Germans Ask: Should I Go? Should I stay?
… And other notes on the German travel market.
● A plurality of Germans supports the lifting of all COVID-19 measures for fully vaccinated people by September, according to a recent YouGov survey. In the survey, almost half (48 percent) of the survey respondents opposed a lifting of the general travel warning for COVID-19. Thirty-eight percent thought it was it was right, and 14 percent of respondents did not provide an answer. At the same time, however, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said that he supports the lifting of all Covid-19 restrictions once a vaccine has been offered to everyone in the country. “When this is achieved, there is “no longer a legal or political justification for any kind of restriction,” Maas told the German Press Agency, adding that he expected this to happen during August.
After a January-through-June of 2021 that can only be described as a lost half-year, some key numbers for the tourism industry’s retail sector were finally bouncing back and the potential travelers who generally make those numbers happen are, well, not that enthusiastic about the possibility of a traditional holiday this year. Following is a sampler of some of the key developments up to the first part of this month.
● What the travel agents are reporting. It was a very good month compared to June 2020. The total invoiced turnover of the travel agencies recorded in the “ta.ts travel agency mirror” in June 2021 is plus 140.4 percent compared to the same month last year. (ta.ts, or Travel Agency Technologies & Services, is a Frankfurt-based research and analysis firm). The rest of the numbers follow:
—The billed tourism turnover shows an increase of 126.6 percent in June.
—Air traffic revenue was up 183.8 percent for the month.
—“Other sales” were plus 88.6 percent.
—The number of tickets sold were up 116.8 percent.
—The turnover from the tourism sub-division cruises was an increase of 201.1 for June.
The graphic version of the report: One doesn’t have to know German to understand the key numbers below. The gold-colored bars show percentages changes from June 2021 vs. last June. The blue colored bars show percentage changes from the first six months of this year compared to the first six months of 2020.
Source: ta.ts travel agency mirror
—Viewed cumulatively, the total billed travel agency turnover in the months from January to June was minus 57.0 percent.
—Tourism declined by 66.5 percent, while
—Air traffic recorded a minus of 58.8 percent.
—“Other sales” show a decline of 28.5 percent.
—The number of tickets sold was down 63.4 percent.
—The cruises segment recorded a drop of 68.5 percent.
—Meanwhile, incoming orders for tourism are up 243.8 percent on a monthly basis, and
the tourism order backlog by travel date up to October 2021 is minus 55.0 percent.
—In the sub-division cruises, incoming orders are plus 157.9 percent in a month-on-month comparison, while the order backlog by travel date up to October 2021 is minus 51.2 percent.
● In a clear sign that the group tour business is re-starting (outbound international travel is still on hold), senior travel specialist Trendtours Touristik earlier this month been offering group tours again. The first trips were to take place inside Germany. This will be followed by bus and later air travel to Italy and Spain. “There is a lot of catching up to do,” Managing Director Markus Daldrup said in an article published by the trade publication Touristik Aktuell, adding, “the demand for travel in the coming year is surprisingly strong.” He explained that, on some days, bookings are already back to 2019 levels.
● We like Joe (Biden): It wasn’t a vote, only a survey by YouGov, but the results show that the view of Germans of their country’s relations with the USA has improved since Joe Biden was inaugurated as president six months ago, succeeding Donald Trump. A YouGov survey of 2,000 respondents found that:
—66 percent believed relations had improved between Germany and the USA,
—19 percent said nothing changed.
—Last year, a similar poll found that just 19 percent of Germans viewed the United States as a friendly ally. That number has jumped up to 42 percent this year.
—The number of Germans who consider the U.S. ill-disposed to their country fell from 27 in 2020 to 11 percent this year.
To see the complete article on the survey, click here.
● TUI Group, which includes the largest tour operator in Germany and Europe, has strengthened its digital platform capabilities through a strategic partnership with Mozio, a travel and transportation technology business. The Mozio transfer inventory has been integrated with TUI’s digital distribution channels, providing TUI partners and customers with access to over 125,000 additional transfer options in more than 125 countries. The partnership continues the ongoing digital acceleration taking place across TUI Group and supports the growth of TUI Musement—its Tours & Activities division.
Can UK Summer Be Salvaged?
Upbeat note sounded by Biden, poll showing Brits feeling safer about travel, buoy industry. Here are some UK market notes.
● Here we were—slip-sliding along toward a depressing third-quarter for 2021 and no news on the horizon when U.S. President of United States Joe Biden told us late last week during a White House meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that information on the timing for lifting international travel bans could come “within the next several days.” (A ban on non-essential travel to the United States from overseas was put into place in March 2020 as the crisis wrought by the COVID-19 virus shut down travel globally.)
Biden’s remarks were well-received at the U.S. Travel Association, the travel and tourism industry’s chief lobbyist. Tori Emerson Barnes, the organization’s executive vice president of public affairs and policy said: “We welcome the president’s remark, delivered today with German chancellor Angela Merkel, that more information on the timing for lifting international travel bans could come ‘within the next several days.”
Stay tuned.
● Meanwhile, for the first time in six months, people feel it is safer to travel abroad.
—Results of a poll 2,000 people in Europe* by the Copenhagen-based DFDS shipping and logistics firm best known for its ferry service showed a third of them now think they will travel within the next three months. (The UK is the largest overseas source market for inbound travel to the U.S. Germany, which was next closest to the UK results in terms of optimism with a similar pattern of results over the last few months, is Number 6.)
—The majority in the UK plan on booking this month, possibly reflecting ongoing uncertainty about which countries will be on amber and green lists for permitted travel and quarantine.
—15 percent of UK respondents said that they have already booked travel, while 25 percent of Germans had done so.
—August and September are also popular choices for booking months across the countries.
—Fewer than 20 percent of respondents in most countries who were surveyed say they will book earlier now than they would have previously.
—More than 45 percent in each country say they will book closer to the departure date, with the rest saying Covid-19 has not changed how early or late they plan on booking their holiday.
—Those who feel optimistic heavily outweigh those who feel pessimistic and the majority feel the same or optimistic regarding their household finances.
—Most respondents think it will take at least a year for life to return to normal with some 40 percent of UK customers indicating that it will take more than a year.
—The majority of UK respondents were more than 55 years old: 29 percent for those aged 55-64 years and 36 percent of those aged 65-74 years.
* The survey was sent to DFDS customers in the UK, Netherlands, Denmark, France, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Sweden and Norway. The ferry company has been carrying out a travel intention tracker each month across the ten European countries since last November to follow the development of its customers’ desire to travel and their plans for traveling now and in the future.
It should be noted that the UK has in place a “traffic light” system (difficult for many to understand) that labels countries as red, green or amber. Those from red nations face extremely difficult restrictions, while people from amber nations face restrictions, but not as serious as those for red nation residents. Travelers from green nations face even fewer restrictions.
● Travel Agent “Truth Squad” tells Companies to Stop Using Inflated Figures—It Hurts the Cause. TARGET (Travel Agent Reform Group Engaged Together), a travel industry group that has been at the forefront of efforts to secure government help and understanding, wants travel companies to stop talking unsubstantiated increases in bookings and says members have threatened to put repeat offenders on stop-sell.
Perhaps part bluster, perhaps part boosterism, a fair number of companies have told the news media that they are experiencing a surge in bookings since changes to quarantine rules were announced—changes that, in effect, relax the rules—with some giving percentage increases but no actual figures.
Jill Waite, TARGET’s co-founder, said: “It is so annoying to see figures of four-to-five hundred percent increases in bookings,” adding, “these statements will destroy our chances of getting more financial support from the Government, who will think that everything is now fine.”
“We all know that is not the case and targeted sector specific support is still needed to get us all through to next year,” noted Waite. “So many people in the travel industry have worked so hard to contact their Members of Parliament and the media to get the message across as to why travel needs sector specific support. This opportunist statements by travel companies are irresponsible and selfish.”
Underscoring Waite, TARGET Co-Founder Graeme Brett said: “The Government seems to think that these changes to quarantine are enough to save the travel industry and the false bookings claims support them.”
“They are totally wrong. We need an independent survey of customers to present to Government to prove that there is still a substantial resistance from customers to travel.
● Just remember this: Even if Freedom Day (July 19th) removed shutdown requirements and related regulations, and included a recommendation that more people work from home, airline passengers are still required to wear face masks at airports and on flights. The same requirement remains in effect across the pond in the United States. The mandate requires passengers on public transportation to wear a mask at all times, including while in airports and during flight – whether that flight is 50 minutes or five hours. The federal mask requirement is scheduled to expires on Sept. 13. The mandate requires passengers on public transportation to wear a mask at all times, including while in airports and during flight – whether that flight is 50 minutes or five hours.
Harry Potter, Ben Franklin & Others
New Product Openings Show There’s Life in the Tourism Industry
Harry Potter Exhibition to Visit Philadelphia to Start World Tour: Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment in partnership with Imagine Exhibitions and EMC Presents have announced that Harry Potter: The Exhibition, the most comprehensive touring exhibition ever presented about the Wizarding World, will kick off its spellbinding global tour at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in early 2022. The exhibition, which is slated to tour globally to Latin America, the Asia-Pacific Region (APAC), Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The exhibition’s opening and ticket on-sale dates will be announced in the coming months. “This exhibition will be unlike any other Wizarding World touring exhibition. The inclusion of technology, attention to detail and integration of magical touches created by our partners at Imagine Exhibitions is truly unique,” said Peter van Roden, senior vice president of Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment. “We are elated to be launching the world tour at the Franklin Institute and for fans to be able to have another way to experience the Wizarding World.” Check out www.HarryPotterExhibition.com for the latest news on tour stops and ticket availability.
Spa Resort Meets Shopping Mall: A new Life Time Athletic Resort Experience Opens at Northshore Mall in Massachusetts. A New, 120,000-square-foot destination serves the Northshore and Southern Sea Coast area with everything needed to support family health and wellness at popular shopping center—Northshore Mall in Peabody. It is a “reimagined mall” tenant expected to draw thousands of consumers each day to these community hubs, providing the ultimate in convenience with easy access to everything needed to support family health and wellness, along with mall retail stores and restaurants – all in one location. “Greater Boston has embraced Life Time since we entered the market in 2015. With the addition of Northshore, we now offer five Life Time destinations offering amazing health, wellness, sport and lifestyle experiences designed to support healthy, happy lives for all ages,” said Jeff Zwiefel, Life Time’s president and chief operating officer. “The addition of our Life Time experience, combined with all that Simon offers at Northshore Mall, is game changing for members, residents and the broader community.” For more information, visit Life Time or Northshore Mall, a Simon property, located in Peabody, Mass.
New Attraction on Atlanta’s Belt Line: Illuminarium Experiences, a global experiential entertainment company has opened its first Illuminarium in Atlanta, Georgia, with its debut spectacle, WILD: A Safari Experience. The immersive 26,000 square-foot entertainment complex on the Atlanta BeltLine will showcase some of Africa’s most exotic animals in their natural habitats. It will also offer a first-of-its-kind nightlife experience at The Bar at Illuminarium and all-day dining at The Illuminarium Café. By enabling audiences to see, hear, feel, smell and even personally affect an experience, Illuminarium places the guest “inside” the narrative using techniques from traditional motion picture production and virtual reality combined with interactive features that facilitate the experience of the real world. In essence, Illuminarium exemplifies a “VR, without the glasses” experience. Ticket prices depend on the level of the visitor experience one chooses. They top out at $50 each. A note: The Atlanta BeltLine is a former railway corridor around the core of Atlanta, Georgia, under development in stages as a multi-use trail. More details at https://beltline.org/.
Faith and Liberty Discovery Center Has Grand Opening: The Faith and Liberty Discovery Center earlier this month celebrated its full grand opening as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in Philadelphia. Situated on Independence Mall near the Liberty Bell, the new, $60 million center is a technologically immersive, state-of-the-art educational center that allows visitors to explore the relationship between faith and liberty in the American story by illuminating the influence of the Bible on individuals in key historical and personal moments. The FLDC is a subsidiary of American Bible Society.Retail ticket prices top out at $10 per person. For more, visit http://faithandliberty.org
Silver Chinese are Golden Market
Notes on the Chinese Market:
● Marketing strategists who are both eager and anxious to re-enter the Chinese travel market, once it opens up after the shadow of the COVID-19 global pandemic passes over, would do well to give a listen to last week’s Dragon Trail International—it’s a marketing and research company headquartered in Beijing with offices in London—held a seminar on China’s “Silver Travelers,” which is certainly not as monolithic as one might think.
Using a wide range of source material, Sienna Parulis-Cook, Dragon Trail’s director of marketing and communications, walked listeners and viewers through a statistical and demographic terrain that should
—There are now 250 million Chinese aged 60 and above, with middle-aged and older households account for 22 percent of Chinese households.
How does one define the older-senior-mature-silver generations? (1930-1970)
Post-30s: 82-91 years
Post-40s: 72-81 years
Post 50s: 62-71 years
Post-60s: 52-61 years
Post-70s: 42-51 years
—For practical purposes (i.e., so that listener and presenter are using the same definition), we used the 60-70 population as a core market. Still, there’s more.
Wavemaker* China’s 3 Senior Segments
* Wavemaker is a London-based global media agency
—In China, the retirement age for women is 50 or 55, depending on the job.
For men, it is 60.
—”Compared to senior markets in other nations, China has younger retirees who much younger–they are old enough to no longer be part of the workforce, but young enough to still be engaging in active travel.”—Parulis-Cook
Size of the Travel Market: Outbound
Notes on the Size of the Travel Market Outbound
—24 percent of seniors in tier 1-3 cities have traveled abroad, reaching 47 percent in first-tier cities. As of 2019, senior Chinese outbound travelers went abroad and average one time per year, rising to 1.7 times per year in first-tier cities. (Wavemaker)
—In the first half of 2019, 50 percent of Chinese tourists to Europe were born in the 1950s and 1960s (aged 49-69), with another 12 percent born in the 1970s. (HCG Travel Group and Ctrip)
—In the first half of 2018, 29 percent of Chinese tourist to Africa were born in the 1950s and 1960s. (COTR)
—Chinese tourists to South America are primarily high-end travelers aged 40-65.
“While millennial and Gen Z Chinese travelers might be making up be making up the majority of all outbound tourists, it’s really the older Chinese that may be more likely to have the time, the money and experience to go into these long-haul markets.”—Parulis-Cook
Travel Companions: Group Travel Preferences for Tour Products among Older Chinese
“We can see that older Chinese are maybe looking for a travel experience that’s a bit more to their taste and lasting even when they’re on a group tour compared to those really rushed kind of traditional Chinese group tours that we think about.”— Parulis-Cook
Click here for a recording of the seminar.
● Chinese Domestic Tourism Travel Down More than 50 percent in 2020: Data released last week by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism indicated that 2.8 billion trips were made by Chinese in 2020—down 52.1 percent from the year in 2019, as China worked at a stable recovery of domestic travel market. As reported by the Global Times—it is an official state-backed publication—there are also these numbers:
—In 2020, Chinese people’s spending on cultural and tourism activities exceeded 108 billion yuan ($16.71 billion), an increase of 2.35 billion yuan, or 2.1 percent over the previous year. On average each Chinese individual has spent 77.08 yuan on culture and tourism consumption, up 1.3 percent from 2019.
—The recovery rate in cultural and tourism sector is better than expected, especially since the second half of 2020, experts said.
Zhang Lingyun, a professor of tourism development at Beijing International Studies University, told the Global Times that the global pandemic brought on by the COVID 19 virus has led to changes in new styles of travel patterns—for example, self-driving holidays, short distance trips and duty-free shopping saw strong growth last year.
● Night Time is the Right Time to Shop for Chinese: In one of those studies that hopes to seek out any possible behavior that could be converted to improving the marketing of travel and tourism products, global travel service provider Trip.com has released its latest data on mainland China’s night-time economy and night-time tourism consumption during the first half of 2021. The data release gives context and delves into the trends shaping night-time tourism and consumption Using booking and user data, we have compiled key points to help shed light on the patterns shaping this growing consumer segment.
—First, what is the night-time economy? The night-time economy refers to all economic activity that occurs between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. in the service sector, spanning a wide range of business activity, including transportation, attractions, food and beverage, tourism, entertainment and more.
| Night-time attraction bookings increased 469 percent compared to last year |
—On average, Chinese consumers made 1.3 night-time attraction bookings in the first half of 2021, spending 187 yuan ($29) per person. Night-time attraction bookings made on the Trip.com Group Ctrip platform increased by 469 percent compared to 2020, and increased by 120 percent compared to 2019. 40 percent of night-time attraction bookings were for attractions located within a short-haul travel radius.
—Female tourists make more night-time attraction bookings. According to Trip.com Group data, women make up 53 percent of the tourists making night-time attraction bookings, 6 percent higher than their male counterparts.
—Gen Z is a driving force behind night-time tourism sales. Post-90s consumers (people born after 1990) make up 34 percent of the tourists making night-time travel product bookings, while post-80s and post-00s users account for 29 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Trip.com Group data reveals that Gen Z is becoming a major driving force behind night-time consumption, and suggests businesses to develop more engaging, youthful travel products.
—Tourists tend to consume more at night. The demand for more immersive night-time tourism products also feeds into the secondary consumption tourists bring to destinations. Although bookings rates are usually lower in the night-time, secondary consumption is often higher than that in the daytime.
Read the complete release/article here.
Australians Have No Place They Want to Go
Trade Talk: From installment payments to vacationing on a farm
● Aussies not traveling abroad, and fewer are traveling at home. Hit hard by the pandemic, traveling Australians seem to have lost their desire to so, the findings, according to a new survey of 1,000 Australians by Hipcamp, a Sydney-based provider of outdoor stays. According to most accounts, it will be next year before international travel to and from the country starts up again. In the midst of such a situation, the survey found:
—61 percent of Australians say they have NOT booked a holiday for the next six months!
—Although nearly a quarter (24 percent) of Australians cite staycations as the most viable holiday plan for the next six months, no one seems too excited about them.
—Asked if they thought a staycation could “actually bring them joy” in the next six months, 37.2 percent of Australians said “No” and 31.9 percent said ‘Meh,’
—The above showed a combined national total of 69.1 percent of Australians who simply aren’t staycation inspired. Visit here for more details.
● Good News from Brazil: From the Washington Post: “As vaccinations accelerate and the coronavirus retreats, Brazil finally allows itself to hope for better days. This month, for the first time since the pandemic arrive, Amazonas state had a date when it did not register a single Covid death.” Read the full article here.
● Dallas and Hotelbeds to promote weekenders: VisitDallas, the DMO that promotes Dallas as a business and leisure destination, has signed an agreement with Hotelbeds, the world’s largest bedbank, to drive domestic in-bound tourism to the U.S. city. The campaign is designed to drive domestic leisure tourism to Dallas, with a particular focus on weekday and long weekend visits. Throughout the promotion travel advisors will be introduced to the incredible opportunities that the Texan city of Dallas has to offer: its wide offer of art, culture and music, sporting events, gastronomic offerings, and the city’s unique culture.
● Adventure Travel Association highlights the “experience the cattle and other creatures” on a farm vacation in Alabama’s Black Belt: “I don’t like people to feel rushed,” Christopher Black says about the access he provides to his 200-acre Black Angus cattle farm through experiential tours. “I want you to take your time, enjoy what you enjoy. If you want to sit on the edge of the field and look off into the distance, you can do that.” It’s why he went so literally with the name of his operation: Connecting with Birds & Nature Tours. “Connecting with the healing power of nature is a big part of it.” For the complete article, click here.
● Just in time for its annual trade show two months from now (Sept. 18-22 in Las Vegas), the U.S. Tourism Association’s IPW has selected Global Tourism Sports & Entertainment (GTSE) to be its first official Sports and Tourism Representation Ambassador. The new partnership is hailed by both organizations as an opportunity to drive a recovery toward travel’s pre-pandemic economic impact figure.
“With both transportation and sports news more globalized than ever, the natural intersection between sports and tourism continues to grow, as sports leagues build their fan bases across borders and oceans,” said U.S. Travel’s president and CEO Roger Dow. “Continuing that integration makes sense for the development of both economic sectors, and this partnership will be valuable in facilitating that process.”
● Installment or “Buy now, pay later” payments for travel are growing increasingly popular. Long a staple in some travel markets—particularly in South America—paying for the cost of a holiday over, say 12 months, is “increasingly becoming a way that consumers want to pay,” says Tom Botts, chief commercial officer for Uplift, which bills itself as “the largest player in the space.” Adds Botts: “It is becoming an expectation of consumers wanting this payment option, not only for retail, but also for travel.”
Commonly referred to as “buy now, pay later,” such solutions are positions as a way to enable travel consumers to purchase airline tickets, cruises, vacation packages, hotels and other travel products via payment plans that can span from a few months up to more than a year. Buy now, pay later customers typically receive credit decisions almost instantly, with interest rates determined based upon their credit histories. Payment terms range from as short as three months to as long as 18 months, said Botts.
In April, Uplift added Southwest to existing airline clients United, Frontier, Alaska, Allegiant, Lufthansa and Aeromexico and approximately a dozen others. For the complete article, visit here.
HODGE PODGE: Changes, Openings & Appointments
Marek Andryszak is leaving TUI Germany. Andryszak will be leaving the tourism group at his own request. A succession plan is already being prepared. A long-time veteran of the TUI Group—the largest tour operator in Europe—Andryszak took on the TUI Germany post in the spring of 2017. Prior to that, he had served as CEO of Tourismus AG, another company within the TUI Group; as CEO of TUI Poland; and as vice president, aviation trading for TUI Germany. David Burling, member of the TUI Group’s Executive Board, announced the news last week in a letter to employees. “I would like to inform you today that we are in talks with Marek Andryszak about the termination of his contract as managing director of TUI Deutschland GmbH, which will expire in 2022, and that I am preparing the succession plan,” said Burling, who indicated that Andryszak will continue to fulfill his contract and “push ahead with the restart of operations in the central region with all his energy.”
Kama Winters was recently appointed president of Delta Vacations, Delta Air Lines’ official vacation provider. Winters joins the company from Delta Air Lines, where she served most recently as director of product retailing. She succeeds former Delta Vacations President Jennie Ho, who was recently appointed vice president – in-flight field operations at Delta. Winters has been a partner to Delta since 2005, where she served as a client lead with longstanding agency partner Digitas. She joined Delta in 2016 and served in roles of increasing responsibility throughout marketing and digital strategy.
Tisha Rogers has been named group sales manager at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. She joins from Universal Studios Hollywood, where she was sales manager and served for more than a dozen years. Prior to that, she was travel marketing manager at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Brian Wright has joined Mammoth Lakes Tourism as director of marketing. Previously, he was director of global business development at Santa Monica Travel & Tourism. Wright also served as director of DMO & executive relations for Visit California, where he worked for more than five years.
WestJet has announced that Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Diederik Pen, will join the airline’s executive leadership team in the early fall, following the completion of the immigration process. At that time, acting interim COO, Robert Antoniuk will take on a new role as chief safety, health and environment officer. Mr. Pen has more than 25 years of aviation-industry experience in the Asia-Pacific and European regions, and joins WestJet most recently from Wizz Air.
In the UK, independent tour operator Prestige Holidays, which was established by John Dixon more than 30 years ago, has been purchased by M&A specialist Embrace Travel Group for an “undisclosed” sum. Dixon, who is currently chairman and managing director, will retire following Prestige’s sale to Embrace after working for more than 50 years in the travel industry. The operator’s commercial director David Skillicorn will stay with the company after its acquisition.
Emily Bates has joined the New Mexico Tourism Department as tourism development coordinator. She has spent the previous 1½ years in Guadalajara and previously worked in the travel and tourism industries in Boston and had a tourism marketing internship in Bordeaux, France. Bates has a bachelor’s degree in French from Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore and a master’s degree in management and valorization of heritage through tourism from the Sorbonne in France.
Hahn Air announced the appointment of Christoph Althoff as vice president airline business Hahn Air is a German scheduled and executive charter airline. The industry professional joined the Hahn Air team on July 1st and will be in charge of an international team of experts managing the partnerships with Hahn Air’s more than 350 partner airlines worldwide as well as acquiring and implementing new partner carriers. Christoph Althoff takes over from Steve Knackstedt who has been in this role for more than 13 years and who will retire at the end of 2021. In the past 17 years, Althoff has been working for major travel industry players such as PROS Holding and Amadeus where he successfully developed data-driven and customer-centric sales strategies for airlines and other travel-related clients
Maria Wahby Hernandez has been hired as a JetBlue customer service crewmember. Prior to her appointment, she had spent nearly nine years as contracts manager for Miki Travel.
Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert has named Deborah Ward the new executive director of the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau. Ward has served as interim director since July 2020. Previously, she was the Vice President of Marketing and Communications. She’s also worked for Visit Omaha for 14 years.
Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades CVB has announced that Jack Wert, the well-known figurehead of Collier County’s Tourism Division has announced plans to retire from his post, effective September 30, 2021. Wert has held his position as Executive Director in Collier County since 2002. ++
Lagina Fitzpatrick is the new executive director of the Lake of the Ozarks Tri-County Lodging Association (TCLA) in Missouri. Prior to being named executive director, Fitzpatrick had been the interim director since December. She also served as director of sales at TCLA from 2010 through 2020.
The newly created Iowa Travel Industry Partners has hired Chelsea Lerud as its interim director. Lerud has served as the executive director of the Greater Burlington Iowa Convention & Visitors Bureau since 2014. Lerud will begin her duties with the Travel industry partners August 9.
Hammond, Indiana’s longtime South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Speros Batistatos was removed from his position at a board meeting last week. Batistatos, who began with the SSCVA more than three decades ago, has been in conflict with its board of directors for weeks, after board members raised concerns during contract negotiations about his total compensation, which exceeds $330,000 between salary and benefits. Batistatos was president and CEO of the Indiana organization for two different periods—a from March 1989-July 2000 and from October 2005 until his dismissal. In between, he served for a while as president and CEO of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority.
Guillaume Arenas is the new director for Discover the World France. He succeeds Michele Bernard, who had been at the position for 24 years, and has retired. Arenas, who has been with Scottsdale-headquartered Discover the World since 2005, and has extensive knowledge of both the operation and the French travel market. Discover The World France represents a broad range of clients including Caesars Entertainment, Copa Airlines, Expedia TAAP, Loews Hotels & Co, Hong Kong Airlines, SATA Azores Airlines, Ukraine International Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, World Ticket Solutions, and mor
Jeffrey Hentz is stepping down from his role as chief executive officer of the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association after close to two years of service. A news release from the organization says that Hentz will continue to be involved with operations of the association through the remainder of July, with continued focus on implementation of North Lake Tahoe’s Tourism Business Improvement District. Hentz relocated to North Lake Tahoe from Mustang Island, Texas, where he served as President/CEO of Mustang Island/Port Aransas Convention and Visitors Bureau, Chamber of Commerce and Chamber Foundation. Prior to that, Hentz held positions at FINN Partners and the Volusia County Florida/Daytona Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Jason Fulvi is leaving his position as president of Visit KC to be chief sales officer for Arrivalist, a travel research and marketing firm in Kansas City and the producer of such tools as the Arrivalist Daily Travel Index, which measures consumer road trips of 50 miles or more in all 50 U.S. states. Arrivalist is headquartered in New York City, with offices in San Francisco and Toronto. Fulvi will begin his new job on September 13. Fulvi joined VisitKC in 2018. Previously, he was executive vice president at VisitPITTSBURGH, where he served for more than 16 years.
Charlene Lopez has been promoted to the position of vice president of sales for the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. She joined the organization in 2012 as sales manager, national accounts, and was promoted to director, citywide sales in 2019. Before joining the Atlanta bureau, Lopez held senior sales positions for Omni and Hyatt Regency properties
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IN MEMORIAM: Nobuaki Sakamaki
From the Japan Association of Travel Agents: “It is with great sorrow that we announce that Nobuaki Sakamaki, Chairman of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, passed away on July 13, 2021, while he was undergoing medical treatment. He was 62 years old. Nobuaki Sakamaki started his career with Tobu Railway Co., Ltd., and was elected representative director and chief executive officer of Tobu Travel Co., Ltd. in 2013. In April 2015, he was elected Representative Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tobu Top Tours Co., Ltd., which is a merger company of Top Tour and Tobu Travel. Nobuaki Sakamaki was an empathetic leader who devoted his life to his company, family, and friends. Our sorrow over losing him is profound but our appreciation of his achievements and contribution to the travel industry and the society as a whole will not fade with time.”
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Job Postings
From SearchWide Global:
—Destination Door County (Wisconsin) is looking for a president and CEO. More details here.
—In Oregon, the Josephine County Visitor Association’s Destination Marketing Organization, Experience Grants Pass, us searching for an executive director. More details here.
—Visit San Antonio has an opening for director of market strategy. More detailshere.
—The Oklahoma State Fair is seeking a president and CEO. More detailshere.
—The San Diego Tourism Authority is looking for achief sales officer. More detailshere.
—Visit Pittsburg has an opening for chief sales officer. More details here.
—Visit Carlsbad is searching for a president and CEO. More details here.
—Switch, An Experience Agency based in St. Louis whose product lines include digital marketing, business meetings and events, and trade shows, is looking for a president and CEO. More details here.
—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.
—Visit Wichita is searching for a vice president of marketing. More detailshere.
—Destinations International is searching for a senior director, membership engagement. More details here.
—The Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center & Tourism Authority in Georgia is looking for a new executive director. More details 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 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.
—New York City & Company has an opening for a coordinator, tourism development. More details here.
—American Classic Tours, Inc. in Grayslake, Illinois, has an opening for a tour manager. More details here.
—Visit Denver is searching for a cultural tourism programs manager. More details here.
—Jet Blue is searching for a manager of corporate communications, and his based in Long Island City N.Y. More details here.
—Ralph Lauren is search for a coordinator, brand activation (regional tourism – West). 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.
—Your VIP Pass in New York City has an opening for a director of events. More details here.
—The Philadelphia office of Tiquets, the global ticket booking company for attractions, is looking for a U.S.-based supply coordinator (the company is headquartered in the Netherlands. More details here.
—Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City is looking for a manager of tourism and travel. More details here.
—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.
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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
