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    Tourists Heading Back to Asian Cities

    The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has today revealed positive signs of recovery for the Asian Travel & Tourism sector, with five major metropolises seeing a significant economic rebound. The report, researched in partnership with Oxford Economics, analysed key indicators such as Travel & Tourism’s contribution to GDP, employment and traveller spend in 82 cities from around the world.
    There were five Asian cities amongst the top 25 whose Travel & Tourism sectors have the greatest impact on their local economies. 
    According to the study, the highest performing Asian cities in 2022 were Bangkok, Beijing, Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo.
    Following continued border closures and strict travel restrictions, the report shows that in these major powerhouses, Travel & Tourism’s direct contribution to GDP is recovering, albe-it at a slow pace.
    Whilst it’s a slightly different picture for international visitor spending, all cities are starting to show signs of economic recovery thanks to overseas travellers spending once again. ADVERTISEMENTMost of the cities’ sector job levels are also increasing once again, with the exception of To-kyo, whose sector job market is recovering at a slower rate.
    GDP contribution of Travel & Tourism sector slowly recovering
    The WTTC’s Cities Economic Impact Report shows that in 2019, the Travel & Tourism sector contributed $106.9BN to the capitals of these five countries combined.
    But the pandemic has had a damaging and long-lasting effect on the region with only Bei-jing recovering close to 2019 levels.
    Beijing reigns supreme as the largest city destination in Asia, showing the strongest signs of recovery. In 2022, the GDP contribution from the sector was just 4% below 2019, at $32.6BN, thanks to a strong recovery of domestic tourism.
    Tokyo has the next largest Travel & Tourism economy in the region, worth $18BN in 2022, but this is still 30% lower than in 2019.
    In Seoul, the GDP contribution last year was $8BN, 33% lower than in 2019. 
    In Singapore, the GDP contribution last year was 45% lower than in 2019.
    In 2022, the sector’s GDP contribution to Bangkok was $9.2BN, 54% lower than in 2019. 
    Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Asia has long been a world-favourite destina-tion and after more than two years of disruption, it is great to see tourists and business travellers heading back. Tourism provides a massive boost to both the economy and job creation.
    “Our Cities Economic Impact Report shows that we expect Beijing to overtake Paris to be-come the world’s largest city Travel & Tourism economy within the next decade.
    “It is crucial that the national and local governments continue to recognise the importance of Travel & Tourism for the local and national economies, jobs, and businesses.”
    Jobs on the rise
    In 2019 there were more than 3 million people employed by the Travel & Tourism sector across these five capital cities in Asia.
    Beijing and Bangkok each employed the largest number of people, with more than 1.3 mil-lion employed in Beijing and just over one million in Bangkok respectively.
    But by 2022, following two years of painful job losses, the total employed by the sector re-covered to 2.5 million jobs.
    All cities had fewer sector jobs in 2022 than in 2019 however Tokyo continues to witness worrying year-on-year job losses.

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    Dreams® Flora Resort & Spa Opens in the Dominican Republic

    Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced the opening of Dreams® Flora Resort & Spa, the newest addition to the Inclusive Collection, part of World of Hyatt – a global portfolio of distinct luxury all-inclusive resort brands. The resort marks the expansion of Inclusive Collection’s presence in the Dominican Republic to 12 total resorts and is the fifth Dreams Resort & Spa in the Caribbean destination.
    Situated on the palm-studded beach of Cabeza de Toro, Dreams Flora Resort & Spa offers an unforgettable getaway designed for couples and families, conveniently located close to the Punta Cana International Airport. Upon arrival, guests can indulge in all Unlimited-Luxury® offerings, including gourmet à la carte dining options, unlimited international & domestic top-shelf spirits, pool and beach wait service, daytime activities, live nightly entertainment, and more.“The continued growth of our brands in the Dominican Republic with the opening of Dreams Flora Resort & Spa offers guests the opportunity to reconnect and disconnect in an idyllic location,” said Gonzalo del Peón, Group President, Americas & Global Commercial for Inclusive Collection. “This family-friendly resort offers an exceptional variety of activities and amenities for guests to tailor their vacation experience to best suit their desires and needs to celebrate every moment.”

    Luxurious Accommodations
    Dreams Flora Resort & Spa touts 520 graciously appointed suites, all with private, furnished balconies or terraces and Unlimited-Luxury® amenities such as room service, complimentary Wi-Fi, a daily refreshed mini-bar, and more. For guests opting for an elevated experience, Preferred Club rooms provide access to additional amenities including personalized check-in and checkout with concierge service, preferred status and amenities, an exclusive Preferred Club pool and bar, upgraded bath amenities, upgraded mini-bar and room service menu, access to the Preferred Club lounge, and more.ADVERTISEMENTCulinary Offerings

    Dreams Flora Resort & Spa offers delectable dining options, including à la carte restaurants, featuring a variety of international cuisines such as Asian and Mexican, a buffet featuring interactive stations, a café, and a snack grill, all with breathtaking views, convenient locations and no reservations required. For a more private atmosphere, convenient 24-hour dining allows guests the comfort of dining from their suite. For those with gluten allergies, all restaurants on property offer a gluten-free menu.
    In addition to the various dining options, guests can indulge in top-shelf international and domestic spirits at one of the numerous bars.
    Family-Friendly Amenities
    At Dreams Flora Resort & Spa, guests can spend the day lounging poolside at one of multiple pools, including kid-friendly and adult-only options, or playing on the powdery white-sand beach overlooking the gorgeous turquoise and blue shades of the Caribbean Sea. Catering to families, the water park offers two waterslides and a pool for guests of all ages, while the Explorer’s Club for Kids ages 3-12 offers a supervised children’s program with activities such as arts and crafts, a playground, weekly campout adventures, treasure hunts, an indoor game room and video games.
    For teens looking for more independence, the Core Zone Teens Club offers a supervised program for ages 13-17 and offers a variety of activities including social events, snack bar offering non-alcoholic drinks, video games, movies on the beach, and more.
    For unmatched relaxation, the world-class Dreams Spa by Pevonia® offers innovative treatments for a relaxing and rejuvenating experience, along with a variety of body treatments, massages and facials to invigorate the senses, stimulate the body and refresh the mind. Kids and teens looking to indulge have a special menu featuring a variety of treatments such as facials, massages, manicures and pedicures, and hair accessories.
    To book an upcoming stay or to learn more about Dreams® Flora Resort & Spa, visit DreamsResorts.com/DreamsFlora or @dreamsresorts.

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    Beijing Set to Become World’s Largest Travel & Tourism City Destination Says WTTC

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    Beijing Set to Become World’s Largest Travel & Tourism City Destination Says WTTC

    Research by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed that within the next decade, Beijing will overtake Paris to become the world’s largest Travel & Tourism city destination. The report, sponsored by Visa and researched in partnership with Oxford Economics, ana-lysed key indicators such as Travel & Tourism’s contribution to GDP, employment and trav-eller spend.
    But while long term the outlook for a number of Chinese cities looks positive, prolonged travel restrictions and border closures slowed down the recovery in the short term.
    WTTC studied the impact of the Travel & Tourism sector in four major cities across China; Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Shanghai and found a mixed picture across the four city destinations.
    In all four cities the sector’s GDP contribution last year almost fully recovered back to 2019 levels.
    The GDP contribution from the sector to Beijing and Chengdu’s economy in 2022 was just 4% and 2% below 2019 levels respectively ($34BN and $5.4BN), compared to $31BN and $5.5BN. ADVERTISEMENTLast year, the Travel & Tourism’s GDP contribution in Guangzhou and Shanghai was around 7% below 2019 levels. In Guangzhou the sector contributed $13.2BN in 2022 compared to $14.1BN pre-pandemic, while in Shanghai, the sector contributed $29.7BN compared to $31.5BN in 2019.
    Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “China has long been a world-favourite holiday destination and after more than two years of disruption, it’s great to see tourists heading back. Tourists provide a massive boost to both the economy and job creation.
    “It is crucial that the national and local governments continue to recognise the importance of Travel & Tourism for the local and national economies, jobs and businesses.”
    Jobs on the rise
    In 2019, there were 1.35MN people employed by the Travel & Tourism sector in Beijing. But in 2020 this figure dropped to 1.16MN (-15%). In 2021, employment grew by more than 5% and is expected to have grown a further 4% in 2022 to reach 1.27MN jobs.
    In the other three cities, it’s a similar picture.
    Before the pandemic, there were 1.32MN Travel & Tourism jobs in Shanghai, but this num-ber fell to 1.13MN in 2020 (-14%). A 10% rise in 2021 saw the number increase to 1.25MN and it was predicted to see a slight increase to 1.26MN in 2022.
    In Guangzhou there were just over 603,000 jobs in 2019 but this dropped by 23% to just over 464,000. A slight 4% rise in 2021 saw jobs increase to just under 481,000 and WTTC is ex-pecting a 16.5% increase in 2022 to bring the total jobs to over 560,000.
    Chengdu is seeing an even stronger return to pre-pandemic levels. In 2019 there were 336,000 jobs in the city which dropped by 12% to just under 297,000 in 2020. The following year saw a small 5% increase to 311,000 jobs and last year the global tourism body is pre-dicting a 6% increase to 329,500 jobs – just 2% below pre-pandemic levels.
    Visitor spend struggles as borders have remained closed
    Due to the prolonged border closures imposed by the government, international visitor spend is taking longer to recover than in other countries around the world.
    But light is at the end of the tunnel. Whilst international visitor spend is still on average 53% lower in 2022 than it was in 2019, all of the cities analysed are showing modest year-on-year increases.
    International visitor spend in Beijing is just 41% what it was in 2019, with visitors spending a predicted $5BN in 2022 compared to $12.1BN in 2019. In Chengdu, international visitor spend is performing better than the capital with recovery at 61% of 2019 levels. Travellers spent $1.5BN in Chengdu in 2022 compared to $2.5BN in 2019. 
    Both Shanghai and Guangzhou have seen international visitor spend drop to 44% of 2019 levels. In Shanghai it went from $11.9BN before the pandemic to $5.2BN in 2022, while in Guangzhou it went from $4.3BN in 2019 to $1.9BN in 2022.

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    PortAventura World opens committed to growth inside and outside the resort

    PortAventura World has kicked off its longest season, which will last almost 300 days, with the expectation of exceeding 5.3 million visitors, after reaching 5.1 million in 2022The resort, which will hold its first Carnival for several consecutive weekends, inspired by the festivities in Rio de Janeiro and Venice, hopes to definitively win back international visitors this season, with estimates of up to one million French and half a million British and Irish visitors, and placing the focus on opening up to new international markets.
    During the presentation of the season, David García, General Manager of PortAventura World, explained that “we are beginning this new season with much enthusiasm, energy and great news. After closing 2022 with 5.1 million visitors and record revenues, this year we are clearly committed to growth. As such, we are open every month of the year and we have continued to invest in the customer through new products such as Carnival and the new attraction that will open in spring”.
    The early season has allowed the company to expand its workforce and generate up to half a thousand new hires, reaching a peak of 3,800 active employees at key times of the season with campaigns such as the resort’s first Carnival, Easter, Halloween and Christmas.
    Likewise, in 2023, the company will continue to grow sustainably moving outward, reinforcing its strategy of innovation and diversification. The company, which in 2022 acquired and began to manage two hotels outside the resort, has announced that it will continue to focus on growth in this new line.
    One of PortAventura World’s major novelties in the first half of 2023 will be the opening of the world’s first dark ride roller coaster ‘Uncharted’, developed in partnership with Sony Entertainment and with an investment of more than 25 million euros. As part of the creation of this new attraction, the company is preparing a pilot project for an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experience for people with disabilities, with the aim of spearheading change in how these customers experience the park.ADVERTISEMENTAlso in the ESG area, PortAventura World will continue to drive forward its sustainability commitments. In this regard, it will inaugurate its photovoltaic plant, PortAventura Solar, which will cover a third of the resort’s energy needs.
    Video – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2005076/PortAventura_World.mp4

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    New Hotel Industry Consultancy Launched in Vietnam

    Maximising hotels’ potential, the Wafaifo Optimisers: (l to r) Pieter van der Hoeven, Managing Director; Uyen Ngo, Deputy Managing Director; Mikkel Krantz, Commercial Director
    A new hotel business consultancy, Wafaifo Optimisers, has been launched in Vietnam to serve hoteliers in the country and across Indochina.The three initial Optimisers will draw on many years’ of hotel industry expertise of its co-founders: Wafaifo Hospitality Managing Director, Mr. Pieter van der Hoeven, Commercial Director, Mr. Mikkel Krantz, and Deputy Managing Director, Ms Uyen Ngo.
    The Wafaifo Optimisers aim to appeal to local hotel owners in Indochina who want to emphasise local experiences for guests, maintain international quality hotel standards, and build profitability in a post-Covid-19 tourism era of growth.
    The Optimisers’ goal is to help hotel owners assess and evaluate the relationship that the hotel may have with a management company. The Optimisers will make sure that the right brand is on a hotel. They will help determine if an owner is ready to run the property themselves, or would be better served with an international brand.
    On sales and distribution, the Wafaifo Optimisers believe that with technological developments, efficient sales distribution doesn’t necessarily have to rely on major online travel agent platforms such as Booking, Expedia, Hotelbeds, Agoda and others, which can take over 20% in commissions.“Wafaifo Optimers will help independent hotels by conducting impartial, clear-eyed analysis of the hotel’s strengths, weaknesses and opportunities,” said Mr van der Hoeven.
    “Our aim is to empower hotel owners on strategic direction. With the owner, we will clinically evaluate whether the hotel is best served with a brand or operating independently. We will advise on pricing and positioning, create standard operating procedures and make sure the hotel meets the specific needs of its target markets,” he said.ADVERTISEMENTIn addition to ensuring that hotels are compliant with health and safety requirements and relevant tour operator needs, the Optimisers can also make recommendations on food and beverage, spa, guest services, housekeeping, sales and marketing policies, and more.
    “The needs and expectations of, for example, Western, Japanese, Indian and local guests vary,” said Mr van der Hoeven. “We will advise the hotel owner so that he or she can maximise results in an affordable and efficient way.”
    After researching the hotel sector across Indochina, Mr Krantz said that many hotel owners are questioning whether hotel management contracts still provide optimum profits – in particular the benefits of loyalty programmes, which are always being re-invented.
    “In these situations, Wafaifo Optimisers can come in and evaluate the hotel’s operations. We can then show the owners how they could potentially do it better and maximise results,” he said.
    With new sales distribution channels and direct booking websites, there are global, regional and local opportunities like never before, said Mr Krantz, adding that Wafaifo Optimisers are independent and can appeal to all sizes of hotel operations and budgets.

    The consultancy launches at an optimistic time when Vietnam’s GDP growth for 2022 was 8.02% (the highest rate since 1997), neighbouring China has lifted its Covid-related travel restrictions, and Vietnam Airlines reported that it carried 18 million passengers in 2022, up from 6.1 million in 2021.
    In 2023, the Vietnamese government also plans to spend heavily on infrastructure developments that will boost domestic road and air connectivity.
    On tourism arrivals in early 2023, Vietnam is seeing strong growth from relatively new markets such as India, the Middle East, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
    Against this backdrop, Wafaifo Optimisers are also developing the all-new Wafaifo Resort Hoi An, which is scheduled to open in the heritage city in central Vietnam in January 2024.
    The new consultancy has also launched a monthly market insight report on the latest hotel developments, GDP, aviation and topline travel industry news from Vietnam and the region. The intelligence they gather informs their policy recommendations to hoteliers.
    Hoteliers and others can subscribe to Wafaifo Optimisers monthly market insight reports at [email protected]
    Further information on Wafaifo Optimisers is available at Wafaifo.com.

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    Discover an Elevated Spring Break Vacation at Four Seasons Resort Orlando

    Spring break is just around the corner, and the warm spring sunshine and heated five-acre waterpark beckons families to enjoy an unforgettable getaway at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. Recognized as the No. 1 Best Hotel and No. 1 Best Resort in Walt Disney World according to U.S. News & World Report, marking the ninth consecutive year of being awarded a top ranking, the Resort offers incredible activities for kids of all ages and rejuvenating relaxation for parents.Nestled within 26 sprawling acres of lush Florida woodlands and tranquil lakeside scenery, in addition to the waterpark with lazy river, splash zone, and water slides, Four Seasons Orlando features an all-day complimentary kids club, the only adult pool within Walt Disney World Resort, Michelin-starred rooftop Capa Steakhouse and much more.
    Fun In The SunGuests of all ages will enjoy discovering “Explorer Island,” the Resort’s expansive water park featuring a winding lazy river with cascading waterfalls, a gradually sloping zero entry family pool, an interactive splash zone, two exhilarating water slides and more. Teens will stay entertained at “The Hideout” featuring the latest gaming systems such as virtual reality, multi-player PAC-MAN, interactive video table games and more. A multi-purpose turf court and basketball court provide even more options for active recreation, as well as table tennis, billiards, and foosball found at the “Ruinous Mansion” – serving as homebase for Kids For All Seasons, the Resort’s complimentary kids camp available daily for children ages 4 to 12.

    Children will have a blast at Kids For All Seasons, with a packed day of twice daily supervised swimming and indoor and outdoor activities designed by Sarah Peltier, Director of Recreation. Peltier brings an always-sunny and imaginative disposition to craft fun and creative activities. “It’s always a rewarding experience to create special memories for our little guests,” says Peltier. In addition to traditional poolside entertainment such as air brush tattoos, hair wraps, and balloon artistry, Kids For All Seasons offers daily activations including family game nights, dive-in movies at the family pool and much more. Teens will enjoy special evening activities such as nighttime scavenger hunts throughout Explorer Island, karaoke at The Hideout, and pickleball tournaments.
    Peltier, being the oldest of 13 siblings from a blended household, stresses the importance of balancing family time when on vacation. She says, “Quality time spent together is precious, and giving each family member the freedom to recharge with their own resort experiences makes the rest of the vacation journey that much more enjoyable.”ADVERTISEMENTOther fee-based activities are also offered, such as Explorer Island Takeover from 5-8pm and Teen Island Takeover from 8-11pm on Saturday nights, where parents can drop off kids for a few hours, to enjoy a romantic dinner.
    Relax and RestoreWhile kids are entertained at Kids For All Seasons, parents can retreat to the 18-treatment room spa, offering a wide array of innovative treatments including Ayurvedic Healing, Vibrational Sound Therapy, IV and IM Vitamin Vitality treatments, and private meditation sessions in the Somadome, a cocoon of healing lights and sounds utilizing binaural beats, color therapy and energy medicine with magnets and crystal therapy. The Spa offers expansive indoor and outdoor relaxation lounges including a co-ed tranquility terrace, solarium with zero-gravity wave loungers, steam rooms and al fresco whirlpools where guests can unwind pre or post treatment, or at any time during their resort stay. “The purpose of vacation is to leave feeling rested and rejuvenated, and we give guests the opportunity to do just that within the sanctuary of our Spa,” says Derek Hofmann, Senior Director of Spa.
    More relaxation awaits at the aptly named Oasis pool, exclusive for guests ages 21 and up. The chic, infinity-edge pool is lined with swaying palms, private cabanas and chaise lounges, complete with poolside cocktail service.
    For those who wish to stay active during their spring getaway, the resort offers three Har-Tru tennis courts and a variety of clinics, as well as a 24-hour fitness center featuring Peloton® bikes, on-demand digital classes, and daily complimentary live fitness classes ranging from yoga to boot camp. Private instruction is also available, including personal Pilates reformer sessions guided by the Resort’s talented fitness instructors.
    Golfers will love the 18-hole championship golf course at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando. Whether seeking challenging play fit for professionals or family fun on the Par 3 six-hole short course and 18-hole putting course, guests are sure to enjoy an incomparable golf experience within the picturesque setting of the Tom Fazio-designed course, a certified Audubon Sanctuary featuring varying elevations, abundant wildlife and protected wetlands.
    In addition to enjoying the immaculate spring weather outdoors, guests can retreat to the resort and enjoy shopping signature trunk shows with designer appearances at Wardrobe, the resort’s luxury boutique featuring designer apparel and fine jewelry.

    Culinary ExperiencesAfter a day spent poolside or exploring the nearby Walt Disney World Theme Parks, there’s no better way to refuel than with a Michelin-starred dinner at the rooftop Capa Steakhouse. Helmed by Capa Chef Malyna Si, the only female chef overseeing a Michelin-starred restaurant in Central Florida, the 17th floor restaurant features Spanish-influenced cuisine with a delectable array of tapas, locally-sourced seafood and wood-fired prime cuts including the pluma Iberico pork loin Si sourced from Extremadura, a prime 12-ounce bone-in filet, and a 16-ounce bone-in New York strip, both from Creekstone Farms in Kansas. There’s also a 12-ounce delmonico and a 16-ounce short rib, both PlatinumX wagyu level certified, a level above prime, from Jackman Ranch in Texas. Si takes pride in offering an elevated menu with unique and rare dishes, saying, “The practicality of my role is that everybody has to eat; the beauty of being a chef lies in the boundless possibilities to create.”
    In addition to these mouthwatering options, there are several signature dishes that are not to be missed, including the pan con tomate small plate, the bacon-wrapped and Marcona-almond stuffed datiles, and the cinammon sugar-dusted Churros de Madrid. The incredible cuisine is matched only by Capa’s stunning ambiance, featuring two outdoor terraces with views of the Walt Disney World Resort fireworks spectaculars.
    At Ravello, the resort’s modern Italian-restaurant which was also included in the Michelin Guide Miami, Orlando and Tampa, guests will delight in authentic Italian cuisine crafted by Executive Chef Fabrizio Schenardi, a native of Torino, Italy. Delicious pastas and pizza doughs are prepared with flour imported straight from Italy, and Fabrizio’s homemade limoncello is the perfect way to end any Italian feast. Plus, Ravello welcomes special guests every Thursday and Saturday morning, as well as select Tuesdays, for Good Morning Breakfast with Goofy & His Pals.

    With six different on-site dining establishments featuring global flavors from a diverse culinary team, guests are sure to find something to satisfy every palate.
    The Most Magical Place on EarthThere is no better time for guests to experience the magic of the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World® Resort, coming to an end March 31, 2023. However, guests can enjoy the excitement of the Disney Theme Parks all spring long with many on-site conveniences, including access to the Resort’s lobby level Disney Planning Center. Staffed by a Disney Cast Member, the Disney Planning Center team offers complimentary assistance with all Disney needs, including assisting guests with purchasing Park tickets conveniently on site, making Disney Park Pass and Disney dining reservations, and much more. Guests can venture to the nearby Disney Theme Parks with complimentary transportation in a luxury motor coach, and enjoy even more time to experience the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration with 30 minutes Early Park Entry to any Theme Park of choice daily.
    Visit www.fourseasons.com/orlando/offers for more information.

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    Melbourne Welcomes Visitors to Experience its Extravagant Events Season

    This March, Melbourne welcomes visitors back to participate in its exciting events season featuring a wide variety of entertainment offerings with distinguished talent from around the globe. Among the top events on the schedule this year include the world-renowned Melbourne Food & Wine Festival (March 24-30) and Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix (March 30-April 2).While Melbourne is known to have exciting entertainment year-round, its busy events season, candidly referred to as “Mad March” and “Awesome April” by locals, features some of their largest and most celebrated events. The season kicks off with Moomba Festival, Australia’s largest free community festival, and features other large-scale events such as PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival, and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
    “Victoria has the best line-up of events in Australia and we’re looking forward to a huge Mad March and Awesome April this year. Whether food and wine, sport, fashion or culture are your thing – there’s an event for everyone,” stated Brendan McClements, Chief Executive Officer of Visit Victoria.
    One of the most attended events during this time is the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival; best known for the “World’s Longest Lunch” – a special dining experience from a celebrated chef, served on a 2,000-foot table in Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens. The festival draws in impressive talent from around the world including Michelin-starred chefs and culinary experts for 10 days of interactive events, meals and masterclasses.
    “Melbourne’s beating heart is its thriving food and drink scene, and Melbourne Food and Wine Festival showcases some of Victoria’s best industry talent and diverse produce,” said McClements.
    Through the festival’s “Signature Chef Series” participants can learn from the best-in-class culinary minds, such as Melbourne-born Curtis Stone, or Chef Danny Bowien – known for his game-changing Mission Chinese Food. Or, visitors can experience Melbourne’s authentic culinary scene through its “Crawl and Bite” tours. These tours take participants around Melbourne for quick bites and drinks at various places to showcase the diversity of flavors that the city has to offer.ADVERTISEMENTThe special events give visitors the opportunity to encounter Victoria’s local culture, gastronomy and arts in an interactive and experiential way. This year, the Australian state is gearing up for an unprecedented events season complete with celebrations, celebrity guests, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences!
    For more information, please visit www.visitvictoria.com.

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    Trip.com launches TripGen: Your Real-Time Travel Guide

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    Trip.com launches TripGen: Your Real-Time Travel Guide

    Trip.com has launched TripGen, a chatbot designed to provide travellers with live assistance through cutting-edge AI technology. Trip.com implemented this technology to enable users to receive tailored travel routes, itineraries and travel booking advice in real time on the Trip.com platform.The newly launched consumer tool strives to make travel more accessible than ever with its all-in-one app strategy. Trip.com has long offered personalised comprehensive search solutions designed to meet travellers’ needs for the best flights, hotels, and travel guides. TripGen has taken this search capability one step further with an advanced context-based Natural Language Processing-integrated (NLP) chatbot. Users can ask complex or vague questions and get the exact answers they need to “Generate Your Dream Trip Just Like That”.
    Making pre-trip decisions and in-trip arrangements can be stressful. If you’re not a travel expert, the first obstacle for most is: Where should I go? What should I do? Of course, you can ask friends or search online, but inevitably this leads to more questions like, what’s unique about this place? How do I arrange my days? What’s it going to cost me? and so on. TripGen’s chatbot allows users to enter any fragmented travel-related questions, and receive instant suggestions for pre-trip decisions and in-trip arrangements, from flights and hotels to transportation and tours, making the whole process enjoyable and stress-free.
    Amy Wei, Senior Product Director at Trip.com Group and Product Owner of TripGen, shared her experience as a frequent traveller, “Time is precious, but planning is always so time-consuming and stressful. There is so much information available to users, and often it’s overwhelming. As a travelholic who visited over 40 countries, I completely empathise with other travellers’ pain points and difficulties in preparing for a trip.”
    Understanding the difficulties consumers face when planning and preparing for a trip, Amy and her team integrated AI technology to help solve this complex and stressful process, providing efficient and valuable real-time assistance. She added, “TripGen can provide travellers with closed-loop services before, after, and during their trip just as the saying goes, ‘You desire a trip, we generate the rest. Just like that!’”   
    Schubert Lou, COO of Trip.com said, “The goal of Trip.com is to become your trusted trip companion. The release of TripGen provides real-time, question-and-answer services in the Trip.com app, resulting in greater, faster, and more diverse support for travellers.”ADVERTISEMENT“TripGen currently supports English, Japanese, Korean and traditional Chinese. More languages will be added depending on user needs. On the technical side, TripGen has integrated the OpenAI API, which developed ChatGPT based on GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) architecture. In the future, we will consider other NLP model alternatives and continue on our journey to provide the ultimate product experience for travelers.”
    Why not take the guesswork out of your next trip and use Trip.com’s TripGen to create the perfect plan for your next adventure?

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