T TG NO R DIC
No 358
J uly/August 201 6
| July / Augu s t 2016
Travel Trade Gazette
LOTS OF MICE
IN THE DANISH PROVINCES LACK OF 5-STAR HOTELS OPLEV ISLAND MED ICELANDAIR
MORE CRUISE GUESTS ON THE WAY
Op til 4 ugentlige afgange fra Billund fra maj til oktober Op til 5 daglige afgange fra København hele året
+ icelandair.dk
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No359
CONTENTS
Alfabetica
www.standby.dk www.standbynews.com
CONTENTS
www.visitdenmark.com
www.visitnorway.com
www.kronerejser.dk
Rail Travel
CRUISE
www.spain.info
www.mangaard-travel.dk
travelize.com AllaBussresor.se AllaTemaresor.se
www.visitsweden.com denmark@visitsweden.com
www.norskrejsebureau.dk
www.travelport.dk www.travelport.se
www.rb-seniorklub.dk
www.worldspan.com
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More cruise guests for Copenhagen
www.godominicanrepublic.com
www.procon.dk
www.spain.info
MICE 14 Copenhagen lacking 5-star hotels
www.bahn.com
www.greenland.com
16 More MICE in Jutland
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18 A meeting should be remembered for more than the food 20 Fun and high energy in meetings
Recruitment Travel Trade
www.tahiti-tourisme.dk
www.gotoasia.no
22 Inspiration is vital HOTELS 24 Record year for Norwegian hotels
www.centrum-personale.dk
www.tourismthailand.se
26 Suites all year round
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TONS RECOMMANDÉS (4)
MINEFI MIN_11_0000_RdVFrance_Q Date le 22/06/2011
28 First Hotels to grow in Denmark
A NOUS RETOURNER SIGNÉE AVEC VOTRE ACCORD OU VOS CORRECTIONS
JFB
ACCORD
CRÉATION
CYAN
MAGENTA
JAUNE
NOIR
DATE
ÉCHELLE 1/1 - FORMAT D’IMPRESSION 100%
PRODUCTION
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CONSULTANT
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CLIENT + QUALITÉ*
CARRÉ NOIR - 82, bd des Batignolles - 75017 Paris - FRANCE / Tél. : +33 (0)1 53 42 35 35 / Fax : +33 (0)1 42 94 06 78 / Web : www.carrenoir.com
TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
www.berning-leonhardt.com
www.hungary.com
www.germany.travel
www.discoverireland.com
www.unikkemoedesteder.dk
www.usarejser.dk
Travel Technology
30 Crisis management while travelling 32 Who owns data? 34 Cruising with Harmony of the Seas
www.kellyservices.dk
www.amadeus.com/sca
WORKSHOPS
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Want to be a partner? CALL
38 News from US trade show IPW www.topflight.no
VESTNORDEN 42 Boom in Icelandic tourism 44 Hotel Guldsmeden in Iceland
Tourist Boards - Information
www.inspiredbyiceland.com
www.visitaland.com www.visitaland.com/se
+45 70 25 97 00 www.datacon.dk/travel
Travel Agencies www.visitfinland.se www.visitfinland.com
MEETINGS & PEOPLE
Business & Leisure www.bcdtravel.dk
www.bcdtravel.se
www.bcdtravel.no
www.bcdtravel.fi
www.dolphind.com www.flightscanner.biz
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www.visitbritain.com
02-55 DK Indhold_Web Dir.indd 1
www.galileo.dk
Cover Photo: Christian Alsing Copenhagen Media Center
Stand By is issued six times per year and distributed as paid subscription in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, The Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland to travel agents, tour operators, airline offices tourist agencies, foreign tourist representatives, tourist bus companies, and all of the major industries in Scandinavia. Stand By bears no responsibility for unsolicited editorial material
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www.visitmalta.com
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MEETINGS, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS A VIEW TO MORE FROM SCANDIC COPENHAGEN Scandic Copenhagen is located in the centre of Copenhagen with panoramic views of the lakes and an easy walk to beautiful nature in the middle of town. You will feel the pulse of the city as soon as you step outside our doors. Inside, the interiors, design and furnishings have been thoughtfully selected to enhance the lighting and air, and to create an inspiring venue for our guests. Our desire to provide an unparalleled level of personalised service defines everything we do. We go the extra mile to make a difference for you and your guests – making every experience exceptional. Drop by and discover for yourself how our facilities can be tailored to your event. We can even arrange a personally guided tour. We look forward to hearing from you by phone: +45 33 48 04 04 or by email: meeting.dk@scandichotels.com. We reply within four hours on weekdays.
UP TO 1,100 PARTICIPANTS
16 FLEXIBLE CONFERENCE ROOMS
LATEST A/V EQUIPMENT
1500 FLEXIBLE SQUARE METRES
scandichotels.com/copenhagenmeeting
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03-08-2016 14:02:49
No359
INTRO
Editor Kitt Andersen
MORE MICE – ALSO IN THE PROVINCES Denmark is doing well, both for leisure and business tourists. 2016 will, according to VisitDenmark, be the busiest year ever for Copenhagen as a conference and congress city. More than 100,000 meeting attendees are expected to visit the Danish capital. One of the reasons why Copenhagen is so attractive is the short distances between most hotels and the city’s attractions. In addition, the infrastructure is excellent, there is a high level of safety and most Danes speak and understand English. But there is a cautionary note, as there is a group of very lucrative business tourists who seem to be bypassing the city. When it comes to the more exclusive business events that demand 5-star luxury hotels, Copenhagen is often passed over due to a lack of capacity and poor standards and service, according to Director Henrik Dyhr, BDP Congress (read more, p.14).
Copenhagen office: Vester Farimagsgade 2, kontor 1013-1015, DK-1606 Copenhagen V. Tel: +(45) 70 25 97 00 Fax: +(45) 70 25 97 01 standby@standby.dk www.standby.dk Managing director: Stig Thygesen / stig@standby.dk Managing Editor: Kitt Andersen / kitt@standby.dk Senior Editor: Ejvind Olesen / ejv@mail.dk Journalist: Henrik Baumgarten / hb@takeoff.dk Journalist: Flemming Juul / flemming@juul.dk
Sales and advertising:
Direct flights and nature The provinces are also experiencing growth when it comes to MICE. There are many good reasons for this, one of which is direct flights. Another parameter is the unspoiled nature, of which there is plenty of along the Wadden Sea, where 40 players in the Esbjerg and Fanø municipality have joined forces under the name Meet&More to carry out eye-catching marketing activities for meeting guests, including oyster and seal safaris (read more, p.18). Michelin stars are a draw But it is not only business tourists who are fond of Denmark. It’s also busy at Copenhagen harbour. There they are expecting to set a record next year with 850,000 cruise guests, and according to the director of Copenhagen Malmö Port, Arnt Møller Pedersen, as many as 90% of the passengers who have a stop in Copenhagen actually disembark (read more, p.8). In Aarhus, the city has a trump card with its three restaurants with a Michelin star, which is very useful when trying to attract shipping companies and cruise passengers to the city. In 2010, the city saw 6,325 cruise guests, but this year they are expecting more than 70,000 – and even more in 2017. So Denmark has plenty to offer. It’s just a matter of seeing the possibilities and taking the long haul.
Tel: +(45) 70 25 97 00 Fax: +(45) 70 25 97 01 sales@standby.dk Trine Christensen / trine@standby.dk Gitte Nielsen / gitte@standby.dk Layout: Kenneth Nannberg / kenneth@standby.dk Print: Tryknet Publisher: Scandinavian Travel Media ApS.
Stockholm & Vilnius office: Journalist: Howard Jarvis howard@ttgnordic.com ttgnordic.com tlf. +370 79267
Sales and advertising: Tel: +(45) 70 25 97 00 Fax: +(45) 70 25 97 01 sales@standby.dk
CONTACT US CALL US OR WRITE AN EMAIL if you have a good story about airlines, hotels, cruise, car rental, travel agencies, MICE or travel technology you want to share with the industry. Editor in Chief Kitt Andersen, kitt@standby.dk, tel. +45 30 23 91 03 Senoir Editor Ejvind Olesen, ejv@mail.dk, tel. +45 45 86 21 49 Journalist Henrik Baumgarten, hb@takeoff.dk, tel. +45 20 93 28 48 Journaiist Howard Jarvis, howard@ttgnordic.com tel. +370 79267
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BerlingskeE
VORES BELIGGENHED ER I VIRKELIGHEDEN DET MINDSTE
Er der én ting, vores gæster altid nævner i forbindelse med et arrangement, så er det følelsen af at være velkommen. Det lille smil. Den høflige betjening. Og den afslappede atmosfære, uanset om der er to eller trehundrede gæster. Vi elsker nemlig at holde fester. At forkæle med god mad, gode vine og gode oplevelser. Med andre ord tager vi ansvaret, så du kan nyde festen – præcis ligeså meget som alle din gæster.
- an attraction in itself
admiralhotel.dk
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AROUND THE WORLD
No359
London
SHEEP MAPPING THE FAROES The Faroe Islands are not on Google Street View. But Faroese woman Durita Dahl Andreassen has done something about this – by putting cameras on sheep. The search tool Google Street View is available in most countries around the world where future tourists use it to get information about the places they will be visiting. “For me it’s strange that my friends abroad can’t see the Faroe Islands on Google Street View,” says Durita Dahl Andreassen from the Faroe Islands Tourism Board, visitfaroeislands. com. So she decided to take matters into her own hands. The solution is to put 360-degree cameras on something the islands have plenty of: sheep. A mobile phone is placed together with the camera on the animal’s back to handle the image transfer and energy needs. This allows the sheep to wander freely around the landscape and send photos with GPS coordinates to Durita Dahl Andreassen’s computer, after which they are transferred to Google Street View. The concept, dubbed Sheep View 360, HB can be seen at visitfaroeislands.com or on YouTube.
The Faroe Islands have around 50,000 inhabitants, but there are also about 80,000 sheep, some of which have now become ‘camera sheep’.
NEW NORDIC BREAKFASTS Hotel guests have certain expectations – and they’re not always high when it comes to breakfast. Whatever the standard, habits are difficult to change and the Hotel Kong Arthur in Copenhagen found this to be true when its breakfast buffet recently got an overhaul. With a focus on Nordic ingredients and the seasons as a focal point, the hotel got cheese from Knuthenlund on Lolland and bread from a local bakery that uses flour from Bornholm. Rosehips, buckthorn and rhubarb are included when they are in season and classic scrambled eggs made from organic eggs is placed in small glasses with dry
salted bacon from free-range pigs. This approach has meant less food waste as the guests previously put more on their plate than there was space for in their stomachs. A waffle iron has also been set up, so you can make your own waffles from an old Danish recipe made with beer. And the hotel has so far got a lot of really good feedback – except for one thing. The lack of orange juice, which has been replaced with seasonal Nordic fruit juices. But the explanation and concept are quite simple – orange trees don’t grow in Scandinavia, so orange juice cannot belong in Hotel Kong Arthur’s new breakfast buffet. K
AIRBNB FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS It may be that Airbnb is facing pressure from legal quarters in Barcelona, New York and Berlin when it comes to shortterm renting. Nevertheless the company has, according to Buying Business Travel, just partnered up with Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), BCD Travel and American Express Global Business Travel (GBT). Airbnb has introduced a new tool that makes it possible for companies to book rooms and check the payment information and itinerary. With GBT, an Airbnb booking would be included as a preferred provider, while BCD is working with Airbnb on a solution for providing data that can track location and travel patterns for business travellers who book on Airbnb, in order to increase security. The option is currently available in the US and will become available in the UK, France and Germany later KA this year.
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No359
INTERVIEW
CRUISE TOURISM ON THE RISE IN COPENHAGEN Cruise ships at Langelinie Harbour. This year, 15 large ships with room for at least 4,000 passengers are expected to call. Next year there will be 55 of them. Photo: Wonderful Copenhagen
By Henrik Baumgarten
The Danish capital expects to see a record number of cruise ship passengers next year. The vessels themselves are getting bigger and new terminals are being considered. Copenhagen is a charming city, but it takes more than that to bring cruise tourists to the city. Location is one thing, but easy access to both the city and the airport is also important. This is why 2016 is shaping up to be yet another outstanding cruise year, with 100,000 more cruise tourists than last year, including 60,000 more in Copenhagen. In 2017, it is expected that 850,000 will find their way to the Port of Copenhagen – an increase of 110,000 compared to 2016. “Copenhagen is a well-established destination,” says Arnt Møller Pedersen, director for cruises at the Port of Copenhagen (the official name is Copenhagen Malmö Port). “Route planners from the shipping companies seek us out, and we visit them at the large cruise trade fairs. We have fantastic collaboration with these companies, who know that Copenhagen can deliver the goods.” He also praises the cooperation within the Cruise Copenhagen Network, whose more than 50 members include the municipality of Copenhagen, the airport, Tivoli, tour bus companies and nine Danish ports. In Copenhagen alone, the cruise industry generates a turnover of DKK 1.4 million, not to mention 4,000 jobs during the cruise season. St Petersburg is important As previously mentioned, one of the reasons behind Copenhagen’s success is its location, providing voyages to Oslo and the Norwegian
TIGHTER ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS As is the case with air traffic, environmental requirements for the shipping industry are tightening – and this includes the cruise ship sector. In the Baltic Sea, cruise ships account for about 1% of pollution. The lion’s share comes from agricultural waste water. But beginning in 2019, cruise ships will no longer be allowed to release untreated waste into the Baltic; today this cannot be done within 12 nautical miles from shore. A single cruise ship passenger today generates about 200 litres of wastewater over a 24-hour period, from baths, toilets, cleaning, cooking, etc. Having a sound environmental image is important for the cruise business. The latest vessels are equipped with wastewater treatment plants, and in 2014 the Port of Copenhagen invested millions in a treatment plant for wastewater from ships.
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Arnt Møller Pedersen, director for cruises at the Port of Copenhagen (official name: Copenhagen Malmö Port). Photo: Dennis RosenfeldtArnt Møller Pedersen,
fjords as well as serving as a gateway to the Baltic Sea. This year it expects 304 calls from 64 ships representing 35 cruise companies that account for some 90% of all of the companies that ply the waters of Northern Europe. Baltic and North European destinations make up the world’s third-largest cruise region, after the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. St Petersburg is the most important attraction in the Baltic, followed by Stockholm, Copenhagen, Tallinn and Helsinki. “Shipping companies turn good profits in the Baltic region, and satisfaction surveys typically rate Copenhagen ‘better than expected’. We are attracting more of the larger ships that carry over 4,000 passengers. We have 15 of them this year, and next year there will be 55, primarily from existing companies that are expanding to Copenhagen,” says Arnt Møller Pedersen. Increasing turnover About half of the 300-plus ships are so-called turnarounds that begin and end their cruises in Copenhagen. These are especially valuable to the city because passengers often arrive a day or two before the cruise begins, which is a boon for the airlines as well as for hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions. Most of these turnarounds take place at Nordhavn Harbour, which today boasts three new passenger terminals. A system is being worked out so that cruise passengers can receive boarding cards for their flights and won’t have to bother with baggage until they get home to New York, for example. Bags are sent from the ship in ‘sealed’ trucks directly to the airport. u
NORTH EUROPEAN
RECORD AT COPENHAGEN On Saturday June 25, a record-breaking 30,000 cruise ship guests visited the Danish capital – 24,000 passengers plus more than 6,000 crew. Six of the seven ships that visited the city that day began a Baltic cruise at Copenhagen. “The June 25 statistics are not just a record for Copenhagen. Never before in all of northern Europe have there been so many visits in a single day from cruise ship passengers and crew members,” says Arnt Møller Pedersen, director for cruises at the Port of Copenhagen.
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No359
INTERVIEW
More terminals Due to the increasing number of cruise passengers, the harbour is considering one or two larger terminals, as the current ones are too small for the biggest ships. These two new terminals will be twice as big as the current ones. If a final decision is made this year, they can be ready within three years. Copenhagen Harbour can handle almost any kind of cruise ship. One exception is Cunard’s new flagship the Queen Mary, which draws too much water. The world’s largest cruise ships from Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class can dock in Copenhagen but can’t go on to navigate the Baltic. The waters are not deep enough, and the ships are
too tall to squeeze under the Great Belt Bridge. Also they’re too large to enter the harbours at St Petersburg and Stockholm. 150 nationalities The cruise ships in Copenhagen are like a mini-United Nations. Passengers this year hail from around 150 of the world’s 200 countries. Most are from Germany (27%), the US/Canada (26%) and the UK (14%), followed by Spain, Italy and Australia. Some 90% of the passengers from ships that simply have Copenhagen as a port of call decide to go ashore, where the most popular attractions are city sightseeing, canal tours and the castles of Northern Zealand.
By spring 2018, the harbour at Visby, Gotland, will have a new 350-metre quay. Several cruise ships have already pledged their arrival once it is ready. Visby boasts a lovely medieval town, and Gotland is considered to be the area of Sweden with the greatest number of historical monuments, among them around 90 medieval churches.
SWEDISH ISLAND BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT Sweden’s largest island, Gotland, has ambitions to become a more attractive port of call for cruise ships. Just a few years ago Gotland, which has an area six times that of the Danish island of Bornholm, had upwards of 150,000 cruise tourists per year, but the number has fallen to around 60,000 this year. The number of cruise ship calls has also tumbled, from 150 to about 60 this year. But this trend is set to change. Two years ago, Region Gotland and the Port of Copenhagen agreed that the region would invest SEK 250 million in a new and larger cruise ship quay in the main town of Visby and then rent it to the Port of Copenhagen for 20 years. The new quay is expected to be ready in spring 2018, and the investment will be recouped through the anticipated increase in cruise ship tourism. “Today the harbour at Visby only has room for ships with a length of about 200 metres,” explains Arnt Møller Pedersen, director for cruises at the Port of Copenhagen (Copenhagen Malmö Port).
LARGER SHIPS MAY DOCK AT MALMÖ The harbours at CMP (Copenhagen Malmö Port) are also collaborating with regard to cruises. In this area, however, Malmö is considered to be too close to Copenhagen, which means the Swedish city only gets a few cruise calls. CMP is working with the Swedish Maritime Authority and the shipping pilots of Malmö regarding the possibility of creating space for larger cruise ships. The goal is 20 per year. This will require permission to accept ships of up to 290 metres in length, compared to the current limit of 240 metres.
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03-08-2016 14:05:13
No359
CRUISE
PROGRESS FOR CRUISES IN EUROPE
Copenhagen is northern Europe’s second largest cruise port. Europe-wide, ports across the continent were visited by more than 31 million cruise passengers last year. More than 6.1 million passengers (5 million of whom were Europeans) climbed aboard a cruise ship in Europe in 2015, an increase of 4.6% compared to the year before, according to the latest report by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Nearly 200 cruise ships sailed in European waters last year, primarily in the Mediterranean and the Baltic. Approximately 250 European ports were visited by more than 31 million cruise passengers – a rise of 7.6% compared to the year before. According to the report, Copenhagen is the second largest cruise port in northern Europe, surpassed only by Southampton. In third place is Stockholm, followed by Hamburg and St Petersburg. Worldwide, the number of cruise passengers has increased by more than 60% over the last 10 years to 23 million in 2015. Over the same period, the number of cruise passengers from Europe more than doubled to 6.6 million last year. Jan Aagaard
Stockholm is the third most visited cruise port in northern Europe.
MICHELIN MEANS MORE CRUISE VISITORS
NEW CRUISE RECORD SET IN 2015 As many as 23.2 million passengers went on a cruise last year, not including river cruises. This figure, the highest ever, is according to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). The record growth is attributed to increases in markets where cruises had not previously been so popular. That includes Asia, which saw an increase of 24% compared to 2014, to reach two million passengers. Worldwide, about a million more cruise passengers are expected in 2016 compared to last year. HB
Over just a few years the number of visitors to Aarhus by cruise ship has increased fivefold. Now the Danish city is on a charm offensive with cruise lines, the sales pitch being that the city now has three restaurants with a Michelin star – Frederikshøj, Gastromé and Substans. In 2010, Aarhus welcomed 6,325 cruise ship passengers. This year it’s expecting more than 70,000. “It has been a sustained effort. We have spent several years building good
relationships with the major cruise lines and now these efforts are bearing fruit. Last year we had 11 cruise ships and this year 28 are coming with more than 70,000 passengers. In 2017, we expect even more,” says Nicolai Krøyer, chief commercial officer at the Port of Aarhus. Peer H. Kristensen, VisitAarhus CEO, adds: “When we market Aarhus to the cruise lines, the Michelin stars are a recognised trump card.” HB
Restaurant Frederikshøj (pictured), along with Gastromé and Substans help to attract cruise passengers to Aarhus. All three have a Michelin star. Photo: VisitAarhus
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03-08-2016 14:06:21
No359
MICE
SHORTAGE OF 5-STAR LUXURY Henrik Dyhr, Director of BDP Congress, would love to have a hotel chain like the Shangri La Hotels & Resorts in Copenhagen. Photo: Shangri La Hotels & Resorts By Kitt Andersen
This will be one of the best years for congresses in the Danish capital. At the same time, according to Henrik Dyhr, director of BDP Congress, Copenhagen could be just as attractive for business events in the high-end segment – if the supply of 5-star luxury hotels was bigger. Copenhagen is having a busy year as a congress and conference city. The large-scale conference Women Deliver, held in May, received a great deal of attention both in Denmark and abroad. But the 6,000 delegates who had to stay overnight are just a small part of the 100,000 conference and congress participants and approximately 400,000 hotel stays Copenhagen is expected to have in 2016. The capital is also back in the ICCA’s top 10 of the world’s most popular congress cities for 2015. This calculation is based on a count in the International Congress & Convention Association’s database registering conferences organised by international organisations. Denmark came in 10th place with 138 registered meetings, while Berlin was first with 1995.
The demand is there There are many other types of meetings that are not registered in the ICCA that also make a big contribution to the many overnights. But one area where Copenhagen could be doing much better is the high-end segment of business events. Here the capital, according to Henrik Dyhr, director of BDP Congress, has had difficulty meeting the demands and capacity requirements of large foreign agencies and clients for 5-star luxury hotels. “There are enquiries from the UK, the US, Germany and China that call for a 5-star luxury product, but with great respect for the hotels we have in Denmark, we do not have it to the degree it is needed,” says Henrik Dyhr, who adds that it would not do any good to simply upgrade 4-star rooms, which often do not have the size expected of a 5-star hotel. Copenhagen losing out When a business event in the high-end segment exceeds 40-50 participants, the Danish capital is often out of the running due to the lack of capacity.
According to Dyhr, several of the current 5-star hotels are regarded by foreign customers as either ordinary, having too little capacity or not having the required standards and service. Copenhagen lacks 5-star luxury hotels with sufficient capacity that stands out from the crowd. “It may well be that you can get rooms in the off-season, but that is not when the demand is and when we, for example, have been in competition and have lost, and it is a city like Berlin that wins. They have lots of 5-star hotels with enough rooms for good prices and lots of other good deals,” Henrik Dyhr says. He would like to see one of the major international brands like Shangri-La Hotels, Hyatt Regency or Four Seasons come to Copenhagen. “There is no doubt that Copenhagen could easily support one of the large 5-star luxury hotels with more than 200 rooms. The more options there are, the more customers will come.”
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MORE ROOMS ON THE WAY By Kitt Andersen
There are expansions, renovations and new buildings on the way, and with future developments Greater Copenhagen will have close to 25,000 rooms including hostels, hotel apartments and luxury suites. There is good reason for the renovation and construction of new hotels in Greater Copenhagen in recent years. In the first three months of 2016, the number of hotel stays there rose by 10%. The increase is due to congresses and events as well as more direct air routes, and in the coming years the capital will get 2,247 new rooms. Here’s a sample of some of the new initiatives. Nimb: The hotel in Tivoli will be extended by 2,000 m2 by the end of 2017 with 20 luxury suites, a roof terrace, pool, restaurant and bar. Brøchner Hotels: In 2018, Brøchner Hotels will open its fifth boutique hotel in an old transformer station on Bremerholmen in Copenhagen with 31 rooms, several with a private balcony or roof terrace.
Nobis Hotels: In the first half of 2017, Nobis expects to open a hotel with 80 rooms close to Tivoli in Niels Brocks Gade. Scandic: Scandic Front Hotel’s 132 rooms have been modernised to include Scandinavian design, and in October 2018 Scandic will take over the Radisson Blu Falconer Hotel in Frederiksberg. In 2018, the chain will also open the doors of a new hotel in Kødbyen with 370 rooms and 12 meeting rooms. Hotel Skt. Annæ: The 4-star hotel has just been completely renovated. Arp-Hansen Hotel Group: Will open a hostel in summer 2017 with 1,000 beds in 280 rooms including bath and toilet. Cabinn: The new Cabinn Copenhagen next to Tivoli Congress Centre is expected to open in 2019 with approximately 1,000 rooms and 250 apartments. At the end of 2017, Hotel Cabinn Metro next to the airport will expand to 710 rooms with 530 apartments. Source: Copenhagen Convention Bureau
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No359
MICE
MANY MORE MICE TOURISTS IN JUTLAND By Katharina Andersen
Both Aalborg and Aarhus report a solid increase in conference and meeting-related tourism. This is due in part to improving flight connections to northern Jutland and the naming of Aarhus as European Capital of Culture 2017. More and more Danish and international guests are choosing Aalborg as the location for their next meeting or conference. From May 2015 to April 2016, a total of 295,777 visitors spent the night in Aalborg in connection with business trips and conferences, according to statistics from Business Aalborg. That’s an increase of 23% compared to the previous year. And Danish meeting and conference guests are not the only ones travelling to Aalborg. Over the same 12-month period, the number of foreign guests spending the night there increased by 34%. Good flight connections to Aalborg are part of the reason for the increase in conference guests. Significant domestic traffic growth helped to make May the best month ever for Aalborg Airport, with a 17.6% increase compared to the same month last year. The airport usually also shows solid growth in the number of international passengers, but there has been a decrease since March when Lufthansa changed its departures to and from Frankfurt from twice daily on weekdays to once a week. However, it is expected that KLM will in time bring in some of the passengers that were lost. Several reasons for growth Visit Aalborg has its own ideas about why the city has become a hit with conference guests. “Developments in this business have paved the way for business-related guests who want to work with companies in
CONFERENCE GUESTS SPEND MORE MONEY Traditionally, business tourists have a higher rate of consumption per day than holiday and leisure tourists, and conference guests have the highest consumption of all. VisitDenmark statistics show a 24-hour consumption – including overnight stays, excursions, restaurants and shopping – of more than DKK 3,000 per guest. Tourist consumption, which encompasses all types of tourists, is an important contributor to general economic activity. Tourism spend of DKK 1 million in a municipality generates 1.2 year-round jobs, a value increment of DKK 460,000 and tax income of DKK 320,000. Source: Visitaarhus.dk
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Radisson Blu Aarhus
Aalborg and northern Jutland,” claims Visit Aalborg analyst and strategist Jakob Nielsen. He also notes that the general development of the city has played a major role in turning it into a magnet for meeting and conference tourism. “Our work to bring conferences and congresses to Aalborg has borne fruit, and the new waterfront development and several other construction projects have also helped make the city more attractive,” he says. Conference manager Hanne Kristiansen of Visit Aalborg is also optimistic. “We expect this trend to continue,” she says. “This is borne out by the reports we’ve received so far from the hotels in town.” New meeting concept at Comwell One of these hotels is Comwell Hvide Hus Aalborg, where the demand from guests seeking conference locations is on the rise. “We’re in an upward spiral. Both our hotel and the city of Aalborg are getting more and more conference guests,” says Mette Bonderup, the hotel’s director. The property has been extensively remodelled, the latest innovation for conference guests being the Panama Floor, where an entire storey is pleasantly high-ceilinged. “Our entire 15th floor has been converted into exclusive meeting rooms,” Mette Bonderup explains. “And every meeting room is built around a kitchen that provides catering for conference participants. We call it ‘Heavenly Meetings’.” Group Managing Director Peter Schelde is convinced that Hvide Hus in Aalborg has a winning formula with its ground-breaking approach to conference concepts. “We focus on furnishing our hotels to suit our primary target group, which consists of professionals. At Comwell in Aalborg, our
Comwell Aalborg
whole bar, lounge and outdoor terrace areas are also attractive work spaces and offer an alternative to seminar rooms,” he says. Scandic Hotels is also experiencing growth in the conference sector in Aalborg. The chain has just taken over operations at the centrally-located Hotel Europa, so that now it has two hotels in the city. Large conferences in Aarhus Visit Aarhus is also experiencing great interest from business tourists. “This growth bears witness to a stronger position on the Danish market than was the case just five years ago,” says Tina Baungaard-Jensen, head of press relations at VisitAarhus. “Internationally we’re also seeing marked advances. In 2010, Aarhus was number 200 on the international list of worldwide conference cities; by 2013 we were in the Top 100, and Aarhus has in general raised the bar for the number of international conferences that find their way to our town. It has reached the point where 2016 already looks like it will be a fantastic, record year.” Aarhus has also been named European Capital of Culture for 2017, a fact which, according to VisitAarhus, has been spurred by many of the large, international conferences that have taken place in the city in recent years. Even bigger conferences will be coming to Aarhus in 2017. One of these is Creativity World Forum with upwards of 3,000 participants. Another will take place at Radisson Blu, which is expecting 1,500 participants for one of the largest conferences in its history. “SportAccord Convention will hold its annual congress in Aarhus next year. It’s the largest convention in the 21-year
history of our hotel. We are experiencing a general increase in the number of international conferences, and the fact that they are coming to us is no doubt due to the fact that Aarhus will be European Capital of Culture in 2017,” says Casper Bock, head of sales at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel Aarhus.
SUCCESS IN ODENSE Odense Congress Centre has experienced growth in the conference sector as well as in the number of meeting room bookings. Between 2014 and 2015, the number of overnight stays related to metropolitan and business tourism rose from 400,000 to 440,000, and 38% of these guests were in Odense on business. “What we are seeing is that the competitive landscape, especially within the ordinary meeting and conference market, is being hit by disruption. Many untraditional venues offer the same product as conventional conference centres. Our job, like that of many other conference venues, is to find the right product at the right price. We also have to think outside the box and offer a product that will continue to interest our guests,” says hotel and conference manager Peter Karner, who expects continued general growth in the conference sector towards 2017.
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No359
MICE
A MEETING SHOULD BE REMEMBERED FOR MORE THAN THE FOOD By editorial staff
A business meeting is not only a matter of a room and a nice lunch buffet. According to Professor Maiken Schultz from Copenhagen Business School, more experiences can maximise the benefits of a conference. One need not travel outside Denmark to combine a business meeting with special experiences that will get the important
points from presentations and lectures to sink in and be remembered. For it is, according to Professor Majken Schultz of Copenhagen Business School, still a major challenge for many companies to be remembered for the content of a conference rather than the buffet. “When it comes to holding conferences, most companies are really unimaginative,” she says. “90% of all conferences
are the same and it’s a shame because it is more difficult for participants to remember the content when they do not have a unique experience to connect the information to.” Magnificent nature, heavy industry Forty tour operators in the Esbjerg and Fanø municipality have noticed the possibility of adding an extra dimension
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The Wadden Sea can provide business tourists with unique experiences including an oyster and seal safari, the Wadden Sea Olympics and the Black Sun caused by large flocks of starlings. The Wadden Sea National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the world’s 10 most important wetlands.
to meetings and have come together under the name Meet&More. However, it is not only the countryside and the local flora and fauna that’s an attraction for business tourists. Esbjerg harbour is one of the country’s main export ports and is also a major port for the energy sector. And not only in Denmark but for the whole world, as 75% of all offshore wind turbines are shipped from Esbjerg. So both the harbour and the rest of the commercial environment are of value when it comes to attracting business tourists, believes Janni Baslund Dam,
concept manager for Meet&More. “Esbjerg’s history from being Denmark’s leading fishing town to shifting to the oil and gas industry and also becoming one of the largest ports for wind turbine shipping is something many companies, organisations and associations will find interesting to learn from and draw inspiration from.” Untraditional conferences Rhetorician Karen Bendix Terp from the company Rhetorica has no doubts that it is important for business guests that the
province has become better at selling itself with regard to untraditional conferences. She advises companies on how to organise conferences. “The traditional way to hold a conference with long discussions and a massive amount of information for participants results in a low yield. So the province has thought it out well when it involves the participants through excursions into the local area and the countryside. Particularly when the experiences are related to a topic that has been touched on by the speaker.”
• NOERREBROBRYGHUS.DK •
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CÔTE
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No359
med Star Alliance.
A DAY AT THE OFFICE
CHEERING FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE STAGE By Mette Damgaard Petersen
As a facilitator at conferences, Karin Krogh has seen just about everything. Recently she dealt with a challenging virtual game as well as some technical challenges that luckily ended in cheers. Karin Krogh is self-employed in the art of pulling together conferences, meetings and training courses. As an energetic emcee or facilitator, it’s her job to capture and keep participants’ attention with interesting methods, preferably spiced up with a humorous undertone that can put the crowd in a good mood and help everyone feel entertained and inspired. In May, Karin facilitated a three-day seminar at Sitges, Barcelona, for the top management of a major international company. The assignment was to activate the participants and keep up a high level of energy between the various professional speakers. So she introduced SwarmGaming, an interactive technology that enables a large number of participants to play giant-screen computer games together. Each participant gets a ‘Swarmpad’, an optical reflector reminiscent of a small, square lollipop. The reflector serves as a remote control that sends out optical signals via the player’s small updown or side-to-side movements. In this way everyone can, for example, steer a virtual airplane in a given direction. At
Karin Krogh.
The participants at the conference are playing a computer game together taking place at a big screen. the seminar, the entire group flew a spaceship through a goal that was meant to symbolise the company’s vision. They also played some football. High spirits “What you achieve is a sense of togetherness that happens in the moment. It’s a bit like a singalong, where you unconsciously find a common rhythm or pitch,” Karin Krogh relates. “It’s really fun to see how everyone approaches the assignment very cautiously at first, and then later throw themselves body and soul into the game! The way their faces light up as they eagerly hop around, sink to their knees or shoot their arms enthusiastically into the air, despite the fact that the reflector can steer with just the smallest of movements. All these jubilant outbursts really lifted everyone into a party mood.” She is always very much aware of the importance of engaging and activating the participants. “If you can’t manage to capture the
participants’ attention, then it doesn’t matter how well-educated or clever you are. Studies show that we can concentrate on something for a maximum of 20 minutes at a time! So thorough preparation is a must.” Side benefits Even though Karin is always well-prepared, she often experiences small, unforeseen glitches. And this particular event was no exception. “When I take the stage, the microphone isn’t always easy to clip on if my clothing lacks a belt or a pocket. My dresses didn’t have either, so the technician had to help me fasten the microphone to my bra! That generated a lot of laughter as he stood there awkwardly fiddling and fumbling. “On the final day, he remarked that he had ‘fiddled with the bra’ a total of eight times, after which he thanked me profusely for the best conference experience ever! We all need a good laugh once in a while!” 21
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No359
MPI
EVERYBODY BENEFITS FROM AN INTERNATIONAL TOUCH By Ulrika Mårtensson Chairman MPI Denmark
International input is important – even if you’re not working globally. This was one reason behind a couple of thousand meeting planners and events people from around the world taking part in MPI’s World Education Congress, WEC, in Atlantic City in June. The organisation MPI, Meeting Professionals International, was formed with the objective of professionalising the meetings and events branch through education and the creation of business opportunities worldwide through more than 17,000 members. The WEC world congress is just one of many MPI events where members can network, get updated on global trends and draw inspiration on how meetings and events are held around the world. Christian Middelthon, owner of Meeting Consult and head of MPI’s Norwegian branch, took part in the WEC both to learn and to teach. He says: “I would like to take part ‘where it’s happening’,
and there’s a lot happening at MPI. I will learn, inspire, be part of the dialog and contribute to the development of the branch. I work in fashion design, which we are good at in Europe, not least in the Nordic region. This is something that was confirmed at the WEC. But I hope that I have inspired some of the other participants with my knowledge and abilities, because I have seen that our skills also work in the USA. I have learned a lot too, from the presentations of those dealing with facilitation and teaching as a discipline, something I would possibly not have seen with so broad an outlook at a Norwegian conference. MPI boasts a broader outlook Karin Mäntymäki, director of the Stockholm Convention Bureau and head of MPI’s Swedish branch, agrees. “I am here to be inspired on how I can do things differently, to be better at understanding the world around me, and to be sure
that I don’t stagnate. Many other organisations relate only to a small segment, but MPI is for everyone involved in the meetings and events branch. It includes arrangers, venues, meeting planners, speakers. Yes, the list is long, as the many thousands of members worldwide bear witness to. Width in job title as well as nationality is a good basis for learning.” WEC 2017 will be held in Las Vegas on June 19 to 22, and the European counterpart EMEC 2017 will be held in Granada from March 5 to 7.
MPI Denmark with its 190 members is Europe’s largest branch, offering around 10 annual training seminars and network meetings in Denmark, with both local and international speakers. As a member you have access to MPI’s international activities, offers and network. www.mpidenmark.dk
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No359
MICE
1
A HIDDEN GEM AS MICE DESTINATION Text & Photo: Knut Noer jr.
Due to the drop in the oil prices the exchange rate has become more favorable and the Norwegian hotels had their best year in 2015. Promoting Oslo towards the international conference and travel trade markets is British-born Annie Kristi Korsmo’s main challenge – and she just loves it! Last September she took over as director of the VisitOslo department for congresses and events. “As the fastest growing capital in Europe, Oslo has undergone dramatic changes,” she points out. “It’s a city surprising its visitors with innovative architecture like the Opera House and the stunning ‘Barcode’ block close to the historical waterfront, as well as a rich and cosmopolitan cultural diversity.” “Visitors coming for a wide spectrum of music festivals and cultural events throughout the year are filling up the hotel beds, and over 5,000 concerts each year are as many as you’d find in Copenhagen and Stockholm – put together.”
Less expensive for foreign visitors A Norwegian currency weakened by the dramatic slump in the prices of crude oil and natural gas means more favourable exchange rates for foreign visitors. At the same time, there are more direct flight connections to Norway than ever before, including the many low-cost options. “All of this makes Oslo more attractive also as a MICE destination, and while participating at international travel trade fairs and workshops it is pleasing to see a marked increase in interest for and enquiries about both Norway and Oslo – even from Dubai and the Middle East. And, of course – from China,” Annie Kristi smiles. “Many have already been to London, Paris and Barcelona, and the organisers of international congresses and meetings are eager to offer participants something special. At the same time, Oslo is technologically advanced, the infrastructure and wireless internet is well developed and there are no hidden expenses.”
“Also, foreign visitors arriving in Oslo for the first time, even from the UK, express astonishment at how compact the central core of the town really is,” she continues. “Staying in a downtown hotel, so much of the city is within a short walking distance. The historic Akershus Castle, the many new restaurants along developed parts of the waterfront, the National Gallery, the main street Karl Johan with the National Theatre and the Parliament, and with the Royal Palace and Central Station at either end of it.” 2015 an all-time high In spite of the testing times facing Norway’s ‘oil capital’ Stavanger and Rogaland County as result of the drop in oil prices, 2015 proved to be the best year ever for the country’s hotels as a whole. The total of 31,653,839 overnight stays in hotels in Norway last year are 1,347,245 more than in 2014, with almost the same growth in Norwegian overnights (+672,919) as foreign ones (+674,335).
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So far, 2016 looks very promising too, according to figures from SSB (Statistisk Sentralbyrå – Central Bureau of Statistics). This despite a slight downturn of 1% in January due to weaker Norwegian demand. In February, foreign overnight stays in Oslo were 15% up from the same month in 2015, and in March 30% up. And then came the strike… For the country as a whole, the number of foreign overnight stays showed 13.9% growth in March, while in April there were altogether 10% more overnight stays in Norwegian hotels than during the same month last year. But then came an almost four-week hotel strike, ending on May 10. “A strike lasting that long is serious enough, even if it took place during a relatively unhurried period for us,” Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel managing director Tarje Hellebust tells TTG Nordic. “But in spite of the strike, I really have high expectations about this year’s results, and we are experiencing
substantial demand also in the ‘tourist season’ of July.” With its 676 guest rooms, the Radisson Blue Plaza is strategically located between Oslo’s Central Station, Bus Terminal and Oslo Spektrum arena. It is Norway’s largest hotel, with around 5050 Norwegian and international guests. “We probably have the highest proportion foreign guests of any Norwegian hotel,” Tarje Hellebust says. “Around 70% of our guests are businesspeople, and of those around 40% come in connection with business meetings or conventions.” Any new trends regarding MICE arrangements? “Apparently, the emphasis on the food served during the different meals is stronger than ever!” Tarje says with a smile. “The reason is simple enough. It is now taken for granted that all of the technical equipment, like lighting, sound systems and projectors, function just perfectly without nasty surprises of any kind. That leaves time to focus more – on the food!”
5
1: THE NEW OSLO: The ‘Barcode’ block 2: AIRY OPERA EXPERIENCE: Walking on the rooftop 3: GREAT EXPECTATIONS: Section director Anne Kristi Korsmo, VisitOslo 4: MORE FOCUS ON THE MICE FOOD: Managing director Tarje Hellebust, Radisson Blu Plaza 5: A TIME FOR JOY: African dancers taking part in a summer festival in front of Oslo City Hall 6: ART CITY: Chinese eyes on Gustav Vigeland’s “Mother and Child” (1907) at the National Gallery
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No359
HOTEL
ICEHOTEL NOW AN ALL-YEAR ICE EXPERIENCE
By Howard Jarvis
The Lapland experience will be permanent from November, with ice bar, ice gallery and ice suites to enjoy in summer as well as winter. Famed for its suites of ice elegantly shaped by artists, northern Sweden’s Icehotel now intends to stay chilled all year round – thanks to the power of the summertime midnight sun. This will be great news for incentive groups and private guests, who will benefit from the unique experience of combining memorable daytime activities with staying in a hotel made of ice, no matter how warm it is outside. From November, Icehotel 365 will be up and running as a permanent experience, complete with ice bar, ice gallery and 20 ice suites. This is in addition to the array of winter and summer accommodation that’s already part of the landscape. As with the original Icehotel, the riverside location in Jukkasjärvi, 200km north of the Arctic Circle, is ideal. Activities are available such as (in summer and autumn) boat trips by the eerie light of the midnight sun, an adrenaline rush on the ropes at the nearby Challenge Park, forest cycling or white water rafting, or (in winter and spring) dogsledding, snowmobiles and the northern lights. “We’ll be better positioned to meet
market demand for both the midnight sun and the northern lights, so we can attract visitors to summer and winter activities north of the Arctic Circle,” enthuses Yngve Bergqvist, founder and creator of both Icehotel and Icehotel 365. Midnight sun power Aided by several major new shareholders, the company has hit on a technical solution it says is sustainable and eco-friendly. Snow and ice from the River Torne will fill the 2,100 sq m facility and be kept at -5°C (23°F) year round. A refrigeration unit will run on energy from a solar-cell power plant currently under construction. Jukkasjärvi is perfect for solar power, as in summer the sun stays above the horizon for 100 consecutive days. Bergqvist estimates that Icehotel will actually reduce total energy requirements, as enough power will be harnessed by the solar cells – around 75 kilowatts from April to September – to also run buildings like its restaurants and offices. Icehotel 365 will have nine luxury suites, each with sauna and bathroom, and 11 ‘art suites’, all of which will be individually sculptured by selected artists. Bergqvist says this will make Icehotel the biggest permanent art show north of Stockholm. However, he remains icy-lipped about
the investment involved in the new facility. New every year Founded in 1989, Icehotel is reborn in a new guise every winter. Being more flexible than a bricks-and-mortar property, the design of Icehotel 365 will change once a year too, at the hands of artists, architects and designers from around the world. In addition to a total of 55 ice rooms available this winter, on site there are also 50 rooms in a permanent hotel and chalets in summer. Larger groups up to 200 can be offered ‘cold’ shared rooms split into smaller groups over a two-to-three night stay. Warm accommodation can be offered in nearby Kiruna. How to get there Jukkasjärvi is located 17km east of Kiruna, on the E10 road between Luleå and Narvik. The nearest airport is Kiruna, served by SAS and Norwegian via Stockholm Arlanda. The Stockholm-Kiruna flight takes about 90 minutes. The closest rail station is also Kiruna. Bus 501 links Kiruna and Jukkasjärvi, but departures are few – and non-existent during some parts of the year. A taxi from Kiruna Airport is about SEK 400 (€42), but incentive groups often travel by dogsled from the airport.
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THIS IS NOT A BEER THIS IS AN AD FOR OUR BOUTIQUE HOTELS
Vi har lavet en øl. En økologisk øl udviklet i samarbejde med Svaneke Bryghus. Det har vi gjort, fordi vi godt kan lide at gøre tingene lidt anderledes. Navnet er Brøchner Organic Lager og kan nydes på vores 4 boutique hoteller. Drink responsibly - Stay hydrated! #brochnerorganiclager Brøchner Hotels driver anderledes boutique hoteller i hjertet af København: Hotel SP34, Hotel Danmark, Hotel Astoria og Avenue Hotel Copenhagen.
www.brochner-hotels.dk
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HOTEL
No359
med Star Alliance.
FIRST HOTELS TO EXPAND IN DENMARK First Hotel Mayfair in Copenhagen following its renovation and amalgamation with neighbour and sister hotel Excelsior. It includes the first Danish version of concept restaurant Boston Grill. The Swedish O’Leary’s Bar & Restaurant is behind this concept. By Henrik Baumgarten
The Norwegian chain wants to double its activities in Scandinavia and is currently negotiating with 10 possible new members in Denmark. First Hotels currently has 11 properties in Denmark with around 2,000 rooms in total, but over the next two years the goal is to increase that number by 10 to 15 new members. In reality, First ‘lost’ a hotel in Copenhagen in May. But that was because the chain amalgamated the hotel Excelsior with the neighboring property of the Mayfair Hotel. These two hotels, with a combined 200 rooms, are now marketed under the name First Hotel Mayfair. “We want to be the best franchise organisation in Scandinavia, and following these negotiations we sent out suggestions about a partnership deal to 10 potentially new Danish First hotels, which could come in under our motto: ‘Your second home is your First’,” says Daniel Atteroth from Sweden who, in January, became First Hotels’ director, responsible for business development. “We look for hotels with personality, which will offer guests the quality we expect. We obviously look at the location and the demand for the destination, with the prospect of a long-term partnership with the hotel’s owner.” First has no desire to standardise the
style and running of the hotels, but in a partnership the ‘standalone’ hotels can, for example, take advantage of centralised buying, First’s agreements with booking machines and reservation systems, help in developing homepages, access to a bonus program with around 400,000 members and First’s slick sales and marketing organisation. Denmark may get more chains In Denmark there is a tradition that hotel operators lease hotels from the owners of the buildings, with a rental guarantee. On the other hand there are very few management deals in Scandinavia compared to the international hotel sector, where this model is common. “If one adopted flexible management contracts, as for example Copenhagen Airport has for its hotel building with Hilton, franchise contracts or leasing deals without rental guarantee, more hotel operators would be attracted to, or expand their existing business in, the Danish market,” explained Daniel Atteroth, a former leader with Rezidor Hotels, Scandic Hotels, Hilton and business travel agency BCD Travel. He added: “The difference with set rental from ordinary leasing is that an owner with a management deal would get the main part of the income from the running profits. A minus, seen from an owner’s
perspective, can be that management deals could be effected by negative economic times – as opposed to an ordinary rental, where the owner receives the same fees irrespective of market trends.”
FIRST HOTELS • The chain has 11 hotels in Denmark, seven of which are in Copenhagen. • Over the next two years the chain expects 10 to 15 new members. • First has 60 hotels in Scandinavia, mostly in Sweden, one in Iceland. • A further 60 hotels are earmarked as potential new members. • Last year, First entered into a ‘duel branding’ partnership with Spanish boutique hotel chain Petit Palace, with 31 hotels. • In Europe, roughly 30% of hotels are members of chains like First.
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MØDER OG KONFERENCER VED VADEHAVET
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03-08-2016 14:18:21
No359
BUSINESS TRAVEL
“WE PROVIDE PEACE OF MIND” A nurse from Falck Global Assistance gives oxygen to a patient during a helicopter flight. Photo: Falck. By Henrik Baumgarten
Companies can protect their employees better when they have to travel to and stay in high¬-risk countries. Physical safety, fast assistance and quality hospital treatment, as well as all the necessary paperwork. There were several categories covered when Comet Consular Services recently invited travel agencies and business customers to the Hilton Copenhagen Airport for a three-stage seminar, with posts from Comet as well as two of its partners, Falck Global Assistance and Guardian Security Risk Management. FGA has a vast set-up with eight regional offices around the world, revealed Thy Trock Andresen, doctor and director of medicine at Falck Global Assistance. With a presence in around 50 countries and over 60,000 sub-contractors, from ambulance companies to clinics, hospitals, etc., Falck is the world’s biggest rescue company. It covers around 10 million customers worldwide, dealing with over 100,000 customer enquiries annually, which leads to around 40,000 cases where customers must be referred to a local clinic, admitted to hospital or be evacuated. In the Nordic areas Falck works with, for example, Alka and from the autumn also with Tryg, its closest competitors being European Travel Insurance and Gouda Travel Insurance.
“But we aren’t selling travel insurance, rather personalised cover and peace of mind,” Thy Trock Andresen said during the seminar. FGA’s wide range of service includes transport home by ambulance plane, and the concern has about 200 flying doctors and nurses around the world to accompany patients. Another area for FGA is the evaluation of countries and risk management taking into account local security, infrastructure and health services. The countries are rated from A to F, F being the highest risk. Be discreet, both in dress and behaviour Guardian Security Risk Management was founded by former soldiers from the Hunter Corps. Jack Bohr-Christensen is chief operating officer and among other things hostage negotiator. Guardian assists businesses that have to establish a base in, or send employees to, medium-risk and high-risk countries. The worst countries according to Guardian are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Syria and Iraq. “It is important that companies have a functioning security policy established at director and management level, to demonstrate that this is a high priority area,” said Jack Bohr-Christensen. “The better prepared one is before travelling, the better the
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possibilities. We have seen some terrible results of sloppiness. We work on the company’s preparedness and formulate a risk evaluation if employees are required to travel to, for example, certain parts of Africa, the Middle East or Latin America.” During training, Guardian teaches about crisis handling and how to protect employees abroad. If it is a new area the company is entering, Guardian can make a reconnaissance trip to evaluate the risks. On Guardian’s courses, participants also learn methods for sharpening awareness, maintaining contact with the firm and basic operational first aid. It can often be advantageous to employ a fresh, experienced local driver. “Traffic accidents are in many places the highest cause of death,” says Jack Bohr-Christensen, and he lists 10 countries where there are the most traffic deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Top of the list are the Dominican Republic, Thailand and Venezuela. The traveller can help himself with such simple things as discretion in dress and behaviour. For instance, take the currency of the country and American dollars with you instead of changing money at the airport. Also arrange transport in advance, and women should not forget to bring a headscarf when travelling to Muslim countries. Getting to know the hotel fire escapes and not following a daily routine, for example using different routes, are also among the good advice. 50,000 visas per year Comet Consular Services, which has offices in all of the Scandinavian capitals as well as Gothenburg and Helsinki, are specialists in among other things visas. Comet acquires around 50,000 of these each year, mostly business visas. Besides its own business customers, CCS works with business travel agencies. “Over the years, the business travel agencies have learned that it is better to drop their own personnel and use a specialist when ordering visas,” Carsten Østberg, the Nordic chief of operations at CCS, told Stand By.
They informed the delegates about travel safety, from left: Thy Trock Andresen, Director of Medicine at Falck Global Assistance; Carsten Østberg, Sales and Operations Director with Comet Consular Services; and Jack Bohr-Christensen from Guardian Security Risk Management.
FLYING PATIENTS AROUND THE WORLD
Thy Trock Andresen, director of medicine at Falck Global Assistance, revealed some examples of FGA’s work. The most expensive case in recent years cost around DKK 2 million. It all started last year in Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa. A nurse sent by the Swedish state to join the fight against Ebola had a defective protective suit, bringing her into contact with the Ebola virus. The decision was made to bring her home to Sweden immediately and the whole mechanism was set in motion. FGA ordered an ambulance plane from French specialists in which the patient was totally isolated. It took 35 hours from the time the alarm was raised to the patient boarding the plane. In another incident, a 20-year-old Chinese student became seriously ill in Florida and was hospitalised for six weeks. It was then decided he was stable enough to be flown home to China. But instead of flying him back in an ambulance plane, which is often a small jet with limited space, FGA’s alarm centre in Stockholm instead decided to use a so-called PTC (Patient Transport Compartment). A PTC is a module that can be fitted into the flight cabin, acting as a closed intensive hospital room in which the patient can be accompanied by for instance a doctor and a nurse from FGA. Lufthansa is one of the aircraft companies that can offer a PTC. The patient flew initially from Florida to Frankfurt, and thereafter to Beijing. The total cost was around US$100,000; an ambulance plane would have been US$65,000 more expensive.
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03-08-2016 14:19:31
No359
DBTA
By Anne Mette Berg General Manager, Danish Business Travel Association
WHO OWNS DATA? When a flight is booked online, the airline obtains a lot of knowledge about the traveller. But who will own this information in the future? In the travel industry, data is important for all parties – for the supplier and for the consumer, for the individual traveller and for companies with many customers. A traveller profile has been a ‘must’ for many years. Often this is set up either in a GDS (Global Distribution System, such as Amadeus) or in the travel agency’s own profile systems. The profiles are there to ensure that relevant data will be included in the
booking in order to comply with the company’s purchasing contracts, ensuring that the traveller’s name is spelled correctly and that there is data for statistics and security systems. Traditionally, these data have been available to the customer through the GDSs and business travel agents. Seen from the outside, as an ordinary consumer, all travel services can be booked online with ease and a credit card payment finalises the purchase
in an instant. Airlines in particular have developed their own internet sites, so that a variety of services can be offered during the booking. Once the trip has been booked, the airline or travel company has received a lot of information about the consumer. So who then will own these data in the future? New rules for personal data The European Union has adopted a personal data regulation, which takes
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Capability (NDC). NDC is a common XML language that will make it possible for airlines to use traveller data to offer more customised products. On the other hand, there are worries that the data in the future will be used to convince travellers to say yes to more expensive tickets and ancillary services, additional services such as upgrades, seat reservations or anything else not allowed under the travel policy or which is not required for the trip.
effect on 25 May 2018 and entails innovative measures, clarifications and restrictions in this area. We will be hearing more about this in the years to come, but it is probably a good idea to become familiar with the rules already now. There are a number of informative articles online regarding the new law, including at the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI). IATA has for several years been working on developing Neutral Distribution
Data is at a premium At a meeting in Geneva in June, IATA gathered a number of large travel purchasers, airlines, other suppliers, travel agencies and other players. The Danish Business Travel Association was there, and these were exciting days with excellent discussions. Hotels also have a great desire to introduce technology so that travellers can be recognised on check-in. The keywords these days are personalised service! Hotels are challenged by the fact that a room can be booked through a large number of channels and that the amount of data in the booking can be very sparse. We know
that one larger Danish hotel chain has started to work on the task, and we are following from the sidelines. Travel managers and travel purchasers need data for statistics and security systems, so that travellers’ locations may be known at any time. Traditional solutions with traveller profiles still work and are continuously being developed in the GDSs and corporate travel agencies, but here too there are new players on the way. A dream of the DBTA is a neutral personal profile that can be used in all contexts. At the DBTA meeting Online & Technology on 14 June, speaker Johnny Thorsen said that it is on its way. We do not yet know who will provide the best solution, but we are looking forward to following the ‘battle’ and seeing who actually owns data in travel contexts.
Danish Business Travel Association has around 120 members, including around 40 travel managers, while the others are suppliers for the travel industry – e.g. airlines, hotels, car rental, travel tech firms and more.
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crewservice-cph@vipdriving.dk 31
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No359
CRUISE
A FLOATING FAIRYTALE
By Villi Karup Rasmussen.
Just as this summer was getting underway, Royal Caribbean presented the latest addition to its fleet – with a price tag that’s just a third of the cost of the Great Belt Bridge. Once again, the company has beaten its own record with the world’s largest cruise ship. Sunny skies and a calm sea greeted Harmony, its propellers rotating slowly as it set sail from Barcelona with a passenger list that included Stand By as well as some 500 travel agents, tour operators and media representatives from all over Scandinavia. At the beginning of June, all had been invited on a two-day cruise to experience Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s new flagship, MS Harmony of the Seas. Many of the passengers gathered on the uppermost deck to watch the city slowly recede as a smiling crew served drinks. A total of 4,000 guests had been invited on board, to be served by about 2,500 employees. Taking a sea cruise has become increasingly popular and has shown double-digit growth rates from year to year. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is a major purveyor of tours on large cruise ships , beginning with the Oasis class, which gave its name to the line’s first vessel in this category, MS Oasis of the Seas, and its sister ship Allure. So far Oasis has the
passenger record, with 6,200 guests on board, but word has it that Royal Caribbean has plans for two more ships in the brand-new Harmony class. 23 pools and a private butler Life on board is full of possibilities, including three waterslides from Deck 16 to Deck 6, a waterpark, 23 swimming pools, an aquarium, a casino, a park, a climbing wall, 20 restaurants, a mini-golf course, The Aquatheater, The Royal Theater (with a full-length version of Grease in its repertoire), an ice rink that seats 900 spectators at shows, surf simulators and a bar where two robots mix the drinks. Central Park is on the eighth level. It’s an incredible space that boasts 40 tall trees, some 12,000 live plants and a view of the sky. The park includes three restaurants, one of which is a Jamie Oliver Italian restaurant. Twenty-four elevators make it quick and easy to ride up to the many attractions and down again to the cabins. It used to be mostly older people and retirees who went on cruises. But more and more younger-generation passengers with children are getting in on the act, and Harmony has plenty of activities to keep the kids busy morning, noon and night. u
THE CHIEF STEWARD’S SHOPPING LIST For a seven-day cruise, it looks like this:
• 9,700 pounds (4,400 kg) of chicken • 5,000 dozen eggs • 15,000 pounds (6,800 kg) of beef • 700 pounds (320 kg) of dessert ice cream • 20,000 pounds (9,000 kg) of baking potatoes • 2,100 pounds (950 kg) of lobster tails • 12,600 pounds (5,700 kg) of flour • 2,500 pounds (1,130 kg) of salmon • 5,000 pounds (2,270 kg) of French fries • 5,300 pounds (2,400 kg) of bacon • 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg) of pineapple • 5,000 pounds (2,270 kg) of oranges • Not to mention 40 different kinds of beer and 340 different wine labels
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Udforsk Europas smukkeste floder OG BESTIL E T PRAGTFULDT KRYDSTOGT MED FEENSTRA RIJN LIJN NU
Gør din tur til Holland og/eller Tyskland endnu dejligere ved at tage på et pragtfuldt flodkrydstogt. Der er ingen bedre måde at se de mange interessante steder og egne i løbet af kort tid end at tage på et flodkrydstogt. Hos det hollandske krydstogtselvskab, Feenstra Rijn Lijn, kan du vælge mellem pragtfulde krydstogter på floderne Rhinen, Mosel, Saar, Neckar, Main samt Donau. Derudover kan Feenstra byde på flere forskellige rundture til vands i Holland og Belgien. På et Feenstra flodkrydstogt er du garanteret komfort, hygge og fremragende forsørgelse. Uden at du behøver at skulle pakke dine kufferter ind og ud, rejser du fra det ene pragtfulde sted til det andet. Undervejs nyder du de fantastiske panoramaudsigter. Et flodkrydstogt er en helt speciel oplevelse, for vores luksuriøse skibe bringer dig komfortabelt hen til Europas smukkeste steder. Tydeligt og ærligt Alle priserne består af en fuldstændig pakke. Du ved altså under reserveringen med det samme, hvad du bestiller. Ekstra udflugter samt drikkevarer er ikke inkluderet i rejsesummen. Yderligere information Gå til vores website www.feenstrarijnlijn.nl for at se udvalget af disponible pladser samt få en fuldstændig beskrivelse af rejserne og vores skibe, eller ring til Feenstra på tlf. 0031 26 4452805. Vælg kvalitet og fortrolighed og bestil nu et fantastisk flodkrydstogt fra Feenstra. Vi håber snart at se dig om bord.
Rijnkade 12 · NL-6811 HA Arnhem · The Netherlands T +31 (0) 26 - 445 69 83 · F +31 (0) 26 - 445 66 81 · E sales@feenstrarijnlijn.nl www.feenstrarhineline.com · Mr. Nico Arnts
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18-06-15 08:36 03-08-2016 14:21:09
No359
Cruise
u
Line’s k nag-
For a somewhat different group, the uppermost deck offers 188 elegant suites in three categories, the absolute top being Royal Star Class. There, guests have a Royal Genie at their disposal 24 hours a day. This is a super-butler, certified by the British Butler Institute, who can help with just about anything, from getting theatre seats on board, or ashore, to acting as personal shopper. Often he has investigated the passengers’ wishes and habits ahead of time, so their preferred drink or chocolate will be ready in the suite when they arrive on Harmony. Each suite has its own sundeck and access to the most exclusive on-board restaurants. Perfect for MICE MICE events on a cruise ship are not offered and exploited to the extent that is possible at sea, and these are almost limitless. Participants are always together on the ship, so there’s plenty of time to talk and mingle. Large on-board events do take place in which the organiser charters the entire ship, but smaller groups are also welcome. The price for a week’s cruise varies, but in general it’s from about DKK 9,500 per person for an inner cabin and DKK 10,500 for an outside cabin. Meeting rooms and AV equipment
, CEO ain,
are available free of charge, and the entire event is charged to a single bill. A dedicated group coordinator provides practical assistance during the entire cruise. Not in Denmark yet Despite Harmony’s size, the ship only needs a good eight metres of water under the keel to make it to port. This means that the ship could probably make a call in Copenhagen out at the Ocean Quay. The largest of the large RCCL ships ever to have visited Copenhagen are of the Voyager class, which in its time marked the transition to giant ships with what was then a sensation: a seagoing ice rink. It was also Voyager that attracted much attention when it just managed to squeeze itself under the Great Belt Bridge, but that won’t be happening to Harmony just yet. This summer the cruise leaves once a week from Barcelona, bound for Mallorca and Rome, among other places. In the autumn it will cross the Atlantic to New York, and later Florida. At the moment there is huge interest in Mediterranean cruises. Advance interest has exceeded even the greatest of the shipping company’s expectations.
PRICE TAG: DKK 7 BILLION • Harmony was built at the Saint Nazaire shipyard in France. • 2,500 employees and engineers spent 32 months building the ship, which cost about a billion US dollars. • The Great Belt Bridge in Denmark cost DKK 21 billon. • The ship has yet to be formally christened, but this will most likely take place this year in the US. • Harmony is registered in the Bahamas. It’s about 400 metres long and 70 metres wide. • It has a registered gross tonnage of 277,000 tons and has 2,747 cabins, of which 1,768 have balconies and 46 are specially built to accommodate passengers in wheelchairs. • Harmony can accommodate about 6,700 passengers who are served by a crew of 2,100 people from 77 different countries. • With its 18 decks, the ship can reach a speed of 23 knots per hour.
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SE HELE PROGRAMMET OG BOOK PÅ DFDS.DK
ROCK CRUISE RASMUS NØHR 30.09.16
PHLAKE 14.10.16
PERNILLE ROSENDAHL 11.11.16
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No359
IPW
“A VERY SERIOUS IPW”
A glimpse of the huge conference venue, the Morial Convention Center, which housed this year’s IPW and where American suppliers and foreign buyers held, according to the organisers, 105,000 prearranged meetings.
total there were more than 1,350 stands at the convention centre, where travel agencies from around the world met many US suppliers from destinations, hotel chains and car rentals. By Henrik Baumgarten
In June, New Orleans hosted the world’s largest trade fair for the travel industry, America’s International Pow Wow. There was once again a large Scandinavian participation – and fear of Donald Trump becoming the next president. “You’ll never know what heaven means, until you’ve been down to New Orleans,” Elvis Presley roared in the song about the southern town in the 1958 movie King Creole. The city at the end of the Mississippi River is firmly part of the USA’s travel heaven, and this year it hosted the 48th edition of the immense IPW. According to the organisers, the US Travel Association, the IPW this year had more than 6,000 participants from 73 countries. That’s 20% more than when the city last hosted the event in 2002. In
A shadow over IPW The week prior to the opening of the event, the US witnessed its largest mass murder in recent history, when a heavily armed madman killed 49 people at a nightclub in Orlando. At the first lunch during IPW, on the Monday, touching tributes were given to Orlando from the many thousands of participants. First the director of the US Travel Association, Roger Dow, urged not to turn the country into a fortress, a thinly veiled allusion to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has advocated strict access control for entry into the United States. “It will be dangerous and costly to isolate us from the outside world,” Roger Dow warned. His opening was followed by a video that included Orlando’s mayor and
NORDIC VISITOR RECORD IN THE US • Last year, for the first time, there were more than 1.5 million Nordic travellers to the US (1,539,309), including the Baltic countries – an increase of 8%. • 353,004 Danes travelled to the US last year, an increase of 13.2% compared to 2014. • Danish growth was more than double that of Sweden, which last year saw a US increase of 6.2% to 586,332 travellers, followed by Norway with 323,130, a rise of under 2%. • Finland yielded 155,000 arrivals with an increase of 9.5%, and there were 56,000 from Iceland with a growth rate of 12%. • The Baltic countries had the region’s largest growth last year with 16.8% more arrivals to the US, reaching 65,000.
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At the three huge IPW lunches there was entertainment on the highest level, the highlight this year being a 30-minute concert with one of the greatest soul singers, Gladys Knight, who sang the title song from the Bond movie License to Kill, among others.
SWEDISH AGENCY IN GOOD COMPANY Sweden’s Swanson’s Travel was again this year the only Nordic travel agency on the prestigious list, the Chairman’s Circle Honors, nominated by organisers the US Travel Association. The list contains the 50 top travel agencies from 16 countries around the world for sales of travel to the United States. Swanson’s US sales totalled SEK 160 million last year, owner Tommy Swanson told Stand By. The agency sent almost 9,000 visitors to the United States in 2015, primarily via SAS. “Norwegian has many US routes, but no backup. They do not assume responsibility for their passengers,” said Tommy Swanson, who is a veteran IPW visitor. This was his 41st. He has not missed a single one since the debut in 1976. But only four Swedish travel agencies participated at this year’s IPW. Regarding the lack of participation by Swedish agencies, Tommy Swanson said: “I don’t understand what they are thinking. At IPW, over three days, you will meet many current and potential new American partners.”
At the farewell party IPW participants could, among other activities, board two paddle steamers, the kind of boat often associated with New Orleans and the Mississippi River.
head of tourism who called for people not to be cowed and to continue to live and travel freely. After the video, participants rose to give a big applause to Orlando and the other cities around the world that have been hit by terror and evil. Missing online travel agencies A regular Danish IPW participant is Karin Gert Nielsen, director of the Danish Discover America Committee. Her company Atlantic Link represents the US and other destinations in the Nordic countries. “It was a very serious IPW, and the participants were very focused. There were also a number of lesser-known US destinations that I haven’t seen before,” she said. Karin Gert Nielsen was also pleased to see a good Nordic delegation. “But I would like to see more OTAs (online travel agencies, ed.),” she said, adding that all travel agencies sell online but that “we need to get hold of those who only sell online”. Karin Gert Nielsen estimates that 30% of trips to the United States today are booked online. “This figure is rising, so the travel industry must rethink how it can get a slice of this growing market and include more on the digital platforms.” There will be an IPW next year on 3-7 June, which Washington D.C. will host for the first time. Elliott Ferguson, head of Destination DC, reported during IPW to Stand By that the cost of being an IPW host exceeds US$ 6 million.
From left: Tommy Swanson, Karin Gert Nielsen, director of the Danish Discover America Committee, and Doug Killian, international tourism director of the USA’s largest shopping centre, Mall of America, near Minneapolis.
DENMARK IS BIGGEST AGAIN With 14 travel agents from ten Danish agencies, Denmark was again the biggest participant among the Scandinavian countries at this year’s IPW, which was also attended by six Swedish travel agents from four agencies and six Norwegian agencies with seven agents. Four of the ten Danish travel agencies at IPW had sent two representatives to secure as many agreements as possible during the three hectic days. The Danish agencies at this year’s IPW were Albatros Travel, Billetkontoret (tour operator), CDMG (Congress Consulting Management Group, which organises MICE), FDM Travel, Kilroy Travel, MyPlanet, Nyhavn Rejser, Profil Rejser, Risskov Travel Partner and USA Rejser.
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No359
IPW
Each year at IPW, Minnesota holds a gathering for the Nordic travel industry. From left: Sales Director for Air France KLM, Jens Vestergaard, Jesper Ewald, purchasing and production manager at FDM Travel, Denmark’s largest travel agency in connection to the US, and Managing Director of Denmark’s Rejsebureau Forening, Lars Thykier.
Sweden’s Hanna Johansson, left, who through the PR agency Related.dk represents, among others, the amazing Fort Myers and Sanibel on Florida’s west coast, including the Sundial Beach Resort on Sanibel Island, with Product Manager Charlotte Lindholm from Profil Rejser.
Contract Manager Anne Kathrine Knudsen, right, from MyPlanet in Aarhus had at her first IPW a meeting with Deleyse Langdale, international sales director for Sonoma County, California.
Sales Director Susanne Sävenholt, left, from Sweden’s Escape Travel with Tourist Manager Jayne Buck from Denver, which will host IPW in 2018.
ONLY MICE PARTICIPANT IS A DANE A Dane was the only MICE participant from the Nordics at this year’s IPW, despite first-time participation being free for MICE agencies. This was Lonni Gulliksen, owner of CCMG, Congress Consulting Management Group. “The USA is an exciting travel destination, but it is obviously a faraway one,” she told Stand By, before adding: “I notice the interest. I haven’t had space for all of the US suppliers who requested meetings with me. During these three days I’ve had 45 meetings and another 25 on the waiting list. It’s been great to attend, and it’s fulfilled all of my wishes. This is one-stop shopping and saves a lot of time.” Lonni Gulliksen’s company CCMG sends approximately 200 visitors a year to the United States. In general, her groups typically consist of 65-125 participants. In Europe, their journeys typically last for four days and three nights, while those outside Europe tend to be two days longer.
Lonni Gulliksen og Julian Luther fra tyske Lieb Management, der bl.a. repræsenterer Texas Tourism.
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MICE_DK
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Hurtigruten er en unique møde arena. Med os får du autentiske oplevelser i rå og barske omgivelser. Kombinationen af storslået natur, god mad og panorama udsigt med landskab som hele tiden forandrer sig, er de bedste rammer til at få inspiration og gode ideer. Det bliver helt sikkert mødeoplevelse du vil huske! Og mødedeltagerne kan vække sin indre eventyrer, når de tager med på vores udflugter. De kommer nærmere den spektakulære natur og hinanden. I kan også tage en pause og være med på vores aktiviteter om bord på dækket som stimulerer sanserne. Det giver energi til næste udfordring! Vi fortæller om maden og de norske madtraditioner som er en del af den kulinariske oplevelse på vores skibe.
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Book på hurtigruten.dk eller send en mail til mo@hurtigruten.com 41
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10/06/16 15:11 03-08-2016 14:22:54
No359
VESTNORDEN
ICELAND SEES TREMENDOUS TOURISM GROWTH Iceland is famous for its beautiful and rugged landscape. Seen here are the Northern Lights above Héðinsfjörður in the north of the country. By Henrik Baumgarten
There’s a boom going on in Icelandic tourism. In five years, foreign arrivals have increased from less than half a million to an expected 1.7 million this year. Over the last five years, the number of foreign tourists in Iceland has increased by an average of 21.6%. The biggest rise came last year with 29% more compared to 2014. While there were less than half a million visitors to the island in 2010, the number shot up to 1.3 million last year and is expected to reach 1.7 million this year. The three biggest markets in 2015 were the United States with 243,000 arrivals, the UK with 241,000 and Germany with 103,000. Further down in the top 10 were Norway with 51,000, 49,000 from Denmark and 43,000 from Sweden, according to
Travel industry summit The Vest Norden Travel Mart, the annual trade fair for the travel industry organised by the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland, will be held again on 4-6 October – this year in Reykjavík. The Vest Norden Travel Mart is held in Iceland on even years and in the Faroes and Greenland on other years. HB
new data from Statistics Iceland. Overall, there were 6.5 million overnight stays in Icelandic hotels and guesthouses, 5.6 million of which were by foreigners, while 3.1 million of the overnights were in the region around the capital Reykjavík. Just over half of the overnight stays were during the summer season. In the rest of the country, two out of every three overnight stays were during the summer season. Last year, Iceland had 13,320 rooms in 394 hotels and guesthouses – an increase of almost 10% on 2014. Since 2010, the number of rooms in hotels and guesthouses in Iceland has increased by as much as 42%. And more are on the way. In 2018, a Marriott hotel with 250 rooms will open next to the capital’s convention centre and concert hall, Harpa. It will be Iceland’s first 5-star hotel.
A TV SERIES HAS HELPED The TV series Game of Thrones, with Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in one of the lead roles as the knight Jamie Lannister, is credited for contributing to the tourist boom in Iceland, which has been the location for many of the scenes. Several Icelandic incoming operators have tours around the island to locations where shooting took place. The company behind the TV series, HBO, has confirmed that the upcoming seventh season will also be partially filmed in Iceland. It will premiere next summer. HB
More air routes It has also become much easier to fly direct to Iceland, with more airlines opening routes to the main airport, Keflavík, 50 km from the capital. This summer, 25 airlines will have passenger traffic to 80 airports in Europe and North America. This spring, Keflavík Airport revaluated its prediction for passenger numbers this year to 6.6 million – 37% more than last year.
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med Star Alliance.
FLY TO the Faroe Islands
Extended runway
25% growth since 2011
Increased regularity
Less than 2 hrs. from the continent
New terminal
More affordable than you think
www.fae.fo
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Come and be part of the success
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No359
VESTNORDEN
REYKJAVÍK BOUTIQUE HOTEL OFF TO GREAT START A look inside the restaurant at Eyja Guldsmeden, located in central Reykjavík close to many of the Icelandic capital’s attractions. By Henrik Baumgarten
Eyja Guldsmeden is Reykjavík’s newest hotel – run by an Icelandic couple who are so enthusiastic about a Danish boutique hotel concept they bought into the franchise. Shortly before this summer, one of Denmark’s best-known chains of boutique hotels found a partner in Reykjavík with 65 rooms. Eyja Guldsmeden is located in the neighbourhood around the Icelandic capital’s main shopping street, Laugavegur. Eyja, like other Guldsmeden hotels in Denmark, Oslo, southern France and Bali, has a focus on hygge (cosiness), informal hostmanship, beautifully decorated rooms and organic ingredients. Reykjavík’s new hotel is owned and operated by husband and wife Linda Jóhannsdóttir and Ellert Finnbogason.
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They stayed at the Guldsmeden Axel in Copenhagen and immediately wanted the concept as a franchise. “We first stayed at the Guldsmeden Axel and loved the hotel and the concept. When we got the opportunity to open a hotel in Reykjavík, we contacted Guldsmeden Hotels in Copenhagen to see if we could become a franchisee. The concept is so different to what is known in Reykjavik today, with its warm atmosphere, décor, ecology and focus on good hostmanship,” Linda Jóhannsdóttir explains. A little space for MICE too Eyja Guldsmeden opened in May and has had almost a full house from the start. The property has 65 rooms and some potential for MICE. A room in the restaurant can be closed off and has space for up to 20 meeting attendees. Linda, who along with her husband has been in the hotel business for 13 years, says that guests come primarily from the US and the UK, as well as Asia and Scandinavia. Many Scandinavians are familiar with the Guldsmeden concept from the chain’s hotels in Denmark and Oslo. One of several reasons why Iceland is
Linda Jóhannsdóttir and husband Ellert Finnbogason, the couple who own and operate the new Guldsmeden hotel in Reykjavík
attracting more and more visitors these days is the national airline Icelandair. This is due to its many routes to Europe and North America and its stopover packages, where travellers between Europe and the US can stop in Iceland for up to a week at no extra cost. “The stopover package brings many guests,” Linda confirms. “We have not had much time to market our hotel ourselves yet, not least because we’ve been so busy since it opened. But we will of course be at the travel industry trade show Vest Norden on October 4-6 here in Reykjavík.” She adds: “In general, the Icelandic hotel market is doing well and we’ve seen incredible growth over the last five to ten years. There are many new hotels, perhaps too many if we do not manage to maintain the high tourism growth.”
One of the 65 rooms at the new Eyja Guldsmeden in Reykjavík – very easily recognisable from the Guldsmeden properties in Copenhagen, for example.
03-08-2016 14:25:42
GREENLAND’S VARIED VISITORS
Lufthansa visited the Faroe Islands this year on a test flight with an A320 – perhaps to open a future seasonal route.
MORE FLYING TO THE FAROES Passenger growth continues apace at the airport in the Faroe Islands. In the first half of the year, the growth rate there was a healthy 6.5%. So far this year, 131,750 passengers have flown to and from the new terminal at Vágar, the islands’ main airport, as opposed to 123,688 in the first six months of 2015. There has been an increase in passengers every month so far in 2016, notes the airport’s CEO Jákup Sverri Kass, who adds that the rise is due both to the Faroese travelling more, and more tourists coming to the Faroe Islands. The airport extended its runway and invested in new navigational equipment several years ago. These and other improvements have allowed for a number of ‘new’ aircraft types to fly in. For example, Lufthansa recently visited the Faroes with an Airbus A320 as part of a test flight – perhaps with a view to opening a future seasonal route. HB
Danish tourists are the biggest incoming group travelling to Greenland, but last year there was zero growth from the Danish market, according to VisitGreenland.com. In round figures, one in three airline passengers flying to the territory resides in Greenland, one in three lives in Denmark and the remainder live in other countries. Last year, there were about 50,000 Danish overnight stays in Greenland. While from 2014 to 2015 there was negative growth in Greenlandic passengers and zero growth from Denmark, there was a huge 49.4% increase from other foreign countries. When Denmark is included, the growth was close to 24%. From 2014 to 2015, the greatest growth was from the ‘rest of Europe’, an increase of 241%; from the US 166%; Italy 131%; and Japan 106%. Regarding passenger numbers, the increase from the rest of Europe and the US totalled 5,771, while the rise in the number of passengers from Italy and Japan was only 943. Canada and China also showed significant rates of increase from 2014 to 2015. Greenland also saw a nearly 11% increase in cruise ship passengers compared to 2014, reaching a total of 22,390. HB
Explore and learn www.colourfulnuuk.com Photo: Leiff Josefsen 45
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ANTOR
NORWAY WORKSHOP IN COPENHAGEN On September 21, we will conduct our yearly workshop with participants from Norwegian destinations, hotels, transportation companies, attractions, etc. It all begins at 10 a.m. at the Scandic Copenhagen, Vester Søgade, and will conclude with a nice dinner. The
workshop is an effective meeting place if you want to establish or maintain contact with players in Norwegian tourism. In the course of the day you’ll meet some of the most important players on the Norwegian market. Innovasjon Norge/Visit Norway is hosting the event
and ensures the quality of every vendor. If you would like to participate and meet Norway’s sellers, send an email to Innovasjon Norge/Visit Norway at biell@ innovasjonnorge.no.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO SIZZLE AT AWARDS Led by top chef Adrian Cumberbatch, Trinidad and Tobago dominated this year’s Taste of the Caribbean Awards, sweeping the medals rostrum with six golds and two silver medals, as well as the coveted awards for Caribbean National Team of the Year, Chef of the Year and Junior Chef of the Year. The first T&T National team entered the competition in 1997, winning a gold medal in the centrepiece competition. Learn more about dining on the islands at www. gotrinidadandtobago.com/ trinidad/dining/ and www. gotrinidadandtobago.com/ tobago/dining/.
CYCLING HOLIDAYS IN FLANDERS Are your clients looking for an active holiday at an easy pace? Flanders, situated in the north of Belgium, offers cycling holidays with gastronomic highlights. Cycle from Ghent to Bruges along the riverside and enjoy the historic centres with their cosy cafés, lively terraces, vibrant foodie spots and award-winning restaurants. You can find lots of information on cycling hotels, routes, restaurants and more in the new cycling brochure at visitflanders.com, or email lynn.dauwe@visitflanders.com for information and study trips. 47
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No359
PATA
SAS is among the exhibitors at PATA Denmarks Worldwide Workshop in Aarhus and Copenhagen where he company will promote its upcoming daily flights to Miami (photo) from Oslo and Copenhagen this fall.
By Claus Vestergaard Pedersen Chairman, PATA Denmark
REMEMBER YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONS Not everything should take place online. In the travel business, it’s important for people to meet. PATA’s many events make this happen, in particular at the two large Worldwide Workshops in Aarhus and Copenhagen, where the number of exhibitors already promises to break records. PATA Denmark has been busy behind the scenes this summer. We’ve continued to work on expanding our membership, our website is shaping up nicely, and our autumn calendar of events is almost ready. In particular, we have noted huge interest in our Worldwide Workshops on November 2 at the Comwell Hotel in downtown Aarhus and, on the following day, at the Tivoli Hotel & Congress Centre in Copenhagen. Among the many exhibitors that have already signed up for these two days are the Greek Star Alliance member Aegean Airlines, Air France, American Airlines,
PATA is an abbreviation of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, but it covers much more than the Pacific Rim countries. Read more at PATA. org or PATA.dk. PATA Denmark is one of 43 national PATA organizations.
Bangkok Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, Iberia, Icelandair, Israel’s Bureau of Tourism , KLM, the Lufthansa Group, SAS, the Seychelles Tourism Board, South African Airways, Thai Airways, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Tourism Malaysia. Meetings still popular We don’t mind boasting that there is nothing else like this in Denmark and that the two Worldwide Workshops are of enormous value to sellers. They know that their participation can put them in touch with a great many Danish travel bureaus, from east to west. This year we are also casting a wider net to include bureaus from southern Sweden, and we hope that many of them will participate in Copenhagen. But why does this kind of workshop continue to be such a success in this digital age? Perhaps the answer lies right here – because these workshops are not digital. Instead, they provide a genuine opportunity to get to know colleagues, sellers and areas of the tourism business that are not part of our daily routine. New contacts We mustn’t forget personal relations, even though we of course know that the travel business is rapidly becoming digitalised. Here we at least have a chance
– under the same roof, during the same evening – to get an overview of new and exciting destinations, to chat with airlines we seldom meet, and to simply let ourselves be inspired and attracted by something we might not otherwise have thought about. And remember: “People do business with people they like”. This event could be the first step along that path. Of course, we also encourage all travel agency employees to mark these two days in their calendars. Even if you have participated in previous workshops, this year’s event will also offer the opportunity to meet both old and exciting new exhibitors. This event is not just for PATA members, but registration is necessary at pata@ pata.dk. So go ahead, bring your colleague along and drop in for an evening full of inspiration, exciting contests, great company and good food.
PATA – Pacific Asia Travel Association – omfatter turismeorganisationer ud mod Stillehavet; udover statslige turistkontorer bl.a. også flyselskaber. Se mere på hjemmesiden: PATA.org - PATA Danmark er en af 43 nationale PATA-foreninger verden over.
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STAND BY LOUNGE
By Henrik Baumgarten Photos: Kitt Andersen
At the end of May, nearly 50 participants from airlines to car rental companies, hotels, travel managers and travel agencies attended the Stand By Lounge, which is held every quarter. The concept of Stand By Lounge gathers together the cream of the crop in the travel industry in Denmark. There is no agenda, the participants can just mingle and enjoy each other’s company as well as ample food and drink. The Spanish Melia Hotels sponsored the lounge event, which this time was held at Langelinie Pavillonen in Copenhagen.
Novo Nordisk’s Travel Manager, Jens Liltorp, Claus Hegelund Bruun, General Manager for Best Western Hotel City, Jette Ward, who stopped work as representative for VisitBritain in Denmark shortly afterwards as the office was closed, and Stand By’s CEO, Stig Thygesen.
STAND BY LOUNGE HELD ONCE AGAIN
Jan Madsen, Falck Danmark A/S, Jeppe Muhlhausen from Hotel Alexandra and Director of Operations Helle Bisholm from Copenhagen Arthur Hotels.
From left, travel industry analyst Ole Egholm, Chief Consultant for Conference, Event and Business Tourism Berit Elmark, and FDM Travel’s Head of Product and Purchasing Department, Jesper Ewald.
Gorm Pedersen, left, Country Manager for Denmark at Star Tour, with Danish Air Transport CEO Jesper Rungholm. Peder S. Andersen, DIS Congress Service, and Head of Travel Industry & Commercial Kasper Renström Østervig from Hertz Car Rental.
Roger Bradley from the Spanish hotel chain Melia Hotels, Gitte Nielsen from Stand By’s sales department and Lars Thuesen, owner of Scandinavian Travel Media, which publishes Stand By and TTG Nordic. He is also a major shareholder and Chairman of the Board at Denmark’s largest airline Jet Time.
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EVENTS
GOODBYE TO VISITBRITAIN CHIEF IN DENMARK The British tourist information office closed down in Denmark in June. In future, activities will be controlled from Stockholm. There was a large gathering at the British Embassy in Copenhagen for the farewell reception for Jette Ward who has been with the tourist board in Denmark for 45 years – and chief of VisitBritain since 1985. Last year, the UK played host to 765,000 Danes, an increase of 14% compared to 2014. Today, Jette Ward, 66, is the longest sitting head of a VisitBritain office, and in 1999 was VisitBritain’s sole recipient of the distinguished British order the MBE, or Member of the British Empire.
Jette Ward at the reception, flanked by, on the left, chairman for the partner organisation for foreign tourist offices Antor in Denmark, Stig Sommerfeldt Kaspersen, who is also the tourist chief for Portugal, and the Nordic chief of VisitBritain Gary Robson.
From the Kilroy anniversary, from left, Maria Jensen, Kilroy’s Airline Product Manager, Pernille Vaupel, Kilroy’s Director for Products and Sales, and Morten Balk, national chief of Emirates, one of Kilroy’s largest customers.
KILROY EXPANDS Kilroy International with its international headquarters in Copenhagen has travel agencies in seven countries and from next year will also have one in Poland, the company’s chief Claus H Hejlesen told Stand By, as Kilroy celebrates its 70th anniversary this summer. The bureau used the occasion to present its expanded headquarters with 80 employees. In addition to Kilroy, the concern in Denmark also includes Jysk Rejsebureau and Team Benns.
Also at the Kilroy events, Mette Wandahl is the new Head of Commerce for Leisure in Scandinavia with the reservation system Amadeus, while Jesper Vissing Laursen has only recently left the sales section at Air Berlin and is now with the German Hotel Reservation Service, HRS.
COMWELL TRAVEL TRADE GATHERING NEW BUS FOR VIP GUESTS
Some of the participants with Comwell, from left: Sara Winsløw from MeetingPlanners, Marianne Sjødahl, DIS Congress Service, Mette Benzon, MeetingPlanners, Erling Epsen, ICS, Magnus Holde-Bygvraa, Shout, and Mengyin Xu from First Travel.
The North Zealand conference hotel Comwell Borupgaard held a gathering of 40 event and travel bureaus this summer. Comwell’s sales chief, Charlotte Bechmann, bade welcome and together with the rest of the team, including GM Fabio Messina, showed off three newly refurbished restaurants, a newly restored reception and lounge area and some of the hotel rooms. Later there were workshops with themes such as spa and mindfulness, a chef school a and juice workshop, followed by an excellent dinner and live band. Danish Comwell has 18 hotel, spa and conference centres in Denmark and Sweden.
Exclusive Van & Limousines held a reception in June to celebrate their new bus, a black neutral Irizar 16 with room for 58 people but which can be extended to 60 seats. The bus is fully equipped with tinted windows, kitchen, toilet, CD/DVD, Wi-Fi, etc. Its main purpose is for state visits and other special events. On the day of arrival a small celebration was held in which the bus was christened with champagne and named. The bus is Spanish, so smoked, dried black-foot ham, tapas and Spanish bubbly and other wines were served. red
Director Michael Sachse with his mother Agnethe who is 90 years old. The new bus is named after her.
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80 YEARS WITH EYVIND In June, Stand By Senior Editor Eyvind Olesen turned 80 years old, and invitations were sent out to a private reception. Eyvind Olesen has lost some of his strength after a double bypass operation and has not written for Stand By since mid-February. But he celebrated his birthday with invited friends at Rungsted Havn, which he and his very supportive wife Ingelise visit daily. Ejvind Olesen has had a fantastic journey – from his childhood in the tiny West Jutland village of Timring, to Travel Editor at Berlingske. After he was denied an apprenticeship as a journalist, he became a traffic apprentice with DSB and achieved 10 years’ service with among others the then DSB Travelbureau at
From Ejvind Olesen’s 80th birthday reception, from left, former Adm. Director of Bella Centre, Arne Bang Mikkelsen, Ejvind’s daughter Helle Jakobsen, who is Key Account Manager with Air France KLM, Ejvind himself, Pia Lind, national chief of Qatar Airways, Stig Thygesen, Director of among other companies Stand By and Lone Andersen from the business bureau BCD Travel. Photo: Preben Pathuel.
the main station in Copenhagen. He arrived at Ritzau in 1965 and from there to Berlingske, where he was known as Editor of Travel Material until his pension in 2003.
Ejvind has travelled extensively throughout the years – including 48 cruises and 40 visits to Rhodes. Standby.dk in June published a more extensive portrait of Ejvind Olesen.
s i c i d r o N G T T f o e u s s i t s t 1 x e r e n b e o t Th c O n o d e h s i l pub We’re focusing on AIRLINES & TECHNOLOGY
We’re also preparing the Danish Travel Award 2016 October 5th For advertising please call +45 70 25 97 00 or write to sales@ttgnordic.com Deadline is September 6th You can also advertise for your new staff members at ttgnordic.com 48-49-50-51-52-53.indd 4
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EVENTS
SLOVENIAN WINE AND OLIVES The Slovenian Tourist Board really want to have more Danish tourists visiting their country. So, in cooperation with the Slovenian wine house Cotar, which has biodynamic production, it sent out invitations for an afternoon of wine tasting and Slovenian specialties at Nimb Vinotek. Slovenia produces 100 million bottles of wine annually, mostly from small, family-owned vineyards. Cotars wine is served at the famed Noma restaurant, among other venues. Slovenia is also the most northern country to produce olives.
GROWTH AT BRØCHNER HOTELS In the summer, Avenue, the newest member of Copenhagen’s Brøchner Hotel Group, marked its arrival with a reception. The hotel is to have an upgrade to 4 stars and will have more rooms. Including Avenue, Brøchner has four hotels totalling 367 rooms, their flagship being Hotel SP34. In 2018, the chain will open its next 31room hotel in Copenhagen. “There is a market for small luxury hotels in Copenhagen; the new one will be rated 5 stars,” says Brøchner Administrative Director Karim Nielsen. The hotel will almost be a neighbour to Magasin and Kongens Nytorv.
At the reception at the Avenue Hotel in Copenhagen, Adm. Director for Brøchner Hotels, and the hotel’s director Lene Larsen.
In the picture, from left: Wine producer Branko Cotar, Tina Lampelj, First Secretary to the Embassy, Ambassador Tone Kajzer, Brina Cehovin, PR & Marketing Manager, and Pia Klitten Sørensen, Director of Target Tourism.
FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR RAS By Ejvind Olesen Eye contact and being a sympathetic person are good tools for a salesman. Sales chief Villy Karup Rasmussen, or Ras, from Stand By and Take Off is a fine example of this. Couple that with considerable experience of the industry, and it can’t go wrong. At the end of June a farewell reception was held at Nærrebro Bryghus, where many old contacts as well as ‘young lions’ said goodbye to an indispensable contact. Director Stig Thygesen, another of the Stand By and Take Off stable, said among other things during his speech: “You are one of the old school, the A.P.
Møller school where you started your career, and there one learns good manners. You are a good person, and one can rely on deals that are made with you. Modern technology..? In your opinion it is still safest with a pen, paper and a good memory. After 60 years you have made your mark on the travel trade, and we will miss you, your continuous hard work and good humour.” Before arriving at Stand By ten years ago, Ras held top posts with, for example, Lufthansa, travel agencies, Hertz car rental and the GSA bureau Discover The World Marketing. At Standby.dk in June, a greater portrait of Ras was published.
From left: Owner of Stand By Lars Thuesen, Stand By Director Stig Thygesen and the main person of the day, Ras. Photo: Preben Pathuel.
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No359
By Henrik Baumgarten
JOBS
KENYA’S AIRPORTS GET NORWEGIAN CHIEF
NEW EMPLOYEE AT STAND BY
NEW DIRECTOR AT JET TIME
After several corruption scandals at Kenya Airports Authority, Jonny Andersen has become the new managing director of the state-owned body. He comes from a job as manager of the airport at Norway’s Tromsø and has worked in the industry for 21 years. He has, among other things, a Master’s degree in air transport management.
To replace Ras, Stand By has employed Trine Christensen, who has a background as group leader with Kulturrejser Europa. Trine has formerly worked for Bendix Tours and Nadana Tours. She began her new role with Stand By in the middle of June.
Denmark’s biggest airline yet again changed its managing director in June, when Jørgen Holme replaced Teddy Zebitz, who had become director of Jet Time in January after being taken from a job as national manager for Emirates in Denmark. Jet Time is in the process of restructuring, following two years of shortfall. In January, Teddy Zebitz replaced the company’s co-founder and managing director Klaus Ren in order to draw up a plan to ensure the carrier’s future. The Jet Time board now wants the restructuring plan to be implemented by Jørgen Holme who has experience with new business models. He has had a career in aviation at SAS, Spanair, Air Greenland, and most recently as group director of the Faroese Atlantic Airways.
NEW TOP MANAGER AT TRAVEL AGENCY Josephine Piplitsets will become commercial director of the large overseas leisure agency C&C Travel in late August – after being taken from a top job at Denmark’s biggest business travel agency, CWT. In July, C&C dismissed its bureau manager of seven years, 50-year-old Dorte Juul Mydtskov, and hired Josephine Piplits, who in CWT’s Nordic team is responsible for supplier management. She has a CBA (Certificate in Business Administration) from AVT Business School in Copenhagen and a diploma in marketing management.
DEATHS
Steen Ulrik Thaulow Johannessen, journalist at Ritzau, passed away in June after a short illness at the age of 62. He was, among other things, enthusiastic about the Nordic countries and in particular the West Nordics – the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland. He made an impression on everyone he met, knew almost everyone in the travel and tourism industry in the West Nordic countries and also wrote freelance for Stand By about the West Nordic region, under the name Thau. His works include the books Turen går til Færøerne (Trip to the Faroes) and Turen går til Island (Trip to Iceland). May his memory be honoured. - Carsten Elsted
NEW LUFTHANSA MANAGER FOR DENMARK From September 1, Lufthansa Group once again has a national manager in the Danish market, 33-year-old German Bastian Frantz. He has for the past four years been regional manager in the Nordics for Austrian.Bastian Frantz, who has a Bachelor’s in aviation management and a Master’s in economics and business administration, replaces Morten Balk, who in April became the new national manager in Denmark for the airline Emirates.
NEW TOP POSITION For reasons unknown, Copenhagen Airport fired its route development director, 42-yearold Ole Wieth Christensen, last autumn. He is now director of intercontinental route development at Swedavia, which operates Sweden’s ten largest airports.
NEW HEAD OF NIMB Iben Marburger Juul is the new general manager of the Nimb building in Tivoli. She was taken from a similar position at Sølyst north of Copenhagen to replace Stephen Meehan, who has returned to Ireland. Iben Marburger Juul is a graduate in hotel management from Schweizeriches Hotelfachsshule in Lucerne. Tivoli is expanding the Nimb area by 2,000 m2. For a nine-digit amount there will be, among other things, shops established on the ground floor, while the number of rooms at the exclusive Nimb Hotel will be expanded from the current 17 to 40.
FROM AVIATION TO HOTELS Jesper Vissing Laursen, 48, has left Air Berlin and switched to Germany’s Hotel Reservation Service, HRS, with the title of Key Account Manager Nordics. He has since 2011 held several major jobs in the oneworld sales department. From 2008 to 2011, he was the Nordic sales manager. He will continue to be based in Berlin, where he has lived with his family for a number of years. HRS provides hotel solutions to corporate customers and specialises in everything from hotel rooms for conferences, contract negotiations, reservation and payment solutions. HRS offers, according to its own information, access to over 250,000 hotels worldwide. Jesper Vissing Laursen has, among other qualifications, a Master’s in air transport management.
HOTEL MANAGER FOR SHARING ECONOMY Casper Bock, sales manager at one of Denmark’s biggest hotels, the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Aarhus, has resigned after seven years. On July 1, he became sales director at start-up company Gaest.com, whose ambition is to do for conference rooms what Airbnb has done for accommodations. 53
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PARTNERS
Airlines www.jet-time.dk
www.airfrance.com/dk www.airfrance.com/se
www.airgreenland.gl
www.trafikstyrelsen.dk
Fairs, Travel Trade
Incoming www.arthurhotels.dk
Tours & Excursions
Associations www.klm.com
www.lot.com
www.messe.no/reiseliv
www.arp-hansen.dk
www.brussels-international.be www.euromic.com
www.smalldanishhotels.dk
www.scandi.de www.hotelonlineRES.biz
Ferries & Cruises www.dbta.dk
Insurance www.alsieexpress.dk
www.sas.dk
www.srf-org.se
www.celebrity.com
www.firsthotels.com
Attractions www.austrian.com
DANMARK www.dfds.dk
www.sun-air.dk
www.hotelforoyar.fo
www.erv.dk
SVERIGE www.ba.com
www.flytap.com/Danmark
www.bluelagoon.com
Car Rentals & Limousines www.flybmi.com
www.thomascookairlines.dk
www.eckerolinjen.se
www.faergen.dk
www.helnan.info
www.erv.se
www.hafnia.fo
www.gouda.dk
MICE
Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events/ Exhibitions
www.cxagents.com
www.newsagentlive.com
www.autoeurope.dk
www.hurtigruten.com
www.dat.dk
www.qatarairways.com
www.avis.dk www.avis.se www.avis.no
www.royalcaribbean.dk/fi/no/se
www.lemeridien.com
www.cirkusbygningen.dk
www.scandlines.dk
www.hoteltorshavn.fo
www.hadlerdmc.com
www.estonian-air.com
Airports and handling
www.europcar.dk www.europcar.com
www.royalcaribbean.com
www.melia.com
Hotels
Publications
Conferences & Courses www.finnair.dk
www.icelandair.dk www.icelandair.se www.icelandair.no
www.iberia.com
www.bll.dk
www.hca-airport.dk
www.cph.dk
www.scandichotels.dk
www.hertzdk.dk
www.nationalcar.dk
www.absalon-hotel.dk
www.transhotel.com
www.bonnierrespons.dk
www.sixt.dk
www.adina.eu
www.wimdu.dk
www.billund-airport.dk/ om-lufthavnen/check-in-billund
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No359
CONTENTS
Alfabetica
www.standby.dk www.standbynews.com
CONTENTS
www.visitdenmark.com
www.visitnorway.com
www.kronerejser.dk
Rail Travel
CRUISE
www.spain.info
www.mangaard-travel.dk
travelize.com AllaBussresor.se AllaTemaresor.se
www.visitsweden.com denmark@visitsweden.com
www.norskrejsebureau.dk
www.travelport.dk www.travelport.se
www.rb-seniorklub.dk
www.worldspan.com
8
More cruise guests for Copenhagen
www.godominicanrepublic.com
www.procon.dk
www.spain.info
MICE 14 Copenhagen lacking 5-star hotels
www.bahn.com
www.greenland.com
16 More MICE in Jutland
08
18 A meeting should be remembered for more than the food 20 Fun and high energy in meetings
Recruitment Travel Trade
www.tahiti-tourisme.dk
www.gotoasia.no
22 Inspiration is vital HOTELS 24 Record year for Norwegian hotels
www.centrum-personale.dk
www.tourismthailand.se
26 Suites all year round
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16
TONS RECOMMANDÉS (4)
MINEFI MIN_11_0000_RdVFrance_Q Date le 22/06/2011
28 First Hotels to grow in Denmark
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TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
www.berning-leonhardt.com
www.hungary.com
www.germany.travel
www.discoverireland.com
www.unikkemoedesteder.dk
www.usarejser.dk
Travel Technology
30 Crisis management while travelling 32 Who owns data? 34 Cruising with Harmony of the Seas
www.kellyservices.dk
www.amadeus.com/sca
WORKSHOPS
20
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Want to be a partner? CALL
38 News from US trade show IPW www.topflight.no
VESTNORDEN 42 Boom in Icelandic tourism 44 Hotel Guldsmeden in Iceland
Tourist Boards - Information
www.inspiredbyiceland.com
www.visitaland.com www.visitaland.com/se
+45 70 25 97 00 www.datacon.dk/travel
Travel Agencies www.visitfinland.se www.visitfinland.com
MEETINGS & PEOPLE
Business & Leisure www.bcdtravel.dk
www.bcdtravel.se
www.bcdtravel.no
www.bcdtravel.fi
www.dolphind.com www.flightscanner.biz
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www.visitbritain.com
02-55 DK Indhold_Web Dir.indd 1
www.galileo.dk
Cover Photo: Christian Alsing Copenhagen Media Center
Stand By is issued six times per year and distributed as paid subscription in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, The Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland to travel agents, tour operators, airline offices tourist agencies, foreign tourist representatives, tourist bus companies, and all of the major industries in Scandinavia. Stand By bears no responsibility for unsolicited editorial material
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www.visitmalta.com
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Contact STAND BY on phone: + 45 7025 9700 or e-mail: sales@standby.dk
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03-08-2016 14:02:22
T TG NO R DIC
No 358
J uly/August 201 6
| July / Augu s t 2016
Travel Trade Gazette
LOTS OF MICE
IN THE DANISH PROVINCES LACK OF 5-STAR HOTELS OPLEV ISLAND MED ICELANDAIR
MORE CRUISE GUESTS ON THE WAY
Op til 4 ugentlige afgange fra Billund fra maj til oktober Op til 5 daglige afgange fra København hele året
+ icelandair.dk
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03-08-2016 14:01:15