QATAR AIRWAYS FIRST 787 DREAMLINER LANDS IN DOHA

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, pictured left, with Boeing Commercial Vice-President International Sales Marty Bentrott at a packed press conference held at Doha International Airport after arriving onboard the carrier's first Boeing 787 direct from Seattle.

Hundreds Turn Out For Historic Moment As Carrier’s New 787 Touches Down CEO Akbar Al Baker Arrives On Delivery Flight From Seattle With Scores Of Guests Onboard Including International Media, Employees And Suppliers Nation’s Pride As Latest Aircraft Arrives In Qatar To Warm Welcome Seats Go On Sale As 787 Operates Initially On Doha –… Read the full press release

Canada cuts a dash in the meetings, conventions and incentive travel sector

Canada cuts a dash in the meetings, conventions and incentive travel sector

Best practices mission brings the wow factor home while Canada steals the limelight at IMEX America 2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — The business travel marketplace offers a high-paced series of sales opportunities for the meetings, conventions and incentive travel (MC&IT) team at the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC). As soon as one conference door closes, another one opens in… Read the full press release

Christkindlmarkt Holiday Market & Festival Held at The Hershey Story Museum

Hershey, Pa. – 2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — In celebration of its Pennsylvania German collection, The Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue hosts the annual Christkindlmarkt Holiday Market & Festival on Saturday, December 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, December 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A special admission rate of $6… Read the full press release

Paul Lawrie Visits FirstGroup for Autobiograhy Signing Session

Paul Lawrie Visits FirstGroup for Autobiograhy Signing Session

2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — European Ryder Cup winning golfer Paul Lawrie dropped into FirstGroup headquarters in King Street, Aberdeen, this afternoon to chat with staff about his incredible Ryder Cup victory and sign copies of his autobiography, ‘An Open Book’. FirstGroup has been one of Paul’s sponsors since 2007 and its logo features on Paul’s right… Read the full press release

Tourism Australia unveils new look YouTube channel

2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — Tourism Australia unveils new look YouTube channel Key facts Tourism Australia has unveiled a ‘new look’ version of its popular YouTube channel (youtube.com/Australia) to improve the way travellers use video to plan their Australian holiday. In a world-first, the site provides customised content in nine languages for 16 key markets (including Australia)… Read the full press release

Indian Film Industry Awards Thailand as Best International Destination for Film-Making

Indian Film Industry Awards Thailand as Best International Destination for Film-Making

Mumbai, 2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) received the most coveted ‘Best Destination International’ Award on behalf of Thailand at the prestigious “Cinemascape” hosted in Mumbai on 24th-25th October, 2012 at Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai. Now in its 6th year, Cinemascape is the annual gathering of the Indian film fraternity & small… Read the full press release

New at Helsinki Airport: Lumi bag pop-up store opens

The Lumi store opened in the pop-up section of Helsinki Airport on 5 November. It focuses on the Lumi brand products and their innovative display in the Finnish way 2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — Lumi is a Finnish design bag brand which has achieved international success. Lumi products are stylish, timeless leather bags and accessories for women… Read the full press release

RCI® Celebrates Nearly 100 New Affiliated Properties In 2012, With Spectacular Additions In Third Quarter

Parsippany, N.J. – 2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange, announced the addition of 22 affiliated properties to its global exchange network in the third quarter of 2012, bringing the total to 98 new properties for the year. These additions join the more than 4,000 quality resorts in highly-desirable destinations around the world… Read the full press release

BOARD OF AIRPORT COMMISSIONERS APPROVE CONTRACT FOR RESIDENTIAL SOUND INSULATION IN CITY; AUTHORIZES $9.2 MILLION FOR WORK IN COUNTY AREAS

Los Angeles, California – 2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners today awarded a contract to Karabuild Development Inc. of Inglewood for a portion of the work being undertaken as part of the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Residential Soundproofing Program. The contract, for $2,378,803, covers sound-insulation modifications on 112 dwellings consisting… Read the full press release

UNWTO, Leading scholar awarded top prize for contribution to tourism knowledge

Madrid, 2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — Erik Cohen, one of the world’s leading social science scholars in the field of tourism, has been named this year’s winner of the UNWTO Ulysses Prize for Excellence in the Creation and Dissemination of Knowledge, honoring those within academia making a significant contribution to the advancement of tourism. Mr. Cohen, the George S…. Read the full press release

Better Than Fiction – Lonely Planet’s True Travel Tales from 32 Great Fiction Writers

2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — What do you get when Lonely Planet asks 32 of the world’s most acclaimed fiction writers to describe their most meaningful non-fictional journeys? The answer is Better Than Fiction, a treasure trove of surprising and inspiring new tales written especially for Lonely Planet, published this month. Better Than Fiction boasts an outstanding… Read the full press release

Conservation and Economic Freedom Policies Key to Switzerland and Chile’s Top Annual Adventure Rankings

Conservation and Economic Freedom Policies Key to Switzerland and Chile’s Top Annual Adventure Rankings

4th Annual Adventure Travel Development Index Ranks Adventure Tourism in Developed and Emerging Markets Washington -2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — This year’s Adventure Tourism Development Index (ATDI), published by The George Washington University, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and Vital Wave Consulting reveals that Switzerland and New Zealand topped the rankings on sustainable adventure tourism for developed nations while Chile ranked first in… Read the full press release

Dolphin Dynamics adds mobile and video support to online booking solution

Dolphin web publishing solution enhanced with multi-device support and a suite of newly developed content widgets London, 2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — Dolphin Dynamics’ web publishing solution has been enhanced to serve website content ready for mobile devices, including smart phones and tablets. The new feature enables Dolphin to recognise the type of connecting device and automatically… Read the full press release

UNWTO announces winners of the first UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement

Madrid, 2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — The Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), Mr. Shao Qiwei, and the founder of the international hotel chain Meliá Hotels, Mr. Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, have been named as the first winners of the UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement. The UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement was established in 2012 as an annual award… Read the full press release

Hilton Garden Inn lends a hand to Second Harvest Food Bank of Jacksonville

Team members from the Hilton Garden Inns Ponte Vedra, Orange Park, and Deerwood Park kicked off Hilton Worldwide's first ever Global Week of Service on Saturday, November 10 at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Jacksonville. Credit: Hilton Garden Inn

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – 2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — Team members from the Hilton Garden Inns Ponte Vedra, Orange Park, and Deerwood Park kicked off Hilton Worldwide’s first ever Global Week of Service on Saturday, November 10.  The three Hilton Garden Inns partnered with members from the Ponte Vedra Beach Sunset Rotary Club and the Ponte Vedra High… Read the full press release

Qatar Airways Takes Delivery Of First 787 Dreamliner

Celebrating the official handover to Qatar Airways of its first 787 Dreamliner in Seattle are, from right: Qatar's Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al-Rumaihi; Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker; and Boeing Commercial President and CEO Ray Conner.

Special Ceremony At Boeing Hangar In Seattle Marks Beginning Of New Era For Middle East Aviation First Fully Wireless Connected 787 Set To Take To The Skies For Qatar Seattle, USA – 2012-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — Qatar Airways has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner at a special ceremony held at the US aircraft… Read the full press release

Four Seasons Hotel New York Launches “Our Neighbors In Need” Initiative

Support the Superstorm Sandy victims with a touch of a button New York, U.S.A. – 2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ — Four Seasons Hotel New York has set up a new microsite at http://American.redcross.org/fourseasonsny-pub for guests to donate to the American Red Cross Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund. “Our hearts go out to all the communities that were affected by Superstorm Sandy. It… Read the full press release

Innovative low-cost carrier Flydubai to launch flights to Maldives from January 2013

Innovative low-cost carrier Flydubai to launch flights to Maldives from January 2013

2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ — Flydubai, Dubai’s innovative low-cost airline, has announced flights to Malé, the capital of the Republic of Maldives (the Maldives). Commencing on 19 January 2013, flights will operate five times a week between Dubai’s Terminal 2 and the Maldives’ Ibrahim Nasir International Airport on the island of Malé. Bringing Flydubai’s presence in the… Read the full press release

VisitEngland, INVESTMENT, INNOVATION, INSPIRATION – DON’T MISS THE VISITOR ECONOMY FORUM!

Find out how to boost your bottom line in 2013 and beyond with VisitEngland   2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ — Don’t miss out on the chance to debate the big issues affecting growth at VisitEngland’s Visitor Economy Forum next week.  Taking place on 22 November in association with Natwest Bank plc, the one-day conference will focus on growing… Read the full press release

HYATT REGENCY ISTANBUL EXPECTED TO OPEN IN ISTANBUL IN JANUARY 2014

Hyatt Regency Istanbul Ataköy will be the third Hyatt-branded hotel in Istanbul CHICAGO,  2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ —  Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced that a Hyatt affiliate has signed an agreement for a Hyatt Regency hotel in Istanbul with Bosphorus Otelcilik ve Yatirim Ltd. The hotel, which will open in January 2014, will be the third… Read the full press release

Tourism Australia and China Eastern Airlines sign up to A$9m marketing deal

2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ — Tourism Australia and China Eastern Airlines sign up to A$9m marketing deal Key facts Tourism Australia has signed a major aviation marketing deal in China which will see close to A$9 million invested over the next three years with major China international carrier, China Eastern Airlines. The new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)… Read the full press release

Popular Vietnamese Beauty Pageant to Use Thai Tourist Spots as Backdrop for the First Time

Bangkok, 2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ — The Tourism Authority of Thailand is to host 12 contestants of a Vietnamese beauty pageant as part of a new promotional effort to boost visitor arrivals from one of the kingdom’s fastest growing source-markets. Between 14-18 November, the contestants of Miss Teen Vietnam 2012 will visit tourism spots in Bangkok, Samut… Read the full press release

Meliá receives the Honorary plaque for Tourism merits for the “Calviá Beach Resort”project, a pioneer initiative for the repositioning of a mature destination in Mallorca

Palma de Mallorca, 2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ — The Spanish Government has approved the “Tourism Merit Award for public-private partnership for the modernization of mature destinations” to Melia Hotels International, in recognition of its repositioning project for Magaluf, one of the most popular destinations of Mallorca, developed in the 60s. These Honorary National Awards were created in 1962,… Read the full press release

Hilton Worldwide, Global Week of Service – November 12 Recap

Christopher J. Nassetta, president and chief executive officer, Hilton Worldwide and more than 100 Team Members from the Global Headquarters in McLean, VA kicked off the company's Global Week of Service by serving families at the ACCA Child Development Center in Fairfax, VA. Learn more about the over 300 Global Week of Service projects at www.hiltonworldwide.com/serve. Credit: Hilton Worldwide.

MCLEAN, Va. – 2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ — Today marked the official kick off of the inaugural Hilton Worldwide Global Week of Service as Christopher J. Nassetta, president and chief executive officer, Hilton Worldwide and more than 100 Team Members from the Global Headquarters in McLean, VA served children and families at the ACCA Child Development Center in Fairfax,… Read the full press release

Air New Zealand, More than 1 million per day watch An Unexpected Briefing

More than 1 million people a day have been viewing Air New Zealand’s Hobbit inspired safety video since it was launched just over a week ago 2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ — Air New Zealand General Manager Marketing and Communications Mike Tod says ‘An Unexpected Briefing’ has received more than 9 million online views in just eight days. “The video has been… Read the full press release

Passengers have chosen a retro livery for Aeroflot aircraft

Passengers have chosen a retro livery for Aeroflot aircraft

2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ — On November 12, 2012 the open Internet voting for Aeroflot new aircraft retro livery was finished. Celebrating the company’s 90-th Anniversary, an airplane in a heritage livery will join the Aeroflot fleet in 2013. In the middle of this summer Aeroflot addressed to its passengers through social networks, asking about their vision… Read the full press release

HYATT ANNOUNCES PURCHASE OF HYATT REGENCY BIRMINGHAM

CHICAGO,  2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ —  Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced that a Hyatt affiliate has purchased the Hyatt Regency Birmingham hotel in the United Kingdom for approximately USD$43 million. The hotel has operated as Hyatt Regency Birmingham since its opening in 1990. Through its affiliates, Hyatt was one of the original co-owners, and since 2002 the hotel… Read the full press release

RONALD VLASIC INDUCTED AS 2013 AH&LA CHAIR

New York, 2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ — Ronald Vlasic, CHA, regional vice president of hotels, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, outlined his agenda for the coming year at the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) Inaugural Gala held at the Plaza Hotel on Sunday, November 11. He told an audience of top lodging leaders, “Our industry moves fast… Read the full press release

Hays Travel switches to Travelport

Iconic travel brand partners with Travelport to fuel next chapter in growth Langley, 2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ — Travelport has announced that Hays Travel, the UK’s largest Independent travel retailer, has signed a contract to move its GDS business to Travelport. In addition to providing Hays with air and hotel content, Travelport will also provide Hays with access… Read the full press release

Hilton Kuala Lumpur Sweeps Regional Awards

Hilton Kuala Lumpur continues to top the list as one of Kuala Lumpur's best business and city hotels after sweeping a number of regional and local awards that are designed to recognize key players in the industry. Credit: Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

Hotel Tops “Best Business And City Hotel” Categories In Prestigious Regional Travel Industry Awards KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – 2012-11-13 — /travelprnews.com/ — Hilton Kuala Lumpur continues to top the list as one of Kuala Lumpur’s best business and city hotels after sweeping a number of regional and local awards that are designed to recognize key players… Read the full press release