38 bus and tour operators set out with Schön Touristik to explore Sicily for their clients. The conclusion drawn by the participants of the fam trip: This destination offers the right thing for a large variety of travel interests – from Palazzo feeling to the rustic flair of rural life.

The group experienced a quantum leap in regards to travel weather, with the rainy Stuttgart sky turning into T-shirt weather in but a few hours. They were further awaited by the blooming flora of Sicily, a delight for group travelers on their way south from the chilly Germany.

by editorial office, bw

The Rezidor Hotel Group (STO:REZT), one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide, further extends the Park Inn portfolio and announces three new hotels: The Park Inn Abu Dhabi, Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates (204 rooms) will open at the end of 2009, the Park Inn St. Gallen in Switzerland (100 rooms) will join the group by mid 2010, and the Park Inn Dnepropetrovsk in Ukraine (250 rooms) will welcome the first guests in Q2 2011.

Newly-elected PATA Chairman Phornsiri Manoharn believes the Association has an increasingly important role to play in the current global economic crisis. She told the Association’s AGM in Macau SAR on Sunday, April 19 that PATA will continue to work closely with its very broad membership base.

She also made a firm commitment to support PATA President and CEO Greg Duffell in his drive to deliver added-value to all Association members. “For more than five decades PATA has played a significant role in shaping and enhancing the growth, value and quality of the Asia Pacific tourism industry.

by Joachim Fischer, Shanghai

Decision makers and organizers of exhibition and incentive trips used their stay in Shanghai for the trade fair IT&CM China as an opportunity to visit Radisson Hotel Pudong Century Park.

The trade fair, which takes place in the Chinese metropolis every April, is now in its third year. The event is organized by TTG Asia and trade organization MPI (Meeting Planner International), and buyers of business and incentive trips, as well as journalists from all over the world are flown in to Shanghai free of cost each year.

Tour operator SunTrips now provides its clients and all travel agencies with a revised version of its combination tool (dynamic packaging). The new version may be found at www.suntrips.de under „Kombinationen“ and „Agenturlogin“, as well as on the websites of the linked travel agency partners (app. 650 websites throughout Germany).

All travel agencies have the opportunity to embed this tool on their own website free of charge via i-Frame and to adjust the colors to complement their site. The major updates are availability checks of hotels (traffic light feature) for a given travel period and prior calculation of departure fees on the date of departure (this allows the clients and travel agencies to determine from the beginning which airline is the least expensive).

by Joachim Fischer, Shanghai

Bremen has handed in its Expo Special Day plan and its plan for events during Expo 2010 to the organizers. A promotion event of Bremen businessmen was also held in the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination yesterday.

Huang Jianzhi, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, introduced the latest progress of Expo preparation to the Bremen Delegation headed by Dr. Heiner Heseler, Bremen’s Economic and Harbor Minister.