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    Travel sector to create six million U.S. jobs

    The latest Economic Impact Report (EIR) from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, reveals that the U.S. travel and tourism sector is expected to make up 9.2% of the entire U.S. economy based on an average annual growth rate of 3.9% – nearly double the anticipated 2% growth rate of the U.S. economy overall.
    According to the forecast, produced in partnership with Oxford Economics, between 2022 and 2032, jobs in the U.S. travel and tourism could grow at an average rate of 3.9% annually, representing a 47% increase from 2022 expected job levels.
    Whilst the global tourism body welcomes the new National Travel and Tourism Strategy, which aims to ensure the future growth of travel and tourism in the U.S. and create new jobs, WTTC says only immediate action now can secure the long-term recovery of the sector and create more than 6.3 million jobs over the next decade.
    For 2022, WTTC projects that the sector’s GDP contribution will grow by more than 42% versus 2021, reaching more than $1.8 billion by the end of this year and accounting for 7.6% of the entire U.S. economy.
    By year-end, the global tourism body forecasts that employment in the sector could increase as much as 28%, reaching 13.5 million jobs nationwide, from a high of 16.8 million in 2019.ADVERTISEMENTINTERNATIONAL VISITOR SPEND MAY STALL U.S. SECTOR RECOVERY“The long-term recovery of the U.S. travel and tourism sector looks positive, bringing more than 6 million new jobs to the U.S. economy over the next 10 years,” said Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO. “But the landscape is highly competitive, and the U.S. is losing out on international visitors.”
    Simpson continued: “Full recovery of travel and tourism relies on a significant rebound of international travel. While the new National Travel and Tourism Strategy is a step in the right direction, 2021 was another difficult year for the U.S. economy and the millions of livelihoods who rely on it.
    “Many countries’ travel and tourism sector is bouncing back to pre-pandemic numbers next year, but the U.S. is not expected to recover until 2025.”
    Despite strong projected growth in employment and GDP contribution over the next 10 years, WTTC’s data indicates that pressure created by slow international traveller spending in the U.S. will continue to drive a significant performance gap in the sector’s recovery this year.
    At the current pace of the recovery, the U.S. international spending would not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2025, showcasing the urgency of opening borders to international travellers.
    In fact, international traveller spend to the U.S. remains far below pre-pandemic levels, resulting in a slower-than-expected recovery of international tourism revenue.
    In 2021, international visitor spending grew a modest 1.4%, reaching $40.3 billion but falling far short of 2019’s total of $190.9 billion.

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    ABTA LifeLine appoints two new trustees to ABTA LifeLine board

    ABTA LifeLine, ABTA’s charity that supports professionals in the travel industry, is delighted to announce the appointment of two new Trustees to the ABTA LifeLine board.
    Claire Stirrup, Sales Director, UK & Ireland at Celebrity Cruises and Chris North, Managing Director of Vertical Systems have joined the board effective immediately and each bring a wealth of industry experience and enthusiasm for ABTA LifeLine to their new roles.
    Claire’s appointment brings a cruise representation on to the board for the first time as well as her extensive knowledge of working with the travel agent community. She has long been a committed supporter of ABTA LifeLine, most recently as a driving force behind the Celebrity Loves Agents campaign in January this year which raised an impressive £10,000 for the charity.
    Chris’ appointment further strengthens his commitment to tackling the stigma around mental health and builds on his existing relationship with ABTA LifeLine as a Get Travel Talking mental health champion, the peer-to-peer support network established by TTG and LifeLine during the pandemic. He is keen to raise the profile of the support LifeLine provides to the travel community and help the charity achieve its fundraising goals. 
    Of the appointment, Claire Stirrup, Sales Director, UK & Ireland at Celebrity Cruises, said:“Having worked closely with ABTA LifeLine throughout my career in travel, I am honoured to join the board as Trustee for this meaningful charity. Latterly, in my role as Sales Director at Celebrity Cruises, I have seen the valuable contribution ABTA Lifeline makes to our industry and to those experiencing significant hardship. Travel continues to face challenges, and ABTA LifeLine provides support for those who need it most. Those are the very same people who we rely on as businesses for their expertise and support. I am looking forward to giving something back to this industry that has been my home for the last 35 years.”ADVERTISEMENTChris North, Managing Director of Vertical Systems added: “I’m delighted to be joining the board at ABTA LifeLine. I’ve spent the past 26 years within the travel industry and must say what a brilliant industry it is! The beating heart our industry is the amazing people. I hope I can give something back, especially to those in need of some help.”
    Warmly welcoming the two new appointments, Derek Jones, Chair of ABTA LifeLine and Managing Director of Der Touristik UK, said: “Having two experienced players like Claire and Chris with us will bring a new dynamic to the board of Trustees and I know their commitment will bring fresh ideas and opportunities. I couldn’t be prouder of the work we’ve been doing to support our colleagues in the travel industry through the most difficult period any of us have ever known. We’ve got more to do and I’m looking forward to having Claire and Chris alongside us to support Trudie and the team achieve their fundraising goals and continue to get help to those who need it.”
    The ABTA LifeLine board is made up of a mix of people who are active across all sectors of the travel industry in order to ensure a good range of support and opinions.

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    Why so many expats decide to make Vietnam their home

    For many years now, Vietnam has been a popular tourist destination – in fact, prior to the start of the COVID pandemic in 2019, over 18 million international tourists visited the country. Perhaps unsurprisingly, hundreds of thousands of foreigners also decided to make Vietnam their home. Although there is no official figure on the number of expats living in the country, a report from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs shows that as of April, 2021 there were about 101,550 foreigners working in Vietnam on a permanent basis.
    Expats come from all over the world to make Việt Nam their home. VNA/VNS Photo
    Which has got me thinking – why do so many people decide to make Việt Nam their home?
    Stevie Willows from South Africa puts a lot of it down to the cost of living.
    “The cost of living is cheap, [Việt Nam is] close to other Asia countries, so it’s easy to travel. Socialising is easy and cheap too,” he saidADVERTISEMENTIt’s no secret that the cost of living is a big factor for many expats living in Việt Nam.
    Despite the average Vietnamese salary being around VNĐ7.8 million (US$336), in jobs like teaching where many expats are employed, wages start at around VNĐ30,000,000 ($1,300) a month.
    This makes both the cost and quality of life very appealing to foreigners who are considering making Việt Nam their home, especially in comparison to the savings-to-outgoings ratio in most peoples’ home countries.
    Kelsey Scheepers, also from South Africa, agrees: “Living costs are much more viable as opposed to my own country.”
    However, while the cost of living is a big draw, it isn’t the only reason that many foreigners have made Việt Nam their home.
    Others were drawn here by their work and didn’t expect to stay for so long.
    Callum Maxwell is an Australian whose company posted him to Việt Nam, initially on a one-year contract. However, because of the culture, people, and food, he’s decided to extend his contract and stay for longer.
    “I love the food that you can eat here, there are so many things that just aren’t available back home,” Callum said.
    “I love seafood, especially things like fried eels, which you don’t see very often in Australia. That, combined with just how friendly and welcoming the people are, is a big reason that I’ve decided to stay in Việt Nam longer than I initially thought.”
    For some, it is the incredibly diverse range of dishes on offer that has convinced them to stay in Việt Nam longer than they intended. VNS Photo Hồ Hoàng
    Harriet Peterson from the UK has been in Hà Nội for a year, one of the few who arrived during the COVID pandemic. She only ended up in Việt Nam as her husband was offered a job here. While she only expected to stay for around six months, a year later she has no intention of leaving.
    “I love it here, I really do. The people are so friendly and the way of living is so easy. A lot of people say that the language is too hard to learn, but I don’t agree. Of course, the tones are difficult to wrap your head around, but if you make the effort to try and speak the language, it really does go a long way.
    “I think that is the single best piece of advice that can be given to someone who has just moved to Việt Nam – try and learn the language. You can’t really understand somewhere if you are limited to only speaking to people that speak the same language as yourself, a foreign language to them. Learn the language and you’ll have a much better, more complete experience here.”
    His reasoning is mirrored by Maria Nicole, from the US. She has been here for five years, though that was never her plan before arriving.
    “My advice to anyone who wants to come to Việt Nam is do it, just do it. You won’t regret it.”
    The cost of living, high salary and savings potential are no doubt alluring for foreigners that have chosen to make Việt Nam their home. However, it is clear that while the pay and savings potential is a big draw that gets people here initially, it’s the quality of life, culture and ultimately the people of Việt Nam that convinces people to stay.
    Vietnam is considered as Asia’s Leading Cultural City Destination 2021, Asia’s Leading Destination 2021 and Asia’s Leading Sustainable Tourism Destination 2021 by voters at World Travel Awards.

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    ABTA Travel Matters speaker line up revealed

    ABTA has unveiled the line-up of expert speakers for its annual Travel Matters conference on Wednesday 22 June, which brings together leaders from across the travel industry to debate the biggest political and policy issues facing the travel sector.
    Delivering this year’s keynote speech and sharing crucial insight and anecdotes into the inner workings of Westminster is former Minister Amber Rudd, who served as Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
    Also offering a window on to Westminster is Nikki da Costa, an influential commentator on politics, legislation and parliament who served as Director of Legislative Affairs at No 10 Downing Street under both Theresa May and Boris Johnson. da Costa will be advising travel businesses on how to prepare for the run up to the next general election, while also offering her perspective on how the travel industry can forge a strong working relationship with the UK Government and opposition moving forward.
    Additional speakers, whose insights will be driven by this year’s theme, ‘An Agenda for Recovery and Renewal’, include:
    Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive, ABTA
    Karen Dee, Chief Executive, Airport Operators Association
    Simon McNamara, UK & Ireland Country Manager, International Air Transport Association (IATA)
    Alistair Rowland, Chairman, ABTA
    Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive, Airlines UK
    Martin Alcock, Director, Travel Trade Consultancy
    Luke Petherbridge, Director of Public Affairs, ABTA
    Giles Hawke, CEO, Cosmos
    Brian Young, Managing Director, EMEA, G Adventures
    Prue Stone, Group Head of Sustainability, Hotelplan
    Susan Deer, Director of Industry Relations, ABTA
    Andy Janes, Group Director of Operations, Intertek
    Moderator: LBC’s Tom Swarbrick
    This year’s Travel Matters conference comes exactly one year on from the Travel Day of Action on Wednesday 23 June 2021, so offers the industry a timely opportunity to reflect on what lessons can be learnt from the pandemic, as well as exploring how travel business leaders can effectively manage the shifting landscape and what the industry needs from its future relationship with the UK Government to ensure its long-term success.ADVERTISEMENTLuke Petherbridge, Director of Public Affairs at ABTA – The Travel Association, said:
    “As the travel industry continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic, there are many critical challenges ahead, including rebuilding consumer confidence, attracting talent back to the industry and withstanding geopolitical turbulence. Constructive and regular engagement between industry and Government will be required to successfully tackle these challenges, and I’m looking forward to hearing industry leaders and political experts outline their views on the way ahead for travel at ABTA’s Travel Matters conference on 22 June.”
    Global, the Media & Entertainment Group, is the media partner for the event.

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    Travel advisors speak out on inbound testing ahead of Senate hearing

    American Society of Travel Advisors, President and CEO, Zane Kerby
    American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) President and CEO Zane Kerby issues the following statement in advance of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee hearing on “Reviving Conventions & Tourism Through International Travel”:
    “As Senators gather to discuss ways to restore international travel, we want to highlight the number one barrier to our industry’s recovery – the inbound testing order. This order has little to no impact on COVID rates at home, while the economic damage it causes grows by the day. Determined travelers have and will find a way around ill-conceived systems, and the costs to citizens and those visiting the United States far outweigh the benefits. It’s time for the U.S. to match our closest trading partners on this front, start managing the virus and let travel-reliant businesses recover from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    “The November 2021 shortening of the testing window from 72 hours to one day prior has only exacerbated these challenges. In fact, according to a recent survey of ASTA members, 83 percent of trip cancelations are occurring because of the U.S. COVID-19 testing requirement. At present, this is the number one cause for client trip cancelations according to travel advisors.
    “A growing number of countries, including the United States’ biggest trading partners and outbound travel markers, have recently moved in the direction of removing the pre-departure test requirement for the fully vaccinated, including the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, and Australia. Exempting fully vaccinated U.S. citizens from the order is a way to appropriately strike that balance consistent with the Administration’s stated desire for ‘an air travel policy that relies primarily on vaccination to advance the safe resumption of international air travel to the United States.’”

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    Turning point for tourism: UNWTO executive council looks beyond recovery

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    Turning point for tourism: UNWTO executive council looks beyond recovery

    The Executive Council of UNWTO has met to advance the recovery of tourism around shared goals and a common vision for the sector.
    Held for the first time in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the 116th session was the largest meeting of the Executive Council since the start of the pandemic, with more than 200 participants and 32 countries represented. Members noted that the meeting came at a pivotal point for the sector as it learns from the lessons of the pandemic while at the same time looking ahead to a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient future.
    Advancing priorities in challenging times“We have faced up to a triple crisis: an ongoing pandemic, a climate emergency and now the return of war in Europe,” UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said. He stressed that “tourism is united and determined like never before, and UNWTO is guiding it forward, with inclusivity and sustainability at the very heart of all our work”.
    In his report to Members on achievements since the previous Council meeting six months ago, the Secretary-General illustrated how UNWTO is seizing tourism’s unprecedented relevance, including within the United Nations, in national recovery and growth plans and within the wider public and media conversation.ADVERTISEMENTTourism’s restartUNWTO laid out its plans to keep advancing the priorities around fostering sustainability, promoting tourism jobs and education, growing tourism investments and accelerating its digital transformation.

    The Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia and host of the Executive Council, Ahmed Al Khateeb, said: “Tourism’s restart in many countries around the world offers a unique chance to rethink tourism governance, communications and beyond. We have an incredible opportunity to set a new way forward, to create a strong future for the global tourism sector, and we must embrace it.”
    The recognition of tourism’s importance was further echoed by the Minister of Tourism and Leisure of Cote d’Ivoire, also serving as Executive Council Chair, Siandou Fofana, who noted that “tourism is united to face future challenges”, while stressing the importance of cohesion in planning and policymaking as the sector recovers to drive wider social and economic recovery.

    Members agreed to hold the 117th session of the UNWTO Executive Council in Morocco, in the second half of this year. With two countries offering to host the 118th session, Members voted in favour of the Dominican Republic holding the first Council of 2023.
    Onto Riyadh, emerging tourism hubMembers of the Executive Council were provided with an update on the work of the UNWTO Regional Office for the Middle East, opened in the capital of Saudi Arabia in May 2021. The office in Riyadh is set to emerge as both a regional and global hub for the sector, with a special focus on tourism education and tourism and rural development, exemplified by the first major project to come out of the office, Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO.
    From Jeddah, the UNWTO leadership will visit Riyadh to formally welcome personnel.

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    Trip.com launches integrated carbon emissions solution

    Trip.com, the global travel platform, has partnered with climate-tech company CHOOOSE to offer travellers the option to calculate and offset their flight’s CO2 emissions by supporting impactful climate solutions around the world.
    Customers booking on Trip.com will now be presented with the opportunity to address their flight’s CO2 emissions during the booking journey. For a small cost, travellers’ offsets will support projects that either reduce, capture, or avoid CO2 emissions in an amount equivalent to the flight’s calculated emissions.
    The CHOOOSE solution is integrated directly into the Trip.com platform, enabling customers to seamlessly address their CO2 emissions as part of the customer experience.
    Jane Sun, Chief Executive Officer at Trip.com Group, said: “As part of our mission to lead the global transformation to modern and more environmentally-responsible travel, we have partnered with CHOOOSE to contribute towards highly effective CO2-mitigating projects around the world. This makes it easier and simpler for Trip.com users to offset their flight’s CO2 emissions during checkout on our platform and travel more responsibly.”
    Andreas Slettvoll, Chief Executive Officer at CHOOOSE, said: “We see an increasing demand from individuals and companies around the world wanting to understand the CO2 emissions from their travel and to address these emissions through solutions like carbon removals, offsets and sustainable aviation fuel. That’s why we are thrilled to team up with Trip.com to offer integrated climate options as a seamless part of their booking process, making climate action more accessible for people worldwide.”ADVERTISEMENTTrip.com and CHOOOSE calculate CO2 emissions based on factors such as a flight’s distance, capacity and flying time, in accordance with the latest industry guidelines. This calculation helps to inform the cost to offset the journey, as well as guide which itineraries may be producing the least amount of CO2 per passenger.
    Trip.com and CHOOOSE have selected a range of high-impact CO2 mitigation projects around the world that either reduce, remove, or avoid CO2 emissions. The projects are carefully vetted by carbon professionals and certified to the most comprehensive standards such as the Gold Standard, a leading international carbon protocol. This ensures that the projects create the highest possible carbon impact and a real benefit to local communities, so travellers know their contributions make a difference.
    The introduction of this new carbon solution aligns with the goal of Trip.com Group, Trip.com’s parent company, to encourage travellers to consider the environmental impact of travel and to offer options for Trip.com users to travel more responsibly.

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    Saudi Arabia invests in training tourism’s next generation

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    Saudi Arabia invests in training tourism’s next generation

    Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism has launched a new programme to equip 100,000 young Saudis with the key hospitality skills needed to pursue careers in the kingdom’s flourishing tourism industry.​​​
    Launched by His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, Saudi Arabia at the 116th session of the World Tourism Organization’s Executive Council in Jeddah, ‘Tourism Trailblazers’ will provide in-depth global experience to the tourism industry’s future leaders.
    The programme aims to train 100,000 Saudis as the ministry’s continous efforts after the launch of a new human capital development strategy in the Kingdom’s burgeoning tourism industry, which aims to attract more Saudi nationals to the sector.
    His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, Saudi Arabia, said: “It is vital that we invest in our youth now. Creating a skilled workforce with the talent and ambition to support and drive the tourism sector regionally and globally is key to realising Vision 2030. This program demonstrates our commitment to empowering young people by providing them with right skills, support and opportunities to shape the future of the tourism industry.”ADVERTISEMENTAccording to His Excellency, the programme has three main objectives that aim to nurture, develop and support talent in the industry. It seeks to spread a culture of professionalism, help nascent professionals gain the knowledge and qualifications needed to break into the industry, and support their success through refinement of their skills. The program will help trainees to secure jobs within the sector, including seasonal, part-time, or full-time opportunities across the Kingdom.
    He further stressed that this and other initiatives are geared towards delivering on the National Tourism Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030 targets, including the creation of one million new jobs in tourism by 2030.
    He also added that the highly specialized programs will empower scholarship trainees by equipping them with the skills and qualifications required to confidently enter the labor market.​
    Mohammed Bushnag, Deputy Minister, Human Capital said: “A financial investment of this size shows our determination to equip our youth with the tools they need to suceed. Tourism attractivness ration have increased 75% among Saudi young male and female. Supporting the dreams of our Tourism Trailblazers and enabling their continued education at the best global schools, is vital as we continue to emerge as a global player in the sector.”
    Participants in the programme are set to benefit from training scholarships at leading global institutions in France, Spain, Switzerland, UK, Australia, and Italy. Applications will be accepted not only from fresh graduates, but also from Saudis who already work within the industry and those who aspire to start a career in the tourism, hospitality, culinary, service, and sales fields.​

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