Category: Latest Travel News

Madrid, Spain, April 30, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) continues to advance its commitment to the African tourism sector by partnering with Google to help destinations gain expert insights into data management and digital marketing.

In a special capacity building event, researchers and marketing professionals from 20 African National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) benefitted from two days of training on themes designed to help them attract visitors and better manage their tourism sectors. As well as insights into data collection, analysis and management, the regional course also focused on digital marketing, with a particular emphasis on how digital content and storytelling can be powerful tools for restarting tourism and supporting recovery in the wake of the pandemic.

• For the African Tourism Portal , Connecting and Promoting Africa to the World, go to TourismAfrica.org

To put theory into practice, participants were able to learn more about UNWTO’s tools to provide market insights and to support recovery, including the UNWTO Recovery Tracker and its trusted dashboards. Alongside this, the NTOs were also shown how Google’s Insights Tools can help guide sustainable recovery.

By partnering with Google, we are ensuring our Member States are able to use data insights and digital marketing to recover from the current crisis, restart their tourism sectors and grow back smarter and better

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The UNWTO Agenda for Africa aims to harness the power of tourism to drive sustainable development across Africa. By partnering with Google, we are ensuring our Member States are able to use data insights and digital marketing to recover from the current crisis, restart their tourism sectors and grow back smarter and better.”

Google’s Global Destination Marketing Partner Iva Kutle Skrlec added: As part of our strong commitment to the tourism sector recovery, we are proud to launch this one of a kind digital curriculum designed specifically for Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), and to do so in Africa for the first time, acknowledging the needs of the region during this pandemic. We are confident that the curriculum will provide tourism organizations with tools and skills to navigate the fast changing environment and expedite industry transformation.”

• For the African Tourism Portal , Connecting and Promoting Africa to the World, go to TourismAfrica.org

This capacity building event forms part of the wider partnership between UNWTO and Google. The two organizations are cooperating closely on matters of mutual interest in order to achieve common objectives, which include data, market research on consumer trends and forecasting, innovation, education and digital transformation, as well as capacity building.

Peralada, Girona, Spain, April 28, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Hotel Peralada Wine Spa and Golf is offering the country house feel to its five-star resort for visitors in 2021. Located in the north of the stunning region, the resort boasts an excellent par-71 course, which hosted the 1995 Catalonia Open and a sumptuous spa facility, famous for its wine spa treatment as well as a huge variety of luxuries.

But aside from 64 rooms and suites in the main hotel, the advent of self-contained tourism has become increasingly popular in recent times and that option is now available with a stay at the charming Mas Garriga

Recently-restored, fully equipped and located just a few steps from the golf course, the three-bedroom house offers its own kitchen, three bathrooms and all of the necessary amenities, including a huge sun terrace for entertaining the guests.

Access to the facilities of the Hotel Peralada Wine Spa & Golf is included, but it presents an intimate setting for small groups to enjoy a stay in the heart of the Empordà and to explore the region. Stays start from €400 per day (minimum two-night stay) or €2280 per week for groups of up to six people.

In keeping with the passion for wine at Peralada, the new winery is ripening and ready for launch in spring 2022 and has already been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification for its environmental sustainability and energy efficiency of the building, which utilises geothermal energy to provide much of its heat.

The building is close to completion and the €40m facility will produce a staggering 3m bottles per year when it is fully operational and will be yet another reason to attract visitors to the resort and is an extra addition to the outstanding gastronomy already on offer.

Celebrated chef, Paco Pérez – who has five Michelin stars and numerous awards to his name – oversees the entire Peralada Resort gastronomy at the fabulous L’Olivera restaurant, while Xavier Sagristà, who also gained a Michelin star in recent years, leads the team at the nearby Castell de Peralada Restaurant in the Castle.

After the challenges of 2020, interest is clearly rekindling in the golf and tourism industry as illustrated by success of the recent IGTM Links event.

Petra Darmstädter, golf & premium leisure sales manager at Peralada, said: “It was a very busy week with more than 50 meetings but really encouraging to have so many positive conversations about Peralada and golf in Costa Brava.

“There are some exciting developments happening and a bright future, both at Peralada and throughout the region, so we look forward to welcoming our guests again.”

Peralada is one of nine courses in the region of the Costa Brava – which means wild coast – which remains as one of the most beautiful and unspoilt natural environments in Spain and Southern Europe. Situated 100 km north of Barcelona, nestling between the foothills of the Pyrenees and the waters of the Mediterranean, the historic city of Girona is at the heart of the region with its cultural and historical landmarks waiting to be explored.

The superb gastronomy and diverse nightlife also adds up to a memorable golf break, while the weather is another huge draw for visitors.

Cancun, Mexico, April 28, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The world’s leading travel and tourism leaders pledged to work towards women’s equality and boost female representation in leadership roles in an announcement before the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Cancun Declaration adopted by more than 100 companies, industry associations and destinations. Leaders from the private and public sectors and academia join forces at Global Summit to promote diversity and inclusivity to boost women’s equality Mexican Caribbean, Hilton, Carnival Corporation, Apple Leisure Group, Intrepid, Expedia, IHG, Barcelona Tourism and CLIA amongst signatories.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Updates here.

The commitment came as WTTC, which represents the Travel & Tourism private sector, launched its Women’s Initiative, at its Global Summit in Cancun, with the help of 18 Grand Slam singles title winner, Martina Navratilova.

WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara unveiled the public-private-academic partnership to promote diversity and drive inclusivity which will help lead the way to achieving equality for women throughout Travel & Tourism.

It led to the signing of the WTTC Cancun Women’s Declaration to support women, which recognised their contribution around the world and the importance of an equal equitable environment to enable them to thrive as leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

The drive committed signatories to provide equal opportunities for women by removing barriers, ensuring fair treatment, and encouraging greater financial, professional, and social independence.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “As the first female President and CEO of WTTC, it is an honour to champion this important initiative. The pledge made today with the launch of the first Women’s Initiative in Travel & Tourism by a combination of the private, public and academic sectors to work towards women’s equality, marks a significant step forward.

“Globally, women have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic which has exacerbated the pay gap, the opportunity gap and the shocking lack of senior positions and leadership roles across the Travel & Tourism sector.

“This needs to be changed, WTTC research shows women play a vital role and represented 54% of Travel & Tourism’s employment worldwide. Yet while more than half the sector is accounted for by women, all too few occupy any senior or strategic roles.

“Therefore, I’m delighted to share a platform today with one of the world’s greatest ever tennis players, Martina Navratilova, to help launch WTTC’s ground-breaking Women’s Initiative.”

Martina Navratilova said: “Women have always had to outperform men, and whilst things are changing for the better, it is still a fight and a constant battle. 

“Change happens much quicker when it comes from the top. Companies would be more profitable if more women were in positions of power and boardrooms were less homogenous and reflected the diversity of their customers.

“This is why I am delighted to be here with WTTC on the day it launches its Women’s Initiative. As an advocate for women’s rights, I know every act we take will help change the lives of women everywhere and make the world a fairer and better place.”

For the private sector in the short term, the Women’s Initiative has two core elements; developing skills and creating formal sponsorship and mentorship programmes for young women in business.

It will encourage women to bring in new ideas and skills to broaden the wealth of experience and expertise from women at all levels across the entire Travel & Tourism sector.

Senior women leaders will also be empowered to become mentors and share their skills and experience with the next generation of female Travel & Tourism leaders to nurture and develop new talent.

Where possible, companies will also be asked to assign a senior executive or Board member to be a sponsor for gender diversity and inclusion, who is accountable for progress.

The private sector pledged to increase female representation of leadership positions by 30-50% and aim toward increasing by a third, the representation of women to board levels and C-suites, by 2030.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Updates here.

There will also be a commitment to identify opportunities to reduce any gender pay gaps and implement gender diverse slate requirement for all open roles and to each year share progress and publish an action plan to achieve their goals.

According to WTTC data, in 2019 before the pandemic struck, the Travel & Tourism sector accounted for 10.4% of global GDP and supported the livelihoods of 334 million people.

Under the theme “Uniting the World for Recovery” the Global Summit made history this week by becoming the first-time global Travel & Tourism event where leaders gathered together since the COVID-19 ravaged the sector and halted all major events around the world in March 2020.

Bangkok, Thailand, April 28, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Collective Hospitality (CH), the owner and operator of Slumber Party Hostels (SHG), Path and Socialtel brands, has successfully acquired Bodega Hostels to become the largest hostel company in South East Asia and fourth largest globally, with 25 properties and more than 2,500 beds across Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia.

Established in 2012, SHG’s business model is based on providing the 18 to 35year old adventure traveler with a ‘one-stop-travel’ experience that features design-lead hostel facilities, local tour operation and management, and events held in their restaurants and bars. SHG has organically grown and expanded regionally, and with the recent Bodega Hostels acquisition, the company now totals 25 properties in Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia.

Bodega Hostels was established in 2013 and operates nine hostels in key tourist markets including two in Bangkok – Khaosan and Sukhumvit Road, two in Chiang Mai – Old Town and Thapae, and one each in Koh Phangan, Mae Hong Son, Phuket, Ao Nang and Siem Reap.

“This acquisition was a strategic move aimed at growing our market share and expanding the expertise in our workforce by bringing skilled team members into the company” said Mr. Edmund Lowman, Founder of SHG and CEO of Collective Hospitality, adding “SHG itself has also acquired five new properties in Koh Tao, Koh Phangan, Koh Phi Phi and two in Indonesia – Lombok and Bali”.

The COVID-19 crisis has brought the world to a standstill – with the global Travel and Tourism industry bearing the brunt of this in the past 12 months – however, Collective Hospitality has identified key business expansion opportunities in light of the pandemic. The company stated that its robust and experience-focused business model has a successful track record and regularly outperforms competitors,

“Implementation of our business model will add value to the newly acquired assets through diversification of revenue streams, development of brand presence and centralized strategic support,” said Mr. Lowman, adding, “As the bruised travel industry awaits vaccine distribution, a quick rebound in demand is likely to happen. For Asia, a gradual but full recovery is expected to happen leading to strong capital appreciation in the coming 3-5 years”.

Despite the economic hardship, SHG has still been able to grow the organisation with opportunities and milestones on the horizon, most prominently, announcing the construction completion of their flagship Socialtel property. Socialtel is a 130-room property constructed on Koh Samui and features a Beach Club, Speakeasy, IV Bar and a Co-working Space, as well as a number of other unique features and facilities.

Collective Hospitality is pursuing leasing and management opportunities in the Asian region to help operators and owners put money in their pockets today. Areas of expansion include Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia, to add to its umbrella of strongly managed brands and assets and to further expand its portfolio and reach to meet consumer demand.

Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, April 27, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The world’s leading Tourism Ministers joined together to urge the public and private sectors to work together in partnership to save Travel and Tourism at the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

The plea came at the Global Leaders Dialogue session at WTTC’s annual Global Summit 2021, which is being held in Cancun Mexico this week.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Updates here.

Key ministers and business leaders participated in the event, which enabled those taking part in the forum to discuss how the Travel & Tourism sector could safely revive international travel and help generate the global economic recovery.

Facilitated by prominent US travel journalist Peter Greenberg, the ministers looked back over the last year and shared how devastating the pandemic had been for the sector and how vital it was that action be taken now to arrest the collapse of businesses and the loss of tens of thousands of jobs.

However, the ministers attending the event with senior Travel & Tourism business leaders agreed that the need for close public and private collaboration would be key to the sector reviving the global economy.

This was the second major meeting this year between the two sectors, since the private sector was invited to attend an historic meeting of G20 tourism ministers for the first time.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “The seriousness of the impact of COVID-19 cannot be overestimated. WTTC research shows this crisis has been 18 times worse than the 2008 financial crash.

“But WTTC has worked tirelessly with its Members to find solutions to revive the sector and save millions of jobs globally which have been lost and the terrible social impact of their disappearance.

“The debate today enabled leading Ministers to share their thoughts about how the sector can tackle the pressing issues of how to save jobs, save businesses and save the global economy by safely reviving international travel.

“It was hugely encouraging to see there was common agreement by all those attending that collaboration and cooperation between the public and private sector, would lead the way for revival of international travel.

“This will be critical to powering the world’s recovery, so we are indebted to those ministers who joined us today to be part of this amazing event and help kickstart our Global Summit and energise the sector to unite and make a difference.”

Among those participating in WTTC’s Global Leaders Dialogue were Harry Theocharis, Minister of Tourism, Greece who championed the public sector’s lead to provide a roadmap out of the COVID-19 Crisis.

Kevin McAleenan, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, said it was vital the international community laid down parameters and followed through at the governmental level, advocating a pragmatic risk-management approach to resuscitate international travel.

Portuguese Secretary of State for Tourism, Rita Marques, said the sector must avoid taking short-term decisions and instead advocated the development of a long-term strategy by government and private companies.

Colombian Vice Minister of Tourism, Julián Guerrero Orozco, warned against the prolonged use of ‘health passports’, which create a danger of first and second class travellers and become a real barrier to travel.

Also participating were Spanish Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés Verelst, Nicole Marrder, Minister of Tourism of Honduras and Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica.

Mexico was represented by Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez, Governor of Quintana Roo and Federal Secretary of Tourism, Miguel Torruco Marqués.

The private sector was represented by some of the world’s top Travel & Tourism companies, including Andrea Grisdale, Chief Executive Officer and Sole Founder of IC Bellagio and Dan Richards, Chief Executive Officer of Global Rescue.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Updates here.

Fawaz Farooqui, Managing Director of Cruise Saudi also participated, along with Kike Sarasola, President & Founder of Room Mate, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, Director General of Airports Council International (ACI) and Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio di Balsorano de Clunieres, Chairman of Abercrombie & Kent.

Under the theme “Uniting the World for Recovery”, the Global Summit made history by becoming the first global Travel & Tourism event where leaders gathered in person since the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the sector and brought most major events around the world to a grinding halt in March 2020.

Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, April 27, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / World Travel & Tourism Council President and CEO Gloria Guevara praised the Travel & Tourism private sector for its steadfast and united approach during the Covid-19 pandemic and said together they would lead the way for the sector’s recovery.

Gloria Guevara’s praise came in her opening speech before delegates at the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Global Summit which opened today in Cancun Mexico.

The Global Summit is the most important Travel & Tourism event for the private sector and is the world’s first major gathering of world tourism leaders since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Hundreds of CEOs, business leaders and tourism ministers gathered in Cancun for the first time in nearly a year – with thousands more participating virtually – in the hybrid event.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, has been at the forefront of global efforts to restore safe international travel in the COVID-19 era.

In her speech, Guevara also focused on the terrible human impact of the pandemic and travel restrictions which had devastated the sector and the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people around the world; people who depend on Travel & Tourism to survive, to provide for their families.

Among these were the disproportionate number of women who had been hit hard by the pandemic. Women account for 54% of the sector’s employment, which is why WTTC had chosen Cancun to launch its Women’s Initiative, focusing on policies which can help empower women.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO said in her opening comments to the delegation: “While 2020 was not the year we expected it to be, it was a year during which people really came together. We saw our sector join forces to support our workforce and the local communities that host us.

“From using our facilities as emergency hospitals and offering hotel rooms to doctors and nurses; to providing free meals to millions and transforming convention centres in medical facilities. We have seen an amazing response.

“One thing has been clear, our Members, the leaders and captains of our sector have truly stepped up; I am very proud. I have learned through their example that leadership matters, especially during such difficult times.

“What is clear is that we are not going back to 2019; we are moving forward. Travel & Tourism will come out of this crisis stronger and better. But to do so, it is crucial we continue working together to achieve recovery both financially and socially. We need to be united.

“That is why we have chosen our theme for this year: Uniting the World for Recovery.  By turning this crisis into an opportunity, we can make sure we become more inclusive and more sustainable.

“As we accelerate our recovery, we need to redouble our efforts to remove barriers to mobility, remove quarantines, focus on testing and accelerate the vaccination rollout globally, while continuing to support safety protocols.

“Our sector is one that provides opportunities, reduces poverty, brings hope, and not only changes lives, but changes the world. This is the beginning of a new chapter, the beginning of the recovery. We have much work to do and if we are united we can change the lives of the millions that depend on us.”

During her speech, Gloria reminded delegates of the steady stream of initiatives which WTTC had taken during the pandemic to protect the sector and lead the way back to recovery.

Thanks to its knowledge of its Members and the expertise of public health leaders, WTTC created the Safe Travels Global Protocols & the Stamp to learn from past pandemics and create consistency for the sector and reassurance for travellers. Over 260 destinations have recognised the stamp so far, including Cancun.

WTTC also engaged with more than 150 governments to advocate for policies and measures which would protect and ensure the survival of the global Travel & Tourism sector and its workforce.

The global tourism body also participated in a historic G20 Tourism official meeting and presented an ambitious plan to recover 100 million jobs. For the first time the importance of the private sector in Travel & Tourism was included in the leaders’ declaration.

WTTC’s 2021 Economic Impact Research shows that in 2020, the global Travel & Tourism sector lost almost USD$4.5 trillion dollars with over 62 million jobs lost. Its GDP contribution fell to USD$4.7 trillion in 2020 from nearly US$ 9.2 trillion the previous year, a decrease of 49%.

The sector’s contribution to the global economy decreased from 10.4% to just 5.5% last year. Leisure spending decreased by 49.4% while business spending by 61%. The pandemic crisis was 18 times bigger than the global financial crisis of 2008.

Gloria Guevara closed the session by concluding that while WTTC’s agenda has evolved, it remains aligned with the priorities it had set before the crisis. For years, it has been working on improving the seamless traveller journey enabled by technology such as biometrics.

She also thanked Governor of Quintana Roo, Carlos Joaquín González, and Jose Chapur, the owner of Palace Resorts for hosting the WTTC Global Summit.

Seville, Spain, April 27, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Tourism Innovation Summit 2021 (TIS) has announced the dates of its second edition from November 10 to 12, 2021 in Seville, Spain. The global summit of innovation and technology for the tourism sector has the mission of promoting the competitiveness of the tourism industry. An event focused on travel professional needs where technology and sustainability become key tools to boost the reactivation of the sector.

The digital acceleration we have lived in 2020 has also been experienced in the tourism sector. 83% of hotel chains are currently more likely to increase spending on technology. In a year where travel and mobility have been suspended because of Covid-19, the tourism industry is being prepared to start its activity again adapted to a new normal. In this context, TIS2021 will present new trends related to emerging technologies such as the Internet of Behavior, cloud, cybersecurity, big data, robotics, smart business models, or hyperautomatization, among others that are transforming competitiveness on travel. The event will also showcase disruptive solutions such as artificial intelligence, machine learning or predictive analytics.

News such as the health passport, or growing trends such as individual travel, LGTBI + tourism, smart destinations or sustainable tourism, will also be topics that will be discussed and analysed in the second edition of the Tourism Innovation Global Summit 2021. More than 300 international experts and world leaders of the tourism sector will discuss the challenges that their companies face nowadays and how to prepare for them. All this through different agendas specifically designed for each professional profile and 8 vertical forums for each segment of the industry – destinations, hospitality, travel & mobility, distribution channels, activities & attractions, MICE, business travel, leisure & culture travel-.

Tourism Innovation Summit has the support of the Seville City Council, the Junta de Andalucía, and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of Spain, as well as international tourism organizations such as the WTTC, UNWTO, ETOA, Skal International, European Cities Marketing (ECM), NECSTouR, MPI or PATA.

Tourism Innovation Summit responds to the challenges of the tourism industry

The tourism industry faces one of the most difficult moments in the last decades after the health crisis. It is estimated that there are between 100 and 120 million direct jobs at risk in the tourism sector worldwide, most of them in SMEs. The collapse in international travel represents a loss of 1.3 trillion dollars in revenue.

Covid-19 has impacted the economy of the tourism sector around the world; but despite these figures, it is estimated that the recovery will be around 79% in 2021 and that business travel spending will exceed 1.36 trillion dollars in 2022. TIS2021 is the forum in which strategies will be defined, solutions and new business models to make these forecasts come true, accelerating the reactivation of the industry’s competitiveness and creating safe destinations that restore confidence to tourists and professional travellers.

TIS2020: a success story of the first in-person tourism event

The first edition of the Tourism Innovation Summit counted even with the support of Her Majesty Queen Leticia, who highlighted the role of TIS2020 as “a summit that will provide more elements of analysis to continue expanding the value chain of the tourism industry and its undeniable capacity to generate employment and revalue local socioeconomic ecosystems”. The first edition counted with the participation of CEOs and Presidents of companies such as City Sightseeing Worldwide, Amadeus, TUI, American Airlines, among others, and tourism board representatives from destinations such as Ile de France Region, Regional Government of Tuscany or Lapland Regional Council. Together with them, more than 1,200 representatives and industry leaders from 16 countries attended the event in person and more than 3,800 people from 56 countries connected by streaming to the different conferences, showing a high interest of the sector in this summit.

TIS2020 also became the first professional event in the tourism sector held in person in Spain last November, with a strict and extensive safety and hygiene measures to guarantee a safe business environment for all attendees.

Bangkok, Thailand, April 26, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / OneSiam, a synergy of three global retail destinations Siam Paragon, Siam Center and Siam Discovery, fulfill shoppers’ need with its multi shopping service “OneSiam Extraordinary Shop.” To support the authorities’ work-from-home scheme, the shopping service offers an elevated shopping experience anytime, anywhere, with convenience and wide varieties of products that caters to different lifestyle, ranging from fashion, beauty, home and living, lifestyle items, gadgets to food delivery.

OneSiam Extraordinary Shop features:

1. Call & Shop
Simply call to shop, an exclusive service for VIZ card and Platinum M Card member. Just call 063-205-7989 or 063-205-7974 or add LINE: @OneSiam to order any of your desired items from grocery shopping, food delivery to luxury brands.

2. Siam Paragon Luxury Chat & Shop
A service dedicated to luxury brand shopping, simply add LINE: @OneSiam or Facebook: SIAMPARAGONSHOPPING to order your favorite pieces or browse the latest collections.

3. Click & Shop
A 24-hour shopping platform, just click or add LINE: @ ONESIAM to shop the selected items from 10 leading stores at Siam Center and Siam Discovery including LOFT, The Selected, The Wonder Room, O.D.S., CAZH, ALAND, Absolute Siam Store, ICONCRAFT and Ecotopia.

4. Taste of Siam x Robinhood
Your favorite dishes, from signature Michelin-starred to delightful menus, desserts and beverage, now deliver right to your door, from the restaurants at Siam Paragon, Siam Center and Siam Discovery. Simply browse through Taste of Siam tab on Robinhood food delivery application. Order now and enjoy two special promotions; Get THB100 discount code for THB500 order and receive THB100 Siam Gift Card plus discount coupons from participating stores value over THB1,000 with 400THB food order, from 26 April to 30 June 2021.

Enjoy shopping experience anytime, anywhere with OneSiam Extraordinary Shop to shop your favorite items at Siam Paragon, Siam Center and Siam Discovery. For more information, please call 02-610-8000 or follow Facebook : OneSiam

Copenhagen, Denmark, April 26, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Travel managers can discover the latest travel requirements at the touch of a button with a new travel widget launched by Riskline. TravelCheck can be embedded onto a website or platform and enables the user to instantly find detailed, up to date and verified travel information.

TravelCheck covers 220 countries and territories and details information needed before during and after travel such as entry and exit rules such as testing, airline requirements, quarantining and current Covid hotspots. The widget can also be customised with a company’s own brand colour and poster image, allowing for seamless integration into websites and platforms.

Riskline’s Commercial & Communications Director, Suzanne Sangiovese, explains: “We know that travel managers and travellers alike need a tool that’s in-depth and easy to navigate, containing all the essential information in one place. Most important of all, they can have confidence that this information is all current, correct and verified.  TravelCheck’s data is ‘human curated’ – verified by our global team of analysts spanning over 15 countries and 11 different time zones – which is an essential requirement for a world where travel restrictions are regularly changing.”

TravelCheck expands upon Riskline’s suite of Covid-19 intelligence data, including a dedicated Covid-19 API, in-depth Microsite, Risk Maps and Airline Supplier Policies all released last year.

New York City, NY, United States, April 25, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The real estate industry needs to transform to serve the needs of people and cities in the next decade, according to a new report released today by the World Economic Forum. COVID-19 has revealed vulnerabilities throughout the real estate industry, ranging from indoor air quality problems to excess supply and accelerated underlying demand drivers, which need to be addressed for buildings and cities to be healthier, prosperous and more sustainable.

• Discover the World’s Most Expensive Villas – Top 25 Villas.

The new World Economic Forum report, “A Framework for the Future of Real Estate” acts as a road map for industry change. Developed with global real estate chief executives, the framework provides a pathway to transform buildings and cities to become liveable, sustainable, resilient and affordable.

“Real estate stands at a crossroads as cities adjust to the new realities of a post-COVID era, climate change and the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Jeff Merritt, Head of IoT and Urban Transformation at the World Economic Forum. This transformation of real estate – and the market disruption that comes along with it – is long overdue but, if fully embraced, promises to help us all live healthier, happier and more connected lives.”

“Today the real estate industry is facing challenges and consequently is given a chance to do better, to take more steps towards a healthier future and to make a global sustainable impact,” says Coen van Oostrom, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, EDGE, OVG Real Estate. “To optimize buildings, not only should we rethink spaces, users’ behaviours, and energy efficiency but we should also bring a stronger focus on redevelopment opportunities, circular economy, and digitalization. Let us stop waiting for others to set the example and start today, by committing to everyday incremental changes. Ultimately, we must keep a close eye on the bigger picture to be leaders in the transition to a more sustainable way of operating.”

For more than a decade, the real estate industry has experienced tremendous profitability with successful growth rates and rising investment volumes with +14% compound annual growth rates. Initially, this success put less pressure on industry leaders to innovate, but now the industry is coming under pressure from consumers, investors and regulators to better serve the health and resilience of their communities. At the same time, the lasting effects of the pandemic and the acceleration of existing trends have brought the industry to a tipping point.

• Discover the World’s Most Exclusive Villas – Top 25 Villas.

“The pandemic has accelerated changes in work and lifestyles that had already been gathering pace over recent years, driven in large part by new technology,” said Christian Ulbrich, Global Chief Executive Officer and President, JLL. “As we plan for a sustainable global post-pandemic recovery, this World Economic Forum framework shows how our industry has a vital part to play in coming together to shape the future of real estate for a better world.”

The Future of Real Estate Framework identifies key enablers real estate leaders can use to ensure they are working throughout the industry to provide real estate options that are liveable, sustainable, resilient and affordable.

Key enablers

1. Accelerating digitalization and innovation to address everything from construction costs to the occupant experience
2. Value-proof business cases that are transparent and demonstrate a clear return on investment in relation to technology, sustainability and affordable housing
3. Prioritizing talent and knowledge by upskilling existing workers and attracting talent dedicate to areas of innovation while ensuring diversity and inclusion
4. Engaging stakeholders, throughout the industry value chain and within the local community, to ensure projects are mutually beneficial
5. Ensuring regulatory frameworks effectively address supply challenges, sustainability goals and provide proper zoning and density

The framework also includes case studies from various real estate companies and exemplify the vision of the four key pillars of liveable, sustainable, resilient and affordable buildings and cities.

Industry action
Industry leaders have already taken decisive action towards transformation throughout the real estate industry. Gensler’s GC3 Commitment aims to achieve net zero by 2030 in all Gensler projects and JLL’s work with the Washington Metro will provide clean energy to more than 1,500 homes.

Swire Properties has joined the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign and Lendlease has pledged to harness digitization to be net carbon zero by 2025 and absolute carbon zero by 2040.

Majid Al Futtaim has become the first and only conglomerate in the world to achieve LEED Platinum certification for its entire portfolio of hotels.

Signify has embraced sustainability and resilience by developing and deploying UV-C disinfection systems, an energy efficient and chemical-free way to sanitize buildings.

Schneider Electric has set clear, measurable 2025 targets around sustainability to achieve 80% green revenues, deliver 800 million tons of saved and avoided emissions to their customers and have 1000 of their top suppliers reduce emissions by 50% from their operations.

Learnings from these companies’ initiatives and many others were used to help develop the Future of Real Estate Framework which aims to accelerate these types of transformation across the industry.