South Africa to reopen to international visitors in October

South Africa is preparing to reopen its borders to international travellers for the first time since March.

In an address to the nation earlier, president Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed the process would begin on October 1st.

The move comes as the country enters national lockdown alert ‘level one’ from Sunday, following a significant decrease in infections.

South Africa is currently recording an average of fewer than 2,000 Covid-19 cases per day.

Ramaphosa, however, said travel may be restricted to and from certain countries that are deemed high risk, with a list of these countries set to be announced in the coming days.

All international travellers will be required to present a Covid-19 free certificate dated no later than 72 hours within their date of arrival or quarantine on arrival.

P&O Cruises cancels all departures into 2021

P&O Cruises has confirmed a further extension in its pause in operations, with all sailings cancelled until early 2021.

All Caribbean cruises are cancelled until the end of January next year, while all cruises from and to Southampton are cancelled through February.

This is in addition to trips aboard Arcadia and Aurora, which have already been cancelled through to the end of their spring world cruises

P&O Cruises president, Paul Ludlow, said: “With evolving restrictions on travel from the UK, unfortunately it is necessary to cancel these itineraries.

Alex Beaumont Appointed Executive Chef At Cheeca Lodge & Spa in Islamorada, USA

Alex Beaumont joins the Cheeca team with an extensive background in hospitality that spans over 25 years with leading companies including Marriott and Waldorf Astoria. Beaumont is a five-time winner of the Key West Master Chef competition and holds training in classic French cuisine with depth knowledge of western styles. Before joining the Cheeca team, Beaumont served as Complex Executive Chef at Casa Marina & Reach Resort Waldorf Astoria in Key West, Florida. In his role at Cheeca, Beaumont will oversee the management and kitchen at the resort's in-house dining, Atlantic's Edge, Mia Cucina, and Nikai Sushi Bar & Restaurant.

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Radisson Blu Dubai Deira Creek appoints executive assistant manager- Niccolo Rossi

Niccolo Rossi brings over 14 years of hospitality expertise as the newly appointed executive assistant manager at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek.

Rossi, an Italian national, will be overseeing the entire operation of this heritage hotel, including 14 food & beverage outlets, 21 meeting venues, and 288 rooms.

He has been with the Radisson Hotel Group since 2009, with a strong expertise in food & beverage. He first joined the brand as part of the culinary pre-opening team at the Radisson Blu in Tripoli, Libya.

Rossi then worked in several RHG properties in Eastern Europe as Executive Chef and Director of Food & Beverage. His most recent appointment was at the 842-room Park Inn by Radisson Pulkovskaya Hotel & Conference in St. Petersburg, Russia, where one of his most notable
achievements was bringing significant growth in F&B profitability.

75 pct of Seychelles' hotel and guest house rooms certified COVID safe

Over 75 percent of the rooms in Seychelles' 418 tourism establishments have received safe tourism certificates and are in a position to welcome visitors, though not all of them are open, the tourism minister said.

Didier Dogley said about 4,700 out of 6,000 rooms at hotels, guest houses and self-catering establishments have achieved a COVID-19 certification.

Sybille Cardon, the chairperson of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association (SHTA), told SNA on Thursday that the number of certified establishments "is something positive and that we couldn't just pretend that we were going to reopen Seychelles and operate things as it was before COVID."

The tourism industry, the top economic contributor in Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, came to a stop when the nation closed its borders to tourists amid the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since authorities decided to reopen Seychelles' borders to visitors, the tourism department has been working closely with health authorities to develop guidelines governing the operation of tourism businesses.

A safe tourism certificate is being issued to businesses that have trained their staff and met other public health criteria. 

"The training allowed people to know more about the virus. It was an eye-opener. It also reassured people that if they have a client who is positive with COVID-19 in the establishment that everyone will get sick. It does not mean that a staff who has a fever automatically has COVID. This process was and is important," said Cardon.

She added that "when you get certified, it is good for your establishment, clients and staff, and you are in a better prepared under the new normal."

Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay Set To Open New Cookery School In England

The report states that Ramsay is planning to open a new cooking school next year in Woking, Surrey. According to The Sun, Gordon Ramsay is planning this new venture to give space and opportunity to the budding chefs to grow their talent.  It is expected that the new cooking school will have an industry-leading facility so as to give the opportunity to anyone irrespective of their age to shine their cooking abilities while having some fun in the cooking classes. It is said that the students would also get to work in restaurants under Gordon Ramsay's portfolio and at the end of their class, they will also get a guaranteed job as well. 

Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach appoints new executive sous chef, Jeremy Degras joins after working with Marriott International

Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach has announced the appointment of Jeremy Degras as its new executive sous chef. He will be part of the team responsible for exploring new menu options, while maintaining the resort’s ‘island-inspired cuisine’. Degras will spend most of his time at the flagship Shore House restaurant, using a range of locally-sourced seafood in his dishes.

Degras has previously held culinary positions in a number of hotels and restaurants globally including; Scape Lounge Restaurant & Terrace in the Burj Al Arab, Restaurant Le Quartier Gourmand, a Michelin-starred venue in Tournus, France and the two-starred restaurant, Monte-Carlo-Bay Hotel in Monaco. He leaves his previous position in Marriott International’s Grosvenor House Luxury Collection’s Siddharta Lounge.

“We are delighted to welcome chef Jeremy Degras to our team. He will be leading a vibrant culinary team and working with them to enhance the property’s dining portfolio to create memorable dining experiences for our valued guests”, said Tracey Oliver, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach.

German hospitality industry still far below pre-crisis revenues

The German hotel and restaurant industry in July further recovered from its slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but sales were still down more than a quarter when compared to pre-crisis levels, the statistics office said on Tuesday.

Revenues were up 21.9% month-on-month in real terms when adjusted for seasonal effects and declined by 26.8% versus July 2019, the office said in a statement.

Catering companies were hardest hit with a decline of 41.9% on the year.

The sector was essentially shut down in March as Germany’s 16 states introduced wide-ranging distancing measures to slow the spread of the pandemic.

Some restaurants temporarily closed while others switched to take-away services to stay afloat. Hotels were hit by a slump in leisure travel and cancelled trade fairs and congresses.

Reporting by Thomas Seythal; Editing by Andrew Heavens

The Portfolio Club locks in £76.5m deal to develop new lifestyle brand hotel concept in London

The Portfolio Club is to develop a new lifestyle hotel concept in central London after acquiring an expansive block in Covent Garden for £76.5m.

The Portfolio Club is a joint venture between pension fund APG and real estate investment advisory London Central Portfolio, which was launched last year to create the new hospitality brand in prime central London locations.

The deal to acquire the freehold island site Wellington block on the south east corner of Covent Garden from Capital & Counties Properties PLC, is the second step towards this ambition for The Portfolio Club.

Lebanese American chef launches Dubai cloud kitchen | Dayma by Bethany Kehdy features dishes from her best-selling cookbooks

The vegetarian-friendly menu will focus on seasonal and sustainable ingredients and is available on all major food delivery apps across the emirate.

Lebanese American chef Bethany Kehdy has launched a new Levantine cookhouse for delivery-only in Dubai.

The cloud-based kitchen service, Dayma, will be offering up a range of Kehdy’s signature dishes from the bestselling cookbooks including Kalbid’s rice kibbeh, aubergine, sfiha stars, prawn sambusek, carrot mutabal, and more.

Kehdy is known as the author of The Jewelled Table and The Jewelled Kitchen cookbooks, and was the founder of Taste Lebanon.

Minor Hotels signs for new Thai wellness retreat

Minor Hotels has signed a partnership with M.K. Real Estate Development to launch RAKxa Fully Integrative Wellness and Medical Retreat.

It is hoped the ground-breaking development that will cement Thailand’s position as a world-class medical wellness destination.

VitalLife Scientific Wellness Centre, a subsidiary of Bumrungrad International Hospital, is a third partner on the deal.

Launching in December, RAKxa was conceived as a fully sustainable medical wellness retreat within Bang Krachao on the Chao Praya River in Bangkok.

The concept, at the crossroads of science and tradition, aims to deliver bespoke healthcare in a relaxing environment.

Dubai Tourism closes four establishments over health and safety violations

The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has closed four establishments, suspended the permits of 14 others and issued warnings to 19 more companies for failing to enact proper COVID-19 precautionary measures.

DTCM said the establishments and companies did not put measures in place across all tourism touchpoints, though left out the names of those penalised.

The department stressed that its list of precautionary measures are needed as part of the emirate’s strategy to restart various sectors in a phased manner and eventually bring back normalcy. It added that its recent Safe Travels stamp given by the World Travel & Tourism Council reinforces the importance of these efforts.

The news comes days after DTCM announced that 90 percent of the emirate’s hotels have been awarded the Dubai Assured hygiene stamp. Launched in collaboration with Dubai Tourism, the Department of Economic Development (DED) and Dubai Municipality, the stamp was rolled out in response to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The stamp is based on the preventive protocols issued by Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management.

CDC Study Suggests Dining at Restaurants Poses Greater COVID-19 Risk

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the results of a study of COVID-19 patients and the activities they participated in and the interactions they had in the two weeks before they tested positive for the respiratory illness.

Eating at a restaurant also seemed to be a bigger determining factor for a positive test than a number of other activities, including going to an office, visiting a hair salon, going to a gym, riding on public transportation, or attending a religious service.

www.foodandwine.com/news/cdc-covid-study-restaurants-dining-out

Fairmont Sanya Haitang Bay Resort to Open December 2020 in China

Accor announces its first Fairmont Resort in Greater China, in partnership with Hainan Keenwin Holdings. The newly refurbished Fairmont Sanya Haitang Bay is set to open in December 2020 following extensive renovations to the property.

Fairmont Sanya Haitang Bay is situated along the beautiful golden coastline of Haitang Bay. With views towards the diver's paradise of Wuzhizhou Island and Yajia Daling Mountains, the resort has the best Feng Shui to bring harmony between travellers and nature.

Fairmont Sanya Haitang Bay features a team of star designers and architects, which includes world-renowned interior designer Nick Winai Suansalee from Leo Design Group as well as landscape architecture by Francis Leung, the former Design Director of Belt Collins. The resort has the formal symmetry often found in imperial palaces, and offers a number of exquisite architectural gems that are destinations in their own right. In accordance with ancient Chinese architectural principles, a pair of Watchtowers forms the portal to the resort. Covered Lounge Bridges made from stone arches act as pathways to the lobby pavilion, providing rest, shelter and vistas of intricate cornices against the green surrounds. Within the lobby, precious detailed wood carvings on walls and ceiling friezes took more than two years to complete and demonstrate a sense of grandeur and profoundness. Its unique 1,200-meter long river is the world's first sea water canal running within a hotel. Guests can take a dragon boat ride to reach guestrooms and all other hotel facilities whilst enjoying the ever-changing scenery and amazing landscapes. For those who wish to learn more about the resort's relics, the Wood Art Gallery is a courtyard house boasting fine furnishings and artefacts from both the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty.

Soneva Fushi unveils world’s largest one- and two-bedroom overwater villas

Soneva Fushi’s new Water Retreats are soon to be ready to welcome guests, adding yet another facet to the original barefoot luxury resort.

Guests can expect innovative designs and some new changes to the iconic Water Retreat designs that can be found at Soneva Jani.

Soneva’s floating villa concept, Soneva in Aqua, is a luxury two-cabin yacht that sets sail from Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani.

There is a multi-purpose facility that encompasses the Maldives’ only hot glass studio, the glass gallery, and boutique where guests can learn the art of glassblowing.

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Dubai crowned best medical tourism destination in the region

The emirate of Dubai has maintained its position as the Arab region’s top medical tourism destination for the second year in a row.

That is according to the Global Medical Tourism Index released by International Healthcare Research Centre (IHRC) Worldwide, which ranks international cities on their healthcare services to foreign travellers.

The emirate was scored against three criteria, where it ranked fifth in quality and services facilities; seventh for its environmental offerings and 13th for its medical tourism industry. Altogether Dubai was ranked sixth for its medical tourism offerings out of a cohort of 46 international destinations.

The achievement is thanks to the efforts of the Dubai Government, represented by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), to strengthen the medical tourism sector in the emirate and boost overall economic diversification.

Rose Rayhaan by Rotana appoints general manager

Rotana has appointed Mamdouh Ali as general manager for Rose Rayhaan by Rotana in Dubai.

Ali has been associated with Rotana for over seveb years. With more than 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Ali progressively occupied more responsible positions at major hotels in Egypt including resort destinations at Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh, before moving to the UAE in 2012 and taking on the role of Deputy General Manager of Pegas Touristic.

In 2013, Ali joined Rotana Hotel Management Corporation as Head of Sales – Travel Trade and in 2017 was promoted as General Manager, Rosh Rayhaan by Rotana in Riyadh.

Fairmont Port Douglas Hotel to Open in Far North Queensland in 2023

Accor will bring the Fairmont brand to Australia for the first time, with the announcement that the Fairmont Port Douglas is set to open in Far North Queensland in 2023.  Set on the edge of two UNESCO World Heritage sites – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest - the hotel has been sustainably designed to give back to the environment.
 
“We are excited to bring the extraordinary Fairmont brand to Australia and are confident that Fairmont Port Douglas will deliver a new level of luxury and sophistication to one of the country’s most glamourous resort towns,” said Simon McGrath, Chief Operating Officer, Accor Pacific. “Accor continues to expand its luxury offerings in Australia and, as our first Fairmont, this is going to be a truly special resort, whose architecture mimics the rich biosphere of the Daintree Rainforest and, which is centred on well-being, nature and cultural immersion.”
 
Fairmont Port Douglas will boast 253 glamorous rooms, several restaurants and bars, a decadent day spa, a treetop walk and panoramic conference and wedding facilities, all designed around resort-style pools and built to blend seamlessly with nature. From the organic architecture to copious green spaces and natural light, the resort brings nature close, with butterfly nets above the children’s swimming pool, an intimate lobby inspired by birds’ nests and verdant tropical gardens.

Courtyard by Marriott Penang takes brand into Malaysia

Marriott has announced the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Penang – the first Courtyard property to debut in Malaysia.

Located along the bustling Jalan Macalister in the heart of Penang’s UNESCO-listed George Town, the new 199-room Courtyard by Marriott Penang is set to provide the best hotel experience for guests to pursue their personal and professional passions while on the road.

“We are thrilled to continue to grow our presence in Malaysia with the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Penang,” said Rajeev Menon, president, Asia Pacific, Marriott International.

“Designed for today’s ambitious and enterprising traveller, the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Penang marks Marriott International’s 17th brand in Malaysia and further compliments our growing footprint in the country.”

Radisson adds dual-brand property at Heathrow

Radisson Hotel Group has welcomed two new brands at London Heathrow, joining forces under one roof.

The new Radisson Red hotel features 258 bedrooms showcasing the bold and playful design of the brand.

The other bedrooms, of which there are more than 600 in the neighbouring Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre London Heathrow, follow the Scandinavian-inspired Radisson style, nodding to the heritage of the group.

Family rooms with bunk beds able to accommodate up to four people are featured at both properties.