AIGO and Travel Consul launched an update of its global survey on COVID-19 impact over the tourism industry. The survey features answers from over 1.000 tourism professionals in over 20 markets. The results showed that tourism professionals are still facing a crisis (with high rates of cancellations or postponements to 2021, 71% and 46% respectively) and are still depending on Government aid with over 60% of them expecting an over-60% loss in the Q1 of 2021.
To fight back and to implement the new trends of post-pandemic travelling, tourism professionals are gradually reducing the importance of online formation and focusing more and more on new business models, with a key role for the cancellation policies, whose flexibility became crucial in this uncertain period: 59% of respondents affirmed its positive impact in the Italian market, while the postponement of the trip remains the most popular choice (74% for Italy). New evaluations have been introduced by travellers when looking for a destination for their trip, and the Government management of the pandemic is the most considered aspect for 68% of respondents; also on the trade side, 65% of Italian respondents expect Tourism Boards to provide with health certifications to prove the safety of their destinations, while 49% reiterates the importance of sharing precise information on local situation and measures.
Another important trend is the growth of domestic tourism (for which 22% of the respondents observed an over-40% growth).
Read here the full report.
Vision TTG 2021 by IEG, the research that traces the consumer trends of the future, has shown what the 5 new trends in the travel sector will be, once the health emergency is over. Space for responsibility, i.e. the desire to minimize the negative impact of travel by paying attention to what will be the most “ethical” brands, and wellness in a scientific sense: travel will help even more than before to regenerate and acquire a healthy lifestyle. There is also room for the idea of the bubble community (pre-established group trips between people who share the same interests and lifestyles) and the hyper warranty, the idea that every step of the experience must be safe and somehow traced (an area in which the experience and expertise of the brand will dominate). Last but not least is the trend linked to new currencies, which will allow, through a new eco-sustainable and traceable economy, to enhance new local economies and consequently new territories. Read more
The Canary Islands have been deemed safe to travel by the British and the German governments. This means that British and German citizens, starting from October 24th, can now travel there without having to stay in quarantine on their arrival and on their return home. The islands had, since October 9th, a special regulation that let them create such travel bubbles, doing swabs to tourists both before leaving the original destination and again once landed. Read more
La Mamounia, the legendary Marrakech hotel, reopened on October 16th after undergoing a long restyling process. The hotel now has a new salon de thé and also the Churchill bar has been deeply renovated: it can now seat only 20 people, to give an intimate and warm atmosphere during the traditional caviar tastings. The rooftop has been turned into a lounge, where a resident DJ will play chill music daily, and the poolside, the Pavillon de la Piscine, now features new food tasting spots. The wine cellar, that has over 2,000 rare bottles, has now an exclusive 12 seat table. Read more
Wizz Air opened its third Italian base in Bari, after Milan Malpensa and Catania. The Bari airport will now have three new domestic routes to Bologna, Turin and Verona, while the flights to Milan Malpensa will grow from 7 a week to 11 a week. Bari now has 19 Wizz Air connections to Italy and other major European cities. Read more
Nine Italian tour operators (Alidays, Go World, Guinness Travel, Idee per Viaggiare, MSC Crociere, Naar, Nicolaus-Valtur, Quality Group and TH Resorts) joined forces to launch TOgether, a newborn pool which, through shared commercial and promotional actions, wants to relaunch one of the sectors most affected by the emergency, that of tourism. The relaunch of the market will also involve a simplification of the relationship with distribution, since the agencies will have to deal with policies, services and initiatives common to the whole group. Read more
Harley Davidson, the well known American motorcycle manufacturer, keeps investing in the electric future, launching its first e-bike. The Serial 1 will be made by the Serial 1 Cycle Company, a special branch of Harley Davidson, and will be available in spring 2021. This is not the first time the company launches an electric product, as last year they introduced the Livewire, their very first electric motorcycle. The revenues in the electric bikes sector were over 15 billion dollars in 2019. Read more
This year’s edition of the Lucca Comics & Games, one of the most important Italian exhibition for cosplayers and comic lovers, was held entirely online for the first time. Despite this setback, the organization was still able to invite some important names of the scene, who spoke to their virtual audiences through Youtube and live streaming from the official website of the exhibition. Read more
