News

The incredibly popular Scottish Highlands could now levy a tourism tax on visitors.

The Scottish Highlands could become the first place in the UK where a tourism tax is going to be introduced. So far, a tourism tax of 1 Pound has been approved by the Highland Council. The charge is being called a Transient Visitor Levy, or TVL. The reason for such a charge, or tourism tax, is to keep the villages and towns of the region in good condition. It has been estimated that the annual TVL amount could reach somewhere upto 10 million Pounds a year, and this money can then be used for the betterment of the towns and villages in the region. The tourism tax could begin from 2021. The Scottish Highland is heavily dependent on tourism, as it is evident from the numbers. Last year alone, some 6.5 million people visited the region; this could now change due to the tourism tax that is going to be implemented from 2021.

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Tourist Advice : Elephant rides considered ‘Unacceptable’.

UK’s largest association has now labelled direct contact between tourists and elephants which also includes riding and bathing them as ‘unaccpetable’. The Animal Welfare Guidelines has been update by Abta which remains applicable to all member tour operators and travel agents, Apart from outlawing elephant interaction without a barrier between animals and tourists, the association further categorized feeding great apes, bears, crocodiles, alligators, orca, and sloths as “unacceptable”. Along with this feeding, contact and walking with wild cats was also outlawed. In order to strengthen the guidelines for animals the association has since consulted with organization which includes World Animal Protection, Humane Society International, Born Free Foundation, World Cetacean Alliance, Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Julie Middelkoop, global campaigns lead at World Animal Protection said that the clear advice that it is unacceptable to use elephants for shows,rides, bathing or any other form of tourist contact without a barrier is a real breakthrough. Clare Jenkinson, Abta’s senior destinations and sustainability manager went on saying that Abta Members have led the way on animal welfare by implementing Abta’s guidelines for a number of years, and others in the industry from around the world use Abta’s guidelines as the basis for their animal welfare policies. There is an increased awareness of the damaging impact the tourism industry can have on animal welfare. Earlier, Trip Advisor had announced that it would stop selling tickets to attractions that use captive whales or dolphins.

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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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