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    NYC & Company announces staff promotions

    NYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon today announced three recent promotions at NYC & Company, including an addition to the C-Suite, an update on the Executive Leadership team, and an addition to the Senior Leadership team.
    Natalie Koepff, who joined the organisation in 2008 has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. In her capacity, she will continue her role as General Counsel at NYC & Company along with overseeing operations at the organisation. Rondel Holder, who joined NYC & Company in late 2020, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Content and Diversity Initiatives. In his role, he will continue to lead the content strategy for the company along with addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts across company functions including marketing, tourism, convention development, and more. Janette Roush, who joined NYC & Company in 2018, has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Marketing & Digital. In her role, she will continue to develop marketing strategies for the company along with overseeing digital growth efforts.
    “As our tourism recovery continues to take shape, I am so proud to announce the well-deserved promotions of Natalie Koepff, Janette Roush and Rondel Holder,” said NYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon. “Each have played a key role in shaping the success of NYC & Company now and will into the future, and I thank them for their important contributions and leadership.”
    More background on the new appointments:
    Natalie Koepff, who was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, recently served as General Counsel and EVP of Legal & Business Affairs at NYC & Company. In her new role, Natalie will continue as General Counsel, and oversee daily business operations of the organisation, working closely with department heads and supervisors to support the day-to-day activities at the company. Prior to joining NYC & Company’s legal team in 2008, Koepff was on the legal team at Constituency Management Group (CMG), a part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, in their Business and Legal Affairs Department, offering clients integrated services in a full range of marketing communications disciplines.
    Janette Roush, who was promoted to Executive Vice President, Marketing & Digital, recently served as Executive Vice President, Marketing at NYC & Company. Janette will now lead the Company’s marketing and digital divisions. She will continue to oversee the organisation’s domestic and international promotional campaigns, B2B marketing for the travel trade and meeting planners, partnerships, and promotional strategy for the Company’s tentpole campaigns including NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Broadway Week. In her new role, Janette will now also oversee the organisation’s paid media strategy, digital initiatives, and media insights to raise the profile of the City and inspire visitation to the five boroughs. Prior to joining NYC & Company, Janette spent over two decades marketing Broadway at organisations such as Broadway.com and AKA, a global leader in entertainment advertising and strategy.
    Rondel Holder, who was promoted to Senior Vice President, Content and Diversity Initiatives, recently served as Vice President, Creative Director at NYC & Company. Rondel will continue to lead content strategy at the Company along with addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts across company functions including marketing, tourism, convention development, and more. Prior to joining NYC & Company in 2020, Holder served as Head of Production & Execution, Marketing at Essence Communications Inc. where he oversaw execution of branded videos and videos series, sponsored digital content, influencer marketing, and more.
    NYC & Company is considered North America’s Leading Business Travel Destination 2021 by voters at the World Travel Awards.ADVERTISEMENT

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    NYC & Comapny announces key staff promotions

    NYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon has announced three recent promotions at NYC & Company, including an addition to the C-Suite, an update on the Executive Leadership team, and an addition to the Senior Leadership team.
    Natalie Koepff, who joined the organization in 2008 has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. In her capacity, she will continue her role as General Counsel at NYC & Company along with overseeing operations at the organization. Rondel Holder, who joined NYC & Company in late 2020, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Content and Diversity Initiatives. In his role, he will continue to lead the content strategy for the company along with addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts across company functions including marketing, tourism, convention development, and more. Janette Roush, who joined NYC & Company in 2018, has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Marketing & Digital. In her role, she will continue to develop marketing strategies for the company along with overseeing digital growth efforts.
    “As our tourism recovery continues to take shape, I am so proud to announce the well-deserved promotions of Natalie Koepff, Janette Roush and Rondel Holder,” said NYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon. “Each have played a key role in shaping the success of NYC & Company now and will into the future, and I thank them for their important contributions and leadership.”
    More background on the new appointments:
      Natalie Koepff, who was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, recently served as General Counsel and EVP of Legal & Business Affairs at NYC & Company. In her new role, Natalie will continue as General Counsel, and oversee daily business operations of the organization, working closely with department heads and supervisors to support the day-to-day activities at the company. Prior to joining NYC & Company’s legal team in 2008, Koepff was on the legal team at Constituency Management Group (CMG), a part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, in their Business and Legal Affairs Department, offering clients integrated services in a full range of marketing communications disciplines.      Janette Roush, who was promoted to Executive Vice President, Marketing & Digital, recently served as Executive Vice President, Marketing at NYC & Company. Janette will now lead the Company’s marketing and digital divisions. She will continue to oversee the organization’s domestic and international promotional campaigns, B2B marketing for the travel trade and meeting planners, partnerships, and promotional strategy for the Company’s tentpole campaigns including NYC Restaurant Week and NYC Broadway Week. In her new role, Janette will now also oversee the organization’s paid media strategy, digital initiatives, and media insights to raise the profile of the City and inspire visitation to the five boroughs. Prior to joining NYC & Company, Janette spent over two decades marketing Broadway at organizations such as Broadway.com and AKA, a global leader in entertainment advertising and strategy.      Rondel Holder, who was promoted to Senior Vice President, Content and Diversity Initiatives, recently served as Vice President, Creative Director at NYC & Company. Rondel will continue to lead content strategy at the Company along with addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts across company functions including marketing, tourism, convention development, and more. Prior to joining NYC & Company in 2020, Holder served as Head of Production & Execution, Marketing at Essence Communications Inc. where he oversaw execution of branded videos and videos series, sponsored digital content, influencer marketing, and more.ADVERTISEMENT

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    KLCC bags global innovation award for Asia

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    KLCC bags global innovation award for Asia

    Malaysia’s premier purpose-built venue, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre has been voted as the Winner of EventseumTM Hall of Fame’s 2021 Global Innovation Award for Convention and Conference Centers for the region of Asia, at the recent IMEX in Frankfurt, Germany.
    The Global Innovation Awards highlight specific innovation that differentiates one venue from another while celebrating the venue’s overall commitment to innovation. The Centre is one of the four global winners, each representing key regions in the business events industry.General Manager of the Centre, Alan Pryor, said, “Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is honoured to have won this inaugural award. This recognition strengthens our position as the perfect choice for international organisers and planners to host their major regional and global congresses, exhibitions and meetings. We are further motivated to keep pushing the envelope, as a venue and an important infrastructure of our city, in contributing to Kuala Lumpur’s and Malaysia’s 2030 and 2050 sustainability agenda.”
    The Centre’s zero-energy rainwater harvesting systems leveraging the building’s architecture harvests up to 60,000 gallons of rainwater per year, its landmark partnership with URBANICE Malaysia, a Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cities and Community Wellbeing, and its commitment to sustainability impressed the EventseumTM global judging panel.
    This award comes on the heel of another global recognition that awarded ‘Muslim-Friendly Convention & Exhibition Centre of Year’ to the world-class venue by Halal in Travel Awards 2022, held in conjunction with Halal in Travel – Global Summit 2022 in Singapore. Aimed at celebrating the travel industry players’ efforts towards the growth of halal travel, these awards span four categories and recognise destinations, organisations, companies and individuals who have made a considerable impact on the Muslim travel segment.
    “As a leader in the global business events industry and Malaysia’s premier venue, we are inclusive, sensitive and conscientious of our stakeholders’ and guests’ needs and this award is a testament to our commitment to providing quality services to all,” concluded Pryor.ADVERTISEMENTOne of the country’s most iconic mosques, Masjid As-syakirin or better known as KLCC Mosque, is within walking distance of the Centre while the venue itself houses a number of prayer rooms. The Centre’s vast customisable spaces can also be transformed into prayer rooms and ablution areas based on event needs. All of its five kitchens are Halal-certified and over the years the Centre has been the venue-of-choice for many high-profile Islamic events such as the 9th Muslim World Biz and the meeting of leaders of Islamic nations, the KL Summit 2019.
    At the same awards where Malaysia is also named the ‘Top Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year’, H.E. Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture of Malaysia (MOTAC) delivered a keynote speech.

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    PATA and OAG strengthen organisational partnership

    The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced a new preferred partnership with OAG, a leading data platform for the global travel industry.
    The new agreement will provide PATA members with continued access to unique and reliable aviation data through the PATAmPOWER platform. It will also enable both organisations to provide wider insight and intelligence to the Asia Pacific visitor economy, through events, analysis, and further data collaboration.
    OAG has the world’s largest network of flight information, covering the whole journey from planning to customer experience. The data helps businesses achieve many goals, principally by finding new revenue streams, driving growth across operations, and deepening the relationship with customers.
    Its customers include search engines, metasearch, tech start-ups, travel booking sites, international government organisations, global financial institutions, airlines, airports, and travel operators.
    “Strengthening our partnership with OAG ensures we can provide members with the highest quality, most reliable aviation data including historical data (back to 2018) and 12-month forward frequency and seat capacity data. This will enable them to make smarter and more insightful decisions as they plan their recovery strategies,” said Santosh Kumar, Director of Business Development, PATA. “I look forward to leveraging OAG’s data and insight to assist us in our mission for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region.”ADVERTISEMENT“Our deeper partnership with PATA will provide richer data insights to facilitate market recovery and future investment in the region” said Mayur Patel, Head of Sales, Asia. “As Asia Pacific air travel embarks on its own come back journey, having access to data, networks and knowledge through this collaboration will equip PATA members will vital insight to get ahead of the curve”.

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    PATA: Positive increases in IVAs predicted

    The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to release its latest quarterly updated international visitor arrivals (IVAs) forecast current to May 6, 2022, based on the data provided by 39 Asia Pacific destinations. In line with the start of the region’s travel recovery, aggregate numbers into the 39 Asia Pacific destinations are projected to have step-wise annual increases beginning in 2022 and continuing to 2024 across all three of the mild, medium, and severe scenarios.
    IVA recovery rates (above 2019 baseline level) for visitors into and across Asia Pacific is predicted to reach between 25-48% of the volume last received in 2019, with the numbers reflecting the range of potential outcomes from a severe to a mild scenario. This is a solid improvement over the 16-18% range of 2021 – the trough year for most Asia Pacific destinations – and heralds the beginning of a continued growth trend to 2024.

    The number of foreign arrivals into and across Asia Pacific is still projected to either reach parity with the 2019 position (medium scenario) or be well above it (mild scenario) by 2024. Even so, the severe scenario reminds us that a possibility still exists for conditions to deteriorate once again – with multiple influencing factors including the ongoing pandemic continually evolving, the Ukraine/Russia crisis, escalating jet fuel prices, and limited air capacity and routes, plus industry-wide staff shortages.
    While annual growth is predicted to occur for each of the 39 destinations covered between 2022 and 2024, there will of course be some variations. This is illustrated by the differences in relative positions for each of the three destination regions of Asia Pacific, as well as under each of the three scenarios within each of those regions.ADVERTISEMENT
    At the individual destination level, recovery rates vary broadly in 2022 and are predicted to range from less than 15% to almost 99%, while in 2024, they range from 86% to 120% under that same scenario. Overall, however, projections are now for Asia Pacific to reach an IVA count in 2024 of 510-832 million, depending on which scenario plays out over that period.
    Similar variations are apparent across the source market regions relevant to Asia Pacific, although in general, the trend is back towards the same inbound structure of 2024, at least under the medium scenario.
    As PATA CEO Liz Ortiguera observes “While a positive turning point is predicted to occur in 2022 for all the 39 Asia Pacific destinations covered in these updated forecasts, many market variables are currently influencing travel and significant challenges still lay ahead. While the momentum for international travel demand is obviously increasing, multiple challenges need to be navigated by the global travel and tourism sector.”
    “From emerging new strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to escalating jet fuel prices, the spectre of rising inflation to the current geo-political conflicts, these variables are concerns in the face of global pent-up demand to reconnect and travel.”
    Ms. Ortiguera concludes by reminding the travel and tourism sector that “Safety, wellness and smooth travel experiences are top of mind as needs for post-pandemic travellers.  It’s important to provide clarity in processes and deliver good customer support in the face of ever-changing circumstances.Recognition should go to all the travel and tourism staff that are enabling efficient and great travel service delivery and experiences in the face of all these challenges. We need to respect and applaud their efforts as the backbone of the industry through these challenging times.”
    The PATA Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2022-2024: 2Q Updates is now available at https://www.pata.org/visitor-forecasts.
    What you will learn from this report:Updated international visitor forecasts for Asia Pacific between 2022 and 2024 by destination region, sub-region, and destination, highlighting changing demand preferences in the face of policy changes.
    Updated forecasts and recovery patterns for 39 individual destinations allowing for the development of better recovery strategies for the post-COVID-19.
    PATA International members have exclusive access to the recording of the, PATA Visitor Forecasts 2022 to 2024: 2Q Updates’ webinar which included expert speakers from The Hong Kong PolyU, Euromonitor International, Visa, and OAG. The speakers provided an overview of the updated forecasts for international arrivals to Asia Pacific between 2022 and 2024 as well as latest insights into key source markets’ traveller behaviour and Asia’s capacity rebuild and changing supply structures.

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    UNWTO and Allianz Partners advance commitment to responsible tourism

    UNWTO and its Affiliate Member Allianz Partnershave signed a Memorandum of Understanding, consolidating their joint commitment to promoting safe, responsible, and accessible tourism.
    The agreement confirms and renews the desire from both parties to continue collaborating in key areas, namely promoting the values of sustainable, inclusive, and accessible tourism; advancing the digital transformation of tourism; promoting tourism education and training; and facilitating knowledge exchange between stakeholders from across the tourism sector.
    Ion Vilcu, Director of the UNWTO Affiliate Members, confirmed: “The cooperation with Affiliate Members such as Allianz Partners is one of the objectives of the Organization, and issues such as sustainable tourism development, accessibility, training and capacity building in tourism are among the priorities of the UNWTO. We thank Allianz Partners for its contribution as a member of the Working Group for the elaboration of the International Code for the Protection of Tourists.”
    Borja Diaz, CEO of Allianz Partners Spain, said: “Our mission in the tourism sectoris to offer security and protection to travellers, who only have to worry about enjoying themselves. Affiliate Membership of UNWTO allows us to work along these lines and strengthen our commitment to sustainable travel with a leading organisation in the sector. We are looking for solutions that offer confidence to travellers, who now return to travel being more aware of their impact on the environment”.

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    Dr. Xie Xingquan to lead IATA in North Asia as regional VP

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the appointment of Dr. Xie Xingquan as its Regional Vice President for North Asia.
    Dr. Xie has held various appointments in China, Canada and Singapore throughout his 24 year career in the aviation industry. He was Director of the Policy, Law and Regulation Division at the R&D Centre of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) (1998-2008), Assistant Legal Officer at the International Civil Aviation Organization based in Montreal (2008-2010), and Director General of the Policy, Law & Regulations Institute at the China Academy of Civil Aviation Science & Technology (2010-2011). He has been with IATA since 2011, where he is currently the association’s Assistant Director, Legal, based in Montreal. 
    Reporting to Conrad Clifford, IATA’s Senior Vice President and Deputy Director General , Dr. Xie will lead IATA’s activities across North Asia, a region that is home to 40 IATA member airlines. He will be relocating to Beijing, where IATA’s North Asia Regional Office is located.
    “I am delighted to have Xingquan as our Regional Vice President for North Asia. His extensive international experience, and knowledge of the industry and region will be particularly valuable in leading IATA’s efforts across North Asia, including on safety, sustainability, and the recovery of international travel from COVID-19 when borders in the region re-open,” said Clifford.
    “I am honored and humbled to be leading IATA’s team in North Asia. Among my priorities would be to engage with the airline members, governments and industry partners in China and the region to safely re-open borders, catch up with the rest of the world, and revive the travel and tourism sector. I started my aviation career in Beijing and having held roles in different locations including Montreal and Singapore, I am excited to be back in Beijing again to contribute to the development of the aviation industry,” said Dr. Xie.ADVERTISEMENTDr. Xie graduated as a Doctor of Law from the Chinese Academy of Social Science, and additionally a L.L.M of International Commercial Law from the Singapore Management University.

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    ABTA provides submission to BEIS Select Committee on flight cancellations

    ABTA has provided a written submission to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee which has been looking at the difficulties some passengers experienced when travelling over the May half-term period.
    In a letter from Chief Executive Mark Tanzer, ABTA highlights the valuable role – and passion – travel agents have both in helping their customers organise their holiday as well as supporting them in the unlikely event that something goes wrong.
    The submission also aims to provide MPs on the Committee with contextual information and background on the impact of the pandemic on the travel industry, including how Government decisions not to offer sector-specific support, and to withdraw furlough support significantly ahead of the lifting of travel restrictions, have worsened the recruitment challenges facing travel businesses.
    Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive at ABTA – The Travel Association said:
    “It’s important MPs on the Committee understand the travel industry’s complex supply chain. Travel agents in particular are wholly reliant on the published inventories and flight schedules of airlines and tour operators and have no control over some of the operational issues seen in recent weeks. The hearing rightly focused on what had happened and how the companies involved responded, but we felt it was necessary and helpful for the Committee to hear from the wider industry.ADVERTISEMENT“It’s also important these recent issues continue to be put into context. For anyone caught up in the delays or cancellations it will have been a stressful and upsetting time, but most people were able to travel without issue. This is something we continue to emphasise in all of our communications – with media, politicians and consumers.
    “We continue to work hard to make sure that politicians don’t lose sight of the challenging environment the whole industry has had to operate in over recent years and the solutions the industry needs to support its recovery. Government does need to act to make the recruitment process easier and should look at adding the aviation-specific jobs to the UK’s shortage occupations list, which would enable staff to be hired more easily from abroad.”

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