Programs & Packages

• Meeting planners can grab the keys to the family-owned Gstaad Palace in the Swiss Alps through the Rent-A-Palace program. Available to groups larger than 100, the palace offers 104 rooms and suites and five conference rooms ranging from 200 to more than 2,000 square feet. The palace also offers gourmet international cuisine and a range of incentive and team-building excursion opportunities, from igloo receptions to raft-building. For more information, call +41. 33.748.50.00 or visit www.palace.ch.

Destination Dispatch

• ALHI expanded into Asia with the creation of a new global sales organization, Associated Destinations Worldwide, and the addition of six hotels in China and two in Hong Kong. Recent additions to the luxury portfolio include Langham properties in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. For more information, visit www.alhi.com.


• President James Michel announced the appointment of Alain St. Ange as Seychelles Minister of Tourism & Culture. The island nation is working to develop its tourism portfolio and offers several properties that can accommodate mid-size groups, such as the Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa, with 20 guest rooms and 2,000 square feet of event space, and the Le Meridien Barabons, with 120 rooms and 3,000 square feet of function space, located 10 minutes from the capital city of Victoria. For more information, visit www.seycehelles.com.


• Groups visiting Perth can enjoy Western Australia’s burgeoning culinary scene. A booming economy and new small business liquor license laws have combined to create a welcoming environment for new restaurants and venues. The Greenhouse (www.greenhouseperth.com) in the city’s central business district creates healthy dishes using fresh produce from the property’s rooftop garden, and uses environmentally friendly straw-bale insulation and water-recycling systems. Located above the Perth Underground train station, The Aviary (www.theaviaryperth.com.au) bar and restaurant offers skyline views and rooftop event space, accommodating more than 600 guests on two levels. For more information, visit www.westernaustralia.com.


• The Belize Tourism Board broke ground in February on the Belmopan Fort Point Pedestrian Walk project as part of a $5.5 million sustainable development of the city’s tourism zone. The 16-month project, financed by the Belizean government, will transform the area into a multifunctional space for group events, recreation and leisure activities. For more information, visit www.sustainabletourismbz.org.


• The city of Madrid has combined the efforts of Promocion Madrid and the Madrid Tourist Board under the newly formed Madrid Visitors and Convention Bureau (VCB). In addition to tourism promotion and marketing, the VCB is responsible for attracting MICE business through the Madrid Convention Bureau, one of its most important departments. For more information, call +34.91.758.5528 or visit www.esmadrid.com.


• Since 2003, Madrid Fusion has been wowing visitors with culinary delights. Now it’s younger sibling, Gastrofestival, has established itself with upscale lodging partners and over 300 participating local businesses. This year, Madrid’s Gastrofestival added new sections exploring health and wine. Held every January, the 15-day festival offers cooking classes and restaurant deals and explores gastronomy as an art form through museum tours and a food-themed film festival. For more information, visit www.gastrofestival.com.


• Nairobi-based Kenya Airways announced a new route to New Delhi beginning May 15. The airline will fly the route four times a week, adding New Delhi as part of its 10-year growth strategy. The city is the airline’s 57th destination and second in India, following Mumbai. For more information, visit www.kenya-airways.com.

New Releases

• To promote the country to the large number of travelers expected to attend the upcoming 2012 FIFA World Cup and 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian Tourism Board launched the Brazil Brand travel website, offering tools, information and images, and a new downloadable game app, Brasil Quest. The game imparts information about the 12 World Cup host cities through the adventures of YEP, an alien who visits Brazil and falls in love with the country’s beauty. For more information, visit www.braziltour.com.

Kudos

• Australia’s InterContinental Adelaide reached zero-waste-to-landfill status this year by separating organic waste materials and recyclables. One of four InterContinental locations in the country, the Adelaide property in South Australia has five meeting rooms and 3,000 square feet of exhibit space. For more information, call +61 8.8238.2400 or visit www.intercontinental.com/adelaide.


• Ground was broken on the Shangri-La Hotel Colombo in Sri-Lanka, 45 minutes from Colombo International Airport. The property is expected to open in 2015, with 661 guest rooms and views of the Indian Ocean. Shangri-La is also developing a 315-key resort property in the coastal city of Hambantota to open in 2014. Both new hotels will participate in the brand’s ongoing sustainability and CSR initiatives, including Embrace, a Care for People program that raises money for children’s heart surgery and the improvent of local education and school infrastructure. For more information, visit www.shangri-la.com.