World's best honeymoon spot is Maldives

(CNN) -- For some it's Paris, for others Rome.

For others it gets no more exotic than the local Indian restaurant.

But where would you like to spend your honeymoon?

Or where did you spend it?

If there were a pictographic encyclopedia of the world, this is what you'd see under the "dream honeymoon" entry -- a villa in the middle of Maldives' crystal clear water. Things could get even more spectacular, if this underwater, space-age hotel ever gets built.

A recent survey from booking site Agoda.com revealed that 20% of 15,000 customers from around the world picked the Maldives as their "dream honeymoon location."

The survey was limited to 20 pre-selected locations, mixing cities, countries and other locales, and interviewees couldn't add their own.

We want to widen the choice to anywhere in the world and ask: where would you go for a once-in-a-lifetime, post-wedding holiday with your partner?

Top honeymoon destinations according to Agoda.com

Maldives -- 20.3%
Greek Islands -- 7.8%
Paris -- 7.6%
Bali -- 7.1%
Hawaii -- 6.6%
Italy -- 6.5%
Caribbean Islands -- 5.7%
Tahiti -- 5.6%
New Zealand -- 5.2%
Istanbul -- 3.8%
Phuket -- 3.5%
Australia -- 3.4%
Prague -- 2.8%
Las Vegas -- 2.7%
New York -- 2.5%
Spain -- 2.5%
Cancun -- 2.4%
Rio de Janeiro -- 2.2%
Croatia -- 1.0%
Montreal -- 0.9%

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/14/travel/honeymoon-destinations/index.html?iref=allsearch

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa achieves 'Silver EarthCheck' certification for second year

One of only 6 resorts in the Maldives – and 212 resorts globally – to be certified to the internationally recognised EarthCheck company standards

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa, located in the heart of one of the largest and deepest natural atolls in the world, has achieved Silver EarthCheck Certification for the second consecutive year – making it one of the few resorts worldwide to gain such recognition..

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa was the first property in the Maldives to follow the EarthCheck Planning and Design Standards during construction, which resulted in the resort becoming bronze benchmarked in 2009 by EarthCheck – the world's leading sustainable travel and tourism certification organisation. Following an extensive audit in 2012, the resort reached the programme’s coveted Silver certification, and in 2013 was recognised for a second year, firmly placing the resort as a leader in the unique worldwide group of sustainable tourism operators.

As the Hyatt Group’s first sustainable tourism development, one of the primary objectives was to ensure that the resort was planned, designed and constructed in an environmentally sensitive manner. In addition, it also required that during operation, the resort should take great care to minimise its effect on the environment, enhance the Maldivian experience and to be as energy efficient as possible – a responsibility that the resort still places as a priority today.

Following the EarthCheck assessment in 2013, Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa was highly commended for our use of reusable glass bottles for drinking water, which is bottled onsite reducing plastic bottle waste by approximately 100,000 per year. EarthCheck also identified that the apparent awareness of our staff on environmental initiatives was highly commendable.

Ciara McCarten, Resident Marine Biologist and EarthCheck Coordinator commented: “We are extremely proud to be one of only 6 resorts in the Maldives to have reached this level, and are delighted that our ongoing commitment to the environment has been recognised by EarthCheck. We are aware that we have a big responsibility to continue our growth as a sustainable company, and we will therefore continue to work closely with EarthCheck to maintain and develop our environmental and social responsibility programmes.”

In April 2013, Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa was recognised in the ‘Best Sustainable Hotel’ category at the Asia Pacific Hotel Awards, receiving an international 5* award for their ongoing commitment to the environment. This achievement also follows the latest Hyatt Thrive initiative, the company’s global corporate responsibility platform, which focuses on community development work in the fields of education, the environment and promoting the cultural heritage of southern Maldives.

Source: http://www.incentivetravel.co.uk/news/hotel/16790-park-hyatt-maldives-hadahaa-achieves-silver-earthcheck-certification-for-second-year

Kuramathi Island Resort wins TUI’S International Environment Award 2010

The Eco center at the Kuramathi Island resort is honored to receive the highly acclaimed international award - TUI's International Environment Award for the year 2010, making them the first winner in the Asia pacific region in the awards history.

The accolade comprises of prize money worth Euros 10,000 which is designed to stimulate & assist in continuation of sustainable development activities while building links with tourism.

Past prize winners to win this prestigious accolade included local environment initiatives from Turkey, Greece, Kenya, Canary Islands and Minorca, "Blue Flag" campaign conducted by the foundation for environment education (FEE), the international commission for the protection of the Alps CIPRA & the federation of National parks of Europe (EUROPARK).

The World of TUI has sustained model international environmental, landscape and nature protection activities since 1991. TUI's International Environment Award which was conferred for the first time in 1991, is presented to environmental and nature protection organizations or interregional initiatives which make contribution to the protection and maintenance of nature and the environment in world of TUI holiday destinations.

This prestigious award will be presented to Kuramathi Island resort on 19th January 2011.

Source: http://www.visitmaldives.com

Maldives to welcome 750,000 th visitor this year

Press Release

Maldives extended a warm welcome to the 750,000th visitor to the country today.  British citizen, Mrs. Daniela Ruth Selig arrived Maldives this morning by British Airways flight which landed at
0920hrs.   

Mrs. Selig clocked the 750,000th visitor mark at the immigration counter where she was met by the officials of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture and the Maldives Tourism promotion Board and were presented with a beautiful flower bouquet and sash.  Mrs. Selig arrived in the Maldives with her husband and two children.    They were escorted with a warm welcome procession of traditional Boduberu beats and dance from the arrival terminal up to the VIP lounge where they were warmly welcomed by The Minister of State for Tourism, Arts & Culture Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed together with the senior officials of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, The Maldives Tourism Promotion Board and representatives of the Tourism Industry of Maldives.   

At the VIP lounge, Mrs. Selig was presented with a gift and a special letter from the Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture extending a warm welcome and offering a special holiday package for two in the Maldives within the coming year.   

UK is one of the biggest generating market to the Maldives with a total of 95,586 arrivals to the Maldives from January to October.   This is an increase of 9.4% compared to the same period of 2009.   The 750,000th visitor being a British citizen is thought to create more interest and publicity to the destination especially amongst the British consumers.   Mrs. Selig is spending her holiday at Anantara Digu with her family.   This is her second holiday in the Maldives.     


END.
For more information, please contact:
Maldives Tourism Promotion Board
Malé, Maldives
Telephone: +960 332 3228
Facsimile: +960 332 3229
Email: mtpb@visitmaldives.com
Website: www.visitmaldives.com

Source: www.visitmaldives.com

Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives

Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives has been listed in the Luxury Travel Gold List 2010’s Top 20 in the categories of ‘Best Overseas Resort’ and ‘Best Overseas Spa Resort’. Now in its 6th year, the Luxury Travel Gold List 2010 survey is one of the most comprehensive and highly respected luxury travel surveys conducted in Australia.

Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives is spread across a pristine beach and over one of the largest lagoons in the Maldives, with 62 luxuriously appointed villas. Heralded for its culinary offerings, guests may dine in one of the resort’s restaurants, experience 24 hour in-villa dining valet services or choose any location around the island for memorable al fresco private dining. A highlight of the resort is the Jiva Grande Spa – a private island sanctuary offering a range of Indian wellness signature treatments and rituals.

Only 15 minutes by a private luxury speedboat from Malé International Airport, Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives epitomizes luxury with a conscience. It is a five star property which has risen to the challenge of protecting the natural tropical flora and fauna and surrounding blue waters of Emboodhu Finolhu Island. Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives has implemented a range of initiatives to reduce its carbon foot print, whilst ensuring that guests continue to experience a high level of comfort, luxury accommodation, culinary offerings, spa and recreational facilities, as well impeccable service – an international hallmark of the Taj group.

Source: http://www.livetradingnews.com

Maldives Received Runner–up in The Destination of the Year Award

Maldives received runner-up position in the Destination of the Year category of The DIVER Awards 2009.

On the award which was presented on Friday, 26th March 2010, the island-nation of the Maldives received the runner-up award by compete against several dive destination loosing against its rival Egypt, who won the Destination of the Year award. The Diver Magazine states that “the popularity of Egypt with DIVER readers reflects its convenient proximity, its good value for money, the hospitality of its people and the high quality of its diving in terms of both wrecks and reefs.”

The Diver Magazine also stated that the Maldives, which was a very significant destination for divers, was beat off by Egypt by a solid margin due to the fact that the Maldives is much further away from the UK, and so significantly more expensive.

The vast country of Indonesia, with its growing popularity with DIVER readers, took third place this year.

Source: http://www.visitmaldives.com

Maldives – Ranked No. 4 amongst the 28 finalists of “New 7 Wonders of Nature”

With an increase of 99.32% Maldives is ranked as no.4 amongst the 28 finalists of New 7 Wonders of Nature. The ranking for this week is based on according to the number of votes received in the past four weeks from outside the country as well as local nationals.

The Official New7Wonders of Nature is a worldwide campaign, and finalists have to achieve a minimum of 90% of international votes and 10% locally.

The reason for Maldives climbing to the 4th position is the support that MTPB has got from the private sector together with the effort of MTPB in promoting the New 7 Wonders of Nature voting activities in the Maldives stands in all the tourism and travel fairs participated abroad.

In order to motivate voting a raffles draw was held during the end of each fair at the stand and the winner was awarded a free 1 week holiday in a Maldivian resort. MTPB would like to take this opportunity to thank all the resorts that sponsored the raffle draw and hope for the continued support in the future activities as well.

Inorder to initiate voting in the resorts and to create awareness amongst the guests, a seminar with the resort managers were held in January. All the participants were given a trailer DVD of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” along with 3 different sizes of the flyers that was used by the MTPB in the fairs and in other public events. The trailer DVD is ideal for broadcasting in the resort in house TV. This was also sent to all the resorts by email for them to use in the activities carried out to promote New 7 Wonders of Nature.

For additional information regarding the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” and to vote for Maldives please visit http://www.new7wonders.com/

Source: http://www.visitmaldives.com

Maldives wins “Best Diving Area” & “Best Dreaming Area” in the Dive and Travel Awards 2010

The Maldives has been awarded as the “Best Diving Area” and “Best Dreaming Area” in the Dive & Travel Awards 2010 held during the Marine Diving Fair, Tokyo, Japan from 02 – 04th April 2010. The voting was carried out amongst the readers of the both magazines targeted to the divers; “Travel Diver” and “Marine Diving” , based on the “Reader’s Choice Award”

Maldives won the “Best Diving Area” after competing with the world famous dive favourites Palau and Ishigaakee Island. The competitors for the “Best Dreaming Area” include Palau and French Polynesia.

The awards were collected by the Maldives High Commissioner to Japan, Hon. Mr. Amir Khaleel.

Apart from the above “Island Safari Royal” and “Soleil” from the Maldives won 2nd and 3rd place respectively in the “Best Liveaboard” category.

Marine Dive Fair remains as the largest fair held in Japan targeted to the divers creating an opportunity to decide and arrange their dive holidays.

Hon. Mr. Amir Khaleel was the chief guest at the opening ceremony of the Marine Diving Fair. In his speech noted was the issue of the global warming and its impact to the Maldives and expressed his supported for the Japanese campaign to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25% by the year 2020. He also thanked the Marine Arts Centre for their hard work in creating awareness amongst the public about the protection of the underwater.

A quiz is carried in the Maldives stand daily making it popular by having more visitors attending to participate in the quiz. This year it is expected that a total of 50,000 would visit the fair. Together with Maldives Tourism Promotion Board, Villa hotels, Sun hotels, Bandos Island Resort & Spa, Diva Maldives, Conrad Maldives and Travel Agencies; Vista Company & Travel Services, Crown Tours, Intour Maldives and Intourist Maldives participated in the fair.

Though last year Maldives experienced a reduction in Japanese market, this year Japanese market is looking prosperous with a 6.0% increase in arrivals during February 2010. A total of 36,641 Japanese visited Maldives in the year 2009 with a market share of 5.6%.

Source: http://www.visitmaldives.com

Inner Maldives Holidays Nominated as 'Indian Oceans Leading Travel Agency' for the Fourth Consecutive Year

Inner Maldives Holidays is proud to announce it has been nominated at the World Travel Awards 2010 as Indian Ocean’s Leading Travel Agency. This is the fourth year in a row that the company has received a World Travel Awards nomination. Previous nominations include the “World's Leading Travel Agency” in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The company has won World Travel Awards for “Indian Ocean’s Leading Travel Agency” in 2007 and 2009. Inner Maldives Holidays was the very first travel agency in the Maldives to receive a World Travel Award and it is the only agency that has won the highly coveted award twice.

The World Travel Awards (WTA) is the most comprehensive and prestigious awards ceremony in the global travel industry today. The Wall Street Journal has described the awards as “the Oscars of the travel industry”. The honorable recipients of a World Travel Award have undergone rigorous independent examination, proven their excellence and have raised industry standards. They enjoy the integrity and status of being labeled the best in business.

Inner Maldives Holidays can include this World Travel Award 2010 nomination amongst its many impressive accolades. The company has been featured in New York Times as “one of the nation's biggest tour companies” (04/01/2005) and is also highly recommended by Lonely Planet - which is the bestselling guidebook and digital media publisher for travel in the world.

Inner Maldives Holidays blueprint for 2010 is to expand further into the region therefore offering markets beyond the Maldives. The company has already been selling outbound from Maldives into India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Seychelles, Mauritius, Dubai and even Europe. Inner Maldives Holidays concept of “The Maldives and beyond” is designed so that tourism in the Maldives will benefit from being sold as a twin center or multi-center holiday with a multitude of combinations: including products and services from Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The year 2010 will be one of expansion for Inner Maldives Holidays as it proactively seeks new markets in the Asian region.

Inner Maldives Holidays would like to take this opportunity to thank its partners, colleagues, associates, stakeholders and dedicated employees for what has been another phenomenal year of performance and progress. Inner Maldives Holidays’ World Travel Award 2010 nomination is the result from 12 years of dedication, smiles and success.

Source: http://www.pr.com

THE MALDIVES WON THE TOP ISLANDS AWARD AT 2009 CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER AWARDS

The Maldives has topped the poles in 22nd Annual Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards leaving other popular beach destinations such as Bali, Phuket and Seychelles trailing behind in its wake.

The award, which was announced on Thursday, October 15th night, was for Top Islands Award. The Maldives scored consistently highly in categories which included variety of activities, atmosphere / ambiance, great beaches, friendliness of people, range of lodging, food and restaurants and scenery. The overall score was an impressive 87.50, out of a total of 100.

This year, 25,008 readers responded the annual Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice survey and the results were announced at the Readers’ Choice Awards gala which was held at New York City’s IAC Building hosted by Stanley Tucci and Mary Louise Parker.

On top of this accolade, the Maldives also bask in the reflected glory of a number of its resorts was recognised in the Top Resorts – Asia category. These resorts includes Soneva Fushi by Six Senses, Maldives at number fifteen, Soneva Gili by Six Senses, Maldives which took twentieth place and One & Only Reethi Rah, Maldives which came in at number twenty four.

Condé Nast Traveler’s annual reader awards are regarded as one of the most authoritative in the US tourism industry. The magazine has an unbending ‘truth in travel’ policy and is renowned for its editorial integrity. The questionnaire was available to all readers through a secure Wed site and the results were collated and analysed by Mediamark Research, Inc., of New York City.

Source: http://www.visitmaldives.com

Luxurious Island Resort Conrad Maldives Voted Overall Winner

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has been voted the overall winner in the renowned German Spa Magazine, ‘SENSES’ annual wellness awards.

The SENSES Wellness awards have been running for 11 years and are co-ordinated by the SENSES editorial staff together with a select panel of experts. Competing against over 350 hotels and resorts, the lush twin-island resort was chosen the ‘Overall Winner’ for 2009.

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island’s General Manager and Island Chief, Carsten Schieck, collected the esteemed award from famous German TV-Presenter, Alexandra Polzin at a ceremony held at the grand ‘Altes Stadthaus’ in Berlin on Thursday 12 March 2009.

In addition to being the only Destination Spa in the Maldives featuring 21 spa villas with personal treatment rooms and direct access to The Spa Retreat, the multiple award-winning resort is the first in the Maldives to feature two spas, each with its own product range and philosophy.

The Spa Retreat is a self-contained over-water resort offering a range of holistic treatments and spa packages, plus the services of a resident Personal Trainer, Naturopath and Nutritionist, restaurant, reception, hairdressers and retail area. Meanwhile, the Over-Water Spa offers signature couples rituals in glass floor treatment rooms and Serenity Spa Deck with open air Jacuzzi.

Source: etravelblackboard.com

The Maldives retains top spot in Kuoni long haul report

The Maldives has remained the most popular destination in the Kuoni Longhaul Report, despite not allowing non-Muslims to be married there.

Kuoni head of product Wendy Kenneally said the destination maintained its position in the annual report, which lists the operator’s top-selling destinations, as couples can renew their vows there. It is also the operator’s most popular destination with honeymooning couples.

Thailand has also fought off competition to hold its second place despite the political unrest which saw rioters close down Bangkok airport over the Christmas period.

Kenneally added: “Thailand started off very strongly and was good to mid-year. However, what had started as a promising year ended in protests.”

Kenneally added the situation in Thailand appears to have calmed down and customers are once again being drawn to it largely thanks to the value on offer once they have arrived.

America has taken third place from Egypt thanks to an increase in weekend breaks with New York and Las Vegas proving particularly strong while Egypt came fourth largely due to the fact it is a mid-haul destination.

Kenneally added Sri Lanka moved in to the top five of the operator’s Longhaul Report despite ongoing fighting between the country’s government and the Tamil Tigers.

She said this had been driven by the fact that Sri Lanka remains the most popular wedding destination and the second most popular honeymoon destination.

Source: travelweekly.co.uk

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Receives World Travel Award

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has added another accolade to its collection, with the receipt of the World Travel Award for ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Hotel’.

The current Miss World, Zhang Zilin, presented the award to General Manager and Island Chief Carsten Schieck at the World Travel Market, held earlier this month in London.

The World Travel Awards are one of the biggest accolades in the travel and tourism sector, gaining recognition as “The Oscars of the Travel Industry” from the Wall Street Journal.

Carsten Schieck, General Manager and Island Chief commented, “We are delighted to receive this highly sought after award for the second year running following our re-branding in December 2007. We have an exceptional team committed to providing a truly outstanding resort experience and this award proves that we are setting the benchmark in a highly competitive environment.”

Source: ftnnews.com

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts voted 'Best Business Hotel Brand in Asia-Pacific

Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, was named Best
Business Hotel Brand in Asia-Pacific for the eighth consecutive year and won a total of
seven awards in Business Traveler Asia-Pacific magazine’s 2008 Readers’ Poll.

Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore was voted Best Business Hotel in the World, Best Business
Hotel in Asia-Pacific and Best Business Hotel in Singapore. Island Shangri-La, Hong
Kong; Makati Shangri-La, Manila; and Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei each
won the Best Business Hotel awards in their cities.

The poll was conducted among the magazine’s frequent traveler subscribers based mainly
in the Asia-Pacific region. Results will be published in the October issue of Business
Traveler Asia-Pacific.

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel
group, currently owns and/or manages 56 hotels under the deluxe Shangri-La and midmarket
Traders brands, with a rooms inventory of over 28,000. The group has over 50
projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Japan,
Macau, Maldives, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates,
United Kingdom and the United States.

Source: www.japantoday.com

Cinnamon Island Alidhoo wins grand PATA award

Cinnamon Island Alidhoo in the Maldives a resort managed by the John Keells Group was conferred the Grand PATA award for the ‘Education and Training’ category at a sparkling presentation luncheon held in Hyderabad, India recently.

The project was titled ‘We Shared and We Cared’; the Cinnamon Island Alidhoo award-winning project is a new School of Hospitality at its premises. The initiative began as an energetic local recruitment drive and gradually snowballed into an unprecedented opportunity for the women and young people of the Barah and Utheem islands in the Maldives, to transform themselves into well-trained hoteliers. Starting this year, the resort’s parent company, Keells Hotel Management Services Limited, invested to operate a hotel school in which the curriculum is focused on providing the youth of the islands neighbouring Cinnamon Island Alidhoo with skills that would equip them to enter the industry.

Commenting on the award, Jayantissa Kehelpannala, Sector Head – Resort Hotels and Executive Vice President- John Keells Group, said, “We are delighted to receive this PATA award, for it is a reflection of the strength and spirit of the brand. The School of Hospitality is the off-spring of our foray into truly sustainable development, which lives by a win-win ethic. This is an initiative that benefits the people as much as the industry and I am glad we have been instrumental in making a difference.”

He also expressed his thanks to Masters DDB, who did an excellent job in preparing and presenting the application, helping it to stand out amongst the many received – a total of 258 entries from 108 travel and tourism organisations.”

Cinnamon Island Alidhoo is the flagship resort of Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts – the John Keells Group’s premier hospitality brand – and was the first Cinnamon branded resort in the Maldives. Unveiled on the July 1st, 2007, it is the first of its kind established in the widely undiscovered atoll of Haa Alifu which is in the northern most part of the Maldives.

Source: www.dailymirror.lk

Maldives Wins Best Island Award 2008

The Maldives has won the Condé Nast Traveller’s Readers Best Island Award for the year 2008. Maldives scored well in all 10 scoring criteria including the top mark for beaches.

The Maldives won this milestone award from the readers’ poll by successfully competing against Greek Islands, Mauritius, Barbados and Hawaii etc. This is the third consecutive year that Maldives won this award.

In addition, six Maldives resorts were among the best hotels in Overseas Leisure Hotels in the Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean category. They are One & Only Reethi Rah, One & Only Kanuhura, Soneva Gili, Fourseasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, Cocoa Island Resort and Huvafenfushi.

Source: www.visitmaldives.com

Inner Maldives Holidays Selected as Host Buyer for PATA Travel Mart 2008

Inner Maldives Holidays is pleased to announce that the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has selected Inner Maldives Holidays as a Host Buyer for PATA Travel Mart 2008. PATA - a non-profit travel trade association serving government tourist offices, airlines, hotels and other travel-related companies throughout the Pacific Asia region, and it is one of the most vital travel associations in the world.

PATA Travel Mart 2008 is hosted this year in Hyderabad, India and this event is gearing up to be a spectacular show. PATA Travel Mart 2008 has received a total of 374 registered buyer delegates from 329 buyer organisations, from 57 countries.

Inner Maldives Holidays Pvt Ltd., a company that was founded in the year 1998 with the dedicated objective of providing travel and tourism services to the booming tourism industry in the Maldives. In the years Inner Maldives Holidays has grown to become one of the market leaders in the industry with annual turnover of over USD$ 6 million in 2006, and presently represent over 500 global travel brands in the Maldives.

It is said to be the first time a Maldivian travel company has been selected as a host buyer at a PATA Travel Mart or any trade fair. This distinguished endorsement of the Maldivian tourism industry by PATA is a nation triumph and achievement.

Inner Maldives Holidays has been nominated by SriLankan Holidays, therefore, they take this opportunity to thank SriLankan Airlines and SriLankan Holidays for this opportunity and also thank PATA for making this possible.

Source: pr-canada.net

Kuoni Long-haul Report Sees Maldives Hold Onto Number One Place For 2007 As Tailor Made Business Grows

At the launch of its annual long-haul report, leading specialist tour operator Kuoni Travel announced that the Maldives has retained its Number 1 position as the favourite long-haul destination both for 2007 and going forward to 2008. Also at the top of the table for 2007, Thailand remains at Number 2, Egypt has climbed one place to Number 3 and Kenya and Dubai have retained the Number 4 and 5 places respectively. As predicted in last year’s report, China, including Hong Kong, had an outstanding year in 2007, with business to mainland China up by some 60%, climbing two places to Number 6.

Looking forward to 2008, early ’hot stars’ include India, climbing two places to Number 9, with year on year growth of some 30%, South Africa, into the Top Twenty at Number 18, with growth of 14% and Bali, which is enjoying a welcome resurgence and is currently sitting at Number 19 for the year ahead.

Commenting, Nick Hughes, Managing Director, Kuoni Travel says "It’s great to see the Maldives continuing to hold its well-deserved position as the favourite long-haul destination"

"In terms of the major trends we are seeing in long-haul travel, the most apparent is the shift towards tailor making. During the past two years the tailor made share of our total business has grown by approximately 50% and is being requested on an increasing basis. Kuoni has long been recognised for its ability to personalise holidays on a very individual basis for our clients and it is this skill, supported by our in-depth knowledge, careful selection of product and excellent customer service that we believe will set us apart moving into the future, as the leading provider of top quality tailor made holidays"

For further press information on Kuoni, and copies of the long-haul report, please contact Kuoni media relations.

Source: webwire.com

Global Hotel Alliance welcomes two new members

Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) welcomed two hotel brands to its membership, strengthening its membership as it now reaches nine members. The two new members are Anantara and the Cham Group. Anantara is a collection of six spa resorts in some of Asia’s most exotic destinations. Anantara Resorts are currently located in Thailand in the seaside town of Hua Hin, on Koh Samui, in the Golden Triangle; and also in the Maldives and in Bali, with several new resorts already under development.

Michael Sagild, Anantara’s Chief Operating Officer, is delighted to be joining GHA: “Anantara Resorts has established a solid reputation for offering an experience to guests unlike any other, one that couples serenity with exoticism and state-of-the-art convenience with indigenous charm. Our Membership of GHA will enable us to broaden our reach and communicate our brand to more customers, through new marketing channels, together with our GHA partners”.

Cham Group comprises Cham Palaces & Hotels, which is a collection of eleven city and resort hotels in Syria and Jordan and soon Algeria. Some, such as the Cham Palace in Damascus, are the true historical palace hotels of the region.

Royal Regency International Hotels is also part of the Cham Group with its properties in Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Marsa Allam in Egypt and Minsk. Cham Group’s hotels complement other GHA member hotels in the region, and will form part of strong network of GHA hotels in the Middle East.

Dr Ghassan Aidi, Cham’s President, is buoyant about their prospects as a member of GHA: “It’s not always easy marketing a local brand out of the Middle East, but these beautiful countries are steeped in history, and boast destinations such as Petra in Jordan, which was recently voted as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and Palmyra and Afamia in Syria, which are set to become a ’must-visit’ on the tourist map in a region where the hotel business is already growing exponentially. GHA helps us to communicate our brand and to promote our destinations to customers who are looking to do business in the region or who wish to discover first-hand our magnificent history and cultural heritage.”

Anantara and Cham will use GHA’s central reservations system, gha.net, powered by the technology of its partner Micros-Fidelio, and Chris Hartley, GHA’s CEO, is bullish about the prospects of continuing success for GHA and its members. “In 2007, gha.net generated over $10m in incremental revenue to our members, while providing $1.5m in distribution cost savings. The addition of Anantara and Cham as new members, plus the prospect of more to come, enhances GHA’s ability to reduce costs for its members and cross-sell to each other’s customers, thus creating an ever-improving value proposition.”

GHA’s members are all regional brands, offering local experiences, and an attractive alternative to the standardised, chain experience. “Anantara and Cham fit GHA’s cultural mould perfectly in this regard,” Hartley added.

Source: traveldailynews.com

Inner Maldives Holidays is "Indian Ocean's Leading Travel Agency"

Inner Maldives Holidays has been awarded the "Indian Ocean's Leading Travel Agency" at the regional World Travel Awards (WTA) Ceremony at The Leela Palace Kempinski in Bangalore, India, where the winners of the Asia, Australasia & Indian Ocean Awards were announced.

The Managing Director of the company, Mr. Mohamed Firaq accepted the award on behalf of the company at the ceremony.

Inner Maldives Holidays Pvt Ltd., was founded in 1998 with the main objective of providing travel and tourism services to the booming tourism industry in the Maldives. And, over the last 9 years, Inner Maldives Holidays has grown to become one of the market leaders in the industry with annual turnover of over USD $ 6 million in 2006. Inner Maldives represents over 500 global travel brands in the Maldives.

This is the first time that a Maldivian travel agency or tour operator has attained such status at the World stage. Hence, this distinguished endorsement of the Maldivian tourism industry by the World Travel Awards is a national triumph and achievement.

The management of Inner Maldives Holidays takes this opportunity to thank all its stakeholders and partners for their unreserved support and assistance over the years.

Source: pr.com