bottle of water. A second meal or substantial snack, depending on the length of the flight, regional meal options served according to destination, Magnum ice-creams, a tuck box with chocolates and crisps, hot breakfast on longer overnight flights, and more have also been added to the menu. BA now offers passengers more catering choices
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WHO’S MOVED
BEN WILLIAMS has been named head of marketing, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, with effect March 01. Having joined Fred. Olsen in 2012 as an eBusiness executive, Williams quickly progressed into a supervisory and then management role. He previously spent six years working as a marketing executive in the business travel sector for the Gray Dawes Group. Williams has been promoted from his previous role as Fred. Olsen’s eBusiness manager – in charge of the company’s website and social media communications – and will take responsibility for developing the brand and marketing strategy.
Williams joined Fred Olsen in 2012
NIKOLAOS LARDIS has assumed the role of sales and marketing manager for the East Mediterranean market of Ryanair. Prior to his new position, Lardis joined Ryanair from Airbnb in Ireland and has worked in the hospitality sector for more than seven years. In his new role, Lardis will oversee Ryanair’s sales and marketing team and activities across Greece and another six countries, including; Cyprus, Malta and Israel, as well as, building long-lasting trusted partnerships working with all airports and stakeholders which collaborate with the airline to drive growth in the Eastern Mediterranean market.
Lardis will oversee the sales and marketing team
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KIMMO MÄKI has been promoted to CEO and president of Finavia. Mäki has extensive experience in the service and logistics industry. For the past six years, he has been the CEO at Port of Helsinki. In his new executive role, Mäki is responsible for providing leadership for Finavia by working with the board and other management to establish longrange goals, strategies, plans and policies, as well as to evaluate and advise on the impact of long range planning, introduce new programmes and regulatory action.
Ben Williams
Nikolaos Lardis
Kimmo Mäki
Thomas Willms
Mäki has extensive experience in the service and logistics industry
THOMAS WILLMS has been appointed CEO of the supervisory board of Steigenberger Hotels, with immediate effect. Before joining Steigenberger as chief operating officer in June 2017, Willms was senior vice president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, in charge of all hotels and activities in Central and Eastern Europe. He has also held leadership posts at Arabella Starwood, Maritim and Intercontinental. Willms will now retain overall operational responsibility for all three hotel brands; namely, Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts, Jaz in the City and IntercityHotel. Sales and marketing, e-business, revenue management, strategy, future openings and franchise, corporate communications, and corporate social responsibility will all fall within his remit.
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PHOTO ALBUM
Take a Shot! Share with us the latest images of your activities and let your colleagues know what you have been up to. Gordon Dewar, CEO, Edinburgh Airport, received the Autism Friendly Award by Jenny Paterson, director, National Autistic Society Scotland, on behalf of the airport
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancers performed in Heathrow's Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 to celebrate Chinese New Year
BA sponsors the first British Airways Run Gatwick which includes an International Half Marathon and a Family Run, allowing runners of all abilities to participate
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Malcolm Roughead, CEO, VisitScotland praised Speirs Centre which has a Gade A listing from Historic Environment Scotland.
Lufthansa Group's help alliance project, iThemba, has opened a new Primary School in Capricorn
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NEWS & EVENTS EVENTS ITB BERLIN Berlin, Germany March 07 – 11 www.itb-berlin.de The ITB Berlin Convention is the Leading Travel Industry Think Tank.
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ADIBS Attends Boot Düsseldorf
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delegation from the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show (ADIBS) visited Boot Düsseldorf, hailed as one of the largest premier marine shows for yachting, watersports and fishing. The ADIBS team’s participation, alongside partners British Marine and Superyacht UK, is aimed at increasing awareness of industry prospects within the burgeoning leisure marine industry. The UAE capital is set to host the inaugural edition of ADIBS at Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) from October 17 - 20 Organised by ADNEC in association with British Marine, ADIBS is expected to draw the participation of 150 exhibitors and 30,000 visitors. Catering to marine industry professionals, boating enthusiasts and families that enjoy a day out on the water, the event will feature 75 boats berthed at the on-site show marina that was recently extended.
Plans Revealed for Eurasian Digital Forum in Minsk During the 26th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum, which took place in Vienna on January 22– 23, Alena Kupchyna, Belarus’ representative, Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE), revealed the importance of digital economy from the point of view of technological advance and globalisation during her speech. Kupchyna said that she believes that cooperation in this matter can help overcome economical fragmentarity in the OSCE space and build bridges between the west and the east. Kupchyna also mentioned Belarus’ intention to host a digital forum of Eurasian countries in Minsk in May, with a view to developing various forms of public private partnership, harmonising the national digital markets of European and Asian countries, and gradually forming a pan-Eurasian digital market space. Vladimir Basko, chairman, Digital Business Confederation, Belarus, is expected to deliver a report focusing on digital economy. BRITISH TOURISM & TRAVEL SHOW Birmingham, UK March 21 – 22 www.tourismshow.co.uk The British Tourism & Travel Show plays host to many destinations, venues and attractions dedicated to the British and Irish markets.
TOURISM. LEISURE. HOTELS Chisinau, Moldova March 29 – April 01 www.tourism.moldexpo.md TOURISM.LEISURE.HOTELS is the only exhibition in Moldova in the field of tourism and leisure.
Malta to Host Medigames
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onventions Malta, together with Malta Tourism Authority’s events and marketing team, has announced this year’s Medigames is taking place from June 16 – 23. Otherwise known as the World Medical and Health Games, it is hailed as becoming the most famous world health event open to members of medical and health professions since its inception 30 years ago. Each year, up to 1,700 people participate in this sporting and professional gathering, representing over 70 countries. More than 20 sports events are included and six age categories allowed to participate. An international symposium on sports medicine is held, parallel to the competitions. This symposium, comprising of three half-days, has become a fundamental aspect of the games over the years, receiving the support of recognised institutions.
Positive Messages for Greek Tourism from Spain AGROTRAVEL Kielce, Poland April 20 – 22 www.targikielce.pl The Targi Kielce calendar comprises 70 events - trade shows, exhibitions and 700 conferences
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lena Kountoura, tourism minister, Greece, completed her visit to FITUR International Tourism Fair in Madrid; with successful meetings with Spanish travel industry players to further boost the tourist flow to Greece. Messages from the Spanish market were positive this year. In the context of the minister's contacts with representatives of tourism groups, travel agencies and airlines, there has been a steady upward trend in demand for Greece in recent years, with a 20 percent increase for 2017, while a 20 percent rise this year so far. Meetings at FITUR also highlighted the significant increase in tourist flows from Lebanon to Greece in 2017. The possibilities of strengthening bilateral tourism co-operation and joint initiatives, in the framework of the 25 DECEMBER 2017 Lebanese Mediterranean Cultural Tourism Programme, were discussed.
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