Largest Tram network by 2016

Manchester’s Metrolink Trams designed by Bombardier

Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM’s) Metrolink system is set to become the UK’s largest tram network by 2016 under its current expansion programme. Bombardier and its consortium partner Vossloh Kiepe are supplying a total of 74 FLEXITY Swift trams for the city, whose travelling public is already impressed with the modern, reliable vehicles.
Since opening in 1992, Manchester’s light rail network has become an integral part of the city’s transport infrastructure. An ambitious expansion programme will double the network in size, while journey times into the city centre will be reduced for an estimated 35,000 new daily passengers. By the time all extensions have been completed the network size will be 97.3 km, three times the size it was in 2010.
Bombardier’s FLEXITY Swift light rail vehicles are TFGM’s trams of choice for this ambitious project, helping to relieve congestion in the Greater Manchester urban area since the first vehicles began operating almost two years ago The FLEXITY Swift vehicles have proved an instant success with both passengers and Metrolink. Commenting on the trams, Philip Purdy, TfGM’s Metrolink Director, said: ”The new vehicles have been very well received by passengers and have helped to make the Metrolink network more robust and, in turn, our services more reliable. The original vehicles have been operating for almost 20 years now and are starting to show their age, so I’m pleased that we can further improve our fleet with these 12 new vehicles.”
Bombardier’s FLEXITY vehicles are operating successfully in cities around the globe. They were selected by TfGM because of their value for money and design flexibility. Overall, Bombardier now has more than 3,500 trams and light rail vehicles in successful revenue service or on order in cities across Europe, Australia and North America.
Manchester’s Metrolink system demonstrates the premium quality and service provided by Bombardier in delivering excellent passenger comfort and proven state-of-the-art technology to the Greater Manchester community. The vehicles are high-floor so they are conducive to the substantial number of former railway stations on the network which have high platforms. The 28.4 m long light rail vehicles with a width of 2.65 m offer a capacity for 200 passengers.
Wide double-door entrances ensure a rapid passenger flow and multi-purpose areas provide space for pushchairs and wheelchair users.
The FLEXITY Swift light rail vehicle is designed by Bombardier and manufactured at its sites in Bautzen, Germany and Vienna, Austria.

Lufthansa Launches nonstop Service

Lufthansa Launches nonstop service to Frankfurt

The start of the winter timetable on October 30, Lufthansa German Airlines will upgrade its Doha to Frankfurt service to a non-stop operation, eliminating the intermediate landing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and reducing the total travel time between Qatar’s capital and Lufthansa’s global gateway.
From the end of the month the carrier will offer six non-stop flights per week from Doha to Frankfurt shortening the flight time by more than an hour and a half.
The Lufthansa flights will be operated with an Airbus A330/A340 aircraft in a three class cabin configuration, featuring first, business and economy class.
The airline’s long-haul fleet is currently being refitted with all new first class products as well as with ‘FlyNet’, the most advanced onboard broadband internet hotspot worldwide. Furthermore, a new, fully-flat business class product will be introduced onboard in 2012.
Randa El Massry, sales manager for Qatar said: “We are delighted to see enhanced services for our customers. We trust the new service will be welcomed by business and leisure travellers alike, who will now have an even more efficient access to Lufthansa’s Frankfurt gateway with flights to more than 200 destinations, among them 21 non-stop services to North America.” In North America, Lufthansa serves 21 destinations and countless more in co-operation with code share partners United Airlines JetBlue.
Lufthansa also recently launched its ‘Doha Winter Special’ promoting flights from Qatar to numerous destinations in Europe with special rates available for booking up to October 11 for travel before March 31, 2012.
Travellers flying with Lufthansa can enjoy the benefits of the carrier’s frequent flyer programme Miles & More.

Madeira Islands Live

An Interactive Blog on Madeira Island goes Live

The Madeira Promotion Bureau, a destination marketing organisation committed to promoting the spectacular Madeira Islands, is pleased to unveil its visually-led interactive blog www.yourmadeira.com .

(The archipelago of Madeira is located approx 620 miles from mainland Portugal and 310 miles off the African coast – around a 3 ½ hour flight from the UK.  Made up of the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo and the uninhabited isles of Desertas and Selvagens, the archipelago enjoys a permanent subtropical climate with temperatures averaging between 17 and 19°C in the winter and 20 to 26°C in the summer.

Madeira was officially discovered on 1^st July 1419 by a group of Portuguese explorers working for Prince Henry the Navigator.  The explorers first sighted Porto Santo (meaning Sacred Port) and sought formal permission by the Prince to return a year later to claim the island for the Crown of Portugal.  The archipelago has been Portuguese ever since.) 

Created to provide an insider’s look at the breathtaking vistas and beauty of the archipelago, at just the click of a button, ‘Your Madeira’ is a captivating and informative online platform.
Packed full of ‘need to know’ information and the latest and greatest news from the destination, users of the site can locate the best places to stay, find the top spots to party and uncover the islands’ hidden secrets. Adrenaline junkies can plan their next adventure, spa lovers can seek information on their next sojourn, and gastronomes can be inspired by traditional Madeiran fare.
There are currently five inspiring videos to watch, all accompanied by breathtaking photography. Over the coming weeks many more insightful tips, blog posts and photos will be added to keep visitors coming back for more.
Special features include:

§  Exclusive onsite video footage

§  Photo gallery

§  Regular destination updates

§  Destination breakdown

§  Comments facility with photo upload

§  Links to Your Madeira’s dedicated Face book page, Twitter posts, Flickr and YouTube galleries

§  Link to a Virtual Tour of Madeira

Grosvenor Dubai Opens Tower Two

Grosvenor House, Dubai Celebrates Opening of Tower Two

Grosvenor House, Dubai is set to once again be the talk of the town as it opens its highly anticipated Tower Two, featuring the freshest trends in food and beverage, a unique spa and a host of premier rooms, suites, residence apartments and villas.
Replicating the luxury and signature touches of the prestigious Grosvenor House Tower One, Grosvenor House’s second symmetrical property, offers forty five additional storeys of limitless comfort and modern elegance complementing the hotels existing five star offering.
The extension will see the complex boast a total of 106 Premier Rooms and Suites, alongside five Premier Villas (available for yearlong residence) and 216 Residence Apartments available for short and long-term residence.
Pam Wilby, complex general manager of Grosvenor House Dubai and Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa, said: “Since the opening of Tower One in 2005, Grosvenor House Dubai has become an iconic destination for business and leisure travellers alike seeking the ultimate in five star service and comfort.
“We are delighted to be strengthening this existing offering with the highly anticipated opening of Tower Two.
“At Grosvenor House Dubai we recognise the importance of keeping ahead of the curve, which is why we have carefully added to the current facilities on offer in Tower One." 
Tower Two features several brand new dining, dancing and lounge concepts as well as the first privileged business and leisure lounge of its kind of the UAE; spanning the entire fifth floor.
All hotel guests have access to the facilities in both towers, in addition to the use of the beach, pool and the 14 restaurants and bars across the road at the sister property Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort and Spa.
Grosvenor House Tower One has already cemented its place among global elite, having been recognised by the prestigious World Travel Awards as the World’s Leading Serviced Apartments Hotel in 2010.
Tower Two, a sneak peek…
Tower Two boasts 106 premier rooms and suites, including an exclusive ladies-only wing, five premier villas alongside the 216 residence apartments available for long-term and short-term residence.
Both short and long-stay accommodation offers everything the high-tech guest might need.
All spaces are equipped with the latest interactive entertainment systems, LCD screens, CD/DVD players and high-speed internet, making your every technology need possible at the touch of a button. Rooms and suites also offer touch screen panels and iPod docks.
Located on the fifth floor of Tower Two, Grosvenor House Dubai, Level 5 is a privilege business and leisure lounge replete with the very best amenities for travellers staying in the Premier Rooms and Suites in Tower Two.

 Dining, lounging, dancing
Adding to Grosvenor House Dubai’s already impressive dining opinions Tower Two brings several high profile brand new dining, lounge and bar offerings, making it the ultimate culinary and night life destination.
Exclusive outlets includes Toro Toro, a brand new Pan Latin American dining concept from famed South American celebrity chef Richard Sandoval; British inspired fare served in The Lounge, courtesy of highly esteemed Michelin Starred celebrity chef Gary Rhodes and Siddharta Lounge by Buddha Bar, an indoor and outdoor restaurant lounge which infuses Mediterranean and Asian flavours with futuristic sounds in a modish and sophisticated setting.
Tower Two is also home to Embassy Dubai - complimenting the legendary Embassy London, it will uplift the region’s glamorous night-life and be the premier destination of the international glitterati.
Relaxation
Tower Two’s B/ATTITUDE SPA is unlike anything in the UAE, focusing on health and harmony for the body and mind in line with ancient Eastern rejuvenation therapies.
Featuring separate his and hers facilities, the spa is home to twelve treatment rooms, Hammam pools, two Hammam treatment rooms, aqua suites including a steam room, Sauna, Jacuzzi, as well as an ice foundation and relaxation area.
The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts
The Luxury Collection is a selection of hotels and resorts offering unique, authentic experiences that evoke lasting, treasured memories.
For the global explorer, The Luxury Collection offers a gateway to the world’s most exciting and desirable destinations.
Each hotel and resort is a unique and cherished expression of its location; a portal to the destination’s indigenous charms and treasures.
Grosvenor House Tower Two in Dubai is open now.

ME Cruise Industry Event

Middle East’s first dedicated Cruise Industry Event

Hosted by the Government of Dubai, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dubai Cruise Terminal and DP World, the Seatrade Middle East Cruise Convention is attracting senior industry leaders and international operators eager to address the broader economic impact of cruise tourism as the region’s hubs report record passenger arrivals and positive growth indicators for the 2012 season.

“Over the past ten years, the Middle East has seen significant growth in cruise tourism to the region with more cruise lines than ever looking to deploy in the region or expand their itineraries to this exciting part of the world; and this has positioned the industry as a integral part of the future development strategy of the region’s key tourism hubs,” said Chris Hayman, Chairman of Seatrade, organiser of the Middle East Cruise Convention.

“In addition to Dubai, which is a hub for cruise tourism, Abu Dhabi, Oman and other cruise ports in the region have reported a surge in cruise visitor numbers in recent months. Meanwhile, the Red Sea ports are also attracting significant cruise capacity and the prospects for North African ports are likely to be boosted by the expansion of winter cruising in the Mediterranean,” added Hayman.

In Dubai alone, the number of visiting cruise ships has more than quadrupled over the last five years with recent DTCM figures forecasting a growth in cruise passenger numbers into Port Rashid of 50,000 year-on-year reaching 625,000 visitors by 2015 against an expected total of 425,000 in 2011.

With ongoing regional commitment from international cruise brands such as Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and AIDA Cruises, Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed port will add capacity to the 2012 season following MSC Cruises’ decision to base its 59,000 ton MSC Lirica vessel in Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed Port from this October, adding up to 39,000 annual cruise arrivals to the market.

Looking ahead to winter 2012/13, TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 2 will make its Middle East debut with weekly round-trip cruises from Dubai to Oman, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. According to recent figures from Oman's tourism ministry and Mina Qaboos Port, passenger arrivals into Muscat are forecast to exceed 300,000 by 2015, supported by infrastructure investment that will see the transformation of the capital’s existing facility into a dedicated cruise port; and both  Abu Dhabi and Doha also have new cruise facilities under development

“Seatrade’s decision to launch a platform to bring industry decision-makers, destinations and cruise line deployment experts together presents a rare opportunity for the industry to collectively look at ways to optimise commercial potential, discuss deployment issues and analyse current global trend as it goes all out to boost its cruise credentials to a growing international audience,” added Hayman. The two-day event is not only attracting cruise line companies, port operators and destination specialists, but also terminal suppliers, ship agents, tour operators, tourism authorities and government officials in immigration and security-related areas.

As well as the conference, which will look at the Gulf’s success as an expanding cruise destination, itinerary and destination development, opportunities for shore excursions and promoting pre and post cruise programmes, workshop sessions will take place on the afternoon of day two, with the goal of fostering interaction between the region’s ports and cruise line itinerary planners.

Travel agents will also benefit from a free training day which offers a combination of bespoke training and specialist presentations from cruise line representatives.

Stuart Cohen, President & Coach of Exclamation Points Inc; a 23 year old veteran travel industry executive and entrepreneur is among the travel industry’s most popular motivational speaker, featured Travel Agents motivator trainer.  Each attendee received a participation certificate at the end of the training course.

The speakers line-up includes representatives from AIDA, Celebrity, Costa Cruises, Fred. Olsen, Hapag Lloyd, Holland America, Louis Cruises, MSC, Royal Caribbean, Saga Shipping, Seabourn, Silversea, The World, TUI and Variety Cruises.

New Cruise Terminal in Abu Dhabi

New Cruise Terminal build at Mina Zayed in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority has erected a new tented cruise terminal at Mina Zayed which is capable of simultaneously accommodating 1,300 passengers.
The facility, on the site of the former ADTA visitor information centre, has been designed to cater for the 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 cruise seasons.
Build in conjunction with industry stakeholders Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) and Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT), the terminal spans some 2,000 square metres and comprises two dedicated halls.
One hall contains a luggage-handling facility, the other a passenger centre complete with a waiting lounge, security section, prayer rooms, offices, visitor information centre, currency exchange as well as customs and immigration facilities.
The new terminal will open with a welcome ceremony for the 59,000 ton, luxurious MSC Lirica liner which will, from the end of this month, use Abu Dhabi as its home port as it embarks on 19, eight day/seven night cruises around the Arabian Gulf. The MSC Lirica has a capacity for 2,199 guests in 784 cabins.
According to ADTA, the arrival of MSC Lirica – the first liner to homeport in the UAE capital - is expected to bring a significant boost to Abu Dhabi’s cruise traffic which is already being aided by increased deployment of larger capacity vessels by existing operators.
The authority says home porting will also deliver greater knock-on benefits to the local economy with more returns from pre and post accommodation bookings, longer lengths of visitor stay and vessel provisioning.
ADTA has prioritised cruise tourism as one of its five 2011/2012 strategy pillars.
“Cruise shipping has enjoyed strong recession-proof growth for many years,” explained HE Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general, ADTA.
“The market obviously ranges between low cost volume cruise business and very high end exclusive cruises – Abu Dhabi is targeting the higher end segment.”
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority was recently recognised by the World Travel Awards as the World’s Leading Tourist Board.
In line with its long-term cruise ambitions, ADTA is planning to construct a permanent, purpose-built cruise terminal at Mina Zayed. 

Gulf Air offer Live TV inflight

Gulf Air offer Live TV inflight

Gulf Air took delivery of its first A330-200 aircraft retrofitted with Panasonic Avionics Corporation’s (Panasonic) Global Communications Suite. The comprehensive communications and entertainment solution, ‘Sky Hub’, offers passengers onboard full broadband connectivity to access internet, mobile phone services and, for the first time in the world, a global, live television service onboard. The Panasonic’s Global Communications Suite is being installed across Gulf Air’s entire fleet of aircraft progressively.

Unveiling the ‘Sky Hub’ onboard the aircraft today to the media and senior Bahrain civil aviation officials, Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Mr. Samer Majali said, “It is another important milestone in our customer service journey as we unveil our latest inflight entertainment system, ‘Sky Hub’ on our fleet.”
“We are bringing to you, for the first time in the world, fully integrated broadband connectivity offering high speed internet with high speed Wi-Fi and data services, voice over the internet (VOIP), streaming videos and the world’s first in-flight live TV satellite stream across continents.”
He added, “In tune with the fast-paced economy, Gulf Air is providing the fastest, affordable and unlimited internet and mobile access onboard for our customers to stay fully connected in the air and, we are pleased to be the first in the industry to offer our customers a connected airline.”
“I am sure this avant-garde, cutting-edge technology will fundamentally change our passengers’ communication and entertainment experience onboard setting a new standard for in-flight entertainment” Mr. Majali concluded.
Paul Margis, Chief Executive Officer for Panasonic Avionics Corporation said, “We are very excited and honoured to have helped Gulf Air become the first carrier in the world to offer a truly amazing passenger entertainment experience with broadband connectivity for high speed internet access, mobile voice and data services, and a live television service that includes some of the world’s most popular news programming and live sporting events.”
Using Panasonic’s Global Communications Suite, Gulf Air will offer two-way broadband connectivity at speeds of up to 50 Mbps to the aircraft, enabling faster browsing, chatting and other internet based services. Gulf Air will offer deeply immersive, content-rich entertainment in addition to live, uninterrupted television services on routes across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Travellers will no longer have to wait in anxiety until they land to find out scores from their favourite sporting events or news from around the world.  Now they can watch their favourite football teams on IMG Media’s Barclays Premier League channel or keep up with world events on favourite news channels such as BBC World News, BBC Arabic and Euronews.
Passengers also will be able to browse the web at broadband speeds, and access social media services such as Facebook and Twitter. In addition, business travellers can access their virtual private network (VPN) to send and receive emails while watching live-news and stock market updates at 35,000 feet.  They simply need to turn on their personal device, connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi network, and log onto the service through Deutsche Telekom, the wireless internet service provider onboard.

Multimillion Dollar Clean-up Project

Multimillion Dollar Clean-up Project
India’s waterway, the Yamuna River, is to be transformed into a luxury eco-resort in an ambitious multimillion-dollar cleanup project.

Officials in India’s capital New Delhi have revealed plans to develop visitor attractions such as bank-side promenades, ‘Zen gardens’, wildlife observation decks with biodiversity zones and a bamboo eco-skywalk, in a bid to attract more tourists to the area by 2015.

The new plans also include details of a clean-up programme, which aims to rid the water of pollution and stop sewerage flowing into the river within four years.

In the past 20 years, the Delhi government has spent over US$430 million on schemes to clean up the river, however the latest report show that the river is still as dirty as it has ever been.

Over three billion litres of sewage water is being pumped into the river around the city of New Delhi each day.

The Yamuna River originates in the foothills of the Lower Himalayas, and then gently flows through Delhi and past the Taj Mahal at Agra, by which time the blue glacial waters have changed to a black sludge.

The clean-up mission will also help preserve the foundations of the Taj Mahal. The UNESCO World Heritage site’s deterioration has been partially attributed to the pollution of the river.