ΔΙΕΘΝΗΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟΝΙΚΗ ΕΦΗΜΕΡΙΔΑ ΠΟΙΚΙΛΗΣ ΥΛΗΣ - ΕΔΡΑ: ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ει βούλει καλώς ακούειν, μάθε καλώς λέγειν, μαθών δε καλώς λέγειν, πειρώ καλώς πράττειν, και ούτω καρπώση το καλώς ακούειν. (Επίκτητος)

(Αν θέλεις να σε επαινούν, μάθε πρώτα να λες καλά λόγια, και αφού μάθεις να λες καλά λόγια, να κάνεις καλές πράξεις, και τότε θα ακούς καλά λόγια για εσένα).

Τετάρτη 30 Νοεμβρίου 2016

World Travel Awards is ready for the Grand Final 2016

SunSiyam IruFushi
World Travel Awards will welcome the elite of global hospitality to the Maldives for the Grand Final 2016. The event will be staged at the glamourous The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi on Friday, December 2nd, with nearly 300 hundred industry leaders expected to attend.
Reflecting a last minute surge in demand for space at the event, the venue has moved from the smaller Olhuveli Beach & Spa, Maldives, to the larger The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi. Both are operated by the Sun Siyam Resorts.
World Travel Awards President Graham Cooke said: “It will be our pleasure to welcome guests to The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi.
“Upgrading to the new, larger venue ahead of the Grand Final 2016 will allow us to welcome a larger delegation from around the world here in the Maldives.
“With just a few short days to go until the event we are putting the finishing touches in place and I look forward to greeting our guests on Friday.”
World Travel Awards, too, will be celebrating, rewarding its global winners at the end of the Grand Tour 2016.
Regional Gala Ceremonies have already taken place in Tanzania, Peru, Italy, Jamaica, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates throughout the year.
Winners from each regional celebration progress to the Grand Final on December 2nd.
World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.
Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora Named Best Large Luxury Island Resort in the World

Αποτέλεσμα εικόνας για Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora Named Best Large Luxury Island Resort in the World

Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora has just been named the Best Large Luxury Island Resort in the World by Cigar Aficionado, in their World’s Best Island Destinations feature.

Additionally, the island of Bora Bora was named Overall Best Island in the World and Best Island for Romance.

The magazine’s World’s Best Island Destinations winners were selected by a panel of experts in the field, featuring some of the world’s best luxury travel agents and travel journalists.

“This award is quite an honour to receive, as those on the panel who selected us are an abundantly sophisticated group of bona fide travel experts,” sayes Maria Jagla, General Manager of Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora. “We look forward to continually evolving the experience here at the Resort, as we create the most magical moments for our guests in this paradise of Bora Bora.”
Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora is currently offering several Complimentary Night packages, which include accommodations in an overwater bungalow suite or beachfront villa estate and daily breakfast buffet for two.

Finnair to recruit 70 new digital professionals and leverage digitalization in future customer experience development

Αποτέλεσμα εικόνας για Finnair
Finnair will speed up its digital transformation and hire approximately 70 software developers, project managers, service designers and other digital professionals into its new digital team. The new recruitment drive will strengthen the airline's capability to improve processes and enhance the customer experience with digital solutions.
Taking advantage of the opportunities provided by digitalisation is the next step in Finnair's accelerated growth strategy.
"Mobile applications and applying data will be increasingly visible in the work of Finnair employees across the organisation. We are taking the first mobile apps into use in our aircraft maintenance in the beginning of next year," says Katri Harra-Salonen, Finnair's Chief Digital Officer. "We are also seeking new business opportunities enabled by the digital development, and we will invest in innovation at Finnair."
Finnair's mobile app recently received the coveted Red Dot award, and Finnair's Nordic Sky Wi-Fi portal was awarded as the industry's best in-flight connectivity solution by APEX. Finnair's digital team will also develop solutions for internal use, and utilize IBM's iOS Enterprise solutions.
"Working in our digital team is an opportunity to create something new in the fascinating and continuously evolving airline environment and for over 10 million of our international customers. Service development is strongly based on open and agile development culture across the organisation, to get the products and solutions faster to the market. This is a unique working environment in Finland, and our aim is to build the best agile team in the Nordic countries," Harra-Salonen says.
Finnair's entire long-haul fleet will be Wi-Fi enabled in the spring of 2017, while Wi-Fi installations for the short-haul European fleet will start gradually as of next spring. Wi-Fi connectivity on board will also bring new opportunities to develop the in-flight customer experience such as enhancing shopping and retail opportunities.
Finnair is targeting accelerated growth and has already recruited approximately 800 new employees this year, the majority of which are cabin crew personnel and pilots. Finnair's fleet will grow in 2017 with new A350 and A321 aircraft. In 2016, Finnair opened new routes to China, Japan and Europe, and the airline’s network will continue to grow in 2017.
Finnair Adopts iOS Enterprise Apps from IBM to Accelerate Digital Transformation
Finnair and IBM nnounced a first-of-its-kind agreement to utilise iOS enterprise apps from IBM to support the airline’s overall digital transformation.
Finnair is focused on Asia-Europe traffic, carrying over 10 million customers annually and connecting 70 European destinations with 17 Asian mega-cities and three North-American cities via its Helsinki hub. In preparation for growth, Finnair has recruited more than 500 employees, rolled out new aircraft and launched new routes this year. Now, Finnair seeks to improve its processes and enhance the customer experience through digital transformation.
"Our collaboration with Apple and IBM is an important building block in our digital transformation," says Katri Harra-Salonen. "We want to link our employees with the insights they need to make better decisions. This collaboration enables a user focused, high quality, yet cost effective way of developing digital solutions, helping us to improve the way we operate as an airline."
First applications from the collaboration will be deployed in Finnair Technical Operations in aircraft line maintenance in early 2017.
“We see a wealth of opportunities for improving productivity as well as adding value to the work flow of our employees, by improving real-time visibility and transparency across the entire maintenance process," says Jari Huhtinen, Head of Finnair Technical Operations. "Our mechanics team participated in the application creation work with Apple and IBM to ensure the best possible design, user experience and fit into our organizational processes."
Finnair is the first organization to take advantage of IBM's new app design and development model for clients that plan to adopt multiple iOS apps, called Mobile at Scale for iOS. This integrated approach, unique to IBM MobileFirst for iOS, increases the speed, efficiency and quality of how iOS apps are designed, developed, deployed, enhanced and maintained over their lifecycle.
The airline has a team in the IBM MobileFirst for iOS Garage dedicated to rapidly executing Finnair projects. The MobileFirst for iOS Garage operates as a global hub for the development of iOS, enabling Finnair to tap into the world’s largest concentration of Swift developers, design, integration and iOS device expertise along with consulting services. The Garage team can deliver initial apps in weeks that are tailored to meet Finnair’s enterprise needs and the user requirements of its employees This integrated approach brings consistency to the project, saving 25 percent of development effort, cost and time.
The apps will be managed and hosted on IBM Cloud allowing Finnair to implement multiple apps at speed and at scale, transforming everyday tasks for employees across the organisation. The apps combine simplicity with the power of analytics to generate insight for more informed decision-making and better management.
“Finnair is innovating and setting an example - not just for its industry, but for all enterprises. Rather than using mobile in silos, the airline is looking to IBM’s industry expertise and solutions to digitize the entire airline,” said Raimon Christiani, global industry leader IBM Travel & Transportation. “Finnair has access to IBM’s full portfolio of MobileFirst for iOS apps and if there’s something else it needs to empower employees and provide Finnair passengers a more seamless travel experience, we can build it."
The first apps to be rolled out within the agreement are:
  • Inspect & Turn provides aircraft mechanics with digital task cards and documentation with analytics-driven recommendations to complete work assignments to ensure the safe upkeep of aircraft and achievement of on-time arrival and departure targets.
  • Assign Tech provides aircraft mechanic supervisors a clear overview of fight schedules, maintenance process and mechanic availability. Using advanced analytics, the app recommends optimal shift assignments and incorporates the skills and certifications of each mechanic. Push notifcations also alert supervisors to fight delays process issues, so they can easily make changes on the fly. 

Spirit AeroSystems delivers first 737 MAX thrust reverser with a composite inner wall


Αποτέλεσμα εικόνας για Spirit AeroSystems delivers first 737 MAX thrust reverser with a composite inner wall
Spirit AeroSystems Inc. today announced completion of an expansion project on the Spirit Wichita campus to support production of the 737 thrust reverser. The expansion supports production rate increases already planned for the Boeing 737 program. The company also celebrated delivering the first 737 MAX thrust reverser with the new composite inner wall to the flight test program. Spirit produces the 737 MAX fuselage, pylon, thrust reverser and engine nacelle at its Wichita, Kan., facility and the wing leading edges at its Tulsa, Okla., facility. Spirit is responsible for delivering about 70 percent of the 737 structure to Boeing.

“We’re excited to celebrate completion of this expansion project and delivery of the first thrust reverser with a composite inner wall,” said Tom Gentile, Spirit AeroSystems president and chief executive officer. “Spirit has delivered assemblies and components for more than 9,000 737s since the model entered service, and we look forward to supporting the 737’s continued success and competitiveness through this newest expansion.”

Spirit is using a proven composite inner wall material, providing Boeing with a maintainable, producible and reliable solution for the 737 MAX. The new design includes a thermal protection system, which provides reliable protection from the heat generated by the new fuel efficient Leap-1B engines made by CFM International. The 737 MAX is 20 percent more fuel efficient than the original Next-Generation 737.

The 737 MAX will extend the Next-Generation 737 range advantage with the capability to fly more than 3,500 nautical miles (6,510 kilometers), an increase of 340 to 570 nautical miles (629 to 1,055 kilometers). Delivery of the first 737 MAX is scheduled for the first half of 2017.

Boeing, which currently produces 42 737s per month, will increase the rate to 47 airplanes per month in 2017. To support rate increases, Spirit also opened a new expansion to support 737 MAX thrust reverser production. The new expansion is 45,000 sqft. and will deliver 94 thrust reversers per month to support the next rate increase.

“Delivering this very important capability to our customer is our top priority,” said Duane Hawkins, Spirit’s senior vice president of Boeing Programs. “Spirit helped design and develop a technical solution for our customer and now we have the capacity to deliver the product on time and with the highest quality possible.”

Spirit employs about 15,000 people worldwide designing and building complex aerostructures for the world’s most recognizable airplanes. Spirit builds the forward fuselage section of every Boeing Commercial Airplane in production today, as well as wing and propulsion components.

New survey looks at the travel habits of affluent families

Αποτέλεσμα εικόνας για New survey looks at the travel habits of affluent families
NEW YORK, NY - Just in time for the holiday travel season, Top Flight Family, the leading online destination for luxury family travel, released the results of a survey that looks at the travel habits of U.S. families earning more than $100,000 per year, including their top destinations, their favorite accommodation options, and the upgrades they say are must-haves for getting the most out of their vacations.
“Family travel is one of the fastest-growing segments within the travel market,” says Carmen Sognonvi, founder and publisher of Top Flight Family. “The insights uncovered by our survey can help families on any budget minimize hassle, maximize quality time, and have a richer travel experience.”
They Spend Big on Family Travel
Survey respondents reported spending about $1,500 per person per vacation. With an average household size of 3.9 and an average of 4.1 trips taken per year, that means affluent households spend over $23,000 per year just on family travel.
They're OK With Missing School for Travel
Nearly a quarter of affluent parents (23%) said they take trips primarily to enrich their children’s education and development, and a whopping two-thirds said they are willing to let their kids miss some school in order to travel (65%).
One Iowa mom explained the educational benefits of travel: “When we travel together we get to do all of those fun things we never find time to do at home and learn more in the process then the countless hours of homework combined.”
Millennial parents were twice as likely (28%) than Gen X parents (14%) to name education and enrichment as their number one reason for traveling with kids.
They Bring Kids to 5-Star Hotels
Despite the growing number of accommodation options available to travelers, hotels remain the top choice for families on vacation (60%). And affluent parents aren’t afraid to bring their children to the highest-end properties. Nearly half (43%) of respondents said their child had stayed with them at a 5-star hotel or resort.
One Nevada mom said she books hotels for her family trip because she finds it “less stressful than staying with family, there is plenty of room and you’re not imposing on others.”
Vacation rentals were the second-most popular option, with 17% of survey respondents pointing to rentals from companies such as Homeaway, VRBO, onefinestay as their favorite accommodation choice.
Despite its surging popularity among travelers in general, Airbnb doesn’t hold much interest for luxury family travelers. Only 3.5% of survey respondents chose Airbnb rentals as their favorite accommodation option, ranking it behind staying with friends and family (13.5%) and booking timeshares (4.4%).
They Travel to Foster Family Closeness
“Travel brings us closer together as a family” was the single most popular reason given by survey respondents for why they travel with their children (35%). Many affluent parents also listed visiting relatives who live far away as a top reason for family travel (20%).
Gen X parents are more likely than millennial parents to use travel as a way to reconnect with extended family and friends: 
- 32% of Gen X parents said their primary reason for traveling with children is to visit long-distance relatives, while only - 16% of millennial parents listed this as their number one reason for hitting the road
- 24% of Gen X parents said “visiting friends or family” is their favorite type of vacation to book, while only 11% of millennial parents chose this as their favorite
- 24% of Gen X parents say their favorite type of accommodation is staying with friends or family, while only 6% of millennial parents selected this as their preferred lodging option
They Pay Extra for Space and Convenience
Affluent parents are savvy about paying extra for add-ons that make the experience of traveling with children more convenient and enjoyable. For most parents, the number one option worth spending on is upgrading from a standard hotel room to a suite or villa (71%).
One Illinois mom pointed out that different bed times are better accommodated in multiple rooms. “It helps to have a suite so if parents want to stay up later than the kids and watch TV we can. It also helps to spread out and not be on top of one another in a hotel room with just 2 beds, a TV and maybe a desk and chair.”
Global Entry and/or TSA Pre-Check was the second-most popular choice (40%). As one Maryland dad explained, there’s “nothing worse than starting a vacation with long lines” when traveling with children.
Although affluent families travel primarily to foster closeness, everyone needs a break sometimes. That’s why survey respondents chose kids clubs as the third-most popular upgrade (32%). These facilities at hotels and resorts give kids their own dedicated activities and allow parents to enjoy some alone time.
Other upgrades that affluent parents say are worth a look include:
- First or business class flights – 29%
- Club floor access in hotels – 18%
- Luggage shipping/forwarding services – 14%
- Babysitting/childcare at destination – 14%
- Access to airport lounge – 13%
They Seek Adventure Through Travel
Unsurprisingly, beach vacations ranked high with affluent parents, but they were edged out of first place by destinations that offer adventure for the whole family:
- Activity and adventure – 25%
- Beach – 24%
- Visiting friends or family– 20%
Taking in the Northern Lights topped the travel bucket lists of affluent parents (16%), with a trip to the Galapagos Islands a close second (15%). Going on an African safari (11%), diving the Great Barrier Reef (10%) and seeing the pyramids of Giza (9%) rounded out the top five dream getaways.
Of the Galapagos Islands, one Minnesota mom said: “My kids love animals and would really love being on the islands. At the ages they are now, this would have great experience value and memory making possibilities.”

ICC Jerusalem hosts the First Global Start up Education Conference



Αποτέλεσμα εικόνας για ICC Jerusalem hosts the First Global Start up Education Conference
The challenge of promoting scientific and technological education in Israel toward the future was the main topic of the First Global Start up Education Conference hold by ORT Israel, which took place this week at International Convention Center – Jerusalem.
A long line of educators, academics, government officials and businessman, experts and policy makers from Israel and abroad took part in the conference and discussed the methodologies of teaching science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
Among the main speakers at the conference: Minister of Science, Technology and Space, Mr. Ofir Akunis; President of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Professor. Zajfman; US ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro; Chief Scientist at Ministry of Economy Avi Hasson, Farkash Nair, an expert on futuristic design of schools, Prof. Idit Harel, founder and CEO of Globaloria, prestigious CODiE Award winner for year 2014, Professor Mark de Reese, an experts in the philosophy of technology education, municipal mayors, industrialists and other leaders.

Travel Leaders React to Trump Selection of Elaine Chao as Secretary of Transportation

Αποτέλεσμα εικόνας για Travel Leaders React to Trump Selection of Elaine Chao as Secretary of Transportation


U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement on news that President-elect Trump will nominate Elaine Chao to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation:

“The U.S. travel community heartily welcomes the selection of Elaine Chao as the next Secretary of Transportation. Candidate Trump exhibited a clear understanding of the urgent need for aggressive investment in our infrastructure in order to keep America competitive and spur economic and job growth, and now President-elect Trump is following through with a strong and capable choice to lead those efforts. Secretary Chao distinguished herself during her eight years at the helm of the Department of Labor, and is exactly the kind of principled but pragmatic leader that can turn the bold infrastructure vision Mr. Trump articulated on the campaign trail into a Beltway reality.

“We look forward to working with Secretary Chao on federal transportation policies that are pro-connectivity, pro-growth and pro-traveler, which will hopefully include proposals to address the dire condition of U.S. airports within the administration’s first 100 days.”

UAE theme parks to welcome more than 19 million visitors

dubai wild wadi rides
The UAE’s existing and new generation theme parks will attract more than 19 million admissions a year by 2020 if current trends continue. The prediction is made using existing admissions and arrivals data for Yas Island’s Ferrari World and Waterworld and Dubai’s Aquaventure and Wild Wadi as well as a sample of new and upcoming parks.
All four parks have experienced a strong correlation between the rising number of visitors to the UAE and its admissions, with their combined admissions predicted to reach 19 million visitors annually.
yasisland ferrari worldSimilar patterns are expected to be seen for IMG Worlds of Adventure and Dubai Parks and Resorts, which opened this year in Dubai. Both parks have ambitions to draw in millions of visitors in their first year of operations, with IMG expecting to attract 4.5 million people and Dubai Parks and Resorts predicting 6.7 million ticketed visitors.
The predictions were published in a report titled Theme Park Tourism, by Colliers International, and released to coincide with the openings of Dubai’s IMG Worlds of Adventure and Dubai Parks and Resorts (DPR).
A theme park can expect to attract a visitor mix that is approximately 70% domestic, up to 20% regional and around 10% international, with MICE groups also forming a large share of admissions especially in cities with a strong business culture, such as Singapore and Tokyo.
DPR features four parks: Bollywood Parks, Motiongate and Legoland with Six Flags Dubai opening in 2019. It also boasts a hotel resort, Marriott’s Lapita from The Autograph Collection, the first inner circle theme park hotel in the region. With the Riverland retail and dining destination, the AED13.2bn development covers 30.6 million square feet of land
IMG Worlds of Adventure spans 28 football fields and is the first global theme park to bring international brands Marvel and Cartoon Network together, in addition to two proprietary brands IMG Boulevard and Lost Valley – Dinosaur Adventure. The park features a unique array of roller coasters and attractions, 28 F&B venues and 25 retail outlets.
The new parks will also create a distinct economic boost for hoteliers following a difficult 24 months for the hospitality industry regionally. Hotels and airlines have seen business disrupted by events in key source markets including sharp fluctuations in the value of the Ruble, Euro and Sterling.
ftnnews

Number of tourist arrivals to Turkey in the first 10 months of 2016

istanbul antalya
Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry announced the total number of foreign arrivals to the country in the first 10 months of 2016. According to the statistics data taken from the Turkish National Police, the number of foreign tourist arrivals to Turkey in October 2016 recorded as 2,449,948; a drop of 25.79% compare to October 2015.
Top 5 Port of entries in October 2016:
1- ISTANBUL %32.34 (792,320)
2- ANTALYA %32.12 (787,001)
3- EDIRNE %8.87 (217,345)
4- ARTVIN %7.79 (190,942)
5- MUGLA %6.20 (151,820)         
2014-2016(*) Nationalities of tourist arrivals in October - Top 3 country
COUNTRIES2016*NAT. PCT.2015NAT. PCT.2014NAT. PCT.
GERMANY491 05920,04730 22722,12723 83421,04
RUSIAN FED.222 7199,09229 1256,94224 4306,52
GEORGIA178 3867,28164 8864,99149 2614,34
OTHER1 557 78463,582 176 95665,942 342 02968,09
GRAND TOTAL2 449 948100,003 301 194100,003 439 554100,00
(*): Provisional data     
           

January – October 2016
The total number of foreign travelers visiting Turkey between January and October 2016 recorded as 22,696,776; a drop of 31.35% compared to same period last year.
Top 5 Port of entries in January – October 2016:
1- ISTANBUL %34.71 (7, 878,111)
2- ANTALYA %25.30 (5,743,341)
3- EDIRNE %10.88 (2,468,325)
4- ARTVIN %8.83 (2,004,394)
5- MUGLA %7.27 (1,650,690)
2014-2016(*) Nationalities of tourist arrivals in January - October - Top 3 country
COUNTRIES2016*NAT. PCT.2015NAT. PCT.2014NAT. PCT.
GERMANY3 630 36716,005 144 60915,564 813 71114,36
RUSIAN FED.1 867 9298,231 604 3504,851 494 1984,46
GEORGIA1 647 2997,262 422 4457,332 506 8757,48
OTHER15 551 18168,5223 887 88372,2624 713 27273,71
GRAND TOTAL22 696 776100,0033 059 287100,0033 528 056100,00
(*): Provisional data

American Airlines selects IBM as its Cloud provider


Αποτέλεσμα εικόνας για American Airlines selects IBM as its Cloud provider
IBM announced a strategic partnership with American Airlines, naming IBM as its cloud provider for greater enterprise flexibility, scalability and reliability.  
As part of the partnership, American Airlines will move select enterprise applications to IBM's Cloud. The airline will be able to leverage the global footprint of IBM Cloud, which consists of more than 50 data centers spanning 17 countries, as well as a wide range of application development capabilities through IBM Bluemix. In addition the company will have access to IBM advanced analytics capabilities and technologies, all of which will enable the company to advance its enterprise into a cognitive infrastructure that offers greater resiliency and better customer experiences.
"With the incredible proliferation of and access to data, cloud is becoming a platform for innovation. The scalability and performance of the IBM Cloud, combined with Bluemix, turns the cloud into an enabler of innovation and a way to create new services and business models," said Robert LeBlanc, Senior Vice President, IBM Cloud. "This partnership is about delivering the flexibility to American Airline's business, allowing them to enhance their customer relationships and further gain a competitive advantage."
This new agreement is the latest in a long-standing relationship between IBM and American Airlines that began in 1950's, when the two companies worked together to develop the first electronic reservation and ticketing system in the industry.

European travellers will benefit from reform of EU Airport Charges Directive

 Αποτέλεσμα εικόνας για European travellers will benefit from reform of EU Airport Charges Directive

Airlines for Europe A4E and executives from its member airlines, European airports and civil aviation authorities participated in an aviation briefing hosted by MEP Wim van de Camp.
Since its launch in January A4E has focused on taking forward changes that will increase the competitiveness of European airlines and result in lower fares and more choice for passengers. Particularly, solutions on the issue of airport charges and investments are needed, looking into why meaningful consultation between airlines and airports is essential. Well-planed, efficient investments in infrastructure are part of the long-term strategic vision for the sector’s whole value chain and require consultation between airports and their users. The EU Airports Charges Directive 2009/12/EC was intended to set minimum requirements on consultation and transparency, but has fallen well short of its objective. 
“In its current state, the Directive is inadequate and ineffective in protecting airport users and consumers from airports’ abuses of their market power, notably in the process for setting airport charges,” said Thomas Reynaert, Managing Director of A4E. “Airport charges account for up to 20% of airlines’ total cost. In order to protect the interests of passengers and for consumers to enjoy value for money, it is vital that charges are justified and linked to efficient costs.”
A4E believes that unnecessary investments, operational and cost inefficiencies and high – often pre-determined – returns have all resulted in increasing airport charges, even in cases of increased traffic volumes without additional investments.
In dealing with airports that enjoy significant market power, economic regulation is therefore indispensable to replicate the outcomes of a competitive market. However, the Directive fails to guarantee effective transparency over costs and revenues to address the asymmetry of information between airports and airport users.
“Constructive engagement between airports and airlines has been a central part of the UK regime for a number of years. Airports may either do this through a regulated process or as part of their commercial negotiations with airlines where they are not economically regulated. The A4E event has given us an excellent up-to-date perspective on the way different stakeholders perceive this process, which is particularly timely in view of the major challenges we face in increasing capacity in the coming years,” said William Webster, Head of Competition and Markets, UK Civil Aviation Authority.
“Openly discussing and exchanging views with our customer airlines and serving the strong market of Milan & the East of Lombardy has made Milan/Bergamo Airport the third largest airport in Italy for both passengers and freight. We underwent a radical transformation, developing state-of-the-art infrastructure and adding new services and choice for all our customers,” explained Giacomo Cattaneo, Aviation Sales Director, Milan/Bergamo Airport.
“I fully support the constructive engagement between airports and airlines that is proposed by A4E and the balanced approach to create more effective transparency over costs and revenues with regard to airports. In order to do this, we will now have to use the evaluation of the Commission to get the real facts on the table. In this context, we must take into account the present functioning of the market,” said Wim van de Camp, Member of the European Parliament.
“Today’s discussion has shown that airlines, airports and regulators should work together to the benefit of European travellers. Net fares to, from and within Europe have reduced by as much as 20% over the last decade. Now it’s time that our partners contribute to this positive development by ensuring that passengers receive the full benefit of the commercial revenues which they generate at airports,” added Reynaert.

Expo 2020 Dubai increased participation to WTM London 2016

WTM2016 Dubai
Inspired by the positive regional potential of Expo 2020 and despite low oil revenues, increased numbers of travel professionals from across the Middle East, participated in this year’s World Travel Market London 2016.
This helped the leading international travel trade to record a joint-record attendance of 51,500 and the highest number of exhibitor invitees and buyers in the 37-year history of the event.
There were a number of new exhibitors from the Middle East this year, including Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia and travel organization - Alraqi from the Sultanate of Oman. Other key exhibitors included the tourism boards and associated partners from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Fujairah, Dubai Parks & Resorts, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kingdom of Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran Doostan, Kuwait Airways and Oman Air.
Overall, the number of Middle East exhibitors showed a steady growth of 2.26% compared to 2015 as regional governments look to diversify their economies away from falling hydrocarbon receipts. Those from the UAE occupied the lion’s share of floor space devoted to the region, which was to be expected with Expo 2020 Dubai on the horizon, but the indirect boost to regional travel and destinations, was not being underestimated, by other regional tourism boards.
Total visitor numbers (excluding press, ministers, ministers’ aides and students) stood at 31,951 – a 5% increase on WTM London 2015.
More than 865,500 on-stand connections took place over the three days of WTM London 2016 (Monday 7 – Wednesday 9 November) leading to more than £2.5 billion in industry deals being negotiated and signed.
Furthermore, more than 3,000 (3,034) of the world’s media were in attendance – the highest number for more than ten years – making the WTM International Press Centre the largest recurring press operation in the UK. The WTM International Press Centre was moved to the exhibitor floor for the first time to put the media at the heart of the event.
The travel trade industry is now preparing for Arabian Travel Market 2017, the Middle East installment of the World Travel Market portfolio, which is taking place from 24 to 27 April at Dubai World Trade Centre. Considered by many industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector, Arabian Travel Market witnessed a year-on-year visitor attendance increase of 8% to over 39,800 in 2016, with 2,520 exhibiting companies signing business deals worth more than US$2.5 billion over four days.
Arabian Travel Market 2017 will build on the success of this year’s edition with the announcement of an additional hall as Reed Travel Exhibitions looks to add to its record-breaking achievements earlier this year.

New Hilton Garden Inn Opens in Martinsburg, West Virginia

Hilton Garden Inn Martinsburg is within driving distance of three major transportation outlets, Baltimore/Washington International, Washington Dulles International Airport and Washington National Airport. Credit: Hilton Garden Inn.

MARTINSBURG, W. V. and MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Garden InnHilton Worldwide's (NYSE: HLT) upscale global brand of hotels, today announced the opening of Hilton Garden Inn Martinsburg. The property, which is owned and managed by The Aikens Group, brings 111 new rooms to the Hilton Garden Inn brand.
"We look forward to offering contemporary comfort and Hilton Garden Inn's service guarantee to business and leisure travelers visiting the Martinsburg area," said Cindi Rampulla, general manager. "With complimentary Wi-Fi, flexible meeting spaces and a well-equipped fitness center, we have an array of amenities to ensure our guests have a rewarding experience."
Hilton Garden Inn Martinsburg is within driving distance of three major transportation outlets, Baltimore/Washington International, Washington Dulles International Airport and Washington National Airport.

With rich American historical sites as Martinsburg's backdrop, guests can visit Gettysburg Battlefield, Belle Boyd House and Harpers Ferry. Outdoor enthusiasts can also partake in activities such as hiking, white water rafting and zip-lining.
Guests can dine on-property at The Garden Grille and Bar®, which offers a full cooked-to-order breakfast and dinner, cocktails* and evening room service. The Pavilion Pantry® is open 24 hours and features a complete selection of salty snacks, sweet treats, cold beverages, and frozen, microwaveable packaged items.
The hotel also features five meeting rooms offering more than 6,200 square feet combined of flexible meeting space for up to 270 people. Hilton Garden Inn guests are treated to amenities and services, including complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, 24-hour business center, a state-of-the-art fitness center, outdoor patio with fire pit and indoor pool.
All 111 guest rooms boast the brand's signature bedding featuring fresh, white duvets and crisp linens; a spacious and clutter-free work desk with an ergonomic desk chair; and an in-room "hospitality center" with a mini fridge, microwave oven as well as a Keurig coffee maker.
Hilton Garden Inn Martinsburg participates in Hilton's award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton HHonors . Hilton HHonors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to benefits including an exclusive member discount, free standard Wi-Fi, as well as digital amenities that are available exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton HHonors app, where HHonors members can check-in, choose their room and access their room using a Digital Key. 
For more information or to make reservations, please visit Hilton Garden Inn Martinsburg or call +1 304 263 0101.
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*Service of alcohol subject to state and local laws. Must be of legal drinking age.

Global airline industry to rake in US$67.4 billion this year

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Airline industry experts have predicted that the amount charged by airlines from travellers for in flight drinks and food or even for choosing seats with a greater leg room would increase by 13.8% this year to an overwhelming US$67.4 billion.

The above statistics have out put forward by IdeaWorks that is an airline revenue consultancy as well as an online car rental booking organization known as CarTrawler, and includes as many as 178 airlines.

Together, they have arrived at the conclusion that the additional income of airlines from travellers has risen by about 200% ever since the year 2010.

It has also added that it accounts for about 9.1% of airline revenue globally.

Income from travellers for their checked in baggage make way for the generation of US$44.9 billion this year. The smaller chunk of airline revenue is believed to be sourced from selling frequent flyer miles to program partners and also commissions earned through car rental and hotel bookings. The amount earned is about US$22.5 billion.

It has been found that airlines companies like Air New Zealand are capable of collecting the largest amount of total revenue from ancillary revenue that amounts to about US$26.9 billion worldwide this year.

The factors that have led to the generation of such a grand revenue include seat assignment, premium seating, checked baggage and so on.

Emirates has also started charging travellers a fee for seat assignment since October.

The US major airlines are predicted to earn US$20.2 billion this year from ancillary revenue.

According to the ancillary revenue yearbook that was released in September, Qantas Airways secured the ninth rank amongst the top 10 airlines for earning money like this. It was able to earn about US$1.17 billion, a majority of which can be attributed to frequent flyer programs. Jetstar, on the other hand, earned about US$564 million.