May Air Cargo Shows Slight Pickup Amid Continuing Capacity Crunch

Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air freight markets in May showing a slight improvement in the air cargo market. But capacity remains unable to meet demand as a result of the loss of belly cargo operations on passenger aircraft that have been parked.

 

• Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), fell by 20.3% in May (-21.5% for international operations) compared to the previous year. That is an improvement from the 25.6% year-on-year drop recorded in April. 
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• Global capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTKs), shrank by 34.7% in May (-32.2% for international operations) compared to the previous year, a slight deceleration from the 41.6% year-on-year drop in April. 
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• Belly capacity for international air cargo shrank by 66.4% in May compared to the previous year due to the withdrawal of passenger services amid the COVID-19 crisis (up slightly from the 75.1% year-on-year decline in April).  This was partially offset by a 25.2% increase in capacity through expanded use of freighter aircraft.
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• The cargo load factor (CLF) rose 10.4 percentage points in May. This was a slight decrease from the 12.8 percentage point rise in April. However, the extent of the increase suggests that there is still pent-up demand for air cargo which cannot be met due to the continued grounding of many passenger flights. 
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• Global export orders continue to fall but at a slower pace. The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) tracking new manufacturing export orders improved from the trough seen in April despite remaining in contractionary territory. 

“Air cargo demand is down by over 20% compared to 2019. And with most of the passenger fleet grounded capacity was down 34.7%. The gap between demand and capacity shows the challenge in finding the space on the aircraft still flying to get goods to market. For that the prospects for air cargo remain stronger than for the passenger business but the future is very uncertain. Economic activity is picking up from April lows as some economies unlock. But predicting the length and depth of the recession remains difficult,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's Director General and CEO.

Regional Performance

May 2020 (% year-on-year) World share1 CTK ACTK CLF (%-pt)2 CLF (level)3 Total Market 100% -20.3% -34.7% 10.4% 57.6% Africa 1.8% -7.4% -39.4% 21.1% 61.2% Asia Pacific 34.5% -24.2% -37.4% 11.3% 64.3% Europe 23.6% -29.5% -41.9% 11.0% 62.5% Latin America 2.8% -28.3% -51.6% 18.2% 56.1% Middle East 13.0% -25.2% -26.0% 0.5% 48.3% North America 24.3% -3.6% -27.9% 13.2% 52.6%

1 % of industry CTKs in 2019  2 Year-on-year change in load factor  3 Load factor level All regions suffered declines in May. Airlines in Europe and Latin America suffered the sharpest drops in year-on-year growth in total air freight volumes, while airlines in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East experienced slightly less dramatic declines. Airlines in North America and Africa saw more moderate drops compared to the other regions.  Asia-Pacific airlines saw demand for international air cargo fall by 21.3% in May 2020 compared to the same period a year earlier. This was a solid improvement over the 25.2% drop in April. Seasonally adjusted freight volumes also rebounded slightly in May and have now reached 75% of their pre-COVID-19 crisis levels. Shipments of personal protective equipment (PPE) are helping support airlines in the region. International capacity decreased 31%.  North American carriers reported a single digit fall in international cargo demand of 9.0% year-on-year in May. This was the smallest contraction of all regions except Africa. The resilient performance is due to shorter and less stringent lockdowns in certain regions, the large freighter fleets of a few regional airlines as well as robust US-China trade volumes.  Demand on the large Asia–North America route was down only 0.4% year-on-year in May. International capacity decreased 28%. European carriers reported a 29.7% annual drop in international cargo volumes in May, the weakest performance of all regions. Limited manufacturing output and lockdowns through to mid-May contributed to the weak performance. International capacity decreased 40.1%  Middle Eastern carriers reported a decline of 25% year-on-year in May, a significant improvement from the 36.2% fall in April. Despite a number of carriers in the region maintaining some cargo capacity, traffic on all key routes was low. International capacity decreased 24.4%. Latin American carriers posted a 22.1% drop in year-on-year international demand. This was a significant improvement from the 40.7% decline in April. The COVID-19 crisis is particularly challenging for airlines based in Latin America owing to strict lock-down measures. International capacity decreased 39.5%. African airlines posted the smallest contraction of any region in May, extending a run of resilient performance. Africa has now ranked in the top two regions for 15 consecutive months. Year-on-year international demand fell by 6.3%.  The small Africa-Asia market was particularly resilient in May, down only 0.4%. International capacity decreased 37.7% View May Freight Results (pdf) Tags: IATA

Australia and New Zealand To Host 2023 Women’s World Cup

The world's largest women's sporting event is coming to New South Wales after Australia and New Zealand won the rights to host the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.

 

It will be the first FIFA Women's World Cup to be held in Australia or New Zealand and Sydney is well positioned to host key matches including the Final, when match dates and venues are confirmed at a later stage.

FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, announced its decision Thursday after its governing council held a vote by videoconference.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the winning of hosting rights was a massive coup for NSW.

"We are ecstatic to be welcoming the world's best female footballers to NSW in 2023 for this historic tournament, which will deliver enormous cultural, social and economic benefits to our state for decades to come," Ms Berejiklian said.

"After what has been an unprecedented year so far, today's announcement is a major morale boost -- giving not only sporting fans but the wider NSW community something to look forward to in 2023, while creating plenty of new jobs and opportunities."

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the tournament would attract players and their passionate fans from every corner of the globe.

"This will be the first time that the FIFA Women's World Cup features players from 32 nations, who bring with them supporters from all over the world," Mr Ayres said.

"This was a true team Australia effort. Our bid was the strongest and securing this World Cup reaffirms New South Wales as a destination of choice for global events.

"It will also play a significant role in helping our local tourism economy bounce back, with the potential to attract more than 16,000 visitors who are estimated to inject AUD21 million into the state."

Acting Minister for Sport Geoff Lee said the tournament will help support the growth of women's football across NSW.

"This is a huge win for NSW which gives grassroots sport a powerful injection to drive participation higher in the cities and the regions," Mr Lee said.

"In 2023, there will be role models and heroes that young women in NSW will aspire to emulate and I'm sure this World Cup will inspire our next generation of Matildas."

"NSW loves their football and we look forward to welcoming the world to play the world game right here in our backyard."

Football Federation Australia Chairman Chris Nikou said, "The FIFA Women's World Cup™ 2023 in Australia and New Zealand will be ground-breaking in many ways."

"Not only will it be the first ever co-confederation hosted FIFA World Cup™ and the first ever FIFA Women's World Cup™ in the Asia-Pacific region, but we will unlock the huge potential for growth in women's football in the Asia-Pacific region."

"We would like to thank our governments and the Australian public who have supported the bid from the outset."

"We very much look forward to partnering with the NSW Government to leverage this once in a lifetime opportunity for women's football, to grow the most popular sport in Australia."

The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 is the eighth addition to the NSW Government's 10 World Cups in 10 Years initiative, which continues to secure some of the biggest and best sporting events for our state.

NSW has put forward Stadium Australia, the Sydney Football Stadium and Newcastle Stadium, with match allocations to be announced at a future date.

Tags: FIFA Women's World Cup 2023

TravelgateX and PayParc joining forces to optimize B2B payments in the travel industry

Due to current developments in the travel industry, it is no secret that the cash is short and given the risk involved, the providers in the travel industry no longer enjoy a significant insurance coverage for their receivables as before. These factors force the travel companies to start navigating for alternatives and they usually request either bank guarantees or advance deposits from their buyers. An online travel agency needs to work with several providers to be able to offer the best product variety to its clients, however giving bank guarantees to each of these providers makes it impossible to survive while endangering their cash flow. In the absence of other alternatives, virtual cards shine brighter than before to secure receivables, however the high cost, compliance issues, manual work causing lost man hours and under-invoicing problems, fraud risk and the accounting reconciliation problems are still there for any company operating in the travel industry. PayParc solves these problems completely while allowing travel companies to save over 3% on each booking. The solution offered by PayParc eliminates the bad debt risk between buyers and sellers, as the amount of each booking is automatically moved between electronic wallets.

“What we have signed is an exclusive agreement so that any company that has connection with TravelgateX can pay instantly and securely through PayParc, to any of its providers. In this situation of lack of credit, we can guarantee these payments in the safest way possible,” says Pedro Camara, CEO of TravelgateX.

Adapting to change

The travel industry is an increasingly competitive sector that has seen several new layers added to its transaction circles in recent years. Outside of the crowding of the market, some external factors have also seriously impacted the industry recently. From fluctuating oil prices to the global tragedy that has been the Coronavirus, the landscape has become a hostile one in which only the companies that can adapt will survive and the decision makers should leave no stone unturned when looking for new technologies to boost their performance.

In this situation, PayParc (e-wallet systems for the travel industry) and TravelgateX (marketplace for B2B travel connections) have decided to join forces to help any buyer or seller in the travel sector to benefit from instant, automatic and safe payments managed seamlessly.

PayParc Global Solutions offers a unique electronic payments platform that has been specifically designed for the travel industry. Its ability to read booking data and convert it to automatic payment execution is unparalleled in the industry. Wallet-to-wallet transfer technology enhanced by the international payment network offers unbeatable costs when compared to the B2B payment methods currently offered across the industry.

PayParc founder, Taylan Taspinar explains: “The platform is an interface of our international payment network. The payments are executed only through the booking data received by API and are assigned to the specific booking along with the status of the transaction. The platform runs in parallel with the regular reservation flow and verifies each transaction by relating it to the reservation data, notifies each party, and prepares reconciliation reports."

Tags: PayParc, TravelgateX 

ICCA releases the public abstract of the 2019 Statistics Report

Following the release of the 2019 ICCA rankings by number of meetings on 12 May, when ICCA announced a record number of association meetings taking place in 2019, ICCA now releases the public abstract of the 2019 Statistics Report, highlighting major trends in 2019 and the country and city rankings by estimated total number of participants. For the second year in a row, Barcelona tops the city ranking in these charts and U.S.A are still the country titleholders.

The release of ICCA’s 2019 ICCA Statistics marks yet another successful year for the association meetings market, with the leading global meetings industry trade association capturing a total of 13,254 rotating association meetings taking place in 2019, at an increase of 317 additional meetings compared to the number recorded at the same time in 2018.

Key trends

• In 2019, the average total expenditure on all meetings in the ICCA Association Database was almost USD 11 billion - excluding spin-off investments and economic development. 
• The months September, October and June are still the most popular choices for the association sector to organise meetings, while Winter months December, January and February remain at the bottom of the list.
• Medical Science (17%), Technology (15%) and Science (13%) are the three most popularinternational association meeting topics.

Rankings by number of participants vs number of meetings
ICCA calculates the estimated total number of participants by multiplying the average number of participants per meeting (of which the participant number is known to ICCA) by the total number of meetings in the same destination.

Consequently, when analysing destinations based on the estimated total number of participants instead of number of meetings, the rankings can present different results.

2019 City Rankings: Barcelona hosts the most delegates for the second year in a row
Barcelona, 4th in the ranking by number of meetings, tops the chart for estimated total number of participants with an impressive 157,000 delegates. Unsurprisingly, given their high rankings for their number of meetings, Paris comes in second place, followed by Madrid then Lisbon who are only separate by 500 delegates.

Vienna and Berlin dip slightly in the rankings moving down to 5th and 6th, while London enters the top 10 moving into the 7th spot. Milan, takes the 8th slot and joins the likes of Hamburg, Prague, Beijing and Athens, all making the top 20 city rankings after not appearing in last year’s statistics.

2019 Country/Territory rankings: U.S.A. remains in first position
There’s less change in the country rankings than can be seen in the city rankings.

Titleholders U.S.A remain in first position for the country rankings with 357,000 delegates hosted and sit in the top 5 with almost exactly the same order of countries as last year; Spain, Germany, France, with Italy making it to 5th place this year instead of last year’s Canada. United Kingdom remain in 6th place with Japan, China, Canada and Netherlands moving up or down slightly but remaining in the top 10.

ICCA CEO, Senthil Gopinath said: “ICCA’s annual statistics report is one of few that compares destinations’ meetings-related performance on a global scale and therefore provides great insight into global trends in the meetings industry. Year on year, ICCA has seen a promising consistent growth pattern in the association meetings market." 

"Given the current circumstances, with COVID-19 continuing to have a huge effect globally, particularly on the events industry, it is great to once again highlight the consistent growth in association meetings globally. These figures show the need and importance of face-to-face events, and consequently that the industry will be instrumental in the global recovery when the time is right.”

Only those meetings that meet ICCA’s stringent assessment criteria - rotating between at least three countries, have a proven attendance of at least 50 participants, and are held on a regular basis - are recorded within the global association’s annual statistics.

The public abstract of the 2019 ICCA Statistics Report is available for free download now on the ICCA website. ICCA’s more extensive statistics are accessible to ICCA Members only via the Destination Comparison Tool, a business intelligence tool which allows ICCA members to analyse their market position and compare meetings data.

Tags: ICCA

Summer Flights Continue To Increase At LAS

Since the reopening of Las Vegas casino-resorts on June 4, sustained demand from tourists seeking to return to Southern Nevada has led airline partners at McCarran International Airport to increase their flight schedules in the coming months.

At the lowest point of travel during the pandemic, McCarran saw only 110 scheduled arrivals for a single day. In May, the top 10 domestic carriers at LAS combined to average 145 scheduled arrivals per day. In June that total rose to nearly 200, and in July it will be in excess of 280 per day. By August, scheduled daily air arrivals into Las Vegas is slated to increase to more than 330. This increase in scheduling will continue to expand access from across the nation. Currently, 55 markets enjoy daily, nonstop service into LAS.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) reports more than 230 hotels – including Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Cosmopolitan, The Venetian, Wynn Las Vegas, Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa & Casino, The Orleans Hotel & Casino and The D Las Vegas – reopened during June. Before the end of July, properties accounting for 125,000 total local guest rooms are expected to be open. Read and book at the new hotels in Las Vegas

“McCarran International Airport is at the forefront of the Las Vegas comeback story,” said Rosemary Vassiliadis, Clark County Director of Aviation. “The significant investment in increased scheduling shows the confidence our airline partners have in travelers’ demand to return to our incredible destination, and it underscores the hard work being done to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 here at the airport.”

“The reopening of Las Vegas was stronger than we expected,” said Steve Hill, CEO and president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “We greatly appreciate our airline partners recognizing the demand by investing in increased flights as we continue to open up additional casino-resorts and attractions, and welcome our visitors back.”

Southwest Airlines will see the largest jump in summer service, averaging 156 daily arrivals in August compared to 87 in May. Similarly, Delta Air Lines will increase from an average of 10 arrivals a day in May to 32 in August. Of these additional services, there are several notable trends and additions:

• Delta Air Lines will return daily service from a variety of markets including Boston, Cincinnati, and New York.
• Beginning in August, JetBlue will launch a new, twice-daily service between McCarran and Newark Liberty International Airport.
• Frontier Airlines will see significant increases in service from Denver, Miami, and various California markets.
• In July, Spirit Airlines will bring back daily service from Tampa, Philadelphia, and Columbus.
• Select foreign markets in Canada and Mexico will also return in late June and early July.

These increases account for both the restoration of services previously in place before the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a few new routes being brought online. The return of long-haul flights is a significant indicator of passengers’ renewed confidence in air travel. Listed route availability and scheduling are subject to change.

Tags: McCarran International Airport 

VisitEngland partners with national tourist organisations to launch industry standard for UK tourism

VisitEngland in partnership with the national tourist organisations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales has today launched a UK-wide industry standard and consumer mark to provide a ‘ring of confidence’ for tourism as the sector works towards reopening.

The ‘We’re Good To Go’ industry standard and supporting mark means businesses can demonstrate that they are adhering to the respective Government and public health guidance, have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and checked that they have the required processes in place.

The scheme is free to join and open to all businesses across the industry.

Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston said: "I want to encourage the public to experience a great British holiday this summer and be confident that they can do so safely.

"This new industry standard will show people that tourism businesses, destinations and attractions are adhering to the guidance. It puts safety first and is an important move in getting this industry back up and running."

VisitEngland Director Patricia Yates said: “With millions of jobs and local economies across the country reliant on tourism it is essential that businesses can get up and running as soon as the respective Government advice allows to capture the peak British summer season.

“We want visitors to be able to enjoy their holidays and to support businesses to be confident they have the correct procedures in place. Our priority is to make sure tourism rebounds to once again become one of the most successful sectors of the UK economy and this ‘ring of confidence’ is a crucial step on the industry’s road to rebuilding.”

To obtain the mark businesses must complete a self-assessment through the online platform including a check-list confirming they have put the necessary processes in place, before receiving certification and the We’re Good To Go mark for display in their premises and online.

Businesses across the UK are assessed according to their respective national guidance including the social distancing and cleanliness protocols that must be in place. In England businesses align with the UK Government’s official guidance for the sector including ‘Working Safely during COVID-19: Visitor Economy’. An ‘alert’ system ensures that businesses signed up to the standard are notified of any changes to the official guidance. A call-handling service provides support and assessors would also carry-out random spot-checks to ensure adherence.

Τhe scheme has been developed in partnership with Tourism Northern Ireland, VisitScotland and Visit Wales to ensure a standard-led approach across the UK with input from more than 40 industry bodies including UKHospitality, the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, the British Holiday & Home Parks Association, the British Beer and Pub Association and the National Caravan Council as well as destination management organisations across the country. The self-assessment includes specific guidelines for sectors including accommodation, visitor attractions, restaurants and pubs, business conference and events venues and tour and coach operators with signposting to further industry and trade association guidance as required. 

The We’re Good To Go scheme is being operated by VisitEngland who has been running assessment schemes for many years. 

Alongside the industry standard VisitEngland is also launching a Know Before You Go public information campaign to support tourism in England as businesses start to re-open, reassuring visitors as restrictions are lifted by checking about what it is safe to do and when and sign-posting to information about destinations and available services before travelling.

Tags: VisitEngland 

Locke Hotels Expands in Europe

Designed for travelers for whom a bed and shower in a shoebox isn't enough, Locke has announced a rapid expansion with its first international sites slated to open over the next two years in Germany, Ireland, and Portugal.

 

As part of the expansion, Locke will open three further properties in London and one in Cambridge. The challenger brand offers another way to travel by blending the traditional aparthotel format with the design, F&B and programming of a boutique lifestyle hotel. This industry-challenging approach has led Locke to successfully open four UK properties in the past four years in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Today, Locke officially announces further openings in Dublin, Berlin, Lisbon, Munich, London, Cambridge and Copenhagen.

“I am excited and humbled to see that Locke is expanding throughout Europe over the coming months. It feels like our alternative to the traditional hotel has never been more relevant. Each Locke has carefully designed to reflect the city’s unique neighborhood, providing our travelers with an opportunity of experiencing local living – whether they are travelling for business or leisure, for one night or one month,” said Eric Jafari, Chief Development Officer and Creative Director, edyn.

Through offering guests fully-fitted kitchens and stylish living areas in each apartment, Locke combines the comfort of home with the thoughtful design and experience of a lifestyle hotel. Each hotel’s public space features an array of experiences ranging from flexible co-working spaces, destination dining, artisan grocer, yoga studio, rooftop cocktail bar, a locally-inspired cultural programme and a team of in-the-know ‘House Hosts’ to advise guests. Taking a tailored approach to each site, the brand will work with a roster of renowned and up-and-coming designers and architects, chosen to fit a site-specific brief. Working with carefully selected and industry-leading F&B partners, each new Locke site is intended to welcome and engage local audiences and visitors alike.

“We are delighted to share the news of our expansion into many new and exciting locations. This pivotal moment in our expansion comes at a transformational time for the travel industry at large, and we look forward to contributing to that evolving narrative. Locke challenges the status quo that distinguishes hotel from home, and we are pleased to be taking our original hybrid concept to new and wider audiences across Europe,” said Stephen McCall, Chief Executive Officer, edyn.

The announcement of Locke’s international expansion comes as its existing portfolio prepares to re-open to the general public on 4th July, following the lifting of UK lockdown restrictions. Locke’s ability to offer guests the choice to live autonomously in each apartment with kitchens and washing facilities has proven to be a strong starting point to lead the travel industry’s recovery. With guests expected to travel less frequently but for longer durations, Locke’s genesis in the long stay format has already put the brand in a strong position to lead both leisure and business travel’s transition into the ‘new normal’. In addition, each Locke property has put in place additional measures to protect guests’ safety including contactless check-in and check-out; no contact cleans; independently-accredited hygiene standards; and a grocery delivery service for guests and locals.

Locke’s upcoming opening timeline, includes:

• Bermonds Locke, Tower Bridge, London, Autumn 2020
• Zanzibar Locke, Ha’penny Bridge, Dublin, Late 2020
• Kingsland Locke, Dalston, London, Late 2020
• Asam Locke, Ludwigsvorstadt, Munich, Early 2021
• Wunderlocke, Sendling, Munich, Early 2021
• Beckett Locke, North Docks, Dublin, Early 2021
• Locke at East Side Gallery, Berlin, 2021
• Locke, North West Cambridge, Cambridge, 2021
• Leman Annex, Aldgate, London, 2021
• Locke de Convento, Avenida de Liberdade, Lisbon, 2022
• Locke, Postbyen, Copenhagen, 2022

Tags: Locke Hotels, Europe

U.S. Travel Reacts to EU Travel Ban

U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued a statement regarding the European Union's restrictions to welcome travelers from the United States.

 

Europe will allow outsiders to begin entering again on July 1, but the U.S. and Russia are now among the nations considered too risky because they have not controlled the coronavirus outbreak. The acceptable countries also include China — but only if China allows European Union travelers to visit as well, according to the New York Times.

The United States, which banned most European Union travelers in March when the virus was raging in Europe, has not eased its own restrictions since then, even though European infections and deaths have dropped.

Tori Emerson Barnes' statement says, "The E.U.'s announcement is incredibly disappointing, and a step in the wrong direction as we seek to rebuild our global economy.

"In the U.S. alone, travel-related jobs account for more than a third of lost employment due to the fallout of the pandemic. Health is paramount, and the public has a major role to play by embracing best practices such as wearing masks, but we are at a stage when it should be possible to make progress.

"This is unwelcome news, and will have major negative implications for economic recovery—particularly if this ban results in cycles of retaliation, as is so often the case."

TripActions expands global rail offering for enterprises with trainline partnership

LONDON, UK – TripActions, the cloud-based corporate travel and expense management platform trusted by nearly 4,000 enterprises globally, announced it has partnered with Trainline for Business, the B2B rail technology solution arm of Trainline, to expand its global rail inventory. Combined with TripActions’ extensive partnerships with airline, hotel, rental car and other rail suppliers in Europe, the T&E management leader is enabling enterprises and their travellers to get back to business across the UK and Europe when travel resumes. The partnership with Trainline as Europe’s leading independent rail and coach travel platform reinforces TripActions’ ongoing commitment to its European customers.

“At FinancialForce we took part in the beta program with TripActions and Trainline for Business - a partnership that has created a best-in-class solution for our team who are heavy rail users,” said Julie Norris of FinancialForce. “For us it is critical that booking a train ticket via TripActions is as quick and easy as booking via consumer tools. This partnership has delivered the ease, speed, and convenience our travelers have come to expect when travelling for work with TripActions.”

“As borders across the EU open up to intra-European travel, we’re pleased to bring more inventory choice to our customers and their travellers in partnership with Trainline for Business,” said Christopher Vik, SVP of Sales for EMEA at TripActions. “Prior to COVID-19, a majority of European travellers using TripActions chose to travel by train as a more convenient and environmentally-conscious mode of transport. As travellers resume work travel, trains will once again be critical to business travel programmes for driving business and economic recovery across the UK and Europe.”

“We’re pleased to bring Trainline for Business’ innovative rail technology solutions to TripActions’ corporate customers and business travellers,” said David Higgins, general manager, Trainline for Business. “Our global API provides access to more than 160 rail carriers - all in one place. It’s our aim to make the complex world of business rail travel simple, so more business travellers choose a greener way to travel.”

The partnership with Trainline for Business enables TripActions to offer enterprises and their business travellers expanded inventory globally and enhanced booking capabilities with providers, such as UK Rail and Deutsche Bahn in Europe, adding to the depth and breadth of inventory already available on TripActions. Travellers can locate and book all ticket types on the TripActions booking platform - from any device, anywhere in the world. TripActions delivers:

• A comprehensive booking platform: Search and book over 35 different train providers from any point of sale
• Self-service features: Travellers can book, change and cancel one way, round trip and open return tickets on the web and mobile devices
• Multi-traveller bookings: Those booking travel can purchase tickets for themselves and colleagues on the web
• Discount cards: Users can add UK railcards and BahnCards to save money with discounted fares
• Customisable tickets: Those booking travel can mix and match ticket fares, classes and train operators for complete control of the traveller journey
• Ticketing: Travellers can select e-tickets throughout most of Europe for safer travel
• Automated trip updates: Users benefit from auto-synced train times, routes and seat information with their calendar and itineraries
• Multi-channel support: TripActions expert travel agents are available via chat, phone and email 24/7 365 at no additional charge

With this new partnership, travel managers experience enhanced visibility of all rail bookings and improved spend control resulting from higher platform adoption by travellers. Travel managers also benefit from deep reporting and analytics that provide traveller location, average ticket cost, rail provider, and more - directly from the TripActions Admin Dashboard. Travel managers and travellers alike can monitor their carbon impact from rail travel from within the TripActions platform to ensure they are taking care of business while taking care of the planet.

TripActions will continue to add train inventory in Europe, Asia and North America in support of its enterprise customers and their business travellers.

Today’s news comes on the heels of the company announcing it has raised $125 million in convertible-to-IPO financing and expanding its European operations with the strategic hire of Christopher Vik as senior vice president of Sales for EMEA. Vik has a proven track record of leading the successful expansion of US-based tech companies across Europe, particularly among enterprise customers.

Tags:TripActions,Trainline

European flight bookings reveal ‘London is falling’

Flight booking data shows London has fallen to the bottom of the top 10 most booked European cities, as border restrictions and UK  quarantine regulations choked travel, according to joint research by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and ForwardKeys.

In the first half of June last year as the holiday season was in full swing, London was the most heavily booked city in Europe for any date of arrival, followed by Paris and Rome.

However, travel restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the quarantine rules imposed by the UK government, the capital has slumped to the bottom of the top 10.

While Europe has begun to relax travel restrictions and bookings have begun to pick-up, those for London have languished

Under pressure from the travel sector, the UK government finally looks set to announce ‘travel corridors’ to popular European summer hotspots such as France, Germany, Greece, Turkey and Italy. This would enable airlines to open flights for bookings to Brits eager to get away during the summer.

Lisbon meanwhile has soared to the top of the list of most booked European cities during the first half of June, compared to sitting close to the bottom in ninth place in 2019.

Portugal has been one of the first countries to establish enhanced hygiene and safety protocols to welcome tourists and has one of the top testing rates to control transmission. According to ForwardKeys research, new tickets issued for future international travel to the European Union (EU) dropped by 84.4% in the first half of June compared to the same period in 2019, recovering from a 94.5% overall decline in May.

Meanwhile bookings to the UK plunged by a staggering 96.7% in the first half of June, almost unchanged from the precipitous 97.2% collapse in May.

New flight bookings for all international future departures from the EU slumped by 80.2% in the first half of June 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, recovering from a hefty 92.3% decline in May.

By comparison, bookings from London only recovered to an 89.8% year on year decline during the first half of June, compared to a punishing 94.0% decline in May.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Travel restrictions and quarantines have continued to quash air travel and strangle demand for travel to and from London, causing it to fall to the bottom of the league for top ten most booked European cities, according to latest flight bookings.

“However, analysis by ForwardKeys clearly shows demand for flights to and from Europe has begun to recover, thanks in part to a relaxation of travel restrictions which has fueled the recovery in the Travel & Tourism sector.

“We eagerly await the UK government’s announcement it will finally allow travellers to make plans for the summer and visit destinations across the whole of Europe and allow the UK Travel & Tourism sector to kick-off its much needed recovery.

“The implementation of global protocols as well as testing and contact tracing for intercontinental arrivals, as unveiled by WTTC’s Safe and Seamless Traveller Journey initiative, will restore consumer confidence and encourage travelling to resume.”

“We believe these measures will allow travellers to meet the huge pent up demand to travel once more and enjoy a much-need summer break while enabling the Travel & Tourism sector to re-open for business, restoring the livelihoods of millions of people dependent upon tourism.

“The success of the popular holiday destination of Portugal in attracting visitors follows the government’s implementation of a number of enhanced health and safety measures. These are, in line with our global protocols, designed to restart this important sector and ensure safe travel. We are delighted to recognise these efforts through the WTTC Safe Travels stamp.”

Olivier Jager, CEO, ForwardKeys, said: “It’s alarming to see London, which is Europe’s most popular capital to visit, falling from top spot to 10th place in the ranking of most booked European cities during the first half of June.

“The UK’s tough new quarantine regulations are almost certainly responsible; and that conclusion is further reinforced by the difference between inbound and outbound bookings. ForwardKeys research clearly shows that European air travel has begun to rebound with a slow but steady rise in bookings, compared to the same period last year.”

“Our ticketing data shows that while volumes are still low, having fallen across the EU by nearly 84% compared to the same period in 2019, the numbers are beginning to improve. However, new tickets for future arrivals into the UK are still a staggering 97% down compared to the same ticketing period last year.”

Last year, the UK attracted more than 40 million overseas visitors. This data from WTTC and ForwardKeys shows that if the UK government continues to drag its heels in announcing the next steps for reopening the country, including the removal of barriers such as quarantine and establishing ‘air corridors’, it will have a devastating effect on the Travel & Tourism sector.

This latest data comes on the back of a series of WTTC measures which are designed to rebuild global consumer confidence and encourage the return of Safe Travels.

Safe Travels Protocols were developed for the global Travel & Tourism sector which focused on measures to drive business to hotels, tour operators, attractions, short short-term rentals.

It was also developed for airlines and airports, according to International Civil Organization (ICAO) Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART) Take-off guidance, to enable them to follow strict health and hygiene regimes to re-opening for business.

The welfare of travellers and the millions of people employed throughout the Travel & Tourism sector were at the heart of the protocols and were backed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Evidence from WTTC’s Crisis Readiness report, which looked at 90 different types of crises, highlights the importance of public-private cooperation to ensure that smart policies and effective communities are in place to enable a more resilient Travel & Tourism sector.

According to WTTC’s 2020 Economic Impact Report, during 2019, Travel & Tourism was responsible for one in 10 jobs (330 million total), making a 10.3% contribution to global GDP and generating one in four of all new jobs.

TUI’s Premium Club Brand ROBINSON To Open A New Club Resort in Cyprus

TUI’s Premium Club Brand ROBINSON will launch its first property in Cyprus. With more than 300 days of sunshine per year and many cultural and scenic highlights, Cyprus is an ideal travel destination – not only for beach holidays.

The Mediterranean island is well prepared for the 2020 summer holiday. Cyprus is one of the first destinations to welcome back holidaymakers from other European countries. "We are in close contact with all the partners in the country," says Sebastian Ebel, TUI Group Executive Board member responsible for Hotels & Resorts. "TUI is already represented in Cyprus with numerous partner hotels. The holiday destination also offers great potential for our popular hotel brands. For the summer of 2021, our premium club brand ROBINSON will therefore be launched in the country for the first time." The quality and market leader for club holidays will then open its first resort on the sunny island in the eastern Mediterranean, thereby expanding its portfolio to a total of 26 properties worldwide.

The new ROBINSON Club Cyprus will be located on a 78,000 m² site on the south coast of Cyprus, about 30 minutes by car from Larnaca International Airport. The club area fascinates by its direct location on the extensive sandy beach in a large bay with direct sea view. The already existing facility, with a total of 321 rooms and suites, accommodated in two and three-storey terraced bungalows and in the main building, will be extensively renovated and extended until the opening next summer. As a "For All" club, the ROBINSON Club Cyprus is perfectly suited for beach holidays travelling with the entire family. However, active holidaymakers also get their money's worth thanks to a wide range of sports activities and ideal water sports conditions. On excursions, guests can also explore the stunning landscape of the island and its cultural features.

ROBINSON takes over the operation of the property within the context of a management contract. The negotiations with the owner company Muskita Tourist Enterprises Ltd. had already begun before the start of the Corona pandemic and have now been successfully concluded. "We are pleased that we can continue ROBINSON's continuous course of growth even in these extraordinary times. We are clearly looking ahead. We are delighted that we are adding a fascinating destination to our portfolio with Cyprus, which has a lot to offer our guests," says Bernd Mäser, spokesman for the management of Robinson Club GmbH.

Bookings for the new ROBINSON Club Cyprus will be available from 14 July 2020.

Tags: TUI’s Premium Club Brand ROBINSON

Low Season Traveller – the launch of the first travel company exclusively focusing on low season travel

Low Season Traveller, the world’s first travel company exclusively dedicated to inspiring travellers to visit worldwide destinations during their low season has been launched.

Headed by Ged Brown, who has 25 years’ experience within the global travel industry, Low Season Traveller has been timed to support the ‘rebirth’ of the worldwide travel industry post Covid-19 delivering more choice and better value for money for travellers.

The company believes that the only realistic and effective way to avoid over tourism and grow the global travel industry is to ‘extend the selling season’ encouraging more visitors to travel during the low season supporting a more sustainable and responsible way to travel. Research shows that currently 70% of all worldwide travellers arrive during each destination’s “peak” season months.

As a destination marketing company, Low Season Traveller highlights worldwide destinations during their low seasons showing potential visitors what the experience is really like via multimedia including images, blogs, videos and our weekly podcasts highlighting cultural and unique travel opportunities.

Providing an inspiration for travellers focusing on the benefits of travel outside of the peak season Low Season Traveller are already working alongside international launch partners including Six Senses and COMO Resorts, whilst a bespoke personal booking service is being provided for all travel enquiries through Designer Travel.

Commenting on the launch, Ged Brown, CEO of Low Season Traveller explains, “For the past 2 years myself and the team have been working on developing Low Season Traveller with partners across the global leisure industry including tourism organisations, hotels, transport and visitor attractions. We are convinced that there is a real gap in the market for low season travel and the recent pandemic has only endorsed our view further. There could never be a better time for us to launch Low Season Traveller highlighting to travellers how to avoid busy tourist spots and delivering effective ‘social distancing’.

By highlighting how to deliver value for money, live ‘like the locals’ and importantly how to avoid the crowds, we are confident that travellers will be inspired by our low season destination portfolio.  As our programme develops, we will also support an increasing number of local community charities through our legacy initiative, something that we are very proud of.

We look forward to developing our portfolio of worldwide travel choices working alongside tourism partners helping to extend their season. This will help to support year-round jobs and increase visitor numbers sustainably whilst we deliver a passion about the improved travel experiences that can be enjoyed during the quieter times of the year."

Tags: Low Season Traveller

Virgin Australia To Re-Launch With The Investment of Bain Capital

Virgin Australia is today a step closer to re-launch with the announcement that Bain Capital has entered into an agreement with its Administrators to become the new owner of the airline.

 

The Virgin Australia Group will now work closely with Bain Capital on its vision for the business moving forward.

Virgin Australia Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Paul Scurrah, said that today was a significant step forward in securing the airline’s future.

“This is a great day for Virgin Australia and a huge milestone as we move forward with Bain Capital,” said Mr Scurrah.

“Bain Capital has spent many hours over the past weeks speaking to us and getting a deep understanding of our business and working to secure a deal with our administrators. We know they are committed to investing in the airline and we are thrilled to be working with them into the future.

“It was always the goal to bring our airline out of administration as quickly as possible in a stronger financial position and this announcement brings us a step closer to that. Bain’s investment will cement our future as a major Australian carrier, secure thousands of direct and indirect jobs, and ensure we can continue to bring competition to millions of customers for many years to come.

“We thank our customers and partners for their loyalty and support during such a challenging period. Australia needs a second airline and, with the significant backing of Bain Capital, we’ll continue to serve our customers with competitive fares and high-quality air travel into the future.

“We also thank Deloitte partners John Greig, Sal Algeri, Richard Hughes and Vaughan Strawbridge, and the teams at Morgan Stanley, Clayton Utz and Houlihan Lokey for their work getting us to this point.”

Tags: Virgin Australia

Sri Lanka to delay tourism reopening

On Monday, Sri Lanka lifted its nationwide curfew ahead of the parliamentary elections that is set to take place in forthcoming weeks but the island country has decided to delay reopening the country for foreign tourists by at least by another two weeks. It was initially announced that the country would open its international airports to tourists on August 1. However, it has now been decided that rescue operations of citizens stranded would be prioritised at the moment.

The Sri Lankan government has already declared the rules for foreign travellers who will enter the country after the reopening of the airport. Tourists have also been asked to produce a negative PCR report taken within 72 hours prior to their arrival on the island. They will also have to undergo a second test after landing and a third if they stay for more than 10 days. Visitors will also have to undergo testing if they show any signs of COVID-19 infections during their stay in the country. It has also been announced that people who fail to wear masks would be ordered to self-quarantine for 14 days.

However, the decision to completely lift the curfew was taken after the country stopped showing records of fresh coronavirus infections at the community level. The reopening comes after the nationwide lockdown that was declared back during March in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease. An official has mentioned that though the curfew has been completely lifted people will not be able to gather in large groups like the pre-pandemic time. It has been mentioned that everyone is subjected to adhere to the health guidelines as recommended by the Health Ministry.

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga added in a press statement that though the country wants to restart tourism as soon as possible, there are more than 46,000 Sri Lankans who have registered with the government and are waiting to return home. Therefore, it has been decided that authorities will first ensure that stranded individuals return back to the country before restarting foreign tourism.

Tags:  Sri Lankan government, COVID-19, Sri Lankan Tourism

21 Wedding-Meeting Planners and Journalists Participated In The Undiscovered Italy Tour

The first of the two Undiscovered Italy Tours scheduled for this month, designed and created by Daniela Corti Events under the patronage of ENIT (the Italian Tourist Board) and in collaboration with Canadian Tour Operator Susan Barone of Luxury Weddings Worldwide and InStyle Vacations was held in Calabria from June 22 to 25.

 

Twenty-one wedding and meeting planners, as well as Italy-based specializing journalists, have visited wonderful corners of one of the lushest regions in the world, a natural palette of colours, landscapes, and atmospheres, now engaged in a meritorious effort to revive its offer after the quarantine.

In addition to ENIT, this itinerary was sponsored by the Vibo Valentia Chamber of Commerce. Other institutional partners were the Municipalities of Soverato and Gerace. Antoior Travel, Autolinee Federico, and Jiji Eventi served as ground service partners. Local media coverage by C TV.

Heartfelt thanks especially to both Antoior Travel and Autolinee Federico for their collaboration.

Tyrrhenian Calabria

The tour aimed to show participants places and locations suitable for either weddings or international events, as well as to promote personal encounters with local excellences in every side of the industry, including the food & wine chain.

The group was based at the Grand Hotel Parco dei Principi, a five-star venue in Roccella Ionica, and from there it immediately began the inspections. As for the fam tour carried out in the province of Vibo Valentia, thanks to the partnership of the local Chamber of Commerce (in the presence of President Nuccio Caffo and Secretary General Bruno Calvetta), the two main attractions of Pizzo and Vibo Valentia city and marina, as well as Tropea and Parghelia, were visited. Here some top level structures were also visited, so to give the participants an idea of the kind of service and quality available in the territory. Their first opinion is decidedly positive, and it fully confirms the expectations on the excellent possibilities for wedding and events in the top venues of this enchanting province of Southern Italy.

Ionian Calabria

The tour on the Ionian side started from the medieval town of Gerace, within Aspromonte National Park, with a wide and panoramic view over much of the Locride territory. At the foot of Gerace is Casale della Rocca, a superb wedding location, overlooking the blue of the Ionian Sea.

Another important venue is Torre Sant’Antonio, in Santa Caterina dello Ionio, built in the thirteenth century for the sighting of pirate flotillas, today a venue for holidays and ceremonies.

After a sea experience on the beach of Marina di Isca, the group returned to Santa Caterina for a lunch based on organic products from the area, before heading to the medieval village of Badolato, on the hills a few km from the sea. The country has many very picturesque views that make it an unusual and surprising venue for ceremonies and weddings.

Finally, two important visits: Azienda Statti (three hundred hectares of centuries-old olive grove, one hundred hectares of vineyards, fifty of citrus orchard and a cattle-breeding producing five thousand litres of milk per day – five hundred hectares in all, including the fit for sowing, in the middle of Lamezia Terme’s plain) and Villa Ventura (a historic dwelling surrounded by greenery, built on the remains of a fifteenth-century building, with large halls richly furnished with ancient fittings and family furniture).

It is really exciting to observe how all the institutions and operators of these territories are giving their best to enhance tourist demand, in an exemplary proactive effort that should be taken as a universal example, not only in Italy and not only in tourism.

Daniela Corti said, “Calabria deserves to be promoted, because it isn’t yet known as it would deserve for weddings and events. It has beautiful colours and unforgettable landscapes, as well as areas that may recall lower Tuscany or Umbria. Thus, also thanks to its historical heritage, it is certainly worth as much as more famous destinations. It is Covid-free too, which is not really a detail and one of the reasons why I chose it. Guests were unanimously enthusiastic, and I am sure that this first Undiscovered Italy Tour of 2020 will be the springboard of a good tourist revival, so much so that I have already been asked to repeat the experience, with another group of peer professionals, in early September”.

Tags: Luxury Weddings, Daniela Corti  ENIT