organisations-operators

The Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica is undergoing significant modernization designed to transform it into a world-class facility. Business interests and stakeholders say this is expected to result in the airport’s repositioning to be on par with corresponding facilities in developed countries.
They cite the programmed US$70-million runway expansion, opening of the world’s first Bob Marley (One Love)-branded restaurant, expansion of the immigration hall and departure lounge, and upgrade of outbound security, landside roads, and parking arrangements as developments that can potentially compare with any of those at the top airports globally.
“When the dust is settled on all of these projects, we are talking about [comparisons with] Heathrow, Atlanta, JFK, Qatar, Dubai… you name the airport,” Senior Strategist/Adviser in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright said.
“When guests fly [into Jamaica] from wherever they are coming, there will be that ‘wow’ factor. MBJ Airports Limited must be commended for… the tireless work… and the vision to make this possible. That Bob Marley One Love restaurant and the runway extension will be something else.”
MBJ Airports Limited is the operator of Sangster International Airport, which connects Jamaica with more than 60 international destinations.ADVERTISEMENTA record 4.7 million passengers used the airport in 2019, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chief Executive Officer of MBJ, Shane Munroe said the plan is not only to modernize, but to also make the airport so aesthetically appealing that it will assume the characteristics and flair of an attraction.
Munroe notes that with Sangster International Airport being Jamaica’s busiest gateway and the number-one airport in the region, the onus is on MBJ to keep raising the bar, thereby creating seamless ease of travel for visitors.
“There are other works being undertaken to modernize the Sangster International Airport and provide a seamless experience for passengers. Several projects are scheduled to commence this year to further improve the infrastructure at the airport,” he said.
“These include the expansion of the immigration hall to increase queuing and processing capacity, and the construction of a lounge for air-to-sea passengers to provide a dedicated arrivals space for landing procedures and coach transfer to the cruise ship pier. Additionally, several improvements will be made to upgrade the landside road and parking infrastructure to increase capacity.”
Munroe shared that the runway expansion works are on schedule and are expected to be completed by June 2023.
He noted that the extension will allow for the establishment of Runway End Safety Areas (RESAs), in keeping with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and improving safety in that area.
Sangster International Airport, located east of Montego Bay, has been named the Caribbean’s Leading Airport by World Travel Awards for 14 years.
Source: www.caribbeannationalweekly.com

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Destination Canada, the national tourism organization, introduced its new global brand strategy to put Canada on the map as the destination that inspires openness. This new brand strategy will be unveiled through a series of traditional and unconventional marketing initiatives that aims to increase Canada’s competitiveness as a destination and drive international high value guests to visit Canada.The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced bold choices and new ways of marketing the destination. Canadians represented 8 out of 10 tourism dollars spent last year, a formidable contribution to the recovery. With these domestic travellers set to exodus this Spring for international travel, Canada needs to fill the gap and bring back international travellers, especially from the US, Canada’s largest inbound market and biggest opportunity for revenue recovery.
“Our valued guests want more than a travel experience – they want a space for growth, enrichment and true transformation,” says Gloria Loree, Destination Canada’s Senior Vice-President, Marketing Strategy & Chief Marketing Officer. “In a world that makes us feel trapped, Canada’s unique blend of openness helps us break free. It’s Canada’s open spaces, open hearts and open minds, that offer the space that travellers crave and will help us as a nation brand stand out in the fiercely competitive travel marketplace.” 
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This bold brand ambition is pushing Destination Canada to embrace unique ways of engaging a global audience. Through a first-of-its kind partnership with TED, Destination Canada is creating a global conversation about openness. Through masterful storytelling by remarkable Canadians, they are encouraging new conversations about the destination, and pushing people to rethink what they already know about Canada. These TED Talks were filmed today in New York City and will be published on TED.com starting in the Spring. Destination Canada will share with its key leisure markets, as well its Business Events markets.
“TED’s mission of Ideas Worth Spreading is perfectly aligned with Destination Canada’s theme of Openness – we are thrilled to offer the TED stage as a place for extraordinary Canadians to share their ideas with the world,” says Lindsay Levin, Head of Partnerships + Impact, TED.ADVERTISEMENT“From breathtaking outdoor landscapes to authentic Indigenous experiences to incredible urban and culinary journeys, Canada’s openness and inclusiveness make possible the memorable experiences that people carry with them for the rest of their lives,” says the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance. “There’s no doubt Canada is the place to visit, any time of the year, and we welcome you with open arms!”
Destination Canada unveiled its new brand positioning with a campaign that invited Americans to take a new kind of leave – a Maple Leave and escape for a stress-free vacation to Canada. Destination Canada also launched its Open If You Are campaign in the US which challenges certain myths and misconceptions that are stopping guests from thinking about Canada as a long-haul travel destination and aims to inspire, surprise and immerse travellers in Canada’s experiences, as well as its unique blend of openness.
Additional brand campaigns will be launched throughout 2023 as Destination Canada finds new ways to invite guests to experience Canada’s open spaces, open hearts, and open minds.

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Yvette Keller is a lifelong fan of the British writer, Douglas Adams, best known for the 5-book, science fiction humor “trilogy,” The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.The Santa Barbara, California-based writer now invites Adams fans and London tourists to experience all things Adams through a new literary guide, “Douglas Adams’ London,” published by Herb Lester Associates. Pre-orders are now available at www.herblester.com with a ship date of March 11, chosen because it is Adams’ birthday.Adams lived and worked in London for decades. “Douglas Adams’ London,” is a hitchhiker’s guide to 42 places (chosen honor of Hitchhiker’s reference to the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything) drawn from the reality and fiction of Adams’ life. On one side, a stylized map pinpoints relevant sites across London. On the reverse, detailed information about each site spotlights its significance to the author.
From Shepherds Bush to Highgate, the map leads tourists along the streets that Adams knew and cared about, noting the rampant development of his beloved Islington, “Grim concrete monoliths, eyeing the new spaces in Upper Street where they hoped to spawn their horrid progeny.” Expressing the timeless joy Adams referred to Hyde Park as, “stunning except for the rubbish on Monday mornings.”
Keller’s pilgrimage to walk in Adams’ footsteps began very simply. It began with her 42nd birthday and a book, one she is writing to share her experiences with other fans. “By exploring the meaningful places in Adams’ life, you start to see how reality and fiction came together for him,” Keller explained. “Character, setting, and author, intersect with reality, and, as Douglas said, ‘If you’re going to set it in London, you may as well set it where you live because you know it. There’s no point in setting it in Putney if I’ve then got to get a bus down to Putney to see what the layout is.’”
Ben Olins is the director at Herb Lester Associates. He was intrigued by how real and imagined worlds overlap. So, to explore real places from the work of an author best known for Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was, in his words, “irresistible.” The publisher is no stranger to literary maps. The company’s “guides to the unexpected,” include Agatha Christie’s England, Occult Paris, and New Orleans Good Times.
ADVERTISEMENT“One’s first thoughts of places included in a galactic travel guide don’t include the north London estate agents and residential streets. But places he (Adams) knew are used throughout his books,” Olins said. “In charting all of that, I hope we bring to life the world Adams inhabited, and in doing so perhaps bring readers closer to a writer they admire.”
Those who pre-order the Douglas Adams’ London guide directly from Herb Lester Associates have an opportunity to order a set of six coasters gathered from fictional pubs and clubs across the Hitchhikers universe. (Check out the author’s unboxing video here.)
While supplies last, they will also receive a seventh, exclusive beer mat from Milliways – The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. The guide will be available to fans in the United States beginning April 15. For more information, or to order, visit www.herblester.com.

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