Jetsettersblog

Everybody’s heard of the Ten Pound Pom and now Australia is recruiting a new generation of Brits, with the launch of a dedicated MySpace page aimed at enticing 18-30 year olds to apply for the Australian Working Holiday Visa.

Tourism Australia has teamed up with social networking site MySpace to create www.myspace.com/workinoz  - a site providing interactive information on the Australian Working Holiday Visa and Australia as a premier tourist destination and the perfect place for a Gap Year.

Tourism Australia General Manager (UK and Europe), Rodney Harrex, said a recent YouGov survey indicated 60% of respondents were not aware that Brits aged 18-30 could work in Australia for up to 12 months on a Working Holiday Visa, which was one of the key driving forces of this new marketing push.

“The research shows awareness surrounding the Working Holiday Visa in the UK could be improved. As a result, Tourism Australia has embarked on a global marketing campaign to lift the profile of working in the land of opportunity through the digital space,” he said.

“The MySpace site is the perfect tool to providing information about visiting Australia and the visa in an interactive and interesting way and is ideal for the 18-30 demographic who glean most of their information from the web and social networking.”

“The Tourism Australia MySpace page will bring to life Australia’s experiences for the user, providing a platform for two-way conversation and allowing users to upload their own photos and video content to the site.”

Recently, the Australian Government changed the laws for working holiday makers, which allows Brits aged 18-30 to extend their visa for a second year if they have spent at least three months picking fruit or other seasonal work in regional areas.

“The YouGov survey indicated 92% of Brits aged 18-30 were not aware of this second visa scheme, which is another important part of our marketing campaign,” Rodney said.

The survey also indicated 38% of Brits aged 18-30 think the ideal time to take a gap year in Australia was immediately after university.

“Whether you want to take a gap year to pull a beer in a pub or further your career in your chosen profession, Australia has a huge opportunity for young Brits to discover Australia under this scheme,” Rodney continued.

The MySpace site will be launched with a competition whereby a lucky winner will have the chance to win return flights to Australia and a four week work placement in Broome, Western Australia at the exclusive Cable Club Beach Club Resort.

Tourism Western Australia Chairman, Kate Lamont said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Tourism Australia to highlight the opportunities the Working Holiday Visa offers young British people who want to live the Aussie lifestyle.”

“We extend a warm welcome to those on the Working Holiday visa which is a great way to immerse yourself in Western Australia while enjoying paid employment at some of tourism’s top establishments.”

“We look forward to meeting with the winner of the MySpace campaign and know they will fall in love with Broome and enjoy their work placement at the Cable Beach Club.”

Hotel Brand Ranking, Worldwide Europe’s leading market research and consulting company MKG Hospitality, Paris, lists Best Western as the strongest hotel brand worldwide, based on number of hotels and rooms.

Best Western keeps its position as the world’s strongest hotel brand in 2008, offering the most hotels and hotel rooms under one umbrella brand name.

These results were announced recently in an annual survey by MKG Hospitality, Paris, Europe’s leading market research and consulting company for the hotel and tourism industry.

The ranking lists Best Western as the number one hotel brand with 4,035 hotels and 308,636 rooms. Holiday Inn (InterContinental Hotels Group, IHG) follow with 1,382 hotels and 256,775 rooms.

Comfort Inns & Comfort Suites of Choice Hotels International rank third with 2,467 hotels and 188,596 rooms. Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Hotels & Resorts round out the top five, with 520 hotels / 188,544 rooms and 511 hotels / 176,523 rooms, respectively.

Last year (2007) was a successful year for Best Western. While the chain recorded a net loss of properties, roughly 300 new hotels joined the brand worldwide, including more than 80 in Europe, of which a total of 17 were in Great Britain.

The Westin Brisbane Empire Square Hotel and Residences will open in 2012,
offering a prime location in the state capital of Queensland.

Adding even more depth to its rapidly expanding portfolio in Asia Pacific, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: HOT) today announced an agreement with Metacap Empire Square Pty. Ltd. to open a new-build Westin hotel and residences in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia.

The Westin Brisbane Empire Square will offer 306 rooms and a sophisticated, refreshing atmosphere in a convenient downtown location. The new Westin hotel will share a 66-story tower with The Residences at The Westin Brisbane Empire Square – the first internationally branded residential development in Australia. Both the hotel and residences will open in early 2012, marking the return of the Westin brand to this dynamic Australian city.

“We are thrilled to come back to Brisbane with the signing of The Westin Brisbane Empire Square. Brisbane’s strong lodging market dynamics, thriving economy and marked increase in tourism arrivals positions the city as a key target destination for many hotel companies,” said Miguel Ko, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific. “We are also delighted to partner with Metacap Empire Square Pty. Ltd. to introduce the Westin brand to Brisbane, where we will offer guests the services, products and amenities that allow them to relax and rejuvenate in the heart of downtown.”

The Westin Brisbane Empire Square will offer a prime location on Elizabeth Street, close to Central Station, the Convention and Exhibition Center and Brisbane Casino. The hotel and residences will be part of a premier mixed-use development comprised of the hotel, residences and grade A commercial office space. The third largest city in Australia and most populous city of Queensland, Brisbane is a modern, cosmopolitan city offering an appealing blend of historic buildings, beautiful landscapes and waterways. Popular attractions include the Botanic Gardens, King George Square and Queen Street Mall – the entertainment hub of Brisbane.

The Westin Brisbane Empire Square will be the brand’s third hotel to open in Australia, joining the Westins in Sydney and Melbourne. Westin is also present in Auckland and Fiji and has a hotel scheduled to open in Queenstown in late 2009. Starwood had experienced phenomenal growth in Asia Pacific, where it currently has 136 hotels in its portfolio an additional 80 hotels under development.

“The Westin Brisbane Empire Square will not only re-establish the Westin brand in the vibrant city of Brisbane, but also inspire personal renewal in one of the most prominent developments in the city,” said Sue Brush, Senior Vice President, Westin Hotels & Resorts. “Westin provides a sophisticated, refreshing atmosphere and thoughtfully designed amenities and services designed to restore mind and body.”

The Westin Sensory Welcome will create a memorable first impression as guests enter the hotel with its soothing blend of white tea scent, music, botanicals and mood lighting. The hotel’s luxurious guest rooms will offer updated technology, flat-screen televisions, a well-designed work area and the signature Westin Heavenly Bed® and Heavenly Bath®. For further pampering, guests and residents will be able to choose among a menu of relaxing treatments at The Heavenly Spa by WestinTM. Additional facilities will include a WestinWORKOUT® fitness facility and indoor pool, while the hotel’s three restaurants and bars will create an inviting atmosphere to socialize with friends and colleagues. Designed to accommodate groups of all sizes, The Westin Brisbane Empire Square will also offer nearly 8,000 square feet of meeting space.

The Residences at The Westin Brisbane Empire Square will include 98 luxury apartments and six penthouses overlooking South Bank on one side, and the city and ocean on the other. The units will occupy more than 47,000 square feet of residential space from the 47th to the 62nd floor. Residents will enjoy all the benefits of ownership in this premier development, including access to hotel services and certain hotel facilities.

Metacap Empire Square Pty. Ltd. is a private property company established by Newell Palmer Securities, a Sydney base financial advisory firm and Alex Jimenez, a local Brisbane property developer. The company’s focus is on prime sites located in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Sydney’s Quality Hotel Cambridge has been judged one of Choice Hotels International’s 13 Inn of the Year award winners for 2008 at the chain’s 54th annual convention in Las Vegas.

The win puts the 170-room Quality Hotel Cambridge at the very top of Choice Hotel’s 5600-plus properties worldwide, alongside such co-winners as the Clarion Hotel Cork in Ireland, Quality Inn Oakwood in the US and Comfort Hotel Franka in Brazil.

Quality Hotel Cambridge General Manager Steven Gargano received the award from Choice Hotels International CEO Charles Ledsinger and Vice-President International Mark Pearce.

“The winning hotels represent the strongest, most consistent performers in our global system,” Mr Ledsinger said.

“To receive this recognition is a great accomplishment and the owners, general managers and employees of these hotels should be proud.”

The Quality Hotel Cambridge qualified for the highly coveted Inn of the Year award along with three other franchise brand winners in Australasia – the Comfort Inn On Raglan at Warrnambool in Victoria, Clarion Hotel Mackay Marina at Mackay in Queensland and the Rendezvous Hotel Brisbane – Clarion Collection.

Choice Hotels International is one of the world’s largest hotel franchise operators, offering more than 455,000 rooms across 40 countries around the world. The group’s Australian operations are managed by Choice Hotels Australasia (CHA), which represents more than 275 properties in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore.

In congratulating the Quality Hotel Cambridge on its win, CHA managing director David Bayes said: “The Inn of the Year awards provide a powerful motivation for Choice hotels around the world to focus on guest satisfaction, and we are delighted that we are now on the winners board,” he added.

Ask anyone in the hospitality business what is the most important ingredient for success? The answer is always the same – passion.

Oswin Bosco Charles Ribeiro – a name not to trifle with – is the new Executive Chef of BLUE Sydney, a Taj Hotel and Water Bar and he has been following his passion all his adult life.

Like many culinary stars, Oscar began his career in his teens and has not wavered, working for more than 15 years in the great hotels of India, culminating with his appointment at BLUE Sydney. From the hustle of the Taj President in Mumbai, Oscar arrived into Sydney to the stunning harbour and the cool style that is BLUE.

Oscar was just a teenager when he began as a hotel operations management trainee. With hard work and talent, Oscar climbed the Taj ladder and covered all aspects of his chosen passion.

From junior sous chef in 1996, to sous chef, senior sous chef and to executive sous chef at the Taj President Mumbai in 2005, he learnt it all. Oscar was most recently the executive chef at Taj Blue Diamond Pune and has completed a course in facility planning and design at Cornell University.

Oscar has created a wonderful menu for BLUE Sydney, a blend of Indian, Italian and originality and a treat for parties and celebrations. His signatures include roasted spatchcock, avocado and mushroom quiche with lemon basil bruschetta of chicken marsala & watercress.

He suggests they be matched with a glass of chilled Petaluma Hanlin Hill reisling or a Czech martini, and enjoyed snug in your BLUE room or Water Bar nook as the chill of winter whips up the waves on Sydney Harbour.

To experience Oscar’s menu, visit:

Water Bar
BLUE Sydney, a Taj Hotel
6 Cowper Wharf Road
Woolloomooloo

Located on the lush green coast North of São Paulo State (3 hours drive from the City of São Paulo), the steep-sided island of Ilha Bela had its closest brush with civilization in the 19th century, when coffee barons chopped plantations out of the island’s western slopes and made tracks through the forest.

When coffee crashed, the island was largely abandoned, its cover of Atlantic rainforest intact save for a network of rough mountain trails, with a near-limitless number of almost inaccessible beaches on its outer Atlantic shore.

Just recently, tour operators have come up with ways to harness Ilha Bela’s unique attributes.

There are so many shipwrecks around Ilhabela that Brazilian divers have dubbed it “the ship graveyard”.

The three most interesting wrecks to be seen are the Concar and the Príncipe de Asturias (Spanish ships that sank in 1916 and 1959) and an English ship, called Velasquez, that belonged to Lamport & Holt company, which went down in 1908.

Great marine life can be observed in the ecological sanctuary, Ilhas das Cabras, an excellent spot for beginners.

Best time to visit: February to September.

The town of Cabo Frio, famous for its long ocean beaches and its white sand dunes, was founded in 1615.

This stretch of coast has been known practically since the first discovery of the continent: in 1503, when Americo Vespucci built a small fort in the Cabo Frio area – São Mateus Fortress -, and, in the following year, a small settlement was established for the purpose of obtaining Brazil-wood.

The town has managed to preserve much of its original aspect, and, thanks to its beautiful sandy beaches and dunes, it is now one of the most popular bathing resorts in Brazil. Cabo Frio is 168km Southwest of the City of Rio de Janeiro, near Búzios.

In Cabo Frio, the visitor also will find reefs, ecological reserves, preserved Atlantic Forest, six-thousand-year-old sambaquis (hills made of shells and other items from pre-historic inhabitants) and one of the most appropriate regions for fishing in the planet.

The local people are welcoming and friendly, their hospitality will make your stay an unforgettable moment.

The climate in Cabo Frio is hot and wet, with average annual temperature of 25ºC in summer (between December and March) and ranging from 17ºC to 23ºC in winter (between June and September).

Every year in the month of August, many Brazilian students (15 to 18 years) arrive in the Netherlands in pursue of their lifetime adventure. They come to study and experience the Dutch way of life for a period from 5 to 10 months. The initiative is coordinated by TRAVEL ACTIVE, a Dutch agency with 16 years of experience on exchange programs.

Travel Active is searching for Dutch families who are interested in Brazilian culture and might consider welcoming into their homes a student such as Marina, Guilherme or Renata (click to access info) during his/her stay in the Netherlands.

Are you interested and wish to know more about it, please contact Lilian or Moniek at Travel Active (Phone: 0478-551.900 – Fax: 0478-551.911 – E-mail: info@travelactive.nl 

Context, a network of scholars who design and lead walking tours of major world cities, has partnered with St. Hope to offer a one-of-a-kind travel fellowship aimed at youth achievers from economically-disadvantaged communities.

The Context Travel Fellowship includes roundtrip airfare, accommodations and at least six days of on-site classes, seminars, and workshops with the scholars in the Context network. The Fellowship aims to expose intellectually curious students to the history, art, and culture of Europe, and use the power of travel to broaden the horizons of promising youth who may not, for economic reasons, have the opportunity to travel abroad.

Each year, St Hope will select one or more students from its high schools or from its Hood Corps program, a leadership-training program for college students involved with St. Hope. The candidate will have the possibility to travel to one or more of the culturally rich cities where Context operates, accompanied by a chaperone, and there experience an intensive, multi-day program of seminars, classes, workshops and other programs.

Candidates will be chosen based on their deep interest in art, history, cultural, language, international relations, or any other discipline for which an experience abroad is invaluable. Drawing on its network of university professors, graduate students, and professionals in a wide variety of disciplines,

Context will organize a multi-day trip, in consultation with St. Hope staff, for the student and chaperon that will focus on topic areas relative to the city and the student. For example, in Rome, the student might take seminars on ancient Roman society, Renaissance art, Roman cuisine, and Italian language. Context’s docents, again in collaboration with St. Hope, will develop a lesson plan for the student that will dovetail with the seminars.

Visit www.contexttravel.com or www.sthope.org

Arabic Release(Dubai, UAE – Almost perfectly timed, following debate at the recent World Travel & Tourism Council Summit concerning shortages of trained and qualified hotel sector workers, a new hotel school to be located in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has been announced. The Dubai Hotel and Tourism Management Institute, is expected to open in 2009, and is a joint venture between an internationally acclaimed Australian higher education provider and a prominent Dubai based company.

UAE headquartered, Al Hai LLC, part of the Al Hai Group of Companies chaired by H.E. Jamal Al Hai has collaborated with world leaders in hospitality and tourism education, the Blue Mountains Hotel School, an Australian based international hotel school, to bring a new hotel school to the Middlle East.

“We are very excited about this joint venture which will result in the formation of an international hotel and tourism management institute in Dubai. It will facilitate the growing needs of the industry both in terms of training existing human resources in the hotel sector and by providing quality undergraduate and postgraduate education for future hoteliers.” said Mr Fritz Gubler, Director, Blue Mountains Hotel School.

According to Gubler, the first student intake is scheduled for early 2009 and the institute will be a member of the ORION Hotel Schools global alliance.

“…being recognized as an ORION Hotel School will add value to the institute. We take great pride in watching our students grow and develop, going on to graduate and become the future leaders of the global hospitality and tourism industry.” said Gubler.

“The Al Hai Group already operates within the tourism, hotel management, aviation and aviation related sectors and the opportunity to move into education was a natural progression for us.” said H.E. Jamal Al Hai, Chairman, Al Hai Group of Companies.

“Students for the undergraduate programmes will be recruited both locally in the Gulf and from the international pool of emerging talent. We are confident that both existing and new employees of the region’s hotels will benefit from the training offered.” he added.

The Blue Mountains Hotel School has two campuses in Australia: the Blue Mountains Hotel School in Leura, New South Wales (90 minutes drive from Sydney) which has been operating for 16 years; and the Australian International Hotel School in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, which has been operating for more than a decade. The group also operates educational facilities in China with two campuses (Suzhou and Tianjin).

Operation of the new hotel school will follow the Australian model from the Blue Mountains Hotel School, recognized globally for its highly sought-after first class graduates. The undergraduate programmes will involve rigorous academic studies, applied practical on-campus training and an internship component. The new hotel school will embrace the Three Pillars approach to education: a balanced integration of theoretical knowledge, practical skills and personal development.

The core programme will be a three-year Bachelor Degree whereby students will gain exposure to all areas of hotel and resort management as well as tourism, leisure and event management.

A one-year Diploma and two-year Associate Degree will also be on offer by the new hotel school. As a member of the ORION Hotel Schools global alliance the school will share a common platform of educational values, beliefs and teaching methodologies to underpin the respective programmes on offer.

“All of the programmes on offer at the new school will be internationally accredited and recognized. Initially we will focus on undergraduate programmes but intend to offer post graduate programmes within 12 months of commencement.” said Mr Fritz Gubler.

Currently in the final design stages the new state of the art facility will incorporate the latest in educational aids particularly with regard to practical training aspects.

According to H.E. Jamal Al Hai, the Dubai campus (details of specific locations which are yet to be released), will offer a positive environment for students with a like-minded passion for the tourism and hospitality sector.

“It will be fresh and new and most importantly, conducive to study and developing the skills required for this fast paced and exciting industry.” he said.

Gubler explains why the time is right for the Blue Mountains Hotel School to move into the Middle East,

“In a city renowned for its amazing hotels and tourism ventures, Dubai offers a remarkable opportunity for students to study at an undergraduate or postgraduate level while witnessing phenomenal growth of tourism developments first hand.

The industry is going through a human capital crisis and with the ongoing development of tourism infrastructure around the globe but particularly in China, India and the Middle East there is a clear and undeniable need to continue to educate and increase the pool of skilled tourism sector workers available to the industry.”

At the recent Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) held in Dubai, staffing levels were cited as one of the biggest challenges facing the global hotel industry. According to AHIC co-organizer, Jonathan Worsley, projections indicate that 1.5 million staff will be required in the Middle East alone by 2020.

“Dubai is centrally located in one of the high-demand destinations and is ideal for our programmes which incorporate internship components which we see as the opportunity for many of the hotels, whether 3, 4 or five star to capitalize on.”

“Developing the stars of the future right here in Dubai and providing a pool of potential talent, trained to the highest level for hotels to recruit from is a unique and highly desirable model to combat the staffing crises.”

Commenting on the value the new Institute offers to UAE tourism, Mr Adam Sargeant, Regional Manager – The Middle East & Scandinavia, Orion Hotel Schools and a former Blue Mountains Hotel School student, said

“The industry, not only the UAE and Gulf but internationally, is desperate for educated and practically trained industry professionals ready to commence their careers in supervisory and junior management positions to fill the gaps caused by the industry labour shortage.

Similarly, the industry requires front-line staff that are well trained and conversant in English to provide a high-quality level of service, either prior to their commencement or while they are employed.”

Students will enjoy several benefits from the ORION Global Alliance including the ability to transfer between ORION hotel schools.

“All of our students will become a member of the ORION Alumni, a graduate network programme of more than 3,000 members.

The Alumni is a global network and invaluable source of friendship, but more importantly it provide the base of the graduate’s professional network and the source of many exciting career opportunities.” added Sargeant.

For more information about the Dubai Hotel and Tourism Management Institute please visit

www.orionhotelschools.com