2014 GATEWAY - Christmas magazine

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What’s Hot in Berlin?

X-masmagazine DECEMBER 2014

POPULAR IN 2015 Travel Trends

TRAVEL TIPS

MALAYSIA

from Gateway

Holiday Destination

PHOTO CONTEST Win Champagne

WIN CHAMPAGNE

WINNERS 2014

|

NAMIBIA

|

X-MAS RECIPE

|

TIPS & TRENDS

Editorial 2014 was a busy year. I hope that it was interesting and successful for your business and for you personally.

I’m happy to introduce you to

After attending the World Travel

our new Christmas Magazine.

Market in London, we can also

We hope to give you a lot of

present you the Travel Trends

inspiration in this magazine. In

for 2015.

our Destination Special about

el s Opr

ie Andr

ING

ET MARK & S SALE TOR DIREC

Berlin – the city that recently

The holiday season is all about

celebrated the 25th anniversary

sharing good moments and

We’ve also posted some pictures

of the fall of the wall - you’ll find

delicious food with your family

of the many travel agents who

suggestions on what to visit,

and friends, so our magazine

won one of our contests in 2014.

where to stay and where to eat.

wouldn’t be complete without

Can you find your picture among

We’re also putting the spotlight

a good recipe for a Christmas

them?

on Malaysia and Namibia as

dessert.

popular holiday destinations.

2015

Thank you for your loyalty & Don’t forget to participate in our

trust. Everyone at Gateway

At Gateway we have many travel

Photo Contest and send us your

wishes you happy holidays with

enthusiasts.

sharing

most original holiday picture.

your family and friends, and a

some of their best insider’s

You might win a nice bottle of

fantastic and successful 2015

tips with you in our Travel Tips

champagne!

to come!

They’re

special.

www.gateway.be www.gateway.be

DECEMBER 2014

What’s inside?

2

Editorial

4-5

Destination in the Spotlight - Berlin

6-7

Gateway’s personal Travel Tips

8-9

Contest Winners of 2014

10-11

Destination in the Spotlight: Malaysia

12-13

Travel Trends for 2015

14

Photo Contest - Win a bottle of Champagne!

15

X-Mas Recipe from Nathalie

16-17 18

Destination in the Spotlight - Namibia Service Desk - Contact Details

page33 page

Destination in the Spotlight

st

De

Berlin

on

ti ina

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R BE

Berlin recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall. In those 25 years, the united German capital has flourished as a popular tourist destination. Many museums and cultural sightings, shopping areas, festivities and a vibrant nightlife, make the city a must-have on your city-trip list.

å

What to visit?

D

N M ISL A

MUSEU

Brandenburger Tor The triumphal arch, a former city gate, is probably the most famous landmark of Berlin.

BRA

NDE

NBU

RGER

Checkpoint Charlie The most famous checkpoint at the former Berlin Wall now tells its history.

The Bunker This former Nazi bunker has been renovated to hold the contemporary art collection of its new owner Christian Boros.

Jewish Museum Exhibiting one of the largest German-Jewish art collections in the world, this museum is situated in a stunning architectural building.

Berlin Zoological Garden The oldest and best known zoo of Germany holds more than 1,500 different species and was once the home of polar bear Knut.

www.gateway.be

TOR

Unter den Linden This beautiful boulevard, named after its lime trees, crosses the Mitte district of Berlin and connects the Palace Bridge, the Lustgarden and the Museum Island.

Museum Island This island in the river Spree holds five internationally significant museums, all part of the Berlin State Museums.

KaDeWe This ‘Kaufhaus des Westens’ was once a symbol for Western Berlin and is still the largest department store in Continental Europe. Be sure to check out the wonderful food stands on the 6th floor.

DECEMBER 2014

å

Where to stay? ** * 3

** ** 4

Amano

Crowne Plaza City Centre *** ** 5

** ** 4

Nhow

å

** ** 4

Gat Point Charlie *** ** 5

Das Stue

Rocco Forte De Rome

Where to eat?

VOLT Formerly an electrical relay station, the Restaurant VOLT directly on the banks of Landwehrkanal offers candles and ambient light from the golden globe lamps the ideal backdrop for a romantic evening for couples. Chef Matthias Gleiß serves contemporary variations of traditional Berlin cuisine and of course also genuine German classics.

DREIGUT

Close to the Ku’damm, you’ll find this charming restaurant, which presents traditional German recipes based on aromatic and organic ingredients. The restaurant was recently voted among the top 10 of the best restaurants in Berlin.

DUNKELRESTAURANT Literally the ‘Dark Restaurant’, this place lets you experience the world of the blind by dining in complete darkness. The friendly waiters are blind or visually challenged, and guide you to their table. Eating in the dark will make you focus on your other senses to enjoy your meal.

page 5

Gateway gives Travel Tips Hidden gems for your customers!

Travellers prefer to get personal travel tips from friends rather

s

y’ wa

te ips Ga T vel a r T

than get them out of a travel guide. We have gathered for you some valuable travel tips from our colleagues at Gateway.

Moraine Lake, Canada

“Moraine Lake is a less crowded alternative to Lake Louise, but just

as beautiful. Due to the bear activity in this area, it’s required to hike in groups of at least 4 persons and to bring bear spray. It’s a nice way to meet other hikers and if lucky you can catch a glimpse of a bear. ›Sarah Dubois - Service Desk Agent (Belgium)

“

Western Cape, South Africa

“Apart from wines and whales, the Western Cape is the best place to go if you’re a hiking or cycling enthusiast. Don’t miss the breath-taking Du

“

Toitskloof.

›Rob Van Kesteren – Sales Manager (South Africa)

El Bosc de les Fades, Barcelona

“Near the wax museum at the beginning of the Ramblas you’ll find the fairylike El Bosc de les Fades, a cocktail bar with great atmosphere (and

“

great mojitos!) that is decorated to resemble a fairytale forest. ›Bart Vanmaele – Marketing Manager (Belgium)

Coffs Harbour, Australia

“Perfect pit stop for your road trip from Port Douglas to Sydney, Coffs is known for its surfing facilities as well as the Big Banana, symbol for the

“

local banana industry and one of “Australia’s Big Things”.

›Angela Chrisostomou – Technical Support Agent (Belgium)

www.gateway.be

DECEMBER 2014

Chantaburi, Thailand

“Don’t miss the delicious “The Pacific” fried seafood platter at the roadside restaurant Nai Lek.“ ›Theerapa Thanatawee – Operations Manager (Thailand)

Skadar Lake, Montenegro

“With its intact forests, hidden lakes and sky-high mountain tops,

Montenegro is an ideal destination to travel through pure landscapes without too many tourists around you. My favourite view was over Skadar

“

Lake, the largest lake of the Balkan.

›Tim Appermont – Business Analyst (Belgium)

Willet-Holthuysen, Amsterdam

“Curious about the salons, bel-etage and other stylish rooms that are hidden inside the beautiful houses of the canals in Amsterdam? The

Museum Willet-Holthuysen gives you great insight on the interior design

“

of the Dutch Golden Age.

›Bob Magotteaux – Product Manager (Belgium)

Pattaya, Thailand

“Need an evening without Thai food? Try Gian’s Ristorante Italiano at

Thappraya Road. The friendly staff will serve the best pizza of Pattaya.

Don’t forget to start with a nice Prosecco and finish with their delicious

“

Tiramisu!

›Benny Wong – Sales Manager (Hong Kong)

Al Ain, Abu Dhabi

“Adventure lovers will have a great time at the Wadi Adventure park, which offers surfing, kayaking, wake boarding, rafting, climbing and

“

many other activities.

›Shahjahan Sayed – Sales Manager (UAE)

Guggenheim, NYC

“Did you know you can ‘pay what you wish’ if you visit the Guggenheim Museum on Saturdays between 05:45 and 07:45 pm? Be sure to come

“

early to beat the queue.

›Colette Vorselaars – Service Desk Manager (Belgium)

page 7

www.gateway.be

DECEMBER 2014

Congratulations to all our 2014 contest winners!

At Gateway, we love our travel agents! So in 2014 we wanted to surprise many of you with a thoughtful gift. We have been giving away Belgian beer and chocolates, Italian specialties, concert tickets for John Legend and for Night of the Proms, gift boxes from Rituals, movie tickets, shopping vouchers, iPad Air tablets, summer gadgets, fun cooking appliances, Gateway2Travel vouchers, and lots more. The pictures on this page show only some of the many happy winners of our contests and incentives. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Preview: Coming 2015 Not among these winners?

No worries, we already have lined up several new promotions and incentives for next year. Keep an eye on your mailbox and Gateway2Travel.

page 9

Destination in the Spotlight Malaysia

Our offer: +1.500 hotels

on

ti ina

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De

M

Multicultural Malaysia, the 9th most visited country in the world, is the perfect holiday destination for your customers. The streets are filled with influences from Chinese, Indian, Thai, Indonesian and Arab culture.

Many diverse food and shopping facilities are offered everywhere.

Because the islands are so far apart, the landscapes are very different on each of them. But dense jungle and many rivers are everywhere.

Don’t miss these highlights In the Petrona Twin Towers you can walk over the sky bridge and see Kuala Lumpur from 170 metres high.

In the 230 acres big Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur, the former gardens of the British colonial official, are now ample attractions to visit like a butterfly garden and a planetarium.

The 100+ islands of the Langkawi Archipelago can be seen during Island Hopping.

The Atkinson Clock tower, build in memory of the first district officer in Kota Kinabalu, is the perfect site to take pictures of the Kuala Lumpur skyline.

Langkawi has a tax-free status and is perfect for shopping.

In Kuala Lumpur, the Royal Selangor visitors can do workshops to create their own, traditional pewter dish.

Penang is known as the “Pearl of the Orient” because of its typical, beautiful, exotic beaches and is one of the most touristic destinations in Malaysia.

Tourist find the Sabah State Mosque, situated in Kota Kinabalu, is an outstanding piece of architecture.

You can watch the eggs hatch in the incubation room of the Kuala Lumpur Bird Centre.

www.gateway.be

IA

S AY AL

DECEMBER 2014

Our selection of top-ranked hotels in Malaysia *** ** 5

** ** 4

Le Apple Boutique

Tanjung Rhu Resort

Kuala Lumpur

*** ** 5

Langkawi

** ** 4

Bayview Georgetown Penang

Nexus Resort and Spa Karambunai Kota Kinabalu

Upcoming events Feb. 2015: Thaipusam Hindi festival

May - June 2015: Citrawarna - Colours of Malaysia Festival

March - May 2015: Penang World Music Festival

June 2015: Penang Dragon Boat Festival

April 2015: Petronas Malaysian F1 Grand Prix

June - Aug. 2015: Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival

Tip: Important Locations Click on the ‘Important Locations’ filter to find hotels close to an airport, city area, city centre, park, trade centre, etc.

page 11

Travel Trends for 2015 What will be popular with travellers in the next few months?

Han dy t ips TO GI

YOU R

At the World Travel Market in London this past November, several travel

VE T O CUS TOM ERS

trends for 2015 were presented. Gateway was there and gives you this handy overview.

Poshtels

›

A new ‘cheap but chic’ concept that will be popular with families and young, business and single travellers is the posh hostel, dubbed poshtel.

These are affordably priced hostels that have been given a luxury facelift.

Peer-to-peer dining

›

Travellers are ever more interested in local culture and customs… and local cuisine as well. Several start-ups give them the option to enjoy a home-cooked meal at a local family’s house. › www.eatwith.com

Braggies

›

The follow-up of the selfie is a picture in which the traveller brags about his exotic surroundings, for example the beautiful view from his hotel window, and posts the image on social media. Many hotels are already rewarding these braggies with free perks.

www.gateway.be

DECEMBER 2014

›

Wearable devices

With the popularity of smartwatches, it’s becoming easier to plan your holidays. Several travel companies are rolling out smartwatch apps that act as room keys, that download the boarding pass, or that suggest the perfect excursion.

Surfing in Africa

Design tourism in the Middle East

›

›

The WTM and Euromonitor reports

The Middle East is repositioning itself with design tourism in an

also name Africa the world’s new top

effort to revitalise visitor arrivals and attract creative minds.

surfing spot, as its countries benefit from intra-regional and domestic travel.

Cycling in America

›

Cycling is gaining more interest among travellers, although this could be a threat to golf tourism, as middle-aged men swap their clubs for their bikes.

page 13

Photo Contest Win Champagne We’re giving away a bottle of champagne to the 5 most original team pictures. Dress up for Christmas, get an original and funny setting, and send the picture to sales@gateway.be. The finalists will be selected on our Facebook page.

Good luck!

www.gateway.be

WIN

Cham pagne PHOT O CON T

WINT

EST

ER 20 14

DECEMBER 2014

Christmas recipe: Chocolate fruit cake Ingredients

ed mend Recom thalie

by Na ES

350g/12oz dried soft

å

2 oranges, juice and zest only

prunes,chopped

å

1 tea spoon mixed spice

å

250g/9oz raisins

å

2 table spoon good quality cocoa

å

125g/4oz currants

å

3 free-range eggs, beaten

å

175g/6oz unsalted butter, softened

å

150g/5¼oz plain flour

å

175g/6oz dark muscovado sugar

å

75g/2½oz ground almonds

å

175ml/6fl oz honey

å

½ tea spoon baking powder

å

Disco Gold hologram glitter

å

125ml/4fl oz coffee liqueur

å

½ tea spoon bicarbonate of soda

å

Gold mini balls & gold stars

å

SAL WAY E T A G

For decoration å

25g/1oz dark chocolate covered coffee beans

Preparation method Step 1

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas mark

Step 2

Line the sides and bottom of a 20cm/8in,

9cm/3½ in deep, round loose-bottomed cake tin with a layer of bake-o-glide or other reusable silicon-baking parchment. When lining the tin with the bake-o-glide, cut the material into strips that are twice as high as the tin itself (it’s easier to use two shorter strips of bakeo-glide, than one long strip); the height of the strips protects the cake from catching on the outside of the cake tin.

Step 3

Step 5 Carefully pour the fruit cake mixture into the

bake-o-glide lined cake tin. Transfer the cake tin to the oven and bake for 1¾-2 hours, or until the top of the cake is firm but has a shiny and sticky look. At this point, if you insert a cake tester into the middle of the cake, the cake should still be a little uncooked in the

Place the fruit, butter, sugar, honey, coffee

liqueur, orange juice and zest, mixed spice and cocoa into a large wide saucepan. Heat the mixture until it reaches a gentle boil, stirring the mixture as the butter melts. Let the mixture simmer for ten minutes. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Step 4 After 30 minutes, the mixture will have cooled

a little. Add the eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and bicarbonate soda, and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients have combined.

middle.

Step 6

Place the cake on a cooling rack. Once the

cake has cooled, remove it from the tin.

Step 7 To decorate, place the chocolate covered cof-

fee beans in the centre of the cake and arrange the gold starts around the perimeter of the top of the cake.

Then sprinkle some gold mini-balls over the whole of the cake. Sprinkle the Disco Gold Hologram Glitter over the top of the cake.

by Nigella Lawson

(from Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen)

page 15

Destination in the Spotlight Namibia

Our offer: +300 hotels

st

De

on

ti ina

A

IBI

M NA

Namibia is one of Africa’s youngest countries and benefits from a growing tourism sector. Also known as the “land of endless horizons”, it offers an extended array of activities and landscapes for your customers: cities, wildlife, nature as well as beaches.

For all your Namibia-loving customers we have selected a range of hotels that can be booked in your Gateway2Travel. ** * 3

Kempinski Mokuti Lodge Etosha National Park This Park is unique in the whole continent of Africa due to its large salt pen. A lot of different animals can be spotted as wildlife thrives freely in this remote area. › www.etoshanationalpark.org

www.gateway.be

DECEMBER 2014

** ** 4

Swakopmund Hotel & Entertainment Centre Swakopmund The remains of German colonialism are still very visible in the architecture of the city. Golf enthusiasts can play the Rossmund Desert Golf Course, one of only five all-grass desert golf courses in the world.

** ** 4

Nest Luderitz In this small harbour town you can walk along the rocky coastlines to watch the flamingo flocks and penguin colonies.

*** ** 5

Hilton Windhoek The

multicultural

capital,

centrally

situated on the Khomas Highland plateau, boosts several touristic highlights such as the Daan Viljoen Game Park, The Zoo Park and the National Museum.

page 17

Gateway

Service Desk Gateway (Head Quarters) - Belgium

Gateway - Dubai, UAE

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