SLOVENIA: Adria Airways Goes Bankrupt And Ceases Operations

The collapse of Adria Airways has cost Slovenia connections to dozens of international markets, a study has revealed.

The national airline filed for bankruptcy and cancelled all flights on Monday.

Adria had previously withdrawn virtually all its flights last week.

Bankruptcy proceedings were initiated by the management of the company because of the company’s insolvency, the carrier said in a statement.

A study by ForwardKeys, the travel analytics firm, revealed that the bankruptcy resulted in the loss of direct flight connections with two dozen countries, including Czech Republic, Spain and Switzerland, all important origin markets for the country.

Adria has accounted for 60 per cent of all international seat capacity to Slovenia.

Other key source markets such as Austria, Germany and France will also be impacted, as Adria Airways accounted for 99 per cent, 87 per cent and 51 per cent of seat capacity on flights from these countries.

The full list of countries, which had direct connections to Slovenia in the past 12 months and have now lost them, comprises: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Macedonia, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine.

However, the impact is less dramatic than the list suggests, because some of the routes, such as those from Estonia, Georgia and Greece are seasonal, and others, from Cyprus, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Romania and Ukraine are irregular.

Olivier Ponti, vice president, insights, ForwardKeys, said: Given the attractiveness of Slovenia as a destination, I expect other airlines to fill the gaps left by Adria Airways but how long it will take to get back to the previous level is anyone´s guess.

Slovenia, and its vibrant capital Ljubljana, remain accessible and well worth a visit; however, if you were counting on Adria Airways to get you there quickly, you must now allow more time.

So following the collapse of Adria Airways this week, Slovenia’s only airport in Ljubljana has lost almost half of all its air traffic.

Most flights by Adria Airways were feeder flights to Star Alliance hubs, so it is no great surprise that Lufthansa Group announced today it will launch an entire network out of Ljubljana Joze Pucnik Airport within a month.

Simple Flying first reported in June that an Adria Airways bankruptcy was increasingly likely. Adverse circumstances surrounding the Slovenian flag carrier kept growing over the summer and operations officially ceased in full earlier this week.

For years, Adria has been positioned as a feeder to Lufthansa Group hubs, serving Brussels, Frankfurt, Zurich, Vienna and Munich several times daily.

Adria Airways had such a strong relationship with Lufthansa Group that it also had feeder flights to Frankfurt and Munich from the capitals of Albania and Kosovo.

Thus, with the collapse of Adria, Lufthansa Group has been left with a loss of 216 weekly outbound and inbound flights to channel its connecting passengers.

These include 64 weekly flights to Frankfurt, which even for a giant like Lufthansa is not insignificant. 42 of these flights were from Ljubljana, 6 from Tirana and 16 from Pristina.

To fill the acute gap left by Adria in Ljubljana, several Lufthansa Group airlines are stepping in. An entire network is being formed in Ljubljana by Lufthansa’s airlines, despite the Group not having a single route to Slovenia at all at the moment.

Brussels Airlines is launching a six-times-a-week service in November. This will coincide with Wizz Air pulling out of Slovenia and no longer flying the Ljubljana to Brussels route after seven years.

Today, an announcement followed from Lufthansa Group too, that Lufthansa and Swiss will launch their own services.

Lufthansa CityLine will be flying double daily between Frankfurt and Ljubljana with its CRJ900 aircraft. Flights will depart Frankfurt every day at 09.15 am and 4.40 pm, arriving in Ljubljana at 10.30 am and 5.55 pm.

They will then depart Ljubljana at 11.05 am and 6.30 pm, returning to Frankfurt at 12.25 pm and 7.50 pm. Flights are already bookable, from Sunday 27 October, the first day of the winter schedule.

These are clearly timed to coincide with Lufthansa’s morning arrival wave into Frankfurt and evening departure wave out of it. The route is very clearly intended to be a feeder.

From Munich, the German airline will be flying daily starting Friday 1 November. Flights will depart Munich at 10.45 am to arrive at Ljubljana at 11.45 am. They will then depart Ljubljana again at 1.10 pm to return to Munich at 2.10 pm.

Swiss itself will be the first to begin flying, launching five weekly flights in just two weeks’ time. At the start of the winter schedule, on 27 October, the frequency will increase to daily.

Once the frequency increases to daily, the flights will be operated by Swiss’s A220 aircraft. Until then, presumably, because no spare aircraft are available, flights will run as five weekly with a Helvetic Airways E190.

What will be interesting to see is whether Lufthansa Group airlines expand their schedule to Ljubljana to match the capacity that Adria had on these routes.

Adria had three daily flights to Zurich all summer long, while Swiss has only scheduled a single daily rotation.

Austrian Airlines has been absent from this announcement. Adria’s two daily flights to Vienna remain nonexistent and all the feeder traffic to Austrian and Eurowings left unserved.

With Slovenia’s only airport now fully dominated by Lufthansa Group airlines, it will be interesting to see how they adapt their network over time.

It will also be interesting to see which competitors to Lufthansa Group step in to take some of the market share left vacant by Adria.

Meanwhile, bankruptcy proceedings have officially been initiated against Slovenia's Adria Airways following its cessation of operations.

Documentation issued by the district court in the city of Kranj gives creditors three months, until 3 January 2020, to declare claims against the operator.

It names Janez Pustaticnik as the manager.

Adria's latest operating licence, issued in 2011, has been revoked by the Slovenian civil aviation agency and the carrier banned from operating commercial air transport.

Star Alliance has also confirmed, as a matter of formality, that Adria Airways has left the airline group as a result of the bankruptcy.

Adria ceased to be a member of Star on 2 October, the alliance says. It says the situation is a regrettable development, given that Adria has been a member for 15 years.

But Star points out that its links with Slovenia are being maintained by new services from Lufthansa, Swiss and Brussels Airlines

Tourism Observer

MOROCCO: Brazilian Cocaine Trafficker Arrested In Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport

Authorities at Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport arrested a Brazilian national on Saturday for his alleged involvement in cocaine trafficking.

The 36-year old suspect arrived in Casablanca onboard a flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil and was heading to Paris, France, said a statement by the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN).

The alleged smuggler was carrying 65 capsules containing 525 grams of cocaine, the statement added.

Officers suspected the individual was carrying other capsules of cocaine in his stomach. The police took him to Ibn Rochd University hospital’s emergency services in Casablanca for medical examination.

The suspect will be held in custody for further investigation.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Tourism Growing Very Fast And Steadily, Dubai Alone Is Worth $29.6 Billion (AED109 Billion)

The UAE’s efforts to diversify its economy are bearing fruit, as new data has revealed that the country’s tourism sector is experiencing a boom in revenue and visitors.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai are in the forefront of the resounding success.

Tourism sector gives oil a run because of its money. The UAE has been taking active steps through the years to solidify the tourism sector as a venerable area of the country’s economy, in addition to a major feature to tourists and investors alike.

According to the planet Tourism Organization (WTO), the UAE happens to be among the ten fastest growing holiday destinations in the global world, which was attained by the country’s Emirates, abu Dhabi especially, through developing their infrastructure and supporting the hotel sector, along with holding exhibitions, festivals along with other events.

With new data revealed by Dubai’s Department of Commerce and Tourism Marketing, Dubai Tourism, the real numbers appear to support this.

At the ultimate end of 2017, the sector in Dubai was worth $29.6 billion (AED109 billion) per year in accordance with their findings.

The true amount of visitors through the first quarter of 2018, who found its way to the country’s airports, reached around 32.8 million.

Dubai welcomed an archive 8.10 million international overnight tourists through the first half a year of 2018, year representing a frequent increase on the same period last.

In fact, DXB’june that 1 s operator revealed in late. 1 million passengers were likely to visit in 3 days just, between July 5th and July 8th.

The initial half a year of 2018 have both sustained and generated a reliable performance, supporting strong growth across our global feeder markets.

Attracting 8.10 million visitors through the first 1/2 of 2018 stands us in good stead once we accelerate momentum towards our visionary aspiration to become the most-visited city on the planet, Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of Dubai Tourism, commented.

According to the most recent Q2 data published by the Expedia Group, a ongoing company that runs travel fare aggregator sites, the true amount of travelers visiting the center East from Europe is increasing.

The set of the most notable ten markets in to the UK be included by the UAE, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Switzerland – a complete of six Europe.

Recent research released prior to the Arabian Travel Market revealed that arrivals from Europe to the GCC are set to cultivate for the time of 2018 – 2020 by around 17%, Expedia explains.

The most these travelers are anticipated to reach in the UAE.

India, Saudi Arabia, and the united kingdom, for the reason that order, earned the greatest amount of visitors into Dubai in H1.

Spread across a complete of 700 establishments, Dubai’s accommodation inventory stood at 111,of June 2018 317 by the end, up 7% set alongside the same time this past year.

With a rise popular for mid-market hotels operating in Dubai, the real amount of four-star properties has increased from 114 to 138, representing 25% of the rooms’ inventory, highlighting the high level of big spenders passing through the national country.

According to WAM, occupied room nights were up year-on-year with a complete of 14 also.97 million in comparison to 14.53 million through the same period in 2017, outlining the ongoing popularity and diversity of Dubai’s hospitality sector.

On another hand, the most recent statistics from the Abu Dhabi Department of Tourism and Culture concur that 162 hotels, hotel resorts and apartments in the emirate received 339,592 guests through the first 1/2 of 2018.

That is a rise of around 19,from June 2017 000 guests, while hotel establishments in the emirate received 2,413,year 230 guests through the first half a year of the existing, a rise of 5% on the same period in 2017.

The increased popularity of a comparatively more budget option for accommodation such as for example Airbnb in addition has contributed to a rise in tourism.

30% of individuals say they wouldn’t normally have traveled if it had been not for Airbnb, Hadi Moussa, the company’s general manager for the MENA region.

Moussa also said that Airbnb has its eyes set on growth within the spot, such as for example plans to capitalize on the 25+ million visitors likely to go to the UAE for the Expo 2020.


Tourism Observer

FRANCE: Air China Flight From Paris To Beijing Forced Back After Suspected Terrorist Threat

An Air China flight was turned around after receiving suspected terrorist information during an international trip that was later said be a false threat.

The flight was travelling from France to Beijing on Thursday when it was suddenly forced to turn back and land in Paris.

In a message posted across social media, the commercial airline said it received a suspected terrorist message after taking off.

Air China has received a suspected terrorist message, the statement read. Flight CA876 has returned to Paris safely, with the plane and its passengers all unharmed.

By Thursday afternoon, however, Chinese state media reported the issue was a false alarm.

The Air China flight reported an emergency after 8:00 a.m. EST on Thursday, Reports from international air transportation monitoring agencies about an emergency on the Air China trip were posted to Twitter early Thursday morning.

The flight’s trajectory showed the plane had not yet passed Brussels, Belgium before turning around to Paris.

Air China did not immediately respond to enquiries, but said in a statement to one of its social media profiles that it turned the flight around to ensure safety.


Tourism Observer

IRELAND: Ryanair Cancels More Than 2,500 Flights Due To Air Traffic Control Staff Shortages In UK, Germany And Greece Then Strikes In France

Ryanair has warned jobs could be lost as it cuts the number of planes stationed in some of the countries where it faces strike action.

It made the threat as first-quarter profit slumped by a fifth amid rising oil prices and employment costs, including a 20% pay increase for pilots.

The Irish low-cost carrier said profit fell 20% to €319m (£284.8m) in the first three months of its financial year to 30 June, compared to a profit of €397m in the same period a year earlier.

Ryanair, which was forced to recognise unions in December for the first time in its 32-year history, is facing strikes in many of the countries it operates in over pay and conditions.

Over 300 flights have been cancelled from its daily schedule of 2,400 on Wednesday and Thursday.

While we continue to actively engage with pilot and cabin crew unions across Europe, we expect further strikes over the peak summer period as we are not prepared to concede to unreasonable demands that will compromise either our low fares or our highly efficient model, the company said.

Ryanair said if these unnecessary strikes continue to damage customer confidence and forward prices/yields in certain country markets then we will have to review our winter schedule, which may lead to fleet reductions at disrupted bases and job losses in markets where competitor employees are interfering in our negotiations with our people and their unions.

We cannot allow our customers flights to be unnecessarily disrupted by a tiny minority of pilots.

First quarter staff costs increased by 34% primarily due to pilot 20% pay increases, 9% more flight hours and a 3% general pay increase for non-flight staff, the airline said in a statement.

It has also been forced to cancel more than 2,500 flights due to air traffic control staff shortages in the UK, Germany and Greece and strikes in France, which added to its costs, the company said.

Ryanair said Fuel prices have risen substantially from $50pbl per barrel at this time last year to almost $80pbl in Q1. While we are 90% hedged at $58pbl our unhedged balance will see our full year fuel bill increase by at least €430m.

Ryanair's stock fell more than 5% in early trading as it warned average fares would lower than expected during the summer due to increased competition and strikes. They ended the day down nearly 7%.

Holidaymakers are facing a third day of travel misery at Stansted Airport after storms grounded flights earlier this week.

Thousands have been hit with flight cancellations and delays so far.

The disruption is set to continue, with frustrated passengers this morning complaining of long queues and cancellations on social media.

A spokeswoman for Ryanair said there is a very small number of delays and cancellations on Sunday as a knock-on effect from extreme weather and disruptions arising from air-traffic control staff shortages in the UK, France and Germany.

Thunderstorms across Europe forced the budget airline to cancel flights at the London travel hub on Friday night and into Saturday.

It came as thousands of holidaymakers suffered travel disruption over the extreme weather, with long delays for ferries and cross-Channel trains.

Temporary flight restrictions were put in place during the storms across Europe on Friday sparking delays at Stansted.

Luton Airport and Gatwick Airport on Saturday also warned of delays and cancellations due to thunderstorms in Europe, advising passengers to contact their airline for travel information.

Mr Calder said passengers travelling to and from Stansted with Ryanair have been the worst hit.

Ryanair cancelled about 50 flights on Saturday, and gradually the number of cancellations has been increasing on Sunday morning.

Pictures shared on Twitter showed long queues to check in for Ryanair flights at Stansted this morning.

One traveller claimed there were 200 people in a queue to rearrange cancelled bookings.

In a statement, Ryanair said - Our UK operation is running well today.

There is a very small number of delays and cancellations as a knock-on effect from the extreme weather disruptions on Friday and the disruptions arising from ATC staff shortages in the UK, France and Germany.

Brits heading for summer getaways by rail and ferry also faced major disruption on Friday and Saturday,.

People were left waiting for several hours to check in at the Eurotunnel at Folkestone amid extreme weather conditions.

The cross-Channel rail operator blamed recent severe weather conditions for the delays.

It said the service is running as scheduled with up to four departures an hour on Sunday.

Meanwhile, there was heavy traffic around the Port of Dover on Saturday as families headed for the Continent by ferry.

Passengers were told to expect long queues on the roads into the port, with a minimum two-hour wait to get through border checks.

P&O ferries advised its customers to take plenty of drinks, snacks and entertainment for the wait.

A spokesman for Stansted said the airport has been operational as normal today with no air traffic flow restrictions at the airport.


Tourism Observer

LUXEMBOURG: Vallair Signs Financial Lease With Cardig Air For Boeing 737-400F.

Vallair, the aircraft trading, leasing and specialist MRO organisation has signed a long-term Financial Lease with Indonesian Cargo Airline, Cardig Air, for a Boeing 737-400F.

After conversion in the USA, the final compliance checks for Indonesian aviation were undertaken at Vallair’s MRO facility in Montpellier, France and the aircraft then landed in Jakarta mid-May.

The aircraft will be scheduled to connect Jakarta with flights to Saigon and Southern China (Shenzhen) says Peter Koster, Head of Cargo Conversions Business Unit for Vallair.

There is strong potential in the South East Asian airfreight market with rapidly increasing connections to the Chinese mainland.

We have supported Cardig Air in their move from operating a B737-300F to the B737-400F model with increased cargo capacity.

We are confident that our on-going assistance will help to underpin their development and build a long term business partnership.

Cardig Air is one of the leading cargo airlines in Indonesia and is based in Jakarta. It has two operating centres in West and East Indonesia which support domestic, regional and international cargo requirements.

Cardig Air operates B737-300 and 400 freighter aircraft and specialises in time specific airport-to-airport freight services on both a scheduled and chartered basis.

This Boeing freighter forms part of Vallair’s expanding cargo fleet which includes several Airbus and Boeing aircraft that have been recently been purchased and are currently on lease for passenger operations.

These form part of the organisation’s feeder stock for their developing P2F cargo conversion programme.

Vallair is an aviation company headquartered in Luxembourg with facilities in Chateauroux and Montpellier in France. It provides integrated support for mature aircraft, engines and major components.

Six complementary business units are founded upon engineering excellence: trading & leasing, cargo conversions, aircraft MRO, engines, aero-structures & painting, and aircraft disassembly.

These offer aircraft operators and owners worldwide cost-effective solutions to extend the life of their assets, or dispose of them in an economically beneficial and environmentally acceptable way.

Vallair is a leading player in the trading and leasing of A320 family, ATR and B737 aircraft.


Tourism Observer

SPAIN: New Model Airline Volotea Is New Member Of IATA

Volotea, the airline of mid- and small‐sized European cities is a new member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Representing some 280 airlines or 83 percent of total air traffic, IATA is the trade association for the world’s airlines.

It supports many areas of aviation activity and helps formulate industry policy on critical aviation issues.

We are pleased to become an IATA member, as this global association leads the innovation, safety and value creation in the airline industry, supporting the highest industry standards, said Carlos Munoz, Volotea’s founder and CEO.

The airline is expected to benefit from IATA’s know how and resources covering all fields of the industry, including analysis of regulations, development of standards, innovation in distribution, improvements on safety procedures, updates and training for aviation industry professionals, as well as cost reduction.

Volotea is a new model airline with a clever and bold approach, creating demand and connectivity by establishing innovative routes.

We are thrilled to welcome Volotea to the IATA family and to help them grow and excel in this highly competitive European market, said IATA Regional Vice President for Europe Rafael Schvartzman.

Volotea has carried 15 million passengers since its first flight in 2012, and over 4.8 million in 2017 alone.

Since the beginning of 2018, Volotea has launched 58 new flights to serve a lineup of 293 routes.

It currently operates flights to 78 mid- and small-sized European cities in 13 countries including France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece, Croatia, and the Czech Republic.

The airline is expected to carry 5.7-6 million passengers in 2018.

Its fleet consists of 32 aircraft, Boeing 717s and Airbus A319s.

Volotea currently operates from twelve bases: Venice, Nantes, Bordeaux, Palermo, Strasbourg, Asturias, Verona, Toulouse, Genoa, Bilbao, Marseille that opened on April 19 and Athens, which launched on May 3.

Volotea is a Spanish low-cost airline registered in Asturias, Spain with bases in Spain, Italy, France and Greece.

Volotea was established by Alaeo S.L. from Barcelona, a company created by former Vueling founders, Carlos Munoz and Lazaro Ros.

The name Volotea originates from the Spanish verb revolotear, meaning to fly around.

It commenced operations on 5 April 2012, from Venice Marco Polo Airport.

The company is backed by three private equity funds, two of them from Europe - Axis Participaciones Empresariales and Corpfin Capital and a third from the United States - CCMP Capital, whose chairman, Greg Brenneman, was one-time President and COO of America's Continental Airlines,and also chairs Volotea's board.

The company raised over €50m before operations began.

Boeing announced on 15 February 2012 that it had signed a long-term lease deal with Volotea for an undisclosed number of Boeing 717 aircraft.

In March 2015, it was announced that Volotea will receive a further four 717s from Blue1.

However, in November 2015, Volotea announced plans to phase out their 717 fleet over the next few years and replace it with Airbus A320 family aircraft.

As of January 2018, the Volotea fleet consists of the following aircraft:

Airbus A319-100 - 11

Boeing 717-200 - 17

Total - 28

Orders

Airbus A319-100 - 4


Tourism Observer

MALAYSIA: Air Asia CEO Tony Fernandez Marries His South Korean Sweetheart Chloe

Air Asia CEO Tony Fernandez has married his South Korean sweetheart Chloe on October 14, in Cote D'Azur, France.

The event was blessed with the presence of the couple's close friends and relatives.

Several Asian business tycoons too attended the simple yet elegant ceremony.

The Chief Guest of the event was Rafizah Aziz, Malaysia's former international trade and industry minister.

Some of the other noted names who attended the wedding are Ais Asia Chairman Datuk Kamarudin Meranun and CIMB Group chairman Datuk Seri Nazir Razak.

Nazir posted some of his pictures with Fernandez on his Instagram, and they are now trending on the photo-sharing platform.

However, Tony Fernandez has not shared anything regarding marriage on his official social media handle.

Several rumours are surrounding Chloe, the South Korean girl in her twenties who married Fernandez.

Apart from the name and the picture released by media, nothing more is known about Chloe.

Even the last name of Chloe is only known among Fernandez' close family friends.

At this juncture, many sources claim that Chloe is not the first wife of Fernandez, as the business tycoon has previously referred a so-called "wife" laughing at an idea of opening budget airlines, long back in 2001.

Fernandez, tweeted that he was moved by his daughter Stephanie's, graduation from Durham University.

Tony Fernandez, the think tank of Air Asia is now the 25th richest man in Malaysia with a net asset of $650 million.

The decisions of Tony have played a crucial role in determining the success of Air Asia in International skies.

Air Asia now operates flights to 25 countries, and their last year's revenue surpassed the whopping $1 billion mark.



Tourism Observer

QATAR: Travel Advisory For Austria About Burqas And Niqab Ban

Qataris heading to Austria this fall should take note of an upcoming ban on full-faced veils, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

In a travel advisory reported by QNA, the ministry said citizens who wish to travel to the country once the ban takes effect in October “must abide by it.”

Earlier this year, Austria’s government approved legislation to fine people who wear clothes that obstruct their facial features in public places.

Those who do so could be slapped with a €150 (QR614) penalty.

The ban includes burqas and niqabs worn by women at universities, courts or while riding public transport, according to local media.

Other European countries including France, Belgium and the Netherlands have also banned the burqa and niqab in public.

And Germany and Norway have been considering following suit.

Most Muslim scholars agree that women are not Islamically required to cover their faces in public.

However, some women, including in Qatar, wear niqabs for cultural reasons or because they feel more comfortable this way.
Politics

Austria’s ban has been denounced by Muslims in the country, who say it plays into Islamophobia. Thousands even rallied against the legislation in Vienna in February.

“Every woman must be able to move freely in public without harassment and discrimination – no matter what she does or does not wear,” one Muslim youth group said on its Facebook page.

The move is more a political one than anything else, as government leaders struggle to win the public’s approval.

It is believed that only between 100 and 150 women are estimated to wear the full-face veil in Austria.

It added that the ban would apply in tourist destinations such as the Zell am See ski resort as well as the more urban city of Vienna.

Will this ban affect the number of musilims to vist Austria?

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.

INDIA: KLM And Jet Airways To Partner In Flight And Cargo Business

KLM- a part of one of the largest airlines in Europe, is looking to increase its presence in India as it plans to launch a new flight to Mumbai and enhance cargo co-operation within the country.

At present, the airlines, which is a part of the Air France-KLM group, however, operated in a limited capacity and faces intense competition from airlines based in Europe and the Gulf.

We hear KLM plans to resume Amsterdam-Mumbai service after nearly twenty years. Can you share details?

We are seriously considering launching a flight to Mumbai but it is not confirmed yet. There has been an enormous growth of business and relations between India and Netherlands. We have moved from having no connection between Amsterdam-Mumbai to a daily service by Jet Airways.

Moreover, the Airbus A330 aircraft, which had a capacity to accommodate 254-293 passengers, was upgraded to a Boeing 777 aircraft with 346 seats in six months' time.


How are your relations with Jet Airways shaping up? Does the partnership with Jet Airways allow you to bridge the gap with Lufthansa, which is largest European airline group in India?

Our strategy is to have a strong local partner in a country where we operate. Until now, the Air France-KLM group had three destinations in India including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. With Jet Airways launching flights between Paris and Chennai in winter, we will have a fourth destination and Bengaluru will be connected to both Paris and Amsterdam.

Together with Jet Airways, we will have 61 flights to Amsterdam and Paris during the winter season, thereby stepping up our presence in the market. That also makes us the second largest airline group after Lufthansa, which has 67 weekly flights, and we are catching up to become the first.

Our strategy is to connect the networks and passengers from tier II towns in India can travel to tier II towns in the US via Amsterdam. This is a win-win situation for the Air France-KLM group as well as the Jet Airways.

Is Air France-KLM expanding co-operation with Jet Airways to other areas such as cargo and aircraft maintenance?

We are exploring a partnership with Jet in cargo. We think we have a good opportunity with increasing trade between India and Europe. A Boeing 777 aircraft has 15-17 tonnes of cargo capacity and we are exploring an opportunities involving, cross selling, sharing of aircraft belly space and cargo handling with Jet.

We do have some co-operation on engineering but it is relatively on a small scale and there could be an opportunity to further it.

Last year Jet Airways signed an MOU to enter into a commercial joint venture pact with Air France-KLM. What is the status of the proposed JV.

We have put a lot of efforts to ensure daily operations work well. It is important for our customers to have a seamless connection and a smooth transfer at hubs. The way we conduct financial settlements among airlines is not relevant for customers. For customers, it is relevant that they have good products and a seamless service.

A JV is always a point on the horizon and at some point, it could happen. But if we look at the most successful and enhanced partnership like the one we have with Delta Airlines, it took us years for us to come to that point. Personally, I prefer to make sure everything is good for customers first and then take steps on financial settlements and JVs.

How is your relation with Etihad and other Gulf airlines? Do you see them as partners or adversaries?

We do have co-operation with Etihad. We do have code shares between our hub and Abu Dhabi. We have partnership with Etihad and we are competing with Qatar Airways and Emirates.

Airlines are now looking for partners outside their alliances. Is that going to be a new trend?

If you look at our code-sharing agreements, we have such pacts with Delta, China Southern, China Eastern, Kenya Airways (all Sky Team members). Our partnerships are with the core members of the Sky Team. There are a few exceptions and every airline has a few exceptions. I would not put it as a new trend.

MALAYSIA: Malaysia Ahead Of Thailand In Travel And Tourism Competitiveness

Malaysia dropped one spot from 2015 to be placed 26th among 136 countries, although it improved on its overall performance from various indicators by rising from 4.41 points in 2015 to 4.50 in 2017.

Malaysia is ranked higher than Thailand in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2017 by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

According to the report released on April 5, Singapore topped the table among the nine nations in South-East Asia with Malaysia second, followed by Thailand and Indonesia.

Globally, Malaysia dropped one spot from 2015 to be placed 26th among 136 countries, although it improved on its overall performance from various indicators by rising from 4.41 points in 2015 to 4.50 in 2017.

The report which is released every two years, said Malaysia's strong performance was attributed to its price competitiveness, strong air connectivity, and beautiful natural resources.

The WEF report engages leaders in the travel and tourism industry to carry out an in-depth analysis of its industries' competitiveness of 136 economies that account for over 98 per cent of the world's GDP.

The index measures a set of "factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector", which includes international openness, prioritisation of travel and tourism, human resources and labour market, health and hygiene, and safety and security.

The report also said that Malaysia could become more competitive by further prioritising the travel and tourism industry via investing in the development of its cultural resources and business travel.

It added that Malaysia should address environmental sustainability and preserve its beautiful natural environment.

There were more than 25 million tourist arrivals into the country last year, contributing almost RM80bill in inbound receipts, according to the report.

Spain which had a score of 5.43 tops the rankings for the second time due to its unique offering of both cultural and natural resources.

It is followed by France, Germany, Japan and United Kingdom.

The WEF is a Swiss non-profit foundation that engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

TURKEY: Terror Attacks Cause Suffering To Turkey's Hospitality, Tourism And Travel Industries

Stunning architecture, a rich and ancient history, beautiful beaches and a bustling urban nightlife have long drawn tourists from around the world to Turkey and its capital, Istanbul.

But after a recent spate of violence and terrorism in the country, its tourism industry, an important part of the nation’s economy, is suffering.

Tourism accounted for a little more than 12 percent of Turkey’s gross domestic product in 2014, significantly higher than the global average of roughly 9 percent, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

But, according to a bulletin published by the Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the country saw a massive, 30 percent dropoff in the number of visits by foreigners in January through November 2016 compared to the same period in 2015.

In contrast, the 2015 period was down just 1 percent from January to November 2014.

Gül Taner, a sales manager for GurTur Travel, an agency based out of Harbiye, a neighborhood in Istanbul, said that in the 25 years her company has been in business, the country has never gone through anything like the violence in 2016.

“Until last year we never seen attacks like this,” Taner said. “This is a different chapter in Turkish history.”

“Terrorist attacks are negatively affecting all sectors of Turkish life right now and not just tourism,” she said.

A New Year’s attack in an Istanbul nightclub left 39 dead, a massacre for which ISIS claimed responsibility. ISIS was also blamed by Turkish authorities for an assault at the Istanbul airport in June that killed 41 and the terror group claimed responsibility for at least two other deadly bombings in the city in 2016.

In the mass shooting at the Reina nightclub on New Year’s morning, many of those killed or injured were foreigners from a diverse array of countries including Belgium, France, India, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia, according to Turkish media.

Taner said she’s hopeful that the spate of terror attacks will slow that visitors hesitant visiting the country now will change their minds.

“I will always wish good things for my country,” she said.

A Billion Visitors In The First Nine Months Of 2016

Tourism sites around the world have recorded close to about one billion visitors in the first nine months of 2016, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) says.

The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer found that destinations around the world received 956 million international tourists between January and September 2016.

“This is 34 million more than in the same period in 2015, a 4 per cent increase,” the organisation said.

The UN tourism agency sated that demand for international tourism remained robust in the first nine months of 2016, though growing at a somewhat more moderate pace.

“After a strong start of the year, growth was slower in the second quarter of 2016 to pick up again in the third quarter of the year. While most destinations report encouraging results, others continue to struggle with the impact of negative events, either in their country or in their region,” it added.

Indicating results for the various regions of the world, it said Asia and the Pacific led growth across world regions with international tourist arrivals, noting that overnight visitors went up 9 per cent through September. It indicated that all the four subregions shared in the growth.

The UNWTO said many destinations reported double-digit growth, with the Republic of Korea (+34 per cent), Vietnam (+36 per cent), Japan (+24 per cent) and Sri Lanka (+15 per cent) in the lead.

According to the UNWTO, in Europe, international arrivals grew by 2 per cent between January and September 2016, with solid growth in most destinations.

“Nonetheless,” it added, “double-digit increases in major destinations such as Spain, Hungary, Portugal and Ireland were offset by feeble results in France, Belgium and Turkey. As a consequence, Northern Europe grew by 6 per cent and Central and Eastern Europe by 5 per cent while results were weaker in Western Europe (-1 per cent) and Southern Mediterranean Europe (+0 per cent).”

The Barometer indicated that international tourist arrivals in the Americas increased by 4 per cent through September. South America recorded +7 per cent and Central America up at +6 per cent led the results, followed closely by the Caribbean and North America both at +4 per cent.

In Africa there was +8 per cent increase, as sub-Saharan destinations rebounded strongly throughout the year, while North Africa picked up in the third quarter.

Available data for the Middle East points to a 6 per cent decrease in arrivals, though results vary from destination to destination. Results started to gradually improve in the second half of the year in both North Africa and the Middle East,” the UNWTO said.

The UNWTO however indicated that the results from the Barometer reflect preliminary data reported to date and are subject to revision.

EGYPT: Nesma Airlines

Nesma Airlines, a member of Saudi Arabia’s Nesma Group, is a flag carrier of two countries: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arabic Republic of Egypt.

Nesma Airlines first commercial flight was on 18 July 2010 from Hurghada to Ljubljana and the airline currently operates charter flights linking Egypt's most popular tourist spots to Europe and the Middle East mainly to Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Italy,Spain, Poland and France.

And to continue its success in the charter market, the airline started to operate scheduled flights to Saudi Arabia on the 24th of June 2011 to Hail, Tabuk and Taif.

On October 27, 2016, the airline launched domestic flight services within Saudi Arabia. Flights will operate out of the central hub at Hail Regional Airport to various locations in the Kingdom which currently includes Tabuk and Qaisumah. All flights will be flown on board the airline's ATR 72-600 aircraft.

Nesma Airline's scheduled flights include:-

Egypt
Cairo – Cairo International Airport
Alexandria – Borg El Arab Airport
Asyut – Assiut Airport

Saudi Arabia
Abha – Abha Regional Airport
Yanbu – Yanbu Airport
Buraidah – Qassim Airport
Ta'if – Ta’if Regional Airport
Tabuk – Tabuk Regional Airport
Jeddah – Jeddah Airport
Ha'il – Hail Airport
Jizan - Jizan Regional Airport
Ha'il – Hail Airport
Qaisumah - Al Qaisumah/Hafr Al Batin Airport
Tabuk – Tabuk Regional Airport

However the majority of the airline's current operations center around charter flights from Egyptian resorts to the following European countries:
- Armenia
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Macedonia
- Poland
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Serbia
- Ireland
- United Kingdom

Nesma Airlines fleet consists of the 6 aircraft.
1 Airbus A319-100
3 Airbus A320-200
2 ATR 72-600

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.

EGYPT: 22 Chinese Tourists Injured in Hot Air Balloon Accident

Twenty-two Chinese tourists were injured in Luxor on Tuesday after a hot air balloon made an emergency landing in Al-Habil village east of Luxor.

Officials say that the tourists sustained minor injuries, such as bruises and scratches, and were transferred to Luxor International hospital. Local media outlets reported that the tourists received treatment and were discharged from the hospital.

The balloons are known for attracting high-paying tourists. A two-hour balloon trip costs approximately $100, while prices for special trips lasting two hours or more can cost as much as $500.

In February, a hot air balloon carrying tourists crashed near Luxor after the fuel supply caught fire, resulting in 18 people killed and three injured.

The deceased passengers included tourists from Hong Kong, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, Hungary, and Egypt. Two British citizens and the pilot were injured.

NAMIBIA:Namibia Recorded 1.5 Million Visitors 2015

Out of the total foreign arrivals recorded, the larger number of 1.38 million were tourists, 15 580 were returning residents and 99 883 were same-day visitors.

Over 1.5 million people arrived in Namibia in 2015, representing a three percent increase from 2014 when 1.4 million arrivals were recorded.

This was announced by Environment and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta yesterday when he officially launched the 2015 tourist statistical report. The report shows that the tourism sector is still healthy and has shown growth. It further indicates that tourist figures increased by 5.1 percent for the same period.

The tourist figures indicate that overall, the tourism market for Namibia in 2015 was dominated by top ten tourist markets which include Angola, South Africa, Zambia, Germany, United Kingdom, United States and France.

However, a decline in the Angolan tourist arrivals was observed in 2015 which could be attributed to the financial crisis that was experienced due to the phasing out of the U.S dollar in that country.

This also led to the retrenchment of workers and closure of some business establishments at the border town of Oshikango and other northern and non-eastern towns where Angolans regularly visited.

The report says these effects might persist for the next few years, hence business owners should consider changing their business concepts and customer segments to include Namibian clients and what can be affordable to the available Angolan tourists.

The report shows that there was a 0.7 percent decline in Chinese tourists compared to 2014.
Shifeta said regardless of the tourist origin, most tourists visited Namibia during the last quarter of the year – that is October to December – which accounted for 28.3 percent of all tourists travelling to Namibia.

“This speaks volumes, and we hope the tourism industry will take heart in these figures and continue working together to grow tourism in the country and ensure that Namibia becomes a preferred tourist destination in Africa,” he noted.

Looking at tourist arrivals, about 45.6 percent were visiting friends and relatives, 38.9 percent came for holiday and 12.9 percent visited for business purposes. Equally, the report shows that 70.8 percent of visitors travelled by road and only 27.1 percent came by air as a mode of travel.

Most tourists came through the north-eastern border posts (25 percent), followed by northern border posts (23.5 percent), while 23 percent came via Hosea Kutako International Airport.

Tourist arrival statistics show that those from Zimbabwe came with the intent to stay longer in Namibia as shown by an average of 31 days, followed by tourists from other African countries and Germany with an average of 25 days and 19 days respectively.

Those from Botswana and France stayed less at an average of 14 days.

The report highlights that the tourism sector should market itself aggressively and offer competitive services and prices.

“It will be necessary to turn the visitors in the visiting friends and relatives category into holiday and leisure travellers,” reads the report in part.

“The recently launched Domestic Tourism Survey revealed that this category does not significantly spend in Namibia since there is no need as they are with friends and relatives. It is therefore important that in terms of tourism growth that contributes to the gross domestic product, we aggressively market destination Namibia for holiday and leisure travellers.”

MOROCCO: First Half of 2016 4.2 Million Tourists Visited Morocco

4.2 million tourists visited Morocco in the first half of 2016, decreasing by 2.6% compared to the same period of 2015, according to figures by Morocco’s Tourism Office.

The number of foreign tourists was down 5.6% while arrivals of Moroccans living abroad posted an increase of 1.7%, the Office noted in its latest statistics on tourism in Morocco.

Tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy decreased by 8%, 7%, 5% and 5% respectively, said the Office, noting that the number of tourists from Holland showed stagnation.

According to data provided by the professionals of tourist accommodation, overnight stays in tourist accommodation facilities decreased by 4% compared to the same period of 2015.

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.