Organisations & Operators,

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) is calling for the international community to show solidarity with ‘small island developing states’ (SIDS) by ensuring they have access to Covid-19 vaccinations.
With tourism a leading employer and economic pillar for many of the SIDS, the United Nations agency has stressed that pledges to ensure ‘nobody is left behind’ in the recovery phase of the crisis must be backed up with firm actions.
Given the relatively small size of the populations of the SIDS, the cost of mass vaccinations will be minimal compared to the potential benefits of restarting tourism.
Moreover, given tourism’s wide value chain and proven ability to create opportunity for all, the impact of rolling out mass vaccinations and allowing tourism to restart, will go beyond economic benefits.  ADVERTISEMENTUNWTO secretary general, Zurab Pololikashvili, said: “By sharing vaccines with small island developing states, the international community can help accelerate the restart of tourism in these leading destinations.
“Due to the size of the populations of the SIDS, the cost of mass vaccinations will be small, but the benefits will be significant.
“It will restore confidence in visiting SIDS, allowing the many social and economic benefits of tourism to return.”
Pololikashvili made the comments after a meeting with Dario Item, ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to Spain, at the UNWTO headquarters in Madrid.
One of the 38 SIDS, Antigua and Barbuda is a top tourism destination and is looking to the restart of tourism to protect businesses and jobs and economic growth at both the national and local level.
According to UNWTO data, prior to the start of the pandemic, tourism accounted for more than 30 per cent of total exports in the majority of the 38 SIDS.
In some countries, this proportion has risen as high as 90 per cent.
The significance of tourism makes these destinations especially vulnerable to falling tourist numbers, making the timely restart of the sector of vital importance.

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Cook’s Club, currently owned by the Fosun Tourism Group of China, is preparing for its summer relaunch in the UK market.
It is described as a lifestyle concept targeted at forward-thinking city-dwellers who are looking to escape from their daily routine, but still crave style and comfort, good music and fantastic food.
Travel specialist PR consultancy Lotus will assist with the plans.
With a number of hotel relaunches planned for summer, including Cook’s Club Hersonissos (Crete, Greece), and Cook’s Club Adakoy (Marmaris, Turkey), the brand aims to capitalise on new beginnings targeting a ‘new generation of travellers’.
The move follows the relaunch of the wider Thomas Cook brand, also owned by Fosun, last year.ADVERTISEMENTThe communications strategy will relaunch Cook’s Club to the UK market through a proactive PR campaign which aims to drive trust in the brand, build a community of fans and create a distinct personality.
The account will be led by Lotus’ account director, Georgina Oakley, supported by senior account manager, Katie Cosstick and account executive Alissa Kirkwood.
Lotus will report into Marisa Aranha, head of commercial: overseas hotels at Fosun Tourism Group.
Marisa Aranha said: “We are delighted to appoint Lotus to support our UK relaunch.
“We have ambitious growth plans for the UK market, and we look forward to working with Lotus to help drive brand awareness for Cook’s Club.”

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Plans to restart foreign travel for millions of people could be doomed to fail if the government does not effectively consult consumers according to Which?.
The consumer rights body said travellers must be reassured that trips abroad will be safe, affordable and their refund rights will be upheld.
The government’s global travel taskforce is due to outline how it will restart international travel, currently set to reopen no earlier than May 17th, when it publishes its report in early April.
However, Which? is concerned that limited opportunities for travellers to engage with the taskforce could mean that their concerns will not be addressed ahead of international travel reopening.
The taskforce’s page on the government’s website says it is consulting with a range of groups, including the transport industry, international partners, the tourism sector, the private testing sector and academia and policy institutes.
Engagement with consumers seems to be largely limited to an email address that travellers can send their concerns about travel reopening to, and even this is not listed clearly on the taskforce web page for passengers to find.
Today, Which? is publishing its list of consumer priorities for travel, which the taskforce must take on board if its plans to restart international travel are to be successful. ADVERTISEMENTThey focus on vital measures to build passenger confidence around the safety of travel, accessibility and affordability of Covid tests and vaccine passports and assurances that holidaymakers will not be left out of pocket by coronavirus travel disruption.
Which? is also urging people to share their experiences with the taskforce of how the pandemic has affected their travel plans over the past year and their concerns ahead of travel reopening via email or social media in the two weeks left before the body is due to report.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “Many of us are looking forward to the opportunity to step on a plane and travel to family and friends or take a holiday again in the near future, but the past year has taught us that there are a number of risks involved with international travel that need to be removed or reduced before we will be comfortable doing so.
“Confidence in overseas travel has plummeted as a result of the pandemic, and government interventions for both the industry and passengers who have been let down by their operator or airline have been woefully insufficient.
“The taskforce has a real opportunity to give passengers the confidence to travel again, but it must take their concerns into consideration, or else it risks another disastrous summer for passengers and industry alike.”
For more than a year now, the consumer champion has been hearing from people who have been let down by their travel provider after the pandemic grounded most international travel, which saw confidence in the industry plunge to a record low.
According to the Competition & Markets Authority, cancellation and refund complaints have accounted for the overwhelming majority of complaints to the regulator since April, with around 47,000 cancellation complaints about holiday companies since March last year, and more than 10,000 cancellation complaints about airlines.

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The South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA) has announced the organisation’s first major steps to making the destination a world-class tourism region.
The body has confirmed the appointment of its inaugural chief executive and the unveiling of a new look ‘Scotland Starts Here’ campaign.
Ross McAuley, a Scot with more than 20 years international commercial, entrepreneurial and marketing experience, will take on the leadership role in May.
In addition to driving forward the SSDA’s ambitious destination development plans, which include increasing tourism spend in the region to £1 billion by 2030 and creating 6,500 new jobs, he will oversee a commitment to enabling the region’s tourism and hospitality industry to recover and flourish in the wake of Covid-19.
McAuley has a strong track record in destination management and tourism having previously led ground-breaking global tourism initiatives in the Middle East including nine years at luxury hospitality brand Jumeirah Group, followed by building a successful global travel and tourism consultancy business. ADVERTISEMENTHis experience in challenging the status quo, developing insights into regional and cultural behaviour, promoting destinations and increasing visitor market share will help SSDA develop the South of Scotland as a new destination for visitors far and wide.
He joins the SSDA team, led by project manager Jemma Reid, who today brought together Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders as one destination through Scotland Starts Here, a marketing campaign and information hub for all those looking to discover the very best the South of Scotland has to offer.
Now featuring over 1,000-member businesses, travel inspiration and experience finders, this campaign signals a pivotal phase of SSDA’s marketing and product development activity.
Commenting on today’s announcement, McAuley said: “The South is the hidden gem of Scotland, overlooked in the past as a destination but with a proud history, stunning landscape, great people and enormous potential to engage and inspire.
“By bringing Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders together, we’re creating a new destination with the scale to bring tourism spend to local communities, and that really excites me.”
Stretching from coast to coast across the spectacular region, Scotland Starts Here comprises a website and app that will be supported by digital marketing activity including podcasts, eBooks, videos, blogs, social media channels and advertising campaigns.
It will showcase to local communities and visitors, that Scotland’s identity and soul were born in the south – not only in location, but also as an area that has shaped the nation’s history and culture for centuries.
By promoting the south of Scotland as a new destination for visitors to discover and explore, Scotland Starts Here puts a spotlight on authentic local experiences and award-winning products and businesses.
It will increase visitor awareness of what the area has to offer while inspiring more day visits, short breaks and holidays.
The website also includes a travel partners section designed to help agents build trip itineraries and access marketing information.

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An investigation by the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has found Teletext Holidays failed to refund many of its customers for package holidays cancelled due to the pandemic.
The CMA has now written to Teletext to set out its concerns that the company has not refunded many of its customers in accordance with its obligations under the Package Travel Regulations.
The body has also set out its expectations regarding how the company should now comply with its obligations.
Teletext now has the opportunity to address the detailed concerns and avoid any potential court action by signing formal commitments – known as ‘undertakings’ – to refund the affected consumers as soon as possible and take steps to ensure it complies with the Package Travel Regulations going forward.
Teletext Holidays is the trading name of Truly Travel Limited, which is a subsidiary of Truly Holdings Limited. ADVERTISEMENTThe investigation has included Alpha Holidays, trading as Alpharooms.com, which is also a subsidiary of Truly Holdings.
Commenting on the news, Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “It is simply wrong that Teletext Holidays has left many of its customers to foot the bill for cancelled holidays when they were legally entitled to refunds.
“It is positive to see the regulator take these steps but very concerning that people are still owed money over a year after the travel disruption caused by coronavirus first began.
“Teletext must take swift action to refund all of those that are owed money and sign the undertakings to the CMA, confirming that it will not leave its customers in this dire position again.
“If these commitments aren’t met, the regulator should take enforcement steps quickly to ensure customers do not continue to wait for their money.”

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Tui Group has confirmed it will close a further 48 shops across the UK as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to hit the travel sector.
The move follows the closure of 166 Tui shops announced in July 2020 which affected up to 900 jobs.
The latest decision will impact on 273 staff, but the company said it would instead offer approximately 290 new opportunities, broadly split between full and part-time roles.
A statement from Tui said the travel industry and the British high street are both facing unprecedented pressure.
It added: “All colleagues at risk of redundancy will be offered roles in other stores where there are vacancies, or in the new homeworking retail and contact centre team. ADVERTISEMENT“We want to be in the best position to provide excellent customer service, whether it is in a high street store, over the telephone or online, and will continue to put the customer at the heart of what we do.
“It is therefore imperative that we make these difficult cost decisions and do our best to look after our colleagues during such unprecedented uncertainty.”
Tui said it believed Covid-19 had only strengthened a change in purchasing habits, with people looking to buy online or wishing to speak with travel experts from the comfort of their own home.
Information on which of the 362 existing Tui shops would close was not revealed.
Image: John Morrison/Alamy Stock Photo

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On the Beach is calling for cash refunds to be given to consumers holding refund credit notes (RCNs) for their Covid-19-cancelled holiday.
The tour operator argued an extension will only prolong the issues with RCNs.
It wants the CAA to take clear steps now to reassure customers that they can book holidays with confidence in the future and that lessons from 2020/21 have been learned.
It comes as the CAA announced it is in talks with the government to extend the deadline for issuing RCNs beyond March 31st and extending the expiry date for new RCNs beyond September 30th.
With a return to travel now looking likely to be delayed, it appears the government may grant approval for an extension of the system. ADVERTISEMENTSimon Cooper, chief executive of On the Beach said: “Extending the refund credit note deadline only kicks the can down the road.
“From travel companies increasing their prices to rebook the same holiday and leaving consumers with no option to shop around, to lack of clarity on the terms and conditions, and the likelihood of some people forgetting to redeem them altogether – these vouchers are not in the best interests of consumers.”
On the Beach has been vocal in reiterating consumer rights to receive cash refunds rather than credit notes during the pandemic.
The company keeps all customer hotel and transfer monies in a separate regulated trust account, which cannot be accessed until after the customer has travelled, meaning cash is refunded quickly when a holiday is cancelled.
Cooper added: “It’s not fair that consumers have their money locked up in these vouchers.
“Travel companies are using the money their customers have paid for future holidays as cash flow.
“Should any of these companies enter financial difficulty, it would take many months and administrative burden for consumers to get their money back from ATOL.”

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The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) has released new figures illustrating the impact of Covid-19 on the hospitality sector in the region over the past year.
The impact was particularly acute from April to mid-June last year when there was literally “no activity” in some destinations, the trade body said.
Data received from member countries reveals that tourist arrivals to the region in 2020 fell to just over 11 million, a decline of 65 per cent when compared to the record 32 million tourist visits in 2019.
This was, however, better than the world average of a 74 per cent decline during the same period, as reported by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
This lower rate of decline in the region can be attributed to two key factors: a significant portion of the Caribbean’s winter season (January to mid-March) saw average levels of tourist arrivals when compared to 2019, and the fact that the main (summer) season in other regions coincided with the period where there was very limited international travel.
The slowdown was characterised by empty hotels and restaurants, deserted attractions, shut borders, laid-off workers, grounded airlines and crippled cruise lines.

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While the CTO said there has been some fluctuations in the levels of visitors for the remaining months of the 2020, the influx of visitors has not reached levels even closely comparable to those being experienced prior to March last year.
A period of virtually no tourism began in mid-March – the second quarter was the worst-performing with arrivals down by 97 per cent.
But tourists began visiting again in June as the sector began to reopen. 
Still, the fall-off in stayover arrivals continued through to September – when a gradual reversal began – and continued right up to December.
Cruise lines plying Caribbean routes remain non-operational due to a strict ban imposed by the US Centres for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
Like stayover arrivals, cruise was buoyed by the performance in the first three months of 2020, particularly the month of February, when there was a 4.2 per cent rise in visits.
However, a 20 per cent fall in the first quarter was followed by no activity for the remainder of the year as ships remained non-operational.
The overall result was a 72 per cent slide to 8.5 million cruise visits, when compared to the 30 million visits in 2019.
Image: Jamaica Tourist Board
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