The second edition of the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) confirmed its standing as the world’s largest travel catering event by attracting more than 1000 high calibre visitors as well as over 200 exhibiting companies, of which more than 50 made their first appearance at the Hamburg Messe from 9-11 April 2013.

Organised by Reed Exhibitions, WTCE 2013 covered over 5,000 sq m with leading suppliers and caterers including LSG Sky Chefs, gategroup, Servair, DHL Airline Business Solutions, Heineken and Monty’s Bakehouse returning to WTCE to showcase the very latest products in travel catering and onboard services.

With its emphasis on enhancing the overall travel experience from economy to first-class, WTCE confirmed its growing international stature by welcoming a number of new exhibiting companies from around the world, which presented an array of products and services ranging from airline catering through to high-end bedding for passengers.

read more @ http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/world-travel-catering-onboard-services-expo-exceeds-expectations/

A tourism queen was crowned in Sri Lanka.
Tourists in Negombo, a resort north of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo have participated in a traditional New Year festival getting a taste of seasonal games and rituals, the tourism promotion office said.

The event held in Negombo beach showcased Sri Lankan cultural practices and rituals found in the ‘Avurudu’ or traditional Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations.

Yevegenia Kotenko from Russia was selected ‘Avudu Kumari’ or New Year Princess and Shota Kiladze from Russia the New Year Prince.

Visitors also got a chance to take part in bicycles races, pillow fighting, tug of war, bursting of balloons, climbing the grease pole and marking the ‘eye of the elephant’ while blindfolded.

“All the foreign visitors to the event were warmly welcomed according to the Sinhalese rituals and they were entertained with cultural performances and the beat of the ‘Rabana’,” the Tourist Promotion Bureau said.

source: EturboNews

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation today said global tourist traffic is likely to grow by 3.5 to 4 per cent during 2013 over last year’s 1.035 billion.

“If the last year saw global tourist traffic going past the historic billion mark to close at about 1,035 million, registering a growth of about 4 per cent over the previous year, we expect to see similar growth in 2013,” Taleb Rafai, Secretary-General, UNWTO, said.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day UN Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development being hosted in Hyderabad, Rafai said Asia registered remarkable growth of 7 per cent last year accounting for about 233 million tourists or approximately one-fourth of the global traffic.

“Asia is likely to contribute to the growth by seeing a 5-6 per cent increase in tourist travel during 2013. The Asia-Pacific is a world in its own and an expensive region to travel. However, it is this area that is likely to see increase in traffic,” he said.

The speed of growth of tourist travel is remarkable. From barely 25 million global travellers about 62 years ago, it crossed the one-billion-mark last year. This is in addition to about 5.5 billion travellers within countries.

Therefore, it is necessary to ensure tourism growth comes through in a sustainable manner. The UN is working on establishing Sustainable Tourism Observatories and Sustainable Tourism for Elimination of Poverty projects.

These initiatives form part of the Millennium Development Goals for 2015.

Martin Craig, Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Asia Travel Association, said the aviation industry serves about 3 billion passengers now but has to grow rapidly to cater to significantly higher numbers by developing the necessary infrastructure in a sustainable manner.

source: The Hindu

Air New Zealand has taken top honours at the 2013 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, recognising sustainable tourism global best practice.

The airline was named the winner in the Global Tourism Business category at the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) annual Global Summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The Global Summit is a highlight on the international tourism calendar and was attended this year by former US President and founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation, Bill Clinton, who was the summit’s keynote speaker.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon says the award recognises the airline’s commitment to maintaining and protecting the country’s clean, green image.

“We take our responsibility to promote sustainability very seriously and continue to shrink our carbon footprint as we work towards our goal of becoming the world’s most environmentally sustainable airline. In fact we’ve reduced our carbon emissions by 15% (142,000 tonnes) over a five year period,” says Mr Luxon.

“Alongside this we’ve invested in enhancing some of New Zealand’s most iconic natural assets through our partnership with the Department of Conservation to support biodiversity projects on the Great Walks network. We have also invested in Antarctica New Zealand and the New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute to support important scientific research being conducted on the ice.”

The airline also provides financial support to environmental projects around the country through the Air New Zealand Environment Trust and boasts a 3,000 strong internal Green Team which promotes environmental sustainability both at work and in the home.

Applications for the prestigious global awards were received from 46 countries, across all seven continents. Air New Zealand was up against Abercrombie and Kent in the United States and India’s ITC Hotels as finalists in the Global Tourism Business category.

Finalists were assessed by a group of 20 international judges and sustainable tourism experts on a range of criteria before undergoing an on-site evaluation to ensure each were delivering on their environmental commitments.

For more information on the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, visit www.wttc.org.

Touted as the ultimate luxury tourist destination, Mauritius has witnessed a boom in tourist arrivals from India in the recent years.

In 2012, as many as 55,197 Indian tourists visited Mauritius, an improvement from the previous year’s figures. Between 2000-2009, Indian arrivals increased year-on-year by 14% and in the 2009-11 period, the country recorded a thumping 19% growth. This, despite recession and slow economic growth in the Indian market.

On Wednesday, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) conducted a roadshow in Bangalore. The board aims to target 1 lakh tourists from India in the coming days. To ensure growth in the near future, MTPA led a large travel business delegation comprising hoteliers, ground-handling agents and service providers from their country in an attempt to familiarise them with the Indian market.

Officials from MTPA said there are a wide variety of activities for travellers to choose from — be it golf, skydiving, dolphin watching, underwater walks or self-drive. The new ‘self drive’ option is gaining a lot of popularity in recent times as it promises excitement and a sense of adventure. Passionate bikers have the option of renting fancy cruise bikes and for those who love driving cars, a drive to discover the island at one’s own pace is also an option.

“Mauritius is also well known for MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) owing to the convention capacity, luxurious accommodation and world-class facilities and infrastructure there,” said Vijaye Haulder, deputy director, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority. Bangalore has been an important market for leisure as well as MICE traffic, he added.

source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com