Holiday & Travel

Over the course of 2014 Brazil welcomed 6,429,852 international tourists, boosted primarily by hosting the World Cup. For the first time, the country exceeded the 6 million mark for foreign entries, with the number of visitors representing a 10.6% increase against 2013 figures. Argentina continues to be the top country for Brazil-bound tourists, with 1,743,930 Argentinians visiting in 2014, followed by the United States (656,801) and Chile (336,650).

Five of Jumeirah’s hotels and resorts across Europe have recently been awarded the internationally -renowned Green Globe certification, acknowledging the group’s continued commitment to sustainability.  The group’s properties in London, Frankfurt and Mallorca have all been awarded this accolade and Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel and Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living are the only hotels in London to have received this accreditation to date.

Liguria in north-west Italy, otherwise known as the 'Italian Riviera', has the most Blue Flag beaches of any region in Italy for the sixth year in a row. The crescent shaped region between the French Riviera and Tuscany is dotted with stunning sandy beaches with 23 being awarded the prestigious Blue Flag designation, three more than last year.

Qatar Airways will be adding six extra flights per week between Doha and Manila starting from October 26, 2015, following an expanded Air Service Agreement signed between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Philippines. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “The increase in flight frequencies on the Doha–Manila route serves to further strengthen commercial and trade links between our two countries and we are delighted to be able to provide our Philippines-based passengers with greater connectivity options when they choose to fly with Qatar Airways."

The Secretary of State for Transport Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP has welcomed the first passengers on a flight from China in the first of an extended series of flights, which, if developed into a daily service, could deliver an additional £81 million to the UK economy each year, including £62 million per year for the West Midlands.

Norwegian Air to serve the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe.  In total, seven weekly non-stop flights from East Coast cities New York, Boston and Baltimore/Washington D.C. will start on December 3rd 2015. Under the "Open Skies Treaty” between the U.S and the E.U., European airline Norwegian will connect the French Caribbean Guadeloupe Islands to three major East coast gateways. 

The first Green Globe certified hotel in the Bretagne region, France, La Grée des Landes Eco-Hotel Spa Yves Rocher aims to protect the environment and to answer all expectations of green travelers. The hotel reduces its ecological and climate footprint, gathers its staff around ecological projects and maintains strong relations with public institutions.

Qatar Airways launched its second new destination of the year, touching down in the Spice Island of Zanzibar yesterday. Zanzibar is the airline’s third route in Tanzania, following Dar-es-Salaam and Kilimanjaro. Qatar Airways will initially operate five weekly flights to Zanzibar via Kilimanjaro, and commencing 1st October 2015, the airline will offer an additional two weekly flights making it a daily operation.

The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM), one of the world’s leading hospitality business management schools and a part of the global luxury hotel company Jumeirah Group, is proud to announce that it is the first hospitality school in the world to receive Green Globe Certification.

Martinique’s tourism development strategy took a major step forward with today’s announcement of the launch of new nonstop flights from three major gateways in the Northeastern United States – New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), and Baltimore/Washington, D.C. (BWI) – aboard Norwegian Air Shuttle.

Fans around the world celebrate this year the 50th anniversary of 'The Sound of Music'. Originally released in 1965, the story of the former-nun-turned-governess for the children of a wealthy widower only to have their happy lives changed by the Nazi invasion into Austria has now become a cultural phenomenon.

Qatar Airways, the award-winning five-star airline, has commenced services between Amsterdam and Doha with the inaugural flight landing at Schiphol Airport on Tuesday 16 June, welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute. 

The five-star spacious and luxurious Cinnamon Bey Beruwala is located at Beruwala in Sri Lanka. The history of Beruwala dates back to the 10th century when the first permanent Arab settlements in Sri Lanka were recorded, and it is the traditional Turkish architecture that has been the inspiration for the resort.

A host of exciting new infrastructure developments in Sydney including the biggest change to Darling Harbour in 25 years plus a spate of new hotels in the city's prime tourism areas are set to transform the city's skyline and attract even more visitors to its shores.

There is so much to do in Scotland this summer, from the new Borders Railway opening between Edinburgh and Tweedbank to new sightseeing options on the Isle of Skye (by seaplane!) and country-wide celebrations for the 'Year of Food and Drink'.

Proving once again their well deserved reputation as Sri Lanka's premier hospitality brand, Jetwing Hotels has been awarded 10 Certificates of Excellence from the world's largest travel site, TripAdvisor. To further the achievement, 2015 marks the year in which three Jetwing properties enter the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame – Jetwing Beach, Jetwing Vil Uyana and Jetwing Warwick Gardens.