Travel Technology
businesswire | August 11, 2023
Selina Hospitality PLC the fast-growing lifestyle and experiential hospitality company targeting millennial and Gen Z travelers, today announces the launch of the Selina Members Club, an innovative shareholder benefit program. This program is aimed at deepening retail shareholder engagement and revolutionizing the way the company builds relationships with its investors. A step beyond traditional shareholder programs, the Selina Members Club forms a community around shared values and lifestyles, underlining our commitment to stakeholder inclusion and brand camaraderie.
The Selina Members Club features three membership tiers: Blue Moon, Pink Moon, and Black Eclipse, each providing a unique set of benefits. Selina's valued shareholders, upon enrollment and verification that the eligibility requirements have been met, can enjoy accommodation and food and beverage discounts, room upgrades, complimentary breakfasts, access to co-working spaces, and exclusive event invitations. The program, designed to offer personalized experiences, also includes additional benefits such as accruing more points on stays, late checkouts, and free room upgrades - all to enrich the Selina experience.
"Today, investing extends beyond the balance sheet. It's a reflection of personal values and aspirations," said Rafael Museri, Selina’s Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder. "The Selina Members Club allows our eligible shareholders to become part of the Selina community, experiencing firsthand the lifestyle that defines our brand. This reciprocal relationship deepens our connection with shareholders and elevates our brand in the experiential hospitality market."
Shareholders can unlock these unique benefits by verifying their shares in US-based brokerage accounts. Upon verification, they are promptly enrolled in the relevant membership tier provided they have held their shares for a certain period of time, and details of their exclusive benefits and how to redeem them are sent directly to them. As we embark on this exciting journey, the Selina Members Club symbolizes Selina’s commitment to our shareholders, reinforcing our core values, and redefining experiential hospitality.
”The Selina Members Club is not only a strategic move to strengthen relationships with customers who are also shareholders; it serves as an expression of gratitude for their steadfast support. As we tread a new path in the experiential hospitality market, our shareholders form a vital part of our community,” said Sam Khazary, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Corporate Development at Selina. "We extend a special thank you to retail focused investor relations agency, Equity Animal, along with our technology partner, Stakeholder Labs, for their collaboration in creating the Selina Members Club."
To join the Members Club, shareholders are invited to visit the verification portal and click on the "Connect Brokerage” button to connect their US brokerage account. Once verified and all eligibility requirements have been met, shareholders will receive an email confirming their membership tier, their benefits, and how to redeem them. Shareholders can anticipate receiving their benefits within five business days post-verification. For further information on the Selina Members Club, its unique benefits, and how to become a part of this exclusive community, please visit investors.selina.com.
About Selina Hospitality PLC.
Selina is one of the world's largest hospitality brands built to address the needs of millennial and Gen Z travelers, blending beautifully designed accommodation with coworking, recreation, wellness, and local experiences. Founded in 2014 and custom-built for today's nomadic traveler, Selina provides guests with a global infrastructure to seamlessly travel and work abroad. Each Selina property is designed in partnership with local artists, creators, and tastemakers, breathing new life into existing buildings in interesting locations in 24 countries on six continents – from urban cities to remote beaches and jungles.
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Travel Technology
prnewswire | July 06, 2023
Trip.com Group, a leading travel service provider and Tourism New Zealand, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote New Zealand as a key tourism destination in Asia Pacific.
Trip.com Group's Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategy Alliances, Edison Chen, and Tourism New Zealand's Board Chairman, Jamie Tuuta, in the presence of New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, signed the MOU. The Prime Minister is currently on a working visit to China.
As part of the collaboration, both parties will launch a series of joint marketing campaigns to attract tourists from Asia Pacific to New Zealand. The markets include the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Australia. This will involve the creation of appealing and attractive travel itineraries and experiences to meet specific visitor needs, positioning New Zealand as a destination of choice for travellers.
This partnership marks the first Asia Pacific pan-regional collaboration for both sides.
Edison Chen, Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategy Alliances, at Trip.com Group said, "With the reopening of China's border, we have seen a marked increase in outbound travel-related bookings and searches in the recent months. We look forward to collaborating with Tourism New Zealand to leverage our resources and deep data insights to boost New Zealand tourism development, fully optimising the travel experience for tourists in New Zealand."
"With the resurgence of international travel post-pandemic, this collaboration could not be better for both parties involved."
Data from Trip.com Group's Ctrip and Trip.com platforms show a keen interest in travel in Asia Pacific, including New Zealand.
Specifically, searches for flights to New Zealand have seen a significant increase of nearly 560% year-on-year, and the volume of bookings was up over 570% compared to the same period last year.
The Chinese mainland was the top source of arrivals to New Zealand in the first half of this year, followed by other key markets, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and South Korea, making the top 10 list.
Tourism New Zealand's Chief Executive, René de Monchy said, "Through the partnership, Tourism New Zealand aims to provide Asia Pacific travellers with more convenient booking methods, personalised itinerary planning, and comprehensive service support. We look forward to welcoming travellers to deeply explore the beautiful landscapes and unique culture of Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as experience our manaakitanga."
About Tourism New Zealand
Tourism New Zealand is responsible for promoting New Zealand in key markets as a visitor destination.Tourism New Zealand is the organisation responsible for marketing New Zealand as a holiday destination. The major tool we use to do this is the 100% Pure New Zealand marketing campaign, a campaign that has evolved over the past decade to make New Zealand one of the world's most well-respected tourism brands.
About Trip.com Group
Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel groups in the world, with the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world".
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Travel Technology, Hospitality Management
Virgin Voyages | September 08, 2023
Virgin Voyages announced a $550 million funding round led by Ares Management for global expansion.
Founder Tom McAlpin transitions to Chairman of the Board, while Nirmal Saverimuttu takes over as CEO, bringing extensive experience from Virgin Voyages' early days.
Virgin Voyages looks forward to continued success and collaboration with investors, including Ares Management, to drive future growth and innovation.
Virgin Voyages, the award-winning cruise brand backed by Richard Branson's Virgin Group, has announced the completion of a $550 million fundraise led by Ares Management's Private Equity Group. This funding, including contributions from existing investors such as Virgin Group and Bain Capital, is poised to propel Virgin Voyages into international markets while enhancing the overall customer experience.
Partner and Co-Portfolio Manager of Special Opportunities in the Ares Private Equity Group, Aaron Rosen, remarked,
With this new investment alongside our partners at Virgin Group and Bain Capital, we believe the company is on strong footing to capitalize on its differentiated product and value proposition in the growing cruise industry.
[Source - Cision PR Newswire]
Established as a leading player in the industry, Virgin Voyages has swiftly gained recognition and accolades with a fleet serving various destinations and recent wins like topping the mega-ship category in Travel + Leisure's 2023 World's Best Awards and sweeping all five cruise categories in the 2023 Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards.
Alongside this development, Tom McAlpin, the founding CEO, is transitioning to the role of Chairman of the Board. Nirmal Saverimuttu is taking the reins as the new Chief Executive Officer, having formerly served as President and Chief Experience Officer. In addition, Nirmal Saverimuttu has been a foundational figure at Virgin Voyages since 2014, when he joined as Chief Commercial Officer after securing initial investments from the Virgin Group. His role expanded in 2021 to President and Chief Experience Officer, making him well-prepared to guide the brand into its next phase of growth and innovation.
Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages, said,
I want to send our deepest thanks, on behalf of all our Crew and the Board, to Tom for his leadership and passion for the business. We are so grateful for all he has done and are thrilled to continue to partner with him as our Chairman.
[Source – Cision PR Newswire]
Virgin Voyages is a trusted brand due to its crew's dedication and passion for offering remarkable experiences for its guests. Nirmal also expressed his anticipation of collaborating with the Ares team and Virgin Voyages' current investors to execute growth and expansion plans as the company contemplates its promising future.
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