Category: Holidays

  • NYC & Company releases industry overview

    Emily K. Rafferty, Chairman of the Board of NYC & Company and President of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company, have announced the discharge of “New York City Tourism: A Model for achievement,” the 1st-ever official report on Long island City’s tourism industry.

    The report highlights the phenomenal growth of the tourism industry after the 2006 merger of NYC & Company, NYC Big Events and NYC Marketing to form a revolutionary public-private municipal marketing and tourism model that was emulated by destinations all over the world.

    Since the creation of the re-envisioned NYC & Company, town has seen a record 52 million visitors, an all-time high of $55.3 billion in economic impact and a 27 per cent increase in leisure and hospitality jobs—the most of any industry over the past seven years. The report was released to key local media and the leading 2013 mayoral candidates. 

    “Tourism’s robust growth since 2006 is not any accident—it was the results of an innovative model and deliberate method to target emerging international markets and promote the variety of tourism activities across all five boroughs,” said NYC & Company Chairman Emily Rafferty.

    “In order to keep this momentum and reach our goal of 55 million visitors and $70 billion in economic impact by 2015, the industry may be on the lookout for continued investment and support from the following administration.” Rafferty added.

    “New York City Tourism: A Model for Success” was distributed to key local print and broadcast media and to campaign headquarters of all eleven 2013 mayoral candidates. With the report, NYC & Company aims to begin a dialogue in regards to the importance of the tourism industry and highlight NYC & Company’s accomplishments because the official marketing, partnership and tourism organization for town of latest York. 

    “The story of recent York City tourism’s unprecedented success is one who we should always all be pleased with,” said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. “Over the past six years we have got welcomed more visitors than ever before and feature generated billions of greenbacks in economic impact for the town. We plan to continue our efforts and “New York City Tourism: A Model for Success” marks the primary-step in an industry-wide effort to make sure that the 2013 mayoral candidates and other elected officials acknowledge and support Ny City’s fastest growing industry.” 

    Since 2006, the town has set new visitation records in six out of 7 years while the tourism industry created 78,200 new leisure and hospitality jobs. Over the last seven years numerous industry sectors experienced exponential growth including hotels, cultural institutions, the conventions and tradeshows market, dining, retail, Broadway and entertainment.

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  • ITP launches guidance for hotels on addressing human trafficking

    Green Globe Certification associate, the International Tourism Partnership (ITP), has produced a guide to assist hoteliers understand human trafficking and compelled labor – what it truly is, the way it may affect them and what actions they may take to minimize the danger of trafficking of their businesses.

    Human trafficking is the purchase of folks by improper means resembling force, fraud or deception, aiming at exploiting them. It often – but not always – involves people being taken from one country to a different, where they’re subject to sexual exploitation, forced labor or other forms of servitude. Briefly – it’s modern-day slavery. It is a relevant topic for hoteliers, since it can be guests or staff on the hotel who’re victims of this abuse.

    Human trafficking is, by nature, a ‘hidden’ crime, however the scale is large. In accordance with the International Labor Organization (ILO) human trafficking is the third-largest illicit moneymaking venture on the earth, after drug dealing and arms trading, and over 30 million people worldwide are victims of trafficking. Figures at the impact at the hotel industry specifically are hard to come back by. However, government and law enforcement agencies pinpoint the hospitality industry as being ‘high risk’, and the increasing variety of national initiatives in lots of countries highlights the growing center around this issue as one that is especially relevant for hotels. Whether statistics can be found or not, there ought to be no threshold of interest and engagement with this issue – no level of human trafficking is appropriate.

    Human trafficking has to forestall, and we as an industry use every power we need to end this scourge. The International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and its members were active at the issue for some years now. Today, they may be proud to launch their Understand how Guide to addressing human trafficking to tell, encourage and support others inside the industry to sign up for the fight.

  • ABTA gives its top ten tips for summer holidaymakers

    ABTA – The Travel Association is giving its top ten essential travel how you can help Brits enjoy a bother free holiday because the great summer exodus gets into full swing.

    ABTA expects 14 million Brits to holiday overseas between July and September. For those that haven’t already booked, it’s not too late, with availability in Mallorca, Turkey and the Canary Islands. As always if you’ve left it late the more flexible you’ll be, the higher your possibilities of securing a whole lot.

    *  Check your passport in a good number of time – Avoid the additional expense of getting to fast track your passport renewal by checking it’s expiry date long before you travel, also understand that if you’re travelling outside of Europe many nations require you to have six months validity after your departure date, in case you don’t you can be refused entry.

    *  Weigh your luggage – It could be really easy to head over your airline’s baggage allowance, so that you can avoid a luxurious supplement on the airport weigh your bags before you permit home.

    *  Let your bank know you’re heading overseas – banks are always at the look- out for fraudulent transactions so in the event that they don’t know when or where you’re overseas they are going to often block your card.

    *  Be cautious what you bring back – If you’re travelling outside of Europe it is usually illegal with a view to bring back food stuffs – see the complete list of what that you may and can’t bring back.

    *  Make your drinks last more – spirit measures overseas are generally a lot more generous than within the UK, so get monetary savings and your liver by inquiring for a mixer in preference to more alcohol.

    *  Buy travel insurance – Avoid the opportunity of sky high medical bills by disposing of travel insurance. Do you know treatment for a broken leg within the US costs around £44,000

    *  Get vaccinated – If you’re travelling outside of Western Europe, North America or Australasia there are some nasty but preventable diseases you may catch, so go and spot a health care professional to get all of the necessary jabs.

    *  Lunch just like the locals – Ever wondered why between one and 3 inside the afternoon the whole lovely tanned locals disappear from the beach leaving us Brits on our own It’s since the sun is simply too strong and so they go and feature a leisurely lunch within the shade. So avoid the red lobster look and go and join them!

    *  How to say a number of words within the local language – it won’t take long and it’ll be greatly appreciated.

    *  Learn travel tips before you go.

  • Intense heat wave ushers in tourism to NJ beach towns

    “The Shore is OPEN,” the official tourism website of latest Jersey touts, assuring tourists that the Sandy-battered coastline is back up and running after months of recovery.

    As parts of the East endure the fourth heat wave of 2013, tourists are flocking to New Jersey’s coastline to chill off inside the ocean and revel in newly reconstructed parks, water rides and concessions.

    Images of the boardwalk in pieces, the famous Jet Star coaster submerged inside the salty ocean water and Restore the Shore promotions airing across local radio stations had residents and businesses worried that tourists would go elsewhere in 2013.

    But it was a double-edged sword—the promotions brought in significant financial aid for reconstruction.

    2012 had set a record year for the state’s tourism industry, generating $34.7 billion of the state GDP, amounting to 7 percent of your complete state economy.

    With 10 percent of all New Jersey jobs regarding travel and tourism, Superstorm Sandy put shore communities in a precarious position.

    Despite concerns, the Garden State’s summer tourism season is progressing positively, the recent Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism says.

    “We are optimistic concerning the future,” in accordance with Executive Director of the brand new Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, Grace Hanlon.

    “While the Jersey Shore saw a slow start with the elements Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July weekend brought spectacular weather and crowds all along our 130 miles and the momentum is continuous.”

    As the East enters its hottest days of summer, business owners are noticing the sweltering conditions driving crowds to the beaches and the insides in their businesses.

    “Weather is unquestionably probably the most critical factors. We’re pleased that visitors are coming to go to the Jersey Shore to work out for themselves the incredible recovery and rebuilding that has taken place during the last couple of months and to do their part in helping these shore town economies,” Hanlon said.

    Though Mother Nature showed no mercy last October, her high heat, humidity and sunshine are yielding the kind of summer New Jersey tourism thrives on.

    This week will remain stifling for far of the East because the heat wave peaks, before easing back slightly by Monday. Ocean temperatures have finally pushed into the 70s, after days of unseasonable lows within the 50s.

    “High daytime and nighttime temperatures, high humidity, intense sunshine and shortage of wind will make the world look like the center of the tropics,” in keeping with AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

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  • Turkish destination management company goes green

    Turkey’s leading Destination Management Company, ODS, has demonstrated a compassion for our surroundings and responsible actions for decades. The corporate has developed a whole lot of innovative concepts, promoting awareness among suppliers, clients, and staff – integrating a “green concept” into all levels of the business. Those efforts recently earned Green Globe certification.

    “Our entire ODS Turkey team is incredibly proud to attain this prestigious recognition,” said Sadik Caglar, Managing Director at ODS. “It is our philosophy to advertise and actively live sustainability, and with the fairway Globe award our competency is now made official. We will be able to continue to enhance our performance, and it’ll be the duty of every our team member to guard and enhance our environment, contributing to an improved future for generations to return.”

    ODS has implemented quite a number eco-friendly and effort-saving measures: LED lighting is installed at the first floor of the building, all electrical appliances on the office are rated “A class” with regards to energy consumption, a strict recycling policy is in place, and recycled products are purchased wherever possible. To be sure quality sustainability, ODS has developed their very own exclusive system called Treecom. All ODS projects are monitored through this technique and taken to life.

    “We feel the Responsibility” is the motto here, and ODS Turkey is immersed in different activities and foundations that give back to the community and environment. The corporate makes regular contributions to TEGV, the learning Volunteers Foundation of Turkey, supporting the elemental education of youngsters to assist them gaining life skills for a brighter future. Every year, a set percentage of the profit is allocated to fund a ramification of Turkish local and regional non-profit organisations. Clients are invited to take part with a trip and even an activity including a particular charity of their events. ODS makes a speciality of Morcati – a women’s shelter foundation, LOSEV – a foundation for youngsters with leukemia, and WWF – the area Wildlife Fund.

    ODS is obsessed on organising fundraisers and volunteer events that benefit the area people. These types of events include repairing school buildings, planting trees, or organising clean-up days, especially in underprivileged neighborhoods. Clients and suppliers are always encouraged to sign up for the ODS team at any of these events.

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