MADRID, 4 March 2022: The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) will convene an emergency session of its Executive Council to consider calls for the Russian Federation’s membership to be suspended following the invasion of Ukraine.
The in-person council session will be held on 8 March in Madrid. It was scheduled after representatives of Guatemala, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, and Ukraine called for the suspension of the Russian Federation last Thursday.
A media statement from the UNWTO confirmed the UNWTO Secretary-General has called for an emergency session of the Executive Council to address the matter, in accordance with Rule 3.4 of the council’s rules of procedure.
UNWTO said it was the first time in the organisation’s 47 years that member states have asked the executive council to consider a country suspension.
Article 3 of the UNWTO Statutes states that the fundamental
principles of the organisation are the “promotion and development of
tourism to contribute to economic development, international understanding,
peace, prosperity and universal respect for, and observance of, human
rights”.
UNWTO has unequivocally condemned the actions of the Russian
Federation, noting that they are a clear breach of Ukrainian sovereignty and
territorial integrity and contrary to the principles enshrined in the UN
Charter and UNWTO Statutes.
HO CHI MINH CITY, 4 March 2022: Bamboo Airways confirmed
this week in statements to local media it will launch a new weekly service from
Ho Chi Minh City to Sydney, Australia, starting 29 March.
According to a Sydney Airport media release, the airline
hopes to increase flights on the route to four per week by the year-end.
Credit: Bamboo Airways
Last month the airline launched a weekly flight from Ho Chi
Minh City to Melbourne, Australia. It plans to start a weekly service from
Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, to Melbourne on 28 March.
Bamboo Airways uses Dreamliner 787-9 aircraft for its
long-haul flights to Europe, and Australia, configured with 26 business class
seats, 21 in premium economy and 247 in economy class.
Bamboo Airways is the first international airline to
commence services to Sydney Airport following the re-opening of international
borders.
PALMA, Spain, 4 March 2022: Hotelbeds has signed a preferred
partner deal with IHG Hotels & Resorts to distribute wholesale rates for
IHG hotels in Europe and Greater China.
Hotelbeds’ network reaches thousands of B2B travel buyers,
such as offline tour operators, retail travel agents, airlines and company
employee loyalty programmes, across more than 140 source markets worldwide.
Hotelbeds Chief Commercial Officer Carlos Muñoz commented: “Thanks to this collaboration, our client partners worldwide will have access to a leading product portfolio which is fantastic news coming off the back of some very challenging years.”
IHG Hotels & Resorts has 17 brands, including
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts and
Holiday Inn Express and last year joined Hotelbeds’ Green Hotel Programme to
further strengthen its commitment to sustainable tourism.
The Green Hotels Programme is a turn-key solution to bring
Hotelbeds and its partners into the green economy and accelerate the transition
of the travel industry towards sustainability – a topic whose importance has
increased dramatically in light of the Covid pandemic.
SINGAPORE, 4 March 2022: Russia’s invasion
of Ukraine launched on 24 February prompted an instant spike in flight
cancellations to and from Russia, according to the latest data from
ForwardKeys.
On 25 February, the day after the start of
the invasion, every booking that was made for travel to Russia was outweighed
by six cancellations of pre-existing bookings. The source markets exhibiting
the highest cancellation rates, in order of volume, were Germany 773%, France
472%, Italy 152%, the UK 254%, India 285% and Turkey 116%.
The invasion also triggered a collapse in
the market for Russian outbound travel. Destinations that suffered the highest
immediate cancellation rates, from 24 to 26 February, were Cyprus (300%), Egypt
(234%), Turkey (153%), the UK (153%), Armenia (200%), and Maldives (165%).
Before the outbreak of war, Russian
outbound flight bookings for March, April and May, had recovered to 32% of
pre-pandemic levels, with some holiday hotspots doing exceptionally well.
Mexico led the way with flight bookings
427% ahead of 2019 levels. It was followed by Seychelles 279%, Egypt 192% and
the Maldives 115% ahead of 2019 levels.
The outlook for travel was significantly
stronger during July and August, as flight bookings stood at 46% of 2019
levels, with destinations like the Maldives 78% ahead, Seychelles 275% ahead,
and Egypt 216% ahead.
For some of the countries mentioned above,
such as the Seychelles, Maldives and Cyprus, Russian arrivals represent a high
percentage of all international arrivals; so, a collapse in Russian travel will
have damaging consequences on their tourism-dependent economies.
The countries that currently stand to
suffer the most include Armenia, which depends on Russia for 47% of all
visitors, Azerbaijan 44%, Uzbekistan 34%, Bulgaria 18%, the Seychelles 16%, the
Maldives 15% and Cyprus 13%.
Before the outbreak of war, the top 20
destinations most booked by Russian travellers in March, April and May were, in
order of total bookings, Turkey, the UAE, the Maldives, Thailand, Greece,
Egypt, Cyprus, Armenia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Bulgaria, Mexico,
Spain, Azerbaijan, USA, UK, Qatar, Italy and Uzbekistan.
Coinciding with the collapse in
international air travel, a strong recovery in domestic air travel immediately
stalled. Up to 23 February, Russian domestic flight bookings for March, April
and May were running 25% ahead of pre-pandemic levels. However, new bookings
fell 77%, analysed on a week-on-week basis.
ForwardKeys, vice president insights
Olivier Ponti said: “The outbreak of war always has a hugely damaging impact on
the travel industry; and that is what we see here, with mass cancellations in
flight bookings to and from Russia.
“The Russian tourism economy was beginning
to revive from the pandemic, and it will now experience another substantial
blow. There will also be serious impacts on destinations that depend heavily on
Russian visitors. The current data does not yet contain the impact of
sanctions, which is bound to make the picture worse. Of course, should there be
a cease-fire and successful peace talks, the outlook for travel should improve.
However, while the economic damage already looks set to be dreadful, it is
nothing compared to the human suffering experienced by the people in
Ukraine.”
About ForwardKeys
Founded in 2010, ForwardKeys delivers data and insights to tourism organisations, hotels, and retailers keen to understand who is travelling where, when, and for how long.
SINGAPORE, 4 March 2022: Digital travel platform Agoda has signed a partnership agreement with the Singapore Tourism Board to drive a marketing campaign that will boost travel from Southeast Asia to Singapore.
The partnership will tap Agoda’s technology and travel expertise, data insights and integrated marketing capabilities to showcase Singapore’s travel experiences.
The agreement was signed 3 March in the presence of Enric Casals, Director and Board Member of Agoda; Olalla Rey, Senior Director, Strategic partnerships, Agoda, and dignitaries from the Singapore Tourism Board, including John Gregory Conceicao, Executive Director, Southeast Asia; and Nicholas Lim, Manager, Market Planning, International Group.
It marks the first direct partnership between STB and Agoda globally headquartered in Singapore to boost travel demand as border restrictions lift in the region.
“With this partnership, we are glad to lend our insights and innovative marketing to help STB optimise footfall to our home base,” said Agoda director Enric Casals.
Singapore Tourism Board executive director John Gregory Conceicao added: “Through this partnership, and with the insights and knowledge that each partner brings to the table, we can reach a wider audience and invite them to rediscover Singapore and our vibrant neighbourhoods, variety of delicious food and unique attractions.”
About Agoda
From its beginnings as an e-commerce start-up based in Singapore in 2005, digital travel platform Agoda has grown to offer a global network of over 2.5 million properties in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Headquartered in Singapore, Agoda is part of Booking Holdings (Nasdaq: BKNG) and employs over 4,000 staff in 30 countries.
SYDNEY, 4 March 2022: Thousands of travellers boarded Qantas and Jetstar flights following the reopening of Western Australia’s domestic border, on 2 March, allowing visitors quarantine free entry for the first time in almost two years.
After a false start in February, more than 23,000 passengers
booked to travel this week on Qantas and Jetstar flights to and from Perth.
Several of the 31 Qantas and Jetstar flights on day one (2 March) were fully booked with Australians rushing to reunite with friends and family or get back to business in Western Australia. WA was the last Australian state to reopen to visitors.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce welcomed the border reopening saying, “Australia is now finally back together…It’s a terrific boost to West Australian tourism operators and businesses who will once again benefit from the influx of visitors from the east coast and beyond.
“We had to cancel thousands of flights when the border
reopening was cancelled in February, and tens of thousands of travellers had
their plans ruined, but while the reopening has been complicated, it’s great
that Aussies can now travel freely again.”
Qantas and Jetstar have added around 60 return interstate
flights each week in March – representing around 40% of the group’s pre-Covid
capacity. This ramps up in April, particularly around the school holiday period
as travel demand recovers.
Flights have been added from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane,
Adelaide, Cairns, Gold Coast, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin.
SINGAPORE 4 March 2022: Vaccinated travellers from Singapore can visit Dubai on the recently introduced Vaccinated Travel Lane without quarantine when they return to Singapore.
Singapore’s VTL scheme in late February extended to include Dubai in the UAE. Currently, Emirates operate four flights a week under the VTL scheme between Dubai and Singapore.
Flight Number
Days of Operation
Departure from Dubai (local time)
Arrival in Singapore (local time)
EK352
Tuesday,
Friday, Saturday & Sunday
10:00AM
9:25PM
Note: All other flights between Dubai and
Singapore are non-VTL flights
In addition, with the Dubai Expo still open, there is no better time to visit the city and catch what’s been dubbed the “world’s largest showcase of brilliance and achievement”. Travellers on Emirates will be able to redeem a complimentary Season Pass with every ticket booked with the airline.
Expo 2020 Dubai
With just a
month to go before it closes, the remarkable showcase that is Expo 2020 is a
must-visit. Themed Connecting Minds,
Creating the Future, the Expo showcases the best examples of collaboration,
innovation and cooperation from around the world.
Health and wellbeing: Emirates has introduced a comprehensive set of safety
measures at every
step of the customer journey. The airline has also recently introduced contactless technology and scaled up its digital verification capabilities.
Travel Assurance: Emirates continues to lead the industry with
innovative products and services that address traveller needs during a dynamic
time. The airline has taken its customer care initiatives further with even more generous and flexible
booking policies
and helping loyal customers retain their miles and tier status. In addition, COVID‑19 medical travel insurance automatically applies to tickets purchased for
flights between 1 December 2021 and 31 March 2022.
PCR Testing: To make travel planning easier, Emirates has
partnered with medical groups in Singapore to extend special rates on Covid-19
PCR tests. Emirates passengers will benefit from a discounted rate on Covid-19
PCR tests at select clinics simply by making an appointment and presenting
their Emirates E-tickets at the clinic. Partner medical groups include
Healthway Medical, which has 34 clinics and Fullerton Health which has seven
clinics that provide discounted PCR testing. Tests should be taken not more
than 72 hours before the flight.
For Healthway Medical, passengers can view available PCR test slots and book an appointment via their portal prior to walking in. For Fullerton Health, passengers are to call the Fullerton Health Call Centre at 6333 3636 or [email protected] and indicate “PRE-TRAVEL PCR TEST” to make an appointment. At the clinic, they will need show their Emirates e-tickets to enjoy these special rates.
Customers are encouraged to check the latest government travel restrictions and ensure they meet the travel requirements of their final destination. For more information on entry requirements for international visitors to Dubai visit: https://www.emirates.com/english/help/covid-19/dubai-travel-requirements/
MANILA, 4 March 2022: The World Travel & Tourism Council’s Global Summit returns in 2022, hosted by the Philippines Ministry of Tourism, 20 to 22 April.
Following last year’s summit hosted by Cancun, Mexico, the
2022 Summit will convene in Metro Manila in person, with a global audience
joining virtually.
WTTC says the summit will adopt a theme of Rediscovering
Travel. Delegates have the option to attend the in-person event or join
virtually. Registration is open on the WTTC website.
The Cancun Global Summit was the world’s first major
in-person gathering of travel & tourism leaders since the outbreak of the
pandemic. More than 20 Ministerial and 600 International delegates from 40
countries attended in-person, and another 30,000 watched virtually. It
demonstrated how major live corporate events, and international travel, can
take place safely by observing the latest health and safety protocols.
DUBAI, 3 March 2022: Emirates is
streamlining check-in formalities for its customers in Ajman and the Northern
Emirates with the introduction of a new check-in facility in collaboration with
the Ajman Transport Authority.
The new facility, located in the Ajman
Central Bus Terminal, is the first
remote check-in facility outside of Dubai and is another way the airline is
helping customers reap the benefits of simple and quick check-in closer to
home, reducing queues and improving their overall experience across the first
touchpoints of their travel journey.
Customers can easily and efficiently
check-in, verify Covid-19 related medical records for their destination,
receive their boarding passes and board one of the convenient Ajman Transport
Authority buses to Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport. Once customers
arrive at Terminal 3 and disembark, they can drop off their bags in a dedicated
baggage area and proceed directly to immigration and security-ensuring a
smoother ground journey through the airport by bypassing the check-in counter
at Dubai International. Plans are underway to integrate baggage check-in at the
new Ajman facility in the coming weeks.
Open 24 hours a day, the Emirates check-in facility in Ajman will
have four counters and two self-service kiosks for a contactless start to the
journey, allowing check-in, boarding pass collection, choosing or changing
seats onboard, and updating passport and Skywards information. Bus trips from
the facility to Terminal 3 will run in parallel with Emirates’ peak operational
periods, which include early and late morning scheduled flights as well the
late-night departures.
The new facility builds on the airline’s
efforts to deliver a seamless experience for its customers across all
touchpoints. The Ajman check-in facility complements Emirates’ existing
facilities for group and family check-in areas at Dubai International and its
cruise passenger check-in facilities at Port Rashid and Dubai Harbour. Emirates
also provides a Home Check-in service from anywhere in Dubai, helping customers
complete check-in from the comfort of their home, hotel or office and have
their luggage transported to the airport before their flight.
GENEVA, 3 March 2022: The International Air Transport
Association (IATA) expects airline passengers to reach 4 billion in 2024
(counting multi-sector connecting trips as one passenger), to exceed the
pre-Covid-19 levels registered in 2019 by 3%.
Expectations for the shape of the near-term recovery have
shifted slightly, reflecting the evolution of government-imposed travel
restrictions in some markets. The overall picture presented in the latest
update to IATA’s long-term forecast, however, is unchanged from what was
expected in November, prior to the Omicron variant.
“The trajectory for the recovery in passenger numbers from
Covid-19 was not changed by the Omicron variant. People want to travel. And
when travel restrictions are lifted, they return to the skies. There is still a
long way to go to reach a normal state of affairs, but the forecast for the
evolution in passenger numbers gives good reason to be optimistic,” said IATA’s
director-general Willie Walsh.
The February update to the long-term forecast includes the
following highlights:
In 2021, overall
traveller numbers were 47% of 2019 levels. This is expected to improve to
83% in 2022, 94% in 2023, 103% in 2024 and 111% in 2025.
In 2021, international
traveller numbers were 27% of 2019 levels. This is expected to improve to
69% in 2022, 82% in 2023, 92% in 2024 and 101% in 2025.
This is a slightly more
optimistic near-term international recovery scenario compared to November 2021,
based on the progressive relaxation or elimination of travel restrictions in
many markets. This has seen improvements in the major North Atlantic and
intra-European markets, strengthening the baseline for recovery. Asia-Pacific
is expected to continue to lag the recovery with the region’s largest market,
China, not showing any signs of relaxing its severe border measures in the near
future.
In 2021, domestic
traveller numbers were 61% of 2019 levels. This is expected to improve to
93% in 2022, 103% in 2023, 111% in 2024 and 118% in 2025.
The outlook for the
evolution of domestic traveller numbers is slightly more pessimistic than in
November. While the US and Russian domestic markets have recovered, the same is
not true for the other major domestic markets of China, Canada, Japan and
Australia.
“The biggest and most
immediate drivers of passenger numbers are the restrictions that governments
place on travel. Fortunately, more governments have understood that travel
restrictions have little to no long-term impact on the spread of a virus. And
the economic and social hardship caused for very limited benefit is simply no
longer acceptable in a growing number of markets. As a result, the progressive
removal of restrictions is giving a much-needed boost to the prospects for
travel,” said Walsh.
IATA reiterates its call
for:
The removal of all travel barriers (including
quarantine and testing) for those fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine
Pre-departure antigen testing to enable
quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travellers
Removing all travel bans, and
Accelerating the easing of travel restrictions
in recognition that travellers pose no greater risk for COVID-19 spread than
already exists in the general population.
Regional Variations
Not all markets or market
sectors are recovering at the same pace.
“In general, we are
moving in the right direction, but there are some concerns. Asia-Pacific is the
laggard of the recovery. While Australia and New Zealand have announced
measures to reconnect with the world, China is showing no signs of relaxing its
zero-Covid strategy. The resulting localized lock-downs in its domestic market
are depressing global passenger numbers even as other major markets like the US
are largely back to normal,” said Walsh.
Asia-Pacific: The slow
removal of international travel restrictions, and the likelihood of renewed
domestic restrictions during Covid outbreaks, mean that traffic to/from/within
the Asia Pacific will only reach 68% of 2019 levels in 2022, the weakest
outcome of the main regions. 2019 levels should be recovered in 2025 (109%) due
to the slow recovery in international traffic in the region.
Europe: In the next
few years, the intra-Europe market is expected to benefit from passenger
preferences for short-haul travel as confidence rebuilds. This will be
facilitated by increasingly harmonized and restriction-free movement within the
EU. Total passenger numbers to/from/within Europe are expected to reach 86% of
2019 values in 2022 before making a full recovery in 2024 (105%).
North America: After a
resilient 2021, traffic to/from/within North America will continue to perform
strongly in 2022 as the US domestic market returns to pre-crisis trends and
with ongoing improvements in international travel. In 2022, passenger numbers
will reach 94% of 2019 levels, and full recovery is expected in 2023 (102%),
ahead of other regions.
Africa: Africa’s
passenger traffic prospects are somewhat weaker in the near-term due to slow
progress in vaccinating the population and the impact of the crisis on
developing economies. Passenger numbers to/from/within Africa will recover more
gradually than in other regions, reaching 76% of 2019 levels in 2022,
surpassing pre-crisis levels only in 2025 (101%).
Middle East: With limited
short-haul markets, the Middle East’s focus on long-haul connectivity through
its hubs is expected to result in slower recovery. Passenger numbers
to/from/within the Middle East are expected to reach 81% of 2019 levels in
2022, 98% in 2024 and 105% in 2025.
Latin America: Traffic
to/from/within Latin America has been relatively resilient during the pandemic
and is forecast to see a strong 2022, with limited travel restrictions and
dynamic passenger flows within the region and to/from North America. 2019
passenger numbers are forecast to be surpassed in 2023 for Central America
(102%), followed by South America in 2024 (103%) and the Caribbean in 2025
(101%).
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
The forecast does not calculate the impact of the Russia-Ukraine
conflict. In general, air transport is resilient against shocks, and this
conflict is unlikely to impact the long-term growth of air transport. It is too
early to estimate what the near-term consequences will be for aviation, but it
is clear that there are downside risks, in particular in markets with exposure
to the conflict.
Sensitivity factors will include the geographic extent, severity, and
time period for sanctions and/or airspace closures. These impacts would be felt
most severely in Russia, Ukraine and neighbouring areas. Pre-COVID-19, Russia,
was the 11th largest market for air transport services in terms of passenger
numbers, including its large domestic market. Ukraine ranked 48.
The impact on airline costs as a result of fluctuations in energy prices
or rerouting to avoid Russian airspace could have broader implications.
Consumer confidence and economic activity are likely to be impacted even
outside of Eastern Europe.
