Month: November 2020

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Maldives wins 4 awards at World Travel Awards 2020

Maldives wins 4 awards at World Travel Awards 2020

Maldives has won 4 prestigious awards in the Indian Ocean category in World Travel Awards - the most prestigious honors programme in global travel and tourism, established in 1993 and recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

Maldives has won the following categories this year:
● Indian Ocean's Leading Beach Destination 2020
● Indian Ocean's Leading Cruise Destination 2020
● Indian Ocean's Leading Destination 2020
● Indian Ocean's Leading Dive Destination 2020

Despite the tremendous challenges experienced by the tourism industry over the course of 2020, this year’s World Travel Awards is a remarkable testament to the love and extraordinary effort of tourists from around the world - World Travel Awards has reported a record number of visitor traffic and engagement from public voters. This shows that as travel resumes and the tourism sector recovers, the appetite for travel has never been bigger. Tourists are constantly seeking the very best tourism products from across the world. As Maldives has won four categories, these awards have never been more valuable in the marketing of the island nation as one of the safest and top travel destinations in the world.

On winning the Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination Award, the Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) stated, “Everyone knows the value of World Travel Awards, and we are extremely proud to have received Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination award, which brings us one step closer to becoming the world’s leading tourist destination. Thank you for voting for us. We hope to see you soon. Indeed, our island nation is one of the safest destinations to travel to during this time.”

Instead of the traditional gathering of the Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony, this year, the chosen winners will be virtually uniting as the World Travel Awards launches its inaugural Indian Ocean Winners Day on 10th November 2020. To coincide with this, the Indian Ocean Winners Day will showcase the best of the region’s travel and tourism sector to the world.

As Maldives reopened its borders on 15th July 2020, these prestigious wins at the 27th World Travel Awards will aid in strengthening the image and increase the brand presence globally. Additionally, Maldives has secured multiple awards in various categories over the years including the World's Leading Airport Resort, World's Leading Beach Destination, World's Leading Honeymoon Resort, World's Most Romantic Resort and World's Leading Luxury Island Resort in 2019.

Aeroflot named best airline in Eastern Europe at Business Traveller Awards

Aeroflot named best airline in Eastern Europe at Business Traveller Awards

Aeroflot has been recognised as the best airline in Eastern Europe for the third straight year at the prestigious Business Traveller Awards.

Business Traveller, a leading British magazine dedicated to premium travel, has held its annual awards for more than 30 years. During this time, the Business Traveller Awards have become one of the most coveted recognitions in the travel industry.

Winners are chosen by readers of the magazine: mainly business travellers, 81% of whom travel in first or business class and make an average of 25.5 flights per year.

The Business Traveller Awards include nominees across various categories, honouring the most distinguished representatives of the global travel sector. This year, prizes in other categories were received by industry leaders such as Emirates, British Airways, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic.

Source: www.aeroflot.ru

Hawaiian Airlines Welcomes Back Boston and New York Travelers Looking for Winter Getaway

Hawaiian Airlines Welcomes Back Boston and New York Travelers Looking for Winter Getaway

Carrier to operate its full 13-city U.S. mainland network, including daily Long Beach service, in December

 

HONOLULU – Hawaiian Airlines, Hawai‘i’s hometown carrier, will reinstate its long-awaited East Coast flying in December with twice-weekly nonstop service between Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and thrice-weekly service between HNL and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

At the same time, Hawaiian will resume daily nonstop service between HNL and Long Beach Airport (LGB), offering guests access to its entire 13-city U.S. mainland network. The state of Hawai‘i last week began exempting travelers from its 14-day quarantine with proof of a negative COVID-19 state-approved test within 72 hours of the final leg of departure.

Hawaiian will also bring back nonstop flights between Kaua‘i’s Līhuʻe Airport (LIH) and Los Angeles and Oakland, and between Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG) and San Diego and San Francisco, utilizing its narrow-body Airbus A321neo aircraft.

“We’re pleased with increased demand for travel to Hawai‘i, and we’re excited to once again offer our East Coast guests the convenience of our nonstop flights as we welcome them to the islands with new health and safety measures,” said Brent Overbeek, senior vice president of revenue management and network planning at Hawaiian Airlines.

To view a full schedule and purchase flights, please visit HawaiianAirlines.com.

As a state of Hawai‘i trusted testing partner, Hawaiian is offering guests departing from any of its U.S. mainland gateway cities a mail-in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) saliva test online through Vault Health. The test kit, which is available for travelers of all ages including children, will be express mailed overnight to guests who will self-collect their sample with assistance from a testing supervisor in a video call. The kit is express shipped overnight to a lab, which will process and analyze the sample and provide travelers their results electronically within 24 hours of receiving the sample.

Hawaiian’s “Keeping you safe” enhanced cleaning includes frequent disinfecting of lobby areas, kiosks, and ticket counters, electrostatic aircraft cabin spraying, plexiglass barriers at staffed airport counters, and sanitizer wipe distribution to all guests. The carrier requires all guests to complete a health acknowledgement form during the check-in process indicating they are free of COVID-19 symptoms and will comply with the company’s updated mask policy for the entirety of their journey.

All travelers to Hawai‘i or flying between the islands must follow the state’s travel procedures and complete its online Safe Travels Hawai‘i form.

Source: newsroom.hawaiianairlines.com

8th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo to be unveiled on Friday

8th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo to be unveiled on Friday

Residents are welcome to pre-schedule visit for travel updates

The 8th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (referred to as the “Expo” or “MITE”) will be held at Cotai Expo of the Venetian Macao from 6 to 8 November. The Expo will bring together physical and virtual exhibitions in cloud series for the first time, alongside the debut of MAK MAK Pavilion and the Pavilion of Macao’s “Distinctive Shops” among other fascinating highlights, to bolster Macao’s travel trade in spurring economic revival in the sector. Residents are welcome to log into the appointment scheduling system online to pre-schedule a visit to the Expo, where they can obtain the latest travel information and shop from a diversity of travel products.

 

A kaleidoscope of themed pavilions in spotlight

A variety of distinctive and themed pavilions will come into spotlight at the Expo as follows: Over 70 tourism businesses from across nine cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will mark their presence at the “Greater Bay Area Tourism Street”, offering residents a wealth of signature souvenir products from their destinations. 16 renowned hot spring enterprises from Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Fujian Province will recommend various leisure vacation and hot spring packages for residents and visitors after the pandemic at the “Hot Spring Street”. Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute will set up the “Pavilion of Portuguese-speaking Countries Products” to promote Macao’s business environment and more. The MITE organizer and Cultural Industry Fund will jointly stage the “Community Cultural Creative Achievement Exhibition” to foster the development of the tourism, cultural and creative industries. The “MAK MAK Pavilion” will debut this year to provide custom-built booths for local small and medium-sized enterprises to promote and sell their authorized Macao Tourism Mascot MAK MAK-themed souvenirs already launched into the market under subsidy, while the lucky draw “Touring Macao with MAK MAK” and the game “MAK MAK Jigsaw” will be rolled out at the Expo. The Pavilion of “Distinctive Shops” will also debut in the event, showcasing 16 distinctive shops with local characteristics arranged by Economic Bureau. Spectators can have a first-hand experience of the unique products, traditional skills and culture offered and carried on by these shops.

Other themed pavilions include Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Pavilion, Pavilion of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, Zhuhai and Hengqin Pavilion as well as Congjiang Pavilion to showcase the latest travel information.

In terms of virtual activities, the Expo will bring together the physical and virtual exhibitions in “Cloud” series – “Cloud B2B”, “Cloud Promotion”, “Cloud Contract Signing”, “Cloud Live Broadcast” and so forth for the first time. Over 40 Mainland and international exhibitors will connect with the on-site exhibition via “Cloud Promotion” to showcase their tourism resources and interact with spectators. Live stream studios will be set up at the Expo for exhibitors to advertise their products via “Cloud Live Broadcast” anchored by KOLs.

 

Ongoing presentation sessions and forums

The Expo will feature a range of forums and presentation sessions spotlighting various travel destinations and sharing the latest industry trend, including the “Trade Gathering – Tourism Business Matching Session”, Destination (Macau) tourism promotion, Destination (Pidu District, Chengdu) tourism promotion, “Greater Bay Area Forum Series 3: New Retail, New Service Concept, New Opportunities”, and Promotion Seminar of Tourism Products for Portuguese Speaking Countries on 6 November; 2020 “Sichuan, More than Pandas” Sichuan Culture & Tourism Promotion & Sichuan-Chongqing Culture & Tourism Promotion Fair, “5G Times Under The Number Of Intelligent Tourism Development”, 《Meet Romance • Stone Forest on Sea》Naqin Peninsula Geological Ocean Park, and Tourism Brand Creative Sharing Forum on 7 November, as well as the Culture & Tourism Promotion Fair for the Famous Counties of Sichuan Province on 8 November, among other activities.

Cultural performances will be staged for the public’s enjoyment at the public days of  MITE while local signature delicacies will be sold at the “Food Pavilion” to manifest Macao’s glamour as a Creative City of Gastronomy.

From today, the public can log into the appointment scheduling system on MITE’s official website: www.mitexpo.mo to make an appointment for visit to the Expo. Admission quotas are offered to conduct staggered admission hours. Without an appointment, the public can also queue for entry as per the on-site situation. Free parking will be available to residents at Hall A, Cotai Expo of the Venetian Macao during the Expo, while free shuttle bus service around four routes will be provided between the venue and various points in Macao and Taipa. The Expo will adopt a series of preventive measures against the pandemic, requiring visitors to present Macau Health Code and have their temperature checked upon entry, as well as to wear mask and maintain one-meter social distance. Venue disinfection, crowd management and other measures related to public catering will be carried out as well.

The 8th MITE is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, organized by MGTO and coordinated by Macau Travel Agency Association. The co-organizers of the Expo include Cultural Affairs Bureau, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Macao Chamber of Commerce, General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau, Macao Federation of Trade Unions, Women’s General Association of Macau, Association of Returned Overseas Chinese Macau, Association of Macao Tourist Agents and Travel Industry Council of Macau.

For more information about the 8th MITE, please visit MITE’s official website: www.mitexpo.mo, WeChat ID and Facebook page.

Source : Macao Government Tourism Office

Macau Grand Prix schedule cut to three days in 2020 but government keen to host more events

Macau Grand Prix schedule cut to three days in 2020 but government keen to host more events

The Macau Grand Prix has been cut from its usual four days to three this year, from 20 to 22 November, with only five races to be held due to the impact of COVID-19.

According to an update provided by the Macau Grand Prix organizing committee on Wednesday, the five races will include the Macau Touring Car Cup, Greater Bay Area GT Cup, Macau Guia Race, Macau GT Cup and Formula 4 Macau Grand Prix.

The traditional flag-ship FIA F3 Championship and Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix had already been cancelled due to difficulties in bringing in foreign drivers.

Only one foreign driver has arrived in Macau to race this year – British touring car driver Rob Huff, who is a 9-time winner of the Macau Guia Race and is eying win number 10 this year. He is currently undergoing 14-day quarantine in a designated hotel, while the other 94 drivers participating in races are mostly from Macau, mainland China and Hong Kong.

Ticket prices for formal races of the 2020 Macau Grand Prix will remain the same as last year, ranging from MOP$150 (US$20) to MOP$1000 (US$125), but the numbers of seats will be reduced from 14,000 to 10,000.

The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has also confirmed it will launch the Macau Food Festival from 13 to 29 November in collaboration with CCTV-5 and other media, KOLs and social media platforms in mainland China to attract more mainland visitors.

The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ao Ieong U, hopes to further promote Macau as a virus-free and quarantine-free travel destination for mainland travelers and emphasized the importance of holding large-scale activities during the post-COVID-19 period.

“It is estimated that the Macau Grand Prix, Macau Food Festival and other activities in the series will create job opportunities of more than 100,000 man per day in total for the construction, catering, wholesale and retail, advertising and manufacturing industries,” she said. “It will generate a significant positive impact against the downward spiral of the economy.”

All staff working at either event must receive virus tests every seven days, while viewers at Grand Prix races and customers at the Food Festival are not required to be tested. Other preventive measures such as wearing face masks, checking body temperature and submitting health codes will remain in all campaigns.

MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes recently revealed that visitor arrivals have continued to rise since the October Golden Week, stating that that holding a series of mega events could attract more mainland visitors in the 2021 New Year and the Chinese New Year holiday.

Source: Inside Asian Gaming