Travel Sector’s Effect on Economy Could Reach Near Pre-Pandemic Levels, WTTC Says

New research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed that the global travel & tourism sector’s contribution to the global economy could reach $8.6 trillion this year, just 6.4 percent behind pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, before the pandemic stopped travel in its tracks, the sector generated nearly $9.2 trillion to the global economy; however, in 2020, the pandemic brought the sector to an almost complete standstill, causing a massive 49.1 percent drop, representing a severe loss of nearly $4.5 trillion.

The latest research from WTTC shows that as the world finally begins to recover from pandemic, the sector’s contribution to both the global economy and employment could reach almost pre-pandemic levels this year.

Research by the global tourism body shows that if the vaccine and booster rollout continue at pace this year, and restrictions to international travel are eased around the world throughout the year, the sector could create 58 million jobs in 2022, to reach more than 330 million—just 1 percent below pre-pandemic levels and up 21.5 percent on 2020.

“Over the past two years, the global travel and tourism sector has suffered tremendous losses,” Julia Simpson, WTTC president and CEO, said in a press release. She continued: “As people start traveling again, governments must implement simplified rules, including the use of digital solutions. Travel of the future should be contactless while guaranteeing safety,” she added.

In 2019, the sector generated 10.4 percent of global GDP and more than 330 million jobs. To reach close to pre-pandemic levels this year, WTTC says governments around the world must continue focussing on the vaccine and booster rollout—allowing fully vaccinated travelers to move freely without the need for testing.

The global tourism body also urges governments to ditch the patchwork of restrictions and enable international travel using digital solutions that allow travelers to prove their status in a fast, simple and secure way.

Source: Travel Agent Central

Kenya Airways to stop transporting monkeys used for medical experiments in US

Kenyan flag carrier Kenya Airways will not renew its contract with an undisclosed breeding farm that paid the airline to ship monkeys from Mauritius to a research laboratory in New York, where they were used in medical experiments.  

The decision comes after a truck towing a trailer with monkeys was involved in a crash on a Pennsylvania highway. 

In an interview with AP News, Kenya Airways CEO Michael Joseph said that following the contract, the carrier flew 100 long-tailed Macaques from Mauritius to New York (JFK) on January 21, 2022.  

On arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the animals were put into a truck trailer for further transportation. However, the truck collided with a dump truck in Pennsylvania later that day.  

Due to the crash, which is currently being investigated by the US Department of Agriculture, some of the monkeys were injured. Several escaped and were caught by Pennsylvania State Police. Unfortunately, some of the macaques were “shot and killed” during the catch, according to media reports.  

Following the incident, American animal rights organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) contacted the Kenya Airways CEO regarding the treatment of the macaques.  

In response to the recent event, Kenya Airways announced that it will not renew its shipment contract with the breeding facility. The current contract expires in February 2022. 

Source: Aerotime Hub

Ethiopian Airlines reactivates its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft

Ethiopian Airlines has commenced reactivation of its Boeing 737 MAX fleet. The 737 MAX, which is the first of four passenger jets, has returned to the skies for the first time since the aircraft were grounded in spring 2019.  

The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8, registration ET-AVI, was spotted on February 1, 2022. According to Flightradar24.com data, the jet took off from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) at 09:21 a.m. (UTC) for a two hour-long reactivation flight and returned to the airport around 11.46 a.m. (UTC).  

The jet was the first of four 737 MAX passenger planes operate by the airline before the type was grounded following two fatal crashes. 346 people died when Lion Air Flight 610 crashed on October 29, 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed on March 10, 2019. 

The MAX reactivation follows Ethiopian Airlines’ initial schedule, which was announced by the airline in December 2021.  

At the time, Tewolde Gebremariam, Ethiopian Airlines CEO revealed that it had taken more than 20 months for the airline to regain confidence in the safety of its MAX fleet.  

“We have taken enough time to monitor the design modification work and the more than 20 months of rigorous rectification process…our pilots, engineers, aircraft technicians, cabin crew are confident in the safety of the fleet,” the CEO said in a statement seen by Reuters, which was dated January 2022.  

Gebremariam also noted that safety is the airline’s “topmost priority” and guides “every decision [it] makes and all actions [it] takes”. 

Source: Aerotime Hub

African Airlines Blame Strict Travel Guidelines For Continued Poor Performance

Stringent travel advisories have continued to depress the performance of airlines’ in Africa with numbers still below 2019 capacity, the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has said.

According to AFRAA, African airline revenues have remained low with many operators battling with cash-flow issues with full-year revenue loss for 2021 estimated at $8.6billion.

This is equivalent to 49.8 per cent of the 2019 revenues.

“As a result of these uncoordinated measures, air passenger traffic from January to December was only 42.3 per cent compared to the same period in 2019,” AFRAA noted.

The capacity improved and reached 52.7 per cent in January 2022, and AFRAA expects it to inch up by 6.3 per cent to 59 per cent in the year.

According to the airline lobby group, the domestic market maintained the biggest share for capacity deployed, though actual passenger traffic saw a dip.

Domestic demand was at 42 per cent and outperformed intra-Africa and intercontinental which remained subdued at 31.9 per cent and 25.6 per cent respectively.

On the actual number of passenger seats offered, domestic, intra-Africa and intercontinental account for 47.3, 24.9, and 27.8 per cent respectively.

As at the end of 2021, African airlines had reinstated approximately 80.8 per cent of their pre-Covid international routes, though frequencies remain low.

The Intra-African connectivity reached 76 per cent of the pre-Covid level in November 2021 and increased to 80 per cent in December.

AFRAA forecast the intra-African connectivity to slide back to 76 per cent in January 2022 because of the closure of some routes.

“Across Africa in general, passenger traffic volumes remain depressed due to the unilateral and uncoordinated travel health restrictions imposed by some governments following the outbreak of the Omicron variant of COV-2,” said AFRAA.

Source: Capital Business

How Dubai became world’s best tourist destination amid Covid

Dubai’s ranking as the No.1 global destination in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2022 has given the city a milestone moment in the new year.

The ranking will also bolster its drive to achieve the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make the Emirate the most visited destination and the best city to live and work in.

Dubai was voted #1 on the global list of Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for Best Global Destination, the world’s #1 destination for city lovers and #4 destination for ‘Food Lovers’.

Winning the three accolades is a significant achievement for Dubai as the awards were determined by the quality and quantity of independent destination reviews and ratings from travellers across accommodation, restaurants and activities over 12 months from November 1, 2020, and October 31, 2021.

Helal Saeed Almarri, director-general, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) said: “Inspired by the visionary leadership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the city adopted a multi-pronged strategy to deal with the pandemic including a series of initiatives that further enhanced our global competitiveness and attractiveness as a multi-faceted destination. It is truly a proud moment for Dubai to be endorsed as the top global destination, reaffirming the decisive yet prudent measures taken by Dubai to safely navigate and accelerate out of this unprecedented global challenge.”

Almarri added that the achievement is a testament to the “dynamism, resilience and accessibility” of Dubai and its consistence in delivering the highest standards of service to all visitors.

“It also points to the growing collaboration between the Department of Economy and Tourism and its stakeholders and partners, both domestic and international, to position Dubai as a global hub for business and leisure, as well as building on its credentials as an international events destination with the success of Expo 2020 Dubai and the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations,” he said.

As one of the first destinations in the world to close, then open and remain open, Dubai’s effective management of the pandemic and early initiative to lead the global tourism recovery restored travel confidence and positioned the city as one of the safest destinations.

The constant dialogue and cooperation between DET and stakeholders ensured that the ecosystem was aligned in collectively promoting Dubai as a must-visit destination, highlighting the diverse destination proposition and reinforcing the message that that the city is open and safe for domestic and global travellers.

Dubai also launched initiatives to ease barriers to entry for business and leisure travellers, as well as long-term residency initiatives that offer pathways for deeper engagement and longevity with Dubai.

These include the new visas and programmes such as golden visa targeting investors, entrepreneurs and specialised talents, the five-year multi-entry visa for employees of multinational companies, and the Virtual Working and Retire in Dubai programmes.

Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “Dubai’s ability to evolve and adapt, and focus on a diversified approach to international markets have been critical in ensuring that the city continues to retain its position as the leading business and leisure destination and global liveability hub as envisioned by our visionary leadership.”

Tourism growth in Dubai is gathering pace supported by a robust domestic market and growing confidence within the industry and among travellers, especially with the rollout of vaccinations and booster programmes around the world.

According to the latest data published by DET, Dubai welcomed over six million international visitors between January and November 2021, which surpasses the 5.5 million tourists who visited Dubai for the entire 2020.

During this 11-month period, 743 hotel establishments with over 136,000 rooms also opened their doors to guests, delivering strong occupancy levels of over 60 per cent, which is among the highest occupancy rates internationally.

Expo 2020 Dubai has also made a major contribution towards creating awareness of Dubai and drawing more visitors to the city. Since opening on October 1, 2020, Expo 2020 has attracted over 10 million visits by residents and global travellers.

Source: Khaleej Times

Dubai’s Emirates signs new distribution agreement with Amadeus

Dubai carrier Emirates has signed a new agreement with travel technology company Amadeus, to extend their partnership.

From February 1, 2022, all trade partners on Amadeus will be able to access Emirates’ content free of surcharge. The new agreement will also see Emirates’ NDC (new distribution capability) content integrated into the Amadeus Travel Platform.

The NDC content will be made available to travel sellers over the year, a statement said.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ chief commercial officer, said: “In today’s environment, and particularly as the industry rebuilds post pandemic, everyone in the travel services chain will benefit from flexible models of engagement, multiple means to access dynamic rich content, and the ability to offer differentiated products and services.”

“With this new agreement with Emirates, we start 2022 building on the momentum made over the years to support modern retailing and once more demonstrating our commitment to continue offering through the Amadeus Travel Platform more travel content globally and at scale,” added Decius Valmorbida, president, travel, Amadeus.

Last year, the carrier launched a virtual reality app in the Oculus store, enabling customers to explore its products via interactive experiences.

Source: Gulf Business

EU wants test-free travel for vaccinated residents

Traveling around Europe may be about to get less complicated for fully vaccinated travelers from countries within the European Union.

The EU is recommending that vaccinated residents should not be required to undergo testing or quarantine measures when entering member states.

Under the new advice, which comes into effect on February 1, restrictions would be lifted for those who hold a valid EU Digital Covid Certificate in a “coordinated approach to facilitate safe free movement” across Europe.

This means that fully vaccinated travelers could be allowed to move freely around the bloc’s 27 member states provided each country follows the guidance.

Individual EU destinations are permitted to issue their own additional restrictions, and many have opted to do so since the bloc’s first recommendations on restrictions were issued at the start of the pandemic.

‘Co-ordinated approach’

While the guidance change would also apply to those who’ve recently recovered from Covid-19, testing requirements would remain in place for the unvaccinated.

“This recommendation responds to the significant increase in vaccine uptake and the rapid roll-out of the EU Digital Covid certificate, and replaces the previously existing recommendation,” a statement from the European Council says.

The update guidance, which was announced on Tuesday, stresses that “a traveler’s Covid-19 vaccination, test or recovery status, as evidenced by a valid EU digital Covid Certificate, should be the key determinant” for travel within Europe moving forward.

However, exceptions may be advisable with regards to “travel to and from dark red areas, where the virus is circulating at very high levels.”

Those who do not hold a digital certificate may be required to undergo a test no later than 24 hours after their arrival.

The news comes after Dr. Hans Kluge, director for the World Health Organization’s European region, released a statement indicating that the emergence of the Omicron variant may lead to an end to “the emergency phase” of the pandemic this year.

“Omicron offers plausible hope for stabilization and normalization,” he said, before warning nations not to drop their guard just yet as, “too many people who need the vaccine remain unvaccinated.”

Source: CNN Travel

Airbnb reports that more people are traveling while working remotely – including its own CEO

Airbnb head Brian Chesky is planning to travel across the country over the next few months, but that doesn’t mean he’s taking a break from running the short-term rental platform.

The CEO believes travel among remote workers will be bigger than ever as the pandemic pushes employers to offer more flexible working conditions. To prove it’s possible to work from just about anywhere, Chesky plans to live and work from Airbnbs across the U.S. over the next several months, returning to his home in San Francisco between each one-to-two-week trip.

“All you need is a laptop and someone’s internet in their home and you can do your job. In fact, you can even run a nearly $100 billion company,” he told USA TODAY. 

“I generally like homes that feel like they’re part of a community,” he said. “Some Airbnbs feel a little bit more lived-in than others.” 

Chesky suggests remote workers who want to travel through Airbnb look for listings with good Wi-Fi and take a close look at reviews. The longer, the better, he said.  

“The more passionate somebody is a better review, the longer they’re going to leave reviews,” Chesky said. “So if you see a bunch of reviews and they’re like one or two sentences on Airbnb, even they’re positive, clearly that property didn’t leave the same impression.”

The CEO plans to use his time working remotely to find ways to improve the platform. Airbnb has announced major upgrades in recent months, and Chesky said “some pretty big updates” related to remote work will drop before the summer travel season arrives.

‘A revolution in travel’

Before the pandemic, customers primarily viewed Airbnb as a way to find an apartment in a city to stay at for a few days, according to Chesky. That’s changed over the past two years. 

About 20% of nights booked between July and September were 28 days or longer. Half of the nights booked in that same time were at least seven days long – up from 44% in 2019.  

“We’re on the verge of a revolution in travel,” Chesky said. “The world is getting digitized. The world is getting smaller. It’s getting more global. And I think this has probably been the biggest change in daily living.”  

While the pandemic won’t last forever, Chesky believes the remote working trend is here to stay with the “vast majority” of workers not returning to the office five days a week. He expects this will be especially big for workers without kids who are tethered to a school system but added that remote work could open doors for families who want to travel for extended periods over the summer.  

The shift is a boon for employees who want to fit in more travel, but Chesky said it makes sense from a business perspective as well: Why would a company limit their labour pool to only people who live near their office?  

“I think ultimately, people are going to want to compete for the very best talent,” he said. 

‘I feel like I can be anywhere’

Chesky’s next stop is still undecided. Cities with friends he’d like to visit are high on the list, but he’s not discounting small towns and rural communities as options. 

“I’m still kind of still figuring out where my next adventure is,” he said. “I think I’m going to go to Nashville and then I think I’m gonna go to L.A. I’m not sure where next – maybe Miami.” 

Chesky is considering posting a poll on social media to ask advice on where to go next.

“It’s a really fun adventure,” he said. “I always had this dream of being able to live anywhere. … (Now,) as long as I’m in a reasonable time zone, I feel like I can be anywhere, and I can be just as effective here as at my house. So my office is everywhere.”

Source: USA Today

Using a travel agent will make your 2022 vacations much more enjoyable. Here’s why.

When Calista West started planning a trip to Sedona, Arizona, seeing a local healer was on her to-do list. She shared her aspiration with her travel adviser as an afterthought. But when West tried to make an appointment with the physician, he was unavailable. 

Then her travel agent, Brie Shelly, sent over West’s itinerary. Shelly had worked some of her personal connections in Sedona to secure an appointment with the overbooked healer. 

“Brie really went above and beyond,” says West, a jeweler from Nantucket Island in Massachusetts.

Welcome to the future of travel advisers. Yes, they can read your mind – or at least they’ll try.

“Our clients are always impressed just how close friends we are with so many of the hoteliers and tour operators worldwide that we work with,” says Shelly, who works for an agency aptly named Embark Beyond. “It’s those connections and destination knowledge that allow us to elevate client itineraries.”

Shelly says she’s not a mind reader, but she paid attention to West’s wishlist when she contacted her. The healer had to be part of the itinerary, along with the spa treatments, hikes in the red rocks, and other activities.

When it comes to travel agents, there’s a growing divide between online agents that simply process your travel requests and well-trained travel consultants who do what no computer can, which is to anticipate what travelers need before they even ask for it.

Why should you use a travel agent for your next trip? 

You need a travel adviser because travel is complicated

Travel is more complex than ever, for starters. A few decades ago, for example, airlines offered just economy and business- or first-class options. Now there are dozens of options and extra fees. For travel products with more moving parts, like cruises or tours, it’s easy to get lost. Same thing goes for travel insurance.

“There are components of the travel buyer journey that are complex,” says Tim Dodge, vice president of marketing at Arch RoamRight travel insurance. “Travel advisers invest in training and developing a deep understanding of the industry.”

Take your average African safari, for example. In the past, when you booked one yourself, you had to worry about airfare, airport transfers, hotels before and after and optional extensions, plus any vaccine requirements. But now, with COVID-19 on the loose, you also have additional vaccine and testing requirements. A travel adviser specializing in safaris can offer peace of mind, says Marcelo Novais, general manager for North America at Ker & Downey Africa, a tour operator in Cape Town, South Africa. 

“Travel advisers help navigate the new complexities of travel,” he says. “They can activate their network to ensure that should things go wrong, they can easily negotiate with suppliers to postpone your trip and secure your investment.”

That’s particularly true for coronavirus test requirements, according to Sherry Sutton, a vice president of marketing at Travel Insured International. “Rules and regulations are constantly evolving, so working with a travel adviser can help to ease some of the stress of navigating these changes and help clients to identify the best places to travel during these times,” she notes.

How to find a travel adviser

Where do you find a travel adviser? By far the best method is a word-of-mouth recommendation from a well-traveled friend. You can also check the American Society of Travel Advisors website, Travelsense.org. Or you can find an agent through a travel advisor consortium like Ensemble Travel Group.

David Harris, CEO of Ensemble Travel Group, says that while his agents may not be able to read your mind, they can add a little surprise and delight to your trip.

“What I think will surprise people who have not used an adviser before is that they will get some additional perks,” he says. “It could be an upgrade at their hotel, early check-in or late check-out or perhaps a little surprise waiting for them in the room upon arrival.”

And don’t just go with the first travel adviser you see. I’ve covered strategies for finding the right agent in a previous Navigator, but here are the highlights: Read the reviews, make sure they know the area you’re planning to visit, and check their agency affiliation to make sure they’re legit. Look for a well-known host agency like American Express, Travel Leaders, or Ensemble.

“If you work with an advisor that has a good affiliation, they have more “power” with their vendors,” explains Stephanie Charboneau, a travel adviser with Travel Creates Memories.

You may not need a travel agent, but…

You don’t have to plan your next trip with an adviser, say experts. A weekend trip to visit relatives or even a week at the beach may not require the expertise of a travel professional. And there’s always the money: Many advisors charge booking fees, and if you know exactly what you want, you can probably book the trip yourself online and save a few dollars. 

There’s also the inherent conflict of interest in the travel agency model. Your adviser may charge a booking fee and also take a commission from the cruise line or hotel. Also, travel agents sometimes receive other incentives to book certain cruise lines, resorts, or tours. That leads to the inevitable question of where the loyalties lie. Only the best travel agents can maintain a delicate balance between serving their customers and earning a commission. 

But for complex itineraries, it’s hard to match the efficiency of using a travel adviser.

“You can book your trip, research COVID regulations, cancel and reschedule your plans if needed, and file for travel insurance all by yourself,” says Betsy Ball, co-founder of Euro Travel Coach, a travel adviser that specializes in European itineraries. “But aren’t there other things you’d rather be doing?”

Source: USA Today

Emirates Airline resumes flights to Nairobi after Dubai lifts suspension

Emirates Airline will resume passenger flights between the United Arabs Emirates (UAE) and Nairobi on Saturday after Dubai lifted a ban it had imposed on all inbound and transit passenger flights from Kenya since last year.

The announcement offers relief to hundreds of travellers who have had to factor in extra expenses during the ban.

National carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ) did not, however, give a specific date when it will resume passenger flights between the two destinations.

The two carrier suspended passenger flights on January 11 after Kenya retaliated the UAE move to block it from its airspace.

The suspension of operations by the two airlines did not, however, affect cargo flights that are normally operated by carriers such as Kenya Airways (KQ) and Emirates Airline.

“Emirates will operate ten weekly flights to Nairobi from January 29, 2022,” said Emirates in statement released yesterday.

While lifting the ban on Kenyan flights into Dubai on Wednesday, the UAE government also announced the resumption of entry for passengers from Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Congo, South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe, from January 29.

However, passengers from Uganda, Ghana, and Rwanda will be subjected to strict entry requirements.

Dubai will require passengers from the three countries to present a negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate with a QR code for a test conducted at an approved facility no more than 48 hours before departure.

Source: Business Daily