Over 6,700 of the most influential people in the duty free & travel retail community converged on Cannes on the French Cote d’Azur last month for the annual TFWA World Exhibition & Conference.
This global trade summit is a not-to-be-missed event in the industry’s calendar and even severe flooding in the city just prior to the event could not deter the 3,000 companies from sending their representatives to the event.
Erik Juul-Mortensen, TFWA President. “The fact that TFWA World Exhibition & Conference opened on schedule just two weeks after the appalling flooding in the city, with virtually all facilities laid on as planned, is thanks to the energy and commitment of our partners in the city.”
However, the fact that the overall attendance was actually two per cent lower than in 2014 is testament to the difficult trading conditions which prevail this year with various geopolitical and economic challenges impacting global travel, tourism and retail.
Fortunately for the 482 exhibiting companies which were showcasing their products on the 21,500m2 trade floor, the number of key buyer companies - duty free & travel retail operators and landlords of airports, airlines, ferry, cruise, border and downtown concerns – was actually four per cent above last year’s figure.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7628051-the-duty-free-travel-retail-global-summit/
A rite of passage for many families is packing up the car and heading to a relative’s house to celebrate the holidays. Whether you’re flying part of the way or driving the entire distance, keeping the kids quiet and entertained is paramount to a stress-free trip. Just as important as going over your safety check list is packing your children’s favorite snacks, as well as activity bag chock full of mini board games, coloring books and puzzles. Wearing comfy clothes and bringing cozy blankets can also make a long (and sometimes COLD!) trip much more comfortable.
Travel expert and self-defined “über-busy working mom,” Amy E. Goodman is a pro when it comes to traveling with her family. She is available for live interviews to share with your viewers how to put together a stress-free, relaxing winter getaway – whether to the relative’s or a much needed winter escape!
The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year. Gifts are perfectly wrapped, cakes and cookies are baking in the oven, and people across the country are making final preparations to visit their loved loves. In fact, Americans spent an average of 7.3 hours and $560 on holiday travel alone last year, which can also lead to chaos, stress and precious time spent in busy airports and jam-packed highways. That’s why Ziploc® brand is offering a variety of festive products, a surprise-and-delight experience and helpful tips to give travelers a chaos-free holiday.
When hundreds of people along the Ohio Turnpike got to the tollbooth at Mile Marker 71 before their Thanksgiving celebrations began, they were surprised that instead of being asked for the toll, they received an array of gifts—from snacks packed in Ziploc® brand bags and containers to a chauffeured limo ride home.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7707651-ziploc-chaos-free-holiday/
JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU) and Barclaycard today announced the launch of the new suite of JetBlue MasterCard credit cards, the latest complement to JetBlue’s TrueBlue loyalty program. The new JetBlue® Card features a limited-time 10,000 bonus points offer and an easy-to-earn travel rewards program. Cardmembers can earn accelerated TrueBlue points in new ways for everyday spending at restaurants and grocery stores. With the new card, cardmembers can earn award flights even faster.
“We wanted to put the award-winning JetBlue experience in our customers’ wallets,” said Jamie Perry, vice president, marketing, JetBlue. “It’s simple; customers want to earn flights more quickly. With our new card, you’re able to earn points toward your trip and get there even faster than you think.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7778051-barclaycard-jetblue-card/
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announces the newest evolution of the Holiday Inn® brand’s Journey to Extraordinary campaign. This campaign, now in its third year, celebrates the unique journeys of the many guests who walk through the doors of Holiday Inn hotels each day. In this new year of the campaign, the Holiday Inn brand will highlight the extraordinary journeys of two small businesses – Sword & Plough and Perfect 10 Foods – and how Holiday Inn hotels can be a valuable partner in helping them succeed.
Eric Lent, Vice President, Holiday Inn Brand, Americas said: “The Holiday Inn brand carefully researched nearly 300 businesses before deciding to partner with Sword & Plough and Perfect 10. Both of these inspiring companies have a purpose-led mission to change the way business is done in their respective fields, and therefore have an incredibly unique story to tell. Sword & Plough and Perfect 10 embody the entrepreneurial spirit that is the foundation of the Holiday Inn brand. Founder Kemmons Wilson grew the brand from a small, family-owned business into a global brand that offers a consistent and affordable hotel experience that makes travel more enjoyable for all, and in doing so, changed the way people travel.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7824951-holiday-inn-journey-to-extraordinary/
Seventeen years ago saw the first blasting in the historic heartland of Switzerland of the longest train tunnel in the world. Wednesday 1 June 2016 will see the festive opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel – adding a further pioneering attraction to the world's densest public transport network. The tunnel will bring Switzerland's neighbouring countries, regions and cities north and south of the Alps closer together. Travel by train will be quicker, easier and more convenient.
Wednesday 1 June 2016 sees the festive opening in Switzerland of the longest and deepest train tunnel in the world. The tunnel extends for 57 kilometres to a depth of up to 2300 metres below the Gotthard massif. This flagship project for efficient and sustainable transportation on the north-south axis will permit high-speed travel through the Alps in only 17 minutes. The new flat-track route will not only cut travel time through the Gotthard, but also facilitate transit travel for longer and heavier trains. After 17 years of challenging building work, constructor AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd will hand over the completed tunnel to the Swiss Federal Railways on time and on budget. Switzerland's internationally acclaimed public transport system – already the densest in the world – has perfected another pioneering first.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7828351-swiss-alps-longest-deepest-train-tunnel/
Room KeySM announces access to Loyalty Member Rates from more than 60 of the world’s largest and most well-known hotel brands, including Hilton®, Hyatt®, Marriott®, Holiday Inn®, Comfort Inn® and Wyndham®. Hotels’ member rates are typically lower than other published rates and available only to members of the hotels’ loyalty programs who book directly with the hotel, primarily through their own websites. Now Room Key can access these rates and is the only travel site where customers can shop and compare Loyalty Member Rates from so many different hotel chains in one place.
“There’s a lot of confusion out there about how and where to find the best hotel rates,” says Steve Sickel, CEO, Room Key. “A relatively unknown ‘travel secret’ is that many hotels offer lower rates to members of their loyalty program on their own websites,” Steve adds. “Room Key can now display these lower ‘Loyalty Member Rates’ for thousands of U.S. hotels across more than 60 hotel chains all on one site, making shopping the best rate a lot easier,” he says. “No other travel site can access as many loyalty rates across as many hotel chains as Room Key.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7850951-room-key-lower-rates/
Summer road trip season is here, so grab the family and pack up the car! There is a richness to making your way across a state or country by car that is absent from the experience of boarding a metal bird and climbing out at your destination. Whether you’re going on a short trip or a cross-country adventure proper preparation is a must.
Travel and lifestyle expert, Amy Goodman, is available for live interviews on XXXX ##, 2016 to discuss her tips and tricks to make your summer road trip one to remember. From what to pack to where pull over for a bite to eat she’ll make prepping for your vacation quick and simple.
Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world’s largest leisure travel company, today announced it has created three original TV programs that will air on major networks on Saturday mornings beginning October 1. Representing a first in the cruise industry, this innovative communications approach builds on the company’s strategy to highlight why traveling by ocean to experience global destinations has become one of the best ways to see and learn about the world and other cultures.
Carnival Corporation’s three initial TV series will air on ABC, NBC and The CW on Saturday mornings, reaching viewers during the large family-oriented programming blocks, established to educate and entertain families and people of all ages. With almost 80 original episodes that will rotate over a span of the next 12 months, the new experiential series will use compelling and authentic storytelling to share the powerful way travel by sea connects people, places and cultures around the world. The company also has produced a fourth series that is expected to air on a mid-week evening on cable in early 2017.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7916451-carnival-three-original-tv-series/
Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest leisure travel company with 10 global cruise line brands, today announced it has developed the world’s first interactive guest experience platform capable of transforming vacation travel into a highly personalized and elevated level of customized service for millions of guests.
The company unveiled the Ocean Medallion™, a first-of-its-kind wearable device that enables a personal concierge by bridging the physical and digital worlds to deliver a new level of personalized service not previously considered possible -- including sophisticated wayfinding, food and beverage on demand, an array of interactive gaming, personalized entertainment experiences and more. The quarter-sized, 1.8-ounce disc can be accessorized with jewelry, clips, key chains and bands or simply carried in a pocket or pocketbook.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/8003551-carnival-corporation-ces-2017/
Ultra-luxury cruise line Silversea welcomed His Serene Highness the Prince Albert II of Monaco, His Excellency Minister of State of the Principality, Serge Telle , His Excellency Archbishop of Monaco Barsi, Mr. Peter Greenberg ( CBS-TV Travel Editor, Master of Ceremony), Mr. Geoffrey Kent ( Abercrombie & Kent Founder), Mr. Gerald Lawless ( Chairman of WTCC), VIPs and other distinguished guests to Port Hercule in the heart of Monaco, for an intimate ceremony marking the christening of the latest addition to their fleet, Silver Muse.
The historic celebration, which was hosted by Silversea Chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, and was honoured by the amazing performance of Sinfonietta Orchestra of Rome, as well as the renowned Violinist Charlie Siem, providing the ceremony with a very elegant and amazing atmosphere.
Silver Muse, the ninth ship in the Silversea fleet, caters to the most discerning passengers at sea, offering the highest expression of elegance and comfort, redefining the ultra-luxury cruising experience.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8063251-silversea-christens-new-flagship-silver-muse/
Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that the same Spectra® fiber technology used in protective vests for law enforcement is now available to shield the belongings of everyday consumers from thieves who slash bags to steal items.
Consumers who want to keep their belongings safe can now buy a theft-resistant drawstring backpack called the Flak Sack, designed by Loctote Industrial Bag Company. As seen on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” the Flak Sack is the world’s first cut-resistant bag designed for travel and daily use. Now, it will be enhanced with Spectra—the same fiber technology used in bullet-resistant vests. Flak Sack utilizes Spectra in a unique fabric construction called FLAKnit™ created by Tuff-N-Lite®, a division of Supreme Corp., a leading textile and fiber technology company. Yet, despite this durability, Flak Sack is flexible, making it ideal for a range of situations such as travel, hiking and everyday use such as commuting to work.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8083951-honeywell-spectra-fiber-flak-sack-cut-resistant-bag/
