Qatar Airways is the co-presenting sponsor Of Mosaïcultures Internationales Montréal 2013 (MIM2013) at the Montreal Botanical Gardens

Five-Star Airline Co-Presenting Sponsor Of 5th Edition Of Major Horticultural Event Qatar Airways People’s Choice Award Gives Visitors The Opportunity To Vote For Their Favourite Piece And A Chance To Win A Trip Of A Lifetime Montreal, CANADA, 2013-07-03 — /travelprnews.com/ — Qatar Airways officially announced that its relationship with the city of Montréal has further… Read the full press release

Las Vegas takes actions against privacy invasion

LAS VEGAS, 2013-07-02 — /travelprnews.com/ — Las Vegas today publically offered encouragements to organizations affected by the actions found in recent reports regarding data mining and privacy invasion outlining how to protect travelers’ “What Happens Here, Stays Here” moments while in the destination. By sending open letters to the heads of major Internet and telecommunication companies… Read the full press release

Enterprise Holdings study: New Vehicle Purchase Decision Highly Influenced by Rental “Test Drive” Experience

ST. LOUIS, 2013-07-02 — /travelprnews.com/ — Car rental customers try before they buy, according to a new study commissioned by Enterprise Holdings. The study conducted by Polk, the premier provider of automotive information and marketing solutions, found customers who rent a car from Enterprise Holdings’ brands – Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental – are 55 percent more… Read the full press release

Marriott International signed franchise agreement with WB AMBASSADOR SAS for the historic Paris Marriott Opera Ambassador Hotel

Historic Ambassador Hotel to Join Company’s Signature Marriott Hotels Brand London, 2013-07-02 — /travelprnews.com/ — Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) today announced that the 298-room Paris Marriott Opera Ambassador Hotel will join its portfolio of more than 3,800 properties worldwide on 1st July 2013 under a franchise agreement with WB AMBASSADOR SAS.  Located in the heart of… Read the full press release

The world’s largest hotel company Wyndham Hotel Group opened its first hotel in Ecuador

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador, 2013-07-01 — /travelprnews.com/ — Wyndham Hotel Group, the world’s largest hotel company with approximately 7,380 hotels and part of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), today celebrated its continued expansion in Latin America with the addition of the 179-room Wyndham Guayaquil in Ecuador, marking the introduction of the upscale Wyndham Hotels and Resorts® brand in the South American country. The newly… Read the full press release

India’s premier international airline Jet Airways and HDFC Bank launched India’s first Premium Debit card

2013-07-01 — /travelprnews.com/ — Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, has enhanced its partnership with HDFC Bank, the country’s second largest private sector bank, by launching India’s first Premium Debit card, the ‘JetPrivilege-HDFC Bank World Debit Card’. The feature-rich debit card will allow users to earn JPMiles on all daily purchases in stores or online, in… Read the full press release

KLM President & CEO Peter Hartman awarded royal decoration by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander

2013-07-01 — /travelprnews.com/ — In her speech, State Secretary Mansveld remarked on Mr Hartman’s passion, saying: “This is what they mean when they say that someone has a ‘blue heart’, with kerosene running through his veins.” The state secretary went on acknowledge the role Mr Hartman had played in the merger between Air France and KLM,… Read the full press release

IATA study supported by analysis from McKinsey finds airlines Will be challenged to meet forecast demand growth

2013-07-01 — /travelprnews.com/ — The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for new thinking on the relationships between partners in the air transport value chain in order to attract the $4-5 trillion that will be needed over the next 20 years to meet the growing demand for aviation-enabled connectivity. The call came in an IATA study… Read the full press release

Swissport update on Spanish airports strikes

2013-07-01 — /travelprnews.com/ — Swissport Spain condemns coercion and sabotage allegedly carried out by union militants in Barcelona’s El Prat airport, aimed at intimidating the company´s personnel, which is working in accordance with the minimum services decreed by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. Swissport demands that the unions CCOO, UGT and USO act with… Read the full press release

Finnair to join British Airways and Japan Airlines in their joint business on flights between Europe and Japan

TOKYO, 2013-07-01 — /travelprnews.com/ — The first step has been taken to enable Finnair to join British Airways and Japan Airlines (JAL) in their successful joint business on flights between Europe and Japan. The three airlines intend to cooperate commercially by sharing revenue and by coordinating flight schedules and fares in order to offer greater benefits to… Read the full press release

Tourism Australia and Air New Zealand partner over co-operative marketing initiatives

2013-07-01 — /travelprnews.com/ — Tourism Australia and New Zealand’s national carrier Air New Zealand have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will see more than A$6 million invested in joint marketing activity over a three year period to promote tourism to Australia in key overseas markets. Under the agreement the two parties will each contribute… Read the full press release

Singapore Changi Airport reports it handled 4.28 million passengers in May 2013

2013-07-01 — /travelprnews.com/ — Singapore Changi Airport handled 4.28 million passenger movements in May 2013, a growth of 4.7% compared to the same period in 2012.  Flight movements increased by 5.4% to 28,500.  During the month, 147,600 tonnes of cargo were handled at Changi, 3.5% less than a year ago. The growth in passenger traffic was… Read the full press release

U.S. Travel Association Roger Dow: Penny Pritzker is ‘Unparalleled Choice’ to Lead the Commerce Department

Pritzker Is ‘Unparalleled Choice’ to Lead the Commerce Department, Says U.S. Travel’s Dow Washington, D.C., 2013-06-28 — /travelprnews.com/ — Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, released the following statement today applauding the Senate’s confirmation of Penny Pritzker to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce. “We applaud the Senate for… Read the full press release

UNWTO welcomes Azerbaijan´s implementation of new e-visa system aimed to attract more international tourists

Madrid, 2013-06-28 — /travelprnews.com/ — UNWTO welcomes Azerbaijan´s implementation of a new e-visa system streamlining visa applications into an electronic format, aimed to attract more international tourists into the country. The electronic visa system, operational since March 2013, was administered upon the decree of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, to facilitate visa procedures for foreigners… Read the full press release

Ground services operator Swissport regrets that trade unions CC.OO, UGT and USO at Spanish airports employ pressure rather than finding consensus

2013-06-28 — /travelprnews.com/ — Swissport, the largest independent operator of ground services to the aviation industry, regrets the industrial action called for by the trade unions CC.OO, UGT and USO at various Spanish airports, which it considers to be the result of the unions preferring pressure to consensus. After hours of negotiations until late on the… Read the full press release

Swissport court appeal hearing at the Highest Economic Court in Kiev, Ukraine postponed

The court appeal hearing at the Highest Economic Court in Kiev, Ukraine that was scheduled for today was postponed and will only take place in two weeks. Swissport had appealed to the Highest Economic Court mid of April after having lost its business in the Ukraine to UIA (Ukrainian International Airlines) with a court decision… Read the full press release

The American Hotel & Lodging Association congratulates Penny Pritzker on her confirmation as 38th Secretary of the Department of Commerce

Lodging industry commends Senate for strong bipartisan vote 2013-06-27 — /travelprnews.com/ — The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) congratulates Penny Pritzker on her confirmation today as the 38th Secretary of the Department of Commerce following an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 97-1 by the U.S. Senate. AH&LA had strongly endorsed President Obama’s nomination of Pritzker, chairman… Read the full press release

U.S. Travel Association urges U.S. senators to approve S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act

Washington, D.C., 2013-06-27 — /travelprnews.com/ — The U.S. Travel Association today urged U.S. senators to approve S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. As part of an historic opportunity to enact meaningful immigration reform, the legislation includes significant measures to improve the visa process and facilitation of air travelers coming to the United… Read the full press release

Four Seasons launched new website Custom-Tailored to the Unique Needs of Event Planners

New search tools, group offers at a glance, and in-depth content make planning group events at Four Seasons easier than ever. 2013-06-27 — /travelprnews.com/ — Now boasting more than 1000 pages of content created especially for group planners, fourseasons.com/meeting_and_events is a one-stop shop for information and inspiration for putting together events that are both productive and memorable. “Our group… Read the full press release

Enterprise Holdings signed with COPA S.A.of Lima to franchise Alamo Rent A Car brand for the Peruvian market

LIMA, Peru, 2013-06-27 — /travelprnews.com/ — Enterprise Holdings today announced that it is franchising the use of its Alamo Rent A Car brand to COPA S.A. of Lima, Peru. This appointment continues the expansion of the brand’s footprint in Latin America. Alamo will serve Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, located 10 miles north-west of the downtown area. The main… Read the full press release

Des trains supplémentaires entre Roosendaal et Anvers pendant les mois d’été

2013-06-27 — /travelprnews.com/ — Depuis la disparition de l’offre à haute vitesse du Fyra entre Bruxelles et Amsterdam, la SNCB et la NS travaillent à une augmentation de la fréquence de la liaison directe Bruxelles-La Haye. Pendant les mois d’été, 6 trains (aller et retour) supplémentaires sont mis en place entre Roosendaal et Anvers afin de… Read the full press release

Harvard Business School authored and Amadeus commissioned study finds big data is set to shape the future of travel

2013-06-26 — /travelprnews.com/ — Study, authored by Harvard Business School professor Thomas H. Davenport, finds that big data is set to shape the future of travel, with potential benefits for both travel companies and travellers alike Harnessing high volumes of new, unstructured data offers the promise of better decision-making, greater product innovation and stronger customer relationships,… Read the full press release

Hong Kong International Airport posted record 2012/2013 financial figures

HONG KONG, 2013-06-26 — /travelprnews.com/ — Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) today announced that Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) continued to deliver record financial performances during the fiscal year ended 31 March 2013. Profit attributable to the equity shareholder rose 5.4% to HK$5,624 million during the year, while revenue increased 8.1% to HK$13,134 million. AAHK declared… Read the full press release

The world’s second busiest international passengers airport Dubai International announced 18.9 per cent traffic increase in May 2013

Dubai, UAE, 2013-06-26 — /travelprnews.com/ — Dubai International, the world’s second busiest airport for international passengers, racked up another month of double-digit growth with 18.9 per cent increase in passenger numbers recorded in May, according to a traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports on Wednesday. Passenger traffic in May reached 5,218,832, an increase of 18.9… Read the full press release

London Gatwick Airport released Q1 2013 financial results

2013-06-26 — /travelprnews.com/ — London Gatwick Airport has delivered financial results in line with expectations as challenging economic conditions continue. The airport has performed well operationally, building volume with its existing carriers, competing to attract new airlines and routes, and delivering record passenger satisfaction. Key highlights of the year: Traffic of 34.2 million passengers reflects 1.2%… Read the full press release

Holiday Inn signed Holiday Inn Madrid – Las Tablas, planned to open in Q3, 2013

2013-06-26 — /travelprnews.com/ — InterContinental Hotels Group’s (IHG) Holiday Inn brand continues to grow in Spain, with the signing of Holiday Inn Madrid – Las Tablas. Holiday Inn Madrid – Las Tablas due to open at the beginning of quarter three this year will operate under a franchise agreement with Gestion T3 Hotels who operate four… Read the full press release

Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis named in St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s 2013 Top Workplace

2013-06-26 — /travelprnews.com/ — Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis has been selected by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as a 2013 Top Workplace, ranking second in the category for workplaces with 150-499 employees. Only 90 companies in total were bestowed this honour. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch Top Workplaces were selected from the results of an employee survey measuring qualities such as company leadership,… Read the full press release

Tourism Authority of Thailand volunteer tourism marketing campaign won digital Innovation Asia Award

BANGKOK, 2013-06-26 — /travelprnews.com/ — A global marketing campaign launched by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to promote Volunteer tourism was one of the winners of the first Digital Innovation Asia Awards conferred at a ceremony on June 10. Conferred the “MOST IMPACTFUL CAMPAIGN” award, it was designed to tap into a growing industry trend known as Voluntourism… Read the full press release

The American Hotel & Lodging Association issued statement on US supreme court NLRB appointments appeal review

2013-06-26 — /travelprnews.com/ — The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) issues the following statement in response to this morning’s announcement by the United States Supreme Court that the justices have granted the request for review of National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning: “In the past six months, both the U.S. Court of Appeals for… Read the full press release

Travelport, Galileo Vietnam announce renewal of their multi-year distribution partnership

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2013-06-26 — /travelprnews.com/ — Travelport, the leading provider of critical transaction processing solutions and data for the global travel industry, has today announced the renewal of a multi-year distribution partnership with Galileo Vietnam. The re-signing of this significant agreement sees Galileo Vietnam continue as the national distribution company (NDC) for Travelport’s… Read the full press release