Emirates has opened the doors to its new lounge at London Stansted Airport, a 900m² lounge that can accommodate up to 125 guests, including First and Business Class customers, as well as Emirates Skywards members.
An investment of more than four million pounds (US$5.33 million), the new lounge is Emirates’ sixth dedicated lounge in the UK. All London airports served by Emirates now provide access to premium on-ground experiences for customers to unwind and enjoy elevated dining experiences ahead of their journeys.
Located in Satellite 1, adjacent to the departure gates, customers can look forward to a spacious lounge with new furnishings and dedicated seating areas, as well as a wide food and beverage selection, complimentary Wi-Fi, shower facilities and amenities.
The Emirates lounge also offers customers a short walk for boarding access to the aircraft, with a short two- to three-minute walk to the aircraft.
In addition, the airline has partnered with Sussex-based Full Circles Farms to roll out a farm-to-table food concept in its lounge, offering customers seasonal menus with fresh, organic vegetables and local dishes.
Customers can also enjoy premium spirits and liqueurs, a selection of wine, and a range of Moet & Chandon champagnes.
“Emirates has been serving London Stansted since 2018, and the airport remains a very important gateway for our customers across the southern region of the UK. The new lounge marks a major milestone for us as we now proudly offer dedicated lounge facilities across six airports in the UK,” said Mohammed Mattar, divisional senior vice president airport services, Emirates.
Gareth Powell, managing director at Stansted Airport, added: “The opening of Emirates’ new world-class lounge is fantastic news for London Stansted and passengers using Emirates services to Dubai and beyond… the 14 weekly flights between London Stansted and Dubai have been extremely popular with travellers since day one, not just to the Middle East, but right across the globe thanks to the airline’s huge worldwide route network.”
In her interim position, DaSilva will oversee TTC Tour Brands’ portfolio of six brands, which includes Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, and Contiki.
She was most recently the vice president for the launch of K11 MUSEA in Hong Kong as a cultural destination, and prior to that, she had a nine-year tenure at New World Development.
A study by MMGY TCI Research has found that destinations hosting leisure and business events have been able to boost their presence in social conversations and drive positive engagement within communities.
In a PATA-led webinar last week on the topic of Event-driven Tourism: impact and opportunities, Olivier Henry-Biabaud, managing director and partner, MMGY TCI Research, shared that social conversations surrounding Asia-Pacific destinations doubled throughout the period of July 2023 to July 2024 when events tourism was taken into consideration.
In tracking Asia-Pacific events that triggered positive sentiments and engagement, the study named Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand; the Lunar New Year in several countries in the region; Bali Arts Festival in Indonesia; and Formula 1 races in Abu Dhabi and Singapore; among others as those that were most impactful.
The study also found that culture (45 per cent) topped the list of topics associated with events and festivals in the region, with tradition and folklore (30 per cent), arts and handicraft (29 per cent), and food/culinary (24 per cent) following on next.
Henry-Biabaud remarked that festivals and their topics could help raise awareness of a destination that might not be a primary tourism choice among travellers. Destination marketers should leverage niche festivals and events to speak to and connect with specific communities.
Further underscoring the value of festivals and events, Henry-Biabaud said such activities ranked second on a list of top-rated destination experiences. Outdoor and nature takes the lead with a 9.3 out of 10 visitor sentiment score; festivals and events was second with a score of nine. Street food, and museums and galleries ranked third and fourth respectively.
He emphasised that events and festivals could be a way to connect locals with the visitor community, and demonstrate a warm welcome to visitors, especially as tourism phobia grows in some parts of the world.
He added: “We tend to forget that big events are an amazing opportunity for visitors to blend with local people. Many of these events are usually made for locals in the first place, allowing them to share their passion with the world and meet other people from all over the world.”
Fellow webinar presenter, Benoit Badufle, managing director of Singapore-based Horus Development & Consulting, which is engaged to market destinations like Monaco and Brisbane in this region, further elaborated on the influential power of events and festivals.
Citing Monaco as an example, Badufle said the destination set out to attract the rich and famous by curating unique and prestigious events, many of which were first in the world or in Europe when launched. The Rose Ball, for one, debuted in Monaco in 1920 as one of the first global philanthropic events supported by the wealthy; it endures to this day.
Many of Monaco’s events are now a regular feature on the calendar. “They are very famous locally and internationally, and attract people from all around Europe and the world every year,” said Badufle. “They are a vector of soft power.”
He explained that events curated at the Grimaldi Forum congress centre are exported overseas, contributing to Monaco’s reputation as an intelligent destination. Famous artists performing in Monaco also help to bring positive attention to the country.
Citing yet another example of the power of association, Badufle said the annual Ernst and Young World Entrepreneur of the Year awards ceremony in Monaco has built an impression of the destination being “a stage for entrepreneurship”.
Badufle told TTG Asia that festivals and events are also a useful way to shift arrivals into the quieter travel seasons, and many in Monaco are scheduled during the shoulder and low season.
While festivals and events have the power to cast destinations in a positive light, Henry-Biabaud emphasised that destination marketers must also ensure that other supporting aspects, such as hotel accommodation, transport services, tours and attractions, are well managed to deliver an easy planning and travel experience for visitors.