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Travel

Arabian Travel Market | Reconfirms In-Person Event

April 19, 2021 by holidayweekly Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Latest News, News, Travel Tagged With: volume 68-2021

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

April 12, 2021 by holidayweekly Leave a Comment

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.”

Filed Under: Latest News, News, Travel Tagged With: volume 67-2021

UAE Continuing To Update | Residence And Tourist Visas

April 1, 2021 by holidayweekly Leave a Comment

ABU DHABI: The UAE is continuing to update and enlarge the scope of available residence and tourist visas, by introducing a range of new and innovative types of visas, according to the needs of various segments of the community.

These updates are also in line with the progress achieved by the UAE in the area of global competitiveness and are expected to attract more investors, entrepreneurs, talents, and scientists, as well as boost the country’s status as an international tourism destination, reported state news agency WAM.

Since the start of 2021, the UAE introduced three new updates to residence and tourist visas, which are a Remote work Visa, multi-entry tourist visas for all nationalities, and a resolution enabling foreign students to bring their families to the country.

Moreover, the UAE recently introduced a medical treatment visa, a five-year residency visa for retirees according to specific conditions, and a 10-year golden residency system.

In detail, in January 2021, the UAE Cabinet approved an amendment to its residency laws allowing foreign university students to bring their families to the UAE, as long as they can afford suitable accommodation and have the financial means to support them.

During a meeting of the UAE Cabinet held recently, a virtual employment permit was approved, the first of its kind in the region, enabling foreigners to enter the country without sponsors, stay for one year, and work remotely according to specific conditions.

At the same meeting, a multi-entry tourist visa was approved for all nationalities, which boost the UAE’s tourism sector and its status as one of the best destinations for tourism in the world. This visa will allow tourists to enter the country multiple times within a period of five years for a duration of up to 90 days for each visit, renewable for a similar period.

Filed Under: International Tourism, Latest News, News, Travel Tagged With: volume 65-2021

A Firm with Firm Approach | Tourism Consultancy ‘TravelinPk’ Launched

March 17, 2021 by holidayweekly Leave a Comment

KARACHI: TravelinPK, a tourism consultancy, and facilitation company launched here in Karachi with a bang among a large number of members of the travel fraternity, friends, and media.

A partnership of nine people who have been working together for over a year as FPCCI’s Central Committee of Tourism Development under Convener Shanaz Ramzi, the office bearers of the organization are president – Shanaz Ramzi; SVP – Syed Baqar Mahdi, and VPS — Zubair Baweja and Nasira Faiz. The other partners are Anadil Khan, Almas Tariq, Amena Khan, Rabeea Minai, and Fareeda Nishtar. Friends of TravelinPK who are working closely with the partners are Ch Faisal Mahmood, Jehanzeb Salim, Atiq ur Rehman, Mehrin Ansari, Shumaila Hadi, and Madiha Fatima.

The event kick-started with VP Nasira Faiz hosting the show and inviting a young student, Mohammed Ali, for tilawat, followed by the national anthem. President Shanaz Ramzi then welcomed all and gave an introduction to the company. She said “TravelinPK is unique in more ways than one. Its partners – and there are many – all bring varied and rich experiences of a sector that we feel needs to be taken head-on in a holistic fashion. Not only are the partners experienced, resourceful, and connected, but they are also all avid travelers with a wealth of knowledge of how things can be improved in the country. From hoteliers, to travel agents to entrepreneurs we have the lot. And that’s not all – beyond our very active partners we have very active friends of TravelinPK who have been part of our committee since last year and who are an integral part of our company even today, even if they have no financial stakes involved for the time being.”

After her introduction, she showed a visual presentation of all the services that TravelinPK would provide to its clients as well as to other travel-related businesses so as to up their act and facilitate them in providing a pleasurable experience to their clients. A beautiful video was also shown of all that Pakistan has to offer in terms of sights, culture, ethnicities, cuisine, crafts, heritage, and much more.

All partners were then introduced and invited to the stage. MPA Dr. Imran Ali Shah was also invited to air his views and he commended the launch of a much-needed facility especially keeping in mind that the prime minister was also focusing on tourism development. Mr. Amin WaliMohammed, Managing Director, Gerry’s Pvt. Ltd was then invited on the stage to sign an MOU with TravelinPK. He was followed by Khurram Zafar, CEO Majestic Lounge. Other organizations that are also already on board are Legends, Super Savari, Polanis, and Daewoo.

Mr. Wali Mohammed also spoke on the occasion and wished the company the best for the future. After a Vote of Thanks, high tea was served.

Filed Under: Latest News, News, News, Pakistan Tourism, Travel Tagged With: volume 63-2021

PATA Names | Its 2021 Face of The Future

March 12, 2021 by holidayweekly Leave a Comment

BANGKOK: Ms. Surayyal Hizmi, Lecturer Advisor of the PATA Lombok Tourism Polytechnic Student Chapter, is today named as the 2021 PATA Face of the Future. This is the most prestigious honor open to young tourism professionals in the Asia Pacific region.

PATA Face of the Future is the most prestigious honor open to young tourism professionals in the Asia Pacific region

“This year we received a fantastic list of applicants who could all be worthy of this recognition, and it makes me hopeful not just for the future of the industry but for the future of the world,” said PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy.

“On behalf of everyone at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), I would like to congratulate Surayyal Hizmi on winning the 2021 PATA Face of the Future award. It was inspiring to learn about her passion for sustainability and how she engages with the local community towards this goal. This award will provide her greater exposure in Indonesia and throughout the industry, and I look forward to seeing her career develop as she works in line with PATA for the responsible development of travel and tourism in the region.”

“I am very grateful to receive such a prestigious honor. It is something that I never expected, so thank you so much for this recognition. The real winner of this award is not me but the many people who encouraged me, such as my family and my students who work hard to always support me. This achievement is for them and the many people who have contributed their lives and effort towards sustainable tourism and making this world a better place,” said Ms. Hizmi.

Ms. Surayyal Hizmi is a lecturer at Lombok Tourism Polytechnic, having completed her Master’s Degree in 2017 in Applied Science with a major in Natural Resources Management. Possessing prior knowledge of environmental and natural resource management, and social sciences, Ms. Hizmi’s passion is to apply her knowledge and skills to help local communities and the responsible and sustainable development of travel and tourism in West Nusa Tenggara. Being a lecturer at Lombok Tourism Polytechnic, she was appointed as the Assistant to Vice Director focusing on the National and International Partnership Program.  The concept, skills, and knowledge she has gained will be used for the PATA Lombok Tourism Polytechnic Student Chapter programs such as eco-enzyme and the gallon corner. She is also currently active in several other projects collaborating with LIPI (The Indonesian Institute of Sciences) and the Australian university alumni through the Culinary Festival in Speaker and Bamboo Ecotourism in Sembalun to expand the application of sustainability.

Filed Under: Latest News, News, Travel Tagged With: volume 62-2021

US Travel Supports | President Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Rescue Plan

March 11, 2021 by holidayweekly Leave a Comment

NEW YORK: President Biden’s American Rescue Plan lays out much-needed relief that can’t come soon enough. The travel industry lost millions of jobs last year, accounting for nearly 40% of all jobs lost. U.S. Travel is grateful to Congress and the administration for their focus on combating the virus and providing relief to America’s hardest-hit industries.

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement in support of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package known as the American Rescue Plan:

“President Biden’s plan lays out much-needed relief that can’t come soon enough, and we’re encouraged by the momentum in Congress to advance this crucial package. Accelerating the distribution of vaccines is the key to restarting travel and jumpstarting the broader American economy, and we are highly supportive of the robust federal leadership role to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible.

We are also very encouraged by the measures to provide additional grants and loans to small businesses in the hardest-hit industries, which include travel. The Paycheck Protection Program is set to expire at the end of the month, but the economic pain of the pandemic will linger far beyond that point. Extending the program’s application deadline until December 31 and allowing for a third draw on loans will be vital to ensuring struggling travel industry businesses can maintain operations and keep workers on payrolls.

“The travel industry lost millions of jobs last year, accounting for nearly 40% of all jobs lost. A broader American economic recovery is contingent on a robust recovery within the travel industry, which is why we will continue to need substantial relief for travel industry businesses.

“U.S. Travel is grateful to Congress and the administration for their focus on combating the virus and providing relief to America’s hardest-hit industries. We look forward to continuing to work with the federal government on additional recovery and stimulus measures to shorten the recovery period and restore American jobs as quickly as possible.”

Filed Under: International Tourism, Latest News, News, News, Travel Tagged With: volume 62-2021

Bali Plans | Travel Corridor For Vaccinated Travellers

February 22, 2021 by holidayweekly Leave a Comment

DENPASAR: Bali’s vice governor has proposed for the central government to establish a free Covid-19 corridor, as well as prioritise vaccination for tourism frontliners, in his latest bid to revive the island’s battered tourism sector.

With the reopening of international travel borders recently, Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati had proposed for the free Covid-19 corridor to be forged with low-risk countries that have implemented mass vaccination, such as China.

Bali looks to welcome vaccinated tourists with travel corridor plan

As Covid-19 infection rates in Indonesia remains high, Tjokorda hopes that the central government would prioritise tourism workers in Bali to get vaccinated first to boost the confidence of international travellers.

Such priority matters, even with Covid-safe protocols in place across the destination, said Tjokorda, who is also the chairman of Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association Bali chapter.

The Bali administration has also proposed for the central government to extend a soft loan totalling 9.9 trillion rupiah (US$712 million) to help tourism players in Bali revive their business.

In response, Sandiaga Uno, minister of tourism and creative economy, said that he had delivered Bali’s soft loan proposal to the minister of finance and coordinating minister for the economy.

He added that he had lobbied related officials to prioritise Jakarta and the country’s major destinations, namely, Bali, Batam, and Bintan, to get vaccinated first because they were the entry points for tourists.

The minister said that talks between his office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Law and Human Rights to make a free Covid-19 corridor was at its final stages. Under the plan, incoming travellers will be exempted from quarantine.

He elaborated: “The plan is that tourists who are allowed to come are those who have been vaccinated at their home countries. (Upon arrival in Indonesia), they have to take an antigen test (and test negative) before they can (proceed to) do activities.”

Filed Under: Latest News, News, Travel Tagged With: volume 61-2021

Digital Ticket for 33 Countries | Eurail Launches Mobile Passes

February 19, 2021 by holidayweekly Leave a Comment

Rail Europe is releasing through its API and its agents’ website a mobile version of the famous Eurail passes which allows travellers to cross from 1 up to 33 countries on several railways with one pass only.

Travellers will have to download the “Rail Planner” mobile application and enter their name and pass number. They will then be able to foresee their itinerary, plan for journeys and keep all groups or families’ passes in one space.  

In the app, travellers create day tickets for each trip they make and that they show to the ticket inspectors. This procedure in the app replaces the paper travel diary that was used with the paper Eurail Pass.

There Are Two Versions of the Eurail Pass:

The Global pass which allows travellers to travel around 33 countries in a determined period of time

The One Country passes for visiting a specific European country. More than 300,000 travellers chose to travel with a Eurail pass each year.

The mobile pass is a paperless ticket that can be added instantly to your phone. With everything on one app from planning your trip to boarding the train, you can explore 33 European countries with ease and enjoy more freedom than ever before.

Buy now, travel up to 11 months later. No need to choose a start date until the moment you’re ready to travel. Free, instant delivery – add it straight to the app. Free replacement pass if you lose your phone.

Filed Under: International Tourism, Latest News, News, Technology, Travel Tagged With: volume 60-2021

Tourism Suffers Tremendously | Europe Saw 70% Decline In Int’l Arrivals In 2020

February 16, 2021 by holidayweekly Leave a Comment

BRUSSELS: Europe recorded a 70% fall in international arrivals in 2020, the European Tourism Commission (ETC) has reported.

The ETC’s latest European Tourism Trends & Prospects report forecast a “gradual recovery” in 2021 and a return to the levels of 2019 by 2023 following the worst year for international tourism to Europe in more than three decades.

ETC executive director Eduardo Santander predicted “a slow restart of travel across Europe in the spring, with a gradual return to a ‘new normality’ through summer and autumn 2021”.

He said: “A return to travel will happen with new consumer habits, calling for agile responses from the sector. Potential travellers are likely to travel more slowly, closer to home and to lesser-known destinations.”

The fall in international arrivals ranged country by country from 51% to 85%.

Destinations most reliant on international tourism suffered the steepest falls, with Montenegro suffering an 85% decline and Cyprus 84%.

Spain recorded a 77% decline in international visitors. However, Austria saw only a 53% decline, although it was forced to introduce a blanket tourism ban in early 2021.

The ETC noted many hotels remained closed throughout most of 2020, despite an easing of restrictions on domestic travel which provided business to hotels that remained open before the second wave of Covid-19.

The report suggests predictions of a collapse in business travel “are unlikely to materialise” despite a slower recovery of the sector. It forecasts a return of international business travel to pre-coronavirus levels by 2024, with domestic business travel recovering by 2023.

Filed Under: International Tourism, Latest News, News, Travel Tagged With: volume 60-2021

Opening of Borders | European Tourism Body Calls On EU To Provide Road Map

February 13, 2021 by holidayweekly Leave a Comment

EUROPE: Trade body ETOA (European Tour Operators Association), whose stated aim is to promote better tourism in Europe, is calling on the EU to provide a road map for opening borders.

It makes the announcement in the face of current travel restrictions into the EU and the Schengen zone, which are still in place for all non-essential travel from overseas markets including the US and Canada. The ETOA is concerned that there are no clear indications as to when those restrictions will be lifted.

The tourism body said the lack of a road map to reopening borders will put billions of dollars are at risk. It added that Europe being seen as ‘too difficult’ is a marketing boost for alternative destinations and it puts the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people that rely on tourism trade across the continent in jeopardy.

Industries which rely on tourism for income such as airports are set to take a huge financial hit from cancelled European holidays, with no border reopening guidance for markets such as North America in)

The ETOA points out that before the pandemic North America was by far the most important origin market for Europe, responsible for about US$70 billion of spending every year. Last year, Europe saw a 90-95% decline in this business, in what was the biggest collapse in volume since records began.

ETOA CEO Tom Jenkins said: “What potential visitors need is a clear indication of when border restrictions are likely to be lifted, and under what conditions. This is business which our members have on their books. The clients who wanted to travel to Europe still want to do so.

“The risks they pose, which are already very low as compared with the general population in destination, are diminishing by the day. Yet no indication is being given if Europe wants them to return this year.”

Tom Jenkins: “What potential visitors need is a clear indication of when border restrictions are likely to be lifted, and under what conditions”

Filed Under: Aviation, International Tourism, Latest News, News, Travel Tagged With: volume 59-2021

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