LAS VEGAS – Las Vegas has been picked as next year's site for an international tourism summit expected to attract government and industry leaders from around the world.
The London-based World Travel & Tourism Council announced Tuesday that the American destination will host the 2011 Global Travel & Tourism Summit.
The announcement comes the same day the primary agency in charge of promoting Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, voted to spend $1.5 million to host the May 15-19 meeting. Officials say the summit will be held at the Aria Resort & Casino, the centerpiece of the $8.5 billion CityCenter complex that MGM Mirage opened on the Las Vegas Strip in December.
This year's summit is being held next month in Beijing.
World Travel & Tourism Council CEO Jean-Claude Baumgarten said the group selected Las Vegas in part because it's a symbol of tourism in the United States.
"We cannot choose a better place than Las Vegas," Baumgarten said. "The whole economy, all of what we are seeing, all the impacts of travel and tourism on the economy, on jobs, on the future and investment (make Las Vegas) a better choice."
Baumgarten said Las Vegas made a winning bid to host the summit, which was last held in the United States in Washington, D.C., in 2006.
Tourism and gambling are primary industries to Sin City, where some 244,000 people are employed in the leisure and hospitality industry — more than 30 percent of Las Vegas' total work force, according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.
Rossi Ralenkotter, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said travel and tourism generates $30 billion annually for southern Nevada.
The World Travel & Tourism Council, a forum for travel industry leaders worldwide, estimates that about 235 million people worldwide are employed in travel and tourism jobs, with the industries generating more than 9 percent of the world's gross domestic product.
Baumgarten said the forum would bring together "substantive decision-makers" to discuss major tourism issues and promote the importance of travel.
He said the summit was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, to help spur international travel again.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority estimates that about 1,000 people will take part in the summit, including top government leaders and business leaders from several countries.
Oraginal Post: Las Vegas picked for 2011 global travel summit
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Volcanic ash gridlocks European airspace
Tens of thousands of airline passengers across Northern Europe face travel chaos today after a mushroom cloud of volcanic debris from Iceland heads toward the continent.
The UK has been particularly badly disrupted as the huge ash cloud moves across a major flight path, causing gridlock for the thousand of families returning from their Easter holidays.
The ash cloud has been created by Eyjafjallajokull volcano, near Reykjavik, which erupted on Tuesday following several weeks of heightened activity.
UK airspace north of London has been closed and all flights to and from Scotland cancelled due to server visibility problems.
British Airways has cancelled all domestic flights today, and is offering its passengers alternative travel dates or refunds. Ryanair’s schedules have also been severely disrupted.
Heathrow and Gatwick airports have grounded more than 250 flights, whilst Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Newcastle and Belfast have been closed their runways.
All airports are urging travellers to check with their relevant airlines to see whether flights have been affected.
“Following advice from the Met Office, the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) has introduced restrictions to UK airspace this morning as a result of volcanic ash drifting across the United Kingdom from Iceland,” a spokeswoman for Stansted Airport said.
“These measures currently affect Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports which are closed but may also affect other parts of the UK later today,” she said.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre has issued a forecast that the ash cloud from the volcanic eruption in Iceland will track over Europe tonight.
The ash cloud is expected to spread into continental Europe overnight, and could take several days to clear.
Extreme caution in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption is paramount. Not only does the ash severely hamper visibility, it can also cause engines to malfunction. In 1982 a BA 747 lost power on all four engines after flying through a volcanic ash cloud.
Real time updates of how flights are being affected at www.radarvirtuel.com
The UK has been particularly badly disrupted as the huge ash cloud moves across a major flight path, causing gridlock for the thousand of families returning from their Easter holidays.
The ash cloud has been created by Eyjafjallajokull volcano, near Reykjavik, which erupted on Tuesday following several weeks of heightened activity.
UK airspace north of London has been closed and all flights to and from Scotland cancelled due to server visibility problems.
British Airways has cancelled all domestic flights today, and is offering its passengers alternative travel dates or refunds. Ryanair’s schedules have also been severely disrupted.
Heathrow and Gatwick airports have grounded more than 250 flights, whilst Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Newcastle and Belfast have been closed their runways.
All airports are urging travellers to check with their relevant airlines to see whether flights have been affected.
“Following advice from the Met Office, the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) has introduced restrictions to UK airspace this morning as a result of volcanic ash drifting across the United Kingdom from Iceland,” a spokeswoman for Stansted Airport said.
“These measures currently affect Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports which are closed but may also affect other parts of the UK later today,” she said.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre has issued a forecast that the ash cloud from the volcanic eruption in Iceland will track over Europe tonight.
The ash cloud is expected to spread into continental Europe overnight, and could take several days to clear.
Extreme caution in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption is paramount. Not only does the ash severely hamper visibility, it can also cause engines to malfunction. In 1982 a BA 747 lost power on all four engines after flying through a volcanic ash cloud.
Real time updates of how flights are being affected at www.radarvirtuel.com
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Low-Cost Accommodation Delhi, Paharganj, Karol Bagh
Experts at the recently concluded Delhi Tourism Conclave said that hotels in the middle and upper segments have received a lot of attention for the Commonwealth Games 2010, but low-cost accommodation is required in order to cater to the domestic tourists.
K T Ravindran, Chairman, Delhi Urban Art Commission said, “There is a need to create low-cost hotels and re-look the existing hotel accommodation in Paharganj, Karol Bagh and other areas.”
Ravindran said, “The Commonwealth Games, besides attracting foreign tourists, will also attract domestic tourists, especially youngsters, from the various states. I suggest that at the entry point of Delhi, maybe at the highways, there could be temporary live-in facilities like dormitories with an eating area and toilets. There could be a park and ride facility to the city and to the games venues.”
According to a IANS report, V K Verma, Director General, Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games, informed the conclave that they are in talks with hotels for ‘reasonably priced’ travel packages for the benefit of backpackers and other tourists during the games.
Original News here:-
http://www.indiatravelnews.com/main_news.asp?id=3148
K T Ravindran, Chairman, Delhi Urban Art Commission said, “There is a need to create low-cost hotels and re-look the existing hotel accommodation in Paharganj, Karol Bagh and other areas.”
Ravindran said, “The Commonwealth Games, besides attracting foreign tourists, will also attract domestic tourists, especially youngsters, from the various states. I suggest that at the entry point of Delhi, maybe at the highways, there could be temporary live-in facilities like dormitories with an eating area and toilets. There could be a park and ride facility to the city and to the games venues.”
According to a IANS report, V K Verma, Director General, Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games, informed the conclave that they are in talks with hotels for ‘reasonably priced’ travel packages for the benefit of backpackers and other tourists during the games.
Original News here:-
http://www.indiatravelnews.com/main_news.asp?id=3148
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Swiss Tourism Plans For More Direct Flights From India
Swiss tourism plans for more direct flights from India.
New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) Aiming at a 40 per cent rise in Indian tourist arrivals in the next three years, Switzerland Tourism today said it is evaluating starting more direct flights from Indian cities to the European country in tie-up with the Swiss International Airlines. The Swiss tourism body said it hopes to start direct services from Bangalore and Chennai in partnership with the Swiss International Airlines after ascertaining the potential of the market.
"One of the challenges for us is that there are less number of direct flights from India. There''s only Swiss International Airlines which operates from Delhi and Mumbai.
We would like to increase the number destinations," Switzer- land Tourism Director Markets India Joerg Krebs told PTI. "We will start studying the market. We would like to know the potential cities and places where we can start direct flights," he said.
As a result of the global economic slowdown, the country saw a decline of around one to two per cent in the the number of Indian tourist arrivals in the eight months period from January to August 2009 compared to the previous year. Krebs said the country hopes to increase the number of Indian tourists to five lakh by 2013.
Switzerland had around 3.5 lakh Indians visiting the country in 2008. "Our aim is to have around 500,000 Indians visiting Switzerland by 2013.
Original News here:- http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20100113/372/tbs-swiss-tourism-plans-for-more-direct.html
New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) Aiming at a 40 per cent rise in Indian tourist arrivals in the next three years, Switzerland Tourism today said it is evaluating starting more direct flights from Indian cities to the European country in tie-up with the Swiss International Airlines. The Swiss tourism body said it hopes to start direct services from Bangalore and Chennai in partnership with the Swiss International Airlines after ascertaining the potential of the market.
"One of the challenges for us is that there are less number of direct flights from India. There''s only Swiss International Airlines which operates from Delhi and Mumbai.
We would like to increase the number destinations," Switzer- land Tourism Director Markets India Joerg Krebs told PTI. "We will start studying the market. We would like to know the potential cities and places where we can start direct flights," he said.
As a result of the global economic slowdown, the country saw a decline of around one to two per cent in the the number of Indian tourist arrivals in the eight months period from January to August 2009 compared to the previous year. Krebs said the country hopes to increase the number of Indian tourists to five lakh by 2013.
Switzerland had around 3.5 lakh Indians visiting the country in 2008. "Our aim is to have around 500,000 Indians visiting Switzerland by 2013.
Original News here:- http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20100113/372/tbs-swiss-tourism-plans-for-more-direct.html
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