Travel and Leisure: Trending Stories form Travel Daily News

Hyatt Regency San Francisco deploys SoniCast, a seamless over-the-top guest experience
Guests cast upwards of 78 unique OTT apps to date.

CEIR releases Third Report in Attendee Retention Insights Series
Findings from this study suggest that the influence of education offerings on generating repeat attendance varies contingent on the type of event and profile of an attendee.

Consumer advice body UK ECC launches ‘Know before you go’ campaign for UK consumers hiring cars in the EU
Car hire complaints went up last year (2015) by almost 7% over the previous year. The 7% rise is against a backdrop of an overall rise of complaints by UK consumers to the UK European Consumer Centre of 2%.

Durex study shows 52% expect better sex on holiday but 60% are left disappointed
A survey of 2,000 adults explored people’s holiday ‘sexpectations’, with 52% saying they expect better sex whilst away, but 60% of those admitting that the reality did not meet those expectations. Unsurprising considering that 40% of people are less likely to instigate sex if their partner is on their phone in bed and 41% admitted nights on holiday with their partner can be spent in bed together concentrating on separate phones rather than each other.

UEFA Euro 2016: Hotel prices, alternative accommodation and travel interest
The most expensive city for a hotel stay during the Euro 2016 is Lille, where prices have increased by up to 471 per cent. The most expensive night is 22 June, when fans will pay an average of £440 (compared to £77 in 2015) for accommodation following the Ireland versus Italy match.

Dubai brings global insights to the region through first-ever ICCA Middle East International Meetings Forum
ICCA Middle East International Meetings Forum established to increase knowledge sharing and address future growth potential for the business events industry in the region.

All roads pass through Rimini the first advance news on TTG Incontri, the largest tourism marketplace in Italy
At Rimini Fiera from 13th to 15th October 2016, along with the SIA Guest Hospitality Exhibition and SUN Exhibition for the Outdoor world, Camping and Beach Establishments.

STR: EMEA, and Central/South America hotel performance for April 2016
Compared with April 2015, the Middle East subcontinent reported a 1.8% decrease in occupancy to 71.1%. Average daily rate for the month was down 10.8% to US$174.18. Revenue per available room dropped 12.4% to US$123.79. The European hotel industry recorded positive April 2016 results in the three key performance metrics when reported in euro constant currency.

Musement partners with TrekkSoft
The award-winning personal concierge in your pocket forms strategic partnership with leading software provider for tour and activity companies.

Choice Hotels announces leadership appointments and transition
Chief Operating Officer Patrick S. Pacious has been promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer.

ASL Aviation Group acquires TNT Airline Operations
In conjunction with the transaction, ASL Aviation Group has entered a multi-year service agreement to operate flights for the new FedEx-TNT combination. ASL Aviation Group will continue to serve multiple airline customers.

WestJet, Qantas unveil reciprocal frequent flyer agreement
Agreement expands on existing code-share relationship

Tourico Holidays launches new data mining initiative for greater insight on the global travel economy
Innovative travel wholesaler utilizing big data to map travel warming trends and hot spots.

Ker & Downey now offering private, customizable, luxury travel to Cuba
A private car and driver lets visitors experience Cuba’s authentic culture and natural beauty at their own pace with Ker & Downey’s tailored itineraries and destination expertise.

A new luxury experience at Hilton at Resorts World Bimini
The final phase of the Marina hotel to officially open summer 2016.

Newly refreshed guest suites at Residence Inn Pasadena Arcadia set rich, warm tone thanks to $1.8m. renovation
The extended-stay hotel’s newly remodeled two-bedroom bi-level suites feature a loft bedroom for extra privacy, perfect for groups or large families traveling together.

Qatar Airways to fly to Chiang Mai five times a week from Doha commencing 16 December 2016
Chiang Mai to be the fourth city in Thailand on Qatar Airways’ global network.

Fathom and Ashoka partner to help every traveler be a changemaker
Carnival Corporation’s new brand enlists world-renowned Ashoka to help bring out the changemaker in everyone.

Real Hospitality Group taps Joseph Yi as Chief Investment Officer
Mr. Yi brings over 14 years of extensive real estate investment knowledge and experience spanning all major sectors. He is particularly adept in the acquisition, financing, and structuring of investments in hotels, office, multi-family, and mixed-use properties.

Air Transat unveils its winter 2016-17 flight program
Offering 34 sun destinations from 22 Canadian cities.

MGM National Harbor unveils sophisticated suite collection
Contemporary design inspired by resort’s location and natural surroundings.

The London Venue Awards introduce new categories for 2016
The inaugural London Venue Awards were launched last year and were a great success attracting over 350 venue professionals, who came together in style to applaud their industry and individual venues success.

Business travel in Brazil set to bottom out in 2016 before a slight rebound in 2017
The new report has downgraded business travel in Brazil for the fourth consecutive time, with total business spending in Brazil forecast to decline by 8.5 percent this year. While the latest GBTA BTI Outlook – Brazil report cited multiple factors that are negatively affecting business travel throughout the country, there is also cautious optimism that 2016 will be the nadir of business travel before a modest recovery in 2017.

STR: Fear of Zika virus linked to poor performance of Caribbean hotels
Compared with the April year-to-date period of 2015, the Caribbean’s occupancy fell 3.0% to 72.9%. Average daily rate was down 1.4% to US$268.86. Revenue per available room dropped 4.4% to US$195.99.

Hawaiian Airlines welcomes Premium cabin, fully lie-flat seating
The 18 lie-flat seats, whose curved shell evoke gentle ocean waves, fold into 180-degree beds that are 20.5 inches wide by 76 inches long, maximizing living space and providing options for both privacy and a shared flight experience.

Aoife Delaney named as CIC Pacesetter 2016
The Pacesetter Award will be presented on October 18th during a cocktail reception and ceremony on the first evening of IMEX America 2016.

Qatar Airways hosts industry leading AGIFORS Aviation Conference
Specialist conference focuses on advanced operations research.

Gogo partners with PACE to help airlines reduce fuel burn
Pacelab Flight Profile Optimizer is a unique decision support tool developed for a pilot’s electronic flight bag (EFB) that’s designed to continuously evaluate numerous flight data metrics thus optimizing flight paths for maximum efficiency.

International Circle of Hotel Managers soon to include Brazil
As a first step, the portuguese association will take charge of the delegation of the Circle in this American country.

Tel Aviv Gay Pride 2016 to take place on Friday June 3rd
The spotlight of this year’s Nonstop City’s Pride Parade is “Women for a Change”, highlighting the role of women in the LGBTQ community. The Tel Aviv Pride Parade opens the European pride season – the continent’s first pride parade for 2016.

Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Netherlands named new ms Koningsdam
Elegant event celebrated Holland America Line’s rich Dutch history steps from where the company was founded more than 143 years ago.

Calling on African states to harness the power of aviation
Africa is set to be one of the fastest-growing aviation regions over the next 20 years, with annual expansion averaging nearly 5%. This opens up incredible economic opportunities for the continent’s 54 nations. By transporting some 70m. passengers annually, aviation already supports some 6.9m. jobs and $80 billion of economic activity on the African continent.

Elite Alliance partners with The Waters Club
Elite Alliance members are provided the opportunity to exchange into luxury yachts ranging in size from 80′ feet to 120′ feet, positioned in some of the world’s best destinations.

Planet Hollywood International introduces new luxury brand – ph Premiere
To be developed by Azzurra Development, ph Premiere Resort-Residences Orlando will offer a mix of stylish accommodations and condo-hotel residences encompassing a total of 547 keys.

Auto Europe provides customers with exclusive access to high-demand vehicles
Travelers to Europe benefit from the largest supply of automatic & larger sized vehicles ever.

Carnival Corporation consolidates media planning, buying with Omnicom’s PHD
Carnival Corporation & plc partners with leading media buying firm, PHD, to consolidate and strategically coordinate global media buying for seven of its 10 brands in North America and the UK.

TAP Express is the first E-Jets operator in Portugal
The E190 entry into service is part of TAP’s renewal strategy for its regional fleet, which will now operate under the new brand TAP Express, replacing the Portugalia PGA Airlines designation, in order to deliver greater brand and product consistency for TAP, and strengthen its commercial identity.

bd4travel appoints Jackie Groves to drive international sales
Prior to joining bd4travel, Groves held leadership positions at international technology companies like Intuitive, Sophos and Pathtrace.

Norwegian adds two additional Dreamliners to its fleet
Norwegian continues to expand its long-haul fleet and international presence by signing an agreement with CIT Aerospace to lease two new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

First E190-E2 Jet completes maiden flight ahead of schedule
The inaugural flight marks the beginning of the certification campaign for the E190-E2, the first of three new second-generation E-Jet models. The E190-E2 is scheduled to enter commercial service in 2018.

AC Hotels by Marriott brings its European design and style to the UK for the first time in Birmingham and Manchester
Each hotel blends European style and simple lines to create a sophisticated and contemporary ambience for guests.

Jetex awarded IS-BAH Certification for Dubai FBO
Jetex operates through the world’s first and only 7-star VIP terminal equipped with world-class infrastructure at the Dubai South Aviation District, which is set to be the gateway to Expo 2020.

Delta Comfort+ now available as a fare for flights to Asia and Latin America
Product will be displayed in search results for flights between the U.S./Canada and select Asia and Latin America markets.

The Gettys Group completes transformation of the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort Complex
Disney Springs Resort Area Hotel receives a $10 million renovation.

Ethiopian to start flights to Istanbul
The airline is expanding to new destinations. In the past year, it introduced services to Tokyo, Manila, Dublin, Los Angeles, Cape Town, Durban, Gaborone, Yaounde, and will soon launch thrice weekly flights to New York-Newark

Moonlight is the perfect companion for camping enthusiasts and outdoor adventure seekers
ACTIVE Network announces latest addition to their mobile app portfolio.

China moves into UK’s top 10 most valuable inbound markets
Visits from the US, the UK’s most valuable tourism source market, grew 10% to 3.3 million in 2015. Visitors from the US spent £3 billion, a record not only from this market but the first time a single visitor market has broken the £3 billion spending mark. A record was also set for visits from the high-spending UAE, up 34% in 2015 to 347,000 with spend up 12% to £487 million.