Slow vaccination rates to limit international travel in Africa, IATA says

A slow roll-out of COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in Africa will limit the recovery of international travel across the continent, according to a report released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Wednesday.

Africa, in comparison with other regions globally, has struggled in rolling out its vaccination campaign due to various factors causing it to lag behind in achieving targets of vaccinating its population.

The emergence of COVID-19 variants, especially from South Africa and the UK, has further complicated the lifting of travel restrictions within the continent and in other regions.

“With only 14% of the region’s RPKs (Revenue Passenger Kilometers) generated on domestic markets this will provide little cushion,” the report said, noting that domestic markets will improve faster than international travel.

“Relatively weak economic growth will also limit the extent of pent-up demand,” it added.

Demand and capacity across the continent in 2021 are also set to remain below the levels recorded in 2019.

Africa’s airline industry will also report losses this year due to the disruptions arising from the pandemic; however, they will be down from those incurred last year.

The sector is forecast to incur losses amounting to of $1.7 billion, or 24 percent of total revenues, compared to the 2020 figure of $2 billion, or 32 percent of total revenues, the report said.

Africa’s losses are predicted to be the lowest of the world’s six regions while Europe is expected to be the worst-hit with losses of up to $22.2 billion.

However, in terms of percentage of revenues, Africa’s losses are marginally the highest of all the regions with Europe second with 23.9 percent.

Africa’s aviation sector has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic with low demand for flights across the continent coupled with several cancellations and suspensions resulting in a huge drop in passenger revenue.

In light of the persisting effects of the pandemic, airlines and countries resorted to different measures in response to the fall in airline passenger revenue.

In particular, several airlines stepped up their cargo operations in an attempt to boost revenues and fight to avoid a total collapse.

IATA, in its report, noted this move saying a “historic high” increase of cargo revenues to $152 billion will strengthen a rise in industry revenues.

“In 2021 cargo will account for a third of industry revenues. This is significantly above cargo’s historic contribution, which ranged around 10-15% of total revenues. The improvement in cargo, however, is not able to offset the dramatic decline in passenger revenues.”

IATA said that in the face of the ongoing crisis, a number of immediate measures had to be implemented to prop up the industry. The key measure identified was plans being put in place for a restart in preparation for a recovery so as not to waste time once restrictions are fully lifted.

Air transport in Africa supports about 6.2 million jobs with Ethiopia the most reliant on it with more than 500,000 jobs followed by Tanzania (+336,000), Ghana (+284,000) and South Africa (+250,000).

Source: CGTN Africa

Starting 2022, Kenyans will need vaccine passport to leave the country

Kenyans traveling out of the country from 2022 will be required to have a vaccine passport, this is according to the country’s Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Najib Balala.

The Government is in consultations with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), to create the vaccine passports.

“The reality is we’re going to get a vaccination passport. It’s like the former yellow fever vaccination card, so we will have a vaccination card for COVID-19, and probably one will need to be vaccinated every year.” Balala said.

The announcement was made during the launch of the vaccination drive of the hospitality and tourism sector to hoteliers, tour drivers, travel agents, restaurants foodservice and bars employees in KICC, Nairobi.

“COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool in curbing the effects of the pandemic, which will eventually help tourism rise again.” the ministry of tourism said.

The vaccination drive will begin in Nairobi for the next 10 days, and will then move to the other 4 counties within the one zone area (Machakos, Kiambu, Kajiado and Nakuru), and eventually vaccinate all the hospitality and tourism frontline workers in Kenya.

Source: CGTN Africa

Ethiopia Eyes a Rebound in Tourism with its Safe Travels Stamp

The Kenya Association of Travel Agents in partnerships with Ethiopian Airlines Nairobi Area Office and the Embassy of Ethiopia in Kenya, on 22nd April 2021 hosted a webinar to promote Ethiopian Tourism Opportunities to the Kenyan market.

In the forum, the stakeholders explored areas of potential collaborations between businesses and institutions working in the travel and tourism sector.

Speaking during the event, H.E Tsion Teklu, State Minister for Economic Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs in Ethiopia urged the two countries to come up with innovative approach to addressing policy issues facing the tourism industry in both countries.

“We have a lot to offer! Our proximity should make us work closely. The prosperity of Kenya is the prosperity of Ethiopia and Vice versa,” said H.E Tsion Teklu.

In 1988, the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) gave leeway to individual countries to design their tourism development policy by taking into account their historical, cultural, social and economic conditions.

WTO pointed out that, third world countries should focus on the problems involved in the choice of policy as this will help them optimize the return from their tourism resources; natural and cultural.

H.E Jean Kamau, Ambassador of Kenya to Ethiopia urged Kenya’s travel agents and tour operators to take advantage of the vast tourism opportunities that Ethiopia holds. She urged stakeholders to relook Visa policies that will facilitate free flow on people between Kenya and Ethiopia.

During the past few decades, tourism has emerged as one of the world’s major industries, exceeding the importance of many manufacturing industries and other services in terms of sales, employment and foreign earnings.

Travel and tourism role within Sub-Saharan countries is very significant. In Kenya, for example, the tourism industry has rapidly become the number one foreign exchange earner, a status of central importance to the country’s economic health.

However, the results are far from uniform in the rest of Sub-Sahara. There is considerable disparity when considering tourist receipts as a percentage of GDP when a range of Sub-Saharan African countries are considered, such as Ethiopia.

Speaking at the forum, the Chairman for Kenya Association of Travel Agents, Mohammed Wanyoike pointed out that the amount of outbound travel to Ethiopia from Kenya has not been proportionate, insisting that this has to change.

A number of less developed countries that are endowed with abundant tourist attractions have failed to capitalise on their resources in order to improve their export earnings capabilities. Lack of strategic objectives has been a major drawback in some countries.

Others suffer from negative perceptions of their destinations mainly due to unstable political situations, lack of security or poor facilities.

Mr. Wanyoike told the Ethiopian counterparts that with appropriate strategies, “destination Ethiopia can be extensively promoted as a preferred destination for major outbound tourist markets from East Africa,” adding that, “with all that Ethiopia has to offer, a greater focus on travel and tourism will play a part in unlocking its potential and ensuring that benefits ultimately accrue to young people across Ethiopia and beyond.”

He also implored travel agents in Kenya to focus on curating packages that will attract their clients to destination Ethiopia as the market offers immense potential for business development for Kenyan travel agents.

While urging Kenya’s travel agents and tour operators to sell destination Ethiopia, H.E Meles Alem, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia to Kenya said that Ethiopia is open and safe for travel.

His statement came in the backdrop of Ethiopia being awarded the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp – the world’s first-ever global safety and hygiene stamp.

Ethiopia’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism last year implemented a raft of measures to ensure safety for residents, travellers, workers and businesses in the tourism value chain, as the country reopened its borders to international visitors.

Ethiopian Holidays, a division of Ethiopian Airlines has also been curating holiday packages that will help promote leisure travel into Ethiopia especially for residents within East Africa and the larger African continent.

Mrs. Tigist Terefe, the Kenya Country Manager for Ethiopian Airlines said that the airline remains a formidable partner in the promotion and accessibility of Destination Ethiopia and its attraction sites. She sited Ethiopian Airlines domestic air connectivity as the best in Africa as most parts of the country are service by the Airline.

Mrs. Terefe also cited that the newly expanded Addis Ababa airport will be a big boost to the travel experience of those transiting through Addis Ababa.

Hahn Air welcomes three new partner airlines

Hahn Air is pleased to introduce its latest partner carriers that are available on the HR-169 document for ticketing in Kenya. African carrier Precision Air from Tanzania is now also available under the H1 code. In addition, Taiwanese Starlux Airlines and Bolivian airline Amaszonas were integrated into Hahn Air’s leading partner network. Read on for more details.

Welcome Precision Air (PW)

Established in 1993, Precision Air (PW) is a Tanzanian carrier offering scheduled flights from its main hub Dar es Salaam to Arusha, Bukoba, Dodoma, Kahama, Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, Mtwara, Mwanza, Zanzibar and Nairobi. Their fleet consists of nine ATR aircraft with up to 70 seats. Flights of this dual partner are available under the H1 code and PW code in Amadeus, Galileo, Sirena, Worldspan und Sabre.

Welcome Starlux Airlines (JX)

Taiwanese carrier Starlux Airlines (JX) was founded in 2020. From its base airport in Taipei, it flies to eight attractive destinations in Japan and South East Asia: Bangkok, Cebu, Da Nang, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Osaka, Penang and Tokyo. This new partner is available for ticketing on the insolvency-safe HR-169 ticket in the following GDSs: Abacus, Amadeus, Galileo, Infini, Sabre and Travelsky

Welcome Amaszonas (Z8)

Línea Aérea Amaszonas (Z8), also known as Amaszonas, is a Bolivian airline based at El Alto Airport in La Paz. Amaszonas serves 17 destinations in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. The dual partner’s flights are available under the X1 code in Sabre, Galileo and Worldspan GDSs and under their own code Z8 in Amadeus und Sirena.

Questions? Meet your personal Hahn Air representative

If you have any questions about the Hahn Air solutions and services, take the opportunity to schedule your personal session with your Hahn Air representative, Candy Kasonkomona. She will answer all your questions about HR-169, H1-Air, X1-Air, Securtix® and more. Simply send your suggestions for a date and time to c.kasonkomona@hahnair.com  and advise how you would like to meet. Candy is available for sessions via Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, Teams or phone.

For more information please visit www.hahnair.com

RwandAir to be the first African airline to trial IATA Travel Pass

RwandAir will become the first African airline to trial IATA Travel Pass to enable safe and seamless international travel. The airline will begin a three-week trial in April for customers travelling between Kigali and Nairobi in Kenya.

Developed as an initiative to restore traveller and government confidence towards the reopening of state borders, the IATA Travel Pass is an application that enables the ease of verification of a passenger’s compliance with COVID 19 testing and vaccine travel requirements through a secure digital platform.

The platform is designed to be incorporated into airlines’ own apps, so travellers can easily understand what they need before they fly.

While lauding the move, Yvonne Manzi Makolo, the Chief Executive for RwandAir, said that they are proud to be the first African airline to trial the IATA Travel Pass, an initiative that could reinforce the health and safety measures and protocols with the objective of restoring traveller confidence to fly once more.

“We are incredibly proud to be part of IATA’s Industry Advisory Panel, to ensure we guide the technology development in a way that covers the unique requirements of our passenger profile,” she said, adding that, IATA’s innovative solution simplifies and digitally transmits the information required by countries and governments around the world into our airline systems, in a secure and efficient manner.

“Travel Pass will make it easy for our customers to resume flying – and just as easy for RwandAir, and airlines around the world, to accept them,” she reiterated

Alexandre de Juniac, IATA Director General and CEO, said: “RwandAir is showing its industry leadership in Africa by becoming the first airline on the continent to trial IATA Travel Pass. RwandAir has long used IATA products as the most reliable source of information on entry requirements. This trial will build on that history of working in partnership and takes us a step further in the context of COVID-19. IATA Travel Pass will give governments the confidence to re-open their borders knowing that arriving passengers are in full compliance with any testing or vaccination requirements.”

The trial app has a range of features, including a registry of testing centres and labs at the departure and/or arrival location which can conduct COVID-19 tests in accordance with the type of test required for the journey.

RwandAir customers participating in the trial will create a ‘digital passport’ which verifies that their pre-travel COVID-19 test or vaccination meets the requirements of the destination they are travelling to.

They will also be able to safely and securely share their test and vaccination certificates with participating authorities and airlines around the world to ensure smooth and seamless travel.

Travelport Rebrands, Promises Change Under New Identity

The global travel retail platform, Travelport, on 24th February 2021 launched a bold and distinct new visual identity, which has been created as part of the company’s first ever end-to-end rebrand.

Anyone who has considered making a trip and experienced having to put that trip on hold (or making a cancellation) can now see the possibility of rescheduling their plans. While the past year has been tough for the industry, hopes for return of travel have witnessed an upsurge in 2021. Which is why Travelport is ramping up a new brand that reflects its vision for the future and a symbol of its commitment to reinventing the future of travel.

This also saw Travelport launch their “Change is for the Brave” campaign, through which they promise to double down on their efforts to offer better travel experiences in the post pandemic world. While it’s understandable that people are wondering when travel will be possible again, Travelport is pointing out that the time is actually, upon us already!

However, in the light of certain changes to the travel experience, it is also understandable why experts have suggested that better travel experience is something that can be extremely helpful when navigating post-COVID-19 travel. There are bright spots on the horizon. We see a clear increase in bookings as growing consumer confidence releases pent-up demand for travel six or more months out.

“As we embark on our bold new journey, we are committed to improving the connection between buyers and sellers who share our passion for delivering exceptional travel experiences,” read a statement from Greg Webb, CEO for Travelport.

From advanced technology check-in options and suggested travel options to vaccine information, Travelport is considered to be at the forefront of modern post-COVID travel experience. 

“We have been investing in a ground-up rebuilding of our technology. In the coming months, we will introduce our next-generation platform designed to enable more content, better retailing and the best value in the marketplace, which we believe will have an immediate, positive impact on your business,” he added.

For those who have experienced the restrictions of a lockdown environment, any efforts towards changing how we travel in the future in a safe, reliable and convenient way, is a welcome news as travel begins its new resurgence. Travelport’s services will focus on the new-normal travel realities by leveraging technology to better travel experiences for the industry.

“We believe change is for the brave; and it is bravery – the courage to try new things, embrace creative solutions, and challenge convention – that will enable Travelport and its partners to overcome recent events, accelerate industry recovery, and build a better tomorrow,” said Webb.

We also said that they will not be satisfied by simply recovering from the last year instead, Travelport is building for a future in which together with its customers, they can exceed the expectations travellers had before they were interrupted.

KQ faulted for revoked tickets on Covid crisis

Kenya Airways and its subsidiary Jambojet were found to have been at fault by the competition watchdog for cancelling tickets that had been booked in the period when the country effected travel bans to curb spread of the coronavirus disease.

In its latest annual report tabled before Parliament, the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) says that it forced Kenya Airways to refund customers for tickets cancelled in the period under review and ordered Jambojet to renew others bought in March following customer complains. The tickets were for Nairobi-Mombasa and Nairobi-Eldoret routes.

The CAK said Kenya Airways had unilaterally cancelled tickets and rescheduled flights without notifying passengers in the wake of the Covid-19 induced travel bans that had forced travellers to halt their flight plans.

Jambojet rejected customer requests to renew tickets following the presidential ban on domestic and international flights, exposing customers to losses running into thousands of shillings.

The airline then went ahead and fined the customers cancellation fees saying that tickets could only remain valid if cancelled within seven days of the travel date prompting disgruntled customers to seek redress at the competitions watchdog.

Kenya banned domestic and international flights in March and restricted movement into four counties including Nairobi and Mombasa to curb spread of the coronavirus disease, forcing travellers to change their plans or risk losing their tickets.

“Lydia Seurei booked a return air ticket from Nairobi to Eldoret, however she could not travel due to the presidential directive regarding cessation of movement due to Covdi-19,” CAK says in its verdict on one of the cases.

“She requested her tickets to be kept open which was declined by the service provider and was charged cancellation charges.”

Jambojet had also declined a customer request to keep tickets valid for travel at later date as passengers waited on the State to lift the flight bans.

Jambojet then extended validity of the tickets for six months and one year, giving reprieve to the customers who had incurred cancellation charges in addition to losing thousands of shillings.

Kenya Airways and Jambojet escaped punishments for the breaches on customer rights after the two accepted liability and agreed to extend validity of the tickets.

This was the second time in two years that Kenya Airways was on the spot for breaching customer rights. In December, CAK ordered the national carrier to refund a customer more than Sh400, 000, for an overbooked flight from Kigali, Rwanda to Nairobi.

CAK carried out investigations after a customer filed a complaint about an incident that occurred in February 2018 where a passenger found that the flight from Kigali to Nairobi that he had booked was already full.

The passenger was denied boarding on arrival at the Kigali International Airport prompting him to seek redress at CAK.

Source: Business Daily

Holiday and flight bookings surge after lockdown exit plans revealed

Holiday bookings surged following the announcement of a road map out of lockdown, airlines and travel firms have said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s road map for easing coronavirus restrictions states that hotels can reopen and foreign travel will be permitted from May 17 at the earliest.The Government’s Global Travel Taskforce will reconvene to issue a report by April 12 recommending how international trips can be safely facilitated.

Mr Johnson said this will “give people time to make their plans for the summer”.

Tui reported that they had had their best day of bookings in more than a month ahead of the summer, with strong interest in Greece, Spain and Turkey.

Thomas Cook told the BBC that bookings were “flooding in” for countries like the Dominican Republic, Greece, Cyprus and Mexico.

EasyJet also reported a 337 per cent surge in flight bookings, according to the broadcaster.

It saw a 630 per cent jump in holiday bookings for locations like Alicante, Malaga, Palmo, Faro and Crete.

Travel industry leaders have expressed relief at the prospect of people in England being allowed to take summer holidays.

Mark Tanzer, chief executive of travel trade organisation Abta, said summer holidays will be crucial for both “travel businesses whose revenues have been wiped out” and for “millions of people who are desperate to travel again”.

But he urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak to use next month’s Budget to provide “tailored financial support” to travel agents and tour operators to enable them to “come through the weeks ahead”.

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency – who co-founded the Save Our Summer campaign, said the announcement was “the news the travel sector really wanted”.

He went on: “It means more consumers can be reassured that their 2021 summer trip can take place, or they can get a refund or refix their travel date.

“They can book knowing that this summer will be even safer than last.

“We will need to see the finer details in the future reviews for the sector’s restart but the Prime Minister’s comments are certainly far more positive and realistic than those made by some ministers just two weeks ago.”

Earlier this month, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said foreign holidays will remain banned until “everybody” has had a coronavirus vaccine.

His comments sparked an angry response from the travel industry, which accused him of undermining consumer confidence.

British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle said it is “critical we start looking at a way to restart travel”, adding that he is “pleased the Government has acknowledged that”.

He went on: “We support a data-led approach that protects public health. We want to work with Government’s taskforce on a road map now to ensure that aviation is in a strong position to support the UK as we emerge from the pandemic.”

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of trade body Airlines UK, said: “We’re grateful to the Prime Minister and Department for Transport for providing the clarity the whole sector was looking for that international travel can reopen this summer, as soon as it is safe to do so.

“This will provide much-needed reassurance not only to airlines in desperate need of a summer season but families looking to visit friends and family and take a long-awaited holiday, and we know there is enormous pent-up demand for when we can restart operations.”

Source: Evening Standard

As consumers return to travel, they turn to advisors for help

Some consortia have noticed increases in traffic to their websites that house travel advisor profiles and information on connecting to travel professionals. 

Virtuoso said consumer inquiries via Virtuoso.com doubled from June to September 2020, and January saw a 50% increase over December in requests to connect with an advisor. Virtuoso attributed the increase to consumers having more money to travel after skipping 2020 trips, heightened desire to get away from home and an increased appreciation for what travel advisors do for their clients.

Organic traffic to Agent Profiler pages — online profiles that Travel Leaders Group (TLG) advisors can create — has increased, according to TLG chief marketing officer Stephen McGillivray and vice president of marketing Brian Hegarty.

Many have predicted that once consumers feel confident traveling again, they will flock to advisors to help meet pent-up demand.

“We give some credence to that thought,” McGillivray said. “But we think what dominates that uptick in people searching for travel advisors is the fact that travel is more complex right now, and all these things just beg for the use of a travel advisor.”

TLG uses keyword analysis on leads that come through its website to gauge consumer sentiment. In 2019, “cruise,” “Disney” and “Europe” dominated, Hegarty said.

But keyword analysis on more than 12,000 leads TLG has fielded since Jan. 1 paint a much different picture for 2021. Things like “plan,” “help,” “confusing,” “complicated,” “please” and even “hope” dominate the list. Other previously popular terms, like those indicating a consumer is looking for a deal or promotion, have fallen off the list.

TLG marketers have, in particular, mulled the term “please,” Hegarty said. It either means consumers are getting more polite, or, more likely, they are confused by rules and regulations and are asking an advisor to “please, help me,” he said.

To McGillivray, that indicates more than just pent-up demand. 

“This is great news for the human touch, [for] us,” he said, referencing the entire industry, not just TLG. “Consumers looking to book travel are looking to us.”

Tara Hyland, owner of Tara Hyland Travel, a Travel Edge affiliate based in League City, Texas, agrees that consumers will be increasingly drawn to advisors. Tracking and complying with different regulations in different countries is confusing and time-consuming, she noted.

“And potentially, it could be very unpleasant if things aren’t done correctly, so I just think that professional guidance is going to be key to having a seamless trip,” she said.

Hyland also believes do-it-yourself travelers who found themselves untangling canceled trips and chasing refunds and vouchers after the pandemic hit will also seek the guidance and advocacy of advisors going forward.

She just recently got a new lead via Virtuoso.com that led to a booking. It also holds promise for a year-long relationship.

The client is a single grandmother preparing for retirement in around six months. She plans to travel on solo trips as well as with her grandchildren.

“She said she was really interested in aligning herself with a professional travel agent,” Hyland said. She found Hyland on Virtuoso’s website and was drawn to her because of the places Hyland has traveled, her comments in her biography and the fact that the two live in the same community.

The new client just put down a deposit for herself and her granddaughter on an Eastern Europe river cruise to celebrate the grandchild’s 18th birthday.

“It’s a nice booking, and we really hit it off. I think she’ll become a good client,” Hyland said.

Hyland even discussed linking the new client with some of her other clients who are solo female travelers.

MAST Travel Network has not seen online traffic increase to pages that enable consumers to search for a member travel agency, but members are talking with more consumers interested in working with a travel advisor, president and COO John Werner said. Some are new to working with advisors, and some have used them only occasionally in the past, he added.

MAST members are also noticing another change: Customers are calling agencies for help with trips that they had already booked themselves, ranging from using future travel credits to navigating Covid-19 restrictions.

“Most of our members are taking this as an opportunity to [establish a relationship with] a future client,” Werner said. “While they don’t have access to a booking they did not make, our advisors are answering what questions they can and leaving a good impression for next time these travelers plan a trip.” 

Source: Travel Weekly

Dubai gives a glimpse inside its Expo Sustainability Pavilion

Dubai Expo 2020 is now giving people a sneak peek inside the event that will officially open in October. Despite the pandemic, the World Expo is set to see more than 190 countries showcase innovations around the themes of sustainability, mobility and opportunity.

The Sustainability Pavilion will be a centerpiece of the event. Called “Terra” — meaning planet Earth — the building generates fresh water from the surrounding humid air. Its 130 meters-wide roof canopy and surrounding “Energy Tree” structures are fitted with more than 1,000 solar panels, which will provide some of the energy needed to host this massive event.

“We’re trying to showcase that humanity can build buildings that do live in harmony with the environment around them, that do manage to grab the resources around them whether that’s sun or water,” explains John Bull, director of the Sustainability Pavilion.

“Even in this environment, which is somewhat dry, we’re still able to get enough water which allows this building to be self-sufficient.”

This pavilion is the first of the Expo structures to be completed. Until April 10, residents and visitors will be offered a glimpse inside, where a range of interactive experiences are intended to help people understand their impact on the environment.

“Through those immersive and interactive experiences, that’s how we can really connect to people. That’s how you start conversations that matter, rather than just giving information,” says Bull.

Expo will run from October 2021 to the end of March 2022. Once the event is over, the Sustainability Pavilion will form part of a science center in District 2020 — a new residential and business development that will evolve from the Expo site.

Source: CNN