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  • Katara joins forces with Aspire Zone

    Contributing to the Qatar National Vision 2030, Katara, the Cultural Village and Aspire Zone Foundation today signed a Memorandum of Understanding which supports arts and culture within the realm of sports. The signing was attended by Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager, Katara and Hilal bin Jaham Al Kuwari, Head of Aspire Zone.

    The aim of the agreement is for both partners to jointly cooperate to within the promotional and marketing activities, in addition to the organization of special events. The partnership will contribute to the notice of cultural and sports through festivals, exhibitions, seminars and other sports and cultural activities which is able to encourage citizens and residents of Qatar to take part in these activities.

    Commenting at the occasion, Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager, Katara said: “We are delighted to affix forces with Aspire Zone, the agreement may have a major positive impact at the community by highlighting the significance of Sports through arts and culture. The agreement supports the Qatar National Vision 2030, which promotes an active and healthy lifestyle, and we aim to coach, entertain and inform the Qatari people and residents through culture.”

    The agreement also aims to provide and distribute cultural and sports publications that reflect the goals of the 2 institutions. The 2 parties will cooperate with local and international institutions, including ministries and other government agencies and corporations within the private sector.

    Hilal bin Jaham Al Kuwari, President of Aspire Zone commented, “We are pleased to announce this partnership which we believe will benefit all segments of society. We will be able to work on together to create a healthy Qatar by integrating sport and culture. We glance forward to working with Katara to deliver the events and activities we’ve lined up.”

    As portion of the partnership, the 2 institutions will appoint a coordinator who shall be accountable for maintaining the connection in keeping with a strategic plan prepared by the 2 institutions. Both parties, who’ve previously collaborated on several occasions, might be presenting many events and activities within the coming months.

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  • News: LATAM set for oneworld membership

    LATAM Airlines Group has confirmed it’ll be a member of the oneworld airline alliance.

    The decision, announced at a gathering of the oneworld governing board held in Hong Kong, means Brazil’s TAM Airlines will leave the Star Alliance to enroll in oneworld, together with its Paraguay subsidiary.

    Their transition is anticipated to be completed during 2014’s second quarter.

    LAN Colombia, the most recent portion of LAN, will join oneworld as an affiliate member, within the fourth quarter of 2013.

    With Chile’s LAN Airlines flying as a whole member of oneworld since June 2000 and LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru added since as affiliate members, today’s announcement will bring all of Latin America’s top airline group into the identical global airline alliance.

    It will take its place alongside 11 of any other leading carriers from world wide and 30 in their affiliates.

    An exact date for TAM’s departure from the Star Alliance may be announced in the end. 

    The intention is for it to become portion of oneworld immediately after it exits Star.

    oneworld governing board chairman Tom Horton said: “Membership of Latin America’s leading airline group, LATAM Airlines Group, in oneworld represents a huge landmark in our journey towards establishing oneworld firmly because the first choice airline alliance for travelers not only around the Americas, however the world over.

  • News: New leadership for Dusit in Middle East

    Leading Asian hospitality group Dusit International has appointed Thierry Douin as its regional vp for the center East & Africa.

    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 within the Dubai Regional Office.

    A passionate and experienced hotelier, Douin have been within the industry for greater than 35 years.

    He has managed luxury hotels in lots of parts of the sector, including in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai, Jakarta and Caracas for different groups, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and most recently, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts.

    Douin, a French national, is a graduate of the Hotel & Catering School in Granville, France and is an authorized Hotel Administrator and authorized Food and Beverage Executive with the yank Hotel and Motel Association.

    Over the process his career, he has attended various executive programs together with 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.

    “This is an exhilarating and critical time to enroll in the corporate, whilst it’s fascinated by expansion and growth,” said Douin on his appointment.

    “I hope my experience will strengthen the team and that i stay up for capitalising at the great legacy of the Dusit brand inside the MEA region, where it’s been in operation for greater than a decade.”

  • West Ham to take Olympic Stadium in 2016

    West Ham United have once more been awarded the appropriate to make the Olympic Stadium in east London their home from the beginning of the 2016/17 season.

    The decision, announced earlier, potentially brings to an in depth the arduous negotiations over the way forward for the stadium that have rumbled on because the end of the Games.

    Having been bound by strict confidentiality agreements imposed upon them, the club at the moment are set to embark on an in depth, independent supporter consultation process to assist make sure the Stratford stadium matches the high standards Hammers fans would expect from their new home.

    Vice-chairman Karren Brady said: “I am delighted that we have got been confirmed today because the anchor concessionaire for the Olympic Stadium.

    “I commend my two chairmen for his or her passion and commitment.

    “I am delighted this have been rewarded now that their ambition to peer the Club they love enjoy a bright future on the Olympic Stadium was realised.

    “It was important to me that we struck a deal that may stand the test of time that represented the best deal for West Ham United and our loyal and patient supporters.

    “The consultation we’ve got promised them will now begin and we can’t wait to work with them to create a gorgeous new home that befits the pride, passion and tradition that the area associates with West Ham United.”

    The move was made possible after the national UK government agreed to install an additional £25 mullion toward the prices of converting the venue.

    The additional money takes the contribution to around £60 million.

    In turn, West Ham agreed to extend their very own funding of the project by £5 million, to £15 million.

    Conversion of the stadium is probably going to price anything as much as £200 million.

    Under conversion plans, the roof may be extended and the seating capacity reduced from 80,000 to 54,000, with a retractable system allowing the venue to be converted from an athletics arena to football stadium within days.

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  • News: Tauck announces two new riverboats launching in 2014

    Tauck has disclosed the names of the 2 new riverboats it would launch next year, and announced that the ships will each be considerably longer than the four sister-ships that currently comprise the company’s fleet. The hot ships, the ms Inspire and ms Savor, will both be 443 feet long, in comparison to Tauck’s existing ships which every measure 361 feet. Despite being 23% longer, the 2 newbuilds will only accommodate 130 guests each, or simply 10% greater than its current ships.

    “Our existing riverboats – what we’re now calling our Jewel Class vessels – have already got the bottom passenger-to-ship-length ratio on Europe’s rivers,” said Tauck CEO Dan Mahar. “The two new riverboats – our Inspiration Class vessels – actually raise the bar even higher.”

    To illustrate his point, Mahar cited other leading river cruise lines whose premier class ships also are 443 feet long; the similar length as Tauck’s newbuilds. “When our Inspiration Class ships launch next year they’ll each have just 130 guests aboard, whereas other major lines carry as much as 190 guests at the same length ships,” said Mahar. “That’s an extra 46% more passengers aboard ships of exactly the same length. You only can’t deliver a similar relaxed, intimate atmosphere in the event you put nearly 50% more passengers into an analogous space.”

    INDUSTRY-LEADING GUIDE-TO-GUEST RATIO

    Even though Tauck’s newbuilds may have far fewer guests aboard, the ships will nonetheless be staffed with more service personnel than another river cruise line, in accordance with Mahar. “Each Inspiration Class riverboat can have a Tauck Cruise Director and 3 Tauck Directors aboard to take care of guests’ needs and supply exemplary service,” noted Mahar. “By contrast, other ships carrying way more guests are frequently staffed by only a single cruise director.”

    The Tauck Directors may also accompany shore excursions, in accordance with Mahar, where they’ll divide guests into small groups of not more than 25, with each group personally guided by a neighborhood expert. “River cruises offer incredible opportunities for authentic, in-depth explorations of every destination, so we place tremendous emphasis on ensuring that our shore excursions – all of that are included in our cruise prices – are absolutely world-class,” said Mahar. In contrast, noted Mahar, other cruise lines will routinely have groups of 100 or more led by a single local guide.