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      84% of business travellers to attend conventions within next six months

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      Key findings from a new survey reveal that 84% of business travellers expect to take at least one trip to attend conferences, conventions or trade shows in the next six months. The Quarterly Business Travel Tracker also revealed that, while less than one in 10 U.S. business travelers are uncertain if they would travel in the next six months, the top reason for uncertainty was that meetings and events are not occurring. Corporate policies restricting business travel was the second-highest reason for uncertainty.
      Business travellers also expect to resume traveling at a slightly slower pace compared to pre-pandemic levels, averaging about 1.6 trips per month (compared to 1.7 monthly trips pre-pandemic).
      The release of these findings corresponds to Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on April 7, where organisations around the world spotlight the tremendous positive impact created by business meetings, trade shows, incentive travel, exhibitions, conferences and conventions on people, businesses and the economy.
      Powered by U.S. Travel Association and the Meetings Mean Business Coalition, GMID has special significance this year as the meeting and events industry moves beyond the pandemic-era trends of virtual and hybrid meetings and returns to live, in-person events.
      “The return of in-person meetings and events—and business travel in general—is a welcome sight after more than two years of pandemic-related uncertainty,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. “There is simply no substitute for a face-to-face meeting, which is proven to lead to more fruitful business opportunities and can help power an economic and jobs recovery in communities across America.”ADVERTISEMENTWhile U.S. Travel forecasts that business travel spending was still down 60% from pre-pandemic levels in 2021, the Quarterly Business Travel Tracker’s latest data shows a clear shift in American business travelers’ desire to return to in-person meetings.
      Source: J.D. Power
      “While the data indicates a strong desire from American business travelers to hit the road again, there is a big difference between willingness to travel and actually taking a trip,” said Dow. “Corporate leaders should seize the competitive advantage, budget for business travel, and encourage their teams to get back on the road and reestablish those personal connections that only come with face-to-face interactions.”
      Another component of the Quarterly Business Travel Tracker, a newly developed current and forward-looking Business Travel Index, shows that while business travel activity slowed somewhat in Q1 2022, business conditions for travel such as GDP and business investment are quite favorable, reaching an index of 105 for Q2 2022 (2019=100).
      “In-person conferences have relational and financial impacts to corporations that are significant,” said Andrea Stokes, Practice Lead for Hospitality at J.D. Power. “Nearly half of survey respondents indicated that conferences, conventions, and trade shows are critical to developing relationships with customers, suppliers or others. Nearly one in four respondents indicated these events are critical to closing sales.”

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      NYC & Company celebrates Global Meetings Industry Day in New York City

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      NYC & Company, New York City’s official destination marketing organisation and convention and visitors bureau, is proud to support the Meetings Mean Business Coalition (MMBC) during its seventh annual Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on Thursday, April 7. Iconic landmarks across all five boroughs will light up in blue (MMBC’s signature color) to raise awareness of the power and impact that face-to-face meetings have on the global economy and NYC’s local tourism and hospitality industry. On Tuesday, NYC & Company held a Tri-State Meeting Planner Event with more than 100 suppliers and more than 250 meeting planners in attendance at the Javits Center. The organisation’s Convention Development team will also participate in a local industry GMID reception this afternoon at the Intercontinental New York Times Square. 
      “As the business capital of the world, we know that when you meet face-to-face anything is possible. We join our colleagues in the travel industry to celebrate those opportunities on Global Meetings Industry Day as the world reconnects. We encourage business and event leaders to bring colleagues, clients and collaborators together by hosting meetings and events in the greatest city in the world – a place of infinite experiences, where everything is possible,” said Fred Dixon, President and CEO of NYC & Company. 
      The following participating locations will light blue for GMID: the Javits Center’s glass-enclosed 15-story Crystal Palace (April 5-7); the spires of One Bryant Park (April 7); the One World Trade Center spire and podium (April 7); Sven Long Island City in Queens (April 7); 30 Rockefeller Plaza (April 7); Pier 17 (April 7); One Vanderbilt (April 7); Empire State Building (April 7) Coney Island Parachute Jump (April 7); and 151 West 42nd St (April 7). 
      “It is an honor to annually light New York City blue in celebration of GMID,” said Jerry Cito, NYC & Company’s Executive Vice President, Convention Development. “NYC & Company is proud to continue to spotlight the impact of our industry and the importance of live meetings and events in NYC and around the globe.” 
      Tuesday evening, the NYC & Company Convention Development team hosted its annual Tristate Meeting Planner event from 6pm to 8pm at the newly renovated Javits Center. More than 250 planners from across the region came together for a night of networking with more than 100 NYC & Company member businesses.  ADVERTISEMENTCity celebrations will continue today with the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), MPI Greater New York, SITE Northeast, PCMA New York Chapter, ILEA, NYSAE and the Live Events Coalition of NY & NJ holding an event this afternoon at the Intercontinental New York Times Square. Together, these industry partners will share best practices and tips for success for planners and suppliers as they look ahead to the future.  
      “We are honored to light up our Crystal Palace in blue to celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day and reinforce the importance of our industry,” said Alan Steel, President and CEO of the Javits Center. “With our recent expansion, we are seeing a strong demand for in-person meetings and events as our largest trade shows and conventions are returning with a renewed sense of excitement and energy. With 95 percent of adult New Yorkers vaccinated, it is a perfect time to come together again and share ideas that can move our economy – and our industry – forward.” 
      In 2021, the Javits Center celebrated the completion of its $1.5 billion expansion, including a 1.2 million-square-foot expansion; 54,000 square-foot special event space; a new rooftop pavilion that can accommodate 1,500 people; a one-acre rooftop farm; 90,000 square-feet exhibit space; and more. New York City is also expected to see nearly 10,000 new hotel rooms open this year. For additional information on destination updates, NYC & Company released a new resource, 22 Reasons to Visit NYC in 2022, to help visitors, delegates and locals alike plan for a trip in NYC. 
      Last September, NYC & Company unveiled It’s Time to Make It NYC, the organisation’s largest marketing and sales effort for the meetings and conventions industry. 
      NYC & Company is considered as North America’s Leading Business Travel Destination by World Travel Awards.

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      DIFC launches global venture studio launchpad in technology drive

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      The Gate building at the Dubai International Financial Centre
      Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, has launched the world’s first venture studio platform to focus exclusively on ubiquitous finance and digital asset technologies.
      The initiative is a key part of DIFC’s efforts to achieve the goals of its 2030 strategy by attracting the best minds and companies from around the world to Dubai by providing them with all the necessary support to develop, test, and launch new start-ups, scale-ups and corporate ventures on an unprecedented scale, time to market and quality.
      To power this vision, DIFC is launching a dedicated unit called the Studio Launchpad, which is supported by an international group of venture building experts, digital asset pioneers, and emerging technology strategists.
      Studio Launchpad is designed to attract and engage a consortium of leading start-ups and corporate venture studios.
      The effort builds upon DIFC’s unique ecosystem to enable collaboration and co-creation between venture studios, corporations, entrepreneurs, investors, and academic partners from around the world.ADVERTISEMENTWith this initiative, Dubai will become the leading hub for venture building in MEASA and join cities like San Francisco, New York, Berlin and Paris.
      Over the next five years, over 20 studios will set up in the DIFC and are expected to launch over 200 new ventures of which over 100 will be scale-ups and 10 will gain unicorn status. Together, they will create over 8,000 innovation jobs in Dubai and attract over Dh. 2 billion in venture capital.
      Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC said: “DIFC is already home to the largest financial and FinTech ecosystems in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Launching the first global Venture Studio Launchpad is a core pillar of our vision to put DIFC at the center of the digital transformation of the financial sector in the UAE and globally, reflecting the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.”
      “We see great potential to leverage the venture studio model to accelerate creation of scale-ups and unicorns from Dubai that will contribute over-proportionally to new job creation and economic development. DIFC is building an ecosystem from the ground-up that will support studios and founders with everything they need to be successful and reimagine virtually every aspect of the financial services value chain to help realise Dubai’s ambitions for the digital era,” he said.Venture studios
      Venture studios are innovative organizations that proactively build and invest in start-ups and help them actively achieve success with their own internal capabilities. There are over 730 active venture studios around the world. Over 50 per cent of them launched in the past five years. The rate of growth among corporate venture studios is even higher.
      New ventures that launch from studios experience 30 per cent higher company success rates and about 5 per cent make it to unicorn status, according to research published by the Global Startup Studio Network.
      Part of the Launchpad offering will be a first-of-its-kind Research Living Lab which will drive thought leadership and hands-on research in this fast-evolving space with the aim to open new opportunities and produce data and insights that can inform how to shape existing and future business models, laws, and regulations.
      DIFC has broken ground on a new 150,000+ sq. ft. purpose-built facility that will house the Studio Launchpad team who will work alongside corporate sponsors, investors, and the new ventures they co-create. Every aspect of the design encourages the kind of spontaneous interactions that build community, create partnerships, and drive innovation.

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      Passenger recovery accelerates in February

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      The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that air travel posted a strong rebound in February 2022 compared to January 2022, as Omicron-related impacts moderated outside of Asia. The war in Ukraine, which began on 24 February, did not have a major impact on traffic levels.
      Note: We are returning to year-on-year traffic comparisons, instead of comparisons with the 2019 period, unless otherwise noted. Owing to the low traffic base in 2021, some markets will show very high year-on-year growth rates, even if the size of these markets is still significantly smaller than they were in 2019.
      Total traffic in February 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was up 115.9% compared to February 2021. That is an improvement from January 2022, which was up 83.1% compared to January 2021. Compared to February 2019, however, traffic was down 45.5%.
      February 2022 domestic traffic was up 60.7% compared to the year-ago period, building on a 42.6% increase in January 2022 compared to January 2021. There was wide variation in markets tracked by IATA. Domestic traffic in February was 21.8% below the volumes of February 2019.
      International RPKs rose 256.8% versus February 2021, improved from a 165.5% year-over-year increase in January 2022 versus the year-earlier period. All regions improved their performance compared to the prior month. February 2022 international RPKs were down 59.6% compared to the same month in 2019.
      “The recovery in air travel is gathering steam as governments in many parts of the world lift travel restrictions. States that persist in attempting to lock-out the disease, rather than managing it, as we do with other diseases, risk missing out on the enormous economic and societal benefits that a restoration of international connectivity will bring,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
      International Passenger Markets
      European carriers saw their February traffic rise 380.6% versus February 2021, improved over the 224.3% increase in January 2022 versus the same month in 2021. Capacity rose 174.8%, and load factor climbed 30.3 percentage points to 70.9%.ADVERTISEMENTAsia-Pacific airlines had a 144.4% rise in February traffic compared to February 2021, up somewhat over the 125.8% gain registered in January 2022 versus January 2021. Capacity rose 60.8% and the load factor was up 16.1 percentage points to 47.0%, the lowest among regions.
      Middle Eastern airlines’ traffic rose 215.3% in February compared to February 2021, well up compared to the 145.0% increase in January 2022, versus the same month in 2021. February capacity rose 89.5% versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 25.8 percentage points to 64.7%.
      North American carriers experienced a 236.7% traffic rise in February versus the 2021 period, significantly increased compared to the 149.0% rise in January 2022 over January 2021. Capacity rose 91.7%, and load factor climbed 27.4 percentage points to 63.6%.
      Latin American airlines’ February traffic rose 242.7% compared to the same month in 2021, well up over the 155.2% rise in January 2022 compared to January 2021. February capacity rose 146.3% and load factor increased 21.7 percentage points to 77.0%, which was the highest load factor among the regions for the 17th consecutive month.
      African airlines had a 69.5% rise in February RPKs versus a year ago, a large improvement compared to the 20.5% year-over-year increase recorded in January 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. February 2022 capacity was up 34.7% and load factor climbed 12.9 percentage points to 63.0%.
      Brazil’s domestic traffic was up 32.5% in February, compared to February 2021, which was a slowdown compared to the 35.5% year-over-year growth recorded in January.
      US domestic RPKs rose 112.5% year-on-year in February, an improvement compared to the 98.4% rise in January versus the prior year.
      2022 vs 2019
      The accelerated growth recorded in February 2022 compared to a year ago, is helping passenger demand catch-up to 2019 levels. Total RPKs in February were down 45.5% compared to February 2019, well ahead of the 49.6% decline recorded in January versus the same month in 2019. The domestic recovery continues to outpace that of international markets.
      The Bottom Line
      “As the long-awaited recovery in air travel accelerates, it is important that our infrastructure providers are prepared for a huge increase in passenger numbers in the coming months. We are already seeing reports of unacceptably long lines at some airports owing to the growing number of travelers. And that is even before the surge of Easter holiday travel in many markets next week. The peak Northern summer travel season will be critical for jobs throughout the travel and tourism value chain. Now is the time to prepare. Governments can help by ensuring that border positions are staffed adequately and that background security checks for new staff are managed as efficiently as possible,” said Walsh.

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      Heathrow appoints Mark Brooker to its board

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      Heathrow appoints Mark Brooker to its board

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      Heathrow Airport Holdings Ltd has today announced that Mark Brooker joined the airport’s Board as a Non-Executive Director in April. Mr Brooker brings a wealth of digital, financial and transport expertise to the Board as the airport gears up for growth, post-pandemic.
      Mr Brooker has a wide breadth of experience across high-profile, operational and strategic roles including Chief Operating Officer for Trainline and Betfair Group Plc. Mr Brooker will support the airport in navigating the challenges associated with rapid growth, whilst remaining focused on providing excellent service and taking advantage of digitalisation in a post-COVID era.ADVERTISEMENTHaving spent the past ten years in leadership roles at digital-led businesses and as the current Chairman of Findmypast and Non-Executive Director of Paysafe Ltd, Future plc and Seedrs, his experience in using big data to aid the customer experience will be a welcome addition to the Board and will ensure it can provide the relevant insight and advice to successfully support Heathrow’s own digital transformation.
      Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said:
      “I am delighted that Mark will be joining us at such a critical point as we gear up to deliver the same amount growth experienced over 50 years, in just 5 years. I am confident that the wealth of experience Mark will bring to the table will prove invaluable as the airport recovers from COVID and works to find innovative digital solutions to maintain the high level of service Heathrow is globally recognised for.”
      Heathrow Airport was nominated as Europe’s Leading Airport 2021 by World Travel Awards.

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      Abu Dhabi DCT creates unique NFT

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      Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) has become one of the first UAE government entities to create its own Non-Fungible Token (NFT).
      During a series of innovative workshops, more than 220 employees collaborated to create the unique NFT digital art, which aimed to reflect DCT Abu Dhabi’s corporate values of being welcoming, pioneering, agile, and collaborative.
      Jasim Al Hebsi, Acting Director of the People and Performance Department at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “In creating our NFT collage, we have proven that the spirit of innovation is thriving within our organisation. At DCT Abu Dhabi, our vision is to cultivate knowledge and understanding for our cultural heritage, while also initiating creativity to embrace the future of technology. So, as well as highlighting our corporate values and encouraging teamwork, this project has enabled us to gain a firm understanding of how art and culture are evolving in the digital age.”
      NFTs are digital assets that represent real-world objects, such as artwork, music, video game, or film clip. The created arts can be purchased or sold online using cryptocurrencies only, and are often encoded and stored on the same cryptocurrency blockchain software.
      The two-day workshop event consisted of eight sessions where 20 teams worked on creating their designs using a photo library containing more than 1,000 images. The unique designs were fused to create a collage which was later transferred into DCT Abu Dhabi’s exclusive NFT.  ADVERTISEMENTSince DCT Abu Dhabi’s NFT workshop, other UAE government entities have shown interest in recreating the sessions to make their own unique digital assets.
      NFTs were first invented in 2014, but they have recently gained recognition as an increasingly popular means to buy and sell digital art. In 2021, NFT sales volumes were estimated at US $24.9 billion, compared to US $94.9 million the year before.
      Abu Dhabi was crowned World’s Leading Sports Destination and World’s Leading Business Travel Destination at World Travel Awards 2021.

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      Major players pave recovery at ITB India

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      Key travel industry leaders and international exhibitors from various segments of MICE, Leisure, Corporate and Travel Technology met virtually this week for the 3-in1-show ITB India, MICE Show India and Travel Tech India, hosted on ITB Community in Asia (ITB Community).
      The concurrent three-day ITB India Conference featured close to 100 online sessions with over 80 industry experts. Under the heading “Connecting you to the Indian Travel Market”, the focus of this year’s show was to discuss effective strategies to lead the Indian and South Asian travel industry towards recovery and growth and share best practices that will help the industry make meetings and events more sustainable.
      Major market players and industry heavyweights such as Agoda, Airbnb, Booking.com, FCM Travel, GIATA, HRS Group, Tourism Australia, Tripadvisor, Uber, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and many more addressed key topics concerning the travel & tourism industry and provided valuable insights and perspectives for shaping corporate strategies and measures.
      Katrina Leung, Managing Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organizer of ITB India, MICE Show India and Travel Tech India said: “Our 3-in-1 business-to-business show came to a successful close today, bringing leading industry experts and the most relevant topics virtually to every corner of the world. The 2022 show was a great success virtually, and we look forward to next year’s in-person event, when ITB India 2023 will once again provide the long-awaited human connection and allow for face-to-face business meetings and networking in Mumbai”.
      MICE Show India and Travel Tech India were held in conjunction with ITB India Virtual, making them part of the Indian and South Asian travel market’s three-day B2B trade show and convention. At this year’s MICE Show India, top executives from world-renowned MICE associations and leading companies discussed topics ranging from event organisation and management to technological applications and trend forecasting to move the MICE industry forward. Gathering the latest technologies, emerging trends, leading travel brands and innovative startups in one place, Travel Tech India explored innovations, initiatives and case studies from various industry profiles, including technology companies, hotels, OTAs, transportation companies and more.ADVERTISEMENTAlongside ITB India’s conference, international exhibitors representing destinations, hotel chains and tech companies made keen use of the virtual format to present their products and services. Key exhibitors like Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Business Events Perth, German National Tourist Office, GIATA, Melia Hotels International, National Tourism Office of Spain in India, Radisson Blu Hoi An, Royal Commission for AlUla, Sarawak Tourism Board, Tourism New Zealand, Turismo de Portugal and many more presented themselves to a wide online audience.
      The on-demand sessions of ITB India, MICE Show India and Travel Tech India Virtual are available until 6 May 2022 and are opened to registered delegates only. To access the on-demand presentations, users can register online at the ITB India website here.
      ITB India 2023 to take place as a live- event
      ITB India 2023 will be held as a 100% physical event from 26 – 28 April 2023 at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, India. Exhibitors may register for super early bird rate of 15% off Listed Rate before 15 January 2023 via the registration link here.

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      Staff shortages at UK airports could prolong travel recovery

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      Manchester Airports Group has significantly increased the number of active jobs available on its career pages, with open positions increasing from 65 in December to 110 in February, according to GlobalData. However, the leading data and analytics company notes that only 36 positions were closed in this period – an ominous sign of things to come with international trips set to dramatically increase in April.
      The peak season for holidays in the UK is fast approaching. According to GlobalData, total domestic and outbound visits in August from the UK are projected to be more than double the total number of visits in April. If staff shortages are not addressed by the peak of the summer season in airports such as Manchester Airport and London Stansted Airport, the impact could be calamitous for the UK’s airport and airline sectors, and the wider tourism industry.
      Ralph Hollister, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Staff shortages could remain a problem for several months as airports scramble to match employment levels with demand. When travel came to a standstill during the pandemic, many airport employees left their positions to work in other industries. Stories of unruly passengers, often long commute times, and job uncertainty, as seen with COVID-19, could be off-putting for many currently seeking work.”
      The coming months will be challenging for UK airports and airlines. A lack of staff in key positions could create an array of knock-on impacts, including missed flights, cancelations, and negative traveler sentiment, all of which could prolong recovery.
      Hollister adds: “A lack of employees in key roles, such as those involving security, are key contributors to the long queues causing flights to be missed and passenger experiences to turn sour. It’s now up to airport companies to improve their recruitment strategies and make working in an airport an attractive proposition However, lengthy vetting procedures and training processes involved for these positions means the issue with long queues will not vanish overnight.”ADVERTISEMENT

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