Flip.to Honored by HSMAI with a Silver Award in 57th Annual Adrian Awards Competition

Flip.to, the brand advocate platform that helps hotels turn their guests into advocates will be recognized by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) with a Silver Adrian Award for Social Media Marketing excellence for its winning entry in the 57th annual Adrian Awards, the largest and most prestigious travel marketing competition globally.

This year’s contest attracted more than 1,200 entries from around the world, with entries judged by top executives from all sectors of the industry. On Feb. 24, 2014, HSMAI will pay tribute to Flip.to during the annual HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala, a black-tie affair attended by more than 1,000 hospitality, travel and tourism marketing executives at the New York Marriott Marquis.

“This award is such an honor for us”, said Kristi White, Vice President, Global Sales Strategy for Flip.to, “HSMAI has a reputation of staying ahead of the curve in recognizing new forms of marketing. By recognizing Flip.to and how it helps hotels grow brand awareness, HSMAI is once again acknowledging innovative ways that companies can use the social networks to their benefit and how Flip.to contributes to that.”

“As the advertising, public relations and digital marketing realms are constantly evolving, the bar is continuously set higher annually in regard to the Adrian Awards submissions we receive,” said Fran Brasseux, HSMAI executive vice president. “This year, we saw outstanding entries in all categories and in particular an ability to implement integrated campaigns that garnered powerful results across multiple channels. We look forward to celebrating these remarkable winners at the Adrian Awards Gala in February.”

Source: http://www.hospitalitynet.org

Record Number of Tourists Arrive in November

The Tourism Ministry estimates that 2013 will close with slight increase of visitor entries from the record year of 2012. This is despite the fact that incoming tourism had to deal with issues related to the security situation and the government budget.

As a result of the marketing efforts and the development of new markets alongside maintaining existing markets, the annual contribution of tens of billions of shekels made by tourism to the economy has been maintained, the ministry said Tuesday.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 306,000 visitors entered Israel in November 2013, 10 percent more than November 2012 and slightly less than the months of November 2010 and 2011. Of these visitor entries, 256,000 were tourists (staying more than one night), 15% more than November 2012 and 3% and 5% more than November 2010 and 2011, respectively, which was an all-time record for the month.

November also saw a reduction of 41% in the number of day visitors from Sinai into Israel from last year (because of the instability in Egypt), a continuation of the improvement from August-October 2013.

Some 220,000 entries were by air, 19% more than November 2012, of which 8,000 arrived on direct flights to Eilat (6% less than November 2012). Some 36,000 came through the border crossings, 7% less than November 2012; 27,000 came through the border with Jordan (1% increase), and about 9,200 came through Taba to Eilat (23% less than last November).

In response to the Tourism Ministry figures, Alex Herman, vice president of marketing and sales at the Inbal Jerusalem Hotel, said: “Here at the Inbal Jerusalem Hotel we defiantly felt a swell in numbers throughout November compared to previous years. The same can be said about the upcoming holiday season, which is traditionally a peak season for Jerusalem tourism. This year we are experiencing higher demands and less last-minute cancellations as we anticipate an even more successful holiday period.”

Source: http://www.jpost.com

Moscow Luxury Hotel Gets Tourism Oscar

British Hospitality Association Welcomes Chancellor’s 2013 Autumn Statement

BHA CEO Ufi Ibrahim said: “The abolition of NI contributions for those starting out is welcome news and will surely stimulate job creation in both the hospitality sector and beyond. The commitment of the hospitality and tourism industry to creating jobs and supporting young people is evident in the British Hospitality Association’s Big Hospitality Conversation which has shown the potential of creating new jobs, apprenticeships and work placements for young people, and increasing hospitality employment to 3 million by 2020.

The hospitality industry, which accounted for nearly one third of new jobs created between 2010 and 2012, has moved to be one of the top four employing sectors in the UK.

As well as incentivising businesses to employ young people, the Autumn Statement will help to control hospitality business costs by capping the increase in business rates in England at 2% in 2014-15.

The BHA was also pleased to see plans to provide additional support to businesses in England including pubs, cafes and restaurants, through a business rates discount of up to £1,000 in 2014-15 and 2015-16 for retail properties with a rateable value of up to £50,000 and promised consultation on making change of use from retail to restaurants easier.

Source: http://www.incentivetravel.co.uk

The European Hospitality Sector Unveils Its Manifesto with 16 Priorities to Boost Growth and Jobs

HOTREC, the business association representing the European hospitality industry, releases its Manifesto for the 2014 European elections, highlighting sixteen priorities that the industry would like to be supported by the candidates to the European elections for  the next EU legislative term.

At the margins of the European Tourism day, and in advance of the 2014 European Parliament elections campaign, HOTREC addresses its Manifesto to the candidates of the European Parliament and unveils the sixteen goals that should be prioritised in the agenda of the next European Parliament legislative term.

“The European hospitality industry employs more than 10 million people. It has created 2.5 million more jobs between 2000 and 2010 and is one of the few sectors that kept creating new jobs despite the crisis. For this reason, candidates to the European elections next year should support our Manifesto if they want to boost growth and job creation in the EU”, commented Mr. Kent Nystrom, President of HOTREC.

The priorities promoted by the European hospitality sector for 2014-2019 include the creation of an Intergroup on Tourism in the European Parliament, the promotion of smarter regulation, the facilitation of tourism SMEs’ funding, the strict application of the subsidiarity principle, the facilitation of visa procurement, a more balanced approach to data protection, EU food policy or fairer competition on the online tourism distribution market, among other equally important EU policy issues.

HOTREC urges candidates to the European elections and European political parties to support its Manifesto. Europe is at the heart of World Wide tourism: tourism should, therefore, be at the centre of EU policies.

Source: www.traveldailynews.com

The Gathering 2013 And The Tourism Industry

The Gathering is the largest ever tourism campaign to be run by the State. The objective of the campaign has been to increase the number of people visiting Ireland in 2013 and, as a direct consequence, to boost the local hospitality industry. The goal of the campaign is to attract in excess of 325,000 visitors to Ireland in 2013 and we are on target to achieve that ambitious goal. According to the Irish Hotels Federation, 76% of hoteliers in Ireland are expecting a growth in their business directly as a result of the campaign.

So far this year the increased number of tourists visiting Ireland is a reflection of the success of the Gathering 2013. Over 3.14 million overseas visitors came to Ireland in the first half of 2013, which is a 5.4% uplift over the same period in 2012. According to B&B Ireland, online bookings were up 62% and trade bookings were up 26% in the first three months of 2013, compared with the same period last year. This has created a much needed boost to the hospitality sector and is arguably the result of the increased publicity abroad that surrounds The Gathering and the momentum that it has achieved.

Approximately 3,300 individual events were planned for The Gathering, from festivals and sporting events, to clan gatherings and concerts which have created a high demand on the hospitality industry.

Michael Vaughan, IHF President, has noted that “The boost from The Gathering is particularly visible in our North American market, with visitors up almost 19 per cent in the year to date. Many of these are highspending tourists who travel around during their stay, delivering a boost to local economies.

We have also benefited from growth in European markets, up 6 per cent since January. Of course, other Government initiatives have played a vital role over the last two years. Thanks to pro-tourism measures, we have gained a competitive advantage when marketing Irish tourism internationally. The reduced tourism VAT rate – and lower PRSI – have enabled tourism businesses to survive and take on thousands of jobs at a very difficult time when employment would otherwise have dropped significantly.”

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Source: http://www.mondaq.com

How Space Travel Is Set to Transform a Sleepy Desert Town Into a ‘spaceopolis’

The town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, is tiny. The population barely reaches 7,000, and the smattering of tourists it attracts throughout the year are undoubtedly lured by its rustic, small-town charm.

Its handful of attractions include some vintage hot spring resorts (pre-World War II, the town was a hotspot for wellness tourism), some nearby ghost towns and roaming buffalo.

“Here, you’re in the middle of what I consider to be the real West,” says John Mulcahy, mayor of Truth or Consequences (or T or C, as it’s known locally).

“It’s a back-to-nature kind of place. I love to take my four-wheel drive and head out into the wilderness, where there are 100-mile vistas. There’s nothing like it in the continuous United States.”

Not surprisingly, T or C lacks the name recognition of, say, Santa Fe or Albuquerque. That is set to change in the next couple of years however, as the town is on the brink of becoming the epicenter for space tourism. Spaceport America — which next year is slated to send a troupe of multi-millionaires up into the stratosphere when Virgin Galactic moves in — is a mere 30 miles to the northeast.

“Spaceport America employs 1,300 people across New Mexico, and we’re looking to add another 1,800 jobs by 2018,” says Christine Anderson, executive director of Spaceport America and the New Mexico Spaceport Authority.

With an additional 200,000 yearly visitors projected once Virgin moves in — and the Spaceport completes its Welcome Center (which Anderson estimates will take another 16 months to finish) — T or C is likely to experience a serious uptick. In fact, experts estimate the population is likely to double.

Quiz: Do you have what it takes to be a space tourist?

“The number that I’ve seen that scares me the most is 3,000 people in our downtown on a Saturday,” admits Mulcahy.

Currently, the potential of space tourism has everyone in the area on high alert. Virgin are meeting with local tourism suppliers next month to help ready them for the supposed onslaught, while T or C has embarked on a mission to spruce up ahead of its visitors.

“We’re working hard to make the town more attractive, but at the same time, we don’t want it to lose its character. We don’t want a 5-star hotel in downtown,” he says.

“We are lagging in terms of business investment,” admits Mulcahy, though he maintains he’s not worried about the future of T or C.

“This is the most amazing, iconic facility in the world, but it’s like anything else: you have to see it to believe it, and that’s true of investment. Investment follows opportunity, it doesn’t really lead opportunity.”

Monique Jacobson, the New Mexico state tourism secretary , says that developers have been scoping out the area ever since the Spaceport was first proposed. The challenge, she says, won’t be luring investors, so much as ensuring the region keeps its charms.

“If there are luxury resorts, they still need to be true to what makes New Mexico so unique, because that’s what’s going to keep it a special experience for the people that visit,” she says.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com

Europe’s Upswing In Tourism Continues

Despite various regions continuing to experience economic difficulties Europe’s tourism industry remains buoyant. This is one of the findings of the annual ITB World Travel Trends Report, conducted by IPK International and commissioned by the world’s leading travel trade show, whose figures confirmed rising travel numbers to and from Europe. The forecast for 2014 is equally very positive.

From January to August figures for outbound tourism grew by 2.5 per cent, compared to 2012. Overnights increased by two per cent. By contrast, the amount spent by tourists at holiday destinations rose by only one per cent. Averaging 7.9, the number of overnights per trip fell by two per cent. Putting this decline into perspective, however, was the fact that in recent years Europeans have tended to take more short breaks, combined with fewer long holidays.

The figures for source markets varied widely. The Russian market boasted a healthy increase of 12 per cent. Despite economic difficulties, the market in France grew by five per cent, followed by Sweden, the UK, Belgium and Switzerland. The German market expanded by two per cent.As expected, Spain and Italy were low down in the rankings, as was Ireland. Trips undertaken by Italians fell by up to five per cent.

South America and the Pacific benefited most from an overall unabated lust for travel and reported a nine and six per cent increase in trips respectively. The North American market remained relatively stable, whereas the Caribbean market shrank by eight per cent. A look at the respective travel industry segments reveals a three per cent increase in holiday trips, while business travel decreased slightly. In the leisure travel market smaller segments, in particular winter breaks and trips to rural destinations, were increasingly popular, while major segments such as city breaks and beach holidays maintained their share of the market. As regards booking channels, as anticipated online reservations increased, growing by 12 per cent, whereas traditional agency bookings made up only three per cent.

Positive forecasts for next year

The forecasts for travel in 2014 are very positive. 38 per cent of those polled, two per cent more than in 2012, said the economic situation affected their holiday plans.Despite this 28 per cent, the same figure as last year, said they intended to travel abroad more.Around 42 per cent said they aimed to continue travelling as they did this year. Only nine per cent (2012: 11 per cent) said they would be travelling less abroad. Overall, the forecasts predict three to four per cent growth in 2014. In this respect Russian travellers are expected to top the rankings. They are forecast to increase by ten per cent.

The Swiss, Britons, and Swedes also expressed their desire to travel.At three per cent, growth in the German market will remain stable, while expansion in the French, Dutch and Spanish markets will be moderate. The latter will finally return to growth. The Italian market’s decline is forecast to continue.

Inbound tourism figures extremely positive

As regards arrivals in Europe the figures for the “Old World” varied according to region. Overall, they were positive. Thus, the ITB World Travel Trends Report recorded around 396 million international arrivals during the first eight months of 2013, around 5.4 per cent more than in 2012. The European Travel Commission (ETC) reported similar findings. Among the European winners in this market were Iceland, Slovakia, Serbia and Latvia, which experienced double-digit growth.

Russia, Asia and the USA were among those countries which contributed particularly to the high number of travellers from abroad. Most countries reported a rise in visitors from source markets such as Russia, Germany, the UK, Norway, France and Switzerland, while the market for travellers from the Netherlands, Spain and Italy painted a different picture. The ETC forecasts an overall increase of around three per cent for travel to Europe in 2014. However, it qualified this forecast as imprecise, due to the economic situation remaining uncertain.

A look at the performance of individual countries reveals a number of winners in southern Europe. In particular Malta, Portugal and Croatia experienced growth rates of between six and eight per cent. In 2013 visitors to Italy rose by 2.5 per cent. At around three per cent, the forecast for 2014 is equally positive. Most central European countries reported solid growth and expect two to four per cent growth next year.

The figures for northern Europe remained stable too. There was a decline in arrivals from Germany, but this was offset by visitor numbers from Russia and Asia. International arrivals in the UK and Ireland rose by five and six per cent respectively, with growth figures of one and four per cent expected in 2014.

All the findings are based on information from papers held at the World Travel Monitor® Forum in Pisa, which is sponsored by ITB Berlin. Every year the consultancy IPK International invites more than 50 tourism experts and scientists from around the world to present the latest statistics and trends in international tourism.

Other results of the January to August 2013 trend surveys conducted by IPK as well as the assessments of more than 50 tourism experts from over 20 countries and the core data of the World Travel Monitor® will be published exclusively by ITB Berlin. Detailed information will be available in the ITB World Travel Trends Report in early December at www.itb-berlin.com. At the ITB Berlin Convention Rolf Freitag, president of IPK International, will present the findings of the World Travel Monitor® for the entire year, as well as the latest forecasts for 2014. The World Travel Monitor® is based on the findings of representative interviews carried out with more than 500,000 people in over 60 global travel markets. It has been published for more than 20 years and is recognised as the most widescale continuous survey examining global travel trends.

Source: http://www.hospitalitynet.org

Dubai Wins Bid to Host Expo 2020

Dubai has been declared as the host city for Expo 2020. Dubai won the bid beating three other final contenders in the fray, Russia, Brazil and Turkey at the 154th Bureau International des Exhibitions (BIE) General Assembly in Paris recently. Representatives of the 168 BIE member nations voted on the bids to host the 2020 edition of one of the world’s oldest, largest and most significant international mega-events.  Dubai’s bid, themed ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ won with 116 votes in the final round, with Russia placed second with 47 votes. Hosting Expo 2020 will have a significant impact on the tourism industry of Dubai and the UAE.

Speaking from Paris, shortly after Dubai was announced as the winning host city for Expo 2020, His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and CEO of Dubai World Trade Centre said, “From the outset, Dubai’s Expo bid was part of the government’s long-term vision that ensures sustainable national development and a prosperous future for the UAE. Hosting Expo 2020 is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one that will be maximised to accelerate the growth of the tourism industry in Dubai, the UAE and the wider GCC region. We are honoured to have been chosen as the host nation and would like to thank His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai for his incomparable vision; the members, committees and secretariat of the BIE; all of the countries which voted for us; and the people of the UAE for their tremendous support.”

His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri further added, “In May this year, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, approved the Tourism Vision for 2020, a strategy which sets a clear path towards developing Dubai’s tourism industry and furthering its contribution to Dubai’s economy, with the headline target of welcoming 20 million visitors to Dubai a year by 2020. In our journey to achieve our target, we will now leverage the hosting of Expo 2020 and the focus it will place on Dubai as a means to attract visitors to Dubai, not just during the six months of the Expo itself, but in the seven years leading up to it.”

Between October 2020 and April 2021, more than 25 million visitors are expected to attend Expo 2020, 70 percent of which will be from outside the UAE – the largest number of international visitors in Expo history. His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri stated, “The legacy of holding such an event in Dubai is where the real value lies. A wide range of sectors will benefit, including construction, engineering and transportation, and of course the hospitality, retail and aviation sectors will experience a significant positive impact, further strengthening their already robust positions. The announcements made at the recent Dubai Air show demonstrate the extraordinary strength of the aviation sector in Dubai and the UAE and Retail has been one of the leading drivers of the Emirate’s economic growth to date. With regards to hospitality, there are currently 82,000 hotels and hotel apartment rooms in Dubai with this figure expected to double by 2020. This expanded hotel portfolio will be vital to ensure the demands of the Expo visitors are met and DTCM will work with our partners in both government and the private sector to put in place the infrastructure and processes needed to meet the demand of the 25 million expected visitors over the Expo period. Our successful bid demonstrated the value in harnessing the collective power, resources and passion of all of our city stakeholders and the people of the UAE and we will ensure that the world is welcomed in style in 2020.”

Source: http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com

Turkey Included to the Web’s Best Medical Tourism Directory

Medical tourism portal, myMEDholiday.com, further expands its coverage of top medical tourism destinations around the world, to include Turkey as a new destination for its medical tourism information portal. myMEDholiday offers the web’s best source for medical tourism information, by giving medical tourists direct access and contact to Hospitals, Specialist Clinics, Spas, and Medical Tourism Agencies at the top medical tourism destinations worldwide.

A young population of 75 million people, Turkey is a modernizing country that offers visitors a breathtaking array of historical ruins, amazing coastlines, bazaars, churches and mosques. Turkey is now also recognized as a rising medical tourism center. During the last 10 years, Turkey has proceeded with unprecedented change of healthcare development with its Health Transformation program, greatly advancing the quality and quantity of health services throughout the country. Turkey offers patients either shorter waiting times or access to quality medical treatment as compared to other countries in the region. Turkey in recent years has begun to compete with countries such as India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Hungary for a share of the global medical tourism market.

Turkish hospitality and friendliness is well deserved, and now combined with easily accessible high quality medical treatment at economical prices, Turkey is fast becoming a rising star on the global medical tourism scene. Medical Tourism to Turkey has had a leading role in the development of its private healthcare sector with patients coming from abroad seeking medical services including Cardiovascular Surgery, Oncology, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Eye and Dental Treatment. Medical tourists can benefits from the wide variety of healthcare options with high standings in international accreditations with 48 medical institutions that have been accredited by Joint-Commission International (JCI), one of the highest in the world.

“Turkey has realized its medical tourism potential and is revamping efforts to attract and provide quality treatment for medical tourists,” says Jidapa Julakasilp, Managing Director at myMEDholiday. “The health sector has advanced rapidly offering high quality, fast and affordable health services serving over 270,000 foreign patients in 2012. We see the tremendous value that Turkey offers to medical tourists and definitely want to include them in our directory, as we continuously enhance our site to provide the best source of medical tourism information on the web.”

myMEDholiday will include information regarding travel information to Turkey, visa requirements, information regarding Turkey’s healthcare system and medical tourism guide for Istanbul.

Medical facilities including hospitals, specialist clinics, wellness centers and medical tourism facilitators or companies that meet certain criteria are able to list their services on myMEDholiday.com totally free of charge.

Source: http://www.newsday.com