Holiday & Travel

Qatar Airways continues to expand its portfolio of strong, globally strategic partnerships by signing an expanded code-share agreement with Oman Air that will boost connectivity and provide more flexible travel options for both airline’s customers. The expanded code-share agreement is the first step in further strengthening strategic cooperation between the two airlines that first began in 2000. Sales of the additional destinations will commence in 2021.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are pleased to further expand our code-share cooperation with Oman Air, one of the leading airlines in the Gulf region. Now more than ever, it is important to strengthen strategic partnerships across the industry to optimise our operations and provide seamless connectivity to hundreds of destinations across the globe for our passengers. Since 2000, both airlines have seen the benefits that commercial cooperation has brought, providing our passengers with unrivalled service and more flexibility to travel when they want. I look forward to further strengthening our commercial cooperation with Oman Air to provide even more benefits to our customers.”

Oman Air Chief Executive Officer Mr. Abdulaziz Al Raisi, said: “We are delighted to expand our commercial cooperation with Qatar Airways, which will streamline flying for leisure travellers from around the world to enjoy Oman's culture, scenic beauty and hospitality, and facilitate travel for those who visit the Sultanate of Oman for abundant, fast-growing business opportunities across a diverse range of sectors. The expansion of our code-share agreement is just the first step, and we look forward to working with Qatar Airways to further strengthen our strategic partnership to enhance the business and leisure travel experience for our customers in Oman and throughout the world.”

The code-share expansion will significantly increase the number of destinations available to Oman Air passengers from three to 65* on the Qatar Airways’ network across Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, India, and the Middle East. Qatar Airways passengers will also benefit from additional connectivity, with the ability to book travel on an additional six destinations across Africa and Asia in Oman Air’s network. Both airlines will also explore a number of joint commercial and operational initiatives to further optimise their partnership.

Qatar Airways’ strategic investment in a variety of fuel-efficient, twin-engine aircraft, including the largest fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft, has enabled it to continue flying throughout this crisis and perfectly positions it to lead the sustainable recovery of international travel.

The airline recently took delivery of three new state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, increasing its total A350 fleet to 52 with an average age of just 2.6 years. Due to COVID-19’s impact on travel demand, the airline has grounded its fleet of Airbus A380s as it is not environmentally justifiable to operate such a large, four-engine aircraft in the current market.

Qatar Airways has also recently launched a new programme that enables passengers to voluntarily offset the carbon emissions associated with their journey at the point of booking.

The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its network, which currently stands at over 110 destinations with plans to increase to 129 by the end of March 2021. A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite.

The Qsuite seat layout is a 1-2-1 configuration, providing passengers with the most spacious, fully private, comfortable and social distanced Business Class product in the sky. It is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted ‘Skytrax Airline of the Year’ title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.

Jamaica has welcomed the arrival of the first direct flight from Nigeria, opening up new tourism opportunities for the Caribbean destination.

Onboard, Nigeria minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said Jamaica could be “the next big thing” for travellers from the African country. Around 140 passengers were on board the first flight, which touched down at Sangster International Airport.

“We really expect to see tourism take off in a big way,” said Onyeama, “we believe that Jamaica is the next big thing for us as far as tourism is concerned.”

In turn, Jamaica minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett, lauded the historic arrival of the flight.

In stressing its significance, he said: “Historical and cultural ties between Nigeria and Jamaica date back to the days of slavery and many Jamaicans today have their ancestral roots in that African country.”

He added: “We have been working together to bring this to fruition for some time and I am pleased that we have opened yet another gateway, which provides scope for the added growth of our tourism sector and the forging of greater bonds between both countries.”

The U.S. Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism has cautioned that while a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine is on the horizon, protocols and guidelines implemented to protect lives and livelihoods in the Territory should not slacken. Speaking on a recent Condé Nast Traveler virtual panel discussion, Commissioner Joseph Boschulte said while he understood the real effects of pandemic fatigue, “we're getting closer to the finish line with a vaccine and we've done so well for nine months; we don't want to mess it up in the last three or four months.”

Maintaining a heightened state of vigilance is essential since the lion’s share of the Territory’s visitors arrive from the United States mainland, where the number of daily new COVID-19 cases continues to rise in many states. Addressing participants during the “New Standards in Safety and Health” online session, the tourism leader highlighted a recent partnership with American Airlines which enables travelers to be tested before boarding, allowing them to comply with the Territory’s five-day window for being tested, receiving test results and submitting results through an online portal.

The pre-flight testing option, which is conducted via an at-home sample collection kit, is critical because it was increasingly difficult for travelers to get test results back on time: “So any way that we can allow the testing to happen and happen quickly is important.” COVID-19 testing requirements for traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands require that prospective travelers aged five or older submit travel details, contact information and coronavirus test results to a secure, online Travel Screening Portal. “It's all about making sure we have the data to ensure that if there is an unfortunate situation, when somebody is positive, we can reach out to them, contact trace, and isolate anybody that is positive so that we avoid community contamination,” the Commissioner commented.

Ensuring the health and safety not only of visitors, but also of the Territory’s residents remains one of the highest priorities for the Department of Tourism. Commissioner Boschulte believes that especially in times of crisis, being responsible for one another is crucial. “Everybody has to make sure that everybody is being personally responsible to not only themselves, but to everybody around them,” he noted. As the pandemic has progressed over the past months, the Department of Tourism has observed that, increasingly, visitors want to vacation privately. “One of the biggest trends we've seen with people is that they really want to stay away from other people, and they are willing to pay a premium for that.

“So instead of going on a catamaran with 25 other people, they'll go on their own smaller excursion on a powerboat with just their family,” said Commissioner Boschulte.

The increasing prevalence of remote work and tighter social distancing measures has created a new travel trend; instead of working from home, wellness enthusiasts are taking holidays abroad where they can work remotely while pursuing healthy activities. Health and Fitness Travel, the wellness holiday specialists, has seen an increase in new bookings for clients who want to leave the living room and carry on working remotely from a luxury destination.

The rise in popularity is with good reason as studies suggest that productivity is enhanced; many destinations like St Lucia and Madeira are safer havens from COVID-19; both work and personal life become more flexible. As the winter intensifies and recent lockdowns mean those that can are once more working from home, with this we can only expect the work wellnesscation trend to continue to grow. The lead up to Christmas and January in particular is likely to be popular as remote working from holiday can be supplemented with annual leave for an even better getaway experience.

Out of the many possible retreats for remote work, Mindful Triathlon™ holidays are particularly popular with health-conscious, remote workers as they offer an entirely flexible programme which covers all aspects of health: activeness, mindfulness and wellness.

Clients can engage with their health and fitness programme which is built around their work schedule with these super flexible holidays. They can attend morning or evening activities, spa treatments and personal training scheduled around their working day. Mindful Triathlon holidays provide the variety and flexibility necessary for a work wellnesscation.

St Lucia, Turks & Caicos and other Caribbean destinations are popular for their sparce population, secluded luxury resorts and sunny winter climates. Dubai, Croatia, Estonia and Barbados are also attracting remote workers as they offer ‘digital nomad visas’. These new visas allow people to spend up to a year at a holiday destination while working remotely. Within these countries, resorts which offer villas are the most popular as this style of accommodation is ideal for those looking to work remotely and maintain their social distance from others. Work Wellnesscations are not exclusively to these destinations as they can be taken anywhere visa and restriction permitting with strong Wi-fi and a good phone signal.

The phenomenon is likely to have a lasting impact on a variety of industries, not just travel. With a higher number of remote workers, demand for office space will be smaller. Public transport may suffer a substantially reduced revenue due to a lack of commuting. Air pollution and congestion in major cities may decrease substantially with fewer people working in urban centres. Work Wellnesscations may be a much-needed revitalisation of the wellness travel industry with a post-lockdown boom in the length of average stay and a rise in the number of guests. All of this is indicative of a radical change in the UK’s work and holiday culture. As more people leave the office and begin remote work, there will be a substantially large group looking abroad, a season at a time, for new healthier lifestyles.

As the pandemic continues on around the globe and many borders remain tight or completely closed to foreign travellers, tourism industries are feeling the pinch—but two of its major players have found a way to navigate through this tough time.

Back in April, home-sharing giant Airbnb pivoted slightly during the pandemic and began virtual versions of its Experiences portfolio with their new Online Experiences offerings, a move that aimed to give hungry travellers a taste of travel while also helping to support struggling tourism providers large and small around the globe. In August, Airbnb partnered with NYC's famous Broadway theatre district to help create a collection of virtual experiences that bring the theatre to fans through cast meet-and-greets, sing-a-longs, story times, and more.

Now, Airbnb has teamed up with the Singapore Tourism Board to help travelers immerse themselves in the Lion City's unique culture and tourism offerings without ever leaving their homes.

This new partnership, which was announced on Oct. 21, highlights Singapore as a top Online Experiences destination, giving the country a first-of-its-kind dedicated Singapore Virtual Trips page on Airbnb's website, where guests can easily book affordable “trips” to Singapore and experience everything “from Michelin-starred heritage fusion to crazy rich experiences” hosted by top-notch Singaporean tourism operators. 

“I have personally enjoyed Airbnb’s Singaporean cooking Experiences and know that such Experiences unlock new ways to discover Singapore through its greatest natural resource—its people,” Chris Lehane, Airbnb's Senior Vice President of Policy and Communications, in a statement. “And it is through using the Airbnb platform to showcase the incredible people of Singapore to the world that, working in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board, we can help support the recovery of international tourism.” 

Current virtual offerings include a bingo-themed exploration through Singapore, a visit to one of the city's unique Peranakan homes, cocktail and cooking classes, a guided sound bath meditation, and a sustainability-focused tour at the Cloud Forest in Gardens by the Bay.

“This is an exciting new way for Gardens by the Bay to continue to delight people, enabling us to connect with friends and fans around the world,” said Online Experience host Chad Davis, who is also Deputy Director of the Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay. “I look forward to sharing my passion for our Cloud Forest and helping virtual visitors rediscover the region’s most extraordinary cooled conservatory through this unique virtual format.”   

The two organizations are planning to expand the partnership to include in-person Airbnb Experiences that will immerse travellers in local dining, nature, wellness, and arts experiences. The hope is that more and more local tourism businesses will be able to take their businesses online and offer virtual visits, ideally getting people psyched on visiting Singapore in the flesh—and maybe taking a ride on the world’s longest flight to get there—once borders reopen.

Travel rules have been relaxed for people arriving in England to work on poultry farms to ensure there is enough turkey available for Christmas dinners.

Seasonal workers from abroad can now start work straight away during their 14-day quarantine. The transport secretary said the new measures will ensure food producers can "keep up with the Christmas demand".

Industry groups had previously warned of turkey shortages without enough skilled workers to process the meat.

Under the new rules, seasonal staff must still self-isolate from the rest of the public for the first 14 days. To avoid any potential spread of coronavirus, they also have to form "cohorts", or live and work with a group of the same workers during their time in England. They will not be allowed to mix with other employees.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "Christmas dinner is the highlight of the year for many families and this year it will be particularly significant."

He added that the new measures would support businesses who "have faced unprecedented challenges from coronavirus".

The boss of the British Poultry Council (BPC) had urged the government to exempt seasonal workers from quarantine rules in October.

Richard Griffiths warned that 1,000 workers from the European Union were needed to stop Christmas supply from collapsing. He said he hoped that the new exemption would be "helpful" in the run-up to Christmas.

"Industry is determined to deliver Christmas to households across the nation. If the exemption helps us deliver a fantastic Christmas and helps our smaller seasonal producers out, then it can only be a good thing."

About 5,500 seasonal workers arrive on farms in England each year to help during the festive period, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The type of skills turkey production requires are not available among UK workers, the BPC has previously said.

Workers need to have been trained specifically in Watok - Welfare of Animals at Time of Killing - and licensed to kill or slaughter animals, which means holding a certificate of competence from the Food Standards Agency.

"The UK meat industry needs access to reliable skilled workers wherever they come from in order to keep the flow of food from our farms to our plates," said Tony Goodger of the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers. He added: "What we need now is a clear steer that the system will be in place much earlier in 2021 should we need it."

This year, all non-UK seasonal poultry workers are required to leave England by 31 December, at which point the exemption will no longer be in force.

Data from a leading travel insurance comparison site confirm that demand from U.S.-based travellers for visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands has increased significantly.

Based on all travel insurance policies purchased through Squaremouth.com between March 12 and October 19, 2020, for all future travel, the USVI experienced an increase of more than 200 percent compared to the same period in 2019.

“The analysis from Squaremouth.com corroborates not only the findings of Travelzoo’s survey of American travellers in August, which showed that the Territory is the destination those travellers would most like to visit in the Caribbean over the next two years, but it also lines up with our observations and key indicators of exceptionally strong demand from the U.S. mainland for travel to the USVI,” said Joseph Boschulte, Commissioner of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.

Heading into the winter season, as public health concerns and travel restrictions coming out of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continue to impact international travel, Americans are increasingly seeking options for exploring and experiencing domestic destinations, especially those that demonstrate a commitment to comprehensive health and safety protocols and guidelines. According to Squaremouth.com, the year-over-year change in purchases of travel insurance policies for the U.S. was 319%, while the U.S. Virgin Islands registered an increase of 207%.

“This is the first time the U.S. Virgin Islands has been identified as among the most popular destinations by this award-winning company, and we are deeply grateful to all our partners in the Territory’s tourism ecosystem - from hotel and tour operators to taxi drivers and the many entities engaged in our diverse marine tourism sector,” said Commissioner Boschulte.

The Commissioner also attributed the positive findings of the data analysis to the Department of Tourism’s coordinated marketing, public relations and communications initiatives, which include promoting and supporting the Territory’s COVID-19 public health practices widely to both residents and visitors.

Alluding to the Department’s strategic approach to marketing the Territory during the global health crisis, Commissioner Boschulte noted: “We have been proactive and vigilant in maintaining close and constant contact with our airline partners, wholesalers, travel advisors and meeting planners and their associations, members of the media and travel trade, as well as the general traveling public.” 

Besides the USVI, other Caribbean destinations making Squaremouth’s list of Top 10 Destinations (and their corresponding change in travel insurance policies purchased) include: Turks and Caicos Islands (303%); The Bahamas (-32%); Jamaica (27%), and Aruba (2%). Several carriers are expected to increase air service to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Prior to traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, all travellers aged five or older must submit a COVID-19 test result through the USVI Travel Screening Portal to avoid processing delays, enhanced health screening upon arrival in the Territory, and/or mandatory self-quarantine.

The international travel trade showITB Berlin 2021 will be taking place next March in an entirely virtual format, providing the industry with an online platform for global networking, business and content.

Set to take place from March 9-12, ITB Berlin 2021 and the accompanying ITB Berlin Convention will be open to trade visitors only.

Explaining the move, David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin, said: “The situation surrounding the pandemic remains difficult, particularly for the travel and tourism industry. Our decision to hold ITB Berlin 2021 as an entirely virtual event now provides exhibitors and trade visitors with maximum planning certainty.”

He added: “The event will be highly relevant in terms of content. In these challenging times, business meetings, exchanging specialist information and orientation are of special value for the industry.”

Among other features, the virtual concept of ITB Berlin 2021 will include numerous live-streamed high-level panel discussions and lectures as well as digital networking opportunities, an intelligent matchmaking event and a virtual exhibition area. On November 16, ITB Berlin will provide further information on exhibitor and sponsorship packages, tickets and booking options.

People in parts of the UK with high rates of Covid-19 will be banned from travelling to Wales under plans announced by Wales' first minister.

Mark Drakeford said he would go ahead if the prime minister did not impose travel restrictions in England. It is expected the ban will cover all of Northern Ireland, England's tier two and three areas and the Scottish central belt.

The UK government said the decision was "disappointing". And the head of the Police Federation in Wales warned the rules could be "unenforceable".

"There will also be plenty of individuals travelling legitimately from areas which are not high risk, and this will only add to the other difficulties officers face when policing the existing regulations," Mark Bleasdale said.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she fully supported Mr Drakeford's move. She said she would write to the prime minister seeking urgent talks over UK-wide travel restrictions and called for a "sensible agreement" between the four nations.

Mr Drakeford had written twice in recent weeks to Boris Johnson asking for travel to be restricted in and out of areas with high levels of transmission in England.

The UK government has repeatedly refused to do so, instead asking people in the Liverpool City Region to avoid non-essential travel.

UK government ministers plan to write to Mr Drakeford to raise their concerns about the travel ban and some of the language being used. Mr Drakeford said: "Evidence from public health professionals suggests coronavirus is moving from east to west across the UK and across Wales.

"As a general rule, it is concentrating in urban areas and then spreading to more sparsely populated areas as a result of people travelling."

He said the law will be "essentially designed to prevent people going to those holiday parts of Wales, the far west and the far southwest of Wales, where the virus is still in very low circulation".

The rules are planned to come into force on Friday at 18:00 BST.

Travel to and from the 17 local lockdown areas in Wales - covering most of the population - is already restricted. People can already only travel to places like Cardiff or Swansea if they have a reasonable excuse like work or education.

But travel is possible between areas that are subject to restrictions in England and the parts of Wales not under lockdown rules, such as Powys and Pembrokeshire.

The Welsh Government's plans would effectively restrict travel to those places, and also cover anyone from a low-Covid area of Wales travelling to high-Covid areas elsewhere who then return to Wales. Similar exemptions will apply to those that exist for Welsh local lockdown areas. Enforcement details are not been confirmed but it is likely breaking the law could attract a fixed penalty notice, or a fine if it goes to court.

A Welsh Government source stressed fines would be a last resort.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says people should use their common sense when travelling around the UK.

The first minister said it was "absolutely possible" to enforce the ban, "we did exactly this for many many weeks earlier this year".

He warned anyone planning to "evade" a police officer "trying to prevent people from travelling onwards".

"When they arrive in the far west of Wales, I'm afraid they will meet a local population that are fearful, that are anxious and are on the lookout for people who shouldn't be in those areas.

"So your difficulties aren't over by evading the police, there'll be other checks in the system."

Midcounties Co-operative, one of the UK’s largest independent consumer co-operatives, has finalised an agreement with award-winning, independent travel agency, Carrick Travel to transfer seven of its branches to the society’s retail travel division, Co-operative Travel.

The agreement sees the Carrick Travel branch in Cheylesmore, West Midlands and all colleagues employed there, join Co-operative Travel, effective 2 October 2020. The move takes the society’s portfolio of Co-operative Travel shops across England to 78.

Located at 161 Daventry Road in Cheylesmore, the travel agency remains open to customers and will complement Co-operative Travel’s existing West Midlands branches.

The shop will continue to trade as Carrick Travel but will be part of the Co-operative Travel family. 

Rad Sofronijevic, Chief Operating Officer of Co-operative Travel, said: “Despite the challenges of Covid-19, Travel remains core to Midcounties’ long-term strategy. The transfer of Carrick Travel gives us the opportunity to grow the Co-operative Travel operations for the benefit of our members, with shops that are located in the heart of their communities and to serve an additional customer base that complements our own.

“We look forward to nurturing and supporting the former Carrick Travel branches and their staff. Their welcome addition will strengthen the position of Midcounties Co-operative’s Travel division for the future”.

Eight-time winner of Travel Weekly’s “Agent Achievement Award for Central England - Small Agency”, Carrick Travel’s shops supported 10,000 customers with their travel arrangements over the last 12 months.

Tina Nason and Tracey Carter, owners of Carrick Travel, who will not be joining those staff transferring to Co-operative Travel, as part of the agreement, said: “It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to Carrick Travel. However, we are incredibly happy that the journeys of our valued customers and many of our talented colleagues will continue under Co-operative Travel. The protection of our staff and clients has always been our highest priority. By agreeing a transfer with The Midcounties Co-operative, particularly with the security that being part of a diverse business provides during these tough times in travel, we are ensuring the protection of our clients and as many of our colleagues’ jobs as possible.

“We have operated Carrick Travel very much as a family business with our stores playing an important role in the communities they serve. Co-operative Travel’s community-focused mindset and principles of care and compassion match our own ethos and we know that our team members and clients will be passed into very safe hands.”

The seven branches that have transferred to Co-operative Travel are in Kenilworth (Warwickshire), Stratford Upon Avon (Warwickshire), Leamington Spa (Warwickshire), Cheylesmore (West Midlands), Pershore (Worcestershire), Grantham (Lincolnshire) and Newark (Nottinghamshire).  The four Carrick Travel branches that are not included in the transfer agreement closed their doors at the end of September 2020.

In line with the calibrated resumption of economic activities in Singapore, safe cruises will be piloted from November 2020 with enhanced safety protocols for two cruise lines that are homeported here. To provide assurance for safe cruising, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is developing a mandatory CruiseSafe certification programme, which sets out stringent hygiene and safety measures throughout the passenger journey – from prior to boarding, to after disembarkation.

The safety and well-being of our local community, as well as passengers and crew remain the top priority. In light of this, the pilot cruises will be:

       round-trips with no ports of call;

       sailing at a reduced capacity of up to 50 percent; and

       only open to Singapore residents

To allow time to review the operationalisation of enhanced safety protocols, the pilot cruises will start from 6 November with Genting Cruise Lines’ World Dream. Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas will begin sailing in December.

The Government will monitor the outcomes of the pilot sailings carefully in the coming months before deciding on the next steps for cruises.

STB’s CruiseSafe was created in consultation with the industry and is benchmarked against global health and safety standards. Singapore is one of the first countries in the world to develop and implement a mandatory audit and certification programme for cruise lines before they can commence sailings.

Prior to sailing, all cruise lines sailing out of Singapore must obtain the CruiseSafe certification, which requires independent assessment by a third-party certification firm. Genting Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International are in the process of attaining the certification. They were approved for the pilot as they have demonstrated the ability to put in place stringent protocols and precautionary measures as part of their CruiseSafe certification.

The CruiseSafe standards include:

1.    Infection control measures at every stage of a passenger’s journey, including a mandatory COVID-19 test prior to boarding

2.    Strict and frequent cleaning and sanitisation protocols onboard

3.    Safe management measures aligned with prevailing national policy at the time of sailing

4.    Ensuring 100 per cent fresh air throughout the ship

5.    Reducing ship capacity to enable sufficient safe distancing

6.    Setting up onboard measures to discourage close contact and inter-mingling between groups

7.    Emergency response plans for incidents relating to COVID-19

As part of CruiseSafe, the pilot cruises will have to comply with prevailing safe management measures, such as mask-wearing and 1m-safe distancing. To ensure compliance, regular inspections will be conducted on board during the pilots. Cruise lines that are found to be non-compliant will be subjected to penalties including fines, suspension of sailings and revocation of CruiseSafe certification.

The crew on pilot cruises are subjected to stringent measures beyond Singapore’s prevailing requirements for cross-border travel. For example, the crew who need to enter Singapore to serve on board the pilot cruises must first undergo 14 days isolation in their home country and must test negative for COVID-19 before their departure to Singapore. They will be tested on arrival in Singapore, serve a 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) in Singapore, and will undergo another test at the end of their SHN. Once sailings begin, all crew members will also be routinely tested.

As the lead coordinator for cruise in ASEAN, Singapore aims to set a benchmark for the future of cruising in the region with the development of CruiseSafe standards. Singapore also remains confident of the long-term potential of cruising. Given our cruise industry’s strong fundamentals, we expect cruise performance to rebound when international travel recovers.

“This cruise pilot is a valuable opportunity for cruise operators to reinvent the entire cruise experience in order to regain the confidence of passengers. As ASEAN’s lead coordinator for cruise development, Singapore remains committed to supporting and growing cruise tourism in the region. We will continue to work with cruise lines and our industry stakeholders to chart a new course for safe cruising,” said Mr Keith Tan, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board.

To prepare for the eventual recovery of the cruise industry, STB has also partnered Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and Travel Weekly Asia to hold a series of training webinars for regional travel agents under the ambit of CruiseWorld Asia 2020^]. Travel agents are key to the industry, accounting for about 80 per cent of cruise packages sold in the region. The trainings will take place in October and focus on strengthening consumers’ confidence to cruise again by raising awareness of cruise lines’ enhanced sanitisation measures on-board and rebuilding the demand for cruise.

The Covid-19 crisis has disproportionately affected tourism, a sector that accounts for millions of jobs around the globe. While no one can say with certainty when tourism will recover, people are starting to dream again of getaways whether closer to home or to remote destinations.

As more and more people go online to search where and when they can travel, accelerating the digitalization of the tourism sector will be key to adapting to the new tourism reality.

That is why the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Google have partnered for an online Acceleration Program for UNWTO Member States' tourism ministers, top travel associations and tourism boards to further develop innovation and digital transformation skills.

Ahead of World Tourism Day, the first UNWTO & Google Tourism Acceleration Program took place, focusing on insights from South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. Tourism is the backbone of many economies around the world. As data from UNWTO shows, tourism represents 9% of global trade for Africa and 1 in 10 jobs directly and indirectly. Moreover, the sector drives inclusive growth, as women make 54% of the workforce.

Natalia Bayona, UNWTO Director of Innovation, Digital Transformation and Investments, said: "UNWTO is committed to helping Africa grow back stronger. With the right policies, training and management in place, innovation and technology have the potential to foster new and better jobs and business opportunities for tourism in Africa while improving the overall wellbeing and prosperity of the region".

Africa is home to 30% of the world’s population, adding every year hundreds of millions of new online users. Google is a highly trusted partner in Africa to find relevant and reliable information, and Search is one of the places they go when researching and booking travel.

Google’s Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Emerging Market, Doron Avni, said: "We’re here to help the tourism sector rise up from this unprecedented crisis and emerge stronger.

“Our travel data insights and tools can help tourism authorities identify and understand the barriers and drivers to visit travel destinations for better tourism planning."

The president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) welcomed the focus of World Tourism Day this year on the important, but often overlooked, linkages between tourism and rural development.

Applauding the World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) celebration of tourism’s essential role in providing opportunities beyond major urban centres, Patricia Affonso-Dass noted that many of the Caribbean’s rural areas have benefited from tourism’s development and are now challenged with working together to revitalize tourism, as their communities have been particularly hard hit by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The Caribbean is replete with examples of how tourism has been key to the development of rural communities. Many of our hotels in rural areas are major generators for other economic activity in their communities beyond the creation of jobs at the resorts,” said Affonso-Dass.

“These hotels have spawned a range of businesses and jobs which otherwise would not exist without tourism, including new attractions, ground transportation services, restaurants, musicians and entertainment providers, fishermen, farmers, and other support services for hotels. 

"As tourism-generated dollars circulate from visitor spending and employee earnings, they in turn support the grocery stores, petrol stations, banks, insurance companies, and public services that help to build and maintain roads, utilities, sanitation facilities, health clinics, police and fire securities, and other infrastructure which is so essential to rural development,” she added. 

The tourism leader optimistically reflected that the slowdown of visitor arrivals to the Caribbean due to the pandemic was a golden opportunity for the region to invest in showcasing the beauty, diversity and productivity of rural areas through the development of more agricultural tourism offerings, which help to preserve and promote history and culture.

“The beauty of our coasts, beaches, reefs, and seas is well known but we should support and highlight the potential of our inland farming communities to feed and sustain not only our residents, but also the formal tourism sector, and encourage visitors to experience the simple joys of Caribbean country life through agritourism,” Affonso-Dass urged.

The CHTA leader believes the economic benefit to territories and countries is another strong argument for supporting the rural environs: “While we have made real headway in recent years integrating local produce into hotel and restaurant menus, we need to continue and streamline this effort by working with farmers to strengthen critical supply chain challenges and implementing virtual clearing houses that would allow farmers to know what products are needed in what quantities, at what standard and in what timeframes so that they can maximize the value from their production. This way we all benefit and our visitors can enjoy a real taste of our distinctive regional flavours while giving our farmers, large and small, more sustainable livelihoods.”

UNWTO has reported that young people have been especially hard hit by the pandemic, with youth in rural communities three times more likely to be unemployed than older adults, making rural tourism an important social adhesive.

“Supporting tourism recovery and strengthening its linkages to the rural areas would allow our young people to remain and earn a sustainable living in their beloved lands rather than migrating within their home countries or abroad,” observed Affonso-Dass.

Indeed, she pointed to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ statement that for rural communities, indigenous peoples and many other historically marginalized populations, tourism has been a vehicle for integration, empowerment and income generation.

The CHTA president emphasized that rural communities were typically much less prepared to deal with the short- and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. “This is due to several factors, such as aging populations, the difficulty in sustaining durable livelihoods and the difficulty and cost of developing and maintaining efficient and reliable communication so they can quickly identify the food needs of consumers. And, we totally agree with the UNWTO that tourism offers a solution to all of these challenges,” she said.

World Tourism Day 2020 was celebrated by UNWTO’s member states on September 27, 2020, as well as by cities and other destinations and private sector organizations and individual travellers. 

It comes as the world continues to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Specialist travel insurance comparison site, Medical Travel Compared has analysed which 2021 holiday destinations those in the West Midlands have been searching for on Google and identified that the far-flung aspirational beach settings of The Maldives is the most searched for.

There is a clear north vs. south divide when you compare the preferred dream beach location, with those in the North of the UK and Northern Ireland picking Mexico as the most wanderlust-worthy destination, while searches for The Maldives dominate in the south.

The UK’s most searched-for holiday destinations for 2021:

1. The Maldives
2. Mexico
3. Bali
4. Dubai
5. Thailand
6. Turkey
7. Barbados
8. Greece
9. Jamaica
10. Cuba

A survey of over 3,000 UK travellers conducted by the travel insurer earlier this year found that four in five of us (83%) feel optimistic about travel next year and it’s clear to see Brits are using this time in lockdown to research next year’s aspirational getaway.

Tommy Lloyd, Chief Product Officer at Medical Travel Compared comments: “As a nation we’ve seen a huge rise in demand for staycations since the Coronavirus pandemic, but our research reveals that people are longing to experience the world. It’s great to see that travel confidence for 2021 is high and Britons haven’t lost their wanderlust despite the various lockdown and quarantine measures currently in place.

“Our research shows that Brits are keen to visit destinations that are not currently on the UK’s quarantine travel-free list. We ask the British Government reviews travel guidance for all destinations to see if any countries on the long-haul list can be added safely.”

British tour operator Thomas Cook is back and this time around with a different business model.

They re-launched on Wednesday as an online-only venture, one year after a collapse that left hundreds of thousands of travellers stranded.

The company has reinvented itself as a digital booking platform as the coronavirus pandemic continues to hobble global demand for travel.

Its new website caters only to "quarantine-free destinations" from the United Kingdom, such as Corfu, Cyprus and Rome.

Thomas Cook went bust last September, leaving 600,000 travellers grounded and wiping out thousands of jobs. The company's previous business was centred on selling flights on its own airline, along with hotel rooms, from brick-and-mortar stores.

The 179-year-old brand was acquired in November by Fosun Tourism, a Chinese company that also owns Club Med.

Its chair and CEO Qian Jiannong said that the brand's British revival followed the launch of another online platform for Thomas Cook in China.

In a statement he said: "As one of the world's leading tourism and leisure groups, the group values Thomas Cook's 180 years' heritage and global brand influence."

"Supporting the growth of the brand in China and its relaunch in the UK is a big step in our plan to turn Thomas Cook into a global success story."

U.S. travellers to the Caribbean can breathe easier thanks to a new partnership between the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) and Trip Mate, offering travel protection if the unexpected happens with a visit booked at participating member hotels.

Trip Mate, one of the global leaders in administering protection to travellers and hotels, will now lock arms with CHTA so that member hotels can offer a comprehensive Travel Protection Plan for covered cancellations, interruptions, delays, baggage mishaps and medical situations that may arise during a guest’s trip.   

Frank Comito, CEO and Director General of CHTA, noted that “people planning travel during these unprecedented times are concerned about the unpredictable, but their worries may be eased with coverage under our CHTA Member Exclusive Travel Protection Plan.” 

He said the plan helps to protect guests as well as the health of hotel revenues, and comes at a time when more travellers are looking for added assurances to protect themselves before they take to the skies.

CHTA's Travel Protection Plan covers a guest's hotel booking (non-refundable expenses paid for the portion of a hotel booking that goes unused) and additional transportation expenses if a guest needs to interrupt his or her trip due to a covered reason, which includes sickness. As with medical expense coverage, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related illnesses are included.

The Travel Protection Plan is available to members of both CHTA as well as national and local hotel associations. Properties that are not CHTA members can also take advantage of the offer for a limited time. The plan is applicable only to U.S. citizens or residents.

Comito emphasized that hotels which are not currently offering opt-in traveler insurance to further support their cancellation policies are missing an opportunity to generate more business, as consumers are increasingly looking for added assurances.

A recent survey by Oracle and Skift reveals that with so much uncertainty ahead, consumers are also demanding flexible cancellation and refund policies, which travel insurance helps to address. 

The tourism chief also noted that due to the pandemic, “a growing number of countries throughout the world, including several in the Caribbean, now require travel protection to enter their country.”

He said the plan provides both guests and hosts “a way to protect your investment when it comes to travel planning.”