by editorial office, mas

Grand City Hotels & Resorts (GCHR) took over three additional hotels around the turn of the year. Its portfolio in the capital thus grew by two additional hotels, for a total of nine properties in Berlin. There will be a new hotel in Düsseldorf, as well. This means that the fast-growing hotel management company, based in Berlin, now comprises a total of 56 hotels. Further investments in the expansion of the hotel portfolio are to follow soon.

The Malaysian state of Sabah is globally known as a diving paradise. It is situated in the north-east of Borneo, the third largest island in the world, and offers some of the best diving spots in Southeast Asia. It is also a place where travelers can find an almost pristine paradise of rare and endangered species, such as the orang-utans, green sea turtles, genuine tortoiseshell turtles, napoleon wrasses and giant clams.

Indulgence at Sutera Harbour Resorts begins with the inviting and luxurious rooms to pamper traveling business individuals, families, friends and couples on their romantic getaway.

2009 promises to be an exciting year ahead for Sutera Harbour Resort with scheduled refurbishment across both The Pacific Sutera and The Mangellan Sutera hotels to enhance and improve the quality of rooms in order to complement the fast-moving lifestyle and expectations of the well-traveled guest.

Providing the tourism sector with the necessary tools to help overcome the current economic situation is among UNWTO’s increased response efforts. Short-term economic goals must be aligned with long-term commitments to sustainable development, poverty alleviation and climate change response. This will be the focus of the four major UNWTO events and other activities at FITUR 2009 (28 January – 01 February, Madrid, Spain).

by Volker Hasse

On February 10, 1209, Berlin’s „Green Lung“ was first mentioned in records under the name of COPANIC. In the 800 years leading to this year’s town jubilee, Köpenick developed from a „hill site“ at the junction of Dahme and Spree into a popular tourism destination, rich in lakes and in the greenest environment of Berlin. After the fusion of Berlin & Treptow in 2001, it became an international location for science and media.

The Minister of Tourism, YB Dato’ Sri Azalina Dato’ Othman Said, outlined the details of the establishment of the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) at a press conference held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

This followed the announcement made on 3 December by Deputy Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Abdul Razak to strengthen Malaysia’s tourism industry by targeting the MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) market.