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Lufthansa : programme été 2006
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- Au départ de Bruxelles: 9 fréquences quotidiennes vers Francfort, 8 vers Munich, permettant de rejoindre le monde entier
- Nouvelle liaison Francfort-Astana (Kazakhstan) assurée 2 fois par semaine
- Lufthansa conforte sa position de leader en Asie : Francfort-Hyderabad devient quotidien ; 52 vols hebdomadaires vers la Chine
- Augmentation du nombre de vols intercontinentaux au départ de Munich
- Forte présence sur le réseau continental, avec des liaisons saisonnières attractives
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Shanghai Airlines and United Airlines Expand Service to China Through Code-Share Agreement
Agreement Gives Customers Access to New Destinations in China and the U.S. and Expands Frequent Flyer Opportunities for Both Carriers. Read more.
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oneworld: March 2006
21 March 2006 -- Dallas Love Field joins oneworld network with launch of American services: Dallas Love Field is now part of the oneworldTM network, with the launch by American Airlines and its American Eagle regional affiliate of 16 flights a day from there to four destinations. The mainline carrier is now operating from the airport- which has the three-letter IATA code DAL - four times a day to St Louis and three times daily to Kansas City, using Boeing MD80s. American Eagle is serving Austin five times a day and San Antonio four times, using Embraer 145s. Read more.
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New Opening Hours For The Continental Airlines Reservations Department in Belgium
Continental Airlines' reservation desk has extended its opening hours. The office is now open from Monday until Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 8.00 p.m.
The phone number is the following: 02/643.39.39.
Continental Airlines was rated 'the most admired U.S. airline' on FORTUNE magazine's America's Most Admired Companies airline industry list. Continental ranked No. 1 in several key categories on the list, including quality of products and services, quality of management, innovation, and social responsibility. The rankings are determined in a survey of industry analysts, boards of directors, and corporate and airline executives.
Additionally, Continental was rated for the third time the top airline on FORTUNE magazine's annual airline industry list of Most Admired Global Companies.
Malev Increases Number of Flights To Romania : Four Daily Budapest-Bucharest Connections
As the summer timetable comes into force (26 March) Malév plans to double the number of its services to Bucharest and increase frequencies to other Romanian destinations as well.
Read more.
Tiger Airways Boosts Capacity On Singapore-Manila Route
SINGAPORE - From April 26, Singapore-based budget carrier Tiger Airways will double its daily flights to Manila (Clark) from one to two flights daily. The new flight leaves Singapore at 7.10 a.m. and arrives at Manila (Clark) at 10.45 a.m. It will return from Manila (Clark) at 11.15 a.m. and arrive in Singapore at 14.45 p.m. Fares starts from S$49.98 one way.
Pakistan International Airlines Extends and Upgrades Relationship with Sabre
SOUTHLAKE, Texas-- Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has extended its distribution agreement with Sabre Travel Network for a further five years. As part of the agreement it has upgraded its participation in the Sabre global distribution system (GDS) to Direct Connect Availability (DCA), the highest level of connectivity. This gives agents access to real-time information about an airline's last seat availability and fares.
Qantas announced that it would join other oneworld alliance airlines in co-locating at London Heathrow’s Terminal 3 in 2008.
The Chief Executive Officer of Qantas, Mr Geoff Dixon, said the move would follow the opening of Heathrow’s new Terminal 5 in March 2008.
In the UK, easyJet and Europcar have created a 'dynamic packaging' option. As customers are booking their flights, a car rental quotation is being calculated simultaneously. When the traveller has decided to buy the flight, they are presented an option to add the car rental.
Air New Zealand is achieving 16,000 bookings per day, worth US$2 million (NZ$3 million) worth of daily business. Over half its domestic bookings are now made online.
Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines, was the first airline in China to sell an e-ticket - is planning an even more aggressive internet strategy to sell its passenger services through new channels.
New airlines in Hong Kong and Macau
Three new low-fare airlines are due to start flying from Northeast Asia this summer - Macau Asia Express, Viva Macau and Oasis Hong Kong Airlines. Read more.
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New routes for Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways is continuing its rapid expansion into Asia. At the end of this month it is due to start daily non-stop flights Doha-Hong Kong, using Airbus A330-200 aircraft. And from May it is changing the schedules of its daily Doha-Singapore non-stop flights, which are also operated with A330-200s. At present, three of the weekly services continue to Cebu in the Philippines, and the other four to Jakarta, Indonesia. Read more.
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Last December Mexico's hotel chain Grupo Posadas bought from the Cintra Group the Mexican legacy carrier Mexicana de Aviación and its low-cost subsidiary Click Mexicana. The cost of the transaction totalled US$165 million. The new investor is keen to see Mexicana fly overseas. Mexico's Communications and Transport Ministry has recently granted traffic rights to the airline to operate into China in 2007, most probably out of Tijuana, just across the border from San Diego in the USA.
Air France/KLM will be the first European group of airlines to launch flights to Chengdu, the capital of the Province of Sichuan in China. A Boeing 777-200ER of KLM will fly twice a week out of Amsterdam. First flights will take off in May.
A string of low-cost terminals will open this year in Southeast Asia: Singapore and Kuala Lumpur will open dedicated facilities: Singapore's low-cost terminal will have an initial capacity of 2.5 million passengers and Kuala Lumpur's of 10 million. In Bangkok, the move to the new Suvharnabumi airport this year will leave the current Don Muang airport to low-cost carriers and charter flights.
 
Consolidating alliances
The three major alliances in air transport - OneWorld, Skyteam and Star - have been quietly continuing to integrate more carriers and strengthen their dominance in various markets. The main focus of all of them last year was service enhancement. OneWorld was the first to offer an e-ticket fully compatible for all its members. Star Alliance opened its first branded lounge at Nagoya airport and Skyteam already has over 20 ticket offices around the world for its passengers. Read more.
Cruises are big business for Mexico
The recent opening of the Port of Chiapas highlights the growing importance of cruise tourism for Mexico. The facility will join more than two dozen port cities in the country. Offering favourable access to the nearby Panama Canal, Puerto Chiapas provides an interesting variation on current trans-canal cruises for the market. Read more.
Brooklyn Cruise Terminal readies for first arrival
The new Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, the jewel of New York's $150 million effort to enhance its cruise facilities, will welcome its first ship in less than a month. The Queen Mary 2 arrives April 15. The 180,000-square-foot terminal is close to John F. Kennedy International Airport and will be used by Carnival Cruises.
New York is increasingly popular for cruises and attracts some of the most magnificent passenger ships into its harbour, mainly from Europe and the Caribbean. Today, New York City serves as a homeport to ships from the Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Seabourn, Crystal, Norwegian, Radisson SS and the Silver Seas cruise lines including Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2. With itineraries to Bermuda, Canada, New England, Europe, the Caribbean and around the world, New York City expects to welcome for the first time more than 1 million passengers in 2006 and is targeting 1.3 million visitors annually by 2010. In 2004, the city launched its Cruise Industry Master Plan, which will involve the investment of US$150 million into the modernisation of the New York Cruise Terminal in Manhattan and the creation of an additional berth at the Brooklyn Waterfront.
WTTC Offers Policy Recommendations to the Russian Government to Capitalize on Travel & Tourism Growth
Moscow - 21 March 2006 - The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today presented an in-depth report to the government of Russia and to the Federal Agency for Tourism (Rozturism).
Read more.
Vlaanderen profileert zich als maritieme kennisregio
Vlaanderen heeft een korte kustlijn en is nooit een internationale zeevarende mogendheid geweest. Gevolg hiervan is dat men er wel eens stilzwijgend van uitgaat dat deze regio ook inzake maritieme kennisopbouw en technologische vernieuwing weinig te bieden heeft. Toch is niets minder waar. Lees meer.
Avec le billet Happy Trip
Des vacances pas chères au littoral
Les vacanciers qui réservent un logement au Littoral pourront dorénavant se rendre à la côte en train en bénéficiant d'un tarif réduit de 50%. Le billet Happy Trip est valable également sur le tram du Littoral pour le trajet de la gare à la localité du logement réservé, et inversément. En 2006 cette formule de voyage intéressante aura exactement 15 ans. La formule Happy Trip bénéficie de l'action conjointe de divers partenaires: Westtoer, qui est à l'origine de cette initiative, la SNCB, De Lijn, Horeca (Littoral) et Toerisme Vlaanderen.
En savoir plus.
La SNCM et Rail 1 présentent La Corse Autrement!
"La Corse Autrement!" est une toute nouvelle formule très abordable, par laquelle Rail 1, la structure de vente de la SNCB pour le transport international des voyageurs, et la SNCM (Société Nationale Corse Méditerranée) rendent l'“Ile de Beauté” plus proche. La société de location de voitures Budget, qui peut fournir tous les moyens de locomotion sur place, est le troisième grand partenaire. En savoir plus.
Tourism Australia has launched a website - in France, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, UK, Ireland - to help young Europeans find more information on working holidays in Australia. In the past three years nearly 300,000 travellers worldwide have joined Australia's Working Holiday Programme - widely regarded as a success.
Bangkok will add up to 12,000 rooms in 30 or so new hotels by 2008. Among the future openings are four Accor hotels, including 3 Ibis, Central World Hotel, a Hilton, the Holiday Inn Sukhumvit, Le Méridien, Siam Paragon, and the Regent Sukhumvit. The average occupancy rate in 2005 fluctuated between 72% and 80%.
Myanmar attracted 660,000 international visitors in 2005, a slight increase of 0.6% on the previous year. However, tourist arrivals via Yangon airport, the main international gateway, dropped by 5% to 227,000. Among European source markets, France and Germany were the largest with 15,300 and 13,700 arrivals respectively
Second phase for the 'Uniquely Singapore' campaign
After the successful introduction two years ago of the 'Uniquely Singapore' branding campaign, this year Singapore is introducing a second phase - 'Beyond words' - in which various visitors will express their Singapore experience. The campaign will show how visitors are 'motivated', 'exhilarated', 'inspired', 'entertained' and 'captivated' by Singapore. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will particularly target India, China and Asean countries, all fast growing segments due to the massive expansion of air links.
Read more.
Egypt sets ambitious six-year target
Egypt, which counted 8.6 million visitors in 2005, has set a target to reach 14 million by 2011 with an additional 1 million visitors a year - which is a tougher target in the next few years than closer to 2011. Part of the way will be to increase hotel capacity. Egypt has 170,000 hotel rooms now, but it wants to add 15,000 new rooms every year. Read more.
Barbados is due to host the Cricket World Cup final, and some other matches, in March and April 2007. The venue for the final will be the island's Kensington Oval, which will be refurbished, include additional seating and improvements to player and media facilities. The Kensington Oval was the first West Indian ground to host an English touring team - in 1895.
The number of travellers travelling abroad from Mexico in 2005 increased nearly 7% to reach 13 million. Outbound travel had already surpassed the pre-9/11 2000 record in 2004..
Monaco has re-opened one of its most precious cultural assets - its Opera House, built by the architect Charles Garnier. The complete overhaul of the Opera House involved an investment of EUR26 million and took two years to complete. The Opera House was opened in 1879, four years after Garnier completed the Paris Opera House.
Cesis, the Latvian medieval town some 90 kilometres away from the capital Riga is celebrating its 800th anniversary this year. Apart from its impressive castle and attractive narrow streets, Cesis has the oldest brewery in the Baltic region, founded in 1596. Described by Latvia's tourist board as 'one of the Baltic's best-kept secrets', Cesis's official celebrations run from 13-16 July but there are special events throughout tourism and the authorities are encouraging visitors any time during the year. Information is on the town's website, and for more on Latvia's many breweries try www.beer.lv - in the languages of its main markets English, Germany and Russia.
Cyprus counts a 5% increase
Cyprus counted a 5.2% increase in visitor arrivals in 2005 - 2.47 million, compared with 2.35 million in 2004. The major market by far continues to be the UK, with 1.39 million visitors in 2004, and growing 4.4%. This growth follows a shock in 2004, when total visitors from the UK fell, albeit by only 1.0%. Read more..
Montenegro's fledgling tourism industry poised for success
Just two years after the inception of a tourism masterplan in the tiny European country of Montenegro, the sector reports considerable advances. Visitors from EU countries increased by an average of 15% in 2003 and 2004, and the summer months of 2005 saw visits from France increase six-fold and from Finland ten-fold, while arrivals from Italy were up 66%, Austria 58%, and Russia 99%. Already, tourism accounted for 15% of Montenegro's GDP in 2004 - the target is 22% by 2015. Overnights are expected to grow from the current 5 million to 11.4 million by 2010 and 20.8 million by 2020, creating a EUR1.5 billion tourism industry. Read more.
2005 was an excellent vintage for Monaco
According to the Tourist & Convention Authority of Monaco (DTC), 2005 was an excellent year for tourism with an increase of 14% in total arrivals to 286,000 and a 15 % increase in total overnights at 803,000. These results are however still 5% below the record arrivals and 7% below the overnights achieved in the destination's record year 2000. Read more.
The Maldives is looking with optimism at 2006 after a difficult year in 2005, when the number of visitors declined to 395,000, after reaching 617,000 visitors in 2004. Arrivals from Europe ¬- which represent almost 80% of all arrivals to the country - sunk by 35%. A drop in airline capacity can be blamed for the decline. The government is now looking to create a new national carrier but this is not likely to happen before 2007, according to the official delegation present at ITB. For 2006, forecasts from the Pacific Asia Travel Association predict a growth of 7% in total arrivals.
Although China became Asia Pacific's largest outbound market in 2002, overtaking Japan, it is still behind Hong Kong in terms of inbound visitors. However, the figures require qualifications - because China's 20 million excludes travel from Hong Kong, whereas Hong Kong's 23 million includes travel from China. On a like-for-like basis, Hong Kong's count (growing 14% in 2005 to 10 million) would be half that of China
The number of visitors into China increased by an estimated 11% in 2005 to a grand total of 121 million. That figure includes travellers from neighbouring Hong Kong and Macau, technically domestic travellers. The foreign visitor count (based on passports) showed an even more rapid growth - an estimated 20% to 20 million.
Laos achieved 1 million foreign arrivals for the first time in 2005, a growth of 12% over 2004. The Lao National Tourism Administration estimates that 30% of these came from overseas. The country wants to reach 1.5 million by 2010 but this might be difficult given tour operator complaints about restricted capacity in air transport and hotels. The ancient city of Luang Prabang is also facing a shortage of rooms during the high season, and Lao Airlines does not offer enough flights on domestic routes or to Bangkok. However, Lao Airlines will receive two Chinese-manufactured aircraft this spring, which will be put into service from Vientiane to Bangkok, Luang Prabang and Pakse, as well as between Vientiane and Siem Reap.
Brunei sees tourism's growth potential for the economy
Officially announced last September, the Brunei Office of Tourism started operating early this year with its first board of directors meeting. The NTO is expecting to receive an US$18 million budget or a period over five years. The priority is to increase tourism's share in the country's economy and, in line with this target, the Brunei Government has commissioned the World Travel & Tourism Council to develop a tourism satellite account (TSA) and country report. The results should be available in a few months. Read more.
Dubai: one of the biggest tourism success stories ever
Dubai is without doubt one of the tourism success stories of recent years, and it looks as though the destination is a long way from reaching its maximum potential. Tourism contributed some 10% to the local economy in 2004 and this is expected to rise to 10.5% in 2005. Investment in the sector accounted for 28.5% of total capital investment in Dubai last year - not taking account of major infrastructure projects such as the US$4 billion airport expansion - and is forecast to grow even faster. Read more.
Exceptional growth for Tunisia from Central Europe and France
Tunisia topped the 6 million international arrivals mark for the first time in 2005, representing a 6.4% increase over 2004. Average hotel occupancy was up by 3.6 points to 52.3%. Average length of stay increased from 5.1 to 5.8 days. Revenues were up by 5.2% to TD402 million (Tunisian dinar). Read more.
Copenhagen remains a strong destination, despite Denmark's international visitor decline
Copenhagen continues to perform well as a city destination, with 4.4 million nights spent in the greater city's hotels and similar establishments in the first eleven months of 2005 - an increase of 6.3% on the same period in 2004. But the capi¬tal's strength as a destination is in contrast to Denmark's performance as a whole. After a 3.3% decline in international arrivals in 2004, World Tourism Organization figures for the first three quarters of 2005 show a further 1.7% decline. Read more.
Visit Florida has unveiled its updated logo, which strengthens the organisation's position as the official source for Florida travel information and planning. The logo's design leverages the public-private partnership's name, Visit Florida, as an important call-to-action and a unique brand identifier. By extending the brand into all marketing elements, it becomes easier for travellers to know when they are interacting with the state's official tourism source. In January, Visit Florida celebrated its tenth anniversary.
The city of Cancun is working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to restore Cancun beaches by this coming April. Funded by a government investment of approximately US$20.77 million, the project will restore 11,000 cubic metres of sand every hour.
Brazil pays more attention to tourism
In many ways, Brazil has treated the travel business differently from other destina¬tions in Latin America because the business is not the country's leading export market. In fact it is only about fifth in importance. Read more.
Greater activity in the Caribbean area
The Caribbean area continues to experience a rising number of visitors from Europe, with an increase of about 7% in 2005. And this year is expected to be another good one. Among the new developments in the region. Read more.
Foreign visitors return to Chicago
2005 was a record-breaking year for the city's visitor industry. According to figures released by the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (CCTB), a record 31.91 million tourists visited Chicago in 2004 (+7% over 2003), propelling the city into number one spot in the USA in terms of business travel destinations. Business travellers accounted for 13.21 million arrivals as against 17.75 million for leisure travel. Read more.
Bavaria was named the best European region for children's holidays. Southern Germany received the 'Trophée Kid 2005', organised by SEML St Jean Activités with the Organisation IMIS-ESTHUA from Angers University. The new prize is intended to reward the best initiatives in the tourism sector for children. There were over 100 contestants. Bavaria publishes an annual brochure Kinderland Bayern with over 300 partners. In 2005, Bavaria recorded 23.76 million arrivals, a growth of 4.4%. The fastest growing incoming markets were Switzerland (+10.2%), China/Hong Kong (+10%) and Italy (+8.2%).
Slovenia wants to remain a niche destination according to Marjan Hribar, Director General of the Directorate for Tourism at the Ministry of Economy. The country attracted 1.55 million foreign visitors in 2005, a growth of 4%. Foreign overnights reached 4.4 million, up 1%. The UK market increased by 19% thanks to the introduction of low-cost flights from London by easyJet. “We are very happy about the arrival of low-cost airlines,” said Hribar. We are currently talking to Hungary's Wizz Air and Ryanair as well about possible new services to Maribor airport”. The Ministry's strategy to strengthen Slovenia's image is to promote spa/wellness and entertainment tourism. Negotiations are underway for the construction of a huge casino complex in Nova Gorica, close to the Italian border
Liverpool, gearing up for its role as European City of Culture in 2008, says it has already secured 90% of the EUR135 million it needs for its Cultural Year programme. A global marketing campaign will be launched soon and, by the end of 2006, the major events of the 2008 programme will be announced. Meanwhile, work on the Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre on the city's waterfront is underway and will provide a new integrated complex with a 9,500-seat arena. And Aintree Racecourse, home to the world famous Grand National, has embarked on a EUR42 million expansion - a plus not just for race-goers but for anyone looking for a unique events venue.
According to a study from the German Institute of Economic Sciences in Tourism, Berlin, Hamburg and Munich were the most popular cities for same-day visitors in 2004. The German capital attracted 124 million, Hamburg 98.3 million, and Munich close to 74 million. Average daily spending is estimated at EUR40.40.
Italy's state tourist office, ENIT, has printed 320,000 Chinese-language copies of the 80-page Italia brochure, which contains maps and information on Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, Naples and 20 regions of the country.
Germany is still Sweden's major source of international visitor nights, making up 19%, or 1.93 million, of all Sweden's 10.08 million nights in 2005. Data gathered by the Finnish Tourist Board shows that Denmark was Sweden's second largest source, with 974,000 nights in 2005 - 10% of the total. Ranking third was the UK with 644,000 nights, comprising 6% of total overnight volume. Holland ranked fourth (557,000 nights) and the USA fifth (423, 523 nights). Japan is Sweden's second most important long-haul market in terms of nights with over 115,000
2007 will celebrate Historic Switzerland
The Swiss Historic Hotels (SHH) association and Switzerland Tourism recently signed a marketing co-operation agreement, which paves the way for a large-scale marketing campaign in 2007 under the theme Historic Switzerland. The campaign will focus on the country's attractions and interesting places - from railways, boats, museums and restaurants to trekking circuits offering a special historical value. Read more.
What's new in Istanbul ?
Now that easyJet will break new ground for the no-frills sector by launching flights to destinations further afield, such as Marrakesh and Istanbul, the world-renowned Turkish city's expecting a boom in demand from foreign travellers for city breaks. Read more.
A record year for UK inbound tourism
In the aftermath of last July's bombings in London, few in the travel and tourism industry thought that the UK might come out of it unscathed. Yet this is almost exactly what did happen - at least in terms of inbound tourism. Read more.
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Berlin 2006:
Position as world leader strengthens
- Over 20 per cent more business conducted
- Trade visitors increase by more than 10 per cent
- Attendance by general public up by just under 20 per cent.
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The next Bolsa Mexicana de Inversion Turistica (BMIT) is scheduled for September 6-7, 2006, at the Camino Real Hotel in Mexico City. BMIT is Mexico's key tourism and finance investment forum.
Makassar in South Sulawesi, will host Indonesia's largest incoming travel show “TIME” in 2006 and 2007. The event provides the city with the opportunity to revamp its infrastructure and profile itself on international markets. Two new properties, the Marannu City & Tower Hotel and a five-star convention hotel near the convention centre, have recently been completed. The airport has been upgraded and a new terminal capable of handling 7 million passengers has been added. Makassar and the South Sulawesi Province, which includes the Toraja Land, attracted close to 600,000 visitors in 2002 (latest figure available) of which 10,000 were foreigners.
Pose de la première pierre La Mondiale
Bruxelles, 17 mars 2006 – Carlton Hotel Collection et le Groupe Strukton célèbrent aujourd'hui la pose de la première pierre du prestigieux projet de construction La Mondiale, en présence du Premier échevin Henri Simons. Le projet prévoit la construction d'un hôtel design The Dominican, d'appartements de luxe, de lofts, de boutiques et d'une brasserie. Le complexe devrait être inauguré à l'automne 2007. En savoir plus.
Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley To Open In Agust
SYDNEY - Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley is scheduled to open in August, the Hunter Valley's first internationally-branded hotel. It will offer meeting and conferencing facilities, along with hotel bedrooms and self-contained villas for group events in the Hunter.
Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo Launches Business Package Promotion
TOKYO - Until June 30, travellers can take advantage of Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo's MO Business Package. It offers single occupancy accommodation in a Deluxe Room, complimentary continental breakfast, and daily choice of one of the following benefits: One-time complimentary use of the heat and hydro-treatment area within The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo and Express dry cleaning (4-hour) of a 2-piece suit and one shirt or blouse. The package is priced at Y49,999 (US$424) per night for a two-night stay or Y46,999 per night for three or more nights.
Dolce Sitges introduceert revolutionair vergaderconcept: "Spa Breaks"
Een vernieuwend ontspanningsprogramma bestemd voor groepen
Dolce Sitges Hotel, Resort & Conference Destination, Spanje's grootste locatie voor conferenties, vergaderingen, speciale evenementen en luxetoerisme, lanceert een vernieuwend ontspanningsconcept voor groepen die deelnemen aan vergaderingen of conferenties in het hotel. Tijdens de korte vergaderpauzes, worden stretching en snelle massages aangeboden in de vergaderruimte. Doel: de concentratie van de deelnemers aanwakkeren tijdens geplande rustmomenten die het programma van de groepen niet in de war sturen. Lees meer.
Accor says that 12% of its sales in the Pacific are over the internet as against only 5% in Asia. China is worse; 95% is voice, according to one Accor executive - although that surely is a qualifiable figure.
Accor leads in Indonesia
Accor, which is already the leading international hotel group in Indonesia, plans to grow its portfolio in the archipelago from a current 33 to 50 properties. This year, the company will open five new properties - three Novotels and two Mercures, in regional cities. It is these secondary destinations that Accor sees as driving tourism growth in Indonesia in the future. Read more.
New deals for Rezidor SAS in the lifestyle and luxury tiers
Just three months after signing a licensing agreement with the Italian fashion house, Missoni, to develop a Missoni Hotels brand, Rezidor SAS has already signed agreements for the first three hotels. Two of the Missoni hotels will be in the Middle East - in Dubai (250 rooms on Palm Island, opening at the end of 2008) and Kuwait (over 200 rooms, opening in autumn 2007). A third Missoni, with 130 rooms, will open in a prime location in Edinburgh by the George IV Bridge and the Royal Mile at the end of 2008. This deal supersedes an earlier arrangement with Cerruti, which collapsed as a result of the partner's financial difficulties. Read more.
Orient Express invests in an unspoilt corner of Mexico
Luxury group Orient Express, with its proven ability to seek out superb, but little-known, destinations, has just signed a EUR7 million deal to acquire a 75% equity share and the management of the Casa de Sierra Nevada in Mexico's historic colonial town of San Miguel de Allende. Founded in 1542, the town is located 200 kilometres north of Mexico City at 2000 metres above sea level. Read more.
Accor Hotels has signed a landmark agreement for six Ibis hotels in China's Sichuan province, costing US$150 million - the largest single expansion of Accor's economy brand in one province of China. The agreement was signed by new Accor CEO Gilles Pélisson - for three in Chengdu, plus three in nearby cities of Yi Bing, Ya An, and De Yang. Next month Accor is due to open its third Ibis in China, 172-room Ibis Qingdao - following Chengdu, and Tianjin, which plans to add 70 rooms next month. During 2006 Accor also plans to open Ibis hotels in Chongqing, Wuhan, Wuxi, and Zhongshan.
Accor moves into Thailand's economy hotel sector
Ibis hotels are already a strong established brand in China, Hong Kong and Indone¬sia. However, the brand is now moving to Thailand, revolutionising the Thai budget hotel segment. Three Ibis hotels are opening in 2006 in Bangkok. The first two properties, the Ibis Siam Bangkok (189 rooms) and the Ibis Huamark Bangkok (288 rooms), opened last January. A third property, near to the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, will open by the end of the year. All three hotels have a very contemporary design, offer a bar and restaurant and propose to their guests advanced communications technology as well as a reception open 24 hours a day.
Read more.
The Accor group has expanded its presence in Tunisia with the management of four new hotels in the country. Before 1 January 2006, Accor Vacances managed two new hotels in Tunis and Sfax, in the Deep South. The group now runs eleven hotels in the country.
The Saratoga hotel in Havana has just re-opened its 96 rooms after a major revamp. The famous haunt of artists and international socialites in the 1930s, the Saratoga is now under joint management, by a Bahaman group, Kennell International, and Habaguanex SA, which promotes tourism in Havana's historic old city. Combining colonial Art Deco interiors and contemporary comfort, the Saratoga has an exceptional location, facing the Capitolio and a short walk from the Opera House.
Park Plaza Hotels Europe has a growing European presence, with a new management agreement for the former Amsterdam Ramada Hotels and Suites signed at the end of February, and confirmation that it is opening the Wallstreet Park Plaza, near Berlin's Alexander Platz. Park Plaza has recently secured two plum sites in London: one for the 935- room County Hall Park Plaza, located on the South Bank next to County Hall, which will open in 2008, and the other, located right by Westminster Bridge, and directly opposite the Houses of Parlia¬ment, which will have 930 rooms and convention facilities for 1,000 delegates, and is scheduled for 2010.
Rocco Forte's luxury brand has five European hotels in the pipeline
The highly individual collection of luxury Rocco Forte hotels will add hotels in Germany, the Czech Republic and Sicily in the next two years, bringing Rocco Forte nearer to his ambition of a Europe-wide presence. Since launching his new hotel group in 1996, Rocco Forte (who was formerly Chairman and CEO of Forte plc, the company founded by his father and lost following a hostile takeover bid) has opened hotels in Italy, Great Britain, Russia, Belgium, Switzerland and France and now has ten hotels in operation. Read more.
Host Marriott boosts its hotel portfolio and moves into Europe
US real estate investment trust (REIT), Host Marriott, is the most recent beneficiary of Starwood Hotels and Resorts's big sell-off of its hotel real estate and is on the verge of completing a deal which will lead to its first foray outside North America. Host Marriott has just completed a US$4.4 billion (EUR 3.7 billion) deal to buy 38 upscale and luxury hotels from Starwood. The properties include six in Europe (in which Starwood will keep a 25% stake). Up to now, Host Marriott's portfolio has been in the USA, with just a handful of hotels in Canada and Mexico. Read more.
Le Méridien - new owner, but the same expansion ambitions
After just two months in the Starwood fold, Le Méridien has already announced two new management contracts - for a 165-room Le Méridien in Prague and for a hotel on Jomtien Beach in the Thai resort of Pattaya, both due to open early in 2009. Starwood already manages 12 hotels across its brands in Thailand, plus five more in the pipeline. But the Prague deal highlights the particular value that Le Méridien brings to Starwood, which had previously failed to secure any hotel in the Czech Republic. Le Méridien's strong French culture and European heritage offers the US group a strong presence in Europe that it had not been able to achieve through organic growth of any of its other brands. Read more.
 
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Davos – Combine your conference with some wellness at the
Sunstar Parkhotel****.
The new wellness oasis with more than 1000 m2 of space is now open. Steam baths, Roman springs with four climatic zones, a fitness studio, cosmetic studio, massage rooms, Asian room, panoramic meadow with recliners and Finnish log-cabin sauna outside all promise pure relaxation.
For more information:
www.davos.ch
info@davos.ch |
Basel – Basler Personenschifffahrt.
The sparkling white fleet of the Basler Personenschifffahrt makes a venue with a difference for seminars, business events and even for the peripheral programme of conventions and meetings held in Basel or the surrounding region. Individualized packages are available for events of between 10 and 700 people.
For more information:
www.baselconvention.ch
s.bonsels@baseltourismus.ch
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Zürich Airport – Switzerland’s international event and convention centre.
The Airport Conference Center has more than 32 variously sized seminar rooms with views over the airfield and space for between 2 and 250 people. The Eventdock has 9,000 m2 of space for all kinds of exciting events with an additional 12,000 m2 in Area 102 outdoors – and all of this in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a busy international airport! For smaller functions, however, you may prefer Dock E, which has some 200 m2 space between the airstrips.
For more information:
www.flughafen-zuerich.ch
conference@unique.ch |
WTTC Offers Policy Recommendations to the Russian Government to Capitalize on Travel & Tourism Growth
Moscow - 21 March 2006 - The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today presented an in-depth report to the government of Russia and to the Federal Agency for Tourism (Rozturism).
Read more.
Dossierkosten
Op vrijdag 17 maart 2006 verspreidde Mevrouw Van den Bossche volgend persbericht : De cijfers in de tekst verwijzen naar onze commentaar. Lees meer.
De BTO wenst snel klaarheid rond de al dan niet definitieve regeringsmaatregelen van vorige vrijdag 17 maart
De BTO, Belgian Travel Organisation, heeft kennis genomen van de diverse zowel algemene als meer specifieke persmededelingen van (leden van) de Belgische federale regering van vorige vrijdag, 17 maart 2006 in verband met de reissector. Lees meer.
UNWTO and International Business Leaders Forum Announce a New Human Rights Initiative for The Tourism Industry
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM; 16 March 2006 - The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a United Nations specialised agency, and the Tourism Partnership of the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) announced today a joint initiative on human rights, the Tourism and Human Rights Initiative.
Read more.
IH&RA opposes round-the-clock hotel check-in/check-out
“Once again standardisation is raising its head,” is the response of International Hotel & Restaurant (IH&RA) CEO, David McMillan, to consumer advocacy groups calling for regulation that would force hotels to offer flexible check-in and check-out times and rates for their clients. Read more.
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1er avril : ouverture Walibi !
Wavre - Le 1er avril, Walibi Belgium ouvre à nouveau ses portes. Les événements phares de cette saison sont sans aucun doute la nouvelle attraction VERTIGO, le nouveau spectacle Walibi & Friends et la remise à neuf de tous les restaurants.
En savoir plus.
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RailPass.com Now Offering Nine Different Eurail National Passes
NEWTON, Mass., March 20 -- RailPass.com, the most comprehensive source for planning and buying international train tickets and rail passes, today announced that Eurail National Passes are now available on Railpass.com. The new Eurail National Passes allow unlimited train travel within a single European country.
Read more.
Brussel-Marseille in 12 uur en in de files ?
... Maar nee, in 4u30 met Thalys !
De vakantie-uittocht naar het zuiden zonder files, zonder tol en zonder benzine, dat kan met de Zon-Thalys !
Vanaf 24 juni brengt Thalys vakantiegangers in een mum van tijd naar het zuiden van Frankrijk, waar de lavendel heerlijk geurt en de zon zich spiegelt in de kreken ! Lees meer.
Berlin new main rail station (the Hauptbahnhof) will open to the public on 28 May. It will be Europe's biggest hub for rail traffic. The station will receive 488 regional and long-haul trains as well as 1,100 S-Bahn trains per day. Up to 300,000 passengers daily are expected
The 'long-distance' business segment (Voyageurs France Europe) of the French railways, SNCF, recorded an increase in turnover of between 4-5% in 2005 to EUR5 billion as the number of travellers on TGV and Corail trains grew by 2.8%. The high-speed TGV alone generated a turnover of EUR3 billion. In 2005, for the first time ever, the TGV attracted a market share of more than 50% on the ten busiest domestic routes that compete with airlines. Another success story has been the growth of the SNCF's web portal, Voyages-sncf.com. The website generated sales of EUR1.16 billion last year, a growth of 48% over 2004, with a profit of EUR11.5 million (+21%). Rail ticket sales represent 86% of web activity.
EgyptAir is 27th airline to select Amadeus Altéa Customer Management Solution
Vilvoorde, Belgium, 21 March 2006: Amadeus and EgyptAir, a pioneer founder of the International Air Transport Association and a leading carrier in the Middle East, have signed an agreement by which Amadeus will provide the airline with the Altéa Customer Management Solution (CMS). Read more.
News from the Worldspan GDS: the GDS has introduced the Worldspan Rate Runner, a web search and booking solution - including low-fare airlines. It has rolled out its e-Pricing low-fare shopping technology to Worldspan-connected travel retailers in the UK. This is now due to be extended to other countries in Europe. SAS-Scandinavian has finalised a full-content agreement with Worldspan, providing all SAS content to the Worldspan system. Finally, Hotel-ami, a Germany-based online hotel distributor, is augmenting its bookable website with Worldspan's data-exchange technology.
Galileo, AirAsia's new distribution partner
In late January, Asia largest low-cost airline AirAsia signed with the GDS Galileo an agreement to include all AirAsia flights into its new distribution system Galileo Flight Integrator. A low-cost GDS platform, Galileo Flight Integrator integrates the AirAsia website into its own programme and gives travel agencies access to all AirAsia flights.Galileo, AirAsia's new distribution partner. Read more.
Iberia's online sales
Air ticket sales on Iberia's websites increased 39% in 2005 to EUR288.6 million. Of this, 73% came from customers in Spain (with a volume 33% higher); the volume of sales from outside Spain (Iberia now has 31 versions of website) increased faster, by 57.4%. Read more.
Watch that space
Regulations have come to space tourism already! However, these are primarily in the area of safety and security, and so are unlikely to be challenged. Read more.
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Fujifilm Finepix F30
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6.3 mégapixels
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zoom optique 3x
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écran LCD 2.5”
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Super CCD HR 6ème génération
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ISO 3200
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FUJIFILM introduit sur le marché le successeur du Finepix F10 commercialisé en 2005: le FINEPIX F30.
En savoir plus.
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Cinq bonnes raisons de réserver un citytrip chez Thomas Cook
Gastronomie dans la ville branchée de Copenhagu
Les 400 ans de Rembrandt à Amsterdam
Paris en Segway
Lisbonne et Estoril: la combinaison idéale entre ville et plage
Shopping à Berlin
En savoir plus.
Thomas Cook élu marque de voyage préférée du vacancier belge!
La semaine dernière a eu lieu la remise de la troisième Compétition nationale des Ma®ques. Thomas Cook a été élu pour la deuxième fois marque de voyage préférée. Thomas Cook Airlines occupe la troisième place dans la catégorie « compagnie aérienne ». En savoir plus.
Club Med
De omzet van het eerste trimester van het boekjaar 2006 is met 9,1% gestegen naar 347 miljoen euro. In het eerste trimester van 2005 bedroeg hij 319 miljoen euro.
Bij vergelijkbare perimeter en constante wisselkoersen, bedraagt deze stijging 5,6%.
Reservaties op datum voor het winterseizoen:
Voor het winterseizoen is het totale aantal reservaties van Club Méditerranée op 4 maart 2006, uitgedrukt in vergelijkbare omzet, met +9,0% gestegen ten opzichte van dezelfde datum vorig jaar. Op 10 december jl. bedroeg dit cijfer +5,2%.
Opmerkelijk is de uitstekende groei in Europa: +10,7%. De jongste maanden werden hier grootschalige marketing- en commerciële middelen ingezet.
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A la découverte de l'Ouest canadien avec le guide Ulysse!
L'Ouest canadien exalte l'imagination de tous et chacun. Ce territoire plus grand que nature aux paysages extrêmes et grandioses, depuis les vastes Prairies jusqu'au majestueux Pacifique, en passant par les pics enneigés des Rocheuses demande qu'on en fasse la conquête. En ski sur une pente de neige poudreuse, en randonnée pédestre sur un sentier forestier, à pied sur des trottoirs urbains ou en voiture au milieu des champs de blé... découvrez tout ce que l'Ouest canadien peut offrir grâce au nouveau guide Ulysse Ouest canadien. En savoir plus.
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Development of new Pass Card
The USA, Canada and Mexico are working on the joint development of new biometric Pass Card, which would become available before the implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) and could be used instead of passports, which the US Government initially wanted to impose for all cross-border travellers into the USA. Read more.
Can sustainable ecotourism really eliminate poverty ?
With no flat land for sugar cane cultivation and with the continuing demise of the banana industry, the tiny mountainous island state of Dominica (not to be confused with the Dominican Republic that is 64 times larger, has 127 times the population and has 17 times more tourists) has literally placed its bets on ecotourism. With the assistance of the European Commission, Dominica has embarked on the implementation of a forward-looking Ecotourism Development Programme (ETDP) to the tune of EUR6 million between 2003 and 2006.
Read more.
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