10 FEBRUARY 2017 ISSUE 55
04 CONTINUED GROWTH IN EU TOURIST NIGHTS
07
12 ACCOMMODATION
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL LONDON AT TEN TRINITY SQUARE HAS OPENED
03 Hotel
Performance
TUI: BUSY JANUARY FOR BOOKINGS
14 Airports 23 Photo Album
MARKET UPDATE
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
Record Year for Riga International Airport
TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS MANAGING EDITOR Mary Kammitsi mary@traveltradeweekly.travel JOURNALIST Ellen Petty
Riga International Airport
CONTRIBUTORS Dominique Christou Panayiotis Karanicholas Maria Sabova Anna Spyrou SALES & SALES SUPPORT Maria Demetriadou Magda Christou Raluca Apostolescu DESIGN & LAYOUT Elena Stylianou WEB & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Savvas Kammitsis DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi HEADQUARTERS T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia 1308 Cyprus Tel: +357 22 021607, Fax: +357 22 103670 WEBSITE www.traveltradeeurope.travel EMAILS info@traveltradeweekly.travel sales@traveltradeweekly.travel editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel
Riga International Airport achieved a new passenger traffic record exceeding the threshold of 5.3 million passengers, in 2016.
C
ommenting on the milestone, Arnis Muižnieks, director, aviation department, Ministry of Transport, Latvia, said, “Closing the year with a new passenger traffic record, Riga International Airport has once again proven itself as the undisputed leader in the Baltic region. The recent ambitious investments in the Airport infrastructure, upgrading the airfield and improving passenger service facilities, have made Riga even more attractive to both airlines and travellers. Airport development is closely linked to the growth of the national airline airBaltic, which this year carried more than half of the passengers of Riga Airport.”
WORLDWIDE REPRESENTATIVES Representative for North, South & Central America, and the Caribbean: Neil Strickland GlobeTM Tel: +19542969515 neil@globetm.com
Higher Results for Aeroflot
Representative for Indian subcontinent: Faredoon Kuka RMA Media Tel: +912229253735 kuka@rmamedia.com Representative for UK & Ireland and Scandinavia: David Simpson Simpson Media Tel: +447900885456 david@simpson-media.com
EXCHANGE RATES
as of
9.2.2017
COUNTRY
CURRENCY
EUR1=
US (USD)
Dollar
1.07
UK (GBP)
Pound
0.85
Switzerland (CHF) Franc
1.06
Japan (JPY)
119.87
2
Yen
For the full year 2016, Aeroflot Group carried 43.4 million passengers, up 10.3 percent year-on-year.
A
eroflot Airline, carried 29.0 million passengers, a year-on-year increase of 11 percent. Both group and company revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) soared by 14.8 percent and 11.6 percent year-on-year, respectively. Available seat kilometres (ASKs) rose by 10.3 percent year-on-year for Aeroflot Group and 8.9 percent for Aeroflot airline. The passenger load factor increased 3.2 percentage points year-on-year to 81.5 percent for the group and two percentage points year-on-year to 81.3 percent for the company.
10 FEBRUARY 2017
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
WEEKLY NEWS HOTEL PERFORMANCE
Hotstats has released European Chain Hotels Market Review November 2016, revealing exceptional success for hoteliers in Warsaw and Prague, while properties in Amsterdam faced a drop in RevPAR despite maintaining occupancy.
Prague Experienced Particularly Strong November
I
n November 2016, hoteliers in Prague reported a 32.5 percent boost in profit per room, compared to the same month in 2015, driven by demand from the commercial segment. Not only did average room rate grow 2.7 percent, to EUR91.12, but occupancy also increased by 7.3 percentage points to 76.2 percent, driving RevPAR to reach EUR69.40. The success was, in part, due to both in-house events and those at Prague Conference Centre, resulting in more than 40 percent of total room nights in the month comprising corporate and residential demand. Moreover, a 23.9 percent year-on-year jump was observed in food and beverage departments, as well as 46.5 percent surge in conference and banqueting.
Warsaw
Continued Success in Warsaw
Rising Costs Impact Profits in Amsterdam
D
ue to a 2.8 percent fall in rooms revenue and mounting overheads in Amsterdam, there was a 5.9 percent decline in profit in the rooms segment during November 2016. Despite that hotels in the city were able to maintain occupancy levels at 80.9 percent during the month under review, RevPAR dropped to EUR135.06, due to the 21.8 percent increase in rooms costs of sales, which reached EUR7.31 and a a 2.8 percent jump in payroll. The monthly performance in Amsterdam is a reflection of the year-to-date trends. While RevPAR in the first 11 months of 2016 remained stable at EUR144.86, the increasing expenses caused rooms profit conversion to fall to 71.9 percent of rooms revenue.
10 FEBRUARY 2017
O
verall, properties in Warsaw have welcomed a 15.4 percent jump in profit per room in November 2016, marking the second consecutive year of strong profit growth. Despite a 0.9 percentage point decline in room occupancy in the first 11 months of the year, this was counterbalanced by an 11.1 percent rise in achieved room rate, which fuelled a 9.9 percent increase in RevPAR to EUR76.13. Whilst growth was strong in the corporate and residential conference sector, up 12.8 percent and 10.9 percent, respectively, the most notable jump the first 11 months of the year was seen in the leisure segment, which soared 21.9 percent compared to the same period in 2015.
3
NEWS
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
Continued Growth in EU Tourist Nights
Barcelona
Early estimates have revealed that in 2016, the number of tourist nights in the European Union (EU) grew to more than 2.8 billion, a year-on-year increase of two percent, sustaining the upward trajectory observed since 2009.
S
pain was the most popular destination in the region, having welcomed 454 million nights, a rise of 7.8 percent compared with 2015. In terms of annual growth, Bulgaria led the way with a surge of 17.9 percent in guest nights, followed by Slovakia, Poland and Cyprus, up 16 percent, 11.8 percent and 10.9 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, the UK and France were the only two countries to register declines in this measure, down 4.5 percent and 4.6 percent, correspondingly.
Increase in Visitors to Scotland
T
Edinburgh
hird quarter International Passenger Survey tourism statistics released by the UK Office of National Statistics, noted that overseas visits to Scotland increased 4.5 percent from July – September 2016, over 2015 figures. Furthermore, visitors from overseas surged 3.5 percent between January and September 2016. Commenting on these results Malcolm Roughead, CEO, VisitScotland, said, “Tourism is more than a holiday experience - it creates jobs and sustains communities in every corner of Scotland all year round. Thanks to the hard work of tourism businesses across the country, we are on track to reach the industry’s Tourism Scotland 2020 target to generate economic growth.”
4
10 FEBRUARY 2017
NEWS CRUISING
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
Researching the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
Viking Line is to join in celebrating the 100th anniversary of Finland’s independence by raising money to protect and conduct research on the Baltic Sea.
T
he centenary celebration, themed Baltic Sea, will culminate in a EUR50,000 donation to the University of Helsinki. Among other measures, Viking Line has invested in reduced fuel consumption, wastewater management, recycling and reduced emissions. “The sea and nature in archipelagos are important to us and our customers. We hope that, with the help of our Baltic Sea theme during this centenary year, we can encourage other Finnish companies and organisations that work on the Baltic Sea and in its surroundings to respect the sea and protect it in their operations – together, we can achieve so much more,” said Jan Hanses, CEO, Viking Line.
Carnival Cruise Line' s vessels, Port-Canaveral
Newest Carnival Ship to Sail Diverse Itineraries
10 FEBRUARY 2017
C
arnival Cruise Line has announced the routes of its long anticipated vessel Carnival Horizon, with its first voyage slated for April 2018. The ship, currently under construction in Italy, will be inaugurated with multiple Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona, followed by its repositioning the US waters before beginning its summer schedule of Caribbean itineraries from New York and Miami. Along with its specific features, which will be revealed in due course, Carnival Horizon will offer various types of accommodation, a spa, indoor and outdoor food and beverage outlets, entertainment and activity options that debuted on the company’ s ship Carnival Vista. Apart from Carnival Horizon, the line is expanding its portfolio of vessels with two 121,109 tonnes Vista-class ships awaiting delivery, another vessel in 2019 and two new 163,293 tonnes ships planned for 2020 and 2022.
5
NEWS CRUISING
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
Renovated Restaurants Onboard Carnival Ecstasy
C
Carnival Ecstasy
arnival Cruise Line has unveiled the newly revamped Carnival Ecstasy, following a two-week, multi-million dollar makeover. The new features include the inauguration of four food and beverage options. Guy’s Burger Joint is a poolside venue developed in collaboration with Guy Fieri, while BlueIguana Cantina is a Mexican style outlet offering fresh burritos and tacos. For cocktail lovers, Alchemy Bar offers a selection of beverages prepared by creative mixologists. Lastly, Cherry On Top is an indulgent sweet shop which also features novelty gifts and custom apparel. Setting sail from Charleston, the vessel’s year round itineraries involve four- to seven-day cruises throughout the Bahamas and Caribbean.
Cunard Line Celebrates World Space Week
C
Queen Mary 2
unard Line announced that its flagship liner Queen Mary 2 and will depart on a dedicated cruise to coincide with International World Space Week in October. To celebrate this international event, Cunard Line will take guests on a journey across the Atlantic Ocean, featuring a range of space themed experiences including talks from renowned space exploration experts. Queen Mary 2 will offer guests the opportunity to star gaze from the unique vantage point of the middle of the Atlantic Ocean as well as a pre-voyage tour of the Hayden Planetarium and the Rose Center for Space at the American Museum of Natural History followed by a VIP tour of the Intrepid Museum of Air, Sea and Space in New York.
6
10 FEBRUARY 2017
NEWS AGENTS
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
TUI: Busy January for Bookings
A survey carried out by TUI group showed that Saturdays in January are the busiest booking days of the year, for holidays in Europe.
T
his year, the busiest day for holiday bookings in the UK was January 07 and in Germany, January 14. On January 07 alone, more than 27,500 TUI customers in the UK booked their annual holiday. Nearly one million people visited one of TUI’s stores or websites run under the Thomson or First Choice brands on so-called Sunshine Saturday, which is an all-time high. Moreover, this year, German holidaymakers’ desire to travel remains strong. Erik Friemuth, chief marketing officer, TUI Group, said, “Many families use the Christmas break and the beginning of the new year to make their travel plans for the whole year.”
Travel 2 Unveils Additional Tour Packages
I
n a bid to satisfy the growing demand for touring holidays, Travel 2 has added a further 25 tours worldwide to its 20162017 brochure, each handpicked to showcase the best of the destination. Travel 2 has seen a notable increase in such bookings, with an 11.7 percent rise in self-driving tours, a 10.4 percent boost in escorted and independent trips and a 7.4 percent growth in rail-based travel. Furthermore, to encourage agents to expand their offerings, Travel 2 has launched Every Day’s a Pay Day, a scheme whereby agents have the chance to earn rewards for each booking.
10 FEBRUARY 2017
7
NEWS AGENTS
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
ABTA Welcomes 25 New Members and Partners
F
Tanzer
rom October to December 2016, Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) welcomed 18 new members, with 10 trading as principals, five trading as dual members, and three retail members. Additionally, seven new partners joined the association. Mark Tanzer, CEO, ABTA, said, “It is great to see these new members and partners join us in the last quarter of 2016 and we look forward to working with them throughout the coming year. I would encourage them to take full advantage of the range of support and benefits that ABTA offers its members and partners including our 24-hour operational bulletins, legal support and guidance notes, as well as use of the ABTA logo, which is recognised by 73 percent of people.”
New Content Hub Enhances TUI Group’s Online Presence
T
UI Group has launched a content website travel.me to strengthen the image of its brand along with its online visibility and searchability. The platform brings together the content from around 600 social media channels of its almost 300 global travel brands. Magnus Huttenberend, head, digital communications, TUI Group, commented, “TUI’s brands range from airlines to cruises and from hotels to tour operators. Each of them has a genuine treasure of stories, now recovered through travel.me. For the first time, we tie together the content of all brands under one digital roof – in line with our oneBrand strategy. Thanks to multiple content use, we have created the largest branded content portal in the tourism sector.” The interactive site is available in two languages, German and English.
8
10 FEBRUARY 2017
NEWS
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
Vienna’s Increase in Occupancy Vienna achieved 14.96 million visitor bednights in 2016, an increase of 4.4 percent over 2015 figures.
Vienna
W
ith an accommodation capacity of around 66,000 hotel beds, Vienna’s average room occupancy increased to around 74 percent. “About 80 percent of visitor bednights in Vienna are attributable to international visitors. We are working to ensure continued internationalisation, win airlines for Vienna, and achieve sustainable growth under the umbrella of the Tourism Strategy Vienna 2020 and its theme of Global.Smart.Premium,” said Norbert Kettner, director, tourism, Vienna. In 2016 Vienna recorded a particularly strong influx of visitors from Germany, Austria, the US, Italy, the UK, Spain, Switzerland, France, Russia and China.
Exploring History in Romania and Bulgaria
M
IR Corporation is now offering a 16-day tour exploring the history and cultures of Bulgaria and Romania. Guests will be able to discover the luminous frescoes of painted monasteries, the Valley of the Roses, and visit Bran Castle in Transylvania, which served as Bram Stoker's model for Dracula's ancestral home. The tour will be available from May 30 to June 14. The journey will begin in Sofia where guests will visit the Rila Monastery, take a trip to the Thracian settlement of Plovdiv with its ancient Roman and 19th century architecture, before setting off through the countryside of the Valley of Roses toward Veliko Tarnovo. After crossing the Danube River into Romania for a tour of its capital, Bucharest, guests will visit the Palace of the Parliament, before heading to Transylvania, to name just a few of the attractions that will be visited.
Vienna Bran Castle in Transylvania
25 FEBRUARY 10 APRIL 20162017
9
NEWS ACCOMMODATION
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
Kimpton De Witt to Debut in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
InterContinental Hotels Group’s Kimpton De Witt is set to open this Spring in Amsterdam, hailing as the first Kimpton brand outside of the Americas.
T
he property will boast 274 guest rooms, including 15 signature rooms and suites, and eight meeting rooms. Wyers Bar & Restaurant, run by Sam de Marco, executive chef, will offer American staples with a Dutch twist. In line with Kimpton’s innovative and playful approach to design, the hotel will feature a four-storey house within a hotel. The Little House can be rented privately and features a ground floor meeting facility, first floor living space and a bar.
Ireland Welcomes Aloft Dublin City
Brits Are Choosing the UK for Holidays
M
10
Lake District
A
ccording to Sykes Cottages, British holidaymakers are opting to stay in the UK for their holidays. The company announced a 32 percent increase on domestic holiday bookings this January, as opposed to 2015 figures. The Lake District is proving popular with customers, with bookings up 67 percent, followed closely by Waleswith a 40 percent increase. Graham Donoghue, CEO, Sykes Cottages, said, “It is phenomenal to see how many people are choosing to holiday in the UK rather than go abroad this year. This trend is a huge opportunity for our property owners to increase bookings. We will be helping them to take full advantage of this surge by continuing to invest significantly in marketing our website.”
arriott International announced plans to launch its Aloft Hotels brand in Ireland through a franchise agreement with Blackpitts Hospitality. Slated to open in spring 2018, Aloft Dublin City will mark the tech-forward brand’s debut in the Irish capital, and will introduce an exciting accommodation option in Dublin’s historic Liberties quarter. The property will be operated by Dublinbased Pembroke Hospitality, a provider of advisory services and hotel management to the hospitality industry. The eight-storey hotel will offer 202 loft-like guest rooms with plush platform beds, large walk-in showers and complimentary amenities. Guests can also expect the brand’s signature WXYZ bar as well as a Re:mix lounge situated on the top floor of the hotel, making the most of the panoramic city views.
10 FEBRUARY 2017
NEWS ACCOMMODATION
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
France to Welcome Hyatt Centric
Worldhotels Expands Portfolio
W
French Alps
A
s the first Hyatt Centric hotel in France and the brand’s first ski resort in the region, Hyatt Centric La Rosière is set to open by 2017-2018 winter season. Boasting 71 rooms, the property will be located moments away from the ski lifts in the centre of the destination, with an array of food and beverage outlets offering views of the mountains and valleys. The hotel will be managed by Sophos Hotels and will be operated seasonally, opening in December to April and again from June to September. “Hyatt Centric La Rosière will offer guests a unique experience, combining an unbeatable location with superb facilities, a combination that has made the Hyatt Centric brand such a success,” commented, Fernand Donnet, CEO, Sophos Hotels.
orldhotels has welcomed six new hotels to its global collection. This includes Hotel Villa Real in Madrid which is housed in a classic 19th-century property, with ancient artifacts from Roman and Syrian history showcased throughout the hotel. Savigny Hotel Frankfurt City has also joined the portfolio, boasting 155 rooms. Worldhotels also welcomed The Kunlun Beijing which offers a revolving rooftop restaurant and a spa with 17 treatment rooms among its amenities. Ameron Parkhotel Euskirchen in Germany that has joined the group offers guests a range of spa facilities, as well as catering to business guests. Hotel C Stockholm, with its 367 rooms, also joins Worldhotels and is home to what is said to be the world’s first permenant ice bar. Lastly, Hotel del Parque in Ecuador, ideally located by the riverside, whereby guests can partake in cultural experiences such as chocolate tasting, coffee roasting and wildlife walks in the tropical grounds.
TRYP Palma Bellver Hotel, Palma De Mallorca
New Oppenings Under TRYP by Wyndham Flag
10 FEBRUARY 2017
A
n agreement between Meliá Hotels International and Wyndham Hotel Group brings two new properties to Santa Ponsa in Mallorca and Costa da Caparica in Portugal. Both four-star hotels, opening this year, will be operated by TRYP by Wyndham brand under franchise. The two hotels will expand the portfolio of the Wyndham Hotel Group, considered to be one of the world’s largest hotel chains by their total number of properties. Awaiting the completion of renovations, TRYP Santa Ponsa, located on the Calviá coast of Mallorca, will offer 60 rooms, a conference space, swimming pool, fitness facility, bar and restaurant while TRYP Costa Caparica, located about 20km from Lisbon Portela Airport on Setubal Peninsula, will provide similar amenities with 352 keys.
11
NEWS ACCOMMODATION
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square
Four Seasons Inaugurates Second London Address
Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square has opened its doors to guests in the former headquarters of the Port of London Authority.
Hotel C Stockholm Rebrands
Stockholm
T
12
he Nordic C Hotel in Stockholm has announced plans to change its name to Hotel C Stockholm. On January 01, Hotel C Stockholm became affiliated to Worldhotels with the name change a part of its rebranding process. “We are delighted that Hotel C Stockholm shares its trust in Worldhotels’ distinctive business model. We will offer them the exposure and commercial strength of an international chain, whilst leaving them full operational freedom,” commented, Geoff Andrew, CEO, Worldhotels.
Scandic Hotels to Expand Nordic Portfolio
F
ollowing an agreement with Pandox and Eiendomsspar, Scandic Hotels is set to take over the operations of eight hotels in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The initiative entails further cooperation between the parties and a strengthened position for Scandic Hotels in the Nordic markets. The acquisition covers a total of 1,708 rooms of which, 1,136 are in Norway, 357 in Stockholm and 215 in Copenhagen. Seven of the hotels are owned by Pandox and one is owned by Eiendomsspar. Pandox operates all of the hotels. The parties have agreed on long-term variable revenue-based lease agreements for the hotels. Scandic Hotels and Eiendomsspar and Rica Eiendom have also agreed to renovate and extend the existing lease for Scandic Holmenkollen Park Hotel in Oslo.
Norway
T
he property features 100 guest rooms along with 41 private residences, a private members club, an indoor pool and a fitness centre. The Grade II* listed building is also home to La Dame de Pic, a French style restaurant, run by three Michelin star chef, Anne-Sophie Pic. Guests can also wind down at Rotuna, the property’s bar and from spring this year, dine at the upcoming Asian outlet. Futhermore, guests can enjoy a range of traditional practices and advanced technologies at the hotel’s spa complex or take advantage of a selection of events and meeting spaces.
10 FEBRUARY 2017
NEWS
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
Experience Tallinn with VR
V
Tallinn
isitTallinn has made it possible to visit the historic old town from wherever you are through a new interactive virtual reality (VR) video that takes viewers on a guided journey to different picturesque spots across the destination. Viewers are placed in charge of their own adventure by choosing the spots they want to visit themselves. “VisitTallinn’s VR project is one of a kind as it mixes the production of professional 360-degree video making with interactivity,” said Rein Zobel, film director.
Tourism Ireland Finds Overseas Travel Down Post-Brexit
Ireland
I 10 FEBRUARY 2017
n research to determine the implications of Brexit commissioned by Tourism Ireland, it has been revealed that seven percent of Britons are less likely to holiday overseas this year. Of those planning to go abroad, 50 percent will spend less while on holiday, 37 percent will lessen their budget and 25 percent will reduce the length of stay. Furthermore, 26 percent of respondents will change their accommodation type, while 18 percent cited that the Brexit vote will influence their holiday choice and 17 percent will postpone a trip outside of the UK. Niall Gibbons, CEO, Tourism Ireland, noted, “Tourism Ireland believes that the adverse impact of Brexit can be mitigated through a combination of aggressive overseas marketing and the continuation of existing successful wider policy initiatives.”
13
NEWS AIRPORTS
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
New Expansion projects for Copenhagen Airport The expansion of Copenhagen Airport is gathering pace with the investment of DKK850 million (EUR114 million) to build the first phase of a brand-new pier, incorporating more aircraft stands and serving new routes, and DKK390 million (EUR52 million) to double the size of the central security checkpoint.
T
Gatwick Airport Serves as Headline Sponsor of Sussex Science Fairs
Copenhagen Airport
he area between Pier A and B is being expanded by 4,000 m2 and more than 1,000 construction workers and technicians set about increasing capacity for aircraft and passengers. The first phase of Pier E will be completed in 2019 and the plan will continue to run for a future airport able to handle 40 million passengers a year, as well as more aircraft and new routes. The subsequent expansion phases of the new pier are already being planned.
Jobs Fairs to Attract Work Force to Bristol Airport
G
14
B Gatwick Airport
atwick Airport is to sponsor both Crawley STEMfest and Big Bang Fair South East, as part of the airport’s strategy to help boost local employment opportunities and skills development. The above-mentioned fairs are expected to attract thousands of students and teachers from across the region. The hub, which employs over 30,000 people onsite and in related activities, has been involved with both events since their inception in 2012. Alison Addy, head of community engagement, Gatwick Airport, said, “These events create a stimulating environment that brings schools topics to life and gets young people interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by showing how they translate into real life. […] Like many other businesses in the area, we need a pipeline of employees to take on jobs that may not even exist today.”
ristol Airport had scheduled two jobs fairs on January 27 and February 04 to promote current job opportunities. After previous success of the events, the fair, held at the airport’ s Administration Building, presented various positions available within customer service, hospitality, retail, airline handling and security sections. The event was organised as a response to the airport’s future growth plans of handling up to 10 million passengers, in comparison with 7.5 million handled in 2016, and a consequent demand for new work force. Together with its 45 different employers on site, the airport currently provides jobs for around 3,000 people.
10 FEBRUARY 2017
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
NEWS AIRPORTS
FIRST LEGO League Returns to Gatwick Airport
Glasgow Airport Enhance Customer Experiences
F
G
lasgow Airport has introduced GLAdys, the UK’s first humanoid robot airport ambassador. The state-of-the-art GLAdys, whose name comes from Glasgow’s International Air Transport Association code, will be located in the main departures area and has initially been programmed to entertain passengers of all ages as they pass through the airport. The unveiling of GLAdys is part of Glasgow Airport’s digital passenger experience project, which was introduced to explore how customer engagement and communication can be further enhanced through the use of digital technology.
GLAdys
Gatwick Airport
or the third consecutive year, Gatwick Airport hosted the Sussex and Surrey FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) LEGO League regional tournament, which saw teams of students from eight schools in the region compete to build LEGO robots. FIRST LEGO League is an international robotics-based competition set to excite young people aged nine to 16 years about science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The initiative, a collaboration between FIRST and LEGO, took place at the Sofitel London Gatwick, North Terminal. The event was attended by 10 students from each school that had up to 10 weeks before the tournament to build and program their robots around this year’s Animal Allies theme before putting them through their paces to complete a set of missions on the thematic play surface.
Connecting Liverpool with Italy
L
Milan
iverpool John Lennon Airport is celebrating its first new route announcement of the year, following news that Ryanair will be adding flights from Liverpool to Milan Malpensa at the start of their winter flying programme. Flights are due to commence in October and will operate three times weekly. Paul Winfield, director, air service department, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, said, “We expect this flight to Milan Malpensa to prove popular with the region's travellers looking to travel to this part of Italy and also look forward to welcoming visitors to the Liverpool City Region from Italy on this service too.”
10 FEBRUARY 2017
15
NEWS AIRPORTS
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
London City Airport Marks 30 Years
The original check-in area of the passenger terminal in 1987
L
ondon City Airport has released several unseen images dating back to the early 1980s to mark the start of its 30th anniversary year. The selection includes fascinating shots of Prince Charles laying the foundation stone in 1986, the opening by The Queen in 1987, and the completed airport during the late 80s and early 90s, as well as the former site in London’s Royal Docks, which was transformed during the mid-80s to become the home of the international airport. A commemorative 30th anniversary book will be published later in the year. Declan Collier, CEO, London City Airport, said, “Since the airport opened in 1987 it has undergone a remarkable evolution, continuing to attract primarily business travellers thanks to our close proximity to central London and a customer experience defined by speedy check-in and arrival times.”
Heathrow Breaks Passenger Satisfaction Record
Mr Men Play area at Heathrow Airport
F
16
ollowing Heathrow Airport’s year of investments in improving services, the hub has revealed its most successful quarterly Airport service quality (ASQ) passenger satisfaction scores to date. More than 84 percent of passengers, totaling 15.3 million, used the airport from October to December 2016, and rated their experience as excellent or very good in the survey. This is an increase of 640,000 passengers compared to the same period in 2015. Terminal 2, home of Star Alliance airlines, continued to deliver an outstanding performance, with a score of 4.29. Terminal 3’s new eco-sanctuary Garden Gate contributed, reaching a record score of 4.14. Terminal 5 had its best ever passenger satisfaction score performance at 4.16 and Terminal 4 achieved another record-breaking 4.18 ASQ score. The success scores followed the introduction of additional passenger services across the Airport including, not limited to, new play areas in all terminals, a new personal shopping lounge in Terminal 5, along with more passenger ambassadors in every terminal and a number of exciting pop up shops and restaurants.
10 FEBRUARY 2017
NEWS
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
VisitScotland and VisitFlanders Announced Partnership
A
Malcom Roughead left , and Peter De Wide, right
new memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on January 24, between VisitScotland and VisitFlanders. Since 2016, VisitScotland has worked to improve inclusive tourism and explore different ways to help even more disadvantaged people to take a break in Scotland. VisitScotland has shared its expertise in quality development and supporting industry through its Quality Assurance scheme. This, in turn, has inspired VisitFlanders to revise its own scheme and make it more focussed on quality visitor experience. Malcolm Roughead, CEO, VisitScotland, noted, “With this renewed MoU, we hope that the Scottish tourism industry will work with us to follow VisitFlanders lead and help even more underprivileged people to enjoy the holiday they truly deserve.” With the updated MoU, the two parties will focus on the following areas: partnership engagement, tourism investment and development and events tourism.
Cyprus Achieved Boost in International Visitors
I
n the first 10 months of 2016, the upward trajectory of tourist arrivals to Cyprus continued, with a year-on-year jump of 20.3 percent, bringing the total for the period to 2,974,412. The most notable increase was seen in travellers from Russia, Israel and Lebanon, up 50.7 percent, 48 percent and 37.9 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, visitors from traditional markets also recorded growth during the period January – October 2016, with a 6.7 surge in tourists from Germany and a 16.1 percent rise in British travellers. Furthermore, tourism revenue also soared to EUR1.63 million between January – September 2016, a growth of 12 percent when compared to the first nine months of 2015.
10 FEBRUARY 2017
17
NEWS AIR
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
S7 Airlines and Meridiana Extend Codeshare As part of their expanded codeshare agreement, S7 Airlines and Meridiana will operate mutual flights on a Moscow – Milan route four times weekly from March 27.
Milan
T
he service will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays on board the Italian carrier’s Boeing 737 aircrafts. Commenting on the partnership, Igor Veretennikov, commercial director, S7 Group, said, “Italy has always attracted both business passengers and tourists from Russia. [...] Cooperation with Meridiana will make it possible to offer comfortable flights to Milan – the second largest city in Italy, international capital of fashion and financial and economic centre of the country.”
F
inland’s national carrier has announced additional flights scheduled for the winter season 2017 – 2018, including new destinations and extra frequencies. From Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, the airline will offer new scheduled weekly flights to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. Two weekly routes will be served to Havana and Goa. The flying frequency of New Delhi and Bangkok journeys will increase to six and 16 weekly flights, respectively. The beginning of the winter season will also bring two extra schedules to Singapore, making it a daily destination, and to Hong Kong which will be operated 10 times weekly all year round.
18
Helsinki-Vaanta Airport
Busy Winter Season for Finnair
10 FEBRUARY 2017
NEWS AIR
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
Flybe and Finnair Enhance Partnership
Birmingham
F
lybe has expanded its codeshare partnership with Finnair, which will see the Finnish flag carrier extending its UK reach. Customers can now take advantage of more seamless connections with Finnair from additional four European cities served by Flybe from Birmingham, Cardiff, Doncaster Sheffield and Southampton airports. Vincent Hodder, chief revenue officer, Flybe, said, “The extension of our well established codeshare partnership with Finnair now offers our customers yet more opportunity to travel to and from the UK regions. It gives both Flybe and Finnair increased network reach and reinforces our commitment to provide our customers with convenient seamless one stop to the world connections from their local airport.”
airberlin Increases Italian Operations
Rome
I 10 FEBRUARY 2017
n an effort to improve connectivity from its Berlin and Düsseldorf hubs, airberlin will optimise its flight times to Italy this summer as well as increase frequency and capacity to selected cities. From Berlin Tegel Airport, services to Rome will be increased to three times daily and will be connected with all long-haul flights. Meanwhile, flights to Milan Linate Airport will be doubled, to four times daily services with improved timings. airberlin’s three times a day route from Düsseldorf to both Milan and Rome airports will be altered to increase accessibility to connecting services, with increased frequency to Milan on weekends. An extra service on Saturdays on the DüsseldorfBologna schedule will bring the total to three flights each day.
19
NEWS AIR
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
Positive Results for TAP
I
n 2016, TAP Portugal carried a total of 11,72 million passengers in its system-wide network, recording a growth of 3.5 percent compared to 2015. The company reported its best December ever, with an increase of 26 percent in the passenger traffic carried compared to the same period in 2015, thus reaching the record figure of nearly 990,000 passengers. Among the different sectors of the airline’s network, the US was the top region with a significant increase achieved. In 2016, TAP Portugal carried some 186,000 more passengers than in 2015 to the region, amounting to 472,000 passengers, 65 percent above 2015.
Increase in Passengers for airBaltic
Summer Additions for Norwegian
a
irBaltic achieved an increase of 10 percent in passenger growth in 2016, and is set to accelerate its growth with an upsurge of 16 percent of additional tickets or seats on sale during this year throughout its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, CIS and the Middle East. Martin Gauss, CEO, airBaltic, said, “We are proud that 2016 was a successful year for airBaltic and we are off to a very good start [this year], with at least 10 additional destinations on our route map, the introduction of the world’s most modern aircraft CS300, and a growing family of customers.“
Stockholm
N
20
orwegian Airlines is to launch two new direct services from Stockholm Arlanda Airport, to Milan and Montpellier, starting this summer. The Stockholm – Milan route will be served three times a week as of June 02, and the Stockholm – Montpellier itinerary will begin on June 19, with twice-weekly flights. The airline is also increasing the number of departures to Faro, Pisa and Amsterdam during the summer period. Faro and Pisa will now be served twice a week and Amsterdam eight times per week.
10 FEBRUARY 2017
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
TRAVEL CHANNELS
Pilot Apprenticeship Scheme with Jet2.com
J
et2.com has welcomed nine pilot apprentices to its programme. The latest group of apprentices will spend 12 months learning all about the company and Jet2holidays, starting with cabin crew training. Once their 12 month training programme is complete, participants will have an in-depth understanding into various areas of the business. At that point the pilot apprentices can then commence a programme of flight training before being given their wings and certificates. Phil Ward, managing director, Jet2.com, said, “We are delighted to welcome the latest wave of pilot apprentices to our growing Jet2.com team. They have been through a competitive process to make it onto the programme and we are looking forward to watching them develop their skills and knowledge as they grow with us.”
Norwegian Passengers Support UNICEF
P
assengers flying with Norwegian donated GBP500,880 (EUR574,778) to UNICEF in 2016, through a simple click when booking tickets online. Since the start of the organisations’ partnership in 2007, Norwegian has initiated travel funding and fundraisers and has sent aircrafts loaded with aid and school supplies to those in need. Furthermore, all of the airline’s employees donate their company Christmas presents to the charity. Merete Agerbal-Jensen, acting executive director, UNICEF Norway, said, “On behalf of children worldwide we want to thank Norwegian’s passengers who have made a big difference in the lives of vulnerable children everywhere. We hope that both new and frequent passengers will continue to save lives by donating in the future.”
The Ways Helsinki Airport Employees Get to Work
A
round 350 flights depart from Helsinki Airport each day, and for that to happen as smoothly as possible, a significant amount of airport staff is required at all times. The airport spoke to its employees to find out how they travel to and from work. Helsinki Airport hosts around 1,500 companies which means an averge of 20,000 employees work in and around the airport area. “I come to work every morning by bus and train. The bus does not get me straight to the airport, so I need to take the train as well,” said Milla Koppela, gate coordinator, Airpro. Further feedback came from Tero Sivonen, tourist information, Terminal 2, Arrivals Hall 2A, who said, “Most days I bike to work, but in the winter I take the train. It is roughly an 18km trip out to work from where I live.”
Helsinki Airport
10 FEBRUARY 2017
21
WHO’S MOVED / TRAVEL TALK
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, RYANAIR
BRIAN QUINN
Flying to the US has been one of our major aspirations
We are developing each new digital feature with a mobile-first outlook “We are continually improving our mobile app [...] and we are pleased to see customers are enjoying our upgrades and exciting new features by making Ryanair the number one airline app in Europe with 17 million downloads, while awarding it a 4.5 star rating. Visits from the app increased by 70 percent over the holiday period as we continued to see traffic from non-desktop devices outnumber desktop visits, which is why we are developing each new digital feature with a mobilefirst outlook [...].”
BRIAN QUINN has been appointed vice president, franchise development at Choice Hotels International. Quinn has held a number of leadership roles within development, franchising and hotel operations departments at international organisations such as InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton Worldwide and Driftwood Hospitality Management. His most recent position was chief franchise officer at Red Lion Hotels Corporation, where he inaugurated the company’s first nationwide development team, launched its newest brand. As part of this role, Quinn will lead franchise development in the US for a range of the group’s brands.
DANE KONDIĆ
KENNY JACOBS
TRACY D’CRUZ
TRACY D’CRUZ has been promoted to regional director for Air Charter Service’s European offices. Since joining the company almost 10 years ago, D’Cruz has gained a broad range of experience in marketing and sales teams in both the UAE and the UK. Furthermore, she was instrumental in launching the company’s India-based operations in 2012, which, under her leadership became the group’s most profitable office. In her new role, D’Cruz will be responsible for and oversee the future development of offices in France, Spain, Germany and Switzerland, where charter numbers have grown some 80 percent in the last five years.
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
CEO, AIR SERBIA
“Flying to the US has been one of our major aspirations from day one, and [being named 2017 Airline Market Leader by Air Transport World] is a tribute to the commitment and dedication of our people at Air Serbia who made it happen. Launching long-haul flights is a complex feat for any airline, especially one the size and young age of Air Serbia, but with our drive, ambition and talented work force, we made it possible.”
TRAVEL TALK IS YOUR SPACE – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel
22
10 FEBRUARY 2017
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
PHOTO ALBUM
Visitors enjoyed a stunning show as part of London's Chinese New Year celebrations
Heathrow Airport celebrated Australia day in style
Take a Shot! Share with us the latest images of your activities and let your colleagues know what you have been up to. Glasgow Airport’s Digital Passenger Experience Project introduced GLAdys robot, programmed to entertain passengers as they pass through the airport
Send your photos to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel Because a picture is worth a thousand words...
Matthew Clutterbuck, captain, easyJet, took this much loved teddy bear into the cockpit and shared on social media to try and reunite it with its owner
Boryspil International Airport and its partners have welcomed the 100 millionth passenger passing through the main air gateway of Ukraine
10 FEBRUARY 2017
23
NEWS & EVENTS EVENTS
Tourism Potential in Africa Highlighted During INVESTOUR
M
HOLIDAY WORLD Prague, Czech Republic February 16 – 19 www.holidayworld.cz The 26th edition of the international trade fair will also coincide with the 11th year of Top Gastro & Hotel.
BELGRADE TOURISM FAIR Belgrade, Serbia February 23 – 26 beogradskisajamturizma.rs Serbia’s ever growing tourism event will bring together tourism experts from Southeast Europe and further afield, providing opportunities to forge new partnerships.
www.traveltradeeurope.travel
INVESTOUR 2017
ore than 20 African ministers of tourism met their Middle East and European counterparts, to exchange information and discuss business opportunities in Africa, during the annual forum INVESTOUR held at the International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR) in Spain on January 19. Jointly organised by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), FITUR and Casa Africa, the eighth edition of the event demonstrated its valuable role in promoting and developing the sustainable tourism business in Africa but also the region’s tourism prospects, supported by positive results reached in 2016, according to Taleb Rifai, secretary-general, UNWTO.
Promoting Sustainable Development ITB BERLIN Berlin, Germany March 08 – 12 www.itb-berlin.de Industry professionals from 187 countries are expected to attend one of the world’s biggest travel trade fairs.
O
ne of the key objectives of the World Tourism Forum Lucerne (WTFL), to be held for the fifth time on May 04 – 05 is to promote the sustainable development of this increasingly global industry. Top up-and-coming talents will accompany CEOs to WTFL to take part in the Next Generation Competition and be offered the unique opportunity to exchange ideas with other high-profile participants. They will be able to participate actively in discussions on changes and challenges facing the global tourism industry. Each participating young talent will submit an expo on the topic of coopetition, a pioneering concept embracing interplay between cooperation and competition and which will shape the tourism industry of the future. A jury will evaluate each submitted concept and announce a winner.
IMEX Group Launch New Strategies
T MITT Moscow, Russia March 14 – 16 www.mitt.ru The 24th edition of one of the leading business-to-business events, will offer a wealth of opportunities for partnerships within Russia, CIS, and beyond.
24
he IMEX Group is taking a new approach to its education and content strategies for the year by introducing an annual Talking Point. The single, headline theme will allow the company to plan and respond more dynamically to rising trends and issues within the international MICE industry. The 2017 IMEX Talking Point is based on purposeful meetings on how to plan with deeper meaning, innovation and insight in mind. It will be featured explicitly through a range of new initiatives and implicitly within the programmes for both IMEX in Frankfurt and IMEX America for this year. Carina Bauer, CEO, IMEX Group, explained the thinking behind the new move, “We are committed to continually adding to the value of the learning and networking opportunities we provide through our trade shows. That means we have to keep ahead of industry trends and keep talking to all our visitors and exhibitors to discover their problems and needs and decide how we can help solve them.”
10 FEBRUARY 2017