Week of July 29, 2010
GUTEN TAG: American Airlines and Air Berlin have signed an agreement allowing customers from each to book and travel on the other's network while also earning frequent flyer miles. The codeshare agreement, once approved by government regulators, is to add more European cities to American's network on the continent. In November, Air Berlin will for the first time begin nonstop flights twice weekly between Berlin and Miami. OIL'S WELL: The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau sent President and CEO William D. Talbert III to Argentina to bid for a future world conference of the International Society of Hematology and to promote Miami's summer programs: Miami Spice, Miami Spa Month and Miami443. The bureau hosted 20 tour operators and 31 journalists to present Miami as a tourist destination but also to address concerns about the oil spill. The team had "to get the word out in a muddled media marketplace that there is no oil in Miami and it is highly likely that there will be no oil," Mr. Talbert said. The trip was funded by the $1.25 million in oil spill money the bureau received from the state to promote tourism. WAIT AND WATCH: With the gusher in the Gulf of Mexico seemingly capped, the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce and the city have put on hold plans for a town hall meeting on response to the spill's impact should it hit beaches here. "Obviously we are working together to make sure community is well informed as to potential impact," said Beach chamber Chairman Aaron Perry. "What we've decided to do as a singular unit is just wait and see what comes next from the capping." CAPPED BUT NOT OVER: Despite the cap on the well, the Federal Reserve is still keeping a sharp eye on the situation, according to Juan del Busto, who heads the Miami branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. "There's softness in people booking on the West Coast and of course through that whole Gulf" region, he said. The Fed's Miami office is responsible for providing tourism-related information from throughout the Southeast back to the Atlanta office. It still expects the spill could cost Florida up to $10 million a day, Mr. del Busto added. Complete coverage, including The Insider and all information columns, is available in the e-edition. Sign up at www.miamitodaynews.com |
Top