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    Discover Fresh and Exciting Tourism Products Across England, Wales, and Scotland

    VisitBritain is set to welcome more than 120 international travel trade buyers for a series of educational visits across Britain.The educational trade visits, underway from 28 January, are a mix of three-to-five-day itineraries to destinations across England, Wales and Scotland, showcasing the latest tourism products to international buyers and that Britain is packed full of fresh and exciting experiences for visitors to come and enjoy right now.
    Buyers from 16 international markets are taking part in the educational visits including representatives from the UK’s three largest inbound markets the USA, France and Germany, as well as from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, India, Italy, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries, South Korea and Spain.
    VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates said:
    “We are delighted to be showcasing Britain to international buyers to drive bookings. From the beauty of our coast and countryside to the exciting variety of our cultural attractions to our world class dining and accommodation, buyers will experience first-hand the warmest of British welcomes and the outstanding and varied tourism products on offer.
    “Working with the international travel trade is crucial to ensuring they are ready to sell Britain, as well as to broadening travel itineraries, encouraging visitors to explore further and stay longer.”ADVERTISEMENTVisitBritain’s in-country teams have worked in partnership with destination management organisations and destination management companies across England, Scotland and Wales to develop itineraries tailored to each market.All itineraries include London before the buyers embark on visits to destinations including Manchester, Liverpool and the Lake District; Bath, Bristol and the Cotswolds; Newcastle and Northumberland; Cambridge; Somerset; the West Midlands; the English Wine Region; Edinburgh; Cardiff and other regions of Scotland and Wales.
    The hosted visits are part of the national tourism agency’s ‘Showcase Britain’ event, which gets underway with a networking event for the international buyers and travel media at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Thursday 26 January. The buyers will be officially welcomed by VisitBritain Chairman Nick de Bois CBE followed by updates from the agency’s trade teams as well as from London & Partners, VisitScotland and Visit Wales on the latest products, experiences, hospitality and accommodation.
    Before heading off on their educational tours, the buyers will also attend the ‘Britain & Ireland Marketplace’ (BIM) on 27 January. There they will have a full day of appointments with tourism suppliers and destinations from across Britain.
    The educational visits come as VisitBritain also gears up to host its flagship global trade event ExploreGB Virtual from 27 February to 2 March.
    VisitBritain is also set to launch a new GREAT Britain marketing campaign in February to drive bookings, inviting visitors to ‘See Things Differently’, showcasing Britain as a dynamic, exciting and inclusive destination. The campaign is also capturing major events in 2023 including the Coronation of King Charles III in May, with an additional Bank Holiday announced, and Liverpool hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, on behalf of Ukraine, also in May, timely and valuable opportunities to promote Britain’s welcome, creativity and ability to host events of the highest calibre.VisitBritain’s latest forecast for 2023 estimates 35.1 million inbound visits to the UK, 86% of 2019 levels and 18% higher than levels seen in 2022. Its forecast for overseas visitor spending in the UK this year is £29.5 billion, a projected record high for annual inbound visitor spend.

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    DOMINICA ANNOUNCES 2022 PERFORMANCE NUMBERS, FORECASTS FOR POSITIVE GROWTH IN 2023

    Discover Dominica, the tourism office for the island of Dominica (pronounced Dom-in-EEK-a), reports a significant increase in 2022 tourism arrival numbers, projecting even stronger growth in 2023.The destination welcomed 60,704 visitors in 2022 compared to 14,888 in 2021, an increase of more than 308%. The uptick can be attributed to a few key factors including an increase post-pandemic travel demand, relaxed COVID protocols, the island’s first direct flight from the U.S., as well as being recognized by well-known travel sources as a top Caribbean destination.
    “We are thrilled to see the comeback of travel,” said Discover Dominica CEO Colin Piper. “We are still working toward recovery as we are not yet back to pre-pandemic numbers, but we are in a good place as we begin 2023 with strong bookings throughout the winter travel season. In 2023, Dominica remains focused on its sustainability efforts, which is becoming an increasingly popular selling point of the island.”
    Overall, 2022 proved to be a momentous year for Dominica. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic when demand for new travel experiences and outdoor adventures were at an all-time high, the island had much to celebrate. From the opening of Coulibri Ridge, an ultra-luxury resort that is completely self-sufficient, to the record numbers of attendees at the first in-person World Creole Music Festival since the pandemic, the island saw a tremendous amount of interest among repeat and new visitors to the island.
    For the first time, Dominica received recognition from some of the world’s leading travel publications as a coveted tourism destination in the region. The Nature Island was recognized by Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards as the number one island on the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas list for 2022. Additionally, Lonely Planet named Dominica as one of the top destinations to unwind in its ‘Best in Travel’ list for 2023, marking another first for the island. Forbes also featured Dominica as one of the top destinations to travel to in 2023.
    December 2022 marked the first anniversary of American Airlines’ nonstop service to Dominica from Miami International Airport. The first commercial service to the island from the U.S, the addition of the flight has made the island more accessible than ever before. As of November 2022, the American Airlines’ service contributed nearly 33% of all carrier contributions to the island. Service will continue throughout 2023 with changes to the schedule and frequency.ADVERTISEMENT“The addition of the American Airlines flight had a significant impact on our tourism arrivals. It’s never been faster or easier for U.S. visitors to travel to and from Dominica. It’s also a valuable addition for the diaspora community,” continued Piper. “We appreciate American Airlines continued support and look forward to seeing more U.S. travelers exploring our beautiful island this year.”
    For more information on Dominica, visit Dominica’s official website at www.discoverdominica.com, explore the destination’s YouTube Page and follow Dominica on Instagram and Facebook.

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    Saudi Crown Prince launches fund for entertainment

    A new wealth fund in Saudi Arabia looks to fuel growth in entertainment, tourism and events, including horse racing and car racing tracks. Events Investment Fund (EIF) was announced by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, who is also chairman of the fund.EIF will conceptualise, finance and oversee development of more than 35 venues by 2030. The aim of EIF is to position the Kingdom as the global hub in these various event sectors, to provide sustainable infrastructure for the delivery of an ambitious national events calendar and to create sustainable financial returns to support the Kingdom’s economic diversification efforts.
    EIF assets include indoor arenas, art galleries, theaters and conference centers, horse-racing tracks, auto racing tracks and other event facilities across the Kingdom, with the aim of delivering its first asset by 2023.
    The Events Investment Fund is committed to attracting foreign investment and maintaining financial standards aimed at strengthening its investment portfolio and achieving sustainable growth in both returns and assets. EIF is also contributing to Vision 2030 with respect to diversifying the economy and increasing its share of non-oil GDP, as well as supporting the contribution of the tourism sector to annual GDP, from its current rate of three percent to more than 10 per cent by 2030.
    The fund will focus on developing and increasing direct foreign investment opportunities for a GDP impact of SAR28 billion by 2045.
    Source: Hotelier Middle eastADVERTISEMENT

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    Yas Island Starts the New Year with Exciting Early Bird ‘Stay and Play’ packages

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    Yas Island Starts the New Year with Exciting Early Bird ‘Stay and Play’ packages

    Yas Island, Abu Dhabi’s premier leisure and entertainment hub, is kicking off 2023 with a remarkable early bird offer for its Stay and Play packages, delivering a truly superb holiday experience.
    Yas Island and its world-class theme parks, experiences and attractions were recognised with seven awards in the globally renowned World Travel Awards in 2022. In addition to scooping the accolade of ‘World’s Leading Theme Park Destination 2022’, Yas Island received the flagship ‘Middle East’s Leading Tourism Development’ award for the fourth consecutive year, testament to the global reputation Yas Island as the leisure and entertainment hub. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi was yet again named the ‘World’s Leading Theme Park 2022’ and ‘Middle East’s Leading Theme Park 2022’, while the Emirati-themed waterpark Yas Waterworld, was recognised as ‘Middle East’s Leading Water Park 2022’ and Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi, was named as ‘Middle East’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2022’.  Across the awards, the record-breaking adventure hub CLYMB™ Abu Dhabi, boasting the world’s largest indoor flight chamber and the region’s tallest indoor climbing wall, was awarded the accolade of ‘Middle East’s Leading Adventure Tourist Attraction 2022’.

    Holidaymakers can book the package between 9 – 30 January 2023 for stays until 31 March 2023* and enjoy access to up to three award-winning theme parks, complimentary room upgrades as well as lucrative dining and spa discounts.Available to book via www.yasisland.com, guests can choose from the Island’s leading hotels at Yas Plaza – Crowne Plaza Yas Island Abu Dhabi, Yas Island Rotana, Centro Yas Island by Rotana, Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island and Park Inn by Radisson Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island. Guests who book a minimum stay of two nights will receive two days of unlimited theme park access to any of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld and Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi starting at AED 707 per adult per night for two adults on sharing basis.
    ADVERTISEMENTIn addition, guests will receive a complimentary room upgrade to the next room category, a 15% dining discount on all restaurants across Yas Plaza Hotels and 15% spa discounts on selected treatments.Home to magical adventures and awe-inspiring entertainment, as well as incredible theme parks and attractions, outstanding motorsports, an award-winning golf venue and world-class hospitality services, Yas Island is a destination like nowhere else.For more information about Yas Island or to book a stay, visit www.yasisland.com

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    HKTB Announces 2022 Full-Year Visitor Arrivals

    The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced that 2022 recorded a provisional full-year visitor arrivals of 600,000. Since the Government gradually lifted various pandemic-related inbound control measures, visitor arrivals have picked up gradually in the past few months, with most visitors coming from the Mainland and Southeast Asian markets.
    In addition to overnight stopover and family reunion, business travellers also start to increase in number. HKTB expected that Hong Kong’s tourism will be revived progressively, and has gradually stepped up promotions in advance in selected visitor source markets to broadcast the positive message that Hong Kong is welcoming back visitors. HKTB will also launch a large-scale global promotion in phase (see appendix) to drive the swift revival of the tourism industry jointly with the travel trade.

    HKTB to Launch Large-scale Global Promotions Next Month in Phases with Three Strategies to Welcome Visitors
    • Hong Kong’s doors of tourism has been opened. Recent figures reveal that daily visitor arrivals to Hong Kong has increased from between 2,400 and 4,500 per day during the Amber Code period to over 10,000 per day after the lifting of Amber Code.• The major sources of visitors are, in order, the Mainland, the Philippines, Taiwan, the United States and Thailand.• In terms of purpose of visit, apart from overnight stopovers, family visits, business trips or essential travels, there was also a slight increase in leisure arrivals since the lifting of all COVID-19 inbound control measures at the end of December.ADVERTISEMENTTourism expected to take time to recover• HKTB expects that Hong Kong’s tourism will gradually recover , subject to the following factors:1. Airline capacity has not yet been fully restored2. Shortage of manpower in the tourism and related sectors3. Uncertain economic outlook and concerns arising from current exchange rates4. Some markets still impose inbound control measures on visitors arriving from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, which travellers may find inconvenient when returning home
    • In light of the latest situation, it is expected that visitors mainly come from certain markets, including the Mainland and Southeast Asia.• Therefore, HKTB will timely step up its promotion efforts in phases according to the actual situation of individual markets to ensure that the resources are well spent and maximise the effectiveness of promotional initiatives.Continuous Promotions of Hong Kong’s Appeal
    • The HKTB has stepped up publicity in some markets in advance to spread the message that all sectors in Hong Kong are welcoming back visitors.1. HKTB has invited travel trade, media, KOLs and Hong Kong Super Fans from around the world to enjoy the Hong Kong experience first-hand (Seeing is Believing).2. HKTB has organised a number of mega familiarisation trip for overseas travel trade since mid-December, hosting about 100 travel trade representatives from Southeast Asia, South Korea and other markets with more than 250 business appointments lined up with the local travel trade.3. HKTB has lined up about 1,300 travel trade appointments, connecting 840 local travel trade members with buyers and trade representatives from 140 regions/ markets.4. HKTB has invited K-pop sensation Jeong Ji-hoon (Rain) and arranged attraction visits for internationally renowned DJ Alan Walker to explore Hong Kong.5. HKTB has been promoting Hong Kong’s arts and culture, sports, culinary and festive events and experience continuously to attract global media reports and strengthen positive exposure. Large-scale global promotions to launch next month• HKTB will launch large-scale global promotions next month with three strategies to drive tourismrevival:

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    Singapore’s tourism sector recovers strongly in 2022, visitor numbers expected to double in 2023

    Singapore’s international visitor arrivals reached 6.3 million in 2022 (~33 per cent of 2019 IVA), exceeding STB’s forecast of between 4 and 6 million visitors. Tourism receipts (TR) are estimated to reach $13.8 to $14.3 billion[1] (~50 per cent to 52 per cent of 2019 TR). Barring unexpected circumstances, tourism activity is now expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels by 2024.Mr Keith Tan, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board (STB), said: “Our 2022 tourism performance underscores Singapore’s appeal as a leading business and leisure destination for post-pandemic travellers. To sustain our growth in 2023 and beyond, we will expand our partnerships, build up a rich year-round calendar of events, ramp up investment in new and refreshed products and experiences, and continue to support industry efforts to build the capabilities they need to meet consumer demands.”
    2022 Tourism Performance
    Visitor arrivals were driven by strong demand from Singapore’s key source markets, led by Indonesia (1.1 million), India (686,000) and Malaysia (591,000).
    TR reached $8.96 billion between January to September 2022. The top TR generating markets were Indonesia, India and Australia, which contributed $1.1 billion, $704 million, and $633 million respectively in TR (excluding Sightseeing, Entertainment and Gaming)[2].
    Visitors are also spending more time in Singapore compared to before the pandemic. For the last three quarters of the year (April-December 2022) when Singapore no longer required quarantine for fully-vaccinated travellers, the average length of stay was approximately 4.81 days[3]. This is a significant increase compared to 3.36 days for the same period in 2019.ADVERTISEMENT
    Key Industry Performance
    MICE and Leisure Events
    The resumption of MICE[4] events picked up pace in 2022, following the easing of border restrictions and safe management measures.
    Marquee international events returned to Singapore, including Food and Hotel Asia – Food & Beverage and Food and Hotel Asia – HoReCa, which took place as two dedicated trade shows for the first time, ITB Asia, and Singapore Fintech Festival, which attracted a record turnout from over 115 countries. STB also secured new events like FIND: Design Fair Asia as well as Global Health Security Conference 2022 and the 14th World Stroke Congress, which reinforced Singapore’s leadership in key industry clusters.
    Singapore’s calendar of leisure and sporting events also recovered strongly. The Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2022 – held after a two-year hiatus – drew a record attendance of 302,000; the Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium also made its Southeast Asian debut. Regular crowd-pleasers such as the Singapore Food Festival, Christmas Wonderland, Christmas on A Great Street at Orchard Road, the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown and ZoukOut Singapore were all organised successfully and drew visitors from around the world.

    Hotels Industry Performance
    Singapore’s hotel industry also posted an encouraging year due to stronger demand for leisure and business travel. From April to December 2022[5], the Average Occupancy Rate (AOR) was 79.1 per cent, compared to 87.3 per cent recorded in the same period in 2019. Average room rates during this period increased by 17 per cent to $260, while Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) increased by 6.2 per cent to $206.
    Singapore welcomed a total of 465 new keys in 2022 with the opening of new hotels like the Citadines Connect City and Garden Pod @ Gardens By The Bay Centre. New brands like Hotel Telegraph (formerly known as SO Singapore), Pullman Singapore Orchard (formerly known as Grand Park Orchard), voco Orchard Singapore (formerly known as Hilton Singapore at 581 Orchard Road) and Vibe Hotel Singapore Orchard (formerly known as Elizabeth Hotel) were also introduced. These investments underscored the private sector’s confidence in Singapore’s tourism prospects.
    Cruise Industry Performance
    Singapore’s position as a regional cruise hub strengthened in 2022 with more than 230 ship calls. Passenger throughput was 1.2 million, which is about two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The return of cruising was supported by the year-round deployment of Resorts World Cruises’ Genting Dream and Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum/Spectrum of the Seas. Following the resumption of sailings with ports of call in July, two new cruise lines made Singapore their seasonal homeport[6]:
    ·    STB’s new three-year partnership with Silversea Cruises will see its ships homeport seasonally in Singapore till the 2024/2025 season, with Silver Muse kicking off the first sailing from Singapore in December 2022.
    ·    TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 5 also returned to Southeast Asia in December 2022, starting their three-year seasonal homeport from Singapore and taking passengers to ports in Southeast Asia.
    Singapore also welcomed the return of transit and turnaround sailings[7] from Cunard, Seabourn Cruises, Viking Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises in 2022.

    2022 Highlights
    Branded Collaborations and Strategic Partnerships
    To keep Singapore top-of-mind and rebuild demand, STB scaled up its SingapoReimagine campaign across 17 markets. It also increased Singapore’s appeal to consumers through innovative partnerships.
    For example, STB collaborated with media and entertainment companies such as Warner Bros. Discovery and Studio Dragon, as well as celebrities Billie Eilish, Charlie Puth and Jackson Wang to inspire travel to Singapore through authentic and creative storytelling. STB also forged strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Singapore Airlines, Scoot, CapitaLand, Expedia, Klook and Visa to promote Singapore, exchange insights and enhance the visitor experience.
    Enhanced Destination Attractiveness
    Singapore welcomed new and enhanced experiences, including the Children’s Museum Singapore; Avatar: The Experience at Gardens by the Bay; Sentosa’s Night Luge, Scentopia, Wings of Time and Central Beach Bazaar; a new gallery at ArtScience Museum’s Future World: “Exploring New Frontiers”; A Minion’s Perspective Experience at Resorts World Sentosa; Mr Bucket Chocolaterie at Dempsey; and the Singapore Night Safari’s new amphitheatre and refreshed Creatures of the Night show. The Changi Bay Park Connector and the Rifle Range Nature Park were also opened, strengthening Singapore’s attractiveness as a City in Nature.
    Singapore’s tour operators continued to introduce new and innovative tours, including the Seadog Kayak Sailing Tour by Kayak Fishing Fever, Letters From Blakang Mati by Woopa Travel as well as Hawker Fare: Little India Street Food Tour.
    Becoming an Urban Wellness Haven and a Top Sustainable Destination
    To meet increasing demand for holistic wellness offerings, STB organised the inaugural Wellness Festival Singapore (WFS) in June 2022, which featured over 130 wellness activities and experiences over 10 days. STB also inked a partnership with global wellness platform ClassPass, onboarding more than 90 new wellness businesses across 167 locations.
    To make wellness a key component of Singapore’s tourism offerings, STB launched an Expression-of-Interest (EOI) in November to develop a wellness attraction on the southern coast of Singapore.​
    STB also made strides to help the tourism sector become more sustainable. A destination sustainability strategy for the tourism sector was developed in 2022 in line with the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and our ambition to become a sustainable urban destination. Industry-specific roadmaps were developed for hotels[8] and the MICE ecosystem[9], while the Tourism Sustainability Programme[10] was launched to support tourism businesses in all stages of their sustainability journey.
    2023 Outlook
    STB expects the tourism sector to continue its growth momentum this year, on the back of increasing flight connectivity and capacity, and China’s gradual reopening. International visitor arrivals are expected to reach around 12 to 14 million visitors, bringing in approximately $18 to 21 billion in tourism receipts – around two-thirds to three-quarters of the levels in 2019.
    In the meantime, STB will continue efforts to increase Singapore’s destination attractiveness. STB will support the development of new and refreshed offerings in 2023, such as Bird Paradise @ Mandai Wildlife Reserve, and new experiences in Orchard Road such as the Trifecta integrated sports facility.
    To support tourism recovery, STB will front load $110 million of the $500 million set aside for Singapore’s tourism recovery to ramp up business and leisure events over these two years.
    STB will continue to attract more high-quality MICE events, such as the Herbalife APAC Extravaganza 2023 and the 25th World Congress of Dermatology 2023. On the leisure events front, 2023 has already kicked off strongly with Art SG, Southeast Asia’s largest ever art fair as part of the Singapore Art Week, and Sail GP, which made its Asian debut last week. New events like the Olympic Esports Week and Professional Triathletes Organisation Asian Open will also take place in Singapore for the first time.
    To increase Singapore’s mindshare, STB will ramp up the SingapoReimagine campaign in all our key markets through creative activations, content and partnerships. This will be augmented by the SingapoReimagine Marketing Programme (SMP)[11] to help local tourism and lifestyle businesses promote Singapore while also raising their marketing capabilities.
    To support the pace of recovery, STB will continue to help the tourism sector ramp up hiring. As of September 2022, the total tourism workforce is around 65,000 – about 78 per cent of 2019 levels. STB will continue to support manpower needs through the Tourism Careers Hub, which has placed more than 500 workers in the tourism sector since its launch in 2022 by providing career coaching, skills upgrading and job matching. STB will also continue to support digital transformation for the industry through Tcube[12], which has already helped more than 1,000 local tourism companies through its various programmes.

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    Vietnam welcomed over 3.6 million inbound tourists in 2022

    2022 was the year that saw the much anticipated return of inbound travel to Vietnam, as the country welcomed over 3.6 million tourists. Building on the success of last year, 2023 is projected to be an exciting year, as Vietnam is expecting to see this number boost to approximately 8 million inbound tourists.With an incredible year-round climate, an abundance of vibrant cities, and stunning coastline, it’s no surprise that the number of tourists choosing to visit Vietnam is growing year upon year. In 2022, the United Kingdom was Vietnam’s top European market, with a total of 93,794 British visitors.

    Kien Tran Trong, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board, stated, “last year’s strong visitor numbers speak for themselves, and are a testament to the quality of product that Vietnam has to offer tourists. After a quieter couple of years due to the pandemic, it’s been a pleasure to welcome back such a large number of tourists to the country, so that we can continue to show our visitors all Vietnam has to offer. From a vibrant culinary scene and rich culture to countless stunning beaches and bustling cities, there really is something for everyone in Vietnam. In 2023, we look forward to continuing to welcome international travellers to our destination, as we continue to focus on improving our tourism offering throughout the year.”

    As part of Vietnam’s endeavour to make the destination increasingly accessible and attractive to tourists in the year ahead, leaders within the travel and tourism industry have been focusing on improving competitiveness within the tourism products that are on offer. This is being reflected in a number of exciting, new hotels that are set to open in 2023 including: Nobu Hotel Danang, Avani Cam Ranh and Mandarin Oriental Saigon, just to name a few. Additionally, there have been developments of multiple new domestic and international flight routes, to make getting to, and around Vietnam, easier than ever before.ADVERTISEMENT
    Vietnamese airlines and destinations were named among the winners at the award ceremony of the World Travel Awards 2022 – Region: Asia & Oceania, which took place in Ho Chi Minh City on September 7 evening.
    The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines won the titles of Asia’s Leading Airline – Economy Class and Asia’s Leading Airline Brand; while Vietravel Airlines was accredited as Asia’s Leading New Airline.
    Meanwhile, the Ville De Mont Mountain Resort in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai’s Sa Pa town and Premier Village Ha Long Bay Resort in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh were called onto the stage as Asia’s Leading Lifestyle Resort and Asia’s Leading Family Villa Resort 2022, respectively.
    Last year, Vietnam received a series of nominations for different categories at the WTA 2022. The country was nominated for awards in the Asian region for Leading Destination, Leading Sustainable Tourism Destination, Leading Heritage Destination, Leading Cultural Destination, Leading Nature Destination, Leading Youth Travel Destination and Leading Beach Destination.
    The capital city of Hanoi was shortlisted as Asia’s Leading City Break Destination and Asia’s Leading Cultural City Destination.

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    Jamaica is the number destination in the Caribbean for British travellers

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    Jamaica is the number destination in the Caribbean for British travellers

    Jamaica is now the number one destination in the Caribbean for UK travellers. Known for its warm hospitality, bold personality and larger than life spirit, the vibrant Caribbean island continues to welcome a record number of UK visitors with 2022 visitor arrivals surpassing previous records, catapulting the island to the top spot in the Caribbean for British holiday makers. 
    Jamaica’s bullish tourism recovery plan, which has led to historic levels of visitor arrivals from the UK market, has highlighted the island’s unique culture, cuisine, music, breath-taking nature, and wellness offerings in an environmentally sustainable way. 
    With still more room for growth and to meet expected demand, which continues to rise, Jamaica is welcoming more exciting hotels brands to the island growing its room stock offering another 8,500 rooms by 2025. New hotel openings will include Hard Rock Hotel, RIU, Dreams, Secrets, Planet Hollywood, Viva Wyndham, UNICO and Princess.
    “We are working on our most ambitious tourism development and expansion plan in Jamaica’s history to meet the continued demand and interest in our beautiful island.” Hon. Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett.
    The Jamaica Tourist Board won the title of Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board 2022 at last years World Travel Awards.ADVERTISEMENTThe island is easily accessible from the UK with daily direct flights on Virgin Atlantic Airways from London Heathrow launched in December 2022, British Airways from London Gatwick and TUI from Birmingham, Gatwick and Manchester.
    “We are very happy that Jamaica it the top Caribbean destination of choice for travellers from the UK and would like to thank all our industry partners for their continuous support and faith in our beautiful island.  As we look ahead, our team has an exciting line-up of plans for 2023 and are confident that we can continue to grow our destination favourability among UK travellers in 2023,  Our campaign this year is “Come Back to Jamaica”, come back to relax, come back to adventure, come back to romance,  and the Brits certainly continue to do so.”  Elizabeth Fox, Regional Director, UK & Northern Europe

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