Brand USA trains agents
June 18, 2013 by PRnewswire
Filed under Americas, News
WASHINGTON, 18 June 2013: Brand USA will launch a new online agent training programme first in the UK and Ireland to help travel agents build sales and content skills on USA travel.
The USA Discovery Programme is very similar to highly successful initiatives by Australia, New Zealand and Britain. Australia was the first country to see the importance of training travel agents and creating a bond to build business through its Aussie Specialists programme that rolled out through the Asia Pacific region.
It rolls out in the UK and Ireland to test response in two major markets that use English language, but it is likely to go further into Europe with language specific sites later in France, Germany and Italy three top markets for US tourism.
Teething troubles for NY bikes
NEW YORK, 18 June 2013: Since the Big Apple launched its bike share programme late last month, New Yorkers have already pedalled a total of 475,970 miles (766,000 km) — essentially, to the Moon and back.
But not all New Yorkers are over the moon about the programme — even the most pro-bike residents have been irritated by technical problems hampering the initiative, and some have turned those issues into a full-on political battle.
Across lower Manhattan and some of the trendier neighborhoods of Brooklyn, the bright blue Citi Bikes are everywhere — 6,000 of them parked at docking stations or in use, adding to the city’s ever-growing fleet of cyclists.
Brazilians against high travel fares
SAO PAULO, 17 June 2013: Thousands of youths clashed with riot police across central Sao Paulo late last week in a fresh round of rowdy protests over higher mass transit fares.
Police reported at least 60 arrests following running battles with demonstrators demanding a rollback of an increase in bus, metro and train ticket prices from US$1.50 to US$1.60.
Small groups of vandals set fire to garbage in the streets, while others smashed store windows or spraypainted buses.
Beware of Brazil’s sky-high prices
RIO DE JANEIRO, 13 June 2013: Tourists planning trips to Brazil for the World Cup next year will face some of the world’s highest accommodation, restaurant and transport prices.
Prices have gone through the roof, particularly in the country’s tourism gateway Rio, which this month is one of the hosts for football’s Confederations Cup and in July welcomes Pope Francis for a major Catholic Youth festival.
Famous for its annual carnival and spectacular beaches, Rio is now the world’s third most expensive city when it comes to hotels, according to a recent Brazilian Tourism Board (Embratur) study.
Tips and tricks for business travel
June 11, 2013 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under Americas, News
Chicago, 11 June 1 2013: Executive Travel Directors identify five common sense tips to make business travel easier and safer, according to a release from the group issued Monday.
They advise that we keep all travel documents in one place even though most airlines are going mobile with digital boarding passes and flight itineraries; it is still important to keep all documents in one place as a back up.
Take an empty water bottle through security. Airports confiscate bottles with water. To avoid paying inflated airport prices have an empty bottle ready and fill it up at a water fountain inside the airport departure areas.
China travel boom reaches US
WASHINGTON, 11 June 2013: Visits from China and Latin America registered substantial growth to the United States last year, while European markets suffered declines, according to a government report released Monday.
A record 67 million international visits were clocked into the world’s biggest economy in 2012, up by 4.3 million from the previous year, the US Commerce Department said.
It also was a record-breaking year for international travel and tourism spending, which surged 10% to US$168.1 billion.
Royal Caribbean counts fire cost
May 30, 2013 by PRnewswire
Filed under Americas, News
MIAMI, 30 May 29, 2013: Royal Caribbean Cruises reported, Wednesda, that a fire on its ship Grandeur of the Seas will have an estimated 10 cents per share direct financial impact on the company’s balance sheet.
A fire broke out on Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s vessel Grandeur of the Seas, 27 May, forcing the company to take the vessel out of service for approximately six weeks to complete repairs.
“The extent of the financial impact was relatively high because the affected sailings are during the premium summer season,” said senior vice president and chief financial officer, Jason Liberty.
Travelocity upgrades app
May 29, 2013 by PRnewswire
Filed under Americas, News, Technology
SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS, 29 May 2013: Travelocity released Tuesday version 4.9 of its iPhone app which is available for free download on the Apple App Store.
The 4.9 update features several enhancements, including a credit card scan tool that uses the iPhone’s camera to capture and auto-fill the billing information fields to save on-the-go travellers the hassle of typing in numbers.
Another popular Travelocity iPhone app, Hotel Deals by Lastminute.com, was the first travel app to introduce this technology and there are currently no other travel apps with this feature.
Fire on cruise ship
WASHINGTON, 28 May 2013: A fire broke out aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship early Monday, forcing more than 2,000 guests aboard to gather at assembly areas while it was extinguished, the cruise line said.
The company said the fire broke out at 0250 (0650 GMT) on the third deck of the Grandeur of the Seas as it was cruising to Coco Bay, Bahamas. The blaze was put out two hours later.
“All 2,224 guests and 796 crew have been accounted for, and there have been no injuries of guests or crew reported,” the cruise line said.
Cruise association builds team
May 14, 2013 by PRnewswire
Filed under Americas, News
WASHINGTON, 14 May 2013: Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) announced Monday that it has named Thomas Fischetti as chief financial officer, reporting to CLIA president and CEO Christine Duffy.
His responsibilities for the global cruise industry trade association include financial management, accounting, contracting and internal controls, IT, human resources and oversight of the association’s facilities.
CLIA recently announced 11 independent cruise organisations from around the world had joined together to become part of an integrated structure to serve as the voice of the cruise industry.
