Smart dining experience wins top honours. Lovers of fine food have even more reasons to delight in the new dining concept offered at Room81 on the Gold Coast, with Chef de Cuisine, Daniel Ridgeway taking out two top titles for his innovative fare. Based at Room 81 located at the Sofitel Gold Coast, this young chef has been honoured for his unique style, having being awarded first place in the Furitechnics 2007 Gold Box Restaurant Challenge and the Gold Coast Panache Magazine's Reviewers Choice ‘Chef of the Year 2007' within a week of each other. Up against strong competition in both events, Daniel's team also won the starter and dessert sections over 15 other restaurant teams at the prestigious Gold Box event staged at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.Then only days later, Daniel was named the best new comer at the annual Gold Coast Panache Magazine gala event. It's no wonder Sofitel Gold Coast's new dining venue has been listed as the hottest spot on the Gold Coast with its swanky yet unpretentious theme and ‘smart dining' concept. Following the new trend sweeping leading restaurants across Vancouver, Paris and Melbourne, Daniel has brought this new dining culture to Queensland, having returned to Australia after an 18 month stint at the multi award-winning ‘West' restaurant in Vancouver.
Top spot for China by 2014. Originally expected to overtake France as the number one tourism destination in 2020, China is now tipped to do so six years earlier, according to the World Tourism Organisation (WTO). Xu Jing, the WTO's Asia-Pacific representative, said China is set to overtake the US, currently in third place, this year in terms of foreign visitor arrivals. With an expected boost from next year's Beijing Olympics, and another shot in the arm supplied by the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, China will overtake France by 2014, Xu said. From just 300,000 in 1978, the number of foreign visitors to China reached 22 million in 2006, excluding arrivals from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, says the China National Tourism Administration. While tourism growth in France has been slow, China has been enjoying double-digit expansion for years, with the number of tourist arrivals doubling in the past five years alone. Source: TTN
Singapore Main-Board listed Banyan Tree Holdings Limited ("Banyan Tree" or the "Group") announced that it has signed a management contract for a new Angsana branded resort and spa on the island of Grand Turk in the Turks & Caicos Islands. This resort follows from Banyan Tree's current development on the island of Barbados and will be the first Angsana Resort and Spa within the Caribbean region. "This project affirms Banyan Tree's strategic intent to be a key player in the Americas. The introduction of Angsana Resort & Spa Grand Turk, will bring our brand of Asian hospitality to a larger group of discerning travelers," said Executive Chairman, Mr Ho Kwon Ping. Developed by G.H.R.D. Ltd, the Angsana Resort and Spa Grand Turk is fronted by the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean and approximately a kilometer of white sand beach. The resort comprises a hotel block with 160 suites, multiple F&B outlets, conference facilities and Banyan Tree's multi-award winning Angsana Spa. The development also consists of exclusive Angsana residential villas for sale.
Trica Jean-Baptiste Communications, LLC, one of the travel industry's leading boutique luxury travel public relations agency, has opened an office in the heart of London's Mayfair district at 16 Hanover Square, as announced by Founder and President, Trica Jean-Baptiste. The London office extends the company's high-profile to the European travel market and will service both international and U.S. domestic clients. It replaces the company's previous European branch which was located in Paris, France. Trica Jean-Baptiste Communications, LLC in London will outreach to media based in Europe and Asia, in addition to providing further public relations support to its European clients. Known for strategic results-oriented public relations programs, the agency represents a client roster of boutique hotels, resorts and private villas. "We are pleased to announce a satellite office in the European media capital, London, England. This location will enable us to work closely with our European media contacts and extend our philosophy of creating revenue-generating PR campaigns to present and future European clients," said Trica Jean-Baptiste. Trica Jean-Baptiste Communications, LLC is headquartered in the celebrated Tribeca film district of New York City, at the Tribeca Film Center, home to the famed Tribeca Film Festival. The company will maintain its U.S. headquarters. Trica Jean-Baptiste Communications London will be managed by company President and Founder Trica Jean-Baptiste and Director Kara Hoffman.
