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  • Record year for VISIT FLORIDA Spending

    Today, during a gathering of the Florida Cabinet, Governor Rick Scott announced that in accordance with preliminary estimates released by VISIT FLORIDA, visitors to the light State spent a record $71.8 billion, a rise of 6.8 percent over 2011. This represents a record year of spending in 2012 by tourists in Florida, exceeding the former highs of $67.2 billion in 2011 and $65.5 billion in 2007.

    Governor Scott said, “Today’s news from VISIT FLORIDA demonstrates ‘It’s Working.’ Travelers to Florida spent a different $4.6 billion in 2012, marking the second one consecutive record year for visitor spending within the Sunshine State. Florida’s tourism industry is significant to Florida families because it serves as a necessary income to the state and a key driver of employment – and that’s why ourFlorida Families First Budget commits $75 million to go to FLORIDA, as a way to better grow jobs and opportunities for Florida families.”

    As the state’s official destination marketing organisation, VISIT FLORIDA is chargeable for serving the citizens of Florida throughout the growth and development of the tourism industry. VISIT FLORIDA creates innovative cooperative marketing programs that enhance the industry’s ability to successfully promote the Florida tourism product around the U.S. and worldwide.

    “Last year, visitors spent over 500 million vacation nights and nearly $72 billion within the Sunshine State,” said Will Seccombe, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA. “While it’s still very early in 2013, all indications are that VISIT FLORIDA is definitely positioned to construct at the previous two years’ momentum as we try to make Florida the No. 1 travel destination on the earth.”

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  • News: Qantas director steps down

    Qantas Chairman, Leigh Clifford, said that he has accepted the resignation of Corinne Namblard as a director of Qantas Airways Limited.

    Ms Namblard informed Mr Clifford that, in light of the hot media reports concerning Italian court proceedings by which she is involved, Ms Namblard believes that it’s within the best interests of both Qantas and herself that she resigns from the Qantas Board.

    “Ms Namblard was especially concerned in order for the ongoing media concentrate on the present Italian proceedings didn’t distract Qantas from implementing its strategic imperatives nor detract from the achievements that Qantas has had in meeting the challenges to its business. The Qantas Board appreciates those sentiments”, Mr Clifford said.

    “It may be apt to notice that Ms Namblard strenuously denies any wrongdoing with regards to the matters that are the topic of the Italian proceedings, and the Qantas Board has no reason whatsoever to doubt that position.

    “Since joining the Qantas Board in 2011, Ms Namblard has brought her considerable qualifications and experience to bear for the good thing about Qantas, and has demonstrated integrity in her method of Board matters. The Board wishes Ms Namblard the most effective for the longer term,” added Mr Clifford.

  • News: Pegasus reports surge in corporate bookings

    Corporations welcomed the brand new year by booking more travel, in step with Pegasus Solutions, the one largest processor of electronic hotel transactions. After holding steady at 2011 levels in December 2012, January 2013 surged ahead with booking gains of nearly +8% for the worldwide corporate market, a performance that was exceeded within the leisure sector.

    Accompanying global growth in reservations, rates paid by corporate travelers increased by +2.1% over prior year. In North America, corporate bookings climbed +5.4% over 2012 as rates grew slightly more by +2.3%. However, business travel showed probably the most significant improvement over prior year outside North America, where growth was fueled by Asia. Reservations for all other regions combined surpassed 2012 by +11.2%, as rates inched +1.0%.

    “We began 2012 heralding a climb in global corporate and leisure rates, despite a lull in booking volumes for both channels,” said David Millili, chief executive officer of Pegasus Solutions.

    “But in 2013, we’ve seen growth in bookings and rates for both corporate and leisure segments. Companies were anxious to get to business in January, while some consumers rallied for brand new Year’s, and others made the foremost of more cost-effective off-peak travel. The important question was which hotels positioned rates to harvest probably the most make the most of those bookings that came through a various range of channels.” Added David.

    Leisure bookings, that are those made predominantly through online channels, including mobile, also delivered a slight rate increase of +1.8% over 2012 in January. North America saw volumes grow significantly by +9.8% as rates delivered gains of +4.6%. Elsewhere, bookings moved from a dramatic drop of -10.8% in December 2012 to coming within -2.7% of prior year in January. Rates also narrowed the distance against prior year from -6.4% in December 2012 to within -2.5% of last year in January.

    Looking forward, global corporate bookings are expected to continue strong growth over 2012 into May, though at more moderate margins for many months. These bookings show rates will deliver marginal growth through March, potentially softening in April and can against prior year. Leisure bookings will likely sustain January’s momentum through March, perhaps easing in April but possibly approaching gains of +10% over prior year in May.

    Data reported by Pegasus Solutions comes from billions of transactions processed monthly for almost 100,000 hotels, facilitating greater than $16 billion a year. The Pegasus View, produced quarterly, is the only real industry report back to reflect data drawn from both GDS and ADS transactions, representing the business and leisure markets respectively. Pegasus’ recently introduced PegasusView Market Performance business intelligence is a monthly reporting product augmenting the worldwide data provided quarterly within the Pegasus View.

  • Wyndham expands European portfolio with Grand City Hotels deal

    Grand City Hotels has entered right into a strategic partnership with Wyndham Hotel Group to brand 43 hotels under globally recognised Wyndham brand names.

    Grand City Hotels is Germany’s second largest hotel management company.

    Under this agreement, a 3rd of the extensive Grand City Hotel portfolio of 120 hotels might be affiliated with Wyndham Hotel Group under the Wyndham Grand (five properties), Wyndham (three properties), Wyndham Garden (ten properties), TRYP by Wyndham (17 properties) and Days Inn (eight properties) flags. 

    By March 1st 2013, the primary 33 of the 43 selected locations may be rebranded.

    The remaining hotels will follow over a better two years.

    With this deal, Wyndham Hotel Group is not just introducing the Wyndham brand in Germany but can also be launching the Wyndham Garden tier within the Europe, Middle East and Africa region and the TRYP by Wyndham brand in Belgium and the Netherlands.

    Christian Windfuhr, chief executive officer, Grand City Hotels, described this new alliance as “the greatest restructuring in our corporate history to date”.

    “We are greater than convinced by Wyndham Hotel Group’s competence, capability and brand image and likewise believe, gazing the level of the agreement, we will facilitate a sturdy and successful entry to the German hotel marketplace for our new partner,” said Windfuhr.

    All of the hotels can be found in Germany apart from two, so that it will become TRYP by Wyndham properties in Antwerp, Belgium, and in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

    Wyndham Hotel Group, which currently has 54 properties in Germany, could have 95 within the country once all hotels rebrand.

    Wyndham Hotel Group could have 43 Ramada, 26 TRYP by Wyndham, 18 Wyndham and 8 Days Inn hotels in its portfolio in Germany.

    It may even have a complete of 5 hotels in Belgium and 3 properties inside the Netherlands.

  • UKinbound: Negativety will follow ‘visit visa’ for Brazilian tourists’ announcement

    UKinbound, the trade association representing the interests of the UK’s inbound tourism sector, has damned the government’s latest visa announcement that recommends the introduction of visitor visas for tourists from Brazil.

    Commenting at the announcement, UKinbound chief executive, Mary Rance said: “This is this sort of disappointing and retrograde step from the govt. Last year, it gave the impression of progress was being made during this area as visa restrictions for Chinese visitors were lightened, but now it really does feel like one leap forward and two steps back.

    “Visas are recognised as among the biggest barriers to inbound tourism and adding to this with restrictions for the Brazilian market won’t be conducive to the united kingdom economy. Brazil was identified as certainly one of VisitBritain’s key growth markets for 2020 and we should always be encouraging visitors from this ever-expanding economy, not introducing a barrier which may act as a deterrent.

    “Over the past 10 years, visitor numbers from Brazil have increased by greater than 250% and it’s been the sole BRIC country not to have UK visitor visa regulations in place. This isn’t a coincidence. Our competitors inside the Schengen zone should not have a comparable visa restriction, so why introduce a barrier to growth within the UK where there currently seriously isn’t one.

    “The Government ought to specialize in relaxing the complexity of the visa process and make the united kingdom a competitive destination, not hinder tourism further.”

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