Category: Latest Travel News

Singapore, Singapore, July 20, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia have announced that this year’s event will go virtual with the live event postponed to 2021. Messe Berlin (Singapore) announced today that ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia will go virtual from 21 – 23 October 2020. Originally scheduled on the same dates, the annual travel trade show will instead be held on a virtual platform, due to the uncertainty over continued global travel restrictions and safe distancing measures.

The virtual event will be hosted on a newly developed platform, also known as the ITB Community. ITB Community is set to launch on 12 August 2020. In addition to hosting this year’s edition of ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and the inaugural Travel Tech Asia, ITB Community will also facilitate a year-long virtual engagement programme for key stakeholders which will allow them to continue forging new partnerships and strengthen existing business relationships with important players in the region.

Ms Katrina Leung, Managing Director, Messe Berlin (Singapore) said, “We undertake a huge responsibility as Asia’s leading travel trade show to adapt and serve the travel trade community in recovery. Taking into consideration the need for businesses to connect, it is imperative for us to unite the community to enable business meetings to take place for a seamless knowledge exchange. ITB Community will be the latest permanent addition to a wide variety of offerings we have for our customers to tap into for their business success.”

The three-day virtual event for ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia will incorporate key features such as business matching between buyers and sellers, top notch conference sessions, virtual exhibition and more, creating a marketplace for the travel industry.

ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia, Travel Tech Asia 2020 – A Virtual Experience

The 2020 virtual edition for ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia will be complimentary and serves as a value-add to all confirmed exhibitors[1][1] of ITB Asia 2021. With over 5,000 pre-qualified international MICE, corporate and leisure buyers invited with a full-access pass to the exclusive virtual event, the three-day event will be available 24/7 to attendees to access business matching, conference sessions and the exhibitor directory.

Mr Andrew Phua, Executive Director, Exhibitions and Conferences, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “ITB Asia is Asia’s leading marketplace of ideas, concepts and products for the international travel industry. We are heartened that it is pivoting to a new event model this year, demonstrating the travel trade’s ability to innovate and continue forging important partnerships in this challenging time. Virtual and hybrid event formats are likely to continue to complement future physical events, and we are confident that Singapore will continue to lead the way forward in this area.”

ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia 2021 – Live Exhibition

The ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia live event will be rescheduled to next year, 27 – 29 October 2021, at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore. Till date, over 165 exhibitors have already confirmed their participation in ITB Asia 2021.

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

ITB Asia is the premier meeting place for the travel trade industry for forging new partnerships and strengthening existing business relationships with the most important players in the region. ITB Asia’s 2019 edition saw huge success with over 1,300 exhibitors, over 1,250 quality buyers, more than 7,000 minutes of conference and more than 13,000 attendees.

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

About Travel Tech Asia
Organized by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd and supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau, the inaugural three-day conference will feature leading travel brands and innovative start-ups to attendees from all levels of seniority across a wide range of disciplines and sectors in the travel industry. The conference will be co-located with ITB Asia and MICE Show Asia.

London, Great Britain, July 18, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Lack of alignment will slow down the Europe-wide recovery. Proper co-ordination by European governments could create a 10 million jobs boost. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has called for more consistent travel rules and COVID-19 advice by European countries to counter confusion by travellers and holidaymakers.

Those journeying to Europe for the first time since travel restrictions began to ease have faced a baffling array of different types of travel rules and advice – with each country across the continent emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic at different stages, which is delaying the recovery.

The uneven patchwork of COVID-19 national border restrictions and rules across a supposedly single Schengen zone is an obvious deterrent to cross-border movement.

Unnecessary and inconsistent border constraints are deterring travellers and suppressing the resurgence of Travel & Tourism. The sector’s return is urgently needed to regenerate destinations and act as a catalyst for the global economic recovery.

WTTC research shows that every 2.7% increase in travellers would generate or recover one million jobs in the sector. Governments working together with the right coordinated measures could stimulate an increase in travel by as much as 27%, recreating a massive 10 million jobs in Travel and Tourism.

Consumer confusion over travel rules such as the wearing of face masks is evident. It is mandatory on public transport in some countries, such as France and Germany, but not in others such as Norway and Sweden. Meanwhile in Italy, masks must be worn in all enclosed public places whereas in Switzerland, for all enclosed public spaces other than on public transport, it is only a recommendation that people should wear masks if they can’t maintain a distance of 1.5 metres from others.

Medical advice, including from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is clear that the use of face masks helps reduce the risk of transmission up to 90%, protects the user and those around them, as well as reintroducing a greater sense of normality for travellers.

However, WTTC warns that unless European governments make a greater effort to align their policies it will cause the fragile recovery to stutter and slowdown, putting 16 million jobs in Travel & Tourism at risk.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “WTTC calls on all European heads of state to unite for the benefit of the millions of people who depend on this sector in Europe; both travellers and workers. 

“It is urgent that governments learn from the past and take quick and effective action to coordinate and harmonise travel rules and border requirements to bring consistency for everyone across Europe. Previous crises, including the 2008 financial crash, shows where governments coordinate to align policies, their leadership resulted in a quicker recovery.

“We are encouraged to see that more travellers are spending time searching for holiday destinations across Europe following the easing of travel restrictions. Unfortunately, the lack of coordination among countries has created inconsistencies which means we are failing to rebuild the trust of potential travellers.  

“Anyone travelling from one European country to the next faces a bewildering difference in travel advice, covering masks, testing and contact tracing which could seriously hinder the return of the Travel & Tourism sector.

“This climate of uncertainty for travellers and holidaymakers is the last thing they need at a time when the Travel & Tourism sector is crying out for consistency. The restoration of consumer confidence, during the most important season of the year in one of the world’s largest regions for Travel & Tourism cannot be understated.

“The time to work together is now. The Travel & Tourism private sector wants to work in partnership with governments and destinations using WTTC’s carefully devised Safe Travels protocols to bring clarity and wipe away consumer confusion.”

To align policies, governments need take into consideration more than just mortality rates. Wider country measures, including infection rates, the percentage of tests and contact tracing, the health system’s ability to cope with COVID-19 and the public’s acceptance of mask-wearing and observance of social distancing is also important.

The Travel & Tourism sector contributes a massive 9.1% of Europe’s GDP, worth US$2,018.2 billion to the continent’s economy. Last year, according to the WTTC Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Report 2020, the sector was responsible for 37.1 million jobs (9.7% of Europe’s total employment number).

WTTC has recently issued a ten-point Traveller Guideline for Safe & Seamless Travel including testing and contact tracing to ensure people can enjoy Safe Travels in the ‘new normal’.

The welfare of travellers and the millions of people working across the Travel & Tourism sector is central to WTTC Safe Travels protocols, which are backed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and thousands of businesses around the world.

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, July 17, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Gov. David Ige announced this afternoon that after meeting with the four county mayors and officials from the Department of Health (DOH) he has decided to delay the start of Hawaii’s pre-travel testing program from August 1st to September 1st. All travelers entering Hawaii will be subject to the mandatory 14-day quarantine until September 1st. Taking a COVID-19 test will not allow anyone who is traveling from out-of-state to bypass the quarantine.

In response to today’s announcement, Chris Tatum, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) said, “We want to welcome back our visitors once our state is ready to do so in a safe manner that will hopefully avoid the need to backtrack in the future. Once we receive details on the process and requirements from the Department of Transportation and the DOH, we will share that information with the visitor industry.”

The governor said during a news briefing this afternoon: “We have always said that we will make decisions based on the health and safety of our community as the highest priority. This decision came through much much discussion and we have assessed the situation that we see before us and over the past few weeks. I’ve already mentioned that we’ve set a new record in the number of cases – 42. And just a reminder a few days before that we had set the previous record of 41 cases.”

Gov. Ige added: “On the U.S. mainland we continue to see uncontrolled outbreaks and surges. This includes the highest number of daily cases in California, Texas, Arizona and Florida, and increasing cases in Nevada. As we speak right now, the outbreaks on the mainland are not in control and we don’t believe that that situation would change significantly by August 1st as we had hoped.”

About the Hawaii Tourism Authority
The Hawaii Tourism Authority is the State of Hawaii agency responsible for strategically managing its support of the tourism industry. Established in 1998 to support Hawaii’s leading industry and largest employer, HTA continually strives to help ensure tourism’s sustainability and the benefits it brings to residents and communities statewide.

Miyazaki, Japan, July 17, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / After a one-year hiatus, IAGTO has announced that the ninth edition of its Asia Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC) will take place in the Japanese prefecture of Miyazaki in April 2021.

The event, taking place from 20-22 April, 2021, provides an opportunity for golf tour operators from around the world to meet with golf resorts, golf courses, hotels and other golf tourism suppliers from across the Asia Pacific region and to experience the incredible year-round golf destination of Miyazaki on Kyushu Island in southern Japan. Tour operators will arrive on 17 April for three days of golf before the convention gets under way on 21 April with golf inspection trips to other parts of Japan beginning two days later.

IAGTO Chief Executive Peter Walton said: “After skipping a year due to Covid-19, we are really excited to have this opportunity to reconvene the convention in the iconic and magical golf destination of Miyazaki, just three months before the rescheduled Olympics.

“Having staged a number of familiarisation tours and events in Japan since 2010, we know that there is enormous interest in the country from golf tour operators and their discerning clients. For decades, Miyazaki has been very well known as a tremendous golf destination domestically and now, thanks to the support of the Governor of Miyazaki Prefecture, we will be able showcase the destination to the world, just as all eyes turn to Japan.”

AGTC 2021 will take place at the Phoenix Seagaia Resort overlooking the Pacific Ocean just 20 minutes from Miyazaki Airport. The resort’s 27-hole Phoenix Country Club has hosted the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament every year since 1974. Past champions include Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, a youthful Seve Ballesteros and, more recently, Tiger Woods and Brooks Koepka.

At an announcement in Miyazaki City on 13 July, the Governor of Miyazaki Prefecture, Kouno Shunji, said: “We are delighted and honoured to hear that Miyazaki has been selected to host the AGTC 2021. Since Miyazaki Prefecture has plenty of great golf courses and is blessed with a warm climate that makes for great golfing all year round, we stage a number of pro tournaments and receive thousands of golf visitors every year. We very much look forward to seeing everyone at AGTC 2021!”

Walton added: “In the months ahead we will continue to closely track the course of and, hopefully, recovery from, Covid-19 around the globe and we will implement all necessary precautions that may still be required next year.”

About IAGTO
Established in 1997, IAGTO is the global trade organisation of the golf tourism industry, and has 2700 members in over 100 countries including more than 700 golf tour operator members in 62 countries, which control more than 87% of golf holiday packages sold worldwide and which collectively have annual sales of over USD 2.5 billion. IAGTO runs annual Asia and North America Golf Tourism Conventions, along with regular Destination Conventions. IAGTO established the International Golf Travel Writers Association in 2000, the year in which the first prestigious annual IAGTO Awards also took place.

 

Engadine Valley, Switzerland, July 16, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / With overseas golf trips back on the agenda, now is the ideal time to visit the wide open spaces and crystal clear air of Switzerland’s Engadine Valley to experience a spectacular Alpine round against a backdrop of majestic mountains and expansive blue skies.

There is no better place to stay than the iconic Kulm Hotel St. Moritz or its sister property Grand Hotel Kronenhof in nearby Pontresina, two luxurious grand dames with plenty of public areas and private grounds to relax in after a round at one of the region’s three courses.

Golf has long been associated with the Kulm Hotel, which established its own historic course in 1891, making it one of the first in Switzerland. The 9-hole, par 3 meanders up and down hills, past the Olympia Bob Run and the former Olympic Stadium, through shady pine copses whilst also enjoying superb vistas over Lake St. Moritz, all just a 7 iron from the Kulm Hotel. Built at a height of 1,860 metres (among the highest in Europe), the mountainous layout makes it physically demanding, which makes the post-golf drinks on the terrace of the Chesa al Parc club house taste all the sweeter!

Meanwhile the Engadine Golf Club, the oldest golf club in Switzerland, has two courses – Samedan and Zuoz-Madulain, which are a 10 and 20 minute drive respectively from the Kulm Hotel and Grand Hotel Kronenhof.

In 1893, Samedan was the first 18-hole golf course to open its doors in Switzerland. A classic, parkland course, Samedan is set mainly on the valley floor, though some gently undulating holes and greens give the course a links feel. Its broad fairways are flanked by ancient, giant larch trees, some of which are over 700 years old, whilst a host of water hazards make for a tricky golfing challenge.

Zuoz-Madulain (known simply as Zuoz to the locals) opened in 2003 and was designed by the renowned Canadian golf course architect Les Furber. In contrast to the golf course in Samedan, the layout at Zuoz offers a challenging combination of undulating fairways, elevation changes and receptive greens, plus a super attractive setting as it is flanked on one side by natural thick pine forest, which has made it very popular among the golfing community.

Away from the golf courses, visitors can explore the extensive Engadine valley via its hiking routes and mountain bike paths, whilst the numerous lakes provide plenty of opportunities for a range of water sports, such as wild swimming, stand-up paddle boarding and kite surfing. After an active day outdoors, both hotels have large luxurious spas and multiple bars and restaurants in which to enjoy some well-deserved R&R.

The Kulm Hotel’s ‘Golf Break’ package starts from CHF 620 pp sharing a double room, including:

• 2 nights’ accommodation on a half-board basis
• Complimentary green fees at the 9-hole Kulm Golf St. Moritz*
• 1 complimentary green fee on the 18-hole Samedan or Zuoz-Madulain golf courses*
• unlimited access to the Kulm Spa St. Moritz
• unlimited use of the hotel’s tennis courts
• unlimited use of all open mountain railways in the Engadine / St. Moritz region and public transportation in the valley (bus and Rhaetian railway)
  *Tee time bookings to be made upon reservation confirmation. 

Grand Hotel Kronenhof’s ‘Golf – All in One’ package starts from CH 515 pp sharing a double room, including:

• 2 nights’ accommodation on a half-board basis
• Complimentary green fees at the 9-hole Kulm Golf St. Moritz*
• 1 complimentary green fee on the 18-hole Samedan or Zuoz-Madulain golf courses*
• unlimited access to the Kronenhof Spa
• unlimited use of all open mountain railways in the Engadine / St. Moritz region and public transportation in the valley (bus and Rhaetian railway)
  *Tee time bookings to be made upon reservation confirmation. 

The Kulm Hotel St. Moritz will close on 6 September 2020, while Grand Hotel Kronenhof will stay open through the Autumn until 18 October 2020, allowing golfers to also enjoy some spectacular autumn vistas as the larch trees change from green to golden.

Kulm Golf St Moritz
The nine-hole Kulm Golf St. Moritz course, first laid out in 1891, meanders harmoniously through the town, past the St. Moritz bobsleigh run and the former Olympic Stadium (two winter Olympics have been held on the course, in 1928 and 1948), while enjoying spectacular views over Lake St. Moritz. Lying at a height of 1,860 metres, this demanding par 27 course is among the highest in Europe and was re-laid in 2001 to bring it up to date for the needs of today’s golfers.

In addition to the course, the Club has a practice putting green and a driving range, as well as its own Club restaurant “Chesa al Parc”. An integral part of the offering at the Kulm Golf St. Moritz is the Academy, where beginners can discover the fascination of golf and seasoned players can improve their technique. Our experienced pros are on hand to provide individual instruction to guests, making use of state-of-the-art technical and audiovisual aids.

Kulm Hotel St. Moritz was the first hotel to be built in St. Moritz. The Kulm Hotel opened its doors in 1856 and immediately became popular for summer spa and painting holidays, particularly among the British who comprised around 75% of the hotel guests. The then owner of the Kulm Hotel, Johannes Badrutt, initiated winter holidays to St. Moritz from 1864 and, as a result, the hotel, resort and Switzerland itself celebrated 150 years of winter tourism in the 2014/15 season.

Since the 19th century, the Kulm Hotel has changed considerably through expansion and renovation, but the fabulous location at the heart of St. Moritz with views over the Lake remains the same. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, Kulm Hotel St. Moritz has 164 rooms, five restaurants (including formal dining in the Grand Restaurant, the k by Tim Raue with one Michelin star, the Italian Pizzeria with 14 Gault Millau points and local Engadine specialities at Chesa al Parc), the extensive  Kulm Spa St. Moritz (with a 20m indoor pool with underwater music, various saunas and steam room, a Jacuzzi, a fully-equipped gym and treatment rooms, all with stunning views over Lake St. Moritz) and six conference rooms, with capacities ranging from 50 to 500 people.

Entertainment and summer sports facilities include the 9-hole Kulm Golf Course St. Moritz (the oldest golf course in the country), three tennis courts and the Marmotta Kids’ Club for younger guests.

In May 2016, Jenny and Heinz E. Hunkeler of the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz were named “Hoteliers of the Year 2016” by leading Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung, which publishes annual Hotel Rating Awards, the only honours sanctioned by Switzerland Tourism, the national tourist office.

Grand Hotel Kronenhof, located in Pontresina, six miles from St. Moritz, offers the best of both worlds: the chance to enjoy the glitz of St. Moritz, while staying in a peaceful mountain village.

Grand Hotel Kronenhof has a rich and interesting history, having first opened its doors in the first half of the 19th century as a guesthouse. However, the main part of the current building, which is a registered historical landmark, was built at the very end of the 19th century in Neo-Baroque style. The latest wing, completed in November 2007 and costing CHF 35 million (approximately £24 million), consists of 28 new guest rooms and a stunning spa complex covering more than 2000 square metres. More recently, the internationally-renowned interior architect Pierre-Yves Rochon has been renovating a few guest rooms per year, in his own inimitable style, along with the creation of an elegant cigar lounge and adjoining billiards room.

The spa is certainly one of the hotel’s highlights and has been named “the best Alpine spa” (according to Tyler Brule writing in the FT, November 2009). Facilities include a 20m indoor infinity pool with counter-current system, a flotation pool with underwater music, a wide range of saunas and steam rooms, a luxurious private suite for couples to enjoy wraps and massages together, and – for the perfect final touch – a crackling log fire in the relaxation room.

Gourmet cuisine is also a specialty at the Grand Hotel Kronenhof. Awarded the title of GaultMillau Hotel of the Year in 2009, it has three restaurants (the formal Grand Restaurant in an elegant Neo-Baroque vaulted room, Gourmet Restaurant Kronenstübli serving Italian-Mediterranean cuisine with 16 GaultMillau points and the informal Le Pavillon for light lunches). In addition, the hotel features a 19^th-century original bowling alley where Swiss raclette is served.

Finally, Grand Hotel Kronenhof is renowned for its extensive children’s activities and facilities (a kids’ playroom and Rondelle, a restaurant just for younger members of the family).

Pattaya, Thailand, July 16, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / The Gems Mining Pool Villas Pattaya appoints Mr. Supakit Uasamphanchai as a new General Manager and Ms. Supa-arpha Itthikaiwan as Director of Marketing and Sales effective immediately, for the opening of a new African Gems Mining-Inspired resort in Pattaya, Thailand which is set to launch in Q4 this year.

Supakit has brought with him over 15 years of experience starting from a role in sales and marketing including the pre-opening at the Library Koh Samui before moving to Paresa Phuket as Front Office Manager which allowed Supakit to dive deeper into the hotel operations and later on he joined Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket as a Front Office Manager. In 2011, Supakit took an executive role as General Manager at X2 Kui Buri under the management of BHMA (Bespoke Hospitality Management Asia), now rebranded to Cross Hotels & Resorts. After 1.5 years, he was promoted to Group General Manager and then Group Director of Operations looking after the operations of properties under X2, Away and Le Bayburi brands. Afterwards, he accepted the role of VP Operation at Haad Tien Beach Resort on Koh Tao.

In 2018, Supakit decided to explore and experience in the luxury hotel segment with an international chain so he joined Hyatt Regency Hua Hin as Director of Rooms before taking the role of General Manager at The Gems Mining Pool Villas Pattaya.

Supa-arpha has a solid background in hospitality marketing, communications and public relations with over 12 years of experience. She started her venture in hospitality with Amari Watergate Bangkok as a trainee in Public Relations Department during her university. In 2008, she undertook her career with Bandara Hotels Group as an Assistant Public Relations Manager and then in 2012, she joined BHMA (now rebranded to Cross Hotels & Resorts) as Public Relations Manager looking after all the group properties under X2, Away and Le Bayburi brands. She was involved in several pre-opening projects including X2 River Kwai, X2 Chiangmai North Gate and South Gate.

Prior to joining the Gems Mining Pool Villas, Supa-arpha worked for Well Hotels & Resorts and was in the pre-opening team of Well Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 as Marketing Communications Manager, and later was promoted to Director of Marketing being in charge of Sales, E-Commerce and Marketing Communications. She was also looking after pre and post opening marketing functions for other properties managed by the Group including White Sand Beach Residences Pattaya, Costa Well Resort Pattaya and The Pratamnak Pattaya.

The Gems Mining Pool Villas Pattaya is located in Pattaya, Chonburi and it consists of five room categories ranging from studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and five-bedroom types. It is just an hour drive from Bangkok Suvarnnabhumi Airport and a 10-minute drive from North Pattaya Beach. The resort offers two food & beverage outlets, meeting and event facilities, wellness centre with gym, onsen, yoga studio and spa.

Geneva, Switzerland, July 16, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / The global COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented job losses and economic uncertainty. As governments and businesses look to stimulate growth, a new study from the World Economic Forum found that ‘nature-positive’ solutions can create 395 million jobs by 2030.

The Future of Nature and Business Report provides blueprints for businesses to tap into a $10.1 trillion business opportunity, focusing on industry actions that are nature-positive, meaning that they add value to nature.

The report is built on real world examples where business outcomes have been improved by nature-positive outcomes. Smart farming utilizing sensors and satellite imagery in Indonesia improved crop yields on average by 60%. Suzhou Industrial Park’s green development in China has seen its GDP increase 260-fold partially through green development. In Viet Nam, people living in coastal communities saw their incomes more than double following the restoration of critical mangroves.

“We can address the looming bio-diversity crisis and reset the economy in a way that creates and protects millions of jobs,” said Akanksha Khatri, Head of the Nature Action Agenda, World Economic Forum. “Public calls are getting louder for businesses and government to do better. We can protect our food supplies, make better use of our infrastructure and tap into new energy sources by transitioning to nature-positive solutions.”

The report, written in collaboration with AlphaBeta, segments actions into the following three areas or socio-economic systems where change can be scaled.

Food, land and ocean use: What we eat and grow makes up around $10 trillion of global GDP and employs up to 40% of the global workforce. Nature-positive solutions can create 191 million new jobs and $3.6 trillion of additional revenue or cost savings by 2030. Here are some examples:

• Diversifying the diet: Some 75% of the world’s food comes from 12 plant and five animal species. Animal products provide 18% of calories but take up 80% of farmland. A more diversified diet of vegetables and fruits can create $310 billion in business opportunities annually by 2030.
• Technology in large-scale farms: Over 4.3 million jobs and $195 billion in business opportunities can come from precision-agriculture technologies by 2030. With 40% improvements in yields expected, investments could yield returns of over 10%.
• Retail: The equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned every second, meaning $500 billion is lost every year as a result of discarded clothing. Using more renewable inputs and reusing, refurbishing and recycling clothes could lead to $130 billion in savings and prevent 148 million tonnes of textile waste by 2030.
• Fishing: It takes five times the effort to catch the same amount of fish now as it did in 1950. If the ‘business as usual’ approach continues, wild fish stocks will decline by 15%. This will cost the industry $83 billion, as boats will have to travel further and fish deeper. Sustainable ecosystem management is one way to tap into a $40 billion opportunity for the maritime industry worldwide.

Infrastructure and the built-environment: About 40% of global GDP comes from the environment we build – office buildings, homes and transport. Nature-positive solutions can create 117 million new jobs and $3 trillion in additional revenue or cost savings by 2030. Here are some examples:

• Smart buildings: Retrofitting systems and installing more efficient technology in new builds can save $825 billion by 2030. Switching to LEDs and substituting natural light alone could save over $650 billion by 2030. Green roofs can save on energy costs, mitigate flood risk, reduce air pollution, and even produce food. The market for these could grow 12% annually reaching $15 billion by 2030.
• Smart sensors: Reducing municipal water leakage could save $115 billion by 2030. Return on investments in water efficiency can be above 20%.
• Waste management: With $305 billion in additional revenue opportunities, the global waste management market could double in 10 years with the right investments in South Asia, East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Energy and extractives: The energy we produce and what we extract accounts for almost a quarter of global GDP and 16% of global employment. With energy demand growing, there is an opportunity to create 87 million jobs and $3.5 trillion in business opportunities by 2030. Here are some examples:

• Mining and resource extraction: Improving resource recovery in extraction can save $225 billion and reduce water usage by 75% in the next decade. New technologies and more mechanization could enhance material recovery rates by up to 50%.
• Circular models in the automotive sector: Refurbishing and reusing some automotive parts, such as transmissions, retains more value and uses less energy than recycling. Some $870 billion can be saved by recovering manufacturing costs by 2030.
• Renewables: Opportunities of $650 billion and investment returns greater than 10% are expected from renewable energy sources by 2030. Stimulus packages for solar and other commercialized renewables can generate millions of new jobs. Solar energy without subsidies matched fossil fuel costs in over 30 countries and were projected to be cheaper than coal in China and India by 2021.
• Doubling down on revenue streams: Land for renewable energy projects are three to 12 times the size of coal-powered ones. Some companies are developing high-rise photovoltaic power stations that can be combined with animal husbandry and ecotourism providing additional revenue streams on the same land plot.

Guide for Finance Ministers  

A policy companion outlines how governments can complement and enable businesses to act. Finance ministers can combine six cross-cutting policy measures to put the right incentives in place as part of stimulus packages and create jobs without destroying nature. They include better measurement of economic performance beyond GDP, incentives for innovation, improved spatial planning and management of marine and terrestrial assets, the removal of subsidies that endanger long-term job stability, investment in reskilling, and increased financial support for natural solutions.

This companion report, written in collaboration with SYSTEMIQ is intended to help decision makers see nature as a form of capital and, if properly managed, the basis of society’s long-term well-being, resilience and prosperity.

Quotes from Partners

“We must use the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to reset humanity’s relationship with nature. Investing in biodiversity and the environment offers the chance of building better economies and our resilience as a species,” said Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President of Costa Rica. “Costa Rica has shown that the transition to a carbon-neutral, nature-positive economy brings greater prosperity, jobs and new developments. It’s time to mainstream this model.”

“As we enter into a historic decade of action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and address climate change, business has a critical role to play in environmental stewardship of our planet,” said Inger Andersen, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme. “They have the technology, innovation and financing to make the shifts we need towards increased investment in nature’s infrastructure and nature-based solutions.”

“Biodiversity threats are increasingly becoming a core concern to businesses across every sector of the economy and so-called ‘business-as-usual’ is not an option,” said Fraser Thompson, Managing Director of AlphaBeta. “The good news is that this report demonstrates there is a pathway for business that can not only strengthen the resilience of operations but create major new growth opportunities.”

“Whilst there is still uncertainty in how COVID-19 will unfold, we must recognize this as an opportunity to accelerate efforts to put nature at the centre of all decision-making,” said Alan Jope, Chief Executive Officer of Unilever. “There will be no jobs or prosperity on a dead planet!”

“Nature is critical to creating jobs, as well as supporting public health and resilience,” said Jeremy Oppenheim, Founder and Senior Partner, SYSTEMIQ. “As finance ministers look to stimulate their economies amid the fragility exposed by COVID-19, they must seize the moment to integrate nature into fiscal policy; both supporting businesses to invest in nature-positive opportunities and making sure that we protect nature through the recovery.”

Bangkok, Thailand, July 15, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is excited to announce the launch of the expanded and revamped PATA Crisis Resource Center (CRC) to aid in the rapid, robust and responsible renewal of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry. The updated resource was created with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

“After a tremendous effort from our PATA team and expert advisors, we are excited to launch this expanded offering of the PATA CRC,” said PATA Chief of Staff Trevor Weltman. “The tools, expertise and resources kits now available on the CRC will assist all tourism actors in the Asia Pacific region to better understand where they currently are in their recovery journey from COVID-19, and ultimately help them prepare the important next steps they will need to advance their recovery efforts.”

The CRC is a digital resource that was launched by PATA in the early months of 2020 in response to our member’s urgent need for crisis leadership and trusted information during the initial stages of the COVID-19 outbreak. The long-term vision of the CRC is to lead, coordinate and sustain a comprehensive world-class digital resource for crisis response, management, and recovery for the Asia Pacific Travel Industry.

The CRC provides action-oriented interactive multimedia content that is focused on crisis preparedness, management, and recovery for destinations and other tourism enterprises across the Asia Pacific. While the site was designed for destination management organisations in mind, the content is directly applicable to businesses of all types and sizes across the tourism supply chain.

One of the most exciting features of the resource is the PATA Recovery Planner (crc.PATA.org/tools/recovery-planner), a guidance tool that allows organisations the ability to create a personalised five-phase COVID-19 tourism recovery plan. By answering a few multiple-choice questions about the destination’s current COVID-19 position in order to gauge its current position, the Recovery Planner will use that information to create a destination specific recovery plan and highlight the available resources that can assist the organisation and its stakeholders at this time.

About PATA
Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for-profit membership association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its more than 800 member organisations, including 95 government, state and city tourism bodies, 20 international airlines and airports, 102 hospitality organisations and 70 educational institutions, as well as thousands of young tourism professional (YTP) members across the world. The PATA network also embraces the grassroots activism the PATA Chapters and Student Chapters, who organise numerous travel industry training programmes and business development events across the world. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 35 local PATA Chapters worldwide, while hundreds of students are members of the 22 PATA Student Chapters globally. The PATA mPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has official offices or representation in Beijing and London. PATA’s Annual Theme for the 2020 calendar year is ‘Partnerships for Tomorrow’.

Madrid, Spain, July 15, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has announced the launch of a new Startup Competition as it looks to identify innovators with the power to further tourism’s contribution to sustainable development.

As the United Nations specialized agency for tourism, UNWTO has been guiding the sector’s efforts to contribute to the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including through the Tourism 4 SDGs online platform. Now, as the global community faces just 10 years to reach this ambitious agenda for people and planet, tourism’s unique ability to advance several of the SDGs is more relevant than ever.

This competition will rally all sectors around efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and place innovation and sustainability at the heart of global economic recovery.

Against the backdrop of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, held under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), UNWTO has launched the SDGs Global Startup Competition. Organized in partnership with Wakalua, the innovation hub of leading tourism group Globalia, the competition has strong private sector backing, with the Advanced Leadership Foundation, Amadeus, Amazon Web Services Activate, BBVA, ClarkeModet, The Far Co, Globant, Google, IE University, Mastercard, Mentor Day, Plug and Play and Telefónica as lead promoters of innovation.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashviki said: “Tourism’s cross-cutting nature is unique. As a sector, it touches on almost every part of our economies and our societies. This competition will rally all sectors around efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and place innovation and sustainability at the heart of global economic recovery.”

The competition is not only open to innovators within the tourism sector. Startups of every kind, from all over the world, are invited to participate provided that they:

• Are innovative in nature and provide value-added solutions
• Are sustainability-driven
• Are scalable, with potential for international growth and potential to be applied in corporations and destinations (countries, regions)
• Are an Early Stage or Series A startup
• Have a tested pilot and business plan
• Have been accelerated before
• Have a full-time team already in place

The 17 most disruptive startups (1 for each of the SDGs) will be given support to scale-up and make a real difference to the future of destinations. UNWTO will present the best ideas to its Member States, Affiliate Members and investors, providing them with a unique networking and matchmaking opportunity. Additional benefits on offer include the chance to pitch at a special UNWTO Demo Day and access to technological support and to the UNWTO Innovation network, as well as a curated mentorship programme with both one-on-one and group training sessions on key topics such as Intellectual Property, sustainability in business and leadership.

Applications are now open and will close on 20 September 2020. The winning startups will be announced in November. To find out more and to apply, visit the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition webpage.

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain, July 14, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has paid an official visit to the Canary Islands to recognize the reopening of the destination and the steps the local authorities have taken to keep both visitors and tourism workers safe as the sector restarts.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili was accompanied by the Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, for a series of high-level meetings with both public and private sector leaders. The delegation met with the President of the Canary Islands Ángel Víctor Torres and the Secretary of Tourism for the Canary Islands Yaiza Castilla, as well as with the Spanish government’s representative on the islands, Anselmo Pestana and the President of Town Hall of Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales.

Mr Pololikashvili said: “Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors for the Canary Islands, providing jobs and livelihoods and supporting many local businesses. The responsible restart of the sector will allow the many benefits tourism offers to return, and UNWTO welcomes the measures that have been taken to build confidence and trust in the sector.”

Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors for the Canary Islands, providing jobs and livelihoods and supporting many local businesses

This official visit follows a successful visit to Italy – the first trip undertaken since restrictions on international travel were eased within the Schengen Zone of Europe. Both visits recognize how tourism is a lifeline for many countries and highlights support for tourism at every political levels and the close collaboration with the private sector.

The UNWTO Regional Director for Europe, Alessandra Priante, said: “Health and safety, including the state of healthcare systems, are now key elements for all destinations. This needs to be reflected in their marketing and communications strategies, both now as tourism restarts and into the future as the sector recovers. Tourism has proven its resilience and its unique ability to drive the recovery and development of societies and it will do so again, and this time sustainability and innovation must be front and centre.”

Maximizing security and open to the media

Alongside meetings with public sector leaders, the UNWTO delegation also saw first-hand the steps being taken by the private sector to ensure the highest level of public safety and hygiene in tourism destinations.

In parallel, UNWTO officials visited each of the eight islands of the Canarian Archipelago to see first-hand the safety protocols put in place to maximize security and safety. A group of up to 60 Spanish and international media also witnessed the safety updates along the whole tourism value chain.