Tvtrip.com receives USD 9 million in funding
Tvtrip.com, the travel website where travelers get to check out their hotel on video before they book it, announced it has received USD 9 million in Series B financing. The funds were received from its original VC investors Balderton Capital, Partech International and new investor AGF Private Equity. The company has the largest database of professionally filmed hotel videos in the world, currently covering more than 3,000 hotels in over 160 destinations. The website attracted 850,000 unique visitors in January alone.

“This new round of financing will help us film more hotels and continue expanding in the US and Asia, as well as strengthening the various revenue─generating components of our business model. We already have 2,000 additional hotels lined up to film this year that will allow us to maintain and increase our lead in this market,”says Marc Ruff, founder and CEO of Tvtrip.com. TVtrip's primary revenue comes from affiliation,

Emirates Group opens Marhaba lounge at Terminal 3
The Emirates Group has launched its new Marhaba lounge at Terminal 3 of the Dubai International Airport. Operated by Dnata, the lounge has a capacity of 140 customers and is open to passengers of all airlines. While the terminal is exclusively for Emirates flights, passengers from other airlines can also use the lounge as the other concourses are linked. Apart from lounge use, which offers food, beverage, a business centre, the service includes assistance with check─in, immigration, security and escorts with buggy services through the airport. The minimum fee to use Marhaba lounge facilities is Dirhams150. As reported by Gulfnews.com, the company also offers services for long─stay transit passengers, including Visas for the duration and hotel arrangements. Launched in 1991, the Marhaba service currently has a staff of 260, which started from 29. Last year, over 20,000 customers used the services.

Rezidor adds three new countries to porfolio
The Rezidor Hotel Group will open the Radisson Blu Hotel Lusaka in Zambia (Q3 2009, 142 rooms), the Radisson Blu Hotel Skopje in Macedonia (Q1 2011, 210 rooms), and the Radisson Blu Hotel Luanda in Angola (Q1 2012, 257 rooms). The group is now present in 58 nations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

“We are especially proud to add two countries on the African continent to our business. Rezidor is currently featuring 25 hotels with almost 6,000 rooms in operation and under development in Africa,” says Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor.

The Radisson Blu Hotel Lusaka is already under development and located in a prestigious commercial district of Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. Besides 142 rooms, the property will offer a Rezidor signature restaurant, a bar, five conference & meeting rooms, a ballroom, a pool with bar and wellness facilities and a casino.

The Radisson Blu Hotel Skopje will be part of a mixed─use development including a 50,000 square meters shopping mall and 16,000 square meters of high─grade offices. Services of the hotel will include 210 rooms,

McG releases report on Indian food processing industry
The Madras Consultancy Group (McG), Chennai, has released its industry profile on 'The Food Processing Industry in India'. McG's report has been added to the list of an Ireland─based international market research and market data agency's offering.

McG claims that the food processing industry has done to the rural India what IT has to the urban India. It has seen rapid development over the years and is a significant contributor to the country's GDP. The increase in demand for processed food in the country is attributed to the increase in disposable incomes and urbanisation. Processed food in India is expected to grow appreciably and keeping this in mind, McG, Chennai, has released its industry profile.

This researched document provides an insight into the Indian food processing market, industry structure, challenges facing the market and growth opportunities. It also includes an overview of different business segments within the food processing industry. The profile is aimed at informing players about strategic planners, current and prospective investors, international marketing executives

Sarovar Hotels signs on ATS Sarovar Premiere in Punjab
Sarovar Hotels and Resorts today announced the signing of ATS Sarovar Premiere in Dera Bassi, a city in Mohali district in the state of Punjab. ATS Sarovar Premiere will be located on the Chandigarh ─ Ambala national highway, at a distance of 12 kms from Chandigarh. Other Sarovar Hotels scheduled to open by 2012 in Punjab include Park Inn, Ludhiana; Hometel Chandigarh and Sarovar Portico, Mohali.

Commenting on the signing, Anil Madhok, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts said, “The business and leisure market in the region is growing by the day and there is a requirement for more hotels and rooms in the state. We are pleased to offer unmatched services and quality accommodation to the people traveling to Punjab and Chandigarh, for both business and leisure.”

Sarovar Premiere hotels are an upscale full service international quality four─five─star hotel brand. The proposed hotel will be built on approximately four acres of land and will form part of a composite township developed by ATS Estates, which is one of the largest realty developers in NCR. The township will include a SEZ,

Pan Pacific Hotels rated the top scorer in MMHI
Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts has emerged as the top scorer in terms of customer satisfaction across all hospitality segments and overall winner of the luxury hotel category with the highest score of 92.6, in the 2008 Annual Market Metrix Hospitality Index (MMHI).

“We are honoured that Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts has been awarded with this esteemed accolade as the overall top performer in customer satisfaction. This recognition wouldn't have been possible without our associates and their dedication is integral to the success of our business. We believe in creating true value for our guests and for instance, our Preferences by Pan Pacific offer empowers guests to create a personalised stay and thus, making it more memorable when they stay with us,” said A Patrick Imbardelli, President and CEO of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts.

In addition to Pan Pacific's user─friendly and award─winning brand website: panpacific.com, the hotel chain has recently launched 'PANTHER', a central reservations and distribution system with enhanced transactional capabilities across all reservations channels.

Marriott eyes 31 new hotels in Mena
Marriott International has announced its global expansions up to 2014 would include 17 new properties in the UAE, nine in Saudi Arabia, three in Qatar, one in Bahrain, and one in Egypt. The company expects nearly 600,000 rooms by year─end 2009. Other hotels in the pipeline include one in Algeria, 19 in China, 23 in India, eight in Thailand, five in the Caribbean and Latin America, five in France, six in the UK and six in Mexico.

Hospitality Vision─2009 was held on February 27─28, 2009
An international symposium called Hospitality Vision─2009 was conducted at the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal on February 27─ 28, 2009. It focused on 'Challenges & Issues in Hospitality and Tourism Industry' and deliberated upon various contemporary issues.

The first day's key note speaker, Dr Susan Horner, Principal Lecturer anf International Coordinator, Sheffield Hallam University, UK, emphasised that service quality and image are initially linked to customer satisfaction and loyalty. Hotels must unify operations, human resources and marketing through customer service. The technology in relationship marketing allows consumers to join together on an international basis to discuss both positive and negative experiences.

Dr John Swarbrooke, Academic Director, Ceasar Ritz Hotel Schools, Switzerland, the key note speaker of the second day, opined that tourism is environmentally sensitive, reducing negative impacts and encouraging positive impacts within destinations. Cultural tourism revolves round historical sites, museums, traditional festivals, religious sites, arts and crafts, gastronomy, sporting events, learning languages,

Accor expands ibis hotels in Singapore
According to AsiaoneBusiness, Accor has officially launched a 538 room ibis Singapore for the country's mid market segment. It has plans to launch an ibis Novena, which is expected to be complete by 2011.

The ibis Singapore, located on Bencoolen Street, targets leisure and corporate clientele. Rates hover around USD 145─150. The 241 room ibis Novena will be owned and developed by Cockpit International. Work on the second property will begin next month. The property will target economy travellers.

Ibis is expanding strongly in China, India, Thailand and Indonesia. Accor might introduce six additional ibis hotels in Singapore and bring its brands, Sofitel and Pullman there, as well.

Gujarat eyes Southern states, West Bengal for increasing domestic tourism
According to a recent report, Gujarat is focusing on domestic tourists, especially in states like West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to aggressively market its destinations, targeting about two crore domestic tourists this year and 2010. Sanatan Pancholi, Resident Manager (Mumbai), Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd. (TCGL), who was in Kochi recently to participate at the India International Travel Mart (IITM) said, “Currently our focus is on domestic tourism and effort is to woo more visitors from within the country, especially from Southern states and West Bengal. About five─seven lakh foreign visitors are being targeted during the fiscal.”

He further added that Gujarat is famous for its historical sites, representing 4500 years of ancient and recorded history, holy places, a living tradition of handicrafts that thrive across the state, colourful, fairs and vibrant festivals, including the Navratri and Kite flying festivals. “We are projecting the entire Kutch area as a tourism hub, which is a unique destination.