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

Research and Development Forecast of China’s Budget Hotel, 2013-2017 conducts an in-depth analysis on budget hotel industry’s market status quo, market scale, competition situation, and key hotels’ business performance. In addition, it also makes a forecast on the development of budget hotel industry. This report provides reference for investors.

Compared with developed countries, budget hotel industry started late in China. The proportion of budget hotel is less than 30% in China’s hotel industry, but the proportion has exceeded 70% in U.S. The development space of budget hotel in China is broad.

With the participation of other enterprises and the foreign brands, the competition in budget hotel industry is fiercer. Budget hotel industry has entered an era of meager profit.

After the beginning, debut, and continuous expansion, by the first half of 2012, the number of budget hotel in China has reached 8,313; the number of room has reached 837,220, growing 360 times and 257 times respectively compared with 2000.

As Boeing works to regain permission for its 787 Dreamliner to resume flights, the company faces what could be a costly new challenge: a temporary ban on some of the long-distance, trans-ocean journeys that the jet was intended to fly.

Aviation experts and government officials say the Federal Aviation Administration may shorten the permitted flying time of the 787 on certain routes when it approves a revamped battery system. The plane was grounded worldwide two months ago after lithium-ion batteries overheated on two separate aircraft.

Losing extended operations, or ETOPS, would deal a blow to Boeing and its airline customers by limiting use of the fuel-saving jet, designed to lower costs on long-distance routes that don’t require the capacity of the larger Boeing 777. Such a loss could even lead to cancellation of some routes.

“If the FAA approves (only) over-land operations it would be a very damaging blow to the 787 program,” said Scott Hamilton, an aviation analyst with Leeham in Seattle.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/dreamliner-may-face-ban-on-longhaul-flights-20130328-2gw0m.html#ixzz2POXFS3rp

(Reuters) – TUI Travel (TT.L), the world’s biggest tour operator, said it was confident of hitting the top end of profit guidance for 2013 after a strong finish to winter trading and rising summer bookings.

The group, which owns Thomson and First Choice, on Wednesday said in a first half trading update that its winter program had ended strongly with higher sales at better average prices helping to offset a 4 percent fall in total bookings.

The firm added that summer bookings were up 9 percent in its UK and Nordic markets as austerity-hit consumers escape the economic gloom with fixed-price getaways.

It said 46 percent of its mainstream summer program had been sold, with total bookings up 2 percent and its average selling price rising by 5 percent.

“We are confident that our strategy is driving performance and we continue to expect to be towards the top end of our roadmap guidance of 7 to 10 percent underlying operating profit growth for the 2013 financial year,” the group said.

Earlier this month the group’s Thomson Airways unit was forced to switch customers to its Boeing767 aircraft after Boeing (BA.N) had failed to give it a new delivery date for its first 787 Dreamliner jet. It did not give an update on the situation on Wednesday.

Shares in TUI Travel, which have risen 35 percent in six months, closed at 310.4 pence on Tuesday, valuing the business at almost 3.5 billion pounds.

(Reporting by Neil Maidment, Editing by Brenda Goh)

Footwear tourism in Malaysia comprises a large portion of footwear exports that bring about $200 million annually to the country. The fourth annual Malaysian International Shoe Festival, March 28–31, promoted footwear tourism, featured international designers, and fostered the local, traditional industry.

“There’s no way to get a pair of three-inch high heel shoes for $20 in other countries,” President of Malaysian Footwear Manufacturers Association Tony Ting said at the kickoff event on March 28. A three-day trade show followed, with the festival wrapping up on March 31.

To illustrate the potential footwear tourism has for the nation, Ting gave an example of a tourist who waited for a Vincci Shoes shop to open in Kuala Lumpur City Center shopping district. The tourist bought 30 pairs of shoes before boarding a flight home.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism has promoted the festival and the industry as part of developing the country as a luxury destination. Shoe sales account for 17 percent of the money spent by tourists in Malaysia.

Malaysia ranks 19th in the world for shoe exports and is home to 800–1,000 shoe manufacturers.

source: http://www.theepochtimes.com