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  • Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal opens to public

    After much anticipation, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal has opened its doors.

    The 532-room luxury resort is the primary Ritz-Carlton in Abu Dhabi and the ninth property inside the Middle East for the luxurious hotel operator.

    Inspired by 15th to early 17th century Renaissance architecture and the urban planning of the town of Venice, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal is found on the waterfront and includes ten stately buildings arranged in a crescent formation.

    Overlooking the 1,600 square meter pool, the backdrop of the hotel is the majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

    The property features 447 luxurious guestrooms and suites, as well as 85 private one- and two-bedroom villas.

    “We are delighted to open our first hotel within the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi, a city we’ve got waited to be in until finding the absolute right location,” said Herve Humler, president, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

    “Warm Arabian hospitality combined with legendary Ritz-Carlton service will create many unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences for visitors from all over the world.”

    Abu Dhabi, the biggest of UAE’s seven emirates, was a fishing village known regionally for its pearl trade just 50 years ago. 

    Today, luxury and grace are infused with traditional values of hospitality and culture, and make this dynamic city a draw for over two million visitors annually. 

    Made up of 200 small islands, Abu Dhabi’s stunning beaches, expansive desert and luxurious oases provide a venue for exhilarating adventure or tranquil retreat while the old souks and majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – recently named some of the world’s top visitor attractions – offer an intimate look at Arabian culture.

  • News: Hertz expands supercar rentals in Europe

    The Hertz Corporation, the world’s leading general use car rental brand, has expanded its Supercar offerings in Europe to cater for international and native market demand. Providing the chance to drive high end marques that might normally retail at six figure prices, Hertz Supercars at the moment are available for rental in France, Italy and, as of April, within the Netherlands. Additionally, further premium models has been added to the collections within the UK and Spain. Customers can benefit from the ultimate driving experience with legendary models comparable to the McLaren MP4-12C, Lamborghini LP 560 Spyder, Ferrari 458 Italia Spider Scaglietti, Bentley GT Continental and Jaguar X-KR for an afternoon or longer.

    Michel Taride, Group President, RAC International, Hertz Corporation, said: “The expansion of our supercar rentals in Europe is astounding news for patrons worldwide who need a taste of the millionaire lifestyle. Our supercars are being driven out at the open road by true car enthusiasts, people eager to land a great business deal, and people desiring an unforgettable experience of a life-time. Once more, Hertz is demonstrating its flair for providing highly rewarding customer experiences and a large collection of offerings to fit every occasion.”

    Supercars in France include the enduring Lamborghini LP 560 Spyder, Range Rover Evoque and Aston Martin Virage Volante while the variety in Italy features marques akin to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, Jaguar X-KR and Audi Q7 S Lin. Within the Netherlands, customers can be ready to hire a Porsche 911, Porsche Panamera, Porsche Boxster, Bentley GT Continental and Range Rover Evoque.

    Within the united kingdom new additions equivalent to the Lamborghini LP570-4 Performante Edizione Tecnica and Range Rover Vogue Autobiography have just been unveiled, while the Spanish collection has induced board high end vehicles including the Audi R-8 and Mercedes SLS.

    Ideal for locals or international visitors trying to benefit from the high life, the supercar ranges follow within the success of Hertz’s other premium offerings akin to the Prestige Collection with its quality vehicles including the Mercedes S350 and the Audi A5.

    In addition to the supercar offerings in UK, Spain, Italy, France and The Netherlands, customers can hire a Porsche Panamera at selected locations inside the USA. Benefits can include multi-driver policies, inclusive insurance and vehicle delivery, counting on the market. Customers should be aged 25 and over. Other terms and stipulations apply.

  • Guam Visitors Bureau to host China Outbound Travel Market Symposium

    The Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) invites local businesses to organize for the expected increase of Chinese visitors to Guam by attending its symposium to benefit the most recent market trends and the way it may possibly benefit business. With the support of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), GVB will host a China Outbound Travel Market Symposium on May 22.

    In Calendar Year (CY) 2012, Chinese outbound departures achieved 83.18 million in total, representing a year-on-year growth of 18.41%. The choice of outbound departures is predicted to maintain increasing at a regular growth rate of over 10% in next 10 years. By 2015, about 100,000 million outbound departures is forecasted, in keeping with Mr. Shao QiWei, Chairman of the China National Tourism Association (CNTA). Arrivals from China to Guam rose from 7,068 to eight,939 – an important increase of 26.5% in comparison to CY2011. While China arrival numbers are expected to continue to rise, a visa waiver for China would increase visitor arrivals dramatically. It really is important because Chinese outbound travelers, who’ve high incomes and are well educated, have steadily increased over the last several years, and Guam’s economy can benefit by obtaining market share from this lucrative target segment.

    “There is extensive work being done in Guam and Washington DC to facilitate a visa waiver for China,” said GVB General Manager Karl A. Pangelinan. “Based on information Governor Calvo brought back from meetings on his recent trip to the nation’s capitol, we think a call to be made later this year.”

    GVB hosted the primary symposium in October 2010, which inquisitive about understanding the profile of Chinese outbound travelers and the way to generate relationships with Chinese agencies to construct Guam’s awareness in China. This year, the symposium is scheduled for May 22, 2013 and may be a whole-day event fascinated by the right way to maximize opportunities in welcoming increasing numbers of Chinese visitors by meeting their travel want and desires.

  • News: Innovative new partnership to warn kids of rail dangers

    Network Rail is joining forces with Young Scot, Scottish Youth Theatre and North Lanarkshire Council’s Active Schools Programme to take its rail safety message to children and teens around the Central Belt.

    Launched today on the Scottish Youth Theatre in Glasgow, the innovative new partnership is the biggest youth awareness-raising campaign ever mounted by the rail industry in Scotland.

    It will target children and teenagers aged between three and 26 in nine local authority areas through quite a number initiatives aimed toward informing them of the risks of misusing the railway.

    The scheme is being funded by the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme, that’s delivering a number of enhancements across Central Scotland’s rail network including the electrification of the most important Edinburgh-Glasgow Queen Street line and the road between Glasgow and Cumbernauld.

    David Simpson, Network Rail Route Managing Director for Scotland, said: “The EGIP programme will see the electrification of over 100 miles of railway and critical upgrade works to other parts of our infrastructure.

    “The partnership we’re launching today will let us be certain that teens living inside the communities alongside the railway fully understand the hazards of misusing it, especially in those areas where we’re electrifying lines for the 1st time.

    “This initiative also offers a more creative and imaginative way of communicating our safety message to adolescents and we glance forward to working closely with our partners to further improve safety at the network.”

    Mary McCluskey, Artistic Director of Scottish Youth Theatre, said: “We are delighted to be concerned with the delivery of this crucial message to kids across Scotland. Scottish Youth Theatre will deliver around 90 separate workshops for 3 years to 18 years, by visiting schools and youth groups.

    “The workshops will use theatre arts based techniques to explore and to advertise awareness of potential dangers, exploring the choice making process and the prospective hazards linked to creating a hasty or wrong decision. The knowledge, self awareness and abilities learned in these workshops can even result in improved decision making capacities in all aspects of a tender person’s life.”

    As portion of the initiative, Young Scot will target its members, aged between 11-26, through social media, on-line articles and outreach teams delivering awareness sessions. Young Scot also is implementing a Rail Ambassador scheme that may see teens promoting the EGIP project of their communities and delivering awareness sessions at the dangers of misusing the railway.

    Louise Macdonald, Chief Executive at Young Scot, said: “It’s crucial that each one teens across Scotland get access to the knowledge and support they have to make choices that keep them safe. Raising awareness of rail safety is an important dimension to this and we’re delighted to be working with Network Rail and other partners to ensure these crucial messages are heard. By recruiting and coaching young volunteers as Rail Ambassadors, we are able to be supporting youngsters to take the message on to their friends and peers in a relevant and accessible way.”

    Councillor Jim Logue, Convener of Learning and Leisure Services at North Lanarkshire Council, added: “North Lanarkshire’s Active Schools Programme will target primary and secondary pupils during PE lessons, after school activities and in community hubs, with an initial take care of the Cumbernauld area where electrification works have recently commenced.

    “Active Schools can even run Easter and summer holiday activities for children – times of year when incidents at the railway involving adolescents traditionally increase.”

    The scheme is usually being supported by the British Transport Police, who will provide liaison officers to spotlight issues and locations along the road of route, and the broader rail industry in Scotland.

  • News: Thomas Cook to chop costs by focusing efforts online

    Thomas Cook has confirmed it is going to cut further costs of £50 million and lift as much as £150 million throughout the disposal of non core businesses as portion of a large-ranging option to return the tour operator to health.

    It comes because the tour operator outlines plans to focus its resources on online sales because it seeks to come back to profitability.

    New chief executive, Harriet Green, is targeting sales growth of at the least 3.5 per cent a year by 2015 as element of the turnaround, with a view to see the vacation giant adopt a “high tech, high touch” approach.

    “Building on its trusted brand and 171 year heritage Thomas Cook will deliver personalised holiday experiences through a high-tech, high-touch approach,” explained an announcement.

    Green added: “Our Business Transformation plans are prior to schedule and already delivering substantially
    improved performance, which led to our recent return to the FTSE 250.

    “We have exceeded our initial commitments and today announced one other £50 million of cost out actions, bringing the entire profit improvement actions identified already to £350 million, £290 million of that’s still to come back stabilising the business have been our priority through addressing our cost and cash challenges, and strengthening the leadership team to create a greater, aligned organisation serious about rigorous execution.”

    Thomas Cook didn’t provide any longer detail on disposals but analysts have mooted brands including Luxury travel agent Elegant Resorts, long-haul specialist Gold Medal and Neilson as possible candidates on the market.

    The new strategy could be certainly one of simplification, concentrated on delivering trusted, personalised holiday experiences delivered through a high-tech, high-touch approach, Thomas Cook said.

    This have been in accordance with extensive research and analysis including a comprehensive, in-depth survey measuring the attitudes and changing needs of virtually 18,000 travellers, validated against the experiences of lots of Thomas Cook’s own customers. 

    Green continued: “We are excited to now reveal our new strategy in response to four cornerstone principles; delighting customers with trusted, personalised holiday experiences through a high tech, high touch approach.

    “Based on comprehensive consumer research we aspire to occupy a novel position available in the market through our new strategy, deliver industry leading margins and customer loyalty, whilst maintaining consistent quality which might be trusted.

    “We will expand our already successful hotel concepts; and build a brand new portfolio of flexible, trusted services; making a single gateway for purchasers to access personalised recommendations, specifically tailored to satisfy their needs.”

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