THE WRAP: MICE is nicer at ITB Asia 2010
Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organiser of ITB Asia, will next year hold a two-day Associations Programme @ ITB Asia 2010. Watch Video: ITB Asia Suntec
Organisers will work with the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), The Center for Association Leadership, and Suntec Singapore. Watch Video: ITB Asia
The Associations Programme @ ITB Asia 2010 will offer pre-scheduled appointments between exhibitors and association representatives, as well as an international speaker line-up for the Associations programme.
Japan chases meetings business
The Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) will put MICE business at the centre of Visit Japan Year 2010.
Japan MICE Year 2010 will see a major campaign to attract international conference business.
“We want to raise our profile as an destination for international meetings,” said Susan Maria Ong, from JNTO’s Singapore office.
“We will be holding a Japan Incentive Showcase this year (December 4-9) and a Meet Japan programme for hosted buyers from February 25-March 4, 2010, for association executives and international meeting planners.
“There will also be funding incentives and ground support offered by convention bureaus to attract large meetings to cities such as Okinawa and Yokohama.”
More details on the website – www.jnto.go.jp/MI/eng/index.html
Lufthansa flying higher in Asia
Lufthansa is celebrating 50 years of flying to Asia, recalling that its first flight from Germany took 38 hours and made seven stops along the way.
“Our investment in Asia has paid off well,” said Uwe Mueller, Lufthansa vice president Asia Pacific.
Today Lufthansa and its affiliate airlines are flying 225 times a week to and from Asia.
Mueller said one encouraging trend is that 50 percent of seats on these services are now booked by passengers flying from Asia into Europe.
“More and more of our Asian customers are using Lufthansa to connect to our 120 destinations in Europe, and also to Africa.”
Mueller said that by employing seat management, replacing business class seats with economy seats on some flights, Lufthansa had achieved better than 80 percent load factor and was doing better than in 2008.
Lufthansa will receive the first of 15 A380s next year and expects to be commercially operating the super jumbo by the middle of the year.
Mueller was coy about which Lufthansa routes would see the first A380s although Singapore is seen as a good bet.
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026