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    PATA and OAG strengthen organisational partnership

    The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced a new preferred partnership with OAG, a leading data platform for the global travel industry.
    The new agreement will provide PATA members with continued access to unique and reliable aviation data through the PATAmPOWER platform. It will also enable both organisations to provide wider insight and intelligence to the Asia Pacific visitor economy, through events, analysis, and further data collaboration.
    OAG has the world’s largest network of flight information, covering the whole journey from planning to customer experience. The data helps businesses achieve many goals, principally by finding new revenue streams, driving growth across operations, and deepening the relationship with customers.
    Its customers include search engines, metasearch, tech start-ups, travel booking sites, international government organisations, global financial institutions, airlines, airports, and travel operators.
    “Strengthening our partnership with OAG ensures we can provide members with the highest quality, most reliable aviation data including historical data (back to 2018) and 12-month forward frequency and seat capacity data. This will enable them to make smarter and more insightful decisions as they plan their recovery strategies,” said Santosh Kumar, Director of Business Development, PATA. “I look forward to leveraging OAG’s data and insight to assist us in our mission for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region.”ADVERTISEMENT“Our deeper partnership with PATA will provide richer data insights to facilitate market recovery and future investment in the region” said Mayur Patel, Head of Sales, Asia. “As Asia Pacific air travel embarks on its own come back journey, having access to data, networks and knowledge through this collaboration will equip PATA members will vital insight to get ahead of the curve”.

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    PATA: Positive increases in IVAs predicted

    The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to release its latest quarterly updated international visitor arrivals (IVAs) forecast current to May 6, 2022, based on the data provided by 39 Asia Pacific destinations. In line with the start of the region’s travel recovery, aggregate numbers into the 39 Asia Pacific destinations are projected to have step-wise annual increases beginning in 2022 and continuing to 2024 across all three of the mild, medium, and severe scenarios.
    IVA recovery rates (above 2019 baseline level) for visitors into and across Asia Pacific is predicted to reach between 25-48% of the volume last received in 2019, with the numbers reflecting the range of potential outcomes from a severe to a mild scenario. This is a solid improvement over the 16-18% range of 2021 – the trough year for most Asia Pacific destinations – and heralds the beginning of a continued growth trend to 2024.

    The number of foreign arrivals into and across Asia Pacific is still projected to either reach parity with the 2019 position (medium scenario) or be well above it (mild scenario) by 2024. Even so, the severe scenario reminds us that a possibility still exists for conditions to deteriorate once again – with multiple influencing factors including the ongoing pandemic continually evolving, the Ukraine/Russia crisis, escalating jet fuel prices, and limited air capacity and routes, plus industry-wide staff shortages.
    While annual growth is predicted to occur for each of the 39 destinations covered between 2022 and 2024, there will of course be some variations. This is illustrated by the differences in relative positions for each of the three destination regions of Asia Pacific, as well as under each of the three scenarios within each of those regions.ADVERTISEMENT
    At the individual destination level, recovery rates vary broadly in 2022 and are predicted to range from less than 15% to almost 99%, while in 2024, they range from 86% to 120% under that same scenario. Overall, however, projections are now for Asia Pacific to reach an IVA count in 2024 of 510-832 million, depending on which scenario plays out over that period.
    Similar variations are apparent across the source market regions relevant to Asia Pacific, although in general, the trend is back towards the same inbound structure of 2024, at least under the medium scenario.
    As PATA CEO Liz Ortiguera observes “While a positive turning point is predicted to occur in 2022 for all the 39 Asia Pacific destinations covered in these updated forecasts, many market variables are currently influencing travel and significant challenges still lay ahead. While the momentum for international travel demand is obviously increasing, multiple challenges need to be navigated by the global travel and tourism sector.”
    “From emerging new strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to escalating jet fuel prices, the spectre of rising inflation to the current geo-political conflicts, these variables are concerns in the face of global pent-up demand to reconnect and travel.”
    Ms. Ortiguera concludes by reminding the travel and tourism sector that “Safety, wellness and smooth travel experiences are top of mind as needs for post-pandemic travellers.  It’s important to provide clarity in processes and deliver good customer support in the face of ever-changing circumstances.Recognition should go to all the travel and tourism staff that are enabling efficient and great travel service delivery and experiences in the face of all these challenges. We need to respect and applaud their efforts as the backbone of the industry through these challenging times.”
    The PATA Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2022-2024: 2Q Updates is now available at https://www.pata.org/visitor-forecasts.
    What you will learn from this report:Updated international visitor forecasts for Asia Pacific between 2022 and 2024 by destination region, sub-region, and destination, highlighting changing demand preferences in the face of policy changes.
    Updated forecasts and recovery patterns for 39 individual destinations allowing for the development of better recovery strategies for the post-COVID-19.
    PATA International members have exclusive access to the recording of the, PATA Visitor Forecasts 2022 to 2024: 2Q Updates’ webinar which included expert speakers from The Hong Kong PolyU, Euromonitor International, Visa, and OAG. The speakers provided an overview of the updated forecasts for international arrivals to Asia Pacific between 2022 and 2024 as well as latest insights into key source markets’ traveller behaviour and Asia’s capacity rebuild and changing supply structures.

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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

    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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