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www.traveltradepublications.travel THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING TRAVEL TRADE FRANCHISE…. MEET NEWLY-LAUNCHED TRAVEL TRADE EUROPE! AGENTS!... ...A new hotel booking system has arrived! Let's TRADE with Europe! REGISTER NOW FOR FREE! traveltradebookings.com 10 JANUARY 2015 www.traveltradeeurope.travel JANUARY 2015 ISSUE 05 THE CABINET APPROVED THE APPLICATION FOR INCLUDING TROODOS INTO THE EUROPEAN GEOPARKS NETWORK, A MOVE THAT IS EXPECTED TO PROMOTE THE REGION AS WELL AS CYPRUS IN TERMS OF THEMATIC TOURISM. VISITBERLIN UNVEILED THE LATEST TOURIST FIGURES FOR OCTOBER 2014, SHOWING A 5.1 PERCENT INCREASE IN ARRIVALS, REACHING 1,138,671, AND A 5.6 PERCENT RISE IN OVERNIGHT STAYS ACROSS BERLIN’S ACCOMMODATION ESTABLISHMENTS. 03 19 HERMES AIRPORTS INTRODUCES ELECTRONIC GATES BRAVOFLY RUMBO GROUP TO ACQUIRE LASTMINUTE.COM 06 23 IN THIS ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE MARKET UPDATE CRUISING TOURISM BOARDS ACCOMMODATION AIRPORTS AIR RENDEZVOUS AGENTS TRAVEL TALK TRAVEL CHANNELS WHO’S MOVED PHOTO ALBUM NEWS & EVENTS ISSUE 23 NICOSIA REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT GOES AHEAD NIKI SERVES ATHENS 02 04 09 10 17 18 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 BERLIN RECORDS INCREASING VISITOR NUMBERS 6 MARKET UPDATE 02 NICOSIA 03 NAUTICAL NEWS 05 AIRPORTS 06 TRAVEL AGENTS 09 TOURISM BOARDS 11 ACCOMMODATION 14 TRAVEL CHANNELS 16 RENDEZVOUS 17 INTERNATIONAL / IN FOCUS 18 NEWS & EVENTS 20 TROODOS TO ACQUIRE EUROPEAN STATUS 8 online 10 MAY 2015 ISSUE 13 FOUR SEASONS ADDS TO FRENCH PORTFOLIO SPAIN WELCOMED A RECORD 10.6 MILLION TOURISTS IN THE FIRST QUARTER (Q1) OF THE YEAR, AN INCREASE OF 5.3 PERCENT IN COMPARISON TO THE SAME PERIOD IN 2014. 14 SAUDI ARABIA AND GREECE TO ENHANCE TIES 24 IN THIS ISSUE MARKET UPDATE 02 CRUISING 04 TECHNOLOGY 06 TOURISM BOARDS 10 ACCOMMODATION 14 AIR 15 CAR RENTALS 19 TRAVEL TALK 20 TRAVEL CHANNELS 21 WHO’S MOVED 22 PHOTO ALBUM 23 NEWS & EVENTS 24 OVER 10 MILLION TOURISTS VISIT SPAIN IN Q1 10 MARKET UPDATE TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS Revenue Rises for Boeing Boeing’s revenue jumped eight percent to USD22.1 billion (EUR19.7 billion) in the first quarter (Q1) of the year. MANAGING EDITOR Mary Kammitsi [email protected] ASSISTANT EDITOR Maria Kazeli SENIOR JOURNALIST Rita Kasziba CONTRIBUTORS Ana Mladenovic Valentine Stavrou PRESS Maria Demetriadou Pauline Shahabian DESIGN & LAYOUT Elena Stylianou WEB DEVELOPER / IT Soteris Constantinou DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi HEADQUARTERS T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia 1308 Cyprus Tel: +357 22 021607, Fax: +357 22 103670 WEBSITE www.traveltradeeurope.travel EMAILS [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] C ommercial aeroplanes revenue rose 21 percent to USD15.4 billion (EUR13.7 billion) due to high delivery volume and mix. “With disciplined execution and a sharp focus on productivity, we are meeting increasing customer commitments while profitably growing our business,” said Jim McNerney, chairman, Boeing. “Our outlook for the full year remains positive as our teams work to efficiently deliver our portfolio of industry-leading aerospace products and services,” he further enthused. Europe Benefits from International Tourism Visits EXCHANGE RATES According to the World Tourism Organization, the number of global travellers increased by 4.4 percent in 2014, reaching a total of 1.14 billion. Accurate as of 08/5/2015 COUNTRY 2 CURRENCY 1EUR= US (USD) Dollar 1.11 UK (GBP) Pound 0.72 Switzerland (CHF) Franc 1.03 Japan (JPY) Yen 134.30 M eanwhile, receipts from international tourist spending on accommodation, food and drink, entertainment, shopping and other services and goods reached an estimated EUR1.11 trillion in 2014, an increase of 3.7 percent. Europe, which accounts for 41 percent of worldwide international tourism receipts, saw a rise in income, which totalled EUR383 billion. In the highest-ranking countries by tourism earnings, China climbed from fifth to third place. The US and Spain maintained the first and second position, respectively, and the UK, France, Macau, Italy, Germany, Thailand and Hong Kong completed the top 10. 10 MAY 2015 MARKET UPDATE Two Million Board Austrian Airlines in Q1 Delta Makes EUR340 Million Net Income Close to two million passengers flew with Austrian Airlines in the first quarter (Q1) of the year. Delta Air Lines announced an adjusted pre-tax income for the first quarter of the year of USD594 million (EUR543 million) and an adjusted net income of USD372 million (EUR340 million). The adjusted operating margin was 8.8 percent. “D elta’s business is performing well, producing the best March quarter, both operationally and financially, in Delta’s history,” said Richard Anderson, CEO, Delta Air Lines. “While the strong dollar is creating headwinds with international revenues, it also contributes to the lower fuel prices which will offset those headwinds with increased fuel savings this year. We are looking at June quarter operating margins of 16 – 18 percent,” he added. T his marked a year-on-year decline of 11.9 percent, mainly due to the cutback of selected services because of weak winter demand. Revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) fell by 8.3 percent compared to Q1 2014 and load factor dropped 1.2 percentage points to 73.1 percent. More than 1.6 million travellers flew on European flights operated by the Austrian carrier, corresponding to a decrease of 13.2 percent in a year-on-year comparison. In March, Austrian Airlines carried about 661,800 passengers in Europe, signalling a drop of 8.2 percent from the prior-year levels. Brussels Airlines Welcomes 15 Percent More Passengers During March, Brussels Airlines registered a traffic increase of 14.7 percent, mainly due to a strong growth on the European network which attracted 489,794 passengers. A ll in all, a total of 563,365 travellers flew with the Belgian carrier from or to European, African or US destinations. Seat load factor grew by 2.3 percentage points to 69.1 percent. In addition to its scheduled flight activity, in the month under review Brussels Airlines operated many holiday services for tour operators, meeting and incentive agencies and sports clubs. 10 MAY 2015 SAS: 2.5 Million Passengers in March Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) carried a total of 2.5 million passengers in March, marking a year-on-year increase of 6.1 percent. M arket conditions continued to stabilise in Scandinavia with the balance between capacity and demand improving. As a result of the planned overall capacity reduction during the winter programme, SAS’ total capacity was down 2.2 percent; scheduled capacity however increased by 0.5 percent as capacity was moved from charter operations to scheduled services. As a result, traffic climbed 6.2 percent, leading to a 3.9 percentage point improvement in load factor to 73.4 percent. 3 NEWS CRUISING Royal Caribbean Receives New Ship R oyal Caribbean International has added Anthem of the Seas, hailed as the world’s most advanced cruise ship, to its fleet. The cruise line’s 23rd ship spans 16 guest decks and can carry 4,180 passengers at double occupancy. The North Star aerial observatory, a glass capsule that takes travellers more than 91m above the ocean, and the RipCord by iFLY skydiving and Flowrider surfing simulators are just some of the experiences offered onboard. A music hall, a theatre, 18 restaurants and numerous lounges are also available. Anthem of the Seas first sailed to Southampton, where it will homeport through October and operate to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands. Anthem of the Seas 4 Norwegian Cruise Line Adds Complimentary Restaurants Holland America Line’s New App Uncovers Alaska A s part of the Norwegian NEXT programme, Norwegian Cruise Line is investing significantly into enhancing guests’ dining experience onboard and offering even more culinary options. In line with these new initiatives, the cover charge and a la carte pricing for many Asian dining concepts across the company’s fleet have been eliminated. “Norwegian’s Freestyle Dining is the most fun and flexible way for guests to enjoy some of the best dining experiences at sea, when they want and how they want. We are thrilled to continue that legacy by providing guests with more of the food they have come to love and enjoy with the introduction of fleetwide complimentary Asian cuisine,” said Andy Stuart, president, Norwegian Cruise Line. One of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Asian outlets Alaska H olland America Line has launched a new application for tablets that enables users to experience the company’s Alaska cruises and Land+Sea Journeys. The app combines the best of the cruise line’s Alaska brochure, website and other collateral material, including an interactive map and a sampling of Glacier Bay podcasts. “Bringing the travel experience to life via technology is a key selling tool in business today, and it is essential that we provide travel professionals with tools that enable them to successfully sell Holland America Line cruises anywhere,” said Eva Jenner, vice president, sales , North America, Holland America Line. 10 MAY 2015 NEWS TECHNOLOGY Euromonitor: Holidays Are Bought Online TripAdvisor Launches Apple Watch App A ccording to Euromonitor International’s Consumers in the Digital World: Hyperconnectivity and Technology Trends report, travel-related online purchases are done through a computer, as opposed to a tablet or a smartphone. Those transactions are the second most popular product category with more than 65 percent of the respondents saying they buy their holidays online. Mobile purchasing rate is especially high in China and India; a further evidence that these countries are at the forefront of e-commerce. Turkey, Indonesia, Colombia and the Middle East are, however, not far behind either. Mobile phone penetration in the Arab region reaches over 45 percent. kno u o y d i D lf w. . of ha y l they r Nea ers say ts in duc um cons out pro buying k chec e before because stor online offers t them Interne ces? the tter pri be 6 Profit Surges for Indian Software Company R Apple Watch T ripAdvisor introduced the TripAdvisor Apple Watch application, with features designed specifically for the new device recently launched by Apple, providing access to the site’s traveller reviews, ratings and photos of hotels, restaurants and attractions. “With the launch of the TripAdvisor Apple Watch app, users can now carry the invaluable insights of millions of travellers on their wrists. Whether around town or travelling somewhere new, the app helps make exploring on-the-go even more elegant and effortless,” commented Adam Medros, senior vice president, global product, TripAdvisor. Apple Watch includes a new feature called Glances, which allows users to get updates from their favourite apps with a swipe up from the watch face. TripAdvisor Glance provides timely recommendations to help travellers discover nearby points of interest. evenue of global aviation and enterprise software company, Ramco Systems jumped 37 percent year-on-year in the quarter ending March 31, while the net profit after tax for the whole year ending on the same date rose by 153 percent. Markets outside India accounted for 72 percent of the company′s revenue. Commenting on the results, P.R. Venketrama Raja, vice chairman, Ramco Systems, said, “It is encouraging to see consistent growth in top line, quarter-on-quarter. This reaffirms the maturity and global acceptance of our products. While ‘Make in India’ is the buzz globally, we are taking the ‘Made in India’ tag to the global market with our suite of offerings.” 10 MAY 2015 NEWS TECHNOLOGY Guests’ Behaviour Analysing Tool Launched Slovenia LuresSpace More Foreign Commercial Flights toTourists Become Reality M ichael López-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut, and zero2infinity have settled on a formalised agreement which sees López-Alegría advising the company in both technical and business matters. The Spanish-American astronaut’s expertise in both American and Russian space programmes is expected to be an important asset in establishing human space travel in Europe. His years of extensive experience and knowledge in the field of commercial spaceflight will be put to the service of zero2infinity, supporting its objectives of sustainable, near-space access for scientists, passengers and payloads. 8 Michael López-Alegría F CS Computer Systems (FCS) has unveiled its latest innovation for the global hospitality market, FCS Vega, a solution that enables hoteliers to understand the specific behaviour of each individual guest. Akina Ho, vice president, strategy and global business development, FCS, explained that in the hospitality industry, many disparate systems are involved to predict a guest’s behaviour, from searching and booking their stay to their evaluation. “The problem is, all this data is not correlated, and the only way was to manually put all information together and interpret what the data means in Excel or another format [...]. Thus, a system like Vega must exist to merge all valuable data together,” Ho said. The system provides a 360-degree view of the guest experience. 10 MAY 2015 AIRPORTS NEWS Record March Arrivals in Copenhagen A total of 2,053,818 passengers passed through Copenhagen Airport in March, setting a new all-time record for the month. As Thomas Woldbye, CEO, Copenhagen Airports, explained, strong international Easter traffic helped ensure solid growth and despite being affected by strikes in the beginning of the month, the second half of March helped the hub exceed the two million mark. Boosted by Qatar Airways’ recently introduced additional frequency, international volumes rose seven percent, European figures were up 3.7 percent, and domestic travel dropped 7.1 percent. Passenger Numbers at Stansted Jump by a Million Munich Airport Soared High in 2014 O n the back of strong gains in passenger and freight figures, Munich Airport concluded 2014 with consolidated revenue showing a slight year-on-year increase to approximately EUR1.2 billion. The airport’s operator, FMG Group registered earnings after tax of EUR100 million. In addition, the hub saw passenger traffic rise by nearly three percent to 39.7 million, driven by improvements in international traffic, with the strongest growth seen in the intercontinental segment where demand was boosted by seven percent to 6.2 million travellers. Helsinki Airport’s New App Available on Apple Watches I n the first three months of the year, Stansted Airport exceeded 2014’s performance during the same period by almost one million passengers, translating into an increase of 16.3 percent. During the 12 months ended this March, the airport welcomed over 20.9 million travellers. “The total number of passengers using the airport in the last 12 months grew by over 16 percent to leave us tantalisingly close to the 21 million passengers a year milestone,” said Andrew Harrison, managing director, Stansted Airport. Record Traffic at Budapest Airport B udapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport welcomed close to 1.97 million passengers in the first quarter of the year, marking a 12.6 percent year-on-year increase and setting a new record for the hub. Fuelled by Wizz Air’s continued expansion, aircraft movements rose 5.5 percent on the runways of the airport which completed a comprehensive refurbishment in 2014. Charter traffic also began to climb after a temporary halt in 2014, as bookings for holiday-makers’ flights rose 16.4 percent. The top destinations from the Hungarian capital were London, Paris and Brussels. Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport 10 MAY 2015 H elsinki Airport’s mobile application, which assists users with real-time updates, can now be downloaded to Apple Watch. “Development of digital services is an important part of our development work. We want to be pioneers, and this will be a huge step for our digital strategy,” said Ville Haapasaari, director, Helsinki Airport. The software enables users to check flight information, departure time and gate number, the shortest security control queue, the departure terminal and nearby services. Double-digit Traffic Increase in Brussels′ Hub B russels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA) welcomed 482,316 passengers in March, marking a growth of 14 percent compared to the corresponding period in 2014. Figures for the first quarter of the year reached 1,349,479 travellers, a surge of eight percent, leading to a notable improvement in load factors for the airlines operating to and from the Belgian hub. The five most popular routes for the three-month period proved to be Budapest, Milan, Warsaw, Madrid and Bucharest. According to Jean-Jacques Cloquet, CEO, BSCA, the results once again confirm the benefits that BSCA offers to it customers, namely accessibility, reasonable ticket prices and convenience, for stress-free travel. 9 NEWS TOURISM BOARDS OVER 10 MILLION TOURISTS VISIT SPAIN IN Q1 Spain welcomed a record 10.6 million tourists in the first quarter (Q1) of the year, an increase of 5.3 percent in comparison to the same period in 2014. T op markets for the destination were the UK, Germany, France, the Nordic countries, Italy and Ireland. The greatest increases in arrivals came from the UK (9.5 percent), Italy (16.9 percent), Ireland (13.5 percent), Switzerland (12.6 percent) and the US (12 percent). Within Spain, the largest surge in arrivals for the first three months of the year was reported from the Balearic islands, followed by Andalusia and Cataluña. Poland Teams Up with PSG to Promote Golf Offerings Skadarlija Opens for Yet Another Tourist Season T P olish National Tourist Office (PNTO) appointed Professional Sports Group (PSG) as its public relations and marketing agency in charge of promoting the country’s extensive golf course portfolio, especially main golfing regions in the north of the country, to the UK and Irish markets. Bogdan Becla, acting director, PNTO, commented, “[PSG’s] reputation is second to none and the enthusiasm and experience they have in the world of golf and leisure tourism is extremely impressive.” He went on to add that Poland is blessed with a fantastic variety of immaculately maintained golf courses, firstclass accommodation and a plethora of cultural and touristic attractions across these three regions in the north of the country. Plaza de España square, Seville, Andalusia Skadarlija he tourist season has officially kicked off in Skadarlija, Belgrade’s most prominent Bohemian district and one of its most visited locations. The start of the season was celebrated with an event in late April, featuring a performance of the police orchestra, as well as acts by costumed performers depicting the vibrant atmosphere that enveloped the district in the 19th century. Along the street, local artists displayed their works and crafts. Throughout the season, tourists and visitors alike will be able to enjoy performances in the house of famous Serbian poet, painter and writer, Djura Jakšić, showcasing the Bohemian spirit of Skadarlija. NYC & Company on Three-city European Mission N ew York City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organisation, NYC & Company rolled out a road show in Europe, with events highlighting New York as a premier travel destination. Headed by Fred Dixon, president, NYC & Company, the delegation met with members of the travel trade and media in Rome, Milan and Paris, to expand the city’s reach to European travel audiences. “With so many exciting new developments throughout New York City’s five boroughs, this is an ideal time to inspire Europeans to book travel now to the US’ most popular big city destination,” said Dixon. More Visitors Reported in Latvia T Sierra Golf Club 10 he number of tourists to Latvia increased by 7.3 percent in 2014 in comparison to 2013 figures, according to the country’s Central Statistical Bureau. Foreign travellers crossed the Latvian border 6.2 million times and spent EUR 668.5 million, which is 9.9 percent more than in 2013. Most lucrative markets for the country proved to be Lithuania, Estonia, Russia and Sweden, and the number of visitors from Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and the UK increased by more than 20 percent each. Recreation was the most popular reason for visiting the country. 10 MAY 2015 NEWS AGENTS Thomas Cook City Escapes Launched T homas Cook introduced its all-new dedicated cities brand, Thomas Cook City Escapes, designed to offer trade customers and consumers a range of flexible short break options. The new product features highly competitive pricing on a wide choice of city destinations, covering 31,000 hotels in over 2,000 locations around the world. “Thomas Cook already offers city break product, but this previously sat across multiple brands. The simplification of our proposition has been made to harness those customers who might have searched for their city break elsewhere. We have not only enhanced the breadth of our offering but also the way it is presented,” said Mark Maddock, director of city, domestic and contracting cities, Thomas Cook UK. AAA Boasts Partnership with ArrivalGuides Thomson to Open Holiday Design Store in London O F ne of North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organisations, AAA signed a deal with ArrivalGuides to build upon its international destination information for over 55 million members. ArrivalGuides is a large supplier of destination content, representing more than 150 tourist boards and delivering key travel information to visitors. Destinations manage their own content displayed through a simple content management system. “The ArrivalGuides platform will enhance the travel information content used by AAA and provide additional international destination information that is a great value for our members and travel counsellors,” said Bill Sutherland, senior vice president, travel and publishing, AAA. ollowing the success of similar outlets across the UK, Thomson will launch its first-ever London-based Holiday Design Store this summer at Westfield Stratford City. The customer experience in the store will be enhanced by high definition screens and projections. Specially designed zones will allow travellers to browse for holidays, visit the Advice Bar for reviews and information, and enjoy images and videos from the comfort of their own booth. “Recent research carried out by Westfield shows customers are looking to be inspired and excited by the in-store experience. The Thomson Holiday Design store at Westfield Stratford City takes this experience to the next level with a truly immersive and innovative offering,” commented Keith Mabbett, director of leasing, Westfield Europe. kno u o y d Di w. . land d Ire n a UK ver TUI er ves o on s l i m li 5. 2 ers each m o cust year? Bill Sutherland 12 10 MAY 2015 TOURISM BOARDS NEWS Guest Nights Soar in Berlin T he German capital city welcomed 782,374 visitors in February, marking a year-on-year increase of 5.7 percent and boosting guest nights by 8.6 percent to over 1.8 million. Domestic travellers accounted for the lion’s share, but traffic from international markets also climbed 8.7 percent, fuelled by a 67.9 rise in arrivals from Portugal, a 30 percent growth from Ireland, a 24.1 percent increase from the UK and a 22.1 percent jump from Belgium. Demand from Russia and Ukraine, on the other hand, dropped 24.9 percent and 19.5 percent, respectively. Berlin’s largest overseas markets remained the UK, followed by Italy and the Netherlands. Ireland Goes Down Under I reland has rolled out a new three-year strategy which aims to increase Australian arrivals to the country by 20 percent to almost 220,000 visitors per year by the end of 2017. Since 2010, traffic from the Oceanian country jumped 40 percent, and in 2014 alone, some 180,000 Australians visited Ireland. Strong cultural affinity and improved air access are set to further boost figures and attract high-value visitors from the long-haul market. As Paschal Donohoe, transport, tourism and sport minister, Ireland, reminded, the government’s new strategy targets 10 million visitors and overseas tourism revenues of EUR5 billion by 2025, an increase of some EUR1.5 billion on figures recorded in 2014. Sydney 10 MAY 2015 13 NEWS ACCOMMODATION Park Inn by Radisson Opens in Volgograd Four Seasons Adds to French Portfolio J C arlson Rezidor Hotel Group and Regional Hotel Chain launched the midmarket Park Inn by Radisson Volgograd. Located in the city centre, the 149-room property features five multifunctional conference halls, a gym and a restaurant, appealing to both business and leisure travellers. As Alberto Matos, general manager, Park Inn by Radisson Volgograd, noted, the arrival of the hotel is set to further raise the level of hospitality in Volgograd. According to Christian Meyer, managing director, RIMC CIS, the managing company behind the property, the city offers great potential given the increase in domestic travel in Russia. Park Inn by Radisson Volgograd Grand Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel A ccess Industries has appointed Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts to manage Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat. The property is uniquely positioned on the French Riviera and sits on the tranquil peninsula of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, surrounded by gardens. It offers funicular access to the seafront and panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea. Jonnah Sonnenborn, head of real estate, Access Industries, noted, “Four Seasons was the natural choice when selecting a management company that shared our commitment for preserving the unparalleled elegance of the property while delivering unrivalled service and luxury.” W Marriott Hotels & Resorts is to launch its second property in Turkey on May 15. Located in Yalikavak on the Bodrum peninsula, JW Marriott Bodrum will boast panoramic views of the Aegean Sea. The hotel features 107 guest rooms, a variety of dining experiences, a grand spa with a selection of 24 treatment rooms, a kids’ club, two outdoor swimming pools, an indoor pool, a ballroom and five meeting rooms. Mitzi Gaskins, vice president, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, commented, “The new JW Marriott Bodrum combines the best of traditional Turkish culture with the contemporary design and signature service our guests have come to expect from JW Marriott properties around the world.” JW Marriott Bodrum Steigenberger Continues Expansion Sweet Room by ibis Unveiled A A s a company with German roots, Steigenberger Hotels places particular emphasis on spreading out within its core market, and in line with this, Steigenberger Hotel Munich is to open in 2017. The new property will offer 292 rooms and suites together with a restaurant and bar. A large conference facility will provide substantial space for meetings, whilst for guests seeking relaxation there will be a health and beauty spa, as well as gym area. Puneet Chhatwal, CEO, Steigenberger Hotels, commented, “The Bavarian capital is the ideal location for the very successful continuation of our national and international growth.” Munich 14 JW Marriott Increases Presence in Turkey ccor revealed its latest innovation, Sweet Room by ibis, which treats travellers to an original room experience and design. Currently available at properties in Rotterdam, Hamburg and Lille, the concept will be rolled out at every hotel currently under construction. “People no longer end up in economy hotels because they have to; now they stay at economy brands because they think about their options and make the smart choice. […] Our role as leader is to stay in touch with the market and customers and to innovate while honouring our commitment on prices,” explained Frédéric Fontaine, senior vice president, global marketing, ibis. 10 MAY 2015 AIR NEWS UIA Opens Kiev – Riga Route Finnair to Serve More Swedish Cities Norrköping U A s of May 18, Finnair will launch new itineraries to Sweden with daily flights to Luleå and Umeå on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. The services, which will be operated by Flybe, will run for the duration of the summer season. Finnair is also taking over routes previously marketed by Flybe Finland from Helsinki to Visby on Gotland Island and to Norrköping in central Sweden. Services to Norrköping are available daily and to Visby three times a week during the summer timetable. Iberia Strengthens Presence in the UK kraine International Airlines (UIA) has recently operated its first nonstop scheduled Kiev – Riga flight. The daily frequencies, connecting the capitals of Ukraine and Latvia, are served by modern Boeing 737 and Embraer 190 aircraft with two cabin classes; business and economy. “The launch of UIA nonstop service between Kiev and Riga is a well-reasoned expansion of UIA trip options to Vilnius, Helsinki, and Stockholm. This allows us to extend UIA offer for passengers from Ukraine, to provide more opportunities for strong ethnic traffic […], as well as other passenger categories. Moreover, our clients from the Baltics are provided with an opportunity to travel to the cities of Ukraine and beyond, throughout UIA’s well-developed route network,” noted Sergey Fomenko, vice president, commerce, UIA. Transaero Launches Moscow – Prague Service I on was member a i r e Ib ding the foun lines of nce? r l i a al ia orld w e n o Moscow now. . k u o y Did the e of beria Express, Iberia’s low-cost carrier, will launch five new routes from the UK, for the summer season. The airline will fly from Edinburgh and London’s Gatwick Airport to Madrid, as well as from Heathrow Airport to Tenerife and Majorca. In September, Iberia Express will also launch its new Manchester – Madrid route with three flights per week. All the services will be offered under a codeshare agreement with British Airways. F or the first time in its history, Transaero Airlines started scheduled flights on the Moscow – Prague itinerary. The Russian carrier is operating daily services from the capital’s Vnukovo International Airport onboard Boeing 737NG, with some of the aircraft equipped to provide in-flight high-speed broadband Internet. The launch of flights to the Czech capital city has marked another step in boosting operations on routes in high demand. Passenger load factor on Transaero Airlines′ first services to and from Prague reached nearly 100 percent. 10 MAY 2015 15 NEWS AIR Adria Connects Slovenia to 21 Destinations A Travel Service Becomes Shareholder of Czech Airlines dria Airways changed over to its summer timetable, ensuring links between Slovenia and the rest of Europe with flights from Ljubljana to 21 destinations and a new scheduled service between Maribor and London. This summer, new routes are being operated from Ljubljana to Stockholm and Berlin, twice and thrice a week, respectively. Scheduled services from Pristina to Frankfurt and Munich are maintained with new ones added to Malmo. Moreover, flights between Tirana and Frankfurt also continue this summer, along with new connections to Brussels and Paris. Alongside the established routes between the Polish city of Lodz and Munich, the summer timetable also includes a new Lodz – Amsterdam itinerary, with six flights a week. Air Serbia: 724 Weekly Departures This Summer A ir Serbia launched its summer flight timetable which will run until October, reaching peak frequencies between June 15 and September 15. The airline will operate an average of 724 weekly departures this summer season compared to 662 during 2014’s summer schedule, offering an average of 81,000 seats per week, nearly 5,700 more than last summer season. In total, available seat kilometres will increase by 9.3 percent to 2.3 billion. In addition, five seasonal destinations are reintroduced this summer, including Dubrovnik, Malta, Pula, Split and Varna. Dane Kondić, CEO, Air Serbia, commented, “Our guests can also look forward to added depth and significantly improved connections across our network as we adjust schedules and add additional frequencies on key routes.” 16 T he sale of 34 percent of Czech Airlines’ shares has been finalised and as a result Travel Service became the second largest shareholder of the carrier. The new investor is also based in the Czech Republic and operates charter and regular flights under the SmartWings brand since 2004 and private business jet services since 2007. Czech Airlines plans to continue the restructuring process approved by its stakeholders in September 2014 with emphasis placed on increasing operational efficiency, changing the company’s business model and routes management. easyJet Celebrates New Amsterdam Base e asyJet opened its new base at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and announced plans to add a fourth aircraft to its fleet at the hub from October onwards. The extra aircraft means another 40 jobs, bringing the total number of easyJet members based at the airport and employed on Dutch contracts to around 160. Cutting the inaugural ribbon at the official ceremony, Carolyn McCall, CEO, easyJet, said, “easyJet is already the second largest airline at Amsterdam Schiphol […]. After flying to and from Amsterdam for so many years, it is great that we are finally able to call the airport home for easyJet pilots and crew.” New Wizz Air Base in Poland W izz Air is further strengthening its presence in Poland by opening its 21st base in Lublin. Effective September 14, the low-cost airline will station one new Airbus A320 at its sixth Polish base, increasing the number of routes served from the city to six and boosting annual seat capacity by 115 percent. Wizz Air will offer three new routes from Lublin to Brussels Charleroi, Doncaster Sheffield and Glasgow. The carrier is also expanding in Hungary with two new flights from Budapest to Bologna and Glasgow and increased frequencies to Frankfurt Hahn and Malta. 10 MAY 2015 AIR NEWS Ryanair: Biggest-ever Winter Schedule from Cyprus Norwegian Inaugurates Birmingham Services Paphos N R yanair will operate six routes from Pafos International Airport during the next winter season, delivering over 650,000 customers per annum and supporting some 650 on-site jobs at the coastal hub. Travellers will be able to take advantage of scheduled flights to Athens, Chania, Thessaloniki, Rome Ciampino, Brussels Charleroi and London Stansted. In response to a strong demand, the low-cost carrier will increase frequencies to the Greek capital from one daily service to two daily operations. As Maria Macken, sales and marketing manager, Ryanair, noted, this will be the airline’s biggest-ever Paphos winter schedule. SAS: 11 New Routes in Summer orwegian launched three-weekly flights from Birmingham Airport to Madrid; the first of three new Spanish destinations set to launch this summer from the hub. The inauguration of the service was quickly followed by the introduction of same-frequency flights to Malaga , while the third route to Barcelona is set to commence on June 1, departing on Mondays and Fridays. David Winstanley, chief operating officer, Birmingham Airport, assured, “We are confident that our business and leisure passengers will be impressed with Norwegian’s low fares and efficient service.” Air Seychelles and Air France Sign MoU A ir Seychelles and Air France inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU), which lays the groundwork for a commercial agreement that is set to deliver a range of benefits, including codeshare opportunities, reciprocal frequent flyer points earn, redemption and recognition advantages, as well as technical and cargo cooperation. According to Joël Morgan, chairman, Air Seychelles, the MoU will support the commencement of a nonstop, thrice-weekly services to the French capital on July 1. Eivind Roald Monarch Announces Winter Itineraries S candinavian Airlines (SAS) launched its summer timetable with a number of new destinations from its main Scandinavian hubs and regional airports such as Gothenburg and Bergen, 11 new routes and many popular summer itineraries returning. “Over the past two years, SAS has launched more than 100 new routes. We recently opened ticket sales for our new direct route between Stockholm and Hong Kong, with the first departure set for September, and we are always striving to enhance our customer offering,” said Eivind Roald, executive vice president, commercial, SAS. He added that the carrier has more destinations and departures than any other Scandinavian airline. 10 MAY 2015 M onarch will operate scheduled services to a number of popular holiday destinations during the coming winter season. Passengers flying from Birmingham, Leeds Bradford, London Luton and Gatwick as well as Manchester airports will be able to travel to Lanzarote, Madeira, Larnaca, Gran Canaria, Turin, Alicante, Friedrichshafen, Menorca, Gibraltar and Palma de Majorca. According to Marjan Schoeke, head of network development, Monarch, the routes offer greater options to both sun seekers and ski enthusiasts. “Following the review of our network [in 2014] we have created a schedule which we believe will be very attractive to our customers,” said Schoeke. 17 NEWS AIR Brussels Airlines to Fly to Canary Islands Slovenia More Foreign Tourists EstonianLures Air Operates to Split and Milan F E stonian Air has resumed summer flights from Tallinn to Split, operating once a week on the route up until June 24, when a second weekly service will be introduced. From August 30, the flights will again be once-weekly, and will run until October 25. Operations from the Estonian capital to Milan have also been introduced and will be offered twice a week until October 25. Other seasonal destinations launched by Estonian Air this summer include Munich, Vienna, Nice, Paris and Berlin. British Airways A380 Deployed to San Francisco Air Moldova Reconnects Chisinau and Vienna British Airways’ Airbus A380 B ritish Airways’ new Airbus A380 has started flying to the airline’s second Californian destination. San Francisco joins Los Angeles in welcoming the superjumbo that offers seating for 469 customers and operates five services a week during the summer months from London’s Heathrow Airport. Later this year, Miami will also be receiving the A380, taking the total number of routes that British Airways serves with the aircraft to eight. Paolo De Renzis, area commercial manager, Middle East and Central Asia, British Airways, said, “San Francisco is a firm favourite with our customers so we could not be happier that they are now able to fly there on one of the newest and most advanced aircraft in our fleet.” 18 Split rom October onwards, Brussels Airlines will be offering two flights a week from Brussels Airport to Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Operations are set to start on October 25 and passengers wishing to travel to the Canary Islands from the Belgian capital city will have the choice of four different travel options, aimed to attract both price-sensitive customers as well as comfort seekers. A favoured destination amongst Belgians, the Spanish island cluster welcomes more than 640,000 tourists from the European country every year. “The Canary Islands are very popular with Belgian holiday-makers and a great addition to our growing sun and beach offer,” explained Lars Redeligx, chief commercial officer, Brussels Airlines. W ith the April 10 relaunch of its direct flight from Chisinau to Vienna, Air Moldova has expanded its European route network. A leading airline in the local air transport market, Air Moldova covers over 50 percent of recorded air passenger flow in the country. The reintroduced service is operated three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, onboard an Embraer 190 aircraft. Pegasus Airlines Marks One Year at Charleroi T urkish low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines has celebrated its first anniversary at Brussels South Charleroi Airport. Since the start of its operations at the hub on March 31, 2014, Pegasus Airlines has transported nearly 78,000 passengers from the Belgian city to Turkey and beyond, with an average load factor of 80 percent. Via Istanbul, a total of 35 connections are offered across Turkey, as well as Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Lebanon, UAE, Kirgizstan, Ukraine, Russia, Kuwait and Iran, among others. 10 MAY 2015 CAR RENTALS NEWS kno u o y d Di Enterprise Lures Student Athletes w. oldse H prise i r p r r Ente nd Ente ent a em on g s a g n in Ma milli Fleet ted 1.5 ghout u a oper cles thro fiscal vehi world in 4? the ar 201 ye E nterprise Holdings, one of the world’s largest car rental companies, has renewed its national partnership with Athlete Network. Through the cooperation, Enterprise Holdings will benefit from access to more than 500 university athletic departments and have the ability to network with student athletes across the US. As Marie Artim, vice president, talent acquisition, Enterprise Holdings, pinpointed, former student athletes bring various desirable skills to the table, such as exceptional teamwork and strong work ethic. “As our business continues to grow and our hiring needs expand, we look forward to networking with even more student athletes,” underlined Artim. Aberdeen Welcomes Thrifty Car and Van Rental T hrifty Car and Van Rental has further expanded its UK-wide network by opening a new branch in Aberdeen. Located on Machar Drive, the new outlet offers a wide selection of cars and vans that meet the requirements of both holiday-makers and corporate customers who can take advantage of flexible rental terms. As Steve Sandford, director of regional operations, Thrifty Car and Van Rental, noted, the company’s footprint continues to grow from strength to strength. He also reinforced the management’s commitment to helping customers find the best vehicle to their needs. 10 MAY 2015 19 TRAVEL TALK Travellers in the greater Birmingham area can take advantage of Norwegian’s low fares THOMAS RAMDAHL Chief commercial officer, Norwegian “We are very happy to celebrate the new routes from Birmingham to several destinations in Spain. Now travellers in the greater Birmingham area can take advantage of Norwegian’s low fares and award-winning service. Our crew is looking forward to welcoming new customers onboard our brand new and more environmentally friendly fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft with free Wi-Fi.” We see strong potential for our services ALEXANDER PROSCHKA Head, Hahn Air Systems Tourism Ireland is promoting Yeats 2015 February was a distorted month RAFAEL ECHEVARNE Director of economics and programme development, Airports Council International World “February was a distorted month due to extensive leisure travel during the Lunar New Year. The seasonal effect masks any potential downside risks in air transport demand. […] Regardless of these short term distortions, we have seen continued strong growth month after month in 2014 and into [this year] on a consistent basis. Both passenger and air freight traffic are dancing to the beat of their own drum in the face of ongoing concerns of a global slowdown. […] We have yet to see the impact this will have on airport traffic in the coming months.” “We are very pleased to see our partner portfolio grow. We see strong potential for our services as we enable airlines to reach for the global market by outsourcing the complex process of indirect distribution with our easy plug-and-play solution. We plan to add another 15 airlines to ealliance by the end of this year.” ELAINE MURRAY Manager, Scotland, Tourism Ireland “We are delighted that Jimmy Deenihan, [minister for diaspora, Ireland] took the time to visit us in Glasgow, to hear about our busy programme of activity […]. Promoting the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coastal Route continues to be a major focus for us […]; we are also showcasing the new Dublin Discovery Trail. This year marks 150 years since the birth of world-renowned Irish poet and Nobel laureate, W.B. Yeats. Tourism Ireland is promoting Yeats 2015 particularly to our ‘culturally curious’ audience.” 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 [email protected] 20 10 MAY 2015 TRAVEL CHANNELS Sustainable Initiative Launched by W Hotels W Hotels, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, has a new partnership with global music artist, will.i.am, and The Coca-Cola Company, bringing the EKOCYCLE brand to W Hotels rooms around the world. S tarting with US properties, W Hotels will remake its beds with new EKOCYCLE-branded sheets, with each kingsize set utilising approximately 31 recycled plastic bottles. The result is bedding that is both luxurious as well as environmentally conscious. The initial idea for EKOCYCLE was conceived after will.i.am was inspired to turn waste left behind at a concert into recycled sought-after objects, and joined forces with The Coca-Cola Company. Sarah Doyle, global brand director, W Hotels, commented, “W guests want to live a stylish, more sustainable lifestyle and this partnership is a way to allow them to do so when they are on the road.” kn Did you ant ho w ep w s e t l to s gues For ontinue g after to c chic lon ut, the eco- check o ar ts at t they ' price s ? 7 ts 0 e e 2 h D s US Tourism Companies Encouraged to Report on ESG Issues I David Scowsill 10 MAY 2015 ow. . n its analysis titled Environmental, Social & Governance reporting in Travel & Tourism: Trends, Outlook and Guidance, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) showed that travel and tourism companies are being encouraged to adopt the reporting of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues so that the sector can be appropriately evaluated in terms of its contribution to the economy, and its impact on various environmental and social affairs. David Scowsill, president, WTTC, stated, “As our sector continues to expand, we need to ensure that this growth is sustainable and inclusive. ESG reporting is an important tool in monitoring and communicating how we achieve this.” Etihad President: We Are Not Poaching EU Traffic J ames Hogan, president, Etihad Airways, recently met Violeta Bulc, transport commissioner, European Commission, to highlight the benefits which the airline delivers to European Union (EU) consumers and economies, and reinforce the risks associated with rising protectionist sentiment. He said that in 2014, Etihad Airways’ core operations in the EU contributed a total of EUR900 million to the combined GDP of the 28 EU states and supported more than 11,000 jobs. Additionally, its 2014 capital spending on aircraft and other aviation equipment contributed EUR2.3 billion to the EU28 GDP, and supported more than 28,100 jobs. “Etihad Airways is not just another foreign airline flying to Europe to poach local traffic. We are a sophisticated partner to and investor in Europe for longterm mutual benefit,” reassured Hogan. 21 WHO’S MOVED OLIVIER TOMBEUR RICCARDO CASALINO 22 Olivier Tombeur has joined Warwick International Hotels as director of sales and marketing in Belgium. Building on his 15 years of experience in the industry, Tombeur is now in charge of all actions implemented at Royal Windsor Grand Place and Warwick Barsey Hotel aiming to enhance the properties’ image in line with the group’s DNA. Having previously worked for companies such as InterContinental Hotels Group, Concorde Hotels & Resorts and Accor across France and Belgium, Tombeur brings solid expertise to the table. He returns to Europe from the Middle East where he was in charge of sales for Sofitel in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and where he significantly boosted the results of the properties. Riccardo Casalino has been named chief marketing officer at MSC Cruises and will join the company’s executive leadership at its global headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. He has lived and worked in international posts for 20 years, leading various marketing teams for renowned global companies. Casalino started his career at Procter & Gamble, where he spent 16 years rising through the ranks, living and working in several countries across Europe. He then continued as senior marketing director at e-Bay, Europe, where he successfully repositioned the brand and drove growth above the European e-commerce average. Most recently he worked at online travel company, eDreams ODIGEO as group chief marketing officer. LENA BJURNER MARK HENRY Lena Bjurner is the new member of Scandic Hotels’ management team as head of human resources. Bjurner, who will leave a senior position with American Express’ European human resources department, has extensive experience in international business, sales and human resources. During her 20-year career with American Express, she has held various senior positions in the Nordics, France and Benelux, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and Canada. Upon assuming the position in early August, Bjurner will be responsible for Scandic Hotels’ strategic framework within human resources with a particular focus on talent management, leadership development and further refinement of the company’s corporate culture. Mark Henry, central marketing director, Tourism Ireland, has been elected vice chairman of the European Travel Commission. Over the past 12 years, he has actively represented the country at all levels in the European tourist boards’ organisation. His current responsibilities at Tourism Ireland’s central marketing division include strategy development, research, marketing communications and content generation, among others. At the ETC, he will be in charge of leading an initiative to seek improvement in the European visa regime for long-haul travellers. Given the economic growth recently experienced by China, Brazil, Russia and the US, Henry will also initiate collaboration between European countries to grow long-haul tourism. 10 MAY 2015 PHOTO ALBUM Take a Shot! Share with us the latest images of your activities and let your colleagues know what you have been up to. Send your photos to [email protected] Because a picture is worth a thousand words... A family travelling from Manchester Airport celebrated being Jet2holidays’ one millionth customers this year Premier Geneva Hotel in Ukraine has recently achieved a high score on Booking.com KLM Royal Dutch Airlines welcomed back World War II veterans with a special flight 10 MAY 2015 Grand Hotel Reykjavik attended the Icelandair Midatlantic Tradeshow Showcasing Cypriot traditions at Larnaka International Airport Star Wars fan airport traffic controller 23 NEWS & EVENTS EVENTS Saudi Arabia and Greece to Enhance Ties H. R.H. Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, president, Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities (SCTA), welcomed in Riyadh Elena Kountoura, alternate minister of tourism, Greece, to discuss the prospects of cooperation in various fields. The two countries aim to foster partnerships in the areas of tourism, antiquities, museums and urban heritage under the valid memorandum of understanding that was signed between the Saudi organisation and the Greek Ministry of Tourism in 2014. Santorini, Greece Tourism Ireland Mounts Strong Presence at B-Travel I rish tourism organisations joined Tourism Ireland in Spain for this year’s B-Travel fair, one of the largest holiday shows in the Catalonia region. The event proved to be an excellent platform for the authority to highlight ease of access to Ireland from that part of Spain with direct flights from Barcelona to Dublin, Cork and Belfast, as well as services from nearby Girona to Dublin and Knock. “2014 was the strongest year ever for visitors to Ireland from Spain and we are undertaking another busy programme of promotions throughout [this year], to keep the momentum going and build on that growth,” commented Barbara Wood, manager, Spain, Tourism Ireland. EVENTS EUROPEAN SPORT TOURISM SUMMIT Limerick, Ireland May 14 – 15 www.sporttourismsummit.ie An international conference, awards ceremony, industry expert sessions and networking opportunities will all be part of the event. REGION TOUR EXPO Trenčín, Slovakia May 15 – 16 www.expocenter.sk A joint event showcasing both Slovak and Czech regions, held under the auspices of Ján Počiatek, transport, construction and regional development minister, Slovakia. IMEX Frankfurt, Germany May 19 – 21 www.imex-frankfurt.com A one-stop-shop for planners looking to book and organise worldwide meetings, events and incentive travel programmes. FRANCE AIR EXPO New York Celebrates Earth Day I New York 24 n celebration of Earth Day, NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organisation, recognised several attractions, restaurants and hotels that lead in green initiatives around the city. Also, a panel discussion was held on sustainability at Tavern on the Green in Central Park with speakers from the Broadway Green Alliance, Con Edison, Department of Sanitation, Empire State Building, InterContinental New York Barclay and Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. “New York City has long been at the forefront of sustainability efforts among major cities around the world,” said Fred Dixon, president, NYC & Company. Lyon, France June 04 – 06 www.franceairexpo.com Pilots, flying club directors and general aviation professionals are expected to travel to Lyon. 10 MAY 2015