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Office visit to morocco intiates prepartions for unwto general assembly

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Kingdom of Morocco met to advance the organization of the 24th UNWTO General Assembly in October 2021, the first global high-level United Nations event to be held since the beginning of the pandemic. Led by the Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, a delegation from UNWTO has concluded an official visit to Morocco to discuss the programme, calendar and facilities to be prepared for this statutory meeting that will focus on Education and Youth, Rural Development and Digital Innovation. The Minister of Tourism of Morocco, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, and her team accompanied the delegation during this three-day visit and expressed their commitment to organizing an “historic” General Assembly to showcase the importance of restarting international tourism in a safe and more sustainable way. The Prime Minister of Morocco, Saadeddine Othmani and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita welcomed the UNWTO Secretary-General in Rabat highlighting the importance of the celebration and the high-level support of the host country. The delegation was also received by the Governor of Marrakesh-Safi region, Karim Kassi Lahlou, and other local authorities and representatives of the private sector of the area that will be strongly involved in the preparations for this meeting. Secretary-General Pololikashvili thanked the Prime Minister and his government for their “hard work” to ensure that the Assembly will be a success on the back of the unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said: “Tourism is adapting to the new reality and we face the future with optimism and with the backing of our Members.”

Create: Feb 7, 2021 Edit: Feb 7, 2021 International News

Marriott Dallas Uptown Welcomes General Manager and Executive Chef

The Marriott Dallas Uptown team is excited to announce the appointment of Robbie Tawil as General Manager of the hotel property. Tawil has more than 35 years of experience with Marriott and the hospitality industry, including previous leadership roles in management and operations. Thrilled to open the 14-story, 255 guestroom hotel, Tawil will lead Marriott into the future, opening the first Marriott property with the latest generation room design. He is well equipped to lead his team and has done so successfully in the past. During his tenure with Marriott, Tawil has served as General Manager of the Marriott Conference Center in Norman, Oklahoma, General Manager of the Worthington Renaissance, Director of Operations at the Dallas Renaissance, Director of Food and Beverage at the Worthington in Fort Worth and Director of Operations at Dallas Marriott Downtown to name a few. Despite working with properties across the country, Tawil is excited to be working again in his hometown of Dallas. “Dallas has always been my home and I am elated to be opening a hotel in my own backyard,” said Tawil. “Marriott Dallas Uptown has so much to offer the burgeoning Uptown district. We are looking forward to meeting and serving our neighbors in the surrounding communities and welcoming travelers visiting Dallas from outside our city.” Also joining the Marriott Dallas Uptown team is Juan Pablo Silva as Executive Chef of Good Graces, the hotel’s restaurant. Chef Silva’s passion for food was born while cooking with his grandmother as a child in his hometown of Lima, Peru. He furthered his knowledge at Le Cordon Bleu Peru, where he graduated with a Culinary Arts and Hotel Management degree. Chef Silva has helped manage the culinary program for the largest Ritz-Carlton in the world, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal, where he served as the Executive Sous Chef. After three years in Abu Dhabi, Chef Silva became the Executive Sous Chef of the Ritz-Carlton in Dallas and then Executive Chef. He is honored and excited to take on the challenge of opening Good Graces, a modern American Brasserie. “The menu I’ve created for Good Graces will truly highlight each place I’ve cooked and learned from,” said Chef Silva. “From home-cooking in my grandmother’s kitchen in Peru to fine dining at the Ritz, this menu will be the perfect balance of each.”

Create: Feb 7, 2021 Edit: Feb 7, 2021 International News

Shaner Hotels Opens SpringHill Suites by Marriott Columbus Dublin in Ohio

Officials of Shaner Hotels, an award winning, international hotel owner, operator and developer, today announced the grand opening of the 145-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott Columbus Dublin located in Bridge Park. Shaner will operate the hotel in a partnership with ownership, Crawford Hoying, a large-scale real estate developer headquartered in Central Ohio. The Springhill Suites by Marriott Columbus Dublin provides the freshest hotel choice in Dublin’s Bridge Park, a new development giving an urban feel to this upscale suburb,” said Plato Ghinos, president, Shaner Hotels. “The hotel provides an all-suite option that includes complimentary breakfast – providing a reliable, refreshing and unexpected choice in the Dublin market. Our staff will focus on sales, service and style to bring the best in customer service to our guests.” Situated in the heart of downtown Dublin at 4475 Bridge Park Avenue, SpringHill Suites is conveniently located near local attractions such as the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, the highly anticipated Riverside Crossing Park and only minutes to downtown Columbus. The hotel is surrounded by numerous walkable dining and entertainment options provided by the Bridge Park neighborhood. The hotel also provides multiple amenities for travelers, including a 24/7 fitness center, 840 square feet of meeting space, a complimentary breakfast buffet, a lobby bar, multiple outdoor lounging spaces and suite-style rooms designed to fuse form and function, equipped with separate areas to both work and relax. These stylized guest rooms are furnished with an oversized work area, a phone with voicemail, free Wi-Fi, a mini-refrigerator, a microwave oven, a trundle sofa bed and Smart TV entertainment. “At the rate in which Bridge Park is growing, the demand for another hotel was obvious,” said Brent Crawford, founder and principal, Crawford Hoying. “We couldn’t be more appreciative of our continued partnership with Shaner and the fantastic hospitality provided at each of the hotels within our developments. We’re confident that Springhill Suites will be no exception.” “We continue to seek opportunities in strong primary and secondary markets with new products surrounded by multiple demand generators,” Ghinos noted. “While the pandemic has hit the travel and hospitality industries particularly hard, we believe we see the light at the end of the tunnel with the recent arrival and deployment of the vaccines. Brand new hotels such as this will hold the lead position as travelers begin their return to both business and leisure travel in the weeks and months to come.”

Create: Feb 7, 2021 Edit: Feb 7, 2021 International News

Tourism sector suffers $1.3tn in revenue loss from pandemic

Revenue loss in the international tourism sector in 2020 caused by a decrease in travelers crossing borders is estimated at $1.3 trillion, on the back of strict travel bans imposed by countries amid the coronavirus pandemic, a U.N. body said. Last year's international arrivals fell by one billion, or 74 percent, from 2019, ensuring that the overall estimated damage was over 11 times larger than in 2009 in the wake of the global financial crisis, according to a recent press release by the World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. Due to the economic fallout from the virus spread, 100 to 120 million people have been put at risk of losing their jobs in the tourism industry, the Madrid-based body said, adding that many of them are from small and midsized business operators. "Global tourism suffered its worst year on record in 2020," the agency, also known as UNWTO, said in the news release, citing an "unprecedented fall in demand and widespread travel restrictions" to prevent the virus from further spreading. By region, Europe saw the largest drop in absolute numbers, with overseas arrivals down 500 million, or 70 percent, from the previous year. Meanwhile, those in Asia and the Pacific nations tumbled by 300 million, marking the sharpest decrease at 84 percent. On a percentage basis, the Middle East and Africa followed with a 75 percent plunge each, with the North and South Americas experiencing a 69 percent sink. As for 2021, a UNWTO panel of experts survey showed 45 percent of respondents forecast the situation will become better, while 30 percent predicted a deterioration, according to the press release. The remaining 25 percent expected a similar performance to 2020. The survey also showed that 43 percent think the tourism industry will rebound to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, with 41 percent saying it will happen in 2024 or later. UNWTO said that it expects the "gradual rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine" to bring about a recovery in consumer sentiment and eased travel restrictions, making travel relatively normal, albeit at a slow pace, during 2021. "While much has been made in making safe international travel a possibility, we are aware that the crisis is far from over," said Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary general of UNWTO. "The harmonization, coordination and digitalization of COVID-19 travel-related risk reduction measures, including testing, tracing and vaccination certificates, are essential foundations to promote safe travel and prepare for the recovery of tourism once conditions allow," the agency's chief added. Since first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, the virus has continued to spread globally and has resulted in over 105 million infection cases and more than 2.3 million deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Create: Feb 7, 2021 Edit: Feb 7, 2021 International News

New tourist complex inaugurated in Tehran

Shams ol-Emareh tourist complex was inaugurated in Baqershahr, south of Tehran province, on Wednesday on the occasion of Ten-Day Dawn (Jan. 31- Feb. 10, marking the victory anniversary of the Islamic Revolution). A budget of 370 billion rials (about $ 9 million at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) has been allocated to the project, Parham Janfeshan, the provincial tourism chief, addressing the opening ceremony. Constructed in an area of 11 hectares, the project is expected to create 30 job opportunities, the official added. Referring to tourism as being “advantageous” for the whole province, the official noted the tourism sector and relevant infrastructure are being developed and strengthened in all districts [and counties] of Tehran province even in low-income and deprived areas. Earlier this week, the official announced that a total of 206 tourism-related projects are scheduled to be inaugurated across the Iranian capital during the ten-day Fajr (dawn) ceremonies and celebrations. Ten accommodation centers including hotels, apartment hotels, eco-lodge units as well as tourist complexes, restaurants, and handicrafts workshops will come on stream, he explained. He also noted that a budget of seven trillion rials (about $167 million) has been allocated to the projects, which are expected to generate a total of 930 job opportunities. The mentioned projects will also add 816 beds to the hospitality sector of the Iranian capital, the official added. Hugging the lower slopes of the magnificent, snowcapped Alborz Mountains, Tehran is much more than a chaotic jumble of concrete and crazy traffic blanketed by a miasma of air pollution. This is the nation's dynamic beating heart and the place to get a handle on modern Iran and what its future will likely be. The metropolis has many to offer its visitors including Golestan Palace, Grand Bazaar, Treasury of National Jewels, National Museum of Iran, Glass & Ceramic Museum, Masoudieh Palace, Sarkis Cathedral, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Carpet Museum of Iran, to name a few. The first time Tehran is mentioned in historical accounts is in an 11th-century chronicle in which it is described as a small village north of Ray. It became the capital city of the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century but later declined with factional strife between different neighborhoods and the Mongol invasion of 1220.

Create: Feb 6, 2021 Edit: Feb 6, 2021 Regional News

Sistan-Baluchestan loses $34.2 million in tourism earnings as a result of COVID-19

Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province has lost 1,440 billion rials ($34.2 million at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) in earnings from tourism as many potential visitors stay away due to the impact of the coronavirus, according to Alireza Jalalzaei, the provincial tourism chief. “Sistan-Baluchestan is a four-season travel destination and even though the province holds vast tourism capacities, it has taken some 1,440 billion rials hit from the coronavirus outbreak from mid-Esfand 1398 (early March 2020) to the end of the month Dey (January 19),” the official said on Wednesday. The official noted that Sistan-Baluchestan has set sights on [a significant] tourism development, and its travel infrastructure has been drastically extended over the past couple of years. “From the year 1396 (2017) onwards, the number of travel infrastructure in Sistan-Baluchestan has raised from 40 to 200 ones…. Nowadays tourism of this province has come to fame and distinction,” he explained. Elsewhere in his remarks, the official pointed to various tourism campaigns being launched over the past couple of years, adding the campaign ‘Let’s see Sistan, let’s hear Baluchestan’ has taken a noticeable impact on the tourism thrive of the province mainly by the means of on-line programs. “Despite all the bottlenecks, the province’s tourism has not been forced to shut….” “For instance, the occupancy rate of hotels in [the city of Chabahar] is [currently] more than 90 percent….. and currently, some 100 to 110 ecolodge unites are active across the province,” the official said. Last year, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan said that the development of the travel industry across Sistan-Baluchestan province is among the top priorities for the ministry. “I am interested in Sistan-Baluchestan, and the development of this province is a priority for this ministry and the government,” the minister stated. “The majority of my travels during my tenure has been to Sistan-Baluchestan, which I consider it as a safe province with significant values in terms of culture, history, handicrafts, and tourism.” The collective province -- Sistan in the north and Baluchestan in the south -- accounts for one of the driest regions of Iran with a slight increase in rainfall from east to west, and an obvious rise in humidity in the coastal regions. In ancient times, the region was a crossword of the Indus Valley and the Babylonian civilizations. The province possesses special significance because of being located in a strategic and transit location, especially Chabahar which is the only ocean port in Iran and the best and easiest access route of the middle Asian countries to free waters. The vast province is home to several distinctive archaeological sites and natural attractions, including two UNESCO World Heritage sites, namely Shahr-e-Soukhteh (Burnt City) and Lut desert.

Create: Feb 6, 2021 Edit: Feb 6, 2021 Regional News

Greek PM Mitsotakis Sees Strong Rebound in Tourism in 2021

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis forecast a strong rebound in tourism in the summer of 2021, saying speedy vaccination drives in key markets for Greece, including Britain and Israel, will pave the way for tourists to return despite the current industry’s gloom, according to a report out of Reuters on Thursday. Tourism, which accounts for about 20 percent of the Greek economy and directly employs one in five workers, collapsed last year as the coronavirus pandemic sent its revenues slumping to 4 billion euros from a high of 18 billion in 2019, according to the report. Since last summer, when the pandemic subsided across Europe, the virus has surged once again, triggering renewed lockdowns and travel restrictions and pushing the region’s death toll above 750,000. Vaccines are now making their way through the most critical populations but the supply is lagging all over the world. “I am a realist, but I am also cautiously optimistic that we will do much better than last year,” Mitsotakis told Reuters. The Prime Minister also defended a decision to coordinate EU member states’ vaccine purchases through the European Commission, saying the bloc’s smaller countries would have faced serious problems negotiating deals on their own.

Create: Feb 5, 2021 Edit: Feb 5, 2021 International News

Rey’s first hotel inaugurated

The first-ever hotel in the city of Rey, southeast of Tehran, was inaugurated on Tuesday on the occasion of Ten-Day Dawn (Jan. 31- Feb. 10, marking the victory anniversary of the Islamic Revolution), ISNA reported. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Mohammad Mohammadi Reyshahri, the custodian of the Holy Shrine of Shah Abdol Azim, and Anushiravan Mohseni Bandpey, the governor-general of Tehran province, and several local officials and tourism insiders. A budget of 800 billion rials (about $19 million at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) has been allocated to the project which adds 42 rooms and 108 beds to the hospitality sector of the city, the provincial tourism chief Parham Janfeshan announced on the sidelines of the ceremony. The construction and inauguration of this hotel will lead to the development of religious tourism infrastructure in the city, which will bring more welfare to the pilgrims of the Holy Shrine of Shah Abdol Azim, Janfeshan said. Construction work of the hotel took four years in a piece of land covering more than eight hectares, he added. The history of settlement in Rey dates from the 3rd millennium BC. It is featured in the Avesta (the original document of Zoroastrianism, an Iranian religion) as a sacred place, and it is also mentioned in the book of Tobit, of the biblical Apocrypha, and by classical authors. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Rey was one of the capital cities of the Parthian empire (3rd century BC–3rd century CE). It was captured by the Muslim Arabs in 641 CE. During the reign of the Muslim caliph al-Mahdi in the 8th century, the city grew in importance until it was rivaled in western Asia only by Damascus and Baghdad. Islamic writers described it as a city of extraordinary beauty, built largely of fired brick and brilliantly ornamented with blue faience (glazed earthenware). It continued to be an important city and was briefly a capital under the rule of the Seljuqs, but in the 12th century, it was weakened by the fierce quarrels of rival religious sects. In 1220 the city was almost entirely destroyed by the Mongols, and its inhabitants were massacred. Most of the survivors of the massacre moved to nearby Tehran, and the deserted remnants of Rey soon fell into complete ruin. Rey, however, retains enough history to give it a different sensibility, its key sight is the elaborately decorated Shah Abdol Azim Shrine. Beside the shrine complex is a lively bazaar, while further afield are a couple of minor historical attractions.

Create: Feb 5, 2021 Edit: Feb 6, 2021 Regional News

Iran eyes UNESCO status for Siraf, other ancient ports: tourism minister

Iran seeks to register ancient Siraf port and several other southern seaports on the UNESCO World Heritage list in near future, Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan has said. “We are developing a dossier [to be submitted to UNESCO] for the global registration of Siraf and several other important ports, [which are dotted across Bushehr province] in the southern coastal strip of the country,” Mounesan said on Tuesday. “The noble people of Bushehr should be waiting for the registration news,” Mounesan noted. He made the remarks during his visit to Bushehr, which is one of the most significant historical regions along the Persian Gulf, embracing significant monuments from the Elamite, Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid eras. The historical port of Siraf was the most important Iranian port from the Sassanid period to the 4th century AH. It bears plentiful evidence of Persian mastership and genius in seafaring, international relations, and interaction with other near and far cultures and civilizations. Between 1966 and 1973, the British Institute of Persian Studies conducted seven seasons of excavation and survey at Siraf, which was a major city on the Iranian shore of the Persian Gulf that played a leading role in the network of maritime trade that supplied Western Asia with the products of India, the Far East, and Eastern Africa between 800 CE and 1050. Siraf had a population of about 300,000 during the early Islamic era and this fact shows that it was a large city. However, today, just about 7,000 people live in Siraf in a small area. The historical and architectural monuments of Bushehr include Islamic buildings like mosques and praying centers, mansions, old towers, castles, as well as gardens. Bushehr province is also home to various archaeological mounds including Tall-e Khandaq with Sassanid architectural style, Tall-e Marv located near an Achaemenid Palace, and Qajar era Malek al-Tojar Mansion. Traveling to the Persian Gulf region would be an experience that you probably haven’t even considered. While you’ve been planning your Iranian sojourn around the jewels of the country’s rich history (Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd), to the southeast the Persian Gulf is equally deserving. Explore the magnetic islands of Kish, Qeshm, and Hormuz, which are absurdly easy to combine and are altogether different. While Kish is unashamedly glam and glitzy, Qeshm and Hormoz are refreshingly void of large-scale development and offer a chance to glimpse a more traditional way of life – not to mention an array of geological wonders. Along the coast, soak up the vibes of lively Bandar Abbas and make a beeline for the delightful town of Kong, whose historical center is peppered with charming old houses and monuments.

Create: Feb 5, 2021 Edit: Feb 6, 2021 Regional News

JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Fengxian opens in China

JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Fengxian has opened, becoming the fiftieth Marriott International hotel to open in the city. Located on Hangzhou Bay in the Fengxian seaside district, just an hour’s drive south of metropolitan Shanghai, the new hotel promises to be a sophisticated and luxurious. “We are delighted to celebrate the opening of the 50th property in Shanghai, a testament to the phenomenal growth of Marriott International in this region,” said Henry Lee, president, Greater China, Marriott International. “Across Greater China, there are now over 400 Marriott hotels spanning 23 brands in more than 90 cities, indicating our confidence in the strong growth of the travel market in China. “We look forward to expanding our portfolio further, and to offer distinctive and personalized experiences to travellers here.” Fengxian is a suburban district south of Shanghai known for its rustic beachfront areas, national forest park and the old town itself, a popular weekend destination for Shanghai residents. JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Fengxian overlooks the nearby Jianhai Lake, a wetland that connects Huangpu River and the East Sea. Designed by international design company PLD, the hotel’s style narrative is inspired by its natural surroundings, with its exterior imagined as the legendary Roc bird. Dining options at JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Fengxian include three distinctive restaurants and a bar, with menus featuring freshly harvested produce from the hotel’s own onsite garden, JW Garden. “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome this new addition of JW Marriott in Shanghai, the fourth JW Marriott to open in this world-class city,” said Jennie Toh, vice president, brand marketing and brand management, Asia Pacific, Marriott International. “With 19 distinctive brands operating in Shanghai, we are poised to offer endless choices and curated experiences for every guest through the breadth of our portfolio.”

Create: Feb 4, 2021 Edit: Feb 4, 2021 International News

Jordan rolls out accelerator to promote tourism start-ups

The Jordan Tourism Board has partnered with workspace operator Venture X to launch a dedicated accelerator for tourism start-ups. The accelerator will be a “highly selective, equity-based three-month programme for the most promising technology start-ups or pre-scale-ups that can power the travel and tourism industry”, according to a statement from the tourism board on Wednesday. “This partnership is a response to the challenges ahead,” Abdul Razzaq Arabiat, the board's managing director, said. The accelerator programme is looking for innovative companies that are developing ways to “future-proof” Jordan’s travel and tourism industry, the statement said, as tourism companies look to rebound in the wake of Covid-19. The collapse in international travel due to the pandemic led the global tourism industry to lose $1.3 trillion in export revenue, almost 11 times more than the loss recorded during the 2008 global economic crisis, according to the UN World Tourism Organisation. Companies selected to take part will undergo a three-month intensive programme to identify a potential pilot project and scope, followed by three months of implementation working alongside the top 10 industry partners, the statement added. “The pandemic is going to change the tourism industry,” Yousef Hamidaddin, managing partner of Venture X, said. “Innovative solutions will allow people to continue to travel and explore, which represents an opportunity for entrepreneurs and start-ups.” Jordan was chosen by Lonely Planet as the Most Welcoming Destination of 2021. The country reopened to travellers in September 2020 after restrictions due to Covid-19. The tourism industry contributes 13 per cent to 15 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product and employs almost 60,000 people. The pandemic came months after a record-breaking year for tourism, with the kingdom attracting one million visitors and generating 4.1 billion Jordanian dinars ($5.8bn) in 2019.

Create: Feb 4, 2021 Edit: Feb 4, 2021 International News

Red Sea tourism project awards contracts to build hotel and villa infrastructure

Red Sea Development Company, the developer of the mammoth tourism project on Saudi Arabia’s west coast, said it awarded contracts to complete structural work for a luxury hotel and villas. Saudi Arabian contractor Al Bawani will conduct civil and structural works across 40 hotel villas on the Southern Dunes site while Swiss timber specialist Blumer Lehmann will carry out planning, construction and fabrication works for a hotel on Ummahat Al Shaykh Island, the developer said in a statement on Wednesday. The company did not disclose the value of these contracts. The contract awards "signify the start of a new phase" for the mega tourism project as it advances into hotel development, John Pagano, chief executive of the Red Sea Development Company, said. “The Red Sea Development Company has made significant progress in terms of the design and construction of key infrastructure to enable the development of hotel assets,” he added. The project is a key tenet of Saudi Arabia's tourism strategy, which aims to increase the contribution of tourism to more than 10 per cent of the kingdom’s GDP by 2030, up from 3 per cent in 2020. The Red Sea Development Company’s masterplan covers a 28,000 square kilometre site containing 90 islands. Set to welcome its first visitors in 2022, the project is expected to be completed by 2030. It will house 50 hotels containing 8,000 rooms, a luxury marina, entertainment and leisure facilities. The company, which is owned by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, is developing 16 hotels with 3,000 rooms across five islands and two inland sites as part of the first phase that will be delivered by 2023. This phase will cost an estimated 28 billion Saudi riyals to 29bn riyals ($7.46bn-$7.73bn) to develop. Al Bawani's work will help the developer to link villas, restaurants and central buildings within its resort, the company said. Blumer Lehmann will design and manufacture all engineered timber material for a hotel, overwater and beach villas, spa and fitness building, restaurants and an arrival building. The company said last year it had awarded contracts worth 7.5bn riyals to date. Last month, the Red Sea Development Company chose Dublin-based DAA International to operate the project's international airport. It awarded the airport design contract to UK-based architecture firm Foster + Partners in October 2019. The project is being built under a “regenerative tourism” model, which aims not only to protect local habitats, but also create conditions for local environments to thrive. Only 22 of the site's 90 islands will be built on and visitor numbers to the area will be capped at one million a year.

Create: Feb 4, 2021 Edit: Feb 4, 2021 International News