Category: Latest Travel News

Bangkok, Thailand, November 2, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Patrick Basset, former Accor Regional COO, joins NOVA Asset Management to Lead Post-Covid Recovery. As countries across Southeast Asia begin to announce plans for a larger-scale opening to international guests, NOVA Asset Management is positioning itself for the anticipated surge in demand by bringing on board former Accor Southeast & Northeast Asia Chief Operating Officer, Patrick Basset, as a Senior Partner.

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

“Patrick will bring a whole new set of perspectives to the table,” said Alexandre Bystrzejewski, Managing Director at NOVA. “The recovery starts now and it is essential to have someone of his experience, vision, and thoughts on board to accompany our clients throughout the entire hospitality journey. Patrick not only brings his formidable know-how with him, but also an amazing record of successful strategic thinking and strong relationships with both owners and operators which will certainly be beneficial for us and our clients.”

The architect of Accor’s success in Southeast Asia

The move represents a significant boost for NOVA, as Patrick brings more than 30 years’ experience in leading and driving growth for Accor in the region, taking a company with just 50 properties and helping to create a behemoth with more than 1,200. As the post-pandemic recovery gathers pace, this strong background makes Patrick an ideal fit to oversee development and strategy for NOVA and its clients.

“I have spent most of my professional life in big organizations and I’m excited to join NOVA Asset Management – a vibrant, established hospitality consulting platform that has a diverse and dynamic portfolio of assets under management. Not only do we share common backgrounds and culture, but we also share a common mission – that is to support and secure hotel owners’ interests during the entire development and management cycle,” said Patrick.

Frederic Garnier, Executive Vice President at NOVA is equally confident that the acquisition of Patrick’s services will allow the organization to excel in the coming months. “Having a deep understanding of the industry is crucial in making ‘right decisions’ at the ‘right time’, and this is what we do at NOVA,” he said. “By leveraging Patrick’s extensive experience, we can help clients navigate through challenges as they arise, or even better, anticipate them.”

Tourism sector set for rebound

The indications are that tourism will come back, and NOVA believes that when it does, there will be millions of travelers choosing Southeast Asia as their destination, where NOVA operates and benefits from a thorough understanding of what types of positioning and/or brands will lead to the most successful investments.

Patrick comments, “I understand the key challenges that hotel owners and investors face. Some invest for monetary reasons, while some others are in it for the legacy that they’ll leave behind. Whatever the reason, not everyone has this type of in-house experience, especially when it comes to select one of the numerous brands available on the market, to ensure it will fit the right product and the actual market demand. And I think that I have been fortunate to develop a deep and multi-faceted understanding of those markets and commercial challenges from all stakeholders’ perspectives.”

“I can’t help fix the condition of the market, but we at NOVA can help owners and developers navigate the waters. How can you get through this recovery? By using our skills and proven methods to design and implement both short term tactics and long term strategies to achieve your objectives,” Patrick elaborated.

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

About NOVA Asset Management
Nova Asset Management, with offices in Bangkok, Jakarta, and Singapore, is a 360-degree Asset Management company that represents and provides expert services to its clients and partners in making strategic decisions for their real estate investments, development or re-development needs, and operations including hotels and mixed-use properties, education centers, and restaurants.

Pattaya, Thailand, November 2, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / In line with the dramatic recent resurgence of the leisure boating industry – boosted, somewhat perversely perhaps, by the two-year pandemic – the organisers of the Thailand Yacht Show are delighted to announce a significant development in their yacht show portfolio. Verventia have just agreed a new partnership with the owners of Ocean Marina in Pattaya to build an important extension of Thailand’s very own, six-year-old Yacht Show – a second annual showcase in the beautiful Gulf of Thailand, just down the road from Bangkok, next door to the emerging boating markets in Cambodia and Vietnam, and a short sail from the massive potential of Hainan, Hong Kong and Greater China.

With the enthusiastic support of local and regional dealers of the best-known global yachting brands, as well as Thailand’s government – all very keen to see the leisure boating industry expand on the Eastern seaboard – the Thailand Yacht Show from next year onwards will be staged in both Phuket and Pattaya. The two parts of the show are being carefully planned in consultation with its long-standing exhibitors, and especially with regards to timing; in a normal year, they will likely be held at different ends of the season – at the beginning, in November, in Pattaya, and towards the end, in March, in Phuket.

For next year, however, things are still far from being normal; organisers Verventia are keeping their promise to be cautious, watching the ongoing pandemic-related tourism restrictions carefully, hopeful like everyone of their gradual easing, but listening to and liaising closely with both industry and government stakeholders before making any premature declarations. If all goes as well as is currently hoped, both events are now looking likely to take place in March/April – avoiding the Songkran festivities, of course.

Napong Paripontpochanapisuti, Managing Director of Ocean Property Company, the owners and operators of Ocean Marina, said today: “There is very strong demand for boating in the Gulf of Thailand now, especially from people living in and around Bangkok, and we can only see this getting stronger. Ocean Marina has for many years been leading the drive to grow boating here, and the idea of a professionally-run boat show going forwards is exactly what we need to take things to the next level.”

He continued: “We are therefore highly delighted to be working with the organisers of the Thailand Yacht Show for a second, very important, part of their well-established international event. We like their plans to bring in new boating consumers from China, Vietnam, Korea and the whole of the north-eastern part of the region via the shores of the Gulf – this is exactly what our clients in the industry on the Eastern Seaboard want to hear. We look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration with Verventia, and are very excited about how things are developing on this side of Thailand as well as in Phuket, and in the whole region generally.”

The Phuket show will feature many of the luxury superyachts that will be coming in bigger and bigger numbers every year, now that the infamous superyacht charter license has finally been brought into the field of play – thanks to the unflagging efforts of Verventia and the superyacht committee of the TMBA over the past 6 years since the launch of TYS, which was initiated by the government for this very purpose. .

Simpson Marine, a founding partner of the Thailand Yacht Show and all Verventia’s three regional shows, is invariably the biggest exhibitor, and next year for the long-awaited 6th edition of TYS will have an extraordinary display of at least 10 yachts, showcasing the latest models from Aquila, Beneteau, Bluegame, Fairline, Lagoon and Sanlorenzo.

Simpson Marine Country Manager for Thailand, Howard Prime, said: “This is the news we’ve been waiting for. We’ve all been through a pretty difficult time over the past couple of years, but I have to say sales are picking up well now – and I believe this is reflected by many of our colleagues in the yachting industry. We’ve all been waiting for the Bangkok market for boating to open up, and now it’s finally starting to happen. The idea of keeping the continuity of one professional yacht show but spread over the two main destinations in Thailand is an excellent one. We applaud the decision of Ocean Marina to keep the faith and bring in the region’s best boat show organisers to help drive the market here as well as in Phuket.”

Andy Treadwell, CEO of Verventia, is also highly encouraged: “Whilst all our exhibitors have thankfully been doing extraordinarily well over the past 18 months, it has been very hard for us, having had to cancel no less than 5 shows. But this new agreement with Ocean Marina achieves an important strategic objective – the crucial break-through for our exhibitors into the Bangkok and Rest-of-Thailand markets that we’ve been trying to attract to Phuket for the past 6 years.” Asked by many professional observers – even one from the USA – to comment on the latest attempt to sabotage TYS and start another new show in Phuket, Treadwell responded: “All our wonderful exhibitors have said it all for us over the last few months. We don’t need to say anything more.

Phuket, Thailand, November 1, 2021 – In-time for today’s re-opening of Thailand and with the support of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Travelindex formally launched the Phuket Edition of its prestigious hotel guide; the TOP25 Hotels Phuket – Phuket’s Best Luxury Hotels and Hotel Awards.

The TOP25 Hotel Guide Phuket brings together not only exceptional hotels but the best beach resorts, luxury wellness retreats, green hotels and superior villas. Each property chosen first and foremost for the quality of service, unique location and outstanding facilities.

The diversity of Phuket’s accommodation offering is reflected in this exclusive selection, allowing TOP25Hotels.com to celebrate the hospitality sector in Phuket and to showcase efforts by hotel managers in sustainability and in their support for the local communities. TOP25 Hotels Phuket contributes to the prestige of the local accommodation landscape and, with the integration into the Travelindex global ecosystem, to attract more visitors and tourists to the destination.

To ensure its credibility and impartiality of its ranking, the “TOP25 Hotels Phuket Edition” is based on a world-leading rating system, the Hotel Rating Index (HRI). HRI is an artificial intelligence based, decentralized appraisal mechanism combining behavioral analytics and human expertise from some of the world’s top travel and hospitality experts.

Mr. Bernard Metzger, Founder of TOP25 Guide series, stated: “We are committed to support the hospitality sectors in Phuket by leveraging digital technology and our online expertise. We aim not only to help hotels in the recovering process from the Covid pandemic downturn but also to educated people to appreciate accommodation providers’ efforts in sustainability, while at the same time improving the drawing power of Phuket as Thailand’s and Asia’s premier holiday destination.”

With the re-opening of Thailand’s borders to travelers from 63 countries, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects a great number of foreign tourists to visit Phuket. A number of major airlines including Etihad, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways International (THAI) are already reconnecting Phuket with world cities like London, Frankfurt, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore with direct flights.

Hotels and accommodation providers in Phuket can feature at no costs in the “TOP25 Hotels Phuket” guide by filling out the hotel nomination form here: – More hotels will be added on a regular basis.

Contact information
TOP25 Hotels International
Ms. Nicole Lim, Media Relations
Email: media@top25restaurants.com
Web: www.top25hotels.com/phuket/

Doha, Qatar, November 1, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), the organisation responsible for delivering the required infrastructure, host country planning and operations, and legacy projects for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, has signed an agreement with Accor, a world-leading hospitality Group, to manage operations and deliver services to Qatar’s host country real estate portfolio through the end of 2022.

• For a comprehensive travel guide on Qatar and the FIFA World Cup 2022, go to VisitQatar.org

The agreement was signed in Doha, Qatar, in the presence of H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. H.E. Ali Al Kuwari, Minister of Finance and Chairman, Katara Hospitality, and H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, SC Secretary General, were also in attendance.

Engineer Yasir Al Jamal, Chairman of the SC’s Operations Office, and Vice Chairman, Technical Delivery Office, signed the agreement alongside Sebastien Bazin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Accor, and Katara Hospitality’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Humphries.

The agreement will see Accor provide personnel to operate what will be the largest serviced real estate operation in the world, and include front office (check-in/check-out), operational supplies and equipment as well as housekeeping services among others. The agreement will make use of the country’s full real estate portfolio, further illustrating Qatar’s commitment to sustainability.

H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the SC said: “This groundbreaking agreement is another example of how Qatar’s approach is truly historic – not only in terms of setting the highest delivery standards, but also for legacy planning. By making full use of existing residential apartments and villas in Qatar, we can offer visitors a range of affordable and comfortable options; while also ensuring we have a sustainable hotel market that does not leave Qatar with excess permanent hotel rooms post-2022.”

Yasir Al Jamal, Chairman of the SC’s Operations Office, and Vice Chairman, Technical Delivery Office, said: “Today’s signing represents a significant step in our promise to deliver a wide range of affordable and exciting options to visitors traveling to Qatar. This agreement will enhance the overall experience for every visitor staying in the country and ensure that everyone receives the truly memorable, hospitable welcome for which Qatar and the Arab world is renowned.”

Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO of Accor, said: “The entire team is thrilled to have been selected to manage and provide services to Qatar’s exciting real estate portfolio. We share the region’s excitement for the coming year and look forward to welcoming visitors, and ensuring they have a comfortable and memorable stay in the country.”
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About the SC
Established in 2011 by the State of Qatar, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) is responsible for the delivery of the required infrastructure and host country planning and operations for Qatar to host an amazing and historic FIFA World Cup 2022™ that accelerates progress towards achieving national development goals and creates a lasting legacy for Qatar, the region and the world.

The stadiums, non-competition venues and other infrastructure the SC and our stakeholders are delivering will contribute to a compact and connected FIFA World Cup™ with sustainability and accessibility at its heart. After the tournament, the stadiums and surrounding precincts will become vibrant hubs of community life – an integral part of the legacy we are building.

Working closely with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, the SC is also responsible for FIFA World Cup 2022™ host country planning and operations. Families and groups of fans arriving from around the world will experience a secure, human-centred tournament that both celebrates and exemplifies the hospitality for which Qatar and the region are known.

Finally, through programmes including Generation Amazing, Challenge 22 and Workers’ Welfare, and initiatives such as Community Engagement and the Josoor Institute, the SC harnesses the power of football to stimulate human, social, economic and environmental development in communities across Qatar, the region and around the world.

• For a comprehensive travel guide on Qatar and the FIFA World Cup 2022, go to VisitQatar.org

About Accor
Accor is a world leading hospitality group consisting of more than 5,200 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries. The group has one of the industry’s most diverse and fully-integrated hospitality ecosystems encompassing more than 40 luxury, premium, midscale and economy hotel brands, entertainment and nightlife venues, restaurants and bars, branded private residences, shared accommodation properties, concierge services, co-working spaces and more.

Accor’s unmatched position in lifestyle hospitality – one of the fastest growing categories in the industry – is led by Ennismore, a creative hospitality company with a global portfolio of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with purpose at their heart. Accor boasts an unrivalled portfolio of distinctive brands and approximately 260,000 team members worldwide. 68 million members benefit from the company’s comprehensive loyalty program – ALL – Accor Live Limitless – a daily lifestyle companion that provides access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences.

Through its Planet 21 – Acting Here, Accor Solidarity, RiiSE and ALL Heartist Fund initiatives, the Group is focused on driving positive action through business ethics, responsible tourism, environmental sustainability, community engagement, diversity and inclusivity. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 1, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The Saudi-backed league will start as a 10-event series on the Asian Tour and the locations for the events are Asia, Europe, and, of course, the Middle East. Greg Norman will be the CEO of the LIV Golf Investments, which is connected to this series. Meanwhile, the majority shareholder of LIV Golf Investments is the Public Investment Fund, which is also investing arm of the Saudi Arabian government.

• Discover the World’s Best Golf Courses at TOP25 Golf Courses.

Norman said the investment of at least $200m in prize money over the next 10 years “is only the beginning” amid persistent rumours that he will also become the commissioner of a new Saudi-funded breakaway golf league. LIV Golf Investments is a new company backed by the Private Investment Fund which operates on behalf of the government of Saudi Arabia.

The Asian Tour will be the launch vehicle, as they won’t need any approval for the world ranking points. Because launching a new Tour would force them to get approval through OWGR. The announcement follows a recent 10-year partnership between the Asian Tour and Golf Saudi, which runs the Saudi International, an event formerly part of the European Tour.

There has been no announcement of specific player commitments. And PGA Tour players will likely still need tour approval as this is still a non-PGA Tour event. So it will be interesting to see how things play out over the next few days as this was just a warm-up announcement. In addition, there are a few things that will be announced in the coming weeks.

• Discover the World’s Best Golf Courses at TOP25 Golf Courses.

Geneva, Switzerland, October 31, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, hosted by the World Economic Forum, appealed to governments and world leaders to leverage COP26 as their best chance to halve emissions by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050.

Signatories propose concrete steps to world leaders that would help businesses accelerate their emission reductions, scale up innovations and achieve a net-zero and nature-positive world by 2050.

“This letter sends a clear signal days before world leaders meet in Glasgow to agree measures that can safeguard our climate,” said Antonia Gawel, Head of Climate Action Platform, at the World Economic Forum. “Chief executives are committed to ambitious, and science aligned climate action, and welcome bold policies to accelerate decarbonization efforts around the world at the outset of this critical decade.”

“The World Economic Forum Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders has grown to over 100 members, said Christian Mumenthaler, Group Chief Executive Officer, Swiss Re. “The private sector is playing a huge role in climate leadership by pressing for action along its value chains. With more collaboration across industries, we can accelerate the green transition.”

“For me this is personal, I will double my efforts and expect businesses, government and society to do the same,” said Jesper Brodin, Chief Executive Officer, Ingka Group | IKEA. “We will achieve and transition to a net-zero future that is good for both people and the planet, by working together. That is why we encourage more CEO’s to join us at the World Economic Forum Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders in the progress towards a new economy where everyone can be a winner.”

Following the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, COP26 will provide a platform for members of the Alliance, world leaders, government officials and representatives of the NGO community, to tackle the climate crisis together.

Singapore, Singapore, October 30, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Today marks the successful conclusion of the extensive event programme, networking opportunities and business-driven discussions at ITB Asia 2021. For the first time, Asia’s leading travel trade show spanned an entire week, and as usual covered both current and forward-looking leisure, MICE, corporate travel and travel technology topics.

• Discover Singapore with VisitSingapore.org, a World of Passion, go to VisitSingapore.org

An impressive 42,100 business meetings and exchanges were recorded throughout the week, representing an increase of 31 percent from 2020. The event hosted over 900 buyers and 400 sponsors & exhibitors from around the world who participated in the show’s vibrant agenda of conferences and networking sessions, supported by leading global companies and destinations, including Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Busan Tourism Organisation, Business Events Perth, Danang Center for Tourism Promotion, Department of Information and Tourism,Taipei City Government, Far East Hospitality, Frasers Hospitality, Goyang Convention Bureau, Gyeonggi Tourism Organisation, Jeju Convention Bureau, Leningrad Region, Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Bureau, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Organisation, Melbourne Convention Bureau, Melia Hotels Group, St. Petersburg Convention Bureau, United Airlines, Worldhotels Collection, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Yokohama Convention Bureau.

The show featured more than 3,200 exhibitor showcases, creating a favorable marketplace for buyers and sellers to engage in meaningful business meetings and discussions. Asia’s leading travel trade show, which was eagerly awaited by the industry, was hosted virtually on the well-established online platform, ITB Community in Asia (ITB Community).

Katrina Leung, Managing Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organiser of ITB Asia shared: “We are proud that with this year’s virtual ITB Asia, we were once again able to provide a unique meeting platform for the travel industry in surely one of the most challenging times. I am very pleased with the outcome of the show. Building on our experience with the virtual edition last year, we were able to further expand the event format and give our clients more opportunities for interactive engagements with the travel community. We look forward to welcoming the industry back in-person in Singapore from 19 – 21 October 2022, bringing back human connections through face-to-face business meetings and networking sessions. I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank this year’s Elite Partners, Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) and the Saudi Tourism Authority, for their support and cooperation over the past months”.

Recovery and growth of travel represented the 2021 conference theme

Under the overarching theme of “The Decade Ahead: Braving New Realities in Travel”, this year’s conference programme delivered captivating insights on how to lead the industry towards recovery and growth, setting the tone for the changes that the industry is likely to see in the next months. Over 150 key industry experts delivered fascinating insights at the keynote sessions, as well as focused topics for the MICE and Corporate segment, Leisure Travel, the Travel Tech space and Tours, Activities & Attractions amongst others.

With the virtual format of the trade show, over 250 sessions have been made available on-demand for all registered delegates to view and watch again till 28 November 2021.

Next year’s edition of ITB Asia is scheduled to take place as an in-person event in Singapore from 19-21 October 2022. Stand registration for ITB Asia 2022 is available through this link.

• Discover Singapore with VisitSingapore.org, a World of Passion, go to VisitSingapore.org

About ITB Asia
ITB Asia, Asia’s leading travel trade show, is organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd and supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau. The annual B2B trade show and convention will feature hundreds of exhibiting companies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, covering not only the leisure market, but also MICE and corporate travel. Exhibitors from every sector of the industry, including destinations, airlines and airports, hotels and resorts, theme parks and attractions, inbound tour operators, inbound DMCs, cruise lines, spas, venues, other meeting facilities and travel technology companies are all expected to attend.

ITB Asia is the premier meeting place for the travel trade industry for forging new partnerships and strengthening existing business relationships with the most important players in the region.

About MICE Show Asia
MICE Show Asia is the premier MICE event in Asia where incentive travel, meetings and events industries come together to connect and build the future of MICE. The annual business-to-business trade show and convention featured industry suppliers, meetings & events professionals to up-and-coming MICE innovators from a wide range of disciplines, sectors and all levels of seniority. The show is co-located with ITB Asia and Travel Tech Asia.

About Travel Tech Asia
Travel Tech Asia is the premier travel technology show in Asia. The trade show is where latest technologies, emerging trends, leading travel brands and innovative start-ups are all at one place to create the new possibilities of travel. From travel tech suppliers, innovative start-ups and leading travel brands who are at the forefront of the industry transformation, Travel Tech Asia welcomes attendees from all levels of seniority across a wide range of disciplines and sectors in the travel industry. The conference will be co-located with ITB Asia and MICE Show Asia.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 29, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism sector, announces that its 22nd Global Summit will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the end of 2022.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Updates here.

WTTC’s annual Global Summit is the world’s most influential and Travel & Tourism event. Saudi Arabia has been leading a new global approach to ‘redesign tourism’ and this summit in Riyadh will see industry leaders gathering with key government representatives to drive support for the sector’s ongoing recovery, moving it to a more safer, resilient, inclusive and sustainable future.

The event in Saudi Arabia will follow the next highly anticipated Global Summit which is taking place in Manila, Philippines, from 14-16 March 2022.

Speaking from the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said:

“Since the very beginning, when the pandemic brought international travel to an almost complete standstill, Saudi Arabia has shown its total commitment to our sector, ensuring it has remained at the forefront of the global agenda.

“It has been instrumental in leading the recovery of a sector which is critical to economies, jobs and livelihoods around the world.

“For that we are grateful and want to recognise their incredible efforts by bringing the Global Travel & Tourism sector to the Kingdom next year.”

His Excellency Al Khateeb, Minister for Tourism for Saudi Arabia said:

“I welcome the decision to choose Saudi Arabia as the host country for the next WTTC Global Summit in 2022. This is a critical forum for the private sector and government to come together to redesign tourism for the future, and it is fantastic to hold this event in the Kingdom. This is recognition of Saudi leadership to help the global tourism sector recover, and importantly, become more sustainable. I look forward to welcoming all WTTC Members next year.”

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Updates here.

Further details of the WTTC Global Summit in Riyadh will be announced in due course.

To coincide with this announcement, latest research from WTTC shows the Middle Eastern Travel & Tourism sector is set to grow by 27.1% this year ahead of Europe and Latin America.

The research also shows that if governments prioritise Travel & Tourism, jobs in the sector could reach 6.6m in 2022, approaching pre-pandemic levels.

Barcelona, Spain, October 29, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Tourism has united around a common Call to Action, outlining a shared vision for the sustainable and inclusive future of the sector. On the second day of the Future of Tourism World Summit in Barcelona (26-27 October), UNWTO was joined by fellow UN agencies, government Ministers, and public and private sector leaders, in agreeing to seize the opportunity to restart and recover better from the impacts of the pandemic. The Call to Action brings together the solutions and plans put forward during the two-day summit, recognizing the importance of transforming tourism ‘for people, for planet and for prosperity’.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Updates here.

Tourism must lead the way

Clear leadership to secure the financing necessary to build a more sustainable future. As world leaders get ready to meet in Glasgow for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), it states that “tourism must lead the way in adapting, becoming more sustainable and transitioning towards net-zero growth”. Among the key players backing the plan are UNWTO’s fellow the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), along with leading businesses, destinations and governments.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili underscored the need for “clear leadership to secure the financing necessary to build a more sustainable future”. He added that “the Barcelona Call to Action signals our sector’s readiness to lead the way, face up to and overcome challenges and build a better tourism for all”.

SDGs as reference for growth

The Call to Action was announced at the close of the two-day summit. Organized by the Advanced Leadership Foundation, and the Incyde Foundation of the Chambers of Commerce of Spain, with the support of UNWTO, this was the first major event focused on looking ahead held since the start of the pandemic. Its focus aligned with many of the key priorities of UNWTO’s work, most notably an emphasis on securing more and more effective funding to help transform the sector, as well as on the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Updates here.

The ten-point Call to Action includes a commitment to more fully integrating tourism into national and local action plans, ensuring the sector is engaged in issues such as housing, the use of public space and the use of infrastructure. It also highlights the need to ensure the sector’s restart and future growth adhere to the principles of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and are aligned with the ambitions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

New York City, New York, United States, October 29, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Collective action must be taken to accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, which contribute 38% of all energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. A new action plan released today by the World Economic Forum offers a set of principles to help companies deliver net-zero carbon buildings and meet key climate commitments.

The Green Building Principles: The Action Plan for Net Zero Carbon provides a clear sequence of steps to deliver net-zero carbon buildings. Developed in conjunction with JLL and the Forum’s Real Estate CEO community, it includes a set of key principles companies can formally adopt along with an action plan on how to implement them.

“The climate crisis is the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced. It will affect every aspect of our lives and threatens the entire global economy and we must rapidly deploy the solutions we already have in hand to avert its most catastrophic impacts,” said Al Gore, Vice-President of the United States (1993-2001), Chairman and Co-Founder, Generation Investment Management. “Buildings are a large and often overlooked contributor to this crisis, but with investments in clean energy and energy efficiency, we can begin solving the climate crisis, create tens of millions of jobs, and build a better future.”

“As increased action on the climate crisis becomes more urgent every year, it’s important that all leaders find new ways to take action,” said Børge Brende, President, World Economic Forum. “Business leaders have a great opportunity to take climate action just by ensuring their own offices and properties are sustainable and moving towards a net-zero future. Increasing sustainability in the office, and across value chains, is a critical step for all businesses to take.”

“2021 has been the year of net zero carbon commitments. As part of this, the built environment has demonstrated leadership with companies, investors, architects, cities, and regions signing up to the Race to Zero,” said Nigel Topping, High-Level Climate Action Champion, COP26 Climate Champions, United Kingdom. “2022 will be the year in which we develop strategies for meaningfully delivering against these net zero carbon commitments. This Action Plan launched by the World Economic Forum provides the guidance that real estate portfolios need to do this in a comprehensive and cost-effective way.”

The Principles

1. Calculate a robust carbon footprint of your portfolio in the most recent representative year to inform targets
2. Set a target year for achieving net-zero carbon, by 2050 at the latest, and an interim target for reducing at least 50% of these emissions by 2030
3. Measure and record embodied carbon of new developments and major refurbishments.
4. Maximize emissions reductions for all new developments and major refurbishments in the pipeline to ensure delivery of net-zero carbon (operational and embodied) by selected final target year
5. Drive energy optimization across both existing assets and new developments
6. Maximize supply of on-site renewable energy.
7. Ensure 100% off-site energy is procured from renewable-backed sources, where available
8. Engage with stakeholders with whom you have influence in your value chain to reduce scope 3 emissions
9. Compensate for any residual emissions by purchasing high-quality carbon offsets
10. Engage with stakeholders to identify joint endeavours and equitably share costs and benefits of interventions

The action plan provides globally applicable guidance on best practices to implement the principles for every stakeholder, from owners to occupiers to investors.

Industry Leadership

“The pandemic has underscored the need for action on climate, and buildings provide the perfect opportunity to address a large share of global emissions,” said Christian Ulbrich, Global Chief Executive Officer and President, JLL. “We can and must work to deliver net-zero carbon buildings and the companies that do so first will lead the sector.”

“We must act now, and everyone from engineers to occupiers to investors have to be part of this journey,” said Coen van Oostrom, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, EDGE. “The principles offer the necessary roadmap and companies of all types need to evolve their mindsets around their buildings. We must think in terms of renovation, circularity and digitalization. Viewing the built environment as supportive to societal well-being and the planet is the necessary paradigm shift.”

Ahead of November’s COP26, both the public and private sectors have been making commitments to reduce emissions and reach key climate targets in alignment with the Paris Agreement. These commitments are essential and many of them provide valuable guidance. But the roadmap for meeting these targets has been missing. The new principles and action plan provide that roadmap and help companies implement their existing commitments.

In an open letter also released today, the Forum’s Real Estate CEO community Co-Chairs Ulbrich and van Oostrom urge their peers, across a wide range of industries, to formally adopt the principles and commit to reducing their buildings-related emissions by at least 50% by 2030 and deliver net-zero carbon real estate portfolios no later than 2050.

“The World Green Building Council encourages companies to reinforce climate action by adopting the World Economic Forum’s new principles, which set out a clear pathway to deliver net-zero carbon buildings,” said Cristina Gamboa, Chief Executive Officer, World Green Building Council. “The principles are harmonious with our Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment and we hope that businesses across all industries take this opportunity to step-up ambition to decarbonize their building portfolios.”

“We are running out of time and the built environment is critical to mitigate warming,” said Kalin Bracken, Real Estate Lead, World Economic Forum. “This is an issue that goes beyond just the real estate industry. Every industry has a role to play in addressing their real estate footprint and that’s a message we really need to send.”