Although it has been years since I’ve traveled in mesmerizing Tokyo, my memories are as vivid as though they had been sparked yesterday—pleasures aswirl in unique flavors and noises, creativity and ingenuity. So when luxury publisher Assouline released the new book Tokyo Chic, I dove into its 312 lush-paper-stock pages, with more than 200 photographs and illustrations, which are bound in an outsize (10-by-13-inches, 6.4-pound) format—a hefty hardcover wrapped in silk. The brainchild of Andrea Fazzari, whose deft imagery and words are love letters to the inimitable capital, Tokyo Chic showcases a massively enthralling—yet strikingly intimate—city. Currently based in Tokyo, Fazzari is a James Beard Award-winning photographer, author and restaurant maven with notable backgrounds in fashion and film. Born in New York City, she has lived in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain and Thailand—and speaks four languages. What a sophisticated guide to have at your armchair traveler’s fingertips! Indeed, this coffee table tome would make a treasured holiday gift for those who have already vacationed in Japan or simply dream of doing so.
Travelport investors commit $570m. in new equity financing to bolster capital structure and accelerate long-term growth and innovation
05.12.2023 - 08:35 / traveldailynews.com / Greg Webb / Vicky Karantzavelou
New investment from existing backers provides Travelport with platform for long-term success.
LANGLEY, UK – Travelport Worldwide Limited, a global technology company that powers travel bookings for hundreds of thousands of travel suppliers worldwide, announced that a group of its existing equity holders and lenders have agreed to invest $570 million of new equity financing into the company. The new financing will give Travelport a robust capital structure, enable further investment into Travelport’s technology platforms and pave the way for other innovations to deliver new and exceptional ways for the travel industry to serve customers.
The new investment in Travelport is being made pursuant to an agreement that will significantly deleverage and strengthen the company’s balance sheet. Following completion of the Transaction, Travelport will have a new ownership structure composed of Travelport’s existing equity and credit investors, including Elliott Investment Management, Davidson Kempner Capital Management, Canyon Partners, Siris Capital and other leading institutional investors. These investors will remain well positioned to provide strategic counsel and support to the company’s management.
“This investment demonstrates our investors’ support for Travelport and will advance our mission to reinvent a better future for the travel industry,” said Greg Webb, Chief Executive Officer of Travelport. “With this new investment, Travelport will have a strong balance sheet with the least amount of debt amongst its peers, which we believe will put the Company in an even better position for long-term, profitable growth. Most importantly, this transaction will further strengthen our operating business and accelerate our investments in Travelport+ and other initiatives that make us the most innovative and agile partner to all our customers. We thank our investors for their significant vote of confidence in Travelport.”
In the last year, Travelport has undertaken several successful strategic investments and initiatives to enhance the technology, products and services it provides to customers. These include the acquisition of Deem, a leading corporate travel management platform, as well as the upgrade of over 85% of the company’s agency customers to Travelport+. The transaction will enable further investment in customer offerings, including accelerating new developments in Travelport+, such as support for a wide range of carrier NDC offerings and the Content Curation Layer, the company’s groundbreaking, machine learning powered search engine that normalizes and personalizes all sources of travel content.
The transaction, which is subject to obtaining requisite consents and the satisfaction of customary closing
Holiday Gift Guide 2023: The Best Mail-Order Caviar And Oysters
I recently put caviar on an extra-toasty Cheez-It, and I’m obsessed. I took my inspiration from Alexis Cervasio, proprietor at hip Boston market EBO & Co. and proponent of putting caviar on everything,
Soho House to stop admitting new members in New York, London and Los Angeles
You'll be waiting a long time to get into Soho House in some of the world's largest cities.
In Mumbai and Delhi, Finding Inspiration in the Unapologetic Flavors of India’s Street Food
I'd seen images of baby Krishna atop a banyan leaf in pop devotional art posters all over India. Yet it was only on a dusty lane in Jaipur's Old City that I witnessed the leaf of the banyan tree deliver something divine in person. “That's outstanding,” said Chintan Pandya as he tasted a piece of kesar pista makhan—a seemingly simple bar of saffron-tinted butter topped with bits of crushed pistachio—picked off the dried leaf. “No…mind-blowing.” Licking his fingers, America's most acclaimed Indian chef passed the bar to me. “Here, use your hands.”
Award-Winning Airline Adds New U.S. Gateway To World’s Largest Network
Turkish Airlines flies to 345 destinations in more different nations than any other carrier in the world, with one of the newest and most acclaimed airports as its hub. It also consistently ranks among the very best airlines and just won–again–Best Airline in Europe in the 2023 Skytrax World Airline Awards, the industry’s most influential, beating out the likes of Air France, Swiss, Lufthansa, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. It also took home four other Number Ones in the awards, including Best Economy Class Seat in Europe and Best Business Class Cuisine worldwide. (I recently wrote in detail here at Forbes about another award-winning carrier, Qatar Airways, which has won World’s Best Airline and World’s Best Business Class among other titles).
Is Travel & Tourism ready for mandatory emissions reporting?
The escalation of extreme weather events and environmental emergencies, coupled with the alarming decline in global biodiversity, will pose unparalleled challenges to multiple industries. This pressing landscape necessitates that organizations in the travel and hospitality sector move beyond mere regulatory compliance to adopt proactive, sustainable practices.
The new breed of hospitality employees: Selecting and nurturing competencies for the future
Encourage empowerment and job crafting to fuel innovation and creativity among employees.
Dnata Travel reveals where’s trending for UAE National Day trips in 2023
dnata Travel experts continuously monitor trends and work with long-standing international partners to offer exclusive rates and added extras for the local market, alongside the latest in travel inspiration.
Hamburg Airport joins international “Hydrogen Hub at Airport” network
Airbus presented its ZEROe concept aircraft in 2020 and the development of the corresponding technology building blocks is now being driven forward in a global R&T network focussing on the development of hydrogen technology for future commercial aircraft.
Travelex launches more than 75 new international bureaux, kiosks and ATMs worldwide
Leading FX provider invests heavily into retail portfolio as global travel rebounds.
LATAM Airlines inaugurates new London to Lima route
LATAM Airlines will operate the route between the UK capital and Peru with five weekly frequencies on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. This is the first time a Peruvian crew has operated a flight between Peru and the UK. This represents a milestone in aviation in the Andean region.
How to improve guest experience and online reputation, a Reputation report
2023-24 UK Hospitality ‘Quick Take’ report, with its insights into the latest trends and best practices for leveraging feedback data, is here to help hospitality businesses navigate these challenges.