News

Europe contributes 30% to global Travel & Tourism GDP says WTTC.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, released its comprehensive Cities Report for 2019 , which reveals Europe directly contributes $830BN (30%) to the global Travel & Tourism GDP. The three fastest growing cities of those analysed are all located in Europe: Antalya’s direct Travel & Tourism GDP grew 15.7% and Istanbul’s close behind at 15.5%.Furthermore, following the Turkish cities, Moscow was third, growing 13.7% last year, on the back of the FIFA World Cup last year. International spending showed especially strong growth in Moscow, growing 20.5%. The Cities Report shows these 73 cities account for $691 billion in direct Travel & Tourism GDP, which represents 25% of the sector’s direct global GDP and accounts for over 17 million jobs. Revenues from international visitors will in some cases pay for city infrastructure projects, the provision of public workers and services that improve the quality of life for residents. European cities are more reliant on international tourism than cities from the other regions analysed within the report. Seven out of the top 10 cities ranked for the reliance on international visitor spend were located within Europe, with Dublin and Dubrovnik both showing over 95% of Travel & Tourism spending relying on international visitors. WTTC President & CEO, Gloria Guevara said: “European cities have been and will continue to be of critical importance to the Travel & Tourism sector. This wide-reaching report has shown the ongoing growth and contribution of European cities, and the importance the Travel & Tourism sector has on communities and offers further examples in areas such as best practices for sustainable growth, resilience and destination stewardship.”

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Canada Could Be JetBlue’s Next International Destination.

JetBlue Airways could be expanding into the Great North.In a filing last week, the airline said it was “considering” adding service to Canada, according to The Points Guy, after Canadian airline WestJet has proposed a partnership with Delta Air Lines. While Delta claimed the deal would decrease competition at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, airlines including JetBlue, Southwest and Alaska Airlines filed with the Department of Transportation (DOT), pushing the organizer to place conditions on the partnership. The airlines are petitioning for the DOT to rule against an exclusive WestJet/Delta partnership. However, Delta and WestJet say that the partnership could open up six new routes, including Chicago to Toronto, FlightGlobal reported. The DOT has given airlines until December 23 to reply to JetBlue’s filing. After that time, they will make a decision about the proposed partnership at LaGuardia, which could affect JetBlue’s (potential) expansion into Canada. Earlier this year, the airline announced its transatlantic service to London (from the east coast) would begin in 2021. And this month, JetBlue announced its longest flight: a 6.5-hour trip from New York City to Guayaquil, Ecuador, known as the “gateway to the Galapagos.”

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Travel Services Market in India 2020-2024 | Introduction of Low-Cost Airlines to Boost Growth

The travel services market in India is expected to post a CAGR of close to 19% during the period 2020-2024, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. The introduction of low-cost airlines has been a relief for travelers and holiday and tour package service providers. This has also encouraged companies from the SME business sector to opt for air travel for business trips. Thus, the growing investments in the development and introduction of low-cost airlines are further expected to augment the travel services market in India during the forecast period. Online mode of booking accounted for the largest travel services market share in India during 2019. The segment will continue to dominate the market due to the extensive penetration and geographical reach of online travel providers including MakeMyTrip, IRCTC, Yatra, and TripAdvisor. Also, advantages such as secured transactions, convenient return policies, centralized customer service, multiple payment options, and 24/7 shopping convenience are expected to attract more and more customers to opt for online mode of booking in the upcoming years.

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Greater Noida’s India Expo Centre to host SATTE’s 27th edition from Jan 8.

The 27th edition of South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE), organised by Informa Markets in India (formerly UBM India), India's leading B2B (business-to-business) exhibition organiser, will take place at the India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi – NCR, between January 8 and 10, 2020. Over 1,050 exhibitors and buyers and travel professionals from over 50 countries and 104 Indian cities, are set to visit the show.The show equally offers platforms to players of the inbound, domestic and outbound markets. With a focus on building new business partnerships and announcements, the three-day expo promises to deliver and discuss current trends in the industry. With an exciting line-up of conferences, SATTE 2020 will host a series of sessions and workshops, presented and lead by high-profile speakers and industry stalwarts, covering topics from all aspects of the industry. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) representatives will present the first panel discussion on Global Economic Scenario and Tourism Trends on Day 1. Day 2 of the SATTE 2020 Conference will again be a Corporate Travel Day, powered by the Corporate Travel Community (CTC) that is set to organise two powerful sessions on Airline Programmes + NDC Education Forum and The Accommodation Outlook and Technology Innovations Education Forum. Apart from these, the Network of India MICE Agents (NIMA) will organise a set of five sessions and two workshops on MICE tourism. Speaking on the expectations from SATTE 2020, Yogesh Mudras, managing director, Informa Markets in India, said, “Every year, we put in our best efforts to make SATTE bigger, and this year, we aim to reach new milestones with the continued support from our exhibitors and partner countries and states.”

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Eilat in Israel becomes first to ban disposables on beaches.

Eilat has become the first city in Israel to ban disposables on beaches. The southernmost city of Israel took the brilliant decision to save the Red Sea from more plastic dumping. With this decision, beach lovers won’t be allowed to carry disposable items on the beach. This applies to any item made using plastic, cardboard, paper or even aluminium. The city has put a ban on selling these items at kiosks or restaurants in proximity to the sea or on the shore. The bylaw still needs approval by the interior ministry before taking effect. The proposed fine for offenders is up to 730 Shekels (INR 14835). Maya Jacobs from an environmental NGO has dedicated her life towards the protection of Israel's seas and rivers. She praised the city’s move and called it a “groundbreaking” step. We all are well aware of the situation that coral populations across the globe is going through. Because of bleaching and global warming, the coral is dying everywhere. However, the situation here at the northern Red Sea has been stable given its unique heat resistance. Thus, it needs to be protected all the more.

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Uttarakhand to provide more facilities for pilgrims visiting Kedarnath.

Uttarakhand government has chalked out a plan to provide more facilities to pilgrims visiting Kedarnath shrine. The work will start next year and estimates of Rs 150 Crore have been planned out from corporate social responsibility funds said Dilip Jawalker, secretary tourism, Uttarakhand. Facilities will include tourist lounge, facilitation center, a small hospital and waiting lounges, changing rooms along with well-equipped toilets. The shrine town will also have a public address system which will be used inform the pilgrims about the history and importance of all important areas in Kedarpuri and regulate the crowd in the temple. The road from Bhim Bali to Kedarnath would be reconstructed which will have facilities for the pilgrims travelling to the temple. Work has been on in the holy town to transform it with facilities squaring to smart city. The reconstruction is said to directly monitored by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reconstruction of the holy town is said to be his 'Dream Project' which is said to have 'state-of-the-art' facilities.

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