Inside Wanderlust's virtual event: Beyond the beaches in the Dominican Republic. Adventurer Monty Halls joined Wanderlust’s Lyn Hughes, the Dominican Republic’s Sabrina Cambiaso and our travel-obsessed readers for a night of Dominican Republic inspiration...

Learn about Aruba’s health and safety protocols and gain an insight into what Aruba is like now and how your clients might find the island if they travel in the coming months.

Caribbean Virtual Roadshow - Dominican Republic Session 15 September 2020, 6pm BST Travel Agents can register to attend the session via the link below.

Write October 7 and 8 in the calendar! Then Visit Sweden invites you to a new format to meet the Swedish hospitality industry. It will be an online workshop where buyers and sellers meet for individual and pre-booked video meetings in a dedicated digital forum. With a view to 2021 and 2022, Sweden's hospitality industry welcomes you who are looking for new opportunities in new times. Sweden is still and perhaps even more an interesting and exciting destination in a new reality. Therefore, Visit Sweden invites you to an online version of the appreciated and important business meetings between international buyers and Swedish sellers. Swedish Workshop Online gives the international travel industry a chance to capture business opportunities for next year, and not least to create relationships with new and old business contacts for the future with tourist companies and destinations in Sweden. Visit Sweden wishes to invite tour operators, agents and Online Travel Agents with a focus on 2022, but who still have the planning to some extent open for 2021. Registration and booking of meetings will open in August, and the matching of meetings between sellers and buyers is done a few days before the workshop.

The Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (ASONAHORES, acronym in Spanish) announced the "ASONAHORES Virtual Fair 2020" promoting the relaunch of the country's tourism sector. The fair will be held from November 2 to 6 in a semi-face-to-face way through the website www.asonahores.com and will have the support of the country's Ministry of Tourism.

The P1 AquaX Bahamas World Championship is back! Watch as an elite field of the world’s very best personal watercraft racers compete for the title of World Champion in Paradise Harbour.

The Bahamas Marathon features 26.2 miles of history, beauty, scenery and loaded with miles of ocean views. The fast, flat course (except for two bridges at mile 2) is ideal for those looking to achieve Boston qualifying times.

The Israel Tourist Office invites you to join us for a festive virtual quiz on January 28th at 4pm to celebrate Tu’Bishvat. Tu'Bishvat is Israel's annual "New Year of Trees", where everyone celebrates by planting new trees, as well as eating dried fruit. We're hosting a quiz event where all participants will be sent a link to an app called Kahoot, which will allow us to answer the questions in real time. There are going to be prizes as well, from Israeli cookbooks to bottles of wine. We hope to see you online!

The Tourfilm International Film Festival, the world’s oldest tourism film festival, is offering the opportunity to win a trip to the Czech Republic. All you have to do is send in a video of the country’s incredible tourism offering, and the best entry will receive a trip to the Czech Republic, with three days accommodation, transport and flights. The winner (and honourable mentions) will be announced during the Holiday World & Region World Trade Fair, taking place from the 9th - 11th April 2021. The winner (and honourable mentions) will be announced during the Holiday World & Region World Trade Fair, taking place from the 9th - 11th April 2021. Category: Best Foreign Video Deadline for Entry: 26th February 2021 How to Enter: • Create and submit a video promoting the Czech Republic as a tourist destination • The video can be up to three minutes long • English subtitles are required if there is an alternative language used • The video must have been made within the last two years • Only one video may be submitted under each name • You cannot submit a video previously submitted to TourFilm • The video must meet the following technical parameters: • Resolution HD 1920*1080 progressive, H264 Mp4, max 7 Mbps. • The video format must be streamable • The frame rate is set by how the video was made originally, if the video was made at 30-60 fps, it does not need to be re-rendered at 25 fps. The same applies when the video was made in 4K and 4K is also an essential art element of the creative work, then videos in 4K or 60 fps are also acceptable. However, it is essential that the video is coded as h264 Mp4, streamable on YouTube and other online platforms. Submit your video today: http://www.tour-film.cz/en/Tourfilm-International-competition/Registration

Appointment based event aimed at European media members

The Purim Festival is one of the best times of the year to party in Israel, and this year we will celebrate together on zoom. It’s going to be fun and we’d love to see you there. Fancy dress is optional, of course, but at the very least you can have a laugh seeing with the tourist office staff are wearing. During the event we'll tell you more about the Purim Festival, as well as a bit of information about Israel's amazing nightlife options. We're even going to have a live quiz using the Kahoot app, with prizes for the winners. We look forward to seeing you there!

Trade event aimed at UK product managers

The World Championship in Nové Město na Moravě is a top biathlon event in the Czech Republic. The venue has been recognised by the international sports public for its excellent organisation and great spectators. The same can be expected in the upcoming World Championship in the heart of scenic Vysočina, a region that especially provides ideal conditions for cross-country skiers in winter. The first Biathlon World Cup took place there in 2012 (and in 2018) and a year later the resort successfully hosted the World Championship.

International jazz festival was established in 2002. It has started as a weekend music event, but turned out to the great cultural event which brings colorful cocktail of jazz concerts, jam sessions and workshops to the city of Brno throughout the year. Jazz Fest Brno brings to its fans, not only from the region but throughout the Czech Republic and abroad, the best of what contemporary jazz has to offer. Quality and innovative dramaturgy hand in hand with professional production of Jazz Fest Brno, gain a reputation as one of the most important jazz festivals in the Czech Republic and Central Europe.

Trade event aimed at UK product managers

Join Antigua and Barbuda, and the Sandals resort to find out why the destination is perfect for any get away.

Join this webinar for a lesson on romance in Antigua and Barbuda. Email tourisminfor@aandbtourism.com

Trade show aimed at the luxury market

Trade show organised by Visit USA (UK)/Travel Weekly & Aspire

Meeting show, hosted buyers and other MICE invited guests, networking and theatre performance. Details to follow.

Join this webinar to learn what Antigua and Barbuda has been doing to earn the title of Lonely Planet's emerging Sustainable Destination if the Year (2021)

Join Antigua and Barbuda as we team up with Sandals Grande to give you a taste of the destinations beautiful cuisine.

Join this webinar to learn about the fun activities that Antigua and Barbuda has to offer. Email tourisminfo@aandbtourism.com for an invite

The event will showcase post-Covid treatment packages from the best spas across the Czech Republic, Europe’s spa capital. During this virtual event, you will have the opportunity to hear firsthand information from several spas, industry-leading medical experts, and physiotherapists on how the Czech Republic is set to play a pivotal role in supporting patients who are dealing with the long-term consequences of Covid-19. The panel will be fielding questions from attendees, and the event will culminate in a live virtual tour of the iconic Czech spa town; Karlovy Vary.

Join us on 15 July for our virtual Annual Conference: Uniting on Regenerative Tourism and and Transformative Travel. This will be a very exciting conference for ANTOR as from 18 July ANTOR will be celebrating it's 70th anniversary year. Programme: 1.00 - 2.00pm: Speed-networking with our sponsors. Please do make sure to join us for this as the sponsors are funding the conference and this event would not be possible without their support. 2.00 - 2.20pm: Keynote speaker: Anna Pollock, Founder of Conscious Travel and thought leader in regenerative tourism. 2.20 - 2.50pm: Good practice examples from Finland, Taiwan and Tobago. 2.50 - 3.20pm: Panel discussion chaired by Tracey Poggio, hearing from a travel agent, travel operator, and journalist who will share their thoughts on "What do tourists want or expect from regenerative tourism and transformative travel?" 3.20 - 3.50pm: Ian Dockreay, Chief Executive of Equator Learning and Travel Uni will discuss "'The Travel Reset’ – Our very rare opportunity to change the mindset of the travel industry and travellers" 3.50 - 4.10pm: Coffee Break and visiting the Sponsor rooms 4.10 - 4.30pm: Nico Nicholas, CEO & Co-founder of Trees4Travel will discuss "How to turn your destination into a carbon emission free travel experience" 4.30 - 4.50pm: Vicky Smith, Founder of Earth Changers , will discuss "Transforming Travel - Time to Rethink Tourism" 4.50 - 5.00pm: Q+A's 5.00 - 5.30pm: Final networking with our sponsors in their meeting rooms. Speaker Profiles Keynote speaker: Anna Pollock Anna Pollock, Founder of Conscious.Travel, has 48 years’ experience in tourism as an independent consultant, strategist, international speaker and change agent and is now acclaimed thought leader in the emerging field of regenerative tourism. Past clients include the Canadian Tourism Commission, PATA, European Travel Commission, Tourism British Columbia, the Australian Tourism Export Council, Tourism Tasmania, Innovation Norway, Visit Flanders, Rotterdam Partners and departments of industry, conservation and tourism in New Zealand. Recipient of The Visionary of the Year Award from the Canadian tourism industry. Anna has undertaken seminal work in many aspects of tourism, notably in education, sustainability and technology. During the 1990s, Anna established herself as a thought leader on the strategic implications of the Internet; she created the first internet-based tourism strategy for Scotland; and she co-developed one of the first multi-purpose destination management systems. She also prepared one of the first reports on the impact of climate change for the Canadian tourism industry in 2007. Her strength is her ability to see the whole “big picture,” to ask difficult questions and to help others make sense of their rapidly and dramatically changing world. Since 2010, Anna has focused on investigating emergent, alternative models for the tourism sector that would enable it to shift from extraction to regeneration and that generate higher yields with less impact. After several years of research, she published her thinking in a comprehensive report Social Enterprise and Tourism – The Conscious Travel Approach that is now used as text in many universities around the world. In October 2016, she was retained by Visit Flanders to assist their strategic planning and, over a two year period, supported their Travel to Tomorrow program, helping to shift their official policy from volume growth to destination flourishing. During that period, she was able to develop her unique approach to regenerative tourism and assist a number of communities through a program of action learning. That led to a LEADER project that applied the flourishing destinations concept in Angus, Scotland; Bazinul Dornelor in Romania; and Meetjesland in Flanders. Having influenced the first ever regional tourism strategy in New Zealand to integrate regenerative principles, Anna was invited to New Zealand in 2019 and began working with the regional tourism organisations and the Department of Conservation. Her writing and speaking led her to be invited by the New Zealand Government to sit on the Tourism Futures Task Force that produces its report in January 2021. She is the only member of the Task Force outside New Zealand. Anna has recently been retained to advise on a regenerative recovery program for Northern Ireland and, in partnership with Michelle Holliday, author of The Age of Thrivability, is now developing an online educational program to enable destinations and their stakeholders better understand and apply regenerative principle. The launch of the program will occur in New Zealand in February 2021. Good practice examples from Finland, Taiwan and Tobago Liisa Mäkelä, Manager Sustainable Travel Development for Visit Finland Sylvia Lee, Director for Taiwan Tourism Bureau Louis Lewis, CEO of the Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd Panel - Chaired by Tracey Poggio Richard Hammond, Executive Producer and Founder of Green Traveller Richard is the founder and CEO of Green Traveller. He has written, photographed and filmed about green travel for over 20 years. He was previously the Guardian's eco travel correspondent and co-author of the Rough Guide: "Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World". Karen Simmonds, founder of Travel Matters and Make Travel Matters Karen has worked in travel & hospitality for over 30 years, having started her career in guiding roles around Europe. Karen considers herself to be versatile and multi-talented as the owner of the travel concierge company Travel Matters, which specialises in arranging bespoke worldwide adventures and holidays. She is the founder of the Make Travel Matter campaign, building awareness and engagement about how we can travel responsibly and in a sustainable way, sharing good practice with clients and the industry as to how travel choices and decisions can have a positive impact on the communities we visit. Mikey Sadowski, GM of Global PR & Communications – Intrepid Travel Mikey Sadowski is the GM of Global PR & Communications at Intrepid Travel, a purpose-driven tour operator that is both the world’s largest adventure travel company and travel B Corporation. Mikey is involved in shaping the brand’s global positioning, advocacy and communications as a leader in responsible travel. Outside of Intrepid, he is a contributor, invited lecturer and advisory board member for a wide range of publications, organizations and academic institutions. Ian Dockreay, Chief Executive of Equator Learning & Travel Uni Ian is an international travel and aviation executive with senior management level experience in American Express Travel, British Airways, Emirates Airline, OAG and Virgin Atlantic. Also founder and strategist of numerous exhibitions and media titles including the European Travel Technology Show, Business Travel Show and BBT (Now BTN Europe) to name a few. He is now running and expanding Equator Learning and Travel Uni, both leaders in travel education, engagement, marketing & technology on a global basis. Specialisms include, marketing, engagement, technology, education/training, media and entrepreneurship. He is a PATA Board Member in the UK, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Marketors and a Freeman of the City of London. Nico Nicholas, CEO and Co-founder of Trees4Travel A true business entrepreneur at heart, specializing in innovation and technology. Nico has successfully built companies in a multitude of sectors, which have been justly acknowledged through various nominations and awards received over the years. He is a contagious leader with a can-do attitude who is now devoting his time to one of the world’s biggest challenges: climate change. Rewilding the planet and making travel naturally sustainable is his new ambition. Vicky Smith, Founder of Earth Changers Vicky’s headed up destinations abroad, marketing and ecommerce for tour operators, travel agents, media and NGOs in mainstream tourism, ski, tours, volunteer tourism and sustainable tourism accreditation. She's a published academic in responsible tourism, qualified safari guide, charity challenge leader and charity trustee for sustainable development in Madagascar. She also helps develop the Global and European Ecotourism Networks and was Ambassador for the UK Government DeFRA’s Year of Green Action, 2019. Vicky's startup Earth Changers is a curated collection of the best positive impact, sustainable tourism for people to find & book trips that truly change the world, which won Travelmole UK Best Responsible Travel & Tourism Website, 2019 in a public vote.

The BIG Travel Trade Event Team were delighted to be back once again at the Hilton Hotel Templepatrick last week and plans and preparations for the LIVE event on 24th & 25th August are well underway with the jam packed 2 days being as great as ever!

Travel agent destination training focused on North America