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Sustainability has always been ingrained in the Club Med DNA since its foundation in 1950. Club Med, which invented luxury all-inclusive travel, has a firm conviction that the moments of delight it offers its guests cannot be obtained at the expense of other people or the environment. Club Med will serve as a catalyst in promoting sustainable tourism to lessen environmental effect and boost social impact as part of Green Week in June 2023, which will mark the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day. 2023 GREEN WEEK There will be daily demonstrations of Club Med’s work towards a more sustainable future based on a particular environmental theme during this week-long presentation of the company’s innovative green projects in various Resorts throughout East, South Asia, and the Pacific. Examples of such subjects include, but are not limited to, plastics, biodiversity, solidarity, regional culture, and food waste. In terms of plastics, the exhibition will include Mini Clean-ups by young visitors as part of the kids club activities as well as beach and mountain clean-ups throughout Club Med’s sun and winter locations globally. Activities particular to each resort will be unveiled to promote biodiversity, such as a global snack initiative, a local cooking demonstration class, making bird feeders out of fruit shells, a workshop using coral clay in Bali, a marine biologist conference in Kani, and an upcycling fashion show in Phuket. GLAD TO CARE The programme evolved into Happy to Care in 2019, reflecting Club Med’s long-standing commitment to sustainable tourism, from the establishment of the Club Med Foundation in 1979 and the first Sustainable Development Department in 2005 to the merger of the Sustainable Development Department and Club Med Foundation to form the Sustainable Development and Philanthropy Department in 2014. The programme is built on three main tenets: environmental stewardship to preserve the exceptional natural settings in which its resorts are located; to make a lasting and positive impact in the communities in which Club Med operates; and to offer visitors memorable and sustainable vacation experiences. “The Club Med brand principles have always included sustainability as a fundamental strategic pillar. According to Rachael Harding, CEO of Club Med in East, South Asia, and the Pacific markets, “We believe that we have an inherent responsibility to respect the communities and natural environment in which our resorts are located.” As we advance, we hope to “strengthen this vision, deepen sentiments for more socially responsible business decisions, and ignite a collective spark among guests, employees, and partners to embrace Club Med’s commitment to global sustainable tourism.” Source: traveldailymedia

As part of its expansion strategy, FlyBlade India, a joint venture between Hunch Ventures and BLADE Air Mobility, Inc., has begun offering same-day return helicopter services linking Bengaluru to Tirupati Airport. The flights can accommodate 5 passengers at a time and are available “on demand” for INR 3,50,000 + GST. They can be chartered or crowdsourced. The HAL flight from Bangalore airport will depart between 9:15 and 9:30 in the morning, with the return flight departing between 4:00 and 4:15 in the evening. The service intends to improve Tirupati’s connectivity and make travel easier and more efficient for pilgrims, especially the elderly. Bookings on this route can now be made on the BLADE India website or by calling the Flier Relations team at 1800 102 5233. By establishing connections between Bangalore and Coorg and Kabini, BLADE India also reached Karnataka. In addition to linking BIAL to the city centre for INR 4500 per person, it offers by-the-seat helicopter services to Coorg and Kabini starting at INR 20000 per person. Soon after, BLADE India introduced its first intra-city service, the BLADE Airport route, which offered flights from Bengaluru International Airport to significant city landmarks like HAL. To make the trip between North and South Bengaluru easier, BLADE added Hosur to their intra-city network three months after the debut of their Airport route. For an initial fee of INR 4500* per person, flights can be reserved just like any other air ticket. As a part of the company’s expansion strategy, more landing places will be introduced within the city in the upcoming months. Amit Dutta, Managing Director of BLADE India, commented on the opening of the company’s services in Tirupati, saying, “Pilgrimage in India presents itself as a transforming voyage, yet it remains riddled with accessibility issues, especially for the elderly. Tirupati is one of the most cherished travel locations and is a symbol of devotion. In light of this, BLADE India works to enhance connectivity to this holy location with the aim of connecting well-known locations that are not normally accessible or well-connected. We are happy that BLADE India offers an alternative to the traditional Tirupati darshan, which requires two full days of travel. Now, pilgrims can make the same celestial trek and return to the city the same day, weaving a tapestry of ease, speed, and timelessness. Source: traveldailymedia

Record numbers of passengers are boarding cruise ships, surpassing 2019 levels and shattering sales records.Revenge travel is a contributing reason in the resurgence, but smaller ship sizes and accessibility to new, remote locations are also significant drivers of passenger interest. Cruising is once again on the travel agenda. According to Michael Holmes, vice president of marketing for Global Rescue, the top provider of medical, security, evacuation, and travel risk management services, 40% of respondents have already taken a cruise since the pandemic began or, if they haven’t, they expect to in 2023. The popularity of smaller cruise ships is growing. According to studies, industry insiders predict that by 2030, the number of smaller cruise ships would have doubled. Smaller ships are preferred by cruise passengers, according to the Global Rescue Spring 2023 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey. Small ship cruisers with a capacity of fewer than 800 passengers will be used to set sail for half of respondents who cruise (50%) of the respondents. Only 11% of respondents who said they would go on a cruise this year chose a megaship that could hold more than 3,500 people.One-fifth of cruise lovers (20%) choose mid sized ships (1,500–2,500 passengers), while the same percentage like large ships (2,500–3,500 passengers). Seventeen percent of respondents who enjoy cruising prefer small–mid sized ships (800–1,499 passengers). “Compared to mega-cruise ships, smaller cruise ships are easier to maneuver and have more port access. Inaccessible to larger ships, secluded harbors, far-flung locations, gorgeous beaches, and ports are now accessible to river cruisers thanks to the lower capacity ships, according to Holmes. According to the Global Rescue survey, the most seasoned travelers in the globe favor tropical cruises (21%), glacier excursions (14%), and fjord excursions (12%). The top seven cruise itineraries that travelers have scheduled for 2023 include river, transocean, fall foliage, and Panama Canal excursions. The effects of inflation and forecasts of a potential recession are being dismissed by survey respondents. Nearly half of the respondents (45%), as per the Global Rescue poll, intend to cover the higher travel expenses without cutting corners. Source: traveldailymedia

At the Crystal Cabin Awards in Hamburg overnight, Air New Zealand’s SkynestTM won a prestigious international prize for demonstrating noteworthy innovation in its future cabin design. Air New Zealand won the Innovative Cabin Concept category of the Crystal Cabin Award, the only international award for excellence in aircraft interior innovation. Kerry Reeves, Head of Aircraft Programmes at Air New Zealand, was in Hamburg to accept the honor on the company’s behalf. Receiving this accolade makes us feel immensely proud. Every day at work, employees of Air New Zealand push one another to think creatively; the SkynestTM is a prime example of this mentality in action. We are a little participant in the global airline industry, therefore we must innovate, pay attention to our clients, and create goods that push the envelope in order to compete.The SkynestTM has taken a lot of work to develop. Since it’s a first of its kind, there are many hurdles to clear and issues to fix, but the enthusiasm for its release on the market motivates us to keep going. Source: traveldailymedia

Malaysia Airlines has successfully implemented the full suite of Sabre Network Planning and Optimisation products, according to a statement from Sabre Corporation. These cutting-edge Sabre technologies are already being used by the airline to optimize schedules, assess current and upcoming partnerships and routes, and make network planning choices. With the achievement of this milestone, Malaysia Airlines has completed the second phase of implementing Sabre solutions. The carrier can now use Sabre Profit Manager, Fleet Manager, and Network Manager in addition to the earlier-completed Sabre Schedule Manager, Codeshare Manager, and Slot Manager solutions. Together, these solutions provide Malaysia Airlines with improved decision-support capabilities that allow it to better balance capacity with demand, aircraft utilization, and network connectivity, all of which will help schedule profitability. Bryan Foong, Group Chief Strategy Officer, Malaysia Airlines, stated, “We’re thrilled that we can now take full advantage of a wide range of Sabre solutions as we move forward with an ambitious plan to capture, and create, growth in the Malaysian travel ecosystem and post-pandemic travel recovery.” “As we continue to grow and optimize capacity to meet strong travel demand post-pandemic, we are seeing the value these solutions are bringing us in making timely schedule changes operationally and profitably in response to dynamic travel market condition changes.” Malaysia Airlines, which has its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and is a part of the larger Malaysian Airlines Group, operates its own aircraft as well as through codeshare agreements across a sizable global network. Using these improved decision support tools from Sabre solutions, the carrier is now concentrating on increasing capacity to pre-pandemic levels, further optimizing its network, and looking at future routes, including the regeneration plan for Subang Airport, which will be converted into a city airport hub. Having collaborated for more than 20 years, Rakesh Narayanan, Vice President, Regional General Manager, Asia Pacific, Travel Solutions, Airline Sales, expressed his happiness that this significant new milestone has enhanced their long-standing and treasured relationship. “Airlines must have the proper tools to make the switch from making decisions based on historical behavior to establishing schedules based on advanced analytics in order to obtain a competitive advantage in today’s complex travel industry. Now that they have a comprehensive set of top-notch network planning tools, Malaysia Airlines will have unbeatable decision-making support for their network and fleet management initiatives. Source: traveldailymedia

A premium tour operator named Sky Vacations today announced significant growth in the UK market and the development of its offering there. The company, which is well-known for its amazing customised travel experiences, has had constant growth in the UK and will be expanding its line of products to satisfy consumer demand. “We don’t find it surprising that one of our most popular travel destinations is the UK. What is a welcome surprise is the variety of demands, which has led to double-digit growth for us and room for future expansion, according to Richard Krieger, Director of Sky Vacations. Expanding our reach within the United Kingdom is a logical next step for us, he continued. We are continually challenged to provide special experiences that help travelers feel a connection to the areas they visit by our clients, the seasoned travel agents. And to satisfy that demand, our UK Portfolio keeps expanding with initiatives like “London Like A Royal,” a visit to the locations where the popular Netflix series Queen Charlotte and Bridgerton were filmed, as well as self-drive trips to Wales and Scotland, among others. The United Kingdom, writes Krieger, “offers a wide range of travel opportunities that are unlike any other destination in the world, with four incredible countries packed into one destination.” Sky Vacations offers tailor-made itineraries to a variety of European locations in addition to the United Kingdom, including France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Austria, and Portugal. These countries offer a variety of experiences, including gastronomic, health and wellness, family, and adventure-related goods. Source: traveldailymedia

Solo travel increases as the summer season begins, according to the ANIXE’s Travel Industry Report, which used information from the ANIXE Resfinity Hotel booking engine. Bookings have somewhat decreased since the start of the year, per data gathered from the Resfinity booking engine. Bookings are 15% lower than the historically low first quarter of 2023. It is important to note that bookings for the present have significantly increased by 22% when compared to the same period prior to the epidemic. These figures imply that the travel sector has expanded in addition to recovering from the effects of the epidemic.According to ANIXE’s data, global bookings in May 2023 remained at the same level as in April and were still 22% higher than in May 2019. The German market, which is 20% greater than pre-pandemic levels, also demonstrated resilience. The next summer vacation season is upon us, and while the numbers were 15% lower than the incredible first quarter of 2023, our outlook is bright with a likelihood of record-breaking bookings. Source: traveldailymedia

An internal document reveals that the Indonesian transport ministry and three consultants objected to a consortium sponsored by China’s proposal to launch the nation’s $7.3 billion first high-speed train service in August. The 142 km (88 miles) line from the capital Jakarta to the sizable city of Bandung, which is being built by a consortium of Indonesian and Chinese state firms, is already $1.2 billion over the initial budget and four years behind schedule. This project is a centerpiece of President Joko Widodo and is a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Analysts predicted that a successful opening of the railway line, the most high-profile BRI project in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, as part of Independence Day celebrations would give the country’s ruling party a boost before a general election the following year.Teuku Rezasyah, a Padjadjaran University foreign relations analyst, asserted that further delays would simply serve as justification for the opposition to launch an offensive, undermining China’s ability to plan and carry out significant projects in the area. A 48-page presentation examined by Reuters reveals that the centerpiece project is plagued by new issues months before its intended commercial launch in August. The consortium’s Chinese investors demand a full operational worthiness certificate for the line despite an incomplete station. According to the “Progress Update” report dated May 14, the transport ministry, consultants Mott MacDonald, PwC, and a local law firm Umbra have instead recommended that full-fledged commercial operations might begin in January 2024. “There is a risk that the target of commercial operations in August could be delayed to complete all construction by December 31,” added the report, which was written in the local tongue. The project’s working capital requirements are also being impacted by the financial restructuring at PT Wijaya Karya Tbk (WIKA), an Indonesian state-owned construction company with an indirect minority stake in the consortium. The project has at least $381.75 million in outstanding payments, according to another internal document. Mahendra Vijaya, the corporate secretary for WIKA, claimed that while the company had the resources to do the remaining work, it also required payment from the consortium for previously completed work. According to a second set of documents dated May 18, Indonesia is negotiating with China for a further $560 million loan and is seeking an interest rate of 2.8% for the component of the loan in yuan, which is lower than the China Development Bank (CDB) offer of 3.46%. The two documents contain information that has not before been revealed, including the potential for more delays. Debt negotiations with CDB are taking place, according to Septian Hario Seto, a senior official with the investment coordinating ministry, and they are centered on the interest rate. According to him, the railway intends to start a free trial with passengers in the middle of August, followed by paid journeys in September and the completion of the unfinished station by November. PwC chose not to respond. Requests for comment from the China-backed consortium PT KCIC, Mott MacDonald, Umbra, CDB, and the Chinese embassy in Jakarta were not immediately fulfilled. Source: theprint

According to a travel data company, flight bookings for international business travel this autumn are approaching 2019 levels, which is a sign of recovery. However, climate concerns and economic clouds could dampen demand for business travel. In general, business travel has trailed behind leisure travel in the airlines’ COVID-19 recovery. The U.S. is in a “business recession,” according to United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, and a recovery in business travel will take more time. However, according to statistics from travel analytics company ForwardKeys expected to be released on Wednesday, business reservations for the period from September to November are only 10% behind 2019 levels, which is the greatest performance since that year.According to Olivier Ponti, vice president of insights at ForwardKeys, the recovery of all air travel and the lifting of pandemic-related limitations have made it simpler to schedule business trips. The information is based on reservations for significant international airlines compared to the same time period in 2019. While the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) anticipates a complete sector recovery in mid-2026, segments like hotels are already noticing signs of rising demand. Bill Hornbuckle, CEO of MGM Resorts International, anticipates record future reservations between now and November. When you consider future holdings, the convention crowd is “stronger than it’s ever been,” Hornbuckle said on Tuesday at the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are traveling more frequently than major firms, according to both airlines and hotels. Christopher Nassetta, CEO of Hilton Worldwide Holdings, said on Monday at the NYU conference that 85% to 90% of Hilton’s corporate reservations come from SMEs, up from 80% prior to the pandemic. With four out of ten European and a third of American businesses stating that they must cut back on employee travel by more than 20% in order to fulfil 2030 sustainability targets, climate concerns are predicted to have a negative impact on corporate travel gains. According to research being released on June 13, more than a third of businesses surveyed by the GBTA Foundation are either buying or anticipate to buy less-polluting alternative fuel or carbon credits by 2025 to offset employees’ travel. Due to the fact that they only serve to offset rather than to lower actual airline emissions, carbon credits that assist environmental projects have come under fire. However, as long as they benefit worthwhile causes, some environmental groups are okay with their use. Delphine Millot, a sustainability executive at GBTA, said, “I think we cannot discard any of the options.” Source: theprint

TUI uses Rhodes as a key location to create new environmental projects. This is why the Destination Co-Lab Rhodes was established. The Co-Lab Rhodes’ projects and experiences will be applied to other vacation spots, advancing the sector’s transition to sustainability. For TUI, both strategies are important: the large-scale strategic efforts and the more manageable projects that can be started right away, set an example for other destinations, and have a significant impact. For instance, the TUI service personnel on Rhodes will now ride brand-new motorcycles as they move between hotels. The 30 e-bikes and 30 cargo bikes for the 250 tour guides on the island have arrived. The crew will have more eco-friendly transit options thanks to the TUI bikes, which will help cut emissions. For distances greater than a 40-minute walk, the Rhodes team will use e-bikes; for distances greater than that, they will have access to traditional bikes. There will be only 60 cars available instead of more than 100. This number will be further decreased by 2024. The island’s objective of becoming climate neutral by 2030 is one step closer thanks to the e-bike pilot project. “Short vehicle trips are therefore becoming a thing of the past. On the island, coworkers in guest services travel from hotel to hotel on bicycles and e-bikes. They will only continue to utilise automobiles for larger distances. The pilot project should be started and gathered data at Co-Lab Rhodes, according to Sebastian Ebel, CEO of TUI Group. In order to collaboratively develop a vacation destination that is sustainable on all levels, the TUI Group, the TUI Care Foundation, the governments of Greece and the South Aegean region banded together in January 2022 and established the Destination Co-Lab Rhodes. The TUI’s commitment to sustainability includes the e-bike trial project. The TUI Sustainability Agenda was unveiled at the start of the year. Aiming to dramatically reduce the company’s ecological impact while enabling the good effects of tourism to materialize, it comprises ambitious aims and objectives. This dedication to greater sustainability includes emission reductions as a key component. TUI generates 99 percent of its emissions in the airline, cruise, and hotel industries. TUI has established challenging reduction goals by 2030, which the independent Science Based Targets organization has tested and approved. However, while in relatively smaller amounts, emissions are also produced directly in the destinations. TUI is attempting to lessen emissions in these areas and will provide more environmentally friendly options for local transportation at the vacation spot as part of its own strategy for sustainable mobility at the location. Every single initiative is important to TUI. Source: traveldailymedia