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New York Fashion Week debut a successful world stage

2011-10-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

New York Fashion Week debut a successful world stage: New York Fashion Week collection, the largest of the two seats reserved reonweyieseo 1000 Fashion Show, held this group of New York s finest fashion professional stage director, stylists, models, hair, makeup, and local staff members in New York fashion show spectacular 360-degree support the participation said

spring fashion trends, designers at New York

2011-10-03T01:55:00.000-07:00

spring fashion trends, designers at New York: Super Skinny quot; style pants, fashion this fall with the changing times, such as dotgatyi widely spread style lately, while fashion trends are changing extremely skirt now, most dramatically reported that the length becomes longer. According to the newspaper this week,

Multilingual Survey for Hospitality and Tourism Purposes Expert Author Mark G Jones

2011-09-25T09:29:00.001-07:00

Companies in the hospitality and tourism industries need to constantly know what their guests are thinking about their facilities, activities, location, service and practically every area of their businesses. The success of these businesses relies fully on the satisfaction of their guests. They conduct researches to gather pertinent information so they'd know if they're doing things right and how they could do things better to stay on top of their game. A multilingual survey is one effective means by which they get these crucial data.

Being able to get complete and accurate information makes the big difference in any research. Communicating with a person in the language that he knows best would give you a better insight to his thoughts, perceptions and opinions. You'd know more about his expectations about your country, your hotel or the destinations that you're promoting to him.

Particularly in the recent years, with globalization of businesses and the Internet, people have been traveling much, much more than before. Chinese, Koreans, Japanese and other Asian nationals of all ages can be seen touring Europe, Australia and America on any given day. And in the same way, people from the West have been flocking to the East whether for business or for leisure. This is why hotels, restaurants, theme parks and other tourist-dependent establishments have been recruiting people who are fluent in 3 or more languages to make sure they are able to communicate well with these tourists who are constantly growing in number.

A multilingual survey is an excellent way for you to know the exact level of satisfaction your guests had with the city tour, the lunch buffet or the free transportation that they had. An elderly couple from Europe or Asia who are enjoying their retirement savings on their first trip outside the country might not be able to completely express in English their dissatisfaction about your service. A concept or two might get lost in translation.

While many establishments all over the world still use purely English comment cards, questionnaires and other feedback media, it would be best for you to have your questions translated in the languages that your main markets speak.

You can opt to hire the services of a certified foreign language translator to complete your multilingual survey. You need to make sure that you brief the translator you'll hire about your business and that the level of the target language that he'll be using would be what your guests would understand.

One convenient option is the survey translation software you can find in some websites. These tools will help you instantly convert your original questionnaire to the various target languages you require. You just need to be sure that the software you'll sign up for has the capabilities that you need for your questionnaire.

While it is indeed difficult to have your questions translated into various languages, you should still try to start having a multilingual survey - whether by hiring a certified translator or through the aid of an online survey tool. You would know sooner or later the big difference of being able to draw answers from your guests in the language that they speak and understand very well.

Multilingual survey can be done in a flash with Web Survey Creator, which uses integrated translation tools to manage a single survey with multiple languages. Visit their site to sample their free survey templates.

FDI Leeway For Projects In Hospitality And Tourism

2011-09-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

In yet another move to ease the foreign direct investment (FDI) guideline for real estate, the department of industrial policy & promotion (DIPP) has proposed that minimum capitalisation norms be waived for some projects in hospitality and tourism.
In a note drafted for the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), the DIPP, which also handles the FDI policy, has said the minimum capitalisation norms specified in Press Note 2 can be waived in the case of projects involving hospitality and tourism facilities such as hotels, restaurants or entertainment facilities. Press Note 5 specifies that minimum capitalisation should be $5 million for permitting FDI in realty projects which involve an Indian partner. However, for a fully-owned subsidiary of an overseas firm the minimum capitalisation is $10 million. The waiver would be available to projects where half the built-up area is devoted to hotel and tourism businesses like food courts, resorts, restaurants, or if 20% of the total built-up area is used for hotel rooms.
The DIPP has also proposed that FDI should be allowed to flow into smaller realty projects covering only 10 acres. As of now, FDI is allowed in realty projects only if the minimum area covered is 25 acres (or 10 hectares). The move will help realty projects in metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad attract FDI.
Realty players say that it is not possible to find 25 acres of land in these cities to make their projects comply with Press Note 2 of 2005, which defines guidelines for permitting FDI in this sector. The industry is keen on business in the metros as it attracts high-profile customers, but wants FDI to be allowed since the cost of land in these cities is high, making them expensive.
Veterans in the real estate business who do not want to be identified said the liberalisation moves were welcome. These steps, when implemented, will provide relief to high-value projects in metros and projects being developed for the tourism sector. The move comes as a relief at a time when realty players are struggling to managed debt and lull in business, they added.
However, the realty industry is upset that its demand for waiving off the three-year lock-in for FDI in real estate has not been accepted. Many fund houses keep off realty projects due to the threeyear lock-in period, industry players feel.
Courtesy:- Et dt:- 11-07-09

Hi
I am Santosh Kumar Baranwal. I am working in Bhardwaj Buildtech pvt. Ltd. as a SEO

International Hospitality and Tourism Management

2011-09-25T09:27:00.001-07:00

A career in international hospitality and tourism management encompasses hotels, restaurants and travel, to be concise. There is much more involved within each of these headings.
Hospitality management by itself involves the management of administration of running hotels, and may include everything from the front desk to catering and entertainment. In fact, hotel management consists of the involvement of the organization of the rooms, the front office, the concierge, reception, reservations, housekeeping, catering, and entertainment. The hotel manager will also manage the financial aspect of running the hotel, and the marketing of it. They will also get involve in ordering the furniture, carpet, linens and oversee security issues.
Tourism management involves the movement of people during their vacations. They will find various destinations for people on holiday to visit. It will involve the journey to the destination and the stay there itself. They would need to know all about the facilities in which their travelers would be staying, and other comforts offered. They would get their vacationers involved in the activities while on their tour. These destinations would need to be very temporary and short-term.
Eco tourism is also becoming a very popular type of tourism. It involves the encouragement of travel that is environmentally responsible, and the greening of tourism.
The education involved in this type of career may be of special interest to developers in timeshares and other vacation ownership. As well, it would be beneficial to people managing visitors bureaus, members of hotel and motel associations, and hotel and restaurant developers.
When getting into the hospitality and tourism careers, it would also be very beneficial to learn other languages and dialects. This, of course, would open up an entire world of communication with your guests, so that you can be that much more accommodating. Being bilingual is always a plus, however, in almost any career.

To find out more about hotel management degrees, go to this hotel management degrees website, and read about hotel management degrees to help you choose what schedule and education is right for you.

Hospitality & Tourism Industry Cape Town South Africa

2011-09-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

The hospitality industry in Cape Town has experienced significant growth in recent years, and this upward trend is expected to continue in the near future, as despite a worldwide recession, as the citywide and country wide efforts to further development strengthen with the rising hopes surrounding the Soccer World Cup 2010.
As the world began to discover the true potential of South Africa, whether for business or leisure purposes, the number of visitors to the country increased. The most recent data indicate that South Africa as a single country surpassed the world and the whole African continent in terms of growth in international arrivals, posting healthy increases of about 14%in 2006 and 9% in the year-to-date period through October 2007 compared to the corresponding months of 2006. In addition, South Africa was ranked one of the top 25 tourist destinations in the world according to the 2006 data gathered by the World Tourism Organization.
The countries ranked in the Western Cape's top three source markets are the United Kingdom, Germany, and somewhat surprisingly the United States. The United States has only in the recent period ranked in the top three due to the distance, time and cost associated with travelled to the tip of the African continent.
The increasingly strong presence of European and US travellers to the Western Cape Region is indicative of the potential growth in demand for internationally recognized branded hotels. A significant number of new developments and infrastructural expansions are currently underway in the major cities of South Africa ahead of 2010.
Refurbishment of existing stadiums and building of new ones continues in South Africa, as well as upgrades to infrastructure such as airports. Meanwhile, many smaller enterprises, such as guesthouses and restaurants, are preparing to host the world.
"The hotel sector in South Africa is first-rate," the Fifa inspection team said in its country report. "There are enough hotel rooms to accommodate everyone taking part in the 2010 Fifa World Cup, including media representatives and fans from around the world, both in the main towns, and in the other towns suggested as 2010 Fifa World Cup venues."
With world class restaurants, hotels and wine farms and some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, South Africans are right to be upbeat about this event and their hospitality offering in general.

Visit for Hospitality and Travel Jobs continued news and events leading up to the World Cup as well as hospitality jobs and training for the Hospitality Jobs, News, Events Africa

How Hotels and Tourism Operators Use Facebook

2011-09-25T09:26:00.001-07:00

Tours and travels is an important part of our lives. We all love to spend a great holiday once a year. There are lots of place which can be of great interest to us. Before you choose your destination you need to discuss it with your family or friends.

Other than this, it is also important to make sure that you find out proper information about the destination before you visit the place. You also need to pay attention to the bookings. There are lots of websites which can help you book your tickets as well as hotels and the other local activities.

Do you know that these days' Facebook hotel bookings are also available? Facebook is one of the most popular social networking sites these days. Facebook travel bookings are quite easy and if you know the procedure then you can do it just sitting at home.

The popularity of Facebook is increasing day by day and the numbers of subscribers are also increasing. There are at least 500 million subscribers of Facebook all over the world. Among these subscribers there are lots of travelers. Facebook offers a great forum to discuss different kinds of issues.

Therefore the travelers present in Facebook can share their holiday experience, travel plans, information and much more. Facebook hotel bookings are almost a new concept these days. Facebook tourism marketing can surely help you improve your travel experience.

If you are a vendor or own hotel then you need to learn how to use Facebook in the best possible way for your benefit. So if you are interested in Facebook tourism travel marketing then you need to look out for the ways which will help you stand out from the others in the same business.

First of all you need to make sure that your posts are not boring. When you create a community you need to make sure that the common people get involved into the community and they even think themselves to be a part of it.

If you want to create a successful page in Facebook then you must keep the customer engaged with quality content as well as updated information. If you are interested in Facebook tourism marketing then you need to make sure that you follow a certain roadmap to success.

There are various applications which can help you work better. These applications are in use in the Facebook. It is also very important to promote your business as well as social network page in the best possible way so that people come for your Facebook bookings.

Do not post all the packages you have together in Facebook. There are certain special packages which can be used to attract the travelers. Facebook hotel bookings can also be offered within these packages.

It is also important to make sure your Facebook page is interesting. You can post various pictures of the events that are organized by your company on your Facebook page to make it much more attractive and popular.

Make Facebook a marketing and bookings channel for your hotel and tourism brand. Add photos, description, room, units, seasons, rates, specials and packages on your Facebook pages in minuets. Manage all changes with an easy to use tourism market platform that can publish your brand specials and products to 100's of marketing channels. Get Your Tourism Products & Bookings on Facebook Now - Free Trail.

The Importance of Hotels and Accommodation in Promoting Tourism

2011-09-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

In the modern times, the way people spend their vacations has undergone a great change. People like to spend good times with family and friend while at the same time exploring various tourist places across the globe. As a result the tourism industry across the globe has seen an unprecedented growth which in turn has also resulted in tremendous growth in the hotel and accommodation facilities.
Comfortable hotels and accommodation facilities play a very important role in popularizing any tourist destination. If a person, who is quite far away from home, gets to enjoy the same facilities and comforts as he enjoys at his home, then he is bound to become attached to the place. On the other hand if the tourist ends up at a place where the hotels and accommodation facilities are not satisfactory, it is quite likely that he might never return to that place.
Perhaps that is why, hotels and accommodation facilities being made available at different tourists spots, have shifted focus on providing maximum comfort to tourists at reasonable rates. It is also vital to provide comfortable accommodation to people from diverse economical backgrounds. While five star hotels can cater to the needs of affluent visitors, small and medium range hotels and lodging houses are available for use by a middle class traveler.
Blog reviews are also vital that information about all the hotels and accommodation facilities available in a particular tourism spot is available to people quite easily. For this there can be no better option than internet, as most tourist gain information about the hotels and accommodation facilities through this medium only. The other ways are by making booklets containing information about the hotels and accommodation facilities available at train and bus stations.
The information provided to the tourists should be detailed and correct. It should contain the information related to room rentals, types of rooms, catering services, check out times, pick and drop facilities etc. Additional information about the significant tourist spots in the area can also be provided both on the net as well as the booklets, to promote not only the hotel but the tourist spot as well.

There are many websites available on internet which is based on travel and tourism. You can get information regarding hotel accommodations, tourists place, and business blog reviews sight scenes. You should search these websites to make your travel easy and plan things accordingly. Through blog reviews you can get the link of such websites that are truly genuine and will provide you travel packages to many countries. Read these blog reviews and you will know better.

Singapore Hotels and Tourism

2011-09-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

Singapore, an island country, is located at the southern tip of Malay Peninsula. It is one of the most sophisticated and modernized country which will give you the best memories of your life. Actually, Singapore is considered one of the worlds most prosperous countries.

When you will put your first step in Singapore, you will feel an air of modernization. There are some of the most amazing buildings and skyscrapers that will surely compel you to say few words in appreciation. Along with some attractive and astounding buildings and architectures, you will love the overall atmosphere in there. It has a tropical climate which makes it the best place for holiday makers. Also, when you talk about tropical climate, its essential to talk about the tasty food. You will become able to taste the most delicious dishes that you will never find anyplace else.

The amazing Singapore:

There is no doubt in the fact that Singapore is a small country. But, you will really be amazed to find out that there are more than four million people living in this small country. Its truly amazing. However, its not the only thing which is amazing about Singapore as there are many others as well. Everything like Jumbo arts scenes, parks, beaches and other attractions are nothing short of excellence. Language of Singapore is amazing as well. Generally, its English that people use in offices, but, there is another language which is an amalgamation of English and Singaporean dialects. This language is known as Singlish. Amazing, isn't it

Touring Singapore:

There are lots of people who visit Singapore for different reasons. Singapore is teeming with bright opportunities for business persons. So, you can see lots of people coming to Singapore to get in touch with local business owners. However, Singapore is one of the best places in the world to make merry. There are clubs and casinos which contribute to its nightlife in a great way.

Surely, there are lots of attractions, but, you must be thinking about accommodation. That's what most people do think before coming to Singapore for the first time. Actually, Singapore is one of the most densely populated countries of the world, so, it is obvious to feel insecure about the availability of accommodation. However, Singapore hotels will really make your vacations even enjoyable by presenting some stylish rooms with all amenities.

The best thing about Singapore hotels is not the availability of these hotels, but, it's the availability of hotels that you want. Singapore cheap hotels can be found with the same ease with which Singapore luxury hotels can be found. However, it is pertinent to mention that Singapore surely is expensive as compared to some other South-East Asian countries. It means that Singapore cheap hotels will also cost you something from $50 to $100. However, Fragrance hotel and Hotel 81 are the places where you will be able to stay by paying least amount of money. For Singapore luxury hotels, there is no limit as you will get more luxuries if you will be willing to spend more money.

Arranging holidays in Singapore is simple, but, handling your budget well is the main thing. However, the availability of Singapore cheap hotels will help a lot. But, if you want to get an experience of your life, try Singapore luxury hotels as these Singapore hotels will show you a new world.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1490319

Best Hospitality and Tourism Management Schools

2011-09-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

The best hospitality and tourism management schools are where you gain an academic education on a degree program, which is a requirement if you are planning on enjoying a long career in the travel and tourism industry. When you gain qualifications in the tourism industry, the knowledge and education you gain will ensure that you are going to succeed in the hospitality industry in general.

Here are just a few of the top tourism and hospitality management schools located around the world:

National Academy Foundations, New York

IMI Switzerland

AIM Paris, France

Queenstown Resort College, New Zealand

Victoria Management School, New Zealand

Tourism Management Institute of Singapore (TMIS)

Choose any one of these great management schools, and your life will soon become an adventure in this vast and exciting industry.

The courses provided at these top colleges are designed to fit the students needs for knowledge and education, as well as the requirements of the tourism industry itself. Meaning hotels, casinos and cruise line companies. Courses offer both a practical approach to business administration and leadership to ensure qualify with an understanding of general, as well as tourism business practices. Although an exciting industry to be a part of, it very demanding of individuals and their knowledge.

A degree in tourism management is just one of graduates qualifications/requirements (leadership aside), along with extracurricular learning in over two thousand hours of volunteer and paid work in one or more internships.

Tourism management schools focus on the areas of hotel and event operations, as well as restaurant and gaming operations. This education is fundamental for working in a coastal resort or hotel, where education requirements vary amongst employers. The reason students are required to gain work experience on internships, usually throughout the summer months, is that most employers will hire someone who has already had experience in the tourism field. However, this is not always the case as many people become part of management team only having a bachelor's degree and working their way up through the ranks to senior management level.

A Swiss hotel management school will train you in all aspects of hospitality business administration, both practical and theory operations in hotels and other fields (of hospitality). Gaining an academic education in a degree program at one these globally recognized and top Swiss hotel schools will ensure your lifelong success in this huge industry.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5849607

Hospitality & Tourism Industry Cape Town South Africa

2011-09-19T12:02:00.001-07:00

Visit for Hospitality and Travel Jobs continued news and events leading up to the World Cup as well as hospitality jobs and training for the Hospitality Jobs, News, Events Africa

FDI Leeway For Projects In Hospitality And Tourism

2011-09-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

FDI Leeway For Projects In Hospitality And Tourism

In a note drafted for the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), the DIPP, which also handles the FDI policy, has said the minimum capitalisation norms specified in Press Note 2 can be waived in the case of projects involving hospitality and tourism facilities such as hotels, restaurants or entertainment facilities. Press Note 5 specifies that minimum capitalisation should be $5 million for permitting FDI in realty projects which involve an Indian partner. However, for a fully-owned subsidiary of an overseas firm the minimum capitalisation is $10 million. The waiver would be available to projects where half the built-up area is devoted to hotel and tourism businesses like food courts, resorts, restaurants, or if 20% of the total built-up area is used for hotel rooms.

The DIPP has also proposed that FDI should be allowed to flow into smaller realty projects covering only 10 acres. As of now, FDI is allowed in realty projects only if the minimum area covered is 25 acres (or 10 hectares). The move will help realty projects in metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad attract FDI.

Realty players say that it is not possible to find 25 acres of land in these cities to make their projects comply with Press Note 2 of 2005, which defines guidelines for permitting FDI in this sector. The industry is keen on business in the metros as it attracts high-profile customers, but wants FDI to be allowed since the cost of land in these cities is high, making them expensive.

Veterans in the real estate business who do not want to be identified said the liberalisation moves were welcome. These steps, when implemented, will provide relief to high-value projects in metros and projects being developed for the tourism sector. The move comes as a relief at a time when realty players are struggling to managed debt and lull in business, they added.

However, the realty industry is upset that its demand for waiving off the three-year lock-in for FDI in real estate has not been accepted. Many fund houses keep off realty projects due to the threeyear lock-in period, industry players feel.

International Hospitality and Tourism Management

2011-09-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

To find out more about hotel management degrees, go to this hotel management degrees website, and read about hotel management degrees to help you choose what schedule and education is right for you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3806735

Best Hospitality and Tourism Management Schools

2011-09-19T11:53:00.001-07:00

Best Hospitality and Tourism Management Schools

National Academy Foundations, New York
IMI Switzerland
AIM Paris, France
Queenstown Resort College, New Zealand
Victoria Management School, New Zealand
Tourism Management Institute of Singapore (TMIS)

Choose any one of these great management schools, and your life will soon become an adventure in this vast and exciting industry.
The courses provided at these top colleges are designed to fit the students needs for knowledge and education, as well as the requirements of the tourism industry itself. Meaning hotels, casinos and cruise line companies. Courses offer both a practical approach to business administration and leadership to ensure qualify with an understanding of general, as well as tourism business practices. Although an exciting industry to be a part of, it very demanding of individuals and their knowledge.
A degree in tourism management is just one of graduates qualifications/requirements (leadership aside), along with extracurricular learning in over two thousand hours of volunteer and paid work in one or more internships.
Tourism management schools focus on the areas of hotel and event operations, as well as restaurant and gaming operations. This education is fundamental for working in a coastal resort or hotel, where education requirements vary amongst employers. The reason students are required to gain work experience on internships, usually throughout the summer months, is that most employers will hire someone who has already had experience in the tourism field. However, this is not always the case as many people become part of management team only having a bachelor's degree and working their way up through the ranks to senior management level.

The Importance of Hotels and Accommodation in Promoting Tourism

2011-09-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

n the modern times, the way people spend their vacations has undergone a great change. People like to spend good times with family and friend while at the same time exploring various tourist places across the globe. As a result the tourism industry across the globe has seen an unprecedented growth which in turn has also resulted in tremendous growth in the hotel and accommodation facilities.
Comfortable hotels and accommodation facilities play a very important role in popularizing any tourist destination. If a person, who is quite far away from home, gets to enjoy the same facilities and comforts as he enjoys at his home, then he is bound to become attached to the place. On the other hand if the tourist ends up at a place where the hotels and accommodation facilities are not satisfactory, it is quite likely that he might never return to that place.
Perhaps that is why, hotels and accommodation facilities being made available at different tourists spots, have shifted focus on providing maximum comfort to tourists at reasonable rates. It is also vital to provide comfortable accommodation to people from diverse economical backgrounds. While five star hotels can cater to the needs of affluent visitors, small and medium range hotels and lodging houses are available for use by a middle class traveler.
Blog reviews are also vital that information about all the hotels and accommodation facilities available in a particular tourism spot is available to people quite easily. For this there can be no better option than internet, as most tourist gain information about the hotels and accommodation facilities through this medium only. The other ways are by making booklets containing information about the hotels and accommodation facilities available at train and bus stations.
The information provided to the tourists should be detailed and correct. It should contain the information related to room rentals, types of rooms, catering services, check out times, pick and drop facilities etc. Additional information about the significant tourist spots in the area can also be provided both on the net as well as the booklets, to promote not only the hotel but the tourist spot as well.

Knysna Hotel and Tourism Information

2011-09-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

Knysna Tourism

Knysna is a scenic municipality nestled along the Garden Route, a 200 kilometer stretch of land covering beaches, mountains, inland water systems, and lush forest greenery. Located in the southeastern coast of South Africa, Knysna in the Garden Route pulls in domestic and international visitors all year round with its amazing natural beauty, outdoor activities, cultural attractions, and wonderful Knysan accommodation options, including upmarket Knysna Hotel, easy Knysna self-catering and peaceful Knysna B&B accommodation. In terms of weather and climate conditions, even the winters are mild in Knysna, with temperatures averaging consistently within or a little bit above 19 degrees Celsius.

Attractions in Knysna

The municipality, which is situated between George and Plettenberg Bay, comprises of Buffalo Bay, Brenton, Noetzie, Rheenenal, and Sedgerfield. The main tourism attraction of Knysna is its natural beauty, especially it's salt water lagoon, which has been protected and promoted for its tourism potential.There are numerous small accommodation establishments, as well as a number of larger hotels surrounding the lagoon. What makes Knysna accommodation so special is the fact that many self-catering, B&B and hotel establishments are situated right on the shores of this lagoon!

Tourism excursions can be arranged to view any of the several forest and mountain trails surrounding the area. The Garden Route trail takes visitors on a tour of the estuaries, wetlands, sand dunes, coastal areas, and forests along the Garden Route, which crosses some areas of the Goukamma Nature Reserve and the Wilderness National Park. There are many hiking trails through the Knysna Forest, an 80,000 hectare sanctuary famous for its elephants. There are also many accommodation options available in this forest.

For those who are looking for history and art, the municipality has a thriving community showcasing their arts and crafts in several galleries and alternative venues such as the alfresco markets. The Millwood Museum and Materoli Tea Room is constructed at the mining site of the old Goldfield Gold Rush and provides an interactive mining experience.

Dining, Shopping and Outdoor Activities

Knysna's wonderful verdant surroundings, exciting mountain terrain, and deep blue coastal waters attract a host of sports and outdoor activity enthusiasts every year. Abseiling, bungee jumping, hiking, paragliding, mountain biking, water skiing, canoeing, and other exciting outdoor activities are offered by tourism companies specializing in extreme, sports, and recreational activities. Many Knysna accommodation establishments will help organize these activities for their guests.

This quiet town is a magnet for gourmands and beer aficionados. Traditional South African and Cape-Malay influenced establishments serve a wide array of choices, from braai to bobotie, alongside restaurants offering international and fusion cuisine. Locally cultivated oysters and other seafood are served fresh in Knysna. Mitchell's Brewery, one of the foremost breweries in South Africa and a tourism attraction by itself, produces a range of excellent beers.

In terms of shopping, Knysna has an array of specialty shops and stores, including six open air markets, for the satisfaction of the inveterate shopper or the souvenir hunter. The alfresco markets, where locally produced vegetables, fruits, and other farm products are sold, provide a good opportunity to meet and interact with the members of the community.

Where to Stay

Visitors to this popular South African tourism destination will not be disappointed with the range of Knysna accommodation is available for booking. Since the area receives different types of visitors each year, the numerous accommodation options are designed to cater to individual and group preferences and budget. There are more than 6,000 beds available for visitors, these include Knynsa Hotel, Knysna B&B and Knysna self catering accommodation options.

Knysan has many accommodation options available to accommodate everyone. Some accommodation options include campsite, lodges, chalets, hotels, and bed and breakfasts. Other accommodation options include holiday and wildlife resorts and private game resorts. Visit: Knysna Accommodation for a complete listing of Knysna accommodation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6282495

We can't wait until next year for tourism plan - the industry's dying and we must act now

2011-09-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2: Several Bermuda hotels have been running at a loss for more than two years and could be facing closure before next summer, a leading hotelier has warned.

Mike Winfield, a former president of the Bermuda Hoteliers Association, condemned the delay in producing a strategic plan for tourism.
He said the industry was in “critical condition” and warned “we are fiddling while Rome burns”.
The Cambridge Beaches boss said the announcement, from Tourism Minister Patrice Minors, that the much-hyped masterplan for the future of the industry would not be released until next year was “deeply concerning. We have been talking and talking about this. There were clear and definitive ideas to come out of that retreat.
“There was a consensus that we should be putting this out no later than October to save 2012.
“To find out now that it is not coming out until the beginning of next year is deeply concerning.
“I am not sure the number of hotels will be the same in 2012. There is potential of losing some.”
He said even a small delay in producing a new vision and brand for Bermuda was significant for the shareholders of the island’s hotels.
“How long do shareholders continue to invest money if they are not at least given assurances that the organization responsible for creating demand and ensuring a sustainable environment is in place and making things happen?”
The Annual Job Market Employment Briefs, released on Wednesday, showed 287 jobs were lost in hotels in 2010 — despite no significant closures.
Mr Winfield said the cuts were a sign of how badly hotels were struggling to make ends meet.
“What we are seeing is very clear evidence of the criticality of Bermuda’s hotel industry today.
“Many hotels have been losing money during this economic crisis and there is an obvious impact on the labour force.
“It is the shareholders that pay for that and they are increasingly worried about the sustainability of the industry.”
The Tourism Board held a ‘retreat’ in April to brainstorm ideas with key industry figures with a view to charting the way forward for the struggling industry.
The aim was to produce and publish a clear plan by October to give the island time to market itself for the 2012 season.
But Minster Minors announced last week that progress had been delayed.
Several hoteliers are said to be concerned.
“We can’t procrastinate ad-infinitum,” said Mr Winfield.
“It is my belief that what is required is not rocket science.
Guidance
“There are some definitive steps that need to be taken. We need to know what we want tourism to look like in five years and have a plan to get there. That needs professional input, guidance and management. We should have that in place and we should be moving forward. The state of Bermuda’s industry is not a surprise. We’ve been in a loss position for the last two years.”
He said business had been declining badly for ten years with Bermuda reaching the “critical point” where it could not afford to lose any more hotel beds.
“Look at the number of hotels that have closed. Look at the number of beds on the island.We are half of what we were ten years ago.
“There are lots of people taking decisions about the future of their hotels and looking at different ways of using the land.
“But from a social and financial perspective the tourism industry is vital to the future of Bermuda.
“It provides the infrastructure for International Business. It provides the rationale for the airlift that also supports IB.

Gloom but not doom for Indian hospitality industry

2011-09-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

Although the reports about credit crisis in the US economy and debt crisis in the key European markets do not augur well for the Indian travel industry, as they are key source markets, the tourism stakeholders in the country are yet to press the panic button. While telecommunication and IT industries are wary of another recessionary spell due to crisis in these markets, travel and tourism industry in India is not expecting any major impact on the industry, at least in the short term.

However, the current credit crisis could in fact be impact the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flow into the developing economies like India. According to Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, India, USA ranked third after Mauritius and Singapore among the top three investors in India. The total FDI from April 2000-June 2011 was Rs 640, 886 crore (USD 143,158 million), of which the FDI inflow to hotel and tourism sector between April 2000-June 2011 was Rs 12,427.91 crore (USD 2,758.78 million). Services sector, telecommunication and computer software and hardware are the top three sectors for FDI inflow to India.

DD Sharma, Retail Researcher, Anand Rathi Stock Brokers and Service Ltd said, “FDI inflow in the Indian hospitality sector might not be negatively affected, as slowing economies with low interest rates will find emerging economies like India as better option for investment. For this reason, India’s growing market will offer higher returns to investors from those countries. US economic slowdown may affect India in IT/BPO, or textiles and merchandise exports, etc.”

India receives majority of tourists from European and South Asian countries. “The debt crisis in my opinion would not have a major impact like 2008. The upcoming inbound season is looking fairly stable. However, we need to tread cautiously in some of the volatile markets. Looking at the direct effect on India, it may not be felt much as the Indian inbound dependence on these traditional markets is lesser, as there are countries like Russia, China, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Ukraine, Singapore and Philippines, which today have a sizeable inbound movement into India and one that is growing steadily,” observed Arjun Sharma, Managing Director, Le Passage to India. He hoped that inbound from these markets would well offset the shortfall from the developed world. “However, I probably see a large drop in the business travel segment from both USA and Europe. Also the trend of decline is a bit more pronounced for luxury and deluxe products, mid-scale products are still selling well,” Sharma added.

Echoing the same sentiments, Rajesh Mudgill, Secretary, IATO and Managing Director, Planet India Travels informed, “The credit ratings will not affect the day-to-day travel and such situations would not actually change the ground reality. The effect might be reflected by way of diverting to short haul destinations and short trips rather than long haul trips. People will travel, but will start spending cautiously.”

The impact of the present crisis would take some time to reflect here, opines Sreekumar Menon, Managing Director, Chalukya Grace Tours. “Unlike five years ago, when we used to get reservation a year in advance, nowadays the bookings are made two months prior to travel. And hence we are yet to witness any cancellations or dip in the arrivals,” Menon informed.

But there are people who believe that the current credit in the US would impact inbound into India. As one of the top 15 largest creditors to USA with an exposure of over USD 40 billion, no doubt India will be affected by the slowdown with other countries across the region, states Aiden McAuley, Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific, Swissotel Hotels & Resorts. However, the large domestic base would work in India’s favour, he believes. “India has a large domestic economy with strong fundamentals and India may still stand to gain from opportunities among the emerging markets,” he adds.

Manav Thadani, Chairman, HVS India believes that if at all there is an impact that would be limited to key metro cities in India. “I would like to clarify that this impact will mainly be felt in the major metro cities and in-particular in the luxury and upscale segment.”

KB Kachru, Executive Vice President - South Asia, Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific, believes that domestic market would keep the industry afloat even in the crisis. “The inbound may go down as companies cut down expenditure. Even the leisure segment, owing to the negative sentiment, might see a decline. However, we expect domestic travelling to increase and drive up the numbers. Nevertheless, the rates would come under pressure in the short term.”

Sunday, September 04, 2011 Local Saturday, September 03, 2011 HANMI TO LAWMAKERS Pass $15 travel promotion fee to grow CNMI tourism

2011-09-03T22:23:00.000-07:00

The Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands is asking the Senate and the House to pass a bill that seeks to charge passengers from non-U.S. destinations a new $15 “travel promotion fee,” but asks that fees collected should go directly to the Marianas Visitors Authority instead of the general fund to help grow the tourism industry.

HANMI represents hundreds of hotel rooms in the CNMI.

“We support the implementation of a $15 per person travel promotion fee on arrivals from non-U.S. destinations to fund the Tourism Incentive Program. We do not feel this additional fee will negatively affect the average visitor's decision to choose the Northern Marianas destination,” HANMI board chair Nick Nishikawa and five other HANMI directors said in a letter to Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) and House Speaker Eli Cabrera.

House Bill 17-179, House Substitute 1 passed the House in May, and has since been with the Senate.

The bill seeks to amend a law signed in February, to expand the target market for the tourism incentive program to include “Asian countries” in addition to Japan, which was struck by disasters in March or a month after the original law was enacted.

But Nishikawa and the other board members said it is imperative that the funds collected for this bill's purpose be given “directly” to MVA for the purpose of the Tourism Incentive Program.

“We do not support this revenue being collected under the general fund, as there is concern it would be diverted for other than the intended purpose, which is solely for the growth of our tourism industry. Furthermore, allocating this revenue directly to MVA will eliminate any delays in allotments, a challenge the tourism authority continues to face in implementing its programs,” the HANMI officials said.

Tourism is now the only major industry in the CNMI, after the total pullout of the garment industry. But tourist arrivals have been steadily declining. In June, for example, arrivals dropped by 17 percent compared to June 2010, attributed mainly to the negative effects of the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan.

MVA said there were only 23,604 visitors in June compared to 28,372 during the same month last year. Overall, visitor arrivals are down 5 percent this fiscal year to 251,992 visitors.

House floor leader George Camacho (Ind-Saipan), author of HB 17-179, HS1, said yesterday he's hopeful that the Senate will pass the tourism incentive bill.

“I am sure the Senate understands the CNMI's need for revenue and will pass the legislation. I just hope they can do it soon and not delay the process. MVA is waiting on that bill so that they can quickly promulgate the rules to get the program started,” Camacho told Saipan Tribune.

But a copy of the Senate's scheduled Sept. 8 session agenda does not include the tourism incentive bill. The bill calendar has only the fiscal year 2012 budget.

Sen. Ralph Torres (R-Saipan), chair of the Senate Committee on Resources and Economic Development, said in a separate interview yesterday that the panel will meet on Wednesday or Thursday to discuss this legislation.

“And from there, we'll know whether to recommend passage or not of the bill,” he added.

The Fitial administration sponsored the original tourism incentive bill that became law.

When a bill amending the tourism law was introduced, it contained the new $15 fee to be collected by airlines, besides expanding the target market for the tour agent incentive program.

The law gives monetary incentives to travel agents who are able to bring in tourists from the Japanese cities of Osaka and Nagoya during so-called low peak periods. The March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan has prompted the CNMI to expand the target market, to include those from Korea and China and other Asian countries.

Collections from this new fee will also be used to “recover costs incurred for enforcement of customs and quarantine laws,” the bill amending the law says.

Lawmakers have always talked about passing revenue-generating bills and cut spending, but only a few actually get acted on.

Idul Fitri Good News for Local Tourism

2011-09-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

Many of Indonesia’s 237 million people are in the mood for holidaying in the post-fasting Idul Fitri period, and they have flocked to domestic tourist attractions.

The government combined the national holiday with leave days, giving almost everyone nine days off for Idul Fitri 2011. Work starts again on Monday.

The long holiday helped boost transportation and tourism, with about 15.5 million travelers going home to celebrate Idul Fitri with their relatives. And once the prayers were over, they spent the rest of the holiday at the beach and other attractions.

In Jakarta, PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol official Metty Yan Harahap estimated that at least 1.5 million visitors would flood Ancol Dreamland during the week, at least 10 percent more than during last year` week-long Lebaran holiday.

In addition, on the second day of Idul Fitri, Thursday, at least 45,000 people visited the Taman Mini Indonesia theme park in East Jakarta, said the park’s spokesman, Mas`ud Toyib said. He expected visits would hit a peak Sunday.

In nearby Tangerang, thousands of holiday makers visited the popular Tanjung Pasir beach on Saturday, said beach security coordinator Asmar Yopi. He said the place would stay packed through the weekend as people get as much fun as possible out of the holiday before heading back to work.

Rosidah, a resident of nearby Balaraja, Tangerang, said every year she and her friends visited Tanjung Pasir beach because it’s close to home and easier to reach than the popular seaside Anyer resort in Banten.

"If we go to Anyer, we are also afraid of getting stuck in a traffic jam," she said.

Anyer itself was crowded for its busiest time of the year.

"The peak of tourist arrivals at Anyer is expected this Saturday and Sunday," Secretary of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association’s Serang Chapter, Sukirman, said Friday.

Cilegon Police Chief Umar Surya Fana said he would deploy extra personnel in Anyer to handle the crush of arrivals over the weekend.

"This weekend, it`s not only the peak of tourist arrivals in Anyer Beach, but also the reverse flow of Idul Fitri travelers from Bakauheni to Merak Seaport," he said.

In West Java, thousands of tourists visiting Mount Papandayan in Garut, West Java ignored a government warning to stay away from the volcano, which erupted recently and has been on alert status since Aug. 13, according to local government spokesperson Dikdik Hendraja.

Also in West Java, at least 25,000 visitors were expected by resorts in the Rancabali region of Bandung District.

"Around 17,000 people already have arrived from various cities in Indonesia. It`s likely that the number of tourist arrivals this year will increase from the previous year," Asep Ester, the chairman of the Bandung Tourism Association, said last week.

Its also been a good time for malls and department stores. In Bekasi, visitors to malls in Cikarang are up about 17 percent after Idul Fitri.

"Visitors come for discounted products, especially garments and Lebaran necessities," Ridwan Arifin, a spokesman for Sentra Grosir Cikarang in Bekasi said on Friday.

The stories are repeated nationwide, from the Punti Kayu forest resort in Palembang to East Java’s Wonorejo Dam and reservoir, where numbers were up sharply.

In Malam, East Java, five to six thousand people a day visited Jatim Park 2 during the holiday, an increase of 40 percent from non-peak times, said an official. Jatim Park 1 saw about 4,000 people a day.

For the wealthy, Australia was a popular destination, with the Australian Embassy getting over 16,000 tourist visa applications in the seven weeks leading up to the holiday.

"Lebaran is a special time for all Indonesians and we`re proud to be able to meet the growing demand for Indonesians visiting Australia," Australian Ambassador Greg Moriarty said in a press release Friday.

Welcome aboard North Korea’s first cruise ship.Keen to boost tourism and earn much-needed cash,

2011-09-03T22:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome aboard North Korea’s first cruise ship.Keen to boost tourism and earn much-needed cash, authorities in the impoverished nation have decided to launch a cruise tour from the rundown northeastern port city of Rajin to the scenic resort of Mount Kumgang.

In a highly unusual move, the reclusive regime invited more than 120 journalists and Chinese tour operators on board the newly renovated, 39-year-old Man Gyong Bong ship for a trial run of the 21-hour journey.

The vessel left one of Rajin’s aging piers Tuesday to the sound of rousing music, as hundreds of students and workers holding colorful flowers stood in line and clapped in unison.

“The boat was only renovated one week ago,” said Hwang Chol Nam, vice mayor of the Rason special economic zone, as he sat on the top deck at a table filled with bottles of North Korean beer, a large plate of fruit, and egg and seafood dishes.

“But it has already made the trip to Mount Kumgang and back. I told people to test the ship to make sure it was safe,” said the 48-year-old, dressed in a crisp suit adorned with a red pin sporting late leader Kim Il-Sung’s portrait.

The project is the brainchild of North Korea’s Taepung International Investment Group and the government of Rason, a triangular coastal area in the northeast that encompasses Rajin and Sonbong cities, and borders China and Russia.

Set up as a special economic zone in 1991 to attract investment to North Korea, it never took off due to poor infrastructure, chronic power shortages and a lack of confidence in the reclusive regime.

Now though, authorities are trying to revive the area as the North’s economy falters under the weight of international sanctions imposed over the regime’s pursuit of ballistic missiles and atomic weapons.

The country is desperately poor after decades of isolation and bungled economic policies, and is grappling with persistent food shortages.

In Rason, Hwang said authorities had decided to focus on three areas of growth – cargo trade, seafood processing and tourism.

North Korea has only been open to Western tourists since 1987 and remains tightly controlled, but more destinations are gradually opening up to tour groups keen to see the country for themselves.

Mount Kumgang, though, is at the heart of a political dispute between North and South Korea after a tourist from the South was shot dead by a North Korean soldier in 2008.

And Rason, where the cruise begins, is a poor area. The tours are tightly monitored, and the only brief contact with locals is with guides, tourist shop owners and hotel employees.

Visitors can expect only brief glimpses of everyday life through the windows of tour buses, as locals – many dressed in monochrome clothing – cycle past or drive the occasional car in otherwise quiet streets.

Small apartment blocks, many of them run down, are interspersed with monuments to the glory of the country’s leaders.

A portrait of current leader Kim Jong-Il and his late father Kim Il-Sung greets visitors as they walk through the vast lobby of the large, white hotel in Rajin. “The book is a silent teacher and a companion to life,” reads a quotation from the late Kim, hung over glass cases full of books about North Korea, with titles like “The Great Man Kim Jong-Il” and “Korea – a trailblazer.”

Emirati students boost their skills in Delma Island tourism

2011-09-03T22:13:00.001-07:00

Abu Dhabi: For Mariam Ahmad Mohammad, the chance to return to the island where her father tended to the animals loved by the UAE's late President Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan was a dream come true.

"My father was the caretaker of Sir Bani Yas… he would look after the island and the animals… he met with Shaikh Zayed whenever he visited to talk about any changes that took place. Growing up, I visited the island regularly with my father and I loved seeing all the animals, especially the giraffes," she said.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from the UAE University, Mariam returned to Delma Island and enrolled in various courses in the Delma Island Education Centre (DIEC).

"While studying at the centre, I heard about a new tourism programme and when I found out more about it, I was very excited to join… it provided me with the perfect way to enhance my BA skills while also promoting my culture and heritage in a unique, hands-on way," Mariam said.

"My parents were very supportive, especially my father… they're very proud that I am following in his footsteps but in my own way," she added.

First batch

The 24-year-old is one of five Emirati women who make up the first batch of students who have graduated from the DIEC's 11-month programme, the Introductory Diploma in Travel and Tourism. The diploma is accredited and certified through the UK-based vocational skills organisation City & Guilds Group.

"We launched this programme because we wanted to encourage Emirati involvement to develop the desert islands into a tourist destination," Mahra Al Qasimi, Senior Communications Manager in Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), said. "Even though our first graduates from this programme are women, it is open to both men and women who are Emiratis. The women have given their feedback and we are considering their suggestions for the next batch, of which we've already begun receiving applications," she added.

The women completed courses in English, tourism, customer service, the presentation of promotional materials, task planning and time management before moving on to an internship at the Desert Island Resort & Spa by Anantara, the signature hotel on Sir Bani Yas, a two-hour ferry ride from home.

Wafa Sanad Al Mehairbi, 21, was studying at the UAE University before enrolling in the Centre. "I loved the programme… it taught me so much, both about the industry and myself… I was a very shy person and wasn't very physically active. But when we had to do our practical training on the island, I had a lot of fun. I learnt to ride a bicycle and through interacting with guests, I became more confident about speaking in public," Wafa said.

Fostering closeness

"Another great thing about the programme is that while at first the only other person I knew was Mariam, by the time it ended, we all became as close as sisters," she added.

Mariam, Wafa and their fellow graduates, Inaam Yousuf Al Hammadi and Yasmeen Ebrahim Al Hammadi are working as tour guides on the island while their fifth classmate, Shaikha Mohammad Al Ali, is an administrator in the DIEC.

"Being able to do all these activities is amazing, especially since not many people were sure we could be full-time tour guides. Also, we were able to share our culture with international guests who don't know a lot about the UAE"

Wafa said because of the positive experiences she's had, she is trying to encourage a friend to enrol with the next batch.

"We need more Emiratis to join this industry because who better than us to represent our country's culture and hospitality?" Wafa said.

About the Desert Islands Education Centre

A North Korean Resort Seeks to Draw Foreigners

2011-09-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

The golf course is devoid of caddies; banks and restaurants are chained and padlocked; and empty hotel rooms have grown musty.

Income from tourism here has plummeted since a South Korean visitor was shot dead in 2008 by a North Korean soldier while wandering one night into a nearby area that North Korean officials said was a military zone. South Korea then forbade its citizens from traveling here, and the South Korean developer of the park, Hyundai Asan, had to suspend the venture, for which it had exclusive rights from this authoritarian Communist state.

Now, the North Korean government, desperate for revenue, seeks to lure other foreign investors to Mount Kumgang, against the wishes of South Korea.

A senior North Korean tourism official gave a video presentation on Wednesday night to scores of Chinese businesspeople and officials shuttled to the park on a 21-hour bare-bones cruise from the Rason region in the far north of the country. The official, Kim Kwang-yun, told foreign reporters who had been given a rare opportunity to accompany the Chinese group to this secretive country that Mount Kumgang was open to investment from anywhere.

“Last night, I explained a lot to allow foreigners to see the beautiful sights of Mount Kumgang,” Mr. Kim said as he sat beneath chandeliers in the lobby of the Kumgang Hotel, adding that he could also talk about investing “if big delegations from Europe, Africa and other countries come to the Mount Kumgang area.”

The effort by North Korean officials to bring foreign investment to Mount Kumgang is the latest move in a chess match between the two Koreas over the park, which abuts the demilitarized zone. New investment would help with infrastructure construction, and rejuvenated park operations could bolster tourist numbers. But the vast majority of the two million visitors who have come to the resort since its opening in 1998 have been South Koreans, and North Korean officials say they want to restart their partnership with Hyundai Asan. The very public wooing of foreign investors could be an effort to pressure the South Korean government to let Hyundai Asan rejoin the venture.

The North Koreans began raising the stakes on Aug. 22, when officials informed the government in the South that they were evicting any remaining South Korean employees from the park and contended that they had the right to “start legal disposal” of South Korean assets, which amount to $443 million.

The South Korean government immediately said it would take legal and diplomatic measures to protect the assets, and Hyundai Asan warned that anyone who bought facilities at the resort would be implicated in international lawsuits.

Mr. Kim said the South Korean government was responsible for the conflict by putting “unilateral restrictions on tourism” for “political purposes.” He added that the tensions would not scare off foreign investors.

“I think we already established the legal foundation for developing this Mount Kumgang area,” he said. “Whether they will invest in this area is their choice.”

An official at South Korea’s Unification Ministry said in an e-mail on Saturday that the “Mount Kumgang tourism issue cannot be resolved by the unilateral measures by the North. It can be addressed by inter-Korean dialogue.”

Once accessed by ferry and road from South Korea, the special administrative zone of Mount Kumgang is a rugged area of pine trees and waterfalls, soaring stony peaks and curving coastlines. Carved into the ubiquitous granite rock faces are gigantic slogans paying homage to the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, and his deceased father and North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-sung.

The South Korean government built a center here for a pilot program in which family members split by the division of Korea in 1945 and the subsequent war could meet again. But since the killing of the South Korean tourist, relations between the two Koreas have become much more strained, especially after the sinking of a South Korean naval ship for which the South blames the North and the shelling of a South Korean island last year.

The drop in tourism has been particularly hard on North Korea, which has been grappling with food shortages caused in part by failed economic policies and struggling with the effect of economic sanctions from the United Nations. The sanctions were imposed mostly at the urging of the United States, which is trying to force the North Korean leader to end a nuclear weapons program.

Travel Wise: Local hotel rates rise, but tourists still coming

2011-09-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Hotel occupancy rates in Seattle and around Washington state inched upward in July, a sign of a slightly improved economy. The flip side was higher room prices.

Smith Travel Research reports the average room rate for July in the Seattle area was $126.50, up 5.3 percent compared to July 2010. That doesn't appear to be deterring tourists, however.

If the city feels crowded this weekend, there's a reason. The online travel agency CheapOair reports Seattle is among the nation's top 10 destinations for Labor Day. Los Angeles is No. 1. New York City didn't make the cut.

Cyber travel

Anyone who's tried to plan a trip into Eastern Europe knows there's a dearth of up-to-date travel information. New hotels and restaurants are opening all the time, yet most guidebook authors do their research a year before the books are published, then update only every two or three years.

My favorite online resources for this part of the world are the In Your Pocket Guides and apps (www.inyourpocket.com). Now there's another. Argophilia (http://argophilia.com/Albania/) launched last month with an online guide to Albania, the first in a planned series of guides for 30 Eastern European destinations.

I would have loved to have had an online guide for Albania when I traveled there in 2010. The country is truly a hidden gem, filled with medieval towns, beautiful beaches and historical sites.

In the meantime, when it comes to printed guidebooks, the slim Bradt Guides (www.bradtguides.com) still top my list for info about foreign destinations most tourists know little about.

Closer to home, the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau has come up with four free, self-guided cyber tours for smartphones and tablets such as the iPad.

Use them on the ferry, in a hotel room or while standing in front of a historic theater or scenic trailhead. The tours cover Granite Falls, the Mountain Loop Highway, local aviation-related attractions and the Snohomish antique district. Details at www.snohomish.org.

Airline refund policies

Following up on an August column on airline refund policies when fares drop, I heard from Bruce and Olga Sutherland, who booked flights to Frankfurt from Seattle in August on Condor Air.

"We checked the airfare on tickets we booked for Europe in May," they wrote in an email. "Sure enough, the fares had dropped significantly, nearly $1,000 for the two of us. We called the airline immediately but were told they could do nothing, no voucher, no upgrade. 'Sorry!' What can you advise?"

How to be a tourism billionaire

2011-09-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

Tourism is the world’s biggest and most exciting industry. Last year, more than a billion tourists spent over $1 trillion gallivanting around the planet. The top 10 destinations, according to the United Nations-affiliated World Tourism Organization, are (1) France, (2) the United States, (3) Spain, (4) China, (5) Italy, (6) Great Britain, (7) Turkey, (8) Germany, (9) Malaysia and (10) Mexico.

Bottom dweller. Note that among the 10 topnotchers are two of our Asian neighbors. China had 51 million visitors who poured in $39.7 billion into the Chinese economy, and Malaysia had 23.6 million visitors who spent $30 billion –much more the remittance of $18.7 billion of all our OFWs last year. I am not surprised by the Chinese performance but the big wow is Malaysia.

Among the bottom-dwellers was the Philippines with 3.5 million visitors who spent $2.49 billion. The tourist attractions of Malaysia are similar to ours. But it received almost 10 times more tourists and earned 10 times more dollars than us. If we can replicate just half of the Malaysian performance, our economy will boom. And perhaps, our people need not go abroad to find jobs.

How can the Philippines become a tourism multi-billionaire? Our Department of Tourism pinned its hope on its “action-oriented” National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP), which aims to “attract about 6.5 million foreign tourists and generate 2.9 million new jobs in the next five years.”

Without preempting the new tourism secretary (Ramon Jimenez), I think any tourism program should consider at least five basic things: (1) product, (2) transportation, (3) accommodation, (4) facilitation, and (5) marketing.

Stress the positives. On the first, our “product,” I think we should learn to capitalize on our “positives,” like our naturally hospitable, smiling and English-speaking people; and the very reasonable prices of our food, hotels, shopping and entertainment. We need to stress our multi-culture heritage and natural attractions like beaches (nothing in the world beats Boracay).

We have to attend to basic infrastructures. Let’s improve the Manila airport pronto; it is the worst capital airport in Asia. Let’s solve the Piatco imbroglio that has lingered for over 10 years now. If San Miguel can create a miracle in the Caticlan airport as the gateway to Boracay, we can do it anywhere.

And let’s plan long term for the Diosdado Macapagal Airport in Pampanga. It may be “far” from Manila, but so are the huge Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur airports. Yet, with proper rail and freeway links, these new international gateways are admired everywhere. Did you ever wonder why cruise ships practically ignore our country? Well, let us provide better facilities for them!

And we need to improve our negatives, like our peace and order in certain areas. Let’s not bring tourists where we cannot assure them of safety. In tourist havens, let’s have visible tourist police. Let’s improve our vanishing sidewalks. One of the first things tourists do is to walk around their hotel. Can that be done in Manila where sidewalks are used as garbage dumps, repair shops and parking lots?

Review open skies policy. On the second item, transportation, almost all our tourists arrive by air. And yet, we still have a confusing air policy. On April 3, I wrote on “open skies” and will not now repeat my thesis. Suffice it to say that no country in the world succeeded in its tourism program by sacrificing its national air carriers.

Perhaps, at a distant past when Philippine Airlines did not have sufficient capacity, it made sense to think of open skies. But now, PAL’s capacity has been greatly improved. And we have new carriers, like Cebu Pacific, that can fill whatever capacity gaps there may be.

Aside from international carriers, we need to review our domestic air links, shipping lines, tourist buses, taxis, and our crude railroad tracks. Years ago, the DoT was advertising the Banaue Rice Terraces. The big question was: How do we get there?

Facilitation refers to government formalities, like visas, immigration, customs and security checks. Our ragtag Manila airport is one of the few in the world that still charges an “airport terminal fee.” Melvin Cruz, a successful Filipino hotel executive in the United States, sadly told me recently that cruise ships avoid us because of difficulty in dealing with immigration and customs personnel.

On accommodation, we have great hotels here that charge reasonable rates. But we need many more hotel rooms of the kind and price range that complement the NTDP’s aim to double our tourist arrivals in five years. It is not easy to build hotels. We need feasibility studies, visionary entrepreneurs, resources, time and stable government policies.

Finally, our marketing must be synchronized with our product. If we decide to sell mainly beaches, then we need to find foreign tourists who want them. We cannot sell beaches to mountain climbers or to non-swimmers. Also, the world is a huge market. We need to segment it and focus on the tourists who want our attractions.

Sports and tourism would be big for city

2011-09-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

For the past two years, Demopolis has played host to two Cal Ripken Youth Baseball Tournaments, which have pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash onto the streets of Demopolis and through local businesses.

Hotels, restaurants, local retailers, probably a few doctors and many other things have benefited from what has become an annual event.

On the heels of that influx, Art Evans, Cal Ripken League Administrator and Alabama Babe Ruth District 10 Commissioner, asked the Demopolis city council Thursday night to consider creating a full-time position whose sole purpose was to secure sporting events that could be held in the City of the People.

According to Evans, for the past two years, in excess of $380,000 was spent in the city during the two tournaments. That, he said, equals approximately $17,000 in taxes paid to the city.

That’s a lot. Especially considering those dollars are transient. They weren’t something we were just going to get. We had to find it.

Creating a position whose sole purpose is to market the sports environment in Demopolis is a good move. However, I think Mayor Mike Grayson’s estimated startup cost is somewhat conservative.

A good salesman, which is what we need in a potential “sports commissioner”, can earn a hefty salary in the private sector. There’s not a lot of room for an attractive salary and benefit package at an all encompassing $68,000.

I believe, that position in the right hands could justify a salary of $50,000 plus, which would likely push startup costs to around $90,000.

That’s a chunk of money, but you have to plan big to make it big.

Look at the money already brought into our city based on the work of Art Evans, Rob Pearson, Charles Singleton and a handful of volunteers.

I think it’s more than reasonable to think that an aggressive push put forth by a full-time employee could more than cover his or her own expenses within 18 months or less.

Evans noted that the potential Demopolis will serve as a host site for a Cal Ripken World Series in the near future is at least a possibility. Again, that’s roughly another $45,000 in taxes.

Jay Shows and the local hotel contingent have agreed to implement a 50 cent per bad tax on their occupants if it will help bring more people and tourism dollars to the community through this employee.

Our natural resources, our hunting and fishing, are extraordinarily marketable. One good size bass tournament – maybe a stop on the FLW Tour or something of that size – would easily pump in another very conservative $20,000 to the tax base, not to mention the dollars spent at Parr’s, and Vowell’s, and the Best Western and a host of other local businesses that could use the boost.

Art and Rob have clearly shown there is potential for success in this venture, and have done so with their own sweat, own time and in some cases, their own money.

They deserve to see this idea put on the street in the form of a master marketer who can sell one of the easiest things there is to sell on the planet – the quality of the sports facilities in Demopolis.

Hospitality, Tourism, and Leisure

2011-09-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

What courses? A plethora of options covering the three fields, including: tourism and leisure; tourism management; hospitality management; events management; travel and tourism; activity tourism management; adventure tourism management; airline and airport management; cruise industry management; culinary arts management; food tourism management; heritage management; nature tourism management; international tourism management.

What do you come out with? BA or BSc

Why do it? Because they are glamorous fields of work which allow you, in many cases, to see the world and learn new languages. Hospitality, leisure and tourism give you the opportunity to work in fast-paced, people friendly environments where you can develop skills in sales, management and lots more. Tourism is a valuable part of the world economy and for many small countries around the world it’s a massive chunk of their GDP. Tourism is also booming in the UK, with many staying closer to home for their holidays during the recession and the inevitable draw of the 2012 London Olympics on the horizon. The employment prospects are great for such vocational courses and you’re in with a good chance of getting to work abroad if you fancy some time in the sun.

What's it all about? Courses in these three fields are highly vocational and industry-focused – not to mention incredibly popular. You will study the basics of human resources, marketing, finance and operations, all geared towards your career preferences. For example, a tourism degree tends to focus on travel and management in the context of local economic, environmental and social issues. When it comes to hospitality, expect to learn about industry-specific issues, such as food hygiene and nutrition, as well as getting hands-on experience in the kitchen and on the restaurant floor. Events courses focus on the ever-expanding big business of events (surprisingly), whether these are music festivals, comic conventions or massive corporate conferences. Due to the massive vocational emphasis of these courses, a sandwich year (particularly appropriately-named for catering courses) is compulsory in nearly all cases. With many universities building strong links with the industries’ major players – University College Birmingham students can work with Whitbread or Holiday Inn – graduate prospects can be greatly benefited in this placement year.

Study options: Courses are three years, but the addition of the sandwich makes most four. You will also have to do four years if you are at a Scottish university or taking the part-time option at Greenwich. There is often the option to study alongside a foreign language, in which case, you’ll also be spending an additional year working or studying abroad.

What will I need to do it? Anything goes, generally, although some places recommend business, economics and geography A-levels. If you’re doing hospitality management, an A-level in food technology might also help on the practical side of things. Offers range depending on the university – it’s ABB at Surrey, BBC at Northumbria, or CDD at UWIC and Greenwich.

What are my job prospects? As a group of fairly vocational degrees, they generally have a well-established route into graduate jobs either in the UK or overseas. Some graduates go on to work in travel consultancy, tour operations, destination marketing, visitor attractions management, hospitality provision, events programming and small business development. Others work in hotel management, on cruise ships or in marketing. If you decide the tourism, hospitality and leisure industries aren’t for you on completion of your degree, then you should have acquired a host of business and interpersonal skills that will leave you open for a range of jobs in various other sectors. However, due to the large number of courses now offered across the UK, graduates are slowly outnumbering jobs, meaning employment figures don't look overly positive. According to The Times' Good University Guide 2012, just under 40 per cent of leavers went straight into graduate-level jobs, while 46 per cent were in non-graduate positions andnine per cent were unemployed, which is about the national average. Average graduate salaries are £17,680.

Firm expands hotel chains in Nigeria

2011-09-03T22:06:00.000-07:00

Thornberry Africa, which prides itself as Africa’s premier hospitality management and marketing company, has recorded more positive strides in the Nigerian hotel and tourism landscape with the recent addition of Penthouse Hotel by Americas Best Inns and Suites, Ikoyi.

This is coming shortly after the recent addition of Juanita Hotel in Port Harcourt and the expected launch of Lekki Oxford Hotel, WestPoint and Savannah Suites later this month and October respectively.
Briefing newsmen in Lagos, the Managing Director of Thornberry Africa, David Church, said this new deal broadens the array of hotels that the Thornberry brand represents; a portfolio of lodges, resorts and other tourist concerns situated in strategic destinations throughout Africa.
The Penthouse Hotel and Suites, which is originally owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), according to Church, is also modelled after the Americas Best Inns and Suites, in the US, which has over 100, 000 properties.
While commenting on the unique selling points of the Penthouse Hotel, Thornberry boss, who trained in the UK, said, among other things, it has executive suites, 24-hours internet access and has a Lady’s Room, which is one of the flagship products of Thornberry.
The General Manager of Penthouse Hotel, Jannie Lombard, who took journalists on a tour of the facility said the hotel is a business-oriented hotel, targeted at serving upwardly mobile executives and other high end individuals.
He, however, hinted of plans by the hotel to partner with the Ikoyi Club, to allow customers easy access to outdoor facilities like the gym, swimming pool, among others.
Church, who claimed that his firm has taken over the management of Tinapa resort, in Cross River, said the resort has grown in the last six months since they assumed its management.
The hotelier who said his company only selects hotels which meets or exceeds its extensive minimum standards and value experience for both travelers and bookers, further added that each property on the Thornberry list is treated with specific; almost signature approach, "This flows through culinary experience, furnishings and interiors and staff attitude to the highly placed guests."
The company, which currently overseas over 21 projects across the continent including Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa, among others, first came to Nigeria a little over a year ago and now manages hotels and resorts including Citilodge, Citipark, Tinapa Lakeside and Aqua Vista. While recent deals are Penthouse by Americas Best, Sommerset Hotel, Westpoint Hotel, Lekki Oxford and Savanna Kennan Country Lodge.

Civic Center, tourism officials disappointed by Marriott decision

2011-09-03T22:05:00.000-07:00

PEORIA —

People interested in seeing the Downtown Marriott Hotel project go forward were disappointed about the possible cancellation of the redevelopment agreement for the project.

"It's unfortunate," Jim Wetherington, general manager of the Peoria Civic Center, said Friday, two days after City Manager Patrick Urich and Mayor Jim Ardis told developer Gary Matthews that they were canceling the redevelopment agreement. "We were hoping for the shovel to hit the ground sooner than later."

Civic Center officials last spoke with Matthews about the particulars of a skywalk connecting the Downtown sports and entertainment facility with the Marriott about 1 1/2 years ago, Wetherington said. The last drawing, presented by PSA Dewberry, showed the skywalk connecting from the hotel at the Civic Center's Fulton Street entrance.

"It limits the amount of shows we can do," Wetherington said. "It's not a deal breaker nor ends our business, but it doesn't give as many options as we have."

The Civic Center completed its $55 million expansion in 2007, with the hopes of attracting more conventions if an attached hotel surfaced. Officials in the past have estimated there has been about 52,000 hotel room nights lost because the Civic Center is not attached to a hotel.

"(The Marriott Hotel project) was a major focus not only on what we hoped was a major urban renewal but a marketing story with potential clients," said Bob Marx, president/CEO of the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Financially, that's a huge loss."

The cancellation also will probably hurt the Hotel Pere Marquette, an aging hotel that was built in 1927 and is in need of an upgrade.

The hotel, according to Marx, had a 44 percent occupancy rate in July, which is low compared to the other Downtown hotels, which are doing business in the mid-50s.

"Typically, it's said in the industry that between the mid-50s and 60s is where a hotel starts to make money," Marx said.

Marx was not sure of the viability of the Pere Marquette now that the redevelopment agreement is likely to be canceled. The hotel's general manager, Bill Carter, did not return calls for comment.

Also in limbo is the fate of state historic tax credits that would be used to renovate the Pere Marquette.

In June 2010, Gov. Pat Quinn, during a signing ceremony at the hotel, authorized the credits to assist in reducing the public's share of the hotel's financing.

State Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, said the legislation has since expired and that it would take a vote again by the General Assembly to renew the tax credits. He said the biggest obstacle, though, would be getting it endorsed in the Illinois House, where state Rep. Jehan Gordon, D-Peoria, would be the chief sponsor. She could not be reached for comment.

Admiral House Hotel awarded three star rating

2011-08-16T01:51:00.000-07:00

ADMIRAL House Hotel in Douglas has been awarded a three star rating by Quality in Tourism.

The independent assessment body, contracted by Isle of Man Tourism, has increased the hotel's rating by a star for displaying a high standard of service, food and accommodation.

Quality in Tourism works in conjunction with Visit Britain to award independent gradings and adheres to national standards known as the National Quality Assessment Scheme (NQAS).

Rachel Camilleri, general manager at the Admiral House Hotel, said: "The Quality in Tourism inspectors are renowned for having incredibly high standards but we were quietly confident that the review would go well.

"We work very hard to make sure that all of our visitors receive the same high level of service all day every day and it is fantastic news that we have been recognised for this."

Geoff Corkish MHK, political member for Isle of Man Tourism, said: "Admiral House Hotel has clearly strived hard for this significant achievement. We view the hotel as a valued partner in our efforts to drive up quality and service to visitors and residents alike and their hard work reflects on their investment and effort."

Admiral House Hotel was also recently awarded two rosettes by the AA for its restaurant JAR which is the maximum possible rating for a restaurant on its first inspection.

Investors plan more resort, hotel rooms

2011-08-16T01:49:00.000-07:00

With the continued confidence in the tourism industry in the whole country especially in Cebu, property developers and managers announced their plans to build more properties to add more room capacity this year.

Quantuvis executive Alfred Reyes said the firm planned to build six more hotels and resorts in the country within two years.

“These properties will likely have about 75 to 200 rooms each, which we are targeting to develop and finish in two years,” Reyes told Cebu Daily News on Friday.

Quantuvis, which developed Oakwood Premier Joy-Nostalg Center in Manila, will develop three projects in Cebu this year.

Reyes said a business hotel project would soon rise near the Cebu Business Park.

“This property will have about 150 to 200 rooms. We’ll start building soon and have the property ready before Sinulog of 2013,” he said.

Reyes said the company allocated P500,000 to P1 million for the business hotel project.

The other two projects will be in the reclamation area and in Mactan island.

“Our Cebu property will have conference room facilities to cater to the MICE market which is what Cebu is trying to get a share of,” Reyes said.

Another property developer Genesis Hotels and Resorts Corp. is also looking for local partners for possible projects in Cebu.

The firm had no property in Cebu but they were open for opportunities here, said John A. Tanjangco, Genesis Hotels and Resorts Corp. assistant vice president for marketing.

“We are very interested in Cebu and open for a partnership with anyone who would want us to manage their properties for them,” Tanjangco said.

“In Cebu there are a lot of opportunities for a business hotel, a resort property or even a budget hotel,” he said.

The firm. manages seven hotels and resorts around the country including Astoria Plaza in Manila.

“Our properties are located in the most unusual places and we are bringing more marketing efforts here to strengthen our presence in Cebu which is a hub and has access to direct international flights,” Tanjangco said

He said the firm would open a property in Bohol Province in September and two more properties in Cagayan de Oro.

As a committed member of the local community, Riyadh's Al Faisaliah Hotel,

2011-08-16T01:48:00.000-07:00

As a committed member of the local community, Riyadh's Al Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel, is running its 10th consecutive internship programme for promising Saudi hospitality students. Organised in collaboration with the Human Resources Development Funds, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, the King Saud University and the College of Tourism and Archaeology, the comprehensive one year programme enables students to gain significant knowledge and experience that may become their future career.

Since the internship programme was launched 10 years ago, more than 100 Saudi graduates have enjoyed full time positions within various departments at Al Faisaliah Hotel.

"It has been our privilege to contribute to the development of Saudi talent in the hospitality industry. Al Faisaliah Hotel is renowned for its world class service and award-winning hospitality, and we take our responsibility to transfer this excellence to the next generation of professionals from our local community. We look forward to welcoming our latest intake of Saudi students who may well become our future colleagues," said Peter Finamore, Managing Director of Al Faisaliah Hotel.

A total of nine students are participating in this year's internship programme. One of the successful applicants, Arab Khalid Alhaidary, a student from King Saud University said: "There is no better place to learn from about the hospitality sector than Al Faisaliah Hotel. I've learned invaluable lessons from the talented staff in all the departments, which has helped me in choosing my future career in this industry".

Indian hotels: the Wall St effect

2011-08-16T01:47:00.000-07:00

Please respect FT.com's ts&cs and copyright policy which allow you to: share links; copy content for personal use; & redistribute limited extracts. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights or use this link to reference the article - http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2011/08/15/indian-hotels-the-wall-st-effect/#ixzz1VE8aLdT3

The connection between Wall Street and the Taj Mahal may be not be obvious but it is real enough for India’s hoteliers.

The country’s lively tourist trade – used to coping with crises ranging from floods to terrorism – is now bracing itself for a slow down following the recent global markets shock.

“There will be negative impact on inbound tourism to India. Pretty much what happened after 2008, but perhaps to a lesser extent,” P R Srinivas, an analyst at Deloitte India, told beyondbrics.

Foreign tourist arrivals in India dipped in 2009 after the 2008 Lehman crisis hit the global travel industry, especially among the wealthy Americans and Europeans who patronise India’s luxury resorts.

The total of foreign tourists visiting, fell from 5.4m to 5.2m from 2008 to 2009, before recovering sharply last year to 5.5m.

Last week, P R S Oberoi, the veteran hotelier whose family runs the luxury Oberoi chain, warned about the challenges facing the Indian economy in the aftermath of US debt downgrade and EU debt crisis. Oberoi told the company’s annual meeting in Kolkata:

There was an expectation that global economies would see a recovery in 2011. Unfortunately, this is not happening. Global economies and the economic environment are volatile and the world is confronted with economic uncertainties which could impact the company’s business.

Oberoi added that domestic factors weren’t helping – he said inflation, escalating interest rates and corruption scandals had tarnished India’s reputation as a destination of choice for foreign direct investment.

India faces several challenges. Inflation needs to be curbed. Increasesin interest rates and the recent scandals do not augur well for foreign direct investment. Terrorism has emerged as a key challenge and could be a deterrent to the growth of the country’s travel and tourism industry.

But the hotel industry might still have a glimmer of hope in the form of domestic tourists. This industry has been flourishing as the sheer numbers of domestic tourists taking to travelling has been growing steadily to around 700m annually.

While many of these spend little, the government estimates that in some parts of India domestic travellers are starting to spend more than foreign visitors.

Digambar Kamat, chief minister of Goa, a state that receive a large number of foreign and domestic tourists, last week told a New Delhi tourism conference: “While the domestic travellers stayed in star hotels and participated in festivities, sports and held wedding functions, the foreign traveller ate in shacks.”

According to SME Times, Subodh Kant Sahai, national tourism minister, said, “Domestic tourism has witnessed annual growth of 10.1 percent over the previous year and this is good sign for entrepreneurs to grow especially for small players.”

He raised the growth target for domestic tourism from 9 percent to 12 percent in the next five years and said tourism companies must aim to double their businesses in the next five years by providing better facilities to tourists, entertainment and a glimpse of India’s spiritual and cultural life.

Srinivas said this creates opportunities for budget and mid-market hotels. “The demand from domestic tourists is in the mid-market segment and we will see a growth in the segment.”

But with a number of international hotel chains announcing ambitious expansion plans in India, the immediate outlook could be tricky, especially if the downturn in foreign tourism materialises and extends beyond a few months. Srinivas said: “New supply, increasing competition combined with lower numbers of people coming in, all amounts to a challenge for the industry.”

But Oberoi, founded in 1934 by PRS Oberoi’s father MS Oberoi, has survived bigger upheavals in its long history.

ZTA awards to honour tourism industry

2011-08-16T01:46:00.001-07:00

The awards will be presented to the media, business, public service and tourism industry at a lavish ceremony at Great Zimbabwe Hotel in Masvingo Province on September 27.

The event coincides with the Annual World Tourism Day.

ZTA’s public relations, events and protocols head Sugar Chagonda said the nomination process would end on August 31.

"This year the ZTA is honouring Zimbabwe's leading organisations and personalities in the tourism industry," Changonda said.

"The awards are to thank the tourism and hospitality sector for its resilience over the years, which has seen it contributing significantly to Zimbabwe even under very unfavourable economic conditions," Changonda said.

The tourism industry, which used to be among the top foreign currency earners, took a deep plunge after the introduction of the controversial Land Resettlement Programme in 2000.

Foreigners, especially from Europe and America, were deterred after government travel warnings were issued advising caution when travelling in Zimbabwe.

There are nine categories in the new awards, including: accommodation, restaurants, best airline, best car hire, best travel agent, best tour operator, best training institution, best conference facility, and best environmentally conscious facility.

Other awards will include Tourism Image Builder of the Year, Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year, Tourism Woman of the Year and Tourism Personality of the Year.

Changona said local media would be acknowledged with awards for Reporter of the Year (Print), Reporter of the Year (Electronic) and Reporter of the Year (Online) to deserving journalists for their tourism and hospitality coverage in 2011.

He said other awards included the Minister's Award, Social Responsibility Award, and the Patron's Award.

"The objective of the awards is to strengthen tourism management and upgrade service standards," Changoda said.

"They are also meant to help conserve the industry's rich heritage sites while strongly supporting the prospective and able ones, provide a platform for Zimbabweans to appreciate tourism facilities and services in their country, as well as to recognise the efforts of the tourism and hospitality industry."- Ngoni Chanakira

Bulgarian Hotel Owners to Fight Alcohol Tourism by Blacklisting Tour Operators

2011-08-16T01:46:00.000-07:00

Associations of hotel owners in Bulgarian Black Sea resorts have set about compiling a blacklist of tour operators bringing holidaymakers to Bulgaria on alcohol tourism.
The database of discredited tour operators, which will be prevented from signing contracts with local hotel owners for the 2012 summer season, already includes a number of small scale companies from Scandinavia, Great Britain and Germany, according to Stoyan Marinov, member of the board of the Varna Tourism Chamber.
Veselin Nalbantov, member of the managing board of the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association (BHRA), told journalists from Bulgarian 24 Hours daily that BHRA was also in the process of creating a similar list.
To prove his point, Marinov explained that Turkey had managed to get rid of alcohol tourism by denying bookings to blacklisted tour operators.
The BHRA executive said that hotel owners along the Black Sea coast were already warning travel agencies that alcohol tourists would not be welcome.
"Pub crawls, as the drinking sprees organized by tour operators are called, are against the law", Nalbantov added, specifying that many of the bars receiving the tourist groups had no classification and the groups themselves contained people below the legal drinking age.
The blacklist initiative was announced one week after hoteliers in Sunny Beach called for the introduction of a curfew.
Their call was backed by major tour operators, including local representatives of Thomas Cook and TUI.

ALLOWING the building of apartments on the site of the demolished Fortfield Hotel, could signal the end of other Sidmouth hotels.

2011-08-16T01:44:00.000-07:00

ALLOWING the building of apartments on the site of the demolished Fortfield Hotel, could signal the end of other Sidmouth hotels.

This warning was made by Mark Seward, owner of two seafront hotels, at Wednesday’s breakfast meeting of Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce.

He hosted the meeting at Dukes, and told guest speaker Kate Little, head of economy, planning and countryside services at East Devon District Council: “If this is allowed on a viability basis then there are hoteliers in this town who will be able to interpret this viability clause and manufacture a similar situation, and so our hotel stock will diminish considerably.”

EDDC’s development management committee will consider an application by ZeroC developers to build 31 apartments on the Fortfield Hotel site when it meets on Tuesday, August 23.

The company has an option to buy the site from owner Andrew Torjussen.

Mrs Little suggested the site was on the “cusp” of the boundary of an area covered by EDDC’s policy to include a tourism element on new developments within that area.

She was left in no doubt how the town’s hoteliers and traders felt about possibly losing the site for tourism after telling them: “There is no market there (for a hotel) at the moment.”

Mr Seward believes others in Sidmouth’s tourism industry could stop refurbishing their hotels and let them become dilapidated if this tourism inclusion policy is ignored, setting a precedent.

“Guests won’t return, it becomes less viable, makes less profit and then the case is argued that mid-market hotels are not viable,” he said.

Chamber chairman, Richard Eley, said the Fortfield Hotel had never been put on the market for sale as a hotel, so it was impossible to judge whether it would have been viable.

Businessman Edward Willis Fleming said Sidmouth High Street was robust because the town had good hotel stock, bringing in a good turnover of people into its shops.

Losing hotels would, he said: “diminish the quality of the High Street”.

Mr Seward added: “Fields has people coming in from our hotels on a weekly basis. If there are residents in flats (on the Fortfield site) they will not spend anything like the money in the retail environment.”

Mrs Little, who advised the hospitality association and chamber to put their views to next month’s planning committee, said if the application was refused she had no doubt evidence would be produced to a planning inspector by the applicant that the site had not been viable for many years.

*ZeroC has said it is committed to helping ensure £1.5million would be spent in Sidmouth on tourism, affordable housing, schools and public open spaces, if permission is granted.

Metro Detroit hotels book up fast for Dream

2011-08-12T04:01:00.001-07:00

Getting a hotel room for Dream Cruise weekend might be a little tougher this year.

The number of bookings in Metro Detroit is expected to rise following an uptick in the Michigan travel industry and hotel occupancy rates for the first half of the year, tourism officials said.

Some hotels are already booked solid for the Aug. 20 weekend, and others along Woodward Avenue and the surrounding suburbs are reporting limited vacancies for the Dream Cruise, where about 1 million spectators and 40,000 classic cars crowd along Woodward every third Saturday in August.

"I think people are just feeling a little more comfortable spending money on these guilty pleasures," said Mike O'Callaghan, executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The rosy outlook, in part, stems from an 11.7 percent increase in occupancy rates in Metro Detroit hotels through the first six months of this year compared with the same period in 2010, O'Callaghan said.

The average occupancy rate in the region for the first half was 57.5 percent, the best mark in four years, according to STR, a Hendersonville, Tenn.-based hotel research information company.

"I expect that, based on what we have seen in the travel market statewide, the number of visitors will increase," O'Callaghan said, talking about an increase in Dream Cruise spectators and participants. "People are so confused about everything going on at Washington right now, and the Woodward Dream Cruise is an escape."

Despite economic worries and a turbulent stock market, Steve Yencich, president and CEO of the Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association, said the car show won't be affected.

"This is an event people save for and plan and anticipate on a year-to-year basis," he said.

O'Callaghan said recent economic events are too fresh to affect hotel occupancy because people already have made their decision.

Many hotels are already sold out. The Radisson Kingsley Hotel in Bloomfield Hills is fully booked, just like last year, and it has about 25 people on a waiting list, said Paulette Kruger, director of sales and marketing. The hotel is on Woodward Avenue.

"Oh my gosh, it's so busy and very exciting," Kruger said, talking about the Dream Cruise events taking place at the hotel. "By the end of the week, we're exhausted."

Likewise, the Gatehouse Suites Troy Hotel is sold out, said Tammy Bruning, assistant general manager.

"It's our big bash before the end of the year," she said, meaning it's the last big weekend before the holidays.

Last year hotels from Southfield to Auburn Hills reported 72 percent hotel occupancy for the Dream Cruise week, up from 61.2 percent occupancy in 2009, O'Callaghan said.

Most hotels don't typically hike prices, and the average rate last year was $71.50, O'Callaghan said. While some visitors come from around the country and stay the entire week, most hotel rooms are rented for the weekend by Midwesterners.

"This truly is Detroit's Mardi Gras — but without the beads," O'Callaghan said.

Other hotels that aren't fully booked are filling up quickly, seeing more rooms disappear every day.

As of Thursday, the 135-room Comfort Inn of Farmington Hills had 67 rooms booked for Friday and 77 rooms for Saturday. Branden Shammami, the hotel's front desk manager, expects last-minute visitors will boost the numbers from last year when it booked 74 rooms Friday and 85 Saturday.

The Comfort Inn has a steady Dream Cruise clientele, with the number of booked rooms being "right around the same every year," Shammami said.

The Sagamore Motor Lodge in Royal Oak is also expecting a full house. There were six vacancies Thursday, but that is expected to change as the event approaches. The majority of guests, however, are the same year after year, said Michele Saranchev, general manager.

"We know everybody's name when they check in," she said. "We know who they are. It's fun seeing everyone again."

From The Detroit News:

Officials moot bringing smaller hotels under ambit of 'code'

2011-08-12T04:01:00.000-07:00

Officials moot bringing smaller hotels under ambit of 'code'

TNN | Aug 12, 2011, 01.28AM IST

Article

Comments

PANAJI: Representatives of starred hotels were of the view that the smaller hotels, lodges and rooms-for-hire should also be mandatorily covered by the code of conduct for safe and honourable tourism.

Training manager of Zuri Hotels Rajah Swamidoss said that law enforcement is stricter in other countries, so tourists feel that India is a place where nefarious activities are tolerated.

He also pointed out that "contact numbers of escorts or prostitutes are advertised on social networking sites".

Satish Prabhhu, GM of Hotel Mandovi, was of the view that steps taken by developed countries in combating sex tourism may be replicated in India

Roque D'cruz, principal of the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Porvorim, said the IHM is ready to train and sensitize workers in the hospitality sector.

Ralph D'souza, spokesperson of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) said "Why should our citizens be compromised? We should not forget other sectors where sex crimes are committed." He said hawkers on beaches actually indulge in nefarious activities such as selling drugs or supplying prostitutes on the sly.

"We have to safeguard the name of Goa, as one bad example portrays you in a totally different dimension," he concluded.

Hotel Group and Child Protection Agency join forces

2011-08-12T03:59:00.000-07:00

Today the ACCOR group of hotels throughout New Zealand and Fiji registered as signatories to the global responsible tourism code of conduct known as The Code through the local Code representatives, ECPAT Child ALERT.
At a meeting of their hotel managers in Auckland Paul Richardson, Vice President for Accor in New Zealand and Fiji committed their organisation to meet the requirements of The Code to protect children from sexual exploitation through tourism. This includes training of staff, monitoring and reporting, as well as the raising of guest awareness. They now join almost 1,000 members from the tourist industry around the world in 42 countries who have adopted this corporate social responsibility.
Within the framework of its sustainable development policy and its Earth Guest Programme, Accor is committed to help combat child-sex tourism and the group has now signed the code in more than 40 countries.
Mr Alan Bell, Director of ECPAT Child ALERT welcomes the ACCOR membership and hopes that others in the travel and tourism industry will also demonstrate their support by becoming signatories also. "This is a responsible and timely move by a major international organisation to add this dimension of corporate responsibility to their already fine record of setting high professional and social standards in their business operations."
The sexual abuse of children associated with the travel and tourism industry is a global phenomenon known as Child Sex Tourism (CST) and results in countless thousands of children being exploited by travellers in many tourist destinations. The abuse includes all forms of sexual exploitation including prostitution, pornography and trafficking.
"New Zealand is fortunate that law enforcement exercised by the Police, Customs and Internal Affairs monitors and enforces the law to a degree that we do not experience child sex tourism to the same degree as some other countries. However it is wise to be proactive and to be alert to the risks as we are not exempt from this sort of child abuse. The measures become of particular importance during times such as the upcoming Rugby World Cup where there will be a lot of overseas visitors moving around the country with a probability of increased alcohol consumption and crowd behaviour." says Mr Bell.
ECPAT Child ALERT is a registered charitable trust working to prevent the sexual exploitation of children.

2011-06-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

Forget the bellhop. Meet the luggage robot.

It's the first of several high-tech, sleek amenities guests encounter at the Yotel, a new US hotel that aims to provide a trendy stay at an affordable price.

Purple lighting, throbbing music in the elevators and futon-like lounges that transform to lie-flat beds at the touch of a button help set the mood. Or maybe they just distract you from the tiny size of the rooms. At 16 square metres, perhaps "room" is too generous of a term. Yotel, in New York, prefers to call them cabins.

Worried about oversleeping? Pick up the phone, press a few buttons and listen to a computer voice prompt you to "press 1 to accept wake-up call". Instead of room service, prepared food is available from the concierge desk, dubbed Mission Control, which also sells hotel souvenirs like metallic Yotel water bottles.
But the real heart of the hotel is the action-packed terrace, already fast on its way to becoming a hot outdoor bar. The varied tapas-style menu of small plates is tasty but the tab can quickly add up. It would be a shame for a meal and drinks there to cost more than the room upstairs. That said, the beef sliders ($US9 ($A8)) and crunchy shrimp dish ($US8 ($A7)) should not be missed. The Spicy Pepino Margarita was also well worth the $US13 ($A12) price tag.
My room went for an introductory rate of $US149 ($A143), or $US179.47 ($A171.77) with tax. After August, Yotel is looking to offer rooms with a base rate in the $US200 ($A191) to $US250 ($A239) range. More expensive suites have hot tubs and rotating beds straight out of an Austin Powers movie. They go for $US1000 ($A957) or more a night.
The Yotel throws in free Wi-Fi, domestic phone calls, morning yoga, and muffins and coffee for breakfast. For the really budget-conscious, each floor has a communal kitchen area with a sink and microwave.
New York has the highest average room rate in the country: $US236 ($A226) a night in April, according to research firm STR. The next closest city was Miami, $US65 ($A62) a night cheaper on average.
On the same night that I slept at the Yotel, across town the Pod Hotel was offering a room with a double bed and private bathroom for $US229 ($A219). The La Quinta Manhattan and Ramada Eastside both had rooms with a queen bed for $US195 ($A187) plus tax. And a private room at the Times Square Hostel with a shared bathroom was $US55 ($A53) per person, based on two people. The Four Seasons wanted $US795 ($A761) a night.

City Club Hotel Looks To Double Room Count

2011-06-27T04:35:00.000-07:00

City Club's owners, led by hoteliers Stephen Brighenti, Jeffrey Klein and Russell Hernandez, intend to use up to $13 million of the financing that closed recently to construct 66 rooms atop the 65 already in place at 55 W. 44th St. The expansion comes amid a hotel development boom in the city, with 4,700 units slated to be added between 2011 and 2013, according to Eastern Consolidated.

"Out best-case scenario is that in six to eight months we'll have [city] approval to proceed," Mr. Brighenti said in an interview. "Whereas the original rooms are more traditional, these will be more open and loft-like. Half of the new rooms will have balcony terraces."

Mr. Brighenti's group opened the independent City Club Hotel in 2001 after renovating a nine-story, historic building to house it. At the time, the developers installed steel infrastructure capable of supporting an additional nine floors.

Since then, the hotel survived the industry's historic downturn and rebounded to post occupancy of 94% last year. It has become known partly as the site of chef Daniel Boulud's popular db Bistro Moderne. And its average nightly rate is nearly $300, Mr. Brighenti said.

But the City Club faced a challenge this month as the payment deadline loomed for its $22 million mortgage, held by Credit Suisse AG's Column Financial Inc. The hotel's owners turned to Starwood Property Trust, which is managed by an affiliate of hotel and real estate investor Barry Sternlicht's Starwood Capital.

Starwood agreed to loan the hotel's owner, City Club Hotel LLC, $23 million to pay off the Column mortgage as well as a construction loan of up to $13 million to finance the hotel's expansion. The loans carry a four-year term with a one-year option. Brokerage Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick Goldman arranged the loan for City Club Hotel LLC.

"Functionally, it's a bridge loan with a construction loan attached, and it had to close within 30 days," Starwood Property Trust President Boyd Fellows said. "That's the center of the bull's eye for us. It's a difficult but smart transaction that played to our strengths because we're flexible and can move fast."

Mr. Brighenti and his partners intend for new floors of the hotel to feature a floor-to-ceiling wall of windows that gradually slopes away from the street as it ascends. The partners have a lengthy history in Manhattan's hotel scene, having developed some of the city's first boutique hotels as Gotham Hospitality Group in the early 1990s.