Eliana Willis

New research from ForwardKeys reveals that flight bookings to and from the UK have soared following the announcement that Covid-19 testing would no longer be required for fully vaccinated travellers entering the UK.
The day after the announcement by UK transport secretary, Grant Shapps, which was made on January 24th, combined inbound and outbound flight bookings jumped to 84 per cent of 2019 levels.
This was composed of a 106 per cent increase in outbound bookings, and a 47 per cent boost to inbound trips.
This news followed a series of relaxations in rules affecting travel to the UK, each triggering bookings spikes.
On January 5th, the UK said that from January 9th, fully-vaccinated travellers would be able to take a lateral flow instead of a PCR test on or before day two of their arrival in England. ADVERTISEMENTBenchmarked against pre-pandemic levels, the five destinations for which bookings recovered most strongly in January were Mexico (72 per cent up on 2019), the Maldives (54 per cent), Greece (22 per cent), Cyprus (20 per cent) and Barbados (16 per cent).
The typical seasonality patterns have returned and are evident in the recent recovery, with peaks showing for the forthcoming half-term break in February and the Easter holiday period, when looking at flight tickets confirmed in January.
In relative terms, the demand to travel abroad during the extended holiday weekend to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, in early June, is already 13 per cent ahead of 2019.

The destinations which are doing best for the upcoming half-term break are now all ahead of where they were at the end of January 2019.
In the lead is Mexico, which is followed by Pakistan, the Maldives, Barbados, Qatar, Bangladesh, the UAE and Portugal.
“The list is dominated by long haul destinations, which offer beach holidays or have a relatively strong market for visiting friends and relatives, such as Pakistan,” said Olivier Ponti, vice president of insights at ForwardKeys.
Bookings for Easter and summer holidays are relatively stronger than they are for the upcoming half-term break.
Benchmarked against the end of January 2019, half term bookings are 33 per cent behind, whereas Easter bookings are 29 per cent behind and summer is 16 per cent behind.
Compared to this time last year, when the UK was in a state of limited lockdown, bookings are, unsurprisingly, much healthier, 59 per cent ahead for Easter and 82 per cent ahead for summer.
The recent surge in outbound bookings has been closely followed by a modest revival in inbound demand.
“What I find particularly interesting is the continued dominance of classic sea and sun destinations,” said Ponti.
“A clear sign that the pandemic is still very much with us is the absence of a revival in city tourism or travel to airports strongly associated with skiing.
“However, if we see continental European countries relaxing their travel restrictions in the way the UK has just done, I expect to see a flood of holiday bookings that could exceed pre-pandemic levels, thanks to a release of the huge pent-up demand.”

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More than four times as many guests travelled with TUI in the first quarter of 2022 as in the same period last year, the company has revealed, as the travel rebound continues.
Revenue was five times higher than in the same period last year, with the travel giant taking in €2.37 billion.
However, TUI still recorded a net loss of €274 million for the first three months of the year, though this was an improvement on the losses of €676 million for the same period of 2021.
TUI chief executive, Fritz Joussen, said: “We expect a strong summer 2022.
“The path out of the pandemic is becoming increasingly clear. ADVERTISEMENT“Demand for travel is high across all markets.
“TUI has used the time to transform: we are leaner and more efficient today and are becoming more profitable than before the crisis.
“On this basis, we will push ahead with the repayment of the state aid granted and the focus on new growth.”
TUI said the framework conditions for tourism have improved significantly, with government measures becoming “more predictable and reliable”.
The lifting of comprehensive restrictions has begun or is foreseeable in some markets, the company said, with the United Kingdom and Denmark leading the way.

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Tourism Australia has confirmed the country will reopen its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from around the world on February 21st.
The decision builds on quarantine-free travel arrangements with Singapore, which came into effect in November, and for visitors from Japan and South Korea which were launched a month later. 
“The announcement today enabling fully vaccinated travellers from Britain to Australia quarantine-free from February 21st is a significant step in rebuilding international visitation from Australia’s international tourism markets across the globe,” Tourism Australia managing director, Phillipa Harrison, said.  
“Australia has long been a popular outbound destination for British travellers, with more than 700,000 visitors travelling to our country annually pre-Covid-19, and we are really excited that we will have the opportunity to welcome back visitors from the UK, one of our key international markets, as travel resumes.”
She added: “Throughout the pandemic Tourism Australia has maintained an active presence to keep Australia top of mind in the market. ADVERTISEMENT“Now, with the reopening of travel from Britain to Australia, Tourism Australia will be working with its trade and distribution partners on dedicated marketing campaigns to urge travellers to come and enjoy all the incredible tourism experiences that await them in Australia.” 
The Australian government has announced the country will reopen to all fully vaccinated visa holders, tourists, business travellers and other visitors from later this month.
Visa holders who are not fully vaccinated will still require a valid travel exemption to enter Australia, and will be subject to state and territory quarantine requirements.
Tourism Australia will be launching a new tourism campaign to welcome leisure travellers back to Australia in the coming weeks.
As part of this campaign, Tourism Australia will be working with a range of key distribution and airline partners to drive booking and drive recovery for Australia’s hard-hit tourism economy by providing tactical offers aimed at stimulating travel to Australia from the UK.
Image: Destination NSW

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New research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed, as the global tourism sector begins to recover from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, its contribution to the global economy could reach $8.6 trillion this year.
In 2019, before the pandemic struck, the sector generated nearly $9.2 trillion to the global economy.
However, in 2020, the pandemic brought the sector to an almost complete halt, causing a massive 49 per cent drop, representing a severe loss of nearly $4.5 trillion.
Latest research from WTTC shows that as the world finally begins to recover from pandemic, the sector’s contribution to the global economy and jobs could reach almost pre-pandemic levels this year, if the recovery of the sector continues to pick up pace.
Research by the global tourism body shows that if the vaccine and booster rollout continue at pace this year, and restrictions to international travel are eased around the world throughout the year – increasing the number of people who can travel ‘quarantine free,’ the sector’s contribution to the global economy could reach $8.6 trillion, just six per cent down on pre-pandemic levels.ADVERTISEMENTWTTC’s research also shows that the sector’s contribution global employment could reach more than 330 million, just one per cent below pre-pandemic levels and up 22 per cent up on 2020 representing a massive 58 million more jobs.
Julia Simpson, WTTC chief executive, said: “Over the past two years, due to severe travel restrictions around the world, the global tourism sector has suffered tremendous losses.
“Our latest research clearly shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and 2022 is certainly looking more positive in terms of both jobs and the economy.
“However, there is much more work to be done if we are to bring back all the jobs lost and achieve a full economic recovery.
“With so much is at stake, it’s vital we continue driving the recovery of our sector.
“Governments must shift their risk assessment from entire countries to the individual traveller and allow the fully vaccinated to travel freely.”

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Flight Centre Travel Group has announced that long-serving senior leader Tom Walley will take the reins as the new global managing director of small- and medium-sized enterprise specialist Corporate Traveller.
Having joined the group more than two decades ago, Walley has worked across the company’s corporate and leisure divisions in both the UK and Australia, primarily in management roles.
He will also retain his current position of general manager for Corporate Traveller in Australia.
Corporate Travel chief executive, Chris Galanty, said Walley was the perfect candidate to navigate Corporate Traveller through the post-pandemic world and beyond.
“Tom is incredibly well-known across the business as he’s one of our most experienced senior leaders, and most importantly he’s led the Corporate Traveller business in both the UK and Australia so understands both the history and future vision for the brand,” said Galanty.  ADVERTISEMENT“Corporate Traveller is very customer centric, and our people have been the driver of its success for many years.
“Tom’s new role will further our ability to offer the best service, products, and technology possible.”
Walley takes the helm at a pivotal time for the dominant player in the small- and medium-sized enterprise travel space which counts more than 1,500 team members serving over 16,000 customers globally.
Walley commented: “We have an ambitious target of welcoming US$1 billion of new customers in the 2023 financial year globally and there are three things that will help us achieve this goal – our people, the great service they provide, and our investment in technology.
“This is the blended approach that has been part of our winning fabric from the very beginning.”

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Safety concerns and racial discrimination are fundamental constraints on the choices of British Black and Asian travellers, according to research led by the University of Surrey in collaboration with Women in Travel CIC.
Respondents from British Black and Asian communities reported instances of racial harassment, microaggressions and/or discrimination while travelling, experiences which influenced their decision-making behaviour.
The Surrey report, one of the first in the UK to provide a snapshot of the travel characteristics, motivations and decision-making processes of travellers from these ethnic groups, highlights commonalities and differences with other groups of travel enthusiasts, and identifies how ongoing prejudice and stereotyping mean travel companies and destinations could be missing out on a lucrative market.
The research, which included a quantitative online survey, found that British Black and Asian respondents travelled more frequently both within and outside the UK than their White counterparts.
Some 92 per cent of British Black and Asian respondents travelled within the UK at least once a year and 99 per cent travelled abroad, compared with 85 per cent of White respondents saying they travelled within the UK and 73 per cent abroad.
British Black and Asian respondents were also more likely to enjoy multiple trips, although the duration of White respondents’ UK trips was typically longer.
The researchers found that the stereotypical belief that travellers from British Black and Asian communities prefer familiar destinations, visit friends and family, and rarely explore new places is wrong.
On the contrary, leisure and recreation were cited as the primary reason for travelling within the UK and abroad, and adventure was the second most common reason British Black and Asian respondents gave for travelling abroad.ADVERTISEMENTFurther disproving the stereotype, British Black and Asian survey respondents said word of mouth and online information were their leading sources of travel information, whereas White respondents cited past experience as their preferred source of information.
Focus groups delving into these answers revealed that they are largely driven by the need to identify how safe a destination is for Black and Asian travellers and to explore the prevalence of racism.
The report notes the problem of underrepresentation in the travel industry, for example, the lack of diversity in advertising, and scarcity of Black and Asian professionals working at senior levels, and suggests changes to enable the industry to better target this market segment:

Build an independent platform for travellers from Black and Asian backgrounds and create an independent travel-related association to represent these communities’ interests, drive research and share information and data.
Create a research network focusing on UK travellers from Black and Asian backgrounds enabling key stakeholders to better understand and tap into the potential of these communities.
Build networks with Black and Asian communities and co-create travel experiences.
Embrace a culture of diversity and inclusion in leading travel brands, hotel chains, cruise lines, and other major tourism sectors and when commissioning marketing and advertising.
Support, encourage and improve the visibility of travel businesses owned by people from Black and Asian groups.
Start an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) accreditation for travel businesses.
Train staff on issues of diversity, equality and inclusion. The report identifies the need for a training toolkit for organisations that goes beyond the traditional EDI training currently on offer and which focuses, for example, on unconscious bias, casual racism, microaggressions and stereotyping.
Engage online content creators to actively represent different perspectives.
Organise training for destination management organisations and local service providers.

Women in Travel CIC has already addressed some of these recommendations within its multi-cultural network and industry training, and will further develop tools in collaboration with the University of Surrey to help travel businesses understand and engage with the issues.
Albert Kimbu, head of the department of tourism and transport at the University of Surrey’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and project lead, said: “There is a serious dearth of research into this undervalued segment of the travelling public, which means the industry is missing out.
“The time is ripe to integrate more perspectives into mainstream discourses relating to travel and tourism.
“The industry can’t pretend that race has no impact on travellers’ experiences.
“We need collaboration across the industry with a wide variety of active voices to co-create travel experiences through a balanced approach that will ensure equality, diversity, and inclusion in the tourism sector.”
Read the executive summary here  or purchase the full report by visiting the shop on the Women in Travel CIC website here.
Jamie-Lee Abtar, multicultural community lead at Women in Travel CIC, said: “A growing British Black and Asian middle class, who are keen explorers of new destinations and tourism experiences, creates huge opportunities.
“Travel and tourism companies that address the specific concerns of these travellers and help them overcome their barriers to travel will benefit from a large market.
“It makes business sense, as well as being the right thing to do to improve inclusion.”

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The board of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) has appointed Lorine Charles-St. Jules to the position of chief executive.
With more than two decades of tourism and leadership experience, Charles-St. Jules has achieved significant success in the hospitality sector and most recently served as USA account manager for the Anguilla Tourist Board.
She has been chief executive of global marketing agency PEAEYE7 Marketing International for five years, handling business development and luxury resort marketing throughout the Caribbean, the United States and Canada.
Charles-St. Jules has deep expertise in setting and executing business strategy across many facets of the tourism industry, including marketing destinations, developing sales programming for luxury resorts and global travel trade management.
The position brings her back to her roots in Saint Lucia, where she previously held various executive positions at the Saint Lucia Tourist Board for nine years including director of marketing, and tourism planning officer for the Saint Lucia ministry of tourism for two years.ADVERTISEMENT“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Lorine Charles-St. Jules to the organisation and we are in no doubt that her track record as a tourism professional will lead brand Saint Lucia along a sustained growth trajectory.
“Her diverse experience in tourism marketing, sales and strategy will contribute greatly to our mission,” said Thaddeus Antoine, chairman of the board of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority.
Charles-St. Jules is a graduate of the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, with a master’s degree in international tourism development and sustainability.

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Airports Council International and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have urged European governments to lift all travel restrictions for fully vaccinated and recovered individuals holding a valid Covid Certificate.
The move has been as advised by the new regime for travel within the EU – which comes into force today.
This new regime, set out by an EU Council recommendation adopted on January 25th, is based on the health status of travellers, rather than the epidemiological situation of their country or area of origin.
Independent research conducted in Finland and Italy provides insight into developing a Europe-wide policy for removing restrictions.
The research made public today confirms the validity of the traveller-centric approach, highlighting the inefficiency of recent travel restrictions imposed by European countries in mitigating the risks to public health and society posed by Covid-19.ADVERTISEMENTNew analysis produced by Oxera and Edge Health reveals that pre-departure testing requirements are likely to be ineffective at stopping or even limiting the spread of the Omicron variant.
The analysis of testing restrictions imposed by Italy and Finland on December 16th and December 28th respectively on all incoming travellers made no distinguishable difference to transmission of Omicron cases in those countries.
Conversely, the impact of these restrictions, and in particular the limitations to the free movement of people, resulted in significant and unnecessary economic hardship – not just for the travel and tourism sectors and their workforce, but for the whole European economy.
Crucially, the report also shows that maintaining pre-departure testing requirements for vaccinated/recovered travellers further will have “no impact whatsoever on the future spread of the Omicron” variant in Italy and Finland.
The fact that both countries are now lifting their pre-departure testing requirements is very welcome, IATA said.
However, concerns remain that both countries could have lifted them much earlier or altogether avoided imposing them in the first place – lessons must be learned to avoid repeated economic damage with no attendant public health benefit.
“The new regime for intra-EU/EEA travel is right to focus on a ‘person-based approach’ and to recognise that both vaccinated and recovered travellers should not be subjected to any restriction.
“But having common EU regimes has so far not prevented States from going their own way.
“This must stop.
“We now have further proof – travel restrictions do have a significant effect – but it’s not on public health, it’s on economic stability and livelihoods. 
“In short: they are causing more harm than good,” said Olivier Jankovec, ACI Europe director general.

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