Marriott, the world’s largest hotel company with more than 7,000 hotels around the world, is officially getting into the homesharing business with the launch of Homes & Villas by Marriott International in 100 destinations. A year after it began conducting a homesharing pilot, the 91-year-old hotel group appears convinced it can compete with travel disruptors Airbnb, HomeAway, and others in the space. As Marriott did with its pilot, it’s enabling its loyalty members to earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points when they book and stay in these 2,000-plus homes. What started in 2018 as a small pilot with just a…
Author: holidayweekly
ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, continues to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by implementing fuel saving initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability. Following a number of improvements aimed at enhancing operational fleet efficiencies, Etihad Airways reduced 148,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in 2018. The savings are equivalent to approximately 1,236 flights between Abu Dhabi and Barcelona or the removal of over 10,200 cars from the road. Last year, the airlines B777-200s were retired in favour of the most fuel efficient commercial aircraft in operation, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, due to its lightweight composite structure.…
ATHENS: Greek Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura submitted her letter of resignation to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras last week. She resigned to win a seat in the European Parliament. Elena Kountoura was seen as one of the most active and outspoken tourism ministers in the world. She closely worked with Jamaica Minister Ed Bartlett and former UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai on the board for the Global Tourism Resilient Center. In the letter of resignation, she warmly thanked the prime minister for the trust he has shown in her. “These European elections are very critical for Europe’s course and Greece’s voice must…
KARACHI: An Internationally-renowned Pakistani artist, peace worker and philanthropist Jimmy Engineer whose brilliant work has won him more awards than any other Pakistani artist including a Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Civil Award) for Art from the Government of Pakistan in 2005, last week he was also awarded ‘The 13th Habib Jalib Peace Award’ at the Arts Council. Mr. Engineer thanked the award committee for bestowing the honour on him. He said the late Jalib was the people’s poet. All his life he struggled for the rights of the masses. People too loved him. This he saw firsthand when once Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan took…
WRITTEN BY CH FAISAL MAHMOOD The holy month of Ramzaan has set in and the vast majority of Pakistanis have started availing the bounties of God’s mercies by fasting and by sharing their advantages with their disadvantaged neighbors and social service organisations. Take the city of Karachi. Like all other cities and towns in the country, visitors new to it are struck by the spreads of Aftaari meals on makeshift hospitality tables placed at major crossroads, bus stands and at shopping centres. As the time approaches for breaking the day-long fasts, these offerings are readied for anyone and everyone to…
KARACHI: 7-member British Backpacker Society (BBS) team after spending a couple of days in Federal Capital reached Karachi last week. This is the same British Backpacker Society which ranked Pakistan the number one travel destination in the world last year. Pakistan was chosen in the top spot because it was home to some of the world’s friendliest and most hospitable people and offers some of the world’s most beautiful mountain scenery. The six backpackers spoke at an event titled ‘Realising Pakistan’s international tourism potential: why and how’, at the Institute of Business Administration’s city campus, organised by the Trade and…
COLUMBO: SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka and a member of the prestigious oneworld alliance, has announced the appointment of Joshua Bustos as its Chief Commercial Officer and Shaminda Samaraweera as its Chief Financial Officer. Bustos is an internationally-experienced senior level airline executive with over 20 years of experience. He previously held several key positions in leading organisations including American Airlines. He was on the network sounding board and revenue management advisory board at Star Alliance during his tenure at South African Airways. Samaraweera holds more than 15 years of senior-level corporate experience in many industries including telecommunications,…
ISLAMABAD: Hashoo Group is launching a professional tourism and hospitality management school, in collaboration with Sheffield Business School of Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom. Following a two-year diploma in Pakistan, qualifying students of Hashoo School of Hospitality Management (HSHM) will have the opportunity to complete an additional third year at Sheffield Hallam University, graduating with a Sheffield Hallam Degree – a BSc in International Hospitality Management. [huge_it_slider id=”395″] “I am delighted to welcome you all today to launch what has been a long-standing ambition of our group, and that is equally now an ambition shared by the government and country…
KARACHI: SKAL International Karachi – the Prestigious Club of Travel and Tourism, conducted Election on completion of its two-years of inauguration. Mr Amin Wali Mohammad is elected as the President for next two years’ tenure 2019-2020 while Mr Furqan Abdul Kader, Syed Baqar Mahdi and Mr Noor Mohammad have been elected as the Vice Presidents. Mr Khadim Rasool has been reelected as the Secretary of the Club. Syed Javaid Hasan, outgoing President has also been re-elected as the Director & immediate Past President. The other newly elected directors of the Board are: Mr Yahya Polani, Mr Anwer Rasheed, Mr Abbas…
KARACHI: On 3rd May 2019 Marriott Hotel Karachi launched the premium chocolate shop of Belgian chocolates, L’Artisian, the ultimate standard in premium Belgian chocolate. L’Artisan, named for a centuries-old art of handcrafted Belgian chocolate. A finely-balanced taste created by a high quality of cocoa butter prepared exclusively, using Callebaut a superior chocolate and cocoa products brand. The chocolates are masterfully sculpted in a delicious variety of pralines, truffles, caramels, and ganache and presented in beautifully embossed gift boxes. L’Artisan Chocolate shop is in the lobby of Karachi Marriott. The next time you happen to visit Marriott, don’t forget to pick…