Best Holiday Lettings

Blog

  • Focus: Breaking Travel News interview: Lee Seow Hiang, chief executive, Changi Airport Group

    Having been recognised because the World’s Leading Airport by the realm Travel Awards, Singapore Changi Airport seriously isn’t resting on its laurels. With a brand new terminal under construction, chief executive Lee Seow Hiang here sits down with Breaking Travel News to bring us brand new.

    Breaking Travel News: Are you able to let us know a bit in regards to the latest developments at Changi Airport What are you doing to make sure the positioning remains the pre-eminent destination within the region

    Lee Seow Hiang: On the subject of new projects at Changi Airport, we have now begun some of infrastructural projects making sure that Changi Airport is easily-positioned to stay a significant global aviation hub, able to meet the challenges of growing passenger and aircraft traffic within the years ahead.

    These include the improvement of our new Terminal 4 and ancillary works to extend the selection of aircraft parking stands.

    T4 is predicted to be completed by 2017, with a planned capacity of 16 million passenger movements a year.

    It will raise Changi Airport’s handling capacity to 82 million a year and help make it possible for the passenger experience at Changi isn’t compromised at the same time passenger traffic grows.

    Throughout its history, Changi Airport has always stayed earlier than its capacity needs. This approach has underpinned Changi’s success as an air hub – an airport that passengers love and airlines appreciate.

    Along with the measures announced by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore to enhance runway capacity, our infrastructure investments over the subsequent four to 5 years will lay the groundwork for us to continue delivering a fantastic Changi Experience and attracting more airlines to fly to Changi Airport.

    BTN: Changi welcomed over 50 million passengers for the 1st time in its 31-year history in 2012. Do you’re feeling this upward growth in number is sustainable

    LSH: Traffic growth at Changi Airport in its 31-year history has averaged about six per cent every year.

    The stronger growth beforehand three years was using a superb recovery in air travel demand following the worldwide financial crisis of 2008. In 2012, we saw our strongest traffic growth on routes to Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Southwest Pacific.

    We believe that the Asia Pacific region will remain a strong aviation market anchored by the massive economies of China, India and Indonesia.

    Having said this, the worldwide economic outlook remains cloudy. Within the near term, Changi Airport’s performance will depend largely on how economies, especially in Asia, adjust.

    We are confident that our strong partnership with our stakeholders will see the airport during the challenges that lie ahead.

    BTN: Are you able to bring us up-to-date at the construction of the fourth terminal at Changi

    LSH: The brand new Terminal 4 may be a two-storey building that we are hoping will delight passengers when it comes to its facilities in addition to retail and F&B offerings.

    It may be a higher quality product than the old Budget Terminal.

    We expect the terminal to be ready by 2017.

    T4 can be designed to satisfy the operational needs of both regional full service and occasional cost carriers.

    To enhance passenger convenience, accessibility and experience, especially in adverse climatic conditions, aerobridges may be available at its boarding gates.

    Passengers transferring to any other terminals may also be capable of accomplish that without the necessity to clear immigration.

    BTN: In what ways does the expansion of Singapore as a tourism destination benefit the construction of Changi

    LSH: As Changi Airport is the most important gateway into Singapore, the ongoing growth of Singapore as a tourism destination is evidently beneficial for us.

    Hence, we do work closely with partners just like the Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore based airlines to advertise Singapore as a destination of choice.

    At an analogous time, we believe an excellent airport experience also enhances the Singapore holiday for tourists.

    We are proud to be the welcome point for millions of tourists to Singapore every year, and strive making sure that, for them, the Changi Experience may be very much part of their visit to our country.

    BTN: Changi Airport was recognised because the World’s Leading Airport by the celebrated World Travel Awards in 2012. What do you watched caught the judges’ attention

    LSH: We’re honoured to be voted the arena’s Leading Airport by the World Travel Awards all over again.

    We are pleased that our discuss service excellence, enhanced by the offerings provided by the Changi Experience, has resonated well amongst industry professionals and the travelling public.

    Our vision to make the airport experience a first-class one is something we attempt to repeatedly achieve.

    As an example, beautifully-curated horticultural decorations and art pieces round the airport make Changi Airport a serene place to go through on what might have been a stressful journey from one city to a different.

    We remain steadfast in upholding and adorning the Changi. Experience in order that passengers and airport visitors alike continue to find delightful moments while at Changi.

    BTN: Do you intend to take advantage of this accolade in marketing activities for Changi at all

    LSH: Definitely. We’re proud to be the world’s most awarded airport with over 420 awards since 1981.

    Such accolades and popularity spur us to always improve, pushing us to repeatedly top our standards.

    More Information

    For additional info at the latest developments at Changi Airport head over to the official website.

    Recommended

  • Multi-billion Euro-Vegas project planned for Madrid

    Las Vegas Casino giant Las Vegas Sands Corp. has chosen Madrid for a multi-billion dollar gambling resort project which have been dubbed “EuroVegas” and can be Europe’s biggest casino and conference centre.

    The latest plans for this exciting project were revealed by the company’s chairman and chief executive officer Sheldon Adelson on the Jerusalem International Tourism Summit.

    The 79 year old entrepreneur, philanthropist and businessman, whose career spans six decades, was honoured for his tremendous contributions within the travel and tourism industry earlier today on the Summit.

    Widely credited for reworking Vegas from a gamingcentric regional location into the leading convention and exhibition city inside the U . s ., the tycoon now has his sights set on Madrid .

    He revealed to delegates on the Jerusalem forum that his vision is to make Madrid “the convention centre of the world”.

    Having secured the £8.3bn financing needed for EuroVegas, Adelson, has earmarked 12 3,000 room properties with 2,400 meeting facilities, set to seriously change the 3 square mile site.

    The first stage of the project – including four separate “resorts” with casino facilities attached – is predicted to open in 2017.

    The outcome should be a 72-storey hotel building including six casinos, a practice centre, three golf courses, theatres, shopping malls, bars and restaurants.

    A total of 240,000 direct and indirect jobs are expected to be made out of the project, in accordance with reports.

    Adelson also has his sights set on major Integrated Resort projects in South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand.

    Las Vegas Sands Corp. is now the world’s largest casino corporation, posting profits of $1.27 billion in 2011.

    It owns the Venetian and Palazzo resort casinos at the Las Vegas Strip and the quay Bay Sands in Singapore.

    The Venetian was named North America’s Leading Casino Resort by the arena Travel Awards in 2010, meanwhile Las Vegas Sands Corp was named World’s Leading Integrated Resort Company by the Word Travel Awards in 2012.

  • Cookery Courses in Italy

    If cooking is your passion and you have plenty of money, then you may relish a week of perfecting your cookery skills in a Tuscan castle or manor house. However, you will find most of these 7-day courses can cost somewhere between £1500 and £2000. The price does include a residential stay in luxury surroundings and views over Italian countryside, which are worthy of an E. M. Forster novel, plus tuition from skilled and talented local chefs in professional kitchens. There will also be trips and excursions organised to local vineyards or specialist cheese producers and fresh food markets.

    However, if this is outside of your budget, then you could consider a day’s course which may only set you back £100, or even less in some cases. The surroundings are still picturesque but the morning is usually spent wandering around a local produce market with cooking tuition in the afternoon. One day courses may be more specific – pasta making or Italian confectionery, for instance. However, if you are on holiday in Rome or staying in a villa in Tuscany for a few days anyway, a day spent on an Italian cookery course might be a welcome alternative to spending time at a beach or exploring museums and art galleries.

  • Focus: Cornelia Diamond named best in school by World Travel Awards

    The lush Cornelia Diamond Golf Resort & Spa was named the realm’s Leading Integrated Resort by the World Travel Awards. Here Breaking Travel News takes a glance around this extraordinary property.

  • Israel in major tourism drive as International Tourism Summit involves close

    Israel is in the course of a serious tourism drive, expecting to draw ten million tourists over the subsequent ten years.

    This target was outlined by prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, on the Second Jerusalem International Tourism Summit occurring on the International Convention Centre in Jerusalem.

    The two day event, with the intention to conclude earlier, has attracted leaders of the travel and tourism industry, were discussing the most recent groundbreaking technologies and trends.

    This year, a distinct emphasis have been put on urban tourism, in addition to innovative technologies on earth of tourism and travel.

    Global leaders, academics and experts within the field of hospitality were conducting panels discussing quite a lot of issues affecting the tourism industry.

    Israel was leveraged as a Start-Up Nation and Jerusalem as a pacesetter of technology.

    “We have doubled the variety of tourists within the previous few years from 1.5 million to three million per year and we have to double this number again and continue its growth. Our goal is to achieve ten million tourists a year in a decade,” explained Netanyahu on the Summit.

    The Second Jerusalem International Tourism Summit of 2013 is initiated by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Tourism, the Jerusalem Municipality and the Jerusalem Development Authority in cooperation with the Hebrew University and the Jerusalem International Convention Centre.

    Netanyahu stated that: “The Israeli economy leads the OECD in growth, creation of recent jobs, and coffee unemployment.

    “Israel is in a very good economic position to deal with the challenges ahead.

    “There is excellent potential in multiplying the variety of tourists arriving to Israel, so that it will generate additional jobs.”

    Netanyahu addressed the tourist industry leaders stating: “The least the govt can do isn’t really stepping into your way.

    “The first step we took upon ourselves is to approve the open sky agreement.

    “We remove the section inside the annual budget that was going to boost the VAT. We’re committed to tourism, and committed to protecting it.”

    Netanyahu added: “Jerusalem is a phenomenal city, town of King David and King Solomon, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

    “They were all here and billions of visitors can relate to that. A city that blends the past into the longer term.

    “We desire to combine the longer term with the colourful past.  With the intention to accomplish that we’d like staple items – we’re currently building 5,000 rooms and hotels in Jerusalem and Israel.”

    Minister of Economy, Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs, Naftali Bennett, said: “We have a completely unique government. Our goal is to expose this incredible asset – Jerusalem. And we’re talking business. Three million tourists out of 1000000000 potential is quiet low. We are able to do rather more.”

    Bennett talked about the call made by the Commission for equality within the burden, stating: “We have a completely unique government; we’ve started to focus inward and solve real problems we will tackle.

    “We have just signed an agreement adding 10,000 Haredis into the workplace. Each day we’re making history. Our best task is to chop through various problems that experience hunted us, especially through bureaucracy and over-regulations. Inside the upcoming years, we can sense a significant change within the economy since we shall ease on regulations. We’re already doing so today and you’ve got not seen anything yet.”

    Bennett: “Each time I arrive to Jerusalem from my house in Ra’anana, I miss a heartbeat. In Sha’ar HaGai, beneath the mountains, i am getting that special feeling. Today on my way I actually have thought to myself that our heritage and our past are our best advantages. Attributable to Mayor Nir Barkat’s initiative, we see a lot of research and development, advanced Sciences and overflow of arts, music, and culture.”

    Key themes have emerged on the Second Jerusalem International Tourism Summit during the last two days. The forum will draw to a detailed later today.

    Panel topics have included: “Planning Models for Urban Tourism,” “Tourism as a device for Urban Economic Development,” “The Smartphone Revolution and the Impact on Users and bosses of Urban Tourism,” “New Transportation Paradigms and the way forward for Urban Tourism,” “Follow the Asian Success Story,” “Intangible Heritage and concrete Tourism Development, Sport and concrete Tourism,” and “Hotel Development in Historic Cities.”

    Yesterday Sheldon Adelson received an honorary award for his efforts to modify the face of tourism around the globe. The business magnet was praised for his contribution to travel and tourism on the second Jerusalem International Tourism Summit 2013 happening today.

    Adelson’s career spans greater than six decades and includes the creation of over 50 different companies, including the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and the COMDEX tradeshow for the pc industry.

    The Las Vegas Sands Corporation has become the leading global developer of destination properties that feature premium accommodations, world-class gaming and entertainment, convention and exhibition facilities.