34 REGION ADVERTORIAL
34 REGION ADVERTORIAL AMERICAS “The Hottest Destination on the Planet” Miami and its beaches more than ever live up to their reputation this month! March 2015 is a big month for Miami, for a number of reasons. We asked Greater Miami Convention and Visitors’ Bureau President & CEO William D. Talbert III, CDME, to outline the key reasons for celebration… On March 26, the city of Miami Beach celebrates its 100th birthday. Among other celebrations, there will be one wedding per hour for 100 hours! One of the most spectacular free concerts ever held on the beach will include performers such as Gloria Estefan. The city has always been known as a touristfriendly vacation spot. Its cosmopolitan atmosphere and diverse population attract droves of visitors annually. Since the 1990’s, Miami Beach has experienced exponential growth of worldwide popularity. Its economy has boomed with the construction of parks, museums, galleries, condoliving solutions, corporate and retail buildings, as well as massive entertainment venues. The beaches are acknowledged as some of the finest in the world and attract millions every year. Today, Miami Beach is known as “the American Riviera” and also as the “preferred capital city of Latin America.” The perfect balance of sun and fun with business, wellness, culture, the arts, fine dining, and entertainment makes Miami Beach “the hottest destination on the planet.” So, let the Miami Beach Centennial Celebration begin! On March 14 for the first time ever, an FIA Formula E Grand Prix will take place in the streets of downtown Miami. It’s a brand-new 1.4-mile street circuit – and Miami is one of 10 cities globally in the Formula E championship. One of the drivers, Marco Andretti, said he thought there could be ‘no better city for a race’! Meanwhile from March 5 through March 8, the “Blue Monster” Trump National Downtown Miami - over US$ 3bn in development under way Doral is once again hosting to the top 75 players in the world during the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. This famed course has played host to the PGA Tour for almost 50 years. In fact, virtually every great name in golf has had a moment of personal triumph at this world-class venue. The goal of Donald Trump is to make this THE top golf resort in the world, and he is well on the way there… It is a brand-new Blue Monster course, and it is unbelievable. There’s other news when it comes to new transport infrastructure in the city. Could you please tell us more? We are served by 100 airlines. It’s incredibly easy to get to Miami. One of our most recent additions was Qatar Airways from Doha. They started the service in June 2014, flying four days a week. They are now already at five flights and are soon going to go to 7. Another important project is All Aboard Florida, a high-speed rail link bringing Miami and Orlando within less than three hours of one another - with two stops – Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Construction has already begun on the terminals in Miami. It’s also very important to remind your readers that within the past 18 months, we have opened a rail line from the airport to downtown: the ORANGE line. Travelers coming into Miami International Airport can now take the train directly to downtown Miami… something many people still don’t know – so I have to keep saying it over and over! William D. Talbert III, CDME OVER BILLION OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY IN DOWNTOWN MIAMI. Tell us about the major new developments in Miami… Over billion of new developments are currently underway in downtown Miami. The Brickell City Center is a billion project in downtown Miami. The project includes the EAST, Miami hotel. It’s the first of its kind outside of China - run by the Swire Hotel Corporation. Designed by Miami-based architects Arquitectonica and interiors by New York-based Clodagh Design, EAST, Miami will offer 263 rooms and 89 serviced apartments. It is scheduled to open by December of this year. Meanwhile, Miami World Centre is under way - just west of the American Airlines Arena. It’s a billion mixed-use project. GMCVB President & CEO It’s one of the largest private master-planned projects in the United States, featuring a diversity of urban land use, including retail, hospitality, and residential space. It will include an 1800 room Marriott hotel and a 600,000 square foot conference center. What more can I say? We have 25 miles of beaches, we are the cruise capital of the world and we’re the only destination in the United States with two national parks in its boundaries… not only that, we have the largest concentration of boutique hotels in the world! Hall 2.1 Stand 200 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Thursday 5 th March 2015 www.itb-berlin-news.com
AMERICAS REGION 35 Canada Tourism Has A New Leader David Goldstein appointed President and CEO of Canadian Tourism Commission © Stanel David After a successful and dynamic tenure leading the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, which followed many years in the strategic and business sector of broadcast media, David Goldstein is the natural choice to head up the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC). Since his appointment in December 2014, can he see any improvements yet? I think we are in the midst of a significant recovery for the industry after some difficult years, and that’s great to see. I want to keep this momentum going by working with the CTC team and our industry to strengthen partnerships and help more tourism businesses, especially the small- and medium-sized ones, become exportmarket ready to win more business for Canada. What opportunities do you see ahead for Canadian tourism and the CTC? We’re just hitting our stride and starting to reap the benefits of strategic tourism marketing and global growth in travel and tourism. Glacier Skywalk Panorama Our next big opportunity will be getting back into the US marketplace. If we can keep up great results like we’ve had this year, and add to that the extra piston of re-engaging the US visitor, there is going to be a tremendous future for our sector over the next five to 10 years. What are the challenges for Canadian tourism and the CTC? The lack of alignment within the industry has been big issue for many years, but there is an openness and urgency to address that now. Canada’s tourism industry just met at the TIAC Congress in Ottawa, and the willingness to work together across the industry was the most resounding theme on the floor of that event. The mood at that Congress was also the most positive that I’ve witnessed in years. I’m not alone in my optimism. I had the good fortune of being on a trade mission to China last month with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Over the course of this mission I was able to spend some time with the CTC team and our partners, and observed how well aligned the tourism team is on the ground, all geared toward great results. CTC recently met with its provincial and territorial counterparts and the drive for alignment within this group is strong, be it looking at how we work inside markets, discussing a renewed approach to reentering the US market, or considering how the whole industry will now benefit through EQ, CTC’s customer segmentation research. These are all breakthroughs with more to come. Where do you hope to see Canadian tourism and the CTC positioned five years from now? I’m one who likes to believe the glass is two-thirds full. I believe in aspirational goals. Five years from now I’d like to see us looking to boost international travel by 5% to match global growth rates and capitalize on this booming industry. That’s going to stimulate reinvestments in products, and export strength for Canada’s economy. Given your extensive experience working with industry, how do you plan to leverage those relationships? This sector consists predominantly of small- and medium-sized businesses. These are entrepreneurs who work exceptionality hard, are extremely creative and passionate. Many of them are looking for a way to find access to international markets. By getting to know members of this industry on a personal basis from coast to coast to coast, I have a better understanding of their perspective, of how they see themselves and of their needs. Why should travellers put Canada on their ‘Visit Now’ list? We’re in a great position to capture pent-up demand for this country. We are hosting world-class events like the PanAm Games, which puts us front of mind in the Americas. Canada’s 150th birthday is just around the corner in 2017 and there’s going to be tremendous opportunity for all of us to drive visitation around the festivals, events and culture that will be part of the celebration. David Goldstein President and CEO, Canadian Tourism Commission CANADA’S 150 TH BIRTHDAY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER IN 2017 AND THERE’S GOING TO BE TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US TO DRIVE VISITATION AROUND THE FESTIVALS, EVENTS AND CULTURE THAT WILL BE PART OF THE CELEBRATION. Hall 2.1 Stand 491 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Thursday 5 th March 2015
