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  • News: WAYN reveals dream destinations for travellers

    WAYN has revealed the head seven dream destinations on the planet as chosen by its 21 million users worldwide.

    The destinations will fight it out for pole position in a user vote this month.

    The seven global hot spots are Indonesia, Fiji, South Africa, Dubai, India, Brazil and Turkey. 

    The nominated destinations (both cities and countries) were selected by employing a mixture of market research data and tracking user engagement on WAYN.com.

    “Most recently, India saw a rise variety of interest, both for business and leisure travels in destinations corresponding to Delhi, Punjab, Uttrakhand and Kashmir,” said Jerome Touze, co-founding father of WAYN.com.

    He added: ‘’Brazil was also voted favourite destinations in Latin America, with 40% of respondents from a panel of 38,000 users saying it’d be their first choice in South America.

    “It can be interesting to work out which destination will achieve the tip spot on the subject of our user vote but being nominated within the top seven is already a very good recognition of the work these destinations are doing.’’

    Dubai is in an awfully strong position with over ten million tourists having travelled there in 2012, its highest ever annual visitor figure.

    The department of tourism and commerce marketing revealed a 9.3 per cent increase within the variety of visitors to the Emirate in 2012.

    WAYN’s 21 million users may have the danger to vote for his or her favourite destination inside the next two weeks, out of the seven listed, with prizes up for grabs if you vote.

    Additionally, each nominee will receive US$70,000 of selling promotion globally, out of a US$500,000 marketing contribution from Where Are You Now

    Touze said ‘I’m extremely serious about this campaign.

    “We are in a completely unique position whereby we’ve data on over 21 million users in over 193 countries who communicate regularly with each other about their trip plans – where on this planet they need to move and what they need to do once they get there…

    “Going forward, we intend to roll out more leading award recognitions for the travel and tourism industry, so watch this space!”

    WAYN has developed an exclusive microsite for the campaign, which fits live today.

    The nominated destinations will receive exposure on WAYN, media coverage and additional market research insight for his or her destinations.

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  • Hilton expands footprint in Vietnam

    Hilton Worldwide has announced the hole of Hilton Garden Inn Hanoi, the award-winning, focused service brand’s first property in Southeast Asia.

    Located in Hanoi, Vietnam, the 11-storey hotel with 86 rooms and well-equipped facilities lies right inside the heart of Hanoi, and is the second one Hilton Worldwide property in Vietnam.

    “Today’s announcement not just celebrates the 1st Hilton Garden Inn property in south-east Asia but additionally the growth of our footprint in Vietnam,” said Martin Rinck, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide.

    “Backed by our strong owner, Hoan Kiem Tourism & Trading Company, and our 93 years of international hospitality experience, we’re confident that Hilton Garden Inn Hanoi shall be a popular choice for local and international travellers in search of quality yet affordable accommodation in Hanoi.”

    Located near the intersection of Phan Chu Trinh and Tran Hung Dao streets, Hilton Garden Inn Hanoi occupies a premium location within the business, cultural, and leisure centre of the town.

    It is within a brief distance of Hoan Kiem Lake, the Ministry of Finance, numerous embassies, government organizations and institutions, museums, shopping centres, and is just 40 kilometers from Noi Bai International Airport.

    The hotel is supplied making sure that each guest can sleep deep, stay fit, eat well, work smart and treat themselves while at the road.

  • News: easyJet celebrates its first successful year at London Southend

    easyJet, the UK’s largest airline, has celebrated its 365 days anniversary at London Southend Airport today – Tuesday 2 April with passengers, staff and youngsters from the local people who were invited to take part in a paper plane ‘origami master class’ and competition to mark the occasion. 

    A huge easyJet orange, origami paper plane (2m x 2m) was unveiled within the check-in area by easyJet’s UK Commercial Manager Hugh Aitken and London Southend Airport Managing Director Alastair Welch.

    Hugh Aitken, easyJet’s UK Commercial Manager, commented “There was a pretty good atmosphere on the easyJet check-in desk – our origami plane was certainly eye-catching! The ambience was exactly what we would have liked to create for all our passengers to assert thanks for his or her continued support.”

    easyJet launched at London Southend on 2 April 2012 with 10 popular holiday routes across Europe. Throughout the airline’s first year it has continued to take a position within the airport by launching an extra five routes, bringing more choice and outstanding value to its passengers from Southend and the encompassing areas. The entire variety of easyJet destinations from London Southend is now 15, and can soon include links to additional business and leisure hubs consisting of Edinburgh (May), Berlin, Krakow and Newquay (June).  Also in June, this investment can be strengthened by the advent of a fourth aircraft to be based at London Southend Airport.

    Mr Aitken added “It’s been a monumental year for us; we’ve flown greater than 700,000 passengers and feature increased the destinations we operate to by greater than 50%. We’ve made travelling easy for the 150,000 people of Southend and the encircling areas across Essex and East London with affordable flights from as low as £26.49. Plus we have now ensured our customers are the happiest at London Southend Airport out of all our bases securing an outstanding 92% satisfaction rate. We’re fully committed to London Southend Airport and feature demonstrated this by investing heavily in new destinations. We’re keen to continue adding more varied routes to our schedule and over the arriving week’s we’ll see inaugural flights to Edinburgh, Berlin, Krakow and Newquay take-off. Ultimately our long-term aim at London Southend Airport is straightforward; to expand our network, bring more competition and lower fares in addition to opening up new markets to both our leisure and business travellers.”

    To further celebrate the landmark anniversary, easyJet invited local children from Little Havens Hospice to return along to the airport to participate in a paper plane making master class, hosted by world renowned origami artist Mark Bolitho.

    Little Havens cares for kids from across Essex who’ve been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness and likewise offers support for his or her families. Art and crafts play a significant part inside the sensory therapies provided by the hospice, giving children with serious illnesses an inventive outlet to precise themselves.

    Participants then entered a paper plane throwing competition to win return flights for a family of 4 to either Amsterdam – the nearest route served by the airline from London Southend – or Faro, the furthest route served from London Southend by easyJet.

    The prize was scooped by 9-year-old Connor Sergeant from Shoeburyness who won flights to Faro.

    Passengers were also treated to complimentary #1 shaped birthday cake and fizz in the course of the day.

    London Southend Airport Managing Director, Alastair Welch, says “It have been a pretty good first year with easyJet for each of the team at Southend, and as recent figures showed our busiest ever. We expect our unique promises to passengers – that they ought to wait not more than four minutes to move through security and that, on arrival with hand baggage, they may be at the rail station platform within quarter-hour of leaving the aircraft – is what’s driving increasingly more passengers to make your mind up London’s newest airport. Because of this we’re currently extending the terminal with the intention that we continue to deliver these high standards of shopper service because the airport grows.”

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  • Steven McArthur appointed CEO of VEGAS.com

    Travel and online veteran Steven McArthur was named CEO of VEGAS.com. James B. Gibson, who served as president and CEO of the corporate for the past two-and-a-half years, will continue serving as an Officer at the VEGAS.com Board of Managers.

    McArthur brings to VEGAS.com extensive executive leadership experience. He served as president of North America for Expedia, overseeing the company’s portfolio of North American brands including Expedia, Hotels.com, Hotwire, Classic Vacations and TripAdvisor. He also served as executive vice chairman of Web properties for AOL and as president of Classmates Media Corporation, a division of United Online.

    In addition to his leadership roles at Expedia and United Online, McArthur led the buyer Applications business unit at Hewlett-Packard. He began his career at Bain & Company, advising clients within the technology, travel, health care and fiscal services industries. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Queen’s University, Belfast, and an MBA from Harvard University. “Steven’s diverse background and powerful knowledge of consumer behavior, travel and technology make him the suitable person to cope day-to-day activities at VEGAS.com,” observed Gibson.

    Gibson is the previous three-term Mayor of Henderson, and served on numerous boards and commissions during his tenure as mayor, including the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Board of Directors, the Nevada Development Authority Board of Directors, the Las Vegas Events Board of Directors and the Regional Transportation Commission.

    Under Gibson’s leadership, the corporate signed an exclusive agreement with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to permit the LVCVA to exploit LasVegas.com as its primary domain. Additionally, e-commerce functionality was integrated into the LVCVA site for the primary time ever.

  • Travelodge slims down operations in UK

    Following the successful completion of its financial restructuring and CVA in October 2012, Travelodge was working with the landlords of 49 hotels to spot new operators.

    Further to this process, Travelodge today announces that it has signed a brand new franchise contract for seven hotels with Moto, the UK’s largest provider of motorway service areas.

    In addition, Travelodge has also signed franchise contracts with individual operators for 13 other hotels.

    Under the terms of the franchise agreements, the hotels would be transferred to new owners but will remain operated and managed by Travelodge.

    The new owners shall be liable for fully refurbishing these properties based on Travelodge’s new room design and refurbishment programme which was launched earlier this year.

    Travelodge also announces today that it has transferred 18 hotels and the vast majority of staff to new operators; together with: Best Western, Ibis and Metro Inns. 

    Existing bookings at these hotels have either been transferred to adjacent Travelodge hotels or might be honoured by the hot operators. 

    Four of the properties under new ownership might be re-opened as new businesses.

    Two properties are being converted into student accommodation and the opposite two properties are being converted into an events and meeting rooms venue and staff accommodation for JCB.

    Travelodge will continue to work closely with the landlords of the remainder 11 hotels to locate suitable new operators and meanwhile these hotels will continue to function under the Travelodge brand as normal.

    Commenting at the announcements, Travelodge chief executive Grant Hearn, said: “It is excellent news that we have got been capable of finding new operators and introduce franchise contracts for almost all of those hotels.

    “We were always confident that we might secure a future for these properties and the deals that experience taken place just demonstrate the massive strength of the Travelodge brand and the success of our operations model.”