Category: Holidays

  • Tourism leaders unite to unveil Tricentennial Plan

    On Monday, April 22, New Orleans tourism industry leaders and civic stakeholders gathered to announce the formation in their alliance because the Tricentennial Consortium, and present their Tricentennial Plan, a strong holistic vision to be implemented within the next five years, with a view to create thousands of jobs, generate greatly increased tourism demand, spur economic development and make sure the continued growth of recent Orleans’ economy for many years to come back.  The unified plan was under development for the past three years to support the goals of The Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) 2010 Strategic Master Plan for the tourism and hospitality industry of town of latest Orleans.

    It is now culminating with the alignment of key components for execution over the subsequent five years to profit a higher quarter century.  The overarching goals are to draw 13.7 million visitors, create $11 billion in direct spending, 33,000 additional jobs and $700 million in tax revenue by the city’s 300th anniversary in 2018.

    The Tricentennial Plan for these next five years leading as much as the city’s 2018 300th birthday involves several legislative and infrastructure initiatives and two major public policy positions:

    1. The united industry (Consortium) is against a rise in sales tax impacting hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, attractions and retailers in New Orleans. We deeply appreciate our legislature deferring these taxes.

    2. The united industry (Consortium) is strongly against any transfer or other use of Morial Convention Center financial reserves, that are made out of revenues generated by taxes proposed by the hot Orleans hotel and restaurant industry and that were collected and dedicated by law solely to convention center and hospitality infrastructure development. We consider any reallocations or taking to violate sound public and monetary policy, and to be violative of all agreements with the hotel and restaurant industry that resulted in the enactment of the taxes, and really likely the law to boot.

    3. The united industry (Consortium) strongly supports an incredible Convention Center Vision Plan featuring the riverfront and Convention Center Boulevard, the building, and the expansive Phase IV property, the financial and legal underpinnings of that are supported in HB516 (Leger). This many faceted development of demand generators is intimately connected to and tied in with….

    4. A united industry effort filed by the Consortium to create a brand new vision for an iconic demand generator, world class facility, architectural edifice, landscape or like stunning public use of the present World Trade Center Property in a fashion that has huge public and civic buy-in and broad public appeal. (The Wednesday filing by the Tricentennial Consortium to the city’s RFP.)

    5. The united industry (Consortium) strongly supports an optional hotel assessment (not a tax, not a district, and no relation to last year’s bill) to lift new funds for marketing and promotion of latest Orleans as a destination for special events, corporate and association meetings, business, and leisure travel, both domestically and internationally. This optional hotel assessment program would go some distance to catching up our destination with our competitors in marketing capacity, and may immediately create hundreds of millions of greenbacks of impact on our city economy and create thousands of latest jobs. That is provided in SB 242 by Murray and Leger.

    6. The united industry (Consortium) applauds and supports the Mayor’s recent announcement to construct a brand new world class airport. The event of the brand new facility is the overall piece in transforming our hospitality infrastructure and is significant to our brand and world competitiveness.
    These six public policy announcements and initiatives are united and indivisible and every is needed to put the groundwork for a quantum leap in economic development, infrastructure modernization, demand generator creation, tourism growth, job creation and the generation of recent tax revenues to take care of our city.

    The announcement was made today by Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO Ron Forman ; New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation Chair Darryl Berger and President and CEO Mark Romig ; New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau Chairman Gregory Rusovich and President & CEO Stephen Perry ; New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network President Toni Rice ; Louisiana Restaurant Association CEO Stan Harris , SMG Senior Vp Doug Thornton ; New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Chair Melvin Rodrigue and President Bob Johnson ; and larger New Orleans Hotel & Lodging Association officer and Area General Manager of Marriott Corp. Robert Bray .

    This plan was formed to shape the conversation and public debate of hopes, dreams and aspirations for our great city, preparing New Orleans for a better century, and approaching the tricentennial five year plan as a unified group with a unified voice, strong public policy positions, and an action plan of projects and legislation to execute.

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  • GTMC welcomes third new member this month

    The GTMC has welcomed its second Uniglobe member and the third new member this month – Uniglobe Preferred Travel.

    Preferred Travel was incorporated in November 1992 and is one among Uniglobe’s largest affiliates sharing global accounts with its network partners across five continents.  The corporate has its headquarters in Brighton, Sussex and likewise has an office in Westminster, London, they employ over 30 members of staff.

    Uniglobe Preferred Travel’s managing director, John Burroughes said: “We are delighted to join the GTMC and anticipate sharing best practice with the very best within the business.  We’re desirous to make a good contribution to the recognised voice of our industry.”

    GTMC chief executive Paul Wait said:  “We warmly welcome Uniglobe Preferred Travel to the GTMC.  Inside the history of the GTMC that’s unprecedented to have three new members in a single month and we’re now at a record collection of members with the count being thirty-nine. The GTMC membership truly represents the voice of industrial travel and travellers inside the UK. The industry faces its next phase of change and challenge and the GTMC is easily placed with its increasing membership to shape the longer term and definitely contribute toward UK PLC.”

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  • Avoid taking a taxi from Tokyo airport to city centre, it’ll cost you just about £200

    For the millions of Britons warding off this summer to holiday destinations around the globe, or if you happen to go on regular weekend breaks to mainland Europe, taking a taxi from the airport to a city centre hotel is mostly the handiest and fastest approach to travel. But how much or little are Brits deciding to buy this convenience

    New research from travel money specialist Moneycorp looks on the cost of a taxi ride – not booked beforehand – from a few of the major international airports in Europe and the remainder of the area, to the town centre. Moneycorp checked out the most well-liked destinations for British holidaymakers, and results were ranked by cost per kilometre, as some airport to city centre transfers were dearer because of the journey distance. The consequences revealed huge differences in price, even within mainland Europe, with taxi fares potentially adding hundreds of pounds onto the price of a vacation or weekend break.

    European destinations fill six of the pinnacle seven places for many expensive airport to city centre taxi transfers. But top of the pile is Tokyo. A taxi ride from Tokyo Narita airport to the centre of town, 66 km away, will set tourists back almost £200, or a price per km of £2.90. That’s even with sterling strengthening against the yen since last summer by greater than 24%. Take a taxi both ways, and also you might be watching an eye fixed-watering £400 additional expense on top of all of your other holiday costs.

    Ranking by £ per km, Copenhagen (Denmark) is the costliest airport-city centre taxi transfer in Europe. Although the taxi journey from Copenhagen airport to the town centre is barely 8km, the common fare is £34.08, which equates to £4.26 per km. A better costliest is Geneva (Switzerland) to centre of Geneva. Again the adventure is brief, only 6km, but will set holidaymakers back a regular of £22.63 or £3.77 per km.

    On price alone, the 45km taxi ride from Oslo’s Gardermoen airport to the town centre costs an eye fixed-watering £73.45. That implies a round trip will set people back almost £150 (£146.90). Oslo is closely followed by Milan Malpensa airport to the centre of Milan, with a purpose to leave holidaymakers out of pocket by the princely sum of £70.25.

    In terms of the least expensive airport-city centre taxi rides, Delhi’s Indira Ghandi International to the centre of Delhi, will set you back just £2.69 for the 16km journey, or £0.17 per km. It’s closely followed by Thailand’s Suvernabhumi airport to Bangkok central, where a 30km taxi ride costs just £5.63 or £0.19 per km.

    The next three cheapest destinations are in Europe; Sofia airport to city centre (£0.22 per km), Istanbul Ataturk airport (£0.24 per km), and Ottopeni airport (£0.28 per km), that’s 17km outside Bucharest. On price alone, Sofia airport-city centre transfer works out cheapest at £2.17, followed by Bucharest (£4.79), Istanbul (£6.01) and Warsaw (£8.11).

    In terms of distance, the international airports that are furthest from town centre are: Tokyo Narita (66km), Reykjavik Keflavik (48km), Milan Malpensa (46km), Oslo Gardermoen (45km), Stockholm Arlanda (43km), Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini (35km) and Hong Kong (34km). The nearest are Geneva (6km), Copenhagen (8km) and Lisbon’s Portela airport (9km).

    Tracey Tivnan, head of selling for Travel Money at Moneycorp, comments:  “Taking a taxi from the airport isn’t the cheapest option in comparison to taking the train or bus, however it is often the well-liked option as a result of sheer convenience of being taken from right outside the terminal to a hotel. For those arriving late at night in unfamiliar territory, the very last thing any folks wish to do is navigate foreign transport systems. We wish to get to our hotel as quickly as possible, with out a hassle.

    “What our research into airport taxi costs reveals is the wide variation in taxi fares looking on which country you’re visiting. And this additional cost can make an enormous dent for your holiday budget if you’re not careful or prepared. If the airport to city centre taxi ride is especially expensive, like in Tokyo, then taking the bus or train could be the only option – so it’s worth finding out the local transport system earlier. Alternatively, you are ready to book a taxi before you travel, which can be significantly cheaper than flagging down a taxi outside the airport.

    “It’s interesting that a few of the biggest variations in taxi costs are in mainland Europe. As an example, the taxi fare from Milan Malpensa airport to the town centre will cost you greater than £70. This compares to only £2.17 from Sofia airport to the centre of Sofia. And with sterling greater than 6% weaker against the euro since last July, taxi fares may be much more expensive in Europe this summer.”

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  • Western & Oriental launches new USA programme

    Following on from the success of its existing North American ranch portfolio, luxury travel specialist Western & Oriental has launched a dedicated USA programme with a purpose to include an expansion of city breaks, fly drive itineraries and escorted tours in addition multi-centre holidays. The operator is aiming to provide a programme showcasing the various cultural highlights in addition to stunning destinations of the us including; cities, winelands and national parks.

    David Pointer, Head of Product for Western & Oriental says, “We have tried to supply something a piece different with our new USA programme, the core of that is tailor-made and goes far beyond a regular flight and hotel booking. The united states offers such diverse highlights and we can prepare personalised route maps for our fly-drive holidays in addition to delving deeper into the accommodation available to supply smaller boutique hotels for our city breaks.”

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  • Avoid taking a taxi from Tokyo airport to city centre, it is going to cost you nearly £200

    For the millions of Britons avoiding this summer to holiday destinations worldwide, or in case you go on regular weekend breaks to mainland Europe, taking a taxi from the airport to a city centre hotel is frequently the handiest and fastest thanks to travel. But how much or little are Brits deciding to buy this convenience

    New research from travel money specialist Moneycorp looks on the cost of a taxi ride – not booked upfront – from the various major international airports in Europe and the remainder of the sector, to the town centre. Moneycorp checked out the hottest destinations for British holidaymakers, and results were ranked by cost per kilometre, as some airport to city centre transfers were costlier as a result of the journey distance. The outcomes revealed huge differences in price, even within mainland Europe, with taxi fares potentially adding hundreds of pounds onto the price of a vacation or weekend break.

    European destinations fill six of the head seven places for many expensive airport to city centre taxi transfers. But top of the pile is Tokyo. A taxi ride from Tokyo Narita airport to the centre of the town, 66 km away, will set tourists back almost £200, or a value per km of £2.90. That’s inspite of sterling strengthening against the yen since last summer by greater than 24%. Take a taxi both ways, and also you can be observing a watch-watering £400 additional expense on top of your whole other holiday costs.

    Ranking by £ per km, Copenhagen (Denmark) is the costliest airport-city centre taxi transfer in Europe. Although the taxi journey from Copenhagen airport to the town centre is purely 8km, the common fare is £34.08, which equates to £4.26 per km. The subsequent most costly is Geneva (Switzerland) to centre of Geneva. Again the adventure is brief, only 6km, but will set holidaymakers back an ordinary of £22.63 or £3.77 per km.

    On price alone, the 45km taxi ride from Oslo’s Gardermoen airport to town centre costs a watch-watering £73.45. Meaning a round trip will set people back almost £150 (£146.90). Oslo is closely followed by Milan Malpensa airport to the centre of Milan, for you to leave holidaymakers out of pocket by the princely sum of £70.25.

    In terms of the lowest priced airport-city centre taxi rides, Delhi’s Indira Ghandi International to the centre of Delhi, will set you back just £2.69 for the 16km journey, or £0.17 per km. That is closely followed by Thailand’s Suvernabhumi airport to Bangkok central, where a 30km taxi ride costs just £5.63 or £0.19 per km.

    The next three cheapest destinations are in Europe; Sofia airport to city centre (£0.22 per km), Istanbul Ataturk airport (£0.24 per km), and Ottopeni airport (£0.28 per km), that is 17km outside Bucharest. On price alone, Sofia airport-city centre transfer works out cheapest at £2.17, followed by Bucharest (£4.79), Istanbul (£6.01) and Warsaw (£8.11).

    In terms of distance, the international airports that are furthest from the town centre are: Tokyo Narita (66km), Reykjavik Keflavik (48km), Milan Malpensa (46km), Oslo Gardermoen (45km), Stockholm Arlanda (43km), Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini (35km) and Hong Kong (34km). The nearest are Geneva (6km), Copenhagen (8km) and Lisbon’s Portela airport (9km).

    Tracey Tivnan, head of promoting for Travel Money at Moneycorp, comments:  “Taking a taxi from the airport isn’t the cheapest option when compared with taking the train or bus, but it surely is often the most well-liked option as a result of the sheer convenience of being taken from right outside the terminal to a hotel. For those arriving late at night in unfamiliar territory, the very last thing any folks desire to do is navigate foreign transport systems. We wish to get to our hotel as quickly as possible, without hassle.

    “What our research into airport taxi costs reveals is the wide variation in taxi fares reckoning on which country you’re visiting. And this additional cost can make an enormous dent on your holiday budget if you’re not careful or prepared. If the airport to city centre taxi ride is especially expensive, like in Tokyo, then taking the bus or train stands out as the only option – so it’s worth sorting out the local transport system beforehand. Alternatively, you are capable of book a taxi before you travel, which may be significantly cheaper than flagging down a taxi outside the airport.

    “It’s interesting that many of the biggest variations in taxi costs are in mainland Europe. For instance, the taxi fare from Milan Malpensa airport to the town centre will cost you greater than £70. This compares to only £2.17 from Sofia airport to the centre of Sofia. And with sterling greater than 6% weaker against the euro since last July, taxi fares can be much more expensive in Europe this summer.”

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