Even before the pandemic threw the travel industry into upheaval, there was mounting pressure for the sector to change its ways of doing business — specifically to prioritize sustainable and responsible practices. The pandemic has only intensified this proposition: Customers, investors, employees, and government regulators are all sending the message that companies need to strive for a higher standard than ever before when it comes to delivering positive change and reducing their impact on the climate.

New Imperatives for Corporate Responsibility

Simply put, travel companies no longer have the luxury of maintaining business as usual. They need to deliver on the promise of a sustainable travel sector. Fortunately, there are a number of benefits that travel companies stand to gain in doing so. Increasingly, customers are making purchasing and loyalty decisions based on the brands and experiences that align with their sustainability values. According to research from Accenture, some 66 percent of consumers said they are ramping up their sustainable or ethical purchasing, and 74 percent reported choosing where to shop based on values and ethical corporate practices.

Becoming more sustainable has business operation imperatives as well: New ways of thinking about meeting standards often result in innovation and creative problem solving, more optimized business models, and stronger outcomes. Additionally, taking such steps can have a big impact on efficiency and cost reduction, as businesses use less resources and smarter supply chains.

Knowing this, it makes sense that pressure is coming from the C-suite. Seventy-three percent of executives agreed that “becoming a truly sustainable and responsible business” is a high priority in the coming years, and investors are putting the topic of sustainability higher on the agenda than ever before. Accenture found that there was a 28 percent increase in investor signatories in 2020 to the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment.

And it’s not just company leaders that are considering such business practices. Employees are increasingly leaning on their companies to act more responsibly. Sixty-five percent believe organizations should be responsible for leaving their people “net better off” through work.

There’s also rising pressure from governments and regulators on companies to take actionable steps to reduce their climate impact. Regulations are only likely to get stricter and implemented at a faster pace, which means that companies that consider tomorrow‘s regulations today will be ahead of the game.

“The pressure from stakeholders — meaning from the customers, governments and regulators, and investors — is clearly much stronger now than it was,” said Jesko Neuenburg, global lead for travel & aviation sustainability at Accenture. “Whereas sustainability was often a long-tail discussion topic on CEO agendas prior to the pandemic, it’s now in all of the conversations taking place. It’s one of the top three topics for almost any CEO.”

What Makes a Responsible Travel Company?

While the phrase “responsible travel company” has often been tossed around the industry without a clear definition in the past, businesses are being held to a higher standard than ever before. This means that travel companies that want to prioritize sustainability and truly put responsible practices in place must take tangible steps as travelers get back on the road and corporate leaders rethink their priorities.

As Accenture frames it, a responsible travel company is one that has a clear environmental strategy to achieve net-zero emissions and zero waste, a social action plan to increase diversity, inclusion, and community well-being, and a governance structure that embeds sustainability across the core business and links executive compensation to meaningful progress on sustainability metrics.

For example, in the environmental realm, travel companies can put carbon reduction and offsetting programs, circular economy and waste management, water and energy saving, and renewable energy programs in place. Under the social category, paying more attention to issues around diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as the social impact travel companies have on the communities they do business in are now a must. And under the umbrella of governance, creating ambitious targets around carbon emissions, improving labor conditions and pay equity, and tying leadership compensation systems to sustainability metrics are ways travel companies can make a concrete difference.

Underlying all of this is putting the right technologies in place and smart data to use. This could mean applying ‘carbon intelligence’ to help companies understand, report on, and actively manage their carbon footprint; migrating business operations toward green cloud operators; using sustainable procurement hubs that identify suppliers with ethical practices; or implementing carbon calculators that can help travelers make informed choices and assist corporate travel planners in sticking to carbon emission targets.

In “A Net Zero Roadmap for Travel & Tourism,” a report created by World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Accenture that outlines the current state of carbon emissions in the sector and proposes realistic targets and steps to decarbonization, 42 percent of the travel and tourism businesses analyzed currently had publicly announced climate targets.

While this is a promising start, the report further calls on businesses to increase their ambitions to achieve net-zero by — or even before — 2050. It lays out five steps to do so, which include: setting the right baselines and emission targets to achieve individual and sector goals; monitoring results and reporting progress; collaborating within and across industries; providing finance and investment required for the transition; and raising awareness and building capacities on climate.

Accenture Ramps Up Its Sustainability Commitments

Sustainability is increasingly becoming an indispensable part of any corporate agenda, and companies are taking ambitious steps to confront the threat of climate change.

In October 2020, Accenture announced new commitments to sustainability, including achieving net-zero emissions, moving to zero waste, and develop plans to reduce the impact of flooding, drought, and water scarcity in high-risk areas by 2025. Additionally, in September 2021, Accenture joined 60 companies in the World Economic Forum’s Clean Skies for Tomorrow Coalition, with a goal to accelerate the supply and use of sustainable aviation fuel to reach 10 percent of the global jet aviation fuel supply by 2030.

The near-complete halt of travel for a time, combined with the explosion of digital tools to allow for remote work in its stead, also redefined how the company views its business travel and how it affects the climate. “Corporations are certainly a lot more mindful now about how much they travel, why they travel, and how they arrange their trips,” said Neuenburg.

Helen Hickson, managing director of global mobility at Accenture, agreed that having a clear purpose for travel will be key moving forward: “We’re creating new travel guidelines and tools for our people, enabling them to make responsible and climate-smart travel decisions, making every trip truly worth it,” she explained.

When employees do travel for work, Accenture’s Aviation Carbon Calculator allows them to view the specific carbon footprint for any direct flight, anywhere in the world. Travelers and those planning employee travel can make informed decisions with this type of information at their fingertips. “It’s not just an average emissions number for a flight from Frankfurt to London,” said Neuenburg. “It’s actually that specific flight, on that specific aircraft type, with a statistically likely number of passengers and amount of cargo for that aircraft.”

These more recent goals add to the steps Accenture was already taking to reduce its environmental impact, including signing the UN Global Compact’s Business Ambition for 1.5°C Pledge, reducing its emissions in line with its existing science-based target, and committing to RE100’s global initiative to use 100 percent renewable electricity by 2023.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that sustainability can no longer be an afterthought for travel companies. Being creative — yet pragmatic — in order to put responsible business practices in place is the only way forward. The strategic choices being made and actions being taken now will lay the groundwork for long-term success ahead.

Source: Skift

Global land, sea and air transport lobbies have castigated world leaders for imposing travel bans in the wake of a new Covid-19 variant in what could boost Africa’s argument against restrictions.

The transporters, who include shipping operators, air freighters and cross border hauliers, say the “knee-jerk” reactions to the Omicron strain risk killing an already ailing global supply chain.

In a joint statement on Friday, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) which represents commercial airliners, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Road Transport Union (IRU), and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), said they reject fresh travel restrictions including those that limit the flow of people and good because they “will do nothing to prevent this while inflicting serious harm to still recovering global supply chains and local economies.”

Representing about $20 trillion (Sh2.25 quadrillion) of world trade share, these groups caution travel bans are putting the jobs of workers in the logistics sector at risk, while also damaging local economies.

Since South Africa first announced a new variant of SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, at least five dozen countries across the world have imposed travel restrictions, including the controversial blanket ban on all South Africa’s neighbours by the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.

“Now is the time for heads of State to listen to industry leaders and workers, by taking decisive and coordinated action together to ease the strain on the supply chain and support an exhausted global transport workforce during the busy holiday season,” they said.

“Public health officials tell us that we should expect variants to emerge. And by the time they are detected, experience shows that they are already present around the globe,” added Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA, the association of commercial airlines including Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.

Although flight bans have affected air passenger traffic, the lobbies also say it could slow down deliveries by road or sea as countries close borders on foreign arrivals. Umberto de Pretto, Secretary-General of IRU said the sudden halting of commercial travel was hurting workers who were “simply doing their job to keep global supply chains functioning.”

“They, and all of us who rely on their service, deserve much better.”

Last week, the World Health Organisation said Omicron was a variant of concern but asked countries to do more surveillance and study its infection patterns rather than lock borders. Scientists in places like Germany and the Netherlands have since discovered the same variant in people who had had no travel history or contacts with those who had come from southern Africa.

Immoral

South Africa and Botswana have protested what they called “punishment” for revealing the variant. Botswana President Mokgweesti Masisi revealed on Wednesday that the four samples with the variant in his country were found among foreign diplomats who had arrived in the country.

“The response by some countries to our detection of the Omicron variant is unfortunate as it appears to have caused unnecessary panic amongst the public across the world.

“The decision to ban our citizens from travelling to certain countries was hastily made and is not only unfair but is also unjustified,” said President Masisi.

At an event in New York, African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat told an audience that the travel bans were not based on logic or scientific data.

“We have told UN agencies that there is no scientific basis for these travel bans, it has been found that this variant was circulating in Europe before it was identified in South Africa,” Dr Faki at a forum to commemorate slavery.

“We condemn and challenge the travel measures that have no basis in science nor common sense. To condemn a country because its scientists alerted the world of the prevalence of a new variant is immoral. In the face of a common enemy, the life of a human being should be the same.”

The transport lobbies want a guarantee of free movement, priority to vaccinations and adherence to only public health protocols that have worked.

Source: Business Daily

European Union countries’ travel bans on African countries over the Omicron variant is discriminatory and will negatively affect the African aviation sector, the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has said.

AFRAA Secretary General Abdérahmane Berthé said the move by some Western countries amount to stigmatisation of Africa, especially South Africa which is among countries to detect the virus in its land.

Stigma

“Why target Africa when the virus is reported in other regions as well? Any attempts to stigmatise Africa through travel bans will not work. We should not confuse politics with science,” said Mr Berthé.

The secretary general urges all countries that have issued unilateral travel restrictions to revoke them and instead seek collaborative measures that will address the Covid challenge holistically.

“The Omicron variant is now detected in several regions of the world, yet the travel bans seem to be targeted at Africa. This is an affront to the global efforts to find an enduring solution. We will be better off confronting the virus if we work together for solutions and avoid discrimination,” said Mr Berthé.

AFRAA urged African governments to speak out at any attempt to smear the continent with propaganda and medical mischief. Covid-19 can only be defeated when countries work together, not when they are divided, according to AFRAA.

“Besides vaccination, there are tried and tested protocols that have proven effective in curbing the spread of Covid-19. These must continue to apply while we work together towards neutralising or eliminating the virus,” said Mr Berthé.

Restrictions could be counterproductive

The association urged EU countries to commend work done by South African scientists in unearthing and transparently announcing to the world the discovery of the Omicron strain of SARS CoV-2.

Instead of attracting applause, the announcement was met with harsh and uncoordinated travel restrictions, he added.

“Unfortunately, in nearly two years since Covid-19 was first discovered, it appears we have not learned useful lessons that could lead to finding a permanent solution to the pandemic. Restricting travel has never been the solution to curtailing the spread of Covid-19 but has adversely impacted economies and unleashed untold hardship,” said Mr Berthé.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated Omicron a variant of concern because it has numerous mutations in its spike protein, some of which could make it more infectious or improve its ability to evade antibodies.

Some countries have imposed travel bans due to the Omicron variant.

For instance, the United States is barring non-US citizens who have been in selected countries, while Australia requires 14 days of quarantine for its own citizens and residents who have visited selected countries in the past two weeks.

Researchers say border restrictions might deter nations from alerting the world to future variants. They will also slow down urgent research, because few planes transporting laboratory supplies needed for sequencing are now arriving in South Africa.

“The travel ban will paradoxically affect the speed at which scientists are able to investigate,” says Shabir Madhi, a vaccinologist at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Source: The East African

Domestic airfares have nearly doubled ahead of Christmas on increased demand with some routes recording full bookings in the days to December 25.

Ticket prices from Nairobi to Kisumu have risen to a peak of Sh15, 100 from as low as Sh6, 800 during weekdays and about Sh10, 000 on weekends.

Flights to the coastal city of Mombasa from Nairobi are almost fully booked with the cost of remaining seats increasing to Sh17, 000, from an average of Sh7, 200 in November.

Air ticket prices to Eldoret from Nairobi, which is a cheaper route compared to other destinations, have increased to Sh11, 100 from an average of Sh5, 300 during the low season.

The quoted fares are based on Tuesday’s bookings and are likely to continue rising as the Christmas holiday approaches. The prices on all routes are set to come down on Christmas Day as the number of those seeking to travel reduces significantly.

Safarilink CEO Alex Avedi said airfares are up mainly on increased demand for travel during the festive season.

“Demand for air travel has gone up and this is what is pushing the prices up. We are fully booked in the coastal routes from December 20th all the way to December 25th,” Mr Avedi told the Business Daily in an interview yesterday.

The standard gauge railway (SGR) passenger service from Nairobi to Mombasa is nearly fully booked ahead of Christmas in a move set to force holidaymakers to seek expensive alternatives like road and air travel.

The bookings register shows that trains have a few seats remaining in the days leading to December 25, signaling increased travel to Mombasa and offering a boost to hotels.

Lack of space on the SGR service, which charges Sh1,000 for economy class and Sh3,000 on the first-class coaches, looks set to benefit bus owners and airlines as families look to enjoy the holiday in the Coast.

Airfares to Eldoret from Nairobi have been relatively low as the route is still not as popular as Kisumu and Mombasa.

The route remains the cheapest among the major domestic flight routes due to low demand. Flights to Mombasa have traditionally been higher than Kisumu, but the fares to the two cities from Nairobi now nearly match due to pent-up demand from passengers travelling to Western Kenya.

The carriers’ main challenge has been convincing Kenyans to book early, which is vital to the low-cost pricing model.

The cost of the ticket is also determined by the time of travel with morning and evening flights tending to be expensive compared to afternoon planes.

For instance, passengers taking the morning flight on December 24 via Jambojet will pay between 8,100 and Sh11,100 in the morning while those travelling in the evening will pay 9,100 for a one–way air ticket.

Those flying to Mombasa from December 23 to Christmas day through the same airline will pay a low of Sh15,000 and a high of Sh17,000 depending on the day and time for a one-way ticket.

748 Air Service to Kisumu is fully booked between December 23 and 24 with a few seats available on Christmas Day selling for Sh12, 840 one way. Last month, one could get an offer starting from Sh4,000 on the same route.

Airlines have also increased the number of flights to popular destinations in response to high demand for air travel.

Jambojet, a subsidiary of the national carrier Kenya Airways, added Mombasa flights to 56 times a week, up from 48 starting December 20 to January 9.

The carrier is now flying to Malindi from its hub in Nairobi 22 times a week up from 18 flights currently.

It also flies to Ukunda 20 times a week up from 14 times, signalling high demand for domestic flying.

Source: Business Daily

PRESS RELEASE: The AFROZONS DUBAI SOUND OFF, a premier, one-of-a-kind, travel experience, courtesy of Dubai Tourism and AfroZons Radio (USA), has gained so much momentum, since its launch on October 1st, 2021. News about the Soundoff, has travelled far and wide, covering all corners of the globe. Celebrity radio hosts from the USA, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, and Angola have been projecting the Soundoff on their shows.

Projections show that over 1500 Afrobeat fans will partake in this project, purchase packages and join in on the fun. This means that Celebrity Radio Hosts and International Afrobeats Acts will join over 1500 of their fans to witness guided tours of Dubai, experience EXPO 2020 and have a never done before Afrobeats party in the desert. These amongst other activities would build the 6 nights Afrobeat Dubai Soundoff experience.

The official website for this event is www.afrozonsdxb.com. The website hosts further information on the travel packages and how to stand a chance to win a giveaway. The winners of the giveaways will receive flight tickets, hotel accommodation, tours, airport transfers, and visa’s (where necessary).

The global acceptance of the Soundoff has motivated Afrobeat fans and travel agencies from other parts of the world to push for participation in the Soundoff. Two countries, Uganda and Zimbabwe are launching their entry to the Soundoff family, today, 1st November 2021, while other countries are being considered to follow shortly.

Visit the website www.afrozonsdxb.com for further Terms & Conditions.

Salim Ali Mohamed Dahman, Senior Manager Campaigns of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Hosts of the Soundoff, said:

It is a privilege for Dubai Tourism to afford this opportunity to lovers of Afrobeat music worldwide. Afrobeat is now a global brand, the fastest growing music genre out there, and so it’s a good marriage for the best destination in the world, Dubai, to also give Afrobeat its due. The trip promises to be a great experience, showcasing so much more fun in Dubai, a new series of adventures, a desert safari party, and Expo 2020, that can only truly be experienced, in person.

We launched the Afrozons Dubai soundoff on Oct 1st with Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, USA, and Angola. Overwhelming success has prompted us to add Uganda, Zimbabwe, and it looks like the United Kingdom is next on our list. It’s great to see the enthusiasm that has already been generated and we haven’t even announced the Afrobeat artist that will be joining us yet. Stay tuned, it promises to be an amazing event.

Hwaseong, South Korea – Asia-Pacific countries have almost entirely missed out on the global recovery of air travel, with flights still down more than 90 percent compared with pre-pandemic levels, new figures show.

The region is the only part of the world to see practically no improvement in air travel during the past year, with traffic up just 0.3 percentage point in October compared to September.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released the figures on Thursday as it warned that a raft of travel bans to halt the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant threatened to derail the fragile recovery of global aviation.

Travel in the Asia-Pacific was down 93.1 percent in October 2021 compared to October 2019 — almost unchanged from the 92.8 percent decline recorded for September 2021 compared to two years previously, according to the trade organisation.

By comparison, Middle Eastern airlines saw demand rise by almost 7 percentage points, with traffic in October down 60.3 percent compared to before the pandemic. European carriers saw demand rise by nearly 6 percentage points, with traffic down only 50.6 percent compared to October 2019.

Latin American airlines reported an increase of more than 6 percentage points, with October traffic down 55.1 percent.

North American carriers experienced a 57 percent drop in traffic compared to 2019, improving from a 61.4 percent decline in September.

African airlines’ traffic was down 60.2 percent in October, compared to 62.1 percent over the same period in 2019.

IATA Director General Willie Walsh said governments were putting the recovery at risk by implementing “ill-advised” travel bans despite criticism of such measures by the World Health Organisation.

“October’s traffic performance reinforces that people will travel when they are permitted to,” Walsh said. “Unfortunately, government responses to the emergence of the Omicron variant are putting at risk the global connectivity it has taken so long to rebuild.”

“The logic of the WHO advice was evident within days of Omicron’s identification in South Africa, with its presence already confirmed in all continents. The ill-advised travel bans are as ineffective as closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.”

Despite vaccinations approaching maximum rates in many parts of the region, the Asia-Pacific was largely closed to non-essential travel even before the emergence of the new variant.

The WHO has designated Omicron a “variant of concern”. While some scientists fear the variant could be more transmissible or more easily evade vaccines, health officials have stressed that little is known about the strain.

While dozens of countries have in recent days banned travel from southern Africa, where the variant was first discovered, countries including Japan, South Korea and Australia have taken more sweeping measures to broadly restrict travel.

In 2019, about 291 million tourists visited the Asia-Pacific, contributing about $875bn to the economy, according to data from the World Economic Forum.

Last month, the International Labour Organization estimated that just five Asian countries — the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Brunei and Mongolia — lost 1.6 million jobs last year due to the collapse of international travel.

Gary Bowerman, director of Kuala Lumpur-based travel and tourism research firm Check-in Asia, told Al Jazeera travel in the region faced a “huge cliff face to reclimb”.

“We were starting to see a degree of momentum building in November, particularly in South East Asia as some countries began gradually, or were preparing to, reopen their borders,” Bowerman said. “Omicron has stalled this, and this week we have seen a rapid retreat from travel by governments across the region as they erect new barriers for entry and exit.”

Source: Al Jazeera