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  • WTTC to supply ground-breaking report on Serbia

    The World Travel & Tourism Council has signed an agreement with the govt. of the Republic of Serbia to provide a large-ranging study so one can demonstrate the tourism potential of the rustic.

    The deal was signed with the ministry of finance & economy, in the course of the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia.

    The study have been commissioned to completely assess both the industrial impact of tourism at the Republic of Serbia, in addition to outline current and future policy recommendations for the rustic.

    This is a proactive technique to enhance the present efforts of the NTO and the Ministry and is a primary such relationship with WTTC.

    WTTC president David Scowsill launched the commission for this study at his address to the UNWTO Executive Council Meeting in Belgrade.

    Scowsill said: “In order to stimulate investment income from the non-public and public sector, countries require reliable, robust data on tourism.

    “As the forum for business leaders within the tourism industry, WTTC is healthier placed to comprehend and advise upon the necessities of personal-sector investors.”

    A full policy review would be conducted together with a piece on global and the country’s tourism trends. 

    Combined with the detailed the industrial impact assessment, the trends and policy review will guide the recommendations for policy measures that might best enable tourism to realize its economic potential, and function a foundation for the construction of the Republic of Serbia’s National Tourism Strategy.

    The report could be prepared in the course of the second half 2013 and should be presented to the National Tourism Organisation and Ministry in late 2013.

    NTO chief executive Gordana Plamenac commented: “We are experiencing significant year on year growth from lots of our important markets, but we’re also accustomed to the will for accurate independent analyses so that you can further boost confidence from foreign investors and help our country to maximise returns from tourism and to accomplish better exposure internationally.”

  • News: Hilton Hotels makes play for LGBT market

    As cities from San Francisco and Toronto to London and Amsterdam prepare for the beginning of Pride season, Hilton Hotels & Resorts offers added value at greater than 460 participating Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations properties in top gay travel destinations with its new ‘Stay Hilton. Exit.’ package.

    Travellers attending LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) events or planning their very own vacations will enjoy complimentary high-speed Internet, a one-year digital subscription to OUT magazine, two welcome beverages and late checkout, where and when available at value rates by booking the offer.

    Available throughout 2013, the package continues the worldwide LGBT traveller program by Hilton Worldwide’s flagship brand.

    “Whether travelling solo, with friends, as a pair or with family, we’re proud to present LGBT guests and friends this value-added package and other resources to utilize their travel through our ‘Stay Hilton. Exit.’ program,” said Rob Palleschi, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

    Hilton Hotels & Resorts welcomes LGBT travellers and friends as a sponsor of top events in 2013, including San Francisco Pride, Capital Pride in Washington, DC and Northalsted Market Days in Chicago.

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  • InterContinental Hotels tap into China

    InterContinental Hotels Group has begun adding its entire portfolio of four,600 properties all over the world to China travel retailer Ctrip.com International via a reservations system connection designed and implemented by DerbySoft.

    “We are happy to have a successful reference to IHG through DerbySoft, and Chinese customers can easily reserve more global hotels through Ctrip,” said Maria Maohua Sun, Ctrip’s Senior Vp and Head of Hotel Business Division. Online travel bookings in China overall are expected to achieve nearly $14.4 billion this year, in keeping with PhocusWright. 

    With 160 operating properties and 30% of its global pipeline in China, IHG recognized the necessity to directly connect its central reservations system (CRS) to China’s largest travel portal allowing online booking of its properties for both outbound and inbound Chinese travelers.  End result of the DerbySoft connection to IHG’s CRS, Ctrip users would be in a position to view real time availability and receive an instant booking confirmation.

    “Having worked with DerbySoft since 2007 on quite a lot of technology projects, we were extremely confident of their ability to assist us with this complex direct connection,” said IHG Vice chairman of Distribution and Intermediary Sales Andrew Rubinacci. DerbySoft was the primary technology provider to attach an international hotel company’s CRS to Booking.com, the Amsterdam-based division of Priceline.com Inc. (PCLN), when it connected IHG to Booking.com in 2008. 

    The XML-based connection between IHG and Ctrip, facilitated by DerbySoft, went live this week. Over the subsequent several weeks, DerbySoft will continue rolling out IHG’s 4,600 properties onto the Ctrip system. “We are proud to have created this new reservations connection between these two major industry players,” said DerbySoft Vice chairman of Connectivity Keith Cotton. “Our distributed technology platform, which gives extremely flexible and unique solutions to deal with the various business rules of both partners, includes servers strategically positioned all over the world to offer reduced latency and exceptional system response times for both Ctrip and IHG..” 

      DerbySoft builds highly customized electronic “pipelines” that transmit accurate room availability, rates, and inventory (ARI) from the hotel companies’ CRSs to 3rd-party online booking channels, and in turn deliver the reservations made at the travel booking websites back to the hotel companies’ central reservations systems.

  • Focus: Breaking Travel News interview: Lee Seow Hiang, chief executive, Changi Airport Group

    Having been recognised because the World’s Leading Airport by the realm Travel Awards, Singapore Changi Airport seriously isn’t resting on its laurels. With a brand new terminal under construction, chief executive Lee Seow Hiang here sits down with Breaking Travel News to bring us brand new.

    Breaking Travel News: Are you able to let us know a bit in regards to the latest developments at Changi Airport What are you doing to make sure the positioning remains the pre-eminent destination within the region

    Lee Seow Hiang: On the subject of new projects at Changi Airport, we have now begun some of infrastructural projects making sure that Changi Airport is easily-positioned to stay a significant global aviation hub, able to meet the challenges of growing passenger and aircraft traffic within the years ahead.

    These include the improvement of our new Terminal 4 and ancillary works to extend the selection of aircraft parking stands.

    T4 is predicted to be completed by 2017, with a planned capacity of 16 million passenger movements a year.

    It will raise Changi Airport’s handling capacity to 82 million a year and help make it possible for the passenger experience at Changi isn’t compromised at the same time passenger traffic grows.

    Throughout its history, Changi Airport has always stayed earlier than its capacity needs. This approach has underpinned Changi’s success as an air hub – an airport that passengers love and airlines appreciate.

    Along with the measures announced by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore to enhance runway capacity, our infrastructure investments over the subsequent four to 5 years will lay the groundwork for us to continue delivering a fantastic Changi Experience and attracting more airlines to fly to Changi Airport.

    BTN: Changi welcomed over 50 million passengers for the 1st time in its 31-year history in 2012. Do you’re feeling this upward growth in number is sustainable

    LSH: Traffic growth at Changi Airport in its 31-year history has averaged about six per cent every year.

    The stronger growth beforehand three years was using a superb recovery in air travel demand following the worldwide financial crisis of 2008. In 2012, we saw our strongest traffic growth on routes to Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Southwest Pacific.

    We believe that the Asia Pacific region will remain a strong aviation market anchored by the massive economies of China, India and Indonesia.

    Having said this, the worldwide economic outlook remains cloudy. Within the near term, Changi Airport’s performance will depend largely on how economies, especially in Asia, adjust.

    We are confident that our strong partnership with our stakeholders will see the airport during the challenges that lie ahead.

    BTN: Are you able to bring us up-to-date at the construction of the fourth terminal at Changi

    LSH: The brand new Terminal 4 may be a two-storey building that we are hoping will delight passengers when it comes to its facilities in addition to retail and F&B offerings.

    It may be a higher quality product than the old Budget Terminal.

    We expect the terminal to be ready by 2017.

    T4 can be designed to satisfy the operational needs of both regional full service and occasional cost carriers.

    To enhance passenger convenience, accessibility and experience, especially in adverse climatic conditions, aerobridges may be available at its boarding gates.

    Passengers transferring to any other terminals may also be capable of accomplish that without the necessity to clear immigration.

    BTN: In what ways does the expansion of Singapore as a tourism destination benefit the construction of Changi

    LSH: As Changi Airport is the most important gateway into Singapore, the ongoing growth of Singapore as a tourism destination is evidently beneficial for us.

    Hence, we do work closely with partners just like the Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore based airlines to advertise Singapore as a destination of choice.

    At an analogous time, we believe an excellent airport experience also enhances the Singapore holiday for tourists.

    We are proud to be the welcome point for millions of tourists to Singapore every year, and strive making sure that, for them, the Changi Experience may be very much part of their visit to our country.

    BTN: Changi Airport was recognised because the World’s Leading Airport by the celebrated World Travel Awards in 2012. What do you watched caught the judges’ attention

    LSH: We’re honoured to be voted the arena’s Leading Airport by the World Travel Awards all over again.

    We are pleased that our discuss service excellence, enhanced by the offerings provided by the Changi Experience, has resonated well amongst industry professionals and the travelling public.

    Our vision to make the airport experience a first-class one is something we attempt to repeatedly achieve.

    As an example, beautifully-curated horticultural decorations and art pieces round the airport make Changi Airport a serene place to go through on what might have been a stressful journey from one city to a different.

    We remain steadfast in upholding and adorning the Changi. Experience in order that passengers and airport visitors alike continue to find delightful moments while at Changi.

    BTN: Do you intend to take advantage of this accolade in marketing activities for Changi at all

    LSH: Definitely. We’re proud to be the world’s most awarded airport with over 420 awards since 1981.

    Such accolades and popularity spur us to always improve, pushing us to repeatedly top our standards.

    More Information

    For additional info at the latest developments at Changi Airport head over to the official website.

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  • Multi-billion Euro-Vegas project planned for Madrid

    Las Vegas Casino giant Las Vegas Sands Corp. has chosen Madrid for a multi-billion dollar gambling resort project which have been dubbed “EuroVegas” and can be Europe’s biggest casino and conference centre.

    The latest plans for this exciting project were revealed by the company’s chairman and chief executive officer Sheldon Adelson on the Jerusalem International Tourism Summit.

    The 79 year old entrepreneur, philanthropist and businessman, whose career spans six decades, was honoured for his tremendous contributions within the travel and tourism industry earlier today on the Summit.

    Widely credited for reworking Vegas from a gamingcentric regional location into the leading convention and exhibition city inside the U . s ., the tycoon now has his sights set on Madrid .

    He revealed to delegates on the Jerusalem forum that his vision is to make Madrid “the convention centre of the world”.

    Having secured the £8.3bn financing needed for EuroVegas, Adelson, has earmarked 12 3,000 room properties with 2,400 meeting facilities, set to seriously change the 3 square mile site.

    The first stage of the project – including four separate “resorts” with casino facilities attached – is predicted to open in 2017.

    The outcome should be a 72-storey hotel building including six casinos, a practice centre, three golf courses, theatres, shopping malls, bars and restaurants.

    A total of 240,000 direct and indirect jobs are expected to be made out of the project, in accordance with reports.

    Adelson also has his sights set on major Integrated Resort projects in South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand.

    Las Vegas Sands Corp. is now the world’s largest casino corporation, posting profits of $1.27 billion in 2011.

    It owns the Venetian and Palazzo resort casinos at the Las Vegas Strip and the quay Bay Sands in Singapore.

    The Venetian was named North America’s Leading Casino Resort by the arena Travel Awards in 2010, meanwhile Las Vegas Sands Corp was named World’s Leading Integrated Resort Company by the Word Travel Awards in 2012.