May 2022

AFFILIATIONS

S owcase May 2022 Vol 2 Issue 01 www.miceshowcase.com

STUDY

TAT Launches Amazing Thailand Metaverse

Tour Operators To Reach Over 70 % Of Pre-COVID Revenue

AVIATION ICAO and IFAR Reach Coopera on Agreement On Avia on Innova on

RECOVERY Travel & Tourism Sector Expected To Create Nearly 126 Million New Jobs

Green MEETINGS JESSIE LIM Director of Conference Services & Sustainability at Fairmont Singapore and Swissotel The Stamford & Co-op Member of 43rd Executive Committee of SACEOS

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J U L Y 2 0 2 2

India Expo Mart Gr. Noida Delhi/NCR

Advisory Partner

ACKNOWLEDGING INDUSTRY TORCHBEARERS

IACLS

India Associations & Corporate Leadership Summit Bringing together national associations

Limited booth space & sponsorship opportunities available

For quries contact Dharam at dd@exhibitionshowcase.com or +91 9999194995

Raghav Khosla

The travel industry is regaining its steam fast and the MICE sector is fuelling this recovery progressively. With the total contribution of the travel and tourism industry to the GDP of Middle East expected to rise to $486.1 billion by 2028, experts from more than 150 countries gathered at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai to map out the future of the sector. MICE Showcase was present to cover this important event in Dubai and we were presently surprised to see such massive footfall on the show oor. Destinations went overboard to create gigantic pavilions and the venue was buzzing with great energy.

Certainly, a lot of positivity could be felt and this gives highly positive signals for the revival of the travel & tourism industry. You can watch our special coverage on our ofcial YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ExhibitionShowcase.

Informa Markets in India is geared up to host the 29th edition of SATTE, South Asia’s leading travel trade exhibition, from May 18 – 20 at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, Delhi-NCR. Commenting on the event, Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, said, “SATTE is a lucrative opportunity to have wholesome and rich interactions about the recent trends and know-how of the travel industry. The travel sector worldwide went through a roughshod due to the effects of coronavirus and as it is swiftly opening up with India projected to see a rise of 53 million industry jobs by the end of 2029 and estimated to grow up to $125 billion by 2027.”

Check out this edition and ip through the pages to nd loads of interesting content and exclusive interviews. Do stay tuned with our latest news by following our ofcial handles on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram & Twitter. You can share your feedback with me at raghav@miceshowcase.com.

Happy reading!

INSIDE 16-27

12-15

10

QUICK NEWS

NEWS BUZZ

34-35

30

ACQUISITION Monthly

28-29

INTERVIEWS

37-38

CRUISING

SUSTAINABILITY

46-58

AVIATION

GLOBAL NEWS

Industry In Pictures From

TCEB representa ves in China and The Peninsula Beijing collaborated on the hybrid "TCEB & GSO Networking Event 2022." The event brought together 16 decision-makers from well-known Chinese companies to network and virtually meet 7 Thai MICE suppliers for product updates.

The Penang Career Expo "Jom Cari Kerja Expo 2022" press conference took place at St Giles Wembley 9 April. Media statements with regards to the expo and career opportuni es in tourism and hospitality industry were delivered by YB Yeoh Soon Hin (State Exco for Tourism and Crea ve Economy) and Mr Ashwin Gunasekeran (CEO, Penang Conven on and Exhibi on Bureau). Penang Conven on & Exhibi on Bureau

Taking the countdown to 63 days for the celebra on of Interna onal Day of Yoga 2022, we bring to you this view from Hill Forts of Rajasthan. #IDY2022

Our first day at MATTA Fair 2022 in KL is a resounding success! We had a great me reconnec ng with many travelers excited to make the Maldives their next holiday des na on. #WorldsLeadingDes na on2021

During the historic United Na ons High Level Thema c Debate on Tourism, CLIA President & CEO Kelly Craighead shared the progress made by cruise lines in advancing sustainable, inclusive, and resilient tourism during COVID recovery and beyond - #WeAreCruise.

In collabora on with Emirates and Dubai Airports, we have organised a Fam Trip from #Italy, in order to increase awareness of Dubai post #Expo2020, with a focus on culture, heritage and Ramadan experiences. #Dubai

#AAHOACON22 is in the books. With the support of amazing long me partners like ShepardTSE Live! Jamie McDonough Visit Bal more Sodexo Live! executed a FULLY #INPERSON #Conven on and #Tradeshow for close to 6,000 A endees!

As one of the most innova ve, large-scale sustainable conven on centers in the U.S., we are excited to celebrate #EarthDay with our partners, employees and clients! #Orange County Conven on Center

It's Interna onal Earth Day, and #SpiceJet has celebrated by conduc ng a pan India, “saplings planta on drive". We witnessed an ac ve par cipa on from Airport team, ATC officials, Airport police and the local authori es from Pantnagar, Kushinagar, and many other des na ons.

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The World Of Social Media

The roar of oars was heard at the Grand Hya , Kochi, as the Snake Boat race was flagged off by Shri. K. S. Srinivas IAS, Principal Secretary, Tourism.

A curtain-raiser for the much awaited Champions Boat League, the race was held during the inaugural func on of the Kerala Travel Mart. #KTM2022

Closing Business Conversa on Session at #TravelIndaba22 is all about Digital Transforma on. The importance of crea ng value across Africa’s Travel and Tourism ecosystem.

We are thrilled to announce that we are officially a cer fied sustainable chapter! Through the year of 2021 we completed a series of tasks engaging in many ac vi es pro-sustainability to obtain the SITE cer fica on! The work in 2022 con nues and we thank all our members who have contributed with this mission, especially our director of sustainability Carla Mo Ancona Lopez!

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company celebrates 5 weekly direct flights between San Juan and Madrid . Our Execu ve Director, Carlos Mercado, together with the Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, par cipated in the unveiling of the first vinyl art applica on of a des na on not located within Spain, on an Iberia plane.

We are delighted to announce the signing of #RamadaEncore by Wyndham in #Udaipur, Rajasthan. This signing reaffirms our commitment to our con nued growth in the mid-market segment. We look forward to our partnership with M/s J & J Enterprises and to bringing another high-quality hotel to this fantas c city. #mywyndham Rajasthan Tourism

Few glimpses of the hosted buyers from Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Republic of Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe and Togo who visited Accra, Ghana to discuss and have one-one-one mee ngs with the Brazilian Delega on and concluded with a evening dinner during the Brazil Trade Mission to Ghana 2022. #TradeMission #Brazil #Ghana

Taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from Monday 9 to Thursday May 12, this year’s ATM is more than 85% larger than ATM 2021 in terms of floorspace, with growth in every single region.

Singapore’s Super League Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwi made history with the first athle c event to be hosted in the iconic Marina Bay, and crowning the first ever eSports Triathlon Champions a er a hot, gruelling, spectacular weekend of racing.

The 8th Travel Trade Athens has begun! The B2B mee ngs between 60+ interna onal buyers and 90+ local suppliers are currently in full speed at the event’s official venue, the Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collec on Hotel, Athens. #TravelTradeAthens #TTA22

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Toronto Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) said more than 1 million travelers were admi ed into the country during the week of April 11, as easing of COVID-19 border restric ons encouraged visitors back into the country.

Venice Venice plans to trial a reservation system for day-trippers, in a bid to ease over-tourism as visitors flock back to the Italian city following the pandemic. The system, which has been in the works for years, will become compulsory in 2023 and will see day-trippers pay between €3 and €10, depending on the season.

Visitors who sleep in Venice, already subject to the so-called tourist tax, will be exempt.

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Cape Town The United States' Delta Air Lines has been given the goahead to fly to Cape Town as part of a triangular route between Atlanta and Johannesburg. Cape Town, as South Africa's tourist hotspot, is destination sought out by competing carriers in the US.

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Budapest The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and over 500 US based travel advisors attended the Global River Cruise Expo in Budapest, March 16-20, along with global river cruise brands, and hundreds of European exhibitors.

Budapest is considered the “river capital of the world”, a premiere port destination along the Danube.

Bangkok The Tourism Authority of Thailand organised a fam trip and industry symposium for a group of wedding planners from India during 15-22 March, 2022, to update them on some of the world-famous romantic destinations on offer in Thailand.

Cambodia

Istanbul The famed Michelin rating system is adding the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul to its distinguished list of covered cities. The Michelin Guides have been published since 1900 by the French tire company of the same name. Istanbul will become the 38th destination to join the Michelin Guide collection.

Revitalised Angkor Wat brings hope for Cambodia tourism recover y.

Despite the huge economic cost for Cambodia, the pandemic has been a boon for renovations and conservation work at Angkor Wat. The government agency that manages the UNESCO site says the shutdown allowed extra time and space for repair work, maintenance and gardening.

Sydney Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, one of Hilton’s iconic luxury hotel brands, announced its expansion into Australia with the signing of Waldorf Astoria Sydney. The hotel is part of AW One Circular Quay’s mixed-use development.

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

QUICK BYTES

May 2022

78th IATA AGM To Take Place In Doha, Qatar

OYO Completes Acquisition Of European Firm Direct Booker

The Inter national Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the 78th Annual Gener al Meeting ( A G M ) a n d Wo r l d A i r Transport Summit will take place 19-21 June 2022 in Doha, Qatar, hosted by Qatar Airways.

This will be the second time that the global gathering of aviation’s top leaders will be held in Qatar; the first being in 2014. Originally, the 78th IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit were planned for the same dates in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, hosted by China Eastern Airlines. The decision to change the venue reflects continuing COVID-19 related restrictions on travel to China.

“It is deeply disappointing that we are not able to meet in Shanghai as planned. In the meantime, we are pleased to be returning to the dynamic aviation hub of Doha and the warm hospitality for which Qatar Airways, our host airline, has become famous. This year’s AGM will be an important opportunity for aviation’s leaders to reflect on the shifting political, economic, and technological realities facing air travel as the industry’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic gathers pace,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Tr avel and hospitality platform OYO said it has concluded the acquisition of Europe-based company Direct Booker with the transaction valuing the acquired entity at $5.5 million. A market-leading player in the vacation home management segment in Dubrovnik, Croatia, Direct Booker was started in 2010 by Nikola Grubelic and Nino Dubretic.

The company has over 3,200 homes and serviced 2 million customers so far. “Homes continue to be an important strategic segment for OYO. We have been able to add value to our over 140,000 Home Storefronts 1 globally and I am excited to welcome Nino, Nikola and the team at Direct Booker under the OYO umbrella," said Ankit Tandon, Global Chief Business Officer, OYO, adding the company continues to focus on going deep in Europe. OYO already owns and operates brands, such as Belvilla (Belvilla by OYO), DanCenter, Traum Ferienwohnungen, among others in Europe. Direct Booker’s inventory will be available on Belvilla.com and over time on its other platforms. This acquisition will strengthen OYO’s presence in Europe broadly and Croatia specifically where it already has nearly 1,800 vacation homes on its Belvilla platform and over 7,000 homes on its Traum Ferienwohnungen platform.

Blade India Partners With Lexus To Offer Premium Mobility Service

Australia's Victoria To Host 2026 Commonwealth Games

The Indian subsidiary of the US-based helicopter transport firm BLADE has joined hands with Lexus, which is the luxury car arm of Japanese auto major Toyota, to offer travellers premium mobility services. The partnership includes BLADE collaborating with Lexus to provide onground Lexus vehicle experience to the flyers across its routes in Maharashtra and Karnataka, BLADE India said in a statement on April 11. The partnership offers a comprehensive travel solution that aims at reducing travel friction and maximizing comfort both on-ground and in-air, it added. BLADE focuses not just on the flight but also on providing an unparalleled on-ground experience. The company partners with like-minded pioneering brands that excel in their proposition, said Amit Dutta, Managing Director, BLADE India. “The Lexus NX 350h was a bigticket launch for Lexus and BLADE partnering with us to provide exceptional support with mobility to the otherwise remote venue while providing the best of hospitality to our guests,” said Naveen Soni, President, Lexus India.

The Austr alian state of Victoria has been officially announced as host of the 2026 C o m m o n w e a l t h G a m e s.

Australia has staged the multisport event six times previously, but 2026 will mark the first time that several cities have been awarded the Games. The Opening Ceremony will take place at the 100,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The 2026 Games will be held in 4 regional hubs in the towns of Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland, each with its own athletes' village. The state has confirmed 16 sports for the Games so far, including aquatics, cycling and Twenty20 cricket, with further announcements promised. The Commonwealth Games Federation's president Louise Martin described Victoria's pitch as "a bold and innovative vision" for the event.

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NEWS BUZZ

May 2022 Signing the MoU, FHTR President Apurv Kumar said that following a long gap of two years due to the Covid19 pandemic, the Federation in collaboration with the State Government is ready to bring back the much-awaited RDTM.

Rajasthan Government signs MoU with FHTR to organise

Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart

T

he Department of Tourism of Rajasthan Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR) for organising the Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart (RDTM) 2022, said an official release.

The MoU was signed between the Director of Tourism, Nishant Jain and the President of FHTR, Apurv Kumar in the presence of Principal Secretary, Tourism, Gayatri Rathore. Speaking on the occasion, Gayatri Rathore said that the objective of the MoU is to promote Rajasthan as the most favourable tourist destination nationally and informed that the second edition of

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RDTM will be organised from July 2224, 2022 at Birla auditorium, Jaipur.

She said “We are very thankful to the FHTR team for joining hands with us.

We would like to take domestic tourism to the next level this year. The tourism sector has a huge potential in terms of attracting investments in hospitality and the development of tourist sites.” “Currently tourism sector is contributing 9 per cent of the state GDP and providing employment to about 50 lakh people. With favourable policies being introduced such as Rural Tourism, Film Tourism and Heritage Tourism; the sector will have exponential opportunities,” added Gayatri.

“The Mart will bring hospitality operators from the State of Rajasthan and major operators and influencers of tourism from different states under one roof, through B2B meetings. It will also inform and create awareness among the potential buyers of the particular features of the exhibiting hotel, resorts as well as tour operations in different aspects,” he said.

He further added, “The State Government has been generous in providing a very good budget to the tourism and hospitality industry. The tourism sector has also been declared an industry. It has received the benefits of the industry status which was long pending since 1989. This has given a huge boost to tourism”, he said.

RDTM will also receive support from national associations like IATO, ADTAOI, TAAI, TAFI, ATOAI, ICPB and ETAA. This event will prove to be a unique marketing opportunity for hotels, resorts and tour operators to tap into the potential of the Indian domestic tourism market. RDTM is being jointly organized by the Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan and FHTR. All the industry associations of Rajasthan like the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Rajasthan (HRAR), Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA) and Rajasthan Association of Tour Operations (RATO) will be supporting the event.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

NEWS BUZZ

May 2022

National Tourism Policy To Be Announced Soon:

G Kamala Vardhana Rao, DG, Ministry of Tourism

G

Kamala Vardhana Rao, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India & Managing Director, ITDC Ltd said that the government is working on National Tourism Policy and will be announcing the policy soon. He was speaking at the 4th Digital Travel, Hospitality & Innovation Summit organized by FICCI. Rao said, "We would like to come up with a National Tourism Policy which we will announce soon."

Citing that the final discussions are happening, Rao shared that digitization and digital experiences will also be included in the National Tourism Policy. Highlighting the initiatives by the government to further digitization in the space of travel, tourism and hospitality, Rao briefly mentioned the Utsav Portal that was recently launched by the tourism minister.

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Highlighting the role of digitization for the travel and tourism sector, Rao said, "A major thing that the ministry has taken up is we have formulated and issued guidelines about the National Digital Tourism Mission with support and input from the industry".

Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India said, "The Govt is coming out with a digital platform to facilitate seamless travel within India.

This platform can be used by every stake holder of Travel and Tourism from big to small players." She further added that the Ministry of Tourism is closely working with various other ministries like Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Ministry of Aviation along with the state governments to give it a shape. “

Urging the government to support digitization for the travel, tourism and hospitality sector, Dr Jyotsna Suri, Past President, FICCI & Chairperson, FICCI Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Committee said, "It is because of the digitization that the growth of this industry will become better, and it will enable the businesses to reach out to new markets and of course increase competitiveness".

Dhruv Shringi, Co-Chair, FICCI Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Committee; Chair, FICCI Travel Technology & Digital Committee and CEO & Co-Founder, Yatra Online Inc said, "People everywhere are online and if we as organizations do not fully understand that we will be left behind.

So, it is very important for the travel industry to understand today. The role of travel counsellors today is evolving in current times. This is truly the time for people to evolve from transaction agents to travel counsellors."

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NEWS BUZZ

May 2022

PM Inaugurates Global Ayush Investment & Innovation Summit 2022 at Gandhinagar

P

rime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Global Ayush Investment & Innovation Summit 2022 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The three day Ayush global summit witnessed a dialogue with entrepreneurs, industry, startups and other stakeholders to encourage them to increase investment for innovation in Ayush as the sector continues to showcase colossal room for growth.

The inaugural session for the Global Ayush Investment & Innovation Summit 2022 witnessed the presence of the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Shri Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Union Minister for AYUSH Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, Dr. Munjpara Mahendra Kalubhai, Minister of State

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and ambassadors, foreign dignitaries, investors, industry experts and other important stakeholders.

In his inaugural speech Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said, “We are already witnessing unprecedented growth in the production of Ayush medicines, supplements and cosmetics.

In 2014, where the Ayush sector was less than $3 billion, today it has increased to more than $18 billion. An unprecedented efforts has been made in the past years to promote the export of Ayush products.”

Many new initiatives in Ayush sector was announced by the Prime Minister,

first being a special Ayush mark for Ayush products. This will give people all over the world the confidence of quality Ayush products. Government will develop a network of Ayush parks to encourage the promotion, research and manufacturing of Ayush products across the country. A new category named 'Ayush Aahar' was announced which will greatly facilitate the producers of herbal nutritional supplements. Further, another major initiative for foreign nationals who want to come to India to take advantage of Ayush therapy was announced. India will soon introduce a special Ayush visa category.

Describing the current age, the era of unicorns, the Prime Minister informed that in the year 2022 itself, so far 14 start-ups from India have joined the Unicorn Club. “I am sure unicorns will emerge from our Ayush start-ups very soon”, he stated.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

NEWS BUZZ

May 2022

Karnataka Tourism to organise Multi City Roadshows To Increase Domestic Footfalls

W

ith an aim to increase domestic footfalls, Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka along with Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. shall organise Multi City Roadshows from May 2022 to November 2022 to promote Karnataka Tourism and Travel Industry, like various tourist places, hotels, resorts, homestays, Tour operators and other service providers from Karnataka. KSTDC has identified 19 cities across the country, which are the key source market for domestic arrivals. Guwahati, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nashik, Pune, Goa, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Chennai, Vijayawada, Hyderabad & Nagpur are the few select cities for hosting the roadshows.

The first leg of these B2B roadshows are being organized in New Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur and Lucknow on May 17th, May 21st, May 23rd and May 25th respectively. This exclusive B2B Roadshow will have over 15

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stakeholders from Karnataka interacting with more than 100 travel agent’s/tour operators of the respective cities. The main objective of Karnataka Tourism is to promote the State as a destination for Leisure, MICE, Adventure, Wildlife and Wedding Destination in the Indian market. KSTDC shall be the nodal agency to conduct the roadshows in various cities of India.

The Roadshow will have B2B interactions and presentations that will showcase the destination and also open up new avenues in bringing the destination in new light to the travel and trade community. Cultural performance will be organised to showcase the vibrant art forms that Karnataka is known for. The Roadshow will bring together different aspect of Karnataka tourism such as Nature, Wildlife, Adventure, Pilgrimage, Heritage and cultural heritage, and many more.

Karnataka is home to a large and exciting portfolio of globally acclaimed tourism products with

UNESCO World Heritage Sites, splendid wildlife and resplendent nature, virgin beaches to adorn. The Roadshow series will provide the impetus to the domestic inbound travel and would enhance the marketing efforts of Karnataka Tourism to promote our destinations to the travel-trade.

Mr. G. Jagadeesha, Managing Director, Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation said “Karnataka with its diverse range of products is fast emerging as one of the most interesting and productive states for the travel-trade, both for leisure and business travel. Domestic Tourism being the backbone of the Tourism economy has a lot of potential which needs to be tapped. Post-pandemic, these Roadshow activities will be an excellent occasion for our stakeholders to renew contacts with the traveltrade across India.”

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

COVER INTERVIEW

May 2022

“Fairmont Singapore, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ pioneer property in Asia comprises 778 guestrooms and suites, and offers a dis nct collec on of 13 restaurants and bars, the award-winning 50,000 sq Willow Stream Spa and the cu ng-edge Raffles City Conven on Centre, offering 108,000 sq of prime, flexible func on space, with 34 mee ng rooms.”

JESSIE LIM Director of Conference Services & Sustainability at Fairmont Singapore and Swissotel The Stamford & Co-op Member of 43rd Execu ve Commi ee

of SACEOS

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

COVER INTERVIEW

May 2022

MS. What was an early project that you're proud of, as well as an early career-defining moment? Please share with us your professional journey, hurdles overcome and milestones achieved so far.

Jessie Lim. I’d say the pre-opening of Sofitel Sentosa was definitely a career-defining moment, having to oversee the refurbishments of the Hotel’s function rooms; to developing and ensuring a seamless operationalisation of new SOPs for the events teams within a short time frame. I started my career in events management with Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre before moving to France in 2005, where I joined Liberty Incentives, a destination management company. Upon my return to Singapore, I had the opportunity to be part of Singapore Tourism Board, lending support to foreign MICE companies to set up offices in Singapore. I’ve also worked closely with SACEOS to develop the local MICE industry.

I subsequently moved into the hospitality industry working for several international hotel groups including Accor, Park Hotel Group and Hilton Hotels & Resorts. In the midst of these years, I made a career switch to teaching & training, when I taught at SHATEC for a period; a time I thoroughly enjoyed. Looking back, I’m humbly proud of my achievements along the way, especially the positive impact in the careers of committed and passionate individuals I’ve had the privilege to work with in my teams.

MS. What role has SACEOS played in advancing Singapore as a MICE hub and how this organisation is closely involved with Singapore's plans to expand this sector. As a Co-Opt member at SACEOS, what would be your top

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priorities?

Jessie Lim. Established since 1979, SACEOS has played a pivotal role in positioning Singapore as a MICE hub; having been the voice and champion of the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) industry. It has been instrumental in helping those in the business to develop and prosper, and to work closely with the government to meet the objectives of positioning Singapore as an international MICE hub.

As a Co-Opt member at SACEOS, my top priorities would be to focus on our sustainability efforts with sound strategic management to ensure cost effectiveness and build Singapore’s reputation as a sustainable MICE city.

MS. Strategically located in the heart of Singapore’s business, shopping and entertainment districts, Please describe some of the key aspects of Fairmont Singapore, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts that distinguish it from other hotels.

Jessie Lim. Fairmont Singapore, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ pioneer property in Asia comprises 778 guestrooms and suites, and offers a distinct collection of 13 restaurants and bars, the award-winning 50,000 sqft Willow Stream Spa and the cutting-edge Raffles City Convention Centre, offering 108,000 sqft of prime, flexible function space, with 34 meeting rooms. Strategically located in the heart of Singapore’s business, shopping and entertainment districts, Fairmont Singapore is where sophisticated travellers discover culturally rich experiences that are authentic to the Lion City.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

COVER INTERVIEW

May 2022

MS. How many regional, national and international conventions, meetings and trade shows, are hosted by Fairmont Singapore and Swissotel The Stamford? Please share your experience on some of your recently held events at your venue.

Jessie Lim. It’s hard to put a figure to it but as the first large scale, integrated and centrally-located convention venue; we’ve played host to numerous iconic events both locally as well as from overseas over the years, including the 28th South East Asia Games; 32nd Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC 2016); Google Cloud Summit; and the 5th Credit Suisse Global Megatrends Conference; just to name some.

With hardly any inbound travel and a huge clamp down on events due to safe management measures (SMMs) since the onset of the pandemic, the overall hotel and events industry in Singapore has admittedly witnessed a significant business slowdown unlike one we’ve yet experienced.

Despite having seen some physical events returning in 2021, the current business events landscape remains in a state of flux and the overall industry situation still fluid with guidelines, restrictions and SMMs periodically evolving with updates and changes. We have had to cover more ground and work with organsiers on their event applications, and be flexible with last minute changes due to the uncertainty of international travel still. Having said that, with Singapore easing our travel restrictions and event guidelines, we have seen a hike in event enquiries for the upcoming months.

MS. Do you have any specific predictions regarding how the hotel sector will change? Have you integrated any technological advancements? What sustainable steps have you implemented?

Jessie Lim. In terms of manpower support, the hotel sector will have to be “creative” in attracting new hires, and also keeping the current pool of talents. We have introduced several technological advancements such as Automated

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Check-in Counters; Contactless Check-In; and using AI to monitor food waste. We also launched the world’s first urban Aquaponics farm in 2019, which remains one of our key sustainable initiatives to create awareness on food waste; reduction in carbon emissions, single-use plastics and more.

MS. What have been your biggest takeaways from the industry? What are your learnings from the pandemic and how it has changed the face of the MICE industry?

Jessie Lim. That we as an industry are all in this together, so we need to support one another and with that we will come back stronger. I believe we’ve all had our own thoughts and reflections as a result of the pandemic. My key takeaways are to be adaptive to the volatility of the situation so that we can be flexible to respond to changes quickly. Be prepared to do things differently, and think of alternatives/solutions with your clients. They will appreciate the support and put their trust in you.

Be open to learn new knowledge, skills and technologies, including the new norms of doing events and adapt to what you can offer to your clients in order to enhance your unique and differentiated positioning.

MS. Are there any trends shaping the MICE industry that you can anticipate?

Jessie Lim. Definitely a stronger and continued focus on sustainability MS. On another note, what do you enjoy the most about your work? Please share your hobbies, what keeps you busy when you are away from work?

Jessie Lim. My team who motivates and keeps me on the ground daily, as well as the sense of fulfilment knowing that I have assisted my clients in executing a successful event.

I’m quite an active and adventurous person. I enjoy outdoor hiking, cycling and travelling.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

INTERVIEW

May 2022

“We need to get people talking about Georgia again, relight the ames the destination had and make it once again the new and exotic MICE destination” In Conversation With Amiran Ivanidze President At Georgian Business Tourism Association MS. Please share with us how GBTA has been instrumental in serving its community, including a description of some of the major contributions made to promote the industry?

Amiran Ivanidze. The Georgian Business Tourism Association was founded in 2019 to create a united voice within the MICE industry of Georgia. From the first days of its foundation, GBTA started hosting high end B2B exhibitions with its partners from target markets. We hosted the biggest regional MICE B2B exhibition, the IMG MICE Geography Show Caucasus Edition and soon after a B2B forum with leading MICE DMCs from Ukraine. Throughout 2019 GBTA hosted various workshops to its members and non members directly and indirectly involved in the business tourism industry. The goal of these workshops were to elevate the standards of exciting and startups companies, to enable them to work with high end clients from western markets.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began and the hospitality industry was harshly hit, GBTA hosted several anti-crisis workshops and lobbied the government on behalf of the industry together with other international associations to

Amiran Ivanidze, President At Georgian Business Tourism Association

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aid the industry in the hard times ahead. Today we are in the 3rd year of the pandemic which hit the Georgian hospitality industry severely harsher than other destinations due to long lockdown terms and strict regulations, which at the time were necessary, we only slowly started recovering in the past half year and were on track of resuming active promotion.

MS. Why should one become a member of GBTA? Amiran Ivanidze. GBTA offers a unique platform for the MICE industry players to come together as one and have a united voice. The advantage of having such an association is crucial in order to help develope the industry further and keep it sustainable.

MS. What can we expect to see from GBTA in the future?

Amiran Ivanidze. GBTA will continue to work on its goals of promoting and developing the MICE industry further with various activities such as B2B events, educational workshops and lobbying on behalf of its members and industry.

MS. How big is the Georgian Tourism Industry? How are you predicting the major trends in the travel industry for the coming year?

Amiran Ivanidze. The Georgian Tourism industry overall is a rapidly developing one, before the pandemic it was always in top 3 developing and upcoming destinations in the world for years. From only 2 million international visitors in 2013, we reached over 9 million international visitors in 2019. In a very short timeline, the industry developed immensely and of course this would not be possible without the government's will to heavily increase in the country's infrastructure and the private sectors investment into hotels, transportation and other products.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

INTERVIEW

May 2022

The goal for years was to work closely side by side between the public and private sector, which was greatly achieved by 2019. Of course like many other destinations, however Georgia more so, was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Right now the main goal is to slowly recover and get back into the same shape as we were in 2019 and to do so it involved precise surgical targeting on markets that are quick decision makers and to participate in specific international B2B exhibitions.

MS. What are the top three major challenges surrounding the Georgian Travel industry?

Amiran Ivanidze. Today of course the major challenge is to overcome the pandemic and get back on track that the country was on in 2019. We need to get people talking about Georgia again, relight the flames the destination had and make it once again the new and exotic MICE destination that was in demand before the pandemic.

Another major challenge would be to retrain the DMCs and other industry players, as many of them had a reshuffling of staff. And finally to educate and train the next generation of younger professionals that wish to work in an up beat and fascinating industry like of the business tourism one.

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MS. What have been the most important lessons you've learned in the industry? What is one aspect of the industry that you would like to see changed?

Amiran Ivanidze. The MICE industry is a very dynamic and always evolving one, it is absolutely important to stay with the trend and be talked about. It is crucial to keep promoting and having international partners and clients aware of the potential Georgia has, because if you fall out of that train, it is very hard to get back in. Another very important lesson is that the target markets should always be diversified and never to keep all the eggs in one basket.

If i had to put both lesson and aspect into one phrase it would be that, diversification is very important, however you should never lose sight of those markets that initially pumped you up and you should always keep the connection there, however always see the other options available without losing sight of the prior.

MS. Would you like to share any message with the industry?

Amiran Ivanidze. Today coming out of a global pandemic, I would like to wish the MICE industry a speedy recovery and reaching newer heights soon!

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

INTERVIEW

May 2022

MICE SHOWCASE TALKS TO ISHA GOYAL CEO, STIC TRAVEL GROUP “Its true, that demand for private charters surged during the pandemic.

We have seen a much higher volume of requests for private jets - and during the suspension of flights, also for student and evacuation charters to all parts of the world.”

Isha Goyal. STIC is a story of tenacity, perseverance and commitment. We consider it a labour of love, inspired by our founders, and carried forward over the years by its exemplary team of professionals who chart a strong path into the future as we enter our Golden Jubilee year.

MS. What are some of the innovative approaches that the company has come forward with to bring a new experience for its clients?

MS. What were the key career experiences that really shaped the way you are now as a leader?

Isha Goyal. My business education at the Indian School of Business laid the foundation for the work ethic, mindset and approach to problem solving that I take everyday. Various opportunities to act under pressure - either of a strategically important deadline; the moral dilemma every time you let go of an employee or a client or choose principles or policy over opportunity; managing through a crisis like Covid; and many more.

MS. Established in the year 1973, how would you define success journey of STIC Travel Group in this industry.

Please tell us about STG and its key services offered in serving the travel industry.

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Isha Goyal. It has always been our endeavour to introduce new destinations and new brands to the Indian travellers.

Our approach has been to tap new offerings to our clients whether it is by introducing a new place to explore, or a different/unique way to explore. It is only through innovation and creativity that we continue to thrive and are looking forward to celebrating 50 years of taking India to the world.

MS. How is the company utilising technology? What are your thoughts on digitalization and the potential for using technology to accelerate the industry's momentum?

Isha Goyal. Technology sits at the centre of all process optimisation and efficiency initiatives at STIC. We see technology as a critical resource towards conducting

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

INTERVIEW

May 2022

our business, servicing our customers and fulfilling our obligations in a more time efficient, transparent and cost effective manner. As early as the 1980s, we were one of the first organisations to automate our financial systems, and continually upgrade the technology behind our internal processes and solution offerings. Digital adaptation in key functions like marketing and sales augmentation have been instrumental in driving growth for us these past few years, particularly during the pandemic.

MS. Bookings of private charter planes is showing green shoots of recovery from last year’s covid-induced disruptions amid a rise in first-time fliers seeking to avoid infections, poll campaigning and improving travel appetite.

How do you see industry growing? Can you share your observations regarding client booking behaviour over the last few months?

Isha Goyal. Its true, that demand for private charters surged during the pandemic. We have seen a much higher volume of requests for private jets - and during the suspension of flights, also for student and evacuation charters to all parts of the world. However, with the opening up of international flights out of India, the demand seems to be stabilising. Wedding parties continue to see a surge in requests for charter options on destination weddings.

MS. How important is employees' energy levels to the success of the organisation? How do you motivate people to go the extra mile?

Isha Goyal. Employee morale plays a crucial role in the success of any organisation. Our employees are our greatest assets and over five decades, remain our single most powerful source of inspiration. Our approach to

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employee motivation and morale building, is simply to prirotise, transparency, fairness and empathy above all.

MS. What is one of the hardest challenges that you’ve come up against and what did it teach you?

Isha Goyal. Everyday is a lesson. Every success, and even more so, every failure. Life is learning. The hardest challenge is yet to come.

MS. What are some of the current developments affecting the travel industry, according to you? Two things you would like to change in the industry.

Isha Goyal. The opening up of the skies, with the promise of new destinations, while some older ones remain elusive with restrictions. Technology, as always, continues to drive us towards new opportunities and challenge convention.

Going forward, I hope to see more collaborative action by industry players towards mutual growth and recovery.

MS. On another note, what do you enjoy the most about your work? Please share your hobbies, what keeps you busy when you are away from work?

Isha Goyal. I enjoy the people - the human interactions and the problem solving - to be able to learn from another person’s experience is a privilege. In my personal time, I enjoy spending time with my family, exploring nature and discovering hidden gems in popular destinations.

MS. What would you say to the industry if you had one message and one piece of advice to give?

Isha Goyal. Collaborate more, create often, compete every day.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

INTERVIEW

May 2022

In Conversation With Amit Saroj - Founder, Vkonte Amit Saroj is the CEO of ‘Indiattitude’, a leading Professional Conference Organizing Company in India for the past 22 years.

Prior to Indiattitude, he worked in the Hospitality Sector (Hotels) for close to 5 years and started Indiattitude in the year 2000.

Presently he is also leading a few other companies which include ‘IA Health’ in the medical consumables Sector, ‘IA Meetings Singapore’ and ‘Vkonte’ a start up in Canada for sharing scientific research in video formats. He is also a Governing Board Member of India Convention Promotion Bureau and continues to contribute in the meetings management sector actively along with his team.

MS. What does it take to become a successful Professional Conference Organiser? Does this profession demand specific characteristics or is just about how creatively one approaches event projects?

Amit Saroj. Professional Conference Organising is a challenging profession, as you are like the thread that holds all the elements of the conference together, while each element is exerting outward pressure. The key is to hold everything together and prevent the thread from breaking. You need mental strength and physical strength if you want to join the PCO industry. There are many traits or skills required for a PCO industry professional from the customer execution standpoint. 1) Attention to Detail 2) Accuracy and Response Time 3) Exceeding Customer expectations From the business owners perspective, you need 3 Ps, Patience, Perseverance and Physical Energy. Rest follows.

MS. How do technological innovations and new communication possibilities impact upon the world of event management?

Amit Saroj. Technology has been evolving in the meetings space over the last one and a half decades. When we started, I recall I managed my first large event database on Microsoft Access and thought that was the best way to do it. Over the years, it has only become easier with strong event management solutions and communication

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possibilities like whatsapp communication to manage things on the go. I would not hesitate in mentioning that as a meetings professional, we are now a 70% backend cloud based business and 30% onsite setups or physical inperson management. Traditionally it was the opposite, while during ofcourse covid times we had no choice and the industry opted for virtual space which was more of a necessity. Further for process controls there are strong CRMs available which gets you repository of information for strategic growth MS. How have the participant expectations evolved and changed over the last 2 years. What are they mostly looking for while participating at a certain event?

Amit Saroj. Last 2 years, the major change has been inperson to virtual from the participant point of view and events have become mere screen viewing of streamed content from the comfort of your home. The feel of handshakes, hugs and laughter, dress to kill attitude, food and wine and most importantly networking for business have been taken away not by choice of course. I recall one of my clients mentioning who is also a regular speaker in large conferences, this was when there was an overflow of webinars, jokingly he said these days it is Death By Webinars for us. Virtual has its own advantages especially when its only knowledge sharing and the repository of content can be maintained for access which is a good thing.

With the behaviour change, Hybrid is a good way to go.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

INTERVIEW

May 2022

MS. How important Destination Management Services and Corporate Event Management Solutions are for round-the-clock event support, and why DMC is a wise choice for any event planning company.

Amit Saroj. I would skip this question as this is more apt for a DMC company. But yes for us as a PCO we have to offer extended service for large scale conferences, since it is backed by our technology. to an extent it becomes an obvious choice to offer DMC services. I may not agree that it is a wise choice for a PCO to transform into a full scale DMC unless it's a different company or a brand.

Hope I understood the question correctly.

MS. Please share brief highlights of your presentation at ITB India (as a speaker) and the key issues you intend to discuss in terms of industry consolidation.

Amit Saroj. At ITB, I spoke about the key challenge we are facing in the recovery phase post covid impact. I shared 8 pointers that we practiced to sustain and now look at our growth path. The ideas were more from a financial business perspective to manage with less resources and yet aim for growth. I think being a virtual event the talk should still be available on the ITB platform.

MS. What are the top three major challenges surrounding the industry?

Amit Saroj. Covid Impact is the biggest challenge for now we need to deal with the following: Manage a full service company with reduced team size and skill, I think is the stage for not only our industry but the entire hospitality industry including hotels.

This needs rebuilding and restructuring. Ÿ Talent drain to other industries. Again this for the entire hospitality industry, the talent from our industry have made choices and found opportunities in different industries which has depleted the skilled resource strength who were trained for years. it will take a few years to replenish with new resources Ÿ Managing Cash-flows, initially with lock downs and

then the backlogs will take time to get back to normal.

MS. What is one of the hardest challenges that you’ve come up against and what did it teach you?

Amit Saroj. Undoubtedly, it was Covid impact on our business and I have learnt more in the past 2 years than in the past 20 years before covid. We were used to ups and downs in business but covid was a hard kick on the backside for the complacent business owners we had become over years. Not only made us restart like a start up again but taught us some hard lessons on business and life as well. Overall a great learning experience but would not want to go through it again :) MS. Please share with us your experience of the most challenging show you have managed in the past?

Amit Saroj. As mentioned earlier, we are like the thread that holds the event together, when the thread breaks or is about to break it becomes challenging. Many events have been challenging but the one I always remember is the global event I did myself in 2004, a Global Forum, which taught me the most about conference organising. We were only 4 team members to do an event which needed at least 40, the thread broke and was missing in that forum but it gave me a lifetime of learning on managing conferences.

MS. On another note, what do you enjoy the most about your work? Please share your hobbies and what keeps you busy when you are away from work?

Ÿ

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Amit Saroj. Being part of the hospitality industry is a high in itself as you meet and interact internationally and engage with varied industries of your clients. The dopamine rush of a successful event is addictive and that's what keeps you going and I see people coming back to the industry for it. Hobbies, I like to play guitar and stress my vocal cords with friends and family sometimes. Yoga and running are in my regular routines. I love audiobooks as I am not patient enough to sit and read. Also started a blog now #Successawaited

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

May 2022

The Great SHOWMAN I started working with them a few weeks later. I stayed with Clarion for around 4 years.

I loved it, I worked with some people that when on to become industry legends, Simon Kimble, Dominic Jones, Nicola Bateman, Andy Baxter, Nigel Nathan, Nicky Barr, Cartsen Holm and so many more. I later got the chance to move to London Event Co and work with Rob MacKenzie and Tim Etchells. Looking back I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have so much access to minds of some of the industries greats from such an early age. I learnt so much from all of them and will always be grateful for the time they gave me.

MATT

Bradley Director at Nineteen Group MS. Please take us through your professional journey since inception and some major milestones achieved over the years?

Matt Bradley. I started working in the exhibition industry as sales exec around the year 2000. I worked as part of in the organising arm of the Business Design Centre in Islington. The show I worked on was a launch called Mode and aimed at this high end gift and furniture industry. After year 1 the business decided not to run it again. I learnt very quickly that disappoint is never too far away in this industry. We had a rival show run by Clarion called Top Drawer. I called as soon as our show was cancelled and, thanks to some favourable feedback from some of our shared clients,

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I joined forces with John Bednall and Nick Field to set up Legend Exhibitions and launch Retail Business Technology Show (RBTE) in 2011. By 2016 we had added a design and digital signage element, launched 2 publications, Essential Retail and Retail Design World and the show had become the biggest of its kind in Europe. In 2017 we sold the business to Reed Exhibitions and as part of the agreement, and as the face of the show, I moved across with the event, which we later rebranded to Retail Expo.

Sadly in 2019 due to the pandemic Reed Exhibitions took the decision to no longer run RetailExpo which left both me without a job and retail tech industry without a flagship show. I was quicky approached by several exhibition companies with offers to revive the show with them. Ironically after quite a few meetings with quite a few suitors it only took a 10 minute chat with Peter Jones and Alison Jackson for me to realise that the best place to relaunch would be Nineteen Group.

MS. You are the driving force behind the launch of Retail Technology Show with Nineteen Group. In what ways have you brought Retail Technology Show to the

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

May 2022 Technology Show 2022 and to whom would you attribute the success of this show?

Matt Bradley. So many to mention, selling out the show 7 weeks before the event, the incredible speaker line up including Tinie Tempah, Sam Jones, Mike Coupe and Ella Mills, the Big Reunion Party at the end of day one and so many more. But a moment that really sticks out for me is, on day one at 9am, I announced over the public address system that Retail Technology Show 2022 was now open. I’ve done this hundreds of times before on previous shows and people rarely raise and eye brow.

forefront? What does it take to succeed a business?

Matt Bradley. There’s an expression, no passion, no point. I have incredible passion for this industry and for RTS and I think people within the industry can see that. I have a team who share that passion and are equally driven and again people can see that. I am fully immersed in the retail technology industry and take my role as event director of their flagship show very seriously.

I spend time with our exhibitors and visitors to try to truly understand the issues they are facing. I’m not and have never been interested in running the “biggest” retail tech show, I’m interested in running the very best and that means we design an event that is relevant to the industry that its serving both exhibitors and visitors who will find benefit from attending.

But this time every exhibitor stopped what they were doing, stood, clapped and cheered. I’ve never felt anything like that. The relief and happiness of an industry that had been through turmoil finally about to be reunited was so visible. It was a very special moment, one that really overwhelmed me and one I’ll never forget. That’s why the success of the show isn’t down to me, my team or Nineteen Group. Its down to every exhibitor, for the incredible stands they built, for every email they sent and every social media update they posted. To the speakers who gave up their time, who shared their insight and knowledge to an audience who were desperate for some sort of road map and to every visitor who attended the show, who took meetings with our exhibitors and who joined to reunite an industry. This show was for them, by them.

I despise corporate, I despise the conventional opinion of what a trade show should look like.

With RTS I have tried to be as creative as possible. Whether that’s through the look and feel of the event, the conference programme or the marketing messages and route to market. I ripped up the “rule book” and its worked. I expect a more to follow our lead.

MS. Can you tell us what were the highlights of the Retail

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

May 2022

“

There’s an expression, no passion, no point.

“

MS. How do you see the resumption of trade shows restoring people's confidence? Could you tell us about the current state of trade shows in your region?

continue to live up to expectations. We mustn’t sit back, we must continue to evolve, continue to listen to our markets and in my opinion continue to rip up the conventional.

Matt Bradley. We’ve seen a great surge. As mentioned stand space sold out with 6 weeks to go – unheard of on a launch event and we rebooked 81% on site. Events are well truly back! And although the visitor pre-reg spike came later in the marketing cycle than perhaps we’re used to, we did meet the ambitious targets that we set ourselves. We also saw a significant uplift with a walk up registrations.

MS. What does a normal working day in your life look like?

Please take us through the course of your day from the time you wake up till the time you retire to bed.

MS. The exhibitions and events industry, like the rest of the world, has experienced rapid change. What are the most significant changes you've witnessed during your time in the industry?

Matt Bradley. If there is one good thing to come out of the last 2 years it’s that people have realised the importance of face to face events. The novelty of working from home and zoom meetings soon wore off for the majority of us and it wasn’t long before people were craving for human interaction. As organisers we have both a great opportunity but also a great responsibility to ensure face to face events

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Matt Bradley. It varies from day to day which is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. The only constant is I take an hour every day to go to the gym. I tend to do this in the middle of day and normally come back with a hundred new ideas to pitch to the team. Just having that hour away from the office in a different environment really helps to reinvigorate me.

I love meeting clients and talking through the issues and finding ways that I can make RTS even more relevant to our industry. I tend to work quite late, I’m not unknown to send emails, texts or more recently voice notes late in to the evening or at weekends. This isn’t because I’m a workaholic, its because my memory is terrible and so when I have an idea I need to get it to the people that can action it as soon as possible!!

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

SUSTAINABILITY

May 2022

Singapore’s Gardens By The Bay Joins The Earthcheck Sustainable Destinations Program

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he internationally acclaimed Gardens by the Bay has become the first destination in Singapore to join the EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations program.

Gardens by the Bay joins a worldwide network of destinations committed to tackling some of the key environmental and social challenges facing the planet, including water use, waste reduction, climate change, and sustainable place management.

Stewart Moore the Founder and CEO of EarthCheck, noted that "EarthCheck is honoured to be working with Gardens by the Bay, a tourism icon of the Asia Pacific and an

integral part of Singapore's "City in Nature" vision.”

The EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations program addresses key environmental and social issues facing the planet. It is designed to build on and support local initiatives and empower local communities to play a crucial part in destination stewardship and place management.

Since its opening, Gardens by the Bay has welcomed more than 50 million visitors and garnered numerous international awards, including Best Attraction Experience in the Singapore Tourism Awards 2019 and

ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Award presented by ASEAN Tourism in 2018.

The principal objective of the EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations program is to work with destinations and precincts to help facilitate and foster responsible and sustainable environmental and social planning and management practices. It is now recognised as the leading scientific program in the world. The program provides communities with a scientific framework to benchmark and certify their environmental and social performance and continuously improve their performance over time.

Korea Tourism Organization Acquires ISO 20121 Certication

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he Korea Tourism Organization obtained the ISO 20121 certification from the Korean Standards Association, an international standard for sustainable event management established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

ISO 20121 is an international standard that evaluates whether event planners, venues, and marketing organizations carrying out MICE activities such as international conferences, incentive tourism, conventions, and exhibitions have economic, environmental and socially sustainable management systems and operating processes.

Korea Tourism Organization, which cooperates with international organizations, fosters the convergence

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of the MICE industry, and attracts and supports visiting MICE groups, has been recognized for its efforts in sustainability and MICE operation management systems through the acquiring of this certification.

KTO has been actively promoting company wide ESG management starting from 2021. In particular, the MICE department conducted a self-

diagnosis on the sustainability management of the organization’s MICE activities, established an action plan based on the results, and passed a two-step expert review of the Korean Standards Association to acquire the ISO20121 certification. Lee Younggeun, Director of the MICE Planning & Management Team of KTO, stated, “As global competition for attracting and hosting MICE events intensifies, the implementation of a sustainable management system takes top priority.”

He continued, “With the new ISO 20121 certification, we plan to enhance our efforts in supporting the qualitative growth and global competitiveness of the MICE industry.”

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

SUSTAINABILITY

May 2022

Carnival Cruise Line Signicantly Reducing Food Waste As First Major Cruise Line to Employ Bio-Digesters Fleetwide research and development for Renovare Environmental.

Without bio-digesters, millions of pounds of unprocessed food waste would otherwise be lawfully discharged into the ocean as allowed by maritime law. Current maritime regulations do not require food waste to be processed and only prohibit discharge at sea within 12 nautical miles from land, making Carnival’s new practice of utilizing bio-digesters ahead of the industry standard.

C

arnival Cruise Line highlighted its environmental efforts on Earth Day by recognizing its industry leadership and significant reduction in food waste since its restart of guest operations.

As Carnival nears the return of its full fleet, it becomes the first major cruise line to employ bio-digesters across its entire operation, with the intention of lawfully discharging only processed food waste.

“Earth Day is a great opportunity to recognize our efforts toward a more sustainable future, and making the process of discarding food waste significantly more environmentallyfriendly is a big step in that mission.” said Richard Pruitt, vice president of environmental operations at Carnival Cruise Line.

Carnival installed more than 200 biodigesters so every ship sailing is fullyequipped for galley crew to use them.

Currently, 22 Carnival ships are serving guests and Carnival Splendor’s restart on May 2 will complete the full 23-ship fleet’s return. A bio-digester is an enclosed container converting food waste into liquid at an accelerated rate – breaking down 99 percent of the food put into it, with only a fine, siltlike material remaining. By utilizing beneficial microorganisms, plus oxygen and warm water, digesters can process

BioHiTech America, a Renovare Environmental Company, supplied many of the digesters for the Carnival fleet. Renovare Environmental estimates as much as 94 million pounds will be digested across the entire Carnival fleet by the end of the year. “We are proud to have teamed with Carnival Cruise Line on a successful path towards food waste reduction, efficient and safe disposal methods, and the associated beneficial environmental outcome,” said Emily F. Dyson, vice president of science,

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anything that can be consumed by a human.

Environmental sustainability is an important and ongoing mission at Carnival. Carnival Corporation pioneered the introduction of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology platform to the passenger cruise sector as part of the company’s commitment to emissions reduction.

Last year, with the debut Mardi Gras, Carnival Cruise Line introduced the first LNG-powered cruise ship in North America and will soon welcome two more ships fueled by LNG into its fleet – Carnival Celebration this fall and Carnival Jubilee in 2023.

Also, in the fall of 2023, Carnival’s newly transformed Terminal F which opens later this year will usher in a new era of port infrastructure as one of the first at Port Miami equipped to provide shore power. Along with the LNG, food waste and shore power initiatives, Carnival is also continuing its aggressive program to reduce single-use plastics across its corporate headquarters and on board its fleet.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

May 2022

ACQUISITION

MakeMyTrip’s Fintech Arm Buys Majority Stake In BookMyForex

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he investment enables multiple benefits including the ability to discover best available exchange rates, home delivery of forex in multiple cities for consumers of MakeMyTrip and GoIbibo.

TripMoney, MakeMyTrip’s fintech arm, has acquired a majority stake in BookMyForex, India’s leading online Foreign Currency Exchange services provider, in its endeavour to become a one-stop solution for all forex needs of the Indian traveller. With this investment, BookMyForex’s suite of services, including currency exchange that offers real-time exchange rate, multi-currency prepaid forex cards, cross border remittances as well as other ancillary products, will be rolled out soon for the benefit of MakeMyTrip and Goibibo customers.

The company will leverage the extensive network of BookMyForex’s partners including select banks and reputed exchange companies to fulfil forex requirements of customers in multiple cities across India.

“The acquisition of majority stake in BookMyForex is in line with our strategic vision to build a travel super app offering complete suite of services for the discerning traveller,” said, Rajesh Magow, CoFounder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip Limited. “We look forward to working closely with the leadership of BookMyForex to help accelerate growth of outbound travellers buying forex online by offering the services to millions of visitors on MakeMyTrip and Goibibo booking platforms. Consumers’ trust on our brands along with

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BookMyForex’s best in class offering with complete transparency and best available pricing will help in driving growth of this new product line for the group”.

Leading private equity firm Faering Capital as well as founders and promoters – Nitin Motwani and Sudarshan Motwani will continue to stay invested in BookMyForex Commenting on the development, Sudarshan Motwani, CEO of BookMyForex, said, “Having introduced the idea of buying or selling retail forex products online at real-time forex rates to the end consumer, BookMyForex has come a long way to becoming India’s preferred online forex platform. This journey would not have been possible without unwavering support from Faering

Capital. The investment from TripMoney comes at an opportune time, as the world warms up to international travel. We will leverage the strength of MakeMyTrip and Goibibo to scale new heights by gaining deeper geographic penetration; and launch industry leading products for the benefit of the consumers.”

“We are delighted to welcome MakeMyTrip as a shareholder in the company.

BookMyForex has established itself as the leading online foreign exchange platform in India and the partnership with MMT will offer customers a superior user experience with a full range of services from ticket booking to forex. We are excited to work with MakeMyTrip and the team at BookMyForex for the next leg of the company’s growth journey,” said, Aditya Parekh, Managing Director at Faering Capital.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

May 2022

TECHNOLOGY

Amadeus Partners With Microsoft To Redene The Digital Workplace For Business Travelers

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n recent years, online collaboration and hybrid work environments have been critical to the continued success of businesses.

Despite these changes, travel and expense for corporate travel hasn't moved with the times. Travelers must use and switch between multiple platforms and apps to log-on, search, book, pay and expense. What if everything could be simplified and in one place?

Amadeus, in partnership with Microsoft, has taken the first step in their joint vision to redefine corporate travel: Cytric Travel & Expense, the Amadeus online booking and expense management tool, is now embedded in Microsoft 365 – introducing Cytric Easy. Users can plan trips and share travel details with colleagues without ever leaving their day-to-day applications such as Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Teams. Booking business travel will be faster and easier than

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ever before: One app: Search, compare, or book a hotel, flight, or car rental – without ever leaving Microsoft Teams Ÿ Easy to share: The only travel and expense tool embedded into Teams with the ability to share trip information. Share in Teams chats to book the same trip as your colleagues Ÿ Time saving: Minimize the time spent discussing trips with colleagues Ÿ Collaboration: Share trip components with colleagues and enjoy connecting and collaborating on trip Ÿ

Coming soon, Outlook calendar invites will populate relevant data before starting the search process, such as preferred departure location, destination based on meeting location and dates. Flight search results will show recommended options based on

flight convenience, price, and users' preferences (for example, stop-over airports to avoid). The shortest, cheapest, and greenest options will be highlighted. Teams will send users prompts to visualize unassigned receipts, complete their expense reports, and file them on time. All of this will be done using Microsoft's Single Sign-On service across your workplace ecosystem to access all travel and expense needs.

This all means less disruption to the user's workflow, and less hassle logging in and toggling between apps, the traveler just needs to login to Microsoft and they're ready to go. The ambition of the partnership between Amadeus and Microsoft is to reimagine travel, including the way users meet, collaborate, or claim expenses. The two companies will continue working together to foster collaboration and empower employees with a new hybrid way of working.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

TECHNOLOGY

May 2022

Atomize Announce A Data Partnership With trivago To Help Hotels Generate More Revenue By Understanding Future Demand

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n today’s market, conditions remain unpredictable and historical reservation patterns do not provide an accurate picture of future demand. New travel patterns have created difficult and often unforeseen situations for hoteliers.

Atomize, a next-generation revenue management software and trivago, a global search platform for accommodation, have decided on a collaboration to better serve the hotel community in navigating changing demand, anticipating the future and improving hotels ability to generate revenue. trivago’s search platform compares over 5 million hotels and other types of accommodation, in over 190

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countries. It provides comparisons for accommodation based on price, location, availability, ratings, and other amenities, and is built on information from a large number of accommodation providers.

optimize its customers’ room prices more effectively. This will enable Atomize users to be more proactive when reacting to changes in market demand and adjust their rates before the competition.

The number of searches performed on the platform every day across the world provides a reliable indicator of future travel intent. trivago will be supplying this granular search data to Atomize in real-time, to complement the hotels’ reservation data and build a comprehensive picture of future demand.

The search data will be used by Atomize to enhance its demand modeling capabilities for all future dates and will enable Atomize to

A strong competitive advantage that will allow Atomize users to make the most of emerging revenue opportunities, in their specific market, for all future arrival dates.

Headquartered in Sweden, Atomize helps hotels around the globe maximize their revenue by automatically setting the optimal price per room type. Atomize offers a Lean Revenue Management Software built for hoteliers that want to do more with less.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

TECHNOLOGY

May 2022

Expedia Group And Qtech Software Expand Collaboration To Seamlessly Provide High Quality Hotel Content And Modern Technology To Travel Businesses Paresh Parihar, CEO and managing director, Qtech Software. “Access to Expedia Group’s hotel supply will help further improve the profitability and scalability of our customers. We are working towards helping the travel industry bounce back stronger. This is a major step towards the realization of that vision.”

xpedia Group and Qtech Software, a travel technology software provider, announced an expanded collaboration to deliver access to Expedia Group’s travel supply to travel businesses globally, through Qtech’s flagship technology platform, OTRAMS GO.

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extensive supply to their platform.”

Prior to this collaboration, small to mid-sized travel businesses were forced to integrate inventories from wholesalers, making it difficult to provide competitive pricing, maintain margins and provide a range of hotel options to their customers.

As a result of this collaboration, travel businesses of all sizes now have greater accessibility to premium hotel content and technology via the OTRAMS GO platform, helping generate higher revenue, grow their businesses, and improve efficiency in the travel ecosystem. “This expansion of our relationship, as well as the combination of OTRAMS GO with our Rapid 3 API, will help bring more companies into the global ecosystem, creating more choice and access to travel for people everywhere,” said Alfonso Paredes, senior vice president of Commercial Partnerships at Expedia Group. “Qtech is already a great technology partner to Expedia Group, and we’re thrilled to bring our

Investing in technology that powers online booking experiences is also challenge for many travel providers.

Qtech’s OTRAMS GO solves that problem, as it operates on a zero upfront cost model and charges a small per transaction fee. The addition of Expedia Group’s vast hotel supply means Qtech’s customers would be able to provide quality hotel content at a competitive cost to travellers.

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“OTRAMS GO revolutionized technology adoption for travel businesses by making it more affordable and accessible,” said

OTRAMS GO is an end-to-end travel Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform that combines travel booking systems, supplier integrations, agent management, API redistribution, dynamic packaging and more into an intuitive, user-friendly interface.

Head of Product Development for OTRAMS GO Jignesh Modi added, “We are already operating with Expedia Group’s Rapid 3 API, gaining access to the company’s competitive accommodation rates and availability from a portfolio of more than 700,000 properties with 35 different property types in more than 25,000 destinations worldwide. This integration enables superfast search results and rich content that will enhance the overall booking experience as well.”

Rapid 3, which is seamlessly upgraded on an ongoing basis, also gives travel businesses across the globe the ability to customize their travel offering endto-end, from shopping to booking to payment. With a new evolving schema it is now even easier to offer diverse and competitive features to meet travelers’ needs, without the need for an upgrade – so partners can save time and money while being at the forefront of innovation.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

CRUISING

May 2022

Lysekil In Sweden Becomes A New Partner In The Cruise Baltic Network

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ruise Baltic announced Lysekil in Sweden as their latest partner to join the cruise network. The new partner brings the number of cruise ports and destinations up to a total of 32.

Cruise Baltic’s new partner, Lysekil, is located in the scenic archipelago of Bohuslän on the Swedish West Coast between Gothenburg and Oslo. As a small fishing town with just around 8,000 inhabitants, Lysekil sets itself apart from bigger cities in Sweden, and it is an excellent alternative or complement for the itinerary in the Baltic Sea region.

The port in Lysekil is managed by SDK Shipping. It has one pier of 190 meters in length and during an average season, the port typically has around three to five calls. The largest

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vessels that can call the port are 240 meters, and possibilities for larger vessels are evaluated individually.

“Lysekil is something completely different from the larger destinations in Sweden, it’s a small fishing town with an amazing atmosphere in the summer. It has something for everyone, all the way from Havets Hus for the playful kids to the calm and beautiful Gullmarkfjorden for the ones who love the nature,” says Lars Jespersen, the CEO of SDK Shipping.

Lysekil is located in idyllic surroundings with smooth rocks in red Bohus granite, beautiful islands and an active inshore boat life. The town is

very easy to explore by foot and is a popular holiday spot especially known for its seafood and ‘soft adventure’ activities such as cycling, hiking, kayaking and rock-climbing.

“We’re very glad to welcome Lysekil to our cruise network which is now consisting of 32 destinations in Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Germany and Poland. Lysekil, with its surrounding area, is an exciting destination that has a lot to offer our cruise guests”, says Claus Bødker, the Director of Cruise Baltic.

Lysekil is the 32nd partner to join Cruise Baltic and the fifth Swedish destination in the network.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

CRUISING

May 2022

To achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Cruise division of MSC Group will have shore power connections in two Northern European Ports this Summer Starting this summer season and for the first time, MSC Virtuosa and MSC Poesia will be consistently using shore power at the ports of Southampton (UK) and of Rostock-Warnemünde (Germany). Ÿ MSC Cruises has also signed an agreement with Cruise Baltic to achieve widespread use of shore power in the Baltic Sea region by 2024. Ÿ MSC Cruises is ready to plug into more ports. Over half the fleet is projected to be shore power compatible by the end of 2022. Ÿ On top of this, MSC Cruises' first hybrid LNG ship operating with the largest solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) ever installed will be launching later this year - MSC World Europa. Ÿ

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aving made the pledge in 2021 to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, MSC Cruises is continuously exploring and investing in new technologies that are helping to decarbonize, some with very promising results. Shore power plays a role to

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this end; it enables ships to turn off their engines and connect to local electric power to run their onboard systems.

With electricity travelling to the ship through a specially designed transformer at the dock, this process prevents emissions produced from diesel generators, improving local air quality as well as reducing noise and vibration levels. The environment and the surrounding communities thus directly benefit from shore power technology. Following significant investments in its fleet capabilities, MSC Cruises has announced concrete steps and commitments to adopt and accelerate the use of shore power.

From the end of May throughout the 2022 summer season, two ships of MSC Cruises' fleet will be consistently using shore power for the first time: MSC Virtuosa in the United Kingdom at the Port of Southampton's new Horizon Cruise Terminal, and MSC Poesia in Rostock-Warnemünde,

Germany. Southampton is Europe's leading embarkation cruise port, welcoming over 2 million passengers per year. It is also the first port in the United Kingdom to provide shore power for cruise vessels. RostockWarnemünde, for its part, is the largest shore power provider for cruise ships in Europe.

In both cases, close collaboration with local athorities based on shared interest has made the supply and use of shore power possible On 5 April 2022, Cruise Baltic and MSC Cruises entered a Memorandum of Understanding concerning their joint efforts to contribute to use of shore power supply in the Baltic Sea Region.

By the end of 2022, 11 of MSC Cruises' 21 ships – including all the new ships built since 2017 – will be fitted with shore power capability.

Existing ships are currently being or will be retrofitted in the future as their itineraries take them to ports where shore power will be available.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

STUDY

May 2022

Tour Operators To Reach Over 70 Per Cent Of Pre-COVID Revenue This Fiscal: CRISIL Ratings

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he Indian tours and travel industry could see revenue increase this fiscal to over 70% of the pre-pandemic (fiscal 2020) level, riding on high pent-up demand and increasing confidence of people to travel as the pandemic risks wane.

While full recovery to pre-pandemic level is expected only by fiscal 2024, continuing recovery with improved operating profitability, supported by cost-control measures, and healthy liquidity will support credit profiles from here. A CRISIL Ratings study of three major players that account for over half of the domestic tours and travel industry indicates as much.

The industry, which provides services such as air/bus ticketing and hotels/packages for both leisure and corporate travel within India and abroad, has taken the severest beating from Covid-19.

Post the initial shock of the pandemic in the first half of fiscal 2021, which brought the entire industry to a standstill, tours and travel operators witnessed gradual recovery in the second half, with improving air traffic and demand for short domestic holidays. In the first quarter of fiscal 2022, however, the severe second wave of the pandemic slammed the brakes on recovery, that too in the peak travel season of summer, tamping revenue down to less than 20% of the prepandemic level.

The third quarter of fiscal 2022 saw the industry make healthy recovery as the second wave abated, taking revenue up to ~60% of the pre-

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pandemic level on the back of high pent-up demand. To be sure, air traffic reached around 70% of pre-pandemic levels during the third quarter, led by domestic traffic.

The third wave during the last quarter of fiscal 2022 was only a blip in the road to recovery given its lower severity, shorter and limited lockdowns by governments, and improved

vaccination rates. With this, the industry appears to be firmly on recovery path, with revenue estimated at over 40% of the pre-pandemic level last fiscal, more than 70% in the current one, and full recovery likely in fiscal 2024, from the lows of ~20% in fiscal 2021.

Says Naveen Vaidyanathan, Director, CRISIL Ratings, “High pent-up demand, eased restrictions, and higher consumer confidence are expected to drive recovery in domestic travel to >80% of the pre-pandemic level.

Corporate travel should also rebound to >70%, as corporates increasingly resume work from office. However, segments such as outbound and inbound travel should see a more gradual recovery as restrictions in other countries ease gradually.” The continued demand recovery, along with sustained focus on prudent cost measures and adoption of technology, could result in operating profit of over

Rs 150 crore this fiscal for travel operators.

This would be a turnaround after two consecutive fiscals of operating losses.

The industry had already reported an operating profit for the third quarter of fiscal 2022, but losses in the first half of the fiscal and the third wave of the pandemic in the fourth quarter are expected to result in losses of about Rs 200 crore for the full fiscal 2022.

This is against operating losses of around Rs 600 crore during fiscal 2021.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

AVIATION

May 2022

ICAO and IFAR Reach Cooperation Agreement On Aviation Innovation

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CAO and the International Forum for Aviation Research (IFAR) will scale-up their cooperation and information sharing to promote innovation through a new agreement concluded in Montréal.

The agreement was signed on the occasion of a high-level meeting between the Secretary General, the President of the ICAO Council and Council members and IFAR Principals.

Both parties acknowledged the need for the independent assessment of innovations to frame and protect the notion of general interest, within the context of a variety of transformative changes within the aviation industry.

Focusing on the promotion of the innovative and sustainable

development of international civil aviation globally, the Memorandum of Understanding calls for ICAO and IFAR to cooperate toward their respective safety, security, and sustainability goals, and collaborate on the scientific assessment of new avenues for innovation.

“This new ICAO-IFAR agreement will be transformative in permitting the research community to participate in a more dynamic and effective manner with ICAO,” remarked ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar.

“Monitoring and understanding the impact of technological and process innovations is a pre-requisite to effectively supporting States in the establishment of related international

guidance.” The exponential growth in the number of aviation innovators across the world will help the sector make the generational changes needed to meet the critical emissions reduction commitments and address the sustainability challenges the industry faces, including air space congestion, reopening of borders, digitization, liberalization and resilience against future crises.

With the aviation sector contributing directly towards 15 of the 17 UN Agenda 2030 sustainable developments goals, the support provided by the agreement will help ensure that these innovations contribute fully to aviation's broader role as a catalyst for sustainable development worldwide.

Emirates Boarding Pass Unlocks More Offers In Dubai For Summer 2022

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our Emirates boarding pass is more than a travel document or travel keepsake, it is also the key to the coolest deals in Dubai this summer! For five months starting May 01 to September 30, Emirates is unlocking even more offers for all its customers arriving in or stopping over in Dubai with its My Emirates Summer Pass.

Emirates’ customers can simply show their boarding pass and a valid form of identification to hundreds of retail, leisure and dining outlets to enjoy fantastic discounts throughout Dubai.

In addition, during May, those landing in Dubai can enjoy a complimentary Dubai Marina Cruise, which gives

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unrivalled panoramic views of one of the city’s most iconic skylines from the Arabian Gulf. Pre-booking is not required for the single-entry complimentary ticket to Tour Dubai’s one hour Marina Sightseeing Cruise.

The Emirates customer just has to show a valid boarding pass, either digital or paper, at the ticketing counter on the day of use as well as proof of identity. The cruise is only valid from May 01 – 31 between 10am and 4pm.

UAE residents and nationals returning home to Dubai on Emirates during the promotional period can also benefit from the fantastic offers under My Emirates Summer Pass. Visiting

friends and family can also avail of offers at top designer brand outlets like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger or splash out at Bath & Body Works.

Families can save and beat the summer heat at Atlantis Aquaventure or break a sweat on some of the adrenalinepumping attractions at IMG world of Adventure. A holiday to Dubai is not complete without a city sightseeing bus tour that is eligible for discount or capturing the historic Dubai Creek on a cruise before saving up to 20 per cent on food and beverages at any of the Rove hotels. Accor Hotels is also offering 20 per cent off its food and beverage when My Emirates Pass is presented.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

AVIATION

May 2022

Qantas’ New Distribution Capabilities Take Flight Around the World

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antas' next-generation distribution platform is now available for international travel agents, unlocking capabilities for agents globally to offer more personalised customer service and access new revenue opportunities.

Qantas Distribution Platform – built using IATA's New Distribution Capability (NDC) standards – will be available in the UK, US and South Africa and progressively rolled out to other markets in the coming months.

The platform has been designed to enhance the service that agents provide to customers with a wider range of products, including special offers for Qantas Frequent Flyers, ancillary products and dynamic commission opportunities.

The international rollout of the program will also give travel agents around the world access to more automated processes and improved functionality across Qantas bookings, including automated refunds and ticket

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revalidation. The Qantas Distribution Platform is already available in Australia and New Zealand, enabling agents to take advantage of dynamic commission opportunities and special offers for customers such as a 20 per cent discount on particular routes.

The rich content and new features of the Qantas Distributed Platform can be accessed via Qantas' growing network of technology partners, already delivering Qantas NDC to agents in Australia and New Zealand.

Qantas Executive Manager, Global Sales & Distribution Igor Kwiatkowski said rolling out the platform internationally would help agents around the world to better service customers with Qantas bookings, as the airline's international network ramps up.

“Despite the significant impact of COVID over the past two years, we have continued to invest in our new distribution capabilities and are pleased to be able to offer these to our

international trade partners,” said Mr Kwiatkowski.

“The Qantas Distribution Platform is a key part of our strategy to support agency partners with richer content, new features and revenue opportunities that help them deliver a better and more bespoke experience for customers. We will continue to roll out new capabilities and features for our agency partners as the industry continues to evolve the service it offers travellers.”

Travel agents who have registered in the Qantas Channel can connect to the Qantas Distribution Platform via either an approved technology partner, or by developing a direct connection to Qantas' NDC XML Application Program Interface (API).

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

HOSPITALITY

May 2022

MeetingPackage Announces A Global Partnership With Amadeus

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eetingPackage has announced its partnership with Amadeus, to provide Amadeus' hotel customers the ability to automate and digitally transform their Meetings & Events sales processes across direct and indirect channels. The integration will allow hoteliers to use MeetingPackage for their Booking Engine and to manage channel distribution strategies, all connected with Amadeus' Sales and Event Management platform.

MeetingPackage is an omni-channel sales automation software for Meeting & Event bookings based in Finland.

The partnership delivers benefits on all sides of the meeting and event sales process. For hoteliers, it will support increased conversion of group business and streamline operational processes as they provide meeting planners with a view of available function space that can be booked

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online. Meeting planners looking to book events on the MeetingPackage platform will be able to quickly identify answers to their two most critical questions: Is the function space available? Is it in my budget?

The Amadeus and MeetingPackage partnership offers hoteliers the ability to capture more group business with market leading technology. When hoteliers integrate their Amadeus Sales and Event Management solution with MeetingPackage capabilities they can configure event packages including food and beverage, audio-visual equipment and other services, which can be easily booked online by meeting planners right up to the day of arrival.

“We're excited to partner with Amadeus on this new integration,” said Joonas Ahola, CEO and Founder of MeetingPackage. “As hoteliers look for new ways to streamline and optimize their business processes for increased

revenue, integration of technology solutions is critical. Providing an online booking capability for group and event business is a key component of hotel sales digitalization as manual processes have become unsustainable and meeting planners want to quickly confirm budget and availability before booking the business.”

“The meetings and event space has experienced significant change in the past few years as a result of COVID19. As group business returns, hoteliers are looking to streamline processes. The ability to establish business rules to support booking smaller groups and events online, while enabling the hotel sales teams to focus on the higher revenue opportunities, will help a hotel efficiently grow its group business,” said Steve Parlin, Vice President Global Partnerships, Hospitality, Amadeus.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

HOSPITALITY

May 2022

Hilton Hotel And Convention Centre Debuts At Bengaluru’s Largest Hospitality Complex At Embassy Manyata Hilton Hotels Embassy Manyata Bengaluru comes to life, with two Hilton-branded hotels and a stateof-the-art Convention Centre Ÿ Embassy Manyata’s ‘Total Business Ecosystem’ evolves further; encompassing Work, Stay, Meet and Dine Ÿ

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mbassy Office Parks REIT, India’s first publicly listed real estate investment trust and Asia’s largest by area, and leading global hospitality company Hilton announced the opening of Hilton Bengaluru Embassy Manyata Business Park and the Hilton Convention Centre at Embassy Manyata Business Park (‘Embassy Manyata’), Bengaluru.

Hilton’s 266-key flagship-branded hotel and connecting conference facilities are part of the 619-key dualbranded hotel complex, which includes the 353-key Hilton Garden Inn Bengaluru Embassy Manyata Business Park launched earlier this year. The

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three premises form the Hilton Hotels Embassy Manyata complex, owned by Embassy REIT and managed by Hilton.

The Hilton Hotels Embassy Manyata is one of the largest hotel complexes in South India, and amongst the biggest in the country. The mixed-use complex brings a unique hospitality offering to North Bengaluru; with two hotels, five food and beverage outlets, a state-of-the-art convention centre, and a class-leading retail hub in the works.

The complex is located within close proximity to retail and leisure facilities in North and Central Bengaluru as well as important commercial business districts.

The hotel is conveniently located within a 30-minute drive from the Kempegowda International Airport.

60,000 square feet of convention space, guests can enjoy integrated cuttingedge experiences in the heart of North Bengaluru. The complex offers seamless scalability for physical and hybrid events powered by advanced event technology solutions. The convention centre redefines the Indian convention landscape and caters to events of varying scales. It includes a 13,000 square feet pillarless grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 1500 people, and multiple versatile meeting and event spaces.

With the dual hotels offering direct access to approximately

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

HOSPITALITY

May 2022

Radisson Individuals Expands To Turkey With Its First Property Nestled In Historic Istanbul

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adisson Hotel Group has announced the opening of Royan Hotel Hagia Sophia Istanbul, a member of Radisson Individuals, the first Radisson Individuals hotel in Turkey. The hotel is located in the heart of the historic peninsula within walking distance of many attractions, including the Hagia Sophia, the Topkapı Palace, the Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar. The opening of Royan Hotel Hagia Sophia Istanbul, a member of Radisson Individuals introduces a fifth Radisson Hotel Group brand to Turkey and brings the Group’s portfolio across the country to over 40 hotels in operation and under development.

In response to the need for independent hotel owners to gain further brand exposure and consumer confidence, Radisson Hotel Group launched last year the Radisson Individuals brand - a new conversion brand that offers independent hotels and local, regional chains the opportunity to be part of the global Radisson Hotel Group platform, benefit from the Group’s international

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awareness and experience, whilst maintaining their own uniqueness and identity.

Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Development, Africa & Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group, says: “We are delighted to announce Radisson Hotel Group’s further expansion in Turkey with the signing and opening of our first Radisson Individuals hotel in the country. Our newest brand is aimed at individual hotels with strong service scores and existing hotel identities that wish to remain independent or may be considering over time transitioning to one of the group’s core brands.

The hotel will benefit from Radisson Hotel Group’s global network and capitalize on the Group’s strong presence in the country where we aim to reach over 50 hotels in operation and under development by 2025 but also to further cement our leadership in Istanbul.”

Royan Hotel Hagia Sophia Istanbul, a member of Radisson Individuals is located in the prime area of Sultanahmet where guests can immediately immerse themselves in Istanbul’s rich history, architecture, culture, and art.

Yilmaz Yildirimlar, Area Senior Vice President, Central & Eastern Europe, Russia and Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group, said: "Despite all the challenges, Turkey has witnessed a constant growth and remains one of the most popular countries for tourism.

We are proud to welcome the first Radisson Individuals in Turkey which further diversifies our brand offerings across the market but also demonstrates the recognition of Radisson Hotel Group with an already established presence across Istanbul.

With Royan Hotel Hagia Sophia Istanbul, a member of Radisson Individuals, our guests will benefit from a new exclusive offering in the center of the old town."

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HOSPITALITY

May 2022

Accor Adds Legendary Queen Elizabeth 2 To Its Portfolio In Dubai The Group will be opera ng the first and only floa ng hotel in dubai star ng from May 2022

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ccor, a world-leading hospitality group with over 400 hotels across India, Middle East, Africa and Turkey is adding the world-renowned cruise ship, Queen Elizabeth 2 (Qe2), into its portfolio. Taking over operations from May 2022, the cruise ship will undergo further upgrades and renovations prior to joining the MGallery Hotel Collection. Once fully rebranded, Queen Elizabeth 2 will undoubtedly become a landmark property for the MGallery brand and Dubai overall.

The group is collaborating with the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) Investments LLC, one of the government organizations under the Dubai government officially established in 2001, and includes a number of entities and authorities operating under its umbrella.

PCFC Investments LLC (PCFCI) is a boutique private equity firm whose

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principal objective is investment in commercial enterprises and asset management.

“We are very excited to partner with Accor on this project. We trust the group’s expertise will elevate the QE2 to a new era of operations” states Saeed Al-Bannai, CEO of PCFC investment. “The Queen Elizabeth as we know her, has made history and we are confident that Accor will keep her legacy alive while her strong heritage and notoriety will remain a destination in itself, where guests and visitors alike can enjoy a unique experience”.

Situated in Dubai’s Port Rashid, the QE2’s location is in close proximity to Sheikh Zayed Road, providing easy connection to every main attraction the city has to offer.

“This is a great opportunity for Accor

to expand its footprint in the UAE with the introduction of a unique project which brings diversity to the portfolio, while expanding the MGallery brand presence in the city” says Mark Willis, CEO of Accor India, Middle East, Africa & Turkey.” Not only are we in charge of the only floating hotel in Dubai, but we are also contributing the Dubai Urban Master plan 2049, with the aim to map out the path for a sustainable urban development while increasing the city attractiveness as a global destination”.

Once the renovation is completed, the new MGallery Queen Elizabeth 2 will feature 447 hotel rooms, nine food & beverage outlets, ten meeting rooms, 5,620sqm area for outdoor events, six retail outlets, a swimming pool and a gym.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

PEOPLE

May 2022

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delaide Venue Management has announced the appointment of Martin Radcliffe as Adelaide Convention Centre General Manager.

Radcliffe comes to the Adelaide Convention Centre following an extensive career in the global MICE and hospitality industries, including senior leadership positions at some of Adelaide’s leading hotels, along with the Adelaide Convention Bureau.

Anthony Kirchner, Chief Executive Officer of Adelaide Venue Management, which operates the Adelaide Convention Centre, says that Mr. Radcliffe’s vast experience and networks across the global business events and hospitality industries make him uniquely qualified to lead the venue as it looks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Martin has overcome a highly credentialed field of international candidates to win the Adelaide Convention Centre General Manager role,” comments Kirchner. “With his impressive background in business events sales at the Adelaide Convention Bureau and senior hospitality experience at some of Adelaide’s leading hotels, he’s the perfect fit for this important leadership position, and will be a fantastic ambassador for South Australia and the Adelaide Convention Centre both nationally and internationally.”

No stranger to the business events industry, Radcliffe worked as Director of Sales & Marketing at the Adelaide Convention Bureau from January 2008 – August 2015. During his tenure, Martin was responsible for the attraction of major 43 | www.miceshowcase.com

Martin Radcliffe Appointed Adelaide Convention Centre General Manager international and domestic business events to South Australia, achieving a then record year in the Bureau’s 40-year history in terms of economic benefit delivered to the State. His role also saw him actively support the Australian business events sector through contributions to various national business events forums, led by the likes of Business Events Australia and the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux.

Radcliffe’s past experience also includes five years as General Manager at The Mayfair Hotel.

Under his leadership, The Mayfair was awarded ‘Best Australian 5-Star Hotel’ (Trivago Awards) on multiple occasions, while Radcliffe himself was judged a finalist in ‘GM of the Year’ in the 2019 HM Awards.

In addition, he has held various senior commercial roles with a major convention hotel and portfolio of large business centres across the UK.

Most recently he has been running a successful business consultancy, and is currently serving as Chairperson of Adelaide Hills Tourism.

Radcliffe commented on his new role, “I am delighted to be joining Adelaide Convention Centre as its new General Manager. This iconic and progressive venue is very closely aligned to my own passions, skills, experience, and networks.

“I believe this is the perfect time to be commencing this role. Following the pandemic, business events and hospitality markets, both here in Australia and internationally, have certainly re-energised and recalibrated, and I look forward to working with the Adelaide Convention Centre team to maximise opportunities and deliver exceptional event experiences for our clients.”

Radcliffe is set to officially join the Adelaide Convention Centre as General Manager in May 2022.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

PEOPLE

May 2022

Singapore Tourism Board Appoints Renjie Wong As Area Director India & South Asia ‘Charting our pathways to tourism recovery together,’ we are already working closely with our trade partnerfriend to launch tactical packages for the upcoming summer and family holiday season. On the consumer engagement front, STB continues to showcase Singapore’s vibrant destination offerings to Indian travellers in fresh and innovative ways.

Renjie will help drive these initiatives with particular focus on the West and South India regions.”

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ingapore Tourism Board (STB) has appointed Renjie Wong as Area Director, India & South Asia (Mumbai). He will be based in Mumbai managing West & South India and will work with STB’s offices and representatives to oversee the Board’s destination promotion and marketing efforts to ensure that Singapore remains the top of mind leisure and business destination among Indian visitors. Renjie takes up his appointment at a time when Singapore, as part of its easing of pandemic travel restrictions, has introduced the Vaccinated Travel Framework (VTF) with effect from 1 April 2022. Under this, fully-vaccinated travelers from India are able to enjoy quarantine-free visits via any flight between the two countries.

Speaking on how this appointment will help STB to bolster its destination marketing in the country in this recovery phase and beyond, GB Srithar, Regional Director (India, Middle East & South Asia), Singapore Tourism

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Board, said, “We warmly welcome Renjie to our team in India. He brings varied experience and a global outlook with him, which will be key to us as we make strident advances towards tourism recovery.

Pre Covid, India was the third-largest visitor source market for Singapore and the top cruise source market. With restrictions on travellers visiting Singapore being eased with effect from this month, we are excited to welcome back our friends and fans from India.

Under our trade engagement theme

Renjie Wong has been with the STB since 2016, where he has managed a portfolio of high-growth markets including Myanmar and Cambodia. He has also served a two-year stint in New York City and San Francisco, where he led the North American market in the areas of tech partnerships, MICE industry business development and marketing, and brand marketing partnerships across the continent. Prior to assuming his role as Area Director (Mumbai), he served as Assistant Director of Hospitality Industry Transformation, leading efforts to foster sustainable growth across the Singapore hospitality industry.

“I am honoured to lead a dynamic team managing West and South India, particularly during this incredibly exciting time of global tourism recovery. We aim to grow Singapore’s reputation as the destination of choice for international outbound travel from India. I look forward to working together with our travel trade partnerfriends and stakeholders in the years ahead, to welcome Indian travellers back to Singapore,” he said.

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REPORT

May 2022

WTTC Launches New Cyber Resilience Report For The Global Travel & Tourism Sector

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he World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched a major new report at its Global Summit in Manila, to help the sector’s stakeholders understand how cyber resilience is shaping the Travel & Tourism sector and plan for a safer and more robust future.

The report, ‘Codes to resilience’, in joint efforts with Microsoft, draws on comprehensive research and in-depth interviews with cyber security experts in leading Travel & Tourism organisations such as Mastercard, JTB, and Carnival Corporation, among others. The report shows that whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has propelled the world and the sector into a more digital future, with the opportunities provided by digitalisation, new challenges have emerged, especially in cybercrime.

The inaugural report focuses on three key areas considered critical for the sector: cyber resilience, key issues and six best practices based on the lessons learnt prior to and during the

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pandemic. The report shows how digitalisation has become a strong enabler of business within Travel & Tourism, and given the international nature of the sector, it looks at the role of legislation around individual data protection.

According to the report, more than seven out of 10 (72%)SMEs in the UK, the U.S., and Europe, have fallen victim to at least one cyberattack, and with SMEs representing 80% of all Travel & Tourism businesses, mitigating cyber risk must remain a priority for the sector. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Technology and digitalisation play a key role in making the whole travel experience more seamless, from booking a holiday, to checking in for a flight or embarking on a cruise. But the impact of cyberattacks carries enormous financial, reputational and regulatory risk.”

This critical report reveals four key issues to address in order to improve cyber protection and enhance resilience: securing identity data, securing business operations, understanding the impact of COVID19 and managing global legislation.

According to the report, certain actions can help businesses better prepare to repel an attack, while laying the foundation to support long-term cyber resilience. Educating and training all staff, expanding risk security beyond the physical workplace, employing a zero-trust approach to cyber security, and transparency, among others, have been recommended by industry experts as good practices.

Cyber resilience is a crucial element to the future of Travel & Tourism, as cyber systems continue to facilitate and enhance activities between the sector’s stakeholders. Digitisation has played and will continue to play a pivotal role in Travel & Tourism’s growth and recovery from COVID19. It is therefore essential for the sector to integrate cyber security and cyber resilience to continue its recovery from the pandemic while supporting its growth in the future.

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GLOBAL NEWS

May 2022

TAT launches ‘Amazing Thailand Metaverse: Amazing Durian’ project

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he Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), together with the provinces of Chanthaburi, Rayong, and Si Sa Ket, announced the launch of the 'Amazing Thailand Metaverse: Amazing Durian' project, a new virtual travel experience specially created to attract a new sector of tourists especially durian lovers, cryptocurrency enthusiasts, and high-disposable income tourists to Thailand.

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said, “The metaverse is a new era of the digital world, and TAT has identified world trends and consumer behaviour in line with this as an opportunity to increase the competitiveness of the Thai tourism industry. It is an exciting way to resume business as Thailand reopens to foreign tourism in a sustainable manner, which is a key objective of the 'Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters' campaign. Tourists will be encouraged to visit Thailand after

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enjoying their virtual experience.”

The 'Amazing Thailand Metaverse: Amazing Durian' is the country's prototype project that uses Web 3.0 technology and the application of digital assets to promote tourism to connect the virtual world and real world together. At the same time, the project aims to help business operators as Thailand reopens and to also upgrade technical capabilities in the tourism industry.

Durian was chosen as the pilot focus for the project due to the fruit's international fame. The 'Amazing Thailand Metaverse: Amazing Durian' project can be experienced by visiting www.amazingthailandmetaverse .com via iOS and Android smartphones or PC computer.

Tourists can create their own avatar to explore a virtual durian garden that is designed based on an actual durian

orchard without the need of any VR headsets.

TAT in cooperation with the participating durian orchards and selected NFT creators have created the NFT Collection Amazing Durian in Metaverse, for which tourists can purchase and collect within this durian season in Thailand (until 31 August ,2022). In addition to the special collection, tourists can enjoy gamification whereby they can use tokens/items upgrade their avatar's abilities, and redeem e-vouchers for accommodation, and tourism products and services in the real world.

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GLOBAL NEWS

May 2022

Travel & Tourism Sector Expected To Create Nearly 126 Million New Jobs Within The Next Decade

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beginning of the recovery for the global Travel & Tourism sector.

he World Travel & Tourism Council’s latest Economic Impact Report (EIR) reveals the Travel & Tourism sector is expected to create nearly 126 million new jobs within the next decade.

The bullish forecast from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, also shows the sector will be a driving force of the global economic recovery, creating one in three of all new jobs. The announcement was made by Julia Simpson, President & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council, in her opening speech at its prestigious Global Summit in the Philippines.

The prediction was delivered in the capital, Manila, before more than 1,000 delegates from across the global Travel & Tourism sector, including CEOs, business leaders, government ministers, travel experts and the international media. The EIR report shows Travel & Tourism’s GDP is forecasted to grow at an average rate of 5.8% annually between 2022-2032, outstripping the 2.7% growth rate for global economy, to reach US$ 14.6 trillion (11.3% of the total global economy).

And in additional grounds for optimism, the report also shows global Travel & Tourism GDP could reach pre-pandemic levels by 2023 – just 0.1% below 2019 levels. The sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to grow a massive 43.7% to almost US$

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Its contribution to GDP climbed an impressive 21.7% year on year, to reach more than US$5.8 trillion.

8.4 trillion by the end of 2022, amounting to 8.5% of the total global economic GDP – just 13.3% behind 2019 levels. This will be matched by a boost in Travel & Tourism employment, which is expected to approach 2019 levels in 2023, only 2.7% below.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Over the next decade Travel & Tourism will create 126 million new jobs worldwide. In fact, one in three of every new job created will be related to our sector. “Looking to this year and the next, WTTC forecast a brighter future with both GDP and employment set to reach prepandemic levels by next year.

“The recovery in 2021 was slower than expected due in part to the impact of the Omicron variant but mainly due to an uncoordinated approach by governments who rejected the advice of the World Health Organization, which maintained that closing borders would not stop the spread of the virus but would only serve to damage economies and livelihoods.” Looking back a year, WTTC’s latest EIR report also revealed that 2021 saw the

Before the pandemic, the Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to GDP was 10.3% (U.S. $9.6 trillion) in 2019, falling to 5.3% (nearly U.S. $4.8 trillion) in 2020 when the pandemic was at its height, which represented a staggering 50% loss.

The sector saw a recovery of more than 18 million global Travel & Tourism jobs, representing a positive 6.7% rise in 2021. The sector’s contribution to the global economy and employment would have been higher if it weren’t for the impact of the Omicron variant, which led to the recovery faltering around the world, with many countries reinstating severe travel restrictions. The WTTC 2022 EIR report also shows Travel & Tourism GDP is forecast to leap ahead by an average annual rate of 5.8% over the next decade.

This compares to the more modest 2.7% average annual growth rate for the global economy during the same period. Global Travel & Tourism employment is expected to grow in 2022 by 3.5%, making up 9.1% of the global job market, lagging behind 2019 levels by 10%. WTTC’s 2022 EIR report makes clear that Travel & Tourism sector across Asia Pacific is set to rebound significantly and over the next decade is estimated to create almost 77 million new jobs.

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GLOBAL NEWS

May 2022

Madrid To Host MCE South Europe 2022

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year after the return to Europe Congress' MICE B2B forums in October 2021, MCE South Europe will be hosted in Madrid in October 2022. MCE South Europe is The MICE B2B forum that brings together destinations and event suppliers from South Europe, as well as various other countries, meeting with international event planners.

The elegant capital of Spain with all its glamourous boulevards, grand museums and fantastic food will offer participants a unique experience, showcasing why Madrid is considered one of the top MICE destinations in the world. Europe Congress' Managing Director, Alain Pallas, mentioned: ”We're super thrilled to be able to host our South Europe show in Madrid later this year. The very rich history, amazing architecture, fabulous art collections and delicious cuisine

make it a destination in which any event can flourish. The great connectivity of the destination, and of course the great excitement of our partners there, gave us the comfort of mind that MCE South Europe 2022 will also be a great success. We're much looking forward to bringing the event together and to be in Madrid to assist to the creation of many new valuable cooperations.'’

'Madrid is delighted to welcome all the event professionals participating in Europe Congress' MCE South Europe.

Madrid has incredible venues and

hotels, routes full of History and mysteries, artisans, culture, sun and rooftops with 360º views, gastronomy of excellence, and, in short, an inexhaustible source of unique experiences. Through all of them we hope to share with you indelible memories of Madrid.'' David Noack, Director of the Madrid Convention Bureau stated.

Europe Congress' successful MCE series focus on bringing business synergy. The synergy is created through selecting event planners seeking to place their upcoming events in destinations with suppliers in the part of Europe the event is named after. Europe Congress' heavy involvement in creating meeting schedules for each participant, deliver a high number of successful introductions that lead to the valuable outcome the events are renown for.

Re-think South America Travel Show Set to Debut - May 19-20 in New York City

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he Re-think South America Travel Show, a new annual trade show from Re-think Travel Marketing (Rethink Travel) in collaboration with LATAM, will make its debut in New York City, Thursday, May 19, to Friday May 20, 2022, at the Kimpton Hotel Eventi.

Focused on growing and strengthening the South American travel market amid the coronavirus pandemic, the inaugural event will bring together South America’s biggest travel brands and destinations with a network of pre-qualified travel advisors from across North America

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and Canada.

the region like never before.”

“We are honored to team up with Rethink Travel to bring South America together for the first time in years and help drive our region’s travel industry forward and through this pandemic together,” said Paola Penarete, vice president of North America for LATAM Airlines Group.

The Re-think South America Travel Show serves as a special edition of Rethink Travel’s Virtual Trade Shows, which was developed at the height of the pandemic. As a result, this year’s event will adapt all the core components of past virtual shows to fit the new in-person setting.

“By providing meaningful face-to-face connection between our valued industry partners and North America’s top agents and tour operators, we believe this event has the power to strengthen travel interest in

Attendees can schedule one-on-one meetings, in-depth destination training, and expert-led talks and informative Q&A sessions on topics relevant to today’s travelers to South America.

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GLOBAL NEWS

May 2022

The Hotel & Hospitality Show 2022 Redenes African Hospitality for Recovery

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s Africa's public and private tourism stakeholders work to rebuild the sector through policy responses and relief initiatives, The Hotel & Hospitality Show taking place between 19 and 21 May 2022 under the theme of 'Redefining hospitality – Recovering for Future Growth', will bring together leading buyers and brands from Sub Saharan Africa to discuss the latest trends and innovations driving the continent's tourism revival.

Taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre, it is also strategically co-located with Design Joburg, opening up access to an audience of top architects, commissioning designers and developers from Southern Africa. Evan

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Schiff, Portfolio Director of Food, Hospitality and Trade at dmg events says this year, new features have been added that are aimed at helping industry professionals keep pace with change, integrating every element of the guest experience into a packed three-day exhibition.

“There is no doubt that Covid-19 created some interesting hospitality trends. With the expert guidance of a strong advisory board, we have identified several focus areas that should serve as the cornerstone of recovery for hospitality businesses across Africa.” Topics include the future of the township economy as well as the need for hospitality businesses to pivot beyond rooms, by rethinking plans for assets and

identifying value-added non-guest and non-room services to power demand and unlock recurring revenue opportunities.

Another burning issue is the need to leverage technology and automation to improve business performance, while keeping guests at the heart of a business strategy. Regardless of a business's size, going green has proven to have a positive impact on customer experience and loyalty. Industry thought leaders will look at how to achieve a sustainable future by incorporating sustainable practices into every aspect of brand management, from building design and energy savings to reducing plastic usage or food waste reduction.

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GLOBAL NEWS

May 2022

The Most Expensive Spring Destinations In The United States

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expensive destination in California is the small city of Calistoga, where visitors can expect to pay nightly rates of $335 this spring.

In Poipu, the survey revealed that visitors will have to spend $397 on average per night for the most affordable double room. The port city of Charleston, SC ranks as the second most expensive destination, with average rates of $374 per night, while another Hawaii island town, Wailea, completes the podium with average

The survey considered every destination in the USA with at least 20 hotels and inns. Only well-located hotels (in the city centre or close to the beach) rated at least 3 stars and with generally positive gust reviews were considered. For each destination, the price for the cheapest available double room was established for the following periods: May 4–7, May 13–16, May 19–22 & May 24–27. The average nightly rates were then used to reveal the top 20 most expensive destinations. The survey was conducted in mid-April, based on rates shown on hotel comparison website Booking.

he resort town of Poipu, located on the southern side of the Hawaiian island of Kauai, is the United States' most expensive spring destination, according to a survey by Cheaphotels.org. The survey compared hotel rates in destinations across America during May 2022.

Only hotels rated 3 stars or more and located close to a beach or city/town center were included in the survey.

prices of $354 per night. Compared to spring 2021, rates have increased significantly across the board, with these hikes seen particularly starkly in Hawaii, where travelers can expect to pay up to 75% more this spring.

However, the biggest increase is reserved for Charleston and Boston, where rates are more than double what they were a year ago. Key West, the priciest destination in 2021, now ranks as only the 5th most expensive this year at $340 per night. The most

Adelaide Hosts Major Hotel Conference For Third Year Running

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he Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) will return to Adelaide in 2023 – its third consecutive year. It’s a ‘hat trick’ coup for the recovery of South Australia’s $2 billion conference sector. The announcement comes as AHICE 2022 wraps up its final day at Adelaide, hosting more than 1,200 delegates from over 40 countries around the world.

Delegates include hotel investors, owners, operators, consultants and suppliers for networking, panel sessions and guest speakers discussing the direction of the hotel sector in Australia, the Asia-Pacific and across

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the world. Last year, Adelaide hosted AHICE for the first time and the event marked the world’s biggest hotel conference since the start of the pandemic. AHICE 2023 will be held in Adelaide in May 2023, with two other major events – the Design Inn Symposium and Future Leaders Forum – held at key hotels cross the city.

Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison said “it is a huge coup for our state and a real sign of confidence in Adelaide’s hotel sector to be selected as the host city of this major business event for the third year running.” “Despite the disruption of the pandemic, South Australia has seen strong investment in

hotels and occupancy rates that are among the highest in the nation and reaching record highs,” she said.

“We’ve seen new hotels open including the Crowne Plaza, Eos by SkyCity, Majestic M Suites, Hotel Indigo and Sofitel, adding a combined nearly 1,000 rooms to our CBD. “It is a fabulous sign of recognition and endorsement of the strength of tourism in our state that the Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition keeps choosing Adelaide – bringing leading hoteliers and industry experts to be inspired by our city’s bright future and creating an immediate economic impact for SA.”

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GLOBAL NEWS

May 2022

HKTB Launches “Hong Kong Summer Treats” With City-wide Dining, Staycation, Shopping & Entertainment Offers To Boost Local Ambience And Stimulate Consumption latest tourism development, such as new tourism infrastructure and promotional campaigns. We hope to join forces with trade partners to spread positive messages about Hong Kong and maintain the city's international exposure.”

Mr Dane Cheng, HKTB Executive Director, announced a new “Hong Kong Summer Treats” campaign when presenting HKTB's work plan, “The HKTB will unveil three waves of citywide dining, staycation, shopping and entertainment offers to boost local ambience, stimulate consumption and create business opportunities for the trade.

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he Spend-to-Redeem “Local Tours” and “Staycation Delights”, popular among the public and trade partners, are making a return! The Hong Kong Tourism Board, on 6th May, announced a new “Hong Kong Summer Treats” promotional campaign, debuting with 80,000 quota for Spend-to-Redeem “Local Tours” and “Staycation Delights”, which will provide the public with guided local tours and hotel staycation discount.

Starting from 6th May, members of the public can collect machine-printed receipts from physical dining and retail outlets in town. Upon spending HK$800 or more, members of the public can sign up for tours or reserve staycation offers in different stages between midMay and June and enjoy a

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wonderful, eventful summer.

Dr Y K Pang, HKTB Chairman, said, “As the pandemic is stabilised and the Government is gradually relaxing social-distancing measures, economic activities and large-scale events are returning to the city. As such, the HKTB took this opportunity to give more than 3,200 local, Mainland and overseas trade representatives an update on Hong Kong's normality and

The Spend-to-Redeem 'Local Tours' and 'Staycation Delights' are only the first in a series of exciting activities, followed by a thematic promotion 'Arts in Hong Kong' in mid-May. When the social-distancing measures are further relaxed, the HKTB will introduce a series of mega events and great offers dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the HKSAR.”, Upon spending HK$800 or more in local physical dining and retail outlets, members of the public can collect machine-printed receipts (maximum of two receipts for each redemption) and redeem them for a place on a local tour or a HK$500 discount for a staycation offer in designated hotels in the city.

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GLOBAL NEWS

May 2022

AIME 2022 Stimulates $120 M In Business Events To Drive Economic Recovery

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sia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), the leading trade convention for the meetings and events industry in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, has released new insights on the success of the show, recently held in Melbourne (21–23 March), and online (28 March–1 April).

New industry research has revealed that buyers placed/expect to place $120M in business as a result of their attendance at AIME 2022. This is a 20 per cent increase on 2020 (pre-Covid).

95 per cent of exhibitors cited AIME 2022 as an important event for their business, with over 94 per cent stating they were impressed with their return on investment. Furthermore, 95 per cent of delegates agree AIME is the place to make important business connections, namely due to its great atmosphere (83%) and strong reputation (81%).

Endorsing the success of the 2022 event, AIME Event Director, Silke Calder said, “This year AIME defied all expectations. We've received incredible feedback from exhibitors

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and buyers from all over the world, many of whom have revived their business activities as a result of attending AIME. “It was most rewarding to see the industry back in its natural element – networking and building relationships face-to-face – these are the things that build success and enrich us on a personal level.” MCB CEO Julia Swanson said: “It's been two years since we've hosted an event of AIME's calibre in the city, and with the support of the Victorian State Government, this event was the first real opportunity to show the world that Melbourne is back in action and ready for business.”

Across the three-day event, the energy

on the show floor maintained high spirits, with new relationships forged and old friendships reignited. With over 1,660 visitor buyers and suppliers in attendance, the show also included over 230 exhibitors, and a further 320 hosted buyers present. Looking to drive business for the year ahead by meeting with both international and domestic buyers, Destination Gold Coast was out in force at AIME 2022, bringing delegates up to speed on the latest innovations and offerings from the coastal city.

Destination Gold Coast's CEO, Patricia O'Callaghan, said: “This year, our presence at AIME was larger than ever before as the Gold Coast cements itself as The Imagination Capital of Australia for business events. AIME 2022 gave us the opportunity to come together as an industry to make meaningful connections – and you can't put a price on connections.” Celebrating 30 years, AIME 2023 will be held at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on 13–15 February 2023.

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GLOBAL NEWS

May 2022

Workcation And Luxury Trends Will Lead Tourism Recovery In Africa

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he long-stay business traveller and the luxury traveller will lead the recovery for tourism to Africa in 2022.

This is according to a travel review presented by ForwardKeys at WTM Africa.

Luis Millan, Head of Research at ForwardKeys, explained that long-stay travellers have shown the most resilience over the past months. Next in line has been the luxury, high-end market with travellers willing to spend more on premium services to Africa.

Millan said that whereas global markets have relied heavily on interregional travel, the situation for Africa is very different. He explained that African tourism is driven mainly by long-haul travel, with the top three source markets currently leading the recovery for Africa being France, the US and the UK.

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Interestingly, African tourism performed above the global benchmark in 2021. In 2021, arrivals to Africa were down 64% compared to 2019 as opposed to 74% internationally. Global recovery picked up pace in 2022, and arrivals for Africa are currently only 33% down compared to 2019.

According to Millan, traveller confidence is steadily improving, as reflected in the recovery after the announcement of the Omicron variant.

“This recovery has happened faster than other crises. It's a sign that

traveller confidence has increased,” he said. These data insights are crucial for African destinations if they want to better understand the customer journey and the opportunities available to them in a post-COVID world.

Robert Manson, Chief Digital Transformation, Technology, Data Analytics and Insights Officer for South African Tourism said it is imperative that the provinces and country use data to understand the customer journey better.

“We need to understand what tourists want to do after two years of travel restrictions so that we can drive tourism,” said Manson. “Data also helps us create a conducive environment that will attract airline partners and improve connectivity to South Africa. We are actively working to drive connectivity and create an appetite for airlines to come to our country.”

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GLOBAL NEWS

May 2022

In-Destination Experiences Shape The Future Of Global Travel And Tourism, According To Latest Research Revealed At ATM 2022 Tours, activities and attractions have become key motivators for travellers Ÿ Travel experiences worth $254 billion in 2019 Ÿ Close to one million operators belong to this sector worldwide Ÿ These insights were shared during the ARIVALDubai@ATM forum at ATM 2022 in Dubai Ÿ

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he vital role of in-destination experiences was under the spotlight during the opening session of the ARIVALDubai@ATM forum, which gathers the industry’s brightest minds and leading voices to discuss the essential themes defining tours, activities, attractions and experiences in 2022 and beyond.

In 2019, travel experiences achieved $254 billion in global gross industry sales, making it the third-largest sector in travel and tourism after transportation and accommodation, with almost one million operators around the world. Operators in this sector include organisers of tours, activities, attractions and experiences with over 140 diverse business categories working in the field. Up to 50% have launched their businesses since 2015 and upwards of 70 new startups within tours, activities and attractions have raised $2.6 billion since 2017.

Sharing the latest global research and insights from Arival on the ATM 2022 Travel Tech Stage yesterday, Douglas Quinby, Co-Founder and CEO, Arival,

said, “We surveyed travellers about what matters most to them when they are travelling and they prioritised attractions, activities and tours above other factors. Experiences are not just the ‘things to do’ – they are the reasons to go, representing a significant opportunity for the travel and tourism industry.’’

Technology adoption and getting connected is the major focus for the indestination industry as it moves to a new phase. Quinby added, “Consumers are increasingly booking their travel experiences online – a trend that has accelerated significantly since the pandemic. The sector, therefore, needs to look to technology adoption and working with reservation system providers to make their products more accessible online.’’

advances the creation of in-destination experiences by providing insights and a community for creators and sellers of tours, activities and attractions. For the first time in Dubai since a successful virtual format at ATM in 2021, the event examines current and future trends and focuses on growing business through marketing, technology, distribution, thought leadership, and executive-level connections. Other topics discussed at the one-day forum included the role of sustainability in driving the indestination business forward.

Elsewhere on the agenda at ATM 2022 Travel Tech Stage, the inaugural ATM Draper-Aladdin Start-up Competition also began on the ATM Travel Tech Stage, seeing a selection of the region’s most innovative start-ups pitch to a panel of industry judges for the chance to secure up to $500,000 of investment, plus the opportunity to compete for a further $500,000 as part of the hit TV show, Meet the Drapers.

The ARIVALDubai@ATM forum

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GLOBAL NEWS

May 2022

ACCI Inaugurates Tourism, Hospitality Trade Group of Nigeria

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buja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) inaugurated the Tourism and Creative Industry Trade Group to create sustainable adventure tourism opportunities and networking amongst members.

The Chairman of the Trade Group who is also the Chamber’s Vice President on Communication Strategy and External Relations, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong in his remarks at the event said, tourism boosts the revenue of the economy, creates thousands of jobs, develops the infrastructure of a country, and plants a sense of cultural exchange between foreigners and citizens. He said since tourism and travel is a broad and unique business, the Chamber has designated a trade group to harmonize its various components to achieve a desirable result.

Dr. Hong also said membership of the Tourism and Creative Industry Trade Group has several benefits which include but are not limited to the following; providing a platform for marketing, creating a cultural exchange between tourists and local citizens, promoting international connections, helping to put Nigeria on the global map, advocate for industry interest and networking for the advancement of the Tourism and Creative Industry Sector.

“Nigeria has invested so much in the Tourism and Hospitality sector because that is the soul of the economy. We of the private sector are

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major partners of the government in this push to provide necessary trade and Hospitality Services for the economy to thrive.” While inaugurating the trade group under his Chairmanship, he commended the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Hotel Owners’ Forum Abuja (HOFA), Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), National Council of Art and Culture (NCAC), African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and other Ministries/Agencies handling Tourism and Hospitality sectors of this country.

The Director General ACCI, Victoria Akai informed participants that, the only way our country can develop in the aspect of tourism and hospitality is to commit ourselves to work together

and having powerful collaboration between the travel and hospitality industry, the business community in general, together with government.

She said we should fully leverage innovation to encourage 21st-century activities in the Trade Group while adding that developing new ideas is the way forward to improve tourism and hospitality. Stakeholders from the tourism sector lauded ACCI’s efforts in inaugurating the trade group toward the development of the tourism and hospitality business in Nigeria.

Some of the newly inaugurated members of the trade group are; Nigeria Tourism Development Cooperation (NTDC), National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), The Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), Hotel Owners Forum Abuja (HOFA), and other owners of hospitality and tourism-related businesses.

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GLOBAL NEWS

May 2022

UNWTO And Italy Set The Stage For Global Youth Tourism Summit promise and commitment to transform tourism – starting from their local communities.”

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NWTO has announced more details of the upcoming Global Youth Tourism Summit, set to be held in Sorrento, Italy, from 27 June to 3 July.

The Summit, organized by UNWTO in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Tourism and the Italian National Tourist Board, will provide a unique opportunity for young people aged between 12 and 18 to share their vision for the future of the sector. For one week, 100 young delegates will network with and work alongside politicians, leading figures from across the tourism sector as well as from the worlds of entertainment and sports.

Against the backdrop of the BIT travel trade show in Milan, UNWTO Director for Europe Alessandra Priante joined representatives of the project partners to share more details of the landmark Summit. The inaugural event will be held around the theme of International Sustainable Tourism. The program will include interactive activities oriented towards

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the Sustainable Development Goals and how they interact with tourism, during which participants will learn how to build a sector that combines sustainability, culture, gastronomy, innovation and climate action.

UNWTO SecretaryGeneral Zurab Pololikashvili says: “The Global Youth Tourism Summit is a unique platform to celebrate and empower the next generation of tourism leaders. It will help build a lasting legacy by providing young people with the skills and knowledge they need to transform tourism not only in their communities but everywhere.” UNWTO Director for Europe Professor Priante added: “Tourism offers opportunities to the youth. But youth gives tourism the opportunity to become stronger and more resilient. We are extremely proud of the first generation of GYST-ers, who already show their

In Milan, the organizers confirmed that several Italian Ministries will be involved (education, foreign, south), as will a number of key UN institutions, including FAO, UNICEF and ITU. The Summit will bring together major international players convened by UNWTO, including the Global Tourism Economy Research Center of Macao, the Bella Vista Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland, the Azerbaijan National Tourism Agency, Hilton International, Mastercard Europe and MSC Crociere. Confirmed institutional guests will include Commissioner Gabriel, the UN’s ENVOY for YOUTH Jayathma Wickramanayake, some of the UNWTO Ambassadors for Responsible Tourism Valeria Mazza, Didier Drogba, Gino Sorbillo and many other international VIPs and influencers.

The Mayor of Sorrento, Massimo Coppola says: “Our city is honored to host the first edition of Global Youth Tourism. The objective of the event is to bring participants, selected and from all over the world, to live a unique experience, promoting the comparison and ensure that the new generations can pursue the mission of environmental sustainability. To animate it will be young people aged between 12 and 18 years, who will confront themselves and contribute to the definition of the World Tourism Agenda 2030.”

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May 2022

Africa’s Travel Indaba 2022 - A Boon For The Tourism Sector

A

frica’s Travel Indaba 2022 was a boon for the continent’s tourism sector as well as the host city of Durban, province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). This is as hundreds of buyers and exhibitors from 55 countries descended on Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC) from 2-5 May, to trade on the continent’s best tourism products and experiences. Of the 55 countries, 19 were from the African continent, including South Africa.

Acting CEO of South African Tourism, Themba Khumalo said that owning Africa’s narrative meant that Africans could transform

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the continent’s story from one of people looking for succour to one that showed its present-day entrepreneurial spirit.

“We are a continent full of people with initiative. We have the energy and passion to revive an entire industry, such as tourism, with our own hands.

Our story says to the world that we are ready to welcome them and we are open for business.” The three-day travel showpiece that attracted 3700 delegates and hosted 14 000 successful meetings has been described as a “great show, in exciting times and successful.”

According to Durban’s Deputy Head of Tourism, Winile Mntungwa, the City of Durban experienced hotel

occupancy rates of over 85 percent, netted R29 million in direct spending and expects a contribution of R72.5 million to the City’s GDP. Mntungwa confirmed that I45 short term jobs were created during the period.

She said the show instilled confidence in the City of Durban as a great destination and fantastic host. “All doubts about the city’s preparedness to yet again offer its exciting tourism products have been removed through hosting this travel extravaganza,” she said. For the first time at the show, the Africa’s Travel Indaba Awards was held to honour those tourism businesses and organisations that have advanced tourism during a time of unprecedented technological and industry change.

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