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PAL marks 70th year
5 April 2011, 11:00 pm

        Philippine Airlines celebrates its 70th year by commemorating its storied past while charting a course for the future. The PAL family will mark the milestone with simple but meaningful activities.  Masses will be held at the airline’s various stations and facilities throughout the country and overseas. PAL also hosted an anniversary reception at the Newport Performing Arts Theater at the Resorts World Manila complex in Pasay City.

It was attended by PAL staff and about 1,500 guests from government, the diplomatic corps, and the aviation, travel and business sectors.

PAL chairman and chief executive officer Dr. Lucio C. Tan led the airline in welcoming the guests.

A host of top-rated entertainment artists – led by Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera, Kuh Ledesma, among others – will help PAL portray the last seven decades in a star-studded program that is both nostalgic and informative. Other surprises await those invited to the program.

As PAL turns 70, the airline has one eye on the legacies of its past and another on the goals of the future. Since its founding 70 years ago, PAL has been inextricably linked with the Filipino nation as the pioneer flag carrier, major air transport utility and partner in nation-building.

PAL was founded by a group of prominent Filipino industrialists on February 26, 1941.  On March 15, 1941, a tiny Beech Model 18 aircraft carrying five passengers took off from Nielson Airport in Makati bound for Baguio –earning for PAL the distinction of being Asia’s first airline.

The flag carrier is bidding to replicate its past success in the more demanding operating and competitive landscape of the future. It faces a slate of tough challenges in this quest.

PAL reported a modest profit of $15.1 million in the third quarter (October to December 2010) of its current 2010-2011 financial year – a period when air travel gingerly recovered from a slump the previous year.

But the succeeding months, from January 2011 to the present, showed just how fragile the recovery was.  The sudden eruption of political unrest in the Middle East sent crude oil prices skyrocketing to nearly $120 per barrel in late February – the highest in two and a half years.

This forced the global airline industry to flag a potential loss for carriers by the end of 2011.  In fact, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has already downgraded its outlook for the year. "Our current forecast is based on an average oil price of $84 per barrel.  Today the price is over $100.  For each dollar it increases, the industry is challenged to recover $1.6 billion in additional costs... 2011 is starting out as a very challenging year for airlines,” said IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani recently.        

Source: Travel Daily News Feed

AACVB takes JMIC membership to thirteen international associations
5 April 2011, 11:00 pm

        Leigh Harry, President of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) announced that AACVB (the Asian Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus) has now joined the Council, taking its membership of major international industry organizations to thirteen.

"The addition of AACVB to our Council further enhances JMIC's ability to fully represent the global meetings industry at a time when there is a greater need than ever for action on key industry issues", said Harry. "In particular, it will help us further raise the profile of the industry on an international basis, and to demonstrate that this sector has a truly global impact. As we have said previously, it is important that we present a strong and united front when the need arises, and that need has never been greater than at the current time".

AACVB was formed in 1983 to create regional cooperation in developing Asia's convention potential and to promote the region as an ideal convention destination. The founding CVB members included Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand, with China and Macau joining in later years. Its mission is to raise the platform, level of sophistication and capabilities of the industry in Asia, to increase Asia's competitiveness and to drive business to its member destinations. Amongst its objectives are to strive for regional cooperation in developing Asia's convention potential, to stimulate intra-regional conventions, to encourage the formation of national, state/province or city convention organizations to enhance members' convention-hosting capabilities and to be instrumental in professionalizing the convention industry by developing and promoting sound professional practices and training programs.

JMIC supports industry networking, awards and advocacy programs, and is currently expanding its activities in the areas of information exchange, industry messaging and the development of a collective voice to advance key issues and values. Its programs are supported by partners IMEX and Reed Travel Exhibitions, who are working actively with the Council to help it achieve its goals.

In addition to AACVB, other JMIC members now include

- AIPC (the International Association of Congress Centres);

- COCAL (the Latin American Confederation of PCO and Related Companies);

- DMAI (Destination Marketing Association International);

- ECM (European Cities Marketing);

- EFAPCO (the European Federation of Associations of Professional Congress Organizers);

- EVVC (the European Association of Event Centres);

- IAPCO (the International Association of Professional Congress Organizers);

- ICCA (the International Congress and Convention Association);

- MPI (Meeting Professionals International);

- PCMA (the Professional Convention Association Management Association);

- SITE (the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives) and

- UFI (the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry).

It is also supported by the CIC (Convention Industry Council).        

Source: Travel Daily News Feed

Cultuzz and RateTiger simplify eBay hotel bookings
5 April 2011, 11:00 pm

Cultuzz Digital Media GmbH, specialist in online distribution and the world’s largest service provider for eBay hotel bookings, has partnered with RateTiger to offer hoteliers an easier update(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=I9og5sOYxJI) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=qj6IDK7rITs)(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TraveldailynewsLatestNews/~4/GO6OWr1Npyo)

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Hawaii expecting double digit decline in Japan arrivals
5 April 2011, 11:00 pm

As Japan continues to literally dig out from under the effects of the massive March 11 earthquake and subsequent tsunami, Hawaii is closely monitoring the impact this is having on its visitor(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=I9og5sOYxJI) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=qj6IDK7rITs)(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TraveldailynewsLatestNews/~4/NU_Ce7fM3zU)

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Donors’ conference to mobilize resources for sustainable tourism development in West African parks
5 April 2011, 11:00 pm

A UNWTO international donors’ conference is looking to mobilize funds to support sustainable tourism development in cross-border parks and protected areas spanning ten countries in West(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=I9og5sOYxJI) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=qj6IDK7rITs)(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TraveldailynewsLatestNews/~4/PL8W1-JtlzY)

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FCCI to play a key role in IMEX Politician's Forum
5 April 2011, 11:00 pm

The Future Convention Cities Initiative (FCCI) announced that it is to play a key role in the IMEX Politician's Forum in Frankfurt and reported the successful completion of its First Action Forum in(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=I9og5sOYxJI) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=qj6IDK7rITs)(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TraveldailynewsLatestNews/~4/UfqItmTNo3I)

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K Hotels announces the expansion of their New Orleans hotel collection
5 April 2011, 11:00 pm

K Hotels is excited to announce the expansion of its southern family with the collaboration with New Orleans Hotel Collection - Dauphine Orleans Hotel, The Bourbon Orleans Hotel, Hotel Le(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=I9og5sOYxJI) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=qj6IDK7rITs)(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TraveldailynewsLatestNews/~4/u23SUjfSJcE)

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Accor arrives on Fraser Island
4 April 2011, 11:00 pm

Fraser Island's iconic Kingfisher Bay Resort is set to join leading hotel management group, Accor. From the 15th of April, the hotel component of the popular Queensland resort will be known as the Mercure Kingfisher Bay Resort Fraser Island...(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=I9og5sOYxJI) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=qj6IDK7rITs)(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TraveldailynewsLatestNews/~4/BheQiq238Kg)

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Jumeirah opens its first hotel in Pudong, China
4 April 2011, 11:00 pm

Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, has announced the soft opening of its first five-star luxury hotel in China at the Himalayas Centre in Pudong, Shanghai....(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=I9og5sOYxJI) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=qj6IDK7rITs)(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TraveldailynewsLatestNews/~4/b02MKng6hgI)

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Boeing and Turkish Airlines confirm order for 15 next-generation 737s
4 April 2011, 11:00 pm

Boeing and Turkish Airlines (THY) have announced the Istanbul-based carrier has exercised options for 15 Next-Generation 737s. The order, comprised of 10 737-800s and 5 737-900ERs, has an average list-price value of more than $1.2 billion...(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=I9og5sOYxJI) (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TraveldailynewsLatestNews?d=qj6IDK7rITs)(http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TraveldailynewsLatestNews/~4/rF7Fp9dYEig)

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