Category: News

  • News: PATA predicts continued growth in regional travel

    Officials on the Pacific Asia Travel Association and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Hotel & Tourism Management released their joint publication, the Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2013-2017.

    The new forecasts at the complete visitor economy will make it easier for tourism organisations to anticipate demand trends and manage supply.

    The annual and quarterly forecasts cover a five-year horizon and include price elasticity variables for many of the destinations covered.

    High-level snapshots from the forecasts show that visitor arrivals to the Asia Pacific region will keep growing with a median annual growth rate of four.1 per cent over the period 2013-2017 and reach 581 million by 2017.

    At an identical time, north-east Asia will maintain a dominant position within the inbound market of Asia Pacific, and its market share will reach 53 per cent by 2017./

    China will remain the pinnacle inbound destination within the Asia Pacific, peaking at 147.4 million visitors in 2017.

    Visitor arrivals to the Asia Pacific from China will exceed 100 million by 2015
    Cambodia, the Maldives, Chinese Taipei, Bhutan and Mongolia are the head five fastest growing destinations when it comes to visitor arrivals over the period 2013-2017.

    Taken together these projections provide essential information for tourism planners and operators alike.

    The forecasts aim to aid destinations set strategy for the arrival years by supporting the entire visitor economy in both long-term decision and policy making by predicting arrivals, tourism receipts and departures consistent with country/region of origins for 41 destinations.

    “I am delighted to recommend these next generation forecasts to PATA members and colleagues. The scope and quality of the forecasts will add value to our a variety of members across 17 time zones and plenty of different functional groups,” said Martin J Craigs, PATA chief executive.

    Published annually with a quarterly breakdown, the Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2013-2017 will include details about visitor arrivals to choose PATA member economies from key source markets, visitor expenditures in PATA member economies, and visitor departures of member economies.

    The annual edition of the forecasts may even feature reports analysing the forecasts and their implications, bearing in mind particular trends for certain regions.

    Though it’s clear that demand for inbound and outbound travel in Asia Pacific is growing, it’s the details shown by forecasts of travel demand with a purpose to guide the visitor economy within the measurement of tourist arrivals and expenditure.

    Forecasts may help justify decision-making on the subject of planning investments in visitor infrastructure, human resource management, marketing resource allocation decisions and new product development.

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  • Mantis opens operations on seventh continent

    Mantis, a family-run selection of award-winning, privately-owned, five-star properties is now the sole hotel group on the planet to have a presence on all seven continents.

    The group has signed with a set of unique bush camps in Australia, called Wild Bush Luxury, giving Mantis its seventh continental footprint.

    Mantis prides itself on working with hotels that represent the best example in their kind and celebrate the culture, gastronomy, architecture and nature of the locations within which they’re found.

    In-the-know travellers can enjoy diverse experiences including quintessentially British stays at London’s Draycott Hotel and 16th century country house-hotel Ellenborough Park within the Cotswolds.

    Moving further into Europe guests can witness the natural wonder of the Northern Lights on the ICEHOTEL and Lapland Resorts, or if journeying to Africa can enjoy unique river-based game viewing aboard the Zambezi Queen.

    Mantis also offers guests incredible experiential journeys including exploring the varied scenery of South America with explora, or an expensive adventure to Antarctica at White Desert.

    Continuing to expand their brand under the vision of “unearthing the exceptional” this year has also seen Mantis embark at the development of a five star hotel at the island of St. Helena, within the South Atlantic Ocean, 2,000km from the closest major land mass.

    The island is currently only accessed by the last commercially operating Royal Mail Ship, but might be opening its own airport in January 2016.

    Mantis has also recently partnered with ICS Group in India forming a three way partnership ‘Ayana Hospitality’ targeting providing hospitality services to high-end boutique hotels and lodges, primarily in nature destinations.

    To be sure that Mantis continues to provide member properties the perfect sales, marketing and management solutions, Mantis has also formed a partnership with global boutique hotel specialist, Mr & Mrs Smith.

    The partnership sees Mantis’ new booking engine channel being powered by Mr & Mrs Smith’s proprietary technology.

    The business also is developing into other areas having identified a chance within the adventure travel market.

    In September 2012 it launched the Bear Grylls Survival Academy as a part of Worldwide Experience, allowing clients to experience extreme activities inside the group.

  • News: ITB Berlin set to launch new advertising campaign to reinforce position

    ITB Berlin can be strengthening its image because the world’s leading travel trade exhibition with the launch of a brand new advertising campaign.

    The creative team of Daniel Freier und Robert Körtge of the Berlin-based branding agency kleiner und bold was liable for developing this strategy and new undertaking.

    The main objective of the hot campaign is to put “experience and experts”.

    Every year, decision-makers from the international tourism industry gather on the trade event at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds to replace information at the latest developments and trends.

    Numerous lectures, workshops and seminars on the ITB Berlin Convention and eTravel World, as an instance, offer valuable information to these present.

    Year after year, this permits annual visitors to ITB Berlin to realize an enormous advantage in relation to knowledge.

    In future, stylised pictograms will symbolise ITB Berlin’s pioneering role in tourism and visually positiat the show in its leading role for the tourism industry.

    With new motifs on the homepage of the show’s website, in its newsletters and on social networking sites the world’s largest travel trade extravaganza will make it easy for visitors to discover their way around.

    Comprising several icons, the pictograms cover quite a lot of content and specifically target individual topics, related information and audiences.

    ITB Berlin 2014 might be occurring from Wednesday 5th to Sunday March 9th, and from Wednesday to Friday would be open to trade visitors only.

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  • Six Senses opens new office in Ho Chin Minh city

    Six Senses has established a Cluster Office in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, because it continues to grow within the region.

    Headed by director of sales and marketing, Ms. Do Thi Thu, and director of promoting and communication, Ms. Susan Wu, the Cluster Office will support the Vietnam properties with a one-stop source for sales, marketing, and PR support in local and international markets.

    The three Vietnam properties are Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, Six Senses Con Dao, and Evason Ana Mandara Nha Trang.

    Six Senses and Evason resorts recently unveiled the signing of 5 new-build properties across five countries, with all scheduled to be completed before the tip of 2016.

    This robust development includes the brand’s western hemisphere debut, with properties under development in St. Lucia, Dominican Republic and Columbia; its first presence in Bhutan; and the hole of Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain – China, early 2014.

  • News: Gay and lesbian travellers a driver inside the international tourism industry

    US Gay and lesbian hotel guests spend a regular 57 per cent more on their travels than their heterosexual counterparts. That’s the results of the most recent survey by Community Marketing Inc., a partner of ITB Berlin. Rika Jean-Francois, ITB Berlin’s CSR officer and member of the board of the International Gay & Travel Association (IGLTA) presented the findings on the ITB Berlin Convention and on the recently held strategy conference of Wien Tourismus in Vienna. Late last year, in a survey conducted within the USA by Community Marketing Inc., 5,700 interviewees were asked about their travel habits. Per the survey, it isn’t only hotels but entire destinations that have the benefit of LGBT travellers (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender).

    Sunshine and relaxation the primary reasons for holidaying
    According to the survey, 40 per cent of gays and shut to the identical variety of lesbians within the USA said a destination’s degree of gay-friendliness was the foremost factor influencing their number of destination. As regarded holiday needs 67 per cent of gays and 66 per cent of lesbian travellers said warm weather was their first requirement, followed by cultural attractions, beaches and cuisine. Greater than 50 per cent of the respondents said one in all their main holiday interests was relaxation. For 35 per cent of gays the second one-predominant aspect was visiting family and friends, while for 32 per cent of lesbian couples it was spending time with their partners. 33 per cent of gay and 30 per cent of lesbian respondents said the position of a hotel significantly influenced their selection of destination. For 30 per cent of both groups the second one-most significant aspect was the fee.

    LGBT travellers are comfortable using the web. When purchasing for travel information 59 per cent of lesbian and 54 per cent of gay travellers within the US said they depended on the recommendations of friends and families, and then they preferred travel websites. 41 per cent of gay and 36 per cent of lesbian travellers said they responded to advertising that targeted LGBT audiences.

    Commitment to LGBT travellers
    Over a long time, as portion of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) concept, ITB Berlin has committed itself to supporting human rights in tourism, including tolerance and variety, and as an example is a committed member of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA). Exhibitors representing the LBGT market first took part inside the world’s largest travel trade exhibition in 2003. For the last three years lectures and discussions in this subject in addition to on LGBT travel topics was happening on the ITB Berlin Convention.

    It has become one of the vital 15 officially recognised travel segments of the world’s largest travel trade event and because then has witnessed constantly rising demand. Currently, ITB Berlin has the most important range of LGBT travel products and destinations of any tourism trade exhibition on this planet. With its large Gay & Lesbian Travel Pavilion, the ITB TomOnTour Party and numerous other supporting LGBT events ITB Berlin has made a stand for tolerance and equal rights.

    With its seminars on LGBT tourism in India in 2011, a knowledge stand at ITB Asia 2012 in Singapore, an LGBT information booth at ABAV 2013 in Rio de Janeiro and international seminars and symposiums around the globe the ITB Academy can be showing its support for dismantling taboos and the improvement of this crucial market segment worldwide. At ITB Berlin 2013 a strategic partnership between Wien Tourismus (Vienna Tourism) and ITB Berlin on LGBT Travel was agreed, in a bid to jointly support and additional its aims one day.

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