The World Travel Awards (WTA) today unveiled at ITB Berlin the nominations for its 2010 awards, as well as a number of new categories to reflect the changing face of travel and tourism.
Orlando hotel occupancy rate increased slightly to 65 percent for the week ending February 27th, compared with 64.5 percent for the same period in 2009, Smith Travel Research (STR) said.
In light of the recent Beijing Olympics and the upcoming Expo 2010 in Shanghai (May 1 to Oct. 31), all eyes are focused on China. As travelers flow into the East and marvel at the bounty of the ancient world (The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, etc.), many are delighted to discover the country’s thriving contemporary art scene, which is also making international waves. Blossoming in exciting gentrified locales, China’s creative communities blend New and Old Worlds alike, allowing visitors a unique glimpse into the country’s engaging dichotomy – and, potentially, an opportunity to score a one-of-a-kind, or at least a limited edition, souvenir.
Economic research firm e-forecasting.com, in conjunction with Smith Travel Research, announced the U.S. Hotel Industry Leading Indicator-HIL-edged down 0.2 percent in January, the first monthly decrease after nine consecutive months of increases for the indicator. HIL went up 1.4 percent in December.
The U.S. hotel industry reported mixed results in the three key measurements during the week of 14-20 February 2010, according to data from STR. In year-over-year measurements, the industry’s occupancy ended the week with a 2.4-percent increase to 55.4 percent. Average daily rate dropped 4.4 percent to finish the week at US$95.81. Revenue per available room for the week fell 2.2 percent to finish at US$53.04.
TripAdvisor®, the world’s most popular and largest travel community, today announced its top 10 famous movie hotels, according to TripAdvisor editors. While landing a seven-figure movie contract will never be more than a silver-screen dream for most travelers, anyone can be a star at these hotels, where countless classic celluloid scenes have been shot.
Air Jamaica will no longer be flying to Orlando come April 12th as the airline is scaling back on several of its routes. In a recent statement, Bruce Nobles, CEO and president of the airline said that the airline was reducing the size of its fleet.
Orlando grabs the top spot for the most popular Spring Break destination from March and April 2010, according to HomeAway Inc., the World’s leading online vacation rental marketplace, which today released its quarterly “HomeAway Vacation Rental Marketplace Report”. This is good news in a tough economy.
Disney executives unveiled Wednesday further details of major new additions coming to Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Cruise Line and newly renamed ESPN Wide World of Sports. Described as the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history, the plans include a wave of new ships, entertainment and activities at sea. Disney executives describe it as “A relaunch that brings together the world’s top family destination with the worldwide leader in sports.”
While the U.S. hotel industry reported mixed results for the week ending January 30th, Orlando experienced the largest occupancy increase, rising 24.1 percent from 52.5 percent in 2009 to 65.2 percent, according to data from STR.
