NOTE FROM STEPHANIE:

It's the end of what has been the fastest year to date.
That Festive season vibe has set in as well as that frenetic pace and feeling of manically wanting to get finality on things and conclude as much as possible before 2012 arrives.

This is our final newsflash which we hope 'whets your appetite' for more dynamic things to come next year! Looking forward to keeping you posted and keeping you ahead of the Travel and Hospitality industry next year!

Regards

STEPHANIE MOSS

"Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity." - Henry Hartman, American author

JUST IN TIME FOR THE SUMMER - TOP 10 BREATHTAKING HOTEL POOLS
 
1. Hotel Caruso Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy - A slice of heaven. The pool has a view that is priceless.
View Website
2. Golden Nugget, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - The pool area is really terrific... water slide next to the shark tanks. The upper balcony is designated adults only.
View Website
3. Banyan Tree Seychelles, Mahe Island, Seychelles - Pure paradise. Villa had its own infinity pool...you have total privacy.
View Website
4. Blue Lagoon Clinic, Grindavik, Iceland - We loved having the thermal pools at the clinic. Right next to the Blue Lagoon.
View Website
5. COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali, Indonesia - Thoroughly enchanted with this romantic and secluded retreat...25 metre infinity-edge swimming pool with waterfall.
View Website
6. Hotel Atlantis, Nassau, Bahamas - The pools are wonderful and plentiful, the ocean has many access points, and there is a lazy river with some rapids.
View Website
7. Six Senses Hideaway, Zighy Bay, Oman - Relax, eat, sunbathe.... The pool is cooled in your villa.
View Website
8. Perivolas, Santorini, Greece - The view from its infinity pool has graced the covers of many magazines, and that same view is available from the private terrace.
View Website
9. Hotel Villa Mahal - Kalkan, Turkey - There is an infinity pool halfway down the hillside, overlooking the blue mediterranean. Fabulous!
View Website
10. The Library, Koh Samui, Thailand - View of the sea and the red swimming pool(very sexy pool), ...located right at the center of Chaweng Beach.
View Website
 

NEW 7 WONDERS OF NATURE

Great celebrations as Table Mountain was named a New 7 Wonder of Nature following a three year battle in the race to choose the world's seven most wonderful natural sites.

The New 7 Wonders are:

  • Amazon, in the Amazon Basin of South America
  • Halong Bay in Quáng Ninh Province, Vietnam
  • Iguazu Falls, in Argentina, Brazil
  • Jeju Island, volcanic island 130km from South Korea
  • Komodo National Park in Indonesia
  • Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National
  • Park, 50km north of the city of Puerto Princesa
  • Palawan, Phillippines
  • Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa.

-- AIRLINE NEWS --

GRAND CENTRAL AIRPORT MIDRAND EXPANDS ITS DESTINATION OFFERING


Grand Central Airport in Midrand is in the process of applying for an international airport license and seeks to launch commercial operations within the next 18 months. The airport is currently in discussions with Airlink but several limitations and issues still need to be resolved. After discussions it was decided that the services will start between Grand Central and Cape Town and the expand to Durban. In terms of its international license, the international license application is currently with the Department of Transport.

VELVET SKY ADDS TWO NEW ROUTES


South Africa's newest and first BEEE owned Aviation Company, Velvet Sky is adding another route to its flight schedule – Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town – this is ahead of the festive season which is expected to be busy. This is the second new route that the company has introduced in a month. This route is expected to position Velvet Sky as a major contender in the price sensitive low-cost domestic airline market.

LUFTHANSA TO BUY BMI FOR AN ESTIMATED £300MILLION


Lufthansa and International Airlines Group have reached an agreement, in principle, on the sale of British Midland (BMI). The deal is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2012. No details have yet been given of how much will be paid for BMI, a loss-making carrier. However, the price is estimated to be in the region of £300 million.

HONG KONG AIRLINES WILL NOW FLY FROM GATWICK


Gatwick Airport has announced Hong Kong Airlines has chosen the airport to operate a daily Club Class service to Hong Kong from March 2012. Gatwick is presently investing £1.2 billion to transform the airport to provide new, modern facilities to significantly enhance the passenger journey to, through and from the airport.

AMERICAN AIRLINES AND QANTAS JOIN FORCES


American Airlines and Qantas Airways have welcomed the approval of the airlines' trans-Pacific joint business agreement which will allow the carriers to coordinate services between the United States, Australia and New Zealand. This will bring more travel choices and greater benefits to consumers and also maximize value for stakeholders in both airlines. Customers can expect to benefit from better flight schedules, expanded codesharing, more coordinated services, and greater access to a wider variety of fares.

-- INTERNATIONAL NEWS --

BUCKINGHAM PALACE COULD BE TURNED INTO A HISTORIC HOTEL


Audacious plans by Prince Charles to move his court to Windsor Castle when he becomes king could see Buckingham Palace turned into a historic hotel and events centre, according to a new book from respected journalist Andrew Marr. The Prince of Wales is considering uprooting the Royal family from Buckingham Palace in a bid to assert his authority.

RADISSON EXPANDS TO THE USA


Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago a US $125 million project, is the very first Radisson Blu in the United States of America. Opening its door for business recently the hotel offers 334 rooms set within the stunning Aqua Tower, indoor and outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, a fully equipped fitness centre, an indoor basketball court, a game room, and an outdoor terrace. The overall meeting space can be configured into 14 different meeting rooms. A definite must visit!

QATAR EXPANDS ITS HOTEL OFFERING


Visitors to Qatar will be truly spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding where to stay in the future. There are currently 77 new hotels and 42 hotel apartments under construction in the destination, bringing a total of 21,107 new rooms into the Qatari market. Many of these are luxury hotels will soon be offering the finest service and facilities, including world class restaurants and spas.

KENYA UPS SECURITY IN TOURIST AREAS


In a bid to allay fears, the government of Kenya has released a statement assuring that serious efforts will be made to enhance security in the area to thwart the activities of Somali bandits and the Al Shabab terrorist group, and protect visitors to Kenya from further attacks. Troops have been deployed along the border and crossed into Somalia to ensure the border is cleared of any threat. There will also be increased security patrols and surveillance in public areas including – but not limited to – shopping malls, government offices and hotels.

BED TAX IN BERLIN


German cities are seeking to recover funds they lost when the federal government more than halved the value-added tax the hotel sector is required to impose. They are now considering introducing a local tax on overnight stays to make up for the loss in income. Berlin is seeking to join other big cities such as Hamburg and Cologne along with smaller destinations like Weimar and Aachen, to introduce a City Tax aimed at tourists. Up until now more than a dozen German cities have introduced what is effectively a bed tax.

TITANIC 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY MEMORIAL CRUISE


To commemorate the 100 anniversary of the largest cruise ship of its day, and perhaps the most famous ocean liner in history The Titanic, a UK based agency has chartered Azamara Journey for a Titanic Memorial Cruise. The memorial cruise will depart from New York City on 10th April next year and will sail to Halifax for a memorial service to be held at the exact time and spot where the iconic ship sank 100 years ago.

-- SOUTH AFRICAN NEWS --

SOUTHERN SUN TO BE REPRESENTED IN ROSEBANK


Southern sun Hotels has acquired The Grace Hotel and office building in Rosebank, from Hyprop Investments. Southern Sun will rebrand and relaunch this 73-room five-star boutique hotel in the first quarter of 2012. Southern Sun is not currently represented in Rosebank, this presents great growth opportunity for the Group.

SUN INTERNATIONAL TAKES OVER FROM SOUTHERN SUN


Sun International has confirmed that it has taken over the lease of the Grayston Hotel in Sandton, previously run by Southern Sun. The Hotel will undergo a multimillion-rand refurbishment commencing in January 2012 and is expected to re-open early 2013 as a 4 star Sun International Property. This marks Sun International's move into Johannesburg's growing business hub.

THE LATEST AFRICAN PRIDE MULTI-MILLION RAND HOTEL UPGRADE


African Pride 15 on Orange Hotel is the latest Protea Hospitality Group property in Cape Town to receive a multi-million rand capital cash injection that will see a new conference centre built and various facilities at the superior deluxe hotel upgraded.

African Pride Hotels has also recently taken over Arabella Hotel & Spa Hermanus.

MAJOR SHORTAGE OF LPG FORCES OVER 1000 RESTAURANTS TO CLOSE


About 1 250 restaurants across South Africa had to close shop because of gas shortages. Afrox said there was a shortage in LP Gass in the country due to unplanned shutdowns in the local oil refinery industry. It said the shortages had been confirmed by the SA Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia), which could not give a timeline as to when production from refineries would normalise.

COP 17 COMES TO DURBAN


The 17th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 17), will be held in the sunny city of Durban, South Africa in December. With the development of a Municipal Climate Protection Programme, as well as the institutionalisation of climate change within the municipality, the city has provided an important framework for the implementation of a number of climate change projects.

SOUTH AFRICA NOW HAS 27 BLUE FLAG BEACHES


South Africa has grown its Blue Flag beach collection from 23 to 27 for the new season. The Blue Flag beaches are:

Western Cape: Bikini, Camps Bay, Clifton Fourth, Grotto, Hartenbos, Hawston, Keurboomstrand , Kleinmond, Lappiesbaai, Llandudno, Mnandi, Muizenberg, Robberg 5, Santos, Silwerstroomstrand, Strandfontein, Witsand. KwaZulu-Natal: Lucien, Marina, Margate, Ramsgate, Trafalgar, Umzumbe. Eastern Cape: Dolphin, Humewood, Kariega, Kellys

-- SOCIAL MEDIA CORNER --

 
 

THE TRAVEL I.T CORNER


A new section to our newsflash!

Handy tips and hints with a Social Media angle and Travel related I.T. products that will make a difference to you! Let us know what you think!

Brought to you by ABC Live

TOP 5 TRENDS IN SOCIAL MEDIA FOR 2012


SOCIAL MOBILE – The computer in your hand "smartphone" is revolutionizing our communications and society. Businesses will need to keep up with the development of mobile applications. A Good start is the customization of your current website for mobile

SOCIALIZATION OF SEARCH – You may have noticed over the last 12 months that YouTube videos, Facebook pages, LinkedIn profiles and other social media are ranking higher in search results when conducting an online search. With the integration of Social Media Strategies into your online business portfolio you will be growing your brand, widening your corporate reach and enhancing your overall internet presence.

GEO-TARGETING OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – The rise of Foursquare and Google "Places" has made checking in for specials in your local area a reality. . . again driven by the "smart phone". The mobile web will continue to make a major impact over the next 5 years as the world's more than 5 billion phones become "Smart". Soon post code targeting will be available in SA as it already is in the USA.

SOCIAL COMMERCE – Over the last 12 months technology has emerged that allows you to take your shop (via "Apps") to the Facebook "network" so that users do not have to leave the Facebook eco-system to buy their favorite brands.

GLOBAL SUPER MAGAZINE BLOGS – Publishing is transforming rapidly from offline print to online platforms with the rise of global blogs that attract tens of millions of readers every month. With the evolution of the tablets like the iPads' this surely become the next viable advertising and information platform

OUR SOCIAL MEDIA APP OF THE MONTH – TWIGMORE


Twigmore is the first travel network on Facebook. They will help travelers and locals connect through friends. Facebook users can now easily see where their friends know people or creating networks of local contacts in cities worldwide. Twigmore believe travel is all about people and wants to help you get the most out of your travels.

View Website

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Have you ever traveled for hours to a destination only to wait another hour in line fighting the crowds and then experiencing enormous disappointment? Some attractions are simply overrated.

Here is a list of the top 7 most overrated tourist attractions:

Eiffel Tower, Paris
Oktoberfest, Munich
The Blarnet Stone, Ireland
Cancun, Mexico
Stonehenge, United Kingdom
The Atomium, Brussels
Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

Articles per:


iafrica.com, a division of Primedia Online* a Primedia Company
The Travel Industry Review
Nowmedia.com
The Travelhub
Tourism Update
Etnw
Convenv
Fin24
Hotel & Restaurant
Breaking Travel news BTN
RugbyWorldCup.com
BBC Travel
Tourism Review.com
Andrew Marr