Author: Shawon Hannan
Messe Berlin (Singapore), organiser of the ITB Asia 2012 event, has announced that three new conference partners have been added to the programme’s line up. This year, the annual event will be attended by travel-industry experts representing MCI, National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) and Panacea Publishing Asia. They are meeting to brainstorm innovative solutions and best practices involving the travel industry and related sectors. ITB Asia, already partnered by TTG Asia Media and Web in Travel, helps to develop and design critical and groundbreaking developments in the travel industry for ITB Asia delegates. The programme, which was launched…
The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority has kick-started a global campaign to promote the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, to be held in Abu Dhabi. Travel News has reported that the promotional campaign, a global tour spanning seven countries, has been designed to attract the maximum number of tourists for the event, which is scheduled for November 2 to 4 at the Yas Marina Circuit. Etihad Airways, the UAE’s national carrier, is the event’s headline sponsor. Along with other sponsors, the firm is to use the tour to promote the event to international tourists. The tour,…
Aer Lingus, an Ireland-based airline company, has just released its winter schedule for 2012, with new routes and expanded services, as well as its 2012 first quarter financial results. The airline is offering six new routes, Dublin to Verona (Italy) and Stockholm (Sweden); and Cork to Brussels (Belgium). The other destinations on offer include Copenhagen (Denmark), Bordeaux (France) and Venice (Italy). The airline is also offering increased flights on several of its existing routes, including Berlin (Germany), Vienna (Austria) and Amsterdam (The Netherlands), in addition to Lanzarote and Tenerife, in Spain. The airline director of communications, Declan Kearney, said, ‘This…
Failte Ireland, the Irish tourism development authority, has announced its initiatives as part of a programme for developing tourism in Ireland. Previously, the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) had released a report on the best ways of exploiting Dublin’s potential for boosting tourism in Ireland. Failte Ireland has already implemented many initiatives for increasing Ireland’s tourism potential, including the city’s new EUR4 million themed heritage trail, named Dubline; investing around EUR5.5million in developing Meeting House Square, The Book of Kells exhibition at Trinity College, and the Dublinia as tourist attractions, among other projects. Failte Ireland is also offering a new…
London Southend Airport, an airport in the UK, has announced that business jet operator, Landmark Aviation, will be operating services out of the airport. Landmark Aviation, a fixed-base operator of business jets, with 52 bases in the USA, Canada and France, will be operating out of London Southend Airport from the summer of 2012. The company will be using the new and exclusive business jet facilities at the Airport, to provide its customers with quick access to the Olympic Park at Stratford in East London and most other destinations in the city of London. The airport is linked with the…
British travellers going to Europe on a fly and drive holiday are not always entirely at ease with driving on the continent, according to a survey conducted by car insurance comparison website, Confused.com. The survey highlighted the plight of around 66 percent of British travellers who have experienced road accidents while driving in Europe, and around 73 percent of the respondents revealed a fear of foreign roads due to bewildering road signs, unpredictable driving habits, and different driving laws. The report also says that around one in five road trips from Britain to Europe involves a crash or a bump,…
Translink, the railway company operated by Northern Ireland’s state-owned rail operator, Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, has announced the introduction of complimentary Internet services for its passengers on its NI Railways trains. NI Railways is offering complimentary broadband Internet as part of its improved customer service, for around 10 million passengers that it transports every year. The company intends to offer passengers a better mode of transportation on its routes than travelling by private car. David Lowry, the senior technical engineer for Translink NI Railways, said, ‘Free WiFi is an added extra to travel on trains. More and more people…
Recruitment company, Caterer.com, has awarded Best Medium Group Hotel Employer to Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 hotel in London, UK, a brand from Hilton Hotels and Resorts, a subsidiary of the Blackstone Group. The hotel was awarded at the Best Employers in Hospitality Awards 2012 England & Wales, hosted by Lancaster London, recently. Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 was recognised for its employment culture of values, promises, internal team spirit, and employee engagement policies. The hotel achieved inclusion on the award list based on employee feedback and an engagement survey designed by Learnpurple, a talent management company. Alexandra…
Although the 2012 London Olympic games have yet to begin, Heathrow Airport, London’s busiest airport and the route to and from the games that most of the athletes and officials will take, is already gearing up for the Olympic aftermath and the expectation of its busiest departure day on record. While the influx of Olympic participants is likely to be spread over several days leading up to the event, due to the varying requirements for training and accommodation from team to team, the Olympic closing ceremony on Sunday 12 August will raise the curtain on a mass exodus the following…
China’s state media has announced a $4.8bn tourism project to be centred on Lhasa, Tibet’s capital city. The massive investment, which is intended to draw more visitors to the region, will include a theme park, a commercial district and a residential area, according to quotes attributed to Lhasa vice-mayor, Ma Xinming, by the official Xinhua news agency. According to Xinhua, Ma said the project would create a ‘living museum’ for Tibetan culture as well as relieving pressure on tourist attractions in Lhasa’s old city and developing Tibet’s tourism industry. The first phase of the project, a mile or so from…