Tripadvisor quietly tests consumer-to-travel agent service Reco

 Tripadvisor over the last few months, work has commenced on a new platform to connect consumers to "travel designers" who will plan and book their trip.

The service, known as Reco, works on both desktop and via a smartphone app for Apple devices, giving travelers access to a portfolio of agents for a $199 fee each time.

Travelers select dates for a trip, length of stay, type (getaway, festival, reunion, cruise, etc.), budget range, interests and "vibe" (romantic, spiritual, chill, etc.) and then Reco offers a range of matches to agents with expertise in those areas.

For More Information Click Below:

www.phocuswire.com/Tripadvisor-Reco-travel-agent-platform

‘My Shimla Hotel Is Ghosted, No Respite For Industry in Unlock 1’

Key Take Away

The Himachal government has asked hotels to open from 8 June but only for locals within Himachal state business travel. No tourists are allowed to enter Himachal Pradesh or be entertained in hotels.

Children below 10 and people above 65 will not be allowed into the state. The cost of compliance with the new SOP norms by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is huge.

 The unified representation of 18 hotel associations of Himachal Pradesh has conveyed to the state government that they will not open till end-August or September.

For More Information click below:

www.thequint.com/my-report/coronavirus-impact-tourism-industry-losses-shimla-himachal-pradesh

Maldives brings forward reopening date to July

Key Take Away

"We are planning to reopen our borders for visitors in July 2020," read an official statement issued by the Ministry of Tourism on May 30.

To ensure safety, the government says it is issuing a "Safe Tourism License" to accredit tourist facilities that abide by government legislation and specific safety requirements like having a certified medic on call and holding an "adequate stock" of personal protection equipment.

Travelers will also need to take steps. They'll be required to present a medical certificate confirming proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken at least 14 days before they arrive.

For More Information

www-cnn-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cnn.com/travel/amp/maldives-reopening-july/index.html

Cyprus offers to cover cost of holidays affected by Coronavirus

Key Take Away

The battle to lure tourists to the Mediterranean is hotting up with Cyprus declaring it will go one step further than its competitors, footing the bill for anyone whose holiday is ultimately ruined by a coronavirus.

The only bills the Greek Cypriot government will not cover are those for repatriation flights and taxis to airports.

Cypriot authorities are demanding that, initially, visitors carry health certificates proving they have tested negative for Covid-19 at least three days before departure

For More Information

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/29/cyprus-cover-cost-holidays-affected-by-coronavirus-covid-19

Maldives Conducts Webinars For Indian Market, Commences Campaign With Kayak

Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has conducted webinars for travel trade in India and  has commenced a campaign with an Indian travel agency Kayak from today till 22nd May 2020.In an effort to inspire travelers to keep dreaming about the destination.

India is one of the key source markets likely to be amongst the top post-pandemic tourists to the Maldives when traveling resumes once again. In January 2020, there were 13,846 tourist arrivals from this market which was a 19% increase when compared to the same period from last year.

These sessions were held to train potential travel agencies and tour operators to yield the maximum business and achieve a greater reach in the market. The webinars by MMPRC also aim to lead engagement in promoting the Maldives and answer destination FAQs over the course of the lockdown.

Till date, these webinars have reached over 302 pax from tour operators and travel agents in India such as Ease My Trip, SOTC Travel Ltd, Travel Triangle and Vacations Exotica to name a few.

The joint campaign with Kayak will have ads depicting ‘Visit Maldives…later’ displayed throughout the website. The messaging in the campaign is intended to encourage visitors to travel to the Maldives once the pandemic has been overcome.

World Tourism Organization Underscores Tourism’s Importance for COVID-19 Recovery in Audience with the King of Spain

The Spanish Head of State was briefed on the global response being led by the UNWTO at the audience, which acknowledged the importance of the tourism sector for economic and social recovery in the face of the pandemic.

During the audience, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili stressed the urgency of mustering a coordinated political response at the international level, as well as a real commitment to support tourism, a sector that accounts for 10% of jobs worldwide.

The COVID-19 crisis has coincided with the beginning of the Decade of Action, the countdown to the achievement of the 17 Goals deriving from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

According to the UNWTO’s figures, tourism accounts for 12% of the GDP of Spain, which in 2019 received nearly 84 million international tourists, whose expenditure amounted to 80 billion US dollars. In 2018, the country was the world’s number two destination in terms of both tourism arrivals and receipts. 

Today, tourism is among the hardest hit sectors due to COVID-19 and its consequences. The UNWTO estimates that international tourist arrivals worldwide this year could fall by as much as 30%, with a corresponding loss of international tourism receipts of up to 450 billion US dollars.

Lodging Partners Announces Sale of Residence Inn Durango

Lodging Partners, LLC, a member of Hotel Brokers International, announced the 66-guestroom Residence Inn located in Durango has sold to a regional owner/operator of premium-branded select-service hotels.

Lodging Partners along with HREC Investment Advisors represented the seller on this transaction. The marketing and negotiations were led by Ford Barton of Lodging Partners and Jeffrey Duni at HREC Investment Advisors.

Durango is considered to be an authentic Colorado town with a rich history and an endless supply of recreational activities, making it an exceptional tourist destination with diversified demand drivers. 

 The Hotel recently completed a major renovation of all guest rooms and public areas. The Hotel is in great physical condition and is well-positioned to capitalize on the market’s continued economic growth and expanding leisure demand.

"This is the second Marriott property that Lodging Partners has represented for the seller, and we were pleased to assist them in reaching their goals and objectives," said Ford Barton, Principal of Lodging Partners.

Delay of 2020 Olympics Devastating for Tokyo Lodging Industry

Major players based in the Japanese capital will be relieved that an Olympic cancellation has been avoided, but smaller operators will be unable to see a silver lining, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Ralph Hollister, Travel & Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Many smaller establishments that do not have the high cash reserves that their large-scale competitors possess needed the Olympics to occur this summer

“The closure of major attractions in Japan that encouraged a constant flow of guests such as Tokyo Disneyland, combined with China banning overseas trips, has created a severe lack of tourism in recent months. This lack of guests meant that many lodging operators had to place more reliance on revenues being boosted through a successful 2020 Olympics.”

Japanese lodging companies – especially hoteliers – were banking on a strong tourist year to compensate for significant capital investments. These high-value investments amid already flagging economic growth were made in the confidence that revenue generated from the Olympics would kick start financial return for stakeholders.

“Cash flow problems were becoming of great concern to many Japanese hotels that were starting to feel the impact of the economic slump. Some will simply not have the financial power to stay open in order to reap the financial rewards of Tokyo 2021.”

Raffles Udaipur to open by the end of 2020

Hannaford , Vice president, Commercial, Accor India and south Asia .He said, “For Accor India, we have two hotels in pipeline in 2020. In March, we launch the Grand Mercure Bengaluru at Gopalan Mall. In the last quarter, we will be launching the much-awaited Raffles Udaipur towards the end of the year.”

Other properties coming up in the next two-three years include Raffles Jaipur, Fairmont Mumbai Sahar, Novotel Mumbai International Airport, Novotel New Delhi City Centre, Novotel Bengaluru City Centre, Ibis Bengaluru Hebbal, Ibis Mumbai LBS Road, Ibis Mumbai CST Road and Ibis Styles Goa Vagator.

When asked to comment on India as a top source market for Accor, He said, “India is considered one of the most important markets and this is the reason we are introducing our iconic brand, Raffles here; and continue to launch multiple hotels every year.

“Indian guests spend on hospitality experiences and this is evident at the global level as well. In terms of hospitality, India is a sleeping giant and has a great potential to become one of the best countries for the travel and tourism sector.”

Hospitality sector calls for emergency Coronavirus support

Owners of hotels, nightclubs, bars and restaurants are calling on the government for emergency assistance as wave of customers cancel bookings as a precaution against contracting coronavirus.

Sales in restaurants and bars in London were down 7% in the past week according to trade body UK Hospitality. It said declines had been registered in cities such as Birmingham and Manchester. Some nightclub owners said they had seen as many as 30% of those who had already bought tickets for events last weekend decide to stay away. Usually such events would have less than 10% no shows

Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, which represents nightclubs, bars, live music venues and pubs, said advanced bookings for members were down by between 20% and 30% on average, with London particularly affected by a drop in tourist visitors

Moving into the next phase – delay – could see the introduction of “social distancing” measures, such as closing schools and halting mass gatherings.

Hospitality Will Match India's Robust Growth

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) pegs India at no. 3 out of 185 countries of the world in terms of the travel and tourism industry’s total contribution to GDP during 2018. Demand largely depends on business travelers but tourist traffic is also on the rise because of a plethora of distinct leisure experiences that India has to offer like adventure, wellness, spiritual and eco-tourism.

The rising middle-class and increasing disposable incomes continue to support the growth of domestic and outbound tourism.

Competition is fierce in metros and Tier-I cities, while supply is slowly growing in Tier-II and Tier-III cities

Challenges and Disruptors

• Shortage of supply in the budget and mid-market segment 

•  Technology, digital innovation, and automation 

• The satisfaction of a guest and being part of their individual universe

  Smart Everything

• Adoption of smart technology - from operations to guest experience to marketing

• Remote check-in/check-out processes, mobile room keys, and smart room service systems are all enhancing guest conveniences.

• It is used to reduce operational costs and exploit new sources of revenue

• They capture real-time data to track and optimize energy consumption

  .The Decade Ahead

•  The hospitality industry will be a key revenue and employment generator

• Supply will emerge in Tier-II, III and IV markets

• Tier III-IV markets would become more sensitive to branded hotels there will be an increase in leisure getaways

• In key metros and Tier-I cities, mixed-use development projects comprising hospitality, commercial, residential and retail components would become more popular

  The Fortune List

• The rising number of business travelers and millennials emphasizing work-life balance, there is a huge scope in the mid-scale segment

• Its emphasis will be on strengthening the brand by expanding its portfolio with the right partners in the right markets

Tourist visas in UAE will now be issued for a period of five years

Multiple-entry tourist visas will now be issued for five years earlier it was with a validity of 30 or 90 days for all nationalities being UAE as an international tourist destination, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum decided this so that the system of issuing tourist visa comes in a bid to support the UAE’s tourism economy, and establish the country’s position as a global tourist destination and it is also associated with the government’s wider plans to prepare the country for the next 50 years of development