Tag: Tourism

World Travel Awards, “the Oscars of the travel industry”, has unveiled the regional nominees for its 2012 programme Asian & Australasian organisations in contention include Hainan Airlines, Pangu 7 Star Hotel Beijing, Anantara Hotels & Resorts, Tourism Australia and Air New Zealand.
All will now go head to head at WTA’s Asia & Australasia Ceremony, which is set to take place in Singapore on 16 October 2012.

Tourism Australia has announced the appointment of Ketchum Inc. as its public relations agency for the next three years.
Ketchum will manage public relations activities in the Americas across the United States, Canada and Latin America, with the account being managed out of Ketchums Los Angeles office.

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Approximately 10,000 people gathered on Edinburghs Royal Mile to witness the Queens granddaughter Zara Philips, who is 13th in line to the throne, marry England rugby star Mike Tindall.

The wedding, which marks Scotlands first Royal nuptials in almost 20 year, was the second royal wedding to be held in the UK this year.
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With South Africa revelling in World Cup glory, a delegation of sport tourism leaders gathered in Johannesburg for the landmark World Sport Destination Expo to gain further insights into the fastest growing sector of travel.

One of the success stories to emerge from the tournament has been the growth of new markets. These include India, growth up 17 percent last month compared to the same period last year, China up 12.5 percent, Holland up 22 percent and Argentina up an incredible 43 percent.

With the World Cup, Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games, this year is set to be a record-breaker for sport tourism. Mike Starling gives the lowdown on the legacies created by hosting world-class sporting events.



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Barbados has outlined plans to develop its health and wellness tourism sector to help overcome the reliance of the countrys travel industry on seasonality and the vagaries of the global economic climate.

The Barbados Minister of Tourism, Richard Sealy, has said that health and wellness tourism is growing faster than the overall travel and tourism industry, and Barbados plans to develop its health and wellness market.

Jamaica Tourist Board has reassured the travel trade that the main tourism areas remain unaffected by the violence in its capital, Kingston.

Director of Tourism John Lynch said: Travellers to the areas of Jamaica including Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Negril and the South Coast are some four hours away from the area of concern.

Cuba has announced plans to relax real estate regulations in order to attract inward investment from overseas developers in an effort to boost its tourism industry.

Newly revealed plans involve allowing foreign parties to construct attractions including marinas, golf courses and related projects on the island, with the hope of attracting overseas visitors.

Shanghai is pinning big hopes on next months World Expo 2010 to create a tourism boom, and catapult the countrys financial capital into the league of worlds great tourism cities.

During the past weekend, crowds of locals and tourists alike have flocked to Shanghais riverside promenade, the Bund, to witness its reopening and rebirth in time for the Expo, which is being held from 1 May to 31 October.

China is the first developing nation to host the World Expo and officials hope the event will prove a springboard for bigger and better things.

South Africa is putting forward its tourism minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk for the key post of UNs climate change chief.

Van Schalkwyks nomination was approved by the South African government after President Jacob Zuma met with him at the weekend to emphasise the importance of achieving a binding climate change agreement with South Africa playing a major role in the process.