25 FEBRUARY 2016 ISSUE 32
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SHORT BREAK
BERLIN
EU: 2.8 BILLION GUEST NIGHTS IN 2015
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03 Cruising 14 Airports
ACCORHOTELS TO SELL 85 EUROPEAN HOTELS
19 Rendezvous 20 Travel Talk
MARKET UPDATE
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TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS
EU: 2.8 BILLION GUEST NIGHTS IN 2015
MANAGING EDITOR Mary Kammitsi mary@traveltradeweekly.travel ASSISTANT EDITOR Maria Kazeli SENIOR JOURNALIST Rita Kasziba JOURNALIST Pauline Shahabian
Barcelona
CONTRIBUTOR Ana Mladenovic PRESS Maria Demetriadou Inna Armeanu DESIGN & LAYOUT Elena Stylianou WEB & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Savvas Kammitsis DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi
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Year-end figures for 2015 are expected to reach 2.8 billion tourist nights in the European Union (EU), up 3.2 percent year-on-year.
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s Eurostat pinpoints, since 2009, there has been a steady increase in the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments in the member states, notably driven by demand from non-residents. In 2015, Spain reinforced its top position with some 421 million nights, ahead of France (413 million), Italy (385 million) and Germany (379 million). Highest growth in total guest nights was reported from Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
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The continent’s hotel sector remained on the growth trajectory in 2015 with occupancy levels rising 2.3 percent to 70.1 percent, average daily rate (ADR) increasing 4.6 percent to EUR112.16 and RevPAR climbing 7.1 percent to EUR78.68.
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ased on STR Global’s data, Germany reported positive results across the three key performance indicators as the 2.8 percent hike in demand outpaced the 0.6 percent supply expansion. Likewise, Hungarian hoteliers witnessed improvements in all aspects, leading to a 15.3 percent surge in RevPAR, similarly to Portugal, where the same metric rose 16.2 percent. On the other hand, Switzerland experienced declining figures, and Paris was also affected whereas in Milan, the expo resulted in double-digit increases in both ADR and RevPAR.
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NEWS CRUISING
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Cruise Tourism on the Rise in Malta Total cruise traffic in Malta reached 176,295 passengers in the last quarter of 2015, signalling a 15 percent increase over the same period in 2014, according to Malta Tourism Authority.
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trong growth was recorded from Spain, Italy and the US, up 211 percent, 40.5 percent and 21.3 percent, respectively. As for the period between April – December 2015, an overall 27.3 percent rise was witnessed compared to the same timeframe in 2014. There were four more cruise liner calls in 2015, resulting in a total of 307 visits. The average number of passengers per vessel increased from 1,556 in 2014 to 1,955 in 2015.
Fred. Olsen: Record Start to the Season
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red. Olsen Cruise Lines witnessed major demand for its Wave Season sales, with the first week of January being the most successful in the company’s history, resulting in an increase of 27 percent in business volumes compared to the same period in 2015. The cruise line attributes the success to a strong promotional campaign, a highly-targeted multi-media initiative, adventurous itineraries with shorter durations, and its Enjoyment Promise for first-time passengers. Nathan Philpot, director of sales and marketing, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, noted, “Whilst we have a very high repeat rate [...] January has seen the share of new-to-cruise guests shift by seven percentage points.”
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Viking Line Embarks on Grand Revamp
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iking Line’s passengers can look forward to more multifaceted cruise experiences once the company renovates three of its vessels in spring. Following an extensive EUR8 million modernisation scheme, guests aboard M/S Viking Grace, M/S Amorella and M/S Gabriella will enjoy more pleasant cabins, a richer assortment of restaurants and expanded spa options. “We listen to our customers’ wishes, monitor travel trends and try to meet such needs as well as possible,” noted Kaj Takolander, vice president, sales and marketing, Finland, the Baltics and Russia, Viking Line.
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NEWS
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Vienna: Best Year Ever Vienna’s tourism industry achieved a new all-time high in 2015 with the number of overnight visitors rising 5.9 percent over 2014 to 14.3 million travellers.
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Vienna
uring the year, a total of 6.6 million arrivals were recorded, up 6.1 percent. Over the period between December 2014 and December 2015, the Austrian capital’s accommodation capacity increased by 2,840 to 64,200 beds, yet room occupancy continued to soar and averaged at 72 percent. Net room revenues between January – November 2015 showed a two-digit growth at 15.5. percent, reaching EUR665.6 million.
Record-breaking Year for Irish Tourism
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reland welcomed 8.6 million overseas visitors in 2015, marking a yearon-year increase of 14 percent and setting a new record for the country. As Niall Gibbons, CEO, Tourism Ireland, pinpointed, the figure means an additional one million travellers compared to 2014, boosted by a 14 percent growth from North America. “Ireland now welcomes 10 percent of all American visitors to Europe,” noted Gibbons, adding that the goal is now to surpass these results and achieve new records.
Berlin Remains Strong
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ccording to Berlin Tourismus & Kongress, Berlin welcomed 1,026,471 travellers in November 2015, 4.2 percent more than in the same month in 2014. The figure pushed total arrivals between January – November 2015 to 11,430,366, a year-on-year increase of 4.4 percent. While demand from across Germany rose a modest 1.3 percent to reach 663,252 guests, the number of international visitors surged 10 percent to 363,219. The UK led with 49,150 tourists, followed by the US and Italy with 25,625 and 24,283 travellers, respectively.
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NEWS Estonia Celebrates Maritime Culture
Rail Improvements in Central London
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s part of the Thameslink Programme, the UK’s Network Rail is rebuilding London Bridge station and the surrounding railway to create a more spacious and better connected transportation hub. Due for completion in 2018, the station is being remodelled in phases, keeping the railway running during construction. Three new platforms will open in August, alongside the first half of the new street level concourse and a new entrance on St Thomas Street. Once complete, the upgrade will help meet a massive rise in demand, increasing the number of Thameslink trains through central London to one in every 2-3 minutes at rush hours.
London Bridge station rendering
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stonia’s Ministry of Culture dedicated this year to the country’s maritime culture with a range of events highlighting topics related to the sea and coastal living. From June to September, Nargen Festival will present classical music and new compositions at locations across the country, while in July the Seaplane Harbour will play host to Tallinn Maritime Days, hailed as the biggest seathemed family event in Estonia. August will see three events, the Birgitta Festival, We Call Them Vikings and The Night of Ancient Bonfires.
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Thrifty Adds Worcester to UK Offering
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hrifty Car and Van Rental expanded its UK network by opening a new branch in Stirchley. Located on Fordhouse Lane, the new outlet offers a wide selection of vehicles, both manual and automatic. Steve Sandford, director of regional operations, Thrifty Car and Van Rental, commented, “Our network continues to grow from strength to strength and we are delighted to open our latest branch in Worcester.” Adnan Mohammed, manager, Stirchley branch, Thrifty Car and Van Rental, added that since opening its doors, the office has been very busy, enjoying high demand from both the leisure as well as the commercial segment.
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Slovenia Lures Polish Travellers
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lovenian Tourist Board (STB) recently promoted Slovenia’s tourism offerings in Wroclaw, Poland, during the event titled Business Opportunities between Slovenia and Poland. Slovenian tourism stakeholders that took part at the event included Bernardin Group Hotels & Resorts, Kompas DMC, Sava Hotels & Resorts and Lifeclass Hotels & Resorts, among others, and the country was highlighted as a green, active and healthy destination. Maja Pak, acting director, STB, explained, “Polish tourists in Slovenia are above all interested in the possibilities of spending active holidays in the great outdoors, particularly the mountainous and coastal destinations, which makes Slovenia a really attractive destination.”
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NEWS TECHNOLOGY
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European Commission Accepts PSS Merger Under the European Union (EU) Merger Regulation, the European Commission (EC) approved the acquisition of airline software provider, Navitaire by Amadeus.
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he EC concluded that the companies' information technology solutions target different types of carriers and, hence, are complementary. The investigation focussed on actual and potential competition for passenger service systems (PSS) and whether Amadeus could use its position in the global distribution system market to disadvantage rivals or hinder innovation in the PSS market.
ETTSA Welcomes TripAdvisor
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he European Technology and Travel Services Association (ETTSA) received TripAdvisor as a new member. The site’s own objectives are aligned closely with the association’s vision, which is to deliver European consumers greater transparency and empower them with information and choice, Christoph Klenner, secretary general, ETTSA, commented. He added, “We look forward to strengthening the voice of the travel technology sector and acting as flag bearer for those companies who are committed to ensuring that Europe can build and sustain a vibrant travel and tourism market.”
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Amadeus Makes Ryanair Business Travel Easier
Online Penetration Lags in Germany
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ravel agents can now book Ryanair’s business plus fare through the Amadeus system. The low-cost carrier’s offer includes a range of perks, including a free checked-in bag, priority boarding and flexible ticket changes, among others. “At Amadeus, we are always focussed on improving the travel experience. One of the ways we do this is to provide technology that helps airlines like Ryanair create more relevant and targeted offers for their travellers,” explained Decius Valmorbida, vice president, distribution marketing, Amadeus, claiming that with the largest travel agency network in the world, no other global distribution system can offer as much exposure to business clients as Amadeus.
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hile Germany’s overall market thrives, online penetration and bookings show room for growth according to Phocuswright. A new report revealed that the country remains Europe’s largest travel market, with gross bookings reaching EUR57.9 billion in 2015, a 2.2 percent increase over 2014. In light of rising consumer confidence, travel revenue is expected to soar to EUR59.8 billion by 2017. Ralph Merten, senior market analyst, Phocuswright, explained that even though online travel bookings rose to EU23.9 billion in 2015, online penetration surged only 41 percent – well below the 47 percent European average. “But Germans demonstrate increasing confidence both researching and purchasing travel online as smartphone penetration increases,” he added.
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NEWS ACCOMMODATION
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AccorHotels to Sell 85 European Hotels Pursuing the transformation of HotelInvest’s portfolio, AccorHotels entered into exclusive negotiations with a new investment company for the sale of 85 owned and leased accommodation establishments that it currently operates.
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he properties include one Pullman, 19 Novotel, 13 Mercure, 35 ibis, three ibis Styles and 14 ibis budget projects, with the majority being located in France and Spain, and the rest being spread across Italy, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands. All properties will remain under AccorHotels brands via franchise agreements.
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SHORT BREAK BERLIN
BIGGER AND
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PAULINE SHAHABIAN WRITES
Better
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BOASTING AMPLE VENUES, FACILITIES AND STRONG MARKETING STRATEGIES, THE INTEREST IN BERLIN AS A DESTINATION FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS EVENTS OF ALL KINDS REMAINS ON A CONSTANT HIGH, AS THE CITY CLIMBS REGIONAL AND GLOBAL TOURISM RANKS TO REACH THE TOP.
BERLIN IN BRIEF Country: Germany Language: German Currency: Euro (EUR) Population: 3.5 million Calling Code: +49 30/43 Time Zone: GMT +1:00
erlin welcomed 11.4 million visitors between January – November 2015, clocking some 27.98 million overnight stays, according to Berlin Tourismus & Kongress (visitBerlin) figures. The tourism body’s convention arm, visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office (BCO) further revealed that the city hosted 62,000 events which gathered approximately 4.82 million participants in the first half of 2015, indicating 1.5 percent increases year-on-year for each. Accordingly, the number of room nights rose three percent over the same period to reach 3.3 million. About 18 percent of the events had an international dimension, bringing in almost one million attendees from overseas, primarily from Europe, the US and Canada. “Berlin’s meeting and convention industry is a major economic engine for the city,” commented Heike Mahmoud, director of conventions, visitBerlin BCO, noting that the overall segment generated EUR2.2 billion in 2014, up nine percent over 2013. The destination has become renowned for hosting a variety of international congresses, conventions, summits and meetings in diverse fields, such as tourism, medical, pharmaceutical and information technology, among others. In fact, based on the International Congress and Convention Association’s International Association Meetings Market 2014 statistics, the German capital was the fourth most popular location in the world in 2014 specifically for international association meetings, – having hosted 193 events –, closely behind Paris, Vienna and Madrid. “Since 2004, Berlin has ranked among the top five destinations for meetings of international associations, and we aim to stay in the top five in the coming years,” stated Mahmoud. INDISPENSABLE PARTNERS In a bid to stay at the top of the events industry, the city relies on the expertise of its specialist organisers, its network of hotels, venues and service providers, its geographical location in the centre of Europe as well as on its own history and overall atmosphere. Mirroring Berlin’s growing appeal for a variety of small-, mid- and large-scale events, the hospitality sector is equipped to garner business from this segment, not simply for the available rooms, but also for the viable meeting locations. “MICE guests are an extremely important part of our business,” stated Marie Wellmann, director of public relations and marketing communication, Waldorf Astoria Berlin, noting that the hotel offers travellers customised meeting programmes to fit varying needs. Similarly, Andre Kuehne, director of groups and events, Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin, commented, “The
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SHORT BREAK BERLIN
“Trade fairs and congresses are a driving force of the economy in the German capital,” posited Ralf Kleinhenz, vice president, Messe Berlin. According to Kleinhenz, the projected turnover for the trade show company is EUR238 million for 2015, which is the highest result in an odd-numbered year in the firm’s history, marking a 27 percent increase over 2013. In 2015, more than two million worldwide participants, including 30,000 German and international exhibitors, visited the company’s 102 events across its three available sites. In a bid to take on hard-fought markets of the future, Messe Berlin recently unveiled CityCube Berlin, a 33,000m2 multi-purpose convention location based on the grounds of the group’s renowned Berlin ExpoCenter City. “[CityCube Berlin] will be the meeting place for fascinating new topics and events over the years to come,” enthused Kleinhenz. A key highlight for the city, which is hailed to greatly support the influx of arrivals, is Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), which is expected to serve 27 million passengers per year, and will take over as the sole hub for Berlin upon opening in the coming years. “Berlin’s potential as a meeting destination will significantly grow once the new international airport opens its doors,” posited Wellmann, echoing Kuehne’s remark that the city is in dire need for more direct flights as well as the muchanticipated launch of BER in order to welcome further guests and maintain its growth momentum. NO HOLDING BACK
meeting segment in total is very important for us [accounting for] nearly 20 percent of our business.” Echoing both notions, Lars Groche, deputy general manager, Steigenberger Hotel Berlin, noted that 23 percent of the property’s revenue, for rooms as well as food and beverage, derives from convention-oriented business. Furthermore, Estrel Berlin, among the country’s largest hotels, recently introduced Convention Hall II to the market for conferences and congresses with a capacity of up to 5,200 delegates. Together with its existing meeting facility, the property now features around 25,000m2 of space. 25 FEBRUARY 2016
To ensure Berlin’s continued success as an all-round convention destination in the long-term, visitBerlin BCO has put fourth several initiatives, including the establishment of visitBerlin Convention Partner to offer associations planning a MICE event a network of local service providers; the Berlin MICE Summit, held for the first time in January, which gathered over 200 local tourism experts to develop new ideas on how to increase service standards; collaboration with agencies in the UK, the US and Brazil to support the convention body’s marketing strategies for the respective markets; and Meeting Place Berlin, an event held every two years to showcase the city’s wide range of hotels, venues and convention centres to international event planners. “These positive experiences [attained from Meeting Place Berlin] create lasting memories and connections to Berlin, and will entice our guests to bring their future events to our city,” concluded Mahmoud.
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NEWS ACCOMMODATION
H10 Brings New York Chic to Madrid
Minor Takes Over Tivoli
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Tivoli Jardim Lisboa
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inor Hotel Group (MHG) has acquired Portuguese company, Tivoli Hotels & Resorts, celebrating a strategic entry into Europe and Latin America and gaining a strong operating platform to drive further growth. Valued at EUR294.2 million, the deal is hailed as the largest-ever hospitality transaction in Portugal with the hotelier’s 14 properties across the European country and Brazil now joining MHG’s portfolio. The acquisition is the latest in a series of international investments by the Asian company as part of its long-term diversification strategy, which over the last two years has seen the group invest over USD550 million (EUR496 million) in hotel projects in Southern and East Africa, Asia, Australia, South America and Europe.
H10 Tribeca
fter several months of refurbishment, H10 Hotels unveiled the new look of its recently acquired H10 Tribeca, introducing a touch of New York to the Spanish capital’s financial district. Inspired by Manhattan’s Tribeca neighbourhood, the four-star establishment comprises 140 rooms, a restaurant, bar, two meeting rooms that can be joined together to accommodate up to 60 people and a business corner. The project brings the number of H10branded hotels in Madrid to three.
Eurostars Opens New Porto Hotel
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Germany Welcomes 20th Park Inn by Radisson
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urostars Hotels, part of Hotusa Group, opened the four-star Eurostars Heroismo, its third property in Porto. The new-built hotel boasts153 rooms and 12 suites, seven meeting rooms, a gym, café, business centre and a garden area, and is located just minutes from the city’s historic and commercial centre. “Portugal, and Porto in particular, has been a prominent destination in our company’s expansion plans for its appeal to leisure clients and culture vultures, as well as those visiting for business,” said Amancio López Seijas, president, Hotusa Group.
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ark Inn by Radisson Neumarkt has opened its doors, marking the launch of the 20th property under Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s midmarket brand in the country. Operated by Provent Hotels, the 105-key property features a lobby lounge and bar, a restaurant, gym with sauna, seven meeting rooms and a meeting lounge. According to Kai Melerski, general manager, Park Inn by Radisson Neumarkt, the hotel offers the highest and newest standards of comfort and technology.
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NEWS AIRPORTS
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Poland Welcomes New Airport
Olsztyn-Mazury Airport
Olsztyn-Mazury Airport has officially opened in Poland.
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New Pier at London's Gatwick
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ienna airport celebrated record performance in 2015 with 22.8 million passengers, 1.3 percent more than in 2014. The growth was mainly driven by new long-haul routes, additional destinations and frequency increases. “In particular, middle- and longhaul routes showed strong growth, more than compensating for the crisis-related decreases on other routes,” explained Julian Jäger, member, management board, Vienna Airport, further highlighting that the airport received various accolades. The outlook for this year is optimistic as passenger numbers are expected to remain stable and the airport is further developing its offerings, including a new MOXYbranded hotel which will open in the near future.
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nother milestone in Gatwick Airport’s transformation programme was reached with the opening on the newly-redeveloped Pier 5, which represents a single investment of GBP80 million (EUR104.2 million) and forms a key part of the North Terminal conversion plan. The design of the structure allowed the hub to build a second level and the airport is now able to offer vertically separated arrival and departure areas for passengers. Stewart Wingate, CEO, Gatwick Airport, commented, “[…] Today, 40 million people choose Gatwick each year and we have achieved 34 successive months of growth. To keep pace with this unprecedented growth, we need to be smart about how we work with our existing infrastructure while we wait for a government decision on airport expansion.”
Gatwick Airport
ocated in the heart of the Mazury region, the airfield features a modern international terminal with full infrastructure prepared to handle customers and aircraft. With an annual passenger capacity of 500,000 people, the airport initially offers connections to Krakow and Berlin’s Tegel Airport onboard SprintAir flights.
Traffic on the Rise at BSCA
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fter ending 2015 with record annual passenger figures, Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA) once again witnessed increased movements with close to 463,000 travellers passing through its gates in January, up six percent year-onyear. As a result, the load factor of planes operating to and from the Belgium airfield reached 80 percent, with Mediterranean countries proving particularly popular. As Jean-Jacques Cloquet, CEO, BSCA, pinpointed, the steadily improving statistics reaffirm the travelling public’s confidence in the airport and the success of the developments that have been implemented to make the travel experience more pleasurable.
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NEWS AIRPORTS BSCA Connected to Toulouse
Garuda to Fly from Heathrow
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Toulouse
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s of November 01, Ryanair will offer a new route from Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA), linking the Belgian capital to Toulouse with daily flights. The city is added to the 140 options available from BSCA and is the 14th French destination for there. Jean-Jacques Cloquet, CEO, BSCA, said, “Charleroi and Toulouse are two major aviation hubs, with Airbus based in the latter and Sonaca in the former. We are delighted to be able to offer our passengers the chance to fly to La Ville Rose […] from an airport where efficiency and punctuality go hand in hand with a smooth flying experience for passengers.”
ffective from March 31, Garuda Indonesia will move from London’s Gatwick Airport to Heathrow Airport. The airline will use its fleet of Boeing 777-300ERs to operate a five-times-aweek service from Jakarta, an increase to the thriceweekly frequency it currently has from Gatwick Airport, offering passengers more flexibility. Flights to the Indonesian capital will no longer stop in Amsterdam, with the move to Heathrow Airport enabling the carrier to attract transfer travellers to fly directly from London.
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NEWS AIR
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Wizz Air: Demand Drives Profitability A 23.2 percent hike in passenger figures to 4.7 million boosted Wizz Air Holdings’ revenue in the third quarter of 2015 by 17.3 percent to EUR310.5 million.
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eported net profit for the three months to December 31, 2015 stood at EUR15.6 million, down 20.9 percent, while underlying net profit soared 376.5 percent to EUR17.2 million. Ancillary revenue showed a particularly strong growth, rising 25.8 percent to EUR123 million. Total cash at the end of the period stood at EUR684 million, of which EUR580 million is classified as free cash. During the timeframe, shareholders approved the purchase of 110 airbus A321new aircraft, further supporting the low-cost carrier’s future ambitions.
Airbus Delivers World’s First A320neo
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The launch event
new European airline association, Airlines for Europe (A4E) has been launched ahead of the EU Aviation Summit in Amsterdam. Founded by Air France-KLM, easyJet, International Airlines Group, Lufthansa Group and Ryanair, the group was created to represent the interests of its members when dealing with European Union (EU) institutions, international organisations and national governments. A4E will campaign on at least three important measures: lowering the cost of EU airports, delivering a reliable and efficient airspace and removing unreasonable taxes. The association is expected to welcome more members over the next months.
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ufthansa Group took delivery of the first Airbus A320neo aircraft, becoming the launch customer for the model. The A320neo burns 15 percent less fuel than current generation airplanes, and this figure is expected to reach 20 percent by 2020. Fabrice Brégier, president, Airbus, enthused, “This occasion marks a new step forward to delivering on our promises and meeting our industry’s goal for sustainable aviation. The A320neo embodies Airbus’ passion and commitment to deliver maximum value and efficiency to our customers through continuous innovations.”
Fabrice Brégier (left), Carsten Spohr, CEO, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, and David Hess, executive vice president, United Technologies
A4E, Europe’s New Airline Association
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NEWS AIR
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airBaltic and Iberia Team Up
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irBaltic penned a codeshare agreement with Spanish carrier, Iberia, to offer convenient access to Southern Europe and the Baltic region. “With this agreement, Iberia and Air Baltic improve their product offering for customers travelling between the Baltic States and Spain and Southern Europe, through competitive connections in Brussels, Düsseldorf, Munich, Frankfurt and Amsterdam,” said Neil Chernoff, senior vice president, network planning and alliances, Iberia. “Our clients will benefit from shorter and easier connections between Madrid and Riga, and the improved schedule will help increase travel demand between our markets,” he added.
LOT Links Poland with Japan
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OT Polish Airlines’ Dreamliner recently touched down in Tokyo, celebrating the launch of the first-ever direct flights between the capitals of Poland and Japan. ”LOT’s hub in Warsaw is now the best alternative for other crowded and giant European hubs,” said Marcin Celejewski, acting CEO, LOT Polish Airlines, adding that with nearly 60 destinations in Poland and Europe and a minimum connecting time as short as 40 minutes, the carrier provides the most convenient offer between Europe and Japan. “For example, a journey with LOT from Prague or Budapest takes only 12 hours and 35 minutes – it is the fastest way of getting to Tokyo on the market. We simply try harder,” he enthused.
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NEWS AIR
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Norwegian to Fly Record Charter Passengers
Azerbaijan Airlines Returns to Barcelona
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orwegian signed a number of agreements worth over GBP40 million (EUR52.6 million) to continue its charter partnerships with TUI, Thomas Cook Northern Europe and Nazar Nordic. As a result, the low-cost carrier will operate more than 2,200 flights from the UK and the Nordics to summer destinations, including the Balearics, the Greek Isles and the Canaries, carrying a highest-ever number of charter customers. “With brand new aircraft and free inflight Wi-Fi, we look forward to welcoming even more passengers onboard and giving them a perfect start to their summer getaway,” commented Thomas Ramdahl, chief commercial officer, Norwegian.
Blue Air Joins IATA
airBaltic: Mobile Bookings on the Rise
R The total accident rate for IOSA carriers in 2013 was 2.5 times lower than that of non-IOSA operators?
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a Martin Gauss
DID YOU KNOW...
omanian carrier Blue Air is now a full member of International Air Transport Association (IATA) after successfully passing the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). The programme inspected the airline’s overall activities, operational control and flight departures, aircraft maintenance, cabin procedures, ground handling as well as freight and security management. Gheorghe Racaru, CEO, Blue Air, commented, “Our participation in IATA is an important and historic step for the company, opening new doors for cooperation with other airlines, members of the organisation.”
Barcelona
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aku and Barcelona will once again be connected by Azerbaijan Airlines. Effective from June 18, the carrier will operate one flight per week on Saturdays onboard an Airbus A319 airliner, which offers both business and economy class seats. Home to one of the major seaports of Spain, Barcelona combines European comfort and active city life, a rich infrastructure and cultural magnificence.
irBaltic’s mobile bookings doubled in 2015, surging to almost five percent of the total, up from the 2.4 percent reported in 2014. “Innovation and product improvement is in our focus,” said Martin Gauss, CEO, airBaltic. “Our new, smartphone-friendly website has helped us to improve the user experience for our customers, and now the share of mobile bookings has doubled.” In addition to this, the airline has achieved a 16 percent increase in future bookings for this year.
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RENDEZVOUS
Q & A with
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DAVID PÉREZ NOACK DIRECTOR, MADRID CONVENTION BUREAU (MCB)
RANKED AS A TOP INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS DESTINATION BY THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS AND CONVENTION ASSOCIATION, MADRID IS A WORLDWIDE FAVOURITE FOR EVENT ORGANISERS. DAVID PÉREZ NOACK, DIRECTOR, MADRID CONVENTION BUREAU (MCB), HIGHLIGHTS THE CITY’S KEY STRENGTHS AND PRIORITIES FOR THIS YEAR.
FITUR 2015
with the most demanding quality levels. That makes all the difference - you will find a booming culture, a thriving lifestyle, warm people and very good weather.
TRAVEL TRADE EUROPE: How can you assist event organisers interested in hosting their function in the city? DAVID PÉREZ NOACK: Madrid Convention Bureau works in the name of Madrid City Council as an international promotion organisation for meetings and incentives tourism, and we work as a network platform where clients from all over the world as well as the Madrilenian industry will find a communication link. In this sense, organisers will be provided with the most suitable information for their event, from big spaces for professional fairs, like IFEMA, or congress centres like the Municipal Conference Center, to the most enchanted palaces for a gala dinner. TRAVEL TRADE EUROPE: Do you cooperate with hotels, airlines, attractions and other industry stakeholders to provide joint offers and incentives?
TRAVEL TRADE EUROPE: What makes Madrid so attractive to event organisers? DAVID PÉREZ NOACK: There are many reasons but they all lead to the fact that Madrid is a city where you will find everything. That means cutting-edge facilities, devoted professionals and modern infrastructures, allowing you to comply 25 FEBRUARY 2016
DAVID PÉREZ NOACK: We cooperate with all the Madrilenian meetings tourism industry, especially with our 200 partners, including airlines, public
Madrid
organisations, hotels, audiovisual [experts], stand builders [and others] as [the city’s] network and international promotion platform. When organisers get in touch with us, we try to choose the best options for them. TRAVEL TRADE EUROPE: What are your priorities for this year? DAVID PÉREZ NOACK: During [this year], we are going to continue the trend of previous years That means an intensive presence in our traditional key markets, the US as well as in European countries. In line with this, MCB will attend the main MICE professional forums and fairs such as IMEX Frankfurt and some meetings and incentives encounters, and we will also organise fam trips and have an active presence in the media.
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“Our results in the third quarter [ended December 31, 2015] have been ahead of expectations with robust trading across all of our markets. In light of this performance and encouraging forward bookings in the fourth quarter, the company […] raised its underlying net profit guidance for the full year to a range of between EUR200 million EUR210 million. […] The third quarter also saw a number of key milestones for Wizz Air as we position ourselves for further growth.”
CEO, FINAVIA
DIRECTOR GENERAL, AIRPORTS COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL EUROPE
KARI SAVOLAINEN
Our results […] have been ahead of expectations
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OLIVIER JANKOVEC
CEO, WIZZ AIR
JÓZSEF VÁRADI
TRAVEL TALK
We will be developing and improving operations and services “It is predicted that air traffic between Asia and Europe will increase strongly in the coming years. In order to keep up with the international competition, we will be developing and improving the operations and services of Helsinki Airport even further. I am glad that the European Investment Bank has a strong belief in Helsinki Airport’s future and joins us to invest in the airport’s growth and its position as one of the leading transfer hubs in Europe [with a EUR230 million loan].”
2015 [was] a very good year in terms of passenger traffic
“2015 [was] a very good year in terms of passenger traffic, with European airports welcoming an estimated 1.95 billion passengers. 20 percent of [European airports] achieved a double-digit increase and many broke new traffic record – mostly fuelled by the continued growth of low-cost airlines and selected non European Union (EU) airlines. EU airports generally performed extremely well […].”
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
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TRAVEL CHANNELS
ROYAL CARIBBEAN JOINS FORCES WITH WWF
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oyal Caribbean Cruises and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) entered into a five-year global partnership to support ocean conservation. The two entities will set measureable sustainability targets aimed at reducing the cruise line’s environmental footprint, raising awareness of the importance of safeguarding the health of oceans among the company’s more than five million guests, and supporting WWF’s work in the specific area. Among others, the cruise expert aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent by 2020 and responsibly source 90 percent of its wild-caught seafood volume.
UNWTO SHEDS LIGHT ON SHOPPING TOURISM
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hopping tourism is one of the most useful tools in the promotion of destinations as well as a relevant component for travellers when choosing their trip, it was highlighted at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)’s 2nd Conference on Shopping Tourism at FITUR. The event presented the latest figures, trends and strategies and of how this sector is transforming the endorsement of destinations worldwide. Jörn Gieschen, researcher, Instituto de Empresa and MasterCard Observatory on Premium Markets and Prestige Products, underlined that the emerging segment is intimately related to city travel, which constitutes 58 percent of total figures.
SWEAT IT OUT AT THE AIRPORT
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s an inseparable element of Finnish culture, saunas are also available at the airports of Helsinki, Kuusamo and Kittilä. In the capital, the facilities were renewed in 2014 and are situated between gates 36 and 37, along with the Finnair Lounge and the airline’s new premium lounge. At Kuusamo Airport, the sauna is housed in Mosquito, right next to the terminal, allowing guests to enjoy the view of the runway from a warm and relaxing environment. As Timo Rissanen, head of service concept, ground service, Finnair, revealed, passengers have been both delighted and puzzled by the offering. While Asians are usually rather reserved about the unisex concept, American and British visitors embraced the idea.
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MORTEN MORTENSEN has been chosen as Copenhagen Airport’s new director of airline sales and route development. Mortensen, who will assume the position on March 01, has substantial international transport and infrastructure knowledge. Portrayed as a sharp strategist and strong team leader, Mortensen has held positions with companies such as Maersk Procurement, Mærsk Line and APM Terminals in Denmark, the Netherlands and Singapore.
KIRSTY BACHELOR
MORTEN MORTENSEN
WHO’S MOVED
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PIERRE-FRÉDÉRIC ROULOT has been appointed CEO of Groupe du Louvre, a holding company of Louvre Hotels Group and now the European headquarters of Chinese consortium, Jin Jiang International. Having most recently served as the CEO of Louvre Hotels Group, Roulot will now also be acting CEO and will continue to chair the company – until a new leader is appointed –, giving priority to the development and strengthening of the Campanile and Golden Tulip hotel brands in China. Roulot’s appointment confirms Jin Jiang International’s ambitions in Europe and its desire to strengthen not only its hospitality activities, but to also seize new opportunities in similar sectors.
KIRSTY BACHELOR has assumed the position of national account manager within the trade sales team of Monarch. She joins the airline with a wealth of industry experience, having most recently worked as national partnership manager for Affordable Car Hire and UK account manager for Youtravel.com. In her current role, Bachelor will be responsible for the further development of relationships with the company’s key online travel agents, ensuring that the sales of accommodation-only products are fully maximised.
Bachelor joins with a wealth of industry experience
MARTINA BERGMANN
PIERRE-FRÉDÉRIC ROULOT
Mortensen is considered a sharp strategist
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MARTINA BERGMANN will take over as vice president of digital business at Messe Frankfurt, effective from April 01. She will be responsible for the continued development of online products and services for exhibitors and visitors on the Internet and mobile devices. Bergmann will join the trade fair organising company, after working in a senior business development and marketing position at a pharmaceutical firm. She boasts extensive expertise in the development, implementation and optimisation of online portals as well as in multichannel marketing.
Bergmann boasts extensive experience in online portals
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PHOTO ALBUM
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Onboard ms Nieuw Amsterdam, Holland America Line crowned guest Katrina Pedersen as its Dancing with the Stars At Sea Champion
airBaltic was awarded a gold medal at Inflight Sales Person of the Year 2016 for the quality of its cabin service
Take a Shot! Share with us the latest images of your activities and let your colleagues know what you have been up to.
Employees and guests celebrated the launch of Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki’s new menu
Send your photos to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel Because a picture is worth a thousand words...
RIU Hotels pledged its commitment to World Tourism Organization’s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
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easyJet promoted its ski destinations by giving away free bobble hats at London’s Victoria Station
More than 32,500 kids tried their hands at British Airways’ aviation academy
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NEWS & EVENTS EVENTS
BELARUS LOOKS AHEAD TO EXPO 2017
ILTM JAPAN Tokyo, Japan February 29 – March 02 www.iltm.com/japan Reflecting on the 35 percent yearon-year boost Japan witnessed in 2015 in luxury visitors, the event opens for the first time in Tokyo, and promises to be bigger than ever.
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elarus is preparing its national exposition for EXPO 2017 in Astana, revealed Gleb Martynov, head of expo, fair, and congress department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belarus. “A special organising committee has been set up. It has already started working on the national exposition,” Martynov confirmed, emphasising the importance of such events in enhancing the country’s image. “Let us take, for example, EXPO Milano 2015. According to the preliminary information provided by the organisers, the expo was attended by some 21 million people. The Belarusian pavilion welcomed around two million guests,” he added.
RECORD VISITOR NUMBERS AT FITUR ABU DHABI AVIATION AND AEROSPACE WEEK Abu Dhabi, UAE March 06 – 12 www.adaaw.ae The inaugural event, which aims to become a biennial fixture, will take place across multiple locations in the emirate and will converge six trade, defence, entertainment and sports components under one umbrella.
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his year’s edition of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR), organised by IFEMA in January in Madrid, achieved the highest figures in its 36-year history. The event once again registered a new record in participation, coinciding with the bestever statistics for the Spanish tourism industry. Over its five-day staging, the trade show received close to 232,000 professionals and potential travellers, with a notable increase in international interest in line with the past two years’ trends. According to IFEMA, the economic repercussion of the event exceeds EUR210 million for the Spanish capital.
ITB DEMAND REMAINS STRONG MIDDLE EAST RAIL Dubai, UAE March 08 – 09 www.terrapinn.com The conference will host a large gathering of rail operators, government entities and contractors to analyse a sector with USD352 billion worth of projects currently underway.
ITB BERLIN Berlin, Germany March 09 – 13 www.itb-berlin.de Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the event aims to attract more than 115,000 trade visitors this year.
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egardless of current challenges facing the global tourism industry booking levels are consistent for the 50th edition of ITB Berlin. “This year’s ITB Berlin will unite supply and demand from around the world again and send out an important message for the future,” enthused David Ruetz, head, ITB Berlin. Around 10,000 exhibitors and organisations from more than 180 countries are expected to highlight their offerings across 26 halls. Interest from Asia and Arab countries was reported particularly high, from both new and returning exhibitors.
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