Category: Latest Travel News

Madrid, Spain, September 15, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / As restrictions on travel begin to ease globally, destinations around the world are focusing on growing domestic tourism, with many offering incentives to encourage people to explore their own countries. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with domestic tourism set to return faster than international travel, this represents an opportunity for both developed and developing countries to recover from the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Recognizing the importance of domestic tourism, the United Nations specialized agency has released the third of its Tourism and COVID-19 Briefing Notes, -Understanding Domestic Tourism and Seizing its Opportunities.- UNWTO data shows that in 2018, around 9 billion domestic tourism trips were made worldwide – six times the number of international tourist arrivals (1.4 billion in 2018). The publication identifies ways in which destinations around the world are taking proactive steps to grow domestic tourism, from offering bonus holidays for workers to providing vouchers and other incentives to people travelling in their own countries.

Domestic tourism to drive recovery

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “UNWTO expects domestic tourism to return faster and stronger than international travel. Given the size of domestic tourism, this will help many destinations recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic, while at the same time safeguarding jobs, protecting livelihoods and allowing the social benefits tourism offers to also return.”

UNWTO expects domestic tourism to return faster and stronger than international travel

The briefing note also shows that, in most destinations, domestic tourism generates higher revenues than international tourism. In OECD nations, domestic tourism accounts for 75% of total tourism expenditure, while in the European Union, domestic tourism expenditure is 1.8 times higher than inbound tourism expenditure. Globally, the largest domestic tourism markets in terms of expenditure are the United States with nearly US$ 1 trillion, Germany with US$ 249 billion, Japan US$ 201 billion, the United Kingdom with US$ 154 billion and Mexico with US$ 139 billion.

Initiatives to boost domestic tourism

Given the value of domestic tourism and current trends, increasing numbers of countries are taking steps to grow their markets, UNWTO reports. This new Briefing Note provides case studies of initiatives designed to stimulate domestic demand. These include initiatives focused on marketing and promotion as well as financial incentives. Examples of countries taking targeted steps to boost domestic tourist numbers include:

• In Italy, the Bonus Vacanze initiative offers families with incomes of up to EUR 40,000 contributions of up to EUR 500 to spend in domestic tourism accommodation.
• Malaysia allocated US$113 million worth of travel discount vouchers as well as personal tax relief of up to US$227 for expenditure related to domestic tourism.
• Costa Rica moved all holidays of 2020 and 2021 to Mondays for Costa Ricans to enjoy long weekends to travel domestically and to extend their stays.
• France launched the campaign #CetÉtéJeVisiteLaFrance (‘This Summer, I visit France’) highlighting the diversity of destinations across the country.
• Argentina announced the creation of an Observatory for Domestic Tourism to provide a better profile of Argentine tourists.
• Thailand will subsidize 5 million nights of hotel accommodation at 40% of normal room rates for up to five nights.

New York, USA, September 14, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, distributed ledger technologies and quantum are increasingly being used by financial services firms and forming clusters that are driving innovation throughout the sector. These advances can offer new services and savings to both consumers and financial institutions. While financial executives largely recognize the promise of emerging technologies, many financial services firms are struggling to develop comprehensive innovation strategies given the sheer number of technologies maturing in the industry.

Forging New Pathways: The next evolution of innovation in financial services offers a framework for understanding how AI is combining with other emerging technologies and shaping the financial services industry.

“It is not sufficient to look at individual technology implementations,” said Drew Propson, Head of Technology and Innovation in Financial Services, World Economic Forum. “Financial services firms must consider the benefits derived from the coordinated deployment of emerging technologies to unlock the full potential of these technologies.”

Customers will also see changes as new technologies lead to new financial services and products. These could include:

• “Just-in-Time” lending:Tailored small to mid-sized (SME) business lending products and personalized advice provided proactively or in the moment that unexpected needs arise
• Outcomes-based investment products: Customers are offered the opportunity to purchase investment products that guarantee specific life experiences (outcomes) structured as tokens that can also be traded on a secondary market
• Data-linked green bonds: These bonds could be issued to fund sustainable projects and linked to trusted sources of data that help measure and monitor sustainable outcomes

As new technologies continue to be used together in financial services, a range of use cases, including those highlighted above, can become a reality. However, these uses will also require certain conditions that will need to be met for the use cases to be deployed at scale. Financial institutions will need to be fundamentally different in order to take full advantage of the opportunity technologies offer.

“Access to the next wave of transformative capabilities will be increasingly controlled by services providers who sit outside the traditional boundaries of the industry. As industry lines blur, institutions will need to consider the new strategic importance of the partnership function, develop modern, cross-industry security and liability frameworks, and focus on adopting flexible connectivity and data processing architecture” said Rob Galaski, Vice-Chair and Managing Partner, Financial Services, Deloitte Canada. “Far from being a nice-to-have, a well-defined ecosystem mindset has become a strategic priority for financial institutions.”

The report highlights four innovation pathways that financial institutions can explore as they seek to build emerging technology capabilities into core strategies. These pathways will require establishing ecosystems beyond finance, integrating physical and digital processes, reorienting transaction flows, and reimagining core functions.

These are just a few of the new opportunities as technology continues to expand innovation in the financial services sector. These changes will also shift current competitive dynamics and market trends. Strong organizational fluency across each of the technologies and a deep understanding of the impact of their combined capabilities will be a key differentiator of winning organizations.

The report is the result of more than 200 interviews and nine international workshops over the past year as part of the Forum’s AI in Financial Services project.

Harnessing the power of technology is also one of the key pillars at the World Economic Forum’s upcoming 2020 Sustainable Development Impact Summit. The summit focuses on innovation, sustainability and entrepreneurship.

London, United Kingdom, September 14, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: The World Travel & Tourism Council shares the dismay and severe disappointment of thousands of British holidaymakers and the Travel & Tourism sector as Portugal once again goes back on the quarantine list.

“Taking Portugal and Hungary off the exception list has left families and in a race against time to find flights and get home to avoid going into 14-days of isolation or cancel their already made plans

“This depressingly familiar situation is a major body blow to consumer confidence to travel. For while Madeira and the Azores will be excluded from the quarantine list under the government’s new ‘island policy’, it will come as little comfort to the vast majority of holidaymakers, and the embattled Travel & Tourism sector, which has seen the 2020 summer holiday season effectively crushed.

“All of this chaos could be avoided if only the government took decisive action to ditch damaging and disruptive quarantines in favour of a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective airport test and trace programme. Until then, the disruption will continue, and the economic recovery will become ever harder to restart.”

Macao, Macao SAR, September 12, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Vice-Chairman and Secretary-General of the Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), Pansy Ho gave a keynote speech at the World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development (the Conference) on September 5 in Beijing. Hosted by the World Tourism Cities Federation, the Conference is held under the framework of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). The Conference is held in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and co-organized with over 10 leading international tourism and trade entities such as: the Global Tourism Economy Forum (the Forum), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), World Leisure Organization, the World Tourism Alliance (WTA), the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin (ITB Berlin), and the World Travel Market (WTM). Conducted in a hybrid onsite and online format, the Conference was broadcasted to 150 WTCF member cities and other 200 WTCF member organizations in 75 countries and regions. Other keynote speakers include: Wang Hong, Executive Vice-Chairman of the WTCF Council and Vice Mayor of Beijing, and Alexandre de Juniac, Director General & CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Solidarity and Cooperation Brings Recovery to the Global Tourism Economy

The Conference was conducted under the theme “Rebuilding World Tourism for Prosperity” in efforts to provide recovery recommendations to those in the tourism sector that have been impacted by the pandemic. Through her virtual keynote, Global Tourism Economy Forum Vice-Chairman and Secretary-General Pansy Ho expressed, “Around the world, we see green shoots of recovery with the easing of travel restrictions and an increase in domestic travel. Only through solidarity and cooperation can the global tourism economy recover and harness its powerful multiplier effect.”

She also referenced the profound vision for collaboration stated by President Xi Jinping during his speech at the Virtual Opening of the 73^rd World Health Assembly, “ ‘Mankind is a community with a shared future; solidarity and cooperation is our most powerful weapon for defeating the virus.’ It is in this spirit of a shared future that the international community can find the inspiration to come together and make tourism central to the restart of the global economy to promote prosperity, generate employment and foster new growth drivers.”

Furthermore, she expressed, “During the pandemic, closed borders, lockdowns, and a decline in consumer confidence have so far resulted in a global decline of 300 million tourists and USD $320 billion lost in international tourism receipts. This impact is already more than three times the loss suffered during the Global Economic Crisis of 2009. But there are opportunities in all crises and today is an opportunity to rethink the future of tourism and to reinvest in its potential.”

Advances in Technology Redefines Travel

She believes leveraging technology and innovation will help the tourism sector overcome its current challenges. She points out, “Tools such as facial recognition, digital wallets, biometric surveillance have made travel more of a seamless experience, particularly in transportation and accommodation. At the same time, robotic technology has advanced touchless systems and led to improved hygiene, ensuring safety and boosting traveler confidence. Technology has also helped art, culture, and creativity to continue to thrive. Cultural sites and museums have opened their virtual doors, connecting audiences via livestream to the Palace of Versailles in France, the Palace Museum in Beijing, and the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang City, among many others. Virtual technology has allowed us to continue life’s adventures from our homes as we look forward to traveling again.”

Macao Shows Resilience through the Adoption of Innovative Solutions and Cooperative Efforts

Pansy Ho used Macao as a case study to showcase successful measures adopted in combating the virus and its implications. In particular, Macao has shown its resilience and put in place innovative solutions and cooperative efforts to revitalize travel and tourism. Several initiatives to support residents, welcome back visitors, and recreate prosperity stand out. She stated, “As a City of Gastronomy and part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Macao has provided support to creative industries and launched financial aid measures to support professionals. This includes free online learning videos to enhance human capital in the gastronomic sector, a ‘Welfare to Work’ program to create favorable working conditions for artists, and an ‘online handicraft teaching’ with videos to promote Macao’s handicrafts and products. Lastly, to further support SMEs, the government designed Macao Ready Go! an e-platform to gather special offers on retail, leisure, and entertainment.” She believes, “Recognizing and making the most of this pivotal moment to revitalize and re-engineer the future of tourism, Macao continues to merit its position as the World Center of Tourism and Leisure and to play its part in the integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.”

About Global Tourism Economy Forum
The Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) is hosted by the Macao SAR Government, in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), co-organized by the China Chamber of Tourism (TCC) under the authorization of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) and the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), and coordinated by the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre (GTERC). GTEF’s supporting units include the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), European Travel Commission (ETC), and the Macau Chinese Enterprise Association (MCEA).

Since its inception in 2012, GTEF has successfully established itself as an influential high-level cooperation platform to promote sustainable development in the global tourism industry with a focus on China. To date, GTEF had received more than 12,700 participants from 90 countries and regions, including delegations from 152 provinces and cities of Mainland China; and 600 internationally renowned speakers who are leaders in public, private, and academic fields. GTEF has continuously received consistent and wide amount of coverage from international press and media, valued up to USD $62 million.

Bangkok, Thailand, September 11, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is organising the ‘Expat Travel Deal 2020’ to offer domestic tourism promotions for expatriate residents to encourage them to travel more domestically, and enjoy Thailand’s many attractions.

The event will take place from 11 to 13 September, 2020, from 10.00 to 22.00 Hrs. at the Quartier Gallery, EmQuartier shopping mall in Bangkok. The event is free for interested persons.

Mr. Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and South Pacific) said, “Thailand has a large expatriate population many of whom have strong links with the kingdom and who express great love for Thailand and its people. TAT and our strategic partners would like to encourage expats to travel further afield and to discover some of the Amazing Thailand experiences that can be enjoyed in every corner of the country.”

As of June, 2020, there are a total of 2,459,785 foreigners with permission to work in Thailand, according to the Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour. The total includes 155,193 skilled employees (investors, experts, skilled craftsman, and BOI) and 25,110 foreign students.

The Expat Travel Deal 2020 will showcase travel products and services from all five regions (North, Central, South, East and Northeast), demonstrations of local arts and crafts making skills, such as, ceramic bead bracelets and Thai reed mats, as well as tourism-related talk sessions. Some of the topics include ‘Thailand still good’ by Mr. Roger Wu, Hong Kong travel blogger, ‘The Thailand we never knew we never knew’ by Mr. Daniel Fraser, from  documentary travel show “Long Ruk Yim” and Smiling Albino Travel Agent and ‘The New Era of Elephant Care Tourism’ by Mr. Theerapat Trungprakan from Thai Elephant Alliance Association.

Travel agencies from each region will be on hand with customised travel packages at discounted rates. Expat attendees will be asked to present their passports to be eligible for special deals at the event.

TAT will also be rolling out a number of other promotional activities, including joint promotions with Alipay, Thailand-based travel companies, and the airlines.

Moreover, these will be promoted alongside publicity events, including familiarisation trips for members of the foreign media and representatives of foreign travel companies in Thailand. Other forms of publicity include content marketing with online and offline publications for expats in Thailand, focussing on businesses that are certified with the Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA) standard.

Madrid, Spain, September 11, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / A majority of destinations around the world (53%) have now started easing travel restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though many remain cautious in view of the development of the pandemic, the seventh edition of the UNWTO COVID-19 Related Travel Restrictions: A Global Review for Tourism” confirms the ongoing trend towards the gradual restart of tourism.

Analysing restrictions up to 1 September, the research carried out by the United Nations specialized agency for tourism found that a total of 115 destinations (53% of all destinations worldwide) have eased travel restrictions, an increase of 28 since 19 July. Of these, two have lifted all restrictions, while the remaining 113 continue to have certain restrictive measures in place.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Coordinated leadership and enhanced cooperation between governments means tourism is slowly but steadily restarting in many parts of the world. Starting to ease restrictions on travel opens also the doors for tourism’s social and economic benefits to return. While we  must remain vigilant and cautious, we are concerned about those destinations with ongoing full travel restrictions, especially where tourism is a lifeline and economic and social development are under threat.”

Deepening tourism intelligence

Coordinated leadership and enhanced cooperation between governments means tourism is slowly but steadily restarting in many parts of the world

For the first time, the COVID-19 Related Travel Restrictions report includes key data on the health and hygiene infrastructure in place at destinations, while also analysing rate of notifications of new COVID-19 cases. This allows UNWTO to determine the factors that are influencing destinations’ decisions to ease restrictions. Notably, the report shows:

• Destinations which have eased travel restrictions generally have high or very high levels of health and hygiene infrastructure. They also tend to have comparatively low COVID-19 infection rates.
• Within advanced economies, 79% of tourism destinations have already eased restrictions. In emerging economies, just 47% of destinations have done so.
• 64% of those destinations which have eased have a high or medium dependence on air as a mode of transport for international tourism arrivals.

At the same time, the report shows that many destinations around the world are extremely cautious about easing travel restrictions they introduced in response to the pandemic and some have passed severe measures in an attempt to keep their citizens safe. 93 destinations (43% of all worldwide destinations) continue to have their borders completely closed to tourism, of which 27 have had their borders completely closed for at least 30 weeks.

Furthermore, more than half of all destinations with borders completely closed to tourism are classified as being among the World’s Most Vulnerable Countries. They include 10 SIDS (Small Island Developing States), one Least Developed Country (LDC) and three Land-Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs). More than half of destinations with full restrictions still in place are also highly dependent on aviation, with at least 70% of their tourist arrivals coming by air, causing significant connectivity impacts for their citizens and economies.

UNWTO continues to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism. From the start, the UN specialized agency has advised that the situation is fluid and that, even as tourism restarts in some regions, in others, restrictions may be tightened and borders re-closed. Similarly, UNWTO has observed a rise in travel advisories being issued by governments for their own citizens, alongside more and varied restrictions and other measures directed at passengers arriving from specific countries or regions.

Oakland, California, United States, September 11, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Deem, a leading mobile and cloud technology provider for the corporate travel industry, today announced its partnership with GeoSure, the global leader in providing timely, hyper-local safety information and digital duty of care solutions.

Deem clients, including many Fortune 500 companies, rapidly growing small and medium-sized businesses, and travel management companies (TMCs), will gain access to GeoSure’s unique suite of travel safety digital products and hyper-local insights as found in Deem’s recently launched SafetyCheck feature. These include health and medical risk ratings, the latest COVID-19 data and mapping, women’s safety, LGBTQ+ safety awareness enhancements, and other detailed information.

Additionally, Deem customers will soon be provided with GeoSure’s Daytime/Nighttime Safety Adjustor^TM algorithms and the first-ever crowdsourced Safety Experience Sharing (SES)^TM feature, which provide in-destination insights from fellow business travelers. In the post-COVID-19 world, experience sharing is increasingly important for traveling female, LGBTQ+ and other underrepresented groups of business travelers.

“Travelers are at the heart of what we do at Deem, and the pandemic has further accelerated the need to provide enhanced duty of care solutions for companies and their travelers in an automated, real-time fashion,” said Deem CEO John F. Rizzo. “As we continue to invest in and deepen our software offering, joining forces with another leader like GeoSure, that has carefully crafted its technology for traveler health and safety, is an obvious choice for us to provide the best information to travelers at the exact time they need it most – during the booking process.”

“GeoSure is thrilled to partner with leading online booking platform Deem to provide a confident, informed, and engaged travel experience by equipping travelers with trusted and timely localized safety information,” said GeoSure CEO Michael Becker. “Highly innovative and nuanced traveler risk management solutions are necessary given the conditions travelers face. At GeoSure, our mission is to make travel safer, confident and inspiring, and with our shared values, this partnership with Deem is a marked advance toward this goal.”

Deem has moved quickly to identify market gaps and reinvent the digital-first travel experience for global business travelers. Cementing a partnership with GeoSure is a natural next phase of this evolution, enhancing duty of care capabilities for the digital economy in a post-pandemic ecosystem.

Beginning today, travelers will see the SafetyCheck icon in their hotel booking module when searching for hotels, with safety data and features from GeoSure seamlessly integrated. Additionally, accurate and detailed airline safety information will be presented in the flight search module, with data provided by Routehappy by APTCO. In the future, business travelers will have the added benefit of a complete booking and duty of care (powered by GeoSure) solution in the palm of their hand with the Deem mobile app.

About GeoSure
GeoSure, the leader in scaled location safety assessment, leverages big data, predictive analytics, crowdsourcing and AI to calculate location-specific ratings represented as GeoSafeScores™. GeoSafeScores™ are a simple, standardized system that gauge relative risk of traveling personnel and physical assets anywhere in the world. GeoSure harvests country, city and neighborhood crime stats, health, economic, political data feeds and much more, to generate ratings for more than 65,000 locations worldwide.

GeoSure supports the global travel ecosystem by provisioning travelers with ubiquitous safety awareness, reinforcing a positive safety feedback loop in tourism economies, and helping organizations become leaders in Safety Stewardship™, rapidly advancing GeoSure’s mission of “A Safer, More Predictable World.”

About Deem
Deem is on a mission to transform travel. With its corporate travel booking and management platform that allows travel managers to customize their programs, Deem offers employees everything they need to easily make the right travel decisions for themselves and their company. Deem’s travel technology plugs into major travel agencies and expense solution providers, enabling more corporate customers and the world’s largest travel management companies.

Deem, a wholly owned and independently run subsidiary of Enterprise Holdings, is now part of the fifth largest travel company in the world. The company is headquartered in Oakland, California, with offices in Dublin, Ireland and Bangalore, India.

London, United Kingdom, September 10, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Airport testing pilot corridor between London and New York could herald the return of international travel

Global inbound business travel contributes more than US$272 (£215) billion a year

The restoration of ‘air corridors’ between the world’s top financial centres are vital to reviving international business travel and help kickstart the global economic recovery, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, says it is crucial that international business travel resumes, following its near collapse due to the coronavirus pandemic.

WTTC is calling for the introduction of a pilot scheme, involving airport-based testing, followed by a second test just days later, for travel between the financial hubs of London and New York, with the aim of re-starting business travel.

An analysis of Public Health England’s data by WTTC suggests two tests in quick succession could be 80% effective in identifying passengers with COVID-19, and thus reduce the quarantine period from 14 to four to six days or no quarantine at all.

Each year, inbound international business travel accounts for more than US$272 (£215) billion. While leisure travel makes up the bulk of international Travel & Tourism spend (83.77%), (inbound) international business travel (at 16.23%) is relied upon heavily by many international airlines, which depend upon frequent flying business travellers, especially on highly competitive routes across the Atlantic, for their profits.

The restoration of international business travel across the Atlantic, could benefit the entire Travel & Tourism sector; from airlines and hotels to travel management companies and ground transport providers, reviving tens of thousands of jobs and a multitude of companies which depend upon business travel for their survival.

However, WTTC warns this will only happen if the government takes a targeted approach, ditching blunt country-wide quarantines which have a devastating economic impact.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “While the recent ‘island policy’ introduced by the UK government marks a step in the right direction with a more targeted approach, WTTC believes a laser-like focus is necessary to reopen key international business routes, which could provide a significant economic boost.

“Flights must be restored along ‘city corridors’ linking cities with similar low COVID-19 case numbers, such as between London and New York, Washington, Paris, Frankfurt, Dubai, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

“Every time the UK government places another destination on its quarantine list, the economy suffers. International business travel is the lifeblood of the global economy contributing more than US$272 (£215) billion a year. Therefore, the government should abandon quarantines which don’t work, and focus on more targeted measures like ‘city corridors’. 

“The WTTC pilot scheme with its twin test regime, will help reassure corporates that it is safe for their employees to travel and remove the need for unhelpful quarantines.

“We need a concerted international framework at the highest level to introduce comprehensive, rapid and cost-effective testing at airports, with a worldwide accepted standard of contact tracing and widespread use of face masks. 

“To continue with the current chaos would be a huge mistake and would cause further severe economic damage and unnecessary hardship to millions around the world.”

The UK is the fourth biggest G20 economy in terms of international Travel & Tourism spend from business travel, which amounted to US$9.5 (£7.5) billion in 2019; 26.5% of all international Travel & Tourism spend.

Of the other G20 countries, the US had the highest international business travel spend in 2019, at US$47.75 (£37.72) billion. Germany was second with US$12.8 (£10.1) billion, China was third with US$10.7 (£8.45) billion, and Russia was fifth with US$8.6 (£6.8) billion.

Last week, WTTC revealed a staggering £22 billion – or £60 million a day – could be lost from the UK economy due to the collapse of international travel during 2020.

Travel restrictions, such as quarantines introduced by the government, has seen international travel and visitor numbers to the UK collapse. International visitor spending was predicted to plunge by 78% compared to 2019 levels, putting three million UK Travel & Tourism jobs at direct risk of being lost in a ‘worst case’ scenario mapped out by WTTC economic modelling.

WTTC has continually been at the forefront in leading the private sector in the efforts to rebuild global consumer confidence and encourage the return of Safe Travels.

The health and safety of travellers and those who work within the sector has always been its number one priority. It has urged the adoption of global health and safety protocols, through its ‘Safe Travels’ initiative, to provide assurance to travellers and those working within the sector.

It also says there is ample evidence from other countries which suggests only those who test positive for coronavirus should be quarantined.

WTTC advocates the implementation of a rapid test and trace strategy, with strong collaboration between governments to ensure a standardised global approach to the crisis, which is critical to contain the virus and enable people to travel in safety.

Geneva, Switzerland, September 10, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments to begin careful planning with industry stakeholders to ensure full preparedness when vaccines for COVID-19 are approved and available for distribution. The association also warned of potentially severe capacity constraints in transporting vaccines by air.

Preparedness

Air cargo plays a key role in the distribution of vaccines in normal times through well-established global time- and temperature-sensitive distribution systems. This capability will be crucial to the quick and efficient transport and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines when they are available, and it will not happen without careful planning, led by governments and supported by industry stakeholders.

“Safely delivering COVID-19 vaccines will be the mission of the century for the global air cargo industry. But it won’t happen without careful advance planning. And the time for that is now. We urge governments to take the lead in facilitating cooperation across the logistics chain so that the facilities, security arrangements and border processes are ready for the mammoth and complex task ahead,” said IATA’s Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac.

“Delivering billions of doses of vaccine to the entire world efficiently will involve hugely complex logistical and programmatic obstacles all the way along the supply chain. We look forward to working together with government, vaccine manufacturers and logistical partners to ensure an efficient global roll-out of a safe and affordable COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Facilities: Vaccines must be handled and transported in line with international regulatory requirements, at controlled temperatures and without delay to ensure the quality of the product. While there are still many unknowns (number of doses, temperature sensitivities, manufacturing locations, etc.), it is clear that the scale of activity will be vast, that cold chain facilities will be required and that delivery to every corner of the planet will be needed. Priorities for preparing facilities for this distribution include:

• Availability of temperature-controlled facilities and equipment – maximizing the use or re-purposing of existing infrastructure and minimizing temporary builds
• Availability of staff trained to handle time- and temperature-sensitive vaccines
• Robust monitoring capabilities to ensure the integrity of the vaccines is maintained

Security: Vaccines will be highly valuable commodities. Arrangements must be in place to keep ensure that shipments remain secure from tampering and theft. Processes are in place to keep cargo shipments secure, but the potential volume of vaccine shipments will need early planning to ensure that they are scalable.

Border Processes:  Working effectively with health and customs authorities will, therefore, be essential to ensure timely regulatory approvals, adequate security measures, appropriate handling and customs clearance. This could be a particular challenge given that, as part of COVID-19 prevention measures, many governments have put in place measures that increase processing times. Priorities for border processes include:

• Introducing fast-track procedures for overflight and landing permits for operations carrying the COVID-19 vaccine
• Exempting flight crew members from quarantine requirements to ensure cargo supply chains are maintained
• Supporting temporary traffic rights for operations carrying the COVID-19 vaccines where restrictions may apply
• Removing operating hour curfews for flights carrying the vaccine to facilitate the most flexible global network operations
• Granting priority on arrival of those vital shipments to prevent possible temperature excursions due to delays
• Considering tariff relief to facilitate the movement of the vaccine

Capacity

On top of the transport preparations and coordination needed, governments must also consider the current diminished cargo capacity of the global air transport industry. IATA warned that, with the severe downturn in passenger traffic, airlines have downsized networks and put many aircraft into remote long-term storage. The global route network has been reduced dramatically from the pre-COVID 24,000 city pairs. The WHO, UNICEF and Gavi have already reported severe difficulties in maintaining their planned vaccine programs during the COVID-19 crisis due, in part, to limited air connectivity.

“The whole world is eagerly awaiting a safe COVID vaccine. It is incumbent on all of us to make sure that all countries have safe, fast and equitable access to the initial doses when they are available. As the lead agency for the procurement and supply of the COVID vaccine on behalf of the COVAX Facility, UNICEF will be leading what could possibly be the world’s largest and fastest operation ever. The role of airlines and international transport companies will be critical to this endeavour,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director.

The potential size of the delivery is enormous. Just providing a single dose to 7.8 billion people would fill 8,000 747 cargo aircraft. Land transport will help, especially in developed economies with local manufacturing capacity. But vaccines cannot be delivered globally without the significant use air cargo.

“Even if we assume that half the needed vaccines can be transported by land, the air cargo industry will still face its largest single transport challenge ever. In planning their vaccine programs, particularly in the developing world, governments must take very careful consideration of the limited air cargo capacity that is available at the moment. If borders remain closed, travel curtailed, fleets grounded and employees furloughed, the capacity to deliver life-saving vaccines will be very much compromised,” said de Juniac.

London, United Kingdom, September 9, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Gloria Guevara, President & CEO WTTC, said: WTTC is encouraged the government is beginning to listen and has now introduced its ‘island policy’. This move appears to show a more strategic approach and signals a change from its previous blanket country-wide approach. We look forward to seeing how this is going to be communicated to holidaymakers.

“However, this is just scratching the surface. We must abandon wholesale ineffective, destructive and costly quarantines – and replace them with rapid, cost-effective testing on departure at airports. The longer we wait, the more the ailing Travel & Tourism sector faces collapse.

“Airport testing on departure and a robust testing and tracing programme, could help revive international business travel, particularly on key routes, such as between London and New York, which links two of the world’s biggest financial hubs.

“Testing, in addition to measures such as social distancing, mask wearing, hand sanitisation, enforced by the airlines, airports and other stakeholders, can reduce risk to a minimum while travelling.

“Unfortunately, the UK has seen community transmission continue to rise, where confusion and lack of enforcement reign about social distancing measures and the wearing of face masks.

“We cannot afford to wait any longer. WTTC has revealed this year a staggering £22bn looks set to be lost from the UK economy due to the disappearance of international travel.

“Public health should remain the priority, however the UK government must shift its  focus to  implement a robust testing scheme at airports to tackle the issue head on to restore confidence to travel, bring stability back to the sector, revive the UK’s flagging economy and save millions of jobs.”