INAUGRUAL FORT WORTH FOOD + WINE FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN MARCH 2014

Fort Worth

• The City of Cowboys and Culture will celebrate local cuisine during four-day festival

The inaugural Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival (FWFWF) is set to kick off March 27-30, 2014, and will infuse homegrown flavors of celebrated local chefs and wine makers for a taste-filled weekend. Home to some of the greatest culinary artists in the country, the festival will showcase Fort Worth’s distinctive gastronomic traditions, while educating the public on the unique culinary offerings of the region, including: “Cowboy Cuisine,” Haute Continental Fare, trendy farm-to-table, Tex-Mex and more.

Fort Worth sets out to honor an innovative style of cooking well-known for its reflection of the city’s deep Western heritage and unrivaled world-class art - Cowboy Cuisine. Melded with the flavors of Southwestern, Creole, Southern, Mexican and traditional steakhouse, Cowboy Cuisine is an inspiration to chefs such as Tim Love and Jon Bonnell, to name a few, who have produced dishes such as Kangaroo Carpaccio Nachos, Pepper-Crusted Buffalo Tenderloin and Crab-Stuffed Jalapenos. Bayou-inspired fare, fine Tex-Mex and locally distilled artisanal bourbon are among the many that will also be available for tasting.

In true Texas style, the FWFWF opening event will be held at Billy Bob’s Texas – the world’s largest honky-tonk, on Thursday, March 27, from 7-9 p.m. Twelve of the most sought-after local chefs will be in attendance, including: Jon Bonnell (Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine and WATERS Bonnell’s Coastal Cuisine), Terry Chandler (Fred’s Texas Café), Keith Hicks (Button’s), Mark Hitri (Billy Bob’s Texas), Lanny Lancarte (Lanny’s Alta Cocina), Tim Love (Lonesome Dove Western Bistro), Molly McCook (Ellerbe Fine Foods), Dena Peterson (Café Modern), Juan Rodriguez (Reata Restaurant), Blaine Staniford (GRACE), Michael Thomson (Michael’s Cuisine) and Donatella Trotti (Nonna Tata). Chefs will prepare tastings paired with three Texas craft beers, three Texas wines and three Texas spirits. Space is limited and tickets are $65.

FWFWF events:

• Grand Tasting - Friday, March 28, 2014

Renaissance Worthington Hotel – Sundance Square, 200 Main Street, Fort Worth, 76102
A tasting event as big as Texas, with over 70 wineries, craft breweries and distillers in attendance alongside chefs, restaurateurs, celebrated vendors and food artisans. Tickets: $125. Time: 7-11 p.m.

• Tastes of the World - Saturday, March 29, 2014

Bass Performance Hall – Sundance Square, 555 Commerce Street, Fort Worth, 76102
Experience fine art entertainment alongside exquisite cuisine as Chef Dean Fearing of Fearing’s at the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, treats guests to a progressive lunch on the renowned Bass Performance Hall stage. Each course will be paired with a unique performance by the finest talents in the city. Space is limited. Ticket price is $500. Time: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

• Burgers, Brews & Blues - Saturday, March 29, 2014

Edwards Ranch/Heart of the Ranch - 5000 Clearfork Main Street, Fort Worth 76109
Enjoy a trio of all-American classics, as 26 craft breweries and 13 restaurants offer beer and sliders, accompanied with live blues bands. General admission is $60, and VIP is $75. Time: 6-10 p.m.

• Sip + Savor - Saturday, March 29, 2014 & Sunday, March 30, 2014

Renaissance Worthington Hotel – Sundance Square, 200 Main Street, Fort Worth, 76102
Savor over 100 wines and small bites from Fort Worth’s most celebrated food artisans. Admission is $75 per day. Time: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

• Meals on Wheels for Meals on Wheels– Sunday, March 30, 2014

Coyote Drive-In – 223 NE 4th Street, Fort Worth, 76164
Fort Worth’s famed food trucks will serve up delicious grub, while live music and chuck wagons (the original food truck) serve as entertainment. The event benefits Meals on Wheels, Inc. of Greater Tarrant County. Tickets are $50. Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

In addition to celebrating the Fort Worth culinary scene, the FWFWF serves to assist in sustaining chefs, restaurants, and the local ranching and farming community. For additional information on participating chefs, events, Fort Worth culinary itineraries or high-resolution photography, please contact Jessica Dowdy at jessicadowdy@fortworth.com or Sarah Covington at sarahcovington@fortworth.com.

Philippines to celebrate Chinese New Year as sign of solidarity

The Filipino-Chinese population may comprise a small portion of the population, under the Aquino administration but the Philippines began celebrating the Chinese New Year as a non-working holiday in 2012.

In Proclamation No. 295 issued in November 2011, Aquino said the declaration of the Chinese New Year as a special non-working holiday would allow Filipinos and Filipino-Chinese to celebrate the holiday.

It is said that Aquino’s declaration is a nod to his ancestry as the Cojuangcos – his matriarch’s clan – are themselves Filipino-Chinese.

In his declaration, Aquino said the celebration of Chinese New Year “is a manifestation of our solidarity with our Chinese-Filipino brethren who have been part of our lives in many respects as a country and as a people.”

At present, the Philippines and China are embroiled in a territorial row over the West Philippine Sea or the South China Sea. Yet, a look at the latest economic data would reveal the close ties between Manila and Beijing.

China’s contribution to the economy does not end in trade. Chinese tourists are also among the country’s top visitors. The Department of Tourism said Chinese tourists were the fourth largest group of visitors in the Philippines from January to September in 2013. A total of 327,054 tourists from China came to the country, increasing by 66.08 percent and the fastest growth among the country’s top markets for tourists.

According to the National Statistics Office, China was the country’s third largest export market behind Japan and the US, accounting for 12 per cent of the total $4.3 billion export revenues in November .

More significantly China’s share represents a 38.2-per cent growth over the previous month, the fastest among all trading partners of the Philippines.

Through such cooperation, both countries will be able to maximize the benefit from China’s further liberalization minimizing the negative effects. Some broad areas of possible cooperation are: merchandise and service trade, tourism, and investment and development cooperation,

Spain tourism rakes in $81 billion from international arrivals in 2013

According to the figures released by the Spain Tourism Ministry, Spain raked in a massive sum of 59 billion euros ($81 billion) from international tourists in 2013. Spain is one of the most sought after destinations in the world tourism industry. It was ranked third after France and USA, according to the tourism influx last year.

The surge of foreign tourist arrivals in 2013 resulted in a rise of 9.6% year-on-year international expenditure in Spain. The economic recession in Europe and Spain got a huge boost from the flamboyant tourism industry. Spain tourism contributes almost 10% of the country’s economy.

“Spain closed 2013 with a historic record in international tourism spending,” the tourism ministry said in a statement.

British tourists, who flocked to Spain in the greatest numbers, spent a total of 12.0 billion euros, about one-fifth of the total.

They were followed by the Germans who splashed out 9.7 billion euros and the French who spent 5.9 billion euros, the government said.

Russian tourists boosted spending by the greatest margin, lifting expenditure by 29 percent to 2.35 billion euros in 2013, accounting for four percent of the total, it said.

In 2013, Spain replaced China on the third spot of the global tourism map as far as international arrivals are concerned. The rising outbound tourism of China and pollution problems in Beijing and other parts disturbed the Asian tourism giant last year.

Over 100 million Chinese travellers expected to travel during next few days

The number of Chinese travellers is expected to top 100 million a day during the next few days as the week-long Spring Festival holiday approaches, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) says.

“We forecast that travelers on roads and waterways on Sunday will reach more than 99 million and one million respectively,” MOT Spokesman Liang Xiaoan said in Beijing on Sunday.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, is the country’s most important traditional holiday for family reunions. China’s transport system will be put to the test during “Chunyun”, the 40-day travel period around the festival, which falls this year on Jan 31.

A total of 860,000 coaches have begun journeys already, and during the weekend, the number of trains have been increased to 5,000, carrying an average 6.8 million passengers each day, according to the ministry.

The MOT told local transport authorities to boost efforts to organize transportation and ensure sufficient vehicles are available. It also ordered local authorities to make sure of safety during Chunyun by improving the supervision of transportation companies, bus stations and ports.

For air transportation, the civil aviation authorities forecast that on Sunday more than 14,000 flights would carry more than 1.2 million passengers.

Sydney Tower Eye Celebrates Chinese New Year

The Sydney Tower Eye recently hosted Sydney’s highest Chinese lion dance complete with musicians, in celebration of the Chinese New Year.

The Skywalk was transformed with a rush of noise, colour and excitement as a flamboyant Chinese silver lion with an orange mane danced along Skywalk. Against the backdrop of the beautiful city of Sydney, the lion was accompanied by musicians playing cymbals.

At 268 metres above street level, the southern-styled lion performed traditional dance movements to welcome the Year of the Horse and bring good luck and fortune. The dance also marked the launch of brand-new Mandarin-speaking Skywalks during the Chinese New Year period, (30 January - 3 February), adding to Sydney Tower Eye’s diverse range of offerings.

Ian Wood, General Manager, Sydney Tower Eye said: “Chinese New Year is a huge part of the city’s cultural calendar and we are thrilled to be a part of it. As Sydney’s highest viewing platform, the Sydney Tower Eye receives thousands of Mandarin-speaking visitors annually and we wanted to further enhance their experience with the introduction of Mandarin-speaking Skywalks.

“We hope the new Mandarin-Skywalks will allow even more people to learn about and appreciate the city of Sydney, and we certainly hope to extend these beyond the Chinese New Year period in the very near future.”

The Mandarin-speaking Skywalks will be available every day during the Chinese New Year period, however, bookings are essential. For more information please call 9333 9222.

Chinese Tourists: America their Most-favored Holiday Destination

According to a latest report from brokerage CLSA, by 2020, the number of Chinese visitors visiting United States will be more than triple. The new generation will comprise a confident, more travel-savvy Chinese tourist that is prepared to bridge out from traditional vacation spots like Hong Kong and Macau.

Experienced Chinese travelers ranked U.S. as their most-liked vacation destination, if money was no object, higher than any other destination. Travelers ranked the U.S. as the second most well-liked vacation spot for the first time.

Chinese visit U.S. mainly for shopping, CLSA said that the Chinese splurge an average of $4,400 per trip on everything from high-end hotels to cosmetics, making them the second-biggest spenders after visitors from India. In addition to shopping, the new wave of Chinese tourists have another set of preference that will make Las Vegas casino owners drool.

Mantra Group Starts 2014 With Further Expansion In Australia

BreakFree Fortitude Valley

Australian hoteliers, Mantra Group, are continuing with domestic expansion plans announcing properties in Brisbane and Townsville with further additions imminent to its Australian network in 2014.

The Group's 115-strong Australian network is set to increase with the management of the recently refurbished Skyline Court apartment complex which will rebrand to BreakFree Fortitude Valley Brisbane in March 2014, offering an economy style option for both corporate and leisure travellers in the constrained Brisbane market.

Located two kilometres from Brisbane CBD the property offers studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments within walking distance to the restaurants, cafes and bars of Fortitude Valley and The Emporium shopping precinct. Facilities include a swimming pool, barbeque and recreation area, gymnasium and secure car parking.

Surrounding developments include RNA Exhibition Grounds, Brisbane City to Brisbane Airport Railway line, the Royal Brisbane Hospital and Homemaker City Fortitude Valley with Brisbane River approximately 1.5 kilometres to the east.

"We are pleased to offer our corporate and leisure clients another price point option in Brisbane and believe BreakFree Fortitude Valley is the ideal property to launch the brand in the Queensland capital," said Mantra Group CEO, Bob East.

The BreakFree joins Mantra South Bank and Mantra on Queen in the Group's Brisbane network to now offer a total of 420 rooms in the city. Other CBD BreakFree hotels are located in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

In Townsville, the hotel management agreement was formally signed on the brand new 185-room hotel set to open in 2016 as part of a restaurant and leisure precinct planned for the city's CBD.

The hotel development project, to be known as Mantra Townsville, will bring a much needed four-star corporate hotel to the city, catering to the region's demand from the mining resources sector and overall expansion.

Mantra Group CEO Bob East said the project was both a win for Townsville and for the Mantra brand which currently has over 50 Mantra hotels and resort across Australia.

"The Townsville market is definitely ready for a new project like this and with Mantra being one of Australia's most dynamic hotel brands we are pleased to have a presence in this fast developing region," he said.

Mantra Townsville will also have extensive conferencing facilities for up to 500 delegates, from boardroom style rooms for smaller groups through to large conference venues. The 185 hotel rooms and suites will offer contemporary style and comfort as well as a convenient location for both corporate and leisure guests. Leisure facilities will include a pool, gym and spa.

Further additions to the Mantra network include apartment hotels in Brisbane and Melbourne which are expected to be formally announced by April 2014.

The new hotels complement other recent announcements of future additions to the network which include Peppers Dunmore Brisbane set to open in 2015 and Peppers Docklands Melbourne in 2016.

MANTRA GROUP

Mantra Group is a leading manager and marketer of hotels and resorts in Australia and New Zealand - with its first foray into Asia with the opening of Mantra Nusa Dua, Bali in March 2013. The Group owns and operates three well-known and trusted brands - Peppers, Mantra and BreakFree. With over 115 properties and 15,000 rooms under management, Mantra Group is the second largest accommodation operator within Australia. The Group is positioned to offer both leisure and business style accommodation ranging from self-contained apartments to luxury resorts and retreats: www.mantragroup.com.au; www.peppers.com.au; www.mantra.com.au; www.breakfree.com.au 

Chance to land a million at New Zealand Women’s Open

One million dollars will be up for grabs at the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open in a thrilling competition staged in New Zealand for the very first time.

The tournament – taking place from January 31 to February 2 at Clearwater Golf Club, Christchurch’s premier golfing venue – sees the return of World No.4 Lydia Ko as she looks to defend her title against some of the best female golfers in the world.

And for the very first time in New Zealand the tournament will include a Hole in One competition offering one lucky competitor the chance to win more than just bragging rights.

Previous champions

Four of the five previous champions of the prestigious New Zealand Women’s Open tournament – Lindsey Wright (Australia), Kristie Smith (Australia), Laura Davies (England) and Gwladys Nocera (France) – will have a chance to win one million dollars.

The leading player in the championship after 36 holes (if she is not one of the four past champions already confirmed) will also be invited to compete in the Hole in One Competition.

In order to clinch the massive prize, each of the chosen competitors will hit one golf ball to the 18th green from a distance of 165m. In the event of the professional golfer achieving a hole in one, the player will receive $1,000,000 NZD.

Great attraction:

Bob Tuohy, Chairman and Managing Director of TA Golf, is confident the Hole in One competition will be a great attraction and addition to the already popular tournament.

“It is going to be an awesome spectacle, seeing four of the five former champions of the NZ Women’s Open playing with the chance to win a million dollars,” said Tuohy

“The ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open is already a very special event and something like this just adds to the attraction of the championship.

“The people of Christchurch have been great supporters of the event in the past five years and we expect that to continue in 2014 with the unprecedented success of Lydia Ko.

“This will be a great way for the golfing public to engage with the players and have some fun with a competition ahead of the final round on Sunday. We look forward to seeing a great crowd at Clearwater as four of the NZ Women’s Open Champions try to come up with that one magic shot for one million dollars.”

Largest woman’s purse

The ISPS Handa NZ Women’s Open – hosted by the city of Christchurch – is an important event as it holds the largest purse for a woman’s sporting event in the country. The 2014 event will be the only chance for local golf fans to see Lydia Ko in action in a New Zealand tournament.

The million dollar Hole in One shootout will be staged on the 18th hole at the Clearwater Golf Club on Saturday February 1 at the completion of round two of the championship.

Clearwater Golf Club, Christchurch

Located minutes from Christchurch international airport, in the South Island of New Zealand, visitors will find themselves in a golfing paradise at Clearwater Resort. Set within 200 hectares of beautifully manicured grounds, lush greens, polished fairways and naturally fed springs have seen Clearwater become one of New Zealand’s premier championship golf courses.

Clearwater has been a favoured venue for international golfers for over 11 years and has seen the likes of Jason Dufner, Bubba Watson and New Zealand’s newest golfing sensation Lydia Ko all taking to its greens.

The course itself features a standard Par 72 championship layout and an Executive Par 60 30/30 designed by New Zealand golfing great Sir Bob Charles.

Visitors wanting to make the most of their visit to Clearwater have a selection of accommodation options to chose from, one of these Peppers Clearwater Resort.

This stunning resort offers luxury right next door to the Clearwater Golf Club and provides the perfect base in which to explore the vibrant city of Christchurch – named as one of Lonely Planet’s top 10 cities in the world to visit in 2013 – and the picturesque Canterbury region.

Whitsundays Wedding and Honeymoon Expo 2014

Taste-test your future Whitsundays wedding at the inaugural Whitsundays Wedding and Honeymoon Expo held at the PCYC in Airlie Beach on Sunday 23 February 2014 from 10am - 1pm.

The region's key suppliers will exhibit at the event, showcasing their experiences to consumers.

Make it a girl's day out - enjoy a fashion show by the region's famous Haute Couture Bridal designer Kim Marcel who will launch five new dresses from her collection, meet with event planners to discuss your dream wedding setup and trial the latest hair and make-up trends.

Then hop on a mini bus, sit back and relax with a glass of champagne while you are being chauffeured to open houses at Airlie Beach wedding venues - what better way to scope out your perfect wedding.

Find out more...

Second Pullman hotel opened in Shanghai

ACCOR has launched Pullman Shanghai South, the second Pullman brand property in the bustling Chinese city.

The hotel is connected to a shopping mall, supermarket and office building in the Star Plaza commercial complex, and also offers easy access to Hongqiao International Airport.

Pullman Shanghai South’s 338 rooms and suites range from 40m2 to 406m2 and come with free high-speed Wi-Fi access.

For F&B, the hotel features an all-day dining restaurant with an open kitchen, a Chinese restaurant with nine private dining rooms, a Japanese restaurant with a teppanyaki island and sake bar, and a lobby lounge for drinks and tapas.

Other amenities include a heated indoor swimming pool, spa, gym, connectivity lounge and meeting facilities such as a 1,300m2 pillarless grand ballroom and seven multi-function rooms equipped with the latest technology.

All meeting rooms can be found on the third floor with Wi-Fi access and the hotel has a dedicated evet manager and IT solutions manager.

To commemorate its opening, the hotel has rolled out a special rate of 1,288 yuan (US$213) for one night in a Superior room. Guests will receive another night free. Available from now until March 15.