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Didier Drogba Connects Sport and Tourism in Youth Summit Masterclass

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Didier Drogba Connects Sport and Tourism in Youth Summit Masterclass - TRAVELINDEXSorrento, Italy, July 3, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / UNWTO Ambassador of Responsible Tourism and footballing legend Didier Drogba helped bring the first Global Youth Tourism Summit to an inspiring close with a special masterclass for more than 120 young delegates.

The masterclass was the culmination of three days’ worth of intense and interactive discussions where leading figures from across the fields of gastronomy, sport, and business, shared their visions for sustainable tourism and personal testimonies leading up to their own success.

Addressing young delegates from 57 countries, the Ivorian made clear the links between tourism and sports, both sectors with the power to bring hope and opportunity for all, including across Africa. Mr Drogba engaged in an honest and open dialogue covering many topics ranging from his personal journey to fame, the importance of giving back through his own philanthropic Foundation, and the vital role of tourism as a driver of mutual respect, sustainability, and for bringing together sports fans from all over the world.

Like UNWTO, Drogba is empowering global youth and so helping to build a more sustainable and resilient future for us all

“In my career, I was lucky enough to travel widely: from Lagos, to Shanghai, London, and Sarajevo, just to mention a few, and meeting people from different traditions was one of the things that brought me the most joy,” he said.

Working towards a common goal

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili added: “As a UNWTO Ambassador, Didier Drogba brings the drive and energy he showed on the football pitch to promoting the power of tourism for growth and development. Like UNWTO, Drogba is empowering global youth and so helping to build a more sustainable and resilient future for us all.”

The inaugural Global Youth Tourism Summit was organized by UNWTO in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism of Italy and the Italian National Tourism Agency (ENIT). It was open to young people aged 12 to 18, giving them a unique platform to engage with tourism leaders from the public and private sectors and to develop the skills and knowledge they will need to become leaders themselves.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Culinary Experiences Across Asia

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Alma Resort Pays Tribute to Vietnam’s Sidewalk Culture

In homage to the Vietnamese pastime of sipping-brews-on-pavement, Alma has launched Cam Ranh’s most happening venue, Chill’s Snack & Bar. Open 5pm-10pm daily, the street-style venue is anchored by two American-style food trucks near the resort’s vast amphitheater. The menu features popular street beverages such as Vietnamese coffee, fresh fruit juice, milk tea including bubble milk tea and iced tea. Signature coffees are coconut coffee and coffee with fresh milk and tapioca pearls. Chill’s serves cocktails such as ‘Amphitheater Sunset’ with tequila, orange, grenadine, crème de cassis and lime. The likes of seafood pizza, fruit, shrimp salad, meat sandwiches, cheese sticks and lemongrass chicken feet are written up on the menu board daily. Entertainment includes nightly movies screened under the stars, live music, fire twirlers and flairtenders.

Meliá Chiang Mai Offers Array of Exciting Dining Offerings

A Sunday brunch with fresh seafood on ice, buffet dinner replete with a paella cooking station, and mojito menu with a Spanish and Thai spin are among Meliá Chiang Mai’s new dining offerings from 1 July to 30 September. Staged on the first and last Sunday of the month, ‘Brunch del Domingo’ features Spanish, Mediterranean and Thai offerings including charcuterie, chilled prawns, Mediterranean salads and a live cooking station. Highlights of “¡Es viernes!” international dinner buffet, held on the first and last Friday night of the month, include tapas and pinchos, and live cooking of gambas al ajillo and grilled river prawns. The mojito menu adds wild berries, passionfruit, pineapple, watermelon and lemongrass to the cocktail’s traditional ingredients.

Azerai Resorts

Azerai has launched a new experiences menu with a strong culinary focus to help immerse guests in the local culture at the brand’s three resorts in Vietnam: Azerai La Residence, Hue in the former imperial capital, Azerai Can Tho in the Mekong Delta, and the beachfront Azerai Ke Ga Bay. At Azerai La Residence, Hue, the resort’s new Perfume River boat offers a “Private Dinner Cruise” featuring fine Vietnamese and Western cuisine. At Azerai Can Tho, “Romance Under the Banyan Tree” features a lantern-lit, five-course meal for two. And at Azerai Ke Ga Bay, the “Monastery and Iconic Fruit of Binh Thuan” includes stops at an exotic dragon fruit farm, Ta Cu Mountain, and local salt fields.

An Omakase Dining Experience at Tanah Gajah, a Resort By Hadiprana in Bali

With any meal the conversation can be just as important as the culinary offering – especially when Chef Dean’s involved. The seasoned Singaporean chef, who has been guiding Tanah Gajah’s culinary direction for over a decade, infuses his personality into all his delectable dishes. With his Omakase Dining Experience at The Tempayan, guests get to see more of the chef than just the magic he creates on each plate. Omakase, which translates as a meal of dishes selected by the chef, ensures that the five-course menu he offers uses only the freshest seasonal ingredients, while also giving guests the opportunity to learn about local produce and dishes. The experience also includes a guided tour of Chef Dean’s passion project, the resort’s expansive organic garden. The cost is IDR 750,000 ++ per person.

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Le Beaulieu, the award-winning modern French fine dining restaurant at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, and its refined al fresco extension La Terrasse have celebrated their reopening following an extensive seven-month refurbishment. With an elegant and sophisticated new design, alongside renowned French gastronomy and a wide selection of wines, the signature restaurant at Metropole Hanoi ties together the hotel’s 120-year-old storied past with a contemporary new look that manages to meld the opulent, the classical and the modern in a single scheme that’s long on white, gold and heathery blue-grays. Operating in its current space since 1901, Le Beaulieu is believed to be the oldest continually operating restaurant in Vietnam. And now, after this renovation, the newest.

Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh unveils its latest menus

Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital’s newest international branded hotel, is leading the charge as the city’s culinary scene picks up pace following the pandemic. Opened in 2021, the property has gained an exalted reputation for dining through its range of exciting outlets. Two of these — all-day-dining outlet The Market Cafe Restaurant and Lounge and signature venue FiveFive Rooftop — have recently unveiled new menus. FiveFive focuses on fresh, sustainable seafood and local produce. Highlights of its new menu include a delectable set dinner featuring dishes like Kampot crab on toast and seared Hokkaido scallops. The Market Cafe Restaurant and Lounge, meanwhile, is reupping courtesy of items such as sustainably sourced Dover sole with brown butter and capers and a selection of plant-based dishes.

Banyan Tree Samui Welcomes Aficionados of Thai Cuisine

Banyan Tree’s signature restaurant, Saffron, has initiated a Thai Tasting Menu, ideal for those on the island who wish to introduce friends and family to Thai classic cuisine in a luxurious ambience. Overlooking the sapphire sea from an exquisite venue above the resort, Saffron’s newest menu features an array of favorites: from appetizers of por pai pho (crabmeat spring rolls in a mango salad) and mieng som-o (pomelo, cashews, coconut & ginger wrapped in betel leaves and topped with a tamarind sauce) to entreés of grilled salmon in galangal and lemongrass or a sizzling plate of roasted peppered pork spare ribs. Dessert is the ever-popular dish of mango in sticky rice and coconut. Price is 1,800 THB nett per person. Open daily 6pm – 11pm. For reservations, call +66 077 915 333

A New Chef and New Menu at SOL By Meliá Phu Quoc in Vietnam

SOL By Meliã Phu Quoc is embracing new beginnings with Spanish chef, Sergio Nieto Garces, joining as executive chef. Garces will bring more Spanish flair to the oceanfront resort elevating OLA Beach Club to the pinnacle of Spanish gastronomy on the island. In July OLA Beach Club will launch a new menu, inspired by Garces’ own fascinating culinary journey. The talented chef trained under some of Spain’s foremost culinary experts, including Martin Berasategui, who holds 12 Michelin stars – the most of any Spanish chef. In Madrid, he worked as executive chef of Jose Luis group, opening branches in Marrakech and Tokyo. At SOL’s OLA Beach Club Garces will serve up contemporary Spanish cuisine. Highlights from the new menu include Andalusian style marinated chicken paella and creative vegan fare like almond soup with smoked beetroot tartare.

Palace Hotel Tokyo Blooms for Tenth Anniversary

To celebrate Palace Hotel Tokyo’s tenth anniversary this year the Forbes Five Star property is going back to its roots. For the summer the hotel’s popular bars will be serving up “Blooming,” a new cocktail inspired by its original Triple One (1-1-1) cocktail, which first debuted in the hotel’s opening year. The new blend mixes Palace Hotel Tokyo’s signature 1-1-1 sake by Hakkaisan, Yuzu liqueur, Lillet Blanc, and Sakura liqueur to deliver a clear, sharp taste with a flowery Japanese aroma. The limited-time cocktail will be on offer at Palace Hotel Tokyo’s Royal Bar, an old world-style cigar bar with the most comprehensive Japanese whiskey selection in the city, and the chic Lounge Bar Prive, where guests can take in views of the Imperial Palace gardens by day and the surrounding city skyline by night.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Alma Unveils Romantic Experiences on Scenic Cam Ranh Peninsula

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Alma Unveils Romantic Experiences on Scenic Cam Ranh Peninsula - TRAVELINDEXCam Ranh, Vietnam, July 3, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / Alma doesn’t expect to be the same setting for any couple’s proposal, wedding and honeymoon. However its new romantic packages encourage such a prospect, with optional additions such as plane skywriting and a private cinema screening to boot.

The new experiences take full advantage of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts member’s 30-hectare beachfront setting overlooking the buttermilk sands of Long Beach on Cam Ranh peninsula, where sampans and coracles still ply these waters and picturesque islands loom just offshore.

“As the world learns to live with COVID things are definitely looking up; we are hosting more and more proposals and honeymoons at our resort, and there’s an increasing number of weddings on the books for this year,” said Alma’s managing director Herbert Laubichler-Pichler. “It’s safe to say we no longer take celebrating any important milestone with our loved ones for granted, particularly a destination wedding or honeymoon and thus let’s make such an occasion one to truly remember for a lifetime.”

Designed specifically for a proposal or honeymoon, the resort’s ‘Romantic Affair’ package is anchored by a night’s stay in a one-bedroom Ocean View Suite or Ocean View Pool Pavilion, with surprise set-up decorations in the accommodation, daily breakfast, a 60-minute body massage for two at Le Spa or the guests’ pavilion, and a private candle-lit dinner on the beach.

According to Laubichler-Pichler, the sky’s the limit when it comes to the Alma team’s ability to customize the Romantic Affair package. Additions range from a floating breakfast in a heart-shaped tray or a private gourmet barbecue by a private pavilion pool, to a buyout of Alma’s 70-seat cinema for a private romantic movie with a proposal message aired on the big screen during intermission. Taking a private boat to a secluded Nha Trang island for snorkeling followed by a picnic lunch accompanied with bubbles, or skywriting a proposal bid with a plane are also indulgent options on offer.

Priced from VND 49,900,000 (USD 2148), the resort’s new Wedding Ceremony package is underscored by a stunning ceremony on Alma’s beach lawn and includes a one-night stay in a one-bedroom Ocean View Suite or Ocean View Pool Pavilion, a spa treatment for two, and a private candle-lit dinner on Long Beach.

Whether it’s an intimate ceremony for two to a larger event that requires the set-up of 50 white Tiffany chairs, the package also includes the set-up of an arch and aisle festooned in seasonal flowers, twilights, a wedding cake, fresh bridal bouquet and boutonniere for the bride and groom, two Champagne bottles, a guitarist and violinist, a sound system, and, if required, an MC for a reception dinner. For additional amounts per guest, dinner menu options include canapes, Asian, Western or BBQ buffet. Various free-flow packages and entertainment options such as a live band are also on offer.

“One of our favorite aspects of events planning amid the new normal is utilizing various spaces to create a one-of-a-kind event experience,” said resort manager Vu Huong Giang. “For example, we’ve set up events whereby something in the ballroom is projected to other venues at our resort including our lawn setting and garden areas, that have great vistas of Long Beach.”

Suited to any excuse for a romantic occasion, the ‘Paradise of Love’ dinner comprises a set-up of a candle-lit table on the sands of Long Beach with a private chef and waiter. Featuring highlights from the nearby ocean, such as oysters, prawns and lobster, the intimate five-course meal comprises salad, soup, fresh oysters, rose sorbet to clean the palate, a main of either ‘surf and turf’ grilled beef steak and prawns or baked half lobster thermidor, and dessert. The dinner includes a bottle of red or white and is priced at 1,820,000 VND (USD 78.50) per person with the surf and turf main course or 2,015,000 VND (USD 87) with the baked half lobster thermidor.

For more information, or to speak with Alma’s wedding planners, visit alma-resort.com, call +84 258 399 1666

Alma’s ‘Romantic Affair’ package, Wedding Ceremony package, and Paradise of Love dinner start at 9,550,000 VND (USD 411) per couple, VND 49,900,000 (USD 2148) per couple, and 1,820,000 VND (USD 78.50) per person respectively.  

About Alma
Situated on Vietnam’s emerging Cam Ranh peninsula fronting Long Beach, Alma resort commands some 30 hectares of inspiring ground. Emblematic of Vietnam’s maturation as a destination, the bold and spacious integrated resort offers 580 oversized suites and pavilions that all afford sweeping vistas of the ocean, including contemporary three bedroom oceanfront pavilions each totalling 224sqm with a living room, four bathrooms and a private pool. Alma features a broad spectrum of restaurants helmed by top chefs, a food court with an array of local and international cuisine, as well as a sports bar, pool bar and beach bar. Other highlights include 12 swimming pools cascading down to the beach, a waterpark, 13-treatment room spa, 70-seat cinema, convention centre, amphitheater, art gallery, science museum, gymnasium and yoga room, 18-hole mini golf course, a youth centre with virtual reality games, a kid’s club, water sports centre and even an ‘Alma Mart’ mini supermarket.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Sustainability at Hotels Post-Covid

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Alma Resort Cam Ranh
Alma is implementing what it believes is Vietnam’s most ambitious hotel solar power project yet. Starting this year, the 580-room resort will install 5,634 solar panels totalling 12,500 square metres on the roofs of its 196 pavilions and two V-shaped towers. With a capacity of 2,480 kilowatts peak – the rate at which it generates energy at its peak performance on a sunny day – the solar power system will fuel between a quarter to almost half of Alma’s energy needs, depending on occupancy. The system will save the resort up to USD 16.85 million (VND 390.85 billion) in electricity bills and reduce Alma’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by up to 72,670 tonnes over the next 25 years.

Meliá Chiang Mai
Meliá Chiang Mai is embracing sustainability and promoting healthy eating with the launch of its ‘360° Cuisine’ concept. Developed by executive chef Suksant Chutinthratip, the ‘360° Cuisine’ dishes include produce from the hotel’s organic farm and a commitment to using every part of each ingredient possible before leftovers are returned to the farm as compost. “Our ‘farm to plate’ efforts, sourcing organic produce that travels only a short distance to our hotel and using every part of each ingredient we can – roots, leaves, stems, stalks and more – come full circle with ‘plate to farm’, whereby we return food waste back to the farm as fertilizer in a truly 360° concept,” the chef said. Under the program, the hotel’s kitchen works closely with local farmers to help them improve sustainability and encourage ethical production.

Fusion Resort Cam Ranh
Fusion Resort Cam Ranh, on Vietnam’s south central coast, has made huge eco-strides over the course of the pandemic. The property now cultivates one of the largest farms at a resort in Vietnam – with more than 250 animals, a mango orchard, and a herb & vegetable garden of more than 3,000 square meters producing over 40 kg of fresh organic vegetables daily. In 2020, the resort established the Fusion Farm school, which provides complimentary classes daily to guests and employees’ children. The subjects include how to care for animals and grow vegetables. All of the resort’s wet raw food waste is used to feed the animals, resulting in zero removal of waste from the property.

Alba Wellness Valley by Fusion
Alba Wellness Valley by Fusion embraces RRR (Reduce, Recycle, Reuse) at every level. At their on-site organic farm they use food waste to produce compost and feed animals. The produce grown on the farm supplies the resort’s restaurants and staff canteen and any extra produce is sold to the staff or local community at a reduced rate. Last year the Alba team planted 2,000 trees after a storm damaged the surrounding forest. The damaged wood from fallen trees was also reused to build bridges on the property and make repairs. Among several other important initiatives Alba runs education programs with local children where they learn the value of organic farming, plastic reduction and environmental awareness.

Azerai Can Tho
Set on a private islet in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta that’s only accessible by boat, Azerai Can Tho has long been committed to promoting sustainability. The resort—part of Adrian Zecha’s portfolio that also includes Azerai La Residence, Hue and Azerai Ke Ga Bay—features a solar power plant that generates up to 2,500 Kwh of electricity, covering much of the resort’s overall power needs. Azerai has also introduced solar-powered buggies, installed a high-tech, eco-friendly sewage treatment plant, eliminated the use of plastics (single-use plastics and others) and more. Staff at the resort regularly participate in river clean-up activities and they are also involved in efforts to preserve the local mangroves.

Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh
Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh is the first hotel in Cambodia to partner with ecoSPIRITS, a company that pioneers the world’s first low-carbon method of packaging and distribution for high-end spirits. The hotel’s signature bar, The Attic, serves up its popular cocktails in which all ingredients have zero wastage. ecoSPIRITS is a closed-loop distribution system which uses a low-waste, low-carbon spirits distribution technology, thereby minimising packaging waste and transport cost, to reduce carbon footprint emissions in the spirits supply chain. By partnering with ecoSPIRITS, Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh aims to reduce 40% of its transport and packaging carbon emissions, including single-use glass wastage.

Meliá Bali
This oceanfront resort, situated along some of Bali’s most idyllic coastline, is making sure visitors can enjoy the sea for years to come through a hands-on collaboration with local non-profit, Nusa Dua Reef Foundation. Through the joint project Meliá Bali staff have undergone training on how to establish and protect coral and have started to plant coral on a nearby reef, just ten minutes from the property. Guests can show support for the initiative by purchasing coral through the resort, which is then used by Meliá Bali on their reef project. Upon special request the resort is able to arrange coral plantation activities for 10 or more participants, who would like to plant the coral themselves and learn about local marine life.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

CURIOUS ABOUT CURAÇAO?: A deep dive into Sandals’ newest resort

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With typical Sandals style, the luxury all-inclusive resort chain introduced its newest property in Curaçao to the trade on a gala weekend in late June that, literally, included a carnival atmosphere – with singers, dancers, acrobats and synchronized swimmers, and a parade.

The event did not seem out of place for a project that was “10 years in the making,” according to Sandals Resorts International (SRI) executive chairman Adam Stewart, and which marked a number of firsts for the company, not least its first foray outside the English-speaking Caribbean.

And where better to do it than colourful Curaçao, an island in the Dutch Caribbean – the C in the ABC islands that includes Aruba and Bonaire – located about 65 km off the coast of Venezuela.

Celebrating island culture

Indeed, throughout the course of the weekend, guests at the inaugural (including Travel Industry Today), were blown away by the destination – most notably the capital, Willemstad, a charming city best described as “mini-Amsterdam meets Miami in the Caribbean” with Dutch architecture and impossibly vibrant colours, and bursting with street art, boutique shops, and outdoor bars and restaurants.

“Everywhere that Sandals goes is the best of the best, but the number of people that came up to me (at the opening) and said, ‘This island is amazing, the people are amazing… We just didn’t know!’ This is what gets us excited,” enthused Stewart, adding, “What you’re seeing here is about as damn good as it gets anywhere on the planet!”

With this mind, Sandals has introduced several programs designed to encourage guests to discover its new home, including a first-ever ‘Island Inclusive’ dining program, and complimentary MINI Cooper cars that can be signed out to allow guests to get out and about. Of course, excursions from Island Routes Caribbean Adventures can be booked, ranging from walking or e-bike tours to catamaran sailings at sunset or for the day to remote Klein (“Little”) Curaçao for snorkelling and the beach.

Here’s a deeper dive into Sandals’ 16th resort:

The resort

Located within the exclusive, 1,215-hectare Santa Barbara estate – 25 km (about an hour’s transfer) from the Curaçao International Airport – the resort’s west-facing position on the southernmost part of the island purposefully intertwines nature with the resort experience, while capturing one of the Caribbean’s most spectacular sunsets.

Sunset at Sandals

Guests, meanwhile, can go off resort to discover the Curaçao, which is known for its adventurous terrain, pristine beaches, limestone caves, spectacular diving sites, and vibrant capital, Willemstad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sandals firsts

Elevated infinity pool: Located at the heart of the property is the brand’s first ever bi-level Dos Awa Infinity Pool, with views overlooking the Spanish Water and the rugged mountain landscape beyond. Guests can relax on poolside loungers or swim up to the bar for signature Curaçao cocktails with a view.

New room categories: Lush garden and tranquil ocean views complement island chic design imbued with locally inspired influences in the resort’s 351 rooms and suites. From the Melemele Walkout Suites (‘affectionate’ in the local language Papiamento) to the Sunchi Beachfront Suites (meaning ‘kiss’), accommodations include entirely new room categories, such as the Kurason Island Poolside Butler Bungalows and Awa Seaside Butler Bungalows, capturing the height of luxury and overlooking private lagoons and the Curaçaon coast.

Villas

Luxury amenities and furnishings range from hardwood floors to vaulted ceilings, custom crafted king-size beds, fully stocked wet bars, smart TVs and more – with Sandals’ Signature Butler Elite service, airport transfers and 24/7 room service for select suites.

 

MINI Cooper: Further encouraging guests to see, taste, and feel Curaçao beyond the property, top-level suites include a complimentary convertible MINI Cooper to drive around the island, creating an immersive travel experience that simultaneously drives business to local establishments.

New dining concepts: On property, Sandals Royal Curaçao features 11 culinary concepts, including eight restaurants – seven of which are new to the brand and only available at this resort – along with three beachside gourmet food trucks and 13 bars. A sampling of all-new concepts include Aolos, home to an open-air Mediterranean dining experience; Vincent, an homage to the famous Dutch painter with a robust European fusion menu; and Toteki food truck serving up traditional Curaçao fare.

‘Island Inclusive’: Sandals Royal Curaçao offers the brand’s first-ever off-site dining program, Island Inclusive, which expands its all-inclusive dining options to eight partner restaurants around the destination. Valid on seven-night minimum stays, the program is available exclusively to guests who are booked in Butler suites, as well as Sandals Select Reward Members (Diamond, Pearl, Ambassadors Club levels), offering one US$250 voucher to dine out at one of the partner restaurants, with off-site roundtrip transportation included. The carefully curated restaurant selection varies from chic gastro-bars to international fusion restaurants to more classic establishments serving elegant cuisine paired with ocean views.

Food trucks offering local delicacies, and more, are a certifiable hit among guests

Training

As the resort gets off the ground, staff from across the Sandals roster of hotels have parachuted in – some for as much as a year – to train staff and ensure that Sandals standards are maintained.

Philanthropy

SRI’s philanthropic arm, the Sandals Foundation, joined forces with the Netherlands’ AFC Ajax team to launch Future Goals, a program that turns fishing nets sourced from the ocean and recycled plastic waste into soccer goals for children. The program is one of the many projects underway on the island of Curaçao for the Sandals Foundation, including beach cleanups that have helped rid the planet of over 400,000 kg. of trash to date, and the development of a digital hiking app in partnership with IVN Tiny Forest the Netherlands to help make the island’s natural resources more accessible to visitors and locals.

“Every time we come to Curaçao,” Adam Stewart continued, “we fall more and more in love with the destination, because of all these things coming together: this Dutch culture, this vibe of the Caribbean, South America is 40 miles away… And it all comes together in a way that makes this not a normal place – and an undiscovered place!”

RELATED STORY: ‘

 

First published at Travel Industry Today

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

NOT OUT OF THE WOODS: Adventure travel industry recovering

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While travellers are still showing concern over COVID the adventure travel industry is generally recovering, says the Adventure Travel & Trade Association in its annual 2022 report. And as such, the top trending destinations are places with higher vaccination rates, says the ATTA, while socially distanced itineraries and activities remain popular, including the No. 1 “hot” activity – cycling/e-biking.

For over 15 years, the ATTA has surveyed its growing database of tour operators and produced an annual ‘State of the Industry Snapshot,’ in which travel tour operators share information about their business operations as well as trends they are experiencing with respect to traveller demographics, destinations, and activities.

For the 2022 report, the survey asked operators about their business operations, 2021 sales, 2022 booking expectations, travel trends, and consumer motivations.

All regions served more guests on average in 2021 than 2020, but none returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, and overall respondents saw 66% fewer guests than in 2019. Nine percent of respondents had zero guests in 2021, down from 16% in 2020.

The report says it is also clear that sustainability is being treated as a priority for the adventure tourism industry. Last year’s Industry Snapshot report found that 40% of respondents were working toward a sustainability certification, and the number has increased to 45% this year. Maintaining community livelihoods has also increased in importance in the past year, showing a dedication to social and economic sustainability.

Some key findings include:

The Impact of COVID-19

• On average, trips were 52% full (up from 36% in 2020)
• The average number of travellers served by respondents was 1,355, a 142% increase from 560 in 2020
• Staffing in various departments has remained relatively stable over the past year
• 81% of respondents had some reduction in revenue compared to 2020, but it was much less extreme than the 2019-20 decrease. 30% had a 2021 gross annual revenue of less than US$50,000, down from 45% in 2020.

Popular Trip Itineraries, Destinations and Activities

• Respondents’ most popular itinerary is priced at $2,900 (for 8 nights), 70% of which ($2,030 on average) is spent with local suppliers
• The most popular consumer motivations for travelling were new experiences, to go off the beaten track, and to travel like a local
• The hottest trending destinations were the Mediterranean, Western Europe, the United States, Scandinavia, and the Caribbean

Marketing Trends

• Globally, approximately two-thirds (62%) of bookings are made directly with the service provider
• 62% of respondents have an online reservation system that takes credit cards, up from 50% in previous years

Future Outlook

• Globally, 82% of respondents expect their 2022 net profit to be equal to or better than 2021
• 73% of respondents are seeing an improvement in domestic travel demand for 2022
• 62% of respondents are seeing an improvement in international travel demand for 2022

“The need for, and power of responsible adventure travel is higher than ever,” said ATTA CEO Shannon Stowell of the report. “All of you in the industry have been asked to stretch and hang in there longer than would have even been imaginable in 2019… while COVID-19 bent us, we are not broken… Congratulations on finding the strength to continue!”

First published at Travel Industry Today

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

SUNWING LOVES CUBA: And it’s not a one sided affair

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After a two year pandemic enforced hiatus, Sunwing recently celebrated its first in-person event in the Toronto suburb of Vaughan. They dubbed it, “Sunwing Loves Cuba” and proved it with a big announcement. Sunwing Travel Group’s hotel management company will take over all 11 hotels on Cayo Largo, growing its portfolio in Cuba from 22 to 33 properties and making Blue Diamond Resorts the second largest hotel chain in Cuba with over 9,000 rooms in total.

Prior to the event Travel Industry Today had an opportunity to talk with Blue Diamond Resorts’ Managing Director, Cuba, Mohamad Fawzi, and Eric Rodriguez, Executive Vice President, Strategic Partnerships for Sunwing Travel Group.

Eric Rodriguez and Mohamad Fawzi

“Cuba is a very important destination for us and we’ve grown phenomenally over the years,” said Rodriguez. “This, in addition to the growth of Blue Diamond Resorts, has given us a privileged position with the (Cuban) government in allowing us to take over Cayo Largo managing all the hotels on the island.”

This is a first – something that has never previously happened in Cuba – a single company, Blue Diamond Resorts, managing all the hotels in a destination. Both Rodriguez and Fawzi stressed the importance of that, including the key fact that the Sunwing Travel Group, has obtained an exclusive import license allowing the company to control what’s coming into the destination thereby making it possible for Canadians, especially families, to enjoy some of the same basic staples they would get at home.

“We’re able to bring in the things that don’t necessarily increase costs, but that Canadians want. Like Heinz ketchup, or mustard, or maple syrup, or peanut butter. Just simple things.” Said Rodriguez, noting that even on holiday people like to have access to familiar items. When I questioned why Canadians were not trying local food, both men agreed that while some adults will occasionally try the local cuisine, families with kids aren’t as adaptable.

In fact, Rodriguez remembers visiting Cuba with his kids. “My son loved ketchup. He put ketchup on everything. And we would go to Costco, get the tub, and we’d put it in the luggage. And we’d bring that and Nutella. And then he was happy.”

More seriously, when it comes to Cuba, Sunwing has delivered, in terms of hotel management, as the tour company, and the Group as a whole. It was also one of the first companies to restart again when Cuba opened up after the pandemic.

Sunwing also has excellent relationships with government officials including the ex-Minister of Tourism, Manuel Marrero Cruz, who is now Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism Juan Carlos García.

Fawzi stresses that this is a unique time in Cuba. The country is very sensitized to tourism and they are open to finding solutions for various issues. The import license granted Sunwing being just one demonstration of that. Others include improving WiFi access and even easing the visa card process – looking to switch it from an actual card that tour operators must pre-purchase for passengers, to an easy to use App.

Cayo Largo

Cuba has always been an important destination for Sunwing, both as a hotel management operation and also as a tour company. It was one of the first companies to resume flights after the pandemic when Cuba opened up, says Rodriguez, and the management of all Cayo Largo hotels for a long term 10-year contract is a unique opportunity that Cuba has provided The Sunwing Travel Group.

As for the pandemic, Fawzi told us, it was hard of course like everywhere else and for a short time the country was closed. During that period many hotels naturally turned to local tourism to fill their rooms, though as the country opened up there’s less dependence on the domestic market.

Cuba has come through really well. Tourism in general is picking up, Europeans are coming back, as are visitors from Mexico, but Canadians are leading the return.

When in Toronto recently, Cuba’s Minister of Tourism Juan Carlos García confirmed the importance of Canadian tourism when he told the industry and media that Canada has returned to its place as the leading source market for tourism to Cuba. Changes in the US rules regarding travel to Cuba he said, caused US visitation to fluctuate wildly in recent years and has reminded Cuba who its friends are.

“We have always had a phase where they came, they took over and they left. It’s time to learn our lessons and remain faithful to the countries that have stayed with us, like Canada and Europe.”

Cayo Largo

First published at Travel Industry Today

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

ROUND-UP: June 27- July 4, 2022

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In the news last week: Air Canada announced capacity cuts; travel health measures are extended until September; Sandals officially celebrated the opening of its new Royal Curaçao resort, Crystal Cruises will be revived under new ownership; and Sunwing/Blue Diamond scores a Cuban first.

NEWS

The federal government will extend current COVID-19 public health measures for travellers entering Canada, including the use of the ArriveCan app. The measures now go until at least the end of September. The Public Health Agency of Canada also says it will continue the pause of mandatory random testing for fully vaccinated travellers at all airports until mid-July.

A&K Travel Group Ltd confirmed it has acquired luxury cruise vessels Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony in the Bahamas. The two ships will resume service in 2023 after undergoing extensive refurbishment. The ships will operate under the Crystal Cruises brand again, which was also acquired by A&K Travel Group Ltd.

Advocates and providers say Canada should be prepared for a potential rise in medical tourism as abortion becomes banned in some US states after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion.

BORDERS

The union representing customs officers says the Canada Border Services Agency is not moving fast enough to fill vacancies that have contributed to slowed airport traffic and ramped up passenger frustration over the past few months. The Customs and Immigration Union says the CBSA “has no plan to get travel back on track anytime soon,” with a major labour crunch contributing to customs bottlenecks and tarmac delays since April.

Countries in the European Union have approved extending the use of COVID-19 certificates by one year until the end of June 2023 as cases of the deadly virus start to grow again ahead of the summer holiday season.

China has announced an easing of its quarantine requirement for people arriving from abroad but stopped short of lifting what remains a stringent COVID-19 policy compared to most other countries. As COVID cases decline, visitors to China will now be required to stay in a quarantine hotel for seven days, followed by three days of home quarantine – down from 14 and seven days respectively.

AIR

Air Canada says it is cutting more than 15% of its scheduled flights in July and August – a move will see 154 flights per day on average dropped from the airline’s schedule, which is already operating at 80% of pre-pandemic levels. The flights link mainly to its Toronto and Montreal hubs and are all on domestic or Canada-US routes. The slimmed-down schedule is marked mainly by frequency reductions that affect evening and late-night flights on smaller planes. International flights remain unaffected except for some timing changes to reduce flying at peak times and even out passenger flow. WestJet says it had already made “proactive” cuts to its schedule in the spring.

Canada Jetlines has received Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) approval to the carrier’s subsidiary Canada Jetlines Vacations Ltd. as a travel retailer and travel wholesaler under the Travel Industry Act, 2022.

Lufthansa says it plans to put some of its Airbus A380 superjumbo jets back into service next year after mothballing the aircraft at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The airline says it is currently assessing how many A380s will be reactivated and where they will fly.

GOOD DEEDS

Hope Air, a national charity supporting families and children in need who must travel for vital medical care, and Porter Airlines have announced a new partnership that will see the latter provide free travel vouchers for Hope Air patients travelling from communities such as Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, and Thunder Bay, Ont., among others, to Billy Bishop airport to reach Toronto hospitals.

DEALS

The ‘Rock Your Summer Seat Sale’ from Air Transat is valid on new individual bookings of domestic flights made through July 7 with one-way seats starting at $79 from Toronto, with corresponding deals out of Montreal, Quebec, Calgary, and Vancouver. Travel must take place before Oct. 31.

Greek Island and eastern Med cruise line Celestyal Cruises is offering up to 44% off cruises select 2022 departures. The “Biggest Ever Sale” is available on bookings made through July 11, 2022 with prices starting from UJS$353 on the three-night “Iconic Aegean” itinerary (normally priced at $610, reflecting a savings of 42%).

TOURS

Quark Expeditions has introduced new hiking and trekking options for guests travelling on its new vessel, Ultramarine. Modern-day explorers will have the opportunity to walk alongside polar experts for an innovative and immersive experience. “Setting foot where few humans have ever walked is part of the magic of exploring the Arctic and Antarctic,” says Alex McNeil, Director of Expedition Experience and Innovation for QE, which has been offering hiking opportunities in the polar regions since 1991

RESORTS

With the official opening celebrations of its newest resort on Curaçao last weekend, Sandals took the opportunity to also unveil its new “Sandals Anniversary Collection” uniforms, curated by renowned US fashion designer Stan Herman, who has been commissioned by Sandals Resorts to reimagine Team Member attire across the brand portfolio (photo: wedding and events managers). Dubbed “haute fashion meets hospitality,” the uniforms have been designed to “authentically capture a sense of place while prioritizing comfort and ease of care (for staff)”.

In a first for Cuba, Sunwing’s hotel management company Blue Diamond Resorts will “take over” the resort island of Cayo Largo completely, managing 11 properties there with a total of 1,348 rooms. Blue Diamond is the second largest hotel chain (after Melia) in the country. The deal also includes an exclusive import license that will allow the hotels to control quality of goods coming into the resorts. Importantly, Cayo Largo has its own airport for ease of access from Canada.

HOTELS

Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort on Oahu has restarted a more than 30-year Waikiki tradition with the relaunch of its weekly Friday Night Fireworks.

Celebrating the importance of family and following Shangri-La’s recent announcement of their debut partnership with Make-A-Wish International on World Family Day, select hotels across the Middle East, Europe, India, the Indian Ocean, and Canada, are launching dedicated summer experiences to support the foundation. Specially created restaurant experiences and ‘Make-A-Wish Come True’ stays will run until mid-October. With each booking, Shangri-La will donate a percentage of the proceeds to help Make-A-Wish International grant wishes around the world for every eligible child with critical illnesses.

CRUISE

American Queen Voyages has unveiled a new website (www.aqvoyages.com) for consumers and travel advisors that brings together all of the cruise line’s Rivers, Lakes & Oceans and Expedition products under one digital umbrella for the first time. On the new website, travellers can filter their searches to home in on desired dates, ships, types, and destinations under the Voyage feature, book, online, see detailed descriptions destinations and more.

Luxury river cruise line AmaWaterways has announced its return to the Mekong River for seven departures starting on Oct. 17. Reservations are now open for sailings through Vietnam and Cambodia aboard the 124-passenger AmaDara with a limited-time 2-for-1 Land Package offer on select pre- and past-cruise programs.

ATTRACTIONS & THEME PARKS

A legendary F-104 Starfighter flyby kicked off the recent grand opening of Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The 4.645-sq.-m. attraction, which examines the present and future of collaborative space exploration through immersive education and atmospheric effects. Through a motion theatre experience, guests are able to see, hear and feel what it’s like to travel in space. Gateways also showcases NASA and commercial spacecraft hardware as well as the spaceport of the future, Spaceport KSC.

FAMS & INCENTIVES

Expedia Group has announced new initiatives and incentives designed to help travel advisors – including special promotions to drive more bookings, and increased advisor compensations on Premium Plus properties. The “Summer Sale” enables TAAP advisors in the Canada to offer travellers 15% or more in savings on thousands of hotels worldwide for bookings made between July 6 and Aug. 7. On top of that advisors will receive an additional compensation boost for bookings on Premium Plus properties, a selection of properties where advisors can already earn enhanced compensation. The offer is valid on bookings made through Expedia TAAP through July 4.

Through July 15, ESPACIO, a nine-floor, nine-suite luxury oceanfront enclave in heart of Waikiki, offers a special booking bonus for travel advisors and meeting planners. Those who reserve with ESPACIO for travel dates through Oct. 15, will receive $1,000 on their first booking and $500 for each additional booking. A minimum three-night stay is required.

PEOPLE/APPOINTMENTS

The U.S. Travel Association has announced that Geoff Freeman will replace Roger Dow as President and CEO. Freeman re-joins the USTA after nearly a decade of association leadership – first as president and CEO of the American Gaming Association and as the current president and CEO of the Consumer Brands Association. He will join US Travel on Sept. 1.

DESTINATIONS

Canadian Heritage’s sound and light show “Northern Lights” will return to Parliament Hill in Ottawa for its eighth season from July 7 to Sept. 5. Those in attendance will be able to enjoy a free, one-of-a-kind multimedia experience.

This year, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.’s Shaw Festival marks its 60th season with an ambitious program, putting on 13 plays across three stages, including “Cyrano de Bergerac” and “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Also in the plan is outdoor entertainment: “A Short History of Niagara” (an explainer in the form of a puppet show), plus “Fairground” and “Shawground” – guided rambles through the lush theatre grounds, combining elements like music and poetry along the way.

Send info to baginski@travelindustrytoday.com

First published at Travel Industry Today

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve Acquires Prana Lodge

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Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve Acquires Prana Lodge - SOUTHAFRICATOURISM.org - TRAVELINDEXChintsa Bay, East London, South Africa, July 2, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / The team behind one of the Eastern Capes premier boutique hotels, Oceana Beach & Wildlife Reserve are proud to announce the acquisition of Prana Lodge, a unique 5-star luxury beach lodge and wellness spa set in a pristine forest alongside the spectacular Chintsa Bay, just outside East London and within minutes of rolling savannah and private game viewing.

Prana Lodge is a well-known luxury retreat on the beach and is the perfect addition to the growing portfolio of boutique properties owned and managed by the Oceana team. Both Prana Lodge and Oceana will now be managed and marketed by the teams’ Management Company, Authentic Retreats.

Chris Roberts, MD of Oceana & Authentic Retreats says;

“Prana Lodge is a fantastic addition to our portfolio and we’re extremely proud to continue to build upon the Davidson family’s legacy. The product offering in this beautiful beachfront destination is phenomenal, and we as a team are hugely excited to grow upon the successes of the much loved, unique Prana Lodge experience”.

Gail Davidson, MD of Prana Lodge says;

“Authentic Retreats will be taking over the management and marketing of Prana Lodge from the 1st of August 2022. Plans have been put in place for a seamless handover, with an emphasis on continuity of the excellent guests experiences that Prana Lodge is known for. It is with a heavy heart that we say farewell to our small piece of paradise. A paradise that has offered us the ability live and love what is so fundamental to the wellbeing of each of us – nature’s own beautiful existence and how she revitalises our souls at times least expected. Being able to offer this experience in the way we have with warm hearts, warm smiles, passion, and commitment, eases the burden of a goodbye.”

Authentic Retreats is a hotel management and marketing company based in South Africa, specialising in unique and boutique properties with extraordinary experiences. The Authentic Retreats team offer a diverse range of skills and a wealth of collective experience in the hospitality industry, and works to create exceptional guest experiences, add value to business models, protect assets, and build strong individual brands for high end luxury properties.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Scaling-Up Tourism Action at UN Ocean Conference

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Scaling-Up Tourism Action at UN Ocean Conference - CONSERVATIONWORLD.com - TRAVELINDEXLisbon, Portugal, July 1, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / Tourism has the potential to lead the shift towards a circular and regenerative blue economy, the UN Ocean Conference has been told.

UNWTO centred the discussions on tourism in a special Tourism Ocean Action side event of the Conference, held this week in Lisbon. Organized alongside the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme and in collaboration with the governments of Portugal and Kenya, the discussions highlighted the strong incentive that tourism provides for ocean conservation.

As part of its responsible recovery, tourism needs to play a more active role in protecting coastal and marine environments

Tourism’s role in coastal conservation

Addressing the Conference, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Our wellbeing depends on a healthy ocean. As part of its responsible recovery, tourism needs to play a more active role in protecting coastal and marine environments. That’s why we are taking steps to shift to a more circular and resilient tourism model, and the benefits of this will be felt far beyond the sector itself.”

High level representatives from Portugal, Kenya and the Republic of Fiji including the Minister of Economy and Maritime Affairs of Portugal, H.E. Antonio Costa Silva; the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife of Kenya, Hon. Najib Balala; the Minister of Commerce, Trade Tourism and Transport of the Republic of Fiji, Hon. Faiyaz Koya; presented frontrunning tourism policies and stressed the importance of finding a balance between the environment and the economy and jobs creation through tourism. The UN Resident Coordinator for the Maldives and UNEP’s Ecosystem Division Director also took part in the side event.

“As we implement the sustainable tourism action plan 2020 – 2023, we are promoting changes in consumption behaviour, looking at the circularity of materials and at the efficiency in the use of resources, while supporting tourism companies adopt ESG and connecting marine protected areas with tourism” said H.E. Antonio Costa Silva, Minister of Economy and Maritime Affairs of Portugal.

Key ocean and climate initiatives outlined

In particular, the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, including its five pathways “measure, decarbonize, regenerate, collaborate and finance” and the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, which supports the sector’s readiness to the upcoming international legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution, were put forward as effective tools to accelerate tourism ocean action and new signatories to the latter were announced.

“The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative supports readiness of the tourism sector to meet upcoming regulations, especially in light of the upcoming international legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution. To meet the real need for strong mobilization, the largest businesses need to also be engaged,” noted UNEP, Susan Gardner, Director, Ecosystems Division

Turismo de Portugal recalled having signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism alongside the European Travel Commission. The Travel Foundation reminded of the need to build the knowledge of tourism stakeholders, especially small and medium enterprises. The need to trigger investments at scale in the protection and regeneration of ecosystems was highlighted by private sector representatives from Iberostar Group, which presented its coastal health strategy, and NOAH Regen, which presented an innovative finance model to protect and regenerate blue carbon ecosystems, building on the side-event on “Blue Carbon Ecosystems for Regenerative Tourism” organized on the previous day in collaboration with Forum Oceano.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News