Iraq’s flag career Iraqi Airways has resumed flights to Iran after one month of hiatus over the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, IRNA reported on Sunday. Flights from Najaf to Tehran and Najaf to Mashhad and vice versa have been scheduled to be operated since Saturday, the report added. Although issuing visas on arrival for tourists has been suspended, Iraqis with Iranian spouses and their children, Iraqis residing in Iran or those seeking medical treatment in Iran, as well as students and businessmen can travel to the country. Back in August, senior Iranian aviation official, Maqsoud As’adi-Samani, announced that wearing masks and following health protocols during the flights as well as carrying a health certificate with a negative coronavirus PCR test result is mandatory for travelers. Over the past couple of months, many countries, including the Islamic Republic, imposed travel restrictions to help curb the spread of novel coronavirus. In this line, incoming and outgoing flights have been suspended, and road travels restricted to a great extent. The pandemic has taken a huge toll on Iran’s civil aviation sector with reports showing that airlines lost hundreds of millions of dollars because of flight cancellations during the busy New Year travel season in late March. Some experts expect Iran to achieve a tourism boom after coronavirus contained, believing its impact would be temporary and short-lived for a country that ranked the third fastest-growing tourism destination in 2019. The latest available data show eight million tourists visited the Islamic Republic during the first ten months of the past Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2019).
Create: Jan 25, 2021 Edit: Jan 25, 2021 Regional NewsIn the presence of the Minister of Tourism, a group of deputies and managers of the ministry and general managers; Meeting to review the status of 5 tourism projects in 4 provinces of the country In this meeting, the status of projects from Yazd, Khorasan Razavi, Kerman and Hormozgan provinces was examined. These five projects are applying for the use of lands over 10 hectares, during which the necessary decisions were made about them, and planning was done to eliminate possible shortcomings.
Create: Nov 19, 2020 Edit: Nov 19, 2020 Regional News🔹 Singapore Airlines has sold its Airbus A380 seats not for flight but for dinner and lunch. 🔹 Interestingly, all the seats of this giant plane are reserved in a short time and only in 30 minutes. 🔹 The maximum price for food on a plane parked in the corner of the airport is about 500 $.
Create: Oct 14, 2020 Edit: Oct 17, 2020 International NewsTechnique 167 Post Positive Consumer Blog Posts for Employees to See; Employees like to be—and should be—recognized for out- standing guest service. In a section either in the staff lounge or near the time clock where the staff members tend to congre- gate, post all the positive comments including Trip Advisor, Social Media, Guest Survey’s, letters, etc. This will recognize employees who are getting good comments and will motivate other employees to give that extra service so they too can be recognized. Technique 168 Equally Reward Front and Back-of-the-House Employees; A front-of-the-house associate who is mentioned in a positive fashion on Trip Advisor should be given a reward. However, the recipient should be instructed to select a back- of-the-house associate who is worthy of receiving the equiva- lent reward. The front-of-the-house associate should be asked to write 2–3 sentences describing why the back-of-the-house associate is worthy of the reward. This explanation should be posted in the associate break-area (both associates are given an equivalent reward). Technique 169 Establish a Uniform and Appearance Committee; The hotel should have a “uniform and appearance com- mittee” comprised of a cross-section of managers and asso- ciates from across the hotel. The committee addresses issues regarding uniforms around the hotel. For example, should associates in a given department be permitted to wear long underwear tops on their arms in conjunction with a short sleeve uniform shirt or should long-sleeved uniform tops be issued? Knowing that fellow associates have an active voice in uniform policy provides incentive to comply. Technique 170 Conduct Guest Surprise Clinics with Associates; Hold a meeting with associates in which they are shown a PowerPoint slide presentation containing photographs of the various areas of the hotel. As the associates view the photos, they should be instructed to brainstorm ideas by which guests can be surprised in the given areas (A $2 cost limit for each surprise could be the parameter used in this exercise). Asso- ciates have more incentive to carry out surprise tactics if they take part in deriving the tactics. Technique 171 Have Employee Contests for Deriving Guest Surprise Ideas; Hang sketches (these are called service blueprints) of the hotel’s public areas in the associate break room. Associates who can offer the most creative ideas for surprising guests by studying the sketches can win prizes. Technique 172 Explain the Important Role of the Associate to His/Her Family; If an associate’s family members understand how the associate’s role in the hotel serves an important function in providing hospitality, then work-family conflict is reduced. Therefore, at least two times per year, management should plan a family function. During that function, management should explain to those in attendance how each associate’s job is important and how it fits into the functioning of the hotel. Technique 173 “I Love My Job When _____”; In an associate meeting, put the following sentence stem on a PowerPoint slide: “I love my job when _________.” Any associate who volunteers to stand in front of the group and completes the sentence wins a prize. Technique 174 Implement a Housekeeping Scoring Contest; For the housekeeping department, derive a scoring system on the room inspection check sheet. The housekeeper with the highest score across a seven-day period wins either cash or a gift card to a local retail store. Technique 175 Reward Departments for High Guest Satisfaction Scores; All departments should have team rewards such as pizza parties, luncheons, or gift cards when the department’s target guest satisfaction survey scores are met or exceeded.
Create: Aug 11, 2020 Edit: Sep 25, 2020 Hotel ManagementThe director general of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts of Ilam province announced that more than 2,000 people stayed in the province's accommodation cwnters during the first three months of this year. The Deputy Minister of Tourism of West Azerbaijan Province also announced that the number of tourists staying in the province's accommodation centers in the first three months of this year was 6,598.
Create: Jul 2, 2020 Edit: Jul 2, 2020 Regional NewsForecast of the Dollar Flight Club Research Institute; 35% reduction in tickets in the next 12 months Experts at the institute believe that the reduction in ticket prices will be aimed at attracting passengers and customers and generating more revenue, as well as compensating for the loss of these companies against the spread of coronavirus and pandemics. The move is seen as a temporary, short-term solution to save airlines around the world from bankruptcy, financial crises and a lack of liquidity, which could push people to buy.
Create: Jun 11, 2020 Edit: Jun 14, 2020 International NewsAfrica's tourism industry has been hit hard by quarantine. Hotel reservations were canceled shortly afterwards, travel was postponed and tourist tours were canceled.
Create: May 15, 2020 Edit: May 16, 2020 International NewsThe Check-In Experience Technique 45 Use Strong Verbal Greetings at Check-In; A front desk associate should never address a guest with the phrase ‘checking in?’ Such a greeting does not engender a spirit of hospitality. Would an initial greeting to a visiting friend at your home be ‘staying with me?’ Technique 46 Eliminate the View of Employee Trashcans; A trashcan does not engender a sense of hospitality. Trash- cans used behind the front desk should be positioned so that guests cannot see them. Technique 47 Offer Infused Water at Check-In; During prime check-in hours, keep a beverage dispenser of infused water in the lobby area. Guests can be instructed to help themselves to the water that can be infused with flavors such as strawberry or cucumber. Technique 48 Dispense Information on Tour Bus; If your hotel has tour buses staying at the hotel, have a representative get on the bus before the guests disembark. The hotel representative will have an opportunity to welcome the guests to the hotel, explain outlet hours, and any perti- nent information regarding their stay. If they have to wait in line to give a credit card, they can be instructed at this time. Once they enter the hotel you will lose the “togetherness” of the group. Technique 49 Designate a Children’s Check-In Spot; If a significant number of family check-ins are expected on a given day, designate a spot at the front desk with a sign reading ‘children’s check-in’ and place a step-stool at the spot so that children can see over the front desk. As a component of the children’s check-in, the child could be asked if s/he would like to provide a signature on a document. Such a signature request might be the first time the child has ever been asked for his/her signature. Technique 50 Use High Quality Pens at the Front Desk; Always have an ample supply of high-quality pens at the front desk for guests to use while checking-in. At least one person per group must physically touch the pen. The use of a high-quality pen is a subconscious signal of attention to detail. Technique 51 Incorporate a Guessing Game for Children; Keep a cardboard box with a hole in it behind the front desk. When a child is checking-in with parents, if the front desk is not too busy, ask the child if s/he would like to feel inside the hole and guess what the box contains. If the child guesses correctly, then s/he wins a prize. Unique objects such as a pine cone can be the touch-item in the box. Prizes can be small trinkets ordered from a vendor such as Oriental Trading Company. Or, a series of three boxes can be set-up and if the child guesses all three items correctly then s/he can be issued a certificate. Technique 52 Offer a Pet; When a child is checking-in with parents, ask the child if she brought a pet. When she says ‘no’ ask her if she would like a pet for the duration of her stay. When she says ‘yes’ then let her pick a fish from a fish tank and put it in a fish bowl in her guestroom. Technique 53 Have Word Search Puzzles and Coloring Sheets at the Front Desk; Welcome the children checking in as well as the adults. Surprise them with a word search puzzle or coloring page directly relating to your hotel. Such items occupy the child’s time as well as make them feel welcome. Technique 54 Offer a Sticker Treasure Hunt; At check-in, young children can be given sticker books. They can collect more stickers for the books by either visiting various locations around the hotel or by visiting local attrac- tions. This effort, in essence, serves as a treasure hunt by means of the sticker book. Technique 55 Host a Nutella Party; On a day with a large number of family check-ins, a sign can be placed at the front desk announcing an evening Nutella party for the children. Technique 56 Offer a Dog Training Class for Children; If someone on the management team has a well-trained dog, then s/he can periodically place a sign in the lobby read- ing ‘Dog Training Class at 4:00 PM.’ The manager can bring his/her dog and demonstrate some of the commands that the dog knows for the children. Technique 57 Allow Guests the Opportunity to Jog with Members of the Management Team; At check-in, guests can be invited to go on a group jog with a member of the hotel’s management team at a set time in the A.M. The group jog can occur every morning by rotating the responsibility between several members of the manage- ment team who enjoy jogging. Conversations during the jog will help solidify bonds between the hotel and guests. Technique 58 Roll Out the Red Carpet; Periodically roll out a red carpet near the entrance of the hotel (or inside the lobby leading to the front desk). Manage- ment can be creative with the signage which can read “Wel- come to Hotel X, where red carpet treatment is the norm” or “Red carpet treatment at a value.” Technique 59 Offer Treat Bags for Pets; How you treat a guest’s pet is very important. If a guest pays for a pet to stay at a hotel, then the pet is likely consid- ered a member of the family. Create a treat bag, distributed at check-in, which contains a treat, directions on where to take the pet to go out, a poop bag, and the “rules” for the pet room. Technique 60 Remember Pet Names; Front desk agents should be taught to record pet names in the guest history section of the property management sys- tem. Along with the pet’s name, the agent should also insert a short (3–4 words) physical description of the pet. When the pet revisits, s/he should be addressed by name. Technique 61 Offer Aromatherapy; If a guest mentions that s/he is stressed for any reason (e.g., travel or work frustrations), offer him/her a plug-in aro- matherapy treatment that can be used in the guestroom to relieve stress. Technique 62 Offer Free Upgrades on Occasion; If a guest mentions that s/he is stressed for any reason (e.g., travel or work frustrations), offer him/her a complimen- tary upgrade to a suite-style room (if available). Technique 63 ‘Google Image’ Guests with Unique Names; If a front desk agent has some downtime between tasks, then s/he should be taught to search the arrival list for guests who have visited in the past and who have unique names (e.g., Vincent Magnini). The agent can then “Google Image” those names so that the guest can be greeted by name upon arrival. Technique 64 Create a Strategic Alliance with a Car Wash; The hotel could establish a strategic alliance with a mobile waterless car wash provider. Each front desk associate can be empowered to select one incoming guest each day and ask them if s/he would like a complimentary exterior car detailing during their stay. Conversely, the 10th guest checking in every day could be made the complimentary offer to help ensure fairness. Technique 65 Record Guests’ Preferences; Repeat guests want to be recognized. Frontline staff should utilize the computer system to keep information on the guest’s desires such as room type, location, favorite drink, etc. Technique 66 Drive Bookings to the Proprietary Website; If a front desk agent sees that a regular guest is using a 3rd party OTA to book his/her room, the agent should inform the guest that equivalent rates can be found on the hotel’s propri- etary site. It should be explained that the savings in fees and commissions by the hotel would be used for additional guest services and amenities.
Create: Mar 14, 2020 Edit: Aug 13, 2020 Hotel ManagementAt present, clear indications of the impact of the outbreak on German tourism is obvious which include short queues at airport gates and preventive measures for Asian travelers wearing face masks. Travel restrictions in Europe can also affect Black Forest tourism. TUI, Germany's largest travel company, has also announced a reduction in Asian tours. According to the German Travel Association, the desire to book hotels and tickets has declined dramatically.
Create: Mar 6, 2020 Edit: Mar 6, 2020 International NewsIndian Hotels Company (IHCL) announced the opening of Devi Ratn, Jaipur. This hotel will be a part of the SeleQtions brand. Located a short distance from the city centre, the resort is spread over 20 acres of lush green landscapes. Each of the spacious 60 rooms and suites offer a view of the Aravalli hills. Vyom, the all-day dining restaurant, with its 18-feet towering pillars, serves contemporary Indian and European cuisine. Mandala, the eclectic bar serves inventive Jaipur cocktails. Guests can also enjoy a quiet meal at Jal, the poolside café. The hotel’s conference room, banquet halls and sprawling lawns are geared for grand occasions – be it corporate off-sites or fairy tale weddings. With the addition of this hotel, IHCL will have nine hotels in Jaipur, including three under development.
Create: Feb 19, 2020 Edit: Feb 19, 2020 International NewsThe SureStay Hotel by Best Western Floresville has opened its doors in Floresville, Texas. The SureStay Hotel by Best Western Floresville will provide guests with an experience they can count on and the amenities today's travelers have come to expect. Located at 1720 10th Street in Floresville, Texas, the hotel features 42 well-appointed guest rooms, complete with flat-screen televisions, microwaves and mini fridges. The SureStay Hotel by Best Western Floresville also offers an outdoor pool, a pavilion with barbeque pits and picnic tables, complimentary hot breakfast and free wireless internet – providing guests with the superior comfort and utmost value they want out of their stay. The property's location is optimal for guests interested in exploring the nearby area as it is just a short drive from Cycle Ranch, home to over 20 motocross events each year.
Create: Feb 19, 2020 Edit: Feb 19, 2020 International NewsFollowing the news that the number of international tourists is set to reach a record in 2022 and no country will see a greater increase in international arrivals than Japan. Johnatan Vandesquille, Analyst, Travel & Tourism, at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view on the situation: “The tourism industry is forecast to maintain steady growth up to 2022, driven by the rise of middle and upper classes in emerging economies, as well as the development of new destinations. “GlobalData forecasts Japan to experience growth in the number of international tourists at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3%, the largest increase among the countries observed. This growth can be attributed to the overall success of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the positive impact of the Olympics, which are being held in Tokyo this year. These events have helped the development of tourism infrastructure and will increase the visibility of the destination in the near future. “France is expected to remain the most visited country in the world with 99.6 million tourists in 2022, but more than a year of civil unrest and the potential impact of Brexit (the UK being its main source market) will slow tourism growth and the country may fall short of its objective of 100 million visitors, originally set for 2020. “Diplomatic tensions are the main obstacle to international growth, as illustrated by South Korea and China, which are both currently experiencing issues with their main source markets. “However, these tensions seem to benefit Vietnam, the fastest growing tourism market in South-East Asia, which is expected to capitalize on the overall popularity of the region and the projected exponential development of South Korean outbound tourism.”
Create: Jan 26, 2020 Edit: Jan 26, 2020 International News