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Saudia Flight Resumption | Pakistan & 19 Other Countries Not Included

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RIYADH: Saudi Arabian Airlines has revealed that 20 countries, on which a travel ban was imposed in early February, will not be included in the decision to resume international flights from May 17, said a report.

 The Saudia sources said this in a statement on its Twitter account while replying to a query regarding if the travel suspension will be lifted for all countries, including the banned ones, reported Saudi Gazette.

 “Welcome, our dear guest, the suspension of all international flights will be lifted starting from 1 am on Monday, May 17. But this won’t be applicable to countries where the relevant official committee decided to suspend travel to or from due to the outbreak of coronavirus,” the statement from the national carrier said.

 The countries facing the ban are Argentina, the UAE, Germany, the US, Indonesia, India, Japan, Ireland, Italy, Pakistan, Brazil, Portugal, the UK, Turkey, South Africa, Sweden, Swiss Confederation, France, Lebanon, and Egypt.

 The decision includes those coming from other countries if they had passed through any of the above-mentioned 20 countries during the 14 days preceding their application to enter the kingdom, the report said.

Arabian Travel Market | Reconfirms In-Person Event

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DUBAI: Arabian Travel Market (ATM) has reconfirmed that the 2021 edition of its annual showcase will go ahead in person at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

The event is currently scheduled to start on Sunday, May 16th, with final preparations currently being put in place.

The show will strictly adhere to the health and safety guidelines set by the Dubai government and followed by the venue.

Danielle Curtis, exhibition director, Middle East, Arabian Travel Market, said:  “Dubai is one of the safest cities in the world to visit with a wide range of precautionary measures in place to ensure the safety of tourists at every stage and touchpoint of their travel journey, from arrival to departure.

“More than nine million doses have already been administered in the UAE, which is also a major achievement.”

The theme of this year’s show is ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism and the spotlight will be focused on the very latest Covid-19 news from around the world – vaccine rollouts, social and travel restrictions and as consequence, the current state of the industry and more importantly, what the future holds.

It will also look at the emerging trends and how innovation can drive the industry forward.

The health of the travel and tourism industry is key to the region.

In-person on the show floor, 62 countries represented by main stand holders and sharers will be participating this year.

They include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Germany, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Italy, Greece, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Maldives, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, and the USA to name but a few.

Features this year will include Travel Forward at ATM, which will highlight keynote speakers and world-class technology experts, that will provide industry-leading insights about the latest technologies and trends that will undoubtedly shape the future of travel and tourism.

The ATM 2021 conference programme includes the Global Stage which will feature the Hotel Industry Summit and Buyer Forums dedicated to key source markets such as Saudi Arabia, India, and China.

Tokyo Olympics | ‘We’re Not Thinking Of Cancelling It’ Seiko Hashimoto

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TOKYO: Tokyo’s Olympics chief said on Friday that Japan was committed to holding a safe Games this summer, as a surge in COVID-19 cases prompted an expansion of contagion controls and with fresh calls for the Games to again be postponed or cancelled.

The government expanded quasi-emergency measures to 10 regions as the fourth wave of infections spread, casting more doubt on whether the Olympics can be held in Tokyo in fewer than 100 days.

“We’re not thinking of cancelling the Olympics,” Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto said, speaking on behalf of the organizing committee.

“We will continue to do what we can to implement a thorough safety regimen that will make people feel complete safety.”

The government added Aichi, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba to six other prefectures already under contagion controls, including the cities of Tokyo and Osaka.

Japan’s top health experts have acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has entered a fourth wave.

Daily cases in Osaka reached a record 1,209 on Friday, driven by a virulent strain of the virus first identified in Britain. New infections in Tokyo were 729 on Thursday, the most since early February when most of the nation was under a state of emergency.

Almost two-thirds of Japanese said the Olympics should be cancelled or postponed, a Jiji news poll showed on Friday.

A senior ruling party official said on Thursday that cancelling this year’s Olympics remains an option if the coronavirus situation becomes too dire. read more

A scaled-back torch relay is already underway. Olympic organisers said on Friday that on the main island of Okinawa in Japan’s southernmost Okinawa prefecture they would stage the relay in restricted areas without spectators instead of on public roads.

Overseas fans have been barred from the Games and officials say that domestic fans may be kept out too.

Underscoring the difficulties of planning during the pandemic, Tokyo Olympic organisers postponed another test event, the BMX freestyle cycling scheduled for April 24-25, because of the impact on scheduling from the COVID-19 situation.

Olympic and government officials have said the further postponement of the Games is out of the question.

But a groundswell of health experts has said it’s too risky to hold the Games this summer. Compounding the problem is Japan’s relatively slow inoculation push, which began in February using imported vaccines.

 

“Plans to hold the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer must be reconsidered as a matter of urgency,” wrote lead author Kazuki Shimizu of the London School of Economics.

“Holding Tokyo 2020 for domestic political and economic purposes–ignoring scientific and moral imperatives–is contradictory to Japan’s commitment to global health and human security.”

Kyoto University professor Hiroshi Nishiura, an advisor to the government’s pandemic response, urged in a magazine commentary this week that authorities postpone the Olympics one year to allow for more time to vaccinate the public.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Thursday the government would do “everything possible” to prevent further contagion ahead of the Games.

Carnival Reports | $2bn Loss As Return Gathers Pace

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Carnival Corporation has reported a net loss of US$2 billion for the first quarter of 2021. The company was forced to halt all sailings in March last year as the Covid-19 pandemic spread around the world and has yet to return in many markets.

However, Carnival said the cash burn rate in the first quarter was better than expected as the company identified and implemented opportunities to optimize its monthly spending.

The group currently expects six of its nine brands to resume limited guest cruise operations by this summer.

Aida resumed operations in March sailing in the Canary Islands, while Costa began sailing to Italian ports in May.

P&O Cruises, Cunard, and Princess Cruises will each offer a series of UK cruises this summer, while Seabourn expects to offer trips sailing from Greece.

Carnival Corporation chief executive, Arnold Donald, noted: “We are focused on resuming operations as quickly as practical, while at the same time demonstrating prudent stewardship of capital and doing so in a way that serves the best interests of public health.

“Our highest responsibility and therefore our top priority is always compliance, environmental protection, and the health, safety, and well-being of everyone.”

Donald added: “Our portfolio of brands has clearly been an asset as we resume operations this summer with nine ships across six of our brands.”

Carnival said booking volumes for all future cruises during the first quarter of 2021 were approximately 90 percent higher than volumes during the fourth quarter of last year.

Donald added: “Throughout the pause, we have been positioning Carnival Corporation to return to serving guests an operationally stronger company than we were before.

“With an exciting roster of six new, more efficient ships by December and with lower capacity from the exit of 19 less efficient ships, we expect to capitalize on pent-up demand and achieve significant cost improvement from the greater efficiency of our fleet, along with ongoing streamlining of shoreside operations.

Qatar Airways Rolls Out | Shenzhen-Hong Kong Ferry Service

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HONG KONG: A new sea-to-air ferry transfer service from Shenzhen Shekou Port to the SkyPier in the airside of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) will be offered from April 15 by Qatar Airways, which hopes to improve passenger movement in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Qatar Airways customers can purchase their ferry tickets from SkyLink or the port’s website. They will be provided with boarding passes and baggage check-through service to their final destinations at the Shenzhen Shekou terminal, where they will also clear their customs and immigration.

Southern China travelers can soon enjoy a convenient sea-to-air service with Qatar Airways

Upon arrival at SkyPier, customers can proceed directly to their Qatar Airways boarding gate or explore HKIA facilities prior to boarding.

Thomas Scruby, Qatar Airways vice president of sales for Australasia & North Asia, said the new ferry transfer service would boost the airlines’ footprint in the GBA by providing Southern Chinese customers more flexible flying options via HKIA and onwards to more than 80 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.

“We know connectivity within the region and to the wider world is critical for the success of the GBA. Therefore, we are excited to do our part to build the infrastructure necessary to make it easier and smoother for local customers to travel despite the disruption caused by the pandemic around the world,” said Scruby.

“We are confident in the market’s demand and our commitment to the region remains resolute. The next phase of our partnership with Airport Authority Hong Kong will see the ferry transfer service be further expanded to other key GBA metropolis such as Macau and Dongguan once government restrictions are lifted, allowing even more customers in the region to enjoy the world-class experience that Qatar Airways has to offer,” he continued.

EASA Rejects CAA Offer | EU Suspends PIA Flights Indefinitely

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KARACHI: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has indefinitely extended the suspension of Pakistan International Airlines flight operations to the EU until it has all the necessary information “available to decide on the way forward”, reported The News.

PIA’s Third Country Operations Authorization (TCOA) was suspended by the EU in July 2020 for six months after controversial statements by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan regarding the verification of degrees of Pakistani pilots working for the national flag carrier and other airlines.

The EASA decision to suspend PIA flight operations to the EU had come in February 2021, after the International Civil Aviation Organisation made public a ‘Significant Safety Concern for Pakistan”, indicating a serious degradation of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority certification and oversight capabilities.

Eventually, the EASA extended the suspension for another three months till March 31 of this year.

In its latest review, the EASA rejected the PCAA offer stating that the information shared by the Pakistani authority did not help end their uneasiness about PCAA oversight. It added that under the legal instruments, the Third Country Operations Authorization of PIA must be revoked.

The EASA informed the CAA and PIA that “their offer to use only flight crew and engineers not holding Pakistani licenses does not fully mitigate all concerns regarding the oversight capabilities of the PCAA”.

“At this moment, the EASA, therefore, considers that not all conditions required to lift the suspension are met. EASA should now revoke the TCOA (Third Country Operations Authorization) in line with EASA, ART.235(c)(1) of Part-ART,” said the statement.

However, the EU agency has decided not to take any drastic action against PIA and chose to extend the suspension indefinitely till all necessary information is available.

Robinson Appointed | New Chairman of Travelodge

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LONDON: Travelodge has announced the appointment of leisure travel veteran, Martin Robinson, as its new Chairman.

He has spent most of his career within the sector and brings a wealth of brand building, strategic management, and leadership expertise.

He spent 17-years at Center Parcs as chief executive of their European business and chairman of the UK.

Robinson also spent ten years on the boards of Disneyland Paris and Regus and has chaired various other businesses, including Holmes Place Health Clubs and Wagamama.

He currently chairs the UK business for Burger King, the second-largest fast-food chain in the world, and Parkdean Resorts, the largest holiday park operator in the UK.

Stephen Sherlock, Travelodge’s non-executive board director, said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Martin as Chairman of Travelodge.

“Martin brings a broad wealth of hospitality and strategic management experience to the role.

“The well-established management team and board look forward to working with him to further develop the Travelodge business.

“As travel restrictions start to be relaxed, business and leisure confidence returns, and our market recovers, Travelodge is well-positioned to benefit from improvements in trading conditions.”

Travelodge is a UK-based budget hotel brand that operates 586 hotels across the UK, Ireland, and Spain.

Robinson said: “It is a great honor to join Travelodge, which is not just a British hotel icon but also a model of a great value brand.

“Its resilience has helped it to navigate through the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Now, is an exciting time to be joining the company, as it embarks on the next exciting phase in its development.”

WTTC Research Reveals | UK GDP Slumped A Shocking £148bn. In 2020

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LONDON: The World Travel & Tourism Council’s annual Economic Impact Report today reveals that the dramatic collapse of the UK’s Travel & Tourism sector has wiped out a staggering £148 billion from the UK economy.

The annual EIR from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, shows the sector’s contribution to GDP, dropped by a precipitous 62.3%.

Travel & Tourism GDP fell from £238 billion (10.1%) in 2019 before the pandemic struck, to just £90 billion (4.2%), a mere 12 months later, in 2020.

The year of crippling travel restrictions, and ineffective quarantines, which have brought international travel to a grinding halt, has resulted in the loss of 307,000 Travel & Tourism jobs across the country.

However, WTTC believes the true picture could be significantly worse, if not for government fiscal and liquidity incentives, as well as furlough and job protection schemes which across all sectors is currently protecting more than 11 million jobs, hiding the true extent of the losses and the devastating social impact they could bring.

These job losses were felt across the entire UK Travel & Tourism ecosystem. The number of those employed in the UK Travel & Tourism sector tumbled from 4.27 million in 2019, to 3.96 million in 2020 – a fall of 7.2%.

The report also revealed domestic visitor spending declined by 63.2% due to nationwide lockdowns, while international spending fared even worse, because of stringent travel restrictions, ineffective quarantines and constantly changing government policies, causing a fall of 71.6%.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO WTTC, said: “The loss of more than 300,000 Travel & Tourism jobs across the UK has had a devastating socio-economic impact, leaving huge numbers of people fearing for their future.

“But the situation could have been far worse if it were not for the government’s prompt action, which introduced job retention schemes to save millions of jobs under threat and helped to halt the total collapse of the Travel & Tourism sector.

“WTTC believes that another year of terrible losses can be avoided if the government supports the swift resumption of international travel, which will be vital to powering the turnaround of the UK economy.

“Our research shows that if  mobility and international travel resumes by June this year, the sector’s contribution to global GDP could rise sharply in 2021, by 48.5%, year-on-year.”

Regional Tourism To Boost | First PIA Flight from Lahore Lands at Skardu

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GILGIT: First-ever direct flight from Lahore of the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airline (PIA) landed at the Skardu Airport here on Wednesday, April 07.

The PK-8453 flight took off from the Allama Iqbal International Airport on Wednesday morning with 153 passengers on board and landed at the Skardu Airport after one hour and 15 minutes.

The PIA officials received and presented bouquets of flowers to the passengers at the airport.

Later, a cake-cutting ceremony was also held to celebrate the occasion.

Gilgit-Baltistan tourism minister Raja Nasir Ali Khan said the first PIA flight coming directly from Lahore also received a water cannon welcome upon landing at the Skardu Airport.

He said there would be two weekly flights on the Lahore-Skardu route, which would go a long way in boosting tourism in the region.

He thanked federal aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan and Pakistan International Airlines for the landmark achievement.

“I promise to take the tourism sector of Gilgit-Baltistan to new heights during my tenure as tourism minister,” he promised.

The tourism minister said flights between Lahore and Skardu would open a new travel corridor for domestic and international tourists.

He said he was looking forward to the flight’s sustainable operation as this would not only promote tourism but also add up to the revenue of the national flag carrier.

PIA CEO Arshad Malik said that the new flight operations would promote tourism in the country.

Onboard Dining | Turkish Airlines Brings Back Full Premium Menus

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ISTANBUL: Turkish Airlines has resumed their premium onboard dining and hot meal service, on all Business and Economy Class flights longer than two hours 15 minutes flight time.

The global carrier offers a premium traveling experience and is world-renown for its cuisine and hospitality. In 2020 Turkish Airlines made some changes to meal services on flights, in line with additional coronavirus-related measures. I flew on Turkish Airlines in February this year and documented their changes onboard.

In an interview, the Chairman of Turkish Airlines while speaking about their drastic cost-cutting earlier in February promised to bring back the meals.

Turkish Airlines is now offering full premium menus prepared with fresh ingredients, in accordance with health and hygiene applications, courtesy of Turkish DO & CO.