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    IATA calls for Asia-Pacific to relax border measures to aid aviation recovery

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged Asia-Pacific states to further ease border measures to accelerate the region’s recovery from COVID-19.
    “Asia-Pacific is playing catch-up on restarting travel after COVID-19, but there is growing momentum with governments lifting many travel restrictions. The demand for people to travel is clear. As soon as measures are relaxed there is an immediate positive reaction from travelers. So it is critical that all stakeholders, including governments are well-prepared for the restart. We cannot delay. Jobs are at stake and people want to travel,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, in his keynote address at the Changi Aviation Summit.
    The Asia-Pacific region’s international passenger demand for March reached 17% of pre-COVID levels, after having hovered at below 10% for most of the last two years. “This is far below the global trend where markets have recovered to 60% of pre-crisis levels. The lag is because of government restrictions. The sooner they are lifted, the sooner we will see a recovery in the region’s travel and tourism sector, and all the economic benefits that will bring,” said Walsh.
    Walsh urged Asia-Pacific governments to continue easing measures and bring normalcy to air travel by:
    Removing all restrictions for vaccinated travelers.
    Removing quarantine and COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated travelers where there are high levels of population immunity, which is the case in most parts of Asia.
    Lift the mask mandate for air travel when it is no longer required in other indoor environments and public transport.
    “Supporting and more importantly accelerating the recovery will need a whole of industry and government approach. Airlines are bringing back the flights. Airports need to be able to handle the demand. And governments need to be able to process security clearances and other documentation for key personnel efficiently,” said Walsh.ADVERTISEMENTChina and Japan
    Walsh noted that there are two big gaps in the Asia-Pacific recovery story: China and Japan.
    “So long as the Chinese government continues to maintain their zero-COVID approach, it is hard to see the country’s borders reopening. This will hold back the region’s full recovery.
    While Japan has taken steps to allow travel, there is no clear plan for the reopening of Japan for all inbound visitors or tourists. More needs to be done to further ease travel restrictions, starting with lifting quarantine for all vaccinated travelers, and removing both the on-arrival airport testing and daily arrival cap. I urge the government of Japan to take bolder steps towards recovery and opening of the country’s borders,” said Walsh.
    Sustainability
    Walsh also called on Asia-Pacific governments to support the industry’s sustainability efforts.
    “Airlines have committed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. A key to our success will be governments sharing the same vision. There are high expectations for governments to agree a long-term goal at the ICAO Assembly later this year. Achieving net zero requires everyone to shoulder their responsibility. And among the most important things that governments should do is incentivising the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Airlines have bought every drop of SAF that is available. Projects are underway that will see a rapid increase in SAF production over the next years. We see SAF contributing to 65% of the mitigation needed to achieve net zero in 2050. That will require governments to be much more proactive,” said Walsh.
    Walsh acknowledged that there have been positive developments in Asia-Pacific. Japan has committed considerable funds for green aviation initiatives. New Zealand and Singapore have agreed to cooperate on green flights. “Singapore’s cross industry International Advisory Panel on a sustainable aviation air hub is a positive example for other states to adopt,” said Walsh. He also called on ASEAN and its partners to do more, particularly looking for opportunities in the region to expand SAF production.

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    UNWTO welcomes the city of Ceuta as an affiliate member to promote sustainable tourism

    The Autonomous City of Ceuta joins the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to promote sustainable tourism and boost the competitiveness of the tourist destination. The incorporation of the company Servicios Turísticos de Ceuta to the Organization will be ratified during the 116th Session of the Executive Council of the UNWTO, to be held next on 7 and 8 June in Saudi Arabia.
    On the occasion of its affiliation, the President of the Autonomous City of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, visited the UNWTO headquarters today to learn first-hand about the work of the Organization with its Affiliate Members. During his visit, they laid the foundations of a joint roadmap to, among other issues, enhance the aspects that can help the tourist destinations to advance in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
    Affiliate Members Department Director, Ion Vilcu, explained that the unprecedented impact of the pandemic on the industry has highlighted the need for tourism to transform itself into a more sustainable sector, while responding to the new tourists´ demands.
    The UNWTO welcomes the decision of the authorities of the Autonomous City of Ceuta to join this international entity, which will allow the destination to develop joint projects related to the sector.
    La Organización continúa trabajando en colaboración con sus Miembros Afiliados para ofrecer herramientas que les permitan adaptarse a los nuevos desafíos planteados al sector y adoptar así un nuevo modelo de desarrollo turístico más respetuoso con el medio ambiente y las personas.ADVERTISEMENTThe Organization continues to work in collaboration with its Affiliate Members to provide tools that will enable them to adapt to the new challenges facing the sector and thus adopt a new model of tourism development that is more respectful of the environment and people.

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    Register now for ABTA’s 2022 Travel Convention

    Delegates are encouraged to register now for this year’s Travel Convention, the UK travel industry’s flagship event, to take advantage of discounted Early Bird fees.
    Taking place in Marrakech from 10-12 October, this year’s event sees a return overseas and will offer a programme of high-level business sessions delivered by industry leaders and external experts, a host of networking opportunities in both business and social settings, and the chance to experience the diverse and culturally rich host city though full and half-day excursions.
    Most delegates will stay at the centrally located five-star Mövenpick Hotel Mansour Eddahbi, just a 15-minute drive from Marrakech Menara Airport, with fantastic facilities including three restaurants, a bar, a spa and wellbeing centre, a yoga studio, vibrant gardens and three swimming pools.
    The Mövenpick Hotel will also host an ABTA Members’ Reception on the evening of Monday 10 October and is connected to The Palais des Congres Marrakech, where the business sessions will be held on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 October.
    Early Bird fees are £600 for ABTA Members and the first ABTA Partner to register, and £700 for other Partners and non-Members. Delegate companions will pay a fee of £200. ADVERTISEMENTDelegates can register and find more details on the event programme at www.thetravelconvention.com.
    Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive at ABTA – The Travel Association said:
    “This year’s Convention will be the first hosted overseas since the start of the pandemic, so it is a momentous occasion for ABTA, our Members and our Partners. Delegates can currently take advantage of Early Bird fees, giving a chance to experience an excellent Travel Convention in stunning Marrakech at reduced rates.”
    Jamal Kilito, Director for UK, Ireland and the Nordics, Moroccan National Tourism Office (MNTO) said:
    “ABTA and MNTO are working in close collaboration to make this year’s Travel Convention in Marrakech an exceptional success. We are very much looking forward to welcoming all delegates to Morocco, the Kingdom of Light.”
    The 2022 Travel Convention is supported by headline partners Royal Caribbean International, Intrepid Travel and Avis Budget Group, plus trade media partner Travel Weekly.

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    Agoda to offer interest-free credit card installments

    Global travel platform Agoda has announced its partnership with Visa, the world leader in digital payments, to offer interest-free credit card installments across its booking platform. Agoda will be the first global Online Travel Agency (OTA) to offer this payment option with Visa in the Asia Pacific region.
    These installments can now be exclusively enjoyed by HSBC Bank Malaysia credit card holders. In the coming years, Visa and Agoda will progressively roll out this offering regionwide to locations like Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines, each with respective issuing banks.
    “As the world transitions from a pandemic to an endemic state, there is great demand for digital-first experiences to accommodate for changing consumer behaviours and purchasing patterns. At Agoda, we are always looking for innovative ways to help people gain more accessibility – using technology to simplify the search, booking and payment processes. We are happy to be working with a global leader like Visa to empower travellers who might have previously found it inconvenient to pay for their booking in one lump sum, to spread their purchases over multiple payments – allowing for greater flexibility and peace of mind.”, said Thi-Mai-Linh Bui, CFO, Agoda.
    To enjoy this benefit, Visa card holders will simply need to enter their credit card details at the point of checkout. An instalment option will appear for eligible card holders. Following which, travellers can select their preferred instalment period via Agoda’s mobile app and website, with no additional charges or fees.
    “The buy now, pay later trend is here to stay, so add instalments to the list of consumer expectations for speed, safety and convenience, even when they’re booking their holidays,” said Conor Lynch, Head of Consumer Solutions, Asia Pacific, Visa. “We’re excited for Agoda to join the growing list of businesses in Asia Pacific giving their customers the ability to pay in instalments. It’s particularly great to see instalment payments taking off in the travel industry at the same time people are getting their ‘revenge travel’ plans underway.’ADVERTISEMENT

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    DCT Abu Dhabi announces Trip.com partnership

    The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has signed a strategic partnership with Trip.com Group, a leading global travel service provider, in an online ceremony at Arabian Travel Market. The partnership’s social and economic initiatives will encourage and entice visitors worldwide to visit Abu Dhabi, promoting the UAE capital as a top-tier travel destination in 13 markets across Asia and Europe, including in India, China, South Korea, Japan, USA, UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
    The partnership marks the first time DCT Abu Dhabi has engaged Trip.com Group as a whole, rather than with its various singular entities, increasing consistent visibility across its five popular business and consumer global travel platforms. Over a period of 12 months, Trip.com Group’s primary focus is to achieve 57,000 room nights in Abu Dhabi through marketing on its five portfolio channels. These B2B and B2C subsidiaries include Trip.com, a global travel service provider with an extensive hotel and flight route network; Skyscanner, the world leader in global flight meta-search; Travix, a global OTA operating in 39 countries; Ctrip and MakeMyTrip.
    HE Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi said “We are very pleased to announce our global agreement with Trip.com Group, a partnership that will share Abu Dhabi’s story with international visitors – beginning with the summer season and beyond. Through strategic partnerships such as this and our ever-expanding tourism and culture offering, we are further elevating Abu Dhabi as a top-of-mind destination, providing travellers around the world with diverse, immersive and enriching experiences to discover at their own pace.”
    Jane Sun, Chief Executive Officer at Trip.com Group said “We are pleased to announce, Trip.com Group and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi continue to strengthen our cooperation through a new strategic partnership. Together, we will launch a series of promotional initiatives to market and develop Abu Dhabi’s tourism industry and promote and conserve its rich heritage and culture.”ADVERTISEMENTAs part of this landmark partnership, DCT Abu Dhabi and Trip.com Group will also introduce industry initiatives, including a talent development programme that will see staff members seconded across worldwide offices to expand their professional and industry experience. A second initiative will centre on increasing the awareness of Abu Dhabi’s sustainable tourism activities.
    Abu Dhabi is considered the World’s Leading Sports Tourism Destination 2021 by voters at the World Travel Awards, while Trip.com was nominated as Asia’s Leading Online Travel Agency 2021.

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    Tourist boards look to national cuisine to gain rival destination edge

    As the travel industry’s recovery gathers pace, many tourist boards are looking to differentiate themselves from rival destinations by focusing on their cuisine rather than traditional natural hotspots, cities or coastal locations, says GlobalData, the data and analytics company.
    According to GlobalData’s Ads Database, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) for Turkey, Malta, and Indonesia have focused on their national cuisine to entice new tourists. Marketing campaigns have included glossy images and short videos covering traditional cooking methods to boost cultural appeal. The development of these marketing campaigns appears to be in response to growing demand for international cuisine and culinary experiences, with DMOs using this to gain a competitive advantage over rival destinations.
    Craig Bradley, Associate Travel & Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “DMOs appear to be reacting to a change in traveler sentiment towards gastronomy. Development of this trend has been brought on by the pandemic, which has helped broaden the palates of many tourists despite the closure of many restaurants during 2020 and 2021.
    “Many restaurants needed to adapt to pandemic restrictions to survive, so they started selling meals via food delivery services such as Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats. These services have made international cuisines more accessible to consumers than ever before due to their low-touch service offering, intuitive smartphone apps, and efficient mobile payment systems. As a result, global awareness of alternative international cuisines has increased considerably enabling tourist boards to utilise this in attractive marketing campaigns to entice potential tourists.”
    This trend is unlikely to slow either, with the food delivery market set to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7% between 2021 and 2025, according to a 2021 GlobalData Food Insights & Trends report. As a result, millions of individuals will continue to sample new cuisines and flavors from their local restaurants.ADVERTISEMENTAccording to a GlobalData Q4 2021 Global Consumer Survey, 47% of respondents said that they find the broader availability of cuisines the most appealing reason to consume food and drink outside of the home, highlighting the global appetite for experiencing new flavors. It is reasonable to assume that the same sentiment applies to tourists within a destination. Many will be enthusiastic about encountering local culture and customs, including food and drink.
    Bradley concludes: “In response to this development in consumer tastes, tourist boards have recognised an opportunity to use regional cuisine to create original marketing campaigns that can convey local culture within the tourist experience. This will be particularly attractive to niche tourists and millennial tourists, who typically search for more unique experiences.
    “However, it is important to note that linking destination marketing with gastronomic experiences is nothing new. Still, this type of promotional strategy is likely to grow in importance for DMOs as shown by Malta, Indonesia and Turkey, due to consumers becoming more exposed to culinary experiences.”

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    Guidance to remove mask mandate a step towards normality

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed new guidance from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) removing its recommendation that masks should be required in-flight.
    EASA’s updated Aviation Health Safety Protocol, published 11 May, calls for the mandatory mask rule to be relaxed where rules have been relaxed for other transport modes. This important shift reflects the high levels of vaccination, natural immunity levels, and the removal of domestic restrictions in many European nations. The updated guidance also acknowledges the need to move from an emergency situation to a more sustainable mode of managing COVID-19.
    “We welcome EASA’s recommendation to relax the mask mandate, which is another important step along the road back to normality for air passengers. Travelers can look forward to freedom of choice on whether to wear a mask. And they can travel with confidence knowing that many features of the aircraft cabin, such as high frequency air exchange and high efficiency filters, make it one of the safest indoor environments,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
    Several jurisdictions still maintain mask requirements. That is a challenge for airlines and passengers flying between destinations with different requirements. “We believe that mask requirements on board aircraft should end when masks are no longer mandated in other parts of daily life, for example theatres, offices or on public transport. Although the European protocol comes into effect next week, there is no globally consistent approach to mask-wearing on board aircraft. Airlines must comply with the regulations applicable to the routes they are operating. The aircraft crew will know what rules apply and it is critical that passengers follow their instructions. And we ask that all travelers be respectful of other people’s decision to voluntarily wear masks even if it not a requirement,” said Walsh.

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    UNWTO welcomes the city of Ceuta as Affiliate Member

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    UNWTO welcomes the city of Ceuta as Affiliate Member

    The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) welcomes the Autonomous City of Ceuta as an Affiliate Member to promote shared values and a common vision on sustainable tourism.
    The Autonomous City of Ceuta joins the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to promote sustainable tourism and boost the competitiveness of the tourist destination. The incorporation of the company Servicios Turísticos de Ceuta to the organisation will be ratified during the 116th Session of the Executive Council of the UNWTO, to be held next on 7 and 8 June in Saudi Arabia.
    On the occasion of its affiliation, the President of the Autonomous City of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, visited the UNWTO headquarters today to learn first-hand about the work of the organisation with its Affiliate Members. During his visit, they laid the foundations of a joint roadmap to, among other issues, enhance the aspects that can help the tourist destinations to advance in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
    Affiliate Members Department Director, Ion Vilcu, explained that the unprecedented impact of the pandemic on the industry has highlighted the need for tourism to transform itself into a more sustainable sector, while responding to the new tourists´ demands.
    The UNWTO welcomes the decision of the authorities of the Autonomous City of Ceuta to join this international entity, which will allow the destination to develop joint projects related to the sector. ADVERTISEMENTThe organisation continues to work in collaboration with its Affiliate Members to provide tools that will enable them to adapt to the new challenges facing the sector and thus adopt a new model of tourism development that is more respectful of the environment and people.

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