Author: News Team

Cruise Industry News Annual Report, an annual report on the cruise industry, has reported that the industry is growing in the Asia, Asia-Pacific and Australian markets. The 2012 edition of the report identifies the emerging Asian-Pacific cruise industry at 1.2 million passengers annually, contributing to 6 percent of the worldwide cruise revenue. The report highlights that the growth in the Asia-Pacific region is led by Star Cruises, a Hong Kong based company with four ships, owning 35.8 percent of the market. In 2012, passenger figures are expected to hit 1.2 million for the company. Australia and New Zealand added another…

British Airways, a UK-based airline company, is featuring a special emblem celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on one of its fleet of Boeing 747 aircraft. 11-year-old, Katherine Dewar, designed the celebratory emblem, she was the winner of a competition organised by the UK children’s television program, Blue Peter. The emblem will be part of the aircraft’s livery along with a message, ‘Congratulations, Celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee’. Katherine Dewar said, ‘Since winning the competition, its been like a dream come true to see my design in so many different places around the UK but I never expected to see…

Carnival Cruise Lines, a US-based cruise line, has added a new cruise ship, the 130,000-ton Carnival Breeze, to its portfolio. The new ship can carry around 3,690 passengers and will be departing on its inaugural cruise on June 3, 2012, from Venice, Italy, on a special 12-day Mediterranean cruise ending in Barcelona on June 15, 2012. The new Carnival Breeze is the 24th vessel to join the cruise line’s fleet and features several entertainment options. It is the line’s first ship to feature a multi-dimensional special effects experience, the Thrill Theater; theme water park, WaterWorks, with water slides and a…

Westin Hotels & Resorts, a hotel brand from Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, has opened a new hotel, The Westin Paris – Vendome, in Paris, France. The new hotel, which offers views of the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum, is part of the brand’s Breathe Westin portfolio of smoke-free hotels. Brian Povinelli, the brand’s global brand leader, said, ‘Westin Hotels & Resorts is excited to further expand its portfolio of international smoke-free properties and we are proud to have The Westin Paris – Vendome as our latest addition. As a brand that continuously adapts its programming to better coincide…

Thomas Cook Group Plc, a UK-based travel company, is offering new London City breaks, celebrating both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympic Games. The company is offering its Best of Britain themed short vacations, as part of its role as official provider of short breaks to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The newly created Games Breaks are designed around the British royal family’s love of sport, and to tie in with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The newly launched city breaks are named The Queen, The Duke & Duchess, The Prince Harry & Charles, The Princess…

Gatwick Express, a UK-based company providing a rail-air service between Victoria station and Gatwick Airport in the UK, has reported an increase in passenger numbers in 2011. The company has reported a 17 percent increase in passengers for 2011, compared to the figure for 2010, indicating that the service is becoming ever more popular with travellers. Alex Foulds, the development director for Southern Railway, which operates Gatwick Express, said, ‘Considering the context of a 6.9 percent rise in airport passengers at Gatwick, these figures reveal the robust health of the Gatwick Express brand. We are seeing a rise in both…

Canada-based Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will be opening a new Fairmont Hotel in Austin, US, in 2015. The company has entered into an agreement to operate the new Fairmont Austin, which will open in three years time. The new hotel, to be developed for an investment of £226.5 million, will be located close to the Austin Convention Centre, and will be featuring around 1,000 guestrooms and suites. The 50-story hotel is being developed by Manchester Texas Financial Group LLC (MTFG), and will also be providing around 70,000 square feet of function space Doug Manchester, the president of MTFG, said, ‘Fairmont…

The Guoman and Thistle hotel brands have launched new websites for mobile phones. The mobile-optimised sites for the brands will allow travellers to search and book hotel rooms from their mobile or smart phones. The mobile sites are created by using a technology platform Usablenet, a US-based company offering mobile commerce technology in UK and Europe. The two mobile sites feature capabilities such as search options for the hotel accommodations; options to book a hotel rooms; view current offers from both the brands; and options to view and cancel existing reservations. Mithu Sengupta, the eCommerce director from Guoman and Thistle…

Britain may well be a ‘pet mad’ nation, says travel comparison website TravelSupermarket. British travellers are keen to travel with their pets in the upcoming bank holidays, with 32 percent of the respondents of a recent study opting for pet friendly travel. In fact Brits miss their pets so much that they would rather take their pets on a vacation than their family members, given a choice, says the report. Around 13 percent of British travellers responded that they would choose their pet over their partner on a holiday, while 10 percent would prefer to take their pet on holiday…

Tourists tend to have misconceptions regarding the cost of travel to various overseas destinations, says a recent survey by a UK-based flight comparison site, Skyscanner. An annual study of 30 holiday destinations that are popular with British travellers brings into focus that while many think that an Indian holiday will be cheap, a holiday in Morocco is actually cheaper. An even bigger surprise to many British travellers is that Germany is one of the best destinations for a bargain holiday. In fact, the study suggests that Eurozone holidays are in reality much cheaper than many travellers perceive them to be,…