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    Lindiwe Sisula, Minister of Tourism, South Africa: keynote speaker at WTTC Global Summit 2022

    Lindiwe Sisulu, South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, is among the dignitaries speaking at the WTTC Global Summit 2022 in Manila, Philippines, with her focus on accelerating the recovery efforts in the travel and tourism sector.

    South Africa’s tourism trade is significant contributor to the nation’s GDP and employs an estimated 1.5 million people. However, Covid-19 has had a significant effect on the sector.
    The 2020 tourism report from Statistics South Africa showed that foreign arrivals into the country fell from 10.2 million to 2.8 million in 2019. Sisulu is tasked with rebuilding South Africa’s tourism economy to pre-pandemic levels.
    The minister has supported the decision to scrap the PCR tests for people visiting South Africa, and is overseeing plans to host Africa’s Travel Indaba in May, one of world’s signature trade shows, after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. She has also expressed her delight as sporting codes, music festivals and other major conferences are now permitted, meaning more tourist in the country.ADVERTISEMENT“South African borders are open and we are ready to welcome regional and international visitors. Our globally-benchmarked norms and standards are in place to ensure the safety of all citizens and visitors alike,” Minister Sisulu said.
    “Now is a great time to travel for business and leisure, come and explore our beautiful country, we stand ready to welcome travellers near and far,” she concluded.
    Sisulu took up the Minister of Tourism role last August, bringing a wealth of international experience. Previously, she was the Minister of Human Settlements and Minister of International Relations (2018 – 2019). She holds an MA in History and an M. Phil from the Centre for Southern African Studies, University of York.
    “Now is a great time to travel for business and leisure, come and explore our beautiful country, we stand ready to welcome travellers near and far,”
    She was detained for political activism in 1975, and upon release joined Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). A keen student of history, she specialised in intelligence matters while undergoing military training.
    Prior to her appointment as Minister of Public Service and Administration, she served government as a Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Intelligence, Housing and Defence.
    South Africa was nominated for ‘Africa’s Leading Destination 2021’ at the World Travel Awards and was named winner in 2018.

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    dnata Travel Group UK and Europe CEO joins ABTA board

    Ailsa Pollard, UK and Europe CEO for dnata Travel Group, has joined ABTA’s Board while John Bevan, who joined ABTA’s Board in 2018, has stepped down.
    Alistair Rowland, Chair of ABTA – The Travel Association, said:
    “Ailsa will bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and insight as the travel sector continues its recovery from the impact of the pandemic. She will be an excellent addition to the Board. I’d like to give my sincere thanks to John Bevan for his invaluable contribution over the past four years and wish him well as he focuses on his global role for dnata.”
    Ailsa Pollard added:
    “The ABTA brand is one of the most powerful and respected in the travel industry. I’m looking forward to being a part of its extremely experienced Board, supporting ABTA’s Members and helping to ensure that ABTA continues to be a leading voice in travel and tourism.”ADVERTISEMENT

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    Desert & Delta Safaris annonces new group managing director

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    Desert & Delta Safaris annonces new group managing director

    Desert & Delta Safaris, founded in 1982 as one of the original safari operators in Botswana has nine camps in Botswana’s famous game reserves and national parks and is delighted to announce the appointment of MC as their new Group Managing Director. 
    Lempheditse Odumetse, or MC as he is known to his colleagues, has revolutionised the hospitality industry in Botswana during his role in management for more than 10 years at Desert & Delta Safaris. Under his leadership, Desert & Delta Safaris has kept its roots firmly in Botswana, promoted female empowerment and implemented innovative environmental conservation practices, that consequently became one of the first luxury safari companies to be managed exclusively by local citizens in 2014. 
    From his humble start in life as a descendent of Basarwa (traditional ‘water bushmen’), MC was spotted in a bar wearing an aviation hat and goggles by a Desert & Delta Safaris manager and was instantly hired as a bartender at the Camp Moremi, celebrated for his incredible zest for life and captivating personality. He later qualified as a professional safari guide hosting international guests throughout the pristine wildlife areas of the Okavango Delta and soon after was offered a position in management. Through hard work, determination, and an incredible vision, MC has created an illustrious career at Desert & Delta Safaris and has transformed the company and the local communities. 
    “The development of MC’s career from barman to Group Managing Director shows how responsible tourism in developing countries is paying dividends. More than just creating jobs such as chefs, guides, or general staff, we are seeing a genuine growth in careers within management and share of ownership. However, it is important to say that although Chobe Holdings Ltd Group provides the opportunity to grow, MC’s journey to being promoted to Managing Director is down to exceptional hard work and dedication to learning and growing as an individual within the company. I cannot think of a better person to have at the helm as we look ahead to the next chapter of Desert & Delta’s future!” Enthuses James Wilson, Desert & Delta Safaris’ Marketing Director. 
    Beginning his leadership career as one of two native Botswana managers, MC instantly saw the importance of tourism in empowering the local community. This awareness resulted in him successfully leading a group localisation tourism initiative to identify young talent and guide more than 20 staff members into senior lodge management positions. He has also ensured that women develop their potential and now more than 50% of staff and management at all nine Desert & Delta Safaris lodges are women. This helps reassure solo female travellers of a safe and welcoming environment whilst providing a stable, secure income for local women and their families – a fantastic achievement for any company! ADVERTISEMENTCommunity empowerment has not been MC’s only priority, under his guidance the environment has flourished! Being a Botswana resident himself, MC recognises the beauty of the diverse wildlife and understands the responsibility Desert & Delta Safaris has to ensure its conservation. He also deeply understands the needs of the local farmers and traditional landowners and has successfully led collaborations with the shared purpose to provide aid in line with protecting the unique wildlife of Botswana. As a result of MC’s exceptional efforts, Desert & Delta Safaris successfully raised approximately £20,000 in funding in 2020 for vital toolkits for communities where solar-powered systems have helped reduce human-elephant land conflicts.
    Due to his admirable hard work, determination, and uniquely wonderful character, MC’s story shows how creative innovation and significant sustainable developments can benefit local rural communities, empower women, and revolutionise the hospitality industry – all while providing every guest with an unforgettable safari adventure!

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    Africa popular choice for first-time solo travelers

    First-time solo travelers are pulling out all the stops – they are heading to Africa on their very first solo trip. Overseas Adventure Travel has revealed that African destinations are the top 4 of its most popular adventures for first-time solo travelers through 2023.
    “Many people who dream of visiting Africa don’t want to put it off any longer. They’ll take that leap and travel solo to make their dream come true,” said O.A.T. Vice Chairman Harriet Lewis.
    “On average, half of the group on O.A.T. adventures will be traveling independently, helping first-time solo travelers feel right at home.”
    Fifty-three percent (53%) of all O.A.T. travelers are solo travelers. Of those, 80% are women. Connecting with other women who are venturing out into the world as solo travelers is appealing, especially for first-timers. Solo women travelers on small group adventure can tailor how much time they would like to spend on their own and with others.
    O.A.T. has seen a 19.5% jump in the number of solo travelers since 2019. In 2022 and 2023, 41,444 solo travelers are booked to travel with the company. Over 120,000 solo travelers have traveled with O.A.T. between 2015 and 2021.
    Top 4 Adventures for First-time Solo Travelers:
    Ultimate Africa: Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe Safari—17-day O.A.T. Small Group Adventure
    Travelers reserved through 2023: 3,132
    Solo travelers: 1,594
    Morocco Sahara Odyssey—16-day O.A.T. Small Group Adventure
    Travelers reserved through 2023: 2,629
    Solo travelers: 1,415
    Egypt & the Eternal Nile by Private, Classic River-Yacht—16-day O.A.T. Small Group Adventure with 5 nights aboard a privately chartered 16- passenger river-yacht
    Travelers reserved through 2023: 3,495
    Solo travelers: 1,739
    Kenya & Tanzania Safari: Masai Mara to the Serengeti—19-day O.A.T. Small Group Adventure
    Travelers reserved through 2023: 1,568
    Solo travelers: 760
    Other O.A.T. Top 10 destinations for first-time solo travelers include Japan, New Zealand, Iceland, Australia, and Italy.

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    U.S. Travel Association reacts to federal mask mandate action

    U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the Biden administration’s announcement that the federal mask mandate will not be enforced on public transportation and in transportation hubs at this time:
    “The current decision to halt enforcement of the federal mask mandate effectively returns the choice of mask usage on planes and other forms of public transportation to travelers and travel industry workers, a further step toward endemic management of Covid.
    “We also continue to urge the administration to immediately end pre-departure testing for vaccinated inbound international passengers, which discourages travel and provides limited public health benefits.”
    U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry. In 2020, travel generated $1.5 trillion in economic output and supported 11 million jobs, a drastic decline from pre-pandemic figures. U.S. Travel’s mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. Visit ustravel.org for information and recovery-related data.

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    Farnek to launch ‘Trendz’ hotel management at ATM

    Leading UAE-based smart and green facilities management (FM) company Farnek , is to launch ‘Trendz’ a new standalone hotel management company, at Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which takes place at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on 9-12 May 2022.
    “‘Trendz’ offers a unique 360-degree service for hotel owners and operating companies with an accent on technology and sustainability, two of the most important trends in hospitality today,” said Walter Knight, Director of hospitality at Farnek.
    “Farnek, which has over 8,000 employees, has traditionally provided manpower and outsourcing services, such as cleaning, security and property maintenance. However, ‘Trendz’ takes that market proposition one stage further, managing front office requirements, reservations, concierge, housekeeping and room service – we can also manage sales operations, marketing and PR.
    “It is a cost-effective and totally flexible hospitality proposition. Hotels can engage with us for specific operational requirements or contract us to manage an entire property, either under the ‘Trendz’ brand or as a white label product,” added Knight.
    One of Farnek’s most recent accomplishments, was the development of an app called ‘Flexi-Guest’ which digitalises the guest journey from pre arrival to check out.ADVERTISEMENTThe app, which was developed in-house, interfaces with a hotel’s property management system (PMS) affording guests a whole suite of services from uploading travel documents, such as vaccination certificates, ordering a car on arrival, room service and laundry. The hotel app can also send automated electronic updates and alerts to the guest, as well as e-registration documents, e-invoices and e-receipts, all in one convenient space.
    “This gives the guest an enhanced experience, providing a seamless pre-arrival and check-in procedure. They can order room service in advance, have laundry picked up or delivered, request early or late check outs, view and pay invoices with secure online payments.
    “If the guest experience is good, that develops loyalty and improves online ratings. The hotel operates more efficiently, saving staff time and expense and has the added advantage of driving revenue through F&B and e-concierge services,” added Knight.
    Farnek has just completed a successful trial of the app, having secured a contract for the Expo Village, situated on the Expo 2020 site. Farnek was responsible for managing the reservation services, concierge, front office services and housekeeping, for 2,273 apartments during the show.
    Sustainability is key to Farnek’s hospitality strategy and Flexi-Guest can estimate the carbon emissions generated by any guest during their stay and provide a cost should the guest wish to offset their carbon footprint. Indeed, visitors to Farnek’s stand at ATM, will be able to measure their own carbon footprint, with an option to contribute to a range of sustainable projects to offset their impact on the environment, while participating in the show.
    “The fact that Flexi-Guest can interface with any hotel property management system, makes it extremely marketable, hotels can simply pay a licence fee to use it and we are already looking at upgrading Flexi-Guest, so that management reports can be generated in real time,” added Knight.
    Hoteliers will also be able to take advantage of Farnek’s Hotel Optimiser software, which records, analyses and benchmarks energy and water consumption, as well as waste generation, resulting in a more cost-efficient and sustainable operation. Farnek can also support hotels that wish to develop and implement Net Zero carbon strategies.
    Furthermore, Farnek is a preferred partner and auditor for Green Globe  the worldwide sustainability accreditation system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. An essential attribute for green listings on booking.com, or to be labelled ‘Eco-Certified’ in Google search results.
    “We believe that our 360-degree market proposition for the hotel sector, is unrivalled and our participation at the ATM provides us with an ideal platform to showcase our services to a targeted audience of over 20,000, local, regional and international travel and tourism professionals,” added Knight.

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    Eco badges grow in importance for tourism industry

    Many travellers now require higher levels of transparency from companies in terms of their environmental performance finding that almost 75% of global consumers agreed that the introduction of sustainability labels on products should be mandatory. The leading data and analytics company notes that these badges help tourism companies to boost transparency, offer responsible alternatives to travelers, and demonstrate positive environmental performance.
    Ralph Hollister, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The adoption of badges that denote high performance concerning environmental benchmarks makes companies’ sustainability claims seem more trustworthy, which will increase demand for their products and services. GlobalData’s 2021 Consumer Survey revealed that 57% of global respondents stated that they are ‘often’ or ‘always’ influenced by products or services that are trustworthy.
    “Eco badges will help win the loyalty of responsible travelers in the short-term and improve brand positioning in the long-term. As a result, an increasing number of travel and tourism companies are attempting to prove their sustainability efforts through the acquisition or creation of eco badges and accreditation.”
    Booking.com is an eco-badge pioneer. In 2021, Booking.com announced the launch of its Travel Sustainable badge, a global sustainability measure. Its framework is broken down into specific sustainability practices that properties can implement, including everything from eliminating single-use plastic toiletries to running on 100% renewable energy sources.
    Hollister adds: “By creating its own framework and methodology for its sustainability measure, Booking.com has demonstrated the time and resources it has invested in this initiative to provide travelers with sustainable alternatives. It is operating proactively to ensure it is not lagging behind the competition in terms of environmental performance.ADVERTISEMENT“Whether through the creation of independent eco badges or by adopting labels awarded by external accreditation providers, travel and tourism companies need to be working towards gaining these badges of quality that enhance transparency, increase revenue, and promote sustainability.”

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    Travel executives gather at St. Andrews Links for ‘Travel Masters’

    The most famous golf course in the world was the backdrop for the American Society of Travel Advisors’ (ASTA) first-ever Travel Masters, held earlier this month, at St. Andrews, Scotland, the home of golf and the 2022 British Open in July. This invitation-only leadership event brought together agency owners and supplier executives at the renowned Fairmont St. Andrews, where close to fifty participants gathered for a once-in-a-lifetime experience to golf on the Castle Course and Old Course.
    “We are a mission-driven organisation comprised of over 17,000 U.S. based travel advisors who rely on us to represent them at all levels of government, within the industry and to the traveling public,” said Zane Kerby, President and CEO of ASTA. “The Travel Masters brought together executive leaders, from both the supplier and agency community, who believe in this mission and who believe in ASTA’s advocacy. The generous support of our partner sponsors; BCD and United Airlines, American Airlines, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Signature Travel Network, and Viking, literally made this event possible. Their presence builds ASTA and strengthens our ability to fulfill our mission.”
    Ken McNab, Managing Director at the Travel Company Edinburgh and ASTA’s UK chapter president, spotted and made ASTA aware of the opening at St. Andrews back in 2020, working with ASTA’s late Bob Duglin. Ken, along with his compatriot, Angelina Fairgrave at the Travel Company Edinburgh, worked tirelessly to bring the Travel Masters program to life.
    “ASTA’s commitment to support this event brought Scotland an open door to improve our international traffic through the stream of our U.S. trade partners,” said McNab. “The team at The Travel Company Edinburgh and In2Scotland believe that the refreshed relationships developed through our partnership will help us face the new world of travel together. With the success of this event, we can focus on strengthening trade and ties with the U.S. and our partners through ASTA.”ADVERTISEMENTSupporting ASTA’s advocacy mission through executive leadership was the primary focus of this inaugural event in St. Andrews. Jennifer Wilson Buttigieg, Co-President of Valerie Wilson Travel, a Froch Company, is the co-chair of ASTA’s Government & Political Affairs Committee and the driving force behind gathering industry advocacy support as Honorary Chair of the Travel Masters event.
    “I am a long-standing partner and advocate for ASTA,” said Wilson Buttigieg. “I was honored to be a part of this inaugural ASTA Travel Masters event. With two major industry shifts occurring: (1) a rebound in travel as we migrate from pandemic to endemic globally and (2) the heighten role of the travel advisor – it is critical that we continue to speak in one unified voice. This event was a fantastic forum to discuss, share and raise money. We still have a long way to go, and this is one of many initiatives. Please get involved!”
    St Andrews Links – Old Course is nominated as Scotland’s Best Golf Course 2022 by World Golf Awards.

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