25 AUGUST 2017 ISSUE 62
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25 AUGUST 2017 ISSUE 62
05 GENERAL
07 IRELAND REPORTS RECORD ARRIVALS IN JUNE
EU POPULAR HOLIDAY CHOICE AMONG RESIDENTS
12 BRUSSELS HUB SETS NEW PASSENGER RECORD
04 Cruising 08 Accommodation 21 Travel Channels
MARKET UPDATE
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TUI Group Sold its Hapag-Lloyd Shares
TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS MANAGING EDITOR Mary Kammitsi mary@traveltradeweekly.travel SENIOR JOURNALIST Ellen Petty JOURNALISTS Maria Sabova Panayiotis Karanicholas Anna Spyrou CONTRIBUTOR Dominique Christou 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
TUI Group has agreed on the disposal of its remaining 8.5 million shares in Hapag-Lloyd, traded in an open market block trade.
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head of this deal, the group had already parted with six million shares since March. While noting that the revenue will be used to help the company’s transformation into an integrated tourism business with a focus on hotels and cruises, Horst Baier, chief financial officer, TUI Group, explained, “By disposing of all of its remaining Hapag-Lloyd shares, TUI successfully concludes its non-core business disposal programme as defined after the merger between TUI and TUI Travel in December 2014, achieving its strategic objective to transform TUI into a pure play vertically integrated tourism group.”
WEBSITE www.traveltradeeurope.travel EMAILS info@traveltradeweekly.travel sales@traveltradeweekly.travel editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel WORLDWIDE REPRESENTATIVES Representative for North, South & Central America, and the Caribbean: Neil Strickland GlobeTM Tel: +19542969515 neil@globetm.com
Brussels Airlines Served Even More Travellers
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
24.8.2017
COUNTRY
CURRENCY
EUR1=
US (USD)
Dollar
1.18
UK (GBP)
Pound
0.92
Switzerland (CHF) Franc
1.14
Japan (JPY)
129.07
2
Yen
In June, Brussels Airlines continued its upward trajectory with a 15.3 percent year-on-year growth in the number of passengers carried, thanks to its commercial strategy of serving a balanced mix of business and leisure destinations.
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vailable seat kilometres rose 11.5 percent, while revenue passenger kilometres soared 17.1 percent. Meanwhile, passenger load factor jumped 3.8 percentage points to 79.7 percent. The carrier also achieved success in terms of its cargo operations, with a 12.2 percentage point surge in cargo load factor to 65.2 percent. Available tonne kilometres increased 11.8 percent and revenue tonne kilometres rose 19.3 percent compared to June 2016.
25 AUGUST 2017
NEWS AGENTS
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Emerging Markets to Lead in Mobile Bookings As revealed in Expedia Affiliate Network and Phocuswright’s joint report, 2017 Phocus Forward: The Year Ahead in Digital Travel, while travel buyers continue to opt for desktops for online bookings, travel companies need to adapt faster to meet the mobile booking preferences of emerging markets.
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ature markets, such as Europe and the US, demonstrate strong online mobile searching and shopping habits, yet continue to use desktops for bookings, with 90 percent of US travel bookings estimated to not be executed on mobile devices this year. On the contrary, mobile bookings in China accounted for 53 percent of its online travel reservations in 2016. Across less mature online markets, such as India, Indonesia and Brazil, mobile bookings are expected to overtake desktop quicker than other regions.
Super Break’s Charter to Fly from Liverpool
Monarch Partners with Tourico Holidays
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hort break provider Super Break Mini Holidays has announced that its new Incredible Iceland charter service will be available from Liverpool John Lennon Airport in February 2018 for an exclusive trip to the winter destination. The company will operate a brand-new departure to Iceland’s second largest city Akureyri, for a four-night break, offering passengers an opportunity to explore culture and scenery of the Arctic north. Paul Winfield, director, air service development, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, enthused, “We are delighted to welcome Super Break's Incredible Iceland charter to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, providing a new destination to complement our network of over 60 scheduled destinations […].”
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n a bid to expand its range of European beach holidays and city breaks, Monarch has recently partnered with Tourico Holidays enabling Monarch Holidays, the airline’s subsidiary, to use the global travel distributor’s worldwide inventory of hotels and exclusive deals, or pre-purchased hotel room blocks. Neil Emerson, president, business development, Europe, Tourico Holidays, revealed, “Tourico Holidays has made it a priority over the past several years to increase the number of pre-purchased room blocks in popular European cities such as Barcelona, Lisbon, Rome, Venice, and Stockholm. Monarch’s travellers will now have access to this unique hotel inventory, allowing them to save significantly on their hotel reservations in addition to their flights.”
Iceland
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NEWS CRUISING
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Carnival Horizon Moves Along With Completion
Carnival Horizon under construction
Carnival Cruise Line has recently announced that the construction of its 121,109 tonne Carnival Horizon is moving along as scheduled, with work continuing at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera.
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et to debut on April 02, 2018, with a 13-day Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona, the new vessel will feature stunning spaces, including a Dr. Seuss-themed WaterWorks aqua park, a Seaside Theatre poolside LED screen, indoor and outdoor dining, beverage and entertainment venues. Carnival Horizon will relocate to Miami to launch a year-round schedule of six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises beginning on September 22, 2018 after a special two-day cruise to Nassau from Miami.
Cruise Baltic to Enhance Baltic Sea’s Green Status
Cruise.co Takes Kreuzfahrtberater on Board
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K’s cruise website operator Cruise.co has acquired German cruise travel agent Kreuzfahrtberater, in line with its target market expansion strategy. Following the EUR25 million transaction, the combined entity expects cruise sales up to EUR250 million, with potential to become one of the largest cruise travel agents in Europe. The integrated company plans to take advantage of the popularity of cruising vacations, which registered 1.89 million ocean passenger in the UK, while Germany saw 2.02million in 2016. Seamus Conlon, CEO, Cruise.co, commented, “Both companies share a passion for the sector, have great staff and the technology required to deliver great service. This transaction allows us to diversify our business by moving into a new large cruising market [...].”
Baltic Cruise, Oslo, Copyright Rod Costa
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ruise Baltic has confirmed its plan to deliver what is said to be the greenest cruise experience in the world, in line with the sustainability regulations concerning the Baltic Sea as a cruise destination, effective from 2019 and 2021. Following summits held in Sweden, the liner held familiarisation trips for its executives to analyse the objectives of the new initiative. Claus Bødker, director, Cruise Baltic, explained, “[…] What we as a network can decide upon is to work with these initiatives together with the cruise lines and other stakeholders in a positive way and secure the Baltic Sea area a green profile. We would like to make the Baltic Sea known as the greenest cruise destination in the world.”
25 AUGUST 2017
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NEWS
EU Popular Holiday Choice Among Residents According to Eurostat, in 2015 nearly 90 percent of all tourism nights in the European Union (EU) were by EU residents, while conversely EU inhabitants spent almost 85 percent of their tourism nights within the EU.
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hile regions across Spain, Italy and France are among the most favoured EU destinations, the US and Turkey are two of the most popular destinations outside of the region. In 2015, the US accounted for 13.8 percent of extra-EU nights by EU tourists, while 10.4 percent was attributed to Turkey. The most popular holiday destination for EU residents was within their own country, accounting for 58 percent of all nights, followed by another EU member state with 26 percent.
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NEWS
Malta Enjoys Growing European Interest
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Rotterdam to Host Traverse 18
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alta Tourism Authority registered positive results thanks to its ongoing efforts in promoting the destination in Central European countries, with success reported in terms of arrivals in 2016 and the beginning of this year. From January – April, Malta saw an increase in travellers from Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary, with the Polish segment turning into the fifth largest incoming market for the islands, up 66 percent compared to the same period in 2016. Malta also recorded growth in the number of Czech and Hungarian visitors, soaring 72 percent and seven percent, respectively. In a bid to strengthen tourism relations, the authority conducted numerous promotional campaigns in cooperation with local media and travel partners.
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Hotstats: Strong June Performance for European Hotels
aking place for the first time outside the UK, on May 25 – 26, 2018, Rotterdam will host the sixth edition of Traverse 18, with 400 social influencers from all over the world expected to attend. Organised collaboratively between Traverse and Rotterdam Partners, the conference will feature lectures, presentations, panel sessions and workshops to showcase the city. Speaking ahead of the event, Jannelieke Aalstein, deputy director, Rotterdam Partners, enthused, “[…] In the past few years, Rotterdam has managed to increase its profile as an international conference location. We expect the impact to be enormous when next year all of a sudden, hundreds of influencers are walking about in Rotterdam and communicating about the city.”
Belarus and Latvia Engage in Ice Hockey Talks
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Europe
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n June, hotels in Europe recorded a 3.6 percent year-onyear rise in gross operating profit per available room, as revealed by Hotstats. While a 0.4 percentage point decline in room occupancy was reported across the continent, to 78.7 percent, this was offset by a 4.9 percent surge in achieved average room rate to EUR180.04, which fuelled a 4.4 percent jump in RevPAR to EUR141.75. In addition to the growth in rooms revenue, hoteliers achieved a 0.5 percent increase in food and beverage revenue to EUR36.61 per available room, which contributed to the 2.9 percent increase in total RevPAR which reached EUR208.84.
ollowing Minsk and Riga’s successful joint bid in securing the hosting rights for International Ice Hockey Federation Ice Hockey World Championship in 2021, Vladimir Zinovsky, economy minister, Belarus, and Edgars Rinkevics, foreign affairs minister, Latvia, convened to exchange views on the development of transport and tourism infrastructure related to the highlyanticipated event. Beating Finland in the final selection of the hosts of the prestigious occasion, the winning countries’ representatives discussed the current state of bilateral relations and outlined the key strategies of trade, economic, and investment cooperation, including related frameworks of the European Union Eastern Partnership programme.
25 AUGUST 2017
NEWS
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Ireland Reports Record Arrivals in June
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t the 41st meeting of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in Krakow, 63 new locations of ancient and primeval beech forests across 10 countries were added to the World Heritage List, including Slovenian Krokar virgin forest and the Snežnik-Ždrocle forest reserve. The locations join Škocjan Caves which to date had been the only Slovenian monument of the list. Recognised for its natural heritage and further committing the country to protect the reserves and ecosystem through the prestigious listing, the Krokar virgin forest is an example of untouched primeval forest in the heart of the well-preserved woodlands of the Kočevje region, while the Snežnik-Ždrocle reserve consists of ancient beech woodlands with sections of primeval forest.
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Scotland Continues Attracting Tourist Masses
Slovenia
More UNESCO Sites Recognised in Slovenia
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ccording to International Passenger Survey tourism statistic released by the UK Office of National Statistics, Scotland maintains its reputation as a must-visit destination, successfully performing among global competitors, as underscored by Malcolm Roughead, CEO, VisitScotland. During the 12 month period ending in March, the destination achieved three percent growth in overseas arrivals, which generated nine percent increase in tourism spending. Further commenting on the results, Roughead revealed that North America exported the highest amount of visitors, up 19 percent year-to-date, who also spent 40 percent more than during the same period in 2016. He concluded, “Our industry is the heartbeat of the Scottish economy, causing a ripple effect which touches every industry and community, creating employment and economic growth.”
Scotland
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une marked the best ever month for Irish tourism, with almost one million arrivals, a year-on-year increase of eight percent, as revealed by Tourism Ireland. Moreover, during the period January – June, the country welcomed 4.2 percent more overseas visitors, with particularly strong performance from the North American market, which grew 21.6 percent over the first half of 2016. Commenting on the figures, Niall Gibbons, CEO, Tourism Ireland, elaborated, “Visitor numbers from Australia and developing markets for the first half of the year are also really strong, up 20.6 percent. [...] As anticipated, the currency challenge for Irish tourism is very real and the drop in British visitor numbers, down 6.4 percent.”
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NEWS ACCOMMODATION
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Rezidor and prizeotel Reveal New Project
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entrally located in the German city and part of a three-building complex, the property designed by Karim Rashid, is set to complement the look of nearby reimagined railway station. The property represents the fourth addition in the hoteliers’ common portfolio following signing of prizeotel-branded addresses in Erfurt, Bern, and Munich Airport, scheduled for opening in 2019. Elie Younes, chief development officer, The Rezidor Hotel Group, explains, “prizeotel continues to deliver a design-led, innovative and authentic experience in the economy segment. It offers a unique value proposition to owners and investors […].”
Inselhotel Continues Under Steigenberger Flag
Rendering of prizeotel Münster-City
Building on an existing joint venture, The Rezidor Hotel Group and prizeotel have announced signing of prizeotel Münster-City, slated to open in 2020.
Heythrop Park Resort Expands
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eythrop Park Resort, an official partner of Experience Oxfordshire Conferencing, has recently unveiled The Archery Suite, a fixed marquee that can accommodate up to 1,000 guests. Ideal for banqueting, weddings, and conferences all year round, the new development is fully equipped with Wi-Fi, heating, and a dedicated car park which complement the resort’s existing 358 bedrooms, 28 meeting rooms, 400 seated auditorium and separate ballroom. Commenting on the expansion, Paul Russell, director, Heythrop Park Resort, enthused, “This is a wonderful investment for Heythrop and along with creating jobs; it allows us to attract larger events into the Oxford region supporting local businesses.”
The Archery Suite
teigenberger Hotels and Resorts has secured a long-term extension of the lease agreement for Steigenberger Inselhotel Constance in Germany, which will remain in its portfolio until 2036. The property, which is owned by brewing company Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus, has already undergone an upgrade to its lake-facing rooms, with a further two years of renovations set to begin to modernise its premises, including an addition of a beer garden. Denis Hüttig, vice president, Resort Hotels, expressed, “[…] Inselhotel enjoys an extremely high degree of popularity amongst holiday makers visiting the region. We are proud that the owner of the building has recognised the work we have put in and that cooperation will continue on a long-term basis.”
25 AUGUST 2017
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NEWS ACCOMMODATION Autograph Collection Arrived in Estonia
A Hotel Telegraaf
utograph Collection Hotels has entered the Estonian hospitality market with the opening of its first property Hotel Telegraaf in Tallinn’s historic centre. Boasting modern design with art deco elements reflecting the brand’s philosophy, the address features 83 guestrooms and suites, fine dining options and a luxury spa with a 10m long swimming pool. Business visitors are able to take advantage of the multifunctional lounge and 61m² event facility. John Licence, vice president, premium and select brands, Europe, Autograph Collection Hotels, noted, “With its rich history, iconic architecture, and curated design, this hotel perfectly embodies the brand exactly like nothing else and is a welcome addition to our distinguished portfolio of over 110 hotels worldwide.”
Rendering of nhow Frankfurt
Frankfurt to Welcome nhow Hotel
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H Hotel Group has announced opening of nhow Frankfurt in 2021, the hotelier’s second German property in its trendy lifestyle brand portfolio. Covering 14 storeys of skyscraper complex ONE, the four-star, 375-key address will feature a 1,000m² conference area, restaurant, bar and fitness centre, while the building’s open air Skybar will offer guests unique views of the city and Taunus mountains. “The nhow Frankfurt will hold a really special position among the city's hotels. […] We are creating a unique location full of creative dynamism for guests, with the highest standards of service, facilities and design,” enthused Maarten Markus, managing director, Northern Europe, NH Hotel Group.
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NEWS ACCOMMODATION
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IHG Signed Fourth London Property
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Park Inn by Radisson Expands Hungarian Inventory
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Marriott Adds Fifth Italian Four Points Address
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arriott International has announced the expansion of its Four Points by Sheraton brand portfolio with the opening of Four Points by Sheraton Venice Mestre, following a franchise agreement with the Italian management company DHotels. Reflecting the brand’s commitment to independent travellers, the 168-key property features a full service dining restaurant, 200m² meeting room and a gym, along with a garden and indoor parking. John Licence, vice president, premium and select brands, Europe, Marriott International, enthused, “We are thrilled to collaborate with DHotels and introduce the Four Points brand, designed for today’s modern traveller, to the Greater Venice area. The hotel will appeal to both business and leisure guests looking for stylish comfort, genuine service and direct train access to the city centre.”
Venice
Park Inn by Radisson Hotel & Spa Zalakaros
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arking Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s fourth property in Hungary, Park Inn by Radisson Hotel & Spa Zalakaros has been added to the company’s expanding portfolio. Located in close proximity to the Lake Balaton region, the 236-room property features an all-day dining restaurant and lounge bar, along with 400m² ballroom, while the adjacent Gránit Thermal and Medical Spa complements the offerings with fitness centre and aqua park. Yilmaz Yildirimlar, area senior vice president, Central and Southern Europe, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, revealed, “We believe that Park Inn by Radisson brand has an incredible potential in the popular mid-market hotel segment across Europe. The brand offers a colourful, design-led, full-service, international standard facilities and hospitality experience for discerning, modern travellers […].”
London
nterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the signing of Hotel Indigo London - One Leicester Square which is scheduled to open later this year, marking the brand’s 11th UK property. Operated under the franchise agreement with Criterion Capital, the address will feature 95 rooms designed to reflect the local area, which guests will be able to admire from the property’s destination rooftop bar and restaurant, while a gym and meeting spaces will also be available. Andrew Shaw, associate vice president, development, UK and Ireland, IHG, commented, “London is a core driver of demand within the UK. The increase in international inbound travel to London is driving a need for new hotels and giving us the opportunity to grow our portfolio.”
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NEWS AIRPORTS
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airBaltic’s CS300 Landed at Pulkovo Airport
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aid to be the greenest commercial aircraft in the world, CS300 features 145 seats, larger windows, and more hand luggage space in the cabin. Commenting on the addition, Wolfgang Reuss, senior vice president, network management, airBaltic, highlighted, “With the arrival of our sixth CS300, we have the opportunity to offer more routes on the new aircraft and now also for travellers between Riga and Saint Petersburg.” The Latvian carrier, which launched the aircraft in 2016, expects to have eight in operation by the end of this year.
Finnish Airports Celebrate Record H1 Results
Pulkovo International Airport
On August 02, Saint Petersburg’s Pulkovo International Airport welcomed its first Bombardier CS300 aircraft, operated by airBaltic from Riga.
TAG’s Geneva Airport Lounges Lure Art Lovers
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AG Aviation’s lounges at Geneva International Airport are hosting an exclusive contemporary street art exhibition The Caps Collection by Swiss graffiti artist Joule Champod, on display until September. The collection pays homage to the artist’s spray caps which as creative instruments have become a creation on its own through the selection of frescoes amassed over nearly 30 years of artistic work. Complementing the exhibition, chocolate maker Marc-André Cartier’s sweet eye-catching treats are also on offer. “[…] TAG has always been keen to further its strong links with contemporary art and particularly when we can help to promote the works of a Geneva-based artist who shares the same roots of origin as the TAG brand,” said Adeline Varéon, manager, marketing and communications, TAG Aviation Europe.
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inavia, the operator of Finland’s 21 airports, has announced the achievement of all time high passenger figures in the first half of this year (H1), during which the hubs collectively served 10,958,075 travellers, a year-on-year growth of 7.9 percent. Helsinki Airport significantly contributed to the numbers with 9,034,244 passengers handled during the period under review, soaring 8.6 percent year-on-year and marking its busiest ever period. While Europe remained the main exporter of travellers in H1 for the Finnish gateways, the number of Asian passengers exceeded one million for the first time, up 12.7 percent. Looking ahead, Kari Savolainen, CEO, Finavia, revealed that Helsinki Airport’s ongoing EUR900 million (USD1.03 billion) development programme will enhance capacity and services to handle 20 million passengers by 2020.
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NEWS AIRPORTS
Brussels Hub Sets New Passenger Record
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Helsinki Airport Expands
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n July 10, Helsinki Airport’s new south pier opened for passengers and air traffic, with a Finnair service to New York being the first flight to use the facility. The extension of the terminal was inaugurated on a historically significant day, coinciding with the hub’s 65th anniversary. The south pier is part of Finavia’s development programme for expanding Helsinki Airport and consolidates its competitive position as a transfer traffic provider for travel between Asia and Europe, while also maintaining excellent flight connections between Finland and the rest of the world. Ahead of the launch, around 200 volunteers tested the functionality of the new facility and verified that everything was working as it should.
Helsinki Airport
russels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA) concluded June with great success, having handled 12 percent more passengers year-on-year, which contributed to the three percent increase in passenger traffic observed in the first half of the year. The rise in traveller numbers during the month marks the largest growth in this measure so far this year. Moreover, load factor improved two percent over to 86 percent in June. Jean-Jacques Cloquet, CEO, BSCA, noted that in the first six months of the year, the hub welcomed two new airlines, Air Corsica and BELAVIA - Belarusian Airlines, along with the addition of seven new destinations, namely Sarajevo, Hurghada, Naples, Trieste, Essaouria, Ouarzazate and Tunis.
Brussels South Charleroi Airport
Munich Airport Achieved Record Results
Munich Airport
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uring the first six months of this year (H1), Munich Airport reported the best H1 figures in its history, with 21 million passengers passing through its doors, demonstrating the hub’s continuous growth. Compared to the same period in 2016, this represents a six percent increase in passenger traffic. An upward trajectory was also observed in aircraft movements, which rose four percent. Meanwhile, the gateway also achieved a new record in the freight segment, up nine percent year-on-year. “With the foreseeable increases in intercontinental traffic, our high-quality airport will attain a new standard of quality in the coming years. We will then be equally well positioned as a hub across all traffic segments,” said Michael Kerkloh, CEO, Munich Airport.
Construction of Budapest Hub’s New Pier Underway
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he construction of the new pier adjoining Terminal 2B at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport is progressing well, with KÉSZ pouring the concrete floor of the departure level. Aiming to expand Terminal 2B’s capacity, which primarily serves non-Schengen flights, the construction of the new facility is part of the hub’s five-year, HUF50 billion (USD192 million), self-financed development plan called BUD2020. “The partial deadlines specified for the various work phases have been kept so far; together with the colleagues from KÉSZ, we check on a weekly basis that everything should proceed according to schedule,” revealed Stephan Schattney, chief technical officer, Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport.
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NEWS AIR
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Austrian Airlines to Serve Cape Town and Tokyo In a bid to expand its long-haul offerings, Austrian Airlines has unveiled plans to launch five weekly services between Vienna and Tokyo, along with two weekly flights to Cape Town, effective from May 15, 2018 and October 27, 2018, respectively.
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Cape Town
oth routes will be served with Boeing 777 aircraft, with the airline set to integrate a sixth Boeing 777200ER into its fleet in 2018 to support the additional itineraries. While noting that in 2016 the carrier terminated its schedules to Tokyo as a consequence of the economic downturn, Andreas Otto, chief commercial officer, Austrian Airlines, highlighted the relaunch of the service is due to the improvement of market conditions during recent months.
TAP Portugal and Beijing Capital to Codeshare
Air France and Delta to Support Electronics Show
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iming to offer more benefits to passengers travelling between China and Portugal, Tap Portugal and Beijing Capital Airlines have launched codeshare flights. The agreement enables the Portuguese airline to provide new services to the Asian market, offering passengers travelling between Beijing or Hangzhou and Lisbon privileged intercontinental connections to several of its destinations. According to Tourismo de Lisboa, Lisbon’s official tourism association, the numbers of Chinese tourists visiting Portugal increased 19 percent in 2016 compared to 2015, with 183,000 arrivals. Fernando Pinto, executive president, TAP Portugal, highlighted that the agreement will intensify the relations between the two countries, either through tourism or business.
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ased on the increased air travel demand ahead of the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, Air France and Delta Air Lines will serve 12 extra nonstop flights on the Paris – Las Vegas route. On the back of the transatlantic partnership between the companies, the French carrier will operate the schedules on January 07, 08 and 12, 2018 on board Boeing 777-200, complemented by Delta’s services on the route. Zoran Jelkic, senior vice president, France, Air France-KLM, stated, “France is the third most represented country at the Consumer Electronics Show. With our exceptional offer of nonstop flights alongside Delta, we are combining our strengths to meet this high demand.”
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NEWS AIR
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airBaltic Celebrated Record June
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irBaltic has reported a record number of passengers in June, having carried 372,219 travellers, a 23 percent leap over the same period in 2016. From January to June, the Latvian carrier transported 1,565,462 flyers in total across its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, CIS and the Middle East, an increase of 20 percent year-on-year. It also celebrated the highest load factor in its history, which reached 73.5 percent during the first six months of the year. “airBaltic is experiencing substantial growth, and I am truly happy that we are beating records the company set more than five years ago. This proves that we are on the right track,” said Martin Gauss, CEO, airBaltic.
Austrian Airlines Achieved Success in H1
easyJet to Serve Venice from Liverpool
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ustrian Airlines has released performance figures for the first half of this year (H1), which saw 690,000 more passengers than in H1 of 2016, a 13.5 percent rise to almost 5.8 million travellers. During the reviewed period, available seat kilometres increased 7.6 percent to almost 12.3 billion, while passenger load factor rose 0.4 percentage points to 73.6 percent, compared to the same period in 2016. The positive figures also applied to June, during which the carrier transported some 1.3 million passengers, up 16.7 percent year-on-year. The successful H1 is attributed to an aircraft deployed within a wet-lease agreement, along with the associated expansion of its European network, and boosted traffic between Austria and Germany.
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n a bid to expand the list of cities served from Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA), easyJet has recently announced that it will operate flights to Venice from October 31. Hailed as one of Europe’s most popular tourist and business destinations, the addition marks the airline’s 29th destination from the Liverpool gateway. The new year-round service will be operated on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Paul Winfield, director, air service development, LJLA, revealed, “This latest commitment by easyJet to Liverpool is great news for the airport and for the city region. Venice is another new destination to add to the growing list of popular European cities that passengers from across the North West can fly to from Liverpool [...].”
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Lufthansa Announced New Winter Destinations
Icelandair to Increase Capacity to Glasgow
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ufthansa has unveiled its updated winter timetable with seven new European routes from Frankfurt and Munich. In all, six new routes will be added, offering passengers the opportunity to explore Spain, France, Scotland, and Italy. From November 06, Pamplona will be served with four weekly flights from Frankfurt, while from October 29, the carrier will fly to Genoa, Bari and Catania three times weekly from Frankfurt. Moreover, taking off from Munich for the first time this winter, the airline will operate daily services to Nante, four weekly flights to Glasgow and a Sunday itinerary to Santiago de Compostela.
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s a result of high passenger demand, Icelandair has unveiled plans to increase capacity on its Glasgow – Keflavik service with the addition of over 2,000 extra seats. From the beginning of November and until the end of December, four of the airline’s seven weekly itineraries between Glasgow Airport and Keflavik International Airport will increase in capacity by 39 seats per leg, jumping from 183 seats per flight to 222 seats. The increased capacity will also be complemented by an additional flight to Newark Liberty International Airport from Keflavík International Airport, which will be operated November 15 – January 11, 2018.
Aeroflot Builds on Passenger Traffic Success
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head of its 2025 strategy aiming to become one of the top 20 global airlines by passenger traffic, Aeroflot Group is celebrating its ranking as the 18th top global carrier for 2016, according to data compiled by Flight Airline Business. The findings additionally revealed that the group also secured its place among 20 most successful airlines in generated revenue per passenger kilometres, having carried 43.4 million passengers during the year under review. Vitaly Saveliev, CEO, Aeroflot, commented, “Today we can proudly announce to citizens of Russia and the entire world that Aeroflot is officially back among the global passenger airline elite. After nearly 30 years we have regained our position as one of the strongest players in our sector globally.”
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NEWS AIR
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Austrian Airlines Replaces Aircraft
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s part of its fleet renewal programme, Austrian Airlines sent its 16th Embraer to the skies with its maiden flight from Vienna to Bologna. Shifting from the Fokker type of aircraft to Embraer in a bid to enhance passengers comfort, the carrier is expected to complete the inventory upgrade by the end of August with a total of 17 new jets replacing 21 airplanes of the previous kind. Based on the customer survey comparing the travelling comfort on board both aircrafts, the deployment of the new jets has already contributed to higher satisfaction in terms of seating comfort and the cabin condition which rose 5.9 percentage points and 9.4 percentage points, respectively, after the fleet replacement.
Webjet B2B Portfolio Expands
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iming to further expand its business to business (B2B) portfolio, Webjet has acquired JacTravel, joining Sunhotels, Lots of Hotels and FIT Ruums into its B2B division WebBeds. The GBP200 million (EUR220.56 million) acquisition is expected to boost the company’s annual total transacted volume while also increasing its global footprint with offices in 19 countries. Commenting on the agreement, John Guscic, managing director, Webjet, revealed, “[…] WebBeds has always focussed on helping our clients succeed and enabling our partners to respond to fast-changing market trends. By consolidating with like-minded partners like JacTravel, we believe we will drive even greater synergies that will benefit the wider travel industry.”
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NEWS AIR easyJet Celebrated Summer Travel Milestone
Wizz Air Unveiled Varna as 28th Base
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asyJet saw a record for peak summer travel on July 21, when over 264,500 passengers travelled on 1,700 flights across its network. This is a step up from the 2016 travel peak day on September 02, 2016, which saw some 255,000 flyers. In the UK alone, over 147,800 travellers flew to or from the carrier’s UK hubs on 969 flights to summer destinations. Sophie Dekkers, country director, UK, easyJet, commented, “Year after year the summer getaway continues to grow and this year is no exception. We are seeing high demand across our route network peaking […] and we will do everything possible to make our customer’s summer travel as easy and of course, affordable as possible.”
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izz Air has celebrated the major milestone of opening its 28th base in Varna Airport, established after an investment of USD99 million. Along with creating 36 direct jobs, the carrier has launched new routes to Dortmund, Munich, Eindhoven, Larnaca, Milan and Tel Aviv. Now with an Airbus A320 based at the hub, the airline is set to connect travellers to a total of eight destinations from the Bulgarian city. Commenting on the occasion, Owain Jones, chief corporate officer, Wizz Air, stated, “With a record number of 333,000 seats on sale this year, we expect that our new services and low fares will attract more visitors to the Black Sea coast, which will stimulate local tourism and hospitality industries.”
Flybe to Meet Holiday Demand
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n response to higher travel demand, Flybe has announced the extension of its summer flying programme from Southampton Airport to Alicante, Faro, Malaga and Palma Mallorca to accommodate increased half term travel with extra flights on October 29 – 30. Hailed as one of the largest regional airlines of Europe, the carrier is operating a total of 31 schedules from Southampton hub this summer with a choice of 636 flights every week. Vincent Hodder, chief revenue officer, Flybe, commented, “We have listened to what our customers want and are pleased to add these extra flights so that those wanting to catch some lastminute summer sun with their families can take advantage of the added flights over the October half term break.”
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NEWS AIR
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International Traffic Bolsters Air Astana's H1 Results
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n the first half of the year (H1), Air Astana carried more than 1.89 million travellers, a year-on-year increase of 12 percent. Passenger growth on domestic routes increased four percent, while the number of tourists on international schedules soared 22 percent, driven by network traffic transiting through Astana and Almaty hubs, which surged 62 percent. Meanwhile, during the reviewed period, cargo uplift rose 22 percent over H1 2016. Noting that Kazakhstan’s economy is diversifying and delivering modest growth, Peter Foster, CEO, Air Astana, said, “Astana EXPO 2017, further easing of visa restrictions, the new terminal at Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport at Astana, and continued positive developments within the airline are all combining to set up strong traffic recovery.”
BKenny Jacobs, chief marketing officer, Ryanair
Ryanair Highlights Key Upgrades
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s part of its Always Getting Better programme, Ryanair has implemented Amazon.com’s Alexa voice recognition technology, enabling its customers to search for flights, hotels as well as flight status through the carrier’s website. In addition, the airline has chosen Zodiac to design new slimline seats on its Boeing 737 MAX Gamechanger aircraft, which will be delivered in 2019, offering increased legroom. These initiatives are the latest steps in Ryanair’s journey to becoming a one-stop shop for travel and follow flight connections being trialled in Rome and Milan as well as an exclusive partnership with the Erasmus Student Network. Furthermore, the carrier also celebrated the milestone of one billion passengers since its first flight in 1985.
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TRAVEL CHANNELS
UK Proved Popular Amongst Chinese UNWTO Scores Strategic Membership
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he Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) has included the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in the list of eligible institutions to apply Official Development Assistance (ODA) policy. In other words, UNWTO is now able to use its members’ financial contributions to support economic growth and welfare projects in developing countries as a part of the commitment of OECD DAC members to dedicate 0.7 percent of gross national income to ODA’s initiatives. “This is a strong encouragement to UNWTO’s work in and commitment to advance sustainable, responsible and universally accessible tourism as a major contributor to economic development, environmental and cultural preservation and peace,” said Taleb Rifai, secretary-general, UNWTO.
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ccording to VisitBritain, in the first quarter of this year (Q1), the UK welcomed a record 54,000 travellers from China who spent GBP91 million (EUR100.22 million), a 27 percent increase in both measures compared to the corresponding period in 2016. Meanwhile, 641,000 US tourists visited the country during Q1, a 16 percent growth year-on-year, with expenditure reaching a record GBP604 million (EUR665.18 million), up 29 percent. All in all, total inbound arrivals rose 10 percent, while spending jumped 16 percent, indicating the best performance for Q1. Looking ahead, Patricia Yates, director, VisitBritain, enthused, “With forward-bookings for international arrivals tracking ahead for the coming months, we are anticipating a strong summer holiday season as we promote the message of value and welcome globally, [...].”
Riga Motor Museum Celebrates a Successful Year
Riga Motor Museum
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fter the reconstruction and the opening of Riga Motor Museum, the attraction has welcomed almost 200,000 visitors in its first year of resumed operations. The exhibit is favoured predominantly by families with children, constituting over 30 percent of visitors, who appreciate the opportunity to engage in activities whilst trying out different interactive stands as well as learning about automobile functions and their history through hands-on experiences. Furthermore, around 10 percent of guests are international tourists. “The Riga Motor Museum is not just an ordinary museum. It is a place where people can have a good time, relax, learn and meet new friends,” commented Aivars Aksenoks, director, Riga Motor Museum.
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TRAVEL CHANNELS
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New Berlin Hub Revealed to Cyclists Travelodge: UK Parents Feel Holiday Pressure
Rendering of Berlin Brandenburg Airport
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n a bid to bring the upcoming new Berlin Brandenburg Airport closer to its future travellers, the hub has organised bicycle tours around its premises, available every Sunday throughout the summer. Providing new perspectives of its construction, the sightseeing starts at the office building in Airport City and continues to the departure level, offering the possibility to explore future check-in areas on foot, as well as the service zone and many operations buildings. After passing the passenger bridges and cycling around the south, main and north piers, the two-hour circular journey ends back at its start. Built to increase Berlin’s air transport capacities, the new hub spans an area of 1,470ha, equivalent to around 2,000 football pitches.
The Lake District
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esearch conducted by Travelodge among 2,000 parents across the UK revealed that the average family spends GBP2,510 (EUR2,818) to keep children entertained during this year’s summer school holidays. This expenditure is set to boost the UK economy by GBP21 billion (EUR23.58 billion). The study further revealed that 69 percent of parents feel stressed when planning a holiday programme. The findings also showed that 63 percent of respondents have booked a 10-day domestic vacations, with 53 percent of families planning to flock to the UK’s seaside this year. Top destinations include Cornwall, Devon, Blackpool and Skegness, followed by rural retreats such as The Lake District, North Wales and the Scottish Highlands, which were selected by 28 percent of questioned families.
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russels Airlines has announced expansion of its team by estimated 100 personnel by the end of this year, providing an opportunity for aspiring pilots and cabin crew members to get on board. On the back of the growth of its route network, the carrier has opened registration for potential flight attendants until August 31 and plans to hire 85 crew members based on the selection process scheduled in September. Successful candidates will receive internal training before starting theirs careers on European services. For its growing fleet, the airline also intends to recruit some 20 pilots in the winter season, with the registration set to kick-off in the autumn.
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PHOTO ALBUM
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airBaltic presented its Bombardier CS300 aircraft at International Paris Air Show
Austrian Airlines carried two million Embraer passengers
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Visitors can now enjoy a bicycle tour of Berlin Brandenburg Airport
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Lufthansa installed a 134m long red carpet at Munich Airport
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Youngsters aboard Carnival Imagination enjoyed Carnival Playtime, a series of events featuring fun activities inspired by the My Little Pony and Transformers brands
On July 21, Wizz Air celebrated its 28th base in Varna with a ribbon-cutting ceremony
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NEWS & EVENTS EVENTS
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Europe Reaches Out to China and the US
THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TOURISM AND BUSINESS Lucerne, Switzerland August 31 – September 01 www.hslu.ch The second edition of event will see the presentation of research related to the tourism and hospitality sectors.
OTDYKH LEISURE Moscow, Russia September 20 – 23 www.tourismexpo.ru The 23rd edition of the exhibition will be held alongside its sister events focussing on MICE, luxury and medical tourism, spa and health.
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n a bid to strengthen tourism relationships, The European Travel Commission has announced Partnerships in European Tourism, a European Union initiative funded by European Commision and to be collaboratively delivered with ETOA and The European Travel Agents' And Tour Operators' Associattions. The programme will consist of a series of educational conferences and matchmaking events to promote tourism to Europe in strong outbound travel markets such as China and the US. Taking into consideration that Europe is perceived as a unified destination among international travellers, instead of focussing on individual countries, the campaign will put a spotlight on themed travelling within Europe to cater for visitors’ interests such as culture, film, lifestyle, family and romance. The initiative’s inaugural event is set to take place in Venice on January 19, 2018, followed by Berlin and Beijing in March and April, 2018, respectively.
Belarus Hosted Euro-Asian Biodiversity Forum
IFTM TOP RESA Paris, France September 26 – 29 www.iftm.fr More than 31,000 trade visitors are expected to attend the multi-target event with dedicated programmes for the leisure, business and MICE sectors.
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n July 05 – 08, more than 40 scientists visited Minsk for The 3rd International Symposium on Euro-Asian Biodiversity, organised by Belarusian State University and Turkey’s Pamukkale University. The event, which welcomed participants from Turkey, Greece, Canada, Romania, Japan, and the UK, provided a forum for exchanging knowledge and discussing fundamental and applied aspects of research in biochemical and genetic diversity of life. The programme of the forum included thematic lectures and presentations on key aspects of biodiversity studies, with the research papers presented at the symposium subsequently being published in a collection.
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