An inaugural ‘Made In Korea’ expo will bring the latest products, services and technology from South Korea to the UAE capital to Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from May 21-23.

According to organiser Ideal Events, the exhibition will be a launch platform offering major new business opportunities to the Middle East with many of the products, services and technology being introduced to the region for the first time.

MCLEAN, Va. and LOS ANGELES – Hilton Worldwide announced continued expansion of eforea: spa at Hilton, its innovative global spa concept. Refined at seven properties owned or managed by Hilton Worldwide since debuting in late 2010, the turnkey spa solution is now available to franchise owners across the Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton and Embassy Suites Hotels brands. Already one of the fastest growing spas in the world,eforea: spa at Hilton offers a spa solution with consistent standards, customizable key elements and ease of implementation. Franchise availability is expected to expand the eforea concept’s global pipeline, which already includes more than 90 locations in development at Hilton Worldwide managed hotels.

“The success of eforea: spa at Hilton demonstrates what our company, Hilton Worldwide, doesbest – provide best in class solutions for property owners and compelling reasons for today’s travelers to choose Hilton,” said Jim Holthouser, global head, full service brands, Hilton Worldwide. “eforea has been well received by spa-goers and hotel developers around the world. Our concept can make opening a new spa faster and cost-effective for our hotels and it is poised to expand and enter new markets at a rapid pace.”

Hilton Worldwide leverages its expertise as one of the world’s largest spa providers. eforea: spa at Hilton provides a cutting-edge spa concept that meets guests’ needs around the globe while also being cost effective and easy to implement. Thespa’s design concept ensures consistent spa installations globally while honoring local cultures and a sense of place. Design standards are complemented with the ease of standard operating procedures, global supply agreements, training curriculum and an exclusive treatment menu, which can make opening a new spa simpler.

eforea: spa at Hilton also offers owners an online booking engine, pre-opening support, sourcing and distribution of retail products by L’ITYA, Vitaman, Kerstin Florian and Peter Thomas Roth, and a distinct brand identity with standards and a full collateral suite.

“We are optimistic about the new potential for growth of eforea: spa at Hilton as we work with our current and potential owners to help them meet the needs of today’s travelers,” said Tyra Lowman, senior director, global spa, full service and luxury brands, Hilton Worldwide. “From our signature treatment journeys to core design elements and global marketing, we are focused on building consumer preference for eforea and helping our hotels excel in the competitive spa environment.”

In 2011 Spa magazine readers ranked eforea: spa at Hilton as a top five spa brand. The eforea experience is shaped by threesignature treatment journeys – the Essentials Journey, Escape Journey and Men’s Journey – all which customized to provide balance and wellness for body and soul. In December 2011 Hilton began selling eforea: spa at Hilton products on its retail site, www.hiltontohome.com. Since launching, eight Hilton properties in five countries currently offer the eforea experience. Hotels currently featuring eforea spas include: Hilton Short Hills (New Jersey, U.S.A.), Millennium Hilton Bangkok (Thailand), Hilton On The Park Melbourne (Australia), Hilton Pattaya (Thailand), Hilton Queenstown (New Zealand), Hilton Surfers Paradise (Australia), Hilton Grand Vacations Suites on the Las Vegas Strip (U.S.A.), and Hilton Baku (Azerbaijan).

EVERETT, Wash., Jan. 27, 2012 – The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been honored with the “Aircraft of Legend” Award presented by the Living Legends of Aviation organization.
Mike Sinnett, vice president and chief project engineer for the 787 program, accepted the award on behalf of the men and women of Boeing and the international team that created the Dreamliner.

“We’re honored to be named the first Aircraft of Legend,” said Sinnett. “It is recognition of the expertise, skill and dedication that has gone into the creation of this airplane and an inspiration we’ll always keep in front of us – it’s something to continue to live up to.”

Edwards brings to Amadeus extensive global experience in hotel distribution and IT systems, an exceptional network and a strong track record in building successful business organizations; New appointment underlines Amadeus’ further commitment to growing its New Businesses portfolio

Madrid, Spain, 2 February 2012: Amadeus, a leading travel technology partner and transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry, today announces the key strategic appointment of hotel industry veteran Jeff Edwards to head up its growing hotel business.

Edwards, formerly Chief Information Officer and EVP Distribution of Wyndham Worldwide, joins Amadeus with a clear brief to quickly expand its burgeoning hotel division, which incorporates both distribution and IT services.

Prior to Wyndham Worldwide, Edwards spent more than five years at Micros Systems Inc where he held a variety of senior roles including President and Chief Executive Officer – Micros Fidelio, as well as Executive Vice President-Micros Distribution for North America. Both before and after his time at Micros Systems, Edwards was an entrepreneur who ran his own hotel and hospitality consulting business, creating numerous new enterprises while at the same time winning business from a wide range of leading hotel chains across the globe.

Brand to Bring New European Prototype to France, Poland and The Netherlands.

Members Can Earn Airline Miles for Stays at 3,600 Marriott International Hotels.

A celebration of European spiritual heritage, creativity and art! That’s what it’s all about. Each year the EU chooses European Capital of Culture on a city, or two (or nine in 2000!). We check out 2012’s cities – Maribor in Slovenia and Guimarães in Portugal, look back at last year’s Capitals, and look forward to 2013’s.

1. Maribor, Slovenia (2012)

Maribor is Slovenia’s second city, an industrial centre that is undergoing a cultural and creative renaissance. Time your visit for the massive Lent Festival, 24 June – 9 July, featuring everything from chess tournaments to metal gigs, or the classical music festival, with concerts in castles and courtyards around town.

If you need a break from all that culture, relax in Mestni Park, watch the world go by from a café on Main Square, or bag a bargain at Evropark, one of the largest shopping centres in central Europe. Joining in the fun are five Capital of Culture ‘partner towns’, like Novo Mesto, which hosts a jazz festival, and Velenje, with its rather bizarre annual Pippi Longstocking festival. Find flights to Slovenia

2. Guimares, Portugal (2012)

Guimares in northern Portugal is also a Capital of Culture in 2012. Portugal’s oldest city, its historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while today almost 50% of its inhabitants are under 30, giving it one of the youngest populations in Europe.

There are events going on all year, from video games workshops to an open-air production of Macbeth in the city’s atmospheric Garden of the Centro Cultural Vila Flor. Foodies really should try the city’s speciality – ‘meat cake’ – a kind of pizza with such toppings as sardines and pig, best eaten al fresco on a sultry summer’s night. Wash it down with a good glass of port – what else? Find flights to Portugal

3. Turku, Finland (2011)

Turku is situated on Finland’s Baltic Sea coast in the south-west of the country. A Capital of Culture in 2011, it’s a buzzing place with happening nightlife thanks to its large student population. Before you hit the bars, pay homage to arguably Scandinavia’s finest composer, Sibelius, at a museum dedicated to him, admire some Finnish art at The Art Museum, or embrace Finnish culture of a slightly lower brow variety with a trip to Moominworld. What, you didn’t love these cute-as creatures when you were a child? It’s rated as one of the world’s top 10 theme parks, so it’s got to be worth a visit. Find flights to Finland

4. Tallinn, Estonia (2011)

The Estonian capital Tallinn looks like something out of a fairy tale. A Capital of Culture in 2011, it is well worth a visit any year. The city is a heady blend of the medieval and modern, with narrow cobbled streets, dreamy spires and an Old Town designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Amid the carved stone walls sit cosy cafes, hip bars, tempting patisseries and alluring restaurants while Tallinn’s historic gems shine like rays of lights through the city’s Soviet era. If you have time, the surrounding countryside is particularly pretty, and you can even hit a choice of beaches just outside the city such as Pirita and Harku. Find flights to Tallinn

5. Marseille, France (2013)

Marseille, capital of Provence, is a thriving, exciting city ideal for a weekend break. As it smartens itself up in the run-up to being a European Capital of Culture for 2013 it may well shed its reputation for being a bit rough around the edges. Big projects are due for completion in time for 2013, like the ‘Museum of the Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean’ and the renovation of the Musée de l’Histoire. But there’s still time to experience the unpolished feel of some of the cooler districts. So go local, prop up the bar with a pastis at 10am and get yourself down to La Boîte à Sardine for super seafood fresh off the boats. Find flights to Marseille

6. Košice, Slovakia (2013)

Sharing the Capital of Culture honour with Marseille next year is Košice, Slovakia’s second-largest city after capital Bratislava. Situated on the edge of the brooding Slovak Ore mountains near the border with Hungary, the city is full of history, evident in interesting architecture like the wondrous Gothic St. Elisabeth Cathedral. If you are after faster-paced thrills than gazing at buildings, go to a game of ice hockey at the Steel Aréna, home of local favourites HC Košice and a venue for the 2011 Ice Hockey World Cup. After all that excitement, you’ll need a beer, or at least coffee and cake and with many atmospheric cafes and bars in Košice, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Find flights to Slovakia

From the Superbowl to the Olympics, here are 10 of the best budget picks for top sporting events you should attend in 2012.Whether you’re a football fanatic or a golf geek – plan your year of sport here.

1. Rugby – Scotland v. England, Edinburgh, 4 February 2012

Probably the biggest match of this year’s Six Nations is an encounter between age-old rivals on the opening weekend of the tournament. If the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand was a drop-goal too far for you, Edinburgh is just a wee flight away for getting right back into the international rugby action. England will be desperate to move on from their debacle down under, but Murrayfield won’t be a forgiving place for them to go. It is however one of rugby’s classic venues, and the experience as a fan is second-to-none, especially if you go out for a drink or two to celebrate (or forget) in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket after the game. Find flights to Edinburgh

2. American Football, Superbowl XLVI, Indianapolis, 5 February 2012

The Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis hosts the USA’s biggest sporting event for the first time as the New York Giants take on the New England Patriots. Join in the razzmatazz and industrial consumption of hot dogs and root beer in this unsung city that’s well off the USA tourist list. If you can’t make it to ‘Nap Town’, Indiana for the big one, you can sample the all-American action in London, as one of the games in the regular American football season is played every year at Wembley Stadium. Find flights to Indianapolis / London

3. Horse Racing – Irish Grand National, Ireland. 9 April 2012

If you’ve done the Derby and gone to the Grand National, the top horse racing events around the world include the Kentucky Derby, Dubai World Cup, Melbourne Cup and Belmont Stakes, but a more affordable option is the Irish Grand National. Held at Fairyhouse in County Meath, Ireland on Easter Monday, ‘Dubs’ Day Out’, as the locals call it because of its popularity with visitors from Dublin, is one of the highlights of the racing calendar. It’s a lot easier to get to than Louisville, Kentucky, that’s for sure. Find flights to Dublin

4. Football – UEFA Champions League Final, Munich, 19 May 2012

Football fans from across Europe will be flocking to the European Championships held in Poland and Ukraine this summer. While finding a budget hotel in Donetsk may prove a challenge, Poland is more affordable, with low-cost flights to host cities Warsaw, Wroclaw, Poznan and Gdansk, and beer is cheap! Get in the mood with a trip to the Champions League Final in Munich on 19 May. You don’t even need to go to the game (at the incredible Fußball Arena) – just find a bar nearby to watch it and soak up the big match atmosphere. Find flights to Munich

5. Tennis – French Open, Paris, 28 May – 10 June 2012

Strawberries and cream at Wimbledon is more than a little clichéd, so take in a new tennis tournament this year. If the US Open in New York would tug too tightly on your purse strings, how about the French Open? See Rafa, Roger and company on the clay at the très magnifique Stade Roland Garros in Paris. Of course, it’s only a short flight to the French capital, and you can often get even cheaper fares if you fly to Beauvais rather than Charles de Gaulle. That means more spare cash for champers and souvenirs! Findflights to Paris

6. Cycling - Tour de France, Pyrenees, 30 June – 22 July 2012

Le Tour is the undisputed ultimate cycling event. Raced over 20 stages around France (and starting in Belgium), there is a choice of places for catching some action. See the sprint up the Champs- Élysées in Paris, but the final stage is rarely the most exciting. The mountain stages sum up the real essence of the race, so head to the French side of the Pyrenees, where food and accommodation are relatively cheap. Do your best to witness what is perhaps the most legendary section of the whole Tour on the Tourmalet. Find flights to Pau

7. Golf – The Open, Lytham St. Anne’s, England, 19-22 July 2012

Of golf’s four major tournaments, three are in the USA: the Masters in Augusta, Georgia; the US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California; and the US PGA at Kiawah Island, South Carolina. The Ryder Cup, arguably bigger than any Major, is also held in the USA this year, at Medinah Country Club, Illinois. But if you can’t do the trips stateside, there’s always the other Major – best of the lot, of course! – the British Open at Royal Lytham St. Anne’s near Blackpool, England. Find flights to Manchester

8. The Olympic Games, London, 27 July – 12 August 2012

You may have heard that London is set to host the Olympics this year? If you would like to see some sport but can’t manage, or would rather avoid, a trip to London, some events are contested elsewhere. The football competition is spread across the UK, in cities such as Coventry, Cardiff and Glasgow, while the sailing will be held at the seaside resort of Weymouth in Dorset. Find flights to London

9. Formula 1 - Belgian Grand Prix / Hungarian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps / Budapest, 29 July / 2 September 2012

Formula 1 fans dream of watching the Monaco Grand Prix from a yacht in Monte Carlo or the stupendous Abu Dhabi Yas Marina, but two more affordable options are the Belgian and Hungarian races. Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium is close to a choice of airports served by low-cost carriers, while Budapest is a relatively cheap city for accommodation – just make sure you book early for the GP weekend. Find flights to Brussels / Budapest

10. Cricket – Twenty20 World Cup, Sri Lanka, 18 September – 7 October

Cricket gets exciting this autumn as the Twenty20 World Cup comes to Sri Lanka. It’s certainly not old men on village green on a Sunday afternoon in Surrey. Experience the spectacle of the World Cup in this cricket-mad country, and see if champions England can retain their title. Instead of taking an expensive organised tour, book flights yourself and see some of this incredible country while you’re there. Find flights to Colombo

Mark Tanzer, CEO, ABTA – The Travel Association

“ABTA has always been a strong advocate for domestic tourism and fully supports the Government’s efforts to ensure that the positive global exposure offered by the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Summer Olympics and Paralympics boosts foreign visitor numbers.

However, we are very concerned that the Government is sponsoring a marketing campaign that appears to actively discourage UK holidaymakers from taking a foreign break: I’m sure the public want to make up their own mind about where to go on holiday.  The outbound tourism industry employs hundreds of thousands of people throughout the UK and generates £27 billion annually in direct spend, making a fundamental and significant contribution to the economic health of the country.”

* /Internet is now the main holiday planning tool for over half of Brits/

* /Online reviews sites relied upon by 40 per cent of Brits to help guide decisions/

* /42 per cent say price is their number one holiday consideration/

With the cold weather finally arriving, it comes as little surprise that Brits are dreaming of warmer climes. So much so that over half (54 per cent) of all Brits have started planning their main summer break, according to new research of 5,000 British adults from TravelSupermarket.

But the research has also revealed that when it comes to the annual getaway, just one in nine Brits (12 per cent) will be visiting a travel agent in person to research their 2012 holiday. This represents a big change from just a few years ago when the majority would hit the high street to visit the local travel agent for all our holiday needs.

Brits will instead be taking to their sofas and firing up their computers with over half (52 per cent) using internet search engines as their first port of call for holiday research. Forty per cent said they would be heading to review sites to get the opinions of other travellers and a 37 per cent said they would be visiting travel agents’ websites to plan their dream break.

The move to online is just as marked when it comes to holiday bookings. For the main 2012 holiday[1], 66 per cent of Brits said they will book through an online travel agent, an online tour operator or an online price comparison website. In contrast, 14 per cent of those surveyed said they would book over the telephone, but just 11 per cent said they will visit a travel agent to book in person.

An enormous 96 per cent of Brits say they are planning on taking a holiday this year with two to four weeks being the most common length of time spent researching (29 per cent). However a meticulous one in seven Brits (15 per cent) typically spend two to three months planning their main break each year – clearly leaving no stone unturned in their quest for the perfect holiday to look forward to.

Price also appears to be one of the leading factors encouraging Brits to hit the web so far in advance of their getaway. Forty per cent of all Brits have highlighted the overall cost as the number one consideration when it comes to their 2012 holiday, overtaking the usual ‘key holiday factors’ such as weather and accommodation which were highlighted by 32 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.

Spain is set to lead the way this year with 11 per cent of Brits already planning on heading there for their main break. This is followed by Italy (three per cent) and Portugal (two per cent) making
up the top three most popular destinations for 2012.

Research revealed that beach holidays are still very much in favour with Brits and will be the most popular choice for breaks in 2012.
Over a third of Brits (37 per cent) said they would be heading on a beachside break followed by city breaks (eight per cent) and camping staycations (eight per cent).

BOB ATKINSON, TRAVEL EXPERT FROM TRAVELSUPERMARKET COMMENTED: “It’s no surprise to see that so many Brits spend weeks, if not months
researching their holidays.  Purse strings are tight for many in 2012 and with travel companies offering a huge array of deals to secure bookings, research is essential for holidaymakers to both make sure
they get what they want from their holiday and also pay the best price.

“The switch to online for our holiday planning – whether to research or book – has been one of the most noticeable changes in travel over the last few years and appears to be continuing. The internet makes
researching our holiday so much easier. Review sites are growing in popularity as holidaymakers trust the opinion of their peers, plus as Brits get savvier about finding the best price on their holidays they
are using the internet to compare prices to get the best deal.

“My advice is to do as much research around your holiday as you can, including speaking to friends and family who have travelled. Use a comparison website such as TravelSupermarket to search for the best
price but also to read reviews and resort information provided on the site. Comparing the market in one place will save you both time and money.

“And remember to check prices of both a packaged holiday and separate flights and accommodation to hunt out further savings.”

Welcoming over 38,000 participants from the four corners of the world

The convention is expected to generate over 3,000 million baht in revenue

Bangkok: 2 February 2012 – It will be the utmost pride of Rotarians and all Thais to host this annual international event, “2012 Rotary International Convention.” Rotary, a global humanitarian organization and the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB: a public organization), together with government and private associations, all supported by the people of Thailand, will be welcoming over 38,000 guests from all over the world during May 6-9 at the IMPACT Arena Exhibition and Convention Centre.

This year’s Convention is expected to break the previous attendance record, with the largest number of preregistered participants in the history of the Rotary Convention. The expected draw of over 3,000 million baht in revenues will help contribute to the country’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) and tourism industries.

Mr. Bhichai Rattakul, Advisory Committee Chair, Host Organization Committee of 2012 Rotary International Convention stated that all Thai people were proud that their country was chosen as host of the “2012 Rotary International Convention”, one of the biggest conventions in the world. Thailand was chosen by Rotary International to host the convention for the first time due to the convenience of its location and Thailand being an international aviation hub, as well as Government policies on tourism and MICE industry promotions. Furthermore, the convention center meets Rotary International’s predefined criteria, offering assisted facilities as well. Rotary members from all over the world will get together to further enhance their practice of voluntary service in accordance with Rotary ideals. The Rotary International Convention is an important event for Rotarians everywhere, held every year.The primary purpose is to exchange information, cultures and advance network among Rotarians. This year’s convention marks its 103rd year.

Mr. Noraseth Pathamanand, Chair, Host Organization Committee of 2012 Rotary International Convention, stated that the convention will be held during May 6–9, 2012, at the IMPACT Arena, Exhibition and Convention Center, Muang Thong Thani. This year’s concept is to create happiness through smiles, with the slogan: “The Land of a Thousand Smiles,” symbolizing the Thai culture of always extending goodwill to those who come to visit. The mascots of the convention are Nong Yim and Nong Yam, a Thai boy and a Thai girl in traditional loincloths, who will act as ambassadors in welcoming over 38,000 Rotary members from all over the world.

The highlights of this convention are several world-renowned Keynote Speakers, such as Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Prize winner of 2006, Hugh Evans, CEO of the Global Poverty Project, and Amanda Martin of the Global Health Access Program. Additionally, Rotary members will also celebrate their success in raising more than $200 million in new funding for polio eradication – Rotary’s top philanthropic goal. The final results will be announced at the convention. Rotary’s fundraising campaign was in response to a $355 million challenge grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As a result of achieving the campaign milestone six months early, the Gates Foundation awarded Rotary an additional $50 million. All funds will support polio immunization activities in affected countries where this vaccine-preventable disease continues to paralyze children.

Mr. Noraseth added that “The convention is primarily supported by the TCEB, who will host this year’s convention with Rotary. Working with Thai Rotary, TCEB will play an important role, having successfully made a bid to host a convention in the year 2005, as well as in providing continual support and funds in preparation for the convention. Support and cooperation also came from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, who oversee accommodation and travel arrangements for the participants, of whom most will stay and tour around Thailand after the convention. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration also lends its support by decorating and maintaining the Bangkok area and organizing a variety of activities slated to be ready for the visitors’ arrival.

Mr. Akapol Sorasuchart, President of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau or TCEB and co-host, mentioned that, “Pushing for the title of host for international conventions is TCEB’s main mission as we are committed to promoting the MICE industries as the principal businesses that will generate revenue and drive the economy of Thailand. Rotary International is a big convention, with many various businesses and individuals from all over the world participating, thus restoring confidence and the country’s image from the crisis we have recently undergone. It will also help to present Thailand in a different light under the campaign, “Believe in Thailand.”

TCEB together with Rotary clubs in Thailand have worked together since 2004 to promote Thailand as host of the Rotary International Convention 2012 by submitting a Bid Book to Rotary International. As an attachment to the Bid Book, TCEB, as a government agent and a financial supporter, has submitted a letter of financial support in the amount of 270 million baht to organize 2012 Rotary International Convention. There were three cities at the time that qualified for consideration by the executive directors of Rotary International, including Sydney, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.

On January12th, 2007, TCEB signed the financial support contract for 2012 Rotary International Convention in the amount of 270 million baht, which gained consent from the cabinet on March 8th, 2012 for Thailand to hold such convention.

2012 Rotary International Convention is a very important event for Thailand as it is an indication of the cooperation between Government and private sectors in order to develop MICE industries. We received the latest news from Rotary International that on January 19th, 2012 at San Diego, there were over 28,000 pre-registers. If we can reach our goal, there will have 38,000 attendants to participate in the 2012 Rotary International Convention with the expected revenue of over 3,000 million baht. The convention will also help promote MICE industrial growth in the year 2012, with an estimated 750,000 participants generating over 60,120 million baht in the country.

“Moreover, since Rotary emphasizes helping humanity and quality of life, benefits from the project will be distributed directly to remote communities. The organization of big conventions generally generates money-flow to support various ongoing or potential projects of the host country. This convention will also be a Showcase that demonstrates Thailand’s readiness to host the World Expo 2020,” Mr. Akapol concluded.

In addition, Rotary International will hold Peace Forum in Thailand 1-2 days prior to the 2012 Rotary International Convention. The Peace Forum is held every three years and it is an honor and a good opportunity for Thailand to be able to promote our reputation as a peaceful country.

About Rotary
Rotary is a global humanitarian organization with more than 1.2 million members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary members are men and women who are business, professional and community leaders with a shared commitment to make the world a better place through humanitarian service. Rotary’s top priority is the global eradication of polio. Since 1985, Rotary club members worldwide have contributed more than US$1 billion and countless volunteer hours to the effort

The Vienna Convention Bureau supports sustainable action and environmentally friendly conference tourism. As a licensee of the Austrian EcoLogo, it is now authorized not only to assist conferences in matters relating to environmental impact, but also to certify them as “Green Meetings”.

The ecological footprint left by a congress has long been an important issue for congress organizers and congress destinations world-wide. For a long time now, the Vienna Tourist Board’s Vienna Convention Bureau (VCB) has advocated sustainability and responsible treatment of the environment. Now Nikolaus Berlakovich, Austria’s Minister for the Environment, has awarded the VCB the Austrian Green Meetings EcoLogo. This means that the bureau is now licensed to certify as Green Meetings conferences whose organizers take climate protection, regional value-added and social compatibility into account.

“Congresses of any size make an impact on the environment, whether it be due to their energy consumption, waste production, or CO2 emissions.
The Vienna Convention Bureau has set itself the task of raising awareness of sustainable action in the conference industry, and supports initiatives and projects involving the themes of green meetings, sustainability and corporate social res- ponsibility. As a licensee of the Austrian EcoLogo, we are not only pointing the way, but also aiming to enhance the competitiveness of Vienna as a congress city in the long term,” explains Christian Mutschlechner, Director of the Vienna Convention Bureau.

The Green Meetings EcoLogo was created in the year 2009 by the Austrian Ministry of Life and the Consumers’ Association of Austria. In order to obtain certification, an organizer needs a licensee such as the Vienna Convention Bureau who can not only handle the formal certification process, but is also bound by strict environmental protection regulations.

Additional benefit in the long term

Karin Stattmann is the person responsible for handling the certification process through the Vienna Convention Bureau (tel.: +43–1–211 14-528, e-mail: karin.stattmann@vienna.info). Karin is the point of contact for all congress organizers wishing to have their events in Vienna certified as Green Meetings. “We have clearly seen the steadily growing interest of customers, and this will result in other Vienna providers, such as hotels, congress centers and PCOs, qualifying as certification bodies in order to remain competitive,” predicts Karin. She is also quick to point out another aspect:

“The know-how which international customers gain as a result of the certification process in Vienna is also an excellent basis on which to handle their events abroad in line with the same criteria, thus applying the principles of the Austrian Green Meeting certificate. This additional benefit should not be underestimated – in the long term it can only reinforce the sustainability effect.”

Besides the Vienna Convention Bureau, the following companies in Vienna are also certification bodies for Green Meetings:

• Austropa/Interconvention
• RAM Consulting
• Hannah’s Plan
• Hotel Modul

The University of Brighton and the Institute of Travel and Meetings (ITM) recently held the first ever “Travel Professionals of Tomorrow” conference to encourage more students to think about a career in the travel industry. Over 100 sixth form students from across Sussex and Surrey attended the event investigating the changing nature of the travel and tourism industry and the variety of careers available in this dynamic industry.

The day started with a tour of the American Express Community Stadium, home of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club. The tour included a presentation from Richard Hebberd, Head of Operations at the stadium on the importance of sport and tourism to the local economy and the role of the new stadium in developing the event and entertainment industry for Sussex. The tour was followed by a series of lectures on different aspects of the Travel industry. Patrick Kuziw, Travel Manager at SOS International explored the issues of what travellers should do if caught out in a disaster or conflict zone. Ian Jones, Director of Group Sales at De Vere Group enthused the students to join the industry saying how diverse and exciting the hospitality and meetings industry is.

The speakers from Virgin Atlantic encouraged all the students to think differently and be unique. Kerry Douglas, Global and Multinational Sales Manager and Louise Lloyd, Regional Sales Manager explored the growth of the airline and how it tries to differentiate itself from the competition. Ike Ihenacho, ITM Board Director and Head of Travel at Nokia chaired a lively panel debate of issues raised by the students. This included how they could ensure career progression in the industry and the panellist’s views on how the industry would change in the next 10 years.

The panellist’s all agreed that technology and product differentiation were going to have a major impact on the future of the travel industry. They also stressed that there are always roles in this industry for those who are people focused, know how to work hard but importantly also enjoy themselves at the same time.

Jack Hovell, a sixth form student at Varndean College described the event as a very interesting day. He said: “There were some good facts, which were easy to listen and to understand”. The event also assisted teachers in encouraging their student’s. Adam Webster from Imberhorne School believe it was “an excellent event that provided my students with an interesting glimpse into the travel industry”.

The day was co hosted by the University of Brighton with the ITM, reflecting the importance that the university places on making the degrees it offers both relevant to industry whilst educating professionals of the future. The University of Brighton and the ITM have been in partnership in education for the past two years. The ITM accredit the university’s International Travel Management BA(Hons)degree, the only such accreditation in the country.

Simone Buckley, ITM’s CEO said: “bringing new talent into this industry is of the utmost importance to the ITM and we are proud of the work that we do with Brighton University in order to help make this happen.”

Senior lecturer Janet Woolley said: “It is very important for us to have strong links with local schools alongside industry organisations such as the ITM. Links with industry ensure our courses are relevant and our graduates are fully prepared for a career in the travel and tourism industry.”

On February 1, 2012, Luc Hendrickx joined Kenes Group as Chief Operating Officer (COO), Global Operations. Luc will also serve as member of the Executive Board. Luc will be responsible for the operational development of the regional and national offices (Kenes Asia, Kenes India, Kenes Turkey, Kenes UK, Tilesa-Kenes Spain, JZ Kenes Brazil and Kenes Latin America) and for corporate governance.

Luc joining is the highpoint of a long and fruitful professional friendship between him and Kenes – dating back to the early 1980s.
Luc is a congress management professional with unparalleled experience and expertise.  Over the last two decades, Luc served in two of the most respected international medical scientific societies. He led the in-house strategic development and operations of the European Cancer Conference (ECCO) and the World Diabetes Congress. Luc was also Executive Director of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), where he was responsible for governance.
Luc is also the founding President of the Board of the Association & Conference Forum  (AC Forum), an international network of association and congress executives.

By bringing Luc into the Kenes Group family, the company is ensuring that the promise to its clients, to deliver top level congress management support, is delivered – anywhere, anytime.

The high standards expected from committees, speakers and delegates means that Kenes must be diligent in following through on its promise to be the most effective way to build and maintain medical scientific knowledge and professional networks.

When Luc is not travelling for Kenes, he will be working from Antwerp, Belgium.

To see Luc’s video message, please click here.

From the Great Barrier Reef to the Okavango Delta, the Danube Delta and many other thousands of wetlands, the human love for watery places has sustained tourism and recreation in wetlands around the world for countless decades. 2 February each year is World Wetlands Day. Ramsar’s focus on wetland tourism to celebrate this year’s World Wetlands Day (WWD) has opened the way for the Convention and UNWTO to join forces in exploring common issues and concerns and collaborate in advancing sustainable tourism development in the wetlands.

As Ramsar’s Secretary General Anada Tiéga notes: “This has been an excellent opportunity for the Ramsar Convention to take advantage of UNWTO’s expertise in the sustainable management of tourism, and we appreciate the added value they have brought to our World Wetlands Day activities promoting the wise use of wetlands.”

“Every year, millions of tourists fulfil their longing to see and experience the wonders of nature in the wetlands. Celebrating World Wetlands Day under the theme of wetland tourism offers the perfect occasion to recall the relevance of this unique natural scenery as one of tourism’s greatest assets and a fundamental cornerstone to its long-term growth, while stressing how tourism, when developed and managed in a sustainable way, can be instrumental in safeguarding it,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

Responsible, sustainable tourism can support wetland conservation and wise use. Wetlands, their wildlife, and the human communities in and around them can benefit directly from tourism through entry fees, sale of local products, and so on. At the same time, the ‘use’ of wetlands as tourism locations comes with certain risks. The challenge is to ensure that sustainable tourism practices are being implemented and bring benefits for wetlands, their wildlife and people. As Mr. Rifai adds: “We would emphasize that tourism businesses, if well informed and prepared to adapt their operations, can certainly promote and support wetland biodiversity and the natural beauty of wetlands.”

Ramsar’s interest in tourism will not end with World Wetlands Day. The focus on wetland tourism will continue at the 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP11) in July 2012, in Romania, celebrated under the theme Wetlands, Tourism and Recreation.

COP 11 will debate an important Resolution on wetlands and tourism, one that will point the way forward and express the Contracting Parties’ commitment to sound tourism practices. Mr. Anada Tiéga emphasizes that “the adoption of this Resolution will provide a formal framework for governments, NGOs and civil society for achieving sustainability in wetland tourism.”

Also at COP11, the Ramsar Secretariat, in collaboration with UNWTO, will be launching a case study-based report on tourism in and around Wetlands of International Importance, looking at the direct and indirect impacts of tourism on Ramsar Sites and other wetlands while identifying both the many opportunities and the threats that wetland tourism can bring. Research will also identify key messages for main target groups – land-use as well as wetland policy-makers, local governments, tourism developers, wetland site managers, and others.

A suite of materials have been prepared to support the celebrations of WWD around the world and inspire countries to organize tourism-focused events for this annual wetland-awareness campaign day.

The WWD materials are just the first look at wetlands and tourism, and the ‘great experience’ this can be.

The Ramsar Secretariat looks forward to hearing about World Wetlands Day activities and takes this opportunity to wish you a Happy World Wetlands Day.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a United Nations specialized agency, is the leading international organization with the decisive and central role in promoting the development of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. It serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how. Its membership includes 155 countries, 7 territories, 2 permanent observers and over 400 Affiliate Members. Follow us on twitter, vimeo and flickr.

London, England, 2 February 2012

World Travel Awards (WTA), ‘the Oscars of the travel industry’, is issuing a call to those organisations that aspire to be the best in their sector to participate in its 2012 programme.

Established 19 years ago, WTA is recognised globally as the highest accolade in travel and tourism, and serves to raise the standards of customer service and business performance throughout the tourism industry.

Self nominations for its 2011 Grand Tour rose an outstanding 28 percent compared to the previous year, and in 2012 the competition is set to be the fiercest yet as growing numbers of companies and destinations realise the commercial benefits and kudos that accompany winning a WTA.

Entry is now open for categories in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Caribbean, Europe, Indian Ocean, Middle East, and North, South & Central America.

Entry forms can completed online or downloaded from www.worldtravelawards.com/nominate and the nomination submission deadline will be 29 February 2012.

The complete list of nominations will be announced in time for ITB in March. Voting will then open and be carried out by an audience of 213,000 travel agents and tourism professionals from 164 countries, including visitors to WTA’s website who are encouraged to submit their votes via the online voting system.

WTA’s 2012 Grand Tour will include regional legs in Dubai, the Algarve, South Africa, Miami and Thailand. The winners of these regional heats will progress to the Grand Final, which will take place in India.

Graham E. Cooke, President & Founder, WTA said: “Although 2011 continued to challenge every strata of travel and tourism, all our winners demonstrated their world-class pedigree in the face of adversity. In 2012 we are looking for those organisations that are spearheading the global recovery of travel and tourism by outperforming their peers and offering something new and exciting.”

The ceremonies are widely regarded as one of the best networking opportunities in the travel industry, attended by government and industry leaders, as well as international media.

The 2011 WTA nominations featured more than 5,000 companies in 1,000 categories across 164 countries, and WTA ceremonies were attended by more than 3,000 guests from 92 countries, as well as media from 192 TV channels and publications.

The power of brands, safety in hotels and future workforce issues – leading international hotel experts and CEOs to debate the latest trends and challenges at the ITB Hospitality Day on 8 March 2012

Berlin, 2 February 2012 – Safety at hotels, the shortfall in staff in the hotel industry and the consolidation trend among hotel portals: these are items on the agenda at this year’s ITB Hospitality Day at the ITB Berlin Convention. On Thursday, 8 March 2012 experts and CEOs representing the hotel and tourism industries will be discussing the latest topics. Now in its seventh year, the forum has developed into one of the industry’s leading events. Maria Pütz-Willems, editor-in-chief of hospitalityInside.com, is responsible for its content.

Cassidy Morgan, CEO Central and Eastern Europe, Interbrand, will kick off the event with his keynote entitled “Unlimited brand power “.The first discussion round will take up this subject, asking: ”Brands everywhere: how many brands make sense?“. Bernold Schroeder, CEO, Jin Jiang International Hotels, China, and Osama Hirzalla, vice president, Brand Marketing and eCommerce Europe of Marriott International – the chain with more brands than anyone worldwide – will discuss whether many different brands offer travellers a better service or whether they are simply clever marketing strategies.

The wave of consolidation among hotel booking portals and new economic dependencies in the hotel distribution will be the main topics of the discussion round entitled ”Distribution: less providers with more power?“. Arne Erichsen, director of Markt-Management Deutschland, Expedia Partner Services Group; Monique Jaspers-Wijn, vice president, Business Development, EMEA beiSabre Hospitality Solutions; Tobias Ragge, managing director of HRS, and Ognjen Zeric, founder and managing director of the startup Justbook Mobile will debate the most recent shifts in the market and their impact.

Two discussion rounds at the ITB Hospitality Day will highlight issues concerning staff and senior executives. Taking as its slogan “the next generation“, the CEO panel will feature two well known CEOs and their sons. Chanin Donavanik, managing director and CEO of the luxury hotel group Dusit Hotels & Resorts, Thailand; Siradej Donavanik, manager, Investment and Development, Dusit Hotels; Daniel Müller, director, Operations, of the budget design chain Motel One Hotels & Resorts, and Dieter Müller, chairman of the board of One Hotels & Resorts, will talk to Maria Pütz-Willems about how the two generations view the hotel industry today and what challenges exist in business dealings between fathers and sons. The discussion round entitled ”The War for Talent: the mass exodus from the hotel industry“ will also address the topic of this sector’s future workforce. Manuel Konen, chairman of Konen & Lorenzen Recruitment Consultants; Katrin Melle, director, Human Resources, Hyatt International, and Robert F. Wetterauer, president of EUROCHRIE/European Council on Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Education, will debate what the hotel industry must undertake to keep its trainees and future workforce and what incentives the industry needs to offer young graduates.

Rounding off the ITB Hospitality Day, the travel journalist and author Peter Hinze and his fellow panel members will discuss how hotels can protect their guests in the event of unexpected political unrest, crises and bombings. Mayar Abdel Aziz, tourism and marketing expert from El Gouna; Ed Fuller, the long-standing and experienced president and managing director of Marriott International, and Michael-W. Hartmann, senior vice president and head of Market Development Board Hospitality, Siemens AG will be debating the topic of “Safety: when a holiday turns into chaos“.

The 7^th ITB Hospitality Day will take place on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds in Hall 7.1b, the London Room, on Thursday, 08 March 2012 from 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. The online trade magazine hospitalityInside.com is the media partner of the event. A trade visitor pass is valid for admission to the ITB Berlin Convention.

The Maldives has once again topped Kuoni’s annual poll of where UK customers want to spend their holidays. In the company’s top ten selling destinations for 2012, the Indian Ocean archipelago has held on to the top slot since 2005.

Where holidaymakers want to go is just part of leading tour operator Kuoni’s annual Travel Trends Report. The 20-page report also tracks hot travel trends and the top destinations for weddings and honeymoons, for families, for solo travellers, for pampering spa holidays, for the most exciting adventures and authentic experiences as well as the best destinations for those that care about the planet.

The report also highlights changes in holiday behaviour and includes trends in holiday booking behaviour, such as the importance of social media in driving holiday choices.

The top five destinations for 2012 are Maldives holidays, Thailand, Sri Lanka, The United Arab Emirates and the USA, including New York holidays. Kuoni predicts that South Africa will witness huge growth over the next 12 months, helped by the exposure from the football World Cup last year and the weakened currency against sterling. The only mid-haul destination in the 2012 Top Ten selling destinations is the United Arab Emirates, mostly due to the popularity of Dubai holidays.

The Maldives also retained its top slot for honeymoon destinations and topped the wish list for digital natives, better known as Generation X, Y and Z. Sri Lanka holidays retained ‘Number one Destination for Weddings’, Kuramathi Island Resort in the Maldives kept the top slot for ‘Family Destinations’, as did Thailand holidays for solo travelling.

The winner of the Top 10 Adventure Holiday is the 11-day tour of culture-rich Sri Lanka on the Ceylon Tour, while those looking for the best ‘Planet Friendly Holiday’ voted for Governors Main Camp in the wildlife safari heaven of Kenya.

Aside from favourite and new destinations, there are changes in the type of holiday the customer wants. More destination-savvy and discerning holidaymakers are looking for different types of holiday, with four specific trends emerging:

- a thirst for discovery.

- authenticity of experience.

- social responsibility.

- face to face contact with a travel expert when booking.

To meet the needs of a changing holidaymaker, Kuoni launched the Discover brochure for 2012, packed with experiences and tours to help get under the skin of a destination. The company has also launched ananea, a sustainable brand that stands for socially responsible holidays that empower people to protect the natural environment and local population. Kuoni has also strengthened its retail presence across the UK over the last 12 months, with more retail stores for holidaymakers to access all-important first-hand expertise and knowledge.

About the 2012 Travel Trends Report:

Figures in Kuoni’s 2012 Travel Trends Report are based on multiple sources, namely statistics from booking patterns made between January to December 2011 for holidays during 2011 and 2012, actual passenger numbers, customer behaviour and feedback.

Tallinn is an inviting blend of medieval and modern. The city’s pride and joy is its historic Old Town, an enchanting neighbourhood of centuries-old streets, houses, towers and squares that looks like it was torn right from the pages of a storybook. Meanwhile, threaded through that same Old Town and its environs you’ll find the cutting-edge restaurants, cafes and clubs that give Tallinn its energy and buzz.

In January, the Tallinn Card was given an exciting new design. The updated cards feature a panoramic city view. Fun children’s cards are available too!

The all-in-one Tallinn Card makes it easy for you to enjoy all the city has to offer. Available in 6-, 24-, 48- and 72-hour versions and accepted in nearly 100 locations, the card presents a convenient, cost-effective way to explore Tallinn on your own, choosing the sights that interest you most. How better to make your stay in Tallinn personal, economical and unforgettable?

The Tallinn Card gives you:

• Free admission to 40 museums and sights, including all top city attractions.
• One free city sightseeing tour by foot, by bus, by bicycle or with an audio guide.
• Unlimited use of public transport.
• Free entertainment including outdoor ice skating, train ride, billiards, bowling, nightclub, boat and bicycle rental.
• Discounts on sightseeing tours in Tallinn and beyond (Prangli Island, Naissaar, Lahemaa and Matsalu National Parks).
• Discounts in restaurants, pubs and cafes.
• Discounts in handicraft-, art- and design shops.
• Discounted activities: spa, car rental, go-karting, National Opera and concerts.
• An all-inclusive Tallinn Card guidebook with city and transportation maps

Discover Tallinn with the Tallinn Card!

For the first time in Site’s history the Site Executive Summit will take place in a South American destination.  From 3 – 7 March, Argentina will welcome professionals from the global incentive travel and motivational events industry, including leaders of the Site International Board of Directors.   Organized by the Bariloche Bureau, with the exceptional support of the INPROTUR, the Ministry of Tourism of Argentina; the Ministry of Tourism of Rio Negro, the EMPROTUR and Site South America, the week of activities will begin with one night in Buenos Aires at the Alvear Palace Hotel, and will continue with the 1st Board Meeting of 2012 at the LlaoLlao Hotel in Bariloche.

The Latin American Meeting’s Summit will take place in Bariloche from the 4th to 6th March 2012. This LAMS gathers the Site Executive Summit and the XII Encuentro Nacional de Destinos Sede de Eventos organized by the INPROTUR and AOCA, with the assistance of all major professionals of the argentine destinations, convention bureaus, hotels and suppliers of the meetings industry.

Site’s 2012 Executive Summit will take place in Bariloche 4 – 6 March at the Edelweis Hotel in Bariloche. The event promises to gather professional representatives from South American countries like Chile, Brazil, Colombia and Peru along with distinguished Site members from North America, Europe and other parts of the globe. Education is provided by the Site International Board of Directors and will deliver relevant business information on marketing a destination, trends and an overall outlook for the motivational events industry.

Site 2012 President Alejandro Verzoub, President, AV Business & Communication stated, “Events such as the Site Executive Summit are very important to the South American professional community because they are designed to speak to the needs and perspectives of our region. I am thrilled my home country will serve as host for the first Site Board meeting of the year plus the Executive Summit.  Additionally, I can confirm the enthusiasm of Site members from outside our region who have expressed their interest in participating in the educational program and discovering these two great destinations in Argentina.”

Argentine Minister of Tourism and INPROTUR president,  Mr. Enrique Meyer expressed: “We are honored to have the chance to host the Site International Board of Directors meetings and the Site Executive Summit for the first time in South America. Our country offers within the 6 tourist regions several exceptional destinations ideal for motivational events and incentive trips’, and experienced professionals trained to produce unforgettable and unique experiences.
President of the Bariloche Bureau, Mr. Guillermo Estevez stated, “Our city is prepared to show to the international professionals the quality and diversity of our destination. Excellent culinary options, unforgettable landscapes, diverse motivational experiences, great hospitality and a first quality infrastructure are winning points to surprise the audience that the Site Executive Summit will engage during this event.”

The Executive Summit is made possible by the energy and dedication of the Site South America chapter, its members and partners.  The strategic airline partner for this event is Aerolineas Argentinas.  The airline is offering a generous 25% discount in international and local flights into Buenos Aires and to Bariloche to encourage delegate attendance.

More information from the Executive Summit, as well as travel and accommodation updates can be found online. Follow the event on Twitter @Siteexesummit2012.

DUBAI, U.A.E., 30th January 2012: Just three weeks after the launch of flights to Dublin, Emirates has announced a larger aircraft will be deployed on the route from 1st July.

The new passenger service, launched on 9th January, has already become one of the airline’s most successful route launches with load factors driving through 90% for many of the flights.

The daily Dubai-Dublin service is currently operated with a 237-seat Airbus A330-200, arranged in a three class configuration.

“Normally, this would provide enough capacity for the first 2-3 years of a new route operation, said Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe & Russian Federation. “However, Dublin is exceeding our expectations much faster than was predicted and we need more seats to satisfy demand.”

From July onwards, the replacement Boeing 777-300ER provides a total of 360 seats, representing an increase in capacity of 52%. The Boeing offers 310 seats in Economy Class, 42 in Business Class and 8 First Class Private Suites.

Throughout all cabin classes of the 777, passengers will be able to enjoy the 1000-plus channels of the ice entertainment system, thoroughly enjoyed by travellers, especially those connecting through Dubai on longer journeys, or those with children.

Emirates’ passengers departing Dublin can conveniently connect to more than 100 destinations, such as India, Thailand and Australia, with just one stop in Dubai.
While Dublin has been Emirates’ first passenger service into Ireland, the airline has been serving the market through its air freight division for many years, transferring cargo through UK gateways, such as Manchester.

Emirates Holidays, Emirates’ tour operating arm, will feature Dublin in its 2012 A World of Choice brochure. Nine hotels and resorts – including six Dublin City hotels and three resorts outside Dublin – will be carried in the publication.

Return fares from Dubai to Dublin start from AED 2,880 in Economy, AED 14,660 in Business Class and AED 23,820 when travelling in a First Class Private Suite.

Already this year, the airline has launched new routes to Rio and Buenos Aires and will start flights to Lusaka and Harare on 1st February. Dallas will follow from 2nd February, Seattle as of 1st March, Ho Chi Minh City from 4th June and Barcelona effective 3rd July.

Current Dublin flight times: 

EK 0161 leaves Dubai at 0700hrs daily and arrives in Dublin at 1130hrs. EK 0162 departs Dublin at 1255hrs and lands in Dubai at 0025hrs the next day.

Summer timings – effective 25th March 2012:

EK 0161 leaves Dubai at 0700hrs daily and arrives in Dublin at 1215hrs. EK 0162 departs Dublin at 1350hrs and lands in Dubai at 0025hrs the next day.

2012 and its ramifications for the UK events industry were at the forefront on the first day of the Event Production Show and the inaugural UK Venue Show.

Europe’s pre-eminent showcase for live events kicked off today (Wednesday 1st February) at London Olympia, running over Thursday 2nd February and including tonight’s Event Production Awards at the Hilton Park Lane.

At respected thought leadership programme, the Access Sessions, Stuart Cornish, head of the Metropolitan Police Olympic and Paralympic Planning Team, stressed his force’s priority to “protect the venues, events, infrastructure and those attending and using them”.  His presentation highlighted the involvement of all bodies involved in the “military manoeuvre as large as Afghanistan”.

Cornish highlighted the force’s determination to avoid any “reputational risk” facing the country during a globally significant event such as the Olympic Games, pinpointing the riots which swept the country in 2011 as leading to a “dip in public confidence”. He also addressed the challenge posed by the hosting of 205 nations during the Games, explaining that they “all have the same values, but with slightly different expectations”.

Mike Kershaw, Chairman of The Concerto Group, detailed how corporate buyers looking for Olympic and Paralympic opportunities were set to book last minute due to the impression that better rates could be achieved at shorter lead in times.  He explained that by booking late, venues may be less likely to have the staff and ancillary services in place to be able to service such events.

Away from the sessions, an overwhelmingly positive response came from exhibitors at the first trade exhibition of 2012 for the UK events industry.

Phil Ion, director at exhibitor Core Lighting said: “We are delighted with our first day at the show, and have been very impressed at the quality of the leads. We are sharing our stand with Whitelight and we have met a range of visitors from owner managers to representatives of multinationals and corporates.”

Sarah Brownlee, Event Manager of the Event Production Show said: “All the indications from the show floor are that both exhibitors and visitors have had a rewarding first day at the show. The addition of the inaugural UK Venue Show, the different sessions on offer and the vibrancy of Live at the Grand have given this year’s show a feel good factor which will also be in evidence at tonight’s Awards.”

AVIAREPS becomes Sales representative in six markets

Iceland Express, Iceland’s premier Low-Cost-Airline, and AVIAREPS, the world’s leading General Sales Agent, have announced an extended partnership. Apart from their successful cooperation in Poland, Iceland Express has commissioned AVIAREPS to push sales for its seasonal flights to various European countries. The sales teams in Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France will promote the flight offer of Iceland Express with immediate effect. In addition, Denmark will be further developed as a year-round source market to Iceland.

Iceland Express has just announced its spring and summer schedule. Among the seasonal destinations are Bologna/Italy and Basel/Switzerland with one weekly connection, Frankfurt Hahn/Germany with two weekly connections and Paris/France and Berlin/Germany with three weekly connections to Iceland’s capital Reykjavik. Services from Copenhagen will be continuously offered on a daily basis. All flights are available via Amadeus (Airline code W2) and Iceland Express’ homepage www.icelandexpress.com<http://www.icelandexpress.com>.

Iceland and its natural beauty are experiencing a growing demand from European markets. The lively city of Reykjavik, the impressive geyser’s, a vast countryside and its spectacular nature attract tourists not only from Continental Europe. With its expanded flight offer, Iceland Express reacts to this development during peak season.

Ice skating, tobogganing, moonwalking, Segways and swimming in the snow are just a few of the concierge’s recommended family activities.

At Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest, the staff does its best to keep guests and their little ones on their feet and entertained while visiting. With so many places to see, and so much to do, the Concierge has put together a list of family activities, allowing the guests to see the best of the city in experiences sure to create lots of unforgettable memories.

Outdoor Ice Skating

Regardless of age or gender, an activity that is always popular during winter in Budapest is outdoor ice skating. During the winter season the grand lake in the City Park freezes and transforms into Europe’s largest skating rink. Outstanding castle views during the day and breathtaking starlit skies at night complement the activity.

Hillside Tobogganning

Young guests can venture out into the spectacular Buda Hills and enjoy the fun of tobogganing in Norfama park. There are several snowy slopes available ranging from gentle to steep, all depending on how courageous one wants to be.

Fun Learning at the Palace of Miracles

Bring out the Albert Einstein in your child! Museums can be depicted as a little boring especially when there are not any activities to stimulate young minds. However, the science museum Palace of Miracles at the Millenáris allows children to have a hands-on experience and interaction with different scientific principles. The most popular attractions are the low-gravity “moonwalk” and the “miracle bike.” Having so much to do here all day, parents could be hard pressed getting the little ones to leave.

Outdoor Swimming in the Snow

Budapest is a city well known for its bath and thermal springs. Szechenyi and Gellert baths are definite historical sites to visit and enjoy. The outdoor pools supplied by hot spring water rich with minerals are open regardless of the weather.

Bike and Segway Touring

If the weather permits, the Hotel’s concierge highly recommends a family excursion on bike or Segway and explore the city on wheels.

Families at Four Seasons

To make younger guests feel like home away from home, it’s aFour Seasons policy that teddy-bear companions always stay free of charge. And if the little ones are sometimes afraid of the dark,Four Seasons offers complimentary monster checks under the bed too. Complimentary amenities include kids´ toiletries, bathrobes, games, books, kids menus and more await a family getaway in Budapest.

7 March 2012 event includes interviews with the CEOs of Booking.com and ODIGEO

Berlin, 1^st February 2012 - Travel industry research authority PhoCusWright has unveiled a pioneering program forPhoCusWright@ITB, taking place Wednesday, 7 March 2012 in conjunction with ITB Berlin, The World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. Now in its seventh year, this conference-in-a-conference is meticulously designed by PhoCusWright’s expert analysts to help executives capitalize on key trends impacting the travel, tourism and hospitality marketplace.

This year’s event features interviews with the CEOs of two of Europe’s leading online travel agencies, Booking.com (Darren Huston) and the recently formed ODIGEO (Javier Perez-Tenessa). In addition, PhoCusWright analysts will share insights on key European consumer trends and deliver findings from a recent landmark study of the European vacation rental landscape. Dynamic roundtable sessions will focus on the emerging Russia travel market, mobile strategy and other hot topics.

PhoCusWright@ITB empowers an audience of travel professionals, innovators and thought leaders to interact in a unique community setting. A flexible format enables attendees to immerse themselves in the entire daylong event or focus on select sessions. The compact program is included at no additional charge with ITB Berlin tickets valid for entry on 7 March 2012, however advance registration is required.

This year’s theme, Travel Unleashed: Any, Every, Always heralds the exceptional forces liberating the travel marketplace. Amidst rapid advances in technology, constant change is the norm, and empowered, hyper-connected consumers are engaging with information and organizations in entirely new ways.PhoCusWright@ITB challenges travel companies to leverage these powerful new catalysts to attract and retain customers like never before.

PhoCusWright@ITB is followed on 8 March 2012 by The PhoCusWright New Media Summit, where travel bloggers, tweeters and social media enthusiasts from around the world will convene to share insights and strategies on new media in the travel industry.

EFAPCO, the European Federation of the Associations of PCOs, is witnessing a marked shift in feminine influence.

The Federation’s Board already features a substantial female majority. Some two-thirds of the delegates at the Federation’s recent Congress in Estoril, Portugal, were women.

And the organisation’s next President is a woman – Luisa Ahrens Teixeira, a leading member of EFAPCO’s Portuguese member association, APECATE, takes office in May.

Small wonder, then, that one of the highlight sessions at the 5^th EFAPCO Congress echoed this feminine confidence.

An all-women lineup included, Anne De Smet, Managing Director of Momentum and President of BAPCO, Belgium’s EFAPCO member association, who illustrated how women were now leading the industry’s future.

However, she said, women were still under-represented in management and decision-making roles – just 11 percent across Europe in a recent study. However women leadership in the meetings industry at large and within the EFAPCO membership in particular accounted for at least 50 percent. Women leaders in the age range 50 to 55 were well-represented.

The meetings industry was ahead of other sectors when it came to women leadership, she added: “However, if they want to keep a successful leading position, women in the meetings industry also need to develop a number of leadership skills, which will be essential in tackling future global trends.”

Fellow Belgian, Isabella Lenarduzzi, Managing Director of JUMP “Empowering Women, Advancing the Economy” reckoned that equality within the EU could deliver a 27 percent increase in GDP and that women’s energy and talent were the most untapped renewable source of global energy!

Independent Financial Consultant Mariana Abrantes de Sousa spoke enthusiastically about the enduring value of face-to-face events in the era of Facebook. She also laid out a persuasive series of arguments about why more women leaders were needed. “Women make or influence most of a family’s purchasing decisions. And when you educate a man you educate one person. When you educate a woman you educate the whole family.”

What differentiates a woman leader, she asked: “They have more collective objectives than individual ones. They are more organised, more intuitive, more sensitive and inclusive, and place more reliance on the power of information sharing, negotiation and participation.”

EFAPCO’s new President Luisa Ahrens Teixeira who takes over as the Federation’s first woman president in May said: “It’s not surprising to see the growing participation of women in the meetings sector. After all, we work at the forefront of human communication and our women’s day session proved just how increasingly effective and influential they have become.”

Mr. Panagiotis Podimatas was re-elected as chairman of the Congress Rental Network (CRN) for the following year, having already successfully served the past two years as chairman of the organization. The voting took place during the Annual General Meeting which was held in January 2012 in Chile, where he received votes of confidence that reached the 86%.

Mr. Panagiotis Podimatas is Managing Director of P.C.Podimatas Audiaviasual S.A. and founder of three companies belonging within that network, in Romania, in Serbia and of course in Greece.

This global network has 42 members in 40 countries from all around the world, and has a vital role on the development of the Conferences and Corporate Meetings market. CRN has undertaken momentous events, such as the Czech Presidency of the European Union, the Climate Change Conference COP15 in Copenhagen and at the moment the Denmark Presidency of the European Union.

Mr. Panagiotis Podimatas was born in 1965, in Athens. He studied Economics at the University of Athens and his expertise in the field of audiovisual equipment and coverage of events and conferences, includes major events such as the Olympic Games -Athens 2004, the Summit of the European Union of 2003 in Halkidiki, of 1994 in Corfu, of 1989 in Rhodes, the opening ceremony of the Acropolis Museum, the conference of OSCE and many others. What is more, he is Vice-president of the council of the Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organizers (HAPCO) having a vital contribution to the Greek conference tourism.

The 19th annual edition of MITT (Moscow International Travel and Tourism) is pleased to announce that the Dominican Republic will be the Partner Country for Russia’s largest and leading travel and tourism exhibition, taking place on 21st March – 24th March 2012.

The Russian office of the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism has been taking part in MITT since 2005, starting with a 40 m² stand. Every year since then, as the exhibition grew its status, and the Russian outbound travel market started to show impressive growth rates, the Dominican Republic has increased its presence.

In the latest reports of UNWTO, Russia is described as one of the key markets for world travel. The tourist industry in the Dominican Republic is eager to offer their services at the MITT exhibition. In 2005, the Dominican Republic only had 2 co-exhibitors;  now more than 15 representatives of hotel chains and tourist companies are expected to take part.  The event is a great platform for business meetings in the tourism industry.

Galina Lyssenko, Director of the Russian office, Dominican Republic Tourism Boardcommented: “We have no doubt the forthcoming MITT show will be a great success for all exhibitors and we will give everybody a very warm welcome on the stand of the Dominican Republic. The year 2012 is very significant for us, since we plan to give a special attention to the Russian market.  While the statistics registered only 400 tourists from Russia in 2002, we had record figures in 2011, with the total number of Russians tourists reaching almost 121,000.”

Maria Badakh, Head of Sales, Travel Division said: “We are delighted to welcome the Dominican Republic as a Partner Country. Last year, MITT attracted 79,930 visitors and we are proud to contribute to the Dominican Republic’s growth in popularity to Russian tourists”.

On the 2nd day of the exhibition, the Dominican Republic stand will be holding a Dominican Republic Day, with a special cocktail party, an educational seminar, dance sessions,  cigar roll presentations and degustations.

The country’s aim is to show all the variety of options available. For many years, the Dominican Republic has been perceived as a pure leisure destination. As Russian tourists become more exigent and curious, they can enjoy the country for its cultural tourism, diving, weddings, golf, extreme sports, luxury leisure and MICE.

VisitBritain is asking MPs across the country to nominate an attraction in their constituency that overseas tourists should visit in 2012. The challenge to the nation’s politicians is part of the tourism agency’s ‘Share Your GREAT Britain’ campaign, which is aiming to get the British public to invite their friends and relatives from around the world to visit the UK this year.

Several suggestions have already been made by MPs, with ideas ranging from castles, sporting venues, beaches, coastal walks and museums. All the nominations will be added to an interactive tourism map that will be unveiled at a parliamentary reception next month. MPs will today be sent a nomination form so that they can add their own personal insight on must see attractions in each constituency.

Launching the campaign, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “This year really is THE time to come to Britain. The Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee each offer fantastic experiences, but there is so much else going on with, quite literally, something for everyone.  I hope that everyone – and especially my Parliamentary colleagues – grab this moment to help ensure that as many people as possible get the chance to come here and be part of it all.”

Chief Executive of VisitBritain, Sandie Dawe added: “With 650 electorates scattered across the country, we know there is a wonderful mix of iconic spots and hidden gems that overseas visitors should experience when here. We are calling on each and every MP to help us highlight just some of these destinations, using their local knowledge and insight to promote the tourism assets within their constituency in a year when the eyes of the world are upon us.

“Tourism is the UK’s third highest export earner and is worth over £115 billion to the UK economy each year, and it has enormous potential to be one of the fastest growing sectors in the years ahead. With one in twelve jobs in the UK either directly or indirectly supported by tourism, the more overseas visitors we can encourage to come and experience all that Britain has to offer will help boost the economy and help create a greater number of jobs.”

Under the ‘Share Your GREAT Britain’ slogan, households and businesses are being encouraged to invite their global network of friends and contacts to come the UK this year for their next holiday. They are able to do this by is using a ’10 GREAT Reasons’ app on VisitBritain’s LoveUK<http://www.facebook.com/#!/LoveUK> Facebook page or by sending a personalised postcard that can be downloaded from visitbritain.org<http://www.visitbritain.org/>.

The government recently announced it would bolster VisitBritain’s efforts to entice greater numbers of overseas visitors by allocating £25 million for the national tourism agency to undertake the largest image campaign in its history. The campaign will be rolling out in 14 cities in nine countries around the world next month.

The British comedian will be on stage in Folketeateret 20 and 21 April. Both shows sold out in minutes.

Ricky Gervais is one of the world’s most popular comedians, known from hit shows like The Office and Extras.He has also hosted the last two Golden Globe Awards.

This will be his first performances ever in Norway, and the shows in Oslo are the only ones in Scandinavia. According to the organisers the 21 April show sold out in two minutes, and the tickets to the extra show 20 April sold out immediately after that.

So it is too late to get tickets for Gervais, but there are a lot of other things to see in Oslo this spring. Check our event calendar at visitoslo.com/whats-on for the latest on events in Oslo.

The British comedian will be on stage in Folketeateret 20 and 21 April. Both shows sold out in minutes.

Ms. Olga Velceva, a receptionist at the Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab hotel, has won the prestigious David Campbell Trophy at the an International Presidium of the Amicale Internationale des Chefs de Reception et Sous Directeurs des Grand Hotels (AICR) held in the Czech Republic capital, Prague, from January 18 to 22.

She was chosen from the list of 14 finalists who represented countries like the UK, Switzerland, New Zealand, Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore and Spain. The winners for the second and third positions were from Singapore and Indonesia, respectively.

Ms. Olga was selected in the two phased competition which included a 30-minute interview with a panel of judges from the global hospitality industry including AICR International President dealing with professionalism and other technical issues related to Hotel Front Office management. A number of factors like professional qualifications, work aptitude, personal appearance and confidence are taken into consideration in the selection process.

Started in 1995, the Receptionist of the Year competition trophy was named in memory of David Campbell who served as the Chef de Reception at The Ritz Hotel in Paris in recognition of his dedication and passion to the profession and hotel industry.

Ms. Olga had won the AICR Receptionist of the Year Contest for the year 2010 organised jointly by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and AICR Dubai Chapter and was sponsored by the DTCM to represent Dubai-UAE in the international competition.

She received the award at the gala ceremony in Prague which was attended among others by the DTCM Executive Director for Corporate Support, Mr. Ibrahim Yaqoot. The annual rotating event in Prague was attended by 160 members of AICR chapters from different parts of the world.

In October 2011, Ms. Olga was chosen as the Receptionist of the Year by the DTCM and AICR Dubai Chapter from a total of 13 candidates from Dubai’s four and five-star hotels and received a cash prize of AED 10000 and a trophy sponsored by the DTCM.

The AICR, founded on the Cote d’Azur in France in 1964, has over the past four decades has developed into an international organization with chapters in 18 countries and 800 members worldwide. The aims of the AICR are to facilitate and strengthen the professional relationships between members, and to promote and publicise the importance of their profession, developing the profile of the industry through training and development.

Dubai opened the AICR chapter under the aegis of DTCM in 2005 to nurture the entrepreneurial skills of front office and rooms’ managers of hotels in the emirate which is now globally recognized as the Middle East’s hospitality hub boasting over 570 hotel establishments with over 70,000 rooms and flats. The AICR Dubai Chapter aims to groom young talent and create a pool of young receptionists who will raise the standard of custom services at Dubai’s rapidly-increasing top-end properties. Since then, it has been participating in the AICR Congress for the David Campbell Trophy, according to
Mr. Steven Mueller, President AICR Dubai Chapter.

Mr. Ibrahim congratulated the winner and expressed the hope that the latest recognition for Dubai’s hospitality industry would encourage the hotels employees to spare no efforts in providing visitors and tourists in Dubai with the best hospitality services. He said the AICR competition has been growing in significance year after year, as evidenced by the increase in the number of contestants every year and the interest it has been generating among the top-end hotels.

He said that this also underlines the importance of the role of a hotel receptionist as they are often the first point of contact for the guests and can play a major role in creating a favorable impression about Dubai among visitors. The competition encourages employees to develop their skills, performance and professionalism when dealing with tourists, which will enhance the overall service levels and quality of hospitality industry in the emirate, he added.

Dubai had selected by the AICR to host the International Presidium in 2008, outbidding strong contenders like France and New Zealand. More than 350 hotel professionals attended the annual gathering.

Mr. Ibrahim Yaqoot said the department has taken several initiatives to upgrade and hone the professional skills of the hotel industry employees in various domains in order to raise the quality and service standards of Dubai’s hospitality industry.

Through the Training Solutions division of DTCM, the tourism industry professionals like the Tour Guides, Concierge and Receptionists are trained annually through different programmes.

The department has tied up with several prestigious international institutions for the programmes, including the Cambridge University for international tourism diplomas.

DTCM conducts annual competitions to select the best Concierge and Receptionist and it plans to add more initiatives to cover other areas of hotel operations.

London & Partners launched its “World Record London” campaign at the London hotel in New York.

In its only record breaking attempt taking place outside the United Kingdom, the official promotion organization for the British capital and Guinness World Records® invited its New York-based business partners to get “poised” for one of the highlights of London’s summer – the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Over 50 New York business partners – including PHB Events, and representatives from British Airways and Radisson Edwardian Hotels – became Guinness World Records® Breakers by partaking in the world’s longest curtsey relay in five minutes.

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations will take place in London just over a year after the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William.  A four-day holiday over the first weekend in June will feature the world’s largest parade of boats on the river Thames, a concert at Buckingham Palace and the lighting of beacons across the U.K. and Commonwealth.

World Record London is a new campaign which will aim to make London a multi-record-breaking city over the next six months. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the capital’s promotional organization will attempt more than 20 Guinness World Records®  to celebrate the best big city on earth – from its people, attractions, universities, businesses, sports and transport.  All records will be adjudicated by Guinness World Records® – the universal authority on record-breaking achievement.

Samantha Fay, SVP USA & Global Marketing, Guinness World Records® said:

“Guinness World Records was thrilled to officiate the record-setting display of British etiquette here in the US!  We’re excited at the opportunity to help generate buzz for the dynamic city of London in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games.”

Gordon Innes, CEO, London & Partners said:

“World Record London is a great way for us to let American businesses, students and visitors know they’ll be warmly welcomed to our city this year. What better way to be prepared than to brush up on your British etiquette, after all, you never know who you might meet on your visit!”

01 February 2012: Saxton Speakers Bureau has announced the impressive 11 act line-up for its spectacular Ultimate Event Experience, which is returning to the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) for the third consecutive year.

The complimentary event presents a range of quality Australian and international entertainers and speakers to an expected audience of over 1000 meetings professionals and buyers at the annual Melbourne exhibition.

Winston Broadbent, Managing Director at Saxton Speakers Bureau commented: “We are delighted to be involved in such an iconic event and have been able to secure, again, a world class line up of presenters with powerful content, all in the perfect event setting, and in just over two hours.”

“This year’s event will offer guests an opportunity to experience fantastic entertainment, bewildering illusion, extraordinary talent and genuine achievers delivering compelling business and personal messages,” he said.

A mix of Australian and international presenters make up this year’s program.

Exceptional Australians, such as prominent businessman Rod McGeoch and popular media personality Ita Buttrose, will inspire the audience with their thoughts on powerful alternative thinking and doing business better. AIME also welcomes back the always humorous John Lees as consummate master of ceremonies for the morning.

Home-grown talent does not end there: the audience will be treated to the sheer virtuosity of master drummer David Jones, mind-blowing illusion with Cosentino of Australia’s Got Talentfame, an entertaining and fascinating mathematical presentation from Lily Serna of SBS’sLetters and Numbers, the inspiration and creativity of photojournalist Michael Coyne; and the truly unique vocal talents of Mr Percival.

For 2012, the Saxton Ultimate Event Experience is presenting impressive international acts including:

• Robyn Meredith, the author of New York Times bestseller The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What it Means for All of Us and a correspondent for Bloomberg Television in Hong Kong. Meredith presents a mix of big picture trends in economics and geopolitics with views to make better business decisions;
• Kivi Bernhard, an internationally renowned keynote speaker, highly successful business entrepreneur and the author of the highly acclaimed Leopardology: The Hunt for Profit in a Tough Global Economy; and
• CrazeeHorse, a stunning acrobalance act that has been acclaimed by millions the world over, wowing UK television audiences to reach the final of Britain’s Got Talentand achieving three Guinness World Records.

The slightly earlier timeslot of 8am to 10.05am on the second day of AIME allows Hosted Buyers to attend for the first time, avoiding clashes with Pre Scheduled Appointments.

Mr Broadbent noted: “It has been designed primarily so that attendees will leave with a series of valuable and inspirational messages, at the same time experiencing firsthand the wonderful synergy between the finest in talent, producers and venue. It is this synergy that makes the Saxton Ultimate Event Experience such a feature in Australia”.

Sally de Swart, Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) Director for AIME, said the Saxton Ultimate Event Experience is always a popular part of the two-day show.

“This is an incredibly popular and unique experience, unlike any other in Australia, and we’re proud to welcome Saxton back to AIME this year as major sponsors,” Ms de Swart said.

The Saxton Ultimate Event Experience:

When: Wednesday, 22 February, 2012

Time: 7.50am for 8.00am sharp, concludes 10.05am

Where: Door 10, Plenary 3, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

How: The event is complimentary and each attendee receives a special gift and free entry to AIME!

Register online at http://www.saxton.com.au/events/saxton-ultimate-event-experience-aime-2012/

For more information about AIME 2012, visit www.aime.com.au  

Building on the success of GIBTM 2011 (www.gibtm.com) – this year’s Global Meetings and Events Exhibition for the Gulf will host a European Exhibitor Pavilion designed to accommodate European businesses expanding their business reach into the Gulf region (www.gibtm.com/visiting/europe).

 Exhibiting as a partner within the European Pavilion will allow destinations and European Private Sector companies opportunity to use GIBTM as a key platform to cost effectively launch their products into the Gulf region.

 Dora Kiss, Senior Project Manager, Hungarian Convention Bureau, exhibiting in the European Pavilion at GIBTM this year, commented: “Countries of the Middle East are new markets for the Hungarian Convention Bureau. We would like to present our wonderful country on that continent, as well, because we truly believe that Hungary’s supply is really competitive for the Orient”.

The pavilion will create strong return on investment for exhibiting partners as over 1,500 appointments are anticipated to take place between European exhibitors and Hosted Buyers attending from the Gulf region.

Vassilis Theocharides, returning exhibiton and Director of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation of Middle East & Arabian Gulf commented, “The Cyprus Tourism Organisation has been supporting GIBTM since it was launched. It is undoubtedly the most comprehensive MICE exhibition in the Middle East. Every year we have increased demand from our partners to participate which proves its popularity”.

This year’s GIBTM will also see the launch of the GIBTM Global Industry research project which will be followed by a panel discussion exploring both the in and outbound analysis of the meetings industry, future trends and buyer and supplier habits within the region.

GIBTM is receiving strong interest and bookings from new and returning international participants who are looking to access the lucrative Middle East meetings, events and business travel market, all recognising GIBTM and the largest and proven platform in the region to do so.

Exhibitors including India Tourism, Seoul Convention Bureau, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau, Czech Tourism, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Cyprus Tourism Organisation and the Embassy of The Republic of Indonesia have also confirmed their participation.

Companies interested in exhibiting at GIBTM 2012 should contact Danielle Keogh, Head of Sales for GIBTM. Please email Danielle.keogh@reedexpo.co.uk or call 0208 910 7191.

For more information on GIBTM 2012 (26^th – 28^th March 2012), visit www.gibtm.com/visiting/europe.

Google and thetrainline.com come together to help customers plan train travel across Britain

Travelling across Britain by train just became easier, with the launch of information and timetables for mainland Britain on Google Maps, the most popular online mapping site in the world, courtesy of thetrainline.com.

As of today, train travellers can search for journeys across the country at maps.google.co.uk with more than 2,500 stations and 170,000 trips nationwide at their fingertips, in addition 8,000 bus stops and over 250 tube stations. The website also gives users full information on walking directions and some bus timetables for connections, as well as the opportunity to click through to leading online train ticketing website thetrainline.com, to search for and book cheap tickets for their journey.

So for anyone who has ever wondered how quickly they can get from a street in Reading to a hotel in Llandudno, or how many changes they’d have to make on the London to Edinburgh route, the website gives users full information. This includes walking directions and bus timetables for connections, as well as the opportunity to click through to leading online train ticketing website thetrainline.com, to search for and book cheap train tickets for their journey.

Searching for travel information across Greater London was already possible but now thanks to the new updates, internet and mobile users have access to timetables and train information for routes across the whole country.

The partnership expands Google’s popular mapping and directions tool and supports thetrainline.com’s goal of making rail journey planning easy and highlighting the convenience and cost benefits to people of travelling by train.

Richard Rowson, Product Development Director at thetrainline.com said: “We’re delighted to be providing train travel information through Google Maps for the first time. We want to make sure that consumers are always able to consider rail options when making a journey and this innovation will help train travellers nationwide to do that by planning their route more easily. This is a fantastic partnership and demonstrates what two market leading brands working together can achieve.”

Ed Parsons, Google UK’s geospatial technologist, said: “Google Maps seeks to provide a wide range of relevant local information, and public transport station and schedule information is definitely a part of that. It is great to be able to partner with companies like thetrainline.com and have their schedule information available in Google Maps for the whole of Britain. This means we can reach and help a larger number of people with useful national rail train information.”
Google Maps is available in over 50 languages, so with London set to be a very popular destination this coming summer, tourists will also be able to combine walking with transit directions on Google Maps for mobile to help find their way around the country.

Christopher Rodrigues, VisitBritain Chairman said: “We want to encourage visitors to explore the whole of Britain. With the Olympics less than 200 days away Google’s new initiative is exciting news. Millions of visitors plan their itinerary using Google maps and this additional information will act as a catalyst and inspire them to discover all that is wonderful about our great country.”

More about how it works

To access public transport information from a desktop, users should visit maps.google.co.uk, click “Get Directions”, and enter origin and destination locations. Then click the icon depicting a train to obtain public transport directions and easily viewable train routes on the map. Users can also tap into GPS on a mobile device and get directions from their current location to any given destination in Britain.

Customers will be given the best route by rail and full details including departure and arrival times, journey duration and which train company is operating the service. These details are also displayed on the map above the departure location, where the user can click through to thetrainline.com homepage to search for and book cheap tickets for their journey.

Taking two holidays a year, having a meaningful conversation twice a week and cuddling 11 times in a fortnight are key to a happy marriage; it has been revealed.

A study of 2,000 happily married couples by Headwater Holidays has identified the main ingredients for a successful future together.

It shows husband and wife benefit from taking a short break away together twice a year, and eating out in restaurants at least three times a month.

And it pays to be affectionate, as wedded folk tend to share a lingering kiss six times a week, have sex twice a week and say “I love you” up to nine times a fortnight.

But it doesn’t need to be sweetness and light the whole time as the average happy couple has at least one healthy argument a week.

Catherine Crone, spokeswoman for walking holiday specialist, Headwater, said: “The research indicates that marriage is all about give and take, and making time for one another.

“It is clear that, while couples expect a great deal of love and affection from each other, they also understand that a real partnership includes having both deep and meaningful conversations as well as healthy arguments, to ensure they resolve anything which is bothering them.

“Taking time out from the daily routine is also fundamental to long term happiness while regular holidays or short breaks, coupled with nights out for dinner or trips to the pub all contribute to a healthy relationship.”

For those people who go on two holidays a year, 58 per cent say they like to go because on each occasion they are reminded why they love each other so much.

And 55 per cent claim they are more likely to make time for each other on holiday than at any other time of the year.

The survey also indicates that while couples like to have drinks at the pub together three times a month, there will also be a couple of girls’ and boys’ nights as well, where people can enjoy a night out with friends instead of their other half.

Happily married couples tend to make time for at least five movie nights at home, in contrast to their usual evenings spent fighting over the remote control or disagreeing about what to watch.

And most men and women will make little romantic gestures – such as cooking a nice meal, or taking their spouse a cup of tea in bed – three times a month.

The Headwater spokeswoman added: “Sometimes stepping back from the daily routine can do couples the world of good.

“Holidays are a great chance for couples to be reminded how to have fun together and spending time together away from the usual distractions of home can reignite the spark that made them fall in love in the first place.

“Knowing these results, perhaps now more than ever it’s important for couples to change their perception and see these shared moments as a fun way to invest in their relationship and weather-proof their marriage.”

Interestingly, falling in love with a partner on first sight is NOT indicative that a relationship is meant to be, as only 42 per cent of happy couples say this was the case.

Friendship was important as 47 per cent of those people polled say they were friends with a partner before they became an item, and then eventually married.

Other contributors to a successful marriage include making quality time for each other (50 per cent), supporting each other (49 per cent) and being kind (39 per cent).

A fifth of couples make a point of never going to bed on an argument, and 21 per cent say the key to a happy marriage is to try to turn a blind eye to irritating habits.

Knowing when to say sorry is a big step in the right direction for 33 per cent of people, while 35 per cent claim to be happy because they share the household chores out equally.

Compromising on the television schedule, being honest, retaining a degree of secrecy and accepting each other’s faults all play a part in a happy marriage.

    BREAKDOWN OF RESULTS

    Holidays                                   -    2 a year
    Short breaks                               -    2 a year
    Say "I love you"                           -    9 times a fortnight
    Kiss                                       -    6 times a week
    Cuddle                                     -    11 times a fortnight
    Have sex                                   -    2 times a week
    Deep and meaningful conversation           -    2 times a week
    Dinner out                                 -    3 times a month
    Drinks out                                 -    3 times a month
    Healthy argument                           -    1 a week
    Lads / Lasses night out without partner    -    2 times a month
    Surprise romantic gesture                  -    3 times a month
    Movie night at home                        -    5 times a month

47 World’s-Best Travel Companies at Its Virtual Travel Show

Virtuoso’s European Virtual Travel Show allows attendees to access invaluable travel information from the convenience of their own homes or anywhere they have Internet connectivity.  Would-be travelers have the opportunity to visit online exhibits and engage in question-and-answer sessions with upscale cruise lines, hotels, tour operators, on-site ground operators, airlines, specialty travel providers and the tourism boards representing these prime locations.

Eurostar, the high-speed rail service between the UK and mainland Europe, is offering special, limited prices for Standard and Standard Premier travel to Paris, Brussels or Lille until March 29th.

With plenty of the special return Standard class fares available for midweek travel, this is the perfect time for Eurostar customers to book a reviving day trip or a relaxing long weekend. Travellers can also treat themselves to a more luxurious journey for less as Eurostar is also offering special Standard Premier return fares for travel during the same period.

When passengers arrive in their chosen destination their Eurostar ticket gives them much more than travel alone, with a range of enticing ‘Eurostar Plus’ offers and discounts.

‘Eurostar Plus Culture’ offers travellers 2-for-1 entry into paying exhibitions at selected top museums and galleries in Paris, Brussels and Lille, simply by showing their Eurostar ticket. So, whether they’re visiting the Grand Palais, Galeries Nationales in Paris or the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels, there’s plenty to keep them entertained over the coming months.

‘Eurostar Plus Gourmet’ offers also give passengers up to 50% discounts on meals at popular restaurants in Paris, Brussels and Lille, by booking their table via http://www.eurostarplus.co.uk/gourmet and presenting their Eurostar ticket at the restaurant on arrival.

Nick Mercer, Commercial Director for Eurostar said: “Many of our travellers like to travel midweek as our destinations and their tourist attractions tend to be less busy. These discounted fares give everyone the perfect excuse to treat themselves to a getaway for less. After all, with special fares to Paris, Brussels or Lille and exclusive offers for museums, restaurants and shopping when you’re there, this is an offer not to be missed.”

High growth in exhibitors from the Asian-Pacific region – socially responsible tourism and gay & lesbian travel are booming –Travel Technology Hall booked up since December – Deutsche Lufthansa back at ITB Berlin

Berlin, 31 January 2012 – The countdown to the 46^th ITB Berlin, which takes place from 7 to 11 March 2012, has begun. Many of the halls at the world’s leading travel trade show are already booked up. Overall, Messe Berlin expects around 11,000 exhibiting companies and organisations from more than 180 countries to be present in the 26 halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin: “Bookings are level with last year’s figures, once again confirming ITB Berlin’s role as the travel industry’s leading international platform. Furthermore, ITB Berlin 2012 is living up to its reputation as the travel industry’s driving force. The ITB Berlin Convention’s agenda features up-to-the-minute and forward-looking themes and leading experts will be taking part in the debate. Among the topics will be cruises and tourism market developments in the Arab states.”

The focus is on the partner country Egypt which will be organising the opening ceremony on the eve of ITB Berlin. During the fair all of Egypt’s local regions will be presenting their wide range of products and services to trade visitors and the general public in Hall 23a.

Newcomers and returning exhibitors mirror the changing travel market

More exhibitors from the Far East and Southeast Asia will be at ITB Berlin than ever before. Indonesia, a booming tourism region, is making its way onto the market and Vietnam will also be strongly represented. Exhibitor numbers from China and Mongolia have grown significantly too, with nearly two dozen newcomers taking part. This trend is reflected by the fact that Hall 26 is now completely booked up, as is Hall 5.2a, which will mainly feature exhibitors from Southeast Asia and Australia. India (Hall 5.2b) will be occupying additional display areas in Hall 5.2a. New hotels from Rajasthan and Kerala will be exhibiting their products and services. The number of individual exhibitors from Bhutan has risen considerably too. Exhibitor numbers from Central Asia (Hall 7.2b) are also very high, due to the return of Bangladesh, absent from ITB Berlin since 2007, and to a rise in individual exhibitors from Uzbekistan.

Halls 20 and 21, where Africa is exhibiting, will also witness newcomers and the return of several countries. For example, the Republic of Côte d´Ivoire is back at ITB Berlin, as is Chad, which will be exhibiting in Hall 21, the first time since 1999. The Democratic Republic of Congo is also back at ITB Berlin. Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Libya will all be occupying larger stands. Réunion’s is expanding by 50 per cent.

Hall 25 will see numerous new arrivals. After several years’ absence Deutsche Lufthansa will be back at the show. Among those exhibiting for first time will be cruise tour operators such as Passat Kreuzfahrten, TUI-Flussgenuss, Hapag-Loyd and Plantours. Software providers will be debuting in this section, including Tripadvisor, Unister, Mystifly, Air Fast Tickets, Expedia, Travel Guru (India), Booking Markets and z-direct.

The USA will be occupying a larger stand in Hall 2.1, as will several countries from Central America: Panama, Nicaragua and Honduras (Hall 3.1). Short-haul destinations are becoming more popular, with growth in the European halls reflecting a significant tourism trend. Among other newcomers are exhibitors representing Portugal, Greece, Italy, Spain and the Turkish Riviera.

The wellness boom continues. Hall 16 is fully booked up and on the open days for the general public a big programme of stage events hosted by Beauty 24 will be taking place here. Tour operators More Travel from Latvia and Chic Outlet Shopping, who are also newcomers to the show, will be displaying their products in Hall 18. Under the Holland Classics brand name, Keukenhof, Floriade World Expo Holland 2012 and numerous other partners will be exhibiting Dutch specialities on its stand.

The Gay & Lesbian Travel section no longer represents a niche market, a trend mirrored by the growth in products on display in Hall 2.1. For the first time Brazil will be hosting its own stand and exhibitors from Greece, Mexico and Portugal will also be debuting at the show. Inside the trade visitor area the Pink Pavilion boasts its own genuine Viennese coffee house. For the first time in its history Dertour has released a gay and lesbian travel catalogue, a reflection of the expanding market. Adventure travel and socially responsible tourism are also growth markets. Together with many newcomers from South America, as well as Geoparcs and organisations such as the Rainforest Alliance, Atmosfair, Myclimate, Ecpat, Tourism Watch, TourCert and the International Eco Tourism Society, Greenland will be promoting itself as a new destination in Hall 4.1. One of the high points at ITB Berlin 2012 will be the celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of RUF Jugendreisen.

Travel technology plays an increasingly important role

The number of exhibitors back at the show representing mobile travel and social media mirrors the continuing success of the eTravel World platform in Hall 7.1c. This section has been booked up since December, an indication of the market’s growing significance and the dynamic developments taking place here. Companies representing social review management services such as Reevoo and Review Pro will be setting new trends. Thursday and Friday will mark the high points of the programme of stage events. On Thursday and Friday international panel discussions debating travel blogs will be taking place at ITB Berlin. This is the first time simultaneous interpreting into English and German will be available at these events. On the Saturday of the show in Hall 7.1c an app marathon will be taking place that offers the general public an overview of the world of travel apps. ITB Berlin supports the Travel App Guide (published by mvolution, Alabasta Verlag) which will be re-released to coincide with ITB Berlin 2012.

Trade visitors will be able to obtain in-depth knowledge about social media not only at the eTravel World but also at the PhoCusWright@ITB Travel Technology Convention on Wednesday, 7 March and at the Marketing and Distribution Day on Friday, 9 March at the ITB Berlin Convention.

The details, products and services of all the exhibitors at the ITB Berlin can be found at the Virtual Market Place at www.virtualmarket.itb-berlin.com. The Virtual Market Place also functions as an online catalogue. Information is updated on a regular basis.

Brussels, 30 January 2012. The European Travel Commission (ETC) has just published its fourth quarterly report on European Tourism in 2011 - Trends & Prospects.

The following gives a brief overview of the report for the fourth quarter of 2011.

The full report can be downloaded from ETC’s corporate website by clicking here.

• · Travel to European destinations in 2011 has exceeded the prior peak set in 2008
• · Impressively, 22 of 23 reporting countries show international visitor growth in 2011, ranging from 3% in the UK to more than 20% in Latvia and Lithuania. And 24 of 26 countries show gains in hotel occupancy in 2011
• · Total international visits are estimated to have surged 6% last year, while hotel occupancy rates rose 3.2%, indicating that domestic demand lagged behind international demand.
• · While the travel recovery has been quite robust, signs of eroding gains began to appear, as expected, in the second half of 2011.
• · Data on visitation and nights from TourMIS (http://www.tourmis.info/index_e.html) as well as hotel and airline industry data provide a consistent picture of the pullback on growth in recent months.
• · Three forces converged to bring about this late-year trend: reversion to the mean from the ash cloud rebound in the first half of the year; the second half of 2010 was relatively stronger than the first half so comparisons in 2011 were to a higher base; and the Eurozone debt crisis began to affect both consumer and business behaviour.
• · The financial crisis in the Eurozone has continued to worsen in recent months. Problems in sovereign debt markets have spread from Greece, Ireland and Portugal to Spain and Italy – posing a much more severe threat of global financial contagion.
• · If the Eurozone authorities fail to arrest the alarming slide in financial and business confidence, the consequences would be severe. In the event of a Eurozone break-up, GDP could initially fall by around 10% in the exiting countries and the attendant financial disruption would plunge much of the world, including the United States, back into recession.

The full report can be downloaded from ETC’s corporate website under the following link: http://www.etc-corporate.org/market-intelligence/reports-and-studies.html

Leading association management company, MCI, has entered into a new collaboration with the IMEX Group, organisers of worldwide exhibitions for the meetings, events and incentive travel industry, and MPI (Meeting Professionals International) to support the Future Leaders Forum (FLF). The global FLF programme is an initiative designed to encourage the best and brightest students to enter the meetings and incentive travel industry by offering education days, networking opportunities and internships.

To mark MCI’s involvement, the initiative has been renamed the IMEX-MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum and will also be promoted with new branding.

The Future Leaders Forum consists of a series of special events hosted around the globe. In 2012 locations include Honduras, Korea, China, Australia, Poland and Thailand. Around 900 students participated in the programme in 2011 and around 5,100 students have now gone through an FLF since its launch in 2003. 90% of them have stated they are “more likely to enter the industry as a result of attending the Future Leaders Forum”.

Carina Bauer, CEO, IMEX Group commented: “The Future Leaders Forum is our investment in the future of up-and-coming meeting and event organisers. The support from MCI, in addition to MPI, will significantly strengthen our goal to support the development of talent within the industry. Through enhancing students’ understanding of the market we are able to equip them with valuable knowledge to guide them through their career choice and help them to flourish.”

Patrick Delaney, Vice President Industry Relations, MCI said: “We look forward to working closely with both IMEX and MPI to continue developing events that offer engaging, relevant and valuable content. Our goal is to ensure that young people come away from the event with the knowledge and experience to differentiate them from the crowd, something particularly valuable in an increasingly competitive jobs market. The initiative offers the mentoring and educational opportunities that will help to secure the future of the industry by producing a new generation of motivated leaders.”

The next IMEX-MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum will take place at the MPI European Meetings & Events Conference in Budapest, Hungary, January 29 – 31. Students will interact with a former Future Leader Forum participant, and MPI Poland Club President Krzysztof Celuch, CMM, CITE, during the MPI & Global Emerging Leaders part of the programme. Additionally, FLF students will be able to contribute their insight into a unique focus group for a current MPI research initiative into the Future of Meetings. Their unique perspective should provide stimulating discussion points.

IMEX has also recently launched an essay competition which invites students all over the world to contribute a piece of work as part of a new research study that commemorates the 10th anniversary of IMEX in Frankfurt. Among other things, the prize includes flights, accommodation and attendance at the Frankfurt Future Leaders Forum in May.

The multiple international awarded Event Škoda World Dealer Conference was able to convince the jury of event award “Gala”. It was awarded in the category MOST OUTSTANDING SPECTACLE.

5,000 dealers from more than 100 countries experienced “The New Power of Škoda” at the two-day World Dealer Conference 2011 in Prague. The challenge was enormous! The aim was to present the new strategy, the new logo, a new CI, a new showroom design and seven prototypes in the new Škoda design to all dealers at the same time. And all of this before it was announced to the general public worldwide.

For the “Big Bang” concept, one of Europe’s largest arenas – the O2 Arena in Prague – was not big enough. A new concept was necessary!

The planners took the keywords from the briefing, “surprising and fresh”, seriously and designed a horizontal separation of the entire 2,500-sqm arena at a height of five metres.

The opening up of the “floor” virtually by pressing a button became a powerful symbol of the brand’s new beginning and a commitment act at the same time, because the opening of the floor was triggered symbolically by a “Power Button” that filled with energy generated by the statements of the management and the corresponding “keys” as well as by the powerful, acoustic interaction of all 5,000 dealers.
The presentation of the new showroom design was likewise impressive and authentic. An extra showroom for the actual “showroom” was built, where all 5,000 invitees, divided into groups, could walk inside to experience the brand’s new look.

The Gala Award was conferred during the major ceremony of the Special Events Show in Tampa, Florida.VOK DAMS, one of the international leading agencies for events and live-marketing, was awarded this year already for the fourth time in a row with this prestigious award – the second time for a ŠKODA Event.

31 January 2012: Over 80 international paratuberculosis experts will visit a leading regional New South Wales research facility and learn about the State’s agriculture industry next month on technical tours that are a part of the 11th International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis.

Paratuberculosis is a chronic bacterial disease that is particularly relevant to the Australian agriculture industry, due to the high susceptibility of livestock (principally cattle and sheep). To highlight the strength of regional NSW’s research talent, facilities and industry practice, a group will travel to the NSW Centre for Animal and Plant Biosecurity at Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute (EMAI) in Menangle, while another group visits a large, modern, commercial sheep and beef grazing property in the Southern Highlands.

“The technical tours to Menangle and Arthursleigh represent a valuable opportunity for the leading researchers, livestock industry representatives, veterinarians and public health authorities in Sydney attending the 11th International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis to see the Australian rural experience firsthand,” comments Lyn Lewis-Smith, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Business Events Sydney, the convention bureau responsible for securing the event for New South Wales, along with University of Sydney’s Faculty of Veterinary Science.

“Our local committee identified the need to complement Sydney’s robust scientific program with some on-the-ground experiences for visiting delegates. As most of the committee are from rural areas, we understand that it is places like EMAI and operating farms that will benefit most from the discussions, discoveries and innovations that emerge from the Colloquium,” adds Professor Richard Whittington, Chair Farm Animal Health at the University of Sydney .

The tour to the NSW Centre for Animal and plant Biosecurity at EMAI has proved to be the most popular, with delegates keen to visit the central laboratory for animal disease diagnosis in NSW, Belgenny Farm and a tour of a modern robotic “future dairy” farm. The second tour to the commercial grazing property has a focus on animal husbandry and paratuberculosis disease control in a local context.

To give delegates an authentic regional NSW experience, both tours include a typical Aussie BBQ lunch with produce sourced from local properties. The Arthursleigh Technical Tour also takes in a heritage-listed wool shed, whip cracking, sheep shearing and a wine tour.

“Business Events Sydney is observing a growing number of international conventions and conferences, particularly those with a scientific or medical focus, incorporating regional tours into their programs. Regional NSW boasts some of the State’s leading specialist facilities, brightest minds and best practice, and showcasing this not only enriches conference programs, but boosts our State’s profile as the Asia-Pacific innovation hub,” says Lyn Lewis-Smith.

The 11th International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis was secured for Sydney by Business Events Sydney and the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Veterinary Science in 2008 and will see over 260 experts in the international paratuberculosis field gather in Sydney and regional NSW from 5 – 10 February 2012. The event has been organised by professional conference organiser, Concept Event Management.