World News

The Latin America Travel Association (LATA) has announced the judging panel for the LATA Media Awards which will take place on 16 May 2017 at Lima Floral in central London. The LATA Media Awards recognise innovation and excellence across the British travel media landscape with a specific focus on Latin America. Every year, LATA holds an awards ceremony to celebrate and reward inspiring and creative Latin America features and photography.

Heritage Le Telfair and Heritage Awali have been awarded the Green Key eco-label, joining 2,500 resorts worldwide which adhere to the environmental standards set by the Green Key initiative and the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). This news coincides with the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the UN's World Tourism Organization and a year where sustainable travel has been highlighted as a key travel trend by ABTA.

The city of Palm Springs, which has long been known for its celebrity appeal, is getting ready to welcome some of the biggest names in music for The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The city will be awash with famous faces including featured artists Beyoncé, Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar. Celebrities and holidaymakers alike will be welcomed to Palm Springs during the festival, which will take place over two weekends in April (14th – 16th & 21st – 23rd).

World Boxing Champion Manny Pacquiao from the Philippines is partnering with a leading Caribbean hospital and charity to bring free cardiac care to children from his homeland. Pacquiao, who together with his wife founded the Emmanuel and Jinkee's Heart Foundation, has sealed a partnership with Have a Heart Cayman Islands and tertiary care hospital Health City Cayman Islands. The details of the collaboration were disclosed during a recent visit to Grand Cayman where he toured the hospital.

Bonnie Carlson, President of Bloomington CVB said: “Bloomington Minnesota has identified the U.K and Ireland as countries that send visitors to Minnesota and that we want to communicate with. “Our partnership with Cellet Marketing and Public Relations is a key reason why we have had great success in these markets. Their professionalism and expertise in the travel industry, and their ability to execute our marketing promotions, is of great value to us. We simply would not have had the success we have experienced without them.”

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) released its first quarter 2017 Statistical and Economic Report, which shows Hawaii’s economy continues to expand at a slightly reduced rate. According to the most recent data released on Feb. 2 from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Hawaii’s economic growth rate during the first three quarters of 2016 was 2.1 percent, higher than the U.S. economic growth rate of 1.4 percent during the same time period.

March 6 marks 60 years of independence for Ghana, and in celebration, Ghana Union Midlands will present the ‘Ghana’s 60^th Independence Anniversary Celebrations,’ at the Parkland Banqueting Suite, in Hockley, in Birmingham. The comprehensive and dynamic dinner and dance spectacular will provide the ideal opportunity for natives of the West African country, and guests, to come together and share in the rich history, heritage, wealth and future expectations of a country which once ruled its own empire, for its centuries of independent rule before.

The 1,700-kilometre long Great Himalaya Trail returns at the end of the month and 59-year old Ian Whittaker, from Yorkshire, aims to become only the second person from the UK to complete the so-called 'trekking's holy grail' since it was launched in 2011. Exclusive with World Expeditions, the Full Nepal Traverse of the Great Himalaya Trail goes up to 6,190 metres above sea level and offers stunning views, including 8 peaks of more than 8,000 metres along the way.

Passengers at Frankfurt Airport can now find hanging gardens and other green oases in the departure lounges and waiting areas of both terminals. Especially the enormous greened walls in the departures hall of Terminal 2 are real eye-catchers: measuring about 135 square meters and covered with live plants, they also provide oxygen from photosynthesis, improve acoustics, and reduce carbon dioxide concentrations and dust in the air.

According to a Gilani Research Foundation Survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan, public opinion divided evenly on the role of media in Pakistan; 50% say media has a negative impact, while 50% say media provides true facts and creates awareness among the public.

Birmingham law firm, Clarke Willmott LLP, has announced its sponsorship of a programme designed to help brain injury survivors in Bangladesh. The programme is designed to close the treatment gap in the country, as well as providing improved psychological treatment and rehabilitation to patients. Clarke Willmott’s sponsorship, via its Serious Injury team, will see the firm donate new textbooks to psychology and neuropsychology students in Bangladesh, which will assist them with their studies to become fully qualified, with the eventual aim of delivering much-needed treatment and rehabilitation to local communities.

As Valentine's Day approaches, couples are planning romantic getaways to kindle their passion. From secluded beach picnics on Sydney Harbour to remote luxury lodges and houseboats for two, New South Wales (NSW) has an abundance of options for couples looking to spend quality time together. Destination NSW research shows adult couples make up nearly a third of all domestic short break visits annually. In Summer 2015-16, 33 per cent of domestic and international overnight short break visitors to Sydney were adult couples.

This year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM), a sister event of World Travel Market London, will provide the perfect platform for UK destinations, hotels and attractions, as well as regional outbound tour operators as Middle East travellers are expected to play a key role in the UK’s continued tourism growth. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council the total contribution of travel and tourism to the United Kingdom is forecast to reach $363.77 billion (£290.9 billion) by 2026.