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● In the UK, the head of Kuoni has said the company has had to “shift” its salaries to attract more people to the company, after the Covid pandemic forced many workers to leave the sector. Managing director Derek Jones discussed the struggles facing recruitment in the industry in a Travel Weekly webcast. For more information, read the complete article here.
● British Airways parent IAG is aiming to increase the number of women in senior roles throughout the group to 40 percent over the next three years. Previously, the company set its sights on a goal of a one-third (33 percent) increase by 2025.) It achieved that last year, however, and the goal was set for a higher figure. “We have made great progress increasing female representation in recent years as part of a robust approach to diversity and inclusion,” said IAG chief executive Luis Gallego. “Having achieved our previous target for 2025 in 2021, we are extending our ambition to 40 percent of senior management roles [being] held by women in the same timeframe.”
● Yankee Leisure Group rebrands. For its 50th Anniversary, the company has rebranded from Yankee Leisure Group to Railbookers Group to continue its growth and evolution as the largest FIT rail vacation provider worldwide. One factor that helps Railbookers stand out is its status as a 100 percent virtual company and has been for two years. It used the global pandemic to recreate itself and not be constrained by having physical offices and being able to add new staff members remotely to its incredible team. Today it has staff in 5 countries and 26 different U.S. States, all remote and, as the company said in a news release, “We are stronger than ever.” For more information, visit railbookersgroup.com.
● OAG says there is enough seat capacity to serve as base for continued recovery: An OAG update last week had the following to say: “Global capacity continues to hold above 82 million seats this week and this is now the fourth consecutive week when the industry has supplied more than 80 million suggesting a solid platform for future airline capacity growth over the summer season. In the same week in 2019, there were some 106 million seats on sale, so capacity remains some 23 percent below what was once considered the normal level of airline capacity; things are of course improving and more country markets are open as travel restrictions ease in destinations such as Singapore, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates.” Read the complete item here.
● The Westjet Group has bought Sunwing Airlines and Sunwing Vacations from Stephen Hunter and TUI, who maintain their Blue Diamond hotel company and their receptive Nexus, sources from the group revealed to the trade publication REPORTUR.us. Westjet is based in Calgary and has been owned by Onex since 2009 after paying 3.5 billion Canadian dollars, while Sunwing, based in Toronto, was founded in 2002 by Colin Hunter, father of the current CEO. TUI owns 49 percent. The tour operator business will be based in Toronto, with the airlines in Calgary; Alexis von Hoensbroech will continue as CEO of WestJet, which employs 8,490 people and has 180 aircraft. Sunwing has 2,400 employees and a fleet that has reached 40 airplanes. Westjet is the second largest airline in its country after Air Canada, which has its own division for vacations, as well as Transat, based in Montreal and is well-known in in Europe. Click here for more on this story.
● The Travel Corporation (TTC) has reorganized its tour brands into one division, TTC Tour Brands, which will become a single source for sales, marketing and operating of the corporation’s individual tour operators, including Trafalgar and its other brands. The company has such well-known tour operators as Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, Costsaver, Brendan Vacations and Adventure World Travel—all now all part of TTC Tour Brands. The new division was made to make it easier for travel advisors to work with the individual brands. TTC Tour Brands will be led by Gavin Tollman, who takes on the role as the new division’s CEO. The division will be split into five global sales and marketing regions. The United States and Canada will become the new North America sales and marketing region, no longer split into two different regions. Others include the Oceania, Asia and Africa regions. Click here for more information.
● The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association has announced that American Express Travel is its first global partner in the financial services sector. The collaboration aligns one of the world’s most recognizable travel brands with the organization. For the past 18 years, American Express has scored 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, a ranking that takes into account the company’s policies and practices that support LGBTQ+ inclusion. American Express is also a member of Open for Business, a coalition of global companies making the economic and business case for LGBTQ+ inclusion around the world. The company released its inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report in 2021, which documents its progress on DE&I commitments and initiatives as part of its $1 Billion DE&I Action Plan. For more details, click here.
● NYC Landmark Theatre Named after Actor James Earl Jones. In addition to his many acting roles and credits, along with his voiceover work (the voice of Darth Vader no less) and a stage career of more than six decades, James Earl Jones is the name of a theatre in NYC and becomes, per force, a destination for travelers to the city to see and visit. The Shubert Organization, Inc., recently announced that the 110-year-old Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street) will become the James Earl Jones Theatre, in recognition of Mr. Jones’s “lifetime of immense contributions to Broadway and the entire artistic community.” Jones’s Broadway career began in 1957, and in 1958 he played his first role at the Cort Theatre in Sunrise at Campobello. “The Shubert Organization is so incredibly honored to put James—an icon in the theatre community, the Black community, and the American community—forever in Broadway’s lights,” said Robert E. Wankel, Shubert CEO and board chair. “That James deserves to have his name immortalized on Broadway is without question.” Click here for the complete news release.
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Filed Under: Airlines, Industry News, Mergers and Acquisitions, Trade News Tagged With: new tourist attractions, travel and tourism news, travel industry news
TRADE TALK & TOURISM INDUSTRY BUZZ
March 1, 2022 by Tom Berrigan
● Washington, D.C., the USA’s capital city, has appointed Finn Partners to handle its travel trade and consumer public relations as it looks to boost tourism following the easing of international travel restrictions. Finn Partners, which Washington, D.C. has appointed on a retained basis, said it would advise on “market strategies” to encourage tourists back to the U.S. Capital. Which has recently spent more than $10 billion on development.
The agency plans to highlight some of the tourist attractions available that are beyond the White House, such as the National Cherry Blossom Festival and DC Jazz Fest. It will also expand the training program for travel agencies in the UK and Ireland devised by Destination DC, the marketing organization for Washington, D.C. Debbie Flynn, managing partner and global travel practice leader at Finn Partners, said the U.S. capital was a “historically rich, exciting and diverse city.”
“It’s just over three months since the borders to the U.S. reopened and our focus will be to position Washington, D.C. front and center.” NYC-based Finn Partners has more than quadrupled in size in eight years. It has offices across the U.S. and in London, Paris, Beijing and Singapore, among other locations globally.
● Thomas Cook, the OTA travel company that is a re-launch of the famous Thomas Cook brand that shut down in September 2019, has launched a business in the Netherlands, as the brand starts to expand into Europe. According to Travel Weekly UK, The Dutch company will operate on the same digital platform as the UK and will work with new and existing partners to offer consumers in the Netherlands holiday packages in a wide range of European destinations. Customers will be able to fly from all major airports and choose from airlines such as Transavia, Corendon and easyJet. Thomas Cook’s new Dutch company is a member of ANVR, the Dutch travel association, as well as SGR and Calamiteitenfonds, which together provide full consumer protection. Thomas Cook Netherlands will initially have a small local team with support from the current UK team. As the business develops, it aims to add more team members.
● Mapping Black Townships in the USA: Cymone Davis, former city manager of the oldest historically Black town in Oklahoma is developing a Geographic Information System (GIS) tool that will map all the Black townships in the U.S. Davis, who recently stepped down as city manager of Tullahassee, Oklahoma, in order to run Black Towns Municipal Management, has a goal of scaling and creating sustainability for the work done in Black townships. In an article in DailyYonder.com, she said: “I think that what I’m really excited about with the GIS mapping tool is for the public to identify, recognize, and completely go down their own rabbit hole of figuring out what Black townships are, where they used to be, and what they can be.” The tool was scheduled to launch any day now, preferably during Black History month. Davis said records indicate Black townships were around even before the American Revolution, and now roughly 30 historic communities and townships remain today. “The history of all these townships is so unique, and they’re so different,” she said. Read here for the complete article.
● British Columbia’s Government Announces Attraction to Honor Chinese Canadians: Expected to open in 2023, the historic Wing Sang Building, the oldest building in Vancouver Chinatown, will be the permanent site of the Chinese Canadian Museum. “The contributions of Chinese Canadians to this province have been invaluable,” Premier John Horgan said. “The Chinese Canadian Museum responds to the community’s long-standing desire for a place to share stories of achievement and shine a light on injustice. The museum will be an important place for all British Columbians, connecting the past to the present and future generations.”
The province is providing $27.5 million to the Chinese Canadian Museum Society of British Columbia to support continued planning and operations of the society, as well as the purchase of the historic Wing Sang Building at 51 East Pender Street. “Museums connect us to the past and the present. For years, the Chinese Canadian communities in B.C. have been calling on government to share the rich history of Chinese Canadians – both the challenges and contributions,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “This new museum is a light in Vancouver Chinatown and a response to a call to action from our fellow British Columbians who have historically endured poor treatment. It is an important legacy for British Columbians for generations to come.”
The building will be owned and operated by the Chinese Canadian Museum Society of British Columbia.
● City Experiences announced the launch of Venture Ashore, the largest independent cruise excursions provider in the world, delivering uniquely curated amazing experiences for cruise travelers led by professional guides in hundreds of ports worldwide. Venture Ashore cruising excursions are offered in 111 countries and counting with departures from over 500 ports of call worldwide featuring over 5,000 individual tours. Venture Ashore is the newest addition to the City Experiences portfolio of brands, and backed by Hornblower Group, supporting the company’s overall business strategy in becoming a global transportation and experiences leader. Venture Ashore offers a wide range of tour offerings to satisfy a variety of groups, interests and budgets. Parties of 12 or more can take advantage of a dedicated groups service, with a team of personal specialists to support a seamless experience from start to finish for a unique and tailor-made itinerary. Venture Ashore also offers extensive private tours and features small group tours, varying by destination and demand, accommodating up to 25 people or as few as 6. Read here for the complete article.
● Also from the Hornblower Group: It announced it has acquired Australian travel group Journey Beyond. Based in Adelaide, Journey Beyond owns 13 Australian travel and transport brands operating throughout Australia. It comprises trains, marine vessels, 4WD touring vehicles, luxury camps and lodges, and aircraft. It includes The Ghan cross-country rail service. “As two organisations with expertise in the experiential travel space, Journey Beyond aligns perfectly within our business strategy. We look forward to growing the business operations the Journey Beyond team has built as the premiere experiential travel company in Australia,” said Kevin Rabbitt, CEO, Hornblower Group.
● Alaska Airlines Launches Flight Subscription Service: A familiar business model has moved into new territory—the airlines business—as Alaska Airlines has launched Flight Pass, a subscription-based travel offering based on value and flexibility. Available now, members can fly up to 24 round-trip flights a year to the most popular routes within California, as well as non-stop service from California airports to Reno, Phoenix and Las Vegas, for a fixed monthly rate. With annual plans starting at $49 per month, this new way to fly allows travelers to lock in main cabin deals for a full year and rewards subscribers with lower-than-average fares on eligible flights. Read here for more information.
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Filed Under: Industry News, Trade News Tagged With: Inbound Travel news, mergers, new travel product
Australians Have No Place They Want to Go
July 20, 2021 by Tom Berrigan
Trade Talk: From installment payments to vacationing on a farm
● Aussies not traveling abroad, and fewer are traveling at home. Hit hard by the pandemic, traveling Australians seem to have lost their desire to so, the findings, according to a new survey of 1,000 Australians by Hipcamp, a Sydney-based provider of outdoor stays. According to most accounts, it will be next year before international travel to and from the country starts up again. In the midst of such a situation, the survey found:
—61 percent of Australians say they have NOT booked a holiday for the next six months!
—Although nearly a quarter (24 percent) of Australians cite staycations as the most viable holiday plan for the next six months, no one seems too excited about them.
—Asked if they thought a staycation could “actually bring them joy” in the next six months, 37.2 percent of Australians said “No” and 31.9 percent said ‘Meh,’
—The above showed a combined national total of 69.1 percent of Australians who simply aren’t staycation inspired. Visit here for more details.
● Good News from Brazil: From the Washington Post: “As vaccinations accelerate and the coronavirus retreats, Brazil finally allows itself to hope for better days. This month, for the first time since the pandemic arrive, Amazonas state had a date when it did not register a single Covid death.” Read the full article here.
● Dallas and Hotelbeds to promote weekenders: VisitDallas, the DMO that promotes Dallas as a business and leisure destination, has signed an agreement with Hotelbeds, the world’s largest bedbank, to drive domestic in-bound tourism to the U.S. city. The campaign is designed to drive domestic leisure tourism to Dallas, with a particular focus on weekday and long weekend visits. Throughout the promotion travel advisors will be introduced to the incredible opportunities that the Texan city of Dallas has to offer: its wide offer of art, culture and music, sporting events, gastronomic offerings, and the city’s unique culture.
Photo Cr: Connecting with Birds and Nature Tours
● Adventure Travel Association highlights the “experience the cattle and other creatures” on a farm vacation in Alabama’s Black Belt: “I don’t like people to feel rushed,” Christopher Black says about the access he provides to his 200-acre Black Angus cattle farm through experiential tours. “I want you to take your time, enjoy what you enjoy. If you want to sit on the edge of the field and look off into the distance, you can do that.” It’s why he went so literally with the name of his operation: Connecting with Birds & Nature Tours. “Connecting with the healing power of nature is a big part of it.” For the complete article, click here.
● Just in time for its annual trade show two months from now (Sept. 18-22 in Las Vegas), the U.S. Tourism Association’s IPW has selected Global Tourism Sports & Entertainment (GTSE) to be its first official Sports and Tourism Representation Ambassador. The new partnership is hailed by both organizations as an opportunity to drive a recovery toward travel’s pre-pandemic economic impact figure.
“With both transportation and sports news more globalized than ever, the natural intersection between sports and tourism continues to grow, as sports leagues build their fan bases across borders and oceans,” said U.S. Travel’s president and CEO Roger Dow. “Continuing that integration makes sense for the development of both economic sectors, and this partnership will be valuable in facilitating that process.”
● Installment or “Buy now, pay later” payments for travel are growing increasingly popular. Long a staple in some travel markets—particularly in South America—paying for the cost of a holiday over, say 12 months, is “increasingly becoming a way that consumers want to pay,” says Tom Botts, chief commercial officer for Uplift, which bills itself as “the largest player in the space.” Adds Botts: “It is becoming an expectation of consumers wanting this payment option, not only for retail, but also for travel.”
Commonly referred to as “buy now, pay later,” such solutions are positions as a way to enable travel consumers to purchase airline tickets, cruises, vacation packages, hotels and other travel products via payment plans that can span from a few months up to more than a year. Buy now, pay later customers typically receive credit decisions almost instantly, with interest rates determined based upon their credit histories. Payment terms range from as short as three months to as long as 18 months, said Botts.
In April, Uplift added Southwest to existing airline clients United, Frontier, Alaska, Allegiant, Lufthansa and Aeromexico and approximately a dozen others. For the complete article, visit here.
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Filed Under: Australia, Brazil, Industry News, Trade News
Silver Chinese are Golden Market
July 20, 2021 by Tom Berrigan
Notes on the Chinese Market:
● Marketing strategists who are both eager and anxious to re-enter the Chinese travel market, once it opens up after the shadow of the COVID-19 global pandemic passes over, would do well to give a listen to last week’s Dragon Trail International—it’s a marketing and research company headquartered in Beijing with offices in London—held a seminar on China’s “Silver Travelers,” which is certainly not as monolithic as one might think.
Using a wide range of source material, Sienna Parulis-Cook, Dragon Trail’s director of marketing and communications, walked listeners and viewers through a statistical and demographic terrain that should
—There are now 250 million Chinese aged 60 and above, with middle-aged and older households account for 22 percent of Chinese households.
How does one define the older-senior-mature-silver generations? (1930-1970)
Post 50s: 62-71 years
—For practical purposes (i.e., so that listener and presenter are using the same definition), we used the 60-70 population as a core market. Still, there’s more.
Wavemaker* China’s 3 Senior Segments
* Wavemaker is a London-based global media agency
—In China, the retirement age for women is 50 or 55, depending on the job.
For men, it is 60.
—”Compared to senior markets in other nations, China has younger retirees who much younger–they are old enough to no longer be part of the workforce, but young enough to still be engaging in active travel.”—Parulis-Cook
Size of the Travel Market: Outbound
Notes on the Size of the Travel Market Outbound
—24 percent of seniors in tier 1-3 cities have traveled abroad, reaching 47 percent in first-tier cities. As of 2019, senior Chinese outbound travelers went abroad and average one time per year, rising to 1.7 times per year in first-tier cities. (Wavemaker)
—In the first half of 2019, 50 percent of Chinese tourists to Europe were born in the 1950s and 1960s (aged 49-69), with another 12 percent born in the 1970s. (HCG Travel Group and Ctrip)
—In the first half of 2018, 29 percent of Chinese tourist to Africa were born in the 1950s and 1960s. (COTR)
—Chinese tourists to South America are primarily high-end travelers aged 40-65.
“While millennial and Gen Z Chinese travelers might be making up be making up the majority of all outbound tourists, it’s really the older Chinese that may be more likely to have the time, the money and experience to go into these long-haul markets.”—Parulis-Cook
Travel Companions: Group Travel Preferences for Tour Products among Older Chinese
“We can see that older Chinese are maybe looking for a travel experience that’s a bit more to their taste and lasting even when they’re on a group tour compared to those really rushed kind of traditional Chinese group tours that we think about.”— Parulis-Cook
Click here for a recording of the seminar.
● Chinese Domestic Tourism Travel Down More than 50 percent in 2020: Data released last week by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism indicated that 2.8 billion trips were made by Chinese in 2020—down 52.1 percent from the year in 2019, as China worked at a stable recovery of domestic travel market. As reported by the Global Times—it is an official state-backed publication—there are also these numbers:
—In 2020, Chinese people’s spending on cultural and tourism activities exceeded 108 billion yuan ($16.71 billion), an increase of 2.35 billion yuan, or 2.1 percent over the previous year. On average each Chinese individual has spent 77.08 yuan on culture and tourism consumption, up 1.3 percent from 2019.
—The recovery rate in cultural and tourism sector is better than expected, especially since the second half of 2020, experts said.
Zhang Lingyun, a professor of tourism development at Beijing International Studies University,  told the Global Times that the global pandemic brought on by the COVID 19 virus has led to changes in new styles of travel patterns—for example, self-driving holidays, short distance trips and duty-free shopping saw strong growth last year.
● Night Time is the Right Time to Shop for Chinese: In one of those studies that hopes to seek out any possible behavior that could be converted to improving the marketing of travel and tourism products, global travel service provider Trip.com has released its latest data on mainland China’s night-time economy and night-time tourism consumption during the first half of 2021. The data release gives context and delves into the trends shaping night-time tourism and consumption Using booking and user data, we have compiled key points to help shed light on the patterns shaping this growing consumer segment.
—First, what is the night-time economy? The night-time economy refers to all economic activity that occurs between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. in the service sector, spanning a wide range of business activity, including transportation, attractions, food and beverage, tourism, entertainment and more.
Night-time attraction bookings increased 469 percent compared to last year
—On average, Chinese consumers made 1.3 night-time attraction bookings in the first half of 2021, spending 187 yuan ($29) per person. Night-time attraction bookings made on the Trip.com Group Ctrip platform increased by 469 percent compared to 2020, and increased by 120 percent compared to 2019. 40 percent of night-time attraction bookings were for attractions located within a short-haul travel radius.
—Female tourists make more night-time attraction bookings. According to Trip.com Group data, women make up 53 percent of the tourists making night-time attraction bookings, 6 percent higher than their male counterparts.
—Gen Z is a driving force behind night-time tourism sales. Post-90s consumers (people born after 1990) make up 34 percent of the tourists making night-time travel product bookings, while post-80s and post-00s users account for 29 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Trip.com Group data reveals that Gen Z is becoming a major driving force behind night-time consumption, and suggests businesses to develop more engaging, youthful travel products.
—Tourists tend to consume more at night. The demand for more immersive night-time tourism products also feeds into the secondary consumption tourists bring to destinations. Although bookings rates are usually lower in the night-time, secondary consumption is often higher than that in the daytime.
Read the complete release/article here.
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Filed Under: China, Industry News
February 16, 2021 by Tom Berrigan
• “Born in the USA” Need Not be a Barrier to a UAE Passport: In a move that seems to have surprised the world of international business, the United Arab Emirates has announced that Emirati nationality will now be officially attainable for foreigners—a major first for the Gulf state. As reported by the business news channel CNBC, the UAE passport will be offered to select foreigners and professionals including “investors, doctors, specialists, inventors, scientists, talents, intellectuals, artists and their families.”
The move is likely to enhance the UAE’s position as a major connecting point for international air travel. There are two major international airports in the UAE (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) as well as a number of regional airports. In its official statement on the action, the UAE government news agency WAM said,
“The United Arab Emirates has approved amendments … allowing investors, professionals, special talents and their families to acquire the Emirati nationality and passport under certain conditions.” The move is likely to further enhance the reputation of a UAE passport, which is ranked number one on the Arton Capital Passport Index. Go here for the complete CNBC news item.
• Changes at CVC: From the Brazilian travel trade publication PANROTAS, we learned last week of a major overhaul in CVC’s company structure (The headline read: “In new restructuring, CVC Corp announces layoffs and promotions.”) resulting from deep cuts in revenues due to the global pandemic. The restructuring has affected the roles of more than 20 senior-level managers, as well resulting in the departure of at least three individuals. Read here for the complete article.
• What Global Luxury Brands Need to Know About the China Market In 2021: Great article in Jing Daily by Adina-Laura Achim, who writes: “January marked the demise of four turbulent years. However, ending Trump’s dreams of a second term didn’t bring the prospect of a reconciliation between China and the US. And consumers on both sides are becoming increasingly fearful, angry, and distrustful of the other side. Chinese consumers, in particular, are shifting away from American brands.” Click here for complete article.
• The 70-Plus “Silent Generation” is Key to Recovery of Travel & Tourism: According to a report from GlobalData, a London-based data analytics and consulting company, the 70-plus demographic ought not be overlooked as businesses and companies plan for a recovery from the impact of the global pandemic. In sum, as reported by TTG Asia, the argument is this: 70-plus travelers have the time and, second, they are being vaccinated first. The same cannot be said of the highly touted Millennial Travelers (people who reached young adulthood in the early 21st century).
Said Johanna Bonhill-Smith, travel and tourism analyst at GlobalData, “Not only is this demographic one of the first to be vaccinated, they are also typically big spenders and less hindered by time constraints. This makes this a lucrative demographic to target in order to boost post-pandemic travel.”
Only 26 per cent of respondents from the Silent Generation (70-plus) declared they are “extremely” or “quite concerned” about their personal financial situation, as compared to 77 per cent of Millennials in GlobalData’s C0VID-19 Recovery Survey, which surveyed 5,500 respondents in December 2020.
Roughly 50 per cent of silent generation respondents “somewhat” or “strongly” disagreed they would buy products only from their favorite brands. As well, the survey found that 30 per cent will now buy more products online rather than visiting a store, and 48 per cent consider supporting small or local businesses as more important than before to this pandemic—indicating additional opportunity for brand development. Click here For the complete TTG article.
• Pandemic claims another tour operator victim in UK: Tour operator Tucan Travel has ceased doing business and shut down. The company, which specialized in trips to South America, had been in business for 33 years. Said Tucan Travel CEO Mark Gannan: “We have had to make difficult decisions to keep the business operational throughout the COVID crisis, including many staff redundancies and suspending tour operations in March last year … But with little prospect of a return to normal international leisure travel on the horizon, the challenge has sadly proven too great and, with a heavy heart, the decision was taken to place the company into administration.”
• TripAdvisor Introduces Virtual Voice Tours for Amazon Alexa: Working with tourism authorities in Abu Dhabi, TripAdvisor recently launched what it says is the first virtual destination voice tour for Amazon Alexa. Users in the UK can summon the voice tour by asking their Alexa-enabled device “to explore Abu Dhabi.” The voice tour is part of a larger campaign between Abu Dhabi and the review/distribution platform and, according to TripAdvisor, the feature will be made to other destination partners. (“TripAdvisor creates virtual destination tour via Amazon Alexa,” January 29, 2021 via Phocus Wire. Borrowed from Lexology.com website.)
• TUI’s CEO, Franz Joussen, said last week that more than half of operator’s 2.8 million bookings for summer 2021 are from the UK market, according to the boss of Europe’s largest tour operator. According to Travel Week UK, Joussen applauded the progress of the UK in treating its population with COVID-19 vaccinations. Joussen forecast “a good summer season,” adding that TUI is “very positive. We believe borders will open in the UK first, so good we have over half our bookings in the UK. People are sitting on their suitcases waiting to see what will open.” Read here for the complete TW article.
• What Global Luxury Brands Need to Know About the China Market In 2021: Great article in Jing Daily by Adina-Laura Achim, who writes: “January marked the demise of four turbulent years. However, ending Trump’s dreams of a second term didn’t bring the prospect of a reconciliation between China and the US. And consumers on both sides are becoming increasingly fearful, angry, and distrustful of the other side. Chinese consumers, in particular, are shifting away from American brands.” Click herefor complete article.
• From the Orange County Register: More than 40 U.S. theme parks set 2021 reopening dates.
“More than 40 theme parks across the United States have set 2021 reopening dates after the coronavirus pandemic forced many of the amusement wonderlands to postpone their 2020 season openings or remain closed for the entire year. Individual states in the U.S. have set their own COVID-19 health and safety reopening guidelines with California theme parks unlikely to return to full operation until spring or summer. Some California theme parks have partially reopened for special events without rides.” Read here for complete article.
• Comment from the Social Media Trenches—Alfredo Gonzalez, AG Hospitality Group: “There is no doubt to the damage this virus has caused the travel industry. My company lost 75 percent of its business in a matter of weeks. I know business will come back, but it won’t look anything like it did pre-COVID. Hopefully, companies will see the value of experience and relationships when they start to rehire. Hopefully companies will look past the opportunity to save money by hiring available, inexpensive and inexperienced staff. That might work in the short term, but not in our industry. The hospitality industry is about people, talking to people and understanding people… there is no APP for that.”
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