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    United International Baseball League Announces Dubai International Stadium as Official Venue

    The United International Baseball League (UIBL), the first-ever professional baseball league created to serve India, Pakistan and the Middle East, announced today its partnership with Dubai Sports City and Dubai International Stadium as the official venue for the UIBL’s Inaugural Showcase from February 23 – March 5, 2023.
    The venue will play host to nine games and one exhibition featuring four of the league’s initial franchises. Dubai International Stadium is an anchor of the Dubai Sports City complex, the premier multi-purpose sports development in Dubai. The stadium, which opened in 2009, has hosted several high-profile International Cricket Council (ICC) and Indian Premier League (IPL) tournaments, including last year’s IPL Final between the Chennai Super Kings and the Kolkata Knight Riders. The venue will also be home to the inaugural season of the International League T20 (ILT20), the UAE’s professional cricket league that begins play in January 2023.
    “It’s an honor for our league to begin play in one of the world’s most storied stadiums,” said Kanwal S. Sra, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, of the UIBL. “Dubai International Stadium is one of the jewels of the region, and it will be an incredible launchpad for the UIBL as we bring professional baseball to fans across the Middle East and South Asia. We greatly appreciate the support and partnership of Dubai Sports Council, Dubai Sports City, and the entire Dubai International Stadium team.”
    A key part of the UIBL’s growth strategy and intellectual property is the league’s proprietary process of transforming cricket fields – plentiful across the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East – into baseball fields. This includes formulation and transportation of the infield dirt, design and implementation of the fencing, and customization and build-out of the dugouts, bullpens and pitching mound. In addition, the UIBL team is creating first-of-its-kind seating options that will get fans closer than ever to the action.
    “In the U.S., we have baseball fields in nearly every neighborhood,” said Kash Shaikh, President, and Chief Marketing Officer, UIBL. “In India and the Middle East, you can drive thousands of miles without seeing one. While we work at the grassroots level to help expand that infrastructure, we are simultaneously creating our own proprietary process to transform world-class cricket stadiums into hotbeds of professional baseball. And, since we are starting with a blank canvas, we also get to reimagine how fans can experience the game. I’m really excited about the game innovations, fan experiences, and new seating concepts we have in store.”ADVERTISEMENTThe UIBL plans to share the stadium designs and new fan seating options – including new premium and corporate seating – in the months ahead. In addition to the UIBL’s innovation plans, Dubai International Stadium is world-famous for its “Ring of Fire” – a special system of 350 floodlights fixed around the circumference of its round roof. The lights minimize the shadows and replace the need for traditional light towers.
    “We are honored to host the UIBL at Dubai International Stadium,” said Khalid Al Zarooni, President of Dubai Sports City. “This event continues our stadium’s tradition of hosting world-class international sporting events. We support the UIBL’s vision to bring baseball to our region, and we’re excited to offer fans across our city – and the world – the chance to experience America’s pastime.”

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    New Study Reveals Which Hotel Booking Website Offers the Best Deals 

    Traveling the world is a thrilling experience, however, soaring costs are making it unattainable for some vacationers.
    For most travelers, finalizing flights and accommodations are top priorities, but the cost can put a dampener on holiday excitement. However, scouting out various hotel booking websites can help save some cash.
    Travel insurance comparison site InsureMyTrip examined relevant data to determine which hotel booking website offers travelers the most cost-effective choices.
    The study compares the prices of 50 hotels in 10 global tourist hotspots. Each city is assessed on its daily rates listed on Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com and directly through the hotel’s website.
    Overall, Hotels.com offers the most cost-effective accommodations. It is cheaper than other websites in 289 instances. Expedia and direct bookings are cheaper in 283 and 159 instances respectively. Booking.com is the least cost-effective option, offering a better deal than other websites in 54 instances.In New York City hotel prices quadrupled over the past two years and the study found that the average price of a hotel room will set you back $318. However, it’s also the city where you could save the most money – if you do a bit of searching.ADVERTISEMENT
    On Booking.com the average price of a hotel room is $367. However booking through Hotels.com costs $293 on average, netting a saving of $74. Of the 50 hotels analyzed in the Big Apple Hotels.com offers the best deal 62 percent of the time.
    With its abundance of beautiful historical buildings and vibrant culture, London is a must-see city for many travelers. However, hotel prices have steadily increased. The average price of a hotel room is $307, but this can vary greatly depending on the site you are using.
    On average, rooms booked through Booking.com cost $331. While hotels booked through Hotels.com and Expedia cost an average of $286. Booking on either of these two sites is more cost-effective 82 percent of the time.
    Dubai is expected to be an incredibly popular destination this year since its neighbor, Qatar, is hosting the FIFA World Cup in November. It is predicted that many travelers will take the opportunity to explore the area, including Dubai. You can save yourself some money by searching around for accommodations. A hotel room costs an average of $143, but there are some good bargains depending on which hotel booking website you use.
    On Booking.com, the average price for a room is $166; while Expedia offers better rates. On average, a hotel room booked through Expedia costs $34 less, at $132. Booking through Expedia is the most cost-effective option 66 percent of the time.
    In Singapore, inbound flights have dramatically increased this year. It is known for its lush green spaces and impressive marina, but it can be costly to visit. On average, a hotel room will set you back $218. On Booking.com, the average price of a room is $240, but having a look at other hotel booking websites can save you some cash. On Expedia and Hotels.com, the average price of a room is $208. Using these websites is the most cost-effective option 78 percent of the time.
    Paris rounds out the top five cities where you can find the biggest bargain by searching various hotel booking sites. The city of lights is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and one of the most expensive too.
    However, comparing prices can help save you some money. Booking through Hotels.com or Expedia can help you find the best bargain. Rooms booked through Expedia cost an average of $220, compared to those on Booking.com, which cost an average of $250. Booking a room through either Expedia or Hotels.com is more cost-effective 52 percent of the time.
    Sarah Webber, Director of Marketing at InsureMyTrip commented: 
    “The high cost of travel may be discouraging for Americans. We’re hoping this data encourages protentional-travelers to take a trip, knowing they are getting the best prices on hotel rooms.”

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    Vietnam will host face-to-face gathering of the famous forum in Quang Nam province

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    Vietnam will host face-to-face gathering of the famous forum in Quang Nam province

    he Mekong Tourism Forum 2022 will return as a face-to-face event 9-14 October at Hoiana Resort & Golf (Hoiana), Quang Nam province, adjacent to Hoi An city, in central Vietnam.
    It will be the first in-person gathering of the six Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) destinations since 2019.
    With the theme “Rebuild Tourism, Rebound with Resilience,” the forum in Quang Nam will be the first interactive event convening public- and private-sector tourism leaders and experts in the Mekong region since COVID-19 disrupted the travel industry.
    “With a lot of rebuilding and catching up to do, the 2022 Mekong Tourism Forum aims to drive real action and create a more resilient, inclusive, sustainable and successful tourism industry.” said Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
    The main public discussions and speeches at the Forum will take place on 12 October. Speakers will focus on tourism recovery, digital transformation, supply chain localisation, social enterprise business models, and best practices for a resilient travel sector rebound, especially using latest technologies.ADVERTISEMENTTopics will include megatrends that affect tourism recovery. Panelists and experts will suggest policies, regulations and investments needed to bring back travel and tourism. There will be a special emphasis on nature-based solutions and technology adoption.
    Specific panels will address social enterprises, connecting sustainable tourism suppliers and buyers, and unlocking green tourism opportunities.
    Speakers will include leaders from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), representatives from other GMS national tourism organisations, the Asian Development Bank, Destination Mekong, Agoda, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, OAG, YAANA Ventures, EXO Travel, Travelife and the ASEAN Tourism Association, among others.
    The Mekong Forum will take place in in Hoiana Resort & Golf (Hoiana), on a beach setting just south of Hoi An UNESCO-listed heritage city. Da Nang international airport is 40 minutes from the conference venue.
    There will be complimentary airport transfers for Forum guests on 11 and 14 October. There will be post-event delegate tours in the Quang Nam area on 13 October.
    The Mekong Tourism Forum is free to attend for genuine Greater Mekong Sub-region travel and tourism stakeholders.
    Further information and registration: MekongTourismForum.org
    Quang Nam and green tourism is the focus of Visit Vietnam Year 2022.

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    River cruise specialists continue to contend with low water levels

    River cruise specialists say cancellations and amendments due to low river levels in Europe are impacting consumer confidence and adding to administrative workloads.
    Many lines are continuing to monitor levels and make changes to itineraries or transfer passengers between ships in low-water areas to ensure sailings can take place, as the continent endures one of the worst droughts in centuries.
    Riviera Travel, Scenic, A-Rosa River Cruises, AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways and APT confirmed they had faced challenges due to low water levels on the Danube and Rhine in recent weeks.
    Phil Nuttall, chief executive of the Travel Village Group, said the agency was getting around 10 days’ notice of cancellations and itinerary changes, with some customers willing to switch but others cancelling altogether.
    He added: “We are dealing with it as best we can but it’s another thing to throw at the industry and is really frustrating. Some people have waited all through Covid to go on their trip so it’s painful for them.”ADVERTISEMENTAlison Earnshaw, managing director of Cruise 118 parent World Travel Holdings, said the main impact was on consumer confidence for short-term departures, adding it was “definitely a barrier to sale”.
    She said: “Our Christmas market river cruise bookings are still fine, but anything between now and November is a challenge. We’re hoping those people who don’t book for this year will book for 2023 departures instead.”
    A-Rosa confirmed it had switched departure points away from Cologne, with transfers offered to Amsterdam and Duisburg, dependent on the ship.
    Rudi Schreiner, AmaWaterways co-owner, said the line had begun swapping ships on the Rhine and chartering day boats with lower draughts to transfer guests between vessels. Passengers affected are being offered future cruise credit based on levels of disruption.
    Janet Parton, Avalon Waterways sales and marketing director, said two Rhine sailings had been cancelled, but other “minor alterations” were mitigated as passengers could swap between nearly identical ships in the fleet.
    She added: “All we can do right now is focus on the more imminent sailings. Rain is forecast for Europe, let’s hope it comes.”
    Brad Bennetts, APT head of sales and business development, said all departures on the Rhine, Danube and Main rivers had gone ahead.But he said agents and customers had been offered the chance to amend their booking, book a new holiday or receive a refund if their itinerary was impacted, adding: “The booking cancellation rate is very low.”
    Riviera Travel said it had put measures such as ship swaps and itinerary changes in place but had only experienced “minimal disruption” so far.
    “We are monitoring the situation closely and working hard with our partners on-the-ground to ensure this continues,” a spokesperson added. “We’d like to thank guests for their support and understanding.”
    Scenic confirmed “key” sections of rivers it operated on had been affected but pointed out that conditions could change “significantly”.

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    Caribbean tourism exec Warren Solomon dies

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    Caribbean tourism exec Warren Solomon dies

    The CTO described Solomon as “a longtime friend of our organization and a champion of tourism across the Caribbean. He enjoyed a long and stellar career in tourism, spanning product development, marketing, hospitality and sales, which made his contribution to the regional sector as far-reaching as it was influential.”
    Solomon served as Montserrat’s tourism director from February 2019 to February 2022. Prior to that post, he was director of tourism at the Tobago House of Assembly, vice president and tourism director at the Tourism & Industrial Development Co. of Trinidad and Tobago and marketing manager at the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.

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    Abu Dhabi Airports Inks Agreement with the Federal Authority for Identity Citizenship and Customs

    Abu Dhabi Airports, the operator and manager of the emirate’s five airports, has recently signed an agreement with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), to boost service quality and enhance passenger experience.
    AD Airports signs a SLA with ICP – 1The agreement stems from Abu Dhabi Airports and ICP’s keenness to adopt best practices in areas of security, safety and air transport.  This partnership aims to achieve the highest levels of service excellence at all terminals and facilities of Abu Dhabi Airports.
    The service agreement was signed by of HE Major General Saeed Salem Balhas Al Shamsi, Executive Director of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Abu Dhabi, and Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, in the presence of Brigadier General Mohamed Ahmed bin Abbad Al Hameli, Director of Air and Sea Ports Department.
    Commenting on the agreement, H.E. Major General Saeed Al Shamsi, Executive Director of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Abu Dhabi, stated that this agreement is a testament of a long-standing journey of joint efforts and collaboration with Abu Dhabi Airports and various entities related to the authority’s services provided through the Department of Air and Sea Ports. He highlighted that the authority is leading the mission of enhancing travel procedures of passport checking and passenger transit procedures in alignment with the highest service quality standards, leveraging state-of-the-art technologies and systems to verify travel documents and entry permits for departures and arrivals, especially through smart gates and electronic service stations.
    He added that the signing of this agreement reflects mutual interest to advance work mechanisms, highlight potential collaboration areas and reinforce commitment by a unified vision that instills a culture of service excellence.ADVERTISEMENTShareef Hashim Al Hashmi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “Our agreement with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security is a reflection of the continuous collaboration with strategic partners to enhance the business ecosystem and improve passenger experience at Abu Dhabi airports in a way that embodies the wise leadership’s vision to provide distinguished services to travelers, which contributes to strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading global destination.”

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    QANTAS CONFIRMS NEW FLIGHT TRAINING CENTRE IN SYDNEY

    The Qantas Group will train pilots at a new purpose-built centre in Sydney across its current and future fleet including the aircraft that will operate non-stop flights from the east coast of Australia to London and New York.
    A new multi-million-dollar facility is proposed for St Peters near Sydney Airport and would provide training for up to 4,500 new and current Qantas and Jetstar pilots and cabin crew each year from early 2024.
    The centre is expected to house up to eight full motion flight simulators, including for the Airbus A350 and A320 family of aircraft that were recently ordered as part of the airline’s Project Sunrise flights and Qantas and Jetstar’s domestic fleet renewal.
    The facility will also have fixed flight training devices, emergency procedures equipment with aircraft cabin mock-up, and classroom and training facilities.
    Senior Qantas and Jetstar training captains will train pilots from the two airlines while global training provider CAE will maintain the simulators and manage the day-to-day operations of the centre as part of a long-term partnership. CAE may also provide training for other airlines in the region at the facility.ADVERTISEMENTPilots typically do four sessions per year to remain current in their formal qualifications and up to 15 sessions when training for a new aircraft type.
    The development is subject to planning approvals, with a submission lodged by LOGOS who will develop the centre in partnership with CAE and Qantas. The New South Wales Government has declared this proposal as state significant and will expedite its assessment.
    Qantas relocated simulators from Sydney to Melbourne and Brisbane in 2021 to make way for the NSW Government’s Sydney Gateway road project. Sydney-based pilots currently travelling interstate to do their training will resume training in their home state when this facility opens in early 2024.
    Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the new training facility in Sydney would ensure the national carrier’s high training standards continue as it introduces a new generation of aircraft types.
    “Qantas has trained its pilots and crew in Sydney for more than half a century and we look forward to bringing this critical function back to New South Wales with this custom-built facility,” Mr Joyce said.
    “Sydney will be the launch city for our non-stop flights to London and New York, and will now be the home of pilot training for the A350s, which will operate these flights from 2025.
    “As our international network recovers from the impact of COVID and we grow our fleet, this new training centre will give us the simulator capacity to train our new and current pilots.
    “Having flight training centres in all three eastern states, where the majority of our crew reside, will provide significant cost savings and efficiencies by training them at their home base.
    “We’d like to thank the NSW Government for its support for this world-class facility, which will generate broader economic benefits for the state.”
    The New South Wales Minister for Planning and Minister for Homes Anthony Roberts said, “The NSW Government is a proud supporter of Australia’s aviation industry, and efforts like this will help strengthen capability and ensures NSW and Sydney remain the country’s global travel hub.”
    “Our $60 million Aviation Attraction Fund is securing routes, creating jobs and promoting visitor expenditure to accelerate our COVID-19 Road to Recovery, and cement NSW as the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific.
    “The NSW Government has declared the proposal as State Significant, in recognition of its potential widespread economic benefits and importance to the aviation industry.”
    CAE’s President and CEO Marc Parent said, “As the global leader in civil aviation training, we are thrilled to be expanding CAE’s global network to Sydney, Australia to support the Qantas Group, a company that shares our unwavering commitment to safety.
    “As the operator of 50+ civil aviation training centres around the world, CAE is uniquely positioned to provide operational efficiencies to the Qantas Group and deliver an exceptional training experience for their pilots.”
    Qantas’ national flight training footprint includes centres in three states including the newly opened Qantas Brisbane Flight Training Centre, as well as the Qantas Group Pilot Academy in Toowoomba which supports the airline’s long-term pipeline of talent and its Nancy Bird Walton initiative to reach 40 per cent intake of female cadet pilots by 2028.

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    NYC & Company Announces the Return of the Fall Iteration of NYC Broadway Week for the First Time Sin

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    NYC & Company Announces the Return of the Fall Iteration of NYC Broadway Week for the First Time Sin

    NYC & Company, New York City’s official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau, in partnership with Mastercard®, today announced that the fall iteration of NYC Broadway Week will return for the first time since 2019, offering 2-for-1 tickets to 21 Broadway shows, available for purchase now at nycgo.com/broadwayweek. The popular biannual program, now in its 11th year, will run September 6–25, 2022.
    “Since its launch in 2011, NYC Broadway Week has offered visitors and locals alike the world’s best theatrical experiences at a remarkable value,” said NYC Company President and CEO Fred Dixon. “After a three-year hiatus, we are proud to bring the fall edition of our signature NYC Broadway Week program back to audiences September 6–25. With choices ranging from Tony Award winners and kid-friendly favorites to new productions and beloved classics, there is something for everyone.”
    Participating shows in NYC Broadway Week fall 2022 include:
    1776** Aladdin A Strange Loop** Beetlejuice The Book of Mormon Chicago Come From Away Cost of Living** Death of a Salesman** Funny Girl* ** Hadestown Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Into The Woods** The Kite Runner** The Lion King MJ: The Musical Moulin Rouge! The Musical The Phantom of the Opera The Piano Lesson** Six** Wicked

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