TMCS HOTELS
Wings buys rival TMC
London’s US embassy to become a luxury hotel
THE US EMBASSY IN LONDON’S GROSVENOR SQUARE is to be converted into a Qatari-owned luxury hotel. The Grade II-Listed building will become a 137-room five-star hotel with spa and a ballroom for up to 1,000 people. The plans, which are being submitted to Westminster Council in May, include six high-end shops and restaurants. The embassy will become empty next year when American diplomats and staff move next year to their new London base at Nine Elms. Qatari Diar, a subsidiary of sovereign wealth fund the Qatar Investment Authority, has promised to demolish the rows of security barriers and bollards installed following 9/11, and restore Grosvenor Square to its former status as an “open, expansive green space for residents and visitors to enjoy”.
AIRPORTS
LONDON COUNCILLORS BACK GATWICK EXPANSION
AROUND TWO-THIRDS OF LONDON COUNCILLORS are backing the expansion of Gatwick over Heathrow, according to a new poll. The You Gov survey, published just weeks before the London mayoral election, showed that 62 per cent favour a second runway at Gatwick over 38 per cent backing a third Heathrow runway. The negative impact on the quality of life for local residents – noise and air pollution – was singled out as the most important issue in the expansion debate. Stewart Wingate, Gatwick CEO said: “After decades of delay, Londoners recognise that Gatwick expansion can actually happen and that it is time to
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finally close the book on Heathrow’s plans. The UK cannot afford years of more delay, so let’s get on and build a new runway for Britain at the only airport that can deliver it.
“Air quality is a crucial issue for London so it is no surprise to see continued strong support for Gatwick expansion and real concern around Heathrow’s impact.” A government decision on airport expansion in the South East has been delayed until at least the end of the summer.
The online survey of 239 London councillors was undertaken between March 9-27.
WINGS TRAVEL MANAGEMENT has acquired Grosvenor Travel Management for an undisclosed sum. The two companies will continue to trade independently for the rest of the year, with a view to consolidate the business under Wings in early 2017. Grosvenor, founded in 1991, has clients in the oil and gas, security, finance, legal and advertising sectors. It is ranked at =27 in BBT’s 50 Leading TMCs this year (see from p61) with gross UK sales of £50 million. Wings is ranked =45.
VISAS
Europe moots axing visa waiver
for US & Canada THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EC) is discussing a potential one-year suspension of its visa waiver agreement with the US and Canada. The move would require all US and Canadian travellers to obtain a visa for travel to Europe. The threat from the EC follows
Washington’s refusal to apply the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) to all European countries. Citizens from Poland, Croatia, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania all require a visa to travel to the US and Canada. In 2014, the Commission asked the two countries to broaden their VWPs within two years to include those countries. EC Commissioner Dimitris
Avramopoulos said: “Visa reciprocity is a fundamental element of the EU’s common visa policy. EU citizens rightly expect to travel without a visa to any third country whose citizens can enter the Schengen area visa-free.” The GBTA has warned against the suspension, saying it would “create a backlog of visa applications for travel to Europe, decrease international travel and create a lasting, negative impact on EU relations with the US and Canada”.
BBT MAY/JUNE 2016 9
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