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    ATM 2022: Germany targets GCC visitors

    The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) is providing inspiration for GCC tourists to visit Germany this year, by relaunching its German.Local.Culture. campaign, as well as launching its ‘Embrace German Nature’ campaign in the GCC, at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022.
    The campaigns form a compelling tourism proposition that appeal to GCC travellers, with harmony between generations, traditions and different cultural influences. It reflects authentic, local experiences in urban destinations while shining a light on rural areas and their sustainable tourism.
    “We want to inspire GCC travellers. Germany is a diverse destination and ideal for longer holidays for the culturally minded, for families and for those who enjoy outdoor pursuits and natural beauty,” said Yamina Sofo, Director of Sales & Marketing for the GCC, at the German National Tourist Office (GNTO), an affiliate of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB).
    Germany is once again becoming an extremely popular destination for GCC Nationals. Pent up demand from GCC Nationals, resulted in 518,516 overnight stays in Germany during 2021, an 82.3% increase over 2020.
    In December 2021 alone, despite the outbreak of the Omicron variant, Germany recorded over 54,493 overnight stays from GCC Nationals, an increase of 335%, compared with the same period in 2020,ADVERTISEMENT“These figures show that Germany is a preferred destination for GCC Nationals. Visitor numbers in 2021 rebounded significantly, which is even more impressive given COVID travel restrictions in Germany only eased end of June 2021. The GCC is now the highest inbound performing region within Asia, Australasia and South Africa,” added Sofo.
    This has clearly been supported by the way in which the GCC countries have responded to the pandemic, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which are currently ranked second and sixth respectively in the world, according to Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking on 31 st March 2022, with a combined 846 vaccinated travel routes.
    ‘Cities & culture’ and ‘nature & outdoor activities – highlighting sustainability and accessibility form the bedrock of Germany’s tourism offering. According to research conducted by IPK International on behalf of the GNTB, city breaks (59 per cent), multi-destination tours (34 per cent) and holidays in nature (30 per cent) are the most popular types of holidays with travellers from around the world.
    In addition, using four themed clusters – ‘Flair.’, ‘Craft.’, ‘Taste.’ and ‘Green.’, brings Germany’s amazing architecture and authentic ambience, its heritage of artisan manufacturers and local crafts, its traditional regional cuisine and its natural beauty, into focus.
    Participants on the Germany stand this year include Baden-Baden Tourism Board, Breuninger, Düsseldorf Tourism Board, Frankfurt Tourism Board, Hotel Palace Berlin and visitBerlin. Each region has its own unique attractions, whether spring, summer, autumn, or winter, emphasising that Germany is a unique all year-round travel destination.
    Arabian Travel Market 2022, takes place from 9-12 May and the Germany stand is located in the Europe Hall EU1235

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    dmg events CEO elected president of global industry association

    In a first for Dubai and the UAE – UFI the Global Events Industry Association has elected Geoff Dickinson, CEO of dmg events, as their president for 2024, recognising Dubai and Abu Dhabi as world leading event destinations.
    Under the leadership of Dickinson since 2010, Dubai-headquartered dmg events is one of the top twenty, international exhibition and conference organisers, with ten offices around the world and organises nearly 100 events annually.
    Commenting on his appointment, Dickinson said: “I am truly honoured to serve an industry that I am so passionate about. This is the first time any event professional from the UAE has been appointed to this prestigious role and I am sure that the UAE’s status as a leading international events hub, especially having hosted the ‘world’s greatest show’ Expo 2020, was at the very least, a contributing factor.”
    UFI is the global association of the world’s leading tradeshow organisers and its main goal is to represent, promote and support the business interests of its members and the exhibition industry in general.
    The UFI president is elected by the UFI’s board of directors for a one-year mandate, becoming its legal and official representative, chairing the executive committee, the board of directors and the general assemblies.ADVERTISEMENTUFI directly represents around 50,000 exhibition industry professionals globally, and also works closely with its 63 national and regional association members and includes 795 member organisations in 83 countries and regions around the world. “I will always champion the events industry, focusing on diversity, innovation, technology and sustainability,” added Dickinson.
    The events industry is vital to the UAE economy. According to an impact report released by the Dubai World Trade Centre, business tourism generated $3.5 billion in 2018, the equivalent of 3.3% of Dubai’s gross domestic product (GDP), and in 2019, over 50% of the 16.7 million international overnight visitors who stayed in Dubai, were business travellers attending events. Taking a global perspective, in 2019 the event industry contributed almost $ 200 billion to the global economy, supporting 1.3 million jobs. Being an in-person business, the industry has benefited from the swift and decisive action taken by the UAE government to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. Indeed, the UAE was praised internationally for the way in which it reacted, implementing one of the most effective responses globally, which was evident with one of the lowest mortality and infection rates globally.
    The teams at DWTC and ADNEC worked tirelessly to ensure that all events ran safely and implemented a range of measures including enhanced cleaning regimes, improved air circulation, multiple hand sanitiser stations, as well as temperature checks, paving the way for international events to return to the UAE once again.
    “This approach laid the foundations for the UAE economy to rebound safely and quickly. Large-scale events were up and running again at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), before the end of 2020,” said Dickinson.
    “Trade events are by far the most powerful sales and marketing tools for businesses to connect with existing and potential customers. In numerous surveys, 85% of the businesspeople that responded, showed an overwhelming preference for live face-to-face events compared with virtual events.
    In 2021, Dickinson was appointed to the Advisory Board of Dubai International Chamber, by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
    A Dubai resident for nearly 30 years, Dickinson was handed a Golden Visa in 2021.

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    Memberful announces keynote participation at TravelCon 2022

    Memberful, a membership software that helps creators, entrepreneurs, podcasters, and educators create sustainable businesses, announces its keynote participation in this year’s TravelCon being held in Memphis, Tennessee.
    emberfulM has selected current customer and CEO of El Camino Travel, Katalina Mayorga, and Jen Matichuk, Strategic Partners Lead at Memberful to deliver Memberful’s keynote address. Together, Katalina Mayorga and Jen Matichuk will deliver first-hand insight into the power of membership.
    The keynote will delve into the ways membership can help creators establish a genuine connection with their audience while monetising their passion. Matichuk, who has been helping entrepreneurs launch membership programs for over two years, will show travel content creators how to improve their quality of life by implementing membership as a revenue stream. The audience will learn of the symbiotic relationship between Memberful and the travel industry and how the software enables creators to form authentic relationships while sustaining their passion for travel.
    “So many travel creators exchange their time for money, unaware of the resource that membership can be in their lifestyle. I’m eager to show them how to utilise Memberful to take control and ownership of their content,” said Jen Matichuk, Strategic Partnerships Lead at Memberful.
    Memberful is excited to offer globetrotting professionals the opportunity to acclimate to the current state of the travel media landscape with its best-in-class software. As TravelCon is the conference to improve one’s craft while learning about the latest advances in travel media, Katalina Mayorga and Jen Matichuk are enthusiastic about providing travel creators with a resource they will be pleased to embrace.ADVERTISEMENT

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    Thailand strongly represented at WTTC Global Summit 2022

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) sent a high-ranking Thai tourism delegation led by H.E. Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, too meet with other world tourism leaders at the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit 2022, which took place in Manila, Philippines from 20-22 April, 2022.
    Making up the delegation alongside the Minister of Tourism and Sports was Mr. Tanes Petsuwan, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Asia and South Pacific, and Mr. Thawat Sumitmoh, Charge d’affaires of the Royal Thai Embassy in Manila.
    Participating in the Global Leaders Dialogue during the 2022 WTTC Global Summit, Mr. Tanes joined the discussion on ‘Rediscovering Travel’ together with leaders of tourism agencies from 11 other countries that included the USA, Saudi Arabia, Spain, South Africa, India, the Maldives, Japan, and the European Parliament. He also attended the dinner reception for WTTC members and VIPs.
    Mr. Phiphat meanwhile met with H.E. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Tourism, to discuss bilateral tourism cooperation and the promotion of travel links between Thailand and the Philippines.
    The Thai delegation also met with Ms. Julia Simpson, WTTC President and CEO, to thank the organisation for certifying the Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA) certification programme to be on par with the WTTC SafeTravels global health and hygiene standardised protocols. They also met with Mr. Craig S. Smith, Marriott International Group President, International, to discuss possibilities to promote tourism together.ADVERTISEMENTThe TAT delegation also took the opportunity presented by the 21st World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit to meet and discuss Thai tourism promotions with travel companies and local media in the Philippines, including the Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin, BusinessMirror, ANC, and CNN Philippines, as well as updating the market on the current tourism situation and relaxed entry requirements to Thailand.

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    LATA to feature its first travel agency programme at LATA Expo 2022

    The Latin American Travel Association (LATA) will feature its first travel agent programme at LATA Expo 2022 with a dedicated programme of agent events on Tuesday 14 June.
    For the first time, LATA Expo; Europe’s largest B2B travel trade event dedicated to Latin America, will welcome travel agents interested in selling Latin America for a special programme which aims to showcase the region and provide agents with key contacts, information and the tools needed to confidently sell the region.
    The dedicated agent event will start at 3pm on Tuesday 14 June, at LATA Expo, taking place at Evolution London in Battersea Park. The programme aims to offer an interactive journey around Latin America with key tourism board partners and leading tour operator BDMs.
    Travel agents will be invited to take part in a tailored agent session followed by an evening networking event, which will bring a flavour of Latin American to London, with themed food and drink.
    Colin Stewart, chairman of LATA, says:“We are delighted to be welcoming back the Latin American travel community in June 2022 in our first face-to-face LATA Expo in over two years. This year, we’re especially pleased to be welcoming travel agents to participate in a dedicated programme on the Tuesday afternoon. We know agents are an absolutely integral part of the tourism recovery to Latin America and our aim at LATA is to help provide the contacts, information and tools required to build confidence in the region and ultimately drive positive tourism growth.”
    LATA Expo takes place between 13 and 15 June featuring the main tourism players in Latin America. The event is open to tour operators, media and agents.

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    New York to host SITEGlobal Conference 2023

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    New York to host SITEGlobal Conference 2023

    NYC & Company, President & CEO, Fred Dixon has announced that New York City will host the 50th anniversary SITEGlobal Conference from 17-20 February 2023.
    The announcement was made at this week’s Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITEGC) 2022, which took place in Dublin this week. It also reflects the wave of optimism within the incentive travel industry as Covid restrictions are lifted.
    NYC & Company is the destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for NYC’s five boroughs.
    Fred Dixon, NYC & Company, President & CEO, Fred Dixon, said: “We greatly look forward to welcoming SITE attendees back to the five boroughs next year.”

    (Above: Fred Dixon, President & CEO, NYC & Company)
    While in Dublin, @nycgo has also conducted travel trade media interviews and held a special reception for members of the Irish press, trade, airline partners and meeting planners.
    SITE began in 1991, bringing 460 incentive travel professionals from 37 different countries to Dublin. That consolidated a relationship between SITE and Ireland that started way back in 1974 when Anne Wold-Graham, then an employee of the Irish Tourist Board in New York, became SITE’s first President.
    If Ireland is a leading destination for incentive travel experiences, then this is due to its relationship with SITE, to the connections that were built and the lessons learned.
    Woodlawn Bronx (photo: Brittany Petronella)
    Founded in 1973, SITE is a professional association of 2,500 members located in 90 countries, working in corporations, agencies, airlines, cruise companies, and across the entire destination supply chain.
    It brings value to its members at both global and local chapter level by networking, online resources, education, certification, and advocacy. SITE is committed to the new generation and operates a best-in-class Young Leaders program and dedicated annual conference.
    New York has a numbered of hotels and resorts nominated in this year’s World Travel Awards.

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    Saudi Arabia to host WTTC Global Summit in November 2022

    At the closing session of its Global Summit in Manila, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announced that its 22nd event will take place in Riyadh, capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 29 November to 2 December this year.
    In Manila, more than a thousand delegates, including the world’s foremost business leaders, government ministers and key decision-makers from across the global Travel & Tourism sector gathered together, to discuss how to build upon the continuing recovery.
    In her farewell address Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “It has been a privilege to bring together so many leaders from across the global Travel & Tourism sector to the beautiful city of Manila.
    “This Summit is living proof that nothing beats getting together, sharing ideas, debating the challenges, and finding consensus.
    “We still have a lot of work to do to bring down post-pandemic barriers, open economies and harmonise health data for seamless travel. But the future looks bright, and the next decade is there for the taking.ADVERTISEMENT“We look forward to our 22nd Global Summit later this year in Riyadh, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to mark the next chapter in the sector’s ongoing recovery.”
    Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Board Member of the Saudi Tourism Authority, said “We are excited to welcome the world to experience the excitement and the energy of Saudi. We promise you that the next summit will be fresh, inspiring, and rewarding.”
    Under the theme of ‘Rediscovering Travel’, tourism ministers and Travel & Tourism leaders from around the world reinforced their determination towards greater cooperation and alignment between the public and private sectors.
    At WTTC’s Global Leaders Dialogue session they explored how the sector will continue to adapt to COVID-19 and emerge resiliently from the pandemic.
    WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Report also revealed the Travel & Tourism sector was expected to create nearly 126 million new jobs within the next decade and Travel & Tourism’s contribution to GDP could reach pre-pandemic levels by 2023.
    WTTC’s major ‘Hotel Sustainability Basics’ sustainability initiative was launched at its Global Summit, providing a starting point to drive sustainability throughout the hospitality sector to power the momentum toward responsible Travel & Tourism.
    The global body also launched its new cyber resilience report, ‘Codes to resilience’, with Microsoft, for the global Travel & Tourism sector, which outlined pillars to strengthen cyber security for businesses around the world.
    British adventurer Bear Grylls was the conference keynote, alongside other major speakers, including American film producer Lawrence Bender, Singapore-born American novelist and writer of satirical novels Kevin Kwan and Indonesian/Dutch environmental activist Melati Wijsen.

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    Travel industry celebrates Earth Day

    In celebration of Earth Day, Travelport has released the below trend report about the state of sustainability in the travel industry. Together with two of its partners, Virgin Atlantic and Trainline, Travelport shines a light on the sector’s current initiatives with a focus on creating a greener industry for tomorrow.
    “Being an environmentalist should not be a competitive advantage, but rather something that the entire travel industry embraces and believes in,” said Jason Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer – Travel Partners at Travelport. “In order for the sector to become truly sustainable, we must first inform customers about the sustainable choices that they have and make those easy to understand. Next, end-to-end green options must be integrated together in a seamless manner. Finally, we must provide the consumer with the ability to offset every mile they travel. It is crucial that the industry works together in order to ensure a greener path forward in the future.”
    Eco-Friendly Destinations
    While the travel industry and the world at large continues to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, destinations that are viewed as environmentally friendly are gaining popularity with tourists. According to a report by ESOMAR-certified market research*, the ecotourism industry is expected to grow by 15% CAGR, surpassing a valuation of $17 billion. Trend data released from Travelport highlights how the following destinations have become more popular with travelers when compared to their 2019 rankings by booking volume:
    Norway: #24 (vs. #35 in 2019)Moving up 11 places in the ranking, Norway’s official slogan is “powered by nature”. Eight tourist destinations have been certified as sustainable by the International Sustainable Tourism Initiative, and the country has an audacious goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Currently, they are one of Europe’s largest providers of hydropower, and they fuel 95% of Norway’s power from that source as well.
    So far in 2022, Norway has recovered more than half of its gross pre-pandemic travel activity (56%) with the top destination city, Oslo, primarily attracting solo travelers (42%) and couples (30%) with all traveler types staying 25 days, on average.
    Denmark: #40 (vs. #44 in 2019)Moving up 4 spots, Denmark ranks #1 on the Environmental Performance Index*. The country’s capital, Copenhagen, is on track to be carbon neutral by 2025, which is impressive even in a city where 9 out of 10 people own a bike and use it to travel at least 1 mile per day.
    Denmark has recovered nearly half of its gross pre-pandemic travel activity (49%) so far this year, with the top destination city, Copenhagen, primarily attracting solo travelers (38%) and couples (36%) with all traveler types staying an average of 20 days per trip.
    Ecuador: #44 (vs. #56 in 2019)The World Travel Awards. named Ecuador the world’s leading green destination, and when compared to its popularity in 2019, the country has climbed 12 spots. As one of the most biodiverse destinations on the planet, Ecuador offers visitors access to some of the best eco-lodges in South America.
    So far in 2022, Ecuador has recovered two-thirds of its gross pre-pandemic travel activity (67%) with the top destination city, Guayaquil, primarily attracting solo travelers (42%) and families (30%) with all traveler types staying 28 days, on average.
    Iceland: #69 (vs. #79 in 2019)Jumping 10 places in the rankings, Iceland is almost entirely powered by geo-thermal energy, which makes it one of the greenest countries in the world. Their renewable energy program alone is said to produce the largest amount of green energy per capita. Visitors often come for incredible views of the Northern Lights or to soak in the natural heated pools of Myvatn Nature Baths.
    Iceland has recovered more than half of its gross pre-pandemic travel activity (58%) so far this year, with the top destination city, Reykjavik, primarily attracting couples (48%) who are staying 10 days per trip, on average.
    Costa Rica: #46 (vs. #73 in 2019)With one of the biggest jumps on the list, Costa Rica’s popularity has increased 27 spots. As one of the most eco-friendly countries in the world, 93% of its electricity comes from renewable sources. This tropical and volcanic landscape is also fiercely protected to preserve the country’s diverse wildlife and ecology, which is said to hold around 5% of the planet’s total biodiversity. Tourists enjoy coast to coast cycling trips, exploring miles of rainforest, hiking volcanic craters, and relaxing on sandy beaches.
    So far in 2022, Costa Rica has recovered 90% of its gross pre-pandemic travel activity with the top destination city, San Jose, primarily attracting a mix of couples (34%), families (33%) and solo travelers (27%) staying 15 days, on average.
    Greener SkiesAviation is recognised as one of seven hard to abate sectors and accounts for 2-3% of global emissions worldwide (as of 2019). For more than 15 years, Virgin Atlantic has been an industry leader in sustainability. To reinforce its commitment to sustainability through innovation, transparency and accountability, the airline recently announced its carbon targets to achieve net zero by 2050:
    By 2026: 15% gross reduction in CO2/RTK achieved through continued fleet transformation and operational efficiency
    By 2030: 15% net reduction in total CO2 emissions, including 10% of fuel sourced from sustainable aviation fuel
    By 2040: 40% net reduction in total CO2 emissions
    Virgin Atlantic has already reduced its CO2/RTK by 17% (2019 vs 2007) as result of fleet modernisation and operational efficiencies. It operates one of the youngest and cleanest twin-engine fleets in the skies, with an average aircraft age of just under seven years and 68% next generation fleet. This increases to 100% next generation by the beginning of 2027 which will further reduce the airline’s C02/RTK to 30% of the 2007 baseline.
    Beyond fleet transformation, Virgin Atlantic is committed to working with new technology innovators to seed, support and adopt the breakthrough technologies capable of delivering change. As a long-standing advocate for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Virgin Atlantic has been partnering with LanzaTech since 2011, flying the world’s first commercial flight operated on sustainable fuels in 2018, supporting efforts to build the first U.K. SAF plant by 2025, and partnering with Neste Oyi to bring 2.5 million liters of SAF to London Heathrow in the first half of this year. It also continues to support new technology innovation, most recently working with partners Storegga Geotechnologies and Carbon Engineering to accelerate the use of direct air capture of CO2.
    “We know that, as an airline, we have a pivotal role to play in protecting the planet, while connecting people across the globe and strengthening crucial trade connections,” said Luke Ervine, Head of Sustainability at Virgin Atlantic. “For more than a decade we’ve been leading the way in the decarbonisation of the aviation industry. As we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, our focus on our carbon targets, paired with global collaboration across the sector and beyond, will help us reach net zero emissions by 2050. There is a long road ahead, but we’re committed to pioneering change and being transparent on our progress.”
    The Rise of RailWith a focus on shrinking the region’s carbon output, certain countries within the European Union are considering and/or implementing short-haul flight bans. Last year, France became the first to enact a national ban on short-haul domestic flights where a train journey of two and a half hours (or less) was an option. It speaks to a broader global trend which focuses on the entirety of a journey as opposed to packed, destination-centric itineraries. Rail journeys are often seen as the hero of this movement, and as the world’s leading independent rail travel platform, Trainline partners with hundreds of rail carriers to offer its customers millions of travel options across 45 countries.
    According to Trainline, the transport sector is the largest contributor to UK domestic greenhouse gas emissions, contributing 28% of UK domestic emissions in 2018. The main source of these emissions is the use of petrol and diesel in road transport. Similarly, in Europe, transport accounts for more than a fifth of greenhouse gas emissions, almost 72% of which come from road transport.
    Rail offers travelers a greener alternative, generating less than 1/20 of the CO2 emissions of air travel and approximately 1/7 of the CO2 emissions compared with car travel, per passenger*.
    On average, Trainline customers save over 1.5 megatons of CO2 emissions each year by using rail instead of road. The company also states that 60% of Britons feel a sense of pride to travel by train, knowing it’s better for the environment.
    “Awareness of the carbon footprint of travel is at an all-time high, and as business travel starts to resume in high numbers again, we have the ideal opportunity to encourage a significant change in travel habits,” said Liz Emmott, Global Distribution Director for Trainline Partner Solutions. “The decision is no longer about price alone, but also how travel is contributing to companies’ net-zero commitments. By making sure rail options are readily available and attractive, we have a great opportunity to support the switch to rail.”

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