YOUR FAMOUS NEWSLETTER

CURRENT MAJOR TOPICS WITHIN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THE DACH REGION

• GERMANS PREFER TRAVEL TO POSSESSIONS: Germans are tending to spend more money on experiences, according to a recent study by Mastercard. According to the survey, 82% of respondents in Germany plan to spend at least as much or more on experiences in 2024 than they did last year. Almost half (46%) of respondents want to travel more this year than in 2023. The research also shows a preference for experiences over material goods. 29% of respondents prefer experiences and 23% see saving for experiences as an important part of their financial planning. Read more
• THESE ARE THE 10 BEST HOTELS IN THE WORLD: The Tripadvisor platform has selected the best hotels of 2024 based on the ratings of its users - as part of its “Travelers' Choice Awards”. Remarkably, there is not a single European hotel in the top ten. These are the top ten hotels of 2024: 1. Hotel Colline de France, Gramado (Brazil); 2. Oblu Select Lobigili, Malé (Maldives); 3. La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa, Hoi An (Vietnam); 4. Adiwana Suweta, Bali (Indonesia); 5. Iberostar Grand Packard, Havana (Cuba); 6. Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa, Fasmendhoo (Maldives); 7. La Siesta Classic Ma May, Hanoi (Vietnam); 8. Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya, Akumal (Mexico); 9. Padma Resort Ubud, Bali (Indonesia); 10. Sofitel Mexico City Reform, Mexico City. Read more
• IBEROSTAR LAUNCHES "YOU DO YOU" CAMPAIGN: With the new campaign, Iberostar wants to make people want to go on vacation and at the same time focus on the topic of sustainability in a special way. According to Sandra Farrero, Chief Brand Officer of Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, “You do you” is more than just a new marketing campaign. She sees the opportunity to bring the topic of sustainability closer to guests as a further step towards realizing the 2030 Agenda. The hotel group's goal is to be completely CO2-neutral worldwide by 2030. The campaign has been running since April 11 as part of a multimedia strategy via social media, connected TV, display ads and other digital platforms. Read more
• THE COMEBACK OF TRAVELERS CONTINUES: For the summer of 2024, tour operators are predicting higher sales than in 2023 - and a return of travellers. Five trends are driving the business. 1. Unlike last year, tour operators have been bolder in investing in marketing for summer 2024. 2. Families remain price-sensitive, taking advantage of early booking discounts and opting for predictable all-inclusive offers 3. A look at the figures from the FUR travel analysis confirms: The 50+ generation already spends an average of €113.30 per person per day, while the under 50s spend €105.60. 4. According to Ulf Sonntag, director of the NIT in Kiel and project manager of the FUR travel analysis, trips to faraway places accounted for nine percent of longer holidays last year, with six million trips - more than ever before. 5. Although the price of a trip to Turkey is set to rise by a further 13 percent in 2024 due to inflation, the destination is still a big hit. ?Read more
• HOW AI COULD SHAPE THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM: New reports from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Microsoft highlight the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) and its role in shaping the future of travel and tourism. The final two reports in a series on AI entitled "Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI): Overview of AI Risks, Security & Governance" and "Artificial Intelligence (AI): Global Strategies, Policies & Regulations," underscore a commitment to a digital future that prioritizes safety, ethical considerations, and the responsible use of AI: "These reports mark important milestones in WTTC's mission to promote innovation and excellent customer experiences through the safe and trusted integration of AI." But it also warns that despite the industry's growing recognition of AI's potential, challenges such as the shortage of AI-skilled workers remain, highlighting the importance of proactive measures to overcome barriers to adoption. Read more
• RIU IS COMMITTED TO COMBATING FOOD WASTE:? What can hotels do to be more sustainable? To answer this question, Riu is committed to fighting food waste. Up to now, much of the food that is presented to guests every day on the beautifully presented buffets is destroyed after the restaurant closes. "The most important thing is to educate the staff," says Lola Trian Riu, sustainability director. One of the ideas: Change the way food is cut to reduce waste. The quantities and selection at the buffet are also better adapted to the number of guests. Another idea is to sensitize guests to the issue of food waste. This seems to work. The project against food waste is part of Riu's sustainability strategy, "Proudly Committed". Its aim is to minimize the company's ecological footprint and to support people in Riu's destinations, for example through hospital projects or aid for disadvantaged residents. Read more
• THE NEW GOOGLE FUNCTIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY TRAVEL: Searches for sustainable travel have tripled on Google over the past three years. In view of Earth Day next Monday, April 22, 2024, Google has now published trend data showing that the Swiss population is more concerned than ever about climate change and the weather. To meet this need for information, Google has created additional opportunities to promote more environmentally friendly means of transportation. In future, Google Maps will increasingly suggest public transport and walking routes if they are comparable in time to a car journey, and new functions for electric vehicles will soon be offered. Google Search and Google Flights will also show more sustainable travel options. Read more

CURRENT TOPICS WITHIN THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY IN GERMANY & EUROPE

• TRAVELERS FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE AT THESE AIRPORTS: The Skytrax company has surveyed passengers and selected the best airports in the world. One German hub is among the top ten. Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, has reclaimed the top spot from Singapore's Changi International Airport, which is now in second place. Three more Asian airports follow in the top five, with Seoul-Incheon in South Korea taking third place (up from 4th), followed by Tokyo-Haneda and Tokyo-Narita in Japan. European airports are once again strongly represented in the top ten, with Munich again joining Paris, Zurich and Istanbul. Read more
• CRUISE MARKET TRAVEL AGENCIES ENSURE MORE PASSENGERS: Global cruise tourism continues to grow. Last year, the number of passengers worldwide rose to 31.7 million, an increase of around seven per cent compared to the 2019 pre-corona season (29.7 million). This is the result of a recent assessment by the International Cruise Lines Association (CLIA). Read more
• DB: END OF THE BASEL-AMSTERDAM DIRECT ROUTE: This railway line has been in operation for almost 100 years, but this will soon come to an end: A daily ICE train will only run directly between Basel and Amsterdam until 15 July, as reported by several media outlets in the Netherlands and Switzerland. The reason: Deutsche Bahn is planning to restructure its express train services to and from Holland and no longer wishes to operate the train. ?Read more
• LUFTHANSA CANCELS TEL AVIV AGAIN: The situation in the Middle East is unpredictable and airlines' plans are constantly changing. Lufthansa has now announced that it is again suspending flights to Tel Aviv - initially for today and tomorrow (Saturday). During the same period, it will fly around Iraqi airspace. Its subsidiary Austrian Airlines is also cancelling flights to Tel Aviv today, Friday, and Swiss is suspending flights until 25 April. Read more
• BOOKING START FOR LUFTHANSA CITY AIRLINES:The Kranich Group has now announced specific dates for the launch of its new subsidiary Lufthansa City Airlines. Bookings can be made from 24 April 2024, with the first flight from Munich to Birmingham taking place on 26 June, according to a statement to the sales team. Read more

DESTINATION NEWS

• BALI, INDONESIA: The regional government of the Indonesian tourist island of Bali is urging foreign tourists visiting the island to get vaccinated against dengue fever as the number of dengue cases in the country is rising. Gusti Ayu Raka Susanti, Acting Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Department (P2P) at the Bali Health Authority, explained last weekend that although dengue vaccinations are not currently mandatory nationwide, it is strongly recommended that tourists get vaccinated. Read more
• DUBAI, UAE: Severe storms brought Dubai International Airport to a temporary standstill. Many passengers were also affected by flight cancellations and delays on the following days. Emirates is now taking stock. Read more
• AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS: The city of Amsterdam is stepping up its fight against overtourism and is banning the construction of new hotels in future by declaring the entire city a restricted area for new accommodation establishments. New hotels will only be built if an existing hotel is closed instead and the number of beds is not increased. Read more
• CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN: Tens of thousands of people have protested against mass tourism on the Canary Islands. According to the police, around 20,000 people demonstrated on the streets of the major cities on the Spanish vacation islands, while the organizers spoke of almost 50,000 participants. They vented their anger with chants and whistles, with banners bearing slogans such as "The Canary Islands are not for sale", "Tourism moratorium", "Tourism increases my rent" and "Respect my home." The demonstrators demanded, for example, that the authorities better control regulations for the rental of vacation accommodation and regulate the purchase of property by non-residents on the islands. The demands also include an environmental tax for tourists. Read more
• ECUADOR: The government in Ecuador has declared a state of emergency due to power shortages. In order to ration energy, the energy ministry has announced that power will be switched off for several hours in the various regions of the South American country. In addition, Thursday and Friday have been declared non-working days by decree. Read more
• CROATIA: A popular vacation beach near the Croatian city of Split is contaminated with asbestos-containing building rubble. However, many tourists are unaware of this and sunbathe in the poisoned sand. A chaos of authorities prevents the beach section from being closed. Read more
• VENICE, ITALY: The St. Mark's Tower in Venice is crumbling. According to the media, small pieces of reinforced concrete have fallen from the almost one hundred meter high Campanile several times recently. Read more
• MILAN, ITALY: Milan is considered the fashion and cultural metropolis of "la bella Italia". In some districts, the party goes on well into the night, much to the annoyance of the residents. In addition to party noise, fights and violent excesses are also a problem. Milan's mayor is now cracking down with a new ordinance. The city of Milan has announced that new measures will apply from May 17 to November 4, 2024. Twelve areas, so-called "red zones", will be affected. The following rules will then apply: Taking food of any kind - including ice cream - is prohibited after midnight. Street vendors must stop at 8pm and outdoor food and drink is prohibited on weekdays from midnight to 6am. At weekends and on public holidays from 1.30 am to 6 am. Read more
• HELSINKI, FINLAND: Historic onset of winter in Helsinki: The Finnish capital Helsinki was hit by an unexpected winter comeback on Tuesday. The airport was particularly hard hit by snow and ice. Dozens of flights had to be canceled. Read more
• BARCELONA, SPAIN: Barcelona puts a stop to the selfie craze at the Sagrada Família: A new trend on the social media platform Tiktok regularly leads to blockades at the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. Now the city authorities have reacted. Signs in Catalan, Spanish and English as well as security guards at the stairs now state that filming and taking photos on the escalator is prohibited. The problem: many Tiktok users ignore the signs. Read more