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  • News: Hotel & Catering Show 2013 inspires under new ownership

    The Hotel & Catering Show 2013 (H&CS) returned to Bournemouth International Centre popular this week, 5th – 6th March, with a fresh and dynamic clutch of latest show features by new owners Evisstar, designed to support and interact hospitality operators within the south of britain and around the UK.

    H&CS delivered on every level, with senior hospitality professionals from independent and small businesses piling in the course of the doors to fulfill over 120 exhibitors spread between two halls. a colourful market-style atmosphere delighted as local suppliers and producers enticed show visitors with tempting tasters of regional delicacies.

    Cheese Cellar impressed with the revealing of Cropwell Bishop’s new melt-in-the-mouth blue, Beauvale, as well as offering cuts of 2012 Best New Cheese Award winner Francis, a semi-soft, rind-washed variety by James’s Cheese. They teamed this with detailed commentary on each artisan cheese maker represented.

    Purbeck Ice Cream and Cider Company, from Wareham in Dorset, rallied similar queues for samples of their unusual, gluten-free ice cream in flavours including Dorset Watercress and Dorset Blue Vinny Cheese. Jessica’s Farmhouse Cakes was a crowd-pleaser too, with a spread of handmade cookies, tray bakes and cakes made using high quality raw ingredients.

    Other big-name, nationwide suppliers included Villeroy & Boch, Farrow & Ball, Movenpick and MSK Ingredients.

    In collaboration with the Craft Guild of Chefs, Chefs’ Kitchen saw giants Compass and Sodexo perform in individual chef team “pressure tests”, with the brief to plate up outstanding four-course menus on each day of the show for 60 VIP guests including the Mayor of Bournemouth, Councillor Phil Stanley-Watts.

    Compered live by development chef Kevin Byrne and judged by Lime Wood head chef Luke Holder, Chewton Glen executive head chef Luke Matthews and Brockenhurst College chef director John McArthur, both teams were praised for their gold standard performances. Compass Group’s Eurest team dished up a starter of slow cooked egg with Gruyère, cauliflower and Cambridgeshire leeks and a main course of roast and braised chump of lamb with Lincolnshire kale, celeriac, onions and pan juices. Sodexo wowed with dishes including a main of lamb “three ways”, featuring seared rump, slow-cooked breast and lamb and offal pie.

    Alongside Chefs’ Kitchen,12 practical business seminars delivered free, expert guidance on cutting-edge challenges for today’s hospitality operator, including loyalty marketing techniques, food trends analysis, digital strategy and the relevance and role of restaurant ratings systems such as The Good Food Guide, Michelin stars and user-generated review websites like Yelp. Speakers included Peter Hancock, chief executive of Pride of Britain Hotels, Tom Bell, editor of Alistair Sawday’s British Hotels & Inns and Sandra Matthews-Marsh, chief executive of Visit Kent.

    Delivering a keynote entitled ‘Tourism: Holding the reins of economic recovery within the South’, on the opening morning of the show, Deirdre Wells OBE, Head of Tourism for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), outlined the government’s commitment to supporting tourism in southern England saying: “With 80% of UK tourism coming from the domestic market, it’s really important that we all work together [tourism attractions, hotel owners and the government] to create a positive image of the UK, educating consumers about what is on their doorstep and reminding them of what is great about holidaying in Britain.

    “Over four years, VisitBritain’s international campaign, including GREAT, will invest more than £130 million in inbound tourism to the UK. A £2 million GREAT Britain marketing campaign for the domestic market will launch this autumn to build on the success of the 20.12 per cent ‘Holiday at Home’ campaign.”

    Topping off the focus for chefs were culinary heroes including Michelin starred chefs Tom Kerridge, Simon Hulstone, Matt Gillan, Chris Staines, Russell Brown, Hywel Jones and Paul Ainsworth. They drew huge crowds of eager foodies and aspiring chefs to The Staff Canteen LIVE, with their interactive, masterclass-style demonstrations throughout the show. 2009 MasterChef winner Mat Follas also made a guest appearance.

    Championing the use of “lesser known fish” on restaurant menus, like lemon sole, two Michelin star chef Nathan Outlaw took the stage to deliver a masterclass in fish, cooking the red mullet dish that he said won him his first Michelin star back in 2004, aged 25, at The Black Pig in Cornwall.

    In a live interview with The Staff Canteen’s managing director Mark Morris, Outlaw gave sound advice to young chefs wanting to make it within the restaurant industry: “Work for established names and chase work experience opportunities, but be happy there because bad experiences will ruin your enthusiasm for the trade. Buy books, read blogs, use Twitter and Facebook, learn what’s going on in the industry and do competitions. You’ve got to put yourself out there. It took me 10 years of hard work before I became known.”

    Speaking of the success of this year’s H&CS, Richard Joslin, show director, said:
    “We’re overwhelmed with the impact H&CS has had on visitors and the feedback has surpassed expectation. Exhibitors are thrilled with the quality of the buyers walking the aisles and the reaction to our newly-introduced show features like The Staff Canteen LIVE and the seminar programme have been hugely positive. Hospitality operators attend shows like this to leave informed and inspired. Tradeshows are under-credited for setting and responding to the immediate and future hospitality industry agenda and we’ve worked really hard this year to design a two-day programme that delivers practical, helpful tips and networking opportunities to guide businesses to become more profitable and relevant in the long-term.

    “I’d just like to extend my sincerest thanks to everyone who was involved this year, from the exhibitors and sponsors, to the speakers and suppliers and of course, the visitors who came out in force to support the show. We look forward to constructing in this year’s success to make H&CS 2014 even better.”

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  • CHTA begins look for new chief executive

    The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is looking for a certified candidate to fill the organization’s top position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), with responsibilities for the total operation of the Association.

    CHTA is a Federation of National Hotel Associations (NHA) around the Caribbean Region. The CEO will direct the advance and execute plans to incorporate support of the member National Hotel Associations and its Allied Members, membership development and support, advocacy programs, regional marketing, internal and external communications and public relations, events management, liaison with other tour and travel industry associations, maintenance of sound fiscal policies and revenue generation streams.

    The CEO will report on to the elected CHTA President and makes all decisions and takes all actions in reference to the operation of CHTA in compliance with directives from the Board of Directors.

    The primary responsibilities include managing day-to-day office operations, networking with Strategic Partners to make sure their maximum ROI and retention and serving as liaison with Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the Caribbean Tourism Development Company (CTDC) and other regional or global associations to develop synergies, cooperation, and mutual support.

    Candidates have to be pleased with public speaking and feature the power to have interaction audiences because the CEO will function the “primary voice of CHTA” on regional advocacy matters. The CEO must have highly developed written and interpersonal communication, negotiation and collaboration skills. The CEO will monitor regional and global events and trends, keep the NHAs advised of relevant issues and oversee the services of the CHTA PR firm to make certain effective communication of CHTA advocacy positions in the course of the region.

    The CEO must have keen analytical skills and information management abilities so that it will monitor Caribbean region hotel and tourism performance data and identify needs and areas of opportunity in developing incremental business to the region.

    As a Director of CTDC, the CEO will monitor the performance of CTDC, its marketing activities, in addition to the patron-facing website www.caribbeantravel.com  and interact the web site developer, marketing committee and members, to make sure maximum participation and effectiveness.

    The successful candidate should have the facility and sensitivity to address diverse regional cultures, the flexibility to travel extensively, and at least ten years’ experience in association or similar management role. Previous experience in development and effective execution of annual strategic plans in addition to successful organizational financial accountability are required. Candidates should have a demonstrated ability to control on-site and remote teams for success of annual objectives.

    Previous work experience and/or working knowledge of the Caribbean tourism industry are a desired plus. The candidate ought to be willing and ready to work inside the USA.

  • News: Holland America increases capacity in Asia

    Holland America Line will position ms Volendam and ms Rotterdam in Asia for the 2013-14 season, increasing capacity and adding more robust itineraries inside the popular region. New expanded Singapore sailings aid you sail round-trip from the bustling port and experience exotic calls at destinations like Myanmar and India.

    The diverse 14-day itineraries and longer Collectors’ Voyages—that combine back-to-back itineraries into longer cruises—also feature extended and overnight stays at a number of Asia’s most iconic cities and supply travelers with ample time to explore the region’s diverse historical and notable landmarks. Two extensive 51- and 53-day Collectors’ Voyages in January and March, respectively, provide comprehensive explorations of the region with visits to Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia while sailing from and to Europe.

    “Asia continues to flourish as a well-liked cruise destination, so the timing is good to extend our capacity inside the region and supply our guests with various exciting travel options to this magical area of the realm,” said Richard Meadows, executive vp, marketing, sales and guest programs for Holland America Line. “The enhanced itineraries offer guests a chance to absorb the wealthy Asian culture or even go inland to work out many of the most well-known sites.”

    New 14-day Asian Adventure Voyage

    Departing Feb. 17, 2014, from Singapore, Volendam sails on a brand new round-trip itinerary that stretches as much as Myanmar and explores Malaysia, Thailand and India. The 14-day cruise calls at Malacca, Penang, Porto Malai and Port Klang (overnight), Malaysia; Phuket, Thailand; Rangoon (overnight), Myanmar, and Port Blair, India. Port Klang is the gateway to the town of Kuala Lumpur, famous for its diverse architecture, Malay mosques, Hindu temples and 222-acre Lake Gardens. With an overnight at Rangoon, guests may have time to go to the Shwedagon Pagoda—one of Asia’s greatest religious sites—with its gilded domes that hover over the town protectively.

    New 14-day Indonesian Discovery Voyages

    Rotterdam will sail a sequence and Volendam will offer one departure of recent round-trip Singapore itineraries in 2014. The 14-day voyages include calls at Jakarta; Semarang (Java); Lembar (Lombok); Komodo Island; Makassar (Sulawesi); Probolinggo and Suabaya (Java), in addition to an overnight stay at Bali. Guests can have the chance to return face-to-face with the infamous Komodo dragon on Komodo Island, while an overnight at Bali gives time ashore to soak up a standard fire dance performance or visit Besakih Temple, considered by the Hindu Balinese to be their mother temple. Departure dates are Jan. 6, Feb. 14 and 28, and March 14, 2014.

    14-day Far East Discovery Voyages

    Volendam’s 14-day Far East Discovery voyages sail between Hong Kong, China, and Singapore and have calls at Koh Samui and Bangkok (overnight), Thailand; Sihanoukville, Cambodia, and Phu My, Nha Trang, Da Nang and Halong Bay, Vietnam. Departure dates are Dec. 9, 2013 (12-day sailing), Jan. 6 and 20, and Feb. 3, 2014. The ship also offers a different 16-day Holiday voyage Dec. 21, 2013, with overnights at Hong Kong, Phu My and Laem Chabang (Bangkok). The overnight at Bangkok enables guests ample time to perform a little shopping on the spectacular Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, or those purchasing for a more peaceful experience can explore the serene golden temples and the Grand Palace.

    14-day China and Japan Voyages

    For Volendam’s China and Japan voyages, guests can favor to sail between Hong Kong and Kobe (Osaka), Japan, or round-trip from Kobe. The 14-day cruises include overnight calls at Xingang (Beijing) and Shanghai, China, and day calls at Dalian, China; Pusan, South Korea, and Nagasaki, Japan. Departure dates are March 17 and 31, 2014. South Korea is instantly becoming one of many hottest destinations in Asia, and guests may have the chance to go to the country’s Beomeosa Temple or the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gyeongju. Beijing brings millennia of history with a number of sites in and across the city, including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the comprehensive Wall and the 2008 Olympic Games National Stadium (aka the “Bird’s Nest”).

    19-day Great Barrier Reef

    Travel Melbourne to Singapore at the Volendam departing Nov. 20, 2013. Featuring two days of scenic cruising within the Great Barrier Reef with stops at Sydney, Burnie (Tasmania), Hamilton Island, Cairns and Darwin, Australia; Komodo Island, Bali and Semarang, Indonesia before arriving Singapore.

    28-day Far East Adventure Collectors’ Voyage

    Volendam’s 28-day Far East Adventure Collectors’ Voyage from Hong Kong to Singapore departs Feb. 3, 2014, and combines back-to-back Far East Discovery and Asian Adventure itineraries. The trip includes overnight calls at Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Rangoon and Port Klang, in addition to extended stays in lots of of the region’s favorite destinations. The itinerary includes ports in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar and India.

    51-day Spice Path to Singapore Collectors’ Voyage

    Departing Jan. 8, 2014, from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, or Jan. 9 from Southampton (London), England, Rotterdam sets course for Singapore on a 51- or 50-day Collectors’ Voyage that calls at ports in Portugal, Spain, Malta, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Oman, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Highlights include a daylight transit of the Suez Canal, a late departure from Safaga, Egypt, and overnight calls at Muscat, Oman; Mumbai (Bombay), India, and Bali, Indonesia. In this extended journey, guests have the prospect to go to among the world’s most impressive landmarks, including Ephesus in Turkey, the Acropolis in Greece, Luxor and the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India and the temple of Borobudu in Java. Additional Collectors’ Voyage segments of 25-, 36-, 37- and 39-days can be found in this cruise.

    53-day Indonesia, Arabia and India Discovery Collectors’ Voyage

    Departing March 14, 2014, Rotterdam will sail a 52- or 53-day day Collectors’ Voyage from Singapore back to Southampton (London) or Rotterdam visiting ports in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Oman, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, including a daylight transit of the Suez Canal. Highlights include Java and Komodo Island, Indonesia; Port Klang, Malaysia; Phuket, Thailand; Colombo, Sri Lanka, and overnight calls at Bali, Mumbai (Bombay) and Muscat. Additional Collectors’ Voyage segments of 25-, 38- and 39-days come in in this cruise.

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  • News: Lufthansa announces 2013 summer schedule with new holiday destinations

    Lufthansa is continuous to expand its services to popular leisure travel destinations. The recent summer timetable includes five new attractive holiday destinations: Mahón, Jerez de la Frontera, Cardiff, Glasgow and Varna. Within the long-haul segment, Lufthansa is launching a brand new service from Munich to Vancouver at the west coast of Canada as well as the present connection from Frankfurt. From July, passengers in Europe may also be ready to book and experience the brand new product and fare concept for Germanwings, with the intention to gradually take over Lufthansa’s point-to-point routes. In the summertime timetable, Lufthansa customers can have a decision of flights to 218 Lufthansa destinations in 82 countries (previous year: 216 destinations in 83 countries). The summer timetable runs from Sunday, 31 March to Saturday, 26 October 2013.

    “This summer we’re again offering new flights to fantastic holiday destinations round the Mediterranean and expanding our expertise within the holiday travel segment,” says Jens Bischof, Member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board.

    New attractive holiday destinations
    Whether they’re taking a beach vacation, a discovery tour or a city break – passengers can benefit from the full service of a scheduled airline once they fly with Lufthansa to their holiday destination. Five attractive seasonal destinations, so that they can be served in the course of the summer months, were added to the timetable:

    A new service is planned to the Balearic island of Menorca, the smaller sister island of Mallorca. Non-stop flights from Munich, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Berlin will land in Mahón, the capital of Menorca.

    The Andalusian city of Jerez de la Frontera within the Spanish holiday region of Costa de la Luz may be served this summer from Düsseldorf and Frankfurt.

    The Bulgarian resort of Varna at the Black Sea is another new, sun-blessed destination on the way to be served from Düsseldorf.
    Flights to 2 new British destinations will even depart from Düsseldorf: Cardiff, the capital of Wales, is a perfect start line for holidays at the coast or within the Welsh mountains. Glasgow, the biggest city in Scotland, is renowned for its vibrant arts scene in addition to for its architecture and design. The spectacular scenery within the Scottish Highlands makes Glasgow a favored destination for discovery tours. This route might be served all year round.

    This summer, vacationers will profit from an additional six new connections to holiday regions round the Mediterranean. These, combined with existing summer destinations, will every now and then bring to twenty-five the variety of seasonal destinations in Lufthansa’s route network, most of on the way to be served from several airports in Germany. In July and August, the variety of flights to holiday destinations can be further increased. Passengers who want to book a flight to at least one of the above-mentioned tourist destinations plus a hotel and a rental car with a single mouse click can prepare a total holiday package in the course of the holiday portal (www.lufthansaholidays.com).

    Vancouver now served from Munich
    Lufthansa is expanding its long-haul services. This summer, it really is introducing a brand new route from Munich to Vancouver at the west coast of Canada to counterpoint its existing service from Frankfurt. From 16 May 2013, the brand new path to the most important city in British Columbia could be served daily with an Airbus A330. Vancouver is a significant centre for trade and commerce. It also has Canada’s largest seaport and is home to the headquarters of various forestry and mining companies. Many IT companies have settled within the surrounding region. Further, Vancouver is a well-liked tourist and holiday destination.

    Business Class retrofit being speeded up
    Lufthansa is speeding up the retrofit of its new Business Class cabin. It’s miles already installed on all recently delivered Boeing 747-8s and on three Airbus A330 aircraft. However, the former Business Class product will now get replaced earlier than originally planned on all Lufthansa’s existing long-haul aircraft. Lufthansa is investing one other 50 million euros in converting all its aircraft by the summer of 2015 on the latest. “Our new Business Class has had an even response from customers. We’re therefore speeding up the retrofit and feature put aside 50 million euros for this purpose apart from the refitting costs. By 2015, we are going to have installed new seats across our long-haul fleet – not just in Economy and primary Class, but in addition in Business Class,” Jens Bischof explains.

    FlyNet now available almost worldwide
    To date, Lufthansa has equipped 88 aircraft, and thus virtually its entire long-haul fleet, with FlyNet, its broadband Internet service. The one exceptions are a number of Boeing 747-8s and Airbus A380s, and next year these aircraft types also are owing to be equipped with the innovative technology. FlyNet is now available almost worldwide, except within the airspace over China, as a printed licence has not yet been granted. The “Sport 24” channel within the free FlyNet portal offers live TV on the highest level. Passengers can now also check the status in their connecting flight at the portal or register while they’re still inside the air.

    New Boeing 747-8 service to Hong Kong
    The latest addition to the Lufthansa fleet, the Boeing 747-8, has rapidly become a favorite among Lufthansa passengers. The “Queen of the Skies” is currently deployed on routes to Washington and L. a., in addition to to Bangalore and Delhi in India. In the beginning of the summer timetable, Lufthansa is because of accept further deliveries of this state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly jumbo. This year, Lufthansa will be given five new Boeing B747-8s from Seattle. On the end of March, Frankfurt – Hong Kong becomes the following path to switch to the hot aircraft.

    Germanwings taking up routes from Lufthansa
    At the beginning of the summer timetable, Germanwings is taking up a complete of six of the purpose-to-point services that thus far was operated by Lufthansa, starting with the routes from Hamburg to Vienna, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Dubrovnik, Nice and Palma de Mallorca. From 1 July of this year, further routes will gradually be operated by the recent Germanwings. Customers and the public should be informed in good time. Passengers who’ve already booked a Lufthansa flight that’s transferred to Germanwings could be automatically rebooked on Germanwings. All Lufthansa’s intra-European routes that aren’t routed in the course of the airline’s Frankfurt and Munich hubs are as a result of be taken over by Germanwings, which is able to offer new, attractive fares.

    With the introduction of the 2013 summer timetable, Lufthansa is withdrawing its services to Perm and Kazan in Russia for financial reasons. Mutually, however, the airline is increasing frequencies on its routes to Nizhny Novgorod and Samara.

    This summer, the Lufthansa Group airlines – Austrian, Brussels, Germanwings, Lufthansa and SWISS – will together serve 285 destinations in 102 countries on four continents from their hubs in Brussels, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna and Zurich. They may also complement each other’s services by offering numerous codeshare flights.

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  • Dubai welcomes record 10 million visitors

    Visitor numbers to Dubai increased by 9.3% in 2012, with the town welcoming greater than 10 million visitors over a 365 days period for the 1st time in its history.

    The results were announced by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

    Increases in key indicators including hotel guest numbers, nights, average length of stay and hotel revenues, demonstrate Dubai’s strengthening position as one of the most world’s most efficient destinations.

    H.E. Helal Almarri, Director General of DTCM, said: “For the primary time in our city’s history we’ve crossed the 10 million threshold in visitor numbers. This continual year-on-year growth is because of countless factors including the coordinated city-wide destination management strategy; our world-class infrastructure; our location on the crossroads of East and West; and our unrelenting efforts to boost our already diverse and compelling tourism offer.”

    Key indicators of Dubai’s success in attracting visitors in 2012 include:

    • Figures for Hotel Guests and Cruise Passengers rising to approximately 10.16 million – a rise of 9.3% on 2011 figures
    • Hotel Guests numbering 9.96 million – up 9.5% compared with 9.1 million in 2011
    • Guest Nights increasing by 14%, numbering 37,445,453 in 2012, when compared with 32,848,190 in 2011
    • Hotel Revenues increasing by 17.9% at Dhs18.82bn.

    The status of Dubai as a location of choice for hotel operators is demonstrated by an influx of recent hotel openings during 2012, with the choice of hotel establishments increasing from 575 to 599.

    Openings in 2012 included five-star properties equivalent to Jumeirah Creekside, Fairmont The Palm and the JW Marriott Marquis, and a number of new Hotel Apartments with rooms within the latter category increasing by 10% to greater than 23,000. But the additional supply has not had an adverse effect on room rates.

    Combined with the pointy increase in hotel revenues and a growth within the Average Length of Stay, here’s prone to see more hotel operators opt to build in Dubai and quite a few new properties are slated to open during 2013 including Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa and The Oberoi Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road.

    On the figures, H.E. Helal Almarri commented: “The growth across each indicator is a welcome confirmation of Dubai’s ever-increasing appeal and a testament to the aggressive marketing and promotional agenda of DTCM in positioning Dubai because the major tourist hub of the region and a world destination of choice. The increasing average length of stay and the rising variety of hotel apartments is evidence of a growing trend in people and families visiting Dubai for longer periods – historically the town was seen by some markets as a stopover destination but in recent times it has become the destination.”

    Arab markets continue to supply a major percentage of Dubai’s overall visitor numbers and 2012 saw 30% more visitors from Saudi Arabia, that is the city’s primary source market. Europe contributes over 1 / 4 of the city’s hotel guests and the past year saw a considerable 54% rise within the collection of Russians coming to Dubai. a vital increase in Chinese visitors coming to the town has also been seen, with a 28% rise inside the period demonstrating the appeal that the town has to the burgeoning middle class of China. The Chinese market will stay a key focus of Dubai’s marketing efforts because the city looks to capitalise at the circa Dhs202bn that Chinese travellers spend per year worldwide.

    H.E. Helal Almarri continued: “The growth in visitors is partly associated with the increasing cross-border trade and investment ties that town is making with growing economies inclusive of China. As these links continue to develop, visitors from these nations will continue to rise.

    “It’s encouraging to peer that visitor numbers from all the markets wherein DTCM has a representative office continue to swell, demonstrating the role that our overseas offices play in helping to drive growth in both intra-regional traffic and in arrivals from other key source markets which include India, the united kingdom, the united states, Russia, Germany and China.”

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