Eliana Willis

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    Little Gems by My Second Home stages weekend Valentine’s party exclusively for small dogs

    My Second Home, Dubai’s first and largest luxury pet resort, is inviting owners of small dogs to celebrate the month of love at a Valentine’s party for pets, taking place this weekend at Little Gems. Bring your petite pooch along to Little Gems, My Second Home’s newly opened facility exclusively for small dogs, for Valentine’s themed events, including prize competitions and photo opportunities. Open to both members and non-members, the event takes place from 4pm to 6 pm on Saturday, 17 and Sunday, 18 February. Saturday’s Valentine’s ‘pawty’ is for miniature breed weighing less than five kilogrammes, with dogs weighing up to 10 kg welcome on Sunday. Dress to impress for Little Gems’ Cupid Cutest Canine Contest, with prizes for the best owner-dog Valentine’s outfits. Plus, pucker up at the Smooch-A-Pooch photo booth and take away a Valentine’s pic to treasure forever. To book your spot, WhatsApp 054 247 1945, or email [email protected]Non-members must show their dog’s up-to-date vaccination record and a successful VacciCheck test on arrival. Little Gems, opened in December as part of My Second Home’s US$10 million expansion. With three facilities across Dubai and over 220 members, My Second Home offers unrivalled dog park, day care, boarding and pet grooming services, with a fully trained team on board to ensure pets are socialised in clean, safe surroundings. For more information on My Second Home, visit the website, email [email protected] or call 04 881 8002. 

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    Priceline Debuts New AI-Powered Trip Intelligence Features To Save Consumers Time and Money

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    Priceline Debuts New AI-Powered Trip Intelligence Features To Save Consumers Time and Money

    Priceline, the pioneering travel innovator, today unveiled its Winter 2024 Product Release featuring a new generative AI-powered slate of features, including major upgrades to Penny, its AI-powered travel assistant. The latest additions to Priceline’s Trip Intelligence suite make it the travel industry’s most comprehensive array of AI tools – including more than 30 new features to dramatically streamline the travel planning and booking process.At a time when overwhelming choice and options mean consumers spend an average of two full work days – 16 hours – on trip research and booking,1 Priceline’s smarter, faster, and more proactive tools can significantly reduce the time a customer spends on travel planning. The upgraded Trip Intelligence suite builds upon six months of real-world conditions and proprietary marketplace intelligence accumulated from Priceline’s millions of customers since the technology debuted in Priceline’s hotel category in June. The response has been overwhelmingly positive; the company estimates that travelers who used Penny saved an average of nearly ten minutes per trip compared to those who called customer support. Priceline is now rolling out Penny across all categories: hotel, flights, car rental and vacation packages.
    The enhanced Priceline Trip Intelligence suite debuts at a time of changing consumer demands and behavior. More customers seek ways to reduce the time and complexity in researching and booking trips, and they’re increasingly looking to AI to help them solve these challenges. Priceline’s study found that more than half of travelers say they’d use AI tools to cut down on time, eliminate hours of onerous research and secure the best deals. Of those familiar with generative AI, the vast majority (73%) said they’re receptive to using generative AI and believe it will streamline travel planning and booking. And further, 65% said it would make traveling easier and more enjoyable.1
    For its Winter Release, Priceline’s dedicated team of AI experts, prompt engineers, product developers and data scientists built integrated technology atop Google Cloud’s Vertex AI and OpenAI’s GPT-4 Turbo to significantly expand Penny’s capabilities and trip-planning impact sitewide. Penny can now save customers precious time by planning and modifying their trips – whether they need assistance with destination recommendations, finding the best deal or accessing always-on, personalized customer service. Priceline is also introducing personalized GenAI itineraries within its iOS App. No need to do lengthy research making plans – the upgraded App will now generate a suggested itinerary for you down to dining and activity options for your stay. Other time-saving features include a new wallet for organizing deals and coupons, ways to enable customers to skip check-in lines, and more.
    “After six months of expert, on-the-job training, Penny is ready to deliver an even more cohesive and personalized booking experience that saves people time and hassle,” said Brett Keller, CEO, Priceline. “This is a continuation of Priceline’s tradition of revolutionizing travel with pioneering technology. We began fully integrating generative AI early last year, and our tools and features will only get better as customers and partners engage with them more and more.”
    Priceline customers can expect to find over 30 new features and upgrades starting today, including:ADVERTISEMENTPenny: Increasing its remit beyond the hotel category to flights, car rentals and vacation packages, Penny, the GenAI-powered travel assistant, is now ready to greet travelers on the Priceline home page, taking them from inspiration through planning, booking and even modifying their dream trip after they’ve booked.Discover with Penny: Discover new destinations directly from the Priceline home page, with Penny intelligently suggesting relevant properties and travel packages reflecting specific needs and personal travel styles as customers search for the right match. For example, “suggest sunny and family-friendly destinations within a three hour flight of NYC.”Troubleshoot with Penny: Quickly modify itineraries, connect with live help agents, check the status of a refund, and access important travel information – available all in one place by chatting with Penny.GenAI Itineraries: Leveraging GPT-4 Turbo, Priceline iOS app users can automatically craft in-depth itineraries for their entire trip, including can’t-miss activities, restaurants and nearby attractions.Priceline Wallet: A one-stop portfolio feature enabling Priceline customers to save coupons, monitor expiration dates, and track airline credits in a single location.Price Watch: To ensure customers never miss a deal, they can now track desired flight itineraries (including flexible options and multiple airports for fare comparison) in the Priceline App, and receive prompt notifications when prices change.Cabin Comparisons in Search: Results for all domestic flight searches are enhanced with cabin and seat comparisons, enabling customers to quickly evaluate cabin attributes, pricing, upgrade options, and other enhancements.Skip the Counter and Online Rental Car Check-In: Priceline customers can skip the rental car counter or significantly reduce counter wait times by checking-in online ahead of time with select partners.Multi-Passenger Cancellation and Rebooking: Bypass speaking with an agent and rebook tickets for select airlines for the whole family with airline credit, directly with Priceline. (Coming Soon)Priceline App Experience: Major design improvements implemented across all platforms, including overhauls for iPad and Android. The inclusion of Trip Timeline also affords users an at-a-glance view of all upcoming travel dates in one place. Beginning in March iPhone users will receive Live Activity updates on their lock screen containing useful real-time information about their flights. Additionally, a new iOS integration allows users to begin searching for hotel deals and car rentals from the convenience of Spotlight Search.Offers in the PayPal App: Priceline has joined forces with PayPal for the upcoming launch of their new offers platform. Beginning later this year, Priceline expects to provide personalized cash-back offers to consumers in the PayPal app for use when purchasing their travel on Priceline and checking out with PayPal – helping them get to their happy place for a happy price.Priceline continues to swiftly travel into new territories of customer satisfaction, propelled by their data-driven, technology-powered philosophy of innovation. With Penny’s new feature set and category defining Trip Intelligence suite, Priceline promises to get their customers to their happy place at a happy price even faster – and with more confidence – than ever before.
    “Booking with confidence and saving time are absolutely key for our customers,” said Kevin Heery, Chief Product Officer. “Our expanded Trip Intelligence suite will enable Priceline to further anticipate travelers’ needs, helping them book their trip with ease and peace of mind seamlessly and faster than ever before.”
    To celebrate the launch of the new Trip Intelligence features, Priceline is offering a 10% discount on Express DealsⓇ, exclusively through Penny.  Simply ask Penny, “can you get me a deal?” to reveal the code and book by February 27th to take advantage of this special offer.
    The new features are now live across Priceline.

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    LEGOLAND® New York Resort Soars into the 2024 Season by Partnering with Local Ski Mountain

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    LEGOLAND® New York Resort Soars into the 2024 Season by Partnering with Local Ski Mountain

    LEGOLAND® New York Resort is giving guests a fun way to groove while they move when visiting the Park this summer with the addition of its newest attraction: The Minifigure Skyflyer. Opening this summer, the new gondola-style ride – a first for LEGOLAND® Resorts – offers an interactive new way to travel between themed lands of the Park.
    In anticipation of the new ride, LEGOLAND New York Resort has partnered with Belleayre Mountain to give families an early taste of what’s to come and bring the same party-in-the-sky experience to life via two specially-themed ski gondolas. Starting today through April (weather permitting), skiers can catch a lift on two special gondola pods on The Catskill Thunder Gondola wrapped in the image of the LEGOLAND New York Minifigure Skyflyer Pirate Party Pod as an immersive and fun-filled way to ride to the top of the ski mountain.
    Belleayre skiers who catch a ride on the LEGOLAND New York Minifigure Skyflyer gondola pods can scan a QR code and receive exclusive access to “Kids Go Free” tickets, with the purchase of an adult ticket, so families can return to LEGOLAND New York this summer and be one of the first to ride the real Minifigure Skyflyer.
    It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane! It’s the Minifigure Skyflyer!
    LEGOLAND New York guests can expect a fully immersive, interactive experience on the Minifigure Skyflyer from queuing to disembarking. Prior to boarding, guests can help “charge” the cable car batteries through hand-powered cranks then follow the rainbow road before reaching the boarding platform’s disco-themed dance floor. Complete with LEGO® brick disco ball lights, the dance floor invites families to show off their most imaginative dance moves to help the Minifigure Skyflyer truly fly!ADVERTISEMENTBefore boarding, guests are greeted by the Resort’s famous minifigures who tell the story of how they designed and built the new Minifigure Skyflyer – but they need guests’ help to make it fly. Once in flight, families can use their imaginations to help “power” the ride through movement as they dance while traveling across the Park with the best views over MINILAND and more – all from the sky!
    Once aboard one of seven individually themed Party Pods, ranging from pirates to space to disco, it’s time to partake in the in-flight interactivity features. Guests will learn how to speak like a pirate, talk in a space alien language or participate in a sing-along all while flying through the sky. All pods are ADA accessible and seat up to ten people.
    “There’s a lot to enjoy at LEGOLAND New York, but it’s a big Resort and our fans asked us for more ways to move easily from the upper and lower levels of the Park,” said Divisional Director of LEGOLAND New York Stephanie Johnson. “We take our guests feedback seriously and the Minifigure Skyflyer gives them a way to do exactly that while igniting creativity, sparking imagination, and inspiring movement through disco and dance.”
    Family flyers who enjoy the Belleayre gondola party pods are encouraged to snap, post and share their experience tagging @LEGOLAND.NewYork as you party through the sky. To learn more and buy tickets for the upcoming season, visit https://www.legoland.com/new-york/.

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    Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center Officially Opens Its Doors

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    Ethiopian Airlines Unveils State-of-the-Art Gode Ugaas Miraad Airport Terminal

    Ethiopian Airlines Group, the largest airline group in Africa, is pleased to announce the finalization of Gode Ugaas Miraad Airport Terminal building and aircraft parking with taxiway construction Project. The new state of the art airport terminal has been opened for service in a grand inauguration in the presence of H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed Prime Minister of Ethiopia and H.E Mustafe Mohammed Omer President of the Somali Regional State.
    The project which took three years for completion has unveiled a new terminal building having a total built-up area of 3,500sq, a new apron having a capacity to handle four De Havilland Q400 or B737 aircraft at a time, ancillary buildings such as airport rescue and firefighting station, water reservoir, and parking areas among others.
    Regarding the inauguration of the new passenger terminal, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said, “We are truly pleased with the launching of Gode Ugaas Miraad Airport Terminal building and aircraft parking with taxiway construction project as it will upgrade the airport experience of our passengers traveling to/from the city of Gode. It is also a step forward in the work we do to elevate our domestic airport facilities to a higher level. The inauguration of this new terminal showcases our commitment to enhance our domestic operations alongside our international ones. Gode will neither be the only nor the last airport we will work on constructing and/or renovating. Construction of similar airport terminal is progressing well at Jinka, Kombolcha, Goba/Robe and Bahir Dar airports. It is with great honor and pleasure that we work on these projects and play our part in our country’s tourism and socio-economic growth.”
    The new state of the art airport terminal is equipped with the latest technology airport facility amenities including a solar system to allow for a smooth and convenient travel via the airport.
    Ethiopian Airlines plays a significant role in regional connectivity with its more than 22 destinations in the country. Ethiopian Airlines operates daily flights to/from Gode. Gode being the third airport in Somali Regional State next to Jigjiga and Kebridahar, passengers can travel between Jigjiga and Gode directly without having to transit via Addis Ababa. Gode Airport has been among the airports that Ethiopian has taken a project on to enhance the facilities.ADVERTISEMENTSince the acquisition of the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise by Ethiopian Airlines Group as a Strategic Business Unit (SBU) in 2017, Ethiopian Airlines Group has taken over the administrative role including construction and renovation projects of airports in the country.

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    Manchester Airport Records Busiest January Ever, Anticipates Continued Growth with New Routes

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    Manchester Airport Records Busiest January Ever, Anticipates Continued Growth with New Routes

    It is the second consecutive record-breaking month for the airport, which also had its busiest December yet.
    Dubai was the most popular destination for travellers in January, with winter sun seekers heading there either to enjoy its attractions or to connect to other far-flung destinations.
    February is set to be a busier month at the airport with half term for many schools starting this week. Almost 700,000 passengers are expected between Friday, February 9 and Sunday, February 18, with the most popular destinations set to include Tenerife and Alicante.
    Those passengers can feel confident of a good experience in the airport with data showing that during January 99.9% of passengers queued for less than 15 minutes to get to security – and nine out of 10 passengers waited for less than five minutes.
    Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said: ADVERTISEMENT“January can be a great time to travel – whether you’re looking to get a bit of sun or heading for the slopes for some winter sports, you can take advantage of things being a bit quieter and get some good offers – and we’ve certainly seen that here at Manchester Airport.
    “Our network of around 200 routes means we connect the people of the North to more destinations than any airport outside London and in practice that means that people here have real choice when it comes to their trips. So whether you’re travelling from Bolton to Bodrum or Bradford to Beijing, we have you covered all year round.
    “It’s half term for lots of families this week so we’re seeing one of our first really busy weeks of the year – but with 99.9% of our January passengers queuing for less than 15 minutes to get to security, we’re confident that all those jetting off this week will be able to start their holidays here at the airport.
    “We’re preparing for a really exciting year at Manchester Airport – we have a range of new routes launching – including Las Vegas from June and others still to be announced. We’re also continuing work on our award winning Terminal 2 as we reach the final stages of our £1.3bn transformation programme.”
    January’s most popular destinations were:
    1.    Dubai – 89,783 passengers
    2.    Dublin – 82,188
    3.    Amsterdam – 79,841
    4.    Tenerife – 76,960
    5.    Qatar – 60,948
    Manchester Airport is preparing for the launch of a number of new routes in the coming months including Virgin Atlantic flying to Las Vegas, making Manchester the only English airport outside London to fly direct to America’s West Coast, Royal Jordanian’s new service to Jordan’s capital Amman and Luxair’s flights to Luxembourg. This year will also see an increase in the service to Beijing with Hainan Airlines to make it daily.
    In January the airport also marked a year since work started on the final phase of its £1.3bn transformation programme. The airport’s brand-new Terminal 2 is already open but work continues and will see it double in size, meaning the modern facility will serve over 70% of the airport’s passengers when it is fully open in 2025.
    The first phase of the project was awarded the prestigious Prix Versailles in November, which recognises it as one of the most beautiful airport buildings in the world.
    Over the coming months the programme will reach a number of key milestones, including the announcement of new retailers, bars and restaurants to go in the new section of Terminal 2 and the activation of a new, state-of-the-art baggage system.

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    UN Tourism Secretary-General to Address Second Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference.

    H.E. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of United Nations (UN) Tourism, (formerly the United Nations World Tourism Organization – UNWTO) will deliver the Keynote Address during the opening ceremony of the second Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference, which will be hosted by Jamaica from February 16-17, 2024.
    The much-anticipated conference, which will be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, will be attended by local and international tourism stakeholders. These include government ministers from several countries, policy advisors, academics, executives of several international organisations, international business leaders among other key stakeholders. The conference forms part of efforts by the Ministry of Tourism and its tourism partners, including the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), to bolster resilience in global tourism. Day one of the conference will feature panel discussions on building tourism’s digital and infrastructural resilience, women in tourism resilience and how to finance tourism resilience. Jamaica will also officially recognize the second annual Global Tourism Resilience Day during the conference on February 17.

    At last year’s World Travel Awards Jamaica was again named Caribbean’s Leading Destination for the 17th consecutive year with the Jamaica Tourist Board winning the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board award for the 15th year in a row.
    www.Worldtravelawards.comADVERTISEMENT

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    PM Holness, Minister Bartlett to Address Day 2 of Second Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference

    Prime Minister Andrew Holness will deliver the Keynote Address during the Live Celebration of Global Tourism Resilience Day on the final day of the second Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference. Minister Bartlett will also address the high-level summit.This year’s staging follows Jamaica’s efforts to bolster resilience in global tourism by proposing the official designation of February 17th as Global Tourism Resilience Day annually, which yielded great success, as the United Nations (UN) ratified the move last February to facilitate its observance globally. The much-anticipated conference will be attended by government ministers from several countries, policy advisors, academics, executives of several international organisations, international business leaders, among other key stakeholders. The event forms part of efforts by the Ministry of Tourism and its tourism partners, including the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), to boost resilience in global tourism. The Prime Minister’s address will be followed by remarks by international speakers from Malaga, Spain, Kenya, and Saudi Arabia. Following a brief book launch, a Ministerial Round Table discussion will be held with UN Tourism Secretary-General H.E. Zurab Pololikashvili and representatives from across the globe.
    At last year’s World Travel Awards Jamaica was again named Caribbean’s Leading Destination for the 17th consecutive year with the Jamaica Tourist Board winning the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board award for the 15th year in a row.

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    Dusit Thani Public Company Limited expands its operations in the luxury residential management area

    Dusit Hospitality Services, a subsidiary of Dusit Thani Public Company Limited (DUSIT), one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has expanded its operations in the luxury residential management segment by winning the contract to manage MARQUE Sukhumvit, a super luxury condominium which has the highest price per square meter in the Phrom Phong, Sukhumvit area, for the next three years, effective immediately.
    Designed to leverage the strength of the Dusit Thani brand in Thailand and the extensive experience of Dusit’s hotel teams, Dusit Hospitality Services (DHS) was formed in early 2019 offering specialised services for hotels and hospitality businesses based in Bangkok.
    DHS focuses on three key areas: facility services and management for the luxury housing market; advisory and training services for residential project operators seeking to deliver five-star service excellence; and Dusit on Demand, an on-demand housekeeping, engineering, banqueting, and stewarding service, which currently works with 10 hotels in Bangkok.
    Luxury condominiums currently managed by DHS in Bangkok include Sukhothai Residences on Sathorn Road; COCO Parc Managed by Dusit Hospitality Services, developed by Ananda Development Public Company, on Rama IV Road; and now, the prestigious 205-unit MARQUE Sukhumvit condominium in Bangkok’s Khlong Toei district.
    “Managing MARQUE Sukhumvit marks an exciting new chapter for DHS’s expansion, and we are honoured to be awarded the contract,” said Ms Suphajee Suthumpun, Group CEO, DUSIT. “Born from a dual vision to fill the gap for five-star service in luxury residences and provide new opportunities for our displaced staff during the redevelopment of our flagship Dusit Thani Bangkok hotel, DHS embodies our commitment to balance, expansion, and diversification, and delivering our unique brand of Thai inspired gracious hospitality in innovative ways. Since 2019, DHS has flourished, and I have unwavering confidence that our renowned service, facility management expertise, concierge services, and ‘Dusit on Demand’ housekeeping services will propel us even further.”ADVERTISEMENTThe contract with MARQUE Sukhumvit’s residential juristic person entrusts DHS with the vital task of providing exceptional customer service and care to residents. Leveraging Dusit’s 75-year legacy of hospitality excellence and its diverse service portfolio, DHS aims to take the residential experience at MARQUE Sukhumvit to new heights.
    Mr Supakit Tiyawatchalapong, Managing Director of Dusit Well-Being Hospitality, said, “Signing the facility management contract with MARQUE Sukhumvit marks another significant milestone for DHS. We are delighted that the MARQUE team recognises the unique value we offer, not just five-star service standards but the ability to elevate residents’ well-being and enhance their property’s value. This three-year contract, the longest awarded by MARQUE’s Executive Committee, is a testament to our expertise, and we look forward to delivering exceptional service to residents.”
    Mr Tiyawatchalapong added that, alongside the target of adding 8 – 10 facility management projects each year, DHS will also seek to expand its advisory and training services for residential project operators and promote Dusit On Demand as an effective solution to the labour shortage facing many owners and operators in the hospitality and condominium management sectors.
    “The demand for solutions like Dusit on Demand underscores the pressing challenge of workforce shortages in our industry,” said Mr Tiyawatchalapong. “In response, our team has collaborated closely with both public and private sectors to address this gap by offering targeted training programmes that align with market needs. Our innovative Housekeeping Certificate Programme, featuring Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels, provides a tailored approach based on individual skills and availability. This flexibility empowers businesses to select housekeeping services that suit their specific requirements and budgets – a distinctive edge in today’s competitive market. This approach, coupled with our commitment to continuous improvement, ensures we are positioned to drive sustainable growth for our business in the months and years ahead. We now aim to capture a 10-15% increase in facility management market share, solidifying our position as a leader in luxury residential service.”
    Alongside providing its various services for third-party developers and property owners in Bangkok, DHS will also oversee Dusit’s very own ultra-luxury condominium project, Dusit Residences and Dusit Parkside, part of the highly anticipated Dusit Central Park mixed-use development currently under construction opposite Lumpini Park in the heart of Bangkok.

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