Eliana Willis

The UK Civil Aviation Authority has successfully prosecuted Romanian airline Blue Air Aviation for six offences under the Covid Enforcement Regulations.
Following a sentencing hearing at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court, the carrier has been fined £40,000, after pleading guilty to the offences.
Five of the offences concern Blue Air Aviation failing to ensure that passengers arriving at Heathrow had completed the required Passenger Locator Form.
The sixth offence concerns the operator failing to ensure an arriving passenger had the required evidence showing that they had completed a pre-departure Covid-19 test.
The prosecution and fine follows Blue Air Aviation receiving fixed penalty notices for the breaches of Covid-19 requirements, which they did not pay or seek to resolve with the Civil Aviation Authority.ADVERTISEMENTThis is the first prosecution of an airline under the Covid Enforcement Regulations, which gave new enforcement powers to the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure airlines check passengers arriving in England are complying with the Covid rules for international travel.
Commenting on the ruling by the Court, Paul Smith, consumer director at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “We welcome the Court’s decision to fine Blue Air Aviation over breaches of the Covid Enforcement Regulations.
“While we generally observe high levels of compliance from airlines against the regulations, it is important for consumer confidence and public health that failures to follow the requirements are dealt with appropriately.
“It is important that airlines including Blue Air continue to engage with us going forward.
“The UK Civil Aviation Authority will always look to prosecute breaches of compliance where necessary.”

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The secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) will be in Geneva this week for high-level talks focused on the restart of tourism as restrictions on travel are eased in many parts of the world.
UNWTO last undertook an official visit to the home city of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2019, just one day before Covid-19 was officially declared a pandemic.
Now, as Switzerland joins growing numbers of countries in lifting or easing travel restrictions, UNWTO is back in Geneva for a week of meetings with key partners.
On Tuesday secretary general, Zurab Pololikashvili, will meet with WHO director general, Thedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to discuss shared actions and priorities as the world begins opening up again.
The two UN agencies will discuss the need for the continued easing of restrictions, having repeatedly warned against their ineffectiveness and the damage that blanket bans on mobility can have on economic and social wellbeing. ADVERTISEMENTStrengthening ties with key private sector and civil society partners is crucial in the current circumstances.
Pololikashvili will meet with the director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Willie Walsh, as well as with Pierfrancesco Vago, chief executive of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
These meetings will be followed by an official visit to the headquarters of UEFA.
Here, president Aleksander Čeferin will sign a first-ever agreement with UNWTO aimed at promoting sports tourism as a driver of positive change and making the sector more inclusive and resilient.
Against the backdrop of Switzerland announcing its plans to significantly ease restrictions on incoming travel, the UNWTO delegation will meet with Eric Jakob, ambassador of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), whose brief includes tourism policy, as well as with Martin Nydegger, chief executive of Switzerland Tourism.
In another first, UNWTO will be addressing the UN press briefing at UN Geneva, providing an overview of the outcomes of the official visit and highlights on the tourism for development agenda for 2022.

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released data showing growing momentum in the recovery of air travel as restrictions are lifted.
The body reported a sharp 11-percentage point increase for international tickets sold in recent weeks (in proportion to 2019 sales).
In the period around February 8th, over a seven-day moving average, the number of tickets sold stood at 49 per cent of the same period in 2019.
In the period around January 25th, again over a seven-day moving average, the number of tickets sold stood at 38 per cent of the same period in 2019.ADVERTISEMENTThe 11-percentage point improvement between the January and February periods is the fastest such increase for any two-week period since the crisis began.
The jump in ticket sales comes as more governments announce a relaxation of Covid-19 border restrictions.
“Momentum toward normalising traffic is growing.
“Vaccinated travellers have the potential to travel much more extensively with fewer hassles than even a few weeks ago.
“This is giving growing numbers of travellers the confidence to buy tickets.
“And that is good news!
“Now we need to further accelerate the removal of travel restrictions.
“While recent progress is impressive, the world remains far from 2019 levels of connectivity.
“Thirteen of the top 50 travel markets still do not provide easy access to all vaccinated travellers.
“That includes major economies like China, Japan, Russia, Indonesia, and Italy,” said Willie Walsh, IATA director general.

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Hornblower has closed on the acquisition of leading experiential travel group, Journey Beyond.
The Australian company will join a growing portfolio of travel experiences and further expand its global footprint in Australia with a presence in 111 countries and territories worldwide.
“In our continued efforts to position Hornblower as a global leader in experiences and transportation, we are always exploring growth opportunities that will help expand our guest offerings and leverage our core capabilities of operating world-class customer experiences,” said Kevin Rabbitt, chief executive, Hornblower Group.
“As two organisations with unmatched expertise in the experiential travel space, Journey Beyond aligns perfectly within our business strategy and core mission of creating amazing experiences for our guests.
“We look forward to growing the rich and unmatched business operations the Journey Beyond team has built as the premiere experiential travel company in Australia.”
Journey Beyond owns 13 Australian brands, operating in 60 destinations Australia-wide.  ADVERTISEMENT“We are thrilled to join the Hornblower global portfolio of renowned brands.  Journey Beyond and Hornblower share the same values and commitment towards what we do best – delivering one-of-a-kind guest experiences that create lasting memories,” said Chris Tallent, chief executive, Journey Beyond.
“We look forward to this next venture and we are excited to see Journey Beyond thrive within Hornblower Group into 2022 and beyond.”
With the completion of this acquisition, Journey Beyond will join Hornblower’s world-class offerings which include water-based experiences, land-based experiences, overnight cruises and experiences and ferry and transportation services across 111 countries and 125 cities.
The acquisition will support Hornblower’s overall business strategy to grow its product offerings in some of the most vibrant travel and tourism markets in the world.

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Uncertainty brought about by the Omicron variant of Covid-19 negatively impacted the travel and tourism sector in Europe at the end of 2021, hampering prospects for its recovery in the first quarter of 2022.
Nonetheless, optimism remains as the European Travel Commission (ETC) predicts tourist arrivals to be 20 per cent below pre-pandemic levels in 2022.
This is in spite of “numerous challenges” still facing the sector, the body said.
The most recent edition of the European Tourism Trends & Prospects quarterly report from ETC continues to monitor the Covid-19 impact on the sector, examining how travel activity is rebounding as the world learns to live with the virus.
Commenting following the publication of the report, Luís Araújo, ETC president, said: “From our report, it is clear to see the stifling impact of uncertainty brought about by Omicron. ADVERTISEMENT“ETC is optimistic that the European travel sector will overcome Omicron and the many other challenges present in 2022.
“However, the sector’s resilience is contingent on the EU being proactive in the development of endemic strategies that will allow for the loosening of travel restrictions for intra-European and international travel alike.
“As we learn to live with Covid-19, governments across Europe have to strike the right balance between managing health risks and facilitating mobility.”
In 2021, strong vaccination coverage in Europe, the EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate and the easing of travel restrictions, set fertile grounds for a tourism revival.
However, the emergence of the Omicron variant at the year-end stunted this recovery as travel restrictions were reinstated to battle record-breaking infection rates.
Tens of thousands of commercial flights throughout Europe were cancelled over the Christmas period due to staffing shortages.
Although not as severe as when the pandemic originally took hold in 2020, airline losses totalled €18.5 billion in 2021 resulting in a staggering 1.4-1.5 billion fewer passengers than in 2019.
While Omicron is expected to stifle recovery of Europe’s travel sector in the first quarter of 2022, the travel outlook for Europe as a whole remains positive.
With the realisation that the new variant, although highly contagious, is far from the threat it was initially deemed to be, many travel restrictions in Europe are beginning to be relaxed.
Driven by strong domestic and intra-European travel, the overall travel demand is projected to be 20 per cent below pre-pandemic levels in 2022.
Whereas domestic travel is expected to exceed pre-pandemic peaks in 2022, international travel will be slower on the uptake and is not likely to fully recover until 2024.

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Virgin Galactic has opened ticket sales to the public for the first time, providing an opportunity to purchase a trip to the edge of space.
“At Virgin Galactic, we believe that space is transformational,” said Virgin Galactic chief executive, Michael Colglazier.
“We plan to have our first 1,000 customers on board at the start of commercial service later this year, providing an incredibly strong foundation as we begin regular operations and scale our fleet.”
Virgin Galactic spaceflight reservations also provide access to the Future Astronaut membership community – designed and curated to bring inspiration, excitement, and adventure from the time of ticket purchase to spaceflight and beyond.
Members will enjoy access to money-can’t-buy experiences, events, trips and space-readiness activities while they await their spaceflight. ADVERTISEMENTThe spaceflight itself launches from Spaceport America in New Mexico.
Starting with several days of spaceflight preparedness activities, future astronauts will stay with their guests at forthcoming custom accommodations.
Guests will enjoy bespoke itineraries and world-class amenities during astronaut-specific training programs.
During spaceflight, astronauts will experience a 90-minute journey including a signature air launch and Mach-3 boost to space.
The spaceship gracefully flips while astronauts enjoy several minutes of out-of-seat weightlessness and breath-taking views of Earth from the 17 windows.
Upon return from this transformational experience, astronauts will begin a meaningful journey to create positive impact with the perspective that can only come from seeing our beautiful planet from space.
Spaceflight reservations are a total price of US$450,000.

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VisitEngland has launched the next phase of its domestic Escape the Everyday campaign, to encourage short-breaks to English cities this spring and early summer.
The £1 million programme is putting the spotlight on the quality destinations, visitor attractions and experiences on offer across England’s cities, to build back demand for domestic breaks and boost consumer confidence in taking trips.
The campaign also aims to support cities, city attractions and regional gateways, hit hard by the lack of international visitors and their spending.
VisitEngland director, Andrew Stokes, said: “With the weather warming up and spring in the air, now is a great time to connect with loved ones on a short break in England.
“Whether you are looking to experience England’s rich history, stay at an eco-friendly retreat, or discover hidden foodie gems, our cities have attractions, tours and experiences to suit all interests. ADVERTISEMENT“Businesses are eager to see visitors and we want everyone to get involved, book a short-break to our cities and kick-start the tourism season.”
The digital, partner-led campaign kicks-off this week and runs through to March 31st with content on LADbible, and its sister channel UNILAD, and Buzzfeed showcasing activities and experiences in English cities.
The campaign will run across the partners’ digital channels, including Instagram and Facebook, with city-focused content ranging from short films.
VisitEngland has estimated the loss in domestic tourism spending in England, in 2020 and 2021 combined, to be more than £77 billion.

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