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. 
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Courtyard by Marriott plans first hotel in Colombia
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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.
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News: Amadeus acquires Hitit Loyalty
Amadeus has announced it has acquired the CRM and loyalty solutions division of Turkey-based Hitit Computer Services.
Hitit Loyalty is the market leader within the airline loyalty space, when it comes to customers.
The acquisition will lead to Hitit Loyalty’s operations becoming fully integrated into Amadeus’ Airline IT business.
At present greater than half Hitit Loyalty’s existing customers also are Altéa users.
The acquisition underlines Amadeus’ continuing investment in its growing Airline IT business.
It will allow Amadeus to expand and diversify its existing IT solution portfolio, while addressing airlines’ key business objectives relating to the expansion and function in their customer loyalty programs in addition to their broader customer-centric and personalization strategies.
Amadeus intends to exploit the purchase to drive a brand new IT revenue stream by adding and embellishing loyalty capability to optimise the attraction and retention of loyal airline customers inside the airline value chain and thru all stages and interactions of customers’ journeys.
This diversification will span airlines’ frequent flyer, corporate, partnership and alliance management needs.
Amadeus will in 2013 integrate Hitit Loyalty’s system with its Altéa suite.
This integrated offer may be further enhanced by 2015 to deliver even richer business benefits for airlines and their customers.
Hitit Loyalty products should be available both as an add-on module to Amadeus Altéa in addition to a stand-alone product, so as to help expand the company’s business with non-Altéa airlines.
Hitit Loyalty has a powerful management and R&D team that will stay in Turkey, joining the present Amadeus local team of developers and commercial support staff.
Apart from the Loyalty Division’s acquisition by Amadeus, Hitit Computer Services, will remain unchanged and should continue to function with the former shareholder structure, offering core airline solutions as before.
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Hotelrez announced as latest GTMC partner
The GTMC, the UK’s leading professional industry body representing travel management companies, has welcomed global hotel representation company HotelREZ as a partner. The corporate provides hotel GDS distribution and internet distribution, revenue, sales and marketing support to over 1,000 independent hotels and small groups of hotels.
GTMC chief executive Paul Wait said: “The GTMC is growing in strength both with an expanding membership and with its partnerships with key, quality industry suppliers. HotelREZ has the advantage of being our only hotel representation partner, giving the corporate unique access to a strong group of travel management companies with formidable buying power.”
HotelREZ executive director Daniel Simmons said: “HotelREZ, as an expanding hotel representation company, is delighted to be an official partner of the UK’s leading professional body for travel management companies, The Guild of Travel Management Companies. This relationship outlines our commitment to the company travel industry and our goal is to constantly improve the experience and repair offered to the agents and travelers.”
The GTMC now has thirty partners drawn from a various range of suppliers including airlines, hotel companies, rail and car rental companies, technology companies and several ancillary service providers.
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