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October 10, 2017
California’s “Wine Country” regions of Napa and Sonoma have suffered severe forest fires beginning on Sunday, with some areas forced to evacuate. At the time of this writing, at least 10 people have died.
The New York Times reports:
Fast-moving wildfires raged across Northern California on Monday, killing at least 10 people, sending well over 100 to hospitals, forcing up to 20,000 to evacuate and destroying more than 1,500 buildings in one of the most destructive fire emergencies in the state’s history.
Firefighters were battling blazes in eight counties, officials said.
The fires raged through the hills that are home to some of the country’s most prized vineyards. The main north-south highway that connects San Francisco to the northernmost parts of California was closed Monday as fire engulfed both sides of the freeway. Santa Rosa is a hub for tours into wine country, and at least two large hotels that cater to the wine tourism trade were destroyed by the fires.
The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that many of the vineyards popular with tourists suffered fire damage:
Of the hundreds of wineries in the region, nearly all were forced to close Monday, and a handful of wineries were burned to the ground, such as Signorello Estate in Napa and Paradise Ridge in Santa Rosa. Others, including Continuum Estate on Napa’s Pritchard Hill and Cliff Lede Vineyards in Yountville, remained untouched, but were being vigilantly watched as fires surged closer and closer.
Some historic properties were lost. White Rock Vineyards, whose Soda Canyon area winery was first established in 1870, was completely gone, a staff member confirmed. And some historic vineyards, especially in Sonoma Valley — irreplaceable old vines dating back to the 19th century, in some cases — were feared singed.
Please contact the PR Team if you have any questions or concerns: TravelLeadersGroupPR@TravelLeaders.com.
October 9, 2017
An American Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles caught fire today during cargo loading, and the flight was canceled.
According to the Washington Post:
An American Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles was canceled Monday after a piece of loading equipment caught fire while it was preparing to put cargo in the hold of the plane, the airline said. One person was hurt.
The container that was on the loading equipment also caught fire in the process, said Martha Thomas, a spokeswoman for the airline.
The cargo it contained was “non–hazardous,” Thomas said, without providing details. She added that the airline was looking into the cause of the mechanical issue that triggered the fire.
Boarding had not yet started and no passengers or crew on Flight 192 were injured, she said.
Please contact the PR Team if you have any questions or concerns: TravelLeadersGroupPR@TravelLeaders.com.
October 9, 2017
Due to a disagreement on diplomatic relations, the United States and Turkey have stopped issuing visas for citizens of the other country.
Bloomberg reports:
Markets in Istanbul tumbled after the U.S. and Turkey stopped issuing visas for each other’s citizens in a spat related to last year’s failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, deepening divisions between two NATO members already at odds over the war in Syria.
The Trump administration halted visa services for Turks on Sunday, citing the Oct. 4 arrest of a Turkish citizen employed at the U.S. consulate in Istanbul for alleged involvement in the July 2016 putsch attempt. Erdogan’s government responded in kind within hours, repeating verbatim much of the U.S. statement.
According to Fortune:
The move represents a swift deterioration of a long-simmering diplomatic conflict between the two countries. Turkey suspects the U.S. of having helped to plan the failed coup of President Erdogan in 2016 and claims it is now protecting Turks who were involved; The U.S. says Turkey has flouted due process in its arrest of the embassy worker and that there is no evidence of U.S. involvement in the coup. To make matters worse, Erdogan has now all but admitted that he is holding Americans hostage in Turkey as bargaining chips for the extradition of Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish spiritual leader living in self-imposed exile in the U.S.
Until further notice no visas for travel, business, temporary work, study, or medical purposes will be processed by either embassy. That will mean a huge reduction in the number of visas issued between the countries. According to the State Department, American outfits in Turkey issued 113,240 non-settlement visas issued in fiscal year 2016 and only 4,834 settlement visas. U.S. tourism in Turkey has fallen off in recent years. More than 88,000 Americans visited Turkey in 2015, but that number plummeted to just over 37,000 in 2016.
Please contact the PR Team if you have any questions or concerns: TravelLeadersGroupPR@TravelLeaders.com.
Talking Points – Las Vegas and Travel Safety
Copyright © 2017 – Travel Leaders Group LLC. All rights reserved.
The following Talking Points can be used in conversations with the media and clients when discussing travel within the United States in the wake of the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. (October 4, 2017).
- Our thoughts are with the victims and their families in the recent tragic incident in Las Vegas. Our hearts go out to all who were impacted and we are grateful for the work of the first responders and the outpouring of support from the Las Vegas community and tourism industry.
- Many Americans will take the view that we should not let fear dominate our lives. The overwhelming majority of travelers to Southern Nevada – a record nearly 43 million tourists last year – visit Las Vegas and enjoy its attractions incident-free.
- The October 1 attack on an outdoor music concert could not have been foreseen but, there are general precautions travelers should take wherever they travel to help ensure their safety and well-being.
- Safety is our top priority for our clients.
Below you will find additional information, supporting material and statistics to help further illustrate each talking point.
- Our thoughts are with the victims and their families in the recent tragic incident in Las Vegas. Our hearts go out to all who were impacted and we are grateful for the work of the first responders and the outpouring of support from the Las Vegas community and tourism industry.
Every American should be able to travel freely without fear for their personal safety and security. The travel industry and our agency holds the victims and their families in our thoughts. We are grateful to see the Las Vegas community step up to help those affected by donating places to stay, food, supplies and other assistance.
- Many Americans will take the view that we should not let fear dominate our lives. The overwhelming majority of travelers to Southern Nevada – a record nearly 43 million tourists last year – visit Las Vegas and enjoy its attractions incident-free.
Of the nearly 43 million tourists who visited Southern Nevada in the past year, approximately 28.5 million of them visited Las Vegas, according to stats from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).
o Las Vegas is one of the most-visited destinations within the United States, with record 42,936,109 visitors in 2016. Approximately 6.3 million of those visitors came specifically to attend meetings and events.
o Tourism accounts for about 44 per cent of the area’s work force, with more than 250,000 people making a living in hotels, restaurants, bars and casinos, and 100,000 employed in additional services. This is a higher percentage than even Orlando, Florida, home to Disney World.
o In Cvent’s annual list of the top meetings destination in the U.S., Las Vegas was ranked No. 2, just behind Orlando, Florida, with 6.3 million convention attendees in 2016.
o In Travel Leaders Group’s 2017 Fall Travel Trends Survey, Las Vegas ranked as the third most-booked destination for the year, according to approximately 1,300 travel agents. Las Vegas has perennially been among the very top domestic destinations booked each year.
Despite the mass shooting, it is anticipated that travelers will continue to support the destination.
o On the evening of October 1, 2017, a lone gunman, Stephen Paddock, shot into a street-level crowd of concert goers from his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort, killing nearly 60 people and injuring more than 520,
This is the worst mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history.
The second worst mass shooting happened in June 2016 at a night club in Orlando when a lone gunman, Omar Mateen, killed 49 people and wounded nearly 60.
Statistics from Visit Orlando show the attack has not been detrimental to tourism. Orlando, as a whole, has seen a 3.3 per cent increase in visitors so far this year, compared with 2016, while Orlando Central and South, near where the atrocity took place, have seen 3.3 per cent and 2.6 per cent growth respectively.
The Las Vegas Strip remains among the nation’s safest areas and is among the most heavily patrolled by security and surveillance due to the gaming industry.
o Hoteliers weighed in, according to an article in Skift:
“We are constantly reviewing our security policies and practices to keep our guests and employees safe. We are also working very closely with law enforcement, especially Las Vegas Metro, to continue to keep our properties secure,” said Jennifer Forkish, VP of corporate communications for Caesars Entertainment, which operates Caesars Palace and other hotels located on the Las Vegas Strip
“In the immediate aftermath of the shooting on Sunday, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s parent company, MGM Resorts International, issued a statement on Twitter saying, “Law enforcement requested that we put hotels in the vicinity on lockdown to ensure guest safety.”
Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, said, “As a business that is centered on serving the public, no issue is more important than safety and security. Hotels have safety and security procedures in place that are regularly reviewed, tested and updated as are their emergency response procedures. As we better understand the facts in the coming days, we will continue to work with law enforcement to evaluate these measures.”
There are no travel warnings in effect about travel to Las Vegas.
o The U.S. Travel Association has not issued a warning about travel to Las Vegas.
“We are deeply saddened by the events in Las Vegas and concerned for the victims, their families, and everyone else who is affected. We have many, many dear friends in Las Vegas and at this moment are focused on learning all we can about their well-being, and extending any and all assistance we are able to offer.”
o The Government of Canada has no warning in place for its citizens visiting the United. The official advisory from Canada states, “Exercise normal security precautions. There is no nationwide advisory in effect for the United States.”
Exercise normal security precautions is defined as: “There are no significant safety and security concerns. The overall safety and security situation is similar to that of Canada. You should take normal security precautions.”
o The United Kingdom’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office has no warning in place for its citizens visiting the United States, nor for Las Vegas specifically. It does say:
“On 1 October 2017 a major gun attack took place in downtown Las Vegas, at a country music festival near the Mandalay Bay Hotel. If you’re in Las Vegas, you should continue to follow the advice of the local security authorities and adhere to any road closures.”
“If you were caught up in the incident, this page provides advice and links to further support for British nationals affected by crises abroad..”
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) has opened a dedicated telephone line for anyone concerned about specific individuals in the area around the Mandalay Bay Hotel (+1 800 536 9488). The LVMPD has also opened a family reunification centre at its headquarters in Building B, 400 S. Martin L. King Blvd.
There is a general statement about safety and security. It says:
Violent crime, including gun crime, rarely involves tourists, but you should take care when travelling in unfamiliar areas. Avoid walking through less travelled areas alone, especially at night. You can find public advisories and information about recent incidents on the websites of local law enforcement authorities.
- The October 1 attack on an outdoor music concert could not have been foreseen but, there are general precautions travelers should take wherever they travel to help ensure their safety and well-being.
While no one can say with certainty that any destination is 100% safe, we strongly encourage our clients to use care and common sense – no matter where they travel – to maximize their safety and security. For example:
o Leave a copy of your itinerary and passport data page with a friend or family member back home so you can be contacted in case of an emergency.
o Know and respect the laws in the country you are visiting.
o Remain alert to your surroundings at all times. Follow your instincts and avoid any areas or situations that seem as though they could become dangerous.
o Avoid all demonstrations, as even peaceful ones can quickly become unruly and a foreigner could become a target of harassment. If caught unexpectedly near a
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demonstration, obey instructions from police and leave the area as quickly as possible.
o Ask tour guides and hotel officials about any planned demonstrations in the locations they plan to visit.
o Do not display expensive looking jewelry, large amounts of money or other valuable items. Also, do not leave luggage unattended in public areas and do not accept packages from strangers.
o Check with your cell phone provider prior to departure to see if your phone is capable of roaming on GSM or 3G/4G international networks.
o Check your medical insurance coverage to make sure it applies overseas. If it doesn’t, consider buying travel insurance that covers overseas medical attention and medical evacuation.
o Do not display large amounts of money. Place small amounts in different pockets to assist with this or use credit cards or travelers’ checks.
o Make copies of your credit cards front and back and place them in a secured place for your records (room safe). This can be very useful if you need to report a lost or stolen card.
o If you see something suspicious, call 911 immediately. When you return to your hotel, use the main entrance especially in the evening.
o Be wary of solicitors. Use reputable places of business for all your entertainment transactions.
o Travel in pairs or groups if possible.
o Always have a meeting place for the kids to meet you if they get lost.
o Small children should have their name and phone number placed on their clothes label or the inside of a shoe flap with a permanent marker in case they are lost.
o Small children should always be led by the hand when crossing the road or near busy streets.
o Teach your kids your name, house phone and cell phone number.
o Use the sidewalk and pedestrian crossings.
- Safety is our top priority for our clients.
Our business is founded on repeat customers. Therefore, we want to be sure everything goes off without a hitch.
We provide the facts so our clients can make informed decisions about their travel plans.
We closely monitor the U.S. Department of State website for travel alerts for all destinations, including those that are most popular with our clients.
Should we become aware of an issue for a specific destination, we alert clients who may be planning to travel there so they can make determine for themselves if they still wish to travel.
We also work closely with respected hotels, resorts, cruise lines, tour operators and other suppliers to remain informed of security precautions they’re taking to guard our clients’ safety.
Monday, October 2, 2017
Alert – Las Vegas Shooting: At Least 50 Dead, 200-plus Injured
All,
More than 110,000 customers of the United Kingdom’s Monarch Airlines are stranded abroad today after the airline financially collapsed and cancelled all of its flights at 3 a.m. local time. All flights from the UK, including some 300,000 future bookings, have been cancelled and will not be rescheduled. Passengers are encouraged to visit monarch.caa.co.uk, or call the helpline on 0300 303 2800 if calling from the UK or +44 1753 330330 from abroad, reported the Daily Mail.
According to the CNN/Money:
Monarch had been under enormous financial pressure from rising costs, low demand on some routes because of terrorism fears, as well as a drop in the value of the pound, according to accounting firm KPMG.
About 110,000 U.K.-based Monarch customers are stranded overseas and need to be brought back. The biggest airline collapse in U.K. history also affects 750,000 people booked on future flights or holidays.
The New York Times reports:
Monarch Airlines, a struggling British low-cost carrier and tour operator, collapsed into bankruptcy early Monday, ceasing its flights and forcing the government to step in and bring home more than 100,000 passengers stranded abroad.
Britain’s aviation regulator called the collapse of Monarch the “biggest ever U.K. airline failure.” The airline is one of many that have struggled to grapple with Europe’s highly competitive airline market.
Just this year, the Italian carrier Alitalia went into administration, which is similar to bankruptcy protection in the United States, and is currently seeking a buyer. Air Berlin, a German low-cost carrier, filed for insolvency and has put its assets up for sale.
Ryanair, an Irish discount airline, has expressed interest in making a bid for Alitalia’s assets, but it has faced its own public backlash after it was forced to cancel more than 1,000 flights in September and October because of mistakes in its handling of vacation time for pilots. Last week, Ryanair said it would cancel an additional 18,000 flights on 34 routes between November and March to avoid further cancellations.
For Monarch, “mounting cost pressures and increasingly competitive market conditions in the European short-haul market” led to “a sustained period of trading losses,” Blair Nimmo, a partner at the accounting firm KPMG, which is acting as administrator for company, said in a news release.
Monarch’s problems have been building for some time.
Terrorist attacks in Egypt and Tunisia and unrest in Turkey dented demand for tourism to those destinations, weighing on the carrier’s results. That forced the airline to rely more on routes to popular vacation spots in southern Europe, such as Spain, where it faced stiff competition.
Monarch was founded in 1968 and operated flights to 40 destinations from Britain, as well as providing tour packages. It employed about 2,750 people, according to the company’s website.
Please contact the PR Team if you have any concerns: TravelLeadersGroupPR@TravelLeaders.com.
Friday, October 2, 2017
Alert – Las Vegas Shooting: At Least 50 Dead, 200-plus Injured
All,
At least 50 people were killed and more than 200 injured in a shooting outside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip during a music festival on Sunday night around 10 p.m. local time. Shots were being fired from the 32nd floor of the resort by a lone gunman before being killed during a standoff with police, authorities said. Reports say this is the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, surpassing the June 2016 shootings at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., where 49 people were killed. Police identified suspect Stephen Paddock, age 64.
According to the New York Times:
A gunman firing from a Las Vegas hotel rained a rapid-fire barrage on a huge outdoor concert festival on Sunday night, sending thousands of people fleeing until SWAT units found and killed him. More than 20 victims died, and more than 100 others were wounded, officials said.
Online video of the attack outside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino showed the country singer Jason Aldean performing outside at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, a three-day country music event, interrupted by the sound of automatic gunfire. The music stopped, and concertgoers ducked for cover. “Get down,” one shouted. “Stay down,” screamed another.
The Las Vegas Sun reports:
A gunman on the 32nd floor of a Las Vegas Strip casino opened fire Sunday night on an outdoor music below, killing at least 20 people — including two off-duty police officers — and wounding more than 100, authorities said.
Officers confronted the suspect at Mandalay Bay, across the street from the concert grounds, and he was killed, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said. Authorities did not release the suspect’s name but said he was a local resident.
Lombardo said police believe the shooting was a “lone wolf” attack but were looking for a roommate of the dead suspect for questioning. Police identified her as 62-year-old Marilou Danley.
They were also looking for two vehicles, a Hyundai Tucson with Nevada license plate 114B40 and a Chrysler Pacifica Touring with Nevada plates 79D401, police said.
Dozens of police vehicles swarmed the Strip after authorities received reports of an active shooter near the Route 91 Harvest Festival. Concert-goers reported seeing muzzle flashes from the upper floors of Mandalay Bay and the sound of what they described as automatic gun fire.
Witnesses said they saw multiple victims as they fled the concert venue. Some later huddled in the basement of the nearby Tropicana.
“All I heard was a lot of bang, bang, bang, and everybody hit the ground, and everybody started running,” said Patrick Martin, a Southern California resident, who was at the concert with his wife and son.
Twenty-six people were admitted to the hospital, University Medical Center spokeswoman Danita Cohen said. Of those, at least two died, 12 were in critical condition and the rest were being evaluated, she said.
With at least 20 deaths, a total that could rise, the shooting is already among the worst in U.S. history. The most deadly occurred in June 2016 at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., where 49 people were killed.
Kodiak Yazzi, 36, said he and his girlfriend were watching Aldean’s performance when he heard what sounded like fireworks. The music stopped temporarily and started up again before another round of pops sent the performers ducking for cover and fleeing the stage.
Thousands fled as bursts of gunfire could be heard for more than five minutes, Yazzi said.
“We were all dancing, we were having a good time, all of a sudden I heard all of these shots,” said Candace LaRosa, 48, of Huntington Beach, Calif. She said that she thought it was a part of a fireworks show. “It was just mass, mass blood everywhere.”
According to CNN Live Updates:
Facebook has activated its safety check for “The violent incident in Las Vegas, Nevada.”
The social media site is providing updates on the situation and collating offers of help from local residents.
Please contact the PR Team if you have any concerns: TravelLeadersGroupPR@TravelLeaders.com.
Travel Leaders Presidents Circle Exclusive Offer for October:
Any Balcony or above stateroom booked on a 7 night or longer Caribbean and Bahamas sailing departing January 1, 2018 – April 30, 2018 will receive a complimentary Specialty Dinner for Two.
BOGO50
Booking Window: October 1-31, 2017 12:00 a.m. EST Sailing Window: All sailings departing on or after November 1, 2017. Offer details: Buy one, get one 50% off
o Buy One Guest, Get Second Guest 50% Off
o 25% Savings for 3/4 guests
Kids Sail Free Bonus:
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Consumer flyer:
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Trade Flyer:
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Deck the Holidays Deals:
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| 5N less | I/O: $25 | B/D: $50 | |
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100 Hour Sale:
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Trade Flyer: http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Promotions/17058603_100_Hr_Trade.pdf
Royal Suite Class Free Pre-Paid Gratuities
Booking Window: September 1, 2017 – October 31, 2017
Sailing Window: All sailings departing on or after October 1, 2017
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Consumer flyer: http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Promotions/17058486_SuitePromo_Consumer.pdf
Trade flyer:http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Promotions/17058487_SuitePromo_Trade.pdf
I have also attached bonus commission opportunities for GR, AN, AD.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Susan Dentino | Strategic Account Manager |Southern CT, RI, and South Massachusetts
Samara SaintSurin | Business Development Specialist
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. | 1080 Caribbean Way, Miami FL 33132
800-327-2056 ext. 83619| susandsupport@rccl.com
