Weary, Wary Brits Have Cause to Cheer
All it took was a brief mention early last week when the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in announcing its “roadmap” to recovery program for the UK economy and a path toward a return to normality, noted that May 17 is the earliest date from which overseas holidays can start again. Of course, there are some approvals and reports due along the way, but “May 17th” and “holidays” in the same sentence was all that tourism industry leaders needed to hear or read.
The reaction? It was almost giddy. The following day, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays (they comprise the second largest tour operator in the country) reported a “dramatic” spike as bookings increased by 1,000 percent in the 24 hours after the announcement. Words like “explosion” were used to describe the anticipated business as Brits—the news would have you believe—are locking up every available airline seat available in hopes of a summer holiday.
A New Caution: So, now, an overseas holiday (to the U.S., of course) this year now seems plausible and probable now even as the British expect to pay more for safety, security and peace of mind. Because, for many UK travelers, “safety now trumps cost” as Brits look forward to relaxed regulations and a comfort level brought on by the increasing number of them who have received vaccinations aimed at protecting Brits from the COVID-19 virus. (At last count, March 1, more had been more than 21 million vaccinations* in the UK, which has a population of just less than 67 million.) or 27 percent of the total populate had received at least one dose of a COVID-19.)
* Source: Our World in Data
Prior to the announcement of the May 17 date, a poll conducted by the insurance firm, AllClear Travel, which said that the survey results show that the global pandemic wrought by COVID 19 has “created a seismic shift in attitude when it comes to traveling abroad.”
All of the above has come about in an atmosphere (as best as INBOUND can determine such from its perch across the pond from the United Kingdom) that is decidedly upbeat. More on that below. First, the new numbers.
1. Key findings from the survey of more than 2,000 people revealed the following:
—More than half (58 percent) of Brits believe they need to spend more than before the pandemic to ensure they are properly protected when travelling abroad.
—Of that number, 47 percent thought they would need to spend at least £50 ($70) more on travel insurance each year, with a quarter expecting to pay more than £100 ($140).
—Holidaymakers expect travel to cost more, with 71 percent expecting to pay more on the quality of a resort; 70 percent expecting to pay more on the method of travel within the holiday destination; and 68 percent anticipating that they will pay more on excursions while overseas.
—Almost seven out every ten (69 percent) Britons believing that the way they approach planning their holidays has permanently changed.
—Of those people, 38 percent agreed they were now more likely to take care in checking their travel insurance coverage, and 28 percent said they would spend more time shopping around for more comprehensive, rather than cheap, travel insurance.
—Twenty percent of those surveyed will opt for holidays that offer greater safety and reliability rather than finding the cheapest offers.
—Nearly a third (30 percent) of all travelers agreed they will now spend longer planning their holiday than they did before the outbreak of coronavirus.
Commenting on the findings, Chris Rolland, chief executive of AllClear Insurance, said: “Gone are the days of cheap holidays – COVID has changed the landscape and travelers need peace of mind … The effects of the past 12 months can already be seen on people’s attitude to risk while travelling – not just in the short term, but the long term too.”
2. Will more jabs mean more visitors? For those of us who attempt to follow such matters, that of the increasing number of the UK population that has received a vaccination to battle the COVID-19 virus is heartening. The more that people have received the vaccine, the more upbeat Brits seem about taking a holiday this year.
And now, the desire for a holiday among older UK adults now matches that among younger consumers with the vaccination program boosting confidence to travel, according to latest Mintel research. Some other points of interest from a Mintel survey follow.
—Mintel found that 69 percent of UK adults aged 55 and over now intend to take a holiday this year, the same proportion as among 16-34-year-olds. The proportion intending to take a holiday among those aged 35-54 was less—62 percent.
—Younger adults remain more likely than the 55-plus demographic to travel overseas, as 41 percent of those aged 16-34 are planning to travel abroad this year, compared with 26 percent of 35-54-year-olds and 33 percent of those aged 55 and above.
—However, when the subject is a domestic holiday, only 28 percent of 16-34-year-olds plan one, compared with 36 percent of adults 35 and over.
—Mintel travel analyst Marloes De Vries said: “Since the start of the UK’s lockdown, younger audiences have been most confident in booking holidays. However, the share of the 55-plus segment planning to take a holiday in 2021 is now equal to those aged 16-34.
—Mintel research* in January also found that 75 percent of those who describe their financial situation as ‘healthy’ plan a holiday in the UK or abroad in 2021 compared with 50 of those in ‘a more difficult situation’.
* The Mintel research was conducted among 500 UK adults on Jan 21‑26.
3. View from across the Channel also improves. Nearly a year since EU countries began various stages of pandemic confinement in their home communities, more than half of the continent wants to travel. This is what those interviewed in a survey conducted by the European Travel Commission (ETC). Specifically, 54 percent of the residents of old continental Europe intend to make a trip before the end of next July—signal that there is a strong repressed demand—And, as vaccination against the COVID-19 virus progresses, recovery will be “quick and explosive.”
The ETC study shows that interest in the sun and the beach at the forefront, has remained intact. According to the survey results, citizens of the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria are the most enthusiastic about planning a getaway to coastal destinations. Some of the study’s findings include the following.
—Forty-one percent want to travel to another European country, the highest figure since ETC started doing this particular monthly survey.
—Thirty-five percent of those surveyed still prefer to travel to domestic destinations. Spain (10.2 percent), Italy (7.8 percent), France (6.5 percent), Greece (6.1 percent) and Germany (5.2 percent) are the five most popular countries to travel in the spring-summer period.
—There is growing confidence in air travel. It is gradually improving, giving hope for a speedy recovery for intra-European travel.
—The proportion of people who plan to take an airplane has progressively increased, from 49 percent in September 2020 to 54 percent in January 2021, while the percentage of those who fear flying due to the risk of contagion falls in the same period of 20 percent to 16 percent.
—As for the security measures implemented by destinations to stop the spread of COVID-19, the majority of respondents (69 percent) will feel safer and more relaxed if there are strict protocols, while only 21 percent affirm that these protocols can spoil one’s travel experience to some extent.
4. Perhaps confusing to the reader, a a YouGov conducted on February 25 showed not much difference between “before and after” government’s “roadmap to recovery.” Based on interviews with almost 5,000 Britons, the poll found the following:
There was no real increase in the proportion of UK adults who had booked a holiday abroad in the previous two weeks.
—Just over one in 10 (11 percent) said they have a holiday booked in the UK, up from 9% when YouGov asked the same question of a similar size group on February 11.
—Only 6 percent had booked an overseas holiday by February 25. When YouGov asked the same question on February 11, 7 percent said they had a holiday overseas booked.
—A one percentage-point difference is within the margin of error for such a poll. However, the proportion who said they had booked both a UK holiday and an overseas break was 3 percent in the February 25 poll compared with 2 percent on February 11.
—Four out of five of those polled February 25 (79 percent) had no holiday booked for this year—not much of a change from February 11 when 81 percent reported not having made a booking.
5. The Final Word: Last week the chief medical officer for England, Chris Whitty, said during a news conference Covid-19 is likely to be a problem for the next few winters—despite vaccination programs. “This is something that we have to see for the long term and, in my view, is likely to be a problem in particular during the winter for the next few winters,” Whitty said, adding, “I am afraid, for the foreseeable future, the coronavirus is going to be added to that list of things that those who are vulnerable, even despite vaccination, can be at risk of,” he said … We vaccinate against flu, we vaccinate against pneumococcal pneumonia and still there are cases and there are deaths.”
USA Inbound—Headed for Real Recovery?
No one whose business depends on a healthy, robust flow of overseas visitors to the USA from overseas will be cheered by what the data tell us regarding the first month of 2021. The numbers for arrivals from such visitors to the United States are down versus the first month of last year, as well as the first month of 2019. In a year-on-year basis, there is little likelihood that overseas arrivals will come close to a monthly total that is equivalent to, or possibly exceeds, that of 2019, INBOUND believes, until the data for April are made available.
On the latter point above, there is something to cheer about. For, in the past year, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel & Tourism Office (NTTO) has published and released monthly international arrivals data on or ahead of its calendar year schedule. For instance, the data for January were posted a week ago, several days before the end of the (short) month of February. This on-or-before-it’s-due delivery of numbers is crucial to those who analyze international travel to the United States.
But, back to the present. It is clear, from the welter of news coverage and analytical commentary on international travel and tourism, that expectations are high for a recovery in the market (see especially “Weary, Wary Brits Have Cause to Cheer” elsewhere in this issue of INBOUND) now that millions more people are vaccinated each day and the number of COVID-19 news cases and deaths are declining.
One measure that will probably be a reliable benchmark against which to measure a recovery is to follow the performance of the key markets in the tables below. Of particular interest will be the hope-for recovery of the Chinese market—the erstwhile Number 3 overseas source market for inbound tourism to the U.S.—which hasn’t even charted in the Top 20 this year. Read on.
Click here for an Email list of key NTTO contacts.
TRADE TALK
• Emerging Tourism Stars to Debut This September: Connect Travel, owner and producer of eTourism Summit, has announced the inaugural Emerging Tourism Stars program in 2021 to recognize digital travel and tourism professionals on the rise and truly shining within the industry. Presented by eTourism Summit in partnership with MMGY Global, the 2021 Emerging Tourism Stars program was borne from the dedication and effort of so many new leaders in the industry who worked to overcome one of the most challenging years in travel and tourism. During the eTourism Summit, marking its 22nd conference in Las Vegas on Sept. 20-22, 2021, the ETS winners will be celebrated along with winners of the 4th Annual eTSY Awards for excellence in digital destination marketing. Click here for more details.
• From the Washington Post: When will travel be safe again? 5 experts weigh in. Courtney Kansler, senior health intelligence analyst with risk management firm Crisis24, said she anticipates more domestic travel and travel between countries with access to vaccines in mid-to-late 2021. But, she said, she doesn’t anticipate anything to resemble ‘normal’ until at least 2023. Because it will still take time for vaccines to be distributed globally — and science is still not clear on how long the vaccines give immunity — it’s hard to predict a long-term future for travel. She said she would expect it to be two to three years for the world to catch up.” Click here to go to the complete article.
• Adventure tour operator Oasis Overland is the latest victim on the COVID-19 tourism economy depression. The UK company, which offered small group expeditions by truck across Africa and other destinations such as South America and Central Asia, alongside hotel-based trips in Pakistan, Bolivia, Peru and southeast Asia, shut down last month. It was founded in 1998 and joined AITO The Specialist Travel Association in 2008. Jonathan Bryan and Chris Wrede, directors of the operator, said: “We are devastated to be unable to continue to trade. The past 11 months have been extremely tough and the outlook is very bleak for our type of adventure until the world is clear of COVID-19.”
• From fvw/Travel Talk: Many German tour operators saw revenues fall by up to 70% last year as the coronavirus pandemic killed off most of their business, the latest annual fvw tour operator dossier showed. The dossier for 2019/20 is based on responses from 28 tour operators (compared to 53 in the previous year) combined with publicly available figures for other large tour operators. It covers the largely ‘normal’ 2019/20 winter season and the massively impacted summer 2020 season.
• Physicians and Rights Groups are concerned about possible use of COVID-19 Vaccine passports.
The U.S., U.K. and European Union are among those considering whether to introduce a digital passport that will allow citizens to show they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. It is thought some form of certificate system could help stimulate an economic recovery as countries prepare to relax public health measures over the coming weeks. Physicians and rights groups, however, are deeply concerned. Click here to read the full story as reported by CNBC.
• In the UK, Ben Poole, owner of Harrogate-based agency The Travel Journal, has launched a “self-tanning” brand as he seeks to add some diversity to the agency’s products during the pandemic. Harrogate Tan is selling tanning creams and water-based sprays. Poole created three shades of tan, named after different holiday personas: The Wanderluster, The Frequent Weekender and The Party Goer. “During the end of last year when we faced lockdowns and generally quieter times, I came to the realization that while people locally weren’t thinking about booking holidays I needed something to entice them into the shop,” Poole told Travel Weekly UK. “Everyone feels better once they have a holiday glow, and I liked the link between travel and the tanning products – so it’s a nice complementary product to sell. Plus, the products themselves take up very little space in the shop. We all need some sun and this will put a much-needed smile on people’s faces.”
• CVC consolidates B2B components. The CVC company’s brands—Esferatur, Trend and Visual—which were acquired in recent years by CVC Corp, officially ceased to exist last month and are now called RexturAdvance, the group’s only B2B brand. Travel agents will continue to have access to all products of these brands that are being discontinued (air, leisure and corporate hotels, packages, luxury, car rental, transfers and national and international travel), now with the unique name of RexturAdvance. The announcement of the change followed months of reorganizing at the firm which, like every other tourism business in Brazil, has had to endure significant losses in the wake of the global pandemic.
• In Mexico, Verena Knopp, president of the National Council of Tourist Services Exporters (CONEXSTUR) announced the launch of “The Door to Mexico by CONEXSTUR,” a window for the promotion of tourism in our country,” in which the 16 receptive operators that make up the association are joining efforts, with the support of several secretaries of tourism from different states of the country, such as Yucatán, Tamaulipas, Chiapas and Zacatecas.
• This company is now known as Dragon Trail International (龙途国际 in Chinese), said a recent announcement from the global consultancy, which has offices in China, the UK and the USA. Dragon Trail was founded in 2009 as a digital marketing agency aimed at helping overseas travel brands to reach Chinese consumers and the Chinese travel trade through outstanding digital initiatives. These services, including Chinese web and mobile development, social media marketing, and our WeChat-based travel trade marketing platforms and solutions, remain at the core of Dragon Trail International’s work. Contact: https://dragontrail.com/.
• American Airlines is increasing its operational capacity in Latin America. The airline’s plans include doubling its capacity for Colombia and Peru, increasing its operation by more than 50 percent for Ecuador and 24 percent for Central America, compared to 2019. Additionally, American will open new international routes from its Miami hub to Tel Aviv and Paramaribo, Suriname. As reported in Contactonews, Brian Znotins, American’s vice president of planning. Airlines, said “American has always been the biggest and best in Miami, with more flights to different locations than any other company, and as demand grows, we will be bigger and better than before … our new services to Tel Aviv and Paramaribo are the beginning of future growth in Miami.” According to the Mexico City-based news portal, REPORTUR.mx, as part of its new services, American Airlines recently announced the increase of several routes for the summer, among them, two new frequencies, the first to Mérida, Yucatán, from the Dallas Fort Worth Airport, and the second, from Los Angeles to Cancun, starting June 5. American Airlines has continued to increase its capacity to Latin America and the Caribbean by upgrading its aircraft and adding more services. For this summer the airline has planned 16 percent more capacity to the region from Miami—one of its important hubs—compared to 2019.
• Finally, this from OAG on March 1: “Optimism breaks out around the world as the capacity recovery is underway! Four million additional seats week on week may not seem that significant when in normal times global capacity was around the 106 million mark, but after four weeks of moving backwards a 7% week on week increase sounds like a really positive step. And it is, but airlines generally remain cautious about the coming months with a further 39 million seats removed by airlines through to the end of May; it may be the beginning of the meteorological spring, but we still have a long way to go in the recovery.”
Brazil Battles Back
Recovering from a near knockout blow: After a planned hiatus for the month of January, the PANROTAS monthly overview—it is a must for anyone who follows the travel and tourism industry in South America’s largest source market for visitors to the United States— is back on the scene, keeping busy in the interim with its output of other industry publications and events. The latest edition, which is a joint project with FecomércioSP* a São Paulo-based business research organization, was published just as February was coming to an end.
In trying to find the right analogy that would describe the overall economic situation in Brazil—a setting in which all industries have to operate—the sport of boxing comes to mind. It was as if the economy of the country was knocked out cold last year in the sixth round of a twelve-round contest: Brazil was just recovering from a recession and it was hit worse than any other in South America with the COVID-19 virus.
The international tourism market blacked out. Or so we thought. Somehow, the boxer woke up, stood up and managed to finished the year—in terrible shape, but determined to compete.
The key economic indices are not exactly something to celebrate, but for an economy that had been knocked out cold, they are not cause to moan, either. Consumer and business confidence indexes are still climbing upward after they collapsed last summer. Inflation rate increases are modest and, should Brazil sharply increase the number of its people who have been vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, the economy should take hold.
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In two sentences—the outlook. “In Brazil, domestic travel will dominate the year and we predict the return of business travel, events, end even international trips (short-haul) for the second half of 200,” José Guilherme Alcorta, CEO of PANROTAS, told subscribers to the Overview, adding, “We need to promote the importance of the vaccine and maintain the right protocols and caution to attract our clients. Brazilian are eager to travel do Florida, New York, Europe.” Following are some key takeaways from the PANROTAS/ FecomercioSP monthly overview.
—While the hotel industry had a very good occupancy rate in Brazil, future sales already showed travelers’ concern about the increase in Covid-19 cases.
—Braztoa (Brazilian Association of Tour Operators) operators recorded lower-than-expected sales in December and January.
—CVC, the largest tour operator in Latin America, which had almost 60 percent of pre-pandemic sales in December, saw January sales drop to 40 percent compared to the pre-pandemic period.
—The CVC group forecasts domestic sales will reach levels before the pandemic only in December. And international sales are expected to recover only in 2022.
—Delta Air Lines and United have been able to maintain service to Brazil, while others, including American have suspended flight service or have reduced their frequencies.
—Brazilian carriers Azul, Gol and Latam maintain a substantial level of domestic flights in February, with small decreases compared to January.
—The rate of vaccination is very slow in Brazil (on February 17, just over 5 million out of a total of 220 million Brazilians had been vaccinated (to follow it, visit vaccinabrasil.org)
—For both domestic or international travel, Brazilians want resorts, villas, rental houses, where families can be together and have moments of relaxation and no crowds. Direct flights, structure for COVID-19 exams, health and safety facilities and protocols, and all-inclusive packages are the most sought after by consumers.
—Generally, the belief is that 2021 will be very similar to the second half of 2020: slow recovery, attention to the responsible reopening of countries, a lot of testing and vaccine when it is available. Losses are expected to continue in the sector, which foresees a solid start to recovery only in 2022 with domestic travel and travel to South America accelerating still in 2021.
Click here to download the February edition of the Brazilian Overview Monthly Report
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* “The Federation of Commerce of Goods, Services and Tourism of the State of São Paulo (FecomercioSP) brings together business leaders, specialists and consultants to foster the development of entrepreneurship. Together with the government, it is mobilized for reducing bureaucracy and modernization, developing solutions, conducting research and providing practical content on issues that impact the entrepreneur’s life. It represents 1.8 million entrepreneurs, who account for almost 10 percent of Brazilian GDP and generate around 10 million jobs.”
TourOperatorLand’s Partner of the Week—Vermont
Just a sketch of what Vermont has to offer: More than 100 PRE-MADE itineraries—each provided by a Verified Destination Expert. Here is just one; it’s called the Fly & Drive Vermont Sampler. Major Cities include: Bennington, Manchester, Weston, Plymouth Notch, Woodstock, Barre, Montpelier, Stowe, Waterbury, and Burlington.
Here’s how it works: Fly into New York City or Boston, grab a rental car, and then head to the Vermont countryside. This six-day itinerary offers visitors just a glimpse of what makes Vermont special. Enjoy one day at a time or all six in a row. The state’s scenic roadways lead to delicious, local cuisine, breathtaking vistas, unique art spaces, and lots of history. Get away from the crowds, unplug, and appreciate the beauty that surrounds you in the Green Mountain State.
Ideas for First Timers:
—Visit the Church Street Marketplace in Burlington for great shopping and dining
—Take the Ben & Jerry’s Factory Tour and visit the Flavor Graveyard
—Try a maple creemee, Vermont’s version of soft serve
—Hike Mt. Philo for beautiful views of Lake Champlain
—Visit one of our craft breweries, cideries, distilleries, or wineries; you’ll find that they’re all over the state
Ideas for Repeat Visitors:
—Try a farm stay or take a farm tour during Open Farm Week every August
—Visit the dog chapel on Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury
—Follow the African American Heritage Trail with stops at Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home, and the Rokeby Museum which was a site on the Underground Railroad
—Visit the President Calvin Coolidge Homestead, which is also the home of the Plymouth Cheese factory
—Head to Kingdom Trails for a mountain bike ride
Verified Destination Contact:
Sara DeFilippi
Sales & Marketing Specialist
Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing
Phone: 892.272.2633 Email: saradefilippi@vermont.gov
Below: A Sampler of Royalty Free Photos
For more information on Vermont Tourism, visit its TourOperatorland.com pages here. For additional information on partnering through TourOperatorland.com., contact:
Betsy Cooper, Director of TourOperatorLand.com and Partner Engagement at Connect Travel. Phone: 415.728.1085 / Email: cooper@connecttravel.com
HODGE PODGE: Changes, Appointments and Postings
Donald Lassere is leaving his post as head of the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, and will be taking over the position of president and CEO of the Chicago History Museum. Lassere, a Chicago native, will replace Gary Johnson, who said last March that he would retire once the museum he has led since 2005 found a successor. He was born in Chicago, but the family moved several times before returning to the city, where he graduated from Percy Julian High School on the city’s far South Side. After graduating University of San Francisco with a business degree, he earned a law degree from Georgetown and an MBA from Harvard.
Chelsea Benitez has been promoted to the post of director of tourism insights at the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. Previously, she was manager of tourism insights. She joined the organization nearly eight years ago.
Eric David has been named vice president of Travel + Leisure Co. Previously, he was director of affinity partnerships at Wyndham Destinations. Prior to that, he was from the Global Travel and Tourism Consulting Group, where he was president & CEO.
Helmut Wölfel has taken over the position of chief commercial officer at Eurowings Discover, Lufthansa’s new long-haul tourism division. A veteran of more than 20 years with Lufthansa, Wölfel, 51, was previously vice president of intercontinental network planning.
Lian Liu, managing director of Hippo International, a consultancy well known in the U.S. as a China, Japan and Korea market specialist, and Symeon Vasileiadis, managing director of Travelbeat, which has intersected with Hippo International in recent years, have announced that they a partnering in order to provide a tourism entity with a presence complete tourism solution that now covers North America, the UK, continental Europe and China, Korea & Japan. The partnership came about after a chance call between Liu and Vasileiadis when they realized how many happy partners they already have in common. Said Liu, the two “share a common vision to provide our partners with innovative and unique marketing solutions, and high-quality services. This unprecedented time has brought on unprecedented challenges, but also presented unprecedented opportunities. Both of our teams remain committed to creating diverse, effective and culturally impactful strategies that resonate and matter.” For more information, visit hippointernational.com or www.travelbeat.co.uk.
American Express Global Business Travel has appointed Jason Geall as senior vice-president for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. In the newly created role, Geall will expand his current responsibilities for the UK and Northern Europe to oversee the entire EMEA commercial operation. He will continue to report to Andrew Crawley, chief commercial officer. Before joining the company more than five years ago, Geall was chief executive of online platform The Student Room Group. Before that he held senior leadership roles in travel and technology companies including GetThere and Eurostar.
Also at American Express Global Business Travel, Yorick Charveriat has been appointed vice-president and general manager, France. Charveriat succeeds Julien Kauffmann. In this new role, Yorick will lead all activities related to France and report to Jason Geall, senior vice president and general manager EMEA. Charveriat joined the company in 2015. Previously, he was with HYPRED in Bonn, Germany, where he held the position of sales director in 2008. He later returned to France to join Hertz in 2010 as key accounts director.
Rachel Coffey is stepping down in May as director of sales and business development at The Travel Corporation (TTC). She announced that she was leaving to seek new business opportunities, adding that the pandemic had been a time for her to reflect on her personal goals and career direction. “I have been proud to steer the team through this challenging period, but with the vaccine giving us a light at the end of the tunnel, I feel the time is right to make a change,” she said, adding, “I come from a family of public servants and have been humbled by the work that has been undertaken by key workers the world over during this time. It has inspired me to use my skills for a different purpose moving forward.” At TTC, Rachel has been working on a number of brands including Trafalgar, Costsaver, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold.
Cees Bosselaar has been recruited to head up MMGY Travel Intelligence Europe, which has been providing data, research and insights on travelers from its North American offices for more than three decades, and is expanding its global presence with the opening of its new London office. Bosselaar, whose title is managing director, MMGY Travel Intelligence Europe, brings a wealth of experience delivering major research initiatives for organizations including national tourism offices, cruise companies, hotels, airlines and more. In his new position, Bosselaar will oversee services including visitor and guest analyses, resident sentiment, brand lift, competitive analyses, creative testing and other custom research studies. Bosselaar joins MMGY Global from Phocuswright where he served as vice president, business development since 2007.
Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, is the new national chair of the U.S. Travel Association. Duffy, who most recently served on the board as first vice chair, will lead an executive committee and board representing a diverse cross-section of travel business sectors. Duffy joined Carnival Cruise Line, the flagship brand of Miami-based global cruise industry leader Carnival Corp., in 2015 after serving as president and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). She has also served as president and CEO of Maritz Travel Company. (Duffy is not the only Carnival CEO to have been national chair of the U.S. Travel Association. Bob Dickson, who was president and CEO of Carnival and who served with the company for 35 years, was also national chair of the organization under its previous name, the Travel Industry Association of America, in 1993-94.
Robie Marsh is stepping down from his position as executive director of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Chamber of Commerce and Eastern Shore of Virginia Tourism Commission. He is leaving the position to take a job as financial analyst with A&N Electric Cooperative. Marsh said he will stay on as the chamber and tourism commission executive director until April 1 to ensure a smooth transition, and has offered to volunteer for the organizations in the future. Before joining the organization, Marsh worked in the banking industry, and then as a financial adviser for Merrill Lynch.
Natalie Randall was recently named as the new executive director of the Utah Tourism Industry Association (UTIA). Randall will assume her new role January 19, 2021. UTIA is the umbrella organization and advocate for Utah’s visitor economy. UTIA works hand in hand with the Utah Office of Tourism, county destination marketing organizations, Ski Utah, and other industry organizations as well as guides, outfitters, restaurants, attractions and lodging properties around the state. Randall most recently served as the Economic Development and Tourism Director for San Juan County where she led a successful rebranding campaign and strategy, implemented destination development initiatives and worked with numerous partners to enhance the positive impacts of the visitor economy to the region.
Pat Burnley, co-founder of Kitchen Kettle Village—a Lancaster County. Pa. favorite of the thousands of tour buses that stop at the attraction during peak travel seasons—has passed away at the age of 92. Pat and her husband, Bob, launched what would become Kitchen Kettle Village from their garage in 1954, featuring homemade jams, relishes, butters and other products. It grew to be village of more than 40 shops, eateries, a working canning kitchen, and a popular Inn.
Suzanne Neufang has been appointed as the next executive director of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), leading the combined GBTA and the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE). Neufang, whose diverse executive career has included senior leadership roles with several high-profile travel and technology companies, most recently served as senior vice president-Americas for HRS Global Hotel Solutions. Before HRS, Neufang worked for 10 years as an executive leader with Sabre Travel Network, GetThere and Travelocity.
Younes Ajdi has been named commercial director-wholesale business, North America for the TBOGroup and TBO Holidays. Experienced with travel distribution, Ajdi most recently led the introduction of WebBeds in the Americas region and grew it to scale. Prior to that, he has done a multitude of roles with GTA across sales and revenue functions.
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Job Postings
From SearchWide Global:
—The Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority has an opening for a new president and chief executive officer. More details here.
—In Franklin, Tennessee, which is about 20 miles south of Nashville, the Williamson County Convention and Visitors Bureau is searching for a president and CEO. More details here.
—The position of president & CEO is open at the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce & Visit Big Sky is open. More details here.
—Headquartered in Irving, Texas, the Promotional Products Association International, is searching for a president & chief executive officer. More details here.
—Visit San Antonio is looking for a new president and CEO. More details here.
—The Explore Ashville Convention & Visitors Bureau has an opening for a new vice president of sales. More details here.
—The Bermuda Tourism Authority is searching for someone to fill the post of Chief Executive Officer. More details here.
—The Washington County (Ore.) Visitors Association is seeking a new president & CEO. Click here for more information.
—There is an opening for a CEO at Experience Olympia & Beyond in Washington State. For more information, click here.
—The Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce is searching for a new chief marketing officer. Click here for more information.
—VisitGreenvilleSC is looking for a president and CEO. For additional details, click here.
—Visit Florida is searching for a vice president of marketing. For more information, visit here.
—In the Charlotte/Concord area of North Carolina, Great Wolf Resorts as an opening for a director of sales and catering. For details, click here
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From Indeed.com: We’ve taken a look at this site (click here) which says that it has nearly 900 jobs listed, including a fair number in the travel, tourism and related industries. A sampler of what to expect is below.
—Snohomish County, Washington, has an opening for a tourism promotion coordinator. More details here.
—In Miami, there is an opening at American Cruise Lines for an excursions director for the 2021 season. More details here.
—BVK has posted a notice for an SVP Advisory-Travel. The job will be based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. More details here.
—Travelzoo in Los Angeles has an opening for a sales manager (travel). More details here.
—There is an opening posted for a Colorado Tourism Office director of communications. More details here.
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From LinkedIn Jobs: Known to many across the board in the travel and tourism industry, the LinkedIn list (click here) has numerous job opportunities posted. Following is a brief sample of some of those jobs listed.
—The Sabre Corporation has an opening for a senior content writer & campaign manager. More details here.
—In New York City, the world-famous Apollo Theater is searching for a brand marketing director. More details here.
—There is an opening for a national tourism director, cruises & events, at Hornblower Cruises and Events. Details here.
—The Wisconsin Department of Tourism in Madison, Wisconsin is looking for a tourism research analyst. More details here.
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Have a job to offer in the travel and tourism industry? Let us know and we’ll post your notice—no cost to you.
