World Travel Market News
James Berresford, Chief Executive, Visit England @ WTM 2011
James Berresford announces Visit England’s new domestic marketing campaign, which encourages the advantages of holiday at home (the domestic market makes 80 percent of England’s overall tourism market), particularly during the 2012 Olympics.
Rica RWIGAMBA, Head of Tourism, Rwanda @ WTM 2011
Rica RWIGAMBA, Head of Tourism, Rwanda tells BTN about how the destination is positioning itself to become a regional hub with new initiatives such as a 227 km trail, a canopy walkway and new hotels including the first Marriott to open in East Africa and new Radisson managed conference facilities.
Costa Rica voted Best Stand at WTM
According to the show organisers, the judges chose the Costa Rica stand for the combination of sound effects, music and general decoration recreating a tropical rainforest, which would make visitors feel as if they were in Costa Rica, and would certainly inspire htem to visit the country.
Austin Frost, Vice President Sales & Marketing Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts @ WTM 2011
Austin Frost, Vice President Sales & Marketing Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts reflects on World Travel Market 2011 and updates BTN on the Shangri La’s ambitious expansion plans with its next property set to open in Mumbai next year and over 40 projects in the pipeline for the next 45 years including expansion into Europe and North America.
Cecília Meireles, Secretary of State for Tourism, Portugal @ WTM 2011
Breaking Travel News talks to Cecília Meireles, Secretary of State for Tourism, Portugal at World Travel Market 2011 about Taste Portugal, which highlights the tasty local cuisine that Portugal has to offer as well as a new focus on culture
Ellison ‘Tommy’ Thompson, Deputy Director General, Bahamas Tourist Office @ WTM 2011
Ellison ‘Tommy’ Thompson, Deputy Director General, talks about plans for the Bahamas in 2012 including the hosting of CHTA and World Travel Awards.
Kapila Chandrasena, CEO, Sri Lankan Airlines @ WTM 2011
Sri Lanka is recovering rapidly from the civil conflict that has blighted its tourism industry for so many year, and its national carrier is expanding to new markets to capitalise on these new opportunities, as Kapila Chandrasena explains.
Emad Aziz, Chairman, Savoy Group, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt @ WTM 2011
Sharm el Sheikh has demonstrated incredible resilience in 2011, and is serving as a blueprint of the role that travel and tourism can serve in the New Egypt, as Emad Aziz explains during an interview at World Travel Market 2011
Tony Cowles, Regional Manager, UK & Ireland, Air Mauritius @ WTM 2011
Tony Cowles talks about a new Air Mauritius service to Shanghai to capture China’s emerging tourism market, as well as the participation of Mauritius in the inaugural World Island Awards.
Thoyyib Mohamed, Minister of State for Tourism, Arts & Culture, Maldives @ WTM 2011
Thoyyib Mohamed about the raft of new high-end properties coming online in the Maldives, as well as the shifting source markets from Europe towards Asia.
Claudia Cornejo Mohme, Vice Minister of Tourism of Peru @ WTM
Claudia Cornejo Mohme tells BTN about the tourist board’s optimistic outlook for tourism growth in the region with new hotel investment which has led to a growth in four and five star accommodation, including the addition of the Westin, the planned opening of Hyatt and Marriott and the expansion of Orient Express in the region as well as new airlift between Europe and Asia, with Air France launching new routes and a potential deal with Korean Air, in addition to the development of a new convention centre and new hiking trails to Machu Picchu
Louis Lewis, Director of Tourism, St Lucia @ WTM 2011
Louis Lewis talks about St Lucia’s new offerings including a new wellness retreat, as well as the island’s victory at World Travel Awards Caribbean & The Americas Ceremony 2011 when it picked up “Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination” for the ninth year running.