MS EUROPA, The Only Cruise Ship in the World to Receive The Six Star Diamond Award

FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF HOSPITALITY SCIENCES

MS EUROPA Wins This Award for the Fourth Time Along with a Green Star Diamond Award and a Five Star Diamond Plaque for Its New Restaurant

For the fourth time in a row, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' MS EUROPA is the only cruise ship in the world to be awarded the prestigious Six Star Diamond Award by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences is renowned worldwide for awarding excellence in the global travel and luxury services sector. Each year the Academy bestows its coveted International Star Diamond Award exclusively to five star establishments that are deemed to be the pinnacle of quality by its esteemed Board of Trustees. The EUROPA was for the first time additionally awarded the Green Star Diamond Award recognizing environmental responsibility, and her new "Restaurant Dieter Mueller," launched last year, received a Five Star Diamond plaque, awarded for high quality and superb performance.

 "The MS EUROPA is the only ship amongst our prestigious members deserving of the Six Star Diamond Award. It's the most elite on the high seas," said Academy President, Joseph D. Cinque. "The MS EUROPA, continuing to upgrade its superior product has earned its right again to this award, as well as receiving for the first time the Green Star Diamond Award and a Five Star Diamond plaque for its new restaurant."

EUROPA is the first "all-suites" cruise ship, with staterooms that are never less than 290 square feet, 80% of them having their own veranda, assuring privacy and relaxation. The EUROPA is one of the few ships in the cruise industry that offers guests the largest space per passenger, as well as one of the highest staff passenger ratios, with 280 staff members for max. 408 guests. New to the EUROPA in September 2010, Dieter Mueller became the first award-winning chef to open his own gourmet restaurant onboard the EUROPA. He's personally on board 70 days a year.

The EUROPA offering international cruises (German/English) ensures English-speaking passengers feel comfortable from the moment they step on board.

For more information on the EUROPA's '11-'12 bilingual itineraries visit www.hl-cruises.com or contact one of the sales partners below.

In the USA and Canada:
Air Travel Marketing Services, Inc. 1-800- 888-0200
Euro Lloyd Travel Group, Inc.: 1-800-782-3924
Kartagener Associates, Inc: 1-800-524-7979

Australia:
Landmark Travel

Attached award ceremony picture, from left to right:
EUROPA Captain Hagen Damaschke, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Managing Director Sebastian Ahrens, President/CEO of the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences Joseph Cinque,  EUROPA Hotel Manager Joseph Gruber, International General Manager American Academy of Hospitality Sciences Karen Lynn Dixon

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WTM Vision Conference - Milan Hailed A Great Success

The Inaugural WTM Vision Conference – Milan has been hailed a great success by the travel and tourism industry.

Almost 100 delegates packed into the Italian Stock Exchange last Thursday to hear high-calibre speakers discuss the key issues within the European and Italian travel and tourism industry.

The conference started with the unveiling of the latest research from Euromonitor International. The company’s Travel and tourism Industry Analysis Angelo Rossini told delegates how the Italian tourism industry is set to outperform the wider Eurozone over the next two years. He also urged delegates to focus on the huge potential of the Chinese travel and tourism market.

The following session Bournemouth University Professor Dimitrios Buhalis told delegates about the power of social media.
“Absolutely everybody is now a journalist,” he said. “People no longer write letters of complaint to their travel supplier. They take pictures, write reviews and post them on the web saying; ‘You’re rubbish’.”

He added social media is not a fad and warned the industry his students communicate almost exclusively through social media platforms, described the phone as “so 70s” and email as “how 90s”.

The final session saw a distinguished panel discuss the Italian Outbound Market. The panel, including former TUI boss Dermot Blastland, concluded last year’s Ash Cloud Crisis has increased the popularity of the bigger, well-known tour operators as customers experienced the support-networks and infrastructure these organisations have in place.

World Travel Market Chairman Fiona Jeffery said: “I am delighted with the success of the inaugural WTM Vision Conference –Milan. We have delivered on the brands promise of offering high-calibre speakers, analysis and the latest statistics to the industry’s most senior professionals to help them run their businesses.”

WTM Vision moves on toDubaion May 3 at WTM sister exhibition Arabian Travel Market before return toLondonon May 25.

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AIME Scoops MEA National 'Exhibition of the Year Award' for Third Consecutive Year

Reed Travel Exhibitions and the Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau (MCVB) last night won the prestigious ‘Exhibition of the Year’ award for the 2010 Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) for the third consecutive year at the 2011 Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) National Awards Night. This accolade means that AIME is now in the MEA ‘Hall of Fame’.

AIME is the premier event in the Asia-Pacific region and the largest exhibition inAustraliafor the business events industry held annually at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). The MEA ‘Exhibition of the Year’ award is designed to recognise the effort required to successfully plan, organise and manage an exhibition. The exhibition must be multifaceted in its approach and achieve its objectives, through the efficient use of resources, innovation and creativity.

Sandra Chipchase, Chief Executive Officer of the MCVB stated: “Receiving this award for the third year running highlights the success of AIME in raising the profile of Melbourneand Australiain the global marketplace for the business events industry. 2010 was AIME’s 18th year and it continued to break attendee records by attracting high quality Hosted Buyers and visitors, and new exhibitors.

We would like to thank Reed Travel Exhibitions for their excellent event management and marketing to make sure AIME goes from strength to strength each year.”

Sally de Swart, AIME’s event director comments: “We are thrilled to be awarded again and it is testament to the Reed and MCVB teams’ commitment and hard work in delivering the premier event for the industry each year. We are now going into our 20th anniversary year and look forward to continuing AIME’s winning edge.

We would like to thank the MCVB and our major sponsors AHA, Crown, MCEC and Qantas.”

AIME 2012 will be held from 21 – 22 February at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

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