Organisations & Operators,

The first meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group to be held under the Indian Presidency placed the focus on the sector’s role in in advancing the 2030 Agenda.
UNWTO is working as the knowledge partner to the Presidency to deliver the Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving the SDGs. This week’s meeting, held in the Rann of Kutch (7-9 February), featured as well a side event dedicated to rural tourism for community development and poverty alleviation. Here, UNWTO shared its recently launched Tourism for Rural Development Programme, including the Best Tourism Villages Initiative.
The side event was an opportunity to highlight opportunities for rural tourism, including new consumer behaviors and growing interest in new destinations. The meeting also explored the main challenges facing the sector, particularly with regards to digital and non-digital infrastructure, the empowerment of local communities and skills development. The findings presented were the result of an analysis of more than 200 candidacies by villages from around the world to the Best Tourism Villages Initiative as well as UNWTO Member States priorities and policies.
Representatives from Indonesia, Spain, Italy and Japan joined UNWTO, the UN Environmental Program, the International Labor Organization and the South Asia Women’s Network (SWAN) in discussing how can tourism policy can support tourism’s contribution to rural development. Participants stressed that the sustainability of tourism in rural areas is dependent on a comprehensive planning strategy is adopted and implemented based on a multi-action and multi-stakeholder participatory approach. Furthermore, it was noted that rural tourism requires the support of regional and local governments, the private sector, industry associations, civil society, communities and tourists.
In 2021, recognizing the immense potential of rural tourism in the country, the Ministry of Tourism of India formulated a National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism. Reflecting this, the event included also rural tourism cases from India, including examples from Astro-tourism, homestays and women empowerment as well as the Indian village selected by UNWTO to join the Best Tourism Villages Upgrade Programme – the Khonoma Village in Nagaland.ADVERTISEMENT

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Fraport AG and TAV Airports Holding Donate €1 Million to Aid Earthquake Victims in Turkey

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Fraport AG has joined forces with TAV Airports Holding to donate €1 million to the victims of the earthquake in Turkey. The two companies work closely together in the Turkish market in the operating consortium of Antalya Airport.The joint venture partners are each donating €500,000. Talks with the Turkish authorities to determine where the money is needed most urgently are currently ongoing.
“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families,” said Dr. Stefan Schulte, Chairman of the Executive Board of Fraport AG. “Rapid assistance is required now, which we are arranging together with our partner TAV Airports Holding. Together, we are contributing to alleviating the suffering of the people in the affected regions.”
In addition, Fraport AG is encouraging its staff for donations to help the victims of the earthquake. Employees can donate money via the charitable aid organization “Luftfahrt ohne Grenzen / Wings of Help.” Fraport will then double this amount.
“Many of our employees have Turkish roots or family in the country. The fate of the people in the aftermath of this natural disaster is affecting us all deeply,” said chairman of the works council Hakan Bölükmese. “It is important to us to send a signal from the workforce to the affected regions. That is why the works council is also appealing to employees to donate.”Fraport AG has been active at Antalya for over two decades. Since it entered into this commitment in 1999, Fraport has succeeded in consolidating and increasing the enormous importance of the airport for international tourism in the Mediterranean region. In 2022, Fraport AG and its partner TAV Airports Holding were awarded a contract to extend their concession for a further 25 years.

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This year, airport company Finavia will invest more than EUR 15 million in the renovation of runways at the Helsinki Airport, Kuopio Airport and Kuusamo Airport. Some of the money will be spent on water protection and energy efficiency. Sustainable development projects are also underway at several airports. In total, environmental investments will rise to nearly EUR 10 million.
“In the runway renovation projects, our goal is to improve the smoothness and safety of air traffic, and to improve water protection and save electricity. Water protection is important because, by improving the control of stormwater flowing from runways, it is possible to protect the microbiota in the ditches and streams in the vicinity of airports,” says Henri Hansson, an SVP of Finavia.
Finavia’s infrastructure investments in 2023 will total more than EUR 15 million, of which approximately EUR 4 million will be allocated to environmental work. Runways will be renovated at the airports of Helsinki, Kuopio and Kuusamo.
In addition to infrastructure investments, Finavia will also spend more than EUR 5 million on sustainable development projects at Helsinki Airport, Turku Airport and Pori Airport.
At Helsinki Airport, the northern end of runway 2 (15/33), the transverse runway, will be renovated. The work will start in May and be completed by the beginning of September.ADVERTISEMENTThe renovation will affect the landing directions at the airport, as it will not be possible to land on runway 2 during the renovation. In May–August, landings from the direction of Nurmijärvi will decrease and landings from the direction of Northeast Vantaa and Kerava will increase. Propeller aircraft will take off from runway 2 in the direction of Tikkurila as usual.The parallel runways 1 and 3 will be available as usual, which means that the renovation will not affect passenger or air traffic.
In addition to improving the stormwater sewer system, Finavia will also renovate the electrical systems under the runway and the runway surface. The total investment this year will be EUR 8 million.
The renovation will continue during the summer of 2024, when the southern end of the runway will be renovated and the navigation and air navigation equipment will be replaced.
No effect on flights from Kuopio Airport’s runway renovations
At Kuopio Airport, Finavia is renovating stormwater sewers and taxiways E and F, and continuing the renovation of the electricity network that began last year. Finavia will invest EUR 5 million in Kuopio Airport this year.
The work will start in May and be completed by the beginning of September. The airport will be open and operating flights will be possible the whole time. The renovation will not affect air traffic.
Kuopio Airport’s runway renovations will be completed in autumn 2024.
Air traffic at Kuusamo Airport to be paused between 17 July and 15 August
At Kuusamo Airport, Finavia will renovate the runway lighting system and apron surface. Existing light fittings will be replaced with LED light fittings, which will reduce electricity consumption. The investment is worth EUR 2.5 million.
Due to the renovation of the runway and apron, there will be a four-week break in flights to and from Kuusamo Airport, as the runway cannot be used during the work. The break will start on 17 July and last until 15 August.From 16 August 2023, Kuusamo Airport will be open as usual. The renovated infrastructure will serve the air traffic of the autumn and upcoming Christmas season even more smoothly.
EUR 5 million of sustainable development projects at Helsinki Airport, Turku Airport and Pori Airport
Finavia has several sustainability projects underway throughout Finland. These projects amount to about EUR 5 million. The main focus is promoting water protection at Helsinki Airport, Turku Airport and Pori Airport, in addition to which all airports are working to reduce carbon emissions.
“Our new sustainability programme guides our investment decisions and operations towards sustainable air travel. Reducing carbon emissions and preserving biodiversity are important to us, and we will also take this into account in this summer’s renovations,” Henri Hansson says.

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Booking.com, the leading digital travel app with a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, is launching a new ad campaign to show that booking a trip is half the fun. Starring Emmy Award winning, Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated American actress and producer, Melissa McCarthy, this continuation of the beloved Booking.yeah campaign will debut live during the upcoming “big game” on February 12, during which Booking.com will once again be giving away half a million dollars in vacations. A sneak peak of the ad can be found on YouTube.com/Bookingcom.With 73%* of U.S. travelers saying they enjoyed the experience of booking their last trip, as well as 73%** of Americans reporting that travel will always be worth it and that they are overwhelmingly optimistic about traveling this year, Booking.com is here to help travelers find and book “Somewhere, Anywhere,” the mantra of the brand’s new ad campaign with Melissa McCarthy. The comedic spots, which include cameos by Melissa’s husband, American actor, comedian and filmmaker Ben Falcone, focus on how Booking.com makes booking a trip easy, reliable and fun, with the widest choice of places to stay. The brand aims for all travelers to truly have the “Booking.yeah” feeling – from the minute they start exploring the array of amazing hotels, homes and unique properties on the site, to hitting the “book” button and then excitedly anticipating their journey ahead, and of course, enjoying the trip itself.
“The joy and excitement we get from traveling and exploring the world, or even taking a short trip close to home, gives us such wonderful memories. Every time my family travels, we come back as a little bit better versions of ourselves and we’re immediately inspired to start daydreaming about our next trip. I’m tickled pink to be working with Booking.com as their #1 Travel Fan,” said Melissa McCarthy. “The fun of travel starts with a world of possibilities, so I hope the ad gives everybody the inspiration to book their next trip with Booking.com and bring their travel dreams to life. Of course, all of this is to be done while singing “Somewhere, Anywhere.”

To kick off the campaign, Booking.com will give away half a million dollars in vacation funds – 50 winners will receive $10,000 each in travel credits – to explore the amazing “Somewhere, Anywhere” destinations across the U.S. and the world. Just follow @bookingcom on Instagram or TikTok and leave a comment on any Booking.com giveaway post noting the “Somewhere, Anywhere” you want to go using #ShareYourAnywhere along with #Sweepstakes to be entered for a chance to win $10,000 in travel credits to use on Booking.com. The entry period for the giveaway begins on February 7, 2023 at 12:00pm EST, and ends February 19 at 11:59pm EST, with winners chosen at random. For more information on how to enter, visit Booking.com’s social channels (Instagram.com/bookingcom, Tiktok.com/bookingcom) and for the Official Rules, visit www.promoterms.com/shareyouranywhere.
With creative developed by Zulu Alpha Kilo and Mindshare managing the media strategy and planning, the integrated campaign will run across TV – including prime time – audio streaming, online and social channels, through the end of April with a second rollout in the summer. The campaign includes a mix of :30 and :15 second commercials, including the “big game” spot – “Melissa McCarthy in ‘Somewhere, Anywhere’” – as well as “Vacay in the USA,” “Perfect Vacation Rental,” “Room Service,” and “Double Booked.” All of the ads, including a teaser video released earlier this month, as well as a soon-to-be-released extended two minute version of “Melissa McCarthy in Somewhere, Anywhere” (Full Musical) can be viewed on YouTube.com/Bookingcom.ADVERTISEMENT

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Mayor Quinton Lucas, the Kansas City Aviation Department, and its development partners have announced the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport will open on February 28, 2023—delivering Kansas City’s largest ever infrastructure project on time and on budget.“For the last four years the project team has worked diligently to keep the New Terminal on schedule and on budget,” said Pat Klein, Director of Aviation. “As we approach the finish line, I thank the stakeholders who’ve contributed greatly and the residents of the entire region for their ongoing support.””From the outset, we committed to make this project transformational by building the capacity of small, minority- and women-owned businesses and training men and women to be part of the workforce of the future. We have exceeded all project goals and are extremely proud of what the team has accomplished,” said Geoffrey Stricker, Senior Managing Director with Edgemoor.All flight operations, arrivals, and departures, scheduled for February 27, and prior to 1 a.m. on February 28, will occur at the existing terminals. All flights operations, arrivals, and departures, scheduled for after 1 a.m. on Tuesday, February 28 will take place at the new terminal. Overnight, airlines will relocate 31 aircraft from their gates at Terminals B and C to the new terminal to prepare for their morning departures.First scheduled arrival to the new terminal:
Tuesday, February 28, 2023 – Southwest #1980 from Chicago (MDW) arrives at 7:40am
The project was a team effort led by the City of Kansas City, the Kansas City Aviation Department, Edgemoor Infrastructure and Real Estate and joint venture Clark | Weitz | Clarkson.
The Build KCI project generated up to 5,000 construction-related jobs with more than 240 Kansas City-area firms tapped to work on the project with more than 130 minority- and women-owned business partners.

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After nine years as CEO of Heathrow Airport, John Holland-Kaye has informed the Board of his intention to stand down as CEO during 2023.The Board would like to thank John for his exceptional leadership since 2014, building a strong management team, developing a consumer-focused culture, improving cost efficiency and putting Heathrow at the forefront of global aviation’s decarbonisation. The transformation of the airport during John’s time as CEO has been recognised as Heathrow won a number of significant awards including: Sunday Times top 30 employer; one of the top 10 airports in the world (voted by passengers); and edie’s Sustainable Business of the Year Award.
Three of the most significant successes of John’s tenure were the development of the plan for Heathrow expansion that secured overwhelming Parliamentary approval, successfully navigating the business through the COVID-19 crisis and the recovery in demand, and his leadership in putting aviation firmly on course for net zero by 2050.
The Chair of Heathrow Airport, Lord Deighton said:
“John has been an extraordinary leader of Heathrow. During the past nine years, he has worked tirelessly and collaboratively with shareholders, Ministers, airlines and other stakeholders to ensure the country can be proud of its ‘front door’. The Board would like to put on record our gratitude to John for his dedication and commitment to Heathrow throughout his tenure as CEO.”
The Board has now initiated a selection process for John’s replacement. In order to ensure a smooth handover, John will remain as CEO until his successor starts in post.ADVERTISEMENT

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Hamad International Airport Launches Next-Gen Wi-Fi 6

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Hamad International Airport (DOH) has announced the launch of the next generation Wi-Fi service, empowered by Cisco technologies, across its state-of-the-art terminal to further enhance the airport’s passenger experience.Through ubiquitous high-speed connectivity, passengers who are traveling via Qatar will be able to easily connect with family, friends, and business contacts.
High Performance Wi-Fi 6 Coverage
Meticulous design studies were undertaken to achieve seamless Wi-Fi coverage from the curbside of the terminal to the aircraft, and to provide adequate capacity and speed to meet and exceed our passenger’s needs. Special attention was paid to the terminal areas where a high number of passengers spend a significant amount of their time, such as boarding gates, shopping areas, and food courts.
Hamad International Airport (DOH) has deployed Cisco Wireless technologies, including indoor and outdoor WiFi6, to support the needs of an increased flow of passengers over the next years in Qatar.
Further to the high-performance wireless connectivity across the entirety of the airport, it will also lay foundation for enhanced operations with better insights providing amazing experience for passengers.ADVERTISEMENTTransforming Customer Experience with Optimized Connectivity
With this investment, Hamad International Airport (DOH) will be able to better understand how passengers move through the airport, including dwell times and traffic flows. This will help optimize retail opportunities and allow passengers to consistently have great experiences.
Millions of visitors from across the world travelling through Hamad International Airport can now connect using single-step authentication methods by simply sending a “WhatsApp” message or scanning their printed boarding pass. Usage statistics in the initial days have shown that over 60% of the visitors prefer the new frictionless connection options. During FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, more than 2 Million Passengers enjoyed the new Wi-Fi service by seamlessly consuming over 1 PB (Peta Byte) of content from the internet.
Enabling the Future of Digitized Airports
Thanks to technologies embedded into the new Wi-Fi system at the airport, Hamad International Airport’s mobile app ’HIA Qatar’ will deliver improved location-based services. These services include real-time wayfinding for areas like baggage claim, direction to boarding gates and food – as well as beverage and retail offers from Qatar Duty Free (QDF). To ensure that travelers benefit from the best deals, the ’HIA Qatar’ app alerts users when walking past outlets with ongoing sales and promotions. This capability will in future enable new operational uses such as efficient and timely allocation of resources, including wheelchairs, buggies and a variety of aviation equipment and tools.
In addition, improved connectivity is provided for various airport stakeholders and partners, who increasingly rely on wireless connectivity and operational mobile apps for their field staff to contribute to the world-class operations at Hamad International Airport (DOH).
Commenting on the announcement, Hamad International Airport’s Senior Vice President of Technology and Innovation Suhail Kadri said: “As the world’s best airport, we are continually investing in innovative technologies and solutions to provide our millions of visitors from around the world with easy access and the most seamless of experiences.
The launch of next-gen Wi-fi services at Hamad International Airport not only fits well within our strategy of seamless travel but also strengthens our commitment to continue to be the leading global digital airport.”
Hasan Khan Managing Director of Cisco Qatar commented: “We are proud to support Hamad International Airport’s strategic business goals as it continues to grow and introduce new services to effectively transform the passenger experience. Cisco has a strong technological expertise providing secure, intelligent, and seamless connectivity for various airports across the world; and we’re happy to bring these capabilities to Qatar’s flagship airport.”

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Heathrow has today published its new Giving Back Programme, reasserting its commitment to the local community to make the area a great place to live and work.This is the first comprehensive community investment plan published by the airport, clarifying the various ways it already supports the local community as well as setting out a variety of new initiatives.
Following last year’s refreshed ‘Heathrow 2.0’ sustainability strategy, which set out clear ambitions for this decade, the new plan takes on board a wealth of feedback from local communities to determine what is most important to them. Crucially, the airport wanted to understand these priorities to ascertain how it can be a better neighbour and how it can ensure local communities are able to fully benefit from its role as a connector.
Heathrow will meet its one million people pledge through a range of initiatives, including expanding existing schemes – like doubling the number of schools it supports through its Local Schools Partnership; and launching an employability programme – Heathrow World of Work – to connect young people in the community with first-hand experiences of the workplace, helping them get their foot on the careers ladder. The airport will connect more than 10,000 local people to jobs, apprenticeships and early career opportunities, a unique ability given its position as the largest single-site employer in the UK.
By donating £1m per year to local groups, primarily via the Heathrow Community Trust, Heathrow and the grant-giving charity can continue to help grassroots organisations reach out to and support vulnerable and isolated members of the community. More than 200 community projects will receive funding through the Local Community Support Fund across issues that were identified in the consultation as being most important, including tackling the cost-of-living, restoring heritage sites and building a greener neighbourhood.
Engagement with local residents over the last year showed clearly how important green spaces are to the community. The Giving Back Programme illustrates how Heathrow will continue to preserve these spaces for current and future generations – from playgrounds for toddlers to local sports teams using parkland. The airport is expanding the reach of its Community Rangers, who are out and about in the community every day. They will continue to work closely with local groups, schools and councils to improve the environment through gardening and landscaping initiatives. Their new responsibilities under this programme will support delivery of Heathrow 2.0, which made new and improved commitments on biodiversity, noise and emissions.ADVERTISEMENTFurthermore, to firmly demonstrate that those who work at the airport are a part of the community, Heathrow is increasing the hours its employees devote to volunteering for community projects over the next two years.
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye welcomed the new report, commenting: “Our Giving Back Programme is a clear reflection of what the local community has told us over the last year and our way of saying loudly and clearly that being a responsible neighbour will always be a priority. We’ve listened to the community’s views – some of it good, all of it completely honest, and often highlighting areas where we can improve our work. The overriding message was clear: Heathrow must become a connector in the community once more.
“That means connecting people with new employment opportunities, with nature and the local environment, and ensuring funding remains in place for vital local institutions. This programme is the first step of a long-term plan to inspire people to move here because of the airport, not in spite of it.”
Anne Marie Goodacre, CEO of Stanwell Events, said: “It’s really important for community groups across the local area to be able to work directly with Heathrow and see them put their time, effort and money to use where it matters. Heathrow has always lent a helping hand, connecting us to support where needed and maximising its impact as a good neighbour.
“One business can’t solve all the community’s problems, but I look forward to seeing Heathrow turn the Giving Back Programme’s promises into results and continuing to make a real difference to local people’s lives.”
Heathrow will offer regular opportunities for local residents to give their opinion on how the Giving Back Programme is progressing through its Annual Local Community Survey and ongoing Community Forums.
The report, Giving Back Programme, can be viewed in full at: https://www.heathrow.com/company/local-community/giving-something-back
More details of the Heathrow Community Forums can be found here: https://www.heathrow.com/company/local-community/community

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