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FlightsUnite.com announces deal with Wyndham Rio Mar Resort and Spa
7 April 2011, 11:00 pm

        FlightsUnite, LLC, a Babylon, NY based company specializing in uniting travelers throughout the world into groups to increase consumer purchasing power, has announced a contractual partnership with the Wyndham Rio Mar Resort and Spa in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico to offer discounted room rates to the thousands of members who joined the Rio Grande, PR FlightsUnite group.

"FlightsUnite is very proud to be offering this amazing vacation package to those travelers who united at FlightsUnite.com," Michael Reilly, President and founder of FlightsUnite, said. "The Wyndham Rio Mar Resort and Spa is a world class vacation destination in a perfect location. The members who joined this FlightsUnite destination group are sure to love the time they spend at the Rio Mar, as well as the money they will save by purchasing as a group. This package is the first of many Wyndham Resorts which FlightsUnite hopes to offer to its members."

Thousands of travelers are currently uniting into groups on FlightsUnite.com to increase purchasing power and save on travel. FlightsUnite groups to New York City, Disney World, Cancun, Las Vegas, and London all currently have over 1,500 members and all are growing fast. Great group deals for hotels, restaurants, attractions, and more will be available to these destinations very shortly. As group sizes increase, negotiation power increases along with it.

"What resort or hotel wouldn't want to sell to thousands of customers at one time? Of course the price will be lower for thousands instead of one or two," explains Reilly. "The internet allows people from all over the world to communicate and FlightsUnite is using this ability to the consumer's advantage. Having consumers unite toward a common purchase is an obvious evolution that FlightsUnite is channeling. We give the traveler a chance to unite with other travelers; then we get them a group deal. It's that easy."        

Source: Travel Daily News Feed

Starwood to debut W Hotels in India and accelerate groth of select service brands
7 April 2011, 11:00 pm

        From the Hotel Investment Conference - South Asia (HICSA), Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced it will lengthen its lead with more four and five star hotels in India than any other hotel company with the opening of seven additional hotels in 2011 resulting in a total portfolio of 37 hotels in India by year's end. Key openings in 2011 include Le Meridien Coimbatore and Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway, adjacent to the World Trade Center.Starwood also announced the signing of the first W in India - W Mumbai. With the introduction of W Hotels, seven of Starwood's nine brands will fly their flags in India including W, The Luxury Collection, Le Meridien, Westin, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft.

"Already our fourth largest market, India is second only to China in terms of our future global growth," said Frits van Paasschen, President    and Chief Executive Officer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. "Given India's growing wealth, infrastructure demands and accelerating stature as a global business hub, our opportunity here is vast. India today is still an 'under-hoteled' market and the demand for high-caliber lodging is expected to far exceed current supply for the next three to four years."

Starwood to Open 50th Hotel in 2012

Starwood's legacy in India dates back to 1973 when its Sheraton brand debuted in Mumbai. The company has since grown its portfolio to 30 hotels. Looking ahead, Starwood is on track to operate 50 hotels in India by the end of 2012, doubling its presence in the region in just    two years. By 2015, Starwood expects to have 100 hotels open or in development.

"Indian consumers continue to enjoy double digit growth in per capita income and have a higher propensity to spend on travel and recreation," said Vasant Prabhu, Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer for Starwood. "As domestic travel increases and Indian travelers continue to demand more sophistication in terms of both quality and experience, we have significant opportunity to grow our brands across the spectrum - whether that's debuting our ultra luxury St. Regis brand or expanding our mid market footprint in underserved markets with Aloft and Four Points by Sheraton."

India Key Growth Market for SPG - Membership TriplesStarwood's distinct and compelling brands are creating new loyal guests    in India. Membership in Starwood Preferred Guest, the company's award-winning loyalty program has tripled in India over the past three    years. Today, SPG members represent 40% of hotel guests at Starwood's hotels in India.        

Source: Travel Daily News Feed

IHG and Duet India Hotels Group to develop 19 Holiday Inn Express hotels
7 April 2011, 11:00 pm

        IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has signed a joint venture partnership with Duet India Hotels Group (DIHL), the hotel investment arm of global asset manager Duet Group, to develop 19 new Holiday Inn Express hotels across India.

IHG will invest through a 24% equity stake, making a multi-year investment of US$30 million into the partnership. This investment will go into a fund to support the building of the 19 hotels over the next five years. These 19 Holiday Inn Express hotels will add approximately 3,300 rooms to IHG’s current India development pipeline of over 10,000 rooms (46 hotels) and are expected to be operational by 2016.

Richard Solomons, IHG’s Chief Financial Officer and Head of Commercial Development, said, “This deal is a great example of our strategy in action. By investing a small amount of our own capital we have established a strategic relationship with a fantastic partner who knows the market, securing a future fee stream and opening up a huge opportunity for us to develop the Holiday Inn Express brand across India. With strong economic growth and an expanding middle class in India, we forecast strong future demand for mid-market and select service hotels, cementing Holiday Inn Express’ position as one of the fastest growing brands in the hotel industry.”



Upcoming Holiday Inn Express hotels will be primarily located in India’s major metros and key secondary cities, which are well positioned to drive growth and continued investment opportunities including New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

“This venture marks a significant milestone for IHG. With these 19 new signings, we continue to add momentum to our current India development pipeline. IHG is strongly positioned to build a significant India footprint with a growing presence in India’s key business and leisure hubs. Overall, we are on track to have a 150-hotel presence by 2020. The Holiday Inn Express brand will address the need for internationally branded and high-quality hotels for domestic travellers,” said Jan Smits, Chief Executive Officer of IHG Asia Australasia.

“Across the region, over the course of 2010 we signed new Holiday Inn Express deals in key locations including India, Singapore and Thailand. The growing presence of Holiday Inn Express in this region strengthens the brand's portfolio and introduces the brand to new guests.”

Holiday Inn Express is one of the fastest growing hotel brands in the industry, opening on average two hotels a week globally.  There are now 2,075 Holiday Inn Express hotels open and 494 hotels under development around the world. In India, over 75 percent of IHG’s India pipeline is with the Holiday Inn family of brands.

Henry Gabay, Co-founder and Chairman, Duet Group, said, “We are extremely excited to partner with IHG and bring the fast-growing Holiday Inn Express brand to India. Mid-market hotels are the core focus of our hotel business in India and this deal will support the expansion of our growing hospitality development portfolio to its targeted 5,000-6000 rooms from 1,250 rooms today. IHG’s 48-year track record in and continued commitment to India as well as Holiday Inn Express’ strong brand presence and proven product globally make it an ideal partner for a fully integrated hotel development company like DIHL.”

“The mid-market hotel space in India offers a compelling investment proposition given favourable demand-supply dynamics and an attractive build cost to operating returns equation. The strategic partnership with IHG provides DIHL with a strong platform to tap the full potential of this opportunity,” said Anuj Gupta, Managing Partner and CEO India, Duet Group.        

Source: Travel Daily News Feed

Congresses bring in over 70 million in tourism income to Finland
7 April 2011, 11:00 pm

        According to a recent congress study by Finland Convention Bureau, which is part of the Finnish Tourist Board, the international congresses organised in Finland in 2010 gathered altogether 61,371 participants. On average, a congress visitor stayed in Finland for 4.9 days, and spent EUR 207 per day while in the country.

In all, the tourism resulting from international congresses reached EUR 72 million. The sum consists of the combined consumption of congress organisers and participants. Thus, the income impact of one congress visitor to Finland was EUR 1,175. Indirectly, the total impact of congresses on the employment in our country was 1,202 man years.

According to the study, most of the participants (90%) regarded the local congress arrangements as good or very good. The safety in Finland and the friendliness of Finns was commended in particular. A clear majority (62%) visited our country for the first time.

Domains with the most congresses organised last year include technology and IT, medicine, and economic. About half of all congresses were in these areas. Medical congresses drew the largest amount of participants by far.

Marketing Finland as a venue for congresses and corporate events, FCB has organised a congress survey every third year since 1986 to clarify the economic influence of congress travel and obtain information about the experiences of the participants. 6510 congress visitors from 16 international congresses took part in the study executed last year. The study was implemented by Taloustutkimus Oy.        

Source: Travel Daily News Feed

Thomson Cruises announces changes to Summer 2012 holiday programme
7 April 2011, 11:00 pm

        For Summer 2012 Thomson Cruises will be reintroducing cruises from the UK on Thomson Spirit. Based in Newcastle from May to July 2012 and Harwich in August and September, customers can now drive to the port, climb aboard and start enjoying their Thomson cruise without leaving the UK. Thomson Spirit will sail 15 different ex-UK itineraries, taking in 39 destinations and providing a great selection of 3-14 night cruises.Not only will Thomson be back cruising from the UK, for the very first time it will be introducing a new British Isles Cruise.  Just one of the 15   exciting ex-UK itineraries, the 11 night cruise gives customers the opportunity to discover the Isles, visiting Guernsey, Dublin, Isle of Man, Isle of Mull, Orkney Islands and Edinburgh.

The other itineraries include a variety of cruises taking in the delights of the Baltic, Icelandic and Norwegian Fjord regions, which are a favourite amongst customers.  There will also be a one-off 'Weekend Affair' cruise to Belgium and Holland that is ideal for new customers wanting to get a taste of a cruising holiday, or for cruise lovers looking for a shorter break.

To mark the launch of ex-UK cruises, Thomson is offering a number of early booking offers. The Thomson Spirit itineraries from the UK will   be available to book from 7 April.

Phil Gardner, commercial general manager for Thomson Cruises said: "As a British Cruise company we are very excited to be back cruising from the UK.  We have widened the portfolio of destinations we offer on our cruises to give customers even more choice.  We have also listened to our customers who have requested the return of our UK programme and responded.

Customers will now be able to experience the great service, value and holiday they get on a Thomson Cruise without even having to step on a plane."        

Source: Travel Daily News Feed

Fifth of engaged couples dream of the ‘perfect’ cruise ship wedding
7 April 2011, 11:00 pm

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Source: Travel Daily News Feed

Boeing delivers 50th airplane to Air Algeriefrom Boeing
7 April 2011, 11:00 pm

        Boeing reached a major milestone with long-time customer Air Algerie this week when it delivered the 50th Boeing jetliner - a Next-Generation 737-800 - to the North African carrier. The 737 was the fourth of seven ordered in 2009. This delivery also marked the 40-year partnership between Boeing and Air Algerie.Since receiving its first Boeing airplane in March 1971, Air Algerie has expanded to include 18 737s and three 767s.

"Boeing airplanes have delivered exceptional value in our growth plan," said Abdelwahid Bouabdellah, president director general and CEO of Air Algerie. "In addition to the long relationship we enjoy, selecting Boeing airplanes was a sound economic decision since it meant fleet standardization and ability to use experienced pilots and engineers already familiar with the airplanes."

"Boeing truly values its long relationship with Air Algerie that has spanned 40 years," said Marty Bentrott, vice president of Sales for Middle East, Russia and Central Asia. "Keeping in mind its customers' needs and a competitive environment, the airline has focused on modernization – from its fleet to its management tools, aircraft maintenance, training, information systems and in-flight services. We look forward to continuing this partnership and playing a role in Air Algerie's expansion plans."

The Next-Generation 737 is based on a key Boeing philosophy of delivering added value to airlines with reliability, simplicity and reduced operating and maintenance costs. Today's operators fly 737s that are 5 percent more fuel-efficient than the first Next-Generation 737s delivered in 1998, and another 2 percent improvement is on the way. Boeing's performance improvement package, now being certified, will boost customers' fuel efficiency a further 2 percent through aerodynamic and engine changes.        

Source: Travel Daily News Feed

Mid East travel industry urged to prioritise sustainability
7 April 2011, 11:00 pm

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Source: Travel Daily News Feed

Movenpick Hotels & Resorts enters the Philippines
7 April 2011, 11:00 pm

        Movenpick Hotels & Resorts is further strengthening its Asian network by undertaking management of the Movenpick Resort & Spa Cebu with immediate effect.The Mediterranean-inspired enclave, set on its own private beach on Mactan Island, offers white sandy beaches and excellent diving and snorkelling, while guests looking for a more energetic stay can head into Cebu, with its vibrant nightlife and extensive shopping, half an hour away.

An impressive range of room categories includes deluxe and executive rooms, as well as one and two-bedroom Executive Spa Suites. Most of the rooms offer direct sea views and the suites are designed in striking Art Deco style, offering balconies with sea views, living room and expansive bathroom with Jacuzzi. The stunning two bedroom Ocean Suite features a separate dining area.

The resort contains three executive floors and an executive lounge, making it perfect for meeting retreats or unwinding executives looking to combine work and leisure.

Guests can choose from five restaurants and bars, with open kitchens designed by Dan Kwan, and keep in shape at the fully equipped health club, professional gym, steam room and garden spa.

Jean Gabriel Peres, President and CEO of Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, said: "We are very excited about our arrival in the Philippines. It is a significant milestone for Movenpick Hotels & Resorts as it marks our 15th signed hotel in Asia."

Manuel Osmena, Group Chairman of property owner Oikonomos International Resources Corporation said: “We are delighted to have joined hands with Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, a highly regarded international hotel management company. We look forward to a successful collaboration and to further position our resort as a preferred leisure destination within the Philippines and Asia.”

Since late 2010 Movenpick Hotels & Resorts has extended its Asian presence beyond Thailand and Vietnam, with recent developments announced in China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and India. In addition, this month's soft opening of the Movenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa in Singapore is further evidence of the expansion of the Movenpick Hotels & Resorts portfolio in Asia.        

Source: Travel Daily News Feed

Continental and LOT Polish Airlines announce codeshare agreement
6 April 2011, 11:00 pm

        Continental Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of United Continental Holdings, Inc., and LOT Polish Airlines, both Star Alliance members, announced they have started codesharing on flights between select destinations in the United States and Europe.Effective April 2, 2011, Continental is placing its "CO" code on LOT's trans-Atlantic flights between Continental's New York hub, Newark Liberty International Airport, and LOT's Warsaw hub, as well as on LOT-operated flights linking Warsaw with London/Heathrow, Frankfurt and Amsterdam that connect with Continental flights between those airports and New York/Newark.

Subject to government approval, Continental will also place its code on LOT-operated flights between Warsaw and Paris/Charles de Gaulle that connect with Continental's New York/Newark-Paris flights.

Additionally, LOT is placing its "LO" code on Continental-operated flights between New York/Newark and Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, San Francisco and Washington/Dulles that connect with LOT's trans-Atlantic flights between Warsaw and New York/Newark.

"We are pleased to partner with LOT and sign this codeshare agreement, which provides Continental customers improved access to Poland," said Jim Compton, executive vice president and chief revenue officer of United Continental Holdings. "It's another significant step in our growing cooperation with fellow Star Alliance members."

"It gives me great pleasure to enter into cooperation with Continental Airlines. For many years now, LOT has been active in the American market which, from the perspective of a Polish air carrier, creates tremendous opportunities for growth. Up until this time, LOT has had direct connections to the North American cities of Chicago, New York, Newark, and Toronto," said Maricn Pirog, chairman of the board of LOT Polish Airlines. "Thanks to the signed agreement with our Star Alliance partner Continental Airlines, it will be possible for LOT passengers to reach other parts of the United States, which will significantly impact the competitiveness of our offer for travellers from both Europe and the United States."        

Source: Travel Daily News Feed