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  • Brand USA seals global cope with STA Travel

    Brand USA and STA Travel have signed a world deal worth $4million over the following two years to advertise america to the youth travel market.

    This is the primary time that Brand USA, the official tourism marketing organisation for the us of America, has launched into a dedicated youth campaign.

    The USA is already a key destination for STA Travel, the world’s leading student and youth tour operator for 18 to 35 year-olds, nevertheless it is aiming to increased sales to the us by 30 per cent over the 2 year period.

    The campaign has launched within the UK, Northern and Central Europe, Asia, Australasia and South Africa with a contest for 3 winners to every win a road trip to the us.

    The winners may be joined by a qualified film crew that will gain exciting and experiential footage which might be placed online.

    The aim is to get under the outside of America and look for what makes the us a singular destination to the youth traveller to allow them to discover this land like never before.

    The campaign will largely be driven online across plenty of social media and digital platforms, across college campus activity and throughout STA Travel global retail stores.

    STA Travel chief executive, John Constable, said: “We are delighted to be working which includes Brand USA in this ambitious campaign.

    “We’ve seen the recognition and insist for america grow exponentially during the last five years and spot this as a chance to carve out a special proposition about USA to the youth audience.

    “Brand USA couldn’t have come at a smarter time; the us has needed a consolidated marketing approach for a while and we’re very concerned with working together to advertise a totally special landscape.”

    Brand USA is the general public-private partnership answerable for promoting the U.S. as a premier travel destination and communicating US entry/exit policies and procedures.

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  • News: Icelandair and WestJet sign interline deal

    WestJet and Icelandair have launched a brand new interline agreement opening up the skies for passengers connecting between the Americas and greater than 20 Icelandair destinations throughout Europe.

    Passengers can now book a single combined e-ticket for WestJet and Icelandair flights consisting of the conveniences of single check-in for all flights and baggage sent through to the general destination.

    When connecting within the Americas, Icelandair customers will enjoy WestJet’s fleet of Boeing 737 Next-Generation aircraft serving greater than 80 cities in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

    “Icelandair and WestJet share a number of the same philosophies including offering our passengers a refreshing travel experience” said Helgi Mar Bjorgvinsson, Icelandair’s Senior Vp of promoting and Sales. “Our complementary customer support and connections through Toronto and Halifax make this a natural partnership. We also sit up for further opening the skies of Canada for both inbound and outbound passengers.”

    Earlier this year Icelandair expanded its seasonal service from Toronto to a year-round operation with plans to extend capacity next summer. Icelandair will even resume seasonal service from Halifax with two flights every week starting June 1, 2013.

    “We’re excited to welcome Icelandair as WestJet’s thirty-second partner airline,” said Todd Peterson, WestJet’s Director, Alliances. “Icelandair and WestJet share a name for quality service and great value. The brand new relationship between our airlines will enhance options for travel between North America and Europe.”

    Icelandair offers service to Iceland from Boston, Ny-JFK, Seattle, Denver and Toronto with seasonal service from Newark, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis-St. Paul, Orlando Sanford, Halifax, and Anchorage (starting May 15, 2013).

    Connections through Icelandair’s hub at Keflavik International Airport are available in to greater than 20 destinations in Scandinavia, the U.K. and Continental Europe. Only Icelandair allows passengers to stopover in Iceland at no additional airfare.

  • News: Alps coach driver praised for bravery

    The British coach driver who died in a crash within the French Alps was praised for saving passengers lives.

    The coach, which was travelling from Alpe d’Huez to the united kingdom was carrying 50 staff from tour operator Skibound.

    Three Britons were seriously injured within the incident, which ended in the coach bursting into flames.

    French transport minister Frederic Cuvillier praised driver Maurice Wrightson, 64, from County Durham, for displaying “remarkable courage”. It’s thought that the accident might have been much worse had the coach not bogged down ahead of the crash. 

    There can have been an issue with the vehicle’s breaks, consistent with police.

  • ASEAN starts promoting experiential and inventive tourism

    The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is promoting six experiential and artistic travel themes to encourage multi-country trips across Southeast Asia. The themed promotions are portion of the implementation of the ASEAN Tourism Business plan 2012-2015.

    The themes include: “The Tastes of Southeast Asia,” “ASEAN, a Tropical Paradise,” “World Class Cities,” “Experience Diverse Traditions,” “Sport and Relaxation,” and “Diverse Contemporary Creativity.”

    An initial list of 20 tour operators offering the subjects in multi-country itineraries are actually at the new look ASEAN travel website, www.aseantourism.travel, the official website of ASEAN Tourism. More trips are being added. Website enhancements are underway.

    “Our new focus is on experiential and inventive tourism that respects environment and culture,” said Mr. Aung Zaw Win, Director General, Ministry of Hotels and Tourism Myanmar, who’s also Chairman of the ASEAN Tourism Product Development Working Group. “An authentic travel experience involves meaningful engagement with the heritage, arts and special character of our ASEAN destinations,” he said.

    Mr Aung Zaw Win urged tour operators in ASEAN countries to develop more multi-country packages highlighting experiential and artistic tourism, which he mentioned was a rising trend among consumers who want ‘authentic’ travel.

    “Today’s travellers are more sophisticated and occupied with unique experiences with immersion in local ways of life,” he said. “Our role is to therefore support multi-country experiential travel within ASEAN member states.”

    To inspire travellers, ASEAN has compiled a sequence of features about themes together with beach, nature and wildlife; cruise tour and rail; culture and heritage; education and volunteering; food and nightlife; fun and leisure; health and spa; outdoor and water sports; and pilgrimage tourism.

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  • Marriott Institute of Hospitality Education makes debut in China

    Marriott International today launched the ‘Marriott Institute of Hospitality Education’ in co-operation with Anhui Zhong-Ao Institute of Technology. Here is the newest college partnership model Marriott International has embarked upon in China to develop the long run generation of the hospitality workforce to support its growth inside the country.

    Once established, the Marriott Institute of Hospitality Education turns into a vital part of the Anhui Zhong-Ao Institute of Technology and should enroll students from the once a year China national examination for a 3-year diploma programme. The anticipated variety of 2013 intakes can be 300 students.

    Initially, the curriculum spotlight will be on Hotel Management, but plans are in place to expand the course to incorporate Tourism Management in addition to Culinary and Nutrition. Inside the final year of analysis, students may have work placements at Marriott’s hotels in China to achieve experience in an actual-life hotel environment.

    Marriott International will offer a whole array of support making sure that this joint programme is a good success from the very start, including lectures from the company’s senior executives to the scholars. Other support includes student field study and internship opportunities at Marriott International’s hotels, faculty internship and curriculum development. Michael Malik, Market Vp – Eastern China of Marriott International will function the deputy dean of the Marriott Institute of Hospitality Education. He’s going to provide counsel and oversee the education direction of the Institute. 

    In the inauguration ceremony of the Marriott Institute of Hospitality Education, Regan Taikitsadaporn, Chief Human Resources Officer of Marriott International Asia Pacific, said: “Marriott International is happy with the truth that it’s far consistently recognised as a top employer in China and world wide. We now have been providing career development opportunities to ambitious talents worldwide for greater than eight decades. The launch of the Marriott Institute of Hospitality Education not just upholds our core values, but additionally serves as a timely move to fuel our tremendous portfolio growth in China.

    “Marriott International currently cooperates with a lot of colleges throughout China to assist foster a higher generation of hotel executives. Nevertheless, when it comes to the breadth and depth of such types of exercises, this co-operation with Anhui Zhong-Ao Institute of Technology is unprecedented,” said Taikitsadaporn. 

    Marriott International has launched co-operation programmes with 15 colleges in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guiyang and in other locations. Similarly, Marriott has relations with 112 colleges across China and recruited greater than 2,500 interns in 2012 within the country.

    Wang Yuan Hao, Dean of Marriott Institute of Hospitality Education, said: “The hospitality industry of China was growing rapidly and this trend is anticipated to continue in coming years. Therefore it’s essential that our education will keep pace with and meet the human resources demand of the industry. We’re delighted to have the support of Marriott International to this programme because the company brings a wealth of expertise and heritage in developing hospitality talent around the globe.”

    With 137 open and signed hotels in China, Marriott International expects to open on average one hotel per thirty days inside the country for the five years. The corporate intends to feature some 40,000 associates in China by 2016.