In Japan, a Paradise of Michelin Three-Star Restaurants.
Poor France. Not only is the country suffering from recent Eurozone debt woes, its position as the world’s capital of gastronomy is now officially far behind Japan. The Land of the Rising Cuisine pulled away from the European culinary giant with the latest restaurant guide to Tokyo, Yokohama and Shonan boasting 17 three-star restaurants. The record tally brings the total number of three-star establishments in Japan to 32, now seven more than in France, according to a Michelin release Tuesday.
Japan’s total of 26 Michelin three-star restaurants last year put it on par with France for the first time. But then a restaurant closure in France caused its number of 3-stars to decline to 25, paving the way for Japan to take the lead with 29 when the 2012 book on western Japan – including Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe – was released in October.
The upcoming 2012 edition to Tokyo, Yokohama and Shonan – the crescent-shaped coastline south of Yokohama – goes on sale Friday in English and Japanese.
Tokyo’s bragging rights were boosted by the addition of three restaurants: Sushi Yoshitake in ritzy Ginza burst onto the list for the first time while Japanese-cuisine Ryugin in Roppongi earned another star. Kouan, a Kanagawa restaurant that specializes in small Japanese plates, was the sole establishment to debut in the three-star echelon from the newly expanded Shonan region. Unsurprisingly, the honored trio concentrate on Japanese cooking and are expensive. According to Tabelog, the Japanese equivalent of online restaurant forum Yelp, the average dinner price is highest at Ryugin (upwards of Y30,000 – about $380), followed by Sushi Yoshitake starting in the Y20,000 range then Kouan reaching as high as Y15,000.
But the French company claims not all of the meals have to come at the expense of your purse. The tire company on Tuesday said the percentage of starred restaurants with lunch and dinner meals averaging roughly Y5,000 or less increased to 40%, up 10 percentage points from the previous edition.
As well being crowned the reigning global culinary capital, Tokyo is also now home to the highest-rated Korean restaurant. (Michelin does not have a restaurant guide to South Korea). The red book bestowed a second star to Moranbong, located near haute shopping center Omotesando, which incidentally reopens from a two-month renovation closure the same day the red book goes on sale on Dec. 2.
Japanese-influenced cuisine once again dominates, making up 70% of the list. The remainder is mostly a European hodgepodge of Italian, Spanish and French cooking and a smattering of others like Chinese, Korean and steakhouses.
Michelin said there are seven inspectors involved in winnowing Tokyo and surrounding area restaurants down to the 292 deserving of stars. All of the inspectors are Japanese and are the same judges who decided on the Osaka guide. Michelin declined to disclose how many inspectors it employs in other countries.
Japan could, of course, be bumped from its perch when Michelin releases its 2012 France guide in March. But even then it would have another chance to best France this year – Michelin’s first-ever guide to Hokkaido restaurants goes on sale in April.
mardi 29 novembre 2011
dimanche 27 novembre 2011
Prezi VS Issuu
After using these two tools I would say that I prefer Prezi. Personally, I was more creative using Prezi and I had more fun with this tool... But I'm glad to have discovered Issuu too, a tool that can be really useful for presentations but that offers less place to creativity according to me. However, Issuu is probably the easiest tool to use as you just have to download a pdf file so in a sense it takes you less time...
Prezi
samedi 19 novembre 2011
Discovering google 'hangout'
It was interesting to discover this way to communicate online (video and voice) like skype the only one that I knew until now...
jeudi 17 novembre 2011
2012 OLYMPICS IN LONDON PROVIDES LONG-TERM VALUE FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL
London is building excitement and facilities for the 2012 Olympic Games, and its Olympic investments should translate to long-term value for the international business travel and meetings markets.
"Historically, organizers of international conventions have shown some reluctance to stage their events in London due to the lack of facilities and support from the city," admits Anna Golden, commercial director for Earls Court & Olympia Venues, which will host the Olympic volleyball tournament. "The more high profile events that we stage in London the greater its profile as a world class business destination... Simply playing host to the greatest event on earth will create an undeniable legacy for our city and for the venues associated with the Games."
In addition to the new Olympic village, many of London's existing event venues will host Olympic tournaments, including ExCeL London, Lord's Cricket Ground, Wimbledon and others. London is also modernizing its transportation system, hotel inventory will increase to 120,000 rooms, and new facilities will remain for meetings and congresses as part of its Olympic initiatives.
When considering destinations that can help them achieve their business goals, that's what business travelers and meeting organizers want to hear. Venues, transportation and cost issues also matter in that selection, says Chris Gaia, vice president of marketing at Maritz Travel, Fenton, MO.
London Travel Remains ResilientDespite the 2009 global downturn in business travel and tourism, London was able to manage this challenge better than other international destinations through an increase in its leisure and domestic travel markets.
In fact, London's overseas visitors were down only 4.6% in 2009 vs. 2008. That's good news because the combination of a stable hospitality industry and local commitments to business travel will build confidence with those who are making business destination choices.
North America is an important region for London because it represents 15% of London's visitor base. And U.S. travelers were London's largest market in 2009: 1.8 million visitors spent GBP 1.4 billion (roughly USD $2.1 billion). Business travel has historically accounted for about 30% of total travel revenue in London.
International Meetings Pre-OlympicsPlenty of organizations are planning on holding their business travel meetings and events in London both pre- and post-Olympics, says Chloe Couchman, spokesperson for Visit London.
Perhaps an important benchmark was set last fall when GASTRO 2009, a global collaboration of four organizations for gastroenterology, was held in London. It was the city's largest event ever: almost 14,600 participants.
European-based associations planning to host their international conventions in London include the European League Against Rheumatism (Zurich, Switzerland) in May 2011, European Hematology Association (The Hague, The Netherlands) in June 2011, and World Skills International (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) in October 2011.
Some U.S.-based international associations are also crossing the pond. For example, the International Downtown Association, Washington, DC, will host its world congress at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in June. The Society for Pediatric Radiology, Reston, VA, will hold its international conference in May 2011 at the Hilton London Metropole Hotel. And the International Association of Women Judges, Washington, D.C. has chosen London for its bi-annual conference in May 2012 at the Church House Conference Centre in Westminster.
Olympics' Legacy on London Business TravelBecause associations tend to plan two to three years in advance, it seems that now is the time when decisions to host meetings in London after the 2012 Games is just beginning. The International Communication Association, Washington, DC, announced that it will hold its annual conference there in June 2013.
Other international meetings heading to London after the Olympics include the European Conference on Optical Communications in 2013 (projecting approximately 4,000 delegate) and the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT) in 2014 (projecting approximately 8,000 delegates).
London is also on a short list of destinations under consideration by the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (Nyon, Switzerland) for a future world congress.
England is also trying to maximize London's Olympics status in its bid to host the FIFA World Cup in either 2018 or 2022.
London's Value for the CurrencyThe toughest challenge when choosing an international business destination is predicting the cost of doing business. However, exchange rates are currently optimistic for the U.S. Dollar and/or Euro vs. the Pound Sterling, but that's volatile.
"When you have favorable exchange rates as in the current environment, it does indeed open international destinations to the market as potential meeting destinations, especially when considering international vs. domestic," Gaia says.
Even so, don't expect many venues in London to accept even greater level of risk by locking in today's exchange rates based on other currencies, says John Eissler, national account director/ADOS corporate accounts at Freeman, Dallas, TX. That would expose them to an unacceptable level of risk.
By Rob Hard
"Historically, organizers of international conventions have shown some reluctance to stage their events in London due to the lack of facilities and support from the city," admits Anna Golden, commercial director for Earls Court & Olympia Venues, which will host the Olympic volleyball tournament. "The more high profile events that we stage in London the greater its profile as a world class business destination... Simply playing host to the greatest event on earth will create an undeniable legacy for our city and for the venues associated with the Games."
In addition to the new Olympic village, many of London's existing event venues will host Olympic tournaments, including ExCeL London, Lord's Cricket Ground, Wimbledon and others. London is also modernizing its transportation system, hotel inventory will increase to 120,000 rooms, and new facilities will remain for meetings and congresses as part of its Olympic initiatives.
When considering destinations that can help them achieve their business goals, that's what business travelers and meeting organizers want to hear. Venues, transportation and cost issues also matter in that selection, says Chris Gaia, vice president of marketing at Maritz Travel, Fenton, MO.
London Travel Remains ResilientDespite the 2009 global downturn in business travel and tourism, London was able to manage this challenge better than other international destinations through an increase in its leisure and domestic travel markets.
In fact, London's overseas visitors were down only 4.6% in 2009 vs. 2008. That's good news because the combination of a stable hospitality industry and local commitments to business travel will build confidence with those who are making business destination choices.
North America is an important region for London because it represents 15% of London's visitor base. And U.S. travelers were London's largest market in 2009: 1.8 million visitors spent GBP 1.4 billion (roughly USD $2.1 billion). Business travel has historically accounted for about 30% of total travel revenue in London.
International Meetings Pre-OlympicsPlenty of organizations are planning on holding their business travel meetings and events in London both pre- and post-Olympics, says Chloe Couchman, spokesperson for Visit London.
Perhaps an important benchmark was set last fall when GASTRO 2009, a global collaboration of four organizations for gastroenterology, was held in London. It was the city's largest event ever: almost 14,600 participants.
European-based associations planning to host their international conventions in London include the European League Against Rheumatism (Zurich, Switzerland) in May 2011, European Hematology Association (The Hague, The Netherlands) in June 2011, and World Skills International (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) in October 2011.
Some U.S.-based international associations are also crossing the pond. For example, the International Downtown Association, Washington, DC, will host its world congress at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in June. The Society for Pediatric Radiology, Reston, VA, will hold its international conference in May 2011 at the Hilton London Metropole Hotel. And the International Association of Women Judges, Washington, D.C. has chosen London for its bi-annual conference in May 2012 at the Church House Conference Centre in Westminster.
Olympics' Legacy on London Business TravelBecause associations tend to plan two to three years in advance, it seems that now is the time when decisions to host meetings in London after the 2012 Games is just beginning. The International Communication Association, Washington, DC, announced that it will hold its annual conference there in June 2013.
Other international meetings heading to London after the Olympics include the European Conference on Optical Communications in 2013 (projecting approximately 4,000 delegate) and the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT) in 2014 (projecting approximately 8,000 delegates).
London is also on a short list of destinations under consideration by the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (Nyon, Switzerland) for a future world congress.
England is also trying to maximize London's Olympics status in its bid to host the FIFA World Cup in either 2018 or 2022.
London's Value for the CurrencyThe toughest challenge when choosing an international business destination is predicting the cost of doing business. However, exchange rates are currently optimistic for the U.S. Dollar and/or Euro vs. the Pound Sterling, but that's volatile.
"When you have favorable exchange rates as in the current environment, it does indeed open international destinations to the market as potential meeting destinations, especially when considering international vs. domestic," Gaia says.
Even so, don't expect many venues in London to accept even greater level of risk by locking in today's exchange rates based on other currencies, says John Eissler, national account director/ADOS corporate accounts at Freeman, Dallas, TX. That would expose them to an unacceptable level of risk.
By Rob Hard
More and more luxury hotels in Asia...
Forbes Travel Guide announces its 2012 worldwide 5 and 4 star ratings
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Forbes Travel Guide, the originators of the prestigious Five-Star ratings and certifications program, announced its 2012 list of Five-Star and Four-Star hospitality establishments worldwide, including eight Asian hotels and spas that will be awarded the Five-Star and Four-Star rating for the first time.
Making their debut on the prestigious 2012 Forbes Travel Guide list for Asia are:
- Mandarin Oriental in Singapore, which has the distinction of being the only Five-Star hotel in Singapore as well as the only new Five-Star hotel in Asia.
- The China World Summit Wing and Park Hyatt in Beijing; Mandarin Oriental in Macau; and Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong, join the list with the Four-Star hotel rating.
- The spas at Four Seasons in Hong Kong as well as the Mandarin Oriental in both Singapore and Macau, have all earned the coveted Five-Star rating.
This marked improvement in ratings reflects the positive reception by hotels and spas in Asia to adhere to the high standards of the Forbes ratings system. Globally, there are 57 Forbes Five-Star hotels, including five in Hong Kong, two in Macau, and one in Singapore.
Forbes Travel Guide’s ratings are based on objective evaluations of more than 550 attributes at each rated property and provide a global and unified Five-Star rating system that consumers around the world can trust. It has provided unbiased hotel reviews that have aided travelers in the U.S. since 1958.
Making their debut on the prestigious 2012 Forbes Travel Guide list for Asia are:
- Mandarin Oriental in Singapore, which has the distinction of being the only Five-Star hotel in Singapore as well as the only new Five-Star hotel in Asia.
- The China World Summit Wing and Park Hyatt in Beijing; Mandarin Oriental in Macau; and Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong, join the list with the Four-Star hotel rating.
- The spas at Four Seasons in Hong Kong as well as the Mandarin Oriental in both Singapore and Macau, have all earned the coveted Five-Star rating.
This marked improvement in ratings reflects the positive reception by hotels and spas in Asia to adhere to the high standards of the Forbes ratings system. Globally, there are 57 Forbes Five-Star hotels, including five in Hong Kong, two in Macau, and one in Singapore.
Forbes Travel Guide’s ratings are based on objective evaluations of more than 550 attributes at each rated property and provide a global and unified Five-Star rating system that consumers around the world can trust. It has provided unbiased hotel reviews that have aided travelers in the U.S. since 1958.
mardi 8 novembre 2011
SCREENSHOTS
screenshot twitter
screenshot igoogle
screenshot inbox (alert google + newsletter)
Here are the screenshots of my twitter account, my gmail account and igoogle. I'm not fond of informatics but I found interesting to discover these websites/tools that can be very useful...
My first blog !!
WELCOME ON MY BLOG
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