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It’s a stormy weekend in England but the *to* team has been enjoying the warm hospitality at the Stonegate Group owned The Downs Hotel in Woodingdean, Brighton. This landmark pub and hotel features large ‘Downs Hotel’ lettering painted on the roof tiles, that legends has it helped RAF pilots navigate their way home during WW2. Built in 1927, The Downs was reopened in 2022 after a major refurbishment. Downstairs is a restaurant and bar serving a wide range of drinks, including local ales whilst upstairs houses eight up-graded premium hotel rooms. With its own car park and easy access from London, Gatwick and the south of England, The Downs is also a great base for business meetings.

British Airways has suspended all Abu Dhabi flights from Heathrow Airport amid issues with the Rolls Royce engines for its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet. The cancellations will affect flights from March 30 to October 25 next year. It follows a lengthy delay in Rolls Royce delivering updated engines and new parts. Passengers will be able to fly to Dubai instead or rebook their trip with another airline. A British Airways spokesperson said: "We're disappointed that we've had to make further changes to our schedule as we continue to experience delays to the delivery of engines and parts from Rolls-Royce - particularly in relation to the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines fitted to our 787 aircraft. "We've taken this action because we do not believe the issue will be solved quickly, and we want to offer our customers the certainty they deserve for their travel plans. We've apologised to those affected and are able to offer the vast majority a flight the same day with British Airways or one of our partner airlines. We continue to work closely with Rolls-Royce to ensure the company is aware of the impact its issues are having on our schedule and customers, and seek reassurance of a prompt and reliable solution.” The suspension comes after British Airways announced the cancellation of all flights between Gatwick Airport and New York, with thousands of travellers impacted. BA is still operating between New York and London Heathrow Airport. 📷 Jimmy K Pexels

The Saudi Tourism Authority | الهيئة السعودية للسياحة has launched a new tourism initiative for the “Saudi Red Sea,” a stunning coastal area that spans across three diverse areas, each offering unique experiences tailored to different tastes and interests. The North of the Saudi Red Sea is a haven for luxury seekers and marine enthusiasts. Key destinations in this area include NEOM, Sindalah, and Amaala. The Center region focuses on culture, entertainment, and adventure. At the heart of the Saudi Red Sea lies Jeddah, the cosmopolitan coastal capital of Saudi Arabia. This dynamic city offers a vibrant mix of energy, entertainment, and culture. Visitors can explore the UNESCO-listed Al Balad, a historic district filled with labyrinthine alleys, or enjoy a variety of leisure activities. The South is where visitors can discover Arabian traditions and unspoiled nature. One of the highlights of this region is the Farasan Islands, known for their lush mangroves, abundant wildlife and unspoiled beaches. Visiting the Saudi Red Sea is now easier than ever thanks to the introduction of an efficient eVisa process. Travelers holding valid visas for the UK, US, or Schengen Zone, as well as residents of the UK, US, and EU countries, can obtain an instant eVisa to explore this stunning destination. Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport serves as a major international hub, offering comfort and luxury with Emirates and Saudia lounges for First and Business Class passengers. The newly opened Red Sea International Airport, which operates entirely on renewable energy, connects travelers to flights from Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dubai. Additionally, NEOM Bay Airport offers convenient access for travelers from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Dubai, Doha, and London, with more destinations to follow in the near future. STA Chief Executive and Board Member, Fahd Hamidaddin, commented: “The Saudi Red Sea is redefining tourism at a time when coastal and maritime travel makes up over 50% of global tourism demand. With travelers increasingly seeking destinations that balance natural beauty with sustainability, the Saudi Red Sea offers a bold, responsible model for the future. With over 1,000 untouched islands, 500 vibrant dive sites, 1,200 fish species, 300 coral species, and 75 powder-soft beaches, visitors can explore one of the world’s most extraordinary coastlines and the longest vertical riviera in the world. As the centerpiece of Saudi’s evolving tourism landscape, this super destination has extraordinary developments offering unmatched experiences.” Visit Saudi Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia Saudi Red Sea Authority #travel

Korean Air (KAL) has finally completed its takeover of Asiana Airlines. Travellers we’ve spoken to, over the years, have generally had very good experiences flying with Korean Air. Whereas feedback on Asiana, particularly from passengers based outside of Korea, has been quite mixed. So from a service perspective we’re optimistic, we expect KAL’s high standards to filter into Asiana operations. But change will be progressive. It’s four years since the takeover was first announced. Since then a lot of work has taken place to satisfy regulators that a merger of Korea’s full-service international airlines would not lead to undesirable monopoly effects. But finally, on 12 December 2024, Korean Air acquired more than 131 million newly issued Asiana shares, to give it a 63.88 per cent stake and thereby making Asiana a subsidiary of KAL’s parent company, Hanjin Group. Now the airlines plan to take another two years to fully merge their operations. This includes network optimisation: addressing route overlaps and new destination opportunities. The two airline brands will continue to operate separately for now but the long-term plan is for Korean Air to be the only remaining brand. Hanjin have spoken about investing in enhanced safety standards and our suspicion is a priority will be to ensure safety training, procedures and standards are at the same high standard across both brands. Korean Air has maintained an excellent record for safety over the last twenty years. Korean Air is a SkyTeam alliance member whereas Asiana has been part of Star Alliance. Korean Air’s SkyTeam partnerships are expected to survive, while Asiana’s Star Alliance ties are going to be cut for the most part, though some non-overlapping arrangements maybe retained. Plans for an integrated frequent flyer programme will be submitted to the Korea Fair Trade Commission by June 2025, Korean Air says, with planned details for it communicated following this regulatory review. A challenge for the integration will be that points on the existing KAL programme are worth more than those within the Asiana scheme. The Korean government is keen to ensure that members of each programme are not disadvantaged through a merger with the other. Meanwhile, one of the first priorities, for the expanded business, will be to bring the 69 aircraft operated by Asiana, plus its future orders, under the larger Korean Air fleet operations structure. #airlines #travel 📷 Pexels

The Advantage Travel Partnership has used AI, to generate promotional images for its members to use, as part of the consortium’s latest ‘peaks’ marketing campaign. The business, which is a networked alliance of travel agents and travel management companies, has found AI an effective way, to create a broad range of “go to market” asset, for its diverse membership. The AI images range from a commuter dressed for a beach holiday to a couple in a shopping mall decked out in full ski gear and a businessperson in a boardroom ready for a trek. Using the slogan ‘That Just Booked Feeling’, the marketing push is designed for promotional activities running from December 28 to February 28. Members will have customisable marketing assets, access to personalised direct mailings of magazines to thousands of customers, pre-designed deals for social media, email campaigns, point-of-sale material and training. The hashtag #ThatJustBookedFeeling will be used across digital platforms, “encouraging agents to spark excitement and inspire bookings”, said the consortium. Customers will be able to enter a prize draw, with the chance to win a £5,000 family holiday for up to four people, courtesy of easyJet holidays. David Forder Advantage’s Head of Marketing, said AI was an “innovative” approach to creating images because no traditional stock photographs suited their member’s wide ranging needs – and arranging photoshoots proved too complicated. “AI has been challenging…lots of things can go wrong, from additional fingers to other body parts,” he said. But he feels it was worth persevering and is happy with the end results, adding, “Our 2025 Peaks campaign is a celebration of the joy of travel and the expertise that independent travel agents bring to every booking. “From the use of cutting-edge AI to a family-focused prize draw, this campaign is packed with tools and ideas to help our members connect with their customers, drive bookings, and achieve long-term growth.” 📷 Photo Source: Advantage Travel Partnership. Pic Description: Image shows an advertisement featuring a commuter on a train, wearing a combination of a suit and beach wear. The text asks if you, “Can’t wait for your next holiday?” It describes the joy of the “Just Booked Feeling”. #travel

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS Sadly the team at *to* have picked up on a worrying new trend, from some of the big hosptech vendors. After ramping their prices for independent hotels, they’re holding hotelier’s own websites ransom when their hotels subsequently switch to better value suppliers: Demanding fees that aren’t listed in contracts and refusing to handover assets to the hotel or its new vendors. Hoteliers those images are YOUR intellectual property, not theirs. It’s YOUR business, not theirs. Stand up for your rights and don’t be bullied. Talk to *to* we’re on your side 💪 📷 Palladium Hotel Group- Barcelona #hotels

The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is capitalising on the renewed travel interest from the United States to boost the number of international visitors to Kenya. Travel and Tour World reports that KTB CEO June Chepkemei discussed these plans prior to the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) Annual Conference in Florida, emphasizing Kenya’s strategy to become a premier destination for American tourists. The U.S. remains the primary source of tourists for Kenya, and KTB is actively working with U.S. tour operators to highlight Kenya’s range of attractions, from thrilling adventures and rich cultural experiences to serene beach vacations. According to a KTB survey, American tourists are increasingly looking for meaningful, experience-driven travel, which matches well with what Kenya has to offer. This initiative is timely, as there has been a significant uptick in outbound travel from the U.S., which saw a 9.3 percent increase in 2023 over pre-pandemic figures, as reported by the U.S. Department of Commerce. 📷 TTW #travel #tourism

*to* has been working with a leading resort, in the surfer’s paradise of Puerto Rico, to reduce the costs of their digital presence whilst improving visibility and availability. Could we help your hotel too? Send us a message and let’s talk 📥 #hospitality #webdevelopment #digitalmarketing

Cathay Pacific will reintroduce direct flights between Brussels Airport and Hong Kong from 4 August 2025. Cathay will operate four weekly services on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. This recommecement of the Hong Kong route is a significant enhancement to Brussels Airport’s intercontinental connectivity. Cathay Pacific had previously served Brussels Airport from March 2018 until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The return of this direct connection is expected to benefit both business and leisure travelers. In 2024, approximately 35,000 passengers from Belgium traveled to Hong Kong, underscoring the route’s importance. “We are delighted to welcome Cathay Pacific back to Brussels Airport. This direct route to Hong Kong reinforces our role as a European hub and provides our passengers with even more travel opportunities to Asia. For travellers from Hong Kong, our airport offers direct access to the capital of Europe and also serves as an excellent gateway to destinations across Europe. We look forward to a successful partnership.”, said Arnaud Feist CEO of Brussels Airport. “We are very excited to be returning to Brussels next year, a city steeped in history and also an important political centre.”, said Lavinia Lau, Cathay Pacific Chief Customer and Commercial Officer. The flights will be operated using efficient Airbus A350-900 aircraft, featuring fully flat beds in Business Class, spacious Premium Economy seats, and comfortable Economy cabins, ensuring a premium travel experience for all passengers. #travel #airlines 📷 Pexels

Do you fancy buying a hotel? If you have some spare change to invest, a recently opened eco-friendly hotel, close to Farringdon station in London, has gone on the market with a guide price of £50 million. Officially opened in November 2024, the Ruby Stella offers a modern, recently refitted, sustainable property that features 153 rooms, a restaurant, and communal spaces. RE Capital has placed the Ruby Stella on the market and it represents a good opportunity for someone to secure an energy efficient hotel with modern features and prime connectivity to London’s transport network. Farringdon is not only in the thriving Clerkenwell district of London, but also has excellent bus and train links, including the recently opened Elizabeth Line and Thameslink, providing direct rail connectivity to both Heathrow and Gatwick airports. In hotel-speak, the Ruby Stella is a “lean luxury” property, offering comfort at an accessible room rate. Sustainability is at the heart of the Ruby Stella’s design, with a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, an EPC rating of A6. The hotel also features energy-efficient air-source heat pumps, and CO2 emissions have been reduced by 35%, compared to the period before the building’s refit. Luke Dhanoa, Head of UK Asset Management at RE Capital UK, expressed the company’s pride in the hotel’s innovative design and sustainability features, stating, “The Ruby Stella Hotel reflects RE Capital’s dedication to delivering high-quality, sustainable assets in prime urban locations.” The sale of the Ruby Stella Hotel is being handled by Savills Hotel Capital Markets, with a guide price of £50 million for the freehold property, with an operator lease in place. Richard Dawes, Director at Savills, highlighted the hotel’s significant appeal to investors, noting that “the property’s exceptional sustainability credentials, coupled with a long-term lease to an institutionally trusted operator, make it an attractive proposition for investors looking for long-term index-linked income and capital growth potential.” Savills Hotels Savills Operational Capital Markets #hotels #hospitality