AUSTRALIA: Ritz-Carlton To Open In Perth, November 15th

The Ritz-Carlton, Perth will officially open its doors at Elizabeth Quay on November 15th.

The hotel’s main feature will be the 277 sq. m Ritz-Carlton Suite, which boasts the city’s best views of the Swan River from an outdoor balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows.

A touch of Western Australia’s rugged North West will be evident in the lobby with 10,000 pieces of hand-picked Kimberley sandstone designed to recreate a sense of walking through the Karijini gorges.

The Ritz-Carlton, Perth will also feature a rooftop bar, a restaurant serving locally produced food and wine and an infinity pool.

It will be the only Ritz-Carlton property in Australia.

Perth is currently experiencing a room-boost making it the most affordable city in Australia for hotel rooms.

Since 2012, 32 new or redeveloped hotels have opened in and around Perth, adding 3,306 new rooms to the local market with names such as DoubleTree by Hilton, the Westin, QT, Crown Towers, Alex Hotel, Intercontinental, Aloft and Tribe.

Australian Hotel Association research shows 3,556 new rooms have opened in 32 hotels and serviced apartments across the Perth metropolitan area since 2014.

By 2020, a further nine new or redeveloped hotels will come online.

Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: 100 Tourist Destinations Will Be Digitally Available

The management of at least 100 tourist destinations in Indonesia is set to be digitized to support sustainable tourism.

We are targeting to have 100 digital destinations across Indonesia by 2018, said the Tourism Ministry's information technology and digital department special staff, Samsriyono Nugroho, during the Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Australia (MIKTA) Forum in Yogyakarta on Wednesday as quoted by tempo.co.

Sustainable tourism comprises three management aspects, said Samsriyono, which are economy, environment and community developments.

Established in 2013, MIKTA is a cross-country communication platform that involves Indonesia, Mexico, South Korea, Turkey and Australia. This year Indonesia serves as the country coordinator for the forum.

Samsriyono says there are things to consider in order to boost tourism digitization, such as how to encourage tourism exchange, which involves ensuring all small and big tourism businesses have gone digital to open the market.

This tourism database is crucial to be able to be globally accessible.

Once connected, Samsriyono said the next step would be exposing in detail the richness of each destination, such as batik crafting spots, traditional cooking classes, mountain trekking and other localities that highlight tourist villages' characteristics sought after by foreign travelers.

Exposing these locality details also encourages the residents of the destination to love their environment, local values and nature; hence we'll be able to reach the target of sustainable tourism, he added.

In addition to benefiting the market, Samsriyono said digital tourism could also help preserve the destination in collaboration with the locals.

For instance, using social media, the downside of a destination could be immediately noticed and handled. For example, a dirty tourist attraction could be found quickly and reported to the management.

Meanwhile, for tourism business people and the government, digital tourism can serve as a big source of data to map the tourism market based on destination interest, which will help put a focus on marketing plans.

For example, European and Japanese tourists are known to prefer heritage destinations like Borobudur and Prambanan temples.

Meanwhile, tourist markets like China are more interested in exploring the south part of Indonesia, which has many beaches.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Emirates Throws Out Epilepsy Patient From Flight, Apologizes Later

Emirates has issued an apology after asking a teenage boy with disability to disembark a plane.

Eli, 17, was travelling with his famliy, including his mother, Isabelle Kumar, last week.

He had boarded a France bound flight in Dubai on Wednesday, the last leg of a multi-stop trip from New Zealand via Melbourne, Australia.

However, when the airline staff learned that the boy had an epilepsy, he was asked to disembark the plane.

Isabelle had asked the cabin crew for a seat with an empty seat next to it, in case he had a seizure.

In a statement the airline said it is sorry for any distress and inconvenience caused to Isabelle and her family.

Such situations are usually difficult for operational staff to assess, and they opted to act in the best interest of our passengers safety as well as on advice from our medical team.

Our customer service team has been in touch with the family, and we have offered them complimentary hotel stay while in transit and rebooked them on another flight that departed on 26 July.

Isabelle, complained about the incident on social media, citing that they had a doctor’s certificate clearing the teenager to fly despite his condition.

Thanks @emirates for removing our family from your flight. Our son has epilepsy: we had told you, just come 14 hours from Melbourne, got his doctor on the phone and medical clearance while still on board, Isabelle said on Twitter.


Tourism Observer

FRANCE: Air France And Qantas Re Establish Codeshare Agreement

Qantas and Air France have renewed its codesharing agreement on May 23, offering further connectivity between Europe and Australia via Asia.

Flights are available to book from June 5 for travel starting July 20, 2018.

Air France will add its flight codes to Qantas Flights between Hong Kong, and Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane as well as between Singapore (SIN) and Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.

The French carrier’s customers will also be able to access codesharing services from Sydney to five cities across Australia’s domestic network: Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide, Cairns, and Darwin.

In return, Qantas will add its code to flights operated by Air France between Singapore, Hong Kong, and Paris-CDG, as a continuation of connections between Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth.

The new agreement will let the two carriers come together and codeshare onto as many as 200 flights per week.

Air France’s eligible customers can also use the Qantas lounged in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia.

Likewise, Qantas’ eligible customers are now able to use Air France lounges in Paris, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

We are very pleased to be re-establishing a partnership with Qantas, said Patrick Alexandre, EVP Commercial Sales, and Alliances at Air France-KLM.

Thanks to this agreement, the Air France-KLM group will be able to offer one of the best possible travel solutions for its customers from Europe to Australia, he added.

This new cooperation confirms our group’s desire to expand in the Asia-Pacific region, said Alexandre.

Alison Webster, CEO of Qantas, added that “this is great news for our customers who want to travel to Europe via Asia, giving them another option to get to Paris and more opportunities to earn Frequent Flyer Points.”

Despite the fact that Qantas and Air France are members of different alliances, the opportunity to earn miles on these codeshare flights is now possible.

The return of this popular codeshare delivers on our strategy of partnering to provide customers with access to an expanded network and more seamless travel experiences wherever they want to fly, Alison Webster says.

With the carrier recently expanding its presence out of London with direct flights to Perth on its brand-new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, Europe is finally at direct reach for the Australian carrier.

Through this codeshare with Air France, Australian customers will now have a more seamless experience.


Tourism Observer

AUSTRALIA: Uber Eats Under Investigation By Australian Competition And Consumer Commission, ACCC

Australia's competition regulator has signalled that it plans to investigate Uber's allegedly unfair contracts with restaurant owners who have signed up to its Uber Eats delivery app.

There have been complaints from restaurant owners who allege their contracts with Uber are unfair and impose onerous obligations on them.

Josh Arthurs, the owner of Burgers by Josh, who cut his ties with Uber and criticised the California based multinational for charging restaurant owners a 35 per cent commission.

Mr Arthurs also slammed Uber for recently amending its refund policy to require restaurateurs to pay a percentage of customer refunds in the case of missing or incorrect food items.

This is even in situations where he alleges it is unclear whether the restaurant or driver is at fault.

Certainly, we'll have a look at it, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chairman Rod Sims said.

We have three bits of the law we can deal with here.

One is business-to-business, are they misleading the people they're dealing with?

Two is, are they engaged in unconscionable conduct, putting all the conduct together?

Thirdly, are the terms with which they work unfair? So, there's a lot to look at there.

For conduct to be unconscionable under consumer law, it needs to be more than just unfair.

On its website, the ACCC said it would look for any conduct which is particularly harsh or oppressive or which goes against good conscience judged against the norms of society.

Among other things, the regulator will consider the relative bargaining strength of the parties and the use of undue influence or unfair tactics by the stronger party, Uber in that case.

In addition, the ACCC will also consider whether the terms imposed went beyond what is reasonably necessary to protect the stronger party's legitimate interests.

We will work with the ACCC should they wish to investigate, an Uber Eats spokesperson said.

The ACCC can reach out to us directly with any questions they may have.

The issue revolves around the terms restaurant owners must accept if they want to have their food delivered through Uber Eats.

Firstly, they have to agree that Uber doesn't provide any delivery or logistics services, even though Uber boasts that we deliver in several sections of its website.

The Uber Eats contract also states that the drivers are the agents of the restaurant, even though it's Uber that pays them and controls their workflow.

Furthermore, if the food becomes substandard for example hot food falling below 60 degrees Celsius, Uber has the power to demand that the restauranteur cover the customer refund.

The restaurant could give a piping hot pizza to the Uber driver.

But by the time it gets to the consumer, because of the route the driver takes, or the number of deliveries he takes along the way, it could be stone cold.

Mr Robertson said Uber seemed to be imposing this fiction to shift responsibility for deliveries, even though the restaurant owners have no control over the Uber delivery driver's wages or workflow.

If the ACCC decides to take this matter to court, and provided the judge decides the contract is unfair, the offending terms will be void, or non-binding for the weaker party which is the restaurant owner in this instace.

This applies to standard form contracts that were entered into after November 12, 2016, as long as one of the parties is a small business like 20 employees or less.

A standard form contract is one that has been prepared by one party, say Uber and where the other party has little or no opportunity to negotiate the terms.

Essentially, it would be on a take it or leave it basis.

Furthermore, the upfront price payable under the terms is no more than $300,000 or $1 million if the contract is for more than 12 months.

A typical example of an unfair term is one that allows the stronger party but not the other to avoid or limit their responsibilities in their contract.

The ACCC may look into what Uber told the restaurants, and compare it with what's actually in the contract.

Did Uber tell the restaurants that it performs delivery services, and would be responsible for quality control over their food?

Contrary to that, when you look in the contract, it says something different as Uber claims it's not a delivery service but a technological platform.

The contract also says the restaurant owners not Uber are responsible for quality control, even when the drivers have taken the food off their hands.

Lets watch for the outcome.


Tourism Observer

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Acquires Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner

Boeing and Singapore Airlines celebrated the delivery of the first 787-10 airplane, the newest and largest member of the Dreamliner family and a jet that will set a new global standard for fuel efficiency.

About 3,000 people marked the milestone at Boeing’s facility in North Charleston, South Carolina where the latest 787 model is manufactured.

Like the other 787 Dreamliners, the 787-10 is designed with strong, lightweight composites, the most advanced systems, and comfortable cabin features.

The 787-10, though, features a longer fuselage which allows it to carry about 40 more passengers or a total of 330 seats in a standard two-class configuration.

With the additional capacity, the 787-10 provides airlines the lowest operating cost per seat of any widebody airplane in service today.

It is an honour for us to be the world’s first airline to take delivery of this amazing aircraft, said Mr. Goh Choon Phong, chief executive officer of Singapore Airlines, the 787-10 launch customer.

The 787-10 is a magnificent piece of engineering and truly a work of art. It will be an important element in our overall growth strategy, enabling us to expand our network and strengthen our operations.

Goh added that the 787-10 underscores Singapore Airlines’ longstanding commitment to operate a modern fleet, and marks the start of a new chapter in our shared story with Boeing.

Singapore Airlines – through its subsidiary Scoot – already flies the 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners. With today’s delivery the group will be the first to operate all three Dreamliner models.

Singapore Airlines has 68 additional Boeing widebody jets on order, including 48 additional 787-10s, and 20 of the new 777-9s.

This is a big day for all of us at Boeing and for our global supplier partners. We are thrilled to deliver the first 787-10 Dreamliner to Singapore Airlines, one of the world’s leading carriers.

And we are honored by Singapore’s partnership and trust, as reflected by their repeated orders for the Dreamliner, said Kevin McAllister, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive officer.

The 787-10 will extend the Dreamliner effect that we are seeing across commercial aviation as the 787’s superior passenger experience and unmatched fuel efficiency helps airlines open new routes and achieve significant fuel savings and emission reduction.

The 787-10’s superior performance and high commonality with its Dreamliner siblings have attracted strong interest from around the world, including in Asia where the jet can connect all points within the region.

The 787-10 also offers Asian operators the flexibility to fly to Europe, Africa and Oceania.

Singapore Airlines plans to puts its 787-10s into scheduled service in May, with flights from Singapore to Osaka, Japan and Perth, Australia.

Prior to the introduction of these services, the aircraft will be operated on selected flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur for crew training purposes.



Tourism Observer

AUSTRALIA: Shangri-La To Manage New 500 Room Luxury Hotel In Melbourne Opening 2022

Hong Kong-based luxury hotel group Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and Malaysian property developer S P Setia Berhad Group signed a management agreement for Shangri-La to operate the planned luxury development in Melbourne’s CBD.

At 308 Exhibition Street, the two-tower development was designed by Cox and Fender Katsalidis, and will be loacted near Melbourne’s World Heritage-listed Carlton Gardens.

The property is currently under consideration for planning approval. When it is completed in 2022, the Shangri-La Hotel, Melbourne will have an estimated 500 guestrooms with three floors of amenities, including a sky lobby, restaurants, a spa, a fitness center, a pool and a ballroom.

The second tower will include about 300 luxury residential apartments and office space.

A sky bridge will connect the two towers, and retail space will be in the lower floors of the development.

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Mohd Zahid, chairman of S P Setia, said that Shangri-La supported the project’s vision to provide development that increases capacity, creates local economic development opportunities and sets a new benchmark for five-star luxury in Melbourne.

Through the design and construction phases and for many decades to come as a luxury residence, retail and hotel precinct, the economic benefits of this project will be significant for Melbourne, Zahid said in a statement.

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently operates over 95 hotels in 22 countries and 73 destinations under the Shangri-La, Kerry, Hotel Jen and Traders brands.

Primarily operating in Asia, the group has established its brand over four decades in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, North America and the Indian Ocean.

The group has upcoming projects in Australia, mainland China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka.

Launched in 1974, S P Setia's portfolio includes townships, eco-sanctuaries, luxury enclaves, high-rise residences, commercial and retail developments.

The group is established in the three economic centers of Malaysia, namely Klang Valley, Johor Bahru and Penang. It also has a project in Sabah.

Its international reach now includes five countries which are Vietnam, Australia, Singapore, China and the United Kingdom.

As of March 31, 2017, the group has 30 ongoing projects, with a stake of 5,141 acres in undeveloped land banks remaining and about $11.1 trillion in gross development value.

MALDIVES: Maldives Has Become An Increasingly Popular Honeymoon Destination

Whether it’s for a honeymoon or an amorous escape, the Maldives with its 26 atolls, almost 1,200 islands, and over 120 luxury escapes to choose from, it comes as no surprise that the Maldives has become an increasingly popular honeymoon destination.

Brides magazine by leading travel company Condé Nast – host to some of the biggest publications such as Vogue and The New Yorker – has published winners of the Brides 2017 Honeymoon Awards. The Maldives was ranked in the fourth spot from an extravagant list that included 20 of the most romantic honeymoon destinations in the world.

“The lush, picture-perfect islands that make up this Indian Ocean archipelago are light-years beyond your average beach destination,” described Brides magazine.

Naming some of the private-island resorts in the Maldives – the likes of Soneva Jani, St. Regis Maldives Vommuli, and Four Seasons Maldives Private Island at Voavah – the magazine described the islands as being “ringed by colorful coral reefs teeming with fish and the occasional shark.”

It suggested travellers, especially those seeking the perfect honeymoon destinations, to visit the Maldives and “spend your days snorkelling, scuba diving, and lounging on the deck of your overwater villa; by night, dine by candlelight on freshly caught fish and organic veggies, then follow that with a stargazing sesh with a NASA-worthy telescope.”

Winners of the 2017 Brides Honeymoon Awards showcase a wide diversity of destinations that have made the list including French Polynesia, Italy, The Hawaiian Islands, Greece, Bali, Mexico, Thailand, Fiji, South Africa, France, St. Lucia, Turks & Caicos, Costa Rica, Seychelles, Australia, New Zealand, St. Barth, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

In its pursuit of discovering the most romantic hot spots of the world, Brides teamed up with A-list agents at Virtuoso, a global network of more than 15,000 luxury-travel specialists. Given the endless romantic destinations, countless hotel options paired with limited vacation time, Brides magazine explained that “picking the perfect honeymoon is no easy feat.”

Sun Siyam Resorts has unveiled ‘Uncover Asia’ – offering travellers 5% off on all room types when a Sun Siyam Resort in Maldives is booked together with Sun Aqua Pasikudah in Sri Lanka. The Uncover Asia package is valid for guests travelling anytime between May 9 and November 1.

In addition, guests booking with the Sun Siyam Irufushi Maldives from May 9 to September 30 are eligible for another special offer; free dining plan upgrades where guests benefit from a complimentary upgrade to the next dining plan.

According to the resort, guests booking bed and breakfast can indulge themselves in free dinner, while guests booking half-board are upgraded and provided with free lunch. Guests booking full-board get a free upgrade to the all-inclusive package, the resort said.

The Sun Siyam brand currently operates boutique luxury resorts in the Maldives and Sri Lanka; Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Maldives, Olhuveli Beach & Spa Maldives, Sun Aqua Vilu Reef Maldives and Sun Aqua Pasikudah, Sri Lanka.

Lily Beach Resort and Spa has appointed Patrice Aira as the new Resort Manager. A French national from Toulouse, Patrice joined the Lily Beach team in March.

Patrice started his career as a busboy in the dining room of Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle and worked up the ladder in the food and beverages division of several hotels before he was appointed the Resort Manager at Four Seasons Resort in Mauritius.

“The Maldives is the epitome of paradise. In addition to the natural allure, I wanted to experience the Maldives’ hospitality industry first hand,” he said about the Maldives.

“Plus, the proximity of Sri Lanka and India brings about a nice mix of cultures that I was curious to discover.”

Patrice also worked as a Consultant for Richey International Ltd. and an Auditor for MKG QUALITING before his latest appointment at Lily Beach.

“When I arrived at the resort, I was amazed by the shades of blue that were surrounding the island. Also, the friendly faces that you see right upon the arrival… it’s a truly welcoming feeling,” he said.

“Everyone is loyal and focused on providing personalised service from the bottom of their heart. I’ve never seen anything like that before. What also reveals that Lily Beach stands head over shoulders above several other holiday destinations is the fact that so many of our guests feel like at home here and keep returning to the resort year after year, he said, explaining what makes Lily Beach a fascinating island.

“It’s especially inspiring to hear that even those guests who pride themselves in never spending their holiday at the same place twice make an exception with Lily!”

Patrice has an astounding fascination for diving, He said: “I devote the majority of my spare time on the island to diving the astounding coral reefs of South Ari Atoll.” He completed his Master of Business Administration at the Ecole Supérieure Internationale de Savignac in France.

Rewind back a couple of years and for most holiday-makers, the concept of wellness rarely went beyond spas. From carefully curated massages and scrubs offered in luxurious facilities, to the occasional yoga session in the morning, the definition of wellness remained very confined and vague.

But today, the scene has shifted to more travelers looking for a true escape, not just to relax a tired body, but to calm an overly stressed mind. This is where the hospitality industry comes to play.

With lifestyles becoming more hectic day by day, people have been prioritising personal wellbeing and integrating aspects of it into their holidays. The hospitality industry, especially within tropical destinations, has been observing a shift from party-centric holidays, to soothing escapes.

Last year, the wellness industry raked in a whopping US$3.7 trillion (2016, Global Wellness Summit) within the global economy. Beyond the spas, holiday makers have been putting their trust in different ends of the wellness spectrum to embrace healthier habits.

As a word, it might be modern. But as a concept, wellness dates back to the ancient times of the Roman baths. Over the years, “spa” has created an identity for itself while “wellness” is still trying to find its true place. WHO’s definition of health, “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”, is what laid the groundwork for wellness in the mid-20th century.

An estimated breakdown of the wellness industry cluster shows surprising results. While the component of “spa” contributes to the industry, other elements of the cluster have overtaken it. The cluster has separated elements that are wellness-oriented approaches and conventional medical-oriented approaches.

Beauty and anti-ageing tops the wellness cluster, with healthy eating and nutrition contributing the second largest chunk, and the spa industry ranking number 8 out of the 10 sectors.

Several institutes have predicted select wellness trends that travelers are moving towards this year, with the Global Wellness Summit identifying 8 trends for 2017 and beyond. Together with trends identified by other institutes, below are some of the key trends with huge potential for hoteliers to tap into.

The origins of spa saw men being very inclusive in the scene, yet overtime, spa and wellness became an approach that had more of a feminine touch to it. However, recent trends are showing the evolution from the “macho man” to the “modern man”, who is more accepting of escaping to a wellness holiday, with properties branding packages just for men.

A “Gentleman’s retreat” may include a more active itinerary with activities such as boxing, aqua fitness and winding down with a massage or even a skin care routine.

For more and more people, ageing gracefully is becoming a personal target in life. The mass appeal has provided a rise in preventative health care, with holiday makers seeking anti-ageing options to slow down the biological clock. A rising popularity for this is also coupled with travelers seeking stop-smoking retreats to help break bad habits and build the first steps to a healthier lifestyle. It is time for hoteliers to embrace the trend of ageing gracefully.

Long gone are the days when you see every single guest load up daily on sausages and fried eggs at the buffet breakfast! This is the age of detox, proportioning nutritious meals, ridding the body of toxins, keeping away from certain proteins such as gluten not by need, but by choice.

Holiday-makers are starting to explore more holistic resorts where dining and wellness are integrated. Fasting and ridiculously small-sized diet portions are not in the picture anymore, replaced with organic and filling meals that provide an overall satisfying experience.

Many of the predicted trends are already in play, with more resorts and retreats planning to cater to these travelers with different experiences. In September 2017, the Wellness Summit by Hotelier Maldives will bring together all the movers and shakers within the Maldivian hospitality industry, in an attempt to explore the potential to fuel the trends for the wellness industry in the Maldives, and imagine innovative directions to move forward.

The next article in the series will look into the current state of the wellness industry within the hospitality scene in Maldives, exploring the minds of key innovative leaders.

SPAIN: Emirates To Fly Only A380 To Spain

Emirates today announced that all of its flights to Spain will be operated by the iconic A380.

In addition to the existing double daily A380 service to Barcelona, the airline will operate a double daily A380 service to Madrid, significantly boosting seat capacity from Dubai to Spain.

This change enables more A380 to A380 connections to and from key business and leisure destinations such as Australia, China, South Korea and South East Asia with just one stop in Dubai.

Commencing 1st September 2017, Emirates flights EK143/144 will be operated by an Airbus A380 aircraft in a 3-class configuration with 14 Private Suites in First Class, 76 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 399 comfortable seats in Economy Class.

Passengers in all classes will enjoy access to Wi-Fi and over 2,500 channels of films, TV shows, music and games, with an impressive selection in Spanish, through ice Digital Widescreen, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.

They will also experience the famed hospitality of the airline’s multi-cultural cabin crew, with Spanish speakers on all flights to and from Spain, as well as fine wines and regionally inspired cuisine prepared using the finest ingredients.

What’s more, First and Business Class passengers can travel to and from the airport in style with Emirates complimentary Chauffeur-drive service as well as enjoy Emirates exclusive lounges at select airports around the world.

Once on board, passengers in premium class seating receive a luxurious amenity kit featuring Italian-made Bulgari products and can enjoy the Emirates Onboard Lounge; First Class passengers can also take advantage of the Emirates Shower Spa to freshen up.

Emirates’ flight EK143 departs from Dubai International Airport at 14:30hrs and arrives in Madrid at 20:20hrs. The outbound flight EK144 departs from Madrid at 22:05hrs and arrives in Dubai at 07:15hrs the following day.

The airline currently operates two daily services between Dubai and Madrid, as well as a double daily A380 service between Barcelona and Dubai.

From the airport, Emirates also enables seamless rail connections from Barcelona and Madrid to 25 cities across Spain through its partnership with Renfe rail.

The links between Madrid and Emirates extend far beyond the airline’s double daily service. Emirates has been a proud sponsor of Real Madrid since 2011.

Through its SkyCargo division, Emirates also facilitates the import and export of key products, connecting Spanish companies to the world.

In 2016, Emirates transported over 70,000 tonnes of cargo from Spain including: apparel, food products like fish and olive oil, pharmaceuticals and shoes; bound for the UAE, Africa, Hong Kong, USA, Australia and Mexico.

In addition to its four daily passenger flights, Emirates also operates dedicated cargo flights with its freighter aircraft to both Barcelona and Zaragoza.

Earlier this month, Emirates was recognised as the ‘Best Airline in the World’ at the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for airlines.

The award was based on thousands of reviews Emirates received from the TripAdvisor community over the past twelve months. Emirates was the most positively reviewed airline in the industry over that period of time.

CUBA: American Travellers Yearning To Visit Cuba

As 2016 brought an easing of travel restrictions between the US and Cuba, Havana has seen the highest year-over-year increase in online searches for 2017, according to one travel company.

The Cuban capital has seen a 191% increase in searches on Kayak, which has named it the top trending destination in the company’s 2017 Travel Hacker report.

The surge in interest is unsurprising, as US airlines have begun operating commercial flights into Cuba for the first time since the 1960s. As relations between the US and Cuba improve, travel for American citizens has become less restricted, and naturally, many Americans are eager to see the country for themselves.

The top 10 trending destinations around the world are: Havana, Cuba; Reykjavik, Iceland; Auckland, New Zealand; Bali, Indonesia; Tokyo, Japan; Cartagena, Colombia; Lisbon, Portugal; Medellin, Colombia; Calgary, Canada; and Sydney, Australia.

This is a change from last year, when six European cities featured in the top 10 trending destination, compared to two for 2017.

And while some destinations are more coveted than last year, the company also listed the destinations that are the most popular overall. Kayak’s list of most popular destinations looks at the most-searched destinations, according to more than 1 billion searches on the site.

The most popular locations will keep American travellers close to home, as the top 10 most searched cities are: Las Vegas, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Orlando, Denver, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC.

PERU: Largest Recovery Of Antiquities Returns To Peru

More than four thousand archaeological and historical pieces were exhibited last week at the Ministry of Culture, to celebrate the success by the Ministry of Foreign Relations in recovering the artifacts from Argentina, Canada, Chile, Spain and the United States.

The pieces include prehispanic pots and textiles, Colonial Cusco-school paintings, prehistoric bones, and Colonial hand-hammered macuquina coins (cobs).

The recovery is the result of several years of work, based on agreements signed by Peru with different countries on the protection and return of historical artifacts. The agreements served to build 22 different legal cases to reclaim pieces that had been found or stolen and smuggled out of the country for the lucrative antiquities market. One of the most famous processes was the Janeir Aude case in Argentina, which took 14 years to recover 4,136 artifacts, including a mummy bundle.

In total, 4,174 pieces were recovered from Argentina, 88 from the United States, 79 from Chile, two from Canada and one from Spain. It was the largest collection of recovered pieces handed over at the same time to the Ministry of Culture.

According to the Ministry of Culture, it has worked closely with the Ministry of Foreign Relations over the past five years in the recovery of antiquities throughout the world. More than 8,000 artifacts have been returned also from Germany, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

PHILIPPINES: Department Of Tourism Eyes More Indian Tourists

The Department of Tourism (DOT) expects the influx of 100,000 Indian nationals into the country as a result of the agency’s recent promotional roadshows in Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.

Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo noted that India has been one of the major source markets accounting for nearly 75,000 visitors last year, posting 22.36 percent year-on-year growth.

From January to June this year, the DOT recorded 44,294 arrivals, just tailing the top 12 international tourism markets.

“The four Indian cities we targeted are important feeder markets, hence we are working on strengthening our relations with their local travel partners to assure sustainable growth,” Teo said.

The DOT chief further also noted that increased Indian visitor arrivals are facilitated by the free-entry privilege extended to Indian nationals bearing visas from the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, Schengen, Singapore and United Kingdom.

DOT’s Market Development Group led by Director Verna Buensuceso headed the mission in India, bringing along representatives of hotels, resorts, spas, tourist attractions and tour operators from the Philippines to interact with over 400 Indian trade partners.

Nash Dias, offline sales manager of India’s leading travel agent Stic Travel Group, expressed optimism that the Philippine roadshow will get an excellent response from the Indian market.

Francesca Alberto, vice-president for domestic sales and marketing of Ark Travel Express, said, “The market has high potential for luxury and honeymooners. Quality of agents here are good and they are gaining more knowledge about the Philippines.”

Abhay Maheshwari, India district sales manager of Thai Airways said, “At present, we have ten flights servicing the Mumbai-Bangkok-Manila route, and in October, we are going to increase the number of flights.” (DOT)

SINGAPORE: Confirmed Cases Of Zika virus in Singapore rose to 82

Confirmed cases of Zika virus in Singapore rose to 82 on Tuesday, as the United States joined a growing list of countries warning pregnant women or those trying to get pregnant to avoid travel to the city-state.

The mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has caused explosive outbreaks in the Americas and the Caribbean since late last year, poses a particular risk to pregnant women because it can cause microcephaly, a severe birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains.

On Tuesday, the United States warned pregnant women not to travel to Singapore, joining Australia, Taiwan and South Korea.

The warnings followed news that Zika transmission appears to be occurring outside of the original cluster, with at least five of 26 new cases confirmed late on Tuesday detected in the Aljunied area in the southeast of Singapore, the health ministry and National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a joint statement.

Singapore has advised pregnant women to take a free Zika test if they showed any symptoms or if their partners tested positive. "This is regardless of whether they have been to Zika-affected areas," health officials said in a statement.

The outbreak and advisories come as the tourism industry in one of the world's busiest travel hubs already faces weak global economic growth. Singapore's Tourism Board said it was premature to consider any impact on the sector, adding it remained a "safe travel destination".

More than 55 million people pass through Singapore's Changi airport every year. In the first half of this year, tourism arrivals topped 8 million, around 1 million more than a year earlier.

Singapore reported its first case of locally-transmitted Zika at the weekend, and the number of confirmed infections has risen steadily since then. At least three dozen patients have made a full recovery.

Neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia have stepped up protective measures, introducing thermal scanners at airports and border checkpoints with the island state. Such measures, however, will only identify symptomatic cases of Zika, but only one in five people have symptoms of the virus, which include fever, rash, joint pain and pink eye.

Singapore residents responded to government calls to be vigilant and to take precautions against mosquito bites.

Online retailer Lazada Singapore said sales of insect repellents jumped five-fold in the past three days. FairPrice supermarkets and Watsons pharmacies said their sales of such products had doubled.

Most of the early infections were among foreign workers, hundreds of thousands of whom, mainly from the Asian sub-continent, work on Singapore's construction sites and in the marine sector.

The Singapore government has not said where the infected foreign workers are from. The foreign ministry directed queries to the health ministry, which did not respond to Reuters questions on the issue. The Ministry of Manpower also did not respond to a request for comment made outside working hours.

The High Commission of Bangladesh, which represents the largest community of foreign workers, said none of those infected were Bangladeshis, and the Thai foreign ministry said none were from Thailand. The embassies of China, India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar said they had not been notified by Singapore whether their citizens were among those infected.

Authorities inspected thousands of homes in seven parts of Singapore, including five foreign worker dormitories, spraying insecticide and removing potential mosquito breeding habitats.

The NEA has inspected about 5,000 premises in and around the initial outbreak area, issuing 400 notices to owners of buildings they could not access. The NEA can force entry into those premises if needed.

Zika was first discovered in Uganda in 1947. It caused clusters of human infections from the 1960s to 1980s across Africa and Asia, according to the World Health Organization.

The outbreak in the Americas was caused by a Zika strain from Asia, possibly carried to Brazil through travel to a sporting event. Many experts believe once infected, Zika produces lifelong immunity.

"Unfortunately, it is not clear the level of immunity that is currently in Asia," said Alessandro Vespignani of Northeastern University in Boston.

WHO declared Zika a global health emergency because of its link with microcephaly. In Brazil, Zika has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly.

VIETNAM: Hoa Binh Lake Becomes National Tourist Area

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), Vietnam’s Prime Minister has approved the plans, which cover a vast area of 1,200 hectares surrounding the lake, including the city of Hoa Binh and the districts of Da Bac, Cao Phong, Tan Lac and Mai Chau.

Development will focus on several key sectors, including ecotourism, adventure tourism, sports activities, MICE, and cultural tourism, including the area’s ethnic minorities. Tourism products such as “experiencing culture of the Muong ethnic minority and sightseeing around Hoa Binh Lake” have been identified.

The overall goal is to attract 630,000 visitors to the area by 2020, including 30,000 international tourists. This is then expected to increase 1.6 million visitors by 2030. International markets being prioritised include France, South Korea, Japan and Australia.

Hoa Binh Lake is located approximately 100km southwest of Hanoi.

RAAF’s Major Multinational Large-Force Employment Exercise Begins

RAAF’s major multinational large-force employment exercise, Pitch Black, is under way.

Up to 115 aircraft and 2,500 personnel from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and the US are participating in the three-week long Exercise Pitch Black 2016, which officially began on July 29 and continues through to August 19. Flying operations began on Monday with aircraft operating out of RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory to utilise the Northern Territory’s vast Delamere Range Facility and Bradshaw Field Training Area.

Major exercises such as Pitch Black are essential in ensuring Air Force remains ready to respond whenever the Australian Government requires Air Commodore Christopher Sawade, Head of Special Events, said.

Fast jets participating in Pitch Black include Thai and Indonesian F-16As, Singaporean F-15SGs and F-16Ds and RAAF Hornets and Super Hornets. Transport aircraft include Canadian and USMC KC-130 Hercules tankers, a Royal Thai Air Force C-130H Hercules and a New Caledonian-based French air force CN-235, as well the RAAF’s KC-30A tanker transport.

The general public can get a taste of Pitch Black with an aircraft handling display over Darwin’s Mindil Beach on Thursday August 11 and an open day at RAAF Base Darwin on Saturday August 13. There is also a publicly accessible viewing area located off Amy Johnson Avenue on the eastern side of RAAF Base Darwin.

NIGERIA: 60 Million Nigerian Fraudster Arrested By Interpol

A Nigerian behind an online fraud network which engineered scams worth more than $60 million (54 million euros) has been arrested in southern oil city of Port Harcourt, Interpol said on Monday.

“The 40-year-old Nigerian national, known as ‘Mike’, is believed to be behind scams totalling more than $60 million involving hundreds of victims worldwide,” the international police organisation said in a statement.

“In one case, a target was conned into paying out $15.4 million,” Interpol said, indicating that the arrest was carried out with the support of Nigeria’s anti-graft agency the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“The network compromised email accounts of small to medium businesses around the world including in Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, Romania, South Africa, Thailand and the United States,” it said.

The suspect ran a network of at least 40 people working from Nigeria, Malaysia and South Africa which used malware and carried out the fraud, and he also had money laundering contacts in China, Europe and the US who provided bank account details for the illicit cash flow.

“Following his arrest in Port Harcourt in southern Nigeria, a forensic examination of devices seized by the EFCC showed he had been involved in a range of criminal activities including business e-mail compromise and romance scams,” it said.

The suspect and a fellow fraudster, 38, who was also arrested in the city, face charges including hacking, conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences.

RWANDA: New Visa Policy For Rwanda

The government of the Republic of Rwanda has renewed and updated its immigration and visa. As approved by the laws of Rwanda, the law takes effect on 1st November 2014.

The nationals of Germany, Australia, Israel, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States of America shall get entry visas and pay visas fees upon arrival at any entry point in Rwanda without prior application. The entry visa is USD30 valid for a period of 30 days. Nationals of these countries may also choose to get visas at Rwanda Diplomatic Missions (except the UN Mission in New York) or online.

East African Community (EAC) Partner states shall continue to be issued 6 months visitor pass (renewable) at entry points with no fee.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) citizens will continue getting visitor visas for a stay not exceeding 90 days with no fee as provided by the CEPGL agreement.

Nationals of Singapore, Hong Kong, Mauritius and Philippines are exempted from entry/tourism visas for a stay of up to 90 days

National of African countries not exempted from visa fees shall continue getting entry visa at Rwandan entry points (Kigali International Airport and all land borders)

The rest of the nationals not mentioned shall get visa upon application before travelling and pay prescribed fees.

For more information, please, contact the Rwandan embassy in your country before travel to Rwanda.

P. O. BOX 6229, KIGALI
Tel. +250 78 815 2222 / +250 78 889 9971 Fax +250 0252585292

Email: info@migration.gov.rw | visa@migration.gov.rw |passport@migration.gov.rw

https://www.migration.gov.rw/

IRELAND: British Tourists Spending In Ireland Goes Up 18%

Spending by British tourists visiting Ireland rose by 18 per cent in the first three months of 2016 compared to the same period last year, according to the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures.

The latest travel data shows that increasing numbers of European and non-EU tourists continue to visit Ireland, with spending on the rise among all nationalities.

Tourists visiting Ireland from Great Britain spent €33 million more between January and March 2016 than during the same period in 2015, marking a rise of 18.2 per cent.

British tourists spent €214 million in the first three months of this year compared to €181 million during the same period last year. Visitors from Great Britain spent a total of €971 million last year.

Spending by tourists from France, Germany, Italy, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand also rose between January and March of this year, with North Americans spending €144 million, a rise of of €19 million on the same period last year.

The overall number of overseas trips to Ireland by non-residents rose by more than 15 per cent, with 1,785 million trips in the first three months of the year, up 254 million on last year.

The duration of visitors’ stay in Ireland remained the same as last year, with people opting to spend an average of 6.5 nights.

Ireland’s total tourism and travel earnings during the first three months of 2016 rose by 18.7 per cent on the same period last year, increasing from €780 million to €926 million.

Meanwhile, the number of Irish people travelling overseas increased by 13.1 per cent from 1.306 million between January and March 2015 to 1.478 million during the first three months of this year. The CSO figures also reveal Irish people are spending more nights abroad than last year.

2015 marked a record-breaking year for tourism with 8.6 million trips made to Ireland.

The latest travel data follows news earlier this week that Dublin is facing a shortage in visitor accommodation options over the next two years, limiting the potential for tourism growth in the longer term.

A report commissioned by Fáilte Ireland found that while additional bedrooms are due to be created for visitors, most will not be available until after 2018 or later.

The report also warned that most of the new accommodation stock was not guaranteed and said the capital was facing “a capacity challenge” over the next two years.

Between 2010 and 2015, the number of tourists visiting Dublin rose by 33 per cent while the availability of accommodation fell by 6 per cent, according to Fáilte Ireland.

AUSTRALIA: ACT Economy Records Solid Growth

The ACT's economy bucked a national trend to record solid growth in the first three months of the year, while a surge in international visitors has helped break spending records.

Two sets of recent data released on Wednesday painted a positive outlook for the ACT economy that will be welcome news to the government ahead of next week's budget.

The territory's final demand, an indicator of growth that measures the total value of goods or services sold, rose by 1.3 per cent in the March quarter, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

That was the best result of any state or territory, and well above the national average of 0.1 per cent.

It continued a solid run of economic growth in the past six quarters, save the September 2015 quarter, when the ACT's state final demand fell by 1.5 per cent.

University of Canberra economist Professor Phil Lewis said the growth was not huge by historical standards, but was still good news for the ACT economy.

Professor Lewis said public service employment, so often the major driver for the ACT economy, was likely behind the figure.

"We've had some recovery in employment in the public service from that severe cut they had some time ago," he said.

"Consumer spending seems to be holding up pretty well in the ACT, and, of course, dwelling construction is quite high."

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the figures confirmed the ACT was rebounding strongly after harsh cuts to the federal public service.

The figures, he said, followed strong growth in total exports, which increased by 16.2 per cent last financial year.

"This is further evidence the ACT economy is growing, and growing strongly," he said.

"The ACT Government's strategy to support our economy and support jobs during the Commonwealth's deep cuts to spending and employment has worked."

Meanwhile, separate data released on Wednesday showed a growing number of international visitors were coming to the territory, and were spending more and staying longer.

The data was provided in the latest report by Tourism Research Australia, part of Austrade, which surveys 40,000 short-term international travellers aged 15 years and over.

The growth in visitors, expenditure, and length of stay in the year to March outpaced the national averages, significantly in some areas, and saw the ACT broke a number of its international tourism records.

The number of visitors in the year increased from 177,000 to 200,000, a growth of 13 per cent.

That was the equal highest percentage increase in the country, alongside Victoria, and the ACT government says it represents a record number of total visitors to the territory.

Despite that, the ACT still had the lowest number of international visitors of any state or territory, roughly 16,000 behind Tasmania.

But the total number of nights stayed in the territory grew the most of any jurisdiction in the country.

Visitors spent a total of 5,145 nights in the ACT, an 18 per cent increase on the previous year, and now more than both the Northern Territory and Tasmania.

Visitor expenditure grew by 14 per cent to $409 million, the first time the ACT has broken the $400 million mark, and tourists were staying longer, with the average length of stay growing by 4.5 per cent.

International flights, due to start in September, are expected to bring significantly higher numbers of tourists to the ACT.

The ACT government has set itself a goal of growing the visitor economy to $2.5 billion by 2020.

Mr Barr welcomed the data, saying he expected to see further growth when Singapore Airlines begins direct international flights.

"These are fantastic results, which reflect my government'™s efforts to attract more international visitors through VisitCanberra's One Good Thing After Another marketing positioning and our lead up to international flights commencing later this year," he said.

United Airlines Takes Over Pan Am’s Pacific Routes

Three decades ago, an ailing Pan Am was looking for a solution to its financial woes. In order to raise cash to finance the acquisition of its Airbus A320s (order placed in 1984) and the A300s and A310s that were delivered, as well as still reeling from the failed merger with National, “The Chosen Instrument” as it was called opted to cut off its profitable left arm, selling its Pacific division to United Airlines on April 22, 1985.

The deal included all Pan Am routes and assets in the region (except Hawaii), 18 aircraft, which included Pan Am’s Boeing 747SPs and Lockheed L1011-500s, and 2,700 of its employees in the airline business, all for $750 million in cash (equivalent to almost $1,7 billion in today’s figures).

Though the routes were profitable for Pan Am, the airline felt that the upgrade cost to modern equipment would be prohibitive. On the other hand, United, which became the first airline to serve all 50 U.S. states in 1984, was in a favorable financial position and the deal , which came in effect on February 7, 1986, was the onset of its transformation as a global carrier.

Prior to the purchase of the routes, United’s only transoceanic services were to Tokyo via Seattle which began in 1983. Since then it has continued to build the most comprehensive route network of any U.S. carrier, offering the most trans-Pacific service. For the United, these routes have been consistently profitable, even during the post 9/11 crisis years.

For Pan Am, it was the beginning of the end. After half a century of pioneering experience in the Pacific, the distinctive Clipper service was gone for good in Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, China, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, leaving an enormous gap in its once massive route network.

In the following years, Pan Am would shed other company jewels like London Heathrow to United in 1990 and then most of its European network with the exception of Miami to Paris, in 1990-91. Marred with operational, financial and reputational setbacks, Pan Am was finally forced to declare bankruptcy on January 8, 1991 and ceased operation forever on December 4, 1991.