Top Stories
-
Biggest hotel groups and brands of 2013: American companies still dominate
RoomsThis would not come as a surprise to any watcher of the global hotel industry, but American and then European companies still dominate the rankings of the biggest hotel groups and brands as of 2013, according to a survey by hospitality research and consulting firm MKG Group. No change at the top with British chain IHG [...]
-
Cruise travel agency compiles list of pettiest passenger complaints
TransportA cruise agent has revealed some of the most unusual complaints it has received in the past year. Following the widely documented debacle with the Carnival Triumph back in February, cruise companies appear to be seeing the funny side of things again. Online cruise travel agency www.bonvoyage.com has revealed a top ten list of the [...]
-
Istanbul’s airport is growing faster than any other major hub
TransportIstanbul airport posted the biggest jump in passenger numbers among the world’s major hubs last year, expanding almost one-third faster than the next-best performer as it captures traffic from Europe rivals. Istanbul’s near 21 percent increase in passenger numbers to 45.1 million made it one of only six airports among the top 30 to post [...]
-
How hotels can score a fifth star from Forbes Travel Guide
DigitalIt may not come as a surprise that California — a sun-splashed magnet for celebrities and big-spending tourists — leads the nation in the number of hotels winning five-star ratings from Forbes Travel Guide. But winning the coveted rating is no easy feat. Only 58 hotels in the U.S. — with 12 in California — [...]
-
Americans get half the vacation time yearly as Russians. Go figure
OriginalRussia offers the most vacation days and public holidays combined (40) on average while Mexico has the least (13), according to a new Hotels.com study. The U.S. falls way down the list, taking 25th place out of 30 countries analyzed, with just 20 days of vacation days and federal holidays. Mexico’s last-place status isn’t necessarily [...]
-
The Travel Marketing Awards UK: Best ads and campaigns of 2013
DestinationsThe Travel Marketing Awards, the annual awardfest out of London, gave out its 2013 awards this evening in London, and we’ve collected some of the winners’ work below. Most of these are UK companies, and focused primarily travel agents and tourism. Best TV ads category, the shortlist Haven Holidays First Choice Thomson’s Kuoni: Special Occasions [...]
-
Denver cheapest room service city in U.S., Honolulu priciest
RoomsAccording to a new TripAdvisor index, Denver is the most affordable spot in the United States, coming in with a total TripIndex Room Service – the combined cost of a club sandwich ordered from room service, a bottle of water, a mini bottle of vodka, peanuts, a can of soda from the mini bar, and dry [...]
-
Moscow leads the world in hotel room service charges
DestinationsHotel extras, such as food, drinks and dry cleaning, cost more in Moscow than in any other major city, new research has shown. The survey, carried out by the website TripAdvisor, compared the total cost of several items – a club sandwich, peanuts, water and a cocktail ordered on room service, and the dry cleaning [...]
-
Mexico’s future as a top ten global destination is in jeopardy
DestinationsMexico’s top tourism official said the country may drop out of the world’s top 10 tourist destinations, a spot it has held for years. Tourism Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu hasn’t said why the drop occurred, but there were declines in 2012 in two areas that have been affected by violence: border tourism and cruise ship [...]
-
Michelin denies Noma third star in latest European restaurant ratings
DestinationsMichelin today awarded a second star to Geranium restaurant in Copenhagen and again failed to award a third to Noma, which holds the title of World’s Best Restaurant. There were first stars for Kadeau, in Copenhagen, and for Gastrologik and Ekstedt in Stockholm. There were also stars for Dom Beisl in Vienna and Hytra in [...]
