Travel Roundup: Celebrity Cruises Crash, Hilton Layoffs, Ft. Lauderdale Disses Spring Break and More
Two critically injured on Celebrity Cruises bus crash — Two cruise line passengers taken to a Miami hospital after a bus crash in Dominica remain in critical condition. Sixteen tourists from the Celebrity Cruises ship, the Celebrity Summit, were coming back from a short trip on the Caribbean island when the tour bus crashed around 4 p.m. Tuesday. Several were taken to area hospitals in Southern Florida. [Source: Sun-Sentinel]
Hilton Hotels Corp. prepares for layoffs? — Reports say that Hilton Hotels Corp. is preparing for numerous layoffs in its Memphis-based branch, where Hilton employs about 1,100 people. The corporation said in a statement that any changes would be “communicated directly” to employees at an “appropriate time.” On Jan. 21, Hilton announced its planned move from Beverly Hills, Calif. to the Washington, D.C. metro area in late 2009. It also announced moving its administrative unit of the Hilton Garden Inn to Memphis, joining Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn & Suites, Homewood Suites and the new Home2Suites brands. [Source: Memphis Business Journal]
Ft. Lauderdale disses Spring Break – Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, says that in the last 20 years the tourism center hasn’t welcomed “rowdy” college students on Spring Break. ”Our decision to end spring break in 1986 has driven visitor growth from one half million annually to 10.8 million visitors in 2008,” she said. Grossman states couples, families, college sports and corporate meetings make the area “recession resistant.” [Source: Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau]
Eclipse may change to Chap. 7 — Eclipse Aviation Corp.’s note holders filed to convert Eclipse’s bankruptcy proceedings to a Chapter 7, a bankruptcy that would sell all its assets to pay creditors and fees. The Albuquerque, N.M.-based company makes light jets and filed for Chap. 11 last November. In January, the court approved a proposal by Eclipsejet Aviation International Inc. to buy the company. [Source: The Business Review]
Bay Area resident and award-winning business journalist Barbara E. Hernandez has covered tourism, real estate and personal finance. Her clients include the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and Washington Post.
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