Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

Although small in size, Iceland is a formidable world leader in harnessing clean, renewable energy. The tiny island generates its power from just two sustainable sources: hydropower, drawn from waterways and glaciers; and geothermal, which is fueled by the country’s 600 natural hot springs. The latter is what heats almost every home in Iceland. Soaking in the warm, healing, mineral-rich geothermal water is also a beloved Icelandic tradition, and Sky Lagoon harnesses the full potential of this natural energy source.
“Growing up in Iceland you are very connected to nature. Sky Lagoon is embracing the nature of Iceland,” said Gestur Thorisson, founding partner along with Eythor Gudjonsson. “Icelanders understand the importance of living in a sustainable way. It came naturally to us to keep sustainability at the heart of the design and construction of Sky Lagoon.”
Achieving Sky Lagoon’s eco-friendly, award-winning architectural design required meticulous planning, including in-depth consultation with local industry experts. It took a holistic approach to the build and launch, analysing every element of construction, spa operations and the food and beverage programme. Clean, renewable energy is, of course, central to Sky Lagoon’s sustainability strategy, and the facility reuses, reduces and recycles it wherever possible.

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ABTA responds to Transport Secretary’s comments

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ABTA – The Travel Association has responded to the comments from Transport Secretary today about the travel difficulties some people have experienced this week.
Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive from ABTA – The Travel Association said:
“The return of international travel after two years of heavy government restrictions on the industry, and minimal levels of financial support was never going to happen without challenge. While the vast majority of people have been able to get away on holiday this week, it is of course disappointing for those who have been caught up in delays or who have seen their travel plans cancelled. ABTA has been providing advice and guidance to customers throughout this time, appearing on national and local radio and TV to put the issues into context and advise consumers of their rights.
“The comments from the Government this week are deeply frustrating and do not correlate with the events of the last two years. ABTA, along with the rest of the industry, warned the Government time and time again that thousands of jobs would be lost, and the industry’s recovery would be delayed if the Government did not provide sector-specific support for the travel industry.
“The lack of recognition from Government that it was only March this year when all UK travel restrictions had been lifted, despite furlough being reduced from July 2021 and then removed altogether in September, is particularly disappointing.ADVERTISEMENT“We have been in touch directly with the government to share our dismay with Ministerial comments this week, and to urge officials to look at how red tape in the recruitment process can be reduced to help the sector. It is welcome the Transport Secretary has committed to engagement with the industry and it is vitally important that any conversations involve the wider travel industry alongside airports and airlines.”

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According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) visitors from overseas are pouring into the UK to join the celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
As the UK gears up to celebrate, new data from WTTC’s partner ForwardKeys shows the number of arriving tourists from key overseas markets and leading Commonwealth countries, such as Singapore, Australia and Canada, are all up this week compared to last week by 19%, 6% and 2% respectively.
Indeed, the UK Travel & Tourism sector has gone from strength to strength during Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year long reign.
The Queen herself is estimated to have travelled to some 120 countries since her first trip to Kenya in 1952, uniting communities around the world.
And since the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, analysis by WTTC shows that 20 years later, the number of people employed in the UK Travel & Tourism sector has soared by 49%.ADVERTISEMENTIn 2002, 9.1% of jobs in the UK were in Travel & Tourism. This year the percentage has grown to 11.7%, with a high of 12% in 2019.
In terms of economic value to the UK economy, the UK Travel & Tourism sector has also risen by 13%, from £190bn to £215bn this year – and reached an impressive £235bn before the pandemic struck in 2019.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “The Queen is a global ambassador and has brought huge wealth to this country.
“Over the last 20 years she has presided over a period of incredible expansion in Travel & Tourism – attracting visitors to our shores and inspiring us to visit the world with open hearts and minds.
“We congratulate Her Majesty as we join the country in celebrating her Platinum Jubilee and pay tribute to her journey of exploration and friendship to communities near and far.”
While WTTC data shows the success story of the UK Travel & Tourism sector over the last 20 years, the data also details its struggle since the pandemic and the severe impact of the travel restrictions.
The Jubilee celebrations open a new chapter as tourists start returning. 
WTTC data shows international visitor spend had climbed from £23.3bn in 2002 to more than £36bn in 2019 but had slumped back to just £3.9bn in 2021 due to the impact of the pandemic.

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Ko ‘Kai-Hua-Ro’ (Laughing Island)
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched the “Laughing Island Conqueror vs Low-carbon Footprint Traveller” initiative in the eastern province of Trat, offering a fun way for tourists to help protect nature and the environment as they explore this beautiful part of Thailand.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said “This exciting new initiative is focused on creating awareness and understanding among tourists of the ‘carbon footprint’ from their daily activities and travels. It encourages them to partake in responsible tourism, a key element of the “Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters” campaign.”
The “Laughing Island Conqueror vs Low-carbon Footprint Traveller” initiative invites tourists to visit a unique routing in Trat covering Ko Mak (low-carbon destination) – Ko Kradat (Safari Island) – Ko ‘Kai-Hua-Ro’ (Laughing Island) from May to July 2022.
During their trip, tourists will be encouraged to use a CF Calculator application – created and developed by the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation – to record their travel pattern, distance, tourism activities, and daily consumption of food.  The application will then calculate their personal greenhouse gas emissions in an annual term.
With their personal greenhouse gas emissions in mind, the initiative is expected to encourage tourists to seek ways to reduce their personal carbon footprint. For example, tourists can choose to walk to the ‘Laughing Island’ instead of taking a small boat. They can also choose to eat food that is based on organic products and uses no chemicals in the production process. Or they can choose to eat food that uses locally produced ingredients, and in the process help reduce greenhouse gasses from the otherwise transportation and importation of ingredients.ADVERTISEMENTBy being mindful for their carbon footprint, tourists can play a part in helping reduce waste and activities that can contribute to the greenhouse effect, PM2.5 dust, and climate change, all of which have an impact on natural resources and the health and wellbeing of people. This can be done both while on their holiday in Trat and to continue this approach when they return home.
All tourists who take part in the “Laughing Island Conqueror VS Low-carbon Footprint Traveller” initiative will receive a certificate from TAT, specially designed by a cartoonist from ‘Kai-Hua-Ror’, a long-established cartoon magazine in Thailand known for its cartoon characters and laugh gags.
The certificate will show they have conquered the “Laughing Island” and visited Ko Mak, a pilot low-carbon destination that draw on the practices of the Bioeconomy, Circular Economy, and Green Economy ideals, or the BCG model. And, that they understand the carbon footprint and are responsible tourists.
To receive a certificate, tourists can send a photo of themselves taken on “Laughing Island” together with their CF Calculator result to the TAT Trat Office or via www.fb.com/tattratoffice by 31 July, 2022.
Thailand is considered Asia’s Leading Cultural Destination 2021 by World Travel Awards.

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The Yukon Sustainable Tourism Observatory, hosted by the Government of Yukon, will identify, measure and interpret sustainable tourism conditions to guide evidence-based decision making. This will help the Yukon to better deal with post-pandemic recovery and future growing, ensuring the sector is managed in a sustainable and responsible manner.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “We warmly welcome the Yukon into our growing global network of observatories. The Observatory can help Yukon to better manage its tourism sector, recovering and growing back more sustainably for the benefit of visitors and residents alike.”
Inclusive future for Yukon tourismThe Yukon is one of Canada’s vast northern territories with a strong and burgeoning tourism industry. The Yukon Tourism Development Strategy “Sustainable Tourism. Our path. Our Future. 2018-2028” called for the establishment of a framework to measure progress on the sustainable tourism development goals in accordance with the vision, goals and actions of the Strategy. Within this context, Yukon pursued the establishment of an observatory on sustainable tourism within the INSTO Framework, with the aim to provide the sector with knowledge on the state of sustainability to make informed decisions and investments.
Minister of Tourism and Culture of Yukon, Ranj Pillai says: “We are very proud to join this prestigious and important network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories as Canada’s first northern member. The Yukon Sustainable Tourism Framework will drive the shift towards sustainable tourism development in the Yukon by bringing the sector together to better understand the impacts of tourism and guide our decision making for the benefit of all Yukoners.”
Minister of Environment of Yukon, Nils Clarke, adds: “The Yukon government is honoured to receive this international recognition for the vital and groundbreaking work being done to address climate change in the territory. Together with the Our Clean Future Strategy, Yukon’s Sustainable Tourism Framework commits us to alignment with global best practices and promotes a balance between economic, social and environmental values.”ADVERTISEMENTThe Yukon Sustainable Tourism Observatory is the second Observatory in Canada, after the Thompson Okanagan Sustainable Tourism Observatory and brings the worldwide total to 31.
About INSTOThe UNWTO International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) was created in 2004 with the main objectives to support the continuous improvement of sustainability and resilience in the tourism sector through systematic, timely and regular monitoring of tourism performance and to connect dedicated destinations, helping them to exchange and improve knowledge and understanding about destination-wide resource use and the responsible management of tourism.

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Dubai consolidated its status as a global cultural hub and investment destination, ranking first in the MENA region and second in the world in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the cultural and creative industries (CCI) in 2021, revealed Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and member of the Dubai Council. Her Highness said Dubai’s emergence as a magnet for FDI in the sector has been driven by the farsighted vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
According to the Dubai FDI Monitor report, published by the Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI), an agency of the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai attracted 233 new projects in the creative economy in 2021. Surpassing other major cities such as New York, Singapore and Berlin, Dubai improved its rankings from fifth in the previous year. The report was based on data from the Financial Times’ ‘fDi Markets,’ the world’s leading data source on greenfield FDI projects.
HH Sheikha Latifa said: “These results reflect the maturity and stability of the investment environment in the emirate’s creative economy. Dubai has created outstanding FDI opportunities in the sector by building a robust ecosystem and an advanced business-enabling infrastructure for creative entrepreneurs.
“By fostering an environment that promotes learning, development, and innovation, Dubai has developed a vibrant global creative community. Its unique social fabric that has evolved out of the emirate’s remarkable cultural diversity and its comprehensive human-centred development process has further supported the growth of Dubai’s creative economy.”
Data from Dubai FDI Monitor indicates significant growth in foreign investment in the cultural and creative industries. The sector’s estimated value of FDI capital flows exceeded AED4.9 billion in 2021. The rise in FDI inflow and rankings reflect the enhanced attractiveness of the emirate’s creative economy. In terms of the number of new jobs in the creative economy, Dubai held on to its top rank regionally and fourth globally with 6,204 new jobs created from FDI.ADVERTISEMENTA magnet for FDIHH Sheikha Latifa said Dubai has witnessed a remarkable rise in FDI capital flows in the creative economy during the past five years. In the 2017-21 five-year period, the emirate’s creative economy witnessed FDI capital inflows of AED50.9 billion across 787 projects. This increase follows the directives and initiatives of Dubai’s wise leadership to make the emirate a destination for creativity and talent through innovative infrastructure, laws and legislation. The results are now a tangible and sustainable reality in the development journey, as envisioned by the leadership.
According to the Dubai FDI Monitor report, these projects created 32,542 new jobs during the five-year period. Dubai ranks fifth globally in terms of projects, eighth in terms of FDI capital flows into the creative economy, and fourth in terms of jobs created during the past five years, data from Financial Times Ltd ‘fDi Markets’ shows.
Her Highness further said: “Dubai’s success in continuously enhancing the well-being of its citizens, residents, and visitors and elevating the quality of services provided to them has raised the global creative community’s confidence in the emirate and made it a preferred global business, lifestyle, and entertainment destination.”
A futuristic global hub for the creative economyHer Excellency Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture, said the Authority continues to reinforce the foundations to open new horizons for the various components of the emirate’s creative economy and cement its position on the global scene as an ideal investment destination. “At Dubai Culture, we continue to work to enhance Dubai’s position on the global creative economy map and support and attract talent by developing mechanisms, strategies, legislative frameworks, regulations and policies that ensure ease of doing business in creative fields. We also continue to explore partnerships with government, semi-government and private entities, experts, consultants, and creative sector representatives to create new opportunities that ensure prosperity for all. We endeavour to consolidate the emirate’s position as a global destination for investment in the cultural and creative industries.”
“2021 witnessed increased inflows of FDI capital into Dubai’s creative economy despite the pandemic, which reflects the emirate’s flexibility and readiness to face all challenges, nurture talent and help businesses maintain their stability, sustainability and competitiveness,” Badri added.
His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, stressed that Dubai’s regional and global pre-eminence in FDI attraction stems from the vision and guidance of the leadership to build a diversified economy based on knowledge and innovation. “The cultural and creative industries today are among the most attractive for investments, advanced technologies, and talent. The sector has contributed greatly to Dubai achieving the top global ranking in attracting greenfield FDI projects in 2021,” added AlMarri.
Fahad Al Gergawi, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai FDI, stressed that Dubai’s cultural and creative industries sector has increased its attractiveness to all forms of FDI, including greenfield FDI projects, FDI Reinvestment projects, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As), Joint-Ventures, and New Forms of Investments (NFIs), in addition to Venture Capital (VC) Backed FDI. “The Dubai FDI Monitor data provides a comprehensive analysis of FDI projects in Dubai’s economic sectors. It helps the strategic planning process for enhancing Dubai’s attractiveness for FDI, as well as the FUSpromotion, facilitation and the provision of specialised and reliable services to the investor community,” Al Gergawi said.
According to ‘Dubai FDI Monitor’ data, Greenfield FDI accounted for 71% of the total FDI projects in Dubai’s cultural and creative industries in 2021, followed by Mergers & Acquisitions projects (12% of the total), Reinvestment FDI projects (9%), New Forms of Investments (5%) and Joint Venture (2%).
Dubai Culture is working with its strategic partners to develop an effective framework that will enhance the growth of Dubai’s culture and arts sector and raise its contribution to the emirate’s GDP. It is supported by the full activation of Dubai Culture’s founding law, which stipulates its role as a policymaker, regulator, and enabler of this sector in the emirate.
Dubai is considered the World’s Leading Business Travel Destination 2021 by World Travel Awards.

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The government has published Flightpath to the future – its strategic framework for the future of aviation for the next 10 years.
Luke Petherbridge, Director of Public Affairs, ABTA commented:
“We welcome the publication of the Department for Transport’s new Aviation Strategy which sets out a framework for the recovery and future success of the UK’s world-leading travel industry. As we emerge from the crisis, there are many critical challenges ahead, including rebuilding consumer confidence, driving forward the sustainability agenda, and ensuring travel remains an attractive place to work. Constructive and regular engagement between industry and Government will be required to tackle these challenges successfully, and we particularly welcome the formation of the Aviation Council which will help to facilitate an ongoing dialogue. ABTA looks forward to engaging to ensure the views of the wider travel industry are heard and understood.”

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In the luxury travel market, there has been an influx of consumer travel trends as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes a boom in private aviation services at the high end of the market, remote working from overseas locations and demand for private buyouts of large villas or boutique hotels, finds GlobalData.
The leading data and analytics company’s latest report, ‘Luxury Travel Market Trend and Analysis of Traveller Types, Key Destinations, Challenges and Opportunities, 2022 Update’ reveals that as luxury travellers resume travelling both domestically and abroad in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, they may begin to seek experiences that are more immersive and more exceptional than in previous years.
Hannah Free, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “With travellers determined to make up for lost time, 2022 could see an increase in holiday budgets for luxury travellers, with an uptick in demand for ‘once in a lifetime’ adventures. According to a GlobalData poll, when respondents were asked if their holiday budgets had changed due to COVID-19, 16% reported that their budgets were ‘a lot higher than pre-COVID-19’, while 12% of respondents stated that their budgets were ‘slightly higher than pre-COVID-19’.”
Despite the demand for luxury travel, there is a growing demographic of socially conscious, high-net-worth consumers who are rejecting overt displays of wealth in favor of inconspicuous and responsible consumption. Their approach to luxury is driven by ethical living, artisanship, authenticity and sustainability. Experience is the new currency for these holidaymakers, who seek self-fulfillment through greener travel and eco holidays, while wanting to ‘do good’ for people and the planet. If luxury travel brands ignore this trend, it could put them at tremendous risk of total disconnect with an audience who are looking for sustainable options.
“While COVID-19 has changed many aspects of luxury travel, there are still several defining features which sets the sector apart from mass market tourism. This includes hyper-personalisation, exclusivity, unique experiences, intuitive service and the ever important ‘human touch’ element.”ADVERTISEMENT

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