Global Travel News

The Sukhothai Bangkok introduces Sushi Kappo Takizawa Pop-Up

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The Sukhothai Bangkok introduces Sushi Kappo Takizawa Pop-Up - TOP25RESTAURANTS.comBangkok, Thailand, October 27, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / Starting in November 2023, The Sukhothai Bangkok proudly presents Sushi Kappo Takizawa Pop-Up – an exquisite traditional Japanese Omakase experience by Chef Shumpei Takizawa. Renowned for his mastery of Japanese Omakase cuisine, Chef Takizawa’s passion for traditional Japanese culinary artistry and commitment to perfection promise to redefine the Omakase dining experience in Bangkok

Hailing from Shizuoka, where his family specializes in producing dried fish products like Katsuo bushi for Dashi, Chef Takizawa’s journey began in his childhood. He honed his skills in the United States, Europe, and the UAE, continually exploring and mastering various techniques to elevate his culinary expertise. In 2013, he returned to Japan, dedicating himself to the traditional style of Edomae-sushi at Michelin-starred sushi bars in Hokkaido and Tokyo. By 2018, he had assumed control of their Los Angeles branch, achieving a remarkable 2 Michelin stars in his first year. In 2020, he ventured to Bangkok, serving as a consultant before finally establishing his own Omakase restaurant.

Chef Takizawa’s Omakase Style seamlessly blends traditional Edomae Sushi with Kappo dishes. Edomae Sushi involves aging, marinating, and curing, while Kappo dishes fuse authentic Japanese cooking with influences from other culinary traditions such as French and Chinese. Hence, Chef Takizawa’s rice and Dashi quality are different from other Omakase places.

To commemorate the inauguration of Takizawa’s pop-up restaurant at The Sukhothai Bangkok, limited seating is being offered to ensure an intimate and unforgettable dining experience. Guests are strongly encouraged to make reservations in advance to secure their place at this culinary masterpiece.

Open daily for lunch and diner
Lunch 2,900++ | Dinner 5,900++ per person

For reservation or more information, please contact:
Tel: 0806433323

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Accelerating Green Investment in Tourism for Sustainable Development

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Accelerating Green Investment in Tourism for Sustainable Development - UNWTO - TRAVELINDEX - VISITUZBEKISTAN.netSamarkand, Uzbekistan, October 26, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / UNWTO has put tourism on the agenda of the World Investment Forum, the biggest investment gathering led by the United Nations.

In partnership with the Forum’s organizers, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), UNWTO held a special high-level dialogue that brought together both the investment and tourism communities.

Investment Framework for Tourism

At the “Accelerating Green Investment in Tourism for Sustainable Development” side event, UNWTO presented its new comprehensive tourism investment framework  focused on innovation, education and sustainability for a more comprehensive economic development. Alongside this, UNWTO also announced that it will partner with UNCTAD to provide a set of Guiding Principles for Tourism Investment in Sustainable Tourism. These will help stakeholders from every part of the sector implement the framework and further boost investments in tourism, one of UNWTO’s core priorities for the sector.

Solutions for Transition

The high-level debate made clear the need for solutions to unlock finance, accelerate green investments in tourism and contribute to sustainable development, particularly relevant as the UAE prepares to host the COP28 climate conference next month.

The dialogues stressed the vital need for a sustainable transition, not just for the planet, but also for tourism itself, for boosting competitiveness and increasing resilience, while emphasised the need of a robust and supportive investment policy framework. Central to this will be delivering additional green investments (traditional and non-traditional), financing and enhancing innovation and technology is much needed in the tourism sector to support and accelerate this transformation. Additionally, the importance of investing in human workforce and specific skills development at every level of education was underlined within the context of green transition.

Moreover, the crucial role of non-traditional investments in enhancing innovation through the creation and diffusion of technologies and mobility startups with the power to decarbonize and unlock new business models and accelerate the green transition was outlined during the discussion.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

ROUND-UP: Oct. 23-27, 2023

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Carnival faced legal troubles in Australia for a cruise operated during the pandemic; Transat announced a flight first (spoiler alert: to Africa); while in other round-up news from last week, Porter launched flights to Las Vegas, Arajet arrived in Canada, and Visit Florida spread some sunshine during its annual mission north of the border.

NEWS

Carnival was ruled negligent by an Australian court for failing to cancel a cruise that led to a major COVID-19 outbreak early in the pandemic. The Ruby Princess left Sydney on March 8, 2020, with 2,671 passengers aboard for a 13-day cruise to New Zealand but returned in 11 days as Australia’s borders were closing. COVID-19 on the ship spread to 663 passengers and claimed 28 lives. Federal Court Justice Angus Stewart ruled that Carnival had been negligent as defined by Australian consumer law and had a duty to take reasonable care of her health and safety in regard to COVID-19.

ACTA has an issued a reminder to the industry that all travel businesses with operations, employees, or markets in Quebec are required to comply with new data privacy rules outlined in Quebec Law 25 by Sept. 2024. Additionally, all travel businesses that are based elsewhere, but have employees in Quebec, or serve markets and customers in the province must also comply. ACTA says it will provide information on its website this Fall to help members understand the new requirements and take the required actions to comply with the law. In addition, ACTA is working with a partner in Québec to plan and deliver a webinar to further assist members. For information, click HERE.

Called the strongest storm in history to make landfall along the eastern Pacific Coast, Hurricane Otis ripped across Mexico’s southern Pacific coast as a powerful Category 5 storm last week, tearing through buildings in the resort city of Acapulco, sending sheets of earth down steep mountainsides and causing massive flooding.

AIR

Air Transat will offer non-stop service between Montreal and Marrakech, Morocco, starting next June, making it the only airline in North America to offer non-stop flights to the Moroccan city. It is also the first-ever venture to Africa for the airline and represents what it calls a “strategic shift” in operations. Flights will be operated twice a week from June 12 to Oct. 24, 2024, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The service will then continue once a week, on Saturdays, until April 20.

Dominican Republic low-cost carrier, Arajet, the Caribbean’s low-fare airline, arrived in Toronto with the start of direct flights between the city and Santo Domingo. The route was officially launched at an inaugural event at Hotel X where they presented the biggest drone show in the sky said to be largest ever held in Toronto. The airline will be flying out of Toronto four days per week – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays – increasing the air connectivity between the two countries and destinations beyond.

An exterior view of take-off that can be viewed on the aircraft’s seatback entertainment system is just one of the features on Air Canada’s upgraded Airbus A321, which the carrier unveiled to passengers on a flight recently. Other features include a new cabin interior, new technologies and services such as Bluetooth audio, and free high-speed internet sponsored by Bell. The 14 Airbus A321s and eight A320s in the fleet will be retrofitted starting this fall through to the end of 2025.

Porter Airlines will launch daily flights between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) starting March 5, 2024. The service will utilize the airline’s new Embraer132-seat all-economy E195-E2 aircraft, which will depart at 1 p.m. daily, arriving at 3:04 p.m. Return flights at 4 p.m., arriving at 11:16 p.m. Introductory roundtrip fares start at $346.

Lynx is adding Mexico to its international roster, with service to Cancun from Toronto Pearson set to take off Feb. 15. The Mexican tourism mecca is the ultra low-cost carrier’s first destination in the country and marks its third country in a growing network that will now feature 18 destinations.

BY THE NUMBERS

According to a new IATA survey, which was based on 8,000 responses across 200 countries, passengers want convenience when they plan their travel and when choosing from where to depart. Proximity to the airport was passengers’ main priority when choosing their departure point (71%). This was more important than ticket price (31%). A small majority of passengers prefer to book directly with the airline (52%).

DEALS

The “Explore with More” from Holland America includes an air credit, shore excursion credit and kids cruising free. Running through Nov. 15, the promotion is available on Have it All cruise package fares for select departures from April through October 2024. Through “Explore with More,” guests receive a Shore Excursion Credit valued at up to US$400, free airfare for kids, and a US$500 Air Credit on 2024 Europe cruises. Additional perks include specialty dining, beverages and Wi-Fi that come with the “Have it All” premium package.

TOURS

Africa is booming, the Middle East not so much, travel advisors learned at Goway Travel’s annual showcase for the destinations in Toronto last week. It was the 12th time the Toronto-based tour company hosted the multi-day event for agents and suppliers, but first since before the pandemic. On Wednesday, 150 agents were on hand for a full day of training and trade show at the Hyatt Regency on King, featuring 27 suppliers from across the destinations. The day before about 1,000 agents signed up for a virtual event.

Philippine Airlines (PAL), the national flag carrier of the Philippines, has launched PAL Holidays, a one-stop travel website that offers a seamless and comprehensive platform for booking travel to the southeast Asian country, and beyond. The new site is now live in Canada and elsewhere.

The new platform is powered by Expedia Group’s White Label Template technology and designed to help users effortlessly plan and book their entire journey – including PAL flights, hotels, transportation, and travel activities, all in one convenient location.

HOTELS

Executive double room

The well-known Chelsea Hotel Toronto, located on Yonge Street just north of the Eaton Centre, has completed a $25-million refurbishment. The investment – the most extensive since 2013 – included 600 guestrooms in the Executive Tower, hotel corridors throughout the hotel, modernization and refurbishment of the Executive Tower elevators. Additionally, there was a refurbishment of Market Garden Restaurant and Elm Street Bar & Lounge, the latter featuring double the seating capacity and the addition of new furniture and lighting.

Andean Experience (AE) soft-opened Peru’s first tented exploration camp, PUQIO in September. An extension of AE’s Southern Route, including Titilaka on Lake Titicaca and CIRQA in Arequipa, PUQIO is situated in the remote Colca Valley in the Southern Peruvian Andes, a region rich with biodiversity – including a large population of Andean condor – hot springs, volcanoes and one of the world’s deepest canyons, the Colca Canyon. Guests can choose from three distinct and locally designed tents and anticipate a range of activities and outings, including trips to local markets, Andean fishing, visits to thermal baths, wildlife watching and more.

RESORTS

The new ‘Aisle Edit’ Look Book from Sandals is an assemblage of curated designs catering to the latest trends in destination weddings and offering couples the opportunity to personalize selections and see themselves reflected in their wedding day. Aisle to Isle’s new amenity-rich packages include elements scaled for any size affair – from intimate elopement ceremonies for two to larger celebrations with pre- and post-wedding gatherings – all complete with a bespoke, wedding planning team that manages all the details every step of the way. Additional package inclusions with seamless planning tools such as a gift registry service and wedding website template, the preparation of documents for marriage licenses, and more. View the digital production here.

Renovations to the pool area at Secrets Aura Cozumel are currently underway, with an expected completion date of Nov.  30. Throughout the duration of this project, the entire pool area, which includes 26 Junior Suites with a swim-up pool view and 42 Junior Suites with a pool view as well as the Manatees swim-up bar will be unavailable, while the Bordeaux restaurant will be unavailable through the completion of the renovation. The lazy river pool will remain open for guests, as well as the Preferred Club pool for Preferred Club guests.

CRUISE

After a pandemic pause, Norwegian Cruise Line returned to Asia for the first time in three years Oct. 19 as the Norwegian Jewel set sail from Tokyo to begin an extensive six-month season of voyages in the region. NCL says it will have a record four ships deployed in the region during the 2024/25 season, underlying its commitment to Asia, both as a source market and destination, NCL will. In addition to the Jewel, Norwegian Spirit, Sun, and Sky will also visit destinations including Japan, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, and Malaysia.

Marking Royal Caribbean International’s biggest line-up of 2023-24 holidays Down Under, the cruise line’s Brilliance of the Seas arrived in Sydney for the first time Oct. 22 beginning a six-month season of five- to 18-night cruises to unique destinations, from Fiji and the Loyalty Islands to locales in Australia like Port Douglas, Melbourne and Kangaroo Island. Travellers can choose from 20 different itineraries across 40 destinations.

ATTRACTIONS & THEME PARKS

The Hard Rock Casino Vancouver is in for a rebranding. Effective December, the Coquitlam venue will become Great Canadian Casino Vancouver, according to owners, Great Canadian Entertainment. Along with the name change, the casino will welcome a Gordon Ramsay Burger restaurant and offered enhanced entertainment options with Live Nation.

FAMS & INCENTIVES

TTC Tour Brands is inviting members of the BIPOC (black, indigenous, and other people of colour) travel advisor community on a specially designed Trafalgar FAM trip taking place March 11-17, 2024. The seven-day “Sense of Europe” itinerary will travel from Prague to Vienna and Budapest. The Eastern European travel experience is designed to give advisors the opportunity to engage and network with peers within the BIPOC community and discover the history, architecture, culture, and cuisine of the region with Trafalgar. Twin share prices is $1.321 p.p. For more info and to apply, click HERE or email fams@ttc.com.

EVENTS

Visit Florida made stops in Vancouver and Toronto (photo) last week as part of the DMO’s annual mission to spread a little sunshine north of the border. With 10 state partners (or their Canadians representatives) on hand, VF’s Erin Cramer (middle, front row) told attendees that 2.1 million Canadians had visited the just the first seven months of 2023 – a not unsurprising statistic, she said, considering “we know that Canadians love Florida, and we love Canadians!”

PEOPLE/APPOINTMENTS

Former Flight Centre Vancouver-based travel agent Chadd Andre has been named the new Executive VP for Flight Centre Brand (FCB) Canada. The “significant change in Canadian leadership” follows the departure of Brian McLaren, who leaves FCTG after 21 years to pursue other endeavours. In his new role, Andre helms operations in Canada with a twofold focus to strategically boost both digital and retail sectors of the leisure business. McLaren will stay on until Nov. 30 to help with the transition.

TTAND agent Chen Yu was named the No. 1 “ChangeMaker” both in Canada and globally by G Adventures in its recent four-month long incentive campaign, which recognized agents responsible for “most lives changed” across eight markets worldwide.

DESTINATIONS

All of West Maui except for burned-out sections of historic Lahaina will reopen to tourism on Nov. 1 following the deadliest US wildfire in more than century. West Maui has about 11,000 hotel rooms, or about half of Maui’s total. Travellers evacuated those hotels after the Aug. 8 fire raged through Lahaina town, killing at least 99 people and destroying more than 2,000 buildings. Mayor Richard Bissen said he made the move after talking about it with his Lahaina advisory team, the Red Cross, and other partners.

The newly launched Toronto Museum Pass provides access to seven popular museums in the city, including the Aga Khan Museum, Bata Shoe Museum, Gardiner Museum, Little Canada, Ontario Science Centre, Royal Ontario Museum, and Textile Museum of Canada. Available as a one- or three-day option with prices ranging from $45 to $85, the pass offers up to 70 percent off with additional discounts for seniors and children under 12. The pass is delivered directly to users’ phones once purchased, and must be used within 90 days of purchase. It is activated with first use at a participating business, expiring 24-hours and 72-hours after first redemption, depending on the pass purchased.

LAST WEEK IN TRAVEL HISTORY

In 1977, West German commandos stormed a hijacked Lufthansa airliner at an airport in Somalia and freed all 86 hostages aboard.

Send info to baginski@travelindustrytoday.com

First published at Travel Industry Today

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

PolyU School of Hotel & Tourism Management Tops World Ranking

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PolyU School of Hotel & Tourism Management Tops World Ranking - TRAVELNEWSHUB.comThe School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has again excelled in the university rankings, claiming the top spot in the “Hospitality and Tourism Management” category of ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023.
This is the seventh consecutive year in which the SHTM has been recognised as the world’s number one by ShanghaiRanking, a globally respected institution. The School won first place in 2017, the first time ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects included the “Hospitality and Tourism Management” category, and has held the top spot ever since.
ShanghaiRanking’s Academic Ranking of World Universities has been published annually since 2009 and is regarded as one of the three most influential and widely followed university classifications, alongside the QS World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Earlier this year, the SHTM was recognised as world No. 1 in the 2022/23 Field Based Ranking of the University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) Research Laboratory. The School has won first place globally in the “Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services” category for six years in a row.
The URAP Research Laboratory was established at the Informatics Institute of the Middle East Technical University in 2009. Its main objective is to develop a ranking system for world universities based on academic performance as determined by the quality and quantity of their scholarly publications.
The SHTM is honoured to be recognised internationally as a world-leading hospitality and tourism management school. These rankings confirm the School’s outstanding reputation and commitment to global excellence in hospitality and tourism education and research and are a ringing endorsement of its visionary leadership, dedicated researchers and innovative educational approach.
“The No. 1 ranking is a tribute to the SHTM’s dedicated faculty members, trail-blazing graduates and culture of academic and research excellence,” said Professor Kaye Chon, SHTM Dean, Chair Professor and Walter and Wendy Kwok Family Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management. “For more than four decades, the SHTM has spearheaded hospitality and tourism education, supporting the hospitality and tourism industry, a key driver of socio-economic growth.”
For more information on ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023, please visit: https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/gras/2023/RS0513
About PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management
For over 40 years, the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has refined a distinctive vision of hospitality and tourism education and become a world-leading hotel and tourism school. Ranked No. 1 in the world in the “Hospitality and Tourism Management” category in ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023 for the seventh consecutive year; placed No. 1 globally in the “Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services” category in the University Ranking by Academic Performance in 2022/2023 for six years in a row; rated No. 1 in the world in the “Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism” subject area by the CWUR Rankings by Subject 2017; and ranked No. 2 in the world among university based programmes in the “Hospitality and Leisure Management” subject area in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 for the seventh consecutive year, the SHTM is a symbol of excellence in the field, exemplifying its motto of Leading Hospitality and Tourism.
The School is driven by the need to serve its industry and academic communities through the advancement of education and dissemination of knowledge. With a strong international team of 90 faculty members from 20 countries and regions around the world, the SHTM offers programmes at levels ranging from undergraduate to doctoral degrees. Through Hotel ICON, the School’s groundbreaking teaching and research hotel and a vital aspect of its paradigm-shifting approach to hospitality and tourism education, the SHTM is advancing teaching, learning and research, and inspiring a new generation of passionate, pioneering professionals to take their positions as leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

The Bintan Triathlon 2023 Returns After Three Year Absence

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The Bintan Triathlon 2023 Returns After Three Year Absence - TRAVELINDEXBintan, Indonesia, October 26, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / Over the past weekend, Bintan Resorts, in collaboration with TriFactor Asia, organised and flagged off the highly-anticipated return of the BINTAN TRIATHLON BY TRIFACTOR in 2023 after a three-year absence. Set against the scenic backdrop of Lagoi Bay, Bintan, this renowned event took place on 21 October 2023, marking its return to the world triathlon series. Athletes from around the globe gathered to compete in a test of endurance, encompassing swimming, cycling, and running. Adding to the weekend’s events, a Gran Fondo competition for cycling enthusiasts was introduced on 22 October 2023. The total field of triathlon and other races’ participants were more than 500, surpassing the target for this return event.

This year’s adult races saw the participation of athletes and sports enthusiasts between the ages of 16 to 71, and coming from more than 35 countries, including Indonesia and Singapore.

The Bintan Triathlon by TriFactor 2023 is a momentous revival of a sporting event that captivated enthusiasts in the past. The previous edition was held in 2019 and discontinued due to the unprecedented challenges brought about by the global pandemic from 2020 to 2022.

This event is supported and partnered by Wonderful Indonesia – Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Wonderful Riau Island: Kepri Tourism Province and Bintan District Tourism Official.

The Guests of Honour presiding over the event are Pak Albert Wijaya, Indonesia Triathlon Federation – Riau Island Province, and Pak Max Federico Carlen, Indonesia Triathlon Federation – Riau Island Province.

Joining forces as esteemed Bintan Triathlon by TriFactor Ambassadors are well-known figures within the triathlon circuit including athletes Arthur Tong (Singapore); Elaine Young (Singapore); Choo Ling Er (Singapore); Andy Wibowo (Indonesia); Leanne Szeto (HongKong); Faith Garcia Miss Aura (Philippine); Kelly Tandiono (Indonesia) and Michelle Surjaputra (Indonesia).

Results Bintan Triathlon, 21st October 2023, as follows:

Category Age Group Gender 1st 2nd 3rd
Enduro 18 – 39 Male Alex Thio Kyle Fram Dex Cheong
Enduro 40 – 49 Male Andy Wibowo Assad Attamimi Mike Slaton
Enduro 50 – 59 Male Stephen Dow Mark Lampard Takayuki Watenta
Enduro 60 & Above Male Tanaka Hiroyuki – –
Enduro 18 – 39 Female Leanne Szeto Elaine Young Man Yun Yong
Enduro 40 & Above Female Mei Yin Lee Jaime Lim Marliny Abdul Samad
Olympic 18 – 29 Male Justin Kwik Gabriel Ong Wei Jie Ang
Olympic 30 – 39 Male Jerko Grom Andi Rahmat Adam Cotter
Olympic 40 – 49 Male Russell Van de water Larent Nicolas Christian Cavazzuti
Olympic 50 – 59 Male Chuk Chuen Robbie Chana Mark Ritchie
Olympic 60 & Above Male Inghie Kwik Joen Yen Lee Ebbie Baghaie
Olympic 18 – 39 Female Dea Salsabila Katie Gill Bianca Dharmasena
Olympic 40 & Above Female Catherine Epinat Wan Li Ho Mae Ong Gmira
Olympic Relay Team Relay All Team Croissant Lovers Team wtf – wheres the finish Team Lagoi

sport group B
Sprint Elite Male Yi JunTey Albert Wijaya Max Charlen Federico
Sprint 16 – 34 Male Rik Beugel Noah Schaffer Jaden Lim
Sprint 35 – 49 Male Alexander Beazley Untung Suropati Senen Iain Craig Anderson
Sprint 50 & Above Male Marnix Beugel Simone Morandi Lim lucky Limanjaya
Sprint Elite Female Wan Ting Lim Regine Xuan Xuan Goh –
Sprint 16 – 39 Female Renee Rommeswinkel Julia Riegel Kelly Tandiono
Sprint 40 & Above Female Shoko Suzuki Marlene Widjanarko Marchella Pesce

Results Gran Fondo Ride, Sunday, 22nd October 2023, as follows:

Experience 120k Open Age Group (Male) :
Experience 120k 18 – 39 Male Almy Hanggara Kyle Fram Christopher Keightley
Experience 120k 40 – 49 Male Metodio Mike Slaton Carlo Benazzi
Experience 120k 50 & Above Male Carl Wegner Vikram Khanna Michael Fernandes
Open Age Group (Female) :
Experience 120k 18 – 39 Female Ling Er Choo Sho Lekah Michelle Surjaputra
Experience 120k 40 & above Female Anna fritz Shoko Suzuki –
Explore 60K 18 – 39 Male Hans Morico Chandra Arthur Tong
Explore 60K 40 & Above Male Jeff Vlahovich Benny Eryanto Mohamed Amran
Explore 60K Open Female Elaine Young Mei Yin Lee Janise Quek

TriFactor, a brand by Orange Room, is Singapore’s foremost triathlon and

endurance sports brand in Singapore, and official partner with Bintan Resorts for the Bintan Triathlon by TriFactor 2023. Since its establishment in 2009, TriFactor has expanded its TriFactor Series across various Asian countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and China, providing a platform for all participants to forge connections and foster camaraderie as fellow triathletes from diverse backgrounds, uniting sporting communities.

“We are very excited to welcome the Bintan Triathlon after a long absence from the sporting scene,” said Mr Abdul Wahab, Chief Operating Officer, PT Bintan Resort Cakrawala (Bintan Resorts). “With the support we received, we were committed to holding an excellent event that was enjoyed by many, including a wide range of triathletes from all over the world. He continued: “We would like to express our gratitude to the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, the Ministry Tourism & Creative Economy, Tourism Office of Bintan Regency and Riau Islands Province, Governor Riau Islands Province, Regent of Bintan, Head of the Bintan Regency Tourism Office, Federation Triathlon Indonesia, Bintan Resorts Council, and media partners for their support. With their help, we look forward to bringing more of such events and we are committed to growing sports tourism in Bintan Resorts, so look out for more sporting events to come in 2024.”

Mr Elvin Ting, Managing Director and Founder of Orange Room, said: “TriFactor is delighted to have partnered with Bintan Resorts to organise the Bintan Triathlon by TriFactor Festival in 2023. Our close collaboration aims to revive sports tourism in the breathtaking setting of Bintan, for now and into the future. The island’s extensive coastline, well-maintained roads, and exceptional infrastructure create an ideal training ground for athletes, ensuring their safety, enjoyment, and inspiration, offering our community the perfect location to train and compete at the highest level. It has been a successful weekend and we hope to see even more participants in future events.”

For more information about the Bintan Triathlon by TriFactor 2023 and detailed maps, and race routes please visit www.trifactor.asia/Bintan_Triathlon

About Bintan Resorts
Bintan Resorts is a multi-award winning, integrated beach resort destination that is host to 19 independent beach resorts, four designer golf courses, as well as an ever-expanding range of recreational facilities and attractions. It covers the entire northern coast of Bintan Island and is located just 60 minutes away via a catamaran ferry ride from Singapore, easily accessible for those looking for the perfect tropical beach getaway.

About TriFactor
TriFactor is dedicated to promoting accessible and inclusive good health through sports. Our comprehensive approach empowers members to achieve their fitness goals and aspirations to their fullest potential. By leveraging the latest advancements in sports science and technology, we help individuals overcome their self-imposed limitations and unlock their true physical and mental capabilities. Our focus on self-actualization promotes greater self-confidence and empowerment, leading to positive impacts on all areas of life. We support individuals at every stage of their fitness journey with a variety of themed destination races around the world, promoting sustainability, family bonding, and camaraderie. Our events are designed to be family-friendly, with activities and events for children and families, and we partner with local charities and organizations to give back to the community. We take steps to minimize our environmental impact, incorporate the latest sports science research and techniques, and use data-backed technology to track and analyse performance. At TriFactor, we believe that good health is not an event, but a lifestyle.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Global Education Forum Puts Spotlight on Future of Tourism

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Global Education Forum Puts Spotlight on Future of Tourism - UNWTO - TRAVELINDEXSamarkand, Uzbekistan, October 26, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The UNWTO General Assembly looked to the future with a focus on tourism education and training. The Global Education Forum brought together Ministers, employers, educators and learners to address the biggest challenges and opportunities for advancing training across every part of the sector.

A priority for global tourism

According to data analysed by UNWTO, the majority of the global tourism workforce are young people, many of them without further training or qualifications. At the same time, existing tourism education centres and programmes prioritise hospitality, with UNWTO aiming to fill the gaps and deliver courses and other trainings to allow students to gain knowledge of every part of the diverse sector. Opening the Forum, UNWTO Executive Director Natalia Bayona made clear the opportunities and challenges: Tourism is the top employer of youth: over 50% of its workers aged 25 years old or less1 , while around 882,000 tourism jobs2 per year will require vocational training by 2030.

Ministers of Tourism from Andorra, Bahrain, Guatemala, the Philippines and Zambia brought their expert insights to a high-level Debate on Policies to Foster Innovation & Education for Current and Future Generations. Challenges highlighted included the high turnover of tourism staff in comparison to other economic sectors and the lack of tourism as a subject in schools in most education systems. The discussion explored opportunities for shaping new policies, effective instruments, and global partnerships to support inclusive and sustainable tourism development while addressing the skill gap and creating value-added jobs.

UNWTO presents the Education Toolkit for the incorporation of tourism as a subject in high schools

Within the Education Forum, UNWTO presented the Education Toolkit, a guide of recommendations for helping all actors involved on education in the introduction of tourism as a subject of the secondary school curricula with the ultimate goal of attracting and cultivating the right talent for the tourism sector.

The UNWTO Education Toolkit offers an overview of the current status of high schools and vocational education training worldwide, it also gives recommendations derived from the contributions of UNWTO member states, non-member states and academic partners and it also presents successful case studies of integrating tourism education and training in public and private schools. In addition, it includes a comprehensive overview of the benefits, with specialized curricula provided by UNWTO’s academic partners: the Cambridge Assessment International Education, American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO).

Also at the Forum, participants were given an overview of the recently inaugurated Tourism Academy in Samarkand in collaboration with UNWTO, a key outcome of the country’s strong partnership with UNWTO.

UNWTO – HSLU Bachelor of Science in International Sustainable Tourism

During Bayona’s keynote speech, she also presented the flexible three-year BSc in International Sustainable Tourism that UNWTO and the Swiss public university of Lucerne for Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) have developed to empower the future-oriented transformation of the entire tourism sector. This unique initiative will be the first time that UNWTO has been actively involved in an undergraduate programme, with modules that include a variety of UN-related topics, such as UN Diplomacy & Tourism and Global UNWTO Missions & Initiatives, and deliberately embeds the UN’s values and global goals throughout the courses. The first cohort of the programme will commence in fall 2024 with a first year in Madrid, followed by a remote year and a third last year in Switzerland.

Ulysses Prize for Tourism Education

In a fitting culmination to the Global Education Forum, Dr. Bao Jigang was honoured with the prestigious Ulysses Prize, a testament to his remarkable contributions to the field of tourism. Awarded as the 16th laureate of this esteemed accolade bestowed by UNWTO for outstanding achievements in the creation and dissemination of knowledge within the realm of tourism, Dr. Bao’s illustrious career stands as a shining example of his invaluable impact. Throughout his distinguished academic journey, he has played a pivotal role in catalysing the growth of domestic tourism, in his homely of the People´s Republic of China, elevating its scale and significance as a premier global tourism destination.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Red Sea Global Unveils New Luxury Private Island Destination

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Red Sea Global Unveils New Luxury Private Island Destination - TRAVELINDEX - TOP25ISLANDS.comRiyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 26, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / Red Sea Global (RSG), the multi-project developer behind the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism destinations, The Red Sea and Amaala, has revealed Thuwal Private Retreat, an exclusive, buy-out only island destination set to welcome guests next year.

– Buy-out only island resort offers travelers accessible luxury and hyper-personalized private experiences from early 2024
– Destination is the second new project to be revealed in the Group’s expanding portfolio this month, and the first owned and operated exclusively by Red Sea Global

Located on a pristine 1.7-hectare sandy islet in a spectacular coral archipelago on the Red Sea coast, the intimate destination offers stunning natural beauty complemented by discreet architecture, offering ultimate luxury in complete privacy.

The island resort boasts a spacious main three-bedroom villa, three one-bedroom suites, a beach club, gym and wellness center. The curated travel experience begins as soon as guests arrive, entering via a private jetty to be greeted by the guest experience team at a stunning welcome center.

“Thuwal Private Retreat has been created to allow guests the chance to disconnect from the stresses of daily life, and instead reconnect with their closest companions. Our belief is that the sublime Red Sea coast combined with tailored luxury experiences will deliver a peerless escape for the most discerning travelers,” said John Pagano, Group CEO of Red Sea Global.

The creation of Thuwal Private Retreat represents a new phase for Red Sea Global, with the destination sitting separately to The Red Sea and Amaala, and as a wholly RSG-owned brand. There are no third-party hospitality or hotel operators involved for the first time in RSG’s development history.

“This is a milestone for us personally. It is the latest project we can reveal since we announced our expanded portfolio of projects last year and it is significantly advanced in terms of delivery. It is also the first time we are creating a destination owned and operated end-to-end by the expert team here at Red Sea Global, from development and planning to accommodation and guest services,” added Mr. Pagano.

In line with RSG’s broader vision and commitment to both people and planet, Thuwal combines absolute luxury with conscious sustainability. The resort’s executive chef will prepare gourmet meals using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, working with food producers in the area wherever possible, as well as partnering with local artisans and restaurants to offer one-of-a-kind experiences.

The developer is also hiring from the local community and is actively searching for ambitious Saudis who are looking to enter the luxury and private concierge hospitality industry. From butler services and haute cuisine connoisseurs to technical specialists, the company is now actively recruiting for individuals to work alongside world-leading experts on a fast track to become tomorrow’s leaders.

Thuwal Private Retreat meets the rising demand for ultra-private and hyper-customized experiences. According to Black Tomato, it has seen a 61 percent increase in enquiries for exclusive-use properties from luxury travelers. Guests at Thuwal Private Retreat can expect an island sanctuary that reconnects them with nature and their loved ones, with guest relation teams anticipating every need before it arises. With thriving coral reefs nearby, guests have the opportunity to snorkel amongst stunning marine wildlife, or visit the nearby village of Thuwal or the city of Jeddah to experience the very best of Saudi culture and hospitality.

Earlier this month RSG revealed it has been entrusted with refurbishment works at Al Wajh Airport (EJH). The development is focused on modernizing the airport to bring it in line with international standards. As well as upgrading the existing terminal and infrastructure, RSG is building a new international terminal. This will see EJH ready to offer more direct flights leading to greater connectivity and job opportunities for local people.

About Red Sea Global
Red Sea Global is a closed joint-stock company wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia. RSG is a global multi-project developer, seeking to lead the world towards a more sustainable future, showing how responsible and regenerative development can uplift communities, drive economies, and enhance the environment. The protection of natural capital is central to all development decisions, as the organization seeks to create a better future for all.

A cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 ambition to diversify its economy, RSG is playing a key role in transforming the nation, by creating exciting opportunities for young Saudi talent and the private sector, as it develops built assets and destinations across multiple sectors that make a positive impact for people and planet.

RSG is the visionary company behind some of the world’s most ambitious development ventures, including luxury regenerative tourism destinations such as The Red Sea and Amaala. Across its portfolio, RSG leverages the most innovative concepts, strategies, and technologies to deliver projects.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

PATA International Arrivals Across Asia Pacific Grew Significantly in 2023

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PATA International Arrivals Across Asia Pacific Grew Significantly in 2023 - TRAVELINDEXBangkok, Thailand, October 26, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / After a series of annual contractions in international visitor arrivals (IVAs) in recent years, calendar year 2022 saw 44 destinations across the Asia Pacific region end with a collective annual gain of almost 124.2 million foreign arrivals, to return a collective inbound count of nearly 265.5 million, according to a report released today by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). The ‘Annual Tourism Monitor 2023’ report, released today, shows that IVA numbers in 2022 were the strongest since 2019 and, as such, herald the much-awaited resurgence of the international travel and tourism sector for the Asia Pacific.

There were wide differences at the three Asia Pacific destination region levels. The Pacific had the strongest growth rate in 2022 year-over-year, whereas Asia received both the largest number of arrivals and the greatest annual increase in absolute numbers from 2021.

Even so, the number of IVAs into and across Asia in 2022 reached only 27% of 2019 levels. The Americas had the strongest recovery in that regard, with 69%, followed by the Pacific, with over 57%.

These are generally very positive results, but even more heartening are those for the early periods of 2019 to 2023, where the strengthening of international arrival numbers which began in the first periods of 2022, continued in early 2023.

Every year-to-date figure is consistent for each of the 38 destinations with early period arrivals data and their respective months covered between 2019 and 2023. This data therefore gives a solid indication of how arrival numbers into and across Asia Pacific are trending over time.

The IVA growth that began in early 2022 has gained momentum in early 2023, with the addition of more than 93.3 million foreign arrivals, a volume increase of more than double compared to the previous period. This has boosted the recovery rate for early 2023 to more than 68% of the early 2019 IVA levels.

Although Asia may have been slower in returning to growth up until 2022, the early 2023 figures show a very powerful return to dominance in the Asia Pacific mix of arrivals. Asia had the strongest performance of the three destination regions against the metrics of IVAs year-to-date, period-to-period growth rate and period-to-period increase in absolute numbers of IVAs. Even the recovery rate for Asia, while still the lowest at 62.4%, is a 35 percentage point improvement over calendar year 2022 and is only six percentage points below the Asia Pacific average.

Of particular interest is the mix of source markets fuelling these recovery rates. Most source regions have achieved recovery rates above 80% in early 2023. The exception is Asia, which has improved its arrival numbers for the Asia Pacific to just a little over 52%.

That raises a critical issue because in 2019, Asia was the dominant supplier of international visitor arrivals to the Asia Pacific, accounting for nearly 63% of total arrivals in the region. Therefore, any decline in those source markets poses an obvious challenge for the Asia Pacific as a whole.

Although Asia’s recovery rate as a source region in early 2023 is relatively low, at just over 54%, it marks a dramatic improvement of almost 43 percentage points compared to early 2022. This demonstrates significant growth momentum, and the results for the full calendar year 2023 are eagerly awaited.

Among all the source markets in the Asia Pacific region, mainland China is understandably the most significant in terms of volume. In 2019, it accounted for almost 30% of the IVAs from Asia and 19% of the total aggregate visitor numbers to Asia Pacific destinations.

In early 2023, visitor numbers from mainland China saw a dramatic increase, surpassing 23 million. This marks the strongest early-period performance since early 2019. However, it still represents only 34% of the early 2019 level of arrivals. With the recent relaxation of restrictions and the reintroduction of group travel, a significant improvement can be expected by the end of calendar year 2023.

PATA Chairman Peter Semone, noted that “the overall growth in international visitor arrivals within the Asia Pacific is primarily fueled by Asia, serving as both a source and destination region, with mainland China playing a dominant role in visitor flows.”

Mr. Semone added, “Visitor growth from China has been relatively subdued until now. However, with the relaxation of most pandemic-imposed restrictions, we can now expect rapid change. Experience shows us that when change occurs in China, it is both rapid and impactful. The question, however, is whether the destinations in Asia Pacific are prepared, as change involves not only an increase in visitor numbers but also evolving expectations and demands from these visitors.”

Peter concluded that , “PATA forecasts of visitor demand indicate that, under the medium scenario, international visitor numbers by the end of 2023 are predicted to exceed 516 million, approaching 76% of the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. This is expected to further increase to 107% in 2024 and 116% in 2025. The wave is coming, and we must prepare ourselves to ensure that we have a better, stronger and more resilient tourism and travel industry.”

About PATA
Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for-profit membership association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its member organisations, which includes government, state and city tourism bodies; international airlines and airports; hospitality organisations, and educational institutions, as well as thousands of young tourism professional (YTP) members across the world. The PATA network also embraces the grassroots activism of the PATA Chapters and Student Chapters, who organise numerous travel industry training programmes and business development events across the world. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 32 local PATA Chapters worldwide, while hundreds of students are members of the 28 PATA Student Chapters globally. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has an official office in Beijing. Visit www.PATA.org.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

LTI Announces the World’s Best Luxury Hotel Brands 2023

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LTI Announces the World’s Best Luxury Hotel Brands 2023 - TRAVELINDEX - TOP25HOTELS.comLondon, United Kingdom, October 25, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / This is not just another World’s Best list. LTI – Luxury Travel Intelligence – has used the past 12 months to apply the perfect assessment process: a rigorously defined algorithm that measures the performance and values of luxury hotel brands.

This year, our algorithm has 130 touch points relevant to the luxury hotel sector. Each has its own weighted score value with a total maximum accumulative score of 4663.

The touch points relate to overall brand performance, not the performance of individual properties. The focus is on a brand’s ability to deliver: its passion, commitment, ethos and values, as well as the quality of its management and staff.

Continuing investment and how it is utilised is also a major factor – particularly regarding new properties and the refurbishment of existing ones.

Here are this year’s results, reflected as percentages, with last year’s positions in brackets:

1. Mandarin Oriental 81.4% (2)

2. Oetker Collection 81.3% (6)

3. Auberge 79.6% (4)

4. Six Senses 79.0% (1)

5. Aman 78.8% (5)

6. Belmond 76.3% (8)

7. Four Seasons 76.1% (9)

8. One&Only 75.1% (7)

9. Rocco Forte 73.8% (11)

10. Rosewood 72.1% (3)

11. Peninsula 69.8% (New Entry)

12. Raffles 68.5% (New Entry)

• Other brands that rated sufficiently to be monitored throughout the year are (in alphabetical order): 1 Hotels, Alila, Anantara, Banyan Tree, COMO, Dorchester Collection, Firmdale, Jumeirah, Leela, Oberoi, Park Hyatt, Ritz Carlton, Shangri-La, Soho House, Red Carnation, St. Regis, Taj, The Luxury Collection, Viceroy.

• Brands that currently have less than ten properties (our minimum requirement) but rate highly when applying our algorithm are (in alphabetical order): Airelles, Althoff Collection, Bulgari, Capella, Cheval Blanc, JK Place, La Reserve, Maybourne, Montage, Nikki Beach, Pendry, Soneva, Ultima Collection, Virgin Limited Edition.

About The World’s Best Luxury Brands Report
No other organisation connects with the global luxury hotel industry as LTI does. Our researchers engage with everyone from CEOs of the brands we have rated to thousands of managers, staff and guests. This is all part of the process for creating destination-led reports for our members who are affluent, discerning travellers, but it also allows us to create this unique report. Every year the process starts again so the results from previous years have no bearing on the following year. This inevitably leads to volatility in each year’s results, however, this is a dynamic sector, and we want to reflect what is really happening out there.

Mandarin Oriental: World’s Best Luxury Hotel Brand
Mandarin Oriental has always performed well in our annual report. This year, they have improved further across all our touch points, placing them at No1. It is an engaging brand with a loyal and growing following, who appreciate its commitment to excellence. The much-anticipated opening of their London Mayfair property could be a pivotal moment for them.

New Entries
Two Asian luxury hospitality giants have made it on to our top 12 this year. Both Peninsula and Raffles are really demonstrating their commitment to delivering the best in global luxury hospitality. Both brands have always certainly been in the mix but now, via the intricacies of our algorithm, they are really proving their value.

Michael Crompton, Founder of LTI, comments:
‘This year’s results, showing just 0.1% difference between the top two brands, demonstrates how close the race to perfection is within global luxury hospitality. These brands continue to invest significant money and resources into ensuring they deliver the ultimate experience for their guests. Matching the sectors continuing explosive growth with the highest calibre of management and staff is proving to be a significant challenge; we think this will be a determining factor in the results on our leader board, going forward’

About LTI – Luxury Travel Intelligence
We are a global members-only organisation, providing digital, up-to-the-minute reporting for affluent travellers who wish to make informed travel decisions, based on our honest and detailed intelligence. We cover luxury hotels, restaurants, spas and nightlife, in granular detail. We do not sell travel, have a booking engine, or carry advertising. Membership fees are our only revenue and we only answer to our members.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Morocco Aims to Attract 14 million Tourists by Year-End Despite Earthquake Scare

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Morocco Aims to Attract 14 million Tourists by Year-End Despite Earthquake Scare - TRAVELINDEXSamarkand, Uzbekistan, October 25, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / Despite an earthquake that shook Morocco last September, the country’s Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Social and Solidarity Economy, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, remains optimistic about the nation’s tourism prospects, setting a target of 14 million tourists by the end of 2023.

In an exclusive interview with VoyagesAfriq, conducted on the sidelines of the 25th UNWTO General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Fatim-Zahra Ammor highlighted the remarkable resilience of Morocco’s tourism industry.

Amid initial uncertainty following the earthquake, September unexpectedly emerged as a record-breaking month for Moroccan tourism. This success was attributed in part to the country’s effective crisis communication efforts and the solidarity shown by tourists.

Minister Ammor recalled the initial concerns: “When the earthquake arrived in early September, we were worried about what was going on and how we would end the year in Morocco. We were especially concerned as we were on track for very good numbers. But we showed strong resilience because we began communicating with international partners promptly to reassure them about the real situation in Morocco.”

She maintained that this was crucial because “the earthquake was not in Marrakech, as it was said in the beginning but rather 70 kilometres away. Therefore, for the tourists, the destination remained safe. Even tourists present at the time in Morocco shared their experiences on social media, providing testimonials about the actual situation.”

Minister Ammor expressed confidence in Morocco’s ability to achieve its ambitious tourism target, stating, “we did quite well. We had the best September ever and are planning to reach 14 million tourists by the end of the year, which is an all-time record.”

First published on VoyagesAfriq by Kojo Bentum Williams

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News