Events, Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

With the busy summer travel season fast approaching, The Bahamas is gearing up to welcome visitors with deals and promotions, the return of highly anticipated festivities and brand new cultural events. With increased airlift to the destination, visiting this summer is easier than ever.
Grand Bahama Island Launches a New Cultural Experience – Catch the new Port Lucaya XPERIENCE at Port Lucaya Market Place in Grand Bahama from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday through 10 June of this year, which will feature Bahamian cooking demonstrations, Junkanoo performances, local music, and more.
The Walker’s Cay Invitational Fishing Competition Returns – The state-of-the-art Walker’s Cay Marina will host its second annual Walker’s Cay Invitational from 18 to 21 May, a tournament in which up to 45 boats will compete for the biggest catch.
The Annual Backyard Festival Returns to Harbour Island – Locals and visitors are invited to attend the Annual Backyard Festival on 21 May, to be held on the historic Bay Steet in Harbour Island. Cultural festivities include Bahamian cuisine and a celebratory Junkanoo rushout.
Coral Vita Now Open to the Public – The Earthshot Prize winning coral restoration farm Coral Vita is now open to the public. Starting at $15, visitors can book an interactive tour to learn more about the importance of ocean conservation. ADVERTISEMENTTropic Ocean Airways Partners with Wheels Up – Tropic Ocean Airways and Wheels Up are providing travellers with a larger selection of bookable flights from Fort Lauderdale to destinations across The Bahamas, including Nassau, Bimini and The Berry Islands.
Western Air Launches New Daily Flights Between Fort Lauderdale and Nassau — Western Air will introduce a daily flight to Nassau from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, beginning 19 May 2022. Travellers can book now without facing any change fees.
The Bahamas is considered the Caribbean’s Leading Luxury Island Destination 2021 by World Travel Awards.

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The German National Tourist Board is set to return to Arabian Travel Market (ATM) next month by unveiling of two campaigns to the GCC market, which will run throughout 2022. Germany’s presence at ATM, which takes place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 9-12, will feature a strong focus on local culture and its various cities.
Positioned in the Europe Hall at stand EU1235, GNTB’s participation will reinforce Germany’s efforts of enhancing sustainable travel and enjoy the support of six delegated partners: Baden-Baden Tourism Board, Breuninger, Frankfurt Tourism Board, Düsseldorf Tourism Board, Hotel Palace Berlin and visitBerlin.
Positioning Germany as a leading cultural and environmental destination, the two campaigns span nature, sustainability, and traditional culture. In essence, each highlights Germany’s key objectives of promoting enjoyable, sustainable travel with a focus on diverse local culture accessible throughout the country.
“We will be celebrating the Golden Jubilee of our long-standing friendships with the UAE, Bahrain, and Oman next month,” said Yamina Sofo, Director of Sales & Marketing, German National Tourist Office (GNTO), the regional office of GNTB. “Our relationship with the region has seen monumental growth as travellers from across the GCC have been exploring Germany’s vast itineraries for years. The appetite of GCC nationals to visit Germany’s cultural sites, national parks, and urban destinations remains undiminished, and we look forward to the continuous growth of our campaigns and regional appeal.”
Baden-Baden Tourism is set to highlight its latest accomplishment of being awarded UNESCO world heritage status as part of the ‘Great Spa Towns of Europe’. Despite travel restrictions within the past couple of years, GCC visitors remains a top market in terms of arrival numbers for the area. And the same goes for Frankfurt, situated two hours further north.ADVERTISEMENT“The GCC market is one of the most important source markets for Frankfurt because of its central location in the heart of Germany, numerous excursion possibilities, an extensive range of shopping facilities, and a relaxed atmosphere,” added Leona Flach, Manager Tourism Marketing, Frankfurt Tourism Board. “Frankfurt is a multicultural metropolis that offers an ideal holiday destination for Arab travellers, and we are keen to further expand our network within the travel industry, as well as strengthen the image of Frankfurt as a travel destination.”
With the GCC region being one of the top three overseas market for Breuninger, the leading European department store looks forward to welcoming GCC travellers back to the region to a world full of luxury and service. “We have been active in this market for several years and look forward to establishing and expanding business contacts in the market at ATM 2022.” Said Christian Witt Director Corporate Communications, E. Breuninger GmbH & Co. Berlin, meanwhile, is looking to the Arabian Travel Market as the perfect opportunity to grow its foothold in the Gulf.
“We look forward to our contribution at ATM 2022,” Ralf Ostendorf, visitBerlin’s director market management and media relations, said. “With last year’s successful participation, we see the event as an ideal platform to communicate and engage with potential regional partners, as well as strengthen our existing relationships.”
The Hotel Palace Berlin, the privately run luxury business hotel, will also be presenting more than 100 remodelled guest rooms as part of its renovation project. With the GCC region being a top priority for the hotel, ATM is an essential platform for the business, particularly prior to the summer holidays. “I am looking forward reconnecting with existing associates and to meet new potential partners in order to mutually benefit from each other” says Mr. Michael Frenzel, General Manager The Hotel Palace Berlin.
Dimitri Belov, head of health marketing, Düsseldorf Tourism Board, added: “The GCC region is very important for Düsseldorf. Many of our guests from the Gulf visit the city during the summer break and are known to appreciate the luxurious infrastructure of the state capital. We are prepared for guests from the Middle East and our participation at ATM will stress that sentiment as we are expecting 20 per cent growth in arrivals from the region this year and hope to reach 100,000 overnight stays in 2023.”
ATM this year will take a hybrid approach with an in-person four-day event at Dubai World Trade Centre from May 9-12, followed by virtual webinars and video meetings from May 17-18.
GNTB will be hosting an official press conference during ATM at 1pm on May 9 at the Al Ain B on the first floor of Concourse 1 to provide further updates.

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Minister of Tourism for Jamaica has welcomed the record number of British visitors who graced the island’s shores in February. The Minister, who was joined by Minister of Culture, Gender Entertainment and Sport, Hon Olivia Grange, made the announcement at the official launch of the island’s 60th anniversary of Independence under the theme ‘Reigniting a Nation for Greatness’.
Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, speaking at the official launch of Jamaica 60 celebrations in the UK
“This record number of British nationals to Jamaica is a sign that the destination is well on its way to recovery. It also speaks to our assurance of a safe, seamless and authentic experience in Jamaica
Usually, we welcome around 15,000 British visitors monthly and this increase is a positive sign that we doing what we set out to do which is to recover well,” said Minister Bartlett.
Minister Bartlett made the announcement in front of an audience of 200 industry leaders and media at White City Studio in London on Monday (April 25). The event included a slew of performances from artists such as saxophonist Lascelles James, poet David Neita, queen of lovers rock Carroll Thompson and reggae talent Bitty McLean.ADVERTISEMENTThe country is on track to welcoming 200,000 British visitors by year end and total visitor count of 3.2million overall.
Minister Bartlett encouraged the Diaspora to go back to Jamaica to rediscover their heritage and enjoy the matchless experiences in the island.
Jamaica is considered as the World’s Leading Family Destination by World Travel Awards.

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His Excellency Mr. Seth George Ramocan, High Commissioner for Jamaica to the United Kingdom, the Hon. Olivia Grange, Jamaica Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, and the Hon Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica Minister of Tourism, pictured at the official launch of Jamaica 60 celebrations in the UK.
Jamaica has formally launched the start of activities to mark the island’s 60th anniversary of Independence under the theme ‘Reigniting a Nation for Greatness’.
An audience of 200 industry leaders and media attended an event at White City Studio in London on Monday (April 25) enjoying performances from artists such as saxophonist Lascelles James, poet David Neita, queen of lovers rock Carroll Thompson and reggae talent Bitty McLean.
Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, and Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange launched the Jamaica 60 activities and confirmed the year would include a mix of exciting commemorative events and legacy projects.
Minister Bartlett said: “We are sixty. Sixty bold, brave years in which Jamaica and the Jamaican community has had an impressive impact on cultures around the world. We’ll be marking this anniversary with a year of cultural activity throughout the year making this the year to visit Jamaica. And we’ll also bring the celebrations to the UK with lots of activity around the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer.”ADVERTISEMENT“We’re delighted that our British visitor numbers are already getting back to pre-pandemic levels,” he said, “and our increased airlift and removal of Covid testing means we expect 2022 to be a true year of recovery. We expect to close 2022 having welcomed a total of 3.2 million visitors contributing more than three billion US dollars to our economy.”
Minister Grange said: “Our government has always taken the position that milestone celebrations such as Jamaica 60, must include projects that will benefit our country for generations to come. Among the legacy projects to begin this year are the redevelopment of the National Stadium, the establishment of a Jamaica Sports Museum & Sports Hall of Fame and the establishment of the Harry Belafonte National Concert Hall.”
Events and festivals planned for 2022 include:
The Kingston Biennial Exhibition: Pressure will open in the National Gallery of Jamaica National Gallery of Jamaica on June 26 2022 and close on December 31. Leading up to the opening there will be several interactive online seminars including The Cultural History of Art Institutions in Jamaica.
The Independence Village is an annual festival held in the week before Independence day and the Grand Gala on 6 August at the National Arena in Kingston. The Independence Village 2022 will run from July 29 to August 7 as a showcase of Jamaica’s rich culture and heritage it includes free family activities, concerts displays and markets.
Jamaica Rum Festival The Jamaica Rum Festival will be a celebration of Jamaica’s excellence in rum, art and music, with a mixture of virtual and in-person events in Montego Bay on Saturday June 2. Through live seminars, demonstrations and accompanied by live music, attendees will learn about the Jamaican rum process, the various types and the different ways it can be enjoyed in an interactive and enjoyable experience.
Bands and fetes are already gearing up for what will be Jamaica’s first summer Carnival. The Carnival in Jamaica has moved from its traditional April slot and will begin on July 1 and culminate in a grand road parade in Kingston on July 10.
Reggae Sumfest visitors will drench themselves in sound at Jamaica’s largest annual music festival which is acclaimed for performances from the best dancehall and reggae artists in the world, combined with tropical beach parties and street parties. This year Reggae Sumfest is being held in Montego Bay between 20 and 23 July and Shenseea has just been announced as its headliner. Outside the reggae scene, Shenseea is most well known for her collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion on ‘Lick’.
Jamaica is considered as the World’s Leading Family Destination by World Travel Awards.

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Qatar is delivering innovative environmental solutions to boost the sustainability goals associated with hosting this year’s FIFA World Cup™.
The FIFA Arab Cup™, which was held in November and December 2021, provided a testing ground for projects to be delivered during the World Cup. On Earth Day 2022, we take a look at Qatar’s environmental efforts to recycle and compost the organic waste produced from hosting major football matches.
More than 75 tonnes of organic waste was collected during the 19-day tournament and has now been turned into compost. A cohesive organic waste management system was implemented during the FIFA Arab Cup™ to achieve this. At stadium sites, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC worked to maximise the use of compostable food containers and cutlery, as well as building awareness with the workforce on the appropriate use of the waste segregation systems, which included a compostable green bin. The SC organised additional waste segregation activities and worked with Qatar-based Agricompost to compost organic waste produced during the tournament.
ADVERTISEMENTOrjan Lundberg, Sustainability & Environmental Expert at the SC, said: “Food waste is a major challenge around the world. Approximately a third of all the food produced for human consumption is thrown away. In addition, mixing organic waste with non-compostable packaging can make the treatment of such waste very difficult. We chose to turn this challenge into an opportunity during the FIFA Arab Cup.”
Lundberg added: “We learned so much from this project, including how to procure compostable consumables, how to segregate waste, and use the composting machines compatible with local farms. We are proud to be investing in our planet, and in a good place to deliver something bigger and better during the FIFA World Cup later this year.”
Nasser Al Khalaf, Chief Executive Officer at Agricompost, said: “No matter the type of organic waste, our recycling process aims to create compost that is suitable for growing plants, fruit and vegetables. Some of the waste can also be turned into animal feed. Basically, anything that came from trees, animals and plants can be recycled back into nature.”

He added: “The recycling process to turn waste into compost takes about four weeks. During the FIFA Arab Cup, we gathered about 5 tonnes per day. During the matches, we used special containers to recycle waste. The containers gathered waste in a closed space that has a biological filter which moves the air inside the containers. The temperature inside increases to 70C. This is where the different materials, food, agricultural or biological waste are decomposed in order for them to be turned into compost.”
During the FIFA Arab Cup™, 70% of waste from Al Bayt Stadium – which hosted the opening match and final – was recycled, with the remainder sent to a waste-to-energy plant.
Sustainability Progress at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™

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Lindiwe Sisulu, South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, is among the dignitaries speaking at the WTTC Global Summit 2022 in Manila, Philippines, with her focus on accelerating the recovery efforts in the travel and tourism sector.

South Africa’s tourism trade is significant contributor to the nation’s GDP and employs an estimated 1.5 million people. However, Covid-19 has had a significant effect on the sector.
The 2020 tourism report from Statistics South Africa showed that foreign arrivals into the country fell from 10.2 million to 2.8 million in 2019. Sisulu is tasked with rebuilding South Africa’s tourism economy to pre-pandemic levels.
The minister has supported the decision to scrap the PCR tests for people visiting South Africa, and is overseeing plans to host Africa’s Travel Indaba in May, one of world’s signature trade shows, after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. She has also expressed her delight as sporting codes, music festivals and other major conferences are now permitted, meaning more tourist in the country.ADVERTISEMENT“South African borders are open and we are ready to welcome regional and international visitors. Our globally-benchmarked norms and standards are in place to ensure the safety of all citizens and visitors alike,” Minister Sisulu said.
“Now is a great time to travel for business and leisure, come and explore our beautiful country, we stand ready to welcome travellers near and far,” she concluded.
Sisulu took up the Minister of Tourism role last August, bringing a wealth of international experience. Previously, she was the Minister of Human Settlements and Minister of International Relations (2018 – 2019). She holds an MA in History and an M. Phil from the Centre for Southern African Studies, University of York.
“Now is a great time to travel for business and leisure, come and explore our beautiful country, we stand ready to welcome travellers near and far,”
She was detained for political activism in 1975, and upon release joined Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). A keen student of history, she specialised in intelligence matters while undergoing military training.
Prior to her appointment as Minister of Public Service and Administration, she served government as a Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Intelligence, Housing and Defence.
South Africa was nominated for ‘Africa’s Leading Destination 2021’ at the World Travel Awards and was named winner in 2018.

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The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to advise that Thailand, in its role as the host of the APEC 2022, will hold the 11th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting and the 60th APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting in Bangkok from 14-20 August, 2022.

H.E. Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, said that the meetings will discuss the tourism direction after the COVID-19 crisis in the Asia-Pacific region to revitalise tourism in the region for the better, which the deliverable results will be reported at the APEC Leaders’ Summit. The tourism sector will reflect on the restorative strategy of the Thai economy by focusing on promoting tourism under the new normal of safety and health and providing service quality and consistency, and most importantly, supporting responsible tourism under the 5 factors of safe tourism – clean – love the environment – fair – and sustainable or Safe – Clean – Green – Fair – Sustainable.
In its leadership role as the host country, Thailand is aiming to push forward the APEC Policy Recommendations on Regenerative Tourism to pave the way forward for the future of tourism that ensures that the industry contributes to all types of well-being locally. This is in line with the Royal Thai Government’s Bio-Circular-Green or BCG Economy Model, which is being used to revive Thailand’s tourism industry with the aim for safe, inclusive, and sustainable travel. The BCG Economy Model capitalises on Thailand’s strengths in biological diversity and cultural richness, and conforms to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The arrangement of the event will be environmentally conscious and embrace the use and presentation of local products, which reflect creativity and local wisdom knowledge.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said “Thailand’s tourism transformation, in response to growing trends in the new normal era, is in a direction towards stronger and sustainable, more responsible, more digital, and more inclusive growth. These objectives are incorporated into TAT’s ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters’ marketing campaign, and are being used in the organisation and hosting of the various APEC events Thailand as the APEC host country will stage throughout the year.”ADVERTISEMENTThailand’s theme for its hosting of the APEC 2022 is “Open. Connect. Balance.” under which it is pushing forward three key priorities to develop the Asia-Pacific region. These include facilitating trade and investment with a refreshed conversation on the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific or FTAAP, promoting balance, sustainability, and inclusivity through the concept of the Bio-Circular-Green or BCG Economy Model, and restoring regional connectivity, particularly in the travel and tourism industry towards safe and seamless cross-border travel in the region, including the APEC Information Portal for Safe Passage as a one-stop portal for information on cross-border travel within the region and the proposal to expand the scope of the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) to cover a broader range of businesses and professionals as the world exits the COVID-19 era.
At the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November 2022, Thailand will propose the “Bangkok Goals on BCG Economy”, in response to the BCG Economy Model, Sufficiency Economy Philosophy, UN SDGs, and APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040. The paper is to serve as an affirmation of the 21 APEC nations’ commitment to pursue a more inclusive, balanced, and sustainable recovery from COVID-19 pandemic and achieve long-term environmental and climate objectives.

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High-level speakers from across UNWTO and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) came together for a virtual talk on how best to harness the enormous potential that tourism has for the development of rural areas and communities.
Representatives of the two agencies were joined by experts from the European Commission, as well by a number of entrepreneurs from the fields of agri-tourism and gastronomy, including representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and renowned international chef Fatamata Tarazid-Tarawali (better known as “Chef Binta”).
The scope of the ‘virtual coffee’, which was moderated by FAO’s Rosa Laura Romeo, was to establish new links and widen participants’ knowledge on the future challenges but also opportunities faced by tourism rapidly evolving in rural areas.
Tourism currently faces many challenges, including the ongoing pandemic, but also many opportunities. There is a chance of “building back better” especially through the involvement of rural communities and youth, in line with the UN’s motto for the 2030 Agenda of leaving no one behind.
According to Valentina Superti, Director for Tourism and Proximity in the European Commission´s DG GROW, recovery from the current global health crisis is already leading to the transformation of the tourism sector, which today supports 23 million jobs in the European Union alone. In particular, agri-tourism has been identified as one of the key elements in sustaining national economies as recover and build back more inclusively, sustainably and with greater resilience.ADVERTISEMENTIn particular, participants in the virtual conference highlighted several transversal areas that would need to be leveraged urgently accelerating this transformation in the tourism sector:
Creating more attractive employment opportunities;
Developing the basic infrastructure, such as hotels and transport routes;
Better integration of digital technologies in the ways tourism destinations are conceived and managed by the relevant authorities.
In this respect, Maciej Golubiewski, Head of Cabinet of the European Agriculture Commissioner, observed that agri-tourism fits across the main priorities of the current Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union. Participants also agreed on the need for tourism activities to be planned so as to both meet changing consumer demands and to benefit rural communitiesYoshihide Endo, presented an overview of the FAO’s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme.
Alongside this, UNWTO provided participants with an update on the Best Tourism Villages initiative. Launched in 2021, the initiative identifies and supports villages harnessing the power of tourism for opportunity and transformation. Illustrating the criteria of the BTV, the presentations of GIAHS sites in Spain (La Axarquía) and Slovenia (Brda-Collio) showed how agri-tourism best practices, such as strategising and marketing of products for tourists, could be applied across selected sites in Europe building on the region’s deep-rooted natural and cultural heritage. At the same time, the presentations of Chef Binta and representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Dr Frans Teguh, underlined how the character of tourism destinations is showcased through authentic local cuisine.

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