WTTC welcomes EC guidelines to safely restart Travel & Tourism in Europe in 2020 and beyond

The move by the European Commission is hoped to herald a phased restart of travel across Europe this summer, while ensuring the safety and health of travellers and those who work in the Travel & Tourism sector.

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Leaders envision a more Earth-friendly industry, post-Covid

Officials at the forefront of the sustainable travel movement are hopeful for more ethical, responsible tourism when the industry reboots.

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Tour operators say 2020 is slipping away

Any hope of a fast travel recovery from coronavirus appears to have faded, with representatives of some the country’s top tour operators saying that a 2021 rebound is more realistic.

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Richard Branson to Sell up to 12 Percent Stake in Virgin Galactic

The VSS Unity craft flies during a supersonic test flight on May 29, 2018. As Virgin Galactic moves toward starting operations, nearly 8,000 people have registered their interest. Virgin Galactic

Skift Take: Virgin Group will sell about $500 million shares in Virgin Galactic, the space-tourism venture, to raise funds for its other travel businesses. The move by owner Richard Branson signals the wallop still awaiting space tourism and travel generally.

— Sean O'Neill

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World tourism remains at a standstill as 100% of countries impose restrictions on travel

UNWTO has found that 83% of destinations in Europe have introduced complete closure of borders for international tourism. In the Americas, this proportion stands at 80%, in Asia and the Pacific it is 70%, in the Middle East it is 62% and in Africa it is 57%.

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Even Wide-Open Glacier National Park Will Face Social Distancing Challenges

Iceberg Lake Trail, Glacier National Park Cody Wellons / Flickr

Skift Take: No attraction or destination will be spared headaches when travel begins to reopen.

— Tom Lowry

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Royal Caribbean Group: Continued disruptions to travel may result in further suspensions

The company has been developing a comprehensive and multi-faceted program to address the unique public health challenges posed by COVID-19. This includes, among other things, enhanced screening, upgraded cleaning and disinfection protocols and plans for social distancing

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U.S. Virgin Islands Governor celebrates Spirit of Travel

The Governor's proclamation noted that tourism "contributes substantially to the social and cultural well-being of our people," and recognized the industry's power to promote "intercultural understanding and appreciation of the Territory's history, geography and culture."

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Prioritizing Community, Curiosity, and an Open Exchange of Ideas to Define Travel’s Future

Skift Take: The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that the future of travel will be built through an open exchange of informed opinions, ideas, and perspectives from those on the front lines of the industry. SkiftX is taking our own approach by gathering community perspectives from our influential audience of travel leaders.

— SkiftX

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Suppliers roll out offers for National Travel Advisor Day

Some initiatives extend beyond this week and are valid throughout May.

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Tour operator Intrepid cancels all trips through September

The company is asking customers to take a travel credit but it will pay out refunds.

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Survey finds increased optimism for 2020 travel

Thirty-eight percent of respondents in the latest round of MMGY's biweekly survey said they were likely to take a vacation in the next six months, vs. 31% in the previous poll.

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GBTA survey: Little business travel, but industry anticipates domestic return

The vast majority of organizations have maintained restrictions on business travel, but many members believe at least domestic travel levels will return at a significant level in 2020.

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A refund for a canceled tour? Some firms offer credit only

The unprecedented travel shutdown has exposed the delicate balance of the travel ecosystem, with many suppliers struggling or just declining to offer customers refunds on trips that the companies have been forced to cancel.

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Allianz consultant on front lines in Covid-19 fight

As a senior medical consultant for travel insurer Allianz Global Assistance, Lori Calavan has been helping to manage the medical care of travelers who have contracted Covid-19.

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Travel Leaders Corporate redeploys agents

Advisors have shifted their customer-service skills from travel planning to scheduling Covid-19 testing for New York state residents.

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CIIC partners with BLLA to support boutique hotels

The campaigns were developed by BLLA to assist independent boutique hotels during this crisis with connections and crucial resources, as well as grow global awareness for boutique hotels to business and leisure travelers as travel begins to resume.

* This article was originally published here

AI Marketing Technology Platform EternityX opens Singapore office for SEA & AU markets

AI marketing platform provides international brands with real-time connections to China’s highly desired consumers. China’s recovery will spur global luxury and travel demand; Chinese consumers account for 35-percent of global luxury goods sales; US$127 billion in outbound travel expenditures.

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Germany Wants Europe to Reboot Travel in a Unified Manner

Visitors take a selfie at the exhibition stand of the Maldives at the International Tourism Trade Fair (ITB) in Berlin, Germany, March 9, 2016. Germany wants Europe to create a common travel plan to come back from coronavirus. Fabrizio Bensch / Reuters

Skift Take: Perhaps the coronavirus pandemic will foster European unity — at least when it comes to a new travel policy.

— Dennis Schaal

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* This article was originally published here

Scenarios for what the travel industry might be dealing with after Covid-19

For travel companies looking at how and when they might emerge from the Covid-19 crisis, outcome planning is a big part of the equation.

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Carnival Cruise Line's Adolfo Perez on the Onboard With You pledge

Perez talks about the impact of the line's pledge to help travel advisors navigate the coronavirus crisis.

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Virtual-oso: Agency network's annual event going online

The travel agency network's annual conference won't be held in Las Vegas in August.

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Accor CEO: We Won’t Be Investing Equity in Our Struggling Hotels

Accor CEO Sebastien Bazin cautioned dark days are ahead of the company during a first quarter earnings call. OuiShare / Flickr

Skift Take: It is impossible to predict a hotel company's overall 2020 financial performance until the spread of coronavirus stabilizes, and until operators can see what type of travel returns first.

— Cameron Sperance

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Qatar Airways Group: Operational update

Airline carried over One Million passengers home on both scheduled and charter flights since Mid-February building strong levels of trust with passengers, governments and travel trade partners.

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Has Coronavirus Upended the Hotel Industry’s Main Performance Metric?

Researchers at CBRE have turned to using occupancy rates over RevPAR as the leading hotel industry performance metric during the coronavirus pandemic. William Cho / Flickr

Skift Take: An unprecedented downturn calls for a hotel performance metric shakeup, as revenue declines don't show just how deep the coronavirus downturn in travel really is.

— Cameron Sperance

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Make Some Serious Noise: A Wake-Up Call to Action for Travel

Landscape with sunbeds and umbrella on the Red Sea beach at sunrise in Hurghada, Egypt. Balate Dorin / Adobe

Skift Take: "If humanity is at my door, have I done all that I can to welcome them as guests? Could I do more?"

— Bashar Wali

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* This article was originally published here

MPI holding firm to in-person World Education Congress in early June

With essentially all meetings and events canceled or postponed for the second quarter due to the coronavirus outbreak and government travel and gathering restrictions, Meeting Professionals International has made the decision to continue to hold its conference.

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RV owners see opportunities in post-Covid travel industry

Operators are optimistic the sector will be one of the first to rebound as the coronavirus threat abates.

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Seeing a demand, SBE launches food-delivery business

The company plans to hire 1,000 workers, with prioritization given to furloughed employees from SBE’s hotel, restaurant and nightlife operations.

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