Eliana Willis

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on states to follow new guidance on travel from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The guidance recommends a “risk-based approach” to implementing measures related to Covid-19 and international travel.
Specifically, WHO recommended that governments:

Do not require proof of Covid-19 vaccination as a mandatory condition for entry or exit.
May relax measures such as testing and/or quarantine requirements for travellers who are fully vaccinated or have had a confirmed previous Covid-19 infection within the past six months and are no longer infectious.
Ensure alternative pathways for unvaccinated individuals through testing so that they are able to travel internationally. The WHO recommends rRT-PCR tests, or antigen detection rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) followed by confirmatory rRT-PCR tests of positive samples, for this purpose.
Implement test and/or quarantine measures for international travellers “on a risk-based manner” with policies on testing and quarantine regularly reviewed to ensure they are lifted when no longer necessary.

“These common sense, risk-based recommendations from WHO, if followed by states, will allow for international air travel to resume while minimizing the chance of importing Covid-19.
“As the WHO notes – and as the latest UK testing data proves –  international travellers are not a high-risk group in terms of Covid-19. ADVERTISEMENT“Out of 1.65 million tests carried out on arriving international passengers in the UK since February, only 1.4 per cent were positive for Covid-19.
“It’s long past time for governments to incorporate data into risk-based decision-making process for re-opening borders,” said Willie Walsh, IATA director general.
WHO also called on states to communicate “in a timely and adequate manner” any changes to international health-related measures and requirements.
“Consumers face a maze of confusing, uncoordinated and fast-changing border entry rules that discourage them from traveling, causing economic hardship across those employed in the travel and tourism sector.
“According to our latest passenger survey, 70 per cent of recent travellers thought the rules were a challenge to understand,” said Walsh.
Additionally, WHO encouraged states to look at bilateral, multilateral, and regional agreements, particularly among neighbouring counties, “with the aim of facilitating the recovery of key socioeconomic activities” including tourism, for which international travel plays a vital role.

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TUI is moving to permanent flexible working in the UK following 16 months of home working due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The majority of office-based employees in the UK have worked from home since the start of the pandemic in March last year.
During this time, the company sought to embrace the shift realising that almost all office-based roles could be done remotely. 
TUI conducted colleague research to understand their views on ways of working, with many citing they have adjusted their working practices and have discovered benefits, including a better work life balance, that they would like to continue with once the pandemic is over.
As part of the new ways of working, TUI employees will only be required to attend the office once a month to attend face to face team meetings or collaboration events, enabling individuals to make their own choice about how often they would like to work in an office environment.ADVERTISEMENTWhile offices will remain open individuals will be able to decide what working environment works for them.
Recognising the importance of transitioning to a permanent flexible working approach, the organisation has created a new workspace director.
This role will be responsible for workspace portfolio across the UK and Ireland and will have the accountability to define and implement a workspace strategy.
Belinda Vazquez, workspace director of TUI UK & I, said: “At TUI we embrace the concept that work is something we do, not somewhere we go.
“We have listened to our employees in order to define a clear framework that ensures ultimate flexibility, whilst creating positive experiences that enable all colleagues to feel like they belong and are valued.”

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Kayak has become the official shirt sleeve sponsor of Newcastle United ahead of the 2021/22 Premier League season.
First team players will wear Kayak branding on the shirt sleeve of all home, away and third kits for the forthcoming season. ADVERTISEMENTThe strategic partnership marks the first ever football sponsorship for the travel search engine.
Founded in 2004, Kayak pioneered the system of allowing customers to compare prices across multiple providers in one location – known as meta search.
Commenting on the partnership, Per Christiansen, Kayak vice president, EMEA, marketing, said:  “As we continue to grow our brand partnerships in the UK and internationally,  we are thrilled to kick off our first football partnership with Newcastle United.
“It is an honour to be associated with the team and we look forward to expanding our presence amongst the players and their global fanbase as they enjoy the freedom of travel and live sport once again.”

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Overlanding specialist Dragoman has revealed plans to go “dormant” for the foreseeable future in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The company said it was going to “sit tight” until the resumption of long-haul travel is again feasible.
All future bookings for those who have yet to travel are being refunded in full, the 27 Dragoman trucks – parked up all over the world – continue to stay off-road, and the (much longer than originally foreseen) wait for normal long-haul travel to resume continues, the company said in a statement.
Charlie Hopkinson, a director of Dragoman, explained: “This has been a very tough decision to take. 
“We thought back in 2020 that a chink of light meant we’d soon be overlanding again, albeit perhaps to countries closer to home than the norm.  ADVERTISEMENT“But we are now 16 months into the pandemic, and long-haul travel in the way that Dragoman has operated for the past 40 years is, sadly, unlikely to be possible in the short- to medium-term.
“We have got to batten down the hatches and to sit it out as best we can, much as we hate the idea of doing so.”
He added: “This means refunding our loyal customers who have yet to travel and agents worldwide, suspending our operations and closing down our HQ. 
“No new bookings will be taken until we see light at the end of the tunnel and feel confident that we can re-start our operations.”
This year saw Dragoman’s 40th anniversary of overlanding worldwide.
The company has taken 77,000 passionate travellers to myriad destinations worldwide during those 40 years – across Asia, trans Africa and trans North and South America. 
“We are desperately sad to have to bid au revoir to everyone for now – our loyal in-house road crew and expedition leaders, engineers, reservations team and admin staff, all of whom have worked hard to keep things ticking over; our sales agents worldwide and in the UK; the many associated businesses with whom we’ve been linked, some for the full 40 years,” said Hopkinson.
“To those who have bookings with us, we would appreciate your patience until we contact you, please; we have only a small skeleton team working at present, and we will contact everyone in strict date order. 
“It will take time, but you will hear from us just as soon as possible. 
“Please do not try to reclaim your funds via your credit card company – this will take a great deal of time and effort on your part, and it also means that we will be unable to refund you ourselves; thank you.”
Hopkinson concluded: “This is not the end. 
“The decision to pause is to ensure that Dragoman can – and will – live on in the future.”

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It is time to lift remaining restrictions on the hospitality industry and give visitors to Wales simple and clear messages about staying safe.
That is the view of UKHospitality Cymru (UKHC) ahead of a Welsh government today.
UKHC executive director, David Chapman, commented: “The Welsh government review is a chance to lift remaining restrictions and help businesses in Wales to manage the huge influx of summer visitors.
“Let’s keep it simple: open up, stay savvy, stay safe.”ADVERTISEMENTHe added: “On July 19th we’re expecting England to fully open up and from that moment we need to make sure visitors to Wales are welcomed with a set of simple directions about how to stay safe and enjoy their holiday while they are here.
“Welsh government ministers are suggesting we have to now learn to live with the virus; it’s time to make it simple and easy for those looking to take their first restriction-free break in eighteen months.
“We don’t want hospitality workers to be at the receiving end of visitor confusion, disappointment or annoyance about what can or can’t be done; let’s make it as straightforward as possible. 
“Open up now, stay savvy and stay safe.
“They should be the watchwords of the new normal of living with Covid-19 in Wales in a post-vaccine environment.”

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Asia Pacific was the region hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic according to the new annual Economic Trends Report from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
The report reveals the full dramatic impact of travel restrictions designed to curb Covid-19 on the global economy, individual regions and its job losses worldwide.
Asia-Pacific was the worst performing region, with the sector’s contribution to GDP dropping a damaging 54 per cent, compared to the global fall of 49 per cent.
International visitor spending was particularly hard hit across Asia Pacific, falling by 74 per cent, as many countries across the region closed their borders to inbound tourists.
Domestic spending witnessed a lower but equally punishing decline of 48 per cent. ADVERTISEMENTTourism employment in the region fell by 18 per cent, equating to a shocking 34 million jobs.
Virginia Messina, WTTC senior vice president, said: “WTTC data has laid bare the devastating impact the pandemic has had on tourism around the world, leaving economies battered, millions without jobs and many more fearing for their future.
“Our annual Economic Trends Report shows just how much each region has suffered at the hands of the crushing travel restrictions brought in to control the spread of Covid-19.
“WTTC believes governments around the world should take advantage of their vaccine rollouts, which could significantly ease travel restrictions on travel, and help power the wider global economic recovery.”
The report also revealed the European tourism sector suffered the second biggest economic collapse last year, dropping 51 per cent, or €987 billion.
This significant and damaging decline was in part due to continuing mobility restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.
The report showed domestic spending in Europe declined by 48 per cent, offset by some intra-regional travel, however international spending fell at an even sharper rate, by 64 per cent.
Despite this, Europe remained the top global region for international visitor spending.
More Information
To read the WTTC Economic Trends Report in full, please click here.

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On the Beach Group has raised £26 million through the sale of new shares in the company.
The travel agent sold a total of 7,870,000 placing shares at a price of 330 pence each.
The figure represents around five per cent of the existing issued capital.
The price represents a discount of approximately five per cent to the closing share price of 348 pence per share yesterday.
Numis Securities and Peel Hunt acted as joint bookrunners for the placing.

On the Beach last month reported losses of £22 million for the first half of the year, as the company prepares to relaunch operations in September following the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The global vaccination rollout and increased adoption of digital solutions for safe travel should lead to a rise in international mobility over the weeks and months ahead.
That is according to the latest data from the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
According to the newest edition of the Travel Restrictions Report from agency, as of June, 29 per cent of all destinations worldwide have their borders completely closed to international tourism.
Of these, more than half have been completely closed to tourists for since May 2020 or longer, with the majority of these belonging to the small island development states of Asia and the Pacific.
In comparison, just three destinations (Albania, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic) are completely open to tourists, with no restrictions now in place.ADVERTISEMENTOne in three of all destinations are partially closed, and 36 per cent request a negative Covid-19 test result upon arrival, in some cases in combination with a requirement to quarantine.
The data confirms the trend towards destinations adopting more nuanced, evidence-and-risk-based approaches to restrictions on travel, particularly in light of the evolving epidemiological situation and the emergence of new variants of the virus.
Indeed, 42 per cent of all destinations have introduced specific restrictions for visitors from destinations with variants of concern ranging from the suspension of flights and closing of borders to compulsory quarantine.
Additionally, since most of those destinations with the strictest measures have some of the lowest rates of vaccination, the data also indicates a link between vaccination speed and easing of restrictions.
In comparison, those destinations that have higher rates of vaccination and where countries are able to work together on harmonised rules and protocols such as those being employed in the Schengen area of the European Union, are better-placed to allow tourism to slowly return.
“Governments are instrumental for the restart and recovery of tourism through collaboration, use of data and digital solutions,” said UNWTO secretary general Zurab Pololikashvili.
Regional differences with regards to travel restrictions remain.
Some 70 per cent of all destinations in Asia and the Pacific are completely closed, compared with just 13 per cent in Europe, as well as 20 per cent in the Americas, 19 per cent in Africa and 31 per cent in the Middle East.
The report indicates that the restart of global tourism will remain muted so long as governments continue to advise caution.
Four of the ten top source markets keep advising their citizens against non-essential travel abroad (these four generated 25 per cent of all international arrivals in 2018).

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