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      Viking completes 25 years of exploration

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      Viking® is celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary and its leadership in travel. To commemorate the anniversary, Viking has released a new video message from Chairman Torstein Hagen as he reflects on the company’s key milestones since its founding on August 5, 1997. The new video can be viewed here on Viking’s website, as well as here on Viking’s award-winning enrichment channel, Viking.TV. All this week, Viking.TV daily programming has centered on Norwegian culture and history as a tribute to the Hagen family’s Norwegian heritage.
      “I am proud of all that we have accomplished in these 25 years. First, we invented modern river voyages; then, we reinvented ocean voyages with our destination-focused approach; now, we are perfecting expedition voyages and exploring all seven continents—in comfort,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “To every member of our extended Viking family of guests and employees: happy anniversary and thank you. These first 25 years have been very good, but we are just getting started.”
      This milestone year has also been one of significant launches for the company. In January, the company debuted Viking Expeditions and the first of two purpose-built expedition vessels, the Viking Octantis®, which is currently sailing its inaugural season in the Great Lakes. In the spring, the company welcomed eight new Viking Longships® and its newest identical ocean ship, the Viking Mars®.  This month, Viking is launching three purpose-built vessels for the Mekong, Nile and Mississippi Rivers, and by the end of the year, will have also welcomed a second identical expedition ship, the Viking Polaris®, and another identical ocean ship, the Viking Neptune®.

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      Strong passenger demand continues in June

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      The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced passenger data for June 2022 showing that the recovery in air travel remains strong.
      Note: IATA have returned 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 June 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was up 76.2% compared to June 2021, primarily propelled by the ongoing strong recovery in international traffic. Globally, traffic is now at 70.8% of pre-crisis levels.
      Domestic traffic for June 2022 was up 5.2% compared to the year-ago period. Strong improvements in most markets, combined with the easing of some Omicron-related lockdown restrictions in the Chinese domestic market, contributed to the result. Total June 2022 domestic traffic was at 81.4% of the June 2019 level.
      International traffic rose 229.5% versus June 2021. The lifting of travel restrictions in most parts of Asia-Pacific is contributing to the recovery. June 2022 international RPKs reached 65.0% of June 2019 levels.
      “Demand for air travel remains strong. After two years of lockdowns and border restrictions people are taking advantage of the freedom to travel wherever they can,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
      Air Passenger Market in Detail – June 20221) % of industry RPKs in 2021   2) Year-on-year change in load factor   3) Load Factor Level
      International Passenger MarketsAsia-Pacific airlines had a 492.0% rise in June traffic compared to June 2021. Capacity rose 138.9% and the load factor was up 45.8 percentage points to 76.7%. The region is now relatively open to foreign visitors and tourism which is helping foster the recovery.ADVERTISEMENTEuropean carriers’ June traffic rose 234.4% versus June 2021. Capacity rose 134.5%, and load factor climbed 25.8 percentage points to 86.3%. International traffic within Europe is above pre-pandemic levels in seasonally adjusted terms.
      Middle Eastern airlines’ traffic rose 246.5% in June compared to June 2021. June capacity rose 102.4% versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 32.4 percentage points to 78.0%.
      North American carriers experienced a 168.9% traffic rise in June versus the 2021 period. Capacity rose 95.0%, and load factor climbed 24.1 percentage points to 87.7%, which was the highest among the regions.
      Latin American airlines’ June traffic rose 136.6% compared to the same month in 2021. June capacity rose 107.4% and load factor increased 10.3 percentage points to 83.3%. After leading the regions in load factor for 20 consecutive months, Latin America slipped back to third place in June.
      African airlines had a 103.6% rise in June RPKs versus a year ago. June 2022 capacity was up 61.9% and load factor climbed 15.2 percentage points to 74.2%, the lowest among regions. International traffic between Africa and neighboring regions is close to pre-pandemic levels.
      Domestic Passenger Markets1) % of industry RPKs in 2021   2) Year-on-year change in load factor   3) Load Factor Level
      China’s domestic RPKs fell 45.0% year-on-year in June but this was a substantial improvement compared to May’s year-over-year performance as lockdown measures were eased.
      Japan’s domestic traffic was up 146.4% in June, compared to June 2021.
      Air Passenger Market overview – June 2022
      The Bottom Line“With the Northern Hemisphere summer travel season now fully underway, predictions that the lifting of travel restrictions would unleash a torrent of pent-up travel demand are being borne out. At the same time, meeting that demand has proved challenging and likely will continue to be so. All the more reason to continue to show flexibility to the slot use rules. The European Commission’s intent to return to the longstanding 80-20 requirement is premature.
      “Just look at the issues that airlines and their passengers at some hub airports are being confronted with. These airports are unable to support their declared capacity even with the current 64% slot threshold and have extended recent passenger caps until the end of October. Flexibility is still essential in support of a successful recovery.
      “By capping passenger numbers, airports are preventing airlines from benefitting from the strong demand. Heathrow Airport has tried to blame airlines for the disruption. However, Service Level Performance data for the first six months of this year show that they have failed miserably to provide basic services and missed their Passenger Security service target by a massive 14.3 points. Data for June has not yet been published but is expected to show the lowest level of service by the airport since records began,” said Walsh.

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      Travel app downloads in US increase by 18% YoY

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      Now that the world is open following the pandemic, the world is making up for the lost time. The travel industry, in particular, has been reaping the benefits of the post-pandemic. According to the numbers presented by AugustaFreePress.com, downloads of travel/navigation apps increased by an impressive 18% y-o-y growth during the second quarter of 2022. Overall, the downloads of top travel/navigation apps reached 137 million during this period.
      137 million downloads on both app stores in Q2According to numbers provided by SensorTower, a total of 137 million downloads of top travel apps on the App Store and Play Store combined took place in the last quarter. This was the third consecutive quarter to see improvement in number of downloads.
      The graph shows that downloads hit an all-time low during 2020 as COVID-19 rampaged the world. However, the US travel industry started to recover in 2021. The total number of app downloads progressively increased during the year’s first three quarters. From Q4 2020 to Q3 2021, the number of downloads consistently grew from 70 million to 123 million – a growth of 76%. However, the escalating curve changed its direction in Q4 as downloads dropped to 106m. This drop was not surprising as numbers in Q4 generally drop.
      The downloads picked up during the first quarter of 2022 and reached 115 million. Year-on-year, this figure represents a 33.7% growth from 2021. Around the same time, the Omicron variant became a cause for concern, but it appears that it didn’t have much impact on numbers.
      The growth in downloads has continued into the second quarter of 2022. The number of downloads increased to 137 million in Q2. Historically, this was the best quarter for travel/navigation apps as the number even eclipsed Pre-covid downloads. As compared to Q1, downloads increased by 19%. In terms of Y-O-Y growth, the rate dropped from 33.7% in Q1 to 18% in Q2.ADVERTISEMENTThe US tourism industry is at its peak during Q3, which is also reflected in travel app downloads. Historically, travel app downloads hit their peak during the third quarter of a year. Hence, one can expect the upward trend in download numbers to continue in the third quarter.

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      June Air Cargo: Stable and Resilient says IATA

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      The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air cargo markets showing healthy and stable performance.
      Note: IATA returned to year-on-year traffic comparisons, instead of comparisons with the 2019 period, unless otherwise noted.
      Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), was 6.4% below June 2021 levels (-6.6% for international operations). This was an improvement on the year-on-year decline of 8.3% seen in May. Global demand for the first half-year was 4.3% below 2021 levels (-4.2% for international operations). Compared to pre-COVID levels (2019) half-year demand was up 2.2%.
      Capacity was 6.7% above June 2021 (+9.4% for international operations). This was an increase on the 2.7% year-on-year growth recorded in May. Capacity for the first half-year was up 4.5% (+5.7% for international operations) compared to first half-year of 2021. Compared to pre-COVID levels demand was up 2.5%.
      Air cargo performance is being impacted by several factorsADVERTISEMENT >Trade activity ramped-up slightly in June as lockdowns in China due to Omicron were eased. Emerging regions (Latin America and Africa) also contributed to growth with stronger volumes.
      New export orders, a leading indicator of cargo demand and world trade, decreased in all markets, except China.
      The war in Ukraine continues to impair cargo capacity used to serve Europe as several airlines based in Russia and Ukraine were key cargo players.
      “Air cargo demand over the first half of 2022 was 2.2% above pre-COVID levels (first half 2019). That’s a strong performance, particularly considering continuing supply chain constraints and the loss of capacity due to the war in Ukraine. Current economic uncertainties have had little impact on demand for air cargo, but developments will need to be closely monitored in the second half,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
      Asia-Pacific airlines saw their air cargo volumes decrease by 2.1% in June 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. This was a significant improvement over the 6.6% decline in May. Demand for the first half-year was 2.7% below 2021 levels. Airlines in the region have been heavily impacted by lower trade and manufacturing activity due to Omicron-related lockdowns in China, however this continued to ease in June as restrictions were lifted. Available capacity in the region fell 6.2% compared to June 2021. This contributed to capacity being 0.2% below 2021 levels for the first half of 2022.
      North American carriers posted a 6.3% decrease in cargo volumes in June 2022 compared to June 2021. Demand for the first half-year was 3.3% below 2021 levels. High inflation is affecting the region. Demand in the Asia-North America market is falling and the Europe – North America market has started to decline. Capacity was up 5.6% in June 2022 compared to June 2021 and up 6.1% for the first half-year of 2022.
      European carriers saw a 13.5% decrease in cargo volumes in June 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. This was the weakest performance of all regions. It was, however, a slight improvement over the previous month’s performance, which saw the sharpest fall in demand since early 2022. This is attributable to the war in Ukraine. Labor shortages and lower manufacturing activity in Asia due to Omicron also affected volumes. Capacity increased 5.6% in June 2022 compared to June 2021.  Demand for the first half-year was 7.8% below 2021 levels while capacity was 3.7% above.
      Middle Eastern carriers experienced a 10.8% year-on-year decrease in cargo volumes in June. Significant benefits from traffic being redirected to avoid flying over Russia failed to materialise. Capacity was up 6.7% compared to June 2021. Demand for the first half-year was 9.3% below 2021 levels, the weakest first half performance of all regions. First half-year capacity was 6.3% above 2021 levels.
      Latin American carriers reported an increase of 19.6% in cargo volumes in June 2022 compared to June 2021. This was the strongest performance of all regions. Airlines in this region have shown optimism by introducing new services and capacity, and in some cases investing in additional aircraft for air cargo in the coming months. Capacity in June was up 29.5% compared to the same month in 2021. Demand for the first half-year was 21.8% above 2021 levels and half-year capacity was 32.6% above 2021 levels. This was the strongest first half performance of all regions.
      African airlines saw cargo volumes increase by 5.7% in June 2022 compared to June 2021. As with carriers in Latin America, airlines in this region have shown optimism by introducing additional capacity. Capacity was 10.3% above June 2021 levels. Demand for the first half-year was 2.9% above 2021 levels and half-year capacity was 6.9% above 2021 levels.

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      Jamaica’s Tourism Minister calls for Commonwealth tourism convergence

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      In a meeting with senior directors and advisors of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, Hon Edmund Bartlett called for the use of tourism convergence to reposition the Commonwealth. The Minister’s call comes as destinations globally continue their recovery efforts from the fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
      “Tourism is a confluence of many economic activities and social engagements and is driven by consumption. Tourism also has the fastest convertibility rate of all industries, so it is the fastest way to generate foreign exchange outside of grants.
      So, I think that the Commonwealth, which has 56 countries, 2.5 billion people and large group of highly tourism dependent countries plus large countries, is an enormous opportunity for tourism convergence as an instrument of recovery,” said Minster of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett.
      The Commonwealth is an association of 56 countries working towards shared goals of prosperity, democracy and peace. The Commonwealth Secretariat is the intergovernmental organisation which co-ordinates and carries out much of the Commonwealth’s work, supported by a network of more than 80 organisations.
      “Now is the time for us work together within the Commonwealth to help the recovery of tourism through strategic approaches like harmonizing visa protocol, increasing air connectivity; development of multi destination experiences and human capital development to build capacity.ADVERTISEMENTWe have enough people and ideas within the Commonwealth to strengthen our tourism activities in these countries,” added Minister Bartlett.
      Minister Bartlett also suggested that there be a meeting of Ministers of Tourism within the Commonwealth to discuss these strategies as part of the recovery efforts.
      Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica will host World Travel Awards Caribbean & The Americas Gala Ceremony 2022 on 31 August.

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      TUI Care Foundation and Green Phenix launch Curacao waste upcycling programme

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      Plastic waste and pollution is a challenging issue on Curacao. The island has more plastic waste than can currently be managed and an overburdened landfill site is expected to reach capacity by 2025. So the TUI Care Foundation, l social enterprise Green Phenix and Mambo Beach have joined forces in a new initiative to create a cleaner Curacao. By installing recycling stations along Mambo Boulevard, waste is collected and brought to a recycling facility where the plastic waste is turned to attractive new products. The facility employs people from vulnerable communities who guide tourists and create awareness of the global challenge of plastic pollution.
      High volumes of waste are created every day at the popular tourist hotspot of Mambo Beach on Curacao. Previously, waste was unsorted and all ended up at the island’s landfill. Now, thanks to the new initiative, plastic bottles and aluminum cans are collected separately at six recycling stations placed along Mambo Boulevard. The waste is then recycled and upcycled to new products in a local facility by Green Phenix. The social enterprise not only collects waste from the Mambo Boulevard recycling stations, but it also sorts through the general waste bins to separate out items which can be recycled, especially after beach parties. This highlights the ongoing need to continue raising awareness about waste separation.
      Visitors looking for a unique, sustainable experience can visit the facility and take an educational tour through the colourful journey of the plastic recycling process. A tour guide walks them through the process of sorting plastic by type and colour, shredding it into flakes and finally creating new, well-designed products that also make great holiday souvenirs. The educational tour also raises awareness of waste reduction and provides information and practical tips on how to create a more sustainable island.
      Alexander Panczuk, Executive Director of the TUI Care Foundation: “Raising awareness of sustainable tourism to help local communities thrive is as the core of the ITUI Care Foundation’s work.. This initiative aims to tackle the challenge of plastic pollution on Curacao and raises awareness among visitors and locals of how they can help to keep the island and its beaches clean. It also creates new employment opportunities for people from vulnerable communities which makes it a good example of how tourism can bring positive change to a holiday destination.”
      The project is part of TUI Care Foundation’s new Destination Zero Plastic programme, which aims to tackle the global plastic crisis by inspiring local communities and tourists to take action against plastic pollution, particularly in island destinations. It also cultivates the mindset that plastic can be re-used as a resource and supports innovative and community-driven solutions to collect, process and upcycle plastic into saleable products. The programme aims to create green jobs and accessible income opportunities for local people and to create eco-tourism experiences, including tours, to upcycling workspaces.ADVERTISEMENT

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      ASTA congratulates re-elected members of board of directors

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      The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is pleased to announce its Board of Directors’ newly re-elected Directors-at-large, who will officially begin their second two-year term at the close of ASTA’s Global Convention in San Francisco in August 2022. There were three open Director-at-large seats this year.
      The following are the newly re-elected national Directors-at-large:
      Marc Casto, President Leisure Americas, Flight Centre Travel Group
      Jackie Friedman, President, Nexion Travel Group
      Tiffany Hines, President & CEO, Global Escapes, Inc.
      The other at-Large Directors returning to the board for 2022-2023 term are as follows: 
      Kelly Bergin, President, Duglin Travel Group
      Roger Block, President, Travel Leaders Network
      Kareem George, President, Culture Traveler, LLC
      Vanessa McGovern, Co-Founder & Chief Sales Officer, Gifted Travel Network
      Patricia Thorington, Manager, Plaza Travel
      Appointed or Elected by Committee
      The following Board seats are either appointed or voted on by a subset of ASTA membership:  ADVERTISEMENT >CAC Chair – Michael Dixon – returning to the Board as the CAC Chair and will sit on the Executive Committee for one more year.
      CAC Vice Chair – Kathy Bedell – returning to the Board as the CAC Vice Chair for one more year.
      Small Business Network Director – Rhonda Shumway – serving the second year of her first term.
      Consortium Director – John Werner, MAST Travel Network, will take the place of Helen Enriquez, representing Ensemble, on the ASTA Board of Directors.
      Elected Regional Director – Southeast – Eddie Woodham – elected to a second term.
      Returning Regional Director – North Central – Deb Belchak – serving the second year of her first term.
      Returning Regional Director – Northwest – Lynda Phillippi – serving the second year of her first term.
      Looking ahead, in 2023, five At-Large seats, one Small Business Director seat and two Regional Director seats on the Board of Directors will be open. 

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