UK MARKET NOTES
⦁ Will UK Use NHS App as Vaccination Passport? There have been reports from throughout the world in the past several months suggesting that governmental agencies of different sorts are testing various methods of using evidence that an individual has received at COVID-19 vaccination as a “passport.” In the UK, it appears that the British government is working out a way for Britons to use the app it already has for use with its National Health Service (NHS) as a vaccine passport.
Grant Shapps, the UK Secretary of State for Transport, confirmed to Britain’s Sky News that the government is working on such a passport, explaining that. “It will be the NHS app that is used for people when they book appointments with the NHS and so on.”
A quick study of what this app is all about is here, from a most recent issue of pharmaphorum.com, which covers the pharmaceuticals industry.
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⦁ UK Holidaymakers Ready & Set to Go—Air transport Infrastructure has been in place and operating for some time: Much of the pandemic-related media attention in the UK has focused on just how extensive the opening up of both short-haul and long-haul air travel is going to be—no one, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson—seems to have a direct answer. But indications are that some startup of booking activity will begin next week, from May 17th onward. (Caution: Grant Shapps, the UK Secretary of State for Transport has said that prospective international travelers should wait “two to three weeks” from that date to book foreign holidays
However, the latest OAG data show that domestic airline activity has been humming along and—a big surprise to those who thought the lucrative London Heathrow-to-NYC corridor has been dormant—there has been steady movement between the USA and the UK for those allowed to fly. ‘’\
Translated into industry terms, this suggests that a re-start won’t involve as much “lag time” during which the air carriers will have to re-activate (and in some cases, re-certify some of the employees who fly, service and maintain the airlines—not to mention the numbers of airline workers who might have given up on resuming their jobs and are working at something else.
Following are two graphics indicating that, although almost all UK aircraft movement has been domestic, last month’s numbers show that there has been regular aircraft activity.
Source: OAG Mapper
Source: OAG Mapper
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⦁ Less than a third of Brits now comfortable with thought of traveling. A recent YouGov poll of UK adults showed that almost two-thirds are uncomfortable about traveling abroad once restrictions on the activity are lifted. The poll, conducted last month among more than 1,400 adults, also revealed the following:
—63 percent of respondents were not comfortable traveling.
—30 percent were comfortable.
—Seven percent said they were unsure.
—Of those who were not comfortable, 54 percent were “not at all comfortable,” with the remainder of respondents “not very comfortable.”
—Of the 30 percent who were comfortable, a third of those were “very comfortable,” with two-thirds indicating that they were “fairly comfortable.”
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China Market Notes
⦁ It will be two years before China outbound recovers. As reported by China Travel News, a study by Oliver Wyman tells us that, even though the desire for travel abroad is strong among Chinese consumers, the country’s outbound leisure travel won’t return to pre COVID-19 levels no sooner than the second quarter of 2023.
While Chinese travelers are eager, their outbound leisure travel will not be back to pre-COVID levels until the second quarter of 2023 at best, according to a new study from consulting firm Oliver Wyman.
Quarantine measures are the key roadblock for most travelers, which continues to make Hainan Island, China’s rising duty-free shopping hub, one of the most popular leisure destinations, which is well known for its analyses of the Chinese economy, and which has global offices in 60 locations, including Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong.
One reason underpinning the study is what, China, while it has been forceful in its containment of the global pandemic brought on by COVID-19, has kept fairly strict quarantine measures in place, restricting the flow of international air traffic to and from China.
Jacques Penhirin, a partner at Oliver Wyman, told China Travel News, “Chinese consumers are looking forward to outbound travel, but border re-openings alone are not enough to convince them to travel again. “What stands in the way are quarantine requirements. No Chinese leisure travelers are interested in international travel with the current 14 to 28 days quarantine requirements. Having no quarantine is critical for travelers, which is only expected to happen when China and other major countries complete their mass vaccination programs.”
The Oliver Wyman study is based on the firm’s Pandemic Navigator, an AI-enabled tool, and consumer sentiment survey conducted in late March 2021. According to the survey, Hong Kong remains the most desired destination on travelers’ wish lists, with 41 percent of the respondents seeing the city as one of their top destinations once the border reopens.
“Hong Kong is a key destination to visit for Chinese travelers, given the city is expected to open its borders without quarantine requirements on both sides much earlier than the rest of the world,” said Imke Wouters, a partner at Oliver Wyman, noting that “our study predicts some Southeast Asian countries are going to see a full recovery as early as the beginning of 2023. That gives Hong Kong a short window of opportunity to re-establish its tourism and attract tourists from the mainland, specifically from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the end of 2022.”
Under such circumstances, short-haul travel is preferred among Chinese travelers, while long-haul destinations such as Europe and the U.S. are unlikely to see a full recovery until mid-2023 earliest, according to the study.
Group tours, once a staple for Chinese travelers, are losing their attraction as social distancing is one of the concerns of travelers. Nearly 70 percent of the survey respondents in the consumer sentiment survey said they would prefer making their own travel plans rather than joining group tours, while only 40 percent of the respondents were willing to do so pre-COVID.
Said Penhirin: “We estimate approximately USD 200 billion consumer spend trapped in China to be readily unleashed once international travel resumes. Asia is likely to see Chinese tourists first when borders reopen, but the numbers expected will still be far from a full recovery. We anticipate the vaccine rollout to be accelerated to expedite the pace of tourism worldwide.”
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⦁ The May Day Holiday finally offered Chinese people the chance to “scratch their travel itch,” according to the CGTN (China Global Television Network, which is owned by the Chinese state media China Central Television) after over a year of staycation because of COVID-19 initially and later government recommendations against unnecessary trips. Reporting just as the holiday period started, CGTN saId the COVID outbreak has changed how holidaymakers are enjoying scenic spots and popular landmarks, with a growing number opting to book time slots in advance, choosing self-drive tours and avoiding the travel rush.
The five-day break, which began on May 1, saw an influx of travelers similar to pre-pandemic levels, with an estimated 265 million passenger trips expected to be made. On day one of the public holiday, some 18 million passenger trips were made on the railway alone, inching close to 2019 figures.
And while COVID-19 is in the rear-view mirror in China, the country is still on high alert. Nowhere is this visible than in the tourism industry which is trying to balance between responding to months of pent-up demand for travel and ensuring the safety of holidaymakers.
Over the years, photos of seas of people swarming scenic spots during national holidays and blocking any view within sight have gone viral, causing a buzz on social media. But
In previous years, holiday news coverage often broadcast scenes of huge crowds throughout the country. But this year, attractions across the country adopted measures to prevent overcrowding, including operating on appointment-only basis, extending operating hours into the night and capping the number of visitors—even at the Great Wall, a popular destination among holidaymakers.
To meet the growing demand for travel during the holiday, additional trains were put into service. On May 1, 11,416 passenger trains were set to run, including 1,624 extra trains. On Monday, it was estimated that 10,739 passenger trains, including 1,081 additional ones, that carried travelers across the length and breadth of the country.
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⦁ People in their fifties have become a key factor in Chinese travel trends: According to China Daily, a report based on the results of a recent survey says that seniors in their 50s have become the major force in personal tourism consumption in China, with over 23.9 percent of them reporting personal tourism expenditures exceeding 5,000 yuan ($772.7) last year, a recent survey said.
According to a “green book” on China’s tourism development analysis and forecast in 2020 to 2021 which was jointly released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Social Sciences Academic Press just prior to the May Day holiday, Chinese people born in the 1960s spent the most in personal tourism, while those born in the 1980s are the main consumers in family tourism, chinanews.com reported.
Data from a nationwide online survey showed that more than 23.9 percent of Chinese people born in the 1960s spent more than 5,000 yuan ($713 last year in personal tourism, while the data for people born in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s are 20.8, 23.8, 19.4, and 7.9 percent, respectively. Following is how that percentage compares to other over-50 groups.
—The report said 17.3 percent of people born in the 1960s spent more than 8,000 yuan ($1,236) in 2020, with 10.8, 5.8, and 3.3 percent of people in the same age group spent more than 10,000 yuan ($1,544) 20,000 yuan ($3,089) and 40,000 yuan ($6,180) on personal tourism last year.
—Compared with other age groups, people born in the 1960s, or in their 50s, have more wealth and leisure time, makes them the main force of personal tourism, the report said.
—People born in the 1980s spent the most in family tourism, as more than 46 percent of survey participants of this age group spent more than 5,000 yuan ($773) on family travel in 2020, and 23.9 percent of them spent more than 10,000 ($1,544) yuan last year, according to the report.
Australia—Five Key Travel Trends for 2021
News Corp. Australia has released the findings from Its inaugural News Travel Network Consumer Trends Forecast
Using the behavioral data from the media giant’s News Travel Network audience, combined with Australian and international trend reports, the biannual trends forecast is overlaid with the expertise and broad-reaching insights of News Corp’s senior travel editors to predict the key consumer travel trends that will shape the next six months.
News Corp Australia’s managing director of food and travel, Fiona Nilsson, explained that the past year has dramatically changed the way we travel and how we think about travel. With a disruption as big as this, we also see big shifts in consumer interests and behaviors.”
Dwayne Birtles, News Corp Australia’s head of travel, said the company was “laser-focused” on its approach to travel across the business, pointing out that the company’s research has identified five core travel consumer segments ranging from the ‘Savvy’ segment, younger customers who are looking for value in their travel experiences and have a high propensity to book online; all the way up to the highest-value travel customer via our ‘Prestige’ segment, who look for the very best in quality and experience from their travel.” The five key consumer travel trends were presented by News Corp virtual gathering, as reported on by Travel Weekly Australia, are as follows:
1. The Swing against “Enforced Presentism”: This trend is based on consumers really wanting to avoid that feeling or sense of being ‘trapped in the present’, with no horizons. It’s leading to a strong desire to seek to reclaim their future, after feeling it was snatched away from them in 2020. To avoid feeling trapped in the present with ‘no horizons’, consumers are seeking to reclaim their future after being deprived of the ability to fully plan, manage and influence experiences in 2020.
As borders reopen and the vaccine rollout continues, Australians are looking ahead to escape the endless vortex of going nowhere. This means that Australians will reclaim their future by throwing themselves into future planning – especially travel. They will be looking for hassle-free booking experiences and hyper-personalized itineraries.
2. Live like a Local: Out of the changes that 2020 brought us, that dream of staying longer in places once considered brief holiday destinations has become a real possibility as many of us transition to partial or fully working from home. The pandemic has made living and working in places we’ve only ever visited a reality, with remote working becoming part of everyday life. This year and beyond will see shifts from short-term to medium- and long-term stays for corporate nomads as they move to destinations that offer a better and more enjoyable lifestyle.
3. Once-in-a-Lifetime Travel: Before COVID, we had unlimited choice. It wasn’t where could I go? It was where should I go next? We’ve surprised ourselves with how amazing Australia is, but there is no doubt there’s been a sense of confinement, and let’s face it: Australians love to travel overseas and we’re yearning for the big trip.
Consumers are appreciative of now being able to travel more freely and they are chasing dream destinations over adventure. The pent-up travel demand will see Australians plan epic, “trip of a lifetime” holidays.
4. Loyalty Redefined: Tourism operators have a great opportunity here to develop a whole new cohort of loyal customers. With options limited in terms of destinations, consumers are eager to try something new. The consumer who is tempted to do a trip they might not otherwise have considered, could become the next loyal traveler; the customer who goes with the company they know, tried and tested, time and again. The pandemic has levelled the playing field for brands. Limited opportunities to travel and the desire for fresh, immersive experiences mean Australians are considering brands or operators they haven’t used before.
5. Wonder Down Under: As restrictions lifted and we could travel in our metaphoric backyard—all 7.6 million square kilometers of it—our appetite for information about Australia surged. We saw a curiosity for niche and quirky stories and details and a desire to get to know our country in a more meaningful, entertaining or purposeful way than ever before.
Australians are looking for the quirky and the curious, with more people traveling at home they are seeking out niche and detailed history, facts, pop culture and trivia. Micro moments and local secrets are important with Australians wanting deeper, richer and more immersive experiences.
Click here to read the complete article.
TRADE TALK
⦁ From the Washington Post, May 8, 2021: Which travel trends are here to stay? Masks— “Travel experts have consistently brought up 9/11 as a comparison to the pandemic in the sense that they expect travel to return to earlier levels, but forever a bit changed. … And it would not surprise me at all to see more people wear masks when flying, even after it’s not required.”—Hannah Simpson, reporter, Washington Post. Click here for the full article.
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⦁ Car Hire Rates in USA Reach New Highs: For operators looking to add independent and small group options to their mix of U.S. product, consider this According to Michelle Walters, a spokesperson for Cheapcarrental.net, rental car rates across the U.S. are, on average, about 30 percent higher than average rental car rates were in May 2019. May 2021 rates are significantly more affordable than those experienced over Presidents’ Day Weekend 2021, when weekly rates in some destinations rose to as much as $3,000 per week due to overall rental car shortages. Is it possible that some international travelers are avoiding bus groups and escorted tours in response to health concerns driven by the global pandemic?
Below are the 10 most expensive destinations for car rental rates this spring. Prices shown reflect average weekly rates (from Sunday to Saturday) for the most affordable rental cars, May 1-31, 2021. Only rental car companies located directly at a destination’s airport or at the airport’s rental car center have been considered for the survey.
Destination & Airport Code
1. Kahului, HI (OGG) $972
2. Kona, HI (KOA) $923
3. Pensacola, FL (PNS) $817
4. Charleston, SC (CHS) $712
5. Honolulu, HI (HNL) $705
6. Lihue, HI (LIH) $652
7. Sarasota, FL (DRQ) $635
8. Savannah, GA (SAV) $581
9. Madison, WI (MSN) $571
10. St. Petersburg, FL (PIE) $569
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⦁ In another transaction of giants, Amex GBT is acquiring Egencia: In a deal involving billions (although terms were not discussed publicly) American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) is buying Egencia, Expedia Group’s corporate travel division. As part of the transaction, Expedia Group will become a shareholder in, and enter a long-term strategic commercial agreement with, GBT.
Paul Abbott, GBT’s chief executive, said: “Our strategy is to provide customers with unparalleled choice by having the best solutions for each managed travel segment that we serve. In Egencia, we would welcome the industry’s leading digital business travel platform.” Of the companies involved, Expedia ranks #1 on the Travel Weekly Power List of top travel agencies that do business in the USA with 2019 sales of $107.9 billion; American Express Global Business Travel is #3 with $34.1 billion in sales. Amex GBT said it will “continue to invest in the Egencia brand, its people and technology, as part of the world’s leading business travel platform.”
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⦁ Major players are increasing their stake in the tours, attractions & entertainment segment of the global travel and tourism industry with the recent agreement in which Trivago (the majority of its stock is owned by U.S. giant Expedia Group) will be offering users the chance to purchase tours and activities via a new service formed through a deal with Musement (it is based in Milan, Italy and was founded and launched in 2013), which is owned by Hannover, Germany-based giant TUI. Musement will power the channel for Trivago, giving it 55,000 excursions, activities and tickets to attractions in 140 countries around the world. Initially, Trivago Activities will be available in a number of key markets for the hotel metasearch site, including the U.K., U.S., France, Germany, Spain, Russia and the Netherlands. It’s the first time that Trivago has sold tours and activities on its website.
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⦁ Disney Destinations last week named Cancún-based PriceTravel Holding as its select operator to share Disney products and services throughout Mexico, Colombia and Latin America, where the tourism group has a strong presence. During the press conference to present the details of the alliance, Jorge Restrepo, CEO of PriceTravel Holding, expressed his satisfaction that PriceTravel is part of the companies that have commercial agreements to distribute the Disney Destinations product in Latin America. Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, four theme parks located in Orlando and more than 30 Walt Disney World Resort resort hotels for all budgets, will be part of the first phase of the sales and promotion strategy by PriceTravel Holding’s marketing and e-commerce team.
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⦁ Time’s 100 Most Influential Companies includes four from travel & tourism sector: Disney, Delta, Airbnb and Lego Group are the four travel and tourism industry entities that are a part of the list of the Time 100 Most Influential Companies in 2021. An extension of the famous Time 100, the Most Influential Companies list is broken down into five categories: Pioneers, Leaders, Innovators, Titans and Disruptors. Of the four companies that operate in the tourism sector, the list places Delta among the Leaders, the Lego Group among the Innovators, Disney among the Titans and Airbnb as a Disruptor. Click here for the complete list and more information.
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⦁ From Germany’s “ta.ts travel agency mirror” … Cracks of light beginning to show in outlook for the country’s battered travel and tourism industry. It was about the middle of April 2020 that the travel agency segment, like every other sector of the German travel and tourism business, was crushed flat in the penumbra of the COVID-19 virus-generated global pandemic. For the past 12 months of retail activity (the segment is the only readily available measure of the month-to-month health of the travel) as measured by the ta.ts (Travel Agency Technologies and Services) regularly indicated that travel agent sales were off by more than 90 percent or more. This is because most activity for those months from April 2020 through April 2021 was nil. Now that the monthly ta.ts travel agency measure is reflecting a more accurate mirror of activity, the draconian losses of the one-year period are less so. Indeed, there are plusses in year-on-year activity (2021 vs. 2020).
Sales activity, April 2021
—Overall activity was minus 52.5 percent in April 2021 compared to the same month last year.
—The billed tourism turnover shows a minus of 76.5 percent in April.
—Air traffic revenue was down 20.1 percent for the month.
—Sales of “other” products were plus 26.9 percent and the number of tickets (for tours, activities and entertainment, etc.) was plus 18.2 percent.
—Sales from the tourism sub-division cruises were down 58 percent in April.
—Viewed cumulatively, the total invoiced travel agency turnover in the months from ——January to April was minus 78.5 percent.
—Tourism recorded a minus of 88.1 percent, while air traffic recorded a minus of 79.0 percent.
— “Other” sales showed a minus of 59.6 percent and the number of tickets a minus of 82.1 percent.
—The cruises segment recorded a decline of -84.5 percent.
Source: As reported by the Frankfort-based Travel Agency & Technologies Services, a Lufthansa Group company.
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⦁ Hotel Asset Managers see light at end of tunnel. The Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA) has released the results of its biannual survey of asset managers’ thoughts, experiences, and forecasts for the upcoming year as the hotel industry continues to handle the ongoing pandemic. Topics ranged from “return to 2019” RevPAR level predictions to the status of the lending market. The survey was conducted in preparation for HAMA’s recent 2021 Annual Spring Meeting, which was held virtually in response to the pandemic. “As vaccinations in the United States continue, it would appear the light at the end of the tunnel for the hospitality industry is coming into clear focus, and we are delighted to find it is not an oncoming train,” said Larry Trabulsi, executive vice president at CHMWarnick and current HAMA president. Some findings from the survey:
—Nearly 30 percent of respondents are contemplating brand or management changes as part of their recovery strategy, approximately five percent believed they would change brands, ten percent foresaw changing management companies, and roughly 15 percent believe they would change both.
—Approximately 15 percent of participants expected to either hand back keys to the lender or enter into a forced sale situation. Nearly 10 percent already had.
—Most HAMA members (50 percent) believe RevPAR will return to 2019 levels by 2023. Not quite ten percent believe it will occur as early as 2022, while approximately 37 percent believed it would happen in 2024. Predictions for 2025 and 2026 came in at three and one percent, respectively.
—The three factors most concerning to participants right now include labor availability (75 percent), demand (60 percent), and labor costs (55 percent).
—On average, in urban markets for full-service and luxury properties, nearly 45 percent of those surveyed anticipated acquisition price discounts of 11 to 20 percent. While one respondent believed discounts could reach 41 percent or more off pre-pandemic pricing, approximately 15 percent felt discounts would be as low as zero to eleven percent.
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TourOperatorLand.com Partner of the Week: UpStateCA
The Best of Upstate California
Discover California’s best kept secret—live like a local in the Shasta Cascade region! Those who discover the Shasta Cascade region of UpStateCA are true nature lovers, outdoors people, and all-around savvy travelers. It takes a spirit of adventure to explore beyond California’s golden gates and flashy theme parks to journey into the land of glaciers, volcanos, caverns, and waterfalls. Exploring the far corners of California will give you bragging rights to memories reserved for those who dare to blaze their own trail.
Itinerary Ideas for First Time Visitors:
—Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding
—Lassen Volcanic National Park
—McCloud Falls
—Mount Shasta
—Lake Shasta Caverns and dinner cruise
Ideas for Repeat Visitors:
—Castle Crags State Park
—Shasta Dam
—Lake Almanor
—Lava Beds National Monument
—Trinity River Rafting
Verified Destination Contact
Following is a sampler of some of UpStateCA’s royalty free photos available at TourOperatorLand.com.
For more information on UpStateCA, go to 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
Scott McCrea is moving up from his post as director of tourism and convention sales for Explore Fairbanks to take over as the organization’s president and CEO. He succeeds Deb Hickok, who served in the position since 1999. McCrea was selected from a nationwide search that began on February 1, 2021. Interviews were conducted by an eleven-member transition team composed of executive committee members and past chairs of the board, community representatives, and one staff member. McCrea has been with the organization for nearly seven years. Prior to joining Explore Fairbanks, he held several senior level management positions in the area, including a seven-year tenure as director of marketing and communications for the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Lucie Guillemette, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Air Canada, is now heading up Air Canada Vacations as its president, replacing Craig Landry. Landry has served as president of the group since December 2015 and will remain executive vice president, operations at Air Canada. The change in leadership comes as a result of a commercial reassessment and adapting of strategies following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guillemette has been a member of Air Canada’s executive team since 2008 when she was appointed Vice President, Revenue Management.
Michelle McKinney Frymire has taken over as CEO of will lead business travel company CWT. She succeeds Kurt Ekert, who resign the post, but will the company in the future. Frymire joined CWT in 2019 and has over 20 years of experience in the travel industry. She held a variety of roles including CFO at Starwood Vacation Ownership and Delta Technology (a division of Delta Air Lines) as well as Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines. CWT is rated number four among Travel Weekly’s Power List of travel agencies doing business in the United States, with $24.8 billion in sales in 2019.
The board of directors of the Gettysburg Foundation has appointed Wayne E. Motts as its new president to lead the operations of the national preservation and education organization. The Gettysburg Foundation owns and operates the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center in partnership with Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site. It also owns and operates the Rupp House History Center, the George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital and the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad StationTM. Motts most recently served for more than nine years as CEO of The National Civil War Museum located in Harrisburg, Pa., successfully leading the institution for nine years. Previously, Motts was executive director of the Adams County Historical Society, located in Gettysburg, Pa.
Jonathan Williams has been appointed vice president of sales for Europe and North America for Etihad Airways, whose overseas service includes flights to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Williams will hold all commercial responsibilities in both regions, while developing relations with Etihad Airways’ trade and corporate partners. He replaces Martin Drew who moved from the position to become Etihad’s senior vice president, sales and managing director, cargo in November. Prior to joining Etihad Airways as regional business development manager for Europe in February last year, he led the UK corporate sales team for British Airways for five years. His professional career began in 1988 at American Airlines.
Stan Kravetz has been named sales and partnership manager at American Dream, a retail and entertainment complex in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, which is a few miles east of Manhattan/NYC. Previously, Kravetz was regional business development manager for the Martz Group, a well-known motorcoach operation in the U.S. Northeast.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced the appointment of Liz Ortiguera as its next chief CEO of PATA, The announcement was made at the association’s recent board meeting held earlier today. Ortiguera is a senior executive with over 25 years of global experience and expertise in general management, marketing, business development, and partner network management. Included in her resume is a ten-year tenure as regional general manager, Partner Network—Asia Pacific for American Express.
Hannah Fisher has joined senior travel specialist Saga Travel as marketing director. A veteran marketer with more than 20 years of experience in the field, she most recently worked for multinational media and digital marketing communications firm Dentsu International with clients such as Honda, Camelot and TSB. Prior to that, she held senior marketing roles at More Than, Sky and Direct Line. In the newly created role at Saga Travel, Fisher will be responsible for the development and delivery of the marketing strategy and will lead the implementation of greater digital capability.
David Falsetti has joined GetYourGuide as North America national account manager. Previously, he served in managerial positions with TUI Musement, Big Bus Tours and Intrepid Travel.
Dee Mittman has joined the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau as a sales manager. She’ll be managing all multi-cultural associations, the corporate market, and the Midwest territory. A veteran of more than 15 years in the travel and tourism industry, Mittman most recently worked at the Greensboro Convention and Visitors Bureau where she served as a national sales manager.
Claire Lieberman has been promoted to the post of vice president of business development at Benchmark. Lieberman will drive forward the continual growth of the Texas-based management company that operates more than 80 assets worldwide. Lieberman initially joined Benchmark in February 2020 as senior director of business development. Prior to Benchmark, Lieberman was the senior director of development for Red Lion Hotel Corporation in Denver, Colorado where she spearheaded the national expansion efforts for the company’s luxury boutique brand, Hotel RL. She also held multiple development positions with Two Roads Hospitality, playing an integral role in the merger of Destination Hotels & Resorts and Commune Hotels & Resorts in 2016 and supporting the growth of the portfolio through the 2018 acquisition by Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Educational travel specialist Next Generation Travel has appointed Ian Finlay as non-executive director. Finlay created Tui Travel’s education division and has worked at senior levels with brands including Kingswood and Travel Class. He joins as Next Generation Travel as the company readies itself to respond to a market upturn with seven strong brands across the UK ready to capitalize on a post-COVID market.
Job Postings
From SearchWide Global:
—There is an opening for a chief executive officer at Explore Skagit Valley in Washington State. More details here.
—Louisville Tourism is looking for a senior vice president of convention development. More details here.
—Travel Portland is searching for a vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion. More details here.
—The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau is searching for a new president and CEO. More details here.
—Switch, a Saint Louis-based agency “dedicated to powerful experiences, delivering events, digital activations, branding, VR, environments and field tours that are worth sharing,” is looking for a president and CEO. More details here.
—The Pacific Hospitality Group has an opening for an area director of marketing. More details here.
—Visit Wichita is searching for a vice president of marketing. More details here.
—Visit Wichita has an opening for a vice president of sales. More details here.
—Destinations International is searching for a senior director, membership engagement. More details here.
—The tourism research and intelligence company Arrivalist has an opening for a chief sales 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 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 has 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 hundreds of new jobs listed, including a fair number in the travel, tourism and related industries. A sampler of what to expect is below.
—The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is looking for a vice president of guest experience. The salary range is $130,000 – $157,000 a year: More details here.
—The State of Idaho is looking for a tourism development specialist. More details here.
—Hill + Knowlton Strategies is seeking a talented vice president or senior vice presidentto lead key consumer client engagements with a focus on travel and tourism. More details here.
—The American Queen Steamboat Company has a temporary, remote location opening for a shore excursions logistics manager. Location cited is in Easton, Pennsylvania. More details here.
—Tourism Economics, the U.S. arm of Oxford Economics, has an opening for a head of business development. 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 currently listed.
—REI has an opening for an adventure travel program coordinator. More details here.
—Interdependence Public Relations is searching for a Managing Director to launch and build a travel, leisure and hospitality division at its rapidly growing PR firm. More details here.
—A coordinator, brand activator (regional tourism, East) is being sought for the Ralph Lauren brand. More details here.
—The city of Danville, Virginia has an opening for an economic development tourism manager. More details here.
—Morristown, N.J.-based CIE Tours International is searching for a director of marketing. 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. Email tom@tomberrigan.com.
