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    UNWTO and Allianz Partners advance commitment to responsible tourism

    UNWTO and its Affiliate Member Allianz Partnershave signed a Memorandum of Understanding, consolidating their joint commitment to promoting safe, responsible, and accessible tourism.
    The agreement confirms and renews the desire from both parties to continue collaborating in key areas, namely promoting the values of sustainable, inclusive, and accessible tourism; advancing the digital transformation of tourism; promoting tourism education and training; and facilitating knowledge exchange between stakeholders from across the tourism sector.
    Ion Vilcu, Director of the UNWTO Affiliate Members, confirmed: “The cooperation with Affiliate Members such as Allianz Partners is one of the objectives of the Organization, and issues such as sustainable tourism development, accessibility, training and capacity building in tourism are among the priorities of the UNWTO. We thank Allianz Partners for its contribution as a member of the Working Group for the elaboration of the International Code for the Protection of Tourists.”
    Borja Diaz, CEO of Allianz Partners Spain, said: “Our mission in the tourism sectoris to offer security and protection to travellers, who only have to worry about enjoying themselves. Affiliate Membership of UNWTO allows us to work along these lines and strengthen our commitment to sustainable travel with a leading organisation in the sector. We are looking for solutions that offer confidence to travellers, who now return to travel being more aware of their impact on the environment”.

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    Dr. Xie Xingquan to lead IATA in North Asia as regional VP

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the appointment of Dr. Xie Xingquan as its Regional Vice President for North Asia.
    Dr. Xie has held various appointments in China, Canada and Singapore throughout his 24 year career in the aviation industry. He was Director of the Policy, Law and Regulation Division at the R&D Centre of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) (1998-2008), Assistant Legal Officer at the International Civil Aviation Organization based in Montreal (2008-2010), and Director General of the Policy, Law & Regulations Institute at the China Academy of Civil Aviation Science & Technology (2010-2011). He has been with IATA since 2011, where he is currently the association’s Assistant Director, Legal, based in Montreal. 
    Reporting to Conrad Clifford, IATA’s Senior Vice President and Deputy Director General , Dr. Xie will lead IATA’s activities across North Asia, a region that is home to 40 IATA member airlines. He will be relocating to Beijing, where IATA’s North Asia Regional Office is located.
    “I am delighted to have Xingquan as our Regional Vice President for North Asia. His extensive international experience, and knowledge of the industry and region will be particularly valuable in leading IATA’s efforts across North Asia, including on safety, sustainability, and the recovery of international travel from COVID-19 when borders in the region re-open,” said Clifford.
    “I am honored and humbled to be leading IATA’s team in North Asia. Among my priorities would be to engage with the airline members, governments and industry partners in China and the region to safely re-open borders, catch up with the rest of the world, and revive the travel and tourism sector. I started my aviation career in Beijing and having held roles in different locations including Montreal and Singapore, I am excited to be back in Beijing again to contribute to the development of the aviation industry,” said Dr. Xie.ADVERTISEMENTDr. Xie graduated as a Doctor of Law from the Chinese Academy of Social Science, and additionally a L.L.M of International Commercial Law from the Singapore Management University.

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    ABTA provides submission to BEIS Select Committee on flight cancellations

    ABTA has provided a written submission to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee which has been looking at the difficulties some passengers experienced when travelling over the May half-term period.
    In a letter from Chief Executive Mark Tanzer, ABTA highlights the valuable role – and passion – travel agents have both in helping their customers organise their holiday as well as supporting them in the unlikely event that something goes wrong.
    The submission also aims to provide MPs on the Committee with contextual information and background on the impact of the pandemic on the travel industry, including how Government decisions not to offer sector-specific support, and to withdraw furlough support significantly ahead of the lifting of travel restrictions, have worsened the recruitment challenges facing travel businesses.
    Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive at ABTA – The Travel Association said:
    “It’s important MPs on the Committee understand the travel industry’s complex supply chain. Travel agents in particular are wholly reliant on the published inventories and flight schedules of airlines and tour operators and have no control over some of the operational issues seen in recent weeks. The hearing rightly focused on what had happened and how the companies involved responded, but we felt it was necessary and helpful for the Committee to hear from the wider industry.ADVERTISEMENT“It’s also important these recent issues continue to be put into context. For anyone caught up in the delays or cancellations it will have been a stressful and upsetting time, but most people were able to travel without issue. This is something we continue to emphasise in all of our communications – with media, politicians and consumers.
    “We continue to work hard to make sure that politicians don’t lose sight of the challenging environment the whole industry has had to operate in over recent years and the solutions the industry needs to support its recovery. Government does need to act to make the recruitment process easier and should look at adding the aviation-specific jobs to the UK’s shortage occupations list, which would enable staff to be hired more easily from abroad.”

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    UNWTO: Leaders look to innovative and build resilient tourism

    Tourism leaders from across Asia and the Pacific have placed building resilience and embracing innovation at the heart of the sector’s restart and sustainable future.
    The 34th Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UNWTO Commission for South Asia (34th CAP-CSA), was held as destinations across the region begin welcoming back international tourists. The region was hit first and hit hardest by the pandemic’s impact on tourism as many countries maintained strict restrictions on travel. Now, as UNWTO data confirms a 64% increase in international arrivals in the first quarter of 2022 compared to 2021, the high-level meeting of sector leaders identified the key challenges and opportunities ahead.
    UNWTO’s Work in the Region
    UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili provided an overview of tourism trends and statistics, both for the region and globally, followed by an update on the Organization’s work in the months since the previous Joint Commission meeting (hosted virtually by Spain in 2021). He stressed the importance of working together to lift travel restrictions, with coordination key to restarting tourism and for restoring confidence in international travel. “For many millions of people across Asia and the Pacific, tourism is an essential lifeline. Its return is vital and must be based around the pillars of inclusion and sustainability, for the benefit of all”, he said.
    The meeting was the first in-person gathering of the CAP- CSA for two years and brought together representatives of 19 Member States, as well as from UNWTO’s network of Affiliate Members. Welcoming delegates, Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, Minister of Tourism of the Maldives and Chair of the Joint Meeting, added: “Though the road to recovery is still uncertain and many challenges remain, global coordination through similar platforms will open up the opportunity to build back more comprehensively towards a sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism sector for the future.”ADVERTISEMENTResilience through InnovationThe 34th CAP- CSA was held in the Maldives as the country celebrated 50 years as an international tourism destination. Against the backdrop of the Golden Jubilee, the Ministry of Tourism of the Maldives and UNWTO also partnered to host a Ministerial Roundtable on Tourism Resilience through Innovation and Digitalization in Asia and the Pacific. Recognising the vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic, the discussion explored ways in which new technology and new ideas can help better protect tourism against shocks including future pandemics as well as extreme weather events.
    Concluding the joint meeting, Member States voted to hold the next gathering in Cambodia in the first semester of 2023. On the back of the high-level meeting, UNWTO will host a two-day Global Summit on Community-based Tourism, bringing public and private sector experts together to focus on the potential of gastronomy tourism, agro-tourism and community-based tourism for sustainable and inclusive development.

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    Collaboration key to creating Caribbean jobs, says WTTC More

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    Collaboration key to creating Caribbean jobs, says WTTC

    The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed the Caribbean’s travel and tourism sector could create 1.34 million jobs over the next 10 years, if governments and the private sector enhance intra-regional cooperation and become a single voice.
    At its Sustainable and Investment Summit in Puerto Rico, WTTC is launching a new publication looking at the future growth of the region. The report addresses a number of key challenges that the islands face and sets clear recommendations to maximise the growth potential of the Caribbean.
    The Caribbean is hugely reliant on travel and tourism and international visitors. In 2019, the sector’s contribution to the region’s GDP was 13.9 % (US$ 61.5 billion), falling to just 7.1% (US$28.8 billion) in 2020, which represented a staggering 53.2% loss.
    The sector also supported more than 2.7 million jobs across the region, before experiencing a staggering 25.8%, falling to 2.1 million in 2020, suffering a higher drop than the global average.ADVERTISEMENTAccording to the latest report, published today in Puerto Rico, the sector’s contribution to GDP could grow at an average rate of 6.7% annually over the next decade, outstripping the region’s overall economy growth.
    The Caribbean travel and tourism’s contribution to the region’s GDP could reach more than US$100 billion by 2032.
    In order to achieve this, the global tourism body says stronger collaboration across the Caribbean region, investment in infrastructure, better air connectivity and investing in the workforce, will be critical as the Caribbean competes with other parts of the world.
    Collaboration with the private sector along with tourism industry organisations such as the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) and other local associations, will also be key to achieving this long-term growth.
    The report also indicates how sustainability and protecting nature are also key elements which will enhance resilience for the future and will accelerate its recovery.
    WTTC’s ‘Travel and tourism in the Caribbean: Prospects for Growth’ analyses the travel and tourism sector’s impact on the region, as well as post-pandemic recovery and key challenges and recommendations to ensure a sustainable future for the region.
    Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “The Caribbean region is the bedrock of international travel. Its economies and future rely heavily on travel and tourism”
    “Over the next decade T&T in the Caribbean could grow 6.7% annually and be worth 100 billion dollars by 2032. This would create 1.3 million new jobs totalling 3.8 million people employed by our sector.
    “But to achieve a long-term, sustained recovery, governments must work together to focus on connectivity, sustainable infrastructure and attracting investment by cutting red tape and taxes.”
    WTTC’s latest EIR report also reveals that 2021 saw the beginning of the recovery for the Caribbean travel and tourism sector, which recorded the second-fastest recovery of all regions, that saw its contribution to GDP grow by 36.6%, to reach more than US$39 billion (9.1% of the total economy).
    World Travel Awards will be hosting its Caribbean & The America’s Gala Ceremony 2022 at Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica on 31 August 2022, with the Caribbean’s leading travel industry figures in attendance.
    Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is a leading advocate in creating programmes and initiatives that can build the resilience of local small and medium-sized tourism enterprises to earn more.
    The nation’s ministry and its public bodies are offering support to the SMTEs and hospitality workers using three pillars: international certification through the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation; financial support through businesses such as the Jamaica National Bank and the EXIM Bank; and marketing through the Jamaica Tourist Board.

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    Hotel investment imperative post-pandemic

    The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has published ‘Critical Factors to Attract Hotel Investment’, a new report highlighting the importance of attracting capital investment to enable the travel and tourism industry’s full growth potential post Covid, following a 25% drop in 2020.
    The report, launched today at the Sustainability and Investment Summit taking place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, looks at key enabling factors for hotel investment, and success stories of destinations that have employed such factors and shown strong growth in investment.
    In 2020, when international travel came to an almost standstill, the travel and tourism sector saw 62 million job losses and its GDP contribution halved, representing a painful loss of nearly USD 4.9 trillion.
    According to the paper, capital investment in the sector also fell substantially during the height of the pandemic, from nearly USD 1.1 trillion in 2019, to only USD 805 billion in 2020, representing an almost 25% drop. Investment in the sector continued to decline last year with a further 6.9% decline to USD 750 billion.
    The report does however provide grounds for optimism as it forecast a strong growth in travel and tourism investment over the next decade. However, the global tourism body warns that to achieve this, governments around the world must create a favourable enabling environment.ADVERTISEMENTIn addition to political stability and liquidity, considered essential for investment, a clear, open, and consistent government action and support, favourable tax incentives, and safety and security, amongst others, remain prerequisites to attract hotel investments.
    Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Hotel investment is absolutely key for the recovery and growth of the Travel & Tourism sector. Destinations must have a clear commitment and take a holistic approach to become resilient and competitive.
    “As we recover from the pandemic and we build back better, investments not only need to benefit destinations economically, but more importantly, socially and environmentally.”
    According to the innovative report, the key enabling factors for hotel investment include governance and rule of law, a key enabler for investors, as it determines how easily and successfully a business operates, physical infrastructure, air and ground connectivity, and workforce.
    The report analysed a number of popular destinations which benefitted from implementing these elements. For instance, the Netherlands provides an enabling environment for foreign investment with less restrictive regulations and strict laws to penalise corruption.
    Physical infrastructure, air and ground connectivity is also crucial to investment as well-connected hubs support wider regional development and provide access to lesser-known destinations that offer tourism opportunities.
    South Korea, for example, ranks as one of the best-connected countries in the world. The announcement of the country as the 2018 Winter Olympics host, incentivised investment in transport infrastructure, which resulted in hotel room supply soaring by almost 15%, outstripping the healthy overall Travel & Tourism capital investment growth of 8.7% in 2017.
    The paper also highlights the importance of re-skilling and up-skilling the workforce. Leading the way in this area is Portugal, which focussed on strategies to help reskill the sector, such as the Tourism Training Talent (TTT) programme, committed to improving the quality of tourism’s training services.
    Some additional factors and success stories in the report include liquidity in Maldives, government aid in Saudi Arabia, taxation in Colombia, destination planning and sustainability in Singapore and Rwanda, service culture in the Philippines, and travel facilitation in Aruba.
    With contributions from STR, KSL Capital Partners, and JLL, the report, draws from experience to inspire both the public and private sector, as they develop and implement Travel & Tourism investment policies that will boost the long-term recovery of the sector.

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    Qatar Airways collaborates with GE Aviation and IATA to generate the leadership programme

    Qatar Airways and GE Aviation have joined forces to launch a customised training programme under the name ‘Leadership, Future and Culture’ (LFC). National Senior Managers of Qatar Airways attended this one-week course, which was designed for them to connect and enrich their leadership skills.
    The ‘Leadership, Future and Culture’ training programme was created to enable National participants to develop a better understanding of different ways to further evolve and shape the future of leadership in Qatar’s culture. Employees from other sectors and industries in the aviation field have also participated in this programme, which has benefitted Nationals in learning from other leaders and gain different perspectives. GE experts also displayed a number of ways to facilitate leadership skills through the emphasis of fostering teams by covering topics on Leading in 2025, Coaching as an Alternative Mode, Neuroscience of Success, and Storytelling.
    Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “The Al Darb Qatarisation programme continually provides unique opportunities for Nationals designed to elevate them to excellence and success. Within this framework, Qatar Airways strives to further support the community and gear up for the future. Through this special programme collaboration with GE Aviation, National Senior Managers acquired the necessary information to boost their leadership skills and reinforce their knowledge on perseverance and maintaining smart objectives, as well as helping them facilitate an efficient working environment within Qatar Airways”.
    Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Nationalisation and Special Projects, Ms. Nabeela Fakhri, said: “Qatar Airways has always sought to enhance its employees’ careers, by providing the best innovative training programmes to develop and further enrich their skills and abilities. By providing our National Senior Managers with this unique training programme, we are ensuring the progress and professional development of our National leaders, while asserting Qatar Airways leading position”.
    GE Aviation General Manager Sales Middle East, Mr. Main Canaan, said: “GE Aviation was proud to partner with Qatar Airways and GE Crotonville to deliver the (LFC) program. Crotonville was established in 1956 is believed to be the world’s first corporate university. Its mission is to inspire, develop and connect the leaders of today and tomorrow and as such, it represents the very epicentre of GE culture and learning. The Leadership, Future & Culture program was specially designed for selected strategic customers to replicate the type of learning experience GE leaders receive at the Crotonville campus. We were pleased to share GE’s approach to leadership development with Qatar Airways and look forward to continuing this leadership journey with future participants”.ADVERTISEMENTThe ‘Leadership, Future and Culture’ programme was held in Ossining, New York at Crotonville, in GE’s facilities and encompasses an interactive forum, providing Qatar Airways’ National leaders with instructions to resolving issues and ways to tackle tough challenges. All leaders were also given the opportunity to take part in innovative aviation courses administered by International Air Transport Association (IATA) to progress their knowledge and skills. The courses inspire the participants to step out of their comfort zones and delve deep into aviation industry knowledge.
    A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ at the 2021 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. It was also named ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’. The airline continues to stand alone at the top of the industry having won the main prize for an unprecedented sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021).
    Qatar Airways also became the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by Skytrax. This follows the success of Hamad International Airport as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. These awards provide assurance to passengers across the world that the airline’s health and safety measures are subject to the highest possible standards of professional, independent scrutiny and assessment.
    Qatar Airways currently flies to more than 150 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, currently named the ‘Best Airport in the World” by Skytrax World Airport Awards 2021.

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    British Airways companion vouchers opened up to solo travelers

    Travellers embarking on solo adventures around the world can now enjoy new benefits from their Companion Voucher, British Airways and American Express have announced.
    From today, Cardmembers who have earned a Companion Voucher since September 2021 on either the British Airways American Express® Credit Card or the British Airways American Express® Premium Plus Card can choose to redeem it when booking a solo trip, receiving a 50% discount on the Avios cost of the booking.
    This is an additional option for travellers offering added flexibility. Cardmembers can still choose to use the Companion Voucher to travel with a friend as they would have previously – receiving a second seat for a companion travelling on the same Reward Flight booking as them for no additional Avios.
    Companion Vouchers are awarded to travellers who hold either British Airways American Express Card and reach the required spend amount within their Cardmembership year. They can be redeemed on available British Airways Reward Flights, which don’t need to start in the UK, allowing Cardmembers to book either one journey for 50% of the Avios required, or take a second traveller on their journey – on the same flights and in the same cabins – for no additional Avios, plus paying taxes, fees and charges per person.
    In addition to this change, from today those booking British Airways Reward Flights using a Companion Voucher (either as a solo traveller or with a companion) will now have more control over their Avios spend. They will be able to choose from a variety of options regarding how many Avios to spend versus cash on each booking. This was previously fixed to just one Avios and cash option based on the route and cabin.ADVERTISEMENTBritish Airways American Express Credit Card Companion Vouchers can be redeemed in economy cabins, while British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card Companion Vouchers can be redeemed across all cabins. Extra availability in Club World (long-haul business class), exclusive to those using the Companion Voucher, was added last year to make redemptions even easier. This extra availability is for those using a Companion Voucher earned since September 2021 either as a solo traveller or travelling with a friend.
    Ian Romanis, Head of Retail and Customer Relationship Management at British Airways, said: “Solo travel is a popular option for our customers, which is reflected in the number of solo bookings we have seen. We’ve listened to our customers and we’ve introduced these exciting changes, understanding that flexibility is more important than ever to them.”
    Caroline Bouvet, Vice President at American Express, said: “Companion Vouchers are an incredibly valuable benefit for Cardmembers, so it’s exciting that we’ve been able to make it even easier for them to be used on flights. As people return to travel – looking to go away by themselves or with a friend – the British Airways American Express Cards are a great way to turn everyday spending in to travel rewards, and the only way to earn the much-valued Companion Voucher.”
    British Airways is considered the Europe’s Leading Airline 2021 by World Travel Awards.

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