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  • Middle earth top spot for tourists

    The famous ‘filmscapes’ of Middle-earth which feature in Sir Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey have played a number one role in boosting tourism to New Zealand, consistent with new figures.

    A 10 per cent increase in international visitors from January through to April compared with a similar period last year shows the impact The Hobbit is having on increased motivation and arrivals, says Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler.

    Survey results show 8.5 per cent of holiday makers cited The Hobbit as a reason behind their visit and 13 per cent took part in some sort of hobbit-themed tourism along with visiting a movie set.

    100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand
    Tourism New Zealand’s investment in marketing New Zealand’s association with The Hobbit Trilogy was paying off, said Bowler.
    “Information gathered from three separate research sources is basically beginning to present a favorable picture for the rustic because of The Hobbit Trilogy and our 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign.

    The results coincide with the discharge of the trailer for Film 2 – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – which features additional New Zealand landscapes and holds some surprises for fans, based on filmmakers. The movie will premiere in L. a. this coming December.

    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
    When the primary instalment inside the trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey premiered in Wellington on 28 November last year, the eyes of the movie world were on New Zealand.

    Around 100,000 fans turned out to peer the film stars walk the red carpet and greater than 200 international media covered the highly-anticipated event. Film one earned a bit over $1 billion on the box office. The DVD of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which included a distinct feature of the solid on location in New Zealand during filming, sold nearly one million copies in the course of the first week on sale.

    Filming came about over 10 weeks in 40 locations throughout New Zealand for The Hobbit Trilogy and visitors can experience the truth of the locations through a great number of different experiences – from visiting the real film set of Hobbiton to canoeing down the river where the ‘dwarves in barrels’ scene was shot.

    Middle-earth monitoring
    Fan interest in Middle-earth have been monitored by Tourism New Zealand because the launch of the 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign in August 2012.

    Tourism New Zealand questioned ‘Active Considerers’ in seven key markets and 82 per cent of these who responded said the center-earth campaign increased their interest in New Zealand, and 73 per cent stated it improved their opinions of recent Zealand.

    As well because the 10% increase in overall visitors, holiday arrivals from the us, a key target audience for the center-earth campaign, were up 23 per cent at the same period last year, said Bowler.

    “This increase in holiday arrivals perfectly coincides with the discharge of the 1st Hobbit film and an important increase in our efforts to advertise New Zealand as a vacation destination off the back of it.”

    He said the target of Tourism New Zealand’s Middle-earth marketing was to present additional motivation and reason to transform potential travellers’ interest in New Zealand, into a real booking. “And it’s working!” says Bowler.

    Spectacular landscapes and scenery
    The most dominant reason to contemplate a trip to New Zealand remains “spectacular landscapes and scenery” which was referenced by 46.7 per cent of surveyed visitors. The Hobbit rates alongside ‘getting an awful lot on flights’ at 8.8 per cent, demonstrating the facility of the relationship between New Zealand and Middle Earth.

    13.2 per cent of international visitors over January to March took in a Hobbit experience while in New Zealand, including group tours specifically visiting film sites or visiting the Hobbiton movie set.

    Bowler says leveraging The Hobbit Trilogy continues to add heavily in Tourism New Zealand’s new three-year business plan with the continuing use of the 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign with significant events being planned for the international premieres of flicks two and 3.

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  • News: WTTC: Hospitality comes home to Abu Dhabi

    The World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit – essentially the most influential event at the annual travel and tourism industry’s international calendar – which began its 13th edition within the UAE capital today, has returned to the house of hospitality, in step with His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority.

    Welcoming the collection of just about 1,000 industry leaders, including keynote speaker, president Bill Clinton, to Abu Dhabi, Al Muhairi said the staging of the summit inside the UAE capital represented a key milestone within the emirate’s tourism evolution.

    “Since Abu Dhabi began its tourism journey almost nine years ago, we now have achieved various milestones. This summit ranks among them,” said Al Muhairi.

    “When we began our journey we received a polite, yet if we’re honest, a slightly skeptical welcome onto the tourism scene.

    “Some saw us as dreamers, others as overly ambitious and under-developed.

    “They looked as if it would forget that that’s where the idea that of travellers hospitality began.”

    Al Muhairi cited the Arabian Gulf’s reputation for taking hospitality to legendary proportions.

    “It is here that hospitality was required by sheer lifestyle and tradition. A traveller, regardless of who, or where from, was obliged to accept food and shelter for no less than three days before he continued his journey,” he explained.

    “The adventurer Wilfred Thesiger, who we recall with fondness as Mubarak Bin London, recorded how, in his crossings of our Liwa desert, his unsuspecting hosts would often go without sustenance to guarantee he slept, and ate, well and gathered his strength for trials ahead.

    “This region is rich with hospitality heritage. It’s a part of a past we’re happy with and, we believe, integral to the longer term ahead.”

    Al Muhairi said in jointly hosting the summit with Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi was seeking to the international industry to see beyond its differences and interact to enhance the standard of life for destinations and their people.

    “What you are going to experience over the 2 days isn’t simply a made from financial resources.

    “It is likewise a made from vision, labor and backbone at the a part of many that have worked to ensure you leave this summit, and this emirate, with greater understanding, knowledge and a favorable cultural experience.

    “That’s something money just can’t buy,” said the director general.

    The 13th Global Summit’s theme of ‘A Time For Leadership’ also resonated well with Abu Dhabi, and the UAE, that’s blessed with visionary leaders, said Al Muhairi.

  • Courtyard by Marriott plans first hotel in Colombia

    Marriott International plans to open the primary Courtyard by Marriott brand hotel in Bogota, Colombia. Opening in April 2014, the 146-room Courtyard hotel on Avenida El Dorado may be portion of a mixed-use complex which may include prime office and retail space.

  • Brand USA announces new agent training platform

    Brand USA, the official tourism marketing organisation for the usa of America, today announced the launch of a brand new online agent training program for the united kingdom and Ireland. The us Discovery Program is a web learning tool to enable the travel industry within the UK and Ireland to sell this land like never before.

    Housed at www.USADiscoveryProgram.co.uk, agents can find straightforward information on regions and U.S. states and territories, in addition to experiences and holiday themes to produce an holistic overview of america as a destination and to enable cross-selling on all aspects of sales to the usa of America.

    Agents can take interactive quizzes to become USA Specialists, and receive award badges as a recognised qualification of experience. The united states Discovery Program aims to assist agents learn more in regards to the USA as a vacation destination, both by way of this vast and sundry country and it’s regions, states and territories, in addition to specialist holiday experiences, resembling winter sport, fly-drive and family holidays.

    The online learning environment allows agents complete flexibility during the course, learning of their own time, at their very own pace. There are five regional tests that should be completed before moving onto the specialist modules, that are more experience based. It’s miles when agents pass these quizzes that they become a USA Specialist, akin to a USA Fly-Drive Specialist or a USA Great Outdoors Specialist. This system has launched with three Specialist experience modules – Big City Buzz, the good Outdoors and Winter Sports; over the arrival months further modules, including Foods and drinks, Music/Heritage/Culture, Fly-Drive, Coastal Escapes and Family can be added.

    The social side of the innovative platform may also be of benefit to agents. The us Discovery Program’s social functionality integrates with Facebook and Twitter, in addition to being an internet forum where agents can become portion of a community, sharing knowledge, asking questions and interacting with their peers. Members may also be in a position to enjoy exclusive live events and webinars with partners direct from the united states. From video training sessions to live Q&As, there’ll always be something new to guarantee agents are kept up-to-the-minute with the newest from the us of America. Other perks of this system for agents include receiving invitations to wait exclusive events, roadshows and chances to take part in familiarisation trips to the us, which includes the logo USA Megafam.

    Through this system, Brand USA aims to elevate awareness of the united states to frontline staff and to focus on the variety of holiday experiences, ensuring America is top of mind when speaking with customers. Brand USA’s objective in-market is to rekindle the holidaymakers’ love affair with America – reclaiming the USA’s share of the market and positioning the rustic as a various destination with near limitless experiences still to be explored. By highlighting the rustic as a fresh and unexpected destination, with welcoming and friendly locals, Brand USA’s intention is to advertise the U.S. because the world’s leading tourism destination for UK and Irish visitors.

    “We are incredibly excited to be launching this innovative and interactive online training course. We are hoping america Discovery Program will provide agents with the data and talents had to sell america more effectively to their customers,” said Chris Thompson, President and CEO, Brand USA. “By making a platform that enables Brand USA to talk on to the agents we are hoping to provide them a voice to deliver feedback on what they might find useful in future modules. This ever-evolving and developing program has vast opportunities for both agents and U.S. partners to have interaction, and we glance forward to working with them to supply the support and tools they should sell this land, like never before.”

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  • News: Emirates set to launch first transatlantic flight

    Connecting mainland Europe with North America, Emirates will launch a right away service between Milan and Big apple, the airline’s only trans-Atlantic service, from October 1st 2013.

    Linking Italy directly with America, the brand new route will provide a great connection between Continental Europe and the usa, allowing Emirates to capitalise at the significant traffic flow between these cities and giving both leisure and business travellers more choice and added convenience.

    In addition to the present passenger market between Milan and Manhattan, Emirates has timed its flight schedule to make sure maximum connectivity for other key feeder markets.

    Customers across Europe trying to fly at the airline’s product would be ready to maximise the airline’s frequent flyer partnership with easyJet, seamlessly connecting through Milan to The big apple.

    On arrival within the US, customers can then make the most Emirates’ partnership with JetBlue enabling connections around the US, including the West Coast.

    “Operating a trans-Atlantic route have been on our agenda for your time.

    “Having carefully monitored traffic flows we’ve got identified strong demand for both an immediate connection and, importantly, for the Emirates product. 

    “The route is currently underserved, particularly with a robust premium product offering it is where we see a transparent opening for Emirates.

    “We intend to capitalise in this opportunity, stimulating further demand and inspiring additional traffic flow in both directions,” said Tim Clark, president, Emirates.

    Operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, the flight may be an extension of 1 of Emirates’ existing three daily, Dubai to Milan flights.

    The service will originate in Dubai with passengers then ready to enjoy a stopover in Milan en-path to Long island.

    On the return flight, passengers can have the choice of forestalling in Milan before continuing directly to Dubai. 

    This one-stop service has proved popular on other Emirates’ routes, giving passengers the chance to experience a brand new destination or to damage their journey on longer trips.