Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

“It is ridiculous that the Government is trying to pass the buck to the travel industry”, claims AITO
Chris Rowles, AITO Chairman announces:  “We’ve had enough.  The Government is playing the blame game, and trying to pass the buck to the wider travel industry.
“But everyone in travel, including AITO specialist tour operators and AITO specialist travel agents, has suffered hugely during the two long years of Covid.  This has been caused largely by three key linked factors.
“The current airport issues are, in the main part, firstly due to the Government’s stop/start policy in relation to overseas travel and, secondly, due to its total lack of sector-specific support for the travel industry over the past two years.
“The third key factor is Government’s total lack of understanding of the travel industry, despite our huge efforts to get these key messages through to the five government bodies to which the travel industry reports.”ADVERTISEMENTOther important areas for which Government must take responsibility include, AITO claims:
Airlines being instructed by Government to return to 70% capacity by now, ie summer 2022, from pretty much a standing start.  This means that they have to sell the capacity created or risk failing.The very long security-check process for airport staff.  It took far too long for the Government to agree that new recruits could be trained during the security-checking process to save time. This is finally now in place, but airports are so far behind that they can’t easily make up for the lost time.
Skilled overseas workers being denied relevant visas despite a huge shortage of supply in respect of a wide range of travel-related occupations.  Travel leaders asked Government to consider this option only last week; the request was turned down by Government.
In addition to the key points above, the travel industry is also faced with the following issues that hinder recovery:
(a) Airport and airline workers suffering from Covid sickness and not being able to work, causing increased flight cancellations, longer security checks and baggage handling problems at the airport. 
(b) Travellers being urged by the CAA to use their ATOL-protected deferred holiday vouchers before the end of September or to risk losing their financial protection, causing a huge rush to book, evidently without any consideration by the CAA of the knock-on impact caused at airports already under stress.
(c)  The relatively unattractive job market in travel – experienced workers across all roles who were made redundant by the travel and airline industries in the 24-month period of zero financial income have, of course, now mostly found new roles in different sectors, and are unwilling to return to a high-pressure, relatively lowly-paid industry with long and unsocial working hours and often poor working conditions.
(d) Brexit forced large numbers of EU workers in the travel industry to return to Europe, causing massive shortages in the travel workforce. 
Says Chris Rowles:  “Government, please hold up your hands and acknowledge your major part in the airport chaos that reigns at present.”
“Consumers are, quite rightly, protesting about changes and cancellations to their holiday flights, but the issues need to be clearly explained.  Tour operators and travel agents have, unfortunately, no influence whatsoever over airlines (easyJet and British Airways, for example) and their schedules.  That said, we are working extremely hard to amend arrangements and to keep our clients informed.  We answer our phones and we email our customers (unlike the airlines), and are doing our utmost to help clients in a difficult scenario which is absolutely not of our making.”

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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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