Holiday & Travel

A message by Neil Walters, Secretary General of the CTO, in observance of World Tourism Day 2021: The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the region’s tourism development agency, joins the global community in celebrating World Tourism Day 2021 under the theme, Tourism for Inclusive Growth.

In observance of the day, the CTO and approximately a dozen regional and international partners are collaborating on a virtual event aimed at highlighting and addressing the challenges we face in forging a sustainable tourism sector and identifying the opportunities to build a more socially inclusive, sustainable and smart sector.

Qatar Airways has been announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax, in addition to securing five additional awards including World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge, World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat, World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering and Best Airline in the Middle East. The airline continues to stand alone at the top of the industry having now won the main prize for an unprecedented sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and now 2021).

For one week only, guests booking a Rhine, Main or Danube river cruise with luxury all-inclusive river cruise specialist, Scenic, will save a guaranteed £1,000 per person. Available on the line’s five most popular European river cruises, the ‘Flash 5 Offer’ applies to new bookings made between 28 September and 5 October 2021 – with prices for river cruises starting from just £1,495 per person.

Qatar Airways is pleased to announce that it will launch scheduled passenger services to Almaty, Kazakhstan starting from 19 November 2021.

The new service will be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 132 seats in Economy Class.

007 fans can indulge in their wonder of the world’s most famous British Secret Service agent on a 3-day London mission departing exclusively from West Midlands. Inspired by the release of the latest Bond movie starring Daniel Craig, The Ultimate James Bond London Experience! is for die hard (oh…that’s another movie) devotees of the charismatic saviour of the world looking for their own license to thrill. 

007 fans can indulge in their wonder of the world’s most famous British Secret Service agent on a 3-day London mission, The Ultimate James Bond London Experience!.

Toureasy, the UK’s first and only carbon neutral coach tour operation has leaked top-secret information of two exclusive tour dates to celebrate the launch of of the latest and last Daniel Craig epic adventure and mark the 60th anniversary (2022) of the first-ever Bond movie, Dr No.

Holiday bookings have surged since the government announced foreign travel rules were being simplified in England.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the travel traffic light system was being replaced with a single red list. And fully vaccinated people will no longer need a pre-departure test before returning from non-red list areas.

As more destinations join the newly-created ‘low-risk’ list on Wednesday following today’s announcement, Travel Counsellors has released its latest booking figures, which crown Spain and Greece as the most popular destinations for both winter 2021/22 and summer 22 holidays. 

Recording its third highest trading week since March 2021 on w/c 6 September, the leading independent travel company continues to receive an influx in global new bookings.

The U.S. Virgin Islands credits its ability to survive and thrive during the worldwide COVID-19 crisis to synergistic public-private partnerships.

Joseph Boschulte, Commissioner of the USVI Department of Tourism, and Wayne Biggs, CEO of the U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority, led a delegation representing the Territory at the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS), which was held last month in Hollywood, Florida.

The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis is celebrating its 38th Independence Anniversary today with the theme of "Adapt, Diversify, Recreate: Independence 38." Commemorating the country's independence from the United Kingdom almost four decades ago today is set to encompass streets filled with a carnival atmosphere with music, calypso shows, and parades of dancers in colourful costumes.

Leading wellness resort Chiva-Som in Hua Hin, Thailand has joined forces with its upcoming new venture, Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, to launch a programme of complimentary live online wellness classes, with up to eight classes a month starting from September 22.

Lifestyle transformation pioneer, Chiva-Som and Zula Wellness Resort – set to open in Qatar in late 2021 – have collaborated closely to deliver holistic wellness classes focussed on supporting individual mental and physical health as the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the world.

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts® has been selected by F4 Transbay Partners (F4), a joint venture of Hines, the international real estate firm; Urban Pacific; and the Real Estate business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, to manage Rosewood San Francisco, a new, ultra-luxury hotel set to open in 2026. 

Situated in the burgeoning Transbay District, the hotel will offer unparalleled access to the iconic landmarks, neighbourhoods and attractions that make San Francisco one of the top international destinations, including the award-winning Salesforce Park, a 5.4-acre elevated outdoor oasis featuring a 1,000-person amphitheatre, children's play area, walking trails and interactive art installations. 

Despite daunting challenges presented over the past 18 months by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Caribbean tourism and hospitality industry recorded many significant successes, and data points to an encouraging outlook ahead.

Speaking during the opening plenary session at the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) held last week, Acting CEO & Director General of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) Vanessa Ledesma presented insights on the performance and outlook of the Caribbean tourism industry.

Autumn is the perfect time to experience Blenheim Palace's vibrant views and red-tinted golden hues – and there is so much more for visitors to enjoy in a packed programme of events. There are new exhibitions full of art, history, wildlife and of course, the recent reopening of Sir Winston Churchill's birth room.

The British Airways tail fin will be returning to Birmingham Airport to operate flights between Belfast and Birmingham.   The flights will operate twice daily, increasing to three times a day on a Thursday and Friday.

The flights will be operated using an Embraer 190 with capacity of 98 seats.  Customers can book on BA.com from today with travel between 31 October 2021 and 26 March 2022.

The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) invited thousands to “Reconnect with Paradise” over the Labor Day weekend at JAY-Z’s “Made in America” music festival, which attracted about 100,000 patrons to Philadelphia’s historic Benjamin Franklin Parkway, widely regarded as the city’s cultural and artistic mecca.

The USVI Department of Tourism, including its Division of Festivals, kept the Territory “top of mind” among prospective mainland travelers by showcasing its musical and cultural attributes through a lively activation held in close proximity to the main stage, which featured top stars ranging from Megan Thee Stallion to Justin Bieber.