Eliana Willis

Holiday giant TUI has reached an agreement with various partners on a further financial rescue package of €1.8 billion.
The deal includes the German Economic Support Fund (WSF), KfW Entwicklungsbank (KfW), commercial banks and the company’s largest single shareholder Unifirm.
TUI said it was taking further precautions in view of the rising number of infections since autumn, strict travel restrictions in many countries and the resulting shorter booking times of customers.
The financial package is intended to ensure that the company can bridge the gap if the pandemic persists in 2021.
Following the first reports of vaccine successes, TUI added it expects the pandemic situation to improve in the course of the first half of 2021, leading to a greater return of holiday travel.
Fritz Joussen, chief executive of TUI, explained: “Before the Covid-19 pandemic, TUI was a very healthy company.
“The market is intact; the demand is there.
“But we have not been able to generate any significant revenues since March.

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“Our integrated business model allows us to react very flexibly to short-term changes in the pandemic situation, just as we successfully ramped up our travel programme for a few weeks in July after the first wave.
“People want to travel; tourism remains a growth industry and an important sector for stabilising the southern euro area.”
The package consists of silent participations of the WSF, a further credit line of the KfW, guarantees and a capital increase with subscription rights, which is to be resolved at an extraordinary general meeting of TUI in January.
The Mordashov family, owners of Unifirm, have made a long-term strategic investment in TUI and has agreed to participate in the capital increase with its company.
Joussen added: “The financial package provides the security to look consistently ahead and to prepare the group strategically and structurally for the time after the pandemic.
“With these measures, the group is securing liquidity for a continuing pandemic in 2021, while at the same time improving our balance sheet structures in the long term.
“The overall package of different financing from various partners shows the broad confidence of all parties involved in the future of tourism and the TUI Group”.
Including the additionally agreed financial package, TUI AG had financial resources and credit facilities of €2.5 billion as of November 30th.
Earlier in the year, TUI Group secured €3 billion in funding in two separate tranches from the German government.
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The Singapore Tourism Board has appointed Michael Rodriguez to the role of area director for northern and western Europe.
Rodriguez will oversee marketing, partnerships and business development efforts in the region and will assume the role this month.
Jason Chan who was Singapore Tourism Board regional area director from 2016 to 2020 will return to Singapore in the role of assistant director, travel agent licensing and regulatory review department.
“I am thrilled to be representing Singapore Tourism Board in Europe,” Rodriguez said.
“This has been a year unlike any other and I am very much looking forward to working to welcome visitors back to Singapore as soon as it is safe to do so.”

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Prior to this role, Rodriguez worked in Singapore Tourism Board’s infrastructure planning and management division, overseeing the planning and management of cruise terminals in Singapore.
Key projects which he helped to oversee included the development and operationalisation of the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore.
Prior to joining the Singapore Tourism Board, Rodriguez worked in the financial services sector with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
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Holidaymakers are usually better off avoiding booking sites when arranging a holiday and booking directly with a travel provider instead, according to Which?.
The consumer organisation surveyed nearly 5,000 members about their experiences with various travel booking sites, broken down into flight booking sites, accommodation booking sites and travel comparison sites.
The results highlighted a slew of problems with using booking sites – usually presented as a hassle-free way to compare prices and get the best deal when booking a holiday – which have been exacerbated by the pandemic.
Respondents rated sites on a variety of criteria, including the functionality of the site, prices, and transparency of fees, with many sites earning an overall lower score than they did last year.
Flight booking sites fared particularly badly, with some companies proving impossible to contact regarding cancellations and refunds during the Covid-19 lockdown.

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Some also charged admin fees to process refunds that would have been free if sought directly from the airline.
Netflights received the highest customer score in this category, though still an underwhelming 65 per cent.
It was the only flight booking site to score four stars for prices, and fewer than one in ten customers reported a problem with the website.
At the other end of the table for flight booking sites was Opodo, which Which? recently recommended passengers avoid booking with, after it left the ATOL scheme.
Comparison sites did not do much better.
The clear frontrunner in this market was Skyscanner, with a customer score of 67 per cent.
Accommodation booking sites were rated slightly more favourably.
This was the only category where some booking sites managed to receive a customer score of more than 70 per cent, with most accommodation booking sites managing to score four stars in at least one category.
Airbnb, with a customer score of 75 per cent, was the only booking site to impress customers and the consumer champion enough to receive Which? recommended status.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “Booking sites have been seen as a hassle-free way to find the best deal on travel or accommodation when booking a holiday, but our survey highlights serious problems, from dodgy refund policies and unwelcome admin fees, to non-existent customer service.
“This year has shown us that nothing can be guaranteed when it comes to booking a holiday, so it’s more important than ever to ensure the company you’re booking with can be trusted with your money.
“With a couple of notable exceptions, booking sites have let their customers down on this front, so the best way to ensure your money is in safe hands is to book a package, hotel or flight directly, and only with a reputable provider.”
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ABTA has launched two new member advice helplines.
They will provide 30 minutes of free advice from leading financial experts on how best to dispute a chargeback, or how to protect a business from data breaches and other issues relating to cybersecurity.
The two new helplines join existing ABTA helplines on mergers and acquisitions, finance, employment law, crisis support, training and recruitment and VAT.
All of the helplines are operated by ABTA partners, who are leading experts in their respective fields.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, many refunds have been severely delayed mainly due to suppliers not issuing refunds swiftly, some customers have now turned to their card provider and asked them to raise a chargeback.

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In some cases, ABTA members have been receiving chargebacks from their merchant provider even when a customer has already received a refund
The chargeback helpline will help clarify contracts or misrepresentation under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, advise when a chargeback can be challenged as well as the correct processes for doing this successfully.
Travel providers often hold sensitive customer information offering a tempting target for cyber attackers, which can have very serious legal, financial and reputational consequences. 
The new helpline will advise on current threats in the industry, technology available to mitigate attacks, correct processes to prevent attacks or breaches, how to assess company data, as well as a plan for investigating attacks and establishing a response plan to maintain your business.
Alice Catterall, ABTA director of partnerships and events said: “The ABTA partner helplines provide an invaluable resource for our members with 30 minutes of free, expert advice on a wide range of issues.
“The two latest additions on how to dispute a chargeback and cybersecurity have been chosen as both areas can have very serious implications for our members’ businesses and I would strongly recommend that all our members take the time to access the helplines to put processes in place to safeguard their businesses.”
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On the Beach Group has confirmed the appointment of Zoe Harris as chief marketing officer.
She will take up the role in January.
Simon Cooper, chief executive of On the Beach Group, commented: “I am excited that Zoe has agreed to join On the Beach as chief marketing officer early next year.
“Her extensive experience heading up marketing functions at a variety of large digital organisations will be invaluable as we look to further accelerate our progress in 2021.
“We go into next year with a strong balance sheet and look forward to taking advantage of the large number of opportunities that will be available.”

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He added: “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Steve Seddon and Dan Roche who have worked together to oversee the group’s marketing function through 2020, on top of their individual roles.
“While 2020 has been heavily disrupted, the improvements that we targeted and delivered are a testament to the capabilities and efforts of Steve and Dan.
“When Zoe joins the group in January, both Steve and Dan will continue with their respective brand and performance marketing directorships.”
Harris joins On the Beach from GoCo Group where she has been since 2018, initially holding the role of chief marketing officer for GoCompare and then chief executive for Look After My Bills (a GoCo company).
At GoCompare she was tasked with developing a differentiated positioning for the comparison site, successfully creating a marketable proposition that demonstrated to consumers that they are ‘better protected’ with GoCompare.
She joined GoCo from Reach (formerly Trinity Mirror) where she was group marketing director for nearly six years, working across both the nationals and regionals to refresh brand propositions and transform marketing activity to better resonate with consumers across both print and digital platforms.
Harris added: “I am thrilled to be joining On the Beach in the New Year as chief marketing officer.
“Simon and his team have developed and grown a great business and I look forward to being part of the next stage in that journey.
“There is no doubt that the travel industry has had a tough 2020 and, with the prospect of vaccines on the horizon, I believe now is a very exciting time to be moving into this exciting sector.
“The disruptive nature of the group’s business model, alongside incredibly strong performance marketing and a distinctive brand tone of voice is a heady combination.
“I can’t wait to get in amongst it!”
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The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) has completed its acquisition of key assets of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE).
The move fulfils a pledge to unify the industry and help lead business travel out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are beyond thrilled to bring GBTA and ACTE together, creating one home for the thousands of business travel professionals who will collectively bring back business travel bigger and better than ever,” said Bhart Sarin, president of GBTA.
As part of the integration effort, two former ACTE board members will join the GBTA global board of directors effective immediately. 
Alison Taylor, chief customer officer of American Airlines, will serve the remainder of the vacant vice presidency term.
Steve Sitto, senior manager, global travel and events for Tesla, will serve the remainder of the vacant direct member at-large term.

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Both terms will be completed at the time of the GBTA Convention in July.
“The addition of an amazing brand like ACTE will give GBTA members the absolute best opportunities for education, networking, research and advocacy.
“We look forward to combining the best attributes of both associations with our Ready. Safe. Travel campaign as we continue to advocate for business travel’s path to recovery,” said Dave Hilfman, interim executive director of GBTA.
In addition, a committee led by GBTA chairman, Christle Johnson, and former ACTE executive director and current DigitTravel Consulting senior vice president, Greeley Koch, will work together with GBTA staff and industry volunteers to identify the best value a combined GBTA and ACTE can deliver to its members.
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