Market Update – April 28, 2022

Market Update – April 28, 2022

Market Update – April 28, 2022 820 312 fame creative lab

Please note: the following information has been compiled from the most important German-speaking Trade Media.

Short Situational Overview – DACH region

  • The COVID infection numbers are currently going down after having reached an all-time high. the occupancy situation in hospitals is relaxed and death rates very low. About 76 % of the German population are now fully vaccinated, 69,4% in Switzerland and 74% in Austria.
  • On April 3 all restrictions were lifted in Germany, only basic measures (or AdHoc, if necessary) stayed in place. However, most Germans still, for example, wear their masks indoors even where it is not an official requirement.
  • Germany’s geopolitical situation because of the war between Russia and Ukraine has led to much anxiety about the Germans‘ planning for 2022. It is not only the peace crisis that worries them, but also various aspects, ranging from the country’s energy supply to the highest inflation in the last 30 years, as well as the threat to the country’s economic activity after two years of pandemic.

 

Current major topics within the tourism industry in Germany

 

  • Travel & Tourism sector expected to create nearly 126 million new jobs within the next decade: The World Travel & Tourism Council’s latest Economic Impact Report (EIR) reveals the Travel & Tourism sector is expected to create nearly 126 million new jobs within the next decade. The bullish forecast from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, also shows the sector will be a driving force of the global economic recovery, creating one in three of all new jobs. The announcement was made today by Julia Simpson, President & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council, in her opening speech at its prestigious Global Summit in the Philippines. The EIR report shows Travel & Tourism’s GDP is forecasted to grow at an average rate of 5.8% annually between 2022-2032, outstripping the 2.7% growth rate for global economy, to reach US$ 14.6 trillion (11.3% of the total global economy). And in additional grounds for optimism, the report also shows global Travel & Tourism GDP could reach pre-pandemic levels by 2023 – just 0.1% below 2019 levels. The sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to grow a massive 43.7% to almost US$ 8.4 trillion by the end of 2022, amounting to 8.5% of the total global economic GDP – just 13.3% behind 2019 levels. This will be matched by a boost in Travel & Tourism employment, which is expected to approach 2019 levels in 2023, only 2.7% below. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Over the next decade Travel & Tourism will create 126 million new jobs worldwide. In fact, one in three of every new job created will be related to our sector. Looking to this year and the next, WTTC forecast a brighter future with both GDP and employment set to reach pre-pandemic levels by next year. Read more
  • GBTA sees significant recovery in business travel: Business travelers are returning to planes and hotels, says the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) after a survey. The traveling employees are ready again. The companies are also revising their travel guidelines. The latest Business Travel Recovery Poll from April 2022 from the GBTA series sees a significant recovery in business travel. Companies reporting that they allow non-essential business travel domestically are up to 86%, up from 73% in the February 2022 GBTA survey. International travel made a big jump at 74%. Firms approve 26% more travel than in February 2022. A majority of 88% of suppliers and travel management companies (TMCs) say their bookings increased in the previous month. In February this was still 45%. Surveyed travel buyers said their company’s travel bookings are currently at 56% of pre-pandemic levels, up 22 points from February. The companies surveyed expect business travel spending to reach 59% by the end of 2022. For 2023 it is assumed that 79% of the expenses will be for business trips. The pre-crisis year 2019 is used as a basis. Read more
  • Higher salaries are needed in the travel industry: A TRAVEL INSIDE online survey conducted more than two months ago showed that the majority of responding travel professionals have downsized staff during the crisis. 42% felt that they would not be able to cope with the upswing without new staff. As a new survey by TRAVEL INSIDE shows, these numbers have hardly changed. During the crisis, many good and important people in the industry left tourism. So it would be obvious to bring exactly these specialists back on board. However, this does not appear to be the case: most respondents (56%) do not actively approach former employees. Just 44% are actively trying to knock on the door of former specialist staff. But what would have to happen for former people in the industry to gain a foothold in tourism again? Here the travel professionals are relatively unanimous: Higher salaries are needed in the travel industry. Almost two thirds of the survey participants see it that way. A third would like better future prospects and just 4% think that more free time would make many alumni return. Read more

 

Current major topics within the aviation industry in Germany and Europe

           

  • Airport managers fear the consequences of the war: At their virtual ADV spring conference, the board members and managing directors of the German airports took stock on Wednesday and Thursday. And it turns out to be very mixed. All airport managers are happy about the increasing number of passengers in the third Corona year. However, the pre-Corona level will remain further away in 2022. In addition, with the consequences of the Ukraine war and the major issue of climate, there are further major challenges. For the first time since the beginning of the year the number of passengers has surpassed 50% of the level of 2019 and was down only by 34.1 percent compared to 2019. A total of around 163 million passengers are expected for 2022, which would already correspond to about two-thirds of the pre-crisis level. The ADV President took positive stock of Easter travel. Despite the lack of staff at many airports – the staff is currently down 20% – it went well. Read more
  • Qatar Airways launches climate protection program: Qatar Airways‘ voluntary climate protection program aims to enable corporate customers and their business travelers to offset or reduce the carbon emissions associated with their flights and thus act more sustainably. The companies compensate for the emissions caused by their employees‘ flights by making payments for climate protection projects. Read more
  • Swiss: Lack of staff leads to flight cancellations: Due to the lack of staff, Switzerland’s national airline has already decided to cancel numerous summer flights. „We deliberately reduced capacities early in midsummer in order to be able to offer a stable flight schedule and to keep any rebookings to a minimum,“ said the Swiss spokeswoman. Swiss actually planned to offer 80% of the capacities it offered before the crisis, i.e. in the summer of 2019, again this summer. In that year, the airline operated a total of 150,957 flights and carried around 18.8 million passengers – the airline’s previous record. In the travel month of July 2019 alone, the airline operated over 14,000 flights. Assuming that a „low single-digit percentage“ of the offered capacity of 80%, as the spokeswoman said, will now be canceled, there should be at least a three-digit number of cancellations. Read more

 

Destination news                

 

  • Madeira: Roadshow in May: The Portuguese flower island of Madeira is going on a roadshow in May. The Travel One Portugal agency and eleven hotels will be there to provide first-hand information: Madeira Panoramico, Hotel Torre Praia Porto Santo, Aparthotel Luamar Porto Santo, Rocamar, Vidamar Resort, Orca Praia, Monte Mar Palace, Baia Azul, Alto Lido, Castanheiro Boutique Hotel and Quinta de Bela Vista. The roadshow will be in Nuremberg on May 18th and in Düsseldorf on May 19th. It starts at 6.30 p.m. each day. Travel agency employees and organizers can also look forward to food and prizes.
  • French Rendez-Vous in May 2022 in Vienna: The 11th edition of the „French Rendez-Vous“ – THE trade fair of the French tourism industry for Austria and Central Europe will take place on May 9th and 10th, 2022 in Vienna and offers the participants an extensive program as usual.
  • Thailand: From May 1st, fully vaccinated travelers will no longer have to take a PCR test after their arrival, reports the German-language portal Farang. This was decided by the responsible Covid 19 authority. This also eliminates the need to stay in a hotel until the negative result is presented. Only an antigen test is then recommended for vaccinated people.
  • Turismo de Tenerife invites you to the Live Roadshow 2022: The Tenerife Roadshow 2022 takes you across the largest island in the Canary Islands in just one evening. There will be no lack of variety, because Turismo de Tenerife, together with 13 hotel partners, offers many exciting insights and news as well as a final raffle.
  • Taiwan: After the business travelers, expatriate relatives of Taiwanese citizens are now allowed to enter the country again. The same applies to foreigners with a residence permit. You can now apply for a visitor visa, the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.
  • Malaysia: Starting 1 May 2022, fully vaccinated inbound travelers are no longer required to undergo pre-departure and on-arrival COVID-19 tests, including children aged 12 and below as well as for those who have been infected with COVID-19 within six to 60 days before departure to Malaysia. Travel insurance will also not be a prerequisite for foreigners entering the country.

 

Just read on and enjoy! And if you have any doubt or would like to talk to us about how to approach these markets better, just get in touch with us. We’ll be delighted to help you.

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