Ttg issuu

T TG NO R DIC

No 358

M ay/J une 201 6

| May / Ju ne 2016

Travel Trade Gazette

En forsikring er ikke længere nok!

Hos Europæiske ERV mener vi ikke, at en god erhvervsrejseforsikring først træder i kraft, når skaden er sket. Til efteråret lancerer vi derfor vores egen sikkerheds-app, der bl.a. hjælper den rejsende med advarsler omkring lokale hændelser. Det kan eksempelvis være uroligheder, terrorangreb og vejrsituationer i det land du opholder dig i – samt overskuelige kort og vejbeskrivelser til nærmeste hospital, apotek og ambassade.

GUIDE TO APPS AND OPEN BOOKING

A1 7 3_05.16

En forsikring skal i dag også være forebyggende! Med en forsikring hos Europæiske ERV er du i gode hænder. Både før, under og efter rejsen.

JENS LILTORP: WE NEED TO BE THE COMPANY WATCHDOG

01-56 forside_bagsideC.indd 1

19-05-2016 12:19:19

No357

Contents

Alfabetica

www.standby.dk www.standbynews.com

www.visitdenmark.com

www.visitnorway.com

www.kronerejser.dk

Rail Travel

CONTENTS

www.spain.info

www.mangaard-travel.dk

travelize.com AllaBussresor.se AllaTemaresor.se

www.visitsweden.com denmark@visitsweden.com

www.norskrejsebureau.dk

www.travelport.dk www.travelport.se

www.rb-seniorklub.dk

www.worldspan.com

www.godominicanrepublic.com

www.procon.dk

www.spain.info

TRAVEL MANAGEMENT Page 12

Security – for travel and for data www.bahn.com

12

Page 14

Visiting Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Page 20

Amex wins a big contract

Page 22

Guide to travel apps and open booking

Recruitment Travel Trade

www.tahiti-tourisme.dk

www.gotoasia.no

www.centrum-personale.dk

LEISURE Page 26

www.greenland.com

www.tourismthailand.se

Malaysia – world-class golf

TONS RECOMMANDÉS (4)

MINEFI MIN_11_0000_RdVFrance_Q Date le 22/06/2011 A NOUS RETOURNER SIGNÉE AVEC VOTRE ACCORD OU VOS CORRECTIONS

JFB

ACCORD

CRÉATION

CYAN

MAGENTA

JAUNE

NOIR

DATE

ÉCHELLE 1/1 - FORMAT D’IMPRESSION 100%

PRODUCTION

1

CONSULTANT

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

CLIENT + QUALITÉ*

CARRÉ NOIR - 82, bd des Batignolles - 75017 Paris - FRANCE / Tél. : +33 (0)1 53 42 35 35 / Fax : +33 (0)1 42 94 06 78 / Web : www.carrenoir.com

CAR RENTAL

26

44

Page 32

Car rental firms moved at Copenhagen Airport

Page 36

Chauffeur 1st class

Page 38

Swedish airports toy with car pooling

Page 40

Report on driverless cars

VESTNORDEN Page 44

MICE in Iceland

www.berning-leonhardt.com

www.kellyservices.dk

www.hungary.com

www.germany.travel

www.discoverireland.com

www.unikkemoedesteder.dk

www.usarejser.dk

Travel Technology

www.amadeus.com/sca

Want to be a partner?

CALL www.topflight.no

Tourist Boards - Information

www.inspiredbyiceland.com

www.visitaland.com www.visitaland.com/se

www.datacon.dk/travel

+45 70 25 97 00

Travel Agencies www.visitfinland.se www.visitfinland.com

EVENTS & RECRUITMENT

Business & Leisure www.bcdtravel.dk

www.bcdtravel.se

www.bcdtravel.no

www.bcdtravel.fi

www.dolphind.com www.flightscanner.biz

Page 48 www.visitbritain.com

www.visitmalta.com

www.galileo.dk

38 Cover Photo: Ulrik Jantzen

Stand By is issued six times per year and distributed as paid subscription in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, The Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland to travel agents, tour operators, airline offices tourist agencies, foreign tourist representatives, tourist bus companies, and all of the major industries in Scandinavia. Stand By bears no responsibility for unsolicited editorial material

2

02-56 Indhold_Web Dir.indd 1

Is YOUR company missing?

Contact STAND BY on phone: + 45 7025 9700 or e-mail: sales@standby.dk

Absalon Hotel Adina Alsie Express Air France Air Greenland Amadeus Scandinavia Arp-Hansen Hotel Group Arthur Hotels Austrian Auto Europe Avis Baltic Stand By BCD Travel Berning & Leonhardt Billund Lufthavn Blue Lagoon Bonnier Responsmedier British Airways British Midland Airways Brussels Int. Travel Service Cabin Hotel Cathay Pacific Airways Celebrity Cruises Centrum Personale A/S Check-in Billund Cimber Air Cirkusbygningen Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers Copenhagen Airport Danish Air Transport Datacon A/S Destiantion DB Bahn DBTA DFDS Seaways Dolphin FlightScanner Dominican Republic Estonian Air Europcar Europæiska Reseförsäkringar Europæiske Rejseforsikring Finnair First Hotel FlyNordic Franske turistkontor Færgen Galileo GoToAsia Gouda Rejseforsikring Hadler DMC Head aHead Helnan International Hotels Herning Messer, Rejsemesse Hertz Hotel Føroyar Hotel Hafnia Hotel Tórshavn Hungarian National Tourist Office Hurtigruten Icelandair Icelandic Tourist Board Irland Turisme Jet Time A/S Kelly KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Krone Rejser LOT Polish Airlines Malta Tourism Mangaard Travel Group Meliâ Meridien National Car Norges Varemesse, Reiseliv Norsk Rejsebureau ProCon Solution RejserNu.dk Rejsebranchens Seniorklub Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Qatar Airways SAS Scandi International DMC Scandic Hotels Scandlines Sixt Small Danish Hotels Smyril Line Spanske turistkontor SRF Svenska Resebyrånföreningen Stand By Tahiti Tourisme TAP Portugal Team Benns Thailand Tourist Thomascookairlines Topflight AS Travelize Travelport Travel Proffesionals Travel Club Tysk Turist Information USA Rejser Vienna Tourist Board Virgin Atlantic VisitBritain VisitDenmark VisitFinland VisitGreenland.com VisitNorway VisitNordsjælland VisitSweden Wimdu Worldspan Ålands Turistinformation

55

19-05-2016 12:20:37

© Trym Ivar Bergsmo

KYSTENS PERLER Nyd Norways Coastal Kitchen om bord, som er moderne menuer baseret på friske råvarer fra

lokale madleverandører fra de egne vi sejler forbi. Udover den smukke natur, kan du også tage på en række spændende actionfyldte udflugter på rejsen. Tag en pause fra hverdagen og tag på en 3-5 dages rejse med store og uforglemmelige oplevelser - vælg en miniferie med Hurtigruten!

MINIFERIE KIRKENES-TROMSØ, 4 DAGE I MAJ fra

5 045,-

per pers.

Inkl. fly, transfer, hotel og sejlads med Hurtigruten

© Anke Menge

MASSER AF OPLEVELSER PÅ FÅ DAGE På udvalgte strækninger langs Norges kyst kan du få masser af spektakulære oplevelser på en miniferie med os. Alle vores miniferier sejler fra havne med gode fly forbindelse fra Danmark via Oslo eller direkte. Vælg om du vil opleve Finnmarks plateuaet og Nordkapp fra Kirkenes til Tromsø, Nordens Paris og Lofoten øgruppen fra Tromsø til Trondheim eller Nidarosdomen, Atlanterhavs-vejen og rosernes by Molde mellem Trondheim og Bergen.

© Jimmy LInus/Tinagent

MINIFERIE MED STORE OPLEVELSER

Læs mere på hurtigruten.dk eller kontakt os på 89 88 12 05

Short Voyage_Standby_DK.indd 1 03 Annonce.indd 1

22/04/16 09:15 19-05-2016 12:21:07

No358

Intro

Editor Kitt Andersen

THE DIGITAL LIFE It has been written and said at every meeting and event – the future is in the mobile phone. It is far, now, from being just a convenient toy and handy pocket computer. It has become an important working tool that few can be without.

But the smartphone as we know it today is not even 10 years old. When the first rumours were circulating about an advanced telephone without a keyboard that could be operated with a touch of a screen, few of us could have anticipated the huge changes it would bring to the whole way we communicate and work.

In January 2007, Steve Jobs presented the first iPhone, and in July 2008 the iPhone 3G arrived in Denmark. The rest, as they say, is history. But Apple was not the first to launch a touch telephone. IBM already did that in 1992: Simon, it came to be called. Later, Nokia collaborated with Hewlett-Packard, and then BlackBerry took the development a step further in 2002. But it was Apple that cleared the table with its advanced functions and user friendliness.

Copenhagen office: Vester Farimagsgade 2, kontor 1013-1015, DK-1606 Copenhagen V. Tel: +(45) 70 25 97 00 Fax: +(45) 70 25 97 01 standby@standby.dk www.standby.dk Managing director: Stig Thygesen / stig@standby.dk Managing Editor: Kitt Andersen / kitt@standby.dk Senior Editor: Ejvind Olesen / ejv@mail.dk Journalist: Henrik Baumgarten / hb@takeoff.dk Journalist: Flemming Juul / flemming@juul.dk

Sales and advertising: Tel: +(45) 70 25 97 00

What will the world look like in 10 years?

No one has looked back since, and some manufacturers never managed to get into gear to keep up with the digital development that affected everyone, both individuals and businesses.

Of course, all of this also affects travel managers who, according to Jens Liltorp from Novo Nordisk, have to consider how their role should be defined in the future. Travel managers must also be the company watchdogs who monitor developments and spot new trends.

Some of the trends are connected to – of course – the mobile phone, travel-related apps and open booking. Consultant Ole Mortensen has delved into this very complex world and prepared a guide on how this challenge can be handled in a company.

Technology is not quite so well developed when it comes to self-driving cars.

Stand By has looked at a new report that suggests that proof of these cars’ safety is a very distant prospect.

What’s not a long way off are the holidays and the long, light nights. We probably cannot imagine what the world will look like in 10 years, but in the very short term we wish everyone a great summer.

Stand By is back again on August 15 with a cruise and MICE theme, which will include travelling out to the provinces and a trip to Germany.

Fax: +(45) 70 25 97 01 sales@standby.dk Villi Karup Rasmussen / ras@standby.dk Gitte Nielsen / gitte@standby.dk Layout: Kenneth Nannberg / kenneth@standby.dk Print: Tryknet Publisher: Scandinavian Travel Media ApS.

Stockholm & Vilnius office: Journalist: Howard Jarvis howard@ttgnordic.com ttgnordic.com tlf. +370 79267

Sales and advertising: Tel: +(45) 70 25 97 00 Fax: +(45) 70 25 97 01 sales@standby.dk

CONTACT US CALL US OR WRITE AN EMAIL if you have a good story about airlines, hotels, cruise, car rental, travel agencies, MICE or travel technology you want to share with the industry.

Editor in Chief Kitt Andersen, kitt@standby.dk, tel. +45 30 23 91 03 Senoir Editor Ejvind Olesen, ejv@mail.dk, tel. +45 45 86 21 49 Journalist Henrik Baumgarten, hb@takeoff.dk, tel. +45 20 93 28 48 Journaiist Howard Jarvis, howard@ttgnordic.com tel. +370 79267

4

04-5.indd 4

19-05-2016 12:22:34

5

04-5.indd 5

19-05-2016 12:22:35

No358

Around the World

By Henrik Baumgarten

NEW HOTEL CHAIN IN DENMARK The Dutch chain citizenM Hotels is negotiating to buy properties in central Copenhagen, where it will open a 4-star hotel with 200 rooms. The chain already has 22 hotels in Europe, the US and elsewhere.

The founder and chief executive of citizenM Hotels, Michael Levie, currently controls more than 4,000 rooms at 22 hotels in Europe, North America and China, and he sees possibilities for development in Scandinavia, not least in Copenhagen.

“The possibilities are evident in Denmark,” said Michael Levie at the World Travel and Tourism Council’s top meeting in Dallas.

The 4-star citizenM chain started up 10 years ago and operates 22 hotels to date, with properties in London, Glasgow, New York and the Netherlands. It is soon also opening in Taipei in Taiwan and Shanghai, in addition to Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and Seattle.

CitizenM Hotels har navnlig fokus på Europa, USA og Kina. I april i år havde den mere end 4.000 værelser på 22 hoteller, men flere er på vej. Kæden har bl.a. planer om 4-stjernet hotel i København med ca. 200 værelser.

BIG RISE AT COPENHAGEN AIRPORT

Marriott Internationals koncernchef, Arne Sorenson, under konferencen i Dallas. Han kommer til at stå i spidsen for verdens største hotelkæde når Marriott overtager Starwood-kæden med bl.a. Sheraton.

MARRIOTT TO EXPAND IN SCANDINAVIA “Yes, of course we will have more hotels in Scandinavia. I am of Danish-Norwegian origin, but I cannot give you data as to where in Scandinavia we will be opening.”

These were the words spoken by Marriott International Chief Executive Arne Sørenson to Stand By in April during the World Travel and Tourism Council’s top meeting in Dallas.

Marriott is the favourite to buy Starwood Group, which includes Sheraton, for 100 billion kroner. That would create the world’s biggest hotel company – before Hilton – with 5500 hotels and 1.1 million hotel rooms.

At the World Travel and Tourism Council meeting in Dallas, Marriott’s 84-year-old chairman Bill Marriott also said that it had taken a great deal of courage to buy Starwood.

“Marriott will be the biggest, therefore we will buy Starwood,” Bill Marriott said at the Dallas conference.

“But I don’t regard it as a great risk buying Starwood. With this purchase we get a bigger platform for our 30 brands and will be present in more than 100 countries.”

Marriott’s bonus program has 55 million loyalty customers, he added, while Starwood’s Preferred Guest loyalty program encompasses 22 million.

The number of passengers using Copenhagen’s Airport increased by 13.4 percent during the first quarter of 2016, compared to the same period last year. That brought the number up to 6.1 million, which made this year’s first quarter the busiest in the airport’s history.

International traffic was the main growth factor. European traffic rose by 14 percent and intercontinental by 11 percent.

“We experienced a very high increase in passengers during the first quarter of the year. This is, among other factors, due to more travellers going abroad,” explained Thomas Woldbye, the airport’s chief executive.

The new head of Emirates in Denmark, Morten Balk, says that Emirates has grown by 30 percent since it introduced a 615-seat Airbus A380 to the daily route between Dubai and Copenhagen in December. European traffic is also being strengthened by new routes, in particular courtesy of EasyJet and Ryanair.

Københavns Lufthavn har i årets fire første måneder haft næsten 12 pct. flere passagerer – en stigning på knap 900.000 i forhold til de fire første måneder af sidste år.

6

06-07.indd 6

19-05-2016 12:51:39

FÅ EN GOD NATTESØVN I

FULL-FLAT SÆDER OMBORD PÅ DET NYE FINNAIR A350 Den nye utrolige Finnair Airbus A350 og behagelige full-flat sæder på Business Class og stemningspræget belysning, der skifter alt efter tidspunkt på dagen.

Finnair er Europas første flyselskab, der flyver med den nye Airbus A350 XWB. Oplev en ny flyvende fornemmelse på A350.finnair.com

Finnair flyver til alle de større byer i Asien og over 60 destinationer i Europa.

7

06-07.indd 7

19-05-2016 12:51:40

THE ROLE OF THE TRAVEL MANAGER IS CHANGING Travel managers experience technological developments first-hand – for better or for worse. They continue to have, according to Jens Liltorp at Novo Nordisk, an important role as company consultants who can spot new trends and opportunities. But they have to learn to be far more visible in the organisation.

8

8-9-10-11.indd 8

19-05-2016 12:23:54

med Star Alliance.

No358

Cerrum ea dolupta voloria eriate nobit eum ra inullam ex ex et et alibus net mo quat.

Dendicae con pelicimus audictatae parum apis il explit eatium quiatur sed es ne conseque in poruptas maxim lam ut ernatque prerunt atium, offic tem explate cepeles totaqui

Travel Management

By Kitt Andersen Foto: Ulrik Jantzen

Open booking, travel risk management, disruption, shared economies, NDC. The technology develops so quickly that few have the time to find adequate words in Danish before the English becomes a natural part of our vocabulary.

A group where English terminology is particularly well pronounced is among travel managers – and with good reason.

This technological development that is undermining jobs and challenging decision makers and our whole way of communicating does not primarily originate in Denmark, and if you want to follow developments, they are mostly done in English.

Of course, it’s also about communicating across borders, and sometimes it helps just to have a common language in an industry that is very engaged and has a strong network through the Danish Business Travel Association (DBTA), which Jens Liltorp, Senior Category Manager for Travel at Novo Nordisk, has twice been the chairman for.

The English terminology is obvious when Jens Liltorp speaks, which he apologises for during the interview. But his own business is very global, characterising his daily life. Novo Nordisk employs nearly 42,000 people in 75 countries, markets products in more than 180 countries and has a considerable travel budget.

fewer and fewer and that technology is the major driver in the changes, there is no doubt,” he says.

However, the fact that there are fewer travel managers is not only due to technology and the decision of some companies to place the function under procurement. According to Jens Liltorp, it is also because companies have become more mature in their travel management expertise and no longer need to spend the

We are becoming fewer Jens Liltorp’s dedication is engagement not to be mistaken.

It was recognised at the Global Business Travel Association’s (GBTA) European Conference in Frankfurt in November with nearly 1,000 participants, where he received the Luoma Award. It is given in recognition of people who are known for speaking their minds, challenging the issues and providing direction for development. And Jens Liltorp received the following words at the presentation of the award: “The recipient of this year’s Luoma Award is one of Europe’s most well-known travel managers, a role model when it comes to the sharing of knowledge, and he has been a staunch supporter of the GBTA.” Underscoring this commitment, he was coming directly from an internal DBTA meeting when we met for the interview at the Kong Arthur Hotel.

“I can see that we traditional travel managers have become

Today, Jens Liltorp is part of a travel management team with shared responsibility for corporate procurement at Novo Nordisk. A significant change has been that their focus has become much more global, whereas it was previously more directed at the Nordic region and Europe.

Jens Liltorp has twice been chairman of the Danish Business Travel Association and is currently chairman of the GBTA Europe Hotel Committee and member the GBTA Europe Strategic Benchmark Group. He is also chairman of the newly established Travel Managers Advisory Group within IATA, which will form a bridge between IATA and travel buyers from Europe with a particular focus on NDC (New Distribution Capability) – dialogue that so far has taken place only with airlines, travel agencies and the GDS reservation systems.

Jens Liltorp CV Jens Liltorp has worked in travel management since 1984 when he joined Haldor Topsøe. He worked in travel management at Business Travel Consult for a period, after which he returned to Haldor Topsøe. In 1999, he went to Novo Nordisk, starting first as head of its internal travel department. Novo Nordisk was among the first in Denmark to use e-auctions to get offers for hotel accommodation.

9

8-9-10-11.indd 9

19-05-2016 12:23:55

No358

Travel Management

same amount of time on, for example, supplier agreements or basic strategy.

A Scandinavian model “Global systems, global agreements and global politics have only really come in recent years. At Novo Nordisk, we have come from using nearly 50 different travel agencies globally. We had almost all of Europe consolidated through a single large agency and the same was true for North America. But otherwise it was fragmented and there are a great number of disadvantages to that. For example, it makes it difficult to operate a consistent global policy, make supplier agreements, and not least, to ensure a global reporting. It is almost impossible with 50 different travel agencies,” he says.

The situation led to a strategy proposal with two options: Evolution or Revolution. Revolution would be to use just a few agencies. Evolution would be to use a single leading global agency to handle the bulk of the activities, but with the possibility of opting for others locally that would be able to provide data to the global agency.

The solution was to use a global lead agency supplemented with local solutions and the entire project has been successfully run by Jens Liltorp’s colleague at Novo Nordisk, Peter Molin Rhode, and today almost 90 pct. of travel revenue has been consolidated into a single global travel agency solution.

Company watchdogs There are still fewer and fewer travel managers working as they did in the past. On the surface, it may appear as if it is merely a struggle between the soft values represented by the travel manager and the economic and more hard-hitting facts in the purchasing department. But as is often the case, the picture is far more nuanced when you zoom in from a bird’s eye view and get closer.

Travel managers have the knowledge and know how that you do not learn at CBS, but Jens Liltorp also believes that the classic

travel manager might lack some business sense and moving forward will increasingly need to understand and adapt to the processes and language of the procurement world.

“I definitely think that there will also be a need for travel managers in the future, but it will probably be another kind with a more academic purchasing background rather than the traditional travel background. In this way, it will be the purchaser who will have to acquire travel management competencies and gain the understanding that a trip is not just a simple commodity. It is an extension of the desk of the travelling employee.”

Previously, the role of the travel manager was operational and they primarily negotiated to generate savings, and they still do this. But there are limits on how many times you can negotiate the price on the same airline ticket and hotel accommodation.

“I think there is a change on the way where the travel manager will have a greater role as an internal consultant who will defend the interests of the company in a world of ever-increasing change. With all the new disruptors, shared economies and market models, it will more than ever be the role of the travel manager to be the company watchdog, who is at the forefront but who can also highlight the value of what is created. If they cannot do this then they will probably not be allowed to stay in their job in this new world.”

The new values When the role of the travel manager changes, it will also mean that concept of value in the company will also need to be expanded both to understand the change in the travel manager’s work and to be able see what it brings to the organisation. And the challenge for the travel manager will be both to redefine its own role and not least to make it much more visible.

“To communicate new values is very much about engagement and to act with all of the relevant parties in the company from the traveller, to the department head, to the decision maker, management, IT, HR, finance, risk management and especially procurement. The travel manager must seek to connect all

10

8-9-10-11.indd 10

19-05-2016 12:23:59

the links and be active in creating an understanding of travel management in the entire value chain. This is a part of creating and making visible values and it is very much about communication,” says Jens Liltorp.

And by communication he also means newsletters, travel portals, online booking tools, meeting clients and trying to engage management and inform them about developments and opportunities.

“But it takes time, the right skills and listening. You often see that such things only start to happen when you have a burning platform.”

Using the sharing economy A task for the travel manager in the future could, for example, be working with the pros and cons of shared economies like Uber, Airbnb and Lyft. Business travellers may already be using these products privately and asking about the opportunity to do the same on company trips. But few companies have taken a position on these new disruptors.

Jens Liltorp has been asked by Novo Nordisk to deal with the issue in order to have an official policy in place.

“I am in the process of asking my entire network, both nationally and internationally, and I am getting many replies back. Generally there do not appear to be many companies in Denmark that have taken a position. They do neither one nor the other. A few say no, we may not, but most close their eyes and consider it as a transport cost in line with other options.”

Other companies say no because they already have an agreement with a taxi company or because they are aware of the issue in relation to the competitive situation. But in the end you also need to take a realistic look at the pros and cons of using Uber in other countries.

“Is it better service and better quality, is it time, transparency and flexibility or a combination of all of these? Of course you also have to look at the disadvantages or risks associated with them. Airbnb has also had very strong growth in the market for

business travel, though not as much in Denmark as far as I know.

But internationally I believe it is what you hear. And what’s next?

The market will of course continue to change and we are going to see more and more of this. So it’s something we will continually have to deal with and assess the potential of on behalf of the company.”

A reliable partner It’s not only travel managers who are being challenged in their jobs. The same has been said about business travel agencies for a long time, and they are still here despite everything. But according to Jens Liltorp, they must also consider and redefine their role.

“In the future, they must aim much more to be strategic partners. Both they and we must be better at setting common goals when entering into cooperative agreements. Agencies must be even better at seeing that our success internally is also their success, so that goals and success are a common task. There should generally be more security for neutrality in the collaboration and more trust in ensuring long-term value-creating strategic partnerships.

Currently, when the company comes in with a challenge, the travel agency typically presents its own solution first and tries to sell its own product. But sometimes the advisors should disregard their own interests and this may involve a possible loss of income, such as working with a virtual meeting setup as an alternative to physical travel activity – or shared services and open booking models that would mean selling fewer airline tickets. We must create more transparency and trust, and, like travel managers, the travel agencies must have a more consulting role and be able to provide advice about solutions that might reduce their own bottom line. This is important because the market is changing as much as it does. Perhaps I am just seeing ghosts – but you also have to have respect for them.”

11

8-9-10-11.indd 11

19-05-2016 12:24:02

No358

DBTA

TO TRAVEL IS TO MINGLE – BUT THERE ARE DANGERS ALONG THE WAY!

By Anne Mette Berg General Manager, Danish Business Travel Association

There are plenty of challenges on a trip – not only with individual security, but also in connection to all the data that will be exchanged.

Has travel become more dangerous?

News programs often report disasters around the world, and the recent terrorist attacks in Brussels abruptly brought these events close to home. But no one can feel 100 percent safe anywhere in the world, and travel risk management has become the focus of much talk and many resources.

Travel security must of course always be in place. Everyone expects it. After the Brussels attacks, GBTA asked its members if their businesses had prepared a risk management plan, and 72 percent responded yes, they had! Members were also asked if the events in Brussels had changed their attitudes about travelling in Europe, to which a whopping 90 percent of travel buyers responded no.

Danish Business Travel Association has around 120 members, including around 40 travel managers, while the others are suppliers for the travel industry – e.g. airlines, hotels, car rental, travel tech firms and more.

So a great many appear to have their travel security well in hand, and very few allow terror (in Europe) to affect their travel patterns. Even though we live in a changeable world, we remain sensible, and with appropriate steps and prudence the risk of danger during travel remains minimal – depending, of course, on where in the world you will be travelling.

It takes time Staying on top of security can be a major undertaking for travellers. Points to consider include personal security while travelling as well as airports and means of transportation. At the final destination, it’s important to consider the hotels and the general area where you will be moving about. Putting together the right travel risk management programme can therefore be difficult: • plans and procedures must be established • travel insurance must be in place • for travel in dangerous areas, it may be necessary to purchase external expertise • one must inform and maintain a good dialogue with travellers • it’s important to use common sense and avoid scare tactics, etc.

But don’t give up! It takes time to build up a security programme, and good co-

operation is needed across the company and with suppliers. But the most important thing is to know the locations of all your travellers around the world. Travel management is therefore an important part of security, and registering all travellers and security are important aspects of a travel policy.

Technology can help Many companies collect data from business travel bureaus, while others choose to work with global security organisations such as International SOS. But data security has also become an important factor.

We want to be online everywhere, but roaming prices have led to the use of wifi while travelling. In insecure areas, this can pose a challenge to security.

Personal data is an area in which the EU has allowed the registration of a traveller’s data during booking, thus making it more difficult to be an undesired traveller. This is good for everyone – but not good if the data are abused.

New technological solutions for an easy registration of travel data and travel expenses are constantly being developed with the goal of making data available 24/7 before, during and after the journey!

At the GBTA Conference 2016 in Frankfurt in November, ‘Traveller management’, including security, will be among the cornerstones of an extensive programme.

12

12-13 DBTA.indd 12

19-05-2016 12:25:04

med Star Alliance.

13

12-13 DBTA.indd 13

19-05-2016 12:25:04

WHEN DISASTER STRIKES Head of Consular Services Ole Egberg Mikkelsen at the Global Security Centre in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is manned around the clock. If there is a very considerable challenge, natural disaster or terrorist act, the International Operative Staff is activated with experts from ministries and, among others, the travel industry.

By Henrik Baumgarten

“I know something big has happened when a TV 2 News van is parked in front of the ministry,” says the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ consular services. That’s where they coordinate crisis response to terrorist attacks and provide travel guidelines.

Change sometimes requires casualties. That was the case for the foreign ministries of many countries after the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004. There were 46 Danes among the approximately 230,000 who perished, along with 543 Swedes, 539 Germans, 179 Finns, 84 Norwegians and many others.

At the time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen was not geared up for such an unforeseeable catastrophe. A subsequent evaluation showed that the emergency preparedness was inadequate, and the otherwise respectable ministry was admonished for a delayed reaction and near information collapse. Today, things are very different.

The ministry’s Centre for Consular Services & Communication was upgraded after the tsunami. A Global Security Centre and International Operative Staff (IOS) were established.

The Global Security Centre is manned 24/7 and manages everyday tasks and all kinds of queries. Last year it received approximately 30,000 phone calls and 45,000 emails.

As Stand By was shown around, CNN and TV 2 News were running constantly on two large TV screens. Otherwise, it was calm. No crisis today.

But last year was busy for the Centre for Consular Services.

Elevated preparedness in the security centre was activated 20 times. It is triggered when events abroad cannot be managed with the normal resources.

And when the severity of the disaster or accident exceeds the

obligations or response capacity of the individual players, the IOS is called in to coordinate between the authorities and, for example, the travel industry.

Depending on what has happened, the IOS is presided over by consular services with expertise from the ministries and agencies, the police, the travel industry, travel insurance providers, emergency centres, SAS and so on.

“If you don’t communicate, others will” Further down the hallway from the security centre is a meeting room with space for about 25 people, which is used when the IOS is activated.

This happened seven times last year, including the earthquake in Nepal, the deliberate crash of the Germanwings aircraft in the Alps and the acts of terrorism in Tunisia and Paris.

Ambassador Ole Egberg Mikkelsen has been head of consular services since 2011. He is, among other things, responsible for communications with the media. This is achieved based on the motto: If you do not communicate, others will do it. And if you do not know everything, then say what you do know.

“The preparedness of the ministry was upgraded a great deal after the tsunami, when much went awry because we did not have the same resources as we do now. I know that something big has happened when a TV 2 News van is parked in front of the ministry,” says consular services chief Ole Egberg Mikkelsen.

“A crisis is when our standard procedures are not enough and we have to draw an emergency response. Last year alone we had 20 crises. In a crisis you have to make quick decisions, often amid great uncertainty, because we rarely have all the necessary information.”

14

14-15-16-17.indd 14

19-05-2016 12:25:43

No358

med Star Alliance.

Travel Management

CONSULAR SERVICES, A MILLION-KRONE BUSINESS

Photo: Jørgen skytte

By Henrik Baumgarten

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Centre for Consular Services & Communication is not just the Global Security Centre. Consular services have approximately 250,000 customer contacts per year.

The department’s approximately 70 employees, in collaboration with Denmark’s embassies and consulates, help Danes with problems abroad and foreign nationals who, for example, are in need of a Danish visa.

Approximately 110,000 visas for foreign nationals are processed each year, while 25,000 passports are issued to Danish citizens – in many situations Danes who have lost their passports abroad – just as there are about 50,000 so-called legalisations.

If, for example, two German citizens get married in Denmark, consular services confirms the authenticity of the Danish marriage certificate. When a Danish document needs to be used abroad, it often has to be legalised.

Altogether, these services for the issuing of visas for Denmark and the legalisations bring in fee revenue of about 100 million kroner a year.

Among the best in the class Previously, there was harsh criticism of the Danish visa policy.

It was much too difficult and time consuming to get a visa to Denmark if businessmen or foreign experts wanted to work for a Danish company.

“Since 2001 and following political will, we have done much to improve procedures after past criticism that it could be difficult to get a visa to Denmark. Today I think Denmark is among the best in the class in this area,” says Ole Mikkelsen.

Consular services also assist Danes abroad in around 5,000

cases a year of illness, accidents and so on, about 1,000 cases where Danes die abroad and about 100 where Danish nationals are imprisoned abroad. There are about 100 Danes in foreign prisons, around half of these for drug offenses.

Among the more serious cases are the 25 to 30 cases a year dealing with child abduction, 30 to 40 ‘honour-related’ cases and assistance to Danes in distress abroad.

Travel guidelines There are almost 200 countries in the world. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen has travel guidelines for about 40, but the number fluctuates, as does the content.

In particular, guidelines are prepared for countries many Danes travel to and where there is a special risk due to war, threat of terrorism, civil unrest, natural disasters and the like.

The content is based on the latest information from Denmark’s embassies, from the foreign ministries of other countries and from other trusted resources.

The travel guidelines have several nuances. For example, the media write that a country or region has received a yellow card if ‘non-essential travel’ is discouraged or if there is a red card where all travel is advised against and, in more stringent form, Danish citizens are encouraged to leave the country immediately.

Some of the countries with the biggest red cards at this time are Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

15

14-15-16-17.indd 15

19-05-2016 12:25:44

No358

Travel Manegement

ON THE ROAD TO WARSAW

By Henrik Baumgarten

From embassy secretary in Vienna to ministry secretary for Uffe Ellemann-Jensen to the crisis over the Muhammed cartoons in Damascus.

attempt to set fire to the Danish embassy. In the days before, we had explained to the leaders of the demonstrators that we had freedom of the press in Denmark, but the mood became more aggressive and there were threats against the embassy and its Danish and Syrian employees.”

Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, 59, comes from Esbjerg and has an MSc in He went on: “Before the attack, we had gathered the approxipolitical science from Aarhus University.

Ole Egberg Mikkelsen during his time as Ambassador to Syria. Photo: Danish Institute in Damascus.

He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1987 and received his mately 60 Danes in the ambassador’s residence, approximately 25 first posting as embassy secretary in Vienna that same year and kilometres from Damascus. We called Syrians we trusted and other the following year moved to the then capital of Czechoslovakia, foreigners to get them to house the Danes until we could get them Prague, which at the time was in Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe. out via the airport. Afterwards, many Syrians apologized for the In the ambassador’s office on the first floor of the Ministry of arson. It is very much part of the Arab culture to treat your guests Foreign Affairs looking out on Copenhagen Harbour are pictures of properly. They perceived what had happened as degrading,” said his family and official photos. On the desk lies a green apple and Ole Mikkelsen, who went on to serve as ambassador to Turkey in on the wall is a small safe.

2009 before returning home as head of consular services.

After returning from Prague, Mikkelsen was the minister’s secDaughter a diplomat – for New Zealand retary in 1991-93 for one of Denmark’s most charismatic foreign Ole Mikkelsen and his wife have three children. His daughter Mette ministers, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen.

Mikkelsen is married to a New Zealander and she works for New From there he went on to the Danish UN mission in Geneva.

Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She is currently part of New In 2005, he received his first post as Danish ambassador – to Zealand’s UN representation in New York.

Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, with his residence in the Syrian capital Damascus. Shortly after taking up the post, all hell nearly broke loose during the crisis with the Jyllands-Posten Muhammed cartoons.

“Damascus was a lovely place at that time. There were neighbourhoods with Armenians, Christians, Jews and so on,” the ambassador explains.

“The crisis culminated on Saturday, February 4, 2006, with an

TRAVEL-READY WITH TRAVEL APP New consular services chief After five years in the post, Ole Egberg Mikkelsen is stopping as the head of consular services. Taking his place from September will be the Danish ambassador in Warsaw.

The new head of consular services will be Ambassador René Dinesen. He was previously ambassador to South Africa but has been loaned out as director of the Kann Foundation, which works with environmental issues on an international level concerning sustainability and climate change.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has its own travel app: UM Travel Ready. It is a mobile platform for travellers with information about preparing for travel and how to contact Danish embassies and consulates, along with so-called ‘push notifications’. UM Travel Ready has been downloaded 15,000 times since it was released last autumn.

16

14-15-16-17.indd 16

19-05-2016 12:25:46

17

14-15-16-17.indd 17

19-05-2016 12:25:48

18

FGA Stand By-annonce.indd Alle sider 18-19.indd 18

19-05-2016 12:26:31

med Star Alliance.

SAFETY

is in our DNA

46

countries on 6 continents

6

emergency response centres

60,000 providers worldwide

As businesses today grow by extending their footprint internationally, they carry a commitment to their cross-border employees to protect them from risk and to help them stay safe while working abroad. For more than 100 years, it has been Falck’s mission to prevent accidents, disease and emergency situations, to rescue and assist people in emergencies quickly and competently. Together with risk mitigation consultancy, Falck Global Assistance delivers tailored medical, security, crisis management and remote site solutions to these organisations.

Wherever your employees are, they are in safe hands.

Please contact Falck Global Assistance to learn more about how we make life easier and safer for you and your global workforce.

Christina Bengtsson – Manager Corporate Clients +45 6084 1073 – christina.bengtsson@falck.com www.falckglobalassistance.com

19

18-19.indd 19

27/04/2016 10.23 19-05-2016 12:26:32

No358

Business Travel

MAJOR TRAVEL CONTRACT IN PLACE

Møller-Mærsk, the Carlsberg Group and Danske Bank. Amex, which has had A.P. Møller as a client for six years, manages around 80 percent of the company’s travel.

The remainder has until now been handled by ATPI (Instone).

But ATPI was rejected and A.P. Møller will instead have Denmark’s biggest business travel agency, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, handle a small portion of its travel.

While Carlsberg Group came to Amex only last autumn, Danske Bank has been a client since 2004.

No other individual in Denmark buys more travel services than A.P. Møller-Mærsk’s travel manager, Mette Christensen, whose official title is Global Head of Travel and Indirect Services Group Procurement. Photo: Karsten Bidstrup.

By Henrik Baumgarten

Quite unusually, A.P. Møller-Mærsk, Carlsberg and Danske Bank decided to work together to find a business travel agency for their annual worldwide travel, worth around three billion kroner.

They remained, however, with American Express.

American Express Global Business Travel – Amex between friends – in this way retained three of its major clients, who are responsible for a third of the revenues of Denmark’s second-biggest business travel agency, or almost 1.4 billion kroner per year.

Amex has about 90 percent of the total revenues from A.P.

Unusual collaboration It is unusual for several companies to join forces to find a business travel agency. But A.P. Møller-Mærsk, Carlsberg and Danske Bank have close collaboration in several other areas. The new contract between the three major companies and Amex will take effect in September and will be valid for five years.

The trio purchase worldwide travel services worth a total of three billion kroner annually, two billion of which is spent by A.P. Møller-Mærsk. This adds up to a total of around 500,000 trips and transactions for the three companies each year.

“We are pleased with the agreement, but at no point did we feel that it was assured in advance. So we went humbly to the task, where we of course had the advantage that we knew the operation. Conversely, it was important for us to innovate and come up with effective ideas for the three,” Thomas Rasmussen, Managing Director for Amex in Denmark, told Stand By.

M

m l

S n s t

Pricing agreements Like all customers, the trio of course had access to the prices Amex offers its customers in air travel, hotels and car rentals.

But A.P. Møller-Mærsk, Carlsberg and Danske Bank are so large that they have pricing agreements with suppliers in the travel industry.

Mette Christensen, A.P. Møller-Mærsk’s Global Head of Travel and Indirect Services Group Procurement told Stand By: “It was an innovation that we three made a joint agreement with Amex. In Denmark alone, Amex has 75 employees organising travel for A.P. Møller-Mærsk, Danske Bank and Carlsberg.

We have approximately 400,000 trips (transactions) per year, 300,000 of which are plane tickets.”

Half of American Express Global Business Travel, which has offices in 140 countries worldwide, was bought by Qatar Investment Authority in 2014 for $900 million. Amex has the remaining 50 percent.

20

20-21 AMEX.indd 20

19-05-2016 12:27:12

8281_TRP

med Star Alliance.

My travel consultant

made my trip less stressful She found a hotel right next to my meeting, so I had more time to spend with my clients

Today’s business traveler wants to choose from the widest range of local and independent hotels to make each trip a success.

Discover how Travelport Smartpoint is redefining the selling experience, visit travelportsmartpoint.com

21

8281_TRP_SP_ADS_A4_AW_EU.indd 2 20-21 AMEX.indd 21

04/06/2015 17:53 19-05-2016 12:27:13

No358

Opinion

APP OR NOT?

By Ole Mortensen Consultant and partner in AMM Consulting

Apps and open booking are among the hottest topics in the business world at the moment, as they were at both BTS in London and ITB in Berlin. Consultant Ole Mortensen has been looking at the challenges and what companies need to take into account.

There was a strong focus on both apps and open booking at the fairs in London and Berlin earlier this year. In most instances, it was easy to sense a desire for the perfect app, with all areas included, but there were still reservations at the sheer pace that apps are being developed. With as many as 70,000 travel-related apps available via Apple’s App Store, the subject can certainly feel somewhat overwhelming.

What to consider?

I have spoken with many travellers and in a number of cases they have between 50 and 100 apps downloaded but use perhaps five on a regular basis. At the same time, the infrastructure of the industry is so complex that the ‘perfect’ global solution just does not exist.

Concur (SAP) has advanced considerably and apps provided by various Travel Management Companies (TMCs) or the Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) are useful. The problem is that their development adheres to the old structures, while individual suppliers are sprinting ahead with new solutions.

Basically, all companies should be thinking about this area.

I am sure that more than 95 percent of all business travellers in Europe have a smartphone. This fact alone means that sticking your head in the sand will not do and as a company or supplier, those who are responsible should be asking themselves a number of questions in the following areas:

Security • What’s our policy on security?

• Are tablets and smartphones an integrated part of our communication and data access, which means we must establish a closed and protected circuit?

• Should we provide tablets and smartphones to our guests, or is it better that travellers take care of this themselves?

Comment: Development in this area is moving so quickly that significant resources would have to be invested and maintained in order not to fall behind if you want to have total control.

Company information • Do we increase compliance by making travel policies available via a smartphone or tablet?

• Do we acquire savings and better utilise our partnerships globally, regionally or locally by making them available via an app?

• Do travellers exchange information and feel more responsible by having access to shared social networks?

Comment: There is no doubt that there are considerable positive and economic benefits to making company information available via tablets and smartphones.

Travel booking • Should travellers be allowed to choose their own booking app?

• Should the company choose to allow trips to be booked through each vendor’s app?

22

22-23 opinion.indd 22

19-05-2016 12:27:44

med Star Alliance.

?

• How do you create an overview of how many travellers there are at a given destination?

• How do you ensure that there are good procedures in place and that they are complied with?

Comment: Through professional companies like International SOS (ISOS) or insurance companies, the industry has developed a reliance on the ‘old’ structures where TMCs and GDSs take care of the data exchange. This has a number of shortcomings, since often it does not include travellers using their own cars or travelling by train. In some cases, it stops the use of open booking in a multi-vendor environment, as most are using GDS data.

I think this area will be resolved by telephone solutions. We can already offer that our company be allowed to see where phones and the traveller are located or where they have been.

Travel expenses • Should the company provide specific apps for travel expenses?

• Should you accept that photos of vouchers are enough?

• Should the company allow the traveller’s data to be spread across a number of apps?

Comment: This area is a bit like the plague or cholera. If you require that they use an app from a TMC, for example, you will gain a certain amount of security but again be dependent on the ‘old’ structures. If you use individual suppliers, you get better deals but also many different structures for travellers to keep track of, and at the same time it will be more difficult to gather data.

Travel information • Should the company attempt it or go with the apps their suppliers provide?

• Should the company invest in resources that keep an eye on the market and find the best products?

• How does the company protect itself from malware?

Comment: This area is probably the most complicated as new apps are constantly coming onto the market. My recommendation is to ensure that travellers have a forum where they can suggest and exchange information about the area. It can also be a task for travel managers to keep an eye on the market. There are so many differences between the various parts of the globe that travellers will need different apps depending on the destination.

Overview of travellers • How does the company ensure you can get in touch with travellers if an accident occurs?

Comment: I am convinced that each company will have control over this and will use the finance system that you generally use.

This will of course strengthen the global systems and their development of apps, but the alternative could prove to be messy and opaque.

Head on the block With the technical developments around bots (short for web robot, a software application that carries out automated searches online), the question is whether apps are on the way out.

It is my belief that apps will be a part of the smartphone universe in the years to come, and even if they are replaced by bots the time has come for companies to integrate their policies and processes with the mobile world.

Recommendations for the years to come I believe that each company should begin to build, design or purchase apps for its core business. Global developments and the fact that the majority of the world’s population now has a mobile phone or a smartphone will force technological development there. Each company should have its own app that includes:

The traveller’s profile • The traveller’s (and the company’s) calendar • The company’s travel policy • Local information about the destination, for example preferential hotels, maps, local transport, etc.

• A forum where travellers can exchange knowledge, new apps, new restaurants or transport solutions In addition: The company should choose and recommend a number of apps that have value for travellers. This could be from suppliers or neutral apps like Roadmap or Tripit. Or it could be Groupon in the US or a useful local Chinese app.

23

22-23 opinion.indd 23

19-05-2016 12:27:45

No358

MPI

BUREAU TURNS THINGS UPSIDE-DOWN

By Anne Marie Bergsøe Photo: Irfaan Kahn

Meet Eventually! A ‘gazelle’ workshop, MPI Denmark member and newly voted winner of a number of Danish Events & Meetings Awards 2016.

The youthful and energetic event bureau took away as many as three of the awards when Denmark’s meeting and events branch recently named the most innovative and value-creative actors in the field.

Eventually was lauded with awards for Best Agency, Best External Case and Best Internal Case.

But who is Eventually?

The company’s administrative director, Rikke Nordentoft Damborg, explains: “Eventually was founded in 2010 and has grown from four founders into a 20-strong, multitalented workforce who collectively represent many years of experience in

Coming events with MPI Denmark: June seminar: EMPI i bold – a Kickass Summer Seminar June 14, 15:00-18:00 August seminar: Mindfulness and Meetings August 19, 07:00-12:30

the events world. We are a full-service bureau that’s aimed at medium-to-large businesses. We have a holistic approach, encompassing all aspects of events, from idea to concept, technique and logistics – an angle that has already been fruitful in giving customer satisfaction.”

International outlook Eventually today works both in and outside the country, Rikke Nordentoft Damborg adds.

“In 2015, we were named Børsen’s ‘gazelle company’, and almost 50 percent of our events take place outside of Denmark these days. Only a few weeks ago we did an event for 750 people in Athens and then another in Kenya. The week after that we had events in Zürich and New York, and we are in discussions about one more event in Dubai. So we work on many fronts and locations and this inspires us to constantly think along new lines for our customers.”

In April, Eventually won all three Danish Events & Marketing Awards, the DEMA prizes: Best Internal Case, for a job for Novo Nordic, Best External Case with a product launch for Geberitt, plus the prize for Best Agency.

“The quality of the nominations for this year’s DEMA was unbelievably high, so we are naturally extremely proud to

have harvested all three awards,” said Mads Zangenberg, creative director at Eventually. “We try each time to create a unique, innovative and creative solution for our customer. And we are so fortunate that they are often prepared to take the chance and turn everything upside down to try to raise the standards of what a meeting is actually capable of contributing.”

Read more about Eventually at eventually.com.

Behind DEMA is MPI Denmark, which this year established cooperation for DEMA with Dansk Erhverv, Kreativitet & Kommunikation, Business Events Denmark and Wonderful Copenhagen.

About MPI Denmark MPI – Meeting Professionals International – is the largest meeting and event industry association worldwide and has around 17,400 members, organised in 71 national or local ‘chapters’. There are around 180 members in the Danish chapter. MPI offers education, networking and the sharing of knowledge by way of communication and holding gatherings – in Denmark as well as internationally. Read more at www.mpidenmark.dk.

24

24-25 MPI.indd 24

19-05-2016 12:28:12

med Star Alliance.

NEW - m&it 210_297+3.pdf

1

26/02/2016

14:52:28

Making business a pleasure

Conventions don´t have to be conventional A business trip to Madrid seems less like hard work than most.

Sunny weather, conveniently located conference venues and gourmet lunches are just some of the bonuses for when you visit on business. way to recharge before sampling the vibrant nightlife.

Relax over tapas in an outdoor cafĂŠ or dance until dawn. Whatever you do, Madrid is the business.

info.mcb@esmadrid.com (+34) 91 758 55 28 www.esmadrid.com/mcb

25

24-25 MPI.indd 25

19-05-2016 12:28:12

No358

Leisure

HOLE IN THE GROUND BECOMES WORLD-CLASS GOLF COURSE Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club has many extreme and spectacular holes and is Malaysia’s most popular golf course. Photo: Peter Fredberg

Text and photo: Peter Fredberg

Malaysia is well worth a visit if you happen to be a golf enthusiast. There are great expectations in this sphere from the European market, and the courses there certainly compete with those in Thailand.

The transformation from being the world’s largest open tin mine with a gigantic hole 150 metres deep, to an absolute world-class golf course is one of Malaysia’s many small miracles.

The Mines – Resort & Golf Club on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur took my breath away, it was that spectacular and beautiful.

It’s not for nothing that The Mines has won a string of awards.

Malaysia’s popularity as a golfing destination has grown enormously in the last few years and Tourism Malaysia is hoping for a substantial share of the European market.

“We are not Thailand, but we are on the way up”, is the optimistic message. Mining in Kuala Lumpur ended in 1982, and in 1994 a tropical golfing paradise was born. The man behind the idea was businessman tan Sri Lee Kim Yew. The first international tournament at The Mines in 1999, the World Cup, was won by US duo Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara. The legendary Tiger kindly proclaimed the course on the old tin mine as being “one of the best in the world”.

Carlsberg was the main sponsor for the Malaysian Open at The Mines in 2003, which attracted a large number of the world’s elite.

High standards There are fewer than 300 club members, an exclusive by-invitation-only group. The green fees are in the higher bracket. The 26

people I saw on the extremely well-kept fairways were not your average Malaysian on the street. The first car I saw in front of the clubhouse was a shining Rolls-Royce.

There are a couple of hundred golf courses in Malaysia, the greatest concentration found around Kuala Lumpur (KL to the locals). There are around 30 courses within a 100-kilometre radius.

The climate is tailor-made for golf and it’s possible to play all year round.

Of the courses I visited, first prize went to the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club – two beautiful 18-hole courses, West Course and East Course, which are the annual venues of world-class international championships.

I was taken around the two spectacular and extremely well-kept courses in a buggy, and at the 16th hole on the West Course I experienced something that was, luckily, a first for me. A wild ball struck my chauffeur, Abu Bakar, hard on the back. He was sent sprawling before he had time to react to the shout, but fortunately he escaped only with some pain and a red mark.

“I have worked on golf courses for 35 years. This is the first time I’ve been hit,” he explained, rather shaken.

When talking golf in Malaysia it is often the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club that becomes the topic of conversation. Few courses in Asia can boast KLGCC’s qualities. Sungai Long Golf & Country Club is also top class and was in 1993 the first course in Malaysia to be designed by Jack Nicklaus.

Tourism Malaysia has invited European golf journalists to the World Amateur Inter-Team Championships at The Mines and Sungai Long, among others Søren Barnak from Golfer’s Globe. He

played five courses during his stay in Malaysia and was most impressed.

“Golf in Malaysia is extremely popular among Asians, but not so great among Europeans. The tendency is for Europeans to travel to Thailand for their golfing holiday, but the Malaysian courses have the same high standards and are well worth a visit,” he enthuses.

“If you go on a golfing holiday to Malaysia, you certainly get value for money with some lovely, well-kept courses. It can, though, get expensive if you choose to play on the best known and most exclusive courses around Kuala Lumpur.”

Top 10 most popular courses in Malaysia: 1. Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (West) 2. The Els Club, Teluk Datai, Langkawi 3. Kota Permai Golf & Country Club, Selangor 4. The Mines Golf & Country Club, Selangor 5. Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, Johor 6. Saujana Golf & Country Club, Selangor 7. Clear Santuary Golf & Country Club, Perak 8. Shan-Shui Golf Club, Sabah 9. Sungai Long Golf & Country Club, Selangor 10. Palm Garden Golf & Country Club, Selangor

Once it was the world’s largest open tin mine with a 150m-deep hole. Now it’s a world-class golf course, The Mines, with a lake as a backdrop. Photo: Peter Fredberg

27

No358

Leisure

SCIENCE FICTION IN KUALA LUMPUR

By Peter Fredberg

As you gaze upwards from the ground there is a sense of science fiction about those glistening silver twin towers of glass and steel reaching toward the heavens.

Petronas Twin Towers rise 452 metres and were from their opening in 1999 until 2004 the world’s tallest buildings. Since then they have been surpassed several times, but the record for the highest twin towers is still held and is something that Kuala Lumpur – KL for short – still proudly boasts of.

Indeed, there is much to be proud of in Malaysia’s multicultural capital, including the variety between the communities, religions and traditions. But nothing beats the jewel in the crown, the Petronas Twin Towers.

The towering landmark is 70 kilometres from the airport, KLIA, and is visible from afar, helping to place the tropical country firmly on the world map and symbolising the government’s ambitious goal to transform KL into a financial centre on a par with Hong Kong and Singapore.

Before ascending to the observation deck on the 86th floor, 360 metres high, don’t forget to stop at the glass bridge linking the towers between the 41st and 42nd floors. The towers are open to the public, so if you’re in the area it’s too good an opportunity to be missed.

Formula 1 and shopping State-owned oil company Petronas, which occupies one of the towers, has also been effective at arranging another great attraction, Malaysia’s Formula 1 racing. There are 21 Grand Prix races globally during 2016, and the 16th race on October 2 will be held at Sepang, just a few minutes’ drive from KL’s international airport. I will be watching it on TV. Meanwhile, on the ground floor of the Petronas Twin Towers is a gigantic shopping centre, the biggest I’ve ever seen.

The Golden Triangle in KL is not called a shopping paradise for nothing.

One evening I ate in the revolving restaurant in the Menara KL Tower, Atmosphere 360 Degrees. The tower seems taller than the Petronas Twin Towers but it’s an illusion, as it stands atop a hill in an area of rainforest, 421 metres high. As from the Twin Towers, there is a fantastic view over the city.

While on the subject of views, from my window at the impressive 5-star hotel, one of many in KL, the Royal Chulan, there is also a fabulous view of the Twin Towers.

Malaysia, with its two states in Borneo (the world’s third largest island), is nine times the size of Denmark. The population is 30 million, two million of whom live in Kuala Lumpur.

28

The Petronas Twin Towers, symbol of Kuala Lumpur

Some 60 percent of the inhabitants are Muslim. The main language is Malay, though English is widely spoken, so also in this respect ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’ is a tourist-friendly country.

One issue is the many cars and the traffic chaos in KL, which during my stay was made worse due to the occasion of the 27th World Summit with many visiting world leaders taking part led by Barack Obama.

ANCHORAGE

HELSINKI VANCOUVER SEATTLE

STOCKHOLM TRONDHEIM

EDMONTON

PORTLAND

ICELAND

OSLO GOTHENBURG COPENHAGEN BERGEN STAVANGER BILLUND HAMBURG FRANKFURT MUNICH ABERDEEN AMSTERDAM GLASGOW BRUSSELS ZURICH MANCHESTER MILAN BIRMINGHAM LONDON PARIS GENEVA HEATHROW & GATWICK

DENVER

BARCELONA

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL

MADRID CHICAGO TORONTO MONTREAL

WASHINGTON D.C.

BOSTON NEW YORK

HALIFAX

JFK & NEWARK

ORLANDO

FLY ICELANDAIR THE SHORTEST WAY TO USA & CANADA

■

Friendly & professional service

■

Three classes of service, Saga Class, Economy Comfort & Economy

■

Comfortable leather seats in all cabins

■

Seatback interactive entertainment system

■

Easy & short transit at Keflavik airport 29

No358

Leisure

ANTOR DENMARK SHOWS THE WAY THE TRIP GOES TO FRANCE, PORTUGAL AND CROATIA

Le Golf National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Photo: Private Golf Key

France also a sports destination Many international sporting events are being organised in France. Everyone knows about the Tour de France, and almost everyone is aware that France is the organiser of UEFA EURO 2016, but did you know that the country will also be hosting the 2017 World Men’s Handball Championship next January? Or

that Paris will co-host the Ice Hockey World Championship in May 2017? Or that the Ryder Cup 2018 will be held at Le Golf National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines?

These major sporting events clearly showcase the capacity and infrastructure that give France the ability to host such large events.

Mere end hundrede tusinde hoteller verden over Nemt og trygt at benytte Aktiviteter fly, bil og transfers

www.expedia.dk/TAAP + 45 38487783 - tast 1 • + 46 0851 761950 - tast 1 26 Expedia_ann_182x125.indd 1

30-31.indd 26

22/12/15 14.05

19-05-2016 12:30:52

med Star Alliance.

Summer of music and festivals in Portugal Summertime in Portugal is much more than an abundance of sunny days. It also offers more than 100 music festivals, with something for every taste in a relaxing, congenial atmosphere.

These festivals, which attract thousands of music lovers to Portugal every summer, are evenly distributed throughout the country. You’ll find plenty of opportunities to combine musical experiences with a visit to the country’s many other attractions. Lisbon and Porto are often highlighted as being among the finest destinations in Europe for a city break – especially if you enjoy nightlife. Summer highlights in the Portuguese capital include the festivals NOS Alive (July 7-9) and Super Bock Super Rock (July 1416), while the NOS Primavera Sound (June 9-11) is a great reason to visit Porto.

Zadar named best destination in Europe Zadr in Croatia was declared the best European destination for 2016 by readers of the European Best Destinations portal, beating 20 other cities. During the three-week online poll, Zadar won almost 300,000 votes, leaving many European cities in the dust.

Zadar is a city-monument, surrounded by historical ramparts, a treasure of archaeological and monumental riches from ancient and medieval times and the Renaissance. It boasts contemporary architectural achievements too, such as the world’s very first Sea Organ, where the movement of the sea pushes air through the pipes, playing chords depending on the size and velocity of the waves.

Powered by Exclusive Van & Limousines

Crewservice CPH Landside www.vipdriving.dk

30-31.indd 27

+45 26850001

crewservice-cph@vipdriving.dk

27

19-05-2016 12:30:57

No358

Car Rental

AIRPORT FORCES CAR RENTAL FIRMS TO MOVE

By Henrik Baumgarten

At the start of 2017, car hire companies at Copenhagen Airport will move into the former domestic flights hall. Many fear this will affect service.

With the exception of Europcar, Denmark’s largest car rental company, Copenhagen Airport is the primary rental point for all of the big players: Avis/Budget, Enterprise, Hertz and Sixt.

But a change is coming for these airport rental companies.

Beginning in the New Year they will all be moved out of their current location just after customs control and into the former domestic flights area.

The move was required by the airport, which will use their current offices between T3 and T2 to create more space for passengers and for the baggage area.

Longer waits “Moving the car rental companies means a poorer product.

I see it as a huge detriment to Copenhagen Airport, which wants to be the world’s best airport. Today, rental cars can be picked up close to the exit. But the change means an initial wait of 10-15 minutes to catch a bus, plus the drive out to the old domestic terminal area to pick up the car,” the head of one of the large car hire firms told Stand By.

Due to concerns about his company’s relationship with the airport, he does not wish to be named.

Rental cars are currently parked in the P-10 parking garage near Arrivals. From January they will be parked in the P-1 garage across from the former domestic terminal. The rental company offices plus car pick-up, return and preparation areas, etc., will also be at P-1.

Minimal delays “The number of passengers at the airport is increasing, and more space is needed in such areas as the passage in which the rental offices are currently placed, and in the baggage area. Car rental companies must move from P-10 to P-1, but the bus trip to P-1 will take about the same amount of time as the walk from Arrivals to P-10,” says Copenhagen Airport’s information officer, Kasper Hyllested.

He has no statistics on the annual number of rentals at the airport and likewise none for the airport’s income in this area.

32

32-33-34-35.indd 32

19-05-2016 12:31:35

med Star Alliance.

CHANGES AT TOP OF BIGGEST CAR HIRE COMPANY

After more than 24 years as managing director of Europcar Denmark, Poul H. Tvede leaves his position at the end of June.

Poul Henrik Tvede, managing director of Europcar/Østergaard Biler in Denmark, will resign at the start of July after an impressive 24 years at the helm. Taking over is 33-year-old MBA Christian Ree, the son of Europcar’s owner in Denmark, millionaire Karsten Ree. “I have to stop sometime,” admits 65-year-old Poul H. Tvede.

“In agreement with the Board of Directors, I have pushed my retirement forward from the beginning of next year to July 1. In May next year I will then become working chairman of the board.”

Things are going well for Europcar. Last year, Denmark’s biggest car rental company made a profit of over DKK 73 million from a

turnover of DKK 456 million. For the coming summer season it has a fleet of 7,500 vehicles, including 1,800 vans and trucks.

Last year, the Danish car rental business raked in a total turnover of DKK 1.3 billion. Poul H. Tvede estimates that Europcar was responsible for a third of this; Avis, Hertz and Sixt another third; and the rest was taken up by local car hire firms.

“I believe all car rental companies are doing well,” he says.

“Tourism in Denmark is growing, especially because discount companies are offering more and more inexpensive tickets. Europcar has 40 rental points in Denmark.”

HB

ENTERPRISE HAS BIG GROWTH PLANS The newest of the large car rental companies on the Danish market is US giant Enterprise, which opened for business last spring at Copenhagen Airport. Since then it has expanded to the country’s next-largest airports, Billund and Aalborg. More will follow.

The goal for Enterprise, which also has the National and Alamo brands, is to become the second- or third-largest car rental company in Denmark in the next few years, says Chairman of the Board Henrik Rohmann-Sønderby.

Ordinarily, he works as sales director at Nordania Leasing.

Behind the Enterprise franchise in Denmark stands Nordania, which is owned by Danske Bank and is the country’s biggest car importer. Via the Scandinavian Motor Co., SMC, it imports such brands as Audi, Porsche, Seat and VW to Denmark.

“2015 was our first year in Denmark, where we had a turnover of DKK 30 million. This year we expect to reach 70 million, and in 2017 we anticipate a turnover of 120 million.”

He adds: “Our 2020 plan is about becoming one of the two or three largest car rental companies in Denmark. This means we will have about 15 percent of the market. At the moment we have

about 600 cars on the Danish market – in high season there will be twice as many. In the 2020 plan our goal is to get up to around 2,500 cars, including mini-lease vehicles.”

Enterprise, which has Lego as one of its more sizeable business customers in Denmark, has hired Rasmus Bjerregaard as head of sales for business customers.

With over 8,100 businesses, subsidiaries and franchisers, Enterprise is represented in 50 countries around the world. At the last count, it had 1.5 million rental vehicles.

HB

Henrik Rohmann-Sønderby, chairman of the board for the Danish franchise of Enterprise.

33

32-33-34-35.indd 33

19-05-2016 12:31:37

No358

Car Rental

AVIS GETS SINGLE SCANDINAVIA GENERAL MANAGER

By Henrik Baumgarten

Car hire company Avis has removed its general manager for Denmark and Sweden and made the top man in Norway, Ole Grönvold, responsible for all of Scandinavia. Denmark’s Lars Dissing is promoted to commercial director for Scandinavia.

Avis Car Rental, which also includes Budget, has shuffled its leadership in the Scandinavian wing of Avis Budget Group (ABG). In 2014, its parent company in the US bought back Avis and Budget in Denmark, Norway and Sweden from the Norwegian RAC Group, which had the franchise.

Avis Budget Car Rental now has Lars Dissing of Denmark (pictured) as Scandinavian commercial director, while the Norwegian Ole Grönvold is managing director for ABG for Scandinavia.

At the beginning of this year, ABG terminated Danish Kasper Gjedsted, who for the past three years has been managing director in Denmark and for the past nine months also in Sweden.

An official statement from ABG in April states: “After several years of positive development under Kasper Gjedsted, steps have been taken to ensure that the good work will continue under new leadership.

Kasper Gjedsted leaves his position after managing a great turnaround resulting in several years of positive results and much growth.”

ABG’s top leadership in Scandinavia now consists of the Norwegian Ole Grönvold as managing director, while Lars Dissing of Denmark has been promoted from Danish country manager to Scandinavian commercial director for ABG. Lars Dissing told Stand By: “Things are going well in Denmark, where we are the second-biggest car rental company. We now have 54 rental points, the most recent being opened in Herning and Næstved.”

Electric bikes lend a hand Lars Dissing says that ABG will continue its traditional car rentals, but the concept of shared vehicles is evolving.

“Many people no longer own their own car and are, for example, using a shared

car. This concept has not yet matured in Denmark, but it is bound to grow. Avis has, among other things, the Zipcar, which is the world’s largest shared car concept and which may also be implemented in Scandinavia,” he explains.

ABG can also deliver cars to business customers or hotel guests. If delivery is, for example, to a guest at a hotel in Central Copenhagen, a collapsible electric bike is placed in the trunk of the car. An employee then drives the car to the hotel for delivery and returns to Avis on the electric bike.

Sceptical about driverless cars With 700 electric cars so far, Avis is the biggest electric car rental firm in Denmark.

The company has just ordered 200 BMW i3 electric cars for delivery this summer, which will take its total to 900. But Lars Dissing does not believe that technology is advanced enough to support self-driving cars.

“The technology will catch up, though,” he adds. “Recent technological innovations include the ability to start the car via a smartphone together with a code provided by the car rental company.”

In high season, ABG has 5,000 rental cars in Denmark and about 3,500 in the winter season. Worldwide, it has some 5,450 rental points in more than 165 countries.

34

32-33-34-35.indd 34

19-05-2016 12:31:39

StandBy_

Delebilsløsning & flådeoptimering • Bil på den nemme måde • Flådestyring og booking • Bedre økonomi Se mere på europcar.dk/weshare 35

StandBy_210*297_maj 32-33-34-35.indd 35 2016.indd 1

18/05/16 11.17 19-05-2016 12:31:39

No358

A day at the office

“WE DRIVE WITH THE CREAM OF THE CROP” filter. I am also a trained guide and I explain how I want things done, also with customer service.”

By Henrik Baumgarten Photo: Preben Pathuel

Specialising in the often discrete driving of heads of state, executives and cruise ship guests who want exclusive transport, the Danish Exclusive Van & Limousine Service has found its niche.

Exclusive Van & Limousine Service does not spend a penny on advertising. The company’s VIP customers often come across them on their own or have the company recommended. Discretion is a cornerstone – who their clients are is nobody’s business.

“We drive for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, so we have driven heads of state, foreign ministers and so on. We typically drive the cream of the crop, and if we were not discrete we’d lose our livelihood. Our employees have also signed a confidentiality agreement,” explains Michael Sachse, who founded Exclusive Van & Limousine Service (EVL) eight years ago.

He adds: “Before someone is hired, they have to go through my

Royals and cruise passengers EVL has 18 cars and limousines as well as buses big and small, including a convertible, a bulletproof limousine with room for three passengers and a large American stretch in the form of a Lincoln Continental with space for eight passengers. There are minibuses with those dark windows that irritate TV commentators at royal events because you can’t see the occupants.

The majority of EVL’s clients are from abroad and the assignments are wide-ranging. They could be driving CEOs, famous musicians and actors or visiting football teams, but also flight crews or cruise passengers. Or just Mr and Mrs Andersen who will swipe the credit card to be transported in style.

If there’s a big conference on in Copenhagen, EVL is also sometimes booked to be constantly on call to drive for a visiting chief executive, for example.

“There are also a number of runs for a few cruise passengers.

They come to Copenhagen and want perhaps to see the royal castles in North Zealand or go on a longer trip to Legoland, stopping at Hans Christian Andersen’s house in Odense,” says Michael Sachse, who has about 30 employees.

Flight crews too Another significant part of EVL’s revenue comes from driving flight crews between the airport and hotels in Copenhagen.

Qatar Airways, SAS, Thai Airways and TAP Portugal are among the airlines EVL has as clients.

EVL also drives VIPs to and from the airport, for example. They can be picked up directly from a private plane or be met after customs. There the drivers often stand, according to the client’s wishes, with either the correct name on a sign or a fictitious name that the client knows and will be looking out for.

According to EVL’s director, there is little competition in its niche arena of VIP transport. There are a few other firms with the same speciality – and they might work together by recommending a competitor if they don’t have the personnel or equipment to manage the trip.

w

36

36-37.indd 36

19-05-2016 12:32:13

”

med Star Alliance.

Der findes bedre biludlejningsselskaber end Sixt Biludlejning…

Aaaaj pjat, det er bare noget, vi lejer!

Kom og lej med på www.sixt.dk

www.sixt.dk

36-37.indd 37

Tlf. 32 48 11 00

37

19-05-2016 12:32:13

No358

Car Rental

SWEDEN’S AIRPORTS TOY WITH CAR POOLING

By Howard Jarvis

The sharing economy is infiltrating the travel industry in many ways. Now Swedish airport operator Swedavia is encouraging passengers to use apps to share cars.

Car sharing is a fast and convenient way to complete your journey in the air, using any of several new app-driven services to grab a car as soon as you’re on the ground. At a number of airports in Sweden, you can now find cars on the tarmac from a range of car-sharing services, such as Car2go, DriveNow and Sunfleet.

Airport operator Swedavia and Sunfleet, Sweden’s biggest car pool, have launched a partnership at the country’s biggest airports, Stockholm Arlanda, Göteborg Landvetter and Malmö. Air passengers who are Sunfleet members can now combine air and car travel.

Car pooling means that you can book a car by clicking a few buttons in a smartphone app and then pay by the hour. No keys are necessary when you pick up the car, as it can be opened using the app or with a smartcard.

“Car sharing via a car pool is big in Europe and will also be really big at our Swedish airports,” promises Birgitta

Moreillon, product manager for airport parking at Swedavia. “Many people need access to a car for a few hours when they land at a destination, so a car pool is a really good and environmentally sustainable travel option.”

At the hubs Sunfleet has more than 1100 cars at around 400 car-pool locations in some 50 cities and towns across Sweden. The number of members stands at 32,000 and is growing 20% a year, according to the company.

“We have locations near the main train stations in Sweden,” says Peter Algurén, Sunfleet’s chief executive. “The fact that we can have our car pool operations at airports is an important component in our being able to offer a comprehensive travel solution.”

Sunfleet has four Volvo cars (rarely older than 18 months) at Arlanda, two each at Landvetter and Malmö, and it also operates at Visby Airport on the island of Gotland. All of the vehicles are classified as ‘green’.

The company describes its service as “a convenient, environmentally friendly and price-competitive alternative to owning or renting a car.”

The Volvos are regularly serviced and cleaned, and there are four different

memberships: One or Small if you rarely need a car, Medium if you need a car a couple of times a week, and Large if you need a car frequently. Fuel is included in the distance fee.

App, app and away Car2go is another car-sharing service where you have to first register as a user. Its app allows you to find the nearest car, book it and unlock it. There are ten Car2go cars at Arlanda, giving passengers who have just landed the freedom to then get around Stockholm.

38

38-39.indd 38

19-05-2016 12:32:49

med Star Alliance.

MORE TOURISTS IN COPENHAGEN

By Henrik Baumgarten

Like other car rental companies at Copenhagen Airport, Hertz is affected by passenger growth. Meanwhile, Hertz International has invested in a US company that takes care of parking the car.

Operating much the same as a city bicycle-sharing scheme, Car2go’s smart cars are now a common sight in many other cities around the world. Once registered and the app downloaded – and after visiting one of the company’s validation points with a driver’s licence – users get access to 250 cars in the Swedish capital.

One you’re finished, park it in any legal parking spot and either keep it reserved or leave it for the next member to take it for a spin. The service has been praised by many cities as an antidote for congestion.

Likewise, DriveNow is a joint venture between BMW and Sixt that provides car-sharing services in a number of cities in Europe and North America.

It opened in both Copenhagen and Stockholm in autumn 2015, with BMW and Mini cars available.

In addition to a one-time registration fee, DriveNow rentals are charged at a per-minute rate, with one-off fees for pick-up or drop-off at airports. Rates are all-inclusive and cover rental, petrol and other fees. The initiative also gives discounted rates for parking, multi-hour usage and daily usage. Again, it’s apps that allow users to locate and reserve the vehicles.

“There is strong demand from arriving flight passengers, especially at Kastrup.

But we also see increased demand in mini-leasing and we are in the competitive market for shared cars,” says marketing director Anders Tärnell of Hertz Car Rental in Denmark and Sweden.

Hertz is approaching 10,000 rental points globally. Its cars can be rented at over 1,600 US airports and more than 1,300 in the rest of the world.

Hertz International recently invested in a new US service concept in which the company Luxe.com eliminates the problem of finding a parking space in big and busy cities.

Get the car parked Group Managing Director Michel Taride broke this news in April at the World

Travel and Tourism Council’s summit meeting in Dallas, where he was one of the speakers. Luxe has found a niche in parking service and has so far offered its services in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Seattle. More will follow.

Luxe customers contact the company – for example via its app – and state the time at which they want to have their car parked. A Luxe employee (a valet) arrives at an agreed-upon place and takes over the car. It can then be parked in a safe place until the customer asks to have it back at a point within the Luxe service zone of the city in question. If desired, Luxe can, for example, also wash the car and refuel it.

“Luxe is a new on-demand service.

Our investment will help Luxe to expand its concept to other major cities, and at the same time allow us to offer more customers the opportunity to use this service, which solves the problem of finding a parking space in large cities,” Michel Taride said.

39

38-39.indd 39

19-05-2016 12:32:49

No358

Car Rental

HOW SAFE ARE DRIVERLESS CARS?

By Howard Jarvis

Looking forward to the day you can drop into a car hire office on holiday and rent a driverless car? Chances are you’ll be waiting many, many years.

Despite claims by Google and other developers of driverless cars that these high-tech vehicles are safer than normal cars, there’s a lot further to go to fully reassure the public they are safe and can interact on a highway with normal cars.

Driverless cars will need to be driven hundreds of millions if not billions of kilometres to clearly demonstrate their

omous vehicle not having an accident or failure over a given distance.

For example, to show that a driverless car had a fatality rate similar to a human-driven one – approximately one death per 100 million miles (160 million kilometres) – the researchers concluded that 275 million failure-free test miles would need to be driven. That equates to 100 driverless cars on the go, constantly, at least at 25 miles per hour (40 km/h), every day of the year for over 12 years, the report says.

“Our results show that developers of this technology and third-party testers cannot drive their way to safety,” said Nidhi Kalra, co-author of the study and a senior scientist at Rand.

Searching for safety The Rand researchers admit that driverless cars may well be safer than today’s mass-produced cars and that worldwide rates of car accidents and related fatalities is high. One of the big hopes for such cars is better safety.

“Developers cannot drive their way to safety” safety, non-profit research group Rand Corp. says in a new report – an amount of testing that is almost impossible.

At this rate, to get enough data to prove their safety would need fleets of the vehicles to drive around the clock for decades. Rand says that new methods of testing are therefore needed.

The group chewed over stats and equations using proposed rates of reliability, or the probability of an auton40

40-41.indd 40

19-05-2016 12:35:15

med Star Alliance.

By Henrik Baumgarten

BIG GROWTH AT SIXT

In many western countries, more than 90% of crashes on the roads are caused by human errors such as driving too fast, alcohol, distraction and fatigue. Autonomous vehicles are never drunk, distracted or tired.

But even the developers know that driverless cars may not eliminate all crashes, and the safety of human drivers is a critical benchmark to compare the safety of autonomous vehicles to.

Rand says that other options to increase safety data could include virtual testing and simulations, mathematical modelling and extensive testing of hardware and software systems. Yet even with more data, “uncertainty will remain” about the safety of driverless vehicles, the researchers say, placing a “significant liability” on developers, insurers and policymakers.

In the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has pointed to areas that need deeper investigation in driverless cars, such as controls and displays, rear visibility and crash protection for passengers.

China accelerates Developers of driverless technology include Google General Motors and Delphi Automotive, while car makers like Volvo, Tesla, Toyota, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Ford are also developing self-driving features.

Google and Delphi have been pushing regulators in the US to draw up a national blueprint of rules of the road for self-driving cars.

But it may be China that progresses fastest in testing, as regulation there it not as strict. Players there include Changan, Baidu and Hangzhou-based Geely, which owns Volvo and is about to test 100 driverless Volvo cars on public roads in “everyday conditions”. A lot of this year’s buzz at the Beijing Motor Show was around driverless cars. So grip your seat and prepare for the ride.

German company Sixt has a presence in over 100 countries with more than 175,000 cars, including 2,500 in Denmark, on about 4,000 rental contracts.

“Sixt has in recent years doubled its turnover in Denmark. Last year the turnover for car rentals alone was DKK 170 million, an increase of 20 percent compared to 2015,” says Philip Schack, managing director of Germany’s Sixt Car Rental Company in Denmark.

So far, Sixt has 22 rental points in Denmark, the most recent of which have

opened in Esbjerg, Fredericia, Karup, Kalundborg, Viborg and Vordingborg.

“It’s no secret that we have thrown ourselves into the fray with low-cost quality and transparent rental contracts with no hidden fees,” Philip Schack says.

Sixt recently introduced its new concept, Sixt Custom, for customers who require specific mobility solutions.

VOLVO TESTS DRIVERLESS CARS

PR photo from Volvo showing the partially self-driving XC90, which is initially slated for test drives in London and Gothenburg.

Driverless car technology has the potential to change the future of motoring.

Experts estimate that when the new technology is fully matured, it will bring enormous benefits in terms of such vital aspects as traffic safety.

But when will the breakthrough occur?

That is the question. Many auto manufacturers are working on this to happen soon. Chinese-owned Volvo of Sweden is

now ready to test its version of a driverless car in London. Drive Me London, as the project is known, is the same one that’s slated for rollout in Volvo’s home town of Gothenburg in 2017 with the model XC90.

On specific stretches, the car will take control of itself. If the car experiences problems, it will pull itself over and stop before it asks the human driver to take the wheel.

41

40-41.indd 41

19-05-2016 12:35:16

No358

Luxury Travel

FIVE-STAR FRENCH FINESSE about 1½ km from the hotel Château Le Thil, a historic country house built in 1737 with 11 large rooms.

How much Room rates at the Château le Thil vary from about DKK 1,600 up to DKK 7,000. Several package deals are available that include full or half board plus excursions.

Meetings Les Sources de Caudalie has five different meeting rooms that can accommodate from 15 meeting participants to 300 people at a conference. There are three restaurants, one of which has been awarded two Michelin stars. The Château le Thil can also be rented for meetings.

By Kitt Andersen

The beautiful Sources de Caudalie Hotel & Spa was built in 1999 from recycled materials found in the local area and is located in the midst of vineyards.

Les Sources de Caudalie Hotel & Spa The hotel is nestled amid the vineyards of Château Haut Lafitte and was inspired by the ‘French paradox’. This refers to the lifestyle associated with southwestern France, where the French have fewer heart attacks than other population groups – despite the fact that they consume both alcohol and lots of saturated fats.

Where Les Sources de Caudalie lies 20 km south of metropolitan Bordeaux and 25 km from Bordeaux Airport.

How many The hotel has more than 40 rooms and 21 suites. Some these are built on stilts that are characteristic for the Arcachon coast. It lies

Activities Bicycles and maps are available for guests and a personal trainer can be booked for fitness, tennis or just for a run. Afterwards you can take a swim in the outdoor 25 m pool, jump in the Jacuzzi or visit the extremely beautiful indoor pool where the bottom is decorated with a large photo by the artist Mathilde de l’Ecotais.

At the Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa, grapes, which are rich in antioxidants, are used in the treatments and at the château there is a tour, a visit to the wine cellar and a wine-tasting.

Benefits Fabulous luxury. There’s nothing but benefits, no matter where you eat, sleep or just relax. It’s recommended to visit the Atlantic coast or the tallest sand dune in Europe, the Grande Dune du Pilat. It’s one hour’s drive from the hotel.

Downside The visit requires a car, and there isn’t a quaint little village nearby. But it will only take you around 15-20 minutes to get to Bordeaux.

42

42-43.indd 42

19-05-2016 12:38:30

med Star Alliance.

43

42-43.indd 43

19-05-2016 12:38:31

44

44-45 Island.indd 44

19-05-2016 12:39:23

No358

med Star Alliance.

Vestenorden

ICELAND ATTRACTS MORE MICE TOURISTS

By Henrik Baumgarten

Iceland’s MICE market increased by 11 percent last year, and the country is now getting several new hotels and flight routes.

When the West Nordic region – the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland – holds its joint annual travel trade fair in Reykjavik on October 4-6, the Icelandic MICE industry is expected to register a strong showing. The annual event is held on even years in Iceland and every odd year in the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

MICE – Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events/Exhibitions – is becoming an increasingly important part of Iceland’s tourism revenues, according to new figures from the Icelandic Tourist Board and Statistics Iceland.

Iceland is currently seeing a boom in tourist arrivals. The figure stood at 1.3 million in 2014 and is increasing to 1.7 million in 2016, according to a prognosis from the tourist board. Seven percent of this number is the result of meetings, conventions and incentives. The 400,000 extra visitors between 2015 and this year are more than Iceland’s total population.

Tourism has overtaken fishing as the country’s biggest source of foreign currency and Iceland, the second largest island in Europe after England, has become stronger when it comes to attracting MICE guests.

More routes, more hotels It has become easier to fly direct to Iceland. More and more airlines are opening routes to the main airport, Keflavik, which is

50 kilometres from the capital Reykjavik.

Twenty-five airlines are currently operating in Keflavik with 80 destinations in 69 countries in Europe and North America during the summer season – and 39 in the winter season.

The increase in tourists has also meant a hotel boom, especially in Reykjavik. There and in the surrounding area, there are currently 180 hotels and guesthouses with 4,000 rooms.

The capital has 35 hotels, mostly in the centre. Last year alone, 872 new hotel rooms opened in the city, up 26 percent on 2014.

By 2019, Reykjavik expects to have about 2,500 new hotel rooms.

First 5-star hotel In 2018, a Marriott hotel will open with about 250 rooms from its Edition brand close to Reykjavik’s conference centre and concert hall, Harpa. It will be Iceland’s first 5-star hotel.

Reykjavik itself currently has around 3,300 hotel rooms – in three years that number is expected to be 4,000. There will also be a 5-star hotel near one of the country’s biggest tourist attractions, the Blue Lagoon, which is close to Keflavik airport.

Since 2000, the number of foreign visitors to Iceland has increased by 85 percent. In 2014, there were 998,000 foreign visitors to Iceland, and last year almost half of all overnight stays were in Reykjavik and the capital region.

45

44-45 Island.indd 45

19-05-2016 12:39:25

PATA

No358

TTG Inter

READY FOR PATA DENMARK VERSION 2.1

By Claus Vestergaard Pedersen Chairman, PATA Denmark

PATA Denmark has a new chairman and vice-chairman and is stepping up its efforts to attract new members. And panel discussions will be held this autumn on the future of the travel industry.

At the Annual General Meeting held in February at Hotel SP34 in Copenhagen, PATA Denmark bid farewell to its chairman of many years, Karin Gert Nielsen.

She stopped down due to the demands of her own firm. The vice-chairman, Morten Balk, also stopped at the same time. PATA Denmark thanks Karin and Morten for their great work on the board.

If you have any comments or ideas about how we can make PATA even better, feel free to contact claus@pata.dk or pata@pata.dk.

PATA is an acronym for the Pacific Asia Travel Association, but it covers more than just the countries bordering the Pacific Ocean. Find out more at pata.org or pata.dk.

PATA Denmark is one of 43 national PATA associations.

Claus Vestergaard Pedersen, 35, is the new chairman of PATA Denmark. He is Area Director MICE Nordic at the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and oversees meetings and events for the chain’s more than 1,400 hotels.

PATA’s new board has chosen June Nielsen from InterTravel as its new vice-chairman, who also manages the PATA Secretariat, while I was elected as the new chairman.

It is a responsibility we take seriously, and along with the board we are delighted to unveil what we call PATA 2.1.

This is a working title for the board’s efforts to attract new members – both from other branches of the travel industry and younger employees in the travel sector.

The work of getting new and also younger members is taking place in a travel industry that is selling more and more but which, unfortunately, seems to have fewer and fewer jobs. We would therefore like to reach out to a broader audience to find more new members.

New membership strategy PATA has to formulate a new membership strategy that makes us more accessible. We have to become even better at explaining what PATA is and what the benefits of membership are.

PATA will remain Denmark’s largest network in the travel industry and we have many exciting initiatives underway.

At the end of the year we will begin panel discussions with a focus on the travel industry. The first debate will be about the travel industry in the year

2020, asking in which direction the industry will develop, which players we will see on the market, etc.

The idea behind the panel discussions is to look at the future of the travel industry. We will invite players from several parts of the industry, bringing in guests who can provoke and create debates between the panel and the participants.

We will put information about this and much more on our soon-to-be upgraded website, pata.dk, and on our Facebook page.

PATA Denmark has already had several events this year and more are on the way. We have, for example, set dates for our large annual Worldwide Workshops. This year they will take place on November 2 at the Comwell Hotel in Aarhus and the following day at the Tivoli Hotel & Congress Centre in Copenhagen. Everyone is welcome, including non-members.

PATA – Pacific Asia Travel Association – includes tourism organisations in the Asia Pacific region, including government tourist offices. See more at: PATA.org or PATA.dk. PATA Denmark is one of 43 national PATA associations worldwide.

46

46-47 PATA.indd 46

19-05-2016 12:39:53

med Star Alliance.

TTG International Nordic FP 2_Cover copy 9 09/11/2015 10:16 Page 1

WELCOME TO THE

TTG ONLINE WORLD OF

THE ONLY TRULY GLOBAL TRAVEL TRADE MEDIA

ttg.cz

ttgitalia.com

ttgmena.com

ttgnordic.com

ttg-russia.ru

ttgmedia.com

Generating over 2 million* impressions Reaching over 200,000* engaged visitors *Stats as of November 2015

For more information email tfields@ttgmedia.com Twitter.com/TTGGlobal

47

46-47 PATA.indd 47

19-05-2016 12:39:53

No358

Events

BA OPENING HEATHROW-BILLUND

BA brought in a London bus for the first flight from Billund to London Heathrow. Danish actress Birgitte Hjort Sørensen is pictured in the middle with the aircraft’s cabin crew, on the left Director of Billund Airport Keld Zacho Jørgensen, and on the right BA’s North European chief Peter Rasmussen.

Billund Airport launches two important routes this spring, Helsinki by Finnair and the latest British Airways route from London Heathrow, Europe’s biggest airport.

BA will fly 11 times a week between its main hub and Billund, representing around 170,000 seats a year. Danish actress Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, who

INTRIGUING GATHERING FOR DBTA MEETING The DBTA held its annual meeting at the Tivoli Hotel, including many exciting and topical features. Among the speakers was SAS Chief Operating Officer Lars Sandahl Sørensen, who as expected was quizzed about the story of Lufthansa’s supposed interest in making SAS part of its lowcost plans under Eurowings, a story publicised by the news agency Reuters the day before the meeting.

“I was earlier involved in air transport and have now returned, and with half-yearly intervals this story turns up.

There is overcapacity, and around us consolidation is taking place, but I will not comment on rumours that keep surfacing,” was his comment.

KA

received her international breakthrough with the TV series Borgen and Game of Thrones, was at the opening in Billund.

GREAT FASHION INDUSTRY PRIZE-GIVING The MPI Awards has changed its name to DEMA 2016 (Danish Events & Meetings Awards) and the 10 awards were presented at a wonderful event in the DR Concert House with music from Burhan G, Medina and Xander. Emil Thorup was the presenter and 24 nominees for eight awards were chosen by a newly established jury from the fashion and events sector. KA

The Outstanding Achievement Award went to Ann Hansen, Concept+Competence, and Bo Krüger, Moving Minds. These two helped develop the meeting concept Meetovation, which with great success was incorporated into, among others, the European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) 2016, held in Copenhagen in February.

Photo: Preben Pathuel

48

48-49-50-51-52-53.indd 48

19-05-2016 15:13:11

TURNOUT FOR JET TIME HOUSE WARMING Denmark’s largest airline recently presented its new headquarters in Kastrup. Sixty administrative workers are employed there and the company also has more than 600 pilots, cabin crew, aircraft mechanics, etc.

At the New Year, Adm. Director Teddy Zebitz, former National Chief for Emirates in Denmark, arrived. He replaces Klaus Ren, who was one of the founders of Jet Time 10 years ago.

Jet Time currently has 29 aircraft, 15 Boeing B737s and 14 ATR propeller-driven aircraft, 12 of which are in SAS colours flying several SAS regional routes.

At the Jet Time reception, from left: the company’s owner and chairman Lars Thuesen, Sydbank share-analysis chief Jacob Pedersen, Birthe Madsen, Jet Time Vice President Business Development & Organisation, Teddy Zebitz and Klaus Ren. Photo: Preben Pathuel.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING WITH DRF NEW GREEK DESTINATION Denmark’s travel agency union DRF ceased including the Incoming Branch from the start of the New Year, so new board members had to be elected at the recent AGM at the Hotel Scandinavia in Copenhagen. Board members Heidi Maak, Adm. Director at Vitus Travel, Profil Travel’s Peter Rasmussen and Ticket Office’s Jesper Schou were all re-elected. DRF’s 104 member travel agencies have an annual turnover of around 18 billion kroner.

Most of the DRF board members, front from left: Josephine Piplits from CWT and Heidi Maak from Vitus Travel. Behind from left: DRF Adm. Director Lars Thykier, Chairman of the Board Asger Domino from Stengaard Travel and Peter Rasmussen from Profile Travel

Sustainability, luxury and olive groves. These are the keywords of Costa Navarino, which was presented at a press meeting at Saxo Bank at the beginning of May. The destination moved closer to the Danes on May 16 when Aegean Airlines began flights directly from Copenhagen and Billund to Kalamata International Airport in the Peloponnese, on the Greek mainland.

Costa Navarino is in Messina in the southern part of Peloponnese, offering outdoor activities such as golf, cycling, climbing and scuba-diving, while emphasising that it’s also a great destination for children. There are conference facilities too.

KA

At the Costa Navarino presentation were, among others, from top left: Dimitris Michos, Chief of Saxo Bank in Greece, Theodorides Stephanos, Administrative Director at Temes, which develops luxury resorts in Costa Navarino, Atlantic Link Administrative Director Karin Gert Nielsen, Aegean Airlines Area Manager in the Nordics Henrik Lund, Greek Ambassador to Denmark Eleni Sourani and Temes Director for Marketing & Business Development Marina Papatsoni.

49

48-49-50-51-52-53.indd 49

19-05-2016 15:13:14

No358

Events

EASYJET ROUTE TO LYON Atout France and Franҫois Zimeray, French Ambassador to Denmark, invited the trade to a presentation of among other things the new EasyJet route to Lyon, at the French Embassy on Kgs. Nytorv.

Michelin Chef Romain Barthe from Chef Auberge de Clochemerle Vaux en Beaujolais was flown in to offer culinary masterpieces for the event.

There was also the opportunity to get updated with news from Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, Corsica, EasyJet and Spa Hotel Chãteau Dea Tourelles, which is in Pornichet in the west of France. The new EasyJet route to Lyon will continue yearround, as it will also be attractive to skiing enthusiasts.

From left: Caroline Dal’line, Atout France, Michelin Chef Romain Barthe, Chef Auberge de Clochemerle Vaux en Beaujolais, Benoît Chollet, Atout France, French Ambassador Franҫois Zimeray, Isabelle Faure Auvergne, Rhône-Alpes, Reginald Otten, EasyJet, and Christine Aby, Atout France

BIG TURNOUT FOR 60TH BIRTHDAY Major shareholder of, among other companies, Denmark’s Jet Time and owner of Stand By, Lars Thuesen celebrated his 60th birthday with a reception at Nørrebro Brewery – of which he is also co-owner.

Jens Wittrup Willumsen, left, with Allan Agerholm at the VisitDenmark reception. Photo: Preben Pathuel.

CHANGES AT VISITDENMARK At Lars Thuesen’s reception, from left: Jet Time Commercial Director John Uggerhøj, Lars Thuesen and Patrick Menzies, Nordic Chief of South African Airways. Photo: Preben Pathuel.

At the New Year, VisitDenmark acquired a new chairman, the reception for which was held in April. Here, VisitDenmark’s Chairman of the last three years officially handed over the baton to Allan Agerholm, who is Adm. Director for Bella Center’s BC Hospitality Group.

SOON IT’S GOODBYE TO MR COMWELL The end of the year will mark farewell to Preben Nesager, former chief executive at the Danish chain Comwell, which currently has 18 hotels and conference centres. In 2014, he chose to step down to become Development Director at Comwell, where he recently celebrated his 40th anniversary. Once he leaves the company he will be working with his consultancy company as an advisor to the hotel industry.

At Preben Nesager’s reception, he is flanked by Allan Agerholm, Director of Bella Center BC Hospitality Group, and Horesta Administrative Director Katia Østergaard.

50

48-49-50-51-52-53.indd 50

19-05-2016 15:13:15

DELTA AGAIN IN COPENHAGEN From May 27 to September 6, one of the world’s largest airlines will, again, open its seasonal route between New York JFK and Stockholm and Copenhagen, with daily flights over certain periods. Delta, part of the Skyteam alliance, is the only American airline to serve Copenhagen. Delta, together with its Skyteam partners Air France and KLM, recently held a get-together for the travel trade to publicise the opening of the new route. The event, at the Hotel Axel Guldsmeden in Copenhagen, was co-hosted

by California’s Tourist Bureau.

At Delta’s reception in Copenhagen, from left: Karin Gert Nielsen, whose company Atlantic Link among others represents California’s Tourist Bureau in the Nordics, Delta Sales Chief for Northern Europe Jan Feenstra, Director of Guldsmeden Hotels Sandra Plesner Weinert, Air France-KLM Sales Chief in Denmark Jens Vestergaard, Atlantic Link Sales Chief John Migliorni and Air France-KLM European Sales Chief Frederic Descours

SAS WITH NEW USA ROUTE SAS opened its first route between Copenhagen and Boston in April, flown by Swiss PrivatAir. The Boston flight is SAS’s ninth route from Scandinavia to the USA, one of, in all, 6,800 annual flights representing 1.6 million seats. Copenhagen’s airport now has 11 direct flights to the USA – Norwegian has the most destinations, SAS the most departures.

US Ambassador to Denmark Rufus Gifford inaugurates the new SAS route from Copenhagen to Boston flanked by, left, Copenhagen Airport Director Thomas Woldbye and SAS Chief Operating Officer Lars Sandahl Sørensen. Photo: Ernst Tobisch.

60 YEARS WITH FLEMMING SONNE

At the reception: To the right, celebrating his birthday Flemming Sonne, with Susanne Holst, Manager for International Network at alarm center SOS International, and the new Director of Thai Airways in Denmark, Patapong Na Nakorn

There was a big gathering at Asia House on Østerbro in May, when Thai Airways’ Nordic Sales Director, Flemming Sonne, turned 60. He is now approaching his 25th anniversary with the company. Thai Airways has up to 25 weekly flights from Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo to Bangkok, and during the winter season four flights a week to Thailand’s largest island Phuket from Copenhagen and Stockholm.

51

48-49-50-51-52-53.indd 51

19-05-2016 15:13:16

No358

Jobs

New information chief at SAS

New job for DBTA chairman

Mariam Skovfoged will in June become chief information officer for SAS in Denmark. She has previously served as press officer at the Ministry of Environmen t and chief information officer at the Environmental Protection Agency. She has a journalism degree from the University of Southern Denmark and has also worked for TV2 and the Danish Broadcasting Corporation .

Mariam Skovfoged will replace Trine Kromann-Mikkelsen, who left to become head of communications at the hearing aid company William Demant.

The Danish full-service representation agency Atlantic Link has hired Martin Schmidtsdorff as a new sales manager.

He began his career at DSB Tours in 1987 and has since worked for six years at Cathay Pacific and at the travel agency MyPlanet. For the past five years he has been sales manager at the GSA bureau Discover the World.

Top post for Danish hotel manager

New general manager at Gouda After 14 years at Europæiske Rejseforsikring, Nordic Sales Manager Dan Kjølhede Laursen will leave the company to become general manager at Gouda Rejseforsikring Norden, where he will begin in August at the latest. He replaces Uffe Svennson, who has accepted a new job outside the travel industry.

Farewell to a well-known figure

After purchasing Ticket Biz in December 2015, the business travel bureau BCD Travel has a new Nordic organisation with Thomas Ådén at the helm. The new structure means farewell to the previous BCD manager in Denmark, Per Markussen. The new manager in Denmark is Commercial Director Anders Lau Nielsen.

New sales manager at GSA bureau

After seven years as travel manager at Tryg Forsikring, 45-year-old Line Hein will become Head of International Network at the emergency call centre SOS International in Copenhagen. She is chairman of the Danish Business Travel Association and has told Stand By that she will work for SOS as chief buyer with responsibility for all collaboration agreements.

Travel agency to expand The Danish NG Travel Group, which consists of USA Tours and Beach Tours, has just hired Bravo Tours’ product manager, 51-year-old Jens Thykier, as production manager.

NG has also brought in Rikke Koks Andreassen, 44, as public relations officer. She has previously worked with communications at Copenhagen Airport and Apollo Rejser.

Jens Frank-Mikkelsen, 37, will start in June as Director of Business Development at the large Hilton hotel in Sydney, Australia.

Since 2014, he has been working in a similar position at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa on Thailand’s largest island, Phuket. Jens Frank-Mikkelsen went to Phuket after 10 years at the Hilton Copenhagen Airport where his last job title was also Director of Business Development.

New hotel chief executive

The 22-room Skovshoved Hotel north of Copenhagen has hired Pia Elizabeth Remillard as its new chief executive.

She comes from a similar position at the Helenekilde Strandhotel in the North Zealand town of Tisvilde. She also worked for 12 years as director of Copenhagen’s largest hotel group, ArpHansen.

52

48-49-50-51-52-53.indd 52

19-05-2016 15:13:21

G T T f o e u s s i t x e d The n e h s i l b u p s i c i d Nor h t 5 1 t s u g u on A

WE’RE FOCUSING ON

MICE, HOTELS & CRUISE For advertising please call +45 70 25 97 00 or write to sales@ttgnordic.com Deadline is July 7th

You can also advertise for your new staff members at ttgnordic.com 53

48-49-50-51-52-53.indd 53

19-05-2016 15:13:25

PARTNERS

Associations

Airlines www.jet-time.dk

www.airfrance.com/dk www.airfrance.com/se

www.klm.com

www.messe.no/reiseliv

www.dbta.dk

Ferries & Cruises

www.arp-hansen.dk

www.brussels-international.be www.euromic.com

www.smalldanishhotels.dk

www.scandi.de www.hotelonlineRES.biz

Insurance www.airgreenland.gl

www.lot.com

www.srf-org.se

www.celebrity.com

www.firsthotels.com

Attractions www.alsieexpress.dk

www.sas.dk

DANMARK www.dfds.dk

www.hotelforoyar.fo

www.erv.dk

www.eckerolinjen.se

www.helnan.info

www.erv.se

www.faergen.dk

www.hafnia.fo

www.gouda.dk

SVERIGE www.austrian.com

www.sun-air.dk

www.bluelagoon.com

Car Rentals & Limousines www.ba.com

www.flytap.com/Danmark

MICE

www.flybmi.com

www.thomascookairlines.dk

www.autoeurope.dk

www.hurtigruten.com

www.melia.com

Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events/ Exhibitions

www.cxagents.com

www.newsagentlive.com

www.avis.dk www.avis.se www.avis.no

www.royalcaribbean.dk/fi/no/se

www.royalcaribbean.com

www.lemeridien.com

www.cirkusbygningen.dk

www.dat.dk

www.qatarairways.com

www.europcar.dk www.europcar.com

www.scandlines.dk

www.hoteltorshavn.fo

www.hadlerdmc.com

www.estonian-air.com

www.finnair.dk

www.icelandair.dk www.icelandair.se www.icelandair.no

www.iberia.com

Airports and handling

www.bll.dk

www.hca-airport.dk

www.cph.dk

Hotels

Conferences & Courses www.hertzdk.dk

www.nationalcar.dk

www.absalon-hotel.dk

www.sixt.dk

www.adina.eu

Fairs, Travel Trade

Publications www.scandichotels.dk

www.transhotel.com

www.bonnierrespons.dk

www.wimdu.dk

www.billund-airport.dk/ om-lufthavnen/check-in-billund

Incoming

DESTINATION

Tours & Excursions www.arthurhotels.dk

www.oi-brasil.dk

54

54-55 Partners.indd 1

19-05-2016 12:42:07

No357

Contents

Alfabetica

www.standby.dk www.standbynews.com

www.visitdenmark.com

www.visitnorway.com

www.kronerejser.dk

Rail Travel

CONTENTS

www.spain.info

www.mangaard-travel.dk

travelize.com AllaBussresor.se AllaTemaresor.se

www.visitsweden.com denmark@visitsweden.com

www.norskrejsebureau.dk

www.travelport.dk www.travelport.se

www.rb-seniorklub.dk

www.worldspan.com

www.godominicanrepublic.com

www.procon.dk

www.spain.info

TRAVEL MANAGEMENT Page 12

Security – for travel and for data www.bahn.com

12

Page 14

Visiting Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Page 20

Amex wins a big contract

Page 22

Guide to travel apps and open booking

Recruitment Travel Trade

www.tahiti-tourisme.dk

www.gotoasia.no

www.centrum-personale.dk

LEISURE Page 26

www.greenland.com

www.tourismthailand.se

Malaysia – world-class golf

TONS RECOMMANDÉS (4)

MINEFI MIN_11_0000_RdVFrance_Q Date le 22/06/2011 A NOUS RETOURNER SIGNÉE AVEC VOTRE ACCORD OU VOS CORRECTIONS

JFB

ACCORD

CRÉATION

CYAN

MAGENTA

JAUNE

NOIR

DATE

ÉCHELLE 1/1 - FORMAT D’IMPRESSION 100%

PRODUCTION

1

CONSULTANT

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

CLIENT + QUALITÉ*

CARRÉ NOIR - 82, bd des Batignolles - 75017 Paris - FRANCE / Tél. : +33 (0)1 53 42 35 35 / Fax : +33 (0)1 42 94 06 78 / Web : www.carrenoir.com

CAR RENTAL

26

44

Page 32

Car rental firms moved at Copenhagen Airport

Page 36

Chauffeur 1st class

Page 38

Swedish airports toy with car pooling

Page 40

Report on driverless cars

VESTNORDEN Page 44

MICE in Iceland

www.berning-leonhardt.com

www.kellyservices.dk

www.hungary.com

www.germany.travel

www.discoverireland.com

www.unikkemoedesteder.dk

www.usarejser.dk

Travel Technology

www.amadeus.com/sca

Want to be a partner?

CALL www.topflight.no

Tourist Boards - Information

www.inspiredbyiceland.com

www.visitaland.com www.visitaland.com/se

www.datacon.dk/travel

+45 70 25 97 00

Travel Agencies www.visitfinland.se www.visitfinland.com

EVENTS & RECRUITMENT

Business & Leisure www.bcdtravel.dk

www.bcdtravel.se

www.bcdtravel.no

www.bcdtravel.fi

www.dolphind.com www.flightscanner.biz

Page 48 www.visitbritain.com

www.visitmalta.com

www.galileo.dk

38 Cover Photo: Ulrik Jantzen

Stand By is issued six times per year and distributed as paid subscription in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, The Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland to travel agents, tour operators, airline offices tourist agencies, foreign tourist representatives, tourist bus companies, and all of the major industries in Scandinavia. Stand By bears no responsibility for unsolicited editorial material

2

02-56 Indhold_Web Dir.indd 1

Is YOUR company missing?

Contact STAND BY on phone: + 45 7025 9700 or e-mail: sales@standby.dk

Absalon Hotel Adina Alsie Express Air France Air Greenland Amadeus Scandinavia Arp-Hansen Hotel Group Arthur Hotels Austrian Auto Europe Avis Baltic Stand By BCD Travel Berning & Leonhardt Billund Lufthavn Blue Lagoon Bonnier Responsmedier British Airways British Midland Airways Brussels Int. Travel Service Cabin Hotel Cathay Pacific Airways Celebrity Cruises Centrum Personale A/S Check-in Billund Cimber Air Cirkusbygningen Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers Copenhagen Airport Danish Air Transport Datacon A/S Destiantion DB Bahn DBTA DFDS Seaways Dolphin FlightScanner Dominican Republic Estonian Air Europcar Europæiska Reseförsäkringar Europæiske Rejseforsikring Finnair First Hotel FlyNordic Franske turistkontor Færgen Galileo GoToAsia Gouda Rejseforsikring Hadler DMC Head aHead Helnan International Hotels Herning Messer, Rejsemesse Hertz Hotel Føroyar Hotel Hafnia Hotel Tórshavn Hungarian National Tourist Office Hurtigruten Icelandair Icelandic Tourist Board Irland Turisme Jet Time A/S Kelly KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Krone Rejser LOT Polish Airlines Malta Tourism Mangaard Travel Group Meliâ Meridien National Car Norges Varemesse, Reiseliv Norsk Rejsebureau ProCon Solution RejserNu.dk Rejsebranchens Seniorklub Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Qatar Airways SAS Scandi International DMC Scandic Hotels Scandlines Sixt Small Danish Hotels Smyril Line Spanske turistkontor SRF Svenska Resebyrånföreningen Stand By Tahiti Tourisme TAP Portugal Team Benns Thailand Tourist Thomascookairlines Topflight AS Travelize Travelport Travel Proffesionals Travel Club Tysk Turist Information USA Rejser Vienna Tourist Board Virgin Atlantic VisitBritain VisitDenmark VisitFinland VisitGreenland.com VisitNorway VisitNordsjælland VisitSweden Wimdu Worldspan Ålands Turistinformation

55

19-05-2016 12:20:37

T TG NO R DIC

No 358

M ay/J une 201 6

| May / Ju ne 2016

Travel Trade Gazette

En forsikring er ikke længere nok!

Hos Europæiske ERV mener vi ikke, at en god erhvervsrejseforsikring først træder i kraft, når skaden er sket. Til efteråret lancerer vi derfor vores egen sikkerheds-app, der bl.a. hjælper den rejsende med advarsler omkring lokale hændelser. Det kan eksempelvis være uroligheder, terrorangreb og vejrsituationer i det land du opholder dig i – samt overskuelige kort og vejbeskrivelser til nærmeste hospital, apotek og ambassade.

GUIDE TO APPS AND OPEN BOOKING

A1 7 3_05.16

En forsikring skal i dag også være forebyggende! Med en forsikring hos Europæiske ERV er du i gode hænder. Både før, under og efter rejsen.

JENS LILTORP: WE NEED TO BE THE COMPANY WATCHDOG

01-56 forside_bagsideC.indd 1

19-05-2016 12:19:19