Marriott International, Inc. expands its Marriott Bonvoy travel program by partnering with Cathay Membership, the loyalty scheme of Cathay. This collaboration offers eligible members exclusive perks through a special status match offer and a two-way conversion mechanism between Miles and Points. The alliance provides Marriott International access to Cathay’s 11 million members globally, offering them access to nearly 8,800 hotels and resorts worldwide across over 30 brands. Members can now enjoy benefits such as hotel stay redemption, points exchange, and enhanced flight and travel packages.

SATTE 2024 Wraps Up as a Resounding Success, Focusing on Inclusive and Sustainable Tourism

The 31st edition of SATTE 2024, South Asia’s premier travel show, concluded on Saturday at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, drawing significant interest from buyers, exhibitors, industry leaders, and travelers worldwide.

During the Spring Festival on February 11th, in Yucun, Tianhuangping Town, Anji County, the serene countryside buzzed with energy as 600 colorful fish-shaped lights elegantly danced in the air, weaving together to form a stunning 100-meter-long “dragon.” Excited tourists competed for the best photo spots near this mesmerizing display.

“This is the ‘common prosperity relay’ and also the main lantern of our lantern festival.” Ding Wenwen, one of the planners of this New Year’s lantern festival, said that the ‘colorful fish’ dragon lantern symbolizes the builders of beautiful rural areas wandering in the wave of rural revitalization, gathering together in a relay to form a soaring dragon. In recent years, Yucun has actively promoted the “Yucun Global Partnership Plan”, which has attracted many young people and rural areas to travel in both directions. The 9 sets of 11 original dragon lanterns displayed this time were designed for the first time by Yucun Global Partners and young cartoonists. Each set of dragon lanterns contains stories of Yucun’s development and youth participation in rural revitalization.

The Sedona International Film Festival (SIFF) traces its roots back to four visionary women—Marion Herrman, Lori Seymour, Pinky Greenberg, and Shirlin Hyatt—whose encounter with the Sundance festival inspired them to create something extraordinary. What began as a humble idea has blossomed into a globally acclaimed event, marking the highlight of Sedona’s cultural calendar and the largest annual gathering in the community.

The PGA TOUR and Omni Hotels & Resorts have extended their Official Marketing Partnership through 2028. Omni is now the Official Hotel and Resort of both the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions. Since 2018, Omni has donated over 1.28 million meals through its Say Goodnight to Hunger initiative, giving four meals for every birdie-or-better scored in PGA TOUR events.

These donations go to Feeding America member food banks in host cities across the United States. In the 2024 FedExCup Season alone, the initiative has provided over 45,000 meals, following a donation of over 234,000 meals in 2023.

The 46th Travel+ Exhibition and 32nd Budapest Boat Show opened at the Hungexpo Budapest Congress and Exhibition Center on the 22nd and will end tomorrow. According to Máriusz Révész, Secretary of State for Active Hungary, Hungarian travel preferences have shifted towards more adventurous holiday experiences in recent decades.

With 23 domestic and 28 foreign destinations featured across separate stands and almost 150 exhibitors ready to welcome visitors, the event offers a diverse range of travel opportunities.

South African Tourism, in collaboration with the Southern African Tourism Educators of South Africa (TESA) through the South Africa National Convention Bureau (SANCB), will host the highly anticipated Future Leaders Forum at the upcoming Meetings Africa trade show.

The Future Leaders Forum, a key event on the Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay) on February 26, is designed to engage and inspire young individuals aspiring to excel in the dynamic business events sector.

Anya Hindmarch’s Chubby Hearts Spread Love and Joy in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Design Centre’s latest event features a massive inflatable red heart designed by British designer Anya Hindmarch. The heart made its debut in February, delighting the city with its whimsical presence. Hindmarch’s chubby heart balloons soar over Hong Kong, bringing cheer and love to all who see them.

After the success of the Louis Vuitton Men’s Pre-Fall 2024 show at the Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong is gearing up for a series of exciting art and cultural events. These include “Chubby Hearts Hong Kong,” the premiere of Dior’s Fall 2024 men’s collection, the popular “ComplexCon,” and a celebration honoring the 100th anniversary of Hong Kong author Jin Yong.

The 2024 Pattaya Music Festival, known as “Sound on the Sand,” is organized by Pattaya city and the Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization. It aims to establish Pattaya as a nationally recognized music city, showcasing the charm of Pattaya Beach and boosting tourism. The festival spans four weekends in March, featuring renowned artists every Friday and Saturday.

The Zanzibar Tourism Summit and Exhibition has commenced, aiming to boost the island’s tourism through increased investment and global campaigns. The event seeks to elevate Zanzibar as the premier destination among Indian Ocean islands for global tourists and beach holidaymakers.

Organized by the Zanzibar Association for Tourism Investors (ZATI) and KILIFAIR Promotions from Northern Tanzania, the two-day exhibition has attracted participants from Tanzania, the rest of Africa, Europe, the United States (US), and Asia.