IHGANA Hotels Group Japan held “IHGANA Japan Showcase 2010” in Tokyo on June 14 and in Osaka on June 17. It was a workshop for sales representatives of the group hotels of IHGANA and IHG. The first Japan Showcase took place last year. The workshop this year was represented by 38 hotels at home and abroad.

On the occasion of his recent visit to Japan, David H. Uchiyama, Vice President of Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) told the trade journals that HTA anticipates attracting travel demand in the Japanese regional markets, commenting on the recent proposed decision on the Haneda/Honolulu route in favor of Hawaiian Airlines. Airlines have pulled out local flights to Hawaii since 2003, said Uchiyama. T..

Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) has set the “Japan MICE Year” going in full swing from April. This special year was conceived along with the MICE Action Plan drawn up last July in the framework of “30 Million Foreign Visitors Project.” With the start of a new fiscal year in April, numerous programs and events are scheduled in line with the JTA’s MICE promotion initiative.

Star Cruises Japan Office made presentation of its new policy to promote on-board MICE business at the recently held “Star Cruise Seminar 2010.” Michael Goh, senior vice president of Star Cruises Pte. Ltd., showed a bullish view on the Japanese market by saying that Star Cruises’ profitability is on the rise even in the midst of the economic slump and that Japanese market is vigorous in de..

IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan starts in April its original MICE Program “Intercontinental Meeting” at Intercontinental Yokohama Grand. The program is created based on the Intercontinental Hotel’s concept, that is, “irreplaceable experience unique to the locality,” offering community-based or experience-based meeting plans. Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts has launched the program globa..

Concorde Hotels & Resorts will launch its marketing strategy also for 2010 focusing three key market segments namely corporate sales, meeting & event (M&E) and leisure market. Keiko Ohno, Regional Director of Sales & Marketing, Asia revealed that the year 2009, especially the first half of the year, suffered from the global economic downturn, but eventually, thanks to the robust leisure traffic ..

Coyotes have recently been spotted in New York’s Central Park, and at Columbia University. It’s funny to see these reports while I am reading Marie Winn’s charming book about urban wildlife called Central Park in the Dark, in which she chronicles her and other amateur naturalists’ obsessions with city bats, birds, moths, mice and other creatures. Her website includes “latest news”: h..

The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) Japan aims to increase handling of group travels including MICE traffic (Meeting, Incentive, Convention, Event) 10 times as many during 2010 compared to the previous year. According to Betty Ozaki, Regional Director, LHW Japan, the year 2009 saw a vibrant business with a 40 percent year-on-year increase of direct booking from the individual customers. Gettin..