Starfish Travel Corporation Team

As of December 24, 2024, Marella Cruises will homeport Marella Explorer 2 out of La Romana, Dominican Republic, for a number of winter sailings. returning to the Caribbean island for the first time since the winter of 2017, and starting on July 20, 2023, winter itineraries will be available for purchase, giving travellers more options for their travels. Three itineraries, including the Caribbean Classics itinerary, which calls on Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts, and the Colours of the Caribbean itinerary, which calls on Dominica, Antigua, St. Maarten, Tortola, and Samana — a new port for Marella Cruises in the Dominican Republic — before sailing back to La Romana, will be available from the new homeport. Additionally, starting on December 2nd, 2024, Marella Cruises will provide passengers with two new, shorter sailings out of the Mediterranean, giving them greater options. Customers will be able to reserve four-night voyages on The Canarian Escape 1 itinerary, which will sail on the Marella Explorer from Malaga in Spain and stop in Gibraltar and Casablanca in Morocco with a single sea day. The Spanish Getaway itinerary, on the other hand, will sail on Marella’s newest vessel, the Marella Voyager, from Palma in Majorca and stop at three well-known Spanish cities: Alicante, Almeria, and Malaga. Six-night voyages departing from Marmaris in Turkey, Corfu Town, and Malaga in Spain are among the new, shorter winter itineraries. “We’re always looking for new ways to improve our customer offering, whether that’s new destinations, new itineraries, or new ships,” said Chris Hackney, Managing Director of Cruise for TUI UK & I. As a result, we’re excited to introduce our new sailings from La Romana in the winter of 2024 to our passengers as a fresh experience. Customers will have the ability to take advantage of Marella’s cruise & stay offering, with the chance to enjoy a stay at one of the TUI hotels in the Dominican Republic, pre or post cruise, as well as the opportunity to tour some of the most well-known Caribbean islands while on board. Itineraries for La Romana, Dominican Republic’s winter of 2024 will be available for booking starting on Thursday, July 20, 2023. Prices start at £1799 (around $2,286.62 USD). Source: traveldailymedia

Elcome International, a provider of maritime systems and services, has opened a new office in Vancouver, Canada, to accommodate the rising demand for its services throughout the nation and the greater North American continent. Elcome has its first footprint in North America at the Vancouver facility. Elcome’s Managing Director, Jimmy Grewal, gave an explanation of the expansion’s motivation: “From Vancouver, we can serve all of Canada’s maritime sectors, including cruise, merchant marine, leisure marine, offshore, and navy. For the large range of goods and services we provide, there are many opportunities in North America. Elcome’s field service team has already shown us a tonne of support from our manufacturing partners who want to improve local after-sales assistance for their goods, he said. A variety of solutions, including integrated navigation systems, connectivity, communications, and automation systems, charts and publications, power management and electrical systems, monitoring solutions, fire safety systems, and life-saving appliances, will be made available to the North American markets through Elcome’s Vancouver office with the help of the company’s international network of technicians and service engineers. For all varieties of maritime and offshore assets, Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency broadband Internet service is also included in the area of delivery. According to Grewal, “Vancouver is a significant marine hub, drawing in hundreds of passenger and cargo ships every year. Vancouver also has a burgeoning shipbuilding and repair industry, which is now fully backed by a local group of knowledgeable, qualified Elcome specialists. The new sales and service centre, which is close to the Port of Vancouver, is a part of Elcome’s larger development strategy, which got underway in 2020 when the company, which has its headquarters in Dubai, started doing business in Spain. Source: traveldailymedia

Raymond Chan, Regional Director of Southeast Asia, will move back to Hong Kong to take the role of General Manager, Events & Product Development, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) stated. This will start on July 1, 2023. To oversee the creation and application of the HKTB’s marketing strategy in Southeast Asian markets, Martin Gwee has been named Director, Southeast Asia. “With his extensive marketing experience, industry connections, and keen understanding of the evolving needs and preferences of Southeast Asian travellers, I am certain that Martin will lead the team to drive a speedy recovery in the region by exciting Southeast Asian travellers about Hong Kong as a travel destination,” said Dane Cheng, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, of his confidence in Gwee in his new position. Gwee began working for the HKTB in 2016, and as director of marketing for Southeast Asia, she is in charge of consumer marketing and public relations in the area. Mr. Gwee has successfully carried out a number of avant-garde and honourable PR and marketing efforts in his current position. His initiatives have considerably increased Hong Kong’s competitiveness and visibility as a top travel destination for tourists from Southeast Asia. Source: traveldailymedia

According to Brand Finance’s Thailand 50 2023 study, which assesses the country’s 50 most valuable and powerful brands, retail brands in Thailand are benefiting from the country’s increased economic growth as tourism is on the upswing. All but one of them reported at least 8% growth in brand value. A larger pool of consumers became familiar with these brands as foot traffic increased during the epidemic, which increased brand strength for retail brands. In turn, this increased brand strength led to brand value growth for Central Retail (up 8% to US$1.7 billion), which dropped one spot to eighth place, Home Pro (up 28% to US$923.97 million), which remained in 14th place in our rankings, and Big C (up 16% to US$781.35 million), which rose one spot to sixteenth. Dohome, which is currently ranked 28th on the list with a brand value of US$261.11 million, made the list for the first time thanks to the strong momentum. This year, PTT continued to hold the status of being Thailand’s most valuable brand, and its brand value increased by 20% to US$6.6 billion. PTT’s exceptional financial success is greatly influenced by the strengthening of its brand. The company reported first-half 2022 revenues of almost US$47.61 billion, a substantial 66.7% year-over-year rise. Higher worldwide petroleum and petrochemical costs and needs also contributed to this growth. PTT received the Excellent rating from the Low Carbon and Sustainable Business Assessment and Rating Project in 2022 in honour of its dedication to social and environmental responsibility. PTT also won two honours this year from the Securities Exchange of Thailand, including the Best Innovative Company Award for the second consecutive year and the Sustainability Award of Honour. It is still dedicated to operating with the goal of reaching carbon neutrality and net-zero emissions through programmes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and changing its portfolio investment strategies in the future energy sector. Luxury hotel chain Centara Grand not only made its debut in the rankings this year but also took home the title of Thailand’s strongest2 brand. Centara Grand got 32nd place with a brand value of US$232.97 million. It achieved a strong brand strength index score, which considerably boosted the brand’s worth. The financial performance of Centara Grand was also influenced by the brand’s strength; in the first half of 2022, the company reported revenues of almost US$232 million, a gain of 50% year over year. The company wants to increase the scope of its international business operations by taking advantage of the prospects provided by the tourism sector’s recovery. The five-star hotel will open in Osaka later this year, marking Centara Grand’s first in Japan. The hotel, which will be 33 stories tall and be located in the vibrant Namba entertainment and shopping district, is scheduled to open in July 2023. Customers will benefit from exclusive deals on reservations in conjunction with Thai Airways (brand value up 3% to US$991 million) to commemorate its grand opening. Centara Grand plans to rank among the top 100 hotel operators in the world by 2027. Central Pattana charted an impressive growth of 34% to US$373.37 million and improved its brand ranking by two places, claiming 23rd position in our rankings alongside the title of fastest growing brand in Thailand this year. The development in brand strength brought on by important marketing initiatives was the cause of Central Pattana’s rise in brand value. For instance, the brand joined hands with the Tourism Authority of Thailand in 2022 to roll out “The Great Collaboration for Thailand’s Tourism Ecosystem” campaign, aiming to generate approximately US$23.03 million in tourism revenue. Central Pattana also gained attention by partnering with various brands in 2022. For instance, it teamed up with Hermes to launch the Hermes Fit Bangkok at its shopping complex, centralwOrld. It also collaborated with Studio Ghibli and Uniqlo Thailand to feature an exhibition showcasing the animation studio’s most beloved works. These promotional campaigns helped the brand garner attention from both locals and tourists. Alex Haigh, Managing Director – Asia Pacific of Brand Finance, commented:“In Brand Finance’s Top 50 Thailand brands rankings this year, retail brands are on the rise. This growth in brand value is propelled by the nation’s steady momentum of economic growth and improving travel industry. Notably, we find that brands’ marketing and collaborative efforts to reach consumers and enhance brand familiarity have come to fruition. We also extend our congratulations to brands from other sectors such as PTT, newcomer Centara Grand and Central Pattana for topping the ranks as our most valuable, strongest and fastest growing brand respectively.” Source: traveldailymedia

The Junior Flying Club will be back, allowing young children the chance to make the most of their summer vacation with a record-breaking adventure every Saturday at 1:30 PM, beginning this week and running through August 20. Children as young as 14 years old can learn to fly like a pro inside the largest indoor skydiving chamber in the world for an incredible adrenaline rush. Every visitor will be led in accordance with their distinct groups while being watched over by individualised educators in a secure setting. With a total of 20 flights, the Junior Flying Club at CLYMBTM Abu Dhabi offers young explorers a thrilling flying experience. Each session consists of five flights, during which qualified instructors provide a thorough pre-session briefing and debriefing. Children can rent flight equipment as part of the programme, receive individualised skill and advancement monitoring from the instructors, as well as a customised development plan. .All purchased passes are good for three months from the date of purchase, and once enrolled, children can receive up to a 35% discount on the Junior Flying Club. The innovative programme offered by CLYMB Abu Dhabi seeks to stimulate young brains and motivate them to follow their aspirations of reaching new heights in a regulated and monitored environment. Source: traveldailymedia

The European Union (EU) travel and tourism industry is anticipated to achieve 98% of the high seen in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2023 Economic Impact Research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). In line with the pre-pandemic high of €1.47 billion reached in 2019, it is anticipated to contribute €1.44 billion to the EU GDP this year. Additionally, according to WTTC, the sector will add more than 687,000 employment in 2023, replacing almost 90% of the positions lost due to the pandemic. With nearly one in nine individuals employed in the sector, the overall number of jobs in the EU travel and tourist business would rise to around 22.4 million. Looking back at 2022, the travel and tourism industry contributed 8.7% of the EU’s GDP, or more than €1.37 billion, a growth of 40.5%. This was not far from the high point of 2019. Additionally, the industry added 2 million employment from the previous year, bringing the overall number of jobs in the EU up to 21.8 million, or one in every ten workers. Out of the 3.6 million jobs lost due to the pandemic, the data shows that 3.1 million have been recovered in the travel and tourist industry. Spending by visitors from other countries climbed by 81% in 2022 compared to the previous year, totaling approximately €385 billion. When compared to 2019, domestic visitor spending fully rebounded and surpassed the pre-pandemic record, reaching €814 billion in 2022. Julia Simpson, President & CEO of the WTTC, emphasised the robust recovery of the travel and tourism industry in the EU, which has been fueled by strong tourist demand. By the end of 2023, she pointed out, the sector is predicted to have added roughly 22.5 million jobs, a little 2% less than in 2019. In nations like Germany, Italy, Spain, and France, the sector is a key contributor to economic growth and the generation of jobs, according to Simpson. According to WTTC, the EU’s travel and tourism industry will contribute about €1.9 billion to the GDP by 2033, or over 10% of the EU economy. Over 26.3 million people are expected to be employed in the sector, with one in eight EU citizens working in the travel and tourist sector. Source: travelbizmonitor

The all-in-one engagement platform CleverTap recently published a benchmark assessment on the travel app market. It’s critical for marketers to stay one step ahead of the competition in the quickly changing mobile apps industry. In order to stay competitive, benchmarking performance has become essential. The report’s insights will help marketers of travel apps increase conversions and app activity. Only 42% of users who sign up for a travel app do so within the first month, even though 80% do so in under 31 seconds. This is significantly less than the registration to conversion rates of 65% for foodtech and 95% for the financial sector. According to studies, users do not perceive using travel apps to be all that different from working with travel agents. The procedure of conducting a transaction may contain the same reservations as with traditional travel agents, even though they may sign up for an app with ease. Travel app marketers must prioritise client retention strategies by going above and beyond to give users real value in order to overcome this obstacle. In addition to 64.17 million monthly active users (MAUs), CleverTap examined 17.9 billion push notifications, 3.8 billion emails, and 919.1 million in-app messages. The conclusions are based on data gathered in North America, Europe, Latin America, India, and the Middle East. The following are a few of them: Install to sign-up rate: 28% of users who install travel applications do so within the first week. 80% of users who join up do so within 31 seconds after using the app for the first time, according to the average time it takes to sign up. 42% of newly signed-up users complete a purchase within the first month, according to the sign-up to conversion rate. Within a week of onboarding, 36% of newly registered users migrate from onboarding to deeper-in-the-funnel engagement. Session frequency: Users of travel apps typically open the app 12 times per month. 13% of newly registered users make repeat purchases in the first week on average, according to data from the first week. The average percentage of users that click on and interact with push notifications is 5.29% for Android users and 3.97% for iOS users. The average click-through rate for in-app alerts is 22.8%, and it is particularly high for travel-related messages. Email open rate on average: Users open emails sent by travel app companies 35.17% of the time. Travel apps have an average stickiness quotient of 18%, which means that less than one-fifth of monthly active users (MAUs) regularly utilise the app. “With more than a billion people using travel apps today, marketers must place a greater emphasis on retention. Users may occasionally only need a tiny reminder here or nudge there to finish incomplete transactions or return to the app. However, in order to optimise client lifetime value over the long run, marketers must be flexible and proactively recognise weak points in the app’s data. CleverTap’s VP of Data Science, Jacob Joseph, remarked. Our benchmark study analyses billions of data points, such as emails, push notifications, and in-app notifications, to provide marketers with a comprehensive picture of the market. Coupled with our world leading platform which spans the entire lifetime of a customer, we are confident this will equip marketers with the right tools to raise the bar even higher.” Source: travelbizmonitor

The “Children’s Smile Spot,” a location created to support parents navigating the city with newborns and young children, opened on Friday, July 7, 2023, in Ueno-okachimachi Station on the Toei Subway Oedo Line. The announcement was made by the Bureau of Transportation, Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG). There are currently a number of services at Ueno-okachimachi station for people travelling outside with infants and young children. Inside the station, a nursing room was set up in February of this year. It started providing a stroller rental service in April, making it the country’s first subway station to do so. The Children’s Smile Spot will offer both of these services in addition to a recently installed vending machine where parents can buy childcare supplies like disposable diapers and liquid infant formula. To make it simpler to find, the region will also have a unique look. The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation seeks to promote a community that supports and encourages childrearing through programmes like this one, which gives parents and other carers of small children peace of mind while they travel. Children’s Smile Spot (pending trademark registration) Opening day is Friday, July 7, 2023 (see below for operational hours). Location: The concourse outside the ticket gates of the Toei Subway Oedo Line’s Ueno-okachimachi Station. Provided Services Open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. is the nursing room. The room has barrier-free floors, a nursing sofa, a shelf, and a ventilation fan. The door to the chamber can be locked from within. JRE Babycal is the company that installed and runs the stroller rental service. Easily accessible between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. The cost is $250 for the first hour and $100 for each additional 30 minutes, tax included. 1,500 for the first 12 hours; 100 for every 30 minutes after that 12 hours Strollers on hand: Combi SC51, developed for child care centres, for kids up to 4 years old (18 kg is the maximum weight) Childcare product vending machines Installed and run by Kirin Beverage Co., Ltd. Service hours: from the first train to the last one, within the station’s operating hours. Products offered include baby wipes and disposable diapers (M and L sizes, in packs of 2). beverages (water, green tea, brown tea, liquid infant formula, sports beverages, fruit and vegetable juice, etc.) Source: traveldailymedia

The Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy has been invited by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to speak on the advancement of international tourism and how it relates to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) at the UN headquarters the following week. Reddy will present at the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF), which will take place in New York City from July 10 to July 14. “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels” is the theme of the UN HLPF. On July 13 and 14, Reddy will speak at the UN headquarters in his capacity as the G-20 Tourism Chair. According to officials, the debates and gatherings will bring together senior political and business leaders to talk about how to speed up the tourism sector’s efforts towards the SDGs while acknowledging the importance of tourism in economies and society around the world, as demonstrated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The implementation of the “India Declaration” and “Goa Road Map,” which were agreed upon during the Goa Ministerial Meeting, is intended to further partnerships and collaborations between nations and stakeholders as well as advance the SDGs, they added. The HLPF serves as the main UN platform for monitoring and reviewing the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on a global scale. According to authorities, the attendees will talk about inclusive recovery strategies to address the pandemic’s effects on the SDGs and consider policy recommendations for carrying out the 2030 Agenda. Source: travelbizmonitor

The 67th Convention of TAAI will take place in Colombo from July 6 to 9, 2023, with H.E. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the President of Sri Lanka, serving as the Chief Guest at the opening ceremony. He will address the delegation and wish them a warm welcome to Sri Lanka. H.E. the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Bagley will be in attendance and will speak to the TAAI delegates during the opening ceremony. Dinesh Gunawardena, the honourable prime minister of Sri Lanka, will attend the event on July 7th, 23 and all delegates to the Indian Travel Congress will be hosted for dinner at Lemon Trees, the prime minister’s residence. The Association has scheduled an engaging combination of Knowledge Sessions and Speakers to keep the delegates interested throughout the 67th TAAI Convention and Exhibition in Colombo, which is just around the corner. The Convention, which is set to take place from July 6 to July 9, 2023, has drawn a sizable contingent from India, with 500 stakeholder members. The Convention this year is entirely futuristic, according to Jyoti Mayal, President of TAAI, when discussing its theme. The pandemic is officially over. Despite the fact that it was horrible, cruel, and utterly devastating, the moment has come for us to go on. Since tourism doesn’t require boundaries, when we talk about “transcending borders,” we mean crossing international borders. Every nation benefits from tourism, which is a highly economically driven industry and forms the foundation of every nation, bringing prosperity and peace. However, TAAI would like to move beyond the Transcending Borders because this is where tourism is headed and you have to transcend all of your thoughts in order to literally smash the glass ceiling. Tourism is undergoing significant change. Different travel interests exist among people. They are seeking out novel experiences and new locations. Your intellect must therefore evolve in the same way that you have. Instead of dwelling on the past, we need to concentrate on how growth may occur. To transform lives, we must transcend our brains. ‘India Tourism Vision 2047: A Transformed Landscape of Experiences and Connections’; ‘The boundless potential of the skies’; ‘Experiential Travel: A Paradigm Shift in Tourism’; ‘Differentiating Travel: Perspectives from Industry Experts’; ‘Transcending Borders: Strengthening International Relations for a Transformed World’; and ‘TAAI: The Road Ahead’ are among the topics covered in the business sessions scheduled for the convention. Some of the Speakers includes Arvind Singh, former Secretary Tourism, Government of India; Madhavan Menon, Managing Director, Thomas Cook India Limited; Nipun Agarwal, Chief Commercial and Transformation Officer, Air India and . K.B. Kachru, Chairman Emeritus & Principal Advisor – South Asia, Radisson Hotels Group, Ashish Gupta, Consulting CEO, FAITH; Pieter Elbers, CEO Indigo; Amitabh Khosla – Country Director – India, IATA; Praveen Iyer – Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air; Rajeev Bhatia – Chief Commercial Officer, Amadeus India; Vinay Malhotra – Head of Global Sales, Indigo; Richard Nuttall – CEO, Sri Lankan Airlines; Kapil Kaul, CEO and Director, CAPA India; Ajeet Bajaj, Dev Karvat – Founder and CEO Asego Insurance; G B Srithar – Regional Director, India, Middle East & South Asia, Singapore Tourism Board; Commander Nevil Malao – Senior Vice President, JM Baxi & Co.; Noel Swain, COO – Passport, eVisa, Identity & Citizen Services, VFS Global; Sandeep Dwivedi – CEO – InterGlobe Technology Quotient, to name a few. The Honourable Minister of Tourism and Lands of Sri Lanka, Harin Fernando, will deliver a special address on the convention’s last day. “Our convention will act as a conduit for fostering stronger bilateral ties between India and Sri Lanka,” said Jay Bhatia, Vice President of TAAI. We anticipate that this event will be a beneficial place for networking and building solid business relationships because there will be 200 or more Sri Lankan tourism stakeholders present during the B2B sessions. This kind of connection is essential for utilising the rising inbound and outbound travel from India and directing it towards places that provide novel, exciting experiences. Given the enormous potential for outward travel, Mayal continued, “The Indian market will surely become one of the most sought-after markets globally. Let’s take advantage of this chance as we all get ready to meet in Colombo to investigate these trends, exchange our knowledge, and collaborate to create a future where travel transcends boundaries and genuinely changes lives. Source: travelbizmonitor