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  • IHIF: Steigenberger Grandhotel Brussels opens to public

    The Steigenberger Hotel Group now has a presence on the very heart of Europe within the sort of the Steigenberger Grandhotel Brussels.

    Located inside the city centre and offering 269 rooms and suites, the hotel opened on January 1st 2013 and is busy welcoming guests from worldwide.

    The New Year got off to a great start with the official opening of the Steigenberger Grandhotel in Brussels on January 1st 2013.

    The luxury hotel is housed behind an historic facade and forms element of the Wiltcher’s Complex within the elegant surroundings of Avenue Louise.

    It has 269 rooms including 40 suites and a Royal Suite in addition to accommodating the “Café Wiltcher’s” Restaurant and the “Loui Lounge and Bar”.

    Conferencing facilities may be able to cater for as much as 600 persons across 13 conference rooms.

    The Ballroom on the Steigenberger Grandhotel, which extends over a space of 550 m² and is the biggest column-free facility of its kind within the city, is adjoined by a three,200 m² gym and beauty and health spa area operated by Aspria.

    The Steigenberger Grandhotel Brussels is found in the direct vicinity of the Royal Palace, the Grand Place, the eu Parliament and the Congress Centre and within easy reach of the main sights.

    The hotel’s Director is the internationally experienced hotel manager Blanche van Berckel. Steigenberger Hotel Group chief executive Puneet Chhatwal welcomed the move into the Belgian capital.

    “The Steigenberger Grandhotel in Brussels is a superb addition to our portfolio”, he commented.

    “We are delighted to be represented in a city on the heart of Europe inside the sort of this outstanding hotel.”

    An investment programme for the following few years was agreed with the hotel’s owner AG Real Estate that will be capable to provide guests with the very highest levels of quality and repair based on Steigenberger’s international standards.

  • 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 three hundred and sixty five 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 several world’s superior 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 just a few 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 improve 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 variety of hotel establishments increasing from 575 to 599.

    Openings in 2012 included five-star properties consisting of Jumeirah Creekside, Fairmont The Palm and the JW Marriott Marquis, and various 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 inside the Average Length of Stay, it is more likely to see more hotel operators decide to build in Dubai and numerous 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 worldwide 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 town was seen by some markets as a stopover destination but in recent times it has become the destination.”

    Arab markets continue to offer an important percentage of Dubai’s overall visitor numbers and 2012 saw 30% more visitors from Saudi Arabia, that’s the city’s no 1 source market. Europe contributes over 1 / 4 of the city’s hotel guests and the past year saw a considerable 54% rise inside the selection of Russians coming to Dubai. an important increase in Chinese visitors coming to the town has also been seen, with a 28% rise inside the period demonstrating the appeal that 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 the town is making with growing economies which include China. As these links continue to develop, visitors from these nations will continue to rise.

    “It’s encouraging to look that visitor numbers from each of the markets within which 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 comparable to India, the united kingdom, the united states, Russia, Germany and China.”

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  • News: Volotea chooses Travelport e-ticket technologies

    Travelport, the business services provider to the worldwide travel industry, today announces a brand new long-term IT services agreement with Volotea, the brand new low-cost European carrier headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. Volotea, which commenced operations in April 2012, is the most recent participant in Travelport’s electronic ticket database hosting service, and has also joined the Travelport E-Ticket Interchange™. The technologies are central to Volotea’s growth and expansion plans through more distribution channels, including global distribution systems (GDS).

    Travelport’s e-ticket database hosting service, the Travelport ETDBase™, is in use by airlines globally to quickly implement e-ticketing, and store and manage e-ticket data for online and interline e-ticketing (IET). The answer makes interline connections a price-effective process, yet allows airlines to preserve control over their very own interline agreements. The Travelport E-Ticket Interchange™, one of the vital largest global e-ticketing facilities for the exchange of interline e-ticket messages between airline partners, including ground handlers, supports nearly 420 participants and over 6,000 interline/codeshare agreements, processing over 55 million messages monthly.

    “Travelport technologies have solved business issues and removed barriers to growth by eliminating IT complexities, yet enabling us to compete in any channel, with any airline, with the aid of the foremost advanced e-ticket and interline solutions,” said Alex de Jesús, Volotea’s CIO.

    “We are pleased to partner with Volotea in providing the easiest tools available for e-ticket database hosting, and simple connections to their chosen industry partners,” said Derek Sharp, Travelport, managing director, Global Distribution Sales & Services, Travelport. “Airlines need rapid deployment and proven tools, but additionally flexibility that clings to unique processes. Travelport IT solutions allow Volotea to stay true to its unique business and fiscal model.”

    Through Travelport’s IT partnership with Navitaire®, Volotea’s host system provider, Volotea is combining connectivity tools and capabilities deployed by top airlines worldwide within the distribution channels of Volotea’s choice.

    Travelport designed the airline industry’s first proven suite of messaging ‘interchanges’ allowing fast, easy connections to airline partners through a rapid deployment methodology. The

    Travelport Interchange Suite™ helps airlines expand partnerships, connectivity and sales by eliminating an airline’s ought to build and maintain its own interline connections to airlines, passenger service systems and travel industry partners. The portfolio complies with industry standards, and existing links are already established with virtually every airline, passenger service system, GDS and ground handler on the planet.

  • News: Ritz Carlton forms alliance with Asprey

    Ritz-Carlton has formed a brand new alliance with Asprey to present guests at their properties around the globe with Asprey Purple Water amenities within the guestrooms.

    The Asprey bath and body range features their signature scent, Purple Water. The fragrance was originally created to be a distillation of the wealthy and inventive past of Asprey, and its exciting and magnificent present; a fresh citrus fragrance blended with spicy undertones to indicate strength and stature. The variability of Asprey Purple Water amenities could be available in
    Ritz-Carlton guest rooms and suites. The striking new number of purple jacquard print tubes was specially designed to feature a last touch of luxury to Ritz-Carlton bathrooms around the globe.

    This alliance between the 2 iconic luxury brands brings a shared dedication to craftsmanship and delivery of the maximum luxury experiences. Both have a legendary commitment to excellence and are steeped in a rich heritage. “

    The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company prides itself on creating experiences so exceptional that the memories of a hotel visit will stick with our guests for a lifetime” expressed Herve Humler, President, C.O.O. and founding member of The Ritz-Carlton.

    “From concierge services to housekeeping, dedication to the art of the craft and far care goes into every moment of a guests’ journey during a trip to our hotels. Our partnership with Asprey is one who will truly enrich a guest’s experience at
    a Ritz-Carlton.” Humler added.

    In addition to experiencing the in-room line of Asprey Purple Water, guests also are capable of purchase Purple Water items from Ritz-Carlton gift boutiques in hotels around the Americas, online at www.ritzcarlton.com from March 12, and on the Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common from the primary Asprey boutique in Boston which has opened within the hotel’s main lobby.

    The new retail location on the Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common, features an assortment of pieces reminiscent of fine jewelry, leather goods including handbags, briefcases and luggage, silver, watches and cufflinks, china, crystal and games. The boutique is open 10am – 6pm Tuesday through Saturday and by personal appointment.

    “The unrivaled Asprey craftsmanship, fine jewelry and splendid leather items are timeless treasures that our hotel guests and neighboring residents will greatly appreciate” said Humler. Just as over many generations Asprey has developed into one of the most world’s most prestigious luxury retailers, The Ritz-Carlton has long been synonymous with unparalleled service and refined luxury.”

  • South Africa boasts double digit tourism growth

    South Africa has once more announced increasing tourism numbers: The months from January until October 2012 showed a rise of 10,4%, with 7 535 498 tourist arrivals in comparison to 6 823 517 tourist arrivals for a similar period within the previous year. a complete of 204 247 tourists from Germany visited South Africa from January to October 2012. This represents a rise of 12,2% in comparison with the corresponding period in 2011. Germany is probably the key traditional overseas markets for travel to South Africa, with the usa of America and the uk taking the lead.

    Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk explains: “Positive growth from the standard markets ordinarily – and Europe especially – gives us confidence that the work we’re doing to grow tourist arrivals is paying dividends. South Africa has every reason to feel confident concerning the state of its tourism industry going forward.

    “The credit should visit the tourism industry for creatively and constructively working together to grow tourism to South Africa. It’s also extremely important that we make sure that every new tourist who arrives in our country is given the very best experience, as word of mouth remains one in every of our most significant marketing tools,” Minister van Schalkwyk said during his visit to the ITB trade event in Berlin.

    Minister Van Schalkwyk also underlined the significance of the German marketplace for South Africa, and stressed that the expansion of arrivals from Germany ought to be maintained. To inspire and motivate German travellers, South African Tourism continues to accentuate its marketing initiatives with German tour operators, and likewise approaches travel agents individually to teach them in regards to the destination. Media cooperation agreements created for the relevant German target groups in addition to innovative brand partnerships continue to draw German travellers to the Rainbow Nation. 

    The UN World Tourism Organisation’s forecast for international travel growth in 2012 is purely 4%, growth of 10,4% in tourist arrivals to South Africa over the period January-October 2012 exceeded that by far. In response to the Minister, it is a reflection at the destination itself: “South Africa is irresistible and lovely; it’s easy to access and explore, and gives excellent value for money. Notably, our friendly people and the original experiences our country offer make a trip to South Africa extra-special.”

    Minister Van Schalkwyk also reiterated the significance of tourism as an economic growth engine for the rustic. Tourism was identified as considered one of six priority sectors in South Africa to attain economic growth and attract investment. Tourism attracts foreign direct spend and creates jobs. During this regard, the rustic has identified the next targets: to draw 15 million arrivals by 2020; to extend the proportion of tourism in gross domestic product from R189,4 billion in 2009 to R499 billion in 2020, and to create greater than 225 000 new jobs in tourism.

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