Dateline Monday 13th November 2023

Happy Monday I hope all is well with you and yours.

World Travel Market at Ex Cel East London last week, did any one go? I did met up with DMCs we at MM and Company represent and recommend. I met up with Karl of Hello Islands DMC Mauritius, also met with Phillipe of EASIA DMC in Thailand and St James Group DMC who operate in The Caribbean but principally in Barbados. I had lunch with my Abu Dhabi cohost Keith Barron then that was it, I went back to the office but before finish with WTM OMG you should have seen the Saudi booth area, it wasn’t just one booth it was several, Saudia Airlines had a mega booth, several areas of Saudia Arabi had their own stand, they are clearly making a statement to say “we are getting into tourism in a big way” seeing as in 20 years’ time we will all be driving electric cars and won’t need their petrol.

Did you know that the USA is the World’s biggest supplier of oil followed by Saudi then Russia, China and Canada, I didn’t know that either.

Week five of the war that Hamas on behalf of the innocent citizens of Gaza declared against Israel by massacring 1,200 unarmed civilian and taking 240 pensioners, men, women, children and babies hostage. The terrorist group Hamas have retreated back into their system of underground tunnel network primarily around hospital and schools from where they are fighting, it’s quite appropriate that the Hamas savage terrorists are underground as that is where they will be permanently once Israel has finished with them.

LONDON v PARIS in London on Saturday 200,000 marched for Palestine amongst them were many rather despicable people in masks with green Hamas headbands, in Paris on Sunday no where nearly as many but certainly several thousand marched against antisemitism, it is a start I guess

I am very happy about this latest news from BOOTH Supermarket, could this be the start of that dreaded phrase “unidentified item in the bagging area” being confirmed to the dustbin of history?

Self-service checked outs are being abolished at Booths supermarket chain, it has become Britain's first supermarket to return to fully-staffed checkouts after axing most of its self-service tills after its boss said: 'We like to talk to people. Booths has 27 stores in the North has been finding the machines to be 'slow, unreliable and impersonal' and decided that 'rather than artificial intelligence, we're going for actual intelligence' Staff at the upmarket firm, dubbed the 'northern Waitrose', added that they wanted to ensure customers were served by people with 'high levels of warm, personal care'.

YAAAAYYYYYYYYY wake up supermarkets down south,

And that’s it from a David point of view

MM and Company news update

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Cancun Mexico

Hyatt Hotels have announced that they will open hotels in Mexico City, Los Cabos and Cancun. The new properties are expected to open starting 2024 there will be two Grand Hyatt hotels, a new hotel near Cancun International Airport, and a Park Hyatt in Cancun.

The Park Hyatt Cancun will open in 2025, this resort will have beachfront access, over 3,000 square feet of meeting space including a 2,000-square-foot ballroom.

Grand Hyatt Mexico Santa Fe will open in 2025, this 287-room hotel is the first Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mexico

Grand Hyatt Los Cabos is planned to open in 2026, this Hyatt will have 300 rooms

Hyatt Place Cancun Airport will open in late 2026 the hotel will have 156 rooms

Istanbul Turkey

Pegasus Airlines is to start flying three times a week from 21st December between Birmingham Airport (BHX) and Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) Pegasus will offer the flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

IBTM Barcelona November 2023

So far the DMCs that MM and Company represent have told us that they will be in Barcelona are :-

Dubai and Abu Dhabi Candy Lobo Manager – MICE and Groups Travco DMC will be on the Abu Dhabi Stand. L60

Malta Doug and Erika Directors of Mi Malta DMC will be on the Malta Stand Number D45

Mauritius Stephane Louise Director of Hello Islands DMC Mauritius will be on the Euromic stand N58

Morocco Lina El Fassi El Fihry General Manager Visit Morocco & A Sweet Spot Events DMC will be on the Moroccan tourism Office stand, L65

Oman Manish Gupta Senior Manager- Groups, MICE & Cruises from the TRAVCO DMC Oman office will be at IBTM