Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

GBTA applauds the bipartisan effort to end the current testing requirement for all vaccinated inbound travelers to the United States. Moreover, GBTA calls on the Biden Administration to immediately end the testing requirements and move to allow vaccinated travelers to fly into the U.S.
The current rule requires all U.S. inbound travelers present a negative COVID-19 test within one day before boarding their flight into the U.S. and regardless of their vaccination status or citizenship.
Exempting fully vaccinated travelers, including almost 215 million Americans, from the order would be consistent with the scientific consensus that widespread vaccinations are the single most important element of the fight against COVID-19 while allowing the travel industry’s recovery to accelerate.
As business travel and travel at large struggle, many in GBTA’s business travel recovery surveys cite government requirements such as testing as a major, if not the greatest, barrier.
Yet, it is unclear whether at this stage in the pandemic the current testing rule is having any meaningful impact on the spread of COVID-19 from overseas destinations to the U.S. As of today, more than 78 million people have contracted COVID-19 in the U.S., meaning that at least 23 percent of the population has had the virus—though this figure is almost certainly underestimated due to the number of asymptomatic infections and limited testing early in the pandemic.ADVERTISEMENT

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Julia Simpson, President & CEO, WTTC
Travel and tourism businesses around the globe have come together to support Ukraine with millions of hotel rooms for refugees escaping the conflict, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
WTTC members such as Accor, Airbnb, Carnival Corporation, the European Travel Commission, Expedia, Hilton, InterContinental Hotels Group, Internova Travel Group, Marriott International, MSC Cruises, Radisson, and Uber to name just a few, have opened their doors to refugees in neighbouring countries donating rooms, transport, clothing, food, shelter, urgent supplies and financial contributions.
In Ukraine, hotels have continued to stay open offering a base to charities, journalists, and those stranded by the conflict. Businesses across the global Travel & Tourism sector including airports, airlines, cruise lines, and tour operators, are going to extraordinary lengths to help alleviate the suffering of those affected.
This invasion has caused the biggest displacement of people in Europe since the Second World War.
In addition to providing urgently needed accommodation, businesses large and small have made multi-million-pound donations to disaster relief funds which have been supplemented by individual fund-raising initiatives. ADVERTISEMENTJulia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “There has been an outpouring of support from Travel & Tourism companies across the globe.
“Hotels have opened their doors receiving refugees, and in Ukraine, teams on the ground are keeping hotels open for aid agencies, journalists, and those stranded and desperate.
“Cruise lines and airlines have transported supplies, and across the board the response has been incredible, and I salute the courage of teams on the ground.
“WTTC and our Members stand for peace and respecting the national sovereignty of every nation and our hearts go out to all those who are suffering from this brutal invasion.”
Many companies around the world have generously matched their employees’ contributions to support charities providing help through emergency aid and essential supplies.Temporary accommodation has been arranged thanks to generous Travel & Tourism employees opening their homes to provide emergency shelter. Airbnb also devised creative solutions to get money into the hands of local people.
In addition, much needed medical and hospital supplies have been provided by businesses’ donations through various charities around the world.
WTTC and the Global Travel & Tourism sector are united in providing help to those affected by this crisis.

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The global tourism market is expected to reach $637 billion this summer, an increase of 50 per cent, according to forecasts by ITB Berlin and Statista. The study says long-term changes in travel behaviour due to Covid will not affect decision-making and destination choices, whilst the war in Ukraine is unlikely to severely impact the travel industry.
The ITB Berlin and Statista study, Statista’s Mobility Market Outlook (MMO), forecasts that the global travel industry will grow by a projected 48 per cent, reaching $637 billion in 2022. In 2023 it will overtake pre-pandemic levels by around five per cent, reaching almost $756 billion. In 2022, the highest growth rate is forecasted for the cruise industry (180 per cent year-on-year) and the hotel trade (57 per cent). The hotel trade represents the largest tourism market segment and will likely exceed private accommodation and holiday apartments as well as package tours. At the same time, the MMO predicts that the market for private accommodation and holiday apartments will exceed $81 billion in total turnover, only two per cent short of the market volume in 2019.
War in Ukraine unlikely to severely impact the travel industry
As these forecasts do not take the impact of the war in Ukraine into account, the question is whether it will affect the global travel and tourism industry in the long term – and if so, in what ways? According to an analysis by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), apart from the coronavirus pandemic, the events with the biggest long-term impact on global civil aviation were the combination of the dotcom bubble bursting in 2000 and the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. In 2001 and 2002, global air passenger numbers declined year-on-year by one per cent, briefly interrupting the growth trend in air travel, before returning to and exceeding pre-crisis levels in 2004. According to data received from the UNWTO, in 2019 Russia and Ukraine, the two countries currently at war, accounted for three per cent of global tourism spending on international travel. Assuming the war does not spread to other regions, it is unlikely that it will severely impact the global travel industry. However, it is possible the crisis could have a bigger impact on individual markets. In Cyprus, according to the finance minister Konstantinos Petridis, Russian tourists account for around 25 per cent of international visitors. Their absence could cost the country up to two per cent of GDP. According to Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, last year his country was host to more than 4.5 million Russian tourists and two million from the Ukraine – together almost 30 per cent of the foreign visitors holidaying there. Unlike Cyprus, the Turkish government has yet to impose sanctions on Russia, so it is unclear how heavily Turkey’s tourism industry will be affected.
Holidays are back: airlines can expect record business this summerADVERTISEMENTDespite the crises, Germans appear to have rediscovered their lust for travel and holidays. According to Statista’s Global Consumer Survey (GCS), more than 62 per cent of Germans are planning at least one trip over the next 12 months. In an interview with the trade magazine watson, Dr. Bernd Eisenstein, director of the German Institute for Tourism Research, interpreted this as the market catching up again: “During the period of wide-ranging restrictions there was a pent-up demand for travel which is now really asserting itself.“ This effect is noticeable in a different segment of the market too. According to the German Aviation Association, the number of passenger seats now available to the tourism market has risen by three per cent compared with summer 2019. In an interview with Deutsche Presseagentur, Jens Bischof, head of the market leader Eurowings, said: “After two years of the pandemic, millions of people finally want to catch up on their holidays or meet important business contacts face-to-face again.“ That was why, starting in March, his airline would be flying to more destinations than ever before. According to Eurowings, the focus of holidaymakers is on the Mediterranean. Among the most popular destinations are Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy. European destinations are generally high on the list of German holidaymakers. According to the GCS, 54 per cent of people travelling this year plan to holiday in Europe and 18 per cent in Asia, which ranked in second place.
Covid has changed a lot – but not everything
It is no secret that the pandemic has fundamentally changed holidaymakers’ travel behaviour on both the domestic and international markets. According to the GCS, the pandemic has influenced the travel behaviour of 90 per cent of travellers in Germany, the UK and the USA. This impact would seem to be long-lasting: only 31 per cent of interviewees do not believe that the changes in travel behaviour will be permanent.
However, some things will stay as they are. As the flight schedules of Eurowings in Germany and the findings of the GCS seem to show, the reasons for choosing a destination have hardly changed. In 2022 as in 2019, the five most important criteria listed by Germans for a holiday destination are the weather, nature, personal safety at one’s destination, local attractions and the price. As far as prices go, 36 percent of interviewees in Germany want to spend more on holidays than before the pandemic, 31 per cent the same amount, and 31 per cent aim to spend less. Specifically, 50 per cent of travellers plan to spend more than 2,000 euros on themselves and, where applicable, their family, while 17 per cent actually plan to spend over 3,000 euros. Ultimately, the tourism industry can expect business to return during the summer, and in some markets and at some destinations it will already reach pre-pandemic levels.
YOU CAN CHECK ALL WORLD’S Leading Travel Events at… https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/events/

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Abercrombie & Kent expands expedition cruises for 2023-24

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The Australian adventure travel company, Aurora Expeditions has recently completed its return season to Antarctica and is celebrating a 100% success rate for its first season in almost two years.
Hundreds of adventurous expeditioners from around the globe joined Aurora Expeditions on the Greg Mortimer across eight voyages, ranging between 10 and 23 days from January to April 2022. The mix of passengers included passengers from Australia, the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Singapore and more.
“Aurora Expeditions is thrilled with the success of our return season to Antarctica, getting back to what we do best in our 30th year of operation,” commented Aurora Expeditions’ VP of Operations, Tomas Holik.
“Our exceptional safety record and lack of interruptions during this season is a testament to our team’s commitment, planning, and expertise in ensuring that our expeditions were as safe and enjoyable as possible for our passengers. It was undoubtedly a combination of our strengthened health and safety measures and the fantastic cooperation of our passengers that ensured our incredibly successful return to operations.”
“We are honoured to have received so much remarkable feedback from our expeditioners who joined us this season. No one comes back from Antarctica the same, it changes them,” commented Hayley Peacock-Gower, Chief Marketing Officer for Aurora Expeditions. ADVERTISEMENTShe continued, “We know that travellers are increasingly returning to their ultimate travel wish lists and looking to make up for lost time, explore and push their own personal boundaries. Expedition travel is a type of travel like no other, taking passengers on true adventures to some of the wildest and most remote reaches of our planet.
Aurora Expeditions has been leading perspective-altering expeditions for thirty years, and with our successful return to operations and the imminent launch of our second ship, we are incredibly well placed to meet the increasing desire for people to take that once in a lifetime trip.”
Aurora Expeditions’ 22-23 Antarctica season commences in October 2022, and forward bookings are in high demand, with many voyages close to being sold out. Expeditions still upcoming for this season include voyages to Costa Rica & the Panama Canal, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Greenland, The European Arctic and Canada’s Northwest Passage.
The company also recently released its 2023 Arctic season with new itineraries including the Jewels of Coastal UK, Across the Arctic Circle, and an expedition to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and the Azores, all of which have so far seen an overwhelmingly positive response.
Aurora Expeditions’ second purpose-built expedition ship, the Sylvia Earle, is due to debut in late 2022.

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Latest figures released by UKinbound, the trade association for over 300 UK inbound tourism businesses, indicate a strong recovery for UK tourism arrivals in 2022, although still significantly below pre-pandemic levels.
In a March survey of its members, undertaken by Qa Research, over one in three (39%) of respondents stated that international bookings and visitors for April/May/June 2022 were expected to be the same or higher than pre-pandemic, however the majority (61%) are expecting international bookings/visitors to be down, by an average of 47%.
Inbound tourism businesses revenue predictions for this period were similar, with almost half (45%) expecting them to be the same or higher than pre-pandemic, and 55% expecting them to be lower by an average of 49%. The US market is recovering the strongest, with one in three businesses seeing growth in this market.
Parallels also emerged when businesses were asked to consider international bookings and visitors between July and December 2022, compared with pre-pandemic. 50% are expecting figures to be the same or higher, and 50% are expecting international bookings and visitor numbers to be lower by an average of 41%.
Business confidence continues to rise, with 63% of companies confident about the impending 12 months, up from 56% in January 2022. April 2020 saw confidence levels at an all time low, 11%, but they have steadily risen every quarter since then. ADVERTISEMENTCommenting on the results, Joss Croft, CEO, UKinbound said “It’s fantastic to see international travellers returning to the UK and we’re delighted to see the strongest growth from our number one market, the USA. The ending of all UK travel restrictions has given international consumers the confidence to begin travelling here again. Compared with 2020 and 2021 business is booming but we’re significantly lagging behind 2019 prosperity and our competitors.
“Inbound tourism is the country’s second largest service export industry, second only to financial services. It can accelerate the UK’s economic recovery but it’s a competitive industry and more needs to be done to entice international visitors back to the UK. We need a more competitive visa system, to rectify the devastating impact the removal of ID Card usage has had on the UK’s inbound youth traveller sector, and resolve the substantial negative impact the removal of tax-free shopping is having.
“Our welcome is also critically important, whether that be processing at our borders, or the service received at our hotels, cultural attractions and restaurants. Continued Government investment in the promotion of Britain abroad and the implementation of policies and funding that support the recovery and growth of businesses across the sector continues to be vital.”

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that air travel posted a strong rebound in February 2022 compared to January 2022, as Omicron-related impacts moderated outside of Asia. The war in Ukraine, which began on 24 February, did not have a major impact on traffic levels.
Note: We are returning to year-on-year traffic comparisons, instead of comparisons with the 2019 period, unless otherwise noted. Owing to the low traffic base in 2021, some markets will show very high year-on-year growth rates, even if the size of these markets is still significantly smaller than they were in 2019.
Total traffic in February 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was up 115.9% compared to February 2021. That is an improvement from January 2022, which was up 83.1% compared to January 2021. Compared to February 2019, however, traffic was down 45.5%.
February 2022 domestic traffic was up 60.7% compared to the year-ago period, building on a 42.6% increase in January 2022 compared to January 2021. There was wide variation in markets tracked by IATA. Domestic traffic in February was 21.8% below the volumes of February 2019.
International RPKs rose 256.8% versus February 2021, improved from a 165.5% year-over-year increase in January 2022 versus the year-earlier period. All regions improved their performance compared to the prior month. February 2022 international RPKs were down 59.6% compared to the same month in 2019.
“The recovery in air travel is gathering steam as governments in many parts of the world lift travel restrictions. States that persist in attempting to lock-out the disease, rather than managing it, as we do with other diseases, risk missing out on the enormous economic and societal benefits that a restoration of international connectivity will bring,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
International Passenger Markets
European carriers saw their February traffic rise 380.6% versus February 2021, improved over the 224.3% increase in January 2022 versus the same month in 2021. Capacity rose 174.8%, and load factor climbed 30.3 percentage points to 70.9%.ADVERTISEMENTAsia-Pacific airlines had a 144.4% rise in February traffic compared to February 2021, up somewhat over the 125.8% gain registered in January 2022 versus January 2021. Capacity rose 60.8% and the load factor was up 16.1 percentage points to 47.0%, the lowest among regions.
Middle Eastern airlines’ traffic rose 215.3% in February compared to February 2021, well up compared to the 145.0% increase in January 2022, versus the same month in 2021. February capacity rose 89.5% versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 25.8 percentage points to 64.7%.
North American carriers experienced a 236.7% traffic rise in February versus the 2021 period, significantly increased compared to the 149.0% rise in January 2022 over January 2021. Capacity rose 91.7%, and load factor climbed 27.4 percentage points to 63.6%.
Latin American airlines’ February traffic rose 242.7% compared to the same month in 2021, well up over the 155.2% rise in January 2022 compared to January 2021. February capacity rose 146.3% and load factor increased 21.7 percentage points to 77.0%, which was the highest load factor among the regions for the 17th consecutive month.
African airlines had a 69.5% rise in February RPKs versus a year ago, a large improvement compared to the 20.5% year-over-year increase recorded in January 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. February 2022 capacity was up 34.7% and load factor climbed 12.9 percentage points to 63.0%.
Brazil’s domestic traffic was up 32.5% in February, compared to February 2021, which was a slowdown compared to the 35.5% year-over-year growth recorded in January.
US domestic RPKs rose 112.5% year-on-year in February, an improvement compared to the 98.4% rise in January versus the prior year.
2022 vs 2019
The accelerated growth recorded in February 2022 compared to a year ago, is helping passenger demand catch-up to 2019 levels. Total RPKs in February were down 45.5% compared to February 2019, well ahead of the 49.6% decline recorded in January versus the same month in 2019. The domestic recovery continues to outpace that of international markets.
The Bottom Line
“As the long-awaited recovery in air travel accelerates, it is important that our infrastructure providers are prepared for a huge increase in passenger numbers in the coming months. We are already seeing reports of unacceptably long lines at some airports owing to the growing number of travelers. And that is even before the surge of Easter holiday travel in many markets next week. The peak Northern summer travel season will be critical for jobs throughout the travel and tourism value chain. Now is the time to prepare. Governments can help by ensuring that border positions are staffed adequately and that background security checks for new staff are managed as efficiently as possible,” said Walsh.

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Manchester Airports Group has significantly increased the number of active jobs available on its career pages, with open positions increasing from 65 in December to 110 in February, according to GlobalData. However, the leading data and analytics company notes that only 36 positions were closed in this period – an ominous sign of things to come with international trips set to dramatically increase in April.
The peak season for holidays in the UK is fast approaching. According to GlobalData, total domestic and outbound visits in August from the UK are projected to be more than double the total number of visits in April. If staff shortages are not addressed by the peak of the summer season in airports such as Manchester Airport and London Stansted Airport, the impact could be calamitous for the UK’s airport and airline sectors, and the wider tourism industry.
Ralph Hollister, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Staff shortages could remain a problem for several months as airports scramble to match employment levels with demand. When travel came to a standstill during the pandemic, many airport employees left their positions to work in other industries. Stories of unruly passengers, often long commute times, and job uncertainty, as seen with COVID-19, could be off-putting for many currently seeking work.”
The coming months will be challenging for UK airports and airlines. A lack of staff in key positions could create an array of knock-on impacts, including missed flights, cancelations, and negative traveler sentiment, all of which could prolong recovery.
Hollister adds: “A lack of employees in key roles, such as those involving security, are key contributors to the long queues causing flights to be missed and passenger experiences to turn sour. It’s now up to airport companies to improve their recruitment strategies and make working in an airport an attractive proposition However, lengthy vetting procedures and training processes involved for these positions means the issue with long queues will not vanish overnight.”ADVERTISEMENT

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Saint Lucia and Spain are among the nations relaxing entry requirements. For Saint Lucia, fully vaccinated travellers no longer need to take pre-travel Covid tests, with unvaccinated travellers requiring a negative PCR test. Meanwhile Spain will allow unvaccinated arrivals entry with proof of negative PCR or antigen test.
Saint LuciaVaccinated travellers must provide a valid vaccination record as requested on check-in, boarding, and entry to Saint Lucia. Unvaccinated travellers five years and older must have a valid negative standard COVID-19 PCR test five days before arrival. An unsupervised self-swab antigen or PCR test is not accepted.
Passengers arriving without tests or with the wrong type of test will be retested on arrival at their own cost and will be required to remain in quarantine until the test result is known.
In addition, travellers are no longer required to pre-register online prior to arrival in Saint Lucia. All arrivals are required to bring proof of vaccination status or test results as per protocols. International travellers and returning nationals must complete a Health Screening Form before disembarkation in Saint Lucia for ease of processing on arrival.
For more information about Saint Lucia’s COVID-19 response, all protocols, and details of entry requirements, visit www.stlucia.org/covid-19.ADVERTISEMENTSpainSpain has updated its entry requirements and non-vaccinated UK passengers can now enter Spain with proof of a negative PCR or antigen, or proof of diagnostic recovery.
The new entry guidelines, effective from 6 April 2022 require all UK travellers ages 12 and above to submit one of the following three criteria:
1 Certificate of vaccination: Proof of being fully-vaccinated (with both doses of a two-dose vaccine or one dose of a one-dose vaccine) at least 14 days prior to arrival in Spain. If more than 270 days have passed since the final dose, certification of a booster vaccination is also required, except for teenagers aged 12 to 17 (inclusive).
2 Diagnostic Test Certificate: Proof that the passenger has carried out a negative diagnostic test including PCR tests (within 72h) or antigen tests (within 24h).
3 Certificate of recovery: Proof that the passenger has recovered from COVID. Recovery certificates issued by the official authorities will be valid at least 11 days after the first NAAT diagnostic test or positive antigen screening test, carried out by qualified personnel. The certificate shall be valid for 180 days after the date of the first positive diagnostic test result.
Children under 12 years old are exempt when travelling with an adult.

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