Manila Wins Big At World Travel Awards 2023, Crowned World’s Top City Destination 

BY  Abdul Aziz Nov 1, 2023

Miss Universe Bahrain 2023 Lujane Yacoub and Miss Universe Pakistan 2023 Erica Robin have been announced to be the new faces of the Phillippine Department of Tourism. They will be promoting hall and wellness travel in the country after winning the Emerging Muslim-Friendly Destination Award earlier this year. The campaign aims to invite travelers from Arab and Muslim in order to make them experience the Philippines. It is a diverse and vibrant destination that offers halal-certified services, facilities, and products. The Philippines received the Emerging Muslim-Friendly Destination Award in 2023 from the Halal International Chamber of Commerce and Industries of the Philippines in recognition of its efforts to cater to the needs and preferences of Muslim travelers. Led by Dubai-based Filipino Josh Yugen, who is the founder of Yugen PR & Events, the two Miss Universe queens arrived in Manila this weekend to collaborate with the Philippines Department of Tourism in promoting its “Halal and Wellness Tourism” campaign, inviting more travelers from Arab and Muslim countries to experience the Philippines. ‘Miss Universes’ trip to the Philippines would be a significant boost for our country that would hopefully influence the global Muslim community to visit the archipelago nation, which is home to white sand beaches, famous diving spots, lively entertainment, diverse cultural heritage and distinctive wildlife,” expressed Tourism Undersecretary Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakar. ‘We are delighted to initiate this alliance with the beauty queens representing Arab and Muslim countries to further spread awareness of our country’s offering,’ said Jennifer Sanvictores, Global Head of Sales, Marketing and Communications for The Farm at San Benito & CG Hospitality. ‘ It brings a greater opportunity to attract travellers, not only from the Gulf, but also from the ASEAN region to come to The Farm at San Benito or any destination in the Philippines that has Halal certification. We look forward to caring for the beauty queen’s well-being while they are here with us and help them put their best foot forward at the global pageant next month.’ Read Also: Montana: The Unique Treasure Trove Of The United States Glasgow City Council Moved To Offer More Bus Stops For Tourists Sri Lanka Has Approved Visa-Free Entry For Visitors From Six Countries Including India

BY  Abdul Aziz Nov 28, 2023

With Travel Tuesday, which is considered the Black Friday and Cyber Monday of travel deals, taking place on November 28 this year, there are already many travel deals available or coming soon. This year's Travel Tuesday and Cyber Week deals are especially noteworthy, as they offer some of the most significant discounts, free nights, perks, and more available throughout the year. Major brands like Delta, Hyatt, and Marriott are all participating in these deals. Best Deals For Travel Tuesday Here are some of your best bets on hotel deals for Travel Tuesday: World Of Hyatt World of Hyatt has acquired Mr & Mrs Smith, the luxury hotel booking platform, and is now offering its members exclusive access to purchase gift cards from MrMrsSmith.Redeam.com. These gift cards can earn members five base points for every $1 spent, and the offer is valid until March 31, 2024. Marriott Bonvoy Marriott Bonvoy has announced its biggest Cyber Week Sale to date, where members can enjoy a 20 percent discount on bookings made by November 28 for stays from November 26, 2023, to January 15, 2024. Non-members can also get a 15 percent discount on bookings across popular hotel brands like Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, W, and Luxury Collection. Hilton If you're planning to travel during the holiday season, you might want to check out the select Hilton properties that are offering up to 50 percent off on stays. For the best Travel Tuesday deals, consider booking at Hilton Cancun Mar Caribe All-Inclusive Resort in Mexico, Hilton Orlando in Florida, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Vegas, or Hilton Cartagena, Hilton Barra Rio de Janeiro, Hilton Bogota in South America. Don't forget to read the fine print before booking. Rosewood Hotels For a luxurious stay, you can treat yourself or your loved ones to some of Rosewood's most sought-after properties such as Rosewood Little Dix Bay and Rosewood Phuket. By using the code CYBER23 when booking on rosewoodhotels.com, you can get discounts based on the length of your stay. This offer is valid for trips until June 30, 2024. The Retreat Costa Rica The Retreat Costa Rica, which has won awards for its services, is offering a discount of 35% on wellness packages. You can avail of this offer by booking before November 28, and the stay dates are from February 1, 2024, to December 19, 2024. Fontainebleau Las Vegas If you're planning to stay at the newest and most popular hotel in Las Vegas, you can book one night and get another night for free. This offer is valid for stays booked on or before Travel Tuesday. Read Also: North Luzon Travel Expo Launched To Boost Tourism Recovery: Philippines Play Airlines Is Celebrating Black Friday And Cyber Monday Deals On Flights To Europe Ghana Is Ready To Host The Rest Of The World: Ghana Tourism Authority On Christmas Concerts

BY  Abdul Aziz Dec 19, 2023

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is looking to grow its tourism arrivals into the country to  5.5 million within the next 5 years as it is about to reach out to private sector players for collaborative efforts to take the country to the global stage. KTB chairperson Francis Gichaba has disclosed that the tourism sector is back on full recovery pointing out that the arrivals by the end of this financial year will be closing at slightly over 1.9 million visitors that was recorded in 2019. Gichaba has revealed, “We are very optimistic that with the support from the private sector and other key players in the industry, our performance will even surpass the 2019 arrivals to over 2 million and progressively beyond." He was delivering a speech at Bomas of Kenya during a tourism stakeholders meeting that brought under the same roof tour operators, hoteliers, government agencies and tourism associations. The session sought to validate KTB's 5-year strategic plan for 2023-2028. In the strategy, KTB is targeting to achieve 5.5 million international tourist arrivals and grow the tourism industry's contribution to the economy of Kenya to KES 1 trillion each year by June 2028. Gichaba said destination marketing has been a collaborative exercise noting that the involvement of the private sectors in the development of strategy which was one of the ways of incorporating invaluable ideas that would shape the sector's performance within the review period. Kenya Hotel Keepers Association and Caterers (KAHC) CEO Mike Macharia suggested to the private players to curate their products and travel experiences to the needs of the market. He said, “We talk of Africa as the low-hanging fruit in terms of numbers and market share in the country and therefore the product owners should package their products and experience and sell to Africa. This move would also open opportunities for Africans to invest in the hospitality sector in Kenya... We have to go where the market is, and this is what our competitors such as South Africa have beaten us on. They have invested heavily in market presence not only to build brand awareness but to sign marketing deals." Read Also: Manila Wins Big At World Travel Awards 2023, Crowned World’s Top City Destination Celebrations Have Begun At Oaga, Art Resort, Maldives: Report Burger King Is Giving Away Free Food All Month