SPAIN: “Cities need to become smart tourism destinations, where tourism governance and digital economy join to offer travellers diverse and authentic experiences” was the message sent out by a United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Conference. The two-day UNWTO Conference on City Breaks: Creating Innovative Tourism Experiences, which concluded on October 16 in Valladolid, Spain, brought together tourism leaders from the public and private sectors to analyse how to respond to the growing trend of city breaks as leisure experiences. The tourism leaders concluded that public-private partnerships, the inclusion of local communities and the creation of smart destinations are crucial…
Author: holidayweekly
LAHORE: A prestigious event was held by Sabre Distribution Systems to appreciate and acknowledge the contribution of top performing travel companies. Travel Channel International (Pvt.) Limited once again won the top performer agent award. The award was received by Mr. Asif Naseer Khara, Chief Executive Officer of Channel Group; and was delivered by Mr. Naeem Siddiqui (Manager) and Mr. Sam Wong (Country Manager) Sabre Distribution Systems. The company has maintained its number one position since many years due to its continuous innovation, exclusive product offers and state of the art customer services. With more than 300 people employed in 21…
PESHAWAR: Senior Minister Muhammad Atif Khan said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Impact Challenge programme was playing a pivotal role in provision of employment and business opportunities to the talented youth of the province. Speaking at a ceremony held in connection with handing over cheques of second installments to youth at Nishtar Hall here, the senior minister said the KP Impact Challenge programme was first of its kind government-led initiative for economic and social impact competition to promote youth entrepreneurship, innovation, and to provide economic opportunities to talented youth. “The KP Impact Challenge programme is a unique project for the educated…
Walls, barriers and even floors have been removed from the Space Needle and replaced with structural glass revealing dramatically expanded views and a completely new, multi-level guest experience. This dramatic $100 million renovation revealed the world’s first and only revolving glass floor, earning the Space Needle in Washington state a prestigious award bestowed by the World Federation of Great Towers (WFGT). The WFGT is an international association of great towers including some of the world’s most recognizable structures such as the Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building. The extreme ingenuity required to complete the massive renovation 520 feet in the…
MUSCAT: Flag carrier Oman Air has been awarded the Signum Virtutis, the seal of excellence, from the Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards 2018. The airline was voted winner for the best airline in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Competitors included leading international airlines from around the world. The ceremony took place recently at the five-star Out of the Blue Capsis Elite Resort, located on Crete, Greece and was attended by leading representatives of the hospitality and luxury industry from all over the world. The Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards, known as the “Oscars of Luxury”…
KARACHI: To honor the top travel partners of Karachi for their outstanding performance, an impressive event was organized by the Destination of the World-Pakistan at Marriott hotel Karachi recently. Mr. Tariq Bin Yousuf, General Manager, Destination of the World welcomed the guests at the award ceremony of ‘’outstanding performance award’’ and thanked all the guests for attending the event. [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”16″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_slideshow” gallery_width=”600″ gallery_height=”400″ cycle_effect=”fade” cycle_interval=”10″ show_thumbnail_link=”1″ thumbnail_link_text=”[Show thumbnails]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] Addressing the gathering Mr. Tariq said that since the establishment of Destinations of the World-Pakistan in Feb 2002, our core practices are focused on successfully connecting…
DUBAI: As part of an ongoing strategy to drive digital transformation across the organisation, Dubai Airports has migrated to the trusted Microsoft Azure Cloud platform. “The time had come to look at the global realities of our business,” said Michael Ibbitson, Executive Vice President of technology and infrastructure, Dubai Airports. “Some 50 per cent of our operational data is generated overseas, at other airports and by many different airlines. It quickly became clear that cloud services were no longer optional for us. Their benefits are evident: flexibility, agility, capacity, scalability and cost-effectiveness. The cloud allows us to maintain the level…
KARACHI: Pakistan Hotels Association annual elections were held during July to September, 2018 and Election Results were announced at its 54th Annual General Meeting held on September 28, 2018 at Pearl-Continental Hotel, Karachi. Following Office Bearers and Executive Committee Members have been elected for the term 2018-19: Mr. Mustansir Zakir Chairman Mr. Mustansir Zakir is associated with Hashoo Group for more than 20 years and is a Director of Hashwani Hotels Limited, the owners and operators of Islamabad Marriott Hotel, Karachi Marriott Hotel and Zaver PC Hotel Gwadar. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Fellow Member of the Institute…
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Reform Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar has said that the government accords highest priority to timely completion of ongoing development projects in Gilgit-Baltistan. The government is committed to bring the region at par with other areas of the country in terms of socio-economic development. The minister was talking to Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Hafiz Hafeez ur Rehman who called on him here at Islamabad on Monday. Secretary Planning Mr. Zafar Hasan and senior officials were also present in the meeting. He said that Gilgit-Baltistan would gain maximum benefit from the CPEC adding that the game changer…
LONDON: The UK will beat a major tourism target two years early, VisitBritain has claimed. Forty million annual inbound visits were expected to be recorded by 2020, but a total of 40.9 million will be achieved in 2018, according to the tourism organisation. These visitors are expected to boost the economy by spending £26.3 billion. Inbound visits reached a record 39.2 million in 2017 – up 4% on the previous year – while spending rose by 9% to £24.5 billion. Tourism chiefs said the industry is a “£127 billion powerhouse” and urged the Government to give it more support through…