CLIA | Cruise Lines International Association’s Post

Did you know that Galveston has the 4th busiest cruise port in the United States and the 11th busiest in the world? 🛥️⚓ The Park Board and the PORT OF GALVESTON often work together on tourism initiatives that optimize their offerings, seeking solutions that benefit visitors and residents. Park Board CEO, Kimberly Danesi, writes, “Galveston is the country’s fourth busiest cruise port. Over the last two decades, the island has welcomed millions of visitors who come and go to and from the island on their way to Western Caribbean destinations. Many stay in Galveston before or after their trips. I recently talked to Galveston Port Director Rodger Rees about the beneficial relationship between the Park Board and the Galveston Wharves and their similar goals. The future of cruising looks good! The tourism industry supports one-third of all jobs on the island. How does cruise travel, specifically, benefit the local economy? According to a 2022 economic impact study commissioned by the Galveston Wharves, cruise activity generated 3,489 direct, induced, and indirect jobs. It created $557.3 million of local business revenue and $19.7 million of state and local tax revenue…” Read the full story from the Galveston County Daily News at https://bit.ly/3Vh3Q9I. #LoveGalveston #TexasCruises #CruisingBenefits #PortofGalveston

Targa Newfoundland – How it all began We owe it all to Bob English. Bob, a fellow auto scribe, and his wife Helen had invited me to dinner in their then-home in Erin Ontario, a bit north-east of us in Milton. During dins, Bob mentioned that our mutual friend, Doug Mepham, a former fellow scribe and at that stage of his career a public relations guru, had invited Bob to be his navigator in a crazy event called Targa Tasmania, a week-long performance car rally held in – aw, you guessed it – Tasmania. For the geographically challenged, Tasmania is the island just south of Australia. The event would start on Easter weekend in 2001. We completed the rally. It was a great week, on several levels. Didn’t crash. Didn’t die. Don’t remember/don’t care where we placed. Fabulous roads, with the “Special Sections” (for the high-speed stages) closed off to all other traffic. Friendly people. Amazing scenery. On the ferry back from Tasmania to Melbourne, we were reminiscing about what a magical time we had just enjoyed. Where else on earth could you pull off something like this?    Neither Doug nor I can recall the exact sequence of this discussion. This was over 20 years ago, dontcha know. But at one point, one of us wondered aloud: What if you had an island like Tasmania? A welcoming population like Tasmanians? A place that could use some tourism dollars like Tasmania? I am quite sure it was me who first uttered these two words in the same sentence:    “Targa, Newfoundland.” Read the full story on our website targanfld.com/lastest-news . . . #targa #targanewfoundland #drive4adventure #drivetastefully #wrenchtastfully #rallytheglobe #bucketlistadventure

So interesting…experiencing Leaseback nightmare in France like many property investors in France (huge Indemnities to pay to get out of the leaseback contract which were not requested before February 2021 by this major group) which is a very short term vision by that group and its investors, with unfortunately absolutely no consideration for the owners who actually own the assets and should on the contrary have been considered as their long term partners in a long term healthy relationship…and now too late to reverse as so many owners have taken lawyers to find any means to get out (see https://lnkd.in/eipHFDmw ) … so it is very refreshing and promising to see that elsewhere in the world the long term returns and the impact on communities are considered…well done to the Highland Coast Hotels to secure an investor with long term considerations as this is the only way forward, to me, in the tourism industry…

Beautiful sunny weather in December led us back to Savage Gulf State Park which is the newest Tennessee State Parks gem carved from the larger umbrella that surrounds it which is South Cumberland State Park. Savage Gulf was so special that it was deemed worthy of its own status opening officially as the 57th state park in 2022. It encompasses the 19,000 acre Savage Gulf State Natural Area which is what the entire area was designated until the park opened. This trip we went to the gorgeous Collins Gulf Overlook and Suter Falls which was the boys first cable hike and they did great. Thinking of the holidays, the State of Tennessee gives these gifts of nature to anyone free of charge all year long. I am still amazed that in less than an hour from Hamilton County Government we can be truly in a different world. Just looking around in the parking lot I saw cars from the State of Georgia to Pennsylvania and everywhere in between. These tourists are coming here for a reason and the question remains, how do we maximize that economic opportunity while they are here? Tennessee State Parks and the Tennessee State Parks Conservancy do a tremendous job of that. Y'all go be Tennesseans this week and see what your great state has to offer! Southeast Tennessee Development District Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association RSS Insurance Chattanooga Tourism Co. Travel & Tourism Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association City of Chattanooga #tennessee #chattanooga #tourism #economicdevelopment #economicgrowth #opportunity #nature #ecotourism #commerce #hotel #hospitality #development

Great to speak to Mandy Clarke about the success of the Australian caravan and camping industry, and the role Caravan Industry Association of Australia plays in keeping Australians in love with the sector. It is not easy being a big target - but when you have a group of passionate individuals around you (state associations, staff and industry businesses / employees), we have managed to continue to outperform and drive industry success. Also love talking a little about what motivates me to continue to reinvent myself as challenges / opportunities come thick and fast for both the industry and the organisation. Small pieces of advice which hold me in good stead: * Always be true to yourself; * Try and block out the white noise and stay true to the course; * The answer is always yes until it is no; and * Always spend association money as if it is your own. #caravan #leadership #accommodation #tourism

Knowledge is power. :)

Community trips are one of the verticals in WanderOn, and Trip Captains are the heartbeat of it. 🌟 At WanderOn, we understand that every journey is not just about the destination but the experiences along the way. That's why we consider our trip captains as the true architects of unforgettable adventures. Their warmth, expertise, and enthusiasm set the tone for the entire journey, ensuring that every moment is filled with joy, companionship, and discovery. In the world of community trips, the trip captain isn't just a guide, they are the embodiment of our brand values, the guardians of exceptional customer experience, and the catalysts for lifelong memories. That's why we have a quality team of trip Captains who pass through a rigorous hiring process which ensures that our customers are accompanied by the best people in the industry. Our rigorous hiring process begins with active listening. We meticulously assess candidates for their communication skills, humility, industry experience, confidence, etc. These traits lay the foundation for fostering genuine connections and understanding the unique needs of our travelers. Once selected, our trip captains undergo our comprehensive in-house training program. Here, they are equipped not only with the necessary skills for logistics and safety but also imbued with the ethos of customer love and obsession. We believe that great trip captains aren't just born, they're crafted through dedicated training and a passion for service excellence. With their dedication, expertise, and passion, they ensure that every journey with WanderOn is nothing short of extraordinary. ✨ #WanderOn #TripCaptains #CommunityTrips #CustomerExperience

😍 #𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆? 🏩 Today I am grateful for taking the time to learn, understand and grow with rescuing. Experiencing and seeing with my own eyes the importance of my mindset and what difference it makes has given me a unique perspective on what I need to do for myself. I and my wife have rescued abused and neglected horses. We have also adopted and fostered both dogs and cats. What I learned with our horses was that I could not let my mind focus on what had happened to them in the past. If got stuck in focus on their past I would not be capable of helping them. And this was a valuable lesson that helped my transformation. To help rescue our horses I had to focus on a purpose in the present moment. It was all the small things we did every day to ensure that horses learned that now were in a safe environment. Horses are like humans change takes them down the path of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. So it is a step-by-step process to earn their trust. This was for me the foundation for my daily digital huddle. I started and ended every session with our horses with an attitude of gratitude. I and my wife were put in their path for a reason that was bigger than a rescue mission for the horses. As I went through my personal transformation process everything I learned during the rescue process started to make sense and my source energy and the light within me started to shine a bright light on my journey. As a result of this, I created a digital transformation matrix that represents everything I learned during this rescue process. Because the jey is that it did not only transform the horses it transformed me as a person. First I transformed my previous perceptions, then I transformed the experience into making an impact that will propel me to a new level of fulfillment. My mission now is to do the same for hotels. Godspeed!  “We're our own dragons as well as our own heroes, and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves..” 1. The Digital Transformation Framework for Hotels https://lnkd.in/gZTfeQfw 2. The cliff notes for the Digital Transformation Framework for Hotels - https://lnkd.in/gneJVPT5 3. Digital Transformation Partnerships for Hotels - https://lnkd.in/gitz9Nva  #digitaltransformation #hotels #partnership #hotelmarketing #hotelnews  #mindset #growth #renew #change #experience #present #value #transformation #rescue

CRUISE NEWS: Positive news from the Port of Galveston. https://lnkd.in/eCk3FkUp #cruise #cruises #Galveston #cruisenews #travelnews #cruiseindustry #cruisehive #cruiseships #cruiselines

Building a sustainable business is not only doable, it's also plainly speaking, good business. If you are curious to find out more about how the Mantis Group managed this feat, check out and be inspired by Paul Gardiner's recent keynote speech on our Deloitte Board Talk. 👇 #conservation #ecotourism #sustainability #entrepreneurship #boards #boardroom