01

Belmond launches the first luxury sleeper train in England and Wales.

Belmond will launch the Britannic Explorer, A Belmond Train, the first luxury sleeper train traversing England and Wales, which will debut in July 2025.

The Britannic Explorer departs from London, offering a three-night journey along three memorable routes through Cornwall, the Lake District, and Wales, where guests will enjoy breathtaking natural landscapes. During the day, guests can opt for guided tours with various activities at each stop to experience the vibrant culture and history of each destination. In the evenings, passengers can unwind in the panoramic lounge car with a plant-inspired bar, serving as the vibrant social hub of the Britannic Explorer.

The Britannic Explorer offers guests a fresh perspective on touring England and Wales, providing this unique journey with exclusive access to some iconic destinations. Guests can immerse themselves in world-class galleries, stunning national parks, and historic cities. Highlights of the journey include private tours of the renowned Hauser & Wirth Somerset, dinner at the Da Costa restaurant, guided hikes in picturesque Wales, wild swimming in the enchanting landscapes of the Lake District, and a visit to the Tremenheere Sculpture Garden in Cornwall.

The renowned London-based studio Albion Nord meticulously created a tranquil and elegant interior, infusing the train with distinctive British charm. The color palette is inspired by the breathtaking natural world visible through the large picture windows, with traditional patterns accented by whimsical details, creating a serene yet vibrant atmosphere.

The Britannic Explorer features 18 cars, including 3 luxury suites and 15 cabins, crafted with care on the island of Great Britain. Set against the winding coastline and rugged mountains of Great Britain, passengers can enjoy every moment, whether in the cozy privacy of their own cabins, relaxing at the train's spa, or savoring fine dining and drinks in the bar and dining car, creating a visual feast.

The dining experience is meticulously crafted by Simon Rogan, a renowned restaurant operator and visionary leader of the 'farm to table' movement in the united kingdom. Rogan's menu will focus on seasonal and sustainable ingredients, all sourced locally to showcase the abundant produce of different regions across the british isle. The three routes each feature a customized afternoon tea, lunch, and dinner menu that highlights the finest local specialties. The bar, inspired by Victorian pharmacists, creates an elegant and comfortable atmosphere. Guests can enjoy innovative cocktails inspired by plants, along with a selection of handcrafted gin and craft beer, all from fine independent distilleries and breweries in the united kingdom.

02

Holiday Inn Express announces brand ambassador Xu Xin.

Holiday Inn Express, a mid-range select service brand of intercontinental hotels group, announces its new brand ambassador — table tennis world champion Xu Xin, and unveils its new brand proposition "Empowering Every Departure," aimed at revitalizing the journeys of young achievers who pursue excellence and value efficiency, providing a seamless lodging experience to enhance the quality of their travels.

Today, diverse personalities and rich experiences have become labels for contemporary young guests. They seek efficient and fulfilling travel explorations, often opting for compact itineraries that span multiple destinations, and aim to maintain their best state throughout each journey. Therefore, a high-quality lodging experience is particularly important. The new brand proposition of Holiday Inn Express "Empowering Every Departure" and the gradual enhancement of guest experiences make their service coverage more comprehensive, focusing on functional zoning of the hotel, themed planning, and healthy dining, fulfilling young achievers' aspirations for a multifaceted life and consumer preferences.

Under the new proposition, Holiday Inn Express strives to create services and experiences that boost efficiency and enhance energy for young achievers. In the energizing rooms, the hotel provides both soft and firm pillows and supportive mattresses to create a comfortable sleeping experience, while facilities like one-click screen projection, multifunctional charging interfaces, and ergonomic chairs present an efficient and convenient work environment in the room; the energizing goods delivered by robots reflect the meticulous service of Holiday Inn Express; laundry and fitness corners in the same space allow guests to manage their fitness and clothing simultaneously; from express noodles to collaboration coffee beans from Luckin, to crispy and delicious star-grade croissants, the rich express breakfast offers an all-around energy replenishment; the energizing planner presented by the chief guest officer includes recommendations for dining and fun nearby, making the journey more carefree, fully energizing guests' travels.

03

Diageo's first whisky distillery in china has been completed.

The first distillery established by the international spirits group and globally renowned whiskey producer diageo in china, the yuntuo single malt whiskey distillery, was recently completed in erhai source, yunnan. The distillery plans to invest a total of 0.8 billion yuan within nine years and will meet the increasingly rich demands of chinese consumers with high-quality products while promoting sustainable and innovative development in the industry. Government representatives from yunnan province, dali prefecture, and erhai source, as well as national industry representatives and local government representatives from fengyu town, attended the completion ceremony.

The name of the distillery "yuntuo" embodies the connection between the brand and the nature of its location, as well as the brand's vision. "Yun" means cloud, which is also an abbreviation for yunnan province, symbolizing the breathtaking natural scenery of the yunnan plateau, while also implying that yuntuo will combine local resources to produce whiskey made in china. "Tuo" means to expand, carrying the innovative spirit of the yuntuo brand that bravely explores the boundaries of whiskey production and constantly discovers the infinite possibilities of chinese whiskey.

Situated at an altitude of over 2,100 meters, the yuntuo single malt whiskey distillery is backed by the cangshan mountains and adjacent to the source of erhai lake, enjoying a unique mild climate, natural resources, and ecological diversity. The terroir here inspires endless innovation for yuntuo, such as attempting to use yunnan oak barrels for aging and exploring other local ingredients.

Led by distillery manager jiao changyi, local brewing experts are growing into the future masters of chinese whiskey. Meanwhile, yuntuo's journey of creation and exploration will be supported by diageo group's globally renowned whiskey master jim beveridge, group whiskey blending master craig wallace, and group whiskey distilling master andrew millsopp.

The yuntuo single malt whiskey distillery is designed by the award-winning oli architectural firm. The distillery building adopts a modern style and seamlessly integrates local cultural elements with the environmental landscape, fully interpreting the beauty of nature. The distillery also features a visitor experience center, presenting whiskey enthusiasts and tourists with a unique immersive interactive experience. Visitors can gain a comprehensive understanding of yuntuo's production and brewing, participate in whiskey tastings, and deeply appreciate the local cultural flavor. A highlight of the visitor experience center is the 29-meter-high whiskey oak barrel tower, decorated with over 1,000 whiskey oak barrels from world-renowned distilleries.

Under the guidance of diageo group's sustainable development action plan "spirit of progress", the yuntuo single malt whiskey distillery actively practices the commitment to sustainability from grain to glass. Currently, the distillery has achieved operational carbon neutrality through sustainable production technologies such as efficient electric boilers and renewable green energy; at the same time, it has achieved full recycling of industrial water, maximizing water resource efficiency and reducing waste emissions.

To promote inclusive and diverse development in the surrounding area of the distillery, diageo group has partnered with the erhai source government and the npay public welfare foundation to launch the "erhai source community project", aiming to establish a brand new community center by the end of 2024. In addition, to support the development of local communities and the tourism industry, the group has jointly launched the "dali community support project" with the dali tourism association, providing skills enhancement and career development opportunities for tourism practitioners in the erhai source region through diageo's "lifelong learning" initiative.

04

The Japanese sake brand "HINEMOS" debuts in the china market.

The new Japanese sake brand "HINEMOS" officially debuts in the china market, bringing with it 12 uniquely characteristic sake products, and collaborating with the famous shanghai bar Sober Company to launch limited original cocktails, aimed at providing a new sake experience for chinese consumers.

The brand name "HINEMOS" comes from Japanese, meaning "all day", symbolizing the brand's vision of accompanying drinkers through every moment. HINEMOS launched 12 sake varieties inspired by different times of the day, from 6 PM to 5 AM the next day, with each sake named after the corresponding time, such as "8:00 PM" or "12:00 AM", offering consumers choices for different occasions and times.

HINEMOS not only emphasizes the concept of time in product design, but its bottle design also centers on time as a core element, showcasing the passage of each hour through arc-shaped patterns. In addition to standard large bottles, HINEMOS also offers mini bottle sets, especially suitable as gifts. These exquisite bottles can still serve as indoor decorations even after the sake is finished, continuing the aesthetic style of the "HINEMOS" brand, allowing people to visually enjoy the lingering beauty of that moment.

Nishiyama Sake Brewery, the producer of HINEMOS, has a history of over 300 years, maintaining the brewing techniques passed down through generations. Notably, Nishiyama Sake Brewery employs the rare cold storage warehouse brewing technique in the industry. Generally, sake brewing occurs in the winter, known as "cold brewing". However, Nishiyama Sake Brewery maintains a constant temperature of 5°C throughout the year in cold storage, achieving "four-season brewing" that breaks the boundaries of traditional sake production, continuously providing consumers with fresh and high-quality sake experiences.

While inheriting traditional brewing methods, HINEMOS continuously explores more possibilities for sake, showcasing diverse flavors. The brand only uses simple raw materials such as rice, koji, and water to brew a variety of tastes, allowing even those new to sake to clearly appreciate the differences and feel the unique charm of each sake. The brand has launched various types of sake from dry to sweet, from sparkling sake to rich sweet sake, as well as barrel-aged sake with a whiskey flavor, meeting the demands of consumers with different taste preferences.

Beginning in 2024, HINEMOS will officially launch its global strategy, covering important markets including mainland china, hong kong, and singapore. In the near future, the brand plans to open its first directly operated store in shanghai, further deepening the brand's close connection with the china market.