BTN ITB 2004

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www.breakingtravelnews.com

ITB Issue 2004

World Travel Awards 2004

What's on at ITB

Nominations are announced See Special Supplement

Complete Events Calendar What's on where Pages 18 - 25

Broadband-centric websites Why everyone's going broadband-centric crazy See pages 6-7

Barbados Brings Glamour to Island as the Host of World Travel Awards 2004 Hudson Husbands

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ith its crystal clear waters and palm fringed beaches, Barbados is an Island of unspoiled charm and sophistication. As the host location for the World Travel Awards Celebrations in 2004, Barbados, which is already one of the most popular Caribbean destinations, will receive a huge boost in tourism.

Hudson Husbands, Chairman, Barbados Tourism Authority, commented: “The Barbados Tourism Authority are proud to host the World Travel Awards 2004. The Island’s stunning physical beauty fused with its friendly population should prove an exceptional host location for such a prestigious event, providing visitors with

Barbados has announced today at ITB Berlin, that on 11th December 2004 it will open its enchanting beaches, resorts and sites to the multitude of travel executives attending the World Travel Awards 2004, as the official host location for the World Travel Awards 11th annual celebrations. an enjoyable and unforgettable experience.

He added: “We are confident that the World Travel Awards will provide Barbados with additional international exposure as a tourism destination for both leisure and business travelers.”

Adding to the excitement of the event, the eminent World Travel Awards 2004 will be jam-packed with high level networking events which will to take place over a 5-day period. This has been organised to offer guests the perfect opportunity to meet and do business whilst enjoying the beauty of Barbados.

The itinerary will include of a Welcome Reception on the 9th December and The

World Travel Golf Tournament at Sandy Lane on the 10th December. The World Travel Awards Gala Ceremony will take place at the soon-to-be opened Hilton Barbados on the 11th December, with a VIP networking Brunch at Royal Pavilion for those guests who are still ready for more on the 12th December. The World Travel Internet Conference, in conjunction with Internet Travel News, will take place at the Sherbourne Conference Centre on the 13th and 14th of December. This year's event will take place with the highest caliber of speakers from all areas of the World Travel Industry.

The worldwide voting campaign for the awards will launch on May 1st 2004 and

will be accessible by visiting the World Travel Awards voting website at www.worldtravelawards.com/votenow.

Again this year the voting forms will be made available in 12 different languages.

The World Travel Awards 2004 Nominations, which have been announced at ITB will include national categories as well as continent and world categories for travel professionals to vote for their preferred choice within their own country. This initiative adds a national dimension to the world’s most comprehensive travel awards ceremony with trophies awarded across the whole spectrum of the industry.

Graham Cooke, President of the World

Travel Awards commented: “We are thrilled to bring the World Travel Awards 2004 to the beautiful Caribbean island of Barbados. Last year's ceremony which took place in The Plaza, New York will be a hard act to follow. Owing to this, we have scoured the world to find a host location as enchanting as Barbados; an Island which is alive with possibilities.”

Since its inception in 1993, the World Travel Awards has established itself as an industry leader that binds all areas of travel and tourism in celebration and recognition of their achievements. www.worldtravelawards.com www.barbados.org

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WE’RE BACK! We are happy to announce that as of December 2004 we will be back in Barbados, with a spectacular 350-room oceanfront resort. The latest addition, to the ever expanding Hilton Caribbean portfolio, will also host the 2004 World Travel Awards.

www.hiltoncaribbean.com The Hilton name and logo are trademarks owned by Hilton. ©2004 Hilton Hospitality, Inc.

Venue Berlin Exhibition Grounds ICC Berlin (entrance only for exhibitors and trade visitors) Halls 1-26 on the Exhibition Grounds

Dates & Times 12 - 16 March 2004 Daily from 10 am to 6 pm Monday, March 15 and Tuesday, March 16 only for trade visitors

Market segments

Welcome to ITB Berlin 2004

• • • • • • •

Cultural Tourism Young Travel Centre Travel Technology Travel With Sense Market Trends & Innovations Cruises Book World

Info seminars Second 'Crisis Management in Travel' Seminar When & where: Sunday March 14, 2004, 10.00-12.00 ICC Room 4/5 Seventh Annual Incentive Travel & Business Travel Forum When & where: Monday March 15, 2004, 14.30-16.30 ICC Room 8 New Tourism for a new Europe When & where: Saturday March 13, 2004, 11.00-13.00 ICC Saal 7

ITB Berlin is a prime meeting place, a marketplace, and a driving force behind the entire industry. The exhibition area and various segments, along with the comprehensive congress programme and supporting events represent the entire product spectrum of the tourist industry.

At the same time, they form the basis for the development of new ideas, global approaches and targeted marketing.

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Workshop Business Travel Management When & where: Monday March 15, 2004, 10:00-12:00, ICC Room 42a

ITB Berlin 2005 The dates of the ITB Berlin 2005 have already been decided: 11 to 15 March 2005.

We wish you every success with your preparations and look forward to a successful ITB 2004 for all concerned.

Public transport Bus X34, X49, 104, 139, 149, 219 Metrorail (S-Bahn) Line S5, S75 station Messe Süd Line S3, S4, S5, S7, S9, S46, S75 station Westkreuz Line S4, S45, S46 station Messe Nord/ICC Underground (U-Bahn) Line U2 station Theodor-Heuss-Platz or Kaiserdamm Free shuttle bus service Tegel Airport

Contacts Division Trade Fairs and Exhibitions Messe Berlin GmbH Messedamm 22 D - 14055 Berlin Phone: +49 (0)30/ 3038-0 Fax: +49 (0)30/ 3038-2325 E-Mail: central@messe-berlin.de www.fair.itb-berlin.de

Wireless ITB W-LAN facilities Messe Berlin is providing T-Mobile “Hotspots“ on the Exhibition Grounds and in the International Congress Center ICC Berlin. With these public W-LAN facilities (Wireless Area Network) you can use your own laptop, equipped with a W-LAN card, to surf the internet. The “Public Hotspots“ on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds can be found in all the foyers, the passageways linking the halls, the South Entrance and in the ICC Berlin. More details can be found at www.t-online.de/business/hotspot.

Exhibitors who require W-LAN connections in the halls should place their orders by using the form E3.4 from the service folder.

Virtually the World is the world's largest directory of Virtual Tours containing more than 14,000 Virtual Tours across over 110 cities and countries. Choose your desired destination by clicking on our interactive map of the world, or by selecting from the dropdown menu. Or if you know exactly what you are looking for you can also use our keyword search option.

If you've ever wanted to see where you're going, long before you get there, then you've just found the world at your fingertips.

www.virtually-theworld.com virtually@virtually-theworld.com BREAKING TRAVEL NEWS 3

Breaking Travel News Talks Technology with Robert Stewart, MD Sandals & Beaches UK

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ne of the biggest challenges for the Caribbean region in the coming year will be to embrace some of the new technologies which are transforming the travel industry at such a rapid pace.

In an exclusive interview, we talk technology to Robert Stewart, who as MD of Sandals & Beaches UK & Europe, Caribbean’s number one all-inclusive luxury resorts, is one of the Caribbean’s leading figures.

Sandals and Beaches resorts, voted world’s best ten years in a row, have just announced the launch of their new compelling multi-lingual website.

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Q. How important do you consider the internet to be as a distribution channel?

A. The internet is very important as both a distribution channel and a response channel.

Q. Can you tell me about the new multi-lingual Sandals’ website?

A. We are launching a compelling new foreign language version of the Sandals website to compliment the main Sandals site that was launched last year. The site will have a new, cleaner look and will be more interactive for the user. There will also be a version of the site deployed for the Beaches properties.

The sites will be launching in four languages; Italian, Spanish, German and French.

This is due to go live in time for ITB Berlin.

Q. What special services do you offer to customers online that you would not otherwise make available?

A. Apart from our partners frequency programme we do not currently make special offers online that users can not get anywhere else. It is a policy whereby we don’t want to disadvantage any of our distribution channels whether it is a travel agent or a tour operator. We just want to make sure we are available at every channel.

Q. Do you consider emails to be a useful channel for marketing campaigns?

A. Email campaigns can be very effective if they are done appropriately. There is some

sensitivity to receiving too much communication from a company that you’ve made contact with, but sometimes companies go the other way and are afraid to really utilise this channel for fear of abusing it. We try to take the middle road, and it is obviously cost effective. If the appropriate message is there it works very well.

Q. Do you offer users a virtual tour?

A. Yes for quite a few years we have offered users an IPIX virtual tour for those who wish to take a look at the resorts, it offers them some perspective on each property. People do use it. When you are planning a holiday, you want to get as much information as possible and it really does help a customer arrive at a decision.

Q. Can you tell me about Sandals’ live video broadcasting?

A. We are planning to offer a new concept, which has not before been seen before. We will have live broadcast of events, for example weddings, from the properties, which will be shown on the all the Sandals’ websites via media real players. Customers will have to pay for this service.

Q. As far as your technology budget goes, how will that compare to last year?

A. Our technology budget for 2004 has grown by 24%.

Breaking Travel News Special Report by Anna Gouldman

Sandals Delivers Multi-Lingual Website Q. How do you market your property in Cuba? Are you restricted in any way because of relations between America and Cuba?

A. Cuba is part of our overall product, so on our main website we promote Cuba like any other product. We tend to run our market in UK and Europe – obviously US wouldn’t really be asking for that. But working with the head office in the Jamaica, the Cuban product is very much a part of our portfolio.

Q. What are your opinions on broadband technology and the services that they make available? (For example audio/ video presentations online).

A. I think broadband is very encouraging and it is clearly

becoming very popular. Most internet users in the Caribbean are still on regular connection, but having services such as videos online that are made possible with broadband will be very useful and we certainly plan to take advantage of that.

Q. Did Sandals hit their expected targets for 1Q 2004?

A. Yes, we exceeded our target.

Q. How highly do you rate driving global e-commerce as a priority? I think we have to drive the business.

A. A lot of different things come together to make a business work and to make a business grow. To leave ecommerce out would be a sin, but I think there is a

balance to be achieved.

Q. Can you discuss Sandals performance with regard to online bookings?

A. We only offer online bookings in the US market and this has grown by 250%.

With regards to implementing online bookings in the UK and in Europe, we are taking this very slowly. We operate differently here in the UK. When we do implement online bookings, it will be more like a retail operation.

Q. Let’s touch on emerging technologies. Where is Sandals in terms of wireless, whether it is to serve the guests or perhaps improve the efficiency of employees? Is that something that is on your radar screen?

A. At the Airport in Montego Bay we have put in a wireless system that enables staff to look up guests upon arrival and check them into the resort before they even arrive.

Typically we will have them on the bus within 5 minutes, on their way to the resort within 10 minutes and then alert the hotel that they have arrived.

That has been very effective and we’ve had a lot of success with that system.

Meanwhile other competitors tend to have everybody queuing at one desk– we distribute ourselves among the clients as they are coming off the plane – this is much more effective.

Additionally we plan to implement wireless connections in several of our resorts this year.

Q. What are your technology goals for the upcoming year?

A. We will be working on anything that makes business better; anything that makes us more available to the customer or trade partners.

www.beaches.com www.sandals.com

BREAKING TRAVEL NEWS 5

Broadband-Travel.co.uk brings Travel to Life One of the highlights of 2003 was the launch of an innovative new concept, broadband-travel.co.uk. A unique travel website which brings a chosen destination to life with streaming videos and 360 degree virtual tours.

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roadband-Travel focuses on the holiday-planners' emotional and aspirational experiences rather than simply following a functional process.

Kuoni are at the forefront of this new technology and in November 2003 they announced the launch of BroadbandBarbados - the pilot site, which will ultimately lead to the launch of a further fifty destination sites.

Following a huge surge in hits since the launch of BroadbandBarbados, Breaking Travel News spoke to Matt Rooke, EBusiness Manager, Kuoni, to find out a little bit more about this innovative project.

1. What was the main objective of BroadbandBarbados?

Broadband Barbados is the pilot site that will lead to the launch of a total of fifty sites offering moving image content on holidays around the world. The launch of this new broadband site is in line with Kuoni’s philosophy of creating dream holidays. The new site focuses on the customers emotional and aspirational experiences whilst planning their holiday, bringing their chosen destination to life, rather than simply following a functional process.

2. Who is your main target audience for BroadbandBarbados?

Clearly the primary audience is focussed on those people with broadband access. Within this segment, we are looking for those customers that match the typical Kuoni traveller profile.

3. Is this service available to everyone and is there a cost?

Anyone with broadband access can view the sites and it is free to view.

4. Which other destinations will be launched in the next year?

We plan to launch fifty sites in 2004 covering all parts of the 6 BREAKING TRAVEL NEWS

Kuoni world from Africa to the Far East and North America to the Indian Ocean.

5. What are the key features of the website?

The content is the key feature of the site with up to 60 minutes of video footage and over fifty 360° IPIX images on the destination and hotels we feature there. The focus is on clear and simple navigation bringing the visitor as close to ‘try before you buy’ as they can get.

truer word is spoken when it comes to buying a holiday.

Large glossy pictures have always been the cornerstone of travel brochures and too bring these pictures to life really does ensure that travellers get the most realistic impression of their intended destination. An accurate picture of the service you have purchased is more likely to result in the traveller buying the holiday they really want.

a recent customer survey of our target market indicated 40% had broadband access.

6. How are you promoting the new website?

The site is being promoted through a mix of above and below-the-line communications.

To date, a banner campaign has been run on a selection of leading ISP sites and this will be followed by an email campaign to their subscribers. Most of the promotional activity is due to take place once more of the sites have been launched later this year.

7. How have you ensured that this service is userfriendly?

By focusing on the core content of moving images, ensuring a clear navigation path through the site with minimal clicks and links and keeping the content pithy the user experience is maximised.

8. How important is it for the traveller to see where they are going before they get there?

They say a picture tells a thousand words and never a

9. Although the UK is becoming increasingly focused on Broadband Internet access, findings purport that broadband access is currently available in only 10% of UK households. Are you limiting your number of users with a product that can only be fully appreciated with broadband technology?

We don’t believe this is the case a recent customer survey of our target market indicated 40% had broadband access. In addition, the growth in broadband take-up is phenomenal and it will not be too long before broadband users outstrip narrowband.

11. Who has compiled the information on the website (eg. History and Culture) and how do you ensure that it is not biased?

The content has been pulled from a variety of sources and is intended to present the destinations and hotels in as true a light as possible.

10. What is the main selling point of Broadbandtravel.co.uk?

Broadband-travel.co.uk is the mothership site that will lead you into a world of moving imagery on the web. It is effectively a virtual contents page to our full range of worldwide destinations.

13. With such a rich and in depth quality of information being provided, BroadbandBarbados replicates the role of the travel agent. Do you expect broadband-travel (and sites like it) to lessen demand for travel agents?

Over the last few years the number of new distribution

12. You can only book with Kuoni on Broadband Travel Pages – do you think this will limit the choice for the user?

Kuoni are Britain’s leading longhaul tour operator offering hundreds of destinations and thousands of different dream holidays throughout the world.

channels that have opened up within the travel industry have had a profound effect on the way that we research and plan our holidays. However, the travel agent still remains the dominant medium for purchase. We believe that all our websites complement the role that travel agents play and our dedicated agents website (agents.kuoni.co.uk) ensures that agents can also use the internet as a selling tool.

Whilst the household penetration of broadband is growing fast it is still a small percentage of the total population. However, in the business world, broadband is far more widespread. As a result, travel agents with this access can use it as a selling proposition to their prospective customers by offering something that they cannot currently see if they do not have broadband access.

14. Will you continue to develop the content as internet technology evolves?

Emphatically, yes. We have always considered ourselves to be at the forefront of travel technology and believe that we can play a major part in revolutionising the way that holidays are sold in the future. www.broadband-travel.co.uk

The Old Course Launches GroundBreaking Broadband Website The Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, the World's Leading Golf Resort, has proved itself to be a technological leader, having launched a new consumer site www.broadband-standrews.com.

The new website, which went live on March 1st, has a similar look and feel to the hotel’s booking site www.theoldcourse.co.uk, containing the trademark company colours; but with one major difference. This site brings the destination to life with 360° virtual tours and streaming broadband videos of the property. Users can tour the spa, the golf course and even their chosen hotel room.

Jonathan Stapleton, general manager, Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa commented: “The aim of the new site is to provide an experience based broadband site which compliments the main Old Course Hotel website which is more of an information giving site from which bookings result”.

The site, which is one of the first of its kind, is currently available in English and Japanese, and will ultimately offer up to 30 languages. Navigation is very straight forward, maximising the user experience.

Jonathan revealed that the main selling point of the site is the broadband virtual reality experience. He commented: “It is designed to be experience driven, to motivate the customer to then click through to the

main site to book”.

The primary audience for this website is users with high speed broadband connection. With a downloadable Windows Media Player, users really can get a feel for where they are going before they get there, gaining a priceless insight into the resort before they part with any money.

Jonathan is confident that looking into the future, Broadband internet access, which increases access to the internet by up to 10 times the speed of most common internet connections, will become increasingly popular, with a growing number of users.

Broadband enables users to view larger images and moving images on a website which is a selling tool for travel destinations, since it enables users to explore where they are going before they get there.

The new site, which is still being updated, will not replace www.theoldcourse.co.uk, but will link directly to it. Promotions and best price guarantees will still be offered on the main site. Currently 12% of Old Course customers book online but Jonathan expects this number to increase dramatically in the coming months.

Jonathan could not disclose any financial information. www.broadband-standrews.com

“The aim of the new site is to provide an experience based broadband site.”

Jonathan Stapleton, general manager, Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa

BREAKING TRAVEL NEWS 7

Intercontinental Hotels Open 15 Across the Americas

InterContinental Hotels Group, the world’s most global hotel company, have announced it opened 15 hotels in January and February 2004, an addition of more than 2,000 rooms across the Americas.

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lus, with the addition of its sixth brand Candlewood Suites IHG has grown its management portfolio by more than 40 percent in the Americas.

These 15 openings include: -Holiday Inn’s first 21st century, 143-room model prototype hotel opened in Duluth, Ga., with electronic menus, the return of icons like the classic green striped towel and the introduction of notable modernized icons like the re-designed “Great Sign”.

And, 70 percent of the hotel is dedicated to generating revenue. Two other Holiday Inn hotels located in Atlanta, Ga., with 375 rooms, St. Louis, Mo., with 179 rooms opened as well.

-The first Crowne Plaza hotel to open in Allentown, Penn. with 224 rooms and the first Crowne Plaza to open in Torreon, Mexico with 193 rooms.

-Seven Holiday Inn Express hotels located in Newport Beach, Calif., with 54 rooms, Sumter, S.C. with 79 rooms, Houston, Texas with 79 rooms, Campbellsville, Ky., with 165 rooms, Carson City, Nev., with 85 rooms, San

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Diego, Calif., with 70 rooms and Longview, Texas, with 70 rooms.

-Three Staybridge Suites hotels located in New Orleans, La. - the largest Staybridge Suites property to open in North America - with 182 rooms, San Diego, Calif., with 68 rooms and Cranbury, N.J., with 87 rooms.

Another notable addition during January includes the InterContinental Hotels Group acquisition of the Candlewood Suites brand through its affiliate Six Continents Hotels, Inc. This addition increased IHG’s management portfolio by more than 40 percent in the Americas and brought the total number of IHG brands to six. IHG owns, manages, leases and franchises properties (through various affiliates) more than 3,400 hotels and 530,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world.

“IHG continues to strengthen its network of hotels even in an uncertain economic climate because of the strength of its brands and the assurance that it collaborates with its owners/franchisees,”

said Kirk Kinsell, senior vice president, Americas Franchising and Business Development, InterContinental Hotels Group.

The success of IHG, provides a solid foundation to drive brand value - with some of the strongest, most recognized brands in the industry: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

IHG’s integrated marketing initiatives help unify all six brands so they benefit and learn from each other’s efforts -- while keeping the brands distinct and differentiated to their customer segments. IHG does this by offering current and prospective franchisees access to a multi-brand marketing platform comprised of its Enterprise Values technology, global reservations centers, global sales, performance support, and Priority Club Rewards.

Starwood Acquires the 413 Room Sheraton Kauai Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. closed on the purchase of the 413-room Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii on March 3, 2004. Starwood paid $40 million to purchase the asset. Starwood managed the Sheraton Kauai under its Sheraton brand for Obayashi Corporation, the former owner of the property.

"We are pleased to acquire this resort property at a very attractive price per key representing a discount to replacement cost," said Ted Darnall, President - Starwood Real Estate Group. "Acquiring this resort reinforces our strategic commitment to Kauai and the Hawaiian Islands which remain the most important leisure destination for U.S. travelers."

The Sheraton Kauai is located alongside Poipu Beach and features 413 rooms, including 13 suites, many with spectacular ocean views and terraces. The resort has five restaurants and lounges; a fitness and massage center; two outdoor pools and Jacuzzi; tennis courts and two championship golf courses within two miles and is situated on 18.8 acres of fee and leased land.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 740 properties in more than 80 countries and 105,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts.

For more information, please visit www. starwood. com

Everything... for Everybody!

Offer your clients an escape to tropical paradise where refreshing breezes blow, turquoise waters sparkle and stunning sunsets soothe their soul. Coral by Hilton’s four exciting allinclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic is the perfect place to enjoy a vacation that offers everything you want 24 hours a day. Endless watersports such as scuba diving, windsurfing and snorkeling are available. Let them take advantage of organized activities such as volleyball and dance lessons, or unwind with a luxurious spa treatment. Savor succulent cuisine in open-air restaurants with spectacular postcard views. Take a moonlit stroll on white-sand beaches below starry skies. Then fall asleep to the smell of salt air and the sound gentle tides. At Coral by Hilton, your clients can do everything you want, or nothing at all.

All-inclusive, Hilton style!

Dominican Republic: Bayahibe • Boca Chica Juan Dolio • Puerto Plata www.coralbyhilton.com

Please visit our other destinations: Bahamas • Cancun • Curaçao • Jamaica • Margarita • Puerto Rico (Ponce & San Juan) St. Lucia • Santo Domingo • Tobago • Trinidad • Barbados (12/04) The Hilton name and logo are trademarks owned by Hilton. ©2004 Hilton Hospitality Inc.

We’ve won ‘Best Caribbean Spa’ two years running.

So why don’t we call ourselves a spa?

There are two sides to The BodyHoliday. One is health and a fantastic feeling of well being. The other is sheer hedonism and acquiring skills and insights that you keep long after you lose your tan. So rather than call ourselves a spa, we say we are the world’s first lasting holiday where pleasure isn’t rationed. An impressive arsenal of pursuits include sports from diving to golf, beauty treats, therapeutic treatments, eight kinds of massage, fabulous food, and first-class accommodation. Give us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind.

Find the full story by visiting www.thebodyholiday.com or calling 0870 220 2344.

10

bmi Bring the Caribbean Closer to Home

American Airlines and German Rail Operator Sign Codeshare Agreement American Airlines today has signed a codeshare agreement with Deutsche Bahn, the German Railway Company. American Airlines is the first US carrier to offer codeshare services between 10 German cities and Frankfurt Airport with Deutsche Bahn.

The fast and efficient train services covered by the agreement are closely co-ordinated to provide convenient connections with American Airlines nonstop flights from Frankfurt to Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth.

The codeshare agreement, which is effective immediately, significantly expands the number of cities American Airlines serves in Germany.

American Airlines will place its code on train services between Frankfurt Airport and the following cities: Bonn, Dusseldorf, Freiburg, Hamburg, Hannover, Cologne, Mannheim, Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart.

In Europe, fast and

efficient high-speed rail services make the train a viable alternative to air travel. In addition to this new codeshare arrangement with Deutsche Bahn, American has similar arrangements with the French rail operator, SNCF on services from Paris Charles De Gaulle to destinations throughout France.

American also has a codeshare with the Belgian company, Thalys, on high-speed services between Paris Charles De Gaulle and Brussels.

Members of the American Airlines frequent flyer programme, AAdvantage, will be granted 250 frequent flyer miles per segment on AA codeshare routes by train if they connect to the airline's flights from/to Frankfurt Airport.

The Deutsche Bahn train station at Frankfurt Airport is conveniently located in Terminal 1 providing easy access to the American Airlines Check - In, Ticketing and Lounge facilities.

The codeshare agreement, which is effective immediately, significantly expands the number of cities American Airlines serves in Germany.

By Ben Kilbey bmi, a World Travel Award nominee and the UK's second largest full service scheduled airline, is to launch direct flights between Manchester and the Caribbean islands of Barbados, Antigua and St Lucia, commencing 26 November 2004.

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he start of Caribbean services reaffirms the status of bmi as the biggest UK provider of scheduled services across the Atlantic from any UK regional airport, and also marks a number of significant firsts. bmi will be the first and the only carrier to operate direct scheduled services from Manchester to Antigua and St Lucia, as well as the first and the only airline to offer three different classes of travel on scheduled flights from Manchester to Barbados. bmi will also be unique in providing a direct return service from Barbados for those seeking a seven day break.

The twice weekly service to Barbados will launch 26 November. Weekly services to Antigua commence 27 November and St Lucia on 1 December.

Return fares for all three destinations start at ÂŁ449,

including taxes and can be booked from today at www.flybmi.com or by calling 0870 60 70 222.

Austin Reid, bmi chief executive, said: "The launch of services from Manchester to the Caribbean comes less than six weeks after the announcement of our new route from Manchester to Toronto, starting in April. This is a clear demonstration of our continuing commitment to provide scheduled services from the UK regions and, in particular, to long haul destinations from Manchester - a commitment that other UK scheduled carriers cannot match.

"Passengers now have no need to travel to London and onto the Caribbean services of those carriers showing little appetite or commitment to the important UK regions. Manchester's hub status is also set to increase as our new

services have been timed specifically to provide travellers to and from Scotland - and Heathrow - with convenient connections.

"Our announcement brings major benefits to those wanting to travel with the confidence, convenience and comfort of a bmi scheduled service flight."

As well as convenient connections at Manchester, the schedules have been timed to connect at their destinations with a wide range of services to other popular Caribbean islands, such as the British Virgin Islands, St Kitts, Tobago, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

www.flybmi.com

B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 11

TÉ Spa at Villa Nova, Barbados Introduces Elemis to its Treatment Menu By Jaime Cooke

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he stately Villa Nova, one of the Caribbean’s last remaining Great Plantation Houses reveals plans for a brand new luxury spa. Opening on 7th June 2004, the TÉ Spa will refresh mind, body and soul.

The new spa designed for men and women, will occupy nearly 36,000 sq ft, with eight treatment rooms, two tennis courts, a swimming pool, sauna and steam villas, a pagoda, a Dojo, a restaurant with spa menu and much more.

Villa Nova has been working closely with Cengiz Dervis, a founding director of the exclusive KX GYM UK in Chelsea and personal trainer to the stars. He has devised TÉ Spa in partnership with Villa Nova which will see the beginning of a new era in

health, fitness and wellbeing, as Cengiz brings his unique philosophy of physical and mental fitness to the Caribbean.

Within the peaceful sanctuary of the spa, guests can choose from a range of Elemis and TÉ Spa own face and body treatments, including: • Japanese Silk Booster Facial • Deep Tissue Muscle Massage • Cellutox Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap • Exotic Lime and Ginger Salt Glow • Exotic Coconut Rub and Milk Ritual Wrap • Nurturing Massage for Mother-to-be • Fennel Cleansing Cellulite and Colon Therapy

Elemis will be devising and introducing an exclusive signature treatment and details will be announced during 2004. The TÉ Spa will also offer Yoga, Pilates, Kickboxing, Weight Loss, Detox and Boot Camp retreats, for guests interested in specific results.

Lynne Pemberton, Proprietor of Villa Nova, comments: “The concept and design behind the TÉ Spa shows our serious, ongoing commitment to the wellbeing

of our guests. Villa Nova is a wonderful setting for total relaxation and reflection, and the TÉ Spa will enable our guests to enjoy a programme of life changing and luxurious treatments, alongside the best fitness equipment."

Villa Nova has 27 sumptuous guest rooms and suites, all individually designed by internationally acclaimed designer Nina Campbell. Set in 15 acres of landscaped gardens and tropical rainforest, this luxury

boutique hotel is set high above the island’s East Coast and has panoramic views across the sugar cane fields.

Villa Nova, the former home of British Prime Minister, Sir Anthony Eden, is a walled estate and affords guests privacy and relaxation, the perfect complement to the new spa.

For more information on Villa Nova and the new TÉ Spa visit: www.villanovabarbados.com

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12 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

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Passenger Pleasing Boeing Airplane Features on Display at ITB 2004 Boeing Commercial Airplanes will display the passenger-pleasing features of its all-new Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner airplane and its best-selling 737 jetliner during the ITB Berlin 2004 travel and tourism show March 12 through 16.

The Boeing exhibit will be located in Stand 110 in Hall 11.1. Visitors will be able to step into the future of flight when they enter the 7E7 Dreamliner Dome, a specially designed theater that uses a 5-meter-tall semicircular screen to provide a threedimensional experience.

Once inside, visitors will feel as if they are in the 7E7 passenger cabin as they are surrounded by video showing the airplane's innovative architectural and lighting features.

The Boeing exhibit also includes a large interactive,

multimedia presentation about the Boeing NextGeneration 737, a popular airplane with European airlines that has a reputation for on-time departures.

Visitors will also see firsthand the type of innovative solutions Boeing is developing to reduce aircraft noise at Europe's airports.

On display is the rear section of an engine nacelle (the back portion of an airplane jet engine covering) with a scalloped edge called a chevron.

Heat makes the scalloped edge, made of "smart" metal,

fold inward on takeoff, thereby dulling the sound of exhaust. As the airplane rises and the air cools, the metal edge straightens out. Boeing plans to use this new technology on its airplanes in the future.

Boeing will hold small-group media briefings on two subjects at ITB on Sunday, March 14, and Monday, March 15. Klaus Brauer, who is working on design planning for the 7E7 Dreamliner's interior and is considered the industry's leading authority on cabin configuration, will discuss innovations in cabin

design that will make flying a more comfortable experience.

Billy Glover, Boeing director of environmental performance strategy, will discuss the innovative steps Boeing is taking to minimize aircraft emissions and noise.

Glover serves on a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration subcommittee on energy and environment.

The briefings will be repeated several times both days in the meeting area inside the Boeing exhibit.

Boeing has enjoyed a partnership with the

European travel and tourism industry since the 1950s, when Boeing jetliners were introduced in service with European charter airlines.

Today, Boeing products represent about 67 percent of the jetliners now in service with European holiday charter airlines and about 85 percent of the jetliners in service with Europe's low-fare carriers.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes is the world's leading provider of commercial jetliners and airplane services.

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Book online at B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 13

14 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

Surfing the Internet at 30,000 Feet Checking your e-mail and surfing the Web while you fly has finally taken off. Breaking Travel News caught up with Scott Carson, President of Connexion by Boeing, World’s Leading Inflight Technology Provider (World Travel Awards 2003), to find out the latest developments in wireless inflight technology for the jetsetting business traveller. By Anna Gouldman

BTN. Will Connexion by Boeing be attending ITB? If so will you be launching any new products?

SC. Prior to the upcoming full-scale commercial launch of the Connexion by Boeing service on-board Lufthansa in April this year, we will be attending ITB and will also be co-sponsoring the media reception with Boeing Commercial Airplanes group.

BTN. How did Connexion by Boeing survive after so many companies ‘pulled out’ following 9/11 attacks?

SC. Following the unfortunate events of 9/11, Connexion by Boeing continued to work closely with both domestic and international airlines in what we call “Connexion Working Together.” We also turned to the international market, continued to be fiscally responsible in our expenditures and keenly focused in our business objectives and strategies going forward. Thus we developed both consumer and airline applications which will enhance the passenger experience in the air and will deliver operational efficiencies to the airline operators.

BTN. Have any of the original U.S. based carriers signed back on to add the service to their planes?

SC. Over the last six months we have seen a shift in the interest of US carriers in in-flight connectivity as they move from a survival to decision-making mode.

We continue to work very closely with them and expect our efforts to bear fruit in the not-so-distant future.

BTN. With the delay of the promised launch date of Connexion, following 9/11 attacks, has the product offering itself been developed further or enhanced?

SC. We have timed the introduction of our service with what the market is ready and willing to accept. However, as a

result of circumstances beyond our control (9/11, SARS, etc.) we have had an opportunity to further refine our service offering and enhance its robustness since our initial intentions, through improved passenger knowledge, technological advancements and regulatory achievements.

BTN. Tenzing, an inflight communications software provider, offers a competitive rate at $10 to $20 per flight, for wireless internet connection, compared to $35 for Connexion. What additional benefits do you offer to consumers that justify these additional costs?

SC. We don’t believe that price is a definition for quality of service. For the expected fee of not more than $30 per long-haul flight (6+hours) we will offer passengers full access to the entire Internet, as well as their firewallprotected corporate VPNs – something that has not been available before. In addition, our system offers airlines a myriad of operational efficiency enhancements with which they can reduce cost and increase their customer service.

BTN. Do you only install your service on Boeing aircraft or do you also equip other aircraft with this service for example Airbus and Lear jet?

SC. Our system is platform-neutral and will be installed on both Airbus and Boeing aircraft for commercial services.

It is currently installed on a few private jets, which are operational in the US. BTN. Should travellers using the service expect to experience any downtime? Will the service be as efficient as land-based systems?

SC. Our intent is to provide a seamless experience, as efficient as land-based

Breaking Travel News Exclusive Interview: Scott Carson, President Connexion by Boeing systems, however they are always unpredictable acts of nature that might affect both systems…

addressing this market, such as developing a service-offering for short flights, known as “Connexion Lite.”

BTN. How many megabits per second of downstream bandwidth will the service offer? How many users can it support at a time? What will be the download capacity for travellers?

SC. Our systems will provide a speed of up to 20Mbps to the aircraft over four channels, and up to 1Mbps from the aircraft, shared among all users. There is no limit to the number of user who will be able to use our system on-board. By leasing transponders on commerciallyavailable satellites we’ll be able to scale our system to satisfy the demand for our service.

BTN. What can we expect to see in the world of inflight technology during the next 5 years?

SC. As our service rolls out and becomes ubiquitous, the airlines will find more creative ways to use the bandwidth, e.g. passenger rebooking, cashless cabin, telemedicine, to name just a few.

BTN. Having deployed your services throughout entire aircrafts, are you finding the service to be popular on economy class?

SC. We have been working with our airline customers to offer both a wired and a wireless (WLAN) network onboard and the WLAN will allow all passengers to use the system regardless of which class of cabin service they are travelling in. We’re launching commercial service in April 2004.

BTN. With more and more business travellers opting to fly on low cost carriers, do you ever think there will be a market for you in this sector?

SC. The popularity of low-cast airlines has captured our attention and we continue to explore opportunities for

BTN. Can you tell me a little about your ventures into the maritime industry?

SC. We continue to keep an eye on applications with sound business sense, and offering the service to the maritime market was a natural extension of our airline offering.

BTN. How do you plan to stay ahead of the game in 2004?

SC. We’ll continue to listen to our customers and their passengers and ensure the services we provide add value to both.

BTN. Are you optimistic about the financial outlook in the travel industry for 2004?

SC. We remain cautiously optimistic that things will continue to improve in the airline industry and passenger numbers will be growing. www.connexionbyboeing.com

B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 15

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Tel: +44 (0)20 7925 0000 Fax: +44 (0)20 7925 2552 Email: publisher@theverybestmagazine.com editor@theverybestmagazine.com

16 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

JW Marriott Takes Curtain Call in Bucharest Marriott International, Inc. has announced plans to convert the five-star Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel this March into the first JW Marriott in Continental Europe.

“This is an exciting time for our associates, guests and local community.”

Le Méridien Cyberport to open in Hong Kong Le Méridien Cyberport, opening Spring 2004, is the contemporary Southside hotel in Hong Kong. The Hotel combines first-class hospitality with state-ofthe-art technology at the newest leading information technology and digital city.

All 173 rooms and suites feature the very best elements of "Le Méridien’s Art+Tech" design including 42-inch plasmascreen television, wireless broadband connectivity, cuttingedge in-room entertainment system, walk-in rain showers, a unique 'soothing corner' and a list of innovative service initiatives.

While indulging in the superb ocean view, guests are invited to experience a modern Cardio Vascular Suite, an invigorating swim in the outdoor heated lap-pool or a brisk run on the natural jogging track. Just a few steps from the hotel - the Arcade - provides unlimited entertainment activities. You can enjoy everything from a movie to a virtual shopping tour, and more.

This peaceful waterfront hotel offers all types of fine cuisine at a choice of hip restaurants and bars. ∑ Prompt - A trendy high-end restaurant with an open gallery kitchen complete with a wood burning oven and inspiring outdoor dining. ∑ Bar Umami - A sophisticated cocktail bar serving modern interpretation of sushi and sashimi, allowing you to unwind with a number of unique combinations. ∑ PSI Bar & Lounge - A chill-out venue with tempting tastes and great music – the perfect place to escape from the pressures of the office. Enjoy evening cocktails and be mesmerized as the sunset changes from golden hues to a kaleidoscope of vibrant colours above the panorama of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. ∑ The Podium - The perfect place for drinks and conversation, serving a large selection of the finest wines. ∑ Nam Fong – A Chinese restaurant featuring superb Cantonese specialities and excellent Dim Sum set in a lively, modern design. @Lounge - A modern private member's club with a stunning view over The Arcade and Telegraph Bay - ideal for entertaining important clients and special meetings.

General Manager Kurt Strohmayer

Beginning this March, the 402-room JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel will incorporate a series of upgrades and amenities, including high-speed Internet access in every guest room. By the summer, each guest room will feature Nirvae, JW Marriottbranded bathroom amenities and offer 24-hour access to the business center and executive lounge. In addition, a new butler service will be available upon request for guests staying on the executive level.

“This is an exciting time for our associates, guests and local community,” said General Manager Kurt Strohmayer. “Our hotel has evolved from an abandoned construction site of the Ceausescu era into one of Marriott's luxurious JW Marriott hotels. We're excited to be a part of the transformation.”

Currently, hotel services and offerings include an airport shuttle, free in-room safety deposit boxes, a complimentary newspaper, an ice machine on every floor, laundry and cleaning services, and a concierge service/airline reservation desk. Each bathroom offers a vanity, makeup mirror and separate bathtub and shower in over 80 percent of guest rooms. Chauffeur and

limousine services are available upon request, and for a small fee, digital newspaper clippings can be delivered daily to guests.

An activities and tour desk is available for guests to explore nearby attractions.

Within walking distance, guests can visit the Botanical Gardens, Bucharest Opera House, City History Museum or art museums -- the Museum of Art Collections or the National Art Museum at the Royal Palace. Additional city highlights include Cotroceni Palace, offering a three-century historical evolution of Romanian history and the Palace of Parliament, also known as the largest building in Europe.

The exclusive JW Marriott collection has been defined as an ‘approachable luxury’ hotel. The portfolio features 32 award-winning properties in sought- after global locations and has been widely hailed for its worldclass service, gourmet food options and unique business offerings and amenities.

The future JW Marriott Bucharest Hotel, along with 2,300 Marriott- affiliated hotels worldwide, will participate in Marriott Rewards, the guest reward program that allows members to earn their choice of points or airline miles for dollars spent during each stay.

B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 17

What’s on at ITB 2004

Friday, March 12, 2004

10:00 Press conference: Sachsen-Anhalt Place: ICC Berlin Salon 19

Reception

10:00 Press conference: Rügen Place: ICC Berlin Raum 15/16

13:30 Press meeting - Oberhausen Looking back on tourism in 2003 and ahead to 2004 Veranstalter: Tourismus & Marketing Oberhausen GmbH Place: Halle 8.2 Stand 104

10:00 - 11:00 Hamburg Breakfast (by invitation only) Organiser: Hamburg Tourismus GmbH Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102

11:00 Press conference: Air Berlin Place: ICC Berlin Saal 10

14:00 Press conference: Poland Place: ICC Berlin Saal 9

11:00 Press conference: Croatia Place: ICC Berlin Saal 9

14:00 Press conference: DRV Deutscher Reisebüro und Reiseveranstalter Verband (for journalists only) Place: ICC Berlin ICC-Lounge

13:00 - 15:00 Hamburg Lunch (by invitation only) Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 103 16:00 - 18:00 Peruvian happy hour Place: Halle 6.3 Pressezentrum C & C Presse-Lounge 16:00 - 18:00 ITB Downer - Champagne reception (by invitation only) Organiser: DIE WELT/WELT am Sonntag/ Berliner Morgenpost/ BZ Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 109 16:00 - 17:00 Cocktail Hour - Hamburg by twilight Organiser: Hamburg Tourismus GmbH Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 16:00 - 18:00 Cocktail reception given by Mauritius (by invitation only) Place: Halle 20 Stand 127 17:00 Press get-together of Flair Hotels e.V. Place: Halle 8.1 Stand 135 17:00 - 18:00 Happy Hour Organiser: Museum MARTa/Pro Herford/Brauerei Felsenkeller Herford/Herforder Sport- und Freizeitbad H2O Place: Halle 10.2 MARTa Lounge 18:00 - 22:00 Get together for travel agents (by invitation only) Organiser: Berliner Flughäfen Place: Halle 13 19:00 Opening event of the ITB Berlin 2004 - partner country: Peru followed by the official reception at hall 2 of the ICC Berlin in the presence of the governing mayor of Berlin (by special invitation only) Place: ICC Berlin Saal 1

11:00 - 13:00 ITB tourism barometer Premiere: The first global business climate index for the tourist industry - Press conference and presentation Veranstalter: Messe Berlin GmbH Referent: Dr. Martin Buck, Director Competence Center Travel & Logistics, Messe Berlin GmbH Referent: Prof. Dr. Roland Conrady, Fachhochschule Worms Place: Halle 7.1 b 11:00 Press conference: Lübeck Veranstalter: Hansestadt Lübeck, Fachbereich Kultur Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 107 11:30 Press conference: Marriott International Place: ICC Berlin Saal 8 11:30 Press conference: Sächsische Schweiz Place: ICC Berlin Salon 20 12:00 - 14:00 Press conference: Germanwings Place: ICC Berlin Saal 4/5 12:30 - 14:00 Press conference: BosniaHerzegowina Place: ICC Berlin Raum 17/18 12:30 The Stupor Mundi palaces in Basilicata Veranstalter: Landesministerium für Tourismus der Region Basilikata Place: Halle 2.1 Terrazza Italia 13:00 Press conference: MecklenburgVorpommern Place: ICC Berlin Salon 21 13:00 Press conference: Bulgaria Place: Messegelände Großer Stern Bankettraum 3

Press Conference 09:30 Press breakfast Organiserr: TOM Consulting Place: Halle 25 Stand 116

18 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

13:00 Press conference: Berliner Flughäfen (Berlin Airports) Place: Palais am Funkturm Westseite

14:00 Press conference: Indonesia Place: ICC Berlin Salon 19 14:00 Press conference: Central America Place: ICC Berlin Raum 42 14:00 Press conference: Mongolia Place: Palais am Funkturm Ostseite 14:30 Press conference: First results of the RA 2004 travel analysis (for the press only) Veranstalter: Forschungsgemeinschaft Urlaub und Reisen e.V. Place: ICC Berlin Saal 8 14:30 Press conference: Thüringen Place: Halle 11.2 Stand 103 14:30 Baroque routes along the east coast of Scicily: Catania welcomes its guests Veranstalter: Stadt Catania Place: Halle 2.1 Terrazza Italia 15:00 Press conference: Spreewald Place: ICC Berlin Salon 22 15:00 Press conference: Uzbekistan Place: ICC Berlin Raum 17/18 15:00 Press conference: Russian Chain of President Hotels Russia's tourism potential Place: ICC Berlin Raum 13/14 15:30 Press conference: Hungary Place: ICC Berlin Saal 10 15:30 Press conference: ITB Berlin Message - Tourism Forecast followed by a reception (for journalists only) Veranstalter: Messe Berlin GmbH Place: Halle 7.1 b

16:00 - 17:00 Meet the media: Dresden Place: Halle 11.2 Stand 102/2 17:00 Press conference: Riviera Maya - A new image for Riviera Maya facts & figures, plans for 2000 presentation to honour a Best Friend of Riviera Maya Place: Halle 3.1 Stand 211

Presentations 10:00 What is World Heritage?

Organiser: Unesco World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116 10:00 - 18:00 Exhibition: the graves of the kings of Sipan Organiser: Ministerium für Tourismus Peru Place: Halle 10.2 Stand B 22 10:00 - 18:00 Flight in the simulator Organiser: Flughafen Erfurt GmbH Place: Halle 11.2 Stand 103 11:00 - 13:00 ALPINE WELLNESS INTERNATIONAL Interregional quality and brand concepts of Bavaria, Austria, Switzerland, and South Tyrol Organiser: Alpine Wellness Intl.

GmbH Place: ICC Berlin Raum 42 11:15 - 12:15 Take the Trans-Siberian railway to Lake Baikal Organiser: Bund Naturschutz Service GmbH Place: Halle 7.2a Bühne NaturErlebnis 12:00 - 13:00 Presentation given by the Hotelfachschule Hamburg Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 13:00 What is happening at World Heritage sites with Sustainable Tourism?

Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116 13:00 - 15:00 Presentation of the Go Asia Award Organiser: Go Asia Place: Halle 26 Stand 104 13:30 - 14:30 Presentation:2004/2005 Bregenz Festival Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge

14:00 - 14:30 Discovering nature Organiser: Bund Naturschutz Service GmbH/Deutsche Bahn AG Place: Halle 7.2a Bühne NaturErlebnis 15:00 Destinations with a plus: World Heritage and local communities Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116 15:00 Hotel online reservation system Meeting point at the Neuss counter Düsseldorf-Colognen-Bonn area Place: Halle 8.2 Stand 105

Market Trends and Innovations – Conference Programme 10:30 - 13:30 College Forum I The top dissertations on the subject of tourism 10:30 Welcome and introduction Addresses: 10:40 Structural and behavioural changes in the tourism market Prof. Dr. Christoph von Haehling, Willy Scharnow Institute of Tourism, Berlin/Germany 11:15 Sustainability in tourism Prof. Dr. Edgar Kreilkamp, Lüneburg University/Germany 11:50 German holiday house tourism Ines Carstensen, Potsdam University/Germany Bernd Muckenschnabel, CendantGroup Following discussion: Reinhard Ilg, EHRENBERG Marketing (Moderator) Bruno Bedholm, Director, Tourism Office of Denmark Bernd Fischer, Tourism Office of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Heike Hollwitz, German Tourism Association 'Deutscher Tourismus Verband (DTV)' Dieter Hütte, TMB Marketing Brandenburg

12:55 Medical Fitness and Relaxation Dr. Kai Illing, Graz University of Applied Science, Austria Presenter: Messe Berlin GmbH Moderator: Prof. Dr. Roland Conrady, Dean of Travel and Tourism Department, University of Applied Sciences Worms, Germany Place: Halle 7.1 b London 3 11:00 - 13:00 ITB Tourism Barometer Premiere: The first global index of the business climate in the tourism industry Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity to meet personally with the keynote speakers - by invitation only Organiser: Messe Berlin GmbH Referent: Dr. Martin Buck, Director Competence Center Travel & Logistics, Messe Berlin GmbH Referent: Prof. Dr. Roland Conrady, Dean of the Department of Tourism and Transport, University of Applied Sciences, Worms, Germany Place: Halle 7.1 b London 1 14:00 - 17:00 College Forum II The top dissertations on the subject of tourism 14:00 Innovation and market trends in tourism Bibiana Walder, Innsbruck University,Austria 14:35 Tourism destination brands Dr. Knut Scherhag, European Tourism Institute, Trier,Germany 15:10 Market intelligence for destinations marketing organisations Guido Sommer and Michael Rausch, Trier University, Germany 15:45 Barrier-free tourism Dr. Peter Neumann and Matthias Peistrup, Westphalian Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany 16:20 Analysis of the tourism job market in Germany Prof. Dr. Torsten Kirstges, Wilhelmshaven University of Applied Sciences, Germany Organiser: Messe Berlin GmbH Moderator: Prof. Dr. Roland Conrady, Dean of Travel and Tourism Department, University of Applied Sciences Worms, Germany Place: Halle 7.1 b London 3

15:30 - 18:00 ITB Berlin Message - in cooperation with IPK International Global tourism trends and latest forecast data for 2004 and beyond - by invitation only Welcome address: Dr. H. Jochen Martin, Managing Director, German Travel Agency and Travel Management Association, Berlin Addresses: Presentation of the major global travel markets Presentation of the 10 main up-todated trends in the worldwide travel Rolf Freitag, Chairman and CEO, IPK International, Munich, Germany Presentation of the short term quarterly departure travel forecast in 2004, 2005, 2006, in USA, Japan, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Spain Frédéric Avierinos, Managing Director Europe, Global Insight, Paris, Frankreich Economic growth, external chocks and tourism performance in world and by destination´s regions David Devilliers, Deputy Secretary General, World Tourism Organization (WTO), Madrid, Spanien Presentation of the long term forecast 2004-2020 in USA, Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Spain Etienne Pauchant, Senior Vice President Marketing & Development, IPK International, Aix en Provence, France The Need for Reputation Management in Asia Pacific Peter De Jong, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Bangkok, Thailand Outlook for the U.S. Tourism Industry Helen Marano, Director of the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, US Department of Commerce, Washington DC, USA The use of the new Japanese mobile telephones for seeking, viewing and booking tourism Mrs. Yasuyo Fukui, Chief Executive Officer, NAVIT Corporation Ltd., Tokio, Japan German inbound and domestic markets Petra Hedorfer, CEO, German Tourism Institute (DZT), Frankfurt, Germany Organiser: Messe Berlin GmbH / IPK International Place: Halle 7.1 b London 1

Saturday, March 13, 2004

Reception 10:00 - 11:00 Hamburg Breakfast (by invitation only) Organiser: Hamburg Tourismus GmbH Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 10:00 Sultan's brunch with a "Sekt" reception and press conference Organiser: BENTOUR INTERNATIONAL REISEN GMBH und die World of Wonders All Inclusive Resort Hotels Place: Halle 25 Stand 110 11:00 - 12:00 Press Breakfast given by Land Brandenburg (by invitation only) Place: Halle 12 Stand 101 13:00 - 15:00 Happy Hamburg Lunch (by invitation only) Organiser: Hamburg Tourismus GmbH Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 16:00 - 18:00 Peruvian happy hour Place: Halle 6.3 Pressezentrum C & C Presse-Lounge 16:00 - 18:00 ITB Downer - Champagne reception (by invitation only) Organiser: DIE WELT/WELT am Sonntag/ Berliner Morgenpost/ BZ Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 109 17:00 Press get-together of Flair Hotels e.V. Place: Halle 8.1 Stand 135 17:00 - 21:00 Friesian Tee Hour Graduates meetings Organiser: Fachhochschule Oldenburg/Ostfriesland/Wilhelmshaven Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 101c 17:00 - 18:00 Happy Hour Organiser: Museum MARTa/Pro Herford/Brauerei Felsenkeller Herford/Herforder Sport- und Freizeitbad H2O Place: Halle 10.2 MARTa Lounge 17:00 - 18:00 Hamburg by twilight (by invitation only) Organiser: Hamburg Tourismus GmbH Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102

17:00 - 22:00 African Night Botswana Sundowner (by invitation only) Organiser: Botswana Departement of Tourism Place: Halle 20 Stand 130 17:00 - 21:00 Party for Customers of Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts (by invitation only) Place: Halle 9 Stand 114 17:30 - 21:00 African Night WOZA - South Africa (by invitation only) Place: Halle 20 Stand 131 18:30 EU EXPEDIENTEN PARTY - absolute beginners (by entrance ticket only) Organiser: Messe Berlin GmbH/Polnisches Fremdenverkehrsamt/Slowenisches Fremdenverkehrsamt/Ungarisches Tourismusamt/RUFJugendreisen/Infox/Touristikernet.com /Eberhardt Travel/Welcome Berlin Tours Place: Halle 1.1 18:30 Sri Lankan Airlines media reception (by personal invitation) Place: Hotel Maritim pro Arte Friedrichstr. 151 19:30 Sri Lanka Night (by personal invitation only) Place: Hotel Mairtim pro Arte Friedrichstr. 151

Press Conference

10:00 Press conference: Serbia Place: Messegelände, Großer Stern VIP-Raum 2 10:00 - 12:00 Press conference: Mount Everest Golden Jubilee Medal Conferring Ceremony Organiser: Nepal Tourism Board Place: ICC Berlin Raum 15/16 10:30 Press Breakfast: North Sea Association Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 107 11:00 Press conference: Austria Place: Messegelände, Großer Stern Bankettraum 3 11:00 Press conference: South Africa Place: Halle 7.3 Konferenzraum Europa 11:00 The San Marino Grand Prix at Imola Ferrari and Formula 1 in the fast lane Organiser: Republik San Marino und Emilia Romagna Place: Halle 2.1 Terrazzo Italia 11:30 Press conference: Peru Place: ICC Berlin Saal 6 11:30 Press conference: Singapore Place: Messegelände FunkturmBistro 12:00 Press conference: World Tourism Organization (WTO) Place: ICC Berlin Saal 4/5

09:00 Press conference: Hawaii Place: ICC Berlin Raum 17/18

12:00 Press conference: SeaTravel HAM GmbH Place: ICC Berlin Salon 21

10:00 Press conference: the city of Eisenach - 500 years of the Bach family Place: ICC Berlin Salon 22

13:00 Press conference: Montenegro Place: ICC Berlin Raum 15/16

10:00 - 14:00 jwm press get-together Place: Messegelände, Großer Stern Bankettraum 4 10:00 Press conference: Slovenia Place: ICC Berlin Raum 17/18 10:00 Press conference: Pegasus Solutions Place: ICC Berlin Galerie, Raum 32/33 10:00 Press conference: Kenya Place: Palais am Funkturm Ostseite

13:00 - 15:00 Press conference: Egypt Place: ICC Berlin Saal 8 13:30 Press conference: BadenWürttemberg Place: Halle 5.2 Stand 104 14:00 Press conference; Italy Place: ICC Berlin Saal 6 14:00 Press conference: Mexico - one country, a thousand different worlds Place: ICC Berlin Raum 42

B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 19

What’s on at ITB 2004

14:00 Press conference: Land Brandenburg Place:ICC Berlin Salon 19 14:00 Press conference: Palestinian territories Place: Palais am Funkturm Ostseite 14:30 Press conference: Centre for Travel Medicine Place: ICC Berlin Salon 20 15:00 Press conference: India Place: ICC Berlin ICC-Lounge 15:00 - 17:00 Media meeting - uschi liebl pr/Angelika Hermann-Meier PR Place: Messegelände, Großer Stern Bankettraum 3 15:00 Press conference: Uttaranchal Place: ICC Berlin Salon 21 15:00 TAS Touristik Assekuranz Service GmbH meeting for the trade press Presentation of the new tourist bond product (by invitation only) Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 107 16:00 Press conference: Seychelles Place: ICC Berlin Raum 17/18 16:00 Press conference: Flair Hotels Place: ICC Berlin Salon 20 16:00 - 17:00 Meet the media: Dresden Place: Halle 11.2 Stand 102/2 16:30 Press reception: Find yourself in Korea Place: Halle 26 Stand 107

Presentations 10:00 - 12:00 Presentation of the European landscape of the year - Lebuser Land - a European bridge Organiser: Naturfreunde International/Naturfreunde Landesverband Brandenburg/Tourismusverband Märkisch-Oderland Place: ICC Berlin Salon 20 10:00 Effects of Tourism on World Heritage sites conservation Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116

20 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

10:00 - 18:00 Exhibition: the graves of the kings of Sipan Organiser: Ministerium für Tourismus Peru Place: Halle 10.2 Stand B 22

16:00 - 17:00 Info hour with representatives of the city and its surrounding region Organiser: Hamburg TourismusGmbH Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102

10:30 - 10:40 Welcome and Introduction Takashima Yûshû, Ambassador, Embassy of Japan Dr. Helmut Krüger, Federal Ministry for Commerce and Labour (BMWA)

10:00 - 18:00 Flight in the simulator Organiser: Flughafen Erfurt GmbH Place: Halle 11.2 Stand 103

17:00 A get-together with Rotkäppchen All aboard - Blaues Band attracts tourists to the waterways of Sachsen-Anhalt for journalists and trade visitors Place: Halle 11.2 Stand SachsenAnhalt

10:40 - 11:00 Keynote Speech Akira Moriyama, Secretary General, Visit Japan Campaign

11:30 - 12:00 German "Fairytale" Route Organiser: Kassel Tourist GmbH Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge 12:00 - 12:45 Sustainable Tourism in Syria Organiser: Ministry of Tourism Syrian Arab Republic Place: Halle 7.2a Bühne NaturErlebnis 12:00 - 13:00 Presentation by the Hamburg Hotelfachschule Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 12:00 - 13:00 UNESCO world heritage sites in Germany Organiser: UNESCO-Welterbestätten Deutschland e.V. Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge 13:00 How can you help conserve World Heritage sites?

Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116 14:00 - 18:00 Presentation of the new project of Dertour and Sport Scheck Reisen Place: ICC Berlin Galerie, Raum 35 14:00 - 17:00 Presentation and reception Ecotourism in Kazakhstan Organiser: Agentur für Tourismus und Sport der Republik Kasachstan/Botschaft der Republik Kasachstan in Deutschland/DeutschKasachische Gesellschaft e.V. Place: ICC Berlin Raum 13/14 15:00 Conservation of Natural World Heritage sites: an international challenge Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116 16:00 - 17:00 Presentation by MetropolCARD Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102

18:00 - 19:00 Presentation of the 2004 ITB Travel Guide Awards Australia as a destination and best travel guide series Organiser: Messe Berlin GmbH Place: Halle 25 Forum Buchwelt, Stand 136

Market Trends and Innovations – Conference Programme 10:30 - 12:00 Forum for front-office staff Information and entertainment for front-office staff 10:30 - 11:00 How to recognize and handle different customer types Speaker: Thomas Loch, Regional Trainer, Estée Lauder Group, Munich, Germany 11:00 - 11:30 How to use the Internet for offline and online customer advice Speaker: Eva Vennemann, Spokesperson for Products, Web.de AG, Karlsruhe, Germany 11:30 - 12:00 How to ITB - Tips for an exciting and fascinating world trip through the halls of the ITB Speaker: Christian Schmicke, deputy editor-in-chief of TravelOne, Darmstadt, Germany Organiser: Messe Berlin GmbH /TravelOne Moderator: Thomas Hartung, Editor in Chief, TravelOne, Darmstadt, Germany Place: Halle 7.1 b London 1 10:30 - 13:30 Japan - Unused Potential in Incoming and Outgoing Tourism The Visit Japan Campaign for Germany and further highlights of cultural, academic and academic exchange make Japan the focus of attention

11:00 - 11:20 Keynote Speech Peter Blumenstengel, Director, DZT, Tokyo/Japan 11:20 - 11:30 Statement Kenji Tomita, Managing Director, LTK Travel Agency, Düsseldorf/Germany 11:30 - 11:40 Statement Prof. Dr. Walter Freyer, Technical University Dresden/Germany 11.40 – 12.30 Discussion Followed by: Reception with Sushi given by the Embassy of Japan Organiser: Japanese-German Centre, Berlin (JDZB) in co-operation with: Embassy of Japan (Berlin), Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Japan and the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Employment Chaired by: Angelika Viets, Secretary General of the JapaneseGerman Centre, Berlin, Germany and Toshiaki Arai, Director, Japan National Tourist Organization, Frankfurt, Germany und: Toshiaki Arai, Direktor, Japan National Tourist Organization, Frankfurt, Germany Speaker: Akira Moriyama, General Secretary, Visit Japan Campaign Speaker: Peter Blumenstengel, Director, Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus, Tokyo, Japan Speaker: Kenji Tomita, Managing Director, LTK Travel Agency, Dusseldorf, Germany Speaker: Prof. Dr. Walter Freyer, University of Dresden, Germany Place: Halle 7.1 b London 3 12:30 - 13:30 Hotels in a Predicament Debate on the increasing power of sales portals and new dependencies Panel Guests: Christian Drewes, Manager, Customer Service und Internet/New Media, Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH, Berlin, Germany Karim Lankarany, Senior Manager Travel & Tickets, ebay GmbH, Europarc Dreilinden, Germany Holger Meyer, Head of Advertising Sales Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Google Germany

GmbH, Hamburg, Germany Dr. Heinz Raufer Managing Director Marketing & Finance Hotel.deAG, Nuremberg, Germany Bruno Wolf, Director Electronic Distribution International, Marriott International, Eschborn, Germany Organiser: Messe Berlin GmbH Moderator: Dr. Christoph Engl, Director, South-Tyrolean Marketing Corporation (SMG), Bozen, Italy Place: Halle 7.1 b London 1 14:00 - 16:45 Entrepreneurs roll up their sleeves Champions, hidden champions and those with the potential present their recipes for success in the tourism industry 14:00. - 15:00 Panel discussion I Bernhard Böffgen, Head of the Competence Center Travel & Tourism, Simon, Kucher & Partners, Bonn, Germany Dietmar Gunz, FTI Frosch Touristik GmbH, Munich, Germany Karlheinz Kögel, CEO, L´TUR Tourismus AG, Baden-Baden, Germany Peter Landsberger, CEO, DER Deutsches Reisebüro GmbH & Co. OHG, Frankfurt, Germany Roland Mack, Managing Director, Europa-Park, Rust, Germany Richard J. Vogel, Senior Vice President Marketing & Sales, Seetours, Neu-Isenburg, Germany 15:15 p.m. - 16:15 p.m.

Panel discussion II Bernhard Böffgen, Director of the Competence Center Travel & Tourism, Simon, Kucher & Partners, Bonn, Germany Günther Brehm, Managing Director, Travel Agency Accounting GmbH, Großwallstadt, Germany Andreas Giller, Managing Director, Giller Reisen GmbH, Munich, Germany Wolfgang Grabowski, Managing Director, Grabo-Tours-Reisen e.K., Ohmbach, Germany Gerald Kassner, Managing Director, Schauinsland Reisen, Duisburg, Germany 16:15 p.m. - 16:45 p.m.

Entrepreneurial Forum Start-Up for the new Entrepreneurial Forum of Messe Berlin, TravelOne and the University of Applied Sciences Worms, Germany Organiser: Messe Berlin GmbH Chaired by: Prof. Dr. Hermann Simon, Simon, Kucher & Partners, Bonn, Germany Place: Halle 7.1 b London 1

Sunday, March 14, 2004

Reception 10:00 - 11:00 Hamburg Breakfast (by invitation only) Organiser: Hamburg Tourismus GmbH Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 11:00 - 12:00 Reception given by the DZT foreign agencies (by invitation only) Place: Halle 6.2 Bayern-Stand 11:55 ZwischenRufe - A discussion round organised by the Study Group for Tourism and Development in association with the WDR broadcasting channel Travel in difficult times. Does it mean the thirst for adventure and freedom will fall by the wayside?

Place: ICC Berlin Dachgartenfoyer 12:30 ASTA Luncheon for International Members (for members only) Organiser: ASTA Chapter Germany Place: Messegelände, Großer Stern VIP-Raum 1 13:00 - 15:00 Harley Davidson Lunch (by invitation only) Organiser: Uwe Bergmann GmbH Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 16:00 - 18:00 Peruvian happy hour Place: Halle 6.3 Pressezentrum C & C Presse-Lounge 16:00 - 18:00 ITB Downer - Champagne reception (by invitation only) Organiser: DIE WELT/WELT am Sonntag/ Berliner Morgenpost/ BZ Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 109 16:00 - 18:00 Reception given by Hamburg Airport (by invitation only) Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 16:00 Press reception given by Mahan Air (by invitation only) Place: Halle 23 Stand 214 17:00 Press get-together of Flair Hotels e.V. Place: Halle 8.1 Stand 135 17:00 - 18:00 Happy Hour Organiser: Museum MARTa/Pro Herford/Brauerei Felsenkeller Herford/Herforder Sport- und Freizeitbad H2O Place: Halle 10.2 MARTa Lounge

17:00 - 21:00 After-Fair Cocktails (by invitation only) Organiser: Treugast GmbH Place: Halle 8.1 Stand 139

10:00 - 12:00 Press conference followed by presentation of ELVIA travel insurance Place: ICC Berlin Saal 9

17:30 - 20:00 TMS Happy Hour (by invitation only) Organiser: TMS Tele-MarketingService GmbH Place: Halle 7.1c Stand 101

10:00 WohlSein 365 - Wellness 365 days a year The Ahr Rhein Eifel, Bad NeuenahrAhrweiler region launches a campaign in (health) year 2004 Place: ICC Berlin Salon 21

17:30 - 22:00 South Pacific Event Organiser: Fiji Visitors Bureau Place: Halle 5.2 Stand 212 17:30 - 20:30 Romanian Evening (by invitation only) Organiser: Rumänisches Touristenamt Place:Halle 1.1 Stand 205 17:30 - 20:00 VIP-Viabono Info Point Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 207 18:00 - 22:00 Belzig Evening (by invitation only) Place: Halle 12 Stand 101

10:00 - 11:00 Press conference: ArabellaSheraton Hotel Group and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Place: Halle 9 Stand 314 10:00 Press Breakfast: Cran Caribe Hotel Group, Cuba Place: Hotel Seehof Berlin Lietzensee Ufer 11 10:00 - 18:00 Media day of Viking River Cruises Place: Halle 14.1 Stand 112

18:30 - 20:00 Reception given by Dresden (by invitation only) Place: Halle 11.2 Stand 102/2

10:15 Press breakfast: Marketing Cooperation of Towns in SchleswigHolstein Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 107

19:30 Egyptian Evening (by special invitation only) Place: Hotel Intercontinental Berlin

10:30 - 11:30 Press meeting: application by Münster as the 2010 City of Culture Place: Halle 8.2 Stand 102

19:30 Rhine Night 2004 - The Party An invitation by the Rhine cities of Düsseldorf , Cologne and Bonn (by special invitation only) Place: Eventlocation Wasserwerk

11:00 Press conference: Bad Elster/Bad Brambach Place: ICC Berlin Salon 20

Press Conference 09:00 Press conference: New York Place: Palais am Funkturm Ostseite 09:00 - 11:00 International TMR/ITI Press Breakfast British Virgin Islands, Brunswick & The Golden Isles of Georgia, Canada's East Coast, Detroit, Georgia, Great Lakes of North America, Memphis & Mississippi, Kenya, Tahiti, Sea Island Place: Messegelände FunkturmRestaurant 09:30 Press conference: Kempinski Hotels & Resorts Place: ICC Berlin Saal 7 10:00 Press conference: Turkey Place: ICC Berlin Saal 10

11:00 Press conference: Thailand Place: Halle 7.3 Konferenzraum Berlin 11:00 Press conference: The dream islands of the North Atlantic: Faroe Islands, Iceland, Shetlands - and Atlantic Airlines, Smyril Line Place: ICC Berlin Raum 13/14 11:00 Liguria has so much to offer: The delightful hinterland between Cinqueterre and San Remo and Genoa, the 2004 City of Culture Organiser: Fremdenverkehrsamt In Liguria Place: Halle 2.1 Terrazzo Italia 11:30 Press conference: Ramada Hotels Place: ICC Berlin ICC-Lounge 11:30 Press conference: Syria Syria - a new Vision of Tourism Place: ICC Berlin Raum 15/16

11:30 Press conference: Qatar Airways Place: Messegelände, Großer Stern Bankettraum 4

15:00 - 17:00 Press conference: Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks, Orlando Tourism Bureau, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area CVB, Universal Orlando, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (by invitation only) Place: Halle 4.2 Pressekonferenzraum USA

12:30 - 13:15 Press conference: NordrheinWestfalen Tourismus e.V. Place: Halle 8.2 Stand 101

15:00 Sand, Sea & Sky - die World of TUI Fashion Show Place: Halle 25 Stand 101

13:00 Sand, Sea & Sky - die World of TUI Fashion Show Place: Halle 25 Stand 101

15:00 Piedmont - the paradise for gourmets lying in the foothills of the Alps is getting ready for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games Organiser: Landesfremdenverkehrsamt der Region Piemont Place: Halle 2.1 Terrazzo Italia

11:30 Press conference: Düsseldorf - Köln - Bonn Place: Halle 8.2 Stand 105

13:00 - 15:00 Presse meeting with snacks: Europoean TIP and TAS Place: Halle 25 Stand 105 13:00 Water tourism: Discover Venetia and its "waterways" of art between Venice, Padua and Treviso Organiser: Tourismusdezernat der Provinz Venedig Place:Halle 2.1 Terrazzo Italia

16:00 Press conference: Tunisia Place: ICC Berlin Saal 9

14:00 Press conference: Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus (DZT) Place: ICC Berlin Saal 7

18:00 - 19:00 Press conference: Ecuador Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands followed by a cocktail reception Place:International Club Berlin Thüringer Allee 5 - 11

14:00 Press conference: Romania Place: ICC Berlin Salon 19 14:00 - 18:00 COMEO Press Information Meeting Place: ICC Berlin Raum 15/16 14:00 Press conference: Potsdam Place: ICC Berlin Raum 42 14:30 - 15:30 Press conference: European Wellness Project Place: Messegelände, Großer Stern Bankettraum 3 15:00 Press conference: Greece Place: ICC Berlin Saal 6 15:00 Press conference: Spain Place: ICC Berlin Saal 10

16:00 - 17:00 Meet the media: Dresden Place:Halle 11.2 Stand 102/2

18:30 Press conference: Switzerland Place: Halle 17 Stand 110

Presentations 10:00 What is the added value of World Heritage?

Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116 10:00 - 18:00 Exhibition: the graves of the kings of Sipan Organiser: Ministerium für Tourismus Peru Place: Halle 10.2 Stand B 22

15:00 Press conference: L'Tur Place: Palais am Funkturm Ostseite

10:00 ASTA ICPC Meeting (closed session) Organiser: ASTA Chapter Germany Place: Messegelände, Großer Stern VIP-Raum 2

15:00 Press conference: Promoting Sweden Place: ICC Berlin Salon 22

10:00 - 18:00 Flight in the simulator Organiser: Flughafen Erfurt GmbH Place: Halle 11.2 Stand 103

B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 21

What’s on at ITB 2004

10:00 - 18:00 Premiere of the film - Hamburg Sportstadt (Sport City Hamburg) Organiser: Hamburg Tourismus GmbH Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 10:30 - 11:00 Sport at A-ROSA - integrated enjoyment of sport at the highest level, taking the example of tennis Organiser: A-ROSA Place: Halle 25 Stand 113 11:00 - 13:00 The Sultanate of Oman presentation of investement opportunities in the Seeb Seafront Project The development of a seafront tourism and a residential resort Organiser: Ministry of Commerce and Industry Undersecretary of Tourism, Sultanate of Oman in Kooperation mit der Botschaft des Sultanats Oman und der GHORFA Place: Halle 7.3 Konferenzraum Europa 11:30 - 12:00 Kassel - bid to become the Capital of Culture Organiser: Kassel Tourist GmbH Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge 12:00 - 13:00 Presentation by the Hamburg Hotelfachschule Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 13:00 World Heritage Tours: A new market?

Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116 13:00 - 13:45 Hohe Tatra - the smallest mountains in the world Organiser: BUND Naturschutz Service GmbH Place: Halle 7.2a Bühne NaturErlebnis 13:30 - 14:30 Presentation of the Crossart Project Organiser: Lenkungskreis Crossart und Agentur 2508 Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge 14:00 - 14:30 Unique Madagascar Organiser: Le Voyageur Place: Halle 7.2a Bühne NaturErlebnis 14:00 - 14:30 Award ceremony and press conference EDA - electronic distribution award Organiser: Hospitality Management Magazine (HMM) Place: Halle 8.1 Stand 119

22 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

14:00 - 16:00 Presentation by the Kenya Tourist Board Place: Halle 21 Stand 128

10:15 - 10:30 Welcome and introduction Roland Scherer, St. Gallen University, Switzerland

15:00 How can you help conserve World Heritage sites? Creative arrangements Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116

10:30 - 11:00 Learning regions - Synergies between location marketing of a location, business development and tourism marketing Speaker: Roland Scherer, St. Gallen University, Switzerland

15:00 ASTA Chapter Germany: members' meeting (closed session) Place: Messegelände, Großer Stern VIP-Raum 2

11:00 - 11:30 Making use of the synergies between tourism and location marketing in the Alpine region Speaker: Eugen Arpagaus, Senior Administrator, Business and Tourism Department, Canton of Graubunden, Switzerland

15:00 - 15:30 International Piano Festival of La Roque d'Antheron Organiser: International Piano Festival of La Roque d'Antheron Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge 16:00 Presentation of the 2004 PRIX ITB award Place: ICC Berlin Saal 4/5 16:00 Presentation of the TO DO 2003! award - International competition for socially compatible tourism Place: ICC Berlin Saal 8 16:00 - 18:00 Meeting of the board of management of the DTV (closed session) Place: Palais am Funkturm Westseite 16:00 - 16:30 Major conservation areas as a place for children and young people to visit Organiser: Naturfreundejugend Deutschland Place:Halle 7.2a Bühne NaturErlebnis 17:00 Meeting with Rotkäppchen - Living Cities in Sachsen-Anhalt for journalists and trade visitors only Place: Halle 11.2 Stand SachsenAnhalt 17:00 - 18:00 Guyana Naturally - Presentation followed by a rum punch event Place: Halle 7.2a Bühne NaturErlebnis

Market Trends and Innovations – Conference Programme 10:15 - 12:30 Progress in Tourism Research Module 1 Tourismus and regional marketing - a symbiotic relationship?

11.30 - 12:00 Integrated marketing of a city Synergies between tourism, business development and residential marketing Speaker: Sabine Horvath, Director of City Marketing Basel, Switzerland 12.00 - 12.30 Tourism Management meets industry management – helpfull insights Franz Schmidt, invent GmbH, Klagenfurt, Germany Organiser: AIEST, Association Internationale d'experts Scientifiques du Tourisme, DGT, German Association of Tourism Organiser: DGT, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Tourismuswissenschaft Leiter Modul 1: Roland Scherer, University of St. Gallen, Institute for Public Service und Tourism (IDTHSG), Switzerland Place: Halle 7.1 b London 1 13:00 - 14:30 Progress in Tourism Research Module 2 Major sporting and cultural events What are the effects for tourism?

13:00 - 13:15 The role and importance of major events for tourism Speaker: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Walter Freyer, Dresden Technical University, Germany 13:15 - 13:30 Graz 2003 - European City of Culture - Analysis of the impact on the regional economy Speaker: Dr. Gerold Zakarias, InTeReg, Joanneum Research, Graz, Austria

13:30 - 13:45 Customer satisfaction at Major Events - FSI Ski World Cup in Gröden Speaker: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Harald Pechlaner, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany Eurac Research 13:45 - 14:30 Panel discussion - The role and significance of major events for tourism Taking part: Richard Adam, Bavarian Tourism Marketing, Germany Josep Ejarque, Turin Tourism (Winter Olympics 2006 in Turin), Italy Gerd Graus, Spokesperson of OC FIFA WM 2006, Frankfurt, Germany Spyros Pappas, Accomodation Manager , Athens 2004, Olympic Games SA Mike de Vries, Candidature Committee, Leipzig 2012, Germany Organiser: AIEST, Association Internationale d'experts Scientifiques du Tourisme organizer: DGT, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Tourismuswissenschaft Chaired by: Prof. Dr. Harald Pechlaner, President of the DGT Place: Halle 7.1 b London 1 15:00 - 16:30 Progress in Tourism Research Module 3 Market research as an instrument of strategic and operative tourism marketing?

15:00 - 15:15 Requirements and limitations of market research in tourism Speaker: Prof. Dr. Thomas Bausch, Tourism Department, Munich University of Applied Sciences/Germany 15.15 - 15.30 Problems and solutions of market research in tourism - the example of TUI Germany Speaker: Frank Schmieder, Director of Market Research at TUI Germany, Hanover 15:30 - 15:45 New approach of the market research panel in tourism Speaker: Dr. Wolfgang Adlwarth, GfK Panel Services Consumer Research GmbH, Nürnberg-Erlangen/Germany 15:45 - 16:00 Travel analysis as a market planning instrument Speaker: Prof. Dr. Martin Lohmann, N.I.T. GmbH Kiel/Germany Travel and Holiday Research Group

16:00 - 16:15 Differentiated instruments of regional and local market research in tourism Speakers: Dr. Martin L. Fontanari and Bert Hallerbach, ETI GmbH Trier/Germany 16:15 - 16:30 Discussion Organiser: AIEST, Association Internationale d'experts Scientifiques du Tourisme Organiser: DGT, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Tourismuswissenschaft Leiter Modul 3: Prof. Dr. Thomas Bausch, Fachhochschule München; Alpenforschungsinstitut GarmischPartenkirchen Place: Halle 7.1 b MTI Kongress-Raum, London 1 16:30 Award of the ITB Academic Prize for 2004 Awards presented by Prof. Dr. HeinzDieter Quack and Prof. Dr. Harald Pechlaner Organiser: DGT, German Association of Tourism Preis-Verleiher: Prof. Dr. Heinz-Dieter Quack und: Prof. Dr. Harald Pechlaner Place: Halle 7.1 b MTI Kongress-Raum, London 1 16:45 Reception given by AIEST and DGT - by invitation only Organiser: AIEST, Association Internationale d'experts Scientifiques du Tourisme, DGT German Association of Tourism Organiser: DGT, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Tourismuswissenschaft Place: Halle 7.1 b

Monday, March 15, 2004

Reception 12:30 PATA ITB Lunch (by invitation only) Place: Messegelände, Großer Stern Bankettraum 3 13:00 - 15:00 Touristic - Lunch (by invitation only) Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 14:30 - 16:30 Reception given by Nürnberg Airport (by invitation only) Place: Halle 11.1 Stand 109

15:00 - 18:00 Reception given by Hamburg Motto: Tourism in Hamburg - a driving force in a growth location port/sports centre - shopping and culture (by invitation only) Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102

17:00 - 21:00 Friesian Tee Hour Graduates meetings Organiser: Fachhochschule Oldenburg/Ostfriesland/Wilhelmshav en Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 101c

15:00 - 18:00 Get-Together - Choice Hotels Germany (by invitation only) Place: Halle 9 Stand 320

17:00 Jazz reception (by invitation only) Organiser: Ramada International Hotels + Resorts Place: Halle 8.1 Stand 115

15:30 - 16:30 China reception Frankfurt - Your gateway from China (by invitation only) Organiser: Hessisches Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Landesentwicklung Place: Halle 9 Stand 110 16:00 - 18:00 Peruvian happy hour Place: Halle 6.3 Pressezentrum C & C Presse-Lounge

17:00 - 18:00 Zagreb Happy Hour Organiser: Zagreb Tourist Board Place: Halle 10.2 MARTa lounge 17:00 - 19:00 Happy Hour (by invitation only) Organiser: TVG Touristik Verlagsges.mbH + abenteuer und reisen Place: Hall 11.1 Stand 107

16:00 - 18:00 Le Méridien cocktail reception Place: Halle 9 Stand 301

17:00 - 19:00 Champagne Reception (by invitation only) Organiser: Hotel Information System Place: Halle 8.1 Stand 105

16:00 - 18:00 ITB Downer - Champagne reception (by invitation only) Organiser: DIE WELT/WELT am Sonntag/ Berliner Morgenpost/ BZ Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 109

17:00 - 19:00 Happy Hour (by invitation only) Organiser: LanChile Place: Halle 4.1 Stand 123

16:00 - 18:00 Happy Hour (by invitation only) Organiser: Go Asia Place: Halle 26 Stand 104 16:00 - 19:00 Come -Together of Derag Hotel and Living AG (by invitation only) Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 101 16:00 - 18:00 Cocktail Reception (by invitation only) Organiser: South Sinai Group Place: Halle 21 Stand 225 16:00 - 17:00 Press Happy Hour Organiser: Accor Hotellerie Deutschland GmbH Place: Halle 9 Stand 215 16:30 - 19:00 Cocktail Reception (by invitation only) Organiser: Mövenpick Hotels + Resorts Place: Halle 9 Stand 305 17:00 GAY ITB Party (by invitation only) Place: Halle 25 Stand 116

17:00 - 19:00 Get together of the ITB world of books Evening for publishing houses, authors, and media guests (by invitation only) Place: Halle 25 Forum Buchwelt, Stand 136 17:00 Reception given by Köln Bonn Airport (by invitation only) Place: Halle 8.2 Stand 105 17:00 - 20:00 ITB-Get-Together (by invitation only) Organiser: City Partner Hotels Place: Halle 8.1 Stand 136a 17:00 Party hosted by BZ-Comm (by invitation only) Place: Halle 25 Forum Buchwelt, Stand 138 17:00 - 20:00 Reception - Russia on Ice (by invitation only) Organiser: nicko tours Place: Halle 14.1 Stand 103 17:00 Occidental Hotels & Resorts Media Happy Hour (by invitation only) Place: Halle 3.1 Stand 111

18:00 BeNeLux Happy Hour (by invitation only) Organiser: Niederländisches Büro für Tourismus/Ministerium für Tourismus Luxemburg/Belgisches Fremdenverkehrsamt Place: Halle 7.2c 18:00 - 22:00 Get-together (by invitation only) Organiser: partners software Place: Halle 6.1 Stand 110 18:00 Thailand Happy Hour (by invitation only) Organiser: Tourism Authority of Thailand/Thai Airways Place: Halle 26 Stand 219 18:00 - 20:00 Get togethe party (by invitation only) Organiser: VCH-Hotels Deutschland Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 113 18:00 - 22:00 Exhibitors' Evening (by invitation only) Place: Halle 11.2 Stand 101 18:00 - 19:00 Reception given by Rüdersdorf Museum Park (by invitation only) Place: Halle 12 Stand 101/3 18:30 - 22:00 Get-together (by invitation only) Organiser: Hundertwasser - Das Musical Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 214 18:30 - 22:00 Get-Together BENTOUR International (by invitation only) Place: Halle 25 Stand 110 19:30 Reception given by the Ministry of Tourism of Ceara/Brazil Place: ICC Berlin Saal 9

Press Conference 10:00 Press conference: Visit Britain Place: ICC Berlin Saal 10 10:00 Press conference: Malaysia Place: ICC Berlin Raum 15/16 10:00 Press conference: Bayern Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 201 10:00 - 12:00 Press breakfast - Rosy times in Bad Nauheim ( for journalists only) Organiser: Nauheim Stadtmarketing und Tourismus GmbH Place: Halle 5.2 Stand 107

10:00 NCL press conference on the 2004 ITB Place: ICC Berlin Salon 22 10:00 - 11:00 Press conference: Guyana - the last frontier in South America & the Caribbean Organiser: Ministry of Tourism, Industry &Commerce Guyana/GTZ Place: Palais am Funkturm Westseite 10:15 Press conference: Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD) e.V. Presentation of the VCD project: Itchy feet - new ways of travelling Place: ICC Berlin Raum 13/14 10:30 Press conference: Teutoburger Wald Place: ICC Berlin Salon 21 10:30 - 12:00 Press meeting: MSC Kreuzfahrten GmbH Place: Halle 25 Stand 103 10:45 - 11:45 ADFC press conference 2004 analysis of cycling holidays Organiser: Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club e.V. Place: ICC Berlin Saal 8 11:00 Press conference: Hessen Place: ICC Berlin Salon 20 11:00 Press conference: Namibia Place: Palais am Funkturm Ostseite

13:00 Press meeting: South Tyrol Marketing Board (registration in advance necessary) Place: Halle 2.1 Stand 126 13:00 The unending fascination of Tuscany.

- Latest news from the holiday region par excellance Organiser: Region Toskana Place: Halle 2.1 Terrazza Italia 13:30 - 14:30 Press meeting - presentation of the brochure: Hotel and Restaurant Guide for Everyone - barrier-free tourism as an economic factor Organiser: Grenzüberschreitende Initative Hotel- und Restaurtanführer für Alle - Barrierefreier Tourismus Place: ICC Berlin Saal 9 14:00 - 15:30 Annual press conference of the World Travel Monitor Organiser: IPK International Place: ICC Berlin Saal 4/5 14:00 Press conference: Scandlines Place: ICC Berlin Salon 20 14:00 Press conference: SchleswigHolstein Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 107 15:00 - 16:00 Press meeting: Land Brandenburg Place: Halle 12 Stand 101

11:00 Press conference: USA (TIA) Travel Industries Association of America) Place: Halle 4.2

15:00 2004 German Cycling Championships in Freiburg Organiser: Freiburg Wirtschaft und Touristik GmbH Place: Halle 5.2 Stand 104/M

11:00 Rome - the Eternal City in the record year of 2003 Organiser: Stadt Rom und Provinz Rom Place: Halle 2.1 Terrazza Italia

15:00 Campania - a classic region to be discovered anew Organiser: Landesministerium für Tourismus der Region Kampanien Place: Halle 2.1 Terrazza Italia

11:30 Press conference: Karlsruher MesseKongress-GmbH Place: Halle 5.2 Stand 104

16:00 - 17:00 Meet the media: Dresden Place: Halle 11.2 Stand 102/2

13:00 Press conference: Cyprus Place:ICC Berlin Saal 10 13:00 Press conference: Mystery Park AG Place: ICC Berlin Salon 22 13:00 - 14:00 Press meeting with the MARTa Herford Museum Organiser: MARTa Herford/Pro Herford Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge

16:00 - 17:00 Press meeting: Fulda Bonifatius art exhibition to mark the 1250th anniversary of Bonifatius in Fulda and a garden party in the palace pheasant house Place: Halle 5.2 Stand 108 16:30 Press get together Organiser: Occidental Hotels & Resorts Place: Halle 3.1 Stand 111

B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 23

What’s on at ITB 2004

Presentations 10:00 Information and promotional outlets on World Heritage sites: World Heritage sites destinations: an added value for the trade Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116 10:00 - 18:00 Exhibition: the graves of the kings of Sipan Organiser: Ministerium für Tourismus Peru Place: Halle 10.2 Stand B 22 10:00 - 18:00 Flight in the simulator Organiser: Flughafen Erfurt GmbH Place: Halle 11.2 Stand 103 10:30 - 11:00 Sport at A-ROSA - integrated enjoyment of sport at the highest level, taking the example of tennis Organiser: A-ROSA Place: Halle 25 Stand 113 11:00 - 12:00 Collaboration between the Philharmonie Essen and Deutschlandradio Organiser: Essen Marketing GmbH Place: Halle 8.2 Stand 104 11:30 COTAL 2004 in Cancun: A place to reunite our industry Place: ICC Berlin Galerie, Raum 28/29

12:30 - 13:00 Forum Barcelona 2004 - 2004 Barcelona Univeral Cultural Forum Organiser: Fourm Barcelona 2004/Turisme de Barcelona/Turisme de Catalunya Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge 13:00 How can you help conserve World Heritage sites? Examples from Industry Partners Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116 14:00 Presentation of the 2003 Willy Scharnow-Stiftung tourism award Place: ICC Berlin ICC-Lounge 14:00 Presentation of the VDRJ award Place: ICC Berlin Dachgartenfoyer 14:00 - 15:00 Travel by train with bike!

Innovations offered by the long distance services of Deutsche Bahn Organiser: DB AutoZug GmbH/Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club e.V. Place: ICC Berlin Raum 13/14 14:00 - 14:30 Kassel - bid to become the Capital of Culture Organiser: Kassel Tourist GmbH Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge

11:30 - 12:30 Underwater themes in 2004 - sound islands- tracing sound, son & lumière and other new ideas from the Lake Constance region of international culture Organiser: Tourismus Untersee/Napoleonmuseum Schloss Arenenberg, Europäisches Kulturforum Mainau Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge

14:30 - 15:30 Fresh ideas in tourism online marketing Organiser: Tourism Consult Network Place: ICC Berlin Raum 17/18

12:00 - 13:00 The Elster cycle tour - Discovering four regions on two wheels Organiser: Gera Tourismus e.V./Tourismusverband Vogtland e.V./Allgemeiner Deutscher FahrradClub e.V. Place: ICC Berlin Raum 13/14

15:00 - 16:00 Hasetal as a pioneer? - Service and quality as an attraction for visitors Organiser: Zweckverband Erholungsgebiet Hasetal/Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club e.V. Place: ICC Berlin Raum 13/14

12:00 - 13:00 Presentation by the Hamburg Hotelfachschule Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 12:00 - 12:30 Sport at A-ROSA - integrated enjoyment of sport at the highest level, taking the example of tennis Organiser: A-ROSA Place: Halle 25 Stand 113

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14:30 - 15:30 The Brunswick region - European City of Culture in 2010?

Organiser: DIE REGION GmbH Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge

15:00 World Heritage site managers and the Tourism Industry: Enhancing the tourism experience Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116

15:00 Developing and marketing cooperative golf projects Organiser: GTC - Golf & Tourism Consulting in Kooperation mit golfAvita Place: ICC Berlin Saal 7 15:30 - 17:00 Fit for Service. Internationales benchmarking of the leisure industry in Germany. Presentation of a study by the Fraunhofer Institute IAO, Stuttgart Place: Halle 5.2 Stand 104 15:30 - 17:00 Presentation of the new Zagreb Cultural Guide, followed by a happy hour Organiser: Zagreb Tourist Board Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge 16:00 - 17:00 Discovering Germany by bike Opportunities provided by national and international marketing Organiser: Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus/Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club e.V. Place: ICC Berlin Raum 13/14 16:00 Presentation of award in the urban film competition - Das goldene Stadttor Organiser: BAV Bundesverband der deutschen Film- und AV Produzenten e.V./Konferenz der Landesfilmdienste e.V. Place: Halle 1.1 ITB-Cinema 16:30 Happy Corax trifft Rotkäppchen Entscheidung im Sympatieträgerwettbewerb für Kunst, mehr Wirtschaftskraft und Reiselust der Stadt Merseburg Place: Halle 11.2 Stand 101 17:00 - 18:00 Bike and bus - the market of the future?

Organiser: Imken-Reisen/Firma Natours/Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club e.V. Place: ICC Berlin Raum 13/14 17:00 Meeting with Rotkäppchen - Tour Operators Meeting: Blaues Band to the City Gates - The latest SachsenAnhalt Travel Themes Place: Halle 11.2 Stand SachsenAnhalt 19:00 Presentation of the Land Brandenburg 2004 Tourism Award (by invitation only) Place: Landesvertretung Brandenburg

Market Trends and Innovations – Conference Programme 10:30 - 12:00 Future and Innovation Forum 10:30 - 11:30 Future Living - Future Consumers Future Tourism Markets The latest lifestyle and target group trends identified by the well-known Matthias Horx Future Institute Speaker: Jeanette Huber, General Manager of the Matthias Horx Future Institute, Kelkheim, Germany 11:30 - 12:00 Discussion Panel Jürgen Branse, Managing Director Germania Express, Hanover, Germany Gianni Moccetti, Director Marketing Switzerland, Kuoni Travel, Zurich Michael Ramstetter, Manager Public Relations, ADAC, Munich, Germany Organiser: Messe Berlin GmbH Moderator: Christiane Sommer, Managing Editor brand eins, Hamburg, Germany Place: Halle 7.1 b London 1 12:30 - 14:30 Experts' Forum: China - the new world travel champion China as a source and destination for tourism; prominent speakers from the worlds of politics and tourism discuss incoming, outgoing and tourism infrastructure in China Keynote Speech: Mr Shi Mingde, Envoy / Counsellor at the Embassy of the People´s Republic of China in Germany (not yet confirmed) Participants: Martin Buese, CEO, TUI China Travel Co., Beijing, China Mang Chen, Managing Director, Caissa Tourism Group, Hamburg, Germany Ralf Dosot, Managing Director Global Refund Germany, Dusseldorf, Germany Petra Hedorfer, CEO, German Tourism Institute (DZT), Frankfurt, Germany Huiyang Li, Vice President, China Travel Service (CTS), Beijing, China Andrea Talevski, Marketing Director, Berlin Tourism Marketing, Berlin, Germany Christian G. Windfuhr, CEO, Maritim Hotels, Bad Salzuflen, Germany - by invitation only Organiser: Messe Berlin GmbH / TUI AG Moderator: Dr. Christian Ramthun, Wirtschaftswoche, Berlin, Germany Place: Halle 7.1 b London 1

15:30 - 16:30 Crisis communication: clarification or crowding out?

Why the travel industry must deal with the issue of security and also how to communicate it Discussion Panel Guests: Peter Mario Kubsch, Proprietor and Managing Director, StudiosusTravel, Munich, Germany Klaus Rütt, Manager of the Corporate Crisis Task Force, TUI,Hanover, Germany Prof. Dr. Ronald Schmid, President of the German Association of Tourism Law, Liederbach, Germany Dr. Udo Ulfkotte, Best selling author and Intelligence Service Expert, Germany Organiser: Messe Berlin GmbH / TravelOne Chairman: Thomas Hartung, Editorin-Chief, TravelOne, Darmstadt, Germany Place: Halle 7.1 b London 1 17:00 - 18:00 The best ITB booths The Cologne Business School awards prizes to exhibitors at the ITB for the best exhibition and donates a scholarship to the winner of the World Quiz 17:00 Presentation of the grant to the winner of the tourism quiz - Test how well you know the world 17:10 Welcoming address by Mr. Scholz, Executive Director, CBS followed by presentation of the awards for the best ITB stands Organiser: CBS, Cologne Business School, Köln Place: Halle 7.1 b MTI Kongress-Raum, London 1

Tuesday, March 16, 2004

Reception 08:30 ITB Breakfast - Cornell Hotel Society Place: ProArte Maritim Friedrichstr.

10:00 - 11:00 Hamburg Breakfast (by invitation only) Organiser: Hamburg Tourismus GmbH Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 10:00 Breakfast reception given by Düsseldorf International Airport (by invitation only) Place: Halle 8.2

11:00 - 13:00 Infobrunch Ticketcorner (by invitation only) Organiser: Ticketcorner GmbH Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 11:00 - 12:00 Champagne Breakfast with the motto: (by invitation only) Place: Halle 11.2 Stand Sachsen 12:00 - 15:00 Gala lunch (by invitation only) organizer: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Place: Halle 7.3 Konferenzraum Europa 13:00 - 15:00 Lunch - Hamburg Convention und Event Bureau and Congress Centrum Hamburg (by invitation only) Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 16:00 - 18:00 ITB Downer - Champagne reception (by invitation only) Organiser: DIE WELT/WELT am Sonntag/ Berliner Morgenpost/ BZ Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 109 17:00 - 18:00 Happy Hour Organiser: Museum MARTa/Pro Herford/Brauerei Felsenkeller Herford/Herforder Sport- und Freizeitbad H2O Place: Halle 10.2 MARTa Lounge 17:00 - 18:00 Hamburg's Twilight Hour (by invitation only) Organiser: Hamburg Tourismus GmbH Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102

Press Conference 10:00 - 12:00 Press breakfast - Rosy times in Bad Nauheim (for journalists only) Organiser: Nauheim Stadtmarketing und Tourismus GmbH Place: Halle 5.2 Stand 107 11:00 Varese - an unknown piece of Italy Organiser: Fremdenverkehrsamt der Provinz Varese und Landesministerium der Region Lombardei Place: Halle 2.1 Terrazzo Italia 12:30 - 13:30 Press conference: - Conference of National Cultural Institutions with Dr. Weiss, representative of the German government for culture and media, ,Berlin Organiser: Konferenz Nationaler Kultureinrichtungen Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge

14:00 Press conference: Deutscher Tourismusverband e.V. Place: ICC Berlin Raum 42 16:00 - 17:00 Meet the media: Dresden Place: Halle 11.2 Stand 102/2

Presentations 10:00 How can you help conserve World Heritage sites? Working towards good practices Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116 10:00 - 13:00 On the path of lighthouses - a tourist attraction EU/Interreg IIIb Project Baltic+: Preparation of tours by bike and across water between Poland, Vorpommern in Germany, and Sweden Organiser: Regionaler Fremdenverkehrsverband Vorpommern e.V. Place: ICC Berlin Raum 15/16 10:00 - 18:00 Exhibition: the graves of the kings of Sipan Organiser: Ministerium für Tourismus Peru Place: Halle 10.2 Stand B 22

11:00 - 13:00 Presentation by the Hamburg Hotelfachschule - Hamburg, city of events Place: Halle 6.2 Stand 102 11:30 - 12:30 Sustainable tourism at the Wattenmeer (Wadden Sea) Norden/Norddeich as a model project Organiser: Kurbetriebs GmbH Norddeich/KONTOR 21 Place: ICC Berlin Salon 21 12:00 - 12:30 Madrid Organiser: Madrid Patronato Municipal de Turismo & Madrid Regional Tourist Board Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge 13:00 How can you help conserve World Heritage sites? Adopt a site Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116 15:00 World Heritage partnership programme: how to get involved Organiser: UNESCO World Heritage Center Place: Halle 10.1 Stand 116

Market Trends and Innovations – Conference Programme 10:30 - 12:00 Outsiders help insiders What tourism specialists can learn from other industries 10:30 - 11:00 Analysis of trends - innovation and growth - Findings of a cross-industry empirical study by InnovationTrust Consulting GmbH Speaker: Dr. Axel Glanz, Partner, InnovationTrust Consulting GmbH, Hamburg, Germany 11:00 - 11:30 Customer enthusiasm in retail stores Speakers: Katja Weingartz, Prof. Dr. Claudius A. Schmitz & Katja Weingartz Partnerschaft management consultants, Meerbusch, Germany

11:30 - 12:00 Dynamic packaging - the final word?

Best practice examples of mass production for the individual customer in other industries Speaker: Stephan Haller, partner, Dr. Fried & Partner, Munich, Germany Organiser: Messe Berlin GmbH Place: Halle 7.1 b London 1 13:00 - 14:00 How websites really work Result of the Ray Sono/Siemens live usability lab, which accurately registers and analyses clicks of ITB visitors on tourism websites Organiser: Messe Berlin GmbH Presented by: Thomas Helbing, Managing Partner, Ray Sono AG, Munich, Germany and Fritjof Kaiser, Senior Consultant User Interface Design Center, Siemens AG, Munich/Germany und: Fritjof Kaiser, Senior Consultant User Interface Design Center der Siemens AG, Munich, Germany Place: Hall 7.1 b London 1

10:00 - 11:00 Discovering national parks experiencing and discovering nature Organiser: Verband Deutscher Naturparke/KONTOR 21 Place: ICC Berlin Salon 21 10:00 - 12:00 DTI/DRVLänderinformationsplattform für NTOs Organiser: Deutsches Tourismus Institut/Deutscher Reisebüro und ReiseOrganiser Verband e.V. Place: ICC Berlin Raum 13/14 10:00 - 18:00 Flight in the simulator Organiser: Flughafen Erfurt GmbH Place: Halle 11.2 Stand 103 10:30 - 11:00 International Piano Festival of La Roque d'Antheron Organiser: International Piano Festival of La Roque d'Antheron Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge 11:00 - 12:00 Presentation:2004/2005 Bregenz Festival Place: Halle 10.2 Presseraum MARTaLounge

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26 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

Grand Caymen Project will Lead the Way Brand Leaders Set New Standards of Luxury In a high-profile preview of its late 2004 opening, The RitzCarlton, Grand Cayman has introduced a group of internationally renowned brand leaders that, together, will produce an array of facilities, activities and amenities that promise to redefine residential and resort lifestyle in the Caribbean.

When opened, The RitzCarlton, Grand Cayman will offer golf by Greg Norman, the preeminent golf course designer and, for over 330 weeks in the 1980's and 1990's, the number one player in the world; a new spa concept by La Prairie, the international leader in beauty and health products and services; two restaurants

by Eric Ripert, co-owner and executive chef of the acclaimed Le Bernardin in New York; a Ritz Kids(R) Ambassadors of the Environment program by Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society, and tennis by Nick Bollettieri, the legendary coach of such stars as Andre Agassi and Monica Seles.

Addressing an audience of owners of The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, hotel customers and top New York-based media at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, Simon Cooper, president and COO of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LCC said:

science of beauty and skincare, and a premier authority on the oceans and underwater environments.

This approach enables us to create a distinctive environment."

According to Michael Ryan, developer of the Grand Cayman project, "The RitzCarlton, Grand Cayman and The Residences at The RitzCarlton, Grand Cayman represent a resort and private home ownership experience that will set new standards of luxury for the Cayman Islands as a vacation destination."

The Honorable McKeeva Bush, leader of government business for the Cayman Islands, echoed those sentiments and told the assembled guests that by opening, the project will have already generated $476 million to the local economy.

"Once fully completed, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman is expected to contribute over $1 billion to Cayman's economy, a full 7% of GDP," Bush said.

For The Ritz-Carlton, the Grand Cayman project represents the company's largest resort project with a residential component, the first Ritz-Carlton managed, full-ownership residential development in the Caribbean and one of the company's most extensive properties, spanning 144 acres along the famous

“The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman and The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman represent a resort and private home ownership experience that will set new standards of luxury for the Cayman Islands as a vacation destination.�

Michael Ryan, developer of the Grand Cayman project

course but building it as well.

Carved along a natural saltwater lagoon with sweeping views and a dramatic island green finishing hole, the decision on the type and length of course was carefully considered. "I told Mike Ryan that he could either have an acceptable 18hole course or a nine-hole masterpiece. To his credit, he chose the latter," Norman said.

Eric Ripert, who joined the summit by video, noted that the Once fully completed, The Ritz-Carlton, two restaurants Grand Cayman is expected to contribute at The Ritzover $1 billion to Cayman's economy Carlton, Grand Cayman, would Seven Mile Beach and across be the first to carry his name.

"The Ritz-Carlton, Grand to the island's North Sound.

Cayman marries The Ritz"To work with the world's In introducing the luminaries, Carlton brand with a team of best hotel company in Jean Cohen, vice president other impressive names to bringing the very highest and general manager of the create an unparalleled visitor standards of dining to the experience. We will operate a resort, said: "I am extremely Caribbean is a great resort in relationship with one pleased that today the opportunity," he said world's best join us for this of the world's best-known Lynne Florio, president of La significant announcement." golfers, the chef and coPrairie, pointed out that her Norman, through his owner of the top-rated company is no stranger to company Greg Norman Golf restaurant in New York, Ritz-Carlton, as evidenced by Course Design, is not only America's most famous the company's presence in designing the Grand Cayman The Ritz- Carlton New York, tennis coach, a leader in the

Central Park where the summit took place. "What is terribly exciting, however, is the opportunity that I've been given to launch an entirely new spa concept at The RitzCarlton, Grand Cayman."

Details, which include everything from architecture and design to beauty products, are being kept under wraps until closer to opening.

As a leader in environmental education and study of the oceans, Jean- Michel Cousteau and his Ocean Futures Society have the mission to educate and inspire people globally to act responsibly in protecting and celebrating the natural world.

In Grand Cayman, Ritz Kids(R) Ambassadors of the Environment program will be multi-faceted and customdesigned for the resort, offering an entertaining yet substantive approach to learning about the unique character of the natural and cultural heritage of the Cayman Islands and the Caribbean Sea, including

indoor activities in an interactive Learning Center and outdoor and underwater activities.

To legions of tennis fans around the world, Nick Bollettieri is a familiar and respected name. The Bollettieri tennis center at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman will feature clay and grass courts, competitive instruction and personal appearances and clinics by the master himself. "It is a pleasure to join this distinguished group of brands in creating an exceptional racquet experience at The RitzCarlton, Grand Cayman. With its outstanding location and facilities, the property, will be an ideal setting in which to learn and enjoy the game.

The resort's grass court will be a first for the Cayman Islands and perhaps a training site for some Wimbledon hopefuls," Bollettieri said.

B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 27

seventh heaven.

Seven reasons to stay at le meridien World Travel Awards 2003

Le Méridien Limassol, Cyprus – World’s Leading Spa Resort 2003 – Europe’s Leading Resort 2003

Forte Village by Le Méridien, Sardinia – Europe’s Leading Spa Resort 2003 – World’s Leading Resort 2003

Le Méridien Port Vila Resort & Casino, Vanuatu – Australasia’s Leading Casino Resort 2003

Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa – Middle East’s Leading Resort 2003

Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts – Middle East’s Leading Hotel Group 2003

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION and reservations call UK 08000 28 28 40 Germany 0800 2944000 or log onto www.lemeridien.com

Enjoy a stylish welcome at Le Méridien’s city hotels around the world including:

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HOTELS & RESORTS www.lemeridien.com In Partnership with Nikko Hotels International

28 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

TIA Shows Continued Growth in Online Travel Bookings A

ccording to the Travel Industry Association of America's (TIA) latest Travelers’ Use of the Internet study, consumers planning and booking their trips online continues to grow. More than 64 million online travelers used the Internet last year to get information on destinations or to check prices or schedules. Of that group, 42.2 million actually booked travel online during 2003.

The number of Americans using the Internet for travel planning has stabilized at 64.1 million, due to the slower growth of “wired” households in the U.S. Still, the number of travelers booking airline tickets, hotel rooms and other travel services online continues to grow.

In 2003, over 42 million people -or two-thirds of all online travel planners - booked travel using the Internet, up 8 percent from 2002. And the number of online bookers doing all of their travel booking online continues to grow, with 29 percent now doing so, versus 23 percent in 2002.

“Greater use of the Internet seems to be changing travel patterns in other ways as well,” remarked Dr. Suzanne Cook, senior vice president of research for the Travel Industry Association of

America. “The enhanced accessibility of last minute specials via the Internet, as well as low prices on last minute travel, is stimulating later booking patterns.”

Airline tickets continued to be the most frequently purchased travel products online, reported by 75 percent of all online travel bookers.

This was followed closely by accommodations at 71 percent, a dramatic increase from 57 percent in 2002. Rental cars were the third most popular travel service or product booked online (43%).

Online travel bookers spend an average of $2,600 online in a year, up from $2,300 in 2002.

The use of e-mail to market travel promotions has become an effective tool for travel suppliers such as hotels and airlines to generate additional business. Over 35 million online travelers have signed up with a travel supplier website or online travel service to receive e-mail offers and promotions. In addition, 10 million have been influenced by an e-mail promotion to actually take a trip they otherwise would not have taken.

“Greater use of the Internet seems to be changing travel patterns in other ways as well.”

Dr Suzanne Cook, Travel Industry Association of America

www.tia.org

B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 29

Stelios uncovered Stelios Haji-loannou told me: “Success is a journey not a destination.” I was interviewing Stelios to obtain an insight into what makes this man tick; what makes him pursue one challenge after another, when with his background of family wealth, he need never do another days’ work.

Stelios is on a seemingly endless quest for yet another success. Having founded seven companies by the age of 37, he wants to achieve more, but rumour has it that this pioneering mind is struggling.

t is a well publicised fact that his father built up his business, Troodos Shipping, from nothing into one of the world’s largest tanker operations. As the son of a Greek shipping tycoon, Stelios could have been made for life, but with what he describes as “an urge to prove myself,” he went against the grain and left the family business to start up his own ‘easy’ world.

Stelios candidly attributes his success first and foremost to “having a rich father who could bankroll my early ventures!” He was handed $30 million to start up his business on the condition that he shared any profits with his brother and sister.

And after that? “Travelling and keeping my eyes open in search of a good idea that could be turned into a business. Once you have found the idea you need to work hard at it and try to trust your own judgment or instinct”.

I

will be in the ‘easy’ brand, Stelios’ stake in easyJet, worth £524.4 m, will finance his plan to expand easyGroup into a dozen diverse industries over the next five years. We have already seen the manifestation of several of these businesses; EasyInternetcafe, easyCar and easyCinema.

He is even planning to venture into telecoms where he sees an opportunity in this crowded market.

He tells me: “Basically because prices to consumers can be reduced.

I want to sell pre-paid mobile voice communication services over the internet. My cost structure will be lower than the 3g companies so my prices will be too”.

Although wildly diverse in their nature, there is a theme that unifies the ‘easy’ brand businesses: Direct sell, online distribution, cheap, yield management, ease of access, transparent pricing and of course no frills.

By bending the traditional rules, the ‘easy’ customer should come out on top.

However one thing that Stelios will not compromise on is safety, or the law. He comments: “The high standard is in the quality of the core offering, it is the frills which are eliminated. So we never compromise on safety, security or operational integrity; but then we don’t believe that such a thing as a free lunch exists“.

But people are beginning to question whether Stelios is spreading himself too thin. Two of his ventures are losing money. He certainly admits

While his ideas may sound a little wild, they are surprisingly calculated.

And trust in his own instinct Stelios does. Having floated easyJet in 2000, he then stepped down as Chairman in order to focus on other things.

Honouring his fathers wish, Stelios now owns 41% of easyJet shares with his brother and sister.

Confident that his next big success 30 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

to having regrets: “The rate of growth of easyInternetcafe was too fast. But this happened during the internet bubble when companies suddenly didn’t have to make profits to attract investors; they just needed growth and traffic”.

Yet Stelios is determined to continue extending his brand, spreading the ‘easy’ message to consumers. “We will not put all our eggs into one basket” he tells me.

While his ideas may sound a little wild, they are surprisingly calculated.

SIMPLE YET BRILLIANT The latest companies to have received the ‘easy’ hype are easyBus, easyDorm and easyCruises. There are no exact launch dates for these forthcoming projects. The ideas sound simple and yet brilliant, but one can’t help wondering how exactly they will be deployed and whether they will be anything more than a cheap bus, a modern alternative to a youth hostel and a glorified ferry.

EasyBus aims to be “the easyJet of the road”, providing low cost travel from one part of one city to another part of a second city. The service is expected to cost passengers £1 and will initially cover short and medium distance routes. 10 mercedes 16 seat minibuses have been purchased for the pilot project. People will be asked to buy in advance online for the cheapest prices.

Commenting on the rival Megabus, Stelios remarked: “Competition can only be good for consumers and I think Megabus will be a mistake.

There’s nothing more expensive than

running a bus which is both big and empty”.

EasyCruise, the no-frills charter, will be as cheap as £14.50pp per night.

Sailing for 6 or 7 hours a night, passengers will be able to jump on and off each day. Stelios comments: “We won’t try to keep the passengers on board to milk them of extra revenue, they can go ashore to sightsee, eat, drink, go clubbing, to the beach or any excursion they want”.

Stelios dismisses the suggestion that this will the equivalent of a ‘glorified ferry’, claiming this is a myth put out by competition who are frightened.

He comments: “EasyCruise is genuinely a cruise visiting multiple destinations. It will be the cheapest way of seeing several attractive western Mediterranean destinations in as many days.”

ENTREPRENEURIALISM People like cheap, but has he gone too far? How will Stelios ever complete his journey if he doesn’t know where he is going? One thing is for certain. He has garnered major attention through his pioneering ideas and through his entrepreneurialism, has created journeys for many others along the way. With such strong conviction, it is difficult to question his integrity. You can’t help but like this man.

www.stelios.com

Superclicks Unveils Wi-Fi Initiatives

S

uperclick, Inc. has unveiled its initiatives targeted at expanding its growing Wi-Fi offering.

The Company's Wi-Fi solution called "SIMS(TM) Wi-Fi" is rapidly gaining market acceptance with installs completed at several leading brand properties including, JW Marriot (Las Vegas), Choice Hotel's Quality Suites (Montreal), Bonaventure Hilton (Montreal) and Intercontinental Hotel Group's Crowne Plaza (New Orleans).

Superclick's CEO, Ronald Fon commented that, "We are extremely pleased with the fact that in most environments, the customer is actually upgrading to Wi-Fi from our wired highspeed access and modem dial-

up SIMS(TM) solutions, demonstrating our ability to scale with our customer's business needs."

The Company's Wi-Fi initiatives involve a flexible offering of three billing models for customers, depending on their size and needs. The SIMS(TM) Wi-Fi Non-Roaming Service is property specific. The SIMS(TM) Radius Service allows users to access the network at any number of designated properties, enabling the property to create loyalty programs for its customers. The SIMS(TM) Global Roaming Service enables users to connect through AirPath's global radius network to any other public wireless network. "We believe that these services provide our customers

with the greatest degree of flexibility and will ultimately allow us to grow with them. This Wi-Fi initiative is really just an extension of our customercentric approach to Internet access management," added Fon. SIMS Wi-Fi Key Features include: Remote configuration, Custom usage reporting, Integrated authorization, authentication and accounting applications, Credit card enabled billing, Choice of security protocols for safeguarding the property's WiFi network, Customizable web portal with "walled garden" functionality.

You can of course find out more at the Superclick website at: http://www.superclick.com.

A Picture Says More Than a Thousand Words And Moving Pictures Speak Volumes

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ith immediate effect Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is offering virtual tours of its hotel facilities to provide guests with the very best level of service on the internet, too.

With its virtual tours the online experience on the Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts web site (www.moevenpickhotels.com) is set to become even more attractive, with visitors able to gain a detailed insight into the hotel facilities of the international Swiss hotel chain from the comfort of their own home.

The first hotel to offer the interactive tour is the

Mövenpick Resort El Gouna on the Red Sea in Egypt, at http://www.moevenpickhotels.com/en/hotels/hotel s/HKELAHH/: With this new service all web users have to do is click "Virtual Tour" to obtain an internet tour of the hotel rooms, restaurants, sports and leisure amenities and the hotel’s public areas, to get an even better idea of what’s available on site.

Other Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts are also to provide this service soon.

The online experience requires a Macromedia Flash Player, which can be downloaded free of charge using the link provided.

Jupiter Research Reports upiter Research Reports US Broadband will Grow to 46 Million Households by 2008 Jupiter Research has reported that 21.5 million households connected to the Internet via broadband. Based on historic growth rates and current trends around broadband availability, interest and pricing, Jupiter Research forecasts that by 2008, 46 million households 40% of all U.S. households will connect via high-speed, always-on technologies.

Jupiter Research’s new report, “The DSL Market Opportunity: Closing the Gap with Cable Modem Providers”, shows how

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the U.S. broadband landscape is slowly starting to grow more competitive, with attendant benefits to consumers and greater U.S. broadband adoption. “The telecom and cable operators half-heartedly competed for broadband customers in the past,” said Joe Laszlo, Senior Analyst with Jupiter Research. “2003 was the first year we saw coherent competitive messages in the market: DSL’s story was about low cost, while cable modem services were about faster connection speeds,” added Laszlo. Jupiter Research believes that the continued

growth of online video, music and game offerings in 2004 will increase broadband’s appeal, but warns that providers must focus on reducing prices to truly spur demand.

The dot-com boom saw many failed efforts to deliver video and other rich media content, well before a substantial audience with broadband at home even existed. With the emergence of such an audience, Jupiter Research expects the renaissance of broadband content efforts will accelerate in 2004. Video services like RealOne, ESPN Motion and MSN Video, and music offerings

like Napster, Real Rhapsody and the iTunes Music Store, will be joined by others as media companies explore new ways to serve this audience. Jupiter Research believes broadband ISPs should increasingly differentiate themselves based on content and features, rather than speed and price alone.

At the same time, broadband ISPs must deliver services that can sustain pricing below $40 per month. Despite growing mainstream broadband adoption, most dial-up consumers remain skeptical of broadband pricing. At $29.99 per month, fully 47% of dial-up

consumers said they would be somewhat or very likely to get broadband in the next year. At higher prices, demand dropped steadily, so that at $44.99 per month, only 22% of dial-up consumers expressed an interest. According to Laszlo, “Although the price of broadband moved closer to being right in 2003, all service providers must re-evaluate the economics of low-cost broadband offerings to maintain the pace of consumer demand in 2004.” www.jupitermedia.com B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 31

2003 - A Good Year for Europcar An interview with Mr Paolo Caputo - Corporate Director of Sales and Marketing - Europcar International Question: In its annual press conference held in Paris some days ago, Europcar announced it has become the European leader in car rental. Can you tell us more about it?

Paolo Caputo: Three years ago, EUROPCAR announced its intention to become the European leader in the sector. This it has now achieved if various key factors in the car rental business are compared: turnover, profits, the size of the fleet and the number of rental desks. With a turnover in 2003 of 1,105 million Euros, Europcar is one of the rare car rental companies to be able to announce positive results.

In addition we are proud to announce that EUROPCAR is continuing to improve its profitability in the car rental market.

With pre-tax results of ¤ 72 m in 2003, this corresponds to 6.5% of revenue, the best figure in the history of Europcar.

Q: What are the reasons for such a success?

Paolo Caputo: These results reflect the positive effect of our day to day work. A

market leading position can only be achieved if everyone in the Europcar World strives for top performance; no matter if it is at airport counters, in domestic locations, in reservation centres or at headquarters.

In 2003 Europcar has officially been awarded the title of "European Car Rental Leader " by the "World Travel Awards" and that of the "Best Car Rental Company in Europe" by the readers of the Business Traveller Magazine. These 2 nominations are proof of the appreciation felt by thousands of customers and travel agents and reflect the quality of service delivered each day by our teams.

Q: What is it that sets you apart from other car rental companies, what drives you to succeed above and beyond the rest? Explain some of the ways in which you increase customer satisfaction.

Paolo Caputo: Quality service is the essence of our business – not the cars.

The difference the customer can feel at the counter is the human approach – the customer care.

Our company shows that, by setting clear and realistic objectives, it is possible to do well and achieve the aim we set: to become the most profitable company in the European market.

Q: What specific area has proved to be the most successful for Europcar? Where would you like to see Europcar in the next years?

Paolo Caputo: Having reached this level of recognition on quality service, we are now striving to the strategic key goals in 2004 to lead the industry by proving we are capable of keeping the edge in terms of all parameters on automotive services, quality and products. Therefore we will launch and develop sales, marketing and operational measures to ensure the broadening of the "Global Quality Service" to be in coherence with our horizon and leading spirit.

Europcar is perceived in the first stage as a service company with clear and transparent terms and conditions,

procedures and operational as well as information technology processes.

Secondly, but by no means to a lesser degree, Europcar is perceived as a car rental company, delivering the right car at the right place at the right time – at the agreed price.

What always strikes me personally in this particular car rental business is the complexity of our business. Finally everything is linked to excellence in working processes, transactions, mode of operations and management. The perfect orchestration of all these parameters leads to success, but only if everyone within the process-chain is respecting his/her working responsibility, no matter on what level of hierarchy within the company.

This is why Europcar people are committed to support “Global Quality Service” to achieve our ambitious longterm goal “to be chosen as the most preferred car rental by customers, Human Resources and last but not least Shareholders”.

international wifi hotspot directory The complete hotspot directory.

All the hotspots you want when you want them.

Latest Hotspots, Nearby Hotspots, Add and Search for Hotspots and much much more.

www.hotspotting.org 32 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

11.03.2004_11:53:07 Uhr_FaberPublish GmbH, Hamburg

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Get this feeling.

Take a ride with a winner.

Europcar is proud to have been awarded the title “Europe’s Leading Car Hire Company”at the 2003 World Travel Awards. Discover what winning solutions we have in store for you, and rent your next car with Europcar.

www.europcar.com

YOU RENT ENT A LOT LOT MORE THAN A CAR.

34 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

Banyan Tree Seychelles An Award-Winning Spa

M

any come to Banyan Tree Seychelles to visit the award-winning Spa or because of the lush tropical vegetation amidst a carpet of white powdery sand that they’ve seen magazines and newspapers.

However, most visitors come purely to experience what they’ve heard from friends and family and to sample firsthand this hidden gem that they’ve heard so much about.

C

Nestled in Intendance Bay on Mahé, Banyan Tree Seychelles lies along the Southwestern coast and first opened its doors to guests, eager to sample the latest Banyan Tree resort, in February 2002.

Surrounded by unspoilt beaches, breathtaking mountains and tropical rainforest, Banyan Tree Seychelles offers panoramic views of the Indian Ocean, bordered by swaying Takamaka

oco Palm Resort & Spa is the kind of paradise where one dreams of being stranded…. a tropical island of pure white sands and swaying coconut palms, fringed by a sparkling sapphire lagoon.

It has all the luxuries of an award winning resort; not a hint of commercialism, no traffic, no crowds or intrusions from the outside world. Located in the Maldives on the private island of Dunikolu in Baa Atoll, Coco Palm enjoys warm tropical weather throughout the year. Getting to the island is only 30 minutes by seaplane from Male’ International Airport, offering breathtaking aerial views of the coral islands that surround it.

Detailing makes for superior comfort and heightened intimacy. Rooms feature your choice of king-size or fourposter beds and open-air garden bathrooms that promise full privacy. Refresh yourself in our private terraced splash pools, or relax in the sunken garden and lagoon spa baths.

Fine crafted furnishings of wood, rattan and cotton - all created to enhance nature's beauty, and conjure up a truly magical feel. Beach and Deluxe Villas promise beach front rooms, and Lagoon Villas built on stilts bowl you over with ocean view bathrooms.

Pleasure your palate and tantalize your taste buds in the restaurant, which offer guests a sumptuous selection of the

trees.

Accommodation at Banyan Tree Seychelles is set over 57 villas – 26 Hillside Pool Villas, 9 Pool Villas By-the-Rocks, 15 Beachfront Spa Pool Villas, 6 Intendance Pool Villas and a Presidential Villa – all with private swimming pools and Thai Salas. To reflect the island’s rich colonial history, each villa’s lavish architecture comprises spacious white Victorian-style bungalows and

extensive verandas. Local artists have also been commissioned to produce paintings for the bedrooms based on the island’s legendary Coco-de-mer nut.

Along with the 57 villas, Banyan Tree Seychelles also features an award-winning spa – a signature facility of Banyan Tree. Offering an extensive range of treatments – from massages and herbal remedies, to beauty therapies, the Banyan Tree Spa’s treatments are a fusion of East and Western rejuvenation techniques.

Treatment packages on offer at the Spa allow guests to experience more than one treatment set over a three hour period and will defy even the most stressed visitor to relax and luxuriate amongst a back drop of lush foliage and majestic granite mountains.

The Royal Banyan package for example draws on massage traditions used for centuries in Royal Thai Palaces. The therapist starts with a mint footbath followed by a rub with lemongrass and cucumber followed by oil free Thai acupressure massage to improve blood circulation and alleviate muscle tension.

Banyan Herbal Pouches filled with lemongrass, cloves and coriander are then used to apply warm sesame oil on the body while the Banyan massage will

best food in the Maldives, perennially garnished with creativity and steeped in finesse. Authentic Maldivian cuisine as well as other Asian specialities from India and Sri Lanka, Seafood Grill or al a carte, all to be enjoyed in romantic dining atmosphere by the beach. Take in a long drink at one of Coco Palms bars; sip the air of a tranquillity sunset and a harmonious life.

A visit to the Spa at Coco Palm Resort is an immense sensory experience. Indulge in the all-natural treatments derived from the ancient health and beauty traditions of Asia; a culture that celebrates beauty and refinement in honour of nature's precious gifts. The exotic aromas of spices and fragrant blooms, and the gentle sound of soothing music, will bathe the senses and lull you into a state of bliss.

The Maldives is known in many parts of the world as the divers paradise. With warm tropical weather year around, a large variety of colourful fauna and flora thrive in these coral reefs. PADI and SSI certified dive courses are available for the experienced and inexperienced alike, from our Diving School.

Exhilarate yourself. A selection of activities that offer everyone choice, such as: water-skiing, canoeing, surf biking, sailing, windsurfing or snorkelling. Private lessons and courses are available for those who would like to learn the

lull you into a state of complete bliss. The package is completed with a therapeutic herbal bath and drink with refreshments.

For those who wish to recreate a Banyan Tree Spa - and the calm that prevails throughout the resort – in their own home, there is Banyan Tree Gallery, a lifestyle oriented boutique. The Gallery offers an impressive array of oils, home spa accessories and skin and body products and is the brainchild of Clair Chiang, one of the founders of Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts.

Gourmands have a choice between the award winning Thai cuisine at Saffron, Creoleinspired dishes at Au Jardin d’Epices, a good selection of snacks including tapas, pizzas, light Thai specialities, as well as a wide range of refreshing cocktails at La Varangue.

Alternatively, guests can dine in the privacy of their own.

Arrive in style, as the Banyan Tree Seychelles' new helipad is set for completion in May 2004.

To discover the beauty and tranquillity of Banyan Tree Resorts, visit: www.banyantree.com Banyan Tree Resorts was voted as the winner of Indian Ocean's Leading Hotel Group at World Travel Awards 2003.

ropes of windsurfing and catamaran sailing. On steady grounds, you will be able to divert with activities like tennis, volleyball, badminton, snooker, table tennis, and for those who fancy harder workouts, our fully equipped exercise room will await for them. You don’t have to be sportsminded to relax in our library, or watch a movie in the audiovisual room.

A traditional wedding ceremony in the romantic setting of Coco Palm can make your special day a very memorable one.

The service is held at sunset on a desert island beach, under a hut made of coconut trees and leaves. The traditionally dressed Minister, witnesses and friends, wait with the bride, for the groom to arrive on a local sailing boat and then carried by the crew to the beach. The ceremony is celebrated according to the local traditions with a dowry, exchange of vows and rings. The melodious drums of the local fishermen accompany the couple on their journey back to their villa. All the guests are invited to participate in toasting to the happiness of the couple with Kurumba local coconut, and to enjoy the drums ceremonial dances. In the evening a BBQ dinner will be served to the bride and groom, and the following day a coconut tree planting ceremony will be hosted for the happy couple.

Coco Palm Resort & Spa, Dunikolu Island, Baa Atoll, Republic Of Maldives Tel: + 960 23 00 11, Fax: + 960 23 00 22 www.cocopalm.com.mv

B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 35

Botox or Body Wrap? the New Spa Phenomenon

Jaime Cooke, Spa Editor Today’s spa is a centre for healing and nourishing the mind, body, and spirit.

People go to spas for health, peace of mind, pampering and pleasure. As spa-goers today demand more than pampering, spas are taking a whole new approach to feeling good with immediate and visible results.

Welcome to the Medical Spa. Not only for the use of treating chronic health problems, but to enhance ourselves through nonsurgical and surgical procedures. Services at these spas include: collagen, botox, microdermabrasion,

restylane, chemical peels and even plastic surgery.

At Blue Water Spa in North Carolina, you can indulge in a hot stone "Foot Fantasy" before, after, or even during a Botox injection, or perhaps you fancy a quick zap of a laser for spider veins following a massage or vichy shower treatment. Providing significant results with no 'down time' in a luxurious and relaxing atmosphere is the primary goal of a medical spa.

Does this alter our vision of the desirable spa environment? If we told the Romans back in 25B.C.

that our spas would be pumping Restylane in our lips and Botox in our lines, they would never have believed it.

As it becomes more acceptable and available to participate in cosmetic alteration, the spa seems like the most tranquil place to do so.

Surgeon and Safari have seen a great increase of clients wanting the nip and tuck combined with a unique holiday. South Africa has become the hot destination for procedures, as quality of the facilities and care are essential, cost is also a big factor - you can have a facelift, tummy tuck, liposuction and eyelid

surgery for $11,000 ($5,000 less than in the US).

However, not all plastic surgery vacations are cost effective; while Botox parties are becoming hot in New York, the Half Moon Club in Jamaica offers an interesting twist on the concept. The resort hosts Botox weekends with New York City plastic surgeon Z. Paul Lorenc in its on-site hospital, and his rates are the same as they would be in Manhattan.

Although the appeal of flying to an exotic location, paying half the price for a face-lift and recovering by the pool with a cocktail sounds appealing, the reality is you

can't even sit in the sun after surgery, not to mention the increased risk of deep vein thrombosis during your flight back. The thought of being rushed to a Jamaican hospital for an emergency medical complication seems more than just daunting.

As spas will continue to offer a wide variety of techniques and services, both traditional and modern – reality is, they must move forward with the trends. The medical spa meets the diverse needs of their clients, proving why it is fast becoming the new spa phenomenon.

Very Best Spas Magazine 2004 This years’ stylish and exclusive VeryBest Spas Magazine, will take you on a journey of sheer pleasure – where you can discover luxurious world-class spa destinations to rebalance the body, calm the mind and soothe the soul.

VeryBest Spas is an informative guide to the world’s most exquisite and unique spa resorts in the world. Each spa destination included, receives a written feature with a full overview of the resort, accompanied by the most breathtaking photography proving each location is as individually distinctive and luxurious as the next.

In addition to the spa resorts, you will find inspirational ideas on spa design, treatments, products, trends and 36 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

interviews by leading spa professionals.

The Verybest Spas magazine, published twice a year, is distributed to leading travel professionals at all of the major travel shows and throughout the featured hotels and resorts. It is also available at selected day spas and private members clubs worldwide.

For more information and inclusion in the next edition of the Verybest Spas magazine, please contact: Nicola Brookes Publisher of the Verybest Spas magazine nicola@theverybestmagazine.com 00 44 1733 234848 00 44 7949 779646 For editorial contact, please email: Jaime@theverybestspasmagazine.com

Leading South African Spa Launches Revolutionary Range

As lifestyle trends of the new millennium lean towards adopting holistic living where the restorative powers of nature are embraced, South African-based Sérénité Wellness Centres has launched the Sérénité GrapeTherapy‰ product range, providing a powerful natural way to achieve personal wellness and leave you looking and feeling younger and healthier.

Inspired be research done in France on the anti-aging properties of proanthocyanidins found in the grape, the Sérénité GrapeTherapy‰ range is based on the highest quality, organically grown, cold pressed grape-seed oil extracts. This oil contains anti-oxidants 50 times stronger than Vitamin E making the Sérénité GrapeTherapy‰ product range one of the best natural sources of antioxidants available.

Sourced solely from different grape varieties from the Stellenbosch and

Franschhoek regions of the South African Winelands, including Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinotage, Cabernet, Savignon Blanc, Sérénité GrapeTherapy‰ also offers treatments by cultivar. Of particular interest is that Sérénité GrapeTherapy‰ boasts the world’s only 200-litre Pinotage Grape Seed Oil Bath Treatment.

Sérénité GrapeTherapy™ forms part of founder of Sérénité Wellness Centres, Elizabeth Brandt’s greater vision to create destination spas where all treatment packages are individually designed to embrace the unique surrounding natural environment of each spa. With the ingredients of Sérénité GrapeTherapy™ products being sourced from the Cape’s legendary winelands, the unique concept of Sérénité Franschhoek (opening late 2004) creates the ideal location for this revolutionary approach to well-being by being the only South African spa to specialise in authentic grape therapy and is set to become the destination spa of choice for international celebrities. Clients will choose from the 30 GrapeTherapy Spa Treatments, 30 GrapeTherapy Cosmoceaticals and 4 GrapeTherapy Nutraceauticals that make Sérénité the only spa group internationally to offer such a diverse range.

Although Sérénité Franschhoek will be specialising in the Sérénité GrapeTherapy™ range, all Sérénité products and treatments may be obtained from any other Sérénité outlet or spa. The Sérénité label will soon be found in spas and concept shops in Madrid, London and Munich with many others to be included.

Other Sérénité treatments and products include African Stone Therapy, Kigelia, Olive Oil and the African Potato.

For further information please phone Sérénité Constantia on 27 21 713 1760 or email info@serenite.co.za B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 37

Fort Campbelton - Pirate's Bay, Charlotteville

Le Grand Courlan Spa Resort

discover

tobago quiet, lush, tranquil

relax with the Spa hotels of tobago visit us at the Caribbean Internet Cafe Stand 3.1/219

38 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

Hilton Tobago

Coco Reef Resort

world’s leading ecotourism destination

Argyle Waterfalls - Tobago

Pigeon Point

B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 39

Diving Why is it so Important to the European Market?

The Caribbean is famed for its diving. The crystal waters and abundance of underwater life supply a never ending oasis for the intrepid diver. Each year the region receives top recognition from industry leading World Travel Awards for having some of the best dive locations in the world (previous winners include Grand Cayman) Special Feature by Ben Kilbey aves, walls, wrecks you name it and you will find it in the Caribbean.

Certain islands take diving more seriously then others take Aruba for instance, where this years 27th Annual Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC-27) will be hosted. Aruba has implemented Coral Reef protection program’s for ten years now. Bonaire, its Caribbean neighbour has looked after its waters so well that all of the islands surrounding seas are national park! This allows for some of the best clarity and coral in the region. These diving conditions are vital in maintaining not only the aquatic eco-systems but also European visitors.

“Being a wonderful dive and

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40 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

snorkel island is really a great asset when it comes to European marketing. Let's face it: when one has only the sun to sell, the worldwide competition is enormous.

Europeans can choose Spain, Greece, Turkey or the Canary Islands. We welcome people from all over Europe on Bonaire for a diving holiday.

They know our reputation and choose our island above all other destinations. And we are very pleased of course.”

Commented Robert A. Bolhuis Bonaire’s European Director.

“Diving is important to the Bonairian economy, in the sense that tourism is important to the Bonairian economy. The European dive market is important for Bonaire, of course. We still see growth in attention and

visitors from all over Europe.”

Diving is a joy to many, yet many people are still lacking the knowledge of marine conservation and proper conduct. It is not only the diver that must understand the importance of reef care but also the island population themselves. The Aruba Reef Care Project founded by Castro E. Perez, Aruba’s Ecotourism Project Manager and Dive Market Specialist, last year celebrated its tenth anniversary. Perez understands that the dive market is important to the tourism model on Aruba.

“Tourism is the largest contributor to Aruba’s Economy. It equals a 79 % contribution to government revenues. That is 40% of the GDP. 2/3 of the workforce is

directly or indirectly involved in tourism. In other words tourism is very important to the island of Aruba. A very large part of the tourism market comes from the Dive sector. We find that a lot of European travellers come specifically for the diving, it is for this reason that we must secure and maintain our marine life.”

The Reef Aware project was entirely Castro’s own concept and initiative.

“I initiated the ARCP (Aruba Reef Care Project), 10 years ago. On my own initiative I decided to organise all of the dive operators and watersport companies to be part of this annual awareness campaign. On a yearly basis we run a program involving several presentations for primary schools, high schools and junior college. We also produce these programs for the local service clubs, such as Aruba Rotary and Lions.

We have not only concentrated on cleaning the reefs but also the tidying of all public beaches, and shallow waters. This has been a huge

success! A great sign is that each year less garbage is collected, and also the amount of participants increases!”

It obvious that the dive business is big business in the Caribbean and Perez stress that all islands should have some form of initiative.

“The dive market is very important to tourism in the Caribbean, you must be aware that the beach and reef are USP of Aruba’s tourism product. I also consider that each island of the Caribbean must have some type of program in place. It might be an annual awareness campaign, or clean-up actions to protect its beaches, reef, marina’s and so forth.”

This year both Aruba and Bonaire are in contention to be awarded with a prestigious World Travel Award.

For more information on diving on Bonaire, Aruba or the World Travel Awards Visit: www.infobonaire.com www.aruba.com www.worldtravel awards.com

∆

Thank you!

Thanks for your continuos support and patronage. You have helped Hilton Caribbean, and our all-inclusive brand Coral by Hilton, become a leading chain in the Caribbean.

Now with more destinations than ever, we are looking forward to a very successful 2004!

www.hiltoncaribbean.com

Bahamas • Cancun • Curaçao • Jamaica • Margarita • Puerto Rico (Ponce & San Juan) • St. Lucia • Santo Domingo • Trinidad • Tobago • Barbados (12/04)

All-inclusive Resorts in the Dominican Republic: Bayahibe • Boca Chica • Juan Dolio • Puerto Plata Please refer to website for complete details. The Hilton name and logo are trademarks owned by Hilton. ©2004 Hilton Hospitality, Inc.

Belize: An adventurous Paradise

42 B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S

B

elize is a part of the Caribbean that many people seem to skip.

Not due to its lack of beaches, cultural significance or awe inspiring natural beauty, more so due to the fact that it is a fairly unknown travel destination. Belize could be regarded as a jewel in the Caribbean crown. Its virgin rainforest and unrivalled ecosystems give the country an untouched and unique feel. Unlike many areas of the Caribbean, Belize is yet to succumb to the unfortunate and unpredictable outcomes of mass tourism.

Belize covers some 8866 square miles and boasts a population of roughly 255 thousand.

Whether it’s a beach holiday or a truly adventurous expedition that you are after, Belize has it all. For the dive enthusiast there is the legendary ‘Blue Hole’ dive site located in the Cayo area of the country. Approximately 60 miles (100 kilometres) from Belize City, the almost perfectly circular Blue Hole is more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) across and some 400 feet (123 meters) deep.

Nowadays it is famed for its sponges, barracuda, corals, angelfish. There is also an abundance of sharks to enthral and delight the intrepid diver.

Melecia McDougall a high ranking member of the Belize Tourism Authority enthuses about the world recognised dive site; “The diving in Belize is some of the best in the world.

The Blue Hole dive site offers some of the best diving in the world, it is a protected area and so the coral is like nothing else on earth. The Coral reef is the second biggest in the world after the Barrier Reef in Australia so that gives you some idea of the magnitude of the area!”

Tourism on Belize is relatively low, yet it forms a large proportion of the countries economics’.

However, the island is keen not to allow over development to occur and for the islands infrastructure and natural beauty to be destroyed.

“At present our arrivals are rising nicely”, added McDougall. “We are almost at the perfect level for our

country to cope with. As strange as it may sound but we do not wish for too much tourism as this could ruin what Belize is about”.

There are virtually no high rise accommodations on the island, with the largest hotel having only 34 rooms!

“We really want to keep Belize the way it is”.

Most of the countries arrivals are from the USA with the UK and Europe providing a very small market share.

McDougall believes that the island could do with more European visitors as it is more suited for the clientele.

“Belize is certainly geared more towards the European market. It is an adventurers dream. European travellers tend to be less inhibited or in need of constant direction” One of the countries biggest draw cards is its Mayan ruins, the most famous being Caracol.

Found in the 1930's and "rediscovered" in the 1950's, Caracol was known to be an important ceremonial centre of the Mayan Civilization. But due to its difficult accessibility, Caracol remained shrouded in jungle and mystery until 1985, when a long term excavation of the site began. Only recently has Caracol begun to receive the recognition it is due.

“The Mayan ruins in Belize are extraordinary. They really have to be seen to be believed. Caracol has recently been renovated and is now in its full glory - it is an outstanding reminder of the Mayans amazing existence”.

Unlike many areas of the Caribbean Belize has warmly embraced the cruise sector.

Cruise ships dock ten-miles off of the coast and passengers are brought across on smaller boats to experience the Belizean culture.

“The tourism village was built for the cruise sector, it truly is beautiful. It displays local artefacts and allows visitors to sample local cuisine. The village has opened up a lot of opportunity for local people.

It is a chance for local artists etc to display their wares. The cruise sector as a whole has opened up opportunities for local Belizeans. If you have initiative then opportunity is there!”

Breaking Travel News Interview; Richard Adams, Senior Vice President EMEA, Sabre Travel Network Breaking Travel News Speaks to Richard Adams, Senior Vice President EMEA, Sabre Travel Network, who are making their presence felt at ITB Berlin, exhibiting newly-enhanced capabilities in the leisure travel arena, bookable content developed specifically for Europe, and a new integrated service for corporations and corporate travel management companies.

By Anna Gouldman

BTN. How has Sabre Travel Network’s role in the travel industry changed over the last two years?

RA. We have evolved successfully from being simply a distributor of fares and a bookings facilitator, into an organisation that helps travel agents market themselves, and negotiates with travel providers for the best range of fares and travel content which we make available to a wider range of travellers than ever before. We sell to leisure travellers through our global network of travel agency customers and to business travellers through travel management companies and our industry-leading online corporate self-booking tool, GetThere.

BTN. What are Sabre Travel Network’s main strengths?

RA. The breadth of our parent organisation Sabre Holdings, which gives us a leading presence in every single channel of travel distribution. This breadth enables us to negotiate strongly with travel suppliers, thereby benefiting travel agencies, corporations and the end traveller.

BTN. With the volume of GDS transactions diminishing at a fairly rapid rate, where will you go for new revenue streams?

RA. We are constantly opening up new revenue streams to supplement the traditional source of GDS fee income.

Examples to date include boosting the penetration of the GetThere corporate self-booking tool, for which we charge corporations, and the Merchant Content we have negotiated for

Travelocity and Sabre Travel Network.

BTN. When do you anticipate that de-regulation will come to Europe and what will a deregulatory environment mean for Sabre Travel Network?

RA, Last year the EC’s Directorate-General for Energy and Transport (DG TREN) commissioned the Brattle Group to examine its proposal for modifying the European GDS Code of Conduct.

The Brattle Group’s recommendations, issued on 30 January 2004, favoured modifying the changes to the European GDS Code of Conduct proposed by the EU in November 2002.

Deregulation on its own is unlikely to change substantially the number of airlines participating in each GDS or the level at which they do so since only three carriers globally are legislated into participating in all GDSs on a non-discriminatory basis, while virtually all major carriers globally choose to participate in several GDSs. However, substantial deregulation will help put GDS relationships with airlines onto a more commercial, market-based footing. We look forward to this as we believe we can compete strongly on the basis of our leadership in every channel of travel distribution.

BTN. Sabre Holdings said in its 2003 annual report that deregulation of global distribution system firms by the U.S. Department of Transportation will enable it to "vary incentives by the identity of the airline." Could this trend spread in the UK? RA. No decisions have yet been

reached on how we might structure incentive payments in the deregulated environment.

Suffice to say that we are determined to ensure the greatest degree of flexibility for all of our customer groups, and that we do not intend to slash incentive payments to travel agencies. That said – we do have to take control of the shape of the incentive curve – this is our largest single expense line and it cannot keep rising ad infinitum.

BTN. Do corporate travel buyers need to be wary of varying airline participation levels and display bias in global distribution systems, as well as airline access to booking data?

RA. Sure – display bias is something corporate travel buyers need to keep an eye on.

From Sabre Travel Network’s perspective, no decisions have been reached on how we might structure future screen displays in the deregulated environment.

Even if we were to go down the route of an adjusted display we recognise that many travel agents and corporate travel buyers value GDS neutrality and we will ensure that they retain the option to use a neutral display.

BTN. What is Sabre Travel Network doing to add value to agencies to enable them to add value to the traveller?

RA. We are ensuring that they have access through the GDS to the greatest possible range of published airline fares with the DCA Three Year Option! We are improving the breadth and depth of bookable leisure travel content in the system. We are ensuring our strength in every

channel of travel sales and distribution. We are making available to agents our Internet booking technology. We are developing travel management tools that they can pass on to the end traveller.

BTN. Hotel bookings have become an increasing important revenue growth area for most B2C sites with the merchant model continuing to grow at a rapid rate. In what ways are you tackling this situation?

RA. We have introduced our Sabre Exclusives merchant hotel content programme, through which we are making some terrific rates available to the end traveller, through Travelocity, and to the travel agent through the Sabre GDS.

BTN. On the B2B front, most corporate bookings tools are looking at integration with alternative distribution channels, as it is suggested that GDSs cannot provide all the content that is required.

Can you comment on this situation?

RA. It is a testament to the stunning success of online corporate travel booking systems that users continue to demand an ever-wider range of content.

Wherever possible we are adding content, such as European ferries, through the Sabre system. Where this is not possible we are working with third parties to ensure that we continue to expand GetThere content.

In short we will do whatever it takes, as creatively as necessary, to ensure that business travellers continue to have access to the content they

need in order to book travel online.

BTN. Most suppliers already have good websites and with the growing emergence of Web Services, this looks set to continue to grow. How do you see this situation evolving in the next few years and how will GDSs effectively compete?

RA. GDSs can only compete if they continue to ensure that they offer users the greatest possible range of content at the best rate. Hence Sabre Holdings’ focus on securing leadership in every channel of travel sales and distribution, leveraging that leadership to negotiate great deals with travel suppliers, and making that content available through all its channels of distribution.

BTN. What are your predictions with regards to the GDSs’ role in the distribution chain in two years time?

RA. I’ll tell you what my predecessors were saying two years, five years and ten years ago when exactly the same questions were being asked – as long as we remain humble, flexible, responsive and quick to develop distribution solutions that the travel industry needs, we will be here serving the industry. A little changed, to be sure, but just as useful.

BTN. Do you foresee a time when one GDS will dominate?

RA. No – this industry needs competition as much as the next.

B R E A K I N G T R A V E L N E W S 43

WORLD TRAVEL AWARD 2004 LATEST NEWS Sandy Lane to host World Travel Golf Tournament Sandy Lane, a hotel world renowned for its style, sophistication and world-class service. The haunt of celebrities and royalty alike Sandy Lane goes that little way further to give you so much more. What is it that makes the resort so special, is it the world-class golf?

The luxurious rooms? Or perhaps the international five star cuisine? As GM Colm Hannon likes to point out, “Sandy Lane is a complete resort yet what makes it the success it is the people, the service – we have a fabulous physical side but it is the human side that makes Sandy Lane so special.”

With its recent recognition at the World Travel Awards (Caribbean’s leading Golf Resort), Sandy Lane is basking in the light of greatness and is constantly striving to achieve and offer more then any other resort.

This year the resort will be hosting the World Travel Golf Tournament on December 10. At the helm of this success story is Colm Hannon, an Irishman impassioned by the resort and the wonders that it offers.

Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London W1J 6BD UK TEL +44 (0)20 7925 0000 FAX +44 (0)20 7925 2552 Publisher Graham E. Cooke Group Editorial Director Manon Han Airline / Hotel Editor Alexander Lewis

For the latest information on World travel Awards 2004 please visit

www.worldtravelawards.com

Caribbean Editor Ben Kilbey

Spa Editor Jaime Cooke Photographer Benjamin Roberts Editorial Assistant Elizabeth Lee-Richards Joanna Garvey Sales Director James A. Khan Nicola Brookes David Falcon Sales Executive George Cooke Production Manger Siddarth Thaker Graphic Design Nomad Graphique Printed by Masterspeed

www.breakingtravelnews.com

World Travel Internet Conference The key to the future is what we command in technology today What The World Travel Internet Conference is hosted by World Travel Awards in conjunction with Internet Travel News.

This year's event will take place over two days in Barbados with the highest calibre of speakers from all areas of the World Travel Industry who bring with them their knowledge and expertise.

When On December 13th & 14th 2004, influential travel professionals will gather to discuss the latest trends and innovations in online travel.

Where Sherbourne Conference Centre Two Mile Hill, St. Michael Barbados Tel: +1 (246) 434 3000 www.sherbournecentre.com Why you should attend Find out what your competition and others are doing and determine which technologies you need to focus on and how to implement them.

Stay informed and stay ahead of the game.

Networking opportunities Meet the speakers and delegates and surround yourself with the people that can make a difference in this buzzy environment. Everyone at this event wants to do business!

Why you should you sponsor Get your message to the right audience and generate valuable business leads.

Speaking Opportunities Speakers must be well established in the industry with specialist knowledge of their chosen field.

Don’t miss out!

Places are limited so secure your place today.

Contact Anna Gouldman for more information on speaking and sponsorship opportunities.

Email: editor@internettravelnews.com Tel: +44 (0)20 7925 0000

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Internet Editor Anna Gouldman