The 4-star Arcadia Hotel Schloss Goldschmieding Castrop-Rauxel passed to VI Hotels & Resorts on 1 March 2014. This is now the seventh Arcadia Hotel being managed by the Austrian hotel group.The 4-star Arcadia Hotel Schloss Goldschmieding in Castrop-Rauxel was sold to VI Hotels & Resorts with effect from 1 March 2014. Dr. Andreas Karsten, CEO of VI Hotels, comments on the most recent addition: “This acquisition once again confirms the accurateness of our asset-strategy and the trust in our management know-how.

Average room price on the increase in 2013, company earnings and 2013 occupancy down slightly, numerous investments made, further domestic and international expansion, new Internet presence and development of direct marketing.
The average room price stood at 90.39 euros in 2013, which was slightly higher than the previous year (88.85 euros). However, due to a difficult market environment, Maritim Hotels recorded a fall in turnover in 2013, from 458.1 million euros (2012) to 433.9 million euros.

topbonus: Celebrating their 10th anniversary, topbonus, airberlin’s frequent flyer program, has recorded a total of 3.4 million members in more than 200 countries. Over the past three years the number of members has risen by around 40%. Frequent flyers in 30 countries within the global airberlin route network have already achieved Platinum status – the highest status after Silver and Gold.

As tourism destinations go, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea are outsiders. Aspects such as safety, the way these countries are governed, the current situation and reports on local events deter people and keep tourists away. At a discussion round at the ITB Berlin Convention moderated by Dr. Ajit Singh Sikand, a tourism development consultant who advises governments and lectures at the Institute of Indology at the Gutenberg University in Mainz as well as at universities in Denver und India, a debate took place on the prospects for tourism in crisis regions, in so-called “bad lands“.

They have limited means, but their numbers are many and growing. The talk is of young people from China travelling the globe. That is reason enough for the World Youth Student and Educational Travel Confederation (WYSE) to compile travel statistics on an emerging tourism market.

National Geographic Traveler and ITB Berlin honour sustainable projects with the World Legacy Awards.Next year ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel show, and National Geographic Traveler, the globally recognised travel magazine, will be honouring support for sustainable tourism with a series of new awards. This was announced by Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin GmbH, at the opening press conference of ITB Berlin 2014.