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      Germany’s tourism sector could surpass pre-pandemic levels next year

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      The World Travel & Tourism Council’s latest Economic Impact (EIR) reveals the travel and tourism sector in Germany will catapult the national economic recovery and could surpass pre-pandemic levels next year, nearly 2.5% above 2019 levels.
      The forecast from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), shows the sector’s contribution to GDP could reach more than €364 billion by next year.
      Travel and tourism in Germany is set to boost the national economic recovery with an average growth rate outpacing the overall country’s economy growth for the next 10 years.
      According to the report, travel and tourism’s GDP is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 1.3% annually between 2022-2032, above the 1.1% growth rate for the country’s economy, to reach more than €394 billion (9.7% of the total economy).ADVERTISEMENTThe forecast also reveals the travel and tourism sector is expected to create almost half a million jobs in the next 10 years, averaging more than 47,000 every year.
      By the end of this year, the sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to grow 52.4% to more than €347 billion, amounting to 9.6% of the total economic GDP, while employment in the sector is set to grow by 6.9% to reach 5.5 million jobs.
      Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “COVID-19 wreaked havoc on Germany’s travel and tourism, affecting millions of livelihoods and impacting the national economy.
      “However, our data provides a positive outlook, that will be provide a massive boost to businesses across Germany as the sector finally begins to recover from the pandemic.”
      Before the pandemic, Germany’s travel and tourism sector’s contribution to GDP was 9.8% (€355.3 billion) in 2019, falling to just 6.3% (€217.2 billion) in 2020, representing a staggering 38.9% loss.
      The sector also supported nearly 5.9 million jobs, before an almost complete halt to international travel which resulted in a drop of nearly 800,000 (13.5%), to reach just over five million in 2020.
      WTTC’s latest EIR report also reveals that 2021 saw the beginning of the recovery for the country’s travel and tourism sector.
      Last year, its contribution to GDP climbed 5% year on year, to reach €228 billion.
      However, the recovery of jobs was slower with less than 15,000 Travel & Tourism jobs created, to reach nearly 5.1 million.
      The sector’s contribution to the economy could have been higher if it weren’t for the impact of the Omicron variant, which led to the recovery faltering around the world, with many countries reinstating travel restrictions.

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      Surf Air Mobility to go public through $1.42B merger with Tuscan Holdings More

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      Surf Air Mobility to go public through $1.42B merger with Tuscan Holdings

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      Sudhin Shahani, Co-founder & CEO, Surf Air Mobility
      Surf Air Mobility and Tuscan Holdings have jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement resulting, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain closing conditions, in Surf Air Mobility becoming a publicly listed company.
      The acquisition of Southern, also announced today, and the completion of the business combination with THCA (together, the “Transactions”) positions SAM to be a leader in the electrification of commercial aviation, providing it with resources necessary to bring electrified powertrain technology to market and expanding and electrifying regional consumer scheduled and charter flight services. Following completion of the Transactions, and the successful deployment of SAM’s proprietary powertrain technology, SAM plans to deploy the world’s largest fleet of hybrid electric aircraft on regional routes being serviced today and on additional routes in new markets. SAM intends for its hybrid electric propulsion to reduce operating costs and reduce emissions from regional air travel by offering original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) and third-party operators the ability to upgrade existing aircraft to hybrid electric powertrains.
      “We believe deploying hybrid electric propulsion technology on existing aircraft at scale will be the most significant step we can take toward decarbonisation of aviation in this decade,” said Sudhin Shahani, Co-founder and CEO of Surf Air Mobility. “We’re at a moment when the increasing consumer demand for faster, affordable, and cleaner regional travel will be met with SAM’s electrification ecosystem to accelerate the industry’s adoption of green flying.”
      SAM’s agreements with AeroTEC and magniX will help the Company accelerate the introduction of its proprietary electrification technology. magniX has successfully flown the world’s largest fully-electric aircraft to date, a prototype Cessna Grand Caravan 208B, which it calls the eCaravan. SAM is designing its initial hybrid electric Cessna Grand Caravans to have the same flight range capabilities as their fully combustion counterparts, which will allow the Company to utilise the hybrid electric Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft across its own existing network, connecting more airports with direct flights and building a regional mass transport platform to sustainably connect communities across the U.S. SAM also intends to make hybrid electric powertrain upgrades available to fleet owners on and off its consumer platform, as well as license its technology to OEMs for new aircraft types.
      SAM’s proprietary electrified propulsion technology, once developed, would target carbon emission reductions of up to 50% on its first-generation Cessna Grand Caravans, helping to reduce the 915 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emitted by the aviation industry globally per year. By targeting direct operating cost reductions of up to 25% on its first-generation Cessna Grand Caravans, lower cost point-to-point flight networks can connect previously economically untenable markets with non-stop and direct, regularly scheduled flights. SAM’s initial hybrid electric aircraft will not require charging stations, new takeoff and landing infrastructure, or changes to zoning, allowing the aircraft to operate anywhere in the U.S., unlocking more air travel potential for over 5,000 underserved public airports.ADVERTISEMENT“Surf Air Mobility’s practical approach to scaling the decarbonisation of aviation is built on a base of tangible revenue, industry-leading electrification technology, and significant growth prospects for the future,” stated Stephen A. Vogel, Tuscan Holdings. “Surf Air Mobility’s management team is first class, and with their leadership we have confidence this transaction will enable the Company to reach its true growth potential.”
      SAM’s planned acquisition of Southern Airways Corporation (“Southern”), subject to satisfaction or waiver of the remaining closing conditions set forth in the Southern Agreement, including the completion of all required regulatory reviews and approvals, is expected to expand the companies’ collective regional airline network to U.S. cities across the Mid-Atlantic, Gulf South, Rocky Mountains, West Coast, New England, and Hawaii, where Southern currently operates. Southern Airways Express operates the largest passenger fleet of Cessna Grand Caravans in the U.S. SAM intends to electrify Southern’s existing fleet utilising the Company’s proprietary electrified propulsion technology.
      “Surf Air Mobility is positioned to bring benefits to consumers quickly while creating opportunities for the entire aviation industry. Our hybrid electric propulsion technologies will be the building blocks upon which reduced operating cost and green aviation can be realised,” stated Surf Air Mobility’s Chairman, Carl Albert. “We’re thrilled to be merging with THCA as they share our ambition of advancing the future of flight for the good of people and the planet.”

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      John Bell honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award

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      John Bell, the first Executive Director of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), was honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS), which he was instrumental in launching.
      Taking place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida this week, the honour was bestowed upon Bell for his significant contributions to the hospitality industry. Fellow tourism legend and former CHTA CEO and Director General Alec Sanguinetti accepted the award on Bell’s behalf.
      Among his many achievements, Bell, who was the guiding force of CHTA (formerly the Caribbean Hotel Association or CHA) for 29 years, was lauded for recognizing the critical need to get investors and financial institutions engaged in the Caribbean hotel sector. He launched the first investment conference in 1997, triggering prolific growth in the region’s leading sector.
      “We thought that it would be a good idea to bring the financial community into some kind of a direct contact with the hotel industry (so) we decided the best way to do that was to partner with another company, which in that case was the Financial Times of London,” Bell said. “We got them to become involved and use their clout to bring in the different players … and it worked extremely well,” he added.
      In her tribute, current CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig noted that “it is not often that we get to honor living legends in our field,” adding that Bell’s vision and energy “framed the key role of tourism in the economies of the Caribbean.” ADVERTISEMENTFrank Comito, who served as CEO and Director General of CHTA until January 2021, described CHRIS, which Bell envisioned more than 25 years ago, as “the single most important factor which contributed to the phenomenal growth of Caribbean tourism.” 
      Comito asserted the growth and development of Caribbean tourism “stands on the broad shoulders of John Bell, whose drive, vision, and persuasive nature over three decades laid the foundation on which we continue to build today.”
      Vanessa Ledesma, CHTA’s Acting CEO and Director General who was originally hired by Bell, pointed to the catalytic role the investment summit played in the development of Caribbean economies.
      She cited The Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Jamaica as key beneficiaries as early host destinations for the investment conference in the 1990s. “These destinations and the region have much to be grateful to John for his leadership, which helped to propel tourism’s growth throughout the Caribbean,” Ledesma stated.
      Vanessa Ledesma, CHTA’s Acting CEO and Director General, former CHTA chief executive Alec Sanguinetti, and Jeff Higley, President of the BHN Group, saluted their colleague John Bell in Florida

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      David Blaine announces first-ever Las Vegas residency

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      Magician, extreme illusionist, and stunt artist, David Blaine, is taking his mind-blowing talent to Las Vegas with his first-ever residency, DAVID BLAINE LIVE, exclusively at Resorts World Theatre. Known for his awe-inspiring magic tricks and death-defying stunts, Blaine will continue to push the limits and attempt unthinkable feats in the newest theatre on the Las Vegas Strip beginning September 30, 2022.
      “The room is so intimate,” said Blaine. “Resorts World Theatre has sparked my imagination and I am so excited to create something unique in magic.”
      “Seeing the greatest magician in the world in the newest, state-of-the-art theatre in Las Vegas will be a show unlike anything this city has ever seen before,” says Bobby Reynolds, Senior Vice President of AEG Presents, Las Vegas. “Combining forces will make for a truly spectacular production, and we can’t wait for live audiences to be blown away.”
      The first six show dates going on sale to the public on Monday, May 23 at 10 a.m. PT are:
      September 30 / October 1
      October 28 / October 29
      December 16 / December 17

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      TAT strengthens presence in the Middle East

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      The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is strengthening Thailand’s presence as the preferred tourist destination among Middle East travellers to drive interest in returning to Thailand in the post COVID-19 situation. This has come about through the recent participation in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022, latest partnerships with Qatar Airways and Almosafer – one of the region’s top three largest online travel agents, and a number of marketing and promotional activities. 
      TAT led a Thai delegation that included 18 hotels, three hospitals, two travel agencies and one theme park to participate in the ATM 2022, held on 9-12 May, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Across the four-day event, the Thai delegation had on average 128 business appointments each, or over 3,000 sessions combined. This is expected to boost tourism from the Middle East market to Thailand, and generate about one billion Baht income for 2022.
      Mr. Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas, said, “The interest in returning to Thailand is on the rise, and this is certainly a sign that the market was recovering quickly after the COVID-19 situation. Thailand’s focus at the ATM 2022 was on doing business with the upper market segment, such as families, medical treatment groups, and the new sector of women travelling on their own for shopping, beauty treatments, and other such activities.”
      At the ATM 2022, TAT cooperated with Qatar Airways in launching a special sales promotion aimed at boosting travel to Thailand from mid-May to June 2022, among travellers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait. The two parties were also in talks on partnering in a global campaign to encourage travellers from Europe attending the 2022 FIFA World Cup from 21 November-18 December to visit Thailand after the competition. A memorandum of cooperation on this is expected to be signed in October.ADVERTISEMENTMeanwhile at the ATM 2022, TAT introduced a tourist promotion campaign in cooperation with the Dubai Police Privilege Card or Esaad Card, a loyalty programme for government employees under the Dubai Police. Special discounts on goods and services at over 300 locations in Thailand – predominantly hotels, hospitals, spas, department stores, and tourist attractions – will be on offer to 240,000 Esaad cardholders.
      During the last week’s mission to the Middle East, TAT also took the opportunity to enhance its presence in the Saudi Arabia market through the signing of a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) with Almosafer, the largest online travel agency (OTA) in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as well as one of the top three largest OTAs in the Middle East and Northern Africa.
      The MOC signing ceremony on 15 May between TAT’s Mr. Chattan and Almosafer’s Executive Vice President Mr. Muzammil Ahussain was witnessed by H.E. Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports.
      The agreement between TAT and Almosafer is to boost tourism between Thailand and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The main goal is to promote and develop quality tourism experiences in Thailand for visitors from the GCC with a focus on key niche markets like sports tourism, luxury tourism, and health and wellness tourism. Thailand is a popular destination among GCC travellers, particularly those from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait where it ranks in the top five and top nine international destinations, respectively. 
      The signing of the MOC between TAT and Almosafer comes after 9 March, 2022, when Saudi Arabia began to allow its nationals to once again visit Thailand. Almosafer said since then it had experienced a huge growth in interest for travel to Thailand from Saudi Arabia with searches for Thailand’s tourism information on its website up over 470% from January 2022, and up over 1,100% in the first two weeks of May when compared to the first quarter of 2022.
      Before the COVID-19 situation, more than 533,000 tourists from the Middle East visited Thailand each year, generating over 41.3 billion Baht in tourism revenue. Travellers from the Middle East are considered among the most high-spending groups with an average trip expenditure of 75,000 Baht per person. Normally travelling in a large group of family, they usually visit Thailand during July and August. From the region, the largest source markets to Thailand are the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar.
      Tourism Authority of Thailand is considered Asia’s Leading Cultural Destination 2021 by World Travel Awards.

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      UK’s tourism sector to create 700,000 jobs over next decade

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      The World Travel & Tourism Council’s latest Economic Impact Report (EIR) reveals the travel and tourism sector in the UK is expected to create nearly 700,000 new jobs over the next decade.
      The forecast from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), shows an average of 70,000 new jobs will be created every year for the next 10 years.
      According to the report, the UK’s travel and tourism’s contribution to GDP is forecasted to grow at an average rate of 3% annually between 2022-2032.
      This is nearly twice the 1.7% growth rate of the overall economy and is set to reach more than £286 billion (10.1% of the total economy).
      By the end of 2022, the sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to grow nearly two thirds (62.7%) to nearly £214 billion, amounting to 8.9% of the total economic GDP.ADVERTISEMENTHowever, over this period, employment in the sector is set to grow by only 0.5%, to reach just over four million jobs.
      Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Over the long term the future looks bright for the revival of the UK travel and tourism sector, but in the short term, international visitor spend is so low it is hampering the country’s economic recovery.
      “After two years of economic damage to the sector, the UK government continues to take this sector for granted. There has been no focus or understanding of how critical travel and tourism is to the UK economy.
      “Smart countries are investing overseas to get visitors back. Travel and tourism can contribute 10% to the economy and yet it is not even discussed at senior levels. The UK will lose out to other European destinations if this isn’t addressed urgently.”
      In 2019 when travel and tourism was at its peak, international visitor spending in the UK reached a significant £36.4 billion. However last year, as the UK continued to struggle to attract visitors to its shores, the total spend was just £3.9 billion.
      Before the pandemic, the UK travel and tourism sector’s contribution to GDP was 9.9% (£234.5 billion) in 2019, collapsing back to just 4.3% (£93.8 billion) in 2020, which represented a staggering 60% loss above the global impact of 50%.
      The latest EIR report also reveals that 2021 saw the slow beginning of the recovery for the UK’s travel and tourism sector.
      Last year, its contribution to GDP climbed 40.3% year on year, to reach more than £131 billion, still significantly below 2019 levels.
      The sector’s modest recovery was unlined by the creation of less than 16,000 new travel and tourism jobs, to reach 4.11 million, which is still some 170,000 jobs fewer than before the pandemic
      The sector’s contribution to the economy could have been higher if it weren’t for the impact of the Omicron variant, which led to the recovery faltering around the world, with many countries reinstating travel restrictions.

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      TAT and Thai AirAsia target Singaporean travellers

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      The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is cooperating with Thai AirAsia in launching the “Amazing New Chapter: Rediscover Thailand Get ready to go to Thailand” campaign, which is aimed at millennials and young couples from Singapore.
      The campaign was official announced in Singapore today (11 May) by Mr. Tanes Petsuwan, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Asia and South Pacific, and Mr. Santisuk Klongchaiya, Thai AirAsia Chief Executive Officer, as well as TAT officials and Thai AirAsia executives. The event was presided over by H.E. Mr. Chutintorn Gongsakdi, Ambassador of Thailand to Singapore.
      Tanes Petsuwan, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Asia and South Pacific, said “With various factors supporting the return of tourism to Thailand, among them the relaxing of entry requirements to the kingdom, easing of travel restrictions in source markets worldwide and resumption of commercial flights, this is a great opportunity to stimulate travellers’ decision-making. This latest marketing campaign is expected to have a positive effect on the Thai tourism industry in the second half of this year.”
      Singapore is a key visitor source market for Thailand, and the “Amazing New Chapter: Rediscover Thailand Get ready to go to Thailand” campaign is among the various joint promotion marketing activities the TAT Singapore Office is working on. The campaign utilises Thai AirAsia’s Singapore-Don Mueang and Singapore-Phuket routes, and is for travel in May to July 2022. It is expected to see millennials and young couples taking up over 3,000 seats to Thailand.ADVERTISEMENTTAT Singapore Office is also organising a media fam trip to Thailand from 12-15 May, 2022, to promote the Singapore-Don Mueang route, new tourist attractions and activities, as well as tourism-related facilities and offers.
      Santisuk Klongchaiya, Thai AirAsia Chief Executive Officer, said, “Thai AirAsia has always received great support from the TAT, and we thank them very much for their cooperation. Thai AirAsia is ready to help stimulate tourism and travel to Thailand, and in addition to the existing Don Mueang and Phuket routes, we are considering adding a Singapore-Chiang Mai route.”
      Thai AirAsia currently operates a daily flight on the Singapore-Don Mueang route, and two weekly flights on the Singapore-Phuket route (on Tuesday and Saturday).
      For 2022, TAT expects Thailand to welcome 10 million foreign tourist arrivals, generating 625.8 billion Baht in tourism revenue. Of these, the number of arrivals from short-haul markets are expected to include 1.1 million arrivals from ASEAN, 200,000 arrivals from Australia and 450,000 arrivals from South Asia (India), with travels starting from April 2022 onwards.
      From 1-6 May, 2022, Thailand has recorded more than 85,000 foreign tourists – or about 15,000 travellers per day. Among these, Singapore was the third top market – after India and Malaysia and ahead of the United Kingdom and United States.

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      A global show with many micro-moments: IMEX in Frankfurt returns 31 May – 2 June

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      A global show with many micro-moments: IMEX in Frankfurt returns 31 May – 2 June

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      With just two weeks until IMEX in Frankfurt, over 2,800 buyers from across the world – spanning agencies, corporates, independents and associations – are busy building their show schedules and making appointments to meet and do business with an international roster of suppliers for the first time in three years.
      Exhibitors from 90+ countries will be represented at the show, taking place 31 May – 2 June. This includes a large number of Asian destinations – Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong among others – as well as all the key European countries plus a strong presence from North & South America, including Canada, Brazil and Costa Rica.
      This year’s edition sees the largest ever African representation, including Rwanda, Tunisia, Uganda and South Africa, with Ethiopia using IMEX to launch its new convention bureau. Middle Eastern destinations also make a strong showing and include Dubai, Israel, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
      Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, explains: “The scale of this year’s show reflects how the events sector is truly back in business and starting to thrive again. Demand for face to face events has bounced back in a big way – there are three major tradeshows taking place concurrently at Messe Frankfurt alongside ours and this is the first time that’s happened in our 20 year history.
      “So much has changed over the past three years – for the world and for our industry,” continues Carina. “Our sector hasn’t stood still though, with continued investment in infrastructure, new products, business models and services. I therefore encourage all buyers to catch up through both 1-2-1 appointments and stand presentations with the global range of exhibitors to discover how destinations, venues and more have evolved. It’s important to make no assumptions right now. Everything has changed and therein lies the value of this year’s IMEX. It’s the ultimate living representation of our global market – an important snapshot in time.”ADVERTISEMENTIMEX in Frankfurt, at its core a global marketplace, has also evolved to reflect the current climate for planners. With many event professionals now facing challenges around budgets, resources, supply chains and recruitment, the show has been designed to include many micro-moments specifically tailored to support the individual as well as education and discussion designed for particular roles and responsibilities.
      IMEX is supporting specialists with dedicated learning for association, agency and corporate executives taking place the day before the show, on Monday 30 May. Exclusively Corporate is set to welcome experts from SAP, Bolt Financial and Siemens Healthineers (as well as a former Premier League Footballer and high performance coach) for case study-led education and peer-to-peer discussions.
      Agency planners can shape the focus of IMEX’s co-created Agency Directors Forum, choosing what best fits their needs from subjects including: growth opportunities; adapting to a changed event landscape; trends and technology impacting business strategy, and expectations of clients and employees around DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion).
      Separately, Association Focus will deliver learning and networking exclusively for association professionals of all levels. The collaborative programme offers insight, inspiration and real-world recommendations and resolutions to the challenges facing associations across the world today.
      Underpinning this series of tailored events is the show’s wider programme of free learning where all attendees can choose from 150+ educational events to create an individual programme of forward-thinking professional and personal development to suit their own needs. Tracks include: Trends & Future foresight; Professional Development and Upskilling; Creativity in Communication; Diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility; Innovation and Tech; and Purposeful Recovery.
      “We’re set to give the global business events community the value, connections and support that it needs right now. IMEX in Frankfurt is a show that’s international in scope, but with many smaller value-intensive moments blended in – from face to face business meetings, coffee catch ups, dedicated learning and discussions designed for different sectors of the industry. We’re really excited to see how the industry is building forwards again and look forward to welcoming our community back to IMEX in Frankfurt later this month,” concludes Carina.
      IMEX in Frankfurt takes place 31 May – 2 June 2022 – the business events community can register here. Registration is free. Carina and the team share more information about what to expect at the show here.
      www.imex-frankfurt.com

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