Events, Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group
Although IMEX may not officially start until tomorrow, IMEX week is already truly up and running with events today including the Agency Directors Forum; Association Focus supported by AC Forum, AMC Institute, ASAE, ESAE, Ethiopia Convention Bureau, Global Association Hubs, ICCA and Tel Aviv Convention Bureau; Exclusively Corporate supported by Hubilo, Los Cabos Tourism Board and Meliá Frankfurt City; MPI’s European Business Events Forum; Association Social; and SITE Nite Europe.
Tomorrow a series of future-focused sessions on the MPI and ICCA stage in Hall 9 will help us look ahead with sessions on how we redefine our roles as business drivers and strategist, what the new reality looks like and how the COVID-19 crisis has changed meetings and events.
Hall 9 is also home to a daily drop-in programme of stand-out education in the Inspiration Hub’s Ocean, Forest and Canyon rooms and the Listening Collective’s Listening Lab. Make time between sessions for the IMEX-EIC People and Planet Village and, most importantly, great coffee in the Hall 9 food court!

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Up, up and away! The IMEX team welcomes you to IMEX in Frankfurt 2022
TodayMake a blind date with knowledge first thing as SITE and the SITE Foundation share research to help you steer a course through COVID-19, conflict and climate change: 09:00-09:50, Dialog 9.2, Hall 9.
Head into the canyon at the Inspiration Hub, Hall 9, 10:30-11:15 to hear Skift Meetings’ Editor-in-Chief Miguel Neves give you the ultimate guide to event tech in 2022.
Join IMEX sustainability consultant, Eric Wallinger at MeetGreen, as he shows you how every decision you make around event food and beverage influences your environmental footprint or ‘foodprint’: 13:00-13:30, Inspiration Hub campfire, Hall 9.
Pink reigns supreme at tw’s Pink Hour with pink bubbly, pink cupcakes and pink hats, 16:00-17:00, stand G110. Or if a beer, rye-bread chips and a hygge time by the fire is more your thing, head to VisitDenmark, stand F260, 17:00-18:00.
And if you still have networking energy to spare after a busy day on the show floor, we’ll see you up on the Galeria’s roof terrace with the spectacular Frankfurt skyline as your backdrop, for dinner and drinks at the new incarnation of cim-clubbing @IMEX, organised by CIM and EVINTRA, sponsored by Ungerboeck and Aldiana. Register here.ADVERTISEMENTTomorrowThere’s only one place to be at 06:30 tomorrow morning, and it’s not under the duvet; it’s on the start line for the IMEXrun down on the river by the Holbeinsteg Bridge. Meeting at 06:30 for a 07:00 start. Register at VOQIN stand C350. Once you’ve registered, pick up your run t-shirt from sponsors, Italy, at stand D400. On your marks…

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A VisitEngland survey out today shows that 5.3 million Brits are definitely planning an overnight holiday break in the UK during the extended Bank Holiday weekend for the Platinum Jubilee, bringing an estimated £1.2 billion boost to the economy.
VisitEngland’s ‘Platinum Jubilee Weekend Trip Tracker’ survey also showed that well over a third, 19 million, are planning to take part in activities to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, from attending a ‘Big Jubilee Lunch’ street party to lunch in a pub, restaurant or café, to watching events on an outdoor screen or attending official celebrations. In addition, almost a quarter of those surveyed were still to decide.
VisitEngland Chief Executive Patricia Yates said:
“The upcoming Bank Holiday is a fantastic opportunity for an extra special short-break at home or a day-out, enjoying the once-in-a-lifetime celebrations and show-stopping events for the historic Platinum Jubilee. From afternoon teas and street parties to beacon lighting ceremonies, pageants and parades, people are set to celebrate with friends and neighbours in royal style.
“The long weekend is also set to bring a much-needed boost to the industry and destinations as the summer season gets underway and our outstanding tourism businesses will be very pleased to welcome you back.”ADVERTISEMENTLooking at those intending to take an overnight domestic break in the UK for the extended Bank Holiday weekend, the top destination type is ‘city or large town’ followed by ‘coastal town’.
The survey also showed that a further 2.6 million people were undecided about whether to take an overnight holiday trip in the UK during the long weekend. The top reasons were ‘waiting to see what the weather is like,’ ‘waiting to see if I can afford it’ and ‘not sure where I’d like to go.’
VisitEngland is nominated as Europe’s Leading Adventure Tourism Destination 2022 byWorld Travel Awards.

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The Seoul Tourism Organization has announced it participation in IMEX, the world’s largest MICE exhibition to be held in Frankfurt, Germany, for three days from May 29 to June 2 this year. In line with the full-scale resumption of international tourism and MICE, STO plans to come out strong with preemptive marketing activities to attract international MICE delegates attending IMEX Frankfurt 2022.
IMEX, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, is an exhibition specifically designed for MICE industry which draws 14,000 visitors from 170 countries and more than 70,000 business meetings. Expectations for this year are very high as attention is being paid to how different or similar international events, which have been canceled for the past two years due to the pandemic, will be this year comparing to the previous years.
The Seoul Tourism Organization prepared joint marketing activities with the participating Seoul MICE Alliance members, including group presentation sessions to expand potential clientele to come to Seoul for their MICE events. Buyers can reserve a PSA meeting with eight SMA members- Channel K, Euras Tech, People & Value, Grand Hyatt Seoul, Lotte Hotels Seoul, Sofitel Ambassador Seoul, VIAGEM, Communistar -beforehand through the official website or drop in during the event.
Also, STO prepared fun and engaging events created from globally popular K-contents, such as drama series including Squid Game to attract the attention of MICE organisers: Dalgona carving time, chimaek (chicken + beer) networking time, writing Korean names on traditional Korean fans, and taking photos with K-pop stars who lead Hallyu culture worldwide.
PARK Jin hyeok, director of the Seoul Convention Bureau said, “We expect our participation in this year’s IMEX exhibition will be a meaningful rebooting of Seoul’s standing as a complete MICE venue. With experienced and knowledgeable Seoul MICE Alliance members, we will continue our overseas marketing to enhance its position as the best MICE city in the world.”ADVERTISEMENT

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With exciting events planned across the UK for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 June, award-winning travel trade association UKinbound, whose 300 plus UK members service international visitors holidaying in the UK, shares its views on the upcoming festivities.
Joss Croft, CEO, UKinbound said “We are absolutely delighted to be celebrating Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. This joyous event will provide a vital and welcoming boost to the UK’s tourism industry and businesses up and down the country. Many of my members are preparing to welcome international visitors from across the world, who are making a special visit to the UK during the Jubilee period.
“We need to ensure that we take the successes of the Jubilee into the summer and autumn seasons, however the industry is facing a number of challenges to its recovery. We expect domestic tourism to reduce this year, with UK residents opting to take holidays abroad, however international visitors to the UK are only expected to return to 52% of 2019 numbers. 
“Promoting Britain abroad and emphasising the amazing heritage, culture and experiences available across all four nations, and ensuring we provide visitors with a warm welcome, has never been more important. International tourism is a competitive business, and we need to work hard to convince the international community that the UK is a fantastic place to visit in 2022 and beyond.”
Lana Bennett, CEO of Tours International, an inbound tour operator that specialises in bringing international visitors to the UK, added “The Platinum Jubilee has come at exactly the right time for UK tourism. It’s rejuvenated the industry – everyone can get involved and pull together to make it a truly outstanding celebration. The official events encompass all that is unique and welcoming about the UK and it’s fantastic to have good news back in the headlines. Tours International is running a luxury Platinum Jubilee tour for individuals which we’re very excited about and it’s sold out, which is wonderful.”ADVERTISEMENT

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Mauritian company Rogers Group launches ‘Bel Ombre’ in southwest Mauritius as a territorial brand and announces its intention to make it a mecca for ecotourism, highlighting local know-how and protecting its ecosystem. It will be a destination where people and nature thrive together; a resilient region that includes and values its community.
During the recent launch event, which had as its guest of honour the Honourable Steven Obeegadoo, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning and Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Mauritius, the group shared its commitment to integrating green practices as a driver of its operations.

At the launch event, Rogers’ Chief Executive Officer, Philippe Espitalier-Noël, shared the group’s ambition and vision to make Bel Ombre a benchmark for sustainable destinations, both in Mauritius and in the region. “More than the launch of a territorial brand, this is a commitment that reflects our ambition to make Bel Ombre the sustainable destination of reference in Mauritius and the Indian Ocean. Our ambition is immense, as is our conviction that there will be no tomorrow if we do not change our paradigms today,” he said.
The territorial brand “Bel Ombre. Lamer. Later. Lavi” means Land. Sea. Life and is symbolic of its lush tropical scenery, the protected turquoise waters of the lagoon and a place where life is lived in harmony with nature, in this unspoilt area of Mauritius.ADVERTISEMENT
Bel Ombre is known not only for its particularly well-preserved territory and heritage, but also for its rich history dating back to the 19th century. Through planned and harmonious development, Rogers and its partners have developed the area with a commitment to preserving and enhancing the beauty of this unique region.
Hotels, restaurants, golf courses and villas have been carefully integrated into the landscape, coexisting with the omnipresent nature and sublimating the heritage of the former sugar estate. The Bel Ombre territory is based on an inclusive model that aims to pave the way for a circular economy, empowering the local community, creating jobs and building resilience.
“Rogers is committed to participating in the transformation of the local tourism industry into an eco-industry, with Bel Ombre as a benchmark of the group’s ambitions for the transformation of this sector into one that is more sustainable and more inclusive. At a time when foreign visitors are rediscovering our country’s assets with new eyes, Bel Ombre has everything it takes to differentiate itself and position itself as a destination within the destination.” said the CEO of Rogers.

The region has recently had confirmation of the Man and the Biosphere label from UNESCO making the region shine more than ever thanks to nature activities designed to raise awareness among Mauritians and tourists on the preservation of its biodiversity. It ensures that the Bel Ombre Territory, in the wild south, remains a preserved and protected environment.
The Bel Ombre area offers a vast choice in terms of accommodation, gastronomic experiences and leisure activities, namely charming hotels with its Bed & Breakfast Kaz’Alala; luxury hotels with these Heritage Resorts establishments – Heritage Le Telfair, Heritage Awali and Heritage The Villas; leisure activities with the Bel Ombre Nature Reserve, the Heritage Golf Club, the Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark; ‘edutainment’ with the World of Seashells; wellness with the Seven Colours spas; gourmet restaurants such as Le Chamarel, Le Château de Bel Ombre and C Beach Club; the Villas Valriche real estate program; and the flavours of the terroir with Agrïa, all while staying true to its commitments on sustainability.
The Bel Ombre Territory also aims to create a diverse and inclusive community by providing sustainable workplaces. In the long term, this unique development project in Mauritius is committed to creating a green economy and promoting ecotourism. Thierry Montocchio, CEO of Rogers Hospitality, shares the group’s ambitions for the transformation of this region of the island, centred around sustainable development. “Already, the commitment is made with Heritage Resorts whose hotels are actively working to achieve carbon neutrality for which the Rogers Group is committed by 2050. A commitment that has already begun to materialise with Rogers Hospitality’s ‘Now for Tomorrow’ sustainability program, and which contributes to preserving the jewels that adorn Bel Ombre’s crown.”

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