Organisations & Operators,

Russia has been suspended from the UNWTO, following a vote by members of the General Assembly, and will lose its membership rights with immediate effect.
Meeting for a first extraordinary UNWTO General Assembly, members debated the suspension of Russia from the organisation, as decided by the UNWTO Executive Council at its emergency meeting last month. The Russian delegation declined to step up and defend its position, and instead announced its withdrawal from UNWTO before the debate took place.
The Assembly voted in favour of suspension, exceeding the two-third majority required. The decision is effective immediately, while voluntary withdrawal is only effective one year after a member submits an official communication through the appropriate channels.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “UNWTO’s Members have sent a clear message: tourism is a pillar of peace and international friendship, and members of UNWTO must uphold these values or face consequences, with no exceptions. This emergency General Assembly shows that Russia’s actions are indefensible and contrary to the very principles of UNWTO and of international governance.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the decision to quit the UNWTO would not affect the sector in Russia.ADVERTISEMENTHe said: “The tourism sector, especially domestic tourism, will continue its development. The external directions for tourism are also open, hinging on questions of competition in terms of quality and price.”
Loss of rights and privilegesIn total, 99 countries were represented in Madrid. According to Article 3 of the Statutes, all Members commit to developing tourism with a “view to contributing to economic development, international understanding, peace, prosperity, and universal prospect for, and observance of, human rights”.
The Russian Federation will not be able to exercise the rights or enjoy the privileges of UNWTO membership. This means it will not be able to receive services from the organisation, including technical assistance, nor will the Russian Federation be able to participate in any UNWTO meetings or events, be permitted to put forward any candidates to serve on UNWTO’s statutory bodies, or to vote in UNWTO elections or to propose a candidate to serve as Secretary-General.

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Aurora Expeditions has announced that Michael Heath will join the company, taking on the role of CEO effective June 1st.
Heath, a highly respected executive with 25 years of broad and extensive international experience, has been CEO of Surf Hardware International since 2014 and previously held key leadership and top management positions for global active outdoor brands including O’Neill, Hurley and Nike. 
“It is a privilege to take on the role at such an important time in the businesses’ history and lead Aurora into the future,” commented Heath.
Having recently returned from his first trip to Antarctica, Heath continued “I have experienced first-hand the Aurora Expeditions difference and was incredibly impressed – not just by the awe of Antarctica, but by Aurora’s outstanding expedition experience and highly talented expedition team. I’m looking forward to joining the Aurora family, building on Aurora Expeditions’ pioneering heritage, actively pursuing growth with purpose and capturing the expanding opportunities ahead”.
Voted ‘The World’s Leading Polar Operator’ at the 2020 World Travel Awards, Aurora Expeditions has been delivering life-changing expeditions to the most remote, unique, and biodiverse destinations on the planet for over 30 years. Aurora Expeditions recently celebrated a successful return to operations in Antarctica this year and Heath joins at a time when the business is well-positioned for continued growth, with a deep commitment to sustainable travel and the imminent debut of its second ship, the Sylvia Earle, due to launch in Antarctica in November 2022. ADVERTISEMENTThe company’s new ship, the Sylvia Earle, is named after renowned marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer Dr Sylvia Earle, with decks dedicated to Dr Earle and six other leading female conservationists: Dr Carden Wallace AM, Jo Ruxton, Sharon Kwok, Bernadette Demientieff, Hanli Prinsloo and Dr Asha de Vos.

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CWT announced that Michelle McKinney Frymire has decided to step down from her roles at the Company. As part of the Company’s long-term succession planning process, the Board of Directors has appointed President and Chief Commercial Officer Patrick Andersen as its next President and Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 May 2022. He will also serve on the Company’s Board of Directors.
McKinney Frymire said: “Leading CWT through such a critical phase in its evolution has been a great honor. We have made substantial achievements during extraordinary times, and I am grateful to our global team and customers for their trust and supportive partnership. Now, with a strong financial foundation in place, CWT is positioned to accelerate its growth plan and I’m pleased to pass the baton to Patrick.”
“We are excited that Patrick will serve as our next CEO, given his outstanding track record as Chief Commercial Officer and 13 years in international leadership roles at CWT. He has deep-rooted relationships with our customers and stakeholders and has demonstrated superb leadership through overseeing our strategic priorities, expanding RoomIt, and launching our groundbreaking myCWT China technology platform,” said Jim Abrahamson, Chair of the CWT Board. “On behalf of the Board and our global colleagues, we thank Michelle for her many contributions since she joined the Company in 2019 and wish her well in her next endeavors.”
“I’m delighted and honored to lead CWT to its next stage of growth,” said Patrick Andersen. “As travel demand increases, CWT is well positioned to invest in and expand its industry leadership and global relationships. Importantly, I’ll continue our commitment to our core values and look forward to working with our Board and the CWT team to enhance our technology, and further strengthen the travel and events services we provide to our customers around the world.”
Prior to his role as President and Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Andersen served as Chief Strategy Officer and before that President of the Americas. Since joining the Company in 2008, Mr. Andersen has managed and overseen several industry-defining initiatives including the launch of myCWT China, expanding RoomIt by CWT, and developing innovative long-term GDS technology partnership agreements. He has over 30 years’ experience in global travel & logistics, with various international leadership roles at Deutsche Post Worldwide and DHL. Andersen also serves as a Non-Executive Member of the Board at Global Minnesota, and MNSNAP, and is on the Board of Overseers for the Carlson School of Management. He studied management at the London Business School.ADVERTISEMENT

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Ailsa Pollard, UK and Europe CEO for dnata Travel Group, has joined ABTA’s Board while John Bevan, who joined ABTA’s Board in 2018, has stepped down.
Alistair Rowland, Chair of ABTA – The Travel Association, said:
“Ailsa will bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and insight as the travel sector continues its recovery from the impact of the pandemic. She will be an excellent addition to the Board. I’d like to give my sincere thanks to John Bevan for his invaluable contribution over the past four years and wish him well as he focuses on his global role for dnata.”
Ailsa Pollard added:
“The ABTA brand is one of the most powerful and respected in the travel industry. I’m looking forward to being a part of its extremely experienced Board, supporting ABTA’s Members and helping to ensure that ABTA continues to be a leading voice in travel and tourism.”ADVERTISEMENT

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ABTA – The Travel Association has issued its top tips for travellers heading abroad this Easter weekend, which marks the first bank holiday since UK travel restrictions were lifted.
With many people travelling overseas for the first time since the start of the pandemic, ABTA’s advice for those flying this weekend is focused on helping them get to and through the airport as smoothly as possible:

Plan your journey to the airport in advance and allow extra time for traffic, planned road closures or engineering works.
Arrive at the earliest time advised by your airline and airport.
Make sure you’re ready to present your passport and any Covid-related documents you need at check-in. You also have the option to check-in online which may save you time.
Prepare your hand luggage for security by placing large electrical items like laptops and tablets in the trays provided alongside any liquids you’re taking – these need to be 100ml or less and placed inside a 20cm x 20cm plastic bag.
Take off items of clothing like coats, jackets and belts when passing through security and put any items in your pockets into the trays provided.

More broadly, ABTA Members are reporting that the Canary Islands, Turkey, Portugal and Egypt are proving particularly popular for those seeking guaranteed sunshine and warmer weather this Easter, where temperatures are set to reach 24C in Faro, 25C in Lanzarote and 32C in Sharm El-Sheikh over the weekend.
London Gatwick’s most popular short haul routes for 15-18 April are Dublin, Barcelona, Malaga, Madrid, Geneva, Amsterdam and Rome, while those heading further afield are visiting Dubai, Cancun and Toronto. All these routes have seen a significant increase in popularity since UK travel restrictions were removed.
Graeme Buck, Director of Communications at ABTA – The Travel Association said:ADVERTISEMENT“Easter is a busy time for travel every year and in 2022 it sees the first major holiday getaway since UK Covid travel restrictions were lifted. Since the school holidays began, although there have been some reports of delays, most people’s journeys have been trouble free. That said, with many people wanting to travel it’s a good idea to plan ahead as much as possible.
“In particular, time spent at the airport before a flight can be reduced if you make sure you have the travel documents you need ready for check-in and you’ve prepared your hand luggage in advance for the airport security checks.”

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

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Aurora Expeditions, the Australian adventure travel company, has announced its North American operations are continuing to grow, with the company hiring three new Business Development Managers in a move to significantly expand its market presence. 
The company, who is celebrating its 30th year of operations, recently successfully resumed its Antarctic expeditions with 70 per cent of the season’s guests coming from the US and Canada – and Aurora is eager to build on this.
The new team members bring a wealth of travel industry experience to the Aurora team, and include Kelli Mills (Northeast), who has extensive experience in expedition travel and is also former agency owner with over 15 years in the industry; Jennifer Reynolds (Southeast), Adventure and Small-ship sector expert of more than 18 years, and Bonnie Newman (Western), who has previously been nominated for Travel Agency Advocate of the Year and has established solid relationships with agency partners, particularly within Virtuoso, a key partner within Aurora’s global trade network.
These new hires will join the existing team of Lisa Bertini, who has recently been appointed VP of Sales, North America. Lisa will work with and lead the national sales team to further propel the company’s growth by maximizing sales and partnership opportunities throughout the market. Aurora has also recently expanded its focus beyond the English-speaking market in hiring Nicolas Bilek, a dedicated resource for business development in Quebec.
“Aurora Expeditions is committed to growing and investing in North America,” commented Lisa Bertini, VP of Sales, North America.  ADVERTISEMENT“We have already seen a significant increase in interest in our active and life-changing voyages to Antarctica and the Arctic from this market, and I am confident that our new team members will help to accelerate and expand this growth for us, working with our valued trade partners.” 
“More than ever, North American travelers are motivated to book their dream trips, and are craving remote, nature-based, enriching, and environmentally conscious experiences. As a small-ship expedition operator focused on true exploration to some of the world’s wildest, awe-inspiring, and isolated environments, we are extremely well positioned to meet the market’s desire to explore the polar regions and beyond.”
Aurora recently released its 2023 Arctic season, which has so far seen an overwhelmingly positive response. Its Antarctica 2022-23 voyages are also in high demand, with many voyages close to sold out. The company’s upcoming voyages include Costa Rica & The Panama Canal, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Greenland, and Canada’s Northwest Passage, followed by an extensive 22-23 Antarctica season.
Aurora Expeditions’ second purpose-built expedition ship, the Sylvia Earle, is due to debut in late 2022.

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New research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) shows flight bookings for UK outbound travel to some of the most popular summer sun destinations have bounced back.
However, inbound has largely failed to take off.
The data revealed a huge disparity between forward flight bookings for outbound and inbound UK travel was collated for the global tourism body by ForwardKeys.
The pent-up desire to travel shows in forward flight booking data for UK holidaymakers who are flocking to family favourites, such as Turkey (up 53 per cent) and Greece (up 51 per cent) over the busy summer period, compared to pre-pandemic figures.
Spain, a long-time summer favourite and the most popular destination overall for sun-seeking British travellers, is also performing well and ahead of pre-pandemic levels (up one per cent). ADVERTISEMENTMeanwhile, bookings during the same period to the US, which in 2019 was the fifth most popular destination for jet-setting Brits, remain ten per cent lower than before the pandemic.
The data shows while inbound bookings for international arrivals are up by a staggering 1,453 per cent compared to 2021, when severe restrictions to travel were in place, bookings to date are still well below pre-pandemic levels – down 45 per cent versus 2019.
Julia Simpson, WTTC chief executive, said: “The massive imbalance between outbound and inbound UK international flight bookings is a worrying sign for the recovering tourism sector and the UK economy.
“As the pandemic recedes and international travel returns, it’s encouraging to see holidaymakers making the most of their new found freedom to travel safely.”
In terms of inbound travellers to the UK, only Sweden has risen above pre-pandemic levels (up 15 per cent) while other key source markets have not recovered, indicating the UK still has a long way to go to encourage international travellers back to its shores.

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