Eliana Willis

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    IAPCO’s 54th Annual Meeting in Ljubljana: Fostering Innovation and Sustainability

    From February 28th to March 2nd, 2024, the 54th annual meeting and general assembly of the International Association of Professional Congress Organizers (IAPCO) is taking place in Ljubljana. Around 160 directors and owners of congress agencies from around the world are attending. The local organizer of the event is Cankarjev dom, which has been a member of the IAPCO association since 1980, with the support of Ljubljana Tourism, the Slovenian Tourist Board, and other partners.
    IAPCO is a non-profit association and the only international accreditation organization for professional congress organizers. The association’s mission is to raise service standards among its members and other stakeholders in the meetings industry through continuous education, collaboration with various experts, research, and data measurement. IAPCO brings together 138 accredited congress organizing companies in 40 countries. Membership, which is attainable through high-level services, is maintained through annual reviews and evaluations by the IAPCO Quality Committee.
    IAPCO unites the largest global players in the meetings industry. According to data (published by IAPCO on March 30, 2023), in 2023, IAPCO members collectively organized 7,722 events and plan to host an additional 7,729 events over the next three years (until 2026). Among these, 1,943 events have yet to select a destination, and organizers are still seeking venues for 3,542 events. Therefore, the assembly and annual meetings are of significant importance to the local economy and tourism, which hope to attract foreign professional congress organizers to return to the destination with international events.
    The meetings industry is one of the main products of Slovenian tourism, known for its high added value and numerous multiplier effects. The total spending by congress guests is at least 3.5 times that of conventional tourists. It contributes to the dispersion of tourist flows, destimulation, and sustainable development of Slovenian tourism.
    The theme of this year’s event is “Be the Flow”, which calls for action and inspires innovation in the rapidly changing meetings industry towards sustainability. IAPCO Ljubljana 2024 focuses on reducing the environmental impact of meetings and promoting sustainability. The goal of the IAPCO association is for meetings to become more environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and aligned with the goals of sustainable development. At IAPCO 2024 in Ljubljana, the carbon footprint of the event will be measured for the first time, marking a milestone and opportunity for all future IAPCO meetings.ADVERTISEMENTThe IAPCO conference represents a strategic starting point for Slovenia, Ljubljana, and Cankarjev dom, a long-standing member of the IAPCO association, to further successfully attract international scientific and professional meetings in the future.

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    Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines Extend Joint Venture Alliance Until 2029

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    Qatar Airways Unveils AI-Driven Travel Experience at Web Summit Qatar More

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    MATAR Wins Best Use of Big Data Award at Qatar Digital Business Awards 2023

    MATAR, the Qatar Company for Airports Operation and Management, won the Best Innovative Use of Big Data and Analytics award, for Hamad International Airport (DOH) at the Qatar Digital Business Awards 2023, organised by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). The Qatar Digital Business Awards is a platform that honours digital transformation initiatives and innovative solutions that will boost the national economy.
    Hamad International Airport’s award was attributed to the airport’s implementation of data analytics to support employee development.
    Commenting on this achievement, Suhail Kadri, Senior Vice President of Technology and Innovation at MATAR, said: “This achievement underpins our commitment to adopting innovative solutions, propelled by data and analytics. By leveraging data-driven insights we can focus on improving various functions at the airport that will respond to an evolving industry, creating an ecosystem that supports our people, stakeholders and communities we serve.”
    The demand for large scale innovative transformation in order to enhance operations and passenger’s experience throughout their airport journey is at all-time high and there is an emphasis to grow the skillsets within the workforce. Hamad International Airport utilised graph theory and network analytics for competency proficiency to build bridges across different functions of the organization and to empower employees in realising their career aspirations and personal growth.
    Some of the key features introduced included role and competency representation, competency proficiency metrics, and a user-friendly tool for staff assessment and career exploration. The next phase of the employee transformation project is collaborating with external partners to implement metacognitive adaptive learning methods aimed at further enhancing employees’ proficiencies and skills.ADVERTISEMENTMATAR’s success serves as a testament to Hamad International Airport’s commitment to being an industry leader, setting the benchmark for the aviation industry and expanding beyond traditional solutions to deliver an exceptionally memorable passenger experience for all travellers.

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    New Destination NSW Corporate Website Turbocharges Visitor Economy Growth

    Destination NSW has launched a new corporate website that provides a dynamic digital hub for visitor economy stakeholders seeking the latest research, information, tools and resources to support their growth.The state-of-the-art platform caters to the needs of its diverse community of users with data and insights on visitors and markets; training, resources and other business support via the NSW First Program; a newsroom featuring media releases and updates; information on major event investment, industry, and business events; and the latest marketing campaigns and partner toolkits.
    Destination NSW is the lead agency, champion and voice for the visitor economy within the NSW Government. It spearheads a whole-of-government approach to visitor economy growth, working with various organisations to promote NSW as a destination, to secure and deliver major events, invest in visitor economy infrastructure and support the diverse ecosystem of visitor economy businesses that operate state-wide.
    Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox said: “The NSW Government’s Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 envisions our state as the leading visitor economy in the Asia-Pacific, targeting $65 billion in visitor expenditure by 2030.
    “To achieve this goal, digital innovation is paramount and Destination NSW has a steadfast commitment to leveraging technology for seamless government and industry interactions, ensuring quicker and easier access to news, statistics and insights linked to the visitor economy.
    “The new corporate website, designed to provide an engaging user experience, improved search functionalities and mobile responsiveness, positions Destination NSW to be adaptable and forward-thinking during the momentum phase of the Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 and in turn ensure NSW achieves its targets and goals for visit expenditure.”ADVERTISEMENTKey features of the new Destination NSW corporate website include:
    Modern and intuitive UX and designA highly responsive search functionality powered by Algolia, making it easy to surface reports, articles and related contentWCAG 2.1 Level AA complianceIndustry leading data security through secure, cloud-based systems Sanity and VercelSubscription function to Destination NSW’s weekly visitor economy newsletter, Insights.Sydney design and technology agency Nightjar, which has collaborated on visitor economy projects for Vivid Sydney, Australian Tourism Data Warehouse, Rydges, Atura and QT Hotels, developed the website for Destination NSW.
    Visit www.destinationnsw.com.au to explore the website, discover its resources and receive updates on the latest visitor economy news and initiatives.

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    Is There a New Breed of Holidaymaker More Inclined to ‘Fly and Flourish’ Than ‘Fly and Flop?’

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    Is There a New Breed of Holidaymaker More Inclined to ‘Fly and Flourish’ Than ‘Fly and Flop?’

    Whilst many of us just want a ‘fly and flop’ holiday, research suggests the emergence of a new kind of traveller who wants to ‘fly and flourish’, using holiday time for cultural discovery and to become their ‘best selves’.New research conducted by global hotel brand TUI BLUE* reveals nearly half of us (45%) don’t go on holiday just to relax and unwind, but to become the best versions of ourselves.
    Trying new foods is a popular way to challenge ourselves (49%), whilst 38% of us choose to start reading a new novel. 27% of us want to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone and a third of us decide to go to the gym to get in our best shape before we head overseas.
    The research also identified 5 types of holidaymaker – and whilst relaxers came out as the most common (35%), 1 in 5 (17%) identified as ‘historians’ wanting to see as many historical sites as possible and learn about new cultures. Another 16% would label themselves as optimists, confident everything will go to plan as they step away from their routine. Meanwhile, some of us embrace spontaneity, happy to go with the flow (12%) and 14% of us want structure and create itineraries for their holidays.
    Louise Bates, MD of TUI BLUE, isn’t surprised by the research findings commenting: “Our guests have ample opportunity to get away from daily routines and totally unwind.  And whilst some do choose to do absolutely nothing but laze in beautiful surroundings, many more choose to create personal itineraries to suit the type of holiday maker they are. More than 100,000 people signed up a BLUEf!t class last year, with Aqua Fit by far and away the most popular session. We’ve seen an uplift in interest in the cultural experiences we offer, like cooking and language classes, and whilst parents do take full advantage of our kids clubs, with more than 170,000 children attending last year, there’s also been an uplift in family wellness activities, like mindfulness classes.”
    To test the benefits of a ‘fly and flourish’ holiday, TUI BLUE ambassador, TV presenter Davina McCall embraced island life in The Maldives creating personal itineraries for some fellow guests.  She sent one couple snorkelling to discover the spectacular marine life of the Indian Ocean, joined a pair of sisters to learn how to prepare Maldivian delicacies in a cooking class and teamed up with an adult family for an exercise session over the Indian Ocean. ADVERTISEMENTOn her experience as holiday curator, said: “When I go on holiday, I love trying something new and challenging, as well as taking time to unwind. So, I was really pleased to go behind the scenes and make holiday dreams come true. Seeing the joy my mates got from the activities we recommended was even better than going along with them to sample some incredible experiences. And that’s saying something as I got to swim with turtles in the warm clear Indian Ocean, see dolphins up close, create and sample some sensational food and work out on a fitness platform suspended overwater.”
    However, when we go home, over half of us (56%) admit to slipping back into more boring, sedentary routines and that our “best holidays selves” quickly disappear.  And although we start really unwinding less than 48 hours into our holidays, it takes just 3.7 days after our return for our positive holiday feelings start to fade away**.
    Davina recommends a few easy ways to bring maintain your best self when you get back from holiday: “Holidays are so special because we get to unwind, relax, sometimes learn something new like a new dish and sometimes try a new type of exercise or just remember to take time out for yourself and really unwind. Sadly, somehow within five minutes of getting home we’ve forgotten all those feelings and on the second day I’m home I’m usually saying I could go on another holiday again! So I got to thinking how can I bring my holiday into my daily life? I tried to re-create the meal I learnt to make in my cooking class, and for me I think the most important thing that I try to remember is at least once a day, create a moment of peace for me. Because it feels like such a luxury, when I’m away because I don’t do it enough at home. But, the best thing to do, I think, is to just get booking the next holiday so you’ve got something to look forward to”.
    Davina was a guest at the 5star TUI BLUE Olhuveli Romance Resort, South Male Atoll in The Maldives in November 2023.  TUI offers seven night holidays from £2606 per person on an all inclusive basis, based on two people sharing a beachfront villa with private pool and terrace, departing London Heathrow on March 21st.  Transfers and 25kg luggage per person included.
    And has previously tested out ‘fly and flourish’ itineraries including aqua fit classes, paddleboarding and kayaking at The TUI BLUE Grand Azur in Turkey and The TUI BLUE Atlantic Aeneas Dreams in Cyprus.  TUI offers seven night stays at the 4.5star TUI BLUE Grand Azur in Marmaris from £727 per person on an all inclusive basis, based on two people sharing a double room with balcony, departing Manchester Airport on May 8th.  Transfers and 25kg luggage per person included.
    TUI offers seven night stays at the 5 star TUI BLUE Atlantica Aeneas Resort in Nissi Beach, Cyprus from £952 per person on an all inclusive basis, based on two people sharing a double room with balcony, departing East Midlands Airport on May 1st.  Transfers and 25kg luggage per person included.
    Find out more about all of these holidays at tui.co.uk. All prices correct at time of sending.
    Fans can check out Davina’s Maldivian adventures on her Instagram and TikTok channels.

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    Switzerland Gaining Popularity With Visitors from the UK

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    Ahead of ITB Berlin, Civitatis highlights +30% portfolio growth in Germany since 2019

    Civitatis, the leading technological platform for booking Spanish-speaking activities, day trips, guided tours, and excursions worldwide – both in the B2C and B2B channels – proudly announces significant growth in its portfolio in Germany over the past few years. From 2019 to 2023 the company’s portfolio of tours & experiences products in Germany has experienced an impressive increase of over 30%, showcasing its commitment to providing diverse and engaging experiences for Spanish speakers wherever they visit in the world.
    The global pandemic posed challenges for the travel industry, but despite these hurdles Civitatis managed to thrive still. As of today Civitatis boasts a robust presence in the German market, featuring 256 different activities available and 48 destinations across the country for Spanish speakers using the web platform.
    The commitment to diversity is further highlighted by the popularity of the Top 5 activities in Germany:
    Free tour of Berlin (27% of total reservations in Germany)Free tour of Munich (13% of total reservations in Germany)Free tour of the Berlin Wall and the Cold War Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Free tour of Hamburg
    Enrique Espinel, COO at Civitatis, expressed enthusiasm about the company’s growth in the German market, stating: “We are excited to share our success story as we continue to grow our portfolio in Germany, which is now one of our most important destinations. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, our team has worked tirelessly to offer an extensive range of activities and destinations for Spanish speaking travellers visiting German cities and rural sights.”ADVERTISEMENTITB Berlin, one of the industry’s premier events, will take place at Messe Berlin from 4-7 March and the Civitatis team will be attending to connect with industry professionals, partners, and potential collaborators.

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    TAP’s Summer 2024 with more long-haul flights

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    ITB Berlin Convention 2024: Trends, Best-Practices and Top Innovations at first hand

    Global tourism is facing extensive tasks and challenges. Whether it’s a shortage of skilled workers, climate justice or the impact of artificial intelligence – at the ITB Berlin Convention 2024, 400 top speakers from international companies such as Booking, Google, Microsoft and Airbnb will discuss new strategies for a travel industry in transition in more than 200 sessions.Countdown to the world’s leading industry think tank: In the first week of March, the Berlin exhibition grounds will once again become the most important meeting place for the travel industry. From March 5 to 7, the ITB Berlin Convention 2024 will bring together numerous international experts under the motto „Pioneer the Transition in Travel & Tourism. Together“ on four live stages as part of 17 themed tracks during ITB Berlin, providing an exciting exchange of ideas. The challenges of advancing digitalization and the increasing application possibilities of artificial intelligence are just two of the many topics that can be expected to generate intensive debates at the convention. Convention participation is included in the trade visitor, exhibitor and press ticket for ITB Berlin.
    Representatives of leading international companies promise top news at first hand: Current challenges facing the airline and cruise industry are the topic of the Carrier & Cruise Track, during which leading industry experts will take a look at global market trends as well as technological and legal challenges on March 5. Top speakers such as Nadia Azale (NDC Change Management Director, AirFrance-KLM Group), Michele Francioni (Chief Energy Transition Officer, MSC Cruises S.A.) and Chris Ramm (Vice President Global Enterprise Airline Partners, Travelport) will discuss industry-relevant developments and present best cases.
    Glenn Fogel (CEO, Booking Holdings) will speak about future prospects and technology in tourism under the title “Leadership, Innovation and the Future of Travel” as part of the Future Track. Another highlight will be “Engineering the Future: How GenAI and Microsoft Copilot bring a new Intelligence to Travel” with Karim Bagga (Engineering Group Manager, Travel & AI Microsoft), who will discuss the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence. Stefan Ebener (Head of Customer Engineering, Google) will also take a look at the mega topic of artificial intelligence in his presentation “How GenAI is changing the Digital World – From Future Tech to Daily Business”. Under the title “How Airbnb is unlocking new Opportunities for Growth”, Dave Stephenson (Chief Business Officer, Airbnb) will explain the booking platform’s current plans.
    The responsibility of tourism for biodiversity and climate justice will be the focus of the Responsible Tourism Track on March 7, which will use current practical examples to demonstrate sustainable solutions. The top speakers include Bruno Oberle (President World Resources Forum Association and Former Director General International Union for Conservation of Nature), Külli Kraner (Head of Tourism, Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications) and Ingo Burmester (CEO, DER Touristik), who will present “Pioneering the Transition towards Net Zero: Climate Footprints Unveiled” initiatives for more climate justice.
    Sponsors of the ITB Berlin Convention 2024ADVERTISEMENTThe World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) is co-host of the ITB Convention 2024. Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) is track sponsor of the Tour Operator & Travel Sales Track on the Blue Stage. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is a partner of the Responsible Tourism Track on the Orange Stage). Global Travel Tech is track sponsor of the eTravel Track on the eTravel Stage. Google is Track Sponsor of the Marketing & Distribution Track on the Orange Stage. Lonely Planet is track sponsor of the Future Track on the Orange Stage. Studiosus Reisen München is session sponsor of the Responsible Tourism Track on the Orange Stage. TikTok is Session Sponsor of the Marketing &Distribution Track on the Orange Stage.
    ITB 360°: Year-round content and insights into the tourism industry
    ITB Berlin offers the global tourism community valuable thematic content all year round in the form of newsroom articles, podcast episodes and other innovative formats. With ITB 360°, each month is dedicated to a different hot topic. More insights at:itb.com/360

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    Emirates Takes Flight at ITB Berlin: Showcasing Innovation and Commitment to Europe More

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    Emirates Takes Flight at ITB Berlin: Showcasing Innovation and Commitment to Europe

    Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, will return to ITB Berlin from 5 until 7 March in a major way, showcasing its latest signature products and reaffirming the airline’s longstanding commitment to Europe’s leading travel and trade show.
    Emirates is gearing up for three action-packed days at ITB Berlin with plans to launch new partnerships and expand existing collaborations with local and regional travel partners – including air carriers to enhance connectivity for travellers headed to/from major European travel hubs; and strategic partnerships with travel and tourism entities to promote travel to and from Europe via joint marketing and other trade initiatives.
    Visitors to the Emirates stand will have the opportunity to experience Emirates’ latest roster of innovative products and fan-favourites including the highly popular Emirates Premium Economy seat which will be showcased in Germany for the first time. Unveiled at the 2022 Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Emirates’ Premium Economy product has so far won multiple awards and is available on 27 A380 aircraft flying to 15 destinations including New York JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, London Heathrow, Sydney, Auckland, Christchurch, Melbourne, Singapore, Tokyo, Mumbai, Bangalore, Sao Paulo and Dubai.
    Also debuting for the first time at ITB Berlin is Emirates’ iconic Boeing 777-300ER game-changer First Class fully enclosed private suite. With the full range of onboard products on display, visitors can experience Emirates’ Boeing 777 Business Class seat, the newest generation of the A380 Onboard Lounge and First Class Shower Spa, as well as its generously pitched Economy Class seats.
    Emirates will also dedicate an area to showcase its latest sustainability initiatives, including onboard items that incorporate responsibly-sourced materials, and items from ‘Air-crafted by Emirates’ – a unique collection of luggage, bags and accessories made from upcycled materials from retrofitted A380 aircraft. The airline’s sustainability efforts focus on three areas: reducing emissions, consuming responsibly, and protecting biodiversity and habitats.ADVERTISEMENTThe Emirates stand will also include four meeting spaces and can accommodate up to 200 visitors at any point in time.
    Emirates and Europe
    Emirates began air transport services to Europe in 1987 and has since grown its operations in line with demand to and from both major and secondary cities across Europe. The airline has played a vital role supporting the tourism flows, economic development, and job opportunities in the markets where it operates. Emirates’ footprint in Europe spans 39 destinations in 22 countries, as well as an additional 403 points beyond its own network through codeshare, intermodal and interline arrangements with 51 partners. Emirates aims to further expand its connectivity for travellers between Europe and the rest of the world on the back of ITB Berlin and in partnership with regional tourism bodies.
    Over the past year, Emirates has carried more than 17.2 million passengers between Dubai and all of its European gateways, facilitating convenient and seamless air connectivity for customers to and from its Dubai hub, as well as beyond Dubai to more destinations in its global network.
    ITB Berlin represents Emirates’ largest trade-fair presence outside its home market. The new 480 square metres, double-storey Emirates stand will make its world debut at ITB Berlin 2024 and is located in Hall 2.2, stand number 101.

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    Choice Privileges Named Among America’s Best Loyalty Programs for Fourth Consecutive Year

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    Choice Privileges Named Among America’s Best Loyalty Programs for Fourth Consecutive Year

    Choice Privileges, the award-winning rewards program of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), has been named one of America’s Best Loyalty Programs 2024 by Newsweek and Statista. This is the fourth year in a row that Choice Privileges has been recognized on this list that assesses rewards programs on six criteria: ease and enjoyment; benefit; overall satisfaction; customer support; trust; and recommendation.
    The 2024 study, by Newsweek and Statista, centered around the results of an independent survey of more than 4,000 US customers who are members of loyalty programs across 41 categories of US retailer and service provider segments. In total, over 17,900 evaluations were analyzed, which resulted in the ranking of 266 winning programs.
    Over the last year, as part of a continued reinvigoration of the program after the integration with Radisson Rewards Americas, Choice Privileges has expanded rewards and opportunities for guests including:
    Launching two co-brand credit cards – the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard and Choice Privileges Mastercard – to offer travelers more ways to accelerate the amount of Choice Privileges points they earn while staying at participating Choice Hotels and on everyday spending like gas, groceries and home goods.Expanding Choice Privileges Experiences that members can redeem points for with the additions of NASCAR races, and more college football, basketball, baseball and hockey experiences.Diversifying the types of hotels Choice Privileges members can earn and/or redeem points with including Preferred Hotels & Resorts; PENN Casinos & Resorts; BlueGreen Vacations.Offering complimentary breakfast for Diamond status members at Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, and Park Plaza hotels.Choice Privileges members can earn points by staying at over 7,000 Choice-branded hotels across a diverse portfolio of brands in 46 countries and territories. Choice’s family of brands range from upper upscale and upscale, full service, boutique and resort-like hotels including Radisson Blu, Radisson, Cambria Hotels and the Ascend Hotel Collection, to midscale, economy and extended Stay hotels including Country Inn & Suites, Comfort, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Econo Lodge, Everhome and Mainstay Suites.
    For more information or to enroll in Choice Privileges, visit www.choicehotels.com/choice-privileges.ADVERTISEMENT

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