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NORTHERN Ireland’s largest ferry operator, Stena Line, has opened the doors of its new passenger terminal at Victoria Terminal 2 (VT2) in Belfast Harbour. The new-look passenger terminal has been expanded


and refurbished to provide new


facilities to cater for the increased passenger levels on the busy Birkenhead route, with a further £3m investment by Belfast Harbour. The significant upgrade to facilities has transformed and extended the original terminal building with new check-in booths for passenger vehicles and includes a full refurbishment of the interior of the terminal. The development includes a new departure lounge with an increased capacity for approximately 200 people, as well as a new Barista café area and passenger waiting area. Externally, there are three new vehicle check in booths and an extended queueing area for passengers in vehicles and coaches.


Paul Grant, Stena Line’s Irish Sea Trade Director said:


Air Canada Inaugurates New Daily Non-stop Seasonal Flights Between London Heathrow and Mumbai


AIR Canada has inaugurated its new daily non-stop seasonal service between London Heathrow Airport and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, the airline’s first ever non-stop flight from London Heathrow to Mumbai. The new service operates until 24 March 2023 from London Heathrow and is part of Air Canada’s resumption of flights between Toronto and Mumbai via London Heathrow. Marking the departure of Air Canada


flight AC856, customers, guests, Air Canada employees and the crew of the inaugural flight joined Air Canada General Manager Sales UK and Ireland, Stephen Gerrard, Air Canada Area Sales Manager, Kevin Rogers and Air Canada Key Account Manager Business Travel Sales, Jane Martin, for a special gate celebration and ribbon cutting, which included a guest appearance by ‘LovetheBeat’ Bhangra dancers who entertained both customers and crew prior to departure. “We are excited to inaugurate our new non-


stop fifth freedom service between London Heathrow and Mumbai,” said Stephen Gerrard, Air Canada General Manager Sales, U.K. and Ireland. “This is a very special moment and we are pleased to provide greater travel choice to our customers in the U.K. with a direct link to India’s city of dreams, Mumbai.”


The new service between London Heathrow and Mumbai will be operated with Boeing 787- 9 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring three cabins of service for customers to choose from, including lie-flat seats in Air Canada Signature Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class. Seats are available for sale now at aircanada.com, via the Air Canada App, Air Canada’s Contact Centres, and travel agents.


“It is great to see the next stage of the investment in our Belfast operations come to fruition. In partnership with Belfast Harbour, we have taken our old and dated building, with limited space, and totally modernised the design with a great new range of improved facilities. Customers


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Washington DC To Host Interpride in 2025


INTERPRIDE have announced that the Capital Pride Alliance (CPA) has been selected to host WorldPride in 2025.


“CPA is thrilled and honored to have been awarded the privilege of hosting WorldPride 2025. We thank InterPride for the opportunity to share the best of the Washington, DC region with visitors from around the globe, particularly during the 50th Anniversary of Pride in DC,” said Ryan Bos, Executive Director of CPA. “WorldPride provides an expansive platform to further the fight for civil and human rights by inspiring changemakers, while collectively celebrating our achievements, diversity, and resilience as a local, national, and global community,” Bos explained. In 2021, WorldPride 2025 was originally awarded to Kaohsiung Pride; that organization withdrew its bid on August 12 of this year.


The proposed dates for WorldPride DC


are May 22 through June 8, 2025. WorldPride DC 2025 will feature a vibrant and innovative slate of cultural programs that highlight the best that Washington, DC has to offer. It will include a Human Rights Conference, in partnership with the 34th annual DC Black Pride, along with partner events, such as Trans Pride, Latinx Pride, AAPI Pride, Silver Pride, and Youth Pride. “Hosting WorldPride is a great opportunity for our community to come together to inspire positive change, and we are excited to have this opportunity to further the mission of DC Black Pride and to be a partner in producing the Human Rights Conference,” said Kenya Hutton, Director of DC Black Pride with Center for Black Equity.


Abu Dhabi AXE All Remaining Covid-19 Restrictions


ABU Dhabi have announced the removal of all remaining COVID-19 entry restrictions This news follows shortly after Abu Dhabi launched, ‘Experience Abu Dhabi, Find Your Pace’ Marketing Campaign


Previously, it was mandatory for unvaccinated travellers to present a negative PCR test which had been taken 48 hours prior to departure. While vaccinated passengers were required to register their vaccination status with the Federal Authority prior to arrival, via the ICA Smart Travel Service and Al Host App.


From Monday 7 November, public places such as hotels, malls and restaurants can be


entered without having to present a Green Pass. our new modern vessels


needed a new modern terminal to serve them and now they have that, to ensure they get the best


IN response to the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, the SeaWorld Conservation Fund has made emergency grants to 10 Florida zoological and wildlife rescue organisations impacted by the storm. These emergency grants will help facilitate recovery efforts and directly benefit various animal species including big cats, iguanas, lemurs, seabirds, sea turtles, wolves and others. Since its creation as a nonprofit foundation in 2003, the SeaWorld Conservation Fund has provided grants to 1,391 organisations across all seven continents. Earlier this year, the Fund surpassed


$19 million in grants to support


projects for marine animals, ocean health and conservation. “SeaWorld is proud to support our fellow zoological and rescue facilities affected by Hurricane Ian,” said Dr. Chris Dold, President of the SeaWorld Conservation Fund. “We are all part of an essential wildlife care ecosystem, and we are grateful to have the ability to step up and help others who share our commitment to protecting wildlife.” One


emergency grant recipient is the


Zoological Disaster Rescue, Response and Recovery (ZDR3), the largest zoological response organisation in the United States. They provide support to zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, and other animal care organisations before, during and after significant incidents. Julia Wagner, Executive Director of Zoological Disaster Rescue, Response and Recovery (ZDR3) said, “Hurricane Ian caused catastrophic damage to the Florida community, and significant damage to wildlife facilities across the state. We are seeing substantial impact to many facilities, and wildlife in need of support in the coming weeks and months. These groups need all the help they can get. The grant provided by the SeaWorld Conservation Fund to our organisation will go directly back to the wildlife care community so that we can help as many groups as possible on their long road to repairing, rebuilding and reopening.” The storm also impacted area zoos including the Naples Zoo who are also an emergency grant recipient of the SeaWorld Conservation Fund. Of the grant, Lee Ann Rottman, Director of Animal Programs at Naples Zoo said: “Like many groups in the area, our habitats sustained damage from the wind and rain and this grant is incredibly helpful for our animals and our teams. It will help provide urgent habitat and exhibit repair, tree removal, fencing replacement and erosion repair important to keep our animals


Nov/Dec 2022 Travel News Belfast Harbour and Stena Line Open New Passenger Terminal


travel experience from departure to arrival. Over the past 26 years we have grown our Belfast hub into the biggest within the Stena group across all of our European routes, and we will continue to invest and improve our services in Belfast and Northern Ireland.”


Michael Robinson, Port Director at Belfast Harbour, said: “We are


really pleased to see the newly


refurbished VT2 open to passengers after a significant investment from both Stena Line and Belfast Harbour. We believe that providing modern facilities for our customers and investing in the Port’s core infrastructure is essential to


supporting our partners’ ambitions, and


to achieving our goal of becoming one of the world’s leading regional ports. As passenger traffic levels on Stena Line’s services continues to grow, we are committed to supporting our partners at Stena Line, as they meet increasing customer demand.”


The VT2 upgrade project took more than a year to complete and was undertaken while maintaining current ferry


services. It follows


significant investment in recent years by Stena Line in its Belfast operations, with the recent the launches of two brand new ferries on the route, Stena Edda and Stena Embla, which increased passenger and freight capacity by over a third and has now led to record traffic volumes being carried on the Belfast-Birkenhead route.


SeaWorld Makes 10 Emergency Grants After Hurricane Ian Devastation


healthy and safe.” Most organisations applying for a SeaWorld emergency grant suffered from damaged fences, major flooding, habitat destruction, wind damage and other storm-related issues. These rendered many of their recovery and long-term care habitats unusable. Save Our Seabirds rescues and rehabilitates


sick and injured sea birds with the goal of releasing them back to their native habitats. They too will receive an emergency grant. “Hurricane Ian is one of the most significant disaster events Florida has ever seen, and the impact on our Seabirds is immense,” said Aaron Virgin, CEO at Save Our Seabirds. “The SeaWorld Conservation Fund grant will allow us to construct temporary housing for our Brown Pelicans and permanent housing for our Great Blue Herons as their habitats were heavily damaged from the storm.”


The other emergency grants awarded to zoological and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organisations include:


Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary: a permanent home for dozens of exotic animals, which offers placement for animals in need and works to educate the public about animal care and conservation.


Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens: a conservation resource providing experiences that excite and inspire children and adults to learn and act on behalf of wildlife.


Clinic of Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW): a teaching hospital and visitor education centre dedicated to saving wildlife through state-of- the-art veterinary care, research, education and conservation medicine.


Iguanaland: a reptile zoo, education and conservation centre, founded by herpetologist and conservationist, Ty Park.


Lemur Conservation Foundation: dedicated


to the preservation and conservation of the primates of Madagascar through managed breeding, scientific research, education and art. Shy Wolf Sanctuary: rescue captive-bred exotic and non-releasable wild animals and provides a permanent home for those needing sanctuary.


Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum: a natural history museum that educates, inspires, builds community and connects people through their love of shells, the diverse animals that create them and the natural environment.


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