Organisations & Operators,

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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The first in the new Brand USA UK & Ireland agent webinar series will take place on Wednesday, April 6th at 15:00 BST.
The event will feature destination speakers who will share insight on Alabama and its offerings, plus the chance to win an amazing holiday to Alabama to celebrate the World Games. ADVERTISEMENTAgents will have the chance to top up their destination knowledge and discover why the state is the heart and soul of the south, with the extra benefit of being entered into a prize draw to win a bucket-list holiday to Birmingham, Alabama.
The prize includes two tickets to the internationally renowned 11-day multi-sport event, the World Games, as well as access to selected attractions, two plane tickets and hotel accommodation for four nights, based on dates of travel between July 7-11.
More Information
Agents will need to register to join the webinar in advance here here and the webinar will take place on Brand USA Global Marketplace here. 
Image: John Dersham

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Tui Group has said it is “well positioned” for the post-Covid-19 period and expects a stable business development for 2022, especially during the summer season.
As such, the company said it was returning up to €700 million in credit lines provided during the height of the pandemic.
The financial resources were made available by the German government and private banks as part of three stabilisation packages.
A large part of the cash was offered in the form of a revolving credit facility from German bank KfW.
This “rescue umbrella” was “important during the pandemic and the associated massive restrictions on our business,” Tui said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENTHowever, the company is now in a position to return the money.
Fritz Joussen, chief executive of Tui UI Group: “Tui was a very healthy company before the pandemic.
“The worldwide travel restrictions, especially at the beginning of the pandemic, almost completely deprived us of our business basis.
“That is why temporary aid was important and right.
“Thanks to the credit lines from the German federal government and from the private banks and the contribution of our shareholders, we have steered Tui safely through its most serious crisis.”
He added: “People want to travel; we see the demand in bookings and expect a good summer 2022 at Tui.
“The company is leaner, more digital and more efficient after the pandemic and transformation.
“The pandemic aid from the state was mostly interest-bearing credit lines.
“In recent weeks, we already stopped using the state credit lines.”
The KfW credit line, which was still drawn at around €500 million at the beginning of February, could now be reduced to zero.
As of March 28th, Tui had liquidity of €4.1 billion.

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National tourism agency VisitBritain has announced deputy chief executive Patricia Yates is stepping up to the top job.
The interim appointment comes as current chief executive, Sally Balcombe, steps down from April 8th.
The appointment was announced as VisitBritain brought tourism industry leaders together at a ‘Rebooting the visitor economy’ event on Tuesday.
British Tourist Authority (BTA) chair, Judith Macgregor, said: “On behalf of the BTA board and VisitBritain, I am very pleased to announce that Patricia Yates has agreed to step up to chief executive in the interim, ensuring a smooth transition for the organisation as well as for the industry.”
Latest forecasts suggest 21.1 million inbound visitors will arrive in the UK this year, just half of the 2019 level.
Overseas visitor spending will total £16.9 billion, 59 per cent of the 2019 figure.ADVERTISEMENTWith all travel restrictions for arrivals to the UK lifted and with its latest international research showing strong pent-up demand for travel, VisitBritain’s priority is driving the quickest return of inbound visitor spending, prioritising markets that will quickly drive back value including the USA and its major European markets.
Yates said: “I am honoured to be stepping up as chief executive, continuing our focus on building back visitor spend as quickly as possible and supporting the industry.
“We know there is pent-up demand for travel, Britain is a destination that people want to visit and in 2022 we have a year of landmark events.
“Our tourism businesses have innovated to survive through a myriad of restrictions and now is the time to drive the visitor recovery.”
The agency is currently out in international markets with a £10 million GREAT ‘Welcome to another side of Britain’ campaign.
As well as highlighting messages of welcome and reassurance, the campaign is promoting the major events this year, set to be global tourism draws, offering visitors once-in-a-lifetime experiences they can only have in the UK including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

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