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  • News: Ryanair extends Warsaw Chopin flights until 30th June

    Ryanair, Europe’s only ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC), today confirmed it is going to continue to function its Warsaw flights to/from Warsaw Chopin Airport until 30th June 2013, while runway repair works are completed at Warsaw Modlin Airport.

    All Ryanair flights scheduled to fly to/from Modlin will fly to/from Chopin until 30thJune to present certainty to passengers travelling to Warsaw. Ryanair sincerely apologises to passengers (who’ve been informed by email) for any inconvenience caused and appears forward to recommencing flights to/from Warsaw Modlin Airport once its runway is certified to be operational.

    Ryanair’s Robin Kiely said:
    “Due to runway repair works at Warsaw Modlin Airport, Ryanair will continue to function its Warsaw flights to/from Warsaw Chopin Airport until 30th June 2013, to facilitate our Warsaw passengers. Warsaw Modlin Airport has indicated that repairs would be completed over the arriving months and we glance forward to returning to Modlin once its runway have been repaired.”

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  • Russia’s poor image abroad holds back inbound tourism

    Russia’s poor image overseas is holding back its inbound tourism industry’s ability to draw visitors from america and western Europe, reveals new research at WTM Vision Conference – Moscow today.

    Inbound tourism arrivals in 2012 showed solid growth to arrive 26 million, in accordance with Euromonitor International. However, the research company’s Senior Research Analyst Mantas Kaluina will tell WTM Vision Conference – Moscow delegates Russia continues to be reliant on visitors from neighbouring countries and the industry must work on tourism flows from the usa and Western Europe.

    Visa bureaucracy, security, infrastructure and the standard of tourism services contributed to Russia’s poor image overseas, he added.

    The Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan accounted for just about half all visitors, sending around six million, three million and two million respectively. Looking forward to 2017, Euromonitor international expects little change, with a similar three accounting for eight million, six million and 4 million arrivals.

    Germany is its strongest western European market, however the figures for 2012 to 2017 fall well in need of 1000000 for every year. Visitor numbers from China, however, will exceed a million by 2017.

    Russia’s outbound market was up 9% in 2012, driven by the expansion of the center classes. The preferred destinations are local – Ukraine, Finland, Kazakhstan.

    By 2017, nearly 40% of Russian households can have a disposable income greater than US$25,000 (£16,500, 771,415 Russian Rubbles) reveals the research. Russia will account for an extra eight million overseas trips by 2017, the most important increase except China.

    For many Russian, international travel is a brand new possibility. Around half all package holidays sold to Russians in 2012 costs between $600 and $1500, with Turkey, Greece and Egypt dominating the market.

    Online may also drive the expansion of outbound travel, with total sales growing by greater than 10% a year until 2017. Air tickets are the most important category for sales, followed by hotels, while social media continues to grow in importance.

    Euromonitor International’s predicts the worldwide travel industry will grow by 4% between 2012 and 2017.

    Reed Travel Exhibitions Director World Travel Market Simon Press said:  “The predicted growth in Russian outbound traffic is excellent news for the worldwide industry, however the report shows greater support may well be given to its inbound industry, especially to draw tourists form the huge markets of the U.S. and western Europe.”

    Moscow was the host city for the 1st of 5 WTM Vision Conference of 2013. Next is Beijing (8 April), followed by Sao Paulo (24 April), Dubai (7 May) and Rimini (17 October).

    WTM Vision Conference – Moscow is organised in association with Tour Business.

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  • News: Big data travel company reports greater than double year-on-year growth

    Today, travel-related transactions account for 1/3rd of all ecommerce revenue (ComScore 2012), and lots of the leading travel brands are leveraging Sojern’s technology to extend marketing acquisition performance on these transactions, including American Airlines, American Express, Avis|Budget Group, Choice, Delta, Enterprise, Hertz, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Las Vegas, Marriott, Starwood, United, and US Airways.

    “Since 2007, Sojern have been building the world’s leading data-driven traveler engagement platform, helping brands more efficiently and meaningfully engage travelers to drive conversions and loyalty,” said Mark Rabe , CEO at Sojern. “Our expansion both inside the US and abroad will address the increasing demand from multinational travel brands for data-driven marketing, monetization and insight solutions at scale.”

    As the primary company to have successfully cracked big data within the travel sector, Sojern has access to over 100 million anonymous traveler profiles and billions of traveler intent data points. Sojern combines this unique intelligence with innovative technology to actually deliver the correct messages to the precise travelers on the right times, through multiple channels including display, video, email, and social media (e.g. Facebook Exchange).

    In 2013, the corporate will aggressively increase global staff, expand its data science team, and invest heavily in its industry-leading technology platform, including the construction of key products in machine learning technology, enhanced programmatic buying (real-time bidding) and information insights. The corporate has already established global operations, with the launch of its EMEA headquarters in London, and appointment of Stephen Taylor as VP & MD, International.

    Stephen is a pioneer of knowledge-driven travel marketing, having been one of many first employees at Air Miles (acquired by British Airways). Most recently, he served because the CEO of Qype (recently acquired by Yelp) and before that he lead Yahoo!‘s European consumer business.

    “With a focal point on innovative technology and a veteran team of travel experts, Sojern is definitely-positioned to fulfill the growing demand from global travel brands for prime performance digital marketing and monetization,” said Taylor. “I’m thrilled to hitch the team and help bring Sojern’s differentiated solutions to new markets.”

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  • New appointment for Dusit International

    Leading Asian hospitality group Dusit International has appointed Mr Thierry Douin as its Regional Vice chairman for the center East and Africa (MEA), effective 1st March 2013. Mr Douin will act because the figurehead for Dusit International within the region, overseeing the company’s expansion efforts, driving operational performance and supervising the outlet of recent hotels from his base inside the Dubai Regional Office.

    A passionate and experienced hotelier, Mr Douin have been inside the industry for greater than 35 years. He has managed luxury hotels in lots of parts of the arena, including in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai, Jakarta and Caracas for numerous groups, including InterContinental Hotels and Resorts and most recently, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.

    Mr Douin, a French national, is a graduate of the Hotel and Catering School in Granville, France and is a licensed Hotel Administrator and authorized Food and Beverage Executive with the yankee Hotel and Motel Association. Over the process his career, he has attended various executive programs akin to the posh Brand Management Program at ESSEC Business School, the Asian International Executive Program at INSEAD Business School and the overall Manager’s Program on the School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University.

    “We welcome Thierry Douin into the Dusit family and wait for his leadership within the Middle East and Africa where we predict to cope more hotels inside the near future,” said Managing Director and CEO of Dusit International, Mr Chanin Donavanik.

    “This is a thrilling and demanding time to hitch the corporate, whilst it’s excited by expansion and growth,” said Mr Douin on his appointment. “I hope my experience will strengthen the team and that i watch for capitalising at the great legacy of the Dusit brand within the MEA region, where it’s been in operation for greater than a decade.” Dusit International has a variety of hotel openings inside the MEA region over the subsequent 365 days, including: Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, U.A.E; dusitD2 nairobi, Kenya; dusitD2 dubai, U.A.E.; Dusit Thani Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Dusit Residence and Suites West Bay in Doha, Qatar.

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  • Eiffel Tower evacuated after bomb scare

    The Eiffel Tower in Paris was evacuated following an anonymous tip threatening to explode the attraction, in line with reports.

    An estimated 1,400 people, including tourists and employees were on site when anti-terrorism police decided to clear the attraction on Saturday evening.

    Police and bomb squads were deployed to the scene but no suspicious devices has been found.

    The 324-meter tower is without doubt one of the most efficient tourist sites on the earth, attracting millions of holiday makers each year. In 2011, 4,000 people were cleared from the tower using a threat.