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  • News: Choice Hotels moves to new headquarters

    Choice Hotels International is completing its move to its new global headquarters at 1 Choice Hotels Circle in Rockville, Maryland at Rockville Town Square.

    The company’s greater than 400 headquarter employees will begin work here on April 8, 2013.

    This move is simply 13 miles from the alternative Hotels current headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.

    However, it represents a sea of change for the lodging giant which franchises hotel brands that experience become household names around the globe, including Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality and Econo Lodge in addition to newer upscale brands Cambria Suites and Ascend Hotel Collection.

    That change is reflected inside the new workplace which offers a layout designed to encourage collaboration and creativity.

    Open work areas, high technology and connectivity, and several other non-conventional meeting spaces were conceived at the incontrovertible fact that great ideas come from everywhere, not only behind a desk or around a table.

  • Emirates flights boost Vietnam golf tourism

    The growing attraction of Vietnam as Asia’s most fun new golf tourism destination have been enhanced by the launch of daily Emirates flights from Dubai to Ho Chi Minh City.

    The new service, which began in early June, means golf travellers from the center East and Europe can now easily access Vietnam’s world-class golf courses, especially the country’s top two layouts – Montgomerie Links and Danang Golf Club – at the Central Coast near Vietnam’s third major city of Danang.

    Jon Tomlinson, the co-ordinator of Golf Coast Vietnam – a co-operative marketing group comprising the 2 courses, a Nick Faldo-designed course attributable to open later this year and the brand new Hyatt Regency Danang – said he was delighted Emirates had begun flying into Ho Chi Minh City.

    “While Vietnam hasn’t been historically synonymous with great golf, the launch of Golf Coast Vietnam (www.golfcoastvietnam.com) and straightforward access from HCM through Danang’s new international airport has made the region a ‘must play’ golf experience in Asia.

    “Additional historic cultural experiences at Hue and Hoi An [both UNESCO World Heritage cities} and the lovely coastline of Vietnam ensures visitors will put off a really memorable experience and an awesome story of newly-discovered adventures,” he said.

    There are not up to 30 golf courses in Vietnam, but what the rustic lacks in numbers it greater than compensates in quality.

    Montgomerie Links, designed by eight times European Order of Merit winner, Colin Montgomerie and opened in 2009, was last year named on the Asia Pacific Golf Summit in Thailand as Vietnam’s best course. Its neighbour, Danang Golf Club, designed by former World No 1 and dual British OPen winner, Greg Norman, which opened in 2010, was named best new course.

    In May, US Golf Digest named Danang GC because the country’s best layout with Montgomerie Links third.

    Both courses can be found adjacent to famous My Khe Beach (dubbed China Beach after the Vietnam War), about 10 kilometres south of Danang, where numerous five-star properties including the celebrated and highly-acclaimed Hyatt Regency Danang, has been in-built the past few years.

    Laguna Lang Co, 50 kilometres north of Danang, which have been designed by six times Majors winner Sir Nick Faldo and is being built by the Banyan Tree group, is because of open on the end of this year. It’s already being touted as at the least equal to its fellow Golf Coast Vietnam member courses.

    This will give the region three world-class courses, enough in response to the International Association of Golf Tourism Operators to interest 75 percent of the 12 to fifteen million golfers who’re expected to make a global golf trip in 2012.

    Emirates’ daily flights to Ho Chi Minh come at a time when several international airlines are planning to begin flights to Vietnam.

    So far, only Vietnam Airlines, Air France/KLM and Aeroflot have direct services to Ho Chi Minh from Europe. Qatar Airways flies there through Bangkok, while Saudi Arabian Airlines, Etihad and Finnair are planning to start out direct services by the tip of 2013.

    According to Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Administration, the rustic is anticipated to receive between 34 million and 36 million passengers a year by 2015 and between 52 million and 59 million by 2019.

    “It is a superb time to glue Vietnam with the area via Dubai,” Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ executive vice-president, Passenger Sales Worldwide, said after the hot service began.

    “Dubai’s location between Vietnam and the West makes Emirates’ move a winning combination”, he added.

    Emirates’ flight EK0390 leaves Dubai at 9.15 each morning, arriving in Ho Chi Minh City at 7.35pm a similar day after a 7 hours 20 minutes journey. The return flight EK0391 leaves at 9.10pm and arrives in Dubai at 1.05am next morning (a flight time of 6 hours 55 minutes), with excellent connections to cities throughout Europe, the center East and North Africa.

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  • Jebel Ali Golf Resort introduces new green concept

    JA Jebel Ali Golf Resort, in association with the dep. of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, has played host to a Tourism Environmental Training initiative that was organised in response to the golf green Economy initiative of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice chairman and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

  • Travel Insurance for cancer patients

    Many insurers are reticent to cover customers with pre-existing medical conditions including cancer, as they are considered more likely to need medical treatment whilst abroad and are therefore more likely to make a claim. However, travellers do not just require insurance for medical treatment but also for lost baggage, cancellation, delayed travel, etc, so it is important to have travel insurance to cover all eventualities.

    Some mainstream insurers will insure cancer patients but will not include any claim that is related to needing any treatment for cancer or for any illnesses brought on by the condition. If customers do require some form of medical treatment abroad for their cancer then they will have to cover the expenses themselves.

    If travellers require more comprehensive cover then it is advisable to use an insurance company which specialises in covering customers with pre-existing medical conditions. This is likely to be more expensive, particularly if you are travelling to the US, but you will be covered for all medical requirements. Do make sure you have details of your condition to hand; including your prognosis and treatment that you have already had, as you will be asked a series of comprehensive medical questions. It is also recommended that you obtain a letter from your doctor to say that you are well enough to travel.

    In the first instance, it is worth contacting charities like Cancer Research, as they will have up-to- date advice and may even be able to recommend specialist insurers.

  • News: Kuoni launches dedicated wildlife campaign

    This April, leading tour operator Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk) has launched its first ever campaign devoted to wildlife.  With a hand-picked collection of incredible itineraries worldwide, the campaign is designed for wildlife enthusiasts and explorers who like to uncover their David Attenborough personas.

    Claire Reynolds, Commercial and Product Manager says: “Initially when most people will consider wildlife they give the impression of being to safaris in Africa.  This campaign is a brilliant reminder that there’s incredible wildlife to be discovered all over the world, whether it’s within the depths of the sea; hidden within the exotic rainforests or roaming within the national parks of India, Sri Lanka and Africa. If you’re a primary time nature goer or an experienced wildlife enthusiast there’s a tempting mixture of itineraries to fit a lot of needs.”

    This latest campaign will feature wildlife holidays within the Indian Ocean, India, Canada, Latin America, Antarctica and Africa. Customers can swim with manta rays inside the crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean; Brave the Canadian wilderness to identify grizzly bears or journey to Antarctica to witness penguins, whales and sea lions surviving within the extreme conditions.

    Kuoni has also included a spread of volunteering holidays from its sustainable Ananea programme, which includes assisting biologists to identify, catch, weigh and measure animals at the Earthwatch Amazon Riverboat exploration. And go backstage at the Born Free Shamwari experience to support the charity in its daily challenges to avoid wasting the planets most endangered animals.

    A dedicated wildlife booklet is on the market to pick out-up now in Kuoni’s travel stores, Kuoni concessions at John Lewis and partnership stores. Online activity will include an internet display campaign and a dedicated wildlife webpage with an interactive map and destination information, available to view now at:  http://www.kuoni.co.uk/wildlife-holidays

    Customers also can take part the conversation on social media channels including themed wildlife features at the Kuoni Travel Blog and a live chat on 09 April at 12noon on Facebook and Twitter @KuoniTravelUK with Personal Travel Expert Steve Yates from the Kuoni Kingston store. Steve have been on safari in Africa, met orang-utans in Borneo, been whale watching in South America, spotted moose in Yellowstone National Park within the USA and seen kangaroos and emus in Australia.

    This campaign supports Kuoni’s turn-of-year sales message, to produce inspiring holidays for special occasions, comparable to celebrating a birthday on safari, fulfilling a lifelong dream to trek within the Costa Rica jungle or spending an anniversary spotting tigers in India.

    These experiences and plenty more might be booked through Kuoni stores, Kuoni at John Lewis concessions, partnership stores, Kuoni specialist travel agents, online or by phone. Kuoni has a team of travel experts able to help customers craft their perfect wildlife holidays.

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