The third cultural tourism conference (3-5 December) organized jointly between the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) concluded today in Istanbul, Turkey. Participants declared their support for cultural tourism as a driver for safeguarding living heritage, catalyzing creativity in cities, and spreading tourism’s socioeconomic benefits to all. @UNWTO @UNESCO
Benchmark to eliminate single-use plastics
Straws to cocktail picks to coffee stirrers: single-use plastics threaten waterways and wildlife. @benchmarkhotels
Skål International: message from the CEO
Skål participated at the World Travel Market in London and at IBTM World in Barcelona. @SKAL_Intl
Courtyard by Marriott to open 30 hotels in Europe by 2020
Courtyard by Marriott expected European expansion by the end of 2020. @CourtyardHotels
Red Planet to invest 22 billion yen into new hotels throughout Japan
Through the new venture, Red Planet Japan plans to build hotels across major Japanese city centres, commencing with a 160 room hotel in Hiroshima. @RedPlanetHotels
Hyatt acquires Two Roads Hospitality for $480 million
Addition of Alila, Destination, Joie de Vivre, Thompson and tommie brands expand Hyatt’s lifestyle and well-being offerings for high-end travellers worldwide. @Hyatt
UNWTO reports growth in international tourism
The latest figures on world tourism issued by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) show that international tourist arrivals grew 5 per cent year-on-year in the first nine months of 2018. This reflects continued strong demand in a favourable overall economic context. @UNWTO
Marriott’s Starwood data breach affects 500 million guests
Marriott reported this incident to law enforcement and continues to support their investigation. @Marriott
Global direct hotel bookings surge by 103% over the Black Friday weekend
Black Friday is becoming one of the biggest days of the year for hotel bookings. @Hotelchamp_com
Top 10 food trends for 2019
Whole Foods Market’s global and local experts forecast emerging flavours, products and culinary influences. @WholeFoods
