A USA-China Travel Restart by September?
Chinese official describes three-point plan. Perhaps it was merely coincidence that the Chinese government has seemed to shift away from the confrontational rhetoric that has occasionally characterized US— Chinese relations over the past few years. Perhaps not. Regardless, while the INBOUND team lays no claim to being expert sinologists, it can detect things in the way that the world’s largest source market for international tourism likes to draw attention to what it is doing relative to travel and tourism, as well as where it does it and when it does so.
At the beginning of the month, the Global Times—a daily newspaper that operates under the auspices of the Chinese People’s Daily, an official organ of the Chinese Communist Party, and which focuses on international issues—reported on what a key Chinese official had to say at a joint U.S.-China forum that had just taken place. What the official had to say, as well as the wide coverage of his remarks, ensured that what was said would receive wide attention. (The forum, a joint U.S.-China collaboration on COVID-19 prevention and treatment organized by the Washington-based Brookings Institution and Tsinghua University in Beijing.)
As reported by the Global Times, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proposed that China and the U.S. should work jointly to lift mutual travel restrictions in August or September when the United States is expected to reach herd immunity, suggesting the two countries seek mutual recognition of vaccinations and give priority to official, business travel and overseas study.
First, China and the U.S. should mutually recognize vaccinations in the other country and limit free travel to only those who have been vaccinated.
Second, free travel should then be given to official and business travel and overseas study and
Third, all travel types should be covered.
It was noted that China is the safest country in the world in terms of COVID-19 prevention, with no community transmission reported and the U.S. is likely to vaccinate around 80 percent of its population by June and 90 percent by August, reaching herd immunity, said Wu, explaining that, “If that is the case and if we could remove all political barriers, just based on science, the two countries could possibly be the first two countries to lift travel restrictions with each other.”
There is more, much more, that would factor to into any serious discussion of the proposal. China, for instance, would likely want the U.S. to revisit the issue of trade tariffs and what it regards as interference in matters involving Hong Kong and Taiwan. And, as of this writing, the Administration of President Joe Biden has yet to appoint and secure a new ambassador to China.
Again – the timing. The potentially huge impact of a plan to re-start travel between the United States and China took on even more significance, coming as it did just before (March 5-11) the annual session of China’s governing body—The National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China (NPC). It is the highest organ of state power and the national legislature of the People’s Republic of China. With some 3,000 members, it is the largest parliamentary body in the world. The National People’s Congress meets in full session and votes on important pieces of legislation.
We do not know enough about what goes on at such an event as the one above, but the process of making such a change in U.S.-China travel seems to be guaranteed a level of attention it would not have received were it less than appointment. (For the principal article cited in this article, visit here.)
Brits Ask: to Holiday at Home or Abroad?
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to holiday … “
The people of the UK—it comprises the largest source market for overseas tourism to the USA—are in a state conflict over the matter of taking their traditional summer holiday. The British government has indicated that it could be permissible, at the moment, for the people of the UK to take an international holiday as soon as May 17th.
There are, however, some significant hurdles for those who would like to do so: First, there is the specter of the COVIG-19 virus and its variants failing to decrease in numbers and making any kind of leisure travel—domestic or international—a risky matter. And second is the outright opposition by the UK government’s own transport minister speaking out against the notion of such travel.
The UK’s holiday maker population is torn. First, even though Brits ache to soak up the sticky summer sun of Florida, those who want to travel recognize the inherent peril of going abroad and sharing space inside an airplane or other modes of travel that involve passengers sitting or standing close together.
However, and this is key as we write this: more and more Britons seem willing to risk traveling overseas as the numbers of people as the number of those receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccination increases. Both the UK and USA populations are at, or have just exceeded the point at which half of its numbers have received at least one coronavirus vaccination.
Following is a quick précis of current discussion points on the issue.
• The go-ahead-and-book-it view. Best stated by Noel Josephides, a director at the Specialist Travel Association (AITO), which has some 100 member operators, he acknowledged in a discussion with the British travel trade publication Travel Weekly that it was “a worry” if agents were “holding back from booking” and warned it could affect capacity.
At the same a number of travel agents have been taking a cautious approach to sales since British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his government’s “Road to Recovery” on Feb. 22. Some agents are not selling early summer departures at all.
But Josephides stressed: “We have no reason to believe we cannot start (from May 17). It’s OK to book. We [the industry] wanted a roadmap and we got it. It would be remiss not to make use of it. “If we don’t show we are willing, and have the confidence to start booking from May 17, it would be very disappointing. We have been given a date and should act on it. We should look on the bright side and not worry that it will not go ahead,” said Josephides, who is also chairman of the tour operator Sunvil, which specializes in Europe and Latin America product.
He said his own company was encouraging agents to make bookings from May 17, and said doing so could have a “snowball effect” on confidence, suggesting that “If bookings come your way, take them.”
“Bookings made now determine what flights will go and which won’t, and what hotels will open,” he told TW. “If everyone waits until a week before May 17, then it’s too late – capacity will have been set.”
• The wait-and-see then wait-some-more view. Asked early last week on BBC Radio 4’s Today program if it was too early to book a summer holiday, Transport Minister Grant Shapps replied: “Yes.” This is a repeat of the answer given to similar questions ever since Prime Minister Johnson announced his government’s Road to Recovery plan.
• The pain and angst of the I-really-want-to-holiday view. A new surveyed featured in Travel Daily News International tells us that, while just a quarter of people surveyed say they are “very likely” to book a holiday before they’ve had the COVID-19 vaccine, the number more than doubles post-vaccination.
This is just one of the interesting, if not intriguing, numbers one will find in the Travel and Tourism Survey conducted by vacation rental site TravelNest, which measured the impact of the global pandemic on UK holiday plans for this year. The survey interviewed more than 600 people across the UK.
The top findings of the survey include the following:
—More than half of respondents say they will not take a holiday abroad this year.
—Seventy-nine percent of respondents plan to take one or two UK-based “staycations.”
—Rural holidays (at 51percent) are most popular with Brits, followed by beach holidays (43 percent), city breaks (36 percent), road trips (29 percent) and activity holidays (19 percent).
—44 percent plan to holiday in the Summer (June, July, August).
—23 percent plan to vacation in the Autumn (September, October, November).
—Holiday homes (44 percent) are more popular than hotel stays (29 percent).
—Planned breaks of 7 nights or more have doubled in 2021 versus the last 3 months of 2020 and on average customers are booking stays of 5 nights
—Average booking value has increased by around 40% in 2021 versus the last 3 months of 2020
Rebecca Moore, chief operating officer at TravelNest said: “The findings, together with our own booking activity, reveal significant pent-up demand for holidays when restrictions allow, and that the vaccine is affecting decision-making by significantly increasing traveler confidence.”
Then, there’s this: Why UK Travel to the USA is so important. Japan sent just over 5 million visitors to the United States in 2000. Since then, no other nation has achieved the 5-million mark. No other nation, in fact, had even come close to the 5 million market until 2019, when the UK sent nearly 4.8 million visitors to the U.S. It was generally accepted that the UK had a chance at doing so in 2020.
And then came COVI-19 and a global pandemic: The number of UK visitors to the U.S. plummeted by 84.7 percent in 2020. Were that number translated to dollars, it would tell us that British spending on travel to the U.S. fell by $11.28 billion. (Based on data in the U.S. National Travel & Tourism Office Market Profile: United Kingdom.)
Longing to Travel is Worldwide
Travelers would give up Facebook and Twitter for a month in order to travel. Perhaps the most striking of the findings of the survey conducted by American Express and just recently released is that which tells us that 64 percent of respondents miss traveling so much that they’re willing to give up social media for a month. This is just one of many findings derived from sample of 1,000 travelers in Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico and the UK.¹
“Our latest global trends report shows that there is a pent-up demand for travel among consumers, with many people longing for and beginning to plan future trips,” said Audrey Hendley, President of American Express Travel. “In addition, the pandemic environment is giving rise to emerging trends, such as the increasing appeal of working from anywhere while traveling globally, luxury being defined as more personalized experiences, cleanliness and privacy as the ultimate luxury amenities, as well as a growing interest in the environmental and social purpose of their trips and travel companies.”
Key Takeaways from the survey results include the following:
1. Consumers Are Looking Forward to Traveling Again: People are finding hope and comfort in thinking about and even planning future trips:
—Travel to Uplift Health & Wellness: 78 percent of respondents indicate wanting to travel in 2021 to relieve the stresses from 2020.
—Planning and Paying for Future Travel: One in three say they will more frequently use travel credits or points to pay for all or part of a trip in 2021 than they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Making Up for Missed Travel: 61 percent of survey respondents plan to spend more than they normally would on a trip in 2021 since they could not travel in 2020.
—Travel to Uplift Health & Wellness: 78 percent of respondents indicate wanting to travel in 2021 to relieve the stresses from 2020.
—Planning and Paying for Future Travel: One in three say they will more frequently use travel credits or points to pay for all or part of a trip in 2021 than they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Making Up for Missed Travel: 61 percent of survey respondents Consumers Willing to Make Sacrifices to Travel: 64 percent of respondents miss traveling so much that they would be willing to give up social media for a month to be able to go on vacation.
—Culinary Tourism is Here to Stay: 62 percent of respondents say that eating is the top activity they are interested in doing while traveling, and American Express Travel booking data for January 2021 shows foodie centric cities as top destinations for U.S. and International Card Members. Miami, San Francisco, Chicago and Houston are hot spots for U.S. American Express Card Members² whereas Mexico City, Singapore and Tokyo are topping the list for International American Express Card Members³.
2. The New Travel Mindset: With regular changes to booking policies, travel offers, and new destinations to consider, there is a new travel mindset today. —
—Luxury Travel: The pandemic has changed peoples’ perception of luxury travel with personalized experiences (82 percent), high cleanliness standards (81 percent) and privacy (79 percent) being the most desirable luxury amenities among respondents1. 59 percent indicate that they want to use a travel agent to help plan and customize their next trip and 80 percent indicate they are willing to travel to destinations during the offseason so that it’s less crowded.
—Surge in ‘Second-City’ Destinations: 69 percent of respondents are interested in visiting lesser-known destinations and American Express Travel booking data reinforces this trend, showing a rise in reservations for second-city destinations. For example, Dallas and Charlotte saw a higher share of bookings from international card members in January 2021 than the previous year4 and American Express Travel consultants are seeing requests for smaller cities like Porto (instead of Lisbon) in Portugal, and Wellington (instead of Auckland) in New Zealand.
3. Traveling with Purpose:
Consumers are becoming more conscious travelers, are more aware of travel companies aligned with their values and will journey to destinations where they can have a positive impact on communities.
—Backing Local Communities: 72 percent of respondents agree that they are passionate about traveling to destinations to help boost tourism revenue and the local economy1.
—Supporting Travel Brands that Prioritize Diversity & Inclusion: 69 percent of respondents agree that they want to choose an airline/hotel that values diversity and inclusion, and whose employees reflect a diverse customer base.
—Carbon Conscious Travelers: 60 percent of respondents agree they want to book airlines that have a carbon neutral commitment.
American Express Travel: Global Travel Trends Report Methodology
1 This Amex Trendex online poll was conducted by Morning Consult between January 15-24, 2021 among a national sample of 1,000 travelers in Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico and the U.K., and 2,000 in the U.S. $70k+ USD household income (HHI) equivalent in Australia, Canada, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S., $50k+ USD equivalent HHI in Mexico, and $20k+ USD equivalent household income in India. Travelers defined as adults who traveled by air at least once in 2019. Results have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points in the U.S.; plus or minus 3 percentage points in the other countries.
2 Based on U.S. card member flight and hotel bookings made through American Express Travel in January 2021
3 Based on international card member flight and hotel bookings made through American Express Travel in January 2021
4Based on international card member hotel and air bookings made through American Express Travel in January 2021 compared to January 2020.
(Visit here for additional findings and more information on the American Express Travel: Global Travel Trends Report)
TRADE TALK
→ Your Passport Please. Beep! Mentioned in a perfunctory fashion in the last issue of Connect Travel’s INBOUND Report, the concept of a passport whose principal feature, add-on or substitute for some other aspect of the document focuses on COVID-19, is fast gaining in favor worldwide. Some late developments on the issue:
—China has launched a health certificate program for Chinese citizens travelling internationally, one of the first countries in the world to issue a “virus passport.” The digital certificate, which shows a user’s vaccination status and virus test results, is available for Chinese citizens via a program on Chinese social media platform WeChat that was launched earlier this month. The certificate is being rolled out “to help promote world economic recovery and facilitate cross-border travel,” a foreign ministry spokesman said. The certificate, which is also available in paper form, is currently only for use by Chinese citizens and is not yet mandatory.
—By week’s end, Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) said it would join other Asia Pacific carriers (Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Air New Zealand) in trialing the IATA Travel Pass health verification app. There was no firm word at the time on when the process will be used. “With constant changes to international travel requirements adding to the complexity of travel, IATA Travel Pass enables passengers to easily verify whether they meet the COVID-19 testing requirements of their destination and share their test results in a secure way,” said Yuji Hirako, president and CEO of ANA.
—British Travelers Like the Idea: One in two of the UK population are in favor of mandatory health passports for international travel—this according to a new survey of nearly 6,000 Britons 18 and over for YouGov. Support is overwhelmingly among older adults, with backing among younger people half the rate of those over 65. Here are some other notes from the YouGov survey:
• One in five (18 percent) said health passports should not be required because they would be “discriminatory” and “not necessary,” “risk personal data” or present an obstacle to travel.
• Also, one in five (19 percent) said they did not know enough about health passports, and 9 percent just did not know.
• Support was highest among those over 65 at 72 percent and was 60 percent among those aged 50 to 65.
• Even so, just one in three adults aged 18-24 (35 percent) supported health passports and 45 percent of 25-to-29-year-olds
• The survey defined a health passport as “indicating Covid-19 immunity” which could include a negative test result or a positive antibody test.
—Americans, too: Another online survey—this one for The Points Guy website—told us that about three quarters of potential travelers say they would be as likely, or more likely, to travel if a destination or travel provider required proof of the COVID-19 vaccine. About half of those travelers in the online survey said they are more likely to travel if there are vaccine requirements, and 31 percent said they are much more likely.
Melanie Lieberman, the senior travel editor at The Points Guy, explained that, “the 49 percent who said they’re more likely to choose a destination or travel provider (airlines, tour operators, cruise lines and others) are almost certainly reassured by the measure.”
→ NTTO Launches COVID-19 Travel Industry Monitor—a one-stop shop of key indicators for the travel and tourism industry. Just launched is the COVID-19 Travel Industry Monitor, a user-friendly web platform that brings key health, economic and travel data together in one place. It was built to help businesses, policy makers and communities stay informed on the state of the travel industry and to plan recovery efforts. Developed by the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), part of the Industry and Analysis Unit of the International Trade Administration, the COVID-19 Travel Industry Monitor tracks a number of indicators important for the performance of the travel and tourism sector in the United States in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: COVID-19 Cases, International Visitation, Travel Indicators, Travel in Trade, Business and Consumer Sentiment, and Key Economic Indicators. The data displayed in the Monitor come from various agencies of the Federal Government (Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Transportation, U.S. Census Bureau, etc.) and the private sector (Smith Travel Research, Arrivalist, The Conference Board, etc.). For more information, visit https://travel.trade.gov/.
→ “Zoom fatigue” is real. Now that we are engaged in regular meetings by video web-conferencing, we’ve come to fully grasp the reality that it can be exhausting, particularly to do it for more than an hour or so. As I’ve observed previously, psychologists note that online interaction makes it harder to read cues and promotes a greater degree of distracting self-awareness. In short, it can be taxing on our attention because our attention is working in different ways.”—from an article by Dr. Ken Broda-Bahm for the law firm of Holland & Hart LLP. Click here to read the complete article.
→ Jazz Aviation Becomes Sole Operator of Air Canada Express Aircraft. Following a review and a revised Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) with Jazz Aviation LP agreement, Air Canada will transfer the operation of its fleet from Embraer E175 to Jazz from Sky Regional and Jazz will become the sole operator of Air Canada Express services. The CPA reviews are subject to Jazz reaching an agreement with the International Airline Pilots Association. If this condition is met, the CPA will be modified retroactively to January 1, 2021. According to the latest data—prior to the agreement—Sky Regional flew to 48 destinations in Canada and more than 20 in the U.S. “Air Canada is consolidating its regional flights with Jazz in response to the current devastating impact of COVID-19 on the airline industry. This necessary realignment of our regional services will help Air Canada achieve efficiencies and reduce operating costs and cash consumption by consolidating its regional operations with a single provider. Additionally, by streamlining the regional fleet, this agreement will also position Air Canada to operate more competitively with a single carrier when traffic returns after the pandemic,” said Richard Steer, Senior Vice President of Operations and Express Carriers.
→ Hornblower Group has announced that it has finalized its purchase of the failed cruise excursion seller ShoreTrips and will revive the company under the same name with “support” from its founders, Barry and Julie Karp. Hornblower last month won a court-observed bid to buy ShoreTrips’ assets for $1.8 million, free and clear of all responsibility for debts. Milwaukee-based ShoreTrips was put up for sale after the Karps last year filed for receivership under the Wisconsin state alternative to federal bankruptcy protection. In a press release announcing the close of the sale, Barry Karp said the companies “share the same values of delivering one-of-a-kind experiences and that the sale represented “the best outcome for us, for the future of ShoreTrips, for our devoted team of core staff members and for our many loyal travel advisors and their clients.” A Hornblower spokeswoman said only that ShoreTrips “will be run by Hornblower, with Karps as support.”
→ Golfing in Manhattan? Launched in England in 2016, Swingers, an indoor mini-golf and saloon, is coming to New York City. The British company, which currently operates two locations in London, said it will open a location in New York’s Flatiron District later this summer. For more details, read here.
→ From the ITB Newsroom: Just because there was no face-to-face, live edition of ITB this year (March 9-12) in Berlin, such did not mean an absence of the plethora of reports, studies and news releases that usually warrant a concentration of news media channels that cover the event. A sample of the type of information revealed through this year’s event told us this: “Around 70 percent of those surveyed in Germany, the US, and China are thinking about private trips this year. Specifically, 37 percent of Germans, 42 percent of Americans, and 66 percent of Chinese are planning one or more trips. Close to 25 percent of respondents in Germany and the US and over 35 percent in China also believe they will spend more money on traveling over the next 12 months than during the same period to date.”
For more on this and other reports, visit here.
TourOperatorLand’s Partner of the Week: Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is Arizona’s four-season destination, filled with scenic adventures and millions of years of archeological history at 7,000 feet. Enjoy clean air and endless wilderness experiences in the World’s First Dark Skies City. Hike and bike in the world’s largest Ponderosa Pine forest. Evening brings clear skies and stargazing at the 127-year-old Lowell Observatory–home of Pluto and NASA astronaut training. Following are some itinerary ideas for both first time or repeat visitors.
Ideas for First Time Visitors:
—Lowell Observatory–Stargazing at 7200 feet!
—Walking Tours–Route 66 to Historic Tours
—Craft Beer–Flagstaff IS Arizona’s craft beer town
—Grand Canyon National Park– 80 minutes away
—National Monuments–Minutes from Flagstaff
—Museum of Northern Arizona
—Pioneer Museum/Riordan Mansion
Ideas for Repeat Visitors:
—Custom Local Tours–get outta town!
—Lunar Legacy Landmarks–walk where the astronauts trained
—Music Scene–Arizona’s Festival Town!
—Route 66 by Harley Davidson (Eagle Rider)
—Arizona Snowbowl–Year-round adventure
—Flagstaff Extreme–Adventure Courses & Zip-lining
Following is a sampler of some of the royalty fee photos available at TourOperatorLand.com.
For more information on Flagstaff, 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: bcooper@connecttravel.com
HODGE PODGE: Changes, Openings, Appointments
Tara Hippensteel has been named national director of tourism for Hornblower Cruises and Events. She joins the company with more than 20 years of experience in both the domestic and international travel trade industry. As national director of tourism, Hippensteel will be responsible for defining and leading the short and long-term strategy around national travel trade and third-party client relationships for Hornblower Cruises and Events. With over two decades of industry experience, Hippensteel recently developed a national tour and travel program for nearly 60 Topgolf venues across the country. Prior to that, she held various roles with Hard Rock Cafe including national tourism sales director, North America. She began her Travel & Tourism career at Hornblower’s Spirit of Chicago in 2002–2003 as a tourism development manager.
Peter Seibert has been named president and CEO of Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Museum. Seibert previously served as executive director and CEO of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Wyoming’s largest museum, which is in Cody, Wyoming. Earlier career postings in his nearly three-decade career include the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the Millicent Rogers Museum, the National Council for History Education, and the Heritage Center of Lancaster County, Inc.
James Bermingham has been appointed CEO of Virgin Hotels. Bermingham, who has more than 35 years of industry experience in the hospitality and tourism industry, was previously executive vice president of operations for Montage International, and also worked at ITT Sheraton Corporation. As chief executive, he is responsible for the company’s global growth and customer experience. This year, Virgin Hotels open in three more key destinations: Las Vegas, New Orleans and New York City. There are three Virgin hotels currently operating in Chicago, Dallas and Nashville.
The Uncommon Operator in Brazil has expanded and now operates in São Paulo, with Nivaldo Egeia as its director of sales. Egeia has 17 years of experience in tourism, including eight years at Visual Turismo. He has also served in the Othon and Windsor hotel chains.
Kristin Wenger has joined Baker Public Relations in Pittsburgh as senior account director. She comes to the post from VisitPITTSBURGH, where she served for 20 years in various public relations and communications positions, lastly as communications director.
Donna Jeavons and Chris Townson have been promoted following the resignation of Rachel Coffey as sales and business development director for Trafalgar, Costsaver Tours, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold. The move follows the recent resignation of Rachel Coffey. In addition to their existing remits, Jeavons—sales and marketing director for Contiki Holidays in the UK and Europe—will now take the reins of Trafalgar and Costsaver Tours in the UK and Ireland, while Chris Townson, managing director of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection in the UK and Ireland, will take responsibility for Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold.
John Weatherill been named executive vice president and chief commercial officer at WestJet Airlines following the departure of Arved von zur Muehlen, Weatherhill has been with WestJet since August 2013, holding several roles within the airline’s commercial team: director, of network & schedule planning, director of revenue management, vice-president of pricing & revenue management and his most recent role, vice-president, network & revenue.
Adam Berrios has been hired by the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau as its new director of sales, where he will be responsible for leading the bureau’s local, regional, and national efforts to bring meetings and conventions to the city. Berrios brings with him 10 years of CVB experience. Prior to joining the Little Rock bureau, Berrios was senior sales manager with VisitGreenvilleSC and the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Tour operator Exsus Travel has hired North America travel expert Bradley Roper as worldwide travel expert. The operator said in statement that the appointment means its trade-facing destination experts team is “growing to a similar level” as pre-COVID. Exsus reported a “big growth in enquiries and bookings” in recent weeks with a spokeswoman confirming “most of our enquiries are coming from the trade.” Roper, previously served the Inspiring Travel Company (ITC), Kuoni, and Best at Travel, among other companies, and is a recognized expert on the U.S. and Canada.
Matt Lewis was recently named president and CEO of HospitalityMaine. He succeeded Steve Hewins, who officially stepped down from the post last month. Lewis joins the organization from Visit Richmond (California), where he was executive director for 3½ years. Prior to that, he was head of business travel sales leadership for Hotel Nikko San Francisco, where he represented the hotel both nationally and internationally for a decade. The departing Hewins served four-and-a-half years at the helm of the 1,000-member association. In 2018, he directed the merger of the Maine Innkeepers Association and the Maine Restaurant Association into HospitalityMaine.
Accelya, a global provider of technology to the travel industry, has announced that William (Bill) Cavendish has joined Accelya in the role of principal-global business development. He will be responsible for building and managing commercial relationships with airline partners by aligning their retailing-led growth requirements with Accelya’s portfolio of next-generation solutions. Cavendish joins Accelya from Emirates, where he was vice president, distribution strategy. Prior to Emirates, he held a number of leadership roles at aviation technology companies, global consulting firms, and major corporate travel management organizations.
Annie Allman recently became the new the general manager of Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market Corporation. The historic Reading Terminal (it actually was a railroad terminal at one point) attracts 100,000 local residents and tourists weekly. Prior to joining the Reading Terminal Market, Allman founded Last Frontier Consulting, a management consulting firm. Over the years she has held multiple positions in the hospitality and gaming industry, including posts at Harrah’s Atlantic City and Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack. She also served as senior vice president of strategic marketing at Encore Boston Harbor and as senior director of marketing at Comcast.
Emirates Group promoted Steve Allen to the role of executive vice-president at dnata. He will be responsible for all dnata’s businesses, covering ground handling, catering and travel across six continents. Allen will also assume responsibility for managing Emirates Group’s relationships with its associated businesses, including MMI, Emirates CAE Flight Training and Premier Inn. In his new role, Allen will continue to report to Gary Chapman, president of group services and dnata, until Chapman’s retirement at the end of March. Allen will then report directly to Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group.
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) has appointed Beth Potter as its new president and CEO. She began her new job on March 15. Most recently Potter served for more than a decade as president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. Prior to that, she was executive director of Camping in Ontario. She is a recognized leader with more than 30 years of experience in the not-for-profit and tourism industries and has worked with a variety of boards and committees, including her recent contributions to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s tourism recovery efforts.
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Job Postings
From SearchWide Global:
—The tourism research and intelligence company Arrivalist has an opening for a chief sales officer. More details here.
—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.
—The Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center & Tourism Authority in Georgia is looking for a new executive director. 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
—Georgia’s Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center & Tourism Authority is searching for a conference sales director. More details here.
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From Indeed.com: We’ve taken a look at this site (click here) which says that it has more than 850 jobs listed, including a fair number in the travel, tourism and related industries. A sampler of what to expect is below.
—Tourism Economics, the U.S. arm of Oxford Economics, has an opening for a head of business development. More details here.
—Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours, in Miami, Florida, is searching for a vice president of marketing. More details here.
—The Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens in Washington, D.C., is looking for a group sales, special events and tourism manager. More details here.
—In Miami, there is an opening at American Cruise Lines for an excursions director for the 2021 season. More details here.
—The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences museum in Los Angeles is searching for a group sales manager. 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 Hershey Company in Hershey, Pennsylvania has an opening for a senior manager, leadership & transformational communications. More details here.
—The City of Katy, Texas, just west of Houston, has an opening for a tourism and marketing event coordinator. More details here.
—In Worcester, Massachusetts, there s an opening for a tour programs coordinator at the Worcester Art Museum. More details here.
—The Sabre Corporation has an opening for a senior content writer & campaign manager. 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.
