Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

ABTA says hundreds of thousands of people will be heading abroad this half term for winter sun and ski trips, as families look to make the most of the relaxation of travel rules.
Members are reporting that Turkey, the Canary Islands, Egypt and Portugal are popular for short haul trips, while departures to Dubai, Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean have sold well for longer haul holidays.
Ski resorts in France, Italy and Switzerland are also popular for those taking to the slopes this half term.
A snapshot of some of the biggest airports shows 200,000 passengers are set to depart from Stansted between February 11-18, plus a further 186,000 from Gatwick, and 160,000 from Manchester, in addition to around 90,000 leaving from Luton, 55,000 from Bristol and 17,000 from East Midlands airport.
According to Eurostar, more than 125,000 travellers are booked to travel between the UK and the continent during the school holiday.ADVERTISEMENTABTA says the removal of all tests for fully vaccinated adults and under-18s on return to the UK makes foreign travel much easier, including significant savings on the cost of tests.
Graeme Buck, director of communications at ABTA, said: “Today’s changes to the travel rules are the start of a new chapter for the travel industry’s recovery.
“Testing has been one of the biggest barriers to travel, so it’s hugely welcome that the process of travelling abroad is now much cheaper and easier for millions of UK holidaymakers.
“It’s great to see so many families treating themselves to some quality time together this February half term and now that the UK’s restrictions have eased, we expect many more will feel confident to travel and will start to plan their summer break.
“We expect to see increasing numbers of people turning to travel professionals to help them plan their trips, as they recognise their invaluable knowledge of the latest travel requirements and their expertise in finding the best holiday for them at a competitive price.”
More Information
As travel to the UK becomes much easier, other countries still have their own entry requirements and local measures to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
ABTA is advising holidaymakers to regularly check the latest requirements for their destination.

Older
Gatwick to reopen south terminal next month

Newer
MAG preparing for bumper half term traveller numbers More

The plight of Scottish travel businesses has been laid bare by the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA), as travel agencies stand empty on what is traditionally the biggest holiday purchase day of the year.
In pre-pandemic times, Scots flocked to book their summer holidays in the period between Christmas and New Year following the major travel operators’ adverts which are always released on Boxing Day.
But today, when high street travel agencies open to the public after the Christmas break, enquiries and bookings are at a virtual standstill.
Research on pre pandemic years’ booking patterns shows that the number of daily travel bookings made in all countries increased by between nine and 62 per cent in the days after Christmas, with some surging by 69 per cent in the post-Christmas week.
Similar rises could also be seen in the first week of the new year.ADVERTISEMENTOf UK residents, 25 per cent book their main holiday four to six months in advance of departure and 28 per cent book between 7 and 12 months before.
Joanne Dooey, president of the SPAA, said: “There’s no Christmas bonus for the travel sector this December.
“There is no post-holiday spike for Scottish travel agents, as holidaymakers’ confidence in travel has been shattered over the last 20 months.
“This will push travel agents who have fought tirelessly for almost two years to save their businesses to the edge.
“In 2021, travel agencies were operating at just 22 per cent of their previous annual revenue compared to pre Covid-19 yet their fixed costs remained the same.
“Many of our members tell us they were operating at ten per cent or less of previous years.
“Travel agents have become administrators; rebooking and issuing refunds while receiving no revenue and no grant support to help.
“We support those in all industries which have been told there is grant support there for them.
“But travel agencies are being pushed out of business by stealth.
“Restrictions around travel have been oppressively stringent, meaning people have no confidence in travelling.”
Dooey added: “We need a structured plan to be drawn up by the Scottish government in full consultation with all aspects of the travel industry which supports the future of Scottish travel rather than allowing it to wither and die.”

Older
Expo 2020 prepares for Vietnam national day

Newer
Norse Atlantic Airways prepares for take-off More

The World Travel & Tourism Council has argued the year-on-year recovery in the UK may only claw back a third, while international travel spending continues to plummet.
Latest research from the body shows the recovery has been severely delayed by the lack of spending from international visitors.
WTTC blames strict travel restrictions, such as the destructive ‘traffic light’ system, for wreaking havoc on the sector.
Now, despite its highly successful vaccine rollout, the UK is set to record further losses in inbound visitor spending than the previous year, during which international travel ground to an almost complete standstill.
At the current rate of recovery, WTTC research shows the UK sector’s contribution to the nation’s economy could rise year on year by just under a third (32 per cent) in 2021, broadly in line with the global average of 31 per cent.ADVERTISEMENTHowever, research conducted by the global tourism body goes on to show the increase has been primarily spurred on by the recent boom in domestic travel, with domestic spending growth set to experience a year-on-year rise of 49 per cent in 2021.
While this surge in domestic travel has provided a much-needed boost, it will not be enough to achieve a full economic recovery and save millions of jobs still under threat.
The research reveals that international spending is predicted to plunge by nearly half on 2020 figures – one of the worst years on record for the tourism sector – making the UK one of the worst performing countries in the world.
While other countries, such as China and the United States, are set to see a rise in inbound international travel spending this year, the UK lags behind and continues to record significant losses.
Severe travel restrictions, ever-changing policies, and barriers to travel to the UK, such as the current requirement for visitors to take an expensive day two PCR test after arriving in the country, have had their toll.
Julia Simpson, WTTC chief executive, said: “WTTC research shows that while the global tourism sector is beginning to recover, the UK continues to suffer big losses due to continuing travel restrictions that are tougher than the rest of Europe.
“Despite government announcements the UK still has a red list, costly PCR tests and a requirement for day two tests which simply put people off travel.
“Just as the world opens up the UK has more requirements for the double vaccinated than our neighbours.”

Older
Pullman Singapore Orchard to open next year More

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has repeated its call on the UK government to finally bring an end to the “widely discredited” travel traffic light system.
The call comes after the latest update which saw just seven countries added to the green list, with Thailand, a popular winter sun destination for holiday starved Brits, and Montenegro, added to the red list.
Turkey, widely expected to be able to welcome British visitors stayed in no-go red, seriously damaging its travel sector.
WTTC says both consumers and tourism businesses have lost confidence in the system.
It condemns the endless chopping and changing of countries that causes confusion, and only benefits an unregulated market of costly test suppliers, the body said.ADVERTISEMENTThe global tourism body says planning for most businesses – and holidaymakers – had been rendered next to impossible by the 51st change announced today.
WTTC says the time has come to ditch these disruptive updates completely and allow all those fully vaccinated to travel freely once more – unless travelling to a red-list country.
Travel should be allowed with testing – for the unvaccinated – to ensure those who are unable to get vaccinated are not discriminated against.
PCRs should be replaced with the more affordable antigen tests.
However, if the UK government continues to insist on costly and unnecessary PCR tests, it should bear the cost instead of passing it on to consumers, which deters Britons from travelling.
Costly testing is putting travel out of the reach of hard-working families and returning it to the preserve of the wealthy.
Julia Simpson, WTTC chief executive, said: “The traffic light system is widely discredited. It puts the UK at a disadvantage and is squandering the vaccine dividend.
“This is the 51st change in a baffling array of travel bans. Holidaymakers are confused and frustrated.
The UK government is seriously damaging the tourism sector which in turn supports thousands of businesses and jobs.
“The UK government appears to have no exit plan.
“The Global Travel Taskforce, set up to oversee these haphazard travel restrictions must set out a clear strategy to recover normal travel.
“Nowhere should be off limits to anyone in the UK who is fully vaccinated, except in exceptional circumstances.”

Older
World Routes to return to Milan in October More

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is calling upon the US government to urgently speed up approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine to help restore vital transatlantic travel.
The Centre for Disease Control (CDC), the main health authority in the US, this week approved the Pfizer vaccine.
However, it still does not currently recognise AstraZeneca as an approved Covid-19 vaccine.
Even if the Biden Administration allows borders to reopen, the non-recognition of AstraZeneca will be a significant barrier to transatlantic travel between the UK and the US, the WTTC said.
America will effectively remain off-limits to the majority of Brits – and many millions more around the world – who are vaccinated with the AstraZeneca drug.ADVERTISEMENTAstraZeneca has the largest global reach of all current vaccines and has currently been administered across 176 countries and territories, highlighting the importance of its approval in the US.
WTTC says CDC non-recognition will continue to seriously depress consumer demand and prevent any meaningful revival of transatlantic travel from the UK to the US.
It will also continue the serious knock-on effects throughout the tourism sector on both sides of the Atlantic.
United States carrier JetBlue recently launched its first transatlantic flights from New York to London, while Aer Lingus, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines are all due to add new routes or extra capacity to cater to increased demand from the US to the UK.
Virginia Messina, WTTC senior vice president, said: “It’s crucial the US authorities step forward to formally approve the AstraZeneca vaccine as a matter of urgency to enable cross-border mobility and the return of transatlantic travel between the UK and US.
“Unless they give it the green light then the US will effectively remain closed to the vast majority of UK visitors and the many millions around the world who are double-jabbed with the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“This will leave airlines, cruise lines, tour operators, hotels and the entire tourism infrastructure, which depends upon transatlantic travel, in significant trouble for the foreseeable future.”
WTTC warns that the current CDC approval process could take months to give AstraZeneca the all clear.

Older
Gatwick seeks to become two runway airport

Newer
New sales leadership for Sofitel Dubai the Palm More

The Annual Visitor Attractions Survey from VisitEngland shows the severe impact on visitor attractions from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Released today, the study shows with a 65 per cent drop in visitors overall compared to 2019 and a 55 per cent decline in revenue.
These declines were driven by site closures associated with lockdowns and opening restrictions and the significant contraction of inbound and domestic tourism in 2020.
The fall in visitor numbers last year to England’s attractions was most marked for museums and galleries, other historic properties and places of worship, many of which rely on overseas visitors.
Outdoor attractions such as country parks, wildlife attractions/zoos and gardens showed the smallest decreases.
Overall rural attractions fared best last year with admissions dropping by 47 per cent compared to a 74 per cent decline for urban.
Indoor attractions saw a larger decline in admissions in 2020 than outdoor with decreases of 76 per cent and 43 per cent respectively, partly due to lockdown restrictions delaying their reopening but also people being more reluctant to visit indoor attractions.ADVERTISEMENTRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, was the most visited paid for attraction in England last year with 1.2 million visitors, the first time a garden has taken the top spot, although numbers were still down almost half on 2019, followed by Chester Zoo and RHS Garden Wisley.
The Tower of London, which had ranked first since 2009, saw an 85 per cent decrease from 3 million visitors in 2019 to 448,000 in 2020, dropping to tenth place.
Topping the list of free attractions in England was the Tate Modern with 1.4 million visitors, a 77 per cent drop on 2019, followed by the Natural History Museum with 1.3 million, a 76 per cent drop, and the British Museum 1.28 million, an 80 per cent drop.
Tourism minister, Nigel Huddleston, said: “I know what a challenging year it’s been for our brilliant tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors.
“Tourism is one of our country’s greatest assets, driving our economy and delivering jobs across our communities.”
The survey, which gathered information from 1,301 English attractions, also showed the impact from the absence of international visitors in 2020 with a drop of 93 per cent in overseas visitor numbers.
Image: Philippe Gras

Older
Which? finds refund debacle could cause permanent reputational damage

Newer
Praise for Air France leisure-focused strategy More

Qatar Tourism and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) UK & Ireland have announced a new partnership.
The deal is designed to enhance brand awareness of the country across the region and with wider community of cruise lines, travel agents and stakeholders.
As part of the partnership, Qatar Tourism will be one of the main headline sponsors of the CLIA Selling Cruise Day on November 4th in Southampton and will also sponsor the annual CLIA Cruise Forum in December 2021.
An extensive tourism development is under way in Qatar as the country works to diversify and build upon its offerings and broaden its appeal for visitors ahead of and beyond the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and achieve its long-term goal of becoming a world-class destination and welcome more than six million visitors a year by 2030.
As of July, Qatar re-opened its borders to fully vaccinated international travellers by vaccines approved for use by the ministry of public health. ADVERTISEMENTAndy Harmer, CLIA UK & Ireland managing director, said: “We’re very excited to welcome Qatar Tourism to the CLIA family.
“Their support for the trade is a clear indication they are looking to build positive cruise momentum.
“The region was proving increasingly popular with cruisers and we’re all looking forward to seeing ships start visiting the exceptional facilities of the Doha port and its surroundings again.”
In 2019/2020, Qatar welcomed 207,000 cruise visitors to Doha.
With the Doha port undergoing a multi-million-pound refurbishment recently, the destination has set its sights on meeting and exceeding this number moving forward in the 2021/2022 season, starting November.

Older
Black Diamond to represent Slovenia in UK

Newer
Mauritius on track for full tourism reopening in October More

ABTA will launch a replacement version of its Single Payment System to members later this year.
The technology has been developed by Travel Ledger.
The direct debit system allows fast online payments between travel agents and tour operators. 
Transactions are consolidated by the payment scheme, so that each week only a single payment is made in or out of each member’s bank account.
Under the new, more efficient scheme ABTA members will have control over their payments, not only who they transact with, but also by facilitating deposit and balance payments from travel agents to tour operators, and refunds from operators to agents.ADVERTISEMENTOver time, members who join the scheme will have the opportunity to process payments more frequently with the potential for more than the one cycle per week that the current scheme allows.
After evaluating multiple systems, ABTA chose to partner with Travel Ledger because of its technology knowhow and understanding of the travel industry. 
The new system has been tested by ABTA member focus groups over the last few months, allowing Members to review and refine the scheme and ensure it works for their requirements.
It will use the same process as on the older platform, to avoid disruption to existing users’ back-office functions.
John de Vial, special adviser at ABTA, said: “The new scheme will use the latest technology to allow fast, accurate and secure consolidated payments and refunds.
“We’re confident that it will greatly support users’ businesses and make payments easier.”
Travel Ledger is an electronic invoice and remittance system which is connected to UK and European banking for easy and secure payments between travel buyers and suppliers, providing secure transaction processing and reconciliation.
Once live, Travel Ledger will provide user and technical support to ABTA Members, who will be able to review their own data, as well as identify potential problems with transactions in advance, before payments are authorised or transactions fail – making the system more risk-free for all parties.
Travel Ledger founder, Roberto De Ra, added: “Having tested the Travel Ledger system successfully with a large focus group of ABTA members, we’re delighted to offer the system across the entire ABTA membership in the coming weeks and look forward to fruitful collaboration with them.”
ABTA members in 2019 settled more than 600,000 bookings to the value of more than £900 million.

Older
Princess Cruises returns to operation in UK

Newer
UKHospitality welcomes changes to NHS Covid-19 app More