Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

Today, Trip.com Group’s leading Chinese language platform Ctrip launched its 2023 Travel Revival A Plan to reunite destinations with Chinese travellers.The platform’s four-pronged strategy engages destinations around the world in capturing pent-up travel demand from the vast Chinese travel market.
In 2020, Trip.com Group launched its pilot Travel Revival V Plan, investing RMB 1 billion in a recovery fund to help the industry battle pandemic pressures. On today’s new iteration of the initiative, Bo Sun, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Trip.com Group, commented: “The launch of our 2023 Travel Revival A Plan is built on three years of experience bucking negative trends to drive growth. Our focus on revival is to assist the industry to meet short-term difficulties, whilst strengthened revitalization efforts will look to reshape the post-pandemic industry by forging new opportunities for the industry and destinations.”
Reinventing brand value: working with destinations to create innovative “reunion” experiences
“For Chinese tourists, there has been a huge buildup of anticipation for their first outbound journey. For this reason, our Ctrip platform has been collaborating with destinations in preparation, using the platform’s high-quality, comprehensive supply chain resources to create a full range of ‘reunion’ experience products. Our offering spans Chinese travellers’ desire for scenic locations, entertainment and culinary experiences during their journey, including offering comprehensive coverage of cultural and historical activities.”
In July 2022, Ctrip independently produced the travel documentary “Hit the Road” that combined destination marketing and the platform’s unique new “Travel + Culture” content marketing model, with the show garnering over 120 million total views. In the future, this model will be extended to tourist destinations around the world as a solution to attracting Chinese travellers – providing a direct line to understanding Chinese tourists’ preferences after three years of travel restrictions. Furthermore, the Ctrip platform is home to thousands of travel influencers, guides and other personalized travel service providers who create personalized in-depth travel products and content for users.ADVERTISEMENTReviving consumer confidence: marketing matrix boosts travel consumption
As of December 2022, most countries have completely lifted pandemic-related travel restrictions, with travel once again at the top of the agenda. “Since 2022, dozens of global destinations have established Star Hub channel homepages on Ctrip to expand their reach to Chinese audiences. We have built out top destination lists, delivered hundreds of super destination promotions, destination-specific live streaming events, and facilitated the distribution of RMB 1 billion in travel consumption vouchers across 20 countries and regions to boost campaign destination orders. In 2023, we will continue to leverage the cultural travel economy to drive business,” said Mr. Sun on Trip.com Group’s expanded marketing offering.
Ahead of the upcoming outbound travel boom, Ctrip’s comprehensive marketing matrix is leading the way in connecting global destinations and Chinese travellers. The platform’s Ctrip Community and Star Hub channels enable destinations to engage with hundreds of millions of users every week. Partners can leverage this traffic together with promotions and cultural travel consumption vouchers to offer regular content and products through Ctrip Live, with over 200 million users on the platform. The product system will be updated through dynamic data to meet tourists’ needs.
Remodelling the industry ecosystem: building a global tourism data and resource sharing platform
Given the announcement of new policies and optimistic signals from the Chinese government, Trip.com Group is building a global tourism data and resource sharing platform, linking its brands, including Ctrip, in order to help global destinations to better welcome Chinese tourists again.
In regards to this new venture, Mr. Sun said: “We are opening up our airline ticketing and hotel resources to travel agencies around the world. In the short term, this will facilitate travel service providers to package and sell their products online, and help destinations to access the first cohorts of outbound Chinese tourists. Whilst in the long term, this platform will enable real time supply chain updates according to global traveller dynamics and product supply. As a tech-driven leading travel service provider, we believe we have the responsibility to drive industry progress through such developments and resource sharing.”
Reiterating corporate responsibility: promoting sustainable travel to hundreds of millions of users
In 2022, Trip.com Group released its first-ever Sustainable Travel Consumer Report, which found that sustainable travel is now a global trend at the forefront of travllers’ minds. Nearly 80% of respondents stated they attached great importance to sustainable environmental factors when travelling, and nearly 70% of respondents said they were willing to pay higher prices for more sustainable travel options.
In July this year, Trip.com Group launched its Green Tourism Goals. The ambitious plan includes launching more than 10,000 low-carbon travel products. Expanding on this, Mr. Sun introduced: “We have launched ‘green stays’ and ‘green car rentals’ on our Ctrip platform, and are currently working on launching ‘green flights’, ‘green corporate travel’ and ‘green trips’. We have a duty to develop sustainable travel for the future of the entire industry and to fulfil the tourism industry’s responsibility to the world.”

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5.6m people travelled through Heathrow in November, down from 5.9m in October. Over 55 million people have travelled through Heathrow already this year, which is nearly 70% of 2019 levels.We expect December will be busy and are looking forward to welcoming people heading off for their first Christmas with loved ones in three years. New York’s JFK is set to reclaim the crown of most popular route this Christmas.
The vast majority of travellers will be unaffected by Border Force strikes. We are doing everything we can to protect a full flight schedule on strike days, so departing passengers should expect to travel as normal. Arriving passengers with UK, EU, US, Canadian and some other passports will be able to use e-gates as usual and their journeys should be largely unaffected on strike days. Border Force has contingency measures to ensure other arriving passengers are cleared safely and as quickly as possible. We are continuing to support them to strengthen these plans so that as few people are impacted as possible. If passengers who cannot use e-gates are concerned about travelling during the strikes, their airline may be able to offer them alternative travel dates.
This Christmas is a time for celebration after three years of covid, so we will be bringing the fun back into festive travel. Our customer service and Here to Help teams will be on-hand to give a friendly welcome and provide any extra assistance passengers may need. This year, they will also be handing out 10,000 gifts to departing passengers – ranging from treats to enjoy on the journey, through to lounge access and flight vouchers.
The airport will be busy, especially during the peak getaway, and we will all be working hard to get passengers on their way.
These 12 handy tips can help people to speed through Heathrow like a pro this Christmas, including:ADVERTISEMENTArrive no earlier than three hours before long-haul flights, and two hours for short-haulBe ready for security: no liquids, creams or gels over 100ml, seal any liquids in the bags provided and ensure large electricals go in a separate trayCheck eligibility for and use eGates for a quicker journey when arriving back into the UKHeathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “We are ready to welcome millions of passengers heading off to enjoy the holidays with family and friends. We have extra people in the terminals on the busiest days, including me and my management team, to ensure we get people on their way as smoothly as possible and start to bring the joy back into travel. We are doing everything we can to protect full operating schedules on Border Force strike days and departing journeys and the vast majority of arriving journeys should be unaffected.”

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During COP15 in Montreal yesterday, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (the Alliance) announced a new collaboration which will bring together the public and private sectors in a shared vision to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.The vision sees the global Travel & Tourism sector supporting and inspiring governments, businesses, and society to implement the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and help to transform our relationship with the natural world.
Signatories to the vision have committed to adopt a nature positive approach to tourism through integrating biodiversity safeguards by reducing carbon emissions, the impact of pollution, the unsustainable use of resources, and by protecting and restoring nature and its wildlife.
This collaboration follows the release of WTTC’s ‘Nature Positive Travel & Tourism’ report, which was created jointly with ANIMONDIAL, and focuses on halting and reversing damage to nature so the living world can recover from its current depleted state. This involves minimising ongoing harm and taking positive action to restore nature to produce an overall benefit to biodiversity and help achieve Net Zero.
Almost 150 organisations have signed up to the vision so far including international hotel groups, tour operators, travel agents, destinations, and international wildlife charities.
Complementing the power of the private sector, UNWTO, as the voice of tourism at the global governance level, will work to bring governments and international organisations on board and announce the shared vision of tourism as a pillar of wildlife conservation and habitat protection.ADVERTISEMENTProgress will also be guided by UNWTO’s trusted data and analysis, including groundbreaking Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST) initiative and its growing International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO).
The vison forecasts a future where governments implement policies that integrate biodiversity safeguards throughout their operations and the supply chain. The vision will also enable the sector to take action to avoid or minimise negative impacts on nature and play a proactive role in the protection and restoration of biodiversity.
Integral to this will be an enhanced recognition of the importance of clean oceans for sector, with around 40% of the global ‘Blue Economy’ related to tourism, according to UNWTO data.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Travel and nature are intrinsically linked. Millions of people travel to explore nature and feel a connection they cannot get through computer screens. Whether it is hiking to see the mountain gorillas in Rwanda or snorkelling at the Red Sea, people want to see the world’s most amazing wildlife first hand. It restores the human soul.
“Wildlife tourism creates over $340BN USD each year and supports more than 21 million jobs around the world. Today’s collaboration between WTTC, UNWTO and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, spearheading the sector’s vision to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, shows our commitment to preserve the planet for future generations.”
Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director at UNWTO and Special Representative to the United Nations in Geneva said: “A people-centred agenda for biodiversity is the path towards a more sustainable tourism. As part of the broad Alliance of stakeholders for ‘Nature Positive Travel & Tourism’, UNWTO shows its commitment to the Global biodiversity Framework of COP15 – making tourism the Guardian of Nature.
“New governance and business models, enhanced capacity to monitor positive change and scaling up green jobs are all part of the solution as we move ahead together.”
Glenn Mandziuk, CEO at the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance said: “As an industry that relies on our natural world for everything from our buildings to attracting guests to outstanding locations across the globe, we recognise the immense importance of protecting our beautiful planet.
“Collaboration across sectors and across borders is essential to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. We are proud to partner with WTTC and UNWTO to help transition the industry’s relationship with nature and make Nature Positive Tourism a reality.”
The three bodies are calling on Travel & Tourism bodies to adopt the vision.

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Organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), “Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations” will be held on 31 December night (New Year’s Eve) to welcome 2023 together with the world.
A succession of energetic young performers will stage an exuberant performance through live broadcast and online livestreaming to welcome the New Year, featuring internationally-acclaimed young pianist Niu Niu (Zhang Shengliang), multiple-timeworld champion Hong Kong Rope Skipping Club, and local taiko drumming group Gekko, which has previously performed in many large-scale international events.
No on-site audience will be admitted
Online and TV audience can get prepared for the countdown moments with a 3D animation celebrating the city’s diversity and dynamics as the short film hypes up the countdown ambience with rhythmic drumming, dancing fires and exciting music.

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Abu Dhabi Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Project Set to Expand

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The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) to create a pre-release turtle rehabilitation area at Louvre Abu Dhabi, in the waters surrounding the museum. The project, which is the last step of the rehabilitation cycle before the marine animals are released back into the sea, is an extension of the EAD’s Wildlife Rescue Program in partnership with The National Aquarium, in line with Abu Dhabi’s existing conservation efforts to prepare the animals for release into Abu Dhabi’s waters in 2023.
The MOU, signed by HE Saeed Al Fazari, Strategic Affairs Executive Director at DCT Abu Dhabi and HE Ahmed Baharoon, Executive Director, Environmental Information Science and Outreach Management at Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi, aims to reinforce communication and cooperation between the involved parties and ensure effective collaboration on the project. The National Aquarium will provide valued expertise from the Wildlife Rescue Program to ensure the sea turtle rehabilitation area operates to the highest possible standard, under the supervision and guidance of EAD, and supported by DCT Abu Dhabi.
Reflective of the sea turtles’ natural habitat, Louvre Abu Dhabi was chosen as a suitable rehabilitation area for the marine animals to exercise and acclimatise in preparation for their eventual release. The area will be accessible to visitors, who can gain insight into the rehabilitation of the turtles through exhibits, workshops and curated events. 
HE Al Geziry, said: “The collaboration of government departments, environmental groups, and leading academics to work towards a common goal is a powerful formula for facilitating positive conservation outcomes. By signing an MoU with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, DCT Abu Dhabi is strengthening the strategic position of the emirate as a champion of critical sustainability issues. We are amplifying our ability to provide solutions to today’s challenges while collaborating with leading figures to benefit from new perspectives and to develop new solutions. By supporting this programme, which thus far has led to the rescue and release of more than 500 sea turtles, we are showcasing our conservation efforts and highlighting Abu Dhabi’s role in prioritizing sustainable tourism-focused initiatives.”
HE Dr. Al Dhaheri, , said: “We are very excited about this partnership with DCT Abu Dhabi for the establishment of a turtle rehabilitation area at Louvre Abu Dhabi. This project is a testament to the increased interest in environmental conservation and protection of our precious biodiversity by other government entities and highlights Abu Dhabi’s leading position as a centre for the propagation of species. ADVERTISEMENT“The turtle rehabilitation area will be overseen by EAD, and operated by The National Aquarium, whose experts will help rehabilitate the animals before they are released back into their natural habitats so that they can grow and breed, leading to an increase in their numbers. We would like the whole world to see and learn more about our biodiversity, which is varied and abundant, and Louvre Abu Dhabi offers the perfect location to achieve this goal.”
Manuel Rabaté, Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, said: “As a museum open to the sea, Louvre Abu Dhabi is committed to raise awareness on environmental sustainability and the preservation of the UAE’s natural ecosystem. It is a privilege for the museum to play a role in the turtles’ rehabilitation cycle, before they are released back into their natural habitat. This project is in line with the museum’s longstanding mission to honor our unique connection with the land and sea.”
Marine wildlife provides balance and stability to the natural ecosystem in the UAE. The goal of conservation and rehabilitation efforts is to ensure the survival of Abu Dhabi’s abundance of important yet fragile marine species whilst educating the public on living sustainably alongside these creatures.
The National Aquarium’s marine biologists will ensure the area operates at the highest level of safety, quality and professionalism in line with international benchmarks for best practice. EAD, as the main environmental regulator in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and an organisation with several rehabilitation programmes for the conservation of biodiversity will play an integral role in this project, leading all turtle releases back into their natural habitats. To date EAD and The National Aquarium have released over 400 turtles.
Additionally, as a partner in the project, DCT Abu Dhabi is playing a leading role in supporting eco-tourism initiatives catering to the essential conservation needs of protecting wildlife and promoting biodiversity in the emirate while appealing to the interests of international visitors and the domestic market.

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Heathrow has enlisted hundreds of ‘Little Here to Helpers’ to kick off the festive season for passengers by giving away 10,000 Christmas gifts.
The presents will be given out across all four terminals in the run up to new year in a bid spread Christmas cheer. All gifts will be from the airport’s shops, bars and restaurants and include free flights and lounge access, with other Christmas presents including Chanel perfumes, Pret breakfasts and designer makeup from World Duty Free.
This December will be the biggest Christmas getaway in three years. Over three million passengers are expected to travel through Heathrow in the last two weeks of the month for festive breaks at home and abroad – double that of the same period last year. Holidaymakers are split in what they look for in a winter trip, with the most popular destinations set to be chilly New York and sunny Dubai.
To further add to passengers’ Christmas spirit, Heathrow has launched an advent calendar on its website and app, containing offers for those travelling through the airport until 25th December. Behind the windows lie discounts from Heathrow shops, bonus points from Heathrow Rewards, exclusive World Duty Free promotions and deals on festive-inspired food and beverage menus.
Tonia Fielding, Director of Services at Heathrow said: ADVERTISEMENT“After three years of restricted travel, we are looking forward to welcoming millions of passengers who will be passing through Heathrow this December to go on festive breaks with family and friends. We have been working closely with all our partners across the airport to recruit more colleagues to provide a great airport experience. We want to ensure passengers can depart as they mean to go on and enjoy the holiday season from the moment they arrive at Heathrow. We hope our Little Here to Helpers will spread a bit of festive spirit this Christmas.”
Heathrow’s Little Here to Helpers are staffed from the airport’s Here to Help programme, which is now in its twelfth year and forms part of Heathrow’s efforts to ensure the very best airport experience for passengers. Over 750 Heathrow colleagues from non-operational and office-based roles took to the airport this summer to contribute 10,000 hours’ worth of additional customer support and help manage the pressures in the airport.
The Little Here To Helpers will be easily recognisable, donning purple Santa hats and located near one of the 25 Christmas trees spread across the terminals. Passengers just need to keep an eye out to kick start their festivities ahead of their flight.
Try Heathrow’s advent calendar at https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airport/advent-calendar.

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New data from travel technology company IBS Software reveals that despite more than two thirds (68%) of passengers being inconvenienced by disrupted journeys since COVID travel restrictions were lifted and 66% expecting more of the same during upcoming trips, most (83%) still plan on flying for a break in the next six months.The research, which polled 2000 recent travellers in the UK and US*, warns that holiday providers have one more chance to get it right; if holidaymakers experience disruptions again during their upcoming trips, over half (55%) will avoid booking with the airline in the future. When asked who they blame for their poor experiences, 50% said it was the fault of the airlines when flights were delayed, with just 13% blaming the airport. However, when it comes to lost luggage the jury is out – 42% say it’s the airport’s responsibility and 40% are seething at the airline.
Delayed flights or missed connections was the most common holiday hurdle, affecting over a third of all passengers (35%), followed closely by waiting in longer than normal queues (31%) and cancelled flights (15%). Lost luggage, which dominated the news headlines in the Summer, is confirmed by the research as a major annoyance, blighting nearly 1 in 7 passengers’ holidays over the last 18 months.
Despite a clear desire to travel, passengers won’t accept more disruption without protest. If passengers find out their journey is going to be disrupted, 53% will complain to the airline and 38% will use social media to broadcast their annoyance. And if an airline doesn’t have a reputation for punctuality they’re likely to lose out with 93% of travellers saying this is an important factor when deciding which airline to buy from.
However, there is still an opportunity for airlines to win back the loyalty of their passengers. When terminal turmoil occurs, passengers can be placated by automatic refunds when eligible; proactive customer support to suggest alternative routes; and automatic alerts on their phone when something goes wrong. As one passenger who took the survey commented: “Just actually organise yourselves properly, there’s no excuse for all the disruption”.
Philip Hinton, SVP, IBS Software, comments: “The pent-up desire to travel was always going to put airlines and airports under extreme pressure – and so it proved, with widespread disruption plaguing many long-anticipated journeys. Airlines know this is a major issue and we are seeing them prioritising on-time performance and customer satisfaction because the widespread issues have directly impacted business performance.”ADVERTISEMENT

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Ontario International named the fastest-growing airport in the U.S. for the fifth straight year

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The accolades keep rolling in for Ontario International Airport (ONT), the gateway for choice for millions of Southern California air travelers and now, for the fifth straight year, the fastest-growing airport in the United States
The ranking is based on a survey of frequent travelers by Global Traveler, a magazine geared to business and luxury fliers who travel extensively in the U.S. and abroad, and comes as ONT is poised to reach its highest annual passenger volumes since 2008. Ontario is on track to serve a quarter of a million more passengers this year than the 5.6 million recorded during the last pre-pandemic year of 2019, making it one of the fastest-recovering airports in the U.S.
Being a member of Global Traveler’s five-time club puts ONT in rarified air and underscores the airport’s emergence as one of the industry’s great success stories since its return to local ownership six years ago. Ontario also is one of the Top 10 cargo airports in North America and a major economic driver in Southern California, generating $3.8 billion in activity, supporting 27,800 jobs and serving as the hub for a global supply chain network that generates $17.8 billion in economic output.
“We’ve committed to establishing Ontario International as a premier aviation gateway, and are thrilled with the response we’ve received from the community and region we serve. Being recognized as the fastest-growing airport in the U.S. is something we’re very proud of, but what matters most is being able to offer our travelers a safe, convenient airport experience they won’t get anywhere else,” said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Commissioners.
Atif Elkadi, OIAA chief executive officer, noted that 10 million Southern Californians live or work closer to ONT than any other airport.ADVERTISEMENT“We appreciate the trust our community has put in us and recognize the responsibility that comes with that to grow the right way. As we look ahead to 2023 and beyond, that partnership with the community and the region will allow us to add more flights, more destinations and enhanced customer-experience amenities that matter to travelers from across the Inland Empire and Southern California,” Elkadi said.

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