Calin Rovinescu Elected As New Chairman Of the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board

Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada, has been elected as the new Chairman of the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board (CEB). He succeeds Rob Fyfe, CEO Air New Zealand, who held the post for the last two years.

"On behalf of all Star Alliance members I thank Rob for his personal commitment, support and leadership in driving our alliance forward and in strengthening relations between the alliance partners. 

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How tourism can cut emissions - UNWTO outlines strategies at COP18 Doha climate change conference

In its on-going effort to cut global tourism emissions, UNWTO brought together experts from United Nations agencies and Oxford University at UN climate change talks in Qatar to present the latest strategies helping to reduce tourism’s contribution to global warming. 

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Rezidor announces the Radisson Blu Beach Resort & Spa, Sochi

The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide and a member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, announces the Radisson Blu Beach Resort & Spa, Sochi. The property featuring 508 rooms is scheduled to open in Q4 2013. It will have the largest upscale spa & leisure facility in the Russian Federation with a 2,000 square meters spa, 2,400 square meters of outdoor pool surfaces, and direct access to a 450 meter stretch of beachfront.

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New content added to WTM Latin America Event Programme

World Travel Market Latin America, taking place in São Paulo on 23 – 25 April 2013, will incorporate a three day Event Programme highlighting different topics impacting Brazil, Latin America and the global travel industry.

The show will focus on Leisure, MICE and Business Travel, giving the Latin American travel industry a platform to conduct business and become one of the most important travel and tourism regions in the world. 

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Travelport's e-volve Summit explores the future of MEA travel industry

The future direction of the travel industry in the Middle East and Africa was subject to extensive discussions by more than 100 industry experts from 17 countries at a Travelport-organised summit this month.

The latest Travelport e-volve summit focused – for the first time – on key matters affecting Travel Management Companies (TMCs), with debates ranging from the economic outlook to the future of airline distribution and other relevant topics.

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Orbitz and Energizer Launch Integrated Media Campaign

Orbitz Worldwide and Energizer announced the launch of an integrated media campaign designed to reinforce brand alignment between Energizer's suite of Portable Power products and the act of booking travel at Orbitz.com. Research indicates that online travelers own an average of 2.7 web-enabled devices, with nearly four out of five using a mobile phone to view maps or get directions on trips and 69 percent logging on to a preferred social network at least daily1. 

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Swedish Rail Operator SJ joins the Amadeus Rail GDS

SJ and Amadeus announced that they have agreed an extension of their content agreement and a commercial partnership in order to distribute SJ’s content through additional channels integrated into Amadeus’ Global Rail Sales Platform, the company’s rail-specific distribution service. 

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Silversea and Cruise Strategies Ltd Strengthen Partnership

Ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises announced today that it has enhanced its relationship with Cruise Strategies Ltd to provide even more extensive promotional assistance, sales and marketing representation in Canada. Silversea, which has been represented by Cruise Strategies since 2007, has now forged an even closer relationship with the Cruise Strategies team to plan and implement sales and marketing campaigns to broaden awareness of the award-winning cruise company in the Canadian market.

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Airbus offers new 242 tonne A330 takeoff-weight capability to extend market coverage

Airbus has improved the A330-300 and A330-200 even further by providing operators both with a 242 metric tonne maximum take-off weight (MTOW) capability and, for the larger A330-300, an increased fuel capacity option. These enhancements build on thecapability announced earlier this year for an increased 240 tonne MTOW, and will be available for operators in 2015.

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Maldives Local Travel Agents Welcome Government's Decision to Terminate GMR Contract of Male' International Airport

Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) remains committed to their members and building a sub-segment within the tourism industry that caters to the local travel agents’ needs. Today local travel agents play a vital role in the development of Maldivian Tourism as a whole. 

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Shangri-La Hotel, Haikou Opens On the Shore of 'China's Hawaii'

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts officially arrived on the shore of 'China's Hawaii' this week with the opening of the 337-room Shangri-La Hotel, Haikou on Hainan Island. Located seaside amidst a sprawling lush tropical garden, the luxury hotel offers spectacular sea views, a full range of urban resort amenities, and extensive event and meeting venues.

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Qantas becomes a launch customer for Airbus' iPad Electronic Flight Bag solution

Qantas has become a launch customer for the ‘FlySmart with Airbus’ cockpit applications on iPad. These ‘Electronic Flight Bag’ (EFB) applications will be used by all pilots in the airline who fly Airbus aircraft.

The Airbus EFB solution for iPad was announced at the Farnborough Air Show earlier this year and Qantas has been working closely with Airbus since the launch of the project.

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Jumeirah Group honours 19 young Emiratis

On Sunday 25 November, Jumeirah Group, the global hospitality company and a member of Dubai Holding, honoured a group of 19 young Emiratis, all of them university graduates, for having completed a one-year internship with Jumeirah. 

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Cathay Pacific increases salaries for eligible staff

Cathay Pacific Airways announced salary increases averaging 2% for eligible Hong Kong staff in 2013. Additionally, the carrier will also provide a discretionary 13th month payment to those same staff in their December salary payment. 

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive John Slosar said: “2012 has been an extremely challenging year, just as we said it would be. Even so, I believe that the Cathay team has performed admirably. 

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Complimentary 3-day Beijing Adventure on Crystal Cruises'

Crystal Cruises is taking guests off the ship and through Beijing’s most historic and cultural sites for three nights next spring, as part of two new 2013 cruises to China.  For the first time in four years, the all-inclusive Overland Adventure will be featured as a complimentary pre- and post-cruise package on two different luxury cruises, both sailing aboard Crystal Symphony for 10 days before and after the unique land trip:

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On a Mission to Woo Tourists From China

The largest-ever tourism trade mission to China from Ireland took place recently. Eighteen organisations from around the island of Ireland – including hotels, golf operators, visitor attractions and DMCs (destination management companies) – joined Tourism Ireland in Shanghai and Beijing for a series of seminars, B2B workshops, networking events and media interviews in the cities of Beijing and Shanghai. Brown Thomas was also part of the mission, demonstrating the importance of Chinese visitors for our retail sector.

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Princess Cruises Ships Deck the Halls for a Festive Holiday Season at Sea

As the holiday season begins, Princess Cruises ships are getting ready to celebrate this joyful time of year around the world. Whether they are sailing through the islands of the Caribbean and South Pacific or cruising through the waters Down Under in Australia and New Zealand, ships will be decked from stem to stern, and may even experience an unusual snowfall.

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Tourism Ireland Launches 2013 Marketing Plans

North America and Mainland Europe hold the key to tourism growth next year, according to Tourism Ireland, as it launched its marketing plans for 2013. The plans will see visitor numbers to the island of Ireland increase by +5% to 7.6 million in 2013, contributing €3.7 billion (+6%) to the economies, north and south.

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Frontier Airlines Supports Toys for Tots

Frontier Airlines announced it is launching a month-long fundraising campaign for the Toys for Tots Foundation. Throughout the month of December, the Denver-based carrier will raise funds to support Toys for Tots by donating all proceeds from onboard sales of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory’s Plain Ol’ Fashioned Fudge to the organization. Passengers will also be able to make a donation of $0.50 or more with any onboard food or drink purchase. 

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EIBTM 2012 closed succesfully

25th edition of EIBTM (www.eibtm.com), the global hub for the meetings, incentives and business travel industry welcomed over 15,200 meetings professionals to Barcelona from 27th – 29th November, 2012. These  three days of business, education and networking closed succesfully. 

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Bombardier VLocity DMU Cars Boost Fleet in Australia

Public Transport Victoria (PTV) has ordered 40 additional Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) cars of the successful VLocity design from rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation. The order is valued at approximately $206 million AUD (166 million euro, $198 million US).

Bombardier will provide 19 additional intermediate cars to convert existing two-car train sets to three-cars sets and supply seven additional new three-car train sets. This will result in a total fleet of 58 three-car Bombardier VLocity trains.

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Bombardier Delivers NetJets' First Global Jet

Bombardier Aerospace announced that it delivered NetJets’ first Signature Series Global 6000 jet at a special ceremony in Montréal at Bombardier’s Global Completion Centre, the first jet is now on its way to entering service.

“When we handed over the ceremonial keys to NetJets at NBAA just a few weeks ago it marked a momentous occasion that embodies the partnership we are building,” said Steve Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft.

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Book a Mandarin Oriental spa treatment and receive a relaxing bonus

The Spas at Mandarin Oriental are offering a nurturing and relaxing body treatment for the New Year that comes with an added bonus.
 
The 80 minute Time to Reflect treatment is one of Mandarin Oriental’s Signature Therapies and consists of a relaxing, hands-on body massage that combines the powerful effects of oriental meridian massage with a blend of jasmine, black pepper, ginger and juniper.

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Glion Institute of Higher Education Opens New Branch Campus in London

Glion Institute of Higher Education, one of the world’s top three institutions of higher education for an international career in hospitality management, announced that it is opening its first branch campus in London. The new campus expands the reach of Glion’s Swiss hospitality education programmes to students and industry leaders in the U.K. Glion is a member of Laureate International Universities, a global network of more than 60 accredited campus-based and online institutions of higher education serving more than 740,000 students in 29 countries.

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JetBlue Waives Change Fee and Offers Travel Credit For Mid-Winter Break to Assist Customers Affected by Hurricane Sandy

JetBlue Airways Corporation will waive the change fee to allow customers booked for travel to or from New York Metropolitan Airports (JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Newburgh, White Plains) on Thursday, Feb. 14 through February 25, 2013, to voluntarily rebook their flights (customers will be responsible for the difference in airfare, if any). 

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His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum Plants a 'Union Tree'

The Emirates Group celebrated the UAE’s 41st National Day through a range of activities at its headquarters in Dubai. His Highness (H.H.) Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group, planted a ‘Union Tree’ commemorating the formation of the United Arab Emirates in front of the Emirates Group headquarters. The tree was planted in line with ‘The Union Tree Initiative’ spearheaded by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai., 

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Velocity Frequent Flyer Expands Its Luxury Hotel Offering

Velocity Frequent Flyer, the award-winning loyalty program of Virgin Australia, announced a major expansion to its luxury hotel offering with the introduction of Morgans Hotel Group.

Morgans Hotel Group is widely known as the creator of the ‘boutique’ hotel concept for its first hotel, Morgans, which opened its doors on Madison Avenue in New York City in 1984.

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Southwest Airlines Announces Reservations Consolidation Into New Atlanta Call Center

Southwest Airlines announced that the airline is consolidating operations from three AirTran Reservations Call Centers into a single call center in Atlanta.  The new Atlanta Customer Support & Services (CS&S) Call Center will become the seventh Southwest Airlines Call Center and will be located in the AirTran Corporate Center (ACC) in College Park. 

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Visit Britain celebrates memorable year for UK tourism

Following recent statistics showing that one third of the new jobs created in Britain between 2009 and 2011 came from tourism, VisitBritain has launched its 2012 annual review, outlining what it was able to achieve for tourism and the UK economy in 2012 and how it will build on this extraordinary year in 2013 and beyond.

Launched in front of the UK’s tourism trade, VisitBritain marked a spectacular year in which Britain was in the spotlight as never before and showed what a great welcome it offers to visitors from all around the world.

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Etihad Airways wins on board service innovation award

Etihad Airways has won the 2012 Mercury Award for “On Board Service” for its innovative inflight culinary programs, First Class Chefs and the Mezoon Grille.
 
The prestigious awards, recognising accomplishments in travel catering, were presented during the International Travel Catering Association (ITCA) gala dinner on November 27 at the Shangri La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri in Abu Dhabi. 

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Kenya Airways and Barclays Bank of Kenya Launch KQ Msafiri Visa Credit Card

Kenya Airways and Barclays Bank of Kenya have partnered with Visa to relaunch a co-branded credit card dubbed KQ Msafiri Visa Credit Card. The KQ Msafiri Visa Credit Card holders will benefit by earning miles on any purchase on Visa points of sale worldwide. The miles will be redeemed for a world of travel rewards on Kenya Airways flights.

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Air Arabia increases Karachi flights to daily

Air Arabia announced the expansion of services to Karachi, Pakistan. The four weekly flights from Sharjah to Karachi are now increased to daily flights, making it easier and more convenient for passengers travelling between both cities. 

Daily roundtrip flights will now operate between Sharjah and Karachi, departing Sharjah International Airport at 23:00 and arriving in Karachi International Airport at 01:50 (next day).

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TTF: Destination New South Wales's China Tourism Strategy 2012--20 will help increase visitation and yield

Destination New South Wales’s China Tourism Strategy 2012-20 will help increase visitation and yield from our fastest growing market, according to Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF).

TTF Chief Executive John Lee said the strategy acknowledges the potential of the Chinese market.

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Cruise Charge Increase A Tax On Success

The NSW government’s new cruise ship head tax for passengers visiting Sydney Harbour is excessive, says peak industry body, the Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF).

The cruise industry estimates that this could be up to a 14-fold increase on ship turnaround costs in Sydney, from an average of $5,000 today to around $70,000 by 2015.

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DoubleTree by Hilton Continues Spanish Expansion with Second Hotel

Hilton Worldwide confirmed the signing of a franchise agreement with Layetana to open its second DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Spain.

The deal will see the conversion of the existing La Mola Hotel & Conference Center to the upscale DoubleTree by Hilton brand, with the renovated property set to open at the beginning of 2013.

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PATA Travel Mart 2013 to Take Place in Chengdu

PATA has announced that PATA Travel Mart 2013 will take place September 25-27 at Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Chengdu in Sichuan province, China.
 
Alongside the Mart, the PATA Board Meeting will be held September 27-29 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Chengdu.Established in 1978, PATA Travel Mart is Asia Pacific’s leading and longest running B2B show for the travel industry.

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Transport Minister Meets ABTA Board Members in Park Street

The Rt Hon Simon Burns MP, Minister of State for Transport, met the ABTA Board today to discuss his views on the challenges facing the travel industry and how he will work to address them.

The Minister’s visit to ABTA is one of the first he has made to an industry body since taking up his position as Transport Minister in September’s Cabinet reshuffle.

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Airbus receives work-study trophy

The European plane-maker, Airbus, received the Work-Study Trophy in the large company category on 29th November in Toulouse. This prize was given by the MEDEF – the French Employers’ Association – and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Midi-Pyrénées (CCI MP), to reward the “Carnet de Vol Alternance” initiative taken by Airbus to promote the professional integration of its work-study students at the end of their training.

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Interstate Hotels & Resorts Appoints Timur Senturk Managing Director Of J Hotel At Shanghai Tower In China

Interstate Hotels & Resorts announced the appointment of Timur Senturk as managing director of China’s tallest ultra-luxury hotel, the flagship J Hotel located at Shanghai Tower.  Currently under construction in Shanghai’s central business district of Lujiazui, Pudong, the J Hotel Shanghai Tower is anticipated to open in the first quarter of 2015, and will be operated by Interstate China Hotels & Resorts, a joint venture between Interstate and Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels Company Limited (“Jin Jiang Hotels”).

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Etihad Airways increases flights to India and Sri lanka

Etihad Airways is substantially increasing and upgrading flights to key cities in the Indian subcontinent. Starting from January 1, 2013 flights to the southern Indian city of Kozhikode will more than double, increasing from three to seven a week.

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India International Travel Market is all set to welcome its exhibitors from today in Hyderabad

India International Travel Market is all set to welcome the travel, tourism, hospitality, leisure and other related industries from November 30th – December 2nd, 2012 in Hyderabad, India. 
 
It is aimed at bringing the Industry, face-to-face with the travel trade, Corporate Buyer and the end-customer with the requisite purchasing power.

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Marriott International Commits to Career Development of Youth Throughout Europe

Marriott International has launched the Marriott Culinary Apprenticeship Academy (MCAA), its first coordinated effort in the United Kingdom to train and offer young people a viable career in the culinary and hospitality industry.

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Magnuson Hotel brands report 35.2% reservation increase

Magnuson Hotels announced a 35.2 percent increase in hotel reservations year-to-date 2012 versus 2011 for its 3 hotel brands.

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World's best destinations to wake up in this Christmas

Christmas is typically the most stressful time of the year. The expense of buying gifts, the last-minute shopping scramble, and the heightened expectations of family togetherness can all combine to undermine our best intentions. There is however one guaranteed way to combat “Christmas stress”: travel.

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Delta Among Most-Honored Companies Ranked by Institutional Investor

ATLANTA, Nov. 29, 2012-Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) was named among America's top companies according to Institutional Investor magazine's 2013 All-America Executive Team ranking. Delta was ranked as a "Most Honored Company" by the magazine, which surveyed investment buy-side analysts, portfolio managers and sell-side analysts at securities firms and financial institutions across the U.S. Just 145 of the nearly 2,000 companies that received votes in the survey scored high enough to be named Most Honored Companies.

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Tourist Buyers from all around the world will come to Madrid on FITUR's Invitation

Once again this year, with a view to generating business opportunities, FITUR has undertaken an ambitious Hosted Buyers Programme for the thirty-third staging of the fair. This programme consists of a carefully-selected group of guest visitors made up of leading representatives of the tourist industry who have high decision-making power. 

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Jumeirah announces expansion of Madinat Jumeirah

Jumeirah Group, the global luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, has confirmed plans to build a major extension to Madinat Jumeirah, its Arabian resort in Dubai. The resort currently houses three hotels – Al Qasr, Mina A’Salam and Dar Al Masyaf – linked by a traditional Arabian souk and a meandering waterway.

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INCON publishes Expert Article on Drivers of Change in the Meetings Industry

An expert article recently published by INCON, the international partnership of conference, event and destination companies, explores the impact of market/demand volatility on the meetings industry and the challenges being faced by meeting planners in responding to this key driver of change.

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airberlin Help & Fly fundraising event: Take a flight, have a party and help people

On 24th November 2012 an airberlin Airbus A330-300 took off from Dusseldorf for a fifteenth successive charity round trip on the occasion of the 25th World AIDS Day.

On board, the guests were entertained with cabaret from Käthe Köstlich and the Merz & Pilini variety circus who also added their charm and fun in assisting the cabin crew with their service.

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Wyndham Brand Opens First Hotel in Costa Rica

Wyndham Hotel Group, the world’s largest hotel company with nearly 7,260 hotels and part of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), today announced the debut of its upscale Wyndham® Hotels and Resorts brand in Costa Rica with the opening of the 111-room, newly constructed Wyndham Garden San José Escazú.

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Stocking up, up and away for Christmas

As thousands prepare to go abroad for Christmas, with an estimated 30,000 people flying with British Airways on Christmas Day alone, the airline is stocking extra gifts for its busiest shopping month on board. This includes the launch of an exclusive charity donation card, created by Turner Prize nominated artist Tracey Emin.

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CWT's Business Travel Trends Predicts Technology Will Continue to Drive Change in 2013

One of the consistent themes running through CWT’s Business Travel Trends outlook for 2013 is the increased level of consumer-influenced technology at the service of the business traveler. This type of technology is finding its way into corporate travel through services such as travel review sites and mobile apps specifically designed for business travelers. Click here to view further examples in CWT’s Business Travel Trends in 2013.

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Marriott International Commits to Career Development of Youth Throughout Europe

Apprenticeship Schemes Offer Industry Training and Long-term Employment Opportunities for Young People

London – Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) has launched the Marriott Culinary Apprenticeship Academy (MCAA), its first coordinated effort in the United Kingdom to train and offer young people a viable career in the culinary and hospitality industry.

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Holiday Celebrations from Coast-to-Coast Offer Families Fun Wonder and Unique Merriment at The Ritz-Carlton

Lakeside Ice-Skating, A Swashbuckler’s Paradise and Santa Trades-Up to Segways and Surfboards

CHEVY CHASE, Md. - The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. invites guests young – and young at heart -- to establish fun new traditions with extraordinary seasonal offerings. 

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His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum Plants a Union tree

DUBAI, U.A.E., 29th November 2012 The Emirates Group celebrated the UAE’s 41st National Day through a range of activities at its headquarters in Dubai. His Highness (H.H.) Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group, planted a ‘Union Tree’ commemorating the formation of the United Arab Emirates in front of the Emirates Group headquarters.

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JAMES HOGAN NAMED CAPA AVIATION EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan, was named CAPA Aviation Executive of the Year 2012 at the Centre for Aviation’s global awards for excellence and leadership, presented in Hong Kong last night. The CAPA Aviation Executive of the Year is awarded to the executive who has had the greatest individual influence on the aviation industry, demonstrating outstanding strategic thinking and innovative direction for the growth of the business and the industry.

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Hawaiian Launches Flights to Australia's "Sunshine State"

Only U.S. Carrier Serving Brisbane, Australia HONOLULU, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hawaiian Airlines today continued its expansion into new international markets, with the launch of nonstop service to Brisbane, Australia, capital city of the State of Queensland. Passengers of today's inaugural flight departing Honolulu enjoyed a festive island-style send-off, featuring live Hawaiian music and hula, a traditional Hawaiian blessing by Kahu Richard Kamanu of Kaumakapili Church, and fresh flower lei upon boarding.

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Singapore Airlines' Limited Edition Panda Toy Raises More Than $400,000 For Children With Special Needs

29 November 2012 - Singapore Airlines has raised $427,000 for Singapore's Community Chest, a non-profit organisation that channels funds to assist the less advantaged in the community. A pair of limited edition female and male panda toy collectibles clad in the signature SIA batik motif was produced by the Airline for the initiative. 

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Shenzhen Airlines Joins Star Alliance

Alliance Expands in China SHENZHEN, China – November 29th, 2012 – Shenzhen Airlines today became the latest carrier to join the Star Alliance network. At a ceremony held at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, Mark Schwab, CEO Star Alliance, welcomed the airline into the family on behalf on the Alliance’s Chief Executive Board (CEB). “Shenzhen Airlines is China’s fifth largest carrier and strengthens the Star Alliance presence in China and across Asia.

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airBaltic Serves 251 000 Passengers in October

In October 2012, Latvian airline airBaltic operated 4,141 flights, or 7% less than in October 2011 when airBaltic operated 4,467 flights.

The airline carried 251,705 passengers in October. During the first ten months of 2012, airBaltic transported a total of 2,582,520 passengers.

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American Express Meetings & Events Reports Asia Pacific to Lead All Regions in Growth in Spend and Number of Meetings in 2013

According to the American Express Meetings & Events 2013 Global Meetings Forecast ("the Forecast"), Asia Pacific, with its relatively strong economy, is likely to see the strongest growth among regions in both spending and the number of meetings. In North America, economic uncertainty is expected to keep those categories relatively flat, while Europe will likely experience declines as it continues to face a currency crisis and, due to political instability in some markets, Central/South America is also expected to see slight declines overall, especially in spend.

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IATA: Hurricane Sandy Added to Industry Challenges in October

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global traffic results for October showing a persistent softening of passenger traffic growth and a significant deterioration in freight demand.

Passenger demand rose 2.8% compared to October 2011, but declined 0.5% compared to September. 

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San Diego Port's Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Providing Green Charge

Eight new, public electric vehicle charging stations are up and running in various locations around San Diego Bay, to help reduce exhaust pollution and support cleaner energy sources as part of the Port of San Diego’s Green Port program.

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Intel and W Hotels Announce Premiere of 'Four Stories'

As part of the Ultrabook™ Experience program, Intel Corporation and W Hotels announced the global premiere of the winning films from “Four Stories,” an innovative short film series judged by a panel of judges, including Roman Coppola and produced by The Directors Bureau. The films debut tonight at a private screening at W London – Leicester Square, followed by a premiere at W Los Angeles – Westwood on Dec. 4 and a premiere at W Hong Kong on Dec. 14. The films can be viewed at: www.youtube.com/fourstories. 

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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Joins Urban Land Institute Greenprint Center for Building Performance

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Greenprint Center for Building Performance, a worldwide alliance of leading real estate owners, investors and financial institutions committed to reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions across the global property industry, has announced the addition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. as a new member. 

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Gatwick Airport Limited - Report for the six months ended 30 September 2012

Gatwick Airport delivers a robust financial performance, driven by passenger growth and operational excellence despite the economic headwinds

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer of Gatwick Airport, said:

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Heathrow Airport: Lighting up passenger journeys

As part of our airport-wide investment in passenger facilities, Terminal 4 has unveiled the latest stage of its multi-million pound regeneration. 

An innovative ceiling in the international departure lounge with more than 800 LED lights, capable of creating over 16 million colours, has been turned on for the first time, creating a unique ambiance for passengers to enjoy.

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IAA builds on sustainability successes to help mark America Recycles Day

The Indianapolis Airport Authority’s (IAA) commitment to sustainability is literally ingrained in the design of the new Midfield Terminal at the Indianapolis International Airport (IND). With the Midfield Terminal entering its fifth year of service this week and the community observing America Recycles Day on November 15, the IAA continues to foster sustainability as an important development and operational principle.

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1.7 Million Euros Arrivals Lounge Opens At Belfast City Airport

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Gavin Robinson has officially opened a £1.7 million international arrivals lounge at George Best Belfast City Airport.
 
The private investment significantly enhances capacity of the arrivals areas and provides statutory agencies with improved facilities to process international passengers when Aer Lingus begin flights to and from Palma, Malaga and Faro in March 2013.

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New Zealand marketing efforts set to attract more Indonesian visitors

Appealing to Indonesian’s love of social media and growing hunger for international travel is reaping rewards for Auckland Airport, with inbound arrivals to New Zealand from Indonesia already increasing by more than 19 per cent in the past twelve months, which has been assisted by the Airport starting to promote New Zealand.

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Edinburgh Airport Welcomes Virgin Announcement

Edinburgh Airport today welcomed the news that Virgin Atlantic has been successful in its bid for all of the Heathrow short haul remedy slots available following International Airline Group’s acquisition of bmi. 
 
Virgin Atlantic is the latest in a number of airlines including Turkish Airlines, Easyjet and Brussels Airlines to begin services from Edinburgh or expand their existing services. 

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Royal interest in Adelaide Convention Centre's expansion

The Adelaide Convention Centre hosted Prince Charles this month as part of his official Australian visit with the Duchess of Cornwall.

It was the Prince’s second visit to the Centre having previously attended an official function at the Centre in 1988.
The Prince was accompanied by the Premier and Governor of South Australia and Raymond Spencer, Chairman of the State’s Economic Development Board.

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2013 Cellar Door Wine Festival Adelaide offers free registration to wine buyers

Wine buyers for retailers, hotels, pubs and function centres are being encouraged to register for the 2013 Cellar Door Wine Festival Adelaide (February 22 -24).

This year, they’ll get free and exclusive access to sample the best of South Australian wine and food from more than 170 exhibitors.

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Emirates SkyCargo named Air Cargo Carrier of the year 2012

Emirates SkyCargo has been named Air Cargo Carrier of the Year, at the 2012 Global Freight Awards held in London.  

The awards, formerly known as the IFW (International Freighting Weekly) Awards, recognise excellence in the freight and logistics industry. 

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Gulfstream Beijing Begins Operations

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced today that its aircraft service center in Beijing — Gulfstream Beijing — is officially open for business after recently being approved as a Part 145 maintenance facility by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The certification gives facility technicians the authorization to work on aircraft registered in China. 

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