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  • Buy2Greece.com – Strong advance bookings show the positive outlook of hotel industry in 2016

    As the end of summer nears, hotels in major North American markets are focusing on capturing bookings for early 2016 as opposed to last-minute travel deals, according to data from the August 2015 TravelClick North American Hospitality Review (NAHR).

    “Savvy hoteliers and smart travelers are playing the long game, according to the latest TravelClick data,” said John Hach, Senior Industry Analyst at TravelClick. “While there are some short-term dips in demand, capturing strong advance bookings is a best practice for opportunistic hoteliers to increase RevPAR well into 2016. However, it will be interesting to see if and how the recent stock market volatility impacts short-term and advance bookings.”

    Twelve-Month Outlook (August 2015 – July 2016)

    For the next 12 months (August 2015 – July 2016), overall committed occupancy is up 2.2 percent when compared to the same time last year. ADR is up 2.9 percent based on reservations that are currently on the books. Transient bookings (individual reservations that are made by business and leisure travelers) are up 1.5 percent year-over-year, and ADR for this segment is up 3.4 percent. When broken down further, the transient leisure (discount, qualified and wholesale) segment is showing occupancy gains of 4.0 percent and ADR gains of 2.5 percent. The transient business (negotiated and retail) segment occupancy is down 1.6 percent, but ADR is up 4.9 percent. Group segment occupancy is up 2.7 percent, and ADR has increased 1.9 percent, compared to the same time last year.

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    Hach added, “While there are many reasons that hotels are experiencing a relatively flat to slight dip in Q3 demand, it is likely just a small correction, as many travelers booked their trips earlier this summer. However, the strong dollar cannot be ignored, as it is becoming more expensive for people who live in Europe and Asia to visit the U.S.”

    The August NAHR looks at group sales commitments and individual reservations in the 25 major North American markets for hotel stays that are booked by August 5, 2015, from the period of August 2015 to July 2016.

    Source:TravelClick

  • Buy2Greece.com – Travel smart, travel safe to help tourism defeat terrorism!

    The unscrupulous activities by the terrorist groups all over the world are resulting in a huge blow to the global tourism sector substantially. The world tourism body, UNWTO strongly condemned the recent terror attack in Bangkok. UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai in a statement said, “These are direct attacks on the livelihood of the Thai people and their economy which is strongly linked with tourism. We stand by the Government and the people of Thailand in supporting its tourism sector as a vital pillar of the well being of Thai people.”

     The truth about the terrorism activities pronounce the fact that anything can happen anywhere in the world. Be it the shooting and explosion at the touristy Dolmabahce palace in Istanbul, the bombing at the Erawan shrine and in the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, or the mass shootings on the shores of Mediterranean at a beach resort in Tunisia. Paris, Nairobi and many other popular destinations of the world have witnessed the burns of cruel and gruesome terror attacks.

    lobal travelers are striving hard to find a way to avoid such ill-fated incidents but there is hardly any full-proof plan. However, as a smart traveler, one should be able to gauge the political condition of a country before planning a trip. People in New York might be afraid of traveling to Paris, but even their own city witnessed the dreadful 9/11 incident.

    Taleb Rifai in his statement about the recent Bangkok attack added, “Terrorism is a global threat impacting our societies, taking the lives of innocent people around the world and aiming to destroy our economies and our way of life. Thailand has a long tradition of being a hospitable and welcoming country and we fully believe it will continue to be so.”

    n a debate against the thought of avoiding travel, one can imagine how that will encourage the terrorists even more. Travel agencies are advising travelers to plan their trips smartly and keep a track of the odds before traveling. It is observed, while it’s always a good idea to register your trip abroad with the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. It becomes all the more important if you’re heading to an area where you’re worried about terrorism or unrest.

    For travelers who book independently, it is for them that the travel leaders worldwide are suggesting travelers to book their trips through a travel advisor. This may be one of the situations in which it could be beneficial to have a trusted travel agent help you plan your trip, rather than simply booking yourself online. A travel advisor can be an advocate you can turn to in a time of crisis when you’re far from home.

    To conclude, a traveler must remember that the odds are always in their favor and they can hardly defy the destiny. In 2014, 24 private-sector U.S. citizens overseas were killed as result of terrorism. However, the fatalities were in places where people will hardly go for a holiday, like Syria and Afghanistan.

  • Buy2Greece.com – “Η ΜΑΝΗ” (MANI) ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙ

  • www.buy2greece.com – Boeing predicts nearly $1 Trillion airplane orders from China in 20 years

    Boeing, China’s leading provider of commercial airplanes, projected a demand in the country for 6,330 new airplanes over the next 20 years. Boeing released its annual China Current Market Outlook (CMO) in Beijing, estimating the total value of those new airplanes at $950 billion.

    “Despite the current volatility in China’s financial market, we see strong growth in the country’s aviation sector over the long term,” said Randy Tinseth, vice president of Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Over the next 20 years, China’s commercial airplane fleet will nearly triple: from 2,570 airplanes in 2014 to 7,210 airplanes in 2034, with more than 70 percent of these deliveries accommodating growth.”

    “China’s aviation market is incredibly dynamic, from its leading airlines to its startups and low-cost carriers,” said Ihssane Mounir, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Northeast Asia, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Boeing is committed to serve customers in the world’s largest airplane market by providing the most fuel-efficient airplanes and services to support their growth and profitability.”

    As China becomes the world’s largest domestic air travel market, Boeing is forecasting demand for 4,630 single-aisle airplanes through 2034. This sector is driven by growth in new carriers and low-cost airlines in developing and emerging markets, as well as continuous expansion in established airlines. In fact, the efficiency and flexibility of single-aisle aircraft like the 737 helps Chinese carriers connect and stimulate growth along the Economic Belt as part of the One Belt, One Road Strategy. Tinseth said the Next-Generation 737-800 and new 737 MAX 8 – Boeing products at the heart of the single-aisle market – offer airlines the best fuel efficiency, reliability and capability.

    China’s low-cost carriers are currently responsible for about 8 percent of single-aisle market demand, rising to 25-30 percent of demand by 2034, Tinseth noted. “The 737 MAX 200 will have the lowest fuel costs – 20 percent per seat – versus today’s most efficient single-aisle airplanes,” Tinseth said. “737 MAX fuel efficiency and the 737’s position as the industry’s most reliable airplane offer Chinese low-cost carriers competitive advantages as they grow new business.”

    Boeing forecasts that the widebody segment will require 1,510 new airplanes, led by small and medium widebody airplanes such as the 777-300ER (Extended Range), 777X and the 787 Dreamliner. Tinseth stressed that Chinese airlines have more than doubled their long-haul international capacity over the past three years, in large part following the delivery of 747-8 Intercontinental airplanes to Air China and 777-300ERs and 787s to several leading Chinese carriers.

    “Enabled by China’s growing middle-class population, new visa policies and the underlying strength of its economic growth, this expansion is expected to continue, and in fact accelerate,” Tinseth said. “The 777, 787 and 747-8 are perfectly positioned to support Chinese airlines’ continued globalization.”

    New Airplane Deliveries to China: 2015-2034
    Airplane type Seats Total deliveries Dollar value
    Regional jets 90 and below 190 $10B
    Single-aisle 90-230 4,630 $490B
    Small wide-body 200-300 810 $210B
    Medium wide-body 300-400 650 $220B
    Large wide-body 400 and above 50 $20B
    Total ———– 6,330(16.6% of world total) $950(17% of world total)

  • www.buy2greece.com – Global economic fall may prove beneficial for some

    There are many who will be benefitting from the sudden drop in the market globally. Taxi rides are more expensive than the Uber X. People who look to save money, their overall ride volume will go down. But the already ailing cab companies will have a tough time competing with their cheaper and more efficient services such as Uber. People who book in AirBnb and are looking at saving money on vacations will gain by not booking in expensive hotels.

    The markets in The US claim that they are stronger economically so there are less chances of a meltdown. The US banking system is stronger and consumers are less in debt they feel since the last decade. The hotel and restaurant industries are busy and scrambling for workers as tourists and local families treat themselves, pouring new earnings into the region.

    Jobs are booming, with companies adding 48,200 workers through July, a pace unseen since 1998. San Diego gets the bulk of its tourism business from inside the U.S., but a sharp reduction in travel from China could zap a real growth area.

    “The crash of rupee against dollar will not have much impact on overseas travel for Indians during the upcoming vacation season. The festive season starts during Navaratri and goes up-to Diwali, wherein most Indians prefer short haul vacations around Southeast Asia or Middle East, thus it is least likely to impact travel. Given the fact that there are still 5-6 weeks before the onset of the festive season, we can hope for the Rupee to recover in the meantime,” feels Manmeet Ahluwalia, Marketing Head, Expedia India

    “Our recent Expedia Holiday Activity Report showed that if the dollar got expensive, Indian travelers wouldn’t cancel their bookings completely. Instead they would adopt different measures to keep within their holiday budget like- 63% would cut down on shopping, 38% would look at shifting to a more affordable destination, 32% would avoid places of interest that are ticketed, 32% would downgrade hotel star category while 25% would reduce vacation days.”

    However, though there is a speck of optimism reflected by some with the market value dwindling, the global slump will form gaping cracks in the global economy. If a small country like Greece could threaten the European economy then it goes without saying what the fall of the world number two currency could have on the global economic scene.

  • www.Buy2Greece.com-Technology set to drive innovation in the meetings industry

    Technology is the sector set to deliver the next major innovation in the meetings industry. This is according to research of more than 800 buyers and suppliers at this year’s IMEX in Frankfurt. Of the 840 people who answered the question What sphere do you think the next big innovation in meetings will come from? over 50% of hosted buyers and exhibitors and over 40% of visitors identified technology ahead of education, health and wellbeing and meetings design.

    Companies offering technology innovations are invited to take part in the IMEXpitch, the new name for the IMEX Tech Startup Competition, which returns to IMEX America for the second year. IMEXpitch enables companies to showcase exciting new technology products that address challenges faced by meeting and events professionals. The competition is currently inviting submissions from companies who have been operating for less than two years and the shortlist will be announced at the start of September. The shortlisted ‘Startuppers’ then have the opportunity to pitch to an expert panel at IMEX America which takes place 13 – 15 October in Las Vegas, with the winner receiving a free stand space at the Tech Pavilion at IMEX America 2016.

    Carina Bauer, CEO IMEX Group, explains: “With technology evolving at a rapid rate, it’s no surprise that our event attendees are in overwhelming agreement that this sector will deliver the most innovation. We’re already seeing this with many start-ups making waves in the market, and we launched IMEXpitch at IMEX America last year to support budding tech companies who develop innovative solutions and services for the meetings industry.

    “Following its premiere at IMEX America, the competition took place for the first time at IMEX in Frankfurt this year with Init Live, a cloud-based service and mobile app for managing staff and volunteers at events, crowned the winner. We’ve noticed that many companies shortlisted for the competition focus on apps as their main product offering, demonstrating that this is fertile ground for fast innovation and added value. “

    This is demonstrated by the growing usage of the IMEX App which launches for IMEX America 2015 in September and helps both buyers and exhibitors stay organised and up to date with everything happening at the show. Buyers can access their diary to make and check appointments, as well as view travel and accommodation information; and exhibitors can view and manage stand staff schedules on the show floor.

    IMEX America will take place 13 – 15 October at the Sands Expo and Convention Center at The Venetian | The Palazzo Las Vegas.

  • www.Buy2Greece.com-Global Business Travel Spending Predicted to Hit Record High of $1.25 Trillion in 2015

    Despite recent economic turbulence, China business travel will increase by 61 percent over the next 5 years, from $261 billion in 2014 to $420 billion in 2019. That increase is greater than the increases in business travel growth in the next 8 largest countries combined, including the U.S., Germany, India, U.K., Indonesia, France, Turkey and Japan.

    These findings are part of an annual travel forecast released today at GBTA Convention 2015 from the GBTA Foundation – the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association, which details business travel spending in 75 countries across 48 industries over 15 years, including a rolling five-year projection.

    Overall, the GBTA BTI™ Outlook – Annual Global Report & Forecast, sponsored by Visa, Inc. finds that global business travel spending will hit a record $1.25 trillion USD in 2015, 6.5 percent growth over 2014. Growth will remain strong through 2019, with business travel projected to grow 6.9 percent in 2016, 6.0 percent in 2017, 6.4 percent in 2018 and 5.8 percent in 2019.

    “Despie recent economic speedbumps, China will pull away as the global leader in business travel over the next five years,” said GBTA Executive Director and COO Michael W. McCormick. “On the horizon, we’ve identified five nations that are also seeing extraordinary growth and could very well turn into the business travel markets of the future. Another market to watch is India, which is statistically where China was 15 years ago.”

    The large majority of business travel spending in 2014 occurs in a few dominant markets. In fact, over two-thirds of total business travel spending continues to occur in the U.S., China and Western Europe. Currently Asia Pacific owns the largest share of the business travel spend market with 39 percent followed by North America with 27 percent and Western Europe with 24 percent. GBTA expects that by 2019, Asia Pacific will have gained another 3.5 percentage points in market share, while the United States and Western Europe will lose 2.7 percentage points and 0.6 percentage points, respectively.

    “The global business travel market is incredibly dynamic, with dozens of countries around the world such as China, India and Mexico, growing at remarkable rate,” said Brian Triplett, SVP, Head of Commercial Product, Visa Inc. “As these markets develop, safe and secure electronic payments will help corporations and business travelers around the globe track and manage their business travel spend.”

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – Sabre launches new Business Travel Services connecting hotels and travel buyers

    Sabre Corporation  has launched a new portfolio of consortia solutions to help hotels compete for high value business travelers and connect travel buyers with hotels that cater to business travelers. Sabre will feature the Business Travel Services during the 2015 GBTA Convention at booth #1425.

    Many independent and small chain hotels today find it difficult to compete for new travel agency and corporate business due to limited resources and investments compared to global hotel chains. Sabre Business Travel Services connects hotels to new business opportunities and helps them compete for and manage corporate accounts. At the same time, the solutions make it easier for travel managers and travel management companies to identify, negotiate and contract with hotels that best fit their corporate hotel programs.

    “On a macro-economic level, business travel continues to be a major economic driver and the same is true on a micro-level for hotels looking to build their corporate business and serve business travelers,” said Alex Alt, president of Sabre Hospitality Solutions. “Our Business Travel Services simplify that process by helping hotels compete for valuable business travel contracts and helping corporations get the most from their travel budgets.”

    According to a recent research report sponsored by Sabre and conducted by GBTA, managing supplier relationships and monitoring traveler compliance with corporate travel policies are two of the most time-consuming and important aspects of most corporate travel programs. In addition, as corporate travel managers are more pressed for time and resources, many are asking for expert assistance when building effective hotel programs.

    The new report, Travel Manager 2020 – Foundational Shifts in the Role of the Travel Manager, discusses how corporate travel managers increasingly rely on technology and data as critical tools in negotiating contracts with suppliers, identifying hard-dollar savings, and monitoring compliance.

    “As hotel rates continue to climb, a corporation’s hotel spend can account for as much of the travel budget as air travel. So it’s extremely important that corporations can tie negotiated rates to booked rates to ensure travelers are being offered what was negotiated and that they track that savings throughout the year – not just during negotiation season,” continued Alt.

    Sabre Business Travel Services provide the ability to integrate negotiated rate data into both the hotel’s reservation system and into the travel buyer’s online and offline booking channels to maximize savings and efficiency. The solutions portfolio builds upon Sabre’s existing Sabre Hotel RFP technology and hotel consortia program to add an elite hotel consortia tier, BT Advantage, and Global Account Management:

    • BT Advantage provides corporate agents with easy access to hundreds of pre-qualified business travel hotels in North America and the UK with plans to expand to other regions over the next 12-18 months.
    • Global Account Management Services provides RFP representation to hotels, offering corporations and buyers a free, one-stop connection to reach thousands of pre-qualified global upscale, independent properties catering to business travelers.
    • Hotel RFP, Sabre’s award winning RFP technology, makes it easier for corporations and agencies to source hotels from the more than 175,000 GDS and non-GDS hotels worldwide. Corporate travel programs gain speed, efficiency and year round access to the data needed to manage and audit rates for high value corporate hotel programs. In addition, Sabre has partnered with a leading independent travel consultancy with experience sourcing over 250 engagements in the last five years who can help corporations save money by building and executing a sourcing strategy that optimizes their negotiated hotel programs leveraging Hotel RFP technology.

  • www.buy2greece.com-Airbnb Launches Global Product Suite for Businesses

    Airbnb has announced the global expansion of its Business Travel program with the launch of a new product suite aimed at making Airbnb easier to use for companies.

    Companies around the world can swiftly sign in to Airbnb and have access to a range of features to support business trips. The suite of tools provides visibility into employee travel itineraries booked through Airbnb, financial reporting data, and central billing to improve the business travel experience for travelers and travel managers.

    The Product is comprised of three components — the Activity Tab, the Reporting Tab, and the Employees Tab — as well as central billing and financial reporting data to help serve travel managers with:

    • Activity Tab – Cataloging current and upcoming employee trips, including trip dates, location, date booked, trip status, number of people in each party, and an interactive map.
    • Reporting Tab – Collecting and managing booking reports for the entire organization and exporting financial data and reports.
    • Employees Tab – Managing approved and pending employees who have been permitted to book business travel using Airbnb.

    The global launch of the Business Travel program comes on the heels of 700 percent growth that Airbnb’s Business Travel program has experienced over the past year. Since the program’s launch last July, more than 250 companies have joined Airbnb’s Business Travel program, including Google, TBWA, Twilio, and SoundCloud.

    “Our employees worldwide appreciate the choice and flexibility that Airbnb listings provide them when they’re on the road — whether for conferences, meetings, or team offsites. It’s great that Googlers can easily access Airbnb’s wide range of accommodations as they make their travel plans,” said Darragh Ormsby, Global Travel Manager, Google.

    “As an agency, we are huge fans of Airbnb and have been using their site to book accommodations for years. We are very excited about the new dashboard tool and are looking forward to rolling it out within our organization. Not only will it help streamline the booking process for business travel, but it will ultimately help us better manage invoices, expenses, and stays on a single web-based platform,” said Joe Basso, Budget Director at TBWA\CHIAT\DAY.

    “As a global company with offices in Berlin, San Francisco, New York, and London, we expect many of our employees to book business trips in 2015, and Airbnb’s new solution provides us with a great set of tools. Having this type of added visibility into past, present, and future trips allows us to improve our employee experience while they are traveling,” said Caoimhe Keogan, VP People, SoundCloud.

    “With employees around the globe, Airbnb Business Travel helps us better support our team when they are on the road,” said Kelly Cammer, Travel Manager for Twilio. “Not only are we able to get better insight into how and when our employees are using Airbnb, but travelers are able to choose a place that feels like home at a price that fits our travel budgets.”

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – China (Sichuan) International Tourism Investment Conference held in Chengdu

    China (Sichuan) International Tourism Investment Conference, hosted by the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government and the Investment Association of China, was held in Chengdu from July 22 to 24.
    This is the largest conference in the tourism investment sector of Sichuan province. It was attended by the leaders of more than 120 well-known enterprises such as Wanda Group, OCT Group, CITS Group Corporation, China National Travel Service (HK) Group Corporation, New Hope Group, Scenery Culture, Orient Landscape Industry Group Ltd., Shanghai Spring International Travel Service (Group) Co., Ltd. and Beijing Tourism Group.

    This conference is a measure taken by the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government on how to develop tourism and promote investment in the tourism industry. At the conference, the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government concluded a Strategic Cooperation Agreement for Promoting Tourism Development with China National Travel Service (HK) Group Corporation and CITS Group Corporation; the Tourism Administration of Sichuan Province signed Strategic Cooperation Agreements on Providing Financial Support for Tourism Development with 4 financing institutions; 12 cities and prefectures signed agreements for 20 tourism projects amounted to RMB 39.37 billion.

    -at the conference, keynote addresses were delivered by Liu Zhifeng, President of China Real Estate Association; Wang Jianlin, President of Wanda Group; Liu Pingchun, President of OCT Group; Liu Yonghao, President of New Hope Group; Yi Peng, famous economist; Mei Shuaiyuan, President of Scenery Culture. They announced plans to further discuss the advantages and future direction of tourism investment promotion in Sichuan. The Tourism Administration of Sichuan Province and some cities and prefectures mainly promoted the preferred tourism projects in Sichuan and held parties for investment and financing. Some key investors organized a trip for the preferred tourism projects in Sichuan, which further attracts and encourages investors to make investment in Sichuan.