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Winter Trials On Food Ration Packs To Begin In The UK

Frontline troops will be making a meal of new military ration packs to ensure they are suitable during the harsh Afghanistan winter, it was announced at the Combined Services Culinary Challenge today.

The ration packs are designed to be used all year round by frontline troops. A total of 450,000 packs of the new rations have been issued to troops who will be fighting in temperatures between -5°C and 15°C. The winter trials will make sure that the food inside the rations is fit for the harsh conditions.

These trials build on the success of the new 24-hour Multi-Climate Rations (MCR) summer trials where over 750,000 boxes were tested by deployed troops working in extremely hot temperatures.

At the Combined Services Culinary Challenge (CSCC), chefs from across the Armed Forces have been putting their culinary skills to the ultimate test by going head-to-head in the three-day competition to serve a feast fit for frontline troops.

Their efforts will be judged by a panel which includes Michelin-starred chefs to test the standards of the competing teams.

Defence Food Services Team Leader, Captain Jeremy Rigby RN, said:

“One of the most important requirements is to provide increased variety to troops operating for long periods on rations which will help reduce menu fatigue. These new menus have been developed to meet the needs of service personnel operating in the extreme climates of Afghanistan, providing them with a wider range of nutritionally balanced meals.”

He added:

“Feedback from the summer trials has been extremely positive and we look forward to responses from the troops on any improvements we can make.”

The ongoing trials of the ration packs will continue until Spring 2010. Results of these trials will inform long-term, future menus for the 24-hour Operational Ration Pack (ORP) as part of the continuing process of improving food for frontline troops.

The three-day competition features all types of skills needed by the Armed Forces, with cooking on operations tested in the outside field catering competition, where teams of military chefs use field kitchens and ration packs to produce a 2-course meal for 20 people.

In the Parade de Chefs team competition, one Service team per day will prepare, cook and serve a VIP meal for 64 diners. Other categories include the team buffet, international military team and junior military chef of the year.
The event is a showcase for the professionalism, skills and expertise of catering staff across Defence, highlighting the importance of continual professional training and development.

To view the Interesting Ration Pack Facts contained in this release, please follow the link below.

http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=407929&NewsAreaID=2&ClientID=123

Record recession for UK economy

The UK economy unexpectedly contracted by 0.4% between July and September, according to official figures, meaning the country is still in recession.

It is the first time UK gross domestic product (GDP) has contracted for six consecutive quarters, since quarterly figures were first recorded in 1955.

But the figures could still be revised up or down at a later date, because this figure is only the first estimate.

GDP measures the total amount of goods and services produced by a country.

The pound fell sharply after the figures were released, reflecting the fact that many observers had expected the UK to have grown during the quarter.

It was down 1.7% against the dollar, at $1.6323, and down 1.9% against the euro, at 1.0859 euros.

Quarterly growth of 0.2% had been expected in the figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), although expectations had been tempered by recent figures showing no growth in retail sales in September, and a 2.5% decline in industrial output in August.

ANALYSIS Hugh Pym, BBC chief economics correspondent There's no disguising how grim these figures are. Almost every City analyst expected there to be positive growth in the third quarter. Instead it was negative. That means the recession in the UK is the longest since modern records began in the 1950s. Germany, France and Japan have all come out of recession technically and the UK hasn't. The decline has continued. And the markets didn't really like the look of that. The foreign exchange markets have been selling the pound. There's every indication that it's going to be a long hard slog for quite some time to come as the British economy tries to turn itself round.

The unexpected decline in the services sector was the key factor behind the drop, with the distribution, catering and hotels sector performing particularly badly.

The UK economy's reliance on the service sector, and financial services in particular, may be the reason why it is still in recession when partners such as France and Germany exited in the second quarter of this year.

The economy contracted 5.2% compared with the same period last year, which was marginally better than the record figure of 5.5% in the previous three months.

It has now contracted 5.9% from its peak before the recession began.

The worse-than-expected GDP figures are likely to make the Bank of England consider extending its policy of quantitative easing.

Quantitative easing is the central bank's policy of printing money and using it to buy bonds from banks and other companies to help stimulate the economy.

'Awful'

The £175bn already announced for the quantitative easing programme will have been spent by next month, so the third quarter GDP number will be important in deciding whether to extend it.

Indeed, at the Bank's current rate of spending, it is expected to have spent the whole £175bn in the next week.

Chancellor Alistair Darling: ''Confidence is beginning to return''

As the next Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, at which quantitative easing decisions are taken, is not until 4 November, that would leave it with a week with no extra cash to pump into the economy.

The figures were "awful with no positive news" according to James Knightley at ING.

"This clearly suggests that the likelihood of an expansion in quantitative easing by £50bn or so over the next quarter is rising, although [it] is not a foregone conclusion."

Former MPC member Professor David Blanchflower said the negative GDP figures should not have been a surprise.

"There's been very little sign among firms that things were very much better," he told the BBC.

"The public seems to have some more confidence - they seem to have believed the talk about green shoots, but actually the data haven't really looked that way at all."

Intervention needed

The bottom line is that we should take this as very much a first draft of UK economic history - but clearly a disappointing one Stephanie Flanders, Economics editor

Analysts said it is worrying that the decline has continued despite the stimulus measures that the government and the Bank of England have introduced.

"Continued intervention - including help for businesses to access finance, and incentives to promote investment - is still needed," said David Kern, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce.

"Above all else, business confidence must be nurtured to ensure that recovery is not further delayed."

'Deeply disappointing'

Chancellor Alistair Darling said he had never expected to see growth before the end of 2009.

Dianne Winfield's family lost their home in Stoke after her husband lost his job

"Our job is to support the economy as we come through towards recovery," he said.

"[Growth] will come - I'm confident about that - and I'm confident that businesses and people generally will begin to see a difference, but it will take time."

Shadow chancellor George Osborne described the figures as "deeply, deeply disappointing".

"There are many millions of people who will be deeply concerned to see that Britain is still in recession six months after France and Germany came out of recession," he told the BBC.

"It destroys the myth that Britain was better prepared."

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable said the figures were "a cold blast of realism".

"We've had a lot of talk recently based on a booming stock exchange and prices of luxury houses in London that somehow this problem was at an end, and it isn't," he said.

One of the measures expected to be a particular help in the final quarter of the year is the change in VAT.

The rate of VAT is due to return to 17.5% from 15% at the beginning of January and consumers are expected to step up their purchasing ahead of that increase.

Rise of the all-you-can-eat restaurant

In just 12 months the all-you-can-eat restaurant chain Taybarns has taken the catering industry by storm - and there are plans to open 30 new branches. But does it encourage unhealthy eating?

With a "34-metre long food counter" Taybarns is all about quantity. It offers an array of food. Choose from a chip shop, carvery, pizza, pasta, even what appears to be a new hybrid-cuisine, Texican.

Its menu boasts: "Enjoy as much as you like, as many times as you like. All for one fixed price!"

While other restaurants are closing at an estimated rate of 100 a month, Whitbread which owns Taybarns, has recorded a 3% increase in sales in the last six months to £703.3m.

It is serving almost 10,000 people a week in its most popular branches and there are plans to expand next year, turning 30 Brewers Fayre pubs into Taybarns.

"We offer quality family food at a really good price and it's helped Taybarns succeed where others have failed," says Taybarns operations director and the man behind the concept, Simon Ewins.

"We're doing volumes that are eye watering for the industry. Our Wigan branch, which has been open for a year, has served more meals than the population of the town - 300,000."

Ewins says the company has, unashamedly, based itself in the working-class heart of Britain.

There are Taybarns branches in Newcastle upon Tyne, South Shields, Barnsley, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Coventry, Swansea and Wigan.

Help yourself

It is not yet 6pm on a Friday night in the Coventry branch of Taybarns and already the eaterie is full of people queuing along that famously lengthy food counter.

Customers pay £5.99 - or £7.99 in the evenings - at the door. Then, as the sign says, "grab a plate, help yourself, help yourself again".

"We come here because of the choice of the food and the price, it's really good value" says one woman whose plate holds a burger, chips, sausage and a lamb skewer. "We can all go out as a family. We're all different, but there are no arguments about I don't like this or I don't like that."

The union jack bunting strung across the chip shop, the flames leaping up from the wok and the sweet smell wafting from the dessert counter add to the buzz of excitement among customers. The treacle tart and chocolate sponge are going down well.

'Grab a plate, help yourself, help yourself again'

Spicy dishes, like the chilli con carne and tikka masala sauce, are popular on Friday nights, but on Sundays people go for a traditional roast dinner.

US concept

Taybarns is modelled on the American all-you-can-eat chain, Golden Corral, which opened in 1973 and now turns over more than $1bn a year. It claims its focus on freshness differentiates it from other steakhouses, featuring a large hot and cold buffet, grill, carving station and bakery.

The all-you-can-eat concept originated in the US's working areas in the 1930s. Golden Corral has capitalised on that trend, focusing on small-town America, it now has more than 450 restaurants across 41 states.

But with warnings that the UK is following the US with rising levels of obesity, isn't this sort of dining experience a cause for concern?

Mr Ewins is adamant that offering variety, as well as value, is the key to Taybarns success too. It is not about encouraging overindulgence he says. It is about offering the opportunity to experiment with food in a non-risky way.

"People want to try new things. But if you go out on a Friday night and you try a new main course in a traditional restaurant and you don't like it, that's a disaster. At Taybarns you can just try something else or go back to your favourites."

So it could be that in cash-strapped times Taybarns offers a safe way to eat out. You know exactly how much it costs and what you get for the price.

But some believe the all-you-can-eat concept promotes poor dietary habits. And, that contrary to the suggestion that more choice encourages experimentation, it actually stifles it.

"The irony is that if you give people complete and unadulterated choice they eat a narrower range of food simply because they can - you can eat burgers every day if you like" says Professor Martin Caraher, professor of food and health policy at City University London.

He is concerned about all-you-can-eat restaurants. "It encourages greed. There is a sense of getting value for your money. And we've moved away from the notion of stopping when we feel full. People think I'll just have another bit, I'm not paying for it."

The recorded average number of platefuls eaten by Taybarns' customers is 3.37. In the Coventry branch, Heidi, who is celebrating a family birthday is already on her way to surpassing that.

"When I come here I pig out. I've had two puddings already. I'll be regretting it when I go on the scales next week."

Profit margins

So how, if people are piling up plates several times, does Taybarns make money?

Its food does not claim to be organic or free-range, but it does emphasise the freshness of its ingredients. Industry experts argue that it is down to the high volume of customers. Margins may be low, but the figures add up because of the footfall.

"It's perfectly feasible to create decent food without spending a fortune," says Paul Wootton, editor of Restaurant magazine.

"At Taybarns, a large part of its offer focuses on salads, pizza and pasta, where ingredient costs will be at the lower end of the scale."

Many operators in the restaurant industry this year have been working to tighter margins than Taybarns, offering 2-for-1s and 50% off, to get customers through the doors, he says. They know that low margins are better than no margins.

"If you're buying spuds and chicken on an industrial scale you're going to get them cheap," says Richard Harden, of Hardens restaurant guide.

"Even if people are eating half a chicken each, which might only cost Taybarns £1 - they might be producing a whole meal for £2.50 per head."

Credit crunch

Taybarns appears to be going from strength to strength while top-end restaurants suffer.

But, not everyone is convinced it is around for the long haul. Some argue that they are akin to fast food outlets. A sector predicted to grow in the next three-to-five years, but then stabilise.

"My suspicion is that Taybarns will come and go - that it's a phenomenon related to the credit crunch. They'll reinvent themselves in three or four years time as something else," says Mr Caraher.

"The American model bothers me. We want big portions, rubbish food. What we actually need is higher quality and people eating less."

source :  bbc news

Choice’s stand delivers the story of the year

Friend or foe? That’s the question the hotel industry has been asking for the past decade about third-party reservations Web sites such as Hotels.com, Travelocity.com and Priceline.com. The question appears to be coming to a head with this week’s revelation that Expedia, the owner of the Hotels.com site, has pulled all hotels affiliated with Choice Hotels International from its sites.

Third-party reservations sites, also called online travel agencies, offer many hoteliers an outlet for excess room inventory during lean times. They have been as important for some hoteliers during the current recession as they were for them during the aftermath of 9/11. There’s no denying they filled a void in the industry; otherwise they would not have survived.

But some industry observers say the third-party sites are nothing more than vultures who are eroding average daily rates to the point where a hotel room is a commodity no different than the bars of soap that adorn a guestroom’s shower. I believe that’s partially true. These third-party sites have trained consumers to look for the lowest possible price, and while that’s good news for consumers, it’s not-so-good news for hotel owners who are trying to make a profit.

Another knock on these sites is the markups they achieve for hotel rooms that they obtain at reduced prices from hoteliers, who in some cases are desperate to get heads in beds. These markups sometimes reach as high as 25 to 30 percent, hotel operators have told me. That makes some hoteliers do a slow burn … as if they believe these third-party sites don’t have the right to make money themselves. That’s a ridiculous thought in a capitalistic society. Up to this point, no one is forcing hotel operators to sell rooms through the OTAs.

Historical animosity

Internet reservations sites are masters of marketing. Hotels found themselves behind a huge 8-ball following 9/11 when owners and operators realized that the OTAs were going to be a force they had to deal with. Brands responded with a low-price guarantee on their sites, but despite all of the things the hotel industry has going for it, a single-minded marketing message is one thing it lacks. The power of the brands was no match for the marketing magic of the dot-com distribution sites.

In some ways, the hotel industry is responsible for allowing these third-party sites to thrive. As far as I know, there was but one attempt by a group of hotel companies to form a collaborative site to allow consumers to comparison shop, but that fizzled. The lack of foresight for hotel companies to actually work together to develop a site remains a mystery. Anti-trust issues aside, the industry as a whole could have capitalized on the advent of the Internet, but it did not.

A final knock on these OTA sites is that because they conduct business online, they aren’t subjected to local sales taxes. Countless municipal, county and state governments have gone to court to try to collect taxes from these sites, and while there have been some rulings ordering the sites to pay up, the appeals process has made it so the rulings have become nothing more than paper tigers.

The latest brouhaha

The Choice-Expedia rift boils down to the fact that third-party sites have secured a certain amount of control over the sale of hotel rooms. If Expedia is trying to force all Choice properties to turn over control of all of their rooms to it, then Choice had no choice but to not agree. If it agreed to that stipulation, its Silver Spring, Maryland, headquarters would be over run with irate franchisees.

Choice executives have not responded to interview requests about the subject. In an interview with Hotels magazine, Choice CEO Steve Joyce said “Expedia wanted Choice to literally give up control of its inventory and pricing and wanted to penalize franchisees who did not give Expedia 100 percent access all the time.”

If that’s true, Expedia is going for the gold. To allow complete access, including real-time inventory and pricing, in some ways would render corporate property-management systems somewhat useless. Or at least they would be less effective. Under the scenario that Joyce paints, Expedia is trying to, for all intents and purposes, become the revenue manager for Choice’s properties. That’s not going to sit well with owners.

Expedia, through a spokesman, has declined to be interviewed. It released a statement that confirms it no longer offers Choice properties on its sites “because of the inability to reach an agreement on the terms of a new contract, despite numerous extensions granted by Expedia in the hopes of securing a mutually acceptable deal since the original contract expired in May 2007.”

The statement goes on to say that “many of the issues under discussion were principles which both parties had been operating under during the prolonged extension period, and are commonplace throughout the industry.”

It’s going to be interesting to see how other hotel companies react to this situation. Other companies must be watching closely and in many cases will undoubtedly be rooting for Choice to prevail. In this case, prevailing for Choice could mean forcing Expedia to abide by its demands and wishes, or it could mean Choice proving to its franchisees that representation on Expedia’s third-party sites aren’t necessary (in other words, replacing the business derived from those Web sites with other, higher-yielding business).

A couple of my sources have forwarded me a letter that Expedia apparently wrote to Choice’s franchisees. The Expedia spokesman mentioned earlier confirmed that the letter was authentic.

In the letter Expedia tells the franchisees that a series of communications that Choice sent to franchises lays the blame for the situation “squarely on Expedia’s shoulders.”

The most telling parts of the letter: “As an initial point, we feel it is important to clarify that we did not ask Choice for anything we do not already have in place with other strategic, long-term lodging partners…

“First and foremost, Expedia seeks to create value for our partners by making their inventory available to the world’s largest source for online travel. … Indeed, Expedia has delivered a stable source of volume to our partners in a challenging environment.

“Secondly, parity from our partners with respect to rates, room availability and customer treatment, allows Expedia to provide our travelers with maximum value. It is important to note that parity applies both in industry down-cycles and industry up-cycles….”

Read the entire letter here.

I can’t help but think back to the inaugural Hotel Data Conference, presented by Magnuson Hotels, in August. (Full disclosure: It was organized by HotelNewsNow.com and its parent company Smith Travel Research.) At that conference, Brian Ferguson, VP of lodging demand and analysis for Expedia, said his company’s job in the industry is clear.

“In terms of friend or foe … What people are trying to get at is that seeing all of these rates together and having consumers go through and choose the cheapest three-star in the neighborhood is what’s really driving down rate,” he said. “I don’t really see that as an Expedia issue. I see that as a reality of where we are today. That’s the Internet.”

And while he admitted that consumers do use Expedia simply to choose the cheapest rate regardless of brand, he also said, “There are no rates that are on our site that aren’t given to us by hoteliers. We don’t set the rates.”

Read more of Brian Ferguson’s comments at the conference here.

That’s the “A-ha!” moment for me. If Expedia is now trying to set the rates, it’s barking up the wrong tree. Otherwise, it is another tool that hoteliers can use to fill their rooms, which after all is their No. 1 goal. The real issue is allowing hotel operators to use the means necessary to generate enough revenue to pay their bills and stash some cash for a rainy day. Does Expedia help them do that? Yes. But if it means dropping prices on every room available to commodity levels, that’s going to be a hard sell in the hotel industry.

As STR president Mark Lomanno and other STR executives have preached time and time again, if hotel owners and operators want to stash more cash in good times and bad they need to make sure they are educated in a revenue management system that works toward that goal. Sometimes giving away rooms at dirt-cheap prices is a valid route, other times it’s not. Ultimately, that’s the balancing act a hotel owner or operator must achieve.

From the franchisees

Several Choice franchisees I contacted said they’d comment anonymously because they “didn’t want to roll in the mud on this one,” as one of them put it. The general message they had was clear: Choice needs to make sure there’s representation on every major third-party site available, but giving total access to room inventory to those OTAs is not in the best interest of the hotels.

I believe that Choice executives believe that allowing such a thing will damage revenue streams for franchisees, which translates into lower revenue for the mother ship. That’s not a good thing for any company, let alone one who has to deal with the whims of Wall Street like the publicly traded Choice does.

I also believe Expedia sees this recession as an opportunity to further entrench itself in the hotel industry—an industry that already has made Expedia a lot of money. It has every right to try to make as much money as it can, just as Choice has every right to accept or reject the proposed deal.

So let’s face it, this is a disagreement about sharing the pie. Rarely does that kind of disagreement end with everyone happy. Both Choice and Expedia are telling the Choice franchisees that they have their best interest at heart. But Choice has plenty more at stake, and as the keeper of the brands, the company’s executives sometimes have to take a stand. Whether this stand is right or wrong remains to be seen, but it’s a stand that makes this the biggest story of the year.

by Jeff Higley

Iconic Qasr Al Sarab resort to be unveiled tomorrow

Amidst the golden red sand dunes of the Liwa desert, rises a breathtaking sensation: a five-star luxury resort that epitomises the culture and roots of the United Arab Emirates. Qasr al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, which will officially open tomorrow, is the first-of-its-kind resort to deliver hospitality and an ambience, reflective of genuine Emirati culture, to the world.

Situated in the Empty Quarter (Rub Al Khali), the world's largest stretch of uninterrupted desert, Qasr Al Sarab is a true phenomenon - a landmark that smoothly blends into its pristine surrounding environment and a destination rich in history with settlements dating back to as far as 7,000 years ago.

Developed by Tourism Development '&' Investment Company (TDIC), a master developer of cultural, residential and tourism destinations in Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Sarab has ensured that every element throughout the resort has been carefully designed to reflect a truly authentic experience that is indigenous to the surrounding region.

On the journey to the resort, visitors will be captivated by the serenity of the desert landscape and overwhelmed by the magnificent dune formations, as the resort remains tranquilly tucked away. A few hundred metres in the distance, perched atop a crescent-shaped dune, the true splendour of the fort-inspired design is suddenly revealed. Offering 154 rooms, 42 villas and 10 royal villas resembling majestic palaces with spacious living and dining areas, private pools and outdoor terraces, Qasr Al Sarab is a haven of exceptional comfort and pure extravagance.

His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of TDIC and Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), commented: "We are extremely proud of Qasr Al Sarab and the inspirational story behind its conception. This is more than just an extraordinary luxury resort; this is a symbol of our highly admired and respected Arabian hospitality and deep-rooted culture. Most of all, we owe this splendour to our forefathers who were born and raised in this rich Liwa Oasis and their visionary leadership which had become the influence behind our present-day progressive evolution.

''We take great pride for the vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and the tremendous support of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for embracing the UAE's heritage through world-class developments in Abu Dhabi." Just 90 minutes driving distance from Abu Dhabi and seven kilometres from the main Hamim Highway crossing the Rub al Khali desert, Qasr Al Sarab is the ultimate experiential getaway with a luxury health spa, conference centre, outdoor pool, children's playground and adventure excursions.

Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi, Managing Director of TDIC, stated: "Abu Dhabi's tourism industry is continuously growing and the launch of this unique development will ensure that visitors to our nation will have the opportunity to experience the true culture and rich history that the UAE has to offer. The experience we have created is a unique balance of Emirati culture, breathtaking views and the best standards of international hospitality. Every element of Qasr Al Sarab, right down to the finest detail, has remained faithful to Arab culture while embracing the rich history and heritage of the UAE," said Mubarak.

Guests will be captivated by the natural beauty of Qasr Al Sarab and given the chance to explore the vast landscapes and the adjoined 9000-square kilometre protected wildlife reserve - the largest in the UAE. The reserve is abundant with wildlife where thousands of free-roaming indigenous animals, such as the famed Arabian Oryx, sand gazelle and Arabian hare, add a spectacular real-life Arabian experience to visitors. The resort comprises a desert experience centre designed to educate guests on the surrounding environment and to offer activities relevant to the region including falconry, camel riding and desert exploration.

Venturing across the desert on a camel in true Bedouin style is another activity that offers guests the chance to discover this intriguing territory, where the late British explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger thoroughly explored during his journey across the Empty Quarter between 1945 and 1949. Visitors will be exposed to the rich history of the surrounding area, experience the remnants of Stone Age settlements and listen to age-old tales narrated by storytellers. After dark, guests will be given the opportunity to experience the art of stargazing from a vantage point on an ochre red dune, reminiscent of the astronomical discoveries made in the Arab world during the Islamic golden age spanning the 8th to 16th centuries.

Lee Tabler, Chief Executive Officer of TDIC, highlighted the significance of the resort's design to Abu Dhabi's heritage. "The architecture, interior design and works of art accurately reflect the traditions of the region with all artefacts hand-picked from the Gulf and the Middle East. As with all our developments, we remain focused on protecting the natural environment and ensuring sustainable design, build and maintenance. Integral to all of TDIC's projects is ensuring distinctive and sustainable developments that preserve the history and heritage of the UAE. It is this commitment and determination that is supporting Abu Dhabi's 2030 economic and strategic vision.

"Following the success of the Desert Islands Resort '&' Spa by Anantara, we are once again proud to be partnering with the award-winning Thai hospitality brand Anantara on this landmark resort while we continue to provide visitors with a true taste of the UAE," Tabler added.

In keeping with the local theme of the resort, guests can explore a wealth of dining options, including fruit-soaked tajines, succulent kebabs and national delicacies prepared traditionally and on the open flame grills in a Bedouin tent experience. Visitors can also enjoy the rich aromas and tastes of Arabic coffees and sweet tea as they relax in the enchanting desert surroundings at the Al Liwan Qasr Al Sarab, a traditional Arabian-styled lounge setting which comprises a library of literature and a collection of artefacts from around the region. Meanwhile, Ghadeer Qasr Al Sarab offers alfresco dining and the opportunity to take in the wondrous views of the sand dunes as well as the pool and its facilities.

Didier Tourneboeuf, Area General Manager of Anantara, commented: "Qasr Al Sarab's development is very close to our hearts, and is a direct result of Anantara's revered reputation as well as the hotel's unique concept and truly amazing location. This resort is truly a one-of-a-kind prized gem and we are highly proud to be associated with such a remarkable development, just as we have with the other TDIC-developed five-star resort on Sir Bani Yas Island which we are so privileged to operate.

"For Anantara, the launch of Qasr Al Sarab sets yet another distinguished benchmark in the company's extensive global expansion plans, while providing an exemplary blend of effortless luxury and passionate integration of local culture," said Tourneboeuf.

Germany reduces VAT for hotels

Berlin, Germany - October 24, 2009

The new government of Germany will reduce VAT for overnight stays in hotels from 19 to 7% until from January 1, 2010, hotelier.com reported.

It's a great success for the hotel associations of Europes largest country. In Germany, from beginning of the next year the rate for hotel guest rooms will be charged with 7% VAT. Actually, the VAT for hotels is 19%.

The higher tax rate will remain for restaurants despite of VAT reduces in nearly all other Western European countries from 5 to 10%.

Now, all hotels could concentrate on renovations and expansion, the German hotel associations DEHOGA and IHA said. (Report by Carsten Hennig, Editor in Chief of hotelier.com, ch@hotelier.com)

STR reports US hotel performance for week ending 17 October 2009

The U.S. hotel industry posted declines in all three key performance measurements during the week of 11-17 October 2009, according to data from STR.

In year-over-year measurements, the industry’s occupancy fell 8.1 percent to end the week at 58.9 percent. Average daily rate dropped 8.5 percent to finish the week at US$99.14. Revenue per available room for the week decreased 16.0 percent to finish at US$58.42.

Among the Top 25 Markets, San Francisco/San Mateo, California, experienced the largest occupancy increase, jumping 6.4 percent to 90.8 percent. Four markets also reported occupancy increases: Denver, Colorado (+4.2 percent to 62.7 percent); Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota-Wisconsin (+3.9 percent to 65.0 percent); Nashville, Tennessee (+2.2 percent to 62.9 percent); and New York, New York (+1.6 percent to 86.9 percent). Houston, Texas, posted the largest occupancy decrease, falling 31.0 percent to 59.1 percent.

For ADR, Oahu Island, Hawaii (+7.6 percent to US$150.19), and New Orleans, Louisiana (+6.5 percent to US$124.10), were the only two top markets to report increases. New York (-21.2 percent to US$252.84) experienced the largest ADR decrease, followed by Anaheim-Santa Ana, California (-17.4 percent to US$97.23) and Seattle, Washington (-16.6 percent to US$107.88).

San Francisco/San Mateo reported the largest RevPAR increase, rising 6.3 percent to US$159.94, followed by Oahu Island with a 6.1-percent increase to US$117.73. Three markets experienced RevPAR decreases of more than 25 percent: Houston (-41.2 percent to US$55.71); San Diego, California (-28.3 percent to US$74.57); and Seattle (-26.6 percent to US$65.57).

About STR & STR Global: For more than 20 years, Smith Travel Research has been the recognized leader for lodging industry benchmarking and research. Smith Travel Research and STR Global offer monthly, weekly, and daily STAR benchmarking reports to more than 37,000 hotel clients, representing nearly 5 million rooms worldwide. STR is headquartered in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and STR Global is based in London. For more information, visit www.strglobal.com or www.HotelNewsNow.com.

Related Document

US hotel performance for week ending 17 October 2009

The U.S. hotel industry posted declines in all three key performance measurements during the week of 11-17 October 2009, according to data from STR. In year-over-year measurements, the industry’s occupancy fell 8.1 percent to end the week at 58.9 percent. Average daily rate dropped 8.5 percent to finish the week at US$99.14. Revenue per available room for the week decreased 16.0 percent to finish at US$58.42.

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Honduran tourism hit hard by unrest

Honduras could take 10 years to recover from the impact of its current political crisis which has seen tourist numbers plummet by 70%.

The country’s president, Manuel Zelaya, was forced into exile by the military in June but returned secretly in late September. He has been holed up at the Brazilian embassy in the capital city of Tegucigalpa since then.

The UK Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the country. In the US, Honduras’s biggest market, similar guidance has been issued.

Ricardo Martinez, minister of tourism under Zelaya, said tourist arrivals had fallen by 70%.

Tourism is the country’s biggest earner, employing 155,000 people and an important sector for 7,000 small businesses.

Much-needed investment in infrastructure, such as a new airport at Copan and a new highway link to El Salvador, has been withdrawn.

“The Economic Commission for Latin America estimates we will take around 10 years to recover from the damage,” Martinez told delegates.

Many Hondurans feel media coverage of the situation has been misleading. Martinez emphasised that key tourist destinations, at Copan and along the country’s Caribbean coast, have not been affected.

Flavia Cueva, owner of Hacienda San Lucas in the Copan Valley, said she needed tourists to return soon. “We were running at 88% occupancy before this. Now we’re down to 12% and I’ve had to let many of my staff go,” she said.

Journey Latin America product manager Rafe Stone said the capital can easily be avoided.

“We don’t have anyone in Honduras at the moment,” he said. “But if clients wanted to go to the ruins at Copan, for example, they can enter the country via Guatemala instead.”

Source: ttglive.com

Olympic tourism boom for London in doubt

New reports have now come forward that are putting the big tourism boost that was expected from the Olympics in doubt. According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, the UK is showing a 10 percent fall already in visits by foreign tourists.

Don Foster, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media, and Sport Security, said that the UK government was expecting £2 billion in a tourism boost due to hosting the Olympics. However, this so called boost that comes from hosting the Olympics has now come under fire due to these new figures from the Office for National Statistics. Right now 3.3 million fewer people are visiting the UK when compared to last year. Thus, the hopes that the big fall in the pound would help bring in more tourists has now been dashed out.

He went on to say that the UK government has continued to fail at taking tourism seriously. He said that cutting the budget of the body that is responsible for marketing the UK overseas suggests this. These new figures not only suggest this, but shows that the UK is already suffering the results from it.

This news comes at a bad time for the UK, as the whole world is currently suffering from a lack of tourism due to the current recession. Because of things like the recession and the swine flu, people are not only rethinking the way that they spend their money, but they are also rethinking the places where they want to spend their vacation. Many overseas tourists are opting to stay at home rather than to travel.

Two British tourists drown in Spain

The receptionist at the Top Molinos Park Hotel in the resort of Salou, south of Tarragona, alerted the emergency services at 1.36 am after friends said that Mack Porter, 29, and Michelle Clydesdale, 24, from Northern Ireland, were missing.

In all, five Britons had left the 3-star, 246-room hotel for a swim on the nearby beach, but only three returned.

The Catalan police force, the Mossos d'Escuadre, called out its sea rescue squad as did the fire service. They found the bodies of the British couple on the beach where they had been deposited by large waves.

They have been taken to the regional capital, Tarragona, for an autopsy.

During the night storms had swept most of the costas on Spain's Mediterranean coast, bringing fierce winds and driving rain.

The budget hotel where the young Britons were staying is close to Universal's Port Aventura theme park, a popular destination south of Barcelona on Spain's Golden Coast, the Costa Daurada.