WTM 2014 - WORLD TOURISM AND HUMANITARIAN AWARDS - PETRA NEMCOVA
WORLD TRAVEL MARKET 2014 ExCel - London - 3rd - 6th November 2014 17th Annual WORLD TOURISM AWARDS The award ceremony was held at WTM 2014 on Monday 3rd November.
By: Penny White
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WTM 2014 - WORLD TOURISM AND HUMANITARIAN AWARDS - PETRA NEMCOVA - Video
Allison Tuffrey-Jones | WTM 2014
By: World Travel Market
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Destination TV @ #WTM14 | Thurs 6 Nov
This event took place at #WTM14, ExCeL London on Thursday 6 November. This session looked at how powerful is the world #39;s no. 1 mass media in attracting international tourists and how can...
By: World Travel Market
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October 17, 2014
Luxurious spa at five-star Millbrook Resort named the best of the best
The luxurious spa at Queenstowns five-star Millbrook Resort has been named the best of the best, taking out the coveted title of New Zealands Leading Spa Resort at the World Travel Awards.
Known the world over as one of the most picturesque resorts in the world, Millbrook is no stranger to winning awards, having garnered multiple accolades over the years for its five-star luxury accommodation, world-class 27-hole golf course and restaurants.
And it continues to lead the way by shrugging off stiff national competition to be named as New Zealands Leading Spa Resort. The World Travel Awards, celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, acknowledges, rewards and celebrates excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry, with half a million votes cast annually by travel professionals and high-end travellers.
Nestled in a blend of luxury and nature, The Spa at Millbrook prides itself on pampering, soothing and rejuvenating all guests during their stay, delivering only the finest, most energising experience.
Staying at Millbrook is like immersing yourself in another world -- guests can step out of their hotel room, stylish apartment or fairway home right onto the golf course. Its an easy stroll down to The Spa at Millbrook for a treatment to soothe away the stresses of busy lives.
Spa Manager Vicky Bate said it was a huge privilege to win the award.
Were delighted to have received such recognition and are very thankful for the support thats been demonstrated for this major award, she said.
Winning this award is an absolute honour and I want to thank the Millbrook Spa team for their dedication and commitment in ensuring our guests experience the magic that Millbrook offers.
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WASHINGTON The Navy secretary has spent more than a full year of his five-year tenure on overseas travel, racking up more than 930,000 miles on trips that cost taxpayers more than $4.7 million.
Ray Mabus, the former Mississippi governor, has taken at least 40 trips outside the U.S as of July 2014, meeting officials and visiting sailors and Marines in more than 100 countries, according to data obtained and compiled by The Associated Press travel he said is critical to his job in furthering U.S. and Navy interests abroad.
The inspector general investigated after receiving a complaint about his travel and cleared him of any wrongdoing, Mabus said, but his 373 days on the road contrast with those of Army Secretary John McHugh, who took fewer than half the trips at less than half the cost over the same time period.
The travel costs come amid deep budget cuts across the Defense Department, including widespread efforts to slash headquarters spending, downsize the Army and Marine Corps, and cut back on acquisition programs, training and other costs.
Those cuts, said Bryan Clark, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment, make it "even more important that senior leaders scrutinize their travel and make sure that the travel they're doing is essential."
Mabus is so proud of his travel he even has a mileage ticker on his Navy website, showing he has traveled 932,129 miles as of this week. About 100,000, or one-fifth, of sailors and Marines serve in foreign posts. And, he said, negotiating issues such as basing ships in Rota, Spain, is more effective face to face.
"You could do that in a phone call, I guess. You could send them a note," he said. "I don't think they take it nearly as seriously if you're not sitting across the table from them."
He noted that a female sailor on a stop in Hawaii complained to him that she felt she had no future as a nuclear officer because women couldn't serve on nuclear submarines. That conversation, said Mabus, led to his finalizing plans to allow women to serve on the subs.
"I think the return on investment for my travel has been phenomenal," Mabus told the AP.
McHugh oversees an Army of more than 508,000 active-duty soldiers, including more than 130,000 in foreign posts. He said he tries to go where large concentrations of soldiers are as well as countries where there are national security issues.
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Tiger Muay Thai Commercial
http://www.tigermuaythai.com/ http://www.fightingthai.com/ Nestled in the tropical backdrop of Phuket, Thailand lies the world-renowned Tiger Muay Thai MMA training camp. The globe #39;s biggest...
By: Tiger Muay Thai and MMA Training Camp, Phuket, Thailand
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ITB World Travel Trends Report: Russian travel market remains stable despite crises positive forecasts for the coming year
In 2013 Russia's foreign travel market reported booming sales, whereas this year the travel market has lost. The devaluation of the rouble has led to foreign travel costing around 20 per cent more. In spite of this Russian citizens remain keen to travel. These are the findings of the annual ITB World Travel Trends Report, conducted by IPK International and commissioned by ITB Berlin, the world's leading travel trade show. The forecasts are good for the Russian travel market in 2015, despite expecting slower growth than in previous years.
In the first eight months of this year the number of foreign trips undertaken by Russians fell by one per cent. This decline is due mainly to an estimated 50 per cent decline in travel to Ukraine, the second most popular Russian destination in 2013. Without the Ukraine as a tourist destination the overall picture improves: at plus ten per cent, Russia's foreign travel market reported stable growth during the first eight months of this year.
According to the World Travel Monitor published by IPK International the number of trips to Turkey, which last year was the most popular Russian holiday destination, rose in the order of double digits. During the first eight months of 2014 Greece and the UK also welcomed more arrivals, as did Thailand and the USA, whereas visitors to Spain and Germany declined. One reason for this trend is the devaluation of the rouble which has led to foreign trips costing 20 per cent more. Many Russians are also worried about negative attitudes towards them in Europe because of the crises in the Crimea and Ukraine. Rising inflation and bankruptcy among several travel operators has also had a negative effect on travel behaviour.
Despite the difficult situation the World Travel Monitor forecasts stable growth for 2015, albeit at a lower rate. 67 per cent of those polled said they would take the same number of foreign trips, possibly more, while 23 per cent intended to travel less and ten per cent had no plans for going abroad. Based on these findings IPK International predicts that in 2015 Russian trips abroad will increase by around four per cent which would confirm that the country possesses a stable foreign travel market. With its annual double-digit growth Russia has recently become one of the biggest driving forces of Europe's foreign travel market. Between 2005 and 2013 the number of trips undertaken abroad doubled, reaching 31.5 million last year, equivalent to a growth rate of 118 per cent.
In 2013 beach holidays in the sun were a clear favourite with Russian citizens. 55 per cent visited beach destinations, while 15 per cent took city breaks and around ten per cent went on round trips. Russian tourists spent more money and stayed longer at their destinations. Between 2007 and 2013 the average length of a holiday increased from 11 to 12 nights, while spending on overnights rose by 35 per cent. More and more Russians tend to book their holidays considerably in advance. The internet has become an increasingly important booking tool and now accounts for about 50 per cent of reservations being made. Nonetheless, at 40 per cent, the percentage of trips booked through travel agencies has remained stable.
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 researchers from around the world to present the latest statistics and trends in international tourism.
Other results of the January to August 2014 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 http://www.itb-berlin.com. At the ITB Future Day of 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 2015. 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 regularly for more than 20 years and is recognised as the most widescale continuous survey examining global travel trends.
ITB Berlin 2015 will take place from Wednesday to Sunday, 4 to 8 March. From the Wednesday to the Friday ITB Berlin is open to trade visitors only. The ITB Berlin Convention is held parallel with the trade fair, from Wednesday to Saturday, 4 to 7 March 2015. It is the world"s largest specialist convention for the industry. More details are available at http://www.itb-convention.com. ITB Berlin is the leading trade fair for the worldwide travel industry. In 2014 a total of 10,147 companies and organisations from 189 countries exhibited their products and services to 174,000 visitors, who included 114,000 trade visitors.
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Kenya has won the bid to host the Africa of Travel Association (ATA) World Congress next year, 2015.
Announcing the news during the 39th ATA Congress in Kampala Uganda, East Africa Commerce and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Phylis Kandie said the conference will spur tourism business in the country.
She said the event, which will bring together close to 500 delegates from over 20 countries across the globe, is among a number of key international conferences that the country has lined up next year, a sign of expected growth in conference tourism.
This is definitely good news for the country as we refocus on Meetings Incentives Conference and Exhibition (MICE) segment that is rapidly growing, especially in Nairobi and other major towns in the country, said Mrs Kandie.
In addition to ATA, Kenya has also won the bid to host SKAL international Congress next year, in Mombasa. The conference will bring together about 1,500 travel and tourism professionals from around the world.
We have also won another bid to host the World Public Relations Forum sometimes next year. All these international events are a show of confidence in the country that continues to leverage on its strategic position as the regional hub in hosting key international forums said Mrs Kandie.
She lauded ATA for its effort in marketing Africa as a tourism destination and highlighting on the challenges that needed to be addressed by the member States for the growth of the tourism business.
Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Managing Director Muriithi Ndegwa while delivering a paper on Marketing African destinations at the conference noted that insecurity, political instability, infrastructure and air connectivity were among the key challenges affecting Africa destination.
He said though intra-Africa tourism has prove a huge potential in growing tourism in line with market diversification, low air connectivity within the continent has dealt a blow to smooth travel.
Movement within some of African countries from Africa, at most times require one to travel via Europe or Middle East, a major obstacle to access especially when research indicates that about 55% of global travel is by air, said Mr Ndegwa.
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Kenya to host Africa Travel Association world congress in 2015
TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site*, in partnership with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and E-Tourism Frontiers announced today the launch of a new initiative to improve the way destinations use digital tools and content created by travellers. Known as DATA (Destination Academy with TripAdvisor), these regional events will bring together invited destinations to discuss the growing importance of digital platforms, tools and user-generated content in travel planning. With more and more consumers relying on content from 'fellow travellers' to plan their trips, it is vital for destinations to understand how this can be incorporated into their marketing strategies. DATA events will include training sessions, guided discussions, best digital practices, as well as analysis and trends from TripAdvisor.
The project is being run in conjunction with E-Tourism Frontiers, an online tourism training and education company that works with destinations and travel businesses worldwide to improve their use of technology and social content.
The inaugural DATA event will be held in Singapore on the 27th and 28th of November, 2014, and TripAdvisor will be partnering with PATA to host 20 regional Destination Managers.
Sarah Mathews, Destination Marketing Senior Manager, APAC, TripAdvisor, said, "We are delighted to partner with PATA to launch DATA, a highly innovative and dynamic programme specially designed for destinations. As the world's largest travel site with nearly 315 million unique monthly visitors**, we see that engagement with destinations is key, so that they can leverage the positive power of travellers reviews, opinions, and content in their marketing strategies. Travellers today want to hear from other travellers and see genuine, experience-driven content, and we can help destinations achieve this."
Damian Cook, the CEO of E-Tourism Frontiers, said, "While many regard online as impersonal, the human face of travel is really becoming more important online. We'll be looking at the evolution of destination management in a user controlled market. The value of local, real time content is now hugely important and sites such as TripAdvisor are seeing this change and ensuring that travel content has a genuine human presence. We want to show destinations how to connect and leverage user-generated content but also to build more adaptive destination strategies for the future."
PATA CEO Mario Hardy said he was delighted that Singapore would host the first DATA event: "We know that travel to Asia has increased significantly in the last few years. According to PATAmPOWER, the Association's next generation business decision-making tool, international visitor arrivals (IVAs) to Asia grew at an annual growth rate of around 6.9% between 2009 and 2013, with Southeast Asia and South Asia leading the pack with double-digit growth. Therefore, we want to equip destinations in the region with the most up-to-date knowledge, trends and research so they can incorporate the best use of social media into not only their marketing campaigns but in how they connect with travellers on a daily basis."
The events will also offer destinations the opportunity to hold DATA events in their home countries to educate and empower their travel trade.
About TripAdvisor TripAdvisor is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 315 million unique monthly visitors**, and more than 190 million reviews and opinions covering more than 4.4 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 45 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly TripAdvisor visitors.
Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for profit association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its member organisations, comprising 90 government, state and city tourism bodies, nearly 30 international airlines, airports and cruise lines, 57 educational institutions, and hundreds of travel industry companies in Asia Pacific and beyond. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 43 local PATA chapters worldwide. The chapters organise travel industry training and business development events. Their grassroots activism underpins PATA"s membership of the Global Travel Association Coalition (GTAC), which includes ACI, CLIA, IATA, ICAO, WEF, UNWTO and the WTTC. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members" desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA"s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has official offices or representation in Beijing, Sydney, Dubai, London and New York. Visit http://www.PATA.org.
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TripAdvisor and PATA Launch a New Community Education Programme for Destinations DATA
GoPro Circle World Travel `14
This is my 5 month trip to Europe, in a couple minutes! Sorry for not looking more excited in these clips hahah, i really was happy though!!!! I got the idea for this video from watching one called G.
By: Emilys Media
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Nov. 05--The World Health Organization is asking Canada to justify its decision to restrict travel from the West African nations hardest hit by Ebola.
The Canadian government announced Friday that it would no longer issue travel visas or process permanent residency applications for people from the countries with "widespread and persistent-intense transmission."
The move puts Canada at odds with the World Health Organization, which has repeatedly urged countries not to prohibit travel to and from Ebola-affected countries, including Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
WHO officials argue that such measures are counterproductive because they complicate efforts to deploy relief workers and supplies, and because they might encourage affected countries and individuals to conceal the disease.
International Health Regulations agreed to by Canada stipulate that countries that impose travel and trade restrictions that go over and above measures recommended by the WHO should provide a public health rationale that is based on science, WHO officials say.
"Any strong measures [like border closures] need to be well documented and explained to those who are suffering from those measures," the WHO's Dr. Isabelle Nuttall said in an interview Tuesday with the Canadian Press news agency.
"If not, they will just be circumvented. People will find a way to travel. And the consequence to a country might be even worse than not having had a travel ban."
Nuttall said she had asked the Public Health Agency of Canada for an explanation. The agency told the Canadian Press that it would respond to the WHO's request "in the near future."
Canadian officials say the travel ban does not apply to Canadian nationals, who will continue to be screened for Ebola at ports of entry along with visitors from countries that do not require visas. Exceptions can also be made for essential travel by citizens of other countries, they say.
The "No. 1 priority is to protect Canadians," Health Minister Rona Ambrose said in a statement last week.
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WHO Asks Canada To Justify Restricting Travel From Ebola Zone
World Travel Market 2014 - Philippines Festival - Part 5 of 6
Philippines Festival - World Travel Market - 5 November 2014.
By: Revi Pillai
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World Travel Market 2014 - Philippines Festival - Part 5 of 6 - Video
VL Interviews Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, Minister for Tourism, Culture Creative Arts, Ghana
Voices of Leaders sits down with Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, Ghana Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts at the 2014 World Travel Market in London. Ofosu-Agyare tells VL about the number...
By: Voices of Leaders
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VL Interviews Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, Minister for Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts, Ghana - Video
GoPro travel the world
GoPro travel the world travel compilation.
By: fderna11
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Argentina at the World Travel Market London 2014
Tango dancers at the World Travel Market 2014.
By: MissObleas
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Superkilen, Welcome to Europe #39;s Strangest Public Park
Superkilen, Welcome to Europe #39;s Strangest Public Park. (CNN) -- It #39;s home to a sound system from Jamaica and an elephant slide from Chernobyl.It #39;s where you #39;ll find an outdoor Thai boxing ring,...
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Superkilen, Welcome to Europe's Strangest Public Park - Video
Johanna Mukoki, group CEO, Travel With Flair
Johanna Mukoki, group CEO, Travel With Flair talks to Breaking Travel News on Day 3 at World Travel Market 2014. #WTM2014.
By: TWFSouthAfrica
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Rugby World Cup 2015 - The Potential for Sports Tourisum @ #WTM14 | Tues 4 Nov
This event took place at #WTM14, ExCeL London on Tuesday 4 November. This session looks closely into #39;The Rugby World Cup 2015 #39; that is planned to be hosted in England in 2015. The event over.
By: World Travel Market
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Rugby World Cup 2015 - The Potential for Sports Tourisum @ #WTM14 | Tues 4 Nov - Video
CEO one to one: Jozsef Varadi, CEO of Wizz Air @ #WTM14 | Tues 4 Nov
This event took place at #WTM14, London ExCeL on Tues 4 Nov. The session is a one to one discussion with Jozsef Varadi, CEO of Wizz Air. Wizzair is the leading Low Cost Carrier in the Eastern...
By: World Travel Market
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CEO one to one: Jozsef Varadi, CEO of Wizz Air @ #WTM14 | Tues 4 Nov - Video
Transcorp Hilton Abuja, for the second consecutive year, has been honoured with the prestigious award of Nigerias Leading Hotel 2014 and Nigerias Leading MICE Hotel 2014 awarded by the World Travel Awards. In hospitality parlance, MICE stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions.
Transcorp Hilton Hotel is owned by Transcorp Hotels Plc, the hospitality subsidiary of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc.
To receive these two prestigious awards in key categories from World Travel Awards is a great honour and an achievement for our hotel and indeed for team members who have continued to work tirelessly to make ours the leading world- class hotel in Abuja, said Etienne Gailliez, General Manager, Transcorp Hilton Abuja.
He added,I am delighted that our commitment to the consistent delivery of world -class experience to all our guests has been recognised once again by a reputable industry watchdog. I have no doubts that the awards will spur us to work even harder and attain greater heights
The recognition from the World Travel Awards arrived on the heels of the successful hosting of the 21st World Economic Forum by Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja and the launch of an IPO by the owning company, Transcorp Hotels Plc, to part-finance the development of two new five-star hotels in two of Nigerias major cities- Lagos and Port-Harcourt.
Receiving the awards on behalf of the hotel at the Nigerian Pavilion at the World Travel Market in London, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, Transcorp Hotels Plc, said, I am pleased that the outstanding work and dedication of the team at Transcorp Hilton Abuja continue to be recognised internationally.
These awards to the hotel further confirm that our efforts at meeting and exceeding the expectations of our guests and stakeholders are appreciated by industry watchers.
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