Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

For business travel, the return to pre-pandemic normality has been moved back two years to 2026. Inflation, China’s economic problems and the effects on global supply chains were among the reasons listed by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) on Wednesday at ITB Berlin 2023. Basic parameters concerning business travel had also changed, said Suzanne Neufang, CEO of the GBTAFollowing the slump in 2020 the curve had peaked sharply around 2021/22, but had since dropped off again, due in part to China opening up quickly again and resurgent infections there. Currently the curve was pointing downwards – probably until 2026.
During the pandemic business travel decision-makers had learned that virtual meetings offered advantages in some respects, even if on the other hand there was fundamentally no substitute for meeting in person, Neufang said. Moreover, sustainability was increasingly becoming an issue, and fewer business trips meant a smaller carbon footprint. All the while, business trips had not gone entirely out of fashion for internal meetings.
Financial companies and insurances easily topped the list of those sectors taking business trips again at more or less pre-pandemic levels, Neufang said. At the other end of the scale were NGOs and foundations.
45 per cent of travel managers had increased their budgets, that much could be said. Faced with the general skills shortage travellers’ expectations had grown. Many of them expected to undertake blended travel, for example in order to extend a business trip by a few days off at their destination. A survey among travel managers found that employers were divided here: 41 per cent were in favour, trending upwards, while 42 per cent were against.
Summarising, she listed five business travel trends: China remained difficult to forecast, business travellers as such had higher expectations, demand for eco-friendly travel was on the rise, technological change slowed things down, and personal trips would play a big role again.ADVERTISEMENT

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At ITB Berlin representatives of the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism symbolically handed over three new brochures to Malaysia’s ambassador to Germany. They present a wide range of attractions for visitors with all kinds of interests:For those in search of city tours Kuala Lumpur is worthwhile, for nature lovers there are lots of sports and adventure activities in fascinating natural surroundings, while sun worshippers can find white sands and thriving marine wildlife at the beaches of this country in southeast Asia.
This is the fiftieth time Malaysia is taking part in ITB Berlin, reason enough to present three new brochures in German translation. Representatives of the Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Malaysia symbolically handed them over to Dr. Adina binti Kamarudin, Malaysia’s ambassador to Germany in Berlin. Taking as their slogan ’Malaysia – Truly Asia’, the brochures present the wide-ranging attractions awaiting travellers. One brochure is devoted entirely to Kuala Lumpur. In this pulsating metropolis with its shopping malls, museums, parks, restaurants and a flourishing cultural scene, an impressive skyline with some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers awaits travellers.
Another brochure is devoted to Malaysia’s beaches. In particular, archipelagos such as Langkawi, Penang, Pangkor and Terengganu with their white sands and clear blue waters are an attraction for tourists. Chendor Beach near the coastal town of Cherating is one of the places one can find turtles in the wild. The third brochure is for adventurers: whether trips to mountains, rivers or caves, there are many ways to explore this country’s many-faceted natural attractions. In addition to the new brochures, the presentation also took place of a five-minute image film which conjured an impressive atmosphere. In 2023 Malaysia expects tourism numbers to increase, in particular from Europe. 68 attendees from 40 organisations are represented at this year’s ITB Berlin.

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Miral Destinations, the trusted one-stop trade and promotional partner for Saadiyat Island and Yas Island Abu Dhabi, is highlighting key developments presented by both award-winning destinations at ITB Berlin, taking place from March 7 – 9. The company presented key trade initiatives for 2023 at the exhibition, along with recent updates on Yas SeaWorld ® Research & Rescue, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi , which has recently opened its doors earlier in February this year.
Liam Findlay, CEO of Miral Destinations said: “We are pleased to participate in yet another edition of ITB Berlin as we continue to provide our guests with best-in-class leisure, tourism and entertainment experiences. We recognize the critical role that travel professionals play in promoting and selling both Yas Island and Saadiyat Island and are committed to working closely with them to create unique and authentic experiences for their clients all over the globe. At this edition of ITB Berlin, we are showcasing a range of products and services designed specifically for travel partners. We look forward to engaging with industry partners and leaders to share ideas and best practices, to explore ways we can work together to reaffirm our commitment to the global tourism industry.”
Abu Dhabi’s fascinating beach destination Saadiyat Island spans across the Arabian Gulf with its breathtaking views and glittering turquoise waters and is only a short drive away from Abu Dhabi’s downtown area. The island is home to tranquil and idyllic beaches and for the 11th consecutive year, Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi has been crowned as the “Middle East’s Leading Beach Destination” by the World Travel Awards, reaffirming its spot as the Middle East’s Best Beach destination.

Standing as the Middle East’s leading and award-winning beach destination, Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi delights guests with inspiring beach experiences, guaranteed to take them on a transformative journey. Guests can expect captivating natural surroundings, pristine white sandy beaches, thriving wildlife and marine life, luxurious resorts, and a vibrant culture and entertainment scene.ADVERTISEMENTNeighboring premier and entertainment hub Yas Island is no stranger to success, with 2022 being a pivotal year for the destination. Yas Island offers year-round offers and packages for visitors from every continent, with the F1 Grand Prix race topping the list for racing fans in Germany and delighting thrill-seekers who flock from all over the world to be part of the season finale at the Yas Marina Circuit, with this year’s highly anticipated event scheduled from November 24 – 26. The destination also offers a unique lineup of events and world-class performances at the Etihad Arena, which continue to entertain visitors of all ages and interest.
Yas Island is set to expand its portfolio with the highly anticipated addition of SeaWorld® Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, which is on track to open in 2023. The next-Marine-Life Theme Park, tells a captivating ‘One Ocean’ story that uncovers the interconnectivity between life on earth and our oceans, inspiring a deep commitment to conserving our planet. SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is set to deliver fun, engaging, and immersive family-friendly experiences through eight uniquely themed realms inspiring entertainment, as well as unmatched dining and shopping experiences, all under one roof.
Earlier in February, Miral Destinations had announced the opening of Yas SeaWorld Research & Rescue, , the first-of-its-kind dedicated marine research, rescue, rehabilitation and return center in the region, serving as an advanced marine science knowledge hub and a key contributor to marine life conservation in the region and beyond.
Yas Island also offers visitors unique all-inclusive packages such as the ‘Stay & Play’ offering, which will soon include SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, offering travel agents the chance to purchase the packages from Miral Destinations’ booking portal or through their preferred travel partner.

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Emilie Dumont, Managing Director of Digitrips
Digitrips has revealed flight cancellations and schedule changes occurred much closer to departure in 2022 than in previous years, highlighting the severe impact of staff shortages and strikes on airlines and airports worldwide.
The multi-product travel provider, which owns French B2B OTA MisterFly, found that passengers received an average of 39 days’ notice of changes or cancellations in 2022, compared to 54 days in 2019.
Emilie Dumont, Managing Director of Digitrips, said: “Our figures from MisterFly revealed that the proportion of our travellers who experienced flight cancellations or changes prior to their departure date remained significantly higher in 2022 than pre-Covid – with 40% of our travellers affected, compared to just 25% in 2019.
“But most importantly, changes and cancellations happened at much shorter notice than before the pandemic. In 2019, passengers were notified on average 54 days prior to departure that their flights had been changed or cancelled. In 2022, that average was just 39 days.
“This year is likely to be even busier and, with staff shortages and strikes continuing to cause disruption worldwide, we expect the cancellations window to shrink even further. Therefore, the travel industry must act swiftly to adopt technology that can help minimise the impact of these disruptions on travellers. This could include implementing automated rebooking and refund tools, or even AI-powered customer service systems.”ADVERTISEMENT

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CTO Chairman Kenneth Bryan (left) and Acting CTO Secretary General Neil Walters are pictured at today’s press conference in Barbados.
Despite global pressures such as high inflation, the war in Ukraine, the ensuing energy crisis, and an impending economic recession, the outlook for Caribbean travel and tourism is favorable, according to the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)
Delivering the region’s 2022 “Tourism Performance and Outlook Report” in Bridgetown today, Neil Walters, Acting Secretary General of the CTO, confirmed that the Caribbean had one of the quickest recovery rates globally in 2022, with 28.3 million registered tourist visits in 2022. This represents 88.6 percent of the visitors who arrived in 2019, which served as the baseline year for typical tourism activity before the pandemic.
He reported that international travel is expected to contribute to the region’s substantial gains already registered thanks to the robust United States market, which continues to drive the region’s recovery.
There was an estimated 28.1 percent increase in visitors coming from the U.S. market in 2022. At the end of the year, 14.6 million American tourists visited the region, 3.2 million more than the 11.4 million in 2021.
Arrivals from the European market increased by 81 percent in 2022 when compared to 2021. The 5.2 million tourists from this market were almost double the 2.8 million in 2021. This represented 18.3 percent of all arrivals in 2022,ADVERTISEMENTDue to travel restrictions in early 2022, the Canadian market has recovered more slowly at 60 percent, while the lack of availability of intra-regional airlift has negatively impacted regional connectivity.
“Nearly 90 percent of the region’s travel demand for 2019 has already been recovered,” reported Walters, with destinations such as Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands already surpassing their pre-pandemic levels.
Caribbean destinations can expect this recovery to continue into 2023, albeit at a slower rate, Walters explained, predicting that growth will be uneven among the destinations, with additional countries and territories exceeding their 2019 levels.
According to STR, the average daily rate at hotels increased by 21.7 percent to US$290.60 in 2022. The revenue per available room surged by 66.4 percent to $176.46, and the number of available rooms (up 4.4 percent) as well as room income (up 73.6 percent) increased. After two challenging years for the aviation industry, global air passenger traffic recovered significantly in 2022.
It is estimated that visitors to the Caribbean region spent between $36.5 and $37.5 billion in 2022, an increase of 70 to 75 percent compared to 2021.
It is expected that overall arrivals to the region will increase by between 10 and 15 percent when compared to 2022, with 31.2 to 32.6 million tourists visiting the region this year. The cruise industry is also anticipated to continue recovering and expanding to meet increasing demand, with 32 to 33 million cruise passenger visits expected – a five to 10 percent increase over the pre-COVID baseline figure.
Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism, Kenneth Bryan, who also serves as the Cayman Islands’ Minister of Tourism and Transport, summarized that in the face of the devastating blows delivered by the pandemic, “as a region, we have responded with hope, strength and the determination to prevail.”
Minister Bryan reiterated that great strides have been made in Caribbean tourism, a clear indication that the sector is bouncing back, and hopes are high that the robust pace of recovery will continue into 2023 and beyond. “So although we have not yet surpassed 2019’s numbers across the board in every jurisdiction, the needle is certainly moving in the right direction,” he commented.
The chairman envisioned 2023 as a period of growth and development for the CTO, and he and his team were laser-focused on growing the membership, including countries, territories as well as allied partners. “It is also my intention to strengthen the relationships with other organizations, such as the United Nations World Travel Organization, the World Travel and Tourism Council, and even the Central American Tourism Promotion Agency (CATA), to foster greater collaboration,” said Minister Bryan. Consideration is being given to the restructuring of the organization and reforming its strategic vision and direction for the next five years, which includes the appointment of a new Secretary-General, he confirmed.Minister Bryan announced the return of CTO’s Caribbean Week in New York, to be held in “The Big Apple,” from June 5 to 8 this year, and disclosed that his team was committed to addressing the nagging issue of air connectivity, a complex one that has been exacerbated by the reevaluation of airline business structures and the global pilot shortage. “It would be illogical for me to promise a solution to this issue during my tenure as chairman. But what I can and will commit to is getting the players around the table to forensically examine what we need to do as a unified region to improve this scenario and start the ball rolling towards the solution.”

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ABTA – The Travel Association has launched a new video campaign which highlights travel as a great industry to work in.
The two-minute video is the latest phase of ABTA’s ‘#BePartofTravel campaign’, which aims to support members to attract and retain talent in the industry. It has been launched to coincide with National Careers Week which runs 6 – 11 March.The video features testimonials from ABTA member travel agents and tour operators explaining why they work in the industry, and the various reasons it should be considered as a career path by graduates and career changers. The opportunities to travel, culture and career development are among the top reasons people highlight as why to join the sector. The video can be viewed here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNKTaFoULaQ
The video will be advertised on LinkedIn and shared on ABTA’s social channels during National Careers Week and will continue to be promoted in the coming months ahead. There is also a series of shorter videos, each featuring a travel industry professional.
ABTA is encouraging its members and ABTA Education Partners to get involved with the campaign by sharing the new video across their own channels, as well as ABTA’s existing social media assets on career opportunities. They are available from the marketing toolkit.
Vicki Wolf, ABTA Head of Education and Career Development said: ADVERTISEMENT“This is an exciting time to join this fun, dynamic and versatile travel industry. Young people who are looking for career ideas and those who have worked in with transferable skills should consider a career in travel.
“These are exactly the messages we’re trying to get across with the new video and ‘#BePartofTravel’ campaign as a whole. The campaign has received positive feedback from ABTA members, who have been facing recruitment challenges as the industry continues to recover from the pandemic.”
Giles Hawke, CEO of Cosmos Tours, reflects on his extensive career in the video:
“I’ve been in it for 30 years now and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it, even in the tough moments. We’ve had to deal with some really big things, and you learn a huge amount about yourself. You learn about what you’re capable of.  “You get to travel to go to some amazing places around the world and have experiences you would struggle to do as a consumer on a holiday. So, travel is the industry to work in”.
ABTA member travel professionals featured in the Be Part of Travel campaign:
•  Chris Wright, Managing Director, Sunvil•  Vicky Yates-McCowan, Travel Consultant, Luxury Holidays and Honeymoons •  James Thornton, CEO, Intrepid Travel•  Annika Nickson, Travel Consultant, Not Just Travel•  Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director, C&M Travel Recruitment •  Giles Hawke, CEO, Cosmos Tours •  Gemma Standish, Travel Consultant, Not Just Travel•  Brian Young, Managing Director EMEA, G Adventures •  Susie Taylor, Travel Consultant, Club Voyages

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Flight services at Frankfurt Airport are being stepped up significantly from the first week in June. They will focus on connections between cities in Europe, but flights to popular vacation destinations will also increase.For instance, various airlines plan to resume multiple weekly connections to Majorca (6). Further long-haul destinations are also being added to the timetables. The included table shows the flights currently scheduled at Frankfurt Airport.
Daily capacity is now up to around 26,000.This is around 10 percent of the previous year’s figure. The airport operator expects a gradual build-up of flight services in the weeks ahead. However, as overall volumes remain well below last year’s levels due to the coronavirus pandemic, Terminal 1 will remain the focal point of all passenger handling activities for the time being.
Airlines reserve the right to change flight services at short notice. Passengers should always check the latest information from their airline before traveling. They are also advised to look up the current travel advice of the German Federal Foreign Office.
In addition, the flight schedule at www.frankfurtairport.com contains details of the status of scheduled take-offs and landings. Frankfurt Airport has been ready to step up flight operations since mid-May. Airport operator Fraport has implemented extensive anti-infection measures in the areas currently in use in Terminal 1, in line with all health authority regulations.

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The latest forecasts from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) predict strong annual increases in inbound visitor numbers for Asia Pacific under each of the mild, medium, and severe scenarios in 2023, with growth rates ranging from 71% under the latter scenario conditions to as much as 104% under the mild scenario.Following the earlier release of the Executive Summary, the Full Report released today gives a deeper quantitative overview of the international visitor landscape into and across the Asia Pacific region at the regional, sub-regional and destination levels out to 2025. This is done at both the annual and, where data permit, quarterly levels over the same period, and by scenario. In addition, the growth in key source markets between 2023 and 2025 is forecast for Asia Pacific as a whole, and for each of the regions/sub-regions as covered in the report.
The annual increase in the absolute number of international visitor arrivals (IVAs) in 2023 is predicted to range from 158.7 million to 437.5 million under the severe and mild scenarios respectively, lifting the total volume of visitor arrivals to between 382.9 million and 712.7 million, under those same scenarios.
Substantial annual increases in IVA numbers are also forecast for 2024 and 2025, under all three scenarios, although the volume of these gains will slowly reduce over the years as the absolute volume base of foreign arrivals increases.
The impact of these increases is such that under the mild scenario, a return to better than the benchmark number of IVAs in 2019 is predicted to occur in 2023, while under the medium scenario that position is projected for 2024. Under the severe scenario, however, even by 2025, the volume of international visitors into and across Asia Pacific is forecast to still fall short of the 2019 benchmark by around 12%.
The mix of source regions is forecast to remain dominated by flows from Asia Pacific markets into Asia Pacific destinations, with 2025 expected to return to roughly similar proportions as that of 2019, under all three scenarios.ADVERTISEMENTThese intra-regional proportionate flows differ for each Asia Pacific destination region, however, especially for the Americas and Asia, both of which rely heavily on intra-regional visitors. The Americas, as a source region for example, accounted for 55.4% of visitor numbers for the Americas in 2019, and this is predicted to gradually increase to between 56% and 57% in 2025, depending on the scenario that plays out at that time. The Asia-to-Asia flows accounted for 80.4% of total IVAs for that region in 2019, and this is forecast to reach between 80% and 82% by the end of 2025.
The Pacific as a destination region within Asia Pacific is somewhat different, however, since its source regions in 2019 were dominated by Asia which had a slim margin over the Americas. Those positions are forecast to change over the years to 2025, at which time both source regions under the mild scenario are predicted to generate roughly equal proportionate shares of IVAs into the Pacific. Under the medium and severe scenarios, however, the Americas is projected to have a slight relative share dominance in delivering IVAs into the Pacific by the end of 2025.
As IVA growth builds between 2023 and 2025, it is worth noting that the source markets of Asia collectively generate the bulk of the additional annual increases in absolute numbers of arrivals across Asia Pacific each year. Under the mild scenario, for example, the annual increase in IVAs from Asia in 2023 are forecast to number 330.7 million and account for three-quarters of the net increase in total IVAs between 2022 and 2023.
Across the years and under all scenarios, the visitor footprint of the Asian source markets, at the aggregate Asia Pacific level, is predicted to remain very strong, although with significant differences at the destination regions and sub-regions. The Americas, for example, already with a strong intra-regional visitor flow, is not surprisingly forecast to receive more than half of its annual increase in IVAs in both 2023 and 2025, under the mild scenario, from source markets within that same region. That proportion is predicted to reach as much as 68% under the medium scenario in 2024 and 78% under the severe scenario in that same year, and although the proportions may reduce a little by 2025, they are still predicted to favour the Americas very much as the main generator of annual IVA growth in absolute numbers into that same region.
As noted by PATA Chair Peter Semone, “these current forecasts are easily the most positive since 2019 and while inbound numbers are predicted to strongly increase each year to 2025, they will not do so evenly across the Asia Pacific destinations nor at the same rates. In addition, growth will not necessarily be by passive osmosis; work needs to be done for destinations to remain competitive and to deliver experiences to these visitors that consistently rate above and beyond their expectations. A blatant profit-grab at this time will resonate badly with visitors now and will work against destinations and operators in the future.”
“Now more than ever before, destinations need to work with host communities, operators, and visitors to deliver results and experiences that bring the best of the travel and tourism sector to the fore, across all involved parties and in a responsible, equitable, meaningful, and thereby sustainable manner. Such an approach will also create a certain resilience to future shocks as and when they appear, and rest assured that they will!,” added Mr. Semone.
What you will learn from this report:
Forecast international visitor numbers for Asia Pacific between 2023 and 2025 by destination region, sub-region, and destination, highlighting changing demand preferences in the post-COVID era; andForecasts and recovery patterns for 39 individual destinations facilitating the development of appropriate strategies over the next three years.The PATA Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts Full Report 2023-2025 is now available at www.PATA.org/research-q1v63g6n2dw/p/asia-pacific-visitor-forecasts-2023-2025-x8tpc.
PATA International members have exclusive access to the Forecast webinar recording, “How Would the Opening of China Impact on Demand for Tourism in the Asia Pacific Region” and related PowerPoint presentations, which was held on Thursday, January 26, 2023. The webinar included expert speakers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), Euromonitor International, and OAG. The speakers provided an overview of the forecasts for international arrivals to Asia Pacific between 2023 and 2025 from their unique positions of forecasting arrivals, monitoring changing consumer sentiment, and aviation capacity.

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