Category: Latest Travel News

Koh Samui, Thailand, July 13, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / First resort of the group’s Centara Reserve brand to feature one-of-a-kind dining, social, and service experiences. Centara Hotels and Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, announces the much-anticipated opening date of Centara Reserve Samui in August 2021.

• Discover Samui and the World’s Best Luxury Hotels here.

Centara Reserve is Centara’s sixth brand, complementing the group’s five other industry-leading labels including Centara Grand, Centara, Centara Boutique Collection, Centra by Centara and COSI.

Marking the start of a new era of experiential luxury hospitality, Centara Reserve offers personalised travel experiences for individuals seeking a meaningful escape with experiences crafted with a personal touch. Each Reserve property is set in a uniquely curated destination, inviting guests to explore a world reserved for them.

Set at the tranquil end of Chaweng Beach, Centara Reserve’s flagship resort on Samui will comprise 184 brand-new luxury rooms, pool suites and beachfront pool villas. Guests can enjoy five unique dining experiences and the world’s first Reserve Spa Cenvaree, as well as a state-of-the-art fitness centre, yoga pavillion, children’s zone, and diverse event spaces.

Travellers are invited to be among the first to experience the curated spaces and unique services at Centara Reserve Samui, the first resort in Centara’s new collection of luxury hotels and resorts.

• Discover Samui and the World’s Best Luxury Hotels here.

From a short Samui sojourn to an extended escape, and for those who enjoy the good life, to those who enjoy the suite life, a trio of experiences have been wonderfully crafted for guests. Choose from a selection of introductory offers to complement your travel lifestyle from THB5,900++ per night inclusive of breakfast, complimentary room upgrade and much more.

About Centara
Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator. Its 84 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, China, Japan, Oman, Qatar, Cambodia, Turkey, Indonesia and the UAE. Centara’s portfolio comprises six brands – Centara Reserve, Centara Grand Hotels & Resorts, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Centara Boutique Collection, Centra by Centara and COSI Hotels – ranging from luxury island retreats and upscale family resorts to affordable lifestyle concepts supported by innovative technology. The group’s newest Centara Reserve brand was unveiled in 2020 as an experiential luxury collection, inviting guests to discover a new era of story-driven hospitality starting with Centara Reserve Samui.

Centara also operates state-of-the-art convention centres and has its own award-winning spa brand, Cenvaree. Throughout the collection, Centara delivers and celebrates the hospitality and values Thailand is famous for including gracious service, exceptional food, pampering spas and the importance of families. Centara’s distinctive culture and diversity of formats allow it to serve and satisfy travellers of nearly every age and lifestyle.

Over the next five years Centara aims to become a top 100 global hotel group, while spreading its footprint into new continents and market niches. As Centara continues to expand, a growing base of loyal customers will find the company’s unique style of hospitality in more locations. Centara’s global loyalty programme, Centara The1, reinforces their loyalty with rewards, privileges and special member pricing.

Madrid, Spain, July 13, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Tourism businesses and destinations are stepping up their commitment to sustainability. Aimed at reducing waste and pollution across the sector, the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI) is welcoming 32 new signatories, with every global region represented behind the shared goal.

The Initiative unites the tourism sector behind a common vision to address the root causes of plastic pollution. It enables businesses, governments and other tourism stakeholders to lead by example in the shift towards a circular economy of plastics. Among the 32 new signatories  are organizations such as TUI Group, AC Hotels by Marriott, Palladium Hotel Group, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, Hostelling International, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association  and Visit Valencia. These new additions bring the total number of signatories up to 93 companies and organizations. These include organizations from stages of the tourism value chain, including accommodation providers, tour operators, online platforms, suppliers, waste managers and supporting organizations.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Updates here.

Andreas Vermöhlen, Manager for Sustainability, Circular Economy and Sustainable Development at TUI Group said: “Together we can make important steps towards less unnecessary single-use plastic in the world and shift towards a circular economy.”

Addressing plastic pollution is essential to sustainably restart tourism, preserve destinations and contribute to climate action

To mark the confirmation of the new signatories, UNWTO and the United Nations Environment Programme, in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, held a special  panel discussion with the theme Eliminate. Innovate. Circulate. Strategies from the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative. Participants included Accor Group, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Palladium Hotel Group, Chumbe Island Coral Park and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.

Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General said: “Addressing plastic pollution is essential to sustainably restart tourism, preserve destinations and contribute to climate action. We are proud to see the number of signatories growing continuously since the launch of the initiative.”

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Updates here.

Alongside this, a keynote presentation on “A Life Cycle Approach – Key messages for tourism businesses” further highlighted the aims of the GTPI, with a special focus on innovation and the importance of context-based approaches to ensure plastics are circulated back into the economy rather than thrown away after use.

Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia, July 11, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / NoKu Beach House in Bali, which features in the first episode of the new reality series, is just one of the more than 300 high-end holiday rentals that Elite Havens offers across Indonesia, India, Japan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Elite Havens, the leading provider of high-end vacation rentals in Asia and a subsidiary of Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has seen the quality of its offerings celebrated in a new Netflix reality series, The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals.

The show, which premiered on 18 June 2021 and is now available for viewing to more than 208 million subscribers worldwide, sees hosts Mr Luis D. Ortiz (Million Dollar Listing), Ms Megan Batoon, and Ms Jo Franco (travel content creators) showcase remarkable properties around the globe and the life-changing experiences they have to offer.

A large portion of the first episode is devoted to NoKu Beach House, a sublime beachfront getaway in Seminyak, Bali, which is managed as part of Elite Havens’ hand-picked portfolio of close to 300 fully staffed private luxury havens throughout Asia.

Created by award-winning, internationally acclaimed interior designer Alex Zabotto-Bentley, and surrounded by an immaculate tropical garden, the private six-bedroom residence boasts a beach-facing plunge pool, a tennis court, and an outdoor cinema and spa. Guests also benefit from a full fleet of professional in-villa staff, including personal butlers, massage therapists, and a private chef who prepares customised gourmet meals.

“NoKu Beach House serves as a wonderful showcase of the Elite Havens experience and the bespoke services our distinctive properties have to offer,” said Ms Maya Rigg, CEO, Elite Havens. “We are delighted this stunning villa has been featured in Netlix’s exciting new show – especially as host Luis D Ortiz, who spends his life around luxury properties, described it as ‘luxury at its best.’ In the post COVID-19 world, luxury villas provide the perfect secluded and safe hideaway for travellers seeking a highly personalised holiday experience. And as the first episode of The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals highlights, Elite Havens has everything in place to exceed guest expectations with bespoke services, stunning locations, and unrivalled local insight.”

Established in 1998, Elite Havens performs integrated marketing, reservations, concierge and management services for luxury villas across Indonesia, India, Japan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Dusit International acquired the company in 2018 as part of its three-pronged strategy for balance, diversification, and expansion. This strategy includes providing broadened experiences for customers beyond Dusit’s traditional hotel brand line up in the midscale through to luxury segments.

In Dusit’s home base of Thailand, Elite Havens offers a wide range of secluded and luxury villas on the paradise islands of Phuket and Koh Samui. From three-bedroom residences in prime beachside locations, to a 20-bedroom mansion set within a sprawling garden, each property promises to offer unfaltering service standards; professional, highly trained villa staff; and the personalised services of the Elite Concierge.

Ms Suphajee Suthumpun, Group CEO, Dusit International, said, “Leveraging our rich experience in operating full-service hotels for more than 70 years, Elite Havens gives travellers a unique opportunity to stay in some incredible private residences while enjoying the same gracious hospitality for which our legacy brands are renowned. With stunning locations and incredible designs, Elite Havens’ spacious properties are ideal for groups of friends and families seeking highly customised, secluded vacations at exceptional value for money. Thanks to Elite Havens’ unrivalled community links, they promise to offer unique journeys of self-discovery too. Netflix’s new show highlights the distinct appeal of this fast-growing segment of the lodging spectrum, and we are delighted that Elite Havens’ offerings have been named among the world’s best.”

About Dusit International
Established in 1948, Dusit International is a leading hospitality group listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Building on its two core areas of business – Hotels & Resorts and Hospitality Education – the company has expanded its operations over the past four years to comprise five business units. The additional units include Foods, Property Development, and Hospitality-Related Services. Today, the company’s property portfolio comprises more than 300 distinctive hotels, resorts and luxury villas operating under six brands across 15 countries worldwide, as well as two leading hospitality colleges with campuses in Thailand and the Philippines. Following a three-pronged strategy for sustainable growth, including balance, expansion and diversification, the company has recently expanded into food production, on-demand hospitality services, and property development to reach new markets and add further recurring streams of revenue to the company.

About Elite Havens Luxury Villa Rentals and Management
Elite Havens is Asia’s market leader in high-end holiday rentals, with a spectacular, hand-picked portfolio of close to 300 private luxury havens in Bali, Lombok, Nusa Lembongan, Phuket, Koh Samui, Sri Lanka, Japan, India and the Maldives. Inspired accommodation on offer ranges from absolute beachfront to mountain lodges, traditional to design chic and honeymoon hideaways to stunning wedding venues. Each Elite Havens’ guest has access to the Elite Concierge, gourmet dining, luxury provisioning and modern facilities to ensure an indulgent and memorable experience. Elite Havens is part of Dusit International.

About The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals
The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals is a Netflix reality series created by George Verschoor and Will Spjut. The show takes viewers on the journey of a lifetime, as hosts Luis D. Ortiz (Million Dollar Listing), Megan Batoon and Jo Franco (travel content creators) explore and live in some of the dreamiest properties ever built. With an eye for every budget and style of travel, these three experts explore vacation homes that range from affordable treehouses to exclusive private islands, and from unforgettable igloos to gourmet getaways, giving viewers a glimpse of the life-changing experiences that they have to offer.

Porto, Portugal, July 10, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) continues to energize the restart of tourism based on sustainability and innovation. An agreement with MUST Travel & Tech places a digital tool at the service of tourism, allowing users to share their experiences to promote the reactivation of the sector with a view to sustainability. Presented during the UNWTO Mayors’ Forum in Porto, Portugal, the tool is an opportunity for the advancement of smart cities, as well as destinations that incorporate technology and innovation in their development.

Already operating in 60 countries, MUST aggregates all the information of interest to travellers in one place. By also integrating key information and analysis from UNWTO, it aims to become a leading tourism application and generate opportunities for destinations.

Technology at the service of development

We welcome innovative ideas and technologies that allow the creation of global and regional innovation ecosystems aimed at accelerating the recovery of tourism for development

Visibility provided through technological tools is an opportunity for those who, along the entire value chain of the sector, require support to restart their activity, from new destinations around rural communities, to destinations with a high degree of infrastructure development.

“We welcome innovative ideas and technologies that allow the creation of global and regional innovation ecosystems aimed at accelerating the recovery of tourism for development,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili upon signing the agreement.

For his part, the CEO of MUST, Pablo López, highlighted that “technology enhances the productivity and resilience of companies. The implementation of digital solutions in line with new trends in the tourism sector allows us to develop a differentiated, personalized and safe tourism product that is more focused on behaviour patterns and the management of spaces that will undoubtedly contribute to the recovery of a key activity for the economy in general”.

Shared objectives

A distinctive element will be the contribution of tourism intelligence from the UNWTO to the users of the tool. In this way, relevant and verified content is combined with data for making informed and evidence-based decisions.

The agreement provides for cooperation in the execution of projects that include, among others:

• Supporting the digital transformation of tourism service providers.
• Fostering tourism development and promotion in a sustainable and inclusive way.
• Boosting innovation in the practices of reservation and consumption of tourism experiences and activities.
• Encouraging the creation of quality content with a focus on cultural heritage and the authenticity of the destination to be promoted.
• Promoting and disseminate the UNWTO “Best Tourism Villages” programme on the MUST platform as well as other programmes or events of the Organization.
• Promoting programmes related to innovation, education and investments that are useful for tourism destinations of mutual interest.

The agreement between UNWTO and MUST will be in place until the end of 2024.

Berlin, Germany, July 10, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The World’s Leading Travel Trade Show releases details of a hybrid concept and for taking part in the live event from 9 to 13 March 2022 in Berlin. Demand is high for the annual business highlight of the international travel industry. In March 2022 ITB Berlin – The World’s Leading Travel Trade Show – is planning an in-person edition of the event whose success story spans more than 50 years – to which virtual elements will be added.

As part of a three-phase trade show concept, the run-up will consist mainly of matchmaking and appointments. During the actual event ITB Berlin will provide a platform for business, networking, content and dialogue, and with its physical and hybrid trade show stands will create a setting for successful participation in the event. After ITB Berlin, over a period of one to two days the virtual Business Days will round off the concept with virtual appointments and livestreams.

As early as February 2022, access will be available to a virtual trade show platform where exhibitors, trade visitors and the media can make advance contact and find relevant content. The focus of the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show will be on Saxony, the Official Partner Destination, which at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 8 March 2022 on the eve of the event will open ITB Berlin with a festive gala at the CityCube Berlin, which will also be livestreamed. On Wednesday, 9 March, the Berlin Exhibition Grounds will open their doors to exhibitors, trade visitors and the media, observing the latest hygiene rules and a safety concept which ITB Berlin will coordinate with the local authorities and will previously test. On Saturday, 12 and Sunday, 13 March anyone from the Berlin/Brandenburg region with a lust for travel is also invited to the display halls where they can get ideas and inspiration for their next holidays.

Remote trade show stands and the Digital ITB Business Days supplement the hybrid trade show experience

Anyone wishing to attend ITB but unable to be in Berlin due to travel restrictions can join ITB Berlin live during the event by booking one of the new remote hybrid trade show stands through our Messe Berlin subsidiary CSG. Additional information is available in the week after ITB Berlin the virtual ITB platform will host one to two special Digital ITB Business Days, enabling exhibitors and buyers to meet at a technically user-friendly virtual trade show, where they can meet the appointments they were unable to at the live event.

“With ITB Berlin NOW we were able to offer the industry a sophisticated alternative format during the interim in spring 2021“, said David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin. “However, it also became clear to us all that, as we know, nothing can compare with a face-to-face meeting. It therefore gives us all the more pleasure to physically welcome the global travel industry back to Berlin in 2022. Our expanded virtual formats featuring livestreaming and the Digital Business Days will take the show to a new level by combining the best elements of the physical and virtual world.”

About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention
ITB Berlin 2022 will take place from Wednesday, 9 to Sunday, 13 March as an in-person event in Berlin and will include virtual trade show elements such as the two-day Digital ITB Business Days after the event. From Wednesday to Friday ITB Berlin will be open to trade visitors only. ITB Berlin is the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. Parallel with the show the ITB Berlin Convention, the largest event of its kind, will be held from Wednesday, 9 to Saturday, 12 March 2022. It will take place physically and virtually and feature livestreams along with a 24-hour programme. For exhibitors, trade visitors and the media, participation in the convention is included in the price of a ticket. 3,513 exhibitors from 120 countries were represented at the virtual edition of ITB Berlin NOW 2021 for the duration of the event. Some 65,700 users visited the new online platform, around two-thirds of whom were from abroad. In 2019 a total of 10,000 exhibitors from 181 countries displayed their products and services to 160,000 visitors, including 113,500 trade visitors.

Phuket, Thailand, July 9, 2021 – In-time for the re-opening of Phuket, and with the support of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Travelindex formally launched the Phuket Edition of its prestigious restaurant guide; the Top 25 Restaurants Phuket – the Master Affluent Dining Guide on Phuket, now in 6 key gastronomy destinations across Asia Pacific.

The Top 25 Restaurants Guide Phuket brings together not only gourmet dining but the best of all cuisines, with every establishment chosen first and foremost for the quality of cooking and food served. From Michelin-star quality tasting menus to exquisite and original Peranakan food or the best grilled seafood you’ll ever have, Phuket has become a premier gourmet destination.

The diversity of Phuket’s cuisine is reflected in the rankings at Top 25 Restaurants Phuket; from the classic French and Italian to hyper-local and authentic Phuket food restaurants.

Top25Restaurants.com is celebrating exquisite dining in each city highlighting its the culinary diversity, as well as new trends and chefs supporting local community products. Top 25 Restaurants contributes to the prestige of the local dining scene 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 “Top 25 Restaurants Guide Phuket” is based on a world-leading rating system, the Restaurant Rating Index (RRI). RRI is an artificial intelligence based, decentralized appraisal mechanism combining behavioral analytics and human expertise from some of the world’s top culinary experts.

Mr. Bernard Metzger, Founder of Top25Restaurants Guide series, stated: “We are committed to support the gastronomy and hospitality sectors in Phuket by leveraging digital technology and our online expertise. We aim not only to help restaurants in the recovering process from the Covid pandemic downturn but also to educated people to eat better and live better, while at the same time improving the drawing power of the Thai culinary culture and tradition.”

With the Phuket Sandbox programme in effect, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects 100,000 foreign tourists to visit Phuket in the Third Quarter of 2021 from July to September, generating 8.9 billion Baht in revenue for the local economy. 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.

Restaurants in Phuket can feature at no costs in the “Top 25 Restaurants Phuket” guide by filling out the submission form here: – New restaurants will be added for free on a regular basis.

London, United Kingdom, July 9, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Virginia Messina, WTTC Senior Vice President, said: “Holidaymakers and the Travel & Tourism sector will breathe a sigh of relief now that quarantine-free holidays have been given the green light by the government for those that have been fully jabbed.

“While it’s a step in the right direction, there is still a long way to go before holidays become truly affordable – and accessible. The requirement for PCR tests to return from amber list countries will remain, pricing out many hard-working families from being able to take holidays abroad.

“And though it’s great news for the double jabbed and under-18’s who also are exempt from quarantines, it still leaves more than one in three UK adults who’ve only received a single dose, forced into quarantine when they arrive back in the UK from an amber list country.

“Countries must take a coordinated and harmonised approach and align policies to avoid confusion among holidaymakers who need easy to understand rules and regulations more than ever before.”

Geneva, Switzerland, July 9, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that both international and domestic travel demand showed marginal improvements in May 2021, compared to the prior month, but traffic remained well below pre-pandemic levels. Recovery in international traffic in particular continued to be stymied by extensive government travel restrictions.

Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons are to May 2019, which followed a normal demand pattern.

• Total demand for air travel in May 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was down 62.7% compared to May 2019. That was a gain over the 65.2% decline recorded in April 2021 versus April 2019.
• International passenger demand in May was 85.1% below May 2019, a small step-up from the 87.2% decline recorded in April 2021 versus two years ago. All regions with the exception of Asia-Pacific contributed to this modest improvement.
• Total domestic demand was down 23.9% versus pre-crisis levels (May 2019), slightly improved over April 2021, when domestic traffic was down 25.5% versus the 2019 period. China and Russia traffic continue to be in in positive growth territory compared to pre-COVID-19 levels, while India and Japan saw significant deterioration amid new variants and outbreaks.

“We are starting to see positive developments, with some international markets opening to vaccinated travelers. The Northern Hemisphere summer travel season is now fully arrived. And it is disappointing that more governments are not moving more rapidly to use data to drive border opening strategies that would help revive tourism jobs and reunite families,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

International Passenger Markets

• European carriers’ May international traffic declined 84.7% versus May 2019, improved from the 87.7% decrease in April compared to the same month in 2019. Capacity dropped 75.7% and load factor fell 31.3 percentage points to 52.9%.
• Asia-Pacific airlines saw their May international traffic fall 94.3% compared to May 2019, fractionally worse than the 94.2% drop registered in April 2021 versus April 2019. The region experienced the steepest traffic declines for a tenth consecutive month. Capacity was down 86.4% and the load factor sank 45.5 percentage points to 33.2%, the lowest among regions.
• Middle Eastern airlines experienced an 81.3% demand drop in May compared to May 2019, slightly bettering the 82.9% decrease in April, versus the same month in 2019. Capacity declined 63.7%, and load factor fell 35.3 percentage points to 37.7%.
• North American carriers’ May demand fell 74.4% compared to the 2019 period, an improvement over the 77.6% decline in April versus two years ago. Capacity sagged 58.5%, and load factor dropped 32.2 percentage points to 51.7%.
• Latin American airlines saw a 75.1% demand drop in May, compared to the same month in 2019, notably improved over the 80.9% decline in April compared to April 2019. May capacity was down 69.9% and load factor decreased 14.6 percentage points to 69.5%, which was the highest load factor among the regions for the eighth consecutive month.
• African airlines’ traffic fell 71.4% in May versus May two years ago, a gain from the 75.6% decline in April compared to April 2019. May capacity declined 61.8% versus May 2019, and load factor dropped 16.9 percentage points to 50.2%.

• India’s domestic traffic fell 71.0% in May compared to May 2019 amid the emergence of the new and more contagious “Delta” variant. This compared to a 42% decline registered in April versus the same month two years ago.
• Brazil’s domestic traffic rebounded from a 60.9% decline in April versus the same month in 2019, to a 44% decline in May, as travel restrictions were eased.

The Bottom Line

“To paraphrase an old saying, when you think that all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Too many governments continue to act as if the only tool in their anti-COVID-19 arsenal is a blanket border closure or an arrival quarantine. In fact, research from leading medical organizations around the globe confirms that vaccinated travelers pose very little risk to the local population(i) while data show that pre-departure testing largely removes the risk of unvaccinated travelers importing COVID-19(ii).

“It is long past time for governments to start responding to this information with more nuanced data-driven risk-based strategies. These will minimize the chance of importing COVID-19 while allowing the world to reopen to travel and all the opportunities it brings to reconnect with loved ones, to realize business opportunities, to explore the world or take a well-deserved vacation,” said Walsh.

Bangkok, Thailand, July 30, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to report that Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List making it Thailand’s sixth World Heritage Site.

The decision to add Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex was made at the World Heritage Committee’s 44^th  session, held online and chaired from Fuzhou, China. The session will continue through to 31 July, 2021.

• For a comprehensive travel guide on Thailand, Visit Thailand – Be Happy, at VisitThailand.net

Located inside Thailand’s largest national park of the same name, Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex covers 464,000 hectares and spans across the three provinces of Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, and Ratchaburi.

It is the third natural heritage site after Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries was listed in 1991 and Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex in 2005.

UNESCO describes Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex as rich in biodiversity with semi-evergreen/dry evergreen, moist evergreen and some mixed deciduous forest, montane forest, and deciduous dipterocarp forest. The area has abundant birdlife, including several globally threatened species, and is home to the critically endangered Siamese Crocodile, the endangered Asiatic Wild Dog and several other vulnerable wildlife species. There are also eight resident cat species, including the endangered Tiger and Fishing Cat, the vulnerable Clouded Leopard and Marbled Cat, the Jungle Cat, and Leopard Cat.

Thailand’s other three World Heritage List locations are cultural heritage sites; these being Ban Chiang Archaeological Site, Historic City of Ayutthaya, and the Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns.

London, United Kingdom, July 30, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched a major new report which signals how the global Travel & Tourism sector can help eradicate human trafficking.

The report is released with support from the Carlson Family Foundation, and builds on WTTC’s Human Trafficking Taskforce, which was launched in 2019 at its Global Summit in Seville, Spain.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Updates here.

With its report ‘Preventing Human Trafficking: An Action Framework for the Travel & Tourism Sector’, WTTC aims to strengthen cooperation across stakeholders and share best practices to raise awareness about how the sector can, and does, make a difference, to proactively address this global crime.

The report details an action framework to tackle human trafficking, around four main pillars: Awareness, Education & Training, Advocacy, and Support.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has estimated that on any given day in 2016, more than 40 million people around the world were victims of human trafficking.

The pandemic has not only put a spotlight on pre-existing inequalities but exacerbated them. This has accelerated the urgent need for targeted actions within the Travel & Tourism sector.

The report offers solutions both within the sector and beyond, as the complexity of these transnational crimes require multi-disciplinary efforts and concerted coordinated action by stakeholders, such as states, private companies, and international organisations around the world.

For the Travel & Tourism sector, this means involving the expertise of all stakeholders, including survivors, as well as civil society organisations to establish joint initiatives.

Virginia Messina, Senior Vice President and Acting CEO, WTTC said: “Human trafficking is a global crime which preys on the vulnerable, continues to grow and affect the lives of millions around the world.

“This vital report offers a framework for the Travel & Tourism sector to play its part to help combat human trafficking. Given the sector’s inadvertent position in the path of human traffickers, we need to shoulder our responsibility to ensure that the Travel & Tourism sector offers a safe and welcoming environment for those who work within it.

“Ultimately, travel is something that brings people together, and it is critical that we proactively help address this crime. 

The sector needs a cohesive approach and focus its efforts on driving forward advocacy related to human trafficking by engaging all key stakeholders. We hope that this report can aid in that task.” 

This in-depth report highlights the need to work on facilitating an approach which will enhance the understanding of the crime of human trafficking, enable better identification, prevention, and mitigation of potential and actual impacts of the sector, and further public-private collaboration to ensure that appropriate steps are taken by governments when human trafficking is detected.

The report is launched in advance of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (30 July), which highlights the importance of listening to and learning from survivors of human trafficking.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Updates here.

WTTC would also like to thank the following organisations for contributing to this important report: Carlson, CWT, AMEX GBT, Marriott International, Hilton, Ingle, JTB Corp, ECPAT International, Airbnb, AIG Travel, Bicester Village Shopping Collection, Emirates, Expedia Group, ITF, It’s a Penalty, Marano Perspectives.

To read the report in full, please click here.