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    Wale appointed chief executive of Abercrombie & Kent

    Michael Wale has been named chief executive of the Abercrombie & Kent Group.
    Appointed by co-chairman Geoffrey Kent and Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, he will take up the role at the start of October.
    Wale joins the luxury travel company from Kerzner International, the owner of Atlantis and One & Only Resorts, where he was chief executive until earlier this month.
    Before joining Kerzner, his career spanned almost 40 years with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, culminating as president for Europe, Africa & Middle East, directly overseeing the operations of 250 hotels and resorts, for its ten brands, in 60 countries.
    Wale replaces Amerigo Perasso, who has held the role of chief executive with the company for a little under a year.
    “With Michael, Abercrombie & Kent will start an exciting new chapter,” explained Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio.
    “When guests book a holiday with us, they know we will guide them to amazing places, but the destination is a given. 

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    “What they expect from us – and what keeps them coming back – is how we go the extra mile.
    “Michael’s extensive experience in guest services and operations will take what A&K is known for to the next level.”
    Wale is currently based in Dubai and will be relocating to Monaco. 
    He will continue his association with Kerzner International as he joins the board of the company.
    “I am thrilled to be joining the team at Abercrombie & Kent at this pivotal time in the company’s history,” said Wale. 
    “I have travelled with A&K before and understand its distinctive approach to luxury experiential travel.
    “I also look forward to working with Geoffrey and Manfredi, two titans of the travel industry, to build a bright future for our guests, partners and staff.”
    Abercrombie & Kent is a luxury and adventure travel company.
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    UNWTO reveals huge cost of Covid-19 on global tourism

    The enormous toll of Covid-19 on international tourism has now become clear, with United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) data showing the cost up to May was already three times that of the 2009 global economic crisis.
    As the situation continues to evolve, the United Nations agency has provided the first comprehensive insight into the impact of the pandemic, both in tourist numbers and lost revenues, ahead of the upcoming release of up-to-date information on travel restrictions worldwide.
    The latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer shows that the near-complete lockdown imposed in response to the pandemic led to a 98 per cent fall in international tourist numbers in May when compared to 2019.
    The barometer also shows a 56 per cent year-on-year drop in tourist arrivals between January and May.
    This translates into a fall of 300 million tourists and US$320 billion lost in international tourism receipts – more than three times the loss during the crisis 2009.

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    UNWTO secretary general, Zurab Pololikashvili, said: “This latest data makes clear the importance of restarting tourism as soon as it is safe to do so.
    “The dramatic fall in international tourism places many millions of livelihoods at risk, including in developing countries.
    “Governments in every world region have a dual responsibility: to prioritize public health while also protecting jobs and businesses.
    “They also need to maintain the spirit of cooperation and solidarity that has defined our response to this shared challenge and refrain from making unilateral decisions that may undermine the trust and confidence we have been working so hard to build.”
    At the same time, UNWTO also notes signs of a gradual and cautious change in trend, most notably in the northern hemisphere and particularly following the opening of borders across the Schengen Zone of the European Union on July 1st.
    While tourism is slowly returning in some destinations, the UNWTO Confidence Index has dropped to record lows, both for the evaluation of the period January-April 2020, and the prospects for May-August.
    Most members of the UNWTO panel of tourism experts expect international tourism to recover by the second half of 2021, followed by those who expect a rebound in the first part of next year.
    The group of global experts points to a series of downside risks such as travel restrictions and border shutdowns still in place in most destinations, major outbound markets such as the United States and China being at standstill, safety concerns associated with travel, the resurgence of the virus and risks of new lockdowns or curfews.
    Furthermore, concerns over a lack of reliable information and a deteriorating economic environment are indicated as factors weighing on consumer confidence.
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    TUI cancels Spain holidays from UK following quarantine decision

    TUI has cancelled all British holidays to mainland Spain until August 9th in response to government decision to reintroduce quarantine procedures.
    However, the firm said all those going to the Balearic and Canary Islands could still travel as planned from Monday – as both are excluded from the new rules.
    The airline industry has reacted with dismay to the decision, which was unexpectedly announced over the weekend.
    The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is advising against all but essential travel to mainland Spain.
    Quarantine measures apply to those returning from mainland Spain, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, such as Majorca and Ibiza.
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    TUI adds flexible booking options for British travellers

    TUI UK has introduced a new, free holiday amends policy to provide added flexibility to customers.
    The new policy allows holidaymakers to make one fee-free change to their booking – including the hotel and destination – regardless of whether they are affected by Covid-19.
    This applies to new bookings made between today and September 30th, for travel between August 20th this year and the end of April next year.
    The offer applies to trips using TUI Airways flights for TUI, First Choice and Marella Cruise holidays.

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    The booking amendment must be made at least 28 days before departure.
    Richard Sofer, commercial director, TUI UK & Ireland, said: “We are in extraordinary times with circumstances that are constantly evolving, and we know we need to be adaptable.
    “We have listened to our customers and understand some are feeling apprehensive about travelling at the moment, but still want to book in a holiday to have something to look forward to.
    “I am confident our new flexible amends policy will give customers the peace of mind they need to book a holiday knowing that they can change it if, for whatever reason, they decide they want to go somewhere different or delay their trip.”
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    in organisations-operators

    TUI adds new flexible booking options for British travellers

    TUI UK has introduced a new, free holiday amends policy to provide added flexibility to customers.
    The new policy allows holidaymakers to make one fee-free change to their booking – including the hotel and destination – regardless of whether they are affected by Covid-19.
    This applies to new bookings made between today and September 30th, for travel between August 20th this year and the end of April next year.
    The offer applies to trips using TUI Airways flights for TUI, First Choice and Marella Cruise holidays.

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    The booking amendment must be made at least 28 days before departure.
    Richard Sofer, commercial director, TUI UK & Ireland, said: “We are in extraordinary times with circumstances that are constantly evolving, and we know we need to be adaptable.
    “We have listened to our customers and understand some are feeling apprehensive about travelling at the moment, but still want to book in a holiday to have something to look forward to.
    “I am confident our new flexible amends policy will give customers the peace of mind they need to book a holiday knowing that they can change it if, for whatever reason, they decide they want to go somewhere different or delay their trip.”
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