● ITB Berlin 2022 stays virtual, will only take place online. The world’s largest travel trade show, ITB Berlin, has been scratched as an in-person, face-to-face event. There is no change in the dates— the online event will be streamed from March 9th to 13th.
Due unpredictable coronavirus developments, the organizers of the world’s largest travel fair have decided to only hold the fair online, as it did last year. The date will not change, the online trade fair will be streamed from March 9th to 13th.
“We very much regret this situation,” said David Ruetz, Head of ITB Berlin, in a statement. “As the organizer, we have done everything we can to make a physical ITB Berlin possible again in the German capital. In these times in particular, the industry needs orientation, exchange and inspiration.” He said that a look at the current coronavirus situation, including the tightening of the rules left the operators “no choice but to adjust the concept again for 2022 and give our national and international exhibitors and visitors clarity and the urgently needed planning security before the Christmas break admit.”
For the year after next, ITB Berlin is planning to hold a presence fair again, starting on March 8, 2023.
● “Through travel, we see, we taste, we feel, we learn.”
Words of encouragement for the Japanese travel trade from Tadashi Shimura, who is currently the president of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA). It has been two years since JATA has produced its quarterly outlook for the country’s travel trade, suspending it while the industry tries to cope with the COVID-19 crisis. In his most recent monthly message to the industry, he had this say:
“During these 20 months, we have realized that virtual travel, beautiful and exciting as it is, cannot measure up to the experience of feeling the air, tasking the food, enjoying the warmth of the sun and seeing the colors of a place firsthand. Through travel, we see, we taste, we feel, we learn.”
Still, he adds, “when the borders open, we expect that overseas travel will quickly pick up. The Japanese people love foreign cultures – history, nature, art, and food. Although we can study them at school, it is only when we get to visit the towns, walk the streets, sit in the local cafes and stroll through the full of lively sounds and flavors open-air markets, that we can truly feel the ambiance and real colors of a place and its people. Traveling the world also helps to not only learn but see the big picture of trends and influences throughout history.”
● The Future of DMOs is Shaky? Skift recently published a thought-provoking piece that discusses the role of DMOs. Said the author: “While I don’t believe DMOs will die anytime soon, at least not a majority of them, I do however strongly believe there is a serious need to rethink their business model and role within the travel ecosystem at this point in time and moving forward.” To, read the complete article in Skift, click here.
● The 3 Trends for Travel in 2022: “Recent behavior changes suggest that people are looking for a new way to travel,” says Andrew Bate* in a Travel Daily News International article, “whereby accommodation is spacious and safe, while offering flexibility and leisure options close by. But what will travelers want as borders reopen? And if travel is changing for good, how will the industry respond?
So, Bates adds, travel has had to adapt to a revolving door of changes the past two years, with restrictions coming and going unexpectedly and sometimes quite suddenly. It’s reshaped the future of how we travel. So, as the appetite for travel begins to rise, what will it look like in 2022? Says Bate, the three trends for 2022 are: A1. Remote working and flexible living; 2. How tech plays a role in travel; and 3. A new type of business travel. Click here to read the complete article.
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*Andrew Bate is co-founder and CEO of Safely, a leading insurtech and guest screening solution for the vacation and short-term rental market.
● USA is Road Trip Capital of the World: A new study, conducted by Holidu, has revealed which countries are the best to visit for a cross-country road trip, with the United States taking the top spot. Holidu has also ranked the best States to visit on a U.S. road trip, with Florida finishing in first place followed by Oklahoma, Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin respectively.
Best Countries for a Cross-Country Road Trip
1. USA
2. Mexico
3. Canada
4. Malaysia
5. Argentina
6. Australia
7. Brazil
8. Bolivia
9. Peru
10. India
Some key findings within the data are:
—Switzerland and Singapore have the best quality roads in the world, both receiving 6.4 out of 7 for their infrastructure.
—Costa Rica secured the number one spot for the country with the best natural assets – beaches, parks and woodlands.
—Italy is home to the most UNESCO World Heritage sites with 58, followed by China with 56 sites.
● Key analyst pwc Says ADR expected to drive RevPAR next year to 93 percent of 2019 levels. The attention-grabbing quote from Warren Marr, US hospitality & leisure managing director, pwc, is this: “If vaccinations increase and infection rates continue to drop as we close out 2021 and start the new year, demand from individual business travelers and groups will improve, with average daily room rates in Q3 and Q4 2022 expected to surpass comparable 2019 levels.”
pwc’s revised outlook for 2022 anticipates:
—Continued demand, recovery, lead by individual business and travel groups, resulting in occupancy of 61.7 percent.
—Average daily rate continues to strengthen as all segments of demand see growth accelerate—up 5.9 percent
—As a result, RevPAR experiences growth—a up 14.4 percent.
Click here for the latest pwc monthly report for November.
● The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2022: Always a favorite among travel agents and inbound tour operators—as well as the destinations that are featured—is Travel + Leisure’s Top 50 places to visit. It’s all the more satisfying to the U.S. travel trade since a third of the list is comprised of U.S. destinations. Read the entire list, as well as the other features in the complete T+L article here.
