Eliana Willis

Intrepid Travel has announced a collection of 38 new trips in the United States that will begin departing in 2022.
The company calls the departures its “most robust offering” in the country since its launch over 30 years ago.
Each trip was designed to provide opportunities to forge meaningful connections between travellers and the people who make this diverse country so rich in culture.
“We’ve thought for a long time about the unique role Intrepid can play in the United States,” said James Thornton, chief executive of Intrepid Travel.
“We felt compelled to not only offer sustainable and unique travel experiences for both domestic and international travellers, but to also ensure we use the power of tourism as a force for good.” ADVERTISEMENTHe added: “We created these itineraries to showcase the United States through a more authentic and diverse lens.
“While they will offer travellers the chance to see the country’s most iconic sites and cities, they also celebrate the lesser-known places, communities and highlights that make up the rich fabric of America.”
The new trips will incorporate the must-see attractions while giving travellers more curated, in-depth offerings.
From enjoying local delicacies and going on human-powered active adventures, to spending time with First Nations tribes, each trip will provide a unique take on the destination.
The launch of these new trips brings Intrepid’s total portfolio in the United States to 57 tours, together covering 28 states and Washington D.C. and including a mix of walking, cycling, multi-active, culinary and general sightseeing adventures.
Image: Intrepid Travel

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Business travel giant CWT has gained approval for a financial overhaul first mooted in September.
Under the plans, the company will receive $350 million in fresh funding as it battles to overcome a slowdown in travel caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The decision comes after Minneapolis-based CWT filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in order to push through the restructuring.
The plan agreed by a court on Friday provides the company with the new equity to reinvest and enables all business partners and other providers of goods and services to CWT to be paid in full.
The recapitalisation, including halving its $1.6 billion of debt, was approved in what was described as an “expedited legal process” with the “overwhelming support” of financial stakeholders.ADVERTISEMENTMichelle McKinney Frymire, CWT chief executive, commented: “We are pleased to have received prompt court approval of the agreement we reached with CWT’s financial stakeholders, which positions the company for long-term success and provides significant financial resources to further grow and develop our business.
“As business travel continues to recover, we look forward to building on our momentum, continuing to advance our strategic priorities for the benefit of our customers, partners and other stakeholders, and delivering exceptional experiences for our customers, travellers and attendees.”
Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal adviser, Houlihan Lokey is serving as financial adviser, AlixPartners LLP is serving as restructuring adviser and Shearman & Sterling LLP is serving as corporate finance counsel to CWT in connection with the recapitalisation process.

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The latest research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) reveals the United States tourism sector could experience year-over-year growth of 36 per cent in 2021.
This is a significantly faster improvement than the overall global tourism recovery.
The outlook is even more rosy for 2022, with the travel sector in the United States expected to grow by another 28 per cent, reaching nearly $2 trillion of the United States economy for a contribution exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
By comparison, in 2019, the United States tourism sector’s contribution to GDP represented nearly $1.9 trillion.
“Our research shows that while the global tourism sector is slowly beginning to recover, the United States is recovering faster than many other regions,” said Julia Simpson, WTTC chief executive.ADVERTISEMENT“Last year, the pandemic decimated more than five million tourism jobs across the United States; however, due to a predicted rise in international and domestic spend this year and next, both jobs and GDP are on the rise.”
Simpson added: “The United States opening its borders and easing restrictions to major source markets such as the UK and the EU will provide a massive boost to economies on both sides of the Atlantic.
“However, the long-term recovery of the sector in the United States and around the world depends on the United States border remaining open to international visitors and making travel easier.”

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Following the recent launch, Destination Sport Experiences has secured a partnership with RCS Sport to become an official premium tour operator for the 2022 Giro d’Italia and its associated events.
As part of the long-term agreement, the sport travel company will offer tours and hospitality experiences, together with the opportunity to ride on the roads of the events at Giro d’Italia, Strade Bianche, Milan San Remo, Il Lombardia and more.
Offering an amazing experience during the final Giro d’Italia stages, cycling enthusiasts will be under the guidance and hospitality of Giro d’Italia stage winner Andrea Ferrigato, who will share his unrivalled knowledge of this beautiful race with those coming along for the ride.
An example of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities on offer include the chance to travel in an official VIP race car, which will follow the race for a full day of driving on the stage and enjoying food and drinks along the way.
As a bookend to the experience, the day will finish in finish line hospitality, offering an incredible vantage point along the finishing straight, with non-stop catering and an open bar service. ADVERTISEMENTOn some stages, there will even be chance to add a short flight in a helicopter to see the race from above.
Destination Sport Experiences will also offer places in the Gran Fondo Strade Bianche and the Gran Fondo Il Lombardia, which gives cyclists the opportunity to ride the race the day after the pros ride it and very often have some of the pro cyclists riding alongside, too.
Stuart Wood from Destination Sport Experiences, commented: “We have been working tirelessly since the launch of Destination Sports Experiences to be able to bring these types of opportunities to cycling fans around the world, and this is an exciting step forward for us.
“I’m proud to be able to take our customers to this incredible event. It really is like seeing history being made in front of your eyes and being able to have the experience of a legend like Andrea Ferrigato is amazing. Bring on the Giro!”

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TripAdvisor co-founder and long-time chief executive, Stephen Kaufer, will step down from his position in 2022.
Kaufer co-founded TripAdvisor in 2000 with the mission to help travellers around the world plan and book the “perfect trip”.
Over the past 21 years, under his leadership, the company has grown into the largest travel site in the world, with employees in over 20 countries and operating localised travel sites in over 40 markets.
“We come to the close of 2021 in a strong position – travellers are returning as we exit the pandemic, exciting new initiatives are well on their way, and we continue to leverage our strengths as we evolve TripAdvisor for the future,” said Kaufer.
“Given our strong position, the talented teams driving our plans forward, and after over 20 years at TripAdvisor, I believe now is the best time to announce my plans to step away from the company next year.  ADVERTISEMENT“I have such respect and appreciation for all the teams over the years who have made this company what it is today, and remain devoted to continuing to guide the TripAdvisor family as chief executive until the transition is complete.”
The board of directors at TripAdvisor has initiated an open search a successor.
Greg Maffei, chairman of the board at TripAdvisor, stated: “Steve has been the driving force at TripAdvisor since its launch in 2000. 
“His contributions to the consumer’s travel experience are immeasurable, and his vision has resulted in the TripAdvisor we know today.”
He added: “We are fortunate to already have excellent internal candidates, and we will complement this with an external search to ensure we get the best leader for TripAdvisor.”

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As world leaders gather in Glasgow for COP26 to discuss concrete actions to solve the climate crises, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched a Net Zero Roadmap.
The organisation sees the document as a guide for global tourism sector in its battle against the climate crisis.
WTTC developed the roadmap in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Accenture.
The roadmap provides concrete guidelines and recommendations to help guide tourism businesses on their journey towards net zero.
By providing milestones for meaningful climate action and emissions reduction for different industries within the sector, the roadmap sets out the challenges ahead and how the tourism sector can decarbonise and reach net zero by 2050.ADVERTISEMENTThis report shows how the sector is greatly impacted by climate change as it affects destinations around the world, but as with many other sectors, it is also responsible for an estimated eight-to-ten per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
The sector therefore has a key role to play in fighting climate change, which will require heightened ambitions and differentiated decarbonisation approaches, as outlined in the roadmap.
Julia Simpson, WTTC chief executive, said: “I am delighted to announce our pioneering Net Zero Roadmap for tourism.
“It helps travel industries reach individual targets to reduce our carbon footprint.
“Many destinations are affected by the impacts of climate change with rising sea levels, deforestation and the loss of animal and plant species.
“Communities that rely on tourism are first in line to see the impact and wanting to do something about it.”
The roadmap presents a new target framework with decarbonisation corridors, which groups tourism businesses into three clusters, depending on their emission profiles and the difficulty of abating their GHG emissions.
Certain industries may achieve net zero before 2050 if more ambitious targets are set and different decarbonisation approaches are followed.
More Information
Take a look at the document here.

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The ‘Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism’ has been launched at the UN Climate Change Conference COP26.
Some of tourism’s biggest businesses have joined governments and destinations in committing to cut emissions in half by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050 at the latest.
The Glasgow Declaration recognises the urgent need for a globally consistent plan for climate action in tourism.
Signatories commit to measure, decarbonise, regenerate and unlock finance.
Additionally, each signatory commits to deliver a concrete climate action plan, or updated plan, within 12 months of signing.
Speaking at COP26, UNWTO secretary general, Zurab Pololikashvili, stressed that “while many private businesses have led the way in advancing climate action, a more ambitious sector-wide approach is needed to ensure tourism accelerates climate action in a meaningful way”. ADVERTISEMENTHe added that “the Glasgow Declaration is a tool to help bridge the gap between good intentions and meaningful climate action”.
Already, more than 300 tourism stakeholders have signed up to the declaration, including leading industry players to destinations, countries and other tourism stakeholders ranging from large to small.
The Glasgow Declaration was developed through the collaboration of UNWTO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Visit Scotland, the Travel Foundation and Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, within the framework of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme committed to accelerate sustainable consumption and production patterns.

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has recorded a moderate rebound in air travel in September compared to August’s performance.
This was driven by recovery in domestic markets, in particular China, where some travel curbs were lifted following the Covid-19 outbreaks in August.International demand, meanwhile, slipped slightly compared to the previous month.
Total demand for air travel in September 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) was down 53 per cent compared to September 2019.
This marked an uptick from August, when demand was 56 per cent below August 2019 levels.
Domestic markets were down 24 per cent compared to September 2019, a significant improvement from August 2021, when traffic was down 33 per cent versus two years ago. ADVERTISEMENTAll markets showed improvement with the exception of Japan and Russia, although the latter remained in solid growth territory compared to 2019.International passenger demand in September was 69 per cent below September 2019, fractionally worse than the 68.7 per cent decline recorded in August.
“September’s performance is a positive development but recovery in international traffic remains stalled amid continuing border closures and quarantine mandates.
“The recent US policy change to reopen travel from 33 markets for fully vaccinated foreigners from November 8th is a welcome, if long overdue, development.
“Along with recent re-openings in other key markets like Australia, Argentina, Thailand, and Singapore this should give a boost to the large-scale restoration of the freedom to travel,” said Willie Walsh, IATA director general.

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