Category: Latest Travel News

Glasgow, Scotland, UK, November 12, 2021  / TRAVELINDEX  / At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow today, Therme Group, a global developer and operator of state-of-the-art wellbeing destinations, signed heads of terms with Peel L&P for the location of its second UK project. On a waterfront site in central Glasgow, the project will be constructed on the Peel L&P 21.5-acre site adjacent to the Riverside Museum, at the intersection of the Kelvin and Clyde rivers.

Therme is aiming to submit a planning application for Therme Scotland to Glasgow City Council in 2022. Therme Scotland is expected to be around 320,000 sq ft in size and to cost around £100 million to build. It will include a next-generation indoor water park, extensive thermal pools and spa, and a health and wellbeing centre. Additional elements of the project also include a vertical farm, which will enable sustainable and locally grown, nutrient-rich fresh produce to be available to the millions of guests that will visit every year.

The inherent link between sustainability and wellbeing are at the heart of Therme, who work to enhance urban environments and deliver long term population health benefits. At Therme Scotland, in addition to the vertical farm and botanical gardens, the group is looking at how it can introduce renewable heat sources and is considering both geothermal energy and water source heat pumps.

The site is easily accessible to sustainable transport, being in close proximity to Partick interchange. Plans also include a bridge across the River Kelvin, linking the Riverside Museum to Therme Scotland and expanding access to the Glasgow waterfront. A second bridge will be built by Glasgow City Council over the River Clyde, between Govan and Partick which will enable access for all communities.

Therme Scotland will be Therme’s second wellbeing destination in the UK after the Therme Manchester £250+ million project, also on a site owned by Peel L&P. Therme’s unique city-based wellbeing resort concept has been highly successful in Europe for more than 20 years. The group is rolling out a global development programme, with active projects in cities around the world, including Toronto and Frankfurt.

Therme is driven by a vision of ‘wellbeing for all’, in part enabled by accessible entry price points. The group will work with local stakeholders to create schemes for people with health challenges and from all backgrounds to access Therme Scotland at reduced rates and experience the wellbeing benefits it brings. Located between the University of Glasgow, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the city centre, Therme Scotland will partner with academic experts on multi-disciplinary research to maximise the health and wellbeing benefits delivered to the community

Stelian Iacob, Senior Vice President of Therme Group and CEO of Therme Group UK, said: “The primary purpose of Therme projects is to benefit the communities they serve. This is achieved both as a direct result of the Therme experience and by acting as a catalyst for wider activities around biodiversity, cultural inclusion, urban greening and more. Therme projects are also key drivers of post-Covid economic, social and environmental recovery. Therme Scotland will create a fun and accessible experience with profound health and wellbeing benefits for all. We look forward to engaging with the Glasgow community as we progress with the design and development of Therme Scotland”.

James Whittaker, Peel L&P Executive Director of Development said “We are excited to agree Heads of Terms with Therme Group. This significant health and wellbeing destination will be a unique and sustainable addition to Glasgow Waters, Peel L&P’s major waterfront regeneration project. This important facility on the Clydeside, adjacent to Peel L&P’s existing and proposed developments, will benefit the whole region as well as attracting visitors from further afield to come and enjoy Glasgow. Peel L&P’s vision for Glasgow Waters is to develop the waterfront as a key retail, leisure and tourism destination on the Clyde, which will complement, support and revive the surrounding area. Therme Scotland will be an exciting visitor attraction and bring investment into the area. We look forward to working with Therme Group and engaging with local communities and public authorities to progress the design and delivery of Therme Glasgow.”

Singapore, Singapore, November 12, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / As travel starts to rebound, e-commerce platform Shopee has partnered with travel platforms Agoda and Booking.com to launch Shopee Hotel.

Shopee Hotel enables users to seamlessly search, book and get instant confirmation for more than one million properties worldwide, all through the Shopee app. Through this exclusive partnership, Shopee users will now be able to access one of the largest online inventories of hotels, resorts, homes and apartments supplied by Agoda and Booking.com. Shopee Hotel will be rolled out across seven markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

The launch of Shopee Hotel is timely in meeting the needs of consumers, as domestic and international travel gradually re-opens in various markets, and more people are planning holidays. Agoda’s search data in September revealed that searches for domestic stays have risen by over 57% compared to May this year. There has also been an increase of 37% more users in Southeast Asia searching for international destinations. Shopee Hotel will provide users with greater savings and exclusive travel deals, while also increasing the reach and visibility of hotel partners to boost domestic and international tourism.

Terence Pang, chief operating officer at Shopee, said, “We are pleased to partner with leading travel platforms, Agoda and Booking.com to launch Shopee Hotel, which serves to provide our users with easy access to a wider variety of travel products and experiences. We also look forward to supporting the recovery of local travel and related tourism industries by promoting fun staycation ideas together with hotel partners. We invite everyone to travel safely and earn greater savings by booking their next holiday through Shopee Hotel.”

Shopee Hotel also enables seamless and convenient planning of travel itineraries within the app. As users browse for accommodations, they will be able to discover top landmarks near their chosen hotels, which can help them to explore local enclaves, neighbourhoods and attractions.

Damien Pfirsch, chief commercial officer, at Agoda, said, “Travelers know and trust Agoda and Booking.com to help make travel easier, because we are passionate about using our technology to connect people with the widest choice and greatest value deals, whether they are in Asia or across the world. This partnership with Shopee, the first with a regional e-commerce partner, will conveniently bring these great deals to Shopee customers, on a platform they are familiar with. At the same time, we can better support our hotel partners and tourism operators by connecting them to the biggest online community of shoppers in Southeast Asia. Such partnerships will help accelerate the recovery of the domestic and global travel and tourism industry in the long term.”

New York City, New York, United States, November 12, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Global independent marketing and communications firm, FINN Partners, announced today that it has acquired Hawkins International PR, a 26-person bi-coastal, boutique luxury Travel and Hospitality PR agency with offices in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Jennifer Hawkins, Founder and CEO of Hawkins International PR, will join FINN as Managing Partner, Luxury Travel and become part of the agency’s Global Travel Practice leadership team. The Hawkins team will transition to the FINN brand name over time.

As part of the deal, FINN also acquires Maverick Creative, Hawkins International’s 10-person affiliate agency specializing in creative communications for travel and lifestyle clients. Maverick will retain its current branding and operations will continue under Managing Director Catherine Colford, while expanding to the UK.

“Hawkins International works with many of the most celebrated hotel and resort brands in the industry. They have an excellent reputation and a keen grasp of what drives high-end demographics. Their expertise within the luxury travel sector will complement our experience with large travel brands and leading destinations around the word,” said Peter Finn, Founding Managing Partner and CEO, FINN Partners.

Hawkins specializes in serving premier multinational luxury brands in the worlds of travel, hospitality and wellness. The firm’s capabilities span the breadth of travel communications services, including consumer and trade media relations, media intelligence, trendspotting, content development and storytelling, brand partnerships, social media strategy and advertising, influencer marketing, content marketing, digital marketing, experiential and thought leadership.

Current Hawkins clients include: Montage International, Inspirato, Dorchester Collection, Seabourn Cruise Line, onefinestay, Gstaad Palace, Wilderness Safaris, Palmaïa – The House of AïA, Living Vehicle, The Dolder Grand, The Sono Collection, and Tradewind Aviation.

Current Maverick clients include: Rocco Forte Hotels, Arlo Hotels, The Point, The Shelbourne, RVshare, Asbury Ocean Club, the Nines, and Chebeague Island Inn, among others.

FINN’s acquisition of Hawkins International and Maverick Creative follows strategic moves by the agency to bolster its position as a leading global integrated travel powerhouse, including its recent purchase of Hawaii-based Anthology Marketing Group, which has a strong travel practice, and hiring of Luxury Travel Expert Steven DeLuca as Senior Partner. With the addition of Hawkins and Maverick, FINN’s fast-growing Global Travel practice will reach more than $20 million with more than 150 people serving clients across three continents. The move will also complement FINN’s extensive portfolio of large travel and hospitality clients, which includes, South Africa, Singapore, Turkish Airlines, Bahamas, Iceland, Intrepid Travel, Italy, Belize, Dubai and Panama.

“The global luxury travel market was worth an estimated $945 billion in 2019 (Source: Allied Market Research). This market segment is lucrative in normal times, but with the pandemic, pent up demand has caused many travelers to ladder up to more bespoke, premium experiences and indulgent getaways. Now is the perfect time for FINN to build out our footprint as the go-to global luxury travel communications agency for clients around the world,” said Debbie Flynn, Managing Partner and Global Travel Practice Leader.

Said Jennifer Hawkins, Managing Partner, Luxury Travel, “It’s energizing to play a key role in FINN’s momentum as a global travel communications leader. They are a dynamic, independent agency that inherently shares many of Hawkins International’s and Maverick’s core values and a philosophy rooted in collaboration, respect and making a true difference in the world. I’m excited about the synergies between our companies, and the ability to leverage the resources across our global network to better serve existing and new clients within the luxury sector.”

The Stevens Group made the introduction between FINN Partners and Hawkins International and helped facilitate the transaction. Hawkins was advised on the negotiations by their business advisor, Seth Rosenstein.

Dublin, Ireland, November 11, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Renewable energy specialists GreenClub has taken its long-term commitment to improving sustainability in the golf industry to new heights by forming a new partnership with GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf.

The exciting development will see the two organisations collaborate closely to promote sustainability across a range of different platforms and markets, commencing in the UK.

As well as driving increased awareness for sustainability through newsletters and print, digital and social media, the new collaboration will see GreenClub align their advisory services with the online OnCourse® programme for sustainable club and course management, as well as the recognition GEO provides for sustainable golf – spanning nature, resources, communities and climate action. They will also work together at a variety of events including webinars and conferences.

An international non-profit organisation, GEO Foundation is dedicated to helping accelerate sustainability and climate action in and through golf around the world, working collaboratively to help the sport embrace environmental and social issues and become widely acclaimed for its role.

Jonathan Smith, founder and executive director of GEO Foundation, said: “It is imperative that the golf industry works collaboratively to deliver innovative solutions for climate action. We are excited about GreenClub joining the growing number of partners who provide innovation and services for sustainable golf and, in particular, helping more clubs and facilities on their sustainability journey.”

Launched last autumn, GreenClub works with the golf and leisure sector to help venues to realise their sustainable goals.

London Golf Club – host of this summer’s Cazoo Classic on the European Tour – and Roganstown Hotel & Country Club in Ireland just two of the clubs to have benefitted from the consultants’ expertise, and GreenClub chief executive Liam Greasley believes the new GEO agreement will be instrumental in helping to create a number of new opportunities for the company.

He said: “Golf clubs can gain a huge amount by focusing their attention on energy – where it comes from; what they can generate themselves; how they can future proof their facility; and how they can reduce consumption, costs and emissions.

“We’d encourage clubs to embrace the specialist advisory support that we can provide and the custom-built programmes available which, together, can accelerate their progress as efficient and sustainable businesses.

“We are delighted to be working closely with GEO Foundation as a sustainable golf innovator and solution provider dovetailing services with their programmes and connecting our clients with the growing sustainable golf community.”

A principal partner of the PGA, GreenClub is committed to promoting long-term sustainability and carbon neutrality, and their objective continues to gather pace on several fronts.

As well as their consultation services to assess current and future needs of any business as they seek to reduce their carbon emissions, venues can also become generators of their own green renewable energy by utilising renewable energy options. In some cases, any surplus energy can then be sold to the local market, rather than back to the grid.

In addition, GreenClub unveiled a 10-point plan earlier this month which it is urging golf clubs and venues to adopt so that they can start their journey towards ultimately becoming ‘net zero.’ The eco-checklist covers all parts of everyday life and features a number of simple measures that not only promote a greener future but can also benefit venues financially.

Madrid, Spain, November 11, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / UNWTO and Instagram have joined forces to produce a ‘Tourism Recovery Playbook’, and so help destinations and business harness the power of digital and visual storytelling to reach new audiences and return to growth.

This first ever partnership with Instagram forms part of UNWTO’s wider shift towards harnessing the power of digital innovation to drive the restart of tourism, especially local and sustainable tourism. It also represents Instagram’s recognition of tourism as a leading provider of livelihoods and global opportunity, welcoming UNWTO as partners in a first structured effort to use the platform as a tool to help kickstart the sector’s recovery. The partnership was announced against the backdrop of World Travel Market in London, the leading tourism trade fair where UNWTO brings together political and business leaders, and after of UNWTO amplifying tourism’s unified response to the climate emergency at the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Updates here.

Expert insights into storytelling for tourism

UNWTO’s partnership with Instagram will show that safe, responsible travel is possible, and to illustrate how just one tourist can make a big difference

The Recovery Playbook provides insights into making the most of the platform, from producing Reels to showcase destinations to using Guides and other tools to illustrate how the sector is ready to welcome tourists back safely and responsibly. It also explores the best ways to encourage renewed local travel, while raising environmental awareness. Alongside best practice and tips on effective tourism storytelling, the publication also features case studies of small businesses and destinations have successfully used Instagram to connect with key audiences during the pandemic.

In his foreword to the Tourism Recovery Playbook, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “As parts of the world begin cautiously opening up again, now is the time to be creative in showing why tourism matters – for individuals, for our communities and for our planet. UNWTO’s partnership with Instagram will show that safe, responsible travel is possible, and to illustrate how just one tourist can make a big difference.”

“We know countless small businesses and destinations are ready to welcome the world back to their doorsteps,” said Asya Kislyuk, Policy Programs Manager at Instagram. “Instagram is proud to provide a playbook for people to help make it happen when the time is right – safely
and sustainably.”

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Updates here.

Advancing UNWTO’s digital shift

This first collaboration with Instagram builds on UNWTO’s ongoing turn towards greater use of digital tools and visual storytelling to make clear the relevance and importance of tourism to economies, societies, and planet. The Organization has accelerated this shift in its efforts to scale up Member support and enable them to better seize the advantages of digital communications platforms.

Phuket, Thailand, November 10, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX  / Utopia Corporation, one of the leading real estate developers in Phuket, has appointed three high-ranking executives to further drive its continued success and accomplish future goals. Nalina Suranakarin has been appointed Chief Brand Officer of Utopia Corporation and its subsidiaries. Ivo Tzvetkov assumes the position of Chief Operating Officer for Utopia Hospitality Group (UHG) , a subsidiary company of UCORP, while Praisie Huang is named UHG’s Chief Growth Officer. The executive trio will join forces to lead Utopia Hospitality Group (UHG), a new hospitality brand under UCORP. The flagship brand will have an official launch soon with an ambition to elevate the hospitality industry in Southeast Asia to the next pinnacle of exclusivity and attraction for travellers.

• Discover Phuket’s and the World’s Best Luxury Hotels and Prestigious Hotel Awards at Top25Hotels.com

Reinforcing the executive team with the right personnel is instrumental to the growth of Utopia Corporation as it will soon launch Utopia Hospitality Group as its flagship hospitality brand. UHG aspires to deliver brand new experiences for smart and savvy travellers in upper strata from premium midscale level up to ultra-luxury. UHG promises a getaway that is accessible yet lives up to international standards and plans to open many brand new properties as well as rebrand and renovate existing properties in 2022.

The highlight of UHG’s master plan is to build two epic landmarks in two prime locations in the north and south of Phuket. “Bay of Icons” will become the new destination for investors and high-end travellers from across the world. Situated on Ao Po Bay on the northern coastline of Phuket, it features cutting-edge facilities and exclusive services to cater to a luxurious lifestyle. To be located on Nai Harn beach on the southern coastline of Phuket, “Utopia Dream” (unofficial name) is an entertainment complex packed with world-class leisure activities. And at the helm of this ambitious plan, are three newly appointed executives of UHG.

As UCORP’s Chief Brand Officer (CBO), Nalina “Note” Suranakarin is a veteran in brand management with ten years of experience in the luxury lifestyle sector and her life-long passion and knowledge in gourmet, superb service and creative concoctions that her globe-trotting lifestyle has brought along. Nalina will play a pivotal role in managing and overseeing the brand strategy and marketing activities of UCORP, UHG and its subsidiary companies. She’ll also be creating a network of partnerships among all UHG resorts and hotels with the ultimate goal of creating the best brand for UCORP through partnerships with other global brands in the future.

UHG Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ivo Tzvetkov has three decades of working in the hospitality industry under his belt. His tenures in Europe, Asia and the Middle East especially with Marriott International make him well-equipped to oversee hotels and other businesses endeavours under UHG. Following his appointment, he’s responsible for implementing hygiene and safety measures at every UHG resort and hotel to provide safe accommodation at a high standard for travellers during the Covid-19 pandemic and comply with guidelines set out by Thai authorities.

As UHG’s Chief Growth Officer, Praisie Huang is an expert in sale from Singapore. With 15 years of working experience with global hospitality brands such as Dusit, Marriott and Accor, Huang has overseen many record-high sales. Her high professionalism will be a key to UHG success as she oversees sales, e-commerce and worldwide distribution as UHG grows from strength to strength.

UCORP CEO Hachi Yin said, ” We’re very glad to welcome Nalina, Ivo and Praisie to the UCORP superhero team. They are the right candidates for us because we search for the best of their respective expertise to join us. We looking for executives with proven records of success who are creative and able to think outside the box. We believe that these experts in their respective fields will elevate our organizations to the next level and contribute to a steady future of UCORP as a leading property development company and UHG as a property operations and hotel management company through our new brands.”

• Discover Phuket’s and the World’s Best Luxury Hotels and Prestigious Hotel Awards at Top25Hotels.com

Currently, Utopia Corporation has developed ten projects which contain 2,000 units across 120,000sqm of area. Together they are valued at eight billion baht. Every project is based on a boundary-pushing slogan of “Dare to Dream” to accommodate the modern lifestyle of the new generation driven by technology and social media and stimulate new markets in the industry. Utopia’s extensive portfolio reflects its very strong financial standing and its aim to create new markets in the real estate industry.

Glasgow, Scotland, UK, November 9, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Major new initiative will set the path for businesses in their quest to net zero. As world leaders gather in Glasgow for COP26 to discuss concrete actions to solve the climate crises, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched an ambitious and groundbreaking Net Zero Roadmap, to guide the global Travel & Tourism sector in its battle against the climate crisis.

WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, developed the roadmap in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and Accenture.

The roadmap provides concrete guidelines and recommendations to help guide Travel & Tourism businesses on their journey towards net zero.

By providing milestones for meaningful climate action and emissions reduction for different industries within the sector, the roadmap sets out the challenges ahead and how the Travel & Tourism sector can decarbonise and reach net zero by 2050.

This report shows how the sector is greatly impacted by climate change as it affects destinations around the world, but as with many other sectors, it is also responsible for an estimated 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

The sector therefore has a key role to play in fighting climate change, which will require heightened ambitions and differentiated decarbonisation approaches, as outlined in the roadmap.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said:

“I am delighted to announce our pioneering Net Zero Roadmap for Travel & Tourism. It helps travel industries reach individual targets to reduce our carbon footprint.

“Many destinations are affected by the impacts of climate change with rising sea levels, deforestation and the loss of animal and plant species. Communities that rely on tourism are first in line to see the impact and wanting to do something about it.

“The Travel & Tourism sector is taking this opportunity to be a catalyst for change. We have a responsibility towards our people and planet.

“It is absolutely critical that the private and public sector we work collectively to achieve the Paris Agreement and prevent the global rise in temperatures.

“Our sector can be part of the change that is urgently required to mitigate impacts and adapt to the threats posed by climate change.”

Emily Weiss, Managing Director and Head of Accenture’s Travel Industry Group globally, said:

“As the travel industry resets after a tough few years, there is an incredible opportunity to rebuild responsibly and accelerate the shift towards a net-zero future for the sector.

“The Net Zero Roadmap offers a pragmatic but ambitious course of action that will help the industry create real and visible targets to reduce its carbon impact, providing the transparency that consumers demand. Crucially, it identifies the big levers where travel can turn a corner on emissions and provides the building blocks to create meaningful change.”

The roadmap presents a new target framework with decarbonisation corridors, which groups Travel & Tourism businesses into three clusters, depending on their emission profiles and the difficulty of abating their GHG emissions.

Certain industries may achieve net zero before 2050 if more ambitious targets are set and different decarbonisation approaches are followed.

The detailed roadmap includes key decarbonisation levers and corresponding actions for five key industries of the Travel & Tourism sector: accommodation, tour operators, aviation, cruise, and tourism intermediaries such as online travel agents (OTAs) and metasearch engines.

Acknowledging that different industries face different challenges to decarbonise, the roadmap calls on businesses to increase their ambitions where possible and provides detailed recommendations for five areas:

1. Set baselines and emission targets now to achieve individual and sector goals
2. Monitor and report progress regularly
3. Collaborate within and across industries and government
4. Provide finance and investment required for the transition
5. Raise awareness and build knowledge and capabilities on climate change.

This roadmap calls upon world leaders to give Travel & Tourism the same level of support offered to other sectors and gives recommendations to governments on how they can support the sector, which before the pandemic represented 10.4% of the global GDP (US$9.2 trillion), in addressing climate challenges and its goals to achieve a net zero future.

The collaborative process included key organisations such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), International Air Transport Association (IATA), Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Travalyst, and SHA (Sustainable Hospitality Alliance), among others.

Accra, Ghana, November 9, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The GUBA Awards 2021 has just been held and it was pleasing to see Alain St.Ange in Ghana to present the The GUBA Nana Yaa Asantewaa Entertainment Mogul Award. Alain St.Ange who was the popular former Seychelles Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine and the well known and respected tourism personality who was one of the two African Candidates for the post of Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in the 2017 elections . St.Ange was also one of the three candidates for the Seychelles Presidential elections of 2020.

Many who were at the grand evening celebrations of Tuesday night have expressed satisfaction to have seen Alain St.Ange fly to Ghana to be part of the African Awards event. Comments posted even had one from former Tourism Minister of Ghana, the Right Hon Catherine Abelema Afeku who said in a post on Social media “Yes Alain was splendid. It was great to see you Alain. You make us all proud in the Tourism Industry”. Tourism professionals from Ghana posted a series of photos of Alain St.Ange’s participation at the Ghana Awards even.

When he took to the stage in the massive entertainment venue of Ghana former Minister St.Ange said:- “The GUBA Nana Yaa Asantewaa Entertainment Mogul celebrates a courageous and resilient woman who has been a major player in the entertainment industry and has revolutionized the industry with ground-breaking concepts. The GUBA Nana Yaa Asantewaa Entertainment Mogul goes to none other than actress and brand ambassador Nana Ama McBrown” before inviting everyone to see a testimonial video on the awardee.

Nana Ama McBrown is a very popular Ghanaian show Bizz personality and loved as a Princess of the Country. She is a Ghanaian actress, TV presenter and a music writer. She rose to prominence for her role in television series Tentacles. Later, she found mainstream success following her role in the Twi-language movie “Asoreba”. She is currently the host of television cooking show McBrown Kitchen and entertainment talk show United Showbiz on UTV.

Aba Blankson of the USA was on stage with St.Ange to do the honours for this award ceremony and was the one who invited Nana Ama McBrown to the stage to receive her award.

The GUBA Awards has been recognising and moving Africans to the limelight for well over a decade. It is Lady Dentaa Amoateng MBE who is the founder of the GUBA Awards and she was on hand in Ghana with the Who’s Who of Ghana who had assembled in great numbers to see the ceremony take place for the first time in Ghana and brought to the country a long list of influential personalities who are all part of the diaspora. The first such award ceremony was held in 2019 in the USA and was attended by H.E. Nana Afuko-Addo, the President of Ghana, H. E. Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, the President of ECOWAS Commission among many other dignitaries.

“Today Marks 100 years of your legacy. Keep resting in Perfect Peace Nana Yaa Asantewaa. Thank you for your bravery, resilience and courage!!! Ghanaians will ever be grateful to Nana Yaa Asantewaa, the Asante Warrior Queen Mother, whose activism and military tactics contributed to the liberation of her people and country. Her roles in Ghana spurred nationalist ideals in other parts of the West African sub-region, which resulted in many of the countries gaining independence” said Lady Dentaa Amoateng MBE when she addressed the gathering after the Republic’s First Lady had herself gone on stage to also present an award.

London, United Kingdom, November 8, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, has joined forces with governments, Travel & Tourism organizations and businesses around the world in support of the Glasgow Declaration, a global initiative to tackle climate crisis.

The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism is a call for all stakeholders to show leadership and drive action to address climate change.

While collectively, the Travel & Tourism sector supports the aspirations expressed in the declaration, industries within the sector face different challenges, and timelines to reach these goals may vary.

We support each of our member companies in their individual pathways to ultimately achieving the reductions in emissions that will help protect life on our planet.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “We are delighted to add WTTC to the list of supporters of the Glasgow Declaration.

“WTTC will support its members to achieve their individual climate initiatives over time and set up individual climate action plans.

“This is the time to show leadership and unity and the Declaration is an opportunity to come together towards these common ambitions.”

Southlake, Texas, United States, November 8, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Sabre Corporation, the leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, today announced the release of the first two products in the company’s Retail Intelligence suite: Sabre Air Price IQ™ and Sabre Ancillary IQ™ for the dynamic pricing of airfare and ancillaries, respectively.

Sabre Retail Intelligence is an innovative product suite that enables airlines to deliver a more personalized travel offers in both traditional and NDC channels. Powered by Sabre Travel AI™ – an innovative capability that integrates Sabre technology with Google Cloud’s state-of-the-art AI technology and advanced machine-learning services – Retail Intelligence will allow airlines to dynamically provide offers to travelers based on preferences, marketplace insights and purchase probability, creating a more personalized and better traveler experience.

“We are facing a rapidly changing world and the travel ecosystem looks very different than it did just 18 months ago,” said Wade Jones, chief product officer, Sabre Travel Solutions. “Traveler expectations for relevant and personalized offers are growing, and airlines are more focused than ever on becoming sophisticated retailers. Relying on traditional strategies based on historical data patterns isn’t enough – airlines need intelligent solutions driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning. This is what we are offering with Sabre’s Retail Intelligence suite of products.”

Sabre Air Price IQ increases airlines’ pricing agility and precision by allowing airlines to adapt quickly to changing marketplace conditions. Considering traveler segment and trip intent from the shopping request, the product supports an airline’s efforts to maximize revenue opportunities while providing a seamless experience to travelers.

Sabre Ancillary IQ uses machine learning to present ancillary offers based on multiple factors, including real-time shopping data and purchase probability to increase incremental revenue opportunities and traveler satisfaction. As a result, airlines can deliver increased value and more choice to their travelers.

Both products can help airlines increase revenue opportunity by adapting quickly to changing marketplace conditions while enhancing customer satisfaction by offering travelers the personalized offers that are just right for them. The products are expected to deliver airlines an uplift in incremental revenue of up to three percent when combined with upcoming products being added to the Retail Intelligence suite in 2022.[1]

“As travel retailing becomes more complex to meet increasingly sophisticated consumer expectations, the rules-based technology in use across the industry today will no longer deliver satisfactory results,” said Sundar Narasimhan, president, Sabre Labs and Product Strategy. “To truly modernize travel retailing, the industry requires intelligent systems that allow for continuous learning and scaling at speed. At Sabre, we are focused on equipping our customers with those AI-based solutions that will modernize the way we shop, book and experience travel, delivering incremental value for our customers and the travelers they serve.”

Sabre’s strategic partnership with Google established the Sabre + Google Innovation Framework, pairing Sabre’s travel industry experience with Google Cloud’s advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, creating Sabre Travel AI. Utilizing this industry-first capability, Sabre will enable its current products with advanced machine-learning and artificial intelligence to power the retailing experience of the future in travel. The two companies are working to co-develop innovative new technology to bring customers modern, data-driven, omni-channel solutions that enable highly personalized traveler experiences.

About Sabre Corporation
Sabre Corporation is a leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, serving a wide range of travel companies including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and other suppliers. The company provides retailing, distribution and fulfilment solutions that help its customers operate more efficiently, drive revenue and offer personalized traveller experiences. Through its leading travel marketplace, Sabre connects travel suppliers with buyers from around the globe. Sabre’s technology platform manages more than $260B worth of global travel spend annually. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world.