Tourismembassy News

The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) is your way onto a winning team—the cruise industry. FCCA membership cultivates close relationships with the team's players, coaches and management—Member Line CEOs, presidents and executives deciding what products are sold onboard and where ships call—while letting you showcase your talents and discuss what you offer over a friendly dinner, private one-on-one meeting, cocktail reception or even Caribbean cruise.

On a mission to inspire people to do things they've never done and see things they've never seen, Travelocity and The Roaming Gnome are inviting consumers once again to "Go & Smell the Roses" in a series of new advertising, digital and promotional efforts that encourage would-be travelers to actively dream about where they want to go. The new integrated campaign highlights the very best of The Roaming Gnome's globetrotting adventures and kicks off the #iWannaGo Contest, enticing consumers to tell The Roaming Gnome where they want to travel for a chance to win their ultimate dream vacation.

Paulson & Co. Inc. ("Paulson"), a New York-based investment firm, today announced that it has acquired a majority interest in the Condado Vanderbilt and La Concha Renaissance Hotel and Tower, and the accompanying Condado Vanderbilt condominium towers in San Juan, Puerto Rico for $260 million, including costs to complete construction of the Vanderbilt. The investment was made in partnership with International Hospitality Enterprises ("IHE"), a highly regarded owner and operator of hotels in Puerto Rico.

Restaurant To Feature Japanese-inspired Street Food In A Fun And Approachable Setting

 Interstate Hotels & Resorts – the leading U.S.-based global hotel management company – announces new UK management contracts for ibis budget Hotel Derby and ibis budget Hotel Leicester. The new hotels increase Interstate's rapidly expanding UK portfolio by 154 guestrooms and cements its position as the premier hotel management company in the UK, raising its collection to 49 hotels managed and signed.

Official sports travel company, Cartan Global, is proud to become an Authorized Agent for FC Barcelona's Hospitality Programme. From now on, our clients won't miss out on a chance to see the Blaugrana superstars such as Messi, Neymar Jr., Alexis Sánchez, Iniesta, Xavi, and many more. The ticket offer from Cartan includes premier seating and VIP services at Camp Nou, where you can enjoy the excitement in an exclusive atmosphere.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG®), one of the world's leading hotel companies, has been named to FORTUNE Magazine's 2014 "World's Most Admired Companies" list*. Celebrating ten years as a standalone hotel company, this is IHG's first-ever recognition on this list. IHG was ranked fourth in the Hotels, Casinos and Resorts Industry Category. And with a portfolio of more than 4,700 hotels and 687,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories, IHG led its industry category on the 'Global Competitiveness' key attribute. 

Hard Rock International – the brand that continues to strike a chord in the lifestyle hotel experience by keeping music at the forefront – proudly welcomed Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs on March 6, 2014 with an extravagant Grand Opening party. Celebrating the brand's introduction to the famed Desert Valley hot spot, guests witnessed the hotel debut with unrivalled entertainment as the popular indie headlining electronic rock duo, Phantogram, performed poolside. High profile celebrities including The Mindy Project's Anders Holm and reality star, Audrina Patridge, all stepped out to greet California's second Hard Rock Hotel.

Domino's Pizza (NYSE: DPZ) is using daylight saving time and pizza boxes to encourage people to protect themselves from home fires. The recognized world leader in pizza delivery, along with its friends at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), is reminding customers to change their smoke alarm batteries when they change their clocks. Domino's will utilize its pizza boxes to deliver fire safety tips throughout the month of March in participating markets across the country.

A new survey indicates that the only thing we all have in common when it comes to a good night's sleep is that our needs and preferences are diverse, and for those seeking rest away from home, the demand for a personalized sleep environment is increasing. For the 92% of survey respondents who expressed distinct preferences on the firmness of a bed, there's especially good news.

Plans to add more than 500 new jobs in the region in response to record revenue growth and customer momentum in Europe

Plans to open new data centres in U.K., France and Germany

Companies of all sizes in Europe, including BMW Group, Pernod Ricard, and Zeiss, turn to salesforce.com to transform for the Internet of Customers with Salesforce1

The popular Bud Light Lime Ritas franchise is doubling. The brand is introducing two new permanent flavors - Mang-O-Rita and Raz-Ber-Rita - as the third and fourth flavor profiles in the Bud Light Lime Ritas family, which also launched a fifth flavor - Bud Light Lime Cran-Brrr-Rita - as a limited-time season offering in 2013.

Heineken®, the official beer sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), announces #15secondpremiere, a social call-to-action that challenges people to get outside their comfort zone at TFF. From now until 11:59pm EST on Friday, March 7(th), Heineken is accepting film pitches via Twitter and will select one to produce as an epic 15-second short to premiere at a private event at the Festival. People can enter by sending their movie pitch in a single tweet, using #15secondpremiere. 

Conceived by agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners for the CMPB in 1993, "got milk?" became so successful it was quickly licensed and adopted by the national Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) for use in their Milk Mustache campaign (which originally carried the line, "MILK - What a surprise!", and then transitioned to "MILK - Where's your mustache?"). MilkPEP also ran the California TV campaign for four years. 

Baskin-Robbins, the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, today announced that it is celebrating Mardi Gras by bringing the classic flavors of New Orleans' hometown dessert to guests across the country with its new March Flavor of the Month, Bananas Foster. With the new flavor, Baskin-Robbins has transformed the traditional New Orleans dessert into an irresistible Bananas Foster-flavored ice cream with a brown sugar rum-flavored ribbon and praline pecans. 

Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, announced today that the company is recruiting franchisees in Dothan, AL. Currently, there are 18 restaurants located throughout the state. 

Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: BEE) today announced that the Company has closed on the sale of the Four Seasons Punta Mita Resort and the adjacent La Solana land parcel for $200.0 million.  The Company expects after tax proceeds to total approximately $180.0 million which it intends to use to retire its 8.50% Series A Preferred Stock and reduce indebtedness under its revolving credit facility.

Mazatlan, Mexico's "Colonial City on the Beach,"  is prepared to host more than one million international and domestic tourists at its Carnival 2014 celebration.  With hotels booked to capacity, thousands of day visitors expected and cruise ships in port, Mazatlan is ready to welcome a record-breaking number of guests.

  Interstate Hotels & Resorts – the leading U.S.-based global hotel management company – announces the opening of seven new leading hotels around the world expanding the Company's portfolio by nearly 2,000 rooms, including the four top hotels in the dynamic Olympic city of Sochi, Russia; the award-winning combined Residence Inn and Courtyard New York Manhattan/Central Park, renowned as the tallest hotel in North America; and the new contemporary designed Streamsong® Resort, a critically-acclaimed Florida golf resort and conference center featuring two top-ranked signature golf courses and world class amenities. The new global openings further prove the Company's ability to open any hotel or destination resort, no matter asset class or brand, in any market of the world, even within a two-month span.

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today was named to FORTUNE's 2014 list of World's Most Admired Companies for the 20th consecutive year. Southwest was ranked as the 9th Most Admired Company and is the only commercial airline to make the Top Ten.  FORTUNE worked with the Hay Group, a global management consulting firm, and asked executives, directors, and analysts which companies they admired most from a list made up of the companies that ranked in the top 25 percent in last year's survey, plus those that finished in the top 20 percent of their industry.

Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:WYN) announced today its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.35 per share on its common stock, payable March 28, 2014 to shareholders of record as of March 14, 2014.

Boeing Senior Vice President Wanda Denson-Low has announced her plans to retire from the company June 2 after serving on the company's executive council and leading the Office of Internal Governance for the past seven years.

Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills Guest rooms sell out months in advance for the festivities of Awards Season and the unique gifts provided during each Awards Season give the VIP's another reason to return, beyond the impeccable service and amenities of the hotel.

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) announced today that Micky Arison, Chairman of the Board of Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc, has advised Carnival Corporation that trusts organized for his benefit plan to sell up to 10 million shares of Carnival Corporation common stock ("Shares") in market sales, representing up to approximately 1% of the total combined voting rights of Carnival Corporation & plc. Arison indicated that he is selling for tax planning, estate planning and diversification purposes. All Arison Shares are held either directly or indirectly in various trusts for his benefit.