GENERAL
CARIBBEAN LATIN AMERICA
AUSTRALASIA ASIA
AFRICA NORTH AMERICA
INDIAN OCEAN MIDDLE EAST
news to use REPORTING ON THE TOP NEWS STORIES Ecuador and
Quito Branded Branding Latin America has
been appointed to look after PR and representation for the Ecuador and Quito tourist boards in the UK. It will work in association with Germany- based BZ Comm in a bid to raise the profile of the South American nation across Europe. Best known for the wildlife haven of the
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador’s mainland is divided into the
coastal region, the Andean region and the lush Amazon rainforest.
Quito is the country’s capital and has a UNESCO-listed historic centre.
Rodolfo Milesi, founder of Branding
Latin America, says, “Ecuador, the smallest of the Andean countries, is one of the biggest in terms of culture, art and nature, and Quito is one of the most upcoming cities on the continent.”
www.ecuador.travel
Dusit Thani Dubai's new look
Dubai’s only Thai-owned hotel, the
Dusit Thani, is undergoing a makeover to its rooms and suites. The five-star property will introduce a
more contemporary décor while retaining a Thai theme. The first phase, refurbishing the standard rooms, will be completed by the end of the year, with minimal disturbance to guests. Upgrades to the one- and two- bedroom suites will begin next summer. The hotel, which is shaped like the
Thai wai (hands together greeting), is located close to Dubai Mall. It has three restaurants serving international buffet food, Thai cuisine and Italian fare. Special trade offers, available with
Touchdown, are available.
www.dusit.com
Vegas goes for growth
BY ANDY HOSKINS The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is targeting an increase in visitor arrivals following the opening of a brand new terminal at the city’s airport and additional flights from the UK this autumn. UK visitors to the city were up over
eight per cent in 2011 and the figure looks set to grow further as British Airways launches a three-times-weekly service from London Gatwick at the end of October. It will go head to head with Virgin Atlantic’s daily service from Gatwick which, on June 27, became the first arrival at the new airport terminal. Vegas showgirls, Cirque du Soleil
IN BRIEF
Rendezvous in Christchurch The 171-room Rendevous Hotel
will become the first damaged hotel to re-open in Christchurch, New Zealand, this year followed by the Hotel Ibis around September. The first new build, the Latimer, is due early next year. New attractions include the Earthquake Exhibition at Canterbury Museum.
www.christchurchnz.com
Riverboats return to Old Miss Two riverboats are once again
cruising down the Mississippi and one, the American Queen is now stopping at the antebellum Houmas House Plantation and Gardens; 38 acres of gardens, ponds and an oak alley. An hour from New Orleans, Houmas House will offer rooms from October.
www.neworleanscvb.com
Margaritaville for Fort Lauderdale Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville is to
open the 349-room Margaritaville Resort in late 2013/early 2014 on Hollywood Beach in Fort Lauderdale. Margaritaville cafes/bars dot the US and Caribbean but this will be only the second Margaritaville hotel following on from the Pensacola Beach property.
www.sunny.org
www.sellinglonghaul.com • July/August 2012 07
performers and Elvis and Marilyn Monroe – among other look-alikes – were on hand to welcome the terminal’s first passengers. “We have around 400,000 visitors
annually from the UK and we’re hoping for 30% growth in the next ten years – part of our thrust is increased airlift from the UK,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, the LVCVA’s President and CEO. “The visitor experience in Terminal 3
is unlike any other in the country and delivers on our brand promise. Visitors will immediately have a unique sense of place and receive the type of welcome we want to provide,” he added.
www.visitlasvegas.com
Namibia’s dark skies
&Beyond Sossusvlei Desert
Lodge in Namibia, which offers guests stargazing from its observatory in the NamibRand Nature Reserve, has been declared Africa’s first International Dark Sky Reserve (IDSR). The designation describes night-time
environments that have little to no impact from light pollution. With the nearest town 140km (90 miles) away, the reserve’s sky is one of the darkest yet measured. The lodge also boasts a state of the
art observatory where guests are invited to join the resident astronomers. Winter (April to September) provides
the clearest skies, when the full splendour of the central region of the Milky Way is displayed. Summer too provides breath-taking night sights, including a several-billion-year-old cluster of a million plus stars. Sossusvlei Desert Lodge comprises 10
stone and glass desert villas.
www.andbeyond.com
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