by: Mario Masciullo - eTN Italy | The International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), an event entirely dedicated to the luxury segment, was held in Cannes and attended by thousands of highly specialized operators in the sector. Today, luxury means the ability to combine an exclusive stay with unique cultural attractions, gastronomic experiences in the name of typicality, or more simply, glamping breaks and unprecedented excursions into nature. This segment, according to data from Bank of Italy and ENIT (Agenzia nazionale del turismo – The Italian Government Tourist Board), currently represents 3 ..read more

by: Linda Hohnholz, eTN editor | Crediting the COVID-19 pandemic for bringing about a revival in villas for visitor accommodation, the Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, said, “Jamaica is now leading the way in providing new and exciting villa experiences for tourists across the region.” His disclosure came as he gave the keynote address at the official opening of the $1.3 billion Bengal Cove Villas development in Discovery Bay over the weekend. He told the directors that he was very proud of what they were doing and that “I have more of these types of properties to open along t ..read more

by: Harry Johnson | Today, Royal Caribbean Group announced the appointment of Rebecca Yeung, corporate vice president, operations science and advanced technology at FedEx Corporation, to its Board of Directors, effective March 15, 2023. “Ms. Yeung brings a valuable combination of skills to our board, as she is well-versed in technology, digitization and business strategy,” said Richard D. Fain, Chairman of the Board, Royal Caribbean Group. “We’re excited to welcome Rebecca Yeung to the Board of Directors as we continue to deliver the world’s best vacations, responsibly,” said Jason Liberty, pr ..read more

by: Harry Johnson | WestJet Cargo today announced that it has received Transport Canada’s approval and official certification of its four 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF). Following certification, WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group will expeditiously implement three freighters into service, as dedicated aircraft that will fulfill the large-scale needs of businesses, freight forwarders, shippers and individual customers across North America. The fourth of WestJet Cargo’s dedicated freighters is expected to join the accompanying fleet later this year, following the completion of its conver ..read more

by: Harry Johnson | Air Canada announces its voluntary registration with the Office québécois de la langue française pursuant to the Charter of the French language, following several months of discussions with the Office. As Canada’s largest air carrier, Air Canada is proud of its commitment to the French language in Quebec and across its global network. The additional step the airline is taking today reflects its aim to contribute to the protection, promotion and reach of the French language, while complying with the Official Languages Act that applies to the carrier. Air Canada is Canada’s l ..read more

by: Harry Johnson | Airbus SE reports the following share buyback transactions from 13 to 17 March 2023 under Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on market abuse (“EU Market Abuse Regulation”). The transactions are part of a share buyback program that started on 27 February 2023 for the sole purpose of covering Airbus’ long-term incentive plan in shares. The repurchased shares will be redistributed to the beneficiaries of long-term incentive plans according to the relevant plan rules. The share buyback program is expected to be completed b ..read more

by: Linda Hohnholz, eTN editor | “Periods of high demand—like spring break and holiday weekends—are a stress test that reveal the inadequacies of our current air travel system,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman, based on new estimations. “Demand may be high now, but countless frustrating air travel experiences may cause passengers to choose other modes of transportation or simply stay home in the future.” Industry trade group Airlines for America projects 2.6 million U.S. air passengers per day in March and April—a 1% increase over 2019 levels, which is already st ..read more

by: Mario Masciullo - eTN Italy | There will be 41 domestic connections, 50 international, and one intercontinental. 23 airlines will operate from the Sardinian airport to 70 destinations for 19 connected countries. Among the new features, the connection to Dubai with 3 direct flights a week stands out – the first scheduled intercontinental connection in Sardinia – and to Athens and Gothenburg. Overall, there will be 4,200,000 seats on sale, of which 1,300,000 are on international destinations. The main new routes for summer 2023 are Athens, operated with 2 flights a week by Volotea; Barcelona ..read more

by: Mario Masciullo - eTN Italy | The Ambassador of Spain to the Holy See, Isabel Celáa; the President of the Region of Murcia, Fernando López Miras; together with the Tourism Counselor of the Embassy of Spain in Italy, Gonzalo Ceballos; the Counselor of the Presidency of the Region of Murcia, Marcos Ortuño Soto; José Francisco García, Mayor of Caravaca de la Cruz; the Bishop of the Cartagena-Murcia diocese, Monsignor José Manuel Lorca Planes; and the Director of the Spanish Tourism Office, Gonzalo Ceballos, attended the event in Rome at the Palazzo di Spagna Caravaca de la Cruz, Jubilee Year ..read more

by: Mario Masciullo - eTN Italy | This is a goal scored by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, who rejoices: “It is a historic day. After fifty years of chatter, this Council of Ministers approves the single span bridge which unites Sicily to Italy and the rest of Europe.” It will be the “greenest building in the world,” the Northern League minister promises, because it will allow for a reduction in carbon dioxide pollution. But it will also be – in his words – a tourist attraction, given that it will be the longest cable-stayed bridge (suppo ..read more