Organisations & Operators News Page 424
Cleveland Museum of Natural History Earns International Recognition
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is honored to announce its selection to the 2025 World's Most Beautiful Museums List by the prestigious Prix Versailles, a global architecture and design award program held annually at UNESCO since 2015.
World Travel & Tourism Council Announces Manfredi Lefebvre as its Incoming Chair
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is delighted to announce Manfredi Lefebvre, chairman of Heritage Group and co-chair of luxury travel company Abercrombie and Kent, as its Chair-Elect. Lefebvre, who will take over the position in September, during the global tourism body’s 25th Global Summit in Rome, Italy, has been a Member of WTTC for more than 20 years. He will follow current Chairman, Greg O’Hara, Founder and Senior Managing Director of Certares Management LLC (“Certares”), who has been in the position since November 2023.
Moldova to Host the 46th World Congress of Vine and Wine
This year, the World Congress of Vine and Wine will take place for the first time in the Republic of Moldova – the country with the highest vineyard area per capita in the world, with 4 hectares for every 100 people. Moldova's total vineyard area reaches nearly 110,000 hectares. The country ranks among the top 20 wine producers globally and is the 14th largest wine exporter in the world.
Emirates introduces experiential Travel Store in Mauritius
Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has officially launched its new Travel Store in Port-Louis, Mauritius, marking a significant milestone in the airline’s commitment to enhancing travel experiences for its customers. At the opening ceremony, Emirates’ long-standing partnership with the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) was also extended in its commitment to promote tourism to the island, through a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Maryland's First Dome Glamping Destination Now Open at Deep Creek Lake
Bumblebee Management has officially opened the newly renovated Bumblebee RV Park & Campground and the debut of Beehive Domes, Maryland's first-ever geodesic dome glamping destination, located at the scenic Deep Creek Lake. After a complete redevelopment, the property now features expanded RV accommodations and designed from scratch luxury glamping domes, offering guests a unique way to connect with nature without sacrificing comfort. Each dome comes equipped with queen beds, a full kitchen, private bathrooms, and personal saunas.
Let There Be Light: Vivid Sydney 2025 Kicks Off
Australia's largest festival returns for its 15th year, transforming Sydney with light installations, music, ideas and food until June 14.
Saudi Arabia unveils TOURISE
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb has officially launched TOURISE, a bold new global platform designed to shape a new horizon and plot a shared roadmap for the next 50 years of tourism.
International Traveller Spend in the UAE to Reach a Record AED 228BN This Year, reveals WTTC
Latest data from the World Travel & Tourism Council has revealed that international visitor spend in the United Arab Emirates is set to reach a record AED 228.5BN in 2025, 37% above the previous peak of 2019.
Elevated Luxury Tourism Experience Coming Soon to Tasmania's East Coast
The new Picnic Island will soon be reopening as an all-inclusive luxury private island experience off Tasmania's stunning east coast. The exclusive retreat, located just 800 meters offshore from Coles Bay near the world-renowned Freycinet National Park, expects to welcome its first guests in November 2025 following a comprehensive transformation. Completely immersed in nature, Picnic Island offers a rare combination of complete privacy, bespoke luxury service, and refined accommodations for up to six guests (with an additional host suite soon to be added, increasing total capacity to eight guests). The island's distinctive copper-clad lodge will be thoughtfully renovated in the months ahead with sophisticated style, sustainable luxury, and personalized experiences as guiding principles.
ConX explores tourism industry trends with a focus on emerging markets and B2B strategies
ConX 2025, organized by Travelgate, the leading Connectivity Marketplace in the travel industry, successfully wrapped up its fifth edition, delving into key challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the tourism sector. Under the theme ‘Connected’ and with Huawei as the main sponsor – joined by notable partners such as Smyrooms (part of Viajes El Corte Inglés), Ávoris, and HotelDistribute – more than 800 decision-makers and executives from some of the most innovative and influential companies in the B2B distribution space gathered to reflect on emerging destinations, how to steer tourism toward sustainability, and how to apply advances in Artificial Intelligence and process automation in a complex ecosystem that includes hotel groups, airlines, OTAs, tech providers, and independent operators – all while contending with new entrants from outside the travel industry. Perfect connectivity among these players is no longer optional.
Mirai revolutionises direct booking with its new global booking engine
Mirai, the hotel tech specialist focused on boosting direct sales, has launched a new global booking engine designed to transform the customer experience and maximise conversion. This innovative solution delivers ultra-fast load times—under 2 seconds even on slow connections—and achieves 56% higher conversion rates for multi-room searches.
Global Tourism Icons Unite to Endorse Gloria Guevara for Secretary-General of UN Tourism
A distinguished group of former global tourism leaders has united to endorse Gloria Guevara as the next Secretary-General of UN Tourism, citing her unmatched experience, visionary leadership, and proven ability to drive inclusive and sustainable growth across the Travel & Tourism sector.