Author: Shawon Hannan
The tourism department in Myanmar (formerly Burma) is attracting customers to the nation with new river cruises. The nation, which had until recently been under military rule, is slowly making efforts to enhance tourism and tourist flow. It is now offering various river cruises to attract tourists from far and wide. As the nation was under sanctions from the west until recently, its reputation as the most authentic Asian culture in the world means that tourists will have more reasons to visit and experience the river cruises that will introduce them to the culture and architecture of this once avoided…
Walt Disney is to use wireless wristbands to help enhance its services to visitors. The company said that the wireless-tracking wristbands have been designed to make the theme park hassle-free for customers, and they are expected to be operational in the coming months. The wristband, MagicBands, will be linked to customers’ credit-card information and will function as room keys and park entry passes. They will use radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips. It is believed that MagicBands is part of a bigger system, called MyMagic+. The bigger project will allow the park to collect personal information, including the names of guests, their…
The opening of the new Brandenburg airport (BER) in Berlin, Germany, has been delayed indefinitely, according to recent reports in the German media. The new airport was slated to open on June 3, 2012, and has been delayed due to problems with its fire safety systems. The new airport is intended to replace Berlin’s Tegel and Schonefeld airports. The new opening date for the airport is yet to be announced, and sources say that it may be even later than the previously announced date of October this year. A statement made by the airport authority reads, ‘This further delay is…
Air France, a France-based airline, has announced low cost fares for its passengers. The Mini fare is the cheapest economy offering from the airline and does not include seat selection, checked luggage or frequent flyer miles. The new fares, commence from €49, and are on offer for 58 destinations in the domestic, as well as medium-haul routes. The tickets are on offer currently, for travel from February 6, 2013, and are offered as an option that does not include the airline’s Flying Blue frequent flyer miles, or checked baggage. The new fare is also being extended to six Cityjet-operated routes…
Polish airline, LOT, has announced that it is reducing its fleet and employee levels due to an impending financial crisis. The airline will be downsizing its fleet by around 15 aircraft, and will be making job cuts to reduce its employee strength by 30 percent, to stem its loss making services. The Polish government, which owns around 93 percent of the airline’s stock, has offered a €97 million emergency loan to the company to sustain its operations. LOT airline has been running at loss since 2010. In the last quarter, passenger traffic has reduced by around 20 percent, leading to…
Travelsupermarket, a UK-based online travel company, has announced a new campaign that will be promoting summer holiday bookings. The company is introducing a new TV and radio advertising campaign, to promote its new look for British customers, along with a new sunshine logo and an iPhone app. Vic Darvey, the head of travelsupermarket, said, ‘The new campaign and visual identity was borne out of the insight that while times are really tight for families, our annual summer holiday is something we all cherish and will not sacrifice. We also know that holiday resorts are fighting hard to win the custom…
Carnival Cruise Lines is out to lure British travellers with its new, UK-based TV advertising campaign. The company has launched its first ever UK TV campaign, based on the company culture of having fun. The cruise line has drafted in comedian, Peter Serafinowicz, to be the narrator for the television commercials, which highlight the entertainment alternatives of life onboard a cruise ship. Adolfo Perez, the managing director of Carnival Cruise Lines UK, said, ‘Our new ads are unlike anything you’ll see in the travel sector. We looked at what everyone else was doing and knew straight away that we wanted…
Unions that represent workers at Iberia, the Spain based airline owned by International Airlines Group (IAG), have agreed to participate in negotiations with IAG for planned job cutbacks. Previously, IAG had proposed a comprehensive plan to restructure the airline, which includes a decrease of 4,500 jobs, reducing network capacity by 15 percent in 2013, and removing around 25 aircraft from the fleet. The company has also recently announced that it has acquired support from its workers’ unions to negotiate its Transformation Plan. The company has released a statement saying, ‘Iberia and unions representing ground staff and cabin crews, comprising 93…
With the withdrawal of a travel advisory for Kenya by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), a UK government agency that is responsible for the interests of UK citizens overseas, more British holidaymakers are travelling to the African country. Tourism in Kenya had suffered badly last summer, but now visitors are returning from all over Europe, and especially from the UK. According to the FCO, around 203,290 British nationals visited Kenya in 2011, based on Kenya Tourist Board figures. Most visits are trouble-free, and only 94 British nationals required consular assistance in Kenya between April 2011 and March 2012. Stuart…
January is the time when cruise companies offer mega sales on their fares. Travelocity.com, an online travel company, has announced cruise offers for the 2013 Wave Season. The Travelocity Cruise Super Sale will run until January 31, 2012, and is offering cruises at discounted rates of up to 65 percent. The sale is also offering up to £300 in consumer cruise cash to spend on onboard cruise experiences, including spa treatments, specialty dining and excursions. The sale fares are available for travel from January 24, 2013 to September 30, 2013, for cruise vacations of three nights or more. On average,…